Moving midi automation between tracks not working?

I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered this, but I appear to stumbled on a major limitation… hoping someone can figure out a workaround.

NOTE - post edited to reflect further honing down of the problem.

  1. Record some midi onto an Instrument Track.

  2. Add some automation data - NOTE this is not the same as midi part automation, such as a normal CC1 modwheel, I mean an automation lane of any kind which is synchronous with the clip. You can change the modwheel to record this way by going into CC Automation Setup in the midi menu, and setting Record Destination on Conflict to be “automation” - of course make sure your track is also write enabled. It won’t convert existing midi data to automation, so write fresh data.

  3. Make sure Automation Follows Events is checked in the Edit menu, and view your data in the automation lane.

  4. Move the clip around the timeline - you should see the data moving as you’d expect.

  5. Now create a new midi channel (NOT another instrument channel), and move or copy the midi clip to the new channel.

  6. You’ll see that the automation data stays exactly where it was - it DOESN’T follow the event, as expected.

Moreover, it doesn’t seem possible to copy the data using the edit menu copy / paste. Again, it only moves to elsewhere on the same track.

EDIT - so on further testing, it seems to effect Midi CC automation data only betwen instrument and midi tracks. Regular automation data - such as volume - behaves normally, as does copying between midi tracks, and copying between Instrument tracks. The issue only arises when copying between an instrument and a midi track.

PS - for those who want to write “why don’'t you just use midi part data”, its to do with controlling over EuCon via Quick Controls. That’s the only way to have an Artist Mix (or whatever) control midi CC data.

Works here. I just dragged the automation from one lane to another (range tool + ALT). I didn’t touch any of the merge options on the new track - it was just set to ‘global average’ (the default)…

Thanks Vespesian - yes, looks like the range tool works - no modifiers to move, ALT to copy. There doesn’t appear to be a way to do it using the object tool as you normally would to shift a clip using Automation Follows Events and I don’t really know why this should be, but delighted that there is another way so thanks once again.

I use the range tool for everything. :slight_smile:

Hm.

Here I am able to:

Write enable a midi track
Hit Play
Move the mod wheel
Automation points are recorded in automation lane
Drag, opt/alt drag, cut and paste, or copy to another midi track
Automation follows

Is this what you’re talking about?

(It would be helpful if you indicate your system)

And either move this or copy it to the ISSUES section where, if you have found a bug, it will be noticed more readily.

Probably not what I was saying - if you re-read the op, it’ll need to be specifically recorded as automation data. Midi data does show up in the automation lane, and that’s fine. Just follow the exact instructions in the OP, especially point 2 (though I should add that all that is using the standard Object mode).

System - Win7 64 bit, 7.5.2, 64gb RAM, RME Babyface.

Buchanan - well really its more of a question than a bug report. I suspect that Automation Follows Events works as it does by design, though I don’t understand why, in which case it may end up in a feature request rather than an issue?

I recorded automation by activating Write on the track.

My settings for CC Automation setup are as you said.

Your recipe isn’t really clear on #2 (to me anyway)

Could you try my repro in the interest of shedding some light on the question?

If you’re asking if MIDI CC automation follows events when moving or copying I found that it does, here. Conceivably, this might be a Windows only thing.

Thanks for this Stephen and A-HA! You’re right, if you do this on a regular midi track to midi track it works as expected. However it doesn’t copy the automation data - as I’d originally found - if copying from an instrument track to a midi track, though one instrument track to another is ok too. Midi tracks connected to rack instruments are ok too.

So in summary:

Midi track - Midi track - works correctly
Instrument track - instrument track - works correctly
Instrument track - Midi track - doesn’t work correctly
Midi track - Instrument track - doesn’t work correctly

That’s sounding a bit more like a bug now - what do you think? Set up something in the issues thread?

PS - just tried this with regular automation data for volume, and that works correctly in all cases. Looks like its midi CC data in automation lanes between instrument and midi tracks that is uniquely affected.

Aha, indeed :wink: Confirmed.

So the issue might be phrased as: MIDI CC automation (in automation lanes) does not follow parts between different track types, e.g., from MIDI track to Track Instrument track, or vice-versa. (even though it does between same-type tracks, e.g., midi to midi, or instrument to instrument)

And the request would be to implement this for different track types.

And, I think I’d call this a feature request, since it’s a missing function, as opposed to a broken function.

+1 too.

Thanks again, Steve - thread now up in features and suggestions - http://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=182&t=58423