Pro Tools
Reference Guide
Version 5.1 for Macintosh and Windows
Digidesign Inc.
3401-A Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
tel: 650·842·7900
fax: 650·842·7999
Technical Support (USA)
650·842·6699
650·856·4275
Product Information (USA)
650·842·6602
800·333·2137
Fax on Demand (USA)
1·888·USE·DIGI (873·3444)
International Offices
Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information.
World Wide Web
www.digidesign.com
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ftp.digidesign.com
Copyright
This User’s Guide is copyrighted ©2001 by Digidesign, a
division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with
all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual may not
be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.
DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology,
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
All features and specifications subject to change without
notice.
PN 932708437-00 REV A 01/01
Contents
Part I Introduction
Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools
The Pro Tools Guides
Compatibility Information
Digidesign Registration
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Chapter 2. Pro Tools System Configurations
TDM-equipped systems
TDM System Playback, Recording and Voice Limits
Audio Interfaces for TDM Systems
Pro Tools LE Systems
Pro Tools LE System Capabilities
Chapter 3. Pro Tools Concepts
Hard Disk Recording
The Digidesign Audio Engine
Pro Tools Sessions and Concepts
System Resources
MIDI Concepts
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Chapter 4. Pro Tools Windows
The Mix Window
The Edit Window
The Transport Window
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Chapter 5. Keyboard Shortcuts
Global Key Commands
Keyboard Focus
Numeric Keypad Modes
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Part II Sessions & Tracks
Chapter 6. Sessions
Starting Up Your System
Configuring Your System
Changing the Pro Tools Playback Engine
Changing DAE Playback Buffer Size
Creating a New Session
Opening a Session
Saving a Session
Creating Custom Session Templates
Closing a Session
Quitting Pro Tools
Sharing Sessions between Pro Tools TDM Systems and Pro Tools LE Systems
Chapter 7. I/O Setup
Understanding Paths and I/O Setup
The I/O Setup Dialog
Creating and Editing Paths
I/O Settings Files
Default Output, Metering, Audition, and Path Order
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Chapter 8. Tracks
Track Types
Creating Tracks
Hiding Tracks
Assigning Inputs and Outputs to Audio Tracks
Assigning Voices and Track Priority
Setting MIDI Channels
Soloing and Muting Tracks
Making Tracks Inactive
Adjusting Track Width
Color Coding Tracks
Grouping Tracks
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Chapter 9. Importing and Exporting Audio and MIDI
Importing Audio
Importing Tracks from Other Sessions
Loading Audio Files with Drag & Drop
Exporting Audio
Transferring Audio from CD
Conversion Quality
Exporting Session Text
Importing MIDI Files
Exporting MIDI Files
Chapter 10. File Management and Compatibility
Locating Audio Files
WAV File Compatibility
Avid File Compatibility
Creating Mac and PC Compatible Sessions
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Part III Recording
Chapter 11. Record Setup
Input Connections and Audio Levels
Record Enabling Tracks
Monitoring Modes
Monitoring Latency
Low Latency Monitoring
Track Names
Disk Allocation
Allocating Hard Drive Space for Recording
Record Modes
Recording with the Click
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Chapter 12. Basic Audio Recording
Recording a Mono Audio Track
Recording a Stereo Audio Track
Recording Multiple Audio Tracks
Record Pause Mode
Recording Additional Takes
Punch Recording Audio
Loop Recording Audio
Auditioning Record Takes
Setting Punch/Loop Points
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Chapter 13. MIDI Recording
Recording from MIDI Devices
Enabling Input Devices
MIDI Thru
MIDI Input Filter
Input Quantize
Wait for Note
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MIDI Merge/Replace
Recording a Single MIDI Track
Recording Multiple MIDI Tracks
Punch Recording MIDI
Loop Recording MIDI
Recording System Exclusive Data
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Chapter 14. Advanced Recording
Using QuickPunch
Recording from a Digital Source
Half-Speed Recording and Playback
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Part IV Editing
Chapter 15. Editing Basics
Pro Tools Editing
Track Material
Displaying Region Names and Times
Audio Regions and Waveforms
MIDI Regions and MIDI Data
Playlists
Multiple Undo
The Audio and MIDI Regions Lists
Edit Modes
Zooming
The Universe Window
Rulers
Time Scale
Tick-Based Timing
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Chapter 16. Playing and Selecting Track Material
Playing Tracks
Scrolling Options
The Scrubber
Separate Edit and Timeline Selections
Selecting Track Material
Playing Selections
Timeline Selections
Playing Edit and Timeline Selections with the Playhead
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Chapter 17. Working with Regions and Selections
Creating New Regions
Healing a Separation
Placing Regions in Tracks
The Trimmer Tool
Sliding Regions
Nudging
Shift Command
Quantizing Regions
Locking Regions
Muting/Unmuting Regions
Edit Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Duplicate Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Repeat Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Merge Paste Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Editing Stereo and Multi-Channel Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Processing Audio with AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Waveform Repair with the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Chapter 18. Advanced Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Replacing Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Repeat Paste To Fill Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Compress/Expand Edit To Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
The Time Trimmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Pro Tools Reference Guide
viii
Chapter 19. Fades and Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Using Crossfades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Creating a Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Creating Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Using AutoFades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Creating Fades and Crossfades in Batches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Chapter 20. Managing Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Stripping Silence from Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Inserting Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Consolidate Selection Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Managing Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Compacting an Audio File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Chapter 21. Conductor Tracks and Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Tempo Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Default Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Identify Beat Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Meter Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Renumbering Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Memory Locations and Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Memory Locations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Chapter 22. Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Beat Detective Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
About Beat Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
The Beat Detective Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Defining the Selection for Beat Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Detecting Transients with Beat Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Generating Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Separating and Conforming Regions with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Beat Detective and Collection Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Contents ix
Part V MIDI Editing
Chapter 23. MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Inserting MIDI Notes with the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Manually Editing MIDI Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Continuous Controller Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Program Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
System Exclusive Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Note and Controller Chasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Offsetting MIDI Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Stuck Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Chapter 24. MIDI Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
MIDI Operations Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Select Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Change Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Change Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Transpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Chapter 25. MIDI Event List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
The MIDI Event List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Inserting Events in the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Editing in the MIDI Event List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
MIDI Event List Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Part VI Mixing
Chapter 26. Basic Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Audio Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Viewing I/O, Sends, and Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Track Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Track Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Pro Tools Reference Guidex
Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Output Windows for Tracks and Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Submixing for Signal Routing and Effects Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Mixing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Using a Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Dither . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Chapter 27. Plug-Ins and Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
The Plug-In Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Hardware I/O Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Connecting and Integrating External Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Chapter 28. Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Automation Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Automation Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Automation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Automation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Viewing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Writing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Enabling and Suspending Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Deleting Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Thinning Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Drawing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Editing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Writing Automation to the Start, End or All of a Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Trimming Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Creating Snapshot Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Chapter 29. Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Recording to Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Bounce to Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Bounce Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Recording a Submix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Final Mixdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Mastering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Contents xi
Part VII Surround
Chapter 30. Surround Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Mixing Formats and Surround Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Pro Tools Mixing Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Speaker Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Surround Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Formats and Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Surround Mixing Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Chapter 31. Pro Tools Setup for Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Pro Tools Audio Connections for 5.1 Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Configuring Pro Tools for Multi-Channel Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Default Path Order, Metering, Output, and Audition Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Chapter 32. Multi-Channel Tracks and Signal Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Multi-Channel QuickStart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Multi-Channel Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Multi-Channel Signal Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Paths in Surround Mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Example Paths and Signal Routing for a Surround Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Chapter 33. Surround Panning and Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
Introduction to Pro Tools Surround Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
Output Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Standard Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Surround Panner Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Panning Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
LFE Faders in Multi-Channel Panners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Divergence and Center Percentage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
SurroundScope Metering Plug-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
Pro Tools Reference Guidexii
Part VIII Synchronization
Chapter 34. Synchronization Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Your Sync Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Aspects of Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Syncing Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
SMPTE Frame Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Working with Film-Originated Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Chapter 35. Time Code Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Pro Tools Sync Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
The Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Preparing to Work with SMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Configuring Pro Tools for SMPTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Putting Pro Tools Online. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Generating Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Syncing a Sequencer to Pro Tools on the Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Syncing a Sequencer to Pro Tools in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Using MIDI Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Remote Track Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Syncing Pro Tools to an OMS-Compatible Sequencer using MMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
MIDI Beat Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Spotting Regions to SMPTE Frame Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Time Stamping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Identifying a Sync Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Troubleshooting Sync. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Chapter 36. Working with QuickTime Movies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
About QuickTime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Movie Playback Quality Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Importing a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Setting the Movie Start Time: Movie Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Spotting Audio to a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499
Importing QuickTime Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
Bouncing to a new Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502
Contents xiii
Part IX Pro Tools Menus
Chapter 37. File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Chapter 38. Edit Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Chapter 39. AudioSuite Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
Chapter 40. MIDI Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Chapter 41. Movie Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Chapter 42. Operations Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Chapter 43. Setups Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Chapter 44. Display Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Chapter 45. Windows Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Appendix A. DSP-Induced Delays in Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Appendix B. TDM Mixing and DSP Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Appendix C. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Pro Tools Reference Guidexiv
Part I: Introduction
1
2
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools
Welcome to Pro Tools®. Pro Tools integrates
powerful multitrack digital audio and MIDI sequencing features, giving you everything you
need to record, arrange, edit, mix, and master
professional-quality music.
The Pro Tools Guides
Your Pro Tools System includes the following
guides:
Pro Tools Installation Guides Instructions for installing Pro Tools software and hardware, and
connecting your studio.
Pro Tools Reference Guide Instructions for creating sessions, recording, editing, and mixing
with Pro Tools.
DigiRack™ Plug-Ins Guide Instructions for using
the DigiRack Plug-Ins for both real-time and filebased audio processing in Pro Tools.
Pro Tools MIDI Control Surfaces Guide Instructions for operating Pro Tools with various MIDI
control surfaces.
Keyboard Shortcut Cards (TDM Systems only)
Conventions Used in These Guides
The Pro Tools guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands:
:
Convention Action
File > Save Session Choose Save Session
from the File menu
Control+N Hold down the Control
key and press the N key
Option-click Hold down the Option key
and click the mouse button
Right-click (Windows) Click with the right
mouse button
The following symbols are used to highlight important information:
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your Pro Tools system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your Pro Tools session data or
the performance of your Pro Tools system.
Separate cards for Macintosh and Windows that
list the many keyboard shortcuts not shown in
the Pro Tools menus.
Online PDF versions of the Keyboard Shortcut
cards are included for Pro Tools LE systems.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in
the Pro Tools Guides.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 3
Choose and Select
The words “choose” and “select” are often interchangeable in conversational english. In this
guide, however, there is a distinction between
the two terms.
Select When the guide instructs you to select
something, it stays selected. This is the case with
dialog box options and menu items that enable
or disable an option.
Choose When the guide instructs you to choose
something, a one-time action is performed. This
is the case with most menu commands; they
perform their chosen action only once.
Compatibility Information
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved. For a list of Digidesignqualified computers, operating systems, and
third-party devices, refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign Web site:
www.digidesign.com/compato/
Digidesign Registration
Make sure to complete and return the registration card included with Pro Tools. Registered users are entitled to one year of free technical support, and will receive periodic software updates
and upgrade notices.
Pro Tools Reference Guide4
Chapter 2: Pro Tools System
Configurations
TDM-equipped systems
Pro Tools TDM-equipped systems are available
in the following configurations:
Pro Tools 24 MIX
A core system includes:
• MIX Core card
• Pro Tools software
• Digidesign audio interface
(sold separately)
Pro Tools 24 MIXplus
A core system includes:
• MIX Core card
• MIX Farm card
• Pro Tools software
• Digidesign audio interface
(sold separately)
Pro Tools 24
A core system includes:
• d24 Audio card
• DSP Farm card
• Pro Tools software
• Digidesign audio interface
(sold separately)
Supported Audio Interfaces
You can use the following audio interfaces with
Pro Tools TDM systems:
◆ The 888/24 I/O and 882/20 I/O (as well as
888 I/O and 882 I/O) Audio Interfaces work
with Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus and
Pro Tools 24 systems.
◆ The 1622 I/O Audio Interface works with
Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus and Pro Tools 24
systems.
◆ The ADAT Bridge I/O Interface works with
Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus and Pro Tools 24.
Pro Tools system performance depends on
factors such as computer processor speed,
amount of system memory, and hard drive
performance. Contact your Digidesign
dealer or visit Digidesign’s Web site for the
latest system requirements and compatibility information.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools System Configurations 5
TDM System Playback, Recording and Voice Limits
The following table lists the audio playback, recording, and voice limits of each type of Pro Tools
TDM system. The term virtual voice refers to the maximum number of audio tracks that can share the
available voices on your system. TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems can open sessions with up to 128
audio tracks, but any audio tracks beyond that system’s virtual voice limit will be automatically set to
Voice Off.
All TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems provide a total of 64 internal mix busses. TDM systems also provide 5 inserts and 5 sends per track, up to the DSP capacity of your system.
Table 1. Pro Tools TDM system audio playback, recording and virtual voice limits
Core System Type
Pro Tools 24 MIX/MIXplus 32 or 64 32 or 64 86
Pro Tools 24 32 32 43
Voices (Mono Tracks of
Simultaneous Playback)
Mono Tracks of
Simultaneous
Recording
Virtual Voices
Audio Interfaces for TDM Systems
The following table lists the input and output capabilities of the various audio interfaces for TDMequipped Pro Tools systems. In expanded TDM systems, audio interfaces can be combined for up to
72 audio inputs and outputs.
Table 2. Pro Tools audio interface channel capabilities
Interface Type
888/24 I/O 8 in/8 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
882/20 I/O 8 in/8 out 20-bit 20-bit 24-bit
888 I/O 8 in/8 out 18-bit 18-bit 24-bit
882 I/O 8 in/8 out 18-bit 18-bit 24-bit
Number of I/O
Channels
A/D
Conversion
D/A
Conversion
Digital I/O
1622 I/O 16 in/2 out 20-bit 24-bit 24-bit
ADAT Bridge I/O 16 in/16 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Pro Tools Reference Guide6
Pro Tools LE Systems
Digi ToolBox XP
Pro Tools LE-based systems are available in the
following configurations.
Digi 001
A Digi 001 system includes:
• Digi 001 PCI card
• Digi 001 I/O box
• Pro Tools LE software
An Digi ToolBox system includes:
• Audiomedia III card
• Pro Tools LE software
The total processing capacity of a
Pro Tools LE-based system depends on the
processing power of your computer. Contact
your Digidesign dealer or visit Digidesign’s
Web site for the latest system requirements
and compatibility information.
Pro Tools LE System Capabilities
The following table lists the playback, recording, and input and output capabilities of each Pro Tools
LE-based system. All Pro Tools LE systems are limited to 24 mono audio tracks. If you open a
Pro Tools session containing more than 24 mono audio tracks on an LE-based system, only the audio
tracks assigned to the first 24 voices will open; if you save the session using Pro Tools LE, any audio
tracks beyond the first 24 will be lost.
All Pro Tools LE systems provide a total of 16 internal mix busses. Pro Tools LE also provides up to 5
inserts and 5 sends per track, depending on your computer’s processing capacity.
Table 3. Pro Tools LE System Audio Playback, Recording, and Channel Capabilities
Mono Tracks of
System Type
Digi 001 24 up to 18 in/18 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Audiomedia III 24 up to 4 in/4 out 18-bit 18-bit 24-bit
For details on transferring session material between Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools TDM systems, see
“Sharing Sessions between Pro Tools TDM Systems and Pro Tools LE Systems” on page 57.
Simultaneous
Playback
Number of
Recording/Playback
Channels
A/D
Conversion
Chapter 2: Pro Tools System Configurations 7
D/A
Conversion
Digital
I/O
Pro Tools Reference Guide8
Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts
This chapter is an overview of essential digital
audio, MIDI, and digital signal processing concepts, and an introduction to many of these
same concepts in Pro Tools.
Hard Disk Recording
Tape-based recording is a linear medium—you
need to rewind or fast forward a tape to hear a
particular spot in a recording. To rearrange or repeat material in a linear system, you need to rerecord it.
Hard disk recording is a non-linear (or random
access) medium—you can go immediately to
any spot in a recording without having to rewind or fast forward.
Non-linear systems have several advantages.
You can easily rearrange or repeat parts of a recording by making the hard disk read parts of
the recording in a different order. In addition,
this re-arrangement is non-destructive, meaning
that the original recorded material is not altered.
The Digidesign Audio Engine
When you start Pro Tools, an application called
DAE automatically launches in the background.
DAE, or the Digidesign Audio Engine, is Digidesign’s real-time operating system for digital recording systems. When you install Pro Tools,
DAE is automatically installed on your system.
In the same way that a computer’s operating
system provides the foundation for programs
that run on the computer, DAE provides much
of the hard disk recording, digital signal processing, mix automation, and MIDI functionality required by Pro Tools and other products from
Digidesign and its Development Partners.
Pro Tools also takes advantage of your computer’s host processor, sharing certain tasks and
processing. Performance is determined by your
system and its Playback Engine settings.
See also “System Resources” on page 13.
Pro Tools is a non-linear recording system that
let you rearrange and mix recorded material
non-destructively.
Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 9
Playback Engine
All Pro Tools systems let you choose the Playback Engine for a session at any time.
Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools TDM system
make changes to a session and save those
changes in a new session file. This lets you create multiple versions of a project or back up
your editing and mixing work.
Audio File
When you record audio into a Pro Tools session,
audio files are created.
The Playback Engine dialog lets you reconfigure
Pro Tools to use different Digidesign hardware,
and to re-allocate certain system resources. For
more information, see “Configuring Your System” on page 45.
