Sony Vegas 5 Manual

							CHP. 6USING AUTOMATION
CHAPTER119
Using Automation
Automation allows you to control audio and video levels, panning, and effect parameter automation over 
time. You can create fades, apply stereo panning, and vary effect parameters throughout your project. 
Automation is represented on the Vegas® timeline as an envelope or set of keyframes. You can create 
automation by adding envelopes or keyframes to your tracks (including bus tracks), or you can record 
automation parameters by adjusting controls in the Vegas interface (or on a control surface) during playback.
Showing or hiding automation controls
The controls in the track list can function as trim controls or automation controls for track volume, 
panning, assignable effects send, and bus send levels. Adjusting the trim control affects the level of the entire 
track.
To display trim controls in the track header, click the 
Automation Settings button   and select Show 
Automation Controls
.
Tr a ck  a u t o m a t i o n
Track automation will always affect all events on the track. This means that any event envelopes will be 
calculated after the track automation. For more information, see Using audio event envelopes (ASR) on page 
137. 
Tip: Choose a fade type from the Audio default drop-down 
list on the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog to set the 
default fade type that will be used when you add volume and 
panning envelopes. This setting is used only when you create 
new envelopes—when you add a point to an existing 
envelope, the new point always uses the same fade type as the 
preceding envelope point. Also, this setting is not used for 
event envelopes.
Mute automation (audio and video)
Mute automation changes a track’s mute state throughout your project. Mute automation is either on or off 
with no fade between. If you want to use fades, apply volume automation.
When you apply mute automation to a track, it’s possible to have a track that is muted and soloed 
simultaneously. 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.
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Adding or removing mute automation
1.
Select a track.
2.From the Insert menu, choose Audio Envelopes or Video 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. 
4.You can adjust the automation by editing the envelope in the timeline or by using the Mute button   in 
the track header when 
Show Automation Controls is selected. 
Adjusting mute automation settings 
1.
Click the Automation Settings button   and select Show Automation Controls. The Mute button is 
displayed as  .
2.Click the Mute button to change the tracks mute automation state.
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 
To u c h or Latch, the button 
edits the envelope setting at the cursor position.
If you click the 
Mute button   during playback, the behavior varies depending on the selected 
automation recording mode. For more information, see Automating 5.1 surround projects on page 129.
Volume or pan automation (audio only)
You can change a track’s volume or position in the stereo field throughout a project using automation 
envelopes. 
Adding or removing volume or pan automation
1.
Select an audio track.
2.From the Insert menu, choose Audio Envelopes, or right-click in the track list and choose Insert/Remove 
Envelope
 from the shortcut menu.
3.From the submenu, choose Vo l u m e or Pan. A check mark is displayed for the automation types that are 
used on the selected track. 
Panning envelopes will use the current panning mode for the 
Pan slider in the track list. For more information, see 
Adjusting stereo panning on page 110.
Adjusting volume or pan automation settings
1.
Click the Automation Settings button and select Show Automation Controls. The fader/slider handle is 
displayed as a   in automation mode.
2.Drag the Vo l fader to control how loud a track is in the mix or drag the Pan slider to control the position of 
the track in the stereo field.
The fader and the slider behave differently depending on the track automation recording mode:
When the track automation mode is set to 
Off, the fader adjusts the volume of the entire track and the 
slider pans the entire track. In this mode, the automation control acts as a second trim control. 
						

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When the track has a volume envelope and the track automation mode is set to Read, the fader/slider 
will follow the envelope during playback but cannot be adjusted.
When the track automation mode is set to 
To u c h or Latch, the fader/slider edits the envelope setting at 
the cursor position. If the track does not have a volume/pan envelope, an envelope will be added when 
you adjust the fader/slider.
If multiple tracks are selected, all selected tracks are adjusted. 
If you adjust the fader/slider during playback, the behavior varies depending on the selected automation 
recording mode. For more information, see Automating 5.1 surround projects on page 129.
