Pro Tools

Reference Guide
Version 5.1 for Macintosh and Windows

Digidesign Inc.
3401-A Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
tel: 650·842·7900
fax: 650·842·7999

Technical Support (USA)

650·842·6699
650·856·4275

Product Information (USA)

650·842·6602
800·333·2137

Fax on Demand (USA)

1·888·USE·DIGI (873·3444)

International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information.

World Wide Web

www.digidesign.com

Digidesign FTP Site

ftp.digidesign.com
Copyright
This User’s Guide is copyrighted ©2001 by Digidesign, a
division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with
all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual may not
be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology,
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
All features and specifications subject to change without
notice.
PN 932708437-00 REV A 01/01
Contents

Part I Introduction

Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Compatibility Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Digidesign Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 2. Pro Tools System Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

TDM-equipped systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
TDM System Playback, Recording and Voice Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Audio Interfaces for TDM Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Pro Tools LE Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pro Tools LE System Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 3. Pro Tools Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Hard Disk Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Digidesign Audio Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pro Tools Sessions and Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
System Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
MIDI Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 4. Pro Tools Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Mix Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The Transport Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Contents iii
 Chapter 5. Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Global Key Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Keyboard Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Numeric Keypad Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Part II Sessions & Tracks

Chapter 6. Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Starting Up Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Configuring Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Changing the Pro Tools Playback Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Changing DAE Playback Buffer Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Creating a New Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Opening a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Saving a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Creating Custom Session Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Closing a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Quitting Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Sharing Sessions between Pro Tools TDM Systems and Pro Tools LE Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Chapter 7. I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Understanding Paths and I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The I/O Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Creating and Editing Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
I/O Settings Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Default Output, Metering, Audition, and Path Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

iv Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 8. Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Track Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Creating Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Hiding Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Assigning Inputs and Outputs to Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Assigning Voices and Track Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Setting MIDI Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Soloing and Muting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Making Tracks Inactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Adjusting Track Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Color Coding Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Grouping Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Chapter 9. Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Importing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Importing Tracks from Other Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Loading Audio Files with Drag & Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Exporting Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Transferring Audio from CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Conversion Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Exporting Session Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Importing MIDI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exporting MIDI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Chapter 10. File Management and Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Locating Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
WAV File Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Avid File Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Creating Mac and PC Compatible Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Contents v
 Part III Recording

Chapter 11. Record Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Input Connections and Audio Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Record Enabling Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Monitoring Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Monitoring Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Low Latency Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Track Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Disk Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Allocating Hard Drive Space for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Record Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Recording with the Click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Chapter 12. Basic Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Recording a Mono Audio Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Recording a Stereo Audio Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Recording Multiple Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Record Pause Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Recording Additional Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Punch Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Loop Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Auditioning Record Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Setting Punch/Loop Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 13. MIDI Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Recording from MIDI Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Enabling Input Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
MIDI Thru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
MIDI Input Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Input Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Wait for Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

vi Pro Tools Reference Guide

 MIDI Merge/Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Recording a Single MIDI Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Recording Multiple MIDI Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Punch Recording MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Loop Recording MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Recording System Exclusive Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Chapter 14. Advanced Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Using QuickPunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Recording from a Digital Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Half-Speed Recording and Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Part IV Editing

Chapter 15. Editing Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Pro Tools Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Track Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Displaying Region Names and Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Audio Regions and Waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
MIDI Regions and MIDI Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Multiple Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
The Audio and MIDI Regions Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Edit Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
The Universe Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Time Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Tick-Based Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Contents vii
 Chapter 16. Playing and Selecting Track Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Playing Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Scrolling Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
The Scrubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Separate Edit and Timeline Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Selecting Track Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Playing Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Timeline Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Playing Edit and Timeline Selections with the Playhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Chapter 17. Working with Regions and Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Creating New Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Healing a Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Placing Regions in Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
The Trimmer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Sliding Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Nudging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Shift Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Quantizing Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Locking Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Muting/Unmuting Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Edit Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Duplicate Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Repeat Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Merge Paste Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Editing Stereo and Multi-Channel Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Processing Audio with AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Waveform Repair with the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Chapter 18. Advanced Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Replacing Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Repeat Paste To Fill Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Compress/Expand Edit To Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
The Time Trimmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

viii Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 19. Fades and Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Using Crossfades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Creating a Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Creating Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Using AutoFades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Creating Fades and Crossfades in Batches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Chapter 20. Managing Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

Stripping Silence from Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Inserting Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Consolidate Selection Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Managing Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Compacting an Audio File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Chapter 21. Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Tempo Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Default Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Identify Beat Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Meter Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Renumbering Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Memory Locations and Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Memory Locations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Chapter 22. Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

Beat Detective Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
About Beat Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
The Beat Detective Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Defining the Selection for Beat Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Detecting Transients with Beat Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Generating Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Separating and Conforming Regions with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Beat Detective and Collection Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

Contents ix
 Part V MIDI Editing

Chapter 23. MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

Inserting MIDI Notes with the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Manually Editing MIDI Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Continuous Controller Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Program Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
System Exclusive Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Note and Controller Chasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Offsetting MIDI Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Stuck Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Chapter 24. MIDI Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

MIDI Operations Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Select Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Change Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Change Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Transpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Chapter 25. MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

The MIDI Event List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Inserting Events in the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Editing in the MIDI Event List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
MIDI Event List Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Part VI Mixing

Chapter 26. Basic Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Audio Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Viewing I/O, Sends, and Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Track Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Track Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

x Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Output Windows for Tracks and Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Submixing for Signal Routing and Effects Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Mixing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Using a Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Dither . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

Chapter 27. Plug-Ins and Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
The Plug-In Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Hardware I/O Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Connecting and Integrating External Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365

Chapter 28. Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

Automation Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Automation Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Automation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Automation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Viewing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Writing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Enabling and Suspending Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Deleting Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Thinning Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Drawing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Editing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Writing Automation to the Start, End or All of a Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Trimming Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Creating Snapshot Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394

Chapter 29. Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397

Recording to Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Bounce to Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Bounce Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Recording a Submix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Final Mixdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Mastering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

Contents xi
 Part VII Surround

Chapter 30. Surround Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415

Mixing Formats and Surround Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Pro Tools Mixing Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Speaker Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Surround Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Formats and Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Surround Mixing Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422

Chapter 31. Pro Tools Setup for Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425

Pro Tools Audio Connections for 5.1 Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Configuring Pro Tools for Multi-Channel Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Default Path Order, Metering, Output, and Audition Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430

Chapter 32. Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431

Multi-Channel QuickStart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Multi-Channel Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Multi-Channel Signal Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Paths in Surround Mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Example Paths and Signal Routing for a Surround Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Chapter 33. Surround Panning and Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443

Introduction to Pro Tools Surround Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
Output Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Standard Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Surround Panner Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Panning Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
LFE Faders in Multi-Channel Panners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Divergence and Center Percentage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
SurroundScope Metering Plug-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453

xii Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part VIII Synchronization

Chapter 34. Synchronization Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457

Your Sync Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Aspects of Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Syncing Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
SMPTE Frame Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Working with Film-Originated Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

Chapter 35. Time Code Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467

Pro Tools Sync Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
The Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Preparing to Work with SMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Configuring Pro Tools for SMPTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Putting Pro Tools Online. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Generating Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Syncing a Sequencer to Pro Tools on the Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Syncing a Sequencer to Pro Tools in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Using MIDI Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Remote Track Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Syncing Pro Tools to an OMS-Compatible Sequencer using MMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
MIDI Beat Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Spotting Regions to SMPTE Frame Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Time Stamping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Identifying a Sync Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Troubleshooting Sync. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Chapter 36. Working with QuickTime Movies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493

About QuickTime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Movie Playback Quality Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Importing a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Setting the Movie Start Time: Movie Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Spotting Audio to a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Importing QuickTime Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
Bouncing to a new Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502

Contents xiii
 Part IX Pro Tools Menus

Chapter 37. File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505

Chapter 38. Edit Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511

Chapter 39. AudioSuite Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517

Chapter 40. MIDI Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519

Chapter 41. Movie Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525

Chapter 42. Operations Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529

Chapter 43. Setups Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533

Chapter 44. Display Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547

Chapter 45. Windows Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551

Appendix A. DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557

Appendix B. TDM Mixing and DSP Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561

Appendix C. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581

xiv Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part I: Introduction

1
2
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools

Welcome to Pro Tools®. Pro Tools integrates Conventions Used in These Guides
powerful multitrack digital audio and MIDI se-
quencing features, giving you everything you The Pro Tools guides use the following conven-
need to record, arrange, edit, mix, and master tions to indicate menu choices and key com-
professional-quality music. mands:
:

Convention Action

File > Save Session Choose Save Session

The Pro Tools Guides from the File menu
Your Pro Tools System includes the following
Control+N Hold down the Control
guides: key and press the N key

Pro Tools Installation Guides Instructions for in- Option-click Hold down the Option key
stalling Pro Tools software and hardware, and and click the mouse but-
connecting your studio. ton

Right-click (Windows) Click with the right

Pro Tools Reference Guide Instructions for cre-
mouse button
ating sessions, recording, editing, and mixing
with Pro Tools. The following symbols are used to highlight im-
portant information:
DigiRack™ Plug-Ins Guide Instructions for using
the DigiRack Plug-Ins for both real-time and file- User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
based audio processing in Pro Tools. most from your Pro Tools system.
Pro Tools MIDI Control Surfaces Guide Instruc-
tions for operating Pro Tools with various MIDI Important Notices include information that
control surfaces. could affect your Pro Tools session data or
the performance of your Pro Tools system.
Keyboard Shortcut Cards (TDM Systems only)

Separate cards for Macintosh and Windows that

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
list the many keyboard shortcuts not shown in
mouse shortcuts.
the Pro Tools menus.

Online PDF versions of the Keyboard Shortcut Cross References point to related sections in
cards are included for Pro Tools LE systems. the Pro Tools Guides.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 3

 Choose and Select
The words “choose” and “select” are often inter-
changeable in conversational english. In this
guide, however, there is a distinction between
the two terms.

Select When the guide instructs you to select

something, it stays selected. This is the case with
dialog box options and menu items that enable
or disable an option.

Choose When the guide instructs you to choose

something, a one-time action is performed. This
is the case with most menu commands; they
perform their chosen action only once.

Compatibility Information
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved. For a list of Digidesign-
qualified computers, operating systems, and
third-party devices, refer to the latest compati-
bility information on the Digidesign Web site:
www.digidesign.com/compato/

Digidesign Registration
Make sure to complete and return the registra-
tion card included with Pro Tools. Registered us-
ers are entitled to one year of free technical sup-
port, and will receive periodic software updates
and upgrade notices.

4 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 2: Pro Tools System
Configurations

Pro Tools 24
TDM-equipped systems
A core system includes:
Pro Tools TDM-equipped systems are available
• d24 Audio card
in the following configurations:
• DSP Farm card
Pro Tools 24 MIX • Pro Tools software

A core system includes: • Digidesign audio interface

(sold separately)
• MIX Core card
• Pro Tools software
Supported Audio Interfaces
• Digidesign audio interface
(sold separately) You can use the following audio interfaces with
Pro Tools TDM systems:
Pro Tools 24 MIXplus ◆ The 888/24 I/O and 882/20 I/O (as well as
888 I/O and 882 I/O) Audio Interfaces work
A core system includes:
with Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus and
• MIX Core card Pro Tools 24 systems.
• MIX Farm card ◆ The 1622 I/O Audio Interface works with

• Pro Tools software Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus and Pro Tools 24

systems.
• Digidesign audio interface
(sold separately) ◆ The ADAT Bridge I/O Interface works with
Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus and Pro Tools 24.

Pro Tools system performance depends on

factors such as computer processor speed,
amount of system memory, and hard drive
performance. Contact your Digidesign
dealer or visit Digidesign’s Web site for the
latest system requirements and compatibil-
ity information.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools System Configurations 5

 TDM System Playback, Recording and Voice Limits
The following table lists the audio playback, recording, and voice limits of each type of Pro Tools
TDM system. The term virtual voice refers to the maximum number of audio tracks that can share the
available voices on your system. TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems can open sessions with up to 128
audio tracks, but any audio tracks beyond that system’s virtual voice limit will be automatically set to
Voice Off.

All TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems provide a total of 64 internal mix busses. TDM systems also pro-
vide 5 inserts and 5 sends per track, up to the DSP capacity of your system.

Table 1. Pro Tools TDM system audio playback, recording and virtual voice limits

Mono Tracks of
Voices (Mono Tracks of
Core System Type Simultaneous Virtual Voices
Simultaneous Playback)
Recording

Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus 32 or 64 32 or 64 86

Pro Tools 24 32 32 43

Audio Interfaces for TDM Systems

The following table lists the input and output capabilities of the various audio interfaces for TDM-
equipped Pro Tools systems. In expanded TDM systems, audio interfaces can be combined for up to
72 audio inputs and outputs.

Table 2. Pro Tools audio interface channel capabilities

Number of I/O A/D D/A

Interface Type Digital I/O
Channels Conversion Conversion

888/24 I/O 8 in/8 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

882/20 I/O 8 in/8 out 20-bit 20-bit 24-bit

888 I/O 8 in/8 out 18-bit 18-bit 24-bit

882 I/O 8 in/8 out 18-bit 18-bit 24-bit

1622 I/O 16 in/2 out 20-bit 24-bit 24-bit

ADAT Bridge I/O 16 in/16 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

6 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Digi ToolBox XP
Pro Tools LE Systems
An Digi ToolBox system includes:
Pro Tools LE-based systems are available in the
• Audiomedia III card
following configurations.
• Pro Tools LE software
Digi 001
The total processing capacity of a
A Digi 001 system includes: Pro Tools LE-based system depends on the
processing power of your computer. Contact
• Digi 001 PCI card
your Digidesign dealer or visit Digidesign’s
• Digi 001 I/O box Web site for the latest system requirements
• Pro Tools LE software and compatibility information.

Pro Tools LE System Capabilities

The following table lists the playback, recording, and input and output capabilities of each Pro Tools
LE-based system. All Pro Tools LE systems are limited to 24 mono audio tracks. If you open a
Pro Tools session containing more than 24 mono audio tracks on an LE-based system, only the audio
tracks assigned to the first 24 voices will open; if you save the session using Pro Tools LE, any audio
tracks beyond the first 24 will be lost.

All Pro Tools LE systems provide a total of 16 internal mix busses. Pro Tools LE also provides up to 5
inserts and 5 sends per track, depending on your computer’s processing capacity.

Table 3. Pro Tools LE System Audio Playback, Recording, and Channel Capabilities

Mono Tracks of Number of

A/D D/A Digital
System Type Simultaneous Recording/Playback
Conversion Conversion I/O
Playback Channels

Digi 001 24 up to 18 in/18 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

Audiomedia III 24 up to 4 in/4 out 18-bit 18-bit 24-bit

For details on transferring session material between Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools TDM systems, see
“Sharing Sessions between Pro Tools TDM Systems and Pro Tools LE Systems” on page 57.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools System Configurations 7

8 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts

This chapter is an overview of essential digital

audio, MIDI, and digital signal processing con- The Digidesign Audio Engine
cepts, and an introduction to many of these
When you start Pro Tools, an application called
same concepts in Pro Tools.
DAE automatically launches in the background.
DAE, or the Digidesign Audio Engine, is Digide-
sign’s real-time operating system for digital re-
Hard Disk Recording cording systems. When you install Pro Tools,
DAE is automatically installed on your system.
Tape-based recording is a linear medium—you
need to rewind or fast forward a tape to hear a In the same way that a computer’s operating
particular spot in a recording. To rearrange or re- system provides the foundation for programs
peat material in a linear system, you need to re- that run on the computer, DAE provides much
record it. of the hard disk recording, digital signal process-
ing, mix automation, and MIDI functionality re-
Hard disk recording is a non-linear (or random quired by Pro Tools and other products from
access) medium—you can go immediately to Digidesign and its Development Partners.
any spot in a recording without having to re-
wind or fast forward. Pro Tools also takes advantage of your com-
puter’s host processor, sharing certain tasks and
Non-linear systems have several advantages. processing. Performance is determined by your
You can easily rearrange or repeat parts of a re- system and its Playback Engine settings.
cording by making the hard disk read parts of
the recording in a different order. In addition, See also “System Resources” on page 13.
this re-arrangement is non-destructive, meaning
that the original recorded material is not al-
tered.

Pro Tools is a non-linear recording system that

let you rearrange and mix recorded material
non-destructively.

Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 9

 Playback Engine make changes to a session and save those
changes in a new session file. This lets you cre-
All Pro Tools systems let you choose the Play- ate multiple versions of a project or back up
back Engine for a session at any time. your editing and mixing work.

Audio File
When you record audio into a Pro Tools session,
audio files are created.

Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools TDM system

The Playback Engine dialog lets you reconfigure

Audio file icon
Pro Tools to use different Digidesign hardware,
and to re-allocate certain system resources. For Audio files for each session are stored in a folder
more information, see “Configuring Your Sys- named “Audio Files.” Audio files are listed in the
tem” on page 45. Audio Regions List and can appear in a track. A
section of an audio file can be defined as a re-
gion (see “Regions and Loops” on page 11).

Pro Tools Sessions and

Concepts Audio and MIDI Tracks
Pro Tools Tracks are where audio, MIDI, and au-
When you start a project in Pro Tools, you cre-
tomation data are recorded and edited.
ate a session. Some basic elements of sessions are
explained in this section.

Session File
Audio tracks in the Edit window

Pro Tools session file icon

A session file is the document that Pro Tools cre-

ates when you start a new project. The session MIDI track in the Edit window
file contains maps of all elements associated Audio and MIDI tracks can be edited into re-
with a project, including audio files, MIDI data, gions to create loops, re-arrange sections or en-
and all your edit and mix information. You can tire songs, or to assemble tracks using material
from multiple takes.

10 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Audio tracks can be mono, stereo, or any sup- A playlist can be made up of a single region or
ported multi-channel format (depending on many separate regions. It can be made up of
your type of Pro Tools system). similar elements, such as regions from several
different takes of a solo, or dissimilar elements,
such as several sound effects.
Regions and Loops

Channel
The term channel is used to describe several re-
lated components of a Pro Tools system. The
first example of channel refers to a physical in-
Audio region put or output of your Pro Tools system.
A region is a piece of audio or MIDI data that may
have associated automation data. A region Computer 1

Computer 2
7 5 3 1 7 5 3 1 5/6 1/2 5/6 1/2
ANALOG OUTPUT ANALOG INPUT AES/EBU OUTPUT AES/EBU INPUT

could be a loop, a guitar riff, a verse of a song, a 8 6 4 2 8 6 4 2 7/8 3/4 7/8 3/4 8 CH Mode
2 x 4 CH Mode

S/PDIF S/PDIF SLAVE CLOCK SLAVE CLOCK

IN OUT IN OUT

sound effect, a piece of dialog, or an entire

sound file. In Pro Tools, regions are created from Rear view of 888/24 I/O Interface
audio or MIDI files, and can be arranged in au- For example, an 888/24 I/O Audio Interface pro-
dio and MIDI track playlists. vides eight channels of analog input and output
to a TDM-equipped system. A Digi 001 system
Playlist provides up to 18 channels of input and output
to a Pro Tools LE system.

Playlist selector pop-up menu

A playlist is a group of regions arranged on an

audio or MIDI track. You can maintain multiple
edit playlists on a single track. This lets you as-
semble different versions on a single audio or
MIDI track and choose among them with a pop-
up menu on the track.

On audio tracks, a playlist tells the hard disk

which audio files to read in what order. By using Channel strip in the Mix window
several copies of an audio region in a playlist,
The second use of the term channel refers to a
you can repeat a section of a recording without
mixer strip in the Pro Tools Mix window. The
using any additional disk space.
term channel strip refers to the mixer strip of any
track (audio or MIDI track, Auxiliary Input, or
Master Fader) in a session.

Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 11

 Audio and MIDI channel strips have similar Signal routing options include the following:
controls, but those controls have slightly differ-
ent effects. For example, audio and Auxiliary In- Track I/O Controls The most basic type of signal
put channel strip faders control the Pro Tools routing is track input and output. A track needs
mixer, while MIDI channel strip faders send to have an assigned input path to record audio,
MIDI volume data (MIDI controller 7). and an assigned output path in order to be audi-
ble through a hardware output.
The term channel also describes a separate
Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders Auxiliary In-
aspect of MIDI operation. See “System Re-
puts are tracks that can be used as returns, sub-
sources” on page 13.
mixers and bus masters. Master Faders are used
as bus and output master level controls. Both
Signal Routing Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders can have in-
Pro Tools provides software-based mixing and serts or plug-ins.
signal routing controls. These include the Mix
Sends Sends route audio to internal busses to
window and its familiar console-like faders and
send to other tracks in Pro Tools, or to hardware
switches, as well as inserts, sends, and plug-ins.
outputs.

Signal Routing Example Plug-Ins and Inserts Plug-ins and hardware In-
serts process the audio on their associated track.
A common signal routing task is to submix mul-
Plug-in processing occurs completely within
tiple tracks to a single channel strip for shared
Pro Tools. Hardware Inserts utilize audio inter-
processing and level control. The following ex-
face inputs and outputs, for traditional insert
ample shows three tracks of drums submixed to
routing to (and from) external effects and other
a stereo Auxiliary Input.
devices.
Stereo Paths Pro Tools lets you define paths that name
plug-in
and customize audio inputs, outputs, busses,
and inserts. You can customize Pro Tools paths
using the I/O Setup dialog. See Chapter 7, “I/O
Input from
stereo Setup” for more information.
Outputs to Bus path
stereo Bus Output to a
path Mixing Formats Sessions can include combina-
Stereo Output
path tions of mono, stereo, and multi-channel for-
mat tracks, busses, inputs, outputs, and inserts.
(Multi-channel formats are supported on
Pro Tools MIX and MIXplus only.)

Audio Tracks Auxiliary Input

Submixing to an Auxiliary Input

12 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 When inactive, items are:
System Resources • Silent
Track count, plug-in processing, signal path and • “Off,” consuming no associated DSP, mixer, or
routing options, and voice availability are ulti- system resources (making those resources
mately limited by the combined resources avail- available for other uses in the session)
able from the host computer, and from your
• Saved, including associated media, voices, sig-
Pro Tools hardware.
nal path assignments, insert assignments, au-
Pro Tools provides several ways to manage and tomation data, levels, and other parameters
conserve resources to maximize the perfor-
Items in Pro Tools that support Active and Inac-
mance of your system. As you begin working
tive modes include the following.
with Pro Tools sessions and tracks, you can take
advantage of the following features to extend ◆ Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs and Master

the effectiveness of your available DSP and Faders (TDM systems only)
other resources: ◆ Track Inputs and Outputs
◆ System usage settings let you balance the dis- ◆ Sends
tribution of work between your computer and
◆ Side-chain inputs
any Digidesign audio hardware. See “Playback
Engine” on page 10. ◆ Plug-Ins

◆ Active and inactive switching lets you selec- ◆ Hardware Inserts

tively toggle certain items between active (on) ◆ Paths (session-wide)
and inactive (off). This lets you precisely allo-
cate DSP and other resources when developing MIDI tracks cannot be made inactive.
playlists, tracks, and mixes. See “Active and In-
active Items” on page 13. Inactive Items and Resources
◆ TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems provide Different items affect available system resources
flexible voice options for disk tracks. For more in specific ways.
information on voice management and options,
see “Virtual Tracks and Track Priority” on Plug-Ins When a plug-in is inactive on a track, its
page 82. DSP is made available for other plug-ins and
processing. Plug-in assignments can be made in-
active manually, or automatically (see “Auto-
Active and Inactive Items matic and Manual Inactive Mode” on page 14).
You can make inputs, outputs, inserts, side
Paths and Path Assignments When a path or
chains, plug-ins, and tracks active or inactive to
path assignment is inactive, its mixer resources
manage available DSP and time slot resources.
are made available for other signal routing pur-
In addition, Pro Tools will automatically make
poses in the session. Paths and assignments can
things inactive if there are insufficient or un-
be made inactive manually, or automatically
available resources.
(see “Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode” on
When active, items are fully engaged and opera- page 14).
tional.

Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 13

 Tracks (TDM systems only) When an Automatically Inactive Items
audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader is
When opening a session, it is possible that not
made inactive, its plug-ins, inserts, sends, and
all signal paths, plug-ins, or audio interfaces
I/O assignments become inactive.
used in the session will be available as defined
on the current system. Whenever this occurs,
Display of Inactive Items the session will open as it was last saved. All
When items are inactive, their names appear in items that are unavailable, or cannot be loaded
italics, and their background becomes dark grey. due to insufficient resources, are made inactive.
When a track is inactive (TDM systems only),
the entire channel strip darkens. Manual Inactive Switching

You can manually apply Active or Inactive

Active Inactive plug-in
Inactive track modes to manage system resources. By making
an item inactive, its associated resources are
made available elsewhere in the session.

The following are basic instructions for manu-

ally making items inactive. Throughout the
Pro Tools Reference Guide, instructions are pro-
vided whenever an item can be made inactive.

To toggle an item active or inactive:

■ Command-Control-click (Macintosh) or Con-

trol-Start-click (Windows) the item.

You can apply to all or all selected tracks using

standard Pro Tools modifiers (Option and Op-
tion+Shift on the Macintosh, Alt and Alt+Shift
in Windows). Side Chain inputs support direct
active and inactive switching, but do not follow
Active and inactive items and tracks
switching to all or all selected.
Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode
Active and Inactive modes are powerful options
for session transfer, and system resource man-
agement. Pro Tools provides automatic and
manual Inactive mode switching. You can man-
ually make items inactive (or active) to selec-
tively manage system resources while editing
and mixing.

14 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 MIDI Terms
MIDI Concepts
The following are some basic MIDI terms:
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a
communication protocol for musical instru- MIDI Interface Hardware that lets computers
ments. This industry standard enables connec- connect to and communicate with MIDI de-
tions between a variety of devices from different vices.
manufacturers. Examples of MIDI-compatible
MIDI Device Any keyboard, sound module, ef-
equipment include synthesizers, sound mod-
fects device or other equipment that can send or
ules, drum machines, patch bays, effects proces-
receive MIDI information.
sors, MIDI interfaces, and sequencers.
MIDI Controller Any MIDI device that transmits
MIDI devices are equipped with 5-pin DIN con-
MIDI performance data. These include key-
nectors, labeled as either IN, OUT, or THRU.
boards, MIDI guitar controllers, MIDI wind in-
The MIDI OUT port transmits messages; the struments, and others. Controllers transmit
MIDI IN port receives messages; and, MIDI MIDI from their MIDI OUT ports.
THRU echoes whatever is received from the IN
MIDI Control Surface Any device, such as the
port. MIDI devices are connected with MIDI ca-
Mackie HUI, that uses a MIDI connection to
bles that are available at most music stores.
send control messages to a software program,
but is not generally used to record MIDI infor-
mation.
echoed from IN
MIDI Sound Source Any MIDI instrument that
plays back in your arrangements. Sound sources
receive MIDI from their MIDI IN ports.

Multi-timbral The capability of playing several

different instrument sounds (such as piano,
MIDI signal flow
bass, and drums) simultaneously on separate
channels. This makes it possible for a single
Not all devices will have all three MIDI MIDI sound source to play back entire arrange-
ports (IN, OUT and THRU). ments.

A single MIDI cable can transmit a separate set MIDI Channel Up to 16 channels of MIDI perfor-
of messages for each of 16 channels. These 16 mance data can be transmitted on a single MIDI
channels correspond to separate MIDI devices or cable. The channel number separates the differ-
to multiple channels within a single device (if ent messages so your sound sources can receive
the device is multi-timbral). Each channel repre- the right ones.
sents a discreet instrument sound; for instance,
bass on channel 1, piano on channel 2 and Program Change Event A MIDI command that
drums on channel 10. Similar to a multitrack tells a sound source which sound patch to use.
tape recorder, a MIDI sequencer can record com- The MIDI protocol lets you choose from a range
plex arrangements—even using a single multi- of 128 patches.
timbral keyboard.

Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 15

 Bank Select Message A MIDI command that However, to actually hear that second device
specifies the bank of patches from which to (sound source) you’ll need to connect its audio
choose. Many devices have more than 128 outputs to a sound system. Your MIDI instru-
patches and Bank Select messages provide a ments have two signal paths, one for audio and
means of accessing them. another for MIDI.

Local Control A controller setting found on most MIDI does not allow you to use your devices be-
MIDI keyboards that let them play their own yond their capabilities. Particular instruments
sound source. Disabling “local control” ensures have their own sound generation, polyphony,
that a device’s internal sound source is only and multi-timbral limitations.
played by external MIDI messages.

When using Pro Tools, “local control” should

usually be disabled. When “local control” is off,
your keyboard still transmits data to its MIDI
OUT port.

Continuous Controller Events MIDI instructions

that allow real-time changes to notes that are
currently sounding. These include pitch bend,
modulation, volume, pan, and many others.

System Exclusive Data MIDI data commonly

used for sending and retrieving patch parameter
information for storage purposes.

Common Misconceptions about

MIDI
MIDI is not audio. The messages that travel
down a MIDI cable are only numbers that trans-
late to specific instructions. For instance, when
you strike a key on your MIDI keyboard it sends
a message to its MIDI OUT port telling another
device (if connected and set to the same MIDI
channel) to play that particular note.

Signal paths for MIDI instruments

16 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows

Pro Tools provides two complementary ways of Show/Hide Tracks List

viewing a project: the Mix window and the Edit
window. Pro Tools also allows you to control
many functions from the Transport window.
The main elements of these windows are ex-
plained in the following sections.

The Mix Window

In the Mix window, tracks appear as mixer mod-
ules, with controls for inserts, sends, input and Show/Hide Tracks List
output assignments, volume, panning, record-
enable, automation mode, and solo/mute. The This scrolling window lists all tracks in the cur-
following section explains each of these track rent session. It allows you to show or hide a
controls. track by selecting or deselecting its name in the
list. Inactive tracks appear in italics in the
To display the Pro Tools input/output controls, Show/Hide Tracks List.
inserts, sends, and comments, select Display >
Mix Window Shows > All. You can also use this list to reorder tracks by
dragging a track name to a new position within
To toggle between the Mix and Edit win- the list. This track ordering effects voice priority
dows, press Command+equal (Macintosh) for TDM systems. See Chapter 8, “Tracks” for de-
or Control+equal (Windows) on the alpha tails.
keyboard.
The pop-up menu at the top of this list provides
commands that allow you to show or hide all
tracks, or only tracks currently selected on
screen.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 17

 About Groups and Show/Hide Tracks You can also use this list to select grouped tracks
on-screen by clicking to the left of the dotted
Even if a track is hidden, if it is a member of an vertical line next to a group name. The pop-up
enabled group, all Mix window operations per- menu at the top of this list provides commands
formed on other members of the group will also to create, delete or suspend groups. You can link
affect the hidden track—with the exception of au- groups in the Mix Groups and Edit Groups lists.
dio or MIDI record-enabling. If you solo, mute, For more information on grouping, see “Group-
or automation write-enable a grouped track, any ing Tracks” on page 85.
group members that are hidden will be soloed,
muted, or automation write-enabled as well.
These functions are not applied to hidden Audio Track/Channel Strip
tracks.

In the Edit window, however, editing operations

Inserts
performed on members of an enabled group will
not affect hidden tracks that are also members of
the enabled group.
Sends
On TDM systems, even if a track is hidden from
view, its position relative to other tracks still af-
fects its virtual track playback priority (see “Vir-
tual Tracks and Track Priority” on page 82 for Input/Output
details).
Automation Mode

Record Enable/Solo/Mute/Voice
Mix Groups List
Pan Slider
Opens Output window
Group ID

Volume Fader

Level Meter

Track Type
Selector
Track Name
Mix Groups List

Track Comment
The Mix Groups list shows all groups in the ses-
sion. It allows you to activate a group by select-
ing its name in the list. A group is only enabled Audio channel strip
(meaning that its members are linked for mix-
Each audio track has its own set of controls for
ing purposes), when its name is highlighted in
volume, pan, panner window, record-enable,
this list.
automation mode, solo, mute, comments, and
(on TDM systems) voice assignment.

18 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Send with
Send Controls Real-Time Plug-In

Inserts
Show/Hide
View
Tracks List

Sends
View

I/O View
Automation
Mode Selector
Rec Enable,
Solo, Mute
Output window
buttons
button
Channel Pan
Group ID
Indicator

Channel
Mix Groups
Volume
List

AutoMatch Level Meter

Indicator

Track Name

Track
Comments
View

MIDI
Mono Auxiliary Track
Audio Track Input

Stereo Master
Audio Track Fader

Figure 1. Pro Tools Mix window

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 19

 MIDI Track/Channel Strip Mix Window Track Controls

Record Enable button

MIDI Channel

Automation Mode Selector

Automation Mode Voice Selector

Record Enable/Solo/Mute/Patch Mute button

MIDI Pan
Solo button
MIDI Volume
Mix window, controls for audio and MIDI tracks

Record Enable Button

MIDI Velocity Meter
The Record Enable button puts audio and MIDI
tracks into record-ready mode. Once a track is
record-enabled, click the Record and Play but-
tons in the Transport window to start recording.
Track Name
When the Operation Preference for Latch
MIDI channel strip Record Enable Buttons is selected, you can
Each MIDI track has its own set of controls for record enable more than one track at the same
volume, pan, record enable, automation mode, time by clicking the Record Enable button on
solo, mute, MIDI patch assignment, and MIDI each track. If the Latch Record Enable Buttons
channel assignment. MIDI tracks can be added preference is deselected, Shift-click to record en-
to a session with the New Track command. able multiple tracks.

Record Safe Mode

Pro Tools provides a Record Safe mode that al-

lows you to disable recording capability on any
track in a session. This prevents you from inad-
vertently record enabling a track. To toggle
Record Safe mode, Command-click (Macintosh)
or Control-Click (Windows) the track’s Record
Enable button.

Solo Button
The Solo button mutes all other tracks so a track
can be auditioned alone. More than one track
can be soloed at the same time.

20 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When the Operation Preference for Latch Solo Voice Selector
Buttons is selected, you can solo more than one
(TDM Systems Only)
track at the same time by clicking the Solo but-
ton for each track. If the Latch Solo Buttons
preference is deselected, you can Shift-click to
solo multiple tracks.

Solo Safe Mode

Pro Tools also allows you to solo safe a track.

This prevents the track from being muted even
if you solo other tracks. This feature is useful for
tracks such as Auxiliary Inputs that are being
used as effects returns (for example, a reverb
send), allowing the effects track to remain in a
mix even when other tracks are soloed. It is also
useful to solo safe MIDI tracks so that their play-
back is not affected when you solo audio tracks.
Audio track Voice Selector
To toggle Solo Safe mode, Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-Click (Windows) the On TDM systems, the Voice Selector is used to
Solo button on the track. Do this again to turn set the voice assignment for audio tracks. Tracks
off Solo Safe on a track. can be assigned to a specific voice number, or
they can be assigned to Auto. When tracks are
Mute Button auto-voiced, Pro Tools automatically assigns
tracks to the next available voice that is not in
The Mute button silences a track. More than one use. Auto-voiced tracks are especially useful
track can be muted at the same time. On TDM when working with stereo and multi-channel
systems, if the Mute Frees Assigned Voice option tracks, where Pro Tools can conveniently han-
is selected, muting a track will free up any voices dle the voice allocations for these multi-voice
tracks.
allocate its voice to the next highest priority vir-
tual track allocated to that voice in your session. To ensure that a track will be heard, assign it to
a specific voice (or voices). For stereo and multi-
Automation Mode Selector channel surround tracks, voices appear in pairs
and multi-channel groups. Tracks with assigned
The Automation Mode selector allows you to
voices take priority over auto-voiced tracks.
choose a track’s automation mode. Once a track
When more than one track is assigned to the
is automation write-enabled, starting playback
same voice (voices in use by another track ap-
will start writing automation (depending on the
pear bold in the Voice Selector), track priority is
mode you have chosen). Any automation
determined by the track’s position in the Mix or
moves that you make on the track can then be
Edit window, with the track farthest to the left
played back exactly as you performed them.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 21

 in the Mix window, or closest to the top in the Output Selector
Edit window, being given priority. This track
(Audio Tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master
priority scheme also applies to tracks that are
Faders)
auto-voiced.

For more information on voices and track prior-

ity, see “Assigning Voices and Track Priority” on
page 80.

Input/Output View

Input Selector
Audio track Output Selector

Output Selector The Output Selector allows you to route a track

to any configured audio output or internal bus.
Level/Peak/Delay Indicator The choices available in this pop-up menu are
Pan Indicator determined by the I/O Setup configuration.
Outputs in use by another track appear as bold
Inputs/Outputs view in channel strip
in the Input Selector.
The I/O View shows Input and Output Selectors
on audio and MIDI tracks. Both types of tracks MIDI Input Selector
show volume and pan values in this view. To
(MIDI Tracks)
show the I/O View, select Display > Mix Win-
dow Shows (or Edit Window Shows) > I/O View.

Input Selector
(Audio and Auxiliary Input Tracks)
‘

Audio track Input Selector MIDI Input Selector

The Input Selector allows you to route any audio This selector allows you to choose which MIDI
input or any of the Pro Tools internal busses to device and channel a MIDI track is receiving in-
an audio track or an Auxiliary Input track. The put from. This allows you to set up Pro Tools to
choices available in this pop-up menu are deter- record multiple MIDI tracks in the same record
mined by the I/O Setup configuration. Inputs in pass. Channels in use by another track input ap-
use by another track appear as bold in the Input pear as bold in the MIDI Input Selector.
Selector.

22 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Device/Channel Selector Level/Peak/Channel Delay Indicator
(MIDI Tracks) The Level Indicator on an audio track has three
modes: Level Indicator, Peak Indicator, and
Channel Delay Indicator. Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-Click (Windows) this
button to toggle between these modes.

Level Indicator Shows the current volume/input

level of a track as set by the track level fader.

Peak Indicator Functions as a headroom indica-

tor based on the last peak playback level. To re-
set the peak counter, click anywhere in the
meter. Values range from +6 dB (highest level
MIDI Device/Channel Selector signal), to ∞ (no signal).

The MIDI Device/Channel Selector allows you Channel Delay Indicator Shows the delay, in
to route the MIDI track to a device and channel. samples, incurred by any TDM plug-ins on that
Channels in use by another track output appear channel.
as bold in the MIDI Device/Channel Selector.
Pan Indicator
Default Program
The Pan Indicator displays the current pan set-
(MIDI Tracks) ting of a track. Pan values range from <100 (full
left) to 100> (full right). Pan controls are only
available for stereo tracks or mono tacks routed
to a stereo output.

Pan Slider
The Pan slider controls the balance of a track be-
Default Program button in channel strip tween the assigned output pair. It only appears
The Default Program button opens the Program if you are using stereo tracks or mono tacks
Change window, where you can specify a de- routed to a stereo output.
fault program for the track. The track’s default
The Pan slider on a MIDI track is only effective if
program is transmitted each time the track
you are controlling a sound module that sup-
plays.
ports MIDI panning.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 23

 Output Window Track Level Meter
The Output window contains visual controls for On audio tracks, level meters indicate the level
track panning and volume. This window ap- of the signal being recorded or played back from
pears differently for mono, stereo, and multi- the hard drive. Green indicates nominal levels;
channel tracks. For multi-channel mixing, there Yellow indicates pre-clipping (–6 dB below full
is also an X/Y panner Output window available. scale); and Red indicates clipping. When a track
For more information on using multi-channel is record-enabled, these meters indicate record
Output windows, see Chapter 33, “Surround levels.
Panning and Mixing.”
You can globally set level meters to indicate pre-
or post-fader levels by selecting or de-selecting
Operations > Pre-Fader Metering. When pre-
fader metering is selected, the level meters show
levels independent of fader position. With post-
Pan controls fader metering, the level meters respond to fader
position.

If clipping occurs, the topmost LED will stay lit

(red). In addition, Pro Tools meters provide a
Level Faders peak hold feature with three options:

To choose a peak hold setting, choose Setups >

Preferences, click Display, and select one of the
Peak Hold options: 3 Second Peak Hold, Infinite
Peak Hold, or No Peak Hold.

You can clear a meter’s clipping or peak hold in-

dicator by clicking anywhere on the meter. To
clear all meters, Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-
Mono Stereo
click (Windows) any meter.
Output windows (mono and stereo tracks)
On MIDI tracks, the level meter shows the MIDI
Track Level Fader velocity of the most recent MIDI event.

The track level fader controls the volume of a

track when it is in playback, and the monitor
Track Name
level of the track when it is in record. You can When new tracks are created with the New
link the record and monitor levels by enabling Track command, they are given a default name
the Operation Preference for “Link Record and which can be changed at any time by double-
Play Faders.” clicking the track name or choosing File > Re-
name Selected Tracks.
The level fader on a MIDI track is only effective
if you are controlling a sound module that sup-
ports MIDI volume.

24 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Insert Controls When you display the controls for an individual
send, you also have the option of displaying
Click Insert Selector to assign an insert Send Level Meters.

Click Insert button open the

Plug-In or Insert window Send Pan
Send Level
Pre/Post button
Send Level Meter
Send Mute
Inserts view in channel strip
Sends View showing individual send controls
Pro Tools provides up to five pre-fader inserts
per audio track or Auxiliary Input. The inserts
Track Comments View
can be either hardware inserts or software plug-
ins. To assign an insert, click the Insert Selector The Comments View shows any comments en-
in the inserts section of a track. tered in the Track Name/Comments dialog. You
can also type directly in the Comments area for
each track when it is displayed. To display the
Send Controls
Comments View, select Display > Mix Window
Shows (or Edit Window Shows) > Comments.
Click Send Selector to assign a send

Click Send button to open the

Sends window The Edit Window
The Edit window provides a timeline display of
audio and MIDI data and mixer automation for
Sends View in channel strip editing and arranging tracks. As in the Mix win-
dow, each track has controls for record enable,
Pro Tools provides up to 5 mono or stereo sends
solo, mute and automation mode.
per audio track or Auxiliary Input, for sending
signals to external signal processors or any of To display the input and output controls, in-
the Pro Tools internal busses. Sends can be ei- serts, sends, and comments, select Display > Edit
ther pre- or post-fader. To assign a send to a Window Shows > All.
track, click the Sends Selector in the sends sec-
tion of the track.

Send level, pan and mute controls can be ad-

justed from the Send window, or directly from
the sends section of a track by showing individ-
ual send controls.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 25

 Event Edit Area
Zoom Buttons Grid and
Edit Mode Nudge Values
Editing Tools
Buttons Location Indicators

Tab to Transients,
Commands Focus,
Link Selections
Audio
Regions
Rulers List

Show/Hide
Tracks List Audio
Waveform
View
Audio Track

Volume
Automation
View

MIDI Track

Edit Groups
List

Selected Region
MIDI Notes View MIDI Regions List

MIDI Velocity View

Figure 2. Pro Tools Edit window

26 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Edit Window Track Controls Playlist Selector

Record Enable button

Track Name

Playlist Selector

Automation Mode Selector Playlist Selector

Mute button Tracks have edit playlists and automation play-

lists. You can create any number of edit playlists
Voice Selector for a track, and assign them by clicking the Play-
Track Height Selector
list Selector in the track and choosing from the
pop-up menu. Each track has a single set of au-
Track View Selector tomation playlists, according to the type of
Solo button track and any send or plug-in assignments. You
choose the automation playlist to display with
Edit window track controls (medium track height) the Track View Selector.

Record Enable Button

Track Height Selector
See “Record Enable Button” on page 20.

Solo Button
See “Solo Button” on page 20.

Mute Button
See “Mute Button” on page 21.
Track Height Selector

Automation Mode Selector Tracks can be viewed in the Edit window at any
of six heights: Mini, Small, Medium, Large, Jumbo,
See “Automation Mode Selector” on page 21. and Extreme. The appearance of track controls
varies with track height. You can adjust track
Voice Selector height by clicking either the Track Height Selec-
(TDM Systems Only) tor or in the area just to the right of the track
controls.
See “Voice Selector” on page 21.
Track Name
See “Track Name” on page 24.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 27

 Track View Selector Edit Modes, Tab to Transients,
Commands Focus, and Linked
Selections

Edit Mode

Tab to Transients Link Selections

Track View Selector Commands Focus

The Track View for each track determines which Edit mode buttons in Edit window
data is displayed and edited in the track’s playl-
Shuffle Sets the Edit mode to Shuffle, which re-
ist area.
stricts the placement of regions so that they
The Track View for audio tracks can be set to snap to each other and are placed end to end.
Blocks, Waveform, Volume, Pan, Mute, Send Level,
You can press F1 to set the Edit mode to
Send Mute, Send Pan, or any plug-in parameters
Shuffle, and on the Macintosh, you can
that have been automated. Except when editing
press Option+1 on the alpha keyboard.
automation data, audio tracks are usually set to
Waveform view. Spot Sets the Edit mode to Spot, which causes
the Spot dialog to open when moving or trim-
Auxiliary input tracks can be set to Volume, Pan,
ming regions and notes. The Spot dialog lets you
Mute, or any plug-in parameter that has been au-
enter a precise start, end, or length (in any time
tomated. Master Fader tracks can be set to Vol-
format) for the event.
ume, or any plug-in parameter that has been au-
tomated.
You can press F2 to set the Edit mode to
MIDI tracks can be set to Blocks, Regions, Notes, Spot, and on the Macintosh, you can press
Volume, Pan, Mute, Velocity, Pitch Bend, After Option+2 on the alpha keyboard.
Touch, Program, Sysex, and any continuous con-
Slip Sets the Edit mode to Slip, which allows re-
troller type. Except when editing controller
gions and notes to be moved and trimmed
data, program changes, or sysex events, MIDI
freely. Regions can placed so that there is space
tracks are usually set to Notes or Regions.
between them, or so that they overlap.

You can press F3 to set the Edit mode to

Slip, and on the Macintosh, you can press
Option+3 on the alpha keyboard.

Grid Sets the Edit mode to Grid, which con-

strains edits and selections to the current Grid
value.

You can press F4 to set the Edit mode to

Grid, and on the Macintosh, you can press
Option+4 on the alpha keyboard.

28 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Tab to Transients Enables navigation to tran- Vertical Zoom In/Out (Audio) Zooms in and out
sients in audio waveforms, placing the cursor vertically for audio tracks. Option-click (Macin-
just before the detected transient peak when tosh) or Alt-click (Windows) either of the Verti-
pressing the Tab key. cal Zoom buttons to return to the previous
zoom level.
Commands Focus (TDM Systems only) Enables
the Commands Focus, which provides a wide While pressing Command+Option (Macin-
range of single-key shortcuts from the alpha tosh) or Control+Alt (Windows), you can
keyboard for editing and playing. use the bracket keys to zoom in and out ver-
tically for all audio tracks.
You can press Command+Option+1 (Mac-
intosh) or Control+Alt+1 to enable the Vertical Zoom In/Out (MIDI) Zooms in and out
Commands Focus. vertically for MIDI tracks. Option-click (Macin-
tosh) or Alt-click (Windows) either of the Verti-
Link Selections Links the Edit and Timeline se- cal Zoom buttons to return to the previous
lections, allowing you to set play and record zoom level.
ranges by selecting in a track’s playlist. When
unlinked, you can make Edit selections without While pressing Command+Shift (Macin-
disturbing the Timeline selection. tosh) or Control+Shift (Windows), you can
use the bracket keys to zoom in and out ver-
You can press Shift+slash to link and un- tically for all MIDI tracks.
link the Edit and Timeline selections.
Zoom Presets Recalls horizontal zoom values
Zoom Buttons for audio and MIDI tracks. Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-click (Windows) a Zoom
Vertical Zoom Preset button to store the current horizontal
In/Out (MIDI)
zoom values.
Vertical Zoom
In/Out (Audio)
While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the
Start key (Windows), you can recall a Zoom
Horizontal Horizontal Preset by typing its number on the alpha
Zoom Out Zoom In
keyboard.

Zoom Preset Buttons

On TDM systems, with the Commands Fo-
Zoom buttons in Edit window cus enabled, you can recall a Zoom Preset
Horizontal Zoom In/Out Zooms in and out hori- by typing its number on the alpha key-
zontally for all tracks. Option-click (Macintosh) board.
or Alt-click (Windows) either of the Horizontal
Zoom buttons to return to the previous zoom
level.

While pressing Command (Macintosh) or

Control (Windows), you can use the bracket
keys to zoom in and out horizontally.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 29

 Edit Tools For TDM systems, choose Trimmer tools from
the Trimmer pop-up:
Trimmer Grabber
Selector Scrubber

Trimmer pop-up menu

Zoomer Smart Tool Pencil
• Scrub Trimmer, scrubs audio material to find
Edit tools in Edit window
the trim point before performing the trim.
Zoomer Click or drag with the Zoomer tool to
• TCE Trimmer, expands or compresses audio
zoom in horizontally for a track or Ruler. Press
material to fit within a time range.
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows)
while dragging to zoom horizontally and verti- To select and toggle through the three Trim-
cally. mer tools, press F6, or press Command+2
(Macintosh) or Control+2 (Windows) on
To go back to the previous zoom level, Option-
the alpha keypad.
click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) with
the Zoomer. Selector Drag with the Selector in a track’s play-
list for an Edit selection, or in a Timebase Ruler
To zoom a selection so it fills the Edit window,
for a Timeline selection.
Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the Zoomer tool. To zoom out so that all To adjust the length of a selection, Shift-click or
regions are visible in the Edit window, double- Shift-drag with the Selector. To extend an Edit
click the Zoomer tool. selection to other tracks, Shift-click with the Se-
lector in the desired tracks.
To select the Zoomer tool, press F5, or press
Command+1 (Macintosh) or Control+1 To temporarily switch the Selector to the Scrub-
(Windows) on the alpha keypad. ber, press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key
(Windows).
Standard Trimmer To resize regions or MIDI
notes, drag or click near their start/end points To select the Selector tool, press F7, or press
with the Trimmer tool. To reverse the direction Command+3 (Macintosh) or Control+3
of the Trim cursor, which determines whether (Windows) on the alpha keypad.
the start or end point is edited, press Option
(Macintosh) or Alt (Windows). Time Grabber Use the Grabber to select or move
entire regions, MIDI events, and Conductor
The Trimmer can also be used to scale the values events. The Grabber can also be used to edit and
for note velocities, controller events, and auto- insert automation breakpoints.
mation breakpoints.
Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) with the Grabber to delete tempo and
meter events, Markers, and automation break-
points.

30 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Choose these Grabber tools from the Grabber Choose from the Pencil pop-up any of the five
pop-up: shapes, which can be used to affect a range of
note velocities, controller events, or automation
breakpoints.

Grabber pop-up menu

• Separation Grabber, separates selections into

new regions.
• Object Grabber (TDM systems only), allows
selection of discontiguous regions, which can Pencil pop-up menu
even be on different tracks.
To select and toggle through the five Pencil
To select and toggle through the three Grab- shapes, press F10, or press Command+6
ber tools, press F8, or press Command+4 (Macintosh) or Control+6 (Windows) on
(Macintosh) or Control+4 (Windows) on the alpha keypad.
the alpha keypad.
Smart Tool The Smart Tool lets you use the Se-
Scrubber Drag with the Scrubber to scrub up to lector, Grabber, and Trimmer, as well as create
two audio tracks—right for forward, left for re- fades, without switching tools. Depending on
verse. The resolution for the Scrubber is deter- where the cursor is placed in relation to a region
mined by the zoom level, and the distance and or note, the Smart Tool automatically switches
speed dragged determine the speed and length to the appropriate tool. For details, see “Using
for the scrubbed audio. the Smart Tool” on page 32.
For finer resolutions without zooming, press To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) Scrubber, press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
while scrubbing. key (Windows).
To select the Scrubber tool, press F9, or To select the Smart Tool, press F6+F7, or
press Command+5 (Macintosh) or Con- press Command+7 (Macintosh) or Con-
trol+5 (Windows) on the alpha keypad. trol+7 (Windows) on the alpha keypad.
Pencil Use the Pencil tool to insert MIDI notes,
edit velocities for a range of MIDI notes, draw
automation and controller events, and repair
audio waveforms (when zoomed down to the
sample level).

Press Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows) and

the Pencil changes to an Eraser, which can be
used to delete notes, program changes, and
sysex events.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 31

 Using the Smart Tool ◆ For a fade-in or fade-out, position the cursor
near an audio region’s start or end point, near
With the Smart Tool you can instantly access the top. Once the Fade cursor appears, drag into
the Selector, Grabber, and Trimmer, and you can the region to set the fade length. The fade is cre-
also perform fades and crossfades. The position ated automatically with the Default Fade Set-
of the cursor in relation to a region or note, or tings (in the Editing Preferences).
within an automation playlist, determines how
◆ For a crossfade, position the cursor between
the Smart Tool functions.
two adjacent audio regions, near the bottom.
Once the Crossfade cursor appears drag left or
right to set the crossfade length. The crossfade is
created automatically with the Default Fade Set-
Smart Tool in Edit window
tings (in the Editing Preferences).

To select the Smart Tool, click its icon in the up- To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
per left of the Edit window, or press F6+F7 (or Scrubber, press Control (Macintosh) or the
F7+F8). Start key (Windows).

The Smart Tool in Waveform View The Smart Tool in Notes View

Selector
Fade-In Selector Fade-Out

Trim Trim Trim

Start End End
Trim Grabber
Start
Grabber Crossfade
Smart tool in Notes view
Smart Tool in Waveform view
The following capabilities are available with the
The following capabilities are available with the Smart Tool when working with MIDI tracks in
Smart Tool when working with audio tracks in Notes view:
Waveform or Blocks view, or MIDI tracks in Re-
◆ For the Selector, position the cursor so it
gions view:
doesn’t cover any notes.
◆For the Selector, position the cursor over the
middle of the region, in the upper half. To get the Selector while positioning the cursor
◆For the Grabber, position the cursor over the over notes, press Command (Macintosh) or
middle of a region, in the lower half. Control (Windows).
◆ For the Grabber, position the cursor over the
◆ For the Trimmer, position the cursor near the
region’s start or end point. note, near its middle.

32 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To get the Marquee so you can select a group of The Smart Tool with Stereo and Multi-
notes, position the cursor so it doesn’t cover any Channel Tracks
notes and press Command (Macintosh) or Con-
trol (Windows). When using the Smart Tool on stereo and multi-
channel tracks, individual channels cannot be
◆ For the Trimmer, position the cursor near the independently edited. All edits affects all chan-
note’s start or end point. nels as a whole.

To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the The tool switching for the Smart Tool in stereo
Pencil, press Control (Macintosh) or the and multi-channel tracks is determined by the
Start key (Windows), for the Eraser, press position within the entire track, and not within
Control+Option (Macintosh) or Start+Alt individual channels.
(Windows).

The Smart Tool in Automation and Event Edit Area

Controller Views
Selection Note
The following capabilities are available with the Indicators Attributes
Smart Tool when working in automation and
controller views: Pitch
Attack Velocity
◆ For the Selector, move the cursor so it is posi-
Release Velocity
tioned anywhere in the bottom 75% of the play-
list. Event Edit Area showing MIDI track information

◆ For the Grabber, press Command (Macintosh) Start Displays the start point for a selected re-
or Control (Windows) to insert breakpoints. gion or note, or for an Edit selection. To move
Continue pressing Command (Macintosh) or the start point, enter a new value in this field.
Control (Windows) after you begin editing for
fine control, otherwise release for coarse con- End Displays the end point for a selected region
trol. or note, or for an Edit selection. To move the
end point, enter a new value in this field.
Press Command+Shift (Macintosh) or Con-
trol+Shift (Windows) to vertically constrain Length Displays the length for a selected region
movement. or note, or for an Edit selection. To change the
length of the region, note, or Edit selection, en-
◆ To edit existing breakpoints, move the cursor
ter a new value in this field. This will move the
near a breakpoint and the Grabber will appear.
end point later to extend the length to the new
Press Shift to vertically constrain movement. value.

◆ For the Trimmer, position the cursor in the Pitch Displays the pitch (including octave num-
top 25% of the playlist to trim breakpoints. Press ber) for a selected note. To change the pitch, en-
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) ter a new value in this field, or select the field
after you begin trimming for fine control. and play a note on your MIDI controller.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 33

 Attack Displays the attack velocity for a selected To change the time format for the Main or Sub
note. To change the velocity, enter a new value Time Scale, choose from the pop-up menu to
in this field, or select the field and play a note on the right of the fields.
your MIDI controller.
To highlight the Main Location Indicator,
Release Displays the release velocity for a se- press Equal (=) on the numeric keypad.
lected note. To change the velocity, enter a new Press period (.) to navigate the different
value in this field, or select the field and play a time fields in an indicator, press Enter to go
note on your MIDI controller. to the new location.

Press slash (/) on the numeric keypad to au- Grid Value Defines the Grid boundaries used in
tomatically select the Start field, and to Grid mode, and when quantizing regions. The
navigate from one field to the next. Press Grid value, selected from the pop-up menu to
Enter on the numeric keypad to accept a the right of this field, can be based on the Main
value. Time Scale or any of the other time formats.

Nudge Value Displays the time value used when

Location Indicators, Grid/Nudge
nudging. The Nudge value, which can be based
Values, Current Cursor Display on the Main Time Scale or any other time for-
mat, can be selected from the pop-up menu to
Location Indicators
Grid/Nudge Values the right of this field, or by typing in any value
you want.

In addition to nudging regions and notes, you

can also nudge start and end points for regions
and notes, start and end points for selections,
Cursor Value and region contents. See Chapter 17, “Working
Cursor Location
with Regions and Selections.”
Edit window display showing MIDI track information
Cursor Location Provides feedback on the cur-
Location Indicators Displays the current play po-
rent cursor location. This location is displayed
sition in the Main and Sub Time Scales. To move
in the time format for the Main Time Scale.
the Timeline insertion point to a different loca-
tion, click in either field, type in the new loca- Cursor Value Provides feedback on the current
tion and press Enter. cursor value. The type of value displayed de-
pends on the Track View: for example, note
number for Notes view, velocity value for Veloc-
ity view, and dB value for Volume view.

34 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Edit Groups List Audio Regions List and Pop-up
Menu

mono
region
stereo
region

selected
region

Edit Groups List

The Edit Groups list shows all groups in the ses- All audio regions that are recorded, imported, or
sion. It allows you to activate or deactivate a created by editing appear in the Audio Regions
group by selecting or deselecting its name in the List. Regions can be dragged from the list to
list. A group is only enabled (meaning that its tracks and arranged in any order.
members are linked for editing purposes), when
its name is highlighted in this list. Using the Audio Regions List pop-up menu (at
the top of the list) you can sort this list by a va-
You can also use this list to select grouped tracks riety of attributes. You can also select, rename
on-screen by clicking to the left of the dotted and clear regions from the session, and import
vertical line next to a group name. The pop-up and export audio from the session.
menu at the top of this list provides commands
to create, delete or suspend groups. You can link
groups in the Edit Groups and Mix Groups lists. MIDI Regions List and Pop-up
For more information on grouping, see “Group- Menu
ing Tracks” on page 85.

All MIDI regions that are recorded, imported, or

created by editing appear in the MIDI Regions
List. Regions can be dragged from the list to
tracks and arranged in any order.

Using the MIDI Regions List pop-up menu (at

the top of this list), you can sort this list by a va-
riety of attributes. You can also rename and
clear regions from the session, as well as import
MIDI from this menu.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 35

 Stop Stops playback or recording.
The Transport Window
You can also stop the Transport with the follow-
The Transport window can be set to show basic ing shortcuts:
transport controls, counters, and MIDI controls.
• Press the Spacebar.
The counters in the Transport window mirror
the Location Indicators at the top of the Edit • With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Trans-
window. port, press 0.

Return to Zero Fast Forward Play Starts playback or (if the Record button was
Rewind Play Go to End clicked first) recording from the Timeline inser-
tion point.
Online Stop Record

With the Transport stopped, Control-click

(Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows) Play to
toggle Loop Playback mode. When enabled, a
Pre-Roll
loop symbol appears in the Play button.
Post-Roll
You can also initiate playback with the follow-
Transport Master Start, End, and Length
for Timeline Selection ing shortcuts:
Transport window showing basic transport controls • Press the Spacebar.

Online Puts Pro Tools online so that playback • With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Trans-
and recording is triggered by an external time port, press 0.
code source.
You can play at half-speed with the following
Return to Zero Locates to the beginning of the shortcuts:
session. • Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
(Windows) the Play button.
You can press Return (Macintosh) or Enter
on the alpha keyboard (Windows) to locate • Press Shift+Spacebar.
to the beginning of the session.
Fast Forward Fast forwards from the Timeline in-
Rewind Rewinds from the current play location. sertion point. You can also click repeatedly to
You can also click repeatedly to rewind incre- fast forward incrementally (by an amount based
mentally (by an amount based on the Main on the Main Time Scale).
Time Scale).
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Transport, you can fast forward by pressing
Transport, you can rewind by pressing 1. 2.

Go to End Locates to the end of the session.

You can press Option+Return (Macintosh)

or Control+Enter on the alpha keyboard
(Windows) to locate to the end of the ses-
sion.

36 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Record Arms Pro Tools for recording (the button Post-Roll Specifies the amount that plays after
flashes). Clicking Play then initiates recording. the end of a play or record range. Post-roll is use-
ful in punch recording since playback continues
With the Transport stopped, Control-click after the punch-out point so you can check for a
(Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows) Record to smooth transition to previously recorded mate-
cycle through the four record modes. The rial. To set the post-roll amount, enter a new
Record button changes to indicate the currently value in this field, or drag the Post-Roll flag in
selected mode: blank for Nondestructive, “D” the Main Timebase Ruler.
for Destructive, a loop symbol for Loop Record,
and “Q” for QuickPunch. To enable post-roll, click the Post-Roll button to
the left of the post-roll field so it becomes high-
You can also begin recording with the following lighted.
shortcuts:
• Press F12. Start Specifies the beginning of the play or
record range. You can set the start point by en-
• Press Command+Spacebar (Macintosh) or tering a location in this field, or by dragging the
Control+Spacebar (Windows). corresponding Playback Marker in the Main
• With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Trans- Timebase Ruler.
port, press 3.
End Specifies the end of the play or record range.
To initiate recording at half-speed, press You can set the end point by entering a location
Command+Shift+Spacebar (Macintosh) or in this field, or by dragging the corresponding
Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). Playback Marker in the Main Timebase Ruler.

Pre-Roll Specifies the amount that plays before Length Specifies the length for the play or record
the beginning of a play or record range. Pre-roll range. You can set the length by entering a loca-
is particularly useful in punch recording since it tion in this field, or by selecting a range in any
provides you with time to “catch the beat” be- Timebase Ruler.
fore reaching the punch-in point. To set the pre-
When the Edit and Timeline selections are
roll amount, enter a new value in this field, or
linked, you can drag in a track’s playlist to
drag the Pre-Roll flag in the Main Timebase
set the play and record range.
Ruler.

To enable pre-roll, click the Pre-Roll button to Transport Master Specifies the “master” for
the left of the pre-roll field so it becomes high- transport functions. Click this button and
lighted. choose from the pop-up menu to select the
Transport Master, which can be set to Pro Tools,
Machine, MMC, and Remote. See “Using MIDI
Machine Control” on page 479 for details.

Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 37

 MIDI Controls Countoff When selected, Pro Tools counts off a
specified number of measures (indicated in the
Wait for Note button) before playback or recording begins.
Countoff
Double-click the Countoff button, to open the
Click MIDI Merge
Click/Countoff Options dialog.

With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to

Transport, you can press 8 to enable the
Tempo Countoff.

MIDI Merge When selected (Merge mode), re-

Meter
corded MIDI data is merged with exiting track
Conductor
material. When deselected (Replace mode), re-
Transport window showing MIDI controls
corded MIDI data replaces existing track mate-
Wait for Note When selected, recording does not rial.
begin until a MIDI even is received. This ensures
that you begin recording when you’re ready to You can press Option+A (Macintosh) or
play, and that the first note, or other MIDI data, Alt+A (Windows) to enable MIDI Merge, or
is recorded precisely at the beginning of the with the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
record range. Transport, press 9.

You can press F11 to turn on Wait for Note, Conductor When selected, Pro Tools uses the
unless the Operation Preference for “Dis- tempo map defined in the Tempo Ruler. When
able F11 for Wait for Note” is selected. deselected, Pro Tools switches to Manual Tempo
mode and ignores the Tempo Track.
Click When selected, a metronome sounds dur-
In Manual Tempo mode, you can enter a BPM
ing playback and recording (as specified by the
value in the tempo field, or tap in the tempo by
settings in the Click/Countoff Options dialog).
clicking the Tap button.
Double-click the Click button to open the
Meter Displays the session’s current meter based
Click/Count Options dialog.
on the play location. Double-click the Meter
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to button to open the Change Meter window.
Transport, you can press 7 to enable the
Tempo Displays the session’s current tempo
Click.
based on the play location. In Manual Tempo
mode, you can enter a BPM value into this field.
In addition, when the tempo field is selected,
you can tap in a tempo from a MIDI controller.

38 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts

List and Parameter Selection

Global Key Commands
• Selection of tracks in Show/Hide List
This section shows keyboard shortcuts that ap- • Enabling of groups in Groups List
ply to many functions in Pro Tools.
• Automation Enable window parameters
Channel Strip/Track Functions • Setting memory location parameters
• Changing Automation mode
Command Macintosh Windows
• Enabling playlists
Toggle item & set all Option-click Alt-click item
• Adding plug-ins others to same new item
• Record enabling, soloing, and muting tracks state

• Record safing and solo safing tracks Toggle item & set all Command- Control-click
others to opposite click item item
• Assigning inputs, outputs, and sends state
• Toggling volume/peak/delay display
Controls and Editing Tools
• Clearing meters
◆ Use to move plug-in controls, faders and slid-
• Changing track heights
ers, the Scrubber, and automation data

Command Macintosh Windows Command Macintosh Windows

Apply action to all Option + Alt + Fine adjustment of Command- Control-

channel action action sliders, knobs & click item click item
strips/tracks breakpoints

Apply action to Option + Alt + Shift

selected channel Shift + + action
strips/tracks action

Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 39

 Commands Focus (TDM Systems Only)
Keyboard Focus
When selected, this provides a wide range of
The Keyboard Focus in Pro Tools determines shortcuts from the alpha keyboard for editing
how the alpha keys function. Depending on and playing.
which Keyboard Focus is enabled, you can use
the keys on your alpha keyboard to select re- With the Commands Focus disabled, you can
gions in the Audio or MIDI Regions List, enable still access any of its key shortcuts by pressing
or disable groups, or perform an edit or play Control (Macintosh) or the Start key (Windows)
command (TDM systems only). along with the key.

Audio Regions Focus When selected, audio re-

Audio Regions List gions can be located and selected in the Audio
Key focus
Regions List by typing the first few letters of the
Commands region’s name.
Key focus
MIDI Regions Focus When selected, MIDI re-
gions can be located and selected in the MIDI
Groups List
Key focus Regions List by typing the first few letters of the
region’s name.

Groups List Focus When selected, Edit and Mix

Groups can be enabled or disabled by typing the
Group ID letter.

MIDI Regions List Refer to the Keyboard Shortcut Card that

Key focus came with your Pro Tools package (TDM
systems only) for a complete list of key-
Keyboard Focus buttons board shortcuts. This card is also available
in PDF format in the Release Notes and
To set the Keyboard Focus: Documentation folder.
■ Click the a-z button for the focus you want to
enable.
– or –

While pressing Command+Option (Macintosh)

or Control+Alt (Windows), press
1 (Commands), 2 (Audio Regions List), 3 (MIDI
Regions List), or 4 (Groups List).

You can only enable one Keyboard Focus at a

time. Enabling a Keyboard Focus will disable the
one previously selected.

40 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Transport
Numeric Keypad Modes
This mode allows you to set a number of record
The Operation preference for Numeric Keypad and play functions, and also operate the Trans-
Mode determines how the numeric keypad port from the numeric keypad.
functions. :

Function Key
No matter which Numeric Keypad Mode is se-
lected, you can always use the numeric keypad Click on/off 7
to select and enter values in the Event Edit Area,
Countoff on/off 8
Location Indicators, and Transport fields.
MIDI Merge/Replace mode 9
To set the Numeric Keypad Mode:
Loop Playback mode on/off 4
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
Loop Record mode on/off 5
tion.
QuickPunch mode on/off 6
2 Under the option for Numeric Keypad Mode,
select on of the following modes, then click Rewind 1
Done.
Fast Forward 2

Record 3
Classic
Play/Stop 0
This mode emulates the way Pro Tools worked
in versions earlier than 5.0. With the Numeric
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Trans-
Keypad Mode set to Classic, you can:
port, you can also:
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock
mode. Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
mode. Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
key (Windows), followed by 0-9 for different
key (Windows), followed by 0-9 for different
play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse di-
play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse di-
rection.
rection.
• Recall Memory Locations by typing the Mem-
• Recall Memory Locations by typing period,
ory Location number, followed by period.
the Memory Location number, and period
again.

Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 41

 Shuttle
(TDM Systems Only)

Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, dif-

ferent from that of Shuttle Lock Mode. With the
Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle, playback
of the current Edit selection is triggered by press-
ing and holding the keys on the numeric key-
pad—playback stops once the keys are released.
Various playback speeds are available in both
forward and reverse. In this mode, pre/post-roll
are ignored.
:

Function Key

1 X Forward 6

1 X Rewind 4

4 X Forward 9

4 X Rewind 7

1/4 X Forward 3

1/4 X Rewind 1

1/2 X Forward 5+6

1/2 X Rewind 5+4

2 X Forward 8+9

2 X Rewind 8+7

1/16 X Forward 2+3

1/16 X Rewind 2+1

Loop Selection (1 X) 0

With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle,

you can also:
• Recall Memory Locations by typing period,
the Memory Location number, and period
again.

Shuttle Lock mode is not available when the

Numeric Keypad Mode is set to Shuttle.

42 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part II: Sessions & Tracks

43
44
Chapter 6: Sessions

This chapter covers some of the basics of start- Once you have quit Pro Tools, shut down your
ing a project in Pro Tools, including how to set Pro Tools system in this order:
up and save a Pro Tools session. 1 For TDM systems, turn off audio interfaces.

2 For TDM systems with an expansion chassis,

turn off the expansion chassis.
Starting Up Your System
3 Turn off your computer.
In order for the components of your Pro Tools
4 Turn off any MIDI interfaces and devices.
system to communicate properly with each
other, you need to start them up in a specific or- 5 Turn off external hard drives.
der.

Start your Pro Tools system in this order:

Configuring Your System
1 For TDM systems with an expansion chassis,
turn on the expansion chassis. When you first use Pro Tools, or when you
change the physical input and output scheme
2 Turn on external hard drives, if any. Wait ap-
for your system, you must configure the Hard-
proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to ware Setup in Pro Tools. This ensures that your
speed. audio hardware is appropriately configured and
3 Turn on any MIDI interfaces and devices. available in Pro Tools.

4 For TDM systems, turn on Pro Tools audio in-

Host and RTAS Processing
terfaces. Wait at least ten seconds for them to
initialize. Pro Tools LE uses host (CPU) processing to pro-
vide audio track recording, playback, mixing,
If you launch Pro Tools without turning on your
and effects processing. Pro Tools TDM can also
audio interfaces, you will be prompted to turn
use host processing to run RTAS plug-ins for ef-
them on. Allow about ten seconds for audio in-
fects processing.
terfaces to power-up cycle before clicking OK.
Pro Tools hardware setup allows you to set a
5 Turn on your computer.
hardware buffer and allocate a percentage of
CPU resources for these tasks.

Chapter 6: Sessions 45
 RTAS on Pro Tools TDM Systems Pro Tools TDM Hardware Setup
On TDM systems, it is recommended that you
To configure the Hardware Setup:
set the hardware buffer size at 128 samples, and
the CPU usage percentage at 65%. These settings 1 Choose Setups > Hardware.
are the system minimums, and they should al-
low you to get good processing power from your
RTAS plug-ins without slowing down the on-
screen response of Pro Tools. These settings will
work best on a fast computer (e.g. G4 or Blue &
White G3).

On a slower TDM system like a Power Macintosh

9600 or a beige G3, you should increase these
settings. The Hardware Buffer size can be set as
high as 1024 samples, and the CPU usage per-
centage can be set as high as 85%. This will in-
crease the amount of processing you can get
from RTAS plug-ins on slower systems.

In addition to slower screen redraws and

and UI responsiveness, larger Hardware
Buffer sizes can affect automation accuracy Hardware Setup dialog (Pro Tools TDM)
for plug-in parameters and mute data. 2 For systems with multiple interfaces con-
nected to multiple cards, select the Digidesign
RTAS on Pro Tools LE Systems
card type from the Card pop-up.
On LE systems, it is recommended that you set
The following steps should be repeated for any
the Hardware Buffer size to 128 samples, and the
additional cards with connected interfaces.
CPU Usage Limit to 65%. These settings are the
system minimums, and they should allow you 3 From the Interface port pop-up, select the port
to get good processing power from your RTAS to which your audio interface is connected (port
plug-ins without slowing down the on-screen A or port B).
response of Pro Tools. These settings will work
best on a fast computer (such as a Power Macin- Choose port A if only one audio interface is con-
tosh G4 or fast Pentium III). nected to the card. If two audio interfaces are
connected to the selected card, follow the steps
However, on a slower system, to get maximum below for each port and interface.
track count and processing power, you should
4 From the Sample Rate pop-up, select a sample
use a higher Hardware Buffer size and CPU Us-
rate.
age Limit. At the maximum settings of 1024
samples and 85%, on most qualified systems,
you should be able to get 24 audio tracks with
plug-ins at these settings.

46 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 From the Sync Mode pop-up, select the appro- Pro Tools LE Hardware Setup
priate sync mode on the currently selected inter-
face (Internal or Digital). In most cases you will To configure the Hardware Setup:
use Internal. Digital is used primarily for input-
1 Choose Setups > Hardware.
ting digital audio from DAT or other digital
sources.

6 From the Ch 1–2 Input pop-up, select the in-

put format of Channels 1–2 of the currently se-
lected interface.

7 From the H/W Buffer pop-up, select the audio

buffer size, in samples, for host processing tasks
such as RTAS plug-in processing. Select larger
buffer sizes for slower computers.

8 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up, select the

maximum percentage of CPU resources to allo-
cate to host processing tasks. Select higher CPU
usage percentages for slower computers.

9 Click Other Options for additional configura-

tion options specific to the audio interface. Hardware Setup dialog (Pro Tools LE)
These include:
2 From the Sample Rate pop-up, select a sample
• Setting the input format (analog or digital) of rate.
each pair of input channels on a 888/24 I/O
3 From the Sync Mode pop-up, select the appro-
• Configuring the level sensitivity and peak priate sync mode on the currently selected inter-
hold settings for the output level meters on face. In most cases you will use Internal. S/PDIF
the front panel of the 888/24 I/O (RCA) is used primarily for inputting material
• Enabling DAC Muting (mutes the 888/24 I/O from a DAT or other digital sources. Optical (on
digital-to-analog convertors when its output Digi 001 systems only) is used primarily for in-
level falls below a certain threshold, to reduce putting material from an ADAT or other ADAT-
noise) lightpipe-equipped device.

• Setting the input and output levels on an 4 From the H/W Buffer pop-up, select the audio
882/20 I/O or a 1622 I/O buffer size, in samples, for host processing tasks
• Selecting S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam such as audio and MIDI track playback, mix au-
DA30 DAT recorders tomation, and RTAS plug-in processing. Select
larger buffer sizes for slower computers.
10 Configure the Other Options parameters and
click Done.

11 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.

Chapter 6: Sessions 47
 5 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up, select the
maximum percentage of CPU resources to allo- Changing the Pro Tools
cate to host processing tasks. Select higher CPU Playback Engine
usage percentages for slower computers.
Pro Tools allows you to select different Playback
6 Click Other Options for additional configura- Engines depending on your system configura-
tion options specific to your system. These in- tion. The Playback Engine determines which
clude: Pro Tools card is used to for Pro Tools recording
• Setting the input gain for analog inputs 3-8 and playback features. Supported Digidesign
on a Digi 001 cards include the Pro Tools MIX card, d24 card,
Digi 001, or Audiomedia III card.
• Setting the input gain for the analog inputs
on an Audiomedia III On TDM systems, the Playback Engine is also
• Boosting the output gain for an used to change the audio interface assignments
Audiomedia III for each card.

• Enabling the Mic/Line High-Pass Filter for a

To change an audio interface assignment:
Digi 001
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
• Selecting S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam
DA30 DAT recorders

7 Configure the Other Options parameters and

click Done.

8 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.

Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools MIX system

2 Choose the card you want to configure from

the Card pop-up menu.

3 If available, choose the port to which your au-

dio interface is connected from the Interface
port pop-up.

48 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Choose the audio interface connected to the
currently displayed card or port. Changing DAE Playback
5 Set the Sample Rate, Sync Mode, and Channel
Buffer Size
1–2 format for the audio interface. The DAE Playback Buffer size determines the
amount of memory allocated within DAE to
6 Select the audio buffer size, in samples, for
manage disk buffers, which affects system per-
host processing tasks.
formance.
7 Select the maximum percentage of CPU re-
sources to allocate to host processing tasks.

8 Click Other Options to configure additional

options for the audio interface.

A Pro Tools session created on one Pro Tools

system configuration can be opened and used
on a different Pro Tools system configuration.
When you change the Playback Engine while a
session is open, the session will be saved, closed
and reopened to enable your new Playback En-
gine choice. DAE Playback Buffer Size dialog

If you change from a TDM-based Playback En- Though DAE automatically selects the optimal
gine (MIX 64 Voice, MIX 32 Voice, or d24) to a Playback Buffer for your system, you may want
Pro Tools LE -based Playback Engine (Digi 001 to adjust this parameter to modify your system’s
or Audiomedia III), you will lose any tracks, bus- performance:
ses, or I/O assignments that exceed the limits of ◆ Allocating a larger buffer can sometimes allow
the Pro Tools LE system. Any TDM plug-ins that for a higher density of edits. This can be useful if
do not have RTAS equivalents will also be made you experience system performance problems
inactive. in sessions with a large number of edits in rapid
succession.
◆ Allocating a smaller buffer can sometimes im-
prove playback/recording initiation speed. This
can be useful if you are experiencing a time lag
when you initiate playback/recording.

You should also note the following:

◆ Choosing a smaller buffer can make it difficult
for slower hard drives to play or record tracks re-
liably.
◆ Choosing a larger buffer can cause a time lag
to occur before playback or recording begins. It
can also cause a time lag to occur when you are
editing during playback.

Chapter 6: Sessions 49
 Macintosh When you record a new audio track, the track is
saved as a new audio file to the Audio Files
To change DAE’s Playback Buffer size: folder. You can also import other audio files into
the session, and work with them as well.
1 If you are running Pro Tools, quit Pro Tools.

2 Locate and open DAE by double-clicking it. (It

is inside the DAE folder within your System
Folder.)

3 From the DAE File menu, choose Set Playback

Buffer Size.

4 Adjust the buffer size and Click OK.

5 Quit DAE. The next time you open Pro Tools, Typical session folder
it will use the playback buffer size you have se-
lected. For details on allocating audio tracks to different
hard drive locations, including shared media
volumes, see “Disk Allocation” on page 117.
Windows
In Windows, you can change the DAE Buffer To create a new session:
size from the Pro Tools application. 1 Choose File > New Session.

To change the DAE Buffer Size:

■ Choose Setups > DAE Buffer Size and adjust
the Buffer Size. Restart your computer for this
change to take effect.

Creating a New Session

The first step in beginning a Pro Tools project is
creating a new session. When you do this,
Pro Tools automatically creates a new folder
named for your session. Within this folder is the
session file and two other folders, an Audio Files
folder, and a Fade Files folder. New Session dialog

The Audio Files folder contains all audio re- 2 Choose the drive where you want to save the
corded during the session. The Fade Files folder session. The session should be created on a ded-
contains any crossfaded audio data generated by icated audio drive.
the session.

50 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Select “Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” (Mac-
intosh) or “Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility” Opening a Session
(Windows) if you want to create session and au-
When you open a session, Pro Tools looks in the
dio files that can be used in either Macintosh or
session directory for associated audio and fade
Windows versions of Pro Tools. See “Creating
files.
Mac and PC Compatible Sessions” on page 107
for more information.
To open an existing session:
4 Select the audio file format for the session.
1 Choose File > Open Session.

For optimum compatibility between Windows

and Macintosh sessions, set the file type to
WAV. SDII sessions are not supported on Win-
dows systems, and Pro Tools prevents you from
choosing SDII as the file type if Enforce Mac/PC
Compatibility is selected.

5 Select the bit depth (16 bit or 24 bit) and the

sample rate.

6 Select the I/O Settings to use for the session. Open Session dialog
Several pre-configured I/O Settings are included
2 Locate the session you want to open and click
with your system, or you can select a custom I/O
Setting that you have created. See Chapter 7, Open.
“I/O Setup” for more information.

7 Name the Session.

Opening a Session that Contains
Unavaliable Items
8 Click Save.
You are prompted (see Figure 3) when opening a
session that contains unavailable I/O, DSP re-
Choosing a Bit Depth
sources, plug-ins, or unsupported tracks. This is
When choosing a bit depth for your session, common when transferring sessions to systems
consider the disk space and DSP mixing power with different Digidesign hardware.
your selection will require. 24-bit sessions oc-
cupy about 50% more disk space. Fewer mixer
channels are available with 24-bit sessions on
TDM systems (see Appendix B, “TDM Mixing
and DSP Usage”). On LE systems, 24-bit sessions
require more processing power as well. It is not
possible to combine different bit depths within
a single session.

Figure 3. Opening a session with unavailable items

Chapter 6: Sessions 51
 The dialog contains a summary of the missing To save a session:
session components. To save a text file contain-
■ Choose File > Save Session.
ing a more detailed report, along with the result-
ing action, click OK in the dialog. If you have made changes to a session since you
last saved it, you can discard the changes and re-
Following are some actions that may occur
vert to its previously saved state.
when opening a session with unavailable items:
◆ Unsupported tracks for the current system are To revert to the last saved version of a session:
discarded. These could be Movie tracks or multi-
■ Choose File > Revert to Saved.
channel surround tracks.
◆Inserts assigned to unavailable plug-ins are
made inactive.
Save Session As Command
◆ Inputs, outputs, and sends that are assigned to The Save Session As command is useful for sav-
unavailable paths, are dropped. ing a copy of the current session under a differ-
ent name, or to a different hard drive location.
Because the Save Session As command closes the
current session and lets you keep working on
Saving a Session the renamed copy, it is particularly useful if you
You should save regularly while working on are experimenting and want to save successive
your session to ensure that your work is pre- stages of the session.
served on your hard drive.
By working this way, you can quickly retrace
your steps should you want to go back to an ear-
Speeding up Saves by Reducing the lier version of your session. By using the Save
Disk Cache Size Session As command you are saving a new ver-
(Macintosh Only) sion of the session file only—not duplicate ver-
sions of the audio or fade files.
To speed up session saves and disk bounces, it is
recommended that you reduce the Cache Size To save a session under another name:
(in the Memory Control panel) for your Macin-
1 Choose File > Save Session As.
tosh to 512k.
2 Enter a new name for your session and click

Saving the Session File Save to save the session.

The Save Session command saves the changes The renamed session document is saved in the
you have made to your session and writes them session folder along with the original session.
over the previously saved version of the file. The Any new audio files that you record in your re-
Save Session command cannot be undone. named session will be placed into the same Au-
dio Files folder that was created for your original
session.

52 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Saving a Copy of the Session Session Format

You can use the Save Session Copy In command You can save the session copy in the following
to save a copy of the current session, along with formats:
a its audio files, to a different file and hard drive • Pro Tools 5.1
location. In addition, you can specify a session
• Pro Tools 5
file format, audio file format, bit depth, and
sample rate for the session copy. • Pro Tools 4. 16-bit
• Pro Tools 4, 24-bit

When saving 5.1 sessions to Pro Tools 5 or ear-

lier, multi-channel tracks and multi-mono plug-
ins are lost. When saving a 5.1 session to an ear-
lier session format, make sure to first separate
the tracks and plug-ins to individual mono
tracks.

Session Parameters

Audio File Type

You can save the session as a WAV or AIFF ses-

sion. You can also save a session as SDII format
on the Macintosh.

NOTE: SDII sessions are not supported for

Pro Tools in Windows. For this reason, you cannot
set the session audio file type to SDII on the Mac-
Save Session Copy dialog
intosh if Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility is selected.
Unlike the Save Session As command, Save Ses-
sion Copy In does not close the original session, Using Mixed File Types
so subsequent edits are made to the original ses- A session can use mixed audio file types. If your
sion. Session copies can be used to archive im- original session has mixed file types, they are
portant sessions, or as a means to prepare ses- not converted to a different file type unless you
sions for transfer to another Pro Tools system. specify that they be converted. However, when
using mixed file types, audio performance will
be reduced (due to additional file handling re-
quired for some file formats).

Bit Depth

You can save the new session at 16-bit or 24-bit

depth. If your session is in a different bit depth,
audio files are converted to the new session bit
depth, and copied to the location you specify.

Chapter 6: Sessions 53
 Sample Rate Don’t Copy Fade Files

You can save the new session at 44.1 kHz or With this option selected, Fade Files are not cop-
48 kHz sample rate. If your session is at a differ- ied to the new session Fade Files folder. When
ent sample rate, audio files are converted to the the session is launched, the Find Files dialog will
new session sample rate, and copied to the loca- prompt you to locate Fade Files. You can either
tion you specify. locate the existing fades using the find file dia-
log, or Skip All to let Pro Tools recreate the fades
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility (Macintosh) from the session document.
Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility (Windows)
Root Plug-In Settings Folder
This setting forces Macintosh or Windows ver-
sions of Pro Tools to create sessions and audio When this option is selected, the contents of the
files that are usable on both platforms. For more root-level Plug-In Settings Folder are copied into
information, see “Creating Mac and PC Com- a folder named Place in Root Settings Folder, indi-
patible Sessions” on page 107. cating that these files will need to be moved to
the root level plug-in settings folder on the des-
Items to Copy tination system before you can use them. The
references to these settings files in the session
Audio Files and Session Plug-In Settings Folder are not redirected to point to the copied files.

When this option is selected, all audio files and

Movie/Video Files (Macintosh Only)
the session’s Plug-In Settings Folder are copied
to the new location. The references to these When this option is selected, session movie files
plug-in settings in the session are redirected to (QuickTime video files or AVoption or
point to the copied files. AVoption XL video files) are copied to the new
location, and session references are updated to
This setting is automatically selected if you are point to the copied movie files.
changing bit depth or sample rate, or copying a
session on the Macintosh from SDII format to
To save a session copy in a new location:
AIFF or WAV format with Enforce Mac/PC Com-
patibility selected. 1 Choose File > Save Session Copy In.

2 Select “Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” (Mac-

Force Audio Files to Native Session Type intosh) or “Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility”
This option ensures that all files in the new ses- (Windows) if you want to create session and au-
sion are in the session file type you select, by dio files that can be used in either Macintosh or
converting files of different types to the session’s Windows versions of Pro Tools. See “Creating
file format. Use this setting to avoid the reduced Mac and PC Compatible Sessions” on page 107
performance of a session with mixed file types. for more information.

3 Choose a destination and type a name for the

This setting is automatically selected if you are
new session file.
changing bit depth or sample rate, or copying a
session on the Macintosh from SDII format to 4 Select the session file type for the session copy.
AIFF or WAV format with Enforce Mac/PC Com-
patibility selected.

54 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 Select the session parameters (audio file for- 5 Locate the session file that you just saved.
mat, bit depth, and sample rate) for the session
6 Click once on the file to select it.
copy.
7 Choose File > Get Info. A file information win-
6 Select the Items to Copy to the new session.
dow appears.
7 Click Save to save the session in the new loca-
tion.

Creating Custom Session

Templates
You can create custom session documents that
are pre-configured to the track setups, mixer set-
ups, window arrangements, and zoom level
memory locations that you use most frequently.
Doing this will save you the trouble of having to
create your studio setup from scratch every time Saving a session as a Stationery pad (Macintosh)
you start a new session.
8 Click the Stationery Pad check box to save the
file as a template, then close the information
Creating Macintosh Templates window.

You can create a session template on the Macin- To use this template, double-click it or open it
tosh by saving a session file as a Stationery pad with the Open Session command if you are al-
document. Once a session is saved as stationery, ready running Pro Tools. You can create several
it acts as a template that you can open and then custom templates for studio setups that you fre-
resave as a normal session. quently use.

To create a custom session template: When you open a session saved as a Stationery
pad, Pro Tools gives you the option of editing
1 Create a session and arrange the Pro Tools as the template or starting a new session using the
desired. You can also define the parameters template settings. If you choose New Session,
within these windows, such as signal routings, Pro Tools will create a new folder containing a
insert and send configurations, track views, copy of your session template and Audio and
Ruler settings, and Preference settings. Fades folders.
2 Choose File > Save Session.

3 Name the session and click Save.

4 Close the session.

Chapter 6: Sessions 55
 Creating Windows Templates To use this template, double-click it or open it
with the Open Session command. When you
In Windows, you can create a session template first save the session, Pro Tools will ask you to
by making a session file a Read Only document. give the session a new name. Your original ses-
sion template will remain unchanged.
To create a custom session template in Windows:
To modify the session template, you will need to
1 Create a session and arrange the Pro Tools as
reopen its Properties, deselect the Read Only op-
desired. You can also define the parameters
tion and select the Archive option, make your
within these windows, such as signal routings,
modifications, then change it back to a Read
insert and send configurations, track views,
Only file.
Ruler settings, and Preference settings.

2 Choose File > Save Session.

3 Name the session and click Save. Closing a Session

4 Close the session. Because Pro Tools allows you to work on just
one session at a time, you must close the current
5 Locate the session file that you just saved.
session if you want to work on another. The
6 Right-click the file and choose Properties. Close Session command closes your current
Pro Tools session but leaves the Pro Tools appli-
7 Under Attributes, deselect Archive and select
cation open. You can save your work using the
Read Only.
Save Session or Save Session As command before
closing the current session.

To close a session:
■ Choose File > Close Session.

Quitting Pro Tools

Although Pro Tools will warn you before allow-
ing you to quit without saving changes, you
should generally save your work before quitting.

Making a session a Read Only file (Windows) To quit Pro Tools on the Macintosh:
8 Click OK. ■ Choose File > Quit.

To exit Pro Tools in Windows:

■ Choose File > Exit.

56 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sharing Sessions between
Pro Tools TDM Systems and
Pro Tools LE Systems
Pro Tools makes it easy to share sessions be-
tween Pro Tools LE and TDM-equipped systems.
There are some important differences between
the two types of systems that can affect how ses-
sion material is transferred.
Differences between TDM and LE systems

Feature TDM Systems LE Systems

Number of up to 128 limited to 24

Tracks

Number of 64 busses 16 busses

mix busses

Inserts per up to 5 inserts up to 5 inserts

Track

Sends per up to 5 sends up to 5 sends

Track

When opening a TDM session in Pro Tools LE,

the following rules apply:
◆ Any tracks beyond the first 24, as well any in-
active tracks, are discarded.
◆ Multi-channel surround tracks are discarded.
◆Any assignments to busses beyond 16 are
made inactive.
◆ Input and output paths not available are dis-
carded.
◆ TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents are re-
tained; those without equivalents are made in-
active.

Chapter 6: Sessions 57
58 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 7: I/O Setup

The I/O Setup dialog provides tools to label, for-

mat, and map Pro Tools input, output, insert, Understanding Paths and
and buss signal paths. I/O Setup
What is I/O Setup? A path is a logical grouping of multiple inputs,
outputs or busses that has a single name and
During sessions, audio is routed using the track (channel) format. In Pro Tools, paths are similar
input, output, insert, plug-in, and send selec- to stems, known to the film and video industries
tors. The selectors let you assign tracks to hard- (see “Stems and Stem Mixes” on page 61 for
ware outputs and inputs, internal busses, and more information).
other Pro Tools signal paths. The signal path
choices available in Pro Tools sessions are based Each Pro Tools system can have a different
on the current I/O Setup. I/O Setup configuration, determined by:
• Whether it is a Pro Tools LE system, or a TDM-
The I/O Setup dialog lets you name and define
equipped Pro Tools system
input, output, insert, buss, and SampleCell path
so that Pro Tools best suits the needs of your • The number and types of audio interfaces
projects. For example, renaming Input 1 to Kick (TDM systems only)
In. (SampleCell paths are available on TDM- • The Mixer plug-in currently installed (Sur-
equipped systems only.) round, 24-bit, or 16-bit)

Each Pro Tools session retains its path configu-

rations as I/O Settings. The I/O Settings saved
with the session are loaded into Pro Tools auto-
matically when the session is opened. Unavail-
able items, including hardware, paths, or re-
quired resources) remain in the session as
inactive items (see “Active and Inactive Paths”
on page 68).

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 59

 When you create new sessions you can specify a Paths and I/O Setup
default I/O Setup configuration, including pre-
sets s for stereo or multi-channel mixing formats The signal routing choices available in track se-
(multi-channel mixing requires a Pro Tools 24 lectors are defined in the I/O Setup dialog.
MIX system)

The I/O Setup dialog lets you customize signal

path, as well as save and load I/O Settings files.

Paths in Sessions
Paths comprise the lists of available choices in
track I/O selectors and other menus.

I/O Setup dialog, Output paths, on a Digi 001 system

Track Input and Output selectors, Digi 001

Track Input and Output selectors, TDM

I/O Setup dialog, Output paths, on a TDM system with

two interfaces

60 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Main Paths and Sub-Paths Multi-channel settings files are available for
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems. These settings pro-
Paths in the I/O Setup dialog include main and vide specialized path definitions for surround
sub-paths. mixing. See “Configuring Pro Tools for Multi-
Channel Sessions” on page 426.
Main Paths
Main paths are logical groupings of inputs, in- Defaults
serts, busses or outputs. For example, Main Out Default names for input, output, and insert
is often the name of a master stereo output. paths are based on your audio interfaces.
Sometimes appended with “L/R” for left/right,
this is an example of a signal path named by its Pro Tools LE Default path names are based on
content (the main stereo mix). hardware and operating mode. Digi 001 pro-
vides several I/O modes for selecting from its va-
Sub-Paths riety of analog and digital input and outputs.

A sub-path represents a signal path within a Pro Tools TDM Systems Default path names are
Main Path. For example, a default stereo output based on audio interface names and channels.
path consists of two mono sub-paths, left and
right. Mono tracks and sends can be routed to Stems and Stem Mixes
either mono sub-path.
The use of stems and stem mixes originated in
the post-production industry as ways to orga-
Stereo main path nize and manage elements of a mix by type or
mono sub-path content.

mono sub-path For example, a film mix often requires a stem

mix for Foley, a stem mix for sound effects, a
Main and sub-paths in the I/O Setup Channel Grid
stem mix for dialog, another for music, and so
on. The dialog stem (for just one example) con-
Preset I/O Settings
tains all the dialog elements, mixed relative to
Default path definitions are installed automati- each other. Dialog can then be mixed with the
cally by Pro Tools, so you can begin recording other stems during the final mix of the scene or
and mixing without requiring any configura- reel. The final mix is simplified (somewhat) by
tion of the I/O Setup dialog. Default I/O Settings the ability to control the level of each each stem,
files configure the I/O Setup dialog with a com- rather than the multitude of individual tracks
bination of mono and stereo path definitions of that comprise a typical film mix.
all types, depending on your system and hard-
In Pro Tools, you can work with main and sub-
ware configuration. As mixing and signal rout-
paths as you would stem mixes. These can be as-
ing needs require, you can customize the
signed as needed, including the ability to assign
I/O Setup configuration in numerous ways (see
multiple outputs to tracks and sends. See “Mul-
“The I/O Setup Dialog” on page 62).
tiple Output Assignments” on page 337 for
more information.

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 61

 The I/O Setup Dialog
The I/O Setup dialog defines Pro Tools input, output, insert, and buss paths.

Path Type selector

Format Selector Channel Grid

Active/Inactive

Expand/Collapse

Main and Sub-Paths

Path Tools

Figure 4. I/O Setup dialog on a Digi 001 system

To open the I/O Setup dialog: Closing the I/O Setup Dialog
1 Make sure your audio interfaces are enabled You can click Cancel at any time to close the
and configured properly in the Playback Engine I/O Setup dialog. However, when you click OK
dialog. Pro Tools must check several settings for routing
2 Choose Setup > I/O Setup. validity (to prevent feedback loops and other
possible dangers). If there are any overlapping
To open the Input, Output, Insert, Buss or or otherwise invalid settings, you will be re-
SampleCell window in I/O Setup: quired to correct them before the I/O Setup dia-
log will close. For more information, see “Initial-
■ Click the appropriate tab at the top of the I/O
izing I/O Setup” on page 67.
Setup dialog.

62 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Controls in I/O Setup
Creating and Editing Paths
This section provides an overview of the con-
trols available in the I/O Setup dialog. The I/O Setup dialog lets you create and custom-
ize signal path definitions.
Path Type Tabs Selects the type of I/O to config-
ure. Choices are Inputs, Outputs, Busses, Inserts Paths can be:
or SampleCell. (SampleCell paths are available • Renamed, for easier identification after
on TDM-equipped systems only.) changing or renaming audio interfaces

Path Selection Column (Shows paths that are • Remapped, to or from different sources or des-
currently selected. tinations
• De-activated (or re-activated) to manage un-
Expand/Collapse Paths Shows/hides the Sub-
available or unnecessary I/O resources
paths associated with a Main Path.
• Deleted
Path Name Column Shows the user-defined
names of each defined path. In addition, you can import and export your
I/O Setup configurations as I/O Settings files, as
Active/Inactive Column Shows the active/inac- well as set numerous default path parameters
tive status of each path.
The following table lists the available path at-
Path Format Popup Shows the selected type/for- tributes for each path type.
mat (mono, stereo, 5.1, etc.) of each defined
Path Options by Type
path.
Path Type Path Attributes
Channel Grid Maps paths to specific I/O units
Input Names, formats, and source
and channels.
channel (analog or digital audio
interface, or CPU input)
Path Tools The New Path, New Sub-Path, Delete
Path, and Default buttons are used to customize Output Names, formats, and destination
the I/O Setup configuration. (audio interface output channel or
internal send bus)
Show Original Setup An additional button (Show
Insert Names, formats and destination
Original Setup) is displayed in the I/O Setup di-
(audio interface channels)
alog in certain session transfer situation. For de-
tails on this feature, see “Show Original and Buss Names and formats
Show Current Setup” on page 70.
SampleCell Input names
Default Options These four popup menus select
default Metering Path, Audition Path (Regions
List previewing), Output Path (for new tracks),
and default channel order. See “Default Output,
Metering, Audition, and Path Order” on
page 72.

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 63

 Creating a Default Main or Sub-Path 4 Double-click in the Name field and enter a
name for the path. (The path name is what is
You can add default paths to your current listed in Pro Tools track routing selectors.) Press
I/O Setup at any time. Tab to move to the next editable field, or press
Enter to set the new path name (pressing Return
To add default mono or stereo paths: will close the I/O Setup dialog).
1 Select a main or sub-path.
5 Choose a format from the Path Format selec-
2 Click Default. tor. (Path format controls whether the path is
mono or stereo, or multi-channel):
Pro Tools creates all possible stereo main paths.
Mono sub-paths are also auto-created for every
stereo main path. The path names are appended
with their associated format (mono or stereo) in Path Format selector
parenthesis.
6 Configure other Path types (Input, Output, In-
sert, Bus, or SampleCell) and configure them us-
ing the same techniques described in the
previous steps.

7 Click OK (or press Return) to close the

I/O Setup dialog. If there are any overlapping or
Default stereo output paths identically named paths, you will be instructed
to correct them before the I/O Setup dialog will
To optimize mixer and DSP resources, it’s close. For more information, see “Initializing
best to create mono Sub-Paths for Outputs I/O Setup” on page 67.
and Busses, rather than create mono main
Paths. Multi-channel paths and mixing are ex-
plained in Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for
Surround.”
Creating New Paths
You can create new main and sub-paths with Selecting and Editing Paths
custom names, format and mapping.
Individual and multiple paths can be selected in
the I/O Setup dialog Path Name column. Once
To create a new path:
selected, paths and sub-paths can be moved
1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup. higher or lower to sort their listing in track Path
selectors, renamed, remapped, or reformatted.
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, Buss or Sam-
Paths can also be deleted. Sub-paths follow their
pleCell tab to display the appropriate path win-
main paths when editing in the I/O Setup dia-
dow.
log.
3 Click New Path, or press Command+N (Mac-
intosh) or Control+N (Windows). Or, select a
Main Path and click New Sub-Path.

64 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To select a main or sub-path: To reset path names:
■ Click the Path Name. 1 Select paths in the Input or Output windows
of the I/O Setup dialog.
To select multiple main and/or sub-paths:
2 Click Default.
■ Shift-click the desired Path Names.
Assuming there are matching paths available
To rearrange the Path Column: with the new system configuration, existing
paths will be updated to include new audio in-
■ Drag the path name to a new column. terfaces (TDM systems), or I/O mode selection
(Digi 001 only).

TDM Audio Interface Names

With TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems, audio

interfaces can be custom named in the
I/O Setup dialog. The I/O Setup dialog bases de-
fault path names on the name shown above the
graphic representation of each interface.

Selecting paths in the I/O Setup dialog To rename an audio interface in the I/O Setup
dialog:
Reset Paths ■ Double-click the text above an interface, enter

The Default button in the I/O Setup dialog pro- a new interface name, and press Enter.
vides two primary functions:
Interface name
• Creates new, default paths up to the capacity
of your system’s available audio interfaces and
resources. See “Creating a Default Main or
Sub-Path” on page 64.
• Resets selected path names to matching or
corresponding paths in the current I/O Setup Interface name
configuration. For example, if you change
modes on Digi 001, or replace an audio inter-
face on a Pro Tools 24 MIX system, you can
use the Default switch to update your
I/O Setup definitions with the new hardware
configuration (for path naming).

On TDM systems, audio interface names

can be customized. See “To reset path
names:” on page 65.

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 65

 Deleting Paths Channel and I/O Status Display

Path definitions can be deleted from the current The channel grid uses different shades of gray to
session to reflect changes to your hardware highlight different I/O status:
setup, or to clean up track selector menus by re-
White Indicates channels available for the path.
moving unwanted or unnecessary path defini-
tions. After deleting a path, any tracks or send Medium Gray Indicates I/O that overlaps with
assignments to it are reset to No Output. other path definitions (possible with Output
and Bus path arrangements, though with limita-
To delete a main or sub-path: tions as described below).
1 In the I/O Setup dialog, select the path you
Dark Gray Indicates channels that are unavail-
want to delete.
able for sub-path assignment.
2 Click Delete Path.
Light Gray Indicates extra space beyond recog-
nized audio interfaces.
Channel Mapping
See “Valid Paths and Requirements” on
Once a path has been created and formatted, it
page 67 for details.
can be mapped to specific audio interface, bus,
or SampleCell channels in the grid. Note for Session Transfer

Pro Tools shows paths for unavailable I/O until

To map channels:
they are explicitly re-assigned to valid paths, or
1 Select a main or sub-path. deleted. See “Active and Inactive Paths” on
2 In the row for the selected path, click in the page 68 for more information.
grid column under the desired audio interface
and channel. Other channels, if any, fill to the
right.

Mapping channels

For example, when mapping a new stereo path,

clicking in the path row under output channel 1
fills both channel 1 and 2 (left to 1, right to 2).

66 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Surround Mixer Example Sub-Paths follow Main Paths
(Pro Tools 24 MIX Systems Only) When a main Path is remapped, its sub-paths (if
any) will remap automatically to maintain con-
When mapping multi-channel paths, L is
sistent routing. For example, remapping a stereo
mapped first to the clicked grid box, and re-
path to different hardware outputs results in
maining channels fill immediately to the right
any of its sub-paths moving with it.
according to the default path order. Because
some multi-channel mixing formats use unique
track layouts, Pro Tools lets you set the default Initializing I/O Setup
format in the I/O Setup dialog (see “Default
Output, Metering, Audition, and Path Order” To set the current I/O Setup configuration:
on page 72).
■ Click OK in the I/O Setup dialog.

All paths must be valid before the I/O Setup con-

figuration can be applied.

Valid Paths and Requirements

While configuring the I/O Setup window, cer-
tain rules apply for path definition and channel
mapping.
Customized Output Paths for a 5.1 mix?
Though it is possible to set up invalid mappings
Re-Mapping Channels in the channel grid, Pro Tools will not accept
You can move the individual assignments to dif- (OK) an I/O Setup configuration unless all paths
ferent channels, to re-order the path’s definition meet the path definition and channel mapping
as L-R-C-Sub-LS-RS, for example. requirements described below.

Minimum Path Definitions

To re-map channels in a path:
■ Drag the channel to the new location in the All paths must have a name, be of a specific for-
grid. Other channel assignments will move mat, and have a valid I/O mapping.
(shuffle) to accommodate dragged channels.
Overlapping Channels and Valid Paths
Channel Shuffling Channel mapping follows certain rules regard-
ing overlapping paths.
Moving a signal from right to left results in a
shuffle of other signals after the new destination ◆ There can be no partial or complete overlaps

channel. Moving a signal from left to right shuf- between any two main Output Paths, any two
fles any and all signals after the new destination Insert Paths, or any two main Bus Paths.
channel and leave the previous channel empty.

Changing a Path’s format erases any cur-

rent channel mapping.

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 67

 ◆ A newly created Output or Bus Path must ei- Active and Inactive Path Assignments
ther be completely independent (mapped to
any other available I/O interface/channels) of To toggle a track path assignment to Active or
other paths, or it must be a sub-path completely Inactive:
contained within a larger path (for example, an ■ In the Mix (or Edit) window, Command-Con-
LCR sub-path within a larger 5.1 path). trol-click (Macintosh) or Control-Start-click
◆ Output and Insert Paths can overlap in I/O (Windows) the track’s Input, Output, Insert, or
Setup, but only one or the other can be used at Send Selector.
any given time in a session. (Inputs and Sample-
Inactive track path assignments are indicated
Cell paths, however, can be routed to multiple
with an asterisk (*) in its track selector menu.
tracks.)
(Paths set to globally inactive in the I/O Setup
window are listed in italics.)
Active and Inactive Paths
Toggling All or All Selected
Pro Tools paths can be Active (on) or Inactive
(off, or unavailable). You can manually switch The Option/Option + Shift modifiers apply the
paths between Active or Inactive on a per track path toggle to all or all selected tracks, respec-
or session-wide basis. In addition, Pro Tools sets tively. However, Pro Tools will only apply the
paths to Inactive automatically when I/O is un- change to identical path assignments, if any, in
available. the current track or tracks. In other words, tog-
gling multiple tracks only affects tracks that
Track Path Assignments Track input, output
have the same path assignment as the one you
and buss path assignments can be switched to
are explicitly toggling.
Inactive using the appropriate selector on the
desired track. Doing so leaves track playlists in-
Toggling Multiple Paths
tact, while disconnecting that particular track
from the output or buss path. Use this to remove If a track has only one main output assignment,
a track from a signal path. you can Command-Control-click (Macintosh)
or Control-start-click (Windows) the track’s
Session-Wide Paths can be globally activated or Output Selector to toggle the main output to in-
de-activated in the I/O Setup window. Use this active. When there are multiple assignments,
to turn off a signal path on any and all tracks the track selector will be displayed for you to
currently assigned to it. Pro Tools also sets un- specify the input, output, insert, or bus path.
available paths to inactive. Paths can be unavail-
able when hardware or other system resources If a Send (A - E) has multiple output assignments
are unavailable, such as when opening a session and one of those is toggled, then all of the out-
last saved on a different system. put assignments for that Send (A - E) will be tog-
gled.

68 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Session-Wide Inactive Paths Inactive paths are displayed in italics in the
track path selectors.
Path can be globally configured for Active or In-
active status in the I/O Setup Dialog.

Display of Active and Inactive Status

Unhighlighted Indicates that the path is inactive.

The text associated with this Path becomes ital-
icized.

Highlighted (non-italics) When highlighted, and

when the Path name is listed in plain text (non-
italics), indicates the path is active.

Highlighted (italics) When highlighted, but the Active and inactive paths in a track output selector
that Path name is italicized, it indicates that the
Hardware Setup and Session Transfer
path is active, but not enough system resources
are available. Sessions created in Pro Tools 5.1 and later store
the type and order of audio interfaces connected
Inactive
and active when the session was last saved.

Active Unavailable I/O

When opening any session, Pro Tools checks to

Active and inactive path settings in I/O Setup see if the hardware configuration has changed
since the session was last saved. If the current
To globally de-activate or activate a path:
hardware configuration differs from that saved
1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup. in the session, paths associated with the un-
available I/O are made inactive.
2 Select the appropriate Path type using the tabs
at the top of the window.
Remapping
3 For the desired (or, undesired) path, set the Ac-
Remapping occurs when a session’s original
tive/Inactive control to the appropriate choice.
I/O Setup does not match that of the current
Any track path assignment can also be de- system and session paths are remapped to cur-
activated on a per-track basis. See “Active rent hardware.
and Inactive Paths” on page 68
Systems of equivalent I/O capability are
remapped directly. For example, a session
tracked to a Pro Tools 24 MIX system through
two 888/24 I/0 Audio Interfaces would include
16 Input paths spread across the two 8-channel
interfaces. Later, the session is taken to a differ-
ent Pro Tools system that has a single 1622 Au-
dio Interface (a 16-channel I/O unit) for addi-

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 69

 tional editing. When the session is first opened
on the 1622-equipped system, Pro Tools maps I/O Settings Files
those input paths to the most appropriate in-
I/O Settings can be managed when transferring
puts of the 1622, left-to-right. (Mapping will de-
sessions, and when developing I/O Setup con-
pend on mono and stereo track format and ar-
figurations over the course of multiple sessions
rangement in the Mix and Edit windows.)
and projects.
When hardware is unavailable to a session being
opened, assignments can either be replaced us- Defaults, Settings Files, and Last
ing the remap option, or opened as Inactive. Used Settings for New Sessions
Any tracks left assigned to an unavailable path
will not be audible. This can beneficial, how- When creating new sessions, you can select the
ever, when you want to re-assign tracks into session’s I/O Setup configuration from among
your system’s mix one at a time. numerous options:

See “Active and Inactive Paths” on page 68 Default I/O Setups The Pro Tools Installer pro-
for more information. vides factory presets for stereo and surround I/O
Setups (surround mixing is only supported on
Show Original and Show Current Setup Pro Tools 24 MIX systems). See “Factory I/O Set-
tings Files” on page 71 for more information.
When a session is opened that contains path
definitions for unavailable I/O modules, the Custom Presets You can store and recall custom
I/O Setup dialog lists those paths in italics. presets using the export and import features of
the I/O Setup dialog.
The Show Original Setup button displays the au-
dio interfaces used in the original session. This Last Used The most recent (or, last used)
temporary display lets you check the original I/O Setup configuration is saved as a Last Used
I/O configuration for reference while configur- settings file. See “Last Used” on page 71 for
ing the session for your system. more information.

Once a session has been opened with unavail-

able I/O retained, you can then re-assign tracks
Default I/O Settings at First Launch
to available I/O paths. The first time you create a session, you can
choose default Stereo Mix or Surround Mix set-
To redefine the paths, see “Creating and
tings, depending on your system and installa-
Editing Paths” on page 63.
tion choices. See “Factory I/O Settings Files” on
page 71.

70 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Importing and Exporting I/O Settings Do Not Delete Existing Paths Pro Tools adds ses-
Files sion paths to the current system’s I/O Setup If
you cancel the remap option, the original I/O
You can export and import I/O Setup configura- assignments remain in the session. Unavailable
tions as I/O Settings files. This lets you save set- I/O results in paths opening as Inactive. In the
tings for different projects, import settings for session, you can then re-assign tracks to avail-
quick reconfiguration, and manage Path defini- able paths as needed, based on their original
tions and signal routing setups. (and inactive) I/O Setup and hardware configu-
ration. See “Active and Inactive Paths” on
To export and save an I/O Setup configuration: page 68 for more information on utilizing inac-
1 Click the Export Settings button. tive paths.

2 Name and save the settings file.

Last Used
To start sessions with a blank or empty
If any changes are made to the I/O Setup dialog
I/O Setup dialog, you must create and ex-
during a session, these changes are saved to the
port a user setting file in which all defini-
Last Used settings file when the I/O Setup dialog
tions have been deleted.
is closed.
Importing I/O Settings Changes to I/O Setup are only saved in the cur-
I/O Settings can be imported into the current rent session, when the session is saved. User Pre-
session. When doing so, you can choose to de- sets files will not contain recent changes unless
lete your system’s existing (last used) path defi- you explicitly export an updated settings file.
nitions and replace them with settings being im-
The Last Used settings are available as a choice
ported. Or, you can retain both your current and
(or default) when creating or opening sessions,
imported settings. Imported paths are added to
in addition to the factory presets described be-
the current configuration.
low.

To import an I/O Settings file:

Factory I/O Settings Files
1 Click Import Settings in the I/O Setup dialog.
Pro Tools provides I/O Settings files for Stereo
2 Select the desired settings file in the dialog. and Surround mixing. These files provide ge-
3 You will be asked whether you want to delete, neric Main and Sub-Path definitions for either
or retain, existing paths: mixing format.

Delete Existing Paths Pro Tools remaps the orig- Stereo Mix Settings File
inal session path definitions to your current
The Stereo Mix preset consists of all possible ste-
hardware setup of audio interfaces, left to right.
reo and mono paths for your session.
The session will no longer have any references
to or record of the original I/O assignments.
Using the “Stereo Mix” preset has the same
When old path definitions are deleted, associ-
effect as hitting the Default Button for every
ated assignment and automation data is also de-
individual tab in I/O Settings. See “Creating
leted.
and Editing Paths” on page 63 for details.

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 71

 Specifically, the Stereo Mix preset will create the 3 Command-Option-click (Macintosh) or Con-
maximum number paths of each type, as deter- trol-Start-click (Windows) the Output Selector
mined by the available system’s I/O Setup and of the left-most track and assign it to the sub-
hardware configuration. path for Output #1. All visible tracks will be
auto-assigned to unique mono sub-path outputs
Surround Mix Settings File in ascending order.

The Surround Mix provides additional, sur-

round-specific Output and Bus presets: See “Sur-
round Mix Settings Files” on page 427 for more Default Output, Metering,
information. Audition, and Path Order
Pro Tools systems running the Surround mixer
About Direct Out Mode
have additional I/O Setup features. These in-
Direct Outputs mode, as found in previous ver- clude default signal routing for metering and au-
sions of Pro Tools, has been replaced by the de- ditioning, and default track layout for multi-
fault mono sub-paths available through all valid channel mix formats.
I/O in the I/O Setup dialog.

The Default switch creates main Output paths Default Output Path
with appropriate mono sub-paths. These sub-
You can specify the default Output path assign-
paths provide discrete monophonic routing.
ment for new tracks, in each available format.
When a session is opened that was saved in Di-
rect Outputs mode, Pro Tools maps all the out- To specify a default Output:
put assignments to equivalent mono sub-paths ■ Select a format and Output path from the De-

(as available). See “Hardware Setup and Session fault Output selector.
Transfer” on page 69 for more information on
remapping.

To convert a session so that it emulates Direct

Outs mode, use the Auto Assign Ascending Out-
puts feature:

Selecting default Output paths

To Auto Assign track outputs for Direct Out:
1 Make sure that all tracks are visible if desired Audition Path
(because the hidden tracks will not be affected).
The Audition Path is the output path through
2 Select all desired tracks (Shift-click each track
which file and regions are previewed in the Re-
name). gions List.

To audition regions in the Regions List:

■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-

dows) the region in the list.

72 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using Default Audition Path Auditioning Discrete Signals in Multi-Channel
Items
When you audition a file or region in the Re-
gions List, Pro Tools routes the audition In the Audio Regions List, multichannel regions
through the Audition path. Pro Tools assigns a are auditioned through the current Audition
default Audition Path to the first main Output Path. Signals can be auditioned “in-place,” or
Path of the given format available. As an alter- through all outputs as described below.
native, you can pre-configure Region List pre-
viewing using the Audition Path selector in the Audition In-Place
I/O Setup dialog. When auditioning a mono component of a
multi-channel region, that mono component
Configuring Audition Paths
will by default be auditioned in place. That is, it
You can specify the monitoring outputs for Re- will play out the corresponding speaker channel
gions List auditioning on a per-format basis us- of its parent multi-channel region.
ing the Audition Paths menu.
To audition in-place:
Audition Path Main Menu The main menu con-
1 In the Regions List, make sure the stereo or
sists of all Path format choices available on the
multi-channel region is in expanded view
current system (Mono and Stereo on all systems,
(showing.L,.R and other component channels).
LCR and greater on surround-capable systems).
2 Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
Audition Path Submenus Each Path format
dows) the region for the desired channel.
choice has a submenu listing Output Paths of
that given format. (The mono submenu lists
Audition to All Outputs
Output Paths of any format.)
Mono regions can be routed equally to all out-
To configure Audition Paths: puts of the parent region’s Audition Path.

■ Select the desired path from the Audition

To audition through all channels of the main
Paths menu or submenus.
audition path:
■ Shift-Option-click (Macintosh) or Shift-Alt-

click (Windows) on the signal in the Regions

List.

Selecting default Audition Paths

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 73

 Default Path Order
The Default Path Order selector lets you select
the default track layout you want Pro Tools to
follow when creating and mapping 5.1-format
main or sub-paths in the I/O Setup dialog.

This setting does not affect existing Path defini-

tions or metering—it only specifies channel
mapping in new 5.1-format paths.

To choose a Default Path Order:

■ Select the channel mapping from the Default
Path Order menu.

Default Path Order selector

For more information about multi-channel mix-

ing, see Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for Sur-
round.”

Metering
(ProControl Users Only)

The Meter Path selector determines the path dis-

played across the ProControl Output meters. See
the ProControl Addendum for Pro Tools 5.1 for
more details.

74 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 8: Tracks

This chapter covers basic track management Audio Tracks, Auxiliary Input Tracks,
tasks such as creating and deleting tracks, as- and Master Fader Tracks
signing voices and output channels, and group-
ing tracks. Pro Tools provides mono, stereo, and multi-
channel format audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs,
and Master Faders.

Track Types Audio Track

In a Pro Tools session, you can have several dif- Audio tracks contain arrangements of recorded
ferent types of tracks. These can include audio (or imported) audio files.Audio tracks can be
tracks, Auxiliary Input tracks, MIDI tracks, and mono, stereo, or multi-channel surround
Master Fader tracks. On a Macintosh system, a (Pro Tools 24 MIX systems only).
session can have a QuickTime, AVoption, or
AVoption XL Movie track. Auxiliary Input Track

QuickTime Movie track features are de- Auxiliary Input tracks can be used as effects
scribed in Chapter 36, “Working with sends, destinations for alternate mix, as a
QuickTime Movies.” bounce destination, and for many other audio
routing tasks.

Master Fader Track

Master Fader tracks control the overall level of

the audio tracks that are routed to the session’s
main outputs.

MIDI Tracks
MIDI tracks store MIDI note, instrument, and
controller data. There is no option for selecting
the track format when you create a MIDI track,
because audio does not pass through it.

Chapter 8: Tracks 75
 Track Formats With slight variations, audio track channel
strips in the Mix window look like the following
Mono mono audio track. Stereo audio tracks have two
level meters and two pan controls, and multi-
A mono audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Master
channel tracks (3–8 channels) have one level
Fader track controls volume, and, in some cases,
meter for each audio channel.
panning, for a single channel of audio. A mono
track uses a single voice.

Stereo Inserts

A stereo audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Master

Fader track is a single channel strip that plays
two channels of audio as a stereo pair. Stereo Sends
tracks use two voices.

Multi-Channel Surround (Pro Tools 24 MIX

Input/Output
Systems Only)

A multi-channel track is a single channel strip Automation Mode

that plays multiple channels of audio (from 3–8 Record Enable/Solo/Mute/Voice

channels at a time). This allows Pro Tools to
Pan Slider
support multi-channel mixing formats includ-
Open Output window
ing 3+1, 5.1, 6.1, and others.
Group ID

For more information on surround mixing with Volume Fader

Pro Tools, see the following chapters:
Level Meter
• Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround”
• Chapter 32, “Multi-Channel Tracks and Track Type
Signal Routing” Indicator
Track Name
• Chapter 33, “Surround Panning and Mixing”
Track Comment

Audio track channel strip

76 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 3 Select Mono or Stereo (or one of the multi-
Creating Tracks channel surround formats) from the Track For-
mat pop-up menu. Surround formats only ap-
On all systems, you can create mono and stereo
pear for Pro Tools 24 MIX systems.
tracks with the New Tracks command. In addi-
tion, on Pro Tools MIX or MIXplus systems, you 4 Enter the number of new tracks, then click
can create multi-channel tracks. Create.

5 To configure which track controls appear in

Before you create new tracks:
the Mix window or Edit window, select from
◆ For new tracks to appear next to a specific Display > Mix Window Shows and Display >
track in a session, select that track by clicking its Edit Window Shows.
name. The new tracks are added immediately af-
ter the selected track.
Naming Tracks and Adding Track
◆ For new tracks to appear as the last tracks in a Comments
session, make sure that no track names are se-
lected on-screen. Track names are used to auto-name recorded au-
dio files and regions (see “Track Names” on
To create a new track: page 116).

1 Choose File > New Track.

To rename a track or add comments:

Track Format 1 In the Edit window or Mix window, double-

# of new tracks Track Type
click the Track Name button for the track you
want to rename.

2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, type a

new track name.

New Track dialog (audio track)

2 Select from the Track Type pop-up menu the

type of track you want to add. For explanation
of track types, see “Track Types” on page 75.

To auto-scroll the Track Type pop-up in the Track Name/Comments dialog

New Track dialog, press Command (Macin-
tosh) or Control (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys.

Chapter 8: Tracks 77
 3 Click Previous or Next to rename another dis-
played track. Hiding Tracks
To switch tracks in the Track Name/Com- The Show/Hide Tracks List (at the left of both
ments dialog, you can press Command the Mix and Edit windows) shows all tracks in
(Macintosh) or Control (Windows) and use the session. It allows you to show or hide a track
the Up/Down Arrows. by selecting or deselecting its name. Even
though a track is hidden, the material on the
4 If desired, type comments for the track in the track will still play as part of the session.
Comments text box.
To show a track, click to highlight its name. To
To enter a carriage return in the Track Com- hide a track, deselect its name.
ments text box, type Shift+Return (Macin-
tosh) or Shift+Enter (Windows) on the al-
pha keyboard.

5 When you are finished, click OK.

Deleting Tracks
When you delete tracks, your audio or MIDI re-
The Show/Hide Tracks List
gion data will remain in the Regions List, but
your arrangement of the regions on the deleted The pop-up menu at the top of Show/Hide
track (the track’s playlist) will be lost. The Delete Tracks List provides commands that allow you
Selected Tracks command cannot be undone. to show or hide all tracks, or only tracks cur-
rently selected on screen.
To delete a track:
When a track that is a member of an active
1 Click the name of the desired track to select it. group is hidden from view, editing operations
If you wish to select multiple tracks, hold down performed on other members of the group in
the Shift key and click additional track names to the Edit window will not affect the hidden track.
select them as well. In the Mix window, however, all operations
2 Choose File > Delete Selected Tracks. other than record-enable will affect a hidden
track that is a member of an active group.
3 Click OK to remove the selected tracks from
the session. On TDM systems, even if a track is hidden
from view, its position relative to other
tracks still affects virtual track playback
priority. See “Virtual Tracks and Track Pri-
ority” on page 82.

