You have a track controlled with a VCA fader. It doesn’t have automation written to it, and you’d like to add some. When you add a node to the track’s automation lane, the track’s fader will suddenly jump by the amount set on the VCA linked to it. This essentially doubles the effect of the VCA. That’s bad.
Can anyone confirm? Anyone have any workarounds?
I think i see what you mean - if you see my other issues post about scaling - there is some funky interworking between gain and automation appearance in 10.5.20 it would seem.
On the original track the darker effective volume curve (which is the combination of the VCA and actual channel gain for the track) is really useful - just so you can get a feel for the actual track output level. HOWEVER I would expect the original channels gain input be reflected in the controller fader - ie WITHOUT the VCA impact. Likewise, on the VCA automation you only see the gain set for the VCA in your controller.
This doesn’t seem to be how it is at the moment - plus there are some really weird scaling effects when you re-record volume automation on a VCA controlled track. Which seems to then stick in the presentation of the track… would also be interested in a workaround but I’m not sure there is one.
As far as I can tell though, the actual gain produced in the actual audio output is correct…
May not answer your direct question - but you are not alone.
Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, I agree. Also, if you automate your VCA fader, happen to pause the playhead over an area of that automation, then make a certain specific set of changes in the project window or the mixer (e.g. alt-drag copy/paste audio folder events or sometimes changing track routing in the mixer), the relationship between your VCA fader and the faders of the tracks it controls will be reset. That is to say, if you automate your VCA -inf in a section, you pause playback there to make a change, and that change happens to be alt-drag copy/pasting a folder event (among other things), all your VCA-controlled track faders are now +inf forever. Your mix is ruined, it cannot be ctrl-z’d. Revert save.
Good times.
Yeah - I suspect I am seeing something like that. I have a complex mix for a school production of Pirates Of Penzance - had 30 vocal mics across principles and chorus (via a Yamaha digital desk and Dante bridge to a laptop - school productions have come a long way 
). Had groups with vca control of sub groups within the chorus…’cause you know I thought VCAs worked . After getting quite deep into the mix, some of the surprises just kept coming
I think I am going back to square one with a different mix/channel construct.
Onwards ever onwards