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Pro Tools HD 7.2
User Manual
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Avid Technology Pro Tools HD 7.2 User Manual

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What’s New
Pro Tools HD® 7. 2
© 2006 Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. This guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the express written consent of Digidesign.
AudioSuite, Avid, Command|8. Control|24, D-Command, D­Control, DigiBase, Digidesign, DigiTranslator, MachineControl, ProControl, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, Pro Tools M-Powered, Mojo, and QuickPunch are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the US and other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.
PN 9320-55483-00 REV A 07/06

contents

Chapter 1. Introduction
System Requirements
New Features in Pro Tools HD 7.2
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Chapter 2. System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements
Recording and Playback from HFS+ Drives
Mouse Scrollwheel Enhancements
Right-Click Enhancements
New Right-Click Functions
New Right-Click Pop-Up Menus
Preserving Folder Hierarchy when Saving a Copy of a Session
Pro Tools Preferences
Importing Audio, MIDI, Video, and Region Groups
Sharing Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions with Previous Versions of Pro Tools HD
Sharing Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions with Previous Versions of Pro Tools LE or M-Powered
DigiBase Enhancements
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Chapter 3. Recording Features and Enhancements
Real-Time Display of Waveforms During Recording
DestructivePunch Mode
MachineControl Enhancements
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Contents
iii
Chapter 4. Editing Features and Enhancements
Shuffle Lock Mode
Region-Based Editing in Automation Views
Display of Fade Boundaries and Shapes in Automation View
Enhanced Region Copy/Paste Behavior with Grabber Tools
Snapping Regions or Selections to the Preceding or Next Region
Enhanced Editing of Fades
Automatic Fades for Imported REX and ACID Files
Region List Enhancements for Searching
Importing Multichannel Audio Files from a Field Recorder
Region List Enhancements for Multichannel Metadata
Replacing a Region with an Alternate Channel from a Multichannel Recording
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Chapter 5. Grouping Features and Enhancements
Increase in Number of Available Mix and Edit Groups
New Group Functions
New Group Dialog and Commands
Enhanced Group Menus
Grouped Control Offsets
New Panning Features
VCA Master Tracks
VCA Automation
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Chapter 6. Automation Features and Enhancements
Automation Data Displayed in Real Time
New Automation Indicator Behavior
New Preference to Automatically Enable Plug-ins for Automation
“Write Automation To” Command Enhancements
AutoMatch and AutoJoin Enhancements
New Touch/Latch Automation Mode
New Trim Automation Features
Behavior of Switched Controls in Touch Mode
Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode
New Automation Preview Mode
New Automation Capture Feature
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What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.2
iv
Chapter 7. Plug-in Features and Enhancements
Default Plug-in Preferences
Enhanced Dynamics III Display
DigiRack Time Shift Enhancements
New SignalTools Plug-ins
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Chapter 8. General Video Improvements
New Video Track
New Video Track Support
Video Track Controls
Setting the Video Engine Rate
Selecting the Main Video Track
New Options for Importing Video
Video Regions
General Video Editing
Video Region Groups
Multiple Undo for Video Operations
Video Window
Video in the Universe Window
Updates to FireWire Playback of QuickTime DV Movies
Playback of HD QuickTime Movies
Compensating for Video Monitoring Delays
Bouncing the Video Track to a QuickTime Movie
Sharing a Pro Tools 7.2 Session with a Previous Version of Pro Tools
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Chapter 9. New Pro Tools Features for Avid Video Peripherals
Matching File Suffixes for Digitized Video and Audio
Support for Importing Additional Types of AAF Sequences
Importing IMX MPEG30 and MPEG40 Video Files
Playback of QuickTime Movies through Avid Video Peripherals
Adjusting Video Black Output Level
Looping Audio with Avid Video Present
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Contents
v
Chapter 10. Control Surface Features
Ethernet Drivers for Control Surface Support Installed Automatically
General Control Surface Enhancements
ICON New Features and Enhancements
Displaying VCA Master Tracks
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What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.2
vi
chapter 1

Introduction

This chapter is an overview of new features in Pro Tools HD 7.2 for Pro Tools|HD Windows XP or Mac OS X.
®
systems on

System Requirements

For complete system requirements, refer to the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com).
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, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com).

New Features in Pro Tools HD 7.2

Pro Tools HD 7.2 includes the following new or enhanced features:
Navigation Enhancements
• Mouse scrollwheel enhancements
• Right-click enhancements
• New Right-click commands
• New Right-click pop-up menus
Pro Tools Session Enhancements
• New “Preserve Folder Hierarchy” option in Save Copy In dialog
• Reorganization of Preference dialog pages and new preferences
• New Import Options dialogs (replace “Im­port to Track” commands)
DigiBase Enhancements
• Show and hide columns in DigiBase™ browsers
• New Field Recorder metadata column dis­plays
• New Force Relink capability
Chapter 1: Introduction
1
Recording Features and Enhancements
• Real-Time Display of waveforms during re­cording for QuickPunch™, TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch modes
• New DestructivePunch Mode
• Prepare DestructivePunch-Enabled Tracks command
• DestructivePunch File Length Operation preference
MachineControl Enhancements
• External Synchronizer Track Name Display
• New Edit Preview mode for machine track arming
• Controlling Pro Tools with Third-Party Paddle Devices
• Transport Arming
• Track Arming
• TrackInput Monitoring
• Mute Toggling
• Solo Toggling
• New “PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring” Operation preference
Editing Features and Enhancements
• New Shuffle Lock mode to prevent accidental shuffling of regions
• Region-based editing in Automation views
• Display of fade boundaries and shapes in Au­tomation View
• Enhanced region Copy/Paste behavior with Grabber tools
• New Snap To commands for snapping regions or Edit selections to other regions
• Enhanced editing of fades
• Move/Nudge fades within regions
• Move/Nudge crossfades
• Separate Region command works on fades
• Trim fades
• New “Automatically Create Fades For Im­ported REX and ACID files” Editing prefer­ence
• Region List Enhancements
• New Search options
• Display of multichannel metadata
• Support for digital field recorders
• Importing multichannel audio files and metadata from field recorders
• Selection of alternate field recorder audio channels in the Pro Tools timeline
Grouping Features and Enhancements
• 104 available groups (4 banks of 26)
• New Group functions
• New and selectable Mix group attributes
• Attribute preset buttons
• Linking of send and plug-in controls across tracks
• New Group dialog and commands
• Modify Group
• Delete Group
• Duplicate Group
• New grouped control offset behavior
• Group offsets preserved when faders are moved to extremes
• Indication of overflow in Automation views
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.2
2
• New panning features
• Option to link main output pan and send output pan controls
• Option for two-knob surround panning (ICON work surfaces only)
• “Use Absolute Pan Linking” Automation preference (also reverts stereo track linking to legacy behavior)
• Enhanced Group menus
• Enhanced Group List pop-up menu
• Enhanced Group name pop-up menu
• New Group ID indicator pop-up
• New VCA-style grouping features
• VCA Master track type
• VCA Automation playlists
• Option to show composite level
• Preference and commands for coalescing VCA automation
Automation Features and Enhancements
• Real-time drawing of automation
• New track Automation indicator behavior
• New Option to automatically enable plug-ins for automation when added to a session
• Enhancements to Write To Start/End/All com­mands
• AutoMatch and AutoJoin enhancements
• New AutoMatch and AutoJoin buttons in on-screen Automation window
• New AutoMatch on individual channels command
• New AutoMatch on individual sends, in­serts, or pans commands (ICON work sur­faces only)
• New Touch/Latch Automation mode
• New Trim Automation features
• Trim Automation playlists
• Displays of Trim automation in other play­lists
• Coalesce Trim, Clear Trim, and Trim Sus­pend commands
• New behavior options for switched controls when in “Touch” mode
• Switched controls latch when in “Touch” mode
• New Automation preference to override latching behavior
• New Option to allow priming of Latch-en­abled controls when transport is stopped
• New Automation Preview mode
• Preview command
• Suspend Preview command
• Punch Preview command
• New Automation Capture feature
• Capture command
• Punch Capture command
Plug-in Features and Enhancements
• Enhanced Dynamics III display
• DigiRack Time Shift enhancements
• Support for new Signal Tools plug-ins
General Video-Related Improvements
• New Video track
• New Video track support
• Quicktime movies or Avid video on indi­vidual Video tracks
• Multiple playlists in the video track
• Multiple video tracks in the Timeline
Chapter 1: Introduction
3
• Video track controls
• Differences in video tracks with QuickTime movies
• New Video Online button
• New Video Frame Rate indicator
• Record Enable button
• Video track locking
• Video regions
• General video editing
• General editing operations not applicable to video regions
• Selecting within video frame boundaries
• Selecting and editing across multiple audio and video tracks
• Inserting black
• Video region groups
• Multiple Undo for video operations
• Video window
• Resizing the Video window
• Video in the Universe window
• Video Universe display
• Updates to FireWire playback of QuickTime DV movies
• Compensating for video monitoring delays
• New options for importing video:
• New Import Video command
• Dragging and dropping video from a Digi­Base browser or the desktop
• Configuring Video Import options
• Video overlay on Import Session Data
• Extracting audio from QuickTime movies
• Bouncing the video track to a QuickTime movie
• Sharing a Pro Tools 7.2 session with a previ­ous version of Pro Tools
New Pro Tools features for Avid DNA Video Peripherals (AVoption|V10 and Avid Mojo)
• Matching audio and video names for digitized video
• Importing additional types of AAF sequences
• Importing AAF sequences with video mix­down and metadata
• Importing audio AAF sequences with un­supported video formats
• Importing IMX MPEG30 and MPEG40 video files
• Playback of QuickTime movies through Avid DNA video peripherals
• Playback of HD QuickTime movies through Avid DNA video peripherals
• Adjusting video black output level
• Looping audio with Avid video present
Control Surface Features and Enhancements
• Ethernet Control Surface drivers installed automatically on Windows XP
• New Scrub/Shuttle wheel capabilities
• Change in Automation indication
• Two-knob Surround Panning on D-Control and D-Command
• Store and recall up to 48 Snapshots with Capture command on D-Control and D­Command
• Default Plug-in assignment on D-Control and D-Command
• New options for setting Custom Fader bank size
• Display of VCA Master tracks and VCA slave tracks in Custom Faders on D-Control and D-Command
• New commands for AutoMatching individ­ual controls
• New Soft Key commands on D-Control and D-Command
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.24
chapter 2
System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements
This chapter describes changes to Pro Tools sys­tem capabilities, session features, and basic nav­igation.

Recording and Playback from HFS+ Drives

(Windows Only)
Pro Tools 7.2 for Windows XP now supports re­cording and playback of sessions directly from Mac-formatted (HFS+) drives using the MacDrive software application.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, Mac­formatted HFS+ drives could only be used as Transfer volumes when connected to Windows XP systems using MacDrive.
When using MacDrive for recording and play­back on a Windows system, the session file and all audio files must be stored on Mac-formatted (HFS+) drives. Recording and playback of a ses­sion from a mixture of Windows- and Mac-for­matted drives is not supported.

Mouse Scrollwheel Enhancements

In Pro Tools 7.2, some of the key commands for scrolling with a mouse scroll wheel have changed.
To zoom continuously in the Edit window (horizontal zoom):
■ Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
turning the mouse scroll wheel.
To zoom continuously in the Edit window (vertical zoom):
■ Hold Shift+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option
(Mac) while turning the mouse scroll wheel.
To scroll the contents of the Edit window or Mix window horizontally:
1 Focus the window you want to scroll by click-
ing in it or bringing it forward.
2 Hold the Shift key while turning the
Scrub/Shuttle Wheel.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 5

Right-Click Enhancements

Pro Tools 7.2 adds a number of Right-click shortcuts for choosing various Pro Tools commands and menus with any Right-click capable mouse. The tables on the following pages summarize the Right­click functionality in Pro Tools.
Mix Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task
Channel Volume fader Channel Pan slider Channel Mute button Channel Solo button Channel Record Enable button Channel TrackInput button Send fader Send Pan slider
Channel Input selector Channel Output selector
Send selector Access Send commands:
Insert selector Access Insert commands:
Track Name (in Mix window, Edit window and Track list)
Temporarily isolate control from group operation
Access I/O commands:
• Make Active/Inactive
• Rename
• Mute Send
• Make Active/Inactive
• Rename
• Bypass
• Make Active/Inactive
• Automation dialog (plug-ins only)
• Automation Safe (plug-ins only)
• Rename (hardware I/O only)
Access Track commands:
• Hide/Show
• Hide and Make Inactive
• Make Active/Inactive
• Scroll Into View
• Locked (video track only)
• Rename
• Duplicate
• Delete
• Coalesce VCA Master Automation
• Coalesce Trim Automation
• Clear Trim Automation
• Split Into Mono (multichannel tracks only)
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.26
Mix Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task
Surround Panning Mode button (in Surround Output Window)
Region List items Access Region List commands:
Group List items Access Group List commands and information:
Access Panning modes:
• X/Y Mode
• 3-Knob mode
• Divergence Editing mode
• AutoGlide mode
• Clear
• Rename
• Time Stamp
• Replace Region
• Compact
• Export Region Definition
• Export Regions as Files
• Recalculate Waveform Overviews
• Select Parent in Workspace
• Object Select in Edit Window
• Group ID
• Tracks (list of tracks in Group)
• Attributes (list of Group Attributes)
• Modify
• Duplicate
• Delete
• Select Tracks in Group
• Show/Hide Tracks in Group
• Show/Hide Only Tracks in Group
• Show/Hide All Tracks
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 7
Edit Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task
Timeline or point in region previously selected with Selector tool
Region or region selection Access Edit and Region commands:
Control-Right-click region (Windows) Command-Right-click region (Mac)
Transport Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task
Transport Play button Access Playback modes:
Access commands:
• Separate
• Matches (Channels or Alternates)
• Cut
• Copy
• Paste
• Clear
• Matches (Channels or Alternates)
• Separate
• Delete Fades
• Snap to Next
• Snap to Previous
• Spot
• Group Regions
• Ungroup Regions
Access Move Region commands:
• Move Region Start to Selection Start
• Move Region Sync to Selection Start
• Move Region End to Selection Start
• Half Speed
• Prime for Playback
• Loop Playback
Transport Record button Cycle through Record modes:
• Normal
• Destructive
• Loop
• QuickPunch
• TrackPunch
• DestructivePunch
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.28
Transport Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task
Transport Return to Zero button Access Automation commands:
• Write to Start
• Write to All
Transport Go To End button Access Automation commands:
• Write to End
• Write to All
Universe Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task
Universe window Access Universe window commands
Video Window Right-Click Commands and Menus
Right-click Shortcut Task (Pro Tools HD Only)
Video window Access Universe window commands:
• Online
• Video Out FireWire
• Half Size
• Actual Size
• Double Size
• Fit Screen
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 9

New Right-Click Functions

The following Right-click functions are new or have changed in Pro Tools 7.2.

Scrolling a Track into View

Snapping Regions or Selections to Regions in the Edit Window

You can snap a region or Edit selection to other regions in a track by Right-clicking. See “Snap­ping Regions or Selections to Regions in the Edit Window” on page 10.
You can scroll a track into view on-screen by Right-clicking its name in any of several loca­tions.
To scroll a track into view:
■ In the Track List, or Mix or Edit window,
Right-click the track name and select Scroll into View.
The track is selected, and the windows scroll as follows:
• The Mix window scrolls to bring the se­lected track as close to the left as possible.
• The Edit window scrolls to bring the se­lected track as close to the top as possible.

Renaming I/O Paths from the Edit or Mix Window

You can rename I/O paths directly from the Edit or Mix windows by Right-clicking, without opening the I/O Setup dialog.
To rename an I/O path:
1 In the Edit or Mix window, Right-click the In-
put selector or Output selector for a track, and choose Rename from the pop-up menu.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, Right­clicking in a region with the Selector tool would scrub at the insertion point. To scrub in a region, Start-click (Windows) or Con­trol-click (Mac).

Separating Regions in the Edit Window

You can separate regions in the Edit window by Right-clicking.
To separate a region:
1 Do one of the following:
• Left-click in a region with the Selector tool to place the cursor at the separation point.
– or –
• Drag to select the area you want to separate in a region.
2 Right-click near the cursor position or selec-
tion and choose Separate from the pop-up menu.
2 In the Rename I/O dialog, enter a name for the
I/O Path, and click OK.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.210

Selecting Alternate Takes from the Matching Takes List

Right-Click Commands and Selections

After recording multiple takes with loop or punch recording, you can replace the take cur­rently residing in a track with the other takes to audition them in the Timeline.
Each region resulting from a punch or loop record pass has an identical start time (the User Time Stamp). This allows you to easily select and audition alternate takes from the Matches pop­up menu, even while the session play or loops.
To select an alternate take:
1 Right-click with the Selector tool in the loop
or punch range.
2 Choose Matches from the pop-up menu and
choose a take from the list of Alternates that ap­pears. The alternate region replaces the previous take and snaps precisely to the correct location.
You can use Right-click commands with key combinations to perform operations on objects while maintaining selections in the Edit and Mix windows. For example, you can maintain selections in the following areas while carrying out certain commands:
• Region selections in the Timeline
• Region name selections in the Region List
• Track selections
To apply a command to an object while keeping the current selection:
■ Control-Right-click (Windows) or Command-
Right-click (Mac) the object and choose a com­mand from the pop-up menu.

