Pro Tools® Reference Guide Version 2018.
Legal Notices © 2018 Avid Technology, Inc., (“Avid”), all rights reserved. This guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid. For a current and complete list of Avid trademarks visit: www.avid.com/legal/trademarks-and-other-notices. Bonjour, the Bonjour logo, and the Bonjour symbol are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Contents Part I Introduction to Pro Tools Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Avid Master Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 System Requirements and Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Checking for Software Updates with Avid Application Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Toolbar Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Numeric Keypad Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chapter 4. Using Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Accessing Guides in Pro Tools Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating New Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Creating New Sub-Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Editing Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Assigning Paths to Hardware I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MIDI Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Ethernet Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Mic Preamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closing a Session or Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Renaming Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Remove Local Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Deleting Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tracks List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Track Name Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Track Priority and Voice Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Workspace Browser Layout and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Working with Items in Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 Indexing Workspace Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 Workspace Browser Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 Workspace Right-Click Menu . . . . .
Leaving a Project or Group Chat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Move to or Restore from Artist Chat History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Remaining Signed In to your Avid Account Offline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Availability for Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 Chapter 19.
Import Options when Importing AAF or OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 Import Sequence from Media Production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Media Composer | Software Export Options for Audio and Video Mixdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Audio File Format Compatibility Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as AAF or OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 23. Record Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493 Record Setup Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493 Configuring Pro Tools Hardware I/O for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494 Connecting a Sound Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MIDI Input Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 MIDI Punch Recording Over a Specified Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 Loop Recording MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549 MIDI Step Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zooming Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604 Zoom Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604 Zoomer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606 Zoom Preset Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Consolidating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665 Compacting an Audio File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665 Processing Audio with AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666 TCE (Time Compression and Expansion) Edit To Timeline Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666 Rating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 33. Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719 Beat Detective and Source Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719 Uses for Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719 Beat Detective Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remove Duplicate Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780 MIDI Real-Time Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780 Real-Time Properties Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782 Real-Time Properties on Tracks and Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Score Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817 Editing Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819 Score Editor Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822 Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 873 Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877 Extract Chords From Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 878 Chapter 39. Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 41. Clip Loops and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915 Clip Looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915 Creating Looped Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916 Unlooping Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elastic Audio Track Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972 Elastic Audio Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 973 Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974 Elastic Audio Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 47. HEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031 Enabling HEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031 About HEAT Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031 HEAT Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using an Ethernet Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089 Using a MIDI Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1090 Chapter 49. Plug-In and Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093 Types of Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093 Viewing Inserts . . . .
AutoMatching Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1144 Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1145 Enabling and Suspending Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1147 Deleting Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1149 Thinning Automation . . . . . . .
7.1.2 and 7.0.2 Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1202 Ambisonics Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203 Configuring Pro Tools for Multichannel Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203 Default I/O Selectors in I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208 5.
Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1253 Coalesce Pan Guide Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1254 Duplicating Object Track Pan Automation and Dolby Atmos Panner Plug-in Automation . . 1254 Object Controls Mix Attribute for Grouped Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1255 Importing Object-Related Track Data from Another Session . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Trim Tools in Spot Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290 Time Stamping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290 Identifying a Synchronization Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1292 Troubleshooting SMPTE Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9-Pin Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1329 Chapter 59. Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1333 Field Recorder and Production Workflow Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1333 Supported Field Recorder Audio Files and Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1335 Displaying Field Recorder Metadata in Pro Tools . .
Video Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1374 Using the Video Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1375 Browsing Video in the Video Universe Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1377 Playback of High-Definition Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Part I: Introduction to Pro Tools
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools Welcome to Pro Tools®, brought to you by Avid® Technology. Pro Tools Software integrates powerful multitrack digital audio and MIDI sequencing features, giving you everything you need to record, arrange, compose, edit, mix, and master professional quality audio and MIDI for music, video, film, and multimedia.
Conventions Used in Pro Tools Documentation Pro Tools documentation uses the following conventions to indicate menu choices, keyboard commands, and mouse commands: : Convention Action File > Save Choose Save from the File menu Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right-click Click with the right mouse button The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.
Products and Developers Learn about Avid products, download demo software, or learn about our Development Partners and their plug-ins, applications, and hardware. www.avid.com/products Join the Avid Artist Community Once you are online and up and running with Pro Tools, join the Avid Artist Community.
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Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts Before you begin to use Pro Tools, you may find it helpful to review Pro Tools concepts. These concepts are the foundation of Pro Tools operation and functionality. Hard Disk Audio Recording Hard disk recording is a nonlinear (or random access) medium—you can go immediately to any spot in a recording without having to rewind or fast forward.
Audio Engines Pro Tools can stream audio between the application and your audio hardware using the Avid Audio Engine (Avid audio hardware only), Core Audio (Mac only with third-party audio hardware), or ASIO (Windows only with third-party audio hardware). Avid Audio Engine The Avid audio engine (AAE) is a real-time operating system for digital audio recording, playback, and processing with Pro Tools and Avid audio hardware. When you install Pro Tools, AAE is automatically installed on your system.
The MIDI protocol provides 16 channels of MIDI per port. A single MIDI cable can transmit a separate set of messages for each of the 16 channels. These 16 channels can correspond to separate MIDI devices or to multiple channels within a single device (if the device is multitimbral). Each channel can control a different instrument sound. Pro Tools provides powerful MIDI sequencing capabilities. You can record, enter, edit, and play back MIDI data on Pro Tools Instrument and MIDI tracks.
any media files (audio or video). Instead, it references audio, video, MIDI, and other files. You can make changes to a session and save those changes in a new session file. This lets you create multiple versions of a session or back up your editing and mixing work. Session file icon Tracks Pro Tools tracks are where audio, MIDI, video, and automation data are recorded and edited. Pro Tools tracks also provide audio channels for routing internal busses, and physical inputs and outputs for audio and MIDI.
Typically, each audio channel for each track in your Pro Tools session uses a single voice. So, for a mono audio track, a single voice is used; for a stereo audio track, two voices are used. When using Punch Recording, two voices are needed for every single audio channel (one for playback and one for recording on punch in and out). In some situations, with Pro Tools | HDX systems, more than one voice may be necessary for a single channel (such as when using host processing on a DSP bus).
Pro Tools, clips are created from audio files or MIDI data, and can be arranged in audio and MIDI track playlists. Clips can also be grouped (a “clip of clips”) and looped (repeated). Playlists A playlist is a sequence of clips arranged on an audio, MIDI, or video track. Tracks have edit playlists and automation playlists. Audio clip Playlist selector pop-up menu MIDI clip Video clip (Frames view) On audio tracks, an edit playlist tells the hard disk which audio clips to play in what order.
Each audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, Master Fader, and VCA track also has a single set of automation playlists. Automation playlists can include volume, pan, mute, and each automation-enabled control for the insert and send assignments on that track. MIDI controller data on Instrument and MIDI tracks is always included as part of the track playlist. Channels The term channel is used to describe several related components of a Pro Tools system.
Signal Routing Signal Routing Options Pro Tools provides software-based mixing and signal routing controls for audio and MIDI. These controls are located in the Mix window. Some of these controls can also be accessed from the Edit window. Signal routing options include the following: A common audio signal routing task is to submix multiple tracks to a single channel strip (such as an Auxiliary Input) for shared processing and level control.
Instrument Plug-Ins Instrument plug-ins are different from processing plug-ins in that they generate audio rather than process the audio signal from a track’s audio input or from hard disk. Instrument plug-ins are typically played by MIDI. Online projects let you collaborate on a track-bytrack basis with anyone in the Avid Artist Community anywhere in the world; or, if you prefer, you can choose your collaborators privately and invite them to join a project by email.
Tick-Based and Sample-Based Time Pro Tools lets you set any track timebase to either sample-based or tick-based. You can also set the Timeline to be viewed as tick-based or samplebased. Audio in Pro Tools is sample-based by default. This means that if an audio clip is located at a particular sample location, it will not move from that location if the tempo changes in the session— though its Bar|Beat location will change. MIDI data in Pro Tools is tick-based by default.
With Elastic Audio, Pro Tools analyzes entire audio files for transient “events.” For example, an event can be a drum hit, a sung note, or chord played by a guitar. These detected events can then serve as control points for “warping” the audio. Pro Tools can warp (TCE) audio events automatically, such as when automatically conforming audio to the session tempo or quantizing audio events, or you can warp audio manually using the standard editing tools with the audio track set to Warp view.
In addition to manually setting Active and Inactive modes, Pro Tools automatically makes items inactive if there are insufficient or unavailable resources. When active, items are fully engaged and operational. When inactive, items are silent and off, although most associated controls can still be adjusted.
Workspace Browsers AAF, MXF, and OMF The Workspace is a database management tool for Pro Tools. Workspace browsers expand upon basic Pro Tools search and import capabilities by providing powerful tools to manage your data both inside and outside of your sessions, on any hard drive connected to the system. Pro Tools lets you exchange audio, video, and sequences with other AAF-, MXF-, and OMF-compatible applications (such as Media Composer).
Metadata Metadata is used to describe the following: • Information embedded in a media file. This may include scene, take, sample rate, bit depth, external clip names, the name of the videotape from which the media file was captured, and even timecode values. • Information embedded in Pro Tools sessions or other sequences, including what files are used, where they appear in a timeline, and automation.
MXF MXF is a media file format. There are MXF video files and MXF audio files, but there are no MXF sequences. An AAF sequence may refer to or include MXF media files, but OMF sequences cannot refer to or include MXF files. Pro Tools and Media Composer Terminology Pro Tools and Media Composer use different terms to describe the same items. For example, a Pro Tools session is equivalent to a Media Composer sequence. The following table lists common Pro Tools elements and their Media Composer equivalents.
Embedded Media and Linked Media There are two types of AAF and OMF files: ones with embedded media, and ones with linked media. Embedded Media Exporting to AAF or OMF with embedded media results in one large AAF or OMF file containing both the metadata and all associated media files. Media Composer Edited Sequence Original Source Media Files Refers to: Export AAF/OMF with Embedded Media creates...
Linked Media Exporting AAF or OMF with linked media results in a single metadata file (.AAF or .OMF) and all associated media stored as separate files. The main benefit to this approach is that fewer copies of media files may need to be made, so the export and import process can be much faster. Using this approach, it is less likely that you will encounter any file size limitations since the data is broken up into many smaller files.
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Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts For increased operational speed and ease of use, there are many Pro Tools keyboard and Right-click shortcuts. A full list of Pro Tools shortcuts is available in online Help and in a PDF guide. To access the full list of Pro Tools shortcuts in online Help: 1 Choose Help > Pro Tools Help. 2 Click Pro Tools Shortcuts on the Contents page (in the left pane of Help).
Controls and Editing Tools Command Mac Windows Apply action to all channel strips/tracks Option+ action Alt+ action Apply action to selected channel strips/tracks Option+ Shift+ action Alt+Shift+ action Vertically constrained, fine adjustment for automation and control breakpoints Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for moving plug-in controls, faders and sliders, the Scrubber, and automation data.
Commands Keyboard Focus provides single-key shortcuts for a range of edit and play commands. Avid as well as other vendors supply custom keyboards for Mac and Windows labeled with Pro Tools commands when in Commands Keyboard Focus. Pro Tools Custom Keyboard labeled with keyboard commands (Mac keyboard shown) Clips List Keyboard Focus When selected, audio clips, MIDI clips, and clip groups can be located and selected in the Clips List by typing the first few letters of the clip’s name.
If Keyboard Focus for the Edit window is enabled, it follows the selected Toolbar focus. To enable Toolbar focus for the Tracks pane, do one of the following: Click the Toolbar at the top of the Edit window. Press Command+Option+4 (Mac) or Control+Alt+4 (Windows). Shuttle Lock Modes There are two Shuttle Lock modes (Classic and Transport). Both modes let you use the numeric keypad to shuttle forward or backwards at specific speeds. • 5 is normal speed.
Transport Mode Shuttle Mode This mode lets you set a number of record and play functions, and also operate the Transport from the numeric keypad. (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Function Key Click on/off 7 Countoff on/off 8 MIDI Merge/Replace mode 9 Loop Playback mode on/off 4 Loop Record mode on/off 5 QuickPunch mode on/off 6 Rewind 1 Fast Forward 2 Record enable 3 Play/Stop 0 Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, different from that of the two Shuttle Lock modes.
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Using Help The Pro Tools Help menu provides quick access to installed PDF documentation and online Help. The Help system is HTML-based and launches in the Pro Tools in-application browser. It also runs on most common web browsers. The Pro Tools Help menu also provides direct access to the online Pro Tools Knowledge Base, Avid Audio Forums, and the Avid Support Center using the in-application browser (an internet connection is required).
To open Help within Pro Tools, do one of the following: Choose Help > Pro Tools Help. From the Pro Tools Online browser window, choose Help. To open Help outside of Pro Tools (or to select a different version or language of Help): 1 Open your favorite online browser (such as Safari or Explorer). 2 Visit the Pro Tools Help launch page apps.avid.com/ProToolsHelp/ 3 Follow the on-screen instructions to open a version of Help. To close the Help system: Click the Help viewer’s Close button.
Index Tab The Index provides an alphabetized list of entries similar to the index of a printed book. If Java is enabled in your browser, the Index displays as a dynamic index where the listing scrolls as you type a word in the text box. If you do not have Java enabled in your browser, or if your browser does not support Java implementations, a JavaScript version of the index displays, which lets you scroll manually through the entries. To perform a basic search: 1 Click the Search tab.
Search Guidelines Printing Help Topics Use the following rules for formulating search queries: You can print Help topics if you need to refer to them during a complicated procedure or to use for reference later. • Searches are not case-sensitive, so you can type your search in uppercase or lowercase characters. • You can search for any combination of letters (a–z) and numbers (0–9).
Part II: System Configuration
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems There are three types of Pro Tools systems: Pro Tools Software with Avid or Third-Party Hardware These systems include Pro Tools software with Avid audio hardware (such as Pro Tools | Quartet, Pro Tools | Duet, Pro Tools | Fast Track family, Pro Tools | Mbox® family (third generation), Pro Tools | Eleven® Rack, or Avid 003™ family audio interfaces).
• Up to 128 Auxiliary Input tracks Processing Capacity • Up to 64 Master Fader tracks The total processing capacity of a Pro Tools system depends on the processing power of your computer. Contact your dealer or visit www.avid.com for the latest system requirements and compatibility information.
Pro Tools | Ultimate Software with Pro Tools | HDX Hardware • Audio processing with up to 10 inserts per track (any combination of real-time plug-in and hardware inserts), depending on your computer’s capabilities Each system requires at least one Avid HD audio interface (sold separately). HDX systems can be expanded by adding HDX cards to increase track count and the amount of plug-in and mixer processing, and by adding additional audio interfaces.
Pro Tools | Ultimate Software with Pro Tools | HD Native Hardware Each system requires at least one Pro Tools HD audio interface (sold separately). HD Native systems can be expanded by adding additional HD audio interfaces.
Supported Pro Tools HD Audio Interfaces The following Pro Tools HD audio interfaces are compatible with HDX and HD Native hardware: • Pro Tools | HD I/O • Pro Tools | HD OMNI • Pro Tools | HD MADI • Pro Tools | MTRX HDX and HD Native systems require at least one HD I/O, HD OMNI, HD MADI, or MTRX.
Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with Pro Tools | Ultimate Software The table below lists the audio playback, recording, and voiceable track limits with Pro Tools Ultimate software with HDX, HD Native, Core Audio, and ASIO hardware. Playback and recording voices refers to the number of unique simultaneous playback and record tracks on your system. Total voiceable tracks refers to the maximum number of audio tracks that can share the available voices on your system. (Mono tracks take up one voice.
Pro Tools Ultimate audio playback, recording and voice limits by hardware configuration Core System Type Maximum I/O Sample Rate (kHz) Playback and Recording Voices (Mono Tracks of Simultaneous Playback and Recording) Core Audio and ASIO (Pro Tools Ultimate) 32 channels 44.1/48 256 768 88.2/96 128 768 176.
HD OMNI Audio Interface HD OMNI is a professional digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools HD systems. HD OMNI provides a compact preamp, monitoring, and I/O solution for music production and recording, and post production studios. HD OMNI Features HD OMNI provides up to 8 discrete channels of Pro Tools input and output, with 4-segment LED meters for input or output (selectable).
HD I/O Audio Interface HD I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools HD systems. HD I/O features extremely high quality 24-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters, and supports sample rates of up to 192 kHz.
HD MADI Digital Audio Interface MTRX Audio Interface HD MADI is a 64-channel, digital audio interface designed for use with Avid HD systems. HD MADI supports the Multichannel Audio Digital Interface (MADI) format and sample rates of up to 192 kHz. HD MADI provides simplified connectivity between your Avid HD system and MADI-compatible audio equipment. Pro Tools | MTRX is a multichannel digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools HD systems.
Synchronization • Sample rates of 44.1–384 kHz as well as DSD64/DSD 128 with high precision internal clock and PLL. • Sample rate can be adapted to the setting of an external device. • Synchronization by Word Clock, AES11, Video, and all digital audio inputs. Remote Control • Operation using MTRX Control software (Mac OS X or Windows)—some settings can be controlled on the front panel. • All settings are controlled over Ethernet.
Pro Tools Software Options Avid Application Manager (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) The Avid Application Manager is installed with Pro Tools. The Avid Application Manager is used to manage your software and entitlements related to your MyAvid account. The Avid Application Manager helps you maintain the most current Pro Tools software and audio plug-in updates that you are entitled to when new versions become available.
Chapter 6: I/O Setup The I/O Setup provides tools to label, format, and assign Pro Tools input, output, insert, and bus audio signal paths both for individual sessions as well as for your specific Pro Tools system. I/O Setup also provides controls for PRE (Mic Preamp) signal paths, and Delay Compensation settings for hardware inserts. The I/O Setup displays a graphical representation (cross-point matrix) of the signal routing for physical input and output paths for each connected audio interface.
Opening the I/O Setup The I/O Setup can be opened from the application window (with a session closed), or from within a session (when a session is open). To open the I/O Setup: 1 Make sure your audio interfaces are enabled and configured properly in the Hardware Setup. See “Configuring Hardware Settings in Pro Tools” on page 95. 2 Choose Setup > I/O. Closing the I/O Setup To close the I/O Setup and save changes: Click OK.
Sub-paths for Output Paths Default Sub-Paths Pro Tools lets you create sub-paths for physical output paths in the Output page. Using output bus sub-paths rather than physical output sub-paths is sufficient for most workflows. Use physical output sub-paths only when you need alternate mix formats for the same physical output (including explicit downmix paths). Default Bus Sub-paths Pro Tools lets you create the default sub-paths for busses in the New Sub-Path dialog when accessed from the Bus page.
Paths in Sessions In sessions, signals are routed to and from tracks, sends, and inserts using track Input, Output, Insert, and Send selectors. When you click a track Input, Output, Insert, or Send selector, the paths created and defined in the IO Setup appear in the list of available paths (see “Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to Tracks” on page 246).
I/O Setup Pages The I/O Setup provides tabs to open pages for configuring specific I/O Settings. Opening an I/O Setup Page To open an I/O Setup page: Click the corresponding tab at the top of the I/O Setup. Hold the Command key (Mac) or the Control key (Windows) and use the Left or Right Arrow keys to cycle through the different pages of the I/O Setup.
Output Page Bus Page The Output page of the I/O Setup lets you create and assign Pro Tools Output channels to send audio to the physical outputs of your audio hardware. The Bus page of the I/O Setup lets you create and edit internal mix busses and output busses. The Bus page also lets you map output busses to output paths (as configured in the Output page of the I/O Setup). Configure output signal path names and formats on the Output page. Output channels can have overlapping output paths.
Insert Page Mic Preamps Page The Insert page of the I/O Setup lets you create and edit hardware insert signal paths for the Pro Tools mixer. Hardware inserts can route audio through an external device connected to parallel inputs and outputs of a Pro Tools audio interface. This lets you process audio on a track with a hardware insert in real time. On the Mic Preamps page of the I/O Setup, signal paths for one or more PRE multi-purpose microphone preamplifiers can be mapped to audio interfaces.
I/O Setup Signal Path Controls Depending on the I/O Setup page, the I/O Setup provides the following controls in its graphical section for configuring signal routing paths. Path Name column Path Format selector Input selector Active/Inactive Status Box Shows and changes the active/inactive status of each path. Path Format Selector Shows and selects the type/format (such as Mono, Stereo, Quad, or 5.
Import Settings Button Lets you import an I/O settings file to reconfigure I/O Setup. Import Settings only imports the settings for the currently viewed page of the I/O Setup (such as the Input page). Apply to All Tabs Applies imported I/O settings to all pages of the I/O Setup. Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Import Settings button to import settings to all pages of the I/O Setup.
Monitor Path Pro Tools provides a Monitor Path setting in the Output page of the I/O Setup. Using the selected Monitor path for the main mix output of your Pro Tools sessions ensures that a session created on another Pro Tools system will always have at least one audible output. Pro Tools automatically downmixes or upmixes the session Monitor path to the system Monitor path so that you always hear session playback regardless of name and width of the Output path on either system.
To designate the Object Fold Down Path: 1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the Output tab. 2 In the Output page, ensure that there is an available output path with the channel format that you want. If not, create one. 3 From the Object Fold Down Path selector, output path you want to use to monitor panned object audio To set the Output Meter Paths: 1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup. 2 Select the Output tab. 3 From the Output Meter Path selector, select the desired output path for metering.
Note that if you assign the AFL/PFL Path to a physical output used for monitoring, that signal is muted when soloed and the solo path is used for monitoring instead. However, if the AFL/PFL Path is assigned to a different output, the main output continues to pass signal even when the AFL/PFL path is soloed. This lets you use XMON “Broadcast Mode” without XMON (ICON) hardware. The AFL/PFL Path selector is available in the Output page of the I/O Setup.
The Default Format selector is available in the Input, Output, and Insert pages of I/O Setup. The Default Format settings on each page are set independently of one another. The Input and Insert pages only provide Mono and Stereo options. The Output page provides all available formats. Depending on which page of the I/O Setup is currently shown, the Default Format setting determines the width of the first output (or input or insert) when clicking the Default button.
7 The settings of the currently loaded Rig will be embedded in each audio clip that is recorded from the input you select in the Embed Setting From menu. Audio clips with embedded Rig data are marked with a small Eleven Rack logo icon in both the Edit Window and the Clips List in Pro Tools. 4 • Create input paths and sub-paths with appropriate widths and physical input assignments that match your studio configuration (see “Signal Path Routing for Audio Output” on page 66).
10 Export your I/O settings to create a backup of your current settings (see “Exporting I/O Settings” on page 83). 11 Click OK. You should not have to open the I/O Setup again unless you add or remove hardware to or from your system, or if you open a session created on a different system (see “Session or Project Interchange and I/O Mapping” on page 84).
The only limit to output choices is the number of outputs available in your system. 0utput path assignments can overlap in certain situations. See “Valid Paths and Requirements” on page 75 for details. Pro Tools outputs pairs can also be routed to multiple audio interface outputs in the Hardware Setup. To route a Pro Tools output channel pair to multiple audio interface output ports: 1 Choose Setup > I/O. 2 Click the Output tab.
Signal Path Routing for Audio Input The following example shows the signal path from the physical analog input of an HD OMNI audio interface, through the Pro Tools audio input path, to the Input of an audio track in the Pro Tools mixer: 1 3 2 Input signal path from an HD OMNI to the Pro Tools mixer as mapped in I/O Setup (1) Physical Input For Avid HD interfaces, such as the HD OMNI, the physical inputs that are available to Pro Tools are set on the Main page of the Hardware Setup (this selector is mir
Signal Path Routing for Audio Output The following example shows the signal path from the output of an audio track through an output bus mapped to an output path that is routed to a physical output on an HD I/O audio interface: 1 2 4 3 Output signal path from an audio track to a physical output as mapped in I/O Setup (1) Track Output Audio is played back from disk and routed from the Track Output to Output Bus “B 1–2.” (2) Output Bus Path The Output Bus is defined on the Bus page of the I/O Setup.
(4) Physical Output For Avid HD audio interfaces, such as the HD OMNI, the physical outputs that are available to Pro Tools are set on the Main page of the Hardware Setup (this selector is mirrored in the Output page of the I/O Setup). 5 Do one of the following: • To add more paths, click the Add Row button (“+”). • To remove a path, click the Remove Row button (“–”). For Pro Tools systems such as the Mbox Pro and the 003, physical outputs are fixed.
New Paths Dialog The New Paths dialog lets you create new paths on the Input, Output, Bus, and Insert pages of the I/O Setup. Add/Remove Row Number of new paths Path Format Path Name New Paths dialog New Path Row Settings Number of New Paths Enter the number of new paths you want to create (or a certain type, like “Bus”).
Default Sub-Paths Main Path 5.0 – 6.0 – 7.0 5.1 – 6.1 – 7.1 7.0.2 (Dolby Atmos only) 7.1.2 (Dolby Atmos only) Creating New Sub-Paths Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name 1 Stereo (LR), 5–7 Mono (one for each channel) Stereo: .LR Mono: .L, .C, .R, 1 Stereo (LR), 6–8 Mono (one for each channel) Stereo: .LR Mono: .L, .C, .R, .Ls, .Rs, and so on, and LFE .Ls, .
New Sub-Path Row Settings Create Default Sub-Paths Option Number of New Sub-Paths Enter the number of (Bus Sub-Paths Only) new sub-paths you want to create for the selected main path. Pro Tools lets you create the default sub-paths for busses in the New Sub-Path dialog when accessed from the Bus page.
Default Sub-Paths Main Path 7.0.2 (Dolby Atmos only) 7.1.2 (Dolby Atmos only) Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name 1 each: 7.0, 5.0, Quad, LCR, Stereo, Overhead (LR); and 9 Mono (one for each channel) multichannel subpaths: . Mono: .L, .C, .R, .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr, .Lts, .Rts 1 each: 7.1, 7.0, 5.1, 5.0, Quad, LCR, Stereo, Overhead (LR); and10 Mono (one for each channel) Stereo: .LR Mono: .L, .C, .R, .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr, .
• Resets path names to the default path names (see “Default Path Names” on page 72). These default path names appear in track Input and Output Path selectors. Renaming Interfaces Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Default button to set all pages of I/O Setup to the default settings. 4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O Setup. New mono Input sub-path for Main path A 1-2 Audio interfaces can be renamed in the IO Setup.
Selecting Paths Individual and multiple paths can be selected in the I/O Setup Path Name column. Selected paths and sub-paths can be reordered higher or lower in the Path Name column to change their menu order in track Input, Output, Insert, and Bus selectors. Paths can also be deleted. Sub-paths follow their main paths when they are moved in the I/O Setup. To select a main path or sub-path: Click the path name.
Making Paths Active or Inactive Pro Tools paths can be Active (on) or Inactive (off, or unavailable). Paths can be globally activated or deactivated in the I/O Setup. Making a signal path inactive will turn off the signal path on any and all tracks currently assigned to it. Pro Tools also sets unavailable paths to inactive. Paths can be unavailable when hardware or other system resources are unavailable, such as when opening a session saved on a different system. Tracks can also be made active or inactive.
4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O Setup. If there are any invalid settings, you will be required to correct them before the I/O Setup will close. For more information, see “Valid Paths and Requirements” on page 75. Assigning Paths with the Surround Mixer (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) When assigning multichannel paths, the left channel (L) is assigned first to the clicked Grid box, and remaining channels fill immediately to the right according to the default path order.
• A newly-created output path must either be completely independent of other assignments (not assigned to any other available I/O interface/channels), or it must be a path completely contained within a larger path (for example, an LCR sub-path within a larger 5.1 path). Where possible, Pro Tools can automatically remap the session’s output busses to the output paths of the system on which the session is being opened.
Object Paths 3 Click Create to create the new paths. (Pro Tools | Ultimate with Dolby Atmos Only) Object paths are busses mapped (routed) to Object Input paths, as defined by the Dolby Atmos Renderer (see “Mapping Busses to Objects” on page 1243). For more information about Pro Tools authoring to Dolby Atmos, see Chapter 55, “Mixing to Dolby Atmos.” Unmapped “MAIN” output bus 4 Enable Mapping To Output for the path. 5 Select an output path from the Mapping To Output selector.
To map all output busses of the same format to one output path: 1 Do one of the following: • Shift-click to select contiguous Output busses. To map a mono bus to a channel of a surround output path: 1 On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, click New Path. 2 In the New Paths dialog, specify Mono channel width for the bus path, type a path name, and click Create. 3 Enable Mapping To Output for the path. 4 Select a multichannel output path from the Mapping To Output selector.
To assign the same channel to all selected mono busses mapped to a multichannel output path: 1 Do one of the following: • Shift-click to select contiguous mono busses in the Name column. • Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) to select noncontiguous mono busses in the Name column. 2 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) a mono bus indicator and select the channel from the pop-up menu.
Resetting Busses Sorting Bus Paths You can reset the number of available internal mix busses in your session to match your system’s full capabilities by reverting to the default bus configuration. The Bus page provide controls to sort busses by name (ascending or descending), format (ascending or descending), or by mapped to output status (ascending only). Pro Tools creates 24 internal busses by default.
Factory I/O Settings Pro Tools provides factory I/O settings for stereo and surround mixing, and are automatically installed with Pro Tools. These settings provide new sessions with generic path and sub-paths for either mixing format. Factory I/O settings are available in the I/O Settings pop-up menu in the Dashboard. Stereo Mix Settings Narrower formats automatically map to wider ones with one-to-one matching connections (for example, L to L, R to R, and so on).
Downmix and Upmix Indicators for Output Paths When a track or send is set to an Output path of a different channel width, the source audio is downmixed or to upmixed accordingly. The Output selector in the Mix, Edit, and Output windows displays a > (downmix) or a < (upmix) symbol respectively. This lets you easily identify any track that is downmixing or upmixing to an Output path of a different channel width.
5 Click Open. Exporting I/O Settings 6 Click OK to save your changes and close I/O Setup. When you export I/O settings, all pages of the I/O Setup are exported. You can also import I/O paths and path names, as well as other session data, from a different session by using the Import Session Data command (File > Import > Session Data). For information, see “Importing Session Data” on page 416.
Session or Project Interchange and I/O Mapping I/O Setup mappings are saved both with the last used .pio file (Pro Tools I/O settings file) and the session or project. When opening a session or project on a system that has a different I/O Setup, Pro Tools follows these rules to ensure the best possible re-mapping of the session’s or project’s I/O Setup to the new system: • Output busses are mapped to system Output paths by unique ID if possible.
Both the Input and Output pages of the I/O Setup window provide the Show Last Saved Setup button. When the last saved I/O setup is shown, the button is highlighted. To show the last saved I/O settings: Once you save the session, the Show Last Saved Setup button is grayed out. 1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O). 2 Click either the Input or Output tab. 3 Click the Show Last Saved Setup button (the button highlights).
Pro Tools remembers the individual I/O settings for your system for each Playback Engine available to your system. This includes all Inputs, Output, Insert, and Hardware Delay settings, and also settings such as the selected Monitor and Audition paths. The session’s output bus mappings are stored in the I/O Settings of the selected Playback Engine, ensuring that you can hear the main mix from the session from any Playback Engine.
Pro Tools Session Templates and I/O Settings Pro Tools session templates include the I/O Settings of the system on which the template was created. The I/O Settings selector is available when creating a new session from a template. This setting determines the configuration of the physical inputs and outputs of your system. The new session uses the busses from the selected template, but these busses are automatically mapped to the physical outputs of the system (the selected Playback Engine).
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Chapter 7: System Setup You can review and update the setup of your system to ensure it is configured for your needs. Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System To ensure that the components of your Pro Tools system communicate properly with each other, you need to start them in a particular order. Start up your Pro Tools system in this order: 1 Make sure all your equipment (including your computer) is off. 2 Lower the volume of all output devices in your system.
4 Do one of the following depending on your Pro Tools system: • For HDX and HD Native systems, turn off your Pro Tools audio interfaces. • For Pro Tools systems that use hardware requiring external power (such as 003), turn off the hardware. 5 For systems with an expansion chassis, turn off the chassis. 6 Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or synchronization peripherals. 7 Turn off any worksurfaces (such as D-Command) or control surfaces (such as Command|8).
Playback Engine In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools lets you select the audio engine for use with your audio interfaces. The available options are determined by which audio interfaces are connected and have compatible drivers installed.
Hardware Buffer Size Host Engine The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) in the Playback Engine controls the size of the buffer used to handle host processing tasks such as processing with host-based, or “Native” plug-ins. The Host Engine settings provide options for error suppression during playback and recording, and the option to use dynamic plug-in processing.
If the Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option is enabled and too many CPU intensive Native plug-ins are active in the session (such as Eleven Free or various virtual instrument plug-ins), you may experience badly distorted audio. If you encounter this problem, remove or make inactive any unnecessary Native plug-ins. You can also isolate and bus record any tracks that use virtual instruments, and then make those source tracks inactive to free up processing resources.
Sample Rate (HDX Systems Only) The Sample Rate setting in the Playback Engine shows the default sample rate used when you create a new session. If a session is open, the current session sample rate is displayed, but cannot be changed. If no session is open, you can set the default sample rate for new sessions.
Configuring Hardware Settings in Pro Tools Pro Tools lets you configure the signal routing, digital I/O format, default sample rate, clock source, and other hardware-based settings depending on your system configuration. These system settings are available in the Hardware Setup (Setup > Hardware).
Launch Control Panel or Setup App Configuring Pro Tools Aggregate I/O (Pro Tools with Avid Hardware or Third-Party Audio Interfaces with Control Panel Software) (Mac Only) Using the control panel or setup application for your audio interface, you can change settings in the following areas, depending on your audio interface: • Mixer Settings • Output Settings • Hardware Settings (including sample rate, hardware buffer size, and sync source).
Configuring Default Sample Rate Setting in Hardware Setup The Sample Rate setting in the Hardware Setup dialog determines the default sample rate when you create a new session. This setting is available only when there is no session open. Otherwise, the current session sample rate is displayed, but cannot be changed. With HDX and HD Native hardware, you can change the default Sample Rate in the Hardware Setup, or in the Playback Engine.
Configuring Digital Format and Hardware Routing The Hardware Setup includes additional settings for configuring the digital format and hardware routing for your system’s audio interfaces. For an outline of the configuration of an HDX or HD Native system with one or more Pro Tools HD interfaces, see “Configuring Pro Tools | HDX and Pro Tools | HD Native Hardware Settings” on page 98.
4 Select the Identify option, located in the lower left corner of the Hardware Setup. This illuminates all the LEDs on the front panel of the selected audio interface. 5 Make a note of which interface in your studio setup corresponds to the identified interface. 6 Repeat the above steps for each additional audio interface in your setup. Configuring Avid HD Audio Interfaces Additional pages are available to configure other controls for each audio interface (such as setting operating levels).
7 8 For S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam DA-30 DAT recorders, select the Tascam option under S/PDIF Format. From the Input and Output channel pop-up menus, select the physical ports (such as Analog 1–2 or Optical 1–2), that will be routed to the corresponding Pro Tools input and output channels (such as Ch 1–2, Ch 3–4), listed on the left side of the Main page. Inputs and outputs of similar format are differentiated in the input and output channel pop-up menus.
5 Click the Analog In tab and configure the options. Configuring HD I/O Controls For detailed information about configuring HD I/O, see the HD I/O Guide. To configure controls for HD I/O: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. 2 From the Peripherals list, select the HD I/O audio interface. 3 Click the Main tab and configure the options. HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Analog In page 6 Click the Analog Out tab and configure the options.
5 If you have two HD I/O AD cards, click the Analog In 9–16 tab and configure the options. 6 If you have at least one HD I/O Digital card, click the Digital tab and configure the options. 7 If you have two HD I/O Digital cards, click the second Digital tab and configure the options. 8 When you are finished, click OK. Configuring MTRX Controls MTRX is configured using MTRX Control software. For information about configuring MTRX, see the Pro Tools | MTRX Guide.
CPU Meters Disk Cache Meter The CPU Total meter displays session performance for Elastic Audio processing, Clip Gain processing, and Native plug-in and mixer processing. A 3-second peak indicator provides visual indication of peak CPU usage. The System Usage window lets you monitor use of the Disk Cache. This meter is only present if a fixed Cache Size is selected in the Playback Engine dialog.
DSP Usage Meters Managing System Resources (HDX Systems Only) HDX systems provide additional meters below the Activity meter. To monitor the usage of resources during a Pro Tools session: Choose Window > System Usage. To reduce processing load, do one of the following: Voices Time Slots DSP Usage System Usage window (HDX 2 shown) Voices The Voices meter displays the total number of voices that can be allocated and the number of voices currently allocated.
Chapter 8: Preferences The settings in the Pro Tools Preferences define how Pro Tools features work. The Preferences dialog has several tabbed pages in which you can specify your preferred settings. To change Pro Tools preferences: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. 2 Click the tab for the page that has preferences you want to change. 3 Change preferences. 4 Click OK to save your changes and close the Preferences dialog.
“Organize Plug-In Menus By” Options “Organize Track I/O Menus By” Options These options determine how plug-in menus are organized in the Insert selector or Plug-In selector. These options determine how track I/O menus are organized in the Track Input selector, and Send and Track Output selectors. Flat List Organizes plug-ins in a single list, in alphabetical order.
Warnings and Dialogs Section Reset “Don’t Show This Again” Settings If you have made any changes by selecting the Don’t Show This Again setting for any dialog in Pro Tools, you can click this Reset button to revert to the default settings. Show Dashboard Window When Pro Tools Starts When selected, Pro Tools shows the Dash- board window on launch. Deselect this option if you do not want to see the Pro Tools Dashboard window on launch.
Operation Preferences Latch Forward/Rewind When selected, fast forward and rewind latch and continue until you press Stop, Play, Return To Zero, or Go To End on the Transport. When disabled, the Fast Forward and Rewind only last as long as you hold the mouse after clicking either button on the Transport (or hold the corresponding switch on a Control Surface).
Back/Forward Amount (Pro Tools | Ultimate Only) Sets the default length of Back, Back and Play, Forward and Forward and Play. The timebase of the Back/Forward Amount settings follows the Main Time Scale by default, or you can deselect the Follow Main Time Scale option and select another timebase format: Bars|Beats, Min:Sec, Timecode, Feet+Frames, or Samples. Numeric Keypad Mode Numeric Keypad mode determines how the numeric keypad functions.
User Media and Settings Location Documentation and Settings Click the Change button to set the Root directory for all user files including Documentation, Grooves, IO Settings, Plug-In Maps, Plug-In Settings, Session Templates, and Video Test Patterns. Project Media Cache Click the Change button to set the Root directory for caching all project media.
Transport RecordLock (Pro Tools | Ultimate Only) This option lets the Transport Record (the Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped (Pro Tools | Ultimate Only) This setting deter- Record button in the Transport controls) be configured to either emulate a digital dubber, or to maintain legacy behavior for the Transport master Record. mines monitor status of record-armed tracks. • When selected, the Transport Record remains armed when playback or recording stops.
Record Online at Insertion/Selection When se- lected, online recording begins at the edit cursor location. Recording continues until Pro Tools stops receiving timecode. If you make a selection, Pro Tools records online for the length of the selection. DestructivePunch File Length (Pro Tools | Ultimate Only) This preference sets the duration of consolidated audio files when preparing tracks for DestructivePunch mode. The default value for this setting is 25 minutes.
Most Recent Local Waveform Cache Versions (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) The Local Waveform Cache Versions preference determines whether or not one or more copies of the Waveform cache are stored locally for sessions on network storage systems (such as Avid NEXIS). Keeping a short history of the Waveform cache stored locally can greatly speed up opening sessions on network storage. Rendering tasks and redrawing waveforms are also quicker when the Waveform cache is stored locally.
Edit Selection Follows Clips List Selection When selected, selecting a clip in the Clips List causes Pro Tools to highlight that clip’s occurrence in a track. Auto-Name Separated Clips When selected, Pro Tools automatically names newly separated clips by appending a number to the clip’s name. “Separate Clip” Operates On All Related Takes When selected, editing a clip with the Separate Clip command also affects all other re- lated takes (recording passes) with the same User Time Stamp.
Fades Section Crossfade Preview Pre-Roll This setting specifies the amount of pre-roll to be added when you are auditioning crossfades in the Fades dialog. Crossfade Preview Post-Roll This setting speci- fies the amount of post-roll to be added when you are auditioning crossfades in the Fades dialog. Default Fade Settings Fade In Selects the default envelope shape for fade-ins when using the Smart Tool. Fade Out Selects the default envelope shape for fade-outs when using the Smart Tool.
Separate Grid Settings When Zoomed In When selected, the Grid setting stored with Zoom toggle is recalled when zoom toggling in. When this option is deselected, the same (current) grid setting is used whether zoom toggling in or out. Zoom Toggle Follows Edit Selection When selected, zoom toggle automatically follows the current Edit selection. When disabled, changing the Edit selection has no affect on the currently toggled-in track.
Insert Slot The specified Insert slot (none, or a–j) is used (if it is available) when inserting the default EQ plug-in from a S6 control surface. If the specified slot is not available, the next available plug-in slot is used. When None is selected, S6 control surfaces insert the selected default plug-in in the first available insert slot.
Automation Section Smooth and Thin Data After Pass When selected, Pro Tools automatically smooths and then applies the specified amount of thinning to the automation data created in an automation pass. Degree of Thinning Specifies the amount of thin- ning performed on automation data when you using the Thin Automation command, or if you have selected the Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option.
Include Control Changes in Undo Queue This option determines whether certain mixer control changes, such as moving a fader or pan control, are entered into the Undo queue. • When selected, mixer control changes appear in the Undo queue, and are undone if any prior operation is undone. • When deselected, mixer control changes will not appear in the undo queue, allowing you to undo other types of operations without losing the current mixer settings.
Metering Preferences Track Meters and Master Meters Pro Tools lets you choose from several industry standard meter types for visually monitoring audio levels. You can link the Track (audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks) and Master (Master Fader) meter settings, or you can set them independently of one another. The following Meter Type options are available: Sample Peak Provides the default Pro Tools me- tering.
Digital VU Provides VU ballistics with a modern digital scale. PPM Digital Popular in Europe and Asia with broadcasters, and also with US Film consoles (such as the Avid System5 consoles), PPM Digital has a similar integration time to Sample Peak metering, but different scales and decay times. The PPM Digital option, like all other Meter Type options besides Sample Peak, does not report every transient (such as a series of very fast transients).
Advanced Meter Type Settings The Advanced Meter Type settings let you adjust the scale and ballistics of the selected Meter Type. These settings update automatically to match the specifications of the selected Meter Type. In some system configurations you may want to make manual adjustments to these settings in order to ensure that Pro Tools metering matches the meter response your broadcast console (some broadcast consoles use variations from the standard Meter Types that are provided in Pro Tools).
Clip Indication Options These options determine how long the clip indicators on plug-in, send, and track meters stay lit after a clip is detected. 3 Seconds When selected, meters display the last clip indication for three seconds. Infinite When selected, meters display the last clip indications until you click them to clear them. None When selected, meters do not hold the clip indication.
Priority Expander/Gate When selected, if an Expander/Gate plug-in is inserted on a track, only gain reduction applied by Expander/Gate plug-ins is displayed in the gain reduction meter. However, if no Expander/Gate plug-in is on a track, any gain reduction applied by other dynamics processing plug-ins on the track is displayed on that track. All – Summed When selected, the sum of all gain reduction applied on a track by dynamics plug-ins inserted on that track is displayed in the gain reduction meter.
Import REX Files as Clip Groups When selected, REX flies are imported as clip groups, all the underlying slices are imported as individual clips contained within the clip group. When this option is not selected, importing REX files into a session converts them to the session’s audio file format, the individual slices are consolidated, and the slice information is used for Elastic Audio analysis. These files remain tick-based after import and conversion.
Default Settings Specifies the default settings used by the chosen Time Compression/Expansion plug-in. Elastic Audio Section These preferences determine Elastic Audio usage and settings on new tracks, as well as for previewing and importing tick-based audio. Default Plug-In Lets you select any Real-Time Elastic Audio plug-in as the default for previewing and importing Elastic Audio.
Compare different settings to see what works best with your system.
Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data This option lets you set the default resolution for MIDI controller data created with the Pencil tool. Setting this to a lower resolution helps avoid creating controller data that is unnecessarily dense. The value range is from 1 to 100 milliseconds. Global MIDI Playback Offset This option lets you set an offset in samples to compensate for MIDI latency. Entering a value here has the same effect as setting an offset with the MIDI Track Offsets command.
Collaboration Preferences Misc New Tracks Are Shared When enabled, new tracks are automatically shared when they are created. First Invite Shares All Tracks When enabled, all tracks are automatically shared when you invite anyone to join your project. Joining Project Downloads All Shared Tracks When enabled, all shared tracks in the proj- ect are automatically downloaded when you join a project.
Machine Cues Intelligently (HDX and HD Native Systems Only) When selected, if you navigate to a Delay Before Locking to Longitudinal Timecode (HDX and HD Native Systems Only) Sets the cue point that is more than 10 seconds from the current location, Pro Tools will command a connected transport to fast wind to the new location at full speed to within 10 seconds of the cue point. Cueing will then slow to normal speed until the point is reached.
Punch In Frame Offset Sets an offset (in frames) AAE Errors Stop All Linked Systems Causes an to compensate for punch in timing advances or delays. AAE error on any linked Pro Tools system to stop the transport on all linked systems. When this option is not selected, linked systems will not stop if an AAE error occurs on one system. Punch Out Frame Offset Sets an offset (in frames) to compensate for punch out timing advances or delays.
Local (Session or Project Only) Preferences All Preferences are global (system-wide), except for the following, which are local: • Display Preferences • Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties • Automatically Create Click Track in New Sessions • Edit Window Default Length • Default Thru Instrument • Always Display Marker Colors • Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data • Default Track Color Coding options • Default Clip Color Coding options • Operation Preferences • Latch Forwar
Chapter 9: Peripherals The settings in the Peripherals dialog define how Pro Tools works with various audio, synchronization and controller devices, as well as with VENUE systems. To configure settings for Pro Tools peripherals: 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals. 2 Click the tab for the type of peripheral you want to configure. 3 Change the settings. 4 Click OK to save your changes and close the Peripherals dialog.
MTC Reader and Generator The MIDI Timecode (MTC) settings let you select the MIDI In and Out ports for MTC. MTC Reader Port The MTC Reader Port setting lets you select the MIDI In port to which the MTC slave device is connected (the source of MTC information from the slave device). MTC Generator Port The MTC Generator Port setting lets you select the MIDI Out port to which the master device is connected (this the destination of MTC information from Pro Tools).
Bi-Phase/Tach Pulses/Frame (2–254) There are several different standards for the number of pulses-per-frame output by Bi-Phase or Tach devices. You can set the synchronization peripheral to operate from 2 to 254 pulses per frame from Pro Tools. The setting should match the PPF rate of the Bi-Phase/Tach encoder on the external device. Color Sets the color of the timecode numbers and background of the window dub.
MIDI Machine Control (Master) MIDI Machine Control (Slave) Pro Tools provides the following for configuring MIDI Machine Control (Master) settings. Pro Tools provides the following for configuring MIDI Machine Control (Slave) settings. Enable Enable When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is the Master and it sends MMC commands to the slave device and receives MTC information back from the slave device.
Port Port The Port setting lets you select the 9-pin Machine Control port. The available choices depend on your platform and configuration The Port setting lets you select the 9-pin MachineControl port. The available choices depend on your platform and configuration Machine Type Machine Type After you select a port, Pro Tools automatically polls the port to see what kind of machine is connected. If the machine is recognized, Pro Tools loads the corresponding Machine Type.
Number and Color The number of the row indicates the order of the selected controllers. The color corresponds to the controller focus around Pro Tools track and plugin controls. Ethernet Controllers The Ethernet Controllers page lets you configure up to seven different Ethernet controllers for Pro Tools. Type The Type setting lets you select the MIDI controller connected to your computer.
Name Type Click the Name button to enter a name for the selected Ethernet controller. The Type setting lets you select none or PRE. Select the PRE option to declare any connected PRE. Enable EUCON (Extended User Control) When selected, Pro Tools is enabled for control by one or more EUCON-compatible controllers. EUCON is an innovative high-speed Ethernet protocol developed by Avid to allow hardware control surface to directly communicate with a software application.
Satellites The Satellites page lets you configure synchronization between multiple Pro Tools systems (including an Avid Video Satellite system) using Satellite Link.
TCP/UDP Port Lets you enter the TCP/UDP Port number. By default, Satellite Link uses TCP/UDP port 28282. If the default port is already in use, or if you want to set up separate Satellite Link networks, you can select a different TCP/UDP port for Satellite Link communication. For Satellite Link to function properly, you must select a TCP/UDP port number between 1024 and 65534. Reset Network Lets you reset the entire satellite network.
Atmos (Pro Tools | Ultimate with Dolby Atmos Only) The Atmos page in the Peripherals dialog lets you configure Pro Tools for use with a Rendering Mastering Unit (RMU) in a Dolby Atmos system. RMU Host Enter the IP Address for the RMU (or rendering and mastering workstation) on the network that you want to use or select it from the from the dropdown list. Enter localhost if you are mixing to the Dolby Atmos Renderer application included with the Dolby Atmos Production Suite.
Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI If you are using external MIDI devices with Pro Tools (such as controllers or sound modules), you can customize your MIDI studio setup to display the names of your MIDI devices in Pro Tools. 2 If the MIDI Studio window is not showing, choose Window > Show MIDI Studio. MIDI Studio Setup (Mac) Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI interface as generic ports.
5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI interface by clicking the arrow for the appropriate output port of the device and dragging a connection or “cable” to the input arrow of the corresponding port of the MIDI interface. 2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new device from the corresponding pop-up menus. (If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do not provide a name for your particular device, you can type a name.
3 4 If necessary, click Properties, then enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives options. (These determine which channels the device will use to send and receive MIDI.) Click the device image. The window expands to show images for various MIDI devices (such as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers). Select an icon for your device.
Properties Section The Properties section lets you edit information for new instruments, or instrument currently selected in the Instrument list. When a previously defined instrument is selected in the Instrument list, the Properties section changes to reflect the properties of the selected instrument. MIDI Studio Setup window To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup: Interface Controls 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio. Create Adds a new instrument to the Instrument 2 Click Create.
Instrument Name Output Port The Instrument Name field shows the user-definable instrument name for the currently selected instrument. The Output Port pop-up menu displays a list of available MIDI interface output ports. The port set and displayed here is the port through which MIDI data is sent from your MIDI interface to the MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name field. Manufacturer The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI equipment manufacturers.
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Part III: Sessions, Projects & Tracks
Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects Sessions and Projects The first step to working in Pro Tools is creating a new session or project. Sessions are represented by session files that can be saved, copied, and made into templates. Sessions and all associated media and settings files are stored locally on connected qualified storage systems (such as internal and external hard drives, or certain network storage systems (such as Avid ISIS).
Signing In and Out of Your Avid Master Account To be able to create or open a project, you must first be signed in to your Avid Master Account. You will have already created your Avid Master Account when you registered Pro Tools. Once you are signed in and have created or opened a project, you can choose to work online or offline. To sign in to your Avid Master Account from Pro Tools: 1 Do one of the following: • If the Dashboard is not open, choose File > Sign In.
When you first launch Pro Tools, you are prompted by the Dashboard window to do one of the following: • Create a new session or project from a template. • Create a new blank session or project. • Open any of the last ten most recent sessions and projects. • Open any other session on your system. • Open any projects you created or projects that you are collaborating on. To open or close the dashboard window, do any of the following: Choose File > New or press Command+N (Mac) or Control+N (Windows).
Collaboration and Cloud Backup (Projects) Select this option to create an online project for collaboration and cloud back up. The number of projects you currently have is displayed in relation to the total number of projects you are entitled to base on your Avid Cloud Storage Account. Press Command+Left/Right Arrow (Mac) or Control+Left/Right Arrow (Windows) to toggle between these options. Name Type a name for your session or project.
Additional Dashboard Keyboard Shortcuts Bit Depths To navigate through the focused Template, Session, or Project list, press the Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or Alt+Up/Down Arrows (Windows). keeping audio file sizes down. You may want to use 16-bit for sessions and projects with few tracks, and little mixing and plug-in processing. CDs (Compact Discs) use 16-bit. 16-Bit Using 16-bit for audio files is useful for To select the item at the top or bottom of the displayed list, press Home/End (Mac and Windows).
Sample Rates 44.1 kHz Is the sample rate used for CDs and is used in most common music production environments. 48 kHz Is the standard sample rate for film and video projects, and is commonly used in post-production environments. It is the sample rate used for DVDs. 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz Each of these sample rates are twice the standard sample rates for CD audio and DVD audio respectively.
To enable (or disable) interleaved audio files for the Pro Tools session or project: 1 Choose Setup > Session. 2 In the Session Setup window, select (or deselect) the Interleaved option. Session Files and Folders When you create a new session, Pro Tools automatically creates a new folder named for your session. Within this folder is the session file, a WaveCache.wfm file, and several subfolders (including, but not limited to, an Audio Files folder and a Clip Group folder).
WaveCache File The WaveCache.wfm file stores all of the waveform display data for the session. If you delete the WaveCache.wfm file, Pro Tools creates a new one the next time you open the session. By storing waveform data in the WaveCache file, sessions open more quickly. The session WaveCache file can be included whenever a session is transferred to another Pro Tools system (7.x and higher).
Backup to Cloud: Online and Offline Projects The Backup to Cloud option determines whether or not a project is online (stored in the cloud) or offline (stored in the local project cache only). Disabling Backup to Cloud for online projects can be useful for freeing up storage in your Avid Cloud Account for other projects. This option is only available for projects (not sessions).
To set the location for storing the local project cache: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. 2 Click the Operation tab. 3 Click the Change button for the Project Media Cache. 4 In the Open dialog, navigate to the location where you want to store the Project Media Cache and click Open. Creating a New Session or Project from a Template To create a new session or project from a template: 1 In the Dashboard, click the Create tab if it is not already shown, or press Command+1 (Mac) or Control+1 (Windows).
8 Click Create. 3 Type a Name for the session or project. 9 For sessions only, in the Save dialog, specify where you want to save the session, and then click Save. 4 Ensure that the Create From Template option is deselected. 5 If you want to change any of the session or project parameters, do any of the following: For optimum compatibility between Mac and Windows, set the file project to BWF (.WAV). • Select the audio File Type (WAV or AIF).
Opening a Recent Session or Project To open a recent session or project: 1 In the Dashboard, select Recent, or press Command+2 (Mac) or Control+2 (Windows). Opening Any Session To open any session: 1 Do one of the following: • In the Dashboard, click the Open from Disk button. • In Pro Tools, choose File > Open Session. • Press Command+O (Mac) or Control+O (Windows). 2 In the Open dialog, navigate to the location of the session file you want to open and select it. 3 Click Open.
Opening a Session that Contains Fade Files When opening a session created in a version of Pro Tools lower than 10.0, Pro Tools calculates and plays back all fades in real time. The “Fade Files” folder in the session folder is neither deleted nor used. Any rendered fades created in legacy sessions are calculated and played back in real time. Any new fades created in the session do not generate any new rendered fade files in the pre-existing “Fade Files” folder.
When opening a session that contains audio files with illegal characters, Pro Tools automatically creates a renamed copy of each file (replacing these characters with an underscore “_”). Renamed files are copied to the Renamed Audio Files folder. The original files are left intact in the Audio Files folder. Before the session opens, you are prompted to save a detailed report of the renamed files and their original file names to a Notes text file. Follow the on-screen instructions.
To re-open the same session or project with all plug-ins set to active, do one of the following: Choose File > Revert To Saved (for sessions only). Choose File > Open Recent and select the most recent session or project in the submenu. Press Command+Shift+O (Mac) or Control+Shift+O (Windows) to open the most recent session or project.
Saving the Session File with a New Name To save a copy of the current session with a new name or to a different hard drive location, use the Save As command. The Save As command closes the current session and lets you keep working on the renamed copy. This is useful if you are experimenting and want to save successive versions of the session. Save Copy In To save a copy of the current session or project, use the Save Copy In command.
6 7 If applicable, select Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility to create session and audio files that can be used on both Windows and Mac Pro Tools systems (see “Saving Copies of Mac Sessions to be Compatible with Windows” on page 460). Select the Items to Copy for the copy. To include all audio being used in the session, select the All Audio Files option. 8 Click Save.
Save Copy In Options When saving a copy of a session or project, the Save Copy In command provides the following options. Format When saving a copy of a session or project with the Save Copy In command, you can save the session or project copy in the following formats: • Project; lets you save a copy of the session as a project. • Latest; supports Pro Tools 10.x and higher sessions (.ptx) • Pro Tools 7.x -> 9.x Session (.ptf) • Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session (.
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility Convert To Specified Format When saving a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to a lower version, enable the Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility option to force Windows or Mac versions of Pro Tools to create sessions and audio files that are compatible on both platforms. When the Convert To Specified Format option is selected, all copied audio files are converted to the specified audio file format settings in the Session Parameters section.
When this option is not selected, all tracks in the source session or project are saved with the copy. This option is automatically disabled when choosing File > Save Session Copy. Backup to Cloud (Projects Only) When saving a copy of a session or project as a new project, enable the Backup to Cloud option to create an online project. Disable this option to create an offline project.
Save As New Version (Projects Only) The title bar at the top of the Edit and Mix windows, and the Revision History window update to read “—.” You can save different versions of Pro Tools projects using the Save As New Version command (similar to using the Save As command for sessions). Pro Tools lets you review and restore any version of a project from the Project Revision History window. To save a new version of the current project: 1 Choose File > Save As New Version.
Save History Opening Revision History for a project from the Dashboard To close the revision history window: Click Done. Press Esc to close the Revision History window. Version List The Version List displays the versions you have saved by name and are always sorted by date (with the most recent at the top of the list). Any manually or automatically saved histories of any version in the list can be displayed by clicking the reveal triangle to the left of the version title.
Renaming Versions of a Project Restoring a Version of the Project To rename any version of a project: The Revision History window lets you restore any version of a project and still maintain access to all other versions. Restoring a version closes the currently open, active version of the project (you will be prompted to save any changes) and opens the selected version of the project.
example, you might have the best guitar solo in one version of the project, but you want to keep everything else in the currently active version. Use the Import command in the Revision History window to import just that one track. To import project data from another version into the current version of the project: 1 In the Version List, select the version from which you want to import data. 2 Do one of the following: • Click the Import button. • Press I on your computer keyboard.
Deleting a Version of a Project You can delete any version (or manual or automatic save) of a project in the Revision History window. To delete any version of a project: 1 2 In the Version List, select the version you want to delete. The more you can do to lighten up your session before saving it as a project, the better. It will save you and your collaborators both time and online storage space.
7 Select which Items To Copy. Saving a session as a project always copies all Audio Files. and only the main playlist on tracks. Also, you might not want to copy rendered Elastic Audio files. 8 Enable Selected Tracks Only (optional). 9 Enable (or disable) Backup to Cloud to save as an online project (or an offline project). 10 Click OK. Saving a Project as a Session Pro Tools lets you save a copy of a project as a session.
3 4 Configure the Save Session Template dialog (see “Save Session Template Dialog” on page 177). Select the Include Media option if there is any audio, MIDI, or video media in the session that you want included in the template. When the Include Media option is enabled, all media in the session is included in the template. If you want to include media in your session template, be sure that your session only contains the media you want. 5 Click OK.
Creating New Sessions or Projects from Templates You can create new session or project from templates by opening a template. You can open any Pro Tools Session Template file (.ptt) to start a new session based on that template. For information on creating new sessions from templates using the Dashboard, see “Creating a New Session or Project from a Template” on page 160. Metadata Inspector Window The Metadata Inspector window displays the following information about your session or project.
Project Notes Pro Tools lets you add and edit Project Notes for any version of a project. Use Project Notes for anything from reminders to descriptions, or a to do list. You can add and edit Project Notes when you create a new version of a project or in the Project Notes window. Project Notes are always saved with the specific version of the project. To add or edit Project Notes: 1 Do one of the following: • Choose File > Save as New Version to open the Save New Version dialog.
Remove Local Cache Deleting Projects Use the Remove Local Cache command for any project that is not currently open to free up storage space on your local system. Your project will remain intact and retrievable from the cloud. You can always restore your project from your online MyAvid account cloud storage.
Pro Tools deletes the project and updates the percentage of your available storage used. Open Revision History Restore Project from Cloud Use the Open Revision History command to open the Revision History window and restore the project from any version or from any version’s save history. If you have deleted the local cache for a project, you can restore your project from the cloud.
Backup to Cloud To take an online project offline (or to put an offline project online): Using the Backup to Cloud option in the Projects tab in the Dashboard, you can take existing online projects offline or put offline projects online at any time. Since shared projects cannot be taken offline, the Backup to Cloud option is grayed out and unavailable.
Project Collaboration Invitations in the Dashboard The Dashboard lets you accept or reject project participation requests. When another user invites you to join a project, that project appears in the Project List in the Dashboard along with Reject and Accept icons. Quitting or Exiting Pro Tools When you quit (Mac) or exit (Windows) the Pro Tools application, Pro Tools prompts you to save any open session before exiting or closing the application.
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Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows Edit Window Shows tracks and track material Pro Tools provides two complementary ways of viewing tracks in a session: Mix Window Shows tracks as channel strips, like a mixing board (see “Mix Window” on page 186). against the Timeline (see “Edit Window” on page 188). To toggle between the Mix and Edit windows, press Control+Equals (=) (Windows), or press Command+Equals (=) (Mac).
