Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools - 5.1 Reference Guide
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
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Visit the Digidesign Web site
for contact information.
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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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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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
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