Right-Click Commands and Moving Regions

You can use Right-click commands with a key combination to spot regions in a track.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, Right­clicking in a region with the Grabber tool would spot the region to a selection.
Matching Takes List
3 Repeat the above steps to audition any addi-
tional alternate takes.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 11
To spot a region to a selection:
1 Click or drag with the Selector tool to locate
the cursor or make a selection in the track where you want to spot the region.
2 Control-Right-click (Windows) or Command-
Right-click (Mac) the region and choose any of the following from the pop-up menu:
• Move Region Start to Selection Start
• Move Region Sync to Selection Start
• Move Region End to Selection Start

New Right-Click Pop-Up Menus

Track Name Pop-Up Menus

(Edit Window, Mix window or Track List)
When you Right-click a track name in the Edit window, Mix window, or the Track List, a pop­up menu provides access to the following com­mands:
Hide Hides the track (or selected tracks if any)
Hide and Make Inactive Hides the track and
makes it inactive (or selected tracks if any)
Make Active/Inactive Toggles the active status of the track (or selected tracks if any)
Scroll Into View Scrolls the track to the top of the Edit window or the left of the Mix window
Locked (video track only) Toggles the locked/un­locked status of the video track (or selected video tracks if any)
Rename Opens the Track Name dialog
Duplicate Duplicates the track (or selected tracks
if any)
Delete Deletes the track (or selected tracks if any)
Coalesce VCA Master Automation Coalesces the VCA automation to the slave tracks of the VCA
Coalesce Trim Automation Coalesces Trim auto­mation on the track (or selected tracks if any)
Clear Trim Automation Clears Trim automation on the track (or selected tracks if any)
Split Into Mono (Multichannel Tracks Only) Splits a multichannel track (or selected multichannel tracks if any) into their mono component tracks
Audio Track Name pop-up menu
VCA Track Name pop-up menu

Region Name Pop-Up Menu

(Region List)
When you Right-click a region name in the Re­gion List, a pop-up menu provides access to the following commands:
Clear Removes selected regions from the session
Rename Renames selected regions
Time Stamp Redefines the time stamp of se-
lected regions
Replace Region Replaces multiple instances of a region with another region
Compact Compacts selected regions
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.212
Export Region Definitions Exports definitions for selected regions
Export Regions as Files Exports selected regions as files
Recalculate Waveform Overviews Redraws wave­forms for selected regions
Select Parent in Workspace Highlights the par­ent file of selected region in the DigiBase Work­space Browser
Object Select in Edit Window Selects region as an object in the Edit window
Region Name pop-up menu

Preserving Folder Hierarchy when Saving a Copy of a Session

Pro Tools 7.2 lets you preserve the relative ar­rangement of a session’s audio files that are stored on separate drives or in different folders when saving a copy of a session.
◆ When the Preserve Folder Hierarchy option is
selected, the main folder for the session copy will include subfolders for each drive or folder in the original session. The destination subfolders use the same names as the source drives and folders.
◆ When the Preserve Folder Hierarchy option is
not selected, the Save Copy In command copies all files of the same type, regardless of their loca­tion, into a single destination folder.
To save a copy of a session and preserve the relative arrangement of its folders and files:
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
To record or play back from HFS+ drives with Windows:
1 In Windows, go to the MacDrive Control
Panel.
2 Choose Options > File Names and select the
“International Use” option.
3 Delete all options listed under “File Name
Maps.”
4 In Pro Tools, choose Window > Workspace
and make sure that all Mac-formatted volumes are set to R (record) or P (playback) in the A (Au­dio) and V (Video) columns.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 13
2 Choose a destination and enter a name for the
copied session file.
3 Choose a session file format for the copied ses-
sion.
4 Select an Audio File Type, Sample Rate, and Bit
Depth for the copied session.
5 If applicable, select a Fader Gain level for the
copied session.
6 If applicable, select “Enforce Mac/PC Compat-
ibility” to create session and audio files that can be used on both Windows and Mac Pro Tools systems.
7 Select the Items to Copy for the copied ses-
sion.
8 Select Preserve Folder Hierarchy.
9 Click Save.

Pro Tools Preferences

In Pro Tools 7.2, the Preference pages and many of its options have been reorganized for easier navigation.

Display Preferences

Basics Section
• Draw Grids in Edit Window
• Draw Waveforms Rectified
• Recompute Invalid Overviews
• Track Position Numbers Stay with Hidden Tracks
• Tool Tips Display Options
• Edit Window Default Length
• “Organize Plug-in Menus By” Options
Meters Section
• Peak Hold Options
• Clip Indication Options
• Show Meters in Sends View Option

Operation Preferences

Transport Section
• Timeline Insertion Follows Playback
• Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle
• Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind
• Custom Shuttle Lock Speed
• Back/Forward Amount
• Numeric Keypad Mode
Video Section
• QuickTime Playback Priority: In Pro Tools
7.2, QuickTime Playback Priority options are named Normal, Medium, and Highest.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the “Medium” setting was called “Higher.”
• Avid Video Errors Stop Playback
• Avid Video NTSC Has Setup (NTSC-J): This preference lets you adjust the level of NTSC video black output between 7.5 IRE (stan­dard) or 0 IRE. When this option is se­lected, output level is 0 IRE.
Color Coding Section
• Default Track Color Coding Options
• Default Region Color Coding Options
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.214
Auto Backup Section
• Enable Session File Auto Backup
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the “Auto Backup” feature was called “AutoSave.”
• DestructivePunch File Length: This preference sets the duration of consolidated audio files when preparing tracks for DestructivePunch mode. The default value for this setting is 25 minutes.
Record Section
• Latch Record Enable Buttons
• .Link Record and Play Faders: When selected, Pro Tools does not remember separate fader levels for tracks when they are record-en­abled, allowing you to maintain the same monitoring level for tracks during recording and playback.
• Audio Track RecordLock
• Transport RecordLock
• Disable “Input” When Disarming Track (In “Stop”)
• Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped
• PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring: This op­tion changes the way the TrackInput monitor­ing mode is indicated on-screen (and on supported control surfaces) to emulate “PEC” (playback) and “Direct” (input/bus) indica­tion on some large format consoles.
• When not selected, the TrackInput button shows the letter “I.” The button remains gray to indicate Auto Input mode and lights green to indicate Input Only mode.
• When selected, the TrackInput button re­mains gray and shows the letter “D” to in­dicated Input Only mode (“Direct”); it lights green and shows the letter “P” to in­dicate Auto Input mode (“Pec” or play­back).
• Online Options
• Open Ended Record Allocation Options
Misc (Miscellaneous) Section
• Auto Region Fade In/Out Length
• Calibration Reference Level
• Delay Compensation Time Mode
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the Delay Compensation option was in the Display Preferences page.
Solo Latch Options Moved To Options Menu
In Pro Tools 7.2, Solo Latch behavior is set in the Options menu.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, Solo Latch options were in the Operations page of the Preferences dialog.
To select a Solo Latch mode:
■ Choose Options > Solo Mode and select from
the following options:
Latch When selected, pressing subsequent Solo buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks.
X-OR (Cancels Previous Solo) When selected, pressing subsequent Solo buttons cancels previ­ous solos.
Momentary (Pro Tools HD Only) When selected, Solo buttons are not sticky. A track is soloed only when its Solo switch is held down.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 15

Editing Preferences

Regions Section
• Region List Selection Follows Edit Selection
• Edit Selection Follows Region List Selection
• Auto-Name Separated Regions
• “Matching Start Time” Takes List Options
Memory Locations Section
• Auto-Name Memory Locations When Playing
• Recall Memory Location at Original Track
• Automatically Create Fades for Imported REX and ACID files: When selected, this option automatically applies fades between regions (“slices”) within imported REX and ACID files to minimize clicks or pops dur­ing playback. If there is overlap between slices, a crossfade is applied. If there is a gap between slices, a fade out is applied to the end of the first region. (The fade shape ap­plied to REX/ACID files follow the Default Fade Settings for REX/ACID.)
• Levels of Undo

Mixing Preferences

Fades Section
• Crossfade Preview Pre-Roll
• Crossfade Preview Post-Roll
• QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length
• Preserve Fades when Editing: This option preserves fade-ins and fade outs, and con­verts separated crossfades into correspond­ing fade-ins and fade-outs.
Default Fade Settings
• REX/ACID: This new setting lets you choose the default envelope shape for fades and crossfades between regions (“slices”) in imported REX and ACID files.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.216
In previous versions of Pro Tools, this Pref­erences page was named “Automation.”
Setup Section
• Sends Default to –INF
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the Sends Default to -INF option was in the Operation Preferences page.
• Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan: When selected, newly created sends have Follow Main Pan turned on, so the Send Pan controls follow the pan controls of the track. When not selected, newly created sends have Follow Main Pan turned off.
• Link Mix and Edit Group Enables
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the Link Mix and Edit Group Enables option was in the Operation Preferences page.
• Use Absolute Pan Linking: This option affects behavior of grouped pan controls.
• When selected, grouped pan controls do not maintain relative offsets when any of the grouped pan controls is adjusted. All grouped pan controls snap to the absolute value of the adjusted control.
• When not selected, grouped pan controls maintain relative offsets when any of the linked controls is adjusted.
• Default EQ: Lets you choose any installed EQ plug-in as the default, which makes it avail­able for quick assignment, both on-screen and on ICON work surfaces. On-screen, the plug­in appears at the top of the Insert selector pop-up menu. On ICON work surfaces, the plug-in appears first in the list of menu choices on the rotary encoders.
• Default Dynamics: Lets you choose any in­stalled Dynamics plug-in as the default, which makes it available for quick assign­ment, both on-screen and on ICON work sur­faces. On-screen, the plug-in appears at the top of the Insert selector pop-up menu. On ICON work surfaces, the plug-in appears first in the list of menu choices on the rotary en­coders.
Controllers Section
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the fol­lowing three options were in the Display Preferences page.
• Edit Window Follows Bank Selection
• Mix Window Follows Bank Selection
• “Scroll to Track” Banks Controllers
• Always Fill Channel Strips When Banking: If you are using an ICON worksurface, you can select this option to maximize the number of channels displayed when bank­ing. This setting optimizes the Bank com­mands to prevent the display of a small number of channels at the extremes of the surface.
• Touch Timeout
Automation Section
• Smooth and Thin Data After Pass
• Degree of Thinning
• Plug-in Controls Default to Auto-Enabled: When selected, all applicable controls of newly added plug-ins are enabled for automa­tion. When not selected, the controls of newly added plug-ins must be manually en­abled for automation.
• Suppress Automation “Write To” Warnings: When selected, Pro Tools suppresses the warnings that appear after invoking any of the Write Automation To Start, Selection, End, or Punch commands and then stopping the transport.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 17
• Latching Behavior for Switched Controls in “Touch”: This option determines the behavior of switched controls (such as mute or plug-in bypass) when writing automation in Touch mode.
• When selected, controls in Touch mode will latch in their current state. If an exist­ing breakpoint is encountered, writing of automation stops. If the transport is stopped while writing, the control will Au­toMatch to the underlying value.
• When not selected, controls in Touch mode will not latch.
• Allow Latch Prime in Stop: When selected and any tracks are in Latch mode, any automa­tion-enabled controls on those tracks can be set to new values while the transport is stopped by touching or moving controls, to prepare for the next automation pass.
• Coalesce When Removing Slaves from VCA Group: This option determines the behavior when removing slave tracks from a VCA-con­trolled group.
• When selected, any automation on the VCA Master is automatically coalesced (without confirmation) to its slave tracks when the tracks are removed from the group.
• When not selected, a confirmation dialog lets you choose whether or not to coalesce the VCA Master automation to the slave tracks.
• Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes: This option determines which Mix group at­tributes may be selected in the Group dialog when the group is assigned to a VCA Master.
• When selected, Main Volume, Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and Input Monitoring con­trols on slave tracks follow the VCA Master only and are not available to be indepen­dently linked. (This emulates the behavior of analog console VCA masters.)
• When deselected, Main Volume, Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and Input Monitoring controls follow the VCA Master but also re­main available for independent linking with groups.
• Include Sends in Trim Mode: This option de­termines the Trim status of Send faders when a track is put in Trim mode.
• When selected, Send faders go into Trim mode along with the Main Volume fader.
• When deselected, the Main Volume fader goes into Trim mode, but the Send fader stays in the corresponding standard Auto­mation mode.
• Include Control Changes in Undo Queue: This option determines whether certain mixer control changes, such as moving a fader or pan control, are entered into the Undo queue.
• When selected, mixer control changes ap­pear in the Undo queue, and are undone if any prior operation is undone.
• When deselected, mixer control changes will not appear in the undo queue, allow­ing you to undo other types of operations without losing the current mixer settings.
Any set to default operations that affect mixer controls are always entered into the Undo queue.
• AutoMatch Time Setting
• AutoGlide Time Setting
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.218
• Amount of Memory to Reserve for Automa­tion Recording
• After Write Pass, Switch To
• Coalesce Trim Automation Options: These options determine when Trim automation is committed to the main automation playlist on a track.
• After Every Pass: Sets Trim automation to coalesce when the transport is stopped at the end of each Trim automation pass. No Composite Playlist is indicated.
• On Exiting Trim Mode: Sets Trim Automa­tion to coalesce on a track when the track is taken out of Trim mode. A Composite Play­list can be viewed before committing Trim moves.
• Manually: Trim Automation can be coa­lesced only with the Coalesce Trim Auto­mation command. A Composite Playlist can be viewed before committing Trim moves.
The following preferences have been re­moved, as group behavior of these controls is now covered by the new Group features in Pro Tools 7.2: Solos Follow Groups, Mutes Follow Groups, LFEs Follow Groups, Send Levels Follow Groups, Send Mutes Follow Groups.

Processing Preferences

AudioSuite Section
• AudioSuite Buffer Size
• Use AudioSuite Dither
• Plug-in
• Bit Depth
TC/E (Time Compression/Expansion) Section
• TC/E Plug-in
• Default Settings
Import Section
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the fol­lowing two options were in the Operation Preferences page.
• Convert Imported “.wav” Files To AES31/BroadcastWave
• Automatically Copy Files on Import
• Sample Rate Conversion Quality
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the Sam­ple Rate Conversion Quality option was in the Editing Preferences page.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 19

MIDI Preferences

Synchronization Preferences

Basics Section
• Play MIDI Notes When Editing
• Use MIDI to Tap Tempo
• Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties
• Use F11 Key for Wait for Note
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the Use F11 Key for Wait for Note option was in the Operation Preferences page.
• .Default Note On Velocity
• Default Thru Instrument
• Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data
• Global MIDI Playback Offset
• Note Display Options
• Delay Compensation for External Devices
In previous versions of Pro Tools, this Preferences page was named “Machine Control.”
Machine Control Section
• Machine Chases Memory Location
• Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub
• Machine Cues Intelligently
• Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero
• Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression: When Transport = Pro Tools, keeps Pro Tools from sending a Stop command when taken offline. This prevents Pro Tools from stopping any other 9-pin devices con­nected to the system.
• Delay Before Locking to Time Code: Sets the amount of time (in frames) for Pro Tools to wait before attempting to lock to machines that issue servo lock messages. This setting allows time for the servo mech­anisms to achieve stable lock.
Remote Mode (9-Pin Deck Emulation) Section
• Ignore Track Arming
• Set Servo Lock Bit at Play (Tamura Support)
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.220
• Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode: Sets Pro Tools to respond to incom­ing track arming (record enable) com­mands even when the system is not in Remote Mode. This is useful if you are us­ing a paddle device to control Pro Tools track arming or punching.
• Punch In Frame Offset
• Punch Out Frame Offset
• Delay After Play Command
Synchronization Section
• Stable LTC Source: When selected, this op­tion suppresses the normal 1-second wait time before Pro Tools attempts to lock to incoming LTC. Enable this option when locking Pro Tools to a stable time code source (such as an LTC generator). Disable this option when locking to tape machines.

Importing Audio, MIDI, Video, and Region Groups

In Pro Tools 7.2, the process of importing audio files, MIDI files, video files, and Region Groups has been streamlined with new Import Options dialogs.
3 To audition a selected file or region before you
import it, click the Play and Stop buttons in the Import Audio dialog.
4 Do any of the following:
• To place a file or region in the Import list, select the file and click Add or Convert.
• To import all files and regions in the cur­rent directory, click Add All or Convert All.
• To remove a file or region from the Import list, select it and click Remove.
• To remove all files and regions, click Re­move All.
5 When you have added all audio files and re-
gions to the Import list, click Done.
6 If you are copying or converting files, choose
a location for the new files. Choose a folder on a valid audio drive, such as the Audio Files folder for the current session.
7 In the Audio Import Options dialog, choose
where the imported files will go in the session:
New Track Creates a new track where the file or region will be imported.
Region List Imports the file or region into the Region List, where it will be available to place into tracks.
For information on importing video, see “New Options for Importing Video” on page 93.

Importing Audio Files and Regions

To import audio files or regions into a session using the Pro Tools File menu:
1 Choose File > Import > Audio.
2 In the Import Audio dialog, select an audio file
to display its properties and associated regions.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 21
Audio Import Options dialog
8 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported file in the track:
3 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported file in the track:
Session Start Places the file or region at the start of the session.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file or re­gion to the Song Start point.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file or re­gion to the edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in the timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot the file or region to a precise location based on any of the Time Scales.
9 Click OK.

Importing MIDI Files

To import Standard MIDI files into a session using the Pro Tools File menu:
1 Choose File > Import > MIDI and select the file
you want to import.
2 In the MIDI Import Options dialog, choose
where the imported file will go:
New Track Creates a new track where the file will be imported.
Region List Imports the file into the Region List, where it will be available to place into tracks.
Session Start Places the file or region at the start of the session.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file to the Song Start point.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file to the edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in the timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot the file to a precise location based on any of the Time Scales.
4 Select any of the following Import options:
Import Tempo Map From MIDI File When se-
lected, overwrites any existing tempo map with tempo information read from the MIDI file.
Remove Existing Instrument Tracks When se­lected, deletes any existing Instrument tracks. Selecting this option does not remove any cur­rent MIDI tracks. All existing MIDI regions will be left in the Region List.
Remove Existing MIDI Tracks When selected, de­letes any existing MIDI tracks. Enabling this op­tion does not remove any current Instrument tracks. All existing MIDI regions will be left in the region bin.
Remove Existing MIDI Regions When selected, deletes existing MIDI regions (all data on all MIDI and Instrument tracks) but leaves existing MIDI and Instrument tracks in place.
MIDI Import Options dialog
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.222
5 Click OK.