Pro Tools provides several other types of windows: Mix Window Transport Window Lets you control the transport In the Mix window, tracks appear as channel strips just like a mixing console, with controls for: and transport-related functions (see “Transport Window” on page 194). • Inserts Plug-In Windows Let you control plug-in parame- • Sends ters, such as Frequency and Q for an EQ (see “Plug-In Windows” on page 1102).
Channel strips (page 215) Instrument View (page 1053 Tracks List (page 242) Inserts View (page 1053) Sends View (page 1054) Track Path selectors (page 246 and page 254) Group ID indicator (page 280) Automation Mode selector (page 1128) Input Monitoring / Record Enable (page 511 and page 506) Pan knob (page 223) Solo/Mute (page 256) Volume fader (page 223) Level meter (page 224) Voice selector (page 253) AutoMatch indicator (page 1137) Track Name (page 232) Mix Groups List (page 277) Track Comme
To display the Edit window: Edit Window The Edit window provides a Timeline display of audio, video, MIDI notes, as well as other MIDI data and mixer automation for recording, editing, and arranging on tracks. As in the Mix window, each track has controls for record enable, solo, mute, and automation mode. To display all Edit window view options: Select View > Edit Window > All. Edit window view options can be selected individually. See “Views in the Mix and Edit Windows” on page 1052.
Edit Window Toolbar At the top of the Edit window is the Edit Window Toolbar and menu. This Toolbar provides access to the editing modes, tools, options, indicators, and displays for Pro Tools. You can customize the Toolbar in the Edit, MIDI Editor, or Score Editor windows by re-arranging, showing, and hiding the available controls and displays. Counters and Edit Selection Indicators The Counters and Edit selection indicators provide information where selections are in the Timeline.
Timeline Data Online Status Indicator Is green when all files in use in track playlists are available for playback. If files are offline, being processed, or otherwise unavailable for playback, this indicator is red. If any of the Include options are unselected, you can Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Global Freeze icon to freeze (or unfreeze) all tracks. The selected Include options remain selected.
Showing and Hiding Additional Controls in the Edit Window Synchronization When selected, the Synchronization controls and indicators are displayed in the Edit window toolbar. To show or hide controls in the Edit window toolbar: 1 Do one of the following: • Click the Edit Window Toolbar menu (in the upper-right corner of the window). • Right-click in the Toolbar.
All When selected, the Zoom, Transport, MIDI, and Synchronization controls are all displayed in the Edit window toolbar. Expanded Transport When selected, the Expanded Transport controls are displayed in the Edit window toolbar if Transport is also selected.
Vertical Zoom buttons (Edit window) Audio Zoom button (Edit window) MIDI Zoom button (Edit window) Horizontal Zoom buttons (Edit window) Vertical Zoom Buttons Zoom the track heights proportionally in the Edit window. Horizontal Zoom Buttons Zoom the Timeline just like the Horizontal Zoom controls in the Edit window toolbar. Audio and MIDI Zoom In and Out Buttons Pro Tools also provides Audio and MIDI Zoom In and Out buttons in the upper-right corner of the Edit window.
Transport Window The Transport window can be set to show basic transport controls, counters, MIDI controls, and expanded features. The counters in the Transport window mirror the controls and counters at the top of the Edit window. You can Right-click the Return to Zero button to access the Write to Start and Write to All automation commands. Rewind Rewinds from the current play location.
Stop Stops playback or recording. You can also stop the transport by pressing the Spacebar, or with the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport, pressing 0. Play Starts playback or (if the Record button was clicked first) recording from the Timeline insertion point or the Play Start Marker location if Dynamic Transport mode is enabled. You can also begin playback by pressing the Spacebar, or with the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport, pressing 0.
TrackInput Monitor Indicator When lit (green), indicates that at least one audio track is currently set to Input Only monitoring (regardless of record enable status). When off (gray), all tracks are in Auto Input monitoring. Length Specifies the length for the play or record range. You can set the length by entering a location in this field, or by selecting a range in any Timebase ruler.
Wait for Note When selected, recording does not begin until a MIDI event is received. This ensures that you begin recording when you’re ready to play, and that the first note, or other MIDI data, is recorded precisely at the beginning of the record range. You can press F11 to turn on Wait for Note, unless the MIDI preference for “Disable F11 for Wait for Note” is enabled. On Mac, the Desktop Keyboard Shortcut uses the same key command that Pro Tools uses for Wait For Note (F11).
To view the Output Meters in the Transport: 1 Do one of the following: To view the Output Meters in the Transport: 1 Do one of the following: • Select View > Transport > Output Meters. • Select View > Transport > Output Meters. • Click the Transport Window menu (in the upper-right corner of the window) and select or deselect Output Meters. • Click the Transport Window menu (in the upper-right corner of the window) and select or deselect Track Collaboration.
Displaying the MIDI Editor in the Edit Window You can choose to show (or hide) a MIDI Editor pane at the bottom of the Edit window (below the Tracks pane). To show (or hide) the MIDI Editor view in the Edit window, do one of the following: Select (or deselect) View > Other Displays > MIDI Editor. Click the MIDI Editor Show/Hide icon in the lower left corner of the Tracks pane in the Edit window. Double-click the divider below the Tracks pane in the Edit window.
Search Tools Let you search your system for files and folders by simple or advanced search criteria. Browser Menu Provides commands for file man- agement. Artist Chat Window The Artist Chat window lets you invite and communicate using text chat with collaborators for your Pro Tools projects. Column Headers Display the type of metadata dis- played in the Items List. Column Headers can be: • Resized by dragging the column border, or rearranged by dragging the Column headers.
Pro Tools In-Application Web Browser Navigation Controls The Pro Tools in-application Web browser provides a few simple navigation controls in the Web Browser Tool Bar. Go Backward Clicking the Go Backward button navigates back to the previously viewed page. Go Forward Clicking the Go Forward button navi- gates forward to the next page. Go Home Clicking the Home button navigates to the starting page for the currently selected Location.
Avid Marketplace The Marketplace menu in Pro Tools lets you access your Avid Account, the Avid online store (to shop for plug-ins, or Avid support). To log in to your online Avid account: Choose Marketplace > My Account. To access the Avid online store for plug-ins: Choose Marketplace > Plug-ins. You can also access the Avid online store from the AudioSuite menu and from track Insert selectors for plug-ins by choosing the Avid Marketplace option.
Managing Windows Window Configurations Pro Tools provides a powerful means of managing the configuration of windows in your session, as well as the internal configurations of the Edit, Mix, MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Transport windows. Use the Window Configuration List to create (or delete) and manage stored Window Configurations. Pro Tools lets you store up to 99 Window Configurations. Window Configurations are saved with the session.
6 Type any comments for the new Window Configuration. 7 Click OK to store the new Window Configuration, or Cancel. The new Window Configuration is added to the Window Configuration List. To create a new Window Configuration at a specific numbered slot: On the numeric keypad, type Period (.), a number (1–99), and then Plus (+) to add a new Window Configuration at that number slot.
Updating Window Configurations After you recall a stored Window Configuration, you can make changes to the window layout and window settings, and then update the stored Window Configuration with your changes. You can do this manually, or you can have Pro Tools automatically update the active configuration. To manually update a Window Configuration, do one of the following: Choose Window > Configurations > Update Active Configuration.
3 4 If you only want to import Window Configurations, click the Session Data to Import pop-up menu and select None. To hide or show all floating windows: Click OK. Press Command+Option+Control+W (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+W (Windows) to hide or show all floating windows. Arranging Windows Pro Tools provides commands to tile or cascade all open windows. Floating windows (such as plug-in windows) and the Transport window are not affected by these commands.
• Mic Pre windows • All floating windows listed in the Window menu: • Task Manager window • Transport window • Big Counter window • Automation window • Memory Locations window • Machine Track Arming window • Video Universe window • Video window • Color Palette window • Undo History window • Disk Space window • System Usage window To open the Window Configuration List: Select Window > Configurations > Window Configuration List.
Include Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Transport Display Settings When en- abled, stores all window display settings for the Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Transport windows with the Window Configuration (such as whether or not the Clips List is shown in the Edit window). This option is only available when the Window Layout option is enabled.
MIDI Editor Window (targeted) settings Transport Window settings Score Editor Window settings Mix Window settings Edit Window settings Window Layout Window Configuration List Pop-Up Menu You can select viewing and sorting options, along with commands for creating and removing Window Configurations, from the pop-up menu in the Window Configuration List.
Show Comments Lets you show or hide Comments in the Window Configuration List. New Configuration Creates a new Window Con- figuration. This command is also available from Window > Configurations. Update Updates the selected Window Configuration with any changes to the layout and settings of windows depending on the Window Configuration’s properties. This command is also available from Window > Configurations.
Track Provides commands that are used to create, manage, and edit tracks. Track, Clip, and Groups List Menus Clip Provides commands that are used to manage and edit clips. The Track, Clip, and Groups Lists provide pop-up menus for managing and working with the contents of each list, as follows: Event Provides commands for editing audio and MIDI events. AudioSuite Provides AudioSuite plug-ins.
Track Name and Clip Name Right-Click Menus Track and clip names provide Right-click menus for managing and working with tracks or clips, as follows: Track Name Right-Click Menu Right-clicking a track name in the Edit window, Mix window, or the Tracks List provides access to various track commands (such as show/hide, make active/inactive, rename, duplicate, and delete tracks). For more information, see “Track Name Right-Click Menu” on page 245.
Chapter 13: Tracks Pro Tools provides different types of tracks for working with audio, MIDI, and video in Pro Tools sessions. Track Types In a Pro Tools session, you can have several different types of tracks. These can include audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Master, MIDI, Instrument, and video tracks.
MIDI Tracks MIDI tracks record, store, and playback MIDI data. You cannot select a track format when you create a MIDI track, because audio does not pass through it. Instrument Tracks Instrument tracks are a special type of track that provide both MIDI and audio capabilities in a single channel strip. Instrument tracks simplify using software and hardware instruments to record and monitor MIDI instruments.
Track Channel Strips in the Mix Window Audio Track Channel Strips Each audio track has its own set of channel strip controls, including volume, pan, record enable, input monitoring, automation mode, solo, mute, and voice assignment.
Auxiliary Input Track Channel Strips Master Fader Track Channel Strips Each Auxiliary Input track has its own set of channel strip controls, including volume, pan, automation mode, solo, and mute. Each Master Fader track has its own set of channel strip controls, including volume and automation mode.
VCA Master Track Channel Strips Each VCA Master track has its own set of channel strip controls, including volume, record enable, input monitoring, automation mode, solo, and mute. For more information, see “VCA Master Tracks” on page 1047. MIDI Track Channel Strips Each MIDI track has its own set of channel strip controls, including MIDI volume, pan, record enable, automation mode, solo, mute, patch assignment, and channel assignment.
Instrument Track Channel Strips Each Instrument track has its own set of channel strip controls, including audio (like an Auxiliary Input track) volume, pan, automation mode, solo, and mute, and MIDI (like a MIDI track) record enable. Instrument tracks have an additional Instruments view that provides controls for MIDI input, output, mute, volume, and pan (like on a MIDI track).
Track Controls and Indicators in the Edit Window Audio Track Controls Each audio track has its own set of track controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable, Input Monitoring, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Track Freeze, Timebase, Elastic Audio, Voice Assignment, and Automation mode. Auxiliary Input Track Controls Each Auxiliary Input track has its own set of track controls, including Track Name, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Track Freeze, Timebase, and Automation mode.
VCA Master Track Controls MIDI Track Controls Each VCA Master track has its own set of track controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable, Input Monitoring, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Timebase, and Automation mode. Each MIDI track has its own set of track controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Patch, Timebase, and Automation mode.
Instrument Track Controls Each Instrument track has its own set of track controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Track Freeze, Patch, Timebase, and Automation mode.
Instruments View Instruments view provides MIDI controls for Instrument tracks: MIDI Input selector, MIDI Output selector, MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and MIDI Mute. To show the I/O View in the Edit window: Channel strips in the Mix window always display Input and Output selectors as well as volume and pan values, so there is no I/O view display option for the Mix window. For more information, see “Assigning MIDI Input and Output for Instrument Tracks” on page 255.
Pan Indicator Volume Fader The Pan indicator displays the current pan setting of a track. Pan values range from <100 (full left) to 100> (full right). Pan controls are only available for stereo tracks or for mono tracks routed to a stereo output. The Volume fader controls the playback level of a track when it is playing back, and the monitor level of the track when it is recording. You can link the record and monitor levels by enabling the Link Record and Play Faders option in the Operation preferences.
Meter Type Scale Displays the meter scale for the Track Level Meters On audio tracks, level meters indicate the level of the signal being recorded or played back from the hard drive. When an audio track is record-enabled or input monitoring–enabled, these meters indicate record or input monitoring levels respectively. On Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks, level meters indicate the level of the signal being played through the channel output.
Peak Hold Pro Tools meters provide a Peak Hold feature with three options: 3 Second, Infinite, or None. To choose a Clip Indication setting: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Metering tab. 2 Select a Clip Indication option. 3 Click OK. To choose a Peak Hold setting: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Metering tab. 2 Select a Peak Hold option. 3 Click OK.
Master Fader Track Clip Indicators Wide Meters View Master Fader track clip indicators display red when the audio signal exceeds 0 dBFS, causing clipping at the output converters on your audio interface. This behavior is mirrored in the Output Meters in the Transport. Wide Meters view expands the width of the level meters for tracks in both the Mix and Edit windows, to make the track level meters easier to read. Wide Meters view are also available Narrow Mix view.
Showing or Hiding Meters and Faders Pro Tools lets you show or hide Meters and Faders in the Mix window. This can be useful for conserving screen space, especially if you are working with a control surface. To show (or hide) meters and faders in the Mix window, do one of the following: Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window Views > Meters and Faders. From the Mix Window View selector, select (or deselect) Meters and Faders.
Gain Reduction Meter Placement to Scale To set the Meter Type for Track and Master meters in the Pro Tools Preferences: The placement of the Gain Reduction meter (when shown) depends on the scale for the selected Meter Type. The top of the Gain Reduction meter will always match the reference level for the selected Meter Type. Likewise, the bottom the Gain Reduction meter scales to the range of the selected Meter Type. 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. 2 Click the Metering tab.
To set the Master Meter Type in the Mix or Edit windows: 1 Right-click on any Master meter. 2 From the Meter Type menu, select the desired option. If the Track and Master Meter Types Linked option is enabled in the Pro Tools Metering Preferences, all Track meters are also set to the selected Meter Type Configuring Gain Reduction Meters You can configure the Gain Reduction meters either in the Pro Tools Metering preferences or using the Right-click Meter menu.
Adjusting Track Width To create new tracks: 1 (Mix Window) The Narrow Mix command lets you view all tracks/channels in the Mix window at a reduced width to conserve screen space in a large session. (See “Track Height” on page 240, to adjust track height in the Edit Window.) • Choose Track > New. • Right-click any Track Name in the Mix or Edit windows, or Tracks List, and choose New.
4 Select the timebase (samples or ticks) from the Track Timebase pop-up menu. To auto-scroll the Track Timebase pop-up menu, press Command+Option (Mac) or Control+Alt (Windows) and use the Up/Down Arrow keys. 5 Pro Tools lets you add new tracks by double-clicking in blank space below tracks in the Edit window or below or to the right of tracks in the Mix window. Enter the number of new tracks.
To add a new Auxiliary Input track of the same channel width as the last new track, do one of the following: Control-double-click (Mac) or Start-doubleclick (Windows) on the empty area of the Mix window below or to the right of any current tracks. Naming Tracks Track names are used to auto-name recorded audio files and clips. Control-double-click (Mac) or Start-doubleclick (Windows) on the empty area of the Edit window below any current tracks.
Batch Renaming Tracks 4 The Batch Rename command for tracks is only available in the Track Name Right-click menu. Configure the Batch Track Rename dialog as desired. 5 Click OK. To rename selected tracks in batches: All selected tracks are renamed accordingly. 1 Select the tracks you want to rename. 2 Right-click any selected track name in the Tracks List, Edit window, Mix window, Score Editor window, or a MIDI Editor window. 3 Choose Batch Rename.
Selecting Tracks Tracks need to be selected for operations such as duplicating tracks or adding tracks to a group. One or more tracks can be selected at a time. To select a track: Click the name of an unhighlighted track in its track channel strip. To select all tracks: Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any Track Name button that is unhighlighted. To deselect all tracks: Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any Track Name button that is highlighted.
3 From the Scroll To Track list, select the track name you want to scroll to using the Up and Down Arrow keys. To delete a track: 1 Click the name of the track in its track channel strip to select it. To select multiple tracks, Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) additional Track Names. To select a range of tracks, Shift-click additional Track Names. Scroll To Track dialog 4 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows), or click OK. The specified track is selected and scrolled into view.
2 Do one of the following: 4 • Choose Track > Duplicate. • Press Option+Shift+D (Mac) or Alt+Shift+D (Windows). • Right-click the name of the track in the Tracks List, or Mix or Edit window, and select Duplicate. If duplicating multiple tracks, do one of the following: • If you want all the newly created tracks to follow the last selected source track (to the far-right of the Mix window, and at the bottom of the Edit window), select the Insert after Last Selected Track option.
rial is graphically drawn with amplitude waveforms (a time-domain representation of sound). This Track View provides the necessary detail for important clip edits. Auxiliary Input Tracks Can be set to Volume, Volume Trim, Mute, Pan, Send controls, or any plug-in controls that are enabled for automation. Master Fader Tracks Can be set to Volume, Volume Trim, or any plug-in controls that are enabled for automation.
On audio tracks, the Waveform is also visible in Playlists, Analysis, Warp, and Automation views. Clips View (MIDI Only) Track View set to Pan for audio track With the Track View set to Clips, you can edit and arrange MIDI clips on MIDI and Instrument tracks. For details on inserting and editing controller data for MIDI tracks, see “Continuous Controller Events” on page 764. You can also edit automation and controller data in lanes below the track’s main playlist view.
Auxiliary Track View selector Master Fader Track View selector Instrument Track View selector Changing Track Views VCA Master Track View selector For audio, Auxiliary Input, MIDI, and Instrument tracks, you can change to the next or previous Track View, or toggle between pre-defined common views. Changing to Previous or Next Track View When changing to the next or previous Track View, Track View list ordering is maintained as shown in the Track View selector.
2 Do one of the following: • To change to the previous or next Track View on all selected tracks, press Control+Command (Mac) or Control+Start (Windows) and the Left or Right Arrow key. • To change to the previous or next Track View on all tracks, press Command+Option+Control (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start (Windows) and the Left or Right Arrow key. Toggling Common Track Views The most common editing view for audio tracks are Waveform and Volume view.
To set the Track Height, do one of the following: Click the small arrow to the left of the Track name to get the Track Height pop-up menu. Continuously Variable Track Height In the Edit window, you can continuously resize the Track Height of any given track by dragging the lower boundary of the Track Controls column.
Track Controls and Track Height The Track Height affects how the various track controls appear in the Edit window. For instance, when a track’s height is set to Small, most of the buttons are reduced in size. Tracks List The Tracks List (at the left of both the Mix and Edit windows) shows all tracks in the session. It allows you to show or hide a track in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Editor, and Score Editor windows. Even though a track is hidden, the material on the track will still play as part of the session.
Show/Hide Tracks List and Groups List To show (or hide) the Tracks List (and Groups List), do one of the following: The Sort Tracks By command lets you set the track order according to Name, Type, Edit Group, Mix Group, or Voice. The sort order will be reflected in the Tracks List in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Editor, and Score Editor windows. From the Edit window menu, select (or deselect) Tracks List. Click the Show/Hide Tracks List/Groups List View button in the Mix or Edit window.
To hide a track, do one of the following: Click the Track Show/Hide icon in the Tracks List. To hide all tracks: Click the Tracks List menu and choose Hide All Tracks. In the Tracks List (or on the track channel strip), Right-click the track name and select Hide (or Hide and Make Inactive if the track is active and you also want to make it inactive). You can also hide all tracks by Option-clicking (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Windows) the Show/Hide icon of any track that is shown.
To show selected hidden tracks and hide all shown tracks: 1 2 In the Tracks List, select the hidden tracks you want to show. Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the Show/Hide icon for one of the selected hidden tracks. Mix/Edit Groups and Hidden Tracks In the Mix window, if a hidden track is part of an enabled group, all Mix window operations performed on other members of the group also affect the hidden track—with the exception of audio or MIDI record-enabling.
Coalesce VCA Master Automation (VCA Master Tracks Only) Coalesces the VCA automation to Notation Display Track Settings (MIDI and Instrument Tracks Only) Opens the Notation Display the slave tracks of the VCA. Track Settings window for the track. Music notation can only be viewed in the Score Editor or in MIDI Editor windows set to Notation view. Coalesce Trim Automation (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) Coalesces Trim automation on the track (or selected tracks if any).
For stereo and multichannel surround tracks, inputs and outputs appear as stereo pairs and multichannel groups. The available inputs, outputs, and busses are defined as paths in the I/O Setup dialog (see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup”). Automatic Input and Output Assignments When adding tracks to a new session, inputs are automatically assigned in ascending order.
Assigning Audio Outputs To remove an output assignment: (Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument Tracks) To assign an audio output of an audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instrument track: 1 In order to assign audio track outputs in the Edit window, select View > Edit Window > I/O. 2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track’s Output Path selector and choose from the available audio interface channels and busses.
When creating a new internal mix bus, the new bus will be named after what you typed for the new track. For example, if you entered the name “Drum Sub,” Pro Tools creates a new Auxiliary Input track named “Drum Sub” and also creates an internal mix bus named “Drum Sub.” To assign the output of a track to an available input on an existing track: 1 On an existing track, click the Output selector for a track and select Track. 2 From the Track submenu, select the destination track you want.
2 Type a few letters included the path name that you want. Only paths whose names that include those letters (highlighted yellow) now appear in the list (maximum of 20). To search for and assign multiple paths (Sends and Track Outputs only): 1 Type to search for each additional path assignment, do one of the following: • Tab to confirm current tag that you are typing. • Press Shift+Return. • Click the entry. 2 Press Return to close the selector menu and assign the outputs.
Renaming Track Inputs and Outputs from the Edit or Mix Window You can make track inputs and outputs inactive (or active) directly from the Edit or Mix windows. Inactive I/O Paths are grayed out. I/O path names can be renamed in the Edit or Mix windows, or in the I/O Setup. You can also make a path globally inactive (or active) in the I/O Setup dialog. See “Making Paths Active or Inactive” on page 74.
Toggling Multiple Paths If a track has only one main output assignment, Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-Startclick (Windows) the track’s Output Path selector to toggle the main output to inactive. When there are multiple assignments, the track selector will be displayed for you to specify the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus Path by Control-clicking (Mac) or Start-clicking (Windows).
Freeing up Voices on a Track You can also adjust the relative priority of tracks by freeing up the voices of individual tracks, making them available to other tracks in the session. To set the voice assignment for a track: Click the Voice selector and set the track to Dyn or Off. To free up the voice of a track, do one of the following: Click the Voice selector of the track and set it to Off. See “Setting Voice Assignment” on page 253.
• Drag the Track Name button of the higher-numbered track to the left (Mix window) or upwards (in the Edit window or Tracks List) until it is in the range of the maximum number of voiced audio tracks allowed by your system. The previously last voiced audio track is moved out of range and its voice assignment is changed to Off. When the priority of the higher-numbered track is changed, its voice assignment is automatically changed from Off to DYN.
Assigning MIDI Track Output Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and channels to a MIDI track output. The default selection of none sends MIDI data to no port on any channel. Use the MIDI Output selector to specify a MIDI port and channel for output. To assign multiple destinations to a single MIDI track: For information on recording and importing MIDI data, see Chapter 25, “MIDI Recording.” MIDI tracks in Pro Tools cannot contain multiple channels of MIDI data.
Channels in use by another track input appear bold in the MIDI Input pop-up menu. Soloing Tracks To solo tracks: To assign an Instrument track MIDI input: Click the track’s MIDI Input selector and assign a port and channel for MIDI input. Channels already assigned to another track appear in bold. 1 Click the Solo button on a track. The button is highlighted and all other tracks are muted. 2 Click the Solo button on another track.
AFL (After Fader Listen) The Solo button routes the track’s post-fader/post-pan signal to the AFL/PFL Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is configured in the Output page of the I/O Setup dialog (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 59). With AFL, the level you hear is dependent on the fader level for that track. Additionally, there is a separate master level setting for AFL that affects the output of any or all tracks you solo in AFL mode (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 59).
Solo Latch Options 3 Solos can be latched (where pressing subsequent buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks), unlatched, or temporarily latched (Pro Tools Ultimate only). To select a Solo Latch mode: Choose Options > Solo Mode and select from the following options: Latch When selected, pressing subsequent Solo buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks. X–OR (Cancels Previous Solos) When selected, pressing subsequent Solo buttons cancels previous solos.
MIDI Mute The Mute button on a MIDI track mutes MIDI data, not audio. Muting MIDI results in no MIDI data being passed to the MIDI output. On Instrument tracks, the track’s Mute button mutes the audio signal and the MIDI Mute button is only available in Instruments view. To make one or more tracks inactive or active, do one of the following: Select the track and select Track > Make Inactive/Active.
Default colors are automatically assigned to tracks, but you can override those colors by choosing from a color palette of 96 possible colors. For more information, see “Color Palette” on page 261. Display Page Preferences for Color Coding Color Coding options determine how colors are assigned to the display of tracks and clips. To change Color Coding options: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. 2 Click the Display tab. 3 Select or deselect the Always Display Marker Colors option.
Groups Assigns a color to each clip according to the Group ID of its track. If groups are suspended (using the Suspend Groups command) all clips display black waveforms or MIDI notes on a light gray background. Track Color Assigns a clip color based on the color assigned to the track. (See “Color Palette” on page 261.) Marker Locations Assigns a unique color to each marker area in the Marker ruler, including the area preceding the first marker.
Using the Hold Button The Color Palette provides a Hold button to simplify the process of assigning the same colors to multiple items (such as track and clips). By default, the Hold button is off. When off, the Color Palette automatically highlights the assigned color (if any) of items as you select them. When the Hold button is enabled, the assigned color selected in the Color Palette persists and does not change when a different track or clip is selected.
Chapter 14: Track Presets Pro Tools lets you create, save, overwrite, and recall Track Presets. A Track Preset captures the current configuration of the selected track or tracks, and can include the track type, format, level, panning, plug-in and send configurations, and more. You can recall Track Presets to create new preconfigured tracks in your session. You can also recall Inserts or Sends configurations from Track Presets to tracks that are already in your session.
Save Track Preset Dialog Settings The Save Track Preset dialog lets you name the preset, assign it to a category, and include audio and MIDI clips (all clips or only clips within the current Edit selection). Add metadata tags to your Track Presets to make searching for the perfect Track Preset in a Workspace browser even easier. You can rename and re-categorize Track Presets later in any Workspace browser. Adding a Track Preset Category 2 In the resulting dialog, type the name for the New Category.
Name Auto-populate tags from Track Data The Name field is pre-populated with the track name. You can continue using the track name for the preset, type a new name, or select the name of an existing preset to overwrite it. Enable Auto-populate tags from Track Data to automatically create tags based on the following Track Data: Plug-in Manufacturers, Plug-in Names, Plug-in Categories, Plug-in Preset (if unmodified), Track Types, Track Names, and Track Width.
Track Data to Recall Pro Tools lets you specify what Track and Session data to recall with the Track Preset. These settings can be modified in a Workspace browser for any selected Track Preset (see “Track Presets in Workspace Browsers” on page 273). Track Data to Recall dialog Press Command+R (Mac) or Control+R (Windows) to open the Track Data To Recall dialog from the Save Track Preset dialog.
Track Data to Recall Presets Pro Tools lets you store and recall different configurations of the Track Data to Recall dialog as presets. The Presets controls for the Track Data to Recall dialog work much like the Presets controls for Batch Renaming, Fades, and Clip Effects. Presets Buttons The Track Data to Recall dialog provides five Presets buttons that let you store and recall your most commonly used Track Data to Recall configurations.
Track Offset Options Track Presets Files Pro Tools lets you specify a Track Offset in addition to any offset incurred with the Timecode Mapping Options. Any imported audio is offset in the current session or project Timeline by the specified amount. All Track Presets are stored as and recalled from Track Presets files (.ptxp). By default, Pro Tools installs and looks for Track Presets files in the following locations: Select one of the following options: No Offset No Track Offset is applied.
Track Presets in the New Tracks Dialog To create a new track from a Track Preset: 1 Choose Tracks > New Track. 2 From the Track Type selector, choose Track Presets and select the Track Preset Category (such as “Avid”). Selecting the Track Preset Category 3 Select the Track Preset. Selecting a Track Preset 4 Click Create. The Track Preset is recalled into the session as a new track (or as new tracks) according to the current Track Data to Recall settings.
Track Presets in the New Tracks Dialog from Track Output Selector To create a new track from a Track Preset using the Track Output Selector: 1 Click the Output selector of a track and choose New Track. Creating a New Track from a Track Output selector 2 From the Track Type selector, choose Track Presets and select the Track Preset Category (such as “Avid”). Selecting the Track Preset Category 3 Select the Track Preset. Creating a new track from a Track Preset 4 Click Create.
Track Presets in the Tracks Right-Click Menu To configure a track from a Track Preset using the Track Right-click menu: 1 Right-click any Track Name in the Tracks List, or in the Edit or Mix windows. 2 From the Right-click menu, choose Recall Track Preset and select the Track Preset you want to recall. Recalling Inserts from Track Presets Pro Tools lets you recall Inserts saved in a Track Preset. This lets you quickly configure any track with common effects chains saved in Track Presets.
To recall inserts from a Track Preset, do one of the following: Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace browser to the Inserts view of an existing track. Choose a Track Preset from the Recall Inserts submenu in the Inserts selector of an existing track. Recalling Track Presets to Sends Pro Tools lets you recall Sends configurations saved in a Track Preset. This lets you quickly configure any track with common send configurations saved in Track Presets.
Track Presets in Workspace Browsers Workspace browsers provide easy access to all of your Track Presets from the Track Presets alias in the Locations pane. Subdirectories of the Track Presets location let you organize Track Presets by Category— each subdirectory appears as a Track Preset Category in the New Tracks dialog. Search for Track Presets by name, category, or by matching metadata tags (just like with Soundbase) in any Workspace browser.
Searching Track Presets Pro Tools lets you search for track presets in a Workspace browser using basic or advanced search criteria, or by searching on metadata tags. For more information about searching in Workspace browsers, see “Searching Items” on page 325.
Dragging Track Presets from a Workspace Browser You can recall Track Presets by dragging and dropping them from Workspace browsers to your session or project. Dragging to the Tracks List, or Edit or Mix Windows Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace browser to the Tracks List, or to the Edit or Mix window to create new tracks from the Track Preset. See also “Creating New Tracks from Track Presets” on page 268.
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Chapter 15: Grouping Tracks Pro Tools provides a relative grouping function for linking tracks and their controls. Mix Groups, Edit Groups, and Mix/Edit Groups Grouping Tracks Mix Groups only affect mixing functions and Edit Groups only affect editing. Mix/Edit Groups link the grouping functions of the Mix Group and the Edit Group.
Mix Groups Grouping Limitations Mix Groups can be set to affect the following items: Grouping does not affect these parameters: • Main Mute • Output assignment • Solo • Send Level • Send Mute • Main Volume • Main Pan • Main LFE Level (Pro Tools Ultimate only) • Record Enable • Input Monitoring • Automation Mode • Object Controls (Pro Tools Ultimate with Dolby Atmos only) • Send Pan • Send LFE Level (Pro Tools Ultimate only) • Plug-In Controls • Plug-In Bypass In Pro Tools Ultimate, when the Main Pan a
Mix Groups and VCA Masters An existing Mix Group can be assigned to a VCA Master, or a new Mix Group can be assigned to a VCA Master while it is being created. Only one group can be assigned to a VCA Master at a time. A VCA Master cannot control a group that includes itself. For information on assigning groups to VCA Masters, see “Assigning Groups to VCA Masters” on page 1049. By default, every session has a group named All, which includes every track in the session.
Group Symbols To the left of each Group ID (“a” through “z”) is a symbol indicating whether that group is selected in the current window (either the Mix or Edit window). There are three types of Group symbols, as shown in the following figure: Modify Groups Opens Group dialog to modify existing groups only. Delete Active Groups Deletes only currently ac- tive groups.
Show All Tracks Shows all tracks in the session. Group Dialog The Group dialog has three pages: Tracks Lets you add and remove tracks from the current group. Attributes Lets you select which parameters are linked for the current Mix or Mix/Edit Group. Group Name pop-up menu Globals Lets you select parameters to use as a template that can be applied to individual groups by selecting the Follow Globals option.
Click Tracks in the Group dialog, and do any of the following: Working with Groups 6 Creating Groups • To add the tracks that are currently selected in the session to the group, click the Add button at the bottom of the Group dialog. You can select the tracks you want to add to a group before creating it, or add and remove tracks from a group after it has been created. Creating Groups To create a group: 1 2 Select the tracks you want to include in the group.
Modifying Groups To modify a group: 1 Do one of the following: • Choose Modify Groups from the Groups List menu. • In the Mix window, click the Group ID indicator on a track and choose Modify from the pop-up menu. • Right-click the Group name in the Groups List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu. 2 In the Groups dialog, choose the group you want to modify from the ID pop-up menu.
To delete all currently active groups Choose Delete Active Groups from the Groups List menu. The “All” group cannot be deleted. Duplicating Groups You can duplicate a group and modify its settings in order to quickly set up a mix. To duplicate a group: 1 Do one of the following: • Click the Group ID indicator on a track and choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu. • Right-click the Group name in the Groups List and choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
2 Select the base set of attributes for groups in your session. 3 Click OK to save the group and the new Globals settings. 2 Click OK to save the settings. For information on selecting attributes, see “Selecting Group Attributes” on page 285. To select attributes for an individual group: 1 While creating or modifying a Mix Group or a Mix/Edit Group, do one of the following: • Click Attributes in the Group dialog, and select the attributes you want to link.
Insert controls (Inserts A–J): Saving Group Attribute Presets • Plug-In Controls You can define six Group presets that can be recalled on either the Attributes or Globals page whenever you are creating or modifying a Mix or Mix/Edit Group. • Insert Bypass Send controls (Sends A–J): • Send Level • Send Mute To save the current attribute settings as a Group preset: • Send Pan 1 • Send LFE Level (Pro Tools Ultimate only) Mix Attributes: In the Groups dialog, click Save.
Enabling Groups Editing operations are not applied to members of a group that are hidden with the Tracks List. Mix operations (with the exception of record-enabling of tracks) are applied to hidden tracks. Pro Tools lets you create separate groups for editing and mixing. You set this option when you use the New Group command. Groups that apply to both editing and mixing can be decoupled. To enable a group: In the Groups List, click the name of the group you want to enable.
Temporarily Isolating Control of an Item from Group Operation Grouped Control Offsets You can temporarily isolate control of a group item from group operation by Right-clicking on the item. When the following controls are grouped with offsets and moved to their extremes, relative offsets are preserved when the controls are moved back from their extremes: You can also temporarily suspend group behavior for a track by Control-clicking (Mac) or Start-clicking (Windows) a group function.
Chapter 16: The Clips List The Edit Window displays all audio clips, MIDI clips, and clip groups in a single, comprehensive Clips List. Drag to resize width of Clips List Because clip information can become lengthy, the Clips List can be scrolled or resized as necessary. Use the Clips List as a bin for storing your favorite audio loops and MIDI clips. Save the session as a template and the clips are available for future sessions (see “Session Templates” on page 176).
Displaying Clips in the Clips List The Clips List can show all clip types (audio, MIDI, video, Groups, Auto-Created), or only certain clip types. This is useful for isolating the type of clips you want to work with while editing and arranging. For example, when arranging clip groups, you may want the Clips List to show only clip groups. To show or hide certain types of clips in the Clips List: Click the Clips List menu (at the top of the Clips List) and choose Show.
Full Path Displays the full directory path of the clip’s parent file. Channel Name Displays the channel name for audio files imported from field recorders. Scene and Take Displays the scene and take for audio files imported from field recorders. Sorting Clips To sort clips in the Clips List: 1 Click the Clips List menu (at the top of the Clips List) and choose Sort By. 2 From the submenu, select a basis for sorting. Different options are available for audio and MIDI clips.
MIDI clips can be sorted by: 2 • Name • Length • Original Time Stamp • User Time Stamp • Timebase • Start in Parent • End in Parent Clips can also be sorted by Clip Type (Audio and MIDI), or in Ascending or Descending order. In the Find Clips dialog, do any of the following: • Select By Name and type the name, or any portion of the name, for clips you want to find. The search string appears at the top of the Clips List. • Select Include Subsequently Added Clips to limit the display to newly added clips.
The Find History is saved with the session. Select Parent in Workspace In addition to storing each text string previously entered, you can insert multiple entries into the Find History manually (without having to perform each Find in order to store words or phrases). Enable this option to highlight the parent file of any selected clips in a Workspace browser. To compile a Find History without performing each search: 1 Click the Clips List menu, and choose Find.
To select or deselect a range of clips with the Marquee: 1 To enable and use the Clips List Keyboard Focus: 1 Move the cursor to the left of the clip name until the Marquee icon with a small “+” symbol appears: Click the Keyboard Focus button in the upper right of the Clips List. • To select clips, the Marquee should be to the left of an unhighlighted clip name. • To deselect clips, the Marquee should be to the left of a highlighted clip name.
Unused Except Whole Files Selects clips that have not been placed in a track in the current session, but do not include Whole-file clips. Wholefile clips are clips that were created when recording or importing audio, consolidating existing clips, and when nondestructively processing with an AudioSuite plug-in. Whole-file audio clips reference an entire audio file that resides on your hard drive.
Audition to All Outputs When auditioning a mono component of a mono component clip, the clip can be routed equally to all outputs of the parent clip’s Audition Path. To audition through all channels of the main audition path: Shift-Option-click (Mac) or Shift-Alt-click (Windows) on the signal in the Clips List. Stereo and Multichannel Clips in the Clips List Stereo and multichannel clips, whether imported or recorded into Pro Tools, are displayed as single items in the Clips List.
You can also rename a clip in a track using the Rename command in the Clips List menu or the Right-click menu. To rename one or more clips from the Clips List: 1 2 3 The Name dialog provides the option to view information about the selected clip. This information is not editable from the Name dialog. The following clip information is available: If you will be renaming an auto-created clip, select Show > Auto-Created from the Clips List menu.
To show (or hide) information for the selected clip: 3 In the Name dialog, click the show/hide triangle for Clip Info. In the Rename Selected Clips dialog, enter the text to be used when naming clips created from the selected clip. Rename Selected Clips dialog Name Determines the root name for the auto-cre- ated clips. Starting Number Sets the start number for the sequentially numbered new clips. Number of Places Determines the number of dig- its that occur before the auto numbers.
3 Choose Batch Rename. All selected clips are renamed accordingly. Press Control+Shift+R (Mac) or Start+Shift+R (Windows) to open the Batch Clip Rename dialog. For details on batch renaming tracks or clips, see “Batch Renaming” on page 301.
When auto-created clips are hidden, Pro Tools warns you if the number of auto-created clips exceeds a certain threshold, and gives you the option of deleting them. If you choose to delete them, all auto-created clips are deleted at the same time. To ensure that you keep any specific auto-created clips, rename them. When you name a clip, it is promoted from being an auto-created clip to a userdefined clip (see “Renaming Clips” on page 296).
Export Clips as Files Exports selected clips as files. Recalculate Waveform Overviews Redraws Replace Enable (or disable) the Replace option to replace text in the names of clips or tracks. waveforms for selected clips. Reveal in Workspace Lets you reveal the parent Press Command+R (Mac) or Control+R (Windows) to select (or deselect) Replace. file for any individual clip in a Workspace browser.
Trim Add Enable (or disable) the Trim option to remove the specified number of characters from the beginning or end of names. Enable (or disable) the Add option to add prefixes or suffixes to names. You can also insert text into the middle of names. Press Command+T (Mac) or Control+T (Windows) to select (or deselect) Replace. Press Command+D (Mac) or Control+D (Windows) to select (or deselect) Add. \ Batch Rename, Add options Batch Rename, Trim options From Beginning Enter the number of characters yo
Numbering Process Order Enable (or disable) the Numbering option to add numbers to the names of selected items. (Batch Clips Renaming Only) Press Command+N (Mac) or Control+N (Windows) to select (or deselect) Numbering. The Process Order options are only in the Batch Clips Rename dialog and determine the order by which numbering is applied to selected clips. \ \ Batch Clips Rename, Process Order Timeline Order (Left to Right, Top to Bottom) Applies numbering according to the time- line order of sel
To store a Batch Naming preset: 1 Configure the Batch Naming dialog as you like. 2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Preset button where you want to store the current Batch Naming settings. To recall a Batch Naming preset: Click the Preset button that contains the settings you want to recall. Librarian Menu Use the Librarian menu to save and recall Batch Naming Settings files (.ptpreset).
Some commonly used regular expressions for advanced find and replace text operations: regular expressions function . Matches any single character. \-\ Lets the character following the second \ be considered differently. For example, since . (period) is used to match any character, type \. to match an actual . (period) in a search string. \s Matches any instance of a single space (such as the space bar or tab). \d Matches a single number. \w Matches a single “word character” or letter.
Removing Automatic Names Generated By Track Duplication Use the following regular expressions to remove all instances of .dup1, .dup2, or up to any number of duplicates from track or clip names by replacing them with no character at all. find replace \.dup\d+ \. searches for literal periods—as opposed to the special token . (period) since . itself is used to match any character—followed by dup, then \d (the regular expression for any number) followed by + (which matches any number of digits that follow
Chapter 17: Workspace Browsers The Pro Tools Workspace combines an intuitive, browser-style interface with an integrated databasing engine, optimized for metadata and media management. Workspace browsers provide extensive databasing tools for searching, sorting, auditioning, and importing of audio, MIDI, video, plug-in settings (.tfx), Guitar Rig Settings (Eleven Rack only), and session files.
descriptive metadata saved to and read from the header of an audio file. You can create, add, and edit tags for any WAV or AIFF file accessible through the Workspace. Volumes Workspace browsers provide file management for local and network volumes. Volumes are formatted partitions on a physical drive (hard drive). Any changes made in the Workspace (such as copying, or moving files and folders) is mirrored on the volumes themselves.
Performance Volumes These are storage volumes (hard drives) that are suitable for playback and have been designated in the Workspace browser as Record and Playback (R) or Playback Only (P) of media files in a Pro Tools session. Transfer Volumes These are volumes that are not supported for media playback in Pro Tools (such as shared network volumes or CD-ROMs), or storage volumes (hard drives) that have been designated in the Workspace browser as Transfer (T) volumes.
Workspace Browser Layout and Tools Workspace browsers display all files in their database, including Pro Tools and non-Pro Tools files. Unknown file types can be shown, as well as aliases, and desktop folders.
Columns Identifies the type of metadata displayed in the items list (such as file name and format) for volumes, folders, and files in the Items List. Columns can be resized by dragging the column border, or rearranged by dragging the Column headers. Each row of data in a Workspace browser represents an Item (such as a file or folder). Data about each item is displayed in columns.
Moving Workspace Browsers to the Foreground or Background To bring all open Workspace browsers to the foreground: Choose Window > Browsers > Bring to Front. To bring all Workspace browsers to the foreground, press Option+J (Mac) or Alt+J (Windows). To send all Workspace browsers to the background: Choose Window > Browsers > Send to Back. To send all Workspace browsers to the background, press Option+Shift+J (Mac) or Alt+Shift+J (Windows).
Unmounting Volumes Use the Finder (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Windows) to mount and unmount volumes while Pro Tools is running. Working with Items in Workspace Browsers Opening Sessions To open a Pro Tools session listed in a Workspace browser: With no Pro Tools session currently open, double-click a Pro Tools session file in the Browser pane of any Workspace browser. Creating and Opening Workspace Browser Folders Workspace browsers let you create and manipulate folders (file system sub-directories).
To open a folder in its own new Workspace browser: Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-double-click (Windows) the folder. The previous (parent) Workspace browsers window remains open. With a browser in the foreground and the folder selected, press Command+ Option+Down Arrow (Mac) or Control+Alt+Down Arrow (Windows) to open a folder in its own new browser. Scrolling and Moving Selections To scroll the active pane up or down: Press the Page Up or Page Down key.
The next time you open that browser, metadata for items that have already been indexed is visible immediately. If the browser or folder was closed before indexing was complete, or if the contents of the folder have changed since the last time it was browsed, Pro Tools automatically updates the database the next time it is opened. This way, the database is always up to date for the folder you are browsing. (View the Task Manager to see current activity.
Spacebar Toggles File Preview Enables or dis- ables the Spacebar for starting and stopping preview. When this option is disabled, use the Preview button to start and stop preview. In this mode, the Spacebar starts and stops session playback. This lets you play back the session and, with the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo option enabled, preview the selected audio file in time with the session. When a browser is front-most, Command+P (Mac) or Control+P (Windows) starts and stops preview.
Reveal in Finder/Explorer Opens the correspond- ing parent window in the Finder (Mac) or Explorer (Windows) for the currently selected file. Open in New Workspace Opens the selected item in a new browser. The selected item is highlighted in the new browser. Tags Opens the Assign Tags popover window for audio files (WAV or AIFF only). For details on the Assign Tags popover window, see “Soundbase and Tags” on page 331).
Duplicate Creates a duplicate of the selected items in the same location. Rename Renames the selected item. Moving Columns To move a column: Permissions Lets you set Transfer, Playback, or Record permissions for the selected volume (see “Volume Permissions” on page 312). Lock Locks all selected items. Any files already locked remain so. Locking a folder locks all files and sub-folders it contains. Unlock Unlocks the selected items.
Selected items appear in new columns. Deselected items are hidden. Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a column to hide it. The item is deselected in the Column menu. To show all columns: Right-click a column label and Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any unchecked checkbox in the popover menu. To hide all columns: Right-click a column label and Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any checked checkbox in the popover menu.
Column Data In Workspace browsers, each row of data represents an item in a database (such as a file, session, or volume). Each column displays specific data for an item. ALL Choose to show all columns. NONE Choose to hide all but the Name column (which is always shown). DEFAULT Choose to show the default columns. SOUNDBASE Choose to show only Soundbase re- lated columns. # of Channels Displays the number of channels in an audio file: mono, stereo, or 3–8 as appropriate for supported multichannel files.
File Comment Displays any embedded comments associated with the file. File comments are supported with BWF and SD II files, but are not supported with AIFF files. File Comments always remain with the file when copied, converted, or transferred. See “Comments Fields” on page 322 for more information. When importing SD II files into Pro Tools, they must first be converted to a supported audio file format (.WAV or .AIF).
see if the Shoot Date field is populated. If it is empty, Pro Tools copies the Creation Date of the original source file to the Shoot Date field of the new imported files. This field cannot be edited. Tempo Displays the tempo associated with clip Size Displays the size of a file. This field cannot be Time Signature Displays the assigned Time Signature of the file. Click in the Time Signature column and select the meter (such as 4/4). edited.
Database Comments (Sessions and Catalogs Only) To select all Transfer files in the current window: Database Comments, which can be up to 256 characters in length, are searchable, cross-platform, and editable. Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser menu. To select all offline files: Adding and Editing Comments Choose Select Offline Files from the Browser menu. To add, view, or edit a comment: 1 Click the Comments field.
Copying Items To copy and move items: Select one or more items and Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) them to a new location. Duplicating Items To duplicate one or more items: 1 Select one or more items. 2 Choose Duplicate Selected from the Browser menu. To Duplicate selected items in Workspace browser, press Command-D (Mac) or Control-D (Windows). Removing Session Items Workspace browsers let you remove or delete files from the currently open session.
Number of Items Searching Items Pro Tools lets your search your entire system, or specific volumes, directories, or catalogs with ease. Workspace browsers provide a simple set of search tools so you can quickly search and find files (both online and offline) on your system. Performing a search filters items listed in the Browser pane to display only those items that match the search criteria. The Relink window provides specialized search capabilities for finding and relinking missing files.
Simple Search Pro Tools provides a simple text search with the Browser Search Field that lets you quickly search all volumes for items by file name as well as any other text field available in the Workspace browser (such as File Comment, Database Comment, Scene, Take, Plug-In Name, and so on). Initiating a search with no search criteria returns all items on the system. To initiate a simple search: 1 In the Locations pane, select the Volume, Catalog, Session, or Folder that you want to search.
Advanced Search Pro Tools provides advanced tools for searching files and volumes by specific categories. You can refine your search by providing multiple constraints on the search parameters. You can also easily switch from an advanced search to a simple search.
4 Select the Column name. Selecting the Column name 5 Select the Search Criteria. Selecting the Search Criteria 6 Click in the Search Text field and type text for the search. Type what to search for 7 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows). The search results are displayed in the Browser pane. If you want to refine your search, click the Add Row button to add further constraints to the search. Repeat steps 4–6 for each row you add.
To initiate an advanced search on checked items in the Locations pane: 1 Do one of the following: • Click the Advanced Search button. • Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or Control+Shift+F (Windows). 2 If it is disabled, enable the Search Checked option at the left of the Locations pane header by clicking it. 3 In the Locations pane, check each of the Volumes, Catalogs, Sessions, or Folders that you want to search.
The search results are displayed in the Workspace pane. If you want to refine your search, click the Add Row button to add further constraints to the search. Repeat steps 4-6 for each row you add. To switch from an advanced search to a simple search, do one of the following: Click the Advanced Search button so that it is unhighlighted. Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or Control+Shift+F (Windows).
Remove Row Button Click the Remove button (“–”) for a row to remove that row. Press Shift + “–” (minus) to remove the bottom row. To open a Workspace browser with Soundbase, do one of the following: Choose Window > New Workspace > Sound- base. Saving Search Results as a Catalog Press Option+Control+I (Mac) or Alt+Start+I (Windows). To save the results of your search as a Catalog: 1 Choose Edit > Select All, or press Command+A (Mac) or Control+A (Windows), to select all items in the Items List.
When you install Pro Tools, this folder is created in the following locations: Adding and Removing Sound Library Locations Mac OS X HD/Users//Documents/ Pro Tools/Sound Libraries/ You can add (or remove) different directories on your system whose contents are not actually copied or moved to the Sound Libraries folder. Added locations are essentially aliases that point to the original location of the designated folder and no media is copied or moved from the original location. Windows C:\Users\
To remove a location from the Sound Library: 1 2 In the Locations pane of any Workspace browser, reveal the contents of Sound Libraries. Right-click the folder you want to remove from the Sound Library and choose Remove Sound Library Location. To show (or hide) the Tags pane in a Workspace browser: Click the Tags pane icon at the top of the Workspace browser. It is highlighted only when the Tags pane is shown. Removing a folder from Sound Libraries The folder is removed from Sound Libraries.
To search audio files based on tags: 1 Show the Tags pane in any Workspace browser. 2 Navigate to the location you want to search in the Locations pane. 3 Click the desired tags in the Tags pane to limit the search to those criteria, or type in the name of Tags in the search field. Exclude Files from Search Results with Selected Tags Not only can you find audio files by what tags they do have, you can also find files by what tags they do not have.
Adding and Editing Tags Pro Tools lets you add and edit tags for audio files in Soundbase. If you want to search your existing sample libraries or custom audio files, you will need to add tags manually. When searching on tags, all audio files in the selected location with matching tags appear in the search results—the more tags you specify, the more selective your searches can be. To add tags to an audio file: 1 Locate and select one or more audio files that you want to tag in any Workspace browser.
Assign Tags Popover Window Access the Assign Tags popover window for one or more selected items either through the Right-click menu or from the Tags column. Here you can add, remove, and create new tags assigned to the selected audio files. You can also mark a file as a favorite and rate it from zero to five stars. To assign 0–5 stars for the rating of selected audio files in the Assign Tags popover window: Click the Star icons so that the number of stars you want for the rating are highlighted.
Favorites Pro Tools lets you mark audio files as Favorites, so you can quickly filter the Items List to show only Favorites. To mark an audio file as a favorite, do one of the following: Select the Heart icon in the Assign Tags popover window. Select the Heart icon in the Favorite column. Waveforms The Waveform column displays waveforms for audio files.
To calculate waveforms in a Workspace browser: 1 Select online audio files, or folders containing audio files, in a Workspace browser. 2 Right-click any selected item and choose Calculate Waveform. WaveCache A global WaveCache file stores waveforms that cannot be written back to the sound file, such as read-only files, files on network and other readonly volumes, and interleaved files. On Mac, the WaveCache file is stored in /Users/Shared/Pro Tools.
File Timebase and Elastic Audio Analysis Icons Workspace browsers provide two different icons for time-based or tick-based files. For time-based files, the time-based icon is color coded to indicate whether or not a file includes Elastic Audio analysis. Tick-based file icon Sample-based file icon Previewing Audio in Workspace Browsers Audio files can be previewed in Workspace browsers.
To audition from a specific location within the file: Click in the waveform display at the location. Preview Controls and Indicators Every Workspace browser provides the following preview controls in the Toolbar: Preview, Volume, Meters, Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo, and Elastic Audio Plug-In.
To change the volume for previewing in Workspace browsers: 1 Click the Volume control (Fader icon) to display the Volume fader. 2 Adjust the Volume fader (from –INF to +12 dB). When the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo button is enabled, Pro Tools analyzes any un-analyzed files on preview or import. Tick-based audio files conform to the session tempo during preview and on import.
Preview Modes Workspace browsers provide three Preview modes: Normal Preview, Loop Preview, and AutoPreview. Normal Preview Normal Preview simply plays the selected audio file and stops at the end of the file. Deselect Loop Preview and Auto-Preview for Normal Preview mode. 3 Do one of the following: • Click the Browser Preview button. • Click the Waveform Preview button. • If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in the Browser menu, press the Spacebar.
Conforming Preview to the Session Tempo Pro Tools lets you preview Elastic Audio analyzed files at the session tempo. The selected default Elastic Audio plug-in is used for previewing Elastic Audio analyzed audio files at the session tempo. Additionally, other tick-based files, such as REX and ACID files, can also be previewed at the session tempo and in time with playback. Preview in Context Pro Tools lets you preview audio files in Workspace browsers while playing back a Pro Tools session.
Pro Tools provides an option to reserve voices for preview in context. The number of reserved voices is determined by the channel width of the selected Audition Paths in the I/O Setup. Voices reserved for preview in context are unavailable for disk tracks. To reserve for voices for preview in context: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. 2 Select the Operation tab. 3 Enable the Reserve Voices For Preview In Context option. 4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Transfer Files Unlike missing files, Transfer files are files that have been found but which reside on volumes unsuitable for playback, such as CD-ROMs or network drives. These volumes appear as Transfer volumes in the Workspace browser. Opening a Session with Transfer Files If a session finds files on a volume unsuitable for playback, a dialog appears prompting you to copy them to a suitable volume.
Opening a Session with Missing Files To open a session with missing files: 1 2 When you open a session, Pro Tools opens the session with all available media, then shows you how many files are missing (if any) and asks how you want to proceed. (If told that files are unsuitable for playback, see “Transfer Files” on page 345.) Select one of the following: • Skip All—or press Command+S (Mac) or Control+S (Windows). • Manually Find Relink—or press Command+M (Mac) or Control+M (Windows).
Relink Window The Relink window provides tools for all relinking tasks. Menu and toolbar Areas to Search Files to Relink Candidates Main elements in the Relink window Menu and Toolbar Includes the Relink menu, View Presets, and relinking buttons. Status is displayed at the far right. Areas to Search Selects volumes on which to search for missing items. Files to Relink Lists missing files. Candidates Lists files that match the “relinking criteria” for a particular missing file.
Selecting Areas to Search Single and Multi-File Relinking Selecting volumes and folders in the Areas to Search pane lets you focus the search for missing files. This can speed the relinking process by limiting the number of volumes or folders to search. In addition, excluding folders from a search for missing files also lets you redirect a session or Catalog to a more appropriate copy of an item. The Relink window can be used to relink one missing file at a time, or to relink missing files in batches.
Pro Tools searches the selected volumes and displays all files that match File Name, SMPTE ID, or Unique ID in the Candidates list. Link icons indicate if a Candidate is already linked. Using the Find Links button, multiple files can be matched and linked in one procedure. OMF video clips can only be relinked to a session if they have matching Unique IDs. To relink multiple missing files: 1 Configure Areas to Search. (See “Selecting Areas to Search” on page 348.
Path column shows the location of the selected candidate. Pro Tools continues searching, matching, and linking for each missing file in the Files to Relink list. 6 7 To view a candidate for a missing file, select to highlight the missing file. That file’s candidate appears in the Candidates pane, where you can view its information and waveform. There is no Undo for relinking. Once a file has been relinked and the session saved, the session always remembers the new link (the original link is forgotten).
Catalogs Creating Catalogs of Folders To create a Catalog of an entire folder and all its contents: Catalogs are similar to having a Favorites folder, and serve as a way to collect and organize frequently used items regardless of where they are stored. A Catalog is analogous to a folder full of aliases or shortcuts. Placing a file in a Catalog does not create a copy of the file, and does not change where the file is stored.
Removing Catalog Items Updating Catalogs When you remove a folder or file from a Catalog, Pro Tools lets you choose whether to delete only the alias from the Catalog, or also delete the original files from disk. 1 Select a catalog in the Locations pane. Since a Catalog database is not linked to any particular volume, there is a limit to the abilities of the Update Index command.
Importing Catalog Items You can import online and offline items from Catalogs into the current session. Importing Online Items from a Catalog Dragging and dropping audio files to the Pro Tools Clips List and Timeline is identical to dragging and dropping from Workspace browsers. For more information, see “Importing Files with Drag and Drop” on page 400. Importing Offline Items from a Catalog With Catalogs, it is possible to search and import files that are offline.
Task Manager Window For maximum performance and flexibility with file management tasks, Pro Tools provides the Task Manager window. File management with Pro Tools involves nearly constant creating, copying, converting, processing, searching, and indexing files. These tasks occur in the background, letting you continue recording, editing, and mixing without delay. The Task window lets you monitor, pause and cancel ongoing tasks including file copying, fade regeneration, and indexing.
Task Window Messages If any background task cannot be successfully completed, the Task window comes to the foreground to notify you. The incomplete task is shown in the Paused Tasks pane of the Task window. Because the Task window is a floating window, it does not interrupt current work. This allows you to continue recording and editing, and postpone file management until a more convenient time. Task Window Views The Task window provides a maximized and minimized view.
To resume a task: Drag a task from the Paused Tasks pane to the Active Tasks pane. The task returns to its previous position in the queue. To resume all paused tasks: Select Resume All from the Task window menu. All tasks in the Paused Tasks pane (except failed tasks) are moved to the Active Tasks pane. To cancel a task: 1 2 Highlight any task in either pane of the Task window. Press Delete to remove it from the Task window. To cancel all tasks: 356 1 Select any single task in either pane.
Pausing Tasks During Playback A global preference Pause During Playback is provided in the Task window Browser menu. When enabled, Active Tasks are paused whenever Pro Tools is playing (or recording). This setting is especially useful when working on slower CPUs, or whenever you want to minimize system load for maximum playback and recording performance. This preference maintains its setting until the next time it is changed.
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Chapter 18: Artist Chat Window Use the Artist Chat window to find and invite other Pro Tools users to collaborate on projects. Use text chat to communicate during the collaboration process. The Artist Chat window is a floating window. To open (or close) the Artist Chat window: 1 2 Launch Pro Tools. Log in to your Avid Master Account, either through the Dashboard window or by selecting File > Sign In. You must be signed in to access the Artist Chat window.
Profile Setup To edit your Artist Profile: 1 The first time you open the Artist Chat window, you are prompted to setup up your Profile. The information in your profile will help other Pro Tools users find you in the Avid directory. Click the avatar icon in the upper-right corner of the Artist Chat window and choose Profile. Selecting Profile from the Avatar menu 2 Update the information for you Artist Profile in the Profile Setup.
Contacts Contacts view in the Artist Chat window lets you add and delete contacts, as well as initiate text chat with any of your contacts. You can find new contacts through the Avid directory or email people you want to work with directly. 5 Click the + (plus) button to the right of their Display Name. 6 Type a message to the person you want to add to your contacts and click Send. Add Contacts To add a contact: 1 Click Contacts in the left column of the Artist Chat window.
My Contacts 5 Click the “–” (minus) symbol. Once you have added other users to your contacts, you can chat with them and invite them to collaborate on your projects, just as they can invite you to join their projects. You can also delete contacts. To view your contacts: 1 Click Contacts in the left column of the Artist Chat window. 2 The My Contacts tab should be shown, but if not, click it. Edit My Contacts 6 Click Remove to remove that contact or click Cancel to keep it.
4 5 Click the “check mark” button to accept the request or click the “x” button to reject the request. Once you have accepted the request, you can open and download the project (either by double-clicking the project icon in the Artist Chat Project list or from the Dashboard), and begin collaborating. You can also accept or reject invitations to collaborate on a project in the Dashboard (see “Project Collaboration Invitations in the Dashboard” on page 183).
Project Chat Controls 2 The chat for projects provides controls for managing who can participate in the project, messaging between project participants, and whether or not to show the project collaboration transaction logs.
Revoke an Invitation to Collaborate Show or Hide Project Participants (Project Owner Only) Under the Shared Project icon, there is a Show/Hide Participants icon. You can hide the Participants List (collaborators and the owner) on the project to have more a little more room to view the project chat. Show the participants if you want to message (all participants) or remove any one of them (project owner only).
Project Notifications When any participant make any changes to the project, the number of changes appears to the right of the project in the Projects list. To see what has changed, review the collaboration transaction logs for the project. Collapse/Reveal Chat List Start New Chat Chat Topic (Group Chat Only) Group Chat Name Invite Contacts to chat Project changes notification Opening a Project from Artist Chat Chat list You can open any project listed in the Projects List from the Artist Chat window.