Pro Tools Sessions and
Concepts
When you start a project in Pro Tools, you create a session. Some basic elements of sessions are
explained in this section.
Session File
Pro Tools session file icon
A session file is the document that Pro Tools cre-
ates when you start a new project. The session
file contains maps of all elements associated
with a project, including audio files, MIDI data,
and all your edit and mix information. You can
Audio file icon
Audio files for each session are stored in a folder
named “Audio Files.” Audio files are listed in the
Audio Regions List and can appear in a track. A
section of an audio file can be defined as a region (see “Regions and Loops” on page 11).
Audio and MIDI Tracks
Pro Tools Tracks are where audio, MIDI, and automation data are recorded and edited.
Audio tracks in the Edit window
MIDI track in the Edit window
Audio and MIDI tracks can be edited into regions to create loops, re-arrange sections or entire songs, or to assemble tracks using material
from multiple takes.
Pro Tools Reference Guide10
Audio tracks can be mono, stereo, or any supported multi-channel format (depending on
your type of Pro Tools system).
Regions and Loops
Audio region
A region is a piece of audio or MIDI data that may
have associated automation data. A region
could be a loop, a guitar riff, a verse of a song, a
sound effect, a piece of dialog, or an entire
sound file. In Pro Tools, regions are created from
audio or MIDI files, and can be arranged in audio and MIDI track playlists.
Playlist
A playlist can be made up of a single region or
many separate regions. It can be made up of
similar elements, such as regions from several
different takes of a solo, or dissimilar elements,
such as several sound effects.
Channel
The term channel is used to describe several related components of a Pro Tools system. The
first example of channel refers to a physical input or output of your Pro Tools system.
Computer 1
78563412785634125/6
ANALOG OUTPUT ANALOG INPUT AES/EBU OUTPUT AES/EBU INPUT
7/8
Rear view of 888/24 I/O Interface
For example, an 888/24 I/O Audio Interface provides eight channels of analog input and output
to a TDM-equipped system. A Digi 001 system
provides up to 18 channels of input and output
to a Pro Tools LE system.
Computer 2
1/2
5/6
1/2
3/4
7/8
3/4
8 CH Mode
2 x 4 CH Mode
S/PDIFINS/PDIF
SLAVE CLOCKINSLAVE CLOCK
OUT
OUT
Playlist selector pop-up menu
A playlist is a group of regions arranged on an
audio or MIDI track. You can maintain multiple
edit playlists on a single track. This lets you assemble different versions on a single audio or
MIDI track and choose among them with a popup menu on the track.
On audio tracks, a playlist tells the hard disk
which audio files to read in what order. By using
several copies of an audio region in a playlist,
you can repeat a section of a recording without
using any additional disk space.
Channel strip in the Mix window
The second use of the term channel refers to a
mixer strip in the Pro Tools Mix window. The
term channel strip refers to the mixer strip of any
track (audio or MIDI track, Auxiliary Input, or
Master Fader) in a session.
Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 11
Audio and MIDI channel strips have similar
controls, but those controls have slightly different effects. For example, audio and Auxiliary Input channel strip faders control the Pro Tools
mixer, while MIDI channel strip faders send
MIDI volume data (MIDI controller 7).
The term channel also describes a separate
aspect of MIDI operation. See “System Resources” on page 13.
Signal Routing
Pro Tools provides software-based mixing and
signal routing controls. These include the Mix
window and its familiar console-like faders and
switches, as well as inserts, sends, and plug-ins.
Signal routing options include the following:
Track I/O Controls The most basic type of signal
routing is track input and output. A track needs
to have an assigned input path to record audio,
and an assigned output path in order to be audible through a hardware output.
Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders Auxiliary Inputs are tracks that can be used as returns, submixers and bus masters. Master Faders are used
as bus and output master level controls. Both
Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders can have inserts or plug-ins.
Sends Sends route audio to internal busses to
send to other tracks in Pro Tools, or to hardware
outputs.
Signal Routing Example
A common signal routing task is to submix multiple tracks to a single channel strip for shared
processing and level control. The following example shows three tracks of drums submixed to
a stereo Auxiliary Input.
Stereo
plug-in
Input from
Outputs to
stereo Bus
path
Audio Tracks
Submixing to an Auxiliary Input
stereo
Bus path
Output to a
Stereo Output
path
Auxiliary Input
Plug-Ins and Inserts Plug-ins and hardware Inserts process the audio on their associated track.
Plug-in processing occurs completely within
Pro Tools. Hardware Inserts utilize audio interface inputs and outputs, for traditional insert
routing to (and from) external effects and other
devices.
Paths Pro Tools lets you define paths that name
and customize audio inputs, outputs, busses,
and inserts. You can customize Pro Tools paths
using the I/O Setup dialog. See Chapter 7, “I/O
Setup” for more information.
Mixing Formats Sessions can include combinations of mono, stereo, and multi-channel format tracks, busses, inputs, outputs, and inserts.
(Multi-channel formats are supported on
Pro Tools MIX and MIXplus only.)
Pro Tools Reference Guide12
System Resources
Track count, plug-in processing, signal path and
routing options, and voice availability are ultimately limited by the combined resources available from the host computer, and from your
Pro Tools hardware.
Pro Tools provides several ways to manage and
conserve resources to maximize the performance of your system. As you begin working
with Pro Tools sessions and tracks, you can take
advantage of the following features to extend
the effectiveness of your available DSP and
other resources:
◆ System usage settings let you balance the dis-
tribution of work between your computer and
any Digidesign audio hardware. See “Playback
Engine” on page 10.
◆ Active and inactive switching lets you selec-
tively toggle certain items between active (on)
and inactive (off). This lets you precisely allocate DSP and other resources when developing
playlists, tracks, and mixes. See “Active and Inactive Items” on page 13.
◆ TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems provide
flexible voice options for disk tracks. For more
information on voice management and options,
see “Virtual Tracks and Track Priority” on
page 82.
Active and Inactive Items
You can make inputs, outputs, inserts, side
chains, plug-ins, and tracks active or inactive to
manage available DSP and time slot resources.
In addition, Pro Tools will automatically make
things inactive if there are insufficient or unavailable resources.
When active, items are fully engaged and operational.
When inactive, items are:
• Silent
• “Off,” consuming no associated DSP, mixer, or
system resources (making those resources
available for other uses in the session)
• Saved, including associated media, voices, signal path assignments, insert assignments, automation data, levels, and other parameters
Items in Pro Tools that support Active and Inactive modes include the following.
◆ Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs and Master
Faders (TDM systems only)
◆ Track Inputs and Outputs
◆ Sends
◆ Side-chain inputs
◆ Plug-Ins
◆ Hardware Inserts
◆ Paths (session-wide)
MIDI tracks cannot be made inactive.
Inactive Items and Resources
Different items affect available system resources
in specific ways.
Plug-Ins When a plug-in is inactive on a track, its
DSP is made available for other plug-ins and
processing. Plug-in assignments can be made inactive manually, or automatically (see “Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode” on page 14).
Paths and Path Assignments When a path or
path assignment is inactive, its mixer resources
are made available for other signal routing purposes in the session. Paths and assignments can
be made inactive manually, or automatically
(see “Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode” on
page 14).
Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 13
Tracks (TDM systems only) When an
audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader is
made inactive, its plug-ins, inserts, sends, and
I/O assignments become inactive.
Display of Inactive Items
When items are inactive, their names appear in
italics, and their background becomes dark grey.
When a track is inactive (TDM systems only),
the entire channel strip darkens.
Active Inactive plug-in
Inactive track
Automatically Inactive Items
When opening a session, it is possible that not
all signal paths, plug-ins, or audio interfaces
used in the session will be available as defined
on the current system. Whenever this occurs,
the session will open as it was last saved. All
items that are unavailable, or cannot be loaded
due to insufficient resources, are made inactive.
Manual Inactive Switching
You can manually apply Active or Inactive
modes to manage system resources. By making
an item inactive, its associated resources are
made available elsewhere in the session.
The following are basic instructions for manually making items inactive. Throughout the
Pro Tools Reference Guide, instructions are provided whenever an item can be made inactive.
To toggle an item active or inactive:
■ Command-Control-click (Macintosh) or Con-
trol-Start-click (Windows) the item.
Active and inactive items and tracks
Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode
Active and Inactive modes are powerful options
for session transfer, and system resource management. Pro Tools provides automatic and
manual Inactive mode switching. You can manually make items inactive (or active) to selectively manage system resources while editing
and mixing.
Pro Tools Reference Guide14
You can apply to all or all selected tracks using
standard Pro Tools modifiers (Option and Option+Shift on the Macintosh, Alt and Alt+Shift
in Windows). Side Chain inputs support direct
active and inactive switching, but do not follow
switching to all or all selected.
MIDI Concepts
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a
communication protocol for musical instruments. This industry standard enables connections between a variety of devices from different
manufacturers. Examples of MIDI-compatible
equipment include synthesizers, sound modules, drum machines, patch bays, effects processors, MIDI interfaces, and sequencers.
MIDI devices are equipped with 5-pin DIN connectors, labeled as either IN, OUT, or THRU.
The MIDI OUT port transmits messages; the
MIDI IN port receives messages; and, MIDI
THRU echoes whatever is received from the IN
port. MIDI devices are connected with MIDI cables that are available at most music stores.
echoed from IN
MIDI Terms
The following are some basic MIDI terms:
MIDI Interface Hardware that lets computers
connect to and communicate with MIDI devices.
MIDI Device Any keyboard, sound module, effects device or other equipment that can send or
receive MIDI information.
MIDI Controller Any MIDI device that transmits
MIDI performance data. These include keyboards, MIDI guitar controllers, MIDI wind instruments, and others. Controllers transmit
MIDI from their MIDI OUT ports.
MIDI Control Surface Any device, such as the
Mackie HUI, that uses a MIDI connection to
send control messages to a software program,
but is not generally used to record MIDI information.
MIDI Sound Source Any MIDI instrument that
plays back in your arrangements. Sound sources
receive MIDI from their MIDI IN ports.
MIDI signal flow
Not all devices will have all three MIDI
ports (IN, OUT and THRU).
A single MIDI cable can transmit a separate set
of messages for each of 16 channels. These 16
channels correspond to separate MIDI devices or
to multiple channels within a single device (if
the device is multi-timbral). Each channel represents a discreet instrument sound; for instance,
bass on channel 1, piano on channel 2 and
drums on channel 10. Similar to a multitrack
tape recorder, a MIDI sequencer can record complex arrangements—even using a single multitimbral keyboard.
Multi-timbral The capability of playing several
different instrument sounds (such as piano,
bass, and drums) simultaneously on separate
channels. This makes it possible for a single
MIDI sound source to play back entire arrangements.
MIDI Channel Up to 16 channels of MIDI performance data can be transmitted on a single MIDI
cable. The channel number separates the different messages so your sound sources can receive
the right ones.
Program Change Event A MIDI command that
tells a sound source which sound patch to use.
The MIDI protocol lets you choose from a range
of 128 patches.
Chapter 3: Pro Tools Concepts 15
Bank Select Message A MIDI command that
specifies the bank of patches from which to
choose. Many devices have more than 128
patches and Bank Select messages provide a
means of accessing them.
However, to actually hear that second device
(sound source) you’ll need to connect its audio
outputs to a sound system. Your MIDI instruments have two signal paths, one for audio and
another for MIDI.
Local Control A controller setting found on most
MIDI keyboards that let them play their own
sound source. Disabling “local control” ensures
that a device’s internal sound source is only
played by external MIDI messages.
When using Pro Tools, “local control” should
usually be disabled. When “local control” is off,
your keyboard still transmits data to its MIDI
OUT port.
Continuous Controller Events MIDI instructions
that allow real-time changes to notes that are
currently sounding. These include pitch bend,
modulation, volume, pan, and many others.
System Exclusive Data MIDI data commonly
used for sending and retrieving patch parameter
information for storage purposes.
Common Misconceptions about MIDI
MIDI is not audio. The messages that travel
down a MIDI cable are only numbers that translate to specific instructions. For instance, when
you strike a key on your MIDI keyboard it sends
a message to its MIDI OUT port telling another
device (if connected and set to the same MIDI
channel) to play that particular note.
MIDI does not allow you to use your devices beyond their capabilities. Particular instruments
have their own sound generation, polyphony,
and multi-timbral limitations.
Signal paths for MIDI instruments
Pro Tools Reference Guide16
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows
Pro Tools provides two complementary ways of
viewing a project: the Mix window and the Edit
window. Pro Tools also allows you to control
many functions from the Transport window.
The main elements of these windows are explained in the following sections.
The Mix Window
In the Mix window, tracks appear as mixer modules, with controls for inserts, sends, input and
output assignments, volume, panning, recordenable, automation mode, and solo/mute. The
following section explains each of these track
controls.
To display the Pro Tools input/output controls,
inserts, sends, and comments, select Display >
Mix Window Shows > All.
To toggle between the Mix and Edit windows, press Command+equal (Macintosh)
or Control+equal (Windows) on the alpha
keyboard.
Show/Hide Tracks List
Show/Hide Tracks List
This scrolling window lists all tracks in the current session. It allows you to show or hide a
track by selecting or deselecting its name in the
list. Inactive tracks appear in italics in the
Show/Hide Tracks List.
You can also use this list to reorder tracks by
dragging a track name to a new position within
the list. This track ordering effects voice priority
for TDM systems. See Chapter 8, “Tracks” for details.
The pop-up menu at the top of this list provides
commands that allow you to show or hide all
tracks, or only tracks currently selected on
screen.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 17
About Groups and Show/Hide Tracks
Even if a track is hidden, if it is a member of an
enabled group, all Mix window operations performed on other members of the group will also
affect the hidden track—with the exception of audio or MIDI record-enabling. If you solo, mute,
or automation write-enable a grouped track, any
group members that are hidden will be soloed,
muted, or automation write-enabled as well.
These functions are not applied to hidden
tracks.
You can also use this list to select grouped tracks
on-screen by clicking to the left of the dotted
vertical line next to a group name. The pop-up
menu at the top of this list provides commands
to create, delete or suspend groups. You can link
groups in the Mix Groups and Edit Groups lists.
For more information on grouping, see “Grouping Tracks” on page 85.
Audio Track/Channel Strip
In the Edit window, however, editing operations
performed on members of an enabled group will
not affect hidden tracks that are also members of
the enabled group.
On TDM systems, even if a track is hidden from
view, its position relative to other tracks still affects its virtual track playback priority (see “Virtual Tracks and Track Priority” on page 82 for
details).
Mix Groups List
Mix Groups List
The Mix Groups list shows all groups in the session. It allows you to activate a group by selecting its name in the list. A group is only enabled
(meaning that its members are linked for mixing purposes), when its name is highlighted in
this list.
Inserts
Sends
Input/Output
Automation Mode
Record Enable/Solo/Mute/Voice
Pan Slider
Opens Output window
Group ID
Volume Fader
Level Meter
Track Type
Selector
Track Name
Track Comment
Audio channel strip
Each audio track has its own set of controls for
volume, pan, panner window, record-enable,
automation mode, solo, mute, comments, and
(on TDM systems) voice assignment.
Pro Tools Reference Guide18
Send with
Send Controls
Real-Time Plug-In
Show/Hide
Tracks List
Automation
Mode Selector
Output window
button
Group ID
Indicator
Mix Groups
List
AutoMatch
Indicator
Track Name
Track
Comments
View
Stereo
Audio Track
Mono
Audio Track
Auxiliary
Input
Inserts
View
Sends
View
I/O View
Rec Enable,
Solo, Mute
buttons
Channel Pan
Channel
Volume
Level Meter
MIDI
Track
Master
Fader
Figure 1. Pro Tools Mix window
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 19
MIDI Track/Channel Strip
MIDI Channel
Automation Mode
Record Enable/Solo/Mute/Patch
MIDI Pan
MIDI Volume
MIDI Velocity Meter
Track Name
MIDI channel strip
Each MIDI track has its own set of controls for
volume, pan, record enable, automation mode,
solo, mute, MIDI patch assignment, and MIDI
channel assignment. MIDI tracks can be added
to a session with the New Track command.
Mix Window Track Controls
Record Enable button
Automation Mode Selector
Voice Selector
Mute button
Solo button
Mix window, controls for audio and MIDI tracks
Record Enable Button
The Record Enable button puts audio and MIDI
tracks into record-ready mode. Once a track is
record-enabled, click the Record and Play buttons in the Transport window to start recording.
When the Operation Preference for Latch
Record Enable Buttons is selected, you can
record enable more than one track at the same
time by clicking the Record Enable button on
each track. If the Latch Record Enable Buttons
preference is deselected, Shift-click to record enable multiple tracks.
Record Safe Mode
Pro Tools provides a Record Safe mode that allows you to disable recording capability on any
track in a session. This prevents you from inadvertently record enabling a track. To toggle
Record Safe mode, Command-click (Macintosh)
or Control-Click (Windows) the track’s Record
Enable button.
Solo Button
The Solo button mutes all other tracks so a track
can be auditioned alone. More than one track
can be soloed at the same time.
Pro Tools Reference Guide20
When the Operation Preference for Latch Solo
Buttons is selected, you can solo more than one
track at the same time by clicking the Solo button for each track. If the Latch Solo Buttons
preference is deselected, you can Shift-click to
solo multiple tracks.
Solo Safe Mode
Pro Tools also allows you to solo safe a track.
