volume automation "poping"

[Dr. J]

I have volume automated an electric guitar track, and at every change point, no matter if it's only 1db different, i hear a pop sound. I can't use the pencil tool to make a fade instead of a stair jump, because i'm dealing with stereo tracks at different volumes and that wold take forever, besides that thing doesn't go in 1db increments anyway. Why am i getting this pop, and how can i eliminate it?

[Giulio]

The "pops" you hear are just the result of sudden volume changes. The only way to avoid them is to make sure that the selection you want to trim starts and ends with no audio (or very soft audio). By the way, the pencil tool moves in 0.1 dB step if you press the apple key while trimming.
I agree with you that this trimming function in unusable in Pro Tools. They should put a preference where you can set a very fast fade time for this kind of changes.

[JKD99]

Hi Dr J
You just have to make sure that it's not an instantaneous drop or raise; that's what makes the pop. Even if it's just a frame or so of a ramp instead of a 90-degree angle on the volume graph, that will be enough to get rid of the pop. You can drag your breakpoint a little bit earlier to make the ramp. Hope this helps, Good luck!

[Giulio]

Yeah, I forgot to mention this. But as I understand it, he doesn't want to manually edit all his volume trims, because it would take too long. Digi, what about a function that would do it automatically?

[John McDaniel]

Are your pops at region edges?
If so, there may well be more to them than mere 1 dB volume changes. There is a preference setting that allows you to choose the exact number of milliseconds that PT will use as a quick fade in at region boundaries to prevent pops that result from edits that do not occur at or near zero crossings. DC offset can also contribute to pops at region boundaries and can be compensated for by the fade in pref.

j mcd

[Dr. J]

no, the pops are not at edges, i have one long continous piece of audio, and then in the volume automation view in the edit window over the tracks, i just highlighted the spots i wanted up or down. (90 degree changes) It's much faster than latching and riding the fader! But then sometimes, not usually mind you, i get pops.

Tell ya what, didi, a good idea would be a setting to make the edges short fades when using the volume automation.