User`s guide

Chapter 21: Automation 289
Auto Read
Auto Read mode plays the automation that
was previously written for a track.
Auto Touch
Auto Touch mode writes automation only
while a fader or switch is touched or clicked
with the mouse. When the fader is re-
leased, the writing of automation stops and
the fader returns to any previously auto-
mated position, at a rate determined by the
AutoMatch and Touch Timeout settings.
See “AutoMatch” and “Touch Timeout”
under “Automation Preferences” on
page 291.
In Auto Touch mode, certain control sur-
faces start writing automation as soon as
you touch them. These include:
◆ Touch-sensitive motorized fader control-
lers, such as Digidesign ProControl, or the
Mackie HUI.
◆ Continuous-belt controllers, such as the
Penny & Giles DC16/MM16.
With other control surfaces in Auto Touch
mode, writing of automation does not be-
gin until the fader hits the pass-through
point, or the previously automated posi-
tion. Once you reach pass-through point
with the fader, writing of automation be-
gins and continues until you stop moving
the fader.
Auto Latch
Auto Latch mode works in the same way as
Auto Touch mode, writing automation
only if you touch or move a control. How-
ever, unlike Auto Touch, writing of auto-
mation continues until you stop playback.
This mode is particularly useful for auto-
mating Pan controls, Plug-Ins, or for using
a MIDI control surface, since it does not
time out and revert to its previous position
if you release a control.
Auto Write
Auto Write mode writes automation from
the time playback starts to the time it stops,
erasing any previously written automation
for the duration of the automation pass.
After an automation pass, Pro Tools auto-
matically switches from Auto Write mode
to Auto Touch mode. This prevents you
from accidentally overwriting automation
data on later playback. On TDM systems,
you can turn off this behavior and remain
in Auto Write mode. See “Write Switches
To Touch After Pass” on page 292 for de-
tails.
Trim Mode
(TDM Systems Only)
Pro Tools TDM systems allow you to adjust
(or trim) existing track Volume and Send
Level automation data in real time. Pan
and Plug-In automation cannot be
trimmed in this manner. Trim mode is use-
ful when you want to preserve all of your
volume automation moves, but need to
make levels a bit louder or softer to balance
a mix.
When editing automation in Trim mode,
fader moves write relative rather than abso-
lute values. The existing automation data is
changed by the amount of increase or de-
crease (or the delta value) indicated by the
faders. When trimming, a track’s Volume