Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools First Quick Start Guide
Introduction to Pro Tools® | First
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Guide Part Number 9329-65538-00 REV A 3/15
Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to Pro Tools | First .........................................1
Connecting Headphones or Speakers ..........................................1
Launching Pro Tools | First ..................................................1
Configuring Pro Tools | First .................................................2
Creating a New Project ....................................................3
Recording Audio .........................................................4
Measuring Time in Minutes and Seconds or Bars and Beats .........................7
Importing Audio .........................................................11
Editing Audio ...........................................................13
Sequencing MIDI with a Virtual Instrument Plug-In................................17
Mixing and Plug-In Processing ..............................................27
Exporting Your Mix.......................................................34
Pro Tools | First Concepts .................................................35
Learn More ............................................................38
Contents iii
Pro Tools | First Installation Guideiv
Introduction to Pro Tools | First
If you are new to Pro Tools®| First, please review
this guide. This guide provides examples of how to
record, edit, and mix audio, as well as how to use
MIDI in Pro Tools | First.
If you have not yet installed Pro Tools | First, install it now according to the instructions in the
Pro Tools | First Installation Guide. For information on connecting and installing drivers for your
audio and MIDI hardware, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.
For topic-specific help with Pro Tools | First,
refer to Pro Tools | First Help (Help >
Pro Tools | First Help).
Connecting Headphones or Speakers
To hear the audio from Pro Tools | First, connect
headphones or speakers to your computer’s audio
interface. If you are using headphones, lower the
Headphone level (by turning it counterclockwise).
If you are using speakers, lower the Master volume
level (by turning it counterclockwise). It is important to start with the volume sufficiently low to
avoid damaging your ears or your equipment.
Once you have started Pro Tools | First and opened
a project (or created a new one) you can adjust the
volume controls to a comfortable listening level.
Launching Pro Tools | First
To launch Pro Tools | First software:
1 Make sure your audio interface (if any) is
connected to your computer and powered on.
2 Do one of the following:
• On Mac, click the Pro Tools First shortcut in
your Dock (or double-click the application
icon in Macintosh HD/Applications/
Avid/Pro Tools First).
• On Windows, double-click the Pro Tools
First shortcut on your desktop (or the application in Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools First).
3 On launch, you are prompted to sign in to your
MyAvid account with your registered email address and password. Enable the
option if desired.
in
4 Click the Sign In button and sign in to your
MyAvid account.
You can also sign out or sign in while
Pro Tools | First is running by choosing
File > Sign In.
5 In the Dashboard window, do one of
the following:
• Create a new project from template.
• Create a new blank project.
• Open an existing project (if any).
• Click the
Cancel button to configure
Pro Tools | First without a project open.
Keep me signed
For more information about the Dashboard
and projects, refer to Pro Tools | First Help
(Help > Pro Tools | First Help).
Introduction to Pro Tools | First 1
Configuring Pro Tools | First
Before you get started using Pro Tools | First
software you should configure Pro Tools | First to
meet the specific needs of your studio. Launch
Pro Tools | First, cancel out of the Dashboard
window, and configure the Setup options.
Playback Engine
The Playback Engine lets you select your audio interface and set the default stereo channel outputs
for tracks in your Pro Tools | First project. You can
also optimize the audio engine for recording or
playing back audio.
Default Output
From the Default Output selector, select stereo output channels on your audio interface or the built-in
sound of your computer that you want to be the default output channels for newly created tracks.
This also controls your audition path and what is
displayed for the main output meters in both the
Edit and Transport windows.
Sample Rate
If no project is open, the Sample Rate selector lets
you specify the sample rate for new projects and
your audio interface (not all audio interfaces support all Pro Tools | First sample rates). If a project
is open, the sample rate of the project is displayed.
Optimize Engine For
Select one of the following options for optimizing
the audio engine. Note that you will want to switch
between these two options depending on whether
you are recording audio and MIDI or if you are
playing back and mixing audio.
Playback Engine dialog
Playback Engine
From the Playback Engine selector, select your audio interface or the built-in sound of your computer for playback and recording in
Pro Tools | First.
When Windows Audio Device is selected as
the Playback Engine, you can choose both an
Input and Output device. Avid recommends
that the same device be selected for both Input and Output.
Introduction to Pro Tools | First2
Record
Select the Record option for recording in
Pro Tools | First. This option provides the lowest
latency between the audio input and output of your
audio interface. The option is also useful for reducing performance latency if you are playing Virtual
Instrument plug-ins from a MIDI controller.
Playback
Select the Playback option for playback and mixing with plug-ins. This option introduces noticeable latency between the audio input and output of
your audio interface, so it is not intended for monitoring while recording or for real-time performance of Virtual Instrument plug-ins. However,
this option is optimized for plug-in processing, as
well as audio and MIDI playback. If you encounter
problems in projects with lots of plug-ins when the
Record option is enabled, try using the Playback
option instead.
