A brief history of automation
In the 1970s, the development of recording consoles and tape machines progressed to the point where we could now mix multiple 24-track machines synced together. This meant that the engineer might have many more adjustments to make in real time than he could realistically perform with just two hands, or even two engineers with four hands could.
Console makers such as AMS Neve and SSL rose to fill the void with console automation, allowing the console to memorize the engineer's moves. It is often claimed that Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the first records to employ this ability, and as complex as it is, it certainly had to be at least one of the first.
Initially, the faders and knobs would not be moving as you were hearing the changes, but Rupert Neve created a console in the 70s that introduced flying faders, and all of today's DAWs can emulate this, as do even inexpensive hardware controllers from companies such as Mackie and...
