Cubase Automation Issues

True North · 7th July 2006, 08:45 PM

OK - I come from a PT environment and am new to Cubase. It is taking me sometime to get used to.

For experienced Cubase/Nuendo users I am sure some of this stuff will seem pretty simple but I would appreciate your feeback nontheless.

I miss being able to highlight an area of the Waveform and then raise or lower whatever parameter you are automating. I mix primarily acoustic music so keep this in mind, thanks.

I only know of three ways to automate thus far in Cubase.

1) Using the fader to write automation - not what I am looking for

2) For simple automation I can grab the handles on the entire Waveform section - this seems prety close to what I was doing in PT but at only a preliminary a glance it is not much useunless you want to make an overall adjustment to the entire waveform section.

I think there may be more to the picture here

3) Using the pencil tool and opening an automation lane - this option seems to give me the flexibility I need to make more complex automations but what a PITA to use. You have to be so careful when moving things around, it doesen't seem practical when you want to make some minute or small changes. Whenever I make changes i get black dots all over the place. I don't think it is meant to be such a pain and if I didn't come from a PT world I probably wouldn't care.

I am not trying to slag the product I am just having difficulties adjusting - any opinions or suggestions on using automation in Cubase/Nuendo would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

True North · 8th July 2006, 07:09 AM

first class BUMPAGE

Jay Kahrs · 8th July 2006, 08:16 AM

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "entire waveform section" in #2...

I use a external control surface to write in automation data...grab the fader & just write it in. Most of the time that's enough but if I need to get more exact or clean up what I did with the fader I'll switch to the 'waveform' screen, open the volume automation lane & usually, erase some of the extra "black dots" and maybe drag one or two around.

Why don't you want to write it in with the faders?

My background is 'big console' stuff...SSL Ultimation, Flying Faders, Supertrue, etc. so I'm kinda used to faders...plus I'm setting most faders ITB at '0' and splitting out to a console...

Oh...sometimes I go to the mixer screen and just type in the changes while that channel is in "write" mode. If I want to duck or ride something for a whole section, say the guitar needs to go up 3dB in the bridge. Sometimes that's the easiest way to do it. And again, if it needs to be fine-tuned I might pop open 'automation lane' & tweak it.

Does that help?

h4nc0 · 8th July 2006, 09:24 AM

When you are doing level (or volume) automation on vocals or something that is punched in many times, in protools, you can select region of a waveform and move the automation data up/down with keystroke. This is quite handy. In Nuendo/Cubase, as far as I know, I have to select automation events and punch in a numerical value on the info-bar. Not as quite easy as PT. I would also like to know if there's a way to do this in Nuendo/Cubase like PT.

PS: is this what you wanted to know, True North?

True North · 8th July 2006, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay Kahrs

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "entire waveform section" in #2...

I use a external control surface to write in automation data...grab the fader & just write it in. Most of the time that's enough but if I need to get more exact or clean up what I did with the fader I'll switch to the 'waveform' screen, open the volume automation lane & usually, erase some of the extra "black dots" and maybe drag one or two around.

Why don't you want to write it in with the faders?

My background is 'big console' stuff...SSL Ultimation, Flying Faders, Supertrue, etc. so I'm kinda used to faders...plus I'm setting most faders ITB at '0' and splitting out to a console...

Oh...sometimes I go to the mixer screen and just type in the changes while that channel is in "write" mode. If I want to duck or ride something for a whole section, say the guitar needs to go up 3dB in the bridge. Sometimes that's the easiest way to do it. And again, if it needs to be fine-tuned I might pop open 'automation lane' & tweak it.

Does that help?

While I am old enough to make to have cut my teeth on tape and a board I was either in the role of a musician or a producer growing up. My first personally owned recording rig was Pro Tools and I found it's automation and work flow to be outstanding. I liked being a able adjust automation according to waveforms.

I found that some of my automations were not very practical to write while using a fader. I find it is largely a matter of what you are used to using as you learned your craft. That being said, I think I am going try your technique of using the fader for basic adjustments and making more finite adjustmenst with the pencil tool

As for what I meant by #2 Waveform section, I am not sure what the exact terminology is. Basically what I am referring to is the entire lane of a waveform channel - so not just the waveform but the entire 'block' that contains the waveform - there you go, clear as mud !!

