Nice songs by the way.
Volume Envelope:
I find it very useful while arranging song and polishing dynamics in the finale mix.
Volume envelope is (If it’s not set to OFF by user) green line on the top of your file in multitrack. No matter if it was recorded recently or just inserted to the project.
Line being on the top means 100% of its volume.
Let say it’s a drum track and I decided to turn it down at the end of the chorus which was not my plan in the first place. I edit the envelope (which takes 3 seconds only) and my drums are muted so long the envelope is at bottom of the track. Then I can make them to fade in after that particular part. There is an option in software to make the “splines” so we can get those changes very smooth.
If intro section is loud I always turn those instruments down a little bit at place where vocal comes in but I turn everything up at chorus (Depending of songs off course)
Some times I record several different instruments and those envelopes decide which one will play in which part of the song. By editing envelopes I change arrangement very quickly without editing tracks destructively.
Sometimes I use volume envelopes to turn some peaks down.
I don’t know if I mention all good examples but in generally, volume envelopes force your track varies in volume during the song.
Automation has just the same result. AA 2,0 can drive those lines automatically.
You play back your project and adjusting your volume fader at the same time in mixer view.
Next time you play it the fader moves automatically. (You can always make some fine adjustments manually)
If you play your AA2,0 theme try to look at those faders in mixer view.
Many of them move up and down thanks to automation.
You can even do those tricks with panning and FX.
Let’s say your vocal has some reverb during all song but you wish to put big echo only at last word in chorus. You can easily do that by using FX automation.
It is possible to the same differently I know but this is best way I know.
Pan envelope is
a blue line in the middle of the track. If you edit it and like it goes from the top to the bottom in 5 seconds interval you’ll notice sound moving from left to tight speaker smoothly during those 5 sec (Just an example)
Some people bounce many different guitar tracks to one file (To reduce number of the tracks) and wish to move solo part to the centre, rhythm at beginning to the left at riffs which come at the end to the right. That’s why panning envelopes can be useful.
I should probably read this over and correct many of my stupid English sentences but I have to run. Just quote those parts and I’ll try to explain what I meant.
I hope you (and others) will find this useful keeping in your mind that those are not rules or correct ways. That’s the way I do it and I am a just an amateur (self learned).
This is my hobby only.