Automating Delays

[Georgia_Boi]

Is it best to automate the send level or fx track?

 

[Wallengard]

It depends on what kind of effect you are looking for. If you automate the send level you will only hear more of the delay, but with the insert FX you can make some crazy stuff with your delay automation. Of course creating a feedback delay is also cool, usually done by feeding the send effect into itself. But be careful if you're gonna try it out, it can easily get out of control if you don't have your mouse ready to lower it, or you might blow your ears or your gear.

 

[bandcoach]

999999 times in a 1000000 you would not connect the out of the send channel to its input (I don't think any daw would let you do that anyway - you can do it in hardware as there can be no programmed limitations) as it would go into a feedback loop straight away

- you might use the feedback setting on the delay unit to control how much is returned to the input

as for automating it depends on what you are automating
- volume of the wet signal: automate the send channel,
- volume of the dry signal: automate the dry channel with the send level pre-fader,
- volume of both signals proportional to the dry signal: automate the dry channel with the send level post-fader,
- panning of the wet signal: automate the send channel

etc

i.e. make a list of possible automations in excel and detail what you actually want to happen as notes then mark in the next two cells on to the grid

Automation	Dry	Send	Notes
volume of the wet signal		X
volume of the dry signal	X		Send is pre-fader
volume of both signals proportional to the dry signal	X	X	send is post fader
panning of the wet signal		X

 

[Wallengard]

Live lets you feed your sends back into themselves though. Had no idea it was so uncommon.

 

[Georgia_Boi]

Thanks for your answers.