Autoselect Automation Parameter in Logic 10.4.2

They broke it again. It autoselects no matter the setting [ see below ]. The only way to stop it is to set the Track in Main to "Region," at which point, you can't adjust the track automation volume -- the very thing you are most likely to do in the Tracks area of Main.

Note the irony: the only way the editor and Tracks in Main do NOT follow one another is when BOTH are set to Region.

This had been broken in an earlier iteration of a 10.4. If memory serves, the bug appeared before the actual feature was introduced. Once introduced, the behavior could be toggled. Now the bug is back, and the toggle doesn't work -- it is fixed behavior -- at least per this experiment.

I've seen hints of this complaint on the forum since 10.4.2. Perhaps others can verify. The movie starts with Autoselect Automation off, then on, then off. There is no difference. This is on a brand new song.

For additional humor, try assigning "Autoselect Automation Parameter in Read Mode" to a key command. Here, whatever is assigned highlights "Automation Preferences..." in the Mix menu (though it does not actually open Automation preferences -- it just highlights it).

The command does not toggle the Autoselect.

For additional humor, try assigning "Autoselect Automation Parameter in Read Mode" to a key command. Here, whatever is assigned highlights "Automation Preferences..." in the Mix menu (though it does not actually open Automation preferences -- it just highlights it).

 

The command does not toggle the Autoselect.

The command toggles Autoselect as expected here.

I experimented with the Link button to no avail.

"The command toggles Autoselect as expected here."

Thanks David. Well, I just nuked my Preferences in a last ditch effort to address both of the above problems, and nothing has changed here.

Might someone see if their Autoselect Automation Parameter in Read Mode is working in 10.4.2? On changes the Automation lane in Tracks / Main to whatever is being adjusted in any editor (Piano Roll, Score, and Step Editor), and off leaves the automation lane in Tracks alone -- that is the intended behavior.

It works as I expect here, in all views, Linked or not, region or track based. Changing the option on/off activaties consistently expected behaviour in all editors. Perhaps we have different expectations what it should do? With the setting to "On", all my automation editors turn to the touched parameter. With "off" they stay at the last edited regardless of touched parameter.

LPX 10.4.2, macOS 10.4.1

I experimented with the Link button to no avail.

 

"The command toggles Autoselect as expected here."

 

Thanks David. Well, I just nuked my Preferences in a last ditch effort to address both of the above problems, and nothing has changed here.

 

Might someone see if their Autoselect Automation Parameter in Read Mode is working in 10.4.2? On changes the Automation lane in Tracks / Main to whatever is being adjusted in any editor (Piano Roll, Score, and Step Editor), and off leaves the automation lane in Tracks alone -- that is the intended behavior.

Tested it yesterday and if I have volume selected as track automation in the Tracks area and modulation in the piano roll, the second I edit the modulation in the PR, the automation parameter changes to modulation in the track automation lane. Autoselect is off…

Blink

Thanks to you both. The only thing worse than a bug is an inconsistent bug.

"Perhaps we have different expectations what it should do?" No, I think we're all on the same page here. What you describe is what it should do. But I have the feeling Blinkofani and I are not alone.

The goal is simple: I just want Track Automation Volume to stay put. It was working in 10.4.1.

Try this with volume automation selected in the arrange window: change the velocity of one note or change the length. Even then the mode changes from volume to something like velocity channel.

Andreas

Confirmed.

So, we are the only ones? Can't believe this. This is not working on all my Macs nor on the macs of my friends.

Even when i change the length in the piano roll, the automation lane changes from volume to velocity.

“So, we are the only ones?”

Nutty, isn’t it. It’s such an obvious workflow killer, you’d think this thread would have thirty posts. I can’t tell if it’s an issue reserved for a select few, or if the many who are afflicted are too used to this kind of glitch to bother commenting.

Incidentally, I could not replicate the bug reported by sbarrettmusic.

As I constantly alternate between Piano Roll and Tracks / Main, resetting tracks to Volume has become a knee-jerk response. So sad.

Incidentally, I could not replicate the bug reported by sbarrettmusic.

Really? This is what I am seeing.

Interestingly, I'm only seeing the behavior you guys described above when automation is set to track. Set to region it works as usual.

" I'm only seeing the behavior you guys described above when automation is set to track. Set to region it works as usual."

I think we're saying the same thing on this point. in my first post, I noted, "...The only way the editor and Tracks in Main do NOT follow one another is when BOTH are set to Region."

Regarding your movie, yes, that is what I get here. If the Preference is set to "Select Region on Track Selection" (as it is in your movie), clicking on a new track selects that track's region, which is represented in Piano Roll -- and Logic is recalling the last CC edited in that region. I can see how that would not be preferable if the user wanted to adjust, say, modulation over several tracks. If you had been adjusting other CC's, and then you started at the top to set modulation per track, then yes, you'd have to reset modulation in PR with each new track.