This prevents the track from being muted even
if you solo other tracks. This feature is useful for
tracks such as Auxiliary Inputs that are being
used as effects returns (for example, a reverb
send), allowing the effects track to remain in a
mix even when other tracks are soloed. It is also
useful to solo safe MIDI tracks so that their playback is not affected when you solo audio tracks.
To toggle Solo Safe mode, Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-Click (Windows) the
Solo button on the track. Do this again to turn
off Solo Safe on a track.
Mute Button
The Mute button silences a track. More than one
track can be muted at the same time. On TDM
systems, if the Mute Frees Assigned Voice option
is selected, muting a track will free up any voices
allocate its voice to the next highest priority virtual track allocated to that voice in your session.
Automation Mode Selector
The Automation Mode selector allows you to
choose a track’s automation mode. Once a track
is automation write-enabled, starting playback
will start writing automation (depending on the
mode you have chosen). Any automation
moves that you make on the track can then be
played back exactly as you performed them.
Voice Selector
(TDM Systems Only)
Audio track Voice Selector
On TDM systems, the Voice Selector is used to
set the voice assignment for audio tracks. Tracks
can be assigned to a specific voice number, or
they can be assigned to Auto. When tracks are
auto-voiced, Pro Tools automatically assigns
tracks to the next available voice that is not in
use. Auto-voiced tracks are especially useful
when working with stereo and multi-channel
tracks, where Pro Tools can conveniently handle the voice allocations for these multi-voice
tracks.
To ensure that a track will be heard, assign it to
a specific voice (or voices). For stereo and multichannel surround tracks, voices appear in pairs
and multi-channel groups. Tracks with assigned
voices take priority over auto-voiced tracks.
When more than one track is assigned to the
same voice (voices in use by another track appear bold in the Voice Selector), track priority is
determined by the track’s position in the Mix or
Edit window, with the track farthest to the left
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 21
in the Mix window, or closest to the top in the
Edit window, being given priority. This track
priority scheme also applies to tracks that are
auto-voiced.
For more information on voices and track priority, see “Assigning Voices and Track Priority” on
page 80.
Input/Output View
Output Selector
(Audio Tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master
Faders)
Input Selector
Output Selector
Level/Peak/Delay Indicator
Pan Indicator
Inputs/Outputs view in channel strip
The I/O View shows Input and Output Selectors
on audio and MIDI tracks. Both types of tracks
show volume and pan values in this view. To
show the I/O View, select Display > Mix Window Shows (or Edit Window Shows) > I/O View.
Input Selector
(Audio and Auxiliary Input Tracks)
‘
Audio track Input Selector
The Input Selector allows you to route any audio
input or any of the Pro Tools internal busses to
an audio track or an Auxiliary Input track. The
choices available in this pop-up menu are determined by the I/O Setup configuration. Inputs in
use by another track appear as bold in the Input
Selector.
Audio track Output Selector
The Output Selector allows you to route a track
to any configured audio output or internal bus.
The choices available in this pop-up menu are
determined by the I/O Setup configuration.
Outputs in use by another track appear as bold
in the Input Selector.
MIDI Input Selector
(MIDI Tracks)
MIDI Input Selector
This selector allows you to choose which MIDI
device and channel a MIDI track is receiving input from. This allows you to set up Pro Tools to
record multiple MIDI tracks in the same record
pass. Channels in use by another track input appear as bold in the MIDI Input Selector.
Pro Tools Reference Guide22
MIDI Device/Channel Selector
(MIDI Tracks)
MIDI Device/Channel Selector
Level/Peak/Channel Delay Indicator
The Level Indicator on an audio track has three
modes: Level Indicator, Peak Indicator, and
Channel Delay Indicator. Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-Click (Windows) this
button to toggle between these modes.
Level Indicator Shows the current volume/input
level of a track as set by the track level fader.
Peak Indicator Functions as a headroom indicator based on the last peak playback level. To reset the peak counter, click anywhere in the
meter. Values range from +6 dB (highest level
signal), to ∞ (no signal).
The MIDI Device/Channel Selector allows you
to route the MIDI track to a device and channel.
Channels in use by another track output appear
as bold in the MIDI Device/Channel Selector.
Default Program
(MIDI Tracks)
Default Program button in channel strip
The Default Program button opens the Program
Change window, where you can specify a default program for the track. The track’s default
program is transmitted each time the track
plays.
Channel Delay Indicator Shows the delay, in
samples, incurred by any TDM plug-ins on that
channel.
Pan Indicator
The Pan Indicator displays the current pan setting of a track. Pan values range from <100 (full
left) to 100> (full right). Pan controls are only
available for stereo tracks or mono tacks routed
to a stereo output.
Pan Slider
The Pan slider controls the balance of a track between the assigned output pair. It only appears
if you are using stereo tracks or mono tacks
routed to a stereo output.
The Pan slider on a MIDI track is only effective if
you are controlling a sound module that supports MIDI panning.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 23
Output Window
Track Level Meter
The Output window contains visual controls for
track panning and volume. This window appears differently for mono, stereo, and multichannel tracks. For multi-channel mixing, there
is also an X/Y panner Output window available.
For more information on using multi-channel
Output windows, see Chapter 33, “Surround
Panning and Mixing.”
Pan controls
Level Faders
Mono Stereo
Output windows (mono and stereo tracks)
Track Level Fader
On audio tracks, level meters indicate the level
of the signal being recorded or played back from
the hard drive. Green indicates nominal levels;
Yellow indicates pre-clipping (–6 dB below full
scale); and Red indicates clipping. When a track
is record-enabled, these meters indicate record
levels.
You can globally set level meters to indicate preor post-fader levels by selecting or de-selecting
Operations > Pre-Fader Metering. When prefader metering is selected, the level meters show
levels independent of fader position. With postfader metering, the level meters respond to fader
position.
If clipping occurs, the topmost LED will stay lit
(red). In addition, Pro Tools meters provide a
peak hold feature with three options:
To choose a peak hold setting, choose Setups >
Preferences, click Display, and select one of the
Peak Hold options: 3 Second Peak Hold, Infinite
Peak Hold, or No Peak Hold.
You can clear a meter’s clipping or peak hold indicator by clicking anywhere on the meter. To
clear all meters, Option-click (Macintosh) or Altclick (Windows) any meter.
On MIDI tracks, the level meter shows the MIDI
velocity of the most recent MIDI event.
The track level fader controls the volume of a
track when it is in playback, and the monitor
level of the track when it is in record. You can
link the record and monitor levels by enabling
the Operation Preference for “Link Record and
Play Faders.”
The level fader on a MIDI track is only effective
if you are controlling a sound module that supports MIDI volume.
Pro Tools Reference Guide24
Track Name
When new tracks are created with the New
Track command, they are given a default name
which can be changed at any time by doubleclicking the track name or choosing File > Rename Selected Tracks.
Insert Controls
Click Insert Selector to assign an insert
Click Insert button open the
Plug-In or Insert window
Inserts view in channel strip
Pro Tools provides up to five pre-fader inserts
per audio track or Auxiliary Input. The inserts
can be either hardware inserts or software plugins. To assign an insert, click the Insert Selector
in the inserts section of a track.
Send Controls
Click Send Selector to assign a send
Click Send button to open the
Sends window
Sends View in channel strip
Pro Tools provides up to 5 mono or stereo sends
per audio track or Auxiliary Input, for sending
signals to external signal processors or any of
the Pro Tools internal busses. Sends can be either pre- or post-fader. To assign a send to a
track, click the Sends Selector in the sends section of the track.
When you display the controls for an individual
send, you also have the option of displaying
Send Level Meters.
Send Level
Send Level Meter
Sends View showing individual send controls
Send Pan
Pre/Post button
Send Mute
Track Comments View
The Comments View shows any comments entered in the Track Name/Comments dialog. You
can also type directly in the Comments area for
each track when it is displayed. To display the
Comments View, select Display > Mix Window
Shows (or Edit Window Shows) > Comments.
The Edit Window
The Edit window provides a timeline display of
audio and MIDI data and mixer automation for
editing and arranging tracks. As in the Mix window, each track has controls for record enable,
solo, mute and automation mode.
To display the input and output controls, inserts, sends, and comments, select Display > Edit
Window Shows > All.
Send level, pan and mute controls can be adjusted from the Send window, or directly from
the sends section of a track by showing individual send controls.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 25
Tab to Transients,
ommands Focus,
Link Selections
Rulers
Show/Hide
Tracks List
Audio Track
MIDI Track
Edit Groups
List
Edit Mode
Buttons
Zoom Buttons
Editing Tools
Event Edit Area
Grid and
Nudge Values
Location Indicators
Audio
Regions
List
Audio
Waveform
View
Volume
Automation
View
MIDI Velocity View
Figure 2. Pro Tools Edit window
Pro Tools Reference Guide26
Selected Region
MIDI Notes View
MIDI Regions List
Edit Window Track Controls
Record Enable button
Track Name
Playlist Selector
Playlist Selector
Automation Mode Selector
Mute button
Voice Selector
Track Height Selector
Track View Selector
Solo button
Edit window track controls (medium track height)
Record Enable Button
See “Record Enable Button” on page 20.
Solo Button
See “Solo Button” on page 20.
Mute Button
See “Mute Button” on page 21.
Automation Mode Selector
See “Automation Mode Selector” on page 21.
Voice Selector
(TDM Systems Only)
See “Voice Selector” on page 21.
Playlist Selector
Tracks have edit playlists and automation playlists. You can create any number of edit playlists
for a track, and assign them by clicking the Playlist Selector in the track and choosing from the
pop-up menu. Each track has a single set of automation playlists, according to the type of
track and any send or plug-in assignments. You
choose the automation playlist to display with
the Track View Selector.
Track Height Selector
Track Height Selector
Tracks can be viewed in the Edit window at any
of six heights: Mini, Small, Medium, Large, Jumbo,
and Extreme. The appearance of track controls
varies with track height. You can adjust track
height by clicking either the Track Height Selector or in the area just to the right of the track
controls.
Track Name
See “Track Name” on page 24.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 27
Track View Selector
Track View Selector
The Track View for each track determines which
data is displayed and edited in the track’s playlist area.
The Track View for audio tracks can be set to
Blocks, Waveform, Volume, Pan, Mute, Send Level,
Send Mute, Send Pan, or any plug-in parameters
that have been automated. Except when editing
automation data, audio tracks are usually set to
Waveform view.
Auxiliary input tracks can be set to Volume, Pan,
Mute, or any plug-in parameter that has been automated. Master Fader tracks can be set to Vol-
ume, or any plug-in parameter that has been automated.
MIDI tracks can be set to Blocks, Regions, Notes,
Volume, Pan, Mute, Velocity, Pitch Bend, After
Touch, Program, Sysex, and any continuous con-
troller type. Except when editing controller
data, program changes, or sysex events, MIDI
tracks are usually set to Notes or Regions.
Edit Modes, Tab to Transients, Commands Focus, and Linked Selections
Edit Mode
Link SelectionsTab to Transients
Commands Focus
Edit mode buttons in Edit window
Shuffle Sets the Edit mode to Shuffle, which restricts the placement of regions so that they
snap to each other and are placed end to end.
You can press F1 to set the Edit mode to
Shuffle, and on the Macintosh, you can
press Option+1 on the alpha keyboard.
Spot Sets the Edit mode to Spot, which causes
the Spot dialog to open when moving or trimming regions and notes. The Spot dialog lets you
enter a precise start, end, or length (in any time
format) for the event.
You can press F2 to set the Edit mode to
Spot, and on the Macintosh, you can press
Option+2 on the alpha keyboard.
Slip Sets the Edit mode to Slip, which allows regions and notes to be moved and trimmed
freely. Regions can placed so that there is space
between them, or so that they overlap.
You can press F3 to set the Edit mode to
Slip, and on the Macintosh, you can press
Option+3 on the alpha keyboard.
Grid Sets the Edit mode to Grid, which constrains edits and selections to the current Grid
value.
You can press F4 to set the Edit mode to
Grid, and on the Macintosh, you can press
Option+4 on the alpha keyboard.
Pro Tools Reference Guide28
Tab to Transients Enables navigation to transients in audio waveforms, placing the cursor
just before the detected transient peak when
pressing the Tab key.
Commands Focus (TDM Systems only) Enables
the Commands Focus, which provides a wide
range of single-key shortcuts from the alpha
keyboard for editing and playing.
You can press Command+Option+1 (Macintosh) or Control+Alt+1 to enable the
Commands Focus.
Link Selections Links the Edit and Timeline selections, allowing you to set play and record
ranges by selecting in a track’s playlist. When
unlinked, you can make Edit selections without
disturbing the Timeline selection.
You can press Shift+slash to link and unlink the Edit and Timeline selections.
Zoom Buttons
Vertical Zoom
In/Out (MIDI)
Vertical Zoom
In/Out (Audio)
Horizontal
Zoom Out
Horizontal
Zoom In
Vertical Zoom In/Out (Audio) Zooms in and out
vertically for audio tracks. Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) either of the Vertical Zoom buttons to return to the previous
zoom level.
While pressing Command+Option (Macintosh) or Control+Alt (Windows), you can
use the bracket keys to zoom in and out vertically for all audio tracks.
Vertical Zoom In/Out (MIDI) Zooms in and out
vertically for MIDI tracks. Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) either of the Vertical Zoom buttons to return to the previous
zoom level.
While pressing Command+Shift (Macintosh) or Control+Shift (Windows), you can
use the bracket keys to zoom in and out vertically for all MIDI tracks.
Zoom Presets Recalls horizontal zoom values
for audio and MIDI tracks. Command-click
(Macintosh) or Control-click (Windows) a Zoom
Preset button to store the current horizontal
zoom values.
While pressing Control (Macintosh) or the
Start key (Windows), you can recall a Zoom
Preset by typing its number on the alpha
keyboard.
Zoom Preset Buttons
Zoom buttons in Edit window
Horizontal Zoom In/Out Zooms in and out horizontally for all tracks. Option-click (Macintosh)
or Alt-click (Windows) either of the Horizontal
Zoom buttons to return to the previous zoom
level.
While pressing Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows), you can use the bracket
keys to zoom in and out horizontally.
On TDM systems, with the Commands Focus enabled, you can recall a Zoom Preset
by typing its number on the alpha keyboard.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 29
Edit Tools
Trimmer
Selector
For TDM systems, choose Trimmer tools from
the Trimmer pop-up:
Grabber
Scrubber
Zoomer
Edit tools in Edit window
Smart Tool
Pencil
Zoomer Click or drag with the Zoomer tool to
zoom in horizontally for a track or Ruler. Press
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows)
while dragging to zoom horizontally and vertically.
To go back to the previous zoom level, Optionclick (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) with
the Zoomer.
To zoom a selection so it fills the Edit window,
Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) the Zoomer tool. To zoom out so that all
regions are visible in the Edit window, doubleclick the Zoomer tool.
To select the Zoomer tool, press F5, or press
Command+1 (Macintosh) or Control+1
(Windows) on the alpha keypad.
Standard Trimmer To resize regions or MIDI
notes, drag or click near their start/end points
with the Trimmer tool. To reverse the direction
of the Trim cursor, which determines whether
the start or end point is edited, press Option
(Macintosh) or Alt (Windows).
The Trimmer can also be used to scale the values
for note velocities, controller events, and automation breakpoints.
Trimmer pop-up menu
• Scrub Trimmer, scrubs audio material to find
the trim point before performing the trim.
• TCE Trimmer, expands or compresses audio
material to fit within a time range.
To select and toggle through the three Trimmer tools, press F6, or press Command+2
(Macintosh) or Control+2 (Windows) on
the alpha keypad.
Selector Drag with the Selector in a track’s playlist for an Edit selection, or in a Timebase Ruler
for a Timeline selection.
To adjust the length of a selection, Shift-click or
Shift-drag with the Selector. To extend an Edit
selection to other tracks, Shift-click with the Selector in the desired tracks.
To temporarily switch the Selector to the Scrubber, press Control (Macintosh) or the Start key
(Windows).
To select the Selector tool, press F7, or press
Command+3 (Macintosh) or Control+3
(Windows) on the alpha keypad.
Time Grabber Use the Grabber to select or move
entire regions, MIDI events, and Conductor
events. The Grabber can also be used to edit and
insert automation breakpoints.
Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Windows) with the Grabber to delete tempo and
meter events, Markers, and automation breakpoints.
Pro Tools Reference Guide30
Choose these Grabber tools from the Grabber
pop-up:
Grabber pop-up menu
• Separation Grabber, separates selections into
new regions.
• Object Grabber (TDM systems only), allows
selection of discontiguous regions, which can
even be on different tracks.
To select and toggle through the three Grabber tools, press F8, or press Command+4
(Macintosh) or Control+4 (Windows) on
the alpha keypad.
Scrubber Drag with the Scrubber to scrub up to
two audio tracks—right for forward, left for reverse. The resolution for the Scrubber is determined by the zoom level, and the distance and
speed dragged determine the speed and length
for the scrubbed audio.
For finer resolutions without zooming, press
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows)
while scrubbing.
To select the Scrubber tool, press F9, or
press Command+5 (Macintosh) or Control+5 (Windows) on the alpha keypad.
Pencil Use the Pencil tool to insert MIDI notes,
edit velocities for a range of MIDI notes, draw
automation and controller events, and repair
audio waveforms (when zoomed down to the
sample level).
Choose from the Pencil pop-up any of the five
shapes, which can be used to affect a range of
note velocities, controller events, or automation
breakpoints.
