I apologize if this has been answered before or if it's in the documentation - I looked but couldn't find it - but is there a way to rename an automation envelope? For example, if I'm using Adagio Violins and I assign a certain fader or knob to control "dynamics" or "expression", is there a way to change the name of that envelope to "dynamics" or "expression"? If I happen to use a lot of different envelopes for various parameters on a single track/instrument, it can get confusing keeping them all straight. Being able to name them would be extremely helpful.

Thank you ahead of time for any input you guys have!

Envelop labels are programmatically generated from the data in the automation menus. The labels may not be renamed.

This is my biggest automation gripe. Because of the way parameter names are truncated, if you're automating a bunch of parameters on a synth whose first few letters are the same, you can't tell them apart. And oftentimes you just can't tell what a parameter is period. This is fine when you have one or two automation lanes you can easily keep track of in your head, but a total nightmare if you're automating 5-10 parameters on a track and you can't immediately tell what they are just by looking at them.

I'd love the option to be able to give custom labels to automation names, in the same way that we can name tracks.

sharke
This is my biggest automation gripe. Because of the way parameter names are truncated, if you're automating a bunch of parameters on a synth whose first few letters are the same, you can't tell them apart. And oftentimes you just can't tell what a parameter is period. This is fine when you have one or two automation lanes you can easily keep track of in your head, but a total nightmare if you're automating 5-10 parameters on a track and you can't immediately tell what they are just by looking at them.

I'd love the option to be able to give custom labels to automation names, in the same way that we can name tracks.

Same here. I wonder if it's too much to hope for the bakers to implement this feature into X4. By the way, does anyone know if this feature is present in any other DAWs? I'm not familiar with anything but Sonar. Just wondering if there is something fundamentally difficult/different about automation data when it comes to implementing this sort of function. 

skitch_84

sharke
This is my biggest automation gripe. Because of the way parameter names are truncated, if you're automating a bunch of parameters on a synth whose first few letters are the same, you can't tell them apart. And oftentimes you just can't tell what a parameter is period. This is fine when you have one or two automation lanes you can easily keep track of in your head, but a total nightmare if you're automating 5-10 parameters on a track and you can't immediately tell what they are just by looking at them.

I'd love the option to be able to give custom labels to automation names, in the same way that we can name tracks.

Same here. I wonder if it's too much to hope for the bakers to implement this feature into X4. By the way, does anyone know if this feature is present in any other DAWs? I'm not familiar with anything but Sonar. Just wondering if there is something fundamentally difficult/different about automation data when it comes to implementing this sort of function. 

It has nothing to do with the automation data itself, it's just a GUI layout issue. At some point I guess a decision was made to limit the automation edit filter labels to a certain number of characters. Personally I'd like to be able to name automation lanes in exactly the same way as you can name tracks and buses. It would be very useful indeed. 

sharke

skitch_84

sharke
This is my biggest automation gripe. Because of the way parameter names are truncated, if you're automating a bunch of parameters on a synth whose first few letters are the same, you can't tell them apart. And oftentimes you just can't tell what a parameter is period. This is fine when you have one or two automation lanes you can easily keep track of in your head, but a total nightmare if you're automating 5-10 parameters on a track and you can't immediately tell what they are just by looking at them.

I'd love the option to be able to give custom labels to automation names, in the same way that we can name tracks.

Same here. I wonder if it's too much to hope for the bakers to implement this feature into X4. By the way, does anyone know if this feature is present in any other DAWs? I'm not familiar with anything but Sonar. Just wondering if there is something fundamentally difficult/different about automation data when it comes to implementing this sort of function. 

It has nothing to do with the automation data itself, it's just a GUI layout issue. At some point I guess a decision was made to limit the automation edit filter labels to a certain number of characters. Personally I'd like to be able to name automation lanes in exactly the same way as you can name tracks and buses. It would be very useful indeed. 

Me three

While not the same as allowing more characters to be viewed at one time, if you hover over the label you can see the full name.
 
However, given that the instrument itself defines what its automation is called, maybe the ideal workaround would be to include a text field in the automation lane, as is done in the Take lanes. Not only would that let you name the automation lane, you could include notes about its purpose or how it's used. For example, even if you could see the full name of something like "Lowpass Filter Cutoff Frequency" that likely would not be as helpful as a text description of "Lowpass Filter Cutoff Frequency for solo trumpet voice in layered brass sound."
 
Whaddya think? Worth bringing up with the Bakers?

Anderton
While not the same as allowing more characters to be viewed at one time, if you hover over the label you can see the full name.
 
However, given that the instrument itself defines what its automation is called, maybe the ideal workaround would be to include a text field in the automation lane, as is done in the Take lanes. Not only would that let you name the automation lane, you could include notes about its purpose or how it's used. For example, even if you could see the full name of something like "Lowpass Filter Cutoff Frequency" that likely would not be as helpful as a text description of "Lowpass Filter Cutoff Frequency for solo trumpet voice in layered brass sound."
 
Whaddya think? Worth bringing up with the Bakers?

Definitely - note making and labeling has always been an integral part of music production (at least as far as I can tell from those old black and white photos of guys with long hair and mutton chops leaning over those giant "console" thingies )

+2    Take Lanes have 'em, why not Automation Lanes.
 

Looks like there is lots of demand for this. Maybe our wishes will be answered in an update. Eh, Cakewalk? ;)