Touch Automation

[drumsound]

A big part of what I like about working in a DAW is being able to draw in the things I want to automate. I can see the events in front of me and I can craft the thing I want to happen. Generally, this is how I prefer to do things, in the edit window.

BUUUUUTTT Using touch automation to add a bit of less 'perfect' dialed in things can be quite great. I'll often put the lead vocal into touch mode, so that I can just make a few 'in the moment' moves, especially for the things like the ends of phrases that the singer might be running low on breath and the volume drops a bit. Sometimes its really cool on a solo to add a little organic shape.

So, who's using touch auto and how?

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I do. I got myself one of those Behringer 8 fader controller thingies and use it to dial in most most my mix. I'll set static levels for everything and then write automation where t's needed.
On vocals I'll usually go through and use clip gain to level out the dynamics of the performance a bit and then I'll ride the fader for the whole tune.

[drumsound]

What I like about touch mode, is that once you "let go" of the fader it goes back to where it was. I use a trackball, so I can easily just hold the button and make a move of the virtual fader, and when I lift my thumb, the fader goes back to where it was.

[Colorblind]

I use touch for automating plugin parameters all the time, and do prefer it to drawing stuff in. Also recently bought one of those Behringer 8-fader things Dave mentioned, but haven’t gotten around to integrating it yet.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I use touch for automating plugin parameters all the time, and do prefer it to drawing stuff in. Also recently bought one of those Behringer 8-fader things Dave mentioned, but haven’t gotten around to integrating it yet.

It's pretty good but gets a bit funny in touch or latch mode in pro tools. It keeps trying to pull the fader back to it's previous position. I usually end up working in write more.

[Colorblind]

I use touch for automating plugin parameters all the time, and do prefer it to drawing stuff in. Also recently bought one of those Behringer 8-fader things Dave mentioned, but haven’t gotten around to integrating it yet.

It's pretty good but gets a bit funny in touch or latch mode in pro tools. It keeps trying to pull the fader back to it's previous position. I usually end up working in write more.

Hah, funny you say that. That happened to me right away and I was like, “yeah I’ll just figure this thing out some other time”. Gotta try write mode.

[Nick Sevilla]

I turn off the screen when mixing. Use faders. Have two Avid Mix and one Avid Control, to get there. 20 faders. No banking most of the time.

I was lucky to learn to mix on a Neve with Martinsound Flying Faders.

You FEEL the music under your fingers, in a way that cannot be done with mice.

Once you make that connection between ears and fingers... IMHO it is far better to mix that way, to allow the emotions of the music
to guide what you do.

[drumsound]

I use touch for automating plugin parameters all the time, and do prefer it to drawing stuff in. Also recently bought one of those Behringer 8-fader things Dave mentioned, but haven’t gotten around to integrating it yet.

It's pretty good but gets a bit funny in touch or latch mode in pro tools. It keeps trying to pull the fader back to it's previous position. I usually end up working in write more.

Touch mode is supposed to bring the fader back to where it was. That's exactly what I like about it for certain things, like vocal 'touch ups.' You grab the fader and juice it up a tad, or pull back the one word the singer slammed, and the fader goes back to where you had it. I think latch mode is where you move it and it stays there. Both are like 'punching in' to the automation.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I use touch for automating plugin parameters all the time, and do prefer it to drawing stuff in. Also recently bought one of those Behringer 8-fader things Dave mentioned, but haven’t gotten around to integrating it yet.

It's pretty good but gets a bit funny in touch or latch mode in pro tools. It keeps trying to pull the fader back to it's previous position. I usually end up working in write more.

Touch mode is supposed to bring the fader back to where it was. That's exactly what I like about it for certain things, like vocal 'touch ups.' You grab the fader and juice it up a tad, or pull back the one word the singer slammed, and the fader goes back to where you had it. I think latch mode is where you move it and it stays there. Both are like 'punching in' to the automation.

Yes but with the Behringer controller it doesn’t work very well in touch or latch. It senses and writes the first bit of the move but then wants to fight you to return the fader to where it was regardless of whether you’re done your fader moves or not. Maybe it’s a pro tool glitch in the version I’m running or a controller glitch. Either way it doesn’t work as it should. I wish it did. It was fine when I would do it with my single fader faderport thing.

[Recycled_Brains]

I use it all the time to automate plugin parameters in real time. Delays, tremolo... stuff like that. Feels a little more like I'm using my guitar pedals. Sometimes I'll use it on the faders, but that's less often.

[drumsound]

I use it all the time to automate plugin parameters in real time. Delays, tremolo... stuff like that. Feels a little more like I'm using my guitar pedals. Sometimes I'll use it on the faders, but that's less often.

Oh, yeah, I can see how that can add some nice life to a mix. I might have to do that soon!

[Recycled_Brains]

I use it all the time to automate plugin parameters in real time. Delays, tremolo... stuff like that. Feels a little more like I'm using my guitar pedals. Sometimes I'll use it on the faders, but that's less often.

Oh, yeah, I can see how that can add some nice life to a mix. I might have to do that soon!

I think you'll dig it. I probably automate plugins more than I do faders on most mixes.

Soundtoys Echoboy, Tremolator, Filter Freak, Crystalizer, etc... those types are the most fun to play with. I don't use touch mode with compressors or EQs. I do automate those, but I want more precision so I draw that in.

[vvv]

This thread could be named after a Gary Numan song, BTW.

Or if yer more hip, mebbe, a song from Janelle Monáe.