Automation in Studio

Automation lets you alter any parameter in your project over time. Think volume swells that build into a chorus, filter sweeps that open up a drop or delay throws that catch the tail of a vocal. Instead of setting a knob once and leaving it, you draw how it moves across your song.

Any non-static plugin parameter can carry its own automation lane. That includes each track's volume and pan, plus nearly every effect and plugin parameter

When a parameter is automated, its knob locks and shows a green outline. The knob then displays the live effective value, so you can always see exactly what the automation is doing at any point in playback.

1. Press Shift+A (or click the Automation pill) to open the automation view for the focused track.

2. Right-click any knob and select Automate to create a lane for that parameter.

3. Double-click in the lane to add points. Drag points to move them, or drag the segments between points to bend the curve.

4. For fine edits, multi-select points and nudge them with the arrow keys.

5. During playback, the knob follows the lane automatically. To take back manual control, clear the lane.

• Start with volume. Automating a single track's volume is the fastest way to learn the workflow before moving on to filters and effects.

• Bend, don't stack. Dragging a segment to curve it often sounds more natural than adding lots of points. To add a curve between two points, drag the point between two automation markers. 

• Watch the knob. The green outline tells you at a glance which parameters are automated, and the live value shows what the lane is doing in real time.

Does automation apply when I export my song? Yes! Any automation you create in Studio will show up in your exported song and will be present on download stems.

How do I remove automation from a parameter? Right click the parameter you automated and select “Delete automation lane”. You can also delete specific automation points on the automation lane. Simply select a portion of the lane with the point(s) you want to delete and hit delete.

Can I copy automation from one track or parameter to another? Absolutely. Duplicating a track with automation will still have the automation from the track you duplicated it from. You can also copy and paste automation points on an automation lane by highlighting what points in the lane you want to copy and paste them at your desired destination along the automation lane.