But I think recalling the last edited parameter per region is probably by design.

Note that the bug we are discussing does not work in reverse -- that is, if a track in Main is set to Region, and you edit a region's CC in Main -- and PR is set to Track / Volume -- they remain independent. PR stays on Track / Volume, and you can freely adjust any CC in Main set to Region.

Here's a clunky work-around, if you want to get everything in Main back to Track / Volume. Assign the newly introduced Key Command "Automation: Toggle Track / Region."

Unselect all regions. Now select all tracks. Using the KC, toggle from Track (with all the unwanted CC's now displaying in Main, thanks to the bug) to Region. Okay, now toggle back to Track. Volume returns -- or whatever track automation had been set -- fourth track Pan in the movie below.

By the way, note that when you initially toggle to region, all the different CC's display revert to Modulation at 0:07. That may be accidentally useful.

But I think recalling the last edited parameter per region is probably by design.

Yeah it does seem to be by design, but it didn't work that way before 10.4.2 so it seems they changed the behavior but didn't add any setting for it in preferences. I almost always would prefer the old behavior by default.

"... It didn't work that way before 10.4.2."

Interesting. Assembling this and other clues, it seems that the programmers are trying to tighten the connection between Main's Automation and that of the Editors. And this is irrespective of link settings.

I too would prefer the previous behavior. I may more effectively argue that the parameter the user selects presently is the one more likely to be used on the next region he selects, and not the one he was using previously. It's a stronger assumption that the previous parameter was set to the user's satisfaction, and that's why he moved on to another region on another track to address a different CC. This can't be proven. But a default setting should be "the behavior most likely."

Regarding the larger issue, the Autoselect Automation command / setting is simply broken -- it can't be turned off. That's the bug in a nutshell. I'm sure it'll get fixed, but unfortunately, I don't anticipate a revision before NAMM 2019.

this is an extremely annoying bug and has to be fixed a.s.a.p.

I reverted back to 10.4.1. because of this issue.

I'm having this problem as well. Every time I go to edit notes in a piano roll editor, the automation parameter for that track gets changed from volume to note velocity--regardless of the setting of the automation autoselect toggle.

It's incredibly annoying. I can't think of a reason why I would want to edit velocity in track automation anyway.

Weird enough, mine is misbehaving in reverse.

The Autoselect Automation parameter simply never work!

Either enabled or not, the selected automation in the different editors and the track area remains independent from one another, regardless of my actions!?!?

The Autoselect Automation parameter simply never work!

Either enabled or not, the selected automation in the different editors and the track area remains independent from one another, regardless of my actions!?!?

But go to automation view and watch your automation parameter pop-up menu while you adjust parameters on the channel strip, it should automatically select the last parameter you adjust.

The Autoselect Automation parameter simply never work!

Either enabled or not, the selected automation in the different editors and the track area remains independent from one another, regardless of my actions!?!?

But go to automation view and watch your automation parameter pop-up menu while you adjust parameters on the channel strip, it should automatically select the last parameter you adjust.

But I tried many combinations (ie: PR region & Main region, PR track & Main region, PR region & Main track, etc...) with different settings of Link combinations, with/out automation lanes or single in Main, etc... The Autoselect Automation parameter simply does not work at all!

You're expecting it to do something other than what it does. All it does is this:

If I have right understood the issue, here is my workaround :

Expand the automation lanes in the track

That’s a feasible workaround yes, but Apple should fix it. I’ve filed a bug report and I encourage others to as well.

Maybe I’m missing something here but frankly, even if autoselect was on and working properly, I don’t see the point in selecting velocity automation when one messes with a note duration or position. I don’t recall it doing this on previous versions. MIDI cc data and plugin parameters, yes I can understand that being an advantage, but not note velocity.

For grins I tried to actually draw velocity automation when this thing switched itself to “note velocity”, and it does nothing I can see. It only sort of makes sense AFAIK when in region automation mode, where you can draw a line with the pencil tool inside of a region. In track mode you cannot draw velocity automation throughout the track in the sense that you would other types.

Is there actually a use case for drawing track automation for note velocity?

You're expecting it to do something other than what it does. All it does is this:

 

auto-select.gif

Ok, then it works fine here.

So it's not meant to work between editors...

Thanx to have clarified!

You're expecting it to do something other than what it does. All it does is this:

 

auto-select.gif

Aah!...

Ok, then it works fine here.

So it's not meant to work between editors...

Thanx to have clarified!

Yes. It was the first thing I have seen. Load a plug in, set auto select on, move a parameter on the plug and the related automation appear directly.

No need to scroll the pop up menu to fond it.

The backward is that I have to set it off just after that because when playing back it’s a mess in the piano roll automation items,

when you attempt to edit a particular one. Kind of loopback. ( It was the case in 10.4, dunno if it’s same behaviour in 10.4.2 )

So I have assigned a short cut on/off.