group channel automation and reconforms

Just looking for opinions of those that work this way.

how do you handle revisions when group channel automation is involved? I mean it’s great that automation follows events… but group auto doesn’t which is too bad. What do you do to make this easier for you?

In my mix templates, I use a combo of direct routing automation and a couple layers of group channels before it even gets to the main busses. Dialog, for example… each dialog track gets an EQ and that’s about it. they default to DIA A buss but with automation I can choose to direct route at specific times [DR] to specialty busses first… like a noise reduction buss. The signal then gets sent to DIA A via [DR] on the noise buss. If I want i can also choose to send it to a 2nd specialty buss like compression or whatever, then route to DIA A.

Same deal with my FX, BG and music busses. All sorts of realtime sound design, upmixing to 5.1, grainular synthesis, subharmonics… whatever the job needs… all on bypass and available to be routed to at the directors whim.

All of this works really well… unless I have to move something :frowning: and this is where the show stops while I figure out what the hell I need to do to keep the train on the tracks… the initial routing of the clip gets maintained… but all the plug in and secondary routings need to be managed manually, and it gets tough.

So… I’m curious how you all handle it.

We are using Virtual Katy for reconforms.
Group channel automation is included.

The only thing you can do is copy/paste your reconforms (if you do them by hand) using the copy/paste functions of the range tool. If you extend the vertical range so that group tracks are included, it will also copy the automation of these group tracks.

Fredo

ahh… I had heard that VK no longer worked with N5 due to some communications issue. Soundminer had the same issue and could no longer spot to track…

fixed? or was I misinformed?

Correct.
Virtual Katy has somewhat announced that they would update their application to N5.
In the mean time, we are switching to N4 for reconform.

Fredo

If you use range edit and make sure that automation follows events is activated, you can move, cut and paste entire sections with all the bus automation.

Hi Kid Dropper Sound,

I wrote a little app called TheLittleConforner:
http://www.maisch.at/TLC/TheLittleConformer.html
It does conform group automation and supports Nuendo 5.
Try the demo (limited to 12 edits) and PM me for the full version.

The app installs a macro called TLC-Conform which range-copys the region between in and out to the playhead.
This macro is very useful when conforming step by step manually and comes as a gift to everyone trying TheLittleConformer.

cheers,
Bernhard

Thanks Bernhard :slight_smile:

I have a similar macro I use but only for selected events. I will check out your app.

What is actually more tricky sometimes is just moving one thing… not a conform… let me explain

let’s say I have a rain storm amung other things going on… multiple rain layers are direct routing to BG A, multiple Thunder layers are direct routing to FX A, Sweeteners are direct routing to FX reassign1 for processing and then to FX B

Director wants to move one of the thunder claps with it’s sweetener 2 or 3 seconds one way or the other… now I have dig in and make sure all routing comes with it, all the plug in auto on the reassign track, all the volume and pan… etc etc… get’s messy. It’s frustrating because everything else about the work flow is really efficient and keeps track counts and cpu overhead to a minimum… in most cases, I can fill out an entire film’s 5.1 FX stem using 16/32 mono and 16/32 stereo fx edit tracks along with direct routing automation to 8/16 5.1 fx busses. The reassign busses hold all the plug ins and I can really load them up with whatever I want and route to them when I need to. I don’t need a dedicated audio track for a sound that needs GRM doppler… I just route to it, automate it… and route out from there to wherever it needs to be… it’s also great when you need to throw many elements through the same effect… you don’t need to set up a dedicated group or bunch of tracks for it… I love working this way.

If SB ever gives us the show/hide tracks in the edit window option… this might get a lot easier… I would hope to be able to select the event and the group tracks and busses it’s routed to… HIDE everything else… so now when I use the range tool to select the area around my thunder claps, all the corresponding automation on all the tracks that are visable will now move with it… and I don’t have to worry about moving things in the range that i don’t want to change…

If only it were actually that easy… please add this feature SB!!!

Hi KDS,

here is a workaround suggestion (untested):
→ use folder tracks and lock/unlock them before conforming.
(If this works use Project Logical Editor Macros to open/close folders ->much better overview)
hope this helps,
Bernhard