Mixing with a console and PT do you use the faders in PT or on the console?

[Skip Burrows]

If you set Faders at 0 then automate out of protools you are changing the level to the desk. If you use any compressors post the protools faders then you are changing the level to the compressor therefor changing the sound of that said compressor. Not a good thing to do. Do stems out of protools, then do most of the rides from the desk. Trust me, The best way to do it!

[Stevedresser83]

Find the sweet spot on the console using protools volume. This probably is somewhere around 0. Then use the fader on the console from there. Automation in protools also.

[The MPCist]

Originally Posted by Skip Burrows

If you set Faders at 0 then automate out of protools you are changing the level to the desk. If you use any compressors post the protools faders then you are changing the level to the compressor therefor changing the sound of that said compressor. Not a good thing to do. Do stems out of protools, then do most of the rides from the desk. Trust me, The best way to do it!

And at times it's a good thing---especially for parts (like vocals) that would be overcompressing, automating level into the compressor(s) can smooth out the vocals without strangling the sound. I do that in spots where to vocals take a dramatic dynamic turn.....

I do most of the automation on my console as I find that automation on the console is quite liberating in the sense that I am actually listening to what's going on whereas in PT, visuals take over quite easily if you're not paying attention

[teo]

Originally Posted by studjo

Harrison Series 10 or Series 12 consoles - no camera, no robot - just great sound and not too much thinking about technical stuff

Jo

rr...

i remember that best! How are things going Jo? It looks like I've found a place for the studio,will be intalling the desk shortly, if thing go well...

[ToddF]

Use the console faders and automation. Way easiest to me over Protools. I would think most people who cut there teeth on consoles do the same.

I will do a specific fast move in Protools. Of course as mentioned by others, mixing with faders in Protools would mess up the levels hitting the outboard compressors. Will also do some combining of tracks on Protools when appropriate. Such as 3 mics on a guitar amp will make a balance via Protools and bring back on one console fader.

One other reason to use console fader automation is I hate staring at the Protools computer. Gets in the way of my ears in some way.

Peace Todd

[betamatt]

Well I came up in the Pro Tools era and I still prefer to use the console's fader and automation for 90% of my rides. I think I prefer it for various reasons:

- I want to look and feel cool

- much repeated pre/post compressor reason. If I'm mixing on the board I tend to use very few plugins.

- automated FX sends! I love em

- FEEL! If I'm mixing on the board I don't usually have a control surface for PT. I hate automating a fader with a mouse, so I end up drawing the automation in the edit window, which ends up being much more technical than musical, and I end up doing much fewer of the "feel" rides I would do on the board.

- It leaves my PT automation free for handy technical automation things like: manual de-essing, bringing back that one spot on the one instrument that is just too much drastically louder so it doesn't hit the compressor so hard, or the reverse on that one really quiet note. The other thing I'll automate in PT is if someone wants some kind of deliberate automated pan effect.

Plus, in the rooms I'm working in, the monitoring is geared around the board, not the PT. Why take myself out of the sweetspot to draw in automation with a mouse, when I've got automated faders right in front of me? And I do not find console automation any more of a hassle to use than PT, once I got up to speed on using it. If you don't know the automation system, it's just like working on a DAW you don't know - you move much, much slower.

[Joram]

My consoles are Protools...so I do both at the same time.

[Chaellus]

i use the console faders and automation in protools....

[studjo]

Originally Posted by teo

rr...

i remember that best! How are things going Jo? It looks like I've found a place for the studio,will be intalling the desk shortly, if thing go well...

Hey Teo good to hear you got a place. I have fond memories of the D&R. It's a mighty fine console.
I get in contact when I come to R.


Jo

[Sen]

(would you want to be riding the amount of signal you're feeding to an unautomated hardware compressor?)

If you set Faders at 0 then automate out of protools you are changing the level to the desk. If you use any compressors post the protools faders then you are changing the level to the compressor therefor changing the sound of that said compressor. Not a good thing to do. Do stems out of protools, then do most of the rides from the desk. Trust me, The best way to do it!

Sorry to bring the thread up from dead..
...so what do people do in those situations as quoted above when there's no fader auto on the console? Just hit the comp at a constant level out of DAW,reroute back to DAW and automate comped signal in there or..?
If it's only VOX and another one or two tracks I'll just do the moves "live", but having more than that is a PITA...

[juniorhifikit]

Before automation we used to keep the 2 track rolling and just mix 'till you screw up; rewind the multi track and pick up where you left off. When the song is done you'd go back and edit the 2 track together. You can do the same thing if you mix back into your DAW. If you're in Protools you can use "Destructive Record" to go back and punch-in to the mix the parts you want to touch up, and it automatically (destructively) "glues" the punch-in into the mix. Make sure to use a little pre-roll to get your compressors, reverbs and delays hummin' before the punch.