What do YOU use automation for??

[doclegion]

I know this sounds like a silly question but i dont really use it for anything special?? Its a cool tool and everything but I read topics on this forum and people mention automation a lot!!

I cant really think of anything to automate? Maybe to fade the outro or intro or something is prettiy much all i can think of
What do you use it for??

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

I was inclined to write back as if this is a weird thing to wonder, but a while ago I was in a similar situation. I thought that if I had EQed and compressed right, I wouldn't need to automate anything. But that just led me to overcompression and an unwillingness to fix the remaining level issues.

Basically, music is dynamic. In any one section of a piece a they may be a different focus and one of the most basic parts of a good mix is to bring attention to that focus. Without automation to shift the focus a mix can easily become boring. You need automation for that. Also, it is a more transparent way to control level than a compressor. I love compressors, but what they really excel at is changing the character of a sound. As a level control. they are sloppy. This is why you hear a lot of people talking about automating every note or phrase for level control and then using a compressor to change the timbre of the sound. There are many uses for automation, but those are two major ones for me. Overall, it may seem like a big undertaking if you haven't been thinking about it, but it is really hard to make professional sounding mixes without automation and you will really be on a good path to being a great mixer if you a great at automation (IMO).

 

[Melodeath]

Usually just individual instrument/element volume, and certain effect parameters

 

[Zack Uidl]

I use automation a lot. Much more than just for volume levels.

I might automate the delay bus for a lead guitar so during the faster sections, the delay effect is minimized to maintain clarity in the solo and then make it much louder on the last note so it echoes out more noticeably. I might automate an EQ so at parts, the vocals sound distant. These are just some random examples off the top of my head

There are tons of ways to use automation.

 

[felipe-x]

i use sometimes for toms or hi hats.. depends the situation and style of music!

 

[Torniojaws]

I use it for effects. For some really cool stuff, automate track effects like chorus/flanger (adjust speed, depth or effect style), or EQ (low/hipass swells, or some wah-like stuff). Be creative

 

[ahjteam]

I know this sounds like a silly question but i dont really use it for anything special?? Its a cool tool and everything but I read topics on this forum and people mention automation a lot!!

I cant really think of anything to automate? Maybe to fade the outro or intro or something is prettiy much all i can think of
What do you use it for??

a lot of effects used in electronic music are done with automation (like filtersweeps)

 

[seditz740novaprospect]

almost every element of the mix


i do lots of rides and parameter changes.....

 

[Kazrog]

I automate a lot of things in my mixes; I've even gone as far as to quantize certain FX parameters to specific rhythms in the music, etc. It's a very useful tool that people who came up during the analog years had to pay many thousands of dollars for, just to be able to automate fader levels!!!

Ironically, we take it for granted in the era of cheap PCs and Reaper.

 

[Ermz]

Agreed, it's a very understated tool for most newer engineers.

If you listen to major label productions you will hear a TON of changes done via automation. These days we can even do most of our automation by simply cutting and pasting across different tracks. With a virtually limitless track count in most DAWs we have the flexibility to do more crap than guys in the good ol analogue years even dreamed of.

The problem is that sometimes those options can be overwhelming and lead to a more confused and less focused product! I'm definitely with the CLA line of thinking in which he will stem ANYTHING down to 48 tracks. Even if the session has 200 tracks on it, he will find a way to comp it down to 48 for mixing.

Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I use automation for pretty much everything as well. From volume to EQ to FX to whatever may need it.

 

[SoundSpiral]

I use automation a lot too.
Toms always. And I listen everything thru time after time and fix the balance on every part separately if needed.
I automate effects aswell.

But I never automate for the sake of automating. I find it a bit annoying at times =)

 

[beyond dead]

wow! awesome thread doclegion! I have just started using automation to even dynamics on toms, bass drums and snare! I agree that compression should not be used to tame dynamics. it is best at shaping the tone or sound of an instrument!


SORRY IF IM HIJACKING how do automate ¯\(°_o)/¯ (lol i had to do it, i havent yet )
now im an automation n00b! I`m not quite sure how to automate effects parameters in logic. do you just adjust the controls of the plug in while automation is on and the song is playing back lol

I was thinking about bussing my effects to another bus and automating the volume of that bus in and out up and down as needed, then sending to another bus with alternate settings, and automating that in and out as well. Is this how its done lol

sorry for n00b questions.

 

[Machinated]

I automate absolutely everything, start with volumes riding and panning stuff, ill automate EQ's, filters, distortions, compressors absolutely anything........

really depends on the song though

 

[Torniojaws]

SORRY IF IM HIJACKING how do automate ¯(°_o)/¯ (lol i had to do it, i havent yet )
now im an automation n00b! I`m not quite sure how to automate effects parameters in logic. do you just adjust the controls of the plug in while automation is on and the song is playing back lol

I don't know about Logic, but generally the method seems to be same across different DAWs:

1) Enable Write (big red button with a "W") for the track/effect
2) Start normal playback, or start recording (this probably changes between different DAWs)
3) When it's playing, do whatever you want to automate
4) When you're done, first disengage the Write mode and remember to enable Read (big green button with a "R") for the track/effect, so that the automation is actually in use

If you're looking for a specific sound without anything specific in mind, enable looping mode, and then adjust until you get it right. Remember that you can do multiple passes! First record one automation, then something else, and then some more.

 

[Wave_D]

Everything, especially tracks where I really don't want to have the compressor attack too fast in order to control an instruments dynamics...or just compress too hard in general. i.e: bad kick drum technique or bad bass playing.

then automation is great to accent certain downbeats or transitions...

 

[Machinated]

I don't know about Logic, but generally the method seems to be same across different DAWs:

1) Enable Write (big red button with a "W") for the track/effect
2) Start normal playback, or start recording (this probably changes between different DAWs)
3) When it's playing, do whatever you want to automate
4) When you're done, first disengage the Write mode and remember to enable Read (big green button with a "R") for the track/effect, so that the automation is actually in use

If you're looking for a specific sound without anything specific in mind, enable looping mode, and then adjust until you get it right. Remember that you can do multiple passes! First record one automation, then something else, and then some more.

In logic, its very similar to this method. hit 'a' on the keyboard to get to the automation view and its pretty straightforward

 

[AudioGeekZine]

I often automate stems throughout the song to help the dynamics. Helping a crescendo with some volume automation etc.

"Delay Throws" automating an effect send to echo certain words.

De-essing sometimes

 

[beyond dead]

thanks guys! guess i was on the right track! I always wanted to mess around with automating the master buss compression for blasts and fast tempos. attack and release settings really should vary by tempo to get a consistent sound!
thanks machinated for explaining how to do this in logic!

 

[C_F_H_13]

I automate absolutely everything, start with volumes riding and panning stuff, ill automate EQ's, filters, distortions, compressors absolutely anything........

really depends on the song though

+1.

I do levels of automation.

The first is my "corrective volume automation". Catching all the words that are quiet, riding up the bass runs that are always too low( or as I said in the Staub thread...riding every note to an RMs level...I hate life those days), automating cymbals up on big accents, and tom rides.

Then I do my creative dynamic volume automation. riding up fills, master fader automation, drops for the verses, solo boosts...etc etc. etc. etc.

Finally I do all my creative automation on FX,EQs, Panning and other wierd automation. I'm a big fan of automating stuff to make it randomly pop out, then sink back into the track. Charles Dye called it the "too loud" part.

 

[JonWormwood]

It's what I hate the most about recording my own stuff.