78 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To hide a track:
■ Click the highlighted name of a track in the
Assigning Inputs and Outputs
Show/Hide Tracks List.
to Audio Tracks
Inputs for audio tracks and Auxiliary Input
To show a track that is currently hidden: tracks can be assigned to audio interface chan-
■ Click the unhighlighted name of a track in nels or busses. Outputs for audio tracks, Auxil-
the Show/Hide Tracks List. iary Input tracks, and Master Fader tracks can be
assigned to audio interface channels or busses.
To show all tracks:
Track set to Track set to
1 Click the Show/Hide button at the top of the Audio Input 2 No Input

Show/Hide Tracks List. Track set to

Bus 2
2 From the pop-up menu, choose Show All
Tracks.

To hide all tracks: Input/output assignments for three mono audio tracks
1 Click the Show/Hide button at the top of the For stereo and multi-channel surround tracks,
Show/Hide Tracks List. inputs and outputs appear as stereo pairs and
2 From the pop-up menu, choose Hide All multichannel groups. The available inputs, out-
Tracks. puts, and busses are defined as paths in the
I/O Setup dialog (see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup”).
To reorder tracks on screen, drag the track
names to new positions within the Automatic Input and Output
Show/Hide Tracks List. Assignments
When adding tracks to a new session, outputs
are automatically assigned in ascending order.
For example, if you have an audio interface with
eight outputs, creating four new mono audio
tracks will automatically add four audio tracks
with outputs assigned to Output 1, Output 2,
Output 3, and Output 4. When creating stereo
tracks, outputs are automatically assigned to as-
cending output pairs.

The inputs automatically assigned to new tracks

is determined by the Default Output defined in
the I/O Setup dialog.

Chapter 8: Tracks 79
 Assigning Audio Track Inputs
Assigning Voices and Track
To assign an audio track input: Priority
1 To display inputs and outputs in the Edit win- (TDM Systems Only)
dow, select Display > Edit Window Show > I/O.
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems provides up to 64 si-
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track In- multaneous voices of audio playback.
put Selector and choose from the available au- Pro Tools 24 systems provide up to 32 voices of
dio interface channels and busses. Stereo and audio playback.
multi-channel surround tracks have inputs
available as pairs and multi-channel groups. While your Pro Tools hardware allows a fixed
number of voices, Pro Tools software provides
3 To remove an input assign, select No Input for up to 128 virtual tracks—tracks that can be re-
from the Input Selector. corded or imported, arranged, and cued for
playback, but cannot all be played back simulta-
Assigning Audio Track Outputs neously.

For these situations, Pro Tools assigns priorities

To assign an audio track output:
for tracks that compete for the available voices.
1 To display inputs and outputs in the Edit win- Pro Tools provides two ways of adjusting play-
dow, select Display > Edit Window Show > I/O. back priority to audio tracks.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track Out-
Tracks do not use up voices when:
put Selector and choose from the available au-
dio interface channels and busses. Stereo and • Their Voice Selector is set to Off.
multi-channel surround tracks have outputs • They are made inactive.
available as pairs and multi-channel groups. • They do not have an output and send assign-
3 To remove an output assign, select No Output ment.
from the Input Selector. Playlists become
In addition, you can temporarily free a track’s
dimmed for tracks with no output assignment.
voice during playback by muting it (see “Mute
Assigning an audio track, Auxiliary Input, Frees Assigned Voice” on page 84).
or Master Fader to “No Output” will cause
its automation data for pan and plug-in pa-
rameters to be lost.

80 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Voice Assignment To assign all audio tracks to successive voices:
■ While pressing Command+Option (Macin-
Tracks can be assigned to a specific voice, or
they can be set to Auto. When a tracks are auto- tosh) or Control+Alt (Windows), select the start-
voiced, Pro Tools automatically takes care of ing voice number from the Voice Selector for the
voice management in the background—assign- track at the top of the Edit window, or at the far
ing voices not in use by other tracks. left of the Mix window.

Tracks assigned to a specific voice number take The voice is assigned to the clicked track, with
priority over auto-voiced tracks. To ensure a successive voices assigned to tracks (with the
track is heard, or that it is available for Quick- same format) of lower priority.
Punch recording, assign it a voice.
To assign all selected audio tracks to successive
voices:
To set the voice assignment for a track:
1 Select the desired audio tracks by Shift-click-
■ Click the Voice Selector and select a voice
ing their names.
number, or set the track to Auto.
2 While pressing Command+Shift (Macintosh)
or Control+Shift (Windows), select the starting
voice number from the Voice Selector for the
top (Edit window) or left (Mix window) selected
track.

The voice is assigned to the clicked track, with

successive voices assigned to currently selected
tracks (with the same format) of lower priority.

Changing a Track’s Playback

Voice Selector for stereo audio track Priority
For stereo and multi-channel tracks, voices ap- When more than one track is assigned to the
pear in pairs and multi-channel groups. Voices same voice, the track with the higher priority
already assigned to another track appear in bold (left-most in the Mix window or topmost in the
in the Voice Selector pop-up menu. Edit window) has priority over others assigned
to that voice. Moving another track of the same
Automatic Assignment of Ascending voice to a higher position will then give that
Voices track priority.

You can automatically assign all tracks or all se- This track priority scheme is also used for auto-
lected tracks to successive voices. For example, voiced tracks. When the tracks in the session ex-
you may want to select eight audio tracks and ceeded the number of available voices, tracks
reassign them to voices 9–16. with lower priority may not be heard.

Chapter 8: Tracks 81
 To increase a track’s priority, do any of the In the above illustration, the two visible tracks
following: are assigned to the same voice. There is an open
■ In the Edit window, drag the Track Name but- area in the top track where no region appears. At
ton above other tracks in the session. Tracks at this point, the voice is free since it is not being
the top of the Edit window have higher priority used, and the next highest priority track as-
than those below. signed to that voice (the bottom track) will pop
through the open area and play. In order for a
■ In the Mix window, drag the Track Name but- lower priority region to pop through, it must be
ton to the left of other tracks in the session. placed so that its beginning occurs after a higher
Tracks at the left of the Mix window have higher priority track’s region has ended.
priority than those to the right.

■ In the Show/Hide Tracks List, drag the track

name to a higher position in the list. Tracks at Setting MIDI Channels
the top of this list have higher priority than
those below. MIDI tracks can be assigned to one or more
MIDI channels with the Device/Channel selec-
By experimenting with track priority, voice as- tor. When assigned to multiple channels, all
signment, and arranging regions so that they are material in the track is sent to all assigned chan-
positioned to “pop through” holes in higher pri- nels.
ority tracks, you will find many useful ways to
apply virtual tracks and dynamic voice alloca- MIDI tracks in Pro Tools can not contain multi-
tion. ple channels of MIDI data.

Virtual Tracks and Track Priority To assign all regions on a MIDI track to a specific
MIDI channel:
Pro Tools features dynamic voice allocation, so
1 Click on the track’s MIDI Device/Channel Se-
that when a hole opens up in a higher-priority
lector and assign a device and channel from the
track, its voice is temporarily available, and the
pop-up menu. Channels already assigned to an-
track with the next highest priority “pops
other track appear bold in this menu.
through” and begins to play. When the original
track returns, the track that had popped
through relinquishes the voice to the higher pri-
ority track.

The following example demonstrates the con-

cept of dynamic voice allocation:
MIDI Device/Channel selector

To assign multiple destinations to a single MIDI

track, Shift-click the MIDI Device/Channel Se-
lector and select additional channels from any
device.

For details on recording and importing MIDI

The “Lead Guitar” region will pop through data, see Chapter 13, “MIDI Recording”.

82 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Solo Button
Soloing and Muting Tracks
The solo button mutes other tracks so that the
The Solo and Mute buttons can be engaged at chosen track can be auditioned alone. Normally
any time during playback. The Solo and Mute solos are “latched,” that is, pressing subsequent
buttons affect MIDI as well as audio tracks. It is solo buttons adds them to the soloed mix of
possible to have more than one track soloed or tracks. Pro Tools allows you to “unlatch” solos,
muted at the same time in a session. so that pressing a solo button will mute all
tracks except the track you have just soloed.
Grouping affects mute and solo behavior as
well. Normally, muting or soloing a track that is
To solo a track:
a member of an active mix group will mute or
solo all other tracks that are a member of that 1 Click the Solo button on the track. The button
active mix group as well. However, by changing is highlighted and all other tracks are muted.
the Mute and Solo settings in the Pro Tools Pref-
2 Click the Solo button again to turn off the solo
erences dialog, you can disable this behavior.
function.

To disable group muting of tracks:

To unlatch solo buttons:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences, and click Auto-
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
mation.
tion.
2 Deselect the Mutes Follow Mix Groups op-
2 Deselect the Latch Solo Buttons option and
tion, and click OK.
click Done. With this option disabled, pressing a
With this option deselected, muting a track that Solo button mutes all tracks except the track you
is a member of an active group does not affect have just soloed.
other members of the group.
Solo Safe Mode
To disable group soloing of tracks:
Pro Tools also allows you to solo safe a track.
1 Choose Setups > Preferences, and click Auto- This prevents the track from being muted even
mation. if you solo other tracks. This feature is useful for
2 Deselect the Solos Follow Mix Groups option,
tracks such as Auxiliary Inputs that are being
and click OK. used as effects returns, allowing the effects track
to remain in a mix even when other tracks are
With this option deselected, soloing a track that soloed. It is also useful to solo-safe MIDI tracks
is a member of an active group does not affect so that their playback is not affected when you
other members of the group. solo audio tracks.

Chapter 8: Tracks 83
 To solo safe a track: To avoid this delay, make sure that the Mute
Frees Assigned Voice option is disabled. Another
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
factor than can cause delays is your DAE Play-
(Windows) the Solo button on the desired track.
back Buffer Size setting. Playback Buffer Size is
This prevents the track from being muted even
set from DAE’s File menu (Macintosh), or by
if you solo other tracks.
choosing Setups > DAE Buffer Size (Windows).
The larger the playback buffer you choose, the
To return a solo safe track to normal:
longer the potential lag time between the time
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click you click the Mute button and the onset of mut-
(Windows) the Solo button on the track again. ing.

Mute Button Muting a track with Mute Frees Assigned

Voice enabled does not free up the voice for
The mute button silences a chosen track. More QuickPunch recording.
than one track can be muted at one time. If Op-
erations > Mute Frees Assigned Voice is enabled,
muting a track will allocate its voice to the next
Making Tracks Inactive
highest priority virtual track (assigned to the
same voice). (TDM Systems Only)

A track can be made inactive. Inactive tracks use

To mute a track:
no DSP or voices. Plug-ins, sends, voices, and au-
■ Click the Mute button on the track. The track tomation on inactive tracks are disabled. Tracks
will appear grayed-out and be muted. may also be automatically made inactive if a ses-
sion is opened on a system with less DSP power
To unmute a track: than the system it was created on. Audio, Auxil-
■ Click the Mute button again. iary Input, and Master Fader tracks can be made
inactive.

Mute Frees Assigned Voice MIDI tracks cannot be made inactive.

(TDM Systems Only)
To toggle a track Active/Inactive:
Selecting Operations > Mute Frees Voice and
■ Command-Control-click (Macintosh) or Con-
muting a track disables playback of that track,
trol-Start-click (Windows) the track type icon in
and surrenders control of its voice to the next
the Mix window.
highest priority track with the same voice as-
signment.
Click here to toggle
a track active or inactive
With this option enabled, there may be a delay
(ranging in length from one to several seconds
depending on the processing power of your sys-
Toggling a track Active/Inactive
tem) between the time you mute or unmute a
track and when you hear the effect on playback. Playlists for inactive tracks are dimmed.

84 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to
Adjusting Track Width each track in the Edit window according to its
voice and MIDI channel assignment.
The Narrow Mix Window command allows you
to view all tracks/channels in the Mix window Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to the
at a reduced width to conserve screen space in a track in the Edit window according to its voice
large session. and MIDI device assignment.

To reduce the width of tracks in the Mix window: Groups Assigns a color to each track in the Edit
window according to its group ID. If groups are
■ Select Display > Narrow Mix Window.
suspended using the Suspend Groups com-
mand, all waveforms are displayed in black.
To display tracks at normal width:
3 Click Done to close the Preferences dialog.
■ Deselect Display > Narrow Mix Window.

Color Coding Tracks Grouping Tracks

Pro Tools provides a relative grouping function
The Display Preference for Edit Window Color
for linking channels and their controls. Groups
Coding determines how colors are assigned to
can be applied to either the Mix or Edit window,
waveforms and MIDI data in the Edit window.
or both.
Colors can be based on groups, voice assign-
ment for audio tracks, and channels or devices Groups are useful for editing several tracks in ex-
for MIDi tracks. actly the same way, or for mixing several tracks
(such as a pair of stereo tracks or a submix) while
Color coding of voices is especially useful when
keeping them at the same relative volume level.
keeping track of tracks assigned to the same
voice. Since tracks assigned to the same voice Pro Tools provides the following grouping fea-
share the same color, you can easily identify and tures:
arrange regions so that they do not overlap or
• Up to 26 different groups
conflict with other regions on tracks assigned to
the same voice. • Nested groups (subgroups within groups)
• Grouped faders/controllers preserve their lev-
To configure the Edit Window Color Coding: els relative to each other
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click the Dis-
play tab.

2 Select one of the following color coding op-

tions:

None This option turns off color assignment for

tracks in the Edit window.

Chapter 8: Tracks 85
 Grouping can affect the following track param- Using the Groups List
eters:
The Pro Tools grouping functions are located at
• Volume levels
the left side of your screen in the Groups List.
• Solos This scrolling window contains the names of all
• Mutes the groups in your session, as well as a pop-up
menu for accessing grouping commands. From
• Automation modes
this menu, you can select and enable groups.
• Send levels
• Send mutes Group pop-up menu Click to
select a
• Track view group by
typing its
• Track height letter
Click to
• Editing functions select group Click to
members activate a
Grouping does not affect these parameters: on-screen group

• Record enables
• Panning
Click to hide
• Send panning Groups List
• Voice assignment
Groups List
• Output assignment
By default, every session has a group named All,
• Creating Plug-In instances which includes every track and channel in the
session. The All group cannot be edited or de-
leted.

To the left of each name in the Groups List is a

letter denoting its Group ID (“a” through “z”),
and to the left of that, a symbol indicating
whether that group is selected in the currently
active window (either the Edit or Mix window).
These symbols indicate the following:

The filled-in circle symbol indicates that all

members of the group are currently selected.

86 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The hollow circle symbol indicates that only Creating a Group
some members of the group are currently se-
lected. To create a group:
1 Hold down the Shift key and select the tracks
you want to include in the group.

The circle with a dot symbol indicates that all

members of the group are currently selected,
plus additional members outside the group.

The Groups Pop-up Menu Selecting tracks to be grouped

The Groups pop-up menu contains commands 2 Choose File > Group Selected Tracks.
that allow you to create, delete and suspend
3 Enter a name for the group and choose a
groups. These commands are as follows:
Group ID (“a” - “z”).

Group pop-up menu

New Group This command allows you to create a

new group. You must first select two or more
tracks/channel strips on screen to do this.

Display This command allows you to toggle the

New Group dialog
Groups List display to either Mix Groups or Edit
Groups. If all of your groups apply to both Edit- 4 Choose the type of group to create: Edit
ing and Mixing, the Groups List will be the same Group, Mix Group, or Edit and Mix Group.
for both.
5 Click OK to add the new group to the Groups
Suspend All Groups This command allows you List.
to temporarily toggle all active groups off.

Delete Selected Groups This command allows

you to permanently remove a group from the
Groups List. You must first select a Group Name
in the Groups List to do this.

Chapter 8: Tracks 87
 Changing the Members of a Group Linking Mix and Edit Groupings
You can add or remove members from a group The “Link Mix and Edit Group Enables” option
at any time. links group enabling between the Mix and Edit
windows.
To change the members of a group:
Pro Tools allows you to create groups that are
1 Hold down the Shift key and select the tracks
both Mix and Edit groups. but in some cases you
to include in the group. may prefer not to link enabling of Mix and Edit
2 Choose New Group from the Group pop-up groups. For example, when you are using the
menu. Mix window for mixing, you may prefer to work
with large, nested groups. However, in the Edit
3 In the dialog that appears, select the Group ID
window, you may want to perform editing tasks
that you want to update. within a smaller group. You could disable the
4 Click OK. The new group definition over- Link Mix and Edit Group Enables preference.
writes the original definition. This would allow you to work with different
groups in the two windows.
Renaming a Group
To unlink mix and edit groups:
You can rename a group at any time.
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-

To rename a group: tion.

1 In the Groups List, double-click to the left of 2 Deselect the “Link Mix and Edit Group En-
the group’s name (in the area with the circular ables” option and click Done.
symbols).

2 In the dialog that appears, enter a new name Enabling Groups

for the group. (If you wish to change the group’s
Editing operations are not applied to members
type, you can also do so here.)
of a group that are hidden with the Show/Hide
3 Click OK. The group is renamed in the Groups Tracks List. Mix operations (with the exception
List. of Record-enable) are applied to hidden tracks.

Pro Tools allows you to create separate groups

Deleting a Group
for editing and mixing. You set this option
You can delete a group at any time. when you use the New Group command.
Groups that apply to both editing and mixing
To delete a group: can be decoupled.
1 In the Groups List, select the name of the
group (or groups) you wish to delete.

2 Click the Group pop-up menu and choose De-

lete Selected Groups. You cannot undo this ac-
tion.

88 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To enable a group:
■ In the Groups List, click the name of the
group you want to enable. The group name is
highlighted to indicate that it is enabled.

To enable additional groups, click their names

in the Groups List. It is not necessary to Shift-
click to enable or disable multiple groups.

Moving a fader of a group member will cause all

other group members to move relative to it. If a
fader belongs to multiple groups, and the
groups conflict when faders are moved, the
fader will follow the topmost or “parent” group
that it belongs to.

To disable a group:
■ In the Groups List, click the name of the
group you want to disable. The group name is
unhighlighted to indicate that it is not enabled.

Keyboard Selection of Groups

If the Groups List Key focus is enabled, you can
type a Group ID letter and Pro Tools will auto-
matically enable that group.

To enable and use the Groups List Key focus:

1 Click the a-z button in upper right of the
Groups List.
– or –

Press Command+Option+4 (Macintosh) or Con-

trol+Alt+4 (Windows).

Groups List Key focus enabled

2 Type the Group ID letter (a-z) to automatically

enable it.

Chapter 8: Tracks 89
90 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting
Audio and MIDI

Supported files and regions can be auditioned

Importing Audio before importing.

In Pro Tools you can import previously recorded If region definitions are present in an audio file,
audio files and regions from other sessions or you can convert and import selected regions
other applications. You can also import tracks without importing the entire parent audio file.
from other Pro Tools sessions (see “Importing
Tracks from Other Sessions” on page 94), and When importing into a session, choose
convert the audio while importing. File > Import Audio to Track to place the audio
into a new track. To import into the Audio Re-
Audio files and regions can be imported to new gions List, choose Convert & Import Audio from
tracks, or they can be imported into the Audio the Audio Regions pop-up menu. Both com-
Regions List, where they can be dragged to exist- mands open the same Import Audio dialog (see
ing tracks. Figure 5 on page 93).

Audio files in the following formats can be im- Files that don’t match the session’s supported
ported: files types, must be converted when importing.
• AIFF If you import an audio file with a sample rate
that doesn’t match the current session’s sample
• WAV
rate, and you do not convert it, the file will not
• SDII play back at the original pitch.
• SDI
• MP3
• Sound Resource (AIFL—Macintosh only)
• WMA (Windows Media—Windows only)

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 91

 Copying, Adding, and Converting Audio Use Copy when the file you are importing is of
the correct bit depth and file type, but it is at the
Depending on the properties of the audio files wrong sample rate, and you want it to play back
you are importing, you can add, copy, or con- correctly. You can also use Copy to move audio
vert the files. from an unsupported or removable drive to an
audio drive, or to consolidate audio files for a
Add
session to a specific location.
Audio files that are of the same bit depth and file
type can be added directly to a session. Use this Convert
option when you don’t want to use extra hard Audio files that are not of the same bit depth or
drive space for audio files that are already of the audio files that are of an incompatible file type
same bit depth and sample rate as your session. (SDII files in Windows or on the Macintosh in a
Note that added files remain in their original Mac/PC compatible session) must be converted
folder locations. to be used with a session. When audio files are
Pro Tools allows audio files that are not in the converted, a new file with the correct bit depth,
native session type to be added to a session. file type, and sample rate is created and placed
Macintosh sessions allow SDII, AIFF, or WAV in a folder you choose.
files to be added to any session, and Windows The quality of sample rate conversion used by
sessions allow AIFF or WAV files to be added to Pro Tools is determined by the Preference for
any session. However, sessions with mixed file Conversion Quality. For details, see “Conver-
types will have reduced performance. sion Quality” on page 99.
Audio files that are of a different bit depth must
be converted. Importing Stereo Files

Pro Tools allows you to add files to a ses- When using the Import Audio to Tracks com-
sion that are at a different sample rate than mand, stereo files (“interleaved”) are automati-
your session (48 kHz or 44.1 kHz). In the cally imported to stereo tracks.
comments field of the Import Audio dialog, Split stereo (dual mono) audio files can be auto-
a warning is posted that these files will play matically imported to stereo tracks. The files
back at the wrong speed if they are not con- must both be the same length, and they must be
verted. named “filename.L” and filename.R”. In Win-
dows, or in Mac/Windows compatibility mode,
Copy
these files will have a 3-letter file extension ap-
If a file can be added to your session, you will pended after the “.L” or “.R.”
also be given the option to copy it. This option
creates a copy of the audio file and places it in a
folder you choose.

92 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the Import Audio Command Adjust playback volume with the vertical slider.
To navigate to a particular location in the file,
To import audio files or regions into a session: use the horizontal slider under the Play and Stop
buttons.
1 Choose File > Import Audio to Track to import
audio files or regions to their own separate 4 To place a file or region in the import list (in
tracks. the lower right of the dialog on a Macintosh, or
– or – on the right in Windows), select the file (Shift-
click to select multiple files) and click Add or
Choose Import Audio from the Audio Regions Convert. You can also click Add All or Convert
List menu to import audio into the Audio Re- All to import all regions and files in the current
gions List without automatically creating tracks. directory.

2 At the top of the Import Audio dialog, select

an audio file to display its properties and associ- Audio File icon
ated regions.

Audio Region icon

File and Region icons in the Import Audio dialog

In the import list, audio files are distinguished

from regions by their icons.

5 To remove a file or region from the import list

on the right, select it and click Remove. To re-
move all regions or files, click Remove All.

6 Once the audio files and regions have been

added to the import list, click Done.
Figure 5. Import Audio dialog
7 If you are copying or converting files, you are
You can choose to display only a certain file
prompted to choose a location for the new au-
type (AIFF, for example) by selecting it from the
dio files. Choose a folder on a valid audio drive.
Show pop-up menu. To display all supported file
types, select All from the Show pop-up menu. If you chose File > Import Audio to Track, the
files and regions are imported to separate audio
On the Macintosh, Sound Resource files tracks, and also appear as regions in the Audio
must have an “.SFIL” extension to be im- Regions List.
ported by Pro Tools.
If you chose Import Audio from the Audio Re-
3 To audition a selected file or region before you gions List, the files and regions appear as regions
import it, use the Play and Stop buttons. in the Audio Regions List.

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 93

 Import Tracks Dialog
Importing Tracks from Other
Sessions The Import Tracks dialog allows you to select
tracks to import, view source session properties,
You can import tracks from a different Pro Tools and configure settings that affect the way tracks
session into a current Pro Tools session using are imported. The elements of this dialog are de-
the Import Tracks command. On the Macin- scribed below.
tosh, you can Import tracks from Pro Tools 3.2
sessions and later. On Windows, you can Import Source Properties
tracks from Pro Tools 4.2.5 sessions or later.
The Import Tracks dialog displays properties for
You can import audio tracks, MIDI tracks, Aux- the source session.These properties include
iliary Input tracks, and Master Fader tracks. Dur- source session name, session type, start time of
ing the import process, you can force the file the session, audio bit depth, and sample rate.
type of the imported files to the current session For Pro Tools 5.1 sessions, the program that cre-
file type, and you can change the bit depth and ated the session, and the session’s audio file type
sample rate. are listed.

Import Tracks also lets you set time code loca-

tion options, sample rate conversion options, Source Tracks
and audio and video media translation options. You can select source tracks to Import in this
area of the dialog. To select multiple contiguous
tracks, Shift-click. To select multiple non-contig-
uous files, Command-click (Macintosh) or Alt-
click (Windows).

Time Code Mapping Options

You can specify where Pro Tools places the im-
ported tracks in your session using the Time
Code Mapping Options. Times are indicated in
time code for TDM systems, and minutes:sec-
onds for Pro Tools LE systems.
Import Tracks dialog
Maintain Absolute Time Code Values

This option places tracks at the locations where

they were located in the source session. This
means that if your session starts at 00:01:00:00,
and the session from which you are importing
starts at 10:00:00:00, the earliest imported tracks
can appear in your session is 9 hours and 59
minutes after the start of the session.

94 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Maintain Relative Time Code Values Conversion Quality

This option places tracks at the same offset from With this setting you can change the quality of
session start as they had in the source session. the sample-rate conversion process. At lower
For example. if the session start was 01:00:00:00 quality settings audio is processed faster; at
in the source session and a track started at higher settings audio processing is slower.
01:01:00:00, then if the current session start is “Best” runs at approximately real time on a fast
02:00:00:00 the track will be placed at machine. See “Conversion Quality” on page 99.
02:01:00:00.
Audio Media Options
Map Start Time Code to hh:mm:ss:ff
Consolidate from Source Media
This option places tracks relative to their origi-
nal session start time. This means that if your This option lets you copy audio while consoli-
session starts at 00:01:00:00, and the session dating it. In this way you can copy only the used
from which you are importing tracks starts at portions of the media, without copying unused
10:00:00:00, you can set the start time code to audio in the source files.
00:01:00:00, and avoid placing files 9 hours and
59 minutes from the start of your session. When you choose this option, you should also
choose an amount of handle. Handle is an
amount of the original audio file that is pre-
Sample Rate Conversion Options
served before and after each region in case you
This dialog allows you to set options for sample- need to make any edits to the new regions.
rate conversion of imported audio files. If the
source session and your target session have the Copy from Source Media
same sample rate, this portion of the dialog is
This option copies all audio files related to the
dimmed.
imported tracks from the source media to a new
specified location. This is useful if you are im-
Source Sample Rate
porting tracks from a source such as CD-ROM or
Although your audio files are from a 44.1 kHz or shared storage, and you want to place the audio
48 kHz session, you can have the sample rate files on a different hard drive.
conversion process treat them in several ways to
compensate for pull-up, pull-down, and NTSC Refer to Source Media (Where Possible)
or PAL frame rates. This setting allows you to
This setting lets you avoid duplicating audio
choose the sample rate from which you want
files by referring to the original files when possi-
the sample rate conversion process to start.
ble. If the source files do not reside on “play-
able” media (such as a CD-ROM), or if they re-
Destination Sample Rate
quire bit depth or file conversion, the files are
The destination sample rate is always set to the instead copied.
sample rate of your session.

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 95

 Force Audio Media to New Format 4 Select the tracks to import. Shift-click to select
multiple contiguous files. Command-click
This forces all imported audio files to the audio
(Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) to select
media format you select.
multiple non-contiguous files.

Format for New Audio 5 Choose the time code mapping option for im-
ported audio files.
Choose whether you want new media files to be
SDII, WAV, or AIFF files. 6 If the sample rates of the sessions are different,
choose the sample rate for the source session.
Video Media Options 7 If applicable, choose options for imported au-

You can either choose to leave video media files dio and video media files.
in their original locations or copy them to a new 8 To import the meter and tempo tracks from
location. This is useful if you are importing the source session, select that option.
tracks from a source such as CD-ROM or shared
9 Click OK when you are finished.
storage, and you want to place video files on a
different drive. 10 If you chose to copy or consolidate media,
choose a location to place the media files.
Import Tempo/Meter Map
Imported tracks are made inactive if their
Select this option to import the meter and source media is unavailable, of if the cur-
tempo tracks from the source session. rent session does not contain an equivalent
output path.
Using the Import Tracks Command

To import tracks: Loading Audio Files with Drag

1 Open or create a new session. & Drop
2 Choose File > Import Tracks. Pro Tools provides you with a convenient
method of batch loading audio files into an
3 Navigate to and select the session to import
open session.
tracks from and click Open. The Import Tracks
dialog opens and displays the tracks that can be
To batch load audio files into a session:
imported.
1 Open the Pro Tools session.
If the current Pro Tools system does not support
2 From the desktop, locate the audio files you
surround mixing, surround tracks are not dis-
want to import. Make sure the files match the
played in the Import Tracks dialog.
session’s file type, bit depth, and sample rate.

3 Drag the audio files onto the Pro Tools icon.

The audio files are automatically imported and
appear in the Audio Regions List.

96 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 4 Select an option for how Pro Tools should re-
Exporting Audio solve duplicate file names. Prompting for Each
Duplicate will prompt you for a file name for
The following sections discuss exporting regions
any file that has the same name as a file in your
as audio files, exporting left and right audio files
destination directory. Auto Renaming automat-
as stereo interleaved files, and exporting region
ically changes the name of any duplicate file by
information.
adding a number at the end (e.g. file-01). Replac-
You can also export audio from Pro Tools by ing with New Files replaces files with the same
bouncing or consolidating audio tracks. For name with the new files.
more information, see “Bounce to Disk” on
page 400 and “Consolidate Selection Com-
mand” on page 256.

Exporting a Region as a New

Audio File
You can export regions as audio files with the
Export Selected As Files command. Use this
command if you intend to use a region in other
sessions (or other audio applications) without
using its parent source file.

This command also provides a way to convert

regions to a different audio format, sample rate,
or bit depth. Export Selected dialog

5 Once the Output Options are configured, click

To export regions as new audio files: OK to export the new audio files.
1 In the Audio Regions List, select the regions
you want to export. Exporting Stereo Interleaved Files
2 From the Audio Regions List pop-up menu, You can use the Export Selected As Files com-
choose Export Selected As Files. mand to export audio regions to stereo inter-
3 In the Export Selected dialog, set the file type,
leaved files for use in other applications.
format, bit resolution, and sample rate. In addi- (Pro Tools sessions do not support stereo inter-
tion, specify the Conversion Quality, and leaved files.) For this to work, the selected re-
choose the destination directory. gions must have identical names with “.L” and
“.R” suffixes (for instance, vocals-01.L and vo-
cals-01.R). These regions appear as a stereo re-
gion in the Audio Regions List.

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 97

 To export regions as a stereo interleaved file:
1 Select the stereo audio region in the Audio Re-
Transferring Audio from CD
gions List or in the track playlist. If the regions (Macintosh Only)
appear on mono tracks in the session, select the
Pro Tools allows you to transfer audio tracks
two mono regions.
from an audio CD with the Import Audio From
2 From the Audio Regions List pop-up menu, Other Movie command. Since the transfer is
choose Export Selected As Files. made in the digital domain, there is no signal
loss.
3 In the Export Selected dialog, select “Inter-
leaved” in the Format pop-up menu. The sample rate for audio CDs is 44.1 kHz.
4 Configure any other output parameters, then Therefore, if your session’s sample rate is set to
click OK to export the new stereo interleaved 48 kHz, Pro Tools will convert the sample rate
file. for the imported audio. Before importing CD
audio, set the Conversion Quality Preference ac-
cordingly. See “Conversion Quality” on page 99
Exporting Region Definitions for details.
Pro Tools stores region definitions for audio files When importing a CD audio track, Pro Tools
within each session. If you want to use an audio first imports it as QuickTime movie. The im-
file’s regions in another session, or with another ported movie is then converted to audio files in
application that supports them, you can export your session file format. Before importing CD
the region information. audio, make sure your hard drive has enough
The Export Region Definitions command does space for both the imported movie file and the
not export regions as audio files (unlike the Ex- converted audio files.
port Selected As Files command). Instead, it
stores pointers to the regions within the parent To import a CD audio track:
source file. 1 Insert the audio CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2 Choose Movie > Import Audio From Other

To export region definitions for an audio file:
Movie.
1 In the Audio Regions List, select any regions
3 Locate and select the audio track to be im-
for which you want to export definitions. You
do not have to select the parent file audio re- ported, then click Convert.
gion. 4 When the Save dialog appears, click the Op-

2 Choose Export Region Definitions from the

tions button.
Audio Regions List pop-up menu.

3 Click Export.

98 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 In the Options dialog, select the sample rate,
bit resolution, and stereo format. Conversion Quality
The Conversion Quality Preference determines
the quality of sample rate conversion used when
converting and importing audio into a session,
and when importing CD audio tracks (Macin-
tosh only). There are five possible settings, rang-
ing from Low to Tweak Head. The higher the
quality, the longer it will take for the sample
rate conversion.

To set the sample rate conversion quality:

1 Choose Setups > Preferences, and click Edit-
ing.

2 From the Conversion Quality pop-up menu,

Audio CD Import Options dialog (Macintosh) select the desired quality.
6 At the bottom of the Options dialog, set the
range of the audio track to be imported by ad-
justing the Start and End times, then click OK.

7 Specify the destination for the imported audio

track and click Save. Pro Tools imports the CD
audio track as a QuickTime movie and writes it
to your hard drive. Conversion Quality preference

8 When the Track Import window appears, click For most applications, the Good or Better set-
OK. ting will yield very good results. Because the
Best and Tweak Head settings take significantly
Pro Tools converts the audio track to your ses- longer, use them only when higher fidelity is ab-
sion’s sample rate and bit resolution and im- solutely essential.
ports the selected audio tracks into the Audio
Regions List. From there you can drag the re- 3 Click Done.

gions to existing tracks.

Slower computers can take an extremely long
time to perform sample rate conversion, espe-
cially at higher-quality settings. The Tweak
Head setting, for instance, can take as long as
several hours to process an audio file of moder-
ate length.

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 99

 Include File List/Region List
Exporting Session Text
You can choose to export a list of the session’s
(TDM Systems Only)
audio files and regions. The file list provides a
You can use the Export Session as Text com- list of all the audio files and fades in the session,
mand to create a text file that contains extensive and their hard drive locations. The region list
information about your session. displays all audio regions in the session, and the
source audio file for each region.
This text file can contain a list of audio files, au-
dio regions, audio track EDL (edit decision list) Include Track EDL’s
information, extended timestamp information,
and information about crossfades. You can also export track EDLs. Track EDLs can
be used to spot-check region placement and ed-
Track EDLs are exported as tab-delimited text— its, or in a conforming program for post applica-
that is, with tabs between each column heading, tions. In extreme circumstances the EDL can be
and tabs between each event parameter. You used to recreate the entire session.
can use this data in a program for reading EDLs,
or you can format the EDL data into tables using MIDI track EDLs are not exported.
a word processor or spreadsheet application.
Show Subframes

Export Session Text Options This option allows you to export subframe time
information, if used in your session.

Include User Timestamps

You can include user timestamps. User times-
tamps indicate a user-defined session location
for the region, or the original location of the re-
gion when recorded.

Fade Handling
You can choose whether to show crossfades, not
to show them, or to combine crossfaded regions.
When regions are combined, their durations
and locations are listed up to the center of the
crossfade (for the leading region) and from the
Export Session Text dialog
center of the crossfade (for the following re-
gion).

100 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Time Format File List and Region List

You can select an appropriate time format to ex- Next, if you choose to include them, are the lists
port to the text files. All EDL information is of audio files and regions.
based on this time format. For example, for post
work, you might export SMPTE time, but for Track EDLs
music creation locked to a grid, you might ex-
The final item, if exported, is the list of track
port Bars & Beats.
EDLs. A track EDL lists the track name, and all
edits, including the event number, the region
File Format name, region start and end time, and region du-
You can choose to export to any of several differ- ration. The region timestamp is also exported, if
ent text formats. These include standard text you select this option. Subframes are shown in
formats, and Microsoft Word and Excel formats. each time field if you select this option.

Exporting a session as text:

The Exported Session Text
1 Choose File > Export Session as Text.
Session Information 2 Select whether to include the file list, region

At the start of the session text file, basic informa- list, and track EDLs.
tion about the session is included. This informa- 3 If you choose to include track EDLs, select
tion includes the session name, sample rate, bit whether to show subframes, and whether to in-
depth, time code format, and number of audio clude user timestamps. Also select an option for
tracks, audio regions, and audio files, as shown crossfade handling.
in the following example.
4 Select the Time Format for the exported ses-
SESSION NAME: Ripleys II-092700 sion text from the pop-up menu.

SAMPLE RATE: 48000.000000 5 Select the File Format for exported text using
the pop-up menu.
BIT DEPTH: 24-bit
6 When you have set your options, click OK.
TIME CODE FORMAT: 30 Frame
7 Select a location and enter a filename for the
# OF AUDIO TRACKS: 19 exported text file. In Windows, Pro Tools adds
# OF AUDIO REGIONS: 203 the correct 3-letter filename extension, while on
the Macintosh, the file extension “.txt” is added.
# OF AUDIO FILES: 54

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 101

 To import a Standard MIDI File to new tracks:
Importing MIDI Files 1 Choose File > Import MIDI to Track.
You can import Standard MIDI Files into your
2 Select the MIDI file you want to import.
Pro Tools sessions. Use the Import MIDI to Track
command to place the imported MIDI onto new
tracks; or use the Import MIDI command in the
MIDI Regions List pop-up menu to place the
data in the MIDI Regions List, where it can be
dragged to existing tracks.

Pro Tools does not import proprietary sequence

files. To use sequences from other MIDI applica-
tions in a Pro Tools session, you’ll need to first
save them as Standard MIDI Files. Refer to the
manufacturer’s documentation for details on
saving Standard MIDI Files.
Import MIDI dialog
There are two types of Standard MIDI Files, both 3 To import the MIDI file’s tempo and meter
of which are supported by Pro Tools: tracks, select the option for Import Tempo From
◆ Type 0 MIDI files store data for all MIDI chan- MIDI File.
nels in a single track. When importing these
This option overwrites existing meter and
files, Pro Tools separates the data by channel
tempo events in the current session. If you don’t
and places them in separate regions and tracks.
want this, make sure to instead select Use Exist-
◆ Type 1 MIDI files, sometimes referred to as ing Tempo From Session.
multitrack MIDI files, contain multiple tracks of
4 Click Import (Macintosh) or Open (Win-
MIDI data. When importing these files, each
track’s data is placed on its own new MIDI track dows). If prompted, specify whether you want
in the Pro Tools session. to Keep or Discard existing MIDI tracks and re-
gions in the current session.

The MIDI data is imported to new MIDI tracks,

and also appears as regions in the MIDI Regions
List.

If the Standard MIDI File contains markers,

they are only imported if the current session
does not contain any markers.

5 In the Mix window, click on the MIDI De-

vice/Channel selector for each new track and as-
sign a MIDI instrument and channel.

102 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To import a Standard MIDI File into the MIDI To export all MIDI tracks in the current session:
Regions List:
1 Make sure to unmute any MIDI tracks in the
1 Choose Import MIDI from the MIDI Regions session that you want to export.
List pop-up menu.
2 Choose File > Export MIDI.
2 Select the MIDI file you want to import.
3 Specify a folder destination and name for the
3 To import the MIDI file’s tempo and meter MIDI file.
tracks, select the option for Import Tempo From
MIDI File.

This option overwrites existing meter and

tempo events in the current session. If you don’t
want this, make sure to instead select Use Exist-
ing Tempo From Session.

4 Click Import (Macintosh) or Open (Win-

dows). If prompted, specify whether you want
to Keep or Discard existing MIDI tracks and re-
gions residing in the current session.

Pro Tools imports the MIDI data as regions and Export MIDI dialog
places them in the MIDI Regions List. 4 Select whether the Standard MIDI File will be
Type 0 (merged, single track) or Type 1 (multi-
If the Standard MIDI File contains markers,
track).
they are only imported if the current session
does not contain any markers. 5 Click Export. Pro Tools exports all MIDI tracks
in the current session to a Standard MIDI File
5 Drag the new MIDI regions, as desired, to ex- and writes it to your hard drive. Exported MIDI
isting MIDI tracks. information includes notes, controller events,
program changes, and System Exclusive data, as
well as events for tempo, meter, and markers.
Exporting MIDI Files The SMPTE start time for the session is also ex-
To export a session’s MIDI tracks for use in an- ported. This ensures that the exported tracks,
other MIDI application, or for playback with an when played from another MIDI application,
external (hardware) MIDI sequencer, you can will align with the correct SMPTE frames, and
save the tracks as a Standard MIDI File. also sync correctly to tape and video devices, or
Pro Tools.
When exporting, the session tracks can be
merged to a single, multi-channel track Refer to your third-party MIDI sequencer docu-
(Type 0), or they can be saved as multiple tracks mentation to determine whether it supports im-
(Type 1). porting SMPTE start times from MIDI files.

Chapter 9: Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI 103

 Not Exported with MIDI Files
Mute automation and muted regions do not af-
fect exported MIDI. As long as a track is not
muted by clicking its Mute button, all of its
MIDI data is exported.

When exporting MIDI files from Pro Tools, de-

vice assignments for tracks are not retained
(though channel assignments are). If you there-
fore export MIDI tracks from Pro Tools and later
re-import them, you’ll need to reassign the
tracks to the desired devices.

All playlist information for MIDI tracks is lost

when exporting. For example, tracks that previ-
ously contained dozens of MIDI regions will be
flattened and only contain single regions after
exporting and re-importing.

104 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 10: File Management and
Compatibility

The various Pro Tools systems require that you Unique File IDs
keep certain files on specific hard drives in order
for these systems to function properly. Observe Pro Tools 5.1 tags each audio file in a session
the following file management rules: with a unique identifier that allows it to distin-
guish a particular file even if its name or loca-
◆ On Macintosh Pro Tools Systems, Pro Tools tion have changed.
software should reside on your startup drive (the
drive that contains your System folder and other In cases where the unique identifier is not
System-related files). present, Pro Tools can identify an audio file us-
◆ On Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 sys- ing other file attributes, such as sample rate, bit
tems, data files (such as session files, audio files depth, file length, and creation or modification
and fade files) can be located on any compatible date. Pro Tools will search for files with similar
drive connected to the internal SCSI bus or the attributes, and list potential matches in the Can-
external SCSI bus of your computer, or to a SCSI didate Files list.
accelerator card in your computer.
◆ On Pro Tools LE systems, data files can be lo-
cated on any compatible hard drive connected
to your computer’s internal or external ATA/IDE
or SCSI busses.

Locating Audio Files

When you open a session, if Pro Tools is unable
to locate audio files contained in the session, it
will post a Find File dialog. You can choose to
search for replacement files based either on file
name or on unique file ID.

Find File dialog (Macintosh)

Chapter 10: File Management and Compatibility 105

 To locate an audio file: 5 If you determine that a file in the Candidate
Files list is not the target file, click Skip. To elim-
1 In most cases, you can find files created or
inate all files in the list, click Skip All.
modified by Pro Tools by selecting Current
Folder or Current Volume under “Search In.” To 6 When you have located the target file, click
search in all subfolders of the current folder, se- Open.
lect Look in Subfolders. If this search does not
provide adequate results, you can select All Vol- If you do not locate the target file, the whole file
umes to search all available drives and parti- region and regions based on it appear as offline
tions. media in the Audio Regions List and in tracks in
the Edit window.
2 Select whether you want to search for the file
by Matching Name or Matching Unique ID. It is
faster to search for a file by File Name; however,
this search could be less useful if you are search- WAV File Compatibility
ing for a common file name, for example, “Au- Convert all imported WAV files to
dio-01.” AES31/BroadcastWave
3 If Pro Tools is unable to find the target file, it
Pro Tools always creates AES31/Broadcast com-
will list a number of exact matches for the files,
pliant WAV files when the file originates in
as well as candidate files. These are files that
Pro Tools. This option, accessed by choosing
have the right file name but do not have the cor-
Setups > Preferences > Compatibility, makes im-
rect Unique File ID.
ported WAV files, compliant with the
AES31/EBU Broadcast standard.

AES31/BroadcastWave is a variant of the stan-

dard audio WAV file type. The AES31 format
contains additional information beyond the
raw PCM audio data such as SMPTE time
stamps.

Candidate file (exact match) This variant complies with standards set by the
EBU (European Broadcasters Union), and the
Exact matches in the Find dialog are indicated AES (Audio Engineering Society). Choose this
in the candidate list with a “->” before the file option to ensure compatibility with other work-
path. stations that recognize this file type.
4 Select a candidate file to view its attributes in
the File Info area. To audition a selected audio
file, click Play and adjust the Play Position slider
to choose the playback location in the file.

106 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 File Name Extensions
Avid File Compatibility
For cross-platform compatibility, all files in a
When Avid Compatibility preference is enabled, session must have a 3-letter file extension added
Pro Tools adds additional “metadata” when to the file name. Pro Tools 5.1 session files have
bouncing to disk, or when recording from a bus. the extension “.pts,” and Pro Tools 5 sessions
This metadata includes the name of session, and have the extension “.pt5.” WAV files have the
the name of the source of the bounce (bus or “.wav” file extension, and AIFF files have the
track output). When the bounced file is opened “.aif” file extension.
from an Avid system, the metadata information
will help identify the source of the file compo- Incompatible ASCII Characters
nents.
Region names, track names, file names, and
In addition, when this Avid Compatibility is en- Plug-In settings cannot use ASCII characters
abled, it forces all OMF media to be treated as that are incompatible with either system.
Read Only within Pro Tools
When creating a new name, if an incompatibil-
ity is detected when Mac/PC Compatibility
mode is enabled, a dialog will appear that
Creating Mac and PC prompts you to type a new name. When you im-
Compatible Sessions port files into a session that is set for Mac/Win-
dows compatibility, incompatible characters are
The Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility option al-
converted to underscores (“_”).
lows you to create and save Pro Tools sessions
that are compatible on both Macintosh and
The following characters cannot be used in
Windows. This option is available when creat- Mac/Windows compatible sessions:
ing a new 5.1 session, or when saving a copy of
a 5.1 session. / (slash)

\ (backslash)
Cross-Platform Session Limits
: (colon)
Audio File Types
* (asterisk)
Sound Designer II (SDII) files cannot be read by
Windows systems. Therefore, when creating ? (question mark)
Mac and Windows compatible session files, the
“ (quotation marks)
audio file type for the session must be either
AIFF or WAV. < (less-than symbol)

> (greater-than symbol)

| (vertical line or pipe)

Any character typed with the Command key

Chapter 10: File Management and Compatibility 107

 To create a session that is compatible with 5 Choose a destination and enter a name for the
Macintosh and Windows: new session file. then click Save.
1 After launching Pro Tools, choose File > New
If the session previously used SDII files, the files
Session.
are converted to the new audio file format.
2 Choose the drive where you want to save the
session. The session should be created on a ded-
icated audio drive.

3 In the New Session dialog, set the Audio File

Type to AIFF or WAV. These file formats are com-
patible with either platform.

4 Set the Bit Depth and Sample Rate for the ses-
sion.

5 Select “Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” (Mac-

intosh) or “Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility”
(Windows). This option must be selected to
make the session cross-platform compatible.

6 Select the I/O Settings to use for the session.

Several pre-configured I/O Settings are included
with your system, or you can choose custom I/O
Settings that you have created. See Chapter 7,
“I/O Setup” for more information.

7 Enter a name for the session and click Save.

To save an existing session that is compatible

with Macintosh and Windows:
1 Choose File > Save Session Copy In.

2 In the Save Session Copy dialog, set the Audio

File Type to AIFF or WAV. These file formats are
compatible with either platform.

3 Set the Bit Depth and Sample Rate for the ses-
sion, as well as any options Items To Copy.

4 Select “Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” (Mac-

intosh) or “Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility”
(Windows). This option must be selected to
make the session cross-platform compatible.

108 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part III: Recording

109
110
Chapter 11: Record Setup

Before you start recording, make sure your Volume and pan controls for tracks in Pro Tools
Pro Tools system is connected and configured only affect monitoring levels—not the record-
properly. For details on connecting Pro Tools to ing input gain. The LED indicators on audio in-
your studio, refer to the Pro Tools Installation terfaces indicate both full-code (highest level be-
Guide that came with your system. fore clipping) and true clipping of Pro Tools
output signals. The on-screen meters in the
While some of the information in this chapter is Pro Tools application indicate only true clip-
relevant to recording MIDI, there are more spe- ping.
cific setup details for MIDI recording in
Chapter 13, “MIDI Recording.”
Digital Clipping
Clipping occurs when you feed a signal to a re-
corder or mixer that is louder or “hotter” than
Input Connections and Audio
the device allows. On many analog tape decks, a
Levels little clipping adds a perceived warmth to the
Most Digidesign audio interfaces operate as line- sound due to tape compression. In digital re-
level devices and offer no pre-amplification. cording, however, clipping causes digital distor-
You must therefore adjust the level of an input tion, which is undesirable and should always be
signal to line level before it reaches Pro Tools. avoided.
Low-level sources like microphones and electric
guitars need to be pre-amplified. You can do this Set Input Levels High But Don’t Clip
with a quality mixing board or dedicated
When you feed a signal into any audio record-
preamp.
ing system, including Pro Tools, you need to ad-
NOTE: The Digi 001 is an exception to this rule. just the input level to optimize the dynamic
Its I/O Box has two inputs with preamps, to which range. Adjust the input signal to register as high
you can connect low-level signals, and six addi- as possible on your input meter without trigger-
tional inputs with “input gain.” ing the clipping indicator. If the input level is
too low, you will not take full advantage of the
dynamic range of your Pro Tools system. If the
input level is too high, however, it will be
clipped.

Chapter 11: Record Setup 111

 Calibration Mode (TDM Systems Only) To record enable all selected tracks:
■ Shift-Option-click (Macintosh) or Shift-Alt-
You can use the Calibration Mode in Pro Tools
to adjust the input and output levels for your click (Windows) the Record Enable button for
audio interface so they match those of your any track.
mixing console and other audio devices in your
Shift-Option-click (Macintosh) or Shift-Alt-click
studio.
(Windows) any selected track to take all selected
For more information on Calibration Mode, see tracks out of record-enabled mode.
the TDM Installation Guide.
Multiple tracks are selected by Shift-clicking
their track names.

Record Enabling Tracks While record enabling does not affect audio
To record to a track you must first record enable tracks that are grouped, you can select all
it. To record simultaneously to multiple tracks, tracks in a group by clicking directly to the
you can record multiple audio or MIDI tracks. left of the group’s name in the Groups List.
Then you can Shift-Option-click (Macin-
Unlike audio tracks, MIDI tracks can be record tosh) or Shift-Alt-click (Windows) to record
enabled on the fly while recording. enable all selected tracks.

To record enable a different MIDI track on the fly:

■ While pressing Command (Macintosh) or

Control (Windows), press the Up/Down Arrows

Record-enabled audio track to record enable the previous or next MIDI
track. The previous record track is taken out of
To record enable an audio or MIDI track:
record-enabled mode.
■ From either the Edit or Mix window, click the
– or –
track’s Record Enable button.
■ Click the Record button of the MIDI track you
Click again to take the track out of record-en-
want to record enable. The previous record track
abled mode.
is taken out of record-enabled mode.

To record enable all audio or MIDI tracks: To keep the previous track record-enabled,
■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win- press Shift+Command+Up/Down (Macin-
dows) the Record Enable button for any audio or tosh) or Shift+Control+Up/Down (Win-
MIDI track. dows).

Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-

dows) again to take each of those tracks out of
record-enabled mode.

112 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Latch Record Mode To put all currently selected tracks into Record
Safe mode:
When the option for Latch Record Enable But-
■ Command-Option-Shift-click (Macintosh) or
tons is selected (in the Operations Preferences),
Control-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the Record
you can record enable (latch) additional tracks
Enable button on any of the selected tracks to
by clicking their Record Enable buttons. Previ-
toggle them in and out of Record Safe mode.
ously record-enabled tracks remain record-en-
abled.

When Latch Record Enable Buttons is dese-

Monitoring Modes
lected, record enabling a subsequent track takes
the previously record-enabled track out of Pro Tools offers two modes of input monitoring,
record-enabled mode. Auto Input Monitoring or Input Only Monitoring
(chosen from the Operations menu), which de-
When the option for Latch Record Enable termine how input signals are monitored while
Buttons is deselected, you can still Shift- recording audio.
click the Record Enable buttons on multiple
tracks to record enable them.
Auto Input Monitoring
Record Safe Mode In this mode, when session playback is stopped,
Pro Tools monitors audio input. When playback
When tracks are in Record Safe mode, it is not
is started for a punch-in, Pro Tools monitors ex-
possible to record enable them, and therefore
isting track material up until the punch point.
not possible to record to them. Use Record Safe
While punched in, the input signal is moni-
mode to protect important track recordings.
tored. On punch-out, monitoring switches back
to the existing track material. This is similar to
To put an audio or MIDI track in Record Safe mode:
the auto-switching logic found on digital and
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click analog multitrack tape machines.
(Windows) the track’s Record Enable button.
When Auto Input Monitoring is enabled, the
Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click Record button in the Transport window appears
(Windows) again to take the track out of Record normally gray.
Safe mode.
NOTE: When using Auto Input Monitoring, the
To put all tracks in Record Safe mode: switch back to monitoring track material on punch-
out is not instantaneous. To get instantaneous
■ Command-Option-click (Macintosh) or Con- monitor switching on punch-out, use QuickPunch
trol-Alt-click (Windows) the Record Enable but- (see “Using QuickPunch” on page 155).
ton on any track.

Command-Option-click (Macintosh) or Con-

trol-Alt-click (Windows) again to take all tracks
out of Record Safe mode.

Chapter 11: Record Setup 113

 Input Only Monitoring
Monitoring Latency
In this mode, when a track is record-enabled,
(Pro Tools LE Only)
Pro Tools monitors audio input only, regardless
of any punch in/out selection. Because Pro Tools LE uses the host processor in
your computer for audio processing, playback,
When Input Only Monitoring is enabled, the
and recording, there is a small amount of audio
Record button in the Transport window appears
delay, or latency, in the system. This latency
green.
amount is related to the Hardware Buffer Size—
the larger the buffer size, the larger the latency.

While there may be times when you want a

Green Record button when larger Buffer Size, for the sake of higher track
Input Only Monitoring is enabled
counts with more plug-ins, you’ll generally
Transport window want a smaller Buffer Size when recording audio
that is monitored through your Digi 001 or
Monitor Levels for Record and Audiomedia III.
Playback If you are monitoring the audio material you’re
Pro Tools remembers two different fader levels recording with an external mixer, you will not
for each audio track: one for when the track is hear any latency.
record-enabled, and one for when it is not
record-enabled. This lets you adjust levels for To set the Hardware Buffer Size:
playback and configure a different set of levels 1 Choose Setups > Hardware.
for monitoring while recording.
2 Choose the number of samples from the Hard-
Pro Tools remembers these two states for fader ware Buffer Size pop-up.
levels automatically. If you adjust a fader when
a track is record-enabled and then take the track
out of record-enabled mode, the fader updates
accordingly.

When audio tracks are record-enabled, their vol-

ume faders in the Mix window turn red, indicat-
ing that the record monitor level is active. Hardware Buffer Size

3 Click OK.
Link Record and Play Faders
Computers with slower CPUs may not be
When the Operation Preference for “Link able to use the 128 Buffer Size without en-
Record and Play Faders” is selected, Pro Tools countering performance errors.
does not keep track of record and play levels for
audio tracks. In this case, record enabling an au-
dio track has no effect on the fader level for the
track.

114 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 If you have a SampleCell II Plus card, a Low Latency Monitoring
buffer size of 128 should not be used when
(Pro Tools LE Only)
running the SampleCell Editor at the same
time as Pro Tools LE. Use a larger buffer You can reduce the amount of monitoring la-
setting to avoid performance errors. tency for Pro Tools LE systems by reducing the
Hardware Buffer Size. However, even at the
The following table lists the amount of monitor- smallest Buffer Size, there is still some latency.
ing latency (in milliseconds) you can expect In addition, reducing the Buffer Size limits the
from the four Buffer Sizes. number of simultaneous audio tracks you can
record without encountering performance er-
How Hardware Buffer settings affect latency
rors.
Sample Buffer Latency
rate Size Amount Use for: Digi 001 and Audiomedia III systems can use
(kHz) (samples) (ms) the Low Latency Monitoring option to record
with an extremely small amount of monitoring
44.1 128 2.9 recording drums
and other timing- latency, to as many tracks as each system sup-
critical instru- ports.
ments
To use Low Latency Monitoring:
256 5.8 recording vocals
and instruments 1 Record enable the desired audio tracks (or
with slower Auxiliary Inputs) by clicking their Record En-
attacks (bass,
guitar, etc.)
able buttons. Only tracks with inputs set to an
audio interface (not a bus) use Low Latency
512 11.6 mixing with 24 Monitoring.
tracks
2 From the Output Selector, assign each track to
1024 23.2 final mixdown or either Output 1 or Output 2. Only tracks as-
many plug-ins
signed to these outputs use Low Latency Moni-
48 128 2.7 recording drums toring.
and other timing-
critical instru- 3 Select Operations > Low Latency Monitoring.
ments
When Low Latency Monitoring is enabled, any
256 5.3 recording vocals plug-ins and sends assigned to record-enabled
and instruments tracks (routed to Outputs 1–2) are automatically
with slower
attacks (bass,
bypassed, and must remain bypassed. Also,
guitar, etc.) these tracks will not register on meters for Mas-
ter Faders.
512 10.7 mixing with 24
tracks

1024 21.3 final mixdown or

many plug-ins

Chapter 11: Record Setup 115

 Low Latency Monitoring and 3 If desired, type comments for the track in the
Bounce To Disk Comments text box. Click Previous or Next to
rename another displayed track.
With Low Latency Monitoring Enabled, only
audio tracks are included with the Bounce To To switch tracks in the Track Name/Com-
Disk command—Auxiliary Input tracks are ig- ments dialog, you can press Command
nored. (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) and use
the Up/Down Arrows.
To record Auxiliary Inputs with Low Latency
Monitoring enabled, you must record the mate- 4 When you are finished, click OK.
rial in real time.
Default Names for Audio Files and
Regions
Track Names When recording to an audio track, the resulting
When creating new audio and MIDI tracks, file and region names are based on the name of
Pro Tools names them as either “Audio” or the track. For example, after recording for the
“MIDI” and numbers them consecutively. For first time on a track called “Electric Gtr,” an au-
example, when you create 2 new audio tracks, dio file is written to your hard drive with the
their default names are “Audio 1” and name “Electric Gtr-01.” In addition, a region ap-
“Audio 2.” You can rename tracks and also log pears in the Audio Regions List with the name
comments for each track. “Electric Gtr-01-00.”

Subsequent record takes on the same track are

To rename a track:
named identically but with the first set of digits
1 In the Edit or Mix window, double-click the (indicating the take number) incremented. The
Track Name. second set of digits is only used for region nam-
ing and indicate a region auto-created from an
2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, type a
edit.
new track name.
The QuickPunch record mode uses a
slightly different method for numbering re-
gions. For details, see “Region and Take
Numbering with QuickPunch” on
page 157.

When recording MIDI tracks, a similar naming

scheme is used, though with only one set of dig-
its. For example, after recording to a track called
Track Name/Comments dialog “Synth 1,” a region is created called “Synth 1-
01.” Subsequent regions for that track, generat-
ing either from additional record takes or region
edits, are numbered sequentially.

116 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Names for Stereo Audio Tracks To allocate the audio drives in your system:

When recording to stereo audio tracks, audio 1 Choose Setups > Disk Allocation.

file and region names for the left and right 2 In the Disk Allocation dialog, assign a hard
channels are appended with an “.L” and “.R” drive for each track by clicking in the Record Lo-
suffix. cation column. A folder with the session name
is created on each hard drive, containing sub-
Names for Surround Tracks folders for audio and fade files.
(MIX/MIXplus Systems Only)

When recording to multi-channel surround

tracks, audio file and region names for each
channel are appended with the following suf-
fixes.

Multi-Channel
File and Region Suffix
Format

LCR L, C, R
Disk Allocation dialog
Quad L, R, Ls, Rs
To assign all tracks to the same hard drive, press
5.0 L, C, R, Ls, Rs Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows) while se-
5.1 L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE lecting a drive name.

6.0 L, C, R, Ls, Cs, Rs, LFE 3 To automatically distribute any newly created
tracks among the drives connected to your sys-
6.1 L, C, R, Ls, Cs, Rs tem, select “Use Round Robin Allocation for
7.0 L, Lc, C, R, Rc, Ls, Rs New Tracks.”

7.1 L, Lc, C, R, Rc, Ls, Rs, LFE If you are using Round Robin Allocation and
want audio to be recorded to your system’s star-
tup drive, select Include System Volume (see
“Recording to the System Volume” on page 118
Disk Allocation for details).
By default, Pro Tools records audio files to the
Audio Files folder inside the session folder. You Round Robin Allocation is not supported
can use the Disk Allocation dialog to specify with partitioned hard drives.
other locations for your audio files for each au-
4 To save recorded audio files to an existing
dio track.
folder (without creating another session folder),
To increase system performance, Pro Tools can select Customize Allocation Options, then click
record and play each track from a different hard the Change button and choose the folder. To
drive. You can also automatically distribute any create subfolders in this folder, select “Create
newly created tracks to multiple audio drives Subfolders for audio, video, and fade files.”
with Round Robin Allocation. 5 When you are finished, Click OK.

Chapter 11: Record Setup 117

 Customizing Allocation Options You should record to system drives only when
absolutely necessary—if your computer system
To save Disk Allocation settings for use with fu- has just the one hard drive, or if your other hard
ture sessions, save the session as a template. For drives are completely out of space.
details, see “Creating Custom Session Tem-
plates” on page 55.

Disk Allocation and Cross-Platform Allocating Hard Drive Space

Sessions for Recording
Pro Tools for Windows supports recording and The Operation Preference for Open Ended
playback of audio from multiple hard drives, but Record Allocation determines how much of
to ensure cross-platform operation, it also re- your available hard drive space is allocated for
quires that Macintosh Pro Tools sessions and recording.
their associated audio files be on Macintosh-for-
When this preference is set to Use All Available
matted (HFS) drives.
Space, the drive’s entire available space is allo-
Similarly, Windows sessions and their associ- cated. This can slow down the recording process
ated audio files must reside on Windows-for- for hard drives that use certain file systems, in-
matted (FAT16) drives. If you want to share ses- cluding HFS+ and NTFS.
sions between Windows and Macintosh
In such cases, you can reduce the time it takes to
platforms, consider these restrictions when allo-
begin recording by allocating only a portion of
cating tracks to drives.
your hard drive.

Reallocating Tracks To allocate a portion of your hard drive for

When opening a session where some of the pre- recording:
viously assigned hard drives are no longer avail- 1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
able (or don’t match the current session plat- tion.
form), Pro Tools automatically reassigns tracks
2 Under the Open Ended Record Allocation op-
to the volume where the session file is stored. In
tion, select Limit To and enter a number of min-
such cases, Pro Tools gives you the option of re-
utes to be allocated.
allocating tracks to other drives.

Recording to the System Volume

Though Pro Tools will let you record to your sys- Open Ended Record Allocation, Operation Preference
tem hard drive, this is generally not recom-
mended. Performance for audio recording and The number of minutes specified is allocated for
playback on system drives is worse than on non- each record-enabled track. You may find it nec-
system hard drives. essary to experiment with this number to
achieve the desired performance for recording.

3 When you are finished, click Done.

118 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 In Nondestructive Record mode, the record
Record Modes range is defined by selecting a range in the Ruler
or in a track’s playlist, or by specifying start and
For recording audio, Pro Tools has four record
end points in the Transport window. If there is
modes:
no selection, recording begins from the current
• Normal Nondestructive Record cursor location and continues until the Trans-
• Destructive Record port’s Stop button is clicked.

• Loop Record NOTE: To set a record range by selecting within a

• QuickPunch track’s playlist, the Edit and Timeline selections
must be linked.
To enable Destructive Record, Loop Record, or
QuickPunch, select them from the Operations The pre/post-roll settings allow material to be
menu. If none of these record modes are se- heard up to and after the start and end points,
lected, Pro Tools is in normal Nondestructive which is useful when punch recording (see
Record mode. “Punch Recording Audio” on page 131).

The record mode can also be switched by Con-

Destructive Record Mode
trol-clicking (Macintosh) or Right-clicking
(Windows) the Record button in the Transport In Destructive Record mode, recording over ex-
window. This cycles through the four modes isting regions replaces the original audio perma-
with the Record button changing to indicate the nently, which allows you to preserve hard drive
currently selected mode: blank for Nondestruc- space. However, if you have sufficient drive
tive, “D” for Destructive, a loop symbol for Loop space, it is usually best to use Pro Tools in Non-
Record, and “Q” for QuickPunch. destructive Record mode, to avoid losing any
previously recorded material.

When working in normal Nondestructive

Destructive Record mode enabled Record mode, you can preserve disk space by
removing unwanted record takes (see “Re-
Nondestructive Record Mode moving Unwanted Regions” on page 258)
In normal Nondestructive Record mode,
and compacting audio files (see “Compact-
Pro Tools records audio non-destructively,
ing an Audio File” on page 259).
which means that if you record over a track’s ex- When defining the record range and setting pre-
isting regions, the audio is not erased from your and post-roll, Destructive Record mode works
hard drive. Both the new and old audio remain the same as Nondestructive mode.
on your hard drive, available as regions from the
Audio Regions List. Unlike the other record modes, it is not possible
to cancel record takes when using Destructive
Record mode (see “Canceling a Record Take” on
page 127).

Chapter 11: Record Setup 119

 Loop Record Mode When using QuickPunch, Pro Tools begins re-
cording a new file when playback begins, auto-
Loop Record mode allows you to record take af- matically generating regions in that file at each
ter take (non-destructively) while the same sec- punch in/out point. Up to 100 of these “run-
tion of audio repeats. This is a convenient tech- ning punches” can be performed in a single
nique for quickly recording multiple takes of a pass.
part without losing spontaneity.
Though you can punch record in the other
The time range that is looped and recorded— record modes by manually specifying the record
which must be at least one second in length—is range, only QuickPunch provides instantaneous
defined by selecting a range in the Ruler or in a monitor switching on punch-out.
track’s playlist, or by specifying start and end
points in the Transport window. The pre-roll
setting, if enabled, is used during the first record The Record Modes and MIDI
pass, but on each successive loop the pre/post-
In addition to the four record modes, there is
roll times are ignored.
also a MIDI Merge button in the Transport win-
NOTE: To set a record range by selecting within a dow that determines how MIDI is recorded.
track’s playlist, the Edit and Timeline selections When enabled (Merge mode), recording over ex-
must be linked. isting MIDI regions results in the new data being
merged with the old. When the MIDI Merge
When using Loop Record mode, each successive button is disabled (Replace mode), the new ma-
take appears as a region in the Audio Regions terial replaces the old.
List and each is numbered sequentially. The var-
ious takes, which are identical in length and MIDI Merge button
start time, are easily auditioned and placed in
the track at the correct location with the Takes
List pop-up menu (see “Auditioning Record
MIDI Merge enabled
Takes” on page 133).
MIDI recording works the same whether using
QuickPunch Nondestructive or Destructive Record mode. In
addition, QuickPunch does not need to be en-
QuickPunch gives you the ability to instanta- abled to punch on the fly with MIDI—this capa-
neously punch in (initiate recording) and punch bility is available in Nondestructive and De-
out (stop recording) on record-enabled audio structive Record modes.
tracks during playback by clicking the Trans-
port’s Record button. Recording with Quick- Unlike audio, MIDI can be loop recorded when
Punch is nondestructive. Operations > Loop Playback is enabled. In this
mode, the state of the MIDI Merge toggle deter-
mines whether existing material is replaced or
merged.

120 Pro Tools Reference Guide

In almost all instances, recording MIDI is de- To enable the click in the Transport:
structive (though you can undo a MIDI record
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
pass), either overwriting or adding to region ma-
window, select Display > Transport Window
terial. One exception to this rule is when Loop
Shows > MIDI Controls.
Record mode is enabled; in this mode, existing
track regions are replaced with new regions
when new material is recorded. The old regions
remain intact and available from the MIDI Re-
gions List, and from the Takes List pop-up. In Transport Window with MIDI Controls
Loop Record mode, MIDI Merge has no effect, so
2 In the Transport window, click the Click but-
its button is dimmed.
ton so it becomes highlighted.

Click button

Recording with the Click

If you intend to work with MIDI tracks in your Click enabled
session, or if the audio you’re working with is
3 To use a countoff when recording or playing,
bar- and beat-oriented, you can record your
tracks while listening to the click. This ensures click the Countoff button in the Transport win-
that recorded material, both MIDI and audio, dow so it too becomes highlighted.
will align with the session’s bar and beat bound-
Countoff button
aries.

When your track material lines up with the

beats, you can take advantage of some useful ed- Countoff enabled
iting functions in Pro Tools, such as quantizing
Hearing the countoff before recording is helpful
MIDI and audio regions, quantizing individual
in getting the feel for the tempo before you be-
MIDI notes, and copying and pasting measures
gin playing. The Countoff button in the Trans-
and song sections in Grid mode.
port window displays the number of bars to be
Material that is recorded without listening counted off.
to the click can still be aligned to bar and
NOTE: The countoff is ignored when Pro Tools is
beat boundaries in Pro Tools with the Iden-
Online and syncing to SMPTE time code.
tify Beat command (see “Identify Beat
Command” on page 264), or with Beat De-
tective (see Chapter 22, “Beat Detective”).

Chapter 11: Record Setup 121

 To configure the click options: Wait for Note and Countoff
1 Choose MIDI > Click Options. Wait for Note and Countoff are mutually exclu-
– or – sive and cannot both be enabled at the same
time. If, for instance, Countoff is enabled and
Double-click the Click or Countoff button in the you click the Wait for Note button, Countoff be-
Transport window. comes disabled.
2 In the Click/Countoff Options dialog, choose
from the Output pop-up the port number (de- Setting the Default Meter
vice) and channel that will play the click.
When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the
meter defaults to 4/4. If you intend to record
with the click and are working with a different
meter, make sure to set the default meter accord-
ingly.

If a session’s meter does not match the music

you’re recording, the accented clicks will not
line up with what you’re playing, and, as a re-
sult, the recorded material may not align with
the bars and beats in the Edit window.

Meter events, which can occur anywhere within

a Pro Tools session, are stored in the Meter Track
and appear in the Meter Ruler. Inserting and ed-
iting for meter events is discussed in “Meter
Click/Countoff Options dialog Events” on page 267.
3 For the accented and unaccented notes, spec-
ify the note, velocity, and duration. To set the default meter for a session:
1 Choose Windows > Show Tempo/Meter.
When listening to the click in your Pro Tools
sessions, the accented note sounds on the first – or –
beat of each measure and the unaccented note
Double-click the Meter button in the Transport
sounds on the remaining beats. Make sure the
window.
sound assigned to these notes has a sharp, per-
cussive attack.

4 Select whether the click is heard “During play

Meter button
and record” or “Only during record.”

5 If using a countoff, specify the number of Bars

to be counted off. To hear the countoff only
when recording, select that option.

6 Click OK.

122 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Enter the Meter you will use for the session To insert a default tempo event:
and set the Location to 1|1|000 (so the inserted
1 Choose Windows > Show Tempo/Meter.
meter event replaces the default one).
2 At the top of the Tempo/Meter Change win-
dow, choose Tempo Change from the pop-up
menu.

Tempo/Meter Change window

3 Choose a note value for the number of clicks

to sound in each measure. Tempo/Meter Change window
4 Click Apply to insert the new meter event. 3 Enter the BPM value you will use for the ses-
sion and set the Location to 1|1|000 (so the in-
Setting the Default Tempo serted tempo event replaces the default tempo).

When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the 4 To base the BPM value on something other
tempo defaults to 120 BPM. If you intend to than the default quarter-note, select the desired
record with the click and are working with a dif- note value.
ferent tempo, make sure to set the default tempo 5 Click Apply to insert the new tempo event.
accordingly. If you know the tempo you will use
for the session, you can insert a tempo event at See “Default Tempo” on page 264 for more in-
the beginning of the Tempo Track. formation on the default tempo.

Tempo events, which can occur anywhere

Using Manual Tempo Mode
within a Pro Tools session, are stored in the
Tempo Track and appear in the Tempo Ruler. In- In Manual Tempo mode, Pro Tools ignores the
serting and editing for tempo events is discussed tempo events in the Tempo Track and instead
in greater detail in “Tempo Events” on plays back at the tempo displayed in the Trans-
page 261. port window. The manual tempo can be set with
the Tempo slider, or, if you’re not sure of the ac-
tual tempo, by tapping in the tempo.

While you can adjust the Manual Tempo during

playback, doing so will momentarily interrupt
playback.

Chapter 11: Record Setup 123

 To set the manual tempo with the Tempo slider: To set the manual tempo with the Tap button:
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport 1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select Display > Transport Window window, select Display > Transport Window
Shows > MIDI Controls. Shows > MIDI Controls.

2 In the Transport window, click the Conductor 2 In the Transport window, click the Conductor
button so it becomes unhighlighted. button so it becomes unhighlighted. Pro Tools
switches to Manual Tempo mode. In this mode,
any tempo events in the Tempo Track are ig-
nored.
Conductor button
3 Click the Tap button repeatedly at the desired
Manual Tempo mode enabled tempo.
Pro Tools switches to Manual Tempo mode. In
this mode, any tempo events in the Tempo
Track are ignored.

3 To enter a new tempo, drag the horizontal

Tap button
Tempo slider in the Transport window.
– or –

Click in the Tempo field so it becomes high-

lighted and tap in the tempo by playing a note
on your MIDI keyboard controller.
Tempo slider
To compute the new tempo, Pro Tools requires
For finer resolution with the Tempo slider, press at least four taps (each of which is displayed in
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) the Tap area when received). The computed
while dragging. BPM value appears in the Transport’s Tempo
4 To base the BPM value on something other field.
than the default quarter-note, make the change
in the Beat Value pop-up menu (just to the left
of the Tap button).

5 To exit Manual Tempo mode and enable the Tempo Taps as reflected in Transport
Tempo Track, click the Conductor button in the
Transport window so it becomes highlighted. To lock in the new tempo, take Pro Tools out of
Manual Tempo mode by clicking the Conductor
button, then insert a tempo event (with the new
tempo) at the beginning of the Tempo Track.

124 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording

4 Rename the new track as desired. Track names

Recording a Mono Audio Track are used to auto-name recorded audio files and
regions. For more information, see “Track
When recording from a mono source, record to
Names” on page 116.
a single, mono audio track in Pro Tools.
5 In the Mix Window, click the audio track’s
To configure a mono audio track for recording: Record Enable button to record enable the track.
1 Connect a mono sound source to the appro-
Volume faders for record-enabled tracks turn
priate input of your audio hardware. red.

6 In the Mix window, use the track’s Input Se-

2 From the Session Setup window, select the
sample rate for your session. lector to assign a hardware input.

If using inputs 1 or 2 of an audio interface, make

sure to specify the format (analog or digital) in
the pop-up menu for Ch 1–2.

3 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 Mono

Audio Track, then click Create.
Input Selector

7 In the Mix window, click on the track’s Out-

put Selector and assign a hardware output.

8 Adjust the output level of your sound source

(instrument, mixer, or preamp). Monitor the
New Track dialog
track’s meter levels in Pro Tools to ensure that
you get the highest possible signal without clip-
To auto-scroll the Track Type pop-up in the ping.
New Track dialog, press Command (Macin-
9 In the Mix window, adjust the track’s volume
tosh) or Control (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys. and pan faders as desired. These settings are for
monitoring purposes only and do not affect the
recorded material.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 125

 To record to a mono audio track: 2 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero.

1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive 3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect playback. Adjust the track’s volume and pan fad-
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick- ers as necessary.
Punch.

2 If desired, enable the click and countoff in the Record Shortcuts

Transport window. Also, make sure to specify
In addition to clicking the Record button in the
the session’s default meter and tempo. For de-
Transport window, you can also begin recording
tails, see “Recording with the Click” on
with the following keyboard shortcuts:
page 121.
• Press F12
3 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero
• Press Command+Spacebar
so the start and end times are cleared. This en-
sures that you’ll start recording from the begin- • Press 3 on the Numeric Keypad (when the Nu-
ning of the track. meric Keypad Mode is set to Transport)

4 Click Record in the Transport window. The To initiate recording at half-speed, press
Record button flashes. Command+Shift+Spacebar (Macintosh) or
Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). For
details, see “Half-Speed Recording and
Playback” on page 159.
Record button

5 When you are ready to begin recording, click Undo and Audio Recording
Play. If using a countoff, Pro Tools counts off the After recording an audio track and the Transport
specified number of measures and then begins is stopped, you can undo the previous record
recording. take.
6 When you have finished recording, click Stop
in the Transport window. To undo an audio recording:
■ Once the Transport has been stopped, choose
The newly recorded audio is written to disk and
Edit > Undo MIDI Recording.
appears as an audio region in the track’s playlist.
The new audio region also appears in the Audio The track’s playlist is restored to its previous
Regions List. state. However:
◆ If you punched in and out several times be-
To play back the mono audio track:
fore stopping the Transport, only the last punch
1 Click the Record Enable button for the audio is undone.
track to take it out of record-enabled mode. The
◆ When using Loop Record mode, all takes from
track’s volume fader now functions as a play-
each record pass are discarded.
back level control.

126 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Canceling a Record Take 4 In the Mix Window, click the audio track’s
Record Enable button to record enable the track.
While recording, it is possible to discard the cur- Volume faders for record-enabled audio tracks
rent record take. This removes the audio (re- turn red.
corded up to that point) from your hard drive
and deletes the region from the track’s playlist. 5 In the Mix window, use the Input Selector to
This capability is not available in Destructive assign the stereo input pair for the track’s left
Record mode. and right channels.

To cancel a record take while recording:

■ Press Command+period (Macintosh) or Con-
trol+period (Windows) before the Transport is
stopped.

If using Loop Record mode, all takes from each

record pass are discarded.

Input Selector

6 In the Mix window, click on the track’s Out-

Recording a Stereo Audio put Selector and assign a stereo hardware out-
Track put.
To record a stereo audio source in Pro Tools, 7 Adjust the output level of your sound source
record to a single, stereo audio track. (instrument, mixer, or preamp). Monitor the
track’s meter levels in Pro Tools to ensure that
To record audio in stereo: you get the highest possible signal without clip-
1 Connect the left and right outputs from your ping.
sound source to the appropriate inputs of your 8 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero
audio hardware. so the start and end times are cleared. This en-
2 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 Stereo sures that you’ll start recording from the begin-
Audio Track, then click Create. ning of the track.

9 Click Record in the Transport window. When

you are ready to begin recording, click Play.

10 When you have finished recording, click

Stop in the Transport window.

New track dialog A single, mono audio file is written to disk for
3 Rename the new track as desired. Track names the track’s left and right channels; regions ap-
are used to auto-name recorded audio files and pear in the playlists for both channels. In addi-
regions. For more information, see “Track tion, a multi-channel (stereo) region appears in
Names” on page 116. the Audio Regions List.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 127

 Recording Surround Tracks 4 In the Mix window, assign an audio input and
output for each record track.
(Pro Tools 24 MIX Systems Only)
5 Adjust the output level of your sound sources
Recording multi-channel surround tracks is very
(instruments, mixer, or preamp). Monitor the
similar to recording stereo audio tracks. A single,
tracks’ meter levels in Pro Tools to ensure that
mono audio file is written for each channel in
you get the highest possible signal without clip-
the track, and regions appear in the playlists for
ping.
each channel. In addition, a multi-channel re-
gion appears in the Audio Regions List. 6 In the Mix window, adjust the tracks’ volume
and pan faders as desired. These settings are for
monitoring purposes only and do not affect the
recorded material.
Recording Multiple Audio
Tracks 7 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero
so the start and end times are cleared. This en-
Pro Tools can record multiple audio tracks si- sures that you’ll start recording from the begin-
multaneously, up to the track recording limits of ning of the track.
your system. To record to multiple audio tracks,
record enable each track you want to record. 8 Click Record in the Transport window. When
you are ready to begin recording, click Play.
To record multiple audio tracks: 9 When you have finished recording, click Stop
1 Connect the outputs from your sound source in the Transport window.
to the appropriate inputs of your audio hard-
For each record-enabled track, a new audio file is
ware.
written to disk and a new region is created and
2 Choose File > New Track. Specify the number appears in the playlist. The new audio regions
of audio tracks you want to record, then click appear in the Audio Regions List.
Create.
You can create an Edit and Mix Group for
3 Record enable the audio tracks you want to the recorded tracks so that edits, fader
record by clicking their Record Enable buttons. movements, and mutes are automatically
applied to the tracks.
As long as the preference for Latch Record En-
able Buttons is enabled, you can record enable
subsequent tracks by clicking their Record En-
able buttons. Other tracks already record-en-
abled will remain so.

128 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To non-destructively record a new take on the
Record Pause Mode same track:

When recording a large number of tracks or 1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive
channels, or playing back a large number of Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
tracks while recording, Pro Tools may take a lit- Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-
tle longer to begin recording. To avoid this de- Punch.
lay, put Pro Tools in Record Pause mode before 2 Make sure the track containing the previous
beginning to record. take is still record-enabled.

To record from Record Pause mode: 3 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection. This lets you set the record
1 Click Record in the Transport window. The
start time by clicking anywhere in the track’s
Record button flashes.
playlist.
2 Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
4 To record from the beginning of the track,
dows) Play in the Transport window to put
click Return to Zero in the Transport window.
Pro Tools in Record Pause mode. The Play and
Record buttons flash. – or –

3 To begin recording instantaneously, click Play. Click anywhere in the track’s playlist to be gin
When you have finished recording, click Stop in recording from that point.
the Transport window.
To record a specific track range, with precise
You can also use Pause mode when recording or start and end points, see “Punch Recording
playing large numbers of tracks to speed up Audio” on page 131.
lock-up time when syncing to time code.
5 Click Record in the Transport window. When
you are ready to begin recording, click Play.

Recording Additional Takes 6 When you have finished recording, click Stop
in the Transport window.
After recording to an audio track, you can record
additional takes to the same track. However, if An audio file for the new take is written to disk
you record these additional takes in Destructive and appears as an audio region in the track’s
Record mode, the audio residing on your hard playlist. The new audio region appears in the
drive from the previous takes will be perma- Audio Regions List.
nently lost.
The audio from the original take remains on
To keep the audio from previous takes, record your hard drive, and is still available as a region
the new takes non-destructively in normal Non- in the Audio Regions List.
destructive Record mode.

For details on audio file and region names

for new takes, see “Track Names” on
page 116.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 129

 To destructively record over a previous take: Appending New Material to the End of a
1 Select Operations > Destructive Record. When Track
using Destructive Record mode, a “D” appears in You can also append new material to the end of
the Record button. a track. To do this, locate to the end of the track
with the Go to End button in the Transport win-
dow. From there, simply begin recording and
Pro Tools will add the new material to the end
Destructive Record mode enabled of the track. If using Destructive Record mode,
2 Make sure the track containing the previous the new audio is appended to the audio file and
take is still record-enabled. region from the first take. In Nondestructive
Record mode, a new file and region are created.
3 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection. This lets you set the record
Recording to a New Playlist
start time by clicking anywhere in the track’s
playlist. Instead of recording over existing audio regions,
there is another way to non-destructively record
4 To record from the beginning of the track,
new takes to the same track. Do this by creating
click Return to Zero in the Transport window.
a new playlist for the track, then record just as
– or – before.

Click anywhere in the track’s playlist to be gin Tracks can have multiple edit playlists, each of
recording from that point. which stores a list of regions strung together in a
particular order.
To record a specific track range, with precise
start and end points, see “Punch Recording
To record to a new playlist for a track:
Audio” on page 131.
1 From the track’s Playlist Selector pop-up,
5 Click Record in the Transport window. When choose New. Enter a name for the new playlist
you are ready to begin recording, click Play. and click OK.
6 When you have finished recording, click Stop
in the Transport window.

The audio for the new take is written to disk,

permanently overwriting the original. The new
material replaces the original material within Playlist Selector
the existing region.
When a new playlist is created, its name replaces
the track name. With this playlist active, names
for new audio files and regions are based on its
name.

2 Make sure the track is still record-enabled.

130 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero. You can listen to track material up to and after
the punch record range by enabling pre-and
4 Click Record in the Transport window. When
post-roll. Listening to pre-roll is helpful in get-
you are ready to begin recording, click Play.
ting the feel for playing in the new material.
5 When you have finished recording, click Stop
in the Transport window. During the recording process, playback begins
at the pre-roll time (if enabled) and proceeds to
An audio file for the new take is written to disk the start time (the punch-in point), where re-
and appears as an audio region in the track’s cording begin. When the end time (the punch-
playlist. The new audio region appears in the out point) is reached, Pro Tools automatically
Audio Regions List. switches out of record mode and continues play-
ing through the specified amount of post-roll.
6 To audition the new take, click Play in the
This automated punch-in/out feature is a pow-
Transport window.
erful and precise way of re-recording a portion
7 To go back to a previous playlist to compare it of a track.
to the new take, select the playlist from the
track’s Playlist Selector. NOTE: If you are recording in normal Nondestruc-
tive Record mode, punches do not permanently re-
Selecting a playlist recalls its regions as they pre- place the source material. If you actually want to
viously appeared in the track. At any time, all re- write over the previous data, erasing it forever, use
gions from all playlists are available in the Re- Destructive Record mode.
gions List, and can be mixed and matched
between playlists and tracks. Monitoring during Punch-Ins
For more information on playlists and playlist When punch recording, you may want to en-
editing, see “Playlists” on page 172. able Auto Input Monitoring (by selecting it in
the Operations menu). For details, see “Auto In-
put Monitoring” on page 113.

Punch Recording Audio

To punch record on an audio track:
To replace a portion of a recorded track, you can
1 To record non-destructively, make sure that
punch in by specifying the record range before
Operations > Destructive Record is not selected.
recording.
If you do want to permanently record over the
Though there are several ways to set record and
punched record range, select Operations > De-
play ranges (see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on
structive Record.
page 135), perhaps the easiest is to select within
the track’s playlist the material to be replaced. 2 Make sure the track containing the previous
take is still record-enabled.
NOTE: To set a record or play range by selecting
within a playlist, the Edit and Timeline selections 3 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and

must be linked. Timeline Selection.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 131

 4 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist
until the selection encompasses the desired Loop Recording Audio
punch range.
Pro Tools provides a loop recording feature that
For other methods of setting the record range, allows you to record take after take while the
see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135. same section of audio repeats over and over.
This is a convenient technique for quickly re-
5 To hear existing track material up to the start cording multiple takes of a part without losing
point, or after the end point, enable and set spontaneity.
pre/post-roll times. For details, see “Setting
Pre/Post-Roll” on page 137. When loop recording, you must first specify the
start and end points for the loop. Though there
6 Click Record in the Transport window. When
are several ways to set record and play ranges
you are ready to begin recording, click Play.
(see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135),
If pre-roll is enabled, the track material leading perhaps the easiest is to select within the track’s
up to the punch-in point plays. You can start playlist the material to be looped.
playing during the pre-roll to get the “feel.” Ma-
NOTE: To set a record or play range by selecting
terial is not recorded until the start point is
within a playlist, the Edit and Timeline selections
reached.
must be linked.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
The pre-roll setting, if enabled, is used during
gins recording. Recording continues until the
the first record pass, but on each successive
end point is reached, unless Stop is clicked in
loop, the pre- and post-roll times are ignored. To
the Transport window. If post-roll is enabled,
compensate for this, you may want to make the
playback continues for the specified post-roll
loop range slightly longer. Later, you can trim
amount.
back the recorded takes to the desired length
If recording non-destructively, a new audio file with the Trimmer tool (see “The Trimmer Tool”
is written to your hard drive and a new audio re- on page 215).
gion appears in the record track and Audio Re-
When loop recording audio, Pro Tools creates a
gions List.
single audio file that comprises all takes. Takes
If recording in Destructive Record mode, the appear as individual regions in the Audio Re-
new audio overwrites the previous material in gions List and are numbered sequentially. Once
the existing audio file and region. you stop recording, you can audition any of the
recorded takes.

132 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To loop record an audio track: The recorded takes appear as regions in the Au-
dio Regions List and are numbered sequentially.
1 Select Operations > Loop Record. When Loop
The most recently recorded take is left in the
Record mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears
record track. For details on auditioning the var-
in the Record button.
ious takes from the Takes List pop-up, see “Au-
ditioning from the Takes List Pop-up Menu” on
page 134.

Loop Recording enabled

Loop Playback and Audio Recording
2 Record enable the audio track by clicking its
Record Enable button. When Loop Playback is enabled, Pro Tools will
not loop when attempting to record audio
3 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
tracks with QuickPunch, Destructive Record, or
Timeline Selection. Nondestructive Record mode.
4 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist
NOTE: To loop record audio tracks in Pro Tools,
until the selection encompasses the desired loop
you must enable Loop Record mode.
range.

For other methods of setting the record range,

see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135.
Auditioning Record Takes
5 To hear track material up to the start point of
After recording multiple takes with loop or
the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time. For
punch recording, you can replace the take cur-
details, see “Setting Pre/Post-Roll” on page 137.
rently residing in the track with previous takes
6 Click Record in the Transport window. When to audition them.
you are ready to begin recording, click Play.
To place and audition previous takes:
The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be- 1 In the Edit window, select the current take

gins recording. When the end point is reached, with the Grabber.
Pro Tools loops back to the start time and con- 2 Command-drag (Macintosh) or Control- drag
tinues playing and recording. (Windows) the take from the Audio Regions List
7 To cancel all recorded takes while loop record- (all takes are numbered sequentially).
ing, press Command+period (Macintosh) or
The region replaces the previous take and snaps
Control+period (Windows).
precisely to the correct location.
8 When you have finished recording, click Stop
3 Repeat the above steps as desired to audition
in the Transport window.
other takes.
If you stop recording before you reach the mid-
point of the loop, Pro Tools discards that take. If
you record more than half of the looped take,
Pro Tools will leave the take in the track when
you stop recording.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 133

 Auditioning from the Takes List To change the User Time Stamp of other regions
Pop-up Menu so that they appear in the Takes List pop-up for
a certain location, use the Time Stamp Selected
Each region resulting from a punch or loop command in the Regions List pop-up menu. For
record pass has an identical start time (the User more information, see “Time Stamping” on
Time Stamp). This allows you to easily select and page 488.
audition takes from the Takes List pop-up
menu—even while the session plays or loops.
Takes List and Multiple Tracks
To select a take from the Takes List pop-up: If you have recorded a group of tracks and each
contains takes with identical User time Stamps,
1 Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
you can use the Takes List pop-up menu to re-
(Windows) with the Selector at the precise be-
place all takes simultaneously.
ginning of the loop or punch range.
– or – To replace the takes for multiple tracks:
If the take currently residing in the track is se- 1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Editing
lected, Command-click (Macintosh) or Control- and enable the following options:
click (Windows) it with the Selector. • Take Region Region(s) That Match Track
Names
• Take Regions Lengths That Match

2 Click Done to close the Preferences dialog.

3 With the Selector, select the take range for

Takes List pop-up each track you want to replace.
A pop-up menu appears containing a list of re- 4 Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
gions that share the same User Time Stamp. (Windows) any of the select takes with the Selec-
tor.
2 Choose a region from the Takes List pop-up
menu. The region replaces the previous take and A pop-up menu appears containing a list of re-
snaps precisely to the correct location. gions that share the same User Time Stamp for
3 Repeat the above steps as desired to audition that track.
other takes. 5 Choose a region from the Takes List pop-up
menu. The region replaces the previous take and
One way to ensure that future takes have the
snaps precisely to the correct location. The same
same User Time Stamp (and appear in the Takes
take numbers for the other selected tracks are
List pop-up) is to store punch and loop record
also automatically selected.
selections as Memory Locations. Then if you
later need to record additional takes, simply re-
call the Memory Location. For more informa-
tion, see “Recalling Punch/Loop Points with
Memory Locations” on page 138.

134 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Editing Preferences and Take In most instances, you’ll want to deselect the
Regions “Separate Region Operates On All Related
Takes” option, to prevent a large number of re-
In addition to having the same User Time gions from being created when you use the Sep-
Stamp, regions that appear in the Takes List arate Region command.
pop-up are also restricted according to the fol-
lowing options in the Editing Preferences:

Take Region Name(s) That Match Track Names Setting Punch/Loop Points
When selected, only regions that share the same The start and end points of a record range for
root name with the track/playlist appear in the punch and loop recording can be set by the fol-
Takes List pop-up menu. For example, the Takes lowing means:
List for a track named “Gtr.L” would show the
• Select a range in a track’s playlist
regions “Gtr.L-01” and “Gtr.L-02-01,” but not
“Guit.L-01.” • Select a range in a Timebase Ruler
• Drag the Playback Markers in the Ruler
Take Region Lengths That Match When selected,
only regions that match the length of the current • Enter start and end times in the Transport
selection (even if it is not an entire region) appear window
in the Takes List pop-up menu. If there is no se- • Recall a Memory Location
lection, all takes with the same User Time Stamp
are displayed. To set the record range with an Edit selection:

Separate Region Operates On All Related Takes 1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid so the se-
lection is constrained to the current Grid value.
When selected, editing a region with the Sepa-
rate Region command also affects all other re- 2 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
lated takes with the same User Time Stamp. Timeline Selection.

3 With the Selector, drag in a track’s playlist un-

This option helps you compare different sec-
tions from a group of related takes. For example, til the selection encompasses the desired record
you can quickly separate an entire group of re- range.
lated vocal takes into sections, then audition
and select the best material from each section
independently.

If this option is selected, make sure the “Take

Region Names That Match Track Names” and Playlist selection
“Take Region Lengths that Match” options are
– or –
also selected. If they are not, all regions in the
session that have the same User Time Stamp will If a region’s start and end points define the
be affected. record range, click on the region with the Grab-
ber.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 135

 To set the record range with a Timeline selection: 3 Drag the second Playback Marker (up arrow)
to the end point of the range.
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid so the se-
lection is constrained to the current Grid value.
If the current record range is already the
2 Drag with the Selector in any Timebase Ruler right length and the range needs only to be
until the selection encompasses the desired moved, Option-drag (Macintosh) or Alt-
record range. drag (Windows) either Playback Marker to
move both to a new location (while keeping
the same length).

Start and End Fields

Timeline selection
The Transport window can be resized to display
Playback Markers start, end, and length times, and pre- and post-
roll settings. When setting a record or play
When tracks are record-enabled, Playback Mark- range, it is reflected in these fields.
ers for start and end times appear as red
up/down arrows in the Ruler. If no tracks are
record-enabled, the Playback Markers are blue.

Playback Markers in Ruler Transport window with start/end displayed

The Playback Markers can be dragged, either You can enter locations in the start and end
separately or at the same time, to set record and fields to set the record or play range. The Play-
play ranges. back Markers in the Ruler are updated accord-
ingly.
To set the record range by dragging the Playback
Markers: To set the record range by entering start and end
times in the Transport window:
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid so the
1 If necessary, resize the Transport window by
dragged Playback Markers snap to the current
Grid value. clicking in the upper right so the start and end
times are displayed.
2 Drag the first Playback Marker (down arrow)
2 In the Transport window, click in the start
to the start point of the range.
field.
– or –

Press Option+slash (Macintosh) or Alt+slash

(Windows) to select the start field in the Trans-
Dragging a Playback Marker (start time) in Ruler
port window.

136 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Type in the start location and press slash to Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in the
enter the value and automatically move to the Transport Window
end field.
Pre- and post-roll can be enabled and set from
4 Type in the end location and press Enter to ac- the fields in the Transport window.
cept the value.
To enable and set the pre- and post-roll times in
Use the period (.) or Left/Right Arrow keys the Transport window:
to move through the different time fields for
start/end. Use the Up/Down Arrow keys to 1 If necessary, resize the Transport window by

increase or decrease the numerical values. clicking in the upper right so the start and end
times are displayed.

Setting Pre/Post-Roll 2 In the Transport window, click in the pre-roll

field.
Pre- and post-roll times appear as flags in the
Ruler. When pre- and post-roll are enabled, the 3 Type in the pre-roll amount and press slash to
flags are green, otherwise they are gray. enter the value and automatically move to the
post-roll field.

4 Type in the post-roll amount and press Enter

Green Pre/Post-Roll Flags (enabled) in the Ruler to accept the new value.

Pre- and post-roll amounts can be entered in the 5 To enable either pre- or post roll, click the ap-
Transport window, set from a track’s playlist or propriate button so it becomes highlighted.
Timebase Ruler, or by recalling a Memory Loca-
tion. Use the period (.) or Left/Right Arrow keys
to move through the different time fields for
For TDM systems, recording with pre/post- pre/post. Use the Up/Down Arrow keys to
roll requires two voices for each record-en- increase or decrease the numerical values.
abled track. In addition, to simultaneously
record on 32 tracks with pre/post-roll on a Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in a Playlist
Pro Tools 24 MIX system (which allocates
You can use the Selector to enable and disable
voices to either of two DSP engines, 1–32
pre- and post-roll by clicking in a track’s playlist.
and 33–64), the tracks must be evenly dis-
tributed between the two DSPs (for in-
To enable and set the pre- and post-roll by clicking
stance, tracks 1–16 assigned to voices 1–16 in a playlist:
and tracks 17–32 assigned to voices
33–48). 1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection.

2 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist

until the selection encompasses the desired
record range.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 137

 3 With the Selector, Option-click (Macintosh) To set the pre- and post-roll amounts by dragging
or Alt-click (Windows) in the track’s playlist be- in the Ruler:
fore the selection to enable the pre-roll at that 1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid so the
location. dragged flags snap to the current Grid value.
4 With the Selector, Option-click (Macintosh) 2 Drag the Pre-Roll Flag to the desired location
or Alt-click (Windows) in the track’s playlist af- in the Ruler.
ter the selection to enable the post-roll at that
location.

To disable the pre- and post-roll by clicking in a

playlist: Dragging a Pre-Roll Flag in Ruler
1 With the Selector, Option-click (Macintosh) 3 Drag the Post-Roll Flag to the desired location
or Alt-click (Windows) within a track selection in the Ruler.
near the start to disable the pre-roll.
To set pre- and post-roll values to the same
2 With the Selector, Option-click (Macintosh)
amount, Option-drag (Macintosh) or Alt-
or Alt-click (Windows) within a track selection
drag (Windows) either the Pre- or the Post-
near the end to disable the pre-roll.
Roll Flag in the Ruler.

Enabling Pre- and Post-Roll from the

Recalling Punch/Loop Points with
Operations Menu
Memory Locations
Pre- and post-roll (as a pair) can be enabled and
Since Memory Locations recall Edit selections,
disabled from the Operations menu.
you can use them to recall record and play
ranges—that is, as long as the Edit and Timeline
To enable both pre- and post-roll from the
selections are linked. Memory Locations can
Operations menu:
also store and recall pre- and post-roll settings.
■ Select Operations > Pre/Post Roll Playback.
For more information on Memory Locations,
see “Memory Locations and Markers” on
Dragging Pre- and Post-Roll Flags in the
page 270.
Ruler
The Pre- and Post-Roll Flags can be dragged in To save punch/loop points with a Memory
the Ruler, either separately or at the same time, Location:
to set their location. 1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection.

2 Set the record range by making a playlist or

Ruler selection, or by entering start and end
times in the Transport window.

138 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 If desired, enable and set the pre/post-roll
amounts in the Transport window, or by drag-
ging the Pre- and Post-Roll Flags in the Ruler.

4 Press Enter on the numeric keypad.

5 In the New Memory Location dialog, set Time

Properties to Selection, and, if desired, under
General Properties, select the option for Pre/Post
Roll Times.

New Memory Location dialog

6 Enter a name for the new Memory Location

and click OK to save it.

To recall punch/loop points with a Memory

Location:
1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection.

2 Choose Windows > Show Memory Locations.

3 In the Memory Locations window, click the

name or number of the Memory Location.

The start and end times and pre/post-roll set-

tings stored with the Memory Location are re-
called.

Chapter 12: Basic Audio Recording 139

140 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 13: MIDI Recording

Although recording MIDI in Pro Tools is similar

to recording audio, there are some important Recording from MIDI Devices
differences.
The MIDI Inputs for record-enabled MIDI tracks
◆ Unlike audio, MIDI recording is almost always determine which MIDI data is recorded in
destructive. See “The Record Modes and MIDI” Pro Tools. MIDI Inputs can be set to a specific
on page 120 for details. device and channel, or they can be set to “All,”
◆ Unlike audio, a MIDI recording take can be where all channels for all devices are merged to
undone after stopping the Transport. For details, the track.
see “Undo and MIDI Recording” on page 147.
MIDI tracks in Pro Tools do not contain multi-
◆ Unlike audio tracks, MIDI tracks can be record ple channels and always play back on the track’s
enabled on the fly while recording. assigned device and channels. Multiple MIDI
◆ Similar to audio tracks, MIDI tracks have an channels can be simultaneously recorded to
Input Selector that determines which channels multiple tracks.
are routed and recorded to the track. If the Input
The following Pro Tools options determine
Selector is set to All, all channels for all devices
whether you can record from a MIDI controller
are routed to the track.
device:
◆ It is not necessary to use QuickPunch to
◆ Devices that are assigned as a MIDI Controller
punch in on the fly with MIDI tracks. This capa-
in the Peripherals dialog are ignored when MIDI
bility is available in normal Nondestructive
tracks are recorded. This is to avoid recording
Record Mode, and in Destructive Record mode.
data from MIDI control surfaces like the Mackie
Refer to the “Pro Tools Installation Guide” HUI.
that came with your system for details on ◆ On the Macintosh, only devices that are en-
configuration for MIDI recording. abled in the Input Devices dialog can be re-
corded from. For more information, see
“Enabling Input Devices” on page 142.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 141

 In addition, the following options affect how To enable input devices:
MIDI data is recorded in Pro Tools.
1 Choose MIDI > Input Devices.
◆ The Input Filter can filter out MIDI messages
2 In the Input Devices dialog, select the MIDI
that you may not want to record, such as poly-
devices you will record from. Also, make sure
phonic aftertouch or System Exclusive data. For
any devices that will be used as a control surface
more information, see “MIDI Input Filter” on
are also selected.
page 143.
◆ Input Quantize, when enabled, automatically
quantizes (time corrects) all MIDI notes that are
recorded. For more information, see “Input
Quantize” on page 144.

Enabling Input Devices

(Macintosh Only)

To record from a MIDI controller in Pro Tools,

the device must be enabled in the Input Devices Input Devices dialog
dialog. You can also use this dialog to make sure
unwanted notes from certain devices, such as 3 Deselect any devices you want to ignore while

drum machines or arpeggiators, are not re- recording MIDI.

corded. 4 When you are finished, click OK.

In order to use control surfaces, like the

Mackie HUI, they must be enabled in the
Input Devices dialog. MIDI Thru
To monitor MIDI tracks while recording, enable
In order for Pro Tools to sync to MMC, the MIDI Thru. When enabled, Pro Tools routes
MMC source must be enabled in the Input MIDI from your controllers to the device and
Devices dialog. channels assigned to the MIDI track currently
record-enabled.

NOTE: The MIDI Preference for Global MIDI Play-

back Offset and individual MIDI track offsets do
not affect MIDI routed with MIDI Thru.

NOTE: When MIDI Thru is enabled, System Exclu-

sive events are echoed to the MIDI device assigned
to the record-enabled track—but only if the sysex
events are smaller than 256 bytes.

142 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To enable MIDI Thru:
■ Select MIDI > MIDI Thru.
MIDI Input Filter
Use the MIDI Input Filter to filter out certain
MIDI messages from your recordings. The Input
Filter can be set to record “all” messages, “only”
the specified messages, or “all except” the speci-
fied messages.

For example, to filter out polyphonic aftertouch

and System Exclusive data:

MIDI Thru enabled 1 Choose MIDI > Input Filter.

When using MIDI Thru, you should disable Lo- 2 In the MIDI Input Filter dialog, select the Only
cal Control on your MIDI keyboard controller. option.
Otherwise, your keyboard may receive double
MIDI notes, which can lead to stuck notes. If un-
sure how to disable Local Control for your in-
strument, refer to the manufacturer’s documen-
tation.

The Default Thru Instrument

In addition to any MIDI tracks that are record-
enabled, you can also route MIDI to the Default
Thru Instrument. This saves you the trouble of
creating a MIDI track and record enabling it to
hear a particular MIDI device and channel.

Unlike MIDI tracks, which only listen to the de-

vice and channel assigned to its Input Selector, MIDI Input Filter
all incoming MIDI data is routed to the Default
3 Make sure the options for Polyphonic After-
Thru Instrument.
touch and System Exclusive are not selected.
If the Default Thru Instrument is assigned to a Leave all other messages selected.
record-enabled MIDI track, Pro Tools only 4 Click OK.
routes to the record-enabled track.
When using the Only option, only the MIDI
To set the Default Thru Instrument: messages that are selected will be recorded. Con-
versely, when using the All Except option, the
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click MIDI.
selected messages will not be recorded.
2 From the pop-up menu for Default Thru In-
strument, select the MIDI device and channel to
which MIDI data will be routed. To disable the
Default Thru Instrument, select None.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 143

 Input Quantize Wait for Note
When Input Quantize is enabled, all recorded The Wait for Note button, located in the Trans-
MIDI notes are quantized automatically. To pre- port window, determines how Pro Tools begins
serve the original “feel” of your recorded MIDI recording. When enabled, Pro Tools will not be-
tracks, make sure to disable this option. gin recording until a MIDI event is received.
This ensures that you begin recording when
To enable Input Quantize: you’re ready to play, and that the first note, or
other MIDI data, is recorded precisely at the be-
1 Choose MIDI > Input Quantize.
ginning of the record range (start time).
2 In the Input Quantize window, select the En-
able Input Quantize option. Wait for Note can be used when recording nor-
mally, when punching in, or when loop record-
ing. If pre-roll is enabled, it occurs after the
MIDI event is received and before recording be-
gins.

To enable Wait for Note:

1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select Display > Transport Window
Shows > MIDI Controls.

Transport window with MIDI Controls

2 In the Transport window, click the Wait for

Note button so it becomes highlighted.

Wait for Note button

Input Quantize window

Configure the other options in the Input Quan-

tize window as desired. For details on the vari-
ous Quantize options, see “Quantize” on
Wait for Note enabled
page 311. When finished, close the Input Quan-
tize window.
With the Operation Preference for “Use F11
For drum machine style loop recording, use Input for Wait for Note” is enabled, you can press
Quantize while loop recording MIDI in Merge F11 to turn on Wait for Note.
mode (see “Loop Recording with Merge Mode”
on page 150).

144 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Merge/Replace Recording a Single MIDI Track
The MIDI Merge button, located in the Trans- To record MIDI in Pro Tools, first add a new
port window, determines how MIDI is recorded MIDI track and record enable it.
when overdubbing or punching in. When MIDI
Merge is on (Merge mode), recorded MIDI is To take advantage of the editing capabili-
merged with existing track material. When ties in Pro Tools, make sure to record with
MIDI Merge is off (Replace mode), existing data the click enabled. This ensures that recorded
within the punched region is replaced by the data aligns with the session’s bar and beat
newly recorded material. boundaries.

The MIDI Merge button can be turned on and To configure a new MIDI track for recording:
off while playing or recording. In Loop Record 1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI
mode, MIDI Merge has no effect, so its button is Track, then click Create.
dimmed.

To enable MIDI Merge:

1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select Display > Transport Window
Shows > MIDI Controls. New Track dialog

To auto-scroll the Track Type pop-up in the

New Track dialog, press Command (Macin-
tosh) or Control (Windows) and use the
Transport Window with MIDI Controls
Up/Down Arrow keys.
2 In the Transport window, click the MIDI
2 Rename the new track as desired. Track names
Merge button so it becomes highlighted.
are used to auto-name recorded regions. For
more information, see “Track Names” on
MIDI Merge button
page 116.

3 In the Mix window, click on the track’s MIDI

Output Selector and assign a device and channel
MIDI Merge enabled from the pop-up menu. Channels already as-
signed to other tracks appear bold in this menu.

MIDI Output Selector

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 145

 4 To assign multiple destinations to a single 6 Click Record in the Transport window.
MIDI track, Shift-click the MIDI Output Selector
and select additional channels from any device.

5 If desired, assign a default program change to

the track. In the Mix window, click on the Pro- Record button
gram button (Prog) and make the necessary se-
◆ If using Wait for Note, the Play, Record, and
lections for program and bank select, then click
Wait for Note buttons flash. Recording begins
Done.
when a MIDI event is received.
Default program changes are sent whenever the ◆ If using Countoff, click Play to start counting
track is played. For more information, see “Pro- down. The Record and Play buttons flash during
gram Changes” on page 302. the countoff, after which recording begins.
6 In the Mix Window, click the MIDI track’s 7 When you have finished recording, click Stop
Record Enable button to record enable the track. in the Transport window.

To record to the new MIDI track: The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
region in the track’s playlist, and in the MIDI
1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive
Regions List.
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick- There are several keyboard shortcuts you
Punch. can use to begin recording. See “Record
2 If desired, enable and configure the click, and Shortcuts” on page 126 for details.
set a default tempo and meter for the session.
To play back the recorded MIDI track:
For details, see “Recording with the Click” on
page 121. 1 Click the Record Enable button for the MIDI
track to take it out of record-enabled mode.
3 If desired, enable Wait for Note or Countoff in
the Transport window. 2 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero.

4 Make sure MIDI > MIDI Thru is selected, then 3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
play some notes on your MIDI controller. The playback.
MIDI instrument assigned to the track should
The recorded MIDI data plays back through the
sound, and the track’s meters should register
track’s assigned channel.
MIDI activity.

5 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero

so the start and end times are cleared. This en-
sures that you’ll start recording from the begin-
ning of the track.

146 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Undo and MIDI Recording
Recording Multiple MIDI
After recording a MIDI track and the Transport Tracks
is stopped, you can undo the previous record
take. In Pro Tools, you can simultaneously record to
multiple MIDI tracks, allowing you to:
To undo a MIDI recording: • Record from multiple MIDI devices at the
■ Once the Transport has been stopped, choose same time, capturing material from several
Edit > Undo MIDI Recording. performers
• Record multiple channels from the same de-
The track’s playlist is restored to its previous
vice, capturing data from a split keyboard
state. However:
• Transfer MIDI tracks from an external MIDI
◆ If you punched in and out several times be-
sequencer
fore stopping the Transport, only the last punch
is undone. To record to multiple MIDI tracks, record enable
◆ When using Loop Record mode, all takes from each track and set the MIDI Input for each track.
each record pass are discarded.
To record to multiple MIDI tracks:
Canceling a Record Take 1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
It is also possible to discard the current record
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-
take before the Transport is stopped.
Punch.

To cancel a record take while recording: 2 If desired, enable and configure the click. For
details, see “Recording with the Click” on
■ Press Command+period (Macintosh) or Con-
page 121.
trol+period (Windows) before the Transport is
stopped. 3 If desired, enable Wait for Note or Countoff in
the Transport window.
If using Loop Record mode, all takes from each
record pass are discarded. 4 Choose File > New Track. Specify the number
of MIDI tracks you want to record, then click
Create.

5 Record enable the MIDI tracks you want to

record by clicking their Record Enable buttons.

As long as the preference for Latch Record En-

able Buttons is enabled, you can record enable
subsequent tracks by clicking their Record En-
able buttons. Other tracks already record-en-
abled will remain so.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 147

 6 In the Mix window, click on the MIDI Input
Selector for each track and assign the device and Punch Recording MIDI
channel that will be recorded.
To replace a portion of a MIDI track, you can
punch in by specifying the record range before
recording.

To punch in on a MIDI track:

1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-
Punch.
MIDI Input Selector
2 If desired, enable and configure the click. For
7 In the Mix window, click on the MIDI Output details, see “Recording with the Click” on
Selector for each track and assign a device and page 121.
channel for playback.
3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for
8 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero Note and Countoff.
so the start and end times are cleared. This en-
4 Make sure the track containing the previous
sures that you’ll start recording from the begin-
take is record-enabled.
ning of the track.
5 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
9 Click Record in the Transport window.
Timeline Selection.
◆If using Wait for Note, the Play, Record, and
Wait for Note buttons flash. Recording begins 6 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist

when a MIDI event is received. until the selection encompasses the desired
punch range.
◆ If using Countoff, click Play to start counting
down. The Record and Play buttons flash during For other methods of setting the record range,
the countoff, after which recording begins. see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135.

10 When you have finished recording, click 7 To hear existing track material up to the start
Stop in the Transport window. point, or after the end point, enable and set
pre/post-roll times. For details, see “Setting
For each record-enabled track, a new MIDI re-
Pre/Post-Roll” on page 137.
gion is created and appears in the playlist. The
new MIDI regions also appear in the MIDI Re- 8 To replace existing track material, disable
gions List. MIDI Merge in the Transport window.

9 Click Record in the Transport window. When

you are ready to begin recording, click Play.

148 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If pre-roll is enabled, the track material leading 6 When you reach the punch-in point, click
up to the punch-in point plays. You can start Record in the Transport window.
playing during the pre-roll to get the “feel.” Ma- – or –
terial is not recorded until the start point is
reached. For Digi 001 systems with a connected foot-
switch, press the footswitch at the punch-in
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be- point.
gins recording. Recording continues until the
end point is reached, unless Stop is clicked in The Record button stops flashing and stays lit
the Transport window. If post-roll is enabled, during recording.
playback continues for the specified post-roll
7 To punch out, click Record again (or press the
amount.
footswitch).

Punching “on the fly” with MIDI Pro Tools exits record mode and continues play-
ing. You can perform additional punches during
You don’t have to set a record range to punch in
the same pass.
on a MIDI track. In fact, you can punch in and
out freely at any time during playback. Unlike
audio tracks, it is not necessary to enable Quick- Regions and Punch Recording
Punch to perform real-time punches.
Depending on the record range, new regions
For Digi 001 systems, you can use a foot- may be created after punch recording. For exam-
switch (connected to the I/O Box) to punch ple, Figure 6 shows two existing regions before
in and out when recording MIDI. recording. Since the start and end times occur
within both of the existing regions, a new re-
To punch on the fly with MIDI: gion is created to fill the space between them.

1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive before punch record

Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-
Punch.

2 Record enable the track by clicking its Record

Enable button.
after punch record
3 To replace existing track material, disable
MIDI Merge in the Transport window.

4 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the

Transport window.
newly recorded
material new region
5 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero.
Start playback by clicking Play in the Transport Figure 6. Region added after punch record
window.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 149

 However, when selecting an entire region, or a Make sure that MIDI Merge is enabled in the
section within a region, before punching, no Transport window, otherwise (in Replace mode)
new regions are created. In this instance, only each subsequent take will destructively replace
the material residing within the existing region the previous.
changes, with no new material recorded outside
the region. You can record enable a different MIDI
track on the fly while loop recording. While
Unlike audio recording, MIDI recording in this pressing Command (Macintosh) or Control
scenario is destructive. If a region is altered be- (Windows), use the Up/Down Arrows to
cause of a record take, the original material is record enable the previous or next MIDI
lost (unless you choose Edit > Undo MIDI Re- track.
cording). If an existing region contains impor-
tant material, always make a backup before re- To loop record with MIDI Merge:
cording over it. 1 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-
Loop Recording MIDI Punch.

2 Select Operations > Loop Playback. When

Loop recording with MIDI is supported by two
Loop Playback is enabled, a loop symbol appears
methods:
in the Play button.
• In normal Nondestructive Record mode, en-
able Loop Playback and MIDI Merge for drum
machine style loop recording.
– or – Loop Playback enabled

• Use Loop Record mode to record multiple 3 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI
takes on each record pass. This is similar to Track, then click Create.
loop recording audio.
4 Record enable the new MIDI track by clicking
its Record Enable button. Make sure no audio
Loop Recording with Merge Mode tracks are record-enabled.

For drum machine style loop recording, use nor- 5 In the Transport window, click the MIDI
mal Nondestructive Record mode with Loop Merge button so it becomes highlighted.
Playback and MIDI Merge enabled. With this
method, MIDI is recorded and merged to the MIDI Merge button

same region with each new record pass—

thereby allowing you to, for example, record hi- MIDI Merge enabled
hats on the first pass and kick and snare on the 6 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the
next. Transport window.

150 Pro Tools Reference Guide

7 If desired, enable Input Quantize to automat- Loop Recording Multiple Takes
ically quantize recorded material (see “Input
Quantize” on page 144). When recording MIDI in Loop Record mode,
new regions are created each time new material
8 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and is received during a record pass. This differs
Timeline Selection. somewhat from loop recording audio, where
9 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist separate audio files and regions are created with
until the selection encompasses the desired loop each subsequent record pass.
range.
You can use this method of MIDI loop recording
For other methods of setting the record range, to record successive takes without stopping the
see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135. record process, thereby preserving your creative
spontaneity. Another advantage with this
10 To hear track material up to the start point of method of recording MIDI, which is nonde-
the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time. For structive, is that existing and newly recorded re-
details, see “Setting Pre/Post-Roll” on page 137. gions remain intact (and available in the MIDI
11 Click Record in the Transport window. When Regions List).
you are ready to begin recording, click Play.
To record MIDI in Loop Record mode:
The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.
1 Select Operations > Loop Record. When Loop
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
Record mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears
gins recording. When the end point is reached,
in the Record button.
Pro Tools loops back to the start point and con-
tinues playing and recording.

12 Play some notes on your MIDI controller.

Newly recorded MIDI data appears as a region in Loop Recording enabled
the record track. On each successive take, re-
1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI
corded material shows up in the region, without
Track, then click Create.
replacing material from previous takes.
2 Record enable the new MIDI track by clicking
13 If desired, switch to a new record track.
its Record Enable button. Make sure no audio
While pressing Command (Macintosh) or Con-
tracks are record-enabled.
trol (Windows), use the Up/Down Arrows to
record enable the previous or next MIDI track. 3 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the
Transport window.
14 When you have finished recording, click
Stop in the Transport window. 4 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection.
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
region in the track’s playlist, and in the MIDI
Regions List.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 151

 5 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist To audition the various record takes:
until the selection encompasses the desired loop
1 Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
range.
(Windows) with the Selector at the precise be-
For other methods of setting the record range, ginning of the loop record range.
see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135. – or –

6 To hear track material up to the start point of ◆ If the take currently residing in the track is se-

the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time. For lected, Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-
details, see “Setting Pre/Post-Roll” on page 137. click (Windows) it with the Selector.

7 Click Record in the Transport window. When

you are ready to begin recording, click Play.

The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.

When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
gins recording. When the end point is reached,
Auditioning loop record takes
Pro Tools loops back to the start point and con-
tinues playing and recording. A pop-up menu appears containing a list of re-
gions that share the same User Time Stamp.
8 Play some notes on your MIDI controller. A
new MIDI region containing the newly recorded 2 Choose a region from the Takes List pop-up
material is automatically created and appears in menu. The region replaces the previous take and
the track’s playlist, replacing the previous re- snaps precisely to the correct location.
gion.
For more information on auditioning and man-
Regions are replaced (non-destructively) during aging takes, see “Auditioning Record Takes” on
subsequent record passes when new MIDI mate- page 133.
rial is received.

9 When you have finished recording, click Stop

in the Transport window. The most recently re- Recording System Exclusive
corded take is left in the record track. Data
The recorded takes appear as regions in the Pro Tools supports recording and playing Sys-
MIDI Regions List and are numbered sequen- tem Exclusive data (sysex) with MIDI tracks.
tially. The takes, which are the same length and This allows you to use MIDI tracks in Pro Tools
easily interchangeable, can be auditioned from to store patch and configuration data for your
the Takes List pop-up menu—even while the ses- MIDI devices, or to record real-time sysex
sion plays or loops. changes for a particular synth parameter (filter
cutoff, for instance).

152 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To record a sysex dump at the beginning of a MIDI The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
track: region in the track’s playlist, and in the MIDI
1 Make sure that the MIDI OUT for the device Regions List. MIDI regions that contain System
sending the sysex is connected to your MIDI in- Exclusive data appear blank when the track’s
terface’s MIDI IN. Display Format is set to Regions.

2 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive To see the sysex event blocks, which indicate
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect the location of the data, set the track to display
Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick- Sysex. For details on moving and copying of
Punch. sysex data, see “System Exclusive Events” on
page 305.
3 In the MIDI Input Filter, enable recording of
System Exclusive data.
To resend the sysex from Pro Tools:
4 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI
1 For the device receiving the System Exclusive
Track, then click Create. data, make sure its MIDI IN is connected to your
5 Record enable the new MIDI track by clicking MIDI interface’s MIDI OUT.
its Record Enable button.
Also, make sure the device is set to receive sysex.
6 Enable Wait for Note in the Transport win- Some devices require that memory protect be
dow. off.

7 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero 2 For the previously recorded track, click its
so the start and end times are cleared. This en- Record button to take it out of record-enabled
sures that you’ll start recording from the begin- mode.
ning of the track.
3 In the Mix window, click on the track’s MIDI
8 When you are ready to begin recording, click Device/Channel Selector and assign the device
Record in the Transport window. from the pop-up menu.

The Record, Play, and Wait for Note buttons 4 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero.
flash, indicating that Pro Tools is waiting for 5 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
MIDI data. playback. Pro Tools begins playing and trans-
9 Initiate the sysex transfer from the MIDI de- mits the previously recorded sysex to the as-
vice. When receiving the MIDI data, Pro Tools signed MIDI device.
automatically begins recording.

10 When the transfer is complete, click Stop in

the Transport window.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 153

154 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 14: Advanced Recording

QuickPunch Crossfade Length

Using QuickPunch
Pro Tools can automatically write a crossfade for
Pro Tools features an intelligent on-the-fly each punch point when using QuickPunch. The
punch capability called QuickPunch. Quick- length for these crossfades is set with the Quick-
Punch lets you instantaneously punch in and Punch Crossfade Length option in the Editing
out on record-enabled audio tracks during play- Preferences.
back by merely clicking the Record button in
the Transport window. To set the QuickPunch Crossfade Length:

For Digi 001 systems, you can use a foot- 1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Editing.
switch (connected to the I/O box) to punch
2 Enter a value (in msec) for the QuickPunch
in and out when recording with Quick-
CrossFade Length.
Punch.
A good general-purpose crossfade length for
When using QuickPunch, Pro Tools starts re- punches is 4 milliseconds. If you set the prefer-
cording a new audio file when you begin play- ence to zero, Pro Tools will not create any cross-
back, automatically defining and naming re- fades at the punch-in/out points.
gions in that file at each punch-in/out point. Up
to 100 of these “running punches” can be per- 3 Click Done.
formed during a single pass. Unlike normal
If a value other than zero is specified for the
punch recording (see “Punch Recording Audio”
QuickPunch Crossfade Length, QuickPunch
on page 131), QuickPunch provides instanta-
writes a pre-crossfade at the punch-in point
neous monitor switching on punch-out. All
(which occurs up to but not into the punched
QuickPunch recording is nondestructive.
region boundary), and a post-crossfade at the
NOTE: You don’t need to use QuickPunch to punch punch-out point (which occurs after the
on the fly with MIDI tracks. This capability is punched region).
available in normal Nondestructive Record mode,
Even if the QuickPunch Crossfade Length is set
and in Destructive Record mode.
to zero, 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.

