When lowering the volume of an entire track, why does it lower in uneven proportions throughout the timeline?

[Dnuo]

My question is demonstrated in this video below:

https://youtu.be/MO4PTdwWDfU

[jestermgee]

Ok, first suggestion would be if you need to lower your ENTIRE track volume, add a Utility device and then adjust that single control or group it and use a second fader. Much easier than the way you are trying to do it.

The next thing is the reason the numbers display different to how you expect has to do with how sound and power relates to the db scale. Without trying to explain it here is a link for self reading (tho the layout of this page is poor:

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-levelchange.htm

It has to do with the actual power of signal vs. perceived loudness and the fact the scale is a log not a linear scale. If you were ever in Maths class and sat there asking the teacher "why do I need to know the angle of a triangle when i'm not going to live in a pyramid..." these are the reasons we need maths.

So, forget the fact of the actual numbers because you aren't dealing with percentages in that scale. Just use a utility on the track, dial in the amount of reduction for the overall volume.

[Dnuo]

will utility actually lower the volume akin to adjusting the red automation lines (i.e. regardless of whether or not it lowers the red line will it be performing the same technological function) or is it a gain control thus potentially adding distortion if i were to raise the volume for instance?

[jestermgee]

Well it can boost/trim the volume so if you wanted to just reduce the overall volume of your track and not affect the automation you have, put it on and reduce the gain by however much you need and that will reduce the output of the channel globally by that much. If unsure, throw it on and see what it can do

[borg]

what jester said about log/lin...
that's why there are curves, which will probably add another level of confusion at some point...