The following tutorial will show you How to use Automation in Studio One 4.
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Just as any other Digital Audio Workstation software, Studio One 4 gives the user the possibility of automating certain parameters of tracks and inserts so that they “change their behavior” while the song progresses. This is known as “automation” and it must be programmed by the user so that every time the song plays back, these parameters change the same way at the same part of the song, turning a static mix into a more dynamic piece.
This tutorial will present a basic overview of Automation in Studio One 4:
- Open a Studio One 4 song with at least one track:
2. Click on the “Mix” button at the bottom right corner in order to show the mixer:
3. Zooming at the channel strip of the track:
4. Focusing at the bottom of the track, it is easy to see the “Automation Mode” as:
From this picture we can see Automation is set to “Off”, this means no parameters will be automated and the mix will be simply static. This mode can be changed by clicking on “Auto: Off” and a dropdown menu will appear showing the possible automation modes available.
5. Click on “Auto: Off” and the automation mode dropdown menu will appear as:
These Automation Modes let the user enable/disable automation, and also control the way the automation works, depending on the mode selected. Studio One 4 presents 5 different modes:
- Off: Automation is disabled.
- Read: When this mode is selected, any existing automation envelopes on the track will be read, and these envelopes control their related parameters. Read mode is automatically engaged when you draw a new automation envelope with the mouse. Read can simply be seen as a “Play” mode, in which all the programmed automation is played back when the song progresses.
- Touch: When this mode is selected, automation envelopes can be affected when a hardware control is touched, and automation is read when the hardware control is not being touched. This allows the user to manipulate the control at any time in order to write new automation or overwrite existing automation. Studio One 4 will resume reading automation when the control is released. In other words, this mode simply playa back existing automation but can also record new automation only while a hardware control is being touched.
- Latch: When this mode is selected, automation is read until a hardware control is manipulated, at which point automation is written continuously until playback is stopped. When playback is resumed, automation is read until a hardware control is again touched.
- Write: When this mode is selected, automation is continuously written based on the current position of external hardware controllers. Existing automation is not read at any point and is instead overwritten with the new automation.
It is important to understand these modes affect all parameters of tracks, instruments and inserts in Studio One 4. However, by default, the only parameters that are enabled for automation are the volume fader and the pan of each channel strip.
The user can now select the desired automation mode and apply the respective automation to the tracks. On the next tutorials we will be explaining how to automate volume faders, pan and inserts. The present tutorial on automation overview has now ended.
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