Pencil pop-up menu
To select and toggle through the five Pencil
shapes, press F10, or press Command+6
(Macintosh) or Control+6 (Windows) on
the alpha keypad.
Smart Tool The Smart Tool lets you use the Selector, Grabber, and Trimmer, as well as create
fades, without switching tools. Depending on
where the cursor is placed in relation to a region
or note, the Smart Tool automatically switches
to the appropriate tool. For details, see “Using
the Smart Tool” on page 32.
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Scrubber, press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
key (Windows).
To select the Smart Tool, press F6+F7, or
press Command+7 (Macintosh) or Control+7 (Windows) on the alpha keypad.
Press Option (Macintosh) or Alt (Windows) and
the Pencil changes to an Eraser, which can be
used to delete notes, program changes, and
sysex events.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 31
Using the Smart Tool
With the Smart Tool you can instantly access
the Selector, Grabber, and Trimmer, and you can
also perform fades and crossfades. The position
of the cursor in relation to a region or note, or
within an automation playlist, determines how
the Smart Tool functions.
Smart Tool in Edit window
To select the Smart Tool, click its icon in the upper left of the Edit window, or press F6+F7 (or
F7+F8).
◆ For a fade-in or fade-out, position the cursor
near an audio region’s start or end point, near
the top. Once the Fade cursor appears, drag into
the region to set the fade length. The fade is created automatically with the Default Fade Settings (in the Editing Preferences).
◆ For a crossfade, position the cursor between
two adjacent audio regions, near the bottom.
Once the Crossfade cursor appears drag left or
right to set the crossfade length. The crossfade is
created automatically with the Default Fade Settings (in the Editing Preferences).
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Scrubber, press Control (Macintosh) or the
Start key (Windows).
The Smart Tool in Waveform View
Selector
Grabber
Trim
Start
Fade-In
Smart Tool in Waveform view
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working with audio tracks in
Waveform or Blocks view, or MIDI tracks in Regions view:
◆ For the Selector, position the cursor over the
middle of the region, in the upper half.
◆ For the Grabber, position the cursor over the
middle of a region, in the lower half.
◆ For the Trimmer, position the cursor near the
region’s start or end point.
Fade-Out
Crossfade
Trim
End
The Smart Tool in Notes View
Selector
Trim
End
Trim
Start
Smart tool in Notes view
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working with MIDI tracks in
Notes view:
◆ For the Selector, position the cursor so it
doesn’t cover any notes.
To get the Selector while positioning the cursor
over notes, press Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows).
◆ For the Grabber, position the cursor over the
note, near its middle.
Grabber
Pro Tools Reference Guide32
To get the Marquee so you can select a group of
notes, position the cursor so it doesn’t cover any
notes and press Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows).
◆ For the Trimmer, position the cursor near the
note’s start or end point.
The Smart Tool with Stereo and MultiChannel Tracks
When using the Smart Tool on stereo and multichannel tracks, individual channels cannot be
independently edited. All edits affects all channels as a whole.
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Pencil, press Control (Macintosh) or the
Start key (Windows), for the Eraser, press
Control+Option (Macintosh) or Start+Alt
(Windows).
The Smart Tool in Automation and Controller Views
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working in automation and
controller views:
◆ For the Selector, move the cursor so it is posi-
tioned anywhere in the bottom 75% of the playlist.
◆ For the Grabber, press Command (Macintosh)
or Control (Windows) to insert breakpoints.
Continue pressing Command (Macintosh) or
Control (Windows) after you begin editing for
fine control, otherwise release for coarse control.
Press Command+Shift (Macintosh) or Control+Shift (Windows) to vertically constrain
movement.
◆ To edit existing breakpoints, move the cursor
near a breakpoint and the Grabber will appear.
Press Shift to vertically constrain movement.
◆ For the Trimmer, position the cursor in the
top 25% of the playlist to trim breakpoints. Press
Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows)
after you begin trimming for fine control.
The tool switching for the Smart Tool in stereo
and multi-channel tracks is determined by the
position within the entire track, and not within
individual channels.
Event Edit Area
Selection
Indicators
Event Edit Area showing MIDI track information
Start Displays the start point for a selected region or note, or for an Edit selection. To move
the start point, enter a new value in this field.
End Displays the end point for a selected region
or note, or for an Edit selection. To move the
end point, enter a new value in this field.
Length Displays the length for a selected region
or note, or for an Edit selection. To change the
length of the region, note, or Edit selection, enter a new value in this field. This will move the
end point later to extend the length to the new
value.
Pitch Displays the pitch (including octave number) for a selected note. To change the pitch, enter a new value in this field, or select the field
and play a note on your MIDI controller.
Note
Attributes
Pitch
Attack Velocity
Release Velocity
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 33
Attack Displays the attack velocity for a selected
note. To change the velocity, enter a new value
in this field, or select the field and play a note on
your MIDI controller.
Release Displays the release velocity for a selected note. To change the velocity, enter a new
value in this field, or select the field and play a
note on your MIDI controller.
To change the time format for the Main or Sub
Time Scale, choose from the pop-up menu to
the right of the fields.
To highlight the Main Location Indicator,
press Equal (=) on the numeric keypad.
Press period (.) to navigate the different
time fields in an indicator, press Enter to go
to the new location.
Press slash (/) on the numeric keypad to automatically select the Start field, and to
navigate from one field to the next. Press
Enter on the numeric keypad to accept a
value.
Location Indicators, Grid/Nudge Values, Current Cursor Display
Location Indicators
Edit window display showing MIDI track information
Location Indicators Displays the current play position in the Main and Sub Time Scales. To move
the Timeline insertion point to a different location, click in either field, type in the new location and press Enter.
Grid/Nudge Values
Cursor Value
Cursor Location
Grid Value Defines the Grid boundaries used in
Grid mode, and when quantizing regions. The
Grid value, selected from the pop-up menu to
the right of this field, can be based on the Main
Time Scale or any of the other time formats.
Nudge Value Displays the time value used when
nudging. The Nudge value, which can be based
on the Main Time Scale or any other time format, can be selected from the pop-up menu to
the right of this field, or by typing in any value
you want.
In addition to nudging regions and notes, you
can also nudge start and end points for regions
and notes, start and end points for selections,
and region contents. See Chapter 17, “Working
with Regions and Selections.”
Cursor Location Provides feedback on the current cursor location. This location is displayed
in the time format for the Main Time Scale.
Cursor Value Provides feedback on the current
cursor value. The type of value displayed depends on the Track View: for example, note
number for Notes view, velocity value for Velocity view, and dB value for Volume view.
Pro Tools Reference Guide34
The Edit Groups List
Edit Groups List
Audio Regions List and Pop-up Menu
mono
region
stereo
region
selected
region
The Edit Groups list shows all groups in the session. It allows you to activate or deactivate a
group by selecting or deselecting its name in the
list. A group is only enabled (meaning that its
members are linked for editing purposes), when
its name is highlighted in this list.
You can also use this list to select grouped tracks
on-screen by clicking to the left of the dotted
vertical line next to a group name. The pop-up
menu at the top of this list provides commands
to create, delete or suspend groups. You can link
groups in the Edit Groups and Mix Groups lists.
For more information on grouping, see “Grouping Tracks” on page 85.
All audio regions that are recorded, imported, or
created by editing appear in the Audio Regions
List. Regions can be dragged from the list to
tracks and arranged in any order.
Using the Audio Regions List pop-up menu (at
the top of the list) you can sort this list by a variety of attributes. You can also select, rename
and clear regions from the session, and import
and export audio from the session.
MIDI Regions List and Pop-up Menu
All MIDI regions that are recorded, imported, or
created by editing appear in the MIDI Regions
List. Regions can be dragged from the list to
tracks and arranged in any order.
Using the MIDI Regions List pop-up menu (at
the top of this list), you can sort this list by a variety of attributes. You can also rename and
clear regions from the session, as well as import
MIDI from this menu.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 35
The Transport Window
The Transport window can be set to show basic
transport controls, counters, and MIDI controls.
The counters in the Transport window mirror
the Location Indicators at the top of the Edit
window.
Stop Stops playback or recording.
You can also stop the Transport with the following shortcuts:
• Press the Spacebar.
• With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Transport, press 0.
Return to Zero
Rewind
Online
Pre-Roll
Post-Roll
Transport Master
Transport window showing basic transport controls
Fast Forward
Play
Stop
Start, End, and Length
for Timeline Selection
Go to End
Record
Online Puts Pro Tools online so that playback
and recording is triggered by an external time
code source.
Return to Zero Locates to the beginning of the
session.
You can press Return (Macintosh) or Enter
on the alpha keyboard (Windows) to locate
to the beginning of the session.
Rewind Rewinds from the current play location.
You can also click repeatedly to rewind incrementally (by an amount based on the Main
Time Scale).
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
Transport, you can rewind by pressing 1.
Play Starts playback or (if the Record button was
clicked first) recording from the Timeline insertion point.
With the Transport stopped, Control-click
(Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows) Play to
toggle Loop Playback mode. When enabled, a
loop symbol appears in the Play button.
You can also initiate playback with the following shortcuts:
• Press the Spacebar.
• With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Transport, press 0.
You can play at half-speed with the following
shortcuts:
• Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
(Windows) the Play button.
• Press Shift+Spacebar.
Fast Forward Fast forwards from the Timeline insertion point. You can also click repeatedly to
fast forward incrementally (by an amount based
on the Main Time Scale).
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
Transport, you can fast forward by pressing
2.
Go to End Locates to the end of the session.
You can press Option+Return (Macintosh)
or Control+Enter on the alpha keyboard
(Windows) to locate to the end of the session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide36
Record Arms Pro Tools for recording (the button
flashes). Clicking Play then initiates recording.
With the Transport stopped, Control-click
(Macintosh) or Right-click (Windows) Record to
cycle through the four record modes. The
Record button changes to indicate the currently
selected mode: blank for Nondestructive, “D”
for Destructive, a loop symbol for Loop Record,
and “Q” for QuickPunch.
You can also begin recording with the following
shortcuts:
• Press F12.
• Press Command+Spacebar (Macintosh) or
Control+Spacebar (Windows).
• With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Transport, press 3.
To initiate recording at half-speed, press
Command+Shift+Spacebar (Macintosh) or
Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows).
Post-Roll Specifies the amount that plays after
the end of a play or record range. Post-roll is useful in punch recording since playback continues
after the punch-out point so you can check for a
smooth transition to previously recorded material. To set the post-roll amount, enter a new
value in this field, or drag the Post-Roll flag in
the Main Timebase Ruler.
To enable post-roll, click the Post-Roll button to
the left of the post-roll field so it becomes highlighted.
Start Specifies the beginning of the play or
record range. You can set the start point by entering a location in this field, or by dragging the
corresponding Playback Marker in the Main
Timebase Ruler.
End Specifies the end of the play or record range.
You can set the end point by entering a location
in this field, or by dragging the corresponding
Playback Marker in the Main Timebase Ruler.
Pre-Roll Specifies the amount that plays before
the beginning of a play or record range. Pre-roll
is particularly useful in punch recording since it
provides you with time to “catch the beat” before reaching the punch-in point. To set the preroll amount, enter a new value in this field, or
drag the Pre-Roll flag in the Main Timebase
Ruler.
To enable pre-roll, click the Pre-Roll button to
the left of the pre-roll field so it becomes highlighted.
Length Specifies the length for the play or record
range. You can set the length by entering a location in this field, or by selecting a range in any
Timebase Ruler.
When the Edit and Timeline selections are
linked, you can drag in a track’s playlist to
set the play and record range.
Transport Master Specifies the “master” for
transport functions. Click this button and
choose from the pop-up menu to select the
Transport Master, which can be set to Pro Tools,
Machine, MMC, and Remote. See “Using MIDI
Machine Control” on page 479 for details.
Chapter 4: Pro Tools Windows 37
MIDI Controls
Wait for Note
Click
Countoff
MIDI Merge
Tempo
Countoff When selected, Pro Tools counts off a
specified number of measures (indicated in the
button) before playback or recording begins.
Double-click the Countoff button, to open the
Click/Countoff Options dialog.
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
Transport, you can press 8 to enable the
Countoff.
Meter
Conductor
Transport window showing MIDI controls
Wait for Note When selected, recording does not
begin until a MIDI even is received. This ensures
that you begin recording when you’re ready to
play, and that the first note, or other MIDI data,
is recorded precisely at the beginning of the
record range.
You can press F11 to turn on Wait for Note,
unless the Operation Preference for “Disable F11 for Wait for Note” is selected.
Click When selected, a metronome sounds during playback and recording (as specified by the
settings in the Click/Countoff Options dialog).
Double-click the Click button to open the
Click/Count Options dialog.
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
Transport, you can press 7 to enable the
Click.
MIDI Merge When selected (Merge mode), recorded MIDI data is merged with exiting track
material. When deselected (Replace mode), recorded MIDI data replaces existing track material.
You can press Option+A (Macintosh) or
Alt+A (Windows) to enable MIDI Merge, or
with the Numeric Keypad Mode set to
Transport, press 9.
Conductor When selected, Pro Tools uses the
tempo map defined in the Tempo Ruler. When
deselected, Pro Tools switches to Manual Tempo
mode and ignores the Tempo Track.
In Manual Tempo mode, you can enter a BPM
value in the tempo field, or tap in the tempo by
clicking the Tap button.
Meter Displays the session’s current meter based
on the play location. Double-click the Meter
button to open the Change Meter window.
Tempo Displays the session’s current tempo
based on the play location. In Manual Tempo
mode, you can enter a BPM value into this field.
In addition, when the tempo field is selected,
you can tap in a tempo from a MIDI controller.
Pro Tools Reference Guide38
Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts
Global Key Commands
This section shows keyboard shortcuts that apply to many functions in Pro Tools.
Channel Strip/Track Functions
• Changing Automation mode
• Enabling playlists
• Adding plug-ins
• Record enabling, soloing, and muting tracks
• Record safing and solo safing tracks
• Assigning inputs, outputs, and sends
• Toggling volume/peak/delay display
• Clearing meters
• Changing track heights
Command Macintosh Windows
Apply action to all
channel
strips/tracks
Option +
action
Alt +
action
List and Parameter Selection
• Selection of tracks in Show/Hide List
• Enabling of groups in Groups List
• Automation Enable window parameters
• Setting memory location parameters
Command Macintosh Windows
Toggle item & set all
others to same new
state
Toggle item & set all
others to opposite
state
Controls and Editing Tools
◆ Use to move plug-in controls, faders and slid-
ers, the Scrubber, and automation data
Command Macintosh Windows
Fine adjustment of
sliders, knobs &
breakpoints
Option-click
item
Commandclick item
Commandclick item
Alt-click item
Control-click
item
Controlclick item
Apply action to
selected channel
strips/tracks
Option +
Shift +
action
Alt + Shift
+ action
Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 39
Keyboard Focus
The Keyboard Focus in Pro Tools determines
how the alpha keys function. Depending on
which Keyboard Focus is enabled, you can use
the keys on your alpha keyboard to select regions in the Audio or MIDI Regions List, enable
or disable groups, or perform an edit or play
command (TDM systems only).
Commands Focus
(TDM Systems Only)
When selected, this provides a wide range of
shortcuts from the alpha keyboard for editing
and playing.
With the Commands Focus disabled, you can
still access any of its key shortcuts by pressing
Control (Macintosh) or the Start key (Windows)
along with the key.
Audio Regions List
Key focus
Commands
Key focus
Groups List
Key focus
MIDI Regions List
Key focus
Keyboard Focus buttons
To set the Keyboard Focus:
■ Click the a-z button for the focus you want to
enable.
– or –
While pressing Command+Option (Macintosh)
or Control+Alt (Windows), press
1 (Commands), 2 (Audio Regions List), 3 (MIDI
Regions List), or 4 (Groups List).
Audio Regions Focus When selected, audio regions can be located and selected in the Audio
Regions List by typing the first few letters of the
region’s name.
MIDI Regions Focus When selected, MIDI regions can be located and selected in the MIDI
Regions List by typing the first few letters of the
region’s name.
Groups List Focus When selected, Edit and Mix
Groups can be enabled or disabled by typing the
Group ID letter.
Refer to the Keyboard Shortcut Card that
came with your Pro Tools package (TDM
systems only) for a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. This card is also available
in PDF format in the Release Notes and
Documentation folder.
You can only enable one Keyboard Focus at a
time. Enabling a Keyboard Focus will disable the
one previously selected.
Pro Tools Reference Guide40
Numeric Keypad Modes
The Operation preference for Numeric Keypad
Mode determines how the numeric keypad
functions.
No matter which Numeric Keypad Mode is selected, you can always use the numeric keypad
to select and enter values in the Event Edit Area,
Location Indicators, and Transport fields.
To set the Numeric Keypad Mode:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
tion.
2 Under the option for Numeric Keypad Mode,
select on of the following modes, then click
Done.
Transport
This mode allows you to set a number of record
and play functions, and also operate the Transport from the numeric keypad.
:
Function Key
Click on/off 7
Countoff on/off 8
MIDI Merge/Replace mode 9
Loop Playback mode on/off 4
Loop Record mode on/off 5
QuickPunch mode on/off 6
Rewind 1
Fast Forward 2
Classic
This mode emulates the way Pro Tools worked
in versions earlier than 5.0. With the Numeric
Keypad Mode set to Classic, you can:
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock
mode. Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
key (Windows), followed by 0-9 for different
play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.
• Recall Memory Locations by typing the Memory Location number, followed by period.
