When using envelopes to manage the levels of a particular track - what do you primarily use? The volume envelope or clip gain...and in what scenarios might you use both. Thanks !!!

volume.
 
it is simply automating the fader rides....
 
 
 
gain, is another issue altogether, especially if you have any plugins 

I too use primarily the volume envelopes. I rarely use the gain for anything. It stays at it's default.
 
I have considered, and probably used it once or twice to change a complete track (with volume envelope inserted) where I needed to raise/lower the level of the complete track....HOWEVER.... now, I prefer to throw a bus in the project and route whatever needs changing to that bus. Then I can change levels without affecting anything that relies on a specif gain level as BAT mentioned.
 
I don't hesitate one bit to throw a handful of busses into the project and route everything into a bus. Especially if the levels sound good but are simply too high. I then use the bus to bring down the levels of a group of instruments...such as the rhythm section of the band..... bass, drums, guitar.... often these are already in a bus so that makes it easy.

Yes, a quick look at the signal flow diagram will show you that if you intend to compress a track, it's best to do this before any fader automation, or after any clip automation.
 
I think of clip automation as a sort of "coarse" compression, with the actual compressors having less work to do if the levels are relatively flat
 
If you do your fader levelling prior to compression, all your carefully sculpted levels can go totally out of whack when you add compression.

what bristol said.
 
and having limiting on a buss that you have routed a track to, and then doing 'AUTOMATION' of any kind, but especially volume, into that buss, will cause a mess.
 

Well, in my excursions, I never have use "Gain" for anything in audio tracks (or even "Trim") because of the way I guess I record, so I always use "Volume".
 

I use clip gain so the compressor doesn't have to work as hard, especially on vocal tracks.

i use both. mostly clip gain.

Not quite sure what you are asking so I may be off base but here goes:
 
The track and clip envelopes achieve the same result.
 
If your track is one continuous clip the either will work.
 
If your track contains several clips then highlight the clip of interest and use a clip envelope on just that clip.
 
If you have several clips in one track and you choose the track envelope … then one continuous volume line will run the length of all the clips.
 
In either case you just insert nodes to control the volume.
 
So, if your track is continuous, the track envelope may be more convenient but if you have several clips in a track the it may be easier and more efficient to use clip envelope.
 
Please ignore if this is not what you are asking.

In 8.5.3, if you right click on the track and go to envelopes you can then choose either “Create Track Envelope -> Volume” or “Create Clip Envelope -> Gain”.
 
OK … and now on further inspection what I thought I understood I really don’t.
 
The “Create Track Envelope -> Volume” is the automated volume fader control.
 
So now I am going to add a question: is there any difference between the two in terms of the end result other than “Create Track Envelope -> Volume” shows the fader moving (at least what is happening behind the scenes in the digital domain)?
 
I guess you should use the clip envelope to even out the different clips in a track and then apply the track envelope on top of that to ride the fader …
 
But in the past I just used to clip envelope (gain) to do both.