Assignable effects automation (audio only)
You can use assignable effects automation to vary the level of a track sent to an assignable effects chain. 
Adding or removing assignable effects automation
Before you can add an assignable effects envelope, youll need to add an assignable effects chain to your 
project. For more information, see Creating an assignable effects plug-in chain on page 154.
1.Select an audio track.
2.From the Insert menu, choose Audio Envelopes, or right-click in the track list and choose Insert/Remove 
Envelope
 from the shortcut menu.
3.From the submenu, choose the effects chain where you want to send the selected track. A check mark is 
displayed for each assignable effects chain that is automated for the selected track. 
Adjusting assignable effects automation levels
1.
Click the Automation Settings button   and select Show Automation Controls. The fader handle is 
displayed as a   in automation mode.
2.Click the label on the multipurpose slider and choose an assignable effects chain from the menu. 
3.Drag the FX fader to control the level of the track sent to each of the assignable FX chains that you have 
created. 
The fader behaves differently depending on the track automation recording mode:
When the track has an assignable effects envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
Off, the fader 
adjusts the send level of the entire track. In this mode, the automation control acts as a second trim 
control.
When the track has an assignable effects envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
Read, the 
fader will follow the envelope during playback but cannot be adjusted.
When the track has an assignable effects envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
To u c h or 
Latch, the fader edits the envelope setting at the cursor position. If the track does not have an envelope, 
one will be created when you adjust the fader.
If multiple tracks are selected, all selected tracks are adjusted. 
If you adjust the fader during playback, the behavior varies depending on the selected automation recording 
mode. For more information, see Automating 5.1 surround projects on page 129. 
						

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Bus automation (audio only)
You can use bus automation envelopes to vary the level of a track sent to a bus.
Adding or removing a bus automation envelope
Before you can add a bus envelope, youll need to specify the number of busses for your project.
1.Select an audio track.
2.From the Insert menu, choose Audio Envelopes, or right-click in the track list and choose Insert/Remove 
Envelope
 from the shortcut menu.
3.From the submenu, choose the bus where you want to send the selected track. A check mark is displayed 
for each bus send level that is automated for the selected track.
Adjusting bus automation levels
1.
Click the Automation Settings button   and select Show Automation Controls. The fader handle is 
displayed as a   in automation mode.
2.Click the label on the multipurpose slider and choose a bus from the menu.
3.Drag the fader to control the level of the track sent to each of the assignable FX chains that you have 
created. Dragging the fader to the left cuts the volume; dragging to the right boosts the volume. 
The fader behaves differently depending on the track automation recording mode:
When the track automation mode is set to 
Off, the fader adjusts the send level of the entire track. In this 
mode, the automation control acts as a second trim control.
When the track has a bus envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
Read, the fader will follow 
the envelope during playback but cannot be adjusted.
When the track has a bus envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
Touch or Latch, the fader 
edits the envelope setting at the cursor position. If the track does not have an envelope, one will be 
created when you adjust the fader.
If multiple tracks are selected, all selected tracks are adjusted. 
If you adjust the fader during playback, the behavior varies depending on the selected automation recording 
mode. For more information, see Automating 5.1 surround projects on page 129.
Adding or removing track effect automation
If a plug-in supports automation, you can dynamically adjust effect parameters over time.
This feature is only available in the full version of Vegas software.
Adding or removing effect automation envelopes
If a plug-in supports automation, you can use envelopes to adjust effect parameters over time. The 
appearance of the plug-in in the Plug-In Chooser window indicates whether the plug-in supports 
automation. Plug-ins with this icon ( ) support automation, while plug-ins with this icon ( ) do not. In 
addition, you can quickly locate plug-ins that support automation in the 
Automatable subfolder.
Effect automation envelopes are only available in the full version of Vegas software. 
						

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1.Click the Tr a c k  F X  button ( ) on a track to open the Audio Plug-In window.