3 The selected Chat thread appears and shows who is in the chat, collaboration transaction logs, and lets you add or remove chat participants. You can show or hide the chat collaboration transactions log just like you can with projects. You can also invite people from your contacts list to join a chat just like you can with projects. For more information, see “Project Chat Controls” on page 364. • Click the “+” (plus) button to start a new chat and select from your contacts to start a new chat.
Group Chat Renaming a Group Chat Thread You can add other contacts to create a group chat. You can also specify a topic for group chat rooms so you can stay focused on the essentials for that chat. When a group chat is started, it initially uses the names of the members of the chat as the name for the chat. You can add a specific name to the group chat to help identify it in the Chat list. You can only change the name for a group chat.
To specify a topic for a group chat: 1 Double-click the topic field under the group chat title. 2 Type the desired topic for the group chat and press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows). Remove a Participant from a Group Chat If you initiated a group chat, you can remove any other participant in that group chat. To remove a participant from a group chat (only if you started the chat): 1 Click the Participant menu for the person you want to remove from the chat. 2 Choose Remove.
Filtering Chat and Project Messages Editing Chat or Project Messages You can filter your chat and project messages to that you can quickly find any past or current conversation that you are looking for based on a key word. You can go back and edit any chat or project messages that you have authored. To edit your chat or project messages: 1 To filter chat and project messages: 1 Select the Project or Chat in the left column for which you want to filter messages.
Any edited message displays a pencil icon, which is visible to all participants in the chat, indicating that it has been edited. 2 To remove your chat or project messages: 1 Locate the message you want to remove. 2 Right-click the message and choose Remove from the pop-up menu. Right-click the message you want to remove The message is removed, and the chat log reports to all participants in the chat that This message has been removed.
Pinning or Unpinning Items in the Projects and Chat Lists After you have been working with projects, adding contacts, and collaborating for awhile, you can imagine that the Projects and Chat lists might get rather long. Pro Tools lets you “pin” items in either list to the top of the list, or if you don’t need to keep an item at the top of the list any longer, you can “unpin” it. Note that pinning a project or a chat also pins it for all participants in that project or chat (the same is true for unpinning).
When you leave a project, it is removed from the Projects lists from both the Artist Chat window and from the Dashboard. When you leave a a group chat thread, it is removed from the Chat list in the Artist Chat window. No other collaborators or participants are affected. To restore an item from Artist Chat History: 1 In the Artist Chat window, click History. 2 Locate the item you want to restore and doubleclick it.
To go offline and remain signed in to your account while you are offline: 1 Ensure that you are connected to the internet. 2 Launch Pro Tools | First and sign in with your Avid Master Account credentials. 3 Open the Artist Chat window (Window > Artist Chat). 4 At the right-top corner of the Artist Chat window, click the Avatar icon and select Offline from the menu.
To go back online: Away Indicates that you are online, but away from 1 Ensure that you are conected to the internet. your Pro Tools system. 2 In the Artist Chat window, click the Avatar icon and select Online Offline Indicates that you are offline and unavail- able. You will always appear to others as offline if Pro Tools is not running.
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Chapter 19: Track Collaboration Sharing Projects and Collaborating Pro Tools lets you upload your projects to the cloud and collaborate on the same project with other users on a track-by-track basis. Obviously, you do not have to share a project and you can just use your cloud storage to keep your project and all associated media backed up online, but the real fun of working with online projects is being able to collaborate with others.
• Plug-In Assignments Items Shared Only when a Project is First Downloaded • Plug-In Settings and Automation Project Level • Sidechain Assignments • Sample Rate • HW Insert Assignments • Bit Depth • Track Metadata • File Format • Track I/O assignments • Interleaved Audio Files option (enabled or disabled) Rulers • Project Start Time • Mute Automation Settings • Markers (Specific Markers) • Tempo ruler • Meter • Key • Chords Automation Mode Selector The track automation mode selector is conti
What is Not Shared? Start Collaboration The following are not shared in a project: Use the Start Collaboration command to quickly invite collaborators to join an existing session or project, or to create a new collaborative online project. • Mix and Edit groups • Clip groups • VCA tracks • HEAT settings To start a collaboration: • Video 1 Open an existing session or project (skip this step to create a new collaborative project from scratch). 2 Choose File > Start Collaboration.
Track Collaboration Tools in the Transport Window Just like the Edit window, the Transport window can also be host to the Global Track Collaboration tools. These controls and their settings mirror each other in both the Edit Window toolbar and in the Transport window.
Track Ownership Request Download All New Changes The Track Ownership Request indicator turns orange when you have ownership of a track and another participant wants to take ownership of the track. As soon as another collaborator has made any change on any track whose Upload Track Changes control turns green, your Download All New Changes button turns green as well. Since you probably won’t want to download each change individually, you can wait until you are ready to download all changes from the cloud.
To download all available tracks in a project: If it is lit, click the Download All Tracks button to download all available tracks in the project.
Track Collaboration Track View in the Edit and Mix Windows Track Collaboration controls can be shown or hidden independently in both the Edit window and Mix windows. In the Edit window, these controls show up in the left-most column of all Track and Ruler views. In the Mix window, these controls appear between the Sends and the I/O selectors. These controls mirror each other for any given track regardless of whether they are changed in the Edit window or the Mix window.
Track Collaboration Controls The Track Collaboration controls in the Edit and Mix windows mirror each other on a track-bytrack basis. Use these controls to share a track, take or release ownership of a track, upload changes on a track, or download changes to a track. Sharing a track Share Track The Share Track control turns blue when the track is successfully shared.
Track, Not Shared When it is not shared, it is gray. When a track is not shared, none of the other Track Collaboration controls are available. You can keep unshared tracks in your project as if they are “private” tracks. In many cases you won’t need to share all the tracks in your project. Consider duplicating tracks to keep them as a reference against other collaborators changes. Or, consider sharing only mixed down tracks as a reference for your collaborators rather than sharing the entire mix.
Shared as Frozen The Shared as Frozen option is especially useful if you know that your collaborators do not have a particular plug-in that you are using, but you want them to be able to hear what you are doing on that track. The Upload Track Changes control icon shows a slightly different graphic to indicate that the track has been shared as a frozen track.
Manual Downloads Only Enable the Manual Downloads Only option to ensure that the Download All New Changes button does not automatically download any changes from the cloud copy of this track. You will only download changes from the cloud copy of the project if you click the Download Track Changes control when it is green. Disable this option to return to allowing the Download All New Changes button to automatically download all changes on this track. trol, even if it is yellow.
Manual Ownership Rescinding Your Request You manually take ownership of an unowned track (or one that you took ownership of automatically) simply by clicking the Track Ownership control. It shows your Display Name and turns solid green. Even if you make changes to the track and then upload those changes, you retain ownership of the track. Any other collaborator must request ownership and be granted ownership, or seize ownership to take ownership of a manually owned track.
To relinquish a track with change that have not yet been uploaded, Right-click the Track Ownership control and choose one of the following options (depending on whether you took ownership of the track automatically or manually): Track Ownership Requested The Track Ownership control on the track for which ownership is being requested also highlights and displays the text “Ownership Requested.
The Track Ownership Request indicator turns blue and all tracks except those being requested are hidden. Relinquish Now If you have track changes that have not yet been uploaded, choose Relinquish Now to immediately surrender track ownership to the collaborator making the request. Any track changes are kept without uploading them.
If you make changes to a track while another participant uploads their changes to the cloud copy, when you are notified that changes are available for download, the Download Track Changes control turns yellow indicating that your local track changes will be overwritten by changes on the cloud. Indication of Transfer of Conflicting Changes The Download Track Changes control turns red when a download for that track is currently in progress and the cloud copy is in conflict with the local track changes.
To download a track from the cloud, do one of the following: In the Tracks List, click the gray Cloud icon to the left of the track name to download and import all track data. It is important to understand, that unlike tracks in a shared project (which can be shared or not), all Conductor rulers in a shared project are always shared.
Upload Ruler Changes Right-Click Menu The Upload Ruler Changes control provides a right-click menu that offers similar controls to the Upload Track Changes control right-click menu. Upload Ruler Changes Right-Click menu Force Upload The Force Upload command d is only available when the Upload Ruler Changes control is not lit. Choose Force Upload to force upload the entire ruler as is, replacing the cloud version.
Accept Download Ruler Ownership Right-Click Menu The Accept Download command works just like clicking the green Download Ruler Changes control and downloads all changes on that ruler from the cloud copy of the project. The Conductor Ruler Ownership control rightclick menu provides different commands depending on whether or not the ruler is unowned, owned by you, or owned by another, and whether or not changes are pending upload or download.
Relinquish After Posting Automatic Ownership Choose Relinquish After Posting to automatically surrender ownership of a Conductor ruler right after posting changes. When you automatically take ownership of a Conductor ruler by making a “share-able” change on an unowned ruler, the Upload Ruler Changes control turns dim green. Relinquish Now Choose Relinquish Now to surrender ownership of a Conductor ruler without posting changes.
Conductor Ruler Owned by Another Participant When another participant owns a Conductor ruler, the Conductor Ruler Ownership control turns orange for everyone else. Conductor ruler owned by another participant Ownership Pending If you want to take control of a Conductor ruler owned by another participant, you can make a “share-able” change on the Conductor ruler or click the Conductor Ruler Ownership control.
Chapter 20: Importing and Exporting Session Data Pro Tools lets you import and export a variety of data into and out of a session, including audio and MIDI files, clip groups, video files, track playlists, I/O configurations, and signal routing configurations. You can import individual audio and MIDI files into a session, or import entire audio or MIDI tracks, along with all of their attributes, from another session.
• Using the Clips List menu: • Export Clip Definitions command • Export Clips as Files command • Export Clip Groups command Audio Conversion on Import You can enable the Automatically Copy Files on Import option in the Processing Preferences page to be sure to always copy files to the session’s Audio Files folder when importing audio by drag and drop.
Audio files of the following types can be imported into Pro Tools sessions and projects, but will be converted to the current session or project file format on import: • AAC audio (including audio with AAC, Mp4, and M4a file extensions) • ACID files • MP3 • MXF audio • QuickTime (Mac only) • ReCycle (REX 1 and 2) files The Sample Rate Conversion Quality options are available in the Import Audio and the Import Session Data dialogs.
Importing Interleaved Files To import files into the Clips List: When using the Import Audio command, interleaved stereo files are automatically imported to stereo tracks. With Pro Tools Ultimate, greaterthan-stereo multichannel audio files are automatically imported to tracks with the corresponding multichannel audio file format. 1 Select audio, video, MIDI, clip group, REX, or ACID files in a Workspace browser, or Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder. 2 Drag the selected files onto the Clips List.
Workspace Drop media or session files to existing tracks, or to the Tracks List to add as new Drop files in the Clips List to import Importing from the Workspace by drag and drop Chapter 20: Importing and Exporting Session Data 401
To import and spot files into a track: 1 Enable Spot mode. 2 Select the files you want to import in a Workspace browser, or Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder. 3 Drag the files onto an existing, compatible track. The Spot dialog appears. 4 Enter the appropriate timecode location (where you want to spot the imported file). 5 Click OK.
If you are importing an audio file by drag and drop from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder to the Tracks List or to empty space in the Edit window, files are imported as sample-based or as tick-based Elastic Audio depending on the Drag and Drop from Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo preference (see “Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo” on page 408).
In the import list, audio files are distinguished from clips by their icons. Audio File icon Audio Clip icon File and Clip icons in the Import Audio dialog 4 Do any of the following: • To place a file or clip in the Import list, select the file and click Add or Convert. • To import all files and clips in the current directory, click Add All or Convert All. • To remove a file or clip from the Import list, select it and click Remove. • To remove all files and clips, click Remove All.
8 In the Audio Import Options dialog, select where the imported files will go in the session: Importing Audio from Audio CDs Pro Tools lets you import tracks from audio CDs using the same methods that you use to import audio files, as follows: • Drag CD audio from the CD folder. • Drag files from a Workspace Browser. • Use the Import Audio command. Audio Import Options dialog New Track Each audio file is imported into its own individual track and into the Clips List.
Importing ACID and REX Files ACID files and REX 1 and 2 files are converted to the session audio file type. Depending on the preferences settings, ACID and REX files can be imported as sample-based clips or as tick-based Elastic Audio clips. For REX files only, Pro Tools uses any slice data to create Event markers with 100% confidence. ACID files are analyzed for Elastic Audio events just like WAV files, and so events are detected with varying degrees of confidence.
6 Do one of the following: • Import the REX files you want by drag and drop from a Workspace browser • Import the REX files you want by drag and drop from the Desktop. • Use the Import Audio command (see “Importing Audio Files and Clips Using the Import Audio Command” on page 403).
Import Options and Preferences Pro Tools provides several options and preferences that affect audio import. Configure Pro Tools to match your most common workflows. For example, if you frequently work by importing REX files for loop-based composition, you can configure Pro Tools to always import REX files to conform to tempo and create new tick-based Elastic Audio tracks.
None When enabled, all audio files, including REX and ACID files, are not conformed to the session tempo when imported by drag and drop from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder. They are imported as sample-based files and converted to the sessions audio file format. REX and ACID Files Only When enabled, only REX and ACID files are conformed to the session tempo when imported by drag and drop from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder.
Tracks Preference When the New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase option is enabled, all new tracks default to ticks. This includes importing audio to new tracks. When deselected, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and VCA tracks default to samples. MIDI and Instrument tracks always default to ticks. This command also provides a way to convert clips to a different audio format, sample rate, or bit depth.
When you export clips to a lower bit depth, Dither (with or without Noise Shaping) is applied as shown in the following table: Dither and Noise Shaping with Export Selected dialog Dither Noise Shaping 32-bit float to 32-bit float No No 32-bit float to 24-bit Yes Yes 32-bit float to 16-bit Yes Yes 24-bit to 32-bit float No No 24-bit to 24-bit No No 24-bit to 16-bit Yes Yes 16-bit to 32-bit float No No 16-bit to 24-bit No No 16-bit to 16-bit No No Bit Depth The Avid Dither plug-i
Exporting Clip Definitions Pro Tools stores clip definitions for audio files within each session. If you want to use an audio file’s clips in another session, or with another application that supports them, you can export the clip information. If you plan to transfer Pro Tools session data to another session, you should export clip definitions for sessions containing multiple takes created with Loop Record.
4 In the Mix window, click the MIDI Output selector for each new track and assign a MIDI instrument and channel. Clips List The Clips List option imports the file into the Clips List, where it will be available to place into tracks. MIDI Import Options Dialog Location The MIDI Import Options dialog lets you specify what Pro Tools does when importing MIDI files. The Location options determine where imported MIDI is placed when the New Track(s) option is selected.
Remove Existing MIDI Tracks When selected, deletes any existing MIDI tracks. Enabling this option does not remove any current Instrument tracks. All existing MIDI clips will be left in the Clips List. • Drag the files to the Tracks List. Remove Existing MIDI Clips When selected, deletes existing MIDI clips (all data on all MIDI and Instrument tracks) but leaves existing MIDI and Instrument tracks in place.
3 From the MIDI File Format pop-up menu, select 1 (multitrack) or 0 (single track). 4 If the Song Start time is different from the Session Start time, select Session Start or Song Start from the Location Reference pop-up menu. Mute automation and muted clips do not affect exported MIDI. As long as a MIDI track is not muted by clicking its Mute button, or an Instrument track is not muted by clicking its MIDI Mute button (Instruments view), all of its MIDI data is exported.
2 From the Right-click menu, select Export MIDI. 3 Set the Export MIDI settings in the Export MIDI Settings dialog. 4 Click OK. 5 In the Save dialog, type a name for the MIDI file, specify where you want to save it, and click Save. Option-Right-click (Mac) or Alt-Right-click (Windows) to export all tracks to a single MIDI file. Exporting Sibelius Files Pro Tools can export the score of your session or project as a Sibelius file (.sib).
3 If the Fader Gain setting of the session is different, you will be prompted to keep or change the Fader Gain before the Session Data dialog opens. 4 In the Source section, select tracks to import by clicking the pop-up menu to the right of each track name and selecting New Track. To select multiple tracks, Opt-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) on any track pop-up menu and select Import As New Track.
Importing Sessions and Tracks by Drag and Drop Session files can be dragged into the current session or project to import (and spot) audio, video, MIDI, clip group, REX and ACID files, tracks, and session data. • Dragging a session to the Clips List imports all the clips from that session (without importing tracks). • Dragging a session to a track in Pro Tools lets you import tracks.
Import Session Data Dialog The Import Session Data dialog lets you view the properties of the source session, select which tracks to import, and with Pro Tools Ultimate, choose which attributes of those tracks you want to import into the current session or project. Text Encoding Pro Tools allows entry and display of any language characters supported in Unicode anywhere in the Pro Tools application. This lets you use multiple languages in session names, and in path names, file names and clip names.
Copy from Source Media This option copies all audio files related to the imported tracks from the source media to a new specified location (for sessions) or to the cloud (for projects), and converts the files to the current session or project sample rate if necessary. The source media’s audio file format and bit depth are not changed. This is useful if you are importing tracks from a source such as CD or DVDs or shared storage, and you want to place the audio files on a different hard drive.
Timecode Mapping Options Track Offset Options In the Import Session Data dialog, you can specify where the imported tracks are placed in the current session. Times are indicated in timecode. In the Import Session Data dialog, you can specify a track offset in addition to any offset incurred with the Timecode Mapping Options. Any imported audio is offset in the current session or project Timeline by the specified amount.
Source Tracks Matching Tracks This area of the Import Session Data dialog lists the tracks in the source session that can be imported, each with a corresponding pop-up menu. In the Import Session Data dialog, you can make sure track names match when you are importing playlists from source tracks with the same name as destination tracks in the current session or project (such as a new cut of a scene). Click Matching Tracks to automatically match the track names.
Selecting Track Data to Import Clip Gain Recalls the clip gain settings for all im- ported audio clips. To select what Track Data to import: 1 In the Import Session Data dialog, click the Choose button for Track Data to Import. 2 Configure the Track Data to Import dialog as desired. 3 Click OK. Clip Effects Recalls the clip effects settings for all imported audio clips.
Send Output Assignments Recalls the source track’s send output assignments. Any Send output assignments in the destination track are replaced. Plug-In Assignments Recalls the source track’s plug-in assignments. Any plug-ins in the destination track are removed, and their associated settings and automation are lost. Track Colors Recalls the track color associated with the source track. Any color for the destination track is changed.
Presets Buttons The Track Data to Import dialog provides five Presets buttons that let you store and recall your most commonly used Track Data to Import configurations. You can also save and import Track Data to Import settings using the Librarian menu. To store a Track Data to Import preset: 1 2 dialog focused on the default Track Data to Import folder. Track Data to Import Settings file stored in this location are listed by name under in the Librarian menu.
Import Mic Pre Settings Imports any Pro Tools Mic Pre settings from the source session. Any Mic Pre settings in the destination session or project are replaced. Import HEAT Master Settings (Pro Tools | Ultimate with the HEAT Software Option Only) Imports any HEAT Master settings from the source session, including Bypass, Drive, and Tone settings. The HEAT Master settings in the destination session or project are replaced.
Pro Tools can import the following types of files sourced from Avid editors: • AAF or OMF sequences (including those with embedded audio) • Individual Avid video files in the MXF or OMF format • OMF and MXF audio files Importing an AAF or OMF Sequence as a Pro Tools Session The easiest way of using Pro Tools to edit a sequence exported from an Avid application (such as Media Composer) is to open it as a new session or project. Pro Tools cannot play video files embedded within an AAF or OMF sequence.
10 Click Save. The Import Session Data dialog opens. You can open and import OMF or AAF sequences that reference audio files with mixed sample rates or bit depths. Pro Tools creates a new online project or a new local session file in the location you specified, along with the following new items (sessions only): • Audio Files folder • Clip Groups folder • Session File Backups folder • Video Files folder • cache.
Multi-Cam Resolution Files On an Avid system, Multi-Cam Resolution files display multiple individual camera angles of the same scene. The Avid operator chooses which of the Multi-Cam files (and therefore camera angles) will be dominant, at the time of creating an AAF or OMF export. When you import an AAF or OMF sequence into a Pro Tools session, only the clip representing the dominant camera angle will be displayed.
Pro Tools imports the audio and video media to the Timeline. Audio tracks with mixed sample rates are automatically converted to the same sample rate as the session. Importing AAF/OMF Audio Sequences with Mixed Sample Rates or Bit Depth You can open and import AAF or OMF sequences with mixed sample rates and bit depths into Pro Tools. Audio files that are not of the same sample rate as a session or project must be converted to be used with the session or project.
SMPTE ID and Unique ID Pro Tools recognizes and creates two different unique IDs for media files (AIFF and WAV only): Unique ID and SMPTE ID. SMPTE ID (Pro Tools 12.8 and higher only) provides optimal compatibility and interchange with other applications that utilize SMPTE IDs in media files and AAF sequences (such as Avid Media Composer), and ensures truly unique IDs for AIFF and WAV files. 8-bit Unique ID Legacy ID format used with versions of Pro Tools lower that 12.8.
To convert an OMFI audio file that exists in the current session or project: 1 Select the audio to be converted. 2 Apply the Consolidate command to convert the selected audio (Edit > Consolidate Clip). 3 Edit and process your newly converted files as normal. Consolidate from Source Media Use this setting to copy the audio from the source sequence to the Pro Tools session or project, while removing all unused areas in the copies.
Maintain Relative Timecode Values Track Offset Options This option places tracks at the same offset from session start as they had in the source session. For example, if the source session starts at 01:00:00:00 and a contains a track that starts at 01:01:00:00, and the current session start is 02:00:00:00, the track will be placed at 02:01:00:00 in the current session.
These settings can also be used to correct for pull up or pull down problems. For example, you may receive an AAF or OMF transfer from a Film Composer that contains audio media at “film speed” when played back at 48 kHz. You may want to convert all the audio files and edits to play back at NTSC video speed and 48 kHz. AAF/OMF Source Track Translation Settings In this case, set the Source Audio Sample Rate setting to 47,952 and the Destination Audio Sample Rate to 48,000.
Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right To import Markers based on marker color: The Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right setting enables you to set the basic track pan setting so that odd-numbered tracks translate with full-left panning, and even-numbered tracks translate with full-right panning. This is useful if you want to pan the currently unpanned audio full-left or full-right. 1 Click the Markers to Import menu. 2 Select the colors of markers you want to import.
To import plug-in settings when importing AAF tracks or sequences: 1 Open the Track Data to Import menu. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose All. • Choose Some, and ensure that Plug-In Assignments is selected. To avoid importing plug-in settings when importing AAF tracks or sequences: 1 Open the Track Data to Import menu. 2 Choose Some, and ensure that Plug-In Assignments is deselected.
Translation Notes File Missing Renderings If there are any errors, clip name truncations, or other notes (such as missing effect renderings), during import of an AAF or OMF file or sequence, a dialog appears asking if you want a detailed report of the changes. Click Yes and choose where you want to save the translation notes file. Example 1 The Translation Notes File can be opened by most word processing applications that can read plain text files.
This indicates that an effect was not rendered completely at a fade boundary in an Avid system. On import, Pro Tools bypassed the incomplete rendering and imported the audio without the effect. If you need the effect, re-render the effect and fade on the Avid system, and export again.Miscellaneous Errors (Misc Errors) Pro Tools can export AAF or OMF sequences linked to RF64 audio files, which are special WAV files that can be larger than 2 GB (normal WAVs must be under 2 GB).
2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF. 3 From the Export As pop-up menu, select AAF or OMF. 4 If desired, select Enforce Avid Compatibility. Enforce Avid Compatibility limits the sample rate options to 44.1 or 48 kHz, and enables exporting of clip gain data. Dither without noise shaping will be applied to files being exported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
Exporting Multichannel Audio Tracks When exporting AAF, stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 tracks can be exported as multichannel tracks, or as splitmono tracks. When exporting to OMF, multichannel tracks are always exported as multiple mono files. Video tracks cannot be exported to AAF or OMF from Pro Tools. Exporting Clip Gain When exporting to AAF with the Enforce Avid Compatibility option on, Pro Tools generates Media Composer-style clip gain data, based on the clip gain data on each track.
To export selected audio tracks from Pro Tools as an AAF sequence referring to MXF audio files: 1 In Pro Tools, select the tracks you want to export. 2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF. 3 Under OMF/AAF Options, select AAF from the Export As pop-up menu. An OMF sequence cannot reference MXF media files. When using the Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF dialog, choose AAF in the Export As pop-up menu to enable MXF in the Audio Format menu.
Exporting MXF Audio Files Using Bounce to Disk 5 Select MXF for the File Type. You can use the Bounce to Disk command to create pre-mixed MXF audio files of the current Pro Tools session or project. This does not export all of the individual files on the Timeline, but it does guarantee that the mix you hear in another application will be identical to the mix you hear in Pro Tools, including all panning, effects, and automation.
10 In the Publishing Options dialog, do the following: To export clips as new MXF files: 1 • Type the Pro Tools Comment and Clip Name. • Choose a Target Project Timecode Format that matches the Avid application project to which you are exporting the MXF audio. 2 In the Clips List, select the clips you want to export. From the Clips List menu, choose Export Selected As Files. Publishing Options dialog 11 Click OK. All audible audio in the selection will be exported to two multi-mono audio files.
Export Options when Exporting to AAF or OMF Sequences Pro Tools provides several translation settings when exporting tracks to OMF/AAF, including OMF/AAF Options, Sample Rate Conversion Options, and Audio Media Options.
Subclip with OFFs (One-frame files) laid over end frames When you quantize edits to frame boundaries, you must enter a handle size (length) under Audio Media Options. See “Consolidate Handle Size (Milliseconds)” on page 447. A master clip consisting of the clip plus the handle size (length) on both front and back will be exported. The exported sequence creates a subclip which is equivalent to the original clip, but extended to the farthest frame boundaries.
For example, your session or project contains audio media at 29.97 fps (NTSC video) at 48 kHz, while the film composer to whom you are exporting your session or project requires audio media at 24 fps (film speed) at 48 kHz. To convert all the audio files and edits to play back at 24 fps (film speed) at 48 kHz, you would set the Source Sample Rate setting to 48,048 (a pull up rate of 0.1%) and the Destination Sample Rate to 48,000.
Consolidate From Source Media Copies only the part of the files that are actually used by the session or project. For example, you may only be using a ten second clip of a ten-minute audio file in your session or project. Consolidating this audio saves a great deal of disk space by copying only the audio you use and discarding the rest. Consolidate Source Audio Media is the only usable option for a Pro Tools to AAF or OMF translation when Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries is selected.
Time stamps can be stored in three different places within a media file: • In a clip definition • In the file format metadata (for example, .WAV file wrappers) • In the AAF or OMF wrapper Exporting a Clip If you are exporting a clip, the time stamp will be the start point of the clip, relative to the point where the file originally started to record. For example, if you record a file from 1:00 to 1:30, then trim it to start at 1:15, the time stamp for the exported clip would be 1:15.
Export Selected Tracks as New Session or Project Pro Tools lets you export any selected tracks in a session or project as a new session or project. This feature is especially useful in collaborative situations. For example, you might be working on a large post-production session and you want your collaborator to work on only some dialog in the session or project while you continue working on other parts of the session. You can now select the dialog tracks and export them as a new session or project.
A copy of the session or project that contains only the selected tracks from the source session or project is saved to the specified location for sessions and to the cloud for projects. For information on the Save Copy In dialog settings and options, see “Save Copy In Options” on page 168. Exporting Session Information as Text You can use the Export Session Info as Text command to create a text file that contains extensive information about your session or project.
Export Session Information as Text Options Include Markers Select this option to export a list of all markers included in the session or project. Include Plug-In List Select this option to export a list of the plug-ins used in the session or project. Include Track EDLs (Playlists) You can export track EDLs (playlists). Track EDLs can be used to spot-check clip placement and edits, or in a conforming program for post applications.
Time Format Clip group files store the following metadata: You can select the appropriate time format that exported EDL information is based on. For example, for post work, you might select SMPTE time, but for music creation locked to a grid, you might select Bars:Beats. • References to all audio files within the clip group File Format On Mac, you can to export to TextEdit, UTF-8, MS Excel, MS Word, Write Now, Word Perfect, and AppleWorks text formats.
Importing Clip Groups with Pro Tools Menu Commands 4 sion tempo map with the tempo map of the clip group). This option is only available when importing the clip group to the Session Start. To import a clip group with Pro Tools menu commands: 1 Choose File > Import > Clip Groups and select the clip group you want to import. If desired, enable the Import Tempo Map from Clip Group File option, which replaces the ses- 5 Click OK.
Exporting Clip Groups To export a clip group: 1 Select one or more clip groups in the Clips List. 2 From the Clips List menu, choose Export Clip Groups. Exporting Clip Groups to Another Hard Drive Generally, if you are exporting clip groups to another hard drive, you should copy any referenced audio files. This way you can move clip groups not only from one session to another, but from one system to another.
Chapter 21: File and Session Management and Compatibility When working with Pro Tools, you will encounter several different kinds of computer files. Pro Tools systems require that you keep certain files in specific hard drive locations in order to function properly: • Pro Tools software files (such as the application and plug-ins files) should be located on your Startup drive (the drive that contains your operating system and other system-related files).
Audio File Management Unique File IDs Pro Tools tags each audio file in a session with a unique identifier that allows it to distinguish a particular file even if its name or location has changed. This Unique ID is 8-bit and is used by versions of Pro Tools lower than 12.8. Transfer Files Transfer files reside on volumes unsuitable for playback, such as CD or DVD discs, or network drives. To open a session containing Transfer files: SMPTE IDs • Click Yes to open the Copy and Relink window.
Missing Files Renamed Audio Files A file is missing if it is not found in the same location as when the session was last saved. Renamed audio files are located in the auto-created Renamed Audio Files folder in the Pro Tools session folder. Files can be renamed when you open a session that references audio file names with incompatible characters.
Before the session opens, you are prompted to save a detailed report of the renamed files and their original file names to a Notes text file. By default, the Notes text file is saved to the Session folder. It is possible to have a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session that contains audio file names with illegal characters. If you Save Copy In the session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or lower with Mac/PC Compatibility on, the tracks are renamed with legal characters.
WAVE Extensible File Format Pro Tools supports the WAVE Extensible file format for audio files. This file format specifies multiple audio channel data (surround sound) along with speaker positions, which is stored within the audio file header. These audio files are identified in Workspace browsers with the designation “WAV (BWF EXT)” in the Attributes field. If you are working with greater-than-stereo multichannel track formats in your Pro Tools sessions, it is recommended that you use the WAV file format.
To save (or create) Mac sessions to be compatible on Windows systems, see “Saving Copies of Mac Sessions to be Compatible with Windows” on page 460. When transferring Pro Tools sessions from HFS+ drives to NTFS drives, Pro Tools sessions cannot relink to audio files that have Mac characters that are illegal in Windows. These characters are automatically converted to underscore (“_”) characters. These files are saved to the Renamed Audio Files folder. You need to manually relink each file by File ID.
Audio File Types The recommended file format for cross-platform interoperability is BWF (.WAV). To support optimal session interchange, Pro Tools defaults to BWF format for new sessions. Saving Cross-Platform Sessions To save an existing session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or lower and maintain Mac and Windows compatibility: 1 Choose File > Save Copy In. Pro Tools lets you save, bounce, and export in a variety of audio file formats, including WAV, AIFF, MP3, and QuickTime.
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Systems Pro Tools makes it easy to share sessions between Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools. There are some important differences between systems that can affect how session material is transferred. For details on transferring sessions between Windows and Mac systems, see “Sharing Sessions Created on Different Computer Platforms” on page 459.
Video • Only the main video track is displayed. • Only the first QuickTime movie in the session is displayed or played back. • If the session contains QuickTime movies in the Clips List but no video track, the session opens with a new QuickTime Movie track containing the first QuickTime movie from the Clips List. • The Timeline displays and plays back only the video playlist that was last active. Alternate video playlists are not available.
• When opening sessions created in Pro Tools 12.1 or higher that have more than the maximum number of audio tracks or instrument tracks in Pro Tools 12.0 or lower, those tracks will be dropped. When opening a session created in Pro Tools 11.x or higher that contains Avid video in a lower version of Pro Tools, the track will be inactive unless the Avid video is an SD resolution and a Mojo or Mojo SDI is attached. Sharing Sessions Between Pro Tools 11.x or Higher and Pro Tools 10.x Saving Pro Tools 12.
Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions with Pro Tools 8.1 and 8.5 Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions with Pro Tools 7.4.x A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with Pro Tools 8.1 and 8.5, but certain session components open differently or not at all. A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with Pro Tools 7.4.x, but certain session components open differently or not at all. When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with Pro Tools 8.1 or 8.
When opening a Pro Tools 7.4.x or higher session with Pro Tools 7.3.x or 7.2, the following occurs: • All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools 8.x or higher session with Pro Tools 7.4.x. • Elastic Audio-enabled tracks open without Elastic Audio and clip durations revert to the timing of the original source file. • Sessions with mixed language characters supported in Unicode may not open or, if they do open, Pro Tools displays “garbage” text. Opening Pro Tools 7.2 or Higher Sessions with Pro Tools 7.
When opening a session created with Pro Tools HD 7.x–9.x in Pro Tools LE 8.0, the following occurs: Tracks • Any tracks beyond the first 48, as well any inactive tracks, are set to voice off. • Any assignments to busses beyond 32 are made inactive. • Any Instrument tracks beyond 32 are made inactive. • TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents are converted; those without equivalents are made inactive. • Multichannel surround tracks are removed from the session.
When saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 format, the following occurs: • All that occurs when saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to Pro Tools 7–>9 session format. Tracks • Any audio tracks beyond 256 are removed. • Any internal mix busses beyond 128 are removed. • All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) are dropped. • Mix Groups keep only Main Volume information. • Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and Automation Mode information.
Saving Pro Tools 12.x–10.x Sessions to Pro Tools 5.0 Format Pro Tools 5.1 and higher sessions cannot be opened with Pro Tools version 5.0. To save a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session so it is compatible with Pro Tools version 5.0, use the File > Save Copy In command to choose the Pro Tools 5.0 Session format. When saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to Pro Tools 5.0 format, the following occurs: • All that occurs when saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to Pro Tools 5.0 format.
Pro Tools Application Language You can choose the language you want to use in the Pro Tools application, independently of what language the OS is using. To select the language for Pro Tools: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and select the Display tab. 2 Choose the language you want to use in Pro Tools from the Language pop-up menu.
Part IV: Playback and Recording
Chapter 22: Playing Back Track Material After importing or recording audio or MIDI to tracks, you will want to play back the material when editing and mixing. To stop playback, do one of the following: Starting and Stopping Playback • With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport or Shuttle, press 0 on the numeric keypad. To start playback, do one of the following: • If you have a control surface connected and configured, press the Stop switch. • Click Play in the Transport. • Press the Spacebar.
Playing Back MIDI 4 To have playback start from the beginning of the session, click Return to Zero in the Transport. 5 Start playback. 6 The MIDI plays the selected MIDI device, and the audio from the MIDI device is monitored through the selected Output Path on the Auxiliary Input or Instrument track. Adjust the MIDI, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track’s volume and pan faders as necessary. 7 When you are finished, stop playback.
Counters and Indicators that Display the Playback Location Main and Sub Counters and Edit Selection Indicators At the top of the Edit window, the playback location is displayed in the Main and Sub counters, and the Edit Selection Start indicator. If no selection is made, the playback location is also displayed in the Edit Selection End indicator. To display the Sub Counter in the Transport window: 1 Select View > Transport > Counters. 2 Select View > Transport > Expanded.
Edit Cursor The edit cursor is a flashing line that appears when you click with the Selector tool in a track’s playlist. The flashing edit cursor indicates the start point for any editing tasks performed. If you make a selection and perform an edit, the selection is the target of the edit. Locating the Playback Cursor when It Is Off-Screen Use the Playback Cursor locator to locate the playback cursor when it is off-screen.
To begin playing from a specific point within a track: 1 Make sure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is enabled. 2 With the Selector tool, click in the track where you want playback to begin. Setting Playback Location with the Main Counter or Edit Selection Start Indicator To set the playback location using a Main Counter (or the Edit Selection Start indicator): 1 Do one of the following: 3 Start playback. • Click in one of the counters. 4 Stop playback.
Timecode Moves back or forward in one-second To configure the Back/Forward Amount: steps (while adjusting for current SMPTE format). 1 Feet+Frames Moves back or forward in one-foot steps. Samples Moves back or forward in one-second steps. Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Operation tab.
To move the playback location forward by the Back/Forward Amount and then begin playback: Press Command+Option (Mac) or Control+Alt (Windows), and click Fast Forward in the Transport window. Repeating Back/Forward Commands All the Back/Forward commands can be repeated in order to increase the amount of the total Back or Forward move. To repeat Back/Forward moves: 1 Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows).
Scrolling Options You can configure how contents of the Edit window scroll during playback and recording. To configure Scrolling options: Choose Options > Scrolling and select one of the following options: No Scrolling The Edit window does not scroll during or after playback. The playback cursor moves across the Edit window, indicating the playback location. You can change the Scrolling option while the Transport is running.
Continuous Scrolling During Playback uses host Center Playhead Scrolling and Dynamic Transport mode cannot be used at the same time. Selecting Center Playhead Scrolling disables Dynamic Transport mode (if it is enabled). Likewise, enabling Dynamic Transport mode when Center Playhead Scrolling is selected automatically changes the Scrolling option to No Scrolling. processing power, so use this option with hostbased Pro Tools systems only when absolutely necessary.
All tracks play for the range of the selection, including pre-roll and post-roll if enabled. plays start (for post-roll amount) plays end (for pre-roll amount) plays pre-roll + start plays end + post-roll To play an Edit selection with Link Timeline and Edit Selection disabled: Choose Edit > Selection > Play Edit. To play a Timeline selection with Link Timeline and Edit Selection disabled: Choose Edit > Selection > Play Timeline.
Transport Fade-in Pro Tools provides a Fade-in option for the Transport. Enable this option to fade in the levels for all source audio linearly, from silence to the current levels of the source audio when the transport starts. The Fade-in time can be set between 0.000 and 4.000 seconds. This option is useful for avoiding pops and clicks, or sudden boosts in volume when relocating the playback location during playback. Be sure to disable the Fade-in Transport option when recording.
Moving the Playhead When the Scrolling option is set to Center Playhead, the Playhead can be moved forward or back to the next clip boundary in the selected track. To move the Playhead through a track’s clip boundaries: 1 Make sure the Tab to Transients button is not enabled (see “Tabbing to Transients” on page 641). 2 Click in the track with the Selector tool. 3 Do one of the following: • Press Tab to move the Playhead forward to the next clip boundary.
Loop Playback Mode When Loop Playback mode is enabled, the selected track range repeats on playback. If there is no selection, playback occurs normally from the current Cursor location. A selection must be at least 500 ms in length for it to loop on playback. Looping playback is a useful way to check the rhythmic continuity of a selection when working with musical material. If you’re working with onebar selections, you can loop playback to see if the material loops cleanly.
To enable or disable Dynamic Transport mode, do one of the following: Select or deselect Options > Dynamic To reposition the Play Start Marker, do one of the following: Transport. Right-click the Play button in the Transport window and select Dynamic Transport from the pop-up menu. With any Edit tool selected, drag the Play Start Marker to a new location. Press Command+Control+P (Mac) or Control+Start+P (Windows) to toggle Dynamic Transport mode on or off.
To change the Timeline Selection Start or End Markers: Play Start Marker Follows Timeline Selection 1 Make a Timeline selection with the Selector tool by dragging in the Main Timebase ruler. If the Link Timeline and Edit Selection option is enabled, you can make an Edit selection with the Selector or any of the Grabber tools.
Using Dynamic Transport Mode with Loop Playback Using Separate Play and Stop Keys Use Dynamic Transport mode in conjunction with Loop Playback to specify the loop start and end points with the Timeline selection while using the Play Start Marker to specify where playback begins. This is especially useful for auditioning loop transitions. Note that enabling Dynamic Transport mode automatically enables Loop Playback mode.
To move the Play Start Marker to the Timeline Selection End: Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and then the Right Arrow. To move the Play Start Marker to the Edit Selection Start: Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and then the Down Arrow. MIDI Beat Clock Pro Tools can transmit MIDI Beat Clock to synchronize external MIDI devices that receive MIDI Beat Clock (such as drum machines, hardware sequencers, or arpeggiators) with the Pro Tools session tempo for playback and recording.
4 5 Enter the correct negative offset values (such as “–200” samples) for each port that is enabled for transmitting MIDI Beat Clock (see “Measuring Beat Clock Latency” on page 490). Click OK. Measuring Beat Clock Latency To determine the correct MIDI Beat Clock offset for an external MIDI device: 1 Ensure that your computer and external MIDI device are correctly connected and configured for MIDI, and that its audio output is correctly connected to audio inputs on your Pro Tools audio interface.
6 Create a new audio track and select the audio input channels for your external MIDI device. 7 Record enable the audio track and start recording. MIDI Beat Clock is sent to the external MIDI device, which starts playing back the pattern. 8 Stop recording after a few bars. 9 Enable both Snap to Grid and Show Grid. 10 With the Selector tool, place the edit cursor on the beat grid prior to a prominent transient in the waveform that is “on the beat.
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Chapter 23: Record Setup Before you start recording in Pro Tools, you need to set up your Pro Tools system, a session, and one or more tracks for recording. You will also need to configure how Pro Tools monitors the input you intend to record. While some of the information here is relevant to preparing to record MIDI, there are more specific setup details for MIDI recording in Chapter 25, “MIDI Recording.” For information on recording audio, see Chapter 24, “Audio Recording.
Configuring Pro Tools Hardware I/O for Recording Before you start recording, make sure your Pro Tools system hardware is connected and configured properly. For details on connecting Pro Tools to your studio and configuring your Hardware in the Hardware Setup dialog, see the User Guide that came with your system. For information on how to route audio signal paths in Pro Tools, see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.
You can display a track’s input levels in its Audio Volume indicator. Normally, this indicator is set to be a Peak Volume indicator. You can also use the Headroom indicator to compare the incoming peak level of the signal with how much headroom is available. To display a track’s peak level: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) a track’s Volume indicator to step through the different indicator modes (Volume or Channel Delay) until the indicator displays peak (pk) level.
Connecting a Sound Source Depending on your Pro Tools audio interfaces, you can connect different types of sound sources (such as musical instruments, mics, and mixer outputs). See the User Guide for your Pro Tools system. For additional information, see the documentation that came with your sound source. If you connect a sound source to a Pro Tools input that was not previously configured to accept input, you may need to reconfigure you hardware in the Hardware Setup dialog (see your User Guide).
Enabling the Click 2 Click tracks must be enabled to be heard during playback or recording. In the Transport, click the Metronome button so it is highlighted. To enable the click from the MIDI menu: Select Options > Click. To enable the click in the Transport: 1 Display the MIDI controls in the Transport by doing one of the following: • Select View > Transport > MIDI Controls. • From the Transport window menu, select MIDI Controls.
Click Options 3 Pro Tools provides options and controls for driving a click. The following steps are for configuring and enabling a click using the Click II plug-in or MIDI. To configure click options: 1 Open the Click/Countoff Options dialog by doing one of the following: • Choose Setup > Click/Countoff. If one is connected, you can also play new note values on a MIDI controller keyboard.
To set the meter for a session: 1 Double-click the Current Meter button in the Transport window. Setting the Session Tempo When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the tempo defaults to 120 BPM. If you intend to record with a click at a tempo other than 120 BPM, make sure to set the tempo accordingly. Tempo events, which can occur anywhere within a Pro Tools session, appear in the Tempo ruler. For more information on inserting and editing tempo events, see “Tempo” on page 844.
Using Manual Tempo Mode In Manual Tempo mode, Pro Tools ignores tempo events in the Tempo ruler and instead plays back a Manual Tempo. This tempo can be set with the Tempo slider, or if you are not sure of the actual tempo, by tapping in the tempo. While you can adjust the Manual Tempo during playback, doing so momentarily interrupts playback. To set the Manual Tempo with the Tempo slider: 1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
Record Modes For recording audio, Pro Tools provides the following Record modes: • Normal (Nondestructive) • Destructive • Loop • QuickPunch • TrackPunch (Pro Tools Ultimate only) • DestructivePunch (Pro Tools Ultimate only) To select the Record mode, do one of the following: Select the Record mode in the Options menu. If no Record mode is selected, Pro Tools is in Normal (Nondestructive) Record mode. Right-click the Record button in the Transport and select the Record mode from the pop-up menu.
Destructive Record Mode Loop Record Mode In Destructive Record mode, recording over existing clips replaces the original audio permanently, which allows you to keep disk use to a minimum. However, if you have sufficient drive space, it is usually best to use Pro Tools in Nondestructive Record mode, to avoid losing any previously recorded material. Loop Record mode lets you record take after take (nondestructively) while the same section of audio repeats.
QuickPunch QuickPunch gives you the ability to manually and instantaneously punch in (initiate recording) and punch out (stop recording) on record-enabled audio tracks during playback by clicking the Record button in the Transport. Recording with QuickPunch is nondestructive. When using QuickPunch, Pro Tools begins recording a new file when playback begins, automatically generating clips in that file at each punch in/out point.
MIDI recording works the same whether using Nondestructive or Destructive Record mode. In addition, neither QuickPunch nor TrackPunch need to be enabled to punch on-the-fly with MIDI—this capability is available in Nondestructive and Destructive Record modes. Subsequent record takes on the same track are named identically, but the digits (indicating the take number) are incremented (for example, “Electric Gtr_02.
Names for Stereo Audio Tracks When recording to stereo audio tracks, audio file and clip names for the left and right channels are appended with a “.L” and “.R” suffix. Names for Multichannel Tracks (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) When recording to multichannel surround tracks, audio file and clip names for each channel are appended with the following suffixes: Multichannel Format File and Clip Suffixes LCR L, C, R Quad L, R, Ls, Rs LCRS L, C, R, S 5.0 L, C, R, Ls, Rs 5.
2 Assign an output bus (for monitoring recording) by doing one of the following: MIDI and Instrument tracks can be record-enabled during playback or record. To record enable audio tracks, the Transport must be stopped, or QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or DestructivePunch must be enabled. For more information on QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch, see “Record Modes” on page 501.
To record enable multiple audio tracks: From either the Mix or Edit window, click each audio track’s Record Enable button to toggle record enable on or off for each track. To record enable (or disable) all selected audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks: If Latch Record mode is not enabled, Shiftclick each track’s Record Enable button to toggle record enable on or off for each track. See “Latch Record Enable Buttons Preference” on page 507.
Record Safe Mode Pro Tools provides a Record Safe mode on a per track basis that prevents tracks from being recordenabled by accident. Use Record Safe mode to protect important audio or MIDI data on a track from being recorded over. To put an audio, MIDI, or Instrument track in Record Safe mode: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the track’s Record Enable button. The Record Enable button is grayed out.
Recording with Multiple Hard Drives Allocating Audio Drives in Your System (Optional) To allocate the audio drives in your system: By default, Pro Tools records audio files to the Audio Files folder inside the session folder. If you have multiple hard drives for recording, you can use the Disk Allocation window to specify other hard drive locations to record audio files on a track-by-track basis. 1 Choose Setup > Disk Allocation.
A folder with the session name is created on each hard drive, containing subfolders for audio and fade files. If you want to exclude individual, valid, mounted volumes from Round Robin Allocation passes, open the Workspace browser and make the volume safe by designating it as P (Playback only) or T (Transfer). For more information, see “Volume Permissions” on page 312. • To assign a track to a different hard drive, click the track and select a drive name.
Recording to the System Volume Although Pro Tools lets you record to your system volume, this is generally not recommended. Performance for audio recording and playback on system drives is not as good as on non-system hard drives. Record to system drives only when absolutely necessary, such as if your computer system has only one hard drive, or if your other hard drives are completely full.
When the TrackInput button in a track is enabled (green), the track monitors audio in Input Only mode. Input Monitor Enabled Status, Transport window The indicator lights green when one or more tracks have TrackInput enabled (see “Selecting Record Monitor Modes with TrackInput Monitoring” on page 512). Selecting a Record Monitor Mode TrackInput Monitor button On (Input Only), in the Edit Window When the TrackInput button in a track is disabled, the track monitors in Auto Input mode.
To toggle the TrackInput button states of all record-enabled tracks, do one of the following: To change all record-enabled tracks to Auto Input monitoring, select Track > Set Record Tracks to Auto Input. To change all record-enabled tracks to Input Only monitoring, select Track > Set Record Tracks to Input Only. To toggle record-enabled tracks between Auto Input and Input Only monitoring, press Option+K (Mac) or Alt+K (Windows).
The latency amount is related to the H/W Buffer Size setting—the larger the buffer size, the greater the latency. You can reduce the amount of monitoring latency by reducing the H/W Buffer Size setting. However, even at the smallest buffer size, there is still some latency. In addition, reducing the buffer size limits the number of simultaneous audio tracks you can record without encountering performance errors.
Software monitoring is automatically disabled for all Record-enabled tracks and TrackInput Monitoring–enabled tracks. This lets you use hardware monitoring with any output channels on your audio interface without having to re-configure your session. If your Core Audio or ASIO hardware does not have a built-in mixer, Low Latency Monitoring does not function. If you do enable Low Latency Monitoring with such hardware, monitoring will not available for record-enabled tracks in Pro Tools.
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Chapter 24: Audio Recording In Pro Tools, you record audio to audio tracks. Audio tracks can be mono, stereo, or multichannel as appropriate for the recording source. When recording a mono source, record to a single, mono audio track in Pro Tools. A single, mono audio file is written to disk, and the file appears as a clip both in the track’s playlist and in the Clips List. When recording a stereo audio source, record to a single, stereo audio track in Pro Tools.
5 Do one of the following: • In the Mix window, adjust the track’s volume and pan faders. These settings are for monitoring purposes only and do not affect the recorded material. • In the Output window for the track, adjust the track’s Volume fader and Pan sliders. These settings are for monitoring purposes only and do not affect the recorded material. (See “Output Windows for Tracks and Sends” on page 1070.
The track’s playlist is restored to its previous state and material is discarded as follows: • When in normal Record mode, only the most recent take is discarded. • When in Loop Record mode, all takes from each record pass are discarded. • When using QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or DestructivePunch mode, all punches from the last recording pass are discarded.
Prime for Record Mode When recording a large number of tracks or channels, or playing back a large number of tracks while recording, Pro Tools may take a little longer to begin recording. To avoid this delay, put Pro Tools in Prime for Record mode before beginning to record. To enable Prime for Record mode and start recording: • Select a range in a Timebase ruler. • Drag the Timeline Selection Markers in the ruler. • Enter start and end times in the Transport window.
To set the record range in a Timebase ruler: 1 2 If you want to constrain the selection to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. To set the record range by dragging the Timeline Selection Markers: 1 If you want the Timeline Selection Markers to snap to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid 2 Drag the first Timeline Selection Marker (down arrow) to the start point of the range. Select the record range in any Timebase ruler.
You can enter locations in the start and end fields to set the record or play range. The Timeline Selection Markers in the Main Timebase ruler are updated accordingly. To save an Edit selection with a Memory Location: 1 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is selected. 2 Set the record range by making an Edit or Timeline selection, or by entering start and end times in the Transport window.
6 Type a name for the new Memory Location. 7 Click OK. To recall an Edit selection with a Memory Location: 1 Make sure to select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection. 2 Choose Windows > Memory Locations. Pre- and post-roll amounts can be entered in the Transport window, set from a track’s playlist or Timebase ruler, or by recalling a Memory Location. Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in the Transport Window Pre- and post-roll can be enabled and set in the Transport window.
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in a Playlist Enabling Pre/Post-Roll from the Options Menu You can use the Selector tool to enable and disable pre- and post-roll by clicking in a track’s playlist. Pre- and post-roll (as a pair) can be enabled and disabled from the Options menu. To set and enable the pre- and post-roll by clicking in a playlist: To enable both pre/post-roll from the Options menu: 1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec- tion.
Audio Punch Recording Over a Specified Range Pre-roll flag Post-roll flag Punch In Punch Out You can set Pro Tools to automatically punch record over a specific range in an audio track (for example, to replace a portion of a recorded track). The range’s start (punch in) and end (punch out) points must be specified before recording. To manually punch in and out on record-enabled audio tracks during playback, see Chapter 26, “Punch Recording Modes.
4 With the Selector tool, drag in the track’s playlist or in one of the Timebase rulers until the selection encompasses the punch range (see “Setting Punch and Loop Points” on page 520). 5 To hear any existing track material up to the start point, or after the end point, enable and set pre- and post-roll times (see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 523). 6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools for recording. 7 Click Play to start recording.
An audio file for the new take is written to disk and appears as an audio clip both in the track’s playlist and in the Clips List. The audio from the original take remains on your hard drive, and is still available as a clip in the Clips List. To destructively record over a previous take: 1 Do one of the following: • Select Options > Destructive Record. When in Destructive Record mode. • Right-click the Record button in the Transport and select Destructive. A “D” appears in the Record button.
To record to a new playlist for a track: 1 From the track’s Playlist selector, choose New. For more information on playlists and playlist editing, see “Playlists” on page 691. Loop Recording Audio Pro Tools provides a loop recording feature that lets you record take after take while the same section of audio repeats over and over. This is a convenient technique for quickly recording multiple takes of a part without losing spontaneity.
To loop record an audio track: 1 Do one of the following: • Select Options > Loop Record. When Loop Record mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears in the Record button. • Right-click the Record button in the Transport and select Loop. Loop Recording enabled 2 3 Record enable the audio track by clicking its Record Enable button. With the Selector tool, select the loop range on the track. For other methods of setting the record range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points” on page 520.
Alternate Takes When punch recording or loop recording, Pro Tools creates matching alternate takes (clips). Pro Tools lets you exchange clips in the main playlist on tracks with matching alternate clips from other playlists associated with the same track, from other tracks, or from the Clips List. Matching alternate clips are clips that meet certain criteria, for example, clips that have the same User Time Stamp match (see “Matching Alternate Clips” on page 704).
2 With the Selector tool, select the take range for each track you want to replace. 3 Do one of the following: • Right-click the Edit selection and select a different matching alternate take from the Matches submenu. • Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Edit selection and select a different take from the Alternates pop-up menu. Alternate Takes pop-up menu The selected matching alternate clip (take) replaces the clip in the main playlist and snaps precisely to the correct location.
Alternates Match Options The following Alternates Match options can be selected in any combination: Track ID Any clips recorded to the same track are considered matching. Use this option for selecting alternate takes from loop or punch recording. Track Name Any clips that share the same root name with the track or playlist are considered matching. For example, the Matches for a track named “Gtr.L” would show the clips “Gtr.L_01” and “Gtr.L_02-01,” but not “Guitar.L_01.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New Tracks Expanding alternate takes to new tracks readily facilitates auditioning, editing, and mixing alternate takes, each on separate tracks. To expand alternate takes to new tracks: 1 Identify the clip on the main playlist with matching alternate clips (takes). 2 Do one of the following: • Right-click the clip and choose Matches > Expand Alternates To New Tracks.
Enclosure digital sources come standard with Avid HD audio interfaces and are labeled on-screen as [Encl] versions, to differentiate them from digital inputs and outputs available on the Digital card installed in HD I/O. For example, the AES/EBU inputs and outputs that come standard in the HD I/O enclosure are identified as AES/EBU [Encl]. The additional digital ports on the HD I/O are TDIF, AES/EBU, and ADAT. Pro Tools can only receive digital audio from one of these ports at a time.
6 Assign the Input Path selector for the track to the appropriate input. Since this is a digital transfer, you do not need to worry about input levels. 7 Assign the Output Path selector for the track to the appropriate output for monitoring (such as A 1–2). 8 In the Options menu, ensure that the following options are deselected: Destructive Record, Loop Record, QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch.
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Chapter 25: MIDI Recording Although recording MIDI in Pro Tools is similar to recording audio, there are some important differences: Unlike audio, MIDI recording is almost always destructive. See “Record Modes and MIDI” on page 503 for details. Unlike audio tracks, MIDI and Instrument tracks can be record-enabled during playback or recording.
In addition, the following options affect how MIDI data is recorded in Pro Tools: The MIDI Input Filter can filter out MIDI messages that you may not want to record, such as Polyphonic Aftertouch or System Exclusive data. For more information, see “MIDI Input Filter” on page 540. To enable input devices: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices. 2 Select the MIDI devices you want to record. Also, select any device to be used as a control surface.
MIDI Thru To monitor MIDI tracks while recording, enable MIDI Thru. When enabled, Pro Tools routes MIDI from your controllers to the device and channels assigned to the currently record-enabled MIDI track. The MIDI preference for Global MIDI Playback Offset and individual MIDI track offsets do not affect MIDI routed with MIDI Thru.
MIDI Input Filter Input Quantize Use the MIDI Input Filter to prevent certain types of MIDI messages from being recorded. The MIDI Input Filter can be set to record All messages, Only the specified messages, or All Except the specified messages. When Input Quantize is enabled in the Input Quantize Event Operations dialog (Event > Event Operations > Input Quantize), all recorded MIDI notes are quantized automatically. Quantizing MIDI on input is useful for achieving rhythmically precise MIDI recordings.
To enable Wait for Note: 1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls. Transport window with MIDI Controls 2 In the Transport window, click the Wait for Note button so it becomes highlighted. MIDI Merge/Replace The MIDI Merge button, located in the Transport window, determines how MIDI is recorded when overdubbing or punching in. When MIDI Merge is on (Merge mode), recorded MIDI is merged with existing track material.
MIDI Merge Release Mode MIDI Merge Release mode provides three options for how Pro Tools writes MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) automation when recording MIDI in MIDI Merge mode. These options determine how MIDI CC data (such as the Sustain Pedal: MIDI CC 64) is written. Select the desired MIDI Merge Release Mode option in the Pro Tools MIDI Preferences or from the Right-click menu on the MIDI Merge button.
4 From the MIDI Output selector, select the device and channel for MIDI playback. 7 If recording to multiple MIDI or Instrument tracks, repeat the preceding steps for each track, then continue to the next step. 8 To use a click, enable and configure the click, and set a default tempo and meter for the session (see “Recording with a Click” on page 496). 9 Enable either Wait for Note or Countoff in the Transport window.
Recording MIDI and Instrument Tracks In Pro Tools, you can record to one or more MIDI and Instrument tracks. Recording simultaneously to multiple tracks lets you: To record to one or more MIDI or Instrument tracks: 1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for recording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for Recording” on page 542). 2 Ensure that the track to which you want to record is record enabled.
5 Do one of the following: • Click Play to start recording. If using Countoff, Pro Tools counts off the specified number of measures and then begins recording. • If Wait for Note is enabled, do not click the Play button; recording will begin automatically as soon as you start playing (when a MIDI event is received). 6 Play your MIDI controller.
1. Start recording 2. Recording 3. Recorded Recorded MIDI clip fits to nearest whole bars based on first and last recorded MIDI events Recording Over Existing MIDI Clips Unlike audio clips, existing MIDI clips are never overwritten even though MIDI data within clips can be overwritten. When MIDI Merge mode is disabled and recording MIDI on a track with existing clips, newly recorded MIDI data overwrites existing MIDI data within existing clips, but the existing clip boundaries remain.
The recorded MIDI data plays back through each track’s assigned Output device (port) and channel. To monitor audio from an external MIDI instrument, select the corresponding audio Input Path for your MIDI instrument on the Instrument track (or use an Auxiliary Input track). See “Signal Routing for Monitoring and Submixing” on page 1074. Undoing MIDI Recording You can undo previous MIDI record takes. To undo a MIDI recording: Once the Transport has been stopped, choose Edit > Undo MIDI Recording.
Pro Tools begin recording. Additionally, for any note that is played before the punch-in point, but is released after that point, it is recorded and the start of the note is quantized to the punch-in point. If post-roll is enabled, playback continues after recording stops for the specified post-roll amount. Punch Recording During Playback with MIDI You do not have to set a record range to punch in on a MIDI or Instrument track. In fact, you can punch in and out at any time during playback.
MIDI Clips and Punch Recording Depending on the record range, new clips may be created after punch recording. For example, if MIDI Merge mode is disabled, recording overwrites any existing MIDI data within the record range. Since the start and end times for recording are located within both of the existing clips, newly recorded notes are written into both of the existing clips, and into a new clip created to fill the space between them.
Make sure that MIDI Merge is enabled in the Transport window, otherwise (in Replace mode) each subsequent take destructively replaces the previous take. You can record enable a different MIDI or Instrument track while loop recording. While pressing Command (Mac) or Control (Windows), use the Up/Down Arrows to record enable the previous or next MIDI or Instrument track.
You can use MIDI loop recording to record successive takes without stopping the record process, thereby capturing your creative spontaneity. Another advantage with this method of recording MIDI, which is nondestructive, is that all existing and newly recorded clips remain intact (and available in the Clips List). To record MIDI in Loop Record mode: 1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for recording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for Recording” on page 542). 2 Select Options > Loop Record.
To select the various record takes: 1 2 Ensure that the Matching Criteria window is correctly configured (see “Matching Criteria Window” on page 531). Do one of the following: • Right-click the clip with the Selector or Grabber tools, and select a take from the Matches submenu in the pop-up menu. MIDI Step Input Step Input lets you use a MIDI keyboard (or any other MIDI controller that sends MIDI note data) to enter notes individually, one step at a time.
