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Alternate Automation tracks


David Nahmani

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This tip is easy to use, but a little advanced to understand. I'm going to explain first, and apply later. If you're getting lost trying to read the explanation, skip it and go right to the application, try it, and enjoy anyway!

 

Goal

To be able to have one or several alternate automation tracks for the same Audio Channel.

 

Explanation

In Logic, the automation is track based. It is not tied to a particular Audio Object other than the one currently assigned to that track. It is not tied to a particular Audio channel other than the one currently assigned to that Audio Object.

 

Create several tracks, and assign them to different Audio Objects. Now each object will play back the Audio Regions with their own track automation. By assigning the same Audio channel to all those objects, you are now sending different automation data to the same Audio channel.

 

The only thing left to do is to make sure only one of those audio object reads the automation on its track. That will be the currently read automation, the other tracks containing alternate automation data, available at the tip of your mouse.

 

Application

Go to Audio > Audio Mixer to open the Audio layer of your environment. Option-drag the first object, 'Audio 1', to make a copy. You now have two Audio objects assigned to the same audio channel, 'Track 1'. Name the copy 'Audio 1 alt' (for 'alternate').

 

Create two tracks. Assign one to 'Audio 1', the other to 'Audio 1 alt'. Create automation on 'Audio 1' and alternate automation on 'Audio 1 alt'.

 

Now you can easily switch the automation modes between off and read to decide which automation track to send to the Track 1 channel. In the picture below, I turned off the automation on 'Audio 1' and set it to 'read' on 'Audio 1 alt' to read my alternate automation.

 

So next time you want to try some alternate automation ideas on a track without losing the current automation, think of this tip!

pic.jpg.6416bedf065a273cac5f348f99f67e85.jpg

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Having read this and looking at the pictures, (yes, i used to read phantom comics), I'm embarrassed to ask, but how do i display db's in automation data? Currrently i get dots, and a midi number whenever i move those dots. I'd rather see db's.

Sorry for the simple question.

(And David, many thanks for the key command info you've been giving. It's certainly sped up the workflow.)

 

Alex.

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Goal

To be able to have one or several alternate automation tracks for the same Audio Channel.

... alternate automation ideas on a track without losing the current automation

 

So then for example I can create a clean version of a song for a band whose singer is a potty-mouth. Instead of cloning the track and cutting it up, I can create an alternate automation track for muting certain explicits?

 

Thank you Sensei

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So then for example I can create a clean version of a song for a band whose singer is a potty-mouth. Instead of cloning the track and cutting it up, I can create an alternate automation track for muting certain explicits?

 

Thank you Sensei

 

Exactly! Although honestly for that particular use you may want to simply use cloned track, or even a cloned project if the mix is done.

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Another approach would be to create a new track (same channel strip) and draw a blank region on it that extends the length of the part or track. Then, use the function to move automation data to the region. Then mute the region. This clears the decks of the previous automation attempt but preserves it in case you want to go back to it.

 

Then, try your second automation pass. If you like the new one better, delete that region you created.

 

If you like the old pass better, either UNDO enough times to get back to where you were, or if that's not feasible (because you made other edits in the interim), delete all the "take 2" automation and then put the old automation back by using the function to move region data to track automation.

 

HTH,

 

Peter

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