If no track effects exist, clicking the 
Track FX button displays the Plug-In Chooser. Use the Plug-In 
Chooser to create an effect chain including an automatable plug-in.
2.Click the Configure FX Automation button ( ) to display the FX Automation Chooser.
3.Click a plug-in at the top of the FX Automation Chooser. A list of the effect’s automatable parameters 
appears.
4.Select the check box for each parameter that you want to control with an envelope. You can use the 
Select All and Select None buttons to quickly change your selections to all or none of the parameters.
If youre working with a 5.1 surround project, you can select 
the 
Enable check boxes to determine which channels will be 
affected by the plug-in. An automation envelope is added to 
the timeline for each selected channel so you can enable or 
bypass the plug-in during the project. If you want to use 
distinct plug-in settings for each channel (separate EQ 
settings for the front and surround speakers, for example), 
you can add multiple instances of the plug-in to the track 
effects chain and select the 
Enable check boxes for the 
channels you want each instance of the plug-in to affect.
5.Click OK to close the FX Automation Chooser. 
Envelopes are displayed on the track for parameters that you selected in the FX Automation Chooser. To 
control which effect parameter envelopes are displayed on the track, click the arrow adjacent to the 
Track 
FX
 button ( ) and choose an envelope from the menu.
Press   to toggle through the display of all effect parameter automation envelopes.
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Adjusting effect automation settings
You can adjust automated effect parameters by editing the envelopes in the timeline or by recording 
automation with the controls in the Audio Plug-In Window.
If youve enabled the 
Bypass parameter for a plug-in, you can click the Bypass button in the plug-ins banner 
to toggle the Bypass envelope at the cursor position.
Note: When you automate an effect’s frequency parameter, 
such as the frequency parameters in the track EQ effect, you 
may notice that the frequency changes are more apparent 
when moving through the lower frequencies. This is because 
frequency scales in track EQ and other plug-ins use a 
logarithmic scale, but effect automation uses linear 
interpolation. To make the automated frequency changes 
sound more natural, change the fade curve types to change 
the interpolation rates between envelope points. For high-to-
low frequency sweeps, use a fast fade curve; for low-to-high 
frequency sweeps, use a slow curve. For more information, 
see Changing envelope fade curves on page 127.
Composite level automation (video only)
You can use the composite level automation envelopes to adjust the opacity of a track over time.
Adding or removing composite level automation 
1.
Select a video track.
2.From the Insert menu, choose Video Envelopes, or right-click in the track list and choose Insert/Remove 
Envelope
 from the shortcut menu.
3.Choose Track Composite Level from the submenu or shortcut menu.
4.You can adjust the envelope by editing the envelope in the timeline or by adjusting the slider in the track 
header when 
Show Automation Controls is selected.
Adjusting the composite level automation settings
1.
Click the Automation Settings button   and select Show Automation Controls. The slider handle is 
displayed as a   in automation mode.
2.Drag the slider to control the transparency or blending of each track. Left is 
100% transparent and right is 100% opaque. You can also double-click the 
percent to enter a specific value.
When the track automation mode is set to 
Off, the slider adjusts the send 
level of the entire track. In this mode, the automation control acts as a second trim control.
When the track has a composite level envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
Read, the slider 
will follow the envelope during playback but cannot be adjusted.
When the track has a composite level envelope and the track automation mode is set to 
To u c h or Latch, 
the slider edits the envelope setting at the cursor position. If the track does not have an envelope, one 
will be created when you adjust the slider.
If multiple tracks are selected, all selected tracks are adjusted. If you adjust the slider during playback, the 
behavior varies depending on the selected automation recording mode. For more information, see 
Automating 5.1 surround projects on page 129. 
						

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Adding a motion blur envelope
Motion blur can help you make computer-generated animation look more realistic. For example, if you use 
track motion or event pan/crop to move a clip across the frame, each frame is displayed clearly when no 
motion blur is applied. Turning on motion blur adds a motion-dependent blur to each frame to create the 
appearance of smooth motion in the same way a fast-moving subject is blurred when you take a photograph 
with a slow shutter speed.
