Automation: Desk vs. DAW

[drambitz]

What's the difference (if any) between using DAW automation and desk automation with regards to volume and pan?

I mean, if you are mixing from tape (does anyone still do that?) desk automation makes sense but if you're getting your tracks from a DAW what's the advantage of using desk fader automation?

I would understand if the DAW produced some sort of background or "transport" noise thus making you want to mute tracks when they have nothing going on, but since that's hardly the case why not just use the desk faders as "master" volumes and let the DAW take care of the heavy lifting?

Is it maybe that it's just plain cooler and more inspiring to work on the desk faders or do the two methods provide different sonic results?

Thanx in advance for your insights.

[Superflex]

When having your audio in a daw and using a desk, I do not see a reason to use the desk's faders over using volume automation in the daw. I'm very interested in other people's view on this

[FeatheredSerpent]

Because if you're still using the daw to make all the automation moves, then you're just using the hard mixer for summing, not mixing.

If you want to turn the screen off and leave the mouse alone, which is the whole point of using a hardware mixer as far as I'm concerned, then you'll want to use the desk's features.

Best of both worlds would be to set the appropriate levels feeding the mixer first, ie gain trimming at the event level, and then use the mixer faders for the artistic moves rather than to correct innappropriate levels coming off 'tape'.

Otherwise just get a decent controller for your daw so you can still use hard controls but record the automation within the daw project.

[UnDeFiNeD]

what about hardware compressors and other dynamics?
If u automate ITB, and then compres with hardware later on, your ITB automation will influence your dynamics processing!

Pzz

[Lee Dyess]

I use a little of both. Mainly using the desk automation on tracks where I'm using outboard dynamics.

[drambitz]

yes, but is there a sonic difference between:

a) mixing ITB whilst summing on the desk

b) mixing on the desk with a fixed input level from the recorder

?

i don't use any plugins at all - i do ride levels (automate faders) ITB but i sum, pan, process, eq and mixdown through the desk

so i'm a bit curious about actual desk automation (not a DAW control surface)

what occurred to me is that i might be chewing off some signal by not exiting the daw at unity gain..

thanx.