Steinberg Cubase SE 3 Operation Manual

							CUBASE SE
Automation 12 – 231
Using Write/Read automation
All track types except folder, marker, video and ruler tracks feature 
Write (W) and Read (R) buttons in the mixer, in the Track list and in the 
Channel Settings window. Furthermore, the control panels for all plug-
in effects and VST Instruments also feature Write and Read buttons.
The Write and Read buttons for a channel in the mixer, and for an automation 
subtrack in the Track list.
•If you activate Write for a channel, all mixer parameters you adjust dur-
ing playback for that specific channel will be recorded as automation 
events.
•If you activate Read for a channel, all your recorded mixer actions for 
that channel will be performed during playback, just like you per-
formed them in Write mode.
•The W and R buttons for a track in the Track list are mirrors of the W 
and R buttons in the corresponding channel strip in the mixer.
•Some track types require that you activate the Write button (either for 
the track or globally – see below) to create an automation track for it.
These are: VST Instrument, ReWire and Input/Output tracks. The first time the Write 
button is activated for these track types, automation subtracks will be created for them. 
You can then proceed with automating the parameters of the tracks (by editing the au-
tomation subtracks or by writing, as described below). To play back the automation, 
make sure the Read button for the tracks is activated. 
						

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There are also global Read All and Write All Automation buttons in the 
mixer’s common panel and at the top of the Track list:
The global Write and Read buttons in the mixer, and in the Track list.
•When Read All is activated, all your recorded mixer actions for all 
channels will be performed during playback.
•When Write All is activated, all mixer actions you perform during play-
back (for all channels) will be recorded as automation events.
Recording your actions – an example
If the settings in your current project are crucial, you may not want to 
“experiment” with automation until you know more about how it all fits 
together. If so, you can create a new project for the following example. 
It doesn’t even have to contain any audio events, just a few audio 
tracks. Proceed as follows:
1.Open the Mixer window.
2.Click the “Write All” button in the mixer common panel.
Cubase SE is now in global Write mode. 
3.Start playback, and adjust some volume faders and/or other parame-
ter settings in the mixer or perhaps in a Channel Settings window.
Stop playback when you are done, and return to the position where you started playback.
4.Deactivate Write mode, and click the Read All button in the mixer 
common panel.
Cubase SE is now in global Read mode.
5.Start playback, and watch the Mixer window.
All your actions performed during the previous playback will be reproduced exactly. 
						

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Automation 12 – 233
6.If you wish to redo anything that was recorded, activate Write mode 
again, and start playback from the same position.
•You can have Write and Read activated simultaneously, if you want to 
watch and listen to your recorded mixer actions while you’re recording 
fader movements for another mixer channel, etc.
Recording plug-in automation
Every parameter for every assigned effect or VST Instrument can be 
automated in much the same manner as described above.
The following example assumes that you have assigned an insert ef-
fect to an FX channel track (see page 198), and describes how to 
record automation for the effect:
1.Activate Write All in the mixer common panel or in the Track list to put 
Cubase SE in global Write mode.
2.Select the FX channel track in the Track list and open its Inserts sec-
tion in the Inspector.
If the Inspector is hidden, click the “Show Inspector” button in the Project window 
toolbar.
3.Open the control panel for the effect by clicking the Edit button (“e”) 
above the insert effect slot in the Inspector.
4.Click the Write button in the control panel to activate Write mode.
All effects and VST Instruments have Write/Read buttons on their control panels. 
These work exactly like the corresponding buttons in the mixer or in the Track list. In 
the previous example, we used global Write mode, in which mixer and parameter 
changes are recorded on all tracks, but in this example we’ll use Write mode for one 
track only.
5.Start playback and adjust some effect parameters in the control panel.
When you are finished, stop playback and return to the position where you started 
playback.
6.Deactivate Write and instead click the Read button on the control 
panel.
7.Start playback, and watch the control panel.
All actions you performed during the previous playback will be reproduced exactly. 
						

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12 – 234 Automation
Assigning an automated parameter to an automation subtrack
To select which parameter is currently shown in the automation track 
for the FX channel, proceed as follows:
1.Click in the parameter display for the FX channel automation subtrack.
The parameter display pop-up list is shown containing the automation parameters for 
the plug-in. The parameter(s) you previously automated are indicated by an asterisk af-
ter the parameter name in the list.
Automated parameters for the DoubleDelay effect.
2.Select the parameter you wish to view from the parameter display 
pop-up.
The automation curve for the parameter you selected is displayed on the automation 
subtrack.
•To view VST Instrument parameters you use the same method, but for 
the first automation track for the instrument.
As described earlier, each VST Instrument have two or more automation tracks – one 
for the plug-in settings and one for each VST Instrument mixer channel.
Where did the automation data I recorded end up?
When using Write All automation, you can write automation data on 
all channels’ automation tracks. In the previous write operations, you 
probably added automation events for many different channels and 
parameters.
•To view all the automation events you recorded during the operations, 
select “Show Used Automation” from the Project menu.
Now the automation data for every channel parameter that you adjusted in the mixer 
during Write mode is shown on corresponding subtracks in the Project window. The 
automation events recorded are shown as points in the automation curves.  
						

