System information
Using Automation
Automation allows you to control audio and video levels, panning, and effect parameters over time. You
can create fades, apply stereo panning, and add effects with parameters that change throughout your
project.
Automation is represented on the Vegas Pro 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 Pro interface (or on a control surface) during
playback. For more information about using a control surface, see "Using a Control Surface" on page 529.
Gain, level, and panning controls can adjust automation (dynamic) settings, or they can function as
trim (nonautomated) controls.
The trim setting is added to the automation settings so your envelope or keyframe values are
preserved, but with an offset applied. For example, setting an audio track's trim control to -3 dB has
the same effect as decreasing every envelope point by 3 dB.
If your automation is not behaving as expected, you may have applied a trim value that is offsetting
your automation settings.
When a control is set to adjust trim levels, its handle is displayed as a . When a control is set to
adjust automation levels, it is displayed as a .
Audio Track Automation
With audio track automation, you can create fades, apply stereo panning, and add effects with parameters
or send levels that change over time.
Track automation will always affect all events on the track. This means that any event envelopes will be
calculated after the track automation.
To adjust track automation using the controls in the track header, select the Automation Settings button
. When Automation Settings is not selected, the controls adjust static (trim) levels.
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 automation
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. For more information, see "Preferences - Editing Tab" on
page 601.
Chapter 11
USING AUTOMATION255