Automate effects - never works [RESOLVED]

[Frodo]

Truly, this is one of those odd situations where View Filters, as mentioned earlier, has bitten more than one of us more than once.

There was another long term and respected user who had a sudden inexplicable issue where his Filter settings changed seemingly overnight and he couldn't remember the last time he'd opened that window. Under such circumstances, it would not occur to the user to consider the View Filters as the culprit unless there were good reasons (such as those mentioned on a forum like this).

Who knows why this happens? It could be a stray key command unintentionally hit or it could be some quirk in OSX which triggers it. Maybe opening some other app with DP running and hitting a key command in the other app exploits a vulnerability with key commands between apps. I'm just guessing here.

The point is that it *can* happen.

The chances of this being user error-- even inadvertent user error-- are just as great as this being a bug. At the same time, the chances that neither are necessarily the case are no less probable. Sometimes, problems can be just plain legitimately confusing enough to evade common sense solutions. The whole of 2007 for me can be summed in that last sentence, so I understand the user conundrum fully.

The most important thing is that we now know to consider View Filters as part of our troubleshooting routines. Happily, such tips only have to be learned once.

I'd be remiss if I didn't say thanks to Magic Dave for chiming in heroically. Dave, your input is greatly appreciated and quite timely.

[zaratero]

Truly, this is one of those odd situations where View Filters, as mentioned earlier, has bitten more than one of us more than once.

There was another long term and respected user who had a sudden inexplicable issue where his Filter settings changed seemingly overnight and he couldn't remember the last time he'd opened that window. Under such circumstances, it would not occur to the user to consider the View Filters as the culprit unless there were good reasons (such as those mentioned on a forum like this).

Who knows why this happens? It could be a stray key command unintentionally hit or it could be some quirk in OSX which triggers it. Maybe opening some other app with DP running and hitting a key command in the other app exploits a vulnerability with key commands between apps. I'm just guessing here.

The point is that it *can* happen.

The chances of this being user error-- even inadvertent user error-- are just as great as this being a bug. At the same time, the chances that neither are necessarily the case are no less probable. Sometimes, problems can be just plain legitimately confusing enough to evade common sense solutions. The whole of 2007 for me can be summed in that last sentence, so I understand the user conundrum fully.

The most important thing is that we now know to consider View Filters as part of our troubleshooting routines. Happily, such tips only have to be learned once.

I'd be remiss if I didn't say thanks to Magic Dave for chiming in heroically. Dave, your input is greatly appreciated and quite timely.

+1

It happened to me a couple of days ago, and even being a view filters addict for my work, it had me stuck for more than a while.

[Dave Bourke]

To avoid being bitten by this ever again, I set up a preset in the View Filter - everything I might ever need to see is checked. I have one version for Global view and one for List view. Now the only trick is remembering to choose that preset whenever I'm finished with the VF. Despite my advanced years, it's working so far...



Kind regards.

[FMiguelez]

Maybe we had the wrong tool selected....?
Or did we double or triple or double-and-a-half click when we shouldn't have...?
Or maybe DP was just in a bad mood that day?

Never ever happened to me either, so it is DEFINITELY not a DP thing, but something wrong with your setup.

May I ask why you must use the pencil to draw the FIRST automation point? You can just touch the plug-in faders/buttons and DP will record the automation. From there, you can then draw automation away with your pencil tool with all the detail you need.

[bongo_x]

...
May I ask why you must use the pencil to draw the FIRST automation point? You can just touch the plug-in faders/buttons and DP will record the automation. From there, you can then draw automation away with your pencil tool with all the detail you need...

Wow, that's good to know, it's always made me crazy that DP doesn't start with the current value when you turn the automation on.

bb

[FMiguelez]

...
May I ask why you must use the pencil to draw the FIRST automation point? You can just touch the plug-in faders/buttons and DP will record the automation. From there, you can then draw automation away with your pencil tool with all the detail you need...

