VSTi automation sounding a little different when recorded

Cubase
1

Example: I create some localized spike in volume automation to emphasize a few notes. I hit space, I hear the temporary rise and fall in volume.

I route the resulting sound to an audio track and record it (so that I can File > Export > Audio Mixdown afterwards). When I play this audio data, the quick rise in volume is a little less pronounced, it feels different.

Does that make sense? Is there something related to the number of parameter updates per second which makes the recording a little different from what you hear when you press space?

This is a subtle but disturbing problem: all the small performance details you put in are then modified by the workflow…

Thanks.

2

I also noticed different results when using the export function. You may try using realtime export, and then it should give the same results as playing it in realtime.

3

Can you make a recording of both and compare them? I know it’d probably involve extra equipment, but if I had a pound for every time people have said they think something is different and when direct measurement was made it turned out not to be the case, I’d have £7.