MIDI Track Envelopes and Keyframes

1. Select a MIDI track.

2. From the Insert menu, choose Envelopes, or right-click in the track list and choose Insert/Remove Envelope from the shortcut menu.

3. From the submenu, choose Mute. A check mark is displayed next to the command, and an envelope is added to the timeline.

   Mute automation is either on or off with no fade between the on and off states. If you want to use fades, apply volume automation.

4. If you want to change the track's mute state throughout the track, edit the envelope in the timeline.

5. If you want to change the track's mute state by recording automation settings, select the Automation Settings button in the track header.

6. Click the Mute button in the track header to change the track's mute automation state at the cursor position.

   The button behaves differently depending on the track automation recording mode:

   • When the track automation mode is set to Off, the button mutes the entire track.

   • When the track has a mute envelope and the track automation mode is set to Read, the button changes state to reflect the envelope setting during playback but cannot be adjusted.

   • When the track has a mute envelope and the track automation mode is set to Touch or Latch, the button edits the envelope setting at the cursor position.

   NOTE When you apply mute automation to a track, it's possible to have a track that is muted and soloed simultaneously if you use the Mute and Solo buttons in the track header. The mute state overrides the solo state:

   • If a track's Solo button is selected, the track is included in the solo group, but it will be muted whenever the mute automation is set to mute the track.

   • If the track's Mute button is selected, the track is muted regardless of the mute automation settings.

1. Select the track where you want to add or remove the envelope.

2. Do one of the following:

   • From the Insert menu, choose Envelopes, and then choose Volume or Pan from the submenu.

   • Right-click the track header, choose Insert/Remove Envelope from the shortcut menu, and then choose Volume or Pan from the submenu.

   • Press Shift+V for a volume envelope or Shift+P for a pan envelope.

     If you're working with a 5.1 surround project, surround panning keyframes are used instead of a single envelope.

3. If you want to change the track's volume or pan setting throughout the track, edit the envelope in the timeline.

4. If you want to change volume or pan settings by recording automation, select the Automation Settings button in the track header to toggle automation mode. The Volume fader or Pan slider handle is displayed as a in automation mode.

5. Drag the Volume fader or Pan slider to edit automation settings at the cursor position (you can also adjust automation by editing the envelope in the timeline).

   The control behaves differently depending on the track's automation recording mode:

   • When the track automation mode is set to Off, the automation envelope is bypassed, and the control does nothing.

   • When the track has a volume or pan envelope and the track automation mode is set to Read, the control will follow the envelope during playback but cannot be adjusted.

   • When the track automation mode is set to Touch or Latch, the control edits the envelope setting at the cursor position. If the track does not have an envelope, an envelope will be added when you adjust the control.

If multiple tracks are selected, all selected tracks are adjusted.

Not all VST instruments use standard MIDI control mappings for volume and pan envelopes. You can use the Output Settings tab in the MIDI Track Properties window to override the default envelope: right-click the controller you want to use and choose Use as Track Volume or Use as Track Pan from the shortcut menu.

1. Select the track where you want to add or remove the envelope.

2. Perform one of the following actions:

3. Click the Insert/Hide Envelope button next to the controller's slider in the track header.

   Right-click the track header, choose Insert/Remove Envelope from the shortcut menu, and then choose a controller type.

   Up to four controllers can be represented by sliders in the track header. To change the controller that a slider modifies, click the label and choose a different controller from the menu.

   If the controller you want to adjust is not displayed in the menu, choose Configure Controllers from the menu. You can use the Output Settings tab in the Track Properties window to configure which controllers are available on the track.

4. If you want to change the controller setting throughout the track, edit the envelope in the timeline.

5. If you want to change controller settings by recording automation, click the Automation Settings button in the track header. The slider handles are displayed as in automation mode.

   TIP If you want to record MIDI controller envelopes into a track using a hardware controller, you can use MIDI merge recording to record the envelopes.

6. Drag a slider to edit automation settings at the cursor position.

   The track header controls behave differently depending on the track's automation recording mode:

   • When the track automation mode is set to Off, the controls adjust the level of the entire track. In this mode, the automation envelope is bypassed, and the control does nothing.

   • When the track has a controller envelope and the track automation mode is set to Read, the control will follow the envelope during playback but cannot be adjusted.

   • When the track automation mode is set to Touch or Latch, the control edits the envelope setting at the cursor position. If the track does not have an envelope, an envelope will be added when you adjust the control.

If multiple tracks are selected, all selected tracks are adjusted.

Perform either of the following actions to reset an envelope's points to their default values:

• Click the down arrow next to the Insert/Hide Envelope button next to the controller's slider in the track header and choose Reset All Envelope Points.