Note: Motion blur significantly increases your rendering 
time. Adjust the envelope to apply motion blur only where 
necessary.
1.Right-click the video bus track, choose Insert/Remove Envelope from the shortcut menu, and then choose 
Motion Blur Amount from the submenu.
2.Add and adjust envelope points as necessary to set the time interval that will be used for blurring. 
Increasing the value emphasizes the blur effect. For example, setting the envelope to 0 means no blurring 
will occur; setting the envelope to 1 second means that each frame will be blurred for one-half second 
before and after the frame.
3.The motion blur envelope affects all tracks. To bypass motion blur for a track, select the Bypass Motion 
Blur button ( ) in the track header.
4.To change blur type, choose a setting from the Motion blur type drop-down list on the Video tab in the 
Project Properties dialog. This setting determines the shape of the blur and the opacity of the frames.
Adding a video supersampling envelope
Video supersampling can improve the appearance of computer-generated animation by calculating 
intermediate frames between the projects frame rate, allowing you to create smoother motion blurring or 
motion from sources such as track motion, event pan/crop, transitions, or keyframable effects.
Note: The effect of video supersampling is less apparent with 
video that contains fast motion, and supersampling cannot 
improve the appearance of existing video.
1.Right-click the video bus track, choose Insert/Remove Envelope from the shortcut menu, and then choose 
Motion Blur Subsampling from the submenu.
2.Add and adjust envelope points as necessary to indicate how many frames will be calculated between 
frames (using the project’s frame rate) to create the blur.
Note: Video supersampling significantly increases your 
rendering time. For example, when you set the video 
supersampling envelope to 2, Vegas software renders twice as 
many frames as it would without supersampling. Adjust the 
envelope to apply supersampling only where necessary. 
						

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Working with track envelopes
Envelopes represent volume, audio panning, opacity, and fade to color automation settings in the timeline.
Composite Level envelopes and Fade to Color envelopes are only available in the full version of Vegas software.
Adding envelope points
Once you add an envelope to a track, you may add points to it. These points are used to edit the envelope 
line in order to automate the control.
1.Place the mouse pointer on the envelope’s line. 
The pointer changes to a hand icon ( ).
2.Right-click and choose Add Point from the 
shortcut menu or double-click to add an 
envelope point. A square point appears on the 
envelope line.
Tip: You can use ripple editing to automatically 
move envelope points as you edit in the timeline. 
For more information, see Applying post-edit 
ripples on page 73.
Thinning envelope points
Thinning envelope points decreases the number of points on an envelope while retaining the envelope’s 
overall settings. Right-click an envelope and choose 
Thin All Points from the shortcut menu to thin the entire 
envelope.
To apply thinning to a section of the envelope, create a time selection, right-click the envelope, and then 
choose 
Thin Selected Points from the shortcut menu.
Deleting envelope points
You can delete a point by right-clicking it and choosing Delete from the shortcut menu. If you want to delete 
all envelope points, right-click a point and choose 
Reset All from the shortcut menu.
Track Type Envelope type Description Color
Audio Volume Controls track volume. Blue
Audio Bus send volume Controls track level sent to bus. Lilac
Audio Assignable effects send volume Controls track level sent to assignable effects control. Green
Audio Pan Controls the position of a track in the stereo field (pan). Red
Video Composite level Controls track opacity/transparency. Blue
Video Fade to color Controls fading of a track to color. Designate a top and 
bottom color by right-clicking the track, choosing Fade 
Colors from the shortcut menu, and choosing Top or 
Bottom from the submenu.Red
Video bus Motion blur Adds a motion-dependent blur to each frame to smooth 
computer-generated animation.Lilac
Video bus Video  supersampling Calculates intermediate frames between the project frame 
rate to create smooth motion blurring.Rust 
						

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Moving envelope points
Once you have added envelope points, you can raise and lower them to different levels along the timeline, or 
you can adjust the envelope’s location along the timeline by dragging it right or left. You can move one 
point at a time, even during playback and check the results in real time. If snapping is enabled, the envelope 
point snaps to time divisions as you drag. Hold   while dragging to override snapping.
