[Ardour-Users] Automation from analog mix?

[Giso Grimm]

On 12/17/2010 04:58 PM, Jörn Nettingsmeier wrote:
> On 12/17/2010 02:43 AM, David Kastrup wrote:
>> I was wondering: if you are recording using a mixer (and using pre-fader
>> recording outputs), wouldn't it be feasible to record the analog mix and
>> use echo compensation techniques for figuring out the fader settings (if
>> we are more ambitious, equalizer settings) and pull them into the
>> automation?  That would allow one to use a good analog mixer (with all
>> its nice controls) to do all the mixing hands-on, and still get output
>> with the quality achievable by digital mixing.
> 
> you mean i would feed pink noise into each of my mixer channels, buy a
> 32ch a/d converter to get the tape outs, devote two or three cpu cores
> to analyzing what i do to the pink noise and mimick that using fader and
> eq automation? and all that to end up with a control surface that
> doesn't have flying faders and requires the pots to pass the current
> value before they lock? you could perhaps sell that to euphonix nostalgists.
> 
> plus how would you know if i do the 800hz dent with the hi-mid or the
> low-mid band?
> 
> i don't know... maybe for the select group of users who obtain ardour by
> fax and ocr it back in.
> 

I would not see it that negative: Adaptive filters are not extremely
computationally demanding, and optimizing only a single tap filter at a
fixed delay should work with (almost) any material. Of course you can
estimate only quasi-linear portions of your mixing desk. And if you try
to adapt more complex filters (like your EQ) than the convergence time
might not be sufficient to follow your fancy automations of that EQ...

It could be a simple tool which transfers your multi-channel tape and
the final stereo downmix into an ardour project with all automations, in
a single run. Ok, with some constraints, but not impossible in general.
I like the idea (but maybe I belong to the fax generation :-)


- Giso