Free Video - How to get perfect levels using automation

[Kenny Gioia]

Precise Automation Levels in your DAW | KennyMania

Thanks for the support.

[Southsidemusic]

Hey Kenny

Thanks very much for doing these videos and helping out people who maybe doesn't have their hand on all these great advice

Even though we have been at the music industry for over 17 yrs I still LOVE to watch videos like yours and very impressed by your efforts to help!

All the Best and again BiG Thank You Kenny!

Christopher

[Carl Kolchak]

Hi Kenny,

Using "AutoMatch Time" to make smooth transitions, is a really useful tip.

With regards to setting the basic levels, I personally find it quicker to manually create a single automation node at the desired level, then select the areas that require a different basic level, and use the vertical trim tool.

You could also use "Write to End" to alternate between the various levels, as you progress through the track linearly.

But the "AutoMatch Time" trick is a really neat way of bridging the gaps.


Out of interest, which control surface are you using (it plays nicely with PT & Reaper)?


Also, how many copyright infringements are you going for, with your "Kenny Mania" logo ?

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Hey Kenny

Thanks very much for doing these videos and helping out people who maybe doesn't have their hand on all these great advice

Even though we have been at the music industry for over 17 yrs I still LOVE to watch videos like yours and very impressed by your efforts to help!

All the Best and again BiG Thank You Kenny!

Christopher

Very nice of you to say. Thanks.

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Carl Kolchak

Hi Kenny,

Using "AutoMatch Time" to make smooth transitions, is a really useful tip.

Thanks

With regards to setting the basic levels, I personally find it quicker to manually create a single automation node at the desired level, then select the areas that require a different basic level, and use the vertical trim tool.

Absolutely. But my goal was to make this more for people who don't want to draw and instead prefer to use the fader. My normal process would have been more how you described it. A combination of both.

You could also use "Write to End" to alternate between the various levels, as you progress through the track linearly.

Yes. But I was trying to make this less of a Pro Tools tip and more of a DAW tip. But yes. You're correct. I use the "Write to Start/End/All stuff all the time.

Out of interest, which control surface are you using (it plays nicely with PT & Reaper)?

The Presonus Faderport. Actually works better with Reaper because you don't have to use HUI and banks of 8. But for about $100, you can't beat it.

Also, how many copyright infringements are you going for, with your "Kenny Mania" logo ?

I actually don't mind that other people use my logos so I have no plans to sue.

[Carl Kolchak]

Originally Posted by Kenny Gioia

Absolutely. But my goal was to make this more for people who don't want to draw and instead prefer to use the fader. My normal process would have been more how you described it. A combination of both.

:< snip >:

Yes. But I was trying to make this less of a Pro Tools tip and more of a DAW tip. But yes. You're correct. I use the "Write to Start/End/All stuff all the time.

Right - it makes sense on a number of levels to make these instructional videos DAW agnostic, and even if they were Pro Tools specific, the advanced automation features are HD only anyway.

Originally Posted by Kenny Gioia

The Presonus Faderport. Actually works better with Reaper because you don't have to use HUI and banks of 8. But for about $100, you can't beat it.

I actually have one of those, but for reasons I've never fully investigated, it causes Pro Tools to frequently grind to a halt, and freeze periodically.

I'd like to get my hands on a Qcon Lite (more HUI fun), but haven't found a dealer that has them for demo purposes.

No idea how good the fader is, compared to the FaderPort, or how complete the HUI implementation is, but having a "Flip" button makes it very attractive, if it actually can then be used to automate plug-in controls using the touch sensitive fader.

Additionally, it has a display screen, 4 knobs, and a jog/shuttle wheel. But without getting my hands on one, I've no idea if they are all fully implemented in Pro Tools.

I actually find that transport controls etc. just get in the way on these mini controllers, as I'm so used to all the short cuts on the computer's alpha keyboard - though they're handy if you're using it as a remote control.

Originally Posted by Kenny Gioia

I actually don't mind that other people use my logos so I have no plans to sue.

All free advertising I guess...

Cheers Kenny!

