Using Ableton Utility for Volume Envelopes

Drawing an envelope onto a track’s volume control in Ableton’s Arrangement view makes the track’s volume fader essentially unusable. If you move the volume slider on a track, Ableton deactivates the automation; this makes it difficult to fine-tune a track’s overall volume while mixing. The solution: use the Utility plug-in to control the volume envelope instead.

Drop the Utility plug-in onto the track. Select the plug-in in the track’s Device Chooser section, then select “Gain” from the automation menu. Draw the envelope onto the track:

Ableton Volume Envelopes

You can now move the track’s volume fader (in either Session or Arrangement view) to raise or lower the track’s overall volume while preserving the relative volume differences set out by the envelope.