Tip: You can move multiple envelope points at once using the 
Envelope Edit tool. For more information, see Using the 
Envelope Edit tool on page 128.
1.Place the mouse pointer on an envelope point. The pointer changes to a hand icon ( ).
2.Drag the point to the desired position. As you move an envelope point, a ToolTip displays both the 
point’s location on the timeline and its decibel level/percent pan.
3.Click the Play () or Play From Start ( ) button to play the project and check the timing of the envelope.
Tip: You can also set the value of the point by right-clicking 
an envelope point and choosing a setting from the shortcut 
menu. 
Changing envelope fade curves
You can set the type of fade curve used after each envelope point: linear, fast, slow, smooth, or sharp. You 
can select either a point or a portion of the envelope to set the fade curve. If you select a portion of the 
envelope, the fade curve is applied to that envelope segment. If you select a point, the fade curve is applied 
to the segment of the envelope after the selected point. 
1.Right-click a point or a portion of the envelope to display a shortcut menu.
2.From the shortcut menu, choose the curve type.
Tip: If you use the same fade curve frequently, you can set it 
as a default all new audio or video envelopes. For more 
information, see Editing tab on page 297.
Hiding track envelopes
After you have set your envelopes on the tracks, you can hide them from the track view. Hiding track 
envelopes does not affect playback. The points that you set still automate the controls, even though the 
envelopes are not visible.
1.From the View menu, choose either Audio Envelopes or Video Envelopes. A submenu appears. Envelopes 
th
at are currently displayed are selected in the submenu.
2.From the submenu, choose an envelope name. All envelopes in your project of that type no longer appear 
in the track view.
Shift 
						

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If youve added effect automation envelopes to a track, the track can get cluttered. Click the down arrow 
next to the 
Track FX button   and choose an envelope from the drop-down list to select which envelope 
you want to display.
Removing track envelopes
When an envelope is removed, the events on the track no longer have automated control and the envelope 
line no longer displays.
1.Select the track(s) from which you want to remove envelopes.
2.From the Insert menu, choose either Audio Envelopes or Video Envelopes. A submenu appears. Envelopes 
th
at are currently displayed are selected.
3.From the submenu, click an envelope name. The envelope of that type is removed from the selected track.
Alternatively, right-click an empty area of a track, choose 
Insert/Remove Envelope from the shortcut menu, 
and choose an envelope type from the submenu to remove that envelope.
Note: When you remove a track envelope from a track and 
then add it again, all points are reset.
Using the Envelope Edit tool
You can also edit envelope points using the Envelope Edit tool. To use this tool, click the Envelope Edit Tool 
button ( ). The advantage of switching to this tool to edit envelopes is that events cannot be moved when 
this tool is selected, thereby protecting them from changes. This effectively locks all of the events and effects 
in a project while you modify envelopes.
Selecting and adjusting envelope points
1.
Select the Envelope Edit Tool button ( ).
2.Click within a track to select it.
3.Drag along the timeline to select envelope points.
4.Drag the selected envelope points to a new position.
To deselect envelope points, click anywhere in the event that is not part of 
the envelope.
Cutting, copying, and pasting envelope points
1.
Select the Envelope Edit Tool button ( ).
2.Click within a track to select it.
3.Drag along the timeline to select envelope points.
4.From the Edit menu, choose Cut or Copy.
5.Click to position the cursor where you want to paste envelope points. Click within a different track if you 
want to paste envelope points to another track.
6.From the Edit menu, choose Paste. The envelope points are pasted in the new position.
Drag to select envelope points.