Chapter 14: Advanced Recording 155

 QuickPunch crossfades can later be edited in the If the session has plenty of available voices, you
same manner as standard crossfades. For details, may have no trouble using QuickPunch with
see “Using Crossfades” on page 241. auto-voiced tracks. However, if you are running
out of voices, and want to ensure that a track
will heard when recording with QuickPunch, as-
QuickPunch Guidelines for
sign it a voice.
TDM Systems
When using QuickPunch on TDM systems, two QuickPunch and Auto Voice (TDM
voices are required for each record-enabled, Systems Only)
mono track. For example, a Pro Tools 24 system
with 32 voices can simultaneously record on up When using QuickPunch with a 64-voice system
to 16 mono tracks with QuickPunch. Quick- with, make sure to set the voice assignment for
Punch with stereo tracks requires twice the each audio track to Auto. This ensures that
number of voices. Pro Tools will automatically handle the distri-
bution of voices between the two sets of voices
If the required number of voices for the record- (1–32 and 33–64).
enabled tracks is not available when switching
to QuickPunch mode, you’ll be prompted to free If you do not use auto-voicing, the voices must
up the necessary voices. be evenly distributed between the two DSP en-
gines. For example, to use QuickPunch on 32
tracks without auto-voicing, tracks 1–16 must be
To free up voices on tracks that are not record-
enabled, and do not need to be heard while assigned to voices 1–16 and tracks 17–32 must
recording: be assigned to voices 33–48.

■ Set voice assignments for tracks to Off.

– or – QuickPunch Guidelines for
Pro Tools LE
■ Make tracks inactive.
Digi 001 and Audiomedia III
As necessary, voices in use by other tracks,
For non-TDM systems, the maximum number
which are not record-enabled, may be stolen
of mono tracks that can be simultaneously re-
while recording with QuickPunch. Priority for
corded with QuickPunch in a session with 24
tracks while recording with QuickPunch are as
audio tracks is 8.
follows:
• Tracks with assigned voices that are not To simultaneously record more tracks than this
record-enabled with QuickPunch, you’ll need to reduce the
number of tracks in the session. For example, a
• Tracks with assigned voices that are record-en-
session with 20 audio tracks can record 10 mono
abled
tracks with QuickPunch, and a session with 16
• Auto-voiced tracks that are not record-en- audio tracks can record 12.
abled
With Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch uses CPU
• Auto-voiced tracks that are record-enabled
processing power, and may reduce the num-
ber of tracks and plug-ins you can use.

156 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Recording with QuickPunch 7 To punch out, click Record again (or press the
footswitch).
To punch on the fly with QuickPunch:
As Pro Tools continues playing, you can per-
1 Select Operations > QuickPunch. When form additional punches (up to 100). When re-
QuickPunch is enabled, a “P” appears in the cording multiple punches during a single pass, a
Record button. single audio file is recorded from which
Pro Tools creates the appropriate regions.

QuickPunch with an Edit Selection

QuickPunch enabled
If you make an Edit selection and use Quick-
2 If desired, configure the QuickPunch Cross-
Punch, the following rules apply:
fade Length option in the Editing Preferences
(see “QuickPunch Crossfade Length” on ◆ If you are not online, recording begins and

page 155). stops whenever you click the Record button—

regardless of the selection’s start or end point.
3 Record enable the tracks you want to punch in
◆ If you are online, punch-in/out behavior is
on. Make sure there are enough available voices
controlled by the Online Options setting in the
on your system.
Operations Preferences. If you select Record On-
• For TDM systems, see “QuickPunch Guide- line at Insertion/Selection, QuickPunch
lines for TDM Systems” on page 156. punches in and out only within the selection (or
• For non-TDM systems, see “QuickPunch in the case of an insertion point, only after the
Guidelines for Pro Tools LE” on page 156. insertion point). If you select Record Online at
Time Code Lock, QuickPunch disregards the se-
4 Prepare to record by cueing Pro Tools to an ap-
lection and punches in and out whenever you
propriate location (if desired, enable a pre-roll
want (after Pro Tools has locked to time code).
value in the Transport window).

5 Start playback by clicking Play in the Trans- Region and Take Numbering with
port window. QuickPunch
6 When you reach the punch-in point, click After recording with QuickPunch, the new au-
Record in the Transport window. dio regions appear in the Audio Regions List.
– or – This includes the whole-file audio region en-
compassing all punches from the record pass,
For Digi 001 systems with a connected foot- along with the regions derived for each punch.
switch, press the footswitch at the punch-in
point. Names for the punched regions are numbered
consecutively starting with “01.” For example, if
The Record button stops flashing and stays lit QuickPunch is used to punch in twice on a track
during recording. called “Lead Gtr,” a region for the parent audio
file appears and is named “Lead Gtr-01,” and
two regions for the punches are named “Lead
Gtr-01-01” and “Lead Gtr-01-02.”

Chapter 14: Advanced Recording 157

 If you stop playback and record additional
punches with QuickPunch, subsequent regions
are named by incrementing the first two digits
in the name. For example, on the second pass,
the punched regions are named “Lead Gtr-02-
01,” “Lead Gtr-02-02,” and so forth.
Session Setup window

3 Choose Setups > Hardware. From the Ch 1–2

Recording from a Digital Input pop-up menu, select the appropriate in-
Source put source.

If you plan to use a DAT recorder or digital-out- If your audio hardware supports both AES/EBU
put CD player with your Pro Tools system, make and S/PDIF, select the format you will use from
sure it supports the correct digital format. the Digital Format pop-up.
AES/EBU inputs and outputs should only be
4 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.
connected to other AES/EBU-equipped devices,
and S/PDIF inputs and outputs should only be 5 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 Stereo
connected to other S/PDIF-equipped devices. Audio Track, then click Create.

On the 888/24 I/O and ADAT Bridge I/O, both 6 In the Mix window, record enable the new au-
AES/EBU and S/PDIF outputs are active at all dio track by clicking its Record Enable button.
times, so you can actually send digital audio to
7 Assign the Input Selectors for the track to Ch
two different digital devices simultaneously at
1–2 Inputs. Since this is a digital-domain trans-
mix time. However, Pro Tools can only receive
fer, you don’t need to worry about input levels.
digital audio from one digital source (AES or
S/PDIF) at a time. 8 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive
Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect
In addition, although the 888/24 I/O has four Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-
stereo AES input pairs, only input pair 1–2 on Punch.
the master audio interface, (the first audio inter-
face connected to your main DSP card), can ac- 9 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero

cept an external digital clock source. so the start and end times are cleared. This en-
sures that you’ll start recording from the begin-
To record from a DAT recorder with Pro Tools: ning of the track.

1 Connect the digital output of the DAT re- 10 Click Record in the Transport window. When
corder to the appropriate digital input of your you are ready to begin recording, click Play.
audio hardware. 11 Initiate playback on the DAT recorder.
2 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup. From
12 When the material from the DAT has fin-
the Sample Rate pop-up menu, choose the de- ished, click Stop in the Transport window.
sired sample rate.

158 Pro Tools Reference Guide

After a Digital Transfer To play at half-speed

After you have finished recording digitally, set 1 Press Shift+Spacebar. Playback begins and

the Sync Mode pop-up menu in the Session track material plays at half-speed. If any tracks
Setup window back to Internal. Otherwise, were recorded at half-speed, they play at normal
Pro Tools will not switch back to its own inter- speed.
nal clock and will not record or play audio prop- 2 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop
erly. Failure to switch back to Internal sync typ- playback.
ically results in pitch problems (fast or slow
playback) or DAE errors, since a DAT recorder or Use half-speed playback to learn or tran-
CD Recorder that is idle can default to a differ- scribe difficult passages in recorded tracks.
ent sample rate or stop outputting a sample rate
clock altogether.

Half-Speed Recording and

Playback
Pro Tools lets you play and record at half-speed.
This capability is similar to that of a tape deck
where you can record material at half-speed and
then play it back at normal speed (up an octave)
for special effects.

To record at half-speed:
1 Press Command+Shift+Spacebar (Macintosh)
or Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). Record-
ing begins and all existing track material plays at
half-speed.

2 When you have finished recording, click Stop.

When played at normal speed, the material re-

corded at half-speed plays twice as fast (up an
octave).

Use half-speed recording to record difficult

to play MIDI tracks. This allows you to hear
audio tracks while recording. Half-speed re-
cording and playback do not affect how
MIDI tracks sound when played.

Chapter 14: Advanced Recording 159

160 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part IV: Editing

161
162
Chapter 15: Editing Basics

Editing During Playback

Pro Tools Editing
Pro Tools lets you perform many editing tasks
The Edit window in Pro Tools provides a power- while the session plays. This powerful capability
ful collection of tools for editing and assembling allows you to interactively modify and edit a
audio and MIDI tracks. Track material can be ed- session, hearing the changes as you make them.
ited non-destructively and in real time during You’ll find many instances where you can use
playback. this capability to increase your productivity
when working with a session.
Nondestructive Editing Following are just a few examples of editing that
The vast majority of audio editing in Pro Tools is can be performed while your tracks loop or play:
nondestructive. Whether cutting, pasting, trim- • Capture, separate, and trim regions
ming, separating, or clearing regions, you are
• Place, spot, or rearrange regions
only performing these functions on a map of
the actual audio data. The source audio files re- • Add fades or crossfades to audio regions
main untouched. If a particular process or tool • Transpose, quantize, and otherwise modify
works destructively (that is, if it can perma- MIDI tracks
nently change audio files on your hard disk),
• Nudge audio or MIDI regions
this guide alerts you.
• Audition different playlists
While editing for MIDI tracks is in some in-
• Adjust or scale automation data
stances destructive, with a few precautions you
can keep important MIDI tracks and regions safe • Process audio with an AudioSuite plug-in
when performing edits (see “Nondestructive
There are a few things that cannot be changed
MIDI Editing” on page 172).
while Pro Tools plays. These include assigning
TDM plug-ins to audio tracks, routing to sends,
and assigning outputs.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 163

 User-Defined Regions These are regions that are
Track Material explicitly defined, such as when you record or
import audio or MIDI; capture, separate, or con-
Each time you record or import audio and MIDI,
solidate a selection; trim a whole-file audio re-
Pro Tools creates regions for the new track data,
gion; and rename an existing region.
which not only indicate where the material be-
gins and ends, but also provides good feedback Auto-Created Regions These regions are auto-
on its general shape and content. When you matically created in the course of editing, and,
record additional takes, or “punch in” on a spe- in some instances, when punch recording over
cific location within a track, Pro Tools creates existing regions. Since these regions can accu-
additional regions. mulate rapidly in a session, you can hide them
so they don’t appear in the Audio and MIDI Re-
Regions are also created by cutting and pasting,
gions List (see “Managing Regions” on
resizing, separating, and re-capturing existing
page 256). Auto-created regions can be turned
regions. Regions in a session are listed in the Au-
into user-defined regions by renaming them.
dio Regions List and MIDI Regions List, where
they can be dragged to existing tracks. A track Offline Regions Regions are offline when their as-
can contain any number of regions, in any ar- sociated audio files cannot be located, or are not
rangement. The order and location of regions in available, when opening a session or importing
a track define its playlist. a track. Offline regions appear in the Audio Re-
gions List as italicized and dimmed. Offline re-
Region Types gions appear in playlists as light blue regions
with italicized names. Offline regions can be ed-
Following is a description of the different region
ited like other regions, but they cannot be pro-
types and how they are created:
cessed with AudioSuite plug-ins.
Whole-File Audio Regions These audio regions
Multi-Channel Regions These regions, which are
are created when recording or importing audio,
displayed as a single region in the Audio Regions
consolidating existing regions, and when non-
List, reference multiple regions and audio files
destructively processing with an AudioSuite
for stereo and surround tracks. Multi-channel
plug-in. Whole-file audio regions reference an
regions can be expanded (by clicking the trian-
entire audio file that resides on your hard drive.
gle next to their name) to see the individual
Whole-file audio regions are displayed in bold
channels, which can be dragged independently
in the Audio Regions List (see “The Audio and
to tracks.
MIDI Regions Lists” on page 175). Normal re-
gions reference only a portion of the parent au-
dio file and are created in the course of editing Track View
and, in some instances, when punch recording.
The track View determines which data is dis-
played and edited in the track’s playlist area.

Audio tracks can be set to Blocks, Waveform, Vol-

ume, Pan, Mute, or any plug-in parameters that
have been automated. Except when editing au-
tomation data, audio tracks are usually set to

164 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Waveform, where track material is graphically When an audio track is displayed as Volume,
drawn with amplitude waveforms. This Track Pan, or another automated parameter, or when
View provides the necessary detail for important a MIDI track is set to one of the continuous con-
region edits. troller types (Volume, Pitch Bend, After Touch),
the data for that track appears in the form of a
line graph with a series of editable breakpoints.
The breakpoints can be dragged to modify the
automation data, and new breakpoints can be
inserted with the Pencil or Grabber.
Track View set to Waveform for audio track

Auxiliary input tracks can be set to Volume, Pan,

Mute, or any plug-in parameter that has been au-
tomated. Master Fader tracks can be set to Vol-
ume, or any plug-in parameter that has been au-
track View set to Pan for audio track
tomated.
For details on inserting and editing controller
MIDI tracks can be set to Blocks, Regions, Notes,
data for MIDI tracks, see “Continuous Control-
Volume, Pan, Mute, Velocity, Pitch Bend, After
ler Events” on page 301. For details on editing
Touch, Program, Sysex, and any continuous con-
automation data for audio tracks, see
troller type. Except when editing controller
Chapter 28, “Automation.”
data, program changes, or sysex events, MIDI
tracks are usually set to Notes or Regions, each
To set the Track View:
of which displays notes in a “piano roll” format.
Use Notes view for inserting, editing, and copy- ■ Click the Track View Selector for the track and

ing and pasting MIDI notes; use Regions view to choose the format from the pop-up menu.
arrange, capture, or consolidate regions.

Track View set to Regions for MIDI track

Track View Selector
With the Track View set to Blocks, audio and
MIDI regions are displayed as empty blocks The track displays the new format. If the track is
bearing the region’s name. This mode is most part of an Edit Group, all tracks in the group are
useful once you have finished capturing and ed- set to the new format.
iting regions at the waveform or MIDI event
level and are moving and rearranging them.
Screen redraws are fastest with this format.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 165

 Toggling Track Views Track Height
Most editing for audio tracks occurs in the Tracks can be viewed in the Edit window at any
Waveform and Volume view. For MIDI tracks, of six heights: Mini, Small, Medium, Large, Jumbo,
most editing occurs in the Notes and Regions and Extreme. Larger track heights are particularly
view. Pro Tools provides an easy way to toggle useful for precise editing. Smaller track heights
these views for tracks containing an edit selec- are useful for conserving screen space in a large
tion or the edit cursor. session.

To toggle track views: You can adjust track heights on an individual

track basis or set all tracks to the same height.
1 Click in the track you want to toggle. To tog- Track heights can be adjusted during playback.
gle multiple tracks, Shift-click in additional
tracks. To set the Track Height:
2 Press Control+Minus (Macintosh) or Start+Mi- ■ Click in the area just to the right of the track
nus (Windows) on the alpha keyboard. controls and choose the height from the pop-up
– or – menu.

On TDM systems, with the Commands Focus

enabled, press Minus on the alpha keyboard.

Audio tracks are toggled between Waveform and

Volume view. MIDI tracks are toggled between
Notes and Regions view. Track Height pop-up menu

– or –
The “Master” View Format
■ Click the small arrow next to the Track View

Audio and MIDI tracks have track Views that act Selector to get the Track Height pop-up menu.
as “master.” When a track is displayed in its
master format, any edits performed apply to all
data in the track. For instance, when an audio
track is set to Waveform, copying and pasting
affects not just the waveform information, but
all of the automation data as well.

The Track Views that act as master for audio and

MIDI tracks are: Track Height pop-up menu
• Audio tracks: Waveform and Blocks The track is resized to the new height. If the
• MIDI tracks: Regions, Blocks, and Notes track is part of an Edit Group, all tracks in the
(when using the Selector) group are set to the new height.

Auxiliary Input tracks and Master Fader tracks

do not have a master view.

166 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Expanded Track Display To turn on Expanded Track Display for a stereo or
multi-channel track:
Stereo and multi-channel tracks share a single
■ From the Track Height pop-up menu, select
playlist for volume and mute. This shared play-
Expanded Track Display.
list normally occupies the entire height of the
track, extending across all channels.

Volume playlist for stereo track Track Height pop-up menu

With Expanded Track Display, you can display Track Controls and Track Height
playlists individually for each channel, thereby
The Track Height affects how the various track
allowing for more accurate breakpoint editing.
controls appear in the Edit window. For in-
This is also useful for editing pan or multi-mono
stance, when a track’s height is set to Small,
plug-in data, both of which can be different for
most of the buttons are reduced in size, and the
each channel.
menus for Track Height and Track View are ac-
cessed from the same pop-up.

Track Height set to Small

Stereo track in Expanded Track Display

When the Track Height is set to Mini, only con-
trols for Mute and Solo appear, and the menus
Expanded Track Display also provides for a for Playlist, Track Height, and Track View are ac-
larger waveform display (equal to that of mono cessed from the same pop-up.
audio tracks), as well as a separate Track View Se-
lector and meter for each channel.

Track Height set to Mini

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 167

 When the Track Height is set to Large, Jumbo, or Original Time Stamp Displays the Original Time
Extreme, all track controls are displayed at their Stamp for each region. The Original Time Stamp
full size. is the original time code location for the region
when it was first recorded or created.

User Time Stamp Displays the User Time Stamp

for each region. The User Time Stamp, which
default to the Original Time Stamp, can be rede-
fined with the Time Stamp Selected command.

Track Height set to Large

Audio Regions and Waveforms

Displaying Region Names and When the Track View for audio tracks is set to
Times Waveform, Pro Tools draws a waveform diagram
of the audio. Audio waveforms tell you several
Region names can sometimes get in the way of
things about the recorded sound.
editing audio waveforms and MIDI data. In
these instances you may want to disable their
display.

To disable the display of region names in playlists:

■ Deselect Display > Display Name In Regions. Figure 7. Audio waveform of drum loop

You can also choose to display region locations Figure 7 shows an audio waveform for a drum
in the playlist area. This is extremely useful loop. The “peaks” represent places in the record-
when working with film and video. ing (beats) where the attack of the sound causes
the volume to increase momentarily. These are
followed by “valleys,” where the volume de-
creases.

Different types of sounds produce different

types of waveforms. Drums, for example, gener-
Display enabled for region names and times
ally produce waveforms with sharp transients
To display region locations: (peaks of short duration) that are clearly de-
fined. A drum hit has a loud, sharp attack and a
■ From Display > Display Time In Regions, se-
rapid decay.
lect one of the following options:
Other sounds, such as vocals or sustained key-
None Disables display of region times.
board sounds, produce very different wave-
Current Time Displays start and end times for re- forms, ones that have less pronounced peaks
gions. and valleys. That’s because these sounds gener-
ally have softer attacks and longer decays.

168 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Draw Waveforms Rectified Preference It’s sometimes useful to have a steady, well-de-
fined waveform, such as a drum track, as a guide
When the Display Preference for Draw Wave- when selecting and defining other regions. If
forms Rectified is selected, audio waveforms are you’ve played in time with the beat, chances are
displayed so that their positive and negative that you can create rhythmically accurate re-
waveform excursions are summed together and gions by referring to the drum’s waveform.
viewed as a single positive-value signal. How-
ever, even when this preference is enabled, Some important rules to keep in mind when de-
zooming in beyond a certain point will cause fining regions:
the waveforms to be displayed normally. ◆ Whenever possible, begin a region precisely
before a volume peak, and end it immediately
before another volume peak.
◆ Whenever possible, make sure a region starts
and ends on exactly the same part of a beat.
Audio displayed in rectified mode
Avoiding Clicks and Pops
If an edited region begins or ends at a point of
high amplitude, you may hear an unpleasant
click when Pro Tools plays from one region to
another. In order to avoid clicks or pops do any
Audio displayed in normal mode of the following:
Rectified mode displays more detailed wave- ◆ Make sure that the start and end points of

forms when using track heights of Medium or your selection are as close as possible to the
Small, and can be particularly useful when edit- point where the amplitude of the waveform
ing volume automation data, since it depicts tapers down to meet the zero-crossing line (the
waveform “levels” as starting at the bottom of center line of the track’s waveform display). If
the track. necessary, use the zooming tools in the Edit
window (see “Zooming” on page 180) to display
waveforms in greater detail.
Guidelines for Editing Waveforms
With the Selector tool in the Edit window, you
can select portions of audio waveforms and di-
vide them into segments called regions, so that
you can rearrange and manipulate them in
tracks.

While editing, try to create regions that allow

you to maintain a consistent beat. If you always
Selection that begins and ends at zero crossings
define regions so that they contain a whole
number of beats, you’ll be able to string the re-
gions together and maintain a smooth, steady
rhythm.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 169

 ◆ On Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 sys-
tems, use the AutoFade feature to apply real- MIDI Regions and MIDI Data
time fade-ins/outs to all region boundaries that
The two most common Track Views you’ll use
do not touch or overlap other regions. See “Us-
for MIDI tracks are Notes and Regions. Use
ing AutoFades” on page 250 for details.
Notes view for inserting and editing individual
◆ Apply a crossfade between regions where a MIDI notes, and for working with and affecting
click or pop occurs. See “Creating a Crossfade” on groups of notes.
page 248 for details.
When you need to experiment with the arrange-
ment of regions, or define new ones, use Re-
Nondestructive Audio Editing gions view.
When editing an audio track’s playlist in
Pro Tools, you’re not actually cutting and mov- Notes View for MIDI Tracks
ing pieces of sound as you would if you were
cutting and splicing analog tape. Instead, When a MIDI track’s Track View is set to Notes,
Pro Tools creates a map of the audio file on your MIDI notes are displayed in a “piano roll” for-
hard disk, which describes the order in which to mat. Each note is displayed as a small rectangle
play the track portions. with its vertical placement indicating pitch and
its horizontal placement indicating location.
When trimming audio regions with the Trim-
mer tool, or when editing the placement or or- Track note above the
Up arrow current display
der of regions within a track, use multiple play-
lists to easily return to a track’s previous state.
See “Playlists” on page 172 for details.

Audio Regions and Automation

Data
Automation data for audio resides in tracks and
not regions. This means that when you drag an
audio region from the Audio Regions List to a
new track, no automation data is placed in the keyboard reference
track. However, if you drag an audio region MIDI notes
Down arrow
from an existing track (that contains automa-
tion data) to another track, the automation Figure 8. MIDI track displaying notes
from the source track is placed in the destina- To the left of the MIDI track’s playlist is a verti-
tion track. cal mini-keyboard, complete with octave num-
bering, for pitch reference. You can Command-
click (Macintosh) or Control-click (Windows)
the mini-keyboard to audition pitches. Arrows
at the top and bottom of the mini-keyboard (not
available in the smaller track heights) are used
to scroll the Notes display up and down.

170 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The pitch range of MIDI notes that can be dis- Regions View for MIDI Tracks
played depends on the track height, and on the
current zoom value. Any time a track’s notes do MIDI tracks can also be viewed as Regions,
not fit within its current height, notes above or which is similar to Waveform view for audio
below the viewed area are displayed as single- tracks. While a track’s notes are visible in Re-
pixel lines at the very top and bottom of the gions view, individual note editing is not avail-
range (see Figure 8). able in this view. Instead, all editing occurs
across a time range encompassing all track data,
To scroll the Notes display up or down for a MIDI including continuous controller events, pro-
track: gram changes, and System Exclusive events.

■ Click either the up or down arrow of the mini- Use Regions view to define regions that repre-
keyboard. sent song sections and clips, or to rearrange or
assemble track material.

There are, however, a few things to keep in

mind when selecting, copying and cutting, and
trimming MIDI regions:
◆ When cutting or clearing a region selection
Scroll arrow for mini-keyboard that includes a note’s start point, the entire note
is removed. This is even the case when only a
– or –
portion of the note (that includes its start point)
With the Pencil tool selected, press Com- is selected.
mand+Option+Control (Macintosh) or Con- ◆ When copying or cutting a region selection
trol+Alt+Start (Windows) and drag up or down. that includes a note’s end point (but not its start
point), the note remains and overlaps the edge
of the region.

Scrolling Notes display by dragging

Using the Edit window tools, notes can be in-

serted, transposed, trimmed, and moved. For
more information, see “Manually Editing MIDI
Notes” on page 297.

MIDI region with note overlap

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 171

 ◆ Similar rules also apply when MIDI regions MIDI Regions and Continuous
are trimmed with the Trimmer tool. If the MIDI Controller Events
region’s start point is moved beyond a note’s
start point, the note is removed. If the region’s Continuous controller events reside in MIDI re-
end point is trimmed so that a note’s start point gions and not in tracks. This means that when
is within the region but its end point is not, the dragging regions that contain controller data
note remains and overlaps the edge of the re- from either a track or the MIDI Regions List, the
gion. controller data is written to the destination
track.
When moving and placing MIDI regions with
overlapping notes, the notes always move with Unlike continuous controller events, which rep-
the regions. When placing MIDI regions with resent nuances that are part of a MIDI perfor-
overlapping notes next to or near another re- mance, Mute in Pro Tools is an automation
gion, the overlapping notes extend into the ad- playlist that actually mutes the MIDI engine.
jacent region. Mute automation does not correspond to actual
MIDI events and is therefore not exported when
saving as a Standard MIDI File.
Nondestructive MIDI Editing
While editing audio regions is usually nonde-
structive, this is not always the case for MIDI re- Playlists
gions. For instance, if a MIDI region resides in
just one track at a single location, editing for The ability to create playlists is one of the most
that region is destructive. This means that alter- powerful features of Pro Tools, and one reason
ing the pitch, duration, or placement of notes in why it is infinitely more versatile than tradi-
Notes view permanently alters the region. tional multitrack recorders.

However, when editing a MIDI region that oc- Edit playlists allow you to take a snapshot of a
curs elsewhere, in the same track (at another lo- track’s current arrangement of regions, thereby
cation or in a different playlist) or in another freeing you to experiment with alternate ar-
track, the editing is nondestructive and occurs rangements, returning as necessary to previ-
to an auto-created region. To go back to the pre- ously saved playlists.
vious material, drag the original region from the
MIDI Regions List, or return to a previously
saved playlist.

One way to safely return to a track’s previ-

ous state is with playlists. Before you edit Playlist Selector pop-up
notes, trim regions, or rearrange the order of
A playlist, which can consist of a single region or
regions, make a duplicate of the track’s ex-
many regions, can only be assigned to a track if
isting playlist and instead work with it (see
it is not in use by another track. While you can
“Playlists” on page 172).
create an almost unlimited number of edit play-
lists, which are shared among all tracks, each
track has its own set of dedicated automation
playlists.

172 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Automation playlists for audio tracks store data To create a new (empty) playlist:
for volume, pan, mute, and plug-in parameters.
1 Click the track’s Playlist Selector and choose
Automation playlists for MIDI tracks, however,
New from the pop-up menu.
store only mute information; continuous con-
troller events, program changes, and sysex 2 Enter a name for the new playlist and click
events are stored in MIDI regions and therefore OK. An empty playlist with the specified name
reside within edit playlists. appears in the track.

As long as a playlist is unassigned, it can be re-

Playlists and Groups called and assigned to any track. Only unas-
Playlist functions affect all tracks within an Edit signed playlists appear in the Playlist Selector
Group (if the group is active). This is useful pop-up.
when you want to switch to new or existing
playlists among several tracks. To recall and assign a playlist:
■ Click the track’s Playlist Selector and choose

Working with Playlists the playlist from the pop-up menu.

When you add a new track to a session, its play- The selected playlist appears in the track and the
list is empty until you record or import material track’s name is updated to that of the selected
to it, or drag a region to it from the Audio or playlist.
MIDI Regions List.
Renaming a Playlist
When you edit a track, you can work with a
copy of the track's playlist and keep the original You can rename a playlist by renaming the track
playlist arrangement intact. to which it is assigned.

To duplicate a track’s current playlist: To rename a track’s assigned playlist:

1 Click the track’s Playlist Selector and choose 1 Double-click the track’s name.
Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
2 Enter a new name and click OK. Both the track
2 Enter a name for the new playlist and click and playlist names are updated.
OK.
Deleting a Playlist
The duplicated playlist appears in the track and
the track’s name is changed to the name of the You can delete a playlist from a session entirely.
new playlist. However, since playlists take almost no disk
space, you don’t need to delete them for space
You can also create a new playlist and record or reasons.
drag regions to it.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 173

 To delete the current playlist for a track: In this example, to Undo the region shuffle, you
would have to choose Edit > Undo four times,
1 Click the track’s Playlist Selector and choose
which would also Undo the first three opera-
Delete Unused from the pop-up menu.
tions in the queue.
2 Select the unassigned playlists you want to de-
lete. Shift-click to select multiple playlists. If you then choose Edit > Redo, followed by an-
other edit operation, such as a region trim, the
3 Click OK to delete the playlists. This operation Undo queue would then be:
cannot be undone.
1 Region trimmed
When deleting a track from a session, you
2 Regions shuffled
have the option of deleting or keeping its
playlists, so they can be used on other 3 MIDI note trimmed
tracks.
4 MIDI note inserted with Pencil

To undo the last operation:

Multiple Undo
■ Choose Edit > Undo.
Pro Tools can keep track of up to 16 of the last
– or –
undoable operations, allowing you to return to
a previous editing state. ■ Press Command+Z (Macintosh) or Control+Z

(Windows).
The Undo operations in Pro Tools are stored in a
queue, in the order in which they were invoked. To redo the last undone operation:
When choosing Edit > Undo, the most recent
operation is undone. If you choose Undo again, ■ Choose Edit > Redo.
the next operation in the queue is undone. You – or –
can also choose Edit > Redo to redo an opera-
■ Press Shift+Command+Z (Macintosh) or
tion, which moves back through the Undo
Shift+Control+Z (Windows).
queue by one step.

For example, suppose the following operations Operations that clear the Undo Queue
have been performed, with item 1 being the
There are a number of Pro Tools operations that
most recent (first in the queue):
clear the Undo queue, such as deleting a track or
1 Region cut from track playlist, or clearing a region from the Audio or
MID Regions List.
2 Region pasted to track

3 Region slid forward When the Undo queue will be cleared by an op-
eration, Pro Tools will warn you.
4 Regions shuffled

5 MIDI note trimmed

6 MIDI note inserted with Pencil

174 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Levels of Undo and RAM
The Audio and MIDI Regions
Since Pro Tools needs to keep track of the play- Lists
lists for all tracks that are edited, the use of mul-
tiple Undo’s can be memory intensive. You can All regions that are recorded, imported, or cre-
lower the Levels of Undo in Pro Tools to reduce ated by editing appear in the Audio and MIDI
the amount of RAM used by the Undo queue. If Regions Lists. Regions can be dragged from ei-
on the other hand you have plenty of RAM allo- ther list to tracks and arranged in any order. Re-
cated to Pro Tools, you can set the Levels of gions can also be auditioned from the Regions
Undo to as high as 16. List by Option-clicking (Macintosh) or Alt-click-
ing (Windows) them.
To set the Levels of Undo in Pro Tools:
In the Audio Regions List, whole-file audio re-
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Editing. gions are displayed in bold, and stereo and
multi-channel regions can be expanded to dis-
2 Click in the Levels of Undo field and enter a
play individual channels.
value of between 1–16.
Because region names can become lengthy (up
to 31 characters), the Regions List can be
scrolled or resized as necessary (see Figure 9). In
addition, you can use the pop-up menu at the
top of either list to sort, search, rename, and
Levels of Undo preference clear regions.

3 Click Done to close the Preferences dialog. Drag to resize width of

Regions Lists Click for pop-up menus
When the number of operations in the Undo
queue reaches this limit, performing another
undoable operation will remove the oldest oper-
ation at the bottom of the queue.

Drag to resize
height of Regions
Lists

Click to hide
Regions Lists

Figure 9. Audio and MIDI Regions Lists

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 175

 If the Editing Preference for “Region List Selec- Sorting and Searching the
tion Follows Track Selection” is enabled, click- Regions Lists
ing a region in the Regions List highlights it in
the track that contains it. Most sessions will contain many regions, which
may make it difficult to locate a particular re-
Use the MIDI Regions List as a bin for stor- gion in the Regions Lists. The ability to sort re-
ing your favorite MIDI clips. Save the ses- gions and search for them will help greatly in
sion as a template (see “Creating Custom keeping track of large numbers of regions.
Session Templates” on page 55) and the re-
gions are available for future sessions. Since To sort regions in a Regions List:
MIDI regions are tick-based (unlike audio
1 From the Regions List pop-up menu, choose
regions), they scale seamlessly for use with
Sorting and select the basis for sorting from the
any tempo.
submenu.

Displaying File Info for Audio Regions

In addition to region names, the Audio Regions
List can also display information about the re-
gion’s parent audio file:
• File name, which represents the audio file
from which the region originated
• Disk name, which represents the name of the
hard drive on which it resides
• The full directory Pathname of the region’s lo-
cation Sort attributes for audio regions

MIDI regions can be sorted by name, length, or

timestamp. In addition to these, audio regions
can be sorted by region start and end times, var-
ious attributes of the source audio file, disk
name, and path type.

2 From the Regions List pop-up menu, select As-

Audio Regions with file info
cending or Descending to switch the order of
Pro Tools defaults to displaying just the region the displayed regions.
portion of a region’s name. To display file info
for audio regions, choose Show File Names,
Show Disk Names, or Show Full Pathnames
from the pop-up menu at the top of the Audio
Regions List.

176 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Finding Regions Selecting in the Region Lists
Use the Find command to display all regions in In the Regions Lists you can select multiple re-
a list whose names contain a particular word or gions so they can be dragged to tracks, or pro-
phrase. cessed with AudioSuite plug-ins.

To find and display regions that match a word or To select multiple regions in a Regions List:
phrase:
■ Shift-click each region name you want to se-

1 Choose Find from the pop-up menu in the lect.

Audio or MIDI Regions List.

2 Type the name, or any portion of the name, To select a range of regions in a Regions List:
for the regions you want to find, then click OK. ■ Move the cursor to the left of the region

names, so the Marquee appears, and drag

around the regions you want to select.

Figure 10. Regions located with Find command

Pro Tools displays all regions whose names con- Regions selected with Marquee
tain the name that was specified. Figure 10
– or –
shows regions found when searching on the
word “loop.” When displaying regions with the ■ Shift-click, to the left of the region names, the

Find command, a small diamond appears at the first and last region you want to select. All re-
top of the Audio and MIDI Regions List. gions between become selected.

To return the Regions List to displaying all regions: To select discontiguous regions in the Regions
List:
■ Choose Display All from the Regions List pop-
up menu. 1 Move the cursor to the left of the region
names, so the Marquee appears.

2 Command-click each region you want to se-

lect.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 177

 Keyboard Selection of Regions Stereo and multi-channel regions are displayed
in the region list by default in collapsed view.
If the Audio Regions Focus or MIDI Regions Fo- The individual regions can be displayed by click-
cus is enabled, you can type the first few letters ing the arrow to the left of the region to expand
of a region’s name and Pro Tools will automati- the name.
cally locate and select the region in the Regions
List. Expand/Collapse

To enable and use the Audio Regions Focus or

MIDI Regions Focus:
1 Click the a-z button in upper right of the Au-
dio Regions List or MIDI Regions List. Stereo regions, collapsed (top) and expanded (bottom).

To expand or collapse all stereo and multi-chan-

nel regions, press Option (Macintosh) or Alt
(Windows) while clicking the triangle.

Individual items of an expanded-view stereo or

multi-channel region can be selected indepen-
Audio Regions List Key focus enabled dently of the other associated regions in the Au-
dio Regions List.
2 Type the first few letters of the region to auto-
matically locate and select it. Once a region is lo-
Rules for Stereo and Multi-Channel
cated and selected, it can be dragged to a track.
Regions
Keyboard selection of audio regions locates re-
For stereo and multi-channel regions to be
gions based on their region name, not on the
shown as collective regions, the component re-
names for their parent audio files or the vol-
gions must be the same length. If an existing ste-
umes on which they reside.
reo or multi-channel region has been dragged
onto multiple mono tracks and edited such that
Stereo and Multi-Channel Tracks one or more components are no longer the same
in the Audio Regions List length, the stereo display is removed and the re-
gions are displayed as individual regions in the
Stereo and multi-channel regions, whether im-
Regions List.
ported or recorded into Pro Tools, are displayed
as single items in the Audio Regions List. For ex-
ample, two mono source regions named “Main
Piano.L” and “Main Piano.R” are listed as “Main
Piano (Stereo).” A collapse/expand triangle indi-
cates stereo and multi-channel regions.

178 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Slip
Edit Modes
In Slip mode, regions can be moved freely
Pro Tools has four Edit modes: Shuffle, Spot, within a track or to other tracks. In this mode it
Slip, and Grid. The Edit mode is selected by is possible to place a region so that there is space
clicking the desired button in the upper left of between it and other regions in a track. When
the Edit window. the track is played back, this space is silent. It is
also possible to move a region so that it overlaps
or completely covers another region.

Use Slip mode when you want the Trimmer, Se-

Edit mode buttons lector, Grabber, and Pencil tools to work with-
out any restrictions to placement in time.
You can also use F1 (Shuffle), F2 (Slip), F3
(Spot), and F4 (Grid) to set the Edit mode. Spot
The Edit mode affects the movement and place- Use Spot mode to place regions at precise loca-
ment of audio and MIDI regions (and individual tions. This can be particularly useful when per-
MIDI notes), how commands like Copy and forming post production tasks around SMPTE
Paste function, and also how the various edit frame locations. In this mode you can specify a
tools (Trimmer, Selector, Grabber, and Pencil) frame location (or a location based on any of the
work. other time formats), capture an incoming Time
Code address, or use a region’s time stamps as
reference points for spotting.
Shuffle
In Spot mode, when you move or trim regions,
In Shuffle mode, you can move regions freely
the Spot dialog opens.
within a track or to other tracks, but their move-
ment is constrained by other regions. That is, if
you place several regions in a track, they auto- Grid
matically snap to each other. You can then
“shuffle” their order, but you cannot separate In Grid mode, regions and MIDI notes that are
them from each other and you cannot make moved or inserted “snap” to a user-definable
them overlap as in Slip mode. In Shuffle mode, time grid. In addition to placing material
adding another region to the beginning of a cleanly on the beat, Grid mode is also useful for
track moves all subsequent regions to the right making precise Edit and Timeline selections.
by the length of the region added. The actual grid size, chosen from the Grid Value
When using the Trimmer in Shuffle mode, pop-up in the upper right of the Edit window,
changing a region’s start or end point automat- can be based on a time value using the Main
ically moves the adjacent regions as necessary. Time Scale; or, if Follow Main Time Scale is de-
The placement and insertion of MIDI notes is selected, another time format can be used for
not affected by Shuffle mode. the grid size.

NOTE: The current Grid Value is also used for the

Quantize Regions Command.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 179

 Also available in the Grid Value pop-up is an op-
tion for Regions/Markers. When selected, events Zooming
can be placed freely (as in Slip mode) but will
Zooming options in Pro Tools include the Hori-
snap to region locations (start, end, and sync
zontal and Vertical Zoom buttons, the Zoomer
points), Markers, and Edit selections when
tool, and the Zoom Preset buttons.
placed near them.

Horizontal and Vertical Zoom

Buttons
Use the Horizontal and Vertical Zoom buttons
to zoom in and out on track data. Unlike the
horizontal zoom value, the vertical zoom value
for MIDI and audio tracks are independent, and
therefore have separate buttons.
Grid Value set to 1 second

NOTE: MIDI notes inserted with the Pencil tool ig- To zoom in horizontally for all tracks:
nore the Regions/Markers option, and instead snap
to the time value selected in the Grid Value pop-up.

To display the grid lines in the Edit window, en-

able the Display Preference for “Draw Grids in Horizontal Zoom button
Edit Window.” ■ Click the right Horizontal Zoom button. To

zoom out, click the other (left) Horizontal Zoom

button.
– or –

■ Press Command+] (Macintosh) or Control+]

(Windows). To zoom out, press Command+[

(Macintosh) or Control+[ (Windows).

Edit window with grid lines To zoom in vertically for all audio tracks:

You can also enable and disable grid lines by

Control-clicking (Macintosh) or Alt-clicking the
Indicator Dot for any Timebase Ruler.
Vertical Zoom button (audio)
Control-click (Macintosh) or
Alt-click (Windows) for Grid lines ■ Click the (top) Vertical Zoom button with the

audio waveform. To zoom out, click the bottom

Vertical Zoom button.
– or –

Turning on grid lines from Ruler

180 Pro Tools Reference Guide

■ Press Command+Option+] (Macintosh) or Zoomer Tool
Control+Alt+] (Windows). To zoom out, press
Command+Option+[ (Macintosh) or Con- Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in and out around
trol+Alt+[ (Windows). a particular area within a track.

To zoom in vertically for all MIDI tracks: To zoom around a certain track point:
1 Select the Zoomer tool.

Vertical Zoom button (MIDI)

Zoomer tool
■ Click the (top) Vertical Zoom button with the
MIDI notes. To zoom out, click the bottom Ver- 2 Click once with the Zoomer at the point
tical Zoom button. within the track. All tracks are zoomed in by one
level and the Edit window is centered around
– or –
the zoomed point.
■ Press Command+Shift+] (Macintosh) or Con-
3 To zoom back to the previous level, Option-
trol+Shift+] (Windows). To zoom out, press
click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Window) with
Command+Shift+[ (Macintosh) or Con-
the Zoomer.
trol+Shift+[ (Windows).

To zoom into a particular track area:

To return to the previous zoom level:
1 Select the Zoomer tool.
■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) any of the Horizontal or Vertical Zoom 2 To zoom horizontally, drag with the Zoomer
buttons. in the track’s playlist.
– or – – or –

■Press Command+Option+E (Macintosh) or 3 To zoom horizontally and vertically, press

Control+Alt+E (Windows). Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows)
while dragging in the track’s playlist.
To zoom in on a selection:
■ Press Option+F (Macintosh) or Alt+F (Win-
dows).

To zoom so that all regions are visible in the Edit

window, do one of the following:
■ Double-click the Zoomer tool in the toolbar.

■ Press Option+A (Macintosh) or Alt+A (Win-

dows).

■ Press the F5 key twice. Zooming horizontally with Zoomer tool

The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 181

 Zooming in the Ruler To recall a zoom preset, do one of the following:
■ Click the Zoom Preset button.
To zoom horizontally in the Ruler:
■ While pressing Control (Macintosh) or Start
1 Press Command+Control (Macintosh) or
(Windows), type the Zoom Preset’s number on
Control+Alt (Windows) and move the cursor
the alpha keyboard.
into the Ruler area, so the Zoomer appears.
■ On TDM systems, with the Commands Focus

enabled, type the Zoom Preset’s number on the

alpha keyboard.

Horizontal zoom levels for all tracks are recalled.

Zooming in the Ruler

2 Click once to zoom in one level around a cer- Zoom settings can also be stored with Mem-
tain point. ory Locations. For details, see “Memory Lo-
cations and Markers” on page 270.
– or –

3 Drag to zoom in around a particular Ruler Zoom Toggle

range.
The Zoom Toggle can quickly and easily zero in
on a selection, adjusting the zoom level and
Zoom Preset Buttons track height automatically.
Pro Tools allows you to save up to 5 horizontal
zoom presets, which can be recalled by typing a To use the Zoom Toggle:
number or by clicking a Zoom Preset button. 1 Make a selection on one or more tracks.

2 Press Control+E (Macintosh) or Start+E (Win-

To store a zoom preset:
dows).
1 Using either the Horizontal Zoom buttons or
– or –
the Zoomer tool, navigate to the zoom level you
want to store. On TDM Systems, with Commands Focus en-
2 While pressing Command (Macintosh) or abled, press E.
Control (Windows), click one of the five Zoom
Preset buttons.

Storing a zoom preset

The button flashes, indicating it is being written

to, and then becomes selected.

Using the Zoom Toggle

182 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The selection is zoomed to fill the Edit window, Resizing the Universe Window
and the tracks containing the selection are set to
a Track Height of Large. MIDI tracks automati- Even though the Universe window can be re-
cally set to Notes view. sized horizontally and vertically, the length of
the entire session is always displayed in the Uni-
verse window. If the Universe window is resized
so some of the session’s track are not displayed,
The Universe Window a vertical scroll bar becomes available.
(TDM Systems Only)

The Universe window displays an overview of

Highlighted Material in the
the entire session, representing audio and MIDI
Universe Window
material on all tracks that are not hidden (in- The highlighted, shaded area in the Universe
cluding tracks that are inactive, or that contain window represents the material displayed in the
offline regions). The order in which material is Edit window. If you change what’s displayed in
displayed in the Universe window corresponds the Edit window—by zooming, scrolling hori-
to the track order in the Edit window. zontally or vertically, hiding or unhiding tracks,
or changing track heights—the highlighted area
To open the Universe window: in the Universe window updates.
■ Choose Windows > Show Universe.
During playback, if the Edit window is set to
scroll, the highlighted area in the Universe win-
dow also scrolls.

Scrolling in the Universe Window

Universe window
By clicking in the Universe window, you can au-
Audio material residing in audio tracks is repre-
tomatically scroll, either horizontally or verti-
sented by a single, horizontal line in the Uni-
cally, the material displayed in the Edit window.
verse window. Each channel in a stereo or multi-
This provides a convenient method of locating
channel track is represented individually.
anywhere in the session, or adjusting which
Since Auxiliary Input and Master Fader tracks do shown tracks are visible in the Edit window.
not contain audio, they are displayed as blank
areas in the Universe window.

Similar to audio tracks, MIDI tracks containing

note material are represented by single, horizon-
tal lines.

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 183

 To move the highlighted area in the Universe
window: Rulers
1 Choose Windows > Show Universe.

2 To affect which tracks are displayed in the Edit

window, click lower or higher (vertically) in the
Universe window.

All Rulers displayed

Any or all of the following Timebase Rulers can

be displayed at the top of the Edit window:
• Bars:Beats
• Minutes:Seconds
• Time Code (TDM systems only)
• Feet.Frames (TDM systems only)
3 To scroll to a different session location, click
• Samples
later or earlier (horizontally) in the Universe
window. In addition to providing a timing reference for
track material, the Timebase Rulers are also used
to define Edit selections for track material, and
Timeline selections for record and play ranges.

With the Selector, drag in any Timebase

Ruler to select material across all tracks in
the Edit window. To include the Conductor
Tracks in the selection, press Option (Mac-
intosh) or Alt (Windows) while dragging.

Any or all of the following Conductor Rulers can

When all tracks are visible in the Edit window be displayed:
and the session is zoomed all the way out, with • Tempo
all regions visible, the entire Universe window is
shaded. • Meter
• Markers

The Meter and Tempo Rulers indicate changes

in meter and tempo within the Session. The
Markers Ruler displays Markers to important
track locations.

184 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To display all Rulers:
■ Select Display > Ruler View Shows > All.
Time Scale
While all Timebase Rulers can simultaneously
To remove a Ruler from the display: be displayed in the Edit window, there is only
one that represents the Main Time Scale. The
■ Option-click the Ruler’s name (to the left of
Main Time Scale determines the time format
the Ruler display).
used for:
– or –
• The Transport’s Main Counter
■ Deselect the Ruler in Display > Ruler View
• Start, end, and length values
Shows.
• Pre and post-roll amounts
To display only the Main Time Scale in the Ruler: • Grid and Nudge Values
■ Select Display > Ruler View Shows > None.
The Main Time Scale can be set to the following
formats:
To add a specific Ruler to the display, such as the
Markers Ruler, for instance: Bars:Beats Displays the Time Scale in bars and
■ Select Display > Ruler View Shows > Markers. beats. Use this Time Scale if you are working
with musical material that must align with bars
To change the display order for the Rulers: and beats.

■ Click a Ruler’s name and drag up or down to To ensure your tracks align with the bars and
the new location. beats in your session, make sure to record with
the click (see “Recording with the Click” on
Ruler Options Pop-up Menu page 121).

The Ruler display options are also available from Material that is recorded without listening to
a pop-up menu that is accessed by clicking just the click can still be aligned to bar and beat
to the right of the Ruler names. boundaries in Pro Tools with the Identify Beat
command (see “Identify Beat Command” on
page 264).

Minutes:Seconds Displays the Time Scale in

minutes and seconds. As you zoom in farther
with the Zoomer, the Time Scale begins to dis-
play tenths, hundredths, and thousandths of a
second.
Ruler Options pop-up menu

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 185

 Time Code (TDM systems only) Displays the Setting the Main Time Scale
Time Scale in SMPTE frames. The Frame Rate
and Session Start time are set from the Session To set the Main Time Scale:
Setup window. Pro Tools supports the following
■ Select the desired Time Scale at the bottom of
frame rates: 24, 25, 29.97 Non-Drop, 29.97
the Display menu.
Drop, 30 Non-Drop, and 30 Drop frames per sec-
ond. – or –

■ Select from the Main Time Scale pop-up next

Feet.Frames (TDM systems only) Displays the
to the Location Indicator (also available in the
Time Scale in feet and frames for referencing au-
Transport window).
dio-for-film projects. The Feet.Frames time dis-
play is based on the 35 millimeter film format.

With this Time Scale, you can enter a Start

Frame based on an appropriate frame location at
the beginning of your project tape. The Main Time Scale pop-up
Feet.Frames Ruler will then use this value as its
– or –
start reference.
■ If a Timebase Ruler is displayed, click its Indi-

cator Dot so it becomes highlighted.

Feet.Frames dialog
Switching the Main Time Scale in the Ruler
To set a start frame for a session:
Setting the Sub Time Scale
■ Choose Setups > Feet.Frames and enter an ap-
propriate start frame and click OK (negative off- There is also a Sub Location Indicator displayed
sets are not supported). This value will become below the Main Location Indicator, and below
the “zero point” in the Feet.Frames Ruler. the Transport’s Main Counter, which provides
an additional timing reference.
Samples Displays the Time Scale in samples.
This format is very useful for high-precision To set the Time Scale for the Sub Location
sample editing. Indicator:
■ Select from the Sub Time Scale pop-up next to

the Location Indicator

– or –

186 Pro Tools Reference Guide

■ Select from the Sub Time Scale pop-up in the The Following table lists the number of ticks for
Transport Window. each of the main note sizes:

note value normal dotted triplet

1/2 note 1920 2880 1280

1/4 note 960 1440 640

1/8 note 480 720 320

Sub Time Scale pop-up (Transport window)
1/16 note 240 360 160
While you can click in the Main Counter and
1/32 note 120 180 80
type in a location to automatically locate there,
this is not supported for the Sub Counter. 1/64 note 60 90 40

Ticks vs. Samples

Tick-Based Timing Audio material in Pro Tools is sample-based.
Pro Tools is a sample-based program with an in- This means that if an audio region is located at a
ternal MIDI resolution of 960,000 pulses per particular sample (or SMPTE) location, it will
quarter note (ppq). However, when the Time not move from this location if the tempo
Scale is set to Bars:Beats, the display resolution changes in the session (though the audio re-
in Pro Tools is 960 ppq. gion’s bar and beat location will change).

In Bars:Beats, Pro Tools is tick-based (960 ticks MIDI data in Pro Tools is bar- and beat-based.
to a quarter note), which means that some This means that if a MIDI region is located at a
amount of sample-rounding may occur when particular bar and beat location, it will not move
placing events at certain locations (see “Sample from that location if the tempo changes in the
Rounding and Edit Operations” on page 188). session—though its sample location will
change, thereby adjusting its relationship to au-
When working in Bars:Beats, you’ll often want dio.
to specify tick values for a number of operations,
including: When creating Markers and Selection Memory
Locations, you can specify whether they have
• Placing and spotting regions
an Absolute (sample-based) or Bar|Beat (tick-
• Setting lengths for regions or MIDI notes based) reference. For more information, see
• Locating and setting play and record ranges “Bar|Beat and Absolute Reference” on page 271.
(including pre/post-roll)
• Specifying parameters in the Quantize and
Change Duration windows
• Setting the Grid and Nudge values

Chapter 15: Editing Basics 187

 Sample Rounding and Edit Operations
Because audio material in Pro Tools is sample-
based, some amount of sample-rounding may
occur with some edits when the Main Time
Scale is set to Bars:Beats. This is most evident
when you need audio regions to fall cleanly on
the beat (as when looping) and notice that the
material is sometimes a tick or two off. With a
few simple precautions, this can be avoided.

When selecting audio regions to be copied, du-

plicated, or repeated, make sure to select the ma-
terial with the Selector (enable Grid Mode for
precise selections), or set the selection range by
typing in the start and end points in the Event
Edit area. Do not select the material with the
Grabber (or by double-clicking with the Selec-
tor). This ensures that the selection will be pre-
cise in terms of bars and beats (and not based on
the length of the material in samples).

188 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting
Track Material

The edit cursor, on the other hand, is a flashing

Playing Tracks line that appears when you click with the Selec-
tor in a track’s playlist. The blinking edit cursor
After recording or importing to tracks, you’ll
indicates the start point for any editing tasks
want to listen to the material to find track
performed. If you make a selection and perform
ranges that require editing, or material that can
an edit, the selection is the target of the edit.
be turned into regions for use elsewhere.
The selected Scrolling Option determines how
You can click anywhere in a track with the Selec-
the Edit window scrolls during playback, and
tor to begin playback from that point (as long as
how the playback cursor functions. See “Scroll-
the Edit and Timeline selections are linked, see
ing Options” on page 191 for details.
“Separate Edit and Timeline Selections” on
page 195).
To begin playing from a specific point within a
track:
1 Select Operations > Scrolling Options > No
Auto Scrolling.

2 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and

Setting a playback point with the Selector Timeline Selection.
Depending on the selected Scrolling Option, the
3 With the Selector, click in the track where you
playback cursor, a solid unblinking line, moves
want playback to begin.
across the Edit window to indicate the current
playback position. The playback location is dis- 4 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
played in the Counters in the Transport win- playback.
dow, in the Big Time window, and also in the
5 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop
Location Indicators.
playback.

To jump to a different location and begin play-

ing from there, click with the Selector at that
point and click Play in the Transport window.
Transport with Counters displayed

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 189

 With the Edit and Timeline selections linked, Locating and Auditioning with Fast
you can click a region or MIDI note with the Forward/Rewind
Grabber to automatically update the Timeline
with the selection’s start time, allowing you to You can use the Fast Forward and Rewind but-
easily play from that point. tons in the Transport window to locate material
in your tracks. If the Operation Preference for
“Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind” is se-
Page Scroll During Playback
lected, you’ll actually hear the scanned audio
You can set Pro Tools to scroll the track display (similar to a CD player) when clicking the Fast
while playing, and also have the edit cursor ap- Forward and Rewind buttons.
pear wherever playback stops.
You can also fast forward or rewind incremen-
tally by repeatedly clicking the appropriate but-
To make the track display and the edit cursor
follow playback: ton. The size of these increments is determined
by the Main Time Scale:
1 Select Operations > Scrolling Options > Page
• Bars:Beats: moves to the beginning of the pre-
Scroll During Playback.
vious or next bar
2 Choose Setups > Preferences. In the Operation
• Min:Sec: moves back or forward in one-sec-
page of the Preferences dialog, select the option
ond steps
for “Timeline Insertion Follows Playback,” then
click Done. • Time Code: moves back or forward in one-sec-
ond steps (while adjusting for current SMPTE
3 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and format)
Timeline Selection.
• Feet.Frames: moves back or forward in one-
4 With the Selector, click in the track where you foot steps
want playback to begin.
• Samples: moves back or forward in one-sec-
5 Click Play in the Transport window to begin ond steps
playback. The playback cursor scrolls across the
Edit window, indicating the current playback Location Indicators
position.
The Location Indicators, in the upper right of
6 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop the Edit window, display the current playback
playback. The edit cursor appears at the location location, and also provide a convenient way to
where playback stops. navigate to a specific time location.

Location Indicators (Main and Sub)

190 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Main Location Indicator displays the play- To scroll the entire contents of the Edit window
back location in the time format for the Main from the Ruler:
Time Scale. The Sub Location Indicator can be ■ While pressing Comand+Option+Control
set to any of the other Time Scale formats for an- (Macintosh) or Control+Alt+Start (Windows),
other timing reference. Both the Main and Sub drag left or right in any of the Timebase Rulers.
indicators also appear in the Transport window
when it is set to display Counters.

To navigate with the Location Indicators:

1 Click in one of the Location Indicators. Scrolling in the Ruler
– or –

Press Equal (=) on the numeric keypad to high- Scrolling Options

light the Main Location Indicator (or the Trans-
port Counters or Big Time window, if either are Pro Tools offers the following options for how it
displayed). scrolls the contents of the Edit window during
playback and recording. Choose Operations >
2 Type in the new location. Press period (.) to Scrolling Options and select one of the follow-
cycle through to the different time fields. ing from the submenu:
3 Press Enter to accept the new value and auto-
No Auto-Scrolling With this scrolling option, the
matically locate there.
Edit window does not scroll during or after play-
Choose from the pop-up menus next to the back. The playback cursor moves across the Edit
Main and Sub indicators (in either the Edit window, indicating the playback location.
window or Transport window) to set their Scroll After Playback Causes the Edit window to
time formats. scroll to the final playback location after play-
back has stopped. In this mode, the playback
Scrolling in the Ruler
cursor moves across the Edit window, indicating
You can scroll the contents of the Edit window the playback location.
by clicking and dragging in the Ruler. While this
Page Scroll During Playback Causes the Edit
doesn’t actually update the session’s Current Lo-
window to scroll during playback. With this op-
cation, it does let you conveniently shift the dis-
tion, the playback cursor moves across the Edit
play left or right for the sake of finding and ed-
window, indicating the playback location.
iting material.
When the right edge of the Edit window is
This method of scrolling is especially useful reached, its entire contents are scrolled, and the
when using Continuous Scroll with Playhead playback cursor continues moving from the left
(TDM systems only), which does not update or edge of the window.
follow Timeline selections.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 191

 Continuous Scroll During Playback With the Playhead enabled, you can jump to
and play an Edit or Timeline selection. For de-
(TDM Systems Only)
tails, see “Playing Edit and Timeline Selections
This scrolling option causes the Edit window’s with the Playhead” on page 207.
contents to scroll continuously past the play-
back cursor, which remains in the center of the Half-Screen Edit Window
window. With this option, playback is always
When either Continuous Scroll During Playback
based on the Timeline selection (unlike Contin-
or Continuous Scroll with Playhead is enabled, a
uous Scroll With Playhead).
half-screen appears at the far left of the Edit win-
dow (before the beginning of the session).
Continuous Scroll With Playhead
(TDM Systems Only)

This scrolling option causes the Edit window’s

contents to scroll continuously past the Play-
head, which is a blue line in the center of the
window (red when recording). Half-screen for Continuous Scroll with Playhead

The Playhead indicates where playback begins

when clicking Play in the Transport window.
The Scrubber
The Scrubber allows you to “scrub” up to two
tracks of audio in the Edit Window. Scrubbing is
a technique that originated in tape editing,
where the tape was rocked back and forth past
the playhead at slower than normal speeds to
Continuous Scroll with Playhead
find a particular location (usually for the sake of
To move the Playhead to a particular location performing splices).
for playback, you can scroll there in the Ruler
(see “Scrolling in the Ruler” on page 191), use While viewing an audio waveform in Pro Tools
the Edit window’s horizontal scroll bar, or type can be helpful in visually finding an edit point,
the location into one of the Location Indicators sometimes a waveform (because of its sonic
or one of the Counters. characteristics) may not reveal the desired spot
in the audio material. By scrubbing back and
Moving the Playhead with these methods does forth over an edit point in Pro Tools, you can
not update the Timeline selection. However, up- zero in on the exact edit point you're looking
dating the Timeline selection automatically for.
move the Playhead to the Timeline insertion
point. When the Operation Preference for “Edit Inser-
tion Follows Scrub/Shuttle” is enabled, the edit
cursor automatically locates to the point where
scrubbing stops.

192 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When the Scrolling Option is set to Continuous To scrub up to two audio tracks:
Scroll During Playback or Continuous Scroll
■ With the Scrubber selected, drag between two
with Playhead, clicking with the Scrubber in a
adjacent tracks.
track’s playlist centers the Edit window around
that point, and moves the Playhead there. With
these Scrolling Options, scrubbed material
moves past the Playhead, which remains sta-
tionary and centered.

NOTE: Scrubbing is only supported for audio

tracks. MIDI tracks cannot be scrubbed. Scrubbing between two audio tracks

– or –
To scrub a single audio track:
■ Scrub within a selection that contains multi-
1 With the Scrubber selected, drag within the
ple tracks. Only the first two tracks are heard.
track—left for reverse, right for forward.
The maximum number of channels
scrubbed in Pro Tools is eight, which would
enable you to scrub two stereo tracks (four
channels), but not two 5.1 surround tracks
(12 channels).
Scrubbing an audio track with the Scrubber
Scrub/Shuttle Mode
The distance and speed with which you drag
(with either the mouse, or an external MIDI When scrubbing normally, you can scrub at nor-
controller wheel) determine the length and mal playback speeds or slower. Scrub/Shuttle
speed of the scrubbed audio. Audio from the mode, however, lets you scrub at several times
scrubbed track is routed to its output, along with normal speed, which is helpful in playing
any effects assigned to the track. through large ranges and locating material.

The resolution for the Scrubber is dependent

To scrub in Shuttle mode (at several times normal
upon the zoom factor for the scrubbed track. For speed):
finer resolutions without zooming, press Com-
mand (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) while 1 Select the Scrubber tool.

scrubbing. 2 While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt

(Windows), drag within the track—left for re-
You can temporarily switch the Selector to
verse, right for forward.The Fast Forward and
the Scrubber by Control-clicking (Macin-
Rewind buttons in the Transport window en-
tosh) or Right-clicking (Windows). For finer
gage.
resolution, Command-Control-click (Mac-
intosh) or Control-Right-click (Windows). The distance and speed dragged determine the
speed for the scrubbed audio.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 193

 Shuttle Lock Mode Numeric Keypad Set to Shuttle
Shuttle Lock mode lets you trigger playback for (TDM Systems Only)
up to two tracks at varying speeds, forward and
Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, dif-
reverse, from the numeric keypad. If multiple
ferent from that of Shuttle Lock Mode. With the
tracks are selected, only the first two tracks are
Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle, playback
shuttled.
of the current Edit selection is triggered by press-
ing and holding the keys on the numeric key-
To play a track with the shuttle lock: pad—playback stops once the keys are released.
1 For TDM systems, make sure the Operation Various playback speeds are available in both
Preference for Numeric Keypad Mode is not set forward and reverse. In this mode, pre/post-roll
to Shuttle. are ignored.

2 With the Selector, click in the track where you

To shuttle with the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
want playback to begin. To shuttle on two
Shuttle:
tracks, Shift-click in a second track.
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
3 Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key tions.
(Windows) and a number on the numeric key-
pad: 0–9 (9 is fastest, 5 is normal speed, and 0 2 Set the Numeric Keypad Mode to Shuttle and
stops shuttling). click Done.

3 With the Selector, click in the track where you

Once Shuttle Lock mode is initiated, Fast For-
want playback to begin. To shuttle on two
ward and Rewind become highlighted in the
tracks, Shift-click in a second track.
Transport window.
4 Press and hold any of the following keys (or
4 Press additional keys to change the playback
key combinations) on the numeric keypad to
speed, or press Plus (+) and Minus (-) to switch
trigger playback.
the playback direction (plus for forward, minus
for backward).
Shuttle Speed Rewind Key Forward Key
5 To stop playback, press Control+0 (Macin-
1 X Speed 4 6
tosh) or Start+0 (Windows).
4 X Speed 7 9
6 To exit Shuttle Lock mode, press Stop in the
Transport window. 1/4 X Speed 1 3

1/2 X Speed 4+5 5+6

2 X Speed 7+8 8+9

5 Press a different key to switch the playback di-

rection or speed. Release to stop.

194 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Figure 11 illustrates another reason you’d want
Separate Edit and Timeline to unlink the Edit and Timeline selections. In
Selections this example, the Timeline selection sets a range
to be looped on playback, while a MIDI region
Pro Tools lets you unlink the Edit and Timeline
(residing within the loop) is selected for editing
selections. In doing so, you can make a selection
purposes. During playback, the Edit selection
within a track for editing purposes that is dis-
can be nudged, quantized, or transposed while
tinct from the selection in the Timeline (which
the loop plays back completely independent
determines the playback and recording range).
and uninterrupted.
By default, the Edit and Timeline selections are
linked. In this mode, selecting in a track’s playl-
ist (an Edit selection) also defines the play and
record range (the Timeline selection).

To unlink the Edit and Timeline selections: Figure 11. Edit and Timeline selections unlinked
■ Deselect Operations > Link Edit and Timeline
While you could theoretically do this with the
Selection.
Edit and Timeline selections linked, as soon as
– or – playback is stopped, the playback range would
then be updated to that of the more recent edit
In the upper left of the Edit window, click the
range.
Link Selection button so it becomes unhigh-
lighted.
Playback/Edit Markers
Timeline selections are displayed in the Ruler
Link Selection button, disabled with Playback Markers, which appear as blue ar-
rows (red when recording). In addition, there
If you are working with a film or video scene,
are Pre- and Post-Roll Flags (which are green
you may want to unlink the Edit and Timeline
when enabled) indicating the location for
selections to work with material that is at a dif-
pre/post-roll.
ferent location than the current play range. The
scene you’re working with (defined by the Time-
line selection) may require some sound effects
and you can go to another location in the ses- Playback Markers with Pre/Post-Roll Flags
sion to find and audition them. Edit selections
can be played (choose Operations > Play Edit Se-
lection) without disrupting the current Timeline
selection. Once the desired material is found, Figure 12. Edit Markers
you can then go back to the Timeline selection
and place them within the context of the scene.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 195

 When the Edit and Timeline selections are un- Selections and Edit Groups
linked, Edit selections are displayed in the Ruler
with Edit Markers, which appear as black brack- When making selections on tracks that are part
ets. If the Edit and Timeline selections are of an Edit Group, all tracks within the group be-
linked, Edit selections are represented by the come selected.
blue Playback Markers.
Selections and Hidden Tracks
See the following sections for details on working
with Edit and Timeline selections: When editing tracks that are part of an active
Edit Group, any tracks within the group that are
• “Selecting Track Material” on page 196
hidden are not affected by the edits. To edit all
• “Timeline Selections” on page 206 members of a group, make sure they are visible
• “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 135 by highlighting their names in the Show/Hide
Tracks list.
• “Setting Pre/Post-Roll” on page 137

Selecting Regions

Selecting Track Material To select a portion of a region:

Before audio and MIDI material can be edited, it 1 With the Selector, drag within the region (left
must first be selected. A track’s Display Format or right) to select the material.
determines how the material is viewed and se-
lected.

When you make a selection, it appears as a high-

lighted area of the track, and is also indicated by
blue start and end arrows (Playback Markers) in Selecting a portion of a region
the Ruler at the top of the Edit window. If any
To select an entire region:
track (audio or MIDI) in the session is record-en-
abled, even if it is hidden, these markers appear ■ Click the region with the Grabber.
red. – or –

■ Double-click the region with the Selector.

To select two regions and the time range between

them:
Playback Markers indicating Edit selection 1 With the Grabber, click the first region.

If the Edit and Timeline selections are unlinked, 2 Shift-click the second region. Both regions be-
the Edit selection range is indicated by Edit come selected, along with the time range be-
Markers in the Ruler. See “Separate Edit and tween them (including any other regions).
Timeline Selections” on page 195 for details.

196 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To select an entire track: Making Selections While Playing
■ Click in the track with the Selector and then Pro Tools lets you make on-the-fly selections
choose Edit > Select All. with the Arrow keys.
– or –
To make a selection while playing:
■ Triple-click in the track with the Selector.
1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
To select all regions in all tracks: Timeline selection.

1 Select the “All” Edit Group in the Groups List. 2 With the Selector, click somewhere near the
beginning of the track in which you want to
2 Click in any track with the Selector and
make the selection.
choose Edit > Select All.
3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
– or –
playback.
Triple-click with the Selector in any track.
4 When playback reaches the point where you
want the selection to begin, press the Down Ar-
Selecting All from Timebase Rulers row key.
You can select all regions in all tracks displayed 5 Press the Up Arrow key at the point where you
in the Edit window by double-clicking in any want the selection to end. The selected range be-
Timebase Ruler. comes highlighted.

6 To stop playback, click Stop in the Transport

To select all material in all displayed audio and
MIDI tracks: window.

1 Make sure the Edit and Timeline selections are To automatically scroll to the beginning of the
linked. selection (or to the location of the on-screen
cursor), press the Left Arrow key. To scroll to the
2 Double-click in any Timebase Ruler. All re-
end of the selection, press the Right Arrow key.
gions in all displayed audio and MIDI tracks are
selected. Tracks that are hidden are not selected.
Object Selections (TDM Systems Only)
To select all material in all tracks, along with You can use the Object Grabber to select discon-
Conductor events:
tiguous regions on one or more tracks. Discon-
1 Make sure the Edit and Timeline selections are tiguous selections must encompass entire re-
linked. gions. If you want a discontiguous selection to
include a portion of a region, first turn the por-
2 While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Con-
tion into a new region with the Separation
trol (Windows), double-click in any Timebase
Grabber (see “Separation Grabber” on page 211)
Ruler. All regions in all displayed audio and
or the Separate Region command (see “Separate
MIDI tracks are selected, along with all events in
Region Command” on page 210).
each of the Conductor tracks.
NOTE: The Object Grabber is not available when
the Edit mode is set to Shuffle or Spot.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 197

 To select discontiguous regions: To change a Time selection to an Object selection:
1 Make sure the Edit mode is set to either Slip or 1 Drag with the Selector in any track to define a
Grid. selection. Select in a Timebase Ruler to select
across all tracks.
2 Choose the Object Grabber from the Grabber
tool pop-up menu.

Object Grabber

3 Shift-click each region you want to include in

the selection. The regions can even reside on dif- 2 With the Object Grabber selected, double-
ferent tracks. click the Grabber icon in the toolbar. The re-
gions falling within the selection range become
selected as objects. Regions that were partially
selected become deselected.

Discontiguous selection

Each clicked region becomes surrounded by a

dark rectangle, indicating it is selected.

The Object Grabber ignores Edit Groups when

To select regions that were partially selected,
making selections. For instance, selecting a re-
press the Control key while double-clicking the
gion on a grouped track does not cause regions
Grabber icon.
in the other tracks in the group to become se-
lected.
To change an Object selection to a Time selection:
Object to Time Selection (TDM Systems Only) 1 Select any number of regions with the Object
Grabber.
You can convert between Time- and Object-
based selections. Time selections are made with 2 Double-click the Selector icon in the toolbar.
the Selector and Time Grabber. Object selections The time range between the first and last region
are made with the Object Grabber. becomes selected.

Converting to an Object selection is useful If using the Object Grabber (TDM systems only),
when working with large selections, especially regions on the other tracks in the group are se-
across multiple tracks, and want to remove cer- lected if they fall within the range of the se-
tain regions from the selection. lected region.

Converting to a Time selection is useful if you

want to select all regions between a discontigu-
ous Object selection.

198 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Changing a Selection Length Nudging a Selection Range
You can make an existing selection longer or The selection range (not the material within the
shorter by pressing the Shift key while clicking selection) can be moved by the Nudge value.
or dragging, or by dragging the Playback Mark-
ers in the Ruler. To nudge a selection range:
1 Configure the Nudge value as desired. For de-
To change the length of a selection:
tails, see “Defining the Nudge Value” on
■ With the Selector, position the cursor over page 222.
one end of the current selection and Shift-click
2 Make the initial selection with the Selector.
or Shift-drag left or right.
3 While pressing Shift, press Plus or Minus on
– or –
the numeric keypad to move the selection range
In the Ruler, drag the Playback Marker for the se- by the Nudge value.
lection’s start or end point.
Nudging Selection Start/End Points
Start and end points for selections can be moved
by the nudging them.
Dragging a Playback Marker
To move a selection start or end point by the
– or – Nudge value:
If the Edit and Timeline selections are unlinked, 1 Configure the Nudge value as desired. For de-
drag the Edit Markers (see Figure 12 on tails, see “Defining the Nudge Value” on
page 195) to change the selection length. page 222.

2 Make the initial selection with the Selector.

To quickly make a lengthy selection:
3 While pressing Option+Shift (Macintosh) or
1 With the Selector, click at the beginning of the
Alt+Shift (Windows), press Plus or Minus on the
selection.
numeric keypad to move the selection’s start
2 Scroll to the end point of the selection and point by the Nudge value.
Shift-click at that point.
– or –
To verify the start and end points of a long selec-
While pressing Command+Shift (Macintosh) or
tion, press the Left Arrow key to scroll to the be-
Control+Shift (Windows), press Plus or Minus
ginning of the selection, or press the Right Ar-
on the numeric keypad to move the selection’s
row key to scroll to the end.
end point by the Nudge value.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 199

 Extending Selections 2 Shift-click a Marker in the Markers Ruler.

You can extend selections to region start and – or –

end points, to include an adjacent region, or to Shift-click a Memory Location in the Memory
Markers and Memory Locations. Locations window.

To extend a selection to a region start or end The selection is extended from the original In-
point: sertion point to the Marker or Memory Loca-
1 With the Selector, select a portion of a region, tion.
or click anywhere in the region.

2 Press Shift+Tab to extend the selection to the Using the Selection Indicators
region’s end point. The Selection Indicators at the top of the Edit
– or – window can define precise edit selections. Time
values for the Selection Indicators use the time
Press Shift+Option+Tab (Macintosh) or format for the Main Time Scale.
Shift+Control+Tab (Windows) to extend the se-
lection to the region’s start point.

To extend a selection to include an adjacent

region: Selection Indicators
1 Select the first region with the Grabber.
To make a selection with the Selection Indicators:
2 Press Shift+Control+Tab (Macintosh) or 1 Click with the Selector in the track you want
Shift+Start+Tab (Windows) to extend the selec- to select.
tion to include the next region.
2 Click in the Start field at the top of the Edit
– or –
window.
Press Shift+Control+Option+Tab (Macintosh) or – or –
Shift+Start+Control+Tab (Windows) to extend
the selection to include the previous region. Press the slash key to select the Start field.

3 Type in the start point for the selection and

To extend a selection to a Marker or Memory press the slash key to enter the value and auto-
Location: matically move to the end field.
1 Click in a track with the Selector at the selec-
4 Type in the end point for the selection and
tion’s start or end point.
press Enter to accept the value.
– or –

Make a selection with the Selector or Grabber.

200 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Numeric Entry Shortcuts for Selection 3 Type the amount you want to subtract from
Indicators the current time value, then press Enter.

You can use the following shortcuts for entering

values in the Selection Indicators: Selecting Across Multiple Tracks
■ Press the slash key to cycle through the three To perform edits across multiple tracks or all
Selection Indicators. tracks, you must first select the tracks. Do this by
making selections on tracks that are grouped
■ Use period (.) or the Left/Right Arrow keys to
(see “Grouping Tracks” on page 85), by extend-
move through the different time fields in each
ing selections to other tracks, or by selecting in a
Selection Indicator.
Timebase Ruler (for all tracks).
■ Press the Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or
decrease the numerical values. To extend a selection to another track:

■ Command-drag (Macintosh) or Control-drag 1 Using the Selector or Grabber, make a selec-

(Windows) a selected field to scroll to a new tion in the first track.
value.
2 Shift-click in additional tracks with the Selec-
■ Press Plus (+) or Minus (–) along with an ac- tor. An identical range is selected for each addi-
companying number to add or subtract from tional track.
the current field value.
To shorten or lengthen the selection across each
For example, to add 10 to a current field value, of the tracks, press Shift while dragging to
cycle to the field, press the Plus key, type “10” change the range of the selection.
and then press Enter.
To select across all tracks, do one of the following:
NOTE: If using Calculator Entry mode with the
■ With the Selector, Option-Shift-drag (Macin-
Time Scale set to Bars:Beats, see “Calculator Entry
Mode and Bars:Beats” on page 201. tosh) or Alt-Shift-drag (Windows) in any track.

■ Press Escape to exit the Selection Indicators ■ Enable the All Edit Group and make a selec-
without entering any values. tion in any track.

■ Drag with the Selector in any Timebase Ruler

These shortcuts can also be used to enter
(make sure the Edit and Timeline Selections are
start and end values in the Transport win-
linked).
dow.
These selections include all tracks in the Edit
Calculator Entry Mode and Bars:Beats window, but do not include the Conductor
tracks (for Tempo, Meter, and Markers).
To use Minus in Calculator mode with the Time
Scale set to Bars:Beats:
To select across all tracks, including the
1 Highlight the time field you want to change. Conductor tracks:
2 While pressing Command (Macintosh) or ■ Option-drag (Macintosh) or Alt-drag (Win-

Control (Windows), press Minus on the nu- dows) with the Selector in any Timebase Ruler.
meric keypad.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 201

 Moving and Extending Selections To remove the top or bottom track from a
between Tracks (TDM Systems Only) selection:
■ Press Control+Option+P (Macintosh) or
With the Commands Focus enabled (TDM sys-
Start+Alt+P (Windows) to remove the top track.
tems only), Edit selections can be moved or ex-
tended to adjacent tracks. – or –

■ Press Control+Option+semicolon (Macin-

To move a selection to an adjacent track:
tosh) or Start+Alt+semicolon (Windows) to re-
1 Enable the Commands Focus by clicking its move the bottom track.
button in the upper left of the Edit window.

Other Useful Selection Techniques

Commands Key button, enabled Following are some additional selection tech-
niques.
2 With the Selector or Grabber, make a track se-
lection.
To position the edit cursor precisely at a region
3 Press P on your computer keyboard to move start, end, or sync point:
the selection to the previous track. 1 Click with the Selector in the track.
– or – 2 Press Tab to move the cursor to the next re-

Press semicolon to move the selection to the gion start, end, or sync point.
next track. – or –

In either instance, the original Edit selection be- 3 Press Option+Tab (Macintosh) or Control+Tab
comes deselected. (Windows) to move the cursor to the previous
region start, end, or sync point.
To extend a selection to an adjacent track:
To make a selection with the Scrubber:
1 Enable the Commands Focus.
1 Choose Setups > Preferences. In the Operation
2 With the Selector or Grabber, make a track se-
page of the Preferences dialog, select the option
lection. for “Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle,” then
3 Press Shift+P to extend the selection to the click Done.
previous track. 2 Scrub with the Scrubber to find an appropriate
– or – start point for the selection, then release.

4 Press Shift+semicolon to extend the selection 3 While pressing Shift, scrub to an appropriate
to the next track. end point for the selection, then release. The
range between the initial and final scrub be-
In either instance, the original Edit selection re- comes selected.
mains selected.

202 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To move a selection to an adjacent region on the Tabbing to Transients
same track:
With the Tab to Transients option, you can au-
1 Select a region with the Grabber.
tomatically navigate to transients in audio
2 Press Control+Tab (Macintosh) or Start+Tab waveforms, placing the cursor just before the de-
(Windows) to move the selection to the next re- tected transient peak. This allows you to easily
gion. define selections and play ranges, as well as start
and end points for new regions, without having
– or –
to zoom in on the waveform.
3 Press Control+Option+Tab (Macintosh) or
Start+Control+Tab (Windows) to move the se-
lection to the previous region.
Tab to Transients button, enabled
In either instance, the original region becomes When Tab to Transients is enabled, the Tabbing
deselected. function also locates the cursor to region start,
end, and sync points.
To slide an Edit selection in the Ruler:
1 With the Selector or Grabber, make a track se- To set the start and end points of a selection with
lection. Tab to Transients:
1 In the upper left of the Edit window, click the
2 While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
Tab to Transients button so it becomes selected.
(Windows), move the cursor over either of the
Playback Markers in the Ruler (the Grabber ap- 2 If you will be setting the play range with this
pears). selection, selection Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection.

3 Click in the audio track just before the begin-

ning of the material you want to select.
Sliding an Edit selection in the Ruler 4 Press Tab repeatedly until the cursor locates to
3 Drag left or right to move the Edit selection the transient at the start of the selection.
back or forward in time, while preserving its
If necessary, you can move to the previous tran-
length.
sient by pressing Option+Tab (Macintosh) or
If the Edit and Timeline selections are unlinked, Control+Tab (Windows).
Option-drag (Macintosh) or Alt-drag (Windows) 5 Press Shift+Tab until the cursor locates to the
the Edit Markers instead. end of the selection.

To move the selection end point to the previous

transient, press Shift+Option+Tab (Macintosh)
or Shift+Control+Tab (Windows).

Once selected, the material can be looped for re-

cording or playback, or it can be turned into a
new region with the Separate or Capture com-
mand.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 203

 Region List Selection Follows Auditioning Pre- and Post-Roll
Track Selection You can audition and play just the pre-roll or
When the Editing Preference for “Region List Se- post-roll material for a selection.
lection Follows Track Selection” is enabled, se-
lecting a region in a track also causes the region To play from the pre-roll point to the start of a
to become selected in the Audio or MIDI Re- selection, or to the current cursor location:
gions List. ■ Press Option+Left Arrow (Macintosh) or

Alt+Left Arrow (Windows).

Conversely, if the Editing Preference for “Track
Selection Follows Region List Selection” is en-
To play to the post-roll point from the end of a
abled, selecting a region in the Audio or MIDI
selection, or from the current cursor location:
Regions List causes the initial occurrence of that
region to become selected within the track. ■ Press Command+Right Arrow (Macintosh) or

Control+Right Arrow (Windows).

Auditioning Start and End Points for

Playing Selections Selections
Once an Edit selection is made, you can audi-
There may be times when you want to audition
tion the track range by clicking Play in the
the start or end of a selection without hearing
Transport window. If enabled, the pre- and post-
the entire selection. This allows you to quickly
roll amounts play as well.
check, for instance, whether the beginning or
end of a selection includes any unwanted clicks
To play a selection:
or pops.
1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
Timeline Selection.

2 With the Selector or Grabber, make a track se-

lection.

3 If desired, enable and set the pre- and post-roll

amounts. For details, see “Setting Pre/Post-Roll” plays start plays end
(for post amount) (for pre amount)
on page 137.

4 Click Play in the Transport window.

plays pre-roll + start plays end + post-roll

All tracks plays for the range of the selection, in- Playback ranges for auditioning start/end points
cluding pre/post-roll if enabled.
To audition a selection start point:
■ Press Command+Left Arrow (Macintosh) or

Control+Left Arrow (Windows).

When auditioning the beginning of a selection,

the selection plays from the start point for a du-
ration equal to the post-roll amount.

204 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To audition a selection start point with pre-roll: To loop playback of a selection:
■ Press Command+Option+Left Arrow (Macin- 1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
tosh) or Control+Alt+Left Arrow (Windows). Timeline Selection.

2 With the Selector, select the track range you

To audition a selection end point:
want to loop.
■ Press Option+Right Arrow (Macintosh) or
3 Select Operations > Loop Playback. When en-
Alt+Right Arrow (Windows).
abled, a loop symbol appears in the Play button
When auditioning the end of a selection, play- in the Transport window.
back begins before the end point by the pre-roll
amount.

To audition a selection end point with post-roll: Loop Playback enabled

■ Press Command+Option+Right Arrow (Mac- You can also enable Loop Playback by Control-
intosh) or Control+Alt+Right Arrow (Windows). clicking (Macintosh) or Right-clicking (Win-
dows) the Play button in the Transport window.
Or, with the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Trans-
Looping Playback
port, press 4 on the numeric keypad.
When Loop Playback is enabled, the selected
4 Click Play in the Transport window.
track range repeats on playback. If there is no se-
lection, playback occurs normally from the cur- Playback begins from the pre-roll point (if en-
rent cursor location. abled) and continues to the selection’s end
point, where it loops back to the start point.
NOTE: A selection must be at least 1 second in
length for it to loop on playback. 5 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop
playback.
Looping playback is a useful way to check the
rhythmic continuity of a selection when work-
Loop Playback and Audio Recording
ing with musical material. If you’re working
with one-bar selections, you can loop playback When Loop Playback is enabled, Pro Tools will
to see if the material loops cleanly. If it seems to not loop when attempting to record audio
skip, you should then adjust the length of the tracks with QuickPunch, Destructive Record, or
selection until it works “musically” within the Nondestructive Record mode.
context of the playlist and the other tracks.
To loop record audio tracks in Pro Tools, you
must enable Loop Record mode.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 205

 To set the Timeline selection by dragging the
Timeline Selections Playback Markers:

With the Edit and Timeline selections unlinked, 1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
selections can be made in the Timeline that are strain movement to the current Grid value.
distinct and separate from Edit selections. 2 With the Grabber, drag the first Playback

With the Edit and Timeline selections linked, Marker (down arrow) to set the start point.
any Edit selections that are made are mirrored in
the Timeline.

Whether the Edit and Timeline selections are

linked or not, the range indicated by the Play- Dragging a Playback Marker
back Markers always determines the range for
3 Drag the other Playback Marker (up arrow) to
playback and recording.
set the end point.
For TDM systems, when Continuous Scroll with
Playhead is enabled, it determines where play- To set the Timeline selection by typing into the
back begins. For details, see “Playing Edit and Transport window:
Timeline Selections with the Playhead” on 1 If necessary, resize the Transport window by
page 207. clicking in the upper right so the start and end
times are displayed.
To make a Timeline selection with the Selector:
2 In the Transport window, click in the start
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
field.
strain the selection to the current Grid value.
– or –
2 Drag with the Selector in any Timebase Ruler.
Press Option-slash (Macintosh) or Alt-slash
(Windows) to select the start field in the Trans-
port window.

3 Type in the new start location and press slash

Making a Timeline selection with the Selector to enter the value and automatically move to
the end field.
The Timeline selection is indicated in the Ruler
by the blue Playback Markers (red if a track is 4 Type in the new end location and press Enter
record-enabled). The start, end, and length for to accept the value.
the Timeline selection is displayed in the corre-
sponding fields in the Transport window. Shortcuts for entering start and end values
in the Transport window are listed in “Nu-
To select all tracks, including Conductor meric Entry Shortcuts for Selection Indica-
tracks, press Option (Macintosh) or Alt tors” on page 201.
(Windows) while dragging in a Timebase
Ruler with the Selector.

206 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sliding a Timeline Selection
Playing Edit and Timeline
Like Edit selections, Timeline selections can be Selections with the Playhead
slid in the Ruler.
(TDM Systems Only)
To move a Timeline selection in the Ruler:
When Continuous Scroll with Playhead is en-
1 While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt abled, selections in the Timeline do not deter-
(Windows), move the cursor over either of the mine when playback begins. The Playhead, it-
Playback Markers (the Grabber appears). self, denotes where playback begins when
clicking Play in the Transport.
2 Drag left or right to move the Timeline selec-
tion back or forward in time, while preserving The Edit and Timeline selections, however, can
its length. still be played when the Playhead is enabled.

Timeline Selections to/from Edit To play an Edit selection with the Playhead
Selections enabled:

When the Edit and Timeline selections are un- 1 Deselect Operations > Linked Edit and Time-

linked, you can copy selections between them. line Selections.

2 Select Operations > Scroll Options > Continu-

To copy an Edit selection to the Timeline: ous Scroll with Playhead.
■ Choose Operations > Copy Edit Selection to 3 With the Selector or Grabber, make a track se-
Timeline. lection.

To copy a Timeline selection to an Edit selection: 4 Choose Operations > Play Edit Selection.

■ Choose Operations > Copy Timeline Selection The Playhead jumps to the Edit selection and
to Edit. plays it from beginning to end, and then stops.

To play a Timeline selection with the Playhead

enabled:
1 Deselect Operations > Linked Edit and Time-
line Selections.

2 Select Operations > Scroll Options > Continu-

ous Scroll with Playhead.

3 Drag with the Selector in any Timebase Ruler

to set the play range.

4 Choose Operations > Play Timeline Selection.

The Playhead jumps to the Timeline selection

and plays it from beginning to end, and then
stops.

Chapter 16: Playing and Selecting Track Material 207

 Moving the Playhead
When Continuous Scroll with Playhead is en-
abled, the Playhead can be moved forward or
back to the next region boundary in the selected
track.

To move the Playhead through a track’s region

boundaries:
1 Click in the track with the Selector.

2 Press Tab to move the Playhead forward to the

next region boundary.
– or –

3 Press Option+Tab (Macintosh) or Control+Tab

(Windows) to move the Playhead back to the
previous region boundary.

208 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and
Selections

Because regions are the basic building block of Capture Region Command
audio and MIDI tracks, understanding how they
are created, edited, and arranged is essential to The Capture Region command defines a selec-
taking full advantage of the editing capabilities tion as a new region and adds it to the Regions
of Pro Tools. List. From there, the new region can be dragged
to any existing tracks.
This chapter covers basic editing functions as
they apply to regions and selections. The mate- To capture a new region:
rial, for the most part, applies to both MIDI and
1 With the Selector, drag within an existing re-
audio data.
gion to select the material for the new region.
For editing procedures more specific to MIDI,
see Chapter 23, “MIDI Editing.” For more ad-
vanced editing procedures, see Chapter 18, “Ad-
vanced Editing.” You should, however, become
familiar with the information in this chapter be-
Selecting a region portion
fore moving on to the others.
2 Choose Edit > Capture Region.

3 Enter a name for the new region and click OK.

Creating New Regions
The new region appears in the Regions List. The
Pro Tools provides you with several commands selected region portion remains intact and un-
for creating regions, each of them having a changed.
slightly different effect on the selection. When
you create a new region, it appears in the Re-
gions List and in the track’s playlist. For details
on how these new regions are automatically
named, see “Auto-Naming Parameters” on
page 257.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 209

 Separate Region Command By separating a region, additional regions are
auto-created from data on either side of the sep-
The Separate Region command defines a selec- aration, which have new numbers assigned to
tion within an existing region, or a partially se- their names.
lected region, as a new region and separates it
from adjacent material. If there is no selection If the Editing Preference for “Separate Re-
and the Edit cursor is placed within the region, gion Operates On All Related Takes” is se-
the region is split at the insertion point. lected and you are editing a region that is
one of a number of related takes with the
Auto-Name Separated Regions same User Time Stamp (created with loop
recording, for example), the Separate Region
With the Auto-Name Separated Regions option command affects each take. For details see,
in the Editing Preferences selected, Pro Tools au- “Editing Preferences and Take Regions” on
tomatically names separated regions for you. page 135.
The name is a numbered variation of the origi-
nal region’s name. Separating Multiple Tracks

To separate one or more regions: Figure 13 illustrates a a separation across three

mono audio tracks and one stereo track. For
1 With the Selector, drag to select the material
some tracks, the selection resides within a re-
for the new region or regions. The selection can gion, while others reside at the start or end of a
reside within a single region, across adjacent re- region.
gions within the same track, or across multiple
tracks.
– or –

Click with the Selector at the point within a re-

gion, where you want to split the region in two.

2 Choose Edit > Separate Region.

3 If the Editing Preference for Auto-Name Sepa-

rated Regions is disabled, enter a name for the
new region when prompted, then click OK.

The new regions appear in the tracks in which

they were created, separate from the data sur-
rounding it. They also appear in the Regions
List. From there they can be dragged to other
tracks.
Figure 13. Separating across multiple tracks

Once separated, this material can be easily

moved or copied to another location.

210 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Separation Grabber To separate a selection without affecting the
original regions:
You can use the Separation Grabber to automat-
1 With the Selector, drag to select the material
ically separate an edit selection and move it to
for the new region or regions. The selection can
another location or another track.
reside within a single region, across adjacent re-
gions within the same track, or across multiple
To separate a selection with the Separation
tracks.
Grabber:
1 With the Selector, drag to select the material 2 From the Grabber pop-up, choose the Separa-
for the new region or regions. The selection can tion Grabber.
reside within a single region, across adjacent re- 3 While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
gions within the same track, or across multiple (Windows), drag the selection to the new loca-
tracks. tion, or to another track.
2 From the Grabber pop-up, choose the Separa-
tion Grabber.

Separation Grabber

3 Drag the selection to the new location, or to

another track.

Dragging to another track with Separation Grabber

New regions containing the previous selection

are created and placed at the new location. The
original selection and regions remain intact.
before
after
Trim To Selection Command
The Trim To Selection command removes data
before and after a region or MIDI note selection,
leaving only the selection. This command pro-
Dragging later in track with Separation Grabber vides a handy means of quickly removing all
data in a region (and in some instances the en-
A new region (or regions) containing the previ-
tire track) except for the current selection.
ous selection is created, separate from the origi-
nal selection. New regions are also created from
To trim unwanted data from a region or note:
the material outside the original selection.
1 With the Selector, select a portion of a region
or note (or a range of notes).

2 Choose Edit > Trim > To Selection to remove

material outside of the selection.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 211

 Healing a Separation Placing Regions in Tracks
The Heal Separation command returns sepa- Once you have created a region, it appears in the
rated regions to their original state—provided Audio or MIDI Regions List. From there you can
the regions are still next to each other and their drag it to a track to add to an existing arrange-
relative start/end points haven’t changed since ment of regions, or you can create a new track
the separation. and start adding regions from scratch. The exact
placement of regions in a track depends on
If you have trimmed or otherwise changed the whether the Edit mode is set to Shuffle, Slip,
start or end points of the two regions, or moved Spot, or Grid (see “Edit Modes” on page 179 for
them further away from each other, you won’t details).
be able to repair them with the Heal Separation
command. It is not possible to heal two regions For information on locating regions in the Re-
created from different audio files. gions List by typing the first few letters of their
name, see “Keyboard Selection of Regions” on
To heal a separation between two regions: page 178.

1 With the Selector, make a selection that in-

To place a region in a track:
cludes part of the first region, the entire separa-
tion between the regions, and part of the second 1 In the Audio or MIDI Regions list, select the
region. region or regions you want to place in a track.

2 Choose Edit > Heal Separation. 2 Drag the selected regions from the Regions
List to a track at the desired point.
If the regions won’t heal, there are other ways to
return the separated regions to a single region. If dragging multiple regions, the regions are
◆ Delete one of the two separated regions (make placed on adjacent tracks. If dragging a stereo re-
sure you’re in Slip mode so the gap doesn’t gion, it must be placed in a stereo track or in two
close) and use the Trimmer to expand the re- mono tracks.
maining region to its original length. For infor- Regions are placed according to the current Edit
mation on using the Trimmer, see “The Trimmer mode:
Tool” on page 215.
• In Shuffle mode, existing track regions are slid
– or – as necessary to make room for the new region.
◆ Delete both of the separated regions and drag • In Spot mode, you are prompted by the Spot
the original region from the Regions List to the dialog to enter a location for the dragged re-
original location. For information on placing re- gion (see “Spotting Regions” on page 219).
gions, see “Placing Regions in Tracks” on
page 212. • In Grid mode, the dragged region snaps to the
nearest Grid boundary.

212 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• In Slip mode, the regions are placed freely To place the end of a region at the Edit insertion
anywhere in the destination track. point:
1 Click with the Selector in the track at the de-
Use the Replace Region function to replace
sired time location.
all occurrences of a region (in all tracks)
with a different region from the Regions 2 While pressing Command+Control (Macin-
List. See “Replacing Regions” on page 235. tosh) or Control+Start key (Windows), drag the
region from the Regions list, or from another
Placing Regions at the Edit track, to the destination track.
Insertion Point – or –

You can easily place and align a region’s start, If the region is already in the track, Command-
end, or sync point to the Edit insertion point. Control-click (Macintosh) or Control-Start-click
This technique is useful in post production ap- (Windows) the region with the Grabber.
plications since it allows you to set a reference
point and quickly place sound effects while en- To place the sync point of a region at the Edit
suring that their start point remains consistent. insertion point:

You can drag a region from the same track, from 1 Click with the Selector in the track at the de-
another track, or from the Audio or MIDI Re- sired time location.
gions List. 2 While pressing Shift+Control (Macintosh) or
Shift+Start key (Windows), drag the region from
NOTE: For TDM systems, when Continuous Scroll
the Regions list, or from another track, to the
with Playhead is selected, regions snap to the play-
destination track.
head, instead of the Edit insertion point.
– or –
To place the start of a region at the Edit insertion
point: If the region is already in the track, Shift-Con-
trol-click (Macintosh) or Shift-Start-click (Win-
1 Click with the Selector in the track at the de-
dows) the region with the Grabber.
sired time location.

2 While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the

Start key (Windows), drag the region from the
Regions list, or from another track, to the desti-
nation track.
– or –

If the region is already in the track, Control-

click (Macintosh) or Start-click (Windows) the
region with the Grabber.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 213

 Aligning to Region Start Points 3 With the Grabber, Command-Control-click
(Macintosh) or Control-Start-click (Windows)
The start, end, and sync point of one region can the region you want to move.
be aligned to the start of a different region on
– or –
another track.
Command-Control-drag (Macintosh) or Con-
NOTE: For TDM systems, if Continuous Scroll
trol-Start-drag (Windows) a region from the Re-
with Playhead is enabled, region start, end, and
gions List to another track.
sync points align to the playhead.
The end point of the second region is aligned to
To align the start points of regions on different the start of the first region.
tracks:
1 With the Grabber, select the region you want To align the sync point of a region to the start of
to align to by clicking it. another region (on a different track):

2 For TDM systems, if Continuous Scroll with 1 With the Grabber, select the region you want
Playhead is enabled, move the playhead to the to align to by clicking it.
start of the selected region. For details, see 2 For TDM systems, if Continuous Scroll with
“Moving the Playhead” on page 208. Playhead is enabled, move the playhead to the
3 With the Grabber, Control-click (Macintosh) start of the selected region. For details, see
or Start-click (Windows) the region you want to “Moving the Playhead” on page 208.
move. 3 With the Grabber, Shift-Control-click (Macin-
– or – tosh) or Shift-Start-click (Windows) the region
you want to move.
Control-drag (Macintosh) or Start-drag (Win-
– or –
dows) a region from the Regions List to another
track. Shift-Control-drag (Macintosh) or Shift-Start-
drag (Windows) a region from the Regions List
The start point of the second region is aligned to
to another track.
the start of the first region.
The sync point of the second region is aligned to
To align the end point of a region to the start of the start of the first region.
another region (on a different track):
1 With the Grabber, select the region you want
to align to by clicking it.

2 For TDM systems, if Continuous Scroll with

Playhead is enabled, move the playhead to the
start of the selected region. For details, see
“Moving the Playhead” on page 208.

214 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To trim a region:
The Trimmer Tool 1 Select the Trimmer tool. For TDM systems,
Standard Trimmer make sure the Standard Trimmer is selected in
the Trimmer pop-up menu.
With the Trimmer tool, you can quickly shorten
or expand a region (up to the entire length of
the source audio file). The first time you trim a
region, Pro Tools automatically adds it to the
Standard Trimmer
Regions List as a new region (with a name de-
rived from the original) in order to differentiate 2 Move the cursor near the start or end of the re-
it from the original. gion, so the Trim cursor appears.

The Standard Trimmer is a nondestructive tool

and doesn’t actually modify the original audio
or MIDI data (when working on regions). To re-
turn to the length of the original region, drag it
from the Regions List, or resize the edited region Trim cursor
with the Trimmer to its original length.
To reverse the direction of the Trim cursor, press
Use of the Trimmer is affected by the current Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows).
Edit mode: Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid. See “Edit
3 If trimming the end, drag left to shorten the
Modes” on page 179 for more information.
region, right to lengthen.
The Standard Trimmer can also be used to – or –
lengthen and shorten MIDI notes (see
“Trimming Note Start and End Times” on If trimming the start, drag right to shorten the
page 298), and also to scale automation region, left to lengthen.
and controller data up or down “Drawing
When trimming regions in a stereo or multi-
Automation” on page 384.
channel track, all channels are trimmed.

When using Shuffle mode, adjacent regions are

For TDM systems, the Trimmer has three
slid as necessary to make room for the edited re-
modes: Standard Trimmer (discussed in
gion. If using Grid mode, the dragged start/end
this section), Scrub Trimmer (see “The
times snap to the nearest Grid boundary. If us-
Scrub Trimmer” on page 216), and Time
ing Spot mode, the Spot dialog opens, where
Trimmer (see “The Time Trimmer” on
you can enter the new location for the region’s
page 238).
start or end point.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 215

 The Scrub Trimmer Trim To Insertion Command
(TDM Systems Only) You can trim a region or MIDI note by automat-
The Scrub Trimmer is a convenient tool for au- ically removing the material between the Edit
ditioning material (on up to two tracks) to find a insertion point and the start or end point.
trim point. You can drag in a track to hear the
audio information, then trim at a specific loca-
tion by releasing the mouse button.

This action creates a new region. Note that the

cursor changes into a “right trim” or “left trim”
shape as it is placed over the right or left side of
a region. To reverse the direction of the Scrub
Trimmer, press Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Win-
dows) before you click the region.

Region end trimmed to insertion

To trim from a start point to insertion:

1 With the Selector, click inside the region or
Scrub Trimmer over a region note where you want the new start point to be.
Scrub playback speed and direction vary with 2 Choose Edit > Trim > Start To Insertion. The
controller movement. Scrubbed audio is routed region’s start point is automatically trimmed to
through the track signal path, so you hear any the insertion point.
effects in the signal path.
To trim from an end point to insertion:
To scrub trim a track:
1 With the Selector, click inside the region or
1 Click the Scrub Trimmer tool. The cursor note where you want the new end point to be.
changes to a speaker with a bracket.
2 Choose Edit > Trim > End To Insertion. The re-
2 Drag within a track to the left or right. Audio gion’s end point is automatically trimmed to the
from a scrubbed track is routed through the insertion point.
track signal path, including any TDM effects.
When you locate the desired trim point, release
the mouse button to trim the region.

To scrub trim two tracks, click with the Scrub

Trimmer between two adjacent tracks and drag.

To scrub with finer resolution (without having

to zoom in), press Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows) while scrubbing.

216 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Trimming with Nudge
To retain a region’s location when dragging
You can trim the start and end points of a region to another track, press Control (Macintosh)
by nudging them. or the Start key (Windows) while dragging.

To trim a region’s start or end point by the Nudge Region Sync Points
value:
The placement of regions in Grid and Spot
1 Configure the Nudge value as desired. For de- mode can be based on the definition of a region
tails, see “Defining the Nudge Value” on sync point. Sync points are used when a point
page 222. within a region must be aligned to the Grid or to
2 With the Grabber, select the region you want a particular SMPTE or bar/beat location. This ca-
to trim. pability is important in placing music and
sound effects for film and video work.
3 While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
(Windows), press Plus or Minus on the numeric For example, suppose you had an audio region
keypad to trim the region’s start point by the for a door slam that included the creak of the
Nudge value. door closing, the actual slam, and the reverb of
the slam. You may want to align the “slam” to
– or –
other locations within the session.
While pressing Command (Macintosh) or Con-
trol (Windows), press Plus or Minus on the nu- To identify a region sync point:
meric keypad to trim the region’s end point by 1 Set the Edit mode to Slip by clicking its button
the Nudge value. in the upper left of the Edit window.

2 With the Selector, click in the region at the

point, usually the peak of the waveform, where
Sliding Regions you want to define the sync point.
A region or group of selected regions (on the 3 Choose Edit > Identify Sync Point. A small
same track or on multiple tracks) can be slid down arrow appears at the bottom of the region,
with the Grabber tool to new locations or to indicating the location of the sync point.
other tracks. This feature is useful in music and
post production applications where the timing
of audio events such as sound effects and dialog
need to be spotted to music, film, or video.

Sliding regions is affected by whether the cur-

rent Edit mode is set to Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or
Grid. See “Edit Modes” on page 179 for details.
Sync point defined
You can slide a copy of a region to another
To remove a sync point, select the entire region
location or track by pressing Option (Macin-
and choose Edit > Remove Sync Point.
tosh) or Alt (Windows) while dragging.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 217

 Shuffling Regions 5 Experiment more with Shuffle mode by drag-
ging additional regions to the track and rear-
In Shuffle mode, you can move regions freely ranging them.
within a track or onto another track, but their
movement is constrained by other regions. That Locked regions (see “Locking Regions” on
is, if you place several regions in a track, their page 225), and all regions occurring after the
start and end points automatically snap to each locked region, are not displaced when other
other. You can then “shuffle” their order, but neighboring regions are moved in Shuffle mode.
you cannot separate them from each other and If there is not enough room to place or duplicate
you cannot make them overlap as in Slip mode. a region in front of a locked region, the insertion
In Shuffle mode, adding another region to the area is disabled.
beginning of a track moves all subsequent re-
If you place a region while in Slip mode and
gions to the right by the length of the region
switch to Shuffle mode, Pro Tools preserves the
added.
relative timing and position of the slipped re-
gion, and any blank space between it and other
To shuffle regions:
regions.
1 Set the Edit mode to Shuffle by clicking its
button in the upper left of the Edit window.
Shuffling Multiple Tracks and Multi-
2 Drag a region from the Regions List to an Channel Regions
empty track. The region snaps to the beginning
Selections across multiple tracks or on multi-
of the track.
channel tracks can be shuffled. Unlike shuffling
3 Drag a second region from the Regions List to regions on a single, mono track, any partially se-
the same track, somewhere in the middle. The lected regions will be cut and moved along with
start point for the second region snaps to the the dragged region. This lets you retain only the
end of the first region. material that corresponds to the dragged region,
similar to a tape splice and multitrack.
4 With the Grabber, drag the second region to
the beginning of the track.

Shuffling this region this cuts

this channel

Regions placed in Shuffle mode

Pro Tools “shuffles” the position of the two re-

gions. The second region now occurs first, yet
the two still cling together.

Shuffling multi-channel regions

218 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sliding Regions in Slip Mode
For even quicker spotting, if you are using
In Slip mode, regions can be moved with the VITC, use the Auto-Spot Regions command
Grabber freely within a track, or onto other to spot a region to the current SMPTE frame
tracks. In this mode it is possible to place a re- location with the Grabber. For more infor-
gion so that there is space between it and other mation, see “Auto-Spotting Regions” on
regions in a track. When the track is played page 487.
back, this space is silent. It is also possible to
move a region so that it overlaps or completely To spot a region:
covers another region. 1 Set the Edit mode to Spot by clicking its but-
ton in the upper left of the Edit window.
To slip regions:
2 Drag a region from the Regions List to an ex-
1 Set the Edit mode to Slip by clicking its button isting track.
in the upper left of the Edit window.
– or –
2 Drag a region from the Regions List to an
empty track. Click a region already in a track with the Grab-
ber.
3 Drag a second region from the Regions List to
the same track, somewhere in the middle. The 3 In the Spot dialog, select the desired time for-
second region is placed wherever you release it. mat from the Time Scale pop-up menu.
It doesn’t snap to the first region as in Shuffle
mode.

4 Drag the regions to different locations within

the track to get a feel for moving them in Slip
mode. Try placing the second region so that it
slightly overlaps the first region. Play back the
results.

Spotting Regions
Spot mode is useful for sessions in which you
want to spot regions to precise locations based
on any of the Time Scales. This can be particu-
larly useful when performing post-production Spot dialog
tasks. In Spot mode you can spot a region by Each of the fields in the Spot dialog are dis-
specifying a SMPTE frame (TDM systems only) played in the chosen Time Scale.
or bar and beat location, by capturing an incom-
ing time code address, or by using the region’s 4 For TDM systems, if the Time Scale is set to

time stamps. Time Code, select the Use Subframes option to

display subframes in the fields for great accu-
racy.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 219

 5 Click in the field for Start, Sync Point, or End Unlike the Original Time Stamp, the User Time
and type in a new location. Stamp can be redefined with the Time Stamp Se-
– or – lected command in the Regions List pop-up
menu. For more information, see “Time Stamp-
6 Click one of the up arrows next to Original ing” on page 488.
Time Stamp or User Time Stamp to enter the as-
sociated values into the currently selected field. Regions with identical User Time Stamps appear
together in the Takes List pop-up when audi-
– or –
tioning takes. For more information, see “Audi-
7 If you are using an external SMPTE time code tioning from the Takes List Pop-up Menu” on
source, click the down arrow next to the Current page 134.
Time Code display (or press Equal (=) on the nu-
meric keypad) to capture an incoming time code
Sliding Regions in Grid Mode
address.
In Grid mode, the movement and placement of
8 Click OK. The region is moved to the new lo-
regions is constrained to the current Grid value.
cation specified for its start or sync point.
Grid boundaries, depending on the Main Time
If a region does not have a sync point defined, Scale, can be based on frames, bar and beat val-
the Sync Point field in the Spot dialog functions ues, minutes or seconds, or a number of sam-
the same as the Start field. ples.

To learn more about using SMPTE with This mode is especially useful for lining up re-
Pro Tools, refer to Chapter 35, “Time Code Syn- gions at precise intervals, as when working with
chronization.” a session that is bar/beat based. For example, if
the Grid value is set to quarter-notes (0|1|000),
Region Time Stamps dragging a region to a new location causes it to
snap to the nearest quarter-note boundary.
When a region is created, it is time stamped rel-
ative to the SMPTE start time specified for the When the Display Preference for “Draw Grid in
session. This Original Time Stamp is perma- Edit Window” is enabled, vertical Grid lines ap-
nently stored with the region and cannot be pear in the Edit window.
changed. If a region is ever moved, it can easily
Grid lines in the Edit window can also be en-
be placed at its original position from the Spot
abled and disabled by Control-clicking (Macin-
dialog.
tosh) or Right-clicking (Windows) the Indicator
When the Original Time Stamp for a region is Dot for any Timebase Ruler.
initially set, this same location is also used to de-
fine the region’s User Time Stamp.

220 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Defining the Grid Value To place or move a region while in Grid mode:

In addition to affecting the placement of re- 1 Configure the Grid value as desired. For de-

gions, the Grid value also constrains Edit and tails, see “Defining the Grid Value” on page 221.
Timeline selections, and determines how the 2 Drag a region from the Regions List to an ex-
Quantize Regions command works. isting track.
– or –
To set the Grid value:
1 From the Display menu, select the Time Scale With the Grabber, drag a region already in a
you will use for the Grid value. track to a new location.

– or – The region’s start point snaps to the closest Grid

boundary. If the region has a sync point de-
To keep the Main Time Scale and use a different
fined, the sync point snaps to the Grid bound-
time format for the Grid, deselect Follow Main
ary.
Timebase in the Grid Value pop-up in the upper
right of the Edit window.

2 From the Grid Value pop-up in the upper right

of the Edit window, select the time value that
Nudging
will define the Grid boundaries. Pro Tools can nudge regions (or MIDI notes) by
precise increments with the Plus and Minus keys
on the numeric keypad. The amount of the
nudge is determined by the value specified in
the Nudge pop-up menu. The Nudge function
can be used in any of the Edit modes.

Nudging can be invaluable for adjusting the

“groove” of a musical phrase or a sound effect
relative to other elements in the session. Since
Pro Tools can nudge material during playback,
you can nudge continuously in real time to ad-
just the timing relationship between tracks.

Nudge can also be used to adjust the placement

Grid Value pop-up showing Bars:Beats
of automation breakpoints. For more informa-
– or – tion, see “Editing Automation” on page 385.

To define a Grid based on the session’s Markers,

selections, and region boundaries, select Re-
gions/Markers from the Grid Value pop-up.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 221

 Defining the Nudge Value Nudging Regions
The Nudge value determines how far regions
To nudge one or more region:
and selections are moved when nudging.
1 Configure the Nudge value as desired. For de-
Start and end points for selections can also be tails, see “Defining the Nudge Value” on
moved by the Nudge value (see “Nudging Selec- page 222.
tion Start/End Points” on page 199). In addi-
2 With the Grabber or Selector, select the region
tion, regions can be trimmed by the Nudge
or regions you want to nudge. The regions can
value (see “Trimming with Nudge” on
reside on multiple tracks. Only regions that are
page 217).
entirely selected will be nudged.

To set the Nudge value: 3 On the numeric keypad, press Plus (+) to move

1 From the Display menu, select the Time Scale the selection forward by the Nudge value.
you will use for the Nudge value. – or –
– or –
Press Minus (–) to move the selection back by
To keep the Main Time Scale and use a different the Nudge Value.
time format for the Nudge value, deselect Fol-
The Nudge command works the same regardless
low Main Timebase in the Nudge pop-up in the
of the Edit mode. Adjacent regions are over-
upper right of the Edit window.
lapped in Shuffle mode, the Spot dialog does not
2 From the Nudge pop-up menu in the upper appear when in Spot mode, and shifted material
right of the Edit window, select the Nudge value. does not snap to the Grid when in Grid mode.

Nudging Regions on Multiple Tracks and

in Multi-Channel Tracks
When nudging a selection of multiple regions,
within a single track or across multiple tracks,
that also contains silence, any automation data
residing within the silence is also nudged.
Nudge pop-up showing Time Code

To specify a Nudge value not listed in the Nudge

pop-up, click in the Nudge field and type in the
value.

222 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Nudging by Next Nudge Value (TDM Nudging a Region’s Contents
Systems Only)
Often a region’s start point will reside at the cor-
In addition to nudging by the current Nudge rect location, perhaps at a SMPTE frame or bar,
Value, you can also nudge by the next, larger but the material within the region starts too late
value in the Nudge pop-up. or early. You can, in effect, nudge a region’s au-
dio waveform or MIDI notes without displacing
For example, if the Nudge Value is set to 1 frame
the region’s start and end points.
and you want to nudge by a larger valuer, you
can nudge by the next, larger Nudge Value of 10 before
frames.

To nudge forward or back by the next, larger Nudge

Value:
region contents are slid, moving waveform mate-
1 Enable the Key Commands Focus by clicking rial into and out of the current region boundaries

the a-z button in the upper left of the Edit win-

dow.

2 With the Selector or Grabber, select the re-

gions or notes you want to nudge.
after
3 Press slash (/) to nudge the selected material Nudging region content
forward by the next Nudge Value. Press M to
nudge the selection back. This “sliding” of region contents is only possible
if there is material residing outside the region’s
You can nudge by the next Nudge Value start and end points—from the region having
without enabling the Commands Focus. been trimmed, or perhaps captured from a larger
While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the region.
Start key (Windows), press slash (/) or M.
To nudge the contents of a region without
changing the region start/end points:
1 Configure the Nudge value as desired. For de-
tails, see “Defining the Nudge Value” on
page 222.

2 With the Grabber, select the region whose

contents you want to nudge.

3 While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the

Start key (Windows), press Plus or Minus on the
numeric keypad to move the material by the
Nudge value.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 223

 If a portion of a region was selected, new regions
Shift Command are created from the selection and from any ma-
terial outside of the selection.
Use the Shift command to move track material
forward or back in time by a specified amount. The Shift command works the same regardless
The Shift command can operate on selections, of the Edit mode. Adjacent regions are over-
regions, MIDI notes, MIDI controller data, and lapped in Shuffle mode, the Spot dialog does not
automation breakpoints. appear when in Spot mode, and shifted material
does not snap to the Grid when in Grid mode.
To shift a selection or region:
1 Using either the Selector or Grabber, select the
track material you want to shift. The selected Quantizing Regions
material can reside on multiple tracks.
The Quantize Regions command adjusts the
2 Choose Edit > Shift. In the Shift dialog, select
placement of selected audio and MIDI regions
whether the data will be moved Earlier or Later.
so that their start points (or sync points, if they
3 Click in one of the Timebase fields to specify contain one) precisely align to the nearest Grid
the amount the material will be shifted. Enter- boundary, which can be based on frames, bar
ing a value in one Timebase field automatically and beat values, minutes or seconds, or a num-
updates the others. ber of samples.

To quantize one or more regions:

1 Configure the Grid value as desired. For de-
tails, see “Defining the Grid Value” on page 221.

2 With the Grabber or Selector, select the region

or regions you wan to quantize. The regions can
on multiple tracks. Only regions that are en-
tirely selected will be quantized.

3 Choose Edit > Quantize Regions. Region start

times (or sync points) are aligned to the bound-
Shift dialog aries for the defined Grid.
4 If desired, select the Use Subframes option for
For MIDI regions, all data contained within the
greater accuracy.
regions (such as notes) are moved equally,
5 Click OK. The material is shifted back or for- thereby retaining their rhythmic relationships.
ward by the specified amount. To quantize individual MIDI notes, use the
Quantize command in the MIDI menu (see
“Quantize” on page 311).

224 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Locking Regions Muting/Unmuting Regions
If you have a region or group of regions that you Choosing the Mute/Unmute Region command
want to permanently associate with a particular mutes playback of a selected region. Choosing
location in a track (a beat, SMPTE frame, or sam- the command a second time unmutes the re-
ple location), you can lock it in place so it will gion. Regions that are muted become dimmed
not be accidentally moved. to indicate their status.

To lock a region:
1 With the Grabber, select the region or regions
to lock. The regions can even reside on multiple
tracks.
Muted audio region (middle)
2 Choose Edit > Lock Region/Unlock Region.
To mute a region or regions:
1 With the Grabber, select the region or regions
you want to mute. The regions can even reside
on multiple tracks.
Locked audio region
2 Choose Edit > Mute/Unmute Region. The se-
A small lock appears in the region, indicating it lected regions become dimmed, indicating they
has been locked and cannot be moved. If you at- are muted.
tempt to perform edits that would move a
locked region, Pro Tools alerts you. To unmute a region, select it and choose Edit >
Mute/Unmute Region.
In Shuffle mode, locked regions, and all regions
occurring after the locked region, are not dis-
placed when other neighboring regions are
moved. If there is not enough room to place or
Edit Commands
duplicate a region in front of a locked region, Cut, Copy, Clear, and Paste
the insertion area is disabled.
Use the Cut, Copy and Paste commands to rear-
Locking a region prevents it from being range and edit track material. Edits can operate
moved only—operations such as recording on entire regions selected with the Grabber, or
and automation editing still affect it. on track ranges selected with the Selector. Edits
can also work across multiple tracks (see “Edit-
ing across Multiple Tracks” on page 228).

For TDM systems, you can cut, copy, and

paste discontiguous regions selected with
the Object Grabber.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 225

 When cutting or copying track material, the If tracks are grouped, copying and pasting on
track’s Display Format determines the type of any of the tracks affects each of the other tracks
data placed on the Clipboard. When displaying in the group. Tracks that are hidden—even if
waveforms for audio tracks, or notes or regions they are part of a group being edited—are not af-
for MIDI tracks, selections include all underly- fected by edits.
ing automation and controller data. Thus, cut-
ting an audio region also cuts any volume, pan, The current Edit mode affects how material is se-
mute, send, or plug-in automation that is also lected, copied, and pasted:
on the track. This saves you from having to in- • In Slip mode, the Cut command leaves an
dividually cut from each automation playlist on empty space corresponding to the data re-
the track. moved from the track.
• In Shuffle mode, the Cut command leaves no
empty space, since the regions to the right of
the cut slide over, closing the gap.
• In Slip mode, pasted data can overlap an adja-
cent region.
Audio waveform data
• In Shuffle mode, pasted data causes all regions
to slide over to make room for the pasted ma-
terial.

New regions are often auto-created when per-

forming edits. For instance, when clearing a se-
Automation data (breakpoint-type data) lection from a region, new regions are auto-cre-
However, when selecting groups of MIDI notes ated from the material residing outside of the
with the Grabber (by drawing a rectangle selection.
around them), only the note data is placed on
the Clipboard. When selecting a time range of Clear Command
MIDI notes with the Selector, all controller data
Use the Clear command to remove a selection
in the track is selected (similar to selecting with
from a track without placing it on the Clip-
the Selector for audio tracks in Waveform view).
board.
When a track is displaying automation data or
controller data, only that data is placed on the To clear a selection or region:
Clipboard. Also, whenever you cut or copy auto- 1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
mation data, bounding breakpoints are created strain the selection to the current Grid value.
at each end of the selected area, in order to pre-
2 Set the Display Format for the tracks you want
serve the slope of the automation both inside
and outside the selection. to edit.

226 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or 3 Drag with the Selector in the track to select
notes or regions for MIDI tracks, selections in- the material you want to cut or copy.
clude underlying automation and controller – or –
data. If the track is displaying automation data,
only the automation data is affected by the ed- Use the Grabber to select one or more regions
its. (or a group of MIDI notes).

3 Drag with the Selector in the track to select 4 Choose Edit > Cut to remove the selection and
the material you want to clear. place it on the Clipboard.
– or – – or –

Use the Grabber to select one or more regions Choose Edit > Copy to place the selection on the
(or a group of MIDI notes). Clipboard, without removing it.

4 Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selection. If a portion of a region was cut or copied, the
material on the Clipboard appears as a new re-
If a portion of a region was cleared, new regions
gion in the Regions List. If a portion of a region
are auto-created from the material residing out-
was cut, new regions are auto-created from the
side of the selection. If working in Shuffle mode,
material residing outside of the selection.
adjacent regions are slid over, as necessary, to
fill the blank space. When working in Shuffle mode, adjacent re-
gions are slid over, as necessary, to fill blank
Cut and Copy Commands spaces.

Use the Copy command to place a selection on

Deleting Underlying Region Data
the Clipboard so it can be pasted to another
track, or to the same track at a different location. In Slip mode, Regions can be placed so that they
overlap or completely cover other regions.
Use the Cut command to place the selection on When removing a region or selection, you can
the Clipboard while also removing it from the also remove the underlying region data.
track.
To delete a region or selection along with the
To cut or copy a selection or region: underlying region data:
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con- ■ Choose Edit > Cut.
strain the selection to the current Grid value.

2 Set the Display Format for the tracks you want

To delete a region or selection without removing
the underlying region data:
to edit.
■ Choose Edit > Clear.
When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or
notes or regions for MIDI tracks, selections in-
clude underlying automation and controller
data. If the track is displaying automation data,
only the automation data is affected by the ed-
its.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 227

 Paste Command
For TDM systems, the Fill Paste command
Use the Paste command to place the Clipboard’s can be used to fill a selection with the con-
contents at the Edit insertion point, overwriting tents of the Clipboard. For details, see “Re-
existing material already there. peat Paste To Fill Selection” on page 237.

To paste a selection or region: Copying and Pasting Automation

1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con- The following are two special functions for
strain the insertion point or selection to the cur- copying and pasting automation data.
rent Grid value. ◆ To copy all automation playlists for a track,

2 With the Selector, click in a track at the point press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key (Win-
where you want to paste the material. Press Tab dows) when copying from any of the track’s au-
to move the insertion point forward to region tomation playlists. This special function also
start and end times—to move back, press Op- works across multiple tracks.
tion+Tab (Macintosh) or Control+Tab (Win- ◆ To paste from one type of automation playlist
dows). to another similar playlist (for instance, from a
– or – volume playlist to a send level playlist), press
Control (Macintosh) or the Start key (Windows)
Use the Selector or Grabber to make a selection when pasting.
where the material will be placed.
For more information on working with automa-
3 Choose Copy > Paste. tion data, see Chapter 28, “Automation.”
If pasting at an insertion point in Shuffle mode,
material to the right of the paste point is shifted Editing across Multiple Tracks
to the right. In Slip mode, the material is over-
written with the paste. When working with data from multiple tracks,
there are some important points to remember.
If pasting into a selection in Shuffle mode, the
selection is replaced by the Clipboard’s contents
with the adjacent material slid left or right as
necessary. In Slip mode, the selection is also re-
placed but with the surrounding material re-
maining unchanged.

