Hello, I'd like to attenuate the entire track volume automation in unison. If i'm understanding the manual, this is done in Offset Mode? But it didn't say much about how to adjust the automation envelope. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

This is a mode you enter.  While in this mode, you can offset the overall level while keeping all of your relative automation the same.  Turn it on by pushing this button:





The fader will no longer move with the automation data, but you'll still hear the changes.  Move the fader down, to taste.  Then exit offset mode.

It's a difficult feature to explain.  But basically, in offset mode, you're adjusting the level before the automation is taken into consideration.  This allows you to give the automation more or less to adjust, without having to adjust the nodes and mess up their relationships to each other.  

Hope this helps.

Sometimes it's useful to send a track to an intermediate bus and do all your automation on the bus. Then you can use the track volume fader as more a gain-staging fader to bring everything up or down. I discovered this use when I wanted to send top and bottom snare mics to a bus so that I could automate overall snare volume. It dawned on me that I could also do it with a just single track and get the same benefit. Sure it means more buses, but hey, they're unlimited in Sonar, so why not?

Silicon Audio


Sometimes it's useful to send a track to an intermediate bus and do all your automation on the bus. Then you can use the track volume fader as more a gain-staging fader to bring everything up or down. I discovered this use when I wanted to send top and bottom snare mics to a bus so that I could automate overall snare volume. It dawned on me that I could also do it with a just single track and get the same benefit. Sure it means more buses, but hey, they're unlimited in Sonar, so why not?

Not only is that a good tip.  But that's an excellent analogy.  I'm gonna borrow it next time I'm in a position to explain Automation Offset.  Thanks!

Hello Bill. Thanks for a super fast reply. I'm using X1Expanded, don't see the button you're pointing at. ---------- Thanks Silicon Audio. I usually do what suggested, but i've been wanting to learn how to boost/cut the entire automation for a little while now. Thanks again.

The "O" key will do the same thing.

Oh, ok, I think i've got it now. Thanks again, your explanation helped.

Awesome info everyone involved;-)

This is great!

Offset mode is one of the lesser known gems in SONAR. Its by far the easiest way to make quick overall adjustments when you are getting close to done with a mix and already have automation committed on the track or bus. 
 
Want the track a touch louder in the mix, just switch to offset mode and bump the track volume offset level - no fuss. Its essentially a free extra gainstage that is available to all mixer parameters in SONAR.  The first thing I do in any project I'm mixing is set the offset gainstaging to get a basic mix before I start doing envelopes. That way I always have control of the basic overall levels even after I have automation envelopes. You can also affect more than one track or bus at a time by using quick grouping.