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Pablo Ramirez
Automation in Pro Tools gives you the ability to control certain parameters (pan, volume, plugins) automatically by settings Pro Tools to do it in real-time. It's not the best definition, I know, so here is an example. You have a vocal track and it's louder in some areas of volume and other parts are too low So what you would do is use automation on volume. You can set it to write, latch, or touch, I normally use touch, and then there are other ways you can do it by drawing it in etc. I play the song in touch mode and when I reach the parts that are too loud or too low I turn the fader up or down, depending on what the problem is (loud/low) and once I let it go in touch mode it goes back to the volume it was in originally and move the fader again where it is needed. Like I mentioned there are other forms of ways of doing it and how to do it. It's crazy how back then it would take 5 people on a mixing console to control the faders and get it all at the exact same time or else the whole song will have to be redone! Thank God technology has evolved so much!
So last week we didn't have any sessions, Jim had to go out of town for the week on business but today we were back in and working harder than ever. No recording sessions I sat in but I got to work hands-on in the control room today! First, we slightly spoke about automation since I had a really good understanding of it and knew how to use it. Jim approaches automation by waiting until the very end of the mix once everything else is on point. I am actually starting to do now that now, it makes more sense rather than doing it when I'm half way into the mix. That way I don't have to keep going back to my automation and adjusting it every time I edit or mix something on the tracks, as I been having to do.
Today I got to work on another mix. I work on mixes all the time at my apartment, but it's an apartment, not the best place to mix a song with neighbors being loud all the time underneath me and reflections bounces off the wall from my monitors when I do use them. Doesn't mean I can't get a descent mix though, but that's the thing I told him today I don't want to settle for less, I wanted to push myself to the limit I haven't reached. Which gladly he allowed me to. I brought in the audio files from an earlier chapter the the Metal song Hollow Ground- Ill Fate. He gave me pointers on how he would approach the mix on the guitars and the snare. After he showed me I erased it all and started from scratch. This mix has been by far the best mix I have done since I started this program and since I first started mixing! The drums, guitars, vocals I felt as if I perfected them. I am definitely adding this mix into my portfolio! I've mixed this song before and let me tell you they were HORRIBLE lol. As they say, "practice makes perfect"! That is very true in this case!