When working with MIDI, you can merge

the contents of the Clipboard with material
in the destination track. For details, see
“Merge Paste Command” on page 231.

Tracks displayed in different data formats

228 Pro Tools Reference Guide

For instance, if any of the selected tracks are set
to display audio or MIDI regions (or MIDI Duplicate Command
notes), edits affect not only MIDI and audio for
The Duplicate command copies a selection and
the selected tracks, but all automation and con-
places it immediately after the end of the selec-
troller data as well.
tion. Though this is similar to using Copy and
If all selected tracks are displayed as automation Paste, Duplicate is more convenient and faster,
data, edits only affect the type of automation particularly when working with data on multi-
data displayed in each track. Thus, if track 1 dis- ple tracks.
plays Pan automation, track 2 displays Volume
To make more than one copy of a selection, use
automation, and track 3 displays Mute automa-
the Repeat command (see “Repeat Command”
tion, the Cut command cuts only pan data from
on page 230).
track 1, volume data from track 2, and mute
data from track 3. As with the Copy and Paste commands, certain
rules apply when duplicating material on multi-
For details on selecting data on multiple ple tracks. For details, see “Editing across Multi-
tracks, see “Selecting Across Multiple ple Tracks” on page 228.
Tracks” on page 201.
The Duplicate command does not operate
When copying only automation or controller
on conductor events.
data for selected tracks, press Control (Macin-
tosh) or the Start key (Windows) to copy all To duplicate a selection or region:
types of automation on all selected tracks.
1 If working with material that is bar- and beat-
To paste to multiple tracks, place the insertion based, such as loops, set the Main Time Scale to
point in each of the destination tracks by Shift- Bars:Beats.
clicking in them—or to select all tracks, Option- 2 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
Shift-click (Macintosh) or Alt-Shift-click (Win- strain the selection to the current Grid value.
dows) in a track, or make a selection in one of
the Timebase Rulers. 3 Drag with the Selector in the track to select
the material you want to duplicate.
When you paste multiple types of data, what-
– or –
ever data has been copied is pasted into the cor-
rect type of playlist. Automation data is pasted Click in the track and enter the start and end
into the appropriate automation playlist (pan, points for the selection in the Event Edit area.
volume, mute and so on). Audio/MIDI data is
4 Choose Edit > Duplicate. The material is
pasted into the audio/MIDI playlist. You don’t
need to set target tracks to the specific type of placed immediately after the selection’s end
data being pasted for the paste to work correctly. point.

If all destination tracks in a multitrack paste are

displayed as automation, the paste replaces any
previous data on the target track without shuf-
fling—regardless of whether you are in Slip or
Shuffle mode.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 229

 In Shuffle mode, the duplicated data is placed To repeat a selection or region:
directly after the end of the selection. Regions
1 If working with material that is bar- and beat-
occurring after it are slid to accommodate the
based, such as loops, set the Main Time Scale to
duplicated material. In Slip mode, the dupli-
Bars:Beats.
cated material overlaps any adjacent data.
2 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
When using Duplicate or Repeat with MIDI strain the selection to the current Grid value.
notes that were selected with the Grabber, mate-
rial is always duplicated one measure later, and 3 Drag with the Selector in the track to select

is merged with existing track material (instead the material you want to repeat.
of replacing). – or –

Click in the track and enter the start and end

Duplicating Audio
points for the selection in the Event Edit area.
When using Duplicate or Repeat for audio that
4 Choose Edit > Repeat. In the Repeat dialog,
must fall cleanly on the beat (for loops), it is im-
enter the number of times you want the mate-
portant that you select the audio material with
rial to repeat, then click OK.
the Selector, or by typing in the start and end
points in the Event Edit area. If you select an au-
dio region with the Grabber (or by double-click-
ing it with the Selector), the material may drift
by several ticks because of sample-rounding.

If, on the other hand, you want to Duplicate or

Repeat audio that is not bar- and beat-based, set Repeat dialog
the Time Scale to any format except Bars:Beats.
The material is placed immediately after the se-
This ensures that the duplicated audio material
lection’s end point, and duplicated by the num-
will have the correct number of samples and will
ber of times specified.
be placed accordingly.
In Shuffle mode, the repeated data is placed di-
rectly after the end of the selection. Regions oc-
Repeat Command curring after it are slid to accommodate the re-
peated material. In Slip mode, the repeated
The Repeat command is similar to Duplicate, material overlaps any adjacent data.
but allows you to 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. For details, see “Editing across Multiple
Tracks” on page 228.

The Repeat command does not operate on

conductor events.

230 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Merge Paste Command Editing Stereo and Multi-
(MIDI Only) Channel Tracks
Use the Merge Paste command to merge MIDI Regions on individual channels within stereo
notes from the Clipboard with material already and multi-channel tracks cannot be indepen-
residing in the paste destination. To replace dently selected. All selections for these tracks are
track material, use the Paste command instead. time based, which means that selections made
with the Selector and Grabber extend to each
channel in the track.
To merge MIDI data:
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con- When regions in multi-channel tracks are edited
strain the selection to the current Grid value. with the Trimmer or dragged with the Grabber,
material on all channels is affected equally as a
2 Drag with the Selector in the track to select
group.
the MIDI notes you want to merge.
– or – Split Selected Tracks
Use the Grabber to select one or more MIDI re- To edit a specific channel within a stereo or
gions (or a group of MIDI notes). multi-channel track without affecting the other
3 Choose Edit > Cut to remove the selection and
channels, you can split the track into separate
place it on the Clipboard. mono tracks. Once the desired edits have been
made to the separated material, you can then
– or – drag or copy it back to the original multi-chan-
Choose Edit > Copy to place the selection on the nel track.
Clipboard without removing it.
To split a stereo or multi-channel track:
4 With the Selector, click in a MIDI track at the
1 Select the track you want to split by clicking
point where you want to merge the material.
its name in the Edit or Mix window. To split
5 Choose Edit > Merge Paste. The Clipboard’s multiple tracks, Shift-click additional tracks.
contents are pasted at the insertion point, with-
2 Choose File > Split Selected Tracks Into Mono.
out removing the existing material already re-
Regions from the channels on the selected
siding there.
tracks are placed on new, mono audio tracks.
If any portion of the material is pasted outside
Names for the new tracks are based on the
of existing regions, a new region is created for
source track name and channel suffix. For exam-
the data.
ple, if a stereo track called “Funkit” is split, two
new tracks called “Funkit.L” and “Funkit.R” are
created.

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 231

 Output and send assignments and volume and Multi-channel regions can also be dragged from
pan settings are retained in the new tracks. the Audio Regions List, to multi-channel tracks
Mono equivalents of stereo and multi-mono of the same format, groups of mono audio
plug-in assignments are assigned in the new tracks, or a combination of both.
tracks; multi-channel plug-in assignments are
not assigned in the new tracks. Conversely, a collection of single, mono regions
can be dragged from the Audio Regions List to
multi-channel tracks—provided the dragged
Dragging Regions to and from Stereo
number of regions matches the number of chan-
and Multi-Channel Tracks
nels in the destination track.

Processing Audio with

AudioSuite Plug-Ins
The AudioSuite plug-ins included with your
Pro Tools system can be used to process and
modify an audio region or entire audio file. You
may do this in order to apply a specific Audio-
Dragging a stereo region to two mono audio tracks Suite process, such as Normalization or DC Off-
When dragging regions to or from stereo or set Removal, that you know you will always
multi-channel tracks, the following rules apply: want applied to the audio.

◆ Provided the number of tracks and channels Refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide for
are the same for the source and destination, you more information about AudioSuite plug-
can drag regions between multi-channel tracks ins.
and mono tracks.
◆ The source and destination for dragged re-
gions can be mixed. For example, you can drag Waveform Repair with the
regions from a 5.0 track (containing five chan- Pencil Tool
nels) to a stereo track and three mono audio
tracks. The Pencil tool allows you to destructively “re-
draw” waveform data. This tool is most com-
◆ When dragging multi-channel regions to
monly used to repair a pop or click in an audio
mono tracks, the destination tracks must be ad-
file. A pop or click appears as a sudden sharp
jacent.
spike in a waveform. This tool only becomes ac-
◆ When dragging regions from mono tracks to a tive when the Edit window is zoomed in to the
multi-channel track, the source tracks need not sample level.
by adjacent.
The Pencil tool is a destructive editing tool
that permanently modifies the audio file on
disk and should be used with caution.

232 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Before using the Pencil tool, it is recommended 4 Carefully draw with the Pencil by dragging
that you create a backup copy of the target au- over the desired area of the waveform.
dio. You can do this by using the AudioSuite Du-
plicate plug-in. Don’t over-edit or the results may be undesir-
able. You can use the Undo command to undo
your previous edit.
To make a backup copy of an audio region:
1 Select the source region in the track’s playlist.

2 Choose AudioSuite > Duplicate.

3 In the AudioSuite dialog, make sure that

“Playlist” is the processing preference, and that Repairing a “pop” with the Pencil tool
Use In Playlist is selected.
Try to limit editing to smoothing over a very
4 Click the Process button. small problem area, and keep the “fixes” in
character with the shape of the surrounding
The AudioSuite Duplicate plug-in creates a new
wave.
audio file that is a duplicate of the original. The
duplicate replaces the original on the track, and
it is automatically named with the region name
and the suffix “DUPL.”

To destructively edit an audio waveform with the

Pencil tool:
1 Locate the area you want to edit. Adjust the
Track Height, as necessary, to edit the waveform
with greater precision.

2 Using the Zoomer tool or the Vertical Zoom

buttons, zoom down to the sample level so the
waveform appears as a continuous thin line.

You can recall zoom levels with the Zoom

Preset buttons (see “Zoom Preset Buttons”
on page 182), or with Memory Locations
(see “Memory Locations and Markers” on
page 270).

3 Select the Pencil tool.

Pencil tool

Chapter 17: Working with Regions and Selections 233

234 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 18: Advanced Editing

Replacing Regions
(TDM Systems Only)

You can use the Replace Region function to re-

place multiple instances of a region in a playlist
with another region that you Command-drag
(Macintosh) or Control-drag (Windows) from
the Regions List.

This is useful in post-production if you use a

sound effect, room noise, or atmosphere region
many times in a session, and later decide to re-
place one or all of the original regions with a dif-
ferent region.

This is also useful in music production if you

want to replace a certain loop or sample (for ex-
ample, a drum beat) with a new one. You can
use this compositionally, if you know the tempo Replace Region dialog
of a section or session, to create a scratch piece
The following options are available in the Re-
with “rough” regions of the correct length, and
place Region dialog:
later replace them with “final” regions of the
same length. Replace Original Region Replaces only the se-
lected region with the replacement region
dragged from the Regions List.

Replace All Regions That Match Original Re-

places all regions that fit the Match criteria and
the Find Match On criteria with the replace-
ment region from the Regions List.

Chapter 18: Advanced Editing 235

 Match: Start Position Replaces all regions that Fit to: Replacement Region Length The replace-
have the same original start time as the selected ment region is placed in its entirety, regardless
region. This includes regions that may have of the length of the original region or selection.
been auto-created when trimming end points.
The Replace Region function only works on a se-
Match: End Position Replaces all regions that lection that includes a single region on one
have the same original end time as the selected track. The function is not available when the
region. This includes regions that may have playlist selection includes the start points for
been auto-created when trimming start points. two or more regions. Also, if the selection is
across several tracks, only the selection in the
Match: Region Name Replaces all regions that first (top) track is used.
have the same name as the selected region.

Region matching uses all specified Match crite- To replace regions:

ria. For example, if you select Start Position and 1 Select a region in a track’s playlist that you
End Position, all regions from the same original want to replace. If desired, the selection can ex-
audio file as your selection with the same origi- tend beyond the region’s end point, to include
nal start and end times will be replaced. material from the replacement region that is
longer than the original region.
Find Match On: Target Track Replaces regions
that fit the Match criteria and are on the same 2 Command-drag (Macintosh) or Control-drag
track as the original region. (Windows) the replacement region from the Re-
gions List to the selected region. The Replace Re-
Find Match On: All Tracks Replaces regions that gion dialog opens.
fit the Match criteria for all tracks in the session.
3 If you only want to replace only the original
Fit to: Original Region Length If the replacement region, select Replace Original Region.
region is smaller than the original region, the re-
– or –
gion is placed in the playlist and any remaining
audio from the original region is removed. If you want to replace multiple regions, select
Replace All Regions That Match Original, and
If the replacement region is larger than the se-
set the Match criteria.
lection, it is placed in the playlist and trimmed
to fit within the length of the original region. 4 Select whether to apply the replacement to all
tracks, or only to the track with the current se-
Fit to: Original Selection Length When the playl- lection.
ist selection extends beyond the original region,
the replacement region (if larger than the origi- 5 Select whether to fit the replacement regions
nal region) is trimmed to fit within the selec- to the current selection, the entire region, or the
tion. entire replacement region regardless of the des-
tination length.

6 When you have set all the options, click OK.

236 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Replace Region and Multi-Channel To fill a selection with Fill Paste:
Tracks 1 Select the audio or MIDI region you want to

The Replace Region command supports drag- copy and choose Edit > Copy.
ging multi-channel regions from the Audio Re- 2 Select the area you want to fill using the Selec-
gions List to multi-channel tracks, provided tor and choose Edit > Repeat Paste To Fill Selec-
they are the same format. tion.

For example, you can replace a stereo region, se- 3 If pasting audio regions, the Batch Fades dia-
lected in a stereo audio track, with another ste- log opens. Configure the dialog as desired to in-
reo region from the Audio Regions List. But you sert crossfades between each pasted region, then
cannot replace it with two mono audio regions. click OK.

In addition, replacing regions in multiple mono – or –

tracks with multi-channel regions is not sup-
If you do not want crossfades for the pasted au-
ported.
dio, click Cancel in the Batch Fades dialog.

Repeat Paste To Fill Selection Compress/Expand Edit To

(TDM Systems Only) Play
The Repeat Paste To Fill Selection command al- (TDM Systems Only)
lows you to automatically fill a selection with
When the Edit and Timeline selections are un-
audio or MIDI data without requiring you to du-
linked, you can compress or expand an audio se-
plicate the regions manually. To use Repeat
lection to fit the Timeline selection. This feature
Paste, copy an audio or MIDI region, then make
works by using the Time Compression/Expan-
a selection and use the command to fill the se-
sion plug-in to expand or compress the selected
lection. When pasting audio regions, you are
audio material.
prompted to specify a crossfade to be used for
the pasted regions.
To fit an Edit selection to the Timeline:
If you fill an area that is an exact multiple of the 1 Deselect Operations > Link Edit and Timeline
copied region size (for example, filling 16 bars Selection.
with a 4-bar loop), the copied selection is pasted
in exactly as many times as it takes to fill the se- 2 With the Selector, select the audio material to
lection. If you fill an area that is not an exact be compressed or expanded.
multiple of the copied region size (for example, 3 In any Timebase Ruler, select the time range
filling 15 seconds of a track with a 2 second at- where you want to fit the audio material.
mosphere or room noise region), the remaining
selection area is filled with an automatically 4 Choose Edit > Compress/Expand Edit To Play.
trimmed version of the original selection. The Edit selection is compressed or expanded to
the length of the Timeline selection.

Chapter 18: Advanced Editing 237

 Compress/Expand Edit to Play on
Multiple Tracks and Channels The Time Trimmer
(TDM Systems Only)
The Compress/Expand Edit Play command can
be used on multi-channel selections, and selec- The Time Trimmer is a convenient tool for
tions across multiple tracks, matching an audio region to the length of an-
other region, a tempo grid, a video scene, or to
However, all regions are compressed or ex-
practically any other reference point you want.
panded equally by the same percentage value,
based on Edit selection range. This ensures that
the rhythmic relationship between the different
channels or tracks is retained.

Fitting an Audio Region to an Edit Time Trimmer over a region

Selection The Time Trimmer works by using the Time
Regions can be dragged from the Audio Regions Compression/Expansion AudioSuite plug-in to
List to fit within an Edit selection. The dragged create a new audio file. You use the Time Trim-
region is compressed or expanded to fit within mer by dragging the region’s start or end point
the selection. This feature uses the Time Com- to expand or compress the region.
pression/Expansion plug-in to expand or com-
press the audio region. Time Compression/Expansion Plug-In
Preferences
To fit an audio region to an Edit selection:
You can select settings for the Time Compres-
1 With the Selector, select the desired time sion/Expansion AudioSuite plug-in by choosing
range in an audio track. from the pop-up list in the Processing Prefer-
2 Command-Option-drag (Macintosh) or Con- ences, under “Default TC/E Settings.” The set-
trol-Alt-drag (Windows) the region from the Au- tings available are presets included with
dio Regions List to the track with the selection. Pro Tools; in addition, if you save your own pre-
The start of the region is positioned at the selec- sets for the Time Compression/Expansion plug-
tion start, and the region is compressed or ex- in, they will also appear here.
panded to match the length of the selection.
Refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide for
more information about AudioSuite plug-
Fit to Selection on Multiple Tracks and ins.
Channels
The Fit to Selection command supports drag-
ging multiple regions from the Audio Regions
List to multiple tracks, or multi-channel tracks.

However, all dragged regions are compressed or

expanded equally by the same percentage value,
based on length of the region last clicked before
dragging.

238 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the Time Trimmer in Grid Mode Using the Time Trimmer in Spot Mode
The Time Trimmer can be used in Grid Mode to In Spot Mode, clicking with the Time trimmer in
match a region to the tempo of a session or a a region opens the Spot Dialog. You can specify
section of a session. For example, you might im- the location you want the region to start or end
port a one-bar drum loop with a tempo of 90 at, or the duration of the region, and the region
BPM into a session with a tempo of 120 BPM. In is automatically compressed or expanded as
Grid Mode, you can use the Time Trimmer to specified.
simply and quickly “compress” the drum loop
to the length of one measure, with minimal loss To use the Time Trimmer in Spot Mode:
of audio fidelity.
1 Set the Edit mode to Spot.

To use the Time Trimmer in Grid Mode: 2 Select “TCE Trimmer” from the Trimmer pop-
up menu.
1 Set the Edit mode to Grid.
3 Click the region near its start or end point.
2 Select “TCE Trimmer” from the Trimmer pop-
The Spot Dialog opens. Using any Time Scale,
up menu.
enter a new start or end time (or duration) for
the region, then click OK. A new region is auto-
matically processed using the Time Compres-
sion/Expansion AudioSuite plug-in. The new
Trimmer set to TCE
region appears in the playlist and in the Regions
3 With the Time Trimmer, drag the region’s start List.
or end point to compress or expand the region
to the grid (for example, by quarter notes). The
region is automatically processed using the
Time Compression/Expansion AudioSuite plug-
in. The new region appears in the playlist and in
the Regions List.

Using the Time Trimmer in Slip Mode

To use the Time Trimmer in Slip Mode:

1 Set the Edit mode to Slip.

2 Select “TCE Trimmer” from the Trimmer pop-

up menu.

3 With the Time Trimmer, drag the region’s start

or end point to compress or expand the region
freely. A new region is automatically processed
using the Time Compression/Expansion Audio-
Suite plug-in. The new region appears in the
playlist and in the Regions List.

Chapter 18: Advanced Editing 239

240 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades

About Crossfades and Curves

Using Crossfades
To create a crossfade between two regions, use
You can quickly and easily crossfade between the Selector to select across the end point of the
two adjacent audio regions. Crossfading is the first region and the start point of the second.
process of fading two regions of audio to pre- The length of the selection determines the
vent pops, clicks, or sudden changes in sound. length of the crossfade. Though fades may ap-
Crossfades have many applications, from pear to be discrete regions, they cannot actually
smoothing transitions between regions to creat- be separated from the regions in which they
ing special audio effects. The crossfade duration, were created. You can, however, create fade-ins
position, and shape are all user-definable. and fade-outs for individual regions (see “Creat-
ing Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Re-
Crossfades are computed and written to disk.
gions” on page 249).
Crossfades that are written to disk are stored in a
folder named “Fade Files” within the session You can use the Fades dialog to select, view, and
folder. When you play back your track, manipulate the curves used to perform the
Pro Tools reads and plays back the crossfade file crossfade. Different volume curves can be as-
from disk. signed to the fade-out and fade-in portions of
crossfades. The Fades dialog can also render a
Pro Tools 24 and MIX systems include an
preview of the fade.
Auto Fade feature that provides real-time
fades without processing them to disk. See The following examples illustrate common
“Using AutoFades” on page 250. crossfade types, and explain how the type of se-
lection you make determines the character of
the crossfade.

NOTE: Since crossfades are created by fading be-

tween overlapping audio material, a crossfade can-
not be performed on regions that do not contain au-
dio material beyond their region boundaries.

Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades 241

 Standard Crossfade (“Centered”) Post Crossfade

splice point border of region 1 and 2

fade out fade in
curve curve
region 1 region 2 region 1 region 2

crossfade selection selection range begins just after end of region 1

‘Centered’ crossfade ‘Post’ crossfade

This type of selection creates a crossfade on both This type of selection creates a crossfade after
sides of the splice point, which affects the vol- the splice point. It is useful if you want to main-
ume of region 1 and region 2. It is the most tain the amplitude of region 1 until its very end.
common type of crossfade. When making selections for crossfades that oc-
cur on the border of two regions, you can use
This crossfade type requires that region 1 con-
the Tab key to move the cursor to the exact be-
tain audio material beyond its end point, and
ginning or end of a region.
region 2 contain audio material before its start
point. This crossfade type requires that region 1 con-
tain audio material beyond its end point.
Pre Crossfade
The Fades Dialog
border of region 1 and 2

region 1 region 2 When choosing the Fades command you can

use the Fades dialog to select, view, and preview
the crossfade, and to edit the curves used to per-
form the crossfade.
selection range extends just up to beginning of region 2

‘Pre’ crossfade

This type of selection creates a crossfade before

the splice point. This lets you maintain the vol-
ume of the very beginning of region 2 instead of
fading across it, which is useful if there is a
strong attack at the beginning of region 2 that
you want to preserve. When making selections
for crossfades that occur on the border of two re-
gions, you can use the Tab key to move the cur-
sor to the exact beginning or end of a region.

This crossfade type requires that region 2 con-

tain audio material before its start point.
Fades dialog

The controls in the Fades dialog include:

242 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Audition Fade Curves Only

Click this button to audition your crossfade. Click this button to display the specified fade
Pro Tools plays the audio in one of two ways, curves without showing the actual audio wave-
depending on your system: forms. This is the default view when you open
the Fades dialog.
◆ Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 systems al-
low crossfade auditioning directly from your au- Fade Curves and Separate Waveforms
dio interface outputs.
◆ All other Pro Tools systems use Apple’s Sound
Manager to audition crossfades. Use the Digide- Click this button to display the specified fade
sign Sound Drivers (automatically installed with curves along with separate views of the fade-in
Pro Tools) to audition via your audio interface and fade-out waveforms.
outputs. Use the Macintosh Sound Control
Panel to set the Output choice to Digidesign Fade Curves and Superimposed Waveforms
Sound Drivers. (If you do not use the Sound
Drivers, you will hear crossfades through the
Macintosh’s audio output.) Click this button to display the specified fade
curves along with superimposed views of the
View First Track
fade-in and fade-out waveforms.

Fade Curves and Summed Waveform

If you are fading between more than one track,

this button allows you to view and preview the
audio of the first pair of adjacent tracks. Click this button to display the specified fade
curves along with a single waveform represent-
View Second Track ing the summation of the crossfaded audio.

Zoom In

If you are fading between more than one track

this button allows you to view and preview the
Click this button to scale the view of the wave-
audio of the second pair of adjacent tracks.
form’s amplitude upwards. Command-click
View Both Tracks (Macintosh) or Control-click (Windows) for the
default view scale.

Click this button to display the waveforms of

the first two adjacent tracks in a multitrack fade.

Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades 243

 Zoom Out ◆ Preset Curve 1 keeps region 1 at full volume
throughout the crossfade, then immediately
drops the volume at the end of the crossfade.

Click this button to scale the view of the wave-

form’s amplitude downwards. Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-click (Windows) for the
Preset Curve 1
default view scale.
◆ Preset Curve 2 fades out region 1 relatively
slowly, keeping the volume fairly high through-
Fade Out Shape Parameter
out the duration of the fade.

Preset Curve 2

◆ Preset Curve 3 fades out region 1 slightly

faster, keeping the volume slightly lower during
Fade Out Shape the fade.
The Out Shape parameter allows you to choose
the shape of the fade-out from region 1.

Standard Selects a single continuous fade curve. Preset Curve 3

This creates a general-purpose fade that can be
◆ Preset Curve 4 fades out region 1 with a linear
edited by dragging the curve itself.
fade. This is the default curve.
S-Curve Selects an S-shaped curve, which inverts
its beginning and end characteristics. This
makes it possible to fade in faster at the curve’s
Preset Curve 4
start and slower at its end, for example. S-shaped
curves can be useful with material that is diffi- ◆ Preset Curve 5 fades out region 1 quickly at
cult to crossfade effectively. S-curves can be ed- the beginning of the crossfade.
ited by dragging the curve in the curve editor.

Preset Curves Seven commonly used preset

curves are provided for fast crossfade creation. Preset Curve 5
These can be edited by dragging the end points
◆ Preset Curve 6 drops the volume of region 1
of the curve in the curve editor portion of this
dialog. The seven presets are as follows: even more quickly at the beginning of the cross-
fade.

Preset Curve 6

244 Pro Tools Reference Guide

◆ Preset Curve 7 silences region 1 at the begin- None Disables linking between the fade-out and
ning of the crossfade. fade-in curves, and lets you freely adjust them
separately, including start and end points. This
option also allows you to create custom cross-
fade shapes. To edit only the fade-in portion of
Preset Curve 7 the curve, press Option (Macintosh) or Alt
(Windows) while dragging. To edit only the
Link Parameters fade-out portion of the curve, press Command
(Macintosh) or Control (Windows) while drag-
ging.

Fade Link

The Link parameter links the selected fade-out

and fade-in curves. If you adjust one curve, the
corresponding curve also adjusts. This ensures
that the resulting crossfade is an equal power or Adjusting the end point of a fade curve
equal gain crossfade, depending on which you
select. Use Dither

Equal Power Recommended for material that is

not phase coherent, as in the case of a crossfade
between two completely different types of mate- Dither option for Fade
rial. Use this option to avoid the volume drop The Use Dither option turns on a preset, noise-
that can occur with an Equal Gain crossfade. shaped dither function that improves audio per-
With this fade, you can Option-click (Macin- formance when mixing or fading low-level au-
tosh) or Alt-click (Windows) the fade curve to dio signals. Use this option for fading in or fad-
reset it to its default shape. ing out silence, and crossfading between low
amplitude regions. Dithering is usually not nec-
Equal Gain Recommended for material that is
essary when fading between two regions of high
phase-coherent or nearly phase-coherent, as in
amplitude. You can disable Dither while editing
the case of a crossfade between identical re-
your crossfades in the Fades dialog to speed up
gions/instruments (a repeated drum loop, for
previews and fade recalculation, then re-enable
example). Use this option to avoid clipping that
Dither to create the final crossfade.
can occur when using an Equal Power crossfade.
With this fade, you can Option-click (Macin-
tosh) or Alt-click (Windows) the fade curve to
reset it to its default shape.

Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades 245

 Fade In Shape Parameters ◆ Preset Curve 2 fades in region 2 quickly in the
beginning, reaching full amplitude fairly early
in the crossfade.

Preset Curve 2

◆ Preset Curve 3 fades in region 2 moderately

Fade In Shape
fast.
The In Shape parameter allows you to choose
the shape of the fade-in to region 2.

Standard Selects a single continuous fade curve. Preset Curve 3

This creates a general-purpose fade that can be
◆ Preset Curve 4 fades in region 2 with a linear
edited by dragging the curve itself.
fade curve. This is the default curve.
S-Curve Selects an S-shaped curve, which inverts
its beginning and end characteristics. This
makes it possible to fade in faster at the start of
Preset Curve 4
the curve, and slower at the end. S-shaped
curves are useful with material that is difficult to ◆ Preset Curve 5 fades in region 2 slowly at the

crossfade effectively. S-curves can be edited by beginning of the crossfade.

dragging the curve in the curve editor.

Preset Curves Seven commonly used preset

curves are provided for fast crossfade creation. Preset Curve 5
These can be edited by dragging the end points
◆ Preset Curve 6 fades in region 2 even more
of the curve in the curve editor portion of this
slowly than the previous curve.
dialog. The seven presets are as follows:
◆ Preset Curve 1 fades in region 2 at full volume
immediately at the beginning of the crossfade
and keeps it there throughout the crossfade. Preset Curve 6

◆ Preset Curve 7 silences region 2 until the end

of the crossfade.

Preset Curve 1

Preset Curve 7

246 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Typical Curve Combinations Fade and Crossfade Preferences
Following are the available combinations of (TDM Systems Only)
fade-out and fade-in curves.
You can set default fade and crossfade settings.
Linear Crossfade This is a good general purpose These settings load as your “base” settings when
crossfade with a smooth, even transition be- you use the Create Fades command, and the
tween region 1 and region 2. Fade to Start and Fade to End commands.

1-out 2-in To set the crossfade preferences:

1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Editing.

2 Set the Pre-Roll and Post-Roll times for Fade

previews.
Linear Crossfade

Equal Power Crossfade This is a good general

purpose crossfade useful in cases where a linear
crossfade seems to create a noticeable drop in
volume across the splice point.
Fade and Crossfade Preferences
1-out 2-in
3 Click Fade In and set the default shape for
fade-ins, then click OK.

4 Click Fade Out and set the default shape for

Equal Power Crossfade fade-outs, then click OK.

Overlap Fade This combination of curves keeps 5 Click Crossfade and set the default shape for
both regions at full amplitude throughout the crossfades, then click OK.
crossfade: region 2 “jumps in” at the beginning 6 Click Done.
and region 1 “jumps out” at the end.

1-out

2-in

Overlap Crossfade

Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades 247

 To remove a crossfade:
Creating a Crossfade ■ Select the area of the track containing the

crossfades you want to delete and choose Edit >

To create a crossfade between two regions:
Fades > Delete Fades.
1 With the Selector, click at the point where you
– or –
want the crossfade to begin in the first region
and drag to where you want it to end in the sec- ■ Select the crossfade with the Grabber and

ond region. Crossfade selections can begin and press Delete (Macintosh) or Backspace (Win-
end anywhere in their respective regions. dows).

2 Choose Edit > Fades > Create Fades.

To trim a crossfade:
3 Use the view buttons to adjust the view of the
1 Select the crossfade with the Grabber, or dou-
crossfade. It may take a few moments to calcu-
ble-click it with the Selector.
late the waveform display for long selections.
2 With the Trimmer, trim either side of the
4 Select an Out Shape and an In Shape.
crossfade. The crossfade is recalculated to reflect
5 Choose a Linking option. the newly trimmed length.

6 Click the Audition button, or play the session,

to hear the crossfade. For long crossfades, it may
Pre/Post Crossfade Selections
take Pro Tools a few moments to calculate and By making a selection that begins or ends pre-
load the audio into playback RAM. cisely on the border of two regions, you can cre-
7 Adjust the curves by choosing different preset ate “pre” or “post” crossfades. Use the Tab key to
shapes with the Out Shape and In Shape pop-up place the insertion point at the exact beginning
menus. or end of a region.

– or –
To create a pre- or post-crossfade:
Drag the Fade In/Out curves to the desired 1 With the Selector, click in the track that con-
shape. By choosing None as the Linking option, tains the regions you want to crossfade.
you can drag the beginning or end points of a
2 Press Tab to move forward to the next region
fade curve to adjust its beginning or end point.
boundary. Press Option+Tab (Macintosh) or
8 Click the Audition button, or play the session, Control+Tab (Windows) to move back to the
to hear the crossfade again. previous region boundary.
9 When the crossfade is right, click OK. The fade 3 Shift-drag to adjust your selection, or press
is calculated and written to disk, but the audio Shift+Tab to extend the selection forward to the
files and regions remain unchanged. Crossfades next region boundary. Press Option+Shift+Tab
are stored in the Fades Folder within the session (Macintosh) or Control+Shift+Tab (Windows) to
folder. extend the selection back to the previous region
boundary.
Crossfade lengths can later be resized with
the Trimmer. 4 Choose Edit > Fades > Create Fades.

5 Choose a fade type and click OK.

248 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 2 Choose Edit > Fades > Create Fades. Choose
Creating Fades at the your fade-in curve and other parameters.
Beginnings and Ends of 3 Click the Audition button to hear the fade (or
Regions press the Spacebar to start/stop playback).
In addition to crossfades between regions, 4 You can adjust the curve by dragging it or by
Pro Tools lets you create fade-ins and fade-outs choosing a different shape with the In Shape
at the beginnings and ends of regions. On pop-up menu.
Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 systems, you
can also use an automatic fade-in/out option, 5 When you are finished, click OK. Pro Tools

which applies real time fade-ins/outs to all re- calculates the fade and writes it to disk. The cho-
gions during playback. These fades are not writ- sen fade curve appears in the region.
ten to disk, but automatically applied during
playback. To create a fade-out:
1 Select the end of the region that you want to
fade out. The selection must extend to the exact
end of the region or a blank area after the region
in the track.

Region with a fade-in

Creating Fade-Ins/Outs
Depending on how you make the selection, you
can position a fade-in/out at the exact begin- Selecting the end of a region for a fade-out
ning or end of a region, or position it so it ex- 2 Choose Edit > Fades > Create Fades. Choose
tends into a blank area of the track. The length your fade-out curve and other parameters.
of the selection in the region determines the
3 Click the Audition button to hear the fade (or
length of the fade-in/out.
press the Spacebar to start/stop playback).
You can also fade to the beginning or end of a
4 You can adjust the curve by dragging it or by
region from an insertion point.
choosing a different shape with the Out Shape
pop-up menu.
To create a fade-in:
5 When you are finished, click OK. Pro Tools
1 Select the beginning of the region that you
calculates the fade and writes it to disk. The cho-
want to fade in. The selection must extend to
sen fade curve appears in the region.
the exact beginning of the region or a blank area
prior to the region in the track. Fade lengths can later be resized with the
Trimmer.

Selecting the beginning of a region for a fade-in

Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades 249

 To fade from the insertion point to a region start This feature is especially useful in post-produc-
point: tion situations such as dialogue tracking. For ex-
1 Place the cursor at the desired location in the ample, you could assign both a dialogue track
region. and a “room tone” track with matching back-
ground to the same voice. You could then set
2 Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To Start. the Auto-Fade option to a moderate length
3 The fade is applied based on the Fade In Pref- (4 ms or so) so that whenever a silence occurred
erences. in the dialog, playback would switch smoothly
to and from the background track without clicks
To fade from the insertion point to a region end or pops.
point:
Using automatic fade-ins/outs saves you the
1 Place the cursor at the desired location in the trouble of editing to zero-crossings or creating
region. numerous rendered fades in order to eliminate
clicks or pops in playback. However, since these
2 Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To End.
autofades are not written to disk, those clicks or
3 The fade is applied based on the Fade Out Pref- pops still exist in the underlying sound file.
erences. Consequently, those anomalies still appear if
the Duplicate AudioSuite plug-in or the Export
Selected as Sound Files command (from the Au-
dio Regions List) are used to duplicate multiple
Using AutoFades
regions as a continuous file. To render these
{Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 Only) real-time auto fades to disk, choose File >
Bounce to Disk.
On Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 systems,
you can choose to have Pro Tools automatically
To set the length of automatic fade-ins/outs:
apply real-time fade-ins/outs to all region
boundaries in the session. These fade-ins/outs 1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
are performed during playback and do not ap- tion.
pear in the Edit window, and are not written to
2 Enter a value between 0 and 10 ms for the
disk.
Auto Region Fade In/Out Length. A value of zero
This automatic fade-in /out option also has an (the default) means that no auto-fading will oc-
effect on virtual track switching in a session. cur.
Whenever a lower-priority virtual track “pops 3 Click Done. The Auto Fade value is saved with
thru” a silence in a higher-priority track on the the session, and is automatically applied to all
same voice, a fade-in and fade-out is applied to free-standing region boundaries until you
the transition. change it.

250 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 If you select to create new fades and new fade-
Creating Fades and ins and outs, new crossfades are created at each
Crossfades in Batches region boundary that is bordered by another se-
lected region, a fade-in is created at the start of
In “Batch Mode” you can create many fades at
the first region, and a fade-out is created at the
once. You select across several regions and use
end of the last region.
the Create Fades command to create crossfades
for each region transition. If your selection in-
cludes regions that already have crossfades, this
feature allows you to modify them.

To create crossfades between multiple regions at

once:
1 With the Selector, click in the first region in
which you want to create a crossfade.

2 Drag to extend the selection to the last region

you want to crossfade. Make sure that the selec-
tion includes the entire region.

Batch Fades dialog

5 Choose the placement of your Fades. You can

Selected regions for batch fades
choose Pre-Splice, Centered, or Post-Splice.
3 Choose Edit > Fades > Create Fades.
6 Enter a crossfade length in milliseconds.
4 Select whether you want to Create New Fades,
7 Click OK. Pro Tools creates the fades for the
Create New Fade-Ins and Outs, Adjust existing
selected regions.
Fades, or a combination of these options.
Fade lengths can later be resized with the
Trimmer.

Chapter 19: Fades and Crossfades 251

252 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 20: Managing Regions

Audio Threshold Sets the amplitude threshold

Stripping Silence from (from –48 dB to 0) for Strip Silence. Audio fall-
Regions ing below this threshold is considered silence
and removed. Audio above the threshold is re-
The Strip Silence command analyzes audio se-
tained and defined as new regions.
lections—across multiple regions or multiple
tracks—and removes any areas of silence, divid- Minimum Strip Duration Sets the minimum dura-
ing the selection into smaller regions and re- tion (from 0 to 10,000 ms) that the material be-
moving the silent areas. low the threshold must last to be considered si-
lence.
You can use Strip Silence to automatically divide
a track into regions, which is useful if you want Use this parameter to avoid countless small re-
to quantize audio to musical values, or locate gions that may occur within a selection.
sound effects to SMPTE locations. It is also use-
ful if you want to get rid of silent areas to pre- Region Start Pad Specifies a time value to be
pare for compacting audio (see “Compacting an added to the beginning of each new region cre-
Audio File” on page 259). ated with Strip Silence.

This is useful for preserving musical material

The Strip Silence Window that falls below the threshold, such as the breath
before a vocal phrase, or the finger slide before a
guitar chord.

Region End Pad Specifies a time value to be ap-

pended to the end of each new region created
Strip Silence window
with Strip Silence, thereby preserving the nu-
The Strip Silence window contains the following ances in the decay of the material.
four sliders that allow you to set the parameters
by which silence will be defined for this opera-
tion. Adjusting these sliders will cause rectan-
gles to appear in the selection (see Figure 14 on
page 254), indicating areas of silence that will be
removed.

Chapter 20: Managing Regions 253

 Auto-Naming for Strip Silence Using Strip Silence
The Rename button in the Strip Silence window
To strip silence from an audio selection:
opens the following dialog, which determiners
how regions are named with the Strip Silence 1 Select one or more audio regions.
command. 2 To select across multiple tracks, Shift-click in
additional tracks.

3 Choose Windows > Show Strip Silence.

4 To set the naming scheme for regions created

with Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
naming dialog. For details, see “Auto-Naming
Strip Silence Renaming dialog for Strip Silence” on page 254.

Name Specifies the base name for regions cre- 5 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the sliders
ated with Strip Silence. for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Dura-
tion until the Strip Silence rectangles appear in
Auto Number Start Specifies the number at
the selection.
which sequential auto-numbering starts.

Leading Zeros Specifies the number of zeroes

that occur before the appended auto numbers.

Suffix Specifies text appended to the end of the Figure 14. Strip Silence rectangles
name, after the auto numbering. For finer resolution on these sliders, press Com-
mand (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) while
For example, if you set the naming parameters
adjusting them.
to:
6 To retain material before and after the new re-
• Name = SFX
gions, adjust the sliders for Region Start Pad and
• Auto Number Start = 23 Region End Pad.
• Leading Zeros = 1
• Suffix = .Reel1

The names generated for regions created by Strip

Silence would be:
• SFX023.Reel1 Attack to be Decay to be
padded padded
• SFX024.Reel1
• SFX025.Reel1
• SFX026.Reel1
• SFX027.Reel1
Strip Silence, padding region start and end points
• SFX028.Reel1

254 Pro Tools Reference Guide

7 Once the Strip Silence rectangles encompasses ◆ If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
the audio that you want to keep, press the Strip tion data, the selected range is cleared of auto-
button. mation data only of the type visible on each
track. Regions are not shuffled. Instead, a blank
The material defined as silence is removed from gap appears equal to the length of the selection.
the selection and new regions are created, which
◆ If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
also appear in the Audio Regions List.
tion data, press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
The Strip Silence command is nondestructive key (Windows) while choosing the Insert Si-
and does not remove audio data from parent au- lence command to inserts silence on all automa-
dio files. In addition to the Undo command, tion playlists for all selected tracks. Regions are
you can use the Heal Separation command to re- not shuffled.
store stripped material.
Slip Mode When inserting silence on multiple
Strip Silence works with stereo and multi- tracks in Slip mode, the following conditions
channel tracks, and keeps their audio re- apply:
gions phase-coherent. ◆ If any track is displayed as audio/MIDI data,
the selected range is cleared of audio/MIDI data
and all underlying automation data on all se-
Inserting Silence lected tracks.

The Insert Silence command is a simple and ◆ If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-

convenient way to insert silence in sessions. tion data, silence is inserted only into the auto-
This command allows you to make a selection mation type visible on each track.
on a track (or tracks) and insert precisely that ◆ If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
amount of silence. In Shuffle Mode, all data on tion data, press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
the track is shuffled later in the track by an key (Windows) while choosing the Insert Si-
amount equal to the selection. lence command to insert silence on all automa-
tion playlists for all selected tracks.
In Grid Mode, the Insert Silence command
works just like the Clear command.
To insert silence into a track:
Shuffle Mode When inserting silence on multi- 1 Make a selection on the desired tracks. The
ple tracks in Shuffle mode, the following condi- length of the selection determines the duration
tions apply: of the silence inserted.
◆ If any track is displayed as audio/MIDI data, 2 Choose Edit > Insert Silence.
the selected duration of silence is inserted into
the audio/MIDI data and all underlying automa- Pro Tools inserts the selected amount of silence.
tion data on all selected tracks. All subsequent In the process, it splits the regions at the begin-
regions are shuffled by the amount of silence in- ning of the insertion point, and moves the new
serted. On MIDI tracks, only notes that are se- regions later in the track by an amount equal to
lected from the beginning are affected, so if you the length of the selection.
have selected the tail of a note and you Insert Si-
lence, the note will remain unchanged.

Chapter 20: Managing Regions 255

 Consolidate Selection Managing Regions
Command A typical session can become quite busy with
During the course of normal edit operations, a many tracks and dozens of regions. There are a
track may eventually contain many regions. number of things you can do, however, to keep
However, once a track or track range (such as a track of and manage a session’s regions, which
verse or chorus) reaches a satisfactory state, you include:
may want to consolidate its regions into a single • Renaming existing regions
region—thus making the material much more
• Specifying how auto-created regions are
easy to work with.
named
When consolidating an audio track, a new audio • Hiding auto-created regions
file is written that encompasses the selection
• Removing unused regions
range, including any blank space.

To consolidate regions within a track: Renaming Regions

1 Using the Grabber or Selector, select the re- In the course of a session you can rename re-
gions you want to consolidate. gions to give them more descriptive names, or
– or – merely to shorten or simplify an existing name.
When renaming a region that was auto-created
To select all regions in a track, triple-click in its from an edit, the region becomes a user-defined
playlist with the Selector. region and is displayed in the Regions List when
auto-created regions are hidden.
2 Choose Edit > Consolidate.

Perhaps the easiest way to rename a region, if it

A new, single region is created that replaces the
resides in a track, is to double-click it with the
previously selected regions, including any blank
Grabber. However, if the region does not yet re-
space. If working with an audio track, a new au-
side in a track, or if you want to rename several
dio file is written (with the Audio Suite Dupli-
regions, use the Rename Selected command.
cate plug-in).

When consolidating audio regions with the To rename one or more regions:
Consolidate Selection command, if the selec-
1 If you will be renaming an auto-created re-
tion contains muted regions, the muted regions
gion, make sure to select Display > Auto-Created
are treated as silence. Whether or not a track is
Regions.
muted, or contains Mute automation, does not
affect the Consolidate Selection command. 2 Select one or more region to be renamed in ei-
ther the Audio or MIDI Regions List.

If the Editing Preference for “Regions List

Selection Follows Track Selection” is en-
abled, you can highlight a region in the Re-
gions List by selecting it in a track.

256 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Choose Rename Selected from the Regions Name Determines the root name for the auto-
List pop-up menu. created regions.

4 When prompted, enter a new name for the re- Auto Number Start Sets the start number for the
gion. If a whole-file audio region was selected, sequentially numbered new regions.
specify whether just the region is renamed, or
the region and the disk file. Leading Zeros Determines the number of zeros
that occur before the auto numbers.

Suffix Specifies text to be appended to the end of

the name, following the auto numbering.

4 When you are finished, click OK to accept the

new naming parameters.
Rename Selected dialog

5 Click OK to rename the region. If renaming Hiding and Removing Unwanted

multiple regions, you are prompted, succes- Regions
sively, to rename each region.
In the course of editing a session, the Audio and
MIDI Regions Lists can fill up quickly with re-
Auto-Naming Parameters gions—ones you’ve created purposely and those
that are automatically created by cutting, past-
You can specify the auto-naming parameters for ing, and separating other regions. Pro Tools al-
a region when new regions are created from it in lows you to hide or remove regions in your ses-
the course of editing. sion so you don’t have to scroll through
unnecessarily long Regions Lists.
To set auto-naming parameters for a region:
1 Select a region in the Audio or MIDI Regions Hiding Auto-Created Regions
List.
You can hide regions that were automatically
2 Choose Auto Rename Selected from the Re- created during the course of editing.
gions List pop-up menu.

3 In the Auto-Rename dialog, enter the text to To hide auto-created regions:

be used when naming regions created from the ■ Deselect Display > Display Auto-Created Re-

selected region. gions. With this option deselected, only user-

created regions appear in the Audio and MIDI
Regions List.

Auto-Rename Selected dialog

Chapter 20: Managing Regions 257

 User-defined regions include: 2 For audio regions, choose one of the following

• Whole-file regions from the Select Unused submenu in the Audio

Regions list pop-up menu:
• Regions created during recording
• Unused Regions
• Imported regions
• Unused Regions except Whole Files
• Renamed regions
• Offline Regions
• Regions created as a result of AudioSuite pro-
cessing 3 After all unused regions are selected, choose
Clear Selected from the Regions List pop-up
• New regions created with Capture Region and
menu.
Separate Region commands
4 Click Remove to remove the unused regions
• Regions created by trimming whole-file audio
regions from the session.
– or –
When auto-created regions are hidden,
Pro Tools warns you if the number of auto-cre- If clearing a whole-file audio region and you
ated regions exceeds a certain threshold, and want to permanently remove the audio file from
gives you the option of deleting them. If you your hard drive, click Delete.
choose to delete them, all auto-created regions
are deleted at the same time.

To ensure that you keep a particular auto-cre-

ated region, turn it into a user-created region by
renaming it. For details, see “Renaming Re-
gions” on page 256.

Removing Unwanted Regions Clear Selected dialog (audio regions)

You can locate and remove unused regions in a When clearing audio files for multiple regions,
session with the Clear Selected command. Pro Tools presents a warning dialog for each au-
dio file. To bypass repeated warning dialogs:
The Clear Selected command cannot be un-
■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
done.
dows) the Delete button in the Clear Audio dia-
To find and remove unused regions in a session: log. This permanently deletes each successive
audio file from your hard drive (for each of the
1 For MIDI regions, choose Select Unused from
unused regions) without any further warnings.
the MIDI Regions List pop-up menu.
Use this “power delete mode” with caution,
since deletion of these files cannot be undone.

258 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To compact an audio file:
Compacting an Audio File 1 Choose Select Unused >Regions from the Au-
The Compact Selected command deletes unused dio Regions List pop-up menu. All regions that
portions of audio files to conserve disk space, have not been placed in a track in the current
and to prepare for cleaner hard drive back-ups. session are highlighted in the Audio Regions
List.
The Compact Selected command deletes audio
if there are no regions referencing the data. For 2 To remove all of these unused audio regions,
this reason you should delete any unused re- choose Clear Selected from the Audio Regions
gions before compacting. List pop-up menu. When the dialog appears,
choose Remove.
Because it permanently deletes audio data, the
3 In the Audio Regions List, select the region or
Compact Selected command should be used
regions you want to compact.
only after you have completely finished your
editing and are sure that you have no further use 4 Choose Compact Selected from the Audio Re-
for the unused audio data. gions List menu.

The Compact Selected command can pad the re- 5 Enter the amount of padding in milliseconds
gions of the compacted file by a user-selectable that you want to leave around each region in
amount. You may want to do this because the file.
Pro Tools requires extra audio data before and
6 Click Compact to compact the file or Cancel
after audio regions to create crossfades. So, if
to cancel the command.
your regions have crossfades, or if you want to
pad the regions for the sake of any future trim- Once the Compact operation has been com-
ming, you should enter an appropriate amount pleted, the session is automatically saved.
of padding (in milliseconds) to allow for this.

The Compact Selected command is destruc-

tive and cannot be undone. It permanently
alters the original audio files. There is no
way to recover data deleted with this com-
mand.

Chapter 20: Managing Regions 259

260 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and
Memory Locations

Inserting Tempo Events

Tempo Events
Tempo events, which are displayed in the To insert a tempo event:
Tempo Ruler, can be inserted at the beginning of 1 Click in the Tempo Ruler where you want to
a session to replace the default tempo (of 120 insert the tempo event and then choose MIDI >
BPM), and they can be inserted anywhere Change Tempo.
within the session for additional tempo
– or –
changes. Tempo events cannot be inserted in
Manual Tempo mode. Click in the Tempo Ruler where you want to in-
sert the tempo event and then click the Change
To display the Tempo Ruler: Tempo button in the far left of the Tempo Ruler.
■ Select Display > Ruler View Shows > Tempo.

When in Manual Tempo mode, the Tempo

Track is ignored and the session plays at the
Change Tempo button
tempo defined in the Transport window.
For details, see “Using Manual Tempo – or –
Mode” on page 123.
While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the Start
key (Windows), move the cursor into the
Current Tempo
Tempo Ruler (cursor changes to the Grabber
As tempo events are encountered during play- with a “+”) and click at the desired location.
back, the session’s current tempo is displayed in
the Transport window.

Manually inserting a tempo event

current tempo

Current tempo displayed in Transport window

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 261

 2 In the Tempo Change window, enter the Lo- Editing and Moving Tempo Events
cation and BPM value for the tempo change.
Existing tempo events can be moved, edited, de-
leted, and copied and pasted.

To move a tempo event by dragging:

■ In the Tempo Ruler, drag the triangle for the

tempo event left or right.

Tempo Change window

Dragging a tempo event
Select the Snap To Bar option to place the in-
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
serted tempo event cleanly on the first beat of
snaps to the current Grid value.
the nearest measure.

3 To base the BPM value on something other To edit a tempo event:

than the default quarter-note, select a different
1 In the Tempo Ruler, double-click the tempo
note value.
event.
4 Click Apply. The new tempo event is inserted
2 In the Change Tempo dialog, enter a new Lo-
and appears in the Tempo Ruler.
cation or BPM value for the tempo event.

3 Click OK.

Inserted tempo event

To delete a tempo event:
Each tempo event has a small green triangle
■ While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
next to it that indicates its location. These trian-
(Windows), move the cursor over the tempo
gles can be dragged to move the tempo event,
event (cursor changes to the Grabber with a “–”)
and they can be double-clicked to edit the
and click to remove it.
tempo event.

To copy and paste several tempo events:

1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
strain the selection to the current Grid value.

2 Drag in the Tempo Ruler to select the range of

measures that includes the tempo events.

Tempo events selected

262 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If an existing tempo event is near the beginning Tempo and MIDI and Audio
of the selection, press Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows) so the Selector appears. When editing or moving tempo events, the
Bars:Beats Ruler expands or shrinks, as neces-
Press Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows) sary, to accurately reflect the placement of audio
while dragging to select across all Conduc- regions (which remain constant in terms of
tor tracks. sample location). This, in turn, affects the rela-
tive placement of MIDI notes, and ensures that
3 Choose Edit > Copy. the visual relationship between MIDI and audio
4 Click in the Tempo Ruler at the point where is accurate.
you want to paste the tempo events.
Figure 15 illustrates how MIDI notes shift and
5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip- expand in relation to audio after the tempo is re-
board are pasted from the insertion point, re- duced.
placing any existing tempo events.

To extend an Edit selection in a track to the Tempo

Ruler:
Ruler and MIDI
1 Using either the Selector or Grabber, select a events expand
track range. after tempo
change
2 Shift-click in the Tempo Ruler.

Shift-click again in the Tempo Ruler to remove it

from the selection.

To select all tempo events: Figure 15. Before and after change in tempo
■ Double-click with the Selector in the Tempo After editing or moving a tempo event:
Ruler.
◆ Bar and beat locations for audio regions
(which are sample-based) are adjusted for the
To clear a range of selected tempo events:
new tempo. The audio region’s sample and
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con- SMPTE locations remain unchanged.
strain the selection to the current Grid value.
◆ MIDI notes (which are tick-based) remain at
2 Drag with the Selector in the Tempo Ruler to the same bar and beat location. In relation to au-
select the tempo events you want to remove. dio, however, the notes shrink or expand based
on the new tempo, and result in new sample
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected
and SMPTE locations for the note start and end
tempo events.
times.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 263

 Bar|Beat Markers
Default Tempo
Bar|Beat Markers look similar to tempo events,
New sessions open with a default tempo of 120 but instead have small blue triangles to indicate
BPM. This tempo can be changed by inserting a their location.
tempo event at 1|1|000. However, this is not the
same as inserting normal tempo events at other
locations. The tempo event that resides at
1|1|000 is actually a Bar|Beat Marker (notice that Bar|Beat Marker
it has a blue triangle). The key to accurately defining tempos for a
range of audio with the Identify Beat command
The main distinction is that this Bar|Beat Marker
is to make sure that the initial selection repre-
can be dragged to any location within the ses-
sents an accurate length of beats or measures. In
sion (such as to align with a particular SMPTE
fact, you may want to first loop the selection on
frame) to redefine where 1|1|000 is.
playback (see “Looping Playback” on page 205)
to see if it plays cleanly without skipping. To
avoid drift, and remain sample-accurate, select
Identify Beat Command the audio material with the Time Scale set to
Samples rather than Bars:Beats.
Bar|Beat Markers

The Identify Beat command lets you establish a Tempo events and Bar|Beat Markers cannot
tempo/meter map for audio that was recorded be mixed. If a session contains tempo
without listening to the click, or for imported events and you attempt to insert Bar|Beat
audio with unknown tempos. Markers, existing tempo events are con-
verted to Bar|Beat Markers (and vice versa).
The Identify Beat command analyzes a selection
range (usually with a distinct number of beats or Identifying Beats
measures) and calculates its tempo based on the
specified meter. In doing this, Bar|Beat Markers To add Bar|Beat Markers for a one-bar drum loop:
for the calculated tempo are inserted and appear
1 Place a one-bar drum loop at the beginning of
in the Tempo Ruler at the beginning and end of
an audio track.
the selection; in addition, meter events are in-
serted into the Meter Ruler. 2 Select Display > Samples. This ensures that the
selected audio material will be sample-accurate.
You can use Beat Detective to generate
Bar|Beat Markers within a selection that in- 3 Select the audio region with the Grabber and
cludes rhythmic changes on every beat and choose Edit > Identify Beat.
sub-beat. For more information, see
Chapter 22, “Beat Detective.”

264 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 In the Bar|Beat Markers dialog, specify the When working with a selection, the Identify
start and end points for the inserted Bar|Beat Beat command only calculates a single tempo
Markers. Since this example deals with a one-bar for the selected range. If the tempo varies from
loop, enter 1|1|000 and 2|1|000. measure to measure, or beat to beat, you’ll need
to use the Identify Beat command for each
tempo variance (making sure to accurately de-
fine a precise selection range or beat location for
the tempo change).

Inserting Bar|Beat Markers One at

a Time
Audio Material with Varying Tempos

You can insert Bar|Beat Markers one at a time by

setting an Edit insertion point (instead of mak-
ing a selection) before using the Identify Beat
command. The ability to identify each beat, one
Identify Beat dialog
at a time, is especially useful when working with
5 If necessary, specify a time signature for the audio with varying tempos.
start and end range.
For instance, if you have a measure that acceler-
6 Click OK to automatically calculate the new
ates slightly, you could insert a Bar|Beat Marker
tempo and insert the necessary Bar|Beat Markers on each beat (see Figure 16) so the tempo is ac-
and meter events. Any existing tempo and curately reflected.
meter events residing within the selection are
deleted.

Figure 16. Bar|Beat Markers on each beat

Bar|Beat Markers inserted After the Bar|Beat Markers are inserted, further
Once the tempo has been determined for the au- adjustments in the tempo map are possible by
dio, you can duplicate the original audio region dragging each of the Markers, as necessary, to
with the Repeat command. align with the associated beat within the audio.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 265

 Dragging Bar|Beat Markers When dragging a Bar|Beat Marker:
• Its BPM value is recalculated along with the
Bar|Beat Markers can be dragged to new loca-
Bar|Beat Marker to its immediate left. Bar|Beat
tions so they can align with audio regions that
Markers to the right of the dragged marker re-
have been moved, or so that they can align to a
main unchanged.
slightly different point within an audio region.
This results in neighboring MIDI data being ad- • Its bar and beat location is dragged with the
justed to align with the new tempo map. Bar|Beat Marker. If the Bar|Beat Marker was
originally placed at 3|1|000, it remains there
(unless it is edited).
• Its sample and SMPTE locations change, as
calculated for by the new tempo for the
Bar|Beat Marker.
• Neighboring MIDI events, along with the
Bars:Beats Ruler, shrink or expand as neces-
sary to adjust for the new tempo.

Dragging a Bar|Beat Marker

Editing Bar|Beat Markers
Tempo Events vs. Bar|Beat Markers
A Bar|Beat Marker can be edited to redefine its
Bar|Beat markers and Tempo Events behave dif- bar and beat location, which also redefines the
ferently when you drag them in the Tempo start or end point of the range being analyzed
Ruler. for tempo. This is different from dragging a
Bar|Beat Marker.
When dragging a tempo event:
• The tempo event is placed at a new bar and To edit a Bar|Beat Marker:
beat location. The sample and SMPTE loca- 1 In the Tempo Ruler, double-click the Bar|Beat
tions for the event are updated as well. Marker.
• The BPM value for the dragged tempo event
2 In the Identify Beat dialog, enter a new Loca-
remains constant, as do any other tempo
tion for the Bar|Beat Marker.
events in the session.
3 Click OK to recalculate the new tempo.
• Neighboring MIDI events, along with the
Ruler, shrink or expand as necessary to adjust Like meter and tempo events, Bar|Beat Markers
for the new tempo location. can also be deleted.

To delete a Bar|Beat Marker:

■ While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt

(Windows), move the cursor over the Bar|Beat

Marker (cursor changes to the Grabber with a
“-”) and click to remove it.

266 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the Start
Meter Events key (Windows), move the cursor into the Meter
Ruler (cursor changes to the Grabber with a “+”)
Meter events can be inserted at the beginning of
and click at the desired location.
a session to replace the default meter (of 4/4),
and they can be inserted anywhere within the
session for additional meter changes. Meter
events are displayed in the Meter Ruler.
Manually inserting a meter event
To display the Meter Ruler:
2 In the Meter Change window, enter the Loca-
■ Select Display > Ruler View Shows > Meter. tion and Meter for the meter change.

Current Meter
As meter events are encountered during play-
back, the session’s current meter is displayed in
the Transport window.

current meter

Current meter displayed in Transport window Meter Change window

Inserting Meter Events Select the Snap To Bar option if you want the in-
serted meter event to fall cleanly on the first
To insert a meter event: beat of the nearest measure.

1 Choose MIDI > Change Meter. 3 Select a note value for the number of clicks to
sound in each measure. If desired, select the dot
– or –
(.) option for a dotted click value.
Click the Change Meter button in the far left of
the Meter Ruler. 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 eighth-note
click (yielding two clicks per measure) is
more suitable than a straight eighth-note
Change Meter button click (six clicks per measure).

– or –

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 267

 4 Click Apply to insert the new meter event. The To copy and paste several meter events:
new meter event is inserted and appears in the
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
Meter Ruler.
strain the selection to the current Grid value.

2 Drag in the Meter Ruler to select the range

that includes the meter events.
Inserted meter event

Each meter event has a small yellow triangle

next to it that indicates its location. These trian-
gles can be selected for copying and pasting, and Meter events selected
they can be double-clicked to edit the meter
If the beginning of the selection includes a
event.
meter event, press Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows) so the Selector tool appears.
Editing Meter Events
Press Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows)
Existing meter events can be edited, deleted,
while dragging to select across all Conduc-
and copied and pasted.
tor tracks.
To edit a meter event: 3 Choose Edit > Copy.
1 In the Meter Ruler, double-click the meter
4 Click in the Meter Ruler at the point where
event.
you want to paste the meter events.
2 In the Change Meter dialog, enter a new Loca-
5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip-
tion or Meter for the event.
board are pasted from the insertion point, re-
3 Click OK. placing any existing meter events.

To delete a meter event: To extend an Edit selection in a track to the Meter

Ruler:
■ While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
(Windows), move the cursor over the meter 1 Using either the Selector or Grabber, select a
event (cursor changes to the Grabber with a “–”) track range.
and click to remove it. 2 Shift-click in the Meter Ruler.

Shift-click again in the Meter Ruler to remove it

from the selection.

To select all meter events:

■ Double-click with the Selector in the Meter

Ruler.

268 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To clear a range of selected meter events:
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con-
Renumbering Bars
strain the selection to the current Grid value. You can use the Renumber Bars command to re-
number all bars in the session, effectively
2 Drag in the Meter Ruler to select the meter
changing the bar locations for all regions, meter
events you want to remove.
and tempo events while leaving their position
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected intact. In doing so, however, the SMPTE and
meter events. sample locations of the session data are not
changed.

Partial Measures
To renumber bars:
Aligning Beat 1 to a SMPTE Location 1 Choose MIDI > Renumber Bars.

When scoring to film or video, you will often 2 Specify the bar you want to renumber, along
need to start a section of music at a precise with the new bar number, then click Renumber.
SMPTE time code location. Since this location
will usually not fall cleanly at the beginning of a
measure, you can insert a meter event at the
time code location where the music needs to
start.

As necessary, Pro Tools will create a partial mea-

sure to accommodate the inserted meter event.
Renumber Bars dialog
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 beat one.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 269

 Properties of Memory Locations
Memory Locations and
Markers When creating a new Memory Location (see
“Creating Memory Locations” on page 272) you
Each session can save up to 200 Memory Loca- are prompted to define its Time Properties and
tions that can be used to recall: General Properties.
• Markers to important locations in the session
• Edit selections across one or more tracks
• Record and play ranges, along with pre/post-
roll times
• Track settings that include Show/Hide status,
Track Heights, and zoom values
• Edit and Mix Groups enables

Memory Locations are viewed and sorted in the

Memory Locations window, where they can be
recalled by clicking the Memory Location.

With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to

Classic, Memory Locations can be recalled
from the numeric keypad by pressing the Memory Location dialog
Memory Location number followed by pe-
riod. Time Properties
Under Time Properties, a Memory Location can
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to be set to Marker, Selection, or None. This deter-
Transport or Shuttle, Memory Locations mines the type of Memory Location that is cre-
can be recalled from the numeric keypad by ated. Each of these three Memory Location
pressing period, the Memory Location num- types can also save any combination of General
ber, and period again. Properties.

Marker Recalls a Timeline location whose refer-

ence can be either Bar|Beat (tick-based) or Abso-
lute (sample-based). When recalling a Marker
Memory Location, the playback cursor moves to
the Marker’s location and the start and end
times in the Transport window are also updated.
If the Edit and Timeline Selections are linked,
the edit cursor also moves to the Marker loca-
tion.

270 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 When set to Absolute, the Memory Location is
sample-based and its bar and beat location shifts
if the tempo is changed—though its sample lo-
cation remains constant, along with its relation
to audio material.

Markers in the Markers Ruler

Markers appear in the Markers Ruler with a thin

yellow line extending down through all tracks Bar|Beat Marker (left) and Absolute Marker (right)
in the Edit window (to assist in arranging and
In the Markers Ruler, Markers that are Bar|Beat
aligning track material). You can click on a
appear as yellow chevrons, and Markers that are
Marker in the Markers Ruler to recall its location
Absolute appear as yellow diamonds.
along with its stored General Properties.

Selection Recalls an edit selection or edit cursor General Properties

location whose reference can be either Bar|Beat
Any of the three types of Memory Locations
(tick-based) or Absolute (sample-based). A Selec-
(Marker, Selection, and General Properties) can
tion Memory Location lets you store edit selec-
store and recall any combination of the follow-
tions, for one or more tracks, that you return to
ing properties:
often within a session. If the Edit and Timeline
Selections are linked, a Selection Memory Loca- Zoom Settings Recalls the horizontal and verti-
tion can recall record and play ranges. cal zoom values for both audio and MIDI tracks.

NOTE: Only contiguous selections can be saved Pre/Post Roll Times Recalls pre- and post-roll
with Memory Locations. Discontiguous selections, times (but not whether they are enabled). This
made with the Object Grabber, will be recalled as if property can be stored with a Selection Memory
the selection were made with the Time Grabber. Location to recall record and play ranges along
with pre/post-roll.
None Recalls no Time Properties and is therefore
referred to as a General Properties Memory Loca- Track Show/Hide Recalls which tracks are hid-
tion. den. Use this property to display groups of
tracks for editing and mixing.
Bar|Beat and Absolute Reference
Track Heights Recalls all Track Heights. Use this
The Reference pop-up determines whether the
option along with the Zoom Settings option to
Marker or Selection Memory Location is
recall edit environments that are suited for par-
Bar|Beat or Absolute. When set to Bar|Beat, the
ticular tasks, such as editing down to the sample
Memory Location is tick-based and its bar and
level or trimming MIDI notes.
beat location remains constant if the tempo is
changed—though its relation to audio is scaled, Group Enables Recalls which Edit and Mix
resulting in a new sample location. Groups are enabled. This option is helpful in re-
calling groups for particular edit and mixing op-
erations, such as muting all drum tracks or fad-
ing a stereo pair.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 271

 Creating Memory Locations While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the Start
key (Windows), move the cursor into the Mark-
Memory Locations can be created by pressing ers Ruler (cursor changes to the Grabber with a
Enter on the numeric keypad, by Control-click- “+”) and click at the desired location.
ing (Macintosh) or Start-clicking (Windows) in
the Markers Ruler, or by choosing the Add New
Memory Location command from the pop-up
menu in the Memory Locations window. The
Manually inserting a Marker
method you use will likely depend on the type
of Memory Location you want to create. 5 In the New Memory Location dialog, select
the Marker option and specify the Reference as
When creating Memory Locations, the next either Bar|Beat or Absolute.
available number is assigned to it (1-200). This
number is used in recalling the Memory Loca- 6 If desired, enter a name for the new Marker

tion from the numeric keypad. and select any General Properties you want to
save with the Marker.
To create a Marker Memory Location: 7 Click OK. The Marker is created and appears in
1 Configure any session settings you will save the Markers Ruler, and in the Memory Locations
with the Marker Memory Location, such as window.
zoom settings, pre/post-roll times, Show/Hide
status for tracks, Track Heights, and Edit and To create a Selection Memory Location:
Mix Group enables. 1 Configure any session settings you will save

2 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and with the Selection Memory Location, such as
Timeline Selection. zoom settings, pre/post-roll times, Show/Hide
status for tracks, Track Heights, and Edit and
3 If the Markers Ruler is not displayed, select Mix Group enables.
Display > Ruler View Shows > Markers.
2 Select a range of material in one or more
4 Click with the Selector at the desired location tracks.
in any track or Ruler. To place a Marker at the be-
ginning of a region, select the region with the 3 Press Enter on the numeric keypad.

Grabber. Click the Marker Well button to the left – or –

of the Markers Ruler (or press Enter on the nu-
meric keypad). From the pop-up menu in the Memory Loca-
tions window (click the Name button), choose
Add Memory Location.

4 In the New Memory Location dialog, select

the Selection option and specify the Reference
Marker Well button
as either Bar|Beat or Absolute.
– or –

272 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 If desired, enter a name for the new Memory This capability is useful if you want to mark cer-
Location and select any General Properties you tain locations while listening during a record
want to save with it. pass, or if you want to mark frame locations
while viewing a video scene.
6 Click OK. The Selection Memory Location is
created and appears in the Memory Locations
To create a Marker during playback:
window.
1 From the pop-up menu in the Memory Loca-
To create a General Properties Memory Location: tions window, select Default To Marker. This en-
sures that new Memory Locations default to
1 Configure any session settings you will save
being Markers.
with the Selection Memory Location, such as
zoom settings, pre/post-roll times, Show/Hide 2 From the pop-up menu in the Memory Loca-
status for tracks, Track Heights, and Edit and tions window, select Auto-Name Memory Loca-
Mix Group enables. tions.

2 Press Enter on the numeric keypad. 3 For inserted Markers to have a Bar|Beat refer-
ence, make sure to set the Time Scale to
3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the
Bars:Beats.
None option.
4 Click Play in the Transport window.
4 If desired, enter a name for the new Memory
Location and select any General Properties you 5 When the location is reached, press Enter on
want to save with it. the numeric keypad. A Marker is automatically
created and appears in the Markers Ruler.
5 Click OK. The Selection Memory Location is
created and appears in the Memory Locations When auto-creating Markers, they are named
window. and numbered as “Marker 1,” “Marker 2,”
“Marker 3,” etc.
In the New Memory Location dialog, you
can Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click When the option for Default To Marker is dese-
(Windows) any General Property to enable lected, new Memory Locations default to what-
or disable all properties. You can also Com- ever type was last created. Therefore, if a Selec-
mand-click (Macintosh) or Control-click tion Memory Location was created last, it will be
(Windows) any property to toggle its state the type that is created on the fly. In this case,
and the state of all other General Properties. the name for the created Memory Location is
based on the start of the Edit selection using the
Creating Memory Locations on the Fly time format for the Main Time Scale (such as
“2|2|305” or “0:02.658”).
When the Editing Preference for “Auto-Name
Memory Locations When Playing” is enabled,
Memory Locations can be created while playing
without encountering the New Memory Loca-
tion dialog. This option can also be selected
from the pop-up menu in the Memory Loca-
tions window.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 273

 Recalling Memory Locations NOTE: Even if the Markers Ruler is not displayed,
Markers can be recalled from the Memory Loca-
Memory Locations can be recalled from the tions window, or from the numeric keypad.
Memory Locations window and from the nu-
meric keypad. In addition, Marker Memory Se-
lections can be recalled by clicking them in the Editing Memory Locations
Markers Ruler. Memory Locations can be renamed, edited, de-
leted, and copied and pasted.
To recall a Memory Location:
1 If the Memory Locations window is not al- To rename a Memory Location:
ready open, choose Windows > Show Memory 1 In the Memory Locations window, double-
Locations to display it. click the Memory Location you want to rename.
2 If recalling a Selection Memory Location that – or –
will define a record or play range, make sure to
select Operations > Link Edit and Timeline Se- If renaming a Marker Memory Location, double-
lection. click the Marker in the Markers Ruler.

3 In the Memory Locations window, click the 2 Enter the new name for the Memory Location
Memory Location to recall it. and click OK.

– or –
To redefine the General Properties stored with a
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Classic, Memory Location:
press the Memory Location number followed by 1 As desired, make changes to the session’s
period. zoom settings, pre/post-roll times, Show/Hide
– or – status of tracks, Track Heights, and Group En-
ables.
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Trans-
2 In the Memory Locations window, Control-
port or Shuttle, press period, the Memory Loca-
click (Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows) the
tion number, and period again.
Memory Location you want to redefine.
NOTE: When recalling a Memory Location from – or –
the numeric keypad, the Memory Locations win-
dow does not need to be open. If changing a Marker Memory Location, Con-
trol-click (Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows)
To recall a Marker from the Markers Ruler: the Marker in the Markers Ruler.

1 If the Markers Ruler is not displayed, select 3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the
Display > Ruler View Shows > Markers. General Properties you want to save with the
Memory Location.
2 Click on the Marker. The playback cursor lo-
cates to the Marker and any General Properties 4 Enter a new name for the Memory Location, if
stored with the Marker are recalled. desired, and click OK.

274 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To change a Memory Location from one type to To align a Marker to a different location:
another:
1 Make sure to select Operations > Link Edit and
1 In the Memory Locations window, double- Timeline Selection.
click the Memory Location you want to change.
2 In any of the Timebase Rulers, click with the
– or – Selector at the new location.
If changing a Marker Memory Location, double- – or –
click the Marker in the Markers Ruler.
Click in the playlist for any track. To align the
2 In the Memory Location dialog, select either Marker to the start of a region, select the region
Marker, Selection, or None as the Memory Loca- with the Grabber.
tion type.
3 In the Memory Locations window or the
3 Enter a new name for the Memory Location, if Markers Ruler, Control-click (Macintosh) or
desired, and click OK. Right-click (Windows) the Marker Memory Lo-
cation that you want to redefine.
To change the Selection stored with a Memory
Location: 4 Enter a new name for the Marker, if desired,
and click OK.
1 If the Memory Locations window is not al-
ready open, choose Windows > Show Memory
Deleting Memory Locations
Locations to display it.

2 Select a range of material in one or more To delete a Memory Location:

tracks. ■ In the Memory Locations window, select the

3 In the Memory Locations window, Control- Memory Location and choose Delete Memory
click (Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows) the Location from the pop-up menu.
Memory Location that you want to redefine. – or –
4 Enter a new name for the Memory Location, if ■ In the Memory Locations window, Option-
desired, and click OK. click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Memory Location.
To move a Marker by dragging:
1 In the Markers Ruler, drag the Marker left or To delete all Memory Locations:
right. ■ In the Memory Locations Window, choose

Delete All from the pop-up menu.

– or –

■ Option-Shift-click (Macintosh) or Alt-Shift-

click (Windows) any Memory Location in the

Dragging a Marker
Memory Locations window.
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.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 275

 To delete a Marker from the Markers Ruler:
■ While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
Memory Locations Window
(Windows), move the cursor over the Marker Memory Locations are listed, with their name
(cursor changes to the Grabber with a “–”) and and assigned number, in the Memory Locations
click to remove it. window. To recall a Memory Location from this
window, simply click it.
Copying Marker Memory Locations

To copy and paste a range of Markers:

Marker
1 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid to con- Memory Location

strain the selection to the current Grid value.

Selection
2 Drag in the Tempo Ruler to select the range of Memory Location

measures that includes the Markers.

General Properties
If the beginning of the selection includes a Memory Location

Marker, press Command (Macintosh) or Con-

trol (Windows) so the Selector tool appears.
Memory Locations window
Press Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows) You can select viewing and sorting options,
while dragging to select across all Conduc- along with commands for creating and remov-
tor tracks. ing Memory Locations, from the pop-up menu
in the Memory Locations window (obtained by
3 Choose Edit > Copy.
clicking the Name button in the upper left).
4 Click in the Markers Ruler at the point where
you want to paste the tempo events.

5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip-

board are pasted from the insertion point, re-
placing any existing Markers.

To extend an Edit selection in a track to the

Markers Ruler: Memory Locations window pop-up menu
1 Using either the Selector or Grabber, select a
The commands and options in this menu are
track range.
discussed in the following sections.
2 Shift-click in the Markers Ruler.
Show Markers Only When selected, only Marker
Shift-click again in the Tempo Ruler to remove it Memory Locations are displayed in the Memory
from the selection. Locations window. However, even when Selec-
tion Memory Locations and General Property
To select all Markers in the Markers Ruler: Memory Locations are hidden, they can still be
recalled from the numeric keypad.
■ Double-click with the Selector in the Tempo
Ruler.

276 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Show View Filter Icons When selected, the Show Main/Sub Counter When selected, a col-
Memory Locations window provides an icon- umn appears in the Memory Locations window
based “view filter” that allows you to show or that displays the locations for Markers, and the
hide Memory Locations based on the properties start times for Selection Memory Locations.
they contain. To show or hide Memory Loca- General Property Memory Locations display
tions containing a specific property, click the nothing in this column.
appropriate icon.
Main Sub
Time Scale Time Scale
Marker Zoom Show/Hide
Settings Track Heights

Pre/Post-Roll
Active Main/Sub Counters in Memory Locations window
Selection Groups
Memory Location
You can click at the top of these columns for a
Memory Locations View Filter pop-up menu that will let you change the Main
If an icon is disabled, all Memory Locations as- and Sub Time Scale.
sociated with that property are hidden. How-
Sort by Time When selected, Markers are sorted
ever, if a Memory Location contains other prop-
by their order in the Timeline, followed by Se-
erties for an icon that is enabled, it is still
lection and General Properties Memory Loca-
displayed. When a view icon is enabled, it ap-
tions, which are listed in the order in which
pears in color. When it is disabled, it appears
they were created.
gray.
When Sort by Time is deselected, all Memory
Locations are listed in the order of their assigned
numbers.

Add Memory Location Choose this command to

create a new Memory Location.

Remove Memory Location Deletes the currently

selected Memory Location in the Memory Loca-
tions window.
Memory Locations window with view filter icons
Delete All Deletes all Memory Locations
In addition, the view filter provides a handy ref-
(Marker, Selection, and General Property) in the
erence for which properties are stored in each
session.
Memory Location (indicated by a row of icons
for each Memory Location). Default To Marker When selected, new Memory
Locations default to Markers, though in the New
Memory Location dialog you can still define the
new Memory Location as one of the other types.

Chapter 21: Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations 277

 Auto-Name Memory Location When selected,
Memory Locations are created automatically
without encountering the New Memory Loca-
tion dialog. If the Default To Marker option is
selected, a Marker Memory Location is auto-cre-
ated. Otherwise, the Memory Location type is
determined by whatever type (Marker, Selec-
tion, or None) was created last.

278 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 22: Beat Detective

Beat Detective Requirements About Beat Detective

Beat Detective is only available with Pro Tools Beat Detective can automatically detect peak
TDM systems. It does not appear in transients in audio selections, so you can extract
Pro Tools LE. tempo information from the audio material, or
so that you can conform the audio material to
RAM Requirements for Beat Detective the session’s existing tempo map.

Beat Detective operations can require a large Beat Detective involves the following steps:
amount of RAM, especially when working with
1 Define a selection of audio material, on a sin-
multiple tracks and lengthy selections.
gle mono track, multi-channel track, or across
multiple tracks.
To avoid low memory situations with Beat
Detective, do the following: 2 Adjust the Detection parameters so that verti-
■ Macintosh users should substantially increase cal beat triggers appear in Edit window, based on
the RAM allocated to Pro Tools . Under extreme the peak transients detected in the selection.
usage situations (eight or more tracks with selec-
3 Generate Bar|Beat Markers based on the beat
tions of five minutes or longer), you should allo-
triggers, thereby extracting a tempo map from
cate 100 MB, or even more, to the Pro Tools
the selection and using it for the session.
application.
– or –
■ If your computer does not have the extra
RAM, work with shorter selections, or individual 4 Separate and automatically create new re-

tracks. gions, representing beats or sub-beats, based on

the beat triggers . You can then conform the
– or –
new regions to the session’s existing tempo
■ Set the Editing Preference for Levels of Undo map, followed by automatic edit smoothing, if
to a smaller value (see “Levels of Undo and necessary.
RAM” on page 175). Memory-intensive editing
operations, such as Edit Smoothing with Beat
Detective, can use up a large amount of memory
when in the Undo queue.

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 279

 Beat Detective and the Source Material “Tightening Up” an Audio Performance

Beat Detective is most effective with rhythmic Beat Detective can improve the timing of some
audio material that has strong percussive at- audio material by calculating and extracting its
tacks. It should work well with most instru- average tempo, and then conforming its rhyth-
ments used in pop music, such as drums, guitar, mic components (regions separated with Beat
and bass. Beat Detective will be less successful Detective) to the session’s tempo map. You can
with audio material that has soft attacks, or le- even retain some of the original feel of the mate-
gato phrasing, such as strings and vocals. rial.

While Beat Detective has intelligent analysis al- Loop Matching

gorithms for detecting rhythmic material, some
material may be too far off the rhythmic grid, or Since Beat Detective can extract tempo and beat
have tempo changes that are too varied, to be information from audio, and conform audio to
useful with Beat Detective. an existing tempo, this makes it very useful for
aligning loops with different tempos or feels. If
one loop has a subtly different feel or groove,
Applications for Beat Detective you can potentially impose that groove on an-
Following are some useful applications for Beat other loop.
Detective.
Remixes
Extracting Tempo and Grooves from Audio Beat Detective can be used for remixes. It can ex-
Beat Detective can convert beat triggers to tract tempo from the original drum tracks, or in
Bar|Beat Markers, which makes it possible to ex- some instances the original stereo mix. New
tract tempo from audio that was recorded with- tracks, audio or MIDI, can then be conformed to
out listening to a click—even if the audio con- the original material, or the original material
tains varying tempos, or material that is swung. can be conformed to new drum tracks, achiev-
ing an entirely new feel.
Once the Bar|Beat Markers have been generated
from the source audio, other audio regions and Smoothing Post-Production Edits
MIDI tracks in the session can be quantized to it.
Beat Detective’s Edit Smoothing can be used to
automatically clean up foley tracks that contain
Conforming Audio to an Existing Tempo Map
many regions that need to be trimmed and
If your session already has the right tempo, you crossfaded, effectively removing the gaps of si-
can conform audio with a different tempo, or lence between the regions (so you can retain the
with varying tempos, to the session’s tempo. If room tone throughout the track).
desired, the conformed audio can retain a per-
centage of its original feel, and you can increase
or reduce the amount of swing in the con-
formed material.

280 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Beat Detective Window

Figure 17. Beat Detective window

The Beat Detective window has four different Edit Smoothing After conforming regions, this
modes, accessed by the tabs in the upper left of option is used to fill the gaps between the re-
the window. Depending on the mode, the con- gions by automatically trimming them, and in-
trols in the upper right of the window change. serting crossfades if desired.
The Selection options for Beat Detective, in the
center, are available in each of the modes. Collection Mode Click this button to access a
sub-mode for collecting beat triggers for multi-
The Beat Detective modes include: ple tracks, each with different Detection param-
eters.
Bar|Beat Marker Generation Automatically gen-
erates Bar|Beat Markers corresponding to tran-
Opening the Beat Detective Window
sients detected in the audio selection.

Region Separation Automatically separates and To open the Beat Detective window:
creates new regions based on transients detected ■ Choose Windows > Show Beat Detective.
in the audio selection.
– or –
Region Conform Conforms all separated regions ■ Press Command+8 (Macintosh) or Control+8
within the selection to the current tempo map. (Windows) on the numeric keypad.
You can preserve some of the original feel of the
material with the Strength and Exclude Within Beat Detective is a floating window that can be
option, or impose an amount swing with the left open while working, adjusting the parame-
Swing option. ters in real time during playback, while viewing
the beat triggers that appear in your selection in
the Edit window.

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 281

 To define a selection for Beat Detective:
Defining the Selection for 1 In the Edit window, select a range of audio
Beat Detective material. To work with multiple tracks, Shift-
Whether you will be generating Bar|Beat Mark- click in each additional track, or use an Edit
ers, or separating regions to be conformed, the Group.
first step in using Beat Detective is to define the
Make sure the selection’s start and end
Selection parameters for the audio material you
points fall cleanly on the beat. To zero in on
want to analyze.
start and end points, see “Tabbing to Tran-
sients” on page 203.

You can easily recall an Edit selection by

saving it as a Memory Location. See “Mem-
ory Locations and Markers” on page 270.

2 To keep the Edit selection intact while playing

Beat Detective, Selection options or looping from any location, deselect Opera-
Beat Detective can work with selections on tions > Link Edit and Timeline Selection.
multi-channel tracks, or with selections across 3 Choose Windows > Show Beat Detective.
multiple tracks. This is especially useful if you
4 Enter a Time Signature for the material.
have different drum parts on different tracks
and want the rhythmic events on each track de- 5 To set the selection range, do one of the fol-
tected, thereby generating a set of trigger points lowing:
from all of the material as a whole.
• Enter locations for the Start Bar|Beat and End
For Beat Detective to accurately generate beat Bar|Beat. For a four-bar selection that starts on
triggers that are metrically accurate, it’s very im- beat 1, enter 1|1 and 5|1.
portant that the length and meter of the selec- • If unsure of the length of the material, enter
tion be defined correctly. This is crucial whether the Start Bar|Beat and click the Tap button re-
you intend to generate Bar|Beat Markers, or sep- peatedly to automatically calculate the End
arate and conform regions. In addition, the se- Bar|Beat. When using Tap with long selec-
lection cannot contain any meter changes. tions, continue to tap until the End Bar|Beat
stabilizes. Once stabilized, you may need to
To account for the timbrel subtleties and
manually adjust the number to the nearest
rhythmic nuances of freely recorded mate-
bar boundary.
rial, you may want to work with smaller se-
lections. • If the selection’s tempo matches the session
tempo (see “Calculating a Selection’s Tempo
with Beat Detective” on page 283), and it
aligns correctly with the sessions’s bars and
beats, click the Capture Selection button.

6 If the material contains 32nd notes or triplets,

select those options.

282 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Calculating a Selection’s Tempo with
Beat Detective Detecting Transients with
Beat Detective
If you know the start and end points of a selec-
tion, and its time signature, you can use Beat Once you’ve accurately defined the selection
Detective to calculate its average tempo. This al- range, Beat Detective can generate beat triggers
lows you to automatically define the selection based on the peak transients detected in the ma-
range (with the Capture Selection button) when terial. The range and type of transients found
using Beat Detective. can be adjusted with the Detection settings, al-
lowing you to zero in on the bars, beats, and
To calculate a selection’s tempo with Beat sub-beats in the material, while avoiding the
Detective: non-rhythmic content.
1 In the Edit window, select a range of audio
material. Make sure the selection’s start and end
points fall cleanly on the beat. To zero in on
start and end points, see “Tabbing to Transients”
on page 203.

2 Choose Windows > Show Beat Detective and

click the tab for Bar|Beat Generation.
Beat Detective, Detection options
3 Enter a Time Signature for the selection.
To detect beat triggers for the selection:
4 Enter the Start Bar|Beat and End Bar|Beat for
1 In the Beat Detective window, click the tab for
the selection.
Bar|Beat Generation.
5 With the Sensitivity slider set to 0%, click An-
2 From the Analysis pop-up menu, choose one
alyze.
of the following detection algorithms:
6 Click Generate to automatically insert
• High Emphasis, works well with high-fre-
Bar|Beat Markers at the beginning and end of
quency material, such as cymbals and hi-hats,
the selection, representing the material’s aver-
while avoiding low-frequency material.
age tempo.
• Low Emphasis, works well with low frequency
material, such as bass guitar and kick drum, as
well as with most tonal material, such as pi-
ano or rhythm guitar.

3 Click the Analyze button.

4 Depending on the rhythmic content of the se-

lection, set the Resolution to Bars, Beats, or Sub-
Beats.

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 283

 5 Adjust the Sensitivity slider until beat triggers ◆ Check the thickness of the beat triggers to see
appear on the beats and sub-beats in the selec- if they align properly with the material. Thick
tion. triggers fall on barlines, medium triggers fall on
beats, and thin triggers fall on sub-beats.
◆ Select the option for Show Trigger Time and
see if the (assumed) metric locations of the trig-
gers align with the material. A false trigger could
cause other triggers downstream to have the
Beat triggers
wrong locations.
Bar triggers are indicated with thick lines, beat ◆ Consider whether lengthy selections with
triggers with medium lines, and sub-beat trig- should first be broken down into smaller selec-
gers with thin lines. tions, which could be more easily managed.
6 Zoom in and scroll through the selection, if ◆ For selections across multiple tracks, consider
necessary, to confirm that the beat triggers are whether it may be easier to work with them in-
appearing in the appropriate locations. If false dividually, or whether Collection Mode may be
triggers appear between the beats or sub-beats, needed (see “Beat Detective and Collection
representing non-rhythmic material, reduce the Mode” on page 290).
Sensitivity value.

7 To display the metric locations for the triggers, Editing Beat Triggers
select the Show Trigger Time option.
Even though Beat Detective offers a large
8 If you can’t get the beat triggers to appear at amount of flexibility in how transients are de-
the right locations, go back to step 2 and try the tected, there may times when beat triggers must
other Analysis algorithm. be deleted, moved, or manually inserted.

Tips for Getting Useful Triggers Deleting Beat Triggers

Use the following tips to verify beat triggers: False triggers, which do not represent an actual
beat or sub-beat in the source material, may ap-
◆ To focus on a particular area in the selection,
pear when raising the Sensitivity slider to detect
unlink the Edit and Timeline selections and set
low-level material. In these instances you can
the playback range by clicking or dragging in
locate and manually delete the false triggers.
any Timebase Ruler.
◆ Set the Edit window to scroll during playback, To delete a beat trigger:
zoom in, and watch for the triggers as the win-
dow scrolls. If necessary, use half-speed playback 1 With the Beat Detective window still open,

by Shift-clicking Play in the Transport window. choose the Grabber tool in the Edit window.

284 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Locate the false trigger you want to delete. Promoting Beat Triggers
Transients for false triggers usually have smaller
To ensure that important beat triggers do not
peaks than the other trigger points, and typi-
disappear when lowering the Sensitivity value,
cally fall between the sub-beats.
you can promote them. This is useful if a selec-
tion has many false triggers (too many to bother
deleting) at a Sensitivity level where crucial,
necessary triggers appear. If lowering the Sensi-
tivity slider causes the needed triggers to disap-
pear, simply promote them first.

Deleting a beat trigger To promote a beat trigger:

3 Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win- 1 Raise the Sensitivity slider until the desired
dows) the trigger to delete it. transient is detected and a beat trigger appears.

2 Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click

Moving Beat Triggers
(Windows) the beat trigger to promote it.
You can adjust the placement of triggers to al-
3 Lower the Sensitivity slider to a value where
low for the attack of their transients, or to com-
the false triggers disappear.
pensate for an individual transient that is
slightly ahead of or behind the beat. Once beat triggers are promoted, they will only
disappear if the Sensitivity value is set to 0%. To
To move a beat trigger: demote all beat triggers in the selection—return-
1 With the Beat Detective window still open, ing them to their original state—you can click
choose the Grabber tool in the Edit window. the Analyze button.

2 Locate the beat trigger you want to move and Inserting Beat Triggers
drag it left or right.
If an important beat or sub-beat is not detected,
because of low level, you can manually insert a
beat trigger.

To insert a beat trigger:

1 With the Beat Detective window still open,
choose the Grabber tool in the Edit window.

2 Click in the selection where you want to insert

the new trigger. After clicking, you can drag left
or right to adjust its placement.

If you click too close to an existing trigger, the

existing trigger will be moved to the new loca-
Moving a beat trigger tion.

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 285

 Redefining a Beat Trigger’s Metric Location
Generating Bar|Beat Markers
It is important that beat triggers represent the
with Beat Detective
correct metric location, so that Bar|Beat Markers
are generated accurately, and so that regions are Once Beat Detective has accurately detected the
conformed to the right locations. peak transients in the audio selection and accu-
rately generated beat triggers, you can convert
If some material is slightly off the beat, Beat De- them to Bar|Beat Markers. This allows you to ex-
tective may assign it, as well as other transients tract a tempo map from the material and use it
in the selection, the wrong metric location. for the session.
For example, if you have a bass track where a If beat triggers are accurately represented on the
note was intended to be a downbeat, but was sub-beats, the material’s groove can potentially
played too early, Beat Detective may define its be imposed on other audio regions and MIDI
location as occurring a 32nd note before the tracks.
downbeat. If you then separate and conform the
region containing this note, it will move to the If you want to match the audio material to the
wrong place (subsequent regions may end up in session’s existing tempo map, you would not
the wrong location as well). want to generate Bar|Beat Markers from the ma-
terial. You would instead use Beat Detective to
If you find that a beat trigger is not assigned the separate and conform the material (see “Separat-
correct metric location, you can redefine it. ing and Conforming Regions with Beat Detec-
tive” on page 287).
The change the metric location of a beat trigger:
1 Double-click the beat trigger you want to edit. To generate Bar|Beat Markers with Beat
Detective:
1 In the Beat Detective window, click the tab for
Bar|Beat Marker Generation.

2 Define the selection for the audio material (see

“Defining the Selection for Beat Detective” on
page 282).
Identify Trigger dialog
3 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
2 In the Identify Trigger dialog, enter the correct tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
location for the trigger, then click OK. (see “Detecting Transients with Beat Detective”
on page 283).

4 Click the Generate button. Bar|Beat Markers

are generated, based on the beat triggers, and
appear in the Tempo Ruler.

286 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Capturing a Groove with Sub- To separate regions with Beat Detective:
Beats 1 In the Beat Detective window, click the tab for
Region Separation.
To extract the groove from a selection, set the
Resolution to Sub-Beats when detecting tran- 2 Define the selection for the audio material (see
sients. This ensures that the inner rhythms “Defining the Selection for Beat Detective” on
within each bar (if they indeed exist) are repre- page 282).
sented when generating Bar|Beat Markers. These
3 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
Bar|Beat Markers can then be used to quantize
tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
other audio regions or MIDI tracks, thereby im-
(see “Detecting Transients with Beat Detective”
posing the groove from the audio material.
on page 283).
When quantizing regions or MIDI notes to
4 Click the Separate button. Regions are sepa-
Bar|Beat Markers on sub-beats that repre-
rated based on the detected beat triggers.
sent a swing feel, make sure to use a
straight quantize value (with the Swing op-
Separating Multiple Tracks
tion for Quantize disabled).
You can use beat triggers from a single track, or
subset of tracks, to separate a group of tracks. For
Separating and Conforming example, after analyzing a selection on a kick
Regions with Beat Detective drum track (with transients detected on beats 1
and 3), you can extend the selection to the hi-
Once beat triggers appear in your selection, they hat and snare tracks before performing the Sep-
can be used to define start and end points for arate.
new regions that can be separated automati-
cally. The new regions can then be conformed This results in regions separated from each of
to the session’s existing tempo map. the drum tracks at the same location, based on
the beat triggers from the kick drum track. The
separated regions can then be conformed as a
group.

To extend a selection to another track, Shift-

click in the desired track, or enable an Edit
Group

Beat Detective, Conform options

If you instead want to clean up the timing for

the selection, and are basically happy with the
existing tempo, make sure to first extract the
tempo from the material by generating Bar|Beat
Markers (see “Generating Bar|Beat Markers with
Beat Detective” on page 286).

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 287

 Conforming Regions with Beat To conform regions with Beat Detective:
Detective 1 In the Beat Detective window, click the tab for
Region Conform.
After regions have been separated with Beat De-
tective, the regions can then be conformed to 2 To affect how strongly the regions are con-
the session’s tempo map. This is similar to using formed, select the Strength option and specify a
the Quantize Regions command, but with one percentage value with either the slider or by typ-
important difference. Beat Detective can adjust ing in a value:
the position of all regions, whether they have a
• Lower percentage values preserve the original
straight, swing or triplet fee, with a single oper-
feel of the regions.
ation.
• Higher percentage values align the regions
more tightly to the grid, with 100% aligning
precisely to the grid.

To “tighten up” the original feel, while re-

taining it, set the Strength option to
85–88%.

3 To affect which regions are conformed, select

Beat Detective, Conform options
the Exclude Within option and specify a per-
Beat Detective will conform any selected region, centage value with the slider or by typing in a
whether or not it was separated with Beat Detec- value:
tive. However, in order to successfully conform
• Lower percentage values ensure that regions
regions with Beat Detective, the region start
further away from the grid are conformed,
points must correspond to the start of the mate-
while those closer to the grid are not.
rial that will align with the session’s bars and
beats. This should generally not be a problem if • Higher percentage values ensure that regions
the regions were separated with Beat Detective closer to the grid, as well as those further
(as opposed to manually separated or trimmed). away, are conformed.

If Beat Detective has successfully captured To “tighten up” the original feel, while re-
enough of the sub-beats from a selection be- taining it, set the Exclude Within option to
fore separating, you can conform with the 10–15%.
Swing option to change the groove from a
4 To achieve a swing feel for the conformed re-
“straight” feel to one that is swung.
gions, select the Swing option and whether the
swing is based on 8th or 16th notes, then specify
a percentage value with the slider or by typing
in a value:
• Smaller percentage values yield less swing,
with 0% yielding none.
• Larger percentage values yield more swing,
with 100% yielding a triplet, swing feel.

288 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• Percentage values between 100–150 move the To use Edit Smoothing on conformed regions:
regions beyond a triplet, swing feel, toward
1 Choose Windows > Beat Detective.
the next 16th-note boundary (provided the
Swing note value is set to 8th notes). 2 Make sure the conformed regions are selected
in the Edit window.
5 Click the Conform button to automatically
conform all regions in the selection. 3 In the Beat Detective window, click the tab for
Edit Smoothing.

4 Select one of the following Smoothing op-

tions:
• Fill Gaps, trims region end points so that the
Regions conformed with Beat Detective gaps between regions are filled.
• Fill And Crossfade, trims region end points
Audition the new conformed regions by clicking
and automatically adds a pre-fade (in ms) di-
Play in the Transport window. If necessary, se-
rectly before each region start point.
lect Edit > Undo and try a different set of Con-
form settings. 5 Click the Smooth button to smooth the edits
for the selected regions.
Edit Smoothing
After regions are conformed, there are gaps be-
tween the regions. These gaps can cause the ma-
terial to sound unnatural on playback.

Regions before and after Edit Smoothing

Audition the new conformed regions by clicking

Beat Detective, Smoothing options Play in the Transport window. If necessary, se-
lect Edit > Undo and adjust the Crossfade
Beat Detective can automatically fill the gaps be- Length.
tween regions, and even add crossfades if de-
sired. This Edit Smoothing option can be used
Edit Smoothing Creates Sync Points
with regions that have been conformed, or with
a track that contains many regions (such as a After smoothing edits with Beat Detective, sync
sound effects track) that need to be trimmed points (corresponding to the material’s start
and crossfaded. This automated process of point) are automatically created for the con-
smoothing region edits could potentially save formed regions. This allows you to later con-
many hours of tedious editing. form the regions to a different tempo map, or
with a different set of Conform settings.

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 289

 Consolidating Regions after Edit Drum Tracks and Collection Mode
Smoothing
Suppose you have drum tracks for kick, snare,
The process of separating, conforming, and toms, and overhead mics. If you analyze a selec-
smoothing with Beat Detective can leave tracks tion across all of the tracks, you may get many
with many regions and many crossfades. If you false triggers when you raise the Sensitivity
are working with multiple tracks, the density of slider high enough to capture the hi-hat mate-
these edits may lead to system performance rial (coming mainly from the track for the over-
problems. head mics).

Once you are satisfied with the results from Beat However, if you analyze only the track for the
Detective, it is recommended that you “flatten” overhead mics, the resulting beat triggers are
the tracks with the Consolidate Selection com- slightly later than the material on the other
mand, thereby writing contiguous audio files tracks (since sound travels more slowly to the
and regions, which are easier to play. See “Con- overhead mics). If you then extend the selection
solidate Selection Command” on page 256. to the other drum tracks and separate, the re-
gions from the kick, snare, and tom tracks will
Before consolidating a large selection across be cut slightly late.
multiple tracks, make there is enough RAM
available. See “RAM Requirements for Beat With Collection Mode, you can analyze each
Detective” on page 279. drum track separately, one at a time, optimizing
the Detection settings for each track until you
get the desired triggers. The triggers for each
Beat Detective and Collection track are added successively to the collection,
which can then be used to generate Bar|Beat
Mode Markers or separate new regions.
In some instances, it may be difficult for Beat
Detective to successfully analyze multiple tracks
Using Collection Mode
with the same Detection settings. With Beat De-
tective’s Collection Mode, you can collect a set Collection Mode is accessed by clicking the Col-
of beat triggers from different tracks, each with lection Mode button from the Bar|Beat Marker
different Detection settings, and use the collec- Generation or Region Separation page.
tion of triggers to generate Bar|Beat Markers or
separate new regions.

This method of selectively adding beat triggers

from separate analyses passes on different
tracks, until you get only the triggers you want,
is potentially much more effective than manu-
ally deleting, inserting, or adjusting incorrect of
false triggers. Beat Detective, Collection Mode options

290 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To use Beat Detective’s Collection Mode:
1 Define the selection for the first audio track
you want to analyze (see “Defining the Selection
for Beat Detective” on page 282).

2 Adjust the Detection parameters so the de-

sired beat triggers appear (see “Detecting Tran-
sients with Beat Detective” on page 283).

3 Click the Collection Mode button.

4 In the Collection mode sub-pane, click Add to

add the current beat triggers to the collection.

5 Click the Normal Mode button and repeat the

previous steps for each track you want to ana-
lyze. Make sure to keep the selection range the
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 (because of mic leakage), Beat
Detective keeps only the earlier triggers.

6 Once the desired beat triggers have been

added to the collection, you can use them to
generate Bar|Beat Markers, or separate new re-
gions. This must be done from the Collection
Mode sub-pane (when the triggers are displayed
in multi-colors).

To separate regions across multiple tracks,

make sure to extend the selection to any ad-
ditional tracks before separating.

the Beat Triggers stored in the Collection

Mode are saved with sessions. Therefore,
when you later open a session, the previous
collection material is still there (until you
clear it).

Chapter 22: Beat Detective 291

292 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part V: MIDI Editing

293
294
Chapter 23: MIDI Editing

You can edit individual MIDI notes and control- 3 Set the Time Scale to Bars:Beats. In addition,
ler events with the Pencil, Trimmer, and Grab- set the Edit mode to Grid and the Grid value to
ber. You can also use the various MIDI Opera- quarter notes (0|1|000).
tions (Quantize, Transpose, Change Velocity,
and Change Duration) to transform groups of With these settings, quarter notes will be in-
MIDI notes to affect pitch, timing, and phras- serted on the beat.
ing. For information on region-specific editing 4 Move the Pencil into the playlist area for the
for both MIDI and audio, see Chapter 17, MIDI track. Use the Edit window’s Ruler and the
“Working with Regions and Selections.” track’s mini-keyboard to locate the desired pitch
and location.

Inserting MIDI Notes with the

Pencil Tool Current Cursor display

In addition to recording and importing MIDI When using the Pencil, the Current Cursor dis-
into Pro Tools, you can manually insert MIDI play in the upper right of the Edit window pro-
notes with the Pencil tool. vides feedback on its location.

5 When the desired pitch and location are lo-

To insert a MIDI note with the Pencil: cated, click to insert the note.
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Notes.

2 Select the Pencil tool and make sure it is set to

Freehand.

Pencil tool set to Freehand

MIDI note inserted with the Pencil

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 295

 The velocity for inserted notes is determined by To insert a series of notes with random velocities:
the “Default Note On Velocity” setting in the
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Notes.
MIDI Preferences. The duration of the note is
determined by the Edit window’s Grid value. If 2 Select the Pencil tool and make sure it is set to
the MIDI Preferences option for “Play MIDI Random.
notes with Grabber and Pencil Tools” is enabled,
each inserted note will sound.

The Pencil can be dragged after clicking (and be- Pencil tool set to Random
fore releasing) to adjust the note’s pitch or dura-
tion. 3 Set the Time Scale to Bars:Beats. In addition,
set the Edit mode to Grid and the Grid value to
quarter notes (0|1|000).

With these settings, the inserted notes will be

spaced one quarter note apart.

4 Click at the point where the first note will be

Adjusting the duration for an inserted note inserted and drag to the right.

Click and drag right to lengthen the note with-

out changing its start point, click and drag left
to lengthen the note without changing its end
point.

With Grid mode enabled, Command-drag Inserting a series of notes with the Pencil
(Macintosh) or Control-drag (Windows)
5 When the desired number of notes are visible,
with the Pencil to snap the note’s end point
release.
to the nearest Grid boundary.
Use the Square shape for alternating velocities of
The Pencil tool shapes (Line, Triangle, Square,
loud and soft. Use the Triangle shape for a ramp
and Random) can be used to enter a series of
up and down of velocities. The Line shape en-
identical pitches with varying velocities. The
ters notes with identical velocities.
length and spacing for the inserted notes is de-
termined by the current Grid value. The note ve-
locities are determined by the Pencil shape.

296 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 When using the Selector, a note’s start point
Manually Editing MIDI Notes must be included in order for it to become se-
lected. When a MIDI track is displaying notes
All aspects of a MIDI note can be edited from the
(or regions), selections made with the Selector
Edit window, including start and end points,
include underlying controller and automation
duration, pitch, and velocity. The Grabber and
data.
Selector can operate on individual notes or
groups of notes.
To select a single pitch for the entire length of a
track:
Selecting MIDI Notes
■ On the mini-keyboard, Command-Shift-click

To select a group of MIDI notes: (Macintosh) or Control-Shift-click (Windows)

the note.
■ With the Grabber, Shift-click each note.
– or –

■ With the Grabber, move the cursor to where

there are no notes (the Marquee appears) and
click and draw a rectangle around the group of
Selecting a pitch from the mini-keyboard
notes.
To remove one or more notes from a selection:
■ With the Grabber, Shift-click the notes so they

become deselected.

Selecting notes with the Grabber

Transposing Notes with the Grabber

When using the Grabber, if any portion of the MIDI notes can be transposed by dragging up or
rectangle touches a note (either its start or end down with the Grabber. If several notes are se-
point), the note is included in the selection. Se- lected before dragging, each is transposed.
lections made with the Grabber do not include
underlying controller and automation data for To transpose a MIDI note:
the MIDI track. 1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Notes.
– or – 2 Select the Grabber tool.
■ With the Selector, drag across a range of notes. 3 While pressing Shift, drag the note up or
down.

Selecting notes with the Selector

Transposing with the Grabber

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 297

 The Shift key ensures that the transposed note Trimming Note Start and End Times
retains its start point. While dragging, each new
note sounds and the Current Cursor display in- Like regions, start and end points for MIDI notes
dicates the number of semitones and direction can be adjusted with the Trimmer tool. If several
(+/-) for the transpose. notes are selected when performing the trim,
each note is changed.
To transpose a copy of the note, leaving the
original unchanged, press Option (Macin- To change the end points for a group of MIDI
tosh) or Control (Windows) while dragging. Notes:
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Notes.
Moving Notes with the Grabber
2 Using the Grabber, Shift-click each note you
Like regions, MIDI notes can be dragged left or want to trim.
right with the Grabber to change their start
point. If several notes are selected before drag- 3 Select the Trimmer tool. For TDM systems,

ging, each is moved. make sure the Standard Trimmer is selected in

its pop-up menu.
To move a MIDI note:
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Notes.

2 With the Grabber, drag the note left or right Trimmer tool set to Standard
(press Shift while dragging to preserve the note’s 4 Move the cursor near the end of any of the
pitch). highlighted notes, so the Trim cursor appears.
Drag left to shorten the notes, drag right to
As the note is dragged, the Current Cursor dis-
lengthen them.
play indicates the new start point.

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.

To copy the selected notes, leaving the orig-

inals intact, press Option (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows) while dragging. Changing note end times with the Trimmer

If using Grid mode, the dragged start/end point

The placement of MIDI notes can also be snap to the nearest Grid boundary. If using Spot
adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Command” mode, the Spot dialog opens, where you can en-
on page 224) or Nudge (see “Nudging” on ter the new location for the note’s start or end
page 221). point.

Notes can also be trimmed with the Trim To Se-

lection command (see “Trim To Selection Com-
mand” on page 211) and the Trim To Insertion
command (see “Trim To Insertion Command”
on page 216).

298 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Manually Editing Note Velocities To draw velocity values that fade in:

When a MIDI track’s Display Format is set to Ve- 1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Veloc-

locity, each note’s attack velocity is represented ity.

with a velocity stalk. The taller the velocity 2 Select the Pencil tool with the shape set to
stalk, the higher the velocity value (0-127). Line.

3 Click at the beginning of the note range, near

To edit a velocity stalk with the Grabber:
the bottom of the velocity range, and drag to
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Veloc- the right and up.
ity.

2 Select the Grabber tool.

3 Drag the top (diamond) of the velocity stalk

up or down.

Changing velocities with the Line shape

4 Once the line encompasses the desired range

of notes, along with the desired steepness of the
fade, release.
Dragging a velocity stalk
You can also use the Trimmer tool to scale the
– or – velocities for all selected notes. This is useful if
you like the velocity relationship between the
If two notes have the same start time (with ve- notes, but want them to be louder or softer.
locity stalks on top of each other), Command-
drag (Macintosh) or Control-drag (Windows) To scale velocities with the Trimmer:
the actual note up or down.
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Veloc-
Drag up to increase the velocity value, down to ity.
decrease it. While dragging, the diamond turns
2 Using either the Selector or Grabber, select the
blue and the associated note becomes selected.
range of notes to be edited.
The dragged velocity values are reflected in the
Current Cursor display. 3 With the Trimmer, click near the range of se-
lected notes and drag up or down. Dragging up
The velocities for a range of notes can be edited
boosts the velocities for each note, dragging
with the Pencil tool, either by Freehand or with
down reduces them.
any of the Pencil tool shapes.

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 299

 Typing in Note Attributes Multiple Notes and Event Edit Area
When an individual note is selected with the When multiple notes are selected, you can enter
Grabber, its attributes are displayed in the Event values in the Event Edit area fields to affect all
Edit area. selected notes.

A new value in the Start field moves the first

note in the selection to that location, with all
other notes moving with it.
Event Edit Area, Pitch attribute selected

Pitch is listed by note name and octave number.

Attack and release velocities are listed with their
MIDI values (0-127). Times for Start, End, and Multiple notes in the Event Edit area
Length are displayed in the Main Time Scale.
Values entered in the pitch and velocity fields
add to or subtract from the values for all selected
To change an attribute for a MIDI note:
notes. For example, to transpose all selected
1 In the MIDI track’s playlist area, select the notes down an octave, enter a value –12 for
note with the Grabber. pitch.
2 Click in the Attribute’s text box and do one of
the following. Deleting MIDI Notes
• Enter the new value on the numeric keypad.
In addition to deleting selected notes with the
• Press the Up or Down Arrow to scroll to the Clear command in the Edit menu, individual
new value. notes can also be deleted with the Pencil tool.
• While pressing Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows), drag up or down to scroll To delete a group of MIDI notes with the Clear
to the new value. command:

• Play the new note value on your MIDI con- 1 With the Grabber or Selector, select the notes

troller keyboard. to be deleted. For details, see “Selecting MIDI

Notes” on page 297.
Press the slash key to move between the fields in
2 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected
the Event Edit area.
notes. The track’s underlying controller data re-
mains intact.

When deleting MIDI notes within a time

range selection, all underlying controller
and automation data is also deleted.

300 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To delete a single MIDI note with the Pencil: Continuous controller events that can be in-
serted and edited in Pro Tools include:
■ With the Pencil tool selected, press Option
(Macintosh) or Alt (Windows) so the tool • volume
changes to an Eraser, then click the note to de- • pan
lete it.
• pitch bend
• aftertouch (mono)
• MIDI controllers, 0–127

Polyphonic aftertouch cannot be viewed in

the Edit window. To view polyphonic after-
Deleting a note with Pencil
touch in Pro Tools, use the MIDI Event List
(see Chapter 25, “MIDI Event List”).
Program change events and sysex events can
also be deleted by Option-clicking (Macin- MIDI controller #7 (volume) and #10 (pan) are
tosh) or Alt-clicking (Windows) them with treated by Pro Tools as automation data. This
the Pencil tool. means that these controller events (along with
Mutes) can be recorded and automated from the
Mix window; in addition, each MIDI track’s au-
Continuous Controller Events tomation mode affects how these events are
played back and recorded.
Continuous controller events for MIDI tracks
are displayed in the form of a line graph with a While a MIDI track’s volume and pan (and
series of editable breakpoints. Controller events mute) events can be suspended, all other con-
for MIDI tracks differ somewhat from automa- troller events in the track always play.
tion data for audio tracks in that the breakpoints
Continuous controller events (including vol-
are stepped (instead of vector-based), where
ume and pan) can be recorded from an external
each breakpoint represents a single controller
MIDI controller (such as a keyboard or control
event.
surface), and they can be inserted in a MIDI
track’s playlist with the Grabber or Pencil.

MIDI track displaying volume events

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 301

 Inserting/Editing Controller
Events Program Changes
Continuous controller events can be edited with Each MIDI track can have a default program
any of the following methods: change that is sent each time the track plays.
Additional program changes can be inserted at
◆ Individual breakpoints can be dragged with any point within the track.
the Grabber to adjust their location or value.
◆ A group of selected breakpoints can be scaled About Program and Bank Changes
up or down with the Trimmer.
The MIDI protocol lets you choose from a range
◆ New controller events can be drawn in with
of 128 programs (0-127). Most MIDI instru-
the Pencil tool to replace existing events. Events
ments have several banks of 128 programs. To
can be drawn with the Pencil set to Freehand, or
specify which bank you’re selecting from, a bank
using any of the shapes (Line, Triangle, Square,
select message must be sent. Some instruments
or Random).
use Controller 0 to switch the bank while others
◆ Controller events can be copied and pasted, use Controller 32 (some use a combination of
nudged, and shifted. the two). The Program Change window in
Pro Tools allows you to use either of these bank
For details on these editing procedures, see
select messages when inserting a program
Chapter 28, “Automation.”
change event. Check with the manufacturer’s
Edits to volume data affect all tracks within documentation to see which message your de-
an enabled Edit Group. This is not the case, vice uses.
however, for other controller playlists (such
as pan). To insert and edit other controller Bank Changes for Older MIDI Devices
types across all tracks in an Edit Group,
Some older MIDI devices (such as the Kurzweil
press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key
K1000) use a program change instead of a Bank
(Windows) while performing the edits.
Select message to switch banks. For these de-
vices you may find it necessary to send two pro-
Resolution for Inserted Controller
gram change messages to access a particular pro-
Events
gram, where the first sets the bank and the
When inserting controller events with the Pen- second sets the program.
cil, the density of the events is determined by
the MIDI Preference for “Pencil Tool Resolution
When Drawing Controller Data.”

To set the Pencil tool resolution:

1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click MIDI.

2 Enter a value for “Pencil Tool Resolution

When Drawing Controller Data.” The value
range is from 1 to 100 milliseconds.

3 Click OK.

302 Pro Tools Reference Guide

OMS Name Manager Default Program Change
(Macintosh Only) The default program change for each MIDI track
is specified by clicking on the Program button,
If your MIDI devices are subscribed to OMS
from either the Edit or Mix window. Once spec-
patch names, these names will appear in the
ified, the default program change message is
Program Change window in Pro Tools, and also
sent to your instrument when playing the track.
in the inserted program change events. If not,
programs will be selected and viewed by num-
ber. To set the default program change for a MIDI
track:
If OMS has a factory names document for any of 1 From the Edit or Mix window, click the Pro-
the MIDI devices in your Studio Setup, these fac- gram button.
tory names are automatically subscribed and ap-
pear in Pro Tools.

You can also open the OMS Names window

Program button
from Pro Tools and subscribe to names from
patch editor/librarian software, or even enter
Program button, Edit window
your own custom patch names.
The Program button in the Edit window (if the
To open the OMS Names window: Track Height is set to Medium or Larger) dis-
plays the name of the default program, or
■ Choose Setups > OMS Names.
“none” if one has not yet been specified. The
Program button in the Mix window (and in the
Edit window when the Track Height is set to
Small), is labeled as “P.”

2 In the Program Change window, select a pro-

gram number and, if necessary, specify a bank
change value.

OMS Names window

For details on using the OMS Names window,

refer to the online OMS Name Manager manual
included on the Pro Tools CD-ROM.
Program Change window

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 303

 If subscribed to OMS names, choose a bank from 3 Click with the Pencil in the track’s playlist at
the pop-up menu in the upper right of the Pro- the point where you want to insert the program
gram Change window. change.

4 In the Program Change window, select a pro-

gram number (or name) and, if necessary, spec-
ify a bank change value.

5 Click Done to insert the program change

event in the track’s playlist.
Choosing a bank in Program Change window

3 Click Done.

Once selected, the program number (or name)

appears in the Program button in the Edit win-
dow. To clear the default program change, select Program change event
None in the Program Change window.
To edit a program change event:
Unlike recorded and inserted program change 1 With the Grabber, double-click the program
events, the default program change does not ap- change event you want to edit.
pear in the track’s playlist.
2 In the Program Change window, select the
new program number (or name) and, if neces-
Inserting/Editing Program sary, specify a bank change value.
Changes
3 Click Done.
Program changes can be inserted into a track’s
playlist with the Pencil tool. Existing program To move a program change event:
changes can be edited, moved, and copied and
■ With the Grabber, drag the program change
pasted.
event left or right.
NOTE: On some instruments, changing programs
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
during playback can interrupt playback. To avoid
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
this, place program change events in the track
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens.
where there are no notes sounding.
The placement of program changes can also
To insert a program change with the Pencil: be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Com-
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Pro- mand” on page 224) or Nudge (see “Nudg-
gram. ing” on page 221).

2 If desired, set the Edit mode to Grid so the in-

serted event snaps to the Grid.

304 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To delete a program change event: After the specified number of seconds, Pro Tools
selects the next patch and transmits the pro-
1 With the track’s Display Format set to Notes,
gram change to the track’s assigned MIDI de-
click the program change event with the Grab-
vice. As desired, play your MIDI controller to au-
ber to select it.
dition the new patches.
– or –

If the region contains other events you want to

delete, select the entire region with the Grabber System Exclusive Events
(when the track is displaying regions).
System Exclusive (sysex) events can be recorded
2 Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected to MIDI tracks in Pro Tools (see “Recording Sys-
events from the track. tem Exclusive Data” on page 152). Once the
events are recorded, they appear in the track’s
Individual program change events can also
playlist as blocks when the Display Format is set
be deleted by Option-clicking (Macintosh)
to Sysex.
or Alt-clicking (Windows) them with the
Pencil.

Auditioning Programs
When the Program Change window is open, Sysex event block
you can have Pro Tools automatically scroll While the contents of recorded System Exclu-
through the different patches for a track’s as- sive events cannot be directly edited in
signed MIDI device. Pro Tools, the events can be moved or nudged,
copied and pasted, or deleted.
To audition patches from the Program Change
window:
To move a sysex event:
1 To audition patches for a MIDI track while it
1 Set the MIDI track’s Display Format to Sysex.
plays, click Play in the Transport window.
2 With the Grabber, drag the sysex event left or
2 Open the Program Change window by click-
right.
ing the Program button in the Mix window, or
by inserting or editing a program change event If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
in a MIDI track. snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens.
3 click a program number—the starting point
from which you will scroll through the patches. The placement of sysex event blocks can
4 If desired, enter a value for the number of sec- also be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Com-
onds that will elapse between each program mand” on page 224) or Nudge (see “Nudg-
change. ing” on page 221).

5 Select the option for Increment Patch.

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 305

 To delete one or more sysex events: Make sure to disable Note Chasing when work-
ing with samplers that are playing loops. If a
1 With the track’s Display Format set to Sysex,
MIDI track, for example, is triggering a 4-bar
click the sysex event with the Grabber to select
drum loop and you begin playing at bar 3, the
it.
loop will begin playing at the wrong time and be
– or – out of sync with the other tracks.
If the region contains other sysex events you
want to delete, select the entire region with the Controller and Program Chasing
Grabber (when the track is displaying regions).
Pro Tools always chases continuous controller
2 Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected events and program changes for MIDI tracks.
events from the track. This ensures that controller values and patches
for MIDI devices are always appropriately set.
Individual sysex event blocks can also be
deleted by Option-clicking (Macintosh) or For example, suppose a MIDI track lasting 32
Alt-clicking (Windows) them with the Pen- measures starts with a volume of 127 and in the
cil tool. last bar fades the volume down to 0. If after
playing the track in its entirety you attempt to
play from bar 8, the initial volume of 127 is
chased and sent to the track’s assigned device—
Note and Controller Chasing
otherwise the track would not be heard since the
Note chasing allows long, sustained MIDI notes most recent volume event sent would have been
to be heard when playing from a point after 0.
their start time. For example, if a note’s start
Chasing also occurs for a MIDI track’s default
time is at 1|1|000 and lasts for 8 measures (until
program change, along with any program
9|1|000), note chasing lets you begin playing
change events residing within the track. There-
from bar 5 and still hear the note that started at
fore, if you have chosen a default program
1|1|000 as it continues to sustain until 9|1|000.
change for a track, when playing from any point
Note Chasing is something that can turned on within the track, the program change event is
and off individually for each MIDI track. By de- sent to the track’s assigned device.
fault, new MIDI tracks have Note Chasing en-
abled. Default Controller Values and Chasing

To enable Note Chasing for a MIDI track: Though new MIDI tracks appear to have default
values for continuous controller playlists, this is
■ Click the track’s Playlist Selector and select actually not the case. For example, when view-
the option for Note Chasing. ing a MIDI track’s Mod Wheel playlist, you’ll see
that the breakpoint line is set to a default of
zero. However, since the modulation wheel on
your synth may purposely be set to a different
value, the default value in the track is not trans-
mitted when playing.
Note Chasing enabled in Playlist Selector pop-up

306 Pro Tools Reference Guide

This can cause some confusion, however, if you By configuring the Global MIDI Playback Offset,
insert a fade (for example, from 0–90) in the you can get your MIDI tracks to play back
Mod Wheel playlist towards the end of the slightly earlier (by a specified number of sam-
track. If you then play from the beginning of the ples), thereby compensating for the latency in
track, or from anywhere before the fade, the monitoring audio within Pro Tools LE.
Mod Wheel value on your synth will be at 90
until the beginning of the fade data is reached— To configure the Global MIDI Playback Offset:
which is likely not what you want.
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click MIDI.
To ensure that the default controller value for a 2 For the “Global MIDI Playback Offset” option,
playlist is sent (and chased), click the initial enter the number of samples (–10,000 to
breakpoint at the beginning of the track, move 10,000) for the offset. A negative value causes
it slightly, and set it back to the default value. the MIDI tracks to play back earlier than the au-
dio tracks, a positive value causes the MIDI
tracks to play back later.
Offsetting MIDI Tracks To allow for monitoring latency in Pro Tools LE,
Pro Tools can offset MIDI tracks globally or indi- set the offset to a value that is roughly equiva-
vidually. lent to the Hardware Buffer Size.

