Automation Lanes

Use automation when a mix or effect should change over time: a filter opens into a chorus, delay grows at the end of a phrase, reverb blooms for a transition, or the Master fades out.

Automation in Miaou is lane-based. It appears as an extra row in the same arrangement timeline as regions, markers, chords, and the playhead. The row sits under the affected track or Master row, follows the same edit grid, and is read by realtime playback and export.

For where automation is read inside the full mix and export path, see Signal Flow and Export Paths.

Start from the parameter you want to move: select the track, open Mix, then click the parameter's **A** button.

Right-click an automation lane or point when you need exact point placement, lane enable/disable, or interpolation changes.

What Automation Controls

Automation lanes target Track Effect and Master Effects parameters.

Target type	Where to open it	Examples
Track Effect	Select a track, open Inspector > Mix, click A.	Delay Mix, Reverb Mix, Parametric EQ Band Gain, Utility Mono.
Master Effects	Open Inspector > Master, click A.	Output Gain, Limit Ceiling, Master Reverb, Master EQ.
Static track controls	Track head or Mix controls.	Track fader, pan, mute, solo, sends.

Track-head faders, pans, sends, mute, and solo save with the project, but they are not the same as an automation lane. Use automation when you need repeatable movement over the song.

Static Control or Automation?

Start with the simplest control that matches the musical need.

Need	Use
One fixed level, pan, effect value, or preset	The normal track, Mix, Instrument, or Master control.
A repeatable change at a specific song moment	An automation lane.
A quick before/after check	Bypass the effect, mute the automation lane, or undo the last edit.
A fade or transition that must export the same	Automation, then check realtime playback before exporting.
A one-time manual performance while listening	Move the control while auditioning, then add automation only if the movement should be repeated.

If a static value and an enabled automation lane disagree, the enabled lane wins during playback and export. Mute the lane when you want to hear the static value again without deleting points.

Read the Automation Row

Before drawing points, confirm the row describes the parameter you mean to edit. This avoids the most common automation mistake: drawing a good curve on the wrong track or effect.

Row detail	What it tells you
Track or Master label	Whether the row belongs to a source track, bus, or the final Master path.
Parameter name	The exact effect parameter being read, such as Delay Mix, Utility Width, or Master Output Gain.
Automated / Muted	Whether playback/export reads the lane or ignores the lane and uses the static parameter value.
Point count	Whether the lane has usable movement yet. A visible row with no useful points will not change sound.
Linear / stepped point menu	Whether the value glides between points or jumps at the next point.
Target picker	The destination parameter when you need to show a different Track Effect or Master Effects lane.

If the row label is wrong, stop and choose the correct parameter before adding more points. If the row is right but you hear no change, check the effect bypass, Mix amount, routing, mute/solo state, and whether the row is Muted.

First Automation Pass

Use this small workflow the first time you automate a parameter:

1. Select the track whose sound should move, or open Inspector > Master for a final-output move.
2. Add or reveal the effect parameter you want, such as Delay Mix, Reverb Mix, Filter Cutoff, Utility Width, or Output Gain.
3. Click A beside that parameter and read the automation row title. It should name the exact track or Master parameter you meant.
4. Add two points: one before the change and one where the change should arrive.
5. Play through the section. If the movement is too strong, drag the second point closer to the normal value.
6. Mute the lane to compare against the static value, then re-enable it when the movement is right.

Keep the first pass simple. A two-point change is easier to trust than a dense curve, and it is easier to undo, copy, or adjust later.

Create a Lane

1. Select the track or open Inspector > Master.
2. Find the effect parameter you want to automate.
3. Click the small A button beside that parameter.
4. Miaou opens a contextual automation row under the affected track or Master row.
5. Click the curve to add the first point.

Miaou shows one automation row at a time to keep the arrangement readable. The left track list row names the affected track or Master path, and the timeline row header names the effect and parameter being edited. The row also shows the lane state, point count, current static value, and value scale.

Add and Edit Points

Use pointer edits for normal work:

• Click the lane curve to add a point.
• Drag a point left or right to change time.
• Drag a point up or down to change value.
• Right-click the lane and choose Add point here for exact context-menu placement.
• Right-click a point to switch between Linear interpolation and Stepped interpolation.

The footer Grid and Abs/Rel snap controls apply to automation timing, just like region, chord, marker, and MIDI edits.

Select, Copy, Paste, and Nudge

Automation points use the same editing model as other timeline objects:

Gesture or shortcut	Result
Click a point	Select that point.
Cmd / Ctrl-click	Add or remove one point from the selection.
Shift-click	Select a range in the lane.
Cmd+A / Ctrl+A	Select every point in the active automation lane.
Cmd+C, Cmd+X, Cmd+V	Copy, cut, and paste points in the current lane.
Cmd+D / Ctrl+D	Duplicate selected points to the next sensible position.
Delete / Backspace	Delete selected points.
ArrowLeft / ArrowRight	Nudge selected points by the active grid.
ArrowUp / ArrowDown	Nudge selected point values.
Shift + arrow	Use a larger nudge step.
Option / Alt drag	Leave originals in place and preview ghost duplicate points while moving.