Hardware Setup
Configure your audio interface using its own Control Panel (consult the manufacturer’s instructions
for information specific to your audio interface).
This will be audio interface that is selected as the
Playback Engine in the Playback Engine dialog.
To create a new project:
1 If Pro Tools | First is not already running,
launch Pro Tools | First and sign in to your
MyAvid account.
2 In the Dashboard, click the Create tab on the
left.
To configure your audio interface:
1 In Pro Tools | First, choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Pro Tools | First launches the Control Panel for
your audio hardware.
3 Configure your audio hardware to suit your
needs according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Creating a New Project
This section shows you how to create a new project. You can create a new project when you first
launch Pro Tools | First. Each project and all referenced media are stored in your MyAvid Cloud account and cached locally. Pro Tools | First provides a limited number of projects for free.
Dashboard window
3 To create a blank project, ensure that the Create
From Template
option is deselected. If you want
to create a new project from a template, select
Create From Template option and select the
the
desired template from the Template list.
4 Type a Name for your project.
5 Click the Create button.
If you created a project from a template, the new
project includes tracks based on the template. If
you did not create a project from a template, you
created a new blank project with no tracks. Next,
you will want to create new tracks for audio recording.
Introduction to Pro Tools | First 3
Recording Audio
Connect a Microphone or
Instrument to your Audio
Interface
Toconnect a microphone or an instrument, do one
of the following:
If you are using a microphone, connect it to a
Mic/Line input on your audio interface using an
XLR cable.
If you are using an instrument, connect it to a DI
input on your audio interface using a 1/4-inch
cable.
Create a Track
Pro Tools | First uses tracks for recording audio
and MIDI in a project. Before you can record audio, you need to create an Audio track.
To create and prepare an audio track for recording:
1 Create a new project, or open an existing
project.
2 Choose Track > New.
If you want to record two inputs at once
(Pro Tools | First supports recording up to four
channels simultaneously depending on your audio
interface), create one stereo track or two mono
tracks depending on what you have plugged in and
what you plan to record:
• To record two different sources (such as one vocal mic and one electric guitar), create 2 Mono
audio tracks. This lets you record two input signals simultaneously. After recording, these can
be edited, processed, and balanced independently.
• To record a two-channel stereo source (such as a
stereo keyboard), create 1 Stereo audio track.
4 Make sure the Mix window is open by choosing
Window > Mix.
5 In the middle of the new track’s channel strip,
notice where it says “Analog 1 (Mono)” (note
that the name of this input may vary based on
your connected hardware device). This shows
which Input channel (Input 1 or Input 2) is assigned to this track. (To specify a different Input
channel, click the Audio Input Path selector and
choose the other channel.)
3 To record a single microphone or instrument
connected to your audio interface, set the New
Tracks dialog for
, and click Create.
ples
Creating a new mono audio track
Introduction to Pro Tools | First4
1 Mono Audio Track,inSam-
Audio Input
Path selector
Record Your Performance to a
Track
To record an audio track:
1 Ensure that the Audio Engine is optimized for
recording (
2 Click the track’s Record Enable button to arm
the track for recording. The button flashes red.
Record enabling a track in the Mix window
3 Sing or play into the mic, or play your instru-
ment.
Watch the meter level in the track while you raise
the Input Gain on your audio interface. (Note that
moving the on-screen fader has no effect on input
levels; it’s only for adjusting monitoring levels.)
4 Turn the Input Gain up on your audio interface
until you see the on-screen track meter show
green most of the time, or yellow for louder passages. If the track meter shows red, gain is too
high and you should lower the Input Gain. If
you barely see green in the track meter, gain is
too low; raise the Input Gain.
Setup > Playback Engine).
Record Enable button
Track meter
5 In the Transport window, click the Return to
Zero button, or press the Return key (Mac) or
the Enter key on the alpha-numeric keyboard
(Windows) if you want to start recording from
the beginning of the project.
Introduction to Pro Tools | First 5
6 Click the Record button in the Transport to re-
cord arm the project. The button flashes red.
(This tells Pro Tools | First that you are happy
with your levels and are ready to record—think
of this as a “master” record enable button for the
project.)
Return to Zero
Play
Record
Listen to Your Recording
After you have recorded some audio, you can play
it back for review, editing, and mixing.
To play back a recorded track:
1 Click the track’s Record Enable button again to
take it out of Record mode. The Record Enable
button stops flashing red.
2 To start playback, press the Spacebar or click
Play in the Transport.
3 To stop playback, press the Spacebar or click
Stop in the Transport.
Transport, record enabled
7 Choose Window > Edit so you can watch what
happens when you record.
8 When you are ready to start recording, press the
Spacebar or click the Play button in the Transport. The Transport Record button and the
track’s Record Enable button turn solid red
while recording.