Importing Region Groups

To import a region group using the Pro Tools File menu:
1 Choose File > Import > Region Groups and se-
lect the region group you want to import.
2 In the Region Group Import Options dialog,
choose where the region group will go:
New Track Creates a new track where the region group will be imported.
Region List Imports the region group into the Region List, where it will be where it will be available to place into tracks.
Region Group Import Options dialog
Import Tempo Map from Region Group File When selected, replaces the session tempo map with the tempo map of the region group. This option is only available when importing the region group to the Session Start.
5 Click OK.

Sharing Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions with Previous Versions of Pro Tools HD

Opening Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions with Pro Tools 7.x

A Pro Tools HD 7.2 session can be opened with some earlier versions of Pro Tools HD 7.x, but certain session components will open differ­ently or not at all.
To open Pro Tools HD 7.2 sessions with a previous version of Pro Tools HD 7.x, you need Pro Tools HD version 7.1cs3 or later.
3 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported group in the track:
Session Start Places the group at the start of the session.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the group to the Song Start point.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the group to the edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in the timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot the group to a precise location based on any of the Time Scales.
4 Select any of the following import options:
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 23
When opening a Pro Tools HD 7.2 session with Pro Tools HD 7.x, the following will occur:
Tracks
• VCA Master tracks will be removed and any uncoalesced VCA automation will be dropped.
• Any uncoalesced Trim automation will be dropped.
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) will be dropped.
• Mix Groups will keep only Main Volume in­formation.
• Mix/Edit Groups will keep only Main Volume and Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for grouped controls will not be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send Levels, Send Mutes will not be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings will be dropped.
Video
• Only the main video track will be displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session will be displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in the Region List but no video track, the session opens with a new QuickTime Movie track containing the first QuickTime movie from the Region List.
• The Timeline will display and play back only the video playlist that was last active. Alter­nate video playlists will not be available.
• Video regions and video region groups will not be shown or saved.

Saving Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Format

A Pro Tools 7.2 session cannot be opened with Pro Tools versions 6.9.x or lower.
To save a Pro Tools 7.x session so it is compati­ble with Pro Tools version 6.9.x or lower, use the File > Save Copy In command to choose the “Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9” session format.
When saving a Pro Tools HD 7.2 session to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 format, the following will occur:
Tracks
• Instrument tracks will be split into separate Auxiliary Input and MIDI tracks.
• VCA Master tracks will be removed and VCA automation will be coalesced to the corre­sponding slave tracks.
• Trim automation playlists will be coalesced to their corresponding automation playlists.
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints higher than +6 dB will be changed to +6 dB.
• Long names will be shortened to 31 charac­ters.
• The following attributes will be dropped:
• Region groups
• Region loops
• Sample-based MIDI regions
• Sample-based MIDI tracks
• Sends F–J and any associated automation
• Marker/Memory Locations 201–999
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) will be dropped.
• Mix Groups will keep only Main Volume in­formation.
• Mix/Edit Groups will keep only Main Volume and Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for grouped controls will not be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send Levels, Send Mutes will not be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings will be dropped.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.224
Video
• Only the main video track will be displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session will be displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in the Region List but no video track, the session opens with a new QuickTime Movie track containing the first QuickTime movie from the Region List.
• The Timeline will display and play back only the video playlist that was last active. Alter­nate video playlists will not be available.
• Video regions and video region groups will not be shown or saved.

Saving Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions to Pro Tools 5.0 Format

A Pro Tools 7.2 session cannot be opened with Pro Tools version 5.0.
To save a Pro Tools 7.x session so it is compati­ble with Pro Tools version 5.0, use the File > Save Copy In command to choose the “Pro Tools 5.0” session format.
When saving a Pro Tools HD 7.2 session to Pro Tools 5.0 format, the following will occur:
Tracks
• Multichannel surround tracks will be re­moved from the session.
• Instrument tracks will be split into separate Auxiliary Input and MIDI tracks.
• VCA Master tracks will be removed and VCA automation will be coalesced to the corre­sponding slave tracks.
• Trim automation playlists will be coalesced to their corresponding automation playlists.
• Inactive tracks will be removed from the ses­sion.
• Tracks assigned to “No Output” will be routed to Busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks or sends assigned to Busses 33–64 will be routed to Busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks assigned to multichannel paths or sub­paths of multichannel paths will be routed to Busses 31 and 32.
• Sends assigned to multichannel paths or sub­paths of multichannel paths will be dropped.
• Tracks or sends assigned to stereo paths refer­ring to even/odd channels (such as 2–3) will be routed to Busses 31 and 32.
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints higher than +6 dB will be changed to +6 dB.
• Long names will be shortened to 31 charac­ters.
• The following attributes will be dropped:
• Region groups
• Region loops
• Sample-based MIDI regions
• Sample-based MIDI tracks
• Sends F–J and any associated automation
• Marker/Memory Locations 201–999
• Multi-mono plug-in instances
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) will be dropped.
• Mix Groups will keep only Main Volume in­formation.
• Mix/Edit Groups will keep only Main Volume and Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for grouped controls will not be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send Levels, Send Mutes will not be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings will be dropped.
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 25
Video
• Only the main video track will be displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session will be displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in the Region List but no video track, the session opens with a new QuickTime Movie track containing the first QuickTime movie from the Region List.
• The Timeline will display and play back only the video playlist that was last active. Alter­nate video playlists will not be available.
• Video regions and video region groups will not be shown or saved.
Sharing Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions with Previous Versions of Pro Tools LE or M-Powered

Opening Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions with Pro Tools LE or M-Powered 7.x

A Pro Tools HD 7.2 session can be opened with some earlier versions of Pro Tools LE or M-Pow­ered 7.x, but certain session components will open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 7.2 session with Pro Tools LE or M-Powered 7.x, the following will occur:
Tracks
• Any tracks beyond the first 32, as well any in­active tracks, will be set to voice off.
• Any assignments to busses beyond 32 will be made inactive.
• Any Instrument tracks beyond 32 will be made inactive.
• Multichannel surround tracks will be re­moved from the session.
• Unavailable input and output paths will be made inactive.
• TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents will be converted; those without equivalents are made inactive.
• VCA Master tracks will be removed and any uncoalesced VCA automation will be dropped.
• Any uncoalesced Trim automation will be dropped.
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) will be dropped.
• Mix Groups will keep only Main Volume in­formation.
• Mix/Edit Groups will keep only Main Volume and Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for grouped controls will not be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, Mutes, Send Levels, Send Mutes will not be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings will be dropped.

Saving Pro Tools HD 7.2 Sessions to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Format and Opening Them in Pro Tools LE

A Pro Tools 7.2 session cannot be opened with Pro Tools LE versions 6.9.x or lower.
To save a Pro Tools 7.x session so it is compati­ble with Pro Tools LE version 5.1 -> 6.9.x, use the File > Save Copy In command to choose the “Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9” session format, then open the session with Pro Tools LE.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.226
When saving a Pro Tools HD 7.2 session to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 format, and opening the session with Pro Tools LE 5.1 -> 6.9, the following will occur:
Tracks
• Any tracks beyond the first 32, as well any in­active tracks, will be set to voice off.
• Any assignments to busses beyond 16 will be made inactive.
• Instrument tracks will be split into separate Auxiliary Input and MIDI tracks.
• Multichannel surround tracks will be re­moved from the session.
• Unavailable input and output paths will be made inactive.
• TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents will be converted; those without equivalents are made inactive.
• VCA Master tracks will be removed and VCA automation will be coalesced to the corre­sponding slave tracks.
• Trim automation playlists will be coalesced to their corresponding automation playlists.
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints higher than +6 dB will be changed to +6 dB.
• Long names will be shortened to 31 charac­ters.
• The following attributes will be dropped:
• Region groups
• Region loops
• Sample-based MIDI regions
• Sample-based MIDI tracks
• Sends F–J and any associated automation
• Marker/Memory Locations 201–999
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) will be dropped.
• Mix Groups will keep only Main Volume in­formation.
• Mix/Edit Groups will keep only Main Volume and Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for grouped controls will not be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, Mutes, Send Levels, Send Mutes will not be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings will be dropped.

DigiBase Enhancements

In Pro Tools 7.2, DigiBase Browsers now have the following new features:

Showing and Hiding Columns in DigiBase

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can show or hide columns in the DigiBase Workspace or Project browser.
To show or hide DigiBase columns:
■ Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)
or Right-click in any DigiBase column label.
DigiBase Column Display
Chapter 2: System Configuration, Session and Navigation Enhancements 27

New DigiBase Browser Fields

In Pro Tools 7.2, DigBase browsers can display the following new metadata fields, which are most often used in post-production:
• Channel Names
• Circled
• Project
• Scene
• Shoot Date
• Sound Roll
• Sound Roll Time Code
• Sound Roll Time Code Rate
• Take
• Tape ID
• User Bits

New Support for Display of Field Recorder Metadata in DigiBase Browsers

Pro Tools 7.2 adds support for display of multi­channel field recorder metadata in the follow­ing DigiBase columns:
• Bit-Depth
• Clip Name
• # Channels
• File Comment
• Date Created
• Date Modified
• Duration
• Format
• TC Rate (renamed from FPS)
• Offline
• Original Time Stamp
• Sample Rate
• Tape
• User Time Stamp
In some cases, these metadata entries can be ed­ited directly from within DigiBase.
For more information on field recorder metadata, see the Field Recorder Work­flow Guide.

Force Relinking Files in DigiBase

If you want to link to a substitute file (for exam­ple, if you know a file has the same audio or video but does not have a matching File Name or Unique ID), you can force a relink.
◆ To force relink an audio file, its file format
(WAV, SD2, AIFF, or MXF), sample rate and bit depth must match those of the original file.
◆ To force relink a video file, its format (Quick-
Time, Avid, MXF, or OMF) and frame rate must match those of the original file.
To force a relink:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Choose Relink Offline from the Browser
menu.
3 In the Relink window, select one item in the
Files to Relink list.
4 Navigate in the Areas to Search pane to locate
the file you want to relink.
5 Drag the file to the Candidates pane in the
Relink window.
6 Click the Link icon next to the file you
dragged to the Candidates pane.
7 Click the Commit Links button.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.228
chapter 3

Recording Features and Enhancements

records audio directly into the original file, us-

Real-Time Display of Waveforms During Recording

(QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch Modes)
In Pro Tools 7.2, audio waveforms are now dis­played during recording in the following record modes: Destructive Record, QuickPunch, Track­Punch, and DestructivePunch.

DestructivePunch Mode

DestructivePunch is a destructive recording mode that lets you instantaneously punch in (start recording) and punch out (stop recording) on individual audio tracks during playback, while preserving a contiguous audio file on each punched track. No additional regions are cre­ated when recording in DestructivePunch mode.
ing a fixed 10-millisecond linear crossfade. Up to 200 “running punches” can be performed in a track during a single DestructivePunch pass.
DestructivePunch and MachineControl
When using Digidesign MachineControl™ soft­ware in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode, DestructivePunch can be controlled via P2 pro­tocol.
DestructivePunch and Voice Allocation
As with TrackPunch and QuickPunch, Destruc­tivePunch requires 2 available voices per mono track. When using DestructivePunch with a Pro Tools|HD system configured for maximum voices, make sure to set the voice assignment for each audio track to dyn for Dynamically Allo­cated Voicing. This ensures that Pro Tools can automatically manage voices most efficiently.
DestructivePunch is useful for mixing and pre­dubbing workflows where you want the final re­sult to be a single, contiguous file without any edits.
DestructivePunch is essentially a destructive version of TrackPunch mode. Where Track­Punch always records audio into a new file in the background, DestructivePunch destructively
Chapter 3: Recording Features and Enhancements 29

Overview of DestructivePunch Mode

Configuring Pro Tools for DestructivePunch Recording
To use DesctructivePunch mode, you do the do the following steps:
1 Configure Pro Tools Preferences for Destruc-
tivePunch recording (see “Configuring Pro Tools for DestructivePunch Recording” on page 30).
2 Put Pro Tools in DestructivePunch mode,
which is indicated by “dp” in the Pro Tools Transport window (see “Enabling Destructive­Punch Mode” on page 31).
3 Enable individual tracks for DestructivePunch
recording (see “Enabling Tracks for Destructive­Punch Recording” on page 32).
4 Prepare the material on the enabled tracks for
DestructivePunch recording if necessary (see “Preparing Tracks for DestructivePunch Record­ing” on page 34).
5 Initiate recording and punch in on any De-
structivePunch-enabled tracks (see “Destructive­Punch Recording” on page 35).
Before using DestructivePunch, configure De­structivePunch preferences and related Pro Tools settings as described in this section.
Transport and Track Record Settings
The Transport RecordLock and Audio Record­Lock preferences specify track and Transport Record Enable behavior when playback or re­cording are stopped. These preferences are found on the Operations preferences page.
Transport RecordLock
This setting lets you configure Transport Record arming in the following ways:
◆ When Transport RecordLock is enabled, the
Transport Record remains armed after playback or recording stops. This saves having to re-arm the Transport between takes, emulating trans­port behavior of a digital dubber.
◆ When Transport RecordLock is not enabled,
the Transport Record disarms when Pro Tools is manually stopped or stops due to a loss of time code.
Punching out of record by pressing Record on the Transport will take the transport out of record enable.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.230
Audio Track RecordLock
This option lets you configure Pro Tools track arming in the following ways:
◆ When Audio Track RecordLock is enabled,
any record-enabled audio tracks remain armed after playback or recording stops.
◆ When Audio Track RecordLock is not enabled,
any record-enabled audio tracks are disarmed when Pro Tools is stopped. This prevents tracks from remaining armed across takes, emulating track arming behavior of a digital dubber.
To ensure that Low-Latency monitoring is disabled for all selected record tracks:
■ Start-Control-Shift-click (Windows) or Com-
mand-Control-Shift-click (Mac) the Track Com­pensation indicator on the track.
To ensure that Low-Latency monitoring is disabled for all record tracks:
■ Start-Control-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or
Command-Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) the Track Compensation indicator on the track.
Delay Compensation Settings
When using DestructivePunch to punch into an existing recording, make sure the Delay Com­pensation settings are the same as when the original file was recorded.
◆ If Delay Compensation was active when re-
cording the original file, it should be kept active while punching into the original file in Destruc­tivePunch mode.
◆ If Delay Compensation was inactive when re-
cording the original file, it should be deactivated while punching into the original file in Destruc­tivePunch mode.
To ensure that the Delay Compensation path on record tracks remains consistent while using De­structivePunch, you will need to prevent Pro Tools from using the Low Latency monitor­ing path when record tracks switch to Input monitoring.
To ensure that Low-Latency monitoring is disabled for a record track:
■ Start-Control-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the Track Compensation in­dicator on the track.

Enabling DestructivePunch Mode

Before you can enable individual audio tracks for DestructivePunch recording, you must put Pro Tools in DestructivePunch mode.
To enable DestructivePunch mode:
1 Make sure Pro Tools is not recording or play-
ing back (the Transport is stopped).
2 Do one of the following:
• Select Options > DestructivePunch.
• Right-click the Transport Record button and choose DestructivePunch from the pop-up menu.
• Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) the Transport Record button to cycle through available Record modes until De­structivePunch mode is indicated by “dp” in the Transport Record Enable button.
Chapter 3: Recording Features and Enhancements 31

Enabling Tracks for DestructivePunch Recording

DestructivePunch Enabling and Record Enabling Tracks Simultaneously
DestructivePunch Enabling Tracks without Record Enabling Them
You can enable tracks for DestructivePunch without record enabling them. This lets you punch in on individual tracks at any time after starting playback by clicking the Record Enable button.
To DestructivePunch enable an audio track:
■ Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)
the track’s Record Enable button to toggle the button to solid blue.
To DestructivePunch enable all audio tracks:
■ Alt-Start-click (Windows) or Option-Control-
click (Mac) a track’s Record Enable button to toggle all Record Enable buttons to solid blue.
To DestructivePunch enable all selected audio tracks:
■ Start-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Control-
Option-Shift-click (Mac) a track’s Record Enable button to toggle the Record Enable buttons for the selected audio tracks solid blue.
You can simultaneously DestructivePunch en­able tracks and record enable them. This starts recording as soon as the transport is record­armed and playback begins.
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and record enable an audio track:
■ Click the track’s Record Enable button to tog-
gle the track’s Record Enable button to flashing blue and red.
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and record enable all audio tracks:
■ Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) a
track’s Record Enable button to toggle all Record Enable buttons to flashing blue and red.
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and record enable all selected audio tracks:
■ Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-Shift-
click (Mac) a track’s Record Enable button to toggle the Record Enable buttons for the se­lected audio tracks to flashing blue and red.
Create a VCA group for each stem or set of tracks on which you plan to punch, and use the VCA Record Enable button to arm all tracks in the group for DestructivePunch.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.232
Display of DestructivePunch Status
Transport Record Enable Button
◆ Whenever at least one audio track is record-
ing, the Transport Record Enable button lights solid red.
The Transport Record Enable button indicates DestructivePunch mode and Record status as follows:
When DestructivePunch mode is enabled:
◆ The letters “dp” appears in the Transport
Record Enable button.
Transport Record Enable button with DestructivePunch mode enabled
◆ If at least one track is DestructivePunch-en-
abled, the Transport Record button lights solid blue.
DestructivePunch Enabled
Record LED Input Status
LED
DestructivePunch status in the Transport window
When DestructivePunch mode is enabled and the transport is armed for recording:
◆ If no tracks are DestructivePunch-enabled, the
Transport Record Enable button flashes gray and red.
◆ If at least one track is DestructivePunch-en-
abled, the Transport Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
◆ If at least one DestructivePunch-enabled track
is also record enabled, the Transport Record En­able button flashes blue and red, and the record LED lights.
Track Record Status Display
When Pro Tools is in DestructivePunch mode, each track’s Record Enable button indicates its DestructivePunch and record enable status as follows:
• When a track is both DestructivePunch-en­abled and record-enabled, its Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
Record Enable button
DestructivePunch status indication in an audio track in the Mix window
• When a track is DestructivePunch-enabled but not record-enabled, its Record Enable but­ton lights solid blue.
• When a track is record-enabled only, its Record Enable button flashes red.
• While a track is recording (in any mode), its Record Enable button lights solid red.
Red (not flashing) indicates recording (all modes)
Track Record status in the Edit window
Chapter 3: Recording Features and Enhancements 33
Record and Input Status LEDs
Record and Input LEDs next to the Transport Record Enable button indicate track Record and Input status as follows, in all recording modes:
Record Status LED When lit (red), indicates that at least one audio track is currently record-en­abled. When off (grey), no tracks are currently record-enabled.
Input Status LED When lit (green), indicates that at least one audio track is currently set to Input Only monitoring (regardless of record en­able status). When off (grey), all tracks are in Auto Input monitoring
.
Track Record Enable buttons also appear in blue to indicate that track is Destructive­Punch-enabled.

