Perhaps this has already been covered in another forum thread, but I though this may be of interest to ProTools users who do not have a Spark hardware controller and want to record automation for the Cutoff and Resonance parameters on the FX pad. Not sure how this works in other DAWs such as Ableton, Logic, etc.
1. Instantiate Spark on Stereo Instrument track
2. Spark should be in HOST mode
3. From very, very top left of Spark plugin window you will see "Track" "Preset" "Auto" -- select "AUTO"
4. From that AUTO menu ADD: LPF Cut, LPF Res. Then change the Track View to (fx-a) Spark EDM > (fx-a) LPF Res, or (fx a) LPF Cut
5. On the Spark EDM ProTools Instrument track go to the Automation mode drop-down menu and select AUTO WRITE. Note you do not need to have the ProTools Instrument track itself in actual record status, or have the transport in Record mode for the next step.
6. Hit Spacebar/Playback
7. Move mouse as desired on Spark FX Pad. If Track View to (fx-a) Spark EDM > (fx-a) LPF Res, or (fx a) LPF Cut you should see the automation being written as you move the mouse on the Spark FX pad.
8. Stop transport and automation mode will automatically change to Auto Latch. This is OK and the automation just recorded will playback fine in Latch, Touch, Read modes.
9. If not already viewing the written automation, change Track View to (fx-a) Spark EDM > (fx-a) LPF Res, or (fx a) LPF Cut
10: The automation just recorded and that you are viewing graphically will NOT automate the FX pad in Spark until you do the following important step: on the Spark window the FX pad has 3 "buttons" on the right side - Filter, Slicer, Roller. right-click, or control-click (or however your mouse is setup) on Filter button and you should see the word "Latch" appear. Select "Latch" and the Filter button should now be flashing. When you hit spacebar/play in ProTools the automation written in the Spark Instrument track should now be affecting changes in the Spark FX pad.
11. Once you have your basic pad automation concept recorded in real time you can go in and fine-tune the automation using the Pencil tool
12: Note: You also simply use the Pencil tool to do all the automation by simply combining steps 4, 9, and 10 above. Recording the automation in real-time using the mouse combined with fine-tuning that with the pencil tool seems to be what I am using the most. I have not tried this yet for the Roller, or Slicer FX options, but suspect it would work in a similar way.
Feel free to post to this thread if there is a better way to do this in ProTool. There may also be interest in how this is handled differently in other DAWs. This is the method I have been using because it worked for what I do musically. Probably other/better ways to accomplish the same thing.
