Automation is used in Multitrack recording and editing to allow changes to effects to be done automatically as the track plays.
Automation has 5 settings.
Off
Ignores the Automation
Read
Reads all the automation
Write
When playback starts, overwrites existing keyframes with current settings and continues to record new settings until playback stops. Consider it destructive editing.
Latch
Begins recording keyframes only when you first adjust a setting, and continues to record new settings until playback stops.
Touch
Similar to Latch, but gradually returns settings to previously recorded values when you stop adjusting them. Use Touch to overwrite specific sections of automation while leaving others intact. Think of it like dynamic editing, where you only change what you want and it won’t overwrite anything you don’t want to change.
To help you remember what does what with the last two, think of the names like this:
Latch will keep hold of the current value until you make a change. It will then latch onto what you do.
Touch lets you keep all your automations, and when you touch an effect setting, it will change only what you change and gradually return to the current existing values. It is the better option to use after the initial Write.
Spline Curves
If you want to smooth your automation lines with splines, right click on a line you want to change and choose Spline Curves.
Working with Keyframes
Moving multiple keyframes
If you’ve got a large number of keyframes and want to have to adjust all of them between two points, here’s a trick.
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To individually select or deselect a point, hold [CTRL] and click each point you want to adjust, and release [CTRL].
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To select a group, select the first one, hold [SHIFT] then select the last one in a group.
Now grab any that you have selected and drag them to where you want. Any points that are blue will move and any that are grey will stay.
- Hold [SHIFT] and move your mouse Left or Right first to lock the value
or - Hold [SHIFT] and move your mouse Up or Down first to lock the time
Be aware if you want to change operations you need to release the [SHIFT] key first.
Holding Keyframes
Makes a keyframe hold its value until a new keyframe is added of a different value along in the timeline. The value of the first point will be locked in value and the automation line will change only immediately to the new keyframe value. There won’t be any gradual change in value between the two keyframes like usual unless you have spline curves set, in which case there will only be a slight curve.
- Right-click on a keyframe it and choose Hold Keyframe.
This can be handy for On/Off power automation lines where you might want square lines to quickly set On and Off keyframe points instead of guessing where the power states are in the automation line.