Preparing Tracks for DestructivePunch Recording

In order for a track to be enabled for Destructive­Punch recording, the track must contain a con­tiguous audio file that meets the following re­quirements:
• The file must start at the beginning (sample 0) of the session.
– and –
• The File Length must be equal to or greater than the DestructivePunch File Length set­ting (see “DestructivePunch File Length” on page 34).
If a track does not contain a file that meets these requirements, you can do any of the following to meet the requirements:
• Move the current file in the track timeline so that its beginning aligns with the session start.
• Select the material in the track and use the Consolidate command to create a continu­ous file of the required length.
• Change the DestructivePunch File Length setting so that the current file is equal to or greater than the required length.
• Use the Prepare DPE Tracks command to consolidate audio on all DestructivePunch­enabled tracks. (See “Using the Prepare DPE Tracks Command” on page 34.)
DestructivePunch File Length
To use DestructivePunch on an audio track, the track must contain a contiguous audio file of a minimum length, which is set in the Pro Tools Operation preferences page.
To set DestructivePunch File Length:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Opera-
tion.
2 Enter a value for DestructivePunch File
Length.
3 Click OK.
Using the Prepare DPE Tracks Command
To prepare a track for DestructivePunch recording:
1 Make sure DestructivePunch mode is enabled.
2 Make sure the tracks you want to prepare are
DestructivePunch-enabled. See “Destructive­Punch Enabling Tracks without Record Enabling Them” on page 32.
3 Choose Options > Prepare DPE Tracks.
Pro Tools consolidates audio on all Destructive­Punch-enabled tracks from the beginning of the session to the value specified in the Destructive­Punch File Length preference.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.234

DestructivePunch Recording

After you have put Pro Tools in Destructive­Punch mode, enabled tracks for Destructive­Punch recording, and prepared tracks if neces­sary, you can record in several ways.
Punching In On Single Tracks
To punch in on single tracks:
1 Put Pro Tools in DestructivePunch mode.
3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
playback.
4 During playback, click Record in the Transport
window to punch in and out on all Destructive­Punch-enabled tracks simultaneously.
5 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and transport Record Arm status follow the current Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record­Lock preference settings.
2 Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)
the Record Enable button for each track you want to punch in, so that the track is Destruc­tivePunch-enabled only. The track’s Record En­able button lights solid blue.
3 Click Record in the Transport window to enter
Record Ready mode. The Record button flashes blue and red.
4 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
playback.
5 During playback, punch in and out on indi-
vidual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by clicking their Record Enable buttons.
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and transport Record Arm status follow the current Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record­Lock preference settings.
Punching In on Multiple Tracks
To punch in on multiple tracks simultaneously:
1 Put Pro Tools in DestructivePunch mode.
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
you want to punch in, so that the track is both DestructivePunch- and Record-enabled. Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
Starting Recording Immediately on Multiple Tracks
To immediately start recording on multiple tracks:
1 Put Pro Tools in DestructivePunch mode.
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
you want to punch in, so that the track is both DestructivePunch- and Record-enabled. Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
3 Click Record in the Transport window to enter
Record Ready mode. The Record button flashes blue and red.
4 Click Play in the Transport window to begin
playback.
5 During playback, punch out and back in on
individual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by clicking their Record Enable buttons.
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and transport Record Arm status follow the current Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record­Lock preference settings.
Chapter 3: Recording Features and Enhancements 35

MachineControl Enhancements

Support for External Synchronizer Track Name Display

When MachineControl is being used to control Pro Tools via Remote mode, a supported syn­chronizer polls track names in the Timeline and display them in the synchronizer track display.
4 In the Track Arming window, arm the tracks
you want to rehearse by clicking the corre­sponding buttons. The buttons light yellow to indicate armed status.

New Edit Preview Mode for MachineControl Track Arming

In Pro Tools 7.2, before laying back audio to an external device, you can rehearse the layback us­ing Edit Preview (Rehearse) mode. In Edit Pre­view mode, instead of performing an edit insert (recording) on the external device’s armed tracks, the device switch to input monitoring without recording.
While in Edit Preview mode, the Transport Record button flashes yellow when armed and lights solid yellow when rehearsing. Armed tracks are indicated by yellow track buttons in the Track Arming window.
To rehearse a layback:
1 In Pro Tools, select the audio you want to re-
hearse for layback, or place the playback cursor at a start point.
2 Choose Window > Machine Track Arming
3 In the Track Arming window, select Edit Pre-
view.
Armed tracks in Edit Preview mode
5 In the Pro Tools Transport window, select
Transport > Machine.
6 In the Pro Tools Transport window, click the
Online button to put Pro Tools online.
7 In the Pro Tools Transport window, click
Record. The button flashes yellow to indicate Edit Preview (Rehearse) mode.
Armed Transport Record in Edit Preview mode
8 In the Pro Tools Transport window, click Play.
The machine will cue to the selection start or in­sert point and being to play back. Pro Tools will then sync to the deck, and the deck will record as determined by the settings for Record Proto­col and Record mode in the Track Arming win­dow.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.236

Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode

With Pro Tools 7.2, when using MachineCon­trol in Local mode (with or without an external synchronizer), you can use a supported third­party paddle device to issue the following Pro Tools track commands:
• Input monitoring
• Record Enable
• Record Safe
• Solo
• Solo Mute
To enable the Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode preference:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Syn-
chronization tab.
2 Select Allow Track Arm Commands in Local
Mode.
Using these features involve the following steps:
1 Connect the supported third-party paddle de-
vice to your system.
2 Make sure the Allow Track Arm Commands in
Local Mode preference is enabled.
3 Serial Deck Control and Remote 9-Pin Deck
Emulation ports may be configured simulta­neously.
Connecting a Supported Third-Party Paddle Device to Your Pro Tools System
To connect a supported third-party paddle de­vice to your Pro Tools system, use the same method you would use to connect a deck for Re­mote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode.
See the MachineControl Guide for detailed information on connecting a device
Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode Preference
The Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode preference must be enabled in order to control Pro Tools with a paddle device in Local mode.
MachineControl Remote Mode preferences
Configuring Ports for Serial Deck Control and Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation
Before connecting a paddle device and a deck to Pro Tools simultaneously, both the Serial Deck Control port and the Remote 9-Pin Deck Emula­tion port may be configured.
To configure Serial Deck Control and Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation ports to operate simultaneously:
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals.
2 Click the Synchronization tab and choose
SYNC from the Device pop-up menu (to select SYNC I/O as the synchronization device enabled on the Serial port).
3 Click the MachineControl tab.
4 In the 9-Pin Serial section, click Enable.
Serial Deck Control port preferences and settings
Chapter 3: Recording Features and Enhancements 37
5 Use the Port pop-up menu to select the 9-pin
MachineControl port. The available choices de-
pend on your platform and configuration.
After you select the port, Pro Tools automati­cally polls the port to see what kind of machine is connected.
• If the machine is recognized, Pro Tools loads the corresponding machine profile for the corresponding Machine Type and Node. This includes the corresponding track layout and automatically enters the name of that ma­chine into the Pro Tools Machine Track Arm­ing window.
• If the machine is not recognized, Pro Tools au­tomatically loads the “generic1” personality.
See the MachineControl Guide for more de­tailed information about configuring and using Serial Deck Control mode.
6 In the 9-Pin Remote section, click Enable.
To set Pro Tools to Local mode:
■ In the Pro Tools Transport window, make sure
Pro Tools is not set to Remote mode.
Transport window
Remote port preferences and settings
7 In the Port pop-up menu, select the port to
which the third-party paddle device is con­nected.
8 Choose the Pro Tools machine profile from
the Machine Type ID pop-up menu.
9 Make sure Chase LTC is not selected.
10 Click OK to close the Peripherals window
and save your changes.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.238
chapter 4

Editing Features and Enhancements

Shuffle Lock Mode
With certain workflows, it is important to ex­clude Shuffle mode in order to ensure you do not inadvertently move other regions on a track while editing.
Shuffle Lock mode prevents you from entering Shuffle mode by disabling all key commands and control surface switches for Shuffle mode. You cannot enter Shuffle Lock while in Shuffle mode.
To enter Shuffle Lock mode:
■ While in any Edit mode other than Shuffle
mode, Control-click (Windows) or Command­click (Mac) the Shuffle button on-screen. A lock icon appears in the Shuffle button.
Shuffle Lock
Lock icon indicating Shuffle Lock
To exit Shuffle Lock mode:
■ Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the locked Shuffle button on-screen.

Region-Based Editing in Automation Views

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can perform certain re­gion-based edit commands and create fades in Automation views. The commands available in Automation view include:
• Separate Region commands
• Trim Region to Selection commands
• Heal Separation
• Create Fades
Separating a region in Automation view
You cannot use the Trim Tool to adjust re­gions in automation views.
Chapter 4: Editing Features and Enhancements 39

Display of Fade Boundaries and Shapes in Automation View

In Pro Tools 7.2, fade boundaries and fade shapes are shown in Automation views, allow­ing for more precise viewing and editing of au­tomation data.
Fade information in Automation view

Time Grabber and Object Grabber

The Time Grabber and Object Grabber tools overlay only the audio data on the destination track.

Enhanced Region Copy/Paste Behavior with Grabber Tools

In Pro Tools 7.2, the behavior of the Grabber tools has been enhanced to let you choose how moved or copied selections replace data in des­tination tracks.
Moving a selection with the Time Grabber

Separation Grabber

The Separation Grabber replaces the entire se­lected range on the destination track timeline.
Moving a selection with the Separation Grabber
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.240

Snapping Regions or Selections to the Preceding or Next Region

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can snap a region (or Edit selection containing whole regions) to the end of the preceding region or to the beginning of the next region in a track. This is useful for “butt splicing” successive elements on a track.
To snap a region or Edit selection to end of the preceding region on a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Time Grabber, select a region.
– or –
• With the Selector, select an area in a track that contains whole regions. The regions do not need to be adjacent.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Snap To > Previous.
– or –
• Right-click the region or Edit selection and choose Snap to Previous in the pop-up menu.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Snap To > Next.
– or –
• Right-click the region or Edit selection and choose Snap to Next in the pop-up menu.
Snapping a region to the next region in a track

Enhanced Editing of Fades

To snap a region or Edit selection to beginning of the next region on a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Time Grabber, select a region.
– or –
• With the Selector, select an area in a track that contains whole regions. The regions do not need to be adjacent.
Pro Tools 7.2 allows for greater flexibility in ed­iting regions that contain or are adjacent to fades.

Moving and Nudging Fades

Fades can be moved or nudged in tracks, inde­pendently of their contributing regions.
Moving or nudging fade-ins or fade-outs reveals or hides audio as the fade is moved from the edge of a contributing region. Moving or nudg­ing crossfades changes the overlap point of the contributing regions.
Chapter 4: Editing Features and Enhancements 41
To move or nudge a fade or cross-fade within its contributing regions:
3 Select the fade or crossfade by doing one of
the following:
• Use the Time Grabber tool to select the fade.
• Use the Selector tool to select a range that includes the fade.
Selecting a fade with the Time Grabber
4 Move the fade by doing one of the following:
• Drag the fade with the Time Grabber tool to a new location on the track.
• Nudge the fade by pressing Plus (+) or Mi­nus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the fade forward or backward on the track.

Moving and Nudging Regions with Fades

Nudging Regions Adjacent to Fade-Ins or Fade Outs
When you nudge a region selection adjacent to a fade in or fade out, but do not select the fade, the adjacent fade stretches to maintain the fade start or end point. The amount of stretch de­pends on the amount of audio material outside the fade start or end point.
To a nudge region without its fade:
1 Select a region by doing the following:
• Make sure Tab to Transients is off.
• Using the Selector tool, press the Tab key to locate the start of the region.
• Hold Shift and press Tab to select to the end of the region.
Dragging the fade with the Time Grabber
Result of moved fade
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.242
Selecting a region without its fade
2 Nudge the region by pressing Plus (+) or Mi-
nus (–) on the numeric keypad.
Nudging a region without its fade
Moving Regions Adjacent to Crossfades
When you move either of the regions that con­tributes to a crossfade, the regions separate. The status of the fade depends on the Preserve Fades when Editing preference.
To move crossfaded regions and retain the corresponding fades:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Editing.
2 Under Fades, select Preserve Fades when Edit-
ing.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
4 Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber
tool to select one of the contributing regions to a crossfade.
Selecting a region with a crossfade
5 Drag the selected region with the Grabber.
4 Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber
tool to select one of the contributing regions to a crossfade.
Selecting a region with a crossfade
5 Drag the selected region with the Grabber.
Moving regions while removing fades
Nudging Regions Adjacent to Crossfades
When you nudge either of the regions that con­tributes to a crossfade, the fade stretches to pre­serve the relative position of the crossfade start and end points. The amount of stretch depends on the amount of overlap between the contrib­uting regions.
Moving regions while preserving fades
To move crossfaded regions and remove the fade:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Editing.
2 Under Fades, deselect Preserve Fades when Ed-
iting.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
If you nudge a region beyond the boundary of available audio for the crossfade, the fade is re­moved.
To nudge a region and stretch its crossfade:
1 Use the Time Grabber tool to select one of the
contributing regions to the crossfade.
Selecting a region with a crossfade
Chapter 4: Editing Features and Enhancements 43
2 Nudge the region by pressing Plus (+) or Mi-
nus (–) on the numeric keypad.
Stretching the crossfade by nudging

Separating Regions That Include Fades

When you create regions from track material that overlaps with fades, the status of the fade depends on the Preserve Fades when Editing preference.
Where your selection overlaps any fade-ins or fade-outs, the fade is trimmed to fit the selec­tion.
Selecting material that overlaps a fade-in
Separating a region while preserving fades
To separate a region that overlaps with a fade or crossfade and preserve the fades:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Editing.
2 Under Fades, select Preserve Fades when Edit-
ing.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
4 With the Selector tool, place the cursor at the
separation point or drag to select the material for the new region.
5 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Separate Region > At Selec­tion
– or –
• Press Control+E (Windows) or Com­mand+E (Mac).
Where your selection overlaps a crossfade, the crossfade is separated into a fade-out and fade-in at the selection boundary.
Selecting material that overlaps a crossfade
Separating a region while preserving fades
To separate a region that overlaps with a fade or crossfade and remove the fades:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Editing.
2 Under Fades, deselect Preserve Fades when Ed-
iting.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.244
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
4 With the Selector tool, place the cursor at the
separation point or drag to select the material for the new region.
5 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Separate Region > At Selec­tion
– or –
• Press Control+E (Windows) or Com­mand+E (Mac).
Where your selection overlaps any fade-ins or fade-outs, the fade is removed.
Selecting material that overlaps a fade-in
Separating a region while removing fades

Trimming Regions That Include Fades

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can trim regions that are adjacent to fade boundaries.
To trim a region on a fade boundary:
■ With the Trim tool, click the region boundary
and drag to trim the region. The fade remains constant and follows the new region boundary.
Separating a region while removing fades
Where your selection overlaps a crossfade, the crossfade is removed.
Selecting material that overlaps a crossfade
Dragging a region boundary with the Trim tool

Trimming to a Selection Across Fades

You can trim regions to selections that include fades or crossfades.
Chapter 4: Editing Features and Enhancements 45
To trim a region to a selection that includes fades:
■ Do any of the following:
• Make a selection in the track and choose Edit > Trim Region > To Selection. You can Trim across multiple regions and fades.
Trimming to a selection across multiple fades
• Click with the Selector in the region and choose Edit > Trim Regions > Start to Inser­tion or End to Insertion. You can trim to a region or fade boundary in the track.

Automatic Fades for Imported REX and ACID Files

Pro Tools 7.2 adds a preference to automatically apply real-time fades to the regions or “slices” in imported REX and ACID format files.
To apply real-time fades to REX and ACID files:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Editing.
2 Select the “Automatically Create Fades For Im-
ported REX and ACID files” option.
3 Click REX/ACID and choose the shapes for the
fades, and click OK.
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.

