5.0

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Automation
Editing automation events
Drawing automation events
By using write automation in the mixer, you generate auto-
mation events by moving parameter encoders and faders
in the mixer. You can also add them manually by drawing
automation curves on an automation track. Proceed as
follows:
1. Open an automation track for the track you want to
make settings for.
The static value line is shown in the event display for the automation track
and the Volume parameter is selected.
2. Select the Pencil tool.
You can also use the various modes of the Line tool for drawing curves,
see below.
3. Click on the static value line. An automation event is
added, read automation mode is automatically activated,
and the static value line changes to a blue automation
curve.
4. If you click and hold, you can draw a curve by adding a
multitude of single automation events.
Note that the track color in the Track list changes to red to indicate that
automation data is being written.
5. When you release the mouse button, the number of
automation events is reduced to a few events, but the ba-
sic shape of the curve still remains the same.
This “thinning out” of events is governed by the Reduction Level setting
in the Preferences dialog, see “About the Automation Reduction Level
preference” on page 110.
6. If you now activate playback, the volume will change
with the automation curve.
In the mixer, the corresponding fader moves accordingly.
7. Simply redo the operation if you are not happy with the
result.
If you draw over existing events, a new curve is created.
• If the automation track is in Read mode already, you can
also add automation events by clicking with the Arrow
tool.
If you are trying to add a break-point between two existing points and the
new point does not deviate from the existing curve, it will be removed by
reduction as soon as you release the mouse button (see “About the Au-
tomation Reduction Level preference” on page 110).
Using the various modes of the Line tool to draw
automation curves
The Line tool can be very useful for drawing automation
events. The various modes are accessed by selecting the
Line tool on the toolbar, clicking on it a second time and
selecting from the pop-up menu that appears.
• Clicking and dragging with the Line tool in Line mode
shows a line in the automation track and creates automa-
tion events aligned with this line.
This is a quick way to create linear fades, etc.
• The Line tool in Parabola mode works in the same way,
but aligns the automation events with a parabolic curve in-
stead, resulting in more “natural” curves and fades.
Note that the result depends on the direction from which you draw the
parabolic curve.
• The Sine, Triangle and Square Line tool modes create
automation events aligned with continuous curves.
If snap is activated and set to Grid, the period of the curve (the length of
one curve “cycle”) is determined by the grid setting. If you press [Shift]
and drag, you can set the period length manually, in multiples of the grid
value.