Automation clips, I think?

[cawnil]

Hi, here once again to ask for some likely simple advice.

What I'm trying to do is have an effect turned on and off in a certain rhythm (not a very complicated one) within a pattern. I'd rather not hit the record button and do it live because it'd wind up fairly off since my computer's not that good and it lags a bit. Is there any way to create some sort of automation clip (don't really even know what that is to begin with) to trigger the effect's on/off switch in the mixer, according to some sort of pattern in the piano roll or step sequencer or something?

Thanks in advance!

[Tex]

Right-click the Mute / solo, edit events and there you go.

[BlackPanther]

Yeah as Txai said it, or you can can highlight a certain portion of the playlist window and right click the on/off switch on the target effect and select create automation clip and draw in the rhythm that you want the effect to be turned on/off to.

Oooorrr.

If you want to do it in a rhythm like you were sayin. You can create some blank oscillator with the rhythm in which you want the target effect to turn on/off two add a peak controller to it and change the settings like vol or whatever to make sure it has a good enough fall so it'll register as a change. Link the on/off button of the effect to the peak controller and boom, a rhythmic on/off pattern. If you need me to clarify then I'll gladly do so xD.

[ectogemia]

Here are a couple of links to explanations on how to do the "blank" channel linking method of automation:

The second is far clearer than the first, but they both show slightly different ways to do the same thing, and it's probably worthwhile to know each, just helps with becoming more familiar with the interface.

You can also do the following (this example refers to automating volume):

1. Right click the volume knob next to the track you want to automate with volume changes.

2. Click "Add automation clip".

3. Go to the playlist and select the pattern you added the automation clip from.

4. There will be a "nested" display with two windows -- the top is where the automation clip that you will draw (in rhythm) will go, the bottom is where you pencil in when and how long the automation will occur.

5. To have a symmetrical, linear rise in volume, say, draw in a point in the center of the automation clip in the top window above the default line. The shape should be an upside-down V. Mess with the extreme ends of the V and the dot you just drew to pick the critical values for the volume minima and maxima. You can change the rate of the volume change by clicking the mark between the points you drew and dragging. Play your pattern in real time, and mess with the rates until it sounds right.

6. To apply this method of automation to ANY effect, just right click the knob on a particular pattern, mixer slot, effect, ANYTHING, and click "Create automation clip" and just repeat 1-5 with whatever variations in automation you desire. For instance, I automated the frequency cutoff on a low-pass automation using the Fruity Free Filter by applying that effect to a track and right clicking the frequency knob, adding an automation clip, and adjusting the automation graph in real time until the sweep sounded good to me. I did the same for volume and panning, added some static effects that are not automated, and now I have a cool, sweeping, swirling, dramatic arpeggio with 3 automated effects and 2 static effects.

Hope this helps... just learned it last night myself

It really adds a lot to your music.

[cawnil]

Right-click the Mute / solo, edit events and there you go.

Simple and effective. Thanks man, exactly what I needed. I'll check out the others in case they offer interesting options, but this was all I needed at the time.