Write automation in real time in Logic Pro for iPad

1. In the Tracks area menu bar, tap the Automation View button  (or press A on your external keyboard).

   Make sure to swipe the track list to the right to reveal the track controls in the track headers.

2. In the track header of a track, tap the Automation Mode pop-up menu and choose one of the four options.

   Note: Selecting an automation mode on a track that is a member of a Mixer group sets all tracks in that group to the same automation mode. See Create Mixer groups.

The Automation Mode button in the track header changes color depending on the chosen mode. Read mode has two appearances: green text on a gray background indicates that there is no existing automation data on that track, and white text on a green background indicates that there is automation that will be active when playing back your project.

If Touch or Latch is selected in the track header, the Automation Mode pop-up menu in the Editors area menu bar displays that mode preceded by the letter T (either “T: Touch” or “T: Latch”). This indicates that any movement of an onscreen control will be written as track automation. The Mixer and Plug-ins area show similar indications, whether automation is written as track automation or region automation.

1. In the Tracks area menu bar, tap the Automation View button  (or press A on your external keyboard), then tap the Move button .

2. Tap the Multiple Select button  to select it, then select all the tracks you want to change their automation mode by tapping the track icon in their track header.

   You can also touch and hold the Multiple Select button  in momentary mode or press and hold the Shift key on your external keyboard, make the track selection, and then release the button or the Shift key.

3. On one of the selected tracks, tap the Automation Mode pop-up menu and choose one of the four options.

4. Tap the Multiple Select button  again to deselect it.

   Once you’re done performing an action on multiple selected tracks, tap the empty area below the last track header to deselect the tracks and avoid applying edits to multiple tracks unintentionally.

1. In the Tracks area menu bar, tap the Tracks View button , then tap the regions that you want to write automation to.

2. Tap the Editors button  in the view control bar, tap the Automation View button  in the Editors area menu bar (or press A on your external keyboard), then tap the Automation Mode pop-up menu next to it and choose one of the four options.

Choosing Read or Off changes the automation modes in the corresponding track header to the same mode. Choosing Touch or Latch will also change the track header’s Automation Mode pop-up menu to Touch and Latch (if Automation view is selected), but now with the letter R (either “R: Touch” or “R: Latch”). This indicates that any automation is written to the region (region automation) and not to the track (track automation).

1. In the Tracks area, tap the track icon of the track you want to write automation to.

2. Tap the Plug-ins button  in the middle of the view control bar (or press B on your external keyboard).

   You can also double-tap the track icon to open the Plug-ins area (and for software instrument tracks also the Play Surfaces).

3. Tap the Automation Mode pop-up menu on the right side of the Plug-ins area menu bar and choose one of the options.

   The pop-up menu has a Track and a Region section; both provide the option Touch and Latch so that you can choose whether you want to write track automation or region automation.

1. Tap the Mixer button  in the middle of the view control bar to show the Mixer.

2. Tap the Filter button  at the top of the output track on the far right to open the Component Filter list, tap Automation to select it, then tap the Filter button again to close the list.

   This step is only necessary if the Automation Mode pop-up menu is not displayed in the channel strips. By default, it is visible.

3. Tap the Automation Mode pop-up menu in any of the channel strips and choose one of the options.

   The pop-up menu has a Track and a Region section; both provide the option Touch and Latch so that you can choose whether you want to write track automation or region automation.

When you choose an automation mode on a track that is part of a Mixer group, all tracks in that group change to the same automation mode. See Create Mixer groups.

1. Tap the Mixer button  in the middle of the view control bar.

2. Tap the Filter button  in the upper-right area of the Mixer and select Groups in the Component Filter list to make the Group slot visible in the channel strips.

3. In each channel strip you want to add to a group, tap the Group slot and choose the same group.

   You can also select the channel strips first and then tap the Group slot in one of the selected channel strips to choose a group.

4. Tap the Automation Mode pop-up menu in any of the channel strips and choose one of the options.

1. Choose either Touch or Latch from the Automation Mode pop-up menu on the track where you want to write automation.

2. Tap the Play button  in the control bar, or press the Space bar on your external keyboard to start playback.

   You can also write automation while in Record mode.

3. Adjust any controls (faders, knobs, or switches), and the values for those parameters are written as automation data based on your movements.

   As the playhead moves across the timeline, the automation curve is being created on the track lane at the playhead position. Region automation can only be written between the left and right borders of a region.

4. Tap the Stop button  in the control bar or press the Space bar on your external keyboard to stop playback.

   You can place the playhead at any position and start playback again to continue writing automation or overwriting existing automation. Alternatively, you can edit the automation data graphically.