diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/lua_api.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/lua_api.h
index cbbe750164..6ca1b5c54c 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/lua_api.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/lua_api.h
@@ -300,7 +300,15 @@ namespace ARDOUR { namespace LuaAPI {
 	boost::shared_ptr<Evoral::Note<Evoral::Beats> >
 		new_noteptr (uint8_t, Evoral::Beats, Evoral::Beats, uint8_t, uint8_t);
 
-} } /* namespace */
+	double control_baseline (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port);
+	double control_modulation_delta (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port);
+	double control_modulated_value (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port);
+
+	bool modulate_to (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port, double value);
+	bool modulate_by (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port, double value);
+	bool modulate_range (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port, double value);
+
+} } /* namespace ARDOUR::LuaAPI */
 
 namespace ARDOUR { namespace LuaOSC {
 	/** OSC transmitter
diff --git a/libs/ardour/lua_api.cc b/libs/ardour/lua_api.cc
index c32a9e9338..7a51d05d6d 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/lua_api.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/lua_api.cc
@@ -820,3 +820,83 @@ LuaAPI::new_noteptr (uint8_t chan, Evoral::Beats beat_time, Evoral::Beats length
 {
 	return boost::shared_ptr<Evoral::Note<Evoral::Beats> > (new Evoral::Note<Evoral::Beats>(chan, beat_time, length, note, velocity));
 }
+
+/* modulation related */
+
+static boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl>
+_lookup_plugin_control (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port)
+{
+	Evoral::Parameter p (AutomationType::PluginAutomation, 0, port);
+	Evoral::ControlSet::Controls::const_iterator i = ctrlmap.find (p);
+	if (i == ctrlmap.end()) {
+		return boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> ();
+	}
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = boost::dynamic_pointer_cast<PluginInsert::PluginControl> (i->second);
+	return c;
+}
+
+bool
+LuaAPI::modulate_to (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port, double value)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = _lookup_plugin_control (ctrlmap, port);
+	if (!c) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	value = std::min (c->upper(), std::max (c->lower(), value));
+	c->modulate_to (value);
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool
+LuaAPI::modulate_by (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port, double value)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = _lookup_plugin_control (ctrlmap, port);
+	if (!c) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	c->modulate_by (value);
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool
+LuaAPI::modulate_range (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port, double value)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = _lookup_plugin_control (ctrlmap, port);
+	if (!c) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	// value -1 .. + 1, we should take the baseline into account
+	c->modulate_by (value * (c->upper() - c->lower()));
+	return true;
+}
+
+
+double
+LuaAPI::control_baseline (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = _lookup_plugin_control (ctrlmap, port);
+	if (!c) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return c->get_value ();
+}
+
+double
+LuaAPI::control_modulation_delta (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = _lookup_plugin_control (ctrlmap, port);
+	if (!c) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return c->modulation_delta ();
+}
+
+double
+LuaAPI::control_modulated_value (const Evoral::ControlSet::Controls& ctrlmap, uint32_t port)
+{
+	boost::shared_ptr<PluginInsert::PluginControl> c = _lookup_plugin_control (ctrlmap, port);
+	if (!c) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return c->modulated_value ();
+}
diff --git a/libs/ardour/luabindings.cc b/libs/ardour/luabindings.cc
index 160471cf55..c734dc11f8 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/luabindings.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/luabindings.cc
@@ -1969,6 +1969,17 @@ LuaBindings::common (lua_State* L)
 		.addCFunction ("sample_to_timecode", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::sample_to_timecode)
 		.addCFunction ("timecode_to_sample", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::timecode_to_sample)
 
+		// modulation
+		.addFunction ("control_baseline", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::control_baseline)
+		.addFunction ("control_modulation_delta", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::control_modulation_delta)
+		.addFunction ("control_modulated_value", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::control_modulated_value)
+
+		// modulation -- should be RT context, modulation scripts
+		.addFunction ("modulate_to", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::modulate_to)
+		.addFunction ("modulate_by", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::modulate_by)
+		.addFunction ("modulate_range", ARDOUR::LuaAPI::modulate_range)
+		// end RT only
+
 		.beginClass <ARDOUR::LuaAPI::Vamp> ("Vamp")
 		.addConstructor <void (*) (const std::string&, float)> ()
 		.addStaticFunction ("list_plugins", &ARDOUR::LuaAPI::Vamp::list_plugins)