How do I move everything down one db?

[shoegazr]

Scootching the fader up just a hair made that guitar track sound a little better . . . but now I gotta scootch that bass fader up, too. Oops, now the rhythm guitar sounds a little weak. . . .

I thought I was mixing, but now, after a couple of hours, I realize everything is just up a couple of db. The mix bus is jammed tight, I'm getting about 3 db of play on the output meters, between zero and -3. Ug--what is this, a Metallica album?

I like the relative levels of all the tracks, and I've got tons of automation on the meters. But man, this mix is just not breathing anymore.

What I want to do is grab all the meters and pull them down 1 db. That should open things up a bit.

I hold down the W key and move a fader down 1 db. They all move. Nice.

I hit play--what's this? All the tracks with automation pop back to their previous levels, and the tracks without automation stay down one db. Oh crap.

Luckily I made a copy of the mix, so I closed, reopened, and kept experimenting. Eventaully I ended up selecting the entire mix and lowering the soundbite volume in .5 db increments. I think it worked, but this feels wrong.

There must be a better way. Is there?

[jarok]

Hi

You can use Trim plug-in on individual tracks.

jarok

[Mr_Clifford]

You did the right thing to lower all the 'unautomated' tracks. For the tracks with automation, select everything on the tracks and use 'change continuous data' (command+F6) to lower all the automation by 1db.

[pencilina]

Hi,

Not a big deal. Select all the volume automation (option+ select volume then select all) in the seq window and use the "change continuous data" option with volume checked and scaled to 90% or whatever works for a db. On tracks that don't have automation add volume points before (click their faders with auto enabled while song plays) or adjust those faders separately.

Another option would be to go onto trim (I think) automation mode with the faders grouped and pull one of the faders down a db and let the song play which should scale your fader moves down 1 db.

Finally you might be able to give yourself some more headroom in your stereo out (assuming your mixing in the box) by pulling the master fader down a bit and/or inserting trim across it.

[Tim]

And of course keep in mind... if you've got tracks routed through group master faders, don't trim both the source tracks and their masters. I'd most likely trim only the Master, esp. if there's a compressor/limiter it (and it's bus is not overloading).

[shoegazr]

You guys are awesome. Thanks.

[tommymandel]

I create a group with all the tracks in it. Then lower one of the volume faders. Not the best way, when mixing automated tracks with un-automated ones, I realize.