Topic: Level Automation

Traditionally most hardware (and software) mixer faders will allow you to boost the level of a track with up to +6, +10, +12 or +18 dB. This is necessary because on many mixers the faders are the only means to boost a signal on a track. I chose a different approach in Podium by implementing a gain setting for the track and let level automation be an attenuation of this gain setting.

I am pleased with how this split into a gain setting and level automation has turned out. You can adjust the gain setting on audio tracks and avoid creating a level track if you don’t want to automate the level. And for tracks with level automation, you can adjust the gain setting to ‘offset’ the entire level automation on the track.

So if you want to boost an audio track with +6dB at some point, you need to set the gain of the track to +6dB, and then start the level automation at -6dB. I’m going to improve the curve editor soon, so that it will be possible to see dB values for the curve points.

If it turns out to be a huge demand that level automation tracks should be offset with +6dB, one way of supporting this would be to define a new ‘+6dBFS Level’ parameter type in the Parameter properties dialog. Existing projects would then not be affected.

Also, I have been in the habit of making most tracks have audio mixing, so I can adjust the levels all the way through the signal chain. Is there much of a processing leap in doing this, or is the only code added in the form of signal==signal*gain;? (I realise that it increases the graphical overhead too..)

Every track that you audio enable will get an extra sub-mixer at that track. Meaning that there will be a buffer used for collecting the audio of subtracks, to calculate the meter values and to apply pan and level changes (if set differently from defaults). Tracks that have e.g. plugins assigned will already have the sub-mixer created, so audio enabling those tracks to get the gain setting will not add overhead to the audio processing.

Finally… If a track overloads, does Podium clip, or just pass the overloaded signal down the chain to be attenuated later? I’ve noticed that if (for example) I have a snare hit that goes red in it’s channel, the parent track goes less red, and the master channel stays green; and all of them have 0dB gain…

Podium does not apply clipping, until it has to output the floating point audio to fixed point buffers in audio interfaces or recording to fixed point sound files. Some plugins can handle that you put an overloaded signal through them, others will create digital garbage. So generally you should keep the meters out of the red zone before applying effects.

If your track gains are all set to 0dB the signal is routed unaltered up the track hierarchy, unless your audio source is mono and thus is applied the chosen panning law.

That was some tough questions considering you were just strolling around in town 😉
Frits