What is the Deal with Pro Tools plugin automation???

[$uper$tar]

I have a track. It needs plug in automation. I open the plug in. Click the auto button. Add the things I want to automate. Set the track to write, latch, touch...doesn't matter. First pass through, I write my stuff. Play it back...nothing recorded. It shows in the edit window that I have written it, but it doesn't play back the automation. So I try just drawing it in the edit window with the pencil. What do you know, doesn't work either. Why is this so difficult??? Seems as though it should be easier than this. Is there something different you have to do for plug in automation thats different from volume, mute, or pan automation.

[mixman499]

are you in AUTO READ mode on each track..?

next to each track...there is a box to select what you want to do automation wise....the options are probably....auto off....auto read.....auto latch...auto write.

should be next to the record button.

have you written pt automation before, or is this your first time ?

or..is this a new problem ?

best,

jchristopherhughes

[Bryan Talbot]

Have you checked your Automation window?
Command-4 or Window>Automation

Is "plugin" activated?

[$uper$tar]

Yes I have used automation before, this is a new problem. I have tried write, latch, touch, everything...doesn't matter none work. I have a mac, command 4 did nothing, under window, I have no automation option, just automation enable which brings up a little box of all the things I can automate, and they are all highlighted.

So...um...now I'm just plain pissed off. I have been trying to figure this out for HOURS now and have discovered that on other tracks, doing the same damn thing, it works. However, the track I need to automate, it won't do it. All I want to do is decrease the gain on an eq plugin for guitar to dip it out of the way of a vocal when the solo is over. Why is this so damn hard and why isn't it working on this track!!!!!!! I have done NOTHING different and have gotten it to work on other tracks. I have read through the reference guide about automation, it says to do the EXACT damn thing I am doing. Hmmm...looks like there is a TERRIBLE glitch in this software or something.

[Unclenny]

Originally Posted by $uper$tar

now and have discovered that on other tracks, doing the same damn thing, it works. However, the track I need to automate, it won't do it.

Bounce that track to another track and delete it.....might work.

[cubivore]

if it's just one track that's acting up you might want to check if 'auto safe' (Safe button) has been mistakenly activated on the plugin as well.

[$uper$tar]

Originally Posted by cubivore

if it's just one track that's acting up you might want to check if 'auto safe' (Safe button) has been mistakenly activated on the plugin as well.

Auto safe is not on. I am telling you it is extremely weird. I have done EVERYTHING I have always done and it will just not write the automation. It WILL draw the automation in the edit window, but won't play it back. I have drawn the automation, moved the knobs in the plugin, everything. It won't work. This is preventing me from finishing a project and I am quite frustrated.

[narcoman]

well,

if the automation on the channel is set to READ and all the automation window options are set to highlighted then it should (obviously) work.
I'd create a duplicate track (not using the automated facility but byhand - you know, new track, same outputs, copy the wave forms etc.). If it works then - well its just one of those stupid things.

[Berolzheimer]

It's true, sometimes individual tracks can get buggy. As was said previously just create a new track & copy everything over to it.

[mixman499]

wow.

are you on mac or pc ?

what pt version are you running ?

i have had similar issues...just not with automation...had volume/pan stop workin on tracks before. usually a restart worked. sometimes, i had to start a new session and import all my tracks....could be a corrupt session file.

try to start a brand new session and import all your tracks from the session you are on ?

sometimes that solves probs for me. have you tried contacting digi or searching on the duc ?

i emailed a buddy of mine who is a pt expert...will email you back if he has an answer.

that sucks. hang in there.

best,

jchristopherhughes

[colinmiller]

When you select the automation (volume, pan, -name of parameter-, etc) is it grayed out? I'll also assume the plugin isn't bypassed. ;-)

You can disable automation parameters just like you can tracks. So if I wanted to disable an automated compressor output, but not the panpot, you can do that. And it will still display the actual automation, it just won't play back until you re-enable it.

[BLUElightCory]

I'm sure it's not, but the track isn't armed, correct? If the track is armed the automation won't play back.

[$uper$tar]

Thanks for trying to help guys. Nothing is working. My track is not armed, plugin automation is enabled, it is not grayed out anywhere. Everything is normal and SHOULD be working. There is not one damn reason it shouldn't be working that I can find, besides the fact it just don't want to. I have tried creating a new track and starting from scratch....nothing. It is clearly writing the automation just fine, it just will not play back what was written. I can see the drawing of the automation in the edit window, and in the undo history I see where it is writing automation. Why the hell will it not play it back? No reason I can possibly think of. I think I am about to say f*ck it and find another way to get the result I need. What a disappointing glitch...just ridiculous.

By the way, I am using a Mac with PT M-powered 7.1.1.

[thenoiseflower]

man, people are giving advice that is wise here....
Being an engineer is as much about fixing issues as it is avoiding them.

assuming everything that has been so far.
Export everything as groups carefully to and import to a whole new session, id say that will fix everything.

your session got eff'd up somehow.

[T_R_S]

Check your master automation enables

[raal]

Originally Posted by thenoiseflower

Export everything as groups carefully to and import to a whole new session, id say that will fix everything.

your session got eff'd up somehow.

sessions can definitely become corrupted. i've had my share of horror stories and importing everything to a new session has usually worked.

take a deep breath and do what noiseflower said.

[peeder]

You know you have to move the automation parameters from the left column to the right column in that plugin automation parameters window. You haven't mentioned that you've done that, so I think that's it.

(We call this the "Font/DA Mover interface" after the first UI that did that...Andy Hertzfeld, who invented it, later said it was all a mistake and he did it just to get the first Mac out the door on time. )

[robot gigante]

2nd the suggestion to check your master automation enables. But if you've done that then Peeder's suggestion is probably spot on. To do that click on auto in the plugin window and move the parameter that you want to automate from the left column to the right and click OK.

A little OT maybe, but if you can't be bothered to go to the plugin automation window and do the left to right shuffle with the automation parameters, there is also an option in preferences that lets you be able to automate every plugin parameter without doing that. It does highlight every parameter in a plugin like it does when there's automation on it (so every box with number values and/or knob etc will have highlighting around it), but in a different color. Not sure if there's a CPU hit by doing that, I haven't had any problems with it. Maybe that's a HD option only though, I'm not super familiar with LE.

[boyinthebox]

You haven't mentioned what plugin you are trying to automate. This is a simple suggestion to check into, but sometimes the simplest things are the easiest to overlook. With that said, depending on the plugin, and version of it, it is quite possible the plugin is not automatable. There are plugins that are not automatable, especially if the version you are using is freeware/demo/trial version. Also, for what its worth... +1 on the buggy session, that has happened to me before with tracks not functioning exactly right. I hope you find a solution, all the best.

Cheers.