Link gain levels of 2 tracks as "opposites"

Getting Stuff Done How do I .... ?
#1

Hi there !

I’m comparing audio tracks (that use different effects). To compare them I basically turn one track as “mute” and listen to the other one.
What I’d like to do is to link their gains as opposites, such that reducing gain of the track T1 would increase the gain of the track T2, so I could gradually hear the difference between these tracks.

It doesn’t seem impossible but I just don’t know how I could do this. Any idea ?

Thanks for any help :slight_smile:

#2

This is impossible as described. However … if you turn on exclusive solo mode, you will get something more or less identical to what you want - just click on the solo button of each of the two tracks and everything else will go away. If you need to hear the track(s) “in context” then you can use solo-isolate (not shown by default in the mixer strips) to stop soloing from affecting particular tracks.

#3

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your reply. I was more or less playing around the mute/solo options so far, but since I’m doing ambisonics, I really need to hear the differences between my encoders, which is really difficult when simply turning tracks ON/OFF. That’s why such a gradual shifter (from one track to another) would be very convenient.

I might have an idea using a third track as a controller, but first I need to make a group of tracks that share the same panning controller. Is that possible ?

#4

hi sonorc,
why don’t use your midi controller (if you got one) ?
midi learn, 2knobs controlling 2 track’s fadder.
may be my english is not good enought to understand your problem !
if it’s the case youre answer may be help to improove it :wink:

#5

you could solo the two tracks and write fader automation to each track where one is automated to fade in and the other to fade out. Not exactly what you’re looking for but will get the same effect.

#6

Your solution seems nice, but I don’t have any Midi controller :slight_smile: Maybe I’ll end up buying one

#7

That could be an alternative but I’d prefer to have a “live” control of the faders instead of automations.

#8

may be it can help:
2 mouses with MPX : Multi-Pointer X

#9

There’s a ‘Crossfade’ plugin in the swh plugins set which you might be able to put to use for this; it will require some messing around with signal routing and busses. For stereo signals, something like:

  • Create a new stereo audio bus
  • Add the 'Crossfade' plugin to the bus
  • Add two audio inputs to the bus
  • Use the Audio Connections Manager to connect the output of your first track to inputs 1 & 2 of the bus, and your second track to 3 & 4.

If you’re doing ambisonics, I’d guess you’ll need to crossfade more than two channels, in which case you’ll need to add more input and output channels to the bus, and route appropriately.

2 Likes
#10

i just try mpx it’s fun to get 2pointers and 2 mouses but it seems not possible to use them on 2 tracks in the same time. not really usefull then…

1 Like
#11

It looks a lot like what I need ! :smiley:

I’ve had a look on the SWH plugins. One of the folders is named “xfade-swh.lv2” (i guess you talk about this plugin) but when loaded into Ardour, it does not appear in my list of plugins (no X-fade nor CrossFade). It does not appear in the VST blacklist neither and the path is given for in the VST preferences.

I’m using Windows, maybe I should get a .dll of this plugin instead of .lv2 ?

#12

@Sonorhc

The question is did you get the LV2 compiled for Windows or did you download LV2s compiled for Linux?

LV2 is just a plugin format, similar to VST for instance. It can be compiled for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and unless the plugin is compiled for whatever system you are running on, it will not work. LV2 itself works fine on Windows if compiled for it (ie. the a-* plugins that come with Ardour are LV2 plugins).

All that being said, if you are on Windows I would find i hard to believe a VST doesn’t exist with similar functionality to Steve’s crossfade plugin.

       Seablade
#13

Ok thanks ! I got the plugin from here (https://manual.ardour.org/working-with-plugins/getting-plugins/), so I think it’s made for Linux. I’ll try to find it for windows.

#14

sorry i didnot know you’re with windows

#15

There are probably a couple of VSTs for windows to cross-fade. 2 in, 1out.
Alternatively you could use xfade.lv2 (4 in , 2 out, Ardour will replicated the plugins to multiples of that if needed)

3 Likes
Link Gain Increase to Gain Decrease on associated track or bus
#16

Thanks Robin, that’s EXACTLY what I needed ! :partying_face:

FULL SOLUTION HERE : CrossFade multiple channels (ambisonics)

#17

Similar to the recent classical music workflow post from bachstudies, you could create a post explaining your workflow and why it works for you, I suspect others would be interested to hear it, though I also suspect less people work in ambisonics:)

    Seablade
#18

:warning: :warning: :warning:

FULL SOLUTION HERE : CrossFade multiple channels (ambisonics)

:warning: :warning: :warning:

1 Like
#19

Yes, Robin’s x42 Stereo DJ Cross-fader is an excellent plugin!

#20

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