3 Click Done.
Global MIDI Playback Offset
The Global MIDI Playback Offset can also
Pro Tools offers a MIDI offset preference that al- be set from the MIDI Track Offsets window.
lows MIDI tracks to play back earlier or later
(than audio tracks) by a specified number of Individual MIDI Track Offsets
samples. The offset affects playback only and
does not alter in any way how MIDI data is dis- You can offset individual MIDI track offsets in
played in the Edit window. Pro Tools to compensate for delays in MIDI de-
vices (the time it takes to trigger events on a
This capability is provided in large part to com- sampler or synth).
pensate for the audio monitoring latency in
Pro Tools LE. If you are monitoring the output For example, if you have some kick drums that
of your MIDI devices with an external mixer or are being played by an audio track in Pro Tools
sound system (or headphones), there is no la- and want them to be perfectly “in sync” with
tency. If, however, you are monitoring the out- kick drums that are being played by a MIDI de-
put of your MIDI devices through a Digi 001 (or vice, you may need to use a MIDI offset. In this
Audiomedia III), your MIDI tracks will appear to example, it will usually take at least 5 ms to trig-
play slightly later than your audio tracks. The ger the MIDI notes, and it could take even
larger the setting for the Hardware Buffer Size longer, depending on the MIDI device.
(128, 256, 512, or 1024 samples), the larger the
latency.

Chapter 23: MIDI Editing 307

 You can measure the latency for a MIDI device
assigned to a MIDI track by recording its audio Stuck Notes
output back into Pro Tools. Compare the sam-
If you encounter stuck notes with any of your
ple locations for the recorded audio events
MIDI devices, you can silence them with the All
against the original MIDI notes to calculate the
Notes Off command.
latency.

To turn off all stuck notes:

To configure a MIDI track offset for a track:
■ Choose MIDI > All Notes Off.
1 Choose Windows > Show MIDI Track Offsets.
An All Notes Off message is sent to each channel
for all devices in your setup.

MIDI Track Offsets

2 Click in the Sample Offset column for the

MIDI track and enter the number of samples
(–10,000 to 10,000) for the offset. A negative
value causes the MIDI tracks to play back earlier
than the audio tracks, a positive value causes the
MIDI tracks to play back later.

The equivalent offset in milliseconds is dis-

played in the Msec Offset column. The value in
this column, indicated in italics, cannot be ed-
ited, and updates when a new value is entered in
the SMPTE Offset column.

3 Press Return (Macintosh) or Enter (Windows)

to accept the entered offset value.

To reset all offsets for all MIDI tracks, click the

Reset button in upper left of the window.

308 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations

The MIDI Operations window can be left open

MIDI Operations Window as desired, revisiting it as necessary to invoke a
command, or to try out different options for a
The MIDI Operations window opens when
particular command.
choosing any of the following commands from
the MIDI menu:
To show or hide the MIDI Operations window:
• Quantize
■ Choose Windows > Show MIDI Operations.
• Change Velocity
• Change Duration To invoke the command in the MIDI Operations
window:
• Transpose
■ Click Apply or press Enter on the numeric
• Select Notes
keypad. This invokes the command and leaves
• Split Notes the window in the foreground.
• Input Quantize – or –

■ Press Return (Macintosh) or Enter on the al-

pha keyboard (Windows). This invokes the com-

mand and moves the window to the
background.

To undo the command in the MIDI Operations

window:
■ Choose Edit > Undo.

Figure 18. MIDI Operations window

Using the MIDI Operations Window
To reconfigure the MIDI Operations window for
a different command, select the command from Use the following methods to easily configure
the MIDI menu or from the pop-up menu at the the various options, which vary from command
top of the window (see Figure 18). to command, in the MIDI Operations window:
◆ To move forward and back through the vari-
ous fields, press Tab or Shift+Tab.

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations 309

 ◆ Increment or decrement selected fields with Options for the Select Notes command include:
the Up/Down Arrows. Press and hold these keys
to scroll quickly through the values. All Notes All notes are selected.

◆ Command-drag (Macintosh) or Control-drag Notes Between Selects a range of notes between

(Windows) up or down in a selected field to the specified upper and lower note. Values for
scroll to a new value. the notes can be entered in pitch (C-1–G8) or
◆ Press Command (Macintosh) or Control MIDI note numbers (0–127).
(Windows) while adjusting sliders for finer reso- Top Selects the highest note or notes in each
lution. chord.
◆ For selected pitch and velocity fields, play a
note on your MIDI controller keyboard to auto- Bottom Selects the lowest note or notes in each
matically enter it. chord.

◆ Changing a value for a particular parameter

Selecting a Pitch Range of Notes
(such as the Swing Percentage in the Quantize
window), automatically enables the parameter. A common use for Select Notes is to select a sin-
gle note for the entire length of a region or track.
This is especially useful if you want to select a
note in a MIDI drum track (hi-hat, for instance),
Select Notes
and affect it over the selected time range with
The Select Notes command allows you to fur- the Quantize, Transpose, or Change Duration
ther narrow a selection of MIDI notes based on command.
pitch. The command can be used to select a sin-
gle note or note range for the entire length of a To select only the hi-hats in a General MIDI drum
region or track, or to select the upper or lower track:
voices within chords. 1 Using the Grabber or Selector, select the range
of MIDI notes that contains the note.

2 Choose MIDI > Select Notes.

3 Select the Notes Between option with the note

range set to F#1 and F#1.

For a General MIDI drum kit, the closed hi-hat is

assigned to F#1 (MIDI note number 42). If the
hi-hat for your drumkit is assigned to a different
note, make sure to specify it.
Select Notes window
4 Click Apply.

310 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting Notes in a Chord One use for this command would be if you re-
corded a track with chords in the left hand and
Another use for Select Notes is to select only the melody in the right. With the Split Notes com-
upper or lower notes in a chord. Many times mand, you could cut the melody notes and
you’ll want to affect only the upper or lower paste them to another track so you could assign
notes in a chord—to boost their velocities, or them to play on a different device or channel.
transpose their pitch. Another use is to split the various notes (kick,
snare, toms etc.) from a single drum track to sep-
To select only the bass notes in a chord: arate tracks.
1 Using the Grabber or Selector, select the range
of MIDI notes that contains the chords. To cut a specific pitch range of notes:

2 Choose MIDI > Select Notes. 1 Using the Grabber or Selector, select the range
of MIDI notes that contains the notes.
3 Select the Bottom option and leave the num-
ber of notes set to 1. 2 Choose MIDI > Split Notes.

4 Click Apply. 3 In the Split Notes dialog, select the option for
Notes Between and enter the low and high notes
NOTE: In order for notes to be considered a chord, for the pitch range.
their start times must be within five ticks of each
other. When the either of the Pitch fields are selected,
you can play a pitch on your MIDI controller to
automatically enter it.
Split Notes
4 Click Apply. Notes falling within the specified
The Split Notes command has the same selec- pitch range are removed from the selection and
tion criteria as the Select Notes command, but placed on the Clipboard. The notes can then be
also lets you automatically cut or copy the se- pasted or merged to another a track.
lected notes when clicking Apply.

Quantize
The Quantize command adjusts MIDI note loca-
tions and durations so that timing is improved,
or so that a particular rhythmic “feel” is
achieved. Quantize works by aligning notes to a
Quantize Grid, the size of which is defined in
the Quantize window by a standard note dura-
tion.

Split Notes window

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations 311

 The Quantize command is not the same as the What to Quantize
Quantize Regions command (in the Edit menu).
The Quantize Regions command adjusts the The options under “What to Quantize” deter-
start point for a selected region, and its contents mine which aspects of the notes are quantized:
are moved along with the region (with rhythmic attacks, releases, or both.
relationships remaining intact). Attacks When selected, note start points are
The Quantize command, on the other hand, af- quantized.
fects MIDI notes individually. Some notes may Releases When selected, note end points are
be moved back in time, others forward; and, quantized.
some notes will be more drastically affected
than others. Don’t Change Durations When deselected with
the Attacks option selected, note end points are
The settings in the Quantize window are not moved. When deselected with the Releases
saved with each session. To store your fa- option selected, note start points are not moved.
vorite settings as the default for use in future
sessions, save them as part of a session tem- If the options for both Attacks and Releases are
plate (see “Creating Custom Session Tem- selected, the Don’t Change Durations option is
plates” on page 55). ignored (and dimmed).

To open the Quantize window, choose MIDI > Figure 19 shows how notes are adjusted by the
Quantize. Each of the Quantize options is dis- different What To Quantize options.
cussed in the following sections.

before quantize

Quantize window
Figure 19. What To Quantize examples

312 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Quantize Grid Quantize Options
The Quantize Grid determines the beat bound- Additional Quantize options include:
aries to which notes are aligned. Any size from
whole notes to thirty-second notes (including Include Within When selected, attacks and re-
dotted values) can be selected for the grid size. leases are only quantized if located within the
specified percentage of the Quantize Grid. Use
Tuplet Select the Tuplet option to quantize irreg- this option to clean up downbeats without af-
ular note groupings like triplets or quintuplets. fecting notes that are “swung” or wildly off the
The Quantize Grid for tuplets is calculated from beat.
the note size selection and the Tuplet value. For
instance, if an eighth note equals 480 ticks, tu- Figure 20 shows the Quantize Grid set to quarter
plet eighth notes with 3 in time of 2 would yield notes with the Include Within option set to
a grid size of 320 ticks (480 ticks / 3 * 2). 50%. Only attacks and releases falling within
the shaded area (equivalent to an eight note
Offset Grid By Offsets the Quantize Grid forward area around each beat) are quantized.
or back in time by a specified number of ticks.
Use this option to achieve a pushed (positive
values) or laid back (negative values) feel.

To Quantize just the backbeats, set the

Quantize Grid to half-notes with an Offset
of 960 ticks.
Figure 20. Include Within option
Swing When selected, every other grid bound-
ary is shifted by the specified percentage value Exclude Within When selected, attacks and re-
(0-300) to achieve a “swing” feel. A Swing value leases are not quantized if located within the
of 0% yields no swing, while 100% yields a trip- specified percentage of the Quantize Grid. Use
let feel. With Swing set to 300%, every other this option to preserve the feel of notes close to
grid boundary is moved to the next grid point. the beat, while correcting others that are drasti-
cally away from the beat.
0% Swing Every other grid point
shifted by swing
(480 ticks) Figure 21 shows the Quantize Grid set to quarter
notes with the Exclude Within option set to
25%. Attacks and releases falling within the
shaded area (equivalent to a sixteenth note area
around each beat) are not quantized.

100% Swing
(640 ticks)
100% Swing, eighth note grid

Figure 21. Exclude Within option

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations 313

 Strength When selected, notes are moved a per- 3 Under What to Quantize, select the Attacks
centage toward the Quantize Grid. Lower per- option. To quantize note durations as well, se-
centages preserve the original feel of the notes, lect the Releases option.
higher percentages align the notes more tightly
4 Set the Quantize Grid to sixteenth notes.
to the grid.
Make sure that the other options for Tuplet, Off-
Randomize When selected, notes are moved ran- set Grid By, and Swing are not selected.
domly forward or back in time (after the Quan- 5 Leave the remaining Quantize options dese-
tize occurs). For instance, with the Quantize lected and click Apply.
Grid set to eighth notes and Randomize set to
50%, notes are placed up to a 32nd note before
Quantizing while Preserving the
or after the beat boundary. The Randomize set-
Original “Feel”
ting also affects note durations (if Releases is se-
lected). You can quantize less strictly, to preserve the
original feel of your recorded MIDI tracks:

Quantize Examples
To quantize while preserving the original feel:
The following examples illustrate some of the
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be quan-
more common uses for the Quantize command.
tized.
If you intend to loop playback while quantizing, 2 Choose MIDI > Quantize.
you may want to deselect Operations > Link Edit
and Timeline Selection. This ensures that the 3 Under What to Quantize, select the Attacks
play range will not change when selected notes option. To quantize note durations as well, se-
are moved in the course of quantizing and un- lect the Releases option.
doing. 4 Set the Quantize Grid to the desired note size.
Make sure that the other options for Tuplet, Off-
While you can undo a Quantize operation,
set Grid By, and Swing are not selected.
the Quantize command is destructive and
permanently affects selected data. To pre- 5 Select the Exclude Within option with a value
serve existing data, duplicate the playlist of 10-15%.
before quantizing.
6 Select the Strength option with a value of 70-

Straight Quantize 80%.

7 Leave the remaining Quantize options dese-

To quantize to a straight sixteenth note feel: lected and click Apply.
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be quan-
Audition the change and if the desired effect is
tized.
not achieved, undo the edit and experiment
2 Choose MIDI > Quantize. with different values for Exclude Within and
Strength.

314 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Quantizing with Swing To humanize the rhythmic feel of notes:

If you’re working with hi-hats or bass lines, you 1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be quan-

may want to apply more of a swing feel to the tized.

track. 2 Choose MIDI > Quantize.

3 Under What to Quantize, select the Attacks

To quantize with an eighth note swing feel:
option. To quantize note durations as well, se-
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be quan- lect the Releases option.
tized.
4 Set the Quantize Grid to the desired note size.
2 Choose MIDI > Quantize.
5 Select the Randomize option with a value of
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Attacks 5%.
option. To quantize note durations as well, se-
lect the Releases option. 6 Click Apply.

4 Set the Quantize Grid to eighth notes. Audition the change and if the desired effect is
not achieved, undo the edit and experiment
5 Select the Swing option with the desired
with a different Randomize percentage.
Swing percentage:
• For a light swing, use 12%.
Experimenting with Quantize
• For a tighter swing-like groove, use 24%.
When using the Quantize command, you’ll of-
• For a true “triplet-like” swing feel, use
ten have to experiment with many of the pa-
50–75%.
rameters. In fact, you won’t always get the re-
6 Make sure the options for Tuplet, Offset Grid sults you’re expecting. You may have to try
By, and Randomize are not selected. Click Ap- different values for Include and Exclude Within,
ply. and Strength; these parameters determine
which notes are affected and how drastically
Audition the change and if the desired effect is they are changed. In addition, the Randomize
not achieved, undo the edit and experiment parameter, which adds a percentage of random-
with a different Swing percentage. ness to the quantize, can be used to make tracks
feel less mechanical—less perfect.
Quantizing with Randomize
Although quantize is a wonderful tool for clean-
You may find that after quantizing, notes sound ing up tracks and playing with the feel of your
too mechanical, too “on the beat.” You can use music, sometimes the recorded data may not be
the Randomize option in the Quantize window salvageable. In these instances it is wise not to
to make them sound more natural. spend too much time trying to fix something
that should probably just be rerecorded.

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations 315

 Change Velocity
The Change Velocity command automatically
adjusts attack and release velocities for selected
MIDI notes. Use it to make notes louder or
softer, or to create crescendos or decrescendos.

Velocities can also be edited manually with the

Pencil and Grabber Tools (see “Manually Editing
MIDI Notes” on page 297).

NOTE: Velocity values usually affect the loudness

of MIDI notes. They may also affect other aspects
of an instrument’s sound, such as filter cutoff, en-
velopes, and modulations.

The settings in the Change Velocity window

are saved with each session. To store your
favorite settings as the default for use in fu-
ture sessions, save them as part of a session Change Velocity window
template (see “Creating Custom Session Set All To Sets all velocities to the specified value
Templates” on page 55). (1–127).

To open the Change Velocity window, choose Add Adds to existing velocity values by the spec-
MIDI > Change Velocity. Options for the ified amount (1–127).
Change Velocity are discussed in the following
section. Subtract Subtracts from existing velocity values
by the specified amount (1–127).
While there are options for adjusting both the
attack and release velocities for notes, most Scale By Scales all velocities by a percentage
MIDI devices ignore release velocity informa- amount (1–400%).
tion. To see if your instrument supports release
Change Smoothly Allows velocities to change
velocities, refer to the manufacturer’s documen-
smoothly from one value to another over time.
tation.
Change Smoothly by Percentage Allows veloci-
ties 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.

316 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Limit To When selected, restricts the Change Ve- To preserve (somewhat) the existing velocity re-
locity command to a minimum and maximum lationships and still achieve velocity fades, use
range. the option for Change Smoothly by Percentage.
Figure 22 illustrates the difference between the
Randomize When selected, the Change Velocity two Change Smoothly options.
command is randomized by the specified per-
centage value. For instance, using “Set all to”
with a value of 64, along with a Randomize
value of 50%, yields velocities anywhere be-
tween 48 and 80 (+/– 25% of the velocity value).
Original velocities
Velocity Ranges
The valid range for MIDI note velocities is
1–127. The Change Velocity command will
never result in moving velocities outside this
range; 1 will always be the lowest and 127 will After Change Smoothly by Percentage, 100% to 20%
always be the highest. This means that you may
reach a state where the Change Velocity com-
mand has no effect on a particular note.

For instance, if a note with a velocity 64 is scaled

by 200%, the new velocity would be 127. At- After Change Smoothly, from velocity of 100 to 10

tempting to scale or increase the velocity any Figure 22. Change Smoothly/by Percentage
further would yield no change.
Scaling Velocities

Fading Velocities Many times existing note velocities will have

the desired relationship between each other, but
An interesting musical effect is when velocities will either be too soft or too loud as a whole. In
get gradually louder or softer over time. This can these instances, use the Scale By option.
be used to make notes fade in or out, or to pro-
vide timbrel variations in the way that a MIDI
For instance, to make velocities 20% louder:
instrument sounds.
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.

To change velocities smoothly over time: 2 Choose MIDI > Change Velocity.
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
3 Select the Scale By option with the percentage
2 Choose MIDI > Change Velocity. value set to 120.

3 Select the Change Smoothly option with the 4 Click Apply.

range set from 127 to 0.

4 Click Apply.

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations 317

 Set All To Sets all durations to a length specified
Change Duration in quarter notes and ticks.

The Change Duration command adjusts dura- Add Adds to the durations by a specified number
tions for selected MIDI notes. Use it to make of quarter notes and ticks.
melodies and phrases more staccato or de-
tached, or more legato. Subtract Subtracts from the durations by a spec-
ified number of quarter notes and ticks.
The settings in the Change Duration win-
dow are saved with each session. To store Scale by Shortens or lengthens durations based
your favorite settings as the default for use on a percentage value (1–400%).
in future sessions, save them as part of a
Move Releases to the Closest Attack Shortens
session template (see “Creating Custom Ses-
or lengthens durations so that end times are
sion Templates” on page 55).
moved to the closest attack.
To open the Change Duration window, choose
Extend Releases to the Next Attack Lengthens
MIDI > Change Duration. Each of the Change
durations so that end times are extended to the
Duration options is discussed in the following
next attack. To limit the duration change, select
section.
either of the Add No More Than options, using
either a percentage value or a number of quarter
note and ticks.

Change Smoothly Allows note lengths to change

smoothly from one duration to another over
time. Duration values are specified in quarter
notes and ticks.

Change Smoothly by Percentage Allows note

lengths to change smoothly from one percent-
age 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 maxi-
mum range (in quarter notes and ticks).

Randomize When selected, the Change Duration

command is randomized by the specified per-
Change Duration window centage value. For instance, using “Set all to”
with a value of 480 ticks, along with a Random-
ize value of 50%, yields durations anywhere be-
tween 360 and 600 (+/– 25% of the duration
value).

318 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Change Duration Examples
Transpose
To make notes more staccato:
While the Grabber Tool can be used to manually
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited. transpose individual MIDI notes, or small
groups of notes, the Transpose command can be
2 Choose MIDI > Change Duration.
used for entire MIDI tracks and regions.
3 Select the option for Scale By with a percent-
age value of 50. To open the Transpose window, choose MIDI >
Transpose.
4 Click Apply. The durations for the selected
notes are reduced by 50%.

With this option you may have to experiment

with the percentage value to achieve the desired
effect.

To make notes more legato:

1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.

2 Choose MIDI > Change Duration.

3 Select the option “Extend Release to the Next Transpose window

Attack.”
The two options for the Transpose command
4 Click Apply. The end points for the selected are:
notes are extended to the start points of the next
note, thereby eliminating the space between Transpose by Semitones Transposes chromati-
each note. cally, up or down, by up to 60 semitones. To
transpose down by an octave, for instance, use
To vary this effect, making it more or less legato, –12 semitones.
select the Add No More Than percentage option.
Percentage values larger than 100 extend note Transpose From – To Transposes by semitones, as
end times so that the notes essentially overlap. expressed by the difference between the source
and destination pitches. Transposing from C4 to
C#4, for instance, transposes the notes up by
one semitone.

Chapter 24: MIDI Operations 319

 One of the more common uses for Transpose is
to change the key for your MIDI tracks. You can
define an Edit Group for MIDI tracks that want
to transpose, making sure to exclude any drum
tracks from the group so they aren’t transposed.

To transpose MIDI notes to another key:

1 If you will be transposing a group of tracks,
make sure to enable the Edit Group.

2 With the Selector or Grabber, select the range

of MIDI notes to be transposed.

3 Choose MIDI > Transpose.

4 Select the option for Transpose From–To.

5 Set the “From” and “To” values, for instance,

to C4 and E4 to transpose from C Major to
E Major.

With either of the pitch fields selected, you can

play a note on your MIDI controller to automat-
ically enter it as the pitch value.

6 Click Apply.

It is also common to transpose MIDI tracks up or

down by an octave.

To transpose a MIDI track up by an octave:

1 With the Selector, triple-click in the track to
select all of its notes.

2 Choose MIDI > Transpose.

3 Select the Transpose By option.

4 Enter a value of 12 semitones and then click

Apply.

320 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 25: MIDI Event List

The MIDI Event List Mute data for MIDI tracks is not displayed
in the MIDI Event List.
The MIDI Event List displays a detailed list of all
events in a single MIDI track. The events are dis-
played with text and numbers, allowing you to
Opening the MIDI Event List
precisely edit their location, length, and event
To open the MIDI Event List, do one of the
values. following:
■ Choose Windows > Show MIDI Event List.

■ Control-double-click (Macintosh) or Start-

double-click (Windows) a track name in the Edit

or Mix window.

■ Press Option+equal (Macintosh) or Alt+equal

(Windows).

You can also use Option+equal (Macintosh)

or Alt+equal (Windows) to toggle between
the MIDI Event List and the Edit window.

At the top of the MIDI Event List are three pop-

up menus.
MIDI Event List ◆ The Track Selector indicates the MIDI track

Events in the MIDI Event List can be copied and currently displayed, and can be used to choose a
pasted, selected, or deleted. Any MIDI event (ex- different MIDI track to be displayed.
cept sysex) can be inserted and edited in the list. ◆ The Options menu contains commands and
Certain MIDI event types can be hidden with options for the MIDI Event List (see “MIDI
the View Filter. Event List Options” on page 328).
◆ The Insert menu contains a list of event types
Unlike playlists in the Edit window, you can
that can be inserted.
insert and display polyphonic aftertouch in
the MIDI Event List. To the right of these pop-up menus, the number
of displayed events is indicated.

Chapter 25: MIDI Event List 321

 Columns in the MIDI Event List Navigating in the MIDI Event List
Information for the events in the MIDI Event You can use the Tab and Arrow keys to move
List is displayed in the following three columns: through the MIDI Event List. You can also locate
to the Edit start point, or any other specified lo-
Start column Displays the start location, using cation.
the Main Time Scale, for each event. Locations
can also be displayed in the Sub Time Scale
To move through the MIDI Event List:
when the Show Sub Counter option is selected
■ Press Tab or the Down Arrow to move to the
in the Options pop-up.
next event.
The Playback cursor appears as a blue arrow (red,
■ Press Option+Tab or the Up Arrow to move
when tracks are record-enabled) in the Start col-
the previous event.
umn.
To keep the last event selected, press Shift while
moving to the next or previous event.

To go to the Edit start point:

■ In the MIDI Event List, choose Scroll To Edit

Selection from the Options pop-up menu.

Double-click dimmed locations to edit them To go to a specific location in the MIDI Event List:

When several events reside at the same location, 1 In the MIDI Event List, choose Go To from the
the location is only indicated for the top event, Options pop-up menu.
with the others dimmed. The dimmed locations
2 In the Go To dialog, choose a format from the
can be edited by double-clicking them.
Time Scale pop-up menu.
Event column Displays the event type, indicated
by an icon, and associated event values.

Info column Depending on which option is se-

lected in the Options pop-up, displays the end
point or length for notes. Also displayed are the
names for continuous controller events and pro-
gram changes.
Go To dialog

If using Timecode (TDM systems only), you can

select the Use Subframes option.

322 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Enter the location you want to go to, then For example, to filter the display of aftertouch and
click OK. System Exclusive in the MIDI Event List:
1 In the MIDI Event List, choose View Filter
The following items from the Options menu af-
from the Options pop-up menu.
fect navigating in the MIDI Event List:
◆ When Page Scroll During Playback is selected, 2 In the MIDI Event List View Filter dialog, se-
the MIDI Event List scrolls during playback. lect the All Except option.

◆ When Scroll During Edit Selection is selected,

the MIDI Event List is scrolled automatically
when the Edit selection changes in the Edit win-
dow.

View Filter for MIDI Event List

You can use the View Filter to specify which
event types are displayed in the MIDI Event List.
This can help you zero in on only the events you
want to affect; it also protects MIDI events from
being edited or deleted. Events not displayed in
the MIDI Event List still play back.

The View Filter can be set to display “all” mes-

sages, “only” the specified messages, or “all ex- MIDI Input Filter
cept” the specified messages. 3 Select the options for Mono Aftertouch, Poly-
phonic Aftertouch, and System Exclusive. Leave
When inserting an event type that has been
all other messages deselected.
filtered from the MIDI Event List, that event
type will no longer be filtered. 4 Click OK.

When using the All Except option, the selected

events are not displayed. Conversely, when us-
ing the Only option, only the selected events are
displayed.

Chapter 25: MIDI Event List 323

 When a field is selected, enter a value with any
Inserting Events in the MIDI of the following methods:
Event List • Enter the value on the numeric keypad.
• Press the Up or Down Arrow to scroll to the
value.
• While pressing Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows), drag up or down to scroll
to the value:
• Play the note on your MIDI controller key-
board, then press Return (Macintosh) or Enter
Insert menu, MIDI Event List
(Windows) on the alpha keyboard to confirm
You can insert events in the MIDI Event List by the value.
choosing an event type from the Insert menu.
Following are several examples of inserting With the Start field selected, you can auto-
events in the MIDI Event List. matically enter the location of another event
already in the track by clicking that event.
To insert a note in the MIDI Event List:
3 To exit Event Entry mode, without inserting
1 Click the Insert button and choose Note from the note event, press Escape on the alpha key-
the pop-up menu. board.
– or – 4 To insert the note and remain in Event Entry
mode, press Enter on the numeric keypad.
Press Command+N (Macintosh) or Control+N
(Windows). 5 To insert the note and exit Event Entry mode,
press Return (Macintosh) or Enter (Windows)
2 Enter the location, pitch, attack and release
on the alpha keyboard.
velocities, and length for the new note. To move
between the Event Entry fields, use the Left and
To insert a controller event in the MIDI Event List:
Right Arrow keys.
1 Click the Insert button and choose Controller
from the pop-up menu.
– or –

Press Command+L (Macintosh) or Control+L

Pitch Release velocity
(Windows).
Attack velocity

Event Entry fields for note

324 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Enter the location, controller type, and con- To insert a program change in the MIDI Event List:
troller value for the new event. To move be-
1 Click the Insert button and choose Program
tween the Event Entry fields, use the Left and
Change from the pop-up menu.
Right Arrow keys.
– or –

Press Command+P (Macintosh) or Control+P

(Windows).

2 Enter a Program Change number and Bank Se-

Controller number Controller name lect value (if necessary). The program change
Controller value
name is displayed in the Info column.

Event Entry fields for controller event

When a field is selected, enter a value with any

of the following methods:
• Enter the value on the numeric keypad. Program number Program name

• Press the Up or Down Arrow to scroll to the Controller 32 value

value. Controller 0 value

• While pressing Command (Macintosh) or Event Entry fields for program change
Control (Windows), drag up or down to scroll
You can click in the Info column to open the
to the value:
Program Change window (for details, see “Pro-
• Play the controller event on your MIDI con- gram Changes” on page 302).
troller keyboard, then press Return (Macin-
3 Enter the location for the new event.
tosh) or Enter (Windows) on the alpha
keyboard to confirm the value.
With the Start field selected, you can auto-
matically enter the location of another event
With the Start field selected, you can auto-
already in the track by clicking that event.
matically enter the location of another event
already in the track by clicking that event. 4 To exit Event Entry mode, without inserting
the program change, press Escape on the alpha
3 To exit Event Entry mode, without inserting
keyboard.
the controller event, press Escape on the alpha
keyboard. 5 To insert the program change and remain in
Event Entry mode, press Enter on the numeric
4 To insert the controller event and remain in
keypad.
Event Entry mode, press Enter on the numeric
keypad. 6 To insert the program change and exit Event
Entry mode, press Return on the alpha key-
5 To insert the controller event and exit Event
board.
Entry mode, press Return on the alpha key-
board.

Chapter 25: MIDI Event List 325

 Inserting Another Event 2 Enter a new value with any of the following
methods:
After inserting an event, you can easily insert
another event of the same type. The event type • Enter the new value on the numeric keypad.
to be inserted is indicated at the bottom of the • While pressing Option (Macintosh) or Alt
Insert menu. (Windows), press the Up or Down Arrow to
scroll to a new value.
For example, after inserting a note, to insert • While pressing Command (Macintosh) or
another:
Control (Windows), drag up or down to scroll
■Click the Insert button and choose Another to a new value.
Note from the pop-up menu.
• Play the new note or controller value on your
– or – MIDI controller keyboard, then press Return
(Macintosh) or Enter (Windows) on the alpha
■ Press Command+M (Macintosh) or Con-
keyboard to confirm the value.
trol+M (Windows).
3 To exit Edit Entry mode without entering the
When the option for Insert At Playback Lo- new value, press Escape on the alpha keyboard.
cation is enabled (see “MIDI Event List Op-
tions” on page 328), you can use the key- 4 To accept the new value, do one of the follow-
board shortcuts for inserting “another” ing:
event to insert events on the fly. • To enter the new event value and move to an-
other field or event, use the arrow keys.
• To enter the new value and remain in Edit En-
Editing in the MIDI Event List try mode, press Enter on the numeric keypad.
Events in the MIDI Event List can be edited, se- • To enter the new value and exit Edit Entry
lected, deleted, and copied and pasted. mode, press Return (Macintosh) or Enter
(Windows) on the alpha keypad.
To edit an event in the MIDI Event List:
1 Double-click the event field you want to edit. Selecting in the MIDI Event List
– or –
To select a range of events in the MIDI Event List:
To edit a selected event, press Command+Enter ■ Click the event at the beginning of the selec-
(Macintosh) or Control+Enter (Windows). tion and drag to the ending event.
– or –

■ Shift-click the event at the beginning of the

selection, then Shift-click the ending event.

326 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To select discontiguous events in the MIDI Event Copy and Paste in the MIDI Event
List: List
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
(Windows) each event. To copy and paste in the MIDI Event List:
1 Select the range of events you want to copy by
To remove an event from the selection in the MIDI dragging in the MIDI Event List. To select dis-
Event List: contiguous events, Shift-click each event you
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click want to copy.
(Windows) the selected event.

Notes selected in the MIDI Event List can be

modified by any of the commands in the
MIDI Operations window. For details, see
Chapter 24, “MIDI Operations.”

Deleting in the MIDI Event List

To delete an event in the MIDI Event List:

■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the event you want to delete.

To delete a selection of events in the MIDI Event

List: Selecting in the MIDI Event List
1 Select the events you want to delete, by either 2 Choose Edit > Copy.
dragging in the Start column, or by Shift-click-
ing each event. 3 To paste the material at an existing event’s lo-
cation, click the event in the MIDI Event List.
2 To view only the events you want to delete,
– or –
use the View Filter (see “View Filter for MIDI
Event List” on page 323). Events not displayed 4 To paste the material at any location, choose
cannot be deleted. Go To from the Options menu in the MIDI
Event List, enter the location you want to paste
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete all selected
to, and click OK.
events.
– or – 5 Choose Edit > Paste. The events from the Clip-
board are pasted, replacing any existing events
Press Delete (Macintosh) or Backspace (Win- already there.
dows) on the alpha keyboard.
To paste events without overwriting other
events, use the Merge Paste command.

Chapter 25: MIDI Event List 327

 Insert At Playback Location With Grid When se-
MIDI Event List Options lected, the location for events inserted in real
time snap to the grid.

View Filter Opens the View Filter dialog, where

you can specify which events are displayed in
the MIDI Event List. Events that are not dis-
played are not affected by Cut, Copy, and Paste
operations in the MIDI Event List. Events that
are not displayed still play back. For more infor-
mation, see “View Filter for MIDI Event List” on
Options menu, MIDI Event List
page 323.
Show Sub Counter When selected, event times
are also displayed in the Sub Time Scale.

Go To Opens the Go To dialog, where you can

specify a location, based on any of the sup-
ported 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 When selected, the

MIDI Event List scrolls during playback.

Scroll During Edit Selection When selected, the

MIDI Event List is scrolled automatically when
the Edit selection changes in the Edit window.

Show Note Length When selected, note lengths,

instead of note end times, are displayed in the
Info column of the MIDI Event List.

Show Note End Time When selected, note end

times, instead of note lengths, are displayed in
the Info column of the MIDI Event List.

Insert At Edit Location When selected, the loca-

tion for inserted events defaults to the Edit start
point or Edit insertion point.

Insert At Playback Location When selected,

events can be inserted in the MIDI Event List in
real time while listening to the session playback.

328 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part VI: Mixing

329
330
Chapter 26: Basic Mixing

Although the final mixing process begins when Audio Tracks

you finish recording and editing, many mixing
tasks can occur any time during a recording ses- Audio tracks play audio from disk, record audio
sion. This chapter covers basic Pro Tools mix- to disk, or monitor input signals when record-
ing, including audio signal flow, output and bus enabled. Audio signal flow is shown below.
paths, sends, and signal routing.
Source Source: any mono, stereo or
or Input multi-channel audio file, playing
Real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts provide back from disk
effects and signal processing. See Chapter 27, Input: while record-monitoring
“Plug-Ins and Inserts” for more information. Inserts
(plug-ins or
hardware
inserts)

Audio Signal Flow Sends pre-fader

Pro Tools provides three different types of audio Mute

tracks: Volume

• audio tracks
• Auxiliary Inputs
• Master Faders

Mono and stereo audio tracks are available on

all Pro Tools systems.
Sends, post-fader
Multi-channel audio tracks and surround mix-
Panner
ing formats require Pro Tools MIX or MIXplus.

Tracks can be identified in the Mix window by

their Track Type icon: Output
Main Output
+ Additional Outputs
Track Type
icons
Audio signal flow, audio tracks

Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and MIDI Tracks

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 331

 Auxiliary Inputs Common Uses for Auxiliary Inputs

Auxiliary Inputs provide the same signal routing By bussing tracks to the Auxiliary Input, you
options as audio tracks, except that their input can:
must come from an internal bus or hardware in- • Apply real-time plug-ins or an external pro-
put. cessor to the submix, using the Auxiliary In-
put as an effects return
• Input MIDI and other audio sources into the
Input bus or hardware input path mix, to monitor or route to audio tracks for re-
Inserts cording to disk
(plug-ins or • Consolidate control of any submix under a
hardware
inserts) single fader.

Sends pre-fader To create an Auxiliary Input:

Mute
1 Choose File > New Track.
Volume
2 Choose the type of Auxiliary Input (mono or
stereo, or multi-channel) from the pop-up
menu.

3 Enter the number of tracks and click Create.

To route an Auxiliary Input:

Sends, post-fader 1 Click the Input Selector of the Auxiliary Input
Panner and choose an input.

2 Click the Output Selector of the Auxiliary In-

put and choose an output or bus path.
Output
Main Output 3 Adjust the Auxiliary Input fader to set the re-
turn volume (it defaults to 0 dB).
+ Additional Outputs
Submix examples begin in “Submixing for
Audio signal flow, Auxiliary Inputs Signal Routing and Effects Processing” on
Auxiliary Inputs are used as inputs for audio page 347.
from MIDI devices and other sources, as well as
to submix internal bus and output paths. They
can be fully automated. When using Auxiliary
Inputs as inputs for external sources, adjust the
source output levels to achieve proper recording
levels.

332 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Master Faders Unlike inserts on audio tracks and Auxiliary In-
puts, Master Fader inserts are post-fader. This
Master Faders control the master output levels lets you insert the Dither plug-in, or similar, on
of output and bus paths. When assigned to an your master mix.
active output or bus path, they provide post-
fader effects processing and master level control See “Dither” on page 352 for more informa-
for a main mix, headphone and cue mixes, tion about dithering.
stems, effects sends, and other signal routing ap-
plications. Master Faders support all track for- Because of their intended use, Master Faders
mats supported on your Pro Tools system. provide up to five post-fader inserts and no
sends.
Input (source) determined by output assignment
Common Uses for Master Faders
Mute Master Faders can be used to:
Volume
• Control and process output mixes
• Monitor and meter an output (such as a bus or
hardware output) to guard against clipping
• Control submix levels
• Control effects sends levels
• Control submaster (bussed tracks) levels
• Apply dither or other inserts to an entire mix

You can use Master Faders freely to control sub-

Inserts
post-fader mix levels, send level masters and other outputs
(plug-ins or because they do not consume any of your sys-
hardware) tem’s audio processing power.

Output To create a Master Fader:

Main Output 1 Choose File > New Track.

+ Additional Outputs 2 Choose the type of Master Fader (mono or ste-

reo, or multi-channel) from the pop-up menu.
Audio signal flow, Master Faders
3 Enter the number of tracks and click Create.

4 In the Mix window, click the Master Fader’s

Output Selector and choose the output that you
want to control. You can choose either audio in-
terface outputs or internal busses. If the Master
Fader is a stereo fader, you can control the level
of a pair of outputs.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 333

 To use Master Faders as a master volume control When you duplicate a Master Fader track, the
for all tracks in a session: duplicated track’s assignment will be inactive.
1 Choose File > New Track. See “Master Faders and Paths” on page 334 for
more information.
2 Choose the type of Master Fader from the pop-
up menu.
Plug-Ins and Inserts
3 Click Create.
Five inserts are available on each audio channel.
4 Set the outputs of all audio tracks in the ses- Each insert can be either a hardware insert or a
sion to outputs 1–2 and set the panning of each software plug-in insert. Plug-ins and hardware in-
track. serts route the signal from the track through the
5 Set the output of the Master Fader to your effect of your choice, and automatically return it
main output path. to the same track. Inserts on audio tracks and
Auxiliary Inputs are pre-fader. Inserts on Master
Master Fader Meters Faders are post-fader.

Meters on Master faders always show post-fader On TDM systems, RTAS plug-ins can be inserted
levels, regardless of the Pre-Fader Metering set- on audio tracks, but not on Auxiliary Inputs or
ting in the Operations menu. Master Faders.

Master Faders and Paths Hardware inserts send and return the signal to
corresponding input and output channels of an
Master Faders can be assigned to main and sub- audio interface.
paths. When more than one Master Fader is as-
signed to the same output or bus path, only one See Chapter 27, “Plug-Ins and Inserts” for
can be active at the same time. If you try to as- details about using plug-ins and inserts.
sign a Master Fader to a main or sub-path that is
already actively assigned on another Master Track Output Format and Plug-Ins
Fader, the new assignment will be assigned, but Plug-ins provide mono, stereo, multi-mono and
inactive. Master Faders can be assigned different multi-channel versions (not all versions are sup-
sub-paths of the same main path, as long as the ported by all plug-in manufacturers or on all sys-
sub-paths do not overlap. tems).

Active and Inactive Master Faders Because inserts process in series, changing the
plug-in format can alter the channel format. For
When a Master Fader track is inactive, its associ-
example, inserting a mono-to-stereo plug-in on
ated plug-ins, I/O assignments, and their re-
a mono Auxiliary Input changes the signal path
sources are released and available for other uses
from that plug-in through the rest of the track.
in the session.
This restricts all hardware inserts or plug-ins af-
When a Master Fader output assignment (path ter the stereo plug-in to be stereo-in/stereo-out
assignment) is made inactive, the Master Fader plug-ins (or supported multi-channel format).
no longer controls the master gain of that path.

334 Pro Tools Reference Guide

All Systems The following three types of plug- ◆ Select Sends view to show send assignments
ins are supported on all Pro Tools systems: in each track. Deselect to hide. See “Configuring
• mono-in/mono-out Send Views in the Mix and Edit Windows” on
page 340 for more information.
• mono-in/stereo-out
• stereo-in/stereo-out no assignments with assignments

Inserts view
Pro Tools MIX and MIXplus Pro Tools systems
running the Surround mixer support 3-8 chan- Send A view
Sends view
nel, multi-mono and multi-channel plug-ins.
I/O view

Viewing I/O, Sends, and

Inserts Mix window views

In the Edit window, you can select views from

Both the Mix and Edit windows can be config-
the selector next to the Rulers.
ured to show or hide various mixing controls.

View Selector
To show or hide I/O, inserts and sends in the Mix
and Edit windows:
1 Choose Display > Mix Window Shows, or Edit
Window Shows, or click the View Selector in the
Edit window, and choose any or all of the fol-
lowing:
◆ Select I/O view to show input and output, vol- Selecting an Edit window view
ume, and pan controls in each track. Deselect to
hide.
Inserts I/O
Sends
◆ Select Inserts view to show inserts (software
plug-ins and hardware I/O inserts) in each track.
Deselect to hide.

Edit window views

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 335

 Comments View To assign multiple tracks to unique inputs
(ascending, incrementing):
Comments view shows any text entered as com-
■ Command-Shift-click (Macintosh), or Con-
ments in the Track Name dialog. You can also
type directly in the Comments area for each trol-Shift-click (Windows) to assign the starting
track when Comments view is displayed. track (top-most in the Edit window, left-most in
the Mix window).

This track will be assigned to the selected input

path, and subsequent track will be auto-assigned
the next available input path. Availability is de-
termined by the path format, and the active/in-
Comments
active state of the tracks.

Comments view in the Mix and Edit windows

To display Comments view:

Track Output
1 Select Display > Mix Window Shows (or Edit
Track Output Selectors route the post-fader sig-
Window Shows) > Comments.
nals to the assigned output or bus paths.

The Output Selector routes the main track out-

Track Input put to the chosen main or sub-path. Tracks can
be routed directly to hardware outputs, or to in-
Input Selectors determine the source input for ternal bus paths for submixing (main or sub-
audio tracks and Auxiliary Inputs. Track input paths).
can be a hardware input, bus, or SampleCell in-
put path. While recording, the Input Monitor The track format (mono, stereo, or other) deter-
mode determines when live input will be moni- mines the available main and sub-path choices
tored through a record-enabled audio track. for track output.

The following techniques simplify track input Sends, and Send windows, provide another
assignment for individual tracks. way to route track audio. See “Sends” on
page 338 for more information.
To assign track input:
To assign a track output:
■ Select an input path or sub-path from the
■ Select the desired output path or sub-path
track Input Selector.
from the track Output Selector.
To assign multiple tracks to the same input:
■ Option-select (Macintosh), or Alt-select (Win-
dows) to assign all tracks to the selected input.

■ Option-Shift-select (Macintosh), or Alt-Shift-

select (Windows) to assign all selected tracks to
the selected input.
Assigning track output

336 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To assign all tracks to the same output: Output windows are useful in large sessions to
leave important tracks in an anchored location,
■ While pressing Option-select (Macintosh) or
unaffected by Mix and Edit window (or control
Alt-select (Windows), assign any track output to
surface) banking. See “Opening and Managing
also assign all tracks to the same path.
Output Windows” on page 343.

To assign all selected tracks to the same output:

■ While pressing Option+Shift (Macintosh), or Multiple Output Assignments
Alt+Shift (Windows), assign any track to also as- Pro Tools audio tracks and Auxiliary Inputs can
sign all selected tracks to the same path. have multiple track and send assignments. Mul-
tiple outputs are limited only by the paths and
Output Paths resources available on your system.

When audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Mas- Assigning to multiple paths is an efficient way
ter Faders are created, their mono, stereo, or to route an identical mix to other discrete out-
multi-channel format is defined. This original puts, for simultaneous monitor feeds, head-
format determines the track’s minimum insert, phone mixes, or other situations where a paral-
send, and output format. lel mix is needed. Master Faders can only be
• Mono tracks can be assigned to any available assigned to a single path.
mono, stereo, or other r multi-channel main
and sub-paths. To assign a track to multiple outputs:

• Stereo tracks can be assigned to any available 1 Assign a main output path by selecting it from
stereo or multi-channel main and sub-paths. the track’s Output Selector.

• Multi-channel can be assigned to any equal, 2 Control-click to select an additional output

or higher, format. path in the track’s Output Selector. The newly
selected output destination is added as an addi-
For example, on any stereo audio track, Auxil-
tional output.
iary Input, or Master Fader, the main track out-
put can be assigned to any available stereo paths Option-Control-click to add the assignment
or insert, or any multi-channel paths of three or to all tracks, or Option-Shift-Control-click
more channels (on supported systems). to add to all selected tracks.

Output Windows
Output windows provide the essential track
mixing controls, as an alternative to Mix and
Edit window views. Multi-channel Send and
Output windows also provide expanded Panner
views, and other surround-specific controls. (See
Chapter 33, “Surround Panning and Mixing.”)

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 337

 Display of Multiple Output Assignments You can free up DSP of unused plug-ins by set-
ting its whole track inactive, or by setting just
When a track is assigned to multiple output
the plug-in inactive.
paths, the Output Selector lists multiple and in-
active status with the following indicators: See “Active and Inactive Items” on page 13,
◆A plus sign (+) indicates that the track has and “Inactive Plug-Ins” on page 358 for
multiple output assignments. more information.

About the “No Output” Option

Indication of multiple output assignments Track outputs can be set to No Output. Assign-
ing a track output to No Output loses any pan-
◆ In the Output Selector menu, all currently as-
ning playlists associated with the track.
signed track outputs are checked to indicate
they are active for the current track. Tracks assigned to No Output will not be audi-
◆ An asterisk (*) indicates that one or more cur- ble, but they do not free their associated DSP re-
rently assigned outputs is Inactive. sources.

Inactive Outputs
An output path can be set to Inactive, either glo-
Sends
bally in the I/O Setup window (affecting all Pro Tools lets you insert up to five sends on each
tracks assigned to that path), or locally per-as- audio track or Auxiliary Input.
signment (only affecting that output on that au-
dio track or Auxiliary Input). Sends provide the following features:
• Pre- or post-fader
When opening sessions, outputs will be made
inactive automatically if the required hardware • Send level and mute can be configured to fol-
or other resources are not available. low Groups
• Send level, send mute, and send pan (for ste-
Inactive outputs retain all associated automa-
reo and multi-channel sends) are fully autom-
tion playlists. Edits made in the session also af-
atable. See “Automating Sends” on page 379.
fect inactive track’s output automation playlists
• Send controls can be displayed and edited
Inactive Outputs and DSP Resources from the Mix or Edit windows, or in their own
Output windows.
Setting a track output to Inactive silences the
output, while retaining all automation and • Sends can be assigned to available output and
playlist data. Inactive outputs do not consume bus paths (main or sub-paths), in mono or ste-
resources for TDM mixer connections, but any reo, or any supported multi-channel format.
assigned plug-ins on the track continue to use
their required DSP resources. RTAS plug-ins re-
quire CPU resources, and TDM plug-ins use the
DSP available on Pro Tools audio cards.

338 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sends must be returned to the mix through an Send Formats
Auxiliary Input or audio track. They can be
monitored and processed through an Auxiliary Mono and Stereo Sends On all Pro Tools sys-
Input, recorded to audio tracks, and bounced to tems, sends can be either mono or stereo. When
disk. (Bouncing and mixdown are explained in you click the Sends button on a track, you can
Chapter 29, “Mixdown.”) choose from a list of mono or stereo output or
bus paths.

Assigning Sends to Tracks Multi-Channel Sends Pro Tools MIX and MIX-
plus systems support mono, stereo, and multi-
To add a send to a track: channel sends.

1 Make sure Sends view is enabled in the Mix or

Edit window (see “Viewing I/O, Sends, and In- Sends and Path Choices
serts” on page 335 for information). The choices available in track Send Selectors in-
2 Click the Sends button on the track and clude bus and output paths.
choose a path from the pop-up menu.
Internal Mix Busses Pro Tools TDM systems pro-
vide 64 busses and Pro Tools LE systems provide
32 busses for routing signals internally. Internal
buss paths are useful for submixing and process-
ing with plug-ins. Bus paths are defined in the
I/O Setup dialog, and are available in all sup-
ported channel formats (mono, stereo, or other
multi-channel, as supported on your system).
Assigning a send to a mono bus path
Hardware Outputs Hardware sends are often
The send can be mono or stereo (or any sup-
used for headphone cue mixes, or for sending
ported multi-channel format), routing to an
signals to external effects processors. Sends do
output or bus path.
not automatically return audio as do inserts.
3 Set the output level of the send. You can set
the send level to zero by Option-clicking (Mac- You can customize the names, format, and
intosh) or Alt-clicking (Windows) the send channel mapping of busses and output
fader. When you create a new send, its output paths in the I/O Setup dialog. See “Creating
level is automatically set to –∞. and Editing Paths” on page 63.

You can configure the default level for new

sends to be off or at unity gain (0) in the
Preferences > Operation window.

To remove a send from a track:

■ Click the Sends button on the track and
choose No Send from the pop-up menu.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 339

 Configuring Send Views in the Mix Assignment View
and Edit Windows This is the default Send Display mode, showing
Sends are displayed in the Mix and Edit window the five available sends on all tracks showing in
according to the Send View Shows settings. the Mix and Edit windows.
Choices include Assignments view, plus the five
Send Selectors Send A, Assignment view
Send A-E views, explained below.

To display the controls for an individual send

across all tracks:
1 If sends are not currently visible on your
tracks, choose Display > Mix Window Shows >
Sends View. Assignments view, (left) and an assigned send (right)

2 Choose Display > Sends View Shows and In Assignment view, send parameters are edited
choose the send (A - E). from their Output windows. (See “Send Mute
and Window Status Display” on page 341.)
To show send assignments:
Send A-E Views
■Choose Display > Sends View Shows > Assign-
ments. The Send A-E views provide send level, pan, and
– or – mute controls.

■ Command-click the Send Selector and select a

view, or send (A-E).

Send Selector

multi-channel stereo no assignment

pre-fader, post-fader,

Send A view, different types of send assignments

Sends views
Parameters for sends can be edited directly using
these controls. Sends can also be opened for ed-
iting or metering in Send windows. See “Open-
ing and Managing Output Windows” on
page 343.

340 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Editing Sends in the Mix and Edit To clear a send meter’s Clip indicator:
Windows ■ Click on it. Option-click to clear all.
Send A-E view options display all the parameters
In Assignment view, edit sends by opening
of an individual send in the sends area of the
their Output windows. See “Send Mute and
Mix and Edit windows. These views provide full
Window Status Display” on page 341 for
access to all controls for that send on all tracks.
more information.
send
assignment
Send Mute and Window Status
path assignment
send Display
send pan
level
send mute When displaying sends in a Send A-E view, Send
pre/post
Mute switch is visible and editable at directly in
the Mix or Edit windows.
send meter

Send A view, stereo shown The Send Bypass indicator is lit when the send is
muted.
Send level and mute can follow Mix groups, to
adjust multiple send parameters from a single The Send button is lit whenever a send’s win-
set of controls. (See “Sends and Groups” on dow is open.
page 346.)
default
(unmuted, Muted (lit icon) Window is open
Sends View Meters window closed) (lit send)

When you display the controls for an individual

send, you also have the option of displaying
send level meters.

Send level meters show peak values and indicate

Indication of Send Mute and Window status
clipping that occurs while the meter is displayed
(if a send clips any time before its meter is dis- If you use ProControl or other control surface
played, this is not shown). If you are using a with Pro Tools, colored outlines around sends,
slower computer, hiding send level meters can inserts, and Outputs indicate the current con-
improve screen redraw times. troller focus.

To display send level meters when viewing

individual sends:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Display.

2 Select Show Meters in Sends view and click

OK.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 341

 Inactive Sends
Output Windows for Tracks
Sends can be made inactive. Inactive sends free and Sends
their DSP and mixer resources, while retaining
their position in track Sends view, and retain all Track outputs and sends can be opened for dis-
related automation playlists. Inactive sends do play and editing in dedicated windows.
not output audio. ◆ Output windows provide track fader, pan,
mute, solo, and automation controls.
To make a send inactive:
◆ Send windows provide send level, mute, pan,
■ Command-Control-click (Macintosh), or and automation controls. Standard Output win-
Control-Start-click (Windows) on the send (its dow controls provide additional routing, assign-
assignment). Use the Option and Option+Shift ment, and display settings.
modifiers to affect that send (A-E, if present) on
all or all selected tracks, respectively. To open an Output window:
■ Click the Output icon in the channel strip.

Making a send inactive

– or –

■ Make the Track inactive. See “Making Tracks

Inactive” on page 84.

When opening sessions, sends will be made in-

active automatically if the required hardware or
other resources are not available.

Inactive sends retain all associated automation

Opening an Output window
playlists. In addition, any edits made in the ses-
sion affect the sends automation playlists.

inactive active send, inactive

send muted track
(italicized)

Display of inactive sends

342 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To open a Send window: Opening Multiple Output Windows
■ Click the send in the Mix or Edit window. Multiple track and Send windows can be dis-
played simultaneously using either of the fol-
click here or here lowing methods.

To open additional Output windows:

■ Shift-click any output icon or send.

To set a window to remain open:

■ Make sure the Target is deselected (gray, un-

lit).
Opening a Send window Arrange multiple windows as needed. For addi-
tional information, see “Using the Target” on
Opening and Managing Output page 345.
Windows
Multiple track and Send windows can be dis- Track Fader, Solo, Mute, and Auto
played simultaneously.
Output windows provide the associated track’s
volume fader, pan controls, solo and mute
To view a different Output window:
switches, and Automation Mode Selector. Use
■ Click an output icon, or send, in the Mix or these to adjust or automate the parameters of
Edit window. the Output window.

If a similar Output window was already open

with a highlighted Target icon, the newly se- Panner Linking
lected send will open in its place.
Stereo outputs provide two panning controls,
one for each side of the left/right pair.
Target enabled

The Output window provides controls to unlink

(or link) channels for precise panning of stereo
and multi-channel tracks.

In the default Linked mode, all sides match

changes to any other side’s pan control. This is
Absolute link mode.

When unlinked, pan controls are completely in-

dependent of each other.

Multiple Send windows

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 343

 When linked and set to Inverse mode, panning To enable inverse linking:
moves are inverted, or reversed, in the other
1 Enable the Link icon.
channels. For example, panning the left side of a
stereo track from left-to-right results in the right 2 Select an Inverse mode.
channel panning simultaneously, from right-to-
left.
Standard Controls in Output
Windows
All Output windows provide standard selectors
for path, automation, and other in the top area
of the window (the Output Editor area).

Linked (left) and unlinked (right) Output windows Close Path Meter view
Track Selector Target
To enable linking: Output Selector
Path Selector automation safe
■ Enable the Link icon.
Output window standard controls

To unlink an Output for independent panning:

■ Deselect the Link icon. Close Path Meter view
Track Selector Target
Send Selector pre/post fader
Inverse Linked Panning Path Selector automation safe

Additional inverse linking options are also pro- Send window standard controls
vided for stereo track panning.
Standard Controls
Link Close Closes the window.
Front inverse
Track Selector Provides access to any audio
F/R invert
track, Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader in the
Rear inverse session.
Link, Enabled, and Inverse Selectors Output Selector Provides access to other outputs
Inverse panning reflects one sides location and (track and send) in the track, if any, displaying
direction in the other side. For example, when the selected output in the current window.
enabled for front left and right, if you pan one
Send Selector Provides access to other sends on
side of a stereo track output from right to left,
the track.
the other side will exactly mirror that move-
ment and pan left to right. Path Selector Allows you to assign the Output
path for the current track or send.
Front inverse linking is available on all systems.
Rear left and right, and front/rear inverse link- Bypass/Mute Button Mutes the currently dis-
ing are available on Pro Tools MIX and MIX- played send.
plus.

344 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Link and Unlink Allows linking and unlinking of To set an open Send window as the Target window:
left and right (or other) outputs. Unlinked mode
■ Click to enable the Target (it is red when en-
provides discrete adjustment of individual sides,
abled, gray when disabled).
or channels. When linked, all changes affect all
channels. See “Panner Linking” on page 343. Plug-ins have additional features related to the
Target.
Target Identifies the target of plug-in settings
commands. Also sets the current window for Target Functionality in Windows, by Type
display of Output windows. See “Using the Tar- Window Type When Target Enabled
get” on page 345.
Plug-Ins Focus of Settings com-
Safe track and send level, pan, and other con- mands, and
Window setting
trols can be protected from automation over-
writes by placing them in Automation Safe Track Outputs Window setting
mode. See Chapter 28, “Automation” for more
Sends Window setting
information.
Inserts Window setting
Meter View The view box in the upper right cor-
ner opens the path Meter view. These meters
display levels of the selected path (not the out- Using Output Windows
put of the current window).
Output window provide standard Pro Tools
track, send, Target, and other controls.
Meters view

To move to a different track:

■ Click the Track Selector button and choose a

track from the pop-up menu.

track meter
path meters
Path Meter Selector

Meters view in an Output window

Using the Target Selecting a track from the Sends Editor

When lit, the next window opened of the same

type dynamically replaces the current display
(unless it is opened as an additional window
with the Shift modifier). When unlit, the cur-
rent window anchors to its current contents and
location on-screen. Opening additional win-
dows does not affect anchored windows.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 345

 To reassign output: Sends and Groups
■ Click the Send Destination Selector button Send level and mute can follow Mix groups in
and choose an path from the pop-up menu. each of the five available sends (A-E). Use this to
adjust multiple send parameters from a single
set of controls.

To configure sends and Mix groups:

1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and open the Au-
tomation window.
Selecting a path from the Sends Editor
2 Enable Send Level Follows Groups, or Send
To add an additional send to the same track: Mute Follows Groups, as appropriate.

■ Click the Send Selector button and choose the 3 Click OK to set the new Preferences.
desired Send from the pop-up menu, then click
the Send Selector and choose a destination from
Copying Settings to Sends
the pop-up menu.
(TDM Systems Only)
To add an additional output assignment to the Sometimes you need send settings to match the
current track or send:
settings in the track itself—for example, to pro-
■ Control-select an additional output path from vide a headphone mix based on the main mix.
the Send Selector.
You can do this in either of two ways:
To display the controls for a different send on the • By assigning an additional (multiple) output
same track: to all tracks, adding the headphone Output
■ Click the Send Selector button and choose the path to the main mix output assignments.
send. (See “Multiple Output Assignments” on
page 337).
– or –
• By copying a track’s volume fader, pan slider,
or mute button position to the corresponding
controls for a send on that track. (See “Copy-
ing Track Automation to Sends” on page 380.)
Accessing another send from the Sends Editor

346 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 4 Set the input of the Auxiliary Input track to
Submixing for Signal Routing the appropriate input path.
and Effects Processing 5 Assign the track output to the appropriate
The bussing and mixing features in Pro Tools path, or paths. (See “Multiple Output Assign-
support a nearly infinite number of possibilities ments” on page 337 for more information.)
for submixing and signal routing.
6 Adjust the Auxiliary Input fader to control the

These include: track, and any assigned post-fader send levels.

• Creating inputs for MIDI devices and other

Mixing Audio Input from MIDI and
audio sources, to monitor or record in
External Sources
Pro Tools.
• Control and automate any submix from a sin- By mixing MIDI and other audio sources
gle fader and channel strip. through Pro Tools, you can apply mix automa-
tion to the volume, pan, mute, send level, send
• Apply real-time plug-ins or an external pro-
pan, send mute, and plug-in controls of the
cessor to the submix, using the Auxiliary In-
Auxiliary Input.
put as an effects return
Auxiliary Inputs can be routed to audio tracks
Audio Input from MIDI and Other through internal send busses, or using their
track output, to record them to disk.
External Source
You can use an Auxiliary Input to bring an exter- Using plug-ins, inserts, and sends on Auxiliary
nal audio source such as MIDI devices, tape, mi- Inputs, you can process instruments and other
crophone inputs, and instruments, into a inputs with real-time plug-ins, or external de-
Pro Tools mix. vices. See“Send and Return Submixing for Ef-
fects Processing” on page 348.
To use Auxiliary Inputs to bring external audio
sources into a mix: Creating a Submix
1 Connect the audio outputs of your MIDI and
Audio is routed to a submix by assigning any
other external devices to available inputs on
combination of sends and track outputs to avail-
your Pro Tools audio interfaces.
able bus or output paths.
2 If necessary, configure the I/O Setup dialog for
the input paths you plan to utilize. The Auxiliary Inputs serve as effects returns by in-
I/O Setup dialog configuration determines the serting plug-ins or external effects processors.
choices available for track and sends, inputs, For example, if a stereo sampler was connected
busses, and hardware inserts. (For more infor- to Inputs 1-2, a stereo Auxiliary Input assigned
mation, see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”) to the Input 1-2 path could monitor the sampler
3 Choose File > New Track and choose the type through Pro Tools. You can process the track
of Auxiliary Input (mono, stereo, or multi-chan- with plug-ins, or send to a bus path for addi-
nel on supported systems) from the Track For-
mat Selector, then click Create.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 347

 tional processing, or recording. Auxiliary Inputs 8 Set the parameters of the plug-in. The plug-in
and Master Faders provide consolidated level Bypass and Wet/Dry controls (if available) deter-
control, processing, signal routing, and automa- mine the amount of effect heard. (For another
tion. way to submix effects, see “To create an effects
return submix:” on page 348.)
Submixing with Track Outputs or Sends
The contributing track faders control the bal-
You can use both track outputs and sends to ance within the submix. The Auxiliary Input
route audio for submixing, depending on track controls the output levels of all tracks
whether you want a discrete or send and return routed to it.
submix.
You can apply mix automation to the volume,
Discrete Submix Output pan, mute, and send level, send pan, and send
mute controls of the Auxiliary Input.
Discrete submix output means source audio is
routed discretely through the submix. This is You can also bounce a submix to disk to free up
preferred for dither or other mastering process- the voices for use by other tracks. See
ing, where you do not want unprocessed audio Chapter 29, “Mixdown” for information.
heard in addition to the processed signals. Use
track outputs (not sends) to assign tracks to a Send and Return Submixing for Effects
bus path for discrete submixing. In this arrange- Processing
ment, the balance of processed and unprocessed
When you are submixing for reverb, delay, and
signal is controlled by plug-in wet/dry settings.
similar effects processing, use sends to achieve
traditional send/return bussing. You can use a
To create a discrete submix:
real-time plug-in or a hardware I/O insert as a
1 Choose File > New Track and choose Auxiliary shared resource for all tracks included in a sub-
Input (stereo) from the pop-up menu. mix. The wet/dry balance in the mix can be con-
trolled using the track faders (dry level) and
2 Set the output of the tracks you want to in-
Auxiliary Input fader (effect return, or wet,
clude in the submix to a stereo bus path.
level).
3 Pan each track.
To create an effects return submix:
4 Set the input of the Auxiliary Input to the
same bus path to which you assigned all con- 1 Assign a send (mono or stereo) to each source
tributing tracks. track.

5 Set the output of the Auxiliary Input track to 2 Assign each tracks main output to your main
your main stereo mix outputs (typically, outputs mix outputs.
1–2).
3 Set the send destinations on the source tracks
6 Set the Auxiliary Input Track level. to a mono or stereo bus path. Configure the
sends for pre- or post-fader, as needed.
7 To process the submix, assign a plug-in or
hardware insert on the Auxiliary Input. 4 Choose File > New Tracks.

348 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 Create one Stereo (or other format) Auxiliary
Input, and click Create. See Chapter 27, “Plug-Ins and Inserts” for
more information.
Send to external device
Creating a Master Send Level Control
Input set to device’s return Master Fader can control the overall level of bus
Output set to main mix outs 1-2 and output paths.

To create a Master send level control:

1 Choose File > New Track and create a Master
Controls level of dry signal Fader in the appropriate mono, stereo, or multi-
Controls level of effect channel format.

2 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
Send/return setup for an external device Input track.
6 Assign a real-time plug-in, or a hardware in- ◆ Set the output of the Master Fader to match

sert, on the Auxiliary Input. the path that you have chosen for your effects
send.
7 Set the plug-in or external effect to “100%
wet,” and configure any other parameters as You can then adjust send levels to balance the
needed. source tracks, and use the Master Fader as a mas-
ter level control for the entire submix.
8 Click the Input Selector of the Auxiliary Input
track and set it to the bus path you assigned to
the sends on the source tracks. Soloing Tracks in a Submix

9 Click the Output Selector of the Auxiliary In- When you want to solo any tracks in a submix,
put track and choose an output path (your main you can solo safe the Auxiliary Input track. This
mix, or other output). solos tracks that are bussed to the Auxiliary In-
put without having to solo the Auxiliary Input
Adjust the individual track faders to balance the as well.
dry (unprocessed) tracks. The amount of effect is
controlled by the level of the Auxiliary Input To solo-safe an Auxiliary Input:
fader.
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click

For convenience, you can configure send lev- (Windows) the Solo button on the Auxiliary In-
els and send mutes to follow Mix Groups. put track.
This can simplify set up with large sub-
mixes. See “Sends and Groups” on page 346
for more information.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 349

 Generating Stereo Output from a Mono
Send/Return Mixing Concepts
You can use an Auxiliary Return arrangement to Mixing involves much more than the Pro Tools
generate a stereo output from a mono send. Set techniques for signal routing, level balancing,
the send destination to a mono Auxiliary Input and panning. Mixing is not just a matter of
track and place a stereo plug-in on the Auxiliary knowing how to do something, it’s knowing
Input. The output of the Auxiliary Input be- what you want, or need, to do.
comes stereo.
Many mix decisions are purely aesthetic, mean-
ing you decide how loud things are, where they
Real-time plug-in applied to Insert A
are panned, what effects are used, and so on.
You base your mix decisions on what you are
Send to bus 1 hearing. What you are hearing is determined by
the type and number of speakers in your studio,
Aux In input set to bus 1
their placement and condition, the size of the
Output set to main mix outs 1-2
room, and many other factors.

While you can control most of these variables in

your facility, you cannot control them in all the
listening environments in which the project
will be heard. This section provides a basic intro-
Controls level of dry signal
duction to some of the ways to reduce the vari-
Controls level of effect
ables encountered while mixing.

Monitoring for Compatibility

Send/return setup for an Internal Mix Bus While mixing, your monitoring system has a
very large influence on how your final mix will
sound. For example, if your monitors (or room)
are overly bright, you will tend to put less high-
end in your mixes. When your mix is played on
a different system that doesn’t favor the high-
end, it will likely sound muddy. Problems like
these can be avoided using alternate speakers
and reference monitors.

350 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Alternate Speakers and Reference Monitoring Mono/Stereo Mix Compatibility Example

Mixers often listen to their mixes on a variety of An example of mix compatibility is mono-stereo
different speakers, to gauge how well the mix compatibility. Though stereo is the predomi-
will translate. Some speakers are designed to em- nant consumer listening format, many televi-
ulate the effects of TV broadcast, where others sions and older cars have a single speaker. How
attempt to be completely flat across all frequen- a stereo mix sounds through a mono television
cies. By listening to a mix through different or radio (AM radio, for example, is mono) can
playback systems, you are attempting to antici- only be verified by checking how the mix
pate what the intended audience will hear. The sounds when summed to mono.
goal is to make sure your mix will sound as good
as possible to as many listeners as possible. Most consoles let you fold the mix to mono in
order to check mono-compatibility and, if nec-
essary, make adjustments. You can also simply
pan your output mix channels to center.

When you start mixing in multi-channel sur-

round, these techniques becomes even more im-
portant, See Chapter 30, “Surround Concepts”
for more information.
Studio monitors (top) and street monitors (bottom)

Reference Tapes and Discs

Metering and Calibration
To become familiar with a studio and its moni-
Meters provide a visual display of signal levels.
tors, engineers often bring along a collection of
They tell whether signal is getting to a channel,
recordings they are familiar hearing in a variety
and how loud or soft a signal is relative to
of environments. In this way, they can get a
(above or below) “0”.
sense of how the room and monitors “sound”
before mixing. By calibrating all your equipment to standard
reference levels, a consistent level can be
While mixing, tapes and discs of rough mixes let
achieved (and metered) among different record-
you audition mixes outside the studio in differ-
ing devices in a studio, throughout a facility, or
ent listening environments.
throughout an entire production chain of a fea-
ture-length film. For example, a level of, say, -18
Format Compatibility Monitoring dB coming out of a DAT deck should play and
In addition, format compatibility is sometimes re- meter at -18 dB in Pro Tools.
quired. With stereo, mixes must often be mono-
compatible. Reference Levels

Reference levels are often tones such as sine

waves, at specific frequencies (1k and 10k, for
example). By supplying the same tones to each
device, you can calibrate your systems for equal
input and output attenuation and metering. Be-
yond your own studio and equipment, reference

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 351

 levels and calibration provide a standard by
which different studios, engineers, and systems Dither
can achieve a consistent nominal operating
Dither is a special form of randomized noise
level.
used to mask quantization noise in digital audio
Calibrating your Pro Tools audio interface in- systems. Digital audio’s poorest distortion per-
puts and outputs to tape machines and other au- formance exists at the lowest end of the dy-
dio devices in your studio ensures consistency namic range, where quantization distortion can
in levels (and meters) when recording, transfer- occur. Dither reduces quantizing errors by intro-
ring, overdubbing and mixing. ducing very low-level random noise, thereby
minimizing distortion artifacts as audio reaches
For instructions on how to calibrate your low level. With dither there is a trade-off be-
audio interfaces, see your Pro Tools Instal- tween signal-to-noise performance and less-ap-
lation Guide. parent distortion. Proper use of dither lets you
squeeze better subjective performance out of a
16-bit data format (such as Red Book compact
Using a Control Surface with discs).
Pro Tools Pro Tools TDM systems process all audio inter-
There are several optional control surfaces for nally at 24-bit, and Pro Tools LE processes inter-
Pro Tools: nally at 32-bit, floating. Without Dither to pro-
cess the 24-bit data to 16-bit, the extra 8 bits are
◆ TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems can use
truncated (dropped entirely) when written to
Digidesign ProControl, a dedicated controller
media or a device with a 16-bit maximum (such
that provides access to all Pro Tools recording,
as CD recorders, many DAT machines, and oth-
mixing, editing, signal routing, plug-in control,
ers). Dithering, on the other hand, preserves
and automation features.
low-level (quiet) fidelity in a surprising way—by
◆ Pro Tools LE and TDM systems support MIDI adding a small amount of noise to a signal.
control surfaces, including the Mackie HUI (Hu-
man User Interface), JL Cooper CS-10, Peavey
PC-1600, CM Automation MotorMix, and oth-
Dither in Pro Tools
ers. There are several dither options provided in
◆ Pro Tools MIX and MIXplus systems running Pro Tools. Each has a specific application within
the Surround mixer can use the JL Cooper the various operations that could benefit from
MCS3000 Joystick Panner. dithering.

In addition to the TDM, RTAS and AudioSuite

For more information on using MIDI con-
Dither plug-ins, Pro Tools has a built-in dither
trol surfaces with Pro Tools, refer to the
capability (outlined below).
Pro Tools MIDI Control Surfaces Guide.
Dither on Final Output for Mixdown You can in-
sert a real-time dither plug-in on a Master Fader
to dither your final mix, post-fader, for CD or
other 16-bit media. Inserts on Master Fader pro-
cess post-fader. During Bounce-to-Disk, this

352 Pro Tools Reference Guide

form of dithering lets you use dither plug-ins Fades and Crossfades In the Fades dialog (Edit >
from Digidesign or third-party manufacturers. Fades > Create Fades), the Use Dither checkbox
Dithering during Bounce-to-Disk is explained in enables a preset, noise-shaped dither.
Chapter 29, “Mixdown.”

AudioSuite Dither For AudioSuite plug-in pro-

cessing, dither is based on the Dither plug-in.
This provide the option of utilizing noise-shap-
ing as part of the dither process. (See

Create Fades dialog

Noise Shaping
Noise is an integral part of the dithering process.
Noise shaping can further improve audio perfor-
mance and reduce perceived noise inherent in
dithering. Noise shaping utilizes digital filtering
Operation Preferences, for AudioSuite dither
to move noise from frequencies around 4 kHz.
The following AudioSuite plug-ins automati- Essentially, noise shaping lessens our perception
cally apply dither when processing: of the noise inherent in dithering by shifting au-
dible noise components into a less audible
• EQ II
range.
• Compressor II
Noise Shaping is available in the Dither plug-in.
• Limiter II
• Gate II For more information about dither during
• Expander/Gate II mixdown, see Chapter 29, “Mixdown.”

• Normalize
• Gain
• DC Offset Removal
• Time Compression/Expansion
• Pitch Shift

For information about AudioSuite dither,

see the Digi-Rack Plug-Ins Guide.

Chapter 26: Basic Mixing 353

354 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts

Pro Tools provides up to five unity-gain, pre- Additional real-time plug-ins are available from
fader inserts on each audio track, Auxiliary In- Digidesign and from many third-party develop-
put track, or Master Fader. In the case of Master ers.
Faders, inserts are post-fader only.
Hardware I/O Inserts
An insert can be either a software DSP plug-in or
a hardware insert. A Pro Tools insert routes the Hardware I/O inserts can route audio through
signal from the track to a plug-in or external an external device connected to the inputs and
hardware effect of your choice and automati- outputs of your audio interface. You can process
cally returns it to the same track. Inserts do not the audio material on a track with a hardware
alter the original audio source files, but process insert in real time.
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 29, “Mixdown” for more information).

This chapter explains how to use plug-ins and

hardware inserts. Refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins
Hardware I/O insert
Guide for details on using specific plug-ins.
Insert paths require audio interface inputs and
Plug-In Inserts outputs, and are determined by the I/O Setup
configuration of your system.
Plug-in inserts are software inserts that process
audio material on a track in real time. The EQ,
General Information
Dynamics, and Mod Delay plug-ins supplied
with your Pro Tools system are real-time plug-in ◆ When more than one insert is used on a track,

inserts. they are processed in series. Each effect is added

to that of any previous plug-ins or inserts, (flow-
ing from top to bottom in the Mix window In-
serts view, and left to right in the Edit window
Inserts view).

Plug-in insert (TimeAdjuster shown)

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 355

 ◆ Inserts on audio tracks and Auxiliary Inputs Stereo Plug-Ins Stereo versions of plug-ins be-
are pre-fader. You can cause clipping if you boost come available when you use them on a stereo
their gain to extremes, especially on tracks re- track. A stereo hardware I/O insert, that sends
corded at high amplitude. Watch on-screen me- the signal to an input/output path, can also be
tering for indication of clipping. (Inserts on created on a stereo track.
Master Faders are post-fader.)
Mono In/Stereo Out Plug-Ins Are designed to re-
turn a stereo effect from a mono source. Certain
How to Use Plug-Ins and Inserts for
plug-ins (such as Mod Delay) let you generate
Effects Processing
stereo output from a mono channel. A track
Inserts can be used in two ways: made into stereo in this way has pan controls
for each channel of the stereo signal. Any inserts
On single tracks An insert can be applied to an that occur on a track after a stereo insert are au-
individual audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Mas- tomatically used in stereo as well.
ter Fader.
Multi-Channel and Multi-Mono Plug-Ins
With in-line inserts, you control the amount of
effect by adjusting the balance (or, wet/dry) Pro Tools MIX and MIXplus systems support
controls of the plug-in or external device. multi-channel and multi-mono plug-ins.

As shared resources An insert can be used as a Multi-Mono Plug-Ins Are designed for use on ste-
shared resource in a send-and-return arrange- reo or greater multi-channel tracks when a
ment, by bussing signals from several tracks to multi-channel version of the plug-in is not
an Auxiliary Input, and then applying the insert available. Parameters for all channels are linked
to the Auxiliary Input track. You can then con- by default so that you can adjust them in tan-
trol the send level for each track, and the overall dem. You can unlink parameter controls for in-
level of the effect can be controlled from the dependent adjustment using the Master Link
Auxiliary Input track. Using sends and other sig- button. See “Linking and Unlinking Controls
nal routing features helps maximize your sys- on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 362.
tem’s processing power. Multi-Channel Plug-Ins Are designed for use on
stereo and greater-than-stereo multi-channel
For examples of send and return busses and tracks. On greater-than-stereo multi-channel
other submixing setups, see “Submixing for tracks, the parameters for all channels are gener-
Signal Routing and Effects Processing” on ally ganged together.
page 347.
Relinking may cause automation to be lost.
Plug-In and Insert Formats See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 362
Mono Plug-Ins Are designed for use on mono
tracks. Some mono plug-ins (such as Mod Delay)
let you generate a stereo output from a mono
channel. Inserts that occur on a track after a ste-
reo insert are used in stereo as well.

356 Pro Tools Reference Guide

TDM and RTAS Plug-Ins Display of Plug-In Bypass, Target, and
Window Status
Use the following guidelines for plug-ins sup-
ported on your system. In the Mix and Edit window, the Plug-In button
and Selector display bypass state, target status,
Pro Tools TDM Systems TDM plug-ins can be and window status as follow:
used on all types of audio tracks. RTAS plug-ins
can be used on Auto Voiced audio tracks some channels bypassed (half blue)

only.When using RTAS and TDM plug-ins on bypassed (blue) unbypassed (black)
the same track, RTAS plug-ins must precede
TDM plug-ins in the insert signal path.

Pro Tools LE Systems RTAS plug-ins can be used Indication of bypassed plug-in
on audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master
Faders.
lit plug-in name

For tips on maximizing RTAS performance,

see the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide.

Viewing Plug-Ins and Inserts Indication of window open

Both the Mix and Edit windows can be config- Hardware Inserts and Bypass
ured to show or hide inserts. Plug-In windows You cannot bypass hardware inserts from
provide complete access to plug-in parameters. Pro Tools. To monitor playback without a hard-
ware insert, either set it to Inactive, remove it by
To show or hide inserts in the Mix or Edit windows: reassigning it to No Insert, or use a bypass
1 Choose Display > Mix Window Shows, or Edit switch on the hardware device itself. See “Inac-
Window Shows > Inserts View. tive Inserts” on page 364 for more information.

no assignments with assignments Indicating the Controller Target

Inserts view If you are using a control surface with Pro Tools,
only one plug-in can be targeted at a time. The
Sends view current controller target, if any, is indicated
with a color outline around its name:
I/O view

target outline

Mix Window views The controller target

To show or hide insert in the Edit window:

For more information on controller targets,
1 Select Inserts view from the View Selector (lo- refer to the MIDI Control Surfaces Guide, or
cated next to the Rulers view). See “Configuring your ProControl documentation.
Send Views in the Mix and Edit Windows” on
page 340 for more information.

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 357

 Inactive Plug-Ins
Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks
Plug-ins and inserts can be made inactive to free
up their resources for other uses. When a plug-in To use a real-time plug-in in a Pro Tools session,
is inactive it retains its assignment, position, all insert it on a track.
related automation playlists. However, it will
not pass audio and does not consume any DSP To insert a plug-in on a track:
or TDM resources. 1 Make sure the Inserts view is shown in the Mix
or Edit window.
To make a plug-in inactive:
2 Click the Insert Selector on the track and se-
■ Command-Control-click the Plug-In button. lect the plug-in that you want to use. (See “TDM
(Use Option and Option+Shift modifiers to ap- and RTAS Plug-Ins” on page 357 for related in-
ply to all or all selected, respectively.) formation.)
– or –

■ Make the track inactive. See “Making Tracks Click here

Inactive” on page 84.

When opening sessions, plug-ins will be inac-

tive in any of the following situations:
• The plug-in is not installed
• The plug-in type is not available (RTAS or Inserting a TDM plug-in
TDM). Or, opening the session results in plug-
in type substitutions. This can happen if, for To remove an insert from a track:
example, the type is available but substituting ■ Click the Insert Selector and choose No Insert.
would result in an unsupported condition,
such as an RTAS plug-in after TDM plug-ins in
a track.

Inactive plug-ins retain all associated automa-

tion playlists. In addition, any edits made in the
session affect the plug-in automation playlists. Removing a plug-in
You cannot record automation for an inactive
plug-in, or edit its controls on-screen. Moving and Duplicating Inserts
Inactive Inactive You can move or duplicate a plug-in insert by
plug-in active track
(italicized) (plain text) (italicized, dark gray background) 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. Dragging an insert on top of an ex-
isting insert will replace it (and its automation,
if any).
Display of inactive plug-ins

358 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To move an insert:
Master Link button
■ Drag the insert to the desired location. Link Enable buttons
Channel Selector

Moving a plug-in

To duplicate an insert:
■ Option-drag (Macintosh) or Alt-drag (Win-
dows) the insert to the desired location. The du-
plicated plug-in retains its original settings and Plug-In window (multi-mono 1-band EQ shown)
automation.
Phase Invert buttons

The Plug-In Window

The Plug-In window appears whenever you click
the Insert button on a track. This floating win-
dow let you to edit the parameters of any real-
time plug-in insert in use on a track.

Settings menu LFE Enable

Plug-In Selector
Insert button
Track Selector Compare Automation Safe
Insert
Plug-In window (multi-channel Compressor shown)
Librarian menu Effect bypass Convert plug-in
Selector
Insert Position Enable Target plug-in Settings menu Lets you copy, paste, save, and
Selector Automation Phase Invert
import plug-in settings.

Track Selector Accesses any non-MIDI track in

your session.

Librarian Menu Recalls settings files saved in the

plug-in’s root settings folder or in the current
session’s Settings folder.

Insert Position Selector Accesses any insert on

the current track.

Plug-In window (mono 1-band EQ shown)

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 359

 Key Input Selector Lets you select audio on a than one channel. Shift-clicking this Selector
particular input or bus and route it to trigger the opens a separate Plug-In window for each chan-
plug-in. This menu only appears on plug-ins nel of the multi-channel track on which the
that feature side-chain processing. Key inputs plug-in is inserted.
are monophonic.
Master Link Button When enabled, links the pa-
Plug-In Selector Lets you select any real-time rameter controls on all channels of a multi-
plug-in installed in the DAE Plug-Ins folder. mono plug-in so that they can be adjusted in
tandem.
Compare Toggles between the original saved
plug-in setting and any changes you have made Link Enable Buttons Lets you selectively link
to it so you can compare them. the parameter controls of specific channels of a
multi-mono plug-in. Each square represents a
Effect Bypass Disables the currently displayed speaker channel. The Master Link button must
plug-in. This lets you compare the track with be disabled to use the Link Enable buttons. See
and without the effect. “Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-
Enable Automation Parameters Lets you enable Mono Plug-Ins” on page 362.
individual plug-in parameters for automation LFE Enable Enables plug-in processing of the
recording. See “Automating Plug-Ins” on LFE (low frequency effects) channel on a 5.1,
page 380. 6.1, and 7.1-format multi-channel track. To dis-
Automation Safe When enabled, prevents exist- able LFE processing, deselect this button.
ing plug-in automation from being overwritten.
Opening Plug-In Windows
Convert Plug-In Lets you convert the insert from
a TDM plug-in to an RTAS plug-in of the same
To open a Plug-In window:
type (or vice-versa). This feature can only be
used on plug-ins that are available in both TDM ■ Click the Plug-In button in the Mix or Edit

and RTAS formats. window channel strip.

Target Button When multiple Plug-In windows By default, each plug-in you open will appear in
are open, clicking this button selects that plug- the same location as a currently open plug-in,
in as the target for any computer keyboard com- replacing it in the same window location.
mands.

Phase Invert Button Inverts the phase polarity of

the input signal.

Channel Selector Accesses a specific channel

within a multi-channel track for plug-in param-
eter editing. This menu appears only on multi-
mono plug-ins inserted on tracks with more

360 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Opening Multiple Plug-In Windows To select a different plug-in on the same track:
■ Click the Insert Selector and choose a plug-in
To reduce screen clutter, Pro Tools normally dis-
plays a single Plug-In window from which you from the pop-up menu.
can edit the parameters of any plug-in in a ses-
sion. If you want, however, you can open addi-
tional Plug-In windows for specific plug-ins.

Once you begin working with multiple Plug-In

windows, you will need to click the Target but-
ton on the plug-in whose parameters you want
to edit using keyboard commands.

To open a Plug-In window for a specific plug-in:

Choosing a plug-in from the Plug-In window
■ In the Mix window, Shift-click the Insert but-
ton of the desired plug-in. To choose a different track:
■ Click the Track Selector and choose a track
To open Plug-In windows for each channel of a from the pop-up menu.
multi-mono plug-in:
■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the Channel Selector in the Plug-In win-
dow of the desired plug-in.

To close all currently open Plug-In windows:

■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the close box of any currently open Plug-
In window.
Choosing a track from the Plug-In window

Target Window and Settings Shortcuts

Using the Plug-In Window
When multiple Plug-In windows are open, a
All plug-ins provide standard Pro Tools controls
highlighted target indicates the Target window.
for track and insert selection, bypass, and oth-
By default, Pro Tools keeps a single Plug-In win-
ers, in addition to the EQ, dynamics, and other
dow open (the Target window), that displays
processor-specific controls.
each plug-in as it is opened. Opening a new
plug-in opens it as the new Target window, in
the same location.

In addition, the Plug-In Target window is also

the focus of keyboard shortcuts for plug-in set-
tings.

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 361

 Bypassing Plug-Ins If necessary, you can unlink plug-in controls on
specific channels of a track and edit them inde-
Plug-ins can be bypassed from their Plug-In win- pendently. You can also selectively link the con-
dow, or from the Mix and Edit window Inserts trols of specific channels.
view.
Master Link button
Link Enable buttons
To bypass a plug-in:
Channel Selector

■ Click the Plug-In window’s Bypass button.

– or –

■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click

Channel Selector and Link controls
(Windows) the plug-in’s Insert button in the
Mix window. To unlink controls on a multi-mono plug-in:

When a plug-in insert is bypassed, the In- ■ Deselect the Master Link button.
sert Selector in the Mix window changes its
color to blue for easy visual reference. If To access controls for a specific channel:
some, but not all channels of an unlinked ■ Select the desired channel from the Channel
multi-mono plug-in are bypassed, the Insert Selector.
Selector appears half blue and half black.
To link the controls of specific channels:
some channels bypassed (half blue)
1 Deselect the Master Link button if it is not al-
bypassed (blue) unbypassed (black) ready deselected.

2 Click the Link Enable buttons for the chan-

nels whose controls you want to link. For exam-
Bypass states indicated by color ple, to link all channels except the LFE,
highlight the icons representing the five full-
Linking and Unlinking Controls on range speakers in a multi-mono plug-in.
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins
(TDM Systems Only)

When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multi-

All channels linked except the LFE
channel track of more than two channels, the
controls are normally linked. Adjusting the
Gain parameter on one channel, for example,
will adjust it for all channels.

362 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Editing Plug-In Parameters ◆ To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on
your keyboard. To decrease a value, press the
You can edit plug-in parameters by dragging the Down Arrow on your keyboard.
parameter’s slider or by typing a value into the
◆ Press Enter on the numeric keyboard after typ-
parameter’s text box. See the DigiRack Plug-Ins
ing a value to input the value (without leaving
Guide for complete instructions.
the selected parameter field).

To edit a plug-in parameter: ◆ Press Return (Macintosh) or Enter on the al-

pha keyboard (Windows) to enter the value and
1 Begin audio playback so that you can hear pa-
leave keyboard editing mode.
rameter changes in real time.
◆ To move downward through the different pa-
2 Adjust the parameters of the plug-in for the ef-
rameter fields, press the Tab key. To move up-
fect you want.
wards, press Shift-Tab.

Keyboard Shortcuts
Plug-In Automation and Safe
■ For finer adjustments, Command-drag (Mac-
intosh) or Control-drag (Windows) the control. All real-time plug-ins can be fully automated,
and support all Pro Tools automation modes
■ To return a control to its default value, Op-
(Write, Touch, and Latch, plus Trim).
tion-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows)
the control. The Auto button opens the Enable Automation
Parameters dialog, where you can enable indi-
Keyboard Input for Plug-In vidual plug-in parameters for automation re-
cording. See Chapter 28, “Automation” for
Parameters
more information on this feature and shortcuts
You can use your computer keyboard to edit to enable plug-in parameter.
plug-in parameters.
The Safe button engages Automation Safe mode.
If multiple Plug-In windows are open, Tab and When enabled, existing plug-in automation is
keyboard entry remain focussed on the plug-in protected from being overwritten. (See “Auto-
that is the Target window. mating Plug-Ins” on page 380 for more informa-
tion.)
To edit parameters with a keyboard:
◆ Click in the parameter text field that you want
to edit to activate the field. Type the desired
value.
◆ In fields that support values in kilohertz, typ-
ing “k” after a number value will multiply the
value by 1000. If you want to enter a value of
8000, type “8k”.

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 363

 4 Make sure the insert is set to the correct for-
Hardware I/O Inserts mat (mono, stereo, or other).

You can connect external devices, such as reverb 5 Map inserts in the Channel Grid as needed.
or effects processors, to your Pro Tools system Insert and Output paths have special rules re-
and use them as inserts or make them the desti- garding channel mapping (see “Overlapping
nation for effects sends and returns. Channels and Valid Paths” on page 67).

Pro Tools inserts utilize hardware input and out-

put channels to send and return the audio. In- Assigning Inserts
serts can be defined, and their channels mapped
to audio interface channels, in the I/O Setup di- To assign a hardware insert to a track:
alog. ■ Select an insert from the track Insert Selector.

If you plan to use a device as an insert, be sure to

connect the device to matching inputs and out-
puts on your system. For example, a stereo insert
could use outputs 7-8 and inputs 7-8 for the
sends and returns, respectively.

To define hardware inserts:

1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup, then click the In-
serts tab. Selecting a hardware I/O insert

Inactive Inserts
Hardware inserts can be made Inactive. An inac-
tive insert retains its assignment, but does not
pass audio and does not consume any DSP re-
sources. In addition, any mixer resources re-
quired for the insert are removed.

You can use the inactive feature whenever

you need to mute or bypass a hardware in-
I/O Setup dialog (TDM system shown, with 24 channels sert. Inserts do not provide a standard by-
of I/O) pass control.
2 Select an insert path, or click New Path to cre-
ate a new Insert path.

3 Double-click the Path Name to enter a custom

path name for the insert.

364 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To make an insert inactive: 3 Define output, input, or insert paths as appro-
priate in the I/O Setup dialog.
■ Command-Control-click the Insert button.
Use the Option and Option+Shift modifiers to If you plan to use a device as an insert, be sure to
apply to all or all selected tracks, respectively. connect the device to matching inputs and out-
– or – puts on your system. For example, a stereo insert
could use outputs 7-8 and inputs 7-8 for the
■ Make the track inactive (this sets all associated
sends and returns, respectively.
inserts, sends, outputs, and plug-ins inactive).
For details on connecting external devices,
When opening sessions on a system with insuf-
refer to the Pro Tools Hardware Installation
ficient DSP resources, unavailable inserts are au-
Guide that came with your system.
tomatically set to inactive.

Connecting Effects Units Digitally

Connecting and Integrating If you want to use the digital inputs and outputs
on your Pro Tools system as effects sends and re-
External Devices
turns to a digital effects device, Pro Tools should
Pro Tools TDM and Digi 001 systems can create be the clock master in most cases. Set your digi-
dedicated connections to external analog or dig- tal effects device to accept an external digital
ital devices. The number and type of connec- clock so that it synchronizes to Pro Tools.
tions depends on what kind of system you have.
To set up a digital send to an external device from
You can also use the inputs and outputs of an a TDM system:
Audiomedia III card to connect external devices.
1 Do one of the following:
You can send and return an analog signal using
the analog connectors on the card, and monitor ◆ On an 888/24 I/O Interface, choose Setups >
through a DAT machine connected to the digi- Hardware, click Other Options, and set the
tal output. You can also send and return a digital channel pair to Digital.
signal to an external device that supports digital ◆ On an 882/20 I/O or 1622 I/O Interface,
I/O (such as a reverb unit), and monitor with the choose Setups > Hardware and set Channel 1–2
analog outputs. input to Digital.

To connect an external device to a Pro Tools 2 Choose Internal from the Sync Mode pop-up
system: menu.

1 Connect an unused output (or pair of outputs 3 Click OK.

for a stereo device) of your Pro Tools system to
an input of the external signal processor.

2 Connect the output of the external signal pro-

cessor to an unused input (or pair of inputs for a
stereo device) of your Pro Tools system.

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 365

 To set up a digital send to an external device Using External Clock Sources
from a Digi001 system:
Pro Tools can use the digital input on Channels
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine and click
1–2 as its clock master. To synchronize your sys-
Other Options.
tem to an external clock source, connect the ex-
2 Do one of the following: ternal source to Pro Tools digital inputs 1–2.

◆ If the external device is connected to the

TDM Systems
S/PDIF RCA jacks, deselect S/PDIF Mirroring.
(When S/PDIF Mirroring is on, digital output at Pro Tools can receive external clock from Chan-
the S/PDIF RCA jacks exactly mirrors the output nels 1–2, using either the AES/EBU (on the
of analog Channels 1–2.) 888/24 I/O) or S/PDIF connectors on your audio
◆ If the external device is connected to the Op- interface. Pro Tools also supports optical sync
tical ports, choose a format (most likely S/PDIF through an Adat Bridge.
for an effects device) from the Optical Format
In an expanded TDM system, connect to the
pop-up menu.
digital input on Channels 1–2 of the master au-
3 Choose Internal from the Sync Mode pop-up dio interface. This is the audio interface con-
menu. nected to the first MIX or d24 card in your sys-
tem.
4 Click OK.
Refer to the Pro Tools TDM System Instal-
5 Optionally, configure the I/O Setup dialog
lation Guide to determine correct card order
with new path names for effects routing.
and audio interface connections for TDM
If you set the Optical Format to S/PDIF, systems.
Pro Tools will watch the Optical port for
To select an external clock source for a TDM
any audio input on the S/PDIF RCA jacks.
system:
To set up a digital send to an external device 1 Choose Setups > Hardware.
from an Audiomedia III system:
2 Set the Sync Mode to Digital.
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine and deselect
S/PDIF Mirroring. (When S/PDIF Mirroring is 3 Choose the Digital Format for the input.
on, digital output at the S/PDIF RCA jacks ex-
actly mirrors the output of analog Channels Digi 001 Systems
1–2.) Pro Tools can receive external clock from the
2 Choose Internal from the Sync Mode pop up optical input (on the Digi 001 PCI card) or
menu. S/PDIF input (on the Digi 001 I/O box).

3 Click OK.
To select an external clock source for a Digi 001
4 Optionally, configure the I/O Setup dialog system:
with new path names for effects routing. 1 Choose Setups > Hardware.

2 Set the Sync Mode to match the type of input.

366 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If you choose Optical, make sure the Optical
Format matches the type of optical input you
are sending to your Pro Tools system.

If you set the Optical Format to S/PDIF,

Pro Tools will watch the Optical port for ex-
ternal clock, and ignore any clock input on
the S/PDIF RCA jacks.

Audiomedia III Systems

Pro Tools can receive external clock from the

S/PDIF input on the Audiomedia III card.

To select an external clock source for an

Audiomedia III system:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware.

2 Set the Sync Mode to match the type of input.

Chapter 27: Plug-Ins and Inserts 367

368 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 28: Automation

Pro Tools features dynamic automation of vol-

ume, pan, and mute controls for audio tracks Automation Quick Start
and sends, MIDI tracks, and real-time plug-in
Pro Tools provides many options for recording,
parameters. In Pro Tools, you can write automa-
replacing, and editing automation data.
tion moves in real time during playback of your
session. You can also edit automation data with The basic steps for automation recording are:
the same techniques you use to edit audio and
• Enable the automation type that you want to
MIDI data.
record (volume, pan, mute, send level, send
pan, send mute, or plug-in automation).
Automation Accuracy with
• Put the appropriate tracks in an automation
Control Surfaces
writing mode (Write, Touch, or Latch, or a
ProControl Digidesign’s ProControl supports all Trim mode).
automation features in Pro Tools. ProControl • If you are automating a plug-in, enable the in-
DigiFaders™ provide 10-bit accuracy, or 1,024 dividual plug-in parameters to be automated.
steps of resolution. Pro Tools interpolates this
ProControl input and provides 24-bit resolution • Automation Safe any plug-ins, outputs, or
of volume and send automation on playback. sends that have existing automation data that
you want to protect from being overwritten.
For details on using ProControl to create • Begin playback to begin automation record-
mix automation, refer to the ProControl ing, and adjust controls as needed. Pro Tools
User’s Guide. remembers all moves performed on enabled
parameters.
MIDI Control Surfaces Most MIDI control sur-
faces have 8-bit resolution, or 128 steps; the To edit automation once it has been recorded,
Mackie HUI has 9-bit resolution, or 512 steps. you can:
Pro Tools interpolates this input to a much
• Repeat the above steps to write new automa-
higher resolution on playback, resulting in fader
tion over the previous data.
automation that is smooth enough to satisfy
professional requirements. • Graphically edit the automation data in the
Edit window.
• Cut, copy, paste, or delete automation data
(certain restrictions apply).

Chapter 28: Automation 369

 Audio Tracks
Automation Playlists
On audio tracks, automation data resides on a
Each Pro Tools track contains a single automa- separate playlist from audio data and regions.
tion playlist for each automatable control. Each edit playlist on an audio track shares the
same automation data.
On audio tracks, these controls include:
• Volume
MIDI Tracks
• Pan
On MIDI tracks, all controller automation data
• Mute except for Mute data is stored in the MIDI region
• Send volume, pan, and mute that contains it. Each edit playlist on a MIDI
• Plug-in parameters track is separate, and represents a distinct per-
formance, complete with controller automa-
On MIDI tracks, these controls include: tion.
• Volume
Mute data is independent of the MIDI data
• Pan in a MIDI region. This lets you mute play-
• Mute back of individual MIDI tracks in Pro Tools
without altering the controller data.
You can display and edit each of these automat-
able parameters individually from Pro Tools, Multiple Edit Playlists and Audio Track
even during playback. Automation

In addition, you can display and edit other con- All edit playlists on a single audio track share the
tinuous MIDI controller data (such as mod same automation data. When you record or edit
wheel, breath controller, foot controller, or sus- automation data in an audio track, the automa-
tain) in a similar manner. For more information tion data is stored in the track automation play-
on editing MIDI data, see “Continuous Control- list so it can be edited with, or independently
ler Events” on page 301. from, its associated audio regions. (MIDI auto-
mation data always follows region editing, with
the exception of mute. See “MIDI Tracks” on
Automation Playlists with Audio page 370 for more information.)
and MIDI Regions
◆ When you copy or cut audio data from a track
Pro Tools handles audio regions and automa- while it is in Waveform view, the underlying au-
tion playlists differently from MIDI regions and tomation data is cut or copied with it.
automation playlists.
◆ If you paste audio data from other locations or
tracks into an edit playlist, you may change the
underlying automation data on the track.

370 Pro Tools Reference Guide

◆ When you trim audio regions with the Trim
tool, or cut, copy, paste, or delete audio regions, Automation Modes
underlying automation data is also trimmed,
Each track provides an Automation Mode Selec-
cut, copied, pasted, or deleted.
tor. Automation modes control how a track’s
◆ When you use the Trim command, the under- automation data is written and played back.
lying automation data remains, unchanged.
Auto Off
For more information, see “Editing Auto-
mation” on page 385. Auto Off mode turns off automation for all au-
tomatable controls:
Using Tracks for Playlist Editing
• Volume
The Duplicate Track command provides a con-
• Pan
venient way to make a working copy of a track
to experiment with routing, plug-ins, and auto- • Mute
mation. This protects original track’s from being • Send volume, pan, and mute
edited or overwritten.
• Plug-in parameters

To copy a track for editing: • MIDI volume, pan, and mute

1 Select the track and choose File > Duplicate In Auto Off mode, automation data for these pa-
Track. Duplicate Track create a complete copy of rameters is ignored during playback. All other
the track, including all routing, plug-ins, and MIDI controller data is sent.
automation.

2 Command-Control-click the Track Type icon, Auto Read

or select that track and choose File > Make Se- Auto Read mode plays the automation that was
lected Tracks Inactive. previously written for a track.
3 Begin editing automation and other parame-
ters on the duplicated track. Auto Write

Edit and assembling the track regions before ap- Auto Write mode writes automation from the
plying automation to them. time playback starts to the time it stops, erasing
any previously written automation for the dura-
tion of the automation pass.

After an automation pass, Pro Tools automati-

cally switches from Auto Write mode to Auto
Touch mode. This prevents you from acciden-
tally overwriting automation data on later play-
back. On TDM systems, you can turn off this be-
havior and remain in Auto Write mode. See
“Write Switches To Touch After Pass” on
page 374 for details.

Chapter 28: Automation 371

 Auto Touch Trim Mode
Auto Touch mode writes automation only while (TDM Systems Only)
a fader or switch is touched or clicked with the
Pro Tools TDM systems can adjust (or trim) ex-
mouse. When the fader is released, the writing
isting track volume and send level automation
of automation stops and the fader returns to any
data in real time. Pan and plug-in automation
previously automated position, at a rate deter-
cannot be trimmed in this manner. Trim mode
mined by the AutoMatch and Touch Timeout
works in combination with the other automa-
settings. See “Automation Preferences” on
tion modes (Auto Read, Auto Touch, Auto
page 374.
Latch, Auto Write) and is useful when you want
In Auto Touch mode, certain control surfaces to preserve all of your volume automation
start writing automation as soon as you touch moves, but need to make levels a bit louder or
them. These include: softer to balance a mix.

• Touch-sensitive motorized fader controllers, When editing automation in Trim mode, fader
such as Digidesign ProControl, or the Mackie moves write relative rather than absolute values.
HUI. The existing automation data is changed by the
• Continuous-belt controllers, such as the amount of increase or decrease (or the delta
Penny & Giles DC16/MM16. value) indicated by the faders. When trimming,
a track’s Volume indicator or Send Level indica-
With other control surfaces in Auto Touch tor shows the delta values being written rather
mode, writing of automation does not begin un- than the absolute value.
til the fader hits the pass-through point, or the
previously automated position. Once you reach When Trim mode is enabled, non-trimmable
the pass-through point with the fader, writing controls behave in the same manner as in the
of automation begins and continues until you standard automation modes, with the exception
stop moving the fader. of Trim/Auto Write mode, where non-trimma-
ble controls operate as in Auto Touch mode.

Auto Latch
Trim/Auto Off
Auto Latch mode works in the same way as Auto
Trim/Auto Off mode turns off automation and
Touch mode, writing automation only if you
trimming for a track. All automation moves are
touch or move a control. However, unlike Auto
ignored during playback.
Touch, writing of automation continues until
you stop playback. This mode is particularly use-
Trim/Auto Read
ful for automating pan controls and plug-ins,
since it does not time out and revert to its previ- In Trim/Auto Read mode, volume and send fad-
ous position when you release a control. ers follow the previously written automation.
When one of the faders is touched, the trim
See also “Writing Automation to the Start, moves (delta values) are played back, but are not
End or All of a Selection” on page 391. written into the automation data. This lets you
audition trim moves without affecting existing
automation.

372 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable
controls (all controls other than track volume controls (all controls other than track volume
and send level) behave as if they are in regular and send level) behave as if they are in regular
Read mode—no automation data is written. Latch mode—they follow the previously written
automation until touched. When they are
Trim/Auto Touch touched, their absolute positions are written un-
til playback is stopped.
In Trim/Auto Touch mode, when playback be-
gins, volume and send faders follow the previ-
Trim/Auto Write
ously written automation. When one of the fad-
ers is touched, real-time trimming begins. Fader In Trim/Auto Write mode, the volume and send
moves write delta values (an increase or decrease level faders are disengaged from displaying the
in existing automation data). existing automation data, so you don’t have to
chase them during playback. Faders are auto-
When the fader is released, trimming stops and matically positioned at 0 dB, where no trim-
the fader returns to a zero delta value and con- ming occurs (they start with a delta value of
tinues to follow the previously written automa- zero). From this reference point you can then set
tion. The rate of the fader’s return to a zero delta the initial delta values before initiating play-
value is determined by the AutoMatch Time back.
specified in the Automation Preferences. See
“Automation Preferences” on page 374 for more In this mode, as soon as playback begins, delta
information. values are applied to the existing automation
data. Trimming continues until playback stops.
When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable
controls (all controls other than track volume When Trim/Auto Write mode is enabled, non-
and send level) behave as if they are in regular trimmable controls (all controls other than
Auto Touch mode—they follow the previously track volume and send level) are not in Write
written automation until touched. When they mode, but behave as if they are in regular Auto
are touched, their absolute positions are written Touch mode (no automation is written unless a
until the control is released or until playback control is touched). This is to prevent the con-
stops. trols from overwriting all of their automation
data on every pass in Trim mode.
Trim/Auto Latch
In Trim mode, tracks do not automatically
In Trim/Auto Latch mode, when playback be- change from Trim/Auto Write to
gins, volume and send faders follow the previ- Trim/Auto Touch after an automation
ously written automation. When one of the fad- pass. Be sure to switch out of Auto Write
ers is touched, real-time trimming begins. Any when you leave Trim mode to avoid over-
fader moves after trimming begins increase or writing automation data.
decrease existing automation data accordingly.
Trimming of the touched control continues un-
til playback stops.

Chapter 28: Automation 373

 Write Switches To Touch After Pass (TDM Sys-
Automation Preferences tems Only) After an automation pass in Auto
Write mode, Pro Tools automatically switches
Pro Tools gives you several options for control-
to Auto Touch mode. On TDM systems, you can
ling the writing and playback of automation
choose to stay in Auto Write mode by deselect-
data.
ing this option.

To display Automation Preferences: Write Switches to Touch After Pass does not
■Choose Setups > Preferences, and click Auto- affect Trim mode. In Trim mode, tracks do
mation. not automatically change from Trim/Auto
Write to Trim/Auto Touch after an auto-
mation pass.

Mutes Follow Groups When selected, muting a

track that belongs to a group mutes all other
members of the group. When this option is de-
selected, tracks must be muted on an individual
basis. You can mute or unmute individual group
members by Control-clicking (Macintosh) or
Right-clicking (Windows) the Mute button of
the track you want to affect individually.
Automation Preferences dialog Solos Follow Groups When selected, soloing a
Faders Move During Playback When selected, track that belongs to a group solos all other
on-screen faders move if automation has been members of the group. When this option is de-
written for them. When this option is dese- selected, tracks must be soloed on an individual
lected, automation still operates, but on-screen basis. You can solo individual group members
faders do not move. Turning this option off can by Control-clicking (Macintosh) or Right-click-
help speed up screen redraws and processing if ing (Windows) the Solo button of the track you
you are using a slower computer. want to affect individually.

Smooth and Thin Data After Pass When se- Send Mutes Follow Groups ?When selected,
lected, Pro Tools automatically smooths and muting a send on a track that belongs to a group
then applies the specified amount of thinning mutes that send (A-E) on all tracks in the group.
to the automation data created in an automa-
Send Levels Follow Groups When selected, ad-
tion pass. (See also “Degree of Thinning” on
justing the level of a send on a track that be-
page 375, and “About Smoothing” on
longs to a group adjusts that send (A-E) on all
page 375.)
members of the group.

374 Pro Tools Reference Guide

LFEs Follow Groups When selected, adjusting About Smoothing
the level of an LFE slider, or editing LFE automa-
tion breakpoint data, on a track or send that be- When you perform automation moves with a
longs to a group adjusts the LFE on all tracks of continuous control, Pro Tools records the move
the group. With send-based LFEs, grouping af- as a series of very small steps, resulting in a stair-
fects only that send (A-E) on other tracks. case pattern with many breakpoints. Smoothing
intelligently resolves this staircase pattern into a
Degree of Thinning Specifies the amount of thin- single, smooth ramp from one breakpoint to the
ning performed on automation data when you next. (Smoothing does not apply to switched
use the Thin Automation command, or if you controls such as mutes or plug-in bypasses.)
have selected the Smooth and Thin Data After With smoothing enabled, the resulting automa-
Pass option in this dialog. (See also “About Thin- tion is often a more accurate representation of
ning” on page 375.) actual automation moves.

Touch Timeout If you are writing automation in

Auto Touch mode and you stop moving a non- About Thinning
touch sensitive control, Pro Tools continues to
Thinning automatically reduces the overall
write automation for the Touch Timeout value.
number of breakpoints in the automation play-
After the Touch Timeout period, writing of au- list in order to improve system performance.
tomation stops and the automation data returns The amount of thinning applied is determined
to its previous automation value at the rate spec- by the Degree of Thinning setting in the Auto-
ified in the AutoMatch Time setting. mation Preferences. When using high amounts
of thinning, the resulting automation may dif-
AutoMatch Time If you are writing automation fer noticeably from the original automation
in Auto Touch mode, when you release a fader moves. Thinning only applies to audio tracks,
or control, writing of automation stops and the and does not affect MIDI tracks. For instruc-
automation data returns to its previous automa- tions, see “Thinning Automation” on page 383.
tion value. The rate of return to the previous
value is the AutoMatch Time. See “About Au-
toMatch” on page 375.
About AutoMatch
When you write automation in Auto Touch
Amount of memory to reserve for automation re-
mode, if you release a fader during playback,
cording Allocates memory for automation. See
Pro Tools returns to the level of any automation
“Setting the Automation Buffer Size” on
still on the track by ramping up or down over a
page 376 for details.
certain amount of time, called the AutoMatch
Time. This time value is set in the Automation
Preferences.

The AutoMatch feature works with continuous

controls (such as Volume or Pan) by ramping
their values back to previously automated levels.
There are some stepped controls (for example,

Chapter 28: Automation 375

 the EQ type in the 1-band EQ plug-in) that pro- About Processing Bandwidth
vide more than two discrete steps over their op-
erational range. AutoMatch has no effect on Meters in the System Usage window indicate
these controls. how much of your system’s processing power is
being used in processing audio, and when writ-
ing and playing back automation. In
AutoMatch Indicators
Pro Tools LE, these meters show System Load
There are triangular AutoMatch indicators at the and CPU processing capacity; on Pro Tools TDM
bottom left of each channel strip in the Mix systems, they show System Load, PCI bus traffic,
window. These indicate the direction you need CPU processing capacity, and Time Slot usage.
to move a fader in order to match the original
automation level of that fader.
Processing meters

Triangular AutoMatch Indicators on a channel strip

Setting the Automation Buffer

Size
Meters in the System Usage Window (TDM shown)
Pro Tools lets you specify the size of the mem-
As these meters approach their limits, recording
ory buffer used to write automation. If you are
or playback of automation data may be affected.
working on a large session or writing a very large
number of automation moves, you may want to If CPU or PCI Activity are high, a System error
increase this value. may occur. If System Load is high, Pro Tools
may miss playback of some of your automation
To set the Automation Buffer size: data during particularly dense periods of activ-
ity, such as while using the Bounce to Disk com-
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Auto-
mand.
mation.

2 For the option “Amount of memory to reserve For more information, see “Bounce to Disk”
for automation recording,” enter a value be- on page 400.
tween 200 and 3000K (the default value for a
new session is 200K.)

3 Relaunch Pro Tools for this change to take ef-

fect.

376 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To reduce processing load, try the following:
■ Deselect the Faders Move During Playback op-
Viewing Automation
tion in the Automation Preferences. Pro Tools creates a separate playlist for each type
– or – of automation you write. This data can be
viewed and edited in the same way as audio and
■ Reduce the density of automation in places MIDI data.
where it shows the most activity. For details, see
“Thinning Automation” on page 383. To show automation data:
■ Turn off sends view meters, if enabled, in the ■ Click the Track View Selector and select from

Preferences > Display window. See “Sends View the pop-up menu the automation type you
Meters” on page 341 for more information. want to view.

Automation Safe
Outputs, sends, and plug-ins can be placed in
Auto Safe mode. In Auto Safe mode, any auto-
mation associated with that Output window
(track or send level, panning, mute, and so on),
or plug-in on that track is protected from being Displaying automation data
overwritten while automating other items on
that track. You can easily toggle between Volume and
Waveform view for audio tracks. For more
Safe enabled
information, see “Toggling Track Views” on
page 166.

Automation Safe enabled in a plug-in

Automation Safe mode suspends automation re-

cording for the selected track output, send, or
plug-in in which it is enabled. You can also sus-
pend automation recording and playback ses-
sion-wide from the Automation Enable window.
See “Enabling and Suspending Automation” on
page 381.

Chapter 28: Automation 377

 5 When you have finished, click Stop.
Writing Automation ◆ After the first automation pass, you can write

You can write automation for all automatable additional automation to the track without
controls by moving those controls during play- completely erasing the previous pass by choos-
back. ing Auto Touch mode or Auto Latch mode.
These modes add new automation only when
To write automation on a track: you actually move the control for that parame-
ter.
1 Choose Windows > Automation Enable.

2 Make sure the automation type is write-en- To write additional automation to a previous pass:
abled.
1 Link the Edit and Timeline.

2 In the Edit window, make a selection or place

the cursor in a location where you want to write
automation.

3 Choose Auto Touch or Auto Latch mode on

the tracks you want to automate.

4 Click Play to begin writing automation. Move

the controls you want to automate.

5 When you have finished, click Stop.

Automation Enable window If you write automation in Auto Touch

mode with Loop Playback enabled, writing
3 Select an automation mode for each track you
of automation will automatically stop at
want to automate. For an initial automation the end of the looped selection. At the begin-
pass, select Auto Write. ning of each successive loop, you can then
touch or move the control again to write
new data.

Storing an Initial Controller Position

When you create a new audio track, Auxiliary
Input, or MIDI track, it is automatically placed
into Auto Read mode. Even though the track is
Choosing an automation mode in Auto Read mode, you can set the initial posi-
4 Click Play to begin writing automation. Move tion of any automatable control, and it is saved
the controls you want to automate. with your session.

In this initial state, only a single automation

breakpoint appears at the beginning of each au-
tomation playlist. If you move the control with-
out writing automation, this breakpoint will
move to the new value.

378 Pro Tools Reference Guide

You can permanently store the initial position Automating Sends
of an automatable control by doing one of the
following: Pro Tools provides dynamic automation of send
level, send mute, and send pan (for stereo and
◆ Place the track in Auto Write mode and press
multi-channel sends only). This makes it easy to
Play to write a few seconds of automation data
control effects levels and placement during mix-
to the track
down with great precision.
◆ Manually place a breakpoint on the automa-
tion playlist somewhere after the initial break- Send level and mute can also be configured to
point. (See “Graphical Editing of Automation follow Groups.
Data” on page 385 for more information.)
To automate a send level, mute or pan:

Automating Switched Controls 1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure

the automation type is write-enabled (send
Pro Tools treats switched controls (such as
level, send mute, send pan).
mutes and plug-in bypasses) as touch sensitive
controls. Automation data is written for as long 2 Choose an automation mode for each track
as the switch or button for that control is you want to automate. For an initial automation
pressed or touched. pass, choose Auto Write.

For example, if you have just written a series of 3 To display send controls, do any of the follow-

mute on/off states on a track in quick succes- ing:

sion, the manual method for clearing this auto- ◆ Select Windows > Mix Window Shows > Sends
mation data would require you to move to the View, then click the send to open the Output
Edit window, choose automation playlist for window for the send that you want to automate.
Mute, select the mute automation data, and de-
◆ Choose Display > Sends View Shows and se-
lete it.
lect the individual send from the submenu.
In Pro Tools, you don't have to perform all of 4 Click Play to begin writing automation. Move
these steps. Instead, you can perform another the controls you want to automate.
automation pass on the track and hold down
the Mute button when it reaches the state you 5 When you have finished, click Stop.

want to remove. For example, when playback

Send mutes and levels can also be config-
gets to the first muted section, the Mute button
ured to follow Mix groups. See “Automation
become highlighted. At this time, press and
Preferences” on page 374 for information.
hold down the Mute button. As long as you
hold down the button, Pro Tools overwrites the
underlying mute data on the track with the cur-
rent state of the switch (on or off) until you stop
playback (use the Spacebar to stop playback).

Chapter 28: Automation 379

 Copying Track Automation to Sends Automating Plug-Ins
(TDM Systems Only) You can create dynamic automation for virtu-
ally all parameters of the plug-ins included with
There may be times where you want a track’s
your Pro Tools system. Automating a plug-in is
send automation to mirror automation in the
slightly different from other automation proce-
track itself, for example, when an effect level
dures in that you must enable automation pa-
needs to follow the levels in a main mix. To do
rameters for the plug-in.
this, you can copy the entire automation play-
list for the selected control to the corresponding
playlist for the send. To enable plug-in parameters for automation:
1 Click the Automation Enable button in the
To copy a track’s automation to one of its sends: Plug-In window.
1 Select the tracks you want to edit by clicking
Automation Enable
on the track names to highlight them.

2 Choose Edit > Copy To Send.

Accessing the Plug-In Automation dialog

2 Select the parameters to automate and click

Add. If there are multiple plug-ins on the same
track, you can select from among these by click-
ing their buttons in the Inserts section of this di-
alog.

Copy To Send dialog

3 In the Copy to Send dialog, select Automation

to copy the entire automation playlist for the
corresponding controls.

4 Choose the controls you want to copy.

Enabling automation for plug-in parameters
5 Choose the sends to copy the automation to,
and click OK.
As an alternative to using the Plug-In Auto-
6 You can undo the results of this command by mation dialog, you can enable individual
choosing Edit > Undo. plug-in parameters directly from the Plug-In
window by Command-Control-clicking
When overwriting automation, Pro Tools
(Macintosh), or Control-Start-clicking the
presents a confirmation dialog. To suppress
parameter. See the DigiRack Pl.ug-Ins Guide
this dialog, press Option (Macintosh) or Alt
for more information.
(Windows) while choosing the command.

380 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To automate a plug-in:
1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
Enabling and Suspending
the Plug-In parameter is enabled.
Automation
2 Select an automation mode for each track you From the Automation Enable window, you can
want to automate. For an initial automation enable or suspend writing for the following au-
pass, choose Auto Write. tomation parameters across all tracks:
• Volume
3 Click OK to close the Plug-In Automation di-
alog. • Pan

4 Click Play to begin writing automation. Ad- • Mute

just the plug-in parameters. • Plug-in

5 When you have finished, click Stop. • Send level

• Send pan
Plug-In Safe • Send mute
You can use Automation Safe mode to protect
plug-in automation from being overwritten. To suspend writing of automation on all tracks:
1 Choose Windows > Show Automation Enable.
To enable Plug-In Safe mode:
2 Do one of the following:
1 Open a plug-in.
■ To suspend writing of all automation on all
2 Click to enable the Safe button. tracks, click the Auto Suspend button.

Safe enabled ■ To suspend writing of a specific type of auto-

mation on all tracks, click the button for that

automation type (volume, mute, pan, plug-in,
send level, send mute, or send pan).

Plug-In Safe

Automation Enable window

Chapter 28: Automation 381

 Suspending Automation Playback Automation Enable Guidelines
You can suspend playback of automation pa- The following rules determine whether automa-
rameters for tracks by clicking on the on the tion is written or played back for a track:
track’s View Selector. ◆ Although Pro Tools shows a single automa-
tion mode for each track, all controls associated
To suspend playback (and writing) of automation with that track are not necessarily in the same
on individual tracks:
automation mode.
1 In the Edit window, set the Track View Selec-
◆ If automation is globally suspended in the Au-
tor to show the automation parameter you want
tomation Enable window, all controls behave as
to suspend.
if they were in Auto Off mode, regardless of the
2 Do one of the following: track’s current automation mode.

◆ To suspend writing and playback of only the ◆ If an automation parameter is suspended by

displayed automation parameter, Command- Command-clicking (Macintosh) or Control-

click (Macintosh) or Control-click (Windows) clicking its name in the Track View Selector, that
the parameter name in the Track View Selector. parameter behaves as if it were in Auto Off
mode, regardless of the track’s current automa-
◆ To suspend writing and playback of all auto-
tion mode.
mation parameters, Command-Shift-click (Mac-
intosh) or Control-Shift-click (Windows) the ◆ If an automation parameter is suspended in

name of any automation parameter in the Track the Automation Enable window, that parameter
View Selector. behaves as if it is in Auto Read mode when the
track is in a recordable automation mode (Auto
◆ To suspend writing and playback of an auto-
Touch, Auto Latch, or Auto Write mode).
mation parameter on all tracks, Command-Op-
tion-click (Macintosh) or Control-Alt-click
(Windows) the name of the automation param-
eter in the Track View Selector. Deleting Automation
Enabling and suspending automation from Automation data takes the form of a line graph
the Edit window obeys Edit Groups (except with editable breakpoints. The easiest way to re-
for Pan automation). This grouped behav- move automation in a track or selection is to
ior can be suppressed by Control-clicking manually delete breakpoints from the automa-
(Macintosh) or Start-clicking (WIndows) tion playlist.
the parameter name.
Removing data in this manner is different from
using the Cut command, which creates anchor
breakpoints at the boundaries of the remaining
data. For details, see “Cutting, Copying, and
Pasting Automation” on page 388.

382 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To remove automation data, display the auto-
mation parameter you want to edit by selecting Thinning Automation
it from the Track View Selector, and do one of
Pro Tools writes a maximum density of automa-
the following:
tion data during an automation pass, in the
form of breakpoints. Since Pro Tools creates
To remove a single breakpoint:
ramps between breakpoints, it may not need all
■ With the Grabber or the Pencil Tool, Option- of the captured points to create a sonically accu-
click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) the rate representation of the automation moves
breakpoint. that you have made. Each breakpoint takes up
space in memory allocated for automation, so
To remove several breakpoints at once: thinning data can to maximize efficiency and
CPU performance.
■ Use the Selector to select a range that contains
the breakpoints, and press Delete (Macintosh) Pro Tools provides two different ways to thin
or Backspace (Windows). automation data and remove unneeded break-
points: the Smooth and Thin Data After Pass op-
To remove all automation data of the displayed tion and the Thin Automation command.
type:
■ Click with the Selector in the track and Using Smooth and Thin Data After Pass
choose Edit > Select All, then press Delete (Mac-
intosh) or Backspace (Windows). When this option is selected in the Automation
Preferences, Pro Tools automatically thins the
To remove all automation for all automation automation breakpoint data after each automa-
playlists on a track: tion pass.

1 Use the Selector to select a range of data to be

removed.

2 Press Control+Delete (Macintosh) or Con-

trol+Backspace (Windows).
The Smooth and Thin Data After Pass Option
All automation data within the selection is re-
moved for all automation playlists on that track, In the default settings for new sessions, the
regardless of whether automation is write-en- Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option is se-
abled for those parameters. lected, with the “Some” setting chosen. In most
cases, this setting yields optimum performance
while providing an accurate reproduction of
your automation moves.

