Best DAW for automation?

[Electric_Head]

I choose Reaper because all I do is twist a knob, go to the automation parameters and click, show last touched parameter.
There you go, lane is up and active.
It allows you to draw in an lfo curve or to simply modulate the parameter with an lfo or midi or an external signal.
Plus every pts shape is editable.

[VirtualMark]

I use Cubase and the automation could be better. The usual way is to hunt through all the parameters on the channel until you find the one you want to automate, this can be time consuming. I've found a quicker way - hit "w", touch any parameter you want to automate, then click "show used parameters". I've set up a hotkey for show used parameters. This way, the controls i've touched show up as automation tracks and i can adjust as i want.

In contrast, Ableton is far superior. Every time you change a control the automation channel is there ready.

[Amphix]

In Fl Studio 10 all you have to do is right click on the parameter and choose "create automation clip" for native controls on the mixer or Imagine Line VSTs or use "last parameter tweaked" option from one of the top menus (forget which, just instinct at this point) for non-native controls and you can automate anything by way of an envelope on the playlist. You can place the envelopes right next to the midi or audio clip it's automating...really easy to automate things according to your arrangement and visualize what's going on.

I've really not used any other DAWs but FL Studio...I can't imagine it being easier than it is in FL Studio.

Agree with this, I'm also a FL user and for me automation is incredibly easy. If you don't want to purchase a DAW going from people on here's knowledge give the demo's a try first, mess around automation etc. - Remember, it's whatever works for you, not everybody else.

[sunny_b_uk]

VSTs use "last parameter tweaked" option from one of the top menus (forget which, just instinct at this point) for non-native controls and you can automate anything by way of an envelope on the playlist. You can place the envelopes right next to the midi or audio clip it's automating...really easy to automate things according to your arrangement and visualize what's going on.

an even easier way for VSTs in FL: tweak the knob u wana tweak, click on TOOLS on the top then type "LA" .. then just automate!
theres plenty of other kool shortcuts e.g. click TOOLS and type "MD" which selects macros with M then smart disable all plugins with D

[Killamike49]

Yeah +1 for FL.
You literally right click and create your automation clip, draw in what you want, and boom. Job done. Want more control? Edit events has got your back. Want to link that shit to a controller, right click on a control, click link to controller, move the knob you want, it's a done deal homie. Want to link more than one knob to the same automation clip? Easy shit, just click link to controller and choose the automation clip you want. See what we're getting at? Haha.

[Electric_Head]

so what we're saying here is that Reaper and FL apparently do the same things?

[Killamike49]

Yeah, but one of us has a bigger dick.

[VirtualMark]

Well its interesting reading how automation is done in different daw's, but i think its safe to say that it works ok in all daw's. Might take a few more clicks in some, but if you know your way round then its not a problem.

Just out of interest, which have curved automation?

[Genevieve]

Well its interesting reading how automation is done in different daw's, but i think its safe to say that it works ok in all daw's. Might take a few more clicks in some, but if you know your way round then its not a problem.

Just out of interest, which have curved automation?

As in, curved envelopes? Renoise has that option (along with dots and straight lines).

You're all giving daw names but no reasons for choosing them. It would be interesting to know why you choose these daws.

Heh, fair enough.

Renoise's envelopes are just simple. You open either double click on a little block next to the parameter or you just scroll the 'automtion tab' to find what you wanna automate and you just draw. I wish there would be a ghost representation of what's going on in the tracks under the automation envelopes, but it's still easy enough to see.

And pattern commands are just the greatest. You can just fill in commands per keyboard to trigger/untrigger certain things.

[Killamike49]

As does FL. In fact is has a fuckload of shapes for each portion of the clip that are between two points. So you could like write in a sine wave that's descending over like 16 bars and it has multiple points to drag up and down to adjust the tension of the curve for most shapes.

[nowaysj]

FL studio was a nightmare for doing any intricate automation. Automating the volume to rise over a 16 bar loop? Sure super easy. Automating a filter cutoff to form the 'groove' of your track (reeses etc), terrible.

Really strongly disagree with this. To the point that I don't even know if you were using actual automation in fl. With fl's various curve types and tension adjustment between points, it dominates in the groove department over straight line automation like Live and Reason. I haven't used logic's automation recording in some time, but I think I agree with you on that.

[Killamike49]

FL studio was a nightmare for doing any intricate automation. Automating the volume to rise over a 16 bar loop? Sure super easy. Automating a filter cutoff to form the 'groove' of your track (reeses etc), terrible.

Really strongly disagree with this. To the point that I don't even know if you were using actual automation in fl. With fl's various curve types and tension adjustment between points, it dominates in the groove department over straight line automation like Live and Reason.

This so much. I'm not saying fl is better than everything else at automating, just that if you can't figure out how to do what you want to do inside of fl automation wise, you suck. Haha.

[samurai]

I use reason and I find it fine for automation. if you're a reason user you should def check out james bernard's automation toolbox which can be downloaded here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y0Ro2M1Sh4

[nowaysj]

So cool, haven't seen reason in a long time, glad they use automation clips now. Extremely powerful. This is a pretty dope technique that homie is using.

[ehbes]

I use reason and I find it fine for automation. if you're a reason user you should def check out james bernard's automation toolbox which can be downloaded here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y0Ro2M1Sh4

Haven't seen that thanks !

[joegrizzly]

Doesnt get easier than ableton, just move the dial you want to automate.. its a click away from automating

[Theo Void]

I love Live.

[_TraX_]

In Fl Studio 10 all you have to do is right click on the parameter and choose "create automation clip" for native controls on the mixer or Imagine Line VSTs or use "last parameter tweaked" option from one of the top menus (forget which, just instinct at this point) for non-native controls and you can automate anything by way of an envelope on the playlist. You can place the envelopes right next to the midi or audio clip it's automating...really easy to automate things according to your arrangement and visualize what's going on.

I've really not used any other DAWs but FL Studio...I can't imagine it being easier than it is in FL Studio.

This.

what about automating parameters of outside VST's ? Haven't figured that out yet

[nowaysj]

Read the flstudio Q&A, it is covered in there 4 times. Couldn't be easier.

[jaws]

I work mainly in pro tools, it sucks for automation. Ableton live has the tightest automation of any daw that I've personally used.