Bring Mix to Life with Automation
(THIS SEPARATES THE MEN FROM THE BOYS)
In case your mixes have ever felt dull or lifeless in comparison to a professional commercial mix – the missing ingredient might have been automation. With automation, you can easily bring your mix to life with a few moves here and there. In this video you’ll hear how drastic the change is between unautomated and automated mix. You’ll also see how I used the automation in all the different tracks:
Automation is what separates the men from the boys so to speak. The balance can (and should) be great in your mix, but without automation it can sound a bit dull. Many starting out home studio musicians have no idea how to use automation and so they don’t.
It’s a simple process really: lifting and decreasing volume of different instruments so that it creates movement and energy to the mix. In this video I use nothing but volume automation and the difference is huge.
You want to guide the focus of the listeners by lifting the volume of the tracks that you want them to hear at the given time. Basically it’s just adjusting the balance to be even more precise and better. Faders, panning, EQ, compression etc. cannot do that alone. Luckily automation is the tool to get the job done.
Try automation in your next mix. Highlight the parts that need to be louder and introduce sounds and instruments to the listener where you want them to be the focal point. It’s relatively easy so just get your hands dirty and start automating!
Hopefully you found this video helpful. If there’s anything you want me to cover in the future videos let me know. Send me an email or leave a comment below. Ask if there’s anything unclear or if I left something out. Cheers!
