Music Production
Automation
Automation records or draws changes to a control over time, such as a track's volume, pan or effect settings, so a DAW repeats those changes during playback.
Automation lets a mix change as the music unfolds. Instead of leaving every fader and effect at one setting, a DAW stores a path for a control to follow. A vocal can rise slightly in the chorus, a pan position can move, or a delay send can open for one word.
Recording and drawing
You can record a control movement while the project plays, or draw points and curves in an automation lane. The horizontal axis is time; the vertical axis is the parameter's value. Sloped lines make gradual changes, while steps make sudden ones. The DAW reads that information on subsequent passes.
A first exercise
Choose a sustained instrument part and draw a gentle volume rise over four bars. Listen with the rest of the mix, then reduce the change if it distracts from the melody. Next, try a single increase in a reverb send at the end of a phrase.
Read and write modes
Automation modes differ between programs. A read mode follows existing changes; write or touch modes can replace them as you move a control. Check the mode before experimenting and use undo or a saved version if you overwrite a useful pass. Automation shapes a performance; it does not require every control to move.