Record 3
Play/Stop 0
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Transport, you can also:
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock
mode. Press Control (Macintosh) or the Start
key (Windows), followed by 0-9 for different
play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.
• Recall Memory Locations by typing period,
the Memory Location number, and period
again.
Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 41
Shuttle
(TDM Systems Only)
Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, different from that of Shuttle Lock Mode. With the
Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle, playback
of the current Edit selection is triggered by pressing and holding the keys on the numeric keypad—playback stops once the keys are released.
Various playback speeds are available in both
forward and reverse. In this mode, pre/post-roll
are ignored.
:
Function Key
1 X Forward 6
1 X Rewind 4
4 X Forward 9
4 X Rewind 7
1/4 X Forward 3
1/4 X Rewind 1
1/2 X Forward 5+6
1/2 X Rewind 5+4
2 X Forward 8+9
2 X Rewind 8+7
1/16 X Forward 2+3
1/16 X Rewind 2+1
Loop Selection (1 X) 0
With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle,
you can also:
• Recall Memory Locations by typing period,
the Memory Location number, and period
again.
Shuttle Lock mode is not available when the
Numeric Keypad Mode is set to Shuttle.
Pro Tools Reference Guide42
Part II: Sessions & Tracks
43
44
Chapter 6: Sessions
This chapter covers some of the basics of starting a project in Pro Tools, including how to set
up and save a Pro Tools session.
Starting Up Your System
In order for the components of your Pro Tools
system to communicate properly with each
other, you need to start them up in a specific order.
Start your Pro Tools system in this order:
1 For TDM systems with an expansion chassis,
turn on the expansion chassis.
2 Turn on external hard drives, if any. Wait ap-
proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to
speed.
3 Turn on any MIDI interfaces and devices.
4 For TDM systems, turn on Pro Tools audio in-
terfaces. Wait at least ten seconds for them to
initialize.
If you launch Pro Tools without turning on your
audio interfaces, you will be prompted to turn
them on. Allow about ten seconds for audio interfaces to power-up cycle before clicking OK.
5 Turn on your computer.
Once you have quit Pro Tools, shut down your
Pro Tools system in this order:
1 For TDM systems, turn off audio interfaces.
2 For TDM systems with an expansion chassis,
turn off the expansion chassis.
3 Turn off your computer.
4 Turn off any MIDI interfaces and devices.
5 Turn off external hard drives.
Configuring Your System
When you first use Pro Tools, or when you
change the physical input and output scheme
for your system, you must configure the Hardware Setup in Pro Tools. This ensures that your
audio hardware is appropriately configured and
available in Pro Tools.
Host and RTAS Processing
Pro Tools LE uses host (CPU) processing to provide audio track recording, playback, mixing,
and effects processing. Pro Tools TDM can also
use host processing to run RTAS plug-ins for effects processing.
Pro Tools hardware setup allows you to set a
hardware buffer and allocate a percentage of
CPU resources for these tasks.
Chapter 6: Sessions 45
RTAS on Pro Tools TDM Systems
Pro Tools TDM Hardware Setup
On TDM systems, it is recommended that you
set the hardware buffer size at 128 samples, and
the CPU usage percentage at 65%. These settings
are the system minimums, and they should allow you to get good processing power from your
RTAS plug-ins without slowing down the onscreen response of Pro Tools. These settings will
work best on a fast computer (e.g. G4 or Blue &
White G3).
On a slower TDM system like a Power Macintosh
9600 or a beige G3, you should increase these
settings. The Hardware Buffer size can be set as
high as 1024 samples, and the CPU usage percentage can be set as high as 85%. This will increase the amount of processing you can get
from RTAS plug-ins on slower systems.
In addition to slower screen redraws and
and UI responsiveness, larger Hardware
Buffer sizes can affect automation accuracy
for plug-in parameters and mute data.
RTAS on Pro Tools LE Systems
On LE systems, it is recommended that you set
the Hardware Buffer size to 128 samples, and the
CPU Usage Limit to 65%. These settings are the
system minimums, and they should allow you
to get good processing power from your RTAS
plug-ins without slowing down the on-screen
response of Pro Tools. These settings will work
best on a fast computer (such as a Power Macintosh G4 or fast Pentium III).
However, on a slower system, to get maximum
track count and processing power, you should
use a higher Hardware Buffer size and CPU Usage Limit. At the maximum settings of 1024
samples and 85%, on most qualified systems,
you should be able to get 24 audio tracks with
plug-ins at these settings.
To configure the Hardware Setup:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware.
Hardware Setup dialog (Pro Tools TDM)
2 For systems with multiple interfaces con-
nected to multiple cards, select the Digidesign
card type from the Card pop-up.
The following steps should be repeated for any
additional cards with connected interfaces.
3 From the Interface port pop-up, select the port
to which your audio interface is connected (port
A or port B).
Choose port A if only one audio interface is connected to the card. If two audio interfaces are
connected to the selected card, follow the steps
below for each port and interface.
4 From the Sample Rate pop-up, select a sample
rate.
Pro Tools Reference Guide46
5 From the Sync Mode pop-up, select the appro-
priate sync mode on the currently selected interface (Internal or Digital). In most cases you will
use Internal. Digital is used primarily for inputting digital audio from DAT or other digital
sources.
6 From the Ch 1–2 Input pop-up, select the in-
put format of Channels 1–2 of the currently selected interface.
7 From the H/W Buffer pop-up, select the audio
buffer size, in samples, for host processing tasks
such as RTAS plug-in processing. Select larger
buffer sizes for slower computers.
8 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up, select the
maximum percentage of CPU resources to allocate to host processing tasks. Select higher CPU
usage percentages for slower computers.
9 Click Other Options for additional configura-
tion options specific to the audio interface.
These include:
• Setting the input format (analog or digital) of
each pair of input channels on a 888/24 I/O
• Configuring the level sensitivity and peak
hold settings for the output level meters on
the front panel of the 888/24 I/O
• Enabling DAC Muting (mutes the 888/24 I/O
digital-to-analog convertors when its output
level falls below a certain threshold, to reduce
noise)
• Setting the input and output levels on an
882/20 I/O or a 1622 I/O
• Selecting S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam
DA30 DAT recorders
10 Configure the Other Options parameters and
click Done.
Pro Tools LE Hardware Setup
To configure the Hardware Setup:
1 Choose Setups > Hardware.
Hardware Setup dialog (Pro Tools LE)
2 From the Sample Rate pop-up, select a sample
rate.
3 From the Sync Mode pop-up, select the appro-
priate sync mode on the currently selected interface. In most cases you will use Internal. S/PDIF
(RCA) is used primarily for inputting material
from a DAT or other digital sources. Optical (on
Digi 001 systems only) is used primarily for inputting material from an ADAT or other ADATlightpipe-equipped device.
4 From the H/W Buffer pop-up, select the audio
buffer size, in samples, for host processing tasks
such as audio and MIDI track playback, mix automation, and RTAS plug-in processing. Select
larger buffer sizes for slower computers.
11 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.
Chapter 6: Sessions 47
5 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up, select the
maximum percentage of CPU resources to allocate to host processing tasks. Select higher CPU
usage percentages for slower computers.
6 Click Other Options for additional configura-
tion options specific to your system. These include:
• Setting the input gain for analog inputs 3-8
on a Digi 001
• Setting the input gain for the analog inputs
on an Audiomedia III
• Boosting the output gain for an
Audiomedia III
• Enabling the Mic/Line High-Pass Filter for a
Digi 001
• Selecting S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam
DA30 DAT recorders
7 Configure the Other Options parameters and
click Done.
8 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.
Changing the Pro Tools
Playback Engine
Pro Tools allows you to select different Playback
Engines depending on your system configuration. The Playback Engine determines which
Pro Tools card is used to for Pro Tools recording
and playback features. Supported Digidesign
cards include the Pro Tools MIX card, d24 card,
Digi 001, or Audiomedia III card.
On TDM systems, the Playback Engine is also
used to change the audio interface assignments
for each card.
To change an audio interface assignment:
1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.
Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools MIX system
2 Choose the card you want to configure from
the Card pop-up menu.
3 If available, choose the port to which your au-
dio interface is connected from the Interface
port pop-up.
Pro Tools Reference Guide48
4 Choose the audio interface connected to the
currently displayed card or port.
5 Set the Sample Rate, Sync Mode, and Channel
1–2 format for the audio interface.
6 Select the audio buffer size, in samples, for
host processing tasks.
7 Select the maximum percentage of CPU re-
sources to allocate to host processing tasks.
8 Click Other Options to configure additional
options for the audio interface.
A Pro Tools session created on one Pro Tools
system configuration can be opened and used
on a different Pro Tools system configuration.
When you change the Playback Engine while a
session is open, the session will be saved, closed
and reopened to enable your new Playback Engine choice.
Changing DAE Playback Buffer Size
The DAE Playback Buffer size determines the
amount of memory allocated within DAE to
manage disk buffers, which affects system performance.
DAE Playback Buffer Size dialog
If you change from a TDM-based Playback Engine (MIX 64 Voice, MIX 32 Voice, or d24) to a
Pro Tools LE -based Playback Engine (Digi 001
or Audiomedia III), you will lose any tracks, busses, or I/O assignments that exceed the limits of
the Pro Tools LE system. Any TDM plug-ins that
do not have RTAS equivalents will also be made
inactive.
Though DAE automatically selects the optimal
Playback Buffer for your system, you may want
to adjust this parameter to modify your system’s
performance:
◆ Allocating a larger buffer can sometimes allow
for a higher density of edits. This can be useful if
you experience system performance problems
in sessions with a large number of edits in rapid
succession.
◆ Allocating a smaller buffer can sometimes im-
prove playback/recording initiation speed. This
can be useful if you are experiencing a time lag
when you initiate playback/recording.
You should also note the following:
◆ Choosing a smaller buffer can make it difficult
for slower hard drives to play or record tracks reliably.
◆ Choosing a larger buffer can cause a time lag
to occur before playback or recording begins. It
can also cause a time lag to occur when you are
editing during playback.
Chapter 6: Sessions 49
Macintosh
To change DAE’s Playback Buffer size:
1 If you are running Pro Tools, quit Pro Tools.
2 Locate and open DAE by double-clicking it. (It
is inside the DAE folder within your System
Folder.)
3 From the DAE File menu, choose Set Playback
Buffer Size.
4 Adjust the buffer size and Click OK.
When you record a new audio track, the track is
saved as a new audio file to the Audio Files
folder. You can also import other audio files into
the session, and work with them as well.
5 Quit DAE. The next time you open Pro Tools,
it will use the playback buffer size you have selected.
Windows
In Windows, you can change the DAE Buffer
size from the Pro Tools application.
To change the DAE Buffer Size:
■ Choose Setups > DAE Buffer Size and adjust
the Buffer Size. Restart your computer for this
change to take effect.
Creating a New Session
The first step in beginning a Pro Tools project is
creating a new session. When you do this,
Pro Tools automatically creates a new folder
named for your session. Within this folder is the
session file and two other folders, an Audio Files
folder, and a Fade Files folder.
The Audio Files folder contains all audio recorded during the session. The Fade Files folder
contains any crossfaded audio data generated by
the session.
Typical session folder
For details on allocating audio tracks to different
hard drive locations, including shared media
volumes, see “Disk Allocation” on page 117.
To create a new session:
1 Choose File > New Session.
New Session dialog
2 Choose the drive where you want to save the
session. The session should be created on a dedicated audio drive.
Pro Tools Reference Guide50
3 Select “Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” (Mac-
intosh) or “Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility”
(Windows) if you want to create session and audio files that can be used in either Macintosh or
Windows versions of Pro Tools. See “Creating
Mac and PC Compatible Sessions” on page 107
for more information.
4 Select the audio file format for the session.
For optimum compatibility between Windows
and Macintosh sessions, set the file type to
WAV. SDII sessions are not supported on Windows systems, and Pro Tools prevents you from
choosing SDII as the file type if Enforce Mac/PC
Compatibility is selected.
5 Select the bit depth (16 bit or 24 bit) and the
sample rate.
Opening a Session
When you open a session, Pro Tools looks in the
session directory for associated audio and fade
files.
To open an existing session:
1 Choose File > Open Session.
6 Select the I/O Settings to use for the session.
Several pre-configured I/O Settings are included
with your system, or you can select a custom I/O
Setting that you have created. See Chapter 7,
“I/O Setup” for more information.
7 Name the Session.
8 Click Save.
Choosing a Bit Depth
When choosing a bit depth for your session,
consider the disk space and DSP mixing power
your selection will require. 24-bit sessions occupy about 50% more disk space. Fewer mixer
channels are available with 24-bit sessions on
TDM systems (see Appendix B, “TDM Mixing
and DSP Usage”). On LE systems, 24-bit sessions
require more processing power as well. It is not
possible to combine different bit depths within
a single session.
Open Session dialog
2 Locate the session you want to open and click
Open.
Opening a Session that Contains Unavaliable Items
You are prompted (see Figure 3) when opening a
session that contains unavailable I/O, DSP resources, plug-ins, or unsupported tracks. This is
common when transferring sessions to systems
with different Digidesign hardware.
Figure 3. Opening a session with unavailable items
Chapter 6: Sessions 51
The dialog contains a summary of the missing
session components. To save a text file containing a more detailed report, along with the resulting action, click OK in the dialog.
Following are some actions that may occur
when opening a session with unavailable items:
◆ Unsupported tracks for the current system are
discarded. These could be Movie tracks or multichannel surround tracks.
◆ Inserts assigned to unavailable plug-ins are
made inactive.
◆ Inputs, outputs, and sends that are assigned to
unavailable paths, are dropped.
Saving a Session
You should save regularly while working on
your session to ensure that your work is preserved on your hard drive.
Speeding up Saves by Reducing the Disk Cache Size
(Macintosh Only)
To speed up session saves and disk bounces, it is
recommended that you reduce the Cache Size
(in the Memory Control panel) for your Macintosh to 512k.
Saving the Session File
The Save Session command saves the changes
you have made to your session and writes them
over the previously saved version of the file. The
Save Session command cannot be undone.
To save a session:
■ Choose File > Save Session.
If you have made changes to a session since you
last saved it, you can discard the changes and revert to its previously saved state.
To revert to the last saved version of a session:
■ Choose File > Revert to Saved.
Save Session As Command
The Save Session As command is useful for saving a copy of the current session under a different name, or to a different hard drive location.
Because the Save Session As command closes the
current session and lets you keep working on
the renamed copy, it is particularly useful if you
are experimenting and want to save successive
stages of the session.
By working this way, you can quickly retrace
your steps should you want to go back to an earlier version of your session. By using the Save
Session As command you are saving a new version of the session file only—not duplicate versions of the audio or fade files.
To save a session under another name:
1 Choose File > Save Session As.
2 Enter a new name for your session and click
Save to save the session.
The renamed session document is saved in the
session folder along with the original session.
Any new audio files that you record in your renamed session will be placed into the same Audio Files folder that was created for your original
session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide52
Saving a Copy of the Session
You can use the Save Session Copy In command
to save a copy of the current session, along with
a its audio files, to a different file and hard drive
location. In addition, you can specify a session
file format, audio file format, bit depth, and
sample rate for the session copy.
Save Session Copy dialog
Unlike the Save Session As command, Save Session Copy In does not close the original session,
so subsequent edits are made to the original session. Session copies can be used to archive important sessions, or as a means to prepare sessions for transfer to another Pro Tools system.
Session Format
You can save the session copy in the following
formats:
• Pro Tools 5.1
• Pro Tools 5
• Pro Tools 4. 16-bit
• Pro Tools 4, 24-bit
When saving 5.1 sessions to Pro Tools 5 or earlier, multi-channel tracks and multi-mono plugins are lost. When saving a 5.1 session to an earlier session format, make sure to first separate
the tracks and plug-ins to individual mono
tracks.
Session Parameters
Audio File Type
You can save the session as a WAV or AIFF session. You can also save a session as SDII format
on the Macintosh.
NOTE: SDII sessions are not supported for
Pro Tools in Windows. For this reason, you cannot
set the session audio file type to SDII on the Macintosh if Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility is selected.
Using Mixed File Types
A session can use mixed audio file types. If your
original session has mixed file types, they are
not converted to a different file type unless you
specify that they be converted. However, when
using mixed file types, audio performance will
be reduced (due to additional file handling required for some file formats).
Bit Depth
You can save the new session at 16-bit or 24-bit
depth. If your session is in a different bit depth,
audio files are converted to the new session bit
depth, and copied to the location you specify.
Chapter 6: Sessions 53
Sample Rate
Don’t Copy Fade Files
You can save the new session at 44.1 kHz or
48 kHz sample rate. If your session is at a different sample rate, audio files are converted to the
new session sample rate, and copied to the location you specify.
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility (Macintosh)
Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility (Windows)
This setting forces Macintosh or Windows versions of Pro Tools to create sessions and audio
files that are usable on both platforms. For more
information, see “Creating Mac and PC Compatible Sessions” on page 107.
Items to Copy
Audio Files and Session Plug-In Settings Folder
When this option is selected, all audio files and
the session’s Plug-In Settings Folder are copied
to the new location. The references to these
plug-in settings in the session are redirected to
point to the copied files.
This setting is automatically selected if you are
changing bit depth or sample rate, or copying a
session on the Macintosh from SDII format to
AIFF or WAV format with Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility selected.
Force Audio Files to Native Session Type
This option ensures that all files in the new session are in the session file type you select, by
converting files of different types to the session’s
file format. Use this setting to avoid the reduced
performance of a session with mixed file types.
