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Adjust overall volume automation level with mixer fader


alexpen

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Me and many people I know don't use volume automation, but insert a gain plugin and automate gain.

The big advantage of this approach that you can use normal mixer fader (or corresponding HW controls) to adjust overall volume level during mixing.

 

It would be great, if logic could provide a mode where mixer fader movement will adjust the overall volume automation level.

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Additions tyo what Eric writes (is it even possible that I can actually add to what Eric writes?) :

 

* LPX 10.2 allows for two volume automations (and separately visible lanes) : absolute and relative : use the relative to automate volume, not touching the absolute one, and you'll keep your fader available for overall volume level adjustments;

 

* In case you need to record automation (instead of inputing it as automation points on a lane - e.g. on the relative lane) such as with HW controllers movements, and assuming you have recorded it in absolute mode, you can then ajust the overal level in 1 click : with automation mode active ("A" keyboard shortcut), make sur the tracks headers are large enough so that the cell displaying a value on the bottom right of the header is visible (it displays the value of the visible automated parameter - e.g. asbolute level - at the playhead position). Hover your mouse above that cell and the display changes to "trim". Clickhold and drag up or down, the whole automation curve for the whole project length will mode up or down. Example : at the playead position, this cell show an absolute level of -4.3 (dB). Click-hold and change the value to -3.3 (i.e. +1dB up). The whole automation data on that lane has been move up by +1dB. This cell acts as an additional fader precisely dedicated to overall level adjustments. Et voila!

 

Cheers.

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This function already exists.

Set the Automation mode to either Trim or Relative. I would start with trim and see if that works for you.

I apologize, I was not very clear on the topic. Eric, what you're describing is a second "automation lane". But I don't need an additional automation. What I want is to simulate the automation trim field, increasing or decreasing the overall level of existing automation with the mixer fader.

 

In usual project you have some tracks with the volume automation and some without. Instead of just adjusting mixer fader you have to open automation, check if some automation is existing and if yes, use the trim field to adjust the overall volume level. Kind of cumbersome workflow for me.

Edited by alexpen
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Additions tyo what Eric writes (is it even possible that I can actually add to what Eric writes?) :

 

* LPX 10.2 allows for two volume automations (and separately visible lanes) : absolute and relative : use the relative to automate volume, not touching the absolute one, and you'll keep your fader available for overall volume level adjustments;

No, unfortunately this doesn't work as expected.

 

Relative automation only

 

1.gif.16d455f0750baa32e90b487738e91191.gif

Fader jumps back after movement.

 

Relative automation + one automation point for absolute automation.

 

[attachment=0]2.gif[/attachment]

Fader generally moves the absolute automation lane, but jumps by offset (taken from relative automation).

Edited by alexpen
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  • 2 years later...
  • 1 month later...

Any updates to this? I agree with Alex and would LOVE this functionality as well.

 

The gain plugin trick is a good idea. I'll try that for now. Can I set my default track settings to always have the gain plugin whenever I add a new track. That will be just as annoying having to add the gain plugin every time I want to write in automation.

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  • 2 months later...
The problem I've found with using the Gain Utility plugin is that it has a very limited & steep fader curve compared to the smooth & open curve of logic volume. I've tested many different trim plugins and the one I"ve found closest to Logic Volume is Hornet VUMeter Mk3. It's a very slim and inexpensive plugin that has a cool autogain feature that I've found quite useful to get the sweet spot of -18db (ballpark) on all channel strips. When I really dug in to using it for volume automation I discovered that when making steep slope/quick changes it produced some clicks. This made me wonder if the plugin was degrading sound, so I performed a null test and found that it's clean. I've contacted the programmer with the bug info and he assures me that it will be a quick fix. He said that it's not meant for gain automation as it uses a buffer for the autogain feature. So I suggested the option to turn the buffer off when autogain is disabled and he said he'll work on it. In the meantime, I find the metering & autogain features very useful for gain staging, and soft slope automating works fine. At 5€, it's a no brainer.
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  • 6 months later...

While the VCA faders are really helpful for this functionality, they are more useful for controlling groups. To use them for controlling the relative volume of each track makes for too many faders. The relative automation lane is very helpful, but I don’t believe it quite has maximized the expected behavior user experience.

 

Here’s what I would expect. Feel free to disagree. The default volume lane is where people are going to set their rough mix levels and begin writing their automation. Once they are happy with that automation, they are going to want to “lock it in” and control/audition the overall volume without committing to additional written automation. When I am in “read” mode and click the “relative” option from the automation modes, I expect the relative lane to open up, locking the first lanes automation greyed out behind it - the way it does in relative latch mode, for example. From here, still in read mode, I would expect to be able to control the fader without drawing automation in the same way that the default volume fader works in read mode when no automation is written.

 

This would create a more cohesive user experience across the different methods of automation and intentions for adjusting track volume.

 

Lately I’ve been using the trim window to accomplish this, but their isn’t a way for me to grab that from my hardware controller.

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