[Kenny Gioia]

Originally Posted by Carl Kolchak

I'd like to get my hands on a Qcon Lite (more HUI fun), but haven't found a dealer that has them for demo purposes.

No idea how good the fader is, compared to the FaderPort, or how complete the HUI implementation is, but having a "Flip" button makes it very attractive, if it actually can then be used to automate plug-in controls using the touch sensitive fader.

Additionally, it has a display screen, 4 knobs, and a jog/shuttle wheel. But without getting my hands on one, I've no idea if they are all fully implemented in Pro Tools.

I actually find that transport controls etc. just get in the way on these mini controllers, as I'm so used to all the short cuts on the computer's alpha keyboard - though they're handy if you're using it as a remote control.

That thing does look interesting but I'd prefer more faders. That's the only thing I miss. I've had a 24 channel Pro Control and a few Control 24's but I had to give them up for Pro Tools 11. The fader on the Faderport feels as good as any fader I've ever used but you only get one and it won't do sends or plugin parameters.

Although, truth be told, I use to spend hours getting my Control 24 to display 24 parameters of a plugin and it was never worth the effort. It was always quicker with the mouse or trackpad.

Thanks

[Carl Kolchak]

Originally Posted by Kenny Gioia

That thing does look interesting but I'd prefer more faders. That's the only thing I miss.

They make a really minimal version, with 8 faders (and a 9th Master fader, which is useless in Pro Tools), as well as a fully featured control surface (that looks like I imagine the Mackie MCU would have looked, had it been made by Akai in 1996).

There's also the much touted, but as yet unreleased X-Touch.


As I've yet to get my hands on the iCON / QCon units, I've no idea how good they are in practise.

The iControls Pro is a very intriguing small format device, but the lack of a "Flip to Faders" function is almost a deal-breaker, and the lack of a screen makes knowing which plug-in parameter you're about to tweak, without having to spin the knob first, impractical - I'd possibly want to swap at least one of the fader caps for something better.

The QCon Pro, again looks like it could be great, but I'm inherently suspicious of a device offering so much, at such a low price.

The X-Touch has the potential to really the fit the bill, and as easy as it is to be cautious / snobby with regards to Behringer, their BCF2000 actually works surprisingly well, given it's limitations (faders are not touch-sensitive, no scribble strip displays, Baby HUI means no plug-in control). The X-Touch will more than redress those previous shortcomings.


The only thing that really puts me of any of these (besides build quality) is HUI, which may end up dumped from / incompatible with Pro Tools in a future update, and even when the units do provide a "Flip to Faders" function, if you want to automate plug-in parameters, HUI limits you to one plug-in control at a time (knobs, or faders).

Originally Posted by Kenny Gioia

The fader on the Faderport feels as good as any fader I've ever used but you only get one and it won't do sends or plugin parameters.

The two things I really like about the FaderPort, are the quality of the fader, and the fact that it has direct access to most of the automation modes.

The fact that it has solo, mute, arm, and banking options is also extremely convenient.

If it only had a "Flip" mode (which also extended to plug-in control) it would be pretty much spot on, as the pan knob is not great :

On the one hand, it feels like it takes a ridiculous amount of rotation, to move the knob to where you want it to be (almost like you have Command / Ctrl held down). And on the other hand, there are only 50 segments Left, and 50 segments Right, so a single segment adjustment pans by 2 units, instead of just 1.


I had been seriously considering the Avid Artist Series, but the faders feel like the cheapest, tackiest crap ever. The channel mutes are... unconventional, to say the least. And in spite of some very deep integration with Pro Tools, the whole unit (both the Artist Control, and Artist Mix) seems like it's designed to be as generic as possible, appealing to a broad range of softwares, not just DAW's, rather than being Pro Tools specific.

The Artis Control offers some very attractive additional functionality, such as macros, advanced edit with the scroll wheel, etc. But if the display gives out, the entire unit is sunk, whereas at least the Artist Mix is still fully operational, even if a few scribble strips die.

Man, I really miss the Command | 8. It could have done a few more things, and had better fader caps, but it was just so perfectly thought out, and integrated in to Pro Tools.