music recording Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...

, mix automation allows the

mixing console A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...

to remember the audio engineer's adjustment of faders during the

post-production Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments. Th ...

editing process. A timecode is necessary for the synchronization of automation. Modern mixing consoles and

digital audio workstation A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing and producing audio files. DAWs come in a wide variety of configurations from a single software program on a laptop, to an integr ...

s use comprehensive mix automation. The need for mix automation originates from the 1970s and the changeover from studios mostly using eight-track tape machines to multiple, synchronized 24-track recorders. Mixing could be laborious and require up to four people, and the results could be almost impossible to reproduce. Manufacturers such as

Solid State Logic Solid State Logic (SSL) is a British company based in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, England that designs and markets audio mixing consoles, signal processors, and other audio technologies for the post-production, video production, broadcast, sound re ...

and

AMS Neve AMS Neve Ltd is a privately owned audio engineering company who specialise in digital and analogue music consoles, outboard equipment and post production consoles. AMS Neve was the result of the amalgamation in 1992 of AMS (Advanced Music Systems ...

developed systems that enabled one engineer to oversee every detail of a complex mix, although the computers required to power these desks remained a rarity into the late 1970s. According to record producer

Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s. Career Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

's 1975 single "

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...

" was one of the first mixes to be done with automation.

Types

;Voltage Controlled Automation : fader levels are regulated by voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCA). VCAs control the audio level and not the actual fader. ;Moving Fader Automation : a motor is attached to the fader, which then can be controlled by the

console Console may refer to: Computing and video games * System console, a physical device to operate a computer ** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device ** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...

(DAW), or user. ;Software Controlled Automation : the software can be internal to the console, or external as part of a DAW. The virtual fader can be adjusted in the software by the user. ;MIDI Automation : the communications protocol

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and ...

can be used to send messages to the console to control automation.

Modes

;Auto Write : used the first time automation is created or when writing over existing automation ;Auto Touch : writes automation data only while a fader is touched/faders return to any previously automated position after release ;Auto Latch : starts writing automation data when a fader is touched/stays in position after release ;Auto Read : digital Audio Workstation performs the written automation ;Auto Off : automation is temporarily disabled All of these include the mute button. If mute is pressed during writing of automation, the audio track will be muted during playback of that automation. Depending on software, other parameters such as panning, sends, and plug-in controls can be automated as well. In some cases, automation can be written using a digital potentiometer instead of a fader.

References

* Stanley R. Alten. ''Audio in Media'', sixth edition. Wadsworth, 2002. * David Miles Huber and Robert Runstein. ''Modern Recording Techniques'', sixth edition. Oxford: Focal Press, 2005.

External links

Free open source Mix automation software
{{Music technology Automation Audio mixing

Types

Modes

See also

References

External links