Track automation and track envelopes

Automation is not only pretty powerful, but it is the ultimate working tool if you want to create effects that "move around" a bit or sound natural. Roughly said, with automation you define an envelope for an effect, for example you make an instrument wander around from left to right and back, create a nice wahwah on the guitar samples you have in your track, or similar things.

By the way: For those of you who love other trackers like Fasttracker, Impulse Tracker or similar ones, you'll see that you'll hardly EVER type in stupid numbers in the effect column AGAIN. Automation does it all for you, and it does it probably a lot better and more precise than you could ever do it. Using automation will save you some file size, too, because saving an envelope takes much less space than saving hundreds of numbers of Track effect data.
Plus, it's so much easier that - even though it IS possible to enter Track Effect commands in the Effect columns - after a while of using automation you will wonder how on earth you could TYPE that stuff. :)

To create automation curves, click "Automation" in the (6) Properties window.

The window will look very similar to this one:



Let's suppose you already created some notes in the (4) Pattern Editor and positioned the cursor in the track you like to create an automation for.

Now let's suppose you want the volume of the track to fade from minimum (at the start of the pattern) to maximum (at the end of the pattern).

1. On the right side of the Automation window, choose "TrackVolPan". Usually this is the default setting, so probably you don't have to click on it.
2. On the right side of that, choose "Volume". This might also already be selected.
3. Click on "Add new Envelope" to create the automation curve in the Automation window. The Envelope will appear in the list and the graphical display.
4. Use the left or right mouse button to draw lines or points. Note that you can choose among three kinds of "PlayMode" (at the bottom of the window) that affect the way the automation curve is played. You can choose whether you want the automation to be interpreted as lindes, points, or curves. Play around with these settings and you'll see what you can do with it.

If you need another envelope, just select another envelope like you did before and create it like the first one. All envelopes are listed in the right box of the Automation window.

You can create Automation envelopes for all DSP effects that are assigned to the current track and for all DSP effect parameters, so really, Automation gives you full control over all effects you might want for your song.

One more hint. It is possible to live-record your dsp-tweaking into a new automation-curve. To do so, switch to record mode, and drag a dsp slider with the right mousebutton while pressing left shift. When you are done switch back to the automation view. You will notice that a new envelope for the dsp / parameter you tweaked has been created.

That's all there is to it. Easy, huh?

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