I have read about Tracktion's as-yet inability to automate the outputs of more than the first parameter from VSTs and VSTis, but I am confused about the roadmap of this potential feature, or if the statement I read was regarding a previous version and the functionality is already there.
So does this feature exist/is it planned to exist? I am sure that the answer is under my nose (does it have something to do with midi controllers?) in these forums, so forgive me if this is just terribly redundant. Is there a way for me automate the many parameters on my VST synthesizers and samplers in Tracktion?

Thanks for patience..

You may already be aware of this, but I should make it clear for completeness: automation and MIDI control are two different things. Also, the phrase 'MIDI CC mapping' can be misleading as it is often used to refer to either automation or MIDI control.

Tracktion *does* support full VST automation. In addition plugins that accept MIDI CC input will work correctly in Tracktion.

Tracktion does *not* currently support mapping MIDI data to a VST automation parameter. So if you have an external MIDI controlller, you cannot use it to control the parameters on any plugin which does not offer native MIDI support (many do actually offer this).

The ability to assign a MIDI control to a VST paramater is on the to-do list. I do not know of a current ETA though.

Now, in answer to the 'how do I' question, to use standard VST automation, simply look for the little 'a' symbol at the top right hand corner of every track. When you click this icon you will be presented with a list of all available parameters for plugins on that track. Choose the parameter you wish to automate, and create/adjust points on the line that will have appeared.

Oh great! But... (sorry)

My problem seems to be that even though I click on the "A" button and select the listing for, say, Spectrasonics Atmosphere (any other VST also applies because they all do the same thing), the only options I am ever given are for automating "wet level" and "dry level." This would make more sense to me if those were the only two automatable parameters for the device, but Atmosphere has a wealth of customizeable functions, as do other VSTs with more than these two parameters. Either my VSTs all have only two customizable parameters, or Tracktion is doing something funny.

Or... I am a silly user. I'm actually hoping it's the latter and that someone can explain to me where under my nose I've misplaced my common sense. Do you not get these same two automation parameters for your VSTs?

I get a list of every control in the vst. Are you clicking on the "a" at the right side of the track?

Maybe you need to get the latest version of the VST or something? If you just get wet + dry, that means the VST hasn't bothered flaggin any of its params as being automatable.

I think spectrasonics plugs don't flag. There are to many parameters to be useful. Reaktor flags, but it is still unusable because they are to many. Logic has the same problem. You cannot assign external controlers to effects at all, unless you can put them as instruments on their own track, and send audio from another track to them.

I don't know if the latest spectrasonics plugs flag their parameters, sinced I don't own them

Aha. You guys are great. It seems as if a couple of my other VSTs do work appropriately. Too bad about the spectrasonics, but life goes on. Well, thanks for helping a confused bugger.

I thought that was the big complaint about Spectrosonics. Go search the relevant forums and you'll probably figure it out.