If several points are selected, dragging one selected point moves the group together. Timing and value offsets stay relative until the group reaches time 0 or the automated parameter's minimum or maximum value.

Linear vs Stepped

Shape	Use it for
Linear	Smooth fades, filter sweeps, reverb/delay ramps.
Stepped	Abrupt effect changes, rhythmic jumps, on/off-style moves.

Linear is the safest default for musical movement. Stepped is useful when you want a sudden change at an exact beat.

Mute or Re-enable a Lane

When a parameter row says Automated, playback and export read the lane over time. When the lane has points but is disabled, the row shows Muted and playback/export use the current static control value.

Use lane mute when you want to compare the automated movement against one fixed setting without deleting points.

Change the Target

Use the target picker in the automation row header when you want the visible row to show another automatable parameter.

Track Effect targets are grouped by effect in the selected track's effect chain. Master targets are grouped by effect family. This keeps duplicate effects separate: if a track has two Delay effects, each Delay's parameters remain separate automation targets.

Good First Automation Moves

Try these before making complicated curves:

Goal	Lane idea
Build energy	Automate filter cutoff or Auto-filter depth into a chorus.
Make a transition	Raise Delay Mix or Reverb Mix for the last beat of a section.
Create movement	Automate Utility Width, Auto-pan depth, Tremolo depth, or Phaser Mix.
Clean an arrangement	Mute a heavy effect lane for a verse, then re-enable in the chorus.
Finish a song	Automate Master Effects Output Gain for a fade-out.

Keep the first curve simple. Two or three well-placed points are usually easier to trust than a dense lane full of small edits.

Simple Automation Recipes

Use these as exact first shapes. Each one starts with two or three points, then you can refine by ear.

Move	Parameter to automate	Point shape
Filter lift	Auto-filter cutoff or Parametric EQ band.	Low value before the section, higher value at the chorus or drop, optional third point to hold.
Delay throw	Delay Mix or Delay Feedback.	Normal low value during the phrase, high value on the last word/note, back down on the next beat.
Reverb bloom	Reverb Mix or Decay.	Low value before the transition, higher value at the final hit, return lower after the tail starts.
Verse-to-chorus width	Utility Width or Chorus Mix.	Narrower in the verse, wider at the chorus entrance, then hold.
Master fade-out	Master Effects Output Gain.	Normal level before the ending, lower level at the fade end; use Linear interpolation.
Rhythmic on/off move	Effect Mix, Utility Mono, or a stepped target.	Add points at grid positions and use Stepped interpolation for abrupt changes.

After drawing one of these, mute the lane once to compare against the static setting. If the automated version only sounds louder or wider, adjust output or mix before adding more points.

Realtime and Export

Automation is part of the project render path. Realtime playback and full-mix export are expected to read the same enabled automation lanes.

Before exporting:

1. Play the section where the lane changes.
2. Confirm the parameter row says Automated, not Muted.
3. Check mute/solo/routing if the effect seems silent.
4. Export ZIP and listen to project-mix.wav.

Per-track stems include source-track automation where relevant, but stems do not include final Master Effects or final Master output controls. Use the full mix when you need the finished Master path.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
The lane is visible but nothing changes	Confirm the row is enabled, the effect is enabled, and the parameter row says Automated.
The curve changed a different effect	Check the lane header target and the selected track or Master surface.
Points paste at the wrong time	Move the playhead or right-click the destination lane and choose Paste point here.
Movement sounds too jumpy	Switch points to Linear interpolation or reduce the value jump.
Movement is too gradual	Use Stepped interpolation or add points closer to the transition.
Export sounds different from playback	Check lane enabled state, mute/solo/routing, Master controls, and whether you are comparing stems to the full mix.

Limits to Know

• Miaou shows one contextual automation row at a time.
• Track-head faders, pans, mute/solo, and sends are saved controls; lane automation controls Track Effect and Master Effects parameters.
• Continuous live drags on some mix controls save immediately but are not always undo-stack entries.
• Dense automation, heavy analyzers, and many active effects can add CPU load in large projects.

Related Pages

• Mix and Automate gives the task-first mix path around levels, routing, sends, sidechain, automation, and export.
• Signal Flow and Export Paths explains how automation sits in the realtime and export signal path.
• Effects and Automation explains effect racks, signal flow, Track Effects, Master Effects, and automation reference details.
• Effect Reference lists each effect, parameter, preset, and screenshot.
• Editing Basics explains shared selection, clipboard, duplicate, nudge, and undo behavior.
• Troubleshooting covers common automation failures.