8 When you are ready to begin recording, click Record in the Transport window. 5 The Record, Play, and Wait for Note buttons flash, indicating that Pro Tools is waiting for MIDI data. 9 Initiate the Sysex transfer from the MIDI device, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pro Tools automatically begins recording as soon as it starts to receive Sysex data. 10 When the Sysex transfer is complete, click Stop in the Transport.
6 Set the audio track’s Audio Input Path selector to the same bus. 7 Set the audio track’s Audio Output Path selector to the main monitoring path). 8 Record enable the audio track. 9 Do one of the following: • To record from the beginning of the session, click Return To Zero in the Transport. • Make a Timeline selection for the record range. 10 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools for recording. 11 Click Play in the Transport to start recording.
Retrospective Record for MIDI When you play a MIDI controller (such as a USB MIDI keyboard or trigger pad) along with the playback of your Pro Tools session or project, your MIDI performance is stored in a buffer by Pro Tools behind the scenes. As long as any MIDI or Instrument is record-enabled, Pro Tools captures any MIDI performance during playback whether you are recording or not.
To recover a MIDI performance that was played, but not recorded: 1 First, one of the following conditions must be met for Pro Tools to buffer any MIDI performance: • There is at least one MIDI or Instrument track in the session and Default Thru Instrument is set to any option other than None in the MIDI Preferences (Setup > Preferences > MIDI). • Any MIDI or Instrument track is record enabled and its MIDI Input selector is set to either your MIDI instrument or All.
Pro Tools places your MIDI performance in the record-enabled track matching the time of the original performance on the Timeline. MIDI performance written to record enabled track using Retrospective Record command Additional Behaviors with Retrospective Record for MIDI Pro Tools lets you apply Retrospective Record during playback. Pro Tools lets you play over a MIDI or Instrument track that already contains MIDI data.
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Chapter 26: Punch Recording Modes Punch recording is used in many areas of audio production for film, video, and music. Introduction to Punch Recording Modes Once basic track material has been recorded, it is often necessary to replace some, but not all, of the audio that makes up each track. Punch recording lets you manually punch one or more audio tracks in and out of recording without stopping the Transport.
Guidelines for Punch Recording This topic lists the basic settings and guidelines for Pro Tools punch recording, including the following: • “Voice Requirements for Punch Recording” on page 560. • “Delay Compensation and DestructivePunch Mode” on page 561. • “Audio Files, Clips and Takes” on page 561. • “Preferences for Punch Recording” on page 562 (for crossfades, as well as transport and monitor configuration settings).
When any punch recording mode is enabled, voice playback priority is as follows (from highest to lowest playback priority): To apply Delay Compensation to a track where Delay Compensation was suspended, do one of the following: • Tracks with assigned voices that are not record-enabled. • Tracks with assigned voices that are record-enabled. • Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing that are not record-enabled. • Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing that are record-enabled.
After recording with QuickPunch or TrackPunch, the new audio clips appear in the Clips List. This includes the whole-file audio clip encompassing all punches from the record pass, along with the clips derived for each punch. Names for the punched clips are numbered consecutively starting with “01.
Regardless of the current QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length setting, Pro Tools always executes a 4 millisecond “monitor only” crossfade (which is not written to disk) to avoid distracting pops or clicks that might occur as you enter and exit record mode. DestructivePunch and Crossfades DestructivePunch uses a fixed 10-millisecond linear crossfade at each in and out point.
Synchronization and Track Arming Options for Punch Recording (SYNC HD Only) Synchronization settings for online punch recording vary depending on the type and capabilities of your Pro Tools system and other devices in your studio. For basic timecode and synchronization information for Pro Tools, see Chapter 57, “Working with Synchronization.” Pro Tools Ultimate with MachineControl lets you remotely arm tracks on supported 9-pin decks (or V-LAN for Transport only).
4 Prepare to record by cueing Pro Tools to an appropriate location. To use pre-roll, enable a preroll value in the Transport window. 5 Start playback by clicking Play in the Transport window. 6 Do one of the following: • When you reach the punch-in point, click Record in the Transport. • For Pro Tools systems that support using a connected footswitch, step on the footswitch at the punch-in point. The Record button stops flashing and stays lit during recording.
TrackPunch Audio Recording (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) TrackPunch enabled Record Enable Status indicator TrackPunch mode lets you punch tracks in and out individually (one at a time) or punch multiple tracks in and out simultaneously. TrackPunch is a nondestructive punch mode which leaves previous material on disk. (To destructively replace audio on disk, see “DestructivePunch Audio Recording” on page 569).
TrackPunch Enabling Tracks Before each pass, you must TrackPunch enable all tracks that you intend to punch (you can TrackPunch enable tracks without record enabling them). To TrackPunch enable one audio track: Track Record Status Display Each track’s Record Enable button indicates its TrackPunch and record enable status as follows: • When a track is TrackPunch-enabled but not record-enabled, its Record Enable button lights solid blue.
Monitoring and Levels 3 Click Record in the Transport to enter the TrackPunch Record Ready mode. The Record button flashes blue and red. 4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback. 5 During playback, punch in and out on individual TrackPunch-enabled tracks by clicking their respective Record Enable buttons.
Punching In on Multiple Tracks Simultaneously 5 During playback, punch out and back in on individual TrackPunch-enabled tracks by clicking their respective Record Enable buttons. 6 Stop playback. When you are finished with the record pass, track Record Enable status and transport Record Arm status follow the current Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock preference settings. To punch in on multiple tracks simultaneously: 1 Enable TrackPunch mode.
DestructivePunch Setup (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Before using DestructivePunch in a record pass you must configure Pro Tools, session, and track settings. Configuring Pro Tools for DestructivePunch Transport Display of DestructivePunch Status When DestructivePunch mode is enabled: The letters “DP” appear in the Record button in the Transport. If at least one track is DestructivePunch-enabled, the Record button in the Transport lights solid blue.
Preparing Tracks for DestructivePunch Recording In order for a track to be enabled for DestructivePunch recording, the track must contain a contiguous audio file that meets the following requirements: • The file must start at the beginning (sample 0) of the session. Using the Prepare DPE Tracks Command To prepare a track for DestructivePunch recording: 1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enabling DestructivePunch Mode” on page 570).
DestructivePunch Enabling Tracks without Record Enabling Them This method lets you use the Prepare DPE Tracks command to consolidate files for DestructivePunch recording. To DestructivePunch-enable an audio track: Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) the track’s Record Enable button to toggle the button to solid blue. DestructivePunch-Enabling and Record-Enabling Tracks Simultaneously This method can be used when tracks already meet the requirements for DestructivePunch recording.
Monitoring and Levels 3 Click Record in the Transport to enter Record Ready mode. The Record Enable button flashes blue and red. 4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback. 5 During playback, punch in and out on individual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by clicking their Record Enable buttons. 6 Stop playback.
Starting Recording Immediately on Multiple Tracks To punch in on multiple tracks: 1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enabling DestructivePunch Mode” on page 570). 2 Click the Record Enable button on each track you want to punch in, so that the track is both DestructivePunch-enabled and Record-enabled. Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue and red. 3 Click Record in the Transport to enter Record Ready mode. The Record button flashes blue and red. 4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
• Use Pro Tools as the timecode master (generating) or when slaving. Use the Groups List to quickly select all tracks in the group, and Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) to recordenable all the tracks in the group. • Punch non-destructively with TrackPunch, or destructively with DestructivePunch. A typical pre-dub session includes the following steps: 10 Configure synchronization between Pro Tools and other devices as appropriate.
3 Enable Audio Track RecordLock. 4 Configure synchronization and other settings as required. 5 Put Pro Tools online, and start the external source player. 6 Whenever timecode drops out or stops, Pro Tools remains online and waits to receive new timecode. The Transport and record-enabled tracks remain record-enabled. When timecode resumes, Pro Tools begins recording to a new audio file (properly time stamped based on the incoming code).
3 When encoding an LTRT, also route your stem source tracks to a 5.1 Auxiliary Input track with an AAX DSP LTRT encoder plug-in; or, use a pre-fader send from the print master track for LTRT encoding. Note that only AAX DSP LTRT encoders are supported with this workflow. 4 Route the output of the LTRT encoded track to a stereo Auxiliary Input track for monitoring (stereo). 5 Route the LTRT Auxiliary Input track to a stereo audio track for recording.
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Part V: Editing
Chapter 27: Editing Basics Use the Edit window in Pro Tools to edit and arrange audio, video, and MIDI. Track material can be edited nondestructively and in real time during playback. The Edit window also lets you graphically edit other data, as follows: Editing Clips and Selections See Chapter 30, “Editing Clips and Selections.” Also, see Chapter 40, “Arranging Clips.” Editing Fades and Crossfades See Chapter 31, “Fades and Crossfades.” Editing Elastic Audio See Chapter 44, “Elastic Audio.
Following are just a few examples of editing and arranging tasks that can be performed while playing back a Pro Tools session: • Capture, separate, cut, copy, paste, and trim clips • Place, spot, or rearrange clips • Add fades or crossfades to audio clips • Quantize MIDI notes and audio events • Transpose and otherwise modify MIDI tracks • Nudge audio or MIDI clips • Audition different playlists • Adjust or scale automation and MIDI continuous controller data • Insert real-time plug-ins • Apply Real-Time (a
Offline Clips Clips are offline when their parent files cannot be located, or are not available, when opening a session or importing a track. Offline clips appear in the Clips List as italicized and dimmed; they appear in playlists as light blue clips with italicized names. Offline clips can be edited like other clips, but they cannot be processed with AudioSuite plug-ins. Audio Clips and Waveforms When the Track View for audio tracks is set to Waveform, Pro Tools draws a waveform diagram of the audio.
Waveform Views Pro Tools provides a several different Waveform View options. Depending on the editing task, you may want to display waveforms in any number of different ways. Calculating Waveform Overviews Power When selected, the wave form display is calculated according to the Root Mean Square (RMS). Power view can be used for normal or rectified views. Power view is useful for better seeing the characteristics of the audio in the waveform representation when zoomed out beyond the sample level.
To show waveforms rectified (or normally): Select (or deselect) View > Waveforms > Rectified. Power Waveform view without Outlines Rectified Peak Waveform view with Outlines Rectified Peak Waveform view without Outlines Rectified Power Waveform view with Outlines When zoomed in to the sample level, Pro Tools always displays waveforms in Normal Peak view. Outlined Waveforms Outlined waveforms provide more visual definition of the waveform, especially when viewed from a distance.
Guidelines for Editing Waveforms With the Selector tool in the Edit window, you can select portions of audio waveforms and divide them into segments called clips, so that you can rearrange and manipulate them in tracks. While editing musical material, try to create clips that let you maintain a consistent beat. If you always define clips so that they contain a whole number of beats, you will be able to string the clips together and maintain a smooth, steady rhythm.
Audio Clips and Automation Data Clips View for MIDI and Instrument Tracks Automation data for audio resides in tracks and not in the Clips List. This means that when you drag an audio clip from the Clips List to a new track, no automation data is placed in the track. However, if you drag an audio clip from an existing track (that contains automation data) to another track, the automation from the source track is placed in the destination track.
MIDI Clips Created on Barlines When recording MIDI, or when manually entering MIDI notes, the beginning and ending of resulting MIDI clips are constrained to bar boundaries. This facilitates arranging MIDI clips in a musically meaningful way, in whole bar lengths. The beginning of a recorded MIDI clip always starts on the barline immediately before the first MIDI note (Note On) of the clip. Likewise, the MIDI clip ends on the barline immediately following the last note (Note Off) of the clip.
Notes View for MIDI and Instrument Tracks When a MIDI or Instrument track’s Track View is set to Notes, MIDI notes are displayed in a “piano roll” format. Each note is displayed as a small rectangle with its vertical placement indicating pitch and its horizontal placement indicating location in time (and duration). Up Arrow To scroll the Notes display up or down for a MIDI or Instrument track, do one of the following: Click either the up or down arrow of the minikeyboard.
Nondestructive MIDI Editing While editing audio clips is usually nondestructive, this is generally not the case for MIDI clips. For instance, if a MIDI clip resides in just one track at a single location, editing for that clip is destructive. This means that altering the pitch, duration, or placement of notes in Notes view permanently alters the clip.
Displaying Clip Names, Clip Times, and Other Data Clip names and times can sometimes get in the way of editing audio waveforms and MIDI data. In these instances, you may want to disable their display. In other instances, such as arranging or spotting Foley, displaying clip names and times is extremely useful. To enable or disable the display of clip names in playlists: Select or deselect View > Clip > Name.
Overwrite Indicator When Overwrite Indicator is enabled (View > Clip > Clip Overwrite Indicator), Pro Tools provides a visual indication that an offscreen clip is being fully overlapped by a larger clip that you are moving. The clip you are moving highlights red at the edge of the screen if a smaller off-screen clip is being overwritten.
When the number of operations in the Undo queue reaches the maximum specified level of Undo (set in the Editing Preferences page), performing another undoable operation will remove the oldest operation at the top of the queue. To show (or hide) the Undo History window: To undo operations in the Undo History window: To undo the last operation, do one of the following: Choose Edit > Undo. Press Command+Z (Mac) or Control+Z (Windows).
Other operations that clear the Undo Queue include: Basic Editing Commands • Deleting a track, or clearing a clip from the Clips List Pro Tools provides many standard edit commands (such as Cut, Copy, and Paste). Pro Tools also provides many specialized edit commands that are optimized for audio and MIDI production (such as Repeat Paste to Fill).
When selecting groups of MIDI notes in Notes view with any of the Grabber tools (by drawing a rectangle around them), only the note data is placed on the Clipboard. When selecting a time range of MIDI notes (in Notes view) with the Selector tool, all controller data in the track is selected (similar to selecting with the Selector tool for audio tracks in Waveform view). When a track is displaying automation data or controller data, only that data is placed on the Clipboard.
When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or notes or clips for MIDI tracks, selections include underlying automation and controller data. If the track is displaying automation data, only the automation data is affected by the edits. 3 Make an Edit selection of the material you want to Cut or Copy. Paste Command Use the Paste command to place the contents of the Clipboard at the Edit insertion point, and overwrite any material already there.
Non-automated plug-in parameters need to be the same between different instances of a plug-in, or the pasted automation can have unpredictable results. Clear Command Use the Clear command to remove a selection from a track without placing it on the Clipboard. To clear a selection or clip: 1 If you want to constrain the selection to the current Grid value, enable Snap to Grid. 2 Set the Track View for the tracks you want to edit.
To fill a selection with Repeat to Fill Selection: 1 Select the clip you want to copy. 2 Choose Edit > Copy. 3 Select the area you want to fill using the Selector tool and choose Edit > Paste Special > Repeat to Fill Selection. 4 Do one of the following: • If pasting audio clips to larger areas, the Batch Fades dialog opens. Configure the dialog to create crossfades between each pasted clip, then click OK. • If you do not want crossfades for the pasted audio, click Cancel in the Batch Fades dialog.
Chapter 28: Edit Modes and Tools Pro Tools provides four Edit modes and various Edit tools to help you successfully edit material. Edit Modes Pro Tools has four Edit modes: Shuffle, Spot, Slip, and Grid. Grid mode provides two modes of operation, Relative and Absolute, explained below. The Edit mode is selected by clicking the corresponding button in the upper left of the Edit window.
Shuffle Lock With certain workflows, it is important to exclude Shuffle mode in order to ensure that clips stay time-aligned while editing. Shuffle Lock prevents you from inadvertently entering Shuffle mode by disabling all key commands and control surface switches for Shuffle mode. You cannot invoke Shuffle Lock while in Shuffle mode. Slip Mode In Slip mode, clips can be moved freely within a track or to other tracks.
Grid Mode In Grid mode, clips and MIDI notes that are moved, trimmed or inserted “snap” to the currently selected Grid value, or to precise increments on a user-definable time grid. Press F4 to enable Grid mode. Displaying Grid Lines To show (or hide) the Grid lines in the Edit window or in a MIDI Editor window, do one of the following: Select (or deselect) the Grid button.
For example, in Shuffle mode, with Snap To Grid enabled, you can make a selection in a clip based on the Grid, cut the selection, and any clips to the right of the edit shuffle to the left. Shuffle mode with Snap To Grid enabled To enable Snap To Grid while in another Edit mode: Shift-click the Grid mode button. Grid Value indicator and pop-up menu Press Shift+F4 to enable Snap To Grid while in another Edit mode.
Grid Mode Lock To ensure that you do not inadvertently change the Grid mode setting when using Edit mode keyboard shortcuts, you can enable Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock. To lock (or unlock) the selected Grid mode: 1 Click the Grid mode selector and choose Absolute or Relative. 2 Select (or deselect) Options > Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock. The Zoomer, Trim, Grabber, and Pencil tools have multiple modes, which you can select from a popup menu when you click the tool.
Pencil Tool Use the Pencil tool to draw automation and MIDI data. For information on using the Edit tools in Notes view on MIDI and Instrument tracks, see Chapter 34, “MIDI Editing.” To zoom in horizontally for all tracks, do one of the following: For information on using the Edit tools in Warp view and Analysis view on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, see “Editing in Warp View” on page 979 and “Editing in Analysis View” on page 986.
MIDI Vertical Zoom only affects tracks in not in Clips view. To zoom MIDI vertically to show all notes (lowest to highest) in MIDI and Instrument tracks: To zoom in vertically for all audio tracks, do one of the following: Click the Audio Zoom In button. Drag on the Audio Zoom In button to zoom continuously. Press Command+Option+] (Mac) or Control+Alt+] (Windows). To zoom in or out vertically for a single MIDI or Instrument track: 1 Make sure the Track View is not set to Clips.
To zoom horizontally to show the entire session, do one of the following: Double-click the Zoomer tool in the toolbar. Press Option+A (Mac) or Alt+A (Windows). Audio waveforms revert to the default vertical zoom; on tracks set to Notes view, MIDI notes zoom vertically to show all notes in the track (same as the vertical zoom in Clips view); and the Tempo Editor zooms vertically to show all tempo events.
Single Zoom is identified with an arrow to the right of the Zoomer icon. Single Zoom mode Normal Zoom mode does not have the arrow. Zooming in a Ruler Zooming horizontally with Zoomer tool The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window. To zoom horizontally in a ruler: 1 Single Zoom Mode Press Command+Control (Mac) or Control+Start (Windows) and move the cursor into the ruler area, so the Zoomer tool appears. Single Zoom mode returns you to the previously selected tool after a zoom has been performed.
Continuous Zoom with the Zoomer Tool Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in or out continuously. To use continuous zoom on one track or a group of tracks: 1 Select the Zoomer tool.
Zoom Preset Buttons Zoom Toggle Pro Tools lets you save up to five horizontal Edit window Zoom presets, which can be recalled by typing a number or by clicking a Zoom Preset button. Zoom Toggle lets you define and toggle between zoom states in the Edit window. To store a view as a Zoom preset: The Zoom Toggle stores and recalls the following parameters: 1 2 Use the Zoomer tool to configure the Track View.
Track Height For MIDI Editing, set the Zoom Toggle preferences as follows: Vertical Zoom to Last Used, Horizontal Zoom to Last Used, Track View to Waveform/Notes, and Track Height to Fit to Window. For audio editing, set the Zoom Toggle preferences as follows: Vertical Zoom to Selection, Horizontal Zoom to Selection, Track Height to Fit to Window, and Track View to No Change. 4 Click OK. Vertical Zoom Selection When selected, zoom toggling in zooms vertically to the current Edit Selection.
Separate Grid Settings When Zoomed In When this option is selected, the Grid setting stored with Zoom toggle is recalled when zoom toggling in. When this option is deselected, the same (current) grid setting is used whether zoom toggling in or out. Zoom Toggle Follows Edit Selection Zoom Toggle button in the Edit window When selected, this option ensures that zoom toggle automatically follows the current Edit selection.
To clear the stored Zoom Toggle state: 1 2 Make sure the Zoom Toggle button is lit (enabled). Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Zoom Toggle button. To use Zoom Toggle without changing playlist views: 1 Make a selection on one or more tracks. 2 Do one of the following: • Press Option+Control+E (Mac) or Alt+Start+E (Windows). • With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled (see “Keyboard Focus” on page 26), press Option+E (Mac) or Alt+E (Windows).
To scroll the contents of the Edit window or Mix window horizontally: 1 Focus the window you want to scroll by clicking in it or bringing it forward. 2 Hold the Shift key while turning the mouse scroll wheel. Use of the Trim tool is affected by the current Edit mode: Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid (see “Edit Modes” on page 599).
4 Do one of the following: • If trimming the end, drag left to shorten the clip, right to lengthen. • If trimming the start, drag right to shorten the clip, left to lengthen. When working with audio, you cannot trim past the boundaries of adjacent clips. Time Compression/ Expansion Trim Tool The Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool (TCE Trim) is a convenient tool for matching an audio clip to the length of another clip, a tempo grid, a video scene, or to practically any other reference point you want.
AudioSuite TCE Trim Tool On audio tracks without Elastic Audio enabled, the Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool works by using the Time Compression/Expansion (TCE) AudioSuite plug-in selected in the Pro Tools Processing preferences to create a new audio file. Time Compression/Expansion Plug-In Preferences You can select which AudioSuite plug-in is used for trimming with the TCE Trim tool on non-Elastic Audio-enabled audio tracks.
Using the TCE Trim Tool in Slip Mode To use the TCE Trim tool in Slip mode: 1 Set the Edit mode to Slip. 2 Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select TCE. 3 With the TCE Trim tool, drag the clip’s start or end point to compress or expand the clip freely. Using the TCE Trim Tool in Spot Mode In Spot mode, clicking with the TCE Trim tool in a clip opens the Spot dialog.
Loop Trim Tool Use the Loop Trim tool to create or trim looped clips (see “Clip Looping” on page 915). 3 Do one of the following: • Click at the end of the clip, and drag left or right to the point you want the loop to stop. • Click at the beginning of the clip, and drag left or right to the point you want the loop to start.
To Loop Trim a looped clip: 1 Select the Loop Trim tool. 2 Move the cursor over the top half of the looped clip (not over a Loop icon). The cursor indicates the Loop Trim tool. To trim the source clip (loop iteration) of a looped clip: 1 Select the Loop Trim tool. 2 Move the cursor over a Loop icon in the looped clip, or anywhere along the bottom of the clip. The cursor indicates the Trim tool icon. Loop Trim tool 3 Trim the looped clip.
Tandem Trimming Using the Selector Tool Tandem trimming lets you trim the start and end of two adjacent clips in tandem as long as one clip overlaps the other. When the Tandem Trimming option is enabled, if the cursor is placed at the intersection of two such clips, the cursor updates to show two brackets and an arrow to show the direction of the tandem trim. Use the Selector tool to place the edit cursor in a track or Timebase ruler, or to make Timeline selections or Edit selections on tracks.
Making an Edit Selection with the Selector Tool Making a Timeline Selection with the Selector Tool To make an Edit selection with the Selector tool: To make a Timeline selection with the Selector tool: 1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window. 2 Do one of the following: 1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window. 2 Do one of the following: • To make an Edit selection in a single track, drag in the track. • Drag on a Timebase ruler.
Object Grabber Lets you select multiple, noncontiguous clips. For more information, see “Object Selections” on page 633. To select the Smart Tool, click its icon in the upper left of the Edit window, or press F6+F7 (or F7+F8) simultaneously. The Smart Tool in Waveform View (Audio) or Clips View (MIDI) Object Grabber tool Fade In To select one of the Grabber tools, do one of the following: Click the Grabber tool in the Edit window and select the Grabber tool from the pop-up menu.
For a crossfade, position the cursor between two adjacent audio clips, near the bottom of the clip. Once the Crossfade cursor appears drag left or right to set the crossfade length. The crossfade is created automatically with the Default Fade Settings (in the Editing Preferences page). To adjust a fade-in, fade-out, or crossfade (if present), position the cursor over the fade in the vertical middle of the clip.
For the Velocity Trim tool, position the cursor over the note and press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows). • To add a breakpoint with the Smart Tool, press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) to temporarily change the cursor from the trimmer to the insertion grabber. When this occurs, other command key behaviors such a Grid toggle and High Resolution editing are superseded by the insertion operation.
While viewing an audio waveform in Pro Tools can be helpful in visually finding an edit point, sometimes a waveform display (because of its sonic characteristics) may not reveal the desired spot in the audio material. By scrubbing back and forth in Pro Tools, you can listen and locate an exact edit point. When the Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option is enabled in the Operation Preferences page, the edit cursor automatically locates to the point where scrubbing stops.
To scrub in Shuttle mode (at several times normal speed): 1 Select the Scrubber tool. 2 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows), drag within the track—left for reverse, right for forward. The Fast Forward and Rewind buttons in the Transport window engage. The distance and speed dragged determine the speed for the scrubbed audio.
Numeric Keypad Set to Shuttle (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, different from that of Shuttle Lock mode. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle, playback of the current Edit selection is triggered by pressing and holding the keys on the numeric keypad—playback stops once the keys are released. Various playback speeds are available in both forward and reverse. In this mode, pre- and post-roll are ignored.
Although you can Undo a Pencil tool edit, it is recommended that you create a backup copy of the target audio before using the Pencil tool. You can do this by using the AudioSuite Duplicate plug-in. Do not over-edit or the results may be undesirable. However, you can use the Undo command to undo your previous edit. The Pencil tool is a destructive editing tool that permanently modifies the audio file on disk and should be used with caution.
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Chapter 29: Making Selections Pro Tools provides many tools for selecting material in the Edit window. To link or unlink the Timeline and Edit selections, do one of the following: Linking or Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selections Pro Tools lets you link or unlink the Timeline and Edit selections. When the Timeline and Edit selections are linked, selecting in a track’s playlist (making an Edit selection) also defines the play and record range (the Timeline selection).
If you are working on a film or video scene, you may want to unlink the Timeline and Edit selections to find or audition material that is at a different location than the current Timeline selection. Edit selections can be played (choose Edit > Selection > Play Edit) without disrupting the current Timeline selection. Once you find the material, you can then go back to the Timeline selection and place it within the context of the scene.
Linking or Unlinking Track and Edit Selections Pro Tools lets you link or unlink Track selection with Edit selections. When Track and Edit selections are linked, you can make a selection within a track or across multiple tracks for editing and each associated track is selected (track names automatically highlight). This lets you quickly apply track-level commands (such as Track View toggle, change track heights) and have the command apply to all tracks you are working on.
Selections in Multiple Tracks To make a selection in multiple tracks: With the Selector tool, drag vertically to include adjacent tracks in a selection (drag horizontally to define the time range). To select an entire track, do one of the following: Click in the track with the Selector tool and then choose Edit > Select All. Triple-click with the Selector tool in the track. Press Command+A (Mac) or Control+A (Windows) for Select All.
Selecting All from Timebase Rulers To select all material in all displayed audio and MIDI tracks: 1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection (Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection). 2 Double-click in any Timebase ruler. All clips in all displayed audio and MIDI tracks are selected. Tracks that are hidden are not selected. To select all material in all tracks, including Conductor events: 1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection (Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
3 Shift-click each clip you want to include in the selection. The clips can even reside on different tracks. To change a Time selection to an Object selection: 1 Drag with the Selector tool in any track to define a selection, or select in a Timebase ruler to select across all tracks. Noncontiguous selection Each clicked clip is surrounded by a dark border, indicating it is selected. Selected clips 2 The Object Grabber tool ignores Edit Groups when making selections.
Changing a Selection Length Nudging a Selection Range The selection range can be shortened or lengthened. This does not affect the material within the selection. The selection range (not the material within the selection) can be moved by the Nudge value. To nudge a selection range: To change the length of a selection, do one of the following: With the Selector tool, position the cursor over one end of the current selection and Shift-click, or Shift-drag left or right.
Extending Selections in Time You can extend the Edit selection to clip start and end points, to include an adjacent clip, to Markers and Memory Locations (Edit and/or Timeline selections). To extend the selection to a clip start or end point: 1 With the Selector tool, select a portion of a clip, or click anywhere in the clip.
Duplicating and Extending the Edit Selection Pro Tools lets you Duplicate and Extend the Edit selection. This can be especially useful for music production when working with audio loops and MIDI in Grid mode. Using the Edit Selection Indicators (Start, End, and Length) The Edit Selection indicators at the top of the Edit window can define precise Edit selections. Time values for the Edit Selection indicators use the time format for the Main Time Scale.
• Drag in a field to scroll to a new value. For finer resolution, Command-drag (Mac) or Controldrag (Windows). • Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) and Plus (+) or Minus (–), then type a number, to add or subtract from the current field value. For example, to add 10 to a current field value, press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) and Plus (+) key, type “10,” and press Enter. Selecting Across Multiple Tracks To perform edits across multiple tracks or all tracks, you must first select the tracks.
Moving the Edit Selection Across Tracks To move the Edit selection to the next track above the current selection, do one of the following: Choose Edit > Selection > Move Edit Up. Press Control+P (Mac) or Start+P (Windows). To move the Edit selection to the next track below the current selection, do one of the following: Choose Edit > Selection > Move Edit Down. Press Control+; (Mac) or Start+; (Windows).
3 Do one of the following: 3 • Press P on your computer keyboard to move the selection to the previous track. • Press Tab to move the cursor to the next clip or clip group start, end, or sync point. • Press semicolon (;) to move the selection to the next track. • Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Windows) to move the cursor to the previous clip or clip group start, end, or sync point. In either instance, the original Edit selection becomes deselected.
To slide an Edit selection in the Main Timebase ruler: 1 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make a selection. 2 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows), move the cursor over either of the Timeline Selection Markers in the ruler (the Time Grabber appears). To apply a command to an object while keeping the current selection: Command-Right-click (Mac) or Control-Rightclick (Windows) the object and choose a command from the pop-up menu.
With MIDI and Instrument tracks when Tab to Transients is enabled, pressing Tab moves the Edit insertion to the beginning of the next note or clip boundary regardless of the track view (just like with audio transients), but does not make note selections. For more information, see “Keyboard Shortcuts for Navigating MIDI” on page 767. To set the start and end points of a selection with Tab to Transients: 1 In the upper left of the Edit window, click the Tab to Transients button so it becomes selected.
2 Do one of the following: • In the Transport window, click in the start field. Making a Timeline selection with the Selector tool The Timeline selection is indicated in the Main Timebase ruler by the blue Timeline Selection Markers (or if a track is record-enabled, the Timeline Selection Markers are red). The start, end, and length for the Timeline selection is displayed in the corresponding fields in the Transport window.
Press Option+Shift+5 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+5 (Windows) to change the Timeline selection to match the Edit selection. To change the Edit selection to match the current Timeline selection: Choose Edit > Selection > Change Edit to Match Timeline. Press Option+Shift+6 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+6 (Windows) to change the Edit selection to match the Timeline selection.
Scrolling with a Scroll Wheel If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the scroll wheel to scroll vertically or horizontally in any Pro Tools window that has a scroll bar (such as the MIDI Event List). Navigating to Tracks Using Track Position Numbers With Track Number View enabled, each track is assigned a number corresponding to its position in the Mix and Edit Windows. You can scroll directly to any track by its positional number.
Universe View The Universe view displays an overview of the entire Pro Tools session above the tracks pane in the Edit window. Universe view at the top of the Edit window This overview represents audio and MIDI material on all tracks in the session that are not hidden (including tracks that are inactive, or that contain offline clips). The order in which material is displayed in the Universe view corresponds to the track order in the Edit window.
Showing the Universe Window Click the Show/Hide Universe/Clip Effects view button. To show or hide the Universe view in the Edit window, do one of the following: Select or deselect View > Other Displays > Universe. Double-click the divider above the Main Timebase ruler. From the Edit window menu, select or deselect Universe. Show/Hide Universe/Clip Effects view button Press Option+7 (Mac) or Alt+7 (Windows).
Navigating with the Universe View By clicking in the Universe view, you can scroll the material displayed in the Edit window horizontally, vertically, or both. This provides a convenient method of focusing the Edit window anywhere in the session. To navigate the session using the Universe view: 1 2 Ensure that Universe view is shown (View > Other Displays > Universe). Resizing the Universe view Click anywhere in the Universe view to move the framed area and the Edit window updates accordingly.
Zooming to the Entire Session and to the Edit Selection To zoom your entire session into view: 1 Press Option+Control+A (Mac) or Alt+Start+A (Windows) to horizontally fit the beginning and end of the session to the length of the Edit window. 2 Press Option+Control+Up Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Start+Up Arrow (Windows) to fit all of the tracks in the session to the height of the Edit window. To zoom to an Edit selection: 1 With the Selector or the Grabber tool, make an Edit selection.
Making an Edit Selection During Playback To move the selection up to the next track: To make an Edit selection during playback: To extend the Edit selection up across tracks, Press Control+Shift+P (Mac) or Start+Shift+P (Windows). 1 Place the Edit cursor in the track or across multiple tracks where you want to make the selection. 2 Start playback. 3 Press the Down Arrow to place the Edit cursor at the current playback location and mark the beginning of the Edit selection.
To go to and select the next clip, do one of the following: Press Control+Tab (Mac) or Start+Tab (Windows). Press Command+Control+’ (single quote) (Mac) or Control+Start+’ (single quote) (Windows). Restoring the Last Selection There are times when editing that you can lose your selection. If you lose the current Edit (or Timeline) selection and want to restore it, use the Restore Last Selection command.
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Chapter 30: Editing Clips and Selections Clips are the basic building blocks for arranging audio and MIDI in Pro Tools. Understanding how clips are created, edited, and arranged is essential to taking full advantage of the editing capabilities of Pro Tools. This chapter covers basic editing functions as they apply to clips and clip groups, and selections, which for the most part apply to both MIDI and audio data. For editing procedures more specific to MIDI, see Chapter 34, “MIDI Editing.
Separate Commands The Separate commands define a selection within an existing clip, or a partially selected clip, as a new clip and separate it from surrounding material. The Separate commands can also be applied to MIDI notes (see “Separating MIDI Notes” on page 757). New clips appear in the tracks in which they are created, separate from the data surrounding them. They also appear in the Clips List. 2 • Choose Edit > Separate > At Selection.
Auto-Name Separated Clips Option With the Auto-Name Separated Clips option in the Editing Preferences page selected, Pro Tools automatically names separated clips for you. The name is a numbered variation of the original clip’s name. Separating Multiple Tracks The following figure illustrates a separation across one mono audio track and two stereo tracks. For some tracks, the selection resides within a clip, while others reside at the start or end of a clip.
2 From the Grabber tools pop-up menu, choose the Separation Grabber tool. 3 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows), drag the selection to the new location, or to another track. Separation Grabber tool 3 Drag the selection to the new location, or to another track. Dragging to another track with the Separation Grabber tool New clips containing the previous selection are created and placed at the new location. The original selection and clips remain intact.
If the clips do not heal with Heal Separation, do one of the following to return the separated clips to a single clip: Delete one of the two separated clips (verify that Slip mode is enabled so the gap does not close) and use the Trim tool to expand the remaining clip to its original length (see “Using the Trim Tools” on page 613).
Trim to Fill Selection Commands The Trim to Fill Selection commands let you automatically reveal underlying material in the gaps between clips, or before and after individual clips, as follow: The end point of the clip in front of the gap is automatically trimmed (expanded) to the next clip, or as far as possible if there is not enough underlying material to cover the gap. To trim from a start point to fill gaps: 1 With the Selector tool, select across at least one gap between clips.
Trim Clip to File Commands Trimming with Nudge There are three Trim Clip to File commands that let you trim a clip to the end of the file, the beginning of a file, or both. However, clips trimmed to file boundaries do not overlap other clips on the same track. Instead, the selected clip is trimmed out only to the next or previous clip boundary depending on which command you use. You can trim the start and end points of clips (or MIDI notes) by the current Nudge value.
Defining the Nudge Value To increase the nudge value incrementally: Press Shift+Option+Equal (=) (Mac) or Shift+Alt+Equal (=) (Windows) The Nudge value determines how far clips and selections are moved when nudging. Start and end points for selections can also be moved by the Nudge value (see “Nudging Selection Start/End Points” on page 635). In addition, clips can be trimmed by the Nudge value (see “Trimming with Nudge” on page 659).
Nudging by Next Nudge Value Nudging the Contents of a Clip In addition to nudging by the current Nudge value, you can also nudge by the next larger value in the Nudge pop-up menu. Often a clip’s start point will reside at the correct location, perhaps at a SMPTE frame or barline, but the material within the clip starts too late or early. You can, in effect, nudge a clip’s audio waveform or MIDI notes without displacing the clip start and end points.
Layered Editing Pro Tools provides the option to enable layered editing so that you don’t lose partially overlapped clips while editing. This is true for both audio and MIDI. To enable (or disable) layered editing, do one of the following: 1 2 Select (or deselect) Options > Layered Editing. Click the Layered Editing button in the Edit Window toolbar so that it is lit (or unlit). 3 4 Layered Editing button (enabled) Figure 1.
When the Layered Editing option is disabled, overlapped clips remain “trimmed” to the start or end time of the overlapping clip. In Figure 2, the clip “Audio 1_01” (1) is moved to cover the middle of a larger clip (2). When that clip (“Audio 1_01”) is cleared, the overlapped clip has a hole punched in it (3). If Layered Editing is enabled in this case, the underlying clip is completely revealed and healed (4).
For Elastic Audio clips, only the clips are quantized and all Elastic Audio Events contained within the clips (such as transient events) are moved equally, thereby retaining their rhythmic relationships. To quantize individual MIDI notes or Elastic Audio Events, use the Quantize Event Operations. You can also use the Quantize Event Operation to quantize audio clips. For more information see “Quantize Command” on page 1006).
When dragging clips to or from stereo or multichannel tracks, the following rules apply: Provided the number of tracks and channels are the same for the source and destination, you can drag clips between multichannel tracks and mono tracks. The source and destination for dragged clips can be mixed. For example, you can drag clips from a 5.0 track (containing five channels) to a stereo track and three mono audio tracks.
The Compact command can pad the clips of the compacted file by a selectable amount. If clips in your session use crossfades, or if you want to pad the clips for the sake of any future trimming, you should enter an appropriate amount of padding (in milliseconds). The Compact command is destructive and cannot be undone. It permanently alters the original audio files. There is no way to recover data deleted by this command.
Fitting an Audio Clip to an Edit Selection Rating Clips Clips can be dragged from the Clips List to fit within an Edit selection. The dragged clip is compressed or expanded to fit within the selection. On audio tracks, fitting an audio clip to the Edit selection uses the TCE AudioSuite Plug-In selected in the Processing preferences (see “Processing Preferences” on page 124). On Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, it uses the track’s selected Elastic Audio plug-in (see “Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 975).
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Chapter 31: Fades and Crossfades You can quickly and easily apply fade-ins, fadeouts on audio clips, and crossfades between adjacent audio clips. Crossfading is the process of fading between two clips of audio to prevent pops, clicks, or sudden changes in sound. Crossfades have many applications, from smoothing transitions between clips to creating special audio effects. The crossfade duration, position, and shape are all user-definable.
Pre Crossfade Post Crossfade splice point splice splice point clip 11 clip clip 22 clip clip 1 clip 2 crossfade selection crossfade selection Pre crossfade Post crossfade This type of selection creates a crossfade before the splice point. This lets you maintain the volume of the very beginning of clip 2 instead of fading across it, which is useful if there is a strong attack at the beginning of clip 2 that you want to preserve.
Fade Dialogs Choose Edit > Fades > Create to apply the appropriate fade to the Edit selection. Use the corresponding Fade dialog (Fade In, Fade Out, Crossfade) to select, view, preview fades and crossfades, and edit fade curves. The controls in the Fades dialog include: Audition Click this button to audition fades. Pro Tools supports fade auditioning directly from your audio interface outputs.
Fade Curves and Separate Waveforms Click this button to display the specified fade curves along with separate views of the fade-in and fade-out waveforms. Fade-Out Shape Settings The Out Shape setting lets you define the shape of the fade-out from a clip for a fade, or from clip 1 for a crossfade. Fade Curves and Superimposed Waveforms Click this button to display the specified fade curves along with superimposed views of the fadein and fade-out waveforms.
The seven presets are as follows: Preset Curve 1 stays at full volume throughout the fade, then immediately drops the volume at the end of the fade. Preset Curve 6 drops the volume even more quickly at the beginning of the fade. Preset Curve 6 Preset Curve 1 Preset Curve 7 silences any audio at the beginning of the fade. Preset Curve 2 fades out relatively slowly, keeping the volume fairly high throughout the duration of the fade.
The seven presets are as follows: Preset Curve 1 fades in at full volume immediately at the beginning of the fade and keeps it there throughout the fade. Preset Curve 6 fades in even more slowly than the previous curve. Preset Curve 6 Preset Curve 1 Preset Curve 7 silences any audio until the end of the fade. Preset Curve 2 fades in quickly in the beginning, reaching full amplitude fairly early in the fade.
The Link setting links the selected fade-out and fade-in curves of a crossfade. If you adjust one curve, the corresponding curve is also adjusted. This ensures that the resulting crossfade is an equal power or equal gain crossfade, depending on which one you select. Equal Power Recommended for material that is not phase coherent, as in the case of a crossfade between two completely different types of material. Use this option to avoid the volume drop that can occur with an Equal Gain crossfade.
Fade and Crossfade Preferences You can set default fade and crossfade settings. These settings load as your “base” settings when you use the Create Fades command, and the Fade to Start and Fade to End commands. Fade Presets Pro Tools provides five Fade Presets so that you can easily store and recall your most commonly used fade settings. You can also save and import Fade Preset settings. To set the fade and crossfade preferences: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Editing tab.
Fade Settings Menu Use the Fade Settings menu commands to save, copy, paste, and manage fade settings as presets (Fade settings files). Creating Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Clips Pro Tools lets you create fade-ins and fade-outs at the beginnings and ends of clips. With Pro Tools Ultimate, you can also use an automatic fade-in/out option, which applies real time fade-ins/outs to all clips during playback automatically. For more information, see “Using AutoFades” on page 680.
To create a fade-in: 1 Select the beginning of the clip that you want to fade in. The selection must extend to the exact beginning of the clip or a blank area prior to the clip in the track. Selecting the beginning of a clip for a fade-in 2 Do one of the following: To create a fade-out: 1 Select the end of the clip that you want to fade out. The selection must extend to the exact end of the clip or a blank area after the clip in the track.
3 Use the view buttons to adjust the view of the crossfade. It may take a few moments to calculate the waveform display for long selections. 4 Select an Out Shape and an In Shape. • Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To Start. 5 Select a Linking option. • Press Control+D (Mac) or Start+D (Windows). 6 Click the Audition button to audition the crossfade. For long crossfades, it may take Pro Tools a few moments to calculate and load the audio into playback RAM.
To trim a crossfade: 1 2 Select the crossfade with the Time Grabber tool, or double-click it with the Selector tool. With any of the Trim tools, trim either side of the crossfade. The crossfade is recalculated to reflect the newly trimmed length. Crossfades on Tick-Based Audio Tracks Crossfades are re-rendered after changing tempo in a tick-based audio track. The new crossfade is the same duration as the crossfade prior to the tempo change.
Using automatic fade-ins/outs saves you the trouble of editing to zero-crossings or creating numerous rendered fades in order to eliminate clicks or pops in playback. However, those clicks or pops still exist in the underlying sound file. Consequently, those anomalies still appear if the Duplicate AudioSuite plug-in or the Export Clips As Files command (from the Clips List) are used to duplicate multiple clips as a continuous file.
5 Select the placement of the Fades: Pre-Splice, Centered, or Post-Splice (see “About Crossfades and Curves” on page 669). 6 Enter a length in milliseconds for Fade In, Crossfades, and Fade Out. 7 Click OK. 3 In the Fade (or Crossfade) window, click on the fade shape and drag to the left or the right until you get the fade shape you want. Pro Tools creates the fades and crossfades for all selected clips.
3 Do one or both of the following: • To adjust the start point of either the Fade In or Fade Out of the crossfade, click and drag the black square the appears at the beginning of the fade to the right (or to the left if you have already changed the start point from the default location).
4 Release the mouse when the fade shape is what you want. Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) with the Selector Tool to adjust fades in the same way as with the Smart Tool. To change the fade shape of any fade in the Edit window: 1 Make an edit selection that includes the fade (or fades) you want to change. Only completely selected fades will be affected.
To edit Batch Fades in the Edit window: 1 2 Move the fade by doing one of the following: Make an Edit selection that includes multiple whole clips with fades. • Drag the fade with the Time Grabber tool to a new location on the track. Right-click the Edit selection and choose Fades > • Nudge the fade by pressing Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the fade forward or backward on the track. Batch Fades. 3 2 Configure the Batch Fades dialog as desired and click OK.
2 Move the clip selection by doing one of the following: • Drag the clip selection with the Grabber tool to a new location on the track. • Nudge the clip selection by pressing Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the clip forward or backward on the track. Moving Clips Adjacent to Crossfades When you move either of the clips that contributes to a crossfade, the clips separate. The status of the fade depends on the Preserve Fades when Editing preference (in the Editing Preferences page).
4 Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber tool to select one of the contributing clips to a crossfade. Selecting a clip with a crossfade 5 2 Nudge the clip by pressing Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric keypad. Stretching the crossfade by nudging Drag the selected clip with the Grabber.
Where your selection overlaps a crossfade, the crossfade is separated into a fade-out and fade-in at the selection boundary. Trimming Clips that Include Fades or Crossfades You can trim clips that include fades or crossfades. Trimming a Clip to a Fade Boundary Selecting material that overlaps a crossfade You can trim clips that are adjacent to fade and crossfade boundaries. To trim a clip on a fade boundary: With the Trim tool, click the clip boundary and drag to trim the clip.
Trimming to a Selection Across Fades or Crossfades You can trim clips to selections that include fades or crossfades. To trim a clip to a selection that includes fades, do one of the following: Make a selection in the track and choose Edit > Trim > To Selection. You can Trim across mul- Fade Boundaries and Shapes Displayed in Automation View Fade boundaries and fade shapes are shown and can be edited in Automation views, allowing for more precise viewing and editing of automation data.
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Chapter 32: Playlists The ability to create playlists is a powerful feature of Pro Tools. Each track maintains a “main” playlist and any number of “alternate” edit playlists. Edit playlists let you take a snapshot of a track’s current arrangement of clips, thereby freeing you to experiment with alternate arrangements, returning as necessary to previously saved playlists. A playlist, which can consist of a single clip or many clips, can only be assigned to a track if it is not in use by another track.
Creating a Playlist You can create new empty playlists for recording or importing audio and MIDI. This can be useful for creating alternate takes of audio or MIDI, or for constructing alternate arrangements. To create a new (empty) playlist: 1 Click the track’s Playlist selector and choose New. 2 Type a name for the new playlist and click OK. An empty playlist with the specified name appears in the track. Press Control+\ (Mac) or Start+\ (Windows) to create a new playlist for the first selected track in
Renaming a Playlist You can rename a playlist by renaming the track to which it is assigned. To rename a track’s assigned playlist: 1 Double-click the track’s name. 2 Type a new name and click OK. To show the next playlist in the main playlist for tracks that contain the Edit cursor: Press Shift+Down Arrow. To show the previous playlist in the main playlist for tracks that contain the Edit cursor: Press Shift+Up Arrow. Both the track and playlist names are updated.
Empty playlists are created automatically to keep the playlist takes synchronized when switching back to the earliest playlist takes in the group. To keep your playlist names and performances synchronized (example workflow): 1 Create new tracks and group them together. For more information on grouping tracks, see “Grouping Tracks” on page 277. 694 2 Make sure the group is enabled. 3 Create a new playlist (by clicking the Playlist selector in one of the tracks in the group and choosing New).
Track Compositing Example 6 In this workflow, you will be introduced to some common track compositing tasks: Make sure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is selected. 7 With the Selector tool, select the loop range on the track. 8 Record enable the audio track by clicking its Record Enable button. • Copy the best take to the target playlist. 9 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools for recording. To configure a session: 10 Click Play to start recording.
To hide the playlist for the whole file clip, do one of the following: Right-click on the Playlist lane and choose Hide. With the same Edit selection that you used for loop recording intact, Right-click the Track Name or any of the Playlist Lane Names and choose Filter Lanes > Show Only Lanes With > Clips Within the Edit Selection. To select and copy the best take to the target playlist: 1 Once you have identified the best take, make any changes to the Edit selection.
Playlists View Playlists view lets you view the main playlist in the track, and also any alternate playlists associated with the track. Alternate playlists are displayed directly below the track in Playlist lanes. If the track does not contain any alternate playlists in addition to the main playlist, only a single, empty Playlist lane is shown under the main playlist.
Auditioning Alternate Playlists Only the main playlist plays back through the track audio output path. To hear an alternate playlist, you need to solo the Playlist lane. The soloed lane then plays through the track audio output path instead of the main playlist. To audition an alternate playlist: 1 Click the Solo button for the Playlist lane you want to audition. (Soloing a Playlist lane only solos the playlist in the track; it does not mute any other tracks in the session.
To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to the target playlist: 1 The selection from the alternate playlist is copied to the same time location in the target playlist. In Playlists view, make a selection in an alternate playlist. Selection copied to the target playlist To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to a new target playlist: Making a selection in an alternate playlist 2 1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alternate playlist.
To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to a duplicate of the target playlist: 1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alternate playlist. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Copy Selection To > Duplicate Playlist. • Right-click the Edit selection and choose Copy To > Duplicate Playlist.
2 Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Move Selection To > Target Playlist. • Right-click the Edit selection and choose Move To > Target Playlist. • Press Option+Control+M (Mac) or Alt+Start+M (Windows). The selection from the alternate playlist is moved to the same time location in the target playlist.
To move the current edit selection to an existing playlist: 1 Make an Edit selection. 2 Right-click the Edit selection and choose Move To > . Dragging Clips to Playlists Lanes Reordering Playlist Lanes You can reorder Playlist lanes the same way you reorder tracks. To reorder Playlist lanes: Click the name of the alternate playlist and drag it to the location you want. You can drag and drop clips to any available Playlist lane on any track that has the same channel width.
To resize a single Playlist lane, do one of the following: Control-click the line in between lanes and drag up or down. The upper lane resizes accordingly. Renaming Alternate Playlists You can rename alternate playlists the same way you rename tracks. To rename an alternate playlist: 1 Double-click the name of the alternate playlist. 2 In the resulting Name dialog, type the name you want. 3 Click OK.
Filtering Lanes You can filter Playlist lanes to show or hide them based on different criteria. To filter Playlist lanes: 1 Right-click the Track Name or the Playlist Name.
Matching Criteria The Matching Criteria window lets you select the criteria for matching alternate clips. This lets you refine the list of available matching clips in the Alternate Takes pop-up menu and Clip Right-click Matches submenu. 3 Select one of the following In Addition To options: • All • Clip Start • Clip Start and End • Within Selection • None 4 Leave the Matching Criteria window open to change the settings as appropriate while compositing tracks.
In Addition To Match Options To select an alternate take: The following In Addition To Match options are mutually exclusive. 1 Configure the Matching Criteria window if necessary (see “Matching Criteria” on page 705). All Any clips that include the time location of the 2 Do one of the following: Edit cursor; or any clips that are either partly or fully within the current time range of the Edit selection.
3 Do one of the following: • Right-click the Edit selection and select a different matching alternate take from the Matches submenu. • Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Edit selection and select a different take from the Alternates pop-up menu. Alternate Takes pop-up menu The selected matching alternate clip (take) replaces the clip in the main playlist and snaps precisely to the correct location.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New Playlists or Tracks Pro Tools lets you copy alternate takes and channels to new playlists or tracks. This is useful for auditioning, editing, and mixing multiple alternate takes or channels. Alternate takes are created when punch and loop recording. Alternate channels are included with files imported into Pro Tools from field recorders. Expanding alternate takes to new tracks readily facilitates auditioning, editing, and mixing alternate takes, each on separate tracks.
Expanding Alternate Channels to New Playlists or Tracks (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) When working with a mono clip that is part of a multichannel recording imported from a field recorder, you can expand that clip (or a selected portion of it) to new playlists that reflect its matching alternate channels while preserving any edits or fades (see Chapter 59, “Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools”).
If alternate channels are available, Pro Tools expands them to new playlists (including the channel represented in the original track) according to the selected option. Expanding Channels to New Tracks To expand alternate channels to new tracks: 1 In the Timeline, do one of the following: • To expand only a portion of the clips on the track, make a selection that includes or overlaps any number of clips on a track, and Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click (Mac) the selection.
Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track After importing the AAF (or OMF) sequence and original source audio files into the session, it is recommended that you relink the edited guide track to the original unedited source audio. To relink the original unedited guide track: 1 In the Workspace browser, locate the session and open the Audio Files folder. 2 Right-click the edited guide track audio file in the browser and choose Relink Selected.
To designate any playlist as the Target playlist from Playlists view: 1 Select Playlists view for the track you want to work with. 2 Click the Target button for the Playlist you want to designate as the target. The button turns blue. Click the Target button again to make the Main playlist the Target playlist. Designating the Target Playlist for a stereo audio track In Playlist view, the Target button for the targeted playlist turns blue.
Working with Target Playlists To target the same playlist in all tracks: After you have designated Target playlists for tracks you can work quickly when comping from different playlists using key commands. Key modifiers can also be used to target the same playlist in all tracks of the same type or in all selected tracks of the same type (audio, MIDI, Instrument, or Video). 1 In Playlists view, Option-click (Mac) or Altclick (Windows) the Target button for the playlist you want to target.
Cycling Audio Within a Selection To cycle in audio in the Edit selection from the previous playlist: Press Command+Shift+Up Arrow (Mac) or Control+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows). To cycle in audio in the Edit selection from the next playlist: Press Command+Shift+Down Arrow (Mac) or Control+Shift+Down Arrow (Windows).
Visual Indicators when Working in Waveform View The following indicators provide visual feedback when working with Targeted Playlists in Waveform view. • Immediately following the execution of either the Copy To Target Playlist or the Move To Target Playlist commands, a green checkmark icon, a light blue overlay the size of the selection, and the name of current Target playlist are briefly displayed in the center of the selection.
• If you disable the Main playlist as the Target playlist (using either the keyboard shortcut or the menu command), a gray target icon and a light blue overlay the size of the Main playlist are briefly displayed. Gray target indicating that the Main playlist is no longer the Target playlist Table 1. If you send a selection to the Target playlist from the Target playlist, a red “not allowed” icon is briefly displayed at the center of the selection.
Track Compositing Keyboard Shortcuts Pro Tools provides a powerful combination of keyboard shortcuts to streamline track comping workflows. Table 2.
Table 2. Keyboard Shortcuts for Track Comping tasks 718 Action Mac Windows Duplicate the main playlist for the first selected track in the session Command+Control+\ Control+Start+\ Duplicate the main playlist for each track in the session Command+Option+Control+\ Control+Alt+Start+\ Duplicate the main playlist for each selected track in the session Command+Option+ Control+Shift+\ Control+Alt+Start+Shift+\ Focus the first playlist (with Edit selection in the Main playlist) Shift+Home (full-siz
Chapter 33: Beat Detective Beat Detective is a powerful tool for analyzing, editing, and manipulating audio or MIDI data that has an inherent rhythmic character. Beat Detective analyzes an audio or MIDI selection, identifies its peak transients or accented notes, and generates beat triggers based on the detected peak transients or MIDI notes. From these beat triggers, Beat Detective can: • Extract tempo and beat information to create Bar|Beat Markers that can be used to define the session’s tempo map.
“Tightening Up” Performances Beat Detective can be used to improve the timing of some audio material by calculating and extracting its average tempo, and then conforming its rhythmic components—clips separated with Beat Detective—to the session’s tempo map. Loop Matching Since Beat Detective can extract tempo and beat information from audio and MIDI, and conform audio to an existing tempo map or groove template, this makes it very useful for aligning loops with different tempos or grooves.
The Beat Detective Window Beat Detective is managed from the Beat Detective window. Beat Detective window To open the Beat Detective window, do one of the following: The Beat Detective modes include the following: Choose Event > Beat Detective. Operation Lets you choose to analyze either MIDI or audio material. Press Command+8 (Mac) or Control+8 (Windows) on the numeric keypad. Bar|Beat Marker Generation Generates Bar|Beat Beat Detective is a floating window that can be left open while working.
Defining a Beat Detective Selection Whether you will be generating Bar|Beat Markers, extracting a DigiGroove template, or separating clips to be conformed, you must always define the audio or MIDI selection to be analyzed. The Beat Detective window provides tools to define and capture the selection range, time signature, and swing (sub-division) content for the selected audio.
• If the selection’s tempo and meter match the session tempo and meter (see “Calculating Tempo with Beat Detective” on page 724), and it aligns correctly with the session’s bars and beats, click the Capture Selection button. The correct Time Signature, and Start Bar|Beat and End Bar|Beat values will be filled in automatically. Beat Detective Analysis Beat Detective provides several analysis algorithms for beat detection appropriate to different types of audio material.
Calculating Tempo with Beat Detective If you know the meter, and start and end points of the audio selection, use Beat Detective to calculate its tempo. To calculate a selection’s tempo with Beat Detective: 1 Make an Edit selection in the Edit window or a MIDI Editor window (MIDI only) and define the selection in the Beat Detective window as described in “Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on page 722. 2 Select Bar|Beat Marker Generation. 3 In the Detection section (Normal mode), click Analyze.
Bar triggers are indicated with thick lines, beat triggers with medium lines, and sub-beat triggers with thin lines. Beat Sub-Beat Bar Beat triggers 9 You can zoom to the sample level and click the Scroll Next button to scroll to the next trigger within the selection. To scroll to the previous trigger, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Scroll Next button (see “Navigating Consecutive Beat Triggers” on page 729).
MIDI Chord Recognition Realign Session Since MIDI notes in a chord may be played at slightly different moments, Beat Detective interprets notes that are close together (closer than half the time value that is set in the Selection Contains field) as a chord. Beat Detective’s Realign Session function lets you generate Bar|Beat markers without tick-based material shifting.
To generate Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective in a session with tick-based tracks: 1 In the Edit window, make an audio or MIDI selection. 2 In the Beat Detective window, select Bar|Beat Marker Generation. 3 Define or capture the selection as described in“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on page 722. 4 Set the Resolution to Bars or Beats. 5 Click Generate.
Editing Beat Triggers Even though Beat Detective offers a great deal of flexibility in how transients are detected, there may be times when beat triggers must be deleted, moved, or manually inserted. Additionally, triggers can be promoted so they are retained at lower sensitivity settings.
Promoting Beat Triggers To ensure that important beat triggers do not disappear when lowering the Sensitivity, you can promote them. This is useful if a selection has numerous false triggers (too many to bother deleting) at a Sensitivity level where crucial, necessary beat triggers are also displayed. If lowering the Sensitivity and the needed triggers to disappear, simply promote them first. To promote a beat trigger: 1 Raise the Sensitivity until the transient is detected and a beat trigger appears.
Generating Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective Once Beat Detective has accurately detected the peak transients in the audio selection and accurately generated beat triggers, the triggers can be converted to Bar|Beat Markers. Bar|Beat Markers generated by Beat Detective create a tempo map that can be used throughout the session. Bar|Beat Markers are generated, based on the beat triggers, and appear in the Tempo ruler.
DigiGroove Templates Beat Detective allows the fine timing nuances of a rhythmic performance to be extracted and saved as a groove template, called a DigiGroove template. DigiGrooves can be saved locally to the Groove Clipboard, or saved to disk as DigiGrooves. Groove templates can be used to transfer the feel of a particular performance to: • Selected audio clips using Groove Conform (see “Groove Conform” on page 736).
Swing Content for Generating Groove Templates Extract Groove Template dialog 7 Do one of the following: • To save the extracted template for use in the current session, without writing the template file to disk, click Save To Groove Clipboard. (This template will be lost when you close the current session.) • To save the extracted template to disk in order to use it in other sessions or share it with other Pro Tools users, click Save To Disk. Enter a name for the template and click Save.
Separating Clips with Beat Detective (Audio Only) Trigger Pad When separating clips, the Beat Detective window displays an option called Trigger Pad. Once beat triggers appear in your selection, they can be used to define start and end points for new clips that can be separated automatically. The new clips can then be conformed to the session’s existing tempo map, or to a groove template.
Separating Multiple Tracks You can use beat triggers from a single track, or subset of tracks, to separate a group of tracks. In the following example, the defined selection is a drum loop consisting of two bars of 5/4. The kick, snare, hi-hat, and overhead microphones are recorded to separate tracks. Analyzing the loop’s kick drum track, with the detection Resolution set to Beats, Beat Detective places beat triggers at the transients on beats 1 and 4. The separated clips can then be conformed as a group.
Standard Conform 6 This is similar to using the Clip > Quantize to Grid command, but with one important difference: With a single operation, Beat Detective can adjust the position of all clips, whether they have a straight or swing feel. • Lower percentage values ensure that clips further away from the Grid are conformed, while those closer to the Grid are not.
8 Click Conform to automatically conform all clips in the selection. To conform clips using Groove Conform: 1 In the Beat Detective window, select Clip Conform. 2 Select Groove. Clips conformed with Beat Detective 9 Audition the new conformed clips by clicking Play in the Transport. 10 Do one of the following: • If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat steps 4–8 trying a different set of Conform settings.
7 To affect how strongly the clips are conformed to the groove template, select the Timing option and specify a percentage value with either the slider or by typing in a value: • Lower percentage values preserve the original feel of the clips. 9 Click Conform to automatically conform all clips in the selection. 10 Audition the new conformed clips by clicking Play in the Transport.
To use Edit Smoothing on conformed clips: 1 2 In the Beat Detective window, select Edit Smoothing. Select a Smoothing option: Fill Gaps Select this option to trim clip end points so that the gaps between clips are filled. Fill And Crossfade Select this option to trim clip end points and automatically add a pre-fade (in ms) directly before each clip start point. 3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, select the range of conformed audio clips you want to smooth.