Region List Enhancements for Searching

The Find Regions dialog provides two options for defining a region search in a session. These options can be used individually or in tandem to suit different workflows.
By Name Filters the display of region names to show only those that contain the entered text.
Include Subsequently Added Regions Filters the display of region names to show only those re­gions added to the session since the previous Find command.
Find Regions dialog
To find and display regions in the Region List:
1 Click the Region List pop-up menu and
choose Find.
2 In the Find Regions dialog, do any of the fol-
lowing:
• Select By Name and type the name, or any portion of the name, for regions you want to find. The search string appears at the top of the Region List.
• Select “Include Subsequently Added Re­gions” to limit the display to newly added regions. A plus (+) sign appears at the top of the Region List to indicate this option is se­lected.
• Select both options to start with a list of named regions and allow display of added regions.
3 Click OK.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.246

Importing Multichannel Audio Files from a Field Recorder

Region List Enhancements for Multichannel Metadata

Pro Tools 7.2 lets you use any of the import methods to import monophonic and poly­phonic audio files recorded by a field recorder. When you import these types of files, they must be converted to an audio format compatible with Pro Tools.
For more information on importing files from a field recorder, refer to the Field Recorder Workflow Guide.

Importing Monophonic Audio Files

A monophonic audio file contains one mono channel and relevant metadata from a single multichannel recording.
When you import monophonic audio files that were recorded simultaneously, they are con­verted to multichannel regions and displayed together in the Region List. Any metadata is also imported with the files.

Importing Polyphonic Audio Files

A polyphonic audio file contains multiple mono channels and relevant metadata recorded simul­taneously in a multichannel recording.
When imported into Pro Tools, a polyphonic audio file is divided into individual monopho­nic audio files written to disk—one file for each channel. Regions for each channel appear in the playlist, and a multichannel region appears in the Region List with the channels expandable underneath. Any metadata is also imported with the files.
In Pro Tools 7.2, the Region List has been en­hanced to display the following metadata in multichannel region headers, as follows:
• The header and collapsed channel items in the Region List now display Scene and Take, and Channel Name metadata.
• With multichannel regions, the number of channels in a region displays in the multi­channel header. For example, a multichannel region called “Argument Scene” with eight channels would display as, “Argument Scene (8A Channels).”
Multichannel regions organized in the Region List

Replacing a Region with an Alternate Channel from a Multichannel Recording

In the Timeline, you can replace a mono region (or selected portion of a mono region) with a matching segment of an alternate channel that was recorded simultaneously. Any fades per­formed on the original region are automatically recalculated against the replacement region, and any pre-existing automation on that track is unchanged.
Chapter 4: Editing Features and Enhancements 47
For example, you could replace the audio from a boom microphone with the audio from a lava­lier microphone—while preserving any edits or fades from the edited audio in the AAF or OMF sequence.

Conditions for Alternate Channel Availability

An alternate channel is available to replace the original channel (represented by the region re­siding on the Timeline) if both channels are part of a recording made simultaneously on one or more field recorders, and if the metadata cap­tured during shooting has been preserved prior to import into Pro Tools.
See the Field Recorder Workflow Guide for detailed information on workflows for field recorders.
With multichannel recordings from one field re­corder, both channels must overlap at least once between their start time code and end time code positions, and must also meet one of the follow­ing conditions:
• Matching Tape
• Matching Soundroll
• Alternate channel Sound Roll matches cur­rent channel Tape
• Alternate channel Tape matches current channel Sound Roll
To replace a region with a matching alternate channel from a channel group:
1 In the Timeline, select the region or the por-
tion of the region you want to replace.
2 Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click
(Mac) the region or the selected portion of the region you want to replace, and choose Matches, followed by the name of the region you want to replace it with.
Selecting an alternate channel from a channel group to replace a region
If the location sound mixer who made the original recording entered metadata rele­vant to the actual shot (such as the name of each miked character), this information will be displayed in the Matches pop-up menu.
With multichannel recordings from multiple field recorders, both channels must overlap at least once between their start time code and end time code positions, and must also meet one of the following conditions:
• Matching Scene and Take
• Matching Shoot Date
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.248
chapter 5

Grouping Features and Enhancements

Increase in Number of Available Mix and Edit Groups

In Pro Tools 7.2, a total of 104 groups are avail­able, arranged in 4 banks of 26 Group IDs.

New Group Functions

In Pro Tools 7.2, additional parameters can now follow Mix groups, and you can select which pa­rameters follow grouped behavior on a group­by-group basis.

Parameters Available for Groups

The following parameters can follow groups:
Edit Groups
Edit Groups affect the following items in the Edit window:
• Track View
• Track Height
• Track Timebase
• Editing functions
Edit group behavior is unchanged from pre­vious versions of Pro Tools.
Mix Groups
Mix groups can be set to affect the following track parameters in the Mix and Edit windows:
• Main Volume
• Main Mute
• Main Pan
• Main LFE Level
• Record Enable
• Input Monitoring
• Solo
• Automation Mode
• Send Level
• Send Mute
• Send Pan
• Send LFE Level
• Plug-in Controls
• Plug-in Bypass

Selectable Group Attributes

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can select which parame­ters, or attributes, are linked in groups by the fol­lowing methods:
• By making the group an Edit group, a Mix group, or both (Mix/Edit group)
• With Mix and Mix/Edit groups, by selecting from a list of attributes for the group
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 49
• With Mix groups, by choosing whether the se­lected attributes apply globally to all groups or to individual groups

New Group Dialog and Commands

In Pro Tools 7.2, an expanded Group dialog and new Group commands let you create, modify, duplicate, delete, and assign attributes to groups.

Creating Groups

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can select the tracks you want to add to a group before creating it, as well as add and remove tracks from a group after it has been created.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, to add or remove tracks from a group, you had to se­lect tracks and overwrite the group.
To create a group:
1 Select the tracks you want to include in the
group. (If you do not select tracks at this time, you can add tracks later.)
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Group.
– or –
• Choose New Group from the Group List pop-up menu.
3 Enter a name for the group.
4 Select the type of group to create: Edit group,
Mix group, or Mix/Edit group.
Group dialog
The Groups dialog has three pages:
Tracks Lets you add and remove tracks from the current group
Attributes Lets you select which parameters are linked for the current Mix or Mix/Edit group
Globals Lets you select parameters to use as a template that can be applied to individual groups by selecting Follow Globals
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.250
Selecting a Group Type
5 (Optional) Choose a Group ID from the ID
pop-up menu. Four banks of 26 are available: a–z, 2a–z, 3a–z, 4a–z. (If you don’t choose a Group ID, Pro Tools automatically assigns the next available ID to a new group.)
Choosing a Group ID
6 Click Tracks in the Group dialog, and do any
of the following:
• To add the tracks that are currently selected in the session to the group, click the Add button at the bottom of the Group dialog.
• To add tracks to the group, select the track names in the Available track list, and click Add or press A on the computer keyboard.
• To remove tracks from the group, select the track names in the Currently In Group list, and click Remove or press R on the com­puter keyboard.
• Double-click track names in either list to move them to the opposite column.
• To replace all tracks in the group with the tracks that are currently selected in the ses­sion, click the Replace button at the bot­tom of the Group dialog.
Selecting track names to add to a group
In either list, Shift-click to select a range of track names. Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) to select discontigu­ous track names.
7 If the group is a Mix group or a Mix/Edit
group, set the attributes for the group. See “Group Attributes” on page 53.
8 If the group is a Mix group or a Mix/Edit group
and you want to assign the group to an available VCA Master track, choose the VCA track from the VCA pop-up menu. See “Creating VCA Mas­ter Tracks” on page 58.
Choosing a VCA track to control a group
9 Click OK.
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 51

Modifying Groups

To modify a group:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Modify Groups from the Group List pop-up menu.
• In the Mix window, click the Group ID in­dicator on a track and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
• Right-click the Group name in the Group List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
Group List pop-up menu
2 In the Groups dialog, choose the group you
want to modify from the ID pop-up menu.
3 Change any of the following for the current
group:
• Group name
• Group type (Edit, Mix or Mix/Edit)
• VCA status
• Follows Global status
• Track membership
• Attributes
4 Click OK.
To modify the settings for the “All” group:
1 Right-click the “All” group name in the Group
List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
All Group pop-up menu
2 In the Group dialog, select Edit, Mix, or
Mix/Edit to change the settings for the ALL group. If you select Edit only or Mix only, the ALL group will apply only to that Group type.
Modify ALL Group dialog
3 For Mix or Mix/Edit groups, you can change
any of the following:
• Follows Global status
• Attributes
4 Click OK.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.252

Deleting Groups

You can delete groups in several ways.
Deleting a group is not undoable.
To delete a single group, do one of the following:
■ In the Mix window, click the Group ID indica-
tor on a track and choose Delete from the pop­up menu.
■ Right-click the Group name in the Group List
and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.
To delete all currently active groups
■ Choose Delete Active Groups from the Group
List pop-up menu.
2 Change any of the following for the current
group:
• Group name
• Group type (Edit, Mix, or Mix/Edit)
• VCA status
• Follows Global status
• Track membership
• Attributes
3 Click OK.

Group Attributes

When creating a Mix group or a Mix/Edit group, you can select the Mix window parameters that will be linked for that group. These linked pa­rameters are the attributes of the group.
You can select attributes in the Globals page and then set individual groups to follow the Global settings, or you can select attributes for groups individually.
Group List pop-up menu
The ALL group cannot be deleted.

Duplicating Groups

You can duplicate a group and modify its set­tings in order to quickly set up a mix.
To duplicate a group:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Group ID indicator on a track and choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
• Right-click the Group name in the Group List and choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
To select the Global attributes:
1 While creating or modifying a group, click
Globals in the Group dialog.
2 Select the base set of attributes for groups in
your session.
3 Click OK to save the group and the new Glo-
bals settings.
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 53
To select attributes for an individual group:
1 While creating or modifying a Mix group or a
Mix/Edit group, do one of the following:
• Click Attributes in the Group dialog, and select the attributes you want to link.
– or –
• Click Follow Globals to follow the base set of attributes. The Attributes page greys out to indicate that the group is following the selections in the Globals page.
Send controls (Sends A–J):
• Send Level
• Send Mute
• Send Pan
• Send LFE Level
Insert controls (Inserts A–E):
• Plug-in Controls
• Insert Bypass
To select the attributes for a group, do any of the following:
■ Select individual attributes by clicking their
checkboxes.
■ To select or deselect all attributes, Alt-Shift-
click (Windows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) any attribute.
■ To select or deselect all attributes for a single
Send or Insert (across a row), Start-click (Win­dows) or Control-click (Mac) any attribute in that row.
Attributes page of Group dialog
2 Click OK.
Selecting Group Attributes
The following attributes can be selected for Glo­bal settings and for individual groups:
Track controls:
• Main Volume
• Main Mute
• Main Pan
• Main LFE Level
• Record Enable
• Input Monitoring
• Solo
• Automation Mode
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.254
■ To select or deselect attributes for a single con-
trol across all Sends, all Inserts, or for the four track controls (down a column), Alt-click (Win­dows) or Option-click (Mac) any attribute in that column.
Saving Group Attribute Presets
You can define six Group presets that can be re­called on either the Attributes or Globals page whenever you are creating or modifying a Mix or Mix/Edit group.
To save the current attribute settings as a Group preset:
1 In the Groups dialog, click Save. (Follow Glo-
bals must be unchecked to save a setting from the Attributes page.)
Saving a Group preset
2 Choose one of the six preset locations from
the Location pop-up menu, and click Save.

Enhanced Group Menus

In Pro Tools 7.2, the following menus have been added or enhanced.

Group List Pop-Up Menu

The pop-up menu at the top of the Group List provides the following commands:
New Group Executes Track > Group command
Display Options Provides commands to show
Edit Groups only, Mix Groups only, or all groups (Edit, Mix and Mix/Edit groups).
To save the current attribute settings di­rectly to a preset location, Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the preset button.
To recall a Group preset:
■ Click the corresponding Preset button (1–6) in
the Groups dialog. (Follow Globals must be un­checked to recall a setting in the Attributes page.)
Recalling a Group preset

Grouped Panning and Channel Linking

When the Main Pan attribute is enabled for groups, grouped behavior applies to the Link, Front inverse, Rear inverse and Front/Rear in­verse controls in stereo and multichannel pan­ner windows.
Suspend All Groups Suspends group behavior for all Edit, Mix and Mix/Edit groups
Modify Groups Opens Group dialog to modify existing groups only
Delete Active Groups Deletes only currently ac­tive groups
Group List pop-up menu
See “Group Attributes” on page 53 for more in­formation on selecting the Main Pan attribute.
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 55

Group Name and Track Group ID Pop-Up Menus

When you click a group name in the Groups list, or click the Group ID indicator in a track, a pop­up menu provides the following commands:
Tracks Displays track membership in group
Attributes Displays attributes of group
Modify Opens Group dialog to modify existing
groups only
Duplicate Opens Group dialog for duplicated group
Delete Deletes a single group
Select Tracks in Group Selects tracks in the
group
Show/Hide Tracks in Group Shows or hides track in the current group
Show Only Tracks in Group Shows only the tracks in the group and hides all other tracks

Grouped Control Offsets

In Pro Tools 7.2, when the following controls are grouped with offsets, and moved to their ex­tremes, relative offsets are preserved when the controls are moved back from their extremes:
• Main Volume
• Main Pan
• Send Level
• Send Pan
For example, when a grouped Volume fader is moved to its maximum value, any other faders in that group that had higher values will re­member their relative offset whenever the first fader is pulled down again.
In Automation views, this “overflow” is indi­cated on the automation playlist by blue auto­mation breakpoints at the extremes of the auto­mation playlist.
Show All Tracks Shows all tracks in the session
Group Name pop-up menu
Track Group ID indicator pop-up menu
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.256

New Panning Features

In Pro Tools 7.2, there are several options for setting the behavior of pan controls.

Setting Group Pan Controls to Ignore Offsets

By default, offsets are preserved for grouped pan controls. In some workflows, it is desirable to have grouped pan controls match absolute val­ues rather than preserve offsets.
2 In the Send window, click the FMP (Follow
Main Pan) button.
To set grouped pan controls to ignore offsets:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Select “Use Absolute Pan Linking.”
When this option is enabled, grouped pan con­trols will snap to the absolute value of the pan control that is being adjusted.

Linking Main Pan and Send Pan Controls

You can link pan controls of individual Sends to the Main pan controls of their corresponding track, allowing for fast setup of cue mixes or ef­fects panning.
To link a Send’s Pan controls to the Main Pan controls of track:
1 Click the Send Assignment button for the
Send you want to link to open the Send window.
Linking Send Pan to Main Pan
Linked Send pan controls appear in light grey.
To change the default FMP setting for newly created sends:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Setup, select or deselect Sends Pans De-
fault to Follow Main Pan.

Two-Knob Surround Panning

(ICON Only)
With D-Control and D-Command, when work­ing with surround panning, you can link front and rear pan controls to facilitate left-right mo­tion in the surround field.
To link front and rear surround panners on ICON:
1 Press the Operation switch in Console Prefs
section until “2KbPan” appears in the Soft Keys.
2 Press the Soft Key that corresponds to
“2KbPan” to toggle the preference on or off.
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 57

VCA Master Tracks

VCA Master tracks emulate the operation of voltage-controlled amplifier channels on analog consoles, where a VCA channel fader would be used to control, group, or offset the signal levels of other channels on the console.
VCA Master tracks do not pass audio, so they do not have inputs, outputs, inserts or sends. A Mix group is assigned to a VCA Master track, which appears in the VCA track’s Assignment selector.
The controls of the tracks in that Mix group, called the slave tracks, are modified by the con­trols on the VCA Master.
Group Assignment selector
Record Enable
Solo
Volume
TrackInput
Mute
VCA Group ID
2 In the New Tracks dialog, do the following:
• Select VCA Master from the Track Type po­up menu.
• Select the timebase (Samples or Ticks) from the Track Timebase menu.
• Enter the number of new tracks.
• Click Create.

VCA Master Track Controls

The controls on a VCA Master track affect the corresponding controls, listed below, on the slave tracks in its assigned Mix group.
VCA Slave Track Controls and Group Behavior
When a group is assigned to a VCA Master, the controls on its slave tracks, by default, do not follow any grouped behavior that may be set in the Attributes page of the Groups dialog. This is standard behavior for VCA operation. However, slave tracks can be set to follow group behavior. See “Allowing Grouped Behavior of Slave Track Controls” on page 60.
Volume
Level Meter
VCA Track Type indicator
VCA Master track

Creating VCA Master Tracks

To add a VCA Master to a session:
1 Choose Track > New.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.258
The VCA Volume fader controls the Volume fader on audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, Master Fader, and other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled group. (Volume faders on MIDI tracks are not affected.) Volume faders on slave tracks move to show the composite level, or the level on each track resulting from the contribu­tion of the VCA Master Volume fader.
Mute
TrackInput
The VCA Mute button controls the mute state of audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, MIDI, and other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled group. Muting a VCA-controlled group does not change the original mute state of slave tracks. (Mute buttons on slave tracks that were previ­ously unmuted show an implicit mute.)
Solo
The VCA Solo button controls the solo status of audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, MIDI, and other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled group.
• Soloing a VCA Master will implicitly mute all tracks except its slave tracks, thereby in­directly soloing the slave tracks.
• Soloing a VCA Master will clear any explicit solos on its slave tracks, leaving them indi­rectly soloed, and implicitly mute all other tracks.
• Explicitly soloing a slave track while its VCA Master track is soloed will override the VCA Master solo.
Record Enable
The VCA Record Enable button toggles the Record Enable status of only those audio, Instru­ment, and other VCA tracks that have already been record-enabled individually. You can then toggle record enable on and off for those tracks using the VCA Master Record Enable.
To temporarily force all slave tracks to toggle their record enable status:
■ Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Record Enable button on the VCA Master.
The VCA TrackInput button toggles the input monitor status of only those audio tracks in a VCA-controlled group that are record-enabled. You can toggle Input Monitor status for those tracks using the VCA Master TrackInput button.
To temporarily force all slave tracks to toggle their input monitoring status:
■ Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
VCA Master TrackInput button on the VCA Mas­ter.
Level Meter
On VCA Master tracks, Level meters indicates the highest level occurring on any of its individ­ual tracks, not a summed level of all slave tracks.
The channel format of Level meters on the VCA Master is set according to the channel formats of its slave tracks, as follows:
• If all slave tracks are the same channel for­mat (mono, stereo or a multichannel for­mat), the number of level meters on the VCA Master track is identical to that of the slave tracks.
• If the slave tracks are different formats, the number of level meters on the VCA Master track is set to one.
Record Enable, TrackInput and Slave Tracks
When a slave track is record-enabled (the Record Enable button is lit) or set to Input Only mode (the TrackInput button is lit), its automation is temporarily turned off, and its Volume fader is no longer affected by the VCA Master.
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 59
Allowing Grouped Behavior of Slave Track Controls
When a track is a VCA slave track, its Volume, Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and Input Monitor­ing controls follow VCA functions, and nor­mally do not follow grouped behavior.
However, these slave track controls can be set to allow grouped behavior in addition to their VCA functions.
To assign a new group to a VCA Master:
1 While creating a new group, select Mix or
Mix/Edit as the Group type.
2 In the Group dialog, choose an available VCA
Master track from the VCA pop-up menu.
To allow grouped behavior of VCA-related controls on slave tracks:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 In the Automation section, deselect the “Stan-
dard VCA Logic for Group Attributes” option.
Volume, Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and Input Monitoring are made available as Mix group at­tributes in the Group dialog.

