Interactive Projects Guide
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contents
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
IP 1: Using Software Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
IP 2: Recording a Vocal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
IP 3: Creating a Podcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
IP 4: Recording Electric Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
IP 5: Creating a Movie Soundtrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
IP 6: Making a Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
IP 7: Exploring Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
IP 8: Recording an Acoustic Instrument. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
IP 9: Using Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
IP 10: Starting from Scratch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Contents iii
Interactive Projects Guideiv
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide from
®
Avid
. This guide gives you 10 workflows based
on the Interactive Projects video tutorials provided with Avid Pro Tools
We recommend you watch the videos first to
learn about basic recording and mixing. Then if
needed, you can use the workflows in this guide
to accomplish basic recording and mixing on
your own.
Like the video tutorials, each workflow is in 10
easy steps that let you follow along at your own
pace.
The video tutorials can be accessed in
Pro Tools SE (choose “Tutorials” from the
Quick Start dialog). They’re also available
online at:
http://www.m-audio.com/ptseFAQ
®
SE.
To use Pro Tools SE, a qualified version of
Adobe Flash Player must be installed.
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide 1
IP 1: Using Software Instruments
Let’s try out some of the high-quality software
instruments included with Pro Tools SE.
Features Used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Instrument Track Recording and Editing
• MIDI keyboard or Pencil tool
Project Workflow
Connect a MIDI keyboard:
1 Make sure your MIDI keyboard is connected
directly to your computer with a USB cable, then
launch Pro Tools.
Create the session:
2 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Key-
boards.”
Create some software sounds:
3 If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard, you can
also draw notes in the MIDI Editor. To create
notes in this way, click Window > MIDI Editor
and then choose the Pencil tool in the
MIDI Editor.
Record yourself playing:
6 Click the Track Record Enable button on the In-
strument track so it is ready to record. Now
when you play your connected MIDI keyboard
you can see the meters flickering on that track.
7 Record by using the Transport controls. Click
the Record Enable circle so that it flashes red,
then click the Play triangle. When you are finished playing, click the Stop square.
8 On the Instrument track, you see MIDI data
for the performance you just recorded. Click the
Track Record Enable button on the track again to
take Pro Tools out of record mode.
Edit the performance:
9 Clean up the durations of our MIDI notes by
adjusting the start and end with the “Trimmer”
tool. This is automatically chosen when you
move the mouse near to either end.
10 Click on a MIDI note and drag it up or down
to change its pitch or hit Delete on the keyboard
to remove it.
4 Click one of the Instrument tracks and play
your MIDI keyboard to hear that track's software
instrument. You hear the sound from whichever
track is highlighted.
5 Choose different instruments by clicking on
the Instrument track’s drop-down and selecting
from its list.
Interactive Projects Guide2
IP 2: Recording a Vocal
Let’s record a sung vocal track with Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Audio Track Recording and Editing
• Compressor and Reverb effects
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Vocals.”
Record the singing:
2 Click the Track Record Enable button on the
“Voice 1” track so it is ready to record. Now
when you sing into the microphone that’s connected you can see the meter flickering on that
track.
3 You record by using the Transport controls.
Click the Record Enable circle so that it flashes
red, then click the Play triangle. When you finish singing, click the Stop square.
Adjust the effects:
8 Click one of the Effects to access its controls.
While the audio plays back, move the Less/More
Reverb control to hear how it changes the
sound.
9 Click Compressor and move the controls to
smooth the track’s dynamics.
10 Try out different effect presets by clicking on
the Compressor’s settings drop-down and selecting from its list.
4 On the “Voice 1” track, you see a waveform for
the sound we just recorded. Click the Track Record Enable button on the track again to take
Pro Tools out of record mode.
Edit the performance:
5 You can listen back to your performance by
using the Transport controls. Click Return to Zero
and then click the Play triangle.
6 Clean up the voice recording by using the
“Standard Trimmer” tool to trim the end and beginning.
7 Use the “Selector” tool to select any unwanted
sounds, then hit Delete on the keyboard to remove them.
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide 3
IP 3: Creating a Podcast
Let’s create a 30-second podcast with one spoken voice track and loops with Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Audio Track Recording and Editing
• Loops
7 Use the “Selector” tool to select any unwanted
sounds, then hit Delete on the keyboard to remove them.
Add a background music track using Loops:
8 Now preview a couple of Loops (select the
“Loop” button to open the Loop dialog in the
Toolbar) to find one for a background “Music”
track. Drag it on to the existing Music track and
loop it to make it longer.
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Pod-
cast.”
Record the spoken voice:
2 Click the Track Record Enable button on the
“Voice 1” track so it is ready to record. Now
when you speak into the microphone that’s connected you can see the meter flickering on that
track.
3 You record by using the Transport controls.
Click the Record Enable circle so that it flashes
red, then click the Play triangle. When you finish speaking, click the Stop square.
4 On the “Voice 1” track, you see a waveform for
the sound you just recorded. Click the Track Record Enable button on the track again to take
Pro Tools out of record mode.
