Automation engine issues

[RighteousSine]

Sorry for all the posts lately, I'm using the automation engine for the first time and encountered an issue.

Mainly that the automation engine is taking around 4.5seconds to engage when the timecode starts running. Whether it starts from the beginning of the timeline or a looped region is set and it's starting further down the timecode.

I realise the automation manual says to - engage write/trim etc "with timecode running" but it seems like a bit of a let down if that's a feature on this mixer, it does everything else so quickly and can't see anything anywhere to say that's the case.

If it's not a feature, I can't think what would be causing it. The only thing I can think is..

When I press Shift - intial edit, the faders I'm moving snap to 0, where I want them to start. But when I double press stop to set timecode to zero, the timecode on the DM stays at the last timecode it stopped at, as do the faders. And they don't move until the engine engages 4.5 seconds after the beginning of the loop comes around again, missing the written automation and jumping to that point in the automation timeline.

So I thought if I could make the DM follow the timecode from the DAW even when it's not running it might keep the DM following the automation, but I've tried everything I can think of.

I can work around it by including a couple bars ahead of each looped region to give the engine time to engage, but it's not ideal, and might cause overwrite issues with the overlapped regions, (haven't tried yet).

Automatic store to automation library is off, MTC sent from daw via midi port 3, usb.

If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong, or can confirm if it's a feature or not before I pull my hair out, I'd appreciate it, thanks

 

[mixerizer]

try:
- using preroll is the classic way to let automation and sequencers “catch up” to play back.
- like modern DAWs do, starting your timecode at 01 hours means u never have negative time code values before 00:00. that means u can go earlier than the “start” of the track without timecode hiccups
- engaging Write before timecode is present works for some functions (automation manual permits this), not sure about ur specific situation
- try limiting the modes of controls using AUTO CONFIG, turning off Auto revert etc., some mixer controls can be set to static, etc. if u find u r slowed down by the engine processing too much.
- also u may be incurring that delay if u have a lot of automation data and the engine is chasing to catch up.

and looping short phrases using hardware automation which has to lock hardware to external time code sucks overall. if u must do short loops w hardware time code synchronization, try looping w the DM as the loop and timecode master, not the DAW. that way the mixer doesnt have to waste time chasing the timecode, it generates it.

 

[RighteousSine]

Awesome thanks for the tips, I had a go with timecode but didn't realise I could change the timecode display there, was just changing the small preroll box number at the bottom of the screen.

It won't be too much automation data as I've only written one fader move, which was a 4 second fade in, so then I've been trying to work out why it wasn't playing back as it wasn't reading. Was running a 40second loop but doesn't seem to matter as it sees a timecode stop and then takes the time to re-engage again.

Issue is happening with writing automation too, as in nothing for the first 4 or 5 seconds is registering until the engine engages.

I'll try setting the DM as the master too, sounds like a good suggestion, and if nothing you've suggested works, i also thought I'll try sending MTC thru midi interface to the in port and a different DAW to see if it behaves the same.

Thanks for the help, I'll let you know if I solve it

 

[mixerizer]

sounds good, looking fwd. i have used incoming MTC over the MIDI and USB ports, both seemed quick. however yes, there is always a delay for me before the automation engine kicks in, which i think correlates to a very brief pause in the time code displayed on the DM’s meter bridge (when the DM is displaying incoming MTC).