Wow, that's good to know, it's always made me crazy that DP doesn't start with the current value when you turn the automation on.

bb

That would be SO awesome if it did!
The problem is they would have to reconcile HAVING the proper automation lane displaying the current value, without them being actually automated, and having actual automation.

I suppose they could tell DP that IF (and only if) there is a drawn automation point, then that value IS automated. But if they are empty (as you suggested) then there wouldn't be any automation, and one could keep tweaking the parameters without them being automated (and the parameter line would update accordingly).

MOTU? Does that sound good?

[bongo_x]

When you turn on the automation in Pro Tools it draws it in at the current value, then you can change it from there. I'm just used to that way of working, I set the fader levels (and other things) where I want them and then turn on automation for a track when I need something to change.

bb

[dpdan]

after reading all these posts, including Dave Robert's,...I am surprised that nobody has responded to another observation of the original poster's problem... and that is,,,, he said automation of plugins has never worked for him. Regardless of the "view" filter settings, having plugin automation unchecked should have nothing to do with it working or not,, just not seeing it. hence "view" filter. I just checked and I am correct.

Dan

[FMiguelez]

after reading all these posts, including Dave Robert's,...I am surprised that nobody has responded to another observation of the original poster's problem... and that is,,,, he said automation of plugins has never worked for him. Regardless of the "view" filter settings, having plugin automation unchecked should have nothing to do with it working or not,, just not seeing it. hence "view" filter.
yes, no?
Dan

Well, it could be "the other" thing:
Not having the Plug-in parameter box checked in the Automation Setup dialog box...

[dpdan]

Well, it could be "the other" thing:
Not having the Plug-in parameter box checked in the Automation Setup dialog box...

according to the OP's response thanking magic Dave, he said that "Set View Filter did it,,, not
"Set Input Filter"

Dan

[FMiguelez]

Well, it could be "the other" thing:
Not having the Plug-in parameter box checked in the Automation Setup dialog box...

according to the OP's response thanking magic Dave, he said that "Set View Filter did it,,, not
"Set Input Filter"

Dan

I am not talking about the Set Input Filter. I'm talking about the Automation Setup dialog box.

All I'm saying is missing those settings can make DP APPEAR to not be able to automate plug-in parameters. It's just one more thing to check when things are not working as expected.

[dpdan]

I know what you are saying about automation setup, but since Jeremy said "that's a winner" to magic Dave, it sounds like his automation was there all the time.

It is obvious that Jamey missed something somewhere along the line,, no big deal, I have nothing more to add.
Dan

[Phil O]

Maybe opening some other app with DP running and hitting a key command in the other app exploits a vulnerability with key commands between apps. I'm just guessing here.

Got bitten by this one using Melodyne Editor. By force of habit, I hit command-Z for undo. The problem is Melodyne does not recognize this command, so DP grabs it and un-does your last operation (without you knowing it). Damn! Thank you MOTU for undo history.

Phil

[dpdan]

Got bitten by this one using Melodyne Editor. By force of habit, I hit command-Z for undo. The problem is Melodyne does not recognize this command, so DP grabs it and un-does your last operation (without you knowing it). Damn! Thank you MOTU for undo history.

Phil

I always do that when using Melodyne Editor inside DP,.. as soon as I hit "command Z" I realize the Melodyne plugin didn't undo ,,, DP did,.. so I have to hit Command Z again to get back to where I was in DP. Just something we have to get used to
Dan

[Buzzy]

I use DP automation all the time and love it. (no, I will not marry it)
I find it to be extensive, but not perfect. For example on DP's Sonic Modulator, there is no way to edit the 'resonance', 'center' and 'range' knobs on the Filter section of this thing. Not by grabbing the knob and not by insertion either. Also Line 6 gearbox parameters can only be automated by inserting or drawing lines. Grabbing the knobs doesn't work on this thing although it may have something to do with Line 6 rather than DP. Also note I'm using DP 5.11