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Is There A Way To Move Automation Curves?

JBMusic

Active member
I record everything in MIDI and convert them to audio files before mixing. I've just completed a project that has an extended solo section which I just decided I would like to cut a few measures from doing that in the MIDI. But if I do that my volume and pan automations in the final audio mix which l've already set would need to be reset after the solo and it took so long to set those automation curves. Is there an easy way to move the automation curves ahead to a new area without resetting them?

Thanks
:) John B
 
I record everything in MIDI and convert them to audio files before mixing. I've just completed a project that has an extended solo section which I just decided I would like to cut a few measures from doing that in the MIDI. But if I do that my volume and pan automations in the final audio mix which l've already set would need to be reset after the solo and it took so long to set those automation curves. Is there an easy way to move the automation curves ahead to a new area without resetting them?

Thanks
:) John B
I'm going by recent memory, but I recall being able to copy an Automation curve. and then paste it, which I did on an Instrument Track or Audio Track I was using for a YouTube video on monaural panning in Studio One 7.2.3, where the Automation curve controlled panning and was a bit elaborate but mostly in the sense of taking a while to recreate, hence discovering how to copy the existing Automation curve to reuse it.

I did a quick experiment to verify my memory; and it works nicely for Instrument Tracks and for Audio Tracks.

I do not use MIDI instruments very often; so I am not certain how this works for MIDI instruments, but if they are on an Instrument Track, then it works nicely as shown in the attached images. It also works nicely for Audio Tracks; so for what you want to do, I would clone the existing Audio Track; save the song; update the MIDI; generate new audio to the cloned Audio Track; and the do the necessary cutting, copying, pasting, and so forth.

Instead, I do nearly everything with music notation.

If I understand what you need to do, then I suppose you would record the MIDI and use it to generate audio for the updated notes to the cloned Audio Track; copy and past the relevant Automation curve; and the update the original or whatever works best and accomplishes what you need to do. In any strategy, I would make a backup copy of the song ("Save As . . . ") and work with the copy until you get it the way it needs to be. :)

The confusing aspect of selecting a section of an Automation curve is that there is not so much visual confirmation, if any actually, that you have selected part of an Automation Curve so to do the screen captures I had to hold down the mouse at the selection end point while doing a Mac screen capture with my other hand, which was awkward but worked.

The problem is that on macOS when you release the mouse after selecting a section of an Automation curve, the visual indication disappears and it looks like you didn't actually do anything--except you did select a section of the Automation curve.

It's also very important to have the Automation track lane for the Instrument Track or Audio Track selected, which will be obvious visually, and then to position the mouse where you want to begin the selection of the Automation curve; but remember that where you click the mouse is equally important, because if you click in some locations you are selecting part of the actual Automation curve rather than the Automation curve in the track lane, where the distinction is that you want to select the Automation curve at a high-level rather than to adjust a section of the actual Automation curve. Generally, avoid clicking on the actual Automation line when selecting a section of the Automation curve. Instead, click in the middle where there is no Automation curve line or segment, which is easier to do than to explain in writing, but so what.

Determining where to click to begin the Automation curve section selection might take a few experiments; so save copies of your Studio One song and then do some experiments with a copy.

It works nicely with Instrument Tracks and Audio Tracks, so I am guessing it will work with MIDI.

TIP: You might need to copy the MIDI Track and then use it to create a clone so you can copy the Auromation curve from the original to the clone which it appears to be what you are going to do for purposes of making MIDI updates to the original MIDI recording sequence.

[NOTE: I write books on digital music production and have been touch-typing for over half a century, hence tend to be wordy and to delve into vast detail, which is easy for me to do after responding to questions like your question for decades. It's probably an ADHD/OCD type of thing, but I enjoy touch-typing, documenting things in detail, doing graphic diagrams, and all that stuff. Additionally, it usually helps me, too; because I tend to learn best when I write stuff, which is like being a Jazz saxophonist and riffing for hours at a time or being a golfer and playing golf for hours every day. Talent is involved, of course; but you need to do the work to become good at it.

On a related note, I worked on the NASA Space Shuttle Mission Simulation system after graduation from university with a Computer Science degree; and my new employer was taking over work done by a very bright young lady who had finished high school and had Bill Gates and Steve Jobs intelligence. She was the only person who knew how to do everything; and my employer somehow discovered that I am skilled in documenting stuff. He told me to follow her everywhere--except the restroom--and to document everything she did, plus to ask questions to ensure she was not skipping steps. I did this and our new group was able to do the work when I had documented everything in vast, micro-level detail.

For reference, I tend to be a bit too literal in the ways I understand people at times, and if the manager had not told me specifically not to follow her into the restroom, I probably would have followed her there, as well. I suppose for a while I was her technical documentation puppy with pencil and paper. Yet, if she went to the restroom, I would wait patiently outside so she could not escape me. 🥰
]

This YouTube video shows Automation curves on Instrument Tracks and an Audio Track, and I copied and pasted the Automation curves from the originals.

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Thanks guys! Surf Whammy, you are obviously no dummy and I especially appreciate you taking the great amount of time you did to explain this to me.

:)John B
 
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