9 To stop recording, press the Spacebar again or
click the Stop button in the Transport. (The
Transport Record button disengages, but the
track’s Record Enable button remains enabled
and flashes red until you click it).
You have just recorded your first audio track!
A mono audio track after recording
Record More Tracks
Simply repeat the same steps to create another audio track (mono or stereo) and continue recording
more tracks. In this way, you can record additional
parts against the tracks you have recorded previously. This is a common production technique for
layering different parts to create an arrangement of
a song.
If you want to monitor your performance
while recording through Pro Tools | First,
ensure that the Audio Engine is optimized for
recording. In the Playback Engine dialog
(Setup > Playback Engine), select the Record
option.
Introduction to Pro Tools | First6
Measuring Time in Minutes and Seconds or Bars and Beats
Pro Tools | First lets you measure time in minutes and seconds (absolute time), or bars and beats (relative
time). For music production, it is often desirable to measure time in bars and beats. The timing of beats is
relative in that it depends on the tempo. The timing of bars is relative in that it depends on the meter.
Pro Tools | First lets you set tempo and meter changes using markers in the project Timeline at the top of
the Edit window. These settings scale the relative time of bars and beats against the absolute time of min-
utes and seconds (or samples). This distinction is referred to in Pro Tools | First as tick-based (relative)
time versus sample-based (absolute) time, and both audio and MIDI data can be set to follow either on a
track-by-track basis (for more information, see
Help > Pro Tools | First Help).
The Main Time Scale for the project’s timeline is set to
can change the Main Time Scale to
Bars|Beats (bars and beats) if you want to record with a click track in
Min:Secs (minutes and seconds) by default, but you
a specified meter at a specified tempo. Setting the Main Time Scale to bars and beats is also useful if you
want to create, edit, and arrange audio and MIDI on a bar/beat grid.
Main Counter
Grid mode
Timebase
Rulers
Timeline
Timeline and Main Counter (with the Main Time Scale set to Minutes and Seconds)
Introduction to Pro Tools | First 7
Changing the Main Time Scale
To set the Main Time Scale:
Click the Counter selector (located at the top of
the Edit window) and select either
Bars|Beats
or Min:Sec.
Main Counter selector (in the Edit window)
Recording with a Click Track
A click track provides a metronomic click for
tempo reference while recording. Set the Main
Scale to
material according to the specified meter and
tempo instead of
To create a click track:
1 Choose Track > Create Click Track.
Pro Tools | First creates a new Auxiliary Input
track with the Click II plug-in on the first track insert. When you start playback or recording, the
click provides a countoff and continues according
to the meter and tempo map in the Timeline.
Bar|Beats to record and edit your track
Min:Secs.
2 In the Transport, ensure that the Metronome and
Count Off buttons are selected.
3 Ensure that the Conductor button is enabled if
you want the click to follow the project tempo
(on the Timeline). Disable the Conductor button
if you want to adjust the tempo manually.
4 Press the Spacebar or click the Play button in
the Transport to start playback and hear the
click.
To set the Click settings:
1 Choose Setup > Click/Countoff.
Click/Countoff Options dialog
Metronome button
Introduction to Pro Tools | First8
Count Off button
Conductor button
Tempo
2 Select one of the following options:
•
During play and record—the click sounds during
playback and recording.
•
Only during record—the click only sounds while
recording and not during playback.
•
Only during countoff—the click only sounds
when counting off before recording or playback
starts.
3 Click OK.
To silence the click track, do one of the following:
Mute the Click track by clicking the M (Mute)
button in the Track controls for the Click track.
In the Transport, deselect the Metronome button
so that it is not highlighted blue. Also, deselect
the Count Off button so it is not highlighted.
(Doing both silences the click track and disables
Count Off.)
Press 7 on the numeric keypad (if available).
Setting the Project Meter
Be sure to set the project meter to match the meter
of your music. If your project’s meter does not
match the music you’re recording, the accented
clicks from the Click track will not line up with
what you’re playing, and, as a result, the recorded
material may not align with the bars and beats grid
in the Edit window.
To set the meter for a project:
1 Double-click the Current Meter button in the
Transport window.
Meter Change window
3 From the Click pop-up menu, select a note value
for the beat. (For example, if you are in 4/4, select a quarter note; or, if you are in 6/8, select a
dotted-quarter note).
4 Click OK to insert the new meter event.
Setting the Project Tempo
New projects default to a tempo of 120 BPM. If
you want to record with a click at a tempo other
than 120 BPM, make sure to set the tempo accordingly.
Current Meter button
2 Enter the Meter for the project and set the
Location to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the inserted
meter event replaces the default).
To change the project tempo:
1 Do one of the following:
• Double-click the Song Start Marker in the Edit
window.
• Click the Add Tempo Change button (+) at the
head of the Tempo track.
Song Start Marker
Tempo track
Add Tempo Change button
Tempo ruler
Introduction to Pro Tools | First 9
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