As a professional mixer, I spend a huge amount of time automating lots of things and fine-tuning that automation. I like to be precise about it, so I find myself needing to adjust small predictable values, which is only doable by typing manually on the info line. This means selecting automation points with the mouse, then clicking on the value on the info line on the top-left corner of the screen, do the math of how much we want to change and type the new value. Repeat endlessly during a mix. Not the fastest most straight-forward way for such an essential mixing procedure. We can easily nudge automation points left or right using a shortcut, it would be SUPER NICE if we could do the same to increase or decrease the automation to a set value (0.5 or 1dB for volume, a percentage or 5-10 points for other parameters). Some Command+UP/DOWN strokes and be done. Beautiful! I enjoy new plug-ins and features, but I’d gladly pay for that simple huge time-saving one.
That’s genius, dear Klaus! I definitely need to dig deeper into the PLE. Thank you so much!
Glad to help!
I’ve setup the Logical presets Klaus adviced and they for sure are a step forward. Still, this needs for automation points to be created in advance. For regions without existing automation points, there’s still room for improvement. As of now, if I want to turn up or down a region where there is no previous automation, I need to create four automation points, select the two inner ones and then use my newly assinged keyboard shortcuts to trim them using Klaus’ Logical presets. The effort and time needed for such a common procedure could be cut by half (which is a lot throughout a whole mix) if it was just something like Range Selection Tool + keystroke. I know you can click and drag to trim, but then you can’t apply a fixed amount and precision depends on zoom level. Precise, fast and repeatable results is what I’m after.
I’ve always been quite capable using shortcuts, but I’ve recently started using a generic midi controller (an old Maschine Mikro MK2 which had been collecting dust for a long time) to execute some functions for which I previously relied on shortcuts. Pressing a single button instead of a 2 or 3 key combination (some of which require using both hands) is sooooo much faster. Switching to my reference track playing on a cue send? A single button. Recalling a visibility configuration? A single button. Show/hide lower zone? A single button. Zoom to selection? A single button. Maschine Mikro has 37 assignable buttons, better than a Stream Deck. Everything that streamlines a process turns our DAW into a better, more eficient, more professional tool.
Look in the Key Commands for
- Audio → Decrement Event Volume
- Audio → Increment Event Volume
It changes the range selection by 1 dB. However, not the automation but the event volume.
Thanks, Johnny. I already know that one and have it assigned to a shortcut to edit my clip gain as a pre-inserts automation. Works great, though still doesn’t solve the true automation situation I described.
The following is just a workaround, so please don’t get me wrong, I’m all in for improvements, esp. when it’s about workflow.
Your request makes sense, absolutely!
Creating four Automation events can be a bit faster when using the Range Selection Tool and starting the range slightly before the second Automation event we want to create, then grab the range, shift it a bit right and left and finally using a macro, bind to a Key Command.
Here’s an example of creating four events and increase the inner two events by 2 dB:
(“Read Automation” has to be enabled)
To enlarge, please open the .gif in a new browser tab.
Macro Commands:
- Tool - Object Selection Tool (to switch from Range Sel. Tool)
- Navigate - Add Left (to select the left inner event, too)
- Process PLE (to increase/decrease)
And btw, yes, pressing a single button is soo much faster; I wouldn’t want to work without my Stream Deck, and using additional pages and folders extends the available 32 buttons by far!