146 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML
146 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML
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<figure class=right>
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<img height="211px" src="/images/automation-menu1.png">
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<figcaption class=center>The top-level automation menu</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>
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A parameter on a given track can be automated by clicking on the track's
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<kbd class=menu>A</kbd> button and selecting a parameter to control from the
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menu that appears. The same menu is displayed in the
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<kbd class="menu">Automation</kbd> submenu in track's
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<kbd class=mouse>right</kbd>-click menu.
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</p>
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<p>
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Once a parameter has been selected, an automation lane for that parameter
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will appear beneath the track. The lane thus shown will be empty; from here
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an automation curve must be defined.
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</p>
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<p class=note>
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If the height of the automation lane is too small to see all of its controls,
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the height can be increased by <kbd class=mouse>left</kbd>-clicking on the
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bottom border of the lane and dragging it down.
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</p>
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<p>
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There are three ways to define an automation curve:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>Recording it using <kbd class=menu>Write</kbd> mode</li>
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<li>Recording it using <kbd class=menu>Touch</kbd> mode</li>
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<li>Drawing it using the mouse</li>
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</ul>
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<h3>Recording an Automation Curve Using Write Mode</h3>
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<p>
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To create an automation curve using <kbd class=menu>Write</kbd> mode, first
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set the lane's mode selector to <kbd class=menu>Write</kbd>, then set the
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playhead to the position where the automation curve should start, then set
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the transport to play. While the playhead is moving, Ardour will continuously
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record any changes made with the lane's fader. Even if no changes are made to
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the fader, they will overwrite anything that existed in the lane where the
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playhead is moving. When the desired automation curve has been recorded, stop
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the transport.
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</p>
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<p class=note>
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After the transport is stopped, the lane's mode selector will automatically
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switch to <kbd class=menu>Touch</kbd> mode—it is generally a bad idea
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to leave an automation lane in <kbd class=menu>Write</kbd> mode, as it is a
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destructive operation that makes it easy to inadvertently overwrite existing
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automation curves.
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</p>
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<h3>Recording an Automation Curve Using Touch Mode</h3>
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<p>
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Creating an automation curve using <kbd class=menu>Touch</kbd> mode is
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similar to the method employed in creating one using <kbd
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class=menu>Write</kbd> mode; the only difference is that changes are written
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to the automation curve <em>only</em> when the lane's fader is moved—at
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all other times, whatever was in the automation curve will remain as it was.
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</p>
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<p class=note>
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<kbd class=menu>Touch</kbd> mode is useful when only small parts of the
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automation curve need touching up versus <kbd class=menu>Write</kbd> mode,
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which is usually used to create the automation curve in the first place.
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</p>
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<h3>Drawing an Automation Curve Using the Mouse</h3>
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<p>
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In <a href="@@toolbox"><dfn>Draw</dfn> mode</a>, <dfn>control points</dfn>
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can be entered in the automation lane in multiple ways.
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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By <kbd class=mouse>left</kbd>-clicking in the lane at a point where there
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is no existing control point. Once added, a control point can be
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<kbd class=mouse>left</kbd>-clicked and dragged to any desired location.
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Hovering over a control point will show its current value.
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<strong>Warning:</strong> creating a verbose automation with many control
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points can cause some plugins to overuse available system resources.
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</li>
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<li>
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By <kbd class=mouse>left</kbd>-clicking in the lane and drawing a free line
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from left to right.
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</li>
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<li>
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By pressing <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>, then pressing <kbd class=mouse>left</kbd>
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in the lane and moving the mouse pointer from left to right or from right
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to left to preview a line segment, then releasing the mouse button to
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complete the action.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<p>
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It's possible to combine free and straight lines in one go by pressing
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<kbd>Ctrl</kbd> for when you need a straight line and releasing the button
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when you're done drawing a straight line segment.
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</p>
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<video width="100%" controls>
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<source src="/videos/automation-draw-free-and-straight-lines.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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</video>
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<h2>Controlling the Track</h2>
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<p>
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Once an automation curve has been defined through any of the methods outlined
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above, the track won't do anything with it until the lane that the curve was
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defined in is set to <kbd class=menu>Play</kbd> mode. Then, during playback,
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as the playhead moves through the automation curve, the lane's control will
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move in accord with the curve.
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</p>
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<p class=note>
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The lane's fader will <em>not</em> be responsive to manual input while it is
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in <kbd class=menu>Play</kbd> mode.
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</p>
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<h2>Removing Automation</h2>
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<p>
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To remove a control point, <kbd class=mouse>left</kbd>-click it and press
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<kbd>Delete</kbd>, or <kbd class=mod3n></kbd>
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<kbd class=mouse>right</kbd>-click on it.
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</p>
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<figure class=right>
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<img src="/images/automation-audio-r-click-menu.png">
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<figcaption class=center>The automation lane context menu.</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>
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Clearing the entire automation lane is done by
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<kbd class="mouse">right</kbd>-clicking on the lane to be cleared, and
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selecting <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd> from the menu that appears.
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</p>
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