Edit the performance:
5 You can listen back to your performance by
using the Transport controls. Click Return to Zero
and then click the Play triangle.
9 Click with the “Grabber” tool to move your
voice region until after the music starts.
10 Click File > Export > Audio to create the final
podcast by exporting it.
6 Clean up the voice recording by using the
Standard Trimmer tool to trim the end and beginning.
Interactive Projects Guide4
IP 4: Recording Electric Guitar
Let’s try out some of the high-quality Guitar
Amp sounds that are included with
Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Audio Track Recording and Editing
• Guitar Amp and Reverb effects
7 Use the “Selector” tool to select any mistakes,
then hit Delete on the keyboard to remove
them.
Adjust the effects:
8 Click one of the Effects to access its controls.
While the audio plays back, move the Less/More
Reverb control to hear how it changes the
sound.
9 Click “Guitar Amp” and move the controls in
a similar way to that on a real guitar amp.
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Guitar.”
Record the guitar:
2 Click the Track Record Enable button on the
“Clean Electric” track so it is ready to record.
Now when you play the guitar that’s connected
you can see the meter flickering on that track.
3 You record by using the Transport controls.
Click the Record Enable circle so that it flashes
red, then click the Play triangle. When you finish playing, click the Stop square.
4 On the “Clean Electric” track, you see a wave-
form for the sound you just recorded. Click the
Track Record Enable button on the track again to
take Pro Tools out of record mode.
Edit the performance:
5 You can listen back to your performance by
using the Transport controls. Click Return to Zero
and then click the Play triangle.
10 Try out different effect presets by clicking on
the Guitar Amp’s settings drop-down and selecting from its list.
6 Clean up the guitar recording by using the
Standard Trimmer tool to trim the end and beginning.
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide 5
IP 5: Creating a Movie Soundtrack
Let’s add some music to a Movie with
Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Editing Movies
• Using Loops
• Controlling the Master volume
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Movie
Soundtrack.”
Edit the Movie:
2 Replace the current movie by importing a dif-
ferent one. Click File > Import > Movie and
choose the video file you want to use.
8 Repeat a loop by using the Standard Trimmer
tool. Click in the upper half of the drum loop
and the bass loop and drag to the right to make
both of them repeat several times.
Control the Master volume:
9 Make the audio fade in and out by using the
Pencil tool to create volume automation. Click
on the Master track to draw in the fades.
Finish the Movie:
10 Click File > Export > Movie to create the final
movie by exporting it.
3 Shorten your movie by using the “Standard
Trimmer” tool to trim the end.
Choose some Loops:
4 Make sure the Loops dialog is visible. To hide
or show the Loops dialog click the Loops button
in the Toolbar.
5 Preview a loop by clicking on it and drag it
into your session. Choose a drum loop, bass
loop and a sound effect loop.
6 Arrange loops with the Grabber tool. Move
your loops so the drums start before the bass.
7 Trim a loop by using the Standard Trimmer
tool. Click in the lower half of the sound effect
loop and drag to the left to shorten it.
Interactive Projects Guide6
IP 6: Making a Mix
Let’s combine multiple sounds into one mix
with Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Fader and Pan Automation
• Effects Automation
• Mute Automation and Solo
Project Workflow
Control the effects:
7 Make the effects’ controls change over time.
Click the Automation Lane View selector and
choose one of the effects’ controls. Use the
Pencil tool again to have that control change
automatically.
Control the stereo field:
8 Make the sound move from left to right and
back again over time. Click the Automation
Lane View selector and choose Pan. Use the Pencil tool again to have that control change automatically.
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose a Demo
Song.
Control the faders:
2 Listen back to your session by using the Trans-
port controls. Click Return to Zero and then click
the Play triangle.
3 Click the “Solo” button on a track to hear that
track on its own. Click it again to hear all the
tracks together.
4 Click the “Mute” button on a track to silence
that track so that you can hear how the session
sounds without it. Click it again to hear all the
tracks together.
5 Make the tracks’ volumes change over time by
using the Pencil tool to create volume automation. Click on the Show/Hide automation lane
triangle on a track and draw in a few volume
changes.
6 Mute and unmute tracks over time. Click the
Automation Lane View selector and choose Mute.
Use the Pencil tool again to mute/unmute automatically where you draw with the Pencil tool.
9 Listen back to your session by using the Trans-
port controls. Click Return to Zero and then click
the Play triangle.
Finish the mix:
10 Click File > Export > Audio to create the final
mix by exporting it.
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide 7
IP 7: Exploring Effects
Let’s hear how effects can transform your
sounds with Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Using Loops
• Using Effects
•Solo
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Loops.”
Choose some Loops:
2 Make sure the Loops dialog is visible. To hide
or show the Loops dialog click the Loops button
in the Toolbar.
3 Preview a loop by clicking on it and drag it
into the session. Choose a few that will sound
good together. You can sort Loops by key and by
other ways.
