Pinnacle Systems Pro Tools HD - 6.4 User Manual

Digidesign

Plug-Ins Guide

Version 6.4 for HD or LE Systems on Windows or Macintosh

Digidesign

2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard

Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA

tel: 650·731·6300

fax: 650·731·6399

Technical Support (USA)

tel: 650·731·6100

fax: 650·731·6384

Product Information (USA)

tel: 650·731·6102

tel: 800·333·2137

International Offices

Visit the Digidesign Web site

for contact information

Web Site

www.digidesign.com

Copyright

This guide is copyrighted ©2004 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide 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.

Product features, specifications, system requirements and
availability are subject to change without notice.

PN 932913110-00 REV A REV A 04/04

contents

Chapter 1. Getting Started With Plug-Ins

System Requirements

Plug-In Formats

Installing Plug-Ins

Digidesign Registration

Authorizing Plug-Ins

Removing Expired Plug-Ins

Conventions Used in This Guide

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Chapter 2. Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins

Processing Power Requirements of TDM and RTAS Plug-Ins

Delay in Digital Signal Processing

Plug-Ins as Inserts

Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks

Clip Indicators

The Plug-In Window

Adjusting Parameters

Using a Key Input for Side-Chain Processing

Automating Plug-Ins

Using the Librarian

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Chapter 3. Working with AudioSuite Plug-Ins

The AudioSuite Menu

The AudioSuite Window

The AudioSuite Processing Preferences Dialog

Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins

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Contents

iii

Chapter 4. D-Fi

Lo-Fi

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Sci-Fi

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Recti-Fi

Vari-Fi

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D-Fi Demo Session

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Chapter 5. DINR

Broadband Noise Reduction

Broadband Noise Reduction Controls

Using Broadband Noise Reduction

Using BNR AudioSuite

Chapter 6. Maxim

About Peak Limiting

Maxim Controls

Using Maxim

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Chapter 7. Bruno and Reso

DSP Requirements

Inserting Bruno/Reso onto an Audio Track

Playing Bruno/Reso

Using a Key Input for Side-chain Processing

Bruno Controls

Reso Controls

Chapter 8. Reverb One

System Requirements

A Reverb Overview

Reverb One Controls

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Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide

iv

Chapter 9. SoundReplacer

Audio Replacement Techniques

SoundReplacer Controls

Using SoundReplacer

Getting Optimum Results With SoundReplacer

Using the Audio Files Folder for Frequently Used Replacement Files

SoundReplacer Demo Session

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Chapter 10. SurroundScope

Using SurroundScope

SurroundScope Displays

Chapter 11. Impact

Impact Parameters

Adjusting Impact Parameters

Impact Parameters

Using a Key Input for Side-Chain Processing

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Appendix A. DSP Requirements for TDM Plug-Ins

DSP Requirements

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Appendix B. DSP Delays Incurred by TDM Plug-Ins

Index

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Contents

v

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide

vi

chapter 1

Getting Started With Plug-Ins

Digidesign plug-ins provide a comprehensive
set of digital signal processing tools for profes­sional audio production.

This guide explains the use of each of the plug­ins currently available from Digidesign.

These plug-ins include:

™

• D-Fi

• DINR

• Maxim

• Bruno

• Reverb One

creative sound design plug-ins

™

intelligent noise reduction

™

peak limiter/sound maximizer

™

& Reso™ cross-synthesis plug-ins

™

• SoundReplacer™ drum and sound replace­ment plug-in

• SurroundScope

• Impact

™

™

System Requirements

To use Digidesign plug-ins you need:

◆

A Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools system

– or –

◆

A third-party software application that sup­ports the Digidesign TDM, RTAS, or AudioSuite
plug-in standard

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, hard
drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest
compatibility information on our Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).

For more information on using plug-ins
during mixdown with Pro Tools, see the
Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Chapter 1: Getting Started With Plug-Ins

1

Plug-In Formats

Plug-ins are special-purpose software compo­nents that provide additional signal processing
functionality to Pro Tools. There are three for­mats of plug-ins:

• TDM plug-ins (real-time, DSP-based)

•RTAS plug-ins (real-time, host-based)

• AudioSuite plug-ins (non-real-time, file­based processing)

TDM Plug-Ins

(TDM Systems Only)

TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) plug-ins
function as track inserts, are applied to audio
during playback, and process audio nondestruc­tively in real time. TDM plug-ins are designed
for use on Pro Tools TDM systems, and rely on
the processing power of Digidesign DSP cards.

The number and variety of TDM plug-ins that
you can use simultaneously in a session are lim­ited only by the amount of DSP available. You
can increase available DSP by installing addi­tional HD Accel, HD Process, MIX Farm, or
DSP Farm cards in your computer. This power­on-demand aspect is a significant advantage of
TDM-based systems.

MIX Farm and DSP Farm cards are not
supported on Pro Tools|HD-series systems.
HD Accel and HD Process cards are not
supported on Pro Tools|24 MIX-series sys­tems.

RTAS Plug-Ins

RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite) plug-ins provide
features and functionality similar to their TDM
counterparts, but unlike TDM plug-ins, they rely
on and are limited by the processing power of
your computer. The more powerful your com­puter, the greater the number and variety of
RTAS plug-ins that you can use simultaneously.

Because of this dependence on the CPU or

processing

currently in a session, the greater the impact on
other aspects of system performance, such as
available track count, edit density, and automa­tion latency.

RTAS plug-ins can be used on both Pro Tools
TDM and LE systems.

, the more RTAS plug-ins you use con-

host

AudioSuite Plug-Ins

Non-real-time AudioSuite plug-ins are not used
during playback, but are instead used to process
audio files on disk, creating new, rewritten audio
files with the effect permanently applied. Audio­Suite plug-ins can be used on all Pro Tools sys­tems.

Installing Plug-Ins

The Digidesign Plug-In Installer CD-ROM lets
you install and use not only the plug-ins which
you have purchased, but also a demo version of
other Digidesign plug-ins. Demo versions of
plug-ins can be used for the length of their
demo period, after which they will expire. Once
the demo version of a plug-in has expired, pur­chase the plug-in and authorize it, or remove it
(see “Removing Expired Plug-Ins” on page 4).

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide

2

Demo Plug-Ins and Authorization

Some plug-ins require an iLok USB Smart Key
present in order to run in demo mode. Demo au­thorization for such plug-ins can only be in­stalled over the internet from Digidesign’s Web
site (www.digidesign.com) while you launch
Pro Tools. Make sure that your Pro Tools­equipped computer is internet-ready