• Right-click the envelope and choose Reset All from the shortcut menu.

You can set the default value for each continuous controller on the Output Settings tab in the Track Properties window.

Click the down arrow next to the Insert/Hide Envelope button next to the controller's slider in the track header and choose Delete Envelope.

If you want to show or hide an envelope without deleting its settings, click the Insert/Hide Envelope button .

You can also remove continuous controller envelopes on the Output Settings tab in the Track Properties window.

You can use the Output Settings tab in the MIDI Track Properties window to configure which controllers can be automated; add, remove, or hide envelopes; set default values; and set each envelope's default fade curve.

1. Right-click the track header, choose Insert/Remove Envelopes, and then choose Configure Controllers from the menu. The Output Settings tab in the Track Properties window is displayed.

2. Select the check box for each controller you want to automate with an envelope.

   If the controller you want to automate isn't displayed, select the Show all controllers check box at the bottom of the dialog.

   NOTE Not all VST instruments use standard MIDI control mappings for volume and pan envelopes. You can use the Output Settings tab to override the default envelope: right-click the controller you want to use and choose Use as Track Volume or Use as Track Pan from the shortcut menu.

3. Click the down arrow in the Envelope box and choose a command from the menu:

   Item	Description
   Insert Envelope	If the controller does not have an automation envelope, No is displayed. Click the down arrow and choose Insert Envelope to add an automation envelope to the timeline.
   Show/Hide Envelope	If the controller has an automation envelope, Visible or Hidden is displayed. Click the down arrow and choose Hide Envelope or Show Envelope to toggle its display. TIP Click the Hide all Envelopes button at the bottom of the window to hide all controller envelopes on the track.
   Reset All Envelope Points	If the controller has an automation envelope, you can click the down arrow and choose Reset All Envelope Points to restore all points to the default value. TIP Click the Reset all Envelopes button at the bottom of the window to set all points on all controller envelopes on the track to the default value.
   Delete Envelope	If the controller has an automation envelope, you can click the down arrow and choose Delete Envelope to remove the envelope and all envelope points from the timeline. TIP Click the Remove all Envelopes button at the bottom of the window to delete all controller envelopes on the track.

4. Double-click the Def box and type a new value to change the default setting for a controller. This value is used when you reset envelope points.

5. Click the down arrow in the Curve Type box to set the default fade curve for each controller's automation envelope. The new curve type will be applied to all segments on the envelope. You can right-click a segment and choose a new fade curve to override the default curve type.

6. Click the Save button if you want to save the current settings as a mapping file, or click Load to browse to a mapping file that will replace the current settings.

If you use MIDI clips that contain MIDI controller data, the controller data will not be displayed in the timeline by default.

Right-click the event on the timeline and choose Create Envelopes from Clip from the shortcut menu to represent MIDI controllers as envelopes on the timeline.

NOTE The Create Envelopes from Clip command is not available in inline MIDI editing mode.

TIP When Lock Envelopes to Events is selected from the Options menu, envelope points will move with an event as you move it along the timeline. When Lock Envelopes to Events is not selected, you can move events and envelopes independently.

The Program button in the track header displays the voice or patch that will be used to play MIDI data on the track. You can set the voice used to play the entire track, or you can add keyframes to add program changes.

Changing the track voice

1. Click the Program button .

2. Choose a program from the menu, or choose Select Program Change to display the Output Settings tab in the Track Properties window, where you can select a program.

   If the track does not contain program change keyframes, the selected program is used to play the entire track.

   If the track contains keyframes, the selected program is assigned to the keyframe that occurs before the current cursor position.

Adding a program change keyframe

1. Click the Program button and choose Insert Program Change Keyframe. The program change keyframe row is displayed at the bottom of the track.

2. Using the Draw or Envelope tool, double-click in the track's keyframe row to add a keyframe.

   

3. To edit a keyframe, double-click it to display the Output Settings tab in the Track Properties window, and then select the program you want to assign to the keyframe.

1. Right-click the track header, choose Insert/Remove Envelope, and then choose Insert Sysex from the submenu.

2. Using the Draw or Envelope tool, double-click in the track's keyframe row to add a keyframe.

   

3. To edit a keyframe, double-click it to display the System Exclusive Editor dialog.

TIP To hide the Sysex keyframe row without removing keyframes, right-click the track header, choose Insert/Remove Envelope, and then choose Hide Sysex from the submenu. You can view the keyframe row again by right-clicking the track header, choosing Insert/Remove Envelope, and then choosing Show Sysex.

You can use the soft synth bus track to control parameter automation for VST instruments using envelopes.

For more information about adding and adjusting parameter automation envelopes, please see Automating VSTi Parameters.