Lets talk automation

[setyouranchor]

How much are you guys automating things and what are you automating?

EQ? Compression? Volume? etc etc

Seems like a pretty nooby question I know but I need to get into the swing of giving my tracks a bit more dynamics

 

[timislegend]

everything. always.

 

[Revson]

Typically, the majority of my automation involves leveling out the vocals, panning them all crazy, or automating a reverb/delay for a fun effect. Anything else I automate is on a need-to-do basis or if I'm going for a particular effect. I probably should automate more, but it gets really irritating for me just using a mouse.

 

[crillemannen]

I automate when i need to

Overheads, Guitars, snare whatever. I use it to keep the mix balanced, to create excitement

 

[FIXXXER]

basically nothing. if i want parts louder/quieter i oull them up/down.
if i want fades i apply fades directly to the tracks. pretty destructive though.

cheers
S.

 

[AEL89]

Pretty much automate everything.

Automate your toms, don't cut out everything. Cutting all the spill can sound so unnatural sometimes, almost as if the toms just pop out of nowhere. Leaving a tiny bit of tom spill can really help with the stereo image of the kit, adds a bit of crack to the snare and just gives it more vibe.

You have to be careful with how much signal your feeding a compressor with automation too.

 

[C_F_H_13]

I do a few layers of mandatory automation on every mix, then whatever else is necessary for balance, then a layer of creativity.

Mandatory layer would be:

1. Automating the crashes in the OH/cymbal tracks so they all come through cleanly. Automate the kicks so they punch at necessary points (top of riffs, break punches etc.) Automate the room mics in an out of sections depending on the track.

2. Automate the bass for consistent volume/level.

3. Gtrs I automate their panning and level section.

Balance layer would be:

1. All the vocal levels against the track

2. All the groups against the vocal.

3. Any master fader automation.

Creative layer would be:

1. All vocal fx. dipping and raising vocal dly's, automating a dly into a verb, wierd panning and pitch fx...whatever it takes.

2. Any drum filtering or guitar filtering.

 

[Sloan]

does anyone here ever actually ride faders at mixdown? i used to have one of those yamaha aw16g workstations and loved that shit, just playing the mix.

 

[timislegend]

does anyone here ever actually ride faders at mixdown? i used to have one of those yamaha aw16g workstations and loved that shit, just playing the mix.

yes.

 

[greyskull]

I do a few layers of mandatory automation on every mix, then whatever else is necessary for balance, then a layer of creativity.

Mandatory layer would be:

1. Automating the crashes in the OH/cymbal tracks so they all come through cleanly. Automate the kicks so they punch at necessary points (top of riffs, break punches etc.) Automate the room mics in an out of sections depending on the track.

2. Automate the bass for consistent volume/level.

3. Gtrs I automate their panning and level section.

Balance layer would be:

1. All the vocal levels against the track

2. All the groups against the vocal.

3. Any master fader automation.

Creative layer would be:

1. All vocal fx. dipping and raising vocal dly's, automating a dly into a verb, wierd panning and pitch fx...whatever it takes.

2. Any drum filtering or guitar filtering.

what he said

 

[006]

I've been getting more and more into automation. A couple I learned from James Murphy:

Make sure the kick volume gets taken down a little during parts where it is doing double-bass, helps to keep the kick from overpowering during those parts.

If blending samples into the snare, automate the sample track down a little during fills, and further down or -inf during blast beats, etc.

Of course every situation is different but those are two very good tips I never really thought about before and have made a great improvement for me.

I'm usually always doing automation on vocal fx like verb and delay. Guitar panning/volume for more dramatic sounding parts.

 

[Arsenu,]

one trick i really like is inserting an EQ with low and high cuts and maybe a peak at around 1000hz to get a really small, telepphone sound and automating a bypass at a certain silent moment.
when the instrument (either guitar or drums usually) comes back with it's original EQ it smashes your fucking face!

 

[setyouranchor]

Wow! Automating things must take a lifetime for some of you guys

Thanks for all the responses, think I'm gonna take the time with this next mix to get to grips on automation

 

[Charles J]

I do a few layers of mandatory automation on every mix, then whatever else is necessary for balance, then a layer of creativity.

Mandatory layer would be:

1. Automating the crashes in the OH/cymbal tracks so they all come through cleanly. Automate the kicks so they punch at necessary points (top of riffs, break punches etc.) Automate the room mics in an out of sections depending on the track.

2. Automate the bass for consistent volume/level.

3. Gtrs I automate their panning and level section.

Balance layer would be:

1. All the vocal levels against the track

2. All the groups against the vocal.

3. Any master fader automation.

Creative layer would be:

1. All vocal fx. dipping and raising vocal dly's, automating a dly into a verb, wierd panning and pitch fx...whatever it takes.

2. Any drum filtering or guitar filtering.

I think this is the most informative and greatest post I've ever read in all my years on this forum.

<3

 

[crillemannen]

Wow! Automating things must take a lifetime for some of you guys

Thanks for all the responses, think I'm gonna take the time with this next mix to get to grips on automation

Automation is a big deal of getting the best out of a great mix

 

[AndrewPGlover]

Wow! Automating things must take a lifetime for some of you guys

Thanks for all the responses, think I'm gonna take the time with this next mix to get to grips on automation

I think after a while it becomes one of those "therapeutic" things. Like drum editing. I used to look at it as a chore, but now I love it. And once you get done with the tedious automating and listen back to your mix it breathes so well and you love it.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Automation has always been a nightmare for me, until I got to the advanced automation possibilities of Pro Tools HD (actually PT9 + CPTK2 but that's the same).

 

[crillemannen]

Automation has always been a nightmare for me, until I got to the advanced automation possibilities of Pro Tools HD (actually PT9 + CPTK2 but that's the same).

Like what m8?

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

VCA and their automation on top of tracks automation, trim mode for each automation mode (so awesome), the manual write and write on stop, the capture and preview, auto join and auto match...

 

[SimonTaddio_Qc]

Pro Tools is teh sex for automation. I automate an awful lot, and think I'll do it even more in the future after reading some very interesting ideas here.

When I "master" some demos and stuff, I will often automate the threshold of the limiter, which I like a lot to have more distinct dynamics between verses/choruses/bridge, etc.
I love to automate in a creattive way too