Once you are satisfied with the results from Beat Detective, it is recommended that you flatten the tracks with the Consolidate command. For all clips selected, Consolidate creates a single, contiguous audio file to reduce the session’s edit density. See “Consolidating Clips” on page 665. Before consolidating a large selection across multiple tracks, make sure there is enough RAM available. See “RAM Requirements for Beat Detective” on page 720.
Using Collection Mode Collection mode is available in Bar|Beat Marker Generation, Groove Template Extraction, or Clip Separation mode (audio only), and is accessed by selecting Collection in the Detection pop-up menu. 6 In the Detection (Collection Mode) section, click Add All to add all the current beat triggers to the collection. 7 From the Detection pop-up menu, select Normal and move the selection to the next track you want to analyze. Make sure to keep the selection range constant for each track.
Each new set of triggers added to the collection appears in a different color. If successive triggers in the collection are located closely together (for example, because of microphone leakage), Beat Detective keeps only the earlier triggers. 1. Beat triggers detected in Kick track added to collection 2. Unique beat triggers detected in Snare track added to collection 3. Unique beat triggers detected in Hi-hat track added to collection 4.
742 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part VI: MIDI
Chapter 34: MIDI Editing Pro Tools provides powerful MIDI editing tools. You can create and edit individual MIDI notes and controller events with the Pencil, Trim, and Grabber tools in the Edit window, MIDI Editor windows (see Chapter 35, “MIDI Editors”), and the Score Editor window (Chapter 36, “Score Editor”). For information on clip-specific editing for both MIDI and audio, see Chapter 30, “Editing Clips and Selections.
Default Note Duration 3 The Default Note Duration setting lets you define the default note duration for inserting notes manually. The Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, and Score Editor window can each have a different Default Note Duration setting. • To dot the selected Default Note Duration value, click the Default Note Duration setting and select Dotted.
Mirrored MIDI Editing Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI clips and have your edits apply to every copy of the same MIDI clip. This can be particularly useful when editing looped MIDI clips. To enable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the following: Select Options > Mirror MIDI Editing. Enable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score Editor window.
3 To define a dotted or triplet value, do one of the following: • To dot the selected Grid value, click the Grid Value selector again and select Dotted. useful for drawing and editing different types of MIDI control data—for example, try using Line for volume, Triangle for pan, Free Hand for pitch bend, and Square or Random for velocity. • To make the selected Grid value a triplet, click the Grid Value selector again and select Triplet.
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous controller data, the Free Hand shape draws freely according to the movement of the mouse. The shape is reproduced as a series of steps according to the Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data MIDI preference. When editing automation or MIDI control data with the Pencil tool, you can switch between the current Pencil Tool shape (such as Line) and Free Hand pencil editing using the Command key (Mac) or the Control key (Windows).
Inserting MIDI Notes In addition to recording, step recording, and importing MIDI into Pro Tools, you can manually insert MIDI notes using the Pencil tool. When using the Pencil tool, the Cursor location and value are displayed in the Window Toolbar. Cursor pitch location Pencil Cursor r Timeline location When inserting MIDI notes or other MIDI data with the Pencil tool, MIDI clip boundaries are created on the nearest barlines.
The velocity for inserted notes is determined by the Default Note On Velocity setting. The duration is determined by the Default Note Duration value. When in Grid mode, the Note On location is determined by the Grid value. If the Play MIDI Notes When Editing option is enabled, each note sounds as it is inserted. The Pencil tool can be dragged after clicking (and before releasing) to adjust the note’s pitch or duration. Drag right to lengthen the note without changing its start point.
Manually Editing MIDI Notes With the Selector tool, drag across a range of notes. All aspects of a MIDI note can be edited in the Edit window or in a MIDI Editor window, including start and end points, duration, pitch, and velocity. The Selector, Grabber, and Pencil tools can operate on individual notes or groups of notes. Selecting MIDI Notes MIDI notes must be selected before they can be edited.
Selecting and Auditioning MIDI Notes with the Mini-Keyboard Use the mini-keyboard on MIDI and Instrument tracks to select and play notes on that track. You can click on the mini-keyboard with any Edit tool. Use the scroll wheel on your mouse or the track pad on your laptop to scroll the piano roll up or down on a MIDI or Instrument track to view the note range you want to work with.
To select only MIDI notes and velocities with the Note Selector tool: 1 Select the Selector tool. 2 On MIDI or Instrument tracks in the Edit window in Notes or Velocity view, or in a MIDI Editor window, Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) over the time range that includes the notes you want to select.
Using the Grabber Tools Use the Grabber tools to select, move, separate, and arrange clips on tracks. There are three modes for the Grabber tool: Time Grabber, Separation Grabber, and Object Grabber. For more information about arranging clips, also see Chapter 40, “Arranging Clips.” While dragging, each new note sounds and the Cursor Location Value indicator (in the Edit window) indicates the number of semitones and direction (+/–) for the transposition.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged note snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens. 4 Move the cursor near the beginning of any of the highlighted notes, so the Trim tool appears. Drag right to shorten the notes, or drag left to lengthen them. To copy the selected notes, leaving the originals intact, press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while dragging.
Trimming MIDI Notes with Nudge Transposing MIDI Notes with Nudge You can trim the start and end points of selected MIDI notes by the current Nudge value. You can transpose selected MIDI notes by semitonal increments using Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric keypad. To trim the selected MIDI notes start or end points by the Nudge value: 1 2 3 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the Nudge Value” on page 660). With the Time Grabber tool, select the MIDI notes you want to trim.
To separate MIDI notes at the Edit cursor location or at the boundaries of the Edit selection: 1 Make an Edit selection or place the Edit cursor at the location where you want to separate one or more MIDI notes. 2 Do one of the following: To separate a MIDI note with the Separation tool: With the Grabber or Pencil tool, Control-Shiftclick (Mac) or Start-Shift-click (Windows) on the MIDI note at the location where you want the separation. • Choose Edit > Separate > At Selection.
Consolidating MIDI Notes The Consolidate command lets you combine two or more consecutive MIDI notes of the same pitch into a single MIDI note. To consolidate MIDI notes: 1 Select the MIDI notes you want to consolidate. 2 Do one of the following: To unmute one or more MIDI notes: 1 Select the MIDI notes you want to unmute. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Unmute Notes. • Right-click the selected MIDI notes and choose Unmute Notes.
2 Select any Grabber tool. 3 Drag the top (diamond) of the velocity stalk up or down. You can also use the Trim tool to scale the velocities for all selected notes. This is useful if you like the velocity relationship between the notes, but want them all to be louder or softer. When in Velocity view, the Trim tool can be used to trim note durations in addition to changing velocities.
Drag up to increase the velocity value, or down to decrease it. While dragging, the diamond turns blue and the associated note becomes selected. The dragged velocity values are reflected in the Cursor Location Value indicator (in the Edit window). If two notes have the same start time (with velocity stalks on top of each other), Commanddrag (Mac) or Control-drag (Windows) the actual note up or down to adjust its velocity.
Deleting MIDI Notes In addition to deleting selected notes with the Clear command in the Edit menu, individual notes can also be deleted with the Pencil tool. To delete a group of MIDI notes with the Clear command: 1 2 Using the Grabber or Selector tool, select the notes to be deleted (see “Selecting MIDI Notes” on page 752). Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected notes. The track’s underlying controller data remains intact.
To compress or expand MIDI clips in Grid mode: To compress or expand MIDI clips in Spot mode: 1 Set the Edit mode to Grid. 1 Set the Edit mode to Spot. 2 If necessary, set the MIDI or Instrument track to Clips view. 2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Clips view. 3 Select the TCE Trim tool. 3 Select the TCE Trim tool. 4 4 With the TCE Trim tool, drag the MIDI clip’s start or end point to compress or expand the clip to the Grid (for example, by quarter notes).
Continuous Controller Events Continuous controller events that can be inserted and edited in Pro Tools include: Continuous controller events for MIDI and Instrument tracks are displayed in the form of a line graph with a series of editable breakpoints. Controller events for MIDI and Instrument tracks differ from automation data for audio tracks in that the breakpoints are stepped (instead of vectorbased), where each breakpoint represents a single controller event.
Inserting and Editing Controller Events Setting Resolution for Inserted Controller Events Continuous controller events can b edited with any of the following methods: When inserting controller events with the Pencil tool, the density of the events is determined by the Individual breakpoints can be dragged with any Grabber tool to adjust their location or value. A group of selected breakpoints can be scaled up or down with any of the Trim tools.
• If Controller lanes are revealed under the MIDI or Instrument track you want to edit, click the Controller Type selector for the Controller lane under the track and select Add/Remove Controller from the controllers submenu. Selecting Add/Remove Controllers from the Controller Type selector on a Controller lane 2 In the Automated MIDI Controllers dialog, select the MIDI Controllers range for the controller you want to automate.
MIDI Controller Numbers Shown in Track View and Controller Lane Selectors MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) numbers are shown in parenthesis in the Track View and Controller Lane selectors. Aside from common controller number assignments like “Mod Wheel” (1), “Volume” (7), or “Sustain Pedal” (64), many MIDI continuous controllers are simply “unassigned” in the standard MIDI specification.
Tab to Transients Enabled When Tab to Transients is enabled, pressing Tab moves the Edit insertion to the beginning of the next note on, note off, or clip boundary regardless of the track view (just like with audio transients), but does not make note selections.
Tabbing to MIDI CC Events in MIDI CC Track Views Using the Arrow Keys in Notes View or in MIDI Editor Windows When a MIDI or Instrument track is set to any MIDI Controller track view and Tab to Transients is enabled, press the Tab key to move to the next MIDI event shown in that track view. Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Alt+Tab (Windows) to move to the previous MIDI event. Navigating Notes In Notes view, use the Left and Right Arrow keys to navigate to and select the previous or the next note.
Selecting Notes Hold the Shift key while using the Left and Right Arrow keys to extend the note selection. Use the Shift key with the Left and Right Arrow keys to select more than a single note in a chord.
To duplicate notes when transposing in key (to create chords): 1 2 3 Press Control+Option+Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or Start+Alt+Up/Down Arrows (Windows) to duplicate the notes in key. Then Press Control+Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or Start+Up/Down Arrows (Windows) to transpose the duplicate notes to the desired chord tone in the key. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to add more notes to the chord.
Patch Select (Program and Bank Changes) Each MIDI and Instrument track can have a default program change that is sent each time the track plays. Additional program changes can be inserted at any point within the track. Program changes are sent to external MIDI devices. Instrument plug-ins in Pro Tools do not respond to program change information. Default Program Change The default program change for each MIDI track is specified by clicking on the Patch Select button, from either the Mix or Edit window.
• If you are using patch name files, select a patch name (see “MIDI Patch Names” on page 773). 3 Click Done. Once selected, the program number (or patch name) appears in the Patch Select button in the Edit window. To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio. 2 Do one of the following depending on your computer platform: • On Mac, verify the MIDI Device name in the MIDI Studio window (see “MIDI Studio Setup (Mac)” on page 143).
5 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change. 9 For MIDI devices that have multiple banks of patches, select which bank of patches you want from the Bank pop-up menu. Change button Patch Select dialog 6 In the Open dialog, do one of the following: • On Mac, navigate to /Library/Audio/MIDI Patch Names/Avid/, and select the MIDI Patch Name file (.midnam) for the MIDI device. • On Windows, navigate to Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Pro Tools\MIDI Patch Names\, an
To insert a program change with the Pencil tool: 1 Do one of the following: • Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Program Change view. If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens. The placement of program changes can also be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Command” on page 907) or Nudge (see “Nudging Clips” on page 659). • Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or Instrument track and show Program Change.
3 Click a program number (or patch name)—the starting point from which you will scroll through the patches. 4 Type a value for the number of seconds that will elapse between each program change. 5 Select the Increment Patch option. After the specified number of seconds, Pro Tools selects the next patch and transmits the program change to the track’s assigned MIDI output.
To delete one or more Sysex events: 1 Do one of the following: • Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Sysex view. To enable Note Chasing for a MIDI track: Click the track’s Playlist selector and select the Note Chasing option. • Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or Instrument track and show Sysex. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected events from the track. • Press Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows).
Chasing also occurs for a MIDI track’s default program change, along with any program change events residing within the track. Therefore, if you have chosen a default program change for a track, when playing from any point within the track, the program change event is sent to the track’s assigned device. Default Controller Values and Chasing Though new MIDI tracks appear to have default values for continuous controller playlists, this is actually not the case.
3 Click OK. The Global MIDI Playback Offset can also be set from the MIDI Track Offsets window. You can also apply MIDI Real-Time Properties delay to offset MIDI (see “MIDI Real-Time Properties” on page 780). To configure a MIDI or Instrument track offset for a track: 1 Choose Event > MIDI Track Offsets.
Stuck Notes MIDI Real-Time Properties If you encounter stuck notes with any of your MIDI devices, you can silence them with the All MIDI Notes Off command. MIDI Real-Time Properties let you change some MIDI properties of MIDI and Instrument tracks (or MIDI clips) during playback. There are five types of MIDI Real-Time Properties: Quantize, Duration, Delay, Velocity, and Transpose. To turn off all stuck notes: Choose Event > All MIDI Notes Off. Press Command+Shift+Period (.
For Micro, Mini, and Small track heights, the RealTime Properties column only displays one or two properties, accordingly. The first one or two properties that are enabled are displayed automatically. To select a different Real-Time Property in Mini or Small track height view: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) on a real-time property element to select a different element from the pop-up menu.
2 In Real-Time Properties view in the Edit window, or in the Real-Time Properties window, select Real-Time Properties by clicking the property name (Quantize, Duration, Delay, Velocity, or Transpose). Enabled Real-Time Properties are highlighted and display their settings. 3 If you are using the Real-Time Properties window and Link Track and Edit Selection mode is enabled, select the track or clip to affect from the Apply To pop-up menu.
Duration Duration can be used to increase or decrease the duration of MIDI notes by a fixed amount or by a percentage. This is useful for creating legato or staccato passages. Duration cannot be applied as a Real-Time Property to MIDI Input and Thru. Duration Amount If the Ticks/Notes pop-up menu is set to ticks, enter a duration as a number of quarter notes plus a number of ticks, such as 4|000.
Delay Transpose Delay lets you delay or advance all MIDI data in the selected clip or track. Select “+” from the Delay pop-up menu to delay MIDI data, or select “–” to advance MIDI data. Select Ticks or Milliseconds (MS) from the Ticks/Milliseconds pop-up menu. Enter the Delay amount in Tick or Millisecond values. Delay is limited to a maximum of value of 2000 ms or 999 ticks.
Indicates track-based Real-Time Properties Indicates clip-based Real-Time Properties Writing Real-Time Properties to Tracks or Clips Once you have found the settings you want, you can write Real-Time Properties to the selected tracks or clips using the Real-Time Properties window. Real-Time Properties are applied to the current MIDI data on the track or in a clip.
To clear Real-Time Properties from a clip: 1 2 3 4 Select the clip for which you want to clear RealTime Properties. 1 Open the Real-Time Properties window (Event > MIDI Real-Time Properties). Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the MIDI tab. 2 Select Clips from the Real-Time Properties Apply To pop-up menu. Enable or disable the Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties option. 3 Click OK. Click the Clear Clip Properties button.
Chapter 35: MIDI Editors Pro Tools provides MIDI Editor windows for detailed MIDI editing.
Superimposed MIDI and Instrument Tracks MIDI Editor windows display and let you edit MIDI data (notes, velocities, and continuous controller data) for one or more MIDI or Instrument tracks. When displaying multiple tracks in a MIDI Editor window, MIDI notes from different tracks are superimposed. MIDI Editor windows can also show Auxiliary Input tracks.
MIDI Editor Window Toolbar The MIDI Editor window toolbar is similar to the Edit window toolbar, but with a few exceptions. Each MIDI Editor window and the Edit window can be configured independently of one another. For example, you can have Notation view enabled in one MIDI Editor window, but not another; or you can have a MIDI Editor window set to Grid mode, but the Edit window set to Slip mode. You can also customize the toolbar in MIDI Editor windows.
Edit Tools The Edit tools in MIDI Editor windows can be viewed as a single tool with a pop-up menu for selecting other tools, or as an expanded, complete row of Edit tool icons just like in the Edit window. The Edit tools in MIDI Editor windows function exactly the same way for MIDI data as in the Edit window. Edit tool settings can be set independently in each MIDI Editor window, and are independent of tool selection in the Edit window and Score Editor.
Mirrored MIDI Editing MIDI Input Display Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI clips and have your edits apply to every copy of the same MIDI clip. This can be particularly useful when editing looped MIDI clips. The MIDI Input display shows note and chord names as they are received by tracks shown in the Edit and MIDI Editor windows.
Grid and Nudge Selectors When the Expanded Grid/Nudge Display option is enabled in the MIDI Editor Window menu, the Grid and Nudge selectors in MIDI Editor windows function exactly the same way for MIDI data in MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit window. To enable or disable the Target for a MIDI Editor window: Click the Target button for the MIDI Editor window so that it is highlighted (targeted) or unhighlighted (untargeted).
When this option is not selected, only the icon for the selected Edit tool is displayed. Any of the other Edit tools can be selected from the Edit Tool popup menu. MIDI Input Display When selected, the MIDI Input Display option shows the MIDI Input display in the MIDI Editor window. Display of a known chord being played Tracks List When selected, the Tracks List option displays the Tracks List in the MIDI Editor window.
Center Playhead (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) The MIDI Editor window scrolls continuously past the Playhead, which is represented as a blue line in the center of the window (or a red line when recording). Follow Edit Window When selected, the MIDI Ed- You can customize the toolbar in MIDI Editor windows by rearranging, and showing and hiding the available controls and displays just like in the Edit window or the Score Editor window.
MIDI Editor Zoom Controls Tracks List Vertical and Horizontal Zoom In and Out Buttons The Tracks List in MIDI Editor windows lets you show or hide MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input tracks in the MIDI Editor window. The Tracks List settings are unique to each MIDI Editor window. However, the order of tracks in the Tracks List is global. Sorting or changing the order of tracks affects the Tracks List in every window.
The Tracks List menu also lets you sort tracks in the Tracks List by Name, Type, Edit Group, Mix Group, or Voice (see “Sorting Tracks in the Tracks List” on page 796). All but the top MIDI or Instrument track in the Tracks List are hidden. MIDI Editor windows require that at least one MIDI or Instrument track always be shown in the window.
Tracks List Right-click Menu Options The following options are available depending on the track type (Auxiliary Input, Instrument, or MIDI). Hide Hides the selected track. Hide and Make Inactive Hides the selected track and makes it inactive. Make Inactive Makes the selected track inactive. Groups List The Groups List in MIDI Editor windows provides the same functionality as in the Edit window. You can create, edit, and delete Edit Groups using the Groups List in any MIDI Editor window.
Superimposed Notes View The Notes pane in MIDI Editor windows lets you view and edit MIDI notes superimposed from different MIDI and Instrument tracks such that you can easily edit multitrack arrangements in a single constellation of color-coded notes. The Notes pane lets you edit MIDI notes much the same way as in Notes view on MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Edit window, except you can edit MIDI notes on multiple MIDI and Instrument tracks at the same time.
To Color Code MIDI notes by Track: Enable the Color Code MIDI Notes By Track button Color Code MIDI Note By Track Enabled in MIDI Editor window Color Coding by Velocity When Color Coding by Velocity is enabled, MIDI notes are all the same red color (hue) on all tracks displayed, and MIDI notes vary in color saturation (from a light red to a dark red) based on the Note On velocity. Notes with low velocities are lighter in color and those with high velocities are darker.
Editing MIDI Notes You can edit any note on any track shown in the Notes pane. You edit MIDI notes in the Notes pane the same way as in Notes view for MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Edit window, except that notes from different tracks are superimposed. • Click the Pencil column in the Tracks List to pencil-enable the track you want. For more information on editing MIDI notes, see Chapter 34, “MIDI Editing.
Notes Pane Right-Click Menu The Notes Pane Right-click menu provides several useful commands for editing, exporting, and viewing MIDI data. To access the MIDI Editor Right-click menu: Right-click anywhere in the Notes pane. Notes Pane Right-Click Menu Options Tools The Tools submenu lets you select any Edit tools relevant to the Score Editor. Zoomer Selects the Zoomer tool. Trim Selects the Trim tool. Cut The Cut command cuts the current Edit selection.
Event Operations Display Notation The Event Operations submenu lets you select any of the Event Operations windows (such as Quantize or Change Velocity). Selecting the Display Notation option changes the MIDI Editor to Notation view. Deselecting this option reverts the MIDI Editor to Notes view. Open In New MIDI Editor Selecting the Open In New MIDI Editor option opens all shown tracks in a new MIDI Editor window.
To enable Notation view, do one of the following: Enable the Notation view button in the MIDI Editor window toolbar. When the Double Bar option is disabled, there will be a number of empty bars at the end of the last event in the session. The number of empty bars is determined by the Additional Empty Bars In The Score Editor setting in the MIDI Preferences page (Setup > Preferences).
display settings for tracks in Notation view. For information on the Notation Display Track Settings dialog, see “Notation Display Track Settings” on page 816. To show or hide lanes under the Notes pane: To add lanes: Velocity, Controller, and Automation Lanes MIDI Editor windows let you edit velocities, MIDI controller data, and automation for all shown MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input tracks in lanes under the Notes pane.
Chapter 36: Score Editor The Score Editor window lets you view, edit, arrange, and print MIDI from your session as music notation. MIDI notes are transcribed in real-time whether you record, import, draw (with the Pencil tool), or Step Enter MIDI.
Opening the Score Editor Window To open the Score Editor window: Choose Window > Score Editor. Press Option+Control+“=” (Mac) or Alt+Start+“=” (Windows) to show the Score Editor window. To open the Score Editor window with a single MIDI or Instrument track shown: 1 2 3 Ensure that there is no Edit selection. Right-click the Track name of an unselected track in the Edit or Mix window, or in the Tracks List of the Edit, Mix, or MIDI Editor window.
To marquee zoom to a particular area of the score: Trim 1 Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select Normal Zoom mode. The Trim tool lets you lengthen or shorten the duration of a note in the Score Editor window. 2 Drag in the score, making a marquee selection of the area to which you want to zoom. Press the F6 key to select the Trim tool. Note Selector Use the Note Selector tool to select notes on one or more staves in the Score Editor window. Selected notes highlight blue.
Pencil Use the Pencil tools to insert, select, move, or delete notes in the Score Editor window. The various Pencil tools differ in how they draw note durations, repeated notes, and velocities, but function the same when drawing notes on tracks in Notes view in the Edit window or in a MIDI Editor window. To select a Pencil tool: Click the Pencil tool pop-up menu and select the Pencil tool you want. Press the F10 key repeatedly to cycle through the different Pencil tools.
Default Note Duration The Default Note Duration selector lets you define the default note duration for manually inserted notes. To define the Default Note Duration: Play MIDI Notes When Editing When enabled, the Play MIDI Notes When Editing option causes MIDI notes to sound when you insert them with the Pencil tool or drag them with the Grabber tool. From the Default Note Duration selector, select a note value.
Mirrored MIDI Editing Double Bar Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI clips and have your edits apply to every copy of the same MIDI clip. This can be particularly useful when editing looped MIDI clips. When enabled, the Double Bar option shows the final double bar line in the Score Editor window. The double bar line is located at the end of the last MIDI clip or event in the session. Enable the Double Bar option when you are ready to print the score.
Grid The Grid selector lets you define the Grid value for MIDI notes inserted and displayed in the Score Editor window. For example, if the Default Note Duration is set to quarter notes and the Grid is set to half notes, drawing with the Line Pencil tool creates alternating quarter notes and quarter note rests. To set the Grid value for the Score Editor window: From the Grid Value pop-up menu, select a note value. If you want dotted note values, also select the Dotted option.
Score Editor Window Menu The Score Editor Window menu provides access to the Expanded Edit Tools, Selection Display, Tracks List, and Scrolling options. Expanded Edit Tools When selected, the Expanded Edit Tools option displays all of the relevant Edit Tools in the Score Editor window toolbar. When this option is not selected, only the icon for the selected Edit tool is displayed. Any of the other Edit tools can be selected from the Edit Tool popup menu.
To keep the Score Editor window always in front of all other windows: From the Score Editor window menu, select the Keep Window On Top option. Customizable Toolbar You can customize the toolbar in the Score Editor window by re-arranging, and showing or hiding the available controls and displays just like in the Edit window or MIDI Editor windows.
To show all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score Editor: From the Tracks List menu, select Show All Tracks. To show only selected MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score Editor: 1 In the Tracks List, select the MIDI and Instrument tracks you want to show in the score. 2 From the Tracks List menu, select Show Only Selected Tracks. Page Controls The Score Editor window provides controls for navigating forward and backward by page.
Score Editor Zoom Controls In addition to the Zoomer tool, the Score Editor provides Zoom In and Out buttons in the lower right hand corner of the window. It also provides a Zoom selector that lets you zoom to a preset percentage or page size. When using these Zoom controls, the Score Editor zooms around the current Edit selection. Selecting a zoom percentage from the Zoom pop-up menu Zoom In Zoom Out Zoom selector Score Editor Zoom controls To zoom to a page size: 1 Click the Zoom selector.
Notation Display Track Settings The Notation Display Track settings determine how individual MIDI and Instrument tracks appear in the Score Editor. You can set the Clef, Display Quantization, and whether or not to display the track at “concert pitch” or as a transposing instrument (such as a B-flat tenor sax). Notation Display Track Settings Options Track From the Track pop-up menu, select the track you want to configure.
Split Point When the Clef for the selected track is set to Grand Staff, the selected Split Point setting determines at which pitch the notes are placed in either the upper or lower staff of the Grand Staff. Automatic When selected, Pro Tools splits notes between the upper and lower staves of the Grand Staff based on logical note groupings.
Score Setup Window Options Display The Display options determine which score elements you want displayed in the score. Deselect the elements you do not want displayed in the score. Title and Composer Select to display the Title and Composer on the score. Page Numbers Select to display Page Numbers at the bottom of each page. Bar Numbers Select to display Bar Numbers at the beginning of each system above the top staff.
Spacing Between Staves Enter the spacing you want between staves. Between Systems Enter the spacing you want be- tween systems. On pages where the music is vertically justified, the distance between staves and systems will be larger than the numbers specified. Below Title and Composer Enter the spacing you want between the Title and Composer and the first staff of the score. Below Chord Symbols and Diagrams Enter the spacing you want between Chord Symbols and Diagrams and the top stave of each system.
To make a marquee selection on one or more staves with the Grabber tool: 1 Click the Grabber tool. 2 Drag in the score to highlight the notes you want to select. 3 Drag any of the selected notes up or down to transpose them. Transposing selected notes with the Grabber tool Moving Notes Selecting notes with the Grabber tool Transposing Notes You can use the Grabber tool or the Pencil tool to manually transpose a note up or down.
Inserting Notes Use the Pencil tool to manually insert notes in the Score Editor. When you insert a note, the Score Editor automatically places it on the Grid and creates rests where appropriate. You can also enter notes by recording MIDI, importing MIDI from a file, or using Step Input (Event > Event Operations > Step Input). To manually insert a note: 1 2 3 Select the Default Note Duration setting (see “Default Note Duration” on page 809).
5 Click at the time location and pitch and drag to the right. Repeated notes of the selected Default Note Duration are entered on the selected Grid. The Note On velocities for each note are determined in part by the Default Note On Velocity setting and the selected Pencil tool shape (see “Pencil” on page 808). Grabber Selects the Grabber tool. Pencil Selects the Pencil tool.
Event Operations The Event Operations submenu lets you select any of the Event Operations windows (such as Quantize or Change Velocity). Open in MIDI Editor Choosing the Open in MIDI Editor option opens the tracks shown in the Score Editor in a MIDI Editor window. Key Changes You can add, edit, and delete Key Signatures in your score. Key Signatures affect the note spelling of MIDI notes in the score. For example, MIDI note number 58 (“B-flat 3”) is B-flat in F major, but it is A-sharp in B major.
Meter Changes 4 You can add, edit, and delete Meters in your score. Meter changes affect the number of bars in the score (and in your session). When changing meter, notes are not moved, but the barlines will be redrawn. For some meters, it may be desirable to use a dotted value for the click. For instance, if using a meter of 6/8, a dotted quarter note click (yielding two clicks per measure) is generally more suitable than a straight eighth note click (six clicks per measure).
To insert a chord symbol: 1 With the Note Selector, Grabber, or Pencil tool, Right-click at the location in the score where you want to add a chord symbol and select Insert > Chord. 2 In the Chord Change dialog, select the name for the root of the Chord from the Chord selector (such as D). Chord selector Chord Quality selector The selected chord symbol is placed above the top staff in the system.
Exporting Scores Printing Scores Pro Tools lets you export the score from your session as a Sibelius (.sib) file. You can then open your score in Sibelius as transcribed by Pro Tools, edit the notation in Sibelius, and print the score and parts from Sibelius. Pro Tools lets you print the score from your Pro Tools session. The score will be printed exactly as it appears in the Score Editor window. Configure the Score Setup and show or hide any MIDI and Instrument tracks.
Chapter 37: MIDI Event List The MIDI Event List displays a detailed list of all events in a single MIDI or Instrument track. The events are displayed with text and numbers, allowing you to precisely edit their location, length, and event values. Opening the MIDI Event List To open the MIDI Event List, do one of the following: Number of Events Track selector MIDI Event List menu Target Choose Window > MIDI Event List.
the Edit selection in the Edit window. When the Target is disabled, the MIDI Event List shows the same events regardless of changes to the Edit selection in other windows. MIDI Event List Menu The MIDI Event List menu contains commands and options for the MIDI Event List (see “MIDI Event List Options” on page 834).
2 In the MIDI Event List View Filter dialog, select the All Except option. • Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Windows) or the Up Arrow to move to the previous event (with or without the edit field selected). • With an edit field selected, press the Right Arrow to move to the next edit field to the right. • With an edit field selected, press the Left Arrow to move to the next edit field to the left. To keep the last event selected, press Shift while moving to the next or previous event.
The following items from the MIDI Event List menu affect navigating in the MIDI Event List: When a field is selected, enter a value with any of the following methods: • When the Page Scroll During Playback option is selected, the MIDI Event List scrolls during playback. • Enter the value on the numeric keypad. • When Scroll During Edit Selection is selected, the MIDI Event List is scrolled automatically when the Edit selection changes in the Edit window.
To insert a program change in the MIDI Event List: 1 From the MIDI Event List menu, choose Insert > Program Change. Controller number With the MIDI Event List as the front-most window, press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P (Windows) to Insert a program change event. Controller name Controller value Event Entry fields for controller event 2 Enter the location for the new event.
Inserting Another Event After inserting an event, you can easily insert another event of the same type. The event type to be inserted is indicated at the bottom of the Insert menu. Example: After inserting a note, to insert another, do one of the following: From the MIDI Event List menu, select Insert > Another Note. With the MIDI Event List as the front-most window, press Command+M (Mac) or Control+M (Windows) to Insert a note. 2 • Enter the new value on the numeric keypad.
To select noncontiguous events in the MIDI Event List: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) each event. Copying and Pasting Events in the MIDI Event List To copy and paste events in the MIDI Event List: 1 To deselect an event in the MIDI Event List: Select the events you want to copy in the MIDI Event List. Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the selected event.
MIDI Event List Options The MIDI Event List menu provides the following options: Show Sub Counter Displays event times in the Sub Time Scale. Go To Opens the Go To dialog, where you can specify a location, based on any of the supported Time Scales, to which the Edit insertion point is moved. Scroll To Edit Selection Scrolls the MIDI Event List to the Edit start point or Edit insertion point. Page Scroll During Playback Scrolls the MIDI Event List during playback.
Part VII: Arranging
Chapter 38: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords In Pro Tools, editing and arranging is typically done on tracks against a fixed Timeline. Clips and events can be anchored to points in absolute time, or relative time, as measured on the session’s Timeline. The Timeline includes two different types of rulers for measuring time: Timebase rulers and Conductor rulers. Timebase Rulers and Conductor Rulers Pro Tools also provides a Markers ruler for Memory Location (see Chapter 39, “Memory Locations”).
To ensure your tracks align with the bars and beats in your session, record with a click (see “Recording with a Click” on page 496). Material that is recorded without listening to a click can still be aligned to bar and beat boundaries in Pro Tools with the Identify Beat command (see “Identify Beat Command” on page 863), or with Beat Detective (see Chapter 33, “Beat Detective”). Minutes:Seconds Displays the Time Scale in minutes and seconds.
The Meter and Tempo rulers indicate changes in meter and tempo within the Session. The Key Signature ruler indicates changes of key. The Chord Symbols ruler shows chord markers. The Markers ruler displays markers to important track locations. Ruler View Selector The Timebase and Conductor rulers can also be configured with the Ruler View selector. For more information on Memory Location markers, see Chapter 39, “Memory Locations.” Displaying Rulers To display all rulers: Select View > Rulers > All.
The Main Time Scale can be set to the following formats: Navigating with the Main Counters • Bars|Beats The Main Counters (at the top of the Edit window and in the Transport window) provide a convenient way to navigate to a specific time location. • Minutes:Seconds • Timecode • Feet+Frames The Main Counter indicator in the Transport window only displays when the Transport is set to display Counters.
Tick-Based Timing Pro Tools is a sample-based program with an internal MIDI resolution of 960,000 pulses per quarter note (ppq). However, when the Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the display resolution in Pro Tools is 960 ppq and the Timebase is tick-based. In the Bars|Beats Time Scale, Pro Tools is tick-based (960 ticks to a quarter note). Some amount of sample-rounding may occur when placing events at certain locations (see “Sample Rounding and Edit Operations” on page 843).
On sample-based MIDI and Instrument tracks, all MIDI events in the track have an absolute location on the absolute Timeline (for example, on the Sample or Minutes:Seconds Timebase ruler). MIDI events stay fixed to the sample time, regardless of where tempo or meter changes occur in a session. Track height affects how various track controls appear in the Edit window. The Timebase selector, which is used for switching a track’s timebase, is only visible in Medium or larger track heights.
Alternate Playlist Timebases When you change a track’s timebase, you can choose to apply the timebase change to that track only, or to the active Playlist and all alternate playlists for that track. To configure a timebase change to affect timebases of all playlists in a track: Click the Timebase selector (or Track Height Selector) and enable the Selection Changes Alternate Playlists option.
To move the Song Start Marker by dragging: In the Tempo ruler with any Edit tool, drag the Song Start Marker left or right. To display the Tempo ruler: Select View > Rulers > Tempo. To set the default session tempo, see “Setting the Session Meter and Tempo” on page 498. Dragging the Song Start Marker If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the Song Start Marker moves in increments of the current Grid value.
Inserting Tempo Events To insert a tempo event: 1 Click in the Tempo ruler where you want to insert the tempo event. 2 Click the Add Tempo Change button at the left of the Tempo ruler. Inserted tempo event Each tempo event has a small green triangle next to it that indicates its location. These triangles can be dragged to move the tempo event, and they can be double-clicked to edit the tempo event.
To delete a tempo event: Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the tempo event (the cursor changes to a Grabber with a “–”). To clear a range of selected tempo events: 1 If you want to constrain the selection to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. 2 Drag with the Selector tool in the Tempo ruler to select the tempo events you want to remove. 3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected tempo events.
To set the Manual Tempo by tapping on an external MIDI keyboard: 1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls. 2 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the MIDI tab. 3 Ensure that Use MIDI to Tap Tempo is selected. 4 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in the Tempo ruler are ignored.
Minimizing Automation Drift In general, automation drift is more pronounced with larger sample-based audio clips. By creating many small clips, the effects of automation drift can be minimized, because the start points of each subsequent clip changes as the tempo changes. When tempo is decreased, automation expands. When tempo is increased, automation contracts.
Tempo Event-generated Warp markers cannot be edited. They only show where the audio has been warped in order to conform to tempo changes. If you change the track timebase from ticks to samples, any Tempo Event–generated Warp markers convert to regular, editable Warp markers. Tempo Changes and Tick-Based Audio Tracks When a tick-based audio track has multiple clips, and Elastic Audio is not enabled, an increase in tempo can cause neighboring clips to overlap.
Conform to Tempo can only be applied to clips and cannot be applied to clip groups. To conform clip groups to the tempo, ungroup the clip group, then apply Conform to Tempo to the underlying clips, and then regroup those clips. Alternate Playlists and Tempo Alternate playlists on Elastic Audio-enabled, tickbased tracks are only affected by tempo changes. Otherwise, alternate playlists are not affected by editing Warp or Event markers in the main playlist.
Editing Tempo Events in the Tempo Editor Tempo events in the Tempo Editor can be edited with any of the following methods: Individual tempo events can be dragged with any of the Grabber tools to adjust their location or value. Selecting Tempo Resolution (BPM Rate) The Tempo Editor lets you specify the beat note value for tempo events by changing the Tempo Resolution. The beat note value selected for the Tempo Resolution is usually based on the meter.
Quarter-note click Dotted quarter-note click Curve Adjustment Mode Immediately after you draw new tempos using the Pencil tool, a tempo curve appears in blue, outlining the newly created tempo graph. Blue adjustment handles on the curve let you adjust the shape and size of the new tempo graph. Tempo curve with different click values Selecting Tempo Edit Density The Tempo Editor lets you specify the density of tempo events created in the Tempo ruler when you draw a tempo curve with the Pencil tool.
Creating New Tempo Settings with Grabber Tools The Grabber tools let you create new tempo settings by dragging tempo events in the Tempo Editor. Selecting Tempo Events You can easily select a single tempo event, or an entire tempo curve within the Tempo Editor. To Select a tempo event in the Tempo Editor: Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool, double-click between two tempo events. The first event is selected.
Extending Tempo Selections You can extend Tempo selections to the next or the previous tempo event. To scale selected tempo events with the Trim tool: 1 Open the Tempo Editor. 2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want to edit. 3 With the Trim tool, click within the selected area, and drag up or down. Dragging up increases the tempo values of the selection in BPM; dragging down decreases them. To extend a tempo selection: 1 With the Selector tool, select a range of tempo events.
To scale the duration of tempo changes with the Trim tool: To copy and Paste tempo events in the Tempo Editor: 1 Open the Tempo Editor. 1 Open the Tempo Editor. 2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want to edit. 2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want to copy. 3 With the Trim tool, click at the start or end of the selection, and drag horizontally. Tempo events do not change in terms of actual BPM values, but they are scaled over a longer or shorter amount of absolute time.
Changing the Linearity Display Mode The Timeline can be viewed in either a Linear Tick (relative) scale or a Linear Sample (absolute) Time Scale. MIDI and Instrument tracks, audio tracks, and Tempo curves can appear and function very differently depending on the timebase display settings. Linear Tick Display The display of tempo events is tick-based and tempo event Bar|Beat locations remain constant after the tempo curve is drawn and all sample-based events move against bar beat locations in the Timeline.
Tempo Operations Window The Tempo Operations window lets you define tempo events over a range of time (or measures). The time range is specified in the time format chosen for your Main Time Scale. In addition, the Tempo Operations window lets you: To open a specific Tempo Operations window page: Choose Event > Tempo Operations, followed by one of the Tempo Operations page commands (such as Constant).
Constant The Constant page in the Tempo Operations window lets you create a constant tempo over a selected range of time. Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the BPM note value for your tempo setting. Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set the tempo BPM note value to mirror the click value set in the meter markers. Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the density of the tempo change events written to the Tempo ruler.
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either the selection end time, the start tempo, or the end tempo. Selection Start and End Displays the start and end points for the tempo change in the currently selected Main timebase. When an Edit selection is made, the Start and End fields will display the selection boundaries. Changing start or end values changes the selection range.
End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the abso- lute time for the selection end. When the Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time is displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the end time is calculated and displayed in Bars|Beats. Changing the end time value causes the tempo to change.
Start and End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the absolute time for the selection end. When the Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time is displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the end time is calculated and displayed in Bars|Beats. Tempo Start and End Displays the tempo, in beats per minute (BPM), for the start and end points of the selected range. Changing the tempo causes the end time value to change.
Scale (Advanced Option) In combination with settings chosen in the Calculate pop-up menu, the Scale pop-up menu lets you scale all tempos, the start tempo, or the end tempo. Stretch The Stretch page in the Tempo Operations window lets you select a clip of tempo events and apply them to a larger or smaller selection area. Scaling all tempos scales each tempo in the selected range equally.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the previous tempo setting that was in effect at the selection end point is preserved after the selection. If unselected, the last tempo event created by the tempo operation continues to the end of the session, or until the next tempo event beyond the selected range. Identify Beat Command The Identify Beat command lets you establish a tempo/meter map for audio that was recorded without a click, or for imported audio with unknown tempos.
4 In the Bar|Beat Markers dialog, specify the start and end locations for the inserted Bar|Beat Markers. Since this example deals with a onebar loop, enter 1|1|000 and 2|1|000. Identify Beat dialog 5 If necessary, specify a time signature for the start and end range. 6 Click OK to automatically calculate the new tempo and insert the necessary Bar|Beat Markers and meter events. Any existing tempo and meter events residing within the selection are deleted.
• Neighboring MIDI events, along with the Bars|Beats ruler, shrink or expand as necessary to adjust for the new tempo. To edit a Bar|Beat Marker: 1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the Bar|Beat Marker. 2 In the Edit Bar|Beat dialog, enter a new Location for the Bar|Beat Marker. 3 Enter a new Time Signature. 4 Click OK. To delete a Bar|Beat Marker: Dragging a Bar|Beat Marker When dragging a tempo event: • The tempo event is placed at a new bar and beat location.
Meter Events You can change meter in the Meter ruler, or make precise meter changes in the Time Operations window. Meter events can be inserted at the beginning of a session to replace the default meter (of 4/4), and they can be inserted anywhere within the session for additional meter changes. • With the Grabber, Control-click (Mac) or Startclick (Windows) at the location where you want to insert the event. Manually inserting a meter event • Double click the meter display in the Transport window.
4 Select a note value for the number of clicks to sound in each measure. For a dotted-note click value, select the dot (.) option. For some meters, it may be desirable to use a dotted value for the click. For instance, if using a meter of 6/8, a dotted quarter note click (yielding two clicks per measure) is generally more suitable than a straight eighth note click (six clicks per measure). 5 Click OK to insert the new meter event. The new meter event is inserted and appears in the Meter ruler.
Partial Measures As necessary, Pro Tools will create a partial measure to accommodate the inserted meter event. When a meter event is preceded by a partial measure, the meter event is displayed in italics in the Meter ruler. Partial measure of 4/4 Partial measures can also occur when pasting meter events to locations other than the first beat of a measure. To insert meter events while avoiding partial bars, use the Change Meter command in the Time Operations window. See “Change Meter” on page 868.
Change Meter Examples 5 Click Apply to enter the new meter and to move the insertion point to the end of the new measure. 6 Specify a new meter and click setting for the next measure. 7 Repeat steps 5–6 for every additional meter change you want to insert. To change the meter over a range of bars: 1 Do one of the following: • Drag with the Selector tool to select a range of bars to change.
Realign The Realign controls let you choose which items to realign after a meter change has been made. You can choose to realign meter events, or choose to realign meter and tempo events, tick-based markers and tracks, and also all or none of the sample-based markers and tracks. Insert Time Example To insert four empty measures of 4/4 time into a session: 1 Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats. 2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Insert Time.
Realign The Realign settings let you select which items shift (occur later) when time is inserted, as follows: • If your Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, you can choose to realign meter events only, or choose to realign a combination of Meter and Tempo rulers, all tick-based markers and tracks, and your choice of sample-based tracks.
Cut Time Options Options for the Cut Time command include: Start, End, and Length Sets the start and end points for the selection, and the selection length. Using the pop-up menu, you can also choose to cut time from All or No sample-based markers and tracks. If All is selected and the selection includes any audio clips on sample-based tracks, the selected area of the clips is deleted, and clips following the selection are shifted forward.
4 If you want to renumber the bars so that the Song Start Marker sits at a different bar, select the Renumber Song Start option, and enter the bar number. 5 Select whether you want to move All or No sample-based markers and tracks. 6 Click Apply. Renumbering Bars You can use the Renumber Bars command to renumber all bars in the session, effectively changing the bar locations for all clips, meter and tempo events while leaving their position intact.
Key Signature Ruler Changing Key Signatures The Key Signature ruler lets you add, edit, and delete key signatures. You can use key signatures to indicate key and key changes in your Pro Tools session. Key signatures can also be used for certain diatonic functions, such as transposing in key or constraining pitches to the specified key. You can add, edit, or delete key signatures. To add a key signature: 1 Place the cursor in the Timeline where you want to add a key signature.
Key Change Dialog Snap to Bar Snaps the Key Signature marker to The Key Change dialog lets you specify the mode (major or minor), the key (from seven flats to seven sharps), the range affected (for example, from Bar 1 to the next key change), and whether or not MIDI notes on pitched tracks are transposed or constrained to key (see “Pitched Tracks” on page 876). The Key Change dialog opens whenever you add or edit a Key Signature marker.
Pitched Tracks Import MIDI Pitched tracks are MIDI or Instrument tracks that can be affected by transpositions due to key changes (including constrain to key). MIDI and Instrument tracks are “pitched” by default. However, if you have MIDI or Instrument tracks assigned to drum machines or samplers, you do not want those tracks to be affected by key changes because of key mappings. You can deselect the Pitched option for specific MIDI and Instrument tracks so that they will not be affected by key changes.
Chord Symbols The Chord Symbols ruler lets you add chord symbols to Pro Tools sessions in the Edit window and in MIDI Editor windows. You can also add chord symbols and diagrams in the Score Editor (“Chord Symbols and Diagrams” on page 824). Chord symbols have no effect on MIDI data. Also, chord symbols are not included when exporting MIDI data from Pro Tools to a MIDI file, but they are included when exporting to a Sibelius file (.sib) or when using the Send to Sibelius command.
Chord Change Dialog The Chord Change dialog lets you specify a commercial chord symbol and chord diagram (guitar tab) to place in the Chords ruler or on the score in the Score Editor. The Chord Change dialog opens whenever you add or edit a Chord marker. Chord selector Chord Quality Bass Note selector selector Chord Select the name for the root of the Chord (such as D). Chord Quality Select the chord quality from the selector (such as major or minor).
To analyze MIDI clips for chord content and add Chord Symbol markers to the Chord Symbols ruler: 1 Select one or more whole MIDI clips. 2 Choose Event > Extract Chords from Selection. Pro Tools adds Chord Symbol markers to the Chord Symbols ruler for all chords detected in the selected MIDI clips.
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Chapter 39: Memory Locations Memory Locations provide a powerful way to navigate your session while editing and arranging. Each session can save up to 999 Memory Locations that can be used to recall: When creating Memory Locations, the next available number is assigned to it (1–999). This number is used in recalling the Memory Location from the numeric keypad.
• While pressing the Control (Mac) Start key or (Windows), move the cursor into the Markers ruler (where the cursor changes to the Grabber with a “+”) and click at the location where you want to place the Marker. Manually inserting a Marker 5 In the New Memory Location dialog, select the Marker option and set the Reference to either Bar|Beat or Absolute. 6 Enter a Name for the new Marker and select any General Properties you want to save with the Marker. 7 Click OK.
This capability is useful if you want to mark certain locations while listening during a record pass, or if you want to mark frame locations while viewing a video scene. To create a Marker during playback: 1 From the Memory Locations Window menu, select Default To Marker. This ensures that new Memory Locations default to being Markers. 2 From the Memory Locations Window menu, select Auto-Name Memory Locations.
the Marker’s location and the start and end times in the Transport window are also updated. If the Timeline and Edit Selections are linked, the edit cursor also moves to the Marker location. Markers appear in the Markers ruler with a thin yellow line extending down through all tracks in the Edit window (to assist in arranging and aligning track material). You can click a Marker in the Markers ruler to recall its location along with its stored General Properties.
Pre/Post Roll Times Recalls pre- and post-roll times (but not whether they are enabled). This property can be stored with a Selection Memory Location to recall record and play ranges along with pre- and post-roll. Track Show/Hide Recalls which tracks are hidden. Use this property to display groups of tracks for editing and mixing. Track Heights Recalls all Track Heights.
Editing Memory Locations Memory Locations can be renamed, edited, deleted, and copied and pasted. 3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the General Properties you want to save with the Memory Location. 4 Enter a name for the Memory Location and click OK. To rename a Memory Location: 1 Do one of the following: • In the Memory Locations window, double-click the Memory Location to open the Edit Memory Location dialog.
To move a Marker by dragging: In the Markers ruler, drag the Marker left or right. If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event snaps to the current Grid value. If using Spot mode, the Spot dialog opens. To delete all Memory Locations, do one of the following: Choose Delete All from the Memory Locations Window menu. Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) any Memory Location in the Memory Locations window.
To extend an Edit selection in a track to the Markers ruler: 1 2 Using the Selector or Grabber tool, select a track range. Shift-click in the Markers ruler. Shift-click again in the Markers ruler to remove it from the selection. Memory Locations Commands and Options You can select viewing and sorting options, along with commands for creating and removing Memory Locations, from the Memory Locations Window menu.
Show Main Counter When selected, a column ap- pears in the Memory Locations window that displays the locations based on the Main Time-scale for Markers, and the start times for Selection Memory Locations. General Property Memory Locations display nothing in this column. Main Time Scale Sub Time Scale You can click at the top of the Sub Time Scale column for a pop-up menu that lets you change the Sub Time Scale.
Delete All Deletes all Memory Locations. The next Memory Location you add starts at slot number 1. Insert Slot Before Adds a new, empty Memory Location slot above the selected Memory Location, and renumbers all subsequent Memory Locations. View Filter Icons When Show Icons is selected in the Memory Locations pop-up menu, the Memory Locations window provides an icon-based “View Filter” that lets you show or hide Memory Locations based on the properties they contain.
Chapter 40: Arranging Clips Pro Tools provides several ways of arranging clips on tracks including, but not limited to, moving them with the Grabber tool, nudging, cutting or copying and pasting, spotting them to a time location, and so on. The exact placement of clips in a track depends on whether the Edit mode is set to Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid (see “Edit Modes” on page 599).
Working with Multiple Items from the Clips List Setting Timeline Drop Order The Timeline Drop Order option in the Clips List menu sets whether tracks dragged from the Clips List are dropped sequentially in a single track or spread across multiple tracks, as follows: 3 Select multiple items in the Clips List and do one of the following: • To create new tracks and place items to a specific location, drop items at the location along the area below the last track.
To drag and drop multiple items from the Clips List to a single track: 1 From the Clips List menu, choose Timeline Drop Order > Left to Right. 2 Search and sort the Clips List to configure the order in which items will be placed. 3 Select multiple items in the Clips List and do one of the following: • To create a new track and spot the first item to a specific location, drop at the location in the area below the last track shown in the Edit window.
To place the sync point of a clip at the Edit insertion point: 1 2 With the Selector tool, click in the track at the time location where you want to place the sync point of the clip. Do one of the following: • While pressing Control+Shift (Mac) or Start+Shift (Windows), drag the clip from the Clips List, or from another track, to the destination track. • If the clip is already in the track, Shift-Controlclick (Mac) or Shift-Start-click (Windows) the clip with the Time Grabber tool.
Arranging with Transparent Clip Overlays Transparent clip overlays can be useful for visually aligning the placement of one clip over another clip (for example, if you want to align a particular transient of one clip over a particular transient in another clip). Time Grabber and Object Grabber If you are moving audio data, the Time Grabber and Object Grabber tools overlay only the audio data on the destination track.
Layered Editing Pro Tools provides the option to enable layered editing so that you don’t lose partially overlapped clips while editing. This is true for both audio and MIDI. To enable (or disable) layered editing, do one of the following: 1 2 Select (or deselect) Options > Layered Editing. Click the Layered Editing button in the Edit Window toolbar so that it is lit (or unlit). 3 4 Layered Editing button (enabled) Figure 1.
When the Layered Editing option is disabled, overlapped clips remain “trimmed” to the start or end time of the overlapping clip. In Figure 2, the clip “Audio 1_01” (1) is moved to cover the middle of a larger clip (2). When that clip (“Audio 1_01”) is cleared, the overlapped clip has a hole punched in it (3). If Layered Editing is enabled in this case, the underlying clip is completely revealed and healed (4).
2 Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Snap To > Next. • Right-click the clip or Edit selection and choose Snap to Next. The selected clip snaps to the following clip on the track so that the two clips are “butt-spliced.” Arranging Clips in Shuffle Mode In Shuffle mode, you can move clips freely within a track or onto another track, but their movement is constrained by other clips. That is, if you place several clips in a track, their start and end points automatically snap to each other.
If you place a clip while in Slip mode and switch to Shuffle mode, Pro Tools preserves the relative timing and position of the slipped clip, and any space between it and other clips. With certain workflows, it is important to exclude Shuffle mode in order to ensure that clips stay time-aligned while editing. Shuffle Lock prevents you from inadvertently entering Shuffle mode by disabling all key commands and control surface switches for Shuffle mode. For more information, see “Shuffle Lock” on page 600.
Spotting Clips Each of the fields in the Spot dialog are displayed in the chosen Time Scale. Spot mode is useful for sessions in which you want to spot clips to precise locations based on any of the Time Scales. This is useful when performing post production tasks. In Spot mode you can spot a clip by specifying a SMPTE frame or bar and beat location, by capturing an incoming timecode address, or by using the clip’s time stamps.
Right-Click Commands for Spotting Clips You can use Right-click commands with a key combination to spot clips in a track. In lower versions of Pro Tools, Right-clicking in a clip with the Grabber tool would spot the clip to a selection. To spot a clip to a selection: 1 Click or drag with the Selector tool to locate the cursor or make a selection in the track where you want to spot the clip.
To set the Grid value: 1 Do one of the following: • From the View > Main Counter menu, select the Time Scale for the Grid value. • To keep the Main Time Scale and use a different time format for the Grid, deselect Follow Main Timebase in the Grid value pop-up menu. 2 Do one of the following: • From the Grid value pop-up menu, select the time value for the Grid boundaries.
To place, move, or paste a clip (or MIDI data) while in Grid mode: Replacing Audio Clips 1 Configure the Grid value (see “Defining the Grid Value” on page 901). (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) 2 Enable Grid mode. 3 Do one of the following: • Drag a clip from the Clips List to an existing track. • With the Time Grabber tool, drag a clip already in a track to a new location. • Cut or Copy a clip (or selected MIDI data) and Paste it to a new location.
Replacing Clips from the Clips List Replace Clip Dialog Options The Replace Clips command is also available in the Clips List menu. To use this command, make sure there is a clip selected in a track and a different (replacement) clip selected in the Clips List. To replace clips using the Clips List menu: 1 Select a clip in a track to be replaced. 2 Do one of the following: • Right-click the replacement clip in the Clips List and choose Replace Clips from the pop-up menu.
Replace: All Instances of the Original Clip Re- places all instances of the selected clip that fit the On criteria with the replacement clip from the Clips List. • On This Track: replaces clips that fit the Match criteria and are on the same track as the original clip. • On All Tracks: replaces clips that fit the Match criteria for all tracks in the session. • On Within the Selection: replaces clips that fit the Match criteria within the current selection.
To define a clip sync point: 1 Enable Slip mode (see “Edit Modes” on page 599). 2 Do one of the following: • With the Selector tool, click at the point in the clip where you want the sync point. • Press the Down Arrow key while playing back. 3 Choose Clip > Identify Sync Point. A small down arrow appears at the bottom of the clip, with a vertical, light gray line indicating the location of the sync point. Displaying Sync Points Sync points in audio clips may displayed or hidden.
To scrub while dragging the sync point: 1 If you want the sync point to snap to the current Grid value when you finish scrubbing, set the Edit mode to Grid (see “Edit Modes” on page 599). 2 Select the Scrubber tool. 3 Drag the sync point to a new location. The sync point scrubs the audio as you move it. Shift Command Use the Shift command to move track material forward or back in time by a specified amount.
1 With the Time Grabber, select the clip or clips to Edit lock (or unlock). The clips can reside on multiple tracks. cessing, or even moving the clip to another track). Time-locked clips can also be deleted. When separating a Time-locked clip, any new clips will also be locked to their time locations. 2 Choose Clip > Edit Lock/Unlock. To Time lock (or unlock) a clip: To Edit lock (or unlock) a clip: Press Command+L (Mac) or Control+L (Windows) to Edit lock or unlock the selected clip.
Muting/Unmuting Clips Choosing the Mute/Unmute Clip command mutes playback of a selected clip. Choosing the command a second time unmutes the clip. Clips that are muted become dimmed to indicate their status. Auto-Naming for Strip Silence The Rename button in the Strip Silence window opens the Rename Selected Clips dialog, which determines how clips are named when stripping silence. The dialog remembers your previous settings, which can be cleared by clicking the Clear button.
The names generated for clips created by Strip Silence would be: 5 • SFX023.Reel1 To retain material before and after the new clips, adjust the settings for Clip Start Pad and Clip End Pad. • SFX024.Reel1 • SFX025.Reel1 • SFX026.Reel1 Attack to be padded Using Strip Silence Decay to be padded To strip silence from an audio selection: 1 Select one or more audio clips. 2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence.
4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the settings for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Duration (Min Strip) until the Strip Silence rectangles appear in the selection. 5 Click the Extract button. Adjusting these controls causes rectangles to temporarily appear in the selection, indicating areas of silence that will be affected by the Strip, Extract, or Separate commands. All audio above the designated threshold is deleted and the “silent” portions of the track are left.
Rename Opens the Rename Selected Clips dialog (see “Auto-Naming for Strip Silence” on page 909). Separate Separates clips based on the boundaries detected by Strip Silence. Inserting Silence The Insert Silence command is a simple and convenient way to insert silence on audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks. This command lets you make a selection on a track (or tracks) and insert precisely that amount of silence.
Duplicating Clips The Duplicate command copies a selection and places it immediately after the end of the selection. Though this is similar to using Copy and Paste, Duplicate is more convenient and faster, particularly when working with data on multiple tracks. To make more than one copy of a selection, use the Repeat command (see “Repeating Clips” on page 914). You can also loop clips (see “Clip Looping” on page 915).
Repeating Clips The Repeat command is similar to Duplicate, but lets you specify the number of times the selected material is duplicated. As with the Copy and Paste commands, certain rules apply when repeating material on multiple tracks (see “Editing Across Multiple Tracks” on page 598). You can repeatedly paste copied data until it completely fills a selection (see “Special Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear Commands” on page 597). You can also loop clips (see “Clip Looping” on page 915).
Chapter 41: Clip Loops and Groups Pro Tools lets you loop clips or a group of clips (called a clip group). Looped clips (all iterations) display a Loop icon in the lower, right corner or each loop iteration. Looped clip Clip Looping Source clip Loop iterations Pro Tools lets you loop audio clips, MIDI clips, and clip groups. Looping clips is an easy and powerful way to repeat a single clip on a track or clips across tracks for composing and arranging.
Creating Looped Clips You can create looped clips using the Loop command or using the Loop Trim tool. For information on using the Loop Trim tool, see “Loop Trim Tool” on page 617. To loop a clip: 1 Select an audio or MIDI clip, or clip group. You can also select clips across tracks for looping. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Clip > Loop. • Right-click the clip you want to loop and select Loop. • Select the Loop Length option and enter the duration according to the main timebase.
Unlooping Clips To unloop a looped clip: 1 Select the looped clip. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Clip > Unloop. • Right-click the clip you want to unloop and select Unloop. 3 Do one of the following: • Click Remove to unloop and remove all loop iterations except the first full loop iteration (source clip). • Click Flatten to unloop and create individual clips from each loop iteration.
To select an individual source clip or loop iteration, do one of the following: With the Grabber tool or Smart Tool, singleclick the Loop icon of the source clip or loop iteration. With the Selector tool, single click the Loop icon and drag to the left until the clip is selected.
To copy and paste automation from the source clip to loop iterations: 1 Select the source clip. 2 Choose Edit > Copy Special and one of the Copy Special commands (All Automation, Pan Automation, or Plug-In Automation), depending on what automation you want to copy. Clip groups can be placed on tracks alongside standard clips, and edited using many of the same editing techniques as regular clips. Certain edits to a clip group will apply to all clips contained by the clip group, such as Cut or Delete.
Creating Clip Groups To create a clip group: 1 The clip group appears as one clip with the clip groups icon in the lower left corner. Clip groups also appear in the Clips List. Select one or more clips on one or more tracks. (For more information on multitrack clip groups, see “Multitrack Clip Groups” on page 921). Clip Group icons on an audio track and in the Clips List Selecting clips to be grouped on a single audio track The size of the selection determines the size of the clip group.
Ungrouping Clips If you used the Ungroup All command, the Regroup command recreates all previous nested clip groups. To ungroup a clip group: 3 1 Select a clip group. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Clip > Ungroup. • Right-click the Edit selection and choose Ungroup. Press Command+Option+U (Mac) or Control+Alt+U (Windows) to ungroup selected clip groups. The clip group disappears, revealing all underlying clips and any nested clip groups.
2 Choose Clip > Group. Separated Multitrack Clip Groups You can insert, move, hide, or delete tracks in multitrack clip groups, but it may break the clip group. A separated clip group displays a break in the Clip Group icon. Separated clip groups will continue to function as a single clip group, but the separated icon indicates that the clip group displayed is somehow incomplete or separated across nonadjacent tracks.
• Change to Playlists view. Changing Clip Group Timebase • Apply manual warping in Warp view. The timebase format of a clip group can be changed by: There may be situations where you want separated clip groups. For example, if you use the same accompaniment on verses one and two of a song, you can group the parts of verse one and copy them as a clip group for verse two, but still have a continuous vocal track in the middle of those clip groups.