If you click on a waveform in Cubase - the entire waveform 'block' is outlined in red. In the middle and in the corners of the waveform are handles. If you grab a handle you can make fade in and overall volume adjustments.

Thanks

True North · 8th July 2006, 07:35 PM

aaaahaaaaa.........I can use the arrow tool INSTEAD OF the pencil tool which reeeeaaaaly helps me out a lot

It's not PT automation but, I also don't have to deal with any of their downsides either

Thanks to all who tried to help, cheers!!

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7th July 2006, 08:45 PM	#1
True North Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada) Posts: 2,478	Cubase Automation Issues OK - I come from a PT environment and am new to Cubase. It is taking me sometime to get used to. For experienced Cubase/Nuendo users I am sure some of this stuff will seem pretty simple but I would appreciate your feeback nontheless. I miss being able to highlight an area of the Waveform and then raise or lower whatever parameter you are automating. I mix primarily acoustic music so keep this in mind, thanks. I only know of three ways to automate thus far in Cubase. 1) Using the fader to write automation - not what I am looking for 2) For simple automation I can grab the handles on the entire Waveform section - this seems prety close to what I was doing in PT but at only a preliminary a glance it is not much useunless you want to make an overall adjustment to the entire waveform section. I think there may be more to the picture here 3) Using the pencil tool and opening an automation lane - this option seems to give me the flexibility I need to make more complex automations but what a PITA to use. You have to be so careful when moving things around, it doesen't seem practical when you want to make some minute or small changes. Whenever I make changes i get black dots all over the place. I don't think it is meant to be such a pain and if I didn't come from a PT world I probably wouldn't care. I am not trying to slag the product I am just having difficulties adjusting - any opinions or suggestions on using automation in Cubase/Nuendo would be greatly appreciated, thanks. __________________ "In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey" - Beck, Loser "I do use compressors/limiters but not for controlling dynamics, I use EQ for that!" Jp22 (damn I miss him) "Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -- Will Durant, historian (1885-1981) "I try to get a boom out of the bass drum, in one of my albums, my CD, boom, I try to get that big boom, I could not get a big boom, I paid bucks, and could not get the boom" - Recording Expert, Tad Donley

8th July 2006, 07:35 PM	#6
True North Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada) Posts: 2,478	Breaking Discovery aaaahaaaaa.........I can use the arrow tool INSTEAD OF the pencil tool which reeeeaaaaly helps me out a lot It's not PT automation but, I also don't have to deal with any of their downsides either Thanks to all who tried to help, cheers!! __________________ "In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey" - Beck, Loser "I do use compressors/limiters but not for controlling dynamics, I use EQ for that!" Jp22 (damn I miss him) "Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -- Will Durant, historian (1885-1981) "I try to get a boom out of the bass drum, in one of my albums, my CD, boom, I try to get that big boom, I could not get a big boom, I paid bucks, and could not get the boom" - Recording Expert, Tad Donley

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8th July 2006, 07:09 AM	#2
True North Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Richmond Hill, Ontario (Canada) Posts: 2,478	first class BUMPAGE __________________ "In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey" - Beck, Loser "I do use compressors/limiters but not for controlling dynamics, I use EQ for that!" Jp22 (damn I miss him) "Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -- Will Durant, historian (1885-1981) "I try to get a boom out of the bass drum, in one of my albums, my CD, boom, I try to get that big boom, I could not get a big boom, I paid bucks, and could not get the boom" - Recording Expert, Tad Donley

8th July 2006, 09:24 AM	#4
h4nc0 Gear maniac Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Seoul, Korea Posts: 253	When you are doing level (or volume) automation on vocals or something that is punched in many times, in protools, you can select region of a waveform and move the automation data up/down with keystroke. This is quite handy. In Nuendo/Cubase, as far as I know, I have to select automation events and punch in a numerical value on the info-bar. Not as quite easy as PT. I would also like to know if there's a way to do this in Nuendo/Cubase like PT. PS: is this what you wanted to know, True North?