Before you can add automation points to a track’s automation curves, you need to show the automation curves. Automation curves are displayed as colored curves and points on top of audio and MIDI regions across the track, running the length of the project. You can choose whether to view and edit automation across the track (track-based automation) or only within the track’s regions (region-based automation).
After you show the automation curves, you can choose which parameter you want to work with—Volume fader, Pan knob, or any other track parameter. You can work with multiple parameters on the same track, or you can work in separate subtracks, which appear below the main track.
Do one of the following:
Choose Mix > Show Automation (or press A).
Click the Show/Hide Automation button 
in the Tracks area menu bar.
An Automation button, an Automation Parameter pop-up menu, and an Automation Mode pop-up menu appear in each track header. When you chose an automation mode, for most automation modes the background color of the Automation Mode pop-up menu reflects the mode:
Gray background = automation is off
Mustard background = Touch mode
Orange background = Latch mode
Purple = Write mode
For Read mode, however, the button and text color display the current state of automation and if there is automation data present:
Green text on a gray background = automation is on but there is no existing automation data to display
White text on a green background = automation is on and there is existing automation data to display
Any existing automation is displayed on the track or within the regions. If you show automation on a collapsed track stack, all the automation from included tracks is displayed. You can choose the parameter you want to automate—Volume fader, Pan knob, or any other track parameter—from the Automation Parameter pop-up menu.
Track-based automation can be applied to the entire track, from the beginning to the end of your project. Region-based automation only applies to the specific region the automation parameters are connected to. You have the same available track-based parameters in both track-based and region-based automation, however when using region-based automation with instrument tracks and Drummer tracks you also have access to MIDI data for individual notes.
Click the Automation button in the track header to switch between track-based and region-based automation.
Do one of the following:
Choose a parameter from the Automation Parameter pop-up menu in the track header.
Control-click the track lane, then choose an automation parameter from the shortcut menu that appears.
Volume, pan, solo, and mute are shown in the pop-up menu. A submenu is also shown for each plug-in on the track. These are numbered and named after the slot position and plug-in: 1 EXS24, for example. When using region-based automation with an instrument or Drummer track, a MIDI sub-section shows all available MIDI parameters available for you to automate.
You can automatically show the automation curve of any parameter you click in a channel strip, plug-in editor, or track header on the main automation lane.
Select Mix > “Auto-Select Automation Parameter in Read Mode” (or use the keyboard shortcut).
There must be automation showing in the main automation lane, and the automation mode set to Read, for “Auto-Select Automation Parameter” in Read mode to work. See Choose automation modes for information about the automation modes.
You can mute an individual automation parameter by turning it off in the track header.
Choose a parameter from the Automation Parameter pop-up menu in the track header.
Place the pointer over the Automation Parameter pop-up menu, then click the On/Off button that appears.
When muted, the automation curve for the parameter will turn gray.
Click the disclosure triangle at the lower left of a track header.
Choose the parameter that you want to automate from the Automation Parameter pop-up menu in the track header.
To add additional subtracks, click the “+” that appears when you place the pointer over the track header.
All additional automation subtracks are revealed. Each additional subtrack is set to an automation parameter type that’s already recorded but not currently shown. The active automation parameter remains on the main track.
Do any of the following:
To add a subtrack: Place the pointer over the subtrack header, then click the “+” that appears.
To remove a subtrack: Place the pointer over the subtrack header, then click the “x” that appears.
The selected subtrack is removed without deleting its automation.
To reorder subtracks: Drag the subtrack up or down.
Tip: You may find it easier to work with automation curves at a higher zoom level. To do so, drag the lower edge of the track header downward.