Have you ever tried setting volume automation on a track in Ableton? While it might seem like a straightforward process, it can actually introduce some complications into your mix. The main issue arises when you try to manually adjust the volume fader after setting up the automation.
In Ableton, any manual movement of the volume fader will temporarily override and deactivate the automation, which can lead to unexpected changes in your mix. This can be frustrating, especially if you’ve spent time fine-tuning your automation to get the perfect dynamic changes in your track.
To avoid this problem, there’s a more effective approach you can take: instead of automating the volume fader directly, add a Utility device to the track. The Utility device has a Gain knob, which controls the overall level of the track.
By automating the Gain knob instead of the volume fader, you can achieve the same effect as volume automation, but with an important advantage—you can still adjust the volume fader manually without disrupting the automation. We wrote about recording automation here.
This method allows you to maintain flexibility in your mix. You can continue to make real-time adjustments to the track’s volume using the fader without worrying about accidentally deactivating your carefully crafted automation.
It’s a simple yet powerful technique that can help you keep your mix under control and ensure that your automation works exactly as you intended.
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