Multitrack Clip Groups with Sample- and TickBased Tracks Multitrack clip groups can include both samplebased and tick-based tracks. However, changing the tempo separates the clip group between sample-based tracks and tick-based tracks. Editing Audio Clip Groups Certain audio editing commands create new clips over clip groups. To use these commands and maintain the clip group, ungroup the clip group, perform the edit, and then regroup the clip group.
Trimming Clip Groups Trimming clip groups with the Standard Trim tool works the same way as trimming regular clips, regardless of whether you are trimming a singletrack clip group or a multitrack clip group. Trimming a clip group does not trim the underlying clips, but rather trims the clip group boundaries. All underlying clips retain their original length and location. This is true for all underlying audio and MIDI clips, and nested clip groups.
Clip Groups and Clip Gain Clip gain settings for individual clips are preserved in clip groups. Additionally, you can adjust the clip gain settings for clip groups. Clip gain editing on clip groups behaves just like individual clip gain editing (see “Clip Gain” on page 941).
Part VIII: Processing
Chapter 42: AudioSuite Processing AudioSuite plug-ins are used to render processing and modify audio files on disk. AudioSuite processing applies non-real-time, or rendered, audio processing to selected audio clips in your Pro Tools session. Depending on how you configure an AudioSuite plug-in, it will either alter the original source audio file or create an entirely new audio source file. AudioSuite Window When you select a plug-in from the AudioSuite menu, the AudioSuite window appears.
AudioSuite Window Header The AudioSuite Window header provides controls for changing AudioSuite plug-ins and setting presets, and how AudioSuite processing will be applied.
dio. This is because a Clip Group is not treated as audio until it is actually used in a track. To apply AudioSuite processing to a Clip Group in the Clips List, first ungroup the Clip Group, and then regroup it after processing. To apply an AudioSuite process to all copies of a Clip Group in a session at once, do the following: 1 Select the Clip Group to be processed. 2 From the Clip menu, select Ungroup All. All elements of the group will remain selected. 3 Perform the AudioSuite processing.
Create Continuous File Processes the selected clips nondestructively and creates a new audio file consisting of the selected clips consolidated into a single, unbroken clip. This mode is particularly useful if you are assembling a composite track from multiple takes. This mode is not available when the Selection Reference is set to Clips List. AudioSuite Plug-In Preset Controls Most AudioSuite plug-ins let you load and save presets (plug-in settings files).
Plug-Ins Settings Select Button Accesses the Plug-In Settings dialog, which lists the presets for the current plug-in. From this list, you can select a new preset, or audition a series of presets. Compare Toggles between the original saved plug-in preset and any changes you have made to it so you can compare them. Target Button Pro Tools lets you view multiple AudioSuite plug-in windows at the same time. The AudioSuite plug-in window provides a Target button.
AudioSuite Window Footer The AudioSuite Window footer provides controls for previewing and applying AudioSuite processing. Preview Level meters Preview button Preview volume Render button In Mono mode, only the first channel of any selected multichannel clip will be previewed. If you are processing using Clip-by-Clip mode, the Preview function will preview only the first clip within a multi-clip selection.
Reverse Button Render Button Pro Tools provides a Reverse button in the AudioSuite plug-in window footer for Reverb and Delay plug-ins. This lets you easily render reverse delay and reverb effects with a single click. Clicking the Reverse button provides three processes in one: Clicking the Render button in the AudioSuite window begins AudioSuite processing of the selected audio. Processing can occur during playback (though it may take slightly longer).
Automatic File Naming of AudioSuiteProcessed Audio To process audio with an AudioSuite plug-in: When new audio files are created as a result of AudioSuite processing, Pro Tools will auto-name these files according to the type of plug-in used. The name of the clip determines the prefix, while the type of AudioSuite plug-in determines the suffix. • Make an Edit selection of the audio you want to process. 1 • Select audio clips in the Clips List that you want to process.
4 Click the Preview button to audition the AudioSuite processing of the selected material. 5 Make any further adjustments to the plug-in controls if necessary. 6 When you are satisfied with the results, click the Render button. The selected audio is processed according to the specified settings. Pro Tools appends text to the clip name indicating the AudioSuite process that has been applied. Any new audio files appear in the Clips List.
• Select the Whole File option to render the whole file. Note that only the current edit selection will appear in the Timeline. Default Handle Length in the AudioSuite section of the Processing Preferences 4 Whole File option selected in the AudioSuite plug-in window 5 Click Render. The selection is rendered as a new clip whose duration exactly matches the selection. However, the clip can be trimmed out as far as the specified Handle Length.
Conditions for AudioSuite Rendering with Handles, Fades, Clip Gain, and Metadata Most AudioSuite plug-ins provide several options for rendering clips, but only certain settings let you apply AudioSuite handles. For example, AudioSuite Handles are not available with Entire Selection mode (since the point of this option is to render the whole selection only). Fades and crossfades, and clip gain settings are preserved or rendered depending on the File mode and AudioSuite Rendering mode settings.
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Chapter 43: Clip Gain and Clip Effects Clip Gain Pro Tools provides clip-based gain for quick and easy gain matching of clips (formerly called regions in Pro Tools) from different sources in a Pro Tools session. Clip-based gain is applied premixer (pre-fader and before any plug-in processing). This is especially useful when working with field recordings and sample libraries in post-production sessions.
To show or hide Clip Gain icon, do one of the following: Select or deselect View > Clip > Clip Gain Info. Press Control+Shift+“=” (Equal) (Mac) or Start+Shift+“=” (Equal) (Windows). Render Clip Gain Choose Render Clip Gain in the Right-click menu to render the current clip gain settings for the clip. After the clip is rendered with its new gain, the clip gain settings are reset to 0 dB.
Right-click any clip and choose Clip Gain > Show Clip Gain Line or Clip Gain > Hide Clip Gain Line. The Clip Gain Line is only shown when the track height is set to Small or larger. Clip Gain Line and Crossfades Clip gain is applied on a clip-by-clip basis. When cross-fading between clips, the Clip Gain Line for the first clip carries through the fade out segment of the crossfade and the Clip Gain Line for the second clip carries through the fade in segment of the crossfade.
Graphically Editing Clip Gain 3 You can graphically edit clip gain using breakpoints on the Clip Gain Line for individual clips. When you drag a clip gain breakpoint up or down, the change in the gain setting value is numerically indicated. Dragging a clip gain breakpoint to the left or right adjusts its timing. Click any breakpoint on the Clip Gain Line and move it up or down to adjust the gain, or left to right to adjust the timing. The gain setting is displayed in dB over the selected breakpoint.
When drawing clip gain settings with the Pencil tool, its effect is bounded by the Edit selection if the pencil gesture crosses into the selection. However, if the pencil gesture is entirely outside of a selection, it creates clip gain breakpoints outside of the selection. Using the Trim Tools The Trim tools let you adjust all selected breakpoints up or down by dragging anywhere within that selection.
To set the Nudge Clip Gain By amount: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences. 2 Click the Editing tab. 3 Enter a value for the Nudge Clip Gain By setting. 4 Click OK. To nudge the selected clip gain up: Press Control+Shift+Up Arrow (Mac) or Start+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows). To nudge the selected clip gain down: Press Control+Shift+Down Arrow (Mac) or Start+Shift+Down Arrow (Windows). If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can use the scroll wheel to nudge the selected clip gain settings up or down.
The selected clip gain settings are cut and copied to the clipboard. Clip gain breakpoints on the clipboard are time-stamped with the playback times in the timebase of the track being copied (which means you can cut and paste clip gain settings from clips on tick-based tracks and have the pasted clip gain settings match the corresponding bar:beat locations of clips on other tick-based tracks). You can cut clip gain settings from any Edit selection.
To convert clip gain settings to track-based volume automation: To coalesce track-based volume automation to clip gain settings: 1 Select a clip or make an Edit selection. 1 Select a clip or make an Edit selection. 2 Choose Edit > Automation > Convert Clip Gain to Volume Automation. 2 Choose Edit > Automation > Coalesce Volume to Clip Gain. Any clip gain settings above +12 dB are lost when converted to volume automation.
To render clip gain for a clip, do one of the following: Select one or more whole clips and choose Clip > Clip Gain > Render Clip Gain. Right-click the Clip Gain Fader icon for a clip and choose Render Clip Gain. Right-click a clip or an Edit selection and choose Clip Gain > Render Clip Gain. Clip gain for any whole clips within the Edit selection is rendered and their clip gain settings are reset to 0 dB.
Figure 1. Clip Effects display Clip Effects Display (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) With Pro Tools Ultimate, clip effects controls are displayed at the top of the Edit window below the toolbar in the same space as the Universe display (see Figure 1 on page 950). You can toggle between Clip Effects display and Universe display, but they cannot both be viewed at the same time. To show or hide the Clip Effects display, do one of the following: Select or deselect View > Other Displays > Clip Effects.
Clip Effects Header (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) The header at the top of the Clip Effects display provides controls for Presets, Compare, and Bypass controls as well as displaying the name of the selected, whole Clip. Clip that selection until you clear or change those settings. Each subsequent selection of one or more whole clips can be assigned its own unique clip effects settings. To apply clip effects: 1 Make an edit selection that includes at least one whole clip.
Rendering Clip Effects Both Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools software let you render the current clip effects settings for selected whole clips. Rendering clip effects applies the current clip effects settings to a new whole-file clip and clears the clip effects settings. To render clip effects for a clip: 1 Select one or more whole clips. 2 Adjust the Clip Effects settings as desired (Pro Tools Ultimate only). 3 Do one of the following: • Choose Clip > Clip Effects > Render Clip Effects.
Clip Effects Signal Chain Ordering Enabling or Disabling EQ, Filter, and Dynamics Effects (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) By default the signal chain order for clip effects is EQ > Filters > Dynamics. However, you can reorder this signal chain however you like. For example, maybe you want your dynamics processing before the EQ and Filters. You can independently enable or disable EQ, Filter, and Dynamics processing in the Clip Effects display.
To show or hide Clip Effects Status: Select or deselect View > Clip > Clip Effects Status. Clip Effects Special Edit Commands (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Paste Clip Effects When Clip Effects are cut or copied to the clipboard, the Paste command changes to Paste Clip Effects in the Edit menu. To paste clip effects: 1 Special Cut or Copy Clip Effects from one or more whole clips. 2 Select one or more whole clips with or without clip effects.
Clip Effects Settings (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Input Trim and Polarity Invert EQ and Filters Clip effects provides a high-quality 4-band parametric equalizer and two separate filters for shaping the frequency spectrum of your audio. EQ controls Frequency Graph Input Trim and Polarity Invert controls Input Trim The Input Trim control sets the input gain for clip effects before EQ processing. This lets you make up gain or prevent clipping at the input stage.
EQ control point Filter control point Gain (y-axis) Frequency (x-axis) Figure 2. Frequency Graph Frequency Dragging a control point to the right in- creases the Frequency setting. Dragging a control point to the left decreases the Frequency setting. Press the Shift key while clicking and dragging an EQ control point up or down to adjust the Gain setting without changing the Frequency.
Frequency Graph Gain Resolution High and Low Frequency EQ Controls Clip Effects let you view the gain scale on the Frequency Graph display either in 3 dB increments from –12 dB to +12 dB or in 6 dB increments from –24 dB to +24 dB. Enable the HF button for the high frequency band of the EQ and the LF button for the low frequency band. The both the high and low frequency band can be set to be either a Peak or Low Shelf EQ.
Filter 1 and 2 Controls Dynamics Enable the 1 button for the first filter and the 2 button for the second filter. Both filters provide the same set of controls that can be independently configured. The Dynamics section of the Clip Effects display provides Expander/Gate, Compressor/Limiter, and Side Chain processing all in one. This section also provides a dynamics graphic display for Expander/ Gate and Compressor/Limiter processing.
Dynamics Graph Resolution Clip effects let you view the gain reduction scale on the Dynamics Graph display either in 3 dB increments from 0 dB to 18 dB or in 6 dB increments from 0 dB to –36 dB. Enable/Disable Expander/Gate and Compressor/Limiter Click the Enable/Disable button for Exp/Gate or Comp/Lim to enable or disable the corresponding dynamics processing. Buttons are lit when enabled, and unlit when disabled.
Depth Sets the depth of the Expander/Gate when closed. Setting the gate to higher range levels allows more and more of the gated audio that falls below the threshold to peek through the gate at all times. Hold Specifies the duration (in seconds or milli- seconds) during which the Expander/Gate will stay in effect after the initial attack occurs. This can be used as a function to keep the Expander/Gate in effect for longer periods of time with a single crossing of the threshold.
Depth Sets the amount of gain reduction that is ap- Side Chain Processing plied regardless of the input signal. For example, if the Limiter is set at a Threshold of –20 dB and Depth is set at 0 dB, up to 20 dB of gain reduction is applied to the incoming signal (at 0 dB). If you set Depth to –10 dB, no more than 10 dB of gain reduction is applied to the incoming signal.
All-Linked Applies dynamics processing equally to all channels when the input signal reaches the threshold on any input channel, except for the LFE channel (if present). The LFE channel is always processed independently based on its own input signal. Detection The Detection options include Peak or Avg (Average). Listen Mode The Side Chain pane in the Dynamics section provides a Listen button. When enabled, Listen mode lets you hear the input signal that feeds the dynamic section.
To recall a Clip Effects preset: Click the Preset button that contains the settings you want to recall. If the Editing preference “1–5 Number Keys Control” is set to “Clip Effects Presets,” you can press Control+1–5 (Mac) or Start+1–5 (Windows) to recall the corresponding preset. If Commands Keyboard Focus is also enabled in the Edit window, just press the number for the preset you want (1–5).
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Chapter 44: Elastic Audio Elastic Audio provides track-based Real-Time and Rendered Time Compression and Expansion (TCE) and clip-based pitch shifting (transposition). Pro Tools Elastic Audio uses exceptionally high-quality transient detection algorithms, beat and tempo analysis, and real-time TCE and pitch shifting processing algorithms. Elastic Audio lets you quickly and easily transpose the pitch of audio clips and tempo conform (beat match) audio to the session’s Tempo map.
Film Scoring Create and configure a new session or project: If you are scoring a film scene, use Elastic Audio to fit the music to the required duration. You can even use tempo changes to achieve accelerandos and ritardandos. 1 Create a new Pro Tools session or project. 2 Set the session’s Main Timebase ruler to Bars|Beats. 3 Be sure to display the Tempo and Meter rulers. 4 Use the default tempo of quarter-note equals 120 BPM.
5 Click the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo button so that it highlights. 6 Click the Preview button again and the file previews at the session tempo. 7 Notice that if the loop was sample-based to begin with, once it is analyzed the file’s Duration is now measured in Bars and Beats instead of Minutes and Seconds, the Sample-based icon is replaced by the Tick-based icon, and the detected tempo of the file is displayed in the Tempo column.
New tick-based, Elastic Audio–enabled track Dragging and dropping a tick-based audio file from a Workspace browser to the Tracks List Warp indicators Tick-based Elastic Audio–processed clip Imported tick-based audio file with Elastic Audio processing 968 Pro Tools Reference Guide Sample-based whole-file clip
Change the session tempo to change the tempo of the clip: 1 1 Select the clip on the tick-based, Real-Time Elastic Audio-enabled track. 2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize. 3 In the What to Quantize section, make sure Elastic Audio Events option is selected. 4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select a Groove Template. 5 Set any other options. 6 Click Apply. 7 In the following figure, notice that the audio has been quantized according to the selected Groove Template.
Transpose the audio clip down a whole-tone: 1 Select the clip on the Elastic Audio-enabled track. 2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. 3 Select the Transpose By option. 4 Enter “–2” semitones. 5 Click Apply. With Pro Tools Ultimate, Elastic Audio is disallowed on voiced tracks. Use dynamic voice allocation for tracks on which you want to use Elastic Audio. (Pro Tools only supports dynamic voice allocation, and cannot specifically allocate individual voices.
3 From the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In pop-up menu, select Real-Time Processing or Rendered Processing for Real-Time or Rendered Elastic Audio processing. Elastic Audio processing can be Real-Time or Rendered. Real-Time Elastic Audio processing is immediate, but it is more demanding of system resources. Rendered Elastic Audio processing is non-real-time, but is less demanding of system resources. If you are working on a system with limited resources, use Rendered Elastic Audio processing.
Elastic Audio Track Controls Elastic Audio Track Views Audio tracks provide controls for enabling Elastic Audio, selecting the Elastic Audio plug-in, and selecting whether Real-Time or Rendered Elastic Audio processing. There are two special Track Views for Elastic Audio-enabled tracks: Warp and Analysis.
Elastic Audio Analysis When recording, pasting, moving, or importing un-analyzed audio to an Elastic Audio-enabled track, or when enabling Elastic Audio on an existing audio track, Pro Tools automatically analyzes the audio for transient events. In Waveform view, the waveform initially appears grayed out because clips go offline during Elastic Audio analysis. Once the analysis is complete, the audio comes back online.
Elastic Properties window (see “Event Sensitivity Property” on page 990). Filtering out any false transients can result in higher quality Elastic Audio processing. Conversely, for material with few clear transients, Elastic Audio analysis may not accurately detect audio events, and those detected may be detected with a low level of confidence. You can relocate or add Event markers where necessary in Analysis view (see “Editing in Analysis View” on page 986).
To toggle between Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio processing, Command-Controlclick (Mac) or Control-Start-click (Windows) the Elastic Audio Plug-In button. About Rendered Files Pro Tools creates temporary files for Rendered Elastic Audio processing. These files are kept in an auto-created Rendered Files folder in the session folder.
Plug-Ins Settings Select Button Accesses the Plug-In selector Track selector Librarian menu Settings menu Target button Plug-In Settings dialog, which lists the presets for the current plug-in. From this list, you can select a new preset, or audition a series of presets. Compare Toggles between the original saved plug-in settings and any changes you have made to it so you can compare them.
Window Decay Rate The Polyphonic plug-in provides a single control for adjusting the analysis window size for TCE processing. Experiment with adjusting the Window size for different types of material until you achieve the best results. The following table provides some recommended Window sizes for different types of material. The Decay Rate control determines how much of the decay from a transient is heard in the processed audio when time stretching.
The Monophonic plug-in analyzes pitch as well as peak transients in order to provide higher quality TCE to pitched material. Consequently, analysis for the Monophonic algorithm takes longer than for the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, and Varispeed algorithms. Also, when switching from another Elastic Audio plug-in to Monophonic, Pro Tools reanalyzes any audio on the track to collect the extra analysis data.
Editing in Warp View In Warp view, you can manually “time warp” (TCE) audio to correct or adjust the timing of a performance, or create special effects. In Warp view, you can add, move, and delete Warp markers. Warp markers are used to fix a specific point in the audio (typically a detected transient event) to a specific point in the Timeline. In this way, you can apply detailed and nuanced “warping” (TCE) of audio events. Warp view is only available for Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.
In Warp view, you can add, relocate (without warping), and delete Warp markers. You can also move a Warp marker to apply Elastic Audio processing (see “Warping Audio” on page 981). To relocate a Warp marker (without applying warping): With the Grabber or the Pencil tool, Controldrag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows) a Warp marker to a new location.
Tempo Event-Generated Warp Markers Tempo Event-generated Warp markers are not editable and are only displayed to indicate where Elastic Audio processing has been applied to conform the audio to Tempo Events. You will only see Tempo Event-generated Warp markers on tickbased tracks. If you change the track timebase from ticks to samples, any Tempo Event-generated Warp markers convert to regular, editable Warp markers. For more information, see “Tempo Changes and Tick-Based Elastic Audio Tracks” on page 848.
Workflow Example Beat match a song to the session tempo and Bar|Beat grid using Telescoping Warp: 982 1 Make sure the Main Timebase ruler is set to Bars|Beats. 2 Set the default tempo and meter. 3 Select Grid mode. 4 Import a song, or any other longer audio file from a Workspace browser. 5 Make sure that Elastic Audio is enabled on the track. 6 Select Warp view. 7 Make sure there are no Warp markers present on the clip. If necessary, delete any existing Warp markers.
Range Warp Range Warp applies Elastic Audio processing between two fixed points in a clip. To apply Range Warp, there must be at least two Warp markers present in the clip. Range Warp with an Edit Selection Pro Tools lets you apply Range Warp between bounding Warp markers, but keeps the timing intact between other Warp markers within an Edit selection. To apply Range Warp within a clip: 1 2 3 In Warp view, add a Warp marker at the first point that you want to fix to the Timeline.
Elastic Audio processing is only applied to the audio between the bounding Warp markers and the first and last Warp markers in the Edit Selection. All audio between the first and last Warp markers in the Edit Selection maintain their relative timing. Individual Range Warp Individual Range Warp applies warping to a single audio event in relation to the adjacent audio events. To apply Individual Range Warp: 1 In Warp view, with the Grabber tool, Shift-click a Warp marker or an Event marker.
Out of Range Processing Removing Clip Warping Pro Tools lets you apply extreme amounts of Elastic Audio processing. However, at such extremes, it is possible to go out of the selected Elastic Audio plug-in’s processing range. When this happens, it is possible that not every sample will be processed correctly and you may encounter audio drop outs. If you have applied any warping to a clip, you can remove warping and revert the clip to its original duration.
Editing in Analysis View In Analysis view, you can add, move, promote, and delete Event markers. Usually, Pro Tools accurately detects all the transient events (Event markers) in an audio file and you will not need to work in Analysis view. However, Pro Tools may not accurately detect every audio event or may erroneously detect audio events with some types of audio material. This is especially true for audio without clear transients, such as legato strings, melismatic vocals, or soft synth pads.
Promoting Event Markers Event markers are detected with relative degrees of confidence (between 1% and 100%). You can filter out extraneous Event markers by adjusting the Event Sensitivity setting in the Elastic Properties window; event markers with the least confidence are filtered out first. However, some significant events may not be recognized with a high degree of confidence.
Elastic Properties Elastic Properties Window Each clip on an Elastic Audio-enabled track has specific Elastic Audio properties (such as tempo, meter, TCE factor, Input Gain, and Pitch Shift). The Elastic Properties window displays information about Elastic Audio processing and analysis for one or more clips. You can also use the Elastic Properties window to adjust Elastic Audio processing and analysis data. The Elastic Properties window lets you view and change the properties for selected clips.
Clip Property Source Tempo Property The Clip property in the Elastic Properties window displays the name of the clip and indicates whether or not the clip is on a tick or sample-based track. If more than one clip is selected, the number of selected clips is displayed. If clips on both tick and sample-based tracks are selected, only the reduced set of properties are displayed.
TCE Factor Property The TCE Factor property in the Elastic Properties window displays the percentage of change applied to the source file. On tick-based tracks, this property is display only and cannot be edited. On sample-based tracks, you can change the TCE Factor to apply TCE to the clip. The percentage of the TCE factor is always calculated in relation to the source file. The TCE Factor value turns red when Elastic Audio processes exceeds the valid range (see “Out of Range Processing” on page 985).
Pitch Shift Property 4 (Polyphonic, Rhythmic, and X-Form Only) Adjust the Pitch Shift settings up (“+”) or down (“–”) by an amount in semitones and cents. The Pitch Shift property in the Elastic Properties window lets you pitch shift whole clips on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks using the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, and X-Form plug-ins. You apply realtime or rendered pitch shifting in semitones and cents by +/– 2 octaves.
4 Do one of the following: • Adjust the Transpose By settings by an amount in Semitones and Cents. • Adjust the Transpose From and To settings by an amount in Semitones and Cents. The Transpose All Notes To and the Transpose In Key settings can only be applied to MIDI notes. When only audio clips are selected, these options are unavailable. 5 Click Apply. Varispeed and Pitch Shifting When using the Varispeed algorithm, pitch transposition and time compression/expansion are always linked.
Moving Elastic Audio Between Tracks Pro Tools analyzes, conforms, and commits audio in different ways when moving audio clips between tracks with Elastic Audio enabled and tracks without Elastic Audio enabled. The following table shows the different results for moving clips between real-time Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, Rendered Elastic Audioenabled tracks, and audio tracks without Elastic Audio.
Approximate Waveforms With Real-Time Elastic Audio processing, the drawing of waveforms is only approximate. For example, if you bus record a Real-Time Elastic Audio processed track, you will notice that the Waveform on the source track does not necessarily exactly match the recorded track. However, be assured that what you hear is an accurate rendition of the Real-Time Elastic Audio processing even if the waveform drawing on the source track is only approximate.
Chapter 45: Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks Commit Tracks Pro Tools lets you “commit” tracks, where a new track is created containing the audio rendered from the output of the source track. This is useful for freeing up processing power on your system, as well as for sharing sessions with other systems that may not have all of the plug-ins used in the session. You can commit the following track types: audio, Auxiliary Input, MIDI (only when routed to an Instrument plug-in), and Instrument tracks.
Clip Boundaries Maintained on Committed Tracks When committing a track, clip boundaries are maintained with different results depending on the following criteria: When Commit is set to Selected Tracks, the start and end of each clip on the track is maintained in the rendered copy. When Commit is set to Edit Selection, the start and end of the edit selection determine the start of the first clip and the end of the last clip on the rendered copy. All clip boundaries in between are maintained.
Commit Copy Select either Selected Tracks or Edit Selection to determine what is committed. The Copy options determine whether or not sends or Group assignments are copied to committed tracks. Selected Tracks Commits all selected tracks from the beginning of the first clip on the track to the end of the last clip on the track. If the Consolidate Clips option is disabled, all clip boundaries are maintained. Edit Selection Commits only the current Edit selection.
Offline Select to commit selected tracks offline. When this option is deselected, Pro Tools commits selected tracks in real time. Any source tracks that use Hardware Inserts include their processing as well. Committing MIDI Pro Tools lets you commit MIDI tracks as long as the MIDI output assignment is set to an Instrument plug-in on another track. Commit is unavailable for MIDI tracks assigned to external MIDI devices.
Committing MIDI Clips by Drag and Drop You can commit MIDI clips on Instrument tracks by dragging and dropping the MIDI clip from the source track to an audio track of the same channel width. Committing Tracks with Inserts that Have Auxiliary Output Sends Some plug-ins, such as Pro Multiband Dynamics and many Virtual Instrument plug-ins, let you assign Auxiliary Output Sends (AOS) from the plugin to track inputs of other tracks (such as audio or Auxiliary Input tracks).
Track Freeze Pro Tools lets you “freeze” audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks. When you freeze a track, the source material (audio and MIDI) on the track is replaced with audio that has been processed by all of the plug-ins on the track (or only up to a specified insert), including instrument plug-ins. This process is reversible, so you can “unfreeze” frozen tracks. Freezing tracks is useful for freeing up processing power in your session for other tracks and processing tasks.
On audio tracks, any plug-ins on the track are made inactive and the waveform updates to show the processed, or “frozen” audio. Freezing Audio and Instrument Tracks When freezing audio and Instrument tracks, the rendered (“frozen”) audio starts at the beginning of each clip on the track and ends either at each clip end point or after the processed audio of the clip (such as with time-based plug-in processing like reverb or delay) falls below –144 dBFS for at least 60 seconds. Muted clips are not rendered.
Freeze Up To This Insert Pro Tools lets you freeze a track up to an individual plug-in insert on the track. For example, you might want to freeze a virtual instrument plug-in, but continue to adjust processing plug-ins, like EQ or dynamics. To freeze a track up to a single insert: 1 2 Editing Restrictions on Frozen Tracks Frozen tracks disallow most editing functions. To edit a frozen track, unfreeze it, make your edits, and then re-freeze the track.
Global Freeze Tracks 2 The Global Freeze Tracks icon lights when one or more tracks in the session are frozen. You can use the Global Freeze Tracks icon to freeze (or unfreeze) all audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks in the session or project. You can also specify which track types you want (or don’t want) to freeze. Do one of the following: • Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Global Freeze icon. • Right-click the Global Freeze icon and choose Freeze All or Unfreeze All.
If there is a timeline selection, the bounce includes only the selection. Otherwise, the bounce starts at the beginning of the session or project and ends with the last sample of audio on the track. If the source track is assigned to multiple output paths of different channel widths, and Pan automation is rendered, a new file is created for each channel width. For example, if the output of the source track is assigned to a mono output path, a stereo output path, and a 5.
Chapter 46: Event Operations Various events in Pro Tools (such as groups of MIDI Notes, audio clip start times or sync points, and whole clips) can be transformed with Event Operations. The Event Operations window can be left open, This provides quick access to apply a command or try out different options for a particular command. You can also apply quantize, duration, delay, and transpose to MIDI nondestructively using MIDI Real-Time Properties. See “MIDI Real-Time Properties” on page 780.
To open the last active Event Operations window page: Choose Event > Event Operations > Event Operations. To open the Event Operations window, press Option+3 (Mac) or Alt+3 (Windows). If the Event Operations window is already open, you can select any of the pages from the pop-up menu at the top of the window. To apply an Event Operations command, do one of the following: Click Apply or press Enter on the numeric keypad. This applies the command and leaves the window in the foreground.
The Quantize Event Operations window lets you apply Grid Quantize based on rhythmic values (such as a 16th note) or using Groove Quantize based on Groove Templates. Slightly different options are provided for Grid Quantize and Groove Quantize. To open the Quantize window: Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize. Press Option+0 (Mac) or Alt+0 (Windows) to open the Quantize window. The Quantize Event Operation and Quantize to Grid commands can both be used to quantize clips.
Grid Quantize The Quantize window can apply Grid Quantize when a specific rhythmic value is selected in the Quantize Grid pop-up menu. When a groove template is selected in the Quantize pop-up menu, Groove Quantize can be applied. For information on Groove Quantize, see “Groove Quantize” on page 1012. What to Quantize The What to Quantize settings determine what aspects of any selected MIDI notes are quantized: Note Ons (attacks), Note Offs (releases), or both.
Quantize Grid Quantize Grid Pop-Up Menu Determines the beat boundaries to which MIDI notes, Elastic Audio events, and audio clip start points are aligned. Any size from whole notes (1/1) to sixty-fourth notes (1/64), including dotted and triplet values, can be selected for the Grid size. Relative Grid mode does not affect the Quantize Grid. Tuplet Select the Tuplet option to quantize accord- ing to irregular note groupings, such as quintuplets (5 in the time of 4).
Exclude Within When selected, MIDI Note Ons and MIDI Note Offs, Elastic Audio events, and audio clips are not quantized if located within the specified percentage of the Quantize Grid. Use this option to preserve the feel of events close to the beat, while correcting others that are drastically away from the beat. The following figure shows the Quantize Grid set to quarter notes with the Exclude Within option set to 25%.
5 Ensure that the other options for Tuplet, Offset Grid By, and Swing are not selected. 6 Ensure that the options for Tuplet, Offset Grid By, and Randomize are not selected. 6 Select the Exclude Within option with a value of 10–15%. 7 Click Apply. 8 7 Select the Strength option with a value of 70–80%. Audition the change. If the desired effect is not achieved, undo the edit and experiment with different Swing percentages. 8 Ensure that the remaining Quantize options are deselected.
these controls determine which notes are affected and how drastically they are changed. Additionally, use the Randomize option, which adds a percentage of randomness to the quantization, to make tracks sound less “mechanical.” Groove Quantize In the Quantize window, you can apply Groove Quantize when a groove template is selected in the Quantize Grid pop-up menu.
If you organize your groove templates in sub-folders in the Groove folder, they appear as submenus in the pop-up menu. Once you have selected a groove template, specific information about the template’s meter and duration (in bars) is displayed under the pop-up menu. template. Set to 200%, durations increase and decrease based on the ratio of the original duration of the selected notes and the durations in the template. The default value for the Duration slider is 100%.
3 Enter or edit any comments you want to save with the template. 4 Do one of the following: • Click the Save button to save the groove template with the current Options Slider Settings. • Click the Save As button to make a copy of the groove template with the current Options Slider Settings. In the resulting Save dialog, enter a name for the copy and click Save.
Mapping Groove Templates Template Mapping for Unequal Meters Pro Tools applies groove templates relative to the song start. For example, a two-bar groove template repeats starting at every odd-numbered bar in the session (bar 1, 3, 5, 7…). In cases where the Groove Templates and track selections are based on different meters, the template will be repeated or truncated to match the number of beats in the selection.
Behavior for Mixed Meters If the selection contains mixed meters, the groove template will always be mapped so that the downbeats are aligned. For example, if the Groove Template consists of one-bar of 4/4 and it is being applied to a selection of one-bar of 4/4 followed by a bar of 7/16 and one-bar of 5/8, the downbeat of the Groove Template is aligned with the downbeats in the selection and only uses the appropriate number of beats from the Groove Template.
The Warp and Event markers closest to the Quantize Grid are quantized accordingly. TCE is applied between these markers and all other markers maintain their position relative to the Quantize Grid. 2 Choose Events > Event Operations > Quantize. 3 In the Quantize window, select Audio Clips from the What to Quantize pop-up menu. 4 Set the Quantize Grid and Options settings. 5 Click Apply. The clip start times (or sync points if present) are quantized according to the quantize settings.
Restore Performance Command The Restore Performance command in the Event Operations window reverts all selected MIDI notes to their original state (when first recorded or manually inserted), even after the session has been saved, or the Undo queue has been cleared. Restore Performance can also be applied to quantized Elastic Audio Events or quantized audio clips. Event Operations window, Restore Performance page The Restore Performance command can be undone.
Removing Input Quantize To flatten the performance: Restore Performance can be used to remove quan- 1 tization on input for MIDI notes. For example, if you recorded a performance with Input Quantize on, you can still restore the performance as it was actually played. With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the MIDI notes you want to flatten. 2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Flatten Performance to open the Flatten Performance page. 3 Select the note attributes to flatten.
Preserving Existing Velocity Relationships To partially preserve the existing velocity relationships and still achieve velocity fades, use the option for Change Smoothly by Percentage. The following figures illustrates the difference between the two Change Smoothly options 3 Select the Scale By option with the percentage value set to 120. 4 Click Apply.
Note On Applies the Change Velocity options to the MIDI Note On. Note Off Applies the Change Velocity options to the MIDI Note Off. While there are options for adjusting both the Note On (attack) and Note Off (release) velocities for notes, most MIDI devices ignore release velocity information. To see if your instrument supports release velocities, see the manufacturer’s documentation.
Change Duration Settings Legato Enable the legato option to add legato to the MIDI selection. Select Gap or Overlap from the Legato pop-up menu and enter the gap or overlap in beats and ticks. Remove Overlap The Remove Overlap option removes any note overlap for all notes of the same pitch. This command is different from Legato in that non-overlapping notes of the same or different pitches remain unchanged. To create a gap between previously overlapping notes, enter the gap in beats and ticks.
Change Continuously by Percentage Allows note lengths to change smoothly from one percentage value to another over time. The curve for this change can be adjusted (+/– 99) to affect how gradually the change occurs. Limit Range When selected, restricts the Change Duration command to a minimum and maximum 4 From the Legato pop-up menu, select Overlap. 5 Enter 0|000 for the amount of overlap. 6 Click Apply.
To transpose MIDI notes: 1 If you will be transposing a group of tracks, enable the Edit Group. 2 Select the MIDI notes you want to transpose. 3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. Press Option+T (Mac) or Alt+T (Windows) to open the Transpose window. Event Operations window, Transpose Transpose By (Octaves) Transposes selected MIDI notes by up to +/– 10 octaves, or transposes selected Elastic Audio clips up to +/– 2 octaves.
To transpose an Elastic Audio clip: 1 Make sure the clip, or clips, you want to Transpose are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not supported with the Monophonic algorithm. 2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the audio clip you want to transpose. Only clips that are completely selected will be affected. 3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. 4 Do one of the following: • Adjust the Transpose By settings by an amount in semitones and cents.
Position Enable the Position option to select or 4 split all notes that fall into a range of relative beat and tick locations within each bar. The minimum value determines the start of the range, the maximum value sets the end of the range. Configure the Other Criteria (Velocity, Duration, and Position). 5 Enable the Select or Split option. 6 From the Split Notes pop-up menu, select Copy or Cut. 7 If splitting notes, select the Copy or Cut to destination.
3 Select the Notes Between option with the note range set to F#1 and F#1 (if the MIDI Note Display setting in the MIDI Preferences page is set to Standard Pitch). For a General MIDI drum kit, the closed hi-hat is assigned to MIDI note number 42 (F#1 at Standard Pitch). If the hi-hat for your drum kit is assigned to a different note, make sure to specify it. 4 Input Quantize Command When Input Quantize is enabled in the Event Operations window, all recorded MIDI notes are quantized automatically.
Step Input Command To enter MIDI notes with Step Input (using an external MIDI device): Step Input in the Event Operations window lets you use a MIDI controller to enter notes individually, one step at a time. This gives you precise control over note placement, duration, and velocity. With MIDI step input you can also create musical passages that might be difficult to play accurately, or at a fast tempo. 1 Make certain your external MIDI device is properly connected and working with Pro Tools.
Step Input Controls The Step Input page has the following controls: Enable When selected, adds MIDI events to the Note Length Lets you select the note length as a percentage of the spacing value. For example, an eighth note equals 480 ticks, so an eighth note with an 80% duration would be 384 ticks long. destination track when you play your external MIDI keyboard. Additionally, each previously record-enabled MIDI track is taken out of record enable.
Use the Redo Step button to sequentially redo any previously undone steps. 4 Undo Step When the previous note has been released from the MIDI keyboard, and the insertion point has moved forward to the next note, Undo Step removes the entire last note. When a note is being held on the MIDI keyboard, Undo Step changes to read “Decrement,” and removes the last Step Increment length that was added to the held note.
Chapter 47: HEAT HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) is a paid software option that adds “analog color” to Pro Tools | Ultimate software. HEAT is available in both DSP and Native formats. To use HEAT, iLok authorizations are required for both Pro Tools Ultimate and HEAT. HEAT is applied to all active audio tracks in your session, emulating magnetic recording tape combined with harmonic coloration commonly experienced with analog mixing consoles.
Turning the Drive control counter-clockwise emulates tape-based non-linear distortion. As with tape, increasing the Drive control level by turning it counter-clockwise increases harmonic content by adding higher frequency odd harmonics (starting with the 3rd and 5th harmonics). HEAT also emulates the recording and reproduction equalizers of tape decks that further modifies the harmonic content.
HEAT Controls HEAT provides a simple set of master controls for the tuning the color of the effect, and a set of controls for each audio track in your session. HEAT Master Controls The HEAT Master controls let you adjust the amount and color of HEAT processing for all audio tracks. Take some time to experiment with different settings until you get the desired tone color for your mix. Tone Adjust the Tone (bass to treble) for HEAT.
Meter Displays the amount of HEAT processing on the individual audio track. On multichannel tracks, the meter shows the average amount of HEAT applied to all channels of that track. Showing and Hiding HEAT Track Controls HEAT Track controls can be viewed in the Mix window.
A Note About Other Track Types HEAT only affects audio tracks. It is not applied to Instrument, Auxiliary Input, or Master tracks. If you are using virtual instrument plug-ins on an Instrument or Auxiliary Input track and want to apply HEAT, you can either bus record audio from that track to an audio track, or you can bus the output of the track to the input of an audio track and enable Input monitoring.
Voice Requirements D-Control and D-Command When enabling HEAT, extra voices may be required to make HEAT active if HEAT is set to Pre insert on a track and the first plug-in on that track is a Native plug-in. If there are an insufficient number of voices available, HEAT cannot be activated. With D-Control or D-Command, you can access HEAT Master Controls in the Custom Fader section, and HEAT channel controls directly from the channel strips.
D-Command (Custom Fader 7 and 8) D-Control D-Command provides HEAT Master Controls in the encoder sections of two Custom Faders (7 and 8). On D-Control, encoders/BMP switches 5 and 6 map to HEAT Pre/Post and Bypass, respectively.
C|24 C|24 lets you adjust HEAT Master Controls from encoders 21–24, and HEAT channel controls in each channel strip. Master Controls To access HEAT Master Controls on C|24: Press the Soft Keys switch in the Channel Bar. To exit, press the Soft Keys switch again. HEAT Master Controls are mapped to the encoder and encoder switches of channel strips 21–24, as shown in Table 1 on page 1038.
Part IX: Mixing
Chapter 48: Basic Mixing Mixing in Pro Tools involves working with elements of audio signal flow, including inputs, outputs, busses, inserts, and sends, for purposes of submixing and mixdown. In addition to the final mixdown, mixing tasks can occur any time during a session. During mixing, real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts provide effects and signal processing (see Chapter 49, “Plug-In and Hardware Inserts”).
Signal Flow by Track Type Multichannel audio tracks and surround mixing formats are supported by Pro Tools Ultimate only.
Auxiliary Input Tracks and Signal Flow Auxiliary Input tracks provide the same signal routing options as audio tracks, except that their input must come from an internal bus or hardware input. Inserts on Auxiliary Inputs are pre-fader.
Master Fader Tracks and Signal Flow Master Fader tracks control the master output levels of output and bus paths. When assigned to an active output or bus path, they provide post-fader effects processing and master level control for a main mix, headphone and cue mixes, stems, effects sends, and other signal routing applications. Master Faders support all track formats supported on your Pro Tools system.
Common Uses for Master Faders Master Faders can be used to: • Control and process output mixes • Monitor and meter an output (such as a bus or hardware output) to guard against clipping Using a Master Fader To use a Master Fader as a stereo master volume control: 1 Create a stereo Master Fader track. 2 Set the outputs of all audio tracks in the session to the main output path (for example, outputs 1–2 of your primary audio interface) and set the panning for each track.
Instrument Tracks and Signal Flow Instrument tracks provide the same audio signal routing options as Auxiliary Input tracks, except that their input must come from an instrument plug-in inserted on that Instrument track, or from a bus or hardware input.
VCA Master Tracks VCA Slave Track Control Indications VCA Master tracks emulate the operation of voltage-controlled amplifier channels on analog consoles, where a VCA channel fader would be used to control, group, or offset the signal levels of other channels on the console.
• Create multiple, nested VCA groups and control the output levels of multiple submixes at the same time • Soloing a VCA Master will clear any explicit solos on its slave tracks, leaving them indirectly soloed, and implicitly mute all other tracks. • Automate a submix by automating its VCA Master track • Explicitly soloing a slave track while its VCA Master track is soloed will override the VCA Master solo.
The channel format of level meters on the VCA Master is set according to the channel formats of its slave tracks, as follows: Track Membership in Multiple VCA Groups • If all slave tracks are the same channel format (mono, stereo or a multichannel format), the number of level meters on the VCA Master track is identical to that of the slave tracks. It is possible for a single slave track to be a member of more than one VCA-controlled group.
Inserts Pro Tools lets you insert up to ten inserts (A–E and F–J) on each audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instrument track. Each insert can be either a software plug-in insert or a hardware insert, or an instrument plug-in (see Chapter 49, “Plug-In and Hardware Inserts”). Inserts provide the following features: • Plug-Ins and hardware inserts route the signal from the track through the effect of your choice, and automatically return it to the same track.
HEAT To set the stereo pan depth: 1 Choose Setup > Session to open the Session Setup window. 2 Select an option from the Pan Depth selector. (Pro Tools | Ultimate with HEAT Option Only) HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) is a paid software option that adds “analog color” to Pro Tools Ultimate. HEAT is applied to all active audio tracks in your session, emulating the effect of an analog mixing console. Use HEAT to open up your mixes with warm, analog-modeled soft-saturated distortion.
Views in the Mix and Edit Windows The Mix and Edit windows can be configured to show or hide various mixing controls, using menu commands or view selectors. Most of these views are available in both windows, unless noted otherwise. Window View Selectors Both the Edit window and Mix window provide Window View selectors to configure their views.
To show or hide available views in the Mix and Edit windows, do one of the following: Choose View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) and select or deselect one of the view types (such as Comments). Mic Preamps View Shows controls in each track for PRE. For detailed information, see the PRE Guide. Click the Mix Window View selector (or Edit Window View selector), and select or deselect one of the view types (such as Comments).
Sends View (Sends A–E and Sends F–J) Shows send assignments in each track. Deselect to hide. For more information, see “Configuring Sends View in the Mix and Edit Windows” on page 1064. To show (or hide) the EQ Curve view in the Mix window, do one of the following: Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window > EQ Curve. Select (or deselect) EQ Curve from the Mix Window View selector.
Meters and Faders View (Mix Window Only) Shows track meters and faders. Hiding Me- ters and Faders can be useful for conserving screen space, especially if you are working with a control surface. I/O View Pan pop-up slider (Edit window) Object View (Pro Tools | Ultimate with Dolby Atmos Only) Shows the Object controls for audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks (mono or stereo only).
Audio Input and Output Paths Delay indicator User Offset Track Compensation indicator Delay Compensation View Delay values can be specified in either samples or milliseconds, as selected in the Operation Preferences page. For more information on Delay Compensation, see “Delay Compensation” on page 1082. Track Color View Shows track color in each track. For detailed information, see “Color Coding for Tracks, Clips, Markers, and Groups” on page 259. Track Collaboration View (Projects Only) .
When audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks are created, their mono, stereo, or greater-than-stereo multichannel format is defined: • Mono tracks can be assigned to any available mono, stereo, multichannel main and sub-paths. • Stereo tracks can be assigned to any available mono, stereo, or multichannel main and subpaths.
• In the Output Path selector menu, all currently assigned track outputs are checked to indicate they are active for the current track. • An asterisk (*) indicates that one or more currently assigned outputs is Inactive.
• Send level, send mute, and send pan (for stereo and multichannel sends) are fully automatable. See “Automating Sends” on page 1140. • Send controls can be displayed and edited from the Mix or Edit windows, or in their own output windows. The send can be a mono or stereo (or any of the supported multichannel formats for surround mixing) output or bus path. Paths that are already assigned are highlighted.
To change the default setting for sends: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing. 2 Do one of the following: 2 Type a few letters included the path name that you want. Only paths whose names that include those letters (highlighted yellow) now appear in the list (maximum of 20). • Select Sends Default to “–INF.” • Deselect Sends Default to “–INF” and new sends will default to unity gain (0 dB). 3 Do one of the following: • Select Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan.
4 Do one of the following: Muting Sends • Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) again to close the selector menu. Pro Tools lets you mute sends individually, for all selected tracks in your session, or just for sends A–E or F–J on selected tracks. • Click anywhere outside the menu. You can also search Track Presets by name from the Sends selector. (Track Presets are not available from the Track Input or Output selectors.
Creating and Assigning a New Track from a Send Pro Tools lets you create a new Auxiliary Input, Audio, or Instrument track from the Send selector and automatically assign the send to the Input of the new track using an available internal mix bus. To create a new track from a send: 1 On an existing track, click the Send selector and select New Track. 2 In the resulting New Track dialog, select the Width, Type, and Time Base for the new track. New Track dialog 3 Type a Name for the new track.
Assigning an Existing Track from a Send Send Formats Pro Tools lets you assign a send directly to an active Auxiliary Input, Audio, or Instrument track using an available internal mix bus. Note that the destination track must be set to either an internal mix bus or to No Input in order to be available for assignment. Sends button on a track, you can choose from a list of mono or stereo output or bus paths.
Configuring Sends View in the Mix and Edit Windows Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Instrument tracks include two sets of Sends Views: Sends A–E (sends 1–5) and Sends F–J (sends 6–10). The View menu provides separate options for viewing these sends in the Mix and Edit windows. In Assignments View, send controls are adjusted from Send Output windows (see “Output Windows for Tracks and Sends” on page 1070).
Expanded Send Views (A–J) Pro Tools lets you expand any combination of individual send assignments views. Expanded Send Views provide send level, pan, and mute controls for a single send across all tracks. Send controls can be adjusted directly from these Send Views. Sends can also be opened for control or metering in Send windows. See “Output Windows for Tracks and Sends” on page 1070. To expand all sends: Choose View > Expanded Sends > All.
Editing Sends in the Mix and Edit Windows (Individual Send Views) Individual Send Views (such as Send A) display all the controls of an individual send in the sends area of the Mix and Edit windows. These views provide full access to all controls for that send on all tracks. To clear all meters, do one of the following: Option-click any Clip indicator. Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators. Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).
Inactive Sends Sends can be made inactive. Inactive sends free their DSP and mixer resources, while retaining their position in track Sends View. Inactive sends do not output audio. However, Inactive sends retain all related automation playlists. In addition, edits made to clips on tracks with inactive sends can still affect the sends automation playlists. When opening sessions, sends will automatically be made inactive if the required hardware or other resources are not available.
• When copying a stereo send from a stereo track to a mono track, the left Send pan automation data is retained and the right side data is dropped. A warning dialog appears for you to confirm or cancel this destructive operation. • When moving or copying a send and replacing an existing send, all automation on the existing send will be replaced. A warning dialog appears for you to confirm or cancel this destructive operation.
Bus Interrogation Options Pro Tools lets you select or show tracks based on the track input or output assignment, send assignment, or hardware insert assignment. This can be useful for quickly identifying all tracks that use a specific input, internal bus, output bus, or hardware insert. To select tracks based on the track Input or Output assignment, Send assignment, or Hardware Insert assignment: Right-click the assignment selector and choose Select Assignments To for the bus you want.
Output Windows for Tracks and Sends To open a Send window: Click the Send Assignment button in the Mix or Edit window. Track Output and Send windows provide standard Pro Tools track, send, Target, and other controls. Track outputs and sends can be opened for display and editing in dedicated windows. • Track Output windows provide track fader, pan, automation, solo, and mute controls. • Send windows provide send level, pan, automation, and mute controls.
Opening Multiple Output Windows Multiple Track Output and Send windows can be displayed simultaneously using either of the following methods. To open additional Track Output or Send windows: Shift-click any Track Output Window button or Send Assignment button. To set a window to remain open when opening additional Track Output or Send windows: Make sure the Target is disabled.
Inverse Linked Panning When linked and set to Inverse mode, panning moves are inverted or reversed in the other channels. Inverse panning reflects one side’s location and direction in the other side. For example, when enabled for Front Inverse, if you pan one side of a stereo track output from right to left, the other side will exactly mirror that movement and pan left to right. Front Inverse linking is available on all systems.
Link and Unlink Lets you link and unlink left and right (or other) outputs in stereo (or multichannel). Unlinked mode provides discrete adjustment of individual sides, or channels. When linked, all changes affect all channels. See “Panner Linking” on page 1071. Target Identifies the target of plug-in settings com- mands. Also sets the current window for display of Output windows. Path Meter View Opens the path Meter View.
The channel order is determined by the configuration of the output paths in the I/O setup.
Monitoring and Mixing Audio with Instrument Tracks Use Instrument tracks to monitor and mix audio from instrument plug-ins or external MIDI instruments in a Pro Tools mix. MIDI Input selector MIDI Volume control MIDI Pan control MIDI Mute MIDI Output selector MIDI Velocity meter Instrument plug-in To use an Instrument track to monitor and mix the output of an instrument plug-in: 1 Use an existing or create a new Instrument track.
4 If necessary, configure the MIDI Studio Setup (Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio). 10 Adjust the Instrument track fader to mix the audio input. 5 Use an existing or create a new Instrument track with a channel format that corresponds to the channel format of your audio source (mono, stereo, or multichannel). 11 If you are controlling the external MIDI instrument from the Instrument track, you can also mix using the MIDI Volume and Pan controls in the Instrument View.
Creating a Submix Instrument plug-in Inputs from plug-in outputs A submix is created by routing multiple audio sources to a common bus or output path. This “submixes” the sources to a single path that can be returned to an Auxiliary Input, where the submix can be processed with plug-ins or external effects processors. Audio is routed to a submix by assigning any combination of sends and track output to available bus or output paths.
4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format (stereo), then click Create. To create an effects return submix with a plug-in or hardware insert: 5 Set the input of the Auxiliary Input to the same bus path to which you assigned all contributing tracks. 1 Assign each track’s main output to your main mix outputs. 2 On the source tracks, assign a send (mono or stereo) and select a mono or stereo bus path from the Send selector. Configure the sends for pre- or post-fader, as needed.
Effect (plug-in or hardware) Insert Send to effect bus Controls level of send to effects bus Input set to send bus path Output set to main mix outs Send and Return Submixes with External Devices To create an effects return submix with an external device: 1 Assign each track’s main output to your main mix outputs. 2 Assign a send (mono or stereo) and set the send destinations on the source tracks to the output path connected to the external device. Configure the sends for pre- or post-fader, as needed.
Creating Monitor Submixes Send to external device Controls level of send to external device Route track sends to one or more Auxiliary Input tracks to monitor submixes in a studio environment. You can monitor the main mix in the control room on one or more pairs of audio outputs while you route a submix to another pair of audio outputs for a headphone or “cue” mix for the “talent.
Creating a Master Send Level Control A Master Fader can control the overall level of bus and output paths. To create a Master send level control: 1 Choose Track > New. 2 Specify the track type (Master Fader), and mono, stereo, or any of the supported multichannel formats for surround mixing. 3 Click Create. 4 Do one of the following: • Set the output of the Master Fader to the same path that you are using to send to an Auxiliary Input track.
Generating Stereo Output from a Mono Send/Return You can use an Auxiliary Input to generate a stereo output from a mono send. Set the send destination to a mono Auxiliary Input track and place a mono to stereo plug-in on the Auxiliary Input. The output of the Auxiliary Input becomes stereo. Enabling Delay Compensation To enable Delay Compensation: Select Options > Delay Compensation. When Delay Compensation is enabled, the Delay Compensation status indicator in the Edit Window Toolbar is displayed.
Delay Compensation Time Mode Delay Compensation View Delay values can be specified in either samples or milliseconds, as selected with the Delay Compensation Time Mode setting in the Operation Preferences page. The Delay Compensation View displays the total amount of plug-in and hardware insert delay (Pro Tools Ultimate only), and the total amount of delay that Pro Tools applies to each track. You can also apply an offset for track delay on a track-bytrack basis.
The display color indicates reported track delay, as follows: • Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease the numerical values. Green Indicates that track delay reporting is en- 3 abled and the track does not exceed the available amount of Delay Compensation. To bypass the user delay: Orange Indicates that this is the track reporting the longest plug-in and hardware insert delay in the session.
Delay Compensation for Side-Chains To compensate for delay that exceeds the compensation limit: (HDX Systems Only) 1 HDX systems let you automatically compensate for signal delays in side-chain processing. In some cases, you may want to disable automatic delay compensation for side-chains (such as for sessions created on previous versions of Pro Tools where you have manually compensated for side-chain delays).
Overriding Low Latency Monitoring During Recording Delay Compensation on Auxiliary Inputs You can override Low Latency Monitoring During Recording on record-enabled tracks, but this may introduce latency in the signal path corresponding to the amount of Delay Compensation. This latency may be acceptable depending on the recording source.
Low-Latency Recording with Virtual MIDI Instruments and Delay Compensation When a MIDI or Instrument track that is routing MIDI data to an instrument plug-in is record-enabled, Pro Tools automatically suspends Delay Compensation through the main outputs of the audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track on which the instrument plug-in is inserted. This allows for latency-free monitoring of the instrument plug-in during recording.
4 Set all of the sends to unity and to post-fader. This lets you use the same mix for the talent, but also lets you boost (or attenuate) the level of the talent’s signal in the cue mix by adjusting the send level as needed. 5 Choose Track > New. 6 Specify the track type (Master Fader) and format (stereo), then click Create. 7 8 From the Master Fader track’s Output Path selector, select output paths 3 and 4 for monitoring the mix.
Dither Dither is used to minimize quantization artifacts when reducing the bit depth of an audio signal, for example, from 24-bit to 16-bit. Quantization artifacts are most apparent when a signal is near the low end of its dynamic range, such as during a quiet passage or a fade-out. Dither minimizes quantization artifacts by introducing very low-level random noise to a signal, which smooths out the distortion that can result when the signal’s bit depth is reduced.
D-Control and D-Command (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) D-Control and D-Command tactile control surfaces are part of ICON, a flexible, integrated system that extends the functionality of Pro Tools. 3 If your Ethernet control surface consists of more than one unit, select the units in numerical order as you want them arranged left to right. 4 Click OK. For more information, see the documentation that came with your Ethernet control surface.
Other MIDI Control Surfaces Pro Tools supports some MIDI control surfaces that use HUI controller personalities. MIDI Control Surface Personalities MIDI Control Surface Personalities are files that allow Pro Tools to communicate with the MIDI control surface. When you install Pro Tools, these files are installed by default in the Controllers folder inside the Pro Tools application folder. If the files are not present, run the Pro Tools installer to install the personality files.
Enabling the MIDI Control Surface as an Input Device You must ensure that the MIDI control surface is enable as an input device in Pro Tools. To enable a MIDI control surface as an input device: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices. 2 Select the source port that you selected in the Receive From pop-up menu in the MIDI Controllers page of the Peripherals dialog. 3 Click OK.
Chapter 49: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts A Pro Tools insert routes the signal from the track to an effect of your choice and automatically returns it to the same track. Inserts do not alter the original audio source files, but process audio in real time, during playback. You can permanently apply real-time effects to tracks by recording or bouncing the effect to disk (see Chapter 51, “Mixdown” for more information).
Hardware I/O Inserts Insert Formats Hardware I/O inserts can route audio through an external device connected to parallel inputs and outputs of an audio interface. You can process the audio material on a track with a hardware insert in real time. Mono Inserts Used on mono tracks. Inserts that occur on a track after a stereo insert are automatically used in stereo as well. Stereo Inserts Used on stereo tracks. A stereo hardware I/O insert sends the signal to an input/output path.
Plug-In Formats There are three plug-in formats supported by Pro Tools (DSP, Native, and AudioSuite), two of which can be used as real-time inserts, as follows: Viewing Inserts Both the Mix and Edit windows can be configured to show or hide inserts A–E and F–J. Plug-In windows provide complete access to plug-in controls. DSP Plug-Ins Provide real-time plug-in process- ing using DSP-based processing with HDX systems only.
Display of Plug-In Window Status In the Mix and Edit window, the plug-in button and selector display the currently inserted plug-in, its bypass state (see “Bypassing Plug-Ins” on page 1119), focus status, and window status. Making Inserts Inactive Plug-In and hardware inserts can be made inactive to free up their resources for other uses. When a plug-in insert is inactive it retains its assignment, position, and related automation playlists.
Inactive Plug-In Inserts Inactive plug-in inserts retain all associated automation playlists. In addition, any edits made in the session affect the plug-in automation playlists. You cannot record automation or adjust the controls for an inactive plug-in. Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks To use a real-time plug-in, insert it on a track. Plug-Ins cannot be inserted or removed during recording.
Inserting Native and DSP Plug-Ins on Tracks (HDX Systems Only) With HDX systems, you can use both Native (hostbased) and DSP plug-ins on tracks.
Plug-In Menu Organization You can customize how plug-in lists (plug-in menus) are organized in the Insert selector and Plug-In selector. Use the Organize Plug-In Menus By setting in the Display Preferences page to organize plug-in menus in a Flat List (with plug-ins in alphabetical order), or by Category, Manufacturer, or Category and Manufacturer.
Category and Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins in two levels of menus. The top menus display plugins by process category (such as EQ, Dynamics, and Delay), with individual plug-ins listed in the category submenus. The bottom menus display plug-ins by manufacturer, with individual plug-ins listed in the manufacturer submenus. 2 Type a few letters included in the plug-in name that you want. Only plug-ins whose names include those letters (highlighted yellow) now appear in the list (maximum of 20).
Default EQ and Dynamics Plug-Ins You can set a default EQ plug-in and Dynamics plug-in, which places them at the top of the Insert selector pop-up menu on-screen, and first in the list of menu choices when assigning inserts on ICON worksurfaces. Plug-In Favorites To find a plug-in faster, a plug-in can be designated as a favorite. Favorite plug-ins are shown at the top of the plug-in menu. When a plug-in becomes a favorite, it is still shown in its plug-in category and its name appears in bold.
Moving and Duplicating Plug-In and Hardware Inserts You can move or duplicate an insert by dragging it to a different position on the same track or a different track. Inserts that are moved or duplicated retain their original settings and automation. Plug-In Windows A Plug-In window appears whenever you click a plug-in’s Insert button on a track. This floating window lets you adjust the controls of any realtime plug-in insert in use on a track.
Track Controls in the Plug-In Window Track selector Insert Position selector Plug-In selector Track controls in the plug-in window MIDI Node Display indicator (Transfuser shown) Preset Controls in the Plug-In Window Plug-In Settings menu Track Selector Accesses any track in the session except MIDI, VCA, and Video tracks. Plug-In Librarian menu Compare button Insert Position Selector Accesses any insert on the current track.
Automation Controls in the Plug-In Window Auto button Parameter Menu When in Learn mode, lets you select a parameter on the plug-in for mapping. If you click a parameter in the plug-in window while in Learn mode, this menu shows the name of the parameter. Additional Plug-In Controls in the Plug-In Window Automation Safe button Plug-In Bypass button Automation controls in the plug-in window Auto Button Lets you enable individual plug-in Target button controls for automation recording.
Master Link Button When enabled, links the con- To open an additional plug-in window: trols on all channels of a multi-mono plug-in so that they can be adjusted in tandem. Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link or unlink the controls of specific channels of a multimono plug-in. Each square represents a speaker channel. The Master Link button must be disabled to use the Link Enable buttons. See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1121.
Editing Plug-In Controls You can adjust plug-in controls by dragging the control’s slider or knob, or by typing a value into the control’s text box. For instructions on editing specific plug-ins, see the plug-in’s documentation. For information about the specific controls of each of the plug-ins (installed with Pro Tools), see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide. Additional free plug-ins (and paid plug-in options) that can be installed with Pro Tools are also documented in the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
3 Do one of the following to confirm the value: • Press Enter on the numeric keyboard to input the value and remain in keyboard editing mode. • Press Return (Mac) or Enter on the alphanumeric keyboard (Windows) to enter the value and leave keyboard editing mode. A typical use for external side-chain processing is to control the dynamics of one audio signal using the dynamics of another signal (the key input).
