Automation Item Controller

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1. Overview

Automation Item Controller is a batch control panel for REAPER automation items (AIs). Its purpose is "select a bunch of AIs → change them all at once".

It centers on four operations:

• Randomize: randomize each AI's baseline / amplitude / start offset / playrate — creating subtle differences across a batch of AIs to avoid a mechanical feel.
• Batch Set: set these properties to a single value for all selected AIs — commonly used for "zero everything / restore all to 1.0×" scenarios.
• Gradient: make these properties fade from A to B along the timeline — for overall evolutions like fade in/out.
• LFO + Shape: generate an LFO envelope inside each AI (sine / triangle / square / saw), or reshape existing envelope points with frequency skew / amplitude tilt.

The objects being edited are always the AI's own properties and the envelope points inside the AI; tracks, items, and media files are not touched.

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2. How to Open

Entry	Path
Menu	Extensions → Mantrika Tools → Automation item controller
Action List (search "Automation Items")	mantrika : Automation Items - Show Controller

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3. Main Window Overview

The window is fixed at 400×420. Four tabs are across the top, with a status bar at the bottom:

Area	Description
Tab area	The four functions are independent; parameters are retained separately
Control area	Each row is usually [checkbox] [slider/input]; only checked rows participate in the current operation
Bottom buttons	When no checkbox is checked, buttons are grayed out (LFO/Shape are exceptions and always clickable)
Status text	Idle shows Ready; after execution it turns green and reports how many AIs were processed

Tip: almost every slider supports right-click = restore default. If you mess up, you don't have to drag it back manually.

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4. Common Prerequisite — What Is the Target?

All four tabs share the same selection rule:

Only automation items that are selected (highlighted) in the Arrange view are processed. Cross-track and cross-envelope is fine; any AI in a selected state is included.

The workflow is always these two steps:

1. In the Arrange view, marquee- or click-select the automation items you want to process
2. Switch to the desired tab, configure parameters, click the bottom button

If no AIs are selected, the status bar shows No automation items found and nothing happens.

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5. Randomize — Give a Batch of AIs Different Random Values

Good for "100 AIs all came from the same pool, but I want them to sound a little uneven".

5.1 Interface

5.2 What the Four Properties Are

Property	Range	Effect
Baseline	0 ~ 1	The AI's overall "base height" on the envelope (0 = envelope minimum, 1 = maximum)
Amplitude	-1 ~ 1	Vertical scaling of the points inside the AI (negative values flip it vertically)
Start Offset	0 ~ 10 s	Displacement of the AI's content relative to its own start (used to "stagger" AIs)
Playrate	0.1 ~ 4	Playback speed of the AI's internal timeline

5.3 Usage

1. Select a batch of AIs
2. Check the properties you want to randomize (multiple allowed)
3. Drag the left and right sliders to set the random range
4. (Optional) check "Use Seed" and enter a seed for a reproducible random sequence
5. Click Randomize

Each AI independently picks a new value within [Min, Max].

Without Use Seed, every run is different (uses a nanosecond timestamp as the seed). To reproduce "that magic result", remember to check Use Seed and use the same value. It's fine if Min is dragged larger than Max; the tool swaps them automatically.

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6. Batch Set — Set the Same Value to All Selected AIs

Good for tidy operations like "set every AI's playrate back to 1.0×".

6.1 Interface

One fixed-value slider per row; no interval concept.

6.2 Usage

1. Select a batch of AIs
2. Check the properties you want to change
3. Drag each slider to the target value
4. Click Apply Batch

Common quick scenarios:

• To "undo randomization": check all 4 items, right-click each slider to reset, then Apply Batch.
• To uniformly restore playrate to 1.0×: check only Playrate, set value to 1.00, Apply.

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7. Gradient — Fade a Batch of AIs Along the Timeline

Good for "the front AIs are quiet, the back AIs are loud" or "make an overall fade across several AIs".

7.1 Interface

Only checked properties expand From / To sliders.

7.2 What Dimension Does the Gradient Happen In?

Not a gradient inside a single AI, but across multiple AIs arranged in time.

The tool sorts AIs by their start position. The leftmost AI gets the From value, the rightmost gets the To value, and the ones in between are interpolated along the curve.

Timeline →[AI1] [AI2] [AI3] [AI4] [AI5]
 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% → Linear

7.3 How to Choose the Mode

Mode	Shape	Use
Linear	Straight line	Even, mechanical
Ease In	Slow start then accelerate	Small change at the start, stronger later
Ease Out	Fast start then settle	Big change at the start, flat later
Ease In-Out	S-curve	Smooth at both ends, faster in the middle

7.4 Usage

1. Select multiple AIs laid out along the timeline (a single AI makes no sense)
2. Check the properties to gradient
3. Set From and To
4. Choose a Mode
5. Click Apply Gradient

From / To can be reversed — From=1.0 / To=0.0 fades from large to small.

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8. LFO + Shape — Generate or Reshape Envelope Points Inside an AI

This is the only tab that actually writes envelope points. The first three tabs only change AI container properties. The LFO section is on top, the Shape section below.