7 Click the Solo button on a track to hear that
track on its own and click it again to hear all the
tracks together.
8 Click one of the effect’s drop-downs to choose
an effect. While the audio plays back, choose
different effects to hear how they change the
sound.
9 Try out different effect presets by clicking on
the effect’s settings drop-down and selecting
from its list.
10 Use the Effect On/Off button to hear how the
audio sounds with or without each effect.
4 Arrange loops with the Grabber tool. Move
your loops so they start at different positions.
You can make your loops align with the Grid by
enabling Snap to Grid.
5 Repeat a loop by using the Standard Trimmer
tool. Click in the upper half of some of the loops
and drag to the right to make them repeat several times.
Adjust the effects:
6 Listen back to your session by using the Trans-
port controls. Click Return to Zero and then click
the Play triangle.
Interactive Projects Guide8
IP 8: Recording an Acoustic Instrument
7 Use the Selector tool to select any unwanted
sounds, then hit Delete on the keyboard to remove them.
Let’s record an instrument using a microphone
with Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Audio Track Recording and Editing
• Gate, Compressor and Equalizer effects
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Acoustic
Instrument.”
Record the instrument:
2 Click the Track Record Enable button on the
“Acoustic 1” track so it is ready to record. When
you play your acoustic instrument into the microphone that’s connected you can see the meter flickering on that track.
3 Start to record by clicking the Record Enable
circle so that it flashes red, and then the Play triangle. When you finish playing, click the Stop
square.
Adjust the effects:
8 Click one of the effects to access its controls.
While your audio plays back, move the Gate’s
Threshold control to silence signals that fall below the level you set.
9 Now click “Compressor” and move the con-
trols to smooth your track’s dynamics.
10 Try out different presets by clicking on the
Equalizer’s settings drop-down menu and selecting from its list.
4 On the Acoustic 1 track, you can see a wave-
form for the sound you just recorded. Click the
Track Record Enable button on the track again to
take Pro Tools out of record mode.
Edit the performance:
5 Listen back to your performance by using the
Transport controls. Click Return to Zero and then
click the Play triangle.
6 Clean up your recording by using the Stan-
dard Trimmer tool to trim the end and beginning.
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide 9
IP 9: Using Loops
Let’s try out some of the high-quality sound
samples that are included with Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
• Using Loops
• Using Effects
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Loops.”
Choose some Loops:
2 Make sure the Loops dialog is visible. To hide
or show the Loops dialog click the Loops button
in the Toolbar.
3 Preview a loop by clicking on it and drag it
into the session. Choose a few that will sound
good together. You can sort Loops by key and by
other ways.
8 Click one of the effect’s drop-downs to choose
an effect from its list. While the audio plays
back, choose different effects to hear how they
change the sound.
9 Try out different effect presets by clicking on
the effect’s settings drop-down and selecting
from its list.
10 Use the Effect On/Off button to quickly hear
how the audio sounds with or without each effect.
4 Arrange loops with the Grabber tool. Move
your loops so they start at different positions.
You can make your loops align with the Grid by
enabling Snap to Grid.
5 Repeat a loop by using the Standard Trimmer
tool. Click in the upper half of some of the loops
and drag to the right to make them repeat several times.
Adjust the effects:
6 Listen back to your session by using the Trans-
port controls. Click Return to Zero and then click
the Play triangle.
7 Click the Solo button on a track to hear that
track on its own and click it again to hear all the
tracks together.
Interactive Projects Guide10
IP 10: Starting from Scratch
Let’s build a customized session with
Pro Tools SE.
Features used:
• Quick Start dialog
•Creating Tracks
• Instrument Track Recording
• Audio Track Recording
Project Workflow
Create the session:
1 From the Quick Start dialog, choose “Empty
Session.”
2 Create a rhythmic backing track using a loop.
Make sure the Loops dialog is visible. To hide or
show the Loops dialog click the Loops button in
the Toolbar.
3 Preview a loop by clicking on it, then drag it
into the session (choose one with a strong
rhythm).
7 You can also draw notes in the MIDI Editor. To
create notes, click Window > MIDI Editor, then
choose the Pencil tool in the MIDI Editor.
8 Create more tracks if you need them.
Click Track > New and choose either an Instrument or an Audio track.
9 Try out different effect presets by clicking on
the effect’s settings drop-down and selecting
from its list.
10 Listen to your session by using the Transport
controls. Click Return to Zero and then click the
Play triangle.
Record some audio:
4 Click the Track Record Enable button on the
“Audio” track so it is ready to record. Now when
an audio signal is detected, you can see the meter flickering on that track.
5 Start to record by clicking the Record Enable
circle so it flashes red, and then click the Play tri-
angle. When you finish playing click the Stop
square.
Create some software sounds:
6 With Instrument tracks, make sure your MIDI
keyboard is connected directly to your computer with a USB cable so you can play (trigger)
the sounds with your keyboard.
Welcome to the Interactive Projects Guide 11
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