jim
02-23-2009, 09:33 PM
I have gotten several requests for volume automation in the Timeline, and though I have put it on my to-do list, it will be a while before I get to it. In the meantime, I've come up with an approached based on the ModulationSeq that seems to work pretty well.
Here are the basic steps:
- In a project where you want to have automated volume changes, add a new stack. Call it something catchy, like "Volume".
- Clear out any placeholders and add one ModulationSeq for each stack you want volume control over. Be sure to give them descriptive names so you can identify them with their target stack (i.e. "Stack1 : Volume", "Stack2 : Volume", etc..). We will set up each of these sequencers as volume automation controllers for their respective stacks.
- Set the default rate of all the sequencers to whole notes, and the length to the length of the track you are building (in measures). Since the rate is one bar per step, the step numbers correspond to the bar numbers for the track. If your track is longer than 128 measures, then you will need to subdivide your track into sections, and use different presets in the Volume stack to cover each section.
- For each ModulationSeq, open the "advanced settings" panel (use the little triangle button in the lower-left corner of the module).
- In the bottom of this new panel, there is a set of controls that allow this sequencer to modulate parameters on other modules (ParamMod). You will need to choose the StackOutput module of the appropriate stack for the target module, and the "Audio Out Volume" parameter for the target parameter. See the attached images for detail.
- Repeat the ParamMod setup for each ModulationSeq in the Volume stack. Make sure that the target module you pick is in the correct stack for each ModulationSeq.
When you are done, you will have a highly-tweakable set of volume curves for all your stacks. You can use the Locate command (cmd-L) to jump to different spots on the sequence. Again, this is not as convenient as it would be if they were in the timeline directly, but at least all the volume curves are visible together. And, of course, you are not limited to volume automation, you can tweak any parameter you like...
Cheers,
Jim
Here are the basic steps:
- In a project where you want to have automated volume changes, add a new stack. Call it something catchy, like "Volume".
- Clear out any placeholders and add one ModulationSeq for each stack you want volume control over. Be sure to give them descriptive names so you can identify them with their target stack (i.e. "Stack1 : Volume", "Stack2 : Volume", etc..). We will set up each of these sequencers as volume automation controllers for their respective stacks.
- Set the default rate of all the sequencers to whole notes, and the length to the length of the track you are building (in measures). Since the rate is one bar per step, the step numbers correspond to the bar numbers for the track. If your track is longer than 128 measures, then you will need to subdivide your track into sections, and use different presets in the Volume stack to cover each section.
- For each ModulationSeq, open the "advanced settings" panel (use the little triangle button in the lower-left corner of the module).
- In the bottom of this new panel, there is a set of controls that allow this sequencer to modulate parameters on other modules (ParamMod). You will need to choose the StackOutput module of the appropriate stack for the target module, and the "Audio Out Volume" parameter for the target parameter. See the attached images for detail.
- Repeat the ParamMod setup for each ModulationSeq in the Volume stack. Make sure that the target module you pick is in the correct stack for each ModulationSeq.
When you are done, you will have a highly-tweakable set of volume curves for all your stacks. You can use the Locate command (cmd-L) to jump to different spots on the sequence. Again, this is not as convenient as it would be if they were in the timeline directly, but at least all the volume curves are visible together. And, of course, you are not limited to volume automation, you can tweak any parameter you like...
Cheers,
Jim