Automation with Hardware Controllers

As mentioned earlier in the Editing Automation Envelopes section of the Automation chapter, external hardware controllers can be used to edit automation. When an external hardware controller has been mapped, and controls are linked to various parameters using Control Link, hardware controller movements, and therefore the movements of the software parameters they control can be recorded as automation.

Combining Studio One Pro’s automation system with Control Link delivers a powerful integrated hardware-and-software automation platform. The following describes how these systems are used together.

Hardware Controller Capabilities

You need to understand the capabilities of your hardware controllers. For instance, some controllers offer touch-sensitive faders and knobs, and others do not. Some controllers have endless rotary encoders, and others have fixed-position knobs. These capabilities affect how the hardware controllers integrate with the automation and Control Link systems.

Touch Sensitivity

Various automation modes are discussed in the Automation Modes section of the Automation chapter. These modes directly relate to the specific capability of your hardware controllers. Touch automation mode is most effective if the hardware control is touch-sensitive. However, you can use Touch automation with hardware controls that are not touch-sensitive.

Endless Rotary Encoders and Fixed-Position Knobs

The type of controls offered with hardware controllers varies widely. Many controllers offer knobs called “endless rotary encoders.” These encoders can be rotated continuously in both directions. They increment and decrement values, rather than sending absolute values based on fixed positions, as with fixed-position knobs. Therefore, you get different results when automating an endless rotary encoder versus a fixed-position knob.

For example, if you are using a touch-sensitive, endless rotary encoder to control a software parameter that has an automation envelope on a Track, setting the Track to the Touch automation mode has the following results:

During playback, touching the rotary encoder writes automation until the encoder is no longer being touched. When the encoder is not being touched, any existing automation is read.
If automation is being read during playback, and then the rotary encoder is turned, automation is written by incrementing/decrementing from the current automation position. In this way, the new automation effectively picks up from the existing automation.

If you do the same thing with a touch-sensitive, fixed-position knob, the following happens:

During playback, touching the knob writes automation until the control is no longer being touched. When the control is not being touched, any written automation is read.
If automation is being read during playback, and then the knob is turned, automation is written, starting at whatever the current value of the knob is, based on its absolute position. The new automation being written does not pick up from the existing automation.

Writing Track Automation

There are three Track-automation modes in which automation can be written using external controls: Write, Touch, and Latch. It is recommended you be familiar with these modes, as described in the Automation Modes section of the Automation chapter.

To write Track automation using an external control, first link a control to a software parameter, as described in the Control Linking section of this chapter. Then show automation by pressing [A] on the keyboard, add an automation envelope to a Track for the desired parameter, and enable Touch, Latch, or Write mode. Finally, start playback and manipulate the hardware control to write the desired automation.

Automation can be written using hardware controls only during playback.

When overwriting existing automation, the three automation modes give different results.

Touch mode allows automation to be read until a touch-sensitive control is manipulated; automation is read again when the control is no longer being manipulated.
Latch mode results in automation being read until a control, touch-sensitive or not, is manipulated, after which automation is written until playback is stopped.
When in Write mode, no existing automation is read, and automation is written for the duration of playback.

Track automation cannot be written using an external control if Read or Off mode is selected on the Track.

Writing Instrument Part Automation

Using external controls with Part automation is similar to using them with Track automation, except that there are no automation modes. Existing Part automation is read and can be overwritten, and new automation can be written at all times while recording to a Part, as explained in the Instrument Part Automation section of the Automation chapter. Part automation is an integral part of the Instrument Part and therefore is accessible at all times.