By automating mixes, you can change mix settings over time. For example, you can automatically increase volume during a critical musical passage and later reduce the volume in a gradual fade out. See this video tutorial to watch mix automation in action.
Automation envelopes visually indicate settings at specific points in time, and you can edit them by dragging keyframes on envelope lines. Envelopes are nondestructive, so they don’t change audio files in any way. If you open a file in the Waveform Editor, for example, you don’t hear the effect of any envelopes applied in the Multitrack Editor.
A. Clip envelope B. Track envelope
With clip envelopes, you can automate clip volume, pan, and effect settings.
On stereo tracks, clip volume and pan envelopes appear by default; you can identify them by color and initial position. Volume envelopes are yellow lines initially placed across the upper half of clips. Pan envelopes are blue lines initially placed in the center. (With pan envelopes, the top of a clip represents full left, while the bottom represents full right.)
Note:
On mono and 5.1 surround tracks, clips lack pan envelopes.
A. Pan envelope B. Volume envelope
Clip envelopes are visible by default, but if they interfere with editing or are visually distracting, you can hide them.
-
In the upper-right corner of a clip, click the parameter menu, and select a Rack mixing option or an effect parameter. (In the menu, visible parameters appear with checkmarks. Select a parameter again to hide it.)
After you edit keyframes for a parameter, it appears with an asterisk (*) in the menu.
Note:
The Rack Power option lets you turn a clip's Effects Rack on and off over time.
With track envelopes, you can change volume, pan, and effect settings over time. Adobe Audition displays track envelopes in an automation lane below each track. Each automated parameter has its own envelope, which you edit just like clip envelopes.
A. Automation lane B. Envelope for parameter
While playing a session, you can record adjustments you make to track volume, pan, and effect settings, creating a mix that dynamically evolves over time. Adobe Audition automatically converts your adjustments into track envelopes, which you can edit with precision.
Note:
With an external controller such as the Mackie Control, you can adjust multiple settings simultaneously. See Control surface support.
- In the Main panel, position the current-time indicator where you want to start recording automation.
- Choose an option from the Track Automation Mode menu.
- To start recording automation, start playback. As audio plays, adjust track or effect settings in the Editor, Mixer, or Effects Rack panels.
- To stop recording automation, stop playback.
Note:
If recorded keyframes are too numerous or irregular, see Optimize recorded automation.
Off
Ignores track envelopes during playback and mixdown, but continues to display envelopes so you can manually add or adjust keyframes.
Read
Applies track envelopes during playback and mixdown, but doesn’t record any changes you make to them. (You can preview such changes, but keyframes return to recorded settings.)
Write
When playback starts, overwrites existing keyframes with current settings. Continues to record new settings until playback stops.
Latch
Begins recording keyframes when you first adjust a setting, and continues to record new settings until playback stops.
Touch
Similar to Latch, but gradually returns settings to previously recorded values when you stop adjusting them. Use Touch to overwrite specific sections of automation while leaving others intact.
When recording automation, you may want to protect certain parameters from inadvertent changes, while adjusting other parameters.
- At the left of the Editor panel, navigate to the specific track's controls.
- Click the Show/Hide Automation Lanes icon [ICON].
- From the Show Envelopes menu, choose the parameter.
- Click the Protect The Parameter icon [ICON].
To prevent recorded automation from creating excessive or irregular keyframes, optimize the following settings in Multitrack section of the Preferences dialog box.
Automatch Time
Determines how fast parameters return to original values in the Touch mode. You can set values from 0.00 to 5.00 seconds; the default value is 1.00 second.
Linear Edit Point Thinning
Removes any keyframes that represent static, unchanging parameter settings.
Minimum Time Interval Thinning
Creates keyframes at time intervals larger than the specified value. Enter an interval between 1 and 2000 milliseconds in the Minimum Time field.
Keyframes on envelope lines change clip and track parameters over time. Adobe Audition automatically calculates, or interpolates, all the intermediate values between keyframes using one of two transition methods:
Hold
transitions
create an abrupt change in value at each new keyframe.Linear
transitions
create a gradual, even change between keyframes.
You can also apply spline curves to an entire envelope, overriding the keyframe-specific setting above to create natural-sounding transitions that change in speed near keyframes. (See About spline curves for graphs.)
A. Hold B. Linear (the default) C. Spline curves
Position the pointer over an envelope line. When a plus sign
appears, click.Position the playhead where you’d like a track parameter to change. Then click the Add Keyframe icon
in the track controls.
or
Next Keyframe 
icon.Right-click any keyframe, and choose Select All Keyframes.
Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), and click specific keyframes.
Hold down Shift, and click to select a series of keyframes.
To reposition selected keyframes, drag them. (To maintain time position or parameter value, hold down Shift and drag.)
To reposition a segment of an envelope without creating a keyframe, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac OS), and drag.
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