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Automation
Automation track operations
About automation tracks
Audio tracks, group channel tracks and FX channel tracks
all have automation tracks. These allow you to view and
edit the automation of all mixer settings for the track, in-
cluding settings for the track’s insert effects. There is one
automation track for each parameter, and automation
tracks can be shown or hidden in any combination.
Similarly, MIDI tracks have automation tracks for mixer set-
tings, track parameters and (if used) for send and insert ef-
fect settings.
VST Instruments have special automation tracks that ap-
pear in the Project window when you load a VST Instrument
via the VST Instruments window. There is one automation
track for the plug-in parameters, and one track for each
mixer channel used by the instrument. These tracks all have
automation tracks, giving you access to all parameters and
mixer settings.
Instrument tracks, as a combination of a MIDI track and a
VST Instrument, have automation tracks that provide auto-
mation parameters for the VST Instrument itself, for the
VST Instrument channel and the respective MIDI automa-
tion parameters.
Finally, for ReWire channels and input/output channels,
automation tracks are automatically added as soon as you
activate automation (with the Write button) in the corres-
ponding mixer channel strip or in the Channel Settings
window. These tracks have automation tracks for all pa-
rameters as well.
Opening automation tracks
Every track/channel has a number of automation tracks,
each showing one automation parameter.
For audio, Instrument, group channel, MIDI and FX chan-
nel tracks, there are two ways you can open an automa-
tion track for the channel:
• By right-clicking the track in the Track list and selecting
“Show Automation” from the context menu.
• By clicking along the left edge of the track in the Track
list. (Also, when you position the mouse pointer over the
lower left corner of the track, a corresponding arrow icon
(“Show/Hide Automation”) appears.)
An automation track opens in the Track list. Depending on your Prefer-
ence settings (see above), the event display shows a straight black hori-
zontal line as well as a grayed out mirror image of the audio events’
waveform (or MIDI events for MIDI tracks). By default, the volume para-
meter is assigned to the first automation track.
For VST Instruments (not for Instrument tracks, see below),
automation tracks appear automatically when you add them
in the VST Instruments window.
For ReWire channels and input/output busses, automa-
tion tracks are automatically created when the Write auto-
mation button (see “Enabling and disabling the writing of
automation data” on page 214) is activated in either:
• The corresponding channel strip in the mixer.
• The corresponding Channel Settings window.
• The mixer common panel (“All Automation to Write Status”).
• The area above the Track list (“All Automation to Write Status”).
Opening additional automation tracks
• If you position the mouse pointer over the lower left cor-
ner of an automation track, a “+” sign (“Append Automa-
tion Track”) will appear. If you click this, another
automation track opens, by default showing the next pa-
rameter in the Add Parameter list (see below).
Click here to open an
automation track