Set Automation Record Status to "Off"

[bayswater]

It seems that in a new project started from a template,, the default state has automation set to Record and Play mode.

My default startup template had all of these turned off when it was saved, but even then, a new project using the template has all the audio tracks' automation set to Record and Play status.

But, if a project is saved with all the automation record and play buttons off, then they remain off when the project is opened again. So why would this work with a project, but not a template?

I sometimes inadvertently record automation on some tracks, causing confusion when playing these track, so I'd like to have my templates open without automation in record mode. Play mode is OK because there isn't any automation anyway.

I don't see a global command to do this other than double tapping W and clicking one of the channels.

Is this a bug? Or a feature? Or the lack of a feature?

[lampfilmusic]

There might be a setting in Preferences under Automation for automation to default to off for new tracks. (I need to go back and check.)

I agree it is frustrating to have to turn Automation record off every time a new track is set up.

[bayswater]

Don’t think there are any preferences for Automation. There is an Automation Setup window where you can disable automation completely. But that does not seem to affect settings in a new project from a template

[lampfilmusic]

Found it Bayswater, sorry, it's in Setup>Automation Setup...

Automation Setup

automation_off.jpg (202.2 KiB) Viewed 758 times

Ensure Automation Playback and/or Recording are un-ticked (un-checked US), then click 'Save as Default for Audio Tracks' button.

[bayswater]

Yes, i tried that. It didn’t make any difference to the automation status that comes up in a new project started from a template. I’ll look again in more detail and see if I can find the right combination of settings

[EMRR]

Yeah, would love to find a way. Annoying assumption that one wants automation on everything as a default. It always comes up as 'latch' also, which I never want.

Simple solution is always 'track groups window / all tracks', manually change it on everything, remember to turn off 'all tracks before you blow something else up (!).

[bayswater]

Yes, i tried that. It didn’t make any difference to the automation status that comes up in a new project started from a template. I’ll look again in more detail and see if I can find the right combination of settings

Mucked about with Automation Setup but can't get DP to properly save the state in templates, although it does with projects. Posted a tech link.

[bayswater]

Yeah, would love to find a way. Annoying assumption that one wants automation on everything as a default. It always comes up as 'latch' also, which I never want.

Simple solution is always 'track groups window / all tracks', manually change it on everything, remember to turn off 'all tracks before you blow something else up (!).

I posted a tech link at MOTU. After some back and forth with Matt, he said he was unable to reproduce this, even though I had sent him my template. He suggested I move the usual preference folders to the desktop, and try it again. That worked.

Before I did this, the Automation Setup window kept showing automation record enabled, and even if I turned it off, new tracks had it enabled, and on startup, it was enabled in this window. With the preferences moved, everything worked properly. Automation record status was off unless I explicitly turned it on.

Now I’m wondering if I have to recreate all my preferences which are quite complicated, including those related to plugins, screensets, themes, bundles, and templates. Also wondering what other preference corruptions might have been happening.

[EMRR]

Yeah, would love to find a way. Annoying assumption that one wants automation on everything as a default. It always comes up as 'latch' also, which I never want.

Simple solution is always 'track groups window / all tracks', manually change it on everything, remember to turn off 'all tracks before you blow something else up (!).

I posted a tech link at MOTU. After some back and forth with Matt, he said he was unable to reproduce this, even though I had sent him my template. He suggested I move the usual preference folders to the desktop, and try it again. That worked.

Before I did this, the Automation Setup window kept showing automation record enabled, and even if I turned it off, new tracks had it enabled, and on startup, it was enabled in this window. With the preferences moved, everything worked properly. Automation record status was off unless I explicitly turned it on.

Now I’m wondering if I have to recreate all my preferences which are quite complicated, including those related to plugins, screensets, themes, bundles, and templates. Also wondering what other preference corruptions might have been happening.

Well.....It's always had that fault in my experience. When I migrated to a new computer and DP11 from DP8, I build new templates from scratch on a new system that never had DP8 on it, and it's still that way. If it's a preference, there should be a thing I could change, but no one's pointed out where.

[bayswater]

Well.....It's always had that fault in my experience. When I migrated to a new computer and DP11 from DP8, I build new templates from scratch on a new system that never had DP8 on it, and it's still that way. If it's a preference, there should be a thing I could change, but no one's pointed out where.

