questions about how MASCHINE+ automation works

Space Cat 303 · 2022-09-22T13:30:03+00:00

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Hi there

I have a question about automation on M+.

I would like to be sure to understand, on a pattern, if I put in AUTO mode, my CUTtoff is at 400hz (for example), I start reading the patterns, the display corresponding to the CUT OFF rotary knob indicates 0%, that corresponds well to 0% of 400hz (since I had positioned at 400 before the start of reading and pressed AUTO?

What happens if after the recording of the automation is finished if I move the cutt off button from 400 to 1000 for example, it will be 0% at the start of the reading from 1000hz?

What happens if I restart a reading with AUTO on? Above .

Finally, I see a white dot next to the CUTT OFF value, if I want to erase the automation of this pattern (or of the entire track in SONG mode) do I have to press SHIFT + CLEAR AUTO? If so, I don't think it works, or did I forget something?

thanks in advance to the M+ specialists for help

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tribepop

I’ve only had an M+ for a couple weeks so I’m no master yet but I’ve got a pretty good understanding so far I think.

As far as I know, there is no way to modify your automation on the M+ directly, you just have to clear it and then re-record it on a pattern basis. In the software you can just modify each automation point directly. I remember seeing a video on doing some kind of automation on a per step basis using the controller’s step sequencer so I’ll try to include that video below (it’s also got a lot of other useful info):

https://youtu.be/4Zzhn_-g3WI

The automation values are relative to the current knob position so it’s up to you to figure out what the default value should be based on. I typically set the knob to 0 and then have patterns with specific automation but these are usually for things like the dry/wet amount so a value of 0 is totally dry but that may not work with something like a filter where a value of 0 may make the sound inaudible in which case you can set it to a different reference value, just remember not to change it after you’ve added automation.

D-One

The biggest thing to understand is it's not Automation, it's Modulation... the button being named AUTO seems to help create this confusion.

Modulation is relative, so you can still twist the knob while it's being moved by the recorded Modulation.
Automation is absolute, it fully controls the knob and can only be external, if MAS is a plugin the Automation can come from the DAW or in MAS app it can come from external MIDI... (for M+ standalone it can only came from external MIDI aswell) When neither is the case it's Modulation.

What happens if after the recording of the automation is finished if I move the cutt off button from 400 to 1000 for example, it will be 0% at the start of the reading from 1000hz?

No. If you record Modulation while the cutoff is at 400hz then thats sort of your 0%, a starting point if you will, so the value is how much you moved the knob relative to your starting point. Using percentage for this is silly IMO, it should just show values.

If you increase the knob from 400hz to 1000hz after then you increase all the values +600hz, it would be the same as bringing an Automation lane up on a DAW, making the filter generally more open but retaining the curve/shape you recorded... This is hard to explain with words but MAS desktop makes this very easy to understand visually:

https://imgur.com/a/NYISoFL

When moving the knob after Modulation is recorded I guess you can look at it as the knob shifting the range of possible values around the Modulation.

What happens if I restart a reading with AUTO on? Above .

Nothing happens unless you touch the knob, if you do then your record modulation over whats already there.

The dot is to indicate that theres Modulation recorded for that parameter. Clear Auto should work but keep in mind it's per pattern because thats where Modulation ends up unlike Automation in a DAW which extends thru the whole timeline.

Space Cat 303

Thanks a lot tribepop and D-One

You helped me a lot, I understood "automation" way M+, you have to get used to it.

You have explained the modulation, and the rest, well.

I now think I know better what I'm really doing with modulation.

Thanks again for taking the time to explain.

One last question, even if I mainly use M+ in standalone mode, can you redraw the modulation curve with Maschine 2 (M+ in controller mode)?

D-One

No prob.

Small correction: Clear Auto does not remove the Modulation per see, it resets it to the absolute knob position, the automation lane will still be there but just as a straight/flat line. To fully remove it press Erase+Knob .

You can also just touch the knob without rotating while Auto is on and it draws a straight line, no idea what value it uses for that tho, feels random to me.

@Space Cat 303 said:

One last question, even if I mainly use M+ in standalone mode, can you redraw the modulation curve with Maschine 2 (M+ in controller mode)?

Yeah, it's editable in both, Controller Mode has a couple of advantages besides the visual aid: move it up/down and draw with the mouse... But you have no fancy stuff (no curves, points, copy, paste, move horizontally, nothing really)

Space Cat 303

Thank you, I understood perfectly

I will do some tests

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