This setting is automatically selected if you are
changing bit depth or sample rate, or copying a
session on the Macintosh from SDII format to
AIFF or WAV format with Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility selected.
With this option selected, Fade Files are not copied to the new session Fade Files folder. When
the session is launched, the Find Files dialog will
prompt you to locate Fade Files. You can either
locate the existing fades using the find file dialog, or Skip All to let Pro Tools recreate the fades
from the session document.
Root Plug-In Settings Folder
When this option is selected, the contents of the
root-level Plug-In Settings Folder are copied into
a folder named Place in Root Settings Folder, indicating that these files will need to be moved to
the root level plug-in settings folder on the destination system before you can use them. The
references to these settings files in the session
are not redirected to point to the copied files.
Movie/Video Files (Macintosh Only)
When this option is selected, session movie files
(QuickTime video files or AVoption or
AVoption XL video files) are copied to the new
location, and session references are updated to
point to the copied movie files.
To save a session copy in a new location:
1 Choose File > Save Session Copy In.
2 Select “Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility” (Mac-
intosh) or “Enforce PC/Mac Compatibility”
(Windows) if you want to create session and audio files that can be used in either Macintosh or
Windows versions of Pro Tools. See “Creating
Mac and PC Compatible Sessions” on page 107
for more information.
3 Choose a destination and type a name for the
new session file.
4 Select the session file type for the session copy.
Pro Tools Reference Guide54
5 Select the session parameters (audio file for-
mat, bit depth, and sample rate) for the session
copy.
6 Select the Items to Copy to the new session.
7 Click Save to save the session in the new loca-
tion.
Creating Custom Session Templates
You can create custom session documents that
are pre-configured to the track setups, mixer setups, window arrangements, and zoom level
memory locations that you use most frequently.
Doing this will save you the trouble of having to
create your studio setup from scratch every time
you start a new session.
Creating Macintosh Templates
5 Locate the session file that you just saved.
6 Click once on the file to select it.
7 Choose File > Get Info. A file information win-
dow appears.
Saving a session as a Stationery pad (Macintosh)
8 Click the Stationery Pad check box to save the
file as a template, then close the information
window.
You can create a session template on the Macintosh by saving a session file as a Stationery pad
document. Once a session is saved as stationery,
it acts as a template that you can open and then
resave as a normal session.
To create a custom session template:
1 Create a session and arrange the Pro Tools as
desired. You can also define the parameters
within these windows, such as signal routings,
insert and send configurations, track views,
Ruler settings, and Preference settings.
2 Choose File > Save Session.
3 Name the session and click Save.
4 Close the session.
To use this template, double-click it or open it
with the Open Session command if you are already running Pro Tools. You can create several
custom templates for studio setups that you frequently use.
When you open a session saved as a Stationery
pad, Pro Tools gives you the option of editing
the template or starting a new session using the
template settings. If you choose New Session,
Pro Tools will create a new folder containing a
copy of your session template and Audio and
Fades folders.
Chapter 6: Sessions 55
Creating Windows Templates
In Windows, you can create a session template
by making a session file a Read Only document.
To create a custom session template in Windows:
1 Create a session and arrange the Pro Tools as
desired. You can also define the parameters
within these windows, such as signal routings,
insert and send configurations, track views,
Ruler settings, and Preference settings.
2 Choose File > Save Session.
To use this template, double-click it or open it
with the Open Session command. When you
first save the session, Pro Tools will ask you to
give the session a new name. Your original session template will remain unchanged.
To modify the session template, you will need to
reopen its Properties, deselect the Read Only option and select the Archive option, make your
modifications, then change it back to a Read
Only file.
3 Name the session and click Save.
4 Close the session.
5 Locate the session file that you just saved.
6 Right-click the file and choose Properties.
7 Under Attributes, deselect Archive and select
Read Only.
Making a session a Read Only file (Windows)
8 Click OK.
Closing a Session
Because Pro Tools allows you to work on just
one session at a time, you must close the current
session if you want to work on another. The
Close Session command closes your current
Pro Tools session but leaves the Pro Tools application open. You can save your work using the
Save Session or Save Session As command before
closing the current session.
To close a session:
■ Choose File > Close Session.
Quitting Pro Tools
Although Pro Tools will warn you before allowing you to quit without saving changes, you
should generally save your work before quitting.
To quit Pro Tools on the Macintosh:
■ Choose File > Quit.
To exit Pro Tools in Windows:
■ Choose File > Exit.
Pro Tools Reference Guide56
Sharing Sessions between
Pro Tools TDM Systems and
Pro Tools LE Systems
Pro Tools makes it easy to share sessions between Pro Tools LE and TDM-equipped systems.
There are some important differences between
the two types of systems that can affect how session material is transferred.
Differences between TDM and LE systems
Feature TDM Systems LE Systems
Number of
Tracks
Number of
mix busses
Inserts per
Track
Sends per
Track
up to 128 limited to 24
64 busses 16 busses
up to 5 inserts up to 5 inserts
up to 5 sends up to 5 sends
When opening a TDM session in Pro Tools LE,
the following rules apply:
◆ Any tracks beyond the first 24, as well any in-
active tracks, are discarded.
◆ Multi-channel surround tracks are discarded.
◆ Any assignments to busses beyond 16 are
made inactive.
◆ Input and output paths not available are dis-
carded.
◆ TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents are re-
tained; those without equivalents are made inactive.
Chapter 6: Sessions 57
Pro Tools Reference Guide58
Chapter 7: I/O Setup
The I/O Setup dialog provides tools to label, format, and map Pro Tools input, output, insert,
and buss signal paths.
Understanding Paths and
I/O Setup
What is I/O Setup?
During sessions, audio is routed using the track
input, output, insert, plug-in, and send selectors. The selectors let you assign tracks to hardware outputs and inputs, internal busses, and
other Pro Tools signal paths. The signal path
choices available in Pro Tools sessions are based
on the current I/O Setup.
The I/O Setup dialog lets you name and define
input, output, insert, buss, and SampleCell path
so that Pro Tools best suits the needs of your
projects. For example, renaming Input 1 to Kick
In. (SampleCell paths are available on TDMequipped systems only.)
A path is a logical grouping of multiple inputs,
outputs or busses that has a single name and
(channel) format. In Pro Tools, paths are similar
to stems, known to the film and video industries
(see “Stems and Stem Mixes” on page 61 for
more information).
Each Pro Tools system can have a different
I/O Setup configuration, determined by:
• Whether it is a Pro Tools LE system, or a TDMequipped Pro Tools system
• The number and types of audio interfaces
(TDM systems only)
• The Mixer plug-in currently installed (Surround, 24-bit, or 16-bit)
Each Pro Tools session retains its path configurations as I/O Settings. The I/O Settings saved
with the session are loaded into Pro Tools automatically when the session is opened. Unavailable items, including hardware, paths, or required resources) remain in the session as
inactive items (see “Active and Inactive Paths”
on page 68).
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 59
When you create new sessions you can specify a
default I/O Setup configuration, including presets s for stereo or multi-channel mixing formats
(multi-channel mixing requires a Pro Tools 24
MIX system)
The I/O Setup dialog lets you customize signal
path, as well as save and load I/O Settings files.
Paths in Sessions
Paths comprise the lists of available choices in
track I/O selectors and other menus.
Paths and I/O Setup
The signal routing choices available in track selectors are defined in the I/O Setup dialog.
Track Input and Output selectors, Digi 001
Track Input and Output selectors, TDM
I/O Setup dialog, Output paths, on a Digi 001 system
I/O Setup dialog, Output paths, on a TDM system with
two interfaces
Pro Tools Reference Guide60
Main Paths and Sub-Paths
Paths in the I/O Setup dialog include main and
sub-paths.
Main Paths
Main paths are logical groupings of inputs, inserts, busses or outputs. For example, Main Out
is often the name of a master stereo output.
Sometimes appended with “L/R” for left/right,
this is an example of a signal path named by its
content (the main stereo mix).
Sub-Paths
Multi-channel settings files are available for
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems. These settings provide specialized path definitions for surround
mixing. See “Configuring Pro Tools for MultiChannel Sessions” on page 426.
Defaults
Default names for input, output, and insert
paths are based on your audio interfaces.
Pro Tools LE Default path names are based on
hardware and operating mode. Digi 001 provides several I/O modes for selecting from its variety of analog and digital input and outputs.
A sub-path represents a signal path within a
Main Path. For example, a default stereo output
path consists of two mono sub-paths, left and
right. Mono tracks and sends can be routed to
either mono sub-path.
Stereo main path
mono sub-path
mono sub-path
Main and sub-paths in the I/O Setup Channel Grid
Preset I/O Settings
Default path definitions are installed automatically by Pro Tools, so you can begin recording
and mixing without requiring any configuration of the I/O Setup dialog. Default I/O Settings
files configure the I/O Setup dialog with a combination of mono and stereo path definitions of
all types, depending on your system and hardware configuration. As mixing and signal routing needs require, you can customize the
I/O Setup configuration in numerous ways (see
“The I/O Setup Dialog” on page 62).
Pro Tools TDM Systems Default path names are
based on audio interface names and channels.
Stems and Stem Mixes
The use of stems and stem mixes originated in
the post-production industry as ways to organize and manage elements of a mix by type or
content.
For example, a film mix often requires a stem
mix for Foley, a stem mix for sound effects, a
stem mix for dialog, another for music, and so
on. The dialog stem (for just one example) contains all the dialog elements, mixed relative to
each other. Dialog can then be mixed with the
other stems during the final mix of the scene or
reel. The final mix is simplified (somewhat) by
the ability to control the level of each each stem,
rather than the multitude of individual tracks
that comprise a typical film mix.
In Pro Tools, you can work with main and subpaths as you would stem mixes. These can be assigned as needed, including the ability to assign
multiple outputs to tracks and sends. See “Multiple Output Assignments” on page 337 for
more information.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 61
The I/O Setup Dialog
The I/O Setup dialog defines Pro Tools input, output, insert, and buss paths.
Path Type selector
Format Selector
Active/Inactive
Expand/Collapse
Main and Sub-Paths
Figure 4. I/O Setup dialog on a Digi 001 system
To open the I/O Setup dialog:
1 Make sure your audio interfaces are enabled
and configured properly in the Playback Engine
dialog.
2 Choose Setup > I/O Setup.
To open the Input, Output, Insert, Buss or
SampleCell window in I/O Setup:
■ Click the appropriate tab at the top of the I/O
Setup dialog.
Channel Grid
Path Tools
Closing the I/O Setup Dialog
You can click Cancel at any time to close the
I/O Setup dialog. However, when you click OK
Pro Tools must check several settings for routing
validity (to prevent feedback loops and other
possible dangers). If there are any overlapping
or otherwise invalid settings, you will be required to correct them before the I/O Setup dialog will close. For more information, see “Initializing I/O Setup” on page 67.
Pro Tools Reference Guide62
Controls in I/O Setup
This section provides an overview of the controls available in the I/O Setup dialog.
Path Type Tabs Selects the type of I/O to configure. Choices are Inputs, Outputs, Busses, Inserts
or SampleCell. (SampleCell paths are available
on TDM-equipped systems only.)
Path Selection Column (Shows paths that are
currently selected.
Expand/Collapse Paths Shows/hides the Subpaths associated with a Main Path.
Path Name Column Shows the user-defined
names of each defined path.
Active/Inactive Column Shows the active/inactive status of each path.
Path Format Popup Shows the selected type/format (mono, stereo, 5.1, etc.) of each defined
path.
Channel Grid Maps paths to specific I/O units
and channels.
Path Tools The New Path, New Sub-Path, Delete
Path, and Default buttons are used to customize
the I/O Setup configuration.
Show Original Setup An additional button (Show
Original Setup) is displayed in the I/O Setup dialog in certain session transfer situation. For details on this feature, see “Show Original and
Show Current Setup” on page 70.
Default Options These four popup menus select
default Metering Path, Audition Path (Regions
List previewing), Output Path (for new tracks),
and default channel order. See “Default Output,
Metering, Audition, and Path Order” on
page 72.
Creating and Editing Paths
The I/O Setup dialog lets you create and customize signal path definitions.
Paths can be:
• Renamed, for easier identification after
changing or renaming audio interfaces
• Remapped, to or from different sources or destinations
• De-activated (or re-activated) to manage unavailable or unnecessary I/O resources
• Deleted
In addition, you can import and export your
I/O Setup configurations as I/O Settings files, as
well as set numerous default path parameters
The following table lists the available path attributes for each path type.
Path Options by Type
Path Type Path Attributes
Input Names, formats, and source
channel (analog or digital audio
interface, or CPU input)
Output Names, formats, and destination
(audio interface output channel or
internal send bus)
Insert Names, formats and destination
(audio interface channels)
Buss Names and formats
SampleCell Input names
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 63
Creating a Default Main or Sub-Path
You can add default paths to your current
I/O Setup at any time.
To add default mono or stereo paths:
1 Select a main or sub-path.
2 Click Default.
Pro Tools creates all possible stereo main paths.
Mono sub-paths are also auto-created for every
stereo main path. The path names are appended
with their associated format (mono or stereo) in
parenthesis.
Default stereo output paths
To optimize mixer and DSP resources, it’s
best to create mono Sub-Paths for Outputs
and Busses, rather than create mono main
Paths.
Creating New Paths
4 Double-click in the Name field and enter a
name for the path. (The path name is what is
listed in Pro Tools track routing selectors.) Press
Tab to move to the next editable field, or press
Enter to set the new path name (pressing Return
will close the I/O Setup dialog).
5 Choose a format from the Path Format selec-
tor. (Path format controls whether the path is
mono or stereo, or multi-channel):
Path Format selector
6 Configure other Path types (Input, Output, In-
sert, Bus, or SampleCell) and configure them using the same techniques described in the
previous steps.
7 Click OK (or press Return) to close the
I/O Setup dialog. If there are any overlapping or
identically named paths, you will be instructed
to correct them before the I/O Setup dialog will
close. For more information, see “Initializing
I/O Setup” on page 67.
Multi-channel paths and mixing are explained in Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for
Surround.”
You can create new main and sub-paths with
custom names, format and mapping.
To create a new path:
1 Choose Setups > I/O Setup.
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, Buss or Sam-
pleCell tab to display the appropriate path window.
3 Click New Path, or press Command+N (Mac-
intosh) or Control+N (Windows). Or, select a
Main Path and click New Sub-Path.
Pro Tools Reference Guide64
Selecting and Editing Paths
Individual and multiple paths can be selected in
the I/O Setup dialog Path Name column. Once
selected, paths and sub-paths can be moved
higher or lower to sort their listing in track Path
selectors, renamed, remapped, or reformatted.
Paths can also be deleted. Sub-paths follow their
main paths when editing in the I/O Setup dialog.
To select a main or sub-path:
■ Click the Path Name.
To select multiple main and/or sub-paths:
■ Shift-click the desired Path Names.
To rearrange the Path Column:
■ Drag the path name to a new column.
To reset path names:
1 Select paths in the Input or Output windows
of the I/O Setup dialog.
2 Click Default.
Assuming there are matching paths available
with the new system configuration, existing
paths will be updated to include new audio interfaces (TDM systems), or I/O mode selection
(Digi 001 only).
TDM Audio Interface Names
With TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems, audio
interfaces can be custom named in the
I/O Setup dialog. The I/O Setup dialog bases default path names on the name shown above the
graphic representation of each interface.
Selecting paths in the I/O Setup dialog
Reset Paths
The Default button in the I/O Setup dialog provides two primary functions:
• Creates new, default paths up to the capacity
of your system’s available audio interfaces and
resources. See “Creating a Default Main or
Sub-Path” on page 64.
• Resets selected path names to matching or
corresponding paths in the current I/O Setup
configuration. For example, if you change
modes on Digi 001, or replace an audio interface on a Pro Tools 24 MIX system, you can
use the Default switch to update your
I/O Setup definitions with the new hardware
configuration (for path naming).
On TDM systems, audio interface names
can be customized. See “To reset path
names:” on page 65.
To rename an audio interface in the I/O Setup
dialog:
■ Double-click the text above an interface, enter
a new interface name, and press Enter.
Interface name
Interface name
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 65
Deleting Paths
Channel and I/O Status Display
Path definitions can be deleted from the current
session to reflect changes to your hardware
setup, or to clean up track selector menus by removing unwanted or unnecessary path definitions. After deleting a path, any tracks or send
assignments to it are reset to No Output.
To delete a main or sub-path:
1 In the I/O Setup dialog, select the path you
want to delete.
2 Click Delete Path.
Channel Mapping
Once a path has been created and formatted, it
can be mapped to specific audio interface, bus,
or SampleCell channels in the grid.
To map channels:
1 Select a main or sub-path.
2 In the row for the selected path, click in the
grid column under the desired audio interface
and channel. Other channels, if any, fill to the
right.
The channel grid uses different shades of gray to
highlight different I/O status:
White Indicates channels available for the path.
Medium Gray Indicates I/O that overlaps with
other path definitions (possible with Output
and Bus path arrangements, though with limitations as described below).
Dark Gray Indicates channels that are unavailable for sub-path assignment.
Light Gray Indicates extra space beyond recognized audio interfaces.
See “Valid Paths and Requirements” on
page 67 for details.
Note for Session Transfer
Pro Tools shows paths for unavailable I/O until
they are explicitly re-assigned to valid paths, or
deleted. See “Active and Inactive Paths” on
page 68 for more information.