If you choose None, Pro Tools writes the maxi-

mum possible number of breakpoints. You can
still perform thinning at any time with the Thin
Automation command. For more information
on smoothing automation data, see “About
Smoothing” on page 375.

Chapter 28: Automation 383

 Using the Thin Automation Free Hand Draws any shape. In audio tracks, the
Command shape has the number of breakpoints needed to
smoothly interpolate and reproduce the auto-
The Thin Automation command lets you selec- mation shape. In MIDI tracks, the shape is re-
tively thin areas in a track where automation produced as a series of steps, according to the
data is too dense. You can use the Undo com- resolution setting in the MIDI preferences.
mand to audition the results of thinning before
you apply it permanently. Line Draws a straight line. In audio tracks, the
line has a single breakpoint at either end. In
To use the Thin Automation command: MIDI tracks, the controller value changes in
steps according to the resolution setting in the
1 In the Edit window, click the Track View Selec-
MIDI preferences.
tor to display the automation type you want to
thin. Triangle Draws a sawtooth pattern that repeats
2 With the Selector, highlight the automation
at a rate based on the current Grid value. In au-
data you want to thin. To thin all automation of dio tracks, the pattern has a single breakpoint at
the selected type in the track, click the Selector each extreme. In MIDI tracks, the controller
in the track and choose the Select All command. value changes in steps according to the resolu-
tion setting in the MIDI preferences. Amplitude
3 Choose Edit > Thin Automation to thin the se- is controlled by vertical movement of the Pencil
lected automation by the amount you have se- tool.
lected in the Automation Preferences.
Square Draws a square pattern that repeats at a
rate based on the current Grid value. Amplitude
is controlled by vertical movement of the Pencil
Drawing Automation tool.
You can use the Pencil tool to create automation
Random Draws a random pattern of levels that
events for audio and MIDI tracks by drawing
change at a rate based on the current Grid value.
them directly in any automation or MIDI con-
Amplitude is controlled by vertical movement
troller playlist.
of the Pencil tool.
The Pencil tool can be set to draw a series of au-
tomation events with the following shapes: Using Pencil Tool Shapes
You can draw automation for audio as well as
MIDI tracks. For example, you can use the Trian-
gle pattern to control continuous functions, or
the Square pattern to control a switched func-
tion such as Mute or Bypass.

Since the pencil draws these shapes using the

current Grid value, you can use it to perform
panning in tempo with a music track, or on-
Choosing a Pencil Tool Shape frame scene changes when working in post-pro-
duction.

384 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Resolution of MIDI Controller Data
Editing Automation
When using the Pencil tool to draw MIDI auto-
mation, the data is drawn as a series of discrete Pro Tools provides several ways to edit automa-
steps. You can control the density of these steps tion data for any track in your session. You can
to help manage the amount of MIDI data sent edit automation data graphically, by adjusting
for a given MIDI controller move. breakpoints on the automation playlist of a
track. You can also cut, copy, and paste automa-
To set the resolution for the Pencil tool: tion data in the same manner as audio and MIDI
data.
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click MIDI.

2 Enter a value for “Pencil Tool Resolution

Graphical Editing of Automation
When Drawing Controller Data.” The value can
Data
range from 1 to 100 milliseconds.
Automation data takes the form of a line graph
The illustrations below show the same MIDI with editable breakpoints. By dragging these
controller automation drawn with different breakpoints, you can modify the automation
Pencil Tools resolution settings. data directly in the Edit window. When you
drag an automation breakpoint up or down, the
change in value is numerically or textually indi-
cated. Dragging an automation breakpoint to
the left or right adjusts the timing of the auto-
mation event.

Using the Grabber

MIDI Data drawn with resolution of 10 ms
The Grabber lets you create new breakpoints by
clicking on the graph line, or adjust existing
breakpoints by dragging them. Option-click
(Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) breakpoints
with the Grabber to remove them.

MIDI Data drawn with resolution of 100 ms

You may want to choose a smaller value for

MIDI controls that need higher resolution (such
Using the Grabber to create a new breakpoint
as MIDI Volume), and a larger value for controls
that may not require such a high resolution
(such as Pan).

Chapter 28: Automation 385

 Using the Pencil Tool Editing Pan Automation
The Pencil tool lets you create new breakpoints Drag a breakpoint down to pan right, and up to
by clicking once on the graph line. Option-click pan left. Drag a breakpoint to the left or right to
(Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) breakpoints adjust the timing of the panning moves.
with the Pencil tool to remove them.

Track Pan automation

Using the Pencil to delete a breakpoint
Editing Mute Automation
Using the Trimmer
Drag the breakpoint down to mute a section.
The Trimmer lets you adjust all selected break- Drag a breakpoint up to unmute the section.
points up or down by dragging anywhere within Drag a breakpoint to the left or right to adjust
that selection. the timing of the mute.

Using the Trimmer to move breakpoints Track mute automation

Editing Automation Types Editing Stepped Control Automation

Each automatable control has its own automa- Automation for certain controls, such as MIDI
tion playlist, that can be displayed by choosing controllers values or plug-in settings, appears as
it from the Track View Selector. See “” on a stepped pattern on the breakpoint line. Drag a
page 377. breakpoint up or down to a different step to
change to a new control value. Drag a break-
point to the left or right to adjust the timing of
Editing Volume Automation
the stepped control change.
Drag a Volume automation breakpoint up or
down to change the dB value. Drag a breakpoint
to the left or right to adjust the timing of the
volume change.

Stepped control automation

Track volume automation

386 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Editing Automation Breakpoints Editing Automation on Stereo and
Multi-Channel Tracks
To edit automation breakpoints, display the au-
tomation parameter you want to edit by select- Stereo and multi- channel tracks display a single
ing it from the Track View Selector, then do one automation playlist per track Only one playlist
of the following: for volume and mute is available for the stereo
or multi-channel track.
To create a new breakpoint:
■ Click with the Grabber (or the Pencil) on the
line graph.
Volume automation display of a stereo track
To edit a breakpoint:
■ Click an existing point on the line graph with
the Grabber and drag it to a new position.

To edit several breakpoints at once:

■ Use the Selector to select a range in the auto- Volume automation display of a 5.1 track
mation playlist that contains the breakpoints,
and do one of the following: The number of Pan automation playlists de-
pends on the number of channels in the track
◆ To move the breakpoints earlier or later in the format.
track, press the Plus key (+) to nudge them later
(to the right) or the Minus key (–) to move them For multi-mono plug-ins, individual playlists
earlier (to the left). The breakpoints move by the per channel can be displayed and edited when
current Nudge value. the plug-in is unlinked, and the track is in Ex-
◆ To adjust the breakpoint values, click with the panded Track Display.
Trimmer in the selection and drag the break-
points up or down. Expanded Track View

When you use the Trimmer to edit a selec- By default, a single playlist is displayed on stereo
tion containing breakpoints, new anchor and multi-channel tracks. The playlist occupies
breakpoints are created before and after the the entire height of the track (similar to mono
selected area. To suppress creation of an- automation playlists).
chor breakpoints, press Option (Macintosh) Optionally, you can display an expanded view
or Alt (Windows) while using the Trimmer. of the track whereby the same automation play-
list is displayed across each channel.
To edit all breakpoint values in a region:
■ Click in the region with the Trimmer and drag
the breakpoints up or down.

Chapter 28: Automation 387

 Plug-In Automation Playlists on Stereo and ◆ If you move volume or send automation on a
Multi-Channel Tracks grouped track (with the Trimmer), other mem-
bers of the group have their volume or send
Multi-channel plug-ins provide a single set of
breakpoints trimmed relative to that track. This
automatable controls. Multi-mono plug-ins pro-
lets you trim entire sections of a mix.
vide similar control when linked, or discrete
controls when unlinked.

To view and edit the individual playlists of a multi-

mono plug-in:
1 Unlink the plug-in.

2 Select the required playlist from the Track

View Selector.
Trimming automation on an active grouped track

To individually edit a member of a group without

affecting the other members, do one of the
following:
◆ Disable the group by deselecting its name in
the Groups List.
◆ Choose Suspend All Groups from the Groups
List pop-up menu.
plug-in unlinked
◆ Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key
Selecting a playlist for an unlinked, multi-mono plug-in
(Windows) while you perform the edit.

Editing Automation on Grouped When editing automation, audio and MIDI

Tracks Pan controls work opposite from the way all
other controls work. When you edit or trim
When you edit automation on a track that is a
Pan breakpoints, Edit Groups are not
member of an active Edit Group, the same type
obeyed. For grouped Pan behavior, press
of automation (with the exception of audio and
Control (Macintosh) or the Start key (Win-
MIDI Pan controls) is also edited on all tracks
dows) while trimming.
that are part of that group. This occurs even if
that parameter is not currently displayed on the
other grouped tracks. Cutting, Copying, and Pasting
Automation
◆ If you create new automation breakpoints on
a grouped track (with the Grabber or Pencil), Cutting automation data is different from delet-
other members of the group have breakpoints ing it, and yields different results. Copying auto-
placed relative to that track. mation leaves the original automation data in-
tact.

388 Pro Tools Reference Guide

You delete automation data by selecting a range If the data is deleted by pressing Delete (Macin-
of breakpoints and pressing Delete (Macintosh) tosh) or Backspace (Windows), the automation
or Backspace (Windows). See “Deleting Automa- data is removed, and automation values span
tion” on page 382 for details. the gap between pre-existing breakpoints, as in
Figure 25.
You cut automation data by selecting a range of
breakpoints from an automation playlist and se-
lecting the Cut command.

When you cut automation data and when you

paste it into a new location, anchor breakpoints
are added to the beginning and end points of Figure 25. After deleting the automation data
the data. This is done to preserve the true slope In addition, if cut or copied data is pasted else-
(of continuous controls, such as Volume faders where in a track, breakpoints are created at the
or pans) or state (of switched or stepped con- end points of the pasted data to preserve its
trols, such as Mutes) of the automation data value and slope, as shown in Figure 26.
both inside and outside the selection.

The following illustrations show the difference

between cutting and deleting automation data.
In Figure 23, a track is set to display Volume au-
tomation, and a range of automation data is se-
Figure 26. After pasting the automation data in
lected.
another location

Editing and Track Views

Audio and MIDI tracks each have a Track view
that acts as the main format for purposes of ed-
iting. When the main format is displayed, any
Figure 23. Selecting automation data
edits performed on the track apply to all data in
If the Cut command is chosen, anchor break- the track.
points are created at each end of the selection,
and the automation slope on either side of the The main view formats are:
cut data is preserved, as shown in Figure 24. • audio tracks: Waveform and Blocks
• MIDI tracks: Regions, Blocks, and Notes

Figure 24. After cutting the automation data

Chapter 28: Automation 389

 For example, when an audio track is set to Tips for Cutting, Copying and Pasting
Waveform or Blocks, cutting, copying and past-
◆ On audio tracks, when you are in Waveform
ing affects the audio data and all types of auto-
view and cut or copy a section of the waveform,
mation data on that track. If the track is set to
any automation data associated with the wave-
show Pan automation, only the Pan data is af-
form is also cut or copied.
fected.
◆ On audio tracks, when you are in Waveform
view and cut audio data from a track also con-
taining automation data, breakpoints are auto-
matically created at the boundaries of the
remaining automation data.
◆ On audio tracks, pasting waveform data also
pastes any associated automation data.
◆ On Auxiliary Input or Master Fader tracks,
Expanded Track Display, Waveform view only the displayed automation data is cut or
When a selection includes multiple tracks, if copied. To cut or copy all automation data on
any of those tracks is in its main view format, all these types of tracks, press Control while cutting
data on all selected tracks is affected. or copying.
◆ In tracks where an automation playlist con-
To edit all automation types on an Auxiliary Input tains no data (when there is only a single break-
or Master Fader track, do one of the following: point at the very beginning of the track), if you
◆ Make an edit selection that includes at least cut data, no new breakpoints are created.
one audio or MIDI track that is displayed in its
◆ In cases where regions overlap (such as when
main format.
moving regions in Slip mode) and an overlap-
◆ Press Control while cutting or copying the au- ping region is removed, any overlapped auto-
tomation data. mation breakpoints are lost.
◆ If cut or copied data contains a type of auto-
For additional flexibility, you can use play-
mation not currently on the target track,
lists or the Duplicate Track command to
Pro Tools prompts you before allowing you to
work non-destructively on a copy of the edit
paste the data.
data.
◆ Cut or copied automation data for plug-ins or
sends that do not exist on the target track is ig-
nored when pasted.

390 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Special Paste Function for Automation
Data Writing Automation to the
Start, End or All of a
Normally, when you copy and paste automa-
tion data, it is pasted in an automation playlist
Selection
of the exact same type (for example, Left Pan (TDM Systems Only)
data is pasted into the Left Pan playlist).
Pro Tools lets you write current automation val-
However, there may be times when you want to ues from any insertion point forward (or back-
paste from one data type to another (for exam- ward) to the end (or beginning) of a selection or
ple, pasting Send 1 level data into the Send 2 track, or to an entire selection or track, while
level playlist, or track mute data into the send performing an automation pass.
mute playlist).

To paste data into a different automation playlist:

■ Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key
(Windows) when choosing Edit > Paste.

For this special paste mode to function, the fol-

lowing must be true: Write to Start, End, All

◆ Every track selected for pasting must be cur-

rently displayed as automation data.
◆ There must be only one automation playlist Write to Start, All, End buttons in the Automation
on the Clipboard for each target track. (The Spe- Enable window
cial Paste function cannot copy multiple auto- The standard Write to Start/All/End commands
mation playlists for each track.) do not operate when the Pro Tools transport is
stopped. It only affects those automation pa-
You cannot interchange automation data
rameters that are currently write-enabled and
between audio and MIDI tracks, or between
currently writing automation data.
continuous controls (such as faders or pans)
and switched or stepped controls (such as or Optionally, Write to Start, End, and All can be
mute or MIDI controllers). configured to always be applied automatically.
See “Write to Start, End, All On Stop” on
page 393.

Chapter 28: Automation 391

 Requirements for Write to Start, End, Trim Mode
and All
Using Trim mode, it is also possible to write trim
For an automation parameter to write automa- delta values for track volume and send levels to
tion data, the associated track must be in one of the beginning, end or all of a track.
the following automation modes and meet the
following conditions: To write current trim delta values to the start, end,
or all of a track or selection:
Latch mode The automation parameter must be
1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
changed (touched) during the automation pass.
that the automation type (track volume or send
Touch mode The automation parameter must be level) is write-enabled.
changed (touched).
2 Click the Automation Mode Selector on the
Write mode All automation parameters on that track. Select Trim from the pop-up menu to en-
track must be in Auto Write mode. able Trim mode. The track volume and send
level faders turn yellow.
This command can be undone by choosing Edit
3 Click in a track at an insertion point.
> Undo.
– or –
To write current automation values to the start, Drag with the Selector to select a portion of
end, or all of a track or selection: the track.
1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
4 Click Play to begin playback.
that the automation type is write-enabled.
5 When you reach a point in the track/selection
2 Click in a track at an insertion point.
that contains the trim setting (delta value) you
– or – want to apply, click the Write to Start, Write to
All, or Write to End button in the Automation
Drag with the Selector to select a portion of the Enable window.
track.
The relative changes to the track volume and
3 Click Play to begin playback.
send levels at that point are written to the corre-
4 When you reach a point in the track that con- sponding area of the track/selection.
tains the automation data, click Write to Start,
Write to All, or Write to End in the Automation
Enable window.

The current values of all write-enabled automa-

tion at that point are written to the correspond-
ing area of the track/selection.

392 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Write to Start, End, All On Stop To enable Trim mode:
■ Click the Automation Mode Selector and
The Automation Enable window provides op-
tions for automatic Write to Start, End, and All choose Trim from the pop-up menu.
On Stop.

Enabling Trim mode

When Trim mode is enabled for a track, its vol-

Write on Stop
ume and send level faders turn yellow, and its
Automation Mode button is outlined in yellow.
Write On Stop controls This outline flashes to indicate that the track is
trim-enabled, and appears solid whenever trim-
To configure Write on Stop: ming is occurring on the track’s volume or send
1 Open the Automation Enable window. levels.

2 Click to enable one of the Write On Stop

To trim track volume or send levels in real time:
modes (Start, End, or All).
1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
When any of these options are enabled, auto- the automation type (volume or send level) is
mation writing will be performed automatically write-enabled.
after a valid automation pass has been per-
2 Click the Automation Mode Selector on the
formed. See “Requirements for Write to Start,
tracks you want to automate and select Trim
End, and All” on page 392.
from the pop-up menu.

3 Click the Automation Mode Selector a second

time and choose an automation mode:
Trimming Automation
◆ Use Auto Touch or Auto Latch to have the fad-
(TDM Systems Only)
ers follow existing automation, so you can
If you have already written automation, you can “chase” them during the automation pass.
modify automation data for track volume and ◆ Use Auto Write if you want to disengage the
send levels in real time by using Trim mode. faders from existing automation.
When a track is trim-enabled, you are not re-
4 Click Play to begin trimming automation, and
cording absolute fader positions, but relative
move the volume or send level faders.
changes in the existing automation. See “Trim
Mode” on page 372 for more information. 5 When you have finished, click Stop.

Chapter 28: Automation 393

 3 Adjust the controls for the parameters you
Creating Snapshot want to automate.
Automation 4 Choose Edit > Write Automation and do one
(TDM Systems Only) of the following:
◆ To write the current value to only the cur-
Pro Tools lets you write automation data values
for multiple parameters in a single step. You can rently displayed automation parameter, choose
write snapshot automation in two ways: To Current Parameter.
◆ To write the current settings for all automa-
To a selection Automation data is written to the
tion parameters enabled in the Automation En-
Timeline selection (as well as the Edit selection
able window, choose To All Enabled Parameters.
if linked). Anchor breakpoints are placed just be-
fore and after the selection so that data outside
Adding Snapshot Automation to Empty
the selection is not affected.
Automation Playlists
To a cursor location Automation data is written
When you use the Write Automation command
at the insertion point. After the insertion point,
on an automation playlist with no previously
the automation ramps to the next breakpoint
written automation data, the selected value is
value, or if no breakpoints exist, remains at the
written to the entire playlist and not just the se-
newly written value for the remainder of the ses-
lected area.
sion.
This is because a playlist with no automation
For more information on copying automation
data contains only a single automation break-
data within a session, see “Writing Automation
point that corresponds to the current position
to the Start, End or All of a Selection” on
of the control. The position of the breakpoint is
page 391.
updated whenever the parameter value is
changed.
To write snapshot automation:
1 In the Edit window, click the Track View but- If you do not want the Write Automation com-
ton to show the automation you want to edit. mand to write the selected automation value to
the entire playlist, you can:
2 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
◆ Anchor the automation data by placing the
that the automation parameters you want to
cursor at the end of the session (or any other
edit are write-enabled. Disable any parameters
endpoint) and choosing Write Automation To
you want to preserve.
Current Parameter.
• Select an area in the track’s playlist (or within
– or –
multiple tracks) where you want to apply the
automation. ◆ Click with the Grabber on each side of the se-
lection.
– or –
• Place the cursor at an Edit insertion point. This lets the Write Automation command write
only to the selected area.

394 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Writing Snapshot Automation over 6 Choose Edit > Write Automation and select
Existing Automation Data one of the following from the submenu:

When you move the playback cursor, the auto- • To write the current value to only the automa-
mated controls in Pro Tools update on the tion parameter currently displayed in the Edit
screen to reflect the automation data that is al- window, choose To Current Parameter.
ready on the track. To keep the settings you • To write the current settings for all automa-
have made for a snapshot, you can suspend the tion parameters enabled in the Automation
desired automation parameters to prevent the Enable window, choose To All Enabled Param-
controls from updating. eters.

To write snapshot automation over existing data: Capturing Automation and Applying it
1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure Elsewhere
that the automation parameters you want to The Write Automation command can also be
edit are write-enabled. Deselect any parameters used to capture automation states at specific lo-
you want to preserve. cations in a session and apply them to other lo-
2 Adjust the controls for the parameters you cations. This differs from simply copying and
want to automate. pasting automation data in that you can set any
selection length for the application of the cap-
3 Suspend the automation parameters you want
tured automation data.
to automate by doing any of the following:
• To suspend an automation parameter on a To capture and apply automation:
single track, Command-click (Macintosh) or
1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
Control-click (Windows) he name of the auto-
that the automation parameters you want to
mation type in the track’s Track View Selector.
edit are write-enabled. Disable any parameters
• To suspend an automation parameter on all you want to preserve.
tracks, Command-Shift-click (Macintosh) or
2 Click with the Selector in the track with the
Control-Alt-click (Windows) the name of the
automation you want to capture. All automated
automation type in the Track View Selector
controls update to reflect the automation at that
for any track.
location. (If you make a selection, the controls
• To suspend all automation on a track, Com- update to reflect the automation at the begin-
mand-Shift-click (Macintosh) or Control- ning of the selection.)
Shift-click (Windows) the name of the auto-
mation type in the Track View Selector. 3 Suspend the automation parameters you want
to automate:
4 With the Selector, select the track range you
• For an automation parameter on a single
want to apply the automation.
track, Command-click (Macintosh) or Con-
5 Enable the automation parameters previously trol-click (Windows) the name of the automa-
suspended. tion type in that track’s Track View Selector.

Chapter 28: Automation 395

 • For an automation parameter on all tracks, To create a snapshot of relative changes in
Command-Shift-click (Macintosh) or Con- automation data:
trol-Alt-click (Windows) the name of the au- 1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure
tomation type in the Track View Selector for that the automation parameters you want to
any track. edit are write-enabled. Disable any parameters
• To suspend all automation on a track, Com- you want to preserve.
mand-Shift-click (Macintosh) or Control-
2 Select the area of the track you want to edit.
Shift-click (Windows) the name of the auto-
All automated controls update to reflect the au-
mation type in that track's Track View Selec-
tomation at the beginning of the selection.
tor.
3 Move the controls for the parameter up or
4 With the Selector tool, select the location
down by the amount you want to change the
where you want to apply the automation.
data.
5 Enable the automation parameters previously
4 Choose Edit > Trim Automation and do one of
suspended.
the following:
6 Choose Edit > Write Automation and select ◆ To write the current delta value to only the
one of the following from the submenu: currently displayed automation parameter,
• To write the current value to only the automa- choose To Current Parameter.
tion parameter currently displayed in the Edit ◆ To write the current delta value for all auto-
window, choose To Current Parameter. mation parameters enabled in the Automation
• To write the current settings for all automa- Enable window, choose To All Enabled Parame-
tion parameters enabled in the Automation ters.
Enable window, choose To All Enabled Param-
eters.

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 Au-
tomation command. This works in much the
same way as the Write Automation, except that
it writes delta values instead of absolute values
to automation data.

You can use trim values in writing snapshot au-

tomation to any automatable parameter.

396 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 29: Mixdown

Pro Tools lets you record and bounce tracks to Selecting Audio for Loops, Submixes,
disk. The Bounce to Disk command lets you and Effects
write a final mix to disk, create a new loop, print
effects, or bounce any submix. You can also sub- Both Bounce to Disk and recording to tracks op-
mix, route, and record busses and inputs to new erate on the current Timeline or Edit selection, if
tracks. any. This makes it easy to turn multitrack selec-
tions into mono, stereo, or multi-channel loops.
Bounce to Disk This command writes the cur- Submixes, stems, and and other specialized
rent session (if no selection), Edit, or Timeline types of mixes can also be printed to disk using
selection as new audio files to disk. Any avail- either method, or recorded out to a DAT, MDM,
able output or bus path can be selected as the or other recording, transfer, or archiving me-
bounce source. Use Bounce to Disk to write or dium.
master any output or bus path directly to disk.
Sample rate, bit depth, and other conversion Printing effects to disk is the technique of per-
processes can be applied during or after the manently adding real-time effects, such as EQ or
bounce. The Bounce to Disk command lets you reverb, to an audio track by bussing and record-
bounce all available voices to disk without hold- ing it to new tracks with the effects added. The
ing any in reserve. Though you can hear the original audio is preserved, so you can return to
bounce being created in real time, you cannot the source track at any time. This can be useful
adjust mixer or other controls during a Bounce when you have a limited number of tracks or ef-
to Disk. fects devices.

Recording to Tracks The process of submixing AudioSuite plug-ins provide another option
and recording to new audio tracks, as you would for printing a plug-in effect to disk. See the
any input signals. This method requires avail- DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide for details.
able tracks, voices, and bus paths to accommo-
Use Bounce to Disk if you need to convert the
date the submix and the new tracks.
bounce files, or if you do not want or need to in-
teract with mixer controls during the bounce.

Record to new tracks if you want to adjust pa-

rameters while the files are being written.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 397

 Dither and Bounce to Disk Using Dither on an Output Mix

Dithering can significantly improve audio qual- Pro Tools includes a real-time Dither plug-in
ity. Generally, dithering is necessary when re- that improves 16-, 18-, or 20-bit performance
ducing the bit depth for digital audio. and reduces quantization noise when mixing or
fading low-level signals.
If you use Bounce to Disk, it is important to un-
derstand that the Bounce to Disk process does The Dither plug-in has no user-selectable pa-
not apply dither. rameters other than Bit Resolution and Noise
Shaping controls.
To dither a bounce file, you should insert the in-
cluded Digidesign Dither plug-in, or another For more information about dither, see
dithering plug-in, on a Master Fader assigned to “Dither” on page 352.
the bounce source path. Master Faders are often
preferable to Auxiliary Inputs because Master To use the Dither Plug-In on a submix:
Fader inserts are post-fader (better for dither- 1 Choose File > New Track and choose Master
ing). Fader (stereo) from the pop-up menu.

If you do not use a dithering plug-in on your 2 Set the output of the Master Fader to the out-
bounce source path, and you choose to convert put or bus path you want to bounce.
to a lower resolution during or after a Bounce to
3 Assign the outputs of all audio tracks in the
Disk, the resultant file will be converted by trun-
session to the same path you chose in step 2.
cation.
The Master Fader now controls the output levels
of all tracks routed to it.
When to Use the Dither Plug-In
4 On the Master Fader, click an Insert button
You should use the Dither plug-in when master-
and choose the Digidesign Dither plug-in.
ing to a 16-bit file with the Bounce To Disk com-
mand, or when mastering to an external device 5 In the Dither plug-in window, choose an out-
that records at 16-bit. put Bit Resolution and Noise Shaping setting.

This is even necessary when using 16-bit ses- When you Bounce to Disk you can convert the
sions. Even though 16-bit sessions use 16-bit file to the appropriate resolution. Before being
files, they are still being processed internally at a converted by the Bounce to Disk command, the
higher bit rate: signal will have been dithered to the resolution
and noise shaping settings in the Dither plug-in.
• 24-bit for Pro Tool TDM systems
• 32-bit floating for Pro Tools LE systems For more information about the Dither
plug-in, refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins
For this reason, whether you are using a 16-bit
Guide.
session or a 24-bit session, it is recommended
that you use the Dither plug-in when mastering
to 16-bits.

When mastering to 24-bits, it is not necessary to

use the Dither plug-in.

398 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 3 Choose File > New Track and create one or
Recording to Tracks more mono, stereo, or multi-channel audio
tracks.
You can create a submix in your Pro Tools ses-
sion and record it to available tracks in the same 4 If you are recording in stereo, set the panning
session. This technique lets you add live input of the new tracks to full left and right.
to the mix, as well as adjust volume, pan, mute,
5 Set the input of each destination track to
and other controls during the recording process.
match the bus path to which you are recording.
Voice Requirements 6 Set the output of your new tracks to your main
output path.
Recording a submix to new tracks requires an
available voice for each track that you want to 7 Link the Edit and Timeline (Operation > Link
record. Make sure you have enough voices avail- Edit/Timeline).
able to play back all tracks that you want to
8 Select audio to record. The start, end, and
record and enough voices available to record the
length of the recording can be based on cursor
destination tracks.
location or Edit and Timeline selections.
In contrast, the Bounce to Disk command lets ◆ Selection-based recording automatically
you bounce all available voices to disk without punches in and out of recording at the selection
holding any in reserve, but you cannot manu- start and end. Be sure to include time at the end
ally change any controls during the bounce. See of a selection for reverb tails, delays, and other
“Bounce to Disk” on page 400 for more infor- effects.
mation.
◆ If you don’t make a selection, recording will

For information about voice management, begin from the location of the playback cursor.
see “Virtual Tracks and Track Priority” on Recording will continue until you press Stop,.
page 82. 9 Record enable the new tracks and click Record
in the Transport window.
To record a submix:
10 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
1 Apply any plug-ins or external processors you
want to add to your audio tracks or Auxiliary In- recording the submix.
puts before you record. 11 If recording a selection of audio, recording

2 Set the main channel output of the tracks you

will stop automatically. If performing an open-
want to include in the submix to a bus path. If ended recording, click Stop, or punch out of re-
you are recording in stereo, set the panning of cording.
each track.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 399

 Time stamp information Bounced material is au-
Bounce to Disk tomatically time stamped so that you can drag it
into a track and place it at the same location as
The Bounce to Disk command lets you mix
the original material. For more information
down with all available voices on your system.
about time stamping, see “Time Stamping” on
Since it records to separate audio files, you don’t
page 488.
have to reserve any tracks for a bounce.
Pro Tools bounces are done in real time, so you
You can use the Bounce to Disk command to
hear audio playback of your mix during the
create and automatically import loops, sub-
bounce process (though you can’t adjust it).
mixes, or any audio into your session. You can
use it to create a final mono, stereo, or multi-
Bounced Files are “Delay Compensated”
channel master, in any of several audio file for-
mats. Bounce to Disk provides conversion op- DAE compensates for any bus delays due to a
tions for sample rate, bit resolution, and format. bounce. Meaning, if a bounce file is imported
back into a session, and placed directly in time
When you bounce a track to disk, the bounced
against the source mix, it is phase accurate with
mix includes the following:
the original source mix.
Audible tracks All audible tracks are included in
the bounce. Any muted tracks do not appear in To Bounce to Disk:
the bounce. If you solo a track or region, only 1 Choose File > Bounce to Disk.
the soloed elements appear in the bounced mix.
2 Configure bounce options as needed and per-
Automation All read-enabled automation is form the bounce (see “Bounce Options” on
played back and incorporated in the bounced page 401).
mix.

Inserts and sends All active inserts, including

real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts, are ap-
plied to the bounced mix.

Selection or track length If you make a selection

in a track, the bounced mix will be the length of
the selection. If there is no selection in any
track, the bounce will be the length of the long-
est audible track in the session.

400 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Avid Compatibility Mode
Bounce Options
When the Avid Compatibility mode is enabled,
When you use the Bounce to Disk command, its additional data is added to the bounced files
you can configure several file options. automatically. See “Avid File Compatibility” on
page 107.

Bounce Source
Select any mono, stereo, or multi-channel out-
put or bus path as the source for the bounce. All
currently active paths as defined in the
I/O Setup dialog are available as the Bounce
Source.
Bounce to Disk dialog, with conversion and options
enabled

Default Settings
Available options and their default settings are
listed in the following table.
Select a bounce source
Options and Default Settings
To set the bounce source:
Bounce
Default ■ Select an output or bus path from the Source
Option
Selector.
Source current main output path

File Type SD II (Mac), WAV (Windows) File Type

Format Multiple mono
Selects the (creator) type for the bounced files.
Resolution 24 bit

Sample Rate 44100

Conversion Good
Quality
Selecting a file type
Use Squeezer deselected

Convert Dur- deselected (default is Convert Sound Designer II

ing Bounce After Bounce)
This is the native format for Macintosh-based
Import After deselected Pro Tools systems. Select this to use the bounced
Bounce audio with any Digidesign application for Mac-
intosh.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 401

 AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) QuickTime (Macintosh Only)
Files in this format do not have to be converted This is Apple’s audio file format for QuickTime-
to be used in Pro Tools, but you must still im- based multimedia. Pro Tools does not directly
port them into a session with the Import Audio support this type of file in its sessions. To use a
command or the Convert and Import Audio QuickTime audio file within Pro Tools, use the
command. AIFF waveform overview data can- Convert and Import Audio command or Import
not be stored in the file, so the overview is recal- Audio from Other Movie command. The Quick-
culated every time the session is opened. The Time format is popular for attaching to emails,
AIFF format is useful if you plan to use bounced to simplify long-distance project review and ap-
audio in applications that do not support the proval. Many popular multimedia applications
Sound Designer II format. also support QuickTime.

WAV (Windows Audio File Format) RealAudio G2 (Macintosh Only)

This is the native format for Windows-based RealAudio G2 is the latest version of the format
Pro Tools systems. The WAV format is sup- created by Real Networks for streaming audio
ported by many Windows applications and over the Internet. The RealAudio encoder file is
some Macintosh applications. To use a WAV file stored in a folder named Codecs inside the DAE
on Macintosh-based Pro Tools systems, you folder.
must use the Convert and Import Audio com-
mand.

SND resource (Macintosh Only)

This file type is supported by some Macintosh
software applications and also by Macintosh
System Software. Pro Tools does not directly
support this type of file in its sessions. To use a
SND file within Pro Tools, use the Convert and
Import Audio command. The SND format is use-
ful if you plan to use your audio with other Mac- RealAudio G2 Output Options
intosh applications that do not support Sound When you select this format, the Resolution and
Designer II or AIFF formats. To save a bounced Sample Rate pop-up menus in the Pro Tools
file as a System alert sound, save it in this format Output Options dialog are unavailable, because
and then drag it onto the Macintosh System resolution and sample rate are set by the en-
File. coder.

The RealAudio G2 format lets multiple streams

with different bit rates to be encoded into a sin-
gle file. During playback, the RealAudio G2
server and the RealPlayer G2 client continu-

402 Pro Tools Reference Guide

ously adjust the bit rate to make the best use of If you select SureStream, you can select more
available bandwidth. The RealPlayer G2 is avail- than one connection speed under Target Audi-
able on the Real Networks website, ence. With this file type, multiple bit rate
www.real.com. streams are encoded into a single output file.
Files encoded with the SureStream option are
When you export or bounce to RealAudio G2 larger than Single Rate files, and can only be
format, you can set the following options: played back from G2 servers.
Media Clip Information Type the title, author, Select the “Include RealPlayer 5.0 Compatible
and copyright information for your RealAudio Stream” option to include a backward compati-
clip. This information is displayed on the Real- ble stream that can be played on older version
Player G2 as the clip plays back. 5.0 RealPlayers. (This backward compatibility is
Copy Protection These settings determine how only available for SureStream-encoded files.)
the clip is handled by the RealPlayer client. If you select Single Rate, you can only select one
■ To allow RealPlayer Plus users to save your clip connection speed under Target Audience. With
using the RealPlayer Plus recording feature, se- this file type, a single stream is encoded into the
lect Allow Recording. output file. Files encoded with the Single Rate
option can be played back from either a stan-
■ To allow RealPlayer users to download your dard web server or a G2 server.
clip to their hard drive, select Allow Download.
Auditioning RealAudio clips
If you don’t want to allow RealPlayer users to
make copies your clip, deselect both of these op- If you are using Digidesign Sound Drivers and
tions. want to use a RealAudio player while running
Pro Tools, make sure that Operations > Active in
Audio Format From the pop-up menu, select the
Background is not selected so the player can use
setting that best matches the type of audio you
the Digidesign hardware.
are bouncing. A brief explanation of each for-
mat is displayed.

Target Audience Select the connection speed

that most users downloading your clip are likely
to have. This setting determines the bit rate at
which the audio will be encoded. Depending on
the file type you choose (see below), you can
choose more than one connection speed.

File Type This option determines the compati-

bility of the output file with different RealAudio
servers and clients.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 403

 MPEG Layer 3 (MP3) When you export or bounce to MP3 format, you
can set the following options:
The MPEG Layer 3 compression format (MP3) is
used for streaming and downloading audio over Encoding Quality Determines the audio quality
the Internet, and for playback on portable de- of the bounced file. The higher the quality, the
vices. longer it will take to process the audio. The three
options, in ascending order of quality, are Fast-
est Encoding, Medium Encoding, and Highest
Quality.

The Highest Quality setting can take up to five

times longer to process audio than the Fastest
Encoding setting, so you should use it only
when the highest fidelity is essential and you
have a considerable amount of time to devote to
the encoding process. You should experiment
with the other encoding quality settings, since
they can provide acceptable quality with a sig-
nificantly shorter encoding time.
MP3 Output Options

The MP3 encoder file is stored in a folder named Encoding Method Two encoding methods are
Codecs inside the DAE folder. This version of available:
the encoder uses the latest technology from the ◆ Constant Bit Rate (CBR) encodes the file at a

developer of the MP3 format, the Fraunhofer In- single bit rate that you choose from the CBR
stitute. It features improved processing speed pop-up menu. Because the bit rate is fixed, the
and quality, and supports both constant and quality of the encoded audio will vary depend-
variable bit rate encoding. ing on the nature of the material being com-
pressed. This option is best for streaming over
The MP3 encoder installed with Pro Tools is a the Internet, since it has predictable bandwidth
fully functional 30-day demo version. To pur- requirements.
chase the full version of the MP3 encoder, visit
◆ Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encodes the file at a
Digidesign’s website.
varying bit rate to maintain the level of encod-
When you select this format, the Resolution and ing quality you choose from the VBR pop-up
Sample Rate pop-up menus in the Pro Tools menu. The bit rate varies automatically depend-
Output Options dialog are unavailable. The res- ing on the nature of the material being com-
olution and sample rate are set by the encoder. pressed. This option is best for personal jukebox
applications.

ID3 Tag Type The ID3 tag stores data about the
encoded audio file that is used by MP3 players to
display information about the file. Pro Tools
supports three versions of this tag, in order to
provide backward compatibility with older MP3
players:

404 Pro Tools Reference Guide

◆ ID3 v1.0: Appears at the end of a streaming
MP3 file, therefore tag information is only dis- Padding of MP3 frames can cause problems
played after software streaming is finished. with some versions of Internet streaming
software. If your files are destined for desk-
◆ ID3 v1.1: Same as version 1.0 but adds track
top or Internet delivery, do not select this
number information to the tag.
option.
◆ID3 v2.3: Appears at the front of a streaming
MP3 file, therefore tag information is displayed Allow Intensity Stereo Coding This option deter-
when streaming begins. mines whether the encoder takes into account
the frequency of a signal when encoding its
While ID3 v2.3 is becoming the standard phase characteristics, allowing for more com-
MP3 format, not all MP3 players currently pression at low bit rates. In most cases, you
support ID3 v2.3. Contact the developer of should leave this option selected. However, if
your player software for compatibility infor- you are working with highly phase-dependent
mation. material, such as Dolby Surround, you may
want to deselect this option.
ID3 Tag Information Type the title, artist, and
other information for the MP3 file. This infor- Write CRC Checksums This option adds error-
mation is displayed by many MP3 players. detection data to the MP3 file. This data is not
necessary for most computer and Internet appli-
Genre Choose a genre for the file. This informa- cations, and also takes away from the space
tion is displayed by many MP3 players, and can available for audio data. Select this option only
appear in searchable catalogs and databases. if you are sure your delivery mode requires error
Track Number If you select ID3 tag type v1.1 or correction.
v2.3, you can enter a CD track number for the Copyrighted This option sets a bit in the MP3
file. This information is displayed by many MP3 data stream to indicate that the audio is copy-
players. righted. Not all MP3 players use this informa-
Year Enter a year for the file. This information is tion. Selecting this option does not guarantee
displayed by many MP3 players. that the audio file will not be copied.

Original This option sets a bit in the MP3 data

Advanced Settings
stream to indicate that the audio is the original
The options listed under Advanced Settings, un- media for the track, rather than a copy. This set-
der normal situations, do not need to be ting is not widely used.
changed from their default values.
Private This option sets a bit in the MP3 data
Pad To Match Bit Rate Exactly This option de- stream that is interpreted differently by various
termines whether MP3 frames are padded to applications. It is not normally used.
maintain bit rate very precisely. You should
Mac File information If you expect your file to be
only select this option if you need a file with an
used on a Macintosh, you can enter the Macin-
exact bit rate, for specific applications (such as
tosh file type and creator. This will allow users to
synchronous transmission over ISDN line).
double-click the file to open their MP3 player.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 405

 Defaults To restore all settings in this dialog to ◆ If a multi-channel format is used (for exam-
their default values, click Defaults. ple, six-channel, 5.1), individual mono files will
be created for each member of the path. Files
Auditioning MP3 clips will be appended with path suffixes according to
the path definition in the I/O Setup dialog.
If you are using Digidesign Sound Drivers and
want to use an MP3 player to audition an MP3 Interleaved Creates a single, interleaved file that
file while running Pro Tools, make sure that Op- contains all of the bounced streams from the
erations > Active in Background is not selected. chosen output path. In an interleaved stereo
This lets your MP3 player access the Digidesign bounce, tracks assigned to odd-numbered out-
hardware. puts are sent to the left channel, and tracks as-
signed to even-numbered outputs are sent to the
Format right channel.

This is the format for the bounced result. Pro Tools also lets you create multi-channel in-
Choices are Mono (summed), Multiple mono, terleaved files of any supported file type. This
and Interleaved. can simplify file management of mixes and
projects for backup and archiving.
To set the bounce file format:
Pro Tools does not support interleaved files na-
■ Select a file format from the Format Selector. tively. This means that they must be split into
multi-mono files on import (requiring addi-
tional disk space).

Resolution
This parameter lets you select between three dif-
ferent bit resolutions for the bounce conversion:
Mono (summed) Creates a single disk file that is
a summed mono mix of the current sources be- Bounce to Disk does not apply dither when con-
ing monitored. verting during or after a bounce to a lower reso-
lution (including when bouncing to 16-bit).
Avoid clipping by checking the meters of your
When you need to create a lower resolution
bounce source Auxiliary Input or Master Fader.
bounce file, use the Digidesign Dither plug-in,
Multiple mono Creates multiple mono files with or similar, on a Master Fader assigned to the
the same number of channels as the source bounce source path. This dithers the bounce
path. file, before the Bounce to Disk conversion trun-
cates bits into the final file resolution.
◆ If the source output or bus path is stereo, two
mono files will be created, and appended with Resolution choices include the following.
“.L” and “.R” suffixes on bounce.

406 Pro Tools Reference Guide

8-bit This resolution is often used in multimedia 44100 The standard sample rate for compact
applications. If the material you are working discs and pro-level DAT decks. It is also used for
with is relatively simple, you can use the high-fidelity audio destined for playback on
Pro Tools “Squeezer” feature for optimal results. newer Macintosh computers with 16-bit audio
See “Sample Rate Conversion Quality” on playback capability, as well as on Windows
page 407 for details. computers.

16-bit This is the Compact Disc standard bit res- 22050 and 11025 Commonly used for lower-fi-
olution. delity audio destined for playback on newer
Macintosh computers with 16-bit audio play-
24-bit If you plan to use the bounced file with a back capability, as well as on Windows comput-
Pro Tools 24 MIX or Pro Tools 24 system, you ers.
can take advantage of the greater resolution and
headroom afforded by this higher bit rate. You 22254 and 11127 Commonly used for lower-fi-
can also archive a master stereo mixdown or delity audio destined specifically for playback
bounce audio material at this resolution for fu- on older Macintosh computers not equipped
ture use on a 24-bit system. with 16-bit audio playback capability.

Custom Lets you selects a sample rate other than

To set the bounce file resolution:
the choices above.
1 Select a bit depth from the Resolution Selec-
tor. Other Sample Rates Several of the other avail-
able sample rates support pull-up and pull-down
rates, or other specialized rates.
Sample Rate
This option lets you save to any of several sam-
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
ple rates.
The Conversion Quality option sets the quality
Sample Rate Conversion Quality of sample rate conversion used to create the
converted file. The higher the quality of sample
If you choose a sample rate that differs from the
rate conversion, the longer it takes to convert
original sample rate of the session, the conver-
the file after the bounce has taken place. There
sion options become available. You can config-
are five possible settings, ranging from Low to
ure the conversion quality, and schedule con-
Tweak-head. For most applications, the Better
version to occur during, or after, the bounce. See
setting yields satisfactory results.
“Sample Rate Conversion Quality” on page 407
for more information.
Processing Resources and Conversion Quality
The following are the more common sample Because the Best and Tweak-head settings take
rates, and their application. significantly longer than the others, use them
only in cases where the highest fidelity is essen-
48000 This is the standard sample rate for con-
tial and you have a considerable amount of time
sumer-level DAT decks.
to devote to this process.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 407

 Use Squeezer Help
The Use Squeezer option uses a proprietary DSP The Help button opens a display-only dialog
algorithm specifically designed for performing box that describes the Bounce to Disk features.
8-bit conversion of simple source files such as
voice-overs. It optimizes the dynamics of the au-
dio by preprocessing it using compression, lim-
iting, and gating before conversion to 8-bit res-
Recording a Submix
olution. This results in greater apparent You can create a submix with the Bounce to Disk
loudness in the signal, and improved intelligi- command by muting tracks or bypassing inserts
bility. If you are converting a more complex 16- that are not part of the submix group, and se-
bit audio file to 8-bit resolution, test this option lecting the part of the session you want to
before converting all of your material. bounce.

You can also create a submix by recording to

Convert During or After Bounce new tracks. For details, see “Recording to
The Bounce dialog can perform any conversion Tracks” on page 399.
options, including sample rate and bit depth
conversion, during a bounce or post-bounce. To bounce a submix to disk and bring it into the
session:
Convert After Bounce This option automati- 1 Configure your submix using sends, Auxiliary
cally performs file type, sample rate and bit res- Inputs, and Master Faders. (See “Submixing for
olution conversion on the newly bounced files. Signal Routing and Effects Processing” on
The Convert After Bounce option, though more page 347.)
time and storage consuming, offers the highest
level of plug-in automation accuracy possible. 2 Do one of the following:

◆ To bounce the entire session, click Return to

Convert During Bounce This option may take
Zero in the Transport window to go to the be-
less time than Convert After Bounce, but does so
ginning of the session.
at the expense of plug-in automation playback
accuracy. ◆ To bounce a portion of the session, enable
Link Edit and Timeline, and make a selection in
the Edit window.
Import Into Session After Bounce
3 Choose File > Bounce to Disk.
The Import Into Session After Bounce option au-
tomatically imports the newly bounced files 4 Configure bounce options and parameters.
into the Audio Regions List so you can place 5 Make sure the bit resolution for the bounced
them in tracks. If your newly bounced files are file matches the bit resolution of the session.
split stereo files, they are listed together in the
Audio Regions List. 6 Select the Import into Session After Bounce
option.
The Import Into Session After Bounce option is
only available if the target bit depth for the
bounce is the same as the bit depth of the cur-
rent session.

408 Pro Tools Reference Guide

7 Click Bounce.
Final Mixdown
8 Select a destination for the new audio file, en-
ter a name, and click Save. In final mixdown, you create a mix that in-
cludes all your edits, automation, and effects
Pro Tools bounces are done in real time, so you processing.
hear audio playback of your mix during the
bounce process. You can not adjust controls To bounce a final mix to disk:
during a Bounce to Disk.
1 Adjust track output levels, finalize any mix au-
tomation, and choose an automation mode for
To bring bounced files back into tracks:
each track in the session.
1 Do one of the following:
2 Adjust any real-time plug-in and effects set-
◆ If the newly bounced audio was automatically
tings and automation for each track in the ses-
imported into the session, drag the new files
sion.
from the Audio Regions List to existing tracks in
your session. 3 Make sure that all of the tracks you want to in-
clude in the bounce are audible (not muted or
◆ If the bounced files are not available in the
inactive).
Audio Regions List, import them into the ses-
sion by choosing File > Convert and Import Au- 4 Assign the output of each of the tracks you
dio. want to include in your bounce to the same out-
◆ If you are placing multiple files of a mutli- put path.
channel track or file, keep channels in phase 5 Do one of the following:
with each other by Shift-selecting them in the
■ To bounce the entire session, click Return to
Regions List, and dragging them simultaneously
into existing tracks of the right format. Zero in the Transport window to go to the be-
ginning of the session.
2 When working with stereo tracks, set the pan
■ To bounce a portion of the session, enable
controls hard left/right.
Link Edit and Timeline and make a selection in
3 Mute or turn off the voices of original source the Edit window.
tracks so that you don’t double monitor your
audio material. 1 Choose File > Bounce to Disk.

4 Click Play in the Transport window to hear 2 Choose the source path you want to bounce.
the results of the bounce. 3 Configure other Bounce to Disk parameters as
appropriate. See “Bounce Options” on page 401.

4 Click Bounce.

5 Select a destination for the new audio file, en-

ter a name, and click Save.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 409

 High-power compressed signals, when mixed
Mastering together, create an extremely high-level output.
This output may rise above the full-code level,
In the final mastering process, you might record
resulting in clipping.
directly to disk, to a DVD or CD recorder, to a
stereo mastering recorder, or directly to a multi- To avoid this problem, watch the overall level of
track recorder for surround mixes. your program material—use a meter on a Master
Fader, or use an external mastering deck’s
Once you have created a master of your session,
meters to help avoid clipping. If you are master-
you can transfer it to a portable medium for du-
ing to hard disk, avoid mixing full-code audio
plication. You can transfer the master file to CD,
signals together at unity or “0” level, as this in-
DAT or 8 mm DDP tape to be used as a master
variably causes clipping.
for pressing compact discs.

Mastering and Error-Correcting Media

Mastering to a Digital Recorder
Random access media (such as hard disks, opti-
Although it is usually best to master sessions di- cal cartridges, Bernoulli cartridges or WORM
rectly to hard disk, Pro Tools also lets you mas- drives) can produce a true digital copy of your
ter digitally, direct to any AES/EBU or S/PDIF- data, because every bit value is maintained. Se-
equipped digital recorder such as a DAT deck. quential media (such as DAT tapes) use error
correction schemes to fix the occasional bad
24-bit Input and Output with data that is received in a digital transfer. These
Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 corrections are deviations from the actual data,
Systems and with successive reproductions, represent a
subtle form of generation loss.
Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 are full 24-
bit audio recording and mixing environments, You can avoid this loss by creating and main-
supporting record, playback, mixing, and pro- taining masters on random-access digital media
cessing of 24-bit audio files. You can record to (such as a hard drive) and transferring them to
and from other 24-bit recording systems with- sequential digital media (such as DAT tapes)
out any bit-depth conversion. only as needed.

Mastering and Audio Compression To configure Pro Tools for direct digital stereo
mastering:
Although audio compression is often an indis-
pensable tool in analog recording, it can present 1 Connect your digital recorder to your system’s

problems in the digital domain. If you compress digital outputs.

an input signal at a very high ratio, you create a 2 In Pro Tools set the appropriate digital format
signal that contains a much higher overall and output from the Hardware Setup or Play-
power level compared to its transients. By re- back Engine dialog.
cording a number of such signals at the highest
possible level on multiple tracks, you create a 3 On your digital recorder, choose the appropri-

scenario that is more likely to clip the mixed ate digital format for the connections.
output signal.

410 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 In Pro Tools, set all audio tracks you want to
your master outputs 1–2 path.

5 Click Return to Zero in the Transport window

to go to the beginning of the session.

6 Press Record on your digital recorder.

7 Start playback of your session.

8 When your session has finished playing, stop

the digital recorder.

Chapter 29: Mixdown 411

412 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part VII: Surround

413
414
Chapter 30: Surround Concepts

Pro Tools MIX and MIXplus systems support

multi-channel mixing for surround sound. Mixing Formats and Surround
Formats
How to Use These Chapters When running Pro Tools version 5.1 or later
with the SurroundMixer plug-in, Pro Tools MIX
This part of the guide describes multi-channel
and MIXplus systems let you mix in 3- to 8-
mixing for surround sound with Pro Tools.
channel formats, in addition to standard mono
These sections supplement the basic Pro Tools
and stereo.
information provided elsewhere in the
Pro Tools Reference Guide. Supported mixing formats include, Mono, Stereo,
LCR, Quad, LCRS, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1, letting you
If you are new to surround mixing, read the re-
mix in any multi-channel format needed for
maining sections of this chapter for an introduc-
most surround formats.
tion to surround terminology and concepts.
Surround formats include Dolby Surround (Pro-
If you already have experience with surround
Logic) and Dolby Digital, DTS, and SDDS.
mixing, mastering, and monitoring, these sec-
Pro Tools does not provide its own surround for-
tions can be skipped. Operational instructions
mat processing, and requires appropriate plug-
for Pro Tools surround features begin in
ins (such as Dolby SurroundTools™) or hard-
Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround.”
ware to provide surround encoding and decod-
ing.

Chapter 30: Surround Concepts 415

 Pro Tools Mixing Formats

See also “5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering” on page 430.

Table 4. Multi-Channel Mixing and Surround Formats

Speaker Channels Multi-Channel Surround Format Channels and Track Layout

Mixing Format

1 Mono C

2 Stereo LR

3 LCR Cinema Stereo LCR

4 Quad Quadraphonic L R Lr Rr

4 LCRS Dolby Surround (Pro- LCRS

Logic)

6 5.1 Film (Pro Tools L C R Ls Rs LFE

default), for Dolby
Digital

6 5.1 SMPTE/ITU L R C LFE Ls Rs

6 5.1 DTS (ProControl) L R Ls Rs C LFE

7 6.1 Dolby EX L C R Ls Cs Rs LFE

8 7.1 SDDS L Lc C Rc R Ls Rs LFE

Legend: L=Left; R=Right; C=Center, S = surround (mono); Ls=Left Surround; Rs=Right Surround; Lc=Left
Center; Rc = Right Center; Cs = Center Surround; Lr = Left Rear; Rr = Right Rear

Speaker Layouts
Figure 27 on page 417 illustrates the speaker ar- other monitoring equipment. Placement of
rangements of each surround format. Speaker speakers is crucial to accurate monitoring of any
placement in the diagrams is approximate. For mix, but this is especially true with multi-chan-
proper placement, alignment, and calibration of nel mixing for surround sound.
surround monitoring systems, consult the docu-
mentation that came with your speakers and

416 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Mono Stereo LCR

L R L C R

Quad LCRS
2+2 3+1
Quadraphonic for Dolby Surround

Lr Rr S
*Often split to a
pair of speakers

L C R L C R

Sub Sub
5.1 6.1
for DTS, Dolby Digital for Dolby EX

Ls Rs Ls Cs Rs

L Lc C Rc R

Sub
7.1
for SDDS

Ls Rs

Figure 27. Speaker arrangement of surround formats

Chapter 30: Surround Concepts 417

 The Importance of Speaker
Surround Monitoring Placement
In order to monitor your current multi-channel It is very important that your surround monitor
mix in a given surround format (DTS, Dolby system be installed and configured correctly.
Digital, or other.), encoding and decoding Proper speaker placement, angling, and level
equipment for that format is required. Pro Tools calibration are necessities for surround mixing,
does not provide direct support for surround so consult the manufacturer of your monitor
format processing, but encoding/decoding system. Several surround formats (especially all
hardware or software is available from Digide- of those from Dolby as well as DTS) have very
sign and third-party manufacturers. Contact specific speaker and monitoring recommenda-
Digidesign or your dealer for information. tions, so take the time to locate this information
With proper speaker placement, and studio cal- and adhere to the suggestions they provide.
ibration, additional surround processors, moni- For an example of one way to set up a 5.1 mon-
tors, and a properly calibrated system can lessen itor system, see Figure 28 on page 418.
the variables that your mix will be subjected to
when the audience eventually hears it in the
theater, in their home, or elsewhere.

L C R

Sub

30° 30°

110° 110°

Mixing position

Ls Rs

Figure 28. One suggested speaker arrangement for 5.1 mixing and monitoring (SMPTE specification). Sub placement
is variable, all others should be as close the suggested angles as possible.

418 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Calibrated Surround Monitoring
Formats and Terminology
In any professional applications, one of the
most important things you can do is to calibrate Multi-channel mixing formats are referred to
not just Pro Tools but also your monitoring sys- numerically, such as “5.1” and “7.1.” These
tem and other equipment. numbers describe the number and type of out-
put (speaker) channels required for that format.
For example, many post production facilities Other formats are referred to by their track lay-
calibrate their Pro Tools audio interfaces for - out (such LCRS, and LCR).
20 dB = 0 VU. Once Pro Tools hardware has been
calibrated to unity gain, the monitoring system Surround formats are referred to by their devel-
can be adjusted to account for anomalies in the oper and product name, such as Dolby Surround
room acoustics, speaker placement, and other (or ProLogic), Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby E, and
variables. others. Each surround format requires you to
mix in a compatible mixing format. For exam-
Calibrating your Pro Tools system involves at- ple, both Dolby Digital and DTS are “5.1 sur-
tenuating the input and output stages of your round formats.”
system. Settings and reference level vary accord-
ing to the applicable standards of the current The standards for each format include more
project. than just the number of speakers. Formats also
may require specific track layout and filtering
Calibrating in Pro Tools is explained in the for the various channels. For example, the sur-
TDM Installation Guide. round channel in Dolby Surround is band lim-
ited 100 Hz to 7 kHz.
Calibrating your Studio The first task for sur-
round mixing should be getting your monitor Surround formats also increase the importance
speakers in proper position, alignment and cali- of phase, balance, and sound placement due to
bration for accurate listening and mixing. the various ways in which multi-channel mixes
can be encoded, decoded, compressed, or ma-
Speaker position and alignment will vary ac- trixed. Many publications are available on these
cording to each installation, and is very specific subjects. For a listing of several sources of sur-
for different speakers, manufacturers, and for round format information, see “Where to Get
each surround format. Instructions for optimal More Information on Surround Technology” on
speaker location should have been provided page 421.
with the speaker and monitor system, so consult
the documentation provided by its manufac-
turer. LCRS for Dolby Surround
Dolby Surround (ProLogic) is a four-channel for-
Speaker calibration makes sure that your system
mat that is one of the most widely accepted con-
plays back at accurately balanced levels. This
sumer surround formats.
lets you compensate for any variances in speaker
position, alignment or performance.

Chapter 30: Surround Concepts 419

 This format, which requires Dolby encoding mat intended for playback through systems
and decoding technology, provides three full- with five full-range speakers and one subwoofer
range front speakers left, center, and right, plus speaker. Dolby E is a 6.1 format, with six full-
a mono surround channel (often split and mon- range speakers and a sub. SDDS is a 7.1 format,
itored through pairs of satellite speakers, but a with seven full-range speakers and one sub.
single “rear” channel nonetheless).
Sub content will include the LFE channel of a
“.1” format mix, as well as the effects of any bass
Surround Format Example
management in the playback system. See “LFE”
The goal of Dolby Surround encoding is to make on page 420.
a four-channel mix (LCRS) more portable, by
transforming it into an encoded two-channel
.0 Formats
mix referred to as Lt/Rt. Lt and Rt represent Left
Total and Right Total, respectively. Whenever The “.0” formats (5.0, 6.0, 7.0), while not associ-
you see Lt/Rt, it refers specifically to material ated with any specific surround formats, are use-
that has been processed a Dolby Surround En- ful in many mixes as sub-paths. For example,
coder (such as the Dolby SEU4 or Dolby Sur- not all tracks will have content that needs to be
roundTools plug-in). routed to the LFE channel (the “.1” channel).
Assigning such tracks to a 5.0 path provides a
The Lt/Rt mix can then be transported, trans- 360° panner without LFE controls.
mitted, or played as a stereo mix, making it
compatible with most majority of home and
theater systems. Alternately, the Lt/Rt pair can LFE
be decoded back into an LCRS mix in movie the- While mixing in a multi-channel format, a dec-
atres, or in home theater systems where the re- imal indicates an LFE channel (for Low Fre-
quired decoding hardware is available. quency Effects). The LFE channel (for Low Fre-
quency Effects, also known as Low Frequency
5.1 for Dolby Digital and DTS Enhancement) refers most often to a specific
track used in production (not during playback or
Both Dolby Digital and DTS formats are six- decoding). LFE is the “.1” component in mix
channel, 5.1 formats. Both provide five full- formats such as 5.1 and 7.1.
range speakers and a sub. These two surround
formats use different track layouts, filtering, and The reason it's referred to as.1 is that unlike the
compression as part of their specifications. other five or seven speakers, LFE is not full band-
width (or, full-range). The LFE signal provides a
direct path for low end to the subwoofer, unaf-
.1 Formats fected by bass management (if any). Low fre-
The “.1” in any multi-channel mix format indi- quency effects include such things as thunder,
cates an LFE track in the mix. Whenever a deci- explosions, and other bass effects.
mal is part of a surround format, it indicates a
LFE is generally used to enhance sound effects in
discrete Sub channel in the surround playback
films. There are no set rules about whether or
system. The term Sub refers to a playback chan-
not you must employ an LFE channel.
nel, intended for playback through a subwoofer
speaker. For example, Dolby Digital is a 5.1 for-

420 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sub Content When Divergence is less than 100%, tracks will
be audible in neighboring speakers even when
When surround mixes are played back on sys- panned directly to a single speaker in the grid.
tems that include one or more subs, subwoofer Lower divergence settings result in a progres-
content comes from either or both of the follow- sively wider source signal.
ing sources:
• All bass from all channels that is below the Divergence Example
threshold of the bass management filter cut-
off (if any) To understand divergence, it can be helpful to
imagine the inside of a large movie theater. This
– and –
is because one of the most challenging playback
• Audio in the LFE channel (if any) variables one faces in multi-channel mixing is
the size of the intended listening environment.
A surround format Sub will playback all the low-
est-frequency sounds from all of the other Unlike the typical living room, movie theaters
speaker channels, below a fixed frequency are large spaces with speakers placed widely
threshold. The threshold varies among different apart. Due to distance, sounds panned discretely
surround formats. See “Where to Get More In- to the front right speaker, for example, might be
formation on Surround Technology” on inaudible in the opposite corner. To avoid this
page 421 for a list of surround specification re- problem, variable divergence lets control the
sources. panning width. This results in signals spreading
into adjacent speakers, even when panned
In addition to the frequency cutoffs and other
100% to an individual speaker.
specifications of each surround format, play-
back system variables can affect sub content. See Divergence options in Pro Tools are ex-
“Surround Playback System Variables” on plained in “Divergence” on page 451
page 423 for more information.
Where to Get More Information on
Divergence Surround Technology
Divergence is a surround mixing parameter that The table below lists several sites that are good
lets you control panning “width.” Full diver- starting points for your research into the con-
gence results in discrete (or narrow) panning. stantly evolving world of surround sound pro-
Lower divergence settings result in progressively duction.
less discrete (or wider) panning. Resources for surround specifications and information

With full (100%) Divergence, tracks can be Surround Format Go to

panned exclusively, or discretely, to a single
Dolby Surround/ProLogic www.dolby.com
speaker. Sounds panned to a single speaker are
only audible in that speaker. Dolby EX www.dolby.com

DTS www.dtsonline.com

SDDS www.sony.com

THX www.tmhlabs.com

Chapter 30: Surround Concepts 421

 Encoding and Decoding
Surround Mixing Concepts
Virtually all surround formats utilize some form
As in stereo mixing and mastering, the goal in of encoding and decoding to make it practical to
surround mixing is to provide the best sounding deliver, broadcast, and transfer the multiple
mix to the greatest number of potential listen- channels of full-bandwidth audio they require.
ers. Doing so for surround mixes requires many
◆ Encoding is the process necessary to make
of the same techniques used for professional ste-
multi-channel mixes portable and playable. In
reo production, plus several unique factors that
many cases, this involves taking the four, five,
are introduced in the following sections.
six, or more discrete channels resulting from a
multi-channel mix and converting them into a
Surround Format Compatibility two-channel stream for broadcast (still a pre-
dominantly 2-channel medium).
Pro Tools lets you mix in surround and create
multi-channel masters, consisting of four, six, or ◆ Decoding is the process needed to reproduce
more tracks that comprise an LCR, 5.1, or other (or unfold) the discrete surround channels from
format mix. 2-channel delivery medium.

◆ Whenever possible, multi-channel mixes can Both encoding and decoding, no matter how re-
be transferred as discrete, multitrack masters. fined, represent additional processing stages ap-
Track layout requirements vary by format (see plied to your mix before it reaches its ultimate
“Multi-Channel Mapping” on page 429 for destination, the audience.
more information).
For example, because the Dolby Surround algo-
◆ Consumer playback systems don't necessarily
rithm depends heavily on phase relationships,
support every format. Downmixing occurs when
there is always a significant difference in the de-
a specific format mix has to be created from an-
coded LCRS output as compared to the original
other.
LCRS mix. To account for these anomalies, engi-
To anticipate the effects of surround encode and neers mixing for Dolby Surround listen through
decode, as well as potential downmixing, pro- encode and decode processors for reference.
fessional surround mixes are monitored
Professional mixing and mastering engineers
through appropriate encoding and decoding
use encoders and decoders to precisely audition
processors. Monitor controller systems let engi-
the effect of the encoding and decoding process,
neers hear their mix through different speakers
and make any adjustments necessary.
and configurations for reference.

Surround Processing and Pro Tools

Surround Formats and Delivery
Pro Tools requires additional software or hard-
Mediums
ware for surround encoding, decoding, and pro-
Surround mixes are tailored for their specific de- cessing. For example, the Dolby Surround-
livery medium. Most often, this require format- Tools™ plug-in lets you monitor and process
specific encode and decode processing. completely within the Pro Tools environment.

422 Pro Tools Reference Guide

SurroundTools and other surround processing tion and overall frequency response for your
solutions are available from Digidesign and specific monitoring system. Bass management
third party manufacturers. Contact your Digide- provides a way to tune bass response for vari-
sign Dealer for more information. ables including room size and shape, the pres-
ence (or absence) of a subwoofer, and the fre-
quency range of each speaker.
Surround Playback System
Variables Filtering
Different playback systems for surround sound
In its simplest form, bass management applies
introduce varying amounts and types of filter-
high-pass filtering to the full-range speaker. Fre-
ing, bass management, and other variables.
quencies below the filter cutoff are summed
These include the specifications for certain sur-
with the LFE channel (if any) and then routed to
round formats, as well as options to fine tune a
the subwoofer. Different systems may offer ad-
system for its particular installation.
ditional bass management processes, including:
In your own studio, you know what speakers
Bass Redirection Mutes or unmutes the low-fre-
you’re listening to, what their qualities are, and
quency signals filtered out of the full-range
what your control room sounds like. What is
channels (that is, all signals that fall below the
impossible to know, however, is what speakers
bass management filter cutoff frequency). This
are in the living room, theater, or concert hall
is useful when the full-range speakers are truly
where you mix will be heard by an audience.
full-range, capable of accurately reproducing
bass without distorting.
Bass Management
Bass Extension Lets the bass (however it is de-
Bass management is a function of the playback rived) be routed back through the full-range
system. Bass Management refers to a number of speakers. Though this may seem like a contra-
processes by which a playback system can con- diction, its main purpose is to let sub content
trol what will be heard through the Sub(woofer) emanate from all around, rather than just from
and other channels. The purpose of bass man- the subwoofer.
agement is to optimize low frequency reproduc-

Chapter 30: Surround Concepts 423

424 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 31: Pro Tools Setup for
Surround

This chapter explains how to set up and config-

ure Pro Tools sessions for multi-channel mixing Pro Tools Audio Connections
for 5.1 Mixing
Multi-channel mixing is supported on
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems only. In this chapter, While all 5.1 mixing formats provide the same
all references to Pro Tools refer to Pro Tools 24 speaker arrangement, there are three primary
MIX systems. standards in use for the track layout of the indi-
vidual channels that comprise the 5.1 format
Before you can use Pro Tools in Surround mode: multi-channel mix.

1 Make sure the Surround Mixer plug-in is in- In the following table, it is assumed that sur-
stalled in your Plug-Ins folder. If it is not, it can round channels are mapped to outputs 1-6 of a
be installed using your Pro Tools Installer CD- Pro Tools audio interface. Use channels 7-8 to
ROM. monitor a stereo mix for a stereo version, or for
2 Make sure your audio hardware is connected
cue mixes and monitoring.
to your monitor system and other equipment Track Layouts for 5.1 Formats
correctly. Formats Track Layout
3 Make sure you have configured the Pro Tools 1 2 3 4 5 6
Playback Engine and Hardware Setup dialog op- Film L C R Ls Rs LFE
tions correctly for your system as described in (Pro Tools
your system installation guide. default)

SMPTE/ITU L R C LFE Ls Rs
4 Continue reading this chapter to learn how to
for Dolby
configure Pro Tools and your sessions for Sur- Digital (AC3)
round mode.
DTS L R Ls Rs C LFE
for ProControl

Chapter 31: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 425

 To connect your audio interfaces for 5.1 format Custom Paths
mixing and monitoring:
You can customize and redefine existing paths in
1 Determine the 5.1 format and track layout
the I/O Setup dialog. For more information, see
you want to use. “Custom Multi-Channel Paths” on page 428.
2 Connect the output channels of your audio
interface to the corresponding input channels Importing Tracks
of your monitoring system according to the as- By importing tracks into a session, you can add
signments listed in Table on page 425. only the tracks and media, but also the associ-
ated paths and track assignments. Tracks retain
If you use ProControl and its monitoring
their paths and assignments, which are added to
section, see the ProControl Addendum for
the current session. Active and inactive status is
Pro Tools 5.1 for more information.
determined by available system resources. After
importing tracks, you can use the I/O Setup dia-
log to configure main and sub-paths for require-
Configuring Pro Tools for ments of the session. For more information, see
Multi-Channel Sessions “Importing Tracks from Other Sessions” on
page 94.
Configuring Pro Tools and sessions for multi-
channel mixing can be done in any or all of the
following ways: New Sessions and I/O Settings
New Sessions When you create a new session, you can specify
a surround format that you want to use as your
By creating a new session and choosing a sur- I/O Setup. Default path configurations are pro-
round mix I/O Settings file as the default vided as I/O Settings files, for stereo and sur-
I/O Setup. (See “New Sessions and I/O Settings” round mixing.
on page 426.)
Once you create the new session, you can create
Remixing Sessions in Surround and import tracks, import audio, and assign sig-
nal routing to set up your mix.
By importing a surround mix I/O Settings file
into the I/O Setup dialog, multi-channel paths
can be made available in any stereo (or other
format) session. You can then reassign track
routing from the original stereo paths to multi-
channel paths. Inactive and active paths sim-
plify reassignment. (See “Importing Multi-
Channel I/O Setups” on page 428.)

426 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To create a new session for multi-channel mixing: Surround Mix Settings Files
1 Choose File > New Session. The surround mix I/O Settings files provides
2 Select one of the available 5.1 settings from output and bus paths for three specific track lay-
the Default I/O Settings menu. out standard. (See also “Default Input and Insert
Paths with 5.1 Settings” on page 427.)
Settings Files and Track Layouts

5.1 Settings Track Layout

Film (Pro Tools Standard) L C R Ls Rs LFE

SMPTE/ITU L R C LFE Ls Rs

DTS (ProControl Monitoring) L R Ls Rs C LFE

All three 5.1 format settings files provide the fol-

lowing default output and bus paths:

Configuring a new session for a 5.1 mix Default 5.1 Output Paths
• One 5.1 main output path, with sub-paths for
The surround presets preconfigure the I/O Setup
center, left/right, LCR, and 5.0 (no LFE).
dialog with default 5.1 format main and sub-
paths for outputs and busses. • Also, one stereo main path with two mono
sub-paths.

Default 5.1 Bus Paths

• One 5.1 main bus path, with sub-paths for 5.0
(no LFE), left/right (stereo), LCR, and center
(mono).
• Also, one stereo main path with two mono
sub-paths.

Default Input and Insert Paths with 5.1 Settings

The 5.1 Mix settings files provide default stereo

Standard 5.1 format (film) output paths main and sub-paths for inputs and inserts. If
you need multi-channel input paths or inserts,
you can create them in the I/O Setup dialog (see
“Custom Multi-Channel Paths” on page 428).

Chapter 31: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 427

 Importing Multi-Channel To export an I/O Setup settings file:
I/O Setups 1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup.

The I/O Setup dialog can import and export set- 2 Click Export.
tings files. Importing I/O Setup settings files is
useful when you want to remix a stereo session
in surround. You can also use this feature to pre-
Custom Multi-Channel Paths
pare a session for transfer to a different Pro Tools The I/O Setup dialog lets you create and custom-
system, or to simply save and exchange ize signal paths for any supported multi-chan-
I/O Settings. nel mixing format.

To import a multi-channel I/O Setup settings file: The I/O Setup dialog and its Channel Grid also
let you remap channels. This is especially useful
1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup.
to route channels within a multi-channel path,
2 Click Import, then select the settings file to without having to repatch your audio inter-
import. faces.

If the current session has existing path defini- When creating 5.1 format paths, you can
tions that don’t match those in the imported specify the default track layout. See “De-
settings file, Pro Tools asks whether you want to fault Path Order for 5.1 Tracks” on
delete the existing paths or retain them and add page 430.
the imported settings to your session.
Example LCRS Set Up

The following example shows one possible way

to configure the I/O Setup dialog to mix in 4-
channel LCRS format.

For additional I/O Setup information, see

“Creating and Editing Paths” on page 63.

• Click No to add new paths to your current I/O To define an LCRS path:
Setup configuration.
1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup, and show outputs.
• Click Yes to replace your current I/O Setup
2 Click New Path.
configuration with the imported settings.
3 Select 3+1 from the Path Format Selector.
Exporting I/O Settings
4 Name the path LCRS.
Exporting I/O Setup settings files lets you build a
5 In the Channel Grid, click in the box below
library of setups multi-channel setups for differ-
the first (left-most) audio interface channel for
ent projects.
the path. Pro Tools automatically fills up the ad-
jacent units to the right. If you click in the LCRS
row under channel 1, the LCRS path will be
mapped across channels 1-4.

428 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 Select the new LCRS path, and click New Sub- You can remap paths to any required configura-
Path. tion, limited only by your systems resources,
and the I/O Setup dialog requirements for chan-
7 Name the new path LCR, and select LCR as the
nel overlapping and naming (see “Valid Paths
Path format. Click in channel 1 in the LCR row
and Requirements” on page 67 for more infor-
to map the path.
mation).
8 Create a stereo path with two mono sub-paths
(one for front Left, one for front Right). See also “Example Paths and Signal Rout-
ing for a Surround Mix” on page 439.
9 Define mono sub-paths for the Center and
Surround channels. 5.1 Tracks, Formats, Mapping and
Metering
Path definitions in I/O Setup determine how au-
dio is routed through, and metered on, your au-
dio interfaces.

Example LCRS output main and sub-paths Pro Tools internal (on-screen) metering of 5.1
format paths always follows the Film track lay-
Multi-Channel Mapping out:
Multi-channel paths and sub-paths are mapped L C R Ls Rs LFE
to inputs, outputs or internal busses in the
Channel Grid. When you select a preset 5.1 Pro Tools track layout of 5.1 format audio tracks
I/O Settings file, default layout for the corre- in the Edit window also conforms to the Film
sponding multi-channel format paths you cre- layout (arranged top to bottom). See the illustra-
ate will match the selected format’s track layout. tion “5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering”
on page 430.
Example Mapping for a 5.1 Output Path
In the I/O Setup dialog, you can route these sig-
The following diagram shows the I/O Setup dia- nals out of your audio interfaces according to
log configured for a 5.1-format output mix, with any track layout (DTS, SMPTE/ITU, or other).
a single, 8-channel audio interface. An alternate
stereo output path has also been defined. To re-map channels in a path:
■ Click and drag a channel to a new valid loca-

tion in the grid. Other channel assignments will

move (shuffle) to accommodate dragged chan-
nels.

I/O Setup

Chapter 31: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 429

 Default Output Selects the default output path
Default Path Order, Metering, for all new tracks, for each supported track for-
Output, and Audition Path mat.

The I/O Setup dialog provides the following de- Default Path Order Selects the default track lay-
fault settings for multi-channel sessions: out (or, path order) for new 5.1 format (six-
channel) paths.

Default Path Order for 5.1 Tracks

Default Selectors
Default Selectors in the I/O Setup dialog You can specify the default track layout for all
new 5.1 format paths you create.
Meter Selects the path that will be shown in Pro-
Control output meters. See “5.1 Tracks, Formats, To choose a new default Pro Tools 5.1-format Path
Mapping and Metering” on page 429 for more order (track layout):
information.
1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup.
Audition Selects the monitoring path for pre-
2 Use the Default Path Order menu and sub-
viewing audio in the Regions List and Import
menus to choose the track layout you want.
Audio dialogs.

Default Path Order Selector in I/O Setup

5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering

5.1 Format Tracks Track Meters Channel Map in I/O Setup Audio Interface Meters
1-6
Film
(Pro Tools Standard)
L C R Ls Rs LFE

L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE

same same
SMPTE/ITU L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE
L R C LFE Ls Rs (top to bottom) (left to right)

L R C LFE Ls Rs L R C LFE Ls Rs

DTS same same

(ProControl Monitoring) L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE
L R Ls Rs C LFE

L R Ls Rs C LFE
L R Ls Rs C LFE
Figure 29. Track Layout of different 5.1 formats

430 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and
Signal Routing

Surround sessions typically include a combina-

tion of mono, stereo, and multi-channel audio Multi-Channel QuickStart
tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master Faders, bus-
The following is an overview of how to get
ses and inserts.
started mixing in multi-channel for surround in
Once the appropriate I/O Setup has been im- Pro Tools.
ported or configured, any audio track can be
mixed in multi-channel for surround using To mix in multi-channel:
Pro Tools mixing features. 1 Open any stereo Pro Tools session to remix it
in surround. (You can also create new, empty
Multi-channel I/O and signal routing is deter-
surround sessions. See “New Sessions and I/O
mined by the paths defined in the I/O Setup di-
Settings” on page 426.)
alog.
2 Configure the I/O Setup dialog with multi-
channel inputs, outputs, busses, and inserts, as
needed. (See “Configuring Pro Tools for Multi-
Channel Sessions” on page 426.)

3 Create new tracks and assign track outputs

and sends to your multi-channel paths. Config-
ure signal routing as needed for submixing, bus-
sing, processing, and monitoring. For tracks that
do not need to panned in 360°, place them in
the mix using sub-paths and signal routing.(See
“Multi-Channel Signal Routing” on page 434.)

4 Pan in surround using the multi-channel

Track and Send windows. (Mixing and panning
for surround is explained in Chapter 33, “Sur-
round Panning and Mixing.”)

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing 431

 Placing Audio in Multi-Channel
Multi-Channel Audio Tracks Tracks
Multi-channel audio tracks contain multiple in- You can drag audio files and regions from the
dividual signals for each signal in the track (one Audio Regions List, or from other tracks, to
for the left, one for the right, one for center, and place them in multi-channel audio tracks.
so on).
To do so, the number of channels being dragged
Multi-channel audio tracks can be: must match the destination track format. For
• Recorded directly into Pro Tools, using multi- example, you can only drag a stereo pair or two
ple microphones or microphone arrays, mono regions onto a stereo audio track. Simi-
routed to appropriate multi-channel larly, you can only place audio into an LCR track
Pro Tools Input paths. when you have selected three regions. With 5.1
• Imported from other Pro Tools sessions. tracks, you must select six files or regions.

• Edited, processed, and mixed in combination

Solo, Mute, and Gain in Multi-Channel
with mono and stereo tracks.
Tracks and Paths
Stereo and multi-channel tracks consist of mul-
tiple audio signals, linked together. By default,
multi-channel tracks are linked and are control-
ler by a single channel fader, solo and mute
switch.

For discrete control of signals, multi-channel

tracks can be converted into individual mono
tracks. For discrete level and phase adjustment,
5.0 format multi-channel audio track
you can insert and unlink a multi-mono Trim
5.1 format audio files and tracks conform to the plug-in. Both of these techniques are explained
Film track layout standard. Regardless of path below.
mapping in the I/O Setup dialog, all 5.1 format
audio tracks and meters follow the Film stan- Once converted to mono, multi-channel
dard track layout: tracks cannot be relinked into their original
multi-channel format. The only way to re-
L C R Ls Rs LFE assemble a multi-channel track is by drag-
ging the corresponding number of mono
Multi-channel audio tracks are not required to
files into a multi-channel track, which can
mix in multi-channel formats. Mono, stereo,
result in loss of some automation data.
and all supported track formats can be mixed us-
ing Pro Tools track outputs and sends. See To convert a multi-channel track into discrete
“Multi-Channel Signal Routing” on page 434. mono tracks:
1 Select the multi-channel track.

2 Choose File > Convert Selected Tracks to

Mono.

432 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To have discrete control of gain on individual Because changing the output format has these
channels of a multi-channel track: effects, a warning dialog appears whenever you
1 Insert a multi-mono Trim plug-in on the change the output format of a track to a format
multi-channel track. of fewer channels. Specifically, this will occur
whenever automation playlists will have to be
2 Unlink the Trim plug-in by clicking the Link deleted.
icon so that it is unlit.

3 Use the Channel Selector to display the con- Multiple Output Assignments and Track Format
trols you want to edit, and adjust the gain. When a track is assigned to more than one path
of differing formats, the main output for that
See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on
track will match the format of the assigned path
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 436 for
with the greatest number of channels.
more information.
Multiple Outputs and Automation Playlists
Track and Output Formats
When a track has multiple output assignments,
When you create new tracks, you specify mono,
Pro Tools sorts panning data appropriately for
stereo, or a supported multi-channel format for
each assigned path. For example, if you assign a
the new tracks.
mono track to a stereo path and a 5.1 path si-
In the Mix and Edit windows, the track format is multaneously, that track will have a 5.1 panner
always visible by the number of track meters in the Mix or Edit window. When you pan the
contained in its fader strip (a single meter for track, Pro Tools interprets the 5.1 panning
mono tracks, a pair for stereo tracks, and so on). moves into stereo panning moves (by ignoring
any front--to-rear moves, in this example).
Assigning track output determines the format of
that output. For example, a mono track always This provides a type of parallel mixing. You can
has a single track meter, even when assigned to create a variety of mixes of differing formats all
a stereo output path. If that same mono track is at the same time by routing your elements to
assigned to a 5.1 output path, it's output will be multiple paths.
split among those six output channels, depend-
Command-Control-click any control in a
ing on the position of its panner.
Output window to show its automation
Changing Format playlist.

Changing the output format for a given track

has several effects:
• The panner that appears in the track will
change to reflect the new output format
◆ It may be necessary for one or more pan re-
lated automation playlists to be created or de-
leted.

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing 433

 Multi-Channel Track Outputs
Multi-Channel Signal Routing
Tracks are routed to output and bus paths using
To mix in a multi-channel format, tracks are as- the track Output Selector. This assigns the main
signed to multi-channel paths. track output. Additional output assignments
can be added by Control-clicking the Selector
and assigning another path. This provides a
This channel’s main output
path is mono (“Center music”).
multi-channel panner and meter in the Mix and
It has a multi-channel send pro- Edit window I/O View. (See also “Multi-Channel
viding a multi-channel panner
Sends” on page 434 for details.)

Multi-Channel Sends
Mono, stereo and all other track formats let you
assign one or more multi-channel sends. This
Main output path is multi-
channel, so the track pro-
provides a multi-channel panner in the Sends
vides a multi-channel pan- view. Sends are also useful to bus tracks for
ner
multi-channel plug-in processing.

The following diagram shows a mono audio

track with a 6-channel send (Sends View Shows
> Send A view).

Two different ways to configure tracks for multi-channel Multi-channel send

mixing panner

Tracks can be mixed in surround using the fol-

lowing two methods: Mono output format

• By setting a track main output to a multi-

channel path.
• By assigning a multi-channel send to route
audio to a multi-channel path.

See “Multi-Channel Sends” on page 434 for

more information.
Mono meter

A mono audio track with a mono output format, with a

multi-channel send

434 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools bussing and submixing features are Mono, Multi-Mono and Multi-
available for all channel formats, from Channel Plug-Ins
mono/stereo through 8-channel. For examples
of multi-channel monitoring, effects process- Plug-ins can be used in mono, multi-mono, or
ing, and bussing, see “Mixing with Paths and multi-channel formats.
Sub-Paths” on page 437.For mono and stereo
mix examples, see Chapter 26, “Basic Mixing.”

Multi-Channel Auxiliary Inputs and

Master Faders
A multi-channel Auxiliary Input or Master Fader
is used as a return for the multi-channel bus.
Sends are useful when you need to create an ad- Plug-in formats
ditional, independent mix simultaneously (per-
haps of a distinct format), requiring dedicated For information about mono, stereo, and mono-
fader, mute, solo and automation controls. in/stereo-out plug-ins, see Chapter 27, “Plug-Ins
and Inserts.”
You can assign Master Faders to main and sub-
paths. Main paths must match the format of the Multi-Mono Plug-Ins Are designed for use on
Master Fader, and only one Master Fader can be greater-than-stereo multi-channel tracks. Multi-
active and assigned to any single (active) main mono plug-ins are useful, or required, in the fol-
or sub-path. A Master Fader cannot be assigned lowing situations:
to a sub-path if its associated main path is al- • When a desired plug-in does not involve
ready assigned on another Master Fader. See multi-channel correlated processing (for ex-
“Master Faders” on page 333. ample, when applying EQ to select sides of a
multi-channel signal)
• You need to adjust signals within the multi-
channel track independently
• A plug-in only does not support multi-chan-
nel formats

When a multi-mono plug-in is first inserted on a

multi-channel track, the plug-in controls are
linked. You can unlink them for independent
adjustment. See “Linking and Unlinking Con-
trols on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 436 for
more information.

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing 435

 Multi-Channel Plug-Ins Are designed for use on Master Link Button When enabled, links the pa-
stereo and multi-channel tracks that require cor- rameter controls on all channels of a multi-
related processing, including stereo and multi- mono plug-in so that they can be adjusted in
channel limiting, compression, and similar ef- tandem.
fects.
Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link the
parameter controls of specific channels of a
Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-
multi-mono plug-in. Each square represents a
Mono Plug-Ins
speaker channel. The Master Link button must
When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multi- be disabled to use the Link Enable buttons.
channel track of more than two channels, the
controls are normally linked. Adjusting the To unlink controls on a multi-mono plug-in:
Gain parameter on one channel, for example, ■ Deselect the Master Link button. It is lit when
will adjust it for all channels. linked, unlit when unlinked.
If necessary, you can unlink plug-in controls on
specific channels of a track and edit them inde- To access controls for a specific channel:
pendently. You can also selectively link the con- ■ Select the desired channel from the Channel

trols of specific channels. Selector.

For example, to apply equal filter cutoffs to the

To open a Plug-In window for all channels of a
Ls and Rs (surround) channels in a 5.1 mix, you multi-mono plug-in:
could link enable just those channels in an un-
linked, multi-mono EQ plug-in. Adjusting the ■ Option-click the Channel Selector.
controls in the Plug-In window for either chan-
nel (Ls or Rs) adjusts the other, linked channel To link the controls of specific channels:
as well. 1 Deselect the Master Link button if it is not al-
ready deselected.
Master Link button
Link Enable buttons 2 Click the Link Enable buttons for the chan-
Channel Selector
nels whose controls you want to link.

The Trim plug-in is explained in the Digi-

Rack Plug-Ins Guide.
Channel Selector and Link controls

Channel Selector Accesses a specific channel

within a multi-channel track for plug-in param-
eter editing. This menu appears only on multi-
mono plug-ins inserted on tracks with more
than two channels.

Option-click the Channel Selector to open

Plug-In windows for each channel of the
multi-mono plug-in.

436 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 When to Assign Multi-Channel Outputs
Paths in Surround Mixes ■ Assign 5.1 paths only to those tracks that need

Because Pro Tools provides a flexible routing to be panned to all six channels.
and submixing environment, you can maximize
For example, a sound effects track with a jet fly-
your system’s available resources by first identi-
over should be assigned a 5.1 path to be able to
fying the elements that you want to pan dynam-
“fly” the sound from front-to-back. In a music
ically and those that can be placed in certain
mix, fly a solo instrument or make a synth pad
channels only. (See “Mixing with Paths and
swirl around the room as a special effect.
Sub-Paths” on page 437 for an explanation of
this concept.) Elements that need to be heard in all speakers si-
multaneously can also be assigned to the multi-
Once you have identified these elements in your
channel output, whether or not they need ac-
session, you can use a combination of main and
tive panning in the sound field.
sub-path assignments, and multi-channel pan-
ning. Figure 30 on page 438 shows an example
session. When to Use Sub-Paths
■ To help simplify large sessions, try to use sub-

Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths paths to route static (or, stationary) elements di-
rectly to the output channel or channels.
It is rare that every track needs to be “flown” (ac-
tively panned in between more than a pair of For example, film dialog is often mixed to the
speakers). In most situations, certain elements center channel to anchor this essential sound el-
are placed in certain speakers and remain there, ement to the visual element (the picture). In-
providing the foundation for a mix. stead of assigning a six-channel panner to dia-
log tracks and panning it to the center channel
Figure 30 on page 438 illustrates an example of only, you can route dialog track’s main output to
how panning and signal routing can be com- a mono (Center) sub-path. This may be un-
bined in a multi-channel mix. The following avoidable in some sessions, such as a scene in
sections show you how to organize your session which every sound needs to fly or move in the
and signal routing to maximize the available re- 360° sound field. This is more likely to be the ex-
sources. ception, however, because many elements of a
mix will not need to be moving between speak-
See “Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions
ers.
to Surround Mixing” on page 438 for re-
lated information.

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing 437

 Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders
Tracks routed to sub-paths Tracks panned in 3D routed to main paths

Bus
routing

Main out-
put to sub-
paths

Main outputs to 5.1 paths for surround panning

Figure 30. Using signal routing and sub-paths to mix in surround

Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions to Surround mixes can become incoherent if too
Surround Mixing many elements are continuously moving, For
special effects, some tracks can be panned dy-
Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and
namically, bouncing between speakers or sweep-
static panning, and surround mixing can bene-
ing from one side to the other.
fit from the same basic principles.

Panning a sound back-and-forth between the

left and right speakers is best used as a special ef-
fect. In a typical music mix, the basic tracks are
placed in the stereo sound field and remain
there.

438 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Example Bus Paths
Example Paths and Signal
Routing for a Surround Mix The following diagram shows example bus
paths.
This examples shows how Auxiliary Inputs,
Master Faders, and other Pro Tools signal rout-
ing features can be used for stem mixes, sub-
mixes, and similar project needs.

In this example, music and effects (M&E) are be-

ing mixed for a trailer, in 5.1 surround. Separate
stem mixes (for music, and for effects) are to be
I/O Setup, example bus paths
mastered to 8-track MDM
Two 5.1 format main paths have been defined
(Music, and FX), each with several sub-paths.
Example Multi-Channel Paths
Signal routing is the key element in any Example Sub-Paths
Pro Tools surround session. Signal routing is
Sub-paths let you route to selective channels
configured and defined in the I/O Setup dialog.
within the multi-channel (surround) output.
The FX bus has two sub-paths (“5.0 FX bus” and
Example Output Paths “LFE f”) that show this.
The following shows output paths defined in
the I/O Setup dialog of an example session. This
example session is shown on a Pro Tools MIX
system with three audio interfaces.

5.0 Sub-Paths The 5.0 FX bus is a 5-channel sub-

path. With tracks that you are sure you want to
keep out of the LFE channel, use this type of
sub-path routing to conserve mixing resources.

LFE Paths A custom LFE sub-path has been

added to provide a discrete mono path to the
I/O Setup, example output paths LFE channel.
Sub-paths have been defined for each of the
Mix, Music, and FX main output paths.

Additional stereo output paths, with mono sub-

paths, have also been defined for the remaining
channels on each audio interface.

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing 439

 Signal Routing Examples Most of the music tracks in this example are
routed to the front left/right channels, using a
The following show a few possible ways that stereo sub-path. A 5.1 Auxiliary Input controls
main and sub-paths can be used, using an exam- the bus and stem output.
ple session consisting of a 5.1 main mix, with
music and effects stems (or submixes).
Main Stems Example
The following shows one possible routing con-
The two Auxiliary Input channels can be multi-
figuration for an effects submix.
assigned to additional 5.1 format paths for a
main mix.

FX stem

Some tracks are routed to stereo sub-paths, Assigning multiple outputs

while others are assigned to mono, LCR, or Multiple output assignments make it possible to
other sub-paths. Two tracks (one stereo, one configure a number of multi-format mixes. For
mono) are assigned to multi-channel busses, for example, you can assign an additional stereo
surround panning. A 5.1 Auxiliary Input as- output to tracks and create a stereo mix at the
signed to the FX main bus path serves as a sub- same time as a 5.1 mix. For more information,
mixer. see “Multiple Output Assignments” on
page 337.
Music tracks might be routed similar to the fol-
lowing example:
LFE Examples
LFE tracks and other audio can contribute to the
LFE output (the “.1” channel in supporting for-
mats) in two ways:
• Using the LFE slider in Output windows. This
LFE signal is post-fader.
– or –
• Using a custom sub-path to route channels
discretely.

Music stem

440 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The following shows a channel Output window, LFE and Filtering
sending and metering to the LFE channel.
Pro Tools applies no filtering to LFE signals.
LFE fader Some delivery requirements may specify filter-
ing for the LFE track (such as the Dolby require-
ment of 120 Hz). See “Mixing Formats and Sur-
round Formats” on page 415 for more
information.

LFE faders can follow Mix and Edit Groups.

See “Automation Preferences” on page 374
for more information.

Multi-Channel Plug-Ins
Aux LFE meter
Audio tracks, Master Faders and Auxiliary Inputs
let you assign multi-mono or multi-channel
LFE contribution from a stereo output
plug-ins. This lets you process multi-channel
Using the LFE fader, you can add any amount of outputs as a single entity using multi-channel,
any multi-channel path to the overall LFE out- or linked multi-mono, plug-ins. Unlinked
put.In the above example, the track’s Center multi-mono plug-ins let you process individual
percentage has been turned off, and the LFE channels of a multi-channel path, with linking
fader has been raised to route it to the LFE chan- and unlinking. For more information on multi-
nel. channel plug-ins, see Chapter 27, “Plug-Ins and
Inserts.”
The next diagram shows how a “traditional” LFE
track can be routed to only the LFE channel.
This example uses a custom-defined LFE sub-
path to the FX main bus path.

Discrete LFE routing

For instructions on how to create a sub-path, see

“Custom Multi-Channel Paths” on page 428.

Chapter 32: Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing 441

442 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 33: Surround Panning and
Mixing

This chapter explains how to pan and mix in

surround with Pro Tools. Introduction to Pro Tools
Surround Panning
Before you can pan a track in surround, it must
be assigned to an appropriate multi-channel There are four different track panning methods
output or bus path. available:
• In the Edit window, using the reduced-height
The I/O Setup dialog defines the bussing and
Panner grid in the I/O View
output architecture of the Pro Tools multi-chan-
nel surround mixer. If you have not already • In the Mix window, using the reduced-height
done so, it is recommended that you become fa- Panner grid
miliar with main and sub-paths and the • In the Output window, using the full-size
I/O Setup dialog before starting multi-channel Panner Grid
Pro Tools projects.
• Through pan automation editing
See Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for Sur-
Control surfaces provide additional panning op-
round” for more information on multi-
tions. Refer to the documentation for your con-
channel configurations and I/O Setup op-
trol surface for more information.
tions. For multichannel signal routing, see
Chapter 32, “Multi-Channel Tracks and
Signal Routing.” Mix and Edit Window Panner Grids
In the Mix and Edit window, multi-channel
panner grids are displayed on tracks that have
multi-channel track or send output assign-
ments.

Chapter 33: Surround Panning and Mixing 443

 To pan from the Mix or Edit window:
1 Make sure I/O View is being shown for the
Output Windows
Mix or Edit windows (Display > Mix/Edit Win- Output windows provide panning controls for
dow Shows > I/O View). tracks of all mix formats. Some of the features of
Output windows include:
2 Begin playback.
• X/Y (joystick-style) panning
3 Click and drag on the appropriate multi-chan-
nel track’s panner grid in the Mix or Edit win- • 3-Knob panning
dows. • Full Divergence and Center% control
• LFE feed
Click and drag to pan • Multi-channel meters
• Pro Tools Target window support

This section describes the basic techniques for

opening and arranging Output windows. Pan-
ning controls and instructions begin in “Sur-
round Panner Controls” on page 446.

Multi-Channel Panners
Panning in the track grid Multi-channel panners are provided for each
multi-channel mixing format (from 3-channel
The green pan cursor follows your movements
LCR thru 8-channel 7.1).See “Surround Panner
as long as you hold down the mouse button.
Controls” on page 446 for more information.
Movements are scaled so that, once you click to
“grab” the pan cursor, you do not need to limit Multiple panners can be opened simulta-
your movements to the small track grid area. neously, or a single window can be anchored to
always display the current panner. See “Output
Color while Automating Windows” on page 444 for more information.
The pan cursor is green when the track is in au-
tomation Read mode, red in an automation
Write mode, and yellow in Trim mode.

Output windows provide additional features

and controls (and a much larger grid). For de-
tails, see “Output Windows” on page 444.

444 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To open an Output window:
■ Click the Output icon in the track in the Mix
Standard Controls
or Edit window (I/O View). 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 win-
dows. Some controls are specific to the type of
window.

Show meters

Target icon
Track Selector Path Selector

Output Selector Automation Safe

Panner Control Section

Opening a multi-channel Output window For details on these standard features, see
“Standard Controls in Output Windows”
on page 344.
For instructions on managing multiple Out-
put windows, see “Output Windows for
Track Fader, Solo, Mute, and Auto
Tracks and Sends” on page 342.
All Output windows provide track volume and
mute controls. You can adjust and automate
track volume, or mute directly using these con-
trols. The larger fader and mute button are
equivalent to those on the Pro Tools Mix win-
dow.

Chapter 33: Surround Panning and Mixing 445

 Surround Panner Controls
On surround-capable Pro Tools systems, Output windows, when assigned to tracks or paths with four
or more channels, provide an X/Y grid for surround panning. The speakers associated with the pan-
ner’s multi-channel format are displayed in their relative positions outside the panner grid.

This section identifies all the controls and features found in Pro Tools multi-channel panners.

Show meters

Panner Control Section

Speakers

X/Y Grid
Pan cursor

LFE fader

Track fader and

meter

Panning modes

Position
(knob panners)

Center%

Divergence Track Automation,

Solo, and Mute

Figure 31. A 5.1-format multi-channel panner

446 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The X/Y Grid and Pan Cursor Panning Mode Buttons
The X/Y grid is where multi-channel panning Directly below the X/Y grid are the panning
information is input and displayed. You can mode buttons.
also input pan information using 3-Knob Mode,
or by entering numeric values in the Position
data fields, as described later.(You can also edit
pan automation graphically in the Edit win-
dow.) X/Y Mode, Divergence Editing, and 3-Knob buttons

These switches provide access to advanced sur-

round mixing features, and are explained in
“Panning Modes” on page 448.

Position and Center%

The Position controls include three rotary knobs
and their text fields.

Panning grid and pan cursor

Multi-channel panners default to X/Y mode. In Position controls

X/Y mode, the track’s current pan position is
Front Displays and controls the current front X-
represented by a green dot. This dot is the pan
axis position of the panner.
cursor, and its color indicates track automation
status using standard Pro Tools colors: Rear Displays and controls the current rear X-
axis position of the panner. In default X/Y pan-
Green The track is in Auto Read mode
ning mode, Rear is linked to Front position and
Red The track is in Automation Write, Touch or cannot be controlled independently.
Latch mode
Front/Rear Displays and controls the current Y-
Yellow The track is in Automation Trim or Auto axis position of the panner.
Off mode.
Center%
Panning using the X/Y Grid is explained begin-
ning in “The X/Y Grid and Pan Cursor” on This rotary knob lets you control how much of
page 447. the signal is routed to the center speaker. This
lets you mix a track to the front with a phantom
center (0% Center value) or to three-channel
(LCR) when panning front.

Chapter 33: Surround Panning and Mixing 447

 Divergence Controls
Panning Modes
Divergence determines the width of the panned
signal with respect to neighboring speakers. (See Pro Tools supports X/Y and 3-Knob Panning
“Divergence” on page 421 for more informa- modes. Both can be automated.
tion.)
X/Y Mode Joystick-style panning by dragging
the pan cursor within the X/Y speaker grid.

3-Knob Mode Point-to-point panning, between

pairs of speakers. See “3-Knob Panning” on
page 449 for more information.
Divergence controls

Front, Rear, and F/R Divergence Provide sepa- X/Y Panning

rate, automatable divergence control over front
speakers, rear speakers, and between front/rear, To pan in X/Y mode:
respectively. See “Divergence” on page 451 for 1 Click the X/Y Mode Selector.
more information.

For examples of how divergence settings af-

fect output panning, see “Divergence and X/Y Mode

Center Percentage” on page 451.

2 Drag the pan cursor, or click anywhere in the
LFE Fader grid and drag to pan the track. The location of
the pan cursor determines the pan position of
The LFE fader is only available in “.1” formats —
the signal. For example, to pan something to the
5.1, 6.1 and 7.1.
left rear speaker, move the pan cursor to the
lower-left corner of the grid.

LFE fader

The LFE fader determines how much of the cur-

rent track’s signal will be routed to the LFE
channel. LFE faders in Track and Send windows
can follow groups. The Pro Tools LFE channel is
always full-bandwidth. For more information
on how to use the LFE fader, see “LFE Faders in
Multi-Channel Panners” on page 450 X/Y Panning

448 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Cursor Take-Over 3-Knob Panning
It is not necessary to click exactly on the pan Pro Tools provides 3-Knob mode as an addi-
cursor. Clicking anywhere in the grid will move tional way to input pan moves.
the pan cursor relative to where you click or take
over with a hardware panner.Panning does not 3-Knob mode lets you:
jump to the click position. • Pan in straight lines, moving the pan cursor
using the Position rotary knobs with full
To snap the pan cursor to a location in the grid: movement of front, rear, and front-rear posi-
■Hold down the Control key and click any- tion.
where in the X/Y grid. – and –
• Pan discretely between pairs of speakers
Grid Options and Shortcuts
3-Knob mode lets you pan discretely between
Fine-adjust Mode The Command modifier en- speakers. For example, when panning front-left
ables fine adjustment mode of all variable Pan- to rear-right in 3-Knob mode, audio will be
ner controls. heard from just those two speakers (assuming
full divergence is in effect).
Constraining to X or Y Movement Holding the
Shift modifier key down when clicking in the
Show meters
grid will force the movement of the dot to be
constrained in either the X or Y direction, de-
pending on which direction you move first.
3-Knob trajectory
Reset to Default The default position of all posi-
tion parameters can be recalled by Option-click-
ing anywhere in the panner grid.
meters

“Snap To” a Speaker in the Grid: To force the

panner to the location of one of the valid speak-
ers, click directly on the appropriate speaker
icon. 3-Knob mode

Panning and metering in 3-Knob mode

Display Automation in Edit Window Command-
Control-click on a parameter to display that pa-
rameter’s playlist in the Edit window.

All pan parameters can be automated, in-

cluding pan position and divergence. See
Chapter 28, “Automation” for details.

Chapter 33: Surround Panning and Mixing 449

 By comparison, in X/Y mode a diagonal pan To change the 3-Knob trajectory angles:
may result in audio being heard in some or all
■ Drag either endpoint (Front, or Rear) of the
channels.
trajectory line.

Show meters – or –

■ Adjust the Front or Rear Position controls.

To change the current trajectory position (left-to-

X/Y pan position
right) and retain its current angles:
1 Drag the trajectory line (not its endpoints) to
meters a new position.

LFE Faders in Multi-Channel

X/Y mode Panners
Panning and metering in X/Y mode
The LFE fader controls the track’s LFE contribu-
The difference is that 3-Knob mode pans dis- tion (or, how much of the track is sent to LFE).
cretely between the front and rear position of LFE faders are only available when a track is as-
the panning trajectory, while X/Y mode panning signed to a path whose format supports LFE (5.1,
takes place in the full 360° panning grid. Diver- 6.1, or 7.1).
gence and Center % are variable in both pan-
ning modes.
To mix to the LFE channel:

To enable 3-Knob Panning mode: 1 Adjust the LFE fader in any “.1” format Out-
put window.
■ Click the 3-Knob mode icon.
For general information about LFE, Sub
channels, and related topics, see
Chapter 30, “Surround Concepts.”
3-Knob mode

LFE and Groups

The panner trajectory line appears across the
grid, extending from the front (X-axis) to the Track and send LFE faders can follow Mix and
rear (Y-axis) Edit Groups by enabling this feature in the Au-
tomation window of the Preferences dialog. See
To pan in 3-Knob mode: “Automation Preferences” on page 374 for more
information.
1 Adjust the Front and Rear Position knobs to
set the trajectory line.

2 Rotate the Front/Rear Position knob to pan

along the trajectory. The Pan Cursor is con-
strained to the white trajectory line.

450 Pro Tools Reference Guide

LFE Enable Divergence
Some multi-channel plug-ins, including the Di- In the Panner Grid, the current divergence val-
giRack multi-channel Compressor, provide LFE ues is displayed by a purple outline.
Enable. This lets you enable (or, bypass) phase-
accurate processing of the LFE channel, when
one is present.

To process the LFE channel in a multi-channel

plug-in:
1 Click to enable LFE Enable in supporting Divergence display
multi-channel plug-ins. LFE Enable is high-
lighted when LFE processing is enabled, and un-
highlighted when LFE processing is bypassed.
Divergence controls
Divergence display and controls
Divergence and Center By default, Pro Tools surround panners are
Percentage 100% or fully divergent, meaning that a signal
that is panned completely to one speaker will
The Divergence and Center% controls range
only be audible in that speaker.
from 0 to 100, and can be automated. They are
especially useful to ensure audibility and cover- Show meter
age in large venues, and to increase clarity of di- Pan position
alog.

Front Divergence Controls divergence between

front speakers (X-axis only).

Rear Divergence Controls divergence between meters

the rear speakers (X-axis only)

Front/Rear Divergence Controls divergence be-

tween front and rear (the Y-axis).
Full divergence for discrete panning to front, Left
Center% (Percentage) Center% determines (meters show signal only in front, Left)
whether there is a discrete center image, a com-
pletely phantom center image, or some variable
amount in between.

Chapter 33: Surround Panning and Mixing 451

 Lower divergence settings result in a progres- Center% Example
sively wider source signal. When Divergence is
In film and video production, the center chan-
less than 100%, tracks will be routed to neigh-
nel often contains dialog. To enhance clarity of
boring speakers to some degree, even when the
essential dialog, it is often beneficial to keep
pan cursor is positioned next to a single speaker.
other elements (such as music) out of the center
Show meters speaker. By reducing the Center% on music
Pan position tracks (in this example), music panned to the
front of the soundfield can be panned to just the
left and right speakers, forcing them to have a
(variable) phantom center image.

meters Pan position

Front Divergence

Front Divergence at 0% for widest panning (note meters

showing signal in all three front speakers) meters
Center%
To adjust divergence:
■ Adjust the Front, Rear, and Front/Rear Diver-
gence controls as necessary.
Discrete center (Center% at 100)

To adjust divergence graphically:

1 Click the Divergence icon below the grid. Pan position

2 Drag to resize the Divergence boundaries in

the grid.

meters
Divergence Center%

Center Percentage
Center Percentage controls whether there is a Phantom center (Center% at 0)
discrete center channel for the track, or a phan-
tom center channel.

452 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To adjust Center Percentage:
■ Adjust the Center% knob as appropriate.
SurroundScope Metering
Plug-In
As you reduce the Center% value, the center
The SurroundScope Metering plug-in provides a
speaker icon at the top of the grid becomes less
360° meter for multi-channel mixing. It pro-
visible. At 0, the center speaker icon is com-
vides a method of metering multi-channel
pletely invisible, reflecting the setting for fully
paths, and is available in all multi-channel for-
phantom center.
mats.

Pan Playlists and Automation 5.1 Format Track Layouts

Multi-channel panners have several automation All on-screen, 5.1-format meters (including
playlists associated with them (for each position those displayed in the SurroundScope meter, on
and divergence control it provides). tracks, and in Output windows and their Meter
views) are always arranged:
Panning Does Not Follow Groups L C R Ls Rs LFE
Unlike mute and volume breakpoint editing,
For a complete explanation of Pro Tools
pan automation by default does not follow edit
metering, see “5.1 Tracks, Formats, Map-
groups. To force pan automation editing to fol-
ping and Metering” on page 429.
low groups, you can hold down the Control key
while editing automation breakpoints on a To use the SurroundScope Metering Plug-In:
member track. This feature applies to all seven
■ On a multi-channel Master Fader, click an In-
types of pan controls (front, rear, and front/rear
sert button and select the multi-channel Meter
pan position, front divergence, rear divergence,
plug-in.
front/rear divergence, and center percentage).
SurroundScope has no adjustable parameters,
but displays output levels in both a 360° grid,
and in traditional LED meters.

Chapter 33: Surround Panning and Mixing 453

454 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part VIII: Synchronization

455
456
Chapter 34: Synchronization Concepts

Time code and synchronization (sync) are com-

plex topics. This section is designed to give you Aspects of Sync
a basic understanding of synchronization as it
Synchronization has two components, which
relates to Pro Tools.
can be expressed as the following questions:
However, if you are using a device that sends or ◆ “Where are we?” This is called the positional
receives time code, such as a video tape recorder reference.
(VTR), you need to understand how that device
◆ “How fast are we going?” This is called the
generates or receives time code, and how to con-
clock reference.
figure its options. Refer to your video device
documentation for more information. To synchronize Pro Tools accurately over an ex-
tended period of time to another device such as
a tape machine or VTR, Pro Tools needs to know
where the device is and at what speed it’s run-
Your Sync Requirements
ning. Some peripherals can provide only one of
It is strongly recommended that you research these references; for example, a black burst gen-
what your synchronization requirements are. erator provides only a clock reference. Some pe-
For example, if you are using Pro Tools to ac- ripherals, like the Digidesign Universal Slave
complish audio post-production work for video, Driver (USD), can provide both.
consult with the video engineer or editor to de-
termine what time code format is being used.
There may be other time code issues that affect
how you use synchronization. Your Digidesign
Syncing Pro Tools
dealer may also be able to offer suggestions Pro Tools requires a clock reference, in addition
about working with sync with your studio. to time code, to maintain synchronization over
time.

You can resolve Pro Tools to an external clock

reference without locking it to a positional ref-
erence. For example, you can use a USD to re-
solve the Pro Tools sample clock to house sync,

Chapter 34: Synchronization Concepts 457

 without synchronizing Pro Tools to external In this way, Pro Tools uses time code for posi-
time code. You should do this if you need all tional information, and a clock reference to
your work in Pro Tools to match the speed of all maintain synchronization.
other machines in your facility.

This can be explored further by using a typical About Positional References

sync situation, with Pro Tools being slaved, us-
Time code is timing information in the form of
ing a Universal Slave Driver (USD), to a video
a data stream that can be recorded on magnetic
tape recorder, with both machines referenced to
tape as an audio or video signal. Time code can
the same house sync or black burst source:
be used to synchronize the playback and record-
1 When you start the videotape, time code (LTC ing of your Pro Tools system with another ma-
or VITC) is read off the tape and routed to the chine’s transport, such as an analog multitrack
USD. tape machine or a video tape recorder (VTR).

2 The USD sends Pro Tools the address of the

SMPTE and ISO/EBU Time Code
first instance of time code it receives (positional
reference). At the same time, based on the house The “Where are we?” question refers to relative
sync or black burst clock reference, the USD position. To describe position, many profes-
sends Super Clock information to Pro Tools sional audio, video, and multimedia devices and
(clock reference). programs use SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture
& Television Engineers) time code. In Europe, a
3 Pro Tools takes the first time code address it re-
standard called ISO (International Standards Or-
ceives, and calculates the sample location in the
ganization) time code, formerly called EBU (Eu-
session that corresponds to the address. Though
ropean Broadcasters Union) time code, is gener-
you can work with Pro Tools using any standard
ally used. These time code types are almost
time code format, it calculates internally in sam-
exactly the same in terms of how they are repre-
ple numbers. This means that Pro Tools trans-
sented electronically. However, ISO/EBU time
lates a time code frame address to an exact
code works at a fixed rate of 25 fps (frames per
sample number.
second) and SMPTE includes provisions for sev-
4 Assuming that the time code address corre- eral different frame rates. For the purposes of ex-
sponds to a sample number that is within the planation, this chapter will generally refer to
Pro Tools session, Pro Tools converts the time frame-measured timing information as “SMPTE
code address to a sample number within the ses- time code.” This description should be under-
sion, and begins playing from that point. The stood to include ISO/EBU and SMPTE time code.
point that playback starts from is the trigger
point. The clock reference is used by both ma- SMPTE Time Code Methods
chines to keep them in sync.
There are two basic techniques used to record
5 At this point, if the videotape is stopped, re- SMPTE time code onto magnetic tape: LTC (Lin-
wound, and started again, the entire process is ear Time Code) and VITC (Vertical Interval Time
repeated, based upon a newly calculated trigger Code). LTC is recorded on an audio channel or a
point. dedicated time code track of the audio or video
device. VITC is recorded within the video signal
in the video “blanking area” of each video

458 Pro Tools Reference Guide

frame. VITC cannot be recorded on audio tracks, LTC Speed Usage
so it has no application when working with au-
dio tape recorders, but it does offer powerful fea- LTC can be read at high tape shuttle speeds, al-
tures for post-production professionals who lowing a machine’s time code reader to commu-
work with video. nicate with synchronizers at rewind or fast for-
ward speeds exceeding 50 times playback speed
There is also a non-SMPTE form of time code (provided the tape recorder is able to reproduce
called MIDI Time Code (MTC) that some devices the time code at this speed). However, LTC can-
use to send timing information. not be read at very slow shuttle speeds (such as
when you are “crawling” the tape frame by
SMPTE Time Code Units frame) or when the machine is paused. With
LTC, the VTR must be running (usually at a min-
Time code describes locations in terms of hours, imum speed of about 1/10th normal playback
minutes, seconds, frames, and subframes speed) in order to capture a SMPTE time address.
(1/100th of a frame). The frame is used as a unit
of time measurement due to SMPTE time code’s
origin in film and video applications. Depend- VITC (Vertical Interval Time Code)
ing on the SMPTE frame rate, one frame is equal VITC is a type of time code that is recorded and
to 1/24th, 1/25th, 1/29.97th, or 1/30th of a sec- played as an invisible part of a video signal.
ond. For example, a videotape time code read- VITC is commonly used in professional video
ing of “01:12:27:15” would tell us that we were editing and audio-for-picture applications. Be-
at a position of one hour, twelve minutes, cause VITC is recorded as part of each video
twenty-seven seconds, and fifteen frames. How- frame, it must be recorded at the same time as
ever, this time address alone does not tell us the video signal—it cannot be added later as
frame rate information. LTC can. Since VITC cannot be recorded on au-
dio tracks, it is never used to synchronize audio-
Because SMPTE stores an absolute time reference
only recorders. Instead, LTC is most often used
on the tape in the form of time code, any loca-
in audio-only applications.
tion on that tape can be precisely located by de-
vices that read time code. Once the time code
has been recorded or striped on a tape, it pro- VITC Speed Usage
vides a permanent time reference that allows
VITC’s ability to be read when moving a VTR
Pro Tools to link the playback of an event to an
transport at slow speeds or when the VTR is
exact tape location. For example, with time code
paused makes it more useful in audio post-pro-
sync, a gun shot sound effect can be played at
duction environments than LTC.
the precise instant that the gun’s flash appears
on-screen. When VITC is used, Pro Tools can capture the
current SMPTE time from the VTR when it is
paused or in “crawl” mode. However, if you are
LTC (Linear Time Code)
using additional external transport synchroniz-
LTC is time code that is recorded and played ers in your setup, most synchronizers cannot
back, or generated, in the form of an analog au-
dio signal. LTC is supported by many audio and
video tape recorders.

Chapter 34: Synchronization Concepts 459

 read VITC at speeds exceeding approximately 10
times playback speed, preventing slaved ma- SMPTE Frame Formats
chines from maintaining synchronization dur-
Six different formats of SMPTE time code exist,
ing rewind and fast forward.
and Pro Tools can sync to any format with a
compatible sync peripheral. The supported
LTC/VITC Auto-Switching SMPTE frame rates are:
Many synchronizers and devices support auto- • 30 fps (frames per second), also called
matic switching between LTC and VITC, de- 30 Non-Drop
pending on the speed, to get the best of both • 30 fps Drop frame
worlds. For example, VITC might be used when
a VTR is paused, or crawling frame-by frame, • 29.97 fps, also called 29.97 Non-Drop
while the synchronizer might automatically • 29.97 fps Drop frame
switch to LTC when fast-forwarding. • 25 fps (also called ISO or EBU)
• 24 fps
Bi-Phase/Tach
When you work with NTSC video (the stan-
This electronic pulse stream is used by film mag
dard in North America), you will generally
recorders, film editing stations, and film projec-
work with the NTSC color video standard:
tors. You can use this format to synchronize
either 29.97 fps Non-Drop or 29.97 fps
Pro Tools if you have a USD. Unlike time code,
Drop frame.
bi-phase/tach doesn’t actually contain absolute
location information. It simply supplies speed
(based upon the frequency of the pulses) and di-
30 fps Frame Format
rection, and therefore, relative position. Since This is the original SMPTE format developed for
the USD can “count” both the speed and direc- monochrome (black & white) video, and is com-
tion of the stream of pulses, it can use a bi- monly used in audio-only applications. This for-
phase/tach source to deduce positional informa- mat is often referred to as 30 Non-Drop frame
tion from a starting “address point.” The differ- format.
ence between bi-phase and tach formats is that
bi-phase encodes rate and direction on a pair of
signals using a format called phase-quadrature, 30 fps Drop Frame Format
while tach encodes rate on one signal and direc- This format is used for sound recordings done
tion on the other. for film-originated programs that are destined
for NTSC broadcast.

29.97 Non-Drop Frame Format

This format is used with NTSC color video. It
runs at a rate of 29.97 fps.

460 Pro Tools Reference Guide

29.97 Drop Frame Format 25 fps Frame Format
NTSC color video has an actual frame rate of This format is used with the European PAL video
29.97 fps, so an hour’s worth of frames standard, which runs at a 25 fps frame rate. This
(108,000) running at 29.97 fps Non-Drop will format is also called the EBU (European Broad-
take slightly longer than one hour of real time cast Union) format because it’s used by broad-
to play. This makes calculating the actual length casters throughout most of Europe.
of a program difficult when using 29.97 Non-
Drop time code. A program that spans one hour
24 fps Frame Format
of 29.97 Non-Drop time code addresses (e.g.
from 1:00:00:00 to 2:00:00:00) is actually 60 This format is used exclusively for film applica-
minutes, 3 seconds and 18 frames long. tions. Film is typically photographed and pro-
jected at a 24 fps frame rate, so this SMPTE for-
To make working with 29.97 time code easier for
mat is useful when one time code frame should
broadcasters, the SMPTE committee created
equal one film frame.
29.97 Drop Frame time code, which runs at ex-
actly the same speed as 29.97 Non-Drop (non-
drop frame) time code, but compensates for the
slower speed by “dropping” (omitting) two Working with Film-Originated
frames at the top of each minute, with the ex- Material
ception of every 10th minute. For this reason,
When you do post-production work in
the time code address of 1:01:00:00 does not ex-
Pro Tools, you will usually work with video ma-
ist in drop frame code because it has been
terial. However, it is possible that the video you
skipped.
are working on was shot on film.
Note that even though time code addresses
Film footage and production sound go through
are skipped in drop-frame format, actual
separate conversion processes before they reach
frames of video material are not dropped.
video, and the audio post-production stage. The
At the end of a program that spans precisely one film is transferred to video using a process called
hour of drop frame time code (1:00:00;00 to Telecine, using a method called 3:2 Pulldown.
2:00:00;00 for example), exactly one hour of Audio can also be pulled down during the trans-
real time has elapsed. fer, or you might end up working with audio
that has not been adjusted (production sound).
Although it sounds complicated, drop frame
time code allows broadcasters to rely on time Typically during the Telecine process, a master
code values when calculating the true length of digital video tape is created, along with a work
programs, facilitating accurate program sched- copy on 3/4” analog video tape for the picture
uling. editor to use. At the same time, a new audio
master may be created by slowing down, or
“pulling down” by 0.1%, the production sound
to compensate for the change in speed from film
to NTSC video.

Chapter 34: Synchronization Concepts 461

 Guide Tracks fields, creating what is called a 3:2 Pulldown.
The speed of the film is also “pulled down” to
In the Video editing process, the audio track 23.976 fps in order to accommodate the slower
produced by the video editor (the “guide track”) speed of NTSC color video compared to NTSC
is rough and needs to be enhanced and im- black and white video (29.97 fps compared to
proved by the audio engineer. For this reason, 30 fps.
the audio engineer will need to re-edit the orig-
inal sound elements in a process known as con- Film frames
forming.

Telecine machine
1 2 3 4
converts film frames
to video fields using
3:2 Pulldown

Digital video
master
29.97 fps
11 12 23 33 44
Video fields
Analog video How film frames translate to video fields in a
“work tape” 3:2 Pulldown
29.97 fps

Film Speed Differs from NTSC

Telecine
Production audio “simo” DAT Video Speed
30 fps Non-Drop 29.97 fps
48 kHz Sample rate conversion 48 kHz The new NTSC Telecine master tapes will always
or A-D-A (analog stage)
run at 29.97 fps during post-production, so the
The Telecine stage of video post-production
original production sound rolls (at 30 fps) will
be too fast, and therefore out of sync with the
video. Some adjustment of this audio may be re-
3:2 Pulldown
quired.
A film clip that lasts 1000 seconds consists of
24,000 film frames (pictures). If you want to When spotting audio to video that was trans-
transfer that film to 1000 seconds worth of ferred from film to NTSC video, there are two
NTSC color video, you have to “fit” 24,000 film important terms to keep in mind: film speed
frames into 29,970.02997 video frames. and video speed.

If we use the black and white NTSC video stan- Film Speed Film speed refers to audio that was
dard (30 fps) instead of 29.97 fps, the process of recorded and plays back in synchronization
converting film frames to video frames is greatly with the original film material. This audio often
simplified. Now instead of any fractional comes from production reels recorded on a Na-
frames, we have 24,000 film frames going into gra® recorder or a field DAT recorder, and is usu-
30,000 video frames (60,000 video fields). In the ally striped with 30 Non-Drop time code. Film
Telecine process (for NTSC color video), each speed audio runs at the same speed as the film
odd film frame is copied to two video fields, and camera or projector, and must be pulled down
each even film frame is copied to three video by 0.1% to synchronize with 29.97 video.

