Q1: I tested and as you said it turns gray.
Rightclick and choose Add/remove - and dialog has a column saying device - this is where target is shown.

I found no way to activate it again - but a workaround.
On the grayed track in automation part - shift double click to select all nodes - and copy to clipboard
You can now add/remove again and add a volume(in my test case) again and paste those nodes into automation track from clipboard.

Since there are special automation tracks types - in this dialog showing target device in add/remove dialog - this is where you see what each automation is controlling.

If there isn't better way to visually see which is target - thinking like audio tracks has output selection list - it is really needed for smooth handling of this as overview.

I tried double clicking the device column in add/remove dialog - but maybe you need a modifier or something or it is not there.

I also did drag-n-drop the automation track - but this creates an automation track that gets it's own automation lanes. But interesting enough - undo menu says "undo transfer of automation'". So there might be a transfer to a requested target of some sort.

Would be interested to know - many operations are on drag-n-drop in StudioOne that I am not aware of.

Q2. while working in Browser->files you can Convert file to audioloop - not sure though if this creates a loop for you of that file. Never used loops myself.

Thanks for the tip, yeah I thought of the copy paste idea, its just not ideal. I wish there was a way to truly tie that automation to the instrument, the way it works now its weird. Because to automation feels tied to the instrument, but only stays on the track.

You can move automation for any track to the Automation track type - meaning all kinds of automation from various tracks and reside there. You can drag-n-drop like so - but target remains.

So that is one reason it must be distinguished what is automated - all sorts of automation can be on common automation track type, or organized as user feels it relevant. But since target is not part of name as default - so naming of automation track is vital that you immediately can tell what it is used for.

So getting a rightclick option in add/remove dialog and just redirect to somewhere else - would solve your situation and many more. Simple checks that nothing can be duplicated of course. Then you can also introduce things I have seen asked for like just duplicating automation - and copy is without target - and you simply select this.

I guess VCA's are good option in duplicating automation - but still have more than one way of doing it.

Thank you, I will try that.

Hey all, not sure if this is same problem. I was playing back song and hit mute on one track, the whole track turned gray and could not edit that track anymore. i found i had to hit the dropdown on the selected track, go to add/remove and remove volume and pan. This turned the track back to color and editing possible again. Hope this helps someone.

For basic Vol, Pan, Mute you can route the Instrument Track's Channel to a Bus and do the automation on the bus.

You can change Instruments for the Inst Track without ghosting the envelope on the bus.

For Instrument specific automation, it makes sense that there wouldn't necessarily be a 1:1 correlation from one instrument to the next.

Yes, it would be handy to be able to reassign a ghosted envelope to keep from having to redraw/record it.