Automation: clip gain vs. volume line
There are two basic ways to automate something — you can either do standard automation, or you can separate out bits of the waveform and change their level. They’re both great, and I use them each all the time.
But there’s one key difference between them: one of them is post-processing (automation) and one of them is pre-processing (clip gain).
When you change the level of a piece of the waveform, you’re changing the amount of signal that goes into all subsequent processes on that channel — i.e., whatever plugins you have on there.
So, for example, imagine that we’re working on getting a vocal performance sitting just right. When is the right time to use volume automation, and when is the right time to use clip gain?
If I have a compressor on the channel, or saturation — anything that’s level-dependent — I want to make sure that I’m hitting those processes optimally. So that’s a place to start!
As I’m listening through, if I note a syllable or phrase that seems a little loud or a little quiet, I’ll listen past the volume for the character.
If it sounds a little thin, then I’ll separate it out in the waveform and turn the clip gain up. This way it will hit the compressor and saturation a bit harder, which will probably help it girth up a bit.
Conversely, if it sounds like it’s hitting the compressor or saturation a little too hard — maybe it’s a little blown out? — then I’ll separate it out in the waveform and turn the clip down.
Sometimes a single overly loud syllable can trigger compression that, depending on your compressor’s release time, can cause the following syllable(s) to appear a bit quiet. So if you have an “odd man out” inappropriately-loud syllable, it can be a good idea to first try bringing it more in line using clip gain — so that the compressor isn’t overreacting and causing knock-on problems downstream.
And if it sounds generally good but just slightly the wrong volume, then I’ll automate it! Because this will preserve the sound exactly, only changing the loudness. Changing the clip gain will generally change the sound a bit.
Always focused on the sound — jamie