462 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Video Speed Video speed refers to audio that is rate. Or you may choose only to pull Pro Tools
running at the NTSC color standard of up or down on delivery of the audio. Refer to the
29.97 fps. Video speed is 0.1% slower than film online document FilmSync.pdf installed with
speed, so audio that is still at film speed will be your Pro Tools documentation, for detailed
out of sync with the video. Usually, you will be Pull Up/Down workflow information.
working at video speed, though Digidesign and
Avid do provide several options for film speed Final Audio Destination: Film
(24 fps) support.
If your final destination is film, your source au-
dio is at film speed, and your goal is to edit and
Pull Up and Pull Down mix audio in Pro Tools and then lay back to a
Pull Up and Pull Down are terms used to refer to device that runs at film speed (such as mag or
the deliberate recalibration of the audio sample time code DAT), you can temporarily pull down
rate clock (speed, or musical pitch) in order to the audio in Pro Tools for NTSC video work,
compensate for a speed change. Pro Tools can be then return the audio back to film speed when
used to pull down or pull up audio for use with you’re finished.
NTSC video. Pro Tools does not support Pull Up
For example, film speed audio from a Nagra ma-
or Pull Down sample rates for converting be-
chine that is referenced to 30 fps time code is re-
tween PAL and NTSC video.
corded into your Pro Tools system at a sample
Pull Down allows you is to play back film origi- rate of 44.1 or 48 kHz. Keeping in mind that
nated material at video speed (-0.1%). Pull Up film speed is faster than video speed, select
allows you to play back video speed material at 30 fps in your Session Setup window in
film speed (+0.1%). Pro Tools, and record in your audio online and
referenced to the time code on the Nagra.
Using Pro Tools in Pull Up or Pull Down modes
requires a USD, SSD, or a third-party synchro- Once all the audio has been recorded, and you
nizer that supports 256x clock output and Pull are locked to a video work print (at video speed),
Up and Pull Down sample rates. The VSD can be enable Pull Down. If you are using a Digidesign
used for Pull Down, but does not support Pull USD, SSD, or VSD, select Pull Down in the Ses-
Up mode. sion Setup window. (You also have to select Pull
Down manually on the front of the VSD.) If
your synchronizer is not a Digidesign product,
When to Pull Up or Pull Down select Pull Down on the front of your synchro-
There are many ways to get audio into Pro Tools nizer, then enable Pull Down in the Pro Tools
for post-production. Consider your source audio Session Setup window. At this point, it is highly
and your final destination format carefully. In recommended that you verify whether the
some cases, audio will already be pulled down video you’re working with is striped with 29.97
for you. In other cases, audio will have to be Drop Frame or Non-Drop Frame time code.
temporarily pulled down. In still other cases, While in Pull Down mode, you can work with
you may choose to pull down your audio your reference video and everything will remain
source, like a DAT deck, then use a D-A-D (digi- in sync and run at the proper speed (assuming
tal-to-analog-to-digital) conversion to record your system is completely resolved).
the audio into Pro Tools at the proper sample

Chapter 34: Synchronization Concepts 463

 Once you are ready to lay back your completed Pull Up Pro Tools While Recording
project to an audio device running at film speed,
If you cannot pull down your source, you can
deselect Pull Down in the Session Setup win-
accomplish the same thing by Pulling Up
dow, and from your synchronizer if it is not a
Pro Tools, and setting your SMPTE frame format
USD or SSD. Then change your time code frame
to 30 fps, before recording in the production
rate in the Pro Tools session back to 30 fps.
sound. First select 30 fps as the frame format in
Once Pull Down has been deselected, the audio
the Session Setup window. Then select Pull Up
played back from Pro Tools will synchronize
in the Session Setup window (and on your syn-
perfectly with the edited film.
chronizer if it isn’t a USD or SSD) before you
Alternatively, you can pull down the source au- record in the production audio. In this case,
dio deck while recording audio into Pro Tools, while the production audio is running at 44.1 or
work at 29.97 fps with no Pull-Down selected in 48 kHz, Pro Tools is running (and recording) at
Pro Tools, and then switch to 30 Non-Drop a rate of 44.144 or 48.048 kHz. After all the pro-
frame format, and select Pull Up during the de- duction audio has been recorded into Pro Tools,
livery stage. You will have to perform a sample deselect Pull Up in the Session Setup window
rate conversion on the audio either digitally or and on your hardware synchronizer if it is not a
by using an analog stage (D-A-D). USD or SSD. After you deselect Pull Up, the re-
corded audio will play back 0.1% slower, syn-
Final Audio Destination: Video chronized with the video, while achieving a true
playback sample rate of 44.1 or 48 kHz. Note
If you are working with video that was trans- that this process is designed for a final destina-
ferred from film, your audio source is at film tion of video; to bring this audio back up to film
speed, and the final layback destination is NTSC speed you would have to pull up Pro Tools and
video (or television), and you would like to pro- record to a destination that is not Pulled Up.
vide a digital transfer to your clients, you will
need to alter the above recipe slightly. Keep in Note on Sample Rate Conversion
mind that when you are working in Pull Down
mode, your active sample rate is 44.056 kHz (if In many cases, you have to perform a sample
the audio was recorded at 44.1 kHz) or 47.952 rate conversion at some point, either digitally,
kHz (if the audio was recorded at 48 kHz). or by recording in audio using an analog stage
(D-A-D). The only situation where sample rate
Pull Down the Audio Source conversion never has to be performed is when
you are working with film speed audio and your
Some professional DAT machines will let you
final destination format is film. Then you can
pull down the sample rate to 44.056 kHz (and
simply pull down Pro Tools while you work with
47.952 kHz). You can record this audio into
the video, then deselect Pull Down to set the au-
Pro Tools using a D-A-D (digital-to-analog-to-
dio back to film speed.
digital) process. Then your audio will be at the
correct speed for the remainder of the project,
since the final destination is video, and no Pull
Down or Pull Up is necessary.

464 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using Digital Input
Do not set Pro Tools channels 1 and 2 to Digital
Input while working with Pull Up or Pull Down.
This will override the USD’s clock reference set-
ting.

Chapter 34: Synchronization Concepts 465

466 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization

Synchronization (sync) allows connected sys- SMPTE Trigger with an Externally

tems or devices to start and stop their transports Resolved Peripheral
together, and, in some cases, to adjust transport
(TDM Systems Only)
speeds to maintain accurate synchronization of
audio and video material during playback. This solution uses a Universal Slave Driver
Pro Tools is synchronized to other devices using (USD), Video Slave Driver (VSD), or equivalent
SMPTE time code or MIDI Time Code. For a dis- third-party device, resolved with a black burst or
cussion of different SMPTE formats, and other “house sync” generator, or using external word
concepts related to time code, refer to clock, to control playback and recording speed
Chapter 34, “Synchronization Concepts.” in Pro Tools. Accurate long-term sync can be
achieved when all transports within the system
are resolved to a common sync source.

Pro Tools Sync Options

SMPTE Trigger with an External
You have four choices for synchronizing
Pro Tools to an external source:
Peripheral Slaved to LTC
SMPTE Trigger can be used with the optional
USD, SMPTE Slave Driver (SSD), or equivalent
SMPTE Trigger Only
third-party device to resolve Pro Tools record-
This solution is useful for short projects, but ing/playback speed while slaving to LTC. This
may result in timing errors if you are working enables longterm, accurate synchronization by
with lengthy program material and an unstable resolving to any variations in incoming time
sync source. This is the only option available on code.
Pro Tools LE systems.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 467

 SMPTE Resolved with USD
For instructions on connecting an external
(TDM Systems Only) sync peripheral to your Pro Tools system,
You can use the optional USD, or an equivalent refer to the TDM Installation Guide.
third-party device, to resolve Pro Tools record-
ing/playback speed with any of the following
clock reference sources while slaving Pro Tools The Session Setup Window
to LTC:
The Session Setup window allows you to config-
• Video source ure various time code-related parameters on
• Video black burst or house sync your system. The following settings can be ad-
justed in this window:
• VITC
• 1x Word Clock
• AES/EBU “null” clock
• 256x slave clock
• Pilot Tone
• Bi-Phase
Session Setup window
This enables long-term, high-fidelity synchroni-
zation when all transports within the system are Sample Rate
resolved to this common sync source, or by re-
This allows you to set the sample rate for the
solving to any variations in incoming time code
current session. Choices are 48,000 Hz (48 kHz)
while slaving to LTC.
or 44,100 Hz (44.1 kHz). 44,100 Hz is the sam-
ple rate used on audio compact discs.
Other USD and SSD Sync Options
By adding a USD or SSD to your Pro Tools TDM Bit Depth
system, you can use Pro Tools as the master de- This display-only area indicates the bit depth for
vice in your synchronization setup. All other de- the current session.
vices are then slaved to Pro Tools.

You can use Pro Tools in conjunction with ei- Mixer

ther the USD or SSD to generate SMPTE LTC,
This area indicates the type of the Pro Tools
MIDI Time Code, Slave Clock, or MMC mes-
mixer in use. On TDM systems, the mixer field
sages. When either the SSD or USD is reading in-
will display the current mixer in use: either 16-
coming SMPTE time code from the SMPTE In
bit Optimized or 24-bit Optimized. “CPU
connector, it regenerates the time code through
Mixer” is displayed in this field on a
the SMPTE Out connector. This signal can be
Pro Tools LE system.
passed along to other slave devices.

468 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sync Mode Ch 1-2 Input (TDM Systems Only)
This allows you to choose the clock mode for This allows you to choose an audio input format
your master Audio Interface, Audiomedia III (analog or digital) for channels 1 and 2 of your
card, or Digi 001. Choices are Internal or Digital master Audio Interface.
on an Audio Interface or Audiomedia III card,
and Internal, Optical, or S/PDIF (RCA) on the Audio Format
Digi 001.
This display-only area indicates the file format
Internal Sync Mode In internal sync mode, your for files recorded in the session.
system will reference your Digidesign card or pe-
ripheral’s quartz crystal oscillator and play back Session Start
at the sample rate selected in the Sample Rate
field. This allows you to specify a SMPTE start frame
location for your session. The SMPTE value that
Digital Sync Mode (including Optical and S/PDIF you enter here will be used to trigger playback
on Digi 001) In digital sync mode, your system’s and record when Pro Tools is online. See “Set-
sample rate is adjusted to match the sample rate ting a SMPTE Start Frame” on page 472.
received from the selected digital peripheral. In
digital sync mode, your Pro Tools sync rate must
Current Time
match the rate received by your digital periph-
eral. Incorrectly set peripheral devices will result This displays incoming time code.
in incorrect playback speeds when your system
is set back to internal sync mode. Frame Rate
With TDM systems, the Session Setup window This allows you to set the SMPTE frame rate for
provides a source link feature that toggles the the current session.
sync mode of your audio interface when you
switch your input source from analog to digital. Generate Time Code
This helps to ensure that the clock source for
your system will match the digital input source This allows Pro Tools to output time code using
when you are working. a USD (communicating directly via a serial
port), or using a SSD (communicating via a serial
You can override this toggled behavior by port or using MIDI sysex via a designated OMS
changing the pop-ups to the opposite choice. destination port). Generating time code is cov-
For example, if you are using a master AES/EBU ered in the section “Generating Time Code” on
null clock or video black burst signal source as page 474.
the master sync source for all digital audio de-
vices in your studio setup, your Sync Mode pop- Using Peripheral This option outputs time code
up should be set to digital at all times. In this from the Device type selected in the Synchroni-
case, Pro Tools uses this master sync source as a zation page of the Peripherals dialog.
reference.
MTC to Port This option outputs MIDI Time
Code to the MIDI destination selected in the
pop-up menu.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 469

 Time Code Freewheel Sync Offset
This allows Pro Tools to continue playback if This field allows you to set a “trigger offset” for
time code is interrupted or corrupted. Use this incoming MIDI Time Code (anywhere from
to protect against errors that can occur if your –100000 to +100000 samples). This allows you
SMPTE time code source has “drop outs” or tem- to create a permanent offset to fine-tune the
porary lost signals. point at which Pro Tools syncs relative to in-
coming time code. For example, a value of -50
Frames This option allows you to freewheel makes an event in Pro Tools occur 50 samples
from 1 to 120 frames. This value defaults to 8 before the same event in the incoming MIDI
frames, which is the recommended setting for Time Code. Use this to compensate for timing
most applications. differences between various SMPTE-to-MIDI
Jam Sync This option allows Pro Tools to trigger Time Code converters or analog-to-digital/digi-
sync to incoming time code, and continue to tal-to-analog converters.
play back even if time code input is completely
Sync Offset Voice Usage
interrupted. It can be useful if time code is dam-
aged, or has been accidentally erased from your For TDM systems, recording with a Sync Offset
source tape. requires two voices for each record-enabled
track. In addition, to simultaneously record on
Sample Rate Pull Up/Down 32 tracks with a Sync Offset on a Pro Tools 24
MIX system (which allocates voices to either of
When Pro Tools is used in conjunction with a
two DSP engines, 1–32 and 33–64), the tracks
SSD, VSD, USD, or third-party synchronizer that
must be evenly distributed between the two
supports 256x clock output and Pull Down sam-
DSPs, (for instance, tracks 1–16 assigned to
ple rates, this option allows you to “pull up” or
voices 1–16 and tracks 17–32 assigned to voices
“pull down” the current sample rate. This is
33–48).
used with film-originated material when work-
ing with NTSC-standard SMPTE frame rates
only. For a full explanation of film-originated
scenarios, see “Working with Film-Originated
Material” on page 461.

Pull Up This speeds up the current sample rate to

100.1%. A 48 kHz sample rate is sped up to
48.048 kHz. A 44.1 kHz sample rate is sped up to
44.144 kHz.

Pull Down This slows the current sample rate to

99.9%. A 48 kHz sample rate is slowed to
47.952 kHz. A 44.1 kHz sample rate is slowed to
44.056 kHz.

470 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Variable Speed Override If you do not know the frame rate of a tape, the
SSD and USD show incoming frame rate on
Variable Speed Override (VSO) requires a USD their front panel LED indicators. These devices
(or SSD). When a USD is connected to Pro Tools, cannot distinguish between 29.97 fps and
the Session Setup window expands to display 30 fps, but they can determine whether the in-
additional controls for VSO, clock, and Posi- coming frame rate is drop frame or non-drop
tional Reference (see Figure 32). frame. With NTSC video, the frame rate is most
likely 29.97 fps Drop or 29.97 fps Non-Drop.

Configuring Pro Tools for

SMPTE

MachineControl is supported on TDM sys-

tems only.
Figure 32. Session Setup window with USD

Refer to the USD Guide for instructions on using Synchronization and MachineControl™ system
VSO to varispeed Pro Tools playback. parameters are set in the Pro Tools Peripherals
dialog box. These parameters, such as sync pe-
ripheral setups, MIDI Machine Control, Machi-
neControl, and machine pre-roll, are system set-
Preparing to Work with SMPTE tings, and remain constant regardless of the
particular session you are working on.
The first step when preparing to work with
SMPTE is to choose an appropriate SMPTE frame Other parameters, which are configured in the
rate. Session Setup window, such as the session frame
rate, the session start frame, and time display
SMPTE Formats format, are session-specific parameters. These pa-
rameters can only be configured when a session
Pro Tools supports all standard SMPTE frame is open.
rates. For a full explanation of these SMPTE
frame rates, see “SMPTE Frame Formats” on
page 460. Selecting a SMPTE Format

To choose a SMPTE format:

Determining SMPTE Frame Rate
1 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup.
Of course, it’s always best to determine the
SMPTE frame rate through labeling procedures 2 In the pop-up Frame Rate menu, select the
or communication, but this is not always possi- SMPTE frame format appropriate to your ses-
ble. sion.

3 Enter the Time Code Freewheel frames (if any)

in the designated box. See “Time Code Free-
wheel” on page 470 for more information.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 471

 Setting a SMPTE Start Frame 3 Enter a SMPTE frame number in the Session
Start field.
The Session Setup window also allows you to set
– or –
a SMPTE Start Frame for your session. Video
work tapes are rarely striped beginning at a 4 To capture an incoming SMPTE address, press
SMPTE frame address of 00:00:00:00. You can the equal key. You can then edit the captured
quickly enter a start time for your session based address. The session uses the frame number you
on an appropriate frame number from your enter as its SMPTE start frame when online.
project tape. The Pro Tools SMPTE-related func-
tions (such as Spot mode) will then use this If there are existing regions on the tracks and
value as their reference for the session’s start you are changing the original SMPTE start frame
point. to a later time (from 00:00:00:00 to 01:00:00:00,
for example), all existing regions on tracks will
remain in their relative positions, but will start
Start Time When Striping Tape
later by the time value added to the start frame.
If you are generating time code, it is a good prac-
5 If there are existing regions on the tracks and
tice to stripe your time code beginning at
you are changing the original SMPTE start frame
01:00:00:00. This prevents problems that can
to an earlier time, do one of the following:
occur with some synchronizers when the striped
time code crosses from 23:59:59:29 to ■ Click Maintain Time Code to place the addi-

00:00:00:00 (commonly referred to as the “mid- tional session time at the start of the session,
night” boundary). and keep existing regions in their original time
code locations.
To set a SMPTE Start Frame for your session: – or –
1 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup.
■ Click Maintain Relative Position to place the

2 Enable playback of your SMPTE time code additional session time at the start of the ses-
source. Any SMPTE-to-MTC converter device sion, and maintain the relative position of exist-
you are using should indicate that it is properly ing regions to the new start frame. For example,
receiving time code via its indicators. If if you change the session start frame from
Pro Tools is receiving MTC (or proprietary sync 01:00:00:00 to 00:59:00:00, Pro Tools adds one
code via the USD), the Current Time counter minute of session time to accommodate the new
will update its display (in bold numbers) to start frame, and moves all existing regions ear-
match the incoming code. lier in time to maintain their relative position to
the start frame.

Current Time displayed in Session Setup window

This display is useful for troubleshooting time

code problems, and it should update regardless
of the current Pro Tools Session Start time.

472 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Displaying Time in SMPTE Frames To work with a pull down/up sample rate:
(TDM Systems Only) 1 Choose Setups > Peripherals and click Syn-
chronization.
You can set the Main Time Scale indicator to
Time Code. Though Pro Tools will still synchro- 2 Choose the Universal Slave Driver or SMPTE
nize to incoming SMPTE time code if the Time Slave Driver from the Device pop-up menu and
Scale is displayed in Bars:Beats, Minutes:Sec- select the appropriate port from the Port pop-up
onds, or Feet.Frames, it is usually more useful to menu.
use SMPTE time code as your reference. 3 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup. No-
tice the additional field for the SSD or USD at
To set the Main Time Scale to SMPTE Time Code: the bottom of this window.
■ Choose Display > Time Code.
– or –

■ Click the Main Time Scale selector in the Edit

window, and select Time Code.

Selecting a Time Scale format Session Setup window showing the SSD enabled

Pro Tools will display time code values in the

currently selected SMPTE frame rate.

Sub Time Scale Display

You can also display a Sub Time Scale. For exam-
ple, if the Main Time Scale is set to Time Code,
and you want to compare SMPTE time to “wall
clock,” when you are using 29.97 Non-Drop
frame rate, you can select Min:Secs as the Sub Session Setup window showing the USD enabled
Time Scale. 4 Choose the frame rate for your session from
the pop-up menu. This frame rate might be
30 fps (Drop or Non-Drop) or 29.97 fps (Drop or
Configuring Pull Up/Pull Down
Non-Drop) depending on the requirements of
using a USD or SSD
your material. See “When to Pull Up or Pull
If you have a Digidesign USD or SSD and are Down” on page 463 for more information.
working with material that has been pulled
5 In the Sample Rate Pull Up/Down field, enable
down or up, do the following:
the Pull Up or Pull Down option as appropriate.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 473

 This procedure will also work with a VSD or a Recording Online
third-party synchronizer that supports 256x Su-
per Clock and Pull Up/Pull Down, with the fol- The Operation page of the Preferences dialog
lowing exceptions: (Setups > Preferences) contains two options that
affect how Pro Tools initiates recording when
• You have to enable Pull Up or Pull Down in
online.
the Session Setup window and on the front of
your synchronizer, and Record Online At Insertion/Selection Online re-
• The VSD does not support Pull Up sample cording begins wherever you have placed the in-
rates. sertion point in a track. Recording then contin-
ues until Pro Tools stops receiving time code. If
you make a selection in a track, Pro Tools will
record online only for the length of the selec-
Putting Pro Tools Online tion.
To trigger playback or recording from an exter- Record Online at Time Code (or ADAT) Lock On-
nal source, you put Pro Tools online, or set it to line recording begins as soon as Pro Tools re-
look for incoming time code. ceives and locks to time code or ADAT sync. In
this case, you don’t need to make an insertion or
To put Pro Tools online: selection in a track to designate a start point.
■ Choose Operations > Online.
– or –

■ Click the Online button at the far left of the

Online recording options
Transport.

The Online button blinks and Pro Tools waits

for a SMPTE frame to trigger playback. When Generating Time Code
time code is received, playback begins and the
This section describes how you generate time
Online button becomes highlighted. The Loca-
code from Pro Tools using the SSD or the USD.
tion Indicators in the upper right of the Edit
window, and the Current Time field in the Ses-
To generate time code using the SSD:
sion Setup window, display the incoming time-
code. 1 Connect the SMPTE OUT connector of the
SSD to the SMPTE IN connector of the device
You can take Pro Tools offline by deselecting you are slaving. If you are slaving a device that
Operations > Online, or by deselecting the On- recognizes MTC and you want to use MTC in-
line button in the Transport window. stead of SMPTE, connect the MTC OUT connec-
tor of the SSD to the MIDI IN connector of the
device you are slaving.

474 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 On the Macintosh, make sure your SSD is 12 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup and
powered on and connected to the Modem or choose the appropriate frame and sample rates.
Printer port. Also, make sure that the Mac
13 In the Generate Time Code field, select the
Port/MIDI Port switch on the back of the SSD is
“Using SSD” option.
set to Mac Port. In Windows, connect the MTC
OUT connector on the SSD to a MIDI IN connec- 14 Select the desired Clock Reference mode
tor on your MIDI interface, then connect to from the Clock Reference pop-up menu in the
MIDI in connector on the SSD to a MIDI OUT Session Setup window.
connector on your MIDI interface. If you are us-
ing Windows, skip to step 14.

3 On a Macintosh, choose Setups > OMS Studio

Setup.
Selecting the Clock Reference for the SSD
4 Choose Studio > MIDI Cards and Interfaces,
and click Update Setup. Select the port that the 15 Put Pro Tools online (see “Putting Pro Tools
SSD is connected to, then click Search. Online” on page 118) and click Play.

5 Confirm that “Std. Interface” appears in the When playback begins, Pro Tools generates time
OMS Studio Setup window. Save the document code via the SSD. If Pro Tools detects incoming
and make it your current setup. time code on its sync peripheral, it locks to the
6 Double-click the “Std. Interface” icon. Set it to incoming code (as in normal online operation).
1 MHz, and deselect the Synchronizer option.

7 Choose Studio > New Device, and name the Generating SMPTE or MIDI Time
device “SSD.” Code Using a USD
8 Deselect “Is controller” and “Is multitimbral,” Using a USD, Pro Tools can generate SMPTE or
and enable both “Sends” and “Receives” MIDI MTC. You can then make Pro Tools a master
Time Code, then click OK. synchronization source with other devices
slaved to it.
9 In the OMS Setup window, connect the SSD
icon to the “Std. Interface” icon. USD cannot generate 24 fps time code while
10 Choose Edit > Preferences. Be sure both the locked to video
“Use Serial DMA driver when available” and The USD cannot generate 24 fps time code
“Report serial overrun and framing errors” op- while it is locked to a video clock signal. If you
tions are deselected, and click OK. If you have to set Pro Tools to generate 24 fps time code while
change this setting, you must restart your com- the USD is locked to a video clock signal, the
puter. USD will actually generate at the NTSC color
11 In Pro Tools, choose Setups > Peripherals, standard 29.97 Non-Drop Frame rate. Pro Tools
and select the Macintosh port or MIDI interface can generate time code at non-NTSC frame rates
port that the SSD is connected to. if you use the USD’s internal clock as a sync
source.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 475

 To generate time code using a USD: 9 If desired, close the Session Setup window.
Confirm that your chosen parameters have been
1 Connect the SMPTE out of the USD to the
received by the USD. If not, check your connec-
SMPTE in connector on the devices you are slav-
tions and the settings in the Session Setup win-
ing. Refer to the USD Guide to determine how to
dow.
make these connections for your system. If you
are slaving a device that recognizes MTC and 10 Click the Online button on the Transport,
you want to use MTC instead of SMPTE, connect then click Play. Pro Tools generates and outputs
the MTC OUT connector of the USD to the MIDI time code from the USD.
IN connector of the slaved device.

2 Make sure your USD is powered on.

3 In Pro Tools, choose Setups > Peripherals and

Syncing a Sequencer to
click Synchronization. Pro Tools on the Macintosh
4 Select USD from the Device pop-up. A common application for generating time code
with Pro Tools is slaving an OMS-compatible se-
5 Select the Macintosh port or Windows serial
quencer to a Pro Tools session.
port where the USD is connected.

6 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup, and

Setting the Clock Master
choose the appropriate frame and sample rates.
The exact synchronization setup your sequencer
7 In the Generate Time Code field, select the
requires will vary depending on the software
“Using USD” option.
and your OMS setup, but Pro Tools must be the
8 Click on the Clock Reference pop-up menu to clock master. Since Pro Tools provides the audio
show USD modes. Select the desired clock refer- sample clock for your system, synchronization
ence. errors will occur over time if Pro Tools is not des-
ignated as the master.
– or –
The following instructions describe the general
On the front panel of the USD, set the desired
procedure.
clock reference mode.
You can use Pro Tools MMC to synchronize
with an OMS/MMC-compatible sequencer
or an external MMC-compatible device
such as an ADAT or DA-88. See “Control-
ling External Devices using MMC” on
Selecting the Clock Reference for the USD
page 479.

476 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To slave an OMS-compatible MIDI sequencer to
Pro Tools:
■ Make sure the OMS IAC Driver is installed in
the OMS Folder inside your System Folder. If
necessary, run the Pro Tools Installer to install
OMS with the OMS IAC driver. Refer to the TDM
Installation Guide for details.

In OMS Setup:
1 Choose Edit > Preferences, and make sure the
“Use Apple Serial DMA driver when available” IAC Driver icon in the OMS Studio Setup
option is not selected. Click OK. In the Sequencer application:

Always make sure the Apple Serial DMA

Different sequencers require different setup
driver is not being used by OMS. It can pre-
steps and different configurations. For in-
vent proper communication with MIDI de-
formation on the procedure suggested here,
vices. You must restart your computer any
refer to your sequencer documentation. Note
time you enable or disable the Apple Serial
that this procedure may differ for your se-
DMA driver.
quencer.
2 Choose Edit > OMS MIDI Setup, and select the
6 Enable IAC1 (the IAC bus you defined in OMS
“Run MIDI in background” option.
setup). Different sequencers operate in different
3 Choose Studio > MIDI Cards & Interfaces, ways, so refer to your sequencer’s documenta-
then click Update Setup. If you are using a serial tion
MIDI interface, enable the appropriate port and
7 Set the sequencer to receive MIDI Time Code
click Search.
(MTC).
4 Confirm that the OMS IAC driver appears in
8 Set IAC1 as the device to receive sync informa-
the OMS Studio Setup window. If it does, save
tion from.
the document and make it your current setup.
9 Select the SMPTE Format (frame rate) that
5 In the OMS Studio Setup window, define an
matches Pro Tools (30 fps or 29.97
IAC Bus by double-clicking the IAC Driver icon,
non drop fps, for example).
and typing IAC1, for example, in the first field
(this provides a unique name for this particular 10 Set the SMPTE start frame for your session.
IAC bus).
11 Set your sequencer to wait for note input
from the sync device.

12 Start playback in the sequencer. It should in-

dicate that it is waiting for sync.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 477

 In Pro Tools:
13 Select Operations > Active in Background.
Syncing a Sequencer to
Pro Tools in Windows
14 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup.

15 In the Session Setup window, choose an ap- These instructions require the use of a phys-
propriate frame rate. ical MIDI port. While several “virtual”
MIDI cable applications do exist for inter-
16 Select the SMPTE Start Frame to match the
application MIDI communication in Win-
start frame in your sequencer. If the sequence dows, such software devices have not been
starts at 00:01:00:00, you could set the Pro Tools qualified to work with Pro Tools.
Session to start earlier (for example, at
00:59:58:00) to allow some pre-roll. To synchronize Pro Tools to a Windows sequencer:

17 Enable the MTC to Port option in the Output 1 Make sure your MIDI interface is correctly in-
Time Code box. Select IAC1 as the MTC destina- stalled and configured. You must do this before
tion. proceeding.

18 Click Play or press the Spacebar to start play- 2 Choose one pair of input/output ports on
back. Pro Tools will send MIDI Time Code to the your MIDI interface to use as your sync “loop”
sequencer via the IAC port and trigger synchro- for application-to-application MIDI communi-
nized playback. Click Stop in the Transport or cation.
press the Space bar again to stop playback.
3 Connect a MIDI cable from that port’s output
Once synchronized playback is operating cor- to the same port’s input (for example, port 1 out
rectly, you can record new takes in Pro Tools to port 1 in).
while listening to MIDI playback from your se- 4 In Pro Tools, select the appropriate in/out
quencer. Follow the procedure described above ports when making your selections for MIDI
for synchronized playback, then record new ma- source and/or destination ports.
terial in Pro Tools by following the recording
• If you are slaving your sequencer to Pro Tools,
procedures in the Recording section of this
select the appropriate port in the Session
manual.
Setup window’s MTC to Port pop-up menu.
You should also be able to record new MIDI • If you are slaving Pro Tools to your sequencer,
tracks while the sequencer is slaved to select the appropriate port in the Pro Tools Pe-
Pro Tools. See your sequencer documenta- ripherals > Synchronization window.
tion for details on recording while the se-
5 In your sequencer, select the appropriate
quencer is in an external synchronization
mode. in/out ports for MTC source/destination.

478 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Macintosh
Using MIDI Machine Control
Pro Tools on the Macintosh uses OMS to facili-
Pro Tools provides the capability to transmit lo- tate MIDI Machine Control. In order to use
cation information to external devices, and to MMC with Pro Tools you must configure your
control their transports, using MIDI Machine MMC device to “Receive” and “Send” MIDI Ma-
Control (MMC). chine Control in OMS. For details, see “Using
MMC to Sync an ADAT to Pro Tools on the Mac-
Controlling External Devices using intosh” on page 481.
MMC By using the OMS IAC bus, you can also
Any device that supports MMC (such as an Ale- make a MIDI sequencer act as location
sis ADAT or Tascam DA-88) can be controlled di- master. Refer to your OMS and MMC-com-
rectly from within Pro Tools, with either the de- patible device documentation for details.
vice or Pro Tools acting as clock master.
Windows
The external devices supported by Pro Tools im-
plement “open loop” communications only. Be- Pro Tools in Windows uses your Multimedia
cause of this, while Pro Tools is the transport Setup to determine which MIDI devices are
master, any direct operation of the receiving de- available, and what their properties are. Refer to
vice’s transport will not be communicated back your device’s installation and usage documenta-
to Pro Tools. Instead, you can use the Transport tion to properly configure the device.
pop-up to select the external device (MMC in
the pop-up) and use the Pro Tools on-screen Enabling MIDI Machine Control in
transport controls to drive the device. Pro Tools
Pro Tools does not support remote track arming
To enable MIDI Machine Control:
of MMC-controlled external devices. You need
to manually arm tracks for recording on the ex- 1 Choose Setups > Peripherals, then click Syn-
ternal device. chronization.

2 Select your synchronization peripheral from

Digidesign’s MachineControl option sup-
the Synchronization/Device pop-up. If you are
ports remote track arming for Sony 9-pin
using a MIDI interface, select “Generic MTC
and V-LAN enabled devices. See “Remote
Reader.”
Track Arming” on page 481.
If using a USD or SSD, set the Port to Any.

3 Select the appropriate port for synchroniza-

tion information. This is the port to which your
synchronization peripheral is attached.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 479

 4 Click the Machine Control button at the top 8 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
of the window to open this page of the Periph- Pro Tools will now be able to control the se-
erals dialog. lected device’s transport.

Operating the Pro Tools Transport with

MMC

To control external devices from the Pro Tools

Transport:
■ Select either Pro Tools or MMC from the

Transport pop-up in the Pro Tools Transport

window. The selected item will act as Transport
Master.

Machine Control page of the Peripherals dialog

5 In the MIDI Machine Control section, enable

MMC.
Choosing a Transport Master
6 Select your external device from the Send To
pop-up. The list of available devices is deter- When the Transport Master is set to Pro Tools,
mined by the OMS devices configured in your the playback position is governed by the on-
OMS Studio Setup (Macintosh), or by your Win- screen cursor in Pro Tools.
dows Multimedia setup.
When the Transport Master is set to MMC, the
The port on which this information will be playback position is governed by the external
transmitted is set in the “ID” field. MMC com- device’s play position
mands contain an ID number to identify which
machine should respond to the MMC com- Machine Transport Settings
mand. There are 128 MMC ID numbers, from 0-
127. The default of ID #127 is a special setting When using MMC, you can set the following
that broadcasts to all 128 MMC IDs. With this options for machine transport behavior in the
setting, any device on the specified port will re- Operation page of the Preferences dialog.
spond to MMC commands.
Machine Chases Memory Location With this op-
7 Set a preroll time for your MMC device. Preroll tion enabled, navigating to a specific location in
is needed to provide Pro Tools with sufficient a session with a Memory Location causes a con-
time to lock to the incoming time code. This nected transport to chase to that location.
value will vary depending on the external de-
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub With this
vice. If the preroll time is insufficient, Pro Tools
option enabled, navigating to a specific location
may not be ready to lock until after the current
in a session by moving the selection point or by
time code position has passed.
scrubbing a track causes a connected transport
to chase to that location.

480 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 vice has aligned the color frames. In this sce-
Remote Track Arming nario, you should set the Minimum Sync Delay
to be more than the time required for color
Digidesign’s MachineControl™ option for
frame lock. This is not a problem with the USD,
Pro Tools allows you to remotely arm tracks on
which will drop out of lock until the color frame
supported 9-pin or V-LAN decks. Without Ma-
is locked.
chineControl, Pro Tools does not support re-
mote track arming of external devices. Machine-
Control is a DAE Extension that allows Pro Tools Using MMC to Sync an ADAT to
to act as the master or slave to external Sony 9- Pro Tools on the Macintosh
pin or V-LAN machines, in addition to provid-
ing remote track arming from within Pro Tools. The following section presents an example of
Contact your Digidesign Dealer for information how you can use MMC to slave an ADAT to
about the MachineControl option. Pro Tools on a Macintosh using OMS.

Setup Description:
Setting Minimum Sync Delay
Hardware: Pro Tools system (Macintosh), Op-
Lock up delay is the amount of time your sys-
code Studio 64X MIDI Interface, JL Cooper
tem’s devices need to achieve synchronization
DataSync II, Alesis ADAT.
“lock.” This amount varies for each device.
Pro Tools lock up delay is set by entering a value Software: Pro Tools, OMS
for Minimum Sync Delay in the Synchroniza-
tion window of the Peripherals dialog. The min- Cable Connections: The Studio 64X’s Mac/Serial
imum delay is 15 frames. Find the shortest pos- port is connected to one of the CPU serial ports
sible lock-up time that your equipment can (Modem or Printer). MIDI In and MIDI OUT
operates at consistently, and set this as the Min- connections are made between the appropriate
imum Sync Delay. On some machines, enabling ports of the 64X and the MIDI IN/MIDI OUT
the Use Serial time code setting will make ma- ports of the JL Cooper DataMaster. Sync (9-pin)
chines lock up much faster. In/Out connections are made between the JL
Cooper DataMaster and the ADAT.
Configuring Minimum Sync Delay for External
MMC Devices Locked to House Sync In OMS Setup:

When controlling a house-synced device from 1 Make sure the OMS IAC Driver is installed and

Pro Tools via MMC, the device will first lock to configured. See “Syncing a Sequencer to
the MMC location and then align the color Pro Tools on the Macintosh” on page 476 for
framing. Within house sync code are 4 frames more information.
for ensuring color frame lock. If the minimum 2 Define a new device for the JL Cooper
synchronization set up time is less than the time DataSync II and the ADAT.
required to achieve both location and color
frame lock, playback will begin before the de-

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 481

 3 Configure the JL Cooper device by double- 12 Enable the MTC to Port option (click in the
clicking its icon in the OMS Studio Setup win- box so that it is enabled), then select JLCooper
dow. For the JL Cooper DataMaster, enable Is DataMaster in the pop-up next to MTC to Port.
Controller, then enable both Sends and Receives This routes MIDI Time Code from Pro Tools to
MIDI Time Code. (Be sure to leave Is Multitim- the JLCooper. device, which then sends the data
bral unchecked.) Select channel 1 as the Receive on to the ADAT.
Channel.
13 Close the Session Setup window.
4 Configure the ADAT OMS device by double-
14 Click Play or press the Spacebar. The ADAT
clicking its icon. Leave Is Controller and Is Mul-
will cue to the play point and begin playing
titimbral unchecked (disabled). Enable both
back in sync with Pro Tools. You do not need to
“Sends” and “Receives” MIDI Time Code and
put Pro Tools online to control the ADAT.
MIDI Machine Control. You do not need to have
any Receive channels enabled. 15 To control the ADAT from the Pro Tools
Transport, select MMC from the Transport pop-
5 Save/Make Current and then close the new
up (in the Transport window). Pressing Play, Re-
OMS Studio Setup.
wind, FFWD, RTZ or Go To End will cause the
ADAT to respond accordingly.
In Pro Tools
6 Choose Setups > Peripherals and click Syn-
External Hardware Configuration
chronization.
This example uses the JL Cooper DataSync II,
7 Select Generic MTC Reader as the Synchroni-
which must be configured correctly for the
zation device (this represents the 64X), then se-
above to work. Configure the ADAT as a slave
lect the port to which your MIDI Interface is
(not master), enable MTC as the sync source,
connected to (in this example, the port choice
and enable MIDI Machine Control. The ADAT
would appear as “Studio64X / Printer.”)
must be set to Internal mode. Consult the docu-
8 Open the Machine Control window of the Pe- mentation that came with these devices for
ripherals dialog. In the MIDI Machine Control more details. If you are using a Digidesign ADAT
section, enable MMC, then select JLCooper Bridge I/O, refer to the ADAT Bridge I/O User’s
DataMaster as the Send To destination. Guide for additional information.

9 Set the ID to 127 (this is the “broadcast to all”

setting, and the Pro Tools default setting for
MMC device ID).

10 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup.

11 In the Session Setup Window, set the frame

rate and start frame as appropriate.

482 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To slave the Pro Tools transport to an OMS-
Syncing Pro Tools to an OMS- compatible MIDI sequencer using MIDI Machine
Compatible Sequencer using Control:

MMC 1 Make sure the OMS IAC Driver is installed in

the OMS Folder inside your System Folder. If
(Macintosh Only)
necessary, run the OMS Installer and choose
You can “lock” a MIDI sequencer to Pro Tools Custom Install to install the OMS IAC driver.
for synchronized operation, while using the se-
2 In Pro Tools, choose Setups > OMS Studio
quencer as the transport and location master. In
Setup to launch the OMS Setup application.
this case, Pro Tools is still the system clock mas-
ter, while the sequencer is the transport/loca- In OMS Setup:
tion master.
3 Choose Edit > Preferences, make sure the “Use
Serial DMA driver when available” option is de-
MMC and OMS Synchronization selected, and click OK.
When using MIDI Machine Control, you must 4 Choose Edit > OMS MIDI Setup, make sure the
have the OMS-compatible sequencer configured “Run MIDI in background” option is selected,
to synchronize to Pro Tools using the OMS IAC and click OK.
Driver (see “Syncing a Sequencer to Pro Tools on
5 Choose Studio > MIDI Cards & Interfaces,
the Macintosh” on page 476). When controlled
by a sequencer via MMC, Pro Tools serves as then click Update Setup. If you are using a serial
clock master for the sequencer. MIDI interface, enable the appropriate port and
click Search.
Pro Tools also serves as a transport and location
6 Confirm that the OMS IAC driver appears in
slave to the sequencer. When starting and stop-
the OMS Studio Setup window. Save the setup
ping playback in the sequencer, the sequencer
document and make it your current setup.
sends out location information to Pro Tools via
MMC commands. Pro Tools then cues to the lo- 7 In the OMS Studio Setup window, define two
cation, begins playback, and sends MIDI Time IAC busses by double-clicking the IAC Driver,
Code back to the sequencer. The sequencer then then naming the first field “IAC1” and the sec-
locks to the MIDI Time Code from Pro Tools for ond field “MMC.”
synchronized playback.
In your sequencer:
The following instructions describe the general
8 Enable IAC1 as a MIDI device.
steps that you should take. The exact synchroni-
zation setup your sequencer requires will vary 9 Set your sequencer to receive MTC from IAC1,
depending on the software and your specific and enable remote control of the applciation.
MIDI setup.
10 Configure the frame rate to match your
Pro Tools session. Click OK to close the Sync Op-
tions dialog.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 483

 11 Set a sequence start time (01:00:00:00 for ex- 20 Next, click to Enable Control of Pro Tools via
ample). The Offset at the top of the Sequence MMC, and set the ID to 0.
window should usually match the Offset in
Pro Tools. If MMC is currently enabled in the
Pro Tools Peripherals > Machine Control
12 Set the sequencer to wait for MIDI note in- dialog, you must assign a unique ID num-
formation (“wait for note”). ber in both of the corresponding MMC ID#
13 Start playback in the sequencer. The se- fields. If not, an MMC feedback loop will
quencer should indicate that it is waiting for occur. This can also happen if you use the
note information. default “broadcast to all” ID number of
127 in both places. If you are only slaving
In Pro Tools: Pro Tools to a sequencer via MMC, without
an external device requiring MMC from
14 Choose MIDI > Enable Input Devices. Select
Pro Tools, you should disable MMC entirely
the IAC bus transmitting the MMC messages in the Machine Control window.
and click OK.
In the Sequencer:
15 Choose Operations > Active in Background.
21 Engage any of the following Transport func-
16 Choose Windows > Show Session Setup, and
tions: Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind, Record,
choose the appropriate frame rate and SMPTE
or Locate (Cue). The sequencer sends MIDI Ma-
Start Frame to match the start time in your se-
chine Control commands to Pro Tools via the
quencer.
IAC bus, and Pro Tools follows.
17 In the Output Time Code section of the Ses-
When starting and stopping playback in the se-
sion Setup window, enable the MTC to Port op-
quencer, the sequencer sends location informa-
tion. In the pop-up menu just below the MTC to
tion to Pro Tools via MIDI Machine Control
Port option, choose IAC1. You can now close the
commands. Pro Tools cues to the location, be-
Session Setup window, or leave it open (settings
gins playback, and in turn sends MIDI Time
are active as soon as they are enabled in the Ses-
Code back to the sequencer. The sequencer then
sion Setup window).
locks to the MIDI Time Code from Pro Tools for
18 Next, choose Setups > Peripherals, and open synchronized playback.
the Synchronization page of the Peripherals di-
alog.

19 First, select Generic MTC Reader as the syn-

chronization device, and select Any as the port.

484 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Beat Clock Spotting Regions to SMPTE
Some MIDI devices such as drum machines,
Frame Locations
hardware sequencers, and arpeggiators can only (TDM Systems Only)
sync to MIDI Beat Clock. To sync these devices
to Pro Tools, you can transmit MIDI Beat Clock Spotting is the process of assigning music and
to them. sound cues to specific SMPTE frame locations in
a film or video. This function can be used to
spot:
To transmit MIDI Beat Clock:
◆ Entire regions, selected with the Grabber.
1 Choose MIDI > MIDI Beat Clock.
Multiple regions can also be selected, and
2 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, select the En- Pro Tools will reference the first region in your
able MIDI Beat Clock option. selection.
◆ A specific location within a region, by clicking
with the Selector at that location, and choosing
Edit > Identify Sync Point.

Spot Mode
In Spot mode, a region in a track can be quickly
spotted by simply clicking it with the Grabber.

You can also drag a region from the Regions List

to a track while in Spot mode.
Beat Clock dialog

3 Select the devices you want to receive MIDI

The Spot Dialog
Beat Clock. If your MIDI interface does not sup-
port transmitting MIDI Beat Clock to separate The Spot Regions Dialog appears when you drag
ports, only the interface appears as a destina- a region to a track or click a region with the
tion. Grabber in Spot mode. The numeric fields func-
tion as both data displays and editing controls
4 Click OK.
for the currently selected regions.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 485

 Information in these fields is displayed in Subframes
SMPTE Time Code, Minutes:Seconds,
Feet.Frames, Samples, or Bars & Beats, depend- A subframe is 1/100th of a frame. The Use Sub-
ing on which Time Scale format is selected. frames option enables you to use these smaller
units for greater accuracy. This command adds
an additional time field in the SMPTE
hours:minutes:seconds:frames box, which ap-
pears as the far right time field when enabled.
Use a period to separate subframe values from
whole frames.

Additional time field appears with “Use Subframes”

enabled
Spot dialog

A highlighted numeric field indicates the cur- Subframe measurements are not available
rent active field for numeric entry editing. En- in the Current Time field.
tering a value in a field allows you to move a se-
lected parameter to the time location that you Capturing Time Code
enter. The Start, Sync Point and End fields are
Pro Tools also allows you to easily capture frame
accessible when the Grabber is active. Only the
locations on the fly in this dialog by pressing the
Start or End (depending on where you click the
equal key, or by clicking the Current Time but-
mouse) and Duration fields are active when the
ton while valid time code is being received by
Trimmer is active (see “Using the Trimmer in
Pro Tools. With VITC, you can accurately cap-
Spot Mode” on page 488).
ture a paused or “crawling” VTR’s SMPTE loca-
To increase or decrease SMPTE values in tion.
the Spot dialog by a specific number of
When Time Code is selected for the Time Scale,
frames, press plus or minus on the numeric
pressing the equal key captures the incoming
keypad, enter a number, and press the Enter
time code. When Bars:Beats is selected for the
key.
Time Scale, pressing equal will capture to the
nearest measure.

Although the Capture Time Code button works

with free-running Linear Time Code (LTC) or
VITC, frame numbers of a paused frame can
only be captured with VITC.

486 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The USD is the only current Digidesign hard- 10 Click OK to close this dialog. The region
ware that can read VITC. Also, you can use the spotted to the chosen SMPTE frame location.
optional MachineControl software to read the When the session is online, this frame number
current time code address over 9-pin or V-LAN. will trigger playback of the region.

To spot a region to a specific SMPTE frame:

Auto-Spotting Regions
1 Choose Display > Show Edit Window.
The Pro Tools Auto-Spot Regions option simpli-
2 Choose Display > Time Code. fies the task of spotting regions even further. If
you are using VITC with this option enabled, or
3 Click the Spot button at the top left of the Edit
MachineControl software, you can pause your
window to put Pro Tools into Spot mode.
video at an appropriate SMPTE frame location,
click on a region with the Grabber, and the re-
gion will be automatically spotted to the current
Spot mode button time code location.

4 Identify the SMPTE frame location where you To Auto-Spot a region:

want to trigger playback of your region by paus-
1 Choose Operations > Auto-Spot Regions.
ing your video deck on that frame.
2 If you are using VITC, identify the SMPTE
5 With the Grabber, click a region in a track (or
drag a region from the Region’s List into a track). frame location where you want to trigger play-
The Spot dialog appears. back of your region by pausing your video deck
on that frame.
6 Enter the desired SMPTE frame location.
3 Click the desired region with the Grabber. The
7 If you are using VITC, you can press the equal region will be automatically spotted to the cur-
key on the numeric keypad, or click Current rent time code location (or machine location).
Time Code to enter a paused VTR’s current
SMPTE location. Clicking a region with the Trimmer will al-
low you to trim the region to the current
8 If you are using LTC, when Time Code is se-
time code location.
lected for the Time Scale, press the equal key on
the numeric keypad to capture the incoming
time code. When Bars:Beats is selected for the Auto-spotted regions are spotted by their
Time Scale, press the equal to capture the near- start times, unless you have identified a
est measure. Sync Point (see “Identifying a Sync Point”
on page 489). If the region contains a Sync
9 If you recorded the region while online, you
Point, the region is spotted to it.
can use the Original Time Stamp button to recall
and enter the SMPTE frame location at which
the region was originally recorded. You can also
access a user-defined Time Stamp in the same
fashion. See “Time Stamping” on page 133 for
more information.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 487

 Using the Trimmer in Spot Mode tional time field appears as the far right time
field when enabled, and allows you to enter sub-
You can use the Spot dialog to trim your regions, frame values in SMPTE dialogs. Use a period to
including start/end/duration times and refer- separate subframe values from whole frames.
encing incoming time code addresses. If you
click a region with the Trimmer in Spot mode,
the Spot dialog will appear, allowing you to en- Show Original Time Code in
ter a value in the Start or End and Duration Regions
fields to specify exactly where you want to trim
This command displays the original “time
the region’s beginning or end. Use this to edit
stamped” SMPTE times in all regions currently
the length of a region to correspond to a partic-
placed in tracks. This SMPTE frame number rep-
ular visual “hit point.”
resents the time at which the region was origi-
Trimming a region that contains a sync point nally recorded online with Pro Tools, and does
(see “Identifying a Sync Point” on page 489) will not necessarily reflect the region’s current
not affect the SMPTE location of the sync point, SMPTE location in a track.
unless the region is trimmed past the sync
point. To display the original time stamps in regions:
1 Select Display > Display Time in Regions >
Original Time Stamp.
Time Stamping 2 To hide Original Time Stamps, select Display >
Display Time in Regions > None.
Pro Tools time stamps every region recorded on-
line with the original SMPTE time at which au-
dio was recorded. You can recall this original Time Stamp Selected
SMPTE time for a region by clicking the Original
If you want to create a separate user-defined
Time Stamp button in the Spot dialog.
SMPTE time stamp, you can use the Time Stamp
Selected command in the Regions List pop-up
menu. This command allows you to select a re-
gion (or regions) and redefine its SMPTE time
Original Time Stamp button in the Spot dialog stamp. The original time stamp and the user-de-
You can also spot a region to a separate user-de- fined time stamp are then stored with your ses-
fined SMPTE time stamp, defined using the sion.
Time Stamp Selected command. Once the re- When audio is first recorded, the user-defined
gion is time stamped using this command, you time stamp will match the original time stamp,
can click the User Time Stamp button to re-spot but you can change the user-defined time stamp
a region to its user-defined SMPTE location. at any time using the Time Stamp Selected com-
The Use Subframes option in the Spot dialog en- mand. This feature is particularly useful in post-
ables you to work with subframe accuracy by production situations where the SMPTE time
adding an additional time field in the SMPTE code on video “work prints” often changes from
hours:minutes:seconds:frames box. This addi- one edit revision to another.

488 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To time stamp a region (or regions) with a new Using a Region with its Time Stamp in
SMPTE frame number: Another Session
1 In a track, select the region that you want to
Pro Tools saves time stamp information for each
time stamp.
region as part of a session—not as part of the au-
2 From the Regions List pop-up menu, choose dio file itself. If you want to use a time-stamped
the Time Stamp Selected command. audio file in another session, keeping its time
stamps intact, do the following:

1 Open the session that contains the original

time-stamped region.

2 Select the desired region in the Audio Regions

List.

3 Choose Export Selected from the Regions List

pop-up menu. The region can now be used in
other sessions with its original time stamp refer-
Time Stamp Selected command
ences intact.
3 Enter a new SMPTE time. You can do this in
three ways: enter the numbers manually (with
the help of the arrow keys); click the Current
Time Code button (or press the equal key), if
Identifying a Sync Point
you want to capture the incoming time code ad- The Pro Tools Identify Sync Point command al-
dress; or click the Current Selection button if lows you to identify a specific point within a re-
you want to enter the start time of the current gion for audio spotting purposes.
on-screen selection.
Imagine the following sound effects spotting
4 Click OK to close this dialog.
scenario: You have a single sound effect that
This command can be used in “batch mode” to consists of a creaky door slamming shut, fol-
set new time stamps for several regions at a time. lowed by a few seconds of ambient reverbera-
To do this, simply select several regions and tion. The slam portion of the effect—which you
choose the Time Stamp Selected command. One must precisely match to picture—occurs neither
after another, a dialog will open for each region, at the very beginning of the audio file nor at the
allowing you to quickly enter new values. very end. It is somewhere in the middle, making
it tough to spot.
Once entered, the user time stamps can be dis-
played in all regions currently placed in tracks. In this scenario, use the Identify Sync Point
command to create a point in the region and
sync that point to a SMPTE frame.
To display the user time stamps in regions:
1 Choose Display > Display Time in Regions > When you choose this command, the current
User Time Stamp. SMPTE time is automatically entered as the
SMPTE location for the sync point.
2 To hide User Time Stamps, choose Display >
Display Time in Regions > None.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 489

 To create a sync point in a region: Removing a Sync Point
1 Click with the Selector at the point in the re-
gion that you want to synchronize to a SMPTE To remove a sync point from a region:
frame location. 1 Select the entire region with the Grabber.

2 Choose Edit > Identify Sync Point. An arrow 2 Choose Edit > Remove Sync Point.
indicator appears in the audio region indicating
the location of this sync point.

Troubleshooting Sync
Getting SMPTE synchronization to work prop-
erly can seem like a formidable task at times.
The following suggestions may help you trou-
bleshoot and solve common problems.

Use the Current Time field in the

Session Setup Window as a Reference
Identifying a Sync Point in a region
The Current Time field in the Session Setup win-
dow indicates whether or not Pro Tools is receiv-
Changing a Sync Point
ing time code. If this field appears to be inactive
when inputting time code into your time code
To change the location of a Sync point in a region:
reading device, check your hardware device set-
■ Click with the Selector in the region and tings, the device’s connection to your computer,
choose Edit > Identify Sync Point. The new loca- and your OMS Setup (Macintosh) or Multimedia
tion will then be identified as the Sync Point. Setup (Windows).

Tips for Locating and Spotting to Sync Stripe SMPTE Before You Record
Points
All tapes in your setup (both audio and video)
■ To place a region’s start point at the current
must be striped with SMPTE Time Code before
edit cursor location, Control-drag (Macintosh)
any audio is recorded onto them or to Pro Tools.
or Start-drag (Windows) the region from the Re-
If tapes aren’t striped, your system may seem to
gion List.
work, but synchronization will never properly
■ To place a region’s sync point at the current occur. The machines and Pro Tools will drift far-
edit cursor location, Option-Control-drag (Mac- ther and farther apart the longer they run.
intosh) or Alt-Start-drag a region from the Re-
The same problem occurs when audio is re-
gion List.
corded into Pro Tools without a resolved SMPTE
■ To move to the next region boundary or sync source (if it was recorded before the current ses-
point, press Tab. sion, for example.) The audio cannot be accu-
rately synchronized with an analog tape re-

490 Pro Tools Reference Guide

corder or video tape deck, since the Pro Tools 29.97 fps Non-Drop Rate Can Cause
audio was not recorded referenced to the SMPTE Problems
time code from the analog tape deck or video
tape deck. 29.97 fps Non-Drop is a slightly slower version
of 30 fps Non-Drop time code. When used with
color video, each video frame now matches up
Resolve All Components of Your
with each SMPTE frame without having to use a
System
drop-frame coding. This makes any frame num-
When striping time code, make sure that the ber mathematics much simpler, since no frame
time code generator and the video record deck numbers are dropped.
are resolved to the same crystal reference. For
Unfortunately, some hardware and software de-
example, when striping 29.97 Drop Frame time
vices do not recognize 29.97 Non-Drop as a sep-
code onto a VTR, both the SMPTE generator and
arate frame rate. For example, any standard
the VTR should be resolved to the same “black
SMPTE-to MTC-converter does not explicitly
burst” or house sync generator. During play-
recognize it. The user must tell the convertor to
back, the master deck should be resolved to
expect 30 fps Non-Drop instead. In fact, many
“black burst” or house sync.
devices that read SMPTE work acceptably by
This convention provides compatibility for your reading 29.97 Non-Drop if they are set to expect
tape between the record and playback passes, 30 fps Non-Drop.
and when it’s played back in other facilities on
Any SMPTE reader that uses the time code num-
different equipment. This also means that when
bers to make real-time calculations (as Pro Tools
playing back a tape striped with time code, the
does when it tries to trigger and sync to SMPTE)
playback deck should be resolved to the same
also needs to know that the frame format is
sync rate as the record deck was resolved to at
29.97 and not 30 fps. Since Pro Tools allows this
the time of the striping. When you stripe an au-
choice of frame rate this does not really pose a
dio transport with time code, it should be “free-
problem. The problem exists because many us-
running” and unresolved, but should be re-
ers cannot readily distinguish 29.97 from 30 fps.
solved with a house sync-referenced synchro-
nizer during playback. More importantly, some production companies
will distribute video work prints striped with
Know the True Frame Rate on Your Work 29.97 fps but mark them as “30 fps NTSC,” by
Tape which they actually mean 29.97 fps Non-Drop.
By the time you get the tape, you may have no
If you get your video tapes from a production
idea what’s actually on it. Feeding 29.97 Non-
company instead of recording them yourself, be
Drop to Pro Tools when it’s set for 30 fps Non-
absolutely sure that they indicate the SMPTE
Drop will result in timing errors of about 1.8
frame rate used on the tape correctly.
frames per minute, causing audio playback to
The Digidesign SSD and USD (and some third- trigger out of sync.
party products) can be used to determine frame
rate. See “Determining SMPTE Frame Rate” on
page 471.

Chapter 35: Time Code Synchronization 491

 Be Careful When Changing Frame Rates
If you change time code rates in the middle of a
session, many SMPTE-to-MIDI Time Code con-
verters need to be turned off and turned on
again to be able to recognize the new frame rate.

Use a Consistent Clock Source

A sound file should be played back using the
same peripheral and sample rate it was recorded
with, if at all possible. This assures the closest
match between record and playback sample
rates. For example, if an audio file was recorded
at 44.1 kHz with the Pro Tools Audio Interface
then the Sample Rate should be set to 44.1 kHz
during playback with the Audio Interface as
well.

On a Macintosh, Disable AppleTalk,

Network Connections, Screen Savers,
and Power Saving Features
These types of software can cause the Macintosh
to ignore MIDI data (such as MIDI Time Code)
coming into its serial ports. Make sure AppleTalk
is inactive in the Chooser, disconnect AppleTalk
cables, and remove any network extensions
from your System Folder.

In Windows, Disable Screen Savers and

Power Management Features
These types of software can cause your com-
puter to ignore MIDI data (such as MIDI Time
Code).

492 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 36: Working with QuickTime
Movies

You can use Pro Tools to import QuickTime

movies and audio, perform audio post-produc-
tion tasks, and export the finished product as a
new QuickTime movie.
Movie track displayed as picons
QuickTime movie features in Pro Tools are
supported on Macintosh systems only.

About QuickTime
QuickTime is digital video technology designed
to produce compact video files for multimedia
use. Movie window

Pro Tools provides precise, frame-accurate audio

Using QuickTime Movies in and video synchronization. This means you can
Pro Tools use your Pro Tools system as an off-line audio
editing system, leaving the video editing suite
Pro Tools allows you to import QuickTime mov- free for video editing.
ies into your Pro Tools sessions.
With Pro Tools, you can:
Once imported into Pro Tools, a QuickTime
◆ Import a QuickTime movie into a session
movie is displayed in its own Movie track in the
Edit window, and in a floating Movie window. ◆ Import audio from a QuickTime movie (or au-

This floating window can be viewed on a second dio from a CD or a CD-ROM)

monitor with appropriate video hardware. With ◆ Synchronize audio events to a QuickTime
a QuickTIme movie in the session, Pro Tools movie, using the Pro Tools editing features to
serves as a fast, random-access visual reference spot and nudge regions to video frames
for “sweetening” the movie by adding sound ef-
◆ Scrub audio elements in tandem with a Quick-
fects, music, foley, dialog, or other audio.
Time movie

Chapter 36: Working with QuickTime Movies 493

 ◆ Use the Pro Tools Bounce to Movie command Conform Your Movie Be sure to conform your
to compile a new “flattened” QuickTime movie captured QuickTime movie to the desired frame
file that can be read by any QuickTime-compat- rate. Consult your video capture software’s doc-
ible application umentation for information on how to ensure
frame-accurate captures. We recommend that
Because Pro Tools has no video editing capabili- you do this to all video captures to ensure accu-
ties of its own, if you want to edit or in any other rate playback in Pro Tools.
way modify a movie, return to your video cap-
ture and assembly environment (for example, If your destination is a pulled-down Pro Tools
Adobe Premiere) for editing, then import the ed- session, this pull down affects QuickTime movie
ited movie into Pro Tools. playback speed. You should conform your
movie to a 30 fps frame rate for use in a pulled-
You can capture Avid-compatible video in down session.
Pro Tools with AVoption or AVoption XL.
Destined for video or film? What is the ultimate
Video Capture/Playback Cards destination of your work? Is it for TV, film, au-
dio CD or CD-ROM? This will determine such
For professional applications where full-screen, things as the best sample rate to use, the correct
25/30 frames-per-second playback is critical, we frame rate, pull-down or pull-up rates, and so
recommend that you invest in a Digidesign-ap- on. Double-check the time code frame rate. You
proved third-party video capture and playback must make sure that you know the correct frame
card. For the most up-to-date information about rate of the video source.
such products, contact your Digidesign dealer or
visit Digidesign’s Web site. Storage Make sure you have enough disk space
on your drive, and optimize your hard drives
regularly.
If You Are New to Audio Post
Production Video compatibility If you are not digitizing the
video material yourself (if the material is already
If you are new to digital video, time code, or au-
on hard disk) check into the type of video cap-
dio-for-post production, the following sugges-
ture and playback system that was used and
tions will help you manage your session’s audio
make sure you can accommodate that format’s
and video requirements. Not all of these may
compression method. Check whether or not
apply to every project.
time code is “burned into” or superimposed
Plan ahead Think through your entire project over a small area of the video.
before you start capturing your video. For best
results when working with SMPTE time code,
make sure that time code is burned into a win-
dow in the movie. Try to anticipate compatibil-
ity and configuration issues that may arise.

494 Pro Tools Reference Guide

QuickTime Requirements Movie Playback Quality
Pro Tools supports playback of QuickTime vid-
Options
eos without additional hardware. However, per- Pro Tools supports three options for movie play-
formance will vary in terms of maximum movie back performance: Normal Priority Playback,
size, frame-rate, and smoothness of playback. Medium Priority Playback, and Highest Priority
Capture of 30/25 fps (frames per second), 60/50 Playback. In most cases, you should leave the
fields-per-second video requires a Digidesign- priority choice set to Normal Priority Playback.
approved video capture card, and associated If you are running QuickTime Movies natively,
software and hardware. that is, without a capture card, you may need to
use one of the other playback priority options. If
About Frame Length and QuickTime this does note apply to you, leave movie play-
Movies back priority set to Normal Priority Playback.
This is the default setting.
Not all video capture software can guarantee
consistent frame lengths. Consult your video
capture software documentation for informa-
Hard Drive Tips for Best Performance
tion on ensuring frame-accurate captures, and For best movie playback performance, make
on conforming your video to proper frame sure that the hard drive you are using for video
boundaries. capture and playback is not on the same SCSI
bus as your audio files, if possible. This allows
To take advantage of Pro Tools QuickTime
the least amount of interference between drives
movie playback capabilities you will need the
when Pro Tools requests audio and video data.
following:
With most capture cards, and moderate data
◆ The version of Apple’s QuickTime System Ex- capture rates (800 kilobytes per second or less),
tension (included with Pro Tools). To install this should provide good performance.
QuickTime, run the installer included on the
Pro Tools Installer CD. The Blue & White G3 and G4 have an internal
IDE system drive. For best performance, audio
◆ QuickTime movie playback and editing soft-
and video should be stored on SCSI drives, con-
ware (such as Adobe Premiere, AVID VideoShop,
nected to the computer with a Digidesign-ap-
Macromedia Director, or Apple MoviePlayer) to
proved SCSI interface card.
edit and compile QuickTime movies.
Some Macintosh computers have two SCSI bus-
Optionally, you may also need:
ses, an internal SCSI bus, and a separate external
◆ QuickTime movie capture hardware and soft- SCSI bus. The internal bus is often a SCSI Fast-
ware to digitize your own movies from a video- compatible bus that can yield better disk perfor-
tape or video camera source. mance. The external bus is a narrow SCSI bus,
◆ An Apple CD-ROM drive running at 2x speed which is slower. For best performance use an in-
or faster to take advantage of commercially- ternal drive that connects to the internal, fast
available QuickTime movies and sound clips. SCSI bus.

Chapter 36: Working with QuickTime Movies 495

 For G3 Macintosh models that have only a sin- 4 Locate the desired movie. When you select a
gle, narrow SCSI bus, you should use a SCSI ac- movie in the Import Movie dialog, you can view
celerator for the audio drive, and use the narrow a preview frame by enabling the Show Preview
bus for QuickTime video. check box. The preview corresponds to the first
frame of the movie. If you have not yet created
Contact your Digidesign dealer or visit the a preview, you can do so by selecting the desired
Digidesign Web site for compatibility informa- movie and clicking Update in this dialog.
tion.
5 Select the desired movie and click Open.
Pro Tools imports the movie and displays it in
its own Movie track in the Edit window as well
Importing a QuickTime Movie as in a floating Movie window. The first frame of
Before you import a movie, you should digitize the movie is automatically synchronized to the
your video material and know the correct frame start time of your session.
rate and sample rate when applicable.

If a video card with hardware video com-

pression was used to create the QuickTime
movie, Pro Tools cannot play the movie
without the compression hardware. Make Movie track “VideoSpot” appears above the “Rhythm
Guitar” track
sure the video card is installed and config-
ured correctly before starting your session.
About the Movie Track
To import a QuickTime movie into Pro Tools: Once a movie is imported into Pro Tools it ap-
1 Launch Pro Tools and create a new session, or pears in the Edit window in its own Movie track.
open an existing one. This picon (picture-icon) track displays a
“thumbnail” overview of the frames of the
2 Check the time code parameters of the session
movie it represents. The Movie track will show
to make sure they match those of the movie you
greater or lesser detail depending on your cur-
wish to import, and save the session.
rent zoom level in the Edit window—the closer
3 Choose Movie > Import Movie. in you zoom, the greater the number of individ-
ual frames that are displayed in the Movie track;
the farther out you zoom, the fewer the number
of individual frames that are visible. The Movie
track appears only in the Edit window.

The Movie track behaves much as a Pro Tools

audio or MIDI track in that you can move the
Import Movie dialog movie region with the Grabber or other editing
tools. This allows you to offset the movie to any
start point. However, you cannot edit the Movie
track by trimming it or capturing regions from
within it.

496 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Only one QuickTime movie can be associated About the Movie Window
with a session at a time. If you want to import a
different movie into a session, repeat the previ- The Movie window displays the movie playback
ous steps. The new movie will replace the origi- or the current frame if playback is paused or
nal in the session. stopped. You can drag the Movie window any-
where on your computer screen.
A Movie track takes its name from its associated
movie file and cannot be independently re-
named.

Picon View Performance

When using picon view to view movie content
in the Movie track, your computer may exhibit Movie window
reduced or sluggish performance. If this hap-
pens on your computer, switch the Movie track To display the Movie window:
view to Blocks mode. ■ Choose Movie > Show Movie Window. If a

movie has already been imported, the Movie

window will appear.
Scrubbing the Movie Track
You can use the Scrubber tool to scrub the Using a 14-inch monitor for playback
Movie track with full frame accuracy. If you
scrub directly on the Movie track, only the If you capture 320 x 240 (NTSC) movies and
movie will scrub (no audio will play). If you have a second monitor with 640 x 480 resolu-
scrub on an audio track, audio and the movie tion (a standard 14-inch monitor), clicking on
will scrub simultaneously. the Movie window will route movie playback to
that monitor. The Movie will “bounce” over to
the second monitor, and will be pixel-doubled
so that it takes up the whole screen.
Scrubbing a movie
Tips for Optimizing Movie Playback
To scrub the movie track:
1 Select the Scrubber tool. Since Pro Tools uses QuickTime to play movies,
the quality of the playback is dependent on the
2 Click the movie track at the desired point and speed of your Macintosh CPU and hard drive,
drag the Scrubber. the size (in pixels) of the movie, and the quality
3 To scrub with finer precision, press the Com- of the video hardware used to capture and play-
mand key while scrubbing. back the digitized video. While QuickTime
doesn’t produce broadcast-quality playback, it is
frame accurate when spotting to picture.

Chapter 36: Working with QuickTime Movies 497

 On PCI-based computers, Pro Tools continu- ◆ Reduce the overall length of the SCSI chain of
ously re-syncs the movie. The movie resolves to your computer system for improved through-
the audio sample clock. This allows the movie to put.
smoothly track the audio even when your sys- ◆ Reduce the pixel size of the movie (e.g. reduce
tem is varispeeded. it from 640 x 480 pixels to 320 x 240 pixels).
For more consistently smooth movie playback,
here are some suggestions:
◆ Use a Digidesign-approved video capture and Setting the Movie Start Time:
playback card for 25/30 frames-per-second full- Movie Offset
screen movie playback.
When you import a movie into your session, the
◆ Display the movie on a separate monitor first frame of the movie defaults to the start time
driven by a video capture and playback card. of the session. In some cases, however, you may
◆ If you don’t have a video capture and play- need to offset the movie by some amount for-
back card, set the movie playback priority to Me- wards or backwards so that you can accurately
dium Priority Playback or High Priority Playback spot audio to the movie.
using one of these commands in Movie menu.
Since a movie can be moved inside the Movie
This gives priority to movie playback, rather
track, it is fairly easy to match these two times.
than other screen graphics tasks such as moving
In fact, you may not have to move the Movie
faders.
track at all.
◆ Use the fastest CPU possible.
For finer adjustment of a movie’s start time, you
◆ Capture and play QuickTime video from a
can use the Set Movie Sync Offset command to
separate hard drive than your Pro Tools audio
offset the movie in 1/4-frame increments. This
drives.
is more accurate than dragging the movie track,
◆Remove unneeded System Extensions and and is especially useful in cases where your
Control Panels. movie track happens to begin with a partial
◆ Disable AppleTalk and other background tasks frame.
on the CPU, such as File Sharing, screen savers,
Calculate Folder Size and any fax or e-mail soft- To set the movie offset:
ware. 1 Double-check that the session’s SMPTE frame
◆Disable the Automation Preference for Faders rate matches that of the movie.
Move During Playback.
2 Choose Movie > Set Movie Sync Offset, enter
◆Set No Auto Scrolling in Operations > Scroll the desired offset value, and click OK.
Options.
The Movie Sync Offset is always defined in
◆ Reduce the size of the Edit window to the
Feet.Frames, regardless of the session time
smallest possible size.
display.
◆ Close unnecessary windows.
3 Lock the movie in place by choosing Edit >
Lock/Unlock Region.

498 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To spot the movie to a sync point:
1 Double-check that the session’s SMPTE frame
Spotting Audio to a QuickTime
rate matches that of the movie.
Movie
2 In the Edit window, enable Grid mode. For accurate spotting, Grid mode provides you
with an effective tool for quick and accurate se-
3 Set the session time display to SMPTE. lection of waveforms, and alignment of regions
4 Set the Grid Value to Feet.Frames. in tracks. When Grid mode is enabled, the Selec-
tor will snap to the current Grid Value, and re-
5 With the Selector, click in the Movie Track to gions selected with the Grabber and dragged to a
place the cursor where you want to create a Sync track will also align up with the Grid Value.
Point. Often, the best spot will be the “2 beep”
two seconds before the first action frame (the
Conforming Your Movie
start of the video). You can use the plus and mi-
nus keys on the alpha keyboard to nudge the Before you spot audio to a movie, you should
cursor and the Movie one frame at a time. conform the movie file so each frame starts and
ends at valid frame boundaries.
6 Choose Edit > Identify Sync Point to place a
Sync Point at the current cursor location. For example, Adobe Premiere contains a Con-
form Movie tool for destructively editing the
7 Put Pro Tools into Spot mode by clicking the
lengths of each frame to the grid of the current
Spot button in the Edit window.
frame rate. You should conform the movie to a
8 Click the Movie track with the Grabber. The frame rate that Pro Tools can work with (30 fps
Move Region To dialog appears. or 29.97 fps).
9 Enter the time code number displayed in the
If your destination is a pulled-down
window-burn of the frame you are spotting to (if
Pro Tools session, the pull down affects
the movie has a SMPTE time code window
QuickTime movie playback speed. Conform
burned into it) and click OK to close the Move
your movie to a 30 fps frame rate for use in
Region To dialog.
a pulled-down session.
10 The movie’s sync point moves to the SMPTE
Consult your video capture software documen-
location you entered.
tation for more information.

More Tips for Spotting Audio

◆ Specify your movie size up front. For purposes
of spotting audio, 320 x 240 is usually adequate.
If you are displaying the movie on a second
monitor with 640 x 480 resolution, with pixel
doubling, it will fill the screen.
◆ Try to work with a window burn in the movie,
since it will help you spot material. You can pro-
duce your own window burns for the capture us-
ing Digidesign's Universal Slave Driver.

Chapter 36: Working with QuickTime Movies 499

 ◆ Use a continuous scrolling option. Pro Tools 5 While pressing the Control key, drag the de-
includes two scrolling options that are particu- sired region from the Regions List to the appro-
larly useful in post-production: Continuous priate track. Pro Tools will automatically spot
Scroll During Playback, and Continuous Scroll the region to the same time location as the cur-
with Playhead. Enable either of these scrolling sor.
options by selecting them from the
Operations > Scroll Options submenu. For more To spot elements directly to locations in the
information, see Chapter 16, “Playing and Se- movie, use the technique described above. In
lecting Track Material.”. this scenario, Auto Spot mode is not recom-
mended, since it uses incoming MTC for lo-
cation information.
Using Grid Mode to Spot and
Nudge Regions with Frame
Accuracy Importing QuickTime Audio
(TDM Systems Only)
Pro Tools allows you to import audio directly
Grid mode allows you to constrain the move- from a QuickTime movie. You can import audio
ment of regions so that they snap to SMPTE- from a movie currently loaded into a session, or
based measurements (minutes, seconds, frames, from a different movie. The procedure is the
or subframes). same for both.

To spot audio to a movie:

Sample Rate Conversion Quality
1 Click the Grid button at the upper left corner
of the Edit window. This ensures that the audio If you import QuickTime audio that was not
will align to a frame boundary. originally recorded at the session’s sample rate,
the sample rate is converted to match the audio
2 Set your Grid Value to Time Code using the to your session. Pro Tools allows you to choose
pop-up menu. the quality of the sample rate conversion via the
3 Choose a desirable Grid unit setting. Note that Conversion Quality parameter in the Editing
you can set the grid units independently of the Preferences. The higher the quality of sample
Main Time Scale. rate conversion that you choose, the longer it
takes to perform the sample rate conversion.
4 Using the Selector, place the insertion cursor
at the desired location in the movie. If you The five conversion settings range from Low to
want, use the Nudge Value pop-up to set the Tweak Head. The Low setting provides results
nudge units to frames. You can then use the plus that are considerably better than the Macin-
and minus keys on the alpha keyboard to nudge tosh’s built-in sample rate conversion. For most
the insertion point frame by frame. applications, the Better setting will yield excel-
lent results.

500 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Because the Best and Tweak Head settings take 2 If you want to import audio from a QuickTime
significantly longer than the others, we recom- movie that has not been imported into the ses-
mend that you use these only in cases where the sion, choose Movie > Import Audio From Other
highest fidelity is absolutely essential and you Movie. Select the QuickTime movie from which
have a considerable amount of time. The Tweak you want to import audio. The Track Import di-
Head setting in particular can take several hours alog appears, listing information about the au-
to perform sample rate conversion on moderate- dio tracks.
length files.

To set the sample rate conversion quality:

1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Editing.

2 Click the Conversion Quality pop-up menu

and select the desired setting.

Importing Audio from a QuickTime

Movie Track Import window showing audio tracks in a
QuickTime movie
This procedure allows you to use the Import Au-
dio From Current Movie and Import Audio 3 Select the desired audio tracks by clicking

From Other Movie commands to import audio them. To select multiple tracks contiguously in
tracks either from a QuickTime movie currently this dialog, Shift-click them. To select discontig-
in the session, or from other QuickTime movies uous tracks, Command-click them.
on your hard disk. You can also use the Import 4 Click OK. The audio is converted to the ses-
Audio From Other Movie command to import sion’s sample rate and bit resolution, and a new
audio files of a different bit resolution or sample region appears in the Audio Regions List for
rate into your session. each imported file (2 regions appear for each im-
ported stereo file). The regions are listed in the
To import audio tracks from a QuickTime movie: Audio Regions List with the region name, the
1 If you want to import audio from a QuickTime number of the originating track, and the num-
movie that is already in the session, choose ber of the region from the track.
Movie > Import Audio From Current Movie. 5 Drag the imported regions from the Audio Re-
– or – gions List to the desired tracks.

Chapter 36: Working with QuickTime Movies 501

 7 Select the resolution for the movie audio. Red
Bouncing to a new Movie Book audio CDs are always 16-bit, while many
multimedia presentations and CD-ROMs use 8-
When you have finished your final mix and syn-
bit resolution. You cannot create a QuickTime
chronized your audio events to the movie, you
movie with 24-bit audio; audio from 24-bit ses-
can use the Pro Tools Bounce to Movie com-
sions is converted to 16-bit or 8-bit audio, de-
mand to compile a new QuickTime movie with
pending on what you choose.
the bounced audio embedded in the QuickTime
movie file as the soundtrack. As a QuickTime 8 If you intend to convert the session to 8-bit
file, the new movie is supported by all software resolution for use in multimedia, use the
applications that support QuickTime video. Squeezer option (click the Convert after Bounce
option, then the Settings button to access this
To create a new QuickTime movie with bounced feature) to improve the fidelity of the converted
audio embedded as the soundtrack: 8-bit audio. This option uses a proprietary DSP
1 Adjust track output levels and finalize your algorithm that preprocesses the audio using
mix. Any inserts and effects settings that are ac- compression, limiting and gating before con-
tive on tracks will be permanently written to the verting to 8-bit resolution. This option is recom-
bounced tracks. If you don’t want to apply a mend for optimal results.
plug-in to the bounce, click the Bypass button 9 Select the Sample Rate for the movie audio
in the Plug-In window. (click the Convert after Bounce option, then the
2 Make sure that all of the tracks you want to in- Settings button to access this parameter). The
clude in the bounce are audible (not muted). default audio sample rate is 44100 (44.1kHz),
which is the standard sample rate for audio CDs.
3 Assign the output of each of the tracks you Multimedia presentations and CD-ROMs may
want to include in the bounce to the same out- use a sample rate of 11025 (11.025kHz) or 22050
put pair. (22.050kHz).
4 If you want to bounce the entire session, press 10 Click Bounce, name the new movie, and
the Return to Zero button on the Transport to go choose where to save it.
to the beginning of the session. The new movie
file will include all the video and audio material 11 The audio tracks are converted to the se-
in the session, even if the duration of the video lected sample rate and bit resolution, and a new
material is longer than the audio or vice versa. If flattened movie is created incorporating the au-
you only want to bounce a portion of a session, dio. You can open and play the flattened movie
open the Edit window and select the section in any software application that supports Quick-
that you want to include in the bounce. Time.

5 Choose Movie > Bounce to Movie. Pro Tools sample rate and bit resolution
conversions use large amounts of processing
6 Select the file format for the movie audio.
power. You can save time by selecting a
Choose Mix-to-Mono to combine the left and
lower sample rate conversion quality in the
right channel output of the session to a mono
Editing Preferences.
movie soundtrack. Choose Stereo to retain the
stereo mix of the session for the movie audio.

502 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part IX: Pro Tools Menus

503
504
Chapter 37: File Menu

New Session
File Menu

New Session dialog

The New Session command creates a new

Pro Tools session. Before the session is created,
File Menu you must name the session and choose its Audio
File type, I/O Settings, Bit Depth and Sample
File menu commands are used to create and
Rate. Selecting the Enforce Mac/PC Compatibil-
maintain audio files.
ity option ensures proper interchange of ses-
sions and their associated media between Mac-
intosh and Windows-based systems. Specific
file-naming and audio format restrictions apply.
See “Creating a New Session” on page 50 for de-
tails on using this dialog.

Chapter 37: File Menu 505

 Open Session Save Session Copy In
The Open Session command opens a session
previously created with Pro Tools. A single ses-
sion can be open at a time.

Close Session
The Close Session command closes the current
session without quitting Pro Tools. Pro Tools
prompts you to save changes before closing the
session.

Save Session
The Save Session command saves changes made
since the last time the session was saved. You
cannot undo the Save Session command.

Save Session As Save Session Copy In dialog

The Save Session As command saves a copy of The Save Session Copy In command saves a
the current session under a different name, or in copy of the currently selected session document
a different location. Because the Save Session As under a different name, in a different location,
command closes the current session and allows or at a different bit-depth or sample rate. Ses-
you to keep working on the renamed copy, it is sions can be saved in a variety or session formats
useful for saving successive stages of the session. for compatibility with older systems. This com-
mand is useful for archiving sessions.

Unlike the Save Session As command, Save Ses-

sion Copy In does not close the original session,
so subsequent edits are made to the original ses-
sion. The saved copy becomes a backup copy,
and gives you the option of reverting to the ear-
lier version.

506 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Items To Copy section of this dialog pro- Bounce to Disk
vides several options for copying a session along
with its associated files.

All Audio Files When this option is selected, all

audio files are copied to the new location. Se-
lecting All Non-SD-II Audio Files copies all audio
files except Sound Designer II-format files (which
are not supported in Windows). Selecting Don’t
Copy Fade Files omits crossfade files from the
copied data.

Session Plug-In Settings Folder When this op-

tion is selected, the session’s Plug-In Settings
Folder is copied to the new location. The refer-
ences to these plug-in settings in the session are
redirected to the copied files Bounce to Disk dialog

Movie/Video Files When this option is selected, The Bounce to Disk command allows you to mix
a session’s video files are copied to the new loca- together the outputs of all currently audible
tion, and the references in the session are redi- tracks routed to a common output path to create
rected to the copied movie or video file. a new audio file. You can use the Bounce to Disk
command to create a submix or to create a final
mix in any of several audio file formats.
Revert To Saved
The Revert to Saved command restores the most Bounce Source Selects the audio output path to
recently saved version of a session, discarding all bounce. Only audio routed to the selected path
changes made since the last time you saved. Re- will be included in the bounce.
verting to the last saved version of a session is
File Type Selects the audio file format. Choices
like closing the session without saving changes
are SDII, WAV, AIFF, RealAudio, MPEG-1 Layer
and reopening it.
3, QuickTime, and Sound Resource.

Format Selects the channel format. Choices are

mono (summed), multiple mono, or inter-
leaved.

Resolution Selects the bit depth. Choices are

24-, 16-, and 8-bit.

Sample Rate Selects the sample rate.

Chapter 37: File Menu 507

 Use Squeezer Optimizes the dynamics of the Group Selected Tracks
bounced audio before conversion to 8-bit reso-
lution.

Import After Bounce Automatically imports the

audio after it is bounced so that it can be used in
the session.

See “Bounce to Disk” on page 400 for details on

using the Bounce to Disk command.

Group Selected Tracks dialog

New Track
This command groups the currently selected
tracks together so that their controls are linked
together in the Mix and/or Edit window. Groups
can be nested so that subgroups are contained
within larger groups.

New Track dialog Duplicate Selected Tracks

The New Track command adds one or more new
This command duplicates a selected track, in-
audio tracks, auxiliary inputs, master faders, or
cluding its audio or MIDI data, playlists, auto-
MIDI tracks to a session. Tracks can be mono,
mation, and other attributes.
stereo, or any one of a variety of multi-channel
formats.
Split Selected Tracks Into Mono
Rename Selected Tracks This command splits a selected multi-channel
track into individual mono tracks that can be
The Rename Selected Tracks command renames
edited and manipulated independently.
the currently selected track.

Make Selected Tracks Inactive

This command makes selected tracks inactive,
so that they no longer play back or use any DSP
resources or voices. Inactive tracks can be made
active again by choosing the Make Selected
Tracks Active command.

508 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Delete Selected Tracks Import MIDI to Track
This command removes tracks from a session. The Import MIDI to Track command loads all
While audio or MIDI region data will remain in tracks in a Standard MIDI file into Pro Tools and
the Regions List, the track and its playlists will automatically places them in new MIDI tracks.
be deleted. To import MIDI regions to a session without au-
tomatically creating new tracks for them, use
the Import MIDI command in the MIDI Regions
Import Audio to Track
List pop-up menu. The Import MIDI to Track
command allows you to import tempo data in
the sequence or apply existing tempo data in
the session to the imported file.

Export MIDI
This command exports all currently audible
MIDI tracks in a session as a standard MIDI file.
Muted MIDI tracks will not be exported. You
can export the file as a Type 1 (multi-track) or
Type 0 (merged) Standard MIDI file.

Export Session As Text

Import Audio to Track dialog

This command loads audio files or regions into

the current session. Each imported audio file
will appear on its own individual track. To im-
port audio files without automatically creating
new track for them, use the Import Audio com-
mand in the Audio Regions List pop-up menu.

Export Session As Text dialog

This command exports the current session as a

tab-delimited text file containing region and file
names, and SMPTE start times. This command
will not print or format session events to any
particular standard; it simply provides the data
in a text format.

Chapter 37: File Menu 509

 Import Tracks Get Info

Get Info command

This command saves information about the ses-

sion itself. Left-column text fields are topic
fields. Text entered there is saved with your
Import Tracks dialog Pro Tools Preferences and will appear in all ses-
sions, allowing you to preset the field to topics
This command imports any or all tracks from an
that you commonly use.
existing session into the current session. Op-
tions are provided for time code mapping, sam- Right-column text fields are information fields.
ple rate conversion, and audio and video source Text entered there is session specific.
file referencing, copying, and conversion. See
“Importing Tracks from Other Sessions” on
page 94 for more information on this dialog and
Quit/Exit
its options. The Quit (Macintosh) or Exit (Windows) com-
mand ends your Pro Tools session and closes the
Pro Tools application.

510 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 38: Edit Menu

Redo
Edit Menu
After undoing a command or action, you can
redo it by choosing Redo command. This is a
good way to compare before and after states of
edits.

Cut
This command cuts a selection out of its current
location and stores it in memory so that you can
paste it elsewhere.

Copy
This command copies a selection (leaving the
original intact) and stores it in memory so that
you can paste it elsewhere.

Paste
This command inserts cut or copied data into a
location specified with a tool such as the Selec-
Edit Menu
tor.
Edit menu commands are used to edit and ma-
nipulate audio files.
Repeat Paste to Fill Selection
(TDM Systems Only)
Undo
This command repeatedly pastes copied data
The Undo command lets you sequentially undo
until it completely fills a selection. If you select
up to 16 of your previous actions. Certain com-
an area that is not an exact multiple of the cop-
mands and actions (such as saving) are not un-
ied region size, the remaining selection area is
doable.
filled with a trimmed version of the original se-

Chapter 38: Edit Menu 511

 lection. This allows you to easily create drum Select All
loops and other highly repetitive effects. Before
the data is pasted, Pro Tools prompts you to This command selects all audio and MIDI data
specify a crossfade to smooth transitions be- in one or more tracks.
tween regions. ◆ To select all regions in a single track, select a
portion of the track, or click the Selector any-
where in a track and choose Select All.
Merge Paste
◆ To select all regions on multiple tracks, Shift-
This command pastes MIDI data into a track click a region on each track with the Selector or
without replacing existing data by merging the Grabber and choose Select All.
pasted data with the existing data. This is useful
◆ To select all regions on all tracks, Select the
for consolidating MIDI data from several tracks
into a single MIDI track. “All” Edit Group in the Groups list, click the Se-
lector anywhere in a track and choose Select All.

Clear
Trim
This command removes a selection in the Edit
window. This command removes audio before and after a
selection, leaving only the selection. This pro-
vides a convenient means of quickly removing
Duplicate all data within a region except the current selec-
tion.
This command copies a selection and places it
immediately after the end of that selection in a
track. Capture Region
This command defines a selection as a new re-
Repeat gion and adds it to the Regions List. From there
the new region can be dragged into a track. You
This command is similar to Duplicate, but al-
cannot capture selections across multiple re-
lows you to specify the number of times the se-
gions unless the data is contiguous material
lected material is duplicated. To use this com-
from the same file.
mand, select the material you want to repeat,
choose Repeat, then enter the number of repeti-
tions. Separate Region
This command defines a selection as a new re-
Shift gion (or the current insertion point as a region
split point), and in the process, separates it from
This command moves track material earlier or
adjacent data in the track where it was created.
later in time by a specified amount. To use this
By separating a region you will also create by-
command, select the material you want to
product regions from data on either side of the
move, choose Shift, then enter the desired direc-
separation.
tion and time value.

512 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Heal Separation Consolidate Selection
This command repairs separated regions, pro- This command consolidates multiple regions
vided that the regions are contiguous and their into single region for ease of use. When an audio
relative start and end points haven’t changed track is consolidated, a new audio file is written
since they were originally separated. If you have that encompasses the selection range, including
trimmed or changed the start and end points of any blank space. To use this command, select
the two regions, or moved them away from each the material you want to consolidate, then
other, they cannot be repaired with the Heal choose Consolidate Selection.
Separation command.

Compress/Expand Edit to Play

Quantize Regions (TDM Systems Only)
This command adjusts the placement of a se- This command uses the Time Compression/Ex-
lected audio or MIDI region in a track so that its pansion plug-in to fit an audio selection to a
start point (or Sync Point, if it contains one) pre- Timeline selection. This is only possible when
cisely aligns to the nearest Grid boundary. Grid the Edit and Timeline selections are unlinked.
units are chosen from the Grid pop-up menu in See “Compress/Expand Edit To Play” on
the Edit window. page 237 for details on using this feature.

Mute/Unmute Region Identify Sync Point

This command mutes playback of a selected re- This command identifies a specific point within
gion. Choosing the Unmute command unmutes a region and spot that point to a SMPTE frame
the region. This command does not create auto- location. A triangle indicates the Sync Point’s
mation data. position. When you choose this command, the
current SMPTE time is automatically entered as
Lock/Unlock Region the SMPTE location for the Sync Point. To re-
move a Sync point from a region, select the re-
gion with the Grabber and choose Remove Sync
Point. See “Identifying a Sync Point” on
page 489 for details on using this feature.

Locked audio region

This command locks a selected region in place

so it cannot be moved unless you unlock it. This
command is useful for permanently associating
a region with a with a particular location in a
track (a beat, SMPTE frame, or a time value). A
small lock icon appears in the region indicating
it has been locked.

Chapter 38: Edit Menu 513

 Identify Beat Fades

Identify Beat dialog

This command lets you establish a tempo/meter

map for audio that was recorded without listen-
ing to a click, or for imported audio with un-
known tempos.

The Identify Beat command analyzes a selection

range (usually with a distinct number of beats or
measures) and calculates its tempo based on the Fades dialog
specified meter. in doing this, Bar/Beat markers
for the calculated tempo are inserted and appear This command creates a crossfade between two
in the Tempo Ruler at the beginning and end of adjacent audio regions or a fade in/out of a sin-
the selection. in addition, meter events are in- gle region. Crossfade duration, position, and
serted into the Meter Ruler. See “Identify Beat shape are all selectable. A selection that crosses
Command” on page 264 for details on using multiple regions will create crossfades for each
this feature. of the region transitions. If a selection includes
regions that already contain crossfades, the ex-
isting crossfades will be modified. See “Creating
Insert Silence a Crossfade” on page 248 for details on using this
This command creates regions of silence. Make a feature.
selection on one or more tracks, choose Insert
Create Fades Produces a crossfade between adja-
Silence, and precisely that amount of silence
cent regions according to parameters you spec-
will be inserted. See “Inserting Silence” on
ify with the Fades editor.
page 255 for details on using this feature.
Delete Fades Removes a crossfade between adja-
cent regions.

Fade to Start Creates a fade-in from the current

insertion point to a region’s start point.

Fade to End Creates a fade-out from the current

insertion point to a region’s end point.

514 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Copy to Send Write Automation
(TDM Systems Only) This command lets you write automation states
to specific session locations in a single step. This
saves you the trouble of perform multiple auto-
mation passes for different parameters in real
time, or having to graphically draw automation
state changes on individual automation play-
lists. See “Creating Snapshot Automation” on
page 394 for details on using this feature.

Trim Automation
This command lets you use trim values as snap-
Copy to Send dialog
shots and apply the relative changes or delta val-
This command copies a selected track’s volume, ues to the selected automation. This is similar to
pan, mute, or LFE automation to the corre- the Write Automation, command except that it
sponding playlist for the send. This is useful writes delta values instead of absolute values to
when you want a track’s send automation to automation data. You can use trim values in
mirror automation on the track itself. writing snapshot automation to any automat-
able parameter. See “Trimming Automation” on
To copy a track’s current control settings to a
page 393 for details on using this feature.
send on that track, select Current Value. To
copy the entire automation playlist for the track
to a send, select Automation.

See “Copying Track Automation to Sends” on

page 380 for details on using this feature

Thin Automation
This command lets you selectively thin areas in
a track where automation data is too dense,
aversely affecting CPU performance. The
amount of thinning performed is determined by
the amount you have selected in the Automa-
tion page of the Preferences dialog. Avoid over-
thinning data or it may no longer accurately re-
flect the original automation. See “Thinning
Automation” on page 383 for details on using
this feature.

Chapter 38: Edit Menu 515

516 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 39: AudioSuite Menu

De-esser
AudioSuite Menu
The De-esser plug-in reduces sibilants (“s,” “sh,”
and “t” sounds) and other high frequency
noises that can occur in vocals, voice-overs, and
wind instruments such as flutes. These sounds
can cause peaks in an audio signal and lead to
distortion.

The De-esser reduces these unwanted sounds us-

ing fast-acting compression. A Threshold con-
trol sets the level above which compression
starts, and a Frequency control sets the fre-
quency band in which the De-esser operates.
AudioSuite Menu

The AudioSuite menu allows you to access all 1-Band EQ II and 4-Band EQ II
AudioSuite plug-ins currently installed in your
system’s Plug-Ins Folder. For detailed informa- The EQ II plug-ins adjust the frequency spec-
tion on each of the AudioSuite plug-ins, refer to trum of an audio selection. The 1-band EQ can
the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide. be configured as a high-pass, low-shelf, high-
shelf, low-pass or peak EQ. The 4-band EQ pro-
vides one high-shelf, one low-shelf and two
Compressor, Limiter, Expander- peak EQs.
Gate, Expander-Gate
These plug-ins provide dynamics processing. Invert
This type of processing allows you to control the
The Invert plug-in inverts the phase (polarity) of
dynamic range of audio material, increasing or
the currently selected region.
decreasing gain as needed. For detailed informa-
tion on each of the AudioSuite dynamics plug-
ins, refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide.

Chapter 39: AudioSuite Menu 517

 Duplicate DC Offset Removal
The Duplicate plug-in duplicates a selected area The DC Offset Removal plug-in recognizes and
or region in place. The Duplicate Plug-In is use- removes spikes caused by DC offset in the cur-
ful for creating a single audio file from a selec- rently selected region if any are present.
tion encompassing many smaller regions with
areas of silence between them.
Signal Generator
The Signal Generator plug-in produces audio
Short, Slap, Medium, and Long
test tones in a variety of frequencies, waveforms,
Delay
and amplitudes. It is useful for generating refer-
The delay plug-ins provide time delay-based ef- ence signals with which to calibrate various ele-
fects. Effects you can create with these plug-ins ments of your studio.
include slap echo, doubling, chorusing, and
flanging.
Time Compression/Expansion
The Time Compression/Expansion plug-in
Normalize
changes the length (duration) of the currently
The Normalize plug-in uniformly adjusts all lev- selected region, with or without changing its
els in the currently selected area to a user-defin- pitch.
able level, referencing the loudest peak in either
a specific region, or examining the relative peak
Pitch Shift
level of several regions.
The Pitch Shift plug-in changes the pitch of the
currently selected region, with or without
Gain
changing its duration. It also allows you to per-
The Gain plug-in adjusts the gain (volume) of form Time Compression/Expansion on your se-
the currently selected region in decibels or a per- lection simultaneously with a pitch change.
centage value.

Reverse
The Reverse plug-in rewrites the currently se-
lected region in reverse, producing a backwards
audio effect.

518 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 40: MIDI Menu

Change Tempo
MIDI Menu

Change Tempo dialog

This command allows you to insert a tempo

event into the Tempo Track to define or change
the tempo of a session. Pro Tools allows multi-
MIDI Menu ple tempo changes within a session. See “Tempo
Events” on page 261 for details on using this
The MIDI menu contains commands for MIDI
feature.
editing.

Chapter 40: MIDI Menu 519

 Change Meter Quantize

Change Meter dialog

This command allows you to insert a Meter

event into the Meter Track to define or change
the meter of a session. Pro Tools allows multiple
meter changes within a session. See “Meter Quantize dialog
Events” on page 267 for details on using this
This command adjusts the placement of se-
feature.
lected MIDI events in a track so that their start
or end points precisely align to the quantization
Renumber Bars value chosen. See “Quantize” on page 311 for
details on using this feature.

Change Velocity

Renumber Bars dialog

This command renumbers the bars in a session.

To do this, change the numbering of bar 1, and
all subsequent bars are renumbered accordingly.

Change Velocity dialog

This command adjusts attack and release veloc-

ities for selected MIDI notes. Use it to make
notes louder or software, or to create crescendos
or decrescendos. See “Change Velocity” on
page 316 for details on using this feature.

520 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Change Duration Select Notes

Select Notes dialog

This command selects MIDI notes based on

pitch. It can be used to select a single note or
note range for the entire length of a region or
track, or to select the upper or lower voices
Change Duration dialog within chords. See “Select Notes” on page 310
for details on using this feature.
This command adjusts the duration for selected
MIDI notes. Use it to make melodies and phrases
more staccato or more legato. See “Change Du- Split Notes
ration” on page 318 for details on using this fea-
ture.

Transpose

Split Notes dialog

This command is similar to the Select Notes

command, but also lets you automatically cut or
copy the selected notes. One use for this com-
mand is in the case where you have recorded a
Transpose dialog track with chords in the left hand and melody in
the right. You can cut the melody notes and
This command transposes selected MIDI notes paste them to another track to assign them to
up or down the musical scale by a specific num- play on a different device or channel. See “Split
ber of semitones (half steps). With this feature Notes” on page 311 for details on using this fea-
you can easily add key changes and other trans- ture.
position effects to MIDI tracks. See “Transpose”
on page 319 for details on using this feature.

Chapter 40: MIDI Menu 521

 Input Quantize Click Options

Click Options dialog

Input Quantize dialog This command lets you configure click parame-
ters such as MIDI note, velocity, duration, and
This command quantizes MIDI notes as they are
output. See “Recording with the Click” on
performed and recorded. While this will im-
page 121 for details on using this feature.
prove the strict rhythmic accuracy of a perfor-
mance, it can also give it a stiff, mechanical feel.
To preserve the original rhythmic nuances of a MIDI Beat Clock
performance, deselect this option. See “Input
Quantize” on page 144 for details on using this
feature.

Click
When enabled, a metronome sounds during
playback and recording (as specified by the set-
tings in the Click Options dialog). See “Record-
ing with the Click” on page 121 for details on
MIDI Beat Clock dialog
using this feature.
This command synchronizes certain MIDI de-
vices such as drum machines, software synthe-
sizers, hardware sequencers, and arpeggiator to
MIDI Beat Clock. Devices selected in this dialog
will receive the MIDI Beat Clock signal. If your
MIDI interface does not support transmitting
MIDI Beat Clock to separate ports, the interface
will appear as the only destination. See “MIDI
Beat Clock” on page 485 for details on using this
feature.

522 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Input Filter Input Devices
(Macintosh Only)

Input Devices dialog

This command enables selected MIDI control-

MIDI Input Filter dialog lers and control surfaces so that MIDI data re-
ceived from them can be recorded. Disabling de-
This command filters out selected MIDI mes-
vices in this dialog will ensure that unwanted
sages from your recording. The Input Filter can
notes (such as those from drum machines or ar-
be set to record all messages, only the specified
peggiator) are not recorded.
messages, or all except the specified messages.
When using the Only option, only the MIDI
messages that are selected will be recorded. Con- MIDI Thru
versely, when using the All Except option, the
Enabling MIDI Thru routes MIDI from your con-
selected messages will not be recorded. See
trollers to the devices and channels assigned to
“MIDI Input Filter” on page 143 for details on
the MIDI track currently record-enabled. This al-
using this feature.
lows you to monitor MIDI tracks while record-
ing.

All Notes Off

This command sends an All Notes Off MIDI
message to all MIDI devices connected to your
system to silence any stuck notes.

Chapter 40: MIDI Menu 523

524 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 41: Movie Menu

Import Audio From Current Movie

Movie Menu
This command imports audio directly from a
(Macintosh Only)
QuickTime movie currently loaded into a ses-
sion. Pro Tools will convert the audio to the cur-
rent session sample rate and bit resolution. See
“Importing QuickTime Audio” on page 500 for
details on using this feature.

Import Audio From Other Movie

This command imports audio from a QuickTime
movie on your hard drive. If necessary,
Pro Tools will convert the audio to the current
session sample rate and bit resolution. This
Movie Menu command can also be used to import audio files
Movie menu commands are used for adding from audio CDs. See “Importing QuickTime Au-
QuickTime movies to a session and managing dio” on page 500 for details on using this fea-
movie playback. ture.

Import Movie Bounce to Movie

This command imports a QuickTime movie into This command compiles a new QuickTime
the current session. Once imported, a Quick- movie with the current session as the audio
Time movie is displayed in its won Movie track sound track. Pro Tools will convert the audio
in the Edit window, and in a floating Movie tracks to the selected sample rate and bit resolu-
window. With a QuickTime movie in a session, tion, then create a new flattened movie with the
Pro Tools serves as a fast, random-access visual bounced audio. As a QuickTime file, the new
reference for “sweetening” the movie by adding movie is supported by all software applications
sound effects, music, Foley, dialog, or other au- that support QuickTime video. See “Bouncing to
dio. See “Importing a QuickTime Movie” on a new Movie” on page 502 for details on using
page 496 for details on using this feature. this feature.

Chapter 41: Movie Menu 525

 New Movie Track Set Movie Sync Offset
With the Pro Tools AVoption installed, this When you import a QuickTime movie into a ses-
command creates a new empty movie track into sion, by default, the first frame of the movie is
which you can record or import video. set to the start time of the session. In some cases,
you may need to offset the movie earlier or later
so you can accurately spot audio to it. The Set
Normal Priority Playback
Movie Sync Offset command allows you to set
This is the default setting for QuickTime movie this offset in 1/4-frame increments. This is more
playback. It gives no extra priority to movie accurate than dragging the movie track, and is
playback over other screen update tasks such as especially useful in cases where a movie track
metering, moving faders, and so on. In most begins with a partial frame.
cases you should use this setting. If, however,
you are running QuickTime movies without a
Movie Online
video capture card, you may need to use the Me-
dium or High Priority Playback setting. This command enables and disables movie play-
back. You may want to do this to have the
Movie frozen at a particular point in time rela-
Medium Priority Playback
tive to Pro Tools playback, or to give highest
This command gives QuickTime movie play- screen update priority to other Pro Tools tasks
back a higher priority relative to other Pro Tools such as metering, moving faders, and so on.
screen update tasks. This yields better movie
playback performance if you are running Quick-
Window Aspect Ratio
Time movies without a video capture card.
With the Pro Tools AVoption is installed, this
command lets you to change the dimensions or
Highest Priority Playback
aspect ratio of the Movie window.
This command gives QuickTime movie play-
back highest priority. In this mode, Pro Tools
Add Movie
disables screen activity such as metering during
movie playback. This yields the highest movie This command adds additional movie clips to
playback performance if you are running Quick- the Movie Track. You will be prompted to spot
Time movies without a video capture card. the clip to a SMPTE location. If the clip is spot-
ted to a location that already contains a movie
clip, the first clip will be truncated.

526 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Undo Add Movie
This command undoes the Add Movie com-
mand and other Movie Track-related editing
functions such as moving, copying, or clearing
clips. These actions cannot be undone by choos-
ing the standard Undo command from the Edit
menu.

Clear Selection
This command clears a selection in the Movie
Track. This allows simple editing of movie clip
content.

Clear Movie Track

This command clears the entire Movie Track.

Chapter 41: Movie Menu 527

528 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 42: Operations Menu

Loop Record
Operations Menu
Loop Record lets you record take after take while
the same section of audio repeats. This is a con-
venient technique for quickly recording multi-
ple takes of a part without losing spontaneity.

The time range that is looped and recorded—

which must be at least one second in length—is
defined by selecting a range in the Ruler or in a
track’s playlist, or by specifying start and end
points in the Transport window. See “Loop Re-
cording Audio” on page 132 for details on using
this feature.

QuickPunch
QuickPunch gives you the ability to instanta-
Operations Menu neously punch-in (initiate recording) on a
record-enabled audio track during playback,
The Operations menu command allow you to
then punch-out (exit recording) by clicking the
toggle on or off several recording, monitoring,
Transport’s Record button. Recording with
playback, and display options.
QuickPunch is nondestructive See “Using
QuickPunch” on page 155 for details on using
Destructive Record this feature.

This command enables Destructive Record

mode. In this mode, recording over existing re- Auto Input Monitoring
gions replaces the original audio permanently.
In this mode, when session playback is stopped,
This allows you to conserve hard drive space.
Pro Tools monitors audio input. When playback
However, if you have sufficient drive space, it is
is started for a punch-in, Pro Tools monitors ex-
usually best to use Pro Tools in Nondestructive
isting track material up until the punch point.
Record mode to avoid losing any previously re-
While punched in, the input signal is moni-
corded material.
tored. on punch-out, monitoring switches back

Chapter 42: Operations Menu 529

 to the existing track material. This is similar to Scroll Options
the auto-switching logic found on digital and
analog multitrack tape machines. See “Monitor- Pro Tools provides several options for how the
ing during Punch-Ins” on page 131 for details contents of the Edit window scroll during play-
on using this feature. back and recording. These include:

No Auto-Scrolling Disables scrolling during and

Input Only Monitoring after playback. The playback cursor moves
across the Edit window, indicating the playback
in this mode, when a track is record-enabled, location.
Pro Tools monitors audio input only, regardless
of any punch in/out selection. See “Monitoring Scroll After Playback Causes the Edit window to
during Punch-Ins” on page 131 for details on us- scroll to the final playback location after play-
ing this feature. back has stopped. In this mode, the playback
cursor moves across the Edit window, indicating
the playback location.
Online
Page Scroll During Playback Causes the Edit
This command puts Pro Tools online. Playback
window to scroll during playback. With this op-
or recording can then be triggered by an exter-
tion, the playback cursor moves across the Edit
nal time code source. Online recording or play-
window, indicating the playback location.
back begins as soon as Pro Tools receives and
When the right edge of the Edit window is
lock to time code or ADAT sync. See “Putting
reached, its entire contents are scrolled, and the
Pro Tools Online” on page 474 for details on us-
playback cursor continues moving from the left
ing this feature.
edge of the window.

Pre/Post Roll Playback Continuous Scroll During Playback Causes the

Edit window’s contents to scroll continuously
This command enables pre- and post-roll play- past the playback cursor, which remains in the
back. Pre- and post-roll amounts can be entered center of the window. With this option, play-
in the Transport window, set from a track’s play- back is always based on the Timeline selection
list or Timebase Ruler, or by recalling a Memory (unlike Continuous Scroll With Playhead). This
Location. See “Setting Pre/Post-Roll” on option is available only on Pro Tools TDM sys-
page 137 for details on using this feature. tems.

Continuous Scroll With Playhead Causes the Edit

Loop Playback window’s contents to scroll continuously past
This option continuously loops playback of a se- the Playhead, which is a blue line in the center of
lection until you stop playback. Looping play- the window (red when recording). This option is
back is a useful way to check the rhythmic con- available only on Pro Tools TDM systems.
tinuity of a selection when working with
musical material. Selections must be at least 0.5
seconds in length to use Loop Playback.

530 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Link Edit and Timeline Selection Play Edit Selection
This command lets you link or unlink Timeline This command plays an Edit selection when
selections. When the Edit and Timeline selec- Continuous Scroll with Playhead is enabled .
tions are unlinked, you can make a selection
within a track for editing purposes that is dis-
Mute Frees Explicit Voice
tinct from the selection in the Timeline (which
determines the playback and recording range). (TDM Systems Only)

When the Edit and Timeline selections are When this option is enabled, a muted track’s
linked, selecting in a track’s playlist (an Edit se- voice will be allocated to the next highest prior-
lection) also defines the play and record range ity track assigned to the same explicit voice. See
(the Timeline selection). See “Separate Edit and “Virtual Tracks and Track Priority” on page 82
Timeline Selections” on page 195 for details on for details on using this feature.
using this feature.
Auto-Spot Regions
Copy Edit Selection to Timeline When enabled, this option simplifies the task of
When the Edit and Timeline selections are un- spotting regions. If you are using VITC with this
linked, this command copies the current Edit se- option enabled, or MachineControl software,
lection to the Timeline. you can pause your video at an appropriate
SMPTE frame location, click on a region with
the Grabber, and the region will be automati-
Copy Timeline Selection to Edit cally spotted to the current time code location.
When the Edit and Timeline selections are un-
linked, this command copies the current Time- Active in Background
line selection to an Edit selection.
When enabled, this option allows Pro Tools to
operate in the background while you use an-
Play Timeline Selection other application.
When Continuous Scroll with Playhead is en-
abled, selections in the Timeline do not deter- Pre-Fader Metering
mine when playback begins. The Playhead it-
self, denotes where playback begins when This option toggles track metering between pre-
clicking Play in the Transport. The Edit and and post-fader operation. When set to Pre-Fader
Timeline selections, however, can still be played Metering, level meters show levels independent
when the Playhead is enabled. This command of fader position. With post-fader metering, the
plays a Timeline selection with the Playhead en- level meters respond to fader position.
abled.

Chapter 42: Operations Menu 531

 Calibration Mode
(TDM Systems Only)

This command puts Pro Tools into a special op-

erating mode in which the inputs and outputs
of connected interfaces such as the 888/24 I/O
can be calibrated. In this mode, the track names
of all uncalibrated tracks flash until calibration
is complete. For details on using this feature, re-
fer to the Pro Tools TDM Installation Guide.

532 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 43: Setups Menu

the appropriate items for the menus in this dia-

Setups Menu log. For details on using this dialog to configure
your system, refer to the Pro Tools System Instal-
lation Guide for your Pro Tools configuration.

Playback Engine

Setups Menu

This menu allows you to configure various

Pro Tools hardware an d software parameters.

Hardware Playback Engine dialog

This dialog changes the Playback Engine. Your

choice of Playback Engine determines which
Pro Tools audio card is used to provide Pro Tools
with its recording, playback and editing fea-
tures.

If you change the Playback Engine mid-session,

the session will be saved, closed and reopened to
enable the new Playback Engine. For details on
using this feature, refer to the Pro Tools Installa-
tion Guide for your Pro Tools system.
Hardware Setup dialog

This dialog lets you configure the various pa-

rameters for each card and interface in your
Pro Tools system. If you have multiple cards or
interfaces, you must configure each by selecting

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 533

 DAE Buffer Size If you are using multiple hard drives for record-
ing, this dialog lets you assign each track in a
(Windows Only)
session to a specific drive. Audio for that track
will then be recorded to the chosen drive. See
“Disk Allocation” on page 117 for details on us-
ing this feature.

Peripherals
The Peripherals dialog lets you configure syn-
chronization, MIDI, machine control, and eth-
ernet peripheral devices for use with Pro Tools.

Synchronization

DAE Playback Buffer Size dialog (Windows)

This command changes the DAE Playback

Buffer Size. When you first launch Pro Tools, it
automatically selects the optimal DAE Playback
Buffer size for your system. In some cases, you
may wish to adjust this parameter to modify
your system’s performance.

Playback Buffer Settings on Macintosh sys-

tems are changed from within the DAE ap-
plication itself.)
Synchronization setup
Disk Allocation This page configures synchronization devices
such as Digidesign’s Universal Slave Driver to
synchronize Pro Tools to SMPTE Time Code.

Disk Allocation dialog

534 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Machine Control Ethernet Controllers

Machine Control setup Ethernet setup

This page configures MIDI machine control and This page configures ethernet-equipped devices
9-pin machine control devices for use with such as Digidesign’s ProControl control surface
Pro Tools. MIDI Machine control is supported for use with Pro Tools.
on all Pro Tools systems. The Pro Tools Machine
Control software option is required for use of 9-
I/O Setup
pin controllers.

MIDI Controllers

MIDI Controllers setup I/O Setup dialog

This page configures MIDI control surfaces such The I/O Setup dialog lets you define and name
as the Mackie Designs HUI, Penny & Giles your system inputs, outputs, inserts, and busses.
MM16/DC16, JL Cooper CS-10 family, and the These paths will retain the names you have
Peavey PC1600. given them in any pop-up menus in which they
appear. See “The I/O Setup Dialog” on page 62
for details on using the I/O Setup dialog.

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 535

 Feet.Frames OMS Studio Setup
(TDM Systems Only) (Macintosh Only)

Feet.Frames dialog

For sessions in which feet and frames are the

time scale of reference, this command lets you
enter a Start Frame based on an appropriate
frame location at the beginning of your project
tape. The Feet.Frames Ruler will then use this OMS Studio Setup
value as its start reference.
This command configures OMS to use MIDI in-
terfaces, instruments, and other peripherals on
OMS MIDI Setup Macintosh-based Pro Tools systems. Refer to the
(Macintosh Only) Pro Tools Installation Guide that came with your
system for details on configuring OMS.

OMS Names
(Macintosh Only)

OMS MIDI Setup

This command configures OMS to use MIDI in-

terfaces, instruments, and other peripherals on
Macintosh-based Pro Tools systems. Refer to the
Pro Tools Installation Guide that came with your OMS Names dialog
system for details on configuring OMS.
This command opens patch name documents
for all configured OMS devices and edit patch
and note name information. Edited patch
names will appear in the Program Change win-
dow within Pro Tools.

536 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Preferences (the portions that fall above and below the cen-
ter line) are summed together and viewed as a
The Preferences dialog has several tabbed pages single positive-value signal. This view allows
in which you can specify your preferred settings more waveform detail to be seen in either nor-
for various session parameters. Each new session mal or reduced track height views. It can be par-
will use these preferences. ticularly useful when editing volume automa-
tion data, since the it depicts waveform levels as
Display Preferences starting at the bottom of the track.

Mix Window Follows Bank Selection This option,

which is only available if you are using an exter-
nal MIDI controller supported by Pro Tools,
causes Pro Tools to scroll the Mix window to dis-
play the selected bank of tracks when you
switch banks on the MIDI Controller, ensuring
that the current bank is viewable in on-screen.

Edit Window Follows Bank Selection This op-

tion, which is only available if you are using an
External MIDI controller supported by
Pro Tools, causes Pro Tools to scroll the Edit
window to display the selected bank of tracks
when you switch banks on the MIDI Controller,
ensuring that the current selection of tracks in
Recompute Invalid Overviews This option the current bank is viewable in on-screen.
prompts Pro Tools to look for missing or cor-
Edit Window Default Length This option allows
rupted overview data (the data used to create
you to set a default length for the Edit window
waveform displays) when it opens sessions. If
in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. This ca-
Pro Tools finds that overview data is missing or
pability is useful if you wish to assemble a ses-
corrupted, it will recreate the overview(s) for the
sion of a particular length or leave extra room to
session. This may take some time if there are
expand the Edit window’s work area in your ses-
many tracks in the session. If you suspect that
sion. There is a 13 hour maximum limit for the
overview data for a session has become cor-
length of a Pro Tools session.
rupted, or if you import audio files which have
no overview data into a session, make sure this Show Meters in Sends View When the Sends
preference is enabled for the session, save and View is displaying individual send controls, you
close the session, then reopen it. Pro Tools will can enable this option to show send level
recreate the overview(s) for the session when it meters. If you are using a slower computer, you
opens. can disable this option to reduce the processing
load on your CPU.
Draw Waveforms Rectified This option displays
audio waveform data in rectified view. In this
view, audio waveforms are displayed so that
their positive and negative waveform excursions

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 537

 Edit Window Color Coding Operation Preferences
Edit Window Color Coding determines how col-
ors are assigned to the waveform display in the
Edit window. Choices are:

None This option turns off color assignment to

the waveform display of tracks in the Edit win-
dow.

Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to the

waveform display of each track in the Edit win-
dow according to its voice number and MIDI
channel assignment.

Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to the

waveform display of each track in the Edit win-
dow according to its voice number and MIDI de-
vice type. Timeline Insertion Follows Playback This option
causes the screen’s play cursor to update its loca-
Groups Assigns a color to the waveform display tion to the point where playback stops.
of each track in the Edit window according to its
group ID. If groups are suspended using the Sus- Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle When se-
pend Groups command, all waveforms will be lected, the edit cursor automatically locates to
displayed in black. the point where scrubbing stops.

Peak Hold Options Support Background Record Applications Allows

other audio recording applications to run in the
These options determine the how long the peak background concurrently with Pro Tools. Files
indicators on track meters stay lit after a peak is recorded in the background can be imported
detected. Choices are: into Pro Tools, trimmed and viewed while re-
cording continues.
3-Second Peak Hold When selected, track meters
display the last peak level for three seconds. Sends Default to -INF Sets the initial fader level
of newly-created Sends to -infinity (no audible
Infinite Peak Hold When selected, track meters
signal level).
display the last peak level until you click them
to clear them. Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind When se-
lected, audio is audible during fast-forward or re-
No Peak Hold When selected, track meters do
wind.
not hold the peak level.
Latch Record Enable Buttons When deselected,
prevents multiple tracks from being record en-
abled: Record-enabling a track takes any other
track out of record-enabled mode.

538 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Latch Solo Buttons When deselected, prevents Shuttle Selects a type of shuttling different from
multiple tracks from being soloed. Soloing a that of Shuttle Lock Mode. With the Numeric
track mutes any track that is soloed. Keypad Mode set to Shuttle, playback is trig-
gered by pressing and holding the keys on the
Link Mix and Edit Group Enables When selected, numeric keypad—playback stops once the keys
links enabling and disabling of Mix and Edit are released. Various playback speeds are avail-
groups: Enabling Group A in the Edit Window able in both forward and reverse. You can also
automatically enables Group A in the Mix win- recall Memory Locations by typing period, the
dow. Memory Location number, and period again.
Use F11 key for Wait for Note When selected,
Autosave
pressing the F11 Function key puts MIDI record-
ing in Wait for Note mode. This preference determines how the Autosave
feature functions.
Numeric Keypad Mode
Enable Autosave When selected, Pro Tools auto-
Numeric Keypad Mode determines how the nu- matically saves sessions while you work. Use the
meric keypad functions. You can always use the Keep and Save Every fields to specify the total
numeric keypad to select and enter values in the number of incremental backups that are kept
Event Edit Area, Location Indicators, and Trans- and how often the session is saved.
port fields.
Online Options
Classic Emulates the way Pro Tools worked in
versions earlier than 5.0. With the Numeric Key- Record Online at Time Code (or ADAT) Lock
pad Mode set to Classic, you can play up to two
tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock mode. Press Con- When selected, online recording begins as soon
trol (Macintosh) or the Start key (Windows), fol- as Pro Tools receives and locks to time code or
lowed by 0-9 for different play speeds. Press Plus ADAT sync.
or Minus to reverse direction. Recall Memory
Record Online at Insertion/Selection When se-
Locations by typing the Memory Location num-
lected, online recording begins at the Edit cursor
ber, followed by period.
location. Recording continues until Pro Tools
Transport Allows you to set a number of record stops receiving time code. If you make a selec-
and play functions, and also operate the Trans- tion, Pro Tools records online for the length of
port from the numeric keypad. With the Nu- the selection.
meric Keypad Mode set to Transport, you can
play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock Open Ended Record Allocation
mode. Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start This preference determines how much of your
key (Windows), followed by 0-9 for different available hard drive space is allocated for record-
play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse direc- ing. Choices are:
tion. Recall Memory Locations by typing period,
the Memory Location number, and period
again.

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 539

 Use All Available Space When selected, the Remote Mode
drive’s entire available space is allocated. This
Punch In Frame Offset Sets an offset in frames to
can sometimes slow down the recording process
compensate for punch in timing advances or de-
for hard drives that use certain file systems, in-
lays.
cluding HFS+ and NTFS.
Punch Out Frame Offset Sets an offset in frames
Limit To Sets the maximum allowable recording
to compensate for punch out timing advances
duration. This can help reduce the time it takes
or delays.
to begin recording by allocating only a portion
of your hard drive. The number of minutes spec- Auto Regions Fade In/Out Length Sets a default
ified is allocated for each record-enabled track. length for fade ins and fade outs automatically
You may find it necessary to experiment with applied to applied to region boundaries. Using
this number to achieve the desired performance automatic fade-ins/fade-outs saves you the trou-
for recording. ble of editing to zero-crossings or creating nu-
merous rendered fades in order to eliminate
Machine Control clicks or pops in playback. Autofades are not
These preferences determine how a connected written to disk. Value range is from 0 to 10 ms
transport responds to Pro Tools. Choices are: for the Auto Region Fade In/Out Length. A value
of zero (the default) means that no auto-fading
Machine Chases Memory Location When se- will occur. The Auto Fade value is saved with the
lected, navigating to a specific location in a ses- session, and is automatically applied to all free-
sion with a Memory Location causes a con- standing region boundaries until you change it.
nected transport to chase to that location.
Calibration Reference Level Sets a default cali-
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub When se- bration reference level in dB when Pro Tools is
lected, navigating to a specific location in a ses- in Calibration Mode. See the Pro Tools TDM In-
sion by moving the selection point or by scrub- stallation Guide for details on using Calibration
bing a track will cause a connected transport to Mode.
chase to that location.

Machine Cues Intelligently When selected, if you

navigate to a cue point that is more than 10 sec-
onds from the current location, Pro Tools will
command a connected transport to shuttle to
the desired location at full speed to within 10
seconds of the cue point. Cueing will then slow
to normal speed until the point is reached. This
significantly speeds up tape cueing.

540 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Editing Preferences Crossfade Preview Pre-Roll This option specifies
the amount of pre-roll to be added when you are
auditioning crossfades in the Fades dialog.

Crossfade Preview Post-Roll This option speci-

fies the amount of post-roll to be added when
you are auditioning crossfades in the Fades dia-
log.

Default Fade Settings

Fade In Selects the default envelope shape for

fade ins.

Crossfade Selects the default envelope shape for

crossfades.

Fade Out Selects the default envelope shape for

fade outs.
Track Selection Follows Regions List Selection

When selected, selecting a region in the Regions Conversion Quality Selects the sample rate con-
List causes Pro Tools to highlight that region’s version quality. Sample rate conversion is used
occurrence in a track. in a variety of Pro Tools processes including
converting and importing audio files of differ-
Region List Selection Follows Track Selection ent formats into a session, bouncing and saving
tracks to a different sample rate or bit depth, and
When selected, selecting a region in a track also
other functions. The higher the quality of sam-
selects it in the Regions List.
ple rate conversion you choose, the longer
Auto-Name Separated Regions When selected, Pro Tools will take to process the audio file.
Pro Tools automatically names newly separated
regions by appending a number to the region’s Matching Start Time Takes List
name.
Command-clicking (Macintosh) or Control-
Auto-Name Memory Locations When Playing clicking (Windows) in a track, will display a list
of regions whose time stamp matches the cur-
When selected, Pro Tools gives new memory lo- rent cursor location. The preferences that follow
cations default names based on their time loca- determine which takes appear in this list:
tion in the session. The time units currently
chosen in the Display menu determine the units Take Region Names that Match Track Names
for the names.
When selected, only regions that share the same
Recall Original Track Selections When selected, root name with the track/playlist appear in the
Memory Locations that recall a selection also re- Takes List pop-up menu.
call the track in which the selection was made.

