Cubase - automating bypass causes clicks/glitches?

[Ermz]

Hey guys,

Long standing issue with Cubase. Whenever I automate certain plug-ins to unbypass on the track (like if I want to run a flanger across a certain part, or dblue Glitch, and the plug-in runs in real time rather than printed) it causes a drop-out on that track. It happens even in the final mix-down.

How do you get around this? Why is bypass automatable if it's seemingly useless?

 

[HandsOfDespair]

Yeah that is a PITA. Last time, I bounced my final mixdown twice, one with no bypass and one with the bypass, then I edited them with fades to eliminate the clicks.

 

[Ermz]

Damn, that's nasty. In this case the automation is coming before the final balance/tones/mix so I can't do such a thing. Glitch doesn't seem to work when rendered offline. Its step sequencer doesn't even seem to function, otherwise I would've printed it straight to the audio files.

 

[joeymusicguy]

automating bypass can suck

the work around is, you're allowed infinite tracks so... make a new track, drag the flanger over to it, then you can fade in and out how ever you'd like (1 ms fade or 64th note "sturgis style" fade, if you don't want a fade at all)

i know a lot of people complain about this, but when you think about it... the same thing occurs in real life. go switch cables from a compressor that doesnt have a built in bypass while someone is singing, you'll get a pop... or better yet, find some gear that DOES have a bypass and hit it, most likely it makes the same noise...

even engaging a pad on a mic pre while recording will produce a "pop"

guitar effects are a fair bit better with being noiseless though, but a lot of the times tons of nasty crap is covered by distortion. including the pop transition in some guitar pickup switches

 

[Ermz]

Cool thanks. What I ended up doing was just applying glitch in real time to all 4 guitar tracks with duped settings. Bounced each individually, reimported, copied them over the parts where it was meant to happen and X-faded just in case. Seems to work.

Much of the time I get lazy and let the clicks and pops get buried underneath the track, if the high gain guitars are rolling, but in some cases you find yourself automating bypass in sparse sections where it sticks out like dog balls.

 

[xFkx]

Well, digital ain't hardware, so this shouldn't be happening... but i've got the same issue in Reaper. Might be a fuck-up in the VST protocol

 

[joeymusicguy]

Cool thanks. What I ended up doing was just applying glitch in real time to all 4 guitar tracks with duped settings. Bounced each individually, reimported, copied them over the parts where it was meant to happen and X-faded just in case. Seems to work.

Much of the time I get lazy and let the clicks and pops get buried underneath the track, if the high gain guitars are rolling, but in some cases you find yourself automating bypass in sparse sections where it sticks out like dog balls.

yeah

if you just get in the habit of doing this, you won't even notice you're doing it

1. add the plugin you want to switch on and off on the track
2. duplicate track
3. remove same plugin from original track (its now on the duplicated track)
4. select all events on duplicated track, delete
5. cut section from origional track, ctrl+drag it to the new track
6. add little baby fades, or whatever you want to do
7. done

i do this in 1 second with shortcuts, and i do it often with vocals, cuz automation isn't reliable in any daw.

seriously people. have you not tried to automate like, pod farm in pro tools? one day its a mesa with a bender drop, the next day you open it up and its a fender twang with a fucking tremelo or something...

 

[joeymusicguy]

Well, digital ain't hardware, so this shouldn't be happening... but i've got the same issue in Reaper. Might be a fuck-up in the VST protocol

true, but even pro tools does it lol.

nothings perfect, anywhere.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I have yet to use a DAW that doesn't have this issue. I always automate the mix knob if there is one as that's the only work around I know of. Either that or if it needs to be turned off after for some reason and there is a spot with no audio I wait till then to bypass it.

Shit sucks.

 

[Ermz]

yeah

if you just get in the habit of doing this, you won't even notice you're doing it

1. add the plugin you want to switch on and off on the track
2. duplicate track
3. remove same plugin from original track (its now on the duplicated track)
4. select all events on duplicated track, delete
5. cut section from origional track, ctrl+drag it to the new track
6. add little baby fades, or whatever you want to do
7. done

i do this in 1 second with shortcuts, and i do it often with vocals, cuz automation isn't reliable in any daw.

seriously people. have you not tried to automate like, pod farm in pro tools? one day its a mesa with a bender drop, the next day you open it up and its a fender twang with a fucking tremelo or something...

Sweet, cheers for the workflow tip. I figure if anyone has this sussed out on Cubase, it's got to be you.

Agreed that automation is not very reliable. I just struggle getting into the 'dupe track' mindset. I just think almost completely in analogue terms, so I want to ride knobs, turn shit on and off as the song is playing... I like my automation to be a performance in itself, but unfortunately DAWs don't accommodate this stuff so well. At least with unlimited tracks in Cubase we actually get the option.

How do you generally deal if you want these effects to be on group tracks?

PS. You know what you could really sell? Your Cubase preferences file/key map along with a list of video tutorials explaining your workflow for optimum editing, mix shortcuts etc. That'd be a huge hit.

 

[gabriel g.]

yeah

i do this in 1 second with shortcuts, and i do it often with vocals, cuz automation isn't reliable in any daw.

never had any problems with automating in logic 8 or logic 9!!!
And I automate like hell