2 Click the External Key to activate external sidechain processing. Plug-in Bus Outputs 3 Press the Spacebar to begin playback. The plugin uses the input or bus that you chose as a key input to trigger its effect.
Plug-In Presets Pro Tools makes it easy to create your own library of plug-in settings, or presets. Using the Plug-In Settings menu, you can copy, paste, save, and import these settings from plug-in to plug-in, or from session to session. Once you create and save settings files to disk (and tell Pro Tools where to find them by assigning to a root folder) they appear both in the Plug-In Librarian menu and in the Plug-In Settings dialog. They also appear as plug-in settings files (.tfx) in Workspace browsers.
Save Plug-In Settings To Selects the folder where presets (plug-in settings files) are saved. If you select Session Folder, the settings are saved in a folder named “Plug-In Settings” within the current Session folder. If you select Root Settings Folder, the settings are saved in the folder you specified with the Set Root Settings Folder command. You can change the location of the Root Settings Folder in the Operation Preferences (see “User Media and Settings Location” on page 110).
To import a preset: 1 Choose Import Settings from the Plug-In Settings menu. 2 Locate the settings file you want to import and click Open. Pro Tools loads the setting and copies it to the root destination folder. To copy plug-in settings: Choose Copy Settings from the Plug-In Settings menu. Press Command+Shift+C (Mac) or Control+Shift+C (Windows) to copy plug-in settings. To paste plug-in settings: 1 Open the destination plug-in. 2 Choose Paste Settings from the Plug-In Settings menu.
Auditioning Plug-In Presets When the Plug-In Settings dialog is open, you can have Pro Tools automatically scroll through and audition the plug-in settings files saved in the plugin’s root settings folder or in the current session’s settings folder. To audition plug-in presets: 1 Click the Settings Select button. 2 From the dialog list, click a preset—the starting point from which you will scroll through the settings files.
Searching for Plug-In Settings Files To search for plug-in settings files: 1 In the Workspace browser, click the Advanced Search icon. 2 For the search criteria, select Kind > Is > Plug-In Settings File. Dragging and Dropping Plug-In Settings Files You can insert a plug-in with a specific plug-in settings file, as well as change plug-in settings of inserted plug-ins by dragging and dropping plug-in settings files from a Workspace browser.
To change a plug-in preset by drag and drop: Drag a plug-in settings file from a Workspace browser to the plug-in window. The plug-in settings file must be for the same plug-in name. For example, you cannot replace a 1-Band EQ 3 with a plug-in setting for 4-Band EQ 3. Plug-In Mapping (Control Surfaces Only) Pro Tools lets you customize the arrangement of plug-in parameter controls on supported control surfaces.
Plug-In Map Files Plug-In maps can be exported (as .pim files) for use in other sessions and on other systems with a similar type of control surface (8-fader surface, 24-fader surface, or ICON surface). Plug-In Map Controls When a supported control surface is declared in Pro Tools, Plug-In Map controls appear in the plug-in window. Map Options menu Control Surface Mapping When you create a custom plug-in map, its parameters are arranged in pages that correspond to the controls on the control surface.
Creating Plug-In Maps This topic covers creating plug-in maps on the following control surfaces: • C|24 Creating and Editing Plug-In Maps To create a custom map of plug-in parameters: 1 Open the plug-in whose mapping you want to customize. 2 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in is focused on the control surface, but with a blank page of controls, ready for mapping. 3 In the plug-in window, click the plug-in parameter you want to map. The parameter name appears in the Parameter menu.
5 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode. To remove parameter mapping from a plug-in map: To save a copy of a custom plug-in map: 1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to copy. 1 Open the plug-in whose custom map you want to change. 2 Choose the map you want to copy from the Map Presets pop-up menu. 2 Choose the map you want to change from the Map Preset pop-up menu. 3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose 3 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in is focused on the control surface.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose Delete Current Map. 4 Click Delete. To delete all plug-in maps from the system: 1 Open any plug-in in the session. 2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose How Default Plug-In Map Settings are Stored Default map settings are stored as global (systemwide) Pro Tools preferences, so they are applied to all sessions that you subsequently open or create on that system.
To hide the Factory Default pages of a plug-in map: 1 Open the plug-in whose default plug-in map pages you want to hide. 2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose 4 Click Save. To import a map file: 1 Open the plug-in where you want to import a plug-in map. 2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose Hide Factory Default Pages. Import Plug-In Maps From File. Exporting and Importing Plug-In Maps 3 Plug-In maps can be exported as .pim files for use on other Pro Tools systems.
To bypass (or pass) certain Inserts using the Track menu, choose: 1 Select the tracks on which you want to bypass inserts. Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) to select all tracks shown in the session. 2 Choose Track > Bypass Insert. 3 Select (or deselect) one of the following: All Bypasses all Inserts on all selected tracks in the session. Inserts A–E Bypasses Inserts A–E on all selected tracks in the session. Inserts F–J Bypasses Inserts A–E on all selected tracks in the session.
Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a stereo track or greater-than-stereo multichannel track (Pro Tools Ultimate only), the controls are linked by default. Adjusting the Gain control on one channel, for example, will adjust it for all channels. You can unlink multi-mono plug-in controls on specific channels of a track and edit them independently. You can also selectively link the controls of specific channels.
Assigning Hardware Inserts To assign an external hardware insert to a track: Select an insert from the track Insert selector. Connecting and Integrating External Devices Pro Tools can create dedicated connections to external analog or digital devices. The number and type of connections depends on what kind of system you have.
Connecting Effects Units Digitally If you want to use the digital inputs and outputs on your Pro Tools system as effects sends and returns to a digital effects device, Pro Tools should be the clock master in most cases. Set your digital effects device to accept an external digital clock so that it synchronizes to Pro Tools.
Pro Tools Systems with 003, 003 Rack+, or 003 Rack Pro Tools Systems with Mbox Pro or Mbox (3rd generation) Pro Tools can receive external clock from the Optical input or S/PDIF input. Pro Tools can receive external clock from the S/PDIF input on these interfaces. To select an external clock source for a Pro Tools system with 003, 003 Rack+, or 003 Rack: To select an external clock source from Pro Tools with an Mbox Pro or Mbox (3rd generation): 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. 1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
Chapter 50: Automation Pro Tools features dynamic automation of mixing controls on each of the track types. You can write automation moves and view them in real time during playback and recording in your session. You can also edit automation data with the same techniques you use to edit audio and MIDI data. Automation Accuracy with Control Surfaces Control Surfaces D-Control, D-Command, C|24, and Command|8 control surfaces (as well as the 003) support the automation features in Pro Tools.
Automation Playlists On Auxiliary Input tracks, these parameters include: Each Pro Tools track contains a single automation playlist for each automatable parameter. The available options vary depending on track type, track channel width, and track output path channel width. • Volume On audio tracks, these parameters include: • Volume • Volume Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate only) • LFE (.
On Instrument tracks, these parameters include: • MIDI Volume • MIDI Pan • MIDI Mute • pitch bend • mono aftertouch • program change • sysex In addition, on MIDI and Instrument tracks you can display and edit other continuous MIDI controller data (such as mod wheel, breath controller, foot controller, or sustain) in a similar manner. For more information on editing MIDI data, see “Continuous Controller Events” on page 764.
Each Trim automation playlist shows the position of the Trim fader with yellow breakpoint automation that can be edited. For more information on Trim playlists, see “Trim Mode” on page 1131 and “Viewing Automation” on page 1135. Multiple Edit Playlists and Audio Track Automation All edit playlists on a single audio track share the same automation data.
“After Write Pass, Switch To” Option You can set Pro Tools to automatically change to Touch mode or Latch mode, or remain in Write mode after the completion of an automation pass in Write mode. To set the Automation mode after a Write pass: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing. 2 Under Automation, select an After Write Pass, Switch To option (Touch, Latch, or No Change). 3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
To enable AutoJoin from Pro Tools: 1 Choose Window > Automation. 2 Click the AutoJoin button. AutoJoin Enable button in the Automation window See your control surface guide for details on using Join and AutoJoin with a control surface. AutoJoin Indicator After a Latch automation pass with AutoJoin enabled, the AutoJoin indicator appears in the Pro Tools Edit window.
Touch/Latch Mode (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Touch/Latch Automation mode places a track’s Volume control in Touch mode and all other automatable controls in Latch mode. In Touch/Latch mode, the Volume control follows Touch behavior, writing automation when touched and returning to previously written levels when released. All other controls follow Latch behavior, writing automation when touched and continuing until playback stops, or until you punch out of writing automation.
Read Trim Latch Trim In Read Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim faders are disengaged from the main automation playlist and follow any existing Trim automation. You can move a Trim fader during playback to audition new trim values, but no automation is written. When the Trim fader is released, it returns to any previously written Trim automation values. In Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim faders are disengaged from the main automation playlist and follow any existing Trim automation.
When Write Trim mode is enabled, non-trimmable controls (all controls other than track volume and send level) are not in Write mode, but behave as if they are in regular Touch mode (no automation is written unless a control is touched). This is to prevent the controls from overwriting all of their automation data on every pass in Write Trim mode. The “After Write Pass, Switch To” preference affects Write Trim mode.
Thinning Thinning automatically reduces the overall number of breakpoints in an automation playlist (including Trim playlists) in order to improve system performance. The amount of thinning applied is determined by the Degree of Thinning setting in the Automation Preferences page. When using high amounts of thinning, the resulting automation may differ noticeably from the original automation moves. Thinning only applies to audio tracks, and does not affect MIDI tracks.
Viewing Automation Pro Tools creates a separate playlist in the Edit window for each type of automation in a track, including a playlist for each type of Trim automation. This data can be viewed and edited in the same way as audio and MIDI data. You can either change Track Views to show the automation you want, or you can reveal an Automation lane under the track regardless of its Track View. You can easily toggle between different Track Views. See “Changing Track Views” on page 239.
Automation and Controller lanes can be shown or hidden. You can also add and remove lanes. These lanes always remain under the track, but you can resize and reorder lanes independently of one another. To replace all Automation and Controller lanes under the track with a single lane of the specified automation or controller type: 1 Right-click the Show/Hide Lanes button. 2 Select the Automation or Controller type you want.
Displaying Trim Automation Along with the Main Playlist (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) The appearance of Trim automation depends on how it is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing Trim Automation” on page 1163. If automation is not set to coalesce after every automation pass, you can display Trim automation data along with the main Volume or Send level automation data in the same automation view. This Trim automation display cannot be directly edited.
Indication of Automation in Track View and Automation Lane Selectors Automation Track view and Automation lane selectors display orange to indicate which automation playlists currently contain automation. Writing Automation You can write automation for all automatable controls by moving those controls during playback or recording. Select the Enable Automation in Record option in the Operation Preferences to write automation while recording. To write automation on tracks: 1 Choose Window > Automation.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automation Mode selector on each of the tracks you want to automate, and set the Automation mode. For the initial automation pass, select Write. 4 Start playback to begin writing automation. 5 Move the controls you want to automate. 6 When you have finished, stop playback. If you write automation in Touch mode with Loop Playback enabled, writing of automation will automatically stop at the end of the looped selection.
Automating Switched Controls When automating switched controls (such as mutes, plug-in bypasses, or switched controls on plug-ins) Pro Tools treats them as touch sensitive controls. Automation data is written for as long as the switch or button for that control is pressed or touched.
To automate a send level, mute or pan: 1 In the Automation window, make sure the automation type is write-enabled (send level, send mute, send pan). 2 In the Mix or Edit window, set the Automation mode for each track containing sends you want to automate. For each track, click the Automation Mode selector and set the Automation mode. For the initial automation pass, choose Write mode.
To enable plug-in controls for automation: 1 Open the Plug-In window for the plug-in you want to automate. 2 Do one of the following: • Click the Automation Enable button in the PlugIn window. Automation Enable button for accessing the Plug-In Automation dialog • Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the Track View selector in the Edit window. 3 In the plug-in automation dialog, choose the controls to automate and click Add.
Enabling Automation for All Plug-In Parameters The following table shows the color coding for automated plug-in parameters, with and without a control surface. To enable all plug-in parameters: 1 2 Make sure the plug-in window is open for the plug-in you want to automate. Color coding for automated plug-in parameters Command+Option+Control-click (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start-click (Windows) on the Auto button at the top of the plug-in window.
AutoMatching Controls (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Use the AutoMatch button in the Automation window to automatically change automation controls to their existing automation levels. AutoMatching Individual Tracks You can invoke AutoMatch on individual tracks. All controls currently writing automation on the track stop writing and return to existing automation levels. To AutoMatch all controls on a track: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Automation Mode selector on the track.
To AutoMatch a pan control or the controls for an individual insert or send: 1 Press the switch in the Channel Strip Mode controls to display the Pan controls or the top level of Inserts or Sends for the channel. 2 Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) and press the Rotary Encoder Select switch for the control you want to AutoMatch: 4 In the Automation window, make sure the controls you want to automate are write-enabled.
Taking Tracks and Controls Out of Latch Prime To take all selected tracks out of Latch Prime, do one of the following: You can take individual tracks or automation types out of their Latch Prime state before or during an automation pass. When you take a track or automation type out of Latch Prime before starting playback, it stays in Latch mode but the corresponding controls are not primed to write when playback starts.
To set Pro Tools to automatically punch in automation writing on a track: 1 2 3 4 Locate the cursor where you want to punch in automation. Prime controls for writing while the transport is stopped. (See “Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode” on page 1145.) Enabling and Suspending Automation From the Automation window, you can enable or suspend writing for the following types of automation across all tracks: • Volume In the Automation window, click the AutoJoin button.
To suspend automation for individual controls on a track: 1 In the Edit window, set the Track View selector to show the automation playlist for the control you want to suspend. 2 Do one of the following: • To suspend writing and playback of automation for only the displayed control, Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the control name in the Track View selector.
Viewing Automation Enable Status Track Automation Mode Selectors When a track is enabled for automation but not writing automation, the Automation mode selector shows the mode in normal red text. When any control on a track is writing automation, the Automation mode selector shows the mode highlighted in red.
To remove automation data, display the automation playlist you want to edit by selecting it from the Track View selector, or by revealing it in an Automation lane, and do one of the following: To remove a single breakpoint: With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac)ro Alt-click (Windows) the breakpoint. To remove several breakpoints at once: Use the Selector tool to select a range that contains the breakpoints, and press Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows).
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass When this option is selected in the Mixing Preferences page, Pro Tools automatically thins the automation breakpoint data after each automation pass. In the default settings for new sessions, the Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option is selected, with the Degree of Thinning setting set to Some. In most cases, this setting yields optimum performance while providing an accurate reproduction of your automation moves.
Random Draws a random pattern of levels that change at a rate based on the current Grid value. Amplitude is controlled by vertical movement of the Pencil tool. The following illustrations show the same MIDI controller automation drawn with different Pencil tool resolution settings. The Parabolic and S-Curve Pencil shapes are not available for editing automation. Using Pencil Tool Shapes You can draw automation for audio as well as MIDI tracks.
Graphical Editing of Automation Data Automation data takes the form of a line graph with editable breakpoints. Automation breakpoint By dragging these breakpoints, you can modify the automation data directly in the Edit window and MIDI Editor windows. When you drag an automation breakpoint up or down, the change in value is numerically or textually indicated.
Editing Automation Types Editing Mute Automation Each automatable control has its own automation playlist, that can be displayed by choosing it from the Track View selector. “Viewing Automation” on page 1135. Drag the breakpoint down to mute a section. Drag a breakpoint up to unmute the section. Drag a breakpoint to the left or right to adjust the timing of the mute. Editing Volume Automation Drag a breakpoint up or down to change the volume (dB value).
To edit a single breakpoint: Click an existing point on the line graph with any Grabber tool and drag it to a new position. For vertically constrained, fine-resolution editing of any automation breakpoint, Command-Shift-click-drag (Mac) or Control-Shift-click-drag the breakpoint to the desired value. Constraining New Breakpoints to the Next or Previous Automation Value New automation breakpoints can be constrained and written to the same value as the next or previous breakpoint.
Editing Automation on Stereo and Multichannel Tracks Editing Automation on Grouped Tracks Stereo and multichannel tracks display a single automation playlist per track. Only one playlist for volume and mute is available for the stereo or multichannel track. When you edit automation on an audio track that is a member of an active Edit Group, the same type of automation is also edited on all tracks that are part of that group.
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Automation Cutting automation data is different from deleting it, and yields different results (although both change the existing automation data). Copying automation leaves the original automation data intact. You delete automation data by selecting a range of breakpoints and pressing Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows). See “Deleting Automation” on page 1149 for details.
Editing and Track Views Audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks each have a Track View that acts as the Master View for purposes of editing. When the Master View is displayed, any edits performed on the track apply to all data in the track. The Master Views are: • Audio tracks: Blocks and Waveform • MIDI and Instrument tracks: Blocks, Clips, and Notes For example, when an audio track is set to Waveform or Blocks, cutting, copying and pasting affects the audio data and all types of automation data on that track.
Cut, Copy, Clear, and Paste Special Commands Four “special” commands—Cut Special, Copy Special, Paste Special, and Clear Special—simplify the tasks involved with moving or clearing different types of automation data and MIDI controller data between tracks, sends, and plug-ins.
To Current Automation Type Pastes the automation data or MIDI controller data from the clipboard to the selection as current automation type or MIDI controller. This lets you copy automation from any type to any other type. For example, you can copy a Left Pan automation to Plug-In automation. You can also copy MIDI volume data and paste it to MIDI pan. For this special paste mode to function, the following must be true: • Every track selected for pasting must be currently displayed as automation data.
Glide Automation To apply a Glide Automation to all current enabled parameters: (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) 1 In the Automation window, make sure the automation types are write-enabled. 2 In each track you want to automate, click the Track View selector and select from the pop-up menu the automation type you want to automate. 3 With the Selector tool, drag horizontally to include all the tracks you want to automate in a selection (drag vertically to define the time range).
Glide Automation Considerations To enable Trim mode: When Glide Automation is applied to automation data, it behaves as follows: In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automation Mode selector of the track where you want to trim automation, and select Trim. • When a selection is made, automation breakpoints are written at the start and end points of the Glide Automation.
3 Click the Automation Mode selector and select Trim. To set the method by which Trim Automation is coalesced: 4 Start playback, and adjust the Volume or Send levels. 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing. 2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select one of the following: 5 Stop playback to finish the Trim pass.
The Trim automation is applied to the main automation playlist, Trim automation playlists are cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero. Optionally, Write Automation to Start, All, and End can be configured to always be applied automatically. See “Writing Automation to the Start, End or All of a Track or Selection on Stop” on page 1165. Writing Automation to the Start, End, or All of a Track or Selection For MIDI automation, the Write To commands only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and MIDI Mute.
6 When you reach a point in the track or selection that contains the automation data you want to apply, click the Write Automation to Start, All, or End button in the Automation window. 7 Stop playback. The current values of all write-enabled automation at that point are written to the corresponding area of the track/selection.
The enabled Write on Stop arrow appears in blue. To configure Write on Stop modes to remain enabled after an automation pass: 1 Choose Window > Automation. 2 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) one of the Write On Stop buttons (Start, All or End) to enable the Write On Stop mode. Like the standard Write Automation to Start, End, and All commands, the Write Automation to Next Breakpoint and Write Automation to Punch Point commands do not operate when the Pro Tools transport is stopped.
6 When you reach a point in the track where you want to apply the current settings, click the Write Automation to Next Breakpoint button. To write current automation values back to the automation punch point: 1 Choose Window > Automation. 2 Make sure the automation type is write enabled. 3 Click in a track to define an insertion point. 4 Start playback. 5 Make sure you are actively writing on the appropriate track if you are in Touch, Latch, or Touch/Latch mode.
Write To Next Breakpoint or Punch Point and Trim Mode While in Trim mode, it is also possible to write trim values for track volume and send levels to the next written breakpoint or back to the automation punch-in point. Writing Automation to the Next Breakpoint or to the Punch Point on Stop The Automation window provides an option for automatic Write Automation to Next Breakpoint on Stop or Write Automation to Punch Point on Stop.
Guidelines for “Write To” Commands (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Using “Write To” Commands During Playback You can carry out any of the Write Automation To commands without stopping the Pro Tools transport. On supported control surfaces, the corresponding “Write To” button flashes until you stop the transport.
Overwriting or Extending Mute Automation A mute event can be extended when the automation pass begins before an on or off event and stops before the end of the second event. (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Pro Tools lets you overwrite or extend an existing mute event in real time, without changing the current mute state. A mute event can be overwritten when the automation pass begins before the first mute event and ends after the second event.
To overwrite a mute state on one or more tracks: 1 Choose Window > Automation. 2 Make sure Mute is write-enabled. 6 Start playback. 7 Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) and the track Mute button before the start of the mute event you want to overwrite. To overwrite mute states on multiple tracks, press Option+Command (Mac) or Alt+Control (Windows) and the Mute button on one of the tracks to be automated. 8 After the end of the second mute event, release the key and the Mute button.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automation Mode selector of the track you want to automate, and select Touch or Latch mode. 9 When you have finished the automation pass, click Stop. To extend mute states on multiple tracks, set all the tracks to the same Automation mode. 4 In each track you want to automate, click the Track View selector and select mute. 5 Place the cursor before the start of the mute event you want to extend.
To write snapshot automation: 1 In the Automation window, make sure that the parameters you want to edit are write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose automation you want to preserve. 2 In the Edit window, click the Track View selector to show the automation you want to edit. 3 Write a breakpoint in the playlist if none currently exists, as follows: • Place the cursor in the playlist (or make an Edit selection), then press Command+Forward Slash (/) (Mac) or Control+Forward Slash (/) (Windows).
To write snapshot automation over existing data: To capture and apply automation: 1 In the Automation window, make sure that the automation parameters you want to edit are write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose automation you want to preserve. 1 In the Automation window, make sure that the automation parameters you want to edit are write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose automation you want to preserve. 2 Adjust the controls for the parameters you want to automate.
Snapshot Automation and Trimming of Automation Data Pro Tools lets you use trim values as snapshots and apply the relative changes (delta values) to the selected automation by using the Trim Automation command. This works in much the same way as the Write Automation command, except that it writes delta values instead of absolute values to automation data. You can use trim values in writing snapshot automation to any automatable parameter.
Previewing New Automation Values To preview a new automation value for a control: 1 2 3 Make sure the track where you want to preview the value is enabled for automation (Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or their corresponding Trim modes). Make sure the automation type you want to preview is enabled in the Automation window (Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send mute, or Plug-In). Click the Preview button in the Automation window. The button lights green to indicate that Preview mode is active.
Suspending Preview Mode You can temporarily suspend Preview mode, allowing you to toggle between preview values and existing automation. To suspend Preview mode: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Preview button. Punching Preview Values After you have isolated a control and auditioned a new value, you can punch (write) the value to the automation playlist.
Capturing Automation Values You can capture the current automation values of actively writing controls. To punch captured automation values: 1 Move to a location where you want to apply the captured automation states. You can do this during playback or while the transport is stopped. 2 Click the Punch Capture button in the Automation window to apply the captured automation states. The captured states are applied to all automation types that are currently enabled in the Automation window.
Punching Automation Values for All Controls Punch Capture and “Write To” Commands You can punch all captured automation values to another location on their corresponding tracks (except those tracks with their Automation Mode set to Off). After issuing a Punch Capture command, the affected controls are writing automation (in Latch mode), so any of the Write Automation To commands can be used to extend the punched value in the same manner as other automation.
6 Start playback and adjust the isolated control to audition the changes. 7 When you are ready to punch the preview value to the automation playlist, click the lit Punch Preview button. Capturing Values While in Preview Mode When you are in Preview mode, you can capture the values of isolated controls and apply them elsewhere on a track. By capturing preview values, you can leave the underlying automation unchanged at the place where you capture.
To display the composite playlist on VCA slave tracks: Select View > Automation > Composite Playlist. Automation is written on the excluded slave track such that the fader moves on the VCA Master track are canceled out, and the fader on the excluded slave track does not move on subsequent playback.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all of its slave tracks and retain the VCA Master: 1 Select the VCA Master track whose automation you want to coalesce. 2 Do one of the following: • Choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Automation. • Right-click the VCA Master track name and choose Coalesce VCA Master Automation. The composite Volume level and Mute state are coalesced to each of the slave tracks.
Duplicating a Slave Track When you duplicate a slave track without duplicating its group assignments, the VCA automation is coalesced to the duplicate track. The coalesced duplicate plays back exactly as if it were in the VCA group. To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to a single slave track by duplicating the track: 1 Select the slave track whose automation you want to coalesce. 2 Choose Track > Duplicate.
1184 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 51: Mixdown Pro Tools lets you mix down by recording a mix to new audio tracks or by bouncing a mix to disk. Recording to Tracks This is the process of submixing and recording the submix to new audio tracks, as you would any other track input signals. This method requires available tracks, voices, and bus paths to accommodate the submix and the new tracks. While recording to tracks, you can manually adjust mixer or other controls.
Using Dither Dither can significantly improve audio quality when reducing the bit depth of digital audio. When to Use a Dither Plug-In You should use a dither plug-in in any situation where you are reducing bit depth, for example, when mixing down to a 16-bit file with the Bounce to Disk command, or when sending your final mix to an external digital device that records at 16-bit resolution. A dither plug-in is necessary even when mixing down to 16-bit from a 16-bit session.
5 In the dither plug-in window, choose an output Bit Resolution and Noise Shaping setting. Bus Recording to Tracks 6 Do one of the following: You can create a submix in your Pro Tools session and bus record it to available tracks in the same session. This technique lets you add live input to the mix, as well as adjust volume, pan, mute, and other controls during the recording process. You can also use this technique instead of Bounce to Disk to create mixed tracks directly in your Pro Tools session.
To record a submix to a track: 1 Apply any plug-ins or external processors you want to add to your audio tracks or Auxiliary Inputs before you record. 2 Set the main channel output of the tracks you want to include in the submix to a bus path. If you are using stereo or multichannel tracks, set the panning of each track. 3 Make sure Loop Record is not enabled. 4 Choose Track > New and create one or more mono, stereo, or multichannel audio tracks.
When you bounce to disk, the resulting file includes the following: Audible Tracks All audible tracks that are routed to the output which is selected as the source of the bounce are included in the bounce. Any muted tracks are not included in the bounce. If you solo one or more tracks, only the soloed tracks are included in the bounced mix.
Bounce Options Bus bounced file includes only audio routed to the selected internal mix bus path. When you use the Bounce to Disk command, you can configure several file options. Output The bounced file includes only audio routed to the selected output bus path. Physical Output The bounced file includes only audio from all output paths mapped to the selected physical output. This is useful when working with overlapping output paths.
5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 as desired (up to 16 simultaneous bounce sources). 6 If necessary, click the “–” button to the right of any bounce source (except the first) to remove it from the bounce. MP3 (MPEG-1 Layer 3) The MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) compression format is used for streaming and downloading audio over the Internet, and for playback on portable devices. On Mac, press Command+Shift + “–” (minus) or Command+Shift+Up arrow to remove the bottom Bounce Source row.
Constant Bit Rate (CBR) Encodes the file at a single bit rate that you choose from the Constant Bit Rate (CBR) pop-up menu. Because the bit rate is fixed, the quality of the encoded audio will vary depending on the nature of the material being compressed. The 128 kbit/s option is generally best for streaming over the Internet, since it has predictable bandwidth requirements.
When the Add MP3 option is selected, and you are adding the bounce to your iTunes Library, the selected File Type is used rather than the MP3. To share an MP3, select MP3 as the File Type. The Add MP3 option is not available for QuickTime bounce. To bounce multiple sources to disk: 1 Make a Timeline selection to define the range to be bounced. 2 Choose File > Bounce to > Disk. 3 Select the desired File Type. 4 Select the Add MP3 option (mono or stereo bounce sources only).
The following Bit Depth options are available: 192 kHz This is a supported sample rate for some 16-Bit This is the Compact Disc standard bit reso- audio DVDs, and provides the highest quality audio fidelity with compatible audio interfaces (such as the HD I/O). lution. If your session is 16-bit, you should still use a dither plug-in on the output mix, because all Pro Tools systems process audio internally at higher bit depths. 24-Bit This setting provides the highest resolution of 176.
Enforce Avid Compatibility Import After Bounce Enable this option in the Bounce to Disk dialog to create a bounced file with frame-accurate edits, wrapped as OMFI (unless File Type is MXF), and with the sample rate options limited to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Dither without noise shaping will be applied to files being exported from 24-bit to 16-bit. The Import After Bounce option automatically imports the newly bounced files into the Clips List so you can place them in tracks.
To bounce audio to disk offline: 1 Make a Timeline selection to define the range to be bounced. 2 Choose File > Bounce to > Disk. 3 In the Bounce dialog, enable the Offline option. 4 Configure the Bounce options as desired. 5 Click Bounce. Limitations of Offline Bounce When using the Offline Bounce option, the following are not included in the bounce: • Hardware Inserts • External MIDI driven audio (such as outboard MIDI synthesizers or samplers).
Recording a Submix (with Bounce to Disk) You can create a submix with the Bounce to Disk command by muting tracks or bypassing inserts that are not part of the submix, and selecting the part of the session you want to bounce; or, you could solo only the audio you want to bounce. You can also create a submix by recording to new tracks. For details, see “Sample Rate Conversion and Bit Depth Reduction” on page 1187.
6 Do one of the following: • To bounce the entire session, click Return to Zero in the Transport to go to the beginning of the session. By default, the bounce will end at the last audio waveform or MIDI note. To end the bounce sooner, make an Edit or Timeline selection to define the end (and start) of the bounce. • To bounce a portion of the session, enable Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection, and make a selection in the Edit window. 7 Choose File > Bounce to > Disk.
Part X: Surround
Chapter 52: Pro Tools Setup for Surround Pro Tools | Ultimate Software lets you work with surround formats up to 7.1, and up to 7.1.2 with Dolby Atmos. Surround Mixing in Pro Tools (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Pro Tools supports mixing in the following multichannel (greater than stereo) formats: LCR, Quad, LCRS, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0, 7.0 SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound), 7.1, and 7.1 SDDS. With Dolby Atmos, Pro Tools also supports 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 formats.
To connect your audio interfaces for 5.1 format mixing and monitoring: 1 Determine the 5.1 format and track layout you want to use. 2 Connect the output channels of your audio interface to the corresponding input channels of your monitoring system according to the assignments listed in the tables above. If you use a control surface, see its guide for more information. 7.1 and 7.0 SDDS Formats The Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) 7.1 and 7.
7.0.2 and 7.1.2 Track Layouts 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 formats are nine- and ten-channel surround formats, respectively. The mono channels of these two surround formats always appear using the following track layouts (top to bottom in a track and left to right in meters): L C R Lss Rss Lsr Rsr LFE Lts Rts.
Custom Multichannel Paths To create a new session for multichannel mixing: You can customize and redefine existing paths in the I/O Setup dialog. For more information, see “Custom Multichannel Paths” on page 1206. 1 Choose File > New Session. 2 Select the Create Blank Session option. 3 Select the Audio File Type, Sample Rate, and Bit Depth.
The surround presets preconfigure the I/O Setup dialog for the new session with default 5.1 format main and sub-paths for outputs and busses. Standard 5.1 format (film) output paths Surround Mix Settings Files The surround mix I/O Settings provide output and bus paths for six specific track layout standards in the new session. (For information on inputs and insert paths, see “Default Input and Insert Paths with 5.1 Settings” on page 1205.) Settings Files and Track Layouts 5.1 Settings Track Layout 5.
Importing Multichannel I/O Setups The I/O Setup dialog can import and export settings files. This is useful when you want to remix a stereo session in surround. You can also use this feature to prepare a session for transfer to a different Pro Tools system, or to save and exchange I/O Settings. To import a multichannel I/O Setup settings file: Exporting I/O Setup settings files lets you build a library of multichannel setups for different projects.
Reassigning Channels The I/O Setup dialog and its Channel Grid also let you reassign channels. This is especially useful for routing channels within a multichannel path, without having to repatch your audio interfaces. You can reassign paths to any required configuration, limited only by your systems resources, and the I/O Setup dialog requirements for channel overlapping and naming (see “Valid Paths and Requirements” on page 75 for more information). Output page, LCRS output path 6 Click the Bus tab.
5.1 Tracks, Formats, Assignments, and Metering Path definitions in I/O Setup determine how audio is routed through, and metered on, your audio interfaces. Pro Tools internal (on-screen) metering of 5.1 format paths always follows the Film track layout: L C R Ls Rs LFE Pro Tools track layout of 5.1 format audio tracks in the Edit window also conforms to the Film layout (arranged top to bottom). See “5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering” on page 1209.
5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering 5.1 Format Tracks Track Meters Channel Assignments in I/O Setup Film (Pro Tools Standard, and C|24 Mix) L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE SMPTE/ITU (Control|24 Mix) L R C LFE Ls Rs L C R Ls Rs LFE same same L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE (top to bottom) (left to right) L R C LFE Ls Rs DTS L R Ls Rs C LFE same L C R Ls Rs LFE same L C R Ls Rs LFE L R Ls Rs C LFE ICON X-MON (8-channel 7.
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Chapter 53: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing Surround sessions typically include a combination of mono, stereo, and multichannel audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks, and inserts and busses. Multichannel surround mixing is supported with Pro Tools Ultimate only. Once the appropriate I/O Setup has been imported or configured, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can be mixed in multichannel for surround using Pro Tools mixing features.
Placing Audio in Multichannel Tracks Solo, Mute, and Gain in Multichannel Tracks and Paths You can drag audio files and clips from Workspace browsers, the Clips List, Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder, or from other tracks, to place them in multichannel audio tracks. Stereo and multichannel tracks consist of multiple audio signals, linked together. By default, multichannel tracks are linked and are controlled by a single channel fader, and solo and mute switches.
Track and Output Formats When you create new tracks, you specify mono, stereo, or a supported multichannel format for the new tracks. In the Mix and Edit windows, the track format of a track’s output is always visible by the number of track meters contained in its fader strip (for example, a single meter for mono tracks, a pair of meters for stereo tracks, and six meters for 5.1 tracks). Assigning track output determines the format of that output.
Multichannel Signal Routing To mix in a multichannel format, tracks are assigned to multichannel paths. Tracks can be mixed in surround using the following two methods: Multichannel Track Outputs Tracks can be routed to multichannel output or bus paths using the track’s Output Path selector. This provides a multichannel panner and meter in the Mix and Edit window I/O View. • By setting a track main output to a multichannel path.
Pro Tools bussing and submixing features are available for all channel formats, from mono/stereo through 8-channel. For examples of multichannel monitoring, effects processing, and bussing, see “Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths” on page 1217. For mono and stereo mix examples, see Chapter 48, “Basic Mixing.” Multichannel Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders A multichannel Auxiliary Input or Master Fader is used as a return for the multichannel bus.
Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multichannel track of more than two channels, the controls are normally linked. Adjusting the Gain control on one channel, for example, will adjust it for all channels. Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link the controls of specific channels of a multi-mono plugin. Each square represents a speaker channel. The Master Link button must be disabled to use the Link Enable buttons.
Paths in Surround Mixes Because Pro Tools provides a flexible routing and submixing environment, you can maximize your system’s available resources by first identifying the elements that you want to pan dynamically and those that can be placed in certain channels only (see “Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths” on page 1217). Once you have identified these elements in your session, you can use a combination of main and sub-path assignments, and multichannel panning.
When to Use Sub-Paths To help simplify large sessions, use sub-paths to route static (or, stationary) elements directly to the output channel or channels. For example, film dialog is often mixed to the center channel to anchor this essential sound element to the picture. Instead of assigning a six-channel panner to dialog tracks and panning the tracks to the center speaker only, you can route the dialog track’s main output to a mono (Center) sub-path. Tracks routed to subpaths Tracks routed to main 5.
Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions to Surround Mixing Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and static panning, and surround mixing can benefit from the same basic principles. Example Output Paths The following figure shows output paths defined in the I/O Setup dialog of an example session that was created on a HDX system with an HD OMNI audio interface. Panning a sound back-and-forth between the left and right speakers is best used as a special effect.
Example Sub-Paths Signal Routing Examples Sub-paths let you route to selective channels within the multichannel surround output. In the following figure, the Surround bus has several subpaths that show this. The following examples show how main and subpaths can be used, using an example session consisting of a 5.1 main mix, with music and effects stems (or submixes). Submix Stem Examples I/O Setup, example sub-paths LCR Sub-Path The forward 3-channel sub-path.
The following figure shows a routing configuration for effects tracks. FX stem The following figure shows a routing configuration for music tracks.
Most of the music tracks in this example are routed to the front left/right channels, using a stereo subpath. A 5.1 Auxiliary Input controls the bus and stem output. Using the LFE fader, you can add any amount of any multichannel path to the overall LFE output. In the above example, the track’s Center percentage has been turned off, and the LFE fader has been raised to route it to the LFE channel.
LFE and Filtering Pro Tools applies no filtering to LFE signals. Some delivery requirements may require filtering for the LFE track.
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Chapter 54: Surround Panning and Mixing Before you can pan a track in surround, it must be assigned to an appropriate multichannel output or bus path. Introduction to Pro Tools Surround Panning (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) See Chapter 52, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround” for more information on multichannel configurations and I/O Setup options. For multichannel signal routing, see Chapter 53, “Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing.
Mix and Edit Window Panner Grids In the Mix and Edit window, multichannel Panner Grids are displayed on tracks that have multichannel track or send output assignments. Pan Location Cursor Color while Automating The Pan Location cursor is green when the track is in Automation Read mode, red in an Automation Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch, or Write modes, and yellow in Automation Off (or Automation Suspend) mode.
To open an Output window: Click the Output Window button (the small fader at the right edge of the Output selector for a track in the Mix or Edit window (I/O View). Standard Controls All Output windows provide standard Pro Tools controls for routing, path assignment and other track features. These controls are located at the top of all Output, Send, Insert, and Plug-In windows (see “Standard Selector Controls in Output Windows” on page 1072).
Surround Panner Controls When assigned to tracks or paths with four or more channels, the Output window provides an X/Y Grid for surround panning. The speakers associated with the panner’s multichannel format are displayed in their relative positions outside the Panner Grid. These speakers are also used as Snap Pan to Speaker controls. This section identifies all the controls and features found in Pro Tools multichannel panners.
The X/Y Grid and Pan Location Cursor The X/Y Grid is where multichannel panning information is input and displayed. You can input pan information using X/Y mode, 3-Knob mode, or by entering numeric values in the Position data fields. You can also edit pan automation graphically in the Edit window. Multichannel panners default to X/Y mode. In X/Y mode, the track’s current pan position is represented by a green dot.
Snap Pan to Speaker Icons The Snap Pan to Speaker icons let you force the panner to the speaker’s location. For example, clicking on the upper left speaker moves the Pan Location cursor to the upper left corner of the X/Y Grid. LFE Fader The LFE fader is only available in “.1” surround formats (5.1, 6.1, and 7.1). The Front/Rear Inverse pan control is unlinked by default.
X/Y Panning To pan in X/Y mode: 1 Click on the Panning Mode button until the X/Y mode icon is displayed. 2 Drag the Pan Location cursor, or click anywhere in the Grid and drag to pan the track. The location of the Pan Location cursor determines the pan position of the signal. For example, to pan something to the left rear speaker, move the Pan Location cursor to the lower-left corner of the Grid. It is not necessary to click exactly on the Pan Location cursor.
The difference is that 3-Knob mode pans discretely between the front and rear position of the panning trajectory, while X/Y mode panning takes place in the full 360° Panning Grid. Divergence and Center Percentage are variable in both Panning modes. AutoGlide Mode AutoGlide mode lets you quickly write Surround Panner automation by clicking new locations in the Surround Panner window, instead of manually moving the Surround Panner controls.
4 Set a new destination for the cursor by doing one of the following: • Click a Snap Pan to Speaker icon to glide to its speaker location. • Click in the pan window to glide to a specific location in the X/Y Grid. Snap Pan to Speaker icons Front Divergence Controls divergence between front speakers (X-axis only). Rear Divergence Controls divergence between the rear speakers (X-axis only). Front/Rear Divergence Controls divergence between front and rear (the Y-axis).
By default, Pro Tools surround panners are 100% or fully divergent, meaning that a signal that is panned completely to one speaker will only be audible in that speaker. Lower divergence settings result in a progressively wider source signal. When Divergence is less than 100%, tracks will be routed to neighboring speakers to some degree, even when the Pan Location cursor is positioned next to a single speaker.
To adjust Center Percentage: Adjust the Center Percentage knob. As you reduce the Center Percentage value, the center speaker at the top of the Grid becomes less visible. At 0, the center speaker is completely invisible, reflecting the setting for fully phantom center. To adjust Side Percentage: Adjust the Side Percentage knob. As you reduce the Side Percentage value, the speakers at the sides of the Grid become less visible.
LFE Faders and Groups Track and send LFE faders can follow Mix and Edit Groups by being enabled in the Group Attributes page in either the Create Groups or Modify Groups dialog. LFE faders can be assigned to follow groups as a global attribute or on a group by group basis. See “Selecting Group Attributes” on page 285. LFE Enable Some multichannel plug-ins, including the multichannel Dynamics III Compressor/Limiter, provide LFE Enable. This lets you enable or bypass processing of the LFE channel if present.
Chapter 55: Mixing to Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos Overview (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Pro Tools | Ultimate software lets you mix to Dolby Atmos 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 multichannel formats with support for play back and record of object audio and panning metadata when used with a Dolby Atmos Renderer. Audience Immersion With Dolby Atmos, three critical elements significantly improve the audience experience over 5.1 and 7.
Mixing to Dolby Atmos with Pro Tools Ultimate Pro Tools Ultimate provides the following features supporting mixing to a Dolby Atmos Renderer: • 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 channel widths for Input, Output, and Bus paths, and for audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks. • Mapping busses to dedicated Object Output Paths in the I/O Setup • Object view for mono and stereo audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks.
Control Surface such as Avid S6 (optional) Dolby Atmos metadata [Ethernet] Pro Tools | HDX system 7.1.2 track (bed mix) Object source tracks [DigiLink] bed object inputs 11–64 object inputs 65–128 [MADI] HD MADI HD MADI 11 Dolby Atmos RMU HD MADI 2 Figure 1.
To setup the network connection between Pro Tools and a Dolby Atmos Renderer: 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals. 2 Click the Atmos tab. 3 Select Enable. 6 Click OK to save your changes and close the Peripherals dialog.
Configuring Session Setup for Dolby Atmos Configuring the I/O Setup for Dolby Atmos To configure the Session Setup for Dolby Atmos: Configure the I/O Setup according to the needs of where and how your Pro Tools system fits into the larger Dolby Atmos workflow. 1 Choose Setup > Session.
• In the Bus page, create a 7.1.2 bus and map it to the 7.1.2 output path for the main bed mix. 5 From the Default Busses selector, enable the Use Atmos Renderer option. • In the Bus page, create 118 mono busses and map each to its own object path (objects 11–128). I/O Setup, Bus tab: Default All Busses selector 6 Click the Default button. 7 Click OK.
8 Assign the track Output for each source track to the 7.1.2 internal bus (“Bed Mix”). 9 Enable Input monitor on the 7.1.2 audio track. 10 Mix the audio on the source tracks to the 7.1.2 audio track using volume and pan automation. 2 Click the New Path button. 3 In the New Paths dialog, create a mono or stereo path (or both). If you a creating a stereo path, enable the Auto-Create sub-paths option.
6 If you are working with an RMU (or rendering and mastering workstation), also do the following: • In the Output page of the I/O Setup, create the corresponding number of mono (or stereo) output paths assigned to physical MADI outputs. • In the Bus page of the I/O Setup, map each Object-mapped bus to the corresponding Output path (the first mono bus is mapped to Object 11 and to Output path 11, the second to Object 12 and to Output path 12, and so on).
Track Object Output Assignment After you have mapped busses to Objects in the Bus page of the I/O Setup, you can assign any single mono (or stereo) audio, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track to a unique object output path. To assign a new track to an object output path: 1 Create a new mono (or stereo) audio, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track. 2 Show Object view in the Edit or Mix window (see “Object View in the Edit and Mix Windows” on page 1246).
Monitoring Object Audio when not Connected to a Renderer Dolby Atmos mixes are monitored from the Renderer. If Pro Tools is disconnected from or can’t communicate with the Renderer, you can monitor the mix in Pro Tools over the output path designated as the Object Fold Down Path. When Pro Tools can’t recognize a connection to the Renderer, it automatically re-routes all object output paths, and folds them down to the selected output format using coefficients for down mixing 7.1.2 panning.
Object Controls Object controls shown in the Edit and Mix window Object view mirror each other on a track-by-track basis. These controls let you assign audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks to object output paths, automate toggling of the track between the Bus and Object output, and set the control mode for object panning metadata.
Object Control Mode The Object Control Mode button lets you cycle between the three different Master Object Control modes: Master, Record, and Off/Bypass. Click the Object Control Mode button to cycle through and select the Object Control mode. Mode Description Purpose Master Object assigned, sending metadata Set by default if no other tracks are already assigned to this object, use this mode to control an object on the renderer.
7.0.2, 7.1.2, and Object Panner When a mono or stereo track is assigned to a 7.0.2 or 7.1.2 output bus, or to an object output path, it uses the corresponding 7.0.2, 7.1.2, or Object panner. Figure 2. Output window in standard (2D) view for a mono track assigned to a 7.1.2 bus (left) and an Object (right) Panner Controls and Indicators The following elements of the Pro Tools Output window are specific to the 7.0.2, 7.1.2, and Object panners.
Theater mode provides a 3D room view that can be rotated. To rotate the room view in Theater mode: 1 Move the cursor over the room view and use the scroll-wheel to rotate the room up or down. Scroll all the way down for top-down view. 2 3 4 Figure 4. Graphic representation of height, proximity, and location in Theater mode Height Mode Sets the Height mode for the track. Choices include FreeForm mode (manual height adjustment), and Wedge, Sphere, and Ceiling modes (automatic height modes).
Height Size The Height knob becomes available when FreeForm mode and Height is enabled/active. Height can be automated. Increases or decreases the element size. When Size is set to any value above 0/off, a transparent grid (or cube if in 3D/Theater mode) surrounds the pan dot. The grid/cube gets larger as Size is increased, and smaller as it is decreased. Adjusting Height in standard 2D view displays a vertical bar to the right of the pan grid to indicate relative height of that track.
Object Output Path Selector and Object Control Mode Object/Bus Assignment and Automation Mode Indication Across the top of the Output window are the Audio Output Path selector, the Object Output Path selector, and the Object Control button.
Object/Bus Toggle Automation Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation Option The Object/Bus Toggle setting can be automated on object tracks. To be able to write Object/Bus Toggle automation for all Object tracks in the session, ensure that it is enabled in the Automation window. If you want to ensure that no Object/Bus Toggle automation is written at all, or if want to ensure that existing Object/Bus Toggle automation is not over-written, disable it in the Automation window.
To enable (or disable) Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation: 1 2 Open the Output window for the track you want. Do one of the following: • Double-click the Height Mode selector. • Right-click the Height Mode selector and select (or deselect) Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation. Coalesce Pan Guide Automation When using the Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation option to automatically generate Height automation, you can commit that automation using the Coalesce Pan Guide Automation command.
To duplicate Dolby Atmos panner plug-in automation to track pan automation: 1 2 Select the object track (or tracks) with the Dolby Atmos panner plug-in automation you want to duplicate. Choose Edit > Automation > Duplicate Dolby Atmos Plug-in automation to track pan automation. Object Controls Mix Attribute for Grouped Tracks You can enable Object Controls in the Globals tab of the Groups dialog to link Object Control mode and Object/Bus toggle for all object tracks in the Group.
Importing Object-Related Track Data from Another Session When importing session data from another Dolby Atmos session, you can import the object output path assignments (if any) and the Bus/Object toggle setting for tracks selected for import. This is vital when importing tracks already defined as objects from another session. To import object tracks from another session: 1 Choose File > Import > Session Data.
5 In the Import Session Data dialog, select a Destination for the Source tracks in the .wav (ADM BWF) file. Dolby Atmos PEC/DIR Recorder Workflow Example 6 Select what Custom Data to import: In a typical Dolby Atmos mix, two or more Pro Tools | HDX systems provide playback of tracks and stems. An additional Pro Tools | HDX system is configured as the recorder (dubber). The recorder also communicates with the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
To configure tracks and mix: 1 On each object track, set the Object Control mode to Record. Object and Audio recording linked In the Peripherals > Atmos dialog • Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog. 2 Recommended: Choose Setup > Preferences, click to display the Operation tab, then do the following: You can set the Object Control mode by clicking the Object Control button shown in the Track Output window, or in the Mix and Edit windows when showing Object view.
Chapter 56: Ambisonics Pro Tools Support for Ambisonics (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Pro Tools | Ultimate software provides support for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-Order Ambisonics channel formats (4-, 9-, and 16-channel formats respectively). Import Ambisonics audio recordings, record Ambisonics audio in Pro Tools using Ambisonics miking techniques, or use supported 3rd-party AAX Ambisonics panning, and encoding and decoding plug-ins to create your own Ambisonics mixes from source audio tracks.
Configuring the I/O Setup for Ambisonics Pro Tools lets you create 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-Order Ambisonics input, output, and bus paths. Typically, you will only need to create bus paths in Ambisonics formats for most Ambisonics mixing workflows. Create Ambisonics Input paths if you will be recording Ambisonics right into Pro Tools using Ambisonics miking techniques (using specially configured microphone arrays or specialized commercially available Ambisonics microphones).
Ambisonics Sub-Paths Any higher-order Ambisonics path can have lower-order Ambisonics sub-paths. For example, a 3rd-order Ambisonics path can have 2nd and 1st–order sub-paths, and a 2nd-order Ambisonics path can have a 1storder sub-path. All supported orders of Ambisonics paths can have mono sub-paths. Since Ambisonics channels do not map directly to speaker channels, all other channel-width formats are disallowed as subpaths for Ambisonics paths.
Ambisonics Mixes in Pro Tools Creating Ambisonics mixes in Pro Tools usually entails using Avid-qualified third-party AAX Ambisonics panning plug-ins on source audio tracks and routing the output of those tracks to an Auxiliary Input track with an Ambisonics format–to-stereo plug-in for headphone monitoring. Ambisonics mixing workflows and configurations vary depending on the source material, specific Ambisonics plug-ins used, and required delivery formats. Figure 6.
Example—configuring Pro Tools to mix from a mono source audio track to a 2nd Order Ambisonics stereo mix using FB360 Audio plugins: 1 2 Ensure that the I/O Setup is configured with a 2nd Order Ambisonics bus path (see “Configuring the I/O Setup for Ambisonics” on page 1260). Create a mono audio track with audio you want to mix to 2nd Order Ambisonics. Depending on the Ambisonics panning plugin you are using, source audio tracks can be mono or stereo, or even surround formats (such as 5.0 or 7.
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Part XI: Sync and Video
Chapter 57: Working with Synchronization Synchronization allows one system to output timecode and the other device to chase (follow) that timecode. Pro Tools is synchronized to other devices using SMPTE/EBU timecode or MIDI Timecode. Pro Tools Synchronization Options There are several options for synchronizing Pro Tools to an external source or using Pro Tools as the master device.
SMPTE Trigger while Locking to an Unresolved Source SMPTE Trigger can be used with a SYNC HD to resolve Pro Tools recording and playback speed while slaving to LTC. This enables long-term, accurate synchronization by resolving to any variations in incoming timecode. SYNC HD also supports VITC and Bi-phase/Tach positional reference. MachineControl SYNC HD also supports MachineControl with Pro Tools | Ultimate software.
Session Setup Window The Session Setup window lets you configure various timecode-related settings on your system, as well as certain session format settings (such as bit depth, pan depth, audio format, and interleaved). The window also includes display-only areas for session sample rate, system delay, and timecode-related data (such as incoming time). The Session Setup window is organized into three sections. The Format section is at the top of the window.
Format Displays and Controls in the Session Setup Window The Format section of the Session Setup window includes displays and controls for timecoderelated settings on your system, as well as certain session format settings (such as bit depth, pan depth, audio format, and interleaved). Sample Rate This display indicates the sample rate for the current session. Bit Depth This menu indicates the bit depth for the current session.
Audio Format Incoming Time (Current Time) This display indicates the current file format for files recorded in the session. You can change the audio file format for all newly recorded or imported (and converted) files in the session by selecting a different Audio Format option. For more information, see “Mixed Audio File Formats” on page 156. This display indicates incoming timecode from an external source.
SYNC Setup and Timecode Offsets in the Session Setup Window Positional Reference Sets the timecode source for Pro Tools to use for positional reference. The SYNC Setup and Timecode Offsets section of the Session Setup window includes displays and menus for timecode-related settings on your system. Video Ref Format SYNC Setup Indicates the expected format at the Video In connector on the SYNC HD. At certain HD rates, a pop-up menu is provided for selecting a format.
Ref Present, Locked, and Speed Cal Indicators The Ref Present, Locked, and Speed Cal indicators in the SYNC Setup section of the Session Setup window display synchronization status of the SYNC HD. The Locked and Speed Cal indicators reflect the state of the same LEDs on the front panel.
To redefine the External Timecode offsets: 1 Choose Setup > External Timecode Offset. Timecode Settings in the Session Setup Window Freewheel Redefine External Timecode Offset dialog 2 3 In the Redefine External Timecode Offset dialog, enter the offset you want in the Desired Timecode Position field. Click OK. Sample Offset (Sync Offset) This field creates an offset that lets you fine-tune the point at which Pro Tools synchronizes relative to incoming timecode.
Preparing to Work with SMPTE The first step when preparing to work with SMPTE is to choose an appropriate SMPTE frame rate. Pro Tools supports all standard SMPTE frame rates. If you are working with SMPTE striped tape, it is important to know the frame rate. In some cases, a SYNC HD can be used to do this. Configuring Pro Tools for SMPTE Synchronization and MachineControl system settings are enabled in the Pro Tools Peripherals dialog (Setup > Peripherals).
4 Press Enter to accept the value. You can then edit the captured address. The session uses the frame number you enter as its SMPTE start frame when online. • If there are existing clips on the tracks and you are changing the original SMPTE start frame to a later time (from 00:00:00:00 to 01:00:00:00, for example), all existing clips on tracks will remain in their relative positions, but will start later by the time value added to the start frame.
Displaying Time in SMPTE Frames In Pro Tools, you can set the Main Time Scale to Timecode (SMPTE) and this will be displayed in the Main Counter. Though Pro Tools will still synchronize to incoming SMPTE timecode if the Time Scale is displayed in Bars|Beats, Minutes:Seconds, or Feet.Frames, it is usually more useful to use SMPTE timecode as your reference. To set the Main Time Scale to SMPTE Timecode, do one of the following: Choose View > Rulers > Timecode.
The choices available in these menus are also determined by the Preferences and the Auto Match Pull Factors option in the Timecode Rate menu. See “Extended Pull Up and Pull Down Preference and Session Setup Controls” on page 1278 and “Auto Match Pull Factors” on page 1278. The Auto Match Pull Factors option links audio and video pull factors when changing session frame rate.
Audio Rates and Pull Up/Down Options The following table lists actual sample rates of each pull up and pull down option and combination (rounded to the nearest whole Hz): Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Settings Pull Up/Down Sample Rate 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000 +4.1667% and +0.1% 45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a +4.1667% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a +4.1667% and –0.1% 45892 49950 91783 99900 n/a n/a +0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192 –0.
Video Rates and Pull Up/Down Options The following table summarizes which pull up or pull down rate is supported with hardware (both hardware and software) or only in the Pro Tools Video window (software only) for each project frame rate. Note that some pull up and down rates are not supported at all for certain project frame rates.
Effect of Using Pull Up or Pull Down This topic describes how related Pro Tools features are affected by pull up and down rates. Video Pull Up and Pull Down and Timecode Ruler Video pull up and down does not affect the Timecode ruler. Be sure to set the session Frame Rate to the correct frame rate for your project. For example, if working with 24 fps video and you pull the video up by 4%, switch the session Frame Rate to 25 fps to keep the Timecode ruler aligned.
Recording Online 3 The Operation Preferences page contains two options that affect how Pro Tools initiates recording when online. From the Transport Window menu (or the Edit Window menu), select Synchronization. 4 Click the Gen MTC button so that it highlights. Record Online at Timecode (or ADAT) Lock Makes online recording begin as soon as Pro Tools receives and locks to timecode or ADAT sync. In this case, you do not need to make an insertion or selection in a track to designate a start point.
9 Select one of the following: • Gen MTC to generate MIDI Timecode. • Gen LTC to generate Linear Timecode. Using MIDI Machine Control Pro Tools provides the capability to transmit location information to external devices and to control their transports using MIDI Machine Control (MMC). Controlling External Devices Using MMC Transport window, Synchronization options shown Press Command+Control+J (Mac) or Control+Start+J (Windows) to enable (or disable) Generate LTC (GEN LTC). 10 Start playback.
Enabling MIDI Machine Control in Pro Tools Pro Tools as MMC Master When Pro Tools is the Master, it sends MMC commands to the slave device and receives MTC information back from the slave device. To slave an external device to Pro Tools using MIDI Machine Control: 1 Connect a MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools MIDI interface to an appropriate port on the slave device. 2 Connect the MTC out from the slave device to a MIDI In port on your Pro Tools MIDI Interface.
Pro Tools will now be able to control the selected device’s transport and act as the clock master. 13 9 In the MIDI Machine Control (Slave) section, select Enable. To have the Pro Tools transport chase the playback location of the slave device, click the Online button in the Transport window so that it flashes blue. Pro Tools as MMC Slave When Pro Tools is the slave, it receives MMC commands from the master device and sends MTC information back to the slave device.
To control external devices from the Pro Tools Transport: Right-click the Online button in the Transport and select either Pro Tools or MMC. The selected deck will act as Transport Master. Selecting the Transport Master Taking a Device Offline Use the Transport Online Right-click menu to take a MIDI (or Machine) device offline. To take a device offline: 1 Click the Transport Master selector. 2 In the Transport, click on the Online pop-up menu and deselect the device (Machine or MIDI).
this as the Minimum Sync Delay. On systems utilizing MachineControl, enabling the Use Serial Timecode setting in the Session Setup window will make machines lock up much faster. (Serial timecode requires both the SYNC HD and external devices to be locked to house video reference.) To set a Minimum Sync Delay: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Synchronization tab. 2 Enter a number of frames in the Minimum Sync Delay field. 3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
The Spot Dialog The Spot dialog appears when you drag a clip to a track or click a clip with the Time Grabber tool in Spot mode. The numeric fields function as both data displays and editing controls for the currently selected clips. Information in these fields is displayed in SMPTE Timecode, Minutes:Seconds, Feet.Frames, Samples, or Bars|Beats, depending on which Time Scale format is selected.
Capturing Timecode Pro Tools also allows you to easily capture frame locations on the fly in the Spot dialog by pressing the Equal key, or by clicking the Current Timecode button while valid timecode is being received by Pro Tools. With VITC, you can accurately capture a paused or crawling VTR’s SMPTE location. When Timecode is selected for the Time Scale, pressing the Equal key captures the incoming timecode.
Auto-Spotting Clips The Pro Tools Auto-Spot Clips option simplifies the task of spotting clips even further. If you are using VITC with this option enabled, or MachineControl, you can pause your video at an appropriate SMPTE frame location, click a clip with the Time Grabber tool, and the clip will be automatically spotted to the current timecode location. You can also use MachineControl’s serial timecode ability to auto-spot by enabling MachineControl and enabling serial timecode in the peripheral.
Show Original Timecode in Clips This command displays the original “time stamped” SMPTE times in all clips currently placed in tracks. This SMPTE frame number represents the time at which the clip was originally recorded online with Pro Tools, and does not necessarily reflect the clip’s current SMPTE location in a track. To show (or hide) Original Time Stamps in clips: Select (or deselect) View > Clip > Original Time Stamp.
Identifying a Synchronization Point Troubleshooting SMPTE Synchronization The Pro Tools Identify Sync Point command lets you identify a specific point within a clip for audio spotting purposes. If you are having problems getting SMPTE synchronization to work properly, you can troubleshoot your system and solve common problems.
This convention provides compatibility for your tape between the record and playback passes, and when it is played back in other facilities on different equipment. This also means that when playing back a tape striped with timecode, the playback deck should be resolved to the same synchronization rate as the record deck was resolved to at the time of the striping.
Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video, and PAL Video faster 25 fps x104.1667% up (4% pull up) x96.0% down (4% pull down) 24 fps x100.1% up (0.1% pull up) Telecine x99.9% down (0.1% pull down) 23.976 fps 30 fps x100.1% up (0.1% pull up) Telecine x99.9% down (0.1% pull down) 29.
Sample Rate Conversion Using Source Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Setting From: To: Pull: Source Sample Rate NTSC Video PAL +0.1% then +4.1667% 45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a Film PAL +4.1667% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a NTSC Video Film +0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192 Film NTSC Video –0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808 PAL Film –4.0% 42336 46080 84672 92160 n/a n/a PAL NTSC Video –4.0% then 0.
