Automate (create envelope for) an effect plugin.

obieephyhm wrote on 7/9/2020, 3:11 PM

It's probably obvious and my brain is over-strained with covid and the heat . . . but . . . I have mixed audio track that is the way I want it. Now I want to take that track and apply various effects to mangle it in different ways. Say I have five different vst plugins that I want to set up to apply to the track with an envelope overlaying my audio track for each plugin so I can alter the amount of the effect being blended in across the length of the track. I'm not looking (at this point) to record realtime automation. It's more like having set an effect, I want to apply a wet-dry mix of it into the track as it's playing so I can hear what I'm blending across the five plugins. Does that make sense or am I asking the impossible. I've looked around the net and spent about eight hours trying to tumble onto a solution but I can't get it to work. I've tried applying each effect to an individual bus but that doesn't produce anything in the way of sound alteration. What I think I want is an envelope tied to a specific effect overlaying the audio track. Does this make sense anywhere outside my own head?

Comments

sheppo wrote on 7/10/2020, 4:39 PM

Hi @obieephyhm

there's a couple ways I think you can do this

  1. automate the wet/dry of the effect on the channel - this only works if the plugins you're using have a wet/dry option. Not too many plugins do. Also, if you have all the effects in the chain the wet/dry setting on early plugins in the chain will affect the later plugins in the chain, which might not be what you want
     
  2. Not sure what version you're on, but if you're on AP10 you could use morph pads. I've actually been meaning to do a little preview video of morph pads, since they're fairly powerful and are like a early version of macros in other DAWs, but you can try watching the official webinar on morph pads.
     
  3. Using assignable FX - these are somewhat analogous to FX sends, or send buses in other DAWs, and work best with plugins that allow you to alter the wet/dry.
    1. go to insert->assignable FX
      (alternative, look at "Adding an Assignable Effects Chain" in the in-app help)
    2. add an FX to the assignable FX bus
      1. ensure it is set to 100% wet, or 100% mix - if you don't, or the plugin doesn't offer this you'll find that when you route audio to the Assignable FX the volume will get louder, which I assume isn't what you want.
    3. on the timeline view, expand the track height of the channel you want to route in to the Assignable FX, when it's tall enough you will see an assignable FX slider. Automate that.
      (alternative, look at "Routing Tracks to an Assignable Effects Chain" in the in-app help)
    4. Add more Assignable FX buses as required
    5. As well as adjusting the level of audio to send to the assignable FX, you can also adjust the volume of the assignable FX chain by opening the Mixer, and ensuring Assignable FX option is enabled in view.