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 541

 Take Region Lengths that Match When se- Smooth and Thin Data After Pass When se-
lected, only regions that match the length of the lected, automation is automatically smoothed
current selection appear in the Takes List pop- and thinned by the amount specified with the
up menu. Degree of Thinning option.

“Separate Region” Operates on All Related Takes Write Switches to Touch After Pass After an au-
tomation pass in Auto Write mode, Pro Tools
When selected, editing a region with the Sepa-
automatically switches to Auto Touch mode. On
rate Region command also affects all other re-
TDM systems you can choose to stay in Auto
lated takes with the same User Time Stamp. This
Write mode by deselecting this option.
option helps you compare different sections
from a group of related takes. Mutes Follow Groups When selected, muting a
track that belongs to a Mix group mutes all
QuickPunch Crossfade Length Specifies a default
other members of the group. When deselected,
length for crossfades created by QuickPunch re-
tracks must be muted individually.
cording. Crossfades occur before the punch in
and after the punch out. Solos Follow Groups When selected, soloing a
track that belongs to a Mix group solos all other
Levels of Undo Sets the maximum number of ac-
members of the group. When deselected, tracks
tions (up to 16) that can be undone with the
must be soloed individually.
multiple undo feature.
Send Mutes Follow Groups When selected, mut-
Automation Preferences ing a Send that belongs to a group mutes all
other members of the group. When deselected,
Sends must be muted individually.

Send Levels Follow Groups When selected, ad-

justing the level of a Send that belongs to a
group adjusts the Send levels of all other mem-
bers of the group. When deselected, Send levels
must be adjusted individually.

LFEs Follow Groups When selected, adjusting or

editing an LFE control that belongs to a group
adjusts the LFE controls of all other members of
the group. When deselected, LFE controls must
be adjusted individually.

Degree of Thinning Specifies the amount of auto-

mation data thinning applied when automation
Faders Move During Playback When selected,
is recorded. Avoid over thinning automation
faders move on screen when automated. When
data or it may no longer accurately reflect the
deselected, faders do not move, but automation
original pass.
is still functioning.

542 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Touch Timeout Specifies how quickly automa- Edit Dither Settings When Digidesign’s dither
tion recording stops or “times out” after you plug-in is used, allows you to apply either nor-
stop moving a MIDI controller in Touch mode. mal or noise-shaped dither.

AutoMatch Time Specifies how quickly Pro Tools Dither Depth Allows you to select a bit depth for
returns a fader or other control to its previously the dithered audio.
automated level after automation recording
stops. AudioSuite Buffer Size Sets the size of the mem-
ory buffer used for audio processing and pre-
Amount of Memory for Automation Recording Al- viewing with AudioSuite plug-ins. Generally,
lows you to reserve additional memory for re- choosing a smaller buffer speeds up AudioSuite
cording automation. If you have dense automa- audio previewing functions. Choosing a larger
tion data or a large number of automated tracks, buffer speeds up AudioSuite processing func-
increase this amount. Relaunch Pro Tools for tions. Set the buffer according to your current
this setting to take effect. task: Before auditioning an AudioSuite plug-in,
set the buffer to Mini or Small. When you pro-
Processing Preferences cess a file, set it to Large or Jumbo.

TC/E Plug-In Allows you to choose the plug-in

used for Time Compression and Expansion
when you edit audio with the Time Trimmer
tool. The Time Trimmer works by using Time
Compression/Expansion to match an audio re-
gion to the length of another region, a tempo
grid, a video scene or other reference point.

Default Settings Specifies the default settings

used by the chosen Time Compression/Expan-
sion plug-in.

AudioSuite Dither

Use AudioSuite Dither When selected, applies

dither to specific audio processing tasks. See
“Dither” on page 352 for an explanation of
dither.

Dither Plug-In Specifies the plug-in used for

dither processing when the Use AudioSuite
Dither option is selected.

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 543

 Compatibility Preferences MIDI Preferences

Convert .WAV files to AES31/BroadcastWave Play MIDI Notes When Editing When selected,
causes MIDI notes to sound when you insert them
When selected, this option applies to all newly
with the Pencil or drag them with the Grabber.
imported .WAV files, making them compliant
with the AES31/EBU Broadcast standard. Default Note On Velocity Sets the default Note On
velocity for MIDI notes inserted in the Edit win-
Avid Compatibility Mode When selected, ensures
dow and the MIDI Event List.
that all imported OMF media files are treated as
Read-Only and prevents destructive editing pro- Pencil Tool Resolution Sets the default resolution
cesses such as those used by the Pencil and Time for MIDI controller data created with the Pencil.
Trimmer tools and AudioSuite processing. Setting this to a lower resolution helps avoid
creating controller data that is unnecessarily
dense. The value range is from 1 to 100 millisec-
onds.

Global MIDI Playback Offset Sets an offset in sam-

ples to compensate for MIDI latency. Entering a
value here has the same effect as setting an off-
set with the MIDI Track Offset command (Win-
dows > MIDI Track Offset). Offset values can be
positive (later) or negative (earlier).

544 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Note Display Determines how pitches for
MIDI notes are displayed in the Edit window
and in the MIDI Event List.

Default Thru Instrument Routes MIDI to a De-

fault Thru Instrument. This saves you the trou-
ble of creating a MIDI track and record enabling
it to hear a particular MIDI device and channel.
Unlike MIDI tracks, which only listen to the de-
vice and channel assigned to its Input Selector,
all incoming MIDI data is routed to the Default
Thru Instrument. If the Default Thru Instru-
ment is assigned to a record-enabled MIDI track,
Pro Tools only routes to the record-enabled
track.

Chapter 43: Setups Menu 545

546 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 44: Display Menu

Narrow Mix Window

Display Menu
This command reduces the width of Mix chan-
nels on screen, allowing you to display the max-
imum number of tracks on your computer mon-
itor. In this view, track names, names of sends,
and Plug-In names are abbreviated to accommo-
date the smaller view. To return to normal view
width, choose this command again.

Mix Window Shows

This command selectively displays Comments,
I/O, Inserts, and Sends views in the Mix win-
dow.

Display Menu Edit Window Shows

Display menu commands control the display of This command selectively displays Comments,
Pro Tools windows, tracks, and track data. I/O, Inserts, and Sends views in the Edit win-
dow.
Show Mix Window
This command displays the Mix window, used
Transport Window Shows
for recording and mixing tasks. This command selectively displays basic trans-
port controls, counter, and MIDI controls in the
Transport window. See “The Transport Win-
Show Edit Window
dow” on page 36 for details on using the Trans-
This command displays the Edit window, used port.
for graphical editing and arranging of audio,
MIDI and automation.

Chapter 44: Display Menu 547

 Sends View Shows Display Time in Regions
This command displays either send assignments This command displays the time stamp of all re-
for all sends, or the controls for individual gions in currently placed in tracks. When a re-
sends. gion is created, it is time stamped relative to the
SMPTE start time specified for the session. This
original time stamp is permanently stored with
Ruler View Shows
the region and cannot be changed. If a region is
This command selectively displays various ever moved, it can easily be placed at its original
Timebase and Conductor Rulers in the Edit win- position using the Spot dialog.
dow. In addition to providing a timing reference
None Disables time stamp display in regions.
for track material, Timebase Rulers are used to
define Edit selections and Timeline selections. Current Time Displays the time stamp of all re-
See “Rulers” on page 184 for details on using gions placed in all tracks according to their cur-
Rulers. rent location in the track.

Original Time Stamp Displays the Original Time

System Usage Window Shows Stamp of all regions in all tracks.
This command sets the display format for the
User Time Stamp Displays the User Time Stamp
System Usage window. The System Usage win-
of all regions in all tracks. When a file is first re-
dow shows the usage of DSP and CPU resources
corded, its User Time Stamp is identical to its
during a session. See “About Processing Band-
original time stamp. You can change the User
width” on page 376 for details on the System
Time Stamp using the Time Stamp Selected
Usage window.
command in the Audio Regions List. This allows
you to use a custom time stamp for spotting or
Disk Space Window Shows re-spotting the region to a time location differ-
ent from its Original Time Stamp.
This command specifies either a text-based or
“gas-gauge” style display format for the Disk
Space window. The Disk Space window shows Display Name in Regions
how much recording time is currently available
This command allows you to hide a region’s
on each hard drive connected to your system.
name in tracks in the Edit window. This is useful
if you are working at a zoom level where region
names obscure the view of audio waveforms.

548 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Display Auto-Created Regions Feet.Frames
Deselecting this command streamlines the dis- (TDM Systems Only)
play of region names in the Regions Lists by hid- This command displays the Time Scale in feet
ing automatically crated regions. These are re- and frames for referencing audio-for-film
gions that were created as a by-product of projects. The Feet.Frames time display is based
cutting, pasting and separating other regions. on the 35 millimeter film format.
Since these by-product regions can become nu-
merous, hiding them helps you to avoid scroll-
ing through unnecessarily long Regions Lists. Samples
See “Hiding and Removing Unwanted Regions”
This command displays the Time Scale in sam-
on page 257 for details on using this feature.
ples. This format is useful for high-resolution
sample editing.
Bars:Beats
This command displays the Time Scale in Bars &
Beats. Use this Time Scale if you are working
with musical material that mist align with bars
and beats.

Minutes:Seconds
This command displays the time scale in min-
utes and seconds.

Time Code
(TDM Systems Only)

This command displays the Time Scale in

SMPTE frames. The Frame Rate and Session Start
time are set from the Session Setup window.
Pro Tools supports the following frame rates: 24,
25, 29.97, Non-Drop, 29.97 Drop, 30 Non-Drop,
and 30 Drop frames per second.

Chapter 44: Display Menu 549

550 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 45: Windows Menu

Show Tempo/Meter
Windows Menu

Tempo/Meter window

This command opens the Tempo Meter win-

dow. This window allows you to manipulate
MIDI data using the Tempo Change and Meter
Change commands. See “Setting the Default
Windows Menu Tempo” on page 123 for details on MIDI editing
using these features.
The Windows menu has commands that display
or hide various Pro Tools windows. They act as
toggles: Choosing the command displays the
desired window; choosing it again hides the
window.

Chapter 45: Windows Menu 551

 Show MIDI Operations Show MIDI Event List

MIDI Operations window

This command opens the MIDI Operations win-

MIDI Event List
dow. This window allows you to manipulate
MIDI data using the following commands: This command opens the MIDI Event List win-
◆ Quantize dow. This window shows the contents of a MIDI
track in a single, easy to read list. Using the MIDI
◆ Change Velocity
Event List, you can quickly and precisely insert,
◆ Change Duration edit, or locate any type of MIDI data using your
◆ Transpose computer keyboard. See “MIDI Event List” on
page 321 for details on using this feature.
◆ Select Notes
◆ Split Notes
◆ Input Quantize

See “MIDI Operations Window” on page 309 for

details on MIDI editing using these commands.

552 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Show MIDI Track Offsets Show Session Setup

Session Setup window

This command opens the Session Setup win-

dow. This window allows you to configure vari-
ous session parameters including sample rate,
MIDI Track Offsets window session start frame, SMPTE frame rate, and sev-
eral time code-related parameters. See “The Ses-
This command opens the MIDI Track Offsets sion Setup Window” on page 468 for details on
window. This window allows you to create tim- using the Session Setup window.
ing offsets for MIDI tracks to compensate for
MIDI-to-audio latencies in hardware or soft-
ware-based MIDI synthesizers. Show Big Counter
By configuring a MIDI offset, you can make
MIDI tracks play back slightly earlier (by a spe-
cific number of samples), thereby compensating
for any audio monitoring latencies. MIDI offsets Big Counter window
affect playback only and do not alter how MIDI
data is displayed in the Edit window. This command opens the Big Counter window.
This window provides a large, easy to see refer-
ence for the current session time location. Time
Show Transport is displayed in the currently chosen Time Scale
format.

Transport window

This command opens the Transport window.

This window has standard transport controls, a
counter, and MIDI controls. See “The Transport
Window” on page 36 for details on using the
Transport.

Chapter 45: Windows Menu 553

 Show Automation Enable keypad, press the number of the location fol-
lowed by a period. See “Memory Locations Win-
dow” on page 276 for details on using this fea-
ture.

Show Machine Track Arm

This command opens the Machine Track Arm
window. When using MachineControl, this
window allows you to record-arm external re-
cording devices from within Pro Tools.
Automation Enable window

This command opens the Automation Enable Show Universe

window. This window allows you to enable or (TDM Systems Only)
suspend the writing of volume, pan, mute, plug-
in, send level, send pan and send mute automa-
tion for all tracks.

Before you can record automation, the desired

Universe window
automation type must be enabled. Buttons are
highlighted when enabled. To suspend writing This command opens the Universe window.
of automation, deselect the button for the de- This window provides a visual overview of all
sired automation type. tracks in a session. Use the Universe window to
quickly click and go to any location in a session.
Show Memory Locations
Show Beat Detective
(TDM Systems Only)

Beat Detective window

Memory Locations window
This command opens the Beat Detective win-
This command opens the Memory Locations dow. Beat Detective automatically detects the
window. Here you can store up to 200 time lo- tempo of a session and conforms an audio track
cation markers, selections, zoom settings, or selection to that tempo by separating it into
pre/post-roll times, track show/hide states, track regions and aligning it to the beats. Beat Detec-
height states, and group enables. To recall a tive is ideal for tailoring a performance to a
memory location, click the button for the de- groove. See Chapter 22, “Beat Detective” for de-
sired location or, on your computer’s numeric tails on using this feature.

554 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Show Movie Window Show System Usage
(Macintosh Only

Movie window
System Usage window
This command opens the Movie window. This
This command opens the System Usage win-
window displays QuickTime movies imported
dow. This window shows how much of your sys-
into the current session using the Import Movie
tem’s DSP and CPU processing capacity is in use
command. The movie serves as a sample-accu-
by the current session.
rate, random-access reference for spotting
sound effects, music, Foley, dialog, or other au-
dio to the visuals. See “About the Movie Win- Show Disk Space
dow” on page 497 for details on using this fea-
ture.

Show Strip Silence

Disk Space window

This command opens the Disk Space window.

This window shows the recording capacity of
each hard drive attached to your system, mea-
Strip Silence window sured in track minutes. This calculation is based
on the bit depth and sample rate of the current
This command opens the Strip Silence window.
session.
Use this window to remove areas of silence from
a selection. Strip Silence automatically divides a
selection into regions, which can be useful
quantizing audio to musical values or SMPTE lo-
cations. See “The Strip Silence Window” on
page 253 for details on using this feature.

Chapter 45: Windows Menu 555

556 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Appendix A: DSP-Induced Delays in
Mixing

In all digital systems, signal processing incurs Use of Inserts & Sends
signal delays of varying amounts. These delays
can vary from as short as several microseconds The following delays are incurred when you add
to as long as several milliseconds, depending on an insert or send to a track:
the type of processing being performed. • Insert: 2 samples
• Post-fader Send: 6 samples
• Pre-fader Send: 3 samples
Delay Factors
In Pro Tools, delay is incurred when you per- Use of Hardware Inserts
form the following processes:
When an audio interface peripheral is used on
an insert, there are two sources of delay: the
Bouncing Tracks samples incurred in using an Insert, and a delay
introduced by going through the D/A and A/D
Bus-based bounces When you bus a track to an-
converter pair (for analog devices) or digital I/O
other track and record the result, the following
connection (for digital devices) on the audio in-
delays are incurred:
terface.
Bus-based bounce delays for each Pro Tools system
On the 888/24 I/O, the Digital I/O delay in-
Pro Tools Hardware Delay
curred when using AES/EBU or S/PDIF is identi-
Pro Tools 24 8 samples cal.

Pro Tools 24 MIX 10 samples Audio Interface Delay Characteristics

Interface A/D/A delay Digital I/O

Bounce to Disk The File > Bounce To Disk com-
mand causes no delay on a TDM-equipped sys- 888/24 I/O 81 samples 17 samples
tem since delay compensation for the bounce
882/20 I/O 75 samples 17 samples
function is built in. This form of bouncing may
be more desirable than bus-based bouncing. 1622 I/O 75 samples 17 samples

Appendix A: DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing 557

 You can test the delay values by duplicating an
Compensating for Delays audio track and reversing its phase while com-
pensating for delay.
If you want to compensate for offsets incurred
by these delays, there are two different methods If you are using a plug-in whose delay factor are
you can use: apply sample-level delay to tracks you not familiar with, you can set the delay by
with the TimeAdjuster plug-in, or physically ad- ear using one of two methods:
just tracks in the Edit window by the appropri-
◆ If you are working with phase-coherent track
ate number of samples.
pairs, or tracks that had been multi-miked, you
can “null out” the delay. Invert the phase of the
Using the TimeAdjuster Plug-In target track using the TimeAdjuster Phase Invert
button, and adjust the plug-in delay time until
You can use the TimeAdjuster TDM plug-in pro-
the signal disappears. (When they are perfectly
vided with your Pro Tools system to apply an
synchronized, duplicate signals of opposite po-
exact number of samples of delay to the signal
larity cancel each other out.) When you are fin-
path of the tracks you are working with. Up to
ished, disengage the Phase Invert button.
2048 samples of delay are available.
◆ You can also change the delay while listening
Digidesign TDM plug-ins display their delay val- to the signal in phase, adjusting until any comb-
ues in the track delay indicators in the Mix win- filter effects cancel out.
dow. TimeAdjuster can be used to match these
delay values for tracks that need to remain in
phase (such as instruments recorded with multi- Nudging Audio Tracks
ple microphones or stereo pairs). On audio tracks, you can use the Pro Tools
Nudge feature to nudge the affected regions in
In the Mix window, Command-click (Macin-
single-sample (or other) increments, to preserve
tosh) or Control-click (Windows) the Track
phase coherency. If it is necessary to nudge a re-
Level Indicator to toggle between Level (which
gion by a large number of samples, you may
appears on the display as “vol”), Peak (“pk”) and
want to calculate the equivalent value in milli-
Channel Delay (“dly”) indications. Delay values
seconds and nudge the Region in millisecond
are shown in samples.
increments. If the value doesn’t divide evenly,
you can switch the Nudge value back to samples
To use TimeAdjuster to compensate for a time
delay: and use these smaller increments for the re-
mainder.
1 Apply the TimeAdjuster plug-in to the track
whose delay you want to increase, and Com- The disadvantage of using this method is that it
mand-click (Macintosh) or Control-click (Win- only works with disk tracks (not live inputs),
dows) its Track Level indicator until the and the timing relationship between tracks is
Channel Delay value is displayed for that track. permanently altered, which can affect editing.

2 Change the delay time in TimeAdjuster by

moving the Delay slider or entering a value in
the Delay field, until the track delay value
matches that of the first track.

558 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sample Rate and How it Affects Delay
Typical Delay Scenarios
The delay in samples caused by TDM processing
is the same regardless of the sample rate because Below are some typical delay scenarios that you
a sample is tied to the rate of the sample clock may encounter in a Pro Tools session. The more
for the entire system. However, when samples complex a session becomes, the greater the TDM
are converted into a time value (milliseconds or delay factors may become.
microseconds), the sample rate (44.1 versus
Once you know the delay for your session, set
48 kHz) must be taken into account.
the Nudge Value to that amount (in samples)
and nudge the affected regions to compensate
To convert from samples to milliseconds (and vice-
for the delay.
versa) use this formula:
• milliseconds = samples / sample rate (in kHz)
Example 3, Pro Tools 24 MIX System
• samples = milliseconds X sample rate (in kHz)
A bus-based TDM bounce with no plug-ins adds
There are 44 samples per millisecond @ 44.1 10 samples of delay:
kHz, and 48 samples/ms. @ 48 kHz.
◆ Track 1 routed to Bus 1-2, with pan set <100 =
2 samples
There are actually 44.1 samples/ms at
44.1 kHz, so Pro Tools rounds down to 44 ◆ Through Bus 1-2 Mixer and back out to TDM

samples/ms. One time in ten, Pro Tools = 5 samples

rounds off to 45 samples/ms. At 48 kHz, no ◆ Record to Track 2 with input set to Bus 1 = 3
rounding occurs. samples

Here’s an example of how to compensate for a

Total: 10 samples
delay:

Imagine that you have used a hardware insert Example 2, Pro Tools 24 MIX System
on the 888/24 I/O. According to the guidelines
A slightly different bounce adds 14 samples of
given previously, the total amount of delay in-
delay because it involves use of a Send:
troduced is:
◆ Track 1/Send 1 (post-fader) routed to Bus 1 = 6
Insert = 2 samples samples

888/24 I/O A/D/A = 79 samples ◆ Through Bus 1-2 Mixer and back out to TDM
= 5 samples
Total = 81 samples
◆ Record to Track 2 with input set to Bus 1 = 3

If you are working at 44.1 kHz, set Nudge Value samples

to milliseconds and nudge the region back (ear-
lier in time) 2 ms (2 x 44 = 88 samples). Then set Total: 14 samples
Nudge Value to samples, and nudge it forward
(later in time) 7 samples for a total of 81 sam-
ples.

Appendix A: DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing 559

 Example 1, Pro Tools 24 System
A bus-based TDM bounce with no plug-ins adds
8 samples of delay:
◆ Track 1 routed to Bus 1-2, with pan set <100 =
2 samples
◆ Through Bus 1-2 Mixer and back out to TDM
= 3 samples
◆ Record to Track 2 with input set to Bus 1 = 3
samples

Total: 8 samples

Example 2, Pro Tools 24 System

A slightly different bounce adds 11 samples of
delay because it involves use of a Send:
• Track 1/Send 1 (post-fader) routed to Bus 1 = 5
samples
• Through Bus 1-2 Mixer and back out to TDM
= 3 samples
• Record to Track 2 with input set to Bus 1 = 3
samples

Total: 11 samples

560 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Appendix B: TDM Mixing and
DSP Usage

Pro Tools TDM Technology DSP Allocation

(TDM Systems Only) (TDM Systems Only)

Digidesign’s TDM (or time division multiplexing) Digital Signal Processing (or DSP) capability is
technology is based on the concept of a single, one of the most powerful elements of your sys-
high-speed data highway, or bus. In tem. The DSP chips in your system provide the
Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 systems, in- real-time processing power for your TDM Mixer
dividual channels from sources such as disk and plug-ins. There is a limit, depending on
tracks, sends, or busses are sent out from Digide- your system, to how many functions a single
sign audio cards, and combined together or mul- DSP chip can power at once. This section con-
tiplexed onto the TDM bus. At the receiving end, tains some guidelines for getting the most from
the audio cards can listen to any connection on your available DSP capacity.
the bus, and take whatever data they need.

With Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 sys- DSP Allocation Basics
tems, you can choose how to allocate the pro-
As in the analog world, every send bus or output
cessing power of your system. In most cases,
mix that you use demands that a summing
you’ll start the allocation process by configuring
mixer exist for that group. On an analog con-
your mixer, then assigning plug-in effects ac-
sole, the number of these summing mixers is
cording to how much remaining processing
fixed by the physical layout of the console. In
power you have.
the Pro Tools mix environment, this number is
variable, and depends on the number of output
mixes or sends that you choose to create.
Pro Tools allocates DSP power as it is needed to
build the mixers for each session.

Appendix B: TDM Mixing and DSP Usage 561

 We refer to certain mixing or signal processing ager will automatically try to make room for the
functions as “using one DSP” or “using two new mixer or plug-in on the MIX card. It does
DSPs.” This refers to the fact that there are a cer- this by reallocating the existing TDM mixers
tain number of DSP chips on a card (six on a and plug-ins to use the available DSP capacity
MIX card, or four on a DSP Farm card), each of on the MIX card as efficiently as possible.
which can only power a certain number of pro-
cessing functions. If you have a single MIX card
Monitoring DSP Usage
or DSP Farm card, and you create a big enough
TDM mixer and use enough sends or plug-ins, To monitor the usage of DSP resources during a
you will eventually use up or “max out” all Pro Tools session, choose Windows > Show Sys-
DSPs. tem Usage.

To display DSP resources in different formats,

Mixing and DSP Usage choose Display > System Usage Window Shows
Pro Tools builds a TDM mixer every time a ses- and choose a format from the Display menu.
sion is opened. Note that the term “mixer chan- As you allocate DSP to mixing or processing
nel” applies to Audio tracks (including virtual with plug-ins, the System Usage window indi-
tracks) and Auxiliary Input tracks, as well as cates when DSP chips are available and when
sends and returns that use any of the 64 TDM they are in use. Green indicates a chip is free.
internal busses. When you go beyond a certain Red indicates a chip is in use.
number of mixer channels, Pro Tools will use
another DSP to create additional mixer capacity.

With Pro Tools 24 systems, Pro Tools does not

always automatically free up all unused DSP
power when you delete unneeded mixer chan-
nel. On these systems, to reclaim all DSP power
after a change in your session configuration,
close your session and reopen it. Pro Tools will System Usage window showing Large format
rebuild your new mixer configuration to use
DSP power with maximum efficiency.

DSP Manager
(Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus Systems Only)

Pro Tools software (version 4.3 and higher) in-

cludes DSP Manager, a software component that
optimizes the use of DSP capacity on
Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus systems.

When you have a MIX card in your system, if

your current DSP usage is approaching the ca- System Usage window showing Detailed format
pacity of the card, and you then try to add a
mixer channel or assign a plug-in, the DSP Man-

562 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Detailed and Gas Gauge formats show the
percentage of each DSP chip in use. AudioSuite plug-ins do not use DSP and are
always available. Refer to your DigiRack
Plug-Ins Guide for more information.

You can set up your session by choosing one of

the session templates supplied with your system
as a starting point, or by building it from
scratch. If you are starting from scratch, a good
rule of thumb is to start by building your mixer
first, since at least one of the DSPs in your sys-
tem is automatically dedicated to mixing. Start
with Audio tracks, then add sends and Auxiliary
Inputs, and finally add plug-ins as available DSP
allows. Master Faders do not use additional DSP
System Usage Window showing Gas Gauge format power.

With these indicators as your guide, you can try

different mixer setups and different arrange-
ments of plug-ins, sends, and Auxiliary Inputs DSP Usage with TDM Mixers
to maximize your use of available DSP power.

Another feature available for DSP management Understanding Mixers

is Active and Inactive switching. See “Active and DSP allocation for mixing in a Pro Tools TDM
Inactive Items” on page 13. system is based on the concept of DSP summing
mixers. Every send bus or output mix that you
Setting up Sessions to use DSP use demands that a summing mixer exist for
Efficiently that group. Each pair of outputs or busses that
you use requires its own mixer.
The dynamically configurable mixing environ-
ment in Pro Tools lets you make choices based An “input” can be a disk track, a send, or an in-
on the type of setup you want to have—such as ternal bus connection. Adding a pair of outputs
how many inputs you want for your mixer, how or busses adds the requirement for more DSP
many plug-ins you want to use, or how many power.
sends you need.
A MIX card has six DSP chips, and a DSP Farm
For example, you could allocate all of your DSP card has four DSP chips, each of which can
power to create a large mixer with dozens of power a certain number of signal processing
channels—but you wouldn’t be able to use as tasks. DSP resources are dynamically allocated as
many busses, sends, or TDM plug-ins. Alterna- the number of mixers and inputs increases.
tively, you could create a mixer with a smaller
The TDM mixer provides basic building blocks
number of mixer channels plus some sends and
by which applications such as Pro Tools can cre-
Auxiliary Inputs for returns, and TDM plug-ins
ate a wide variety of mixer configurations.
on several tracks.

Appendix B: TDM Mixing and DSP Usage 563

 Mono and Stereo Mixers and DSP Hardware
Each TDM mono or stereo mixer is of the di- Different mixer plug-ins are available, each of
mensions “N x 2,” meaning that it mixes a vari- which uses DSP power at slightly different rates
able number of inputs to an output pair. For ex- on the different audio cards (and their DSP
ample: a session with six tracks routed to Output chips), as shown in the following tables.
1–2 would require a single 6 x 2 mixer. If one of
the tracks is assigned to Output 3-4, however, See also “TDM Mixer Plug-Ins” on
two mixers are required—one 5x2 mixer routed page 566.
to Output 1–2, and one 1x2 mixer routed to
Output 3–4. DSP Farm

Mixer Usage
Multi-Channel Surround
16-bit optimized mono 36x2 per chip
Each Surround mixer can have a variable num-
ber of outputs as well as a variable number of in- 16-bit optimized stereo 18x2 per chip
puts. For example, the 7.1 format requires eight Note: ALL stereo counts are simply the mono mixer
outputs. A single mono track assigned to a 7.1 count divided by 2 and rounded down
Output or Bus path would require a 1x8 mixer,
24-bit optimized mono 25x2 per chip
while one mono and one stereo track would re-
quire a 3x8 mixer. 24-bit optimized stereo 12x2 per chip

The important concept here is that every output Note: The surround mixer can not run on DSP Farms
(whether they are I/O or bus outputs) requires
that a mixer exists for that output. This means MIX Card
that creating a send to bus 1 requires that a
Mixer Usage
mixer be created for the bus 1–2 outputs, and
that mixer will have one input. 16-bit & 24-bit opti- 59x2 per chip
mized, mono

16-bit & 24-bit opti- 29x2 per chip

mized, stereo

Surround, 5.1 17x6 per chip

Surround, 7.1 12x8 per chip

Usage with other Surround mixer vary depending on

the number of channels in each format.

564 Pro Tools Reference Guide

I/O Submixing
If the DSP is also being used for I/O processing, When there is no space remaining on any DSP
then some of the chip’s capacity will be devoted for a single mixer to increase the number of in-
to I/O, yielding slightly lower mixer count puts, summing mixers must be created. For ex-
(these figures represent maximum numbers ample, on a Pro Tools 24 system, when a 24-bit
when I/O is declared in the Hardware Setup dia- Optimized mixer needs to grow to more than 26
log): inputs, a summing mixer is created along with
another 1 x 2 mixer to handle the 27th input.
DSP Farm with one I/O Declared
Both the original 26 x 2 mixer and the new 1 x
Mixer Usage 2 mixer are routed to the new summing mixer,
16-bit optimized mono 30x2 per chip whose outputs go to the desired destination
(such as output 1-2).
16-bit optimized stereo 15x2 per chip
Keep in mind that any delays inherent in creat-
24-bit optimized mono 20x2 per chip
ing the summing mixer are equal. Since input
24-bit optimized stereo 10x2 per chip signals are delayed equally, phase coherency is
preserved.
Note: The surround mixer cannot run on DSP Farms,
or any DSP that has I/O declared The number of virtual tracks supported by your
particular Pro Tools configuration will ulti-
MIX Card with one I/O declared mately determine the maximum number of
Mixer Usage channels for your TDM mixer.

16-bit & 24-bit opti- 51x2 per chip

Sends, Busses, and Master Faders
mized, mono
Each send will add an input to the destination
16-bit & 24-bit opti- 25x2 per chip
mized, stereo output pair. For example, a send to output 1 will
add another input to the output 1–2 mixer. If
Note: The Surround mixer cannot run on a MIX card the send destination doesn’t already have a
with I/O declared
mixer for its output pair, then a new mixer will
be created. A send to bus 3 will make a 1x2
MIX Card with two I/Os declared mixer for bus 3–4 if no other bus 3–4 sources
Mixer Usage have been created yet.

16-bit & 24-bit opti- 43x2 per chip In addition, adding a new track and assigning its
mized, mono input to a bus source will create a mixer for that
16-bit & 24-bit opti- 21x2 per chip bus pair if there isn’t one already. For example,
mized, stereo creating a new Auxiliary Input track and setting
its input to bus 5 will create a 1x2 mixer for bus
Note: The Surround mixer cannot run on a MIX card
5–6, even if no sources have been created yet.
with I/O declared

Appendix B: TDM Mixing and DSP Usage 565

 Mixer Usage Guidelines
TDM Mixer Plug-Ins
The following conditions apply to mixing with
(TDM Systems Only)
Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24 systems.
Pro Tools TDM systems come with three differ- ◆ One DSP chip is automatically dedicated to
ent Mixer plug-ins: Surround, 24-bit Optimized, mixing in the TDM environment.
and 16-bit Optimized. In most cases, the Mixer
◆ As you reach the basic mixer limits for a single
plug-in that was automatically installed with
DSP chip, the system will automatically begin
your system is the best one for all around use.
allocating DSP resources from another chip (if
The Mixer plug-in that is installed depends on
available), making it unavailable for plug-ins.
which Pro Tools system you have:
◆ Each bus or send connection requires DSP to
Pro Tools 24 MIX Systems Only The Surround mix signals. This means that each send or Aux-
Mixer plug-in is installed by default. When you iliary Input that you create will use available
run your Pro Tools Installer, a copy of the 24-bit DSP.
Optimized and 16-bit Optimized Mixers are
◆ On Pro Tools 24 systems, the 16-bit Opti-
placed in the folder “Plug-Ins (Unused)”.
mized Mixer can power more channels per DSP
Pro Tools 24 Systems Only The 24-bit Optimized chip than the 24-bit Optimized Mixer plug-in.
Mixer is installed by default. When you run the There may be cases where using the 16-bit Opti-
Pro Tools Installer, a copy of the 16-bit Opti- mized mixer will help conserve enough DSP
mized Mixer is placed in the folder “Plug-Ins power to allow for additional plug-ins.
(Unused)”.
On Pro Tools 24 MIX systems, there is no ad-
vantage to using the 16-bit Optimized mixer, so
Switching TDM Mixer Plug-Ins you should always use either the Surround
mixer, or the 24-bit Optimized mixer.
To Switch TDM mixer plug-ins:
1 Quit Pro Tools. Plug-In Features
2 Open the DAE Folder. The DAE folder is in-
stalled at the root level of the System Folder. Surround and 24-Bit Optimized

3 Open the “Plug-Ins (Unused)” folder, locate Both the 24-bit Optimized Mixer and the Sur-
the Mixer plug-in that you want to use, and drag round Mixer plug-ins provide the following:
it to the Plug-Ins folder. ◆ Optimized performance for recording and
mixing 24-bit audio.
4 Open the Plug-Ins folder, locate the other
Mixer plug-in, and drag it to the “Plug-Ins (Un- ◆ 24-bit digital output, from an audio interface

used)” folder. output or Bounce to Disk. Mixing level scaling

stores 48-bit results, using a 56-bit accumulator
5 Launch Pro Tools.
for maximum precision.
◆ 30 dB of mix headroom

566 Pro Tools Reference Guide

◆ Input and Output clip indication: Master 16-bit Optimized Mixer With the 16-bit Opti-
Fader meters simultaneously indicate clipping mized Mixer, the Master Fader meters indicate
at both the input summing stage and the output clipping only for the output level stage of the
level stage. mixer. With this mixer, you could lower the
◆ Multi-channel mixing formats for surround Master Fader to reduce your output level, but
(available with the Surround Mixer on Pro Tools any clipping at the input stage would not be in-
MIX systems only). dicated.

If reducing the output level has no effect on

16-bit Optimized Mixer clipping, it could be occurring in one of the fol-
lowing places:
The 16-bit Optimized Mixer provides:
◆ At the input summing stage. To prevent clip-
◆Optimized performance for recording and
ping at the input stage, trim the input summing
mixing 16-bit audio
levels.
◆ 24-bit digital output mix result from an audio
◆ At an insert on the Master Fader. If you are us-
interface output, or when bouncing to disk
ing a plug-in on the Master Fader, its meters
◆ More mixing channels (On TDM systems, 36 show the levels on the insert. To prevent clip-
x 2 mixing channels can be created per DSP) ping at the insert, trim levels on any plug-ins or
◆ 18 dB of mix headroom Hardware inserts on the Master Fader.

◆ Output clip indication: Master Fader meters

indicate clipping at the input summing stage Trimming Input Summing Levels
only. With many inputs that contain hi-level signals,
it is possible to clip the input summing stage of
Preventing Clipping the 16-bit Optimized Mixer. (This is less likely to
happen on the 24-bit Optimized Mixer because
The 24-bit Optimized and the 16-bit Optimized of its much greater available headroom.)
Mixer plug-ins indicate clipping differently.
To reduce the levels going into the input sum-
24-bit Optimized Mixer With the 24-bit Opti- ming stage of the Mixer plug-in, lower the fader
mized mixer, the Master Fader meters indicate levels of all track faders using the All Mix/Edit
clipping at both the input summing stage and group. If you are using mix automation, you will
the output level stage at all times. With this need to use Automation Trim mode or the Trim
mixer, you could lower the Master Fader to re- tool to lower the overall volume of all tracks un-
duce your output level, but the Master Fader til the levels are low enough to not overload the
meters could still indicate clipping at the input Master Faders.
stage.

Appendix B: TDM Mixing and DSP Usage 567

 DSP Usage with TDM Plug-Ins DSP Usage and I/O Allocation
Some basic guidelines for DSP usage on On TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems with a sin-
Pro Tools systems follow: gle audio interface, at least one DSP chip on
◆ TDM-equipped systems running Pro Tools 4.3 your MIX card (Pro Tools 24 MIX systems) or
or higher software use Digidesign’s MultiShell DSP Farm (Pro Tools 24) is automatically allo-
technology, that lets any MultiShell compatible cated to mixing and input and output tasks. See
plug-in to share DSP chips on both MIX cards “Mixers and DSP Hardware” on page 564 for
and DSP Farm cards. Up to five types of Multi- specifics.
Shell compatible plug-ins can share a single DSP Even though this is only a small portion of the
chip. DSP power available on the chip, it effectively
dedicates the entire chip to mixing tasks, mak-
Refer to the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide for de-
ing it unavailable for plug-ins.
tails on MultiShell plug-ins.
If you have an additional audio interface as-
◆Stereo DSP plug-ins generally use up twice as
signed to a DSP Farm or MIX Farm card,
much DSP as mono plug-ins.
Pro Tools will use a DSP chip on that card for
◆ Master Faders don’t require additional DSP. mixing and I/O tasks as well.
Use them freely to control submix levels,
send/bus output levels, and the master output If you are not currently using your additional in-
level of your session. terface, you can free up DSP and use it for addi-
tional plug-ins.
The session templates provided with your sys-
tem include several useful preconfigured session To reallocate I/O capacity on a DSP Farm or MIX
setups that make efficient use of DSP resources. Farm card:

If your computer has unused slots, you can al- 1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
ways increase your available DSP resources by 2 From the Card pop-up menu, select the MIX
adding additional MIX Farm or DSP Farm cards Farm or DSP Farm whose DSP you want to real-
to your system. locate.

3 From the Interface pop-up, select No Inter-

face.

4 Click OK to close this dialog.

When the session reopens, the DSP that was al-

located to I/O is available for mixing or plug-ins.

568 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Appendix C: Troubleshooting

Backing Up Your work Common Issues

It is highly recommended that you back up your
work on a regular basis, and especially before Pro Tools Won’t Launch
making changes to your system configuration.
Problem:

Back Up Your Session Data When you double-click the Pro Tools applica-
tion or a Pro Tools session file, Pro Tools doesn’t
Back up your session and audio data frequently. launch.
There are a variety of media that are suited to
back up projects of various sizes, from auto- Possible Solutions:
mated tape backup systems to high-capacity op-
◆ (TDM systems only) Turn off your computer
tical drives, to desktop CD-R burners.
and check to be sure your cables are properly
The best way to back up a session is to use the and securely connected to the correct Pro Tools
Save Session Copy In command to save the ses- cards and to your audio interfaces.
sion file and all of its associated files to a new lo- ◆ (Digi 001 systems only) Turn off your com-
cation. puter and check to be sure your cable is properly
and securely connected to the Digi 001 PCI card
Back Up Your System Setup and to the Digi 001 I/O Box.
◆ Turn off your computer and check all
Macintosh Back up your System Folder before
Pro Tools cards installed in your computer to be
upgrading your OS.
sure they are properly seated in their PCI slots,
Windows Create a system recovery disk after you and that any TDM ribbon cables are connected
have finished configuring your system and in- properly.
stalling software. This is more useful than a re- ◆ Verify that Pro Tools cards are installed in the
covery disk for an unconfigured system. correct slot order in your computer or Expan-
sion Chassis.
◆ Check to be sure your computer has the re-
quired amount of RAM to launch Pro Tools.

Appendix C: Troubleshooting 569

 ◆ (Macintosh Only) Verify that the DAE appli- Audio Interface Isn’t Recognized
cation is installed in the proper location. It
(TDM Systems Only)
should be in the DAE Folder inside your System
Folder. If DAE is not installed in the proper loca-
Problem:
tion, use your Pro Tools Installer disc to install
it. When you launch Pro Tools it does not recog-
nize an audio interface, or a connected audio in-
◆ (Macintosh Only) Verify that the DigiSystem
terface is not available.
INIT is installed in the Extensions folder, inside
the System Folder. If it is not, use your Pro Tools
Installer disc to install it. Possible Solutions:
◆ Turn off your computer and check to be sure
◆ (Macintosh Only) Verify that Virtual Memory
your cables are properly and securely connected
is turned off. On the Macintosh, open the Mem-
to the correct Pro Tools cards and to your audio
ory Control Panel. If Virtual Memory is turned
interfaces.
on, turn it off and restart your computer.
◆ Verify that your Hardware Setup is correct;

Problem: check to see that you have selected the correct

Interfaces for each I/O card.
You get an error message when you try to start
◆ If you only have one interface, make sure it is
the Pro Tools application.
connected to the d24 card (Pro Tools 24), or
MIX Core card (Pro Tools 24 MIX).
Possible Solutions:
◆ Make sure SuperClock connections to your
◆ (Macintosh) Make sure the default set of Mac
OS System Extensions is enabled, along with the audio interface are correct. Disconnect the
OMS, DigiSystem Init, Direct I/O, and DSP Man- SuperClock source from the interface and see if
ager Extensions. the problem persists.

◆ Try a complete restart. (Turn off your audio in-

terfaces, computer peripherals and your com-
puter, and then turn them on again in the Using DigiTest As a Diagnostic
proper sequence.) Tool
◆ Use the DigiTest application (installed in the The DigiTest utility performs diagnostic tests on
Pro Tools Utilities folder) as a diagnostic tool to the Pro Tools cards in your system. If DigiTest
verify that your Digidesign cards are opera- reports that any of your cards have failed, click
tional. You need to restart your computer before the Info button next to that card. Write down
and after using the DigiTest utility. the information that appears and report it to
your local Digidesign dealer or a Digidesign
Technical Support Representative.

Refer to your TDM System Installation Guide for

the specific DigiTest instructions.

570 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Performance Factors Before You Call Digidesign
There are several conditions that may adversely
Technical Support
affect the performance of Pro Tools. These in-
clude: Register Your System
Network Connections Close any network con- As a registered owner of a new Digidesign prod-
nections unless you are using them for network uct under warranty, you are eligible to receive
interchange of audio data. Digidesign Technical Support. Fill out and sign
your Registration Form and mail or fax it to the
Background Applications Any software utilities address supplied with the registration materials.
that run in the background or generate disk ac-
tivity, such as virus protection software, disk op- Refer to the registration materials that came
timizing, or file savers, should be turned off or with your system for details on warranty cover-
removed. age and the range of services available.

Screen Savers Screen saver software should be

completely removed from your computer before Use Digidesign Resources
running Pro Tools. In addition to the Pro Tools Guides, your system
includes following sources of information:
Power Saver Features Some automatic power
saver features, such as those that spin down the ReadMe files These contain late-breaking infor-
system hard drive, can affect Pro Tools perfor- mation and known issues pertaining to
mance. These features should be turned off. Pro Tools software and hardware configura-
tions. ReadMe files are installed in the Release
Virtual Memory (Macintosh Only) Pro Tools
Notes and Documentation folder when you install
will not launch if Virtual Memory is active. De-
Pro Tools.
activate Virtual Memory and restart your Macin-
tosh. Answerbase This is a database of common prob-
lems and DAE errors, and their solutions based
CD-ROM Extensions/Control Panels Some CD-
on the latest information from Digidesign Tech-
ROM and removable media Extensions and
nical Support. This database is installed in the
Control Panels have been linked to audio qual-
Digidesign folder when you install Pro Tools.
ity problems. Deactivate any performance-en-
hancing Extension or Control Panels for such Web site The Digidesign website includes an
media, and restart your computer. area for Technical Support, as well as a User
Conference that includes technical discussions.
Visit www.digidesign.com and go to the Support
area or the User Conference area.

Appendix C: Troubleshooting 571

 Gather Important Information Other Hardware

Digidesign wants to help you resolve problems If you are using additional hardware, refer to the
as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have manufacturer’s documentation for operational
the following information handy when you details.
contact Technical Support, it will make the diag-
The most common hardware additions include
nosis of your problem easier. Take a few minutes
the following:
to collect this basic information in one place.
◆ SCSI Accelerators (manufacturer, model, set-

System Information tings)

◆ Expansion Chassis (manufacturer, model,
Computer
bridge chip type)
◆ Make, Model, processor speed
◆ Video Capture cards (manufacturer, model)
◆ Amount of system RAM
Refer to Digidesign’s compatibility documents
◆ Operating system (version of Mac OS or Win-
or contact your Digidesign dealer to verify that
dows)
the hardware has been qualified for use with
◆ Any Drivers, Extensions, Control Panels, Disk your Pro Tools system.
Utilities, or other system-related applications
you may have installed. Other Software

Digidesign Hardware If you are using other audio or video applica-

tions, refer to the manufacturer’s documenta-
◆ Type of cards, interfaces, or peripherals
tion for operational details.
◆ Where the cards are installed
Make note of any other software that were run-
◆ PCI card order in computer or chassis
ning when a problem occurred.
◆ Interfaces connected to each card

Hard Drives Diagnostic Information

◆ Make, Model DigiTest
◆ Speed (RPM) If you ran DigiTest on your system and it gener-
◆ Type of SCSI Connection (narrow, wide) ated any errors, be sure to make a note of any er-
ror codes or messages.
Digidesign Software
Other Information
◆ Pro Tools software version
◆ (Macintosh) DAE and DSI versions Note any DAE errors or other error codes you en-
counter. Also make a note of the ability to repro-
◆ Plug-in versions
duce the problem under different conditions,
◆ Other Digidesign software such as with another session, or after changing
◆Additional plug-ins from Digidesign Develop- settings such as the DAE Preferred Memory Size
ment Partners (Macintosh) or the Hardware Buffer Size
(Pro Tools LE).

572 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Glossar y

9-pin (Sony 9-pin; DB-9) Industry standard for se- audio interface Among most Pro Tools systems,
rial machine control of professional video and the audio interface is a separate box that is at-
audio transports, made by Sony and other man- tached with a special cable to the audio card. An
ufacturers. Refers to the DB-9-style physical ex- audio interface typically has analog and digital
ternal control connector found on 9-pin-com- audio inputs and outputs, and may be equipped
patible devices. with level meters, level controls, and other fea-
tures.
A/D conversion Analog-to-digital converters op-
erate at various bit-rate resolutions and sam- audio region A region of an audio file that is de-
pling rates. fined non-destructively with pointers. See re-
gion.
address (time code address) Specific
SMPTE/EBU time code reference or reading, in Audiomedia III Digidesign’s entry-level PCI card
hours:minutes:seconds:frames. for Pro Tools, includes S/PDIF and stereo analog
inputs and outputs.
ADAT lightpipe Industry standard for optical
connection of digital audio. Created by Alesis, AudioSuite plug-in Digidesign’s proprietary file-
the lightpipe can simultaneously stream eight based, non-real-time plug-in format. AudioSuite
channels of digital audio. processing creates a new audio file with the ef-
fect permanently applied.
AES/EBU Standard Industry professional stan-
dard for transferring digital audio between pro- audition Listening to, or “monitoring,” one or
fessional-quality audio devices. Stands for “Au- more tracks or audio files. In Pro Tools you can
dio Engineering Society /European Broadcasters’ audition files before you load them into the pro-
Union.” Most AES/EBU connections utilize an gram. There are also various ways to audition
XLR-style 3-pin connector to carry two channels takes from the Audio Regions list and from the
of digital audio. Takes List pop-up menu.

AIFF Audio Interchange File Format, an Apple auto-created region Automatically-created re-
Computer audio file format. gions are a by-product of editing and punch re-
cording over existing regions.
ATR Audio Tape Recorder, of any format, includ-
ing a Digital Audio Tape (DAT) deck.

Glossary 573
 Automation modes Function for the recording clipping indicator LED at the top of each channel
and playing changes in levels, pan controls, and meter that indicates a level may have run out of
virtually every adjustable parameter (including headroom, and is approaching clipping.
plug-in elements) in Pro Tools. There are several
different automation modes in which to write clock reference Common “speed” reference,
automation data in Pro Tools. which various devices can use to establish syn-
chronization during playback and recording.
aux See auxiliary I/O.
Conductor Ruler A ruler which can show session
auxiliary I/O Input and output channels used data. There are three types of conductor rulers,
for internal or external bussing of signals in called Tempo, Meter, and Marker rulers.
ways other than through the standard input and
output of a channel strip. continuous controller data MIDI instructions
that affect MIDI note parameters, including vol-
auxiliary send See send. ume, panning, velocity, pitch bend, and modu-
lation.
AVoption PCI cards and software that integrates
Avid video technology with Pro Tools. crossfade Function for fading out from one re-
gion as you fade in to another region. Crossfade
AVoption XL PCI card, video interface, and soft- types and duration are user selectable from
ware that integrates Avid video technology with within the Edit window. As with fades, portions
Pro Tools. of audio for which the fade function has been
.AVI Movie file format for the Video for Win- applied are stored in the session’s Fade Files
dows component of Microsoft’s Media Player, folder.
supported by Pro Tools. d24 Digidesign’s 24-bit TDM interface card,
bit depth One of two main specifications that needs a DSP Farm card to create a basic Pro Tools
define digital audio quality (the other is sample TDM system.
rate). Bit-depth defines how precisely a sound’s DAE (Digidesign Audio Engine) Digidesign’s real-
dynamic range is represented. Also called bit- time operating system that provides the core
resolution or bit-rate. functionality of hard disk recording, digital sig-
BNC Coaxial cable connectors used for video nal processing, mix automation, and MIDI re-
and synchronizer signals. quired by Pro Tools and other Digidesign prod-
ucts.
Bounce To Disk Mixing a segment of audio (on
an entire session) internally to disk, without DB-9 See 9-pin.
leaving the digital domain. Bit rate, dithering Digi 001 Digidesign’s all-in-one audio interface
options and other parameters are provided by for entry-level Pro Tools LE systems, comprised
Pro Tools for bouncing to disk. of a PCI card and I/O box. Includes two mic
breakpoint Step or level on a track’s automation preamps, S/PDIF I/O, ADAT lightpipe I/O, and
playlist. eight channels each of analog input and output.

bus Carries signals from several outputs to a sin- Digidesign Audio Engine See DAE.
gle path.

574 Pro Tools Reference Guide

dither “Noise” added to an audio signal when frames per second (fps) Number of frames that
down-sampling bit rates. Designed to create a elapse per second, as defined by the four
smoother transition at lower amplitudes instead SMPTE/EBU Time Code fps standards. These in-
of simply “chopping” off lower bits. clude:

drop frame Refers to a variance of SMPTE/EBU • 24 fps (for film applications);

time code for NTSC color video (29.97 fps) that • 25 fps (the PAL/SECAM video standard);
omits two frames (frames “0” and “1”) every • 29.97 fps (the NTSC color video standard)
minute except for every tenth minute. (also see Drop-Frame);
DSP Digital Signal Processing. In audio terms, • 30 fps (the NTSC black and white video stan-
DSP refers to manipulation of digital audio—ev- dard).
erything from reverberation to changes in level.
Grid mode Used to align regions in tracks to the
DSP Farm PCI card containing DSP chips, the nearest unit of a user-defined value. When Grid
basic building blocks of a Pro Tools TDM sys- mode is on, the Selector will “snap to” the cur-
tem. rently selected grid value, and regions placed in
the Edit window will also line up with the se-
Edit cursor Flashing line that appears when you lected value.
click on a track in the Edit window.
groups Linked tracks in which an action in the
edit decision list (EDL) List of edits, or events, I/O section of one of the tracks is mirrored in all
typically with each event’s respective source in tracks in the group. Groups can be created sepa-
and out times, source reel number, and record in rately or linked between the Edit and Mix win-
and out times. dows.
Edit insertion point Location within a track headroom Amount of remaining gain available
where you click (without dragging); also loca- for a given signal before the onset of unaccept-
tion at which a region’s start, end, or sync point able distortion.
will be placed.
latency Time delays inherent in internal pro-
Edit selection In the Edit window, the actual re- cessing or generation of audio signals within a
gion highlighted when you make a selection is computer.
called the Edit selection, which can be unlinked
from Timeline selection. See Timeline selection. lightpipe See ADAT Lightpipe.

Event List See MIDI Event List. Machine Control Pro Tools functions to control
or be controlled by an external transport, typi-
expansion chassis Expands the capabilities of cally a VTR or ATR.
Pro Tools TDM systems running on Macintosh
computers by adding more external PCI slots. Marker Memory Location referenced on a time-
line, typically used to store locations to impor-
ExpressPro-Tools ATTO’s hard disk utility for the tant points in a session. See Memory Location.
preparation of hard drives for Pro Tools.

fade A selection in which the volume rises or

falls, typically from or to -∞. See crossfade.

Glossary 575
 master “Lead” machine or Pro Tools System in a nondestructive editing Leaves audio files intact.
synchronized machine arrangement. Slaves fol- As you edit audio within Pro Tools, all you are
low masters. There can only be one master at editing are the regions, or “pointers,” to audio
any given time. files that are stored on the hard drive.

Master Fader track Governs the overall output NTSC Video standards developed by the Na-
of one or more tracks. tional Television Standards Committee. NTSC
color video runs at 29.97 frames per second;
Memory Location Pro Tools supports up to 200 NTSC black and white video runs at 30 fps. Used
Memory Locations, which can include markers, primarily in North and South America and Ja-
Edit selections, record and play ranges, track set- pan.
tings, and other data. They can be viewed and
sorted in the Memory Locations window, from OMS Open Music System, developed by Op-
which they can also be accessed. code. OMS is a “MIDI operating system” for
Macintosh computers. It handles the exchange
MIDI Event List Pro Tools window that shows of MIDI data between applications, including
the contents of a MIDI track in a column, for timing signals such as MTC.
easy editing of individual MIDI events.
PFL (pre fade listen) Sometimes called a “cue,”
MIDI Machine Control See Machine Control. this is a channel’s level before it is attenuated or
MIDI Time Code See MTC. boosted by the fader setting. Master faders are
PFL in Pro Tools. See pre fader.
MIX Core PCI card which connects to audio in-
terface and contains the DSP for a basic Pro peak indicator Indicator light designed to warn
Tools Mix TDM system. of the possibility of clipping, which illuminates
as a device’s input reaches a preset degree of
MIX Farm PCI card with additional DSP for headroom.
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems.
playlist List of edits and files available in the cur-
MP3 The MPEG Layer 3 compression format is rent session.
an adjustable-quality audio compression for-
mat, developed by the Fraunhofer Institute. The positional reference Common reference that
MP3 encoder file is stored in the Codecs folder provides location information that various de-
in the DAE Folder. vices can use to establish synchronization dur-
ing playback and recording. Most commonly,
MTC (MIDI Time Code) Non-SMPTE form of the information is delivered in the form of
time code that is used by some devices to send SMPTE/EBU Time Code.
and receive timing information.
post-fader Output from a track (typically a send)
non-drop frame Time code that is not in drop- that is governed by the channel’s fader setting.
frame format. In the United States, the standard
format outside of color video production or post-roll Adjustable time which precedes the
post-production is typically 29.97 fps non-drop playback or recording of a selection, in conjunc-
frame. tion with Transport, Audition, Online, and
QuickPunch functions.

576 Pro Tools Reference Guide

preamp In recording studio terminology, a cir- resolving The process of synchronizing one de-
cuit designed to boost relatively low signal lev- vice to another; more specifically, resolving re-
els, such as a microphone output, up to stan- fers to synchronizing a device’s clock to an ex-
dard line levels of –10dBu or +4dBu. Digi 001 is ternal clock reference.
equipped with two microphone preamps.
RTAS plug-in Real-Time AudioSuite plug-ins are
pre-fader Output from a track (typically a send) Digidesign’s host-based, real-time effects plug-
that is independent of the channel’s fader set- in format.
ting.
sample rate One of two main specifications that
pre-roll Adjustable time which precedes the play- describe digital audio quality (the other is bit
back or recording of a selection, in conjunction rate resolution). Sample rate refers to how fre-
with Transport, Audition, Online, and Quick- quently incoming audio is sampled per second
Punch functions. during conversion from an analog to a digital
signal.
ProControl Digidesign’s control surface that
communicates with Pro Tools via ethernet. SCSI HBA Acronym for Small Computer System
Touch-sensitive, motorized faders, dedicated ef- Interface (SCSI) and Host Bus Adapter (HBA),
fects editing section, and extensive parameter Digidesign’s conformed terminology for SCSI
automation control are some of ProControl’s cards. SCSI is a type of data bus allowing for the
unique features. high speed transfer of data between a computer
and peripheral devices. An HBA is the card that
Pull Up/Pull Down Refers to the deliberate “mis- connects the SCSI buss between the computer
calibration” of the audio sample rate clock (the and peripheral devices such as hard drives.
audio pitch) in order to compensate for a speed
change elsewhere in the production chain. The send An adjustable buss from a track, which can
usual situation in which these rates are encoun- be routed to effects processors, auxiliary moni-
tered is when film footage (at 24 fps) is trans- tor mixes, and signal grouping.
ferred to color NTSC-standard video tape (at
29.97 fps). session Work file, much like a word processing
document or a graphics program file. A Pro
quantize To adjust MIDI note locations or dura- Tools session consists of audio and MIDI files,
tions to the nearest unit or template structure so and related data such as fades, playlists, and se-
that particular rhythmic “feel” is achieved. lections. Each separate project you work on
should be stored as its own session.
QuickTime Apple’s system extension for control
of time-based events, such as digitized video slave Device that “follows” the master during
movies and digitized sound. synchronization.

RealAudio Audio compression scheme designed Sound Designer II (SDII) file format Digidesign’s
for streaming over the internet. high-quality digital audio file format.

region Within Pro Tools, a region is a “pointer”

to a particular track selection or file. Regions can
be dragged from the Regions list to a track.

Glossary 577
 S/PDIF Semi-professional version of the TDM Time Division Multiplexing technology
AES/EBU standard. Stands for “Sony/Philips employs a networked bus of DSP chips that sup-
Digital Interface Format.” Most S/PDIF connec- ply the processing power for Pro Tools TDM sys-
tions utilize RCA in/out connectors, carrying tems.
two channels of digital audio at a time.
TDM plug-in Digidesign’s proprietary real-time,
Spot mode Audio post-production process of non-destructive plug-in format for Pro Tools
aligning audio events to visual events. Spot is TDM systems.
the Edit mode that allows you to spot regions to
particular time code events. time code address See address.

Standard MIDI File Universal format that can be time code generation Process of creating “fresh”
read by virtually any software that reads MIDI. time code.
Type 0 is a single line sequence, type 1 is multi- Time Scale The Main Time Scale is the Timebase
track. Ruler that determines the time format used for
submix; subgroup See groups. Transport functions, and Grid and Nudge val-
ues. The Sub Time Scale is the Timebase Ruler
Super Clock (256x) Digidesign’s proprietary that provides additional timing reference.
version of word clock; used as a clock reference.
All Digidesign TDM audio interfaces, and sev- Timebase Rulers Up to five discrete strips mea-
eral other Digidesign products (including the suring different units (samples, feet.frames,
Universal Slave Driver, the ADAT Interface, the minutes:seconds, bars:beats, or time code)
SMPTE Slave Driver, and the Video Slave Driver) across the top of the Edit window.
are equipped with BNC-style Super Clock inputs Timeline insertion point Location on the time-
and outputs. line corresponding to the cursor point, and the
As with word clock, Super Clock is a clock signal point from where playback or recording begins.
that can be passed between devices indepen- Timeline selection A selection in any Timebase
dently of the audio signal. Since it runs at 256x Ruler that determines the playback or record
sample rate (instead of word clock’s 1x sample range.
rate), Super Clock is inherently more precise
than Word Clock. Universe window Provides a visual overview of
all tracks in a session, and can be used to quickly
synchronization Process of having two or more navigate to any location in a session.
audio, video, or other devices run together at ex-
actly the same speed (usually during playback, user-defined region Explicitly defined regions
though sync during record, fast-wind, and that are created when recording or importing
“crawls” is possible). audio or MIDI; capturing, separating, or consol-
idating a selection; trimming a whole-file audio
sysex (System Exclusive) MIDI data specific to a region; or renaming an existing region.
particular piece of hardware or instrument.
video reference signal All video signals contain
clock information, which can be used as a clock
reference.

578 Pro Tools Reference Guide

virtual track On-screen track that isn’t assigned
to a voice on TDM systems.

voices With a Pro Tools TDM system, this refers

to the number of channels that can be played
back simultaneously.

VTR Video Tape Recorder of any format.

.WAV Pronounced “wave”; Microsoft’s Audio

File Format. Can be read by Pro Tools on both
Macintosh and Windows platforms.

waveform Means of visually representing a

sound. When sound regions are imported into
Pro Tools’s Edit window, they can be viewed in
waveform view.

whole-file audio regions Created when recording

or importing audio, consolidating existing re-
gions, and when processing with an AudioSuite
plug-in.

zero crossing Point at which a wave’s amplitude

crosses the center line of the waveform display.
Typically a good spot to edit a sound file is at
zero crossings, to avoid unwanted artifacts.

Zoom Function used to view waveform displays

within the Edit window with greater detail.

Glossary 579
580 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Index

Symbols 5.0 paths in 5.1 mixes 439

.1 (in surround mixing) 420 5.1 formats in Pro Tools 429
8-bit 407
Numerics
11025 sample rate 407 A
11127 sample rate 407 active 13
16-bit tracks 84
Bounce to Disk 407 Active in Background
16-bit Optimized Mixer for MP3 play 406
clipping 567 Active in Background option 531
plug-in features 567 ADAT, syncing to 481
1-Band EQ plug-in 517 Add Movie command 526
22050 sample rate 407 adding
22254 sample rate 407 a new playlist 173
24 FPS 461 audio tracks 125
24-bit Auxiliary Input tracks 332
Bounce to Disk 407 Master Fader tracks 333
TDM processing 352 MIDI tracks 145
Sends 339
24-Bit Optimized Mixer
plug-in capabilities 566
AIFF file format 402
24-bit Optimized Mixer All Notes Off command 308, 523
clipping 567 all tracks
25 FPS (EBU) 461 hiding 79
selecting 201
29.97 FPS Drop 461
selecting all regions in 197
29.97 FPS Non-Drop 460, 491 selecting in Timebase Rulers 201
3:2 Pulldown 462 showing 79
30 FPS Drop 460 allocating
30 FPS Non-Drop 460 DSP 561, 563
32-bit, floating 352 I/O capacity 568
3-knob panning 449 Amount of Memory for Automation Recording
3-Second Peak Hold preference 538 option 543
44100 sample rate 407 Assignment view
48000 sample rate 407 sends 340
4-Band EQ plug-in 517 Audio CD Import Options dialog (Macintosh) 99
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 190,
538

Index 581
 audio files configuring for recording 125
batch loading with drag & drop 96 creating a tempo map for 264
compacting 259 loop recording 132
concepts 10 placing audio in multi-channel tracks 432
default names 116 punch recording 131
formats 401 recording multiple 128
importing 91 signal flow 331
locating 105 Waveform view 28, 165, 168
mixed file types 53 Audiomedia III 7
mixed formats 92 QuickPunch 156
audio format, for session 469 AudioSuite and dither 353
audio interfaces 5, 6 AudioSuite Buffer Size preference 543
input channels 11 AudioSuite Dither preferences 543
Other Options 47, 48, 49 AudioSuite menu 517
audio recording DC Offset Removal plug-in 518
undoing a take 126 Delay plug-ins 518
audio regions 168 Duplicate plug-in 518
and automation 170 dynamics plug-ins 517
fitting to an Edit selection 238 EQ II plug-ins 517
stripping silence from 253 Gain plug-in 518
whole-file 164 Invert plug-in 517
Audio Regions Focus 40, 178 Normalize plug-in 518
Audio Regions List 35, 175 Pitch Shift plug-in 518
displaying file info for audio regions 176 Reverse plug-in 518
dragging from 212 Signal Generator plug-in 518
finding regions 177 Time Compression/Expansion plug-in 518
sorting 176 AudioSuite plug-ins 232
Audio Regions List menu 35, 488 audition path 72
Auto Rename Selected command 257 auditioning
Clear Selected command 258 fades 243
Compact Selected command 259 pre/post-roll 204
Display All command 177 programs 305
Export Region Definitions command 98 selection start/end points 204
Export Selected As Files command 97 takes 133
Find command 177 Auto Input Monitoring option 113, 529
Rename Selected command 257 Auto Regions Fade In/Out Length option 250, 540
Selected Unused command 258
Auto Rename Selected command 257
Show Disk Names option 176
auto-created regions 164
Show File Names option 176
hiding 257
Show Full Pathnames option 176
renaming 256
Sorting option 176
Time Stamp Selected command 220 auto-fades 250
audio tracks 10 AutoMatch Indicators 376
5.1 format 425 AutoMatch Time option 375, 543
and Output format 433 automating
and surround sessions 432 Plug-Ins 380
and tempo changes 263 Sends 379
bouncing to disk 400 switched controls 379
channel strips 18 tracks 378

582 Pro Tools Reference Guide

automation 369 Automation Preferences 542
and audio regions 170 AutoMatch Time option 375
and Duplicate Track 371 Degree of Thinning option 375
and multi-channel pan 453 Faders Move During Playback option 374
and multiple output assignments 433 LFEs Follow Groups option 375
breakpoints 387 Memory for Automation Recording option 376
buffer size 376 Mutes Follow Groups 374
capture & apply 395 Mutes Follow Mix Groups option 83
cutting, copying, and pasting 388 Send Levels Follow Groups option 374
deleting 382 Send Mutes Follow Groups 374
delta (see trim) 372 Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option 374,
drawing with Pencil 384 383
editing 385 Solos Follow Groups option 374
editing with Smart Tool 33 Solos Follow Mix Groups option 83
enabling, suspending 381 Touch Timeout option 375
for grouped tracks 388 Automation Safe Button 360
for hidden tracks 18 Automation Write Safe button 363
on multi-channel tracks 387 Auto-Name Memory Locations While Playing option
On Stop 393 273, 541
pass-through point 372
Auto-Name Separated Regions option 210, 541
playlists 173, 370, 377
plug-in accuracy in bounce 408
auto-naming
and Strip Silence 254
relative and absolute 372
audio files and regions 116
safing 377
QuickPunch regions 157
smoothing 375
separated regions 210
snapshot 394
takes 116
special Paste mode 391
tracks 116
stepped 386
thinning 375, 383 AutoSave option 539
To Current or All Enabled 396 Auto-Spot Regions command 487, 531
to start, end, or all 391 auto-voiced tracks 21
Trim mode 372 Auxiliary Inputs 347
trimming 393 adding 332
Write Safe button 360 and DSP usage 566
writing 378 signal flow 332
Automation Enable window 378, 381 Auxiliary Send level, and Master Fader 349
Automation Mode Selector 21 Avid Compatibility Mode option 544
automation modes and Bounce to Disk 401
Auto Latch 372
Auto Off 371 B
Auto Read 371
bank select 16, 302
Auto Touch 372
Bar|Beat Markers
Auto Write 371
and tempo events 266
Trim/Auto Latch 373
audio with varying tempos 265
Trim/Auto Off 372
editing 266
Trim/Auto Read 372
from Identify Beat command 264
Trim/Auto Touch 373
generated with Beat Detective 286
Trim/Auto Write 373
moving 266
Bars:Beats Time Scale 185, 549

Index 583
 bass bussing
extension 423 multi-channel sends 435
management 423 surround examples 439
sub content 421 Bypass Button
redirection 423 for real-time plug-ins 360
Batch Fades dialog 251 bypassing plug-ins 362
Beat Detective 279
applications for 280 C
beat triggers 284
Calculator mode for numeric entry 201
Collection Mode 290
conforming regions 288 Calibration Mode command 112, 532
defining the selection 282 Calibration Reference Level preference 540
detecting transients 283 cancelling record takes 127, 147
edit smoothing 289 Capture Region command 209, 512
generating Bar|Beat Markers 286 capturing time code 486
separating regions 287 CDs, importing audio from 98
system requirements 279 Center% in Output window 452
with multiple tracks 287
center, surround controls 452
Beat Detective window 281
centered crossfade 242
beat triggers, editing 284
Change Duration command 318, 521
Bi-Phase/Tach 460 Change Duration window 318
bit depth, for session 51, 468 Change Meter command 267, 520
black burst 491 Change Meter window 267
Blocks view 165 Change Tempo command 261, 519
Bounce options Change Tempo window 262
File Type 507 Change Velocity command 316, 520
Format 507 Change Velocity window 316
Import After Bounce 508 Channel Delay Indicator 23
Resolution 507
channel mapping
Sample Rate 507
default path order 74
Source 401, 507
editing 66
Use Squeezer 508
re-mapping 67
Bounce to Disk 401
Channel Selector 360
and dither 398
for multi-channel plug-ins 436
and time stamps 400
channel strips 11
convert during or after 408
audio tracks 18
format 401
MIDI tracks 20
mono, stereo, interleaved 406
sample rate conversion options 407 channels inputs 11
source path 401 chasing
Bounce to Disk command 507 controller events 306
MIDI notes 306
Bounce to Movie command 502, 525
program changes 306
bouncing
Cinema Stereo 416
to a stereo mix 409
to a submix 408 Classic Numeric Keypad Mode 41, 539
to QuickTime movies 502 Classic, Numeric Keypad Mode 41
breakpoints 387 Clear command 226, 512
Buffer Size 114

584 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clear Selected command (regions) 258 Continuous Scroll with Playhead option 192, 530
Clear Selection command (movies) 527 and half-screen 192
click 38 control surfaces (see MIDI control surfaces)
configuring 122 controller events 16, 301
enabling 121 and MIDI regions 172
Click command 522 chasing 306
Click Options command 122, 522 editing 302
Click/Countoff Options dialog 122 editing with Smart Tool 33
clicks and pops, avoiding 169 inserting 302
clipping 111 Conversion Quality option 99, 407, 500, 541
and 16-bit Optimized Mixer 567 Tweak-head setting 407
and 24-bit Optimized Mixer 567 Convert .WAV files to AES31/BroadcastWave
input sum levels 567 option 544
clock, optical and digital sources 367 Convert After Bounce 408
Close Session command 56, 506 Convert During Bounce 408
closing multiple Plug-In windows 361 Convert Plug-In pop-up 360
Collection Mode, Beat Detective 290 converting session
Commands Focus 40 audio file format 53
bit depth 53
Commands Focus button 29
sampling rate 53
Comments View 25, 336
Copy command 227, 511
comments, entering for tracks 78
Copy Edit Selection to Timeline command 207,
Compact Selected command 259
531
Compare button 360
Copy Timeline Selection to Edit command 207,
compatibility 531
surround formats 422
Copy To Send command 380, 515
Compatibility Preferences 544 Copy To Send dialog 380
comping related takes 135 copying
Compress/Expand Edit To Play command 237, all automation playlists for a track 228
513 MIDI notes with the Split command 311
and multi-channel tracks 238 selections and regions 227
Conductor button 38 track automation to Sends 380
Conductor Rulers 184 track control settings to Sends 346
including in selections 201 correlated 436
configuring countoff 38, 121
click options 122 CPU Load 376
MMC 479 CPU Usage percentage 45
Pull Up/Down 473
Create Fades command 248, 514
SMPTE 471
creating
conforming QuickTime movies 499
crossfades 248
connecting fade-ins/outs 249
effects units 365 groups 87
external audio devices 365 Markers and Memory Locations 272
external clock sources 366 regions 209
Consolidate Selection command 256, 513 sessions 50
Continuous Scroll During Playback option 192, 530 Crossfade Preference for Pre/Post-Roll option
and half-screen 192 247, 541

Index 585
 crossfades 241 default track names 116
and dither 353 Degree of Thinning option 375, 542
creating with Smart Tool 32 Delay plug-ins 518
equal gain 245 delays (see DSP delays)
equal power 245, 247
Delete Fades command 248, 514
Fades dialog 242
Delete Selected Groups command 87
in batches 251
linear 247 Delete Selected Tracks command 78, 509
overlap 247 deleting
pre/post 248 automation 382, 389
removing 248 existing paths 71
trimming 248 groups 88
types 241 in MIDI Event List 327
with dither 245 Memory Locations 275
Current Cursor Display MIDI notes 300
location 34 playlists 174
value 34 program changes 305
sysex events 306
current meter 38, 267
tracks 78
current tempo 38, 261
underlying region data 227
Current Time option 548 unused regions 258
custom sample rates 407 delta
Cut command 227, 511 trimming automation 372
cutting destructive editing
automation 389 compacting audio files 259
MIDI notes with the Split command 311 Destructive Record mode 119, 130, 529
selections and regions 227
destructive recording 130
Digi 001 7
D modes and I/O Setup 65
DAC Muting option 47 punching with footswitch 149, 155
DAE 9 QuickPunch 156
DAE Buffer Size command 49, 534 Digidesign Audio Engine (see DAE)
DAT recorder, recording from 158 digital audio 9
DC Offset Removal plug-in 518 digital clipping 111
default digital mastering 410
audition path 72 digital signal processing (see DSP)
I/O Setup 70 DigiTest 570
output path 72 as a diagnostic tool 570
path order 74 Direct I/O 570
paths 64
discontiguous selections 197
Default Fade Settings 541
discrete
default meter 122 level control of multi-channel paths 432
Default Note On Velocity option 296, 544 disk allocation
default program change 23, 303 and cross-platform sessions 118
Default Settings preference 543 and system volume 118
default tempo 123, 264 Disk Allocation command 117, 534
Default Thru Instrument option 545 Disk Allocation dialog 117
Disk Space Window Shows command 548

586 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Display All command 177 Dither Depth option 543
Display Auto-Created Regions option 257, 549 Dither Plug-In preference 543
Display menu 547 divergence
Bars:Beats Time Scale 549 and width 421
Disk Space Window Shows command 548 drawing 452
Display Auto-Created Regions option 257, 549 front 451
Display Name In Regions option 168 front and rear 451
Display Name in Regions option 548 rear 451
Display Time In Regions option 168 using 451
Display Time in Regions option 548 Dolby Digital 420
DSP Usage Window Shows option 562 Dolby EX 416
Edit Window Shows option 25, 547 Dolby Surround 416
Feet.Frames Time Scale 549
Draw Grids in Edit Window option 180
Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 549
Draw Waveforms Rectified option 169, 537
Mix Window Shows option 17, 547
Narrow Mix Window option 85, 547 drum machine style loop recording 150
Ruler View Shows option 185, 548 DSP 561
Samples Time Scale 549 active and inactive items 13
Sends View Shows command 548 allocating 561, 563
Show Mix Window command 547 and Auxiliary Inputs 566
System Usage Window Shows command 548 and I/O capacity 568
Time Code Time Scale 549 and inactive outputs 338
Transport Window Shows command 547 and inactive sends 342
Display Name In Regions option 168 and Master Faders 568
and mixing 562, 563
Display Name in Regions option 548
and no output 338
Display Preferences 537
and overall resources 13
Draw Grids in Edit Window option 180
and Send meters 341
Draw Waveforms Rectified option 169
and TDM Plug-Ins 568
Edit Window Color Coding option 85
I/O and Mixer plug-ins 565
Peak Hold option 24
monitoring usage 562
Show Meters in Sends View option 341
reclaiming DSP capacity 562
Display Time In Regions option 168
DSP delays 557
Display Time in Regions option 548 compensating for 558
displaying DSP Manager 562
all regions 177
DSP Usage window 562
all Rulers 185
DTS 416, 420
file info for audio regions 176
Meter Ruler 267 Duplicate command 229, 512
Original Time Stamps 488 Duplicate plug-in 518
region names 168 Duplicate Selected Tracks command 508
region times 168 Duplicate Track
Tempo Ruler 261 for automation 371
User Time Stamps 489 duplicating
dither MIDI note selections 230
and Bounce to Disk 398 playlists 173
and fades 245, 353 selections and regions 229
AudioSuite 353
on Master Faders 398
resolution and Bounce to Disk 406

Index 587
 durations, for MIDI notes Merge Paste command 231, 512
editing with Change Duration command 318 Mute/Unmute Region command 225, 513
making more legato 319 Paste command 228, 511
making more staccato 319 Quantize Regions command 224, 513
randomizing 318 Redo command 511
dynamic voice allocation 82 Remove Sync Point command 217
Repeat command 230, 512
Repeat Paste To Fill Selection command 237,
E
511
Edit and Timeline selections, unlinked 195 Select All command 197, 512
edit commands 225 Separate Region command 210, 512
and Edit mode 226 Shift command 224, 512
clear 226, 227 Strip Silence command 253
cut 227 Thin Automation command 384, 515
paste 228 Trim Automation command 396, 515
edit cursor 189 Trim command 512
and scrubbing 192 Trim End To Insertion command 216
moving to region boundaries 202 Trim Start To Insertion command 216
Edit Dither Settings preference 543 Trim To Selection command 211
Edit Groups 35 Undo command 174, 511
and selections 196 Write Automation command 394, 395, 515
Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option 192, Edit mode buttons 179
538 Edit modes 179
Edit insertion point and edit commands 226
placing regions at 213 and placing regions 212
trimming regions to 216 Grid 28, 179
Edit Markers 196 Shuffle 28, 179
and selection length 199 Slip 28, 179
Edit menu 264 Spot 28, 179, 485
Capture Region command 209, 512 edit playlists 172
Clear command 226, 512 Edit selections
Compress/Expand Edit To Play command 237, auditioning with Playhead enabled 207
513 copied from Timeline selection 207
Consolidate Selection command 256, 513 copied to Timeline selection 207
Copy command 227, 511 sliding in the Ruler 203
Copy To Send command 380, 515 start, end, and length fields 33
Create Fades command 248 edit smoothing, with Beat Detective 289
Cut command 227, 511 Edit tools 30
Delete Fades command 248 Edit window 26
Duplicate command 229, 512 Edit tools 30
Fade To End command 250 half-screen 192
Fade To Start command 250 scrolling from the Ruler 191
Fades command 514 track controls 27
Heal Separation command 212, 513 Edit Window Color Coding option 85, 538
Identify Beat command 514
Edit Window Default Length option 537
Identify Sync Point command 217, 489, 513
Edit Window Follows Bank Selection option 537
Insert Silence command 255, 514
Lock/Unlock Regions command 225, 513 Edit Window Shows option 25, 547

588 Pro Tools Reference Guide

editing Enable Automation Parameters Button 360, 363
across multiple tracks 228 Enable Autosave option 539
and Edit modes 179 enabling
and hidden tracks 18 automation 381
automation 385 groups 18, 35, 88
Bar|Beat Markers 266 MIDI input devices 142
beat triggers 284 encoding and decoding 422
breakpoints 387
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility option 54, 505
controller events 302
EQ II plug-ins 517
during playback 163
Grid mode 179 equal gain crossfades 245
in MIDI Event List 326 equal power crossfades 245, 247
Markers 274 Ethernet Controllers page 535
Memory Locations 274 Event Edit Area 33
meter events 268 note attributes 300
MIDI notes 297 Exit command (Windows) 56, 510
MIDI regions 171 Expanded Track Display 167, 387
nondestructive 163 Export MIDI command 103, 509
non-destructively for audio 170
Export Region Definitions command 98
non-destructively for MIDI 172
note attributes 300 Export Selected As Files command 97
note durations 318 Export Selected dialog 97
note velocities 299, 316 Export Session as Text command 100, 509
program changes 304 exporting
Shuffle mode 179 a session as text 100
Slip mode 179 audio 97
Spot mode 179 audio from regions 97
tempo events 262 MIDI tracks 103
waveforms 169 region definitions 98, 489
Editing Preferences stereo interleaved files 97
Auto-Name Memory Locations While Playing extending selections 200
option 273 to adjacent tracks 201, 202
Auto-Name Separated Regions option 210 to include adjacent regions 200
Conversion Quality option 99 to Markers and Memory Locations 200
Crossfade Preference for Pre/Post-Roll option to region boundaries 200
247, 541 Extensions 571
QuickPunch Crossfade Length option 155 external clock sources 366
Region List Selection Follows Track Selection
option 176, 204
Separate Region Operates On All Related
F
Takes option 135, 210 factory settings 71
Take Region Lengths That Match option 135 Fade To End command 250, 514
Take Region Names That Match Track Names Fade To Start command 250, 514
option 135 fade-in shapes 246
Track Selection Follows Regions List Selection fade-out shapes 244
option 204 Faders Move During Playback option 374, 542
effects, printing to disk 397 fades 249
and dither options 353
auto-fades 250

Index 589
 creating 249 Split Selected Tracks Into Mono command
creating with Smart Tool 32 231, 508
in batches 251 Film 416
with dither 245 film speed 462
Fades command 514 filtering in bass management 423
Fades dialog 242 final mixdown 409
In Shape 246 Find command 177
Link option 245
finding regions 177
Out Shape 244
Format (in Bounce to Disk) 406
Use Dither option 245
formats
Fast Forward
supported multi-channel 416
incrementally 190
locating with 190 freewheeling time code 470
Fast Forward button 36 Front Divergence 451
Feet.Frames and QuickTime offset 498 Front/Rear Divergence 451
Feet.Frames command 536
Feet.Frames Time Scale 186, 549 G
file formats (audio) 401 Gain plug-in 518
AIFF 402 generating time code 469, 474
MP3 404 Get Info command 510
QuickTime 402 Global MIDI Playback Offset option 307, 544
RealAudio 402 Go to End button 36
SND resource 402
Grabber tool 30
Sound Designer II 401
editing breakpoints with 385
WAV 402
Object Grabber 198
file management 105 selecting MIDI notes with 297
File menu Separation Grabber 211
Bounce to Disk command 507 Grid mode 28, 179
Close Session command 56, 506 and moving regions 220
Delete Selected Tracks command 78, 509 Draw Grids in Edit Window option 180
Duplicate Selected Tracks command 508 Grid Value pop-up menu 179
Exit command (Windows) 56, 510 Regions/Markers option 180
Export MIDI command 103, 509 setting the Grid value 221
Export Session as Text command 509
grid panners in Mix and Edit 443
Get Info command 510
Grid value 34, 221
Group Selected Tracks command 87, 508
Import Audio to Track command 93, 509 Group Selected Tracks command 87, 508
Import MIDI to Track command 102, 509 groups
Import Tracks command 510 and automation editing 388
Make Selected Tracks Inactive command 508 and hidden tracks 18
New Session command 50, 505 and LFEs 375
New Track command 125, 145, 508 and pan 453
Open Session command 51, 506 and selecting tracks 18
Quit command (Macintosh) 56, 510 and send level, mute 374
Rename Selected Tracks command 508 changing members 88
Revert to Saved command 52, 507 creating 87
Save Session As command 52, 506 deleting 88
Save Session command 52, 506 Edit Groups 35
Save Session Copy In command 54, 108, 506 enabling 18, 35, 88

590 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Mix Groups 18 I
renaming 88 I/O capacity
unlinking Edit and Mix Groups 88 allocating 568
Groups List 86 and DSP usage 568
Groups List Focus 40 I/O Labels (see I/O Setup)
Groups List focus 89 I/O Settings 71
Groups pop-up menu 87 I/O Setup
Delete Selected Groups command 87 and surround sessions 426
Display command 87 default settings 70
New Group command 87 displaying unavailable I/O 70
Suspend All Groups command 87 factory settings files 71
import and export 71
H importing for surround 428
H/W Buffer Size 114 initializing 67
last used 71
half-screen 192
reset paths 65
half-speed playback 159
settings files 70
half-speed recording 159 Stereo Mix preset 71
hard drives surround mix examples 439
and QuickTime movies 495 surround mix settings file 72
recording to system volume 118 I/O Setup command 535
Round Robin Allocation 117
I/O View 22
hardware
Identify Beat command 264, 514
updating I/O Setup after changing 65
Identify Beat dialog 265
Hardware Buffer
Identify Sync Point command 217, 489, 513
CPU Usage Percentage 45
Import Audio dialog 93
Hardware command 46, 47, 533
Import Audio From Current Movie command 501,
hardware I/O Inserts 355
525
hardware I/O Sends 339
Import Audio From Other Movie command 98, 525
Hardware Setup dialog 45, 47
Import Audio to Track command 93, 509
Buffer Size 114
DAC Muting option 47
Import MIDI command 103
hardware buffer size 45 Import MIDI to Track command 102, 509
Heal Separation command 212, 513 Import Movie command 496, 525
hidden tracks Import Movie dialog 496
and group edits 18 Import Tracks command 94, 510
and groups 18 importing
and selections 196 and converting audio 92
hiding audio 91
all tracks 79 audio and Conversion Quality 99
auto-created regions 257 audio from CDs 98
tracks 79 audio from QuickTime movies 501
Highest Priority Playback option 495, 526 audio into a session 91
audio with drag & drop 96
Horizontal Zoom buttons 180
MIDI tracks 102
host processing 45 multi-channel I/O Settings 428
host processor 9 QuickTime movies 496
tracks from other sessions 94

Index 591
 inactive 13 J
Master Faders and assignments 334 Jam Sync 470
paths 68
paths, global 68
sends 342 K
track path assignments 68 Key Input Selector 360
tracks 84 Keyboard Focus 39
Infinite Peak Hold preference 538 Audio Regions Focus 40, 178
in-place auditioning 73 Commands Focus 40
Commands focus 29
input connections 11, 111
Groups List Focus 40
and digital sources 158
Groups List focus 89
Input Devices command 142, 523
MIDI Regions Focus 40, 178
Input Devices dialog 142
keyboard Input for plug-in parameters 363
Input Filter command 143, 523
keyboard shortcuts 363
MIDI Input Filter dialog 143, 323
global key commands 39
input levels 111
numeric entry 201
Input Only Monitoring option 114, 530 recording 126
Input Quantize command 144, 522
Input Quantize window 144
L
Input Selector 22
labeling
Insert controls 25
Inserts and Sends 364
Insert Position Selector 359 paths 64
Insert Silence command 255, 514 Last Used 71
and Shuffle Mode 255
Latch Record Enable Buttons option 113, 538
and Slip Mode 255
Latch Solo Buttons option 539
inserting
controller events 302
latency for recording and monitoring 114
in MIDI Event List 324 LCRS
meter events 267 path examples 428
MIDI notes 295 length, for selections 199
program changes 304 level faders
tempo events 261 sends 25
Inserts 355 tracks 24
as a shared bus 356 Level Indicator 23
for hardware I/O 355 level meters
for plug-ins 355 clearing 24
labeling 364 for audio tracks 24
on single tracks 356 for MIDI tracks 24
post-fader on Master Faders 333, 356 for Sends 25
shared within a submix 348 Levels of Undo option 542
Inserts View 25 LFE
Interleaved 406 and groups 375
Bounce to Disk 406 enable in plug-ins 451
Inverse linked panning 344 example sub-path 439
Invert plug-in 517 examples of discrete versus contribution 440
faders 451
plug-in enable 360
LFE Enable Button 360

592 Pro Tools Reference Guide

LFEs Follow Groups option 375, 542 M
Librarian menu 359 Machine Chases Memory Location option 480,
Limit To option 540 540
linear crossfades 247 Machine Control option 540
Link Edit and Timeline Selection option 195, 531 Machine Control page 535
Link Enable buttons 360 Machine Cues Intelligently option 540
and multi-channel 436 Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option 480,
Link Mix and Edit Group Enables option 539 540
Link Record and Play Faders option 114 main paths 61
Link Selection button 29, 195 Main Time Scale 186, 473
linking Make Selected Tracks Inactive command 508
inverse panning 344 managing regions 256
multi-mono plug-ins 436 Manual Tempo mode 38, 123
plug-in controls 362
mapping paths in I/O Setup 66
stereo panners 343
Markers 270
Local Control 16, 143
creating 272
locating creating on the fly 273
with Fast Forward/Rewind 190 deleting 275
with Location Indicators 191 editing 274
Location Indicators 34, 190 extending selections to 200
locating with 191 moving 275
locations, for MIDI notes sorting 277
dragging 298 tick-based and sample-based 271
quantizing 314 viewing options 276
randomizing 314, 315 Master Faders
Lock/Unlock Regions command 225, 513 adding 333
locking regions 225 and DSP usage 568
Loop Playback option 205, 530 as master send level control 349
and audio recording 133 inactive 334
and Auto Touch mode 378 inserts 356
loop points 135 meters pre/post fader 334
and Playback Markers 136 multi-channel 435
recalling with Memory Location 138 paths 337
Loop Record mode 120, 133, 529 post-fader inserts 333
signal flow 333
loop recording
and pre/post-roll 132 Master Link Button 360
audio 132 in multi-channel plug-ins 436
MIDI 150 master view for tracks 166, 389
drum machine style 150 mastering
multiple takes 151 digitally 410
looping selections 205 to disk 409
loops and reverb, delay 399 Matching Start Time Takes List preference 541
Low Latency Monitoring option 115 matrix 419
Lt Rt 420 measures
LTC (Linear Time Code) 459 partial 269
renumbering 269
Medium Priority Playback option 495, 526

Index 593
 Memory for Automation Recording option 376 MIDI Event List 321
Memory Location dialog 270 deleting events 327
Memory Locations 270, 271 editing events 326
creating 272 inserting events 324
creating on the fly 273 navigating in 322
deleting 275 Options menu 328
deleting all 275 selecting events 326
editing 274 View Filter 323
extending selections to 200 MIDI Event List options 328
Markers 270 View Filter command 323
recalling 274 MIDI files (see Standard MIDI Files)
renaming 274 MIDI Input Selector 148
Selection Memory Locations 271 MIDI Machine Control (MMC) 479
storing punch/loop points 138 configuring in Pro Tools 479
Memory Locations window 276 controlling external devices with 479
view filter 277 remote track arming 481
viewing options for Markers 276 syncing to a sequencer with 483
Merge mode (see MIDI Merge mode) syncing to an ADAT 481
Merge Paste command 231, 512 MIDI menu
meter All Notes Off command 308, 523
current 267 Change Duration command 318, 521
default 122 Change Meter command 267, 520
meter events 267 Change Tempo command 261, 519
editing 268 Change Velocity command 316, 520
inserting 267 Click Options command 122, 522
Meter Ruler Input Devices command 142, 523
displaying 267 Input Filter command 143, 523
extending an Edit selection to 268 Input Quantize command 144, 522
MIDI Beat Clock command 485, 522
meters
MIDI Thru option 143, 523
sends view 341
Quantize command 311, 520
SurroundScope plug-in 453
Renumber Bars command 269, 520
MIDI 15
Select Notes command 310, 521
and signal paths 16
Split Notes command 311, 521
audio input to Pro Tools 347
Transpose command 319, 521
common misconceptions 16
MIDI Merge mode 38, 120, 145
tracks 10
MIDI Note Display option 545
MIDI Beat Clock command 485, 522
MIDI notes
MIDI channels 15
attributes for 33, 300
assigning 82
chasing 306
MIDI clips and Regions List 176
deleting 300
MIDI control surfaces 15, 352 duplicating selected 230
MIDI controller devices 15, 141 editing 297
Local Control 16, 143 durations 318
MIDI Controllers page 535 pitch 297
MIDI Device/Channel Selector 23, 82 velocities 299, 316
MIDI devices 15 inserting 295
lengths in ticks 187
moving 298

594 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 quantizing 311 MIDI tracks
selecting 297, 310 and MIDI offsets 307
splitting 311 and tempo changes 263
transposing 297, 319 assigning to multiple channels 146
trimming start/end points 298 channel strips 20
MIDI offsets 307 configuring for recording 145
MIDI Operations window 309 default program change 303
parameter options 309 exporting 103
MIDI Output Selector 145 loop recording 150
Merge Paste command 231
MIDI Preferences 544
note chasing 306
Default Note On Velocity option 296
Notes view 165, 170
Global MIDI Playback Offset option 307
punch recording 148
Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller
punching on the fly 149
Data option 302, 385, 544
record enabling 112
MIDI recording 141
recording 141, 145
cancelling takes 147
Regions view 165, 171
enabling input devices 142
selecting a pitch range in 310
Input Filter 143
Sysex view 305
Merge/Replace mode 145
Velocity view 299
monitoring with MIDI Thru 142
Minimum Sync Delay option 481
quantizing on input 144
System Exclusive data 152 Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 185, 549
undoing a take 147 mix busses 339
Wait for Note 144 Mix Groups 18
MIDI regions 170 Mix window 17, 19
and controller events 172 track controls 20
and Merge Paste command 231 track width 85
and punch recording 149 Mix Window Follows Bank Selection option 537
guidelines for editing 171 Mix Window Shows option 17, 547
MIDI Regions Focus 40, 178 mixed file types 53, 92
MIDI Regions List 35, 175 mixer channels 11
and MIDI clips 176 Mixer plug-ins 563
dragging from 212 mixing 415
finding regions 177 surround formats 416
sorting 176
mixing and DSP usage 562, 563
MIDI Regions List menu 35
mixing down to stereo 409
Auto Rename Selected command 257
Clear Selected command 258
MMC (see MIDI Machine Control)
Display All command 177 monitoring
Find command 177 during punch recording 131
Import MIDI command 103 MIDI recording with MIDI Thru 142
Rename Selected command 257 record and playback levels 114
Select Unused command 258 monitoring latency 114
Sorting option 176 monitoring modes 113
Time Stamp Selected command 220, 488 Auto Input Monitoring 113
MIDI Replace mode 38, 120, 145 Input Only Monitoring 114
MIDI Thru option 143, 523

Index 595
 mono multi-mono
Bounce to Disk 406 plug-in channel selector 436
format 416 plug-ins 356, 435
paths 64 Multiple mono 406
Mono In/Stereo Out 356 multiple tracks
Movie menu and Beat Detective 287
Add Movie command 526 audition takes 134
Bounce to Movie command 502, 525 editing across 228
Clear Selection command 527 extending selections to 201, 202
Highest Priority Playback option 495, 526 fitting audio regions to Edit selection 238
Import Audio From Current Movie command nudging regions in 222
501, 525 pasting to 229
Import Audio From Other Movie command 98, selecting 201
525 separating regions on 210
Import Movie command 496, 525 shuffling regions on 218
Medium Priority Playback option 495, 526 MultiShell 568
Movie Online command 526 Mute automation 386
New Movie Track command 526 Mute button 21, 84
Normal Priority Playback option 495, 526
Mute Frees Assigned Voice option 84, 531
Set Movie Sync Offset command 498, 526
Mute/Unmute Region command 225, 513
Show Movie Window command 497
Undo Add Movie command 527 Mutes Follow Groups option 374, 542
Window Aspect Ratio command 526 Mutes Follow Mix Groups option 83
Movie Online command 526 muting
Movie Tracks 496 regions 225
scrubbing 497 tracks 84
setting sync point 499
Movie window 497 N
movies (see QuickTime movies) Narrow Mix Window option 85, 547
moving network connections 571
Bar|Beat Markers 266 New Group command 87
Markers 275 New Movie Track command 526
MIDI notes 298 New Session command 50, 505
program changes 304 and last used 71
sysex events 305
New Track command 125, 145, 508
MP3 and Digidesign hardware 406 New Track dialog 125
MP3 file format 404 No Auto-Scrolling option 191, 530
MTC (MIDI Time Code) 459 No Output 338
outputting 469 by deleting paths 66
multi-channel plug-ins 356, 436 No Peak Hold preference 538
multi-channel regions 164 nondestructive editing 163
multi-channel tracks 128 for audio 170
and automation 387 for MIDI 172
dragging regions to 232 Nondestructive Record mode 119
names for 117
nondestructive recording 129
replacing regions in 237
recording to a new playlist 130
signal routing 431
with QuickPunch 155
splitting 231

596 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Normal Priority Playback option 495, 526 Operation Preferences 538
Normalize plug-in 518 Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 190
Note Chasing option 306 Auto Regions Fade In/Out Length option 250
notes (see MIDI notes) Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option
192
Notes view 165, 170
Latch Record Enable Buttons option 113
mini-keyboard 170
Link Record and Play Faders option 114
scrolling up or down 171
Machine Chases Memory Location option 480
Nudge value 34, 222
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option
trimming regions by 217
480
nudging 221 Open Ended Record Allocation option 118
by next Nudge Value 223 Record Online option 474
multiple regions 222 Use F11 for Wait for Note 144
region contents 223
Operations menu
selection range 199
Active in Background option 531
selection start/end points 199
Auto Input Monitoring option 113, 529
selections and regions 222
Auto-Spot Regions command 487, 531
setting the Nudge value 222
Calibration Mode command 112, 532
numeric entry Copy Edit Selection to Timeline command 207,
Calculator mode 201 531
shortcuts 201 Copy Timeline Selection to Edit command 207,
Numeric Keypad Mode 539 531
Numeric Keypad modes 41, 539 Destructive Record mode 130, 529
Classic 41 Input Only Monitoring option 114, 530
Shuttle 42, 194 Link Edit and Timeline Selection option 195,
Transport 41 531
Loop Playback option 205, 530
O Loop Record mode 133, 529
Low Latency Monitoring option 115
Object Grabber 198
Mute Frees Assigned Voice option 84, 531
and Edit Groups 198
Online option 474, 530
Object selections 197
Play Edit Selection command 207, 531
offline regions 164 Play Timeline Selection command 207, 531
OMS MIDI Setup command 536 Pre/Post Roll Playback command 138, 530
OMS Names command 536 Pre/Post-Fader Metering option 24
OMS patch names 303 Pre-Fader Metering command 531
OMS Studio Setup command 536 QuickPunch mode 529
On Stop 393 Scroll Options command 530
Online button 36 Scrolling Options 191
Online option 474, 530, 539 Optical
as Digi 001 clock source 367
online recording 474
Original Time Stamp 220, 488, 548
on-the-fly punch recording
MIDI tracks 149 Other Options dialog 47, 48, 49
QuickPunch 120, 155 Output Options
Open Ended Record Allocation option 118, 539 Conversion Quality option 407
File Format 401
Open Session command 51, 506
Sample Rate 407
opening multiple Plug-In windows 361
Use Squeezer option 408
Output Selector 22

Index 597
 Output window 24 default output 72
outputs delete existing 71
default 5.1 paths and sub-paths 427 deleting 66
format and tracks 433 for surround 437
to multi-channel paths 434 last used 71
overlap crossfades 247 main 61
overlapping paths 67 mapping 66
mono versus stereo 64
multi-channel example 67
P naming 64
Page Scroll During Playback option 191, 530 overlapping 67
Pan automation 386 reset using Default 65
Pan Indicator 23 Stereo Mix preset 71
Pan Slider 23 sub-path surround examples 439
panning PCI Load 376
3-knob 449 Peak Hold option 24, 538
and groups 453 Peak Indicator 23
automation and groups 388 Pencil tool 31
fine-adjust mode 449 as Eraser 301
grids 443 drawing automation with 384
guidelines 438 editing breakpoints with 386
linked stereo 343 inserting MIDI notes with 295
multi-channel automation playlists 453 repairing waveforms with 232
take over in grid 449 resolution for inserted controller events 302
trajectory 450 shapes 384
X/Y mode 448 Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller
parallel mixing 433 Data option 302, 385, 544
partial measures 269 Peripherals command 534
pass-through point 372 Ethernet Controllers page 535
Paste command 228, 511 Machine Control page 535
pasting MIDI Controllers page 535
automation 391 Synchronization page 534
between automation playlists 228 Phase Invert button 360
multiple data types 229 Pitch Shift plug-in 518
selections and regions 228 pitch, for MIDI notes
to multiple tracks 229 transposing with Grabber 297
with Merge Paste command (MIDI) 231 transposing with Transpose command 319
with Repeat Paste To Fill Selection command Play button 36
237 Play Edit Selection command 207, 531
paths Play MIDI Notes When Editing option 544
active and inactive 68
Play Timeline Selection command 207, 531
applying 67
audition 72 playback and Scrolling Options 191
basics 59 playback cursor 189
creating and editing 63 Playback Engine 10
creating multi-channel 428 changing 48
default mono and stereo 64 Playback Engine command 48, 533
default order 74

598 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Playback Markers 136, 195 linking 436
and Edit selections 196 linking and unlinking 362
and selection length 199 mixers 566
and Timeline selections 206 mono-to-stereo 356
Playhead 192, 530 multi-channel 356
and Edit selections 207 multi-mono 356, 435
and Timeline selections 207 positional reference 458
moving to region boundaries 208 post crossfades 242, 248
playing pre crossfades 242, 248
and on-the-fly selections 197 Pre/Post Roll Playback command 138, 530
at half-speed 159 Pre/Post-Fader Inserts 356
Edit selections with Playhead enabled 207
Pre/Post-Fader Metering option 24
from a track point 189
pre/post-roll
selections 204
and loop recording 132
Timeline selections with Playhead enabled 207
and punch recording 131
tracks 189
and recording 137
Playlist Selector 27
auditioning 204
playlists 11, 172 setting 137
adding new 173
Pre/Post-Roll Flags 138, 195
and multi-channel tracks 387
Pre-Fader Metering command 531
and nondestructive MIDI editing 172
assigning 173 Preferences command 537
automation playlists 173, 370, 377 Pro Tools 24 systems 5
deleting 174 auto-fades 250
duplicating 173 file management 105
edit playlists 172 Pro Tools LE 7
recalling 173 Pro Tools MIX systems 5
recording to new 130 24-bit input and output 410
renaming 173 auto-fades 250
setting pre/post-roll in 137 file management 105
plug-in controls, linking 362 pre/post-roll 137
plug-in inserts 355 QuickPunch 156
plug-in parameters Pro Tools TDM 6
editing 363 processing bandwidth 376
Plug-In Selector Processing Preferences 543
for real-time plug-ins 360 ProControl, meter configuration 430
Plug-In Settings menu 359 Program Change window 303
Plug-In window program changes 15, 302
closing multiple windows 361 and bank select 302
opening multiple windows 361 auditioning 305
Plug-Ins chasing 306
and surround mixing 435 default, for MIDI tracks 303
automating 380 deleting 305
automation accuracy in bounce 408 editing 304
bypassing from window 362 inserting 304
Channel Selector for multi-mono 436 moving 304
for surround 436 patch names 303
ProLogic 416

Index 599
 Pull Up/Down 463 playback quality 495
3:2 Pulldown 462 requirements 495
configuring 473 setting start time 498
Punch In Frame Offset preference 540 spotting 499
Punch Out Frame Offset preference 540 Quit command (Macintosh) 56, 510
punch points 135
and Playback Markers 136 R
recalling with Memory Location 138 randomizing
punch recording note durations 318
and monitoring 131 note locations 314
and pre/post-roll 131 note velocities 317
audio 131 RealAudio file format 402
MIDI 148 real-time editing 163
MIDI on the fly 149
Recall Original Track Selections preference 541
Recompute Invalid Overviews preference 537
Q Record button 37, 119
Quantize command 311, 520 Record Enable button 20
experimenting with 315
record enabling tracks 112
Quantize window 312
record modes 119
Quantize Regions command 224, 513
and MIDI 120
and Grid value 221
Destructive Record mode 119
Quantize window 312 Loop Record mode 120
Quantize Grid 313 Nondestructive Record mode 119
Quantize Options 313 QuickPunch 120
What to Quantize 312 switching with Record button 119
quantizing Record Online at Insertion/Selection preference
MIDI notes 311 539
attacks vs. releases 312
Record Online at Time Code (or ADAT) Lock
MIDI on input 144
preference 539
regions 224
Record Online option 474
QuickPunch 120, 155, 529
crossfades 155
Record Pause mode 129
non-TDM systems 156 Record Safe mode 20, 113
region/take numbering 157 recording 128
TDM systems 156 a MIDI track 145
QuickPunch Crossfade Length option 155, 542 a mono audio track 125
QuickTime file format 402 a stereo audio track 127
a submix to disk 399
QuickTime movies 493, 525
additional takes 129
bouncing to 502
at half-speed 159
conforming 494, 499
bouncing to disk 400
frame length 495
cancelling takes 127
importing 496
destructively 130
importing audio from 501
from a digital source 158
offset in Feet.Frames 498
from Record Pause mode 129
offsetting 498
keyboard shortcuts 126
optimizing for playback 497
monitoring latency 114

600 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 multi-channel tracks 128 hiding auto-created 257
multiple audio tracks 128 inserting silence into 255
non-destructively 9, 129 locking 225
non-linear 9 managing 256
online 474 moving in Grid mode 221
stereo tracks 127 multi-channel 164
System Exclusive data 152 muting 225
to a new playlist 130 nudging 222
to the system volume 118 offline 164
with a countoff 121 Original Time Stamp 220
with pre/post-roll 137 pasting 228
with Round Robin Allocation 117 placing at Edit insertion point 213
with the click 121 placing in tracks 212
Red Book Audio CDs 502 quantizing 224
Redo command 511 removing unused 258
region boundaries renaming 256
extending selections to 200 repeating 230
moving edit cursor to 202 replacing 235
moving Playhead to 208 selecting 196
selecting all in a track 197
region definitions 98, 489
separating 210
Region List Selection Follows Track Selection
separating with Beat Detective 287
option 176, 204, 541 separating with Separation Grabber 211
regions 11 shifting 224
aligning to region start points 214 shuffling 218
auto-created 164 on multiple tracks 218
auto-naming parameters 257 sliding 217
auto-spotting 487 slipping 219
capturing 209 sorting 176
clearing 226 spotting 219, 487
conforming with Beat Detective 288 spotting to movies 500
consolidating 256 sync points 217, 489
copying 227 time stamping 488
creating 209 trimming by Nudge Value 217
crossfading between 248 trimming start/end points 215
cutting 227 trimming to Edit insertion point 216
default names 116 trimming unwanted data from 211
deleting underlying 227 User Time Stamp 220
displaying all 177 user-defined 164, 256, 258
displaying names 168 whole-file audio regions 164
displaying times 168 Regions view 165, 171
dragging from Regions List 212
related takes 134
dragging to multi-channel tracks 232
and Separate Region command 135
duplicating 229
preferences for 135
exporting as audio files 97
extending selections to include 200 Remote Mode option 540
finding 177 remote track arming 481
healing separations 212 Remove Sync Point command 217

Index 601
 removing sample rate formats 407
crossfades 248 custom 407
Sends 339 Samples Time Scale 186, 549
sync points 490 Save Session As command 52, 506
Rename Selected command 257 Save Session command 52, 506
Rename Selected Tracks command 508 Save Session Copy In command 53, 54, 108, 506
renaming Items To Copy 507
auto-created regions 256 All Audio Files 507
groups 88 Movie/Video Files 507
Memory Locations 274 Session Plug-In Settings Folder 507
playlists 173 saving a copy of a session 53
regions 256 scaling note velocities 299, 317
tracks 116
screen savers 571
Renumber Bars command 269, 520
Scroll After Playback option 191, 530
Repeat command 230, 512
Scroll Options command 530
Repeat Paste To Fill Selection command 237, 511
scrolling
repeating selections and regions 230 in the Ruler 191
Replace mode Notes view up or down 171
Replace Regions command 235 Scrub Trimmer 216
and multi-channel tracks 237 Scrubber tool 31, 192
Replace Regions dialog 235 in Shuttle mode 193
reset paths 65 selecting with 202
resolving sync 491 scrubbing 192
Return to Zero button 36 a single audio track 193
Reverse plug-in 518 and edit cursor 192
Revert to Saved command 52, 507 in Shuttle Lock mode 194
Rewind Movie Tracks 497
incrementally 190 on two audio tracks 193
locating with 190 playback speed and direction 193
Rewind button 36 resolution 193
with Scrub Trimmer 216
Round Robin Allocation 117
with the Selector 193
RTAS processing 45
SDDS 416
Ruler View Shows option 185, 548
Select All command 197, 512
Rulers
Select Notes command 310, 521
changing display order 185
Select Notes window 310
Conductor Rulers 184
displaying all 185 Select Unused Regions command 258
scrolling in 191 selecting
Timebase Rulers 184 a pitch range of notes 310
zooming in 182 across multiple tracks 201
all regions in a track 197
all regions in all tracks 197
S discontiguous regions 197
safing automation 377 during playback 197
sample delays (see DSP delays) grouped tracks 18, 35
sample rate conversion quality 99, 500 in MIDI Event List 326

602 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 MIDI notes 297, 310 Send Level meters 25
notes in a chord 311 Send Levels Follow Groups option 374, 542
on all tracks 201 Send mute 25
regions 196 Send Mutes Follow Groups option 374, 542
track material 196
Send pan 25
with Scrubber 202
with Selection Indicators 200
Sends 338
adding 339
Selection Indicators 33, 200
and groups 374
and numeric entry shortcuts 201
and multi-channel mixing 434
making selections with 200
assignment view 340
Selection Memory Location 271 automating 379
moving stored selection 275 copying track automation to 380
selections displaying controls for 25, 341
and Bounce to Disk 400 for hardware I/O 339
and Edit Groups 196 for mix busses 339
and hidden tracks 196 labeling 364
and Playback Markers 196 mono or stereo 339
auditioning start/end points 204 multi-channel 434
changing length of 199 removing 339
clearing 226 Sends Default to -INF preference 538
consolidating 256
Sends View 25
copying 227
cutting 227
Sends View Shows command 548
discontiguous 197 Separate Region command 210, 512
duplicating 229 and multiple tracks 210
extending 200 and related takes 135
extending to the Meter Ruler 268 Separate Region Operates On All Related Takes
extending to the Tempo Ruler 263, 276 option 135, 210, 542
including Conductor Rulers 201 Separation Grabber 211
looping 205 Session Setup window 468
moving to adjacent tracks 202 Current TC 490
moving to the next/previous region 203 session templates 55
nudging 199, 222 sessions 10
nudging start/end points 199 audio format 469
Object 197 bit depth 51, 468
on-the-fly 197 closing 56
pasting 228 creating 50
playing 204 creating for surround mixing 426
removing a track from 202 default tempo 264
repeating 230 frame rate 469
shifting 224 mixed audio formats 53
storing with Memory Locations 271 opening 51
useful techniques 202 sample rate 468
Selector tool 30 saving 52
scrubbing with 193 start frame 469
selecting MIDI notes with 297 Set Movie Sync Offset command 498, 526
Send controls 25 settings files
Send Level faders 25 import and export 71

Index 603
 Setups menu side chain processing 360
DAE Buffer Size command 534 signal flow
Disk Allocation command 117, 534 Audio Tracks 331
Feet.Frames command 536 Auxiliary Inputs 332
Feet.Frames Time Scale 186 Master Faders 333
Hardware command 46, 47, 533 Signal Generator plug-in 518
I/O Setup command 535 signal routing
OMS MIDI Setup command 536 and default path order 74
OMS Names command 536 basics for surround 434
OMS Studio Setup command 536 example 12
Peripherals command 534 surround examples 440
Playback Engine command 48, 533
sliding regions 217
Preferences command 537
Slip mode 28, 179
Shift command 224, 512
and moving regions 219
Shift dialog 224
Smart Tool 31, 32
shortcuts for keyboard input 363
and audio tracks 32
Show Automation Enable command 554 and MIDI tracks 32
Show Beat Detective command 554 and multi-channel tracks 33
Show Big Counter command 553 creating crossfades with 32
Show Disk Names option 176 creating fades with 32
Show Disk Space command 555 editing automation with 33
Show Edit Window command 547 editing controller events with 33
Show File Names option 176 Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option 374, 383,
Show Full Pathnames option 176 542
Show Machine Track Arm command 554 smoothing automation 375
Show Memory Locations command 554 SMPTE
configuration 471
Show Meters in Sends View option 341
frame formats 460
Show Meters in Sends View preference 537
start frame for session 469
Show MIDI Event List command 552
SMPTE Slave Driver (SSD) 468
Show MIDI Operations command 309, 552 generating time code with 474
Show MIDI Track Offsets command 553 SMPTE/ITU 416
Show Mix Window command 547 snapshot automation 394, 515
Show Movie Window command 497, 555 adding to empty automation playlists 394
Show Session Setup command 553 and trim values 396
Show Strip Silence command 555 writing over existing automation 395
Show System Usage command 555 SND resource file format 402
Show Tempo/Meter command 551 Solo button 20, 83
Show Transport command 553 Solo Safe mode 21, 83
Show Universe command 554 soloing
Show/Hide Tracks list 17 tracks 83
Shuffle mode 28, 179 tracks in a submix 349
and locked regions 225 Solos Follow Groups option 374, 542
and moving regions 218 Solos Follow Mix Groups option 83
Shuttle Lock mode 194 sorting
Shuttle, Numeric Keypad mode 42, 194, 539 Markers 277
sibilants 517 regions 176
Sorting option 176

604 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sound Designer II file format 401 sub
Source Path 401 content 421
speakers with bass management 423
layouts 416 Sub Time Scale 186, 473
suggested 5.1 placement 418 subframes 486
surround calibration 419 submixes
surround placement 418 applying an Insert to 348
Split Notes command 311, 521 bouncing to 408
Split Notes dialog 311 bouncing to disk 399
Split Selected Tracks Into Mono command 231, soloing tracks in 349
508 sub-paths
splitting stereo and multi-channel tracks 231 examples for surround 437
Spot dialog 219, 486 Support Background Record Applications
Use Subframes option 486, 488 preference 538
User Time Stamp button 488 surround
Spot mode 28, 179, 485 and sends 434
and moving regions 219 basic signal routing 434
trimming regions in 488 bass management 423
spotting center percentage (%) 452
auto-spotting 487 concepts 415
QuickTime movies 499 configuring Pro Tools and sessions 426
regions 219, 485, 487 delivery formats 422
Standard MIDI Files 102 discrete level, solo, mute 432
exporting 103 divergence basics 421
importing 102 encoding and decoding 422
Type 0 102 example 5.1 paths 429
Type 1 102 formats 415
importing I/O Settings 428
Standard Trimmer 215
Lt Rt 420
start frame, for sessions 469
mix compatibility 422
stems mixer specifications 566
surround examples 440 mixing concepts 422
stepped control automation 386 mixing formats 416
stereo format 416 pan playlists and automation 453
stereo interleaved files, exporting 97 panning grids 443
Stereo Mix Pro Tools formats 416
I/O Setup factory preset 71 settings files 426
stereo tracks speaker arrangements 416
dragging regions to 232 terminology 419
names for 117 using paths 437
recording 127 using sub-paths, examples 437
replacing regions in 237 Surround Mixer
splitting 231 plug-in features 566
Stop button 36 specifications 566
Strip Silence command 253 SurroundScope 453
and region naming 254 Suspend All Groups command 87
Strip Silence window 253 suspending automation 381
stuck notes 308 swing 313, 315

Index 605
 sync 457 takes
3:2 Pulldown 462 auditioning 133
and film 461 auditioning from Takes List 134
Bi-Phase/Tach 460 default names 116
black burst 491 numbering for QuickPunch 157
film speed vs. video speed 462 recording additional 129
guide tracks 462 Takes List pop-up menu 134
LTC 459 and multiple tracks 134
MIDI Beat Clock 485 tapping in the tempo 124
MMC 479 Target Button 360
options 467
TC/E Plug-In preference 543
positional reference 458
TDM 561
Pull Up/Down 463
resolving 491 TDM Mixer Plug-Ins 566
SMPTE frame formats 460 switching 566
time code 458 TDM Plug-Ins
troubleshooting 490 and DSP usage 568
VITC 459 MultiShell 568
Sync Mode 469 TDM systems 5
for digital inserts 365 audio interfaces 6
Sync Offset 470 pre/post-roll 137
QuickPunch 156
sync points 489
voice and track limits 6
for QuickTime movie 499
for regions 217 technical support
from Beat Detective 289 suggestions 571
identifying 217, 489 tempo
Synchronization page 534 current 261
default 123, 264
syncing to a sequencer
effects on Markers and Memory Locations 271
Macintosh 476
effects on MIDI and audio 263
Windows 478
Manual Tempo mode 123
with MMC 483
tapping in 124
syncing to an ADAT 481
tempo events 261
Sysex view 305
and Bar|Beat Markers 266
System Exclusive data 16, 305 editing 262
and MIDI Thru 142 inserting 261
deleting 306
tempo map
moving 305
from Identify Beat command 264
recording 152
Tempo Ruler
System Load 376
displaying 261
System Usage 376 extending an Edit selection to 263, 276
System Usage Window Shows command 548 test 408
Thin Automation command 384, 515
T thinning automation 375, 383
Tab to Transients button 29, 203 tick-based and sample-based 271
take over (surround pan) 449 tick-based timing 187
Take Region Lengths That Match option 135, 542 time code 458
Take Region Names That Match Track Names and Jam Sync 470
option 135, 541 capturing 486

606 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 freewheeling 470 Track Name/Comments dialog 77, 116
generating 469, 474 Track Selection Follows Regions List Selection
Time Code Time Scale 186, 549 option 204, 541
Time Compression/Expansion plug-in 518 Track Selector 359
Time Scale 185 Track View 28, 164
Main 186, 473 Blocks 165
Sub 186, 473 Expanded Track Display 167, 387
time stamp 548 master view 389
Time Stamp Selected command 134, 220, 488 Notes 165, 170
time stamps and Bounce to Disk 400 Regions 165, 171
Sysex 305
Time Trimmer 238
toggling 166
Timebase Rulers 184
Velocity 299
and selecting on all tracks 201
Waveform 28, 165, 168
and Timeline selections 206
Track View Toggle 166
Edit Markers 196
Playback Markers 195 track width 85
Pre/Post-Roll Flags 195 tracks
sliding Edit selections 203 5.1 format track layout 432
sliding Timeline selections 207 adding to selection 201, 202
Timeline Insertion Follows Playback option 538 and Record Safe mode 113
and surround 431
Timeline selections 206
appending new material to end of 130
and Playback Markers 206
auto-voiced 21
auditioning with Playhead enabled 207
color coding 85
copied from Edit selection 207
concepts 10
copied to Edit selection 207
deleting 78
in Timebase Rulers 206
entering comments 78
sliding in the Ruler 207
grouping 85
start, end, and length fields 37
hiding 79
To All Enabled Parameters
importing 94
writing automation 396
locating with Fast Forward/Rewind 190
To Current Parameter making inactive/active 84
writing automation 396 master view 166, 389
toggling moving selections between 202
Track View 166 muting 84
zoom level 182 names 24, 116
tools 30 placing regions in 212
Touch Timeout option 375, 543 playback priority 81
track controls playing 189
Edit window 27 record enabling 112
Mix window 20 removing from a selection 202
track data 164 selecting across multiple 201
Track Height 27, 166 selecting all regions in 197
selecting all regions in all tracks 197
track layout
selecting material in 196
default path order 74
selecting on all 201
track level faders 24
soloing 83
track level meters 24 Track Height 27, 166

Index 607
 Track View 28, 164 U
transposing 320 unavailable I/O
trimming unwanted data from 211 showing 70
virtual tracks 80
Undo Add Movie command 527
trajectory panning 450
Undo and audio recording 126
transients
Undo and MIDI recording 147
detecting with Beat Detective 283
Undo command 174, 511
tabbing to 203
Universal Slave Driver (USD) 467
Transport Master 480
and VSO
Transport Numeric Keypad Mode 539
generating time code with 476
Transport window 36 resolving with 468
MIDI controls 38 sync options 468
pre/post-roll 37, 137
Universe window 183
start, end, and length fields 37, 136
unlinked Edit and Timeline selection 195
transport controls 36
unlinking plug-in controls 362, 436
Transport Window Shows command 547
Use All Available Space preference 540
Transport, Numeric Keypad mode 41
Use AudioSuite Dither preference 543
Transpose command 319, 521
Transpose window 319 Use F11 for Wait for Note option 144, 539
transposing 319 Use Squeezer option 408, 508
by octave 320 Use Subframes option 486, 488
key 320 User Time Stamp 220, 489, 548
MIDI notes 297 user-defined regions 164, 256, 258
tracks 320
Trim Automation command 396, 515 V
Trim command 512 Variable Speed Override 471
Trim End To Insertion command 216 velocities, for MIDI notes
Trim Start To Insertion command 216 default for inserted 296
Trim To Selection command 211 dragging velocity stalks 299
Trimmer tool 30, 215 drawing with Pencil 299
Scrub Trimmer 216 editing 299, 316
Time Trimmer 238 fading 317
trimming randomizing 317
automation breakpoints 386, 393 scaling 317
crossfades 248 scaling with Trimmer 299
input sum levels 567 Velocity view 299
note start/end points 298 Vertical Zoom buttons 180
region start/end points 215 video capture/playback cards 494
regions by Nudge Value 217 video speed 463
regions to Edit insertion point 216 View Filer, for MIDI Event List 323
regions with Scrub Trimmer 216
View Filter command 323
unwanted region and track data 211
views
Tweak-head setting 407
Comments View 25
I/O View 22
Inserts View 25
Sends View 25
Virtual Memory 571

608 Pro Tools Reference Guide

virtual tracks 80 Z
VITC (Vertical Interval Time Code) 459 zero-crossing 169
Voice Selector 21 Zoom buttons 29
voices 21 Zoom Preset buttons 29, 182
allocating 82 Zoom Toggle 182
and track priority 81 Zoomer tool 30, 181
auto-assignment of ascending 81
zooming 180
Volume automation 386 a track area 181
VSO (see Variable Speed Override) all the way out 181
around a track point 181
W horizontally for all tracks 180
Wait for Note 38, 144 in the Ruler 182
WAV file format 106, 402 recalling zoom levels 182
AES31/Broadcast compliant 106 storing zoom levels 182
vertically for all audio tracks 180
Waveform view 28, 165, 168
vertically for all MIDI tracks 181
waveforms 168
and zero-crossing 169
avoiding clicks and pops 169
drawn rectified 169
guidelines for editing 169
repairing with Pencil tool 232
whole-file audio regions 164
Window Aspect Ratio command 526
Windows menu
Show Automation Enable command 554
Show Beat Detective command 554
Show Big Counter command 553
Show Disk Space command 555
Show Machine Track Arm command 554
Show Memory Locations command 554
Show MIDI Event List command 552
Show MIDI Operations command 552
Show MIDI Track Offsets command 553
Show Movie Window command 555
Show Session Setup command 553
Show Strip Silence command 555
Show System Usage command 555
Show Tempo/Meter command 551
Show Transport command 553
Show Universe command 554
Write Automation command 394, 395, 515
Write Switches to Touch After Pass preference 542
Write to Start/All/End buttons 391
writing
automation 378
automation on stop 393
automation to start, end, or all 391
snapshot automation 394

Index 609