To become fluent in managing automation it really helps if you can see what you need to see when you need to see it. This keyboard shortcut really helps speed things up. By default the Pro Tools Edit window displays the following views:

• Audio track - Waveform

• MIDI and Instrument tracks - Clips

• Aux Input and Master Faders - volume automation playlist

• Video - Frames

• Folder Tracks - Overview

Of course, they can show any of the available alternative views, which for the most part are automation playlists. Volume, pans, and mutes are available by default and as plug-in parameters are automation-enabled they become available in the tracks view selector. So far so simple.

It is possible to display multiple lanes of automation for any track but that introduces clutter. A simpler approach is to quickly switch the view of the track to the parameter you wish to view and to switch it back when you are finished with it.

The View menu offers a simple drop-down of all the available views. If all parameters are automation-enabled this can be a long list! You can cycle through the parameters using the shortcut:

Cycle through Track Views - CMD+Ctrl+Right/Left Arrow (Start+Ctrl+Right/Left Arrow On PC)

But a far better way to quickly display the Track View you want is to click directly on the parameter you wish to see while holding Command and Control:

Display Automation Playlist - CMD+Ctrl+Click on a Mac or Start+Ctrl+Click on a PC

To get back to the default view (waveform for audio tracks etc.) CMD+Ctrl+Click on the track name.

Try this with a control surface. This shortcut revolutionized my use of automation when I discovered using it on ICON surfaces years ago!