How much automation do you actually use

I'mNoGuru

I'mNoGuru

New member
I don't do a lot of automations... Fade outs yeah... Fade ins - sometimes...
but drum dropouts for example - I tend to copy the pattern onto a separate group and physically edit the pattern and replace the original scene for that edited one...
i guess it's partly because I 'write' (and for the most part arrange) in Maschines 'scene' based sequencer and then export to DAW to mixdown.
but I just wondered...
How much time (how many?) do you spend on automations in a track (boombap specifically but) in general?
 
I do all kinds of automation, kinda hard to put a number on it but anywhere from volume fade ins and outs, panning, filter frequency/resonance, dry/wet on any insert effect (as well as on/off), delay times and feedback, reverb tails... It can practically continue like this indefinitely, if there's a parameter that could work being automated for effect or whatever, then it's a possibility.

I usually edit the drums as you do as well, either in a wav clip or just the midi itself inside my daw. Just edit the part you want. There's usually plenty of different clips and versions for each track depending on what's done, for variation and different parts etc etc..
 
Good question. Its another one of those "it depends" answers. If its a dry sound I'm going for then not much. If its an ambient type beat it may be a lot. When making boom bap my automation is pretty minimal. Drops (in the hip hop since of the word) are not considered automation to me. I use Cubase. So I just cut a track(s) where I want it to drop. I do automate level changes and FX for sections of a beat though even if it is slight. Don't know if this answered you question. Maybe others can chime in with better info.
 
I use a lot of automations, all kinds of things - simply everything that I think don't sound good static. But then there are other ways of preventing things from sounding static, such as velocity-tracking and randomizing inside a patch for instance, plugins, as well as drop outs as you mentioned.
But don't use automation just for the sake of it, automation is just another tool for you to use as you craft your piece of music - and if your piece of music doesn't demand that many automations, then there's no need to feel stressed about it.
 
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