ITB automation - with faders or mouse?

[B36arin]

Alright, simple question. When you guys automate, do you use the mouse and draw the automation into the DAW or do you write it using a control surface(i.e. faders). What are your takes on the pros and cons of both methods? Using the mouse lets you go in and edit everything to perfection, but I can imagine that doing it on a control surface gives a different kind of creativity to your workflow, and I'm really interested in knowing how people approach it. I've personally only used a mouse for it, but I've been doing most of my work on a laptop until recently.

Edit: Should go into Production Tips, could someone please move it? My bad.

 

[Ermz]

For general section-by-section changes I tend to do it using the 'Trim' adjustment in Cubase. Basically highlight a stretch of music, then use the track volume fader to 'write' the level change into the section.

For more intense stuff, like riding vocals and orchestration, I do that using an Alphatrack, by hand, ridden as the song plays for maximum human feel.

 

[Skinny Viking]

Simple answer ...

Mouse

 

[ze kink]

Magic Trackpad.

 

[Anthropocide]

I always use mouse only and draw all lines and curves by hand. Because it's impossible to get perfect results by dragging faders during playback.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I always use mouse only and draw all lines and curves by hand. Because it's impossible to get perfect results by dragging faders during playback.

+1

 

[B36arin]

I always use mouse only and draw all lines and curves by hand. Because it's impossible to get perfect results by dragging faders during playback.

This is where it gets interesting though. I thought of the thread after reading around about Andy Wallace yesterday, and all those older guys did automation on SSL desks where you couldn't draw the lines. Ermz answered that riding by hand gives it the maximum human feel which I also expect. I'm definitely going to be trying to use faders more and more to see what the results are like. It's probably going to be hard in the beginning, but I can imagine that it makes everything much more fun and creative as soon as you've started to master it.

 

[Mikaël-ange]

Everything non volume related by mouse (eq/fx automation and manual deesing)...
All volume via fader

 

[Sloan]

Anyone use a fader and then go back and tweak with mouse? Seems like a good idea.

 

[C_F_H_13]

For general section-by-section changes I tend to do it using the 'Trim' adjustment in Cubase. Basically highlight a stretch of music, then use the track volume fader to 'write' the level change into the section.

For more intense stuff, like riding vocals and orchestration, I do that using an Alphatrack, by hand, ridden as the song plays for maximum human feel.

Pretty similar here. I kind of rough in levels with a mouse, and then anything that needs actual automating I use my faderport.