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Automation...what am I doing wrong

drezdrez
in General

I've committed to finishing a tune from start to finish in BM3 but every time I start working on Automation I immediately want to export to Ableton. I can NOT, for the life of me, do simple automation lines. Handles are added all the time when I don't want them, or jump around if I am barely off. The level is precision needed to do simple lines or..anything for that matter is just beyond my finger tips. Doing a steep line, if not precise, erases or moves the handles and I have to start over...constantly. Even with the Apple Pencil, I touch a single handle, and the handles to its left and right jump around.

I absolutely love BM3, but this is the single item that makes me not want to open it because I know when I get this point, I will stop working on the song. Conversely, If you look at Auxy's automation, its a masterpiece of simplicity that works like, IMO, every finger based DAW should work. Its effortless.

I want to think that I'm just missing something obvious and to have that pointed out to me would bring me joy for all of 2018. Am i the only one with this issue?

Help me Community!

Comments

  • ronjironji

    Drawing automation is definitely tricky in bm3. You need to mind the grid and get accustomed to the different tools. Here’s a quick vid of me drawing some automation starting with the grid set to 1 bar, then down to free. You’ll notice some weirdness when trying to use the select tool, but mostly you should be able to get the automation the way you want it after some trial and error. One of the most important things to remember is that you don’t touch the automation point, you touch the grid column to the immediate right of the point, and this is exactly why the grid setting is important.

  • drezdrez

    @ronji That was exactly what I needed! Great job explaining it and the video made things a lot easier for me to grasp. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to do that. After trying your suggestions it is certainly less finicky and the grid value is the key to get things right when you want it zoomed in. Awesome!!! I'm hyped to start working on this tune again!

    Cheers!!!!

  • LucidMusicIncLucidMusicInc

    +1

  • HeyezHeyez

    Great thread and video. Thanks @ronji

  • drezdrez
    edited January 2018

    I'm not letting Intua off the hook on the automation, though. I think they have some work to do to make it less fiddly. I feel that way about most of the midi editing as a whole, but progress is going in the right direction so I've been pleased with the progress.

    A couple of suggestions to Intua:

    • Maybe if I was able to make the Automation section double in size on the screen for when I'm really getting into the automation process would be helpful.

    • Have a new mode for double tapping to add a handle and then you can only move a handle that you are tapped on. Like if I tap a handle, then no matter where my finger moves on the screen ONLY that handle moves. I don't care if there is a handle to the left or right, if I tapped on a single handle then until my finger comes off the screen, I ONLY want that specific handle to be adjusted. If I want to adjust the one on the left or right of it, then I have to pick up my finger and tap that specific handle. This would allow for precision, IMO.

  • mefismemefisme
    edited January 2018

    @drez said:
    I'm not letting Intua off the hook on the automation, though. I think they have some work to do to make it less fiddly. I feel that way about most of the midi editing as a whole, but progress is going in the right direction so I've been pleased with the progress.

    A couple of suggestions to Intua:

    • Maybe if I was able to make the Automation section double in size on the screen for when I'm really getting into the automation process would be helpful.

    • Have a new mode for double tapping to add a handle and then you can only move a handle that you are tapped on. Like if I tap a handle, then no matter where my finger moves on the screen ONLY that handle moves. I don't care if there is a handle to the left or right, if I tapped on a single handle then until my finger comes off the screen, I ONLY want that specific handle to be adjusted. If I want to adjust the one on the left or right of it, then I have to pick up my finger and tap that specific handle. This would allow for precision, IMO.

    It’s true that critical and precise automation editing is limited right now. For example with vocals. Not everyone is going to have faders to ride to get volume levels balanced and a macro knob is not going to have grid options EDIT: I apologize... forgot they do through record automation quantize settings. If i were strictly doing heavy automation lanes, I would want a larger area to work with for that. But we do have the functionality, so I can’t really complain.

    The handles for each automation point I had to just stop using. @ronji and his video is probably best method so far. Use grid, select delete or undo. Repeat. But your double tap hold is a good request. Post it in feature requests so more people can catch it.

  • drezdrez

    @mefisme said:
    ... But your double tap hold is a good request. Post it in feature requests so more people can catch it.

    Done!

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