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I attach 2 screenshots of a short test file, using qtractor 0.9.36.

Before.png shows the file after adding some simple volume automation, with the nodes approximately at the start of bars 3, 4 and 5.

After.png shows the same file after making tempo changes at various points. I found that changing the tempo mostly did not affect the placing of the automation nodes relative to the music, but when I changed the opening tempo (Bar 1) that threw the automation out of sync., as shown. If this were generally true then there would be an easy workaround: simply have a silent bar or two at the start of the piece (which I normally do anyway) and set the actual required opening tempo a bar or so later.

Unfortunately further experimentation has shown me that intermediate tempo changes also sometimes (but not always) throw things out of sync. Reversing those changes does seem to revert things to how they were before the change was made, but again, I'm not 100% sure whether that is always true. Neither can I understand why some changes wreck the synchronization, and others don't.

Using midi velocity is not a solution, I'm afraid. In fact, I do make most of my changes using velocity. But, as I understand things, it is not possible to alter the velocity of a note once it is sounding. So far as I can tell, then, the only way to produce effects like sforzando-piano on a note, or a crescendo through a long note is to vary .the volume. Those are the only times I resort to doing this: I do everything else regarding loudness changes by adjusting the midi velocity of notes.

David