midi automation

[the19thbear]

I have been facing this problem everytime i want to do midi automation:AAAARGH!

Let's say i record a midi part.
I then want to add parameter automation (midi cc) to it.
I select midi controller number 2 (or whatever), and i expect to be able to draw automation just like i would draw normal region/clip volume/pan automation. But no. Midi automation insists on going into an on/off state.
The only way i can do smooth editing is by using the pencil tool and drawing in the curves i need..

Normally with volume automation, i would cmd+left mouse click to create an editing point on a volume line. then i would be able to pull that up or down and i would get a smooth transistion from point to point. But not with midi editing.
It only makes hard cuts, and everything looks like square waves, expect for when i use the pencil too, which is horrible for making fine editing.

Is there something I am missing here?
Thanks

[musicman691]

Keep in mind that not all MIDI parameters are continuous controllers; some are on/off like sustain.

When you write: "Normally with volume automation, I would cmd+left mouse click to create an editing point on a volume line. Then I would be able to pull that up or down and i would get a smooth transistion from point to point. But not with midi editing." when you talk about volume automation are you talking about after the MIDI is rendered out and it's audio? Certain automation parameters work different in MIDI versus audio.

[the19thbear]

Of course a sustain pedal only has on/off etc.
But this is ALL midi cc. They are all the same, which doesnt make sense.
I want it to behave just like a normal volume automation on a normal audio track.
It's near impossible to make smooth midi curves and fine adjust them. You ahve to draw a new one each time. It doestn behave like audio volume/pan/automation, which i'm thinking there must be a way around somehow.

Thanks for taking the time:)

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by the19thbear

Of course a sustain pedal only has on/off etc.
But this is ALL midi cc. They are all the same, which doesnt make sense.
I want it to behave just like a normal volume automation on a normal audio track.
It's near impossible to make smooth midi curves and fine adjust them. You ahve to draw a new one each time. It doestn behave like audio volume/pan/automation, which i'm thinking there must be a way around somehow.

Thanks for taking the time:)

In PT MIDI automation will never work just like audio automation UNTIL Avid does a major code rewrite. It's one of those things where PT falls flat in MIDI work and those that do do a lot of MIDI do it in other daws.

You've found a way to work around the issue with the pencil tool. Wish there was a better way but at the moment - there isn't.

[the19thbear]

Sdaly, that was what i expected.

All the other midi features are ok in pro tools i think, but automation is just silly and stupid.

Thanks:)

[jimax]

You just need to put the track you want to record CC midi automation in "REC mode" and press Record.
Be sure the "merge midi rec mode" button ( just right to the click button in transport ) is light on, so you dont erase you notes data.

In a certain way it s a good point that Pro Tools doesn't consider volume/pan/plugin auto the same way as midi CC messages, so you can suspend all automation ( from the "Automation" window - Command+4 ) and still continue to have CC midi message controlling your Instruments ( expression, modulation, sustain pedal, etc. ); so you don't change the way your vst instruments sound.