-
<p>
- Ardour offers two modes for connecting automation control points: <kbd
- class=menu>Discrete</kbd> and <kbd class=menu>Linear</kbd>. The mode is
- changed by a right click on the automation lane header and choosing the
- mode from the mode menu.
+ Ardour offers two modes for interpolating automation control points: <kbd
+ class="menu">Linear</kbd> and <kbd class="menu">Discrete</kbd>. The mode is
+ changed by a <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> click on the automation lane header
+ and choosing the mode from the mode menu.
</p>
-<p>
- <kbd class=menu>Discrete</kbd> mode has stair steps between each point on the
- automation track. This is useful for on-off automation like mute or sustain
- pedal (on a piano MIDI track).
-</p>
+<figure>
+ <img src="/images/automation-linear.png" alt="Automation - linear">
+ <img src="/images/automation-discrete.png" alt="Automation - discrete">
+ <figcaption>Automation : linear vs discrete.</figcaption>
+</figure>
<p>
- When recording automation via MIDI (for example a pitch bend from a keyboard),
- Ardour always uses discreet mode.
+ <kbd class="menu">Linear</kbd> mode interpolates values between control points
+ in a given automation curve by connecting them with straight lines; the values
+ played back are derived from the points that lie on the lines thus defined.
+ Typically, this is what is desired and is the default mode for all automation
+ lanes.
</p>
<p>
- <kbd class=menu>Linear</kbd> mode has straight lines betwen each point on the
- automation track. This is useful for gradual shifts in automation lanes,
- such as gradual increase in volume on the fader.
+ <kbd class="menu">Discrete</kbd> mode does <em>no</em> interpolation between
+ control points in a given automation curve. The values set by the control
+ points do not change until the following control point is reached at which
+ time the value is then set to its value; this continues on until there are no
+ more control points. Typically this is used for parameters such as mute or
+ sustain pedal (e.g., on a MIDI piano track).
+</p>
- Linear is the default mode for most automation lanes created via mouse input
- (versus recording via MIDI).
+<p class="note">
+ When recording automation via MIDI (e.g., pitch bend from a MIDI keyboard),
+ Ardour always uses discrete mode.
</p>