Automation records and edits the movement of faders, pans, knobs, and switches, then reproduces it automatically on playback. Beyond changing levels as the song progresses, it lets you move effect settings continuously to create an effect.
What you can automate
Volume, pan, mute, and send amounts, as well as most plugin parameters. You can add changes that static settings cannot produce, such as more reverb only on the tail of a vocal phrase, or a filter that gradually opens.
Points and curves
You place automation points along the timeline and decide the values and where each change starts and ends. Sudden switches appear as steps, and smooth changes as ramps or curves. Keeping the number of points down makes later editing easier.
Track and region automation
Track automation is tied to a position in the song’s timeline, while region automation moves along with the region. Choose between them depending on whether the arrangement may change and whether the phrase is reused.
Read, Touch, Latch, and Write
Read plays back recorded data, Touch overwrites only while you are moving a control, and Latch keeps writing the last value after you let go. Write rewrites values over a wide range during playback, so return it to Read afterwards to avoid unintended overwriting.
An example from production
The article on building an EDM snare fill (Japanese) shows how to automate the pitch of a Sampler upward. After making changes, play the sections before and after as well, and check for abrupt level jumps or unnecessary points.