Assigning Groups to VCA Masters

An existing Mix group can be assigned to a VCA Master, or a new Mix group can be assigned to a VCA Master while it is being created. Only one group can be assigned to a VCA Master at a time. A VCA Master cannot control a group that in­cludes itself.
To assign an existing group to a VCA Master:
■ Click the Group Assignment selector on the
VCA Master track and choose an available group from the pop-up menu.
Assigning a new group to a VCA Master
Track Membership in Multiple VCA Groups
It is possible for a single slave track to be a mem­ber of more than one VCA-controlled group. In this case, the contribution of all VCA Master Volume faders is summed on the slave track. Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and TrackInput fol­low the same rules for enabling or disabling slave tracks.

VCA Automation

Displaying Automation on VCA Master Tracks

The following controls on VCA Master tracks can be automated and have separate automa­tion playlists:
• Volume
• Volume trim
• Mute
Assigning an existing group to a VCA Master
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.260
These automation playlists follow the same be­havior as automation playlists on other track types. For more information on Volume trim automation, see “New Trim Automation Fea­tures” on page 67.

Displaying the Composite Automation Playlist on Slave Tracks

When a track is a VCA slave, you can display a composite automation playlist that shows the contribution of the VCA Master to the Volume or Mute automation data on the slave track. This composite playlist reflects the actual posi­tion of the Volume fader on the slave track.The composite playlist display cannot be directly ed­ited.
To display the composite playlist on VCA slave tracks:
■ Choose View > Automation > Composite
Playlist.
Volume automation playlist
Composite playlist
Viewing composite automation on a VCA slave track

Coalescing VCA Automation

There are several ways to commit, or coalesce, the contribution of a selected VCA Master track’s Volume and Mute automation to the au­tomation playlists of its slave tracks.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all of its slave tracks and retain the VCA Master:
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automa-
tion you want to coalesce.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Auto­mation.
– or –
• Right-click the VCA Master track name and choose Coalesce VCA Master Automation from the pop-up menu.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are coalesced to each of the slave tracks. The VCA Master Volume fader is reset to zero, the VCA Mute is set to unmuted, and any automation on the VCA Master is cleared.
Deleting the VCA Master
You can temporarily use a VCA Master to write grouped automation, then coalesce the VCA au­tomation to all of the slave tracks by deleting the VCA Master. The coalesced tracks will play back exactly as they did when they were in the VCA group.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all of its slave tracks and delete the VCA Master track:
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automa-
tion you want to coalesce.
2 Choose Track > Delete.
Clearing the VCA Master
You can use a VCA Master to write grouped au­tomation, coalesce the VCA automation to all of the slave tracks, and clear the automation on the VCA Master. The coalesced tracks will play back exactly as they did when they were in the VCA group.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are committed to each of the slave tracks.
This action cannot be undone.
Chapter 5: Grouping Features and Enhancements 61
Removing a Slave Track from a VCA Group
You can remove an individual slave track from a VCA group, which commits the VCA automa­tion to that track, leaving the VCA Master and the other slave tracks untouched. The coalesced slave track plays back exactly as it did when it was in the VCA group.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to an individual slave track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Modify Groups from the Group List pop-up menu.
• Click the Group ID indicator on the track and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
• Right-click the Group name in the Group List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
2 In the Groups dialog, select the VCA-con-
trolled group that includes the slave track.
3 In the Groups dialog, click Tracks and remove
the slave track from the group.
4 Click OK.
The slave track is removed from the VCA group, and the composite Volume level and Mute state are coalesced to the track.
Duplicating a Slave Track
When you duplicate a slave track without dupli­cating its group assignments, the VCA automa­tion is coalesced to the duplicate track. The coa­lesced duplicate plays back exactly as if it were in the VCA group.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to a single slave track by duplicating the track:
1 Select the slave track whose automation you
want to coalesce.
2 Choose Track > Duplicate.
3 In the Duplicate Track dialog, deselect Group
Assignments.
4 Click OK.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are coalesced to the duplicate track. The original slave track is preserved, and the VCA group is unchanged.
Coalescing Automation Across an Edit Selection
You can commit VCA automation across an Edit selection in a VCA Master track, without com­mitting the automation on the entire length of the track.
To coalesce automation in an Edit selection on a VCA Master track:
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automa-
tion you want to coalesce.
2 Make an Edit selection in the VCA Master
track that includes the range of automation you want to coalesce.
3 Do one of the following:
• Hold Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) and choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Auto­mation.
– or –
• Hold Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) and Right-click the VCA Master track name and choose Coalesce VCA Master Automation from the pop-up menu.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are committed to each of the slave tracks over the Edit selection. The VCA Master Volume is set to zero, the VCA Mute state is set to unmuted, and any automation on the VCA Master is cleared for the selected area only.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.262
chapter 6

Automation Features and Enhancements

Automation Data Displayed in Real Time

In Pro Tools 7.2, when automation is being writ­ten and the corresponding automation playlist is displayed in the Edit window, the automation data is displayed in real time.
In all automation modes, automation moves are shown as a red line in the corresponding auto­mation playlist while the transport is moving.
Display of Volume automation writing in real time

New Automation Indicator Behavior

In Pro Tools 7.2, the way Pro Tools indicates en­abling of automation and writing of automation has changed.
On-screen indicators now light solid with nor­mal text to denote automation-enabled status and light with bold text to indicate writing of automation.
On control surfaces, channel and Automation Enable indicators now light solid to denote au­tomation-enabled status and flash to indicate writing of automation. See “Automation Mode Indication” on page 112.
Previous versions of Pro Tools used the op­posite scheme: indicators flashed to indicate automation enabled status, and lit solid to indicate writing of automation.
Because Write mode and Latch Prime mode write automation as soon as playback be­gins, they are always indicated as actively writing (bold text on-screen and flashing in­dicators on control surfaces), even before playback begins.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 63
Track Automation Mode Selectors
◆ When a track is enabled for automation but
not writing automation, the Automation mode indicator shows the mode in normal red text.
◆ When any control on a track is writing auto-
mation, the Automation mode indicator shows the mode in bold red text.
Automation Mode selector showing enabled state (left) and writing state (right)
Automation Window Buttons
◆ When an automation type is writing automa-
tion on any track in the session, the correspond­ing button in the Automation window displays bold red text.
◆ When an automation type is enabled but is
not writing anywhere in the session, the corre­sponding button in the Automation window displays normal red text.
Writing
Enabled
Not Enabled

New Preference to Automatically Enable Plug-ins for Automation

You can set Pro Tools to automatically enable all controls of a plug-in for automation when you add the plug-in to your session.
To automatically enable all plug-in controls for automation:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Select “Plug-in Controls Default to Auto-En-
abled.”
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.

“Write Automation To” Command Enhancements

New Write to Punch Point Command

Pro Tools 7.2 adds the ability to write current automation values from the current insertion point back to the point where automation writ­ing started.
This lets you “fill back” an automation value within a track after finding the right level or set­ting during an automation pass, without having to go back and repeat the pass.
Automation window showing possible automation states
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.264
Like the other “Write Automation To” com­mands, you can invoke the Write Automation to Punch Point command at any time during playback, or enable Write Automation to Punch Point on Stop mode to automatically write auto­mation when the transport is stopped.
To write current automation values back to the automation punch point:
1 Choose Window > Automation to open the
Automation window.
2 Make sure that the appropriate automation
type is write enabled.
3 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
4 Click Play to being playback.
5 Make sure you are actively writing on the ap-
propriate track if you are in Touch, Touch/Latch, or Latch mode.
6 When you reach a point in the track where
you want to apply the current settings, click the Write Automation to Punch Point button.
Write to Punch Point
Write to Punch Point
on Stop

Using “Write To” Commands During Playback

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can carry out any of the “Write Automation To” commands without stopping the Pro Tools transport. On supported control surfaces, the corresponding “Write To” button flashes until you stop the transport.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, the trans­port automatically stopped when a “Write To” command was issued.
While the Pro Tools transport is moving, issuing “Write Automation To” commands affects writ­ing of automation in the following ways:
• Write to Start/Selection Start: Currently writing controls continue writing automa­tion
• Write to All/Selection: Currently writing controls (except controls in Write mode) punch out of writing automation
• Write to End/Selection End: Currently writ­ing controls (except controls in Write mode) punch out of writing automation
• Write to Next Breakpoint: Currently writ­ing controls (except controls in Write mode) punch out of writing automation
• Write to Punch point: Currently writing controls continue writing automation
Write To Punch Point buttons in the Automation window
The current values of all write-enabled parame­ters are written back to the point where the first control began writing automation.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 65

Applying “Write To” Commands to Selected Tracks

The “Write Automation To” commands nor­mally apply to all tracks currently writing auto­mation. In Pro Tools 7.2, it is possible to apply these commands to only the currently selected tracks.
To apply any of the “Write Automation To” commands to currently selected tracks:
1 Select the tracks where you want to apply the
“Write To” commands.
2 Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-Shift-
click the corresponding “Write Automation To” button.

AutoMatch and AutoJoin Enhancements

On-Screen Support for AutoMatch and AutoJoin

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can invoke AutoMatch and AutoJoin commands without a control surface. The Automation window has a new button for each command.
AutoJoin
AutoMatch

Supressing Warnings when Using “Write To” Commands

When you carry out any of the “Write Automa­tion To” commands (except Write to Next Breakpoint), Pro Tools posts a dialog warning that automation values will be changed in the session. You can suppress these warnings.
To suppress “Write To” warning dialogs:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Automation, select Suppress Automa-
tion “Write To” Warnings.
AutoJoin and AutoMatch buttons in the Automation window

AutoMatching Individual Tracks

You can invoke AutoMatch on individual tracks. All controls currently writing automa­tion on the track stop writing and return to ex­isting automation levels.
To AutoMatch all controls on a track:
■ Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Automation Mode selector on the track.

AutoMatching Automation Types

You can invoke AutoMatch on individual auto­mation types across a session.
To AutoMatch all controls of one automation type:
■ In the Automation window, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the button for the automation type (Volume, Pan, Mute, Plug-in, Send level, Send pan, or Send mute).
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.266

New Touch/Latch Automation Mode

New Trim Automation Features

In Pro Tools 7.2, the new Touch/Latch Automa­tion mode places a track’s Volume control in Touch mode and all other automatable controls in Latch mode.
In Touch/Latch mode, the Volume control fol­lows Touch behavior, writing automation when touched and returning to previously written lev­els when released.
All other controls follow Latch behavior, writing automation when touched and continuing until playback stops, or until you punch out of writ­ing automation.
This mode is indicated on control surfaces by il­luminated Touch and Latch indicators.
In Pro Tools 7.2, Automation Trim modes have been enhanced to provide separate Trim playl­ists that let you modify Trim automation moves before committing them to the main automa­tion playlist.

Trim Automation Playlists

Separate Trim automation playlists are available for Volume trim and Send Level trim. Volume trim is available on all track types except MIDI tracks. Send Level trim is available on audio tracks only.
Each Trim automation playlist shows the posi­tion of the Trim fader with yellow breakpoint automation that can be edited.
To display a Trim automation playlist:
■ Click the Track View selector and choose Vol-
ume Trim or Send > Level Trim.
Selecting Touch/Latch mode
Displaying Trim automation playlists
Volume Trim data
Trim automation playlist
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 67

Displaying Trim Automation Along with the Main Playlist

The appearance of Trim automation depends on how it is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing Trim Automation” on page 70.
If Trim automation is not set to coalesce after ev­ery automation pass, you can display Trim auto­mation data along with the main Volume or Send level automation data in the same automa­tion view. This Trim automation display cannot be directly edited.
To display the composite playlist:
■ Choose View > Automation > Composite
Playlist.
Composite playlist
Volume Trim data
Volume data
To display the Trim automation playlist along with main automation playlist on tracks:
■ Choose View > Automation > Trim Playlist.
Volume data
Volume Trim data
Display of Trim automation in a main Volume playlist

Displaying the Composite Automation Playlist

If Trim automation is not set to coalesce after ev­ery automation pass, you can display a compos­ite automation playlist that shows the contribu­tion of the Trim automation to the main Volume or Send Level automation data. This composite playlist display cannot be directly ed­ited.
The composite playlist is shown in both the main automation playlist and the Trim automa­tion playlist.
Display of Trim automation and the composite playlist in a main Volume playlist

Trim Automation Modes

The Trim automation modes in Pro Tools work in combination with the other Automation modes (Read, Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch and Write). Behavior of these modes also depends on the Coalesce Trim Automation preference setting. When a track is in a Trim automation mode (except for Trim Off) its main Volume fad­ers and all Send level faders are displayed in yel­low.
Trim Off
Trim Off turns off reading and writing of all au­tomation (main and trim) for a track. All auto­mation moves are ignored during playback. Trim faders are temporarily set to zero when a track is set to Trim Off mode.
Depending on the Coalesce Trim Automation preference setting, changing a track to Trim Off can coalesce Trim automation on that track. See “Coalescing Trim Automation” on page 70.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.268
Read Trim
Write Trim
In Read Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim faders are disengaged from the main auto­mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au­tomation. You can move a Trim fader during playback to audition new trim moves, but no automation is written. When the Trim fader is released, it returns to any previously written Trim automation values.
If a track does not contain Trim automation, you can move a Trim fader during playback to audition new trim values, but no automation is written. The Trim fader retains its position until the track is removed from Trim mode, or if you manually coalesce the Trim level.
Touch Trim
In Touch Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim faders are disengaged from the main auto­mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au­tomation. When a Trim fader is touched, writ­ing of Trim automation begins. When the fader is released, writing stops and the fader returns to any previously written Trim automation values.
Latch Trim
In Write Trim mode, as soon as playback begins, writing of Trim automation begins for Volume and Send levels, and continues until playback stops, or until you punch out of writing automa­tion.
The “After Write Pass, Switch To” prefer­ence affects Write Trim mode. After an au­tomation pass in Write Trim mode, tracks automatically switch to the Trim mode ver­sion of the setting specified by this prefer­ence.
Send Levels and Trim Mode
You can set Pro Tools to exclude Send levels from Trim mode, so that only the Main Volume goes into Trim when a track is put into Trim mode. This gives you more flexibility in setting Send levels while in Trim mode.
To exclude Send levels from Automation Trim mode:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Automation, deselect Include Sends in
Trim Mode.
In Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim faders are disengaged from the main auto­mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au­tomation. When a Trim fader is touched, writ­ing of Trim automation begins. Writing of Trim automation continues until playback stops, or until you punch out of writing automation.
Touch/Latch Trim
In Touch/Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send level faders are disengaged from the main auto­mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au­tomation. The main Volume Trim fader follows Touch Trim behavior, and Send level Trim fad­ers follow Latch Trim behavior.
Any uncoalesced automation on a Send will still coalesce when the other automation on its track is coalesced, even if “Include Sends in Trim Mode” is deselected.

Writing Trim Automation

The writing of Trim automation depends on how it is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing Trim Automation” on page 70. If automation is not set to coalesce after every automation pass, Trim automation moves are written to a sepa­rate Trim playlist.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 69
Writing automation to a Trim playlist works the same way as writing automation to a main play­list:
◆ When Trim moves are displayed separately in
a Trim automation playlist, the Smoothing, Thinning, and AutoMatch preferences for auto­mation also apply to Trim automation.
◆ When Trim moves are displayed separately in
a Trim automation playlist, you can write Trim automation to an entire track, a selection, or a portion of these with the Write Automation to All, Start, or End commands.
To trim track Volume or Send levels:
1 In the Automation window, make sure the au-
tomation type (Volume or Send level) is write­enabled.
2 Click the Automation Mode selector of the
track where you want to write automation and choose the automation mode (Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch, or Write).
3 Click the Automation Mode selector and
choose Trim.
4 Start playback, and adjust the Volume or Send
levels.
5 Stop playback to finish the Trim pass.

