Offset automation

Anyone who can can explain when/why to use offset automation?
I've  been reading the manual, but I just don't get it.......(I'm a slow learner)

Ok, thank you Scott. I think I understand now

Exactly! This is very handy. Now on a side note... it's a bit a shame there is no third mode, namely "overwrite". Sure - it is possible to force-overwrite nodes, but as soon if you let loose the fader knob it jumps to the original curve, making smooth partial corrections almost impossible.

That´s the best thing ever.

If you switch back to "normal" or "non-offset" mode, do the changes in volume reflect in the envelope? Or does it stay in the same position?

I'm not getting a response  but I could really use some help if someone who understands Offset would be kind enough to reply.

1-How do I know I am in offset mode?  I have pushed O a few times but never saw anything to indicate on or off.  Someone mentioned plus signs but i do nto see any.
2-If the faders are moving, does that mean offset is off?
3-If I go to offset mode, does that mean the fader will jump to zero (nominal) and I will affect the overall volume by moving it up or down from zero?  And does it matter if the track is playing or not, or where in the track the Now time happens to be?

Thanks

FastBikerBoy


 

BTW offset is still helpful but it is much easier in X1 to deselect everything, set the edit filter to the envelope you wish to offset and then click + drag up or down in the top 30% of the clip.

HTH

^^^ This is my preferred way to deal with envelopes that need their entire range raised or lowered (or indeed, just a section of the envelope)

Yes assuming you don't touch the track envelope in any way it will permanently be 2 dB louder than indicated by envelope mode, until you reduce offset again. 

You're right it can be dangerous. Offset still catches me out from time to time....

Speaking as someone who designed a lot of software over the years, I think this should not be so easy to turn off and on.  This should be ALT+O or something more difficult to do by mistake since 1-it can be destructive 2-is not clearly understood and 3-while potentially useful, is probably not invoked nearly as frequently as other things.

Luckily, I am using a physical console so I would see the faders jump unless I were scrolled to a set of tracks with no automation.  For someone working only from the screen, this could be very subtle and deadly.

I love offset. I use it all the time..
Usualy in the final stage of a mix, when I'm quite happy with how it sounds. (A mix I've done in envelope-mode, that is)

Then I jump into offset-mode just to nudge a few dB here and there, trying out different ideas (volume-wise) .. Since I've already mixed the track, only very subtle changes are made here.. and if I'm not happy with the result afterwards it's very easy to jump back to the mix I had (before entering the offset-mode) just by reseting the offset-faders.

It would be very nice if there was an easy way to see changes made in offset-mode, when in envelope-mode though, because it can (as most of you say) be a dangerous function. Especially if you're not working with it often and activates it by mistake =/

It would be great if we maybe could have two different color-schemes for envelope- and offset-mode. This would make it quite obvious that something's not as usual.. And also if we could see the offset-setting in envelope mode as well, next to the envelope-value.. Something like this (at the bottom of the fader):
-3.2 (+2)
..where the +2 in brackets is the offset-value.

For sure.. :)
..Now when Cakewalk gives us live seminars now and then, maybe Seth and Brandon could give us a lesson or two in different ways of using this neat little feature(?) =)

But again; it would be nice if it was more obvious (visually) when offset's active and when it's not.. :)

John

JClosed


Exactly! This is very handy. Now on a side note... it's a bit a shame there is no third mode, namely "overwrite". Sure - it is possible to force-overwrite nodes, but as soon if you let loose the fader knob it jumps to the original curve, making smooth partial corrections almost impossible.

You can overwrite. This is with a CS simply turn off read and have write on. Adjust the CS faders they will rewrite the automation. This can be applied to a section without redoing the entire thing. Though I have had cause to delete automation and start over. 

Indeed you can overwrite, but the moment you stop moving the fader the value jumps back to the value of the original curve.

An example:

I am using the BCF2000 for this...

Insert a soft synth and start playing (completley uninportant what, as long if you don't scare the others in the room ;-)).

Now apply a volume automation (Automation -> Volume) and slowly move the slider up and down (It is just an example).

Now assume you are not totally happy with this, and want to correct an part of the curve.

Start playback and try to move the slider at the correction point. There are two possibility's..

1. Automation read is on and the slider "fights" against your correction movement and the moment you let it go it jumps to the original curve.
2. Automation read is off and you can move the slider, but the moment you move it the curve "jumps" to the value the slider has, and the moment you stop moving the slider it "jumps" back to the original curve.

Needless to say smooth corrections are nearly impossible, so you HAVE to use the mouse to manually correct the curve.

Offset mode is not usable, because you correct the volume of the complete curve, and not only the part you want to correct.

Other Daw's have something that's called "take-over" mode. You switch off automation read (while doing playback) and start moving the slider. The slider "takes over" the moment you "hit" the curve. When you make the corrections and do not move the slider at some point the value stays unchanged (you get a flat line and it won't "jump" back to the original curve). In effect you can make smooth corrections. This is impossible in Sonar (or I might have missed something).

Sorry - my English is not perfect and I hope my explanation is clear enough..