Automation Tips For Balanced, Exciting, Engaging Mixes

Today, I want to teach you a few automation tips that can instantly make your mixes feel more interesting, natural, and engaging.

Automation is a powerful tool in your DAW — it allows you to program changes to levels and plugin settings so that they occur automatically as your song plays.

Here are three automation moves that you can use to enhance any mix:

1. Vocal dynamics
Instead of relying on heavy compression to get the loudest moments of your vocal performance under control, program your vocal level to fall during those loud moments using automation. This gives a more natural sound and avoids over compression.

2. Effects control
Try automating reverb or delay sends — push them up during transitions to increase the effect at the end of lines or between sections, then pull them back for the next section. This keeps the mix full and engaging without cluttering it with constantly high effect levels.

3. Creative plugin changes
Use automation to create dramatic moments: make an EQ plugin give a vocal a thin “radio” sound for a line, or apply heavy compression to drums on a bridge for an intense, blown-out effect. Little moments like this make your mix engaging and interesting.

If you mix in Luna, I’ve also got a YouTube video showing how to use automation — Watch it here. 

Try incorporating one or two of these automation tricks in your next mix, and let me know what difference it makes!