Coalescing Trim Automation

You can set Pro Tools to commit, or coalesce, Trim automation to the main automation play­list by the following methods:
After Every Pass Trim moves are automatically applied when the transport is stopped at the end of an automation pass. Trim automation playl­ists are cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, Trim au­tomation was always applied after every pass. The Coalesce After Every Pass prefer­ence emulates this legacy behavior.
On Exiting Trim Mode Trim moves are stored sep­arately in the Trim automation playlist until they are coalesced. Trim automation is automat­ically coalesced on a track only when you take the track out of Trim mode. You can repeat an automation pass, edit Trim automation manu­ally on any of the Trim playlists, or clear Trim automation before coalescing with this method.
Even when automation is set to coalesce on exiting Trim mode, you can use the Coa­lesce Trim Automation command to com­mit Trim moves at any time.
Manually Trim moves are stored separately in the Trim automation playlist until they are coa­lesced. With this setting, the only way to coa­lesce Trim moves is with the Coalesce Trim Au­tomation command. You can repeat an automation pass, edit Trim automation manu­ally on any of the Trim playlists, or clear Trim automation before coalescing with this method.
On ICON work surfaces, the presence of un­coalesced Trim automation is indicated by a flashing Trim switch or light.
To set the method by which Trim Automation is coalesced:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select one
of the following:
• After Every Pass
• On Exiting Trim Mode
• Manually
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.270
To coalesce Trim automation on a track when exiting Trim mode:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select On
Exiting Trim Mode.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.

Clearing Trim Automation

If Trim automation has not been coalesced on a track, you can clear it. When you clear Trim au­tomation, automation breakpoints on all Trim playlists are deleted and all Trim faders are reset to zero.
4 Make sure the Pro Tools transport is stopped.
5 On the track where you want to coalesce Trim
automation, click the Automation Mode selec­tor and deselect Trim.
The Trim automation is applied to the main au­tomation playlist, Trim automation playlists are cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.
If transport is playing and you are writing automation, you cannot directly enter or exit Trim mode. You must AutoMatch be­fore exiting Trim mode. This prevents any abrupt jumps in automation values.
To manually coalesce Trim automation on a track:
1 Select the track where you want to coalesce
the Trim automation.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Coalesce Trim Automation.
– or –
• Right-click the track name and choose Co­alesce Trim Automation from the pop-up menu.
The Trim automation is applied to the main au­tomation playlist, Trim automation playlists are cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.
To clear Trim automation:
1 Select the track where you want to clear the
Trim automation.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Clear Trim Automation.
– or –
• Right-click the track name and choose Clear Trim Automation from the pop-up menu.

Suspending Trim Automation

If Trim automation has not been coalesced on a track, you can temporarily suspend playback of Trim automation in order to compare the effect of Trim moves with the original, unmodified au­tomation during playback. When you suspend Trim automation, any Trim automation data is ignored and Trim faders are temporarily set to zero.
To suspend all Trim automation on all tracks:
■ In the Automation window, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Suspend button.
Suspending Trim automation
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 71
The Suspend button highlights yellow to indi­cate that Trim automation is suspended.
To suspend Trim automation for specific controls on a track:
1 In the Edit window, set the Track View selector
to show the automation playlist for the Trim control you want to suspend (Volume Trim or Send level Trim).
2 Do one of the following:
• To suspend only the displayed Trim control on a single track, Control-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the control name in the Track View selector.
– or –
• To suspend the displayed Trim control on all tracks, Control-Alt-click (Windows) or Command-Option-click (Mac) the control name in the Track View selector.
Suspending automation from the Edit win­dow obeys Edit groups. To suppress grouped behavior, hold Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) while suspending a control.

Editing Trim Automation

If Trim automation has not been coalesced on a track, you can edit it in the same manner as reg­ular automation, including:
• Editing automation breakpoints with the Grabber and Trim tools
• Drawing automation with the Pencil tool
• Copying and pasting automation data to other Trim automation playlists
• Using Copy Special and Paste Special to move automation data between a Trim au­tomation playlist and other automation playlists

Behavior of Switched Controls in Touch Mode

In Pro Tools 7.2, when automating switched controls (including mute, plug-in bypass, and any switched control on a plug-in) in Touch mode, these controls will latch in their current state after they are touched.
However, to preserve any automation for that switched control later in the timeline, this latched behavior ends if either of the following occurs:
• If an existing automation breakpoint is en­countered, Pro Tools stops writing automa­tion at that point.
• If you stop playback or punch out of writ­ing automation before reaching an existing automation breakpoint, Pro Tools Au­toMatches to the underlying automation state.

Setting Switched Controls for Momentary Behavior

In some cases, such as when overwriting or ex­tending Mute automation, you may want to momentarily write automation for a control by holding it down, and not have the control latch.
To set switched controls for momentary behavior:
1 Choose Options > Preferences and click Mix-
ing.
2 Deselect Latching Behavior for Switch Con-
trols in Touch.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.272

Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode

In Pro Tools 7.2, if a track is in Latch or Touch/Latch automation mode, you can prime individual controls for writing automation while the transport is stopped. This Latch Prime capability lets you prepare for an automation pass before starting playback.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, if a track was in Latch automation mode, it was nec­essary to touch or move a control after start­ing playback to begin writing automation.
To prime controls for writing automation in Latch mode while the transport is stopped:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
6 While the transport is stopped, touch or move
the controls you want to start writing at the be­ginning of the automation pass. When at least one control on a track is primed, the Automa­tion Mode selector displays in bold.
Automation
Mode
selector
2 Under Automation, select Allow Latch Prime
in Stop.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
4 In the Automation window, make sure the
controls you want to automate are write-en­abled.
5 Click the Automation Mode selector on the
track where you want to write automation and do one of the following:
• Choose Latch mode to allow priming of all automation-enabled controls on the track.
• Choose Touch/Latch mode to leave the main Volume fader in Touch mode and al­low priming of all other automation-en­abled controls.
Automation mode indicator before (left) and after priming of latched controls (right)
7 Start playback. All primed controls begin writ-
ing automation at their primed values.
8 Stop playback to finish the automation pass.
All tracks are taken out of their Latch Prime state.
You can use the Write to Punch command at the end of your automation pass to write the current value back to the start of the pass.

Taking Tracks and Controls Out of Latch Prime

You can take individual tracks or automation types out of their Latch Prime state before or during an automation pass.
◆ When you take a track or automation type out
of Latch Prime before starting playback, it stays in Latch mode but the corresponding controls are not primed to write when playback starts.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 73
◆ When you take a track or automation type out
of Latch Prime during an automation pass, the corresponding controls AutoMatch to their cur­rently written values.
◆ If you AutoMatch a control that is in a Latch
Prime state, the control will no longer be primed.
To take a track out of Latch Prime:
■ Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Automation Mode selector on the track.
The selector button unbolds to indicate that the track is no longer primed.
To take all tracks out of Latch Prime, do one of the following:
■ Alt-Control-click (Windows) or Option-Com-
mand-click (Mac) the Automation Mode selec­tor on a track.
– or –
■ Click the AutoMatch button in the Automa-
tion window.
To take all selected tracks out of Latch Prime, do one of the following:
■ Alt-Control-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-
Command-Shift-click (Mac) the Automation Mode selector on a track.
– or –
■ Alt-Shift-click (Windows) Option-Shift-click
(Mac) the AutoMatch button in the Automation window.
To take an automation type out of Latch Prime on all tracks, do one of the following:
■ In the Automation window, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the button for the automation type (Volume, Pan, Mute, Plug-in, Send level, Send pan, or Send mute).
Automation type buttons
AutoMatch button
AutoMatch button in the Automation window
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.274
Automation types in the Automation window

Rolling Through Automation Punch Points in Latch Prime

After you prime controls for writing automation while the transport is stopped, you can set Pro Tools to automatically punch in at that point after issuing a back and play command, or after rolling back and locking to time code.
To set Pro Tools to automatically punch in automation writing on a track:
1 Locate the cursor where you want to punch in
automation.
2 Prime controls for writing while the transport
is stopped. (See “Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode” on page 73.)
3 In the Automation window, click the AutoJoin
button.
4 In the Automation window, click the Capture
button and then click the Punch Capture but­ton. The AutoJoin marker (a vertical red line) ap­pears on-screen at the punch point.
5 Issue a Back and Play command, roll back the
external machine to before the punch in point, or enable pre-roll.
◆ If you punch during playback, the automa-
tion mode is set to Latch and writing begins at the preview value.
◆ If you punch while the transport is stopped,
the automation mode is set to Latch and the control is primed at the preview value.
It is not necessary for the Allow Latch Prime in Stop preference to be enabled for Preview to put a control into Latch Prime.

Previewing New Automation Values

6 Start playback. When the transport reaches
the punch-in point, automation writing begins.

New Automation Preview Mode

In Pro Tools 7.2, a new Automation Preview mode lets you audition changes to a mix and compare them to existing automation values without committing them to the automation playlist.
When you put Pro Tools in Automation Preview mode, you can preview values for automation­enabled controls on any track that is in a writ­able automation mode.
While in Automation Preview mode, when you touch or move a control, it isolates the control, disengaging it from its automation playlist. The control stops reading or writing automation, al­lowing you to freely audition changes.
When you have found a level or state that you want to use, you can then commit or punch the previewed value to the automation playlist for the isolated controls.
To preview a new automation value for a control:
1 Make sure the track where you want to pre-
view the value is enabled for automation (Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or their corre­sponding Trim modes).
2 Make sure the automation type you want to
preview is enabled in the Automation window (Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send mute, or Plug-in).
3 Click the Preview button in the Automation
window. The Preview button lights green to in­dicate that Preview mode is active.
Preview button
Preview controls in the Automation window
4 To isolate a control, touch or move an auto-
Punch Preview button
mation-enabled control.You can isolate con­trols during playback or while the transport is stopped.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 75
The Automation Mode indicator on the track lights green to indicate that at least one of its controls is isolated, and the Punch Preview but­ton in the Automation window lights to indi­cate a preview value is available to punch.
Automation Mode Indicator
To isolate all currently write-enabled controls:
■ Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Preview button.
To isolate all write-enabled controls on all selected tracks:
■ Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-Shift
click (Mac) the Preview button.

Suspending Preview Mode

Automation Mode indicator showing isolated controls
5 Start playback and adjust the isolated control
to audition the changes.

Taking Controls Out of Isolated State

You can take controls out of their isolated state without leaving Preview mode.
To take all controls on a track out of their isolated state, do one of the following:
■ Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the automation mode selector on the track.
– or –
■ Change the track automation mode to Read
or Off.
To take all controls of an automation type out of their isolated state:
■ In the Automation window, disable the auto-
mation type.

Isolating Multiple Controls

In some cases, such as when starting a new mix, you may want to isolate multiple controls at the same time.
You can temporarily suspend Preview mode, al­lowing you to toggle between preview values and existing automation.
To suspend Preview mode:
■ Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Preview button.

Punching Preview Values

After you have isolated a control and auditioned a new value, you can punch (write) the value to the automation playlist.
To punch a preview value to the automation playlist:
■ Click the lit Punch Preview button.

Preview Mode and “Write To” Commands

The “Write Automation To” commands work as follows with Preview mode:
Before punching preview values The “Write Au­tomation To” commands (except Write to Next Breakpoint) can be used to extend previewed values. The “Write Automation To” command will only apply to isolated controls. Pro Tools re­mains in Preview mode.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.276
After punching preview values The “Write Auto­mation To” commands (except Write to Next Breakpoint) can be used to extend the punched value in the same manner as other automation.

New Automation Capture Feature

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can capture current auto­mation values as a snapshot at one location in a session and quickly apply them in another loca­tion with the Capture and Punch Capture com­mands. The Capture command temporarily stores the value of all controls currently writing automation, and the Punch Capture command writes those stored values to all enabled automa­tion types.
◆ ICON Systems allow for the storage and recall
of up to 48 different snapshots.
◆ All other systems allow for the capture of one
snapshot at a time.
Capture button
Capture controls in the Automation window
Punch Capture button
2 Make sure the automation types you want to
capture are enabled in the Automation window (Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send mute, or Plug-in).
3 Start playback, and if necessary, touch a write-
enabled control to start writing automation. The Capture button lights with blue text to in­dicate that a capture is possible.
4 When the currently writing controls reach a
value you want to capture, click the Capture button in the Automation window.
The Punch Capture button in the Automation window lights to indicate a captured value is available to punch.

Punching Captured Automation Values

After automation values are captured, they can be punched (written) to another location in the track. Any tracks set to Read or Off are unaf­fected.
◆ If you punch during playback, the automa-
tion mode of any track set to Touch is set to Latch and writing begins at the captured value.
◆ If you punch while the transport is stopped,
the automation mode of any track set to Touch is set to Latch and the control is primed at the captured value.

Capturing Automation Values

You can capture the current automation values of actively writing controls.
To capture automation values:
1 Make sure all tracks whose automation values
you want to capture are in a write-enabled state (Write, Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or Latch).
To punch captured automation values:
1 Move to a location where you want to apply
the captured automation values. You can do this during playback or while the transport is stopped.
2 Click the Punch Capture button in the Auto-
mation window to apply the captured automa­tion states. The captured states are applied to all automation types that are currently enabled in the Automation window.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 77

Capturing Automation Values for All Controls

You can capture the state of all automatable controls (except on tracks with their Automa­tion Mode set to Off) in a session, regardless of whether they are currently writing automation.
To capture the automation values of all controls:
■ When the currently writing controls reach a
value you want to capture, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the Capture button.
To capture the automation values of all controls on selected tracks only:
■ When the currently writing controls reach a
value you want to capture, Alt-Shift-click (Win­dows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) the Capture button.
To punch the automation values of all controls on selected tracks only:
■ When you reach a location where you want to
apply the captured automation states, Alt-Shift­click (Windows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) the Punch Capture button. Any selected tracks set to Read or Touch are set to Latch. Any selected tracks set to Off are unaffected.

Capture and Trim Mode

The Capture and Punch Capture commands work with Trim automation in the same way as regular automation. Pro Tools saves Trim status when capturing, so if you attempt to punch cap­tured Trim values while displaying a non-Trim automation playlist, Pro Tools will automati­cally apply the values to the corresponding Trim playlist.

Punching Automation Values for All Controls

You can punch all captured automation values to another location on their corresponding tracks (except those tracks with their Automa­tion Mode set to Off).
To punch the automation values of all controls:
■ When you reach a location where you want to
apply the captured automation states, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the Punch Capture button. Any track set to Read or Touch are set to Latch. Any tracks set to Off are unaf­fected.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.278

Punch Capture and “Write To” Commands

After issuing a Punch Capture command, the af­fected controls are writing automation (in Latch mode), so any of the “Write Automation To” commands can be used to extend the punched value in the same manner as other automation.

Capture and Preview Mode

Loading Captured Values into Preview
You can preview and modify captured automa­tion values in Preview mode before punching the values to the automation playlist.
To capture an automation value and use it to preview:
1 Make sure the track where you want to pre-
view the value is enabled for automation (Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or their corre­sponding Trim modes).
2 Make sure the automation type you want to
preview is enabled in the Automation window (Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send mute, or Plug-in).
3 Capture an automation value that you want
to preview in another location on a track. (See “Capturing Automation Values” on page 77.)
4 Go to a location where you want to preview
the captured automation states, and click the Preview button in the Automation window.
5 Click the Punch Capture button.
Capturing Values While in Preview Mode
When you are in Preview mode, you can capture the values of isolated controls and apply them elsewhere on a track. By capturing preview val­ues, you can leave the underlying automation unchanged at the place where you capture.
On ICON systems, you can use preview mode to capture multiple snapshots without changing automation.
To capture a preview value:
1 Activate Preview mode and isolate a control.
(See “Previewing New Automation Values” on page 75).
2 Start playback and adjust the isolated control
to audition the changes.
3 When you are ready to capture preview value,
click the Capture button in the Automation window.
The Punch Capture button in the Automation window lights to indicate a captured value is available to punch.
The affected controls are isolated and updated to the captured values. The Punch Preview but­ton in the Automation window lights to indi­cate the preview value is available to punch.
6 Start playback and adjust the isolated control
to audition the changes.
7 When you are ready to punch the preview
value to the automation playlist, click the lit Punch Preview button.
Chapter 6: Automation Features and Enhancements 79
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.280
chapter 7

Plug-in Features and Enhancements

Default Plug-in Preferences

In Pro Tools 7.2, you can set a default EQ plug­in and Dynamics plug-in, which places them at the top of the Insert selector pop-up menu on­screen, and first in the list of menu choices when assigning inserts on ICON work surfaces.
To set a default plug-in:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Setup, choose a plug-in from the De-
fault EQ or Default Dynamics pop-up menu.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
Default plug-in display in Insert selector menu

Enhanced Dynamics III Display

In Pro Tools 7.2, the DigiRack Dynamics III Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate plug­ins feature an animated, multi-color cursor in their gain transfer curve displays.
The gain transfer curve of the Compressor/Lim­iter and Expander/Gate plug-ins shows a mov­ing ball cursor that shows the amount of input gain (x-axis) and gain reduction (y-axis) being applied to the incoming signal.
Gain transfer curve and cursor showing amount of compression
To indicate overshoots (when an incoming sig­nal peak is too fast for the current compression setting) the cursor temporarily leaves the gain transfer curve.
Chapter 7: Plug-in Features and Enhancements 81
The cursor changes color to indicate the amount of compression applied, as follows:
Dynamics III Plug-in Compression Amount
Cursor Color Compression Amount
white no compression
light orange below full ratio
shifting. DigiRack Time Shift also provides high quality time compression and expansion algo­rithms for post-production pull up and pull down conversions.
For more information on using plug-ins in Pro Tools, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
dark orange full ratio amount

DigiRack Time Shift Enhancements

The Digidesign® DigiRack Time Shift plug-in for time-compression/expansion and pitch shifting is an AudioSuite™ plug-in for Pro Tools|HD®, Pro Tools LE™, and Pro Tools M-Powered™ sys­tems. It is not included with Pro Tools HD 7.2, but is available as a free download from the Digidesign Web site.