8.1 LFO Generator — Generate an Envelope from Scratch

Clears existing points inside the AI and writes an LFO waveform according to the settings.

Wave Type: [ Sine ▼] → Sine / Triangle / Square / Saw Up / Saw Down
Cycles: [ 4 cycles ] → Full cycles to fit inside the AI, 1~100
Phase: [ 0.00 ] → Phase offset, 0~1 (0 = no offset)
Freq Skew: [ 0 ] →-100 ~ 100, frequency skew
Tilt: [ 0 ] →-100 ~ 100, high/low tilt

 [ Generate LFO ]

Wave Type:

Type	Shape
Sine	Smooth sine (Bezier points)
Triangle	Triangle wave (linear points)
Square	Square wave (step points)
Saw Up	Rising saw
Saw Down	Falling saw

Freq Skew: redistributes cycles across the timeline.

• Positive → cycles are denser at the start, sparser at the end ("tight front, loose back").
• Negative → the opposite ("loose front, tight back").
• 0 → evenly divided.

Tilt: pulls wave peaks / troughs toward one extreme over time.

• Positive → troughs are gradually raised to max (overall shape goes from symmetric to "pinned to the ceiling").
• Negative → peaks are gradually pushed to min (overall shape goes from symmetric to "pinned to the floor").
• 0 → standard symmetric wave.

Volume envelopes are special: Tilt is calculated in dB space (more perceptually natural), with a floor 30 dB below the current center.

8.2 Shape — Reshape Existing Points

Does not clear or regenerate; reads all existing points in the AI, redistributes their time positions by Freq Skew, reshapes their amplitudes by Tilt, and writes them back.

Freq Skew: [ 0 ] → Same as LFO Freq Skew
Tilt: [ 0 ] → Same as LFO Tilt

 [ Apply Shape ]

The two parameters mean exactly the same as in LFO; the only difference is "what they act on":

	Target	Clears old points?
LFO Generate	Generate the whole AI from scratch	✅ Clears
Shape Apply	Read existing points and modify	❌ Does not clear

Shape can also be applied to hand-drawn envelopes; you don't have to generate with LFO first. When both parameters are 0, clicking Apply does nothing and the status bar reports No shaping applied (both params are 0).

8.3 Usage

Generate from scratch:
 1. Select AIs
 2. In the LFO section choose wave type, cycles, optional phase / skew / tilt
 3. Generate LFO
 4. Not satisfied? Click again (it clears each time)

Reshape an existing envelope:
 1. Select AIs (they must contain points, whether LFO-generated or hand-drawn)
 2. In the Shape section adjust Freq Skew / Tilt
 3. Apply Shape

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9. General Tips

Operation	Behavior
Right-click any slider	Reset to default
Switch tab	Parameters are independent and retained
No property checked	Randomize / Batch Set / Gradient buttons gray out (LFO / Shape always clickable)
No AIs selected	Buttons are still clickable, but execution shows No automation items found
After any operation	All support Ctrl+Z undo (goes into REAPER's standard undo stack)
Close window	Does not cancel an ongoing operation; operations are instantaneous, so don't worry

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10. Typical Workflows

Workflow A: 100 identical ducking AIs that should not sound mechanical

1. Select all AIs
2. Randomize → check Baseline, Amplitude, Start Offset
3. Pull each attribute's Min/Max to a not-too-dramatic range (e.g., Baseline 0.4~0.6)
4. Randomize

To reproduce "that flavor" later, remember to check Use Seed with the same seed next time.

Workflow B: Pull all AIs' playrate on an envelope back to 1.0

1. Select all AIs
2. Batch Set → check only Playrate
3. Right-click Playrate slider → restore to 1.0
4. Apply Batch

Workflow C: Make 5 AIs fade in as a group

1. Select the 5 AIs (must be arranged in order along the timeline)
2. Gradient → check Baseline, From=0, To=1
3. Mode = Ease In
4. Apply Gradient

Workflow D: Add a breathing LFO to a volume envelope

1. Drag out an AI on the volume envelope and select it
2. LFO → Wave Type=Sine, Cycles=8, Phase=0
3. Generate LFO
4. Too even? Shape → Freq Skew=30, Apply Shape
5. Want the back half to come down? Shape → Tilt=-50, Apply Shape

Each step can be repeated until you are satisfied.

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11. Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Button gray and unclickable	No property checkbox is checked	Check at least one
No automation items found	No AIs selected in the Arrange view	Select AIs first, then click the button
Randomize looks like nothing happened	Min and Max are too close / both 0	Widen the interval; or confirm the property checkbox is actually checked
Gradient looks like the same value everywhere	Only 1 AI selected	Gradient needs at least 2 AIs to be meaningful
LFO waveform bunched to one side	Freq Skew is not 0	Right-click Freq Skew to reset
Shape does nothing	Freq Skew and Tilt are both 0	Set at least one to non-zero
Accidentally generated LFO over hand-drawn points	LFO clears existing AI points first	Ctrl+Z to undo
Volume LFO trough sounds too dead	dB-space floor is center-30 dB	By design; for deeper troughs change envelope or add Tilt

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