Maybe a misunderstanding. Not a preference to change, but corrupt preferences. And not a problem with the template (I too develop new templates for each version, but not necessarily new preferences)

Matt was saying it was happening on my system because I had corrupt preferences. I removed the preferences, and the problem DID go away. I was able to copy over my previous template into the new empty DP Templates folder, start it up, and in the resulting project, all the automation read buttons were on, but the automation record buttons were all off. I tried a couple of new project, and loaded a few existing, and the automation state was correct. And the states in the Automation Setup page stayed the way I set them instead of changing to Automation Record On.

There has been some skepticism when support suggests deleting preferences. It seems like an act of desperation. But I guess with the infinite number of possible combinations, and having preference settings carry over from version to version,, it’s possible that corrupt preferences could cause a lot of problems.

[Phil O]

Bays, please remind me. Where is the preference folder kept?

Your friendly neighborhood Phil

[EMRR]

Well.....It's always had that fault in my experience. When I migrated to a new computer and DP11 from DP8, I build new templates from scratch on a new system that never had DP8 on it, and it's still that way. If it's a preference, there should be a thing I could change, but no one's pointed out where.

Maybe a misunderstanding. Not a preference to change, but corrupt preferences. And not a problem with the template (I too develop new templates for each version, but not necessarily new preferences)

Matt was saying it was happening on my system because I had corrupt preferences. I removed the preferences, and the problem DID go away. I was able to copy over my previous template into the new empty DP Templates folder, start it up, and in the resulting project, all the automation read buttons were on, but the automation record buttons were all off. I tried a couple of new project, and loaded a few existing, and the automation state was correct. And the states in the Automation Setup page stayed the way I set them instead of changing to Automation Record On.

There has been some skepticism when support suggests deleting preferences. It seems like an act of desperation. But I guess with the infinite number of possible combinations, and having preference settings carry over from version to version,, it’s possible that corrupt preferences could cause a lot of problems.

Ok, how is there a corrupt preference in a fresh build?

[bayswater]

Ok, how is there a corrupt preference in a fresh build?

A new version of most apps doesn’t replace preference files. E.g. when going from DP10 to DP11, your Theme preference would not have changed. If you remove the preference folders from the user library, they will be rebuilt the next time with the default preference for the version you launch. Your theme will have changed and your custom templates will be gone, your plugins sets and screensets will be gone, etc.

Here are the instructions on Preferences from Matt, referring to the issue with my template.

- Quit DP

- Open a Finder window and click on the 'Go' menu at the very top of your menu bar

- Hold down the Option key on your keyboard. Library will reveal itself. Click 'Library'

- Go to the Preferences folder

- Move the "com.motu.DigitalPerformer" "com.motu.DigitalPerformer.plist" and "com.motu.MotuAudioSystem" folders to the Desktop (not the Trash).

- Open DP and let it rescan your plugins. Test the behavior again with a fresh project and template

[EMRR]

Ok, how is there a corrupt preference in a fresh build?

A new version of most apps doesn’t replace preference files. E.g. when going from DP10 to DP11, your Theme preference would not have changed. If you remove the preference folders from the user library, they will be rebuilt the next time with the default preference for the version you launch. Your theme will have changed and your custom templates will be gone, your plugins sets and screensets will be gone, etc.

Here are the instructions on Preferences from Matt, referring to the issue with my template.

- Quit DP

- Open a Finder window and click on the 'Go' menu at the very top of your menu bar

- Hold down the Option key on your keyboard. Library will reveal itself. Click 'Library'

- Go to the Preferences folder

- Move the "com.motu.DigitalPerformer" "com.motu.DigitalPerformer.plist" and "com.motu.MotuAudioSystem" folders to the Desktop (not the Trash).

- Open DP and let it rescan your plugins. Test the behavior again with a fresh project and template

Maybe you missed it - new computer, totally fresh build, fresh templates, nothing carried forward from the old.

[bayswater]

Maybe you missed it - new computer, totally fresh build, fresh templates, nothing carried forward from the old.

Yes, missed it. I was thinking of the usual update process.

Nevertheless, while it might not be something you want to do, for others, Matt’s suggestion is a no risk test that takes a minute. You can just put the folders back into the Preferences folder whether it works or not. In addition to his instructions, I’d go to the Automation Setup window and turn record automation off before creating a new test project and template.

If this does work, you can’t put the old preferences back in place, and there can be a fair amount of work in getting back to your original setup. You can copy your templates from the old folder to the new one, and there are probably other things you can export and reimport. I’ve asked Matt the best way to get back to your original setup without reintroducing the corrupt preference.