99 lines
3.7 KiB
HTML
99 lines
3.7 KiB
HTML
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<figure class=right>
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<img src="/images/automation-menu1.png">
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<figcaption class=center>The automation menu.</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>
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To automate a parameter on a given track, click on the track's <kbd
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class=menu>A</kbd> button and select a parameter to control from the menu
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that appears. Once a parameter has been selected, an automation lane for that
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parameter will appear beneath the track. The lane thus shown will be empty;
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from here 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.
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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>Record it using <kbd class=menu>Write</kbd> mode</li>
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<li>Record it using <kbd class=menu>Touch</kbd> mode</li>
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<li>Draw 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 <dfn>Draw</dfn> mode, <dfn>control points</dfn> can be entered in the
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automation lane by <kbd class=mouse>Left</kbd>-clicking in the lane at a
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point where there is no existing control point.
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</p>
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<p>
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Once added, a control point can be <kbd class=mouse>Left</kbd>-clicked and
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dragged to a desired location. Hovering over a control point will show its
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current level in dB. To remove a control point, <kbd
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class=mouse>Left</kbd>-click it and press <kbd>Delete</kbd>, or <kbd
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class=mod3n></kbd><kbd class=mouse>Right</kbd>-click on it.
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</p>
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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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