Sure, who doesn't want total recall? To be able to pull up a client's mix or master from backups and apply the same fader moves, same panning, same effects. To bring all of the automation lanes back to life at a later date. Of course that's better right? Who would not want that?
But before we had automation, we had to ride the faders, and pan knobs, and send knobs. And literally no mix was exactly the same. Sometimes, many times, the second and third, or fourth mix was different, and many times better! Sometimes the remix was the difference between a masterpiece and a mediocre song.
With automation have we lost the spontaneity? Can you imagine if automation was applied to Jazz Solos or Rock Solos. Part of the genius and magic is the improvisation and creativity in the moment. Hearing the same song again but somehow differently brings new magic in the moment. This magic sometimes happens in the process of riding faders and knobs in the moment. New music and new perspectives happen the second, third, or fourth time. Or six months later you might feel differently about the mix or the master and would approach it from a completely different angle if it were not for the backed up automation
. Can automation throw water on the spark of in-the-moment inspiration that can and has occurred while riding faders and knobs?
Of course we've gained a lot with automation. Of course we have. But what have we lost? How many potential masterpieces turned out to be just so-so because the magic that would have happened while riding the faders and knobs on the second or third try, didn't happen, because the automation lanes were applied from the first try?
I literally and recently saw how this could happen, while watching a friend remix a cubase session, and there was a disagreement with the artist about the automation, and so they did part of the mix over from scratch. And the manual redo (riding faders and knobs in the moment) sounded better than the backup versions of the automation
Clearly automation is for the best, but...... there can be magic in riding faders and knobs. Maybe we should not be so quick to throw the baby out with the bath water
But before we had automation, we had to ride the faders, and pan knobs, and send knobs. And literally no mix was exactly the same. Sometimes, many times, the second and third, or fourth mix was different, and many times better! Sometimes the remix was the difference between a masterpiece and a mediocre song.
With automation have we lost the spontaneity? Can you imagine if automation was applied to Jazz Solos or Rock Solos. Part of the genius and magic is the improvisation and creativity in the moment. Hearing the same song again but somehow differently brings new magic in the moment. This magic sometimes happens in the process of riding faders and knobs in the moment. New music and new perspectives happen the second, third, or fourth time. Or six months later you might feel differently about the mix or the master and would approach it from a completely different angle if it were not for the backed up automation

Of course we've gained a lot with automation. Of course we have. But what have we lost? How many potential masterpieces turned out to be just so-so because the magic that would have happened while riding the faders and knobs on the second or third try, didn't happen, because the automation lanes were applied from the first try?
I literally and recently saw how this could happen, while watching a friend remix a cubase session, and there was a disagreement with the artist about the automation, and so they did part of the mix over from scratch. And the manual redo (riding faders and knobs in the moment) sounded better than the backup versions of the automation

Clearly automation is for the best, but...... there can be magic in riding faders and knobs. Maybe we should not be so quick to throw the baby out with the bath water