Mapping channels
For example, when mapping a new stereo path,
clicking in the path row under output channel 1
fills both channel 1 and 2 (left to 1, right to 2).
Pro Tools Reference Guide66
Surround Mixer Example
(Pro Tools 24 MIX Systems Only)
When mapping multi-channel paths, L is
mapped first to the clicked grid box, and remaining channels fill immediately to the right
according to the default path order. Because
some multi-channel mixing formats use unique
track layouts, Pro Tools lets you set the default
format in the I/O Setup dialog (see “Default
Output, Metering, Audition, and Path Order”
on page 72).
Customized Output Paths for a 5.1 mix?
Re-Mapping Channels
You can move the individual assignments to different channels, to re-order the path’s definition
as L-R-C-Sub-LS-RS, for example.
Sub-Paths follow Main Paths
When a main Path is remapped, its sub-paths (if
any) will remap automatically to maintain consistent routing. For example, remapping a stereo
path to different hardware outputs results in
any of its sub-paths moving with it.
Initializing I/O Setup
To set the current I/O Setup configuration:
■ Click OK in the I/O Setup dialog.
All paths must be valid before the I/O Setup configuration can be applied.
Valid Paths and Requirements
While configuring the I/O Setup window, certain rules apply for path definition and channel
mapping.
Though it is possible to set up invalid mappings
in the channel grid, Pro Tools will not accept
(OK) an I/O Setup configuration unless all paths
meet the path definition and channel mapping
requirements described below.
To re-map channels in a path:
■ Drag the channel to the new location in the
grid. Other channel assignments will move
(shuffle) to accommodate dragged channels.
Channel Shuffling
Moving a signal from right to left results in a
shuffle of other signals after the new destination
channel. Moving a signal from left to right shuffles any and all signals after the new destination
channel and leave the previous channel empty.
Changing a Path’s format erases any current channel mapping.
Minimum Path Definitions
All paths must have a name, be of a specific format, and have a valid I/O mapping.
Overlapping Channels and Valid Paths
Channel mapping follows certain rules regarding overlapping paths.
◆ There can be no partial or complete overlaps
between any two main Output Paths, any two
Insert Paths, or any two main Bus Paths.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 67
◆ A newly created Output or Bus Path must ei-
ther be completely independent (mapped to
any other available I/O interface/channels) of
other paths, or it must be a sub-path completely
contained within a larger path (for example, an
LCR sub-path within a larger 5.1 path).
◆ Output and Insert Paths can overlap in I/O
Setup, but only one or the other can be used at
any given time in a session. (Inputs and SampleCell paths, however, can be routed to multiple
tracks.)
Active and Inactive Paths
Pro Tools paths can be Active (on) or Inactive
(off, or unavailable). You can manually switch
paths between Active or Inactive on a per track
or session-wide basis. In addition, Pro Tools sets
paths to Inactive automatically when I/O is unavailable.
Track Path Assignments Track input, output
and buss path assignments can be switched to
Inactive using the appropriate selector on the
desired track. Doing so leaves track playlists intact, while disconnecting that particular track
from the output or buss path. Use this to remove
a track from a signal path.
Session-Wide Paths can be globally activated or
de-activated in the I/O Setup window. Use this
to turn off a signal path on any and all tracks
currently assigned to it. Pro Tools also sets unavailable paths to inactive. Paths can be unavailable when hardware or other system resources
are unavailable, such as when opening a session
last saved on a different system.
Active and Inactive Path Assignments
To toggle a track path assignment to Active or
Inactive:
■ In the Mix (or Edit) window, Command-Con-
trol-click (Macintosh) or Control-Start-click
(Windows) the track’s Input, Output, Insert, or
Send Selector.
Inactive track path assignments are indicated
with an asterisk (*) in its track selector menu.
(Paths set to globally inactive in the I/O Setup
window are listed in italics.)
Toggling All or All Selected
The Option/Option + Shift modifiers apply the
path toggle to all or all selected tracks, respectively. However, Pro Tools will only apply the
change to identical path assignments, if any, in
the current track or tracks. In other words, toggling multiple tracks only affects tracks that
have the same path assignment as the one you
are explicitly toggling.
Toggling Multiple Paths
If a track has only one main output assignment,
you can Command-Control-click (Macintosh)
or Control-start-click (Windows) the track’s
Output Selector to toggle the main output to inactive. When there are multiple assignments,
the track selector will be displayed for you to
specify the input, output, insert, or bus path.
If a Send (A - E) has multiple output assignments
and one of those is toggled, then all of the output assignments for that Send (A - E) will be toggled.
Pro Tools Reference Guide68
Session-Wide Inactive Paths
Path can be globally configured for Active or Inactive status in the I/O Setup Dialog.
Display of Active and Inactive Status
Unhighlighted Indicates that the path is inactive.
The text associated with this Path becomes italicized.
Highlighted (non-italics) When highlighted, and
when the Path name is listed in plain text (nonitalics), indicates the path is active.
Highlighted (italics) When highlighted, but the
that Path name is italicized, it indicates that the
path is active, but not enough system resources
are available.
Inactive
Inactive paths are displayed in italics in the
track path selectors.
Active and inactive paths in a track output selector
Hardware Setup and Session Transfer
Sessions created in Pro Tools 5.1 and later store
the type and order of audio interfaces connected
and active when the session was last saved.
Active
Active and inactive path settings in I/O Setup
To globally de-activate or activate a path:
1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup.
2 Select the appropriate Path type using the tabs
at the top of the window.
3 For the desired (or, undesired) path, set the Ac-
tive/Inactive control to the appropriate choice.
Any track path assignment can also be deactivated on a per-track basis. See “Active
and Inactive Paths” on page 68
Unavailable I/O
When opening any session, Pro Tools checks to
see if the hardware configuration has changed
since the session was last saved. If the current
hardware configuration differs from that saved
in the session, paths associated with the unavailable I/O are made inactive.
Remapping
Remapping occurs when a session’s original
I/O Setup does not match that of the current
system and session paths are remapped to current hardware.
Systems of equivalent I/O capability are
remapped directly. For example, a session
tracked to a Pro Tools 24 MIX system through
two 888/24 I/0 Audio Interfaces would include
16 Input paths spread across the two 8-channel
interfaces. Later, the session is taken to a different Pro Tools system that has a single 1622 Audio Interface (a 16-channel I/O unit) for addi-
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 69
tional editing. When the session is first opened
on the 1622-equipped system, Pro Tools maps
those input paths to the most appropriate inputs of the 1622, left-to-right. (Mapping will depend on mono and stereo track format and arrangement in the Mix and Edit windows.)
When hardware is unavailable to a session being
opened, assignments can either be replaced using the remap option, or opened as Inactive.
Any tracks left assigned to an unavailable path
will not be audible. This can beneficial, however, when you want to re-assign tracks into
your system’s mix one at a time.
I/O Settings Files
I/O Settings can be managed when transferring
sessions, and when developing I/O Setup configurations over the course of multiple sessions
and projects.
Defaults, Settings Files, and Last Used Settings for New Sessions
When creating new sessions, you can select the
session’s I/O Setup configuration from among
numerous options:
See “Active and Inactive Paths” on page 68
for more information.
Show Original and Show Current Setup
When a session is opened that contains path
definitions for unavailable I/O modules, the
I/O Setup dialog lists those paths in italics.
The Show Original Setup button displays the audio interfaces used in the original session. This
temporary display lets you check the original
I/O configuration for reference while configuring the session for your system.
Once a session has been opened with unavailable I/O retained, you can then re-assign tracks
to available I/O paths.
To redefine the paths, see “Creating and
Editing Paths” on page 63.
Default I/O Setups The Pro Tools Installer provides factory presets for stereo and surround I/O
Setups (surround mixing is only supported on
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems). See “Factory I/O Settings Files” on page 71 for more information.
Custom Presets You can store and recall custom
presets using the export and import features of
the I/O Setup dialog.
Last Used The most recent (or, last used)
I/O Setup configuration is saved as a Last Used
settings file. See “Last Used” on page 71 for
more information.
Default I/O Settings at First Launch
The first time you create a session, you can
choose default Stereo Mix or Surround Mix settings, depending on your system and installation choices. See “Factory I/O Settings Files” on
page 71.
Pro Tools Reference Guide70
Importing and Exporting I/O Settings Files
You can export and import I/O Setup configurations as I/O Settings files. This lets you save settings for different projects, import settings for
quick reconfiguration, and manage Path definitions and signal routing setups.
To export and save an I/O Setup configuration:
1 Click the Export Settings button.
Do Not Delete Existing Paths Pro Tools adds ses-
sion paths to the current system’s I/O Setup If
you cancel the remap option, the original I/O
assignments remain in the session. Unavailable
I/O results in paths opening as Inactive. In the
session, you can then re-assign tracks to available paths as needed, based on their original
(and inactive) I/O Setup and hardware configuration. See “Active and Inactive Paths” on
page 68 for more information on utilizing inactive paths.
2 Name and save the settings file.
To start sessions with a blank or empty
I/O Setup dialog, you must create and export a user setting file in which all definitions have been deleted.
Importing I/O Settings
I/O Settings can be imported into the current
session. When doing so, you can choose to delete your system’s existing (last used) path definitions and replace them with settings being imported. Or, you can retain both your current and
imported settings. Imported paths are added to
the current configuration.
To import an I/O Settings file:
1 Click Import Settings in the I/O Setup dialog.
2 Select the desired settings file in the dialog.
3 You will be asked whether you want to delete,
or retain, existing paths:
Delete Existing Paths Pro Tools remaps the original session path definitions to your current
hardware setup of audio interfaces, left to right.
The session will no longer have any references
to or record of the original I/O assignments.
When old path definitions are deleted, associated assignment and automation data is also deleted.
Last Used
If any changes are made to the I/O Setup dialog
during a session, these changes are saved to the
Last Used settings file when the I/O Setup dialog
is closed.
Changes to I/O Setup are only saved in the current session, when the session is saved. User Presets files will not contain recent changes unless
you explicitly export an updated settings file.
The Last Used settings are available as a choice
(or default) when creating or opening sessions,
in addition to the factory presets described below.
Factory I/O Settings Files
Pro Tools provides I/O Settings files for Stereo
and Surround mixing. These files provide generic Main and Sub-Path definitions for either
mixing format.
Stereo Mix Settings File
The Stereo Mix preset consists of all possible stereo and mono paths for your session.
Using the “Stereo Mix” preset has the same
effect as hitting the Default Button for every
individual tab in I/O Settings. See “Creating
and Editing Paths” on page 63 for details.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 71
Specifically, the Stereo Mix preset will create the
maximum number paths of each type, as determined by the available system’s I/O Setup and
hardware configuration.
Surround Mix Settings File
The Surround Mix provides additional, surround-specific Output and Bus presets: See “Surround Mix Settings Files” on page 427 for more
information.
3 Command-Option-click (Macintosh) or Con-
trol-Start-click (Windows) the Output Selector
of the left-most track and assign it to the subpath for Output #1. All visible tracks will be
auto-assigned to unique mono sub-path outputs
in ascending order.
Default Output, Metering, Audition, and Path Order
About Direct Out Mode
Direct Outputs mode, as found in previous versions of Pro Tools, has been replaced by the default mono sub-paths available through all valid
I/O in the I/O Setup dialog.
The Default switch creates main Output paths
with appropriate mono sub-paths. These subpaths provide discrete monophonic routing.
When a session is opened that was saved in Direct Outputs mode, Pro Tools maps all the output assignments to equivalent mono sub-paths
(as available). See “Hardware Setup and Session
Transfer” on page 69 for more information on
remapping.
To convert a session so that it emulates Direct
Outs mode, use the Auto Assign Ascending Outputs feature:
To Auto Assign track outputs for Direct Out:
1 Make sure that all tracks are visible if desired
(because the hidden tracks will not be affected).
2 Select all desired tracks (Shift-click each track
name).
Pro Tools systems running the Surround mixer
have additional I/O Setup features. These include default signal routing for metering and auditioning, and default track layout for multichannel mix formats.
Default Output Path
You can specify the default Output path assignment for new tracks, in each available format.
To specify a default Output:
■ Select a format and Output path from the De-
fault Output selector.
Selecting default Output paths
Audition Path
The Audition Path is the output path through
which file and regions are previewed in the Regions List.
To audition regions in the Regions List:
■ Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the region in the list.
Pro Tools Reference Guide72
Using Default Audition Path
When you audition a file or region in the Regions List, Pro Tools routes the audition
through the Audition path. Pro Tools assigns a
default Audition Path to the first main Output
Path of the given format available. As an alternative, you can pre-configure Region List previewing using the Audition Path selector in the
I/O Setup dialog.
Configuring Audition Paths
You can specify the monitoring outputs for Regions List auditioning on a per-format basis using the Audition Paths menu.
Audition Path Main Menu The main menu consists of all Path format choices available on the
current system (Mono and Stereo on all systems,
LCR and greater on surround-capable systems).
Audition Path Submenus Each Path format
choice has a submenu listing Output Paths of
that given format. (The mono submenu lists
Output Paths of any format.)
To configure Audition Paths:
■ Select the desired path from the Audition
Paths menu or submenus.
Auditioning Discrete Signals in Multi-Channel
Items
In the Audio Regions List, multichannel regions
are auditioned through the current Audition
Path. Signals can be auditioned “in-place,” or
through all outputs as described below.
Audition In-Place
When auditioning a mono component of a
multi-channel region, that mono component
will by default be auditioned in place. That is, it
will play out the corresponding speaker channel
of its parent multi-channel region.
To audition in-place:
1 In the Regions List, make sure the stereo or
multi-channel region is in expanded view
(showing.L,.R and other component channels).
2 Option-click (Macintosh) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the region for the desired channel.
Audition to All Outputs
Mono regions can be routed equally to all outputs of the parent region’s Audition Path.
To audition through all channels of the main
audition path:
■ Shift-Option-click (Macintosh) or Shift-Alt-
click (Windows) on the signal in the Regions
List.
Selecting default Audition Paths
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 73
Default Path Order
The Default Path Order selector lets you select
the default track layout you want Pro Tools to
follow when creating and mapping 5.1-format
main or sub-paths in the I/O Setup dialog.
This setting does not affect existing Path definitions or metering—it only specifies channel
mapping in new 5.1-format paths.
To choose a Default Path Order:
■ Select the channel mapping from the Default
Path Order menu.
Default Path Order selector
For more information about multi-channel mixing, see Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround.”
Metering
(ProControl Users Only)
The Meter Path selector determines the path displayed across the ProControl Output meters. See
the ProControl Addendum for Pro Tools 5.1 for
more details.
Pro Tools Reference Guide74
Chapter 8: Tracks
This chapter covers basic track management
tasks such as creating and deleting tracks, assigning voices and output channels, and grouping tracks.
Track Types
In a Pro Tools session, you can have several different types of tracks. These can include audio
tracks, Auxiliary Input tracks, MIDI tracks, and
Master Fader tracks. On a Macintosh system, a
session can have a QuickTime, AVoption, or
AVoption XL Movie track.
QuickTime Movie track features are described in Chapter 36, “Working with
QuickTime Movies.”
Audio Tracks, Auxiliary Input Tracks, and Master Fader Tracks
Pro Tools provides mono, stereo, and multichannel format audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs,
and Master Faders.
Audio Track
Audio tracks contain arrangements of recorded
(or imported) audio files.Audio tracks can be
mono, stereo, or multi-channel surround
(Pro Tools 24 MIX systems only).
Auxiliary Input Track
Auxiliary Input tracks can be used as effects
sends, destinations for alternate mix, as a
bounce destination, and for many other audio
routing tasks.
Master Fader Track
Master Fader tracks control the overall level of
the audio tracks that are routed to the session’s
main outputs.
MIDI Tracks
MIDI tracks store MIDI note, instrument, and
controller data. There is no option for selecting
the track format when you create a MIDI track,
because audio does not pass through it.
Chapter 8: Tracks 75
Track Formats
Mono
A mono audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Master
Fader track controls volume, and, in some cases,
panning, for a single channel of audio. A mono
track uses a single voice.
With slight variations, audio track channel
strips in the Mix window look like the following
mono audio track. Stereo audio tracks have two
level meters and two pan controls, and multichannel tracks (3–8 channels) have one level
meter for each audio channel.
Stereo
A stereo audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Master
Fader track is a single channel strip that plays
two channels of audio as a stereo pair. Stereo
tracks use two voices.
Multi-Channel Surround (Pro Tools 24 MIX
Systems Only)
A multi-channel track is a single channel strip
that plays multiple channels of audio (from 3–8
channels at a time). This allows Pro Tools to
support multi-channel mixing formats including 3+1, 5.1, 6.1, and others.
For more information on surround mixing with
Pro Tools, see the following chapters:
• Chapter 31, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround”
• Chapter 32, “Multi-Channel Tracks and
Signal Routing”
• Chapter 33, “Surround Panning and Mixing”
Inserts
Sends
Input/Output
Automation Mode
Record Enable/Solo/Mute/Voice
Pan Slider
Open Output window
Group ID
Volume Fader
Level Meter
Track Type
Indicator
Track Name
Track Comment
Audio track channel strip
Pro Tools Reference Guide76
Creating Tracks
On all systems, you can create mono and stereo
tracks with the New Tracks command. In addition, on Pro Tools MIX or MIXplus systems, you
can create multi-channel tracks.
3 Select Mono or Stereo (or one of the multi-
channel surround formats) from the Track Format pop-up menu. Surround formats only appear for Pro Tools 24 MIX systems.