							CUBASE SE
Automation 12 – 235
Working with automation curves
About automation curves 
There are two kinds of automation curves, “ramp” and “jump”:
•Jump curves are created for any parameter that only has on/off values, 
like a Mute button, for example.
•Ramp curves are created for any parameter that generates continuous 
multiple values, such as fader or dial movements etc. 
Examples of jump and ramp automation curves shown in the event display.
About the static value line
When you first open an automation subtrack for a parameter, it 
doesn’t contain any automation events (unless you have previously 
adjusted that parameter with write automation activated), and this is 
reflected in the event display as a straight horizontal black line, the 
“static value” line. This line represents the current parameter setting.
•If you have manually added any automation events or used write auto-
mation for the corresponding parameter, and then deactivate Read 
mode, the automation curve will be greyed-out in the automation sub-
track event display and the static value will be used instead.
As soon as Read mode is activated the automation curve will become available. 
						

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Editing automation events
Drawing automation events
By using write automation in the mixer, you generate automation events 
by moving parameter dials and fader settings in the mixer. You can also 
add them manually, by drawing automation curves on an automation 
subtrack. Proceed as follows:
1.Open a volume automation subtrack for an audio track by clicking the 
“+” sign.
The static value line is shown in the event display.
2.Select the Pencil tool.
You can also use the various modes of the Line tool for drawing curves, see below.
3.If you click on the static value line, an automation event is added, read 
automation mode is automatically activated, and the static value line 
changes to a blue automation curve.
4.If you click and hold, you can draw a curve, by adding a multitude of 
single automation events. 
						

							CUBASE SE
Automation 12 – 237
5.When you release the mouse button, the number of automation events 
is reduced to a few events, but the basic shape of the curve still remains 
the same.
This “thinning” of events is governed by the Automation Reduction Level setting in the 
Preferences dialog, see page 241.
6.If you now activate playback, the volume will change with the automa-
tion curve.
In the mixer the corresponding fader moves accordingly.
7.Simply redo the operation if you are not happy with the result.
If you draw over existing events, a new curve is created.
•If the automation subtrack is in Read mode already, you can also add 
automation events by clicking with the Arrow tool.
If you are trying to add a point between two existing points and the new point doesn’t 
deviate from the existing curve, it will be removed by reduction (see page 241) as soon 
as you release the mouse button.
Using the various modes of the Line tool to draw automation curves
The Line tool can be very useful for drawing automation events. The 
various modes are accessed by clicking on the Line tool on the tool-
bar and selecting from the pop-up that appears.
• Clicking and dragging with the Line tool in Line mode shows a line in the au-
tomation subtrack, and creates automation events aligned with this line.
This is a quick way to create linear fades, etc. 
						

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• The Line tool in Parabola mode works in the same way, but aligns the automa-
tion events with a parabolic curve instead, giving more “natural” curves and 
fades.
Note that the result depends on the direction from which you draw the parabolic curve.
• The Sine, Triangle and Square Line tool modes create automation events 
aligned with continuous curves.
If snap is activated and set to Grid, the period of the curve (the length of one curve 
“cycle”) is determined by the grid setting. If you press [Shift] and drag, you can set the 
period length manually, in multiples of the grid value.
Selecting automation event points
•To select a single automation event point, click on it with the Arrow tool.
The point turns red, and you can drag it in any horizontal or vertical direction between 
two points.
•To select multiple curve points, you can either [Shift]-click or drag a 
selection rectangle with the Arrow tool.
All events inside the selection rectangle will become selected.
Drawing a selection rectangle around some points to select them.
When selected, several points can be moved in all directions as “one”, 
i.e. the curve shape formed by the selected event points remains intact. 
						

							CUBASE SE
Automation 12 – 239
•To select all automation events on a subtrack, right-click (Win) or 
[Ctrl]-click (Mac) the automation subtrack in the Track list and choose 
“Select All Events” from the context menu.
Removing automation events
There are several ways to remove event points:
•By selecting points and pressing [Backspace] or [Delete] or selecting 
Delete from the Edit menu.
•By clicking on a point with the Eraser tool.
•By selecting a range (with the Range Selection tool), and pressing 
[Backspace] or [Delete] or selecting Delete from the Edit menu.
•By clicking in the parameter display on a subtrack and selecting 
“Remove Parameter” from the pop-up.
This will remove all automation events from the subtrack, and the subtrack will be closed.
Editing automation events
Automation events can be edited much like other events. You can use 
cut, copy and paste, you can nudge events etc. There are however four 
items on the Edit menu that are not applicable to automation events. 
These are:
• Split at Cursor
• Split Loop
• Move to Front
• Move to Back 
						

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12 – 240 Automation
Tips and common methods
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to describing which 
automation method you should use. You can for example never even 
open an automation subtrack, and stick with write automation through-
out a project. Or you can stick to drawing automation curves to auto-
mate settings in a project. Both methods have their advantages, but it 
is of course up to you to decide what to use and when.
•Editing curves on automation subtracks offers a graphical overview in 
relation to the track contents and the time position.
This makes it easy to quickly change parameter values at specific points, without hav-
ing to activate playback. For example, this method gives you a good overview if you 
have a voice-over or a dialog on one track and a music bed on another track, the level 
of which needs to be lowered with a specific amount every time the dialog occurs.
•By using write automation in the mixer you don’t have to manually se-
lect parameter subtracks from the Add Parameter list.
You can work much like you would using a “real” physical mixer. Every action you per-
form is automatically recorded on subtracks which you can later open for viewing and 
editing of the parameters you changed.
These are just two examples of advantages for each method. Generally, 
editing curves and using write automation are two methods that com-
plement each other, and depending on the nature of your projects you 
will probably work out what method works best for a given situation.