Create initial parameters? Yes.
By “don’t use trim”, do you mean Gain (use it all the time, on tracks that I heavily automate and link to VCAs, no grief there…), and automating it (I do that, but seldom, couldn’t tell you if I’ve ever done that to a VCA linked track)
Or do you (I suppose) mean do I trim automation? I never do that, I must admit. I’ve still got my chops in from analog times so I just go over the region again where I’ve messed up. So no I don’t use trim, I record new automation.
Yes, I meant trim automation.
I suppose if it’s working when you don’t use trim that would be a workaround for most users.
When you “combine” the automation before switching back from trim to touch, there is no problem.
But it shouldn’t happen.
Fredo
Thanks for making this clear.
That’s okay as a workaround for me.
Is this the only thing or do we need to create initial parameters each time when we add a VCA to a session?
Create initial parameters is a global function in the automation panel.
In the past (and if I am not mistaking in PT too) initial parameters are activated by default. (as soon as automation is written)
At some point this has changed and there were requests to have Write initial parameters on demand.
The problem with this “feature” is that it writes parameters for everything, resulting that when you select" show all automation", you get an endless list of automation tracks.
I think it’s a habit in Audio post to write initial parameters, just to be sure that no parameter (for example, the loading of a plugin preset at the start of a project) is lost or forgotten.
I personally also have the habit of “committing” my VCA passes directly to the tracks, so I always have a “clean” set of VCA’s. Other than the normal Mix- foodgroups I use VCA’s a lot to control a few random tracks and immediately release them from the VCA right after the pass. But even more often I use Quick Link for that.
HTH
Fredo
Thanks for the answer.
As you point out, I also have also gotten so used to quick link, I hardly ever feel that I would really need a VCA. It’s not vital to my workflow, but there’s always room to improve.
I have gone through the pain of setting up default sessions with most initial parameters I need, so I do not know what would happen if I decided to add a VCA later during a mix. Would I have to hit initial parameters again? Would that potientially screw up any of my mix data?
AFAIK initial parameters does not write parameters for everything.
I hoped this was the case, to initialize my Fabfilter Q2, but it seems to write values only for Steinberg stuff like mixer sends, volumes and pan etc.
I actually think we’ve been there before when discussing snapshot automation (or punch/preview) where Nuendo only writes the changed parameters of a plugin, not all parameters. (and touch assist only writes the first 21)
This is all something I will keep in mind for investigation after the storm (Christmas)
Yes, Pro Tools has a floating initial automation point, which becomes fixed as soon as any automation is written on a track.
Trim is the real problem here.
New users should be warned, no question about it.
Let me add another warning:
- never use trim with default 50% automation data reduction, or the automation curve will get out of control if the fader hits top or bottom (max or min value)
- if data reduction is brought to 0%, the problem seems to go away, but if you later bring it back to 50%, all previously written automation will be screwed
No, when you combine before turning off trim you DO get a problem.
Watch the video:
- Initial values are written
- Auto on VCA is written
- Trim is enabled
- Auto on slave is written
everything is fine
- Combine automation “before switching back from trim” as you put it
bug shows up
Not clear; see previous post.
Can you post a new thread with repro of the above, or a video, so we all know exactly what to look out for? That would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, that automation thinning is seriosly screwd.
It does abolutely horrible things to your mix, even without trim. I have it at 10%.
Steinberg should really use a default that does not ruin fader movements.
Thanks Peter. I’ve also run the thinning at 5-10% so I haven’t thought about this at all since I started doing that. I think that some tweaking of the algorithm is clearly in order. There’s no sense in having the line drop after it’s been written as static between two nodes.
The record function in a VCA group affects every sub track in that group, but sometimes I just want to record one track, I select record on the track and all tracks in the VCA group are armed …is this my error or something that will be fixed?
Also I am getting strange volume behavior when using VCA, I hear clipping when the meters are not clipping, is there a known issue with cumulative volume ? Again could be user error.
I checked your posts: Are you on Nuendo or Cubase? The VCA implementation is different (for no good reason).
Cubase 8.5. , Nuendo is my slave PC but it’s 5.5
Yeah, the implementation is different unfortunately. You should ask about Cubase VCAs in the Cubase section.