diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/plugin_insert.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/plugin_insert.h
index c52e8c2835..ea7a081c22 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/plugin_insert.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/plugin_insert.h
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ class PluginInsert : public Processor
 		void set_value (double val);
 		double get_value (void) const;
                 XMLNode& get_state();
+
+		bool logarithmic () const {
+			return _logarithmic;
+		}
                 
 	private:
 		PluginInsert* _plugin;
@@ -113,6 +117,8 @@ class PluginInsert : public Processor
 		return _splitting;
 	}
 
+        std::string value_as_string (boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl>) const;
+
 	PBD::Signal2<void,BufferSet*, BufferSet*> AnalysisDataGathered;
 	/** Emitted when the return value of splitting () has changed */
 	PBD::Signal0<void> SplittingChanged;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc b/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc
index 8a5919ab5a..a690cce5cc 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/plugin_insert.cc
@@ -1164,3 +1164,19 @@ PluginInsert::set_splitting (bool s)
 	_splitting = s;
 	SplittingChanged (); /* EMIT SIGNAL */
 }
+
+string
+PluginInsert::value_as_string (boost::shared_ptr<AutomationControl> ac) const
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginControl> pc = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<PluginControl> (ac);
+	assert (pc);
+
+	stringstream s;
+	if (pc->logarithmic ()) {
+		s << exp (pc->get_value ());
+	} else {
+		s << pc->get_value ();
+	}
+
+	return s.str ();
+}