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Chapter 58: MachineControl Pro Tools | Ultimate software with HDX and HD Native systems provides MachineControl™, which enables serial communication with Sony® 9-pin compatible synchronizers, and video or audio machines. MachineControl Requirements MachineControl requires a qualified HDX or HD Native system running Pro Tools | Ultimate software. Serial Deck Control Mode Requirements For Tighter Lockups For Serial Deck Control, use of a SYNC peripheral is recommended, such as SYNC HD.
Cables and Connections MachineControl requires its own connections between Pro Tools hardware, the computer, and external machines. Connections differ depending on your Pro Tools audio interface, operating system, and on which of the two MachineControl operational modes you want to use: Serial Deck Control mode or Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode. When using a supported third-party paddle device with Pro Tools, you can use both Serial Deck Control mode and Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode simultaneously.
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode This mode enables a form of deck emulation in Pro Tools. When the Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode cable is used on a supported system, Pro Tools can respond to record-arming, transport, and other standard 9-pin commands from an external machine. While in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, Pro Tools always generates timecode, and can be either the timecode master or a slave device. On Mac systems, use the Remote 9-Pin Emulation Mode cable.
To connect a machine for Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode (Windows Systems): Connect the Turnaround adapter to the RS-322 to RS-422 cable, and connect them from an available serial or COM port on your computer to the 9-pin output of the machine. Do not use the Serial port on your HDX card, HD | Native card, HD | Native Thunderbolt, or the 9-pin ports on the SYNC peripheral for Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode. The Serial port should only be used for SYNC peripheral connections.
MachineControl Communication Modes MachineControl supports two machine communication modes: Serial Deck Control mode and Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode. Serial Deck Control Mode With Serial Deck Control mode, you can use the Pro Tools Transport window to control an external deck.
Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode Track Arming When using MachineControl in Local mode with or without an external synchronizer, you can use a supported third-party paddle device to issue the following Pro Tools track commands: In Remote Deck Emulation mode, you can arm Pro Tools tracks from an external machine. • Input monitoring • Record Enable • Record Safe • Solo • Solo Mute See “Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode” on page 1324.
To trigger Pro Tools playback or recording from an external source, the Pro Tools Transport needs to be online. There are four ways to put the Pro Tools Transport online: • Click the Online button in the Transport window. • Choose Options > Transport Online. • Press Command+J (Mac) or Control+J (Windows). • Press Option+Spacebar (Mac) or Alt+Spacebar (Windows).
When the transport is online, Pro Tools slaves to the machine. The Transport window controls the machine, and Pro Tools chases and locks to it. In addition, when -Spot is turned on, clips are spotted to the current machine time, and the Trim tool trims to the current machine time. For details on Auto-Spotting, see “AutoSpotting Clips” on page 1290. When the transport is offline, the Pro Tools Transport window controls the machine only.
When you take Pro Tools out of Remote mode, it operates in Local mode and ignores commands from the 9-pin machine controller. Pro Tools responds only to requests from the 9-pin machine controller for machine type and status, and returns that it is in Local mode. Configuring Serial Deck Control (Overview) To configure Pro Tools for Serial Deck Control, do the following: 1 Open an existing session or create a new session. 2 Set up a MachineControl device.
4 In the 9-pin Machine Control (Deck Control) section, select Enable. Machine Pre-Roll You can set a variable amount of machine pre-roll to account for the time it may take the machine to achieve servo lock. Shorter pre-roll values are usually better for non-linear machines. Longer pre-roll values are usually better for older tape transports. Configuring MachineControl for Serial Deck Control 5 Select the 9-pin MachineControl port from the Port pop-up menu.
Using Serial Timecode for Positional Reference 3 In the Transport window, click the Gen LTC button. If you are using a SYNC HD and your machine has 9-pin serial timecode capability, you can use serial timecode for positional reference. This improves lockup times. To use serial timecode for positional reference, a Video Reference signal must be present, as indicated by the Ref Present indicator in the Session Setup and Edit windows.
tion at full speed to within 10 seconds of the cue point. Cueing will then slow to normal speed until the point is reached. This can significantly speed up tape cueing with certain video transports. To set Machine Control playback options: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Synchronization tab. 2 Select or set Machine Control options. 3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog. Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero Causes Pro Tools to send a Stop command whenever you stop shuttling.
Session Setup Window and MachineControl Clock Source Session Format and settings Show/Hide button External Timecode Offsets SYNC Setup Sample offset Pull Up/ Pull Down settings Show/Hide button Timecode Settings Freewheel settings Figure 1. Session Setup window The Session Setup window has three sections.
Session Settings for MachineControl Use the steps in this section to quickly configure the basic session settings for MachineControl. 3 In the SYNC Setup section, select a Clock Reference and Positional Reference. 4 In the SYNC Setup section, set the appropriate Video Reference and Video In formats. Basic Session Settings Confirm the following settings for each session. To configure a session for MachineControl: 1 Open an existing session or create a new one. 2 Choose Setup > Session.
Pro Tools provides four different External Timecode Offset settings: To apply an offset to an external timecode source: • MMC (MIDI Machine Control) In the Session Setup window, enter an offset value time in an offset field. • 9-Pin (Deck Control) • Synchronization peripherals such as the SYNC HD or other peripherals (such as MIDI interfaces that provide MIDI Timecode).
1 Enable Link Edit/Timeline. Typically, this command is used for integrating test tones, pre-roll, and similar pre-program material into the Pro Tools session ahead of the first hour timecode position on the Timeline. In most cases when working on reels of film, the user will want to set the first hour mark in the session to equal 0+0 feet and frames, to line up properly with the start of the Academy leader for each reel of film. 2 Click the Grid mode selector.
Selecting Pro Tools or the Machine as the Transport Master In Serial Deck Control mode, the deck is always the timecode master. However, the start of machine playback changes based on the Transport Master mode you are using.
Toggling the Transport while Online Machine Remote Setting When the Online button is highlighted, toggling the Transport Master between Pro Tools and Machine also toggles their master/slave relationship. If the Transport Master selector will not stay set to Machine, or if it switches to Pro Tools from Machine, check your machine’s Local/Remote setting. It should be set to Remote to receive commands from the Pro Tools Transport.
Hi-Speed Mode In Hi-speed mode, the tape is unlaced, and all Transport window buttons are dark. When you cue in this mode, only the selected Fast Forward or Rewind button lights. To fast forward and rewind in Hi-speed mode: 1 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools Transport and select Transport > Machine. 2 To unlace the tape, click Stop in the Transport window or press Command+period(.). 3 Click Fast Forward or Rewind in the Transport window.
Identifying Your Machine When you configure Pro Tools for MachineControl, it automatically loads the track arming profile for the identified machines. For more information on basic Pro Tools settings for MachineControl, see “Configuring a MachineControl Device for Deck Control” on page 1305. If Pro Tools does not recognize your machine, or if you want your machine to emulate a different type of device (for example, to use a different track layout), you can load a generic machine profile.
Remapping Tracks Entering a New Byte Code You can remap track buttons to target different tracks on the machine. As the Sony P2 protocol continues to expand, more manufacturers add specific byte code commands that may be listed in the current byte code list. Pro Tools lets you create entirely new, custom byte codes. This lets you enter additional byte commands as needed to support new features as they are added to decks.
communication has inherent delays, timing with Punch In/Punch Out mode cannot guarantee frame-accuracy (though it will almost always be within 2 to 3 frames). Choosing a Record Mode The Machine Track Arming window provides two choices for Record mode: Insert Insert mode is used to perform insert editing (punching in individual tracks) where one or more audio tracks is replaced by new material and the video material is retained.
To rehearse a layback: 1 In Pro Tools, select the audio you want to rehearse for layback, or place the playback cursor at a start point. 2 Choose Window > Machine Track Arming. 3 In the Track Arming window, select Edit Preview. 4 In the Track Arming window, arm the tracks you want to rehearse by clicking the corresponding buttons. The buttons light yellow to indicate armed status. 4 Select a Record mode (Insert or Assemble).
By default, Pro Tools emulates a Sony BVW-75 model video deck. You can also configure Pro Tools to emulate other machines. For more information, see “Alternate Machine Types” on page 1322. For instructions on connecting Pro Tools for Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, see “Cables and Connections” on page 1298. 6 Choose the appropriate machine profile from the Machine Type pop-up menu. 7 If you want Pro Tools to ignore transport commands and just chase LTC, enable Chase LTC.
Selecting Full Remote Mode or Remote/LTC Chase Mode Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode lets a master device control Pro Tools track and transport arming. When Pro Tools is in Remote mode, Remote 9-pin Deck Emulation operates in Full Remote mode or in Remote/LTC Chase mode. When Pro Tools is not in Remote mode, it ignores commands from the 9-pin machine controller. Pro Tools responds only to requests from the 9-pin machine controller for machine type and status, and responds that it is in Local mode.
Scrubbing and Chase LTC Remote Mode Section The Chase LTC option does not affect scrubbing. Pro Tools video playback will always respond to locate and scrubbing command, even if Chase LTC is enabled. Ignore Track Arming Sets Pro Tools to ignore in- Alternate Machine Types By default, MachineControl lets Pro Tools emulate a Sony BVW-75. If you use a machine that follows a different 9-pin command set, you can configure Pro Tools for that machine’s description.
To set Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode preferences: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Synchronization tab. 2 Select or set Machine Control options in the Remote mode section: 3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog. Playback in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode Pro Tools plays back audio only when the received command requires audio playback at 1X speed in the forward direction. Reverse playback and varispeed playback are not supported in Pro Tools.
9-Pin Commands In Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode, Pro Tools with MachineControl can respond to the following 9-pin commands from compatible workstations, synchronizers, and other devices: • Play Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode When using MachineControl in Local mode (with or without an external synchronizer), you can use a supported third-party paddle device to issue the following Pro Tools track commands: • Stop • Input monitoring • Pause • Record Enable • Rewind • Record Safe • Forward • S
Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode Preference 6 See “Serial Deck Control Mode” on page 1305 for detailed information about configuring and using Serial Deck Control mode. The Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode preference must be enabled in order to control Pro Tools with a paddle device in Local mode. To enable the Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode preference: 1 2 Choose the appropriate machine profile from the Machine Type pop-up menu.
Deck Control Key Commands Command Mac Windows Rewind Shift+< Shift+< Fast Forward Shift+> Shift+> Shuttle Backward Option+comma Start+comma Shuttle Forward Option+period Start+period Toggle Transport Master Command+\ Control+\ All Transport Buttons Off/Unthread Tape Command+period Control+period Search Mode Toggle (Play-Pause/Stop) Spacebar/ Command+period Spacebar/ Control+period Cue to Selection In Point Command+Left Arrow Control+Left Arrow Cue to Selection Out Point Command+R
Machines, by ID number Machine IDs The following table lists the machine profiles supported in MachineControl by their Pro Tools hexadecimal ID. ID number Machine 0x2125 BVW-75P 0x4000 DVR-10 0x4003 DVR-18 For special IDs to support 48-track arming, see “48 Track Profiles” on page 1328. 0x4002 DVRC-10 0x4020 DVR-20 Machines and Hex ID Numbers 0x4022 DVR-28 The first 0x signifies hex value. The next four numbers signify the machine ID. The name of the associated machine follows.
48 Track Profiles Machines, by ID number ID number Machine 0xA088 AG-DS555 0xA084 AG-DS770 0x0001 AG-DS7750 0xF033 AJ D640 0x2051 UVW-1800 ID Machine 0xB000 DVW-500 0x6007 3348HR 0xB010 DVW-500 0x6005 3348HRV 0xA050 V1 0x6003 3324 0x1021 SVP-5600 0x2124 BCB-70 0x2101 BVW-40P 0x8017 DSR-1500A 0x6007 3348HR 0x6005 3348HRV 0x6003 3324 0xA0A1 SoundMaster ATOM 0xD0E1 Pro Tools 0x20E0 HDW-500 0x20A0 SRW-5000 Tascam DA-88 and other decks can be set to emulate other
9-Pin Cable Pinouts Serial Deck Control Mode Cable: D Sub 9-Pin Male to D Sub 9-Pin Female (Windows Only) Chapter 58: MachineControl 1329
MachineControl Master/Slave Adapter Serial Deck Control Cable: Mini DIN 8 Male to D Sub 9-Pin Male (Mac Only) 1330 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Cable: Mini DIN 8-Pin to D Sub 9-Pin Female (Mac Only) Shielding The outside shielding of the D-Sub 9-pin (female) should be wired to the outside shielding of the Mini DIN 8-pin (male).
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Chapter 59: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools Pro Tools Ultimate lets you import multichannel audio files and metadata recorded by field recorders. Field Recorder and Production Workflow Terminology (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Before working with field recorders in Pro Tools Ultimate, you may want to review a brief glossary of common field recorder and production terms.
The production sound mix is intended to function as a general reference of all audio recorded within an individual multichannel recording, and is typically used by the Avid video editor when assembling a sequence. Broadcast WAV Files (BWF) The following terminology applies to all production workflows: Timecode There are four types of timecode, depending on your production: A WAV file containing a BEXT chunk is known as a Broadcast WAV file (or BWF) while still maintaining a .WAV file extension.
Production Terminology for Film Workflows Only The following terminology applies only to film workflows: Shootlist The shootlist is a document in which the camera assistant records each scene and take relative to its keycode value on the film stock. It is later used by the telecine operator to synchronize the audio and video together. Sound Log The sound log is a document in which the production sound mixer records each scene and take relative to its beginning timecode position.
Displaying Field Recorder Metadata in Pro Tools Workspace Support for Field Recorder Metadata You can enable or disable the display of field recorder metadata within clips in the Timeline and the Clips List. Workspace browsers display the following metadata from multichannel recordings made with field recorders.
To show or hide field recorder metadata in Workspace browsers: Right-click the column header and select or deselect any of the Recorder Metadata types.
Receiving Source Files When involved in the audio post-production of edited video sequences, you need both of the following sets of source files: • AAF or OMF sequence with an edited production sound mix synced to video (such as referenced QuickTime movies or Avid video) • Raw Production source files representing multichannel recordings from a field recorder You will receive these files either separately (from the Avid video editor and production sound mixer) or together as part of an AAF or OMF sequence ex
Importing Source Files into Pro Tools This topic describes importing production source audio from the following types of files: • AAF or OMF sequences 9 Choose Link to Source Media (Where Possible) from the Audio Media Options pop-up menu. 10 Choose Link to Source Media from the Video Media Options pop-up menu. 11 In the Source Tracks section, select tracks to import by clicking the pop-up menu to the right of each track name and selecting Import As New Track.
Importing Raw Production Source Audio Directly into Pro Tools If the AAF or OMF sequence you imported into Pro Tools did not include raw production source audio, you may import it into the session separately using media supplied by the production sound mixer. You can import monophonic or polyphonic audio files from field recorders into Pro Tools using any of the following methods: • Using File > Import > Audio, and selecting the files you want to import.
Designating Field Recorder Tracks Working with field recorder data often requires Pro Tools to do additional administrative work to locate and keep track of production field recorder channels and metadata. This file handling can be system-intensive when working with large amounts of data. Pro Tools lets you specially designate field recorder tracks after importing them, ensuring that Po Tools only does field-recorder-specific file operations on channels that actually contain field recorder data.
Selecting a Matching Field Recorder Channel to Replace a Clip Once you have imported an AAF or OMF sequence into the Timeline, you can replace the original production sound mix with an equivalent matching field recorder channel while preserving the original edits. 2 • With any Edit tool, Right-click the selection you want to replace, then select Matching Field Recorder Channels from the pop-up menu.
Conditions for Matching Field Recorder Channel Availability By default, a matching field recorder channel is available to replace the original channel (represented by the clip or portion of a clip selected on the Timeline) if all of the following are true: Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria For maximum flexibility, the Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria dialog lets you set the criteria Pro Tools uses to find matching field recorder channels.
Scene and Take The scene number and take num- To set match criteria: ber, as specified by iXML metadata. 1 Matching channels by take can only be done if also matching by scene. Tape Name The tape name, as specified by iXML metadata, must match the tape name of the guide file. Sound Roll Name The sound roll name, as specified by iXML metadata, must match the sound roll name of the guide file.
Select Areas to Search By default, Pro Tools searches for matching field recorder files in the Audio Files folder for the current session. Because field recorders often accumulate large amounts of audio data, importing the necessary files into your Pro Tools session can be a slow and complex task. The Select Areas to Search option lets you specify additional locations (such as alternate folders or hard drives) for Pro Tools to search for matches.
Click the Expand Channels to New Tracks submenu, and select one of the following methods by which to expand matching field recorder channels for the selection to new tracks: Expanding Matching Field Recorder Channels to New Tracks 2 When working with a mono clip that is part of a multichannel recording, you can expand that clip (or a selected portion of it) to new tracks that reflect its matching channels while preserving any edits or fades.
Determining the Method of Expanding Matching Field Recorder Channels to New Tracks Matching field recorder channels may be expanded to new tracks based on the channel match criteria specified in the Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria dialog (For more info, see “Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria” on page 1343), or by timecode only.
How Tracks Are Named When Expanding Matching Field Recorder Channels by Channel Number Tracks expanded this way are named as follows: • For unique channel numbers that create only one track, each track is named using the original track’s name plus the channel number. For example, expanding the unique channel number A1 from the track Guide.A1 would create a new track called Guide.A1.A1.
Example Workflow: Working with a Guide Track For live concert videos, the video is captured separately while the audio is recorded in Pro Tools. The video editor will use a guide audio track that is edited along with the video in their video editing software (such as Avid Media Composer). The edited guide track is then returned to Pro Tools, but it needs to be expanded to the conformed original source tracks for mixing and mastering. 1 2 Multitrack audio is recorded in Pro Tools while chasing timecode.
Film Workflow This topic describes the film workflow from shooting to the point where the Avid editor is ready for editing, and is intended for the following parties: Shooting (Film Workflow) 1 • Film camera begins rolling. • Production sound mixer • One or more field recorders begin recording. The production sound mixer has designated one or two channels as a production sound mix, which is a consolidation of one or more channels in each multichannel recording.
Telecine Transfer (Film Workflow) When shooting is complete for the day, the following components are delivered to the telecine operator: 6 Play back the film and audio to test that they are synchronized. If they are not synchronized, make small manual adjustments as needed until the film and audio are synchronized. 7 Once the film and audio are properly synchronized, lock the film and audio in place.
Batch Digitizing the Telecine Videotape to Digital Files (Film Workflow) This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid editor receives the following components from the telecine operator: • Telecine videotape • FLEx file • Shootlist • Sound log 4 In the Avid Bin, select the items you want to capture. 5 Load the telecine videotape into the Avid, and begin the batch digitize.
Overview of Video and Fully Non-Linear Workflows Matching Tape Name to Sound Roll Metadata for Fully Non-Linear Shoots The following describes an overview of the steps that are necessary in these workflows: After loading the digital video storage into the camera, the camera operator gives it a unique name. The production sound mixer must enter that exact name in the Tape BEXT or iXML metadata field inside the Broadcast WAV file. 1 Set up before shooting. 2 Shoot.
3 The slate operator claps the slate to indicate the beginning of the take. The field recorder records the audio of the clap, and the film camera captures the following images: • Scene and take number (displayed on the slate) • Exact moment the slate closes • Timecode position of the slate closing 4 Shooting ends and the take is complete.
Chapter 60: Working with Video in Pro Tools Pro Tools lets you do the following: • Create a single video track and import Avid or QuickTime video to the Timeline • Organize and group video clips in the Timeline much like audio clips • Lock video tracks • Extract audio from QuickTime • Scrub audio in tandem with video • View video in the Video window or output it through an Avid supported video peripheral to an external monitor • Bounce the video track to QuickTime Avid Video Engine (AVE) Pro Tools uses the
To enable (or disable) external video monitoring with qualified video hardware: 1 Ensure that your Avid or Avid-qualified thirdparty video hardware is correctly installed and configured. 2 Select (or deselect) Options > Enable Video Hardware. QuickTime Movie Support in Pro Tools Pro Tools supports the import, playback, and editing of QuickTime movies. QuickTime Required QuickTime must be installed if you plan to include movie files, or import MP3 or MP4 (AAC) files in your Pro Tools sessions.
Pro Tools Video Preferences Play Start Latency If you are working on a slower computer, set the Play Start Latency setting to a higher value. The range is from 1-Shortest to 5-Longest. Video Tracks New Video options in the Pro Tools Operation preferences The Video section of the Pro Tools Operation Preferences provides the following options: Enable GPU Pro Tools video processing is done on the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) in order to free up the CPU for Pro Tools audio and MIDI.
A new empty video track appears. Video tracks may appear slightly different depending on your system configuration or the type of video added to a video track. Empty video track Multiple Video Tracks in the Timeline Multiple Codecs on an Individual Video Track (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) A single video track can contain video clips compressed with different video codecs of the same type of video. For example, you can add QuickTime files that were compressed using multiple codecs to the same video track.
Video Track Controls and Indicators Video Track View The video track can be viewed in Frames View or in Blocks View, both of which display all video clip boundaries and metadata. Video frame images are displayed only in Frames View. When switching from Blocks mode to Frames mode during playback, the video track will not update to displaying frames until playback is stopped.
Video Online Button The Video Online button lets you select the main video track, switch that track online or offline, and see at a glance by color whether a video track is offline (gray) or online (blue). Video Track Settings Pro Tools provides Video track settings for Project Type, Output, and for Video Quality on playback. To view (or hide) Video track controls in the Edit window: Select (or deselect) View > Edit Window Views > I/O.
The following Project Type video resolutions are available (depending on your media and the session setup): Supported Video Formats Video Format Video Reference Rate Pro Tools Frame Rate Video Output Format* 1080p/ 23.976 1080psf/ 23.98 23.976 1080psf/ 23.98 1080p/ 24 1080psf/ 24 24 1080psf/ 24 1080p/ 25 1080psf/50 or PAL 25 1080psf/ 50 1080p/ 29.97 1080psf/ 29.97 or NTSC 29.97 1080psf/ 29.
Output Settings Output Settings Options Pro Tools provides an Output Settings window for configuring your Avid or Avid-qualified thirdparty video peripheral. The Output Settings are saved with the system. The Output Settings button is unavailable when working with video without a video peripheral. In the Video Output Tool window, click the Options tab to configure the options for video output that are relevant to your video hardware and project type.
Sync Lock HDMI Color Space The Sync Lock setting locks your video peripheral to an external reference or an internal clock. Pro Tools automatically detects the type of Avid video hardware you have and displays the appropriate options from the following: The options for HDMI Color Space are dynamic depending on whether a Mojo DX or Nitris DX is connected, as well as other settings.
Video Output Tool Calibration Settings (Nitris DX Only) In the Video Output Tool window, click the Calibration tab to configure the calibration settings for video output. Sat Lets you adjust saturation, a measurement of chrominance or the intensity of color in the video signal. Available for S Video or Composite output. SC Phase Lets you adjust the subcarrier phase (the color-burst portion of a signal used to synchronize the timing of two or more video signals). Available for S Video or Composite output.
Output Menu for HD Video The following options are available: The Output menu lets you select HD Component output, Convert to HD Component RGB, or HD Component YPbPr. Full Quality Gain Lets you adjust a measurement of luma (Y) in the video signal that is the whitest point in the visible picture. Use color bars to set the white level. Available on some systems for HD Component RGB or HD Component YPbPr output.
Locking Video Tracks Video Engine Rate You can lock one or more video tracks to prevent any video clips on those tracks from being edited. When a video track is locked, Pro Tools restricts all editing operations involving the track (except for locking and unlocking video clips). The video engine rate represents the number of video frames output by Pro Tools per second, and is determined automatically by the frame rate of the first video file added to a session.
Video Engine Rate Indicator The Video Engine Rate indicator displays only in the main video track (whether it is online or offline) and shows the video engine rate, which is the number of video frames per second output by Pro Tools.
Importing Video into Pro Tools Using the Import Video Command To import video into Pro Tools using drag and drop: 1 Drag one or more video files from a Workspace browser or from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder to the Tracks List, Timeline, or an existing video track. 2 Configure the Video Import options, and click OK to import video into Pro Tools. The Import Video menu command lets you choose one or more video files to import into Pro Tools.
Configuring Video Import Options The Video Import Options dialog appears when you import video into Pro Tools by using the Import Video command or dragging video files from a Workspace browser or from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. New Track Each video file is imported into its own individual track and into the Clips List. Clips List (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) Each video file is imported directly into the Clips List, where it will be available to drag and drop into the Timeline.
Import Audio from File (QuickTime Video Only) When selected, the audio from the QuickTime video file you are importing will be extracted and placed into new mono or stereo audio tracks in the Timeline. (Mono or stereo audio with a sample rate of 48 kHz or lower are supported.) When unselected, only the video portion of the video file will be imported into Pro Tools. Remove Existing Video Tracks When selected, all existing video tracks will be deleted before Pro Tools imports video into the session.
4 5 In the Audio Import Options dialog, select whether you want to import the audio to the Clips List or to a New Track. If you selected New Track, select the Location for the audio: Video Clips You can create video clips that function in much the same way as audio clips. • Session Start • Song Start • Selection • Spot 6 Click OK to import the audio (or click Cancel to cancel the import).
Video Clips in the Clips List (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) A video clip displays in the Clips List with a small video icon next to its name. General Video Editing (Pro Tools | Ultimate Software Only) Most editing operations that are available for audio clips can also be applied to video clips. This section describes all available video editing operations. Unless noted, the procedure for each video editing operation is the same as its audio editing counterpart.
Working with Clips and Selections • Capture clips General Editing Operations Not Applicable to Video Clips • Clip overlap and underlap The following editing operations are applicable to audio clips, but are not applicable to video clips: • All trimming commands except for TCE • Fades • Heal separated clips • Mute/unmute clips • Place, align, slide, shuffle, and spot clips • AudioSuite plug-ins • Nudging (quantized to frame boundaries) • Waveform Repair with the Pencil tool • Shift command (movi
Audio and video that is selected and cut, copied, or pasted follow the current Edit mode. Selecting within Video Frame Boundaries Pro Tools does not let you select, play back, or edit a partial video frame.
See “Clip Groups” on page 919 for detailed information on working with clip groups. Using the Video Window Pro Tools provides a Video window that lets you view, display, or scrub video. Avid video displays in the Video window only when scrubbed or shuttled. To display the Video window, do one of the following: Select Window > Video. Press Command+9 (Mac) or Control+9 (Windows).
Pillarbox/Letterbox Shuttling the Video Track When the Pillarbox/Letterbox option is selected, the picture scales to create the largest possible image without cropping, while maintaining the original aspect ratio of each video clip. When this option is selected and you have video media with mixed aspect ratios on the online video track, or video that does not match the aspect ratio of the video window, there will be visible black borders around video that uses a smaller aspect ratio than the Video window.
6 To stop playback, press Control+0 (Mac) or Start+0 (Windows). To exit Shuttle Lock mode, do one of the following: Click Stop in the Transport. Press the Spacebar. Increasing or Decreasing the Size of Video Frames To increase or decrease the size of video frames in the Video Universe window: Browsing Video in the Video Universe Window (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) The Video Universe window lets you view, navigate, zoom, and select video clips on the main video track.
To use the Video Universe window to zoom video clips in the Edit window: To use the Video Universe window to select ranges in video clips in the Edit window: 1 Move the cursor over the top half of any video frame until it becomes a zoom tool. 1 Move the cursor over the bottom half of any video frame until it becomes a selector tool.
Playback of High-Definition Video Pro Tools lets you import and play back HighDefinition (HD) video files. Setting Session Timecode Rate for HD Video Import Optimized Video Playback Certain video codecs provide optimal playback performance with Pro Tools using sample mapping (such as DNxHD, Apple Pro Res, and DV25). Video clips using these codecs appear with a check-mark icon in the Pro Tools Clips List and on the timeline.
To show (or hide) the Optimized Video Clip icon, do one of the following: Select (or deselect) View > Clip > Processing State. From the Clips List menu, select (or deselect) Show > Processing State. Enabling (or disabling) the Processing State option show (or hides) both the Optimized Video Clip icon and the Elastic Audio icon.
Bouncing the Video Track to a QuickTime Movie Video Sync Offset dialog Once this value is set, it should not need to be updated unless you change components in your video monitoring chain (such as projectors or plasma screens). Playing Video to an External Monitor Using a Video Peripheral With a qualified video peripheral, Pro Tools can play and display Avid and QuickTime SD or HD video files with frame edge-locked HD image output to a variety of professional HD monitors.
11 If you are bouncing Avid to QuickTime and you want to configure QuickTime video settings, click QuickTime Settings. Refer to Apple’s documentation for detailed information on configuring QuickTime movie settings. 12 Enable the Offline option for faster-than-realtime bounce. 13 Click Bounce. 14 Select a destination for the new QuickTime movie, enter a new name, and click Save.
Replace Timecode Track When the Same as Source option is selected, enable the Replace Timecode Track option to have the timecode track in the bounced QuickTime file replaced by the selected timecode range in the session. If no timecode track is present in the source video file, the timecode range from the session is added to the bounced QuickTime file.
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Part XII: Satellite Systems
Chapter 61: Satellite Link Avid Satellite Link lets you link up to twelve Pro Tools HD systems over an Ethernet network so that you can cue, play, and stop the transports, make play selections, and solo tracks across any of the systems from any linked workstation. Alternatively, you can link up to eleven Pro Tools HD systems and one of the following: • A Pro Tools Video Satellite system, which uses a separate Pro Tools system for video playback.
Configuring Satellite Link To set up multiple Pro Tools HD systems in a Satellite Link network, configure basic network settings and the Satellite Link network on each Pro Tools system. Configuring Network Settings Satellite Link systems communicate over Ethernet Local Area Networks. You can configure the network settings on each Pro Tools HD system to build one or more Satellite Link networks on the same LAN. Satellite Link requires all linked systems to be connected to an Ethernet Local Area Network.
Configuring a Satellite Link Network To configure a Media Composer system as a video satellite: To set up Pro Tools HD systems for Satellite Link operation, one Pro Tools system on the network must be designated an administrator system. 1 In Media Composer, choose Edit > Preferences. 2 In the Project window, click the Settings Tab and double-click Video Satellite. Other systems on the network are configured as satellite systems, and are added to the network from the administrator system.
Configuring an Administrator System To configure a Pro Tools system as a Satellite Link administrator: 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click Satellites. 2 In the System Name text box, enter a name for the system. 3 Under Mode, choose Administrator. 4 Under Administrator, choose the current system from the System 1 pop-up menu. 5 Click OK. To declare satellite systems: 1 On the administrator system, choose Setup > Peripherals and click Satellites.
Satellite Link Controls When a Pro Tools system has been declared as a satellite, Satellite Link controls can be shown in the Transport. To display Satellite Link controls in the Transport window: Choose View > Transport > Synchronization and View > Transport > Expanded.
Linking Pro Tools Systems in a Satellite Network To link (or unlink) the local Pro Tools system: To set satellite Pro Tools systems to mirror play selections on other satellite systems, do the following: Click the Link button in the Transport so that is highlighted (or unhighlighted). • Click the Transmit Play Selections button in the Transport so that it is highlighted. Press Option+Shift+L (Mac) or Alt+Shift+L (Windows) to link or unlink the local system.
Solo Safe When Solo Linking is enabled, tracks on all systems retain their Solo Safe status. Solo Clear When Solo Linking is enabled, all To set a satellite Pro Tools system to always solo even when it is not linked: 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Synchronization. 2 In the Satellites section of the Synchronization page, select the Solo Independent of Linked State option. 3 Click OK to close the Preferences window. solos are cleared on systems set to receive solos.
Satellite Link Errors Resetting All Satellites on the Network Clearing Errors on Linked Systems If one or more satellite systems on the network encounters a problem and the network becomes unstable, Pro Tools lets you reset all Satellites on the network to get back up and running as quickly as possible. By default, linked systems continue to operate if one of the systems experiences an error and its transport stops.
Control Surface Support for Satellite Link Linking Satellite Systems (D-Control, D-Command, and C|24) Satellite Link and EUCON Control A selection of Satellite Link controls have been EUCONized. For more information on controlling Satellite Link functions from EUCON devices, see the Pro Tools EUCON Guide. To link or unlink the local Pro Tools system: Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) and press the Machine Online switch in the Transport section.
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Chapter 62: Pro Tools Video Satellite Pro Tools Video Satellite is a powerful post-production option that uses a separate computer running Pro Tools Software for synchronized video playback. Video Output Options By off-loading video playback duties to a separate computer, Pro Tools Video Satellite contributes to the best possible performance on the administrator Pro Tools system. • Playback to an external monitor with the Avid Nitris DX. Output formats include HD/SD-SDI, HDMI, and HD/SD Analog.
Configuring the Main Pro Tools System as an Administrator To configure the main Pro Tools system as an administrator: See “Configuring an Administrator System” on page 1390. Configuring the Pro Tools Video Satellite System To set up the Pro Tools Video Satellite system: See “Configuring Satellite Systems” on page 1389. Declaring the Pro Tools Video Satellite System When the Pro Tools Video Satellite system has been configured as a satellite, it becomes available on the administrator system.
To display link controls in the Transport: Choose View > Transport > Synchronization and View > Transport > Expanded. Link button Satellite Link buttons Pro Tools Video Satellite Operation AAE Errors By default, the two linked systems will continue to operate if one of the systems experiences an error and its transport stops. The administrator system can be configured to stop playback if an AAE error occurs on the Pro Tools Video Satellite system, or any other Satellite Link satellite.
Modal Dialogs To compensate for different start times: Linked systems will stop playback if a modal dialog box (such as the I/O Setup, Hardware Setup, or Playback Engine dialog) is opened on any linked system. The corresponding Satellite Link button for that system highlights red on all other systems. 1 In Pro Tools, go to Setup > Session. The Session Setup window appears. 2 In the Timecode Offsets section, compensate for the offset between Pro Tools and a Pro Tools Video Satellite as follows: .
Chapter 63: Avid Video Satellite Avid Video Satellite is a powerful post-production option for Pro Tools, employing a separate computer running Avid Media Composer or Symphony software for synchronized video playback, capture, and conversion. Avid Video Satellite can use either a single Media Composer or Symphony system in a Satellite configuration. Avid Video Satellite can play full sequences and does not require a video mixdown.
Video Output Options Avid Video Satellite lets you output video using any of the following configurations: Playback to an External HD-SDI Video Monitor (Media Composer Nitris DX or Mojo DX Only) • Playback to an external monitor with the Media Composer Nitris DX. Output formats include HD/SD-SDI, HDMI, and HD/SD Analog. Media Composer requires an HD-capable Avid video peripheral (Nitris DX or Mojo DX) for highquality, frame edge-aligned playback of native HD video to an external HD-SDI monitor.
You can remedy one of these issues at a time (but not simultaneously) using the Flip On Vertical Sync option, located in the Full Screen Playback Settings dialog. Audio/Video Synchronization Offset Audio/ video synchronization varies slightly with each frame. Though usually not noticeable to the eye, more precise measuring devices cause offsets in AV sync of up to 1/2 frame or more. This is normal whenever using the output of a computer's monitor card, and does not affect capture, editing, or layback.
Conditions for Connecting Pro Tools and a Video Satellite 4 The following conditions apply to connections between Pro Tools and video satellites: • Quitting a Pro Tools application that is acting as administrator to a video satellite releases the video satellite so that it can be linked to other Pro Tools systems. • If you quit Pro Tools while a satellite is connected, Pro Tools attempts to re-connect to the same satellite on relaunch.
Matching Media Composer and Pro Tools Settings in a Video Satellite System In order to accurately synchronize playback between Pro Tools and Media Composer, the following parameters must be correctly matched: • Media Composer Project Type and Pro Tools Timecode Rate, Clock Reference, and Video Format • Pro Tools Audio Pull-Up setting and Media Composer Edit Play Rate • Timecode Format (Drop Frame or Non-Drop Frame) Matching Media Composer Project Type to Pro Tools Timecode Rate, Clock Reference, and Video
Matching Audio Pull-Up and Edit Play Rate By default, Media Composer plays back sequences at the frame rate specified in the name of the project type. For example, a 25i PAL project plays at 25 fps. The notable exception is 30i NTSC, which actually plays at 29.97 fps. When working with 23.976, 24p NTSC, 24p PAL, and 25p PAL projects, you can change the playback rate (known as the Edit Play Rate) without affecting other properties in order to slow down or speed up playback slightly.
Compatibility Table The following table describes compatibility between Avid Project Format and Edit Play Rate, and Pro Tools Timecode Rates, Audio Pull Up/Down Rate, Clock Reference, and Video Format. Rate and Sync Ref Compatibility between Avid and Pro Tools Media Composer or Symphony Pro Tools Avid Project Format Edit Play Rate 23.976p NTSC 23.976 NTSC 23.976 None NTSC 24 NTSC 24 0.1% Up NTSC 24 NTSC 24 None NTSC 23.976 NTSC 23.976 0.1% Down NTSC 30i NTSC 29.97 NTSC 29.
Rate and Sync Ref Compatibility between Avid and Pro Tools Media Composer or Symphony(continued) Avid Project Format Edit Play Rate Mojo DX or Nitris DX Video Ref Pro Tools (continued) PT Timecode Rate PT Audio Rate Pull Up/Down SYNC HD Video Ref Format 1080p/23.976 23.976 1080p/23.98sF 23.976 None 1080p/23.97 (or NTSC) 1080p/24 24 1080p/24sF 24 None 1080p/24 (or PAL or NTSC) 1080p/25 25 1080p/25sF (or 1080i/50)* 25 None 1080p/25 (or 1080i/50 or PAL) 1080p/29.97 29.97 1080i/59.
Matching Timecode Format (Drop Frame or Non-Drop Frame) Pro Tools and Media Composer must be set to the same timecode format (either Drop Frame or NonDrop Frame). If the numbers in the TC fields are separated by semi-colons instead of colons, the project is set to Drop Frame. To ensure timecode format settings are compatible: 1 2 Starting TC field In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session. If the Timecode rate pop-up menu displays “DF” after the frame rate, Pro Tools is set to Drop Frame.
Matching Media Composer Starting TC Timecode Setting and Pro Tools Session Start Compensating for Different Sequence Start Times in Pro Tools and a Video Satellite In almost all cases, the first frame of video is located at the start of the Media Composer sequence. However, Pro Tools sessions often have silence at the head to create countoffs or silence. You can compensate for any offsets that might occur if the start times of an Avid sequence differ between Media Composer and Pro Tools.
Linking or Unlinking Pro Tools and a Video Satellite After you have connected and configured a single Pro Tools HD system and an Avid Video Satellite system in a Satellite Link network, you can control their behavior with controls in the Pro Tools and Media Composer transports. However, if more than one Pro Tools HD system is connected and configured in a Satellite Link network that includes an Avid Video Satellite system, playback can be started only from a Pro Tools HD system on the network.
To display linking controls in the Transport window: Choose View > Transport > Synchronization and View > Transport > Expanded. Link button Controlling Linking with a Control Surface To toggle the link button on the Pro Tools system (ICON and C|24): Press Control + the Online button (Mac) or Alt + Online (Windows) on the control surface.
Capturing Audio and Video with a Video Satellite System You can use a video satellite system to capture audio to Pro Tools and video media to Media Composer in a single pass. Before Capturing Audio and Video Before capturing audio and video from tape, ensure that you have made the following connections.
2 Route the audio inputs to the desired tracks. 3 Record enable the audio tracks to which you want to capture audio. 4 Click the Record Enable button in the Transport. Configuring Media Composer for Video Capture Avid Video Satellite supports video capture to a new or existing sequence using the Capture Tools in Media Composer or Symphony. See Media Composer or Symphony documentation for configuration details.
To record audio and video to tape from Media Composer and Pro Tools simultaneously: 1 6 Select Output > Digital Cut. The Digital Cut Tool appears. Make sure that your system is set up as follows: • Pro Tools and the Media Composer video satellite computers are linked. • Audio outputs on the Pro Tools HD audio interface are connected to the appropriate audio inputs on the VTR. • Video outputs from Media Composer system are connected to the VTR.
10 Select the Stop on Dropped Frames option if you want Media Composer to automatically stop the tape if the audio and video does not record correctly. 15 If you selected Remote mode, use the Record Track buttons on the right to select which audio and video tracks to enable for recording on the tape. 11 Select the Add Black At Tail option, and type the amount of black you want added to the end of the sequence.
Index Symbols 431, 879, 1259 .ptxp file type 268 “Organize Track I/O Menus By” options 106 Numerics 1st Order Ambisonics 1259 29.97 FPS Non-Drop 1293 3D audio 1259 3-knob panning 1231 5.1 surround formats 1208 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 surround formats 1202, 1239 7.0.2 panner 1249 7.1 and 7.0 surround formats 1202 7.1.
Notifications 362 opening a project 366 Projects tab 363 Artist Chat window 359 Artist Profile 360 ASIO 8 aspect ratios (Video window) 1375 Assemble mode 1318 Assign Tags popover window 336 Assignments View (Sends View option) 1064 Attributes (Groups List) command 280 attributes (groups) 284 Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 108, 477 audio file formats 156, 1191 audio files 11 compacting 666 default names 504 importing 398 mixed file types 168 Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo 316 Audio Files Confo
AutoGlide Time preference 119, 1232 Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation option 1253 AutoJoin command 1129 indicator 1130 AutoMatch all controls 1144 button 1144 indicators 1137 individual automation types 1144 individual controls 1144 AutoMatch Time preference 119, 1134 Automatic Ownership 387 Automatically Copy Files on Import option 124, 408, 418 Automatically Create Click Track in New Sessions option 127 Automatically Download New Shared Tracks option 129 Automatically Find and Relink 457 automating
and Strip Silence 909 audio files and clips 504 playlists 691 QuickPunch clips 562 separated clips 655 takes 504 Auto-Spot 1304, 1313, 1315 Auto-Spot Clips command 1290 Auxiliary Inputs 14, 213 channel strips 216 monitoring and mixing 1074 signal flow 1043 track controls 219 Avid Application Manager 48 Avid Artist Community 5 Avid Audio Engine (AAE) 8 Avid Audio Forums command 202 Avid Master Account 152 signing in 152 signing out 152 Avid Video Engine (AVE) 94, 1355 Avid Video Satellite 1401 B Back and Pl
Avid keyframes 1153 clip gain 944 Bring to Front command 849 browsers 310 display options 318 opening 311 sorting 319 Buffer Size (Hardware) 514 bus interrogation 1069 bussing multichannel sends 1215 sends 1058 signal paths 49 submixing and effects processing 1074 surround examples 1219 BWF (.
breakpoint editing 944 bypassing 948 clearing 946 Clip Gain Info view 941 Clip Gain Line 942 clip groups 926 coalescing clip gain to volume automation 948 coalescing volume automation to clip gain 948 converting clip gain to volume automation 948 converting volume automation to clip gain 948 copying 947 cutting 946 Default Handle Length preferences 124 dynamic 941 editing 943 editing with the Grabber tool 944 editing with the Pencil tool 944 pasting 947 rendering 948 static 941 static clip gain value displa
fitting to an Edit selection 667 gain 941 healing separations 656 hiding auto-created 299 inserting silence into 912 locking 907 looping 915 managing 296 MIDI 545 moving clips with fades 685 moving in Grid mode 903 multichannel 583 muting 909 nudging 660 nudging clips with fades 685 offline 583 Original Time Stamp 901 pasting 596 placing at Edit insertion point 893 placing in tracks 891 quantizing 663, 1017 removing pitch shift (Elastic Audio) 992 removing silence from 910 removing unused 300 removing warp
Coalesce VCA Master Automation Track command 246 Coalesce Volume to Clip Gain command 948 Coalesce when Removing Slaves from VCA Group option 118 coalescing Trim automation 1163 VCA automation 1181 Collaboration undownloaded shared tracks 391 Collaboration Preferences 129 collaboration transaction logs 364 Collection Mode (Beat Detective) 739 Color Coding Apply to Channel Strip 262 options 107, 259 Color Palette window 261 Color setting (for window dub) 135 Column 200 Command|8 1090 Commands Keyboard Focus
MIDI notes with the Split command 1025 plug-in settings 1111 selections and clips 595 track automation to sends 1141 track control settings to sends 1068 Core Audio 8 count off 497 Countoff button 197 CPU peak indicator 103 CPU Total meter 103 Create Catalog from Selection 316 Create Click Track command 496 Create Fades command 679, 680 Create Machine Track Arming Profile 1316 Create tab 153 creating clip groups 920 clips 653 crossfades 679 fade-ins/outs 677 Mac and PC compatible sessions 460 Markers and Me
Degree of Thinning preference 118 delay 1400, 1410 MIDI Track Offsets 779 Delay (dly) indicator 1083 Delay After Play Command option 1322 Delay After Play Command preference 131 Delay Before Locking to LTC option 130, 1308 Delay Before Locking to Timecode option 130, 1308 Delay Compensation 1082 applying to automatically bypassed tracks 561, 1086 bypassing 1084 changing track delay 1084 Compensate Side-Chains 119 Delay (dly) indicator 1083 enabling 1082 exceeding compensation limit 1085 H/W Insert 55 hardwa
divergence drawing 1234 using 1233 Documentation and Settings setting 110 Dolby Atmos 1237 Bed Audio (or Bed Material) 1237 Bus/Object toggle 1247 Dolby Atmos Metadata 1237 Enable 1240 mapping busses to Objects 1243 mixing bed material 1242 Network configuration 1239 Object Audio (or Objects) 1237 Object Control Mode 1248 Object controls 1247 object output path 1245 Object Path selector 1247 PEC/DIR Recorder Workflow example 1257 Renderer Connection Status indicator 1248 restrictions 1240 Theater mode 1249
Copy to Send command 1141 Create Fades command 679, 680 Cut command 595 Cut Special commands 1159 Delete Fades command 679 Duplicate command 913 Fade To End command 679 Fade To Start command 679 Fades command 671 Heal Separation command 656 Identify Sync Point command 906 Insert Silence command 912 Paste command 596 Play Edit Selection command 483 Play Timeline Selection command 483 Redo command 593 Repeat command 914 Repeat to Fill Selection command 597 Select All command 632 Separate Clip commands 654 Shi
controller events 765 during playback 582 Edit modes 599 Grid mode 601, 602 Grid modes 902 hidden tracks 245 Markers 886 Memory Locations 886 meter events 867 MIDI clips 587 MIDI Event List 832 MIDI notes 752 nondestructively 581 nondestructively (audio) 586 nondestructively (MIDI) 590 note attributes 761 note durations 1021 note velocities 759, 1019 program changes 775 Shuffle Lock mode 600 Shuffle mode 599 Slip mode 600 Spot mode 600 tempo events 845 Track View 594 waveforms 586 Editing Preferences 113 Au
Elastic Properties window 988 Embed Eleven Setting From selector 61 embedded media 22 Emoticon and Notations pane 371 Enable 129 Enable “Track Notes” Dialog option 129 Enable Dub Window option 135 Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks preference 126 Enable GPU option 113 Enable Hardware During Scrub option 113 Enable Session File Auto Backup option 109 Enable SYNC Peripheral option 134 enabling Auto Backup option 109 automation 1147 groups 287 MIDI input devices 538 plug-in automation 1107 End To Insertion com
to next tempo event 854 external clock source 1123 external MIDI instruments 554 external side-chain processing 1107 External Timecode Offsets 1273, 1310 extrapolation 732 F factory I/O settings 81 Fade Files folder 157 Fade settings 676 Fade Settings menu 677 Fade To End command 679 Fade To Start command 679 fade-in shapes 673 fade-out shapes 672 fades 677 adjusting with Smart Tool 622 AutoFades 680 creating 677 creating with Smart Tool 621 equal gain 674 equal power 674 in batches 681 moving 685 nudging
Global Freeze Tracks indicator 190 Global MIDI Playback Offset preference 128, 778 Global Track Collaboration 380 Go to End button 194 Grabber tools 603, 620, 633, 755 editing breakpoints with 853, 1153 editing clip gain breakpoints with 944 Object Grabber tool 621, 633 selecting MIDI notes with 752 Separation Grabber tool 620, 655 Time Grabber tool 620 Grid mode 601, 902 Absolute 601, 902 Clips/Markers option 602 configuring 602 Draw Grids in Edit Window option 601 Relative 601, 902 setting the Grid value
group edits 245 groups 245 Hide All Floating Windows command 206 Hide and Make Inactive Track command 245 Hide/Show Track command 245 hiding auto-created clips 299 High-Definition video playback 1379, 1402 hi-speed mode 1315 Horizontal Position setting 135 Horizontal Zoom In button 604 Horizontal Zoom Out button 604 Host Engine 92 I I/O Settings 81 I/O Setup 49 Bus page 54 controls 56 customizing 62 dialog 50 factory settings files 81 H/W Insert Delay page 55 I/O routing 63 importing for surround 1206 Inpu
inserts 1096 Master Faders and assignments 1044 outputs 251 paths 74 paths, global 74 sends 1067 track path assignments 251 tracks 259 Include Control Changes in Undo Queue option 119 Include Sends in Trim Mode option 118 Incoming Time 1310 Incoming Time display 1271 in-place auditioning 295 input connections 13, 494 Input Devices command 538 Input Filter command 540 MIDI Event List View Filter dialog 829 MIDI Input Filter dialog 540 input levels 494 Input Only Monitoring mode 511, 512 Input Path selector 2
L Language options 106, 470 Last Used 83 Latch automation mode 1129 AutoJoin 1129 Join 1129 Latch option 258 Latch Record Enable Buttons option 110 Latch Trim automation mode 1132 Latching Behavior for Switch Controls in “Touch” option 118 latency 92 Launch Setup App button 96 layback 1319 Layered Editing option 662, 896 LCRS path examples 1207 Level meters for audio tracks 224 for Aux Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks 224 Levels of Undo preference 116, 594 LFE enable in plug-ins 1236 faders 1236 r
Low Latency Monitoring option 514 Low Latency Monitoring path 60 LTC Output Level setting 134 M Mac sessions compatibility with Windows 460 machine pre-roll 1306 profiles 1316, 1327 Transport Master 1303, 1313 Machine Chases Memory Location option 129, 1286, 1307 Machine Control (Peripherals dialog) 135 Machine Cues Intelligently option 130, 1307 Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option 129, 1286, 1307 machine IDs 1327 Machine Track Arming window 1287 MachineControl 48 Main Counters 840 main paths 50 Ma
meter current 866 default 498 display 197 Meter button 499 meter events 866 editing 867 inserting 866 meter map 425 Meter Ruler displaying 866 extending an Edit selection to 867 Meter Type 228 Metering Preferences 120 metering, advanced 227 Advanced Meter Type settings 122 Digital VU option 121 Fader and Meter scales 227 Gain Reduction meter 228 K options 121 Linear (Extended) option 120 Linear option 120 Meter Type setting 228 PPM options 121 Pro Tools Classic option 120 RMS option 120 Sample Peak option 1
controlling external devices with 1283 Master settings 136 Slave settings 136 MIDI Merge mode 197, 503, 541 MIDI Merge Release mode 128, 542 MIDI meter 224 MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity option 107 MIDI Note Display options 128 MIDI notes 753 attributes 761 chasing 777 deleting 762 duplicating selected 913 editing 752 durations 1021 pitch 755 velocities 759, 1019 inserting 750 lengths in ticks 841 mini-keyboard 753 moving 755 quantizing 1012 scrolling 589 selecting 752 splitting 1025 transposing 755, 1023 t
Track Collaboration 383 mixed bit depths 168 mixed file types 168 mixing down to stereo 1197 Mixing Preferences 116 MMC (see MIDI Machine Control) Modify Group command 280 Modify Groups command 280 Mojo DX 1355 Momentary Solo Latch option 258 monitoring during punch recording 526 MIDI recording with MIDI Thru 539 monitoring modes 511 Auto Input 511 Input Only 511 Move Edit Down command 639 Move Edit Left command 637 Move Edit Right command 637 Move Edit Up command 639 Move Song Start command 868, 872 moving
recording to a new playlist 527 with QuickPunch 561 Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression option 130, 1308 non-real-time plug-ins 929 Normal Zoom mode 606, 806 Notation Display Track settings 816 Notation view 802 Note Chasing option 777 Note Selector tool 753 notes (see MIDI notes) Notes View 237, 238, 589 Nudge value 660 trimming clips by 659 trimming MIDI notes by 757 nudging 659 by next Nudge value 661 clip contents 661 clips with fades 685 fades 685 multiple clips 660 selection range 635 selection sta
Delay Compensation option 1082 Destructive Record mode 527 Link Track and Edit Selection option 234, 631 Loop Playback option 485 Loop Record mode 529 MIDI Thru command 539 Mirror MIDI Editing command 747 Pre/Post Roll option 524 Pre-Fader Metering option 224 Scrolling options 480 Solo Latch options 258 Transport Online command 1281 Organize Plug-In Menus By option 106, 1099 Original Time Stamp 901, 1291 Other Playlists menu 692 Output Meter Path selector 58, 59 Output Options Sample Rate 1194 Output Path s
PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring option 111 Pencil tool 603, 626, 748 as Eraser 762 drawing automation 1151 editing breakpoints 1153 editing clip gain 944 editing Tempo 851 Free Hand 748 inserting MIDI notes 750 Line 749, 851 Random 749 repairing waveforms with 626 resolution for inserted controller events 765 selecting the Pencil tool shape 748 shapes 748, 1151 Square 749 Triangle 749 Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data option 128, 765, 1152 pending tasks 356 Performance Volume 309 Periphe
linking 1121 Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-Enabled option 118 plug-in inserts 1093 plug-in maps 1114 creating 1116 deleting 1117 importing and exporting 1119 Learn mode 1114 managing 1117 setting default 1118 Plug-In selector for AudioSuite plug-ins 930 for real-time plug-ins 1103 plug-in settings 1110 Plug-In Settings menu 1103, 1109 Plug-In Settings Select button 1103 plug-in windows opening and closing 1105 Plug-ins searching for 1100 plug-ins and pull rates 1281 and surround mixing 1215 automating 11
reserving voices 343 voice requirements 343 Preview Volume AudioSuite 934 previewing audio in browsers 339 clips in the Clips List 295 Previous Setting button (plug-ins) 1103 Prime for Playback mode (Play Pause) 484 Prime for Record mode (Record Pause) 520 Print Score 826 Pro Tools Audio Pull Up and Pull Down 1405 Check For Updates 211 Clock Reference setting 1405 Drop Frame setting 1405 file management 455 Help 211 Knowledge Base 211 link controls 1411 displaying 1412 linking and unlinking systems 1412 mai
Punch Out Frame Offset preference 131 punch points 520 Timeline Selection Markers 521 Punch Preview button 1177 punch recording and monitoring 526 and pre/post-roll 525 audio 525 MIDI 547 MIDI tracks 548 Q Quantize audio clips 1008, 1017 Elastic Audio events 1008, 1016 quantizing clips to grid 663 Real-Time Properties 782 Quantize Clips to Grid command 901 Quantize command 1005, 1006 Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries option 444 Quantize to Grid command 663 Quantize window 1009 quantizing MIDI notes 1008,
from a digital source 533 from Record Pause mode 520 Instrument tracks 542 keyboard shortcuts 519 Loop Record 529 MIDI clips 545 MIDI tracks 542 multichannel tracks 517 multiple audio tracks 519 nondestructively 526 online 1282 QuickPunch mode 564 record enabling tracks 506 Remote mode 1323 status LED 566 System Exclusive data 552 to a new playlist 528 to the system volume 511 undoing a take 518 with a count off 497 with Round Robin Allocation 510 with the click 496 Rectified view 584 ReCycle 399 Redefine C
Reveal in Finder/Explorer 317 Reveal in Workspace command 301 Revert to Saved command 165 Revision History 171 Restore 173 Version List 172 Rewind 477 Rewind button 194 REX files 399 importing 406 RF64 audio file format 459 Root Settings folder 677, 1109, 1110 Round Robin Allocation 510 Ruler View options 839 Bars|Beats Time Scale 837 Feet+Frames Time Scale 838 Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 838 Samples Time Scale 838 Timecode Time Scale 838 Ruler View selector 839 rulers changing display order 839 Conductor ru
a single audio track 624 and edit cursor 624 on two audio tracks 624 playback speed and direction 624 resolution 624 video tracks 1376 with Scrub Trim tool 616 with the Selector 624 S-Curve command (Tempo Operations) 860 SDDS surround formats 1202 Search and assign multiple Send paths 1061 Plug-in Insert menu 1100 Send selector 1060 tags 333 Track Input selector 249 Track Output and assign multiple paths 250 Track Output selector 249 search mode 1314 Secondary Timecode Ruler 838 Select All command 632 Selec
adding 1059 and multichannel mixing 1214 Assignments View 1064 automating 1140 changing default setting 1060 copying track automation to 1141 default level 1059 displaying controls for 1066 for hardware I/O 1063 for mix busses 1063 labeling 1121 mono or stereo 1063 multichannel 1214 removing 1060 view options 1064 Sends Default to -INF option 116 Sends View 1054 Separate Clip commands 654 and multiple tracks 655 and related takes 655 At Selection 654 At Transients 654 On Grid 654 Separate Clip Operates On A
Show Artist Chat button 380 Show Auto-Created option 299 Show Offline Volumes 316 Show Only Tracks in Group command 280 Show/Hide Clips List button 289 Show/Hide Tracks in Group command 280 Show/Hide Tracks List/Groups List View button 243, 279 Shuffle Lock mode 600 Shuffle mode 599 and locked clips 908 and moving clips 898 shuttle fixed mode option 625 Shuttle Numeric Keypad mode 29, 109, 626 Sibelius (.
Use Subframes option 1288 User Time Stamp button 1290 Spot mode 600, 1287 and moving clips 900 trimming clips in 1290 Spot To Edit Insertion 317 spotting auto-spotting 1290 clips 900, 1287, 1289 SRC (Sample Rate Conversion) options 421 Standard MIDI Files 412 exporting 414 importing 412 Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes option 118 start frame (sessions) 1271 start time 1310 start time for Media Composer sequences 1410 Start To Insertion command 657 Start, End, and Length display 521 Starting TC Timeco
Sample Rate 94 System Usage window 102, 104 T T (Transfer volumes) 312 Tab to Transients button 479, 641 Tags adding 335 Assign Tags popover window 336 editing 335 excluding from search 334 searching 333 take over (surround pan) 1231 takes auditioning 530 default names 504 matching alternates 530, 706 MIDI 552 multiple tracks 531, 707 numbering for QuickPunch 562 recording additional 526 selecting an alternate take 530, 706 Tandem Trimming option 619 tapping in the tempo 500 Target button (plug-ins) 1104 T
time stamps 447, 1290 Bounce to Disk 1189 Timebase rulers 837 and Timeline selections 642 Edit Markers 630 Pre/Post-Roll Flags 630 sliding Edit selections 641 sliding Timeline selections 643 Timecode 2 838 Timeline Selection Markers 630 timecode 1405 and Jam Sync 1274 and Pro Tools Drop Frame limitations 1409 capturing 1289 compensating for start time offsets 1400, 1410 forcing a match on a satellite system 1409 freewheeling 1274 generating 1282 matching between Pro Tools/satellite 1410 matching format for
Set Record Tracks to Auto Input 512, 513 Set Record Tracks to Input Only 512, 513 Split Into Mono command 664, 1212 Write MIDI Real-Time Properties command 785 Track Name commands 245 Track Name/Comments dialog 232 Track Number command 233, 645 Track Offset options 421, 433 track ownership rejecting a request for 390 rejecting request 390 relinquishing 388, 390 requesting 388 rescinding 388 responding to a request 388, 389 seizing 388 Track Ownership control 387, 389 Track Ownership Request indicator 381, 3
Ignore for Future Download 245 Import 245 Tracks Presets creating new tracks from 268 trajectory panning 1232 Transfer files 456 selecting in Workspace 317 Transfer volume 309 transients 583 detecting with Beat Detective 724 tabbing to 479, 641 Transparency 591 transparent clip overlays 895 Transport 194 Count Off 497 Meter 499 Metronome 497 Transport Master 1286, 1301, 1303, 1313 machine 1303, 1313 Pro Tools 1303, 1313 Remote 1304, 1321 Remote LTC 1304, 1321 selecting 1303 toggling 1304 transport master 13
Unlock Clip command 907 Unloop Clips command 917 Upload All New Changes button 381 Upload command 385 Upload Ruler Changes control 392 Upload Ruler Changes Right-click menu 393 Upload Track Changes control 385 Use Absolute Pan Linking option 116 Use F11 for Wait for Note option 127, 541 Use MIDI to Tap Tempo option 127 Use Separate Play and Stop Keys option 109 Use Subframes option 1288 User Default setting 1111 User Offset (+/–) field 1084 User Time Stamp 901, 1291 user-defined clips 296, 299, 582 V VCA M
VITC Generate Lines setting 134 Read Lines setting 134 Read Lines, defaults 134 VITC Insertion Enabled option 134 Voice selector 253 voices 560 and track priority 253 Voices meter 104 volume Performance 309 Transfer 309 Volume automation 1154 Volume fader 223 Volume indicator 222 Volume permissions 312 W Wait for Note 197, 540 Warp indicator 984 Warp markers 979 adding 980 deleting 980 relocating (without applying warping) 980 Warp view 972, 979 warped clips (Elastic Audio) 583 warping audio (Elastic Audio
Don’t Limit Search Results 316 Elastic Audio analysis 338 Elastic Audio Plug-In selector 341 exclude tags from search 334 Failed Tasks 356 Find Links 349 indexing 314 Keep Window on Top 316 Linking Options 349 links 344 Loop Audition mode 342 Manually Find and Relink 346 Missing files 344, 345 moving database items 323 navigating 311 Open in New Workspace 317 Paused Tasks 355 Performance Volume 309 preferences 357 previewing 339, 340, 343 Quick Search 325 Regenerate Missing Rendered Files 346 Relink window
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