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Add an envelope or automatable effect to a track.
For automatable audio track effects, you must add and effect automation envelope for each parameter you want to automate.
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Select the Automation Settings button .
To toggle automation controls for all tracks, press Ctrl+A before selecting the Automation Settings button.
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Click the next to the Automation Settings button and choose Automation Write (Touch) or Automation Write (Latch) from the menu.
Automation Recording Mode |
Track Icon |
Description |
Automation Write (Touch) |
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Envelope points or keyframes are created only while a control is being adjusted. When you stop adjusting the control, automation recording stops and the existing envelope points/keyframes are unaffected. |
Automation Write (Latch) |
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Envelope points or keyframes are created when you change a control setting, and recording continues until you stop playback. When you stop adjusting the control, the control’s current setting overwrites the existing envelope points/keyframes. |
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Click to position the cursor in the timeline, and click the Play button to start playback.
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Adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe you want to adjust.
During playback, adjusting a control will create envelope points or keyframes at the cursor position. As long as you’re adjusting the control, new envelope points/keyframes will be created for each change of the play cursor’s position.
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Click Stop to end playback and stop recording automation.
In Touch recording mode, envelope points or keyframes are created only while a control is being adjusted. When you stop adjusting the control, automation recording stops and the existing envelope points/keyframes are unaffected.
Use Touch mode for touching up sections of your recorded automation settings.
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Select the Automation Settings button .
To toggle automation controls for all tracks, press Ctrl+A before selecting the Automation Settings button.
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Click the next to the Automation Settings button and choose Automation Write (Touch) from the menu. The icon in the track header is displayed as a .
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Click to position the cursor in the timeline, and click the Play button to start playback.
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When you’re ready to start editing, adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe you want to adjust.
Envelope points/keyframes are updated at the cursor position, and when you stop adjusting the control, the original settings are preserved.
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Click Stop to end playback and stop recording automation.
In Latch mode, envelope points or keyframes are created when you change a control setting, and recording continues until you stop playback. When you stop adjusting the control, the control’s current setting overwrites the existing envelope points/keyframes.
Use Latch mode to overwrite automation settings with new values.
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Select the Automation Settings button .
To toggle automation controls for all tracks, press Ctrl+A before selecting the Automation Settings button.
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Click the next to the Automation Settings button and choose Automation Write (Latch) from the menu. The icon in the track header is displayed as a .
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Click to position the cursor in the timeline, and click the Play button to start playback.
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When you’re ready to start editing, adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe you want to adjust.
Envelope points/keyframes are updated at the cursor position until you stop playback.
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Click Stop to end playback and stop recording automation.
Editing individual envelope points gives you fine control over your recorded settings.
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Select the Automation Settings button .
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Click the next to the Automation Settings button and choose Track Automation: Write (Touch) or Track Automation: Write (Latch) from the menu.
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Select the envelope tool and click the envelope point you want to edit.
You can right-click a point and choose Properties from the shortcut menu to display an effect’s property page.
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Adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point you want to adjust. The selected envelope point is edited, and all others are unaffected.
For track envelopes, you can also edit the envelope directly in the timeline.
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Select the Automation Settings button .
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Click the next to the Automation Settings button and choose a command from the menu to choose the automation mode.
To set the automation mode for all tracks, press Ctrl+A before choosing a mode on any track.
Mode |
Track Icon |
Description |
Off |
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Automated parameters are ignored during playback. When you switch to Off mode, the control setting from the cursor position is used as a static setting, and the envelope/keyframe is dimmed to indicate that it is unavailable. |
Read |
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The envelope/keyframe value is applied during playback, and the control reflects the envelope/keyframe settings at the cursor position. Adjustments to the control are not recorded. |
Write (Touch) |
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The envelope/keyframe value is applied during playback, and the control follows the envelope/keyframe settings during playback and when you position the cursor. Envelope points or keyframes are created only while a control is being adjusted. When you stop adjusting the control, automation recording stops and the existing envelope points/keyframes are unaffected. |
Write (Latch) |
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The envelope/keyframe value is applied during playback, and the control follows the envelope/keyframe settings during playback and when you position the cursor. Envelope points or keyframes are created when you change a control setting, and recording continues until you stop playback. When you stop adjusting the control, the control’s last setting overwrites the existing envelope points/keyframes. |
Recording Track Envelope Automation |
Automation recording allows you to edit envelope and keyframe settings by using the controls in the ACID interface. When combined with a control surface, you can create fades and adjust control parameters with a level of control that only a tangible control can provide.
Automation recording is available for the following settings:
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Audio track envelopes (using the controls in the track header)
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MIDI track envelopes (using the controls in the track header)
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Audio track effect parameters for automatable effects (using the controls in Audio Plug-In window)
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Bus, soft synth, and assignable effects output and panning levels (using the controls in the Mixing Console window or bus track header)
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VSTi parameters (using the controls in the Soft Synth Properties window)
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Surround panning keyframes
Tips:
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If you want to record MIDI controller envelopes into a track using a hardware controller, you can use MIDI merge recording to record the envelopes.
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If you want to thin envelope points after recording automation, you can select the Smooth and thin automation data after recording check box on the External Control & Automation tab of the Preferences dialog.
What do you want to do?
Record automation settings
Edit sections of your recorded settings in Touch mode
Overwrite recorded settings in Latch mode
Edit individual envelope points or keyframes
Set the automation recording mode for a track