I am having a lot of trouble getting my automation settings right to work properly.
I’m trying to automate *only* the volume on an audio vocal track, but everytime I try this, no matter how I configure the settings, it affects my reverb on that track. When I create volume curves, the reverb fades in and out along with the volume curves and I don’t want it to do that. I want the reverb to continue reverberating at its natural duration.
I have tried a number of different configurations such as setting up the effects plugins as an insert on the main vocal track, as well as having tried it as an FX track set up in Sends, I’ve tried it both in pre-fader, and post-fader, and I’ve made sure that the automation is only on the volume parameter. It’s the same result over and over again, the reverb fading in and out along with the volume curves no matter how I configure it.
I cannot find anything about this online, on YouTube or in Cubase manuals as to how to automate only the volume without the automation affecting plugins. I’ve asked on social media — someone mentioned going into the automation panel and to suspend write on everything except for volume, and to do this before the automation is written, and that also does not work. I’m assuming that I’m doing something wrong and / or missing a specific setting.
If anyone can help me figure this out, I would be immensely grateful…
Hm… are you saying, using the FX track config, that you can see the fader for the reverb FX track is moving in concert with the volume fader for that track?
Or are you hearing it?
If you could upload the project it might help – you can cut down the audio files (leave some on each track involved though) and zip it up.
The FX track fader doesn’t move at all. I just hear the reverb following the volume contour. While automating, if I pull the volume parameter all the way down muting the audio on the track, the reverb on that track also goes completely mute.
It is a massive project / composition. It’s a 33 minute orchestral requiem — I tried testing the automation in a test project I created today with a single vocal track, and the same issue was happening. Could I upload that small test project instead? Where would I upload it?
Thank you so much again for your response and time!
I often get the wrong end of the stick, so apologies up front if I’m not understanding the problem. Having said that…
In your uploaded project the first track, with all the automation, will not work. The FX is inline, as it were.
The second track, which looks to me to be set up correctly, has no automation…
Well now, I know what I mean but I’m buggered if I can explain it. The FX are in the direct flow of the signal, along with the EQ, and so on, and not separate, as they are with a Send.
The second track (if it had automation!) should work, so I don’t know why it doesn’t.
You could try uploading some screenshots of the settings of the actual project…
Yeah, it’s so strange that there isn’t any automation in that second track… Visually I see that it’s there, as shown in this attached screen shot — but it makes sense that it’s not actually there given that when I play that second track, nothing happens.
The wav file is from a VST vocal phrase plugin which has some reverb in the sample itself. When I put my own reverb on that wav, the issue that I’m having still exists. The reverb, or any effects plugins that I use, EQ, compression, delay, distortion, etc… are simultaneously being automated when I want to automate only the volume and nothing else.
When I put it on its own FX track, and send it pre-fader, sometimes no automation plays back at all. And sometimes it plays back as everything being automated including the FX. And I have to assume this is happening because somehow I’m configuring it wrong. I have tried going to project, adding an FX track, as well as adding an FX track by right clicking on the audio track itself, loading an effects plugin in pre-fader Sends, I’ve tried suspending write on all expect for volume in the automation panel… every configuration I have tried is not working.
That’s good. Then we can put automation on hold for a minute and focus on routing and configuring your tracks properly.
If you want your reverb at a constant level, 100% wet, make sure the reverb plugin is on an FX track and send from your vocal track using a pre fader send.
Pull your vocal channel volume fader all the way down and you should still hear the reverb.
Automation affects post fader then you can load any effect 2 ways: pre and post. If you automate the volume you automate the fader and the effect will be feeded pre or post fader the way you decide. When that’s blue (as in your picture) the rev. gets feeded by the original raw wave no matter the fader volume but it will follow the eff send if you want to change it, if that’s orange the effect will follow the volume as in post.
Thank you. That’s another thing I’ve tried that I don’t understand. When I pull the volume on the vocal track all the way down, and I’m still hearing the reverb, I’m also still hearing the vocal track play when I’ve pulled the vocal track volume all the way down… I don’t know if it’s supposed to do that. Obviously I’m very much a novice here. This is new to me — before, I would insert effects plugins directly onto my MIDI tracks and I would automate the volume no problem that way… once I bounced my MIDI to wav files, that’s when I realized that I have a steep learning curve here…