DigiRack Time Shift Enhancements

Pro Tools 7.2 supports the following enhance­ments with DigiRack Time Shift:
◆ Pro Tools TCE Trim Tool support for increased
time stretching and pitch shifting workflow effi­ciency
◆ The Original Tempo field automatically dis-
plays the current tempo from the Pro Tools Timeline.
◆ DigiRack Time Shift correctly displays all
timebase values. (Bars|Beats and Feet+Frames are not displayed in Pro Tools 7.0 or 7.1, but are dis­played only as “N/A.”)

AudioSuite TCE Plug-in Preference

The DigiRack Time Shift plug-in provides high quality time compression and expansion algo­rithms that can be used with the Pro Tools TCE Trim Tool.
DigiRack Time Shift
DigiRack Time Shift is ideal for music produc­tion, sound design, and post-production appli­cations. Use it to manipulate audio loops for tempo matching and formant correct pitch
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.282
TCE Plug-in option in Processing Preferences page
Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information about the TCE Trim tool.
To select DigiRack Time Shift for use with the TCE Trim tool:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Processing tab.
3 From the TC/E Plug-in pop-up menu, select
DigiRack Time Shift.
4 Select the desired preset setting from the De-
fault Settings pop-up menu.
5 Click OK.

New SignalTools Plug-ins

Pro Tools 7.2 supports the new DigiRack Signal­Tools metering plug-ins, SurroundScope and PhaseScope.
The SignalTools plug-ins support TDM and RTAS plug-in formats at all sample rates.

SurroundScope

SurroundScope is a plug-in that provides sur­round metering for multichannel track types from 3 channels (LCR) to 8 channels (7.1 sur­round). Stereo and mono tracks are not sup­ported.
This new version of SurroundScope is com­patible with sessions that used the previous versions of SurroundScope.
Surround DisplayMeters
Display Options Phase/Leq(A) Display
SurroundScope
Chapter 7: Plug-in Features and Enhancements 83
Surround Display

PhaseScope

SurroundScope detects the multi-channel for­mat of the track and displays each channel in the signal in a circle around the Surround Dis­play.
SurroundScope Surround Display (5.0 shown)
The Surround Display generates a composite im­age that indicates relative signal strength in the displayed channels.
◆ A circle in the center of the display indicates a
surround signal that is panned equally to all channels.
◆ An irregular shape that is closer to one side of
the display indicates that the channels on that side have a stronger signal.
◆ A teardrop shape that points toward a single
channel indicates that the signal is panned to that channel.
PhaseScope is a multichannel metering plug-in that provides signal level and phase information for stereo tracks only. (Mono and LCR or greater multichannel tracks are not supported.)
Meters
Display Options Phase/Leq(A) Display
PhaseScope
Lissajous Meter Display
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.284
Lissajous Meter Display

SignalTools Display Options

The PhaseScope Lissajous Meter displays the re­lationship between the amplitude and phase of a stereo signal, enabling you to monitor stereo imaging graphically.
A “Lissajous curve” (also known as a Lissa­jous figure or Bowditch curve) is a type of graph that is able to describe complex har­monic motion. To learn more, search the Web or your local library for information on its origins and its two principal developers, Jules Antoine Lissajous, and Nathaniel Bowditch.
Both SignalTools plug-ins offer two display op­tions: Phase Meter Display and Leq(A) Meter Display.
To choose a display option:
■ Click the corresponding button in the Op-
tions section of the plug-in window.
SignalTools display options
Phase Meter Display
The Phase Meter indicates the phase coherency of two channels of a multi-channel signal.
SignalTools Phase Meter
The Phase Meter is green when the channels are positively out of phase (values from 0 to +1) and red when the channels are negatively out of phase (values from 0 to –1).
PhaseScope Lissajous Meter Display
The Lissajous Meter display is divided into four quadrants, with left and right channels arranged diagonally. When audio is panned predomi­nantly to a particular speaker channel, a diago­nal line appears, indicating the channel.
The Lissajous Meter displays in-phase material as a vertical line and out-of-phase material as a horizontal line.
At the center or zero position, the signal is a per­fect stereo image. At the +1 position, the signal is a perfect mono image. At the –1 position, the signal is 100% out of phase.
Chapter 7: Plug-in Features and Enhancements 85
SurroundScope With SurroundScope you can se­lect the two channels to compare by clicking the channel buttons around the Surround Display. Selected channels are indicated in blue.
Selecting SurroundScope channels for phase metering
PhaseScope With PhaseScope, the left and right channels are always compared.
Selecting Channels for Leq(A) Metering
SurroundScope With SurroundScope, you can
select any combination of channels for Leq(A) metering by clicking the channel buttons around the Surround Display. Selected channels are indicated in green.
Selecting SurroundScope channels for Leq (A) metering
Leq(A) Meter Display
The Leq(A) Meter display lets you view the true weighted average of the power level sent to any
channel or combination of channels (except the LFE channel) in a multichannel track.
The Leq (A) Meter display shows a floating aver­age for the level over the interval chosen in the Window menu. For example, with a setting of 2 seconds, the display shows the average value for the most recent 2 seconds of audio playback.
SignalTools Leq(A) meter and controls
PhaseScope With PhaseScope, you can select ei­ther or both channel for Leq(A) metering by clicking the channel buttons in the corners of the Lissajous display. Selected channels are indi­cated in green.
Selecting PhaseScope channels for Leq(A) metering
Leq(A) Metering Controls
Window The Leq(A) window menu lets you
choose the length of time the signal is measured before an average value is calculated. Settings range from 1 second to 2 minutes.
When the Leq(A) meter is in INF (infinite) mode it is constantly averaging the signal without a floating averaging window.
Reset The Reset button lets you manually reset the start time of the Leq(A) measurement win­dow.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.286
Auto Reset When enabled, causes the start time of the Leq(A) measurement window to be auto­matically reset whenever playback starts in Pro Tools.
Hold on Stop When enabled, causes the Leq(A) measurement window timer to pause when playback stops, and resume when playback be­gins again.
In any of the Loop Transport modes, the measurement start time is automatically re­set each time playback goes back to the be­ginning of the loop.
The “true” RMS meter scale is not the same as the AES 17 RMS scale. For a sine wave with a peak value of –20 dBFS, the “true” RMS meter will show a value of –23 dBFS. (The same sine wave will show a value of –20 dBFS on an AES 17 RMS meter.‚
Peak + RMS Uses a multi-color display to show both types of metering. Peak metering is shown in conventional green color, while RMS meter­ing is shown in blue.
VU (Volume Unit) Uses AES standards for signal level indication.

SignalTools Level Meters

The SignalTools plug-ins let you choose the type of metering to use. Each meter type has a differ­ent metering scale and response.
Meter Type selectorPeak Hold
selector
Reference mark
SignalTools level meters
Meter Types
Peak (Default meter type) Uses the metering scale in DigiRack EQ III and Dynamics III plug­ins.
BBC Uses IEC-IIa standards for signal level indi­cation. This style of metering suppresses short duration peaks that would not affect broadcast program material. Reference calibration (4 dB) is –18 dBFS.
Nordic Uses IEC Type I standards for signal level indication and provides greater resolution for readings between –10 dBu and +4 dBu. Refer­ence calibration (0 dB) is –18 dBFS.
DIN Uses IEC Type I standards for signal level in­dication and provides greater resolution for readings between –10 dBu and +5 dBu. Refer­ence calibration (–9 dB) is –18 dBFS.
VENUE Provides Peak metering behavior with a meter scale calibrated specifically for Digidesign VENUE systems. Reference calibration (0 dB) is –20 dBFS.
Meter values are always displayed on con­trol surfaces in dBFS values, regardless of the Meter Type setting.
RMS (Root Mean Square) was used in previous versions of the Digidesign SurroundScope plug­in and uses the same “true” RMS metering scale.
Chapter 7: Plug-in Features and Enhancements 87
Meter Peak Hold Options
Each of the SignalTools plug-ins lets you choose the style of peak hold when peaks are shown in the plug-in meters.
3 Second Displays peak levels for 3 seconds
Infinite Displays peak levels until meters are
cleared
No Peak Hold Does not display peak levels
Reference Mark Options
Each SignalTools meter type lets you adjust the level of the reference mark on the side of the meter display. The mark is set by default to the reference level for the corresponding meter type.
SignalTools meters also change color to show different ranges of level. The relative range of color automatically adjusts to fol­low the current Reference Mark setting in all meter types (except Peak+RMS).
To change the reference level of a SignalTools meter:
■ Drag the reference mark to a different location
on the meter scale.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.288
chapter 8

General Video Improvements

This chapter describes general improvements to Pro Tools video capabilities for working with QuickTime movies and Avid video.
For detailed information on new Pro Tools features that apply specifically to working with Avid video peripherals, see Chapter 9, “New Pro Tools Features for Avid Video Pe­ripherals.”

New Video Track

You can add multiple video tracks with Quick­Time movies or Avid video to the Timeline, but an individual video track cannot hold both types of video at the same time.
To create a new video track:
1 Choose Track > New.
New Tracks dialog
A new empty video track appears. Video tracks may appear slightly different depending on your system configuration or the type of video added to a video track.
Video track
For detailed information, see “Differences in Video Tracks with QuickTime Movies and Avid Video” on page 91.
2 In the New Tracks dialog, do the following:
• Select Video Track from the Track Type pop-up menu.
– and –
• Enter the number of new video tracks.
3 Click Create.
Chapter 8: General Video Improvements 89

New Video Track Support

Pro Tools 7.2 adds the following support for video tracks:
• Multiple video tracks in the Timeline
• Multiple playlists for video tracks
• Multiple codecs on individual video tracks

Multiple Video Tracks in the Timeline

You can add multiple video tracks to the Time­line, but only one video track can be played back at a time.
See “Selecting the Main Video Track” on page 92 for information on switching a video track online or offline.

Multiple Video Track Playlists

Playlists provide an easy way of changing be­tween alternate versions of a video track.

Multiple Codecs on an Individual Video Track

A single video track can contain video regions compressed with different video codecs. How­ever, once the first video file has been added to a session, all additional video files added to the Timeline must have the same video engine rate as the first video file.

Video Track Controls

In Pro Tools 7.2, controls have been added or improved, as follows:
• Video track type icons
• New Video Online button (see “New Video Online Button” on page 93)
• New Video Engine Rate indicator (see “New Video Engine Rate Indicator” on page 92)
• New Record Enable button behavior
• Video track locking

Video Track Type Icons

Playlist selector
You can perform all of the same operations with video playlists as you can with audio playlists, including:
• Duplicating a playlist
• Creating a playlist
• Assigning a playlist to another video track
• Renaming a playlist
• Deleting a playlist
See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for de­tailed information on playlists.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.090
A video track displays a QuickTime icon or an Avid icon depending on the type of video added to it.
QuickTime
icon
Video tracks displaying QuickTime and Avid icons
You can add any supported video to an empty video track, in which case the icon will change and the video track will play back only that type of video.
Avid icon
Differences in Video Tracks with QuickTime Movies and Avid Video
When an Avid video peripheral is connected to your system and powered on, the following con­ditions apply:
• All video tracks display a Video Output se­lector, but only tracks containing Avid video display a Video Input selector.
• You can add Avid video to an empty video track.
• Only video tracks contain a Record Enable button.
See the Avid Video Peripherals Guide for de­tailed information on using the Record En­able button and the I/O view controls with the video track.

Record Enable Button

(Avid Video Peripherals Only)
Using Pro Tools with an Avid video peripheral, the Record button lets you arm the main video track for digitizing video to the Timeline. The Record button does not display in video tracks containing QuickTime movies, or if you do not have an Avid video peripheral connected to your Pro Tools system and powered on.

Locking Video Tracks

You can lock one or more video tracks to pre­vent any video regions on those tracks from be­ing edited.
When a video track is locked, Pro Tools restricts all editing operations involving the track (ex­cept for locking and unlocking video regions).
To lock a video track:
1 Select the video track or tracks you want to
lock.
2 Do one of the following:
• Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) the name of any selected video track, and select Locked.
– or –
• Right-click the name of any selected video track, and select Locked.
Lock icon
Locked video track
Record Enable button
Video Track
See the Avid Video Peripherals Guide for de­tailed information about using Pro Tools to digitize video.
A small lock appears in the video track, indicat­ing it has been locked and cannot be edited. (The lock does not appear if the Track Height of the video track is set to Mini.)
Locking or unlocking a video track does not al­ter the lock status of individual regions. If a re­gion was locked before you locked the track, the region will still be locked when you unlock the track. However, unlocking a region in a locked track will not allow you to edit that region. It will behave as if the region were locked until you unlock the track.
Chapter 8: General Video Improvements 91

Setting the Video Engine Rate

The video engine rate represents the number of video frames output by Pro Tools per second, and is determined automatically by the frame rate of the first video file added to a session. Video files subsequently added to the session must have the same video frame rate as the video engine rate.
The video frame rate is displayed for each video file in the DigiBase browsers, and the current video engine rate is displayed in the I/O view of the main video track.
See “New Video Engine Rate Indicator” on page 92 for information on the Video En­gine Rate indicator in the I/O view.
The video engine rate is independent of the ses­sion's time code rate, which determines the number of frames displayed per second in grids, rulers, and counters. You can set the session time code rate manually with the Time Code Rate pop-up menu in the Session Setup window. In order for the grids and rulers to align with the actual frames of the video files in the Timeline, the session's Time Code Rate setting should be set to match the video engine rate (the frame rate of the first video clip added).
See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for de­tailed information on changing the Time Code Rate setting.

New Video Engine Rate Indicator

The Video Engine Rate indicator displays only in the main video track (whether it is online or offline) and shows the video engine rate.
Video Engine Rate
Video Engine Rate
The Video Engine Rate indicator is normally black, but turns red if one of the following con­ditions are present:
• The video engine rate does not match the session’s current Time Code Rate setting.
– or –
• A pull-up has been applied to the video, causing the video engine rate to differ from the session Time Code Rate.

Selecting the Main Video Track

The main video track is the video track that is currently online, and will be played back with any audio in the session. Only one video track at a time can be online in the same session.
When the main video track is offline, you can play back the audio in your session without playing back the video. When the video is of­fline, the Video Online button changes to grey so you can tell at a glance whether your video is offline or simply playing black fill.
If no video track is currently online, the main video track is the video track that was last on­line.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.092

New Video Online Button

The Video Online button duplicates the func­tion of the Video Online command in the Op­tions menu. It lets you select the main video track, switch that track online or offline, and see at a glance by color whether a video track is of­fline (grey) or online (blue).
Video track
offline
Video Online button (offline and online, respectively)
In Pro Tools 7.2, the Video Online button and command replace the Offline button and command from previous versions of Pro Tools.
To select or deselect the main video track, do one of the following:
■ Click the Video Online button of any track
that is offline (grey) to put it online (blue), mak­ing that track the main video track.
■ Click the Video Online button of the main
video track to take it offline, and Pro Tools will not output video.
Video track
online

New Options for Importing Video

Pro Tools 7.2 provides the following new meth­ods of importing QuickTime movies and Avid video files into the Timeline, Region List, and new or existing video tracks:
• Using the Import Video menu command
• Dragging from DigiBase, Windows Ex­plorer, or Mac Finder to Pro Tools
• Overlaying video on Import Session Data
The new import options replace the Import QuickTime Movie, Import Avid Video, and New Avid Video Track commands in previ­ous versions of Pro Tools.
In general, audio and video media should be stored on separate dedicated drives. When importing audio and video at the same time, however, Pro Tools copies both to the same drive. If you have difficulty playing back audio or video media, you should either import the audio separately using the Import Audio command, or man­ually copy the audio files to an audio drive.
When you import MPEG-2 video into Pro Tools, only the video portion of the file is imported and the resulting video regions cannot be edited.
■ Select Options > Video Online.
■ Press Control+Shift+J.

Importing Video into Pro Tools Using the New Import Video Command

In Pro Tools 7.2, the Import Video menu com­mand replaces the Import QuickTime Movie and Import Avid Movie commands.
Chapter 8: General Video Improvements 93
The Import Video menu command lets you choose one or more video files to import into Pro Tools.
To use the Import Video command to import video into Pro Tools:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Import > Video.
– or –
• Press Alt+Control+Shift+I (Windows) or Command+Control+Shift+I (Mac).
2 In the Select Video File to Import dialog, select
one or more video files, and click Open.
When you use this method to select a video file to import video into Pro Tools, the Video Im­port Options dialog appears. This dialog con­tains multiple options for customizing how files are imported.
Configuring Video Import Options
The Video Import Options dialog appears when you import video into Pro Tools by using the Import Video command or dragging video files from a DigiBase browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder.
See “Configuring Video Import Options” on page 94 for detailed instructions.

Importing Video into Pro Tools with Drag and Drop

You can drag and drop video files from a Digi­Base browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder to the Timeline, a track, the Track List, or the Re­gion List.
When you use this method to import video into Pro Tools, the Video Import Options dialog ap­pears. This dialog contains multiple options for customizing how files are imported.
See “Configuring Video Import Options” on page 94 for detailed instructions.
What’s New in Pro Tools HD 7.094
Video Import Options dialog
See “Bypassing the Video Import Options Dialog” on page 96 for details on bypassing the Video Import Options dialog when dragging and dropping video files.
To import video files into Pro Tools using Video Import Options:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Import > Video, and select the video files you want to import, then click Open.
– or –
• Drag and drop one or more video files from a DigiBase browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder to the Track List, Timeline, or an existing track.
2 In the Video Import Options dialog, custom-
ize Video Import Options as desired.
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