What exactly is "Mix automation" ?

[grimtraveller]

For now, I'm deliberately not saying what I think it is but I feel I will have questions, depending on the answers.
What actually is it ? I have an idea in my head but every now and then, someone will say something that makes me question whether or not I understand it right.

 

[Greg_L]

It's the button you push to automatically make your mix awesome!


I've always understood it to mean that you're basically programming the faders, effects, panning, etc to automatically change in response to the mix. In the geezer days they called it "riding the faders".

I never do it.

 

[RAMI]

For now, I'm deliberately not saying what I think it is but I feel I will have questions, depending on the answers.
What actually is it ? I have an idea in my head but every now and then, someone will say something that makes me question whether or not I understand it right.

It's how mixes are rendered in the digital domain. In the analog world, you have to makeall your mix changes (volume, panning, effects, etc...) in real time while bouncing from a 4,8,16,24, or 64 track to a 2 -track. With mix automation, you program all the "real time" changes into the song and then render the file. So, you're pre-programming what would have to be done in real time by a pair or several pairs of hands if it was being bounced down to a 2-track tape.

 

[grimtraveller]

I've always understood it to mean that you're basically programming the faders, effects, panning, etc to automatically change in response to the mix. In the geezer days they called it "riding the faders".

This is sort of what I thought it was. What confuses me is how you actually do this. Theoretically, wouldn't it take longer than an actual mix ?

 

[Steenamaroo]

Theoretically, wouldn't it take longer than an actual mix ?

Nah, for me it makes things so much quicker.

Rami, you can have automation on consoles.
It saved you from having to memorise every little change when you were bouncing down.

In recording software, any change in volume, pan, effects, anything like that is automation.

When i had the digi 003 I used to love programming automation with the faders and pan knobs. It was so much quicker and easier than point and click.

I don't know if responding to the mix is a factor though. It's literally just your console or computer remembering a change you made in real time (or drew in) so you don't have to do it over and over.

 

[RAMI]

Theoretically, wouldn't it take longer than an actual mix ?

Not really. Well, yes in the sense that it takes more than 4 minutes to pre-program a mix for a 4 minute song. But, no in the sense that "mix automation" doesn't just mean riding the faders. It's setting up your EQ, effects, and basically getting the song ready for what will be a final mix. Those are things you have to do whether you're mixing in real time or not.

Rrendering a file takes about 15 seconds, so that's shorter than your 4 minute song.

 

[Greg_L]

This is sort of what I thought it was. What confuses me is how you actually do this. Theoretically, wouldn't it take longer than an actual mix ?

I would guess so. I never use any kind of automation, so I don't really know.

 

[Steenamaroo]

I never use any kind of automation.

Dude, if that's true you're a hell of a performer.
Fair play.

 

[Greg_L]

Dude, if that's true you're a hell of a performer.
Fair play.

Lol, thanks I guess, but I don't - as far as having faders move on their own and stuff like that.

 

[RAMI]

I would guess so. I never use any kind of automation, so I don't really know.

Actually, you do. Everyone does. Even if you don't change anything during the song. "Mix Automation" is a pretty broad phrase. Just setting up a compressor.......or chopping up a track so that you can turn some of the parts down is automation.

 

[grimtraveller]

When I was looking into going digital, automation was the deciding thing for me. The irony is that none of my standalones do it !
What I was thinking at the time {this was like, 2004} was that I could mix in sections. So I could take, say, the first minute of a 15 minute song, pan, EQ etc and get it exactly as I wanted it, then record/mixdown that section. Then basically go through each section and do likewise.
Did I totally misunderstand it ?

 

[Greg_L]

Actually, you do. Everyone does. Even if you don't change anything during the song. "Mix Automation" is a pretty broad phrase. Just setting up a compressor.......or chopping up a track so that you can turn some of the parts down is automation.

Okay, but isn't that just mixing? It's not being automated.

 

[RAMI]

I could mix in sections. So I could take, say, the first minute of a 15 minute song, pan, EQ etc and get it exactly as I wanted it, then record/mixdown that section. Then basically go through each section and do likewise.

Theoretically, wouldn't it take longer than an actual mix ?

 

[Greg_L]

15 minute song?

 

[grimtraveller]

15 minute song?

They were the short ones !

 

[RAMI]

Okay, but isn't that just mixing? It's not being automated.

Some things in my example above are being automated.

"Automating" something means that you're making something happen "automatically" . In this case, for example, you're chopping up a track, turning some of the parts down, panning others, etc....You're automating your mix because you're making things happen automatically when you render, as opposed to having to play with the fader or the pan pot in real time. You're pressing "REMDER" and just watching your fianl mix getting finalized, as opposed to having to have your hands on the board and making changes as your mix is being finalized.

 

[grimtraveller]

They were the short ones !

But over the last 18 months or so, I've been forcing myself to write 2, 3 and 4 minute songs. Some even less than 2 minutes. They seem to end so quickly !

 

[Steenamaroo]

"Automating" something means that you're making something happen "automatically" .

Yehp. If you draw in a line so your vocal volume goes up in the chorus or whatever, that's automation.

 

[Greg_L]

Some things in my example above are being automated.

"Automating" something means that you're making something happen "automatically" . In this case, for example, you're chopping up a track, turning some of the parts down, panning others, etc....You're automating your mix because you're making things happen automatically when you render, as opposed to having to play with the fader or the pan pot in real time. You're pressing "REMDER" and just watching your fianl mix getting finalized, as opposed to having to have your hands on the board and making changes as your mix is being finalized.

Fuck, so I'm an automater? I don't wanna be one! I thought automation was just making the faders move around automatically instead of slicing a track and editing just a little piece.

Yehp. If you draw in a line so your vocal volume goes up in the chorus or whatever, that's automation.

I don't draw no lines. My computer barely runs as it is.

 

[Greg_L]

But over the last 18 months or so, I've been forcing myself to write 2, 3 and 4 minute songs. Some even less than 2 minutes. They seem to end so quickly !

It's funny, damn near all of my songs fall between 2:30-3:30 without me even trying. I don't even think about it. It just happens. I was looking at the track lengths on my album that's coming out soon, and just about every song is right at 3:00, give or take a few seconds. I'm consistently formulaic and I like it that way.