4 Enter the number of new tracks, then click
Create.
Before you create new tracks:
◆ For new tracks to appear next to a specific
track in a session, select that track by clicking its
name. The new tracks are added immediately after the selected track.
◆ For new tracks to appear as the last tracks in a
session, make sure that no track names are selected on-screen.
To create a new track:
1 Choose File > New Track.
Track Format
# of new tracks
New Track dialog (audio track)
2 Select from the Track Type pop-up menu the
Track Type
type of track you want to add. For explanation
of track types, see “Track Types” on page 75.
5 To configure which track controls appear in
the Mix window or Edit window, select from
Display > Mix Window Shows and Display >
Edit Window Shows.
Naming Tracks and Adding Track Comments
Track names are used to auto-name recorded audio files and regions (see “Track Names” on
page 116).
To rename a track or add comments:
1 In the Edit window or Mix window, double-
click the Track Name button for the track you
want to rename.
2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, type a
new track name.
To auto-scroll the Track Type pop-up in the
New Track dialog, press Command (Macintosh) or Control (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys.
Track Name/Comments dialog
Chapter 8: Tracks 77
3 Click Previous or Next to rename another dis-
played track.
Hiding Tracks
To switch tracks in the Track Name/Comments dialog, you can press Command
(Macintosh) or Control (Windows) and use
the Up/Down Arrows.
4 If desired, type comments for the track in the
Comments text box.
To enter a carriage return in the Track Comments text box, type Shift+Return (Macintosh) or Shift+Enter (Windows) on the alpha keyboard.
5 When you are finished, click OK.
Deleting Tracks
When you delete tracks, your audio or MIDI region data will remain in the Regions List, but
your arrangement of the regions on the deleted
track (the track’s playlist) will be lost. The Delete
Selected Tracks command cannot be undone.
To delete a track:
1 Click the name of the desired track to select it.
If you wish to select multiple tracks, hold down
the Shift key and click additional track names to
select them as well.
2 Choose File > Delete Selected Tracks.
3 Click OK to remove the selected tracks from
the session.
The Show/Hide Tracks List (at the left of both
the Mix and Edit windows) shows all tracks in
the session. It allows you to show or hide a track
by selecting or deselecting its name. Even
though a track is hidden, the material on the
track will still play as part of the session.
To show a track, click to highlight its name. To
hide a track, deselect its name.
The Show/Hide Tracks List
The pop-up menu at the top of Show/Hide
Tracks List provides commands that allow you
to show or hide all tracks, or only tracks currently selected on screen.
When a track that is a member of an active
group is hidden from view, editing operations
performed on other members of the group in
the Edit window will not affect the hidden track.
In the Mix window, however, all operations
other than record-enable will affect a hidden
track that is a member of an active group.
On TDM systems, even if a track is hidden
from view, its position relative to other
tracks still affects virtual track playback
priority. See “Virtual Tracks and Track Priority” on page 82.
Pro Tools Reference Guide78
To hide a track:
■ Click the highlighted name of a track in the
Show/Hide Tracks List.
To show a track that is currently hidden:
■ Click the unhighlighted name of a track in
the Show/Hide Tracks List.
To show all tracks:
1 Click the Show/Hide button at the top of the
Show/Hide Tracks List.
2 From the pop-up menu, choose Show All
Tracks.
Assigning Inputs and Outputs to Audio Tracks
Inputs for audio tracks and Auxiliary Input
tracks can be assigned to audio interface channels or busses. Outputs for audio tracks, Auxiliary Input tracks, and Master Fader tracks can be
assigned to audio interface channels or busses.
Track set to
Audio Input 2
Track set to
Bus 2
Track set to
No Input
To hide all tracks:
1 Click the Show/Hide button at the top of the
Show/Hide Tracks List.
2 From the pop-up menu, choose Hide All
Tracks.
To reorder tracks on screen, drag the track
names to new positions within the
Show/Hide Tracks List.
Input/output assignments for three mono audio tracks
For stereo and multi-channel surround tracks,
inputs and outputs appear as stereo pairs and
multichannel groups. The available inputs, outputs, and busses are defined as paths in the
I/O Setup dialog (see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup”).
Automatic Input and Output Assignments
When adding tracks to a new session, outputs
are automatically assigned in ascending order.
For example, if you have an audio interface with
eight outputs, creating four new mono audio
tracks will automatically add four audio tracks
with outputs assigned to Output 1, Output 2,
Output 3, and Output 4. When creating stereo
tracks, outputs are automatically assigned to ascending output pairs.
The inputs automatically assigned to new tracks
is determined by the Default Output defined in
the I/O Setup dialog.
Chapter 8: Tracks 79
Assigning Audio Track Inputs
To assign an audio track input:
1 To display inputs and outputs in the Edit win-
dow, select Display > Edit Window Show > I/O.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track In-
put Selector and choose from the available audio interface channels and busses. Stereo and
multi-channel surround tracks have inputs
available as pairs and multi-channel groups.
3 To remove an input assign, select No Input
from the Input Selector.
Assigning Audio Track Outputs
Assigning Voices and Track Priority
(TDM Systems Only)
Pro Tools 24 MIX systems provides up to 64 simultaneous voices of audio playback.
Pro Tools 24 systems provide up to 32 voices of
audio playback.
While your Pro Tools hardware allows a fixed
number of voices, Pro Tools software provides
for up to 128 virtual tracks—tracks that can be recorded or imported, arranged, and cued for
playback, but cannot all be played back simultaneously.
To assign an audio track output:
1 To display inputs and outputs in the Edit win-
dow, select Display > Edit Window Show > I/O.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track Out-
put Selector and choose from the available audio interface channels and busses. Stereo and
multi-channel surround tracks have outputs
available as pairs and multi-channel groups.
3 To remove an output assign, select No Output
from the Input Selector. Playlists become
dimmed for tracks with no output assignment.
Assigning an audio track, Auxiliary Input,
or Master Fader to “No Output” will cause
its automation data for pan and plug-in parameters to be lost.
For these situations, Pro Tools assigns priorities
for tracks that compete for the available voices.
Pro Tools provides two ways of adjusting playback priority to audio tracks.
Tracks do not use up voices when:
• Their Voice Selector is set to Off.
• They are made inactive.
• They do not have an output and send assignment.
In addition, you can temporarily free a track’s
voice during playback by muting it (see “Mute
Frees Assigned Voice” on page 84).
Pro Tools Reference Guide80
Voice Assignment
Tracks can be assigned to a specific voice, or
they can be set to Auto. When a tracks are autovoiced, Pro Tools automatically takes care of
voice management in the background—assigning voices not in use by other tracks.
Tracks assigned to a specific voice number take
priority over auto-voiced tracks. To ensure a
track is heard, or that it is available for QuickPunch recording, assign it a voice.
To set the voice assignment for a track:
■ Click the Voice Selector and select a voice
number, or set the track to Auto.
To assign all audio tracks to successive voices:
■ While pressing Command+Option (Macin-
tosh) or Control+Alt (Windows), select the starting voice number from the Voice Selector for the
track at the top of the Edit window, or at the far
left of the Mix window.
The voice is assigned to the clicked track, with
successive voices assigned to tracks (with the
same format) of lower priority.
To assign all selected audio tracks to successive
voices:
1 Select the desired audio tracks by Shift-click-
ing their names.
2 While pressing Command+Shift (Macintosh)
or Control+Shift (Windows), select the starting
voice number from the Voice Selector for the
top (Edit window) or left (Mix window) selected
track.
The voice is assigned to the clicked track, with
successive voices assigned to currently selected
tracks (with the same format) of lower priority.
Voice Selector for stereo audio track
For stereo and multi-channel tracks, voices appear in pairs and multi-channel groups. Voices
already assigned to another track appear in bold
in the Voice Selector pop-up menu.
Automatic Assignment of Ascending Voices
You can automatically assign all tracks or all selected tracks to successive voices. For example,
you may want to select eight audio tracks and
reassign them to voices 9–16.
Changing a Track’s Playback Priority
When more than one track is assigned to the
same voice, the track with the higher priority
(left-most in the Mix window or topmost in the
Edit window) has priority over others assigned
to that voice. Moving another track of the same
voice to a higher position will then give that
track priority.
This track priority scheme is also used for autovoiced tracks. When the tracks in the session exceeded the number of available voices, tracks
with lower priority may not be heard.
Chapter 8: Tracks 81
To increase a track’s priority, do any of the
following:
■ In the Edit window, drag the Track Name but-
ton above other tracks in the session. Tracks at
the top of the Edit window have higher priority
than those below.
■ In the Mix window, drag the Track Name but-
ton to the left of other tracks in the session.
Tracks at the left of the Mix window have higher
priority than those to the right.
■ In the Show/Hide Tracks List, drag the track
name to a higher position in the list. Tracks at
the top of this list have higher priority than
those below.
By experimenting with track priority, voice assignment, and arranging regions so that they are
positioned to “pop through” holes in higher priority tracks, you will find many useful ways to
apply virtual tracks and dynamic voice allocation.
In the above illustration, the two visible tracks
are assigned to the same voice. There is an open
area in the top track where no region appears. At
this point, the voice is free since it is not being
used, and the next highest priority track assigned to that voice (the bottom track) will pop
through the open area and play. In order for a
lower priority region to pop through, it must be
placed so that its beginning occurs after a higher
priority track’s region has ended.
Setting MIDI Channels
MIDI tracks can be assigned to one or more
MIDI channels with the Device/Channel selector. When assigned to multiple channels, all
material in the track is sent to all assigned channels.
MIDI tracks in Pro Tools can not contain multiple channels of MIDI data.
Virtual Tracks and Track Priority
Pro Tools features dynamic voice allocation, so
that when a hole opens up in a higher-priority
track, its voice is temporarily available, and the
track with the next highest priority “pops
through” and begins to play. When the original
track returns, the track that had popped
through relinquishes the voice to the higher priority track.
The following example demonstrates the concept of dynamic voice allocation:
The “Lead Guitar” region will pop through
Pro Tools Reference Guide82
To assign all regions on a MIDI track to a specific
MIDI channel:
1 Click on the track’s MIDI Device/Channel Se-
lector and assign a device and channel from the
pop-up menu. Channels already assigned to another track appear bold in this menu.
MIDI Device/Channel selector
To assign multiple destinations to a single MIDI
track, Shift-click the MIDI Device/Channel Selector and select additional channels from any
device.
For details on recording and importing MIDI
data, see Chapter 13, “MIDI Recording”.
Soloing and Muting Tracks
The Solo and Mute buttons can be engaged at
any time during playback. The Solo and Mute
buttons affect MIDI as well as audio tracks. It is
possible to have more than one track soloed or
muted at the same time in a session.
Grouping affects mute and solo behavior as
well. Normally, muting or soloing a track that is
a member of an active mix group will mute or
solo all other tracks that are a member of that
active mix group as well. However, by changing
the Mute and Solo settings in the Pro Tools Preferences dialog, you can disable this behavior.
Solo Button
The solo button mutes other tracks so that the
chosen track can be auditioned alone. Normally
solos are “latched,” that is, pressing subsequent
solo buttons adds them to the soloed mix of
tracks. Pro Tools allows you to “unlatch” solos,
so that pressing a solo button will mute all
tracks except the track you have just soloed.
To solo a track:
1 Click the Solo button on the track. The button
is highlighted and all other tracks are muted.
2 Click the Solo button again to turn off the solo
function.
To disable group muting of tracks:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences, and click Auto-
mation.
2 Deselect the Mutes Follow Mix Groups op-
tion, and click OK.
With this option deselected, muting a track that
is a member of an active group does not affect
other members of the group.
To disable group soloing of tracks:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences, and click Auto-
mation.
2 Deselect the Solos Follow Mix Groups option,
and click OK.
With this option deselected, soloing a track that
is a member of an active group does not affect
other members of the group.
To unlatch solo buttons:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click Opera-
tion.
2 Deselect the Latch Solo Buttons option and
click Done. With this option disabled, pressing a
Solo button mutes all tracks except the track you
have just soloed.
Solo Safe Mode
Pro Tools also allows you to solo safe a track.
This prevents the track from being muted even
if you solo other tracks. This feature is useful for
tracks such as Auxiliary Inputs that are being
used as effects returns, allowing the effects track
to remain in a mix even when other tracks are
soloed. It is also useful to solo-safe MIDI tracks
so that their playback is not affected when you
solo audio tracks.
Chapter 8: Tracks 83
To solo safe a track:
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
(Windows) the Solo button on the desired track.
This prevents the track from being muted even
if you solo other tracks.
To return a solo safe track to normal:
■ Command-click (Macintosh) or Control-click
(Windows) the Solo button on the track again.
To avoid this delay, make sure that the Mute
Frees Assigned Voice option is disabled. Another
factor than can cause delays is your DAE Playback Buffer Size setting. Playback Buffer Size is
set from DAE’s File menu (Macintosh), or by
choosing Setups > DAE Buffer Size (Windows).
The larger the playback buffer you choose, the
longer the potential lag time between the time
you click the Mute button and the onset of muting.
Mute Button
The mute button silences a chosen track. More
than one track can be muted at one time. If Operations > Mute Frees Assigned Voice is enabled,
muting a track will allocate its voice to the next
highest priority virtual track (assigned to the
same voice).
To mute a track:
■ Click the Mute button on the track. The track
will appear grayed-out and be muted.
To unmute a track:
■ Click the Mute button again.
Mute Frees Assigned Voice
(TDM Systems Only)
Selecting Operations > Mute Frees Voice and
muting a track disables playback of that track,
and surrenders control of its voice to the next
highest priority track with the same voice assignment.
With this option enabled, there may be a delay
(ranging in length from one to several seconds
depending on the processing power of your system) between the time you mute or unmute a
track and when you hear the effect on playback.
Muting a track with Mute Frees Assigned
Voice enabled does not free up the voice for
QuickPunch recording.
Making Tracks Inactive
(TDM Systems Only)
A track can be made inactive. Inactive tracks use
no DSP or voices. Plug-ins, sends, voices, and automation on inactive tracks are disabled. Tracks
may also be automatically made inactive if a session is opened on a system with less DSP power
than the system it was created on. Audio, Auxiliary Input, and Master Fader tracks can be made
inactive.
MIDI tracks cannot be made inactive.
To toggle a track Active/Inactive:
■ Command-Control-click (Macintosh) or Con-
trol-Start-click (Windows) the track type icon in
the Mix window.
Click here to toggle
a track active or inactive
Toggling a track Active/Inactive
Playlists for inactive tracks are dimmed.
Pro Tools Reference Guide84
Adjusting Track Width
The Narrow Mix Window command allows you
to view all tracks/channels in the Mix window
at a reduced width to conserve screen space in a
large session.
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to
each track in the Edit window according to its
voice and MIDI channel assignment.
Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to the
track in the Edit window according to its voice
and MIDI device assignment.
To reduce the width of tracks in the Mix window:
■ Select Display > Narrow Mix Window.
To display tracks at normal width:
■ Deselect Display > Narrow Mix Window.
Color Coding Tracks
The Display Preference for Edit Window Color
Coding determines how colors are assigned to
waveforms and MIDI data in the Edit window.
Colors can be based on groups, voice assignment for audio tracks, and channels or devices
for MIDi tracks.
Color coding of voices is especially useful when
keeping track of tracks assigned to the same
voice. Since tracks assigned to the same voice
share the same color, you can easily identify and
arrange regions so that they do not overlap or
conflict with other regions on tracks assigned to
the same voice.
To configure the Edit Window Color Coding:
1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click the Dis-
play tab.
Groups Assigns a color to each track in the Edit
window according to its group ID. If groups are
suspended using the Suspend Groups command, all waveforms are displayed in black.
3 Click Done to close the Preferences dialog.
Grouping Tracks
Pro Tools provides a relative grouping function
for linking channels and their controls. Groups
can be applied to either the Mix or Edit window,
or both.
Groups are useful for editing several tracks in exactly the same way, or for mixing several tracks
(such as a pair of stereo tracks or a submix) while
keeping them at the same relative volume level.
Pro Tools provides the following grouping features:
• Up to 26 different groups
• Nested groups (subgroups within groups)
• Grouped faders/controllers preserve their levels relative to each other
2 Select one of the following color coding op-
tions:
None This option turns off color assignment for
tracks in the Edit window.
Chapter 8: Tracks 85
Grouping can affect the following track parameters:
• Volume levels
• Solos
• Mutes
• Automation modes
• Send levels
• Send mutes
• Track view
• Track height
• Editing functions
Grouping does not affect these parameters:
• Record enables
• Panning
• Send panning
• Voice assignment
• Output assignment
• Creating Plug-In instances
Using the Groups List
The Pro Tools grouping functions are located at
the left side of your screen in the Groups List.
This scrolling window contains the names of all
the groups in your session, as well as a pop-up
menu for accessing grouping commands. From
this menu, you can select and enable groups.
Group pop-up menu
Click to
select group
members
on-screen
Click to hide
Groups List
Groups List
By default, every session has a group named All,
which includes every track and channel in the
session. The All group cannot be edited or deleted.
Click to
select a
group by
typing its
letter
Click to
activate a
group
To the left of each name in the Groups List is a
letter denoting its Group ID (“a” through “z”),
and to the left of that, a symbol indicating
whether that group is selected in the currently
active window (either the Edit or Mix window).
These symbols indicate the following:
The filled-in circle symbol indicates that all
members of the group are currently selected.
Pro Tools Reference Guide86
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