Any warnings about using offset mode?

... reply removed (sorry Randy, I misunderstood your question )

... reply removed (sorry Randy, I misunderstood your question )

I'm terrified of offset. The projects where I hit it by accident I had to re-do.


That's exactly why I had to ask...I occasionally use something called auto-ripple in my NLE (Sony Vegas Pro) ...it can be very convenient but if I forget to turn it off, it can mess up my project real quickly and I have to go back to a previously saved version and lose lots of work.


Why are you "working" in Offset mode? You should only need to move in/out of offset mode under certain circumstances, not for everyday changes - I just can't see any benefit to that



Well I had gone through putting a gazillion nodes on a volume envelope and decided later I needed to raise the overall volume of the envelope and I read somewhere that was how to do it...what is offset mode for anyway?
(Serious) mixing is new for me but I have to learn it pretty quickly as I've committed to producing a full album relatively soon....don't laugh, I (feel) I have a good ear, I just need to learn the technical aspects.
Yesterday, I received my new book, Zen and the Art of Mixing which I've heard is very good ...so yeah, I'm just beginning.
I realize my commitment is a big one but with the book, the song forum and you guys on this forum I think I can  I know I can do it.
That said, if anyone wants to throw any more advice way I'm all ears  
I've started my to-do and not-to-do list and turning off offset mode after using it is at the top of my list.
Thanks my friends,
Randy

It's not necessary to use Offset mode to raise/lower an entire envelope. In X2 you can just grab the whole thing and drag up/down 


I had tried that and couldn't get the whole envelope to move, I ran across offset mode and it seemed to be the answer.
I'm guessing there is a key(s) to hold while dragging that you will share with me?
I know you may think RTFM but I had read it for quite a while at the time and was getting quite frustrated not finding my answer...and then blindly trying to drag while holding ctrl, ctrl/shift, ctrl/shift/alt etc.
When I read about offset mode I thought I'd found my answer and couldn't see any reason to turn it off.

Try here, post #14

http://forum.cakewalk.com/fb.ashx?m=2827020

No problem mate.

I have used Off Set mode once in all the years I have used Sonar. I don't see it as a problem but a useful ability. 

g_randybrown


I'm still hoping someone will tell us all what the heck it's purpose is!

Its really very simple. Its to allow one to adjust parameters when you already have automation.  

I think you used it the right way. Your example is a very good one. 

My view is that many uses don't know about it and inadvertently hit o and wonder what happened. It is a very useful feature that when you need it nothing else can will do as well.  

One more use is when you have your fader maxed and all you need is a bit more offset mode can come to the rescue. 

I once was confused about Offset mode, now I use it all of the time. Yes I use it when I have automation on a track and I want to adjust the over all level.

But how I find it handy is I use it to set my general over all mix, this way when I am in automation mode, all of my faders and pot are all at zero now when I do add automation I have a  more precise control when dropping or raising parameters (especially my faders) notice how on a fader, the lower it is the db's are closer together.

Meaning when a fader is set to lets say -18 and I want to raise or lower my signal by a couple of dbs I have a to make a very small adjustment, but if my automation faderes are near zero, I have better control because of the difference in "space" between db adjustments.

Yes when first started this method I might get a little confused, but I would remember Offset mode, now that I use it all of the time, it is like second nature to mix in offset and make any automation while in automation mode.

This might come from my live mixing habits as I like to have all of my faders right at or near zero, because I can make finer level adjustments when the fader are at or near zero than I can when a fader is set to -18.

I hope this makes sense, and helps someone out as to why we would use Offset mode. I know I miss it when working in other DAWs

Tom

Okay... is this how it would work? Enable Offset Mode. Set levels. Enable Envelope mode. Done? Seems to be saying faders instead of gain knobs too... doesn't work with Gain?

Yes that is how I work with it. Mix in Offset mode and Automate in Automation mode.

Yes gain will do almost the same thing, but as gain is the first in the gain stage, I like to leave that alone when I have proper recorded levels, this way I will get a full signal into my FX.

I think of it this way Offset mode is in the same place in the gain stage/signal path as Automation mode, it is just a way to adjust the overall level when a track has automation.

HTH

Tom

Beepster


Okay... is this how it would work? Enable Offset Mode. Set levels. Enable Envelope mode. Done? Seems to be saying faders instead of gain knobs too... doesn't work with Gain?

I see Offset Mode is getting some attention again....     
 
Personally, I've used Offset Mode on just about every project that has automation, for just about as long as we've had it.  While lasso-ing and moving automation is certainly doable, it's still the precision factor for me - I can press "O", move a fader, and press "O" again way faster and with more accuracy than I can grab every node and line and then drag it.   Plus, I'm more confident in the change knowing that there's nothing to "miss" in the process.   I did intentionally try the "select all automation" workflow last night just for kicks, and found that I had to re-select two additional times because I kept missing nodes.  Score one for needing better size control over lanes...  
 
Another factor that can come into play is control surfaces w/ moving faders.   Adjusting a fader while in automation mode is meaningless if that software fader has automation - the hardware fader will simply snap back to where the automation tells it to be.   By using Offset mode the hardware fader becomes temporarily available.
 
One last example...  say you had four sequential tracks with volume automation, but wanted to reduce the volume of all four by 1dB.  You could adjust the downstream bus if there is one, but if there's not, or if other tracks are also output to that bus but don't need to be adjusted - press "O", drag+select all four tracks, Ctrl+Drag one fader down by 1dB, press "O".    As with all things these days, YMMV.
 

There are some VERY serious selection problems in X2. Clips, midi events, nodes, etc. They have to fix this and it should be in patch form. Not a paid upgrade. Sorry to be negative but that is one thing I can't give the Bakers a pass on. It makes things very difficult having to second guess, double check and find workarounds for.

I must be ****ed because I cannot follow this--especially the "mix in offset and automate in automation" part. Assume I have mixed tracks with Write enabled. I thought the purpose of Offset was this: "OK, guitar fader is moving up and down perfectly but the whole thing needs to be a little louder or quieter." I would turn on Offset mode and WITH WRITE ENABLED, move the guitar fader up or down a bit to change the overall level while keeping the automation moves. Is that correct? I have never been able to get that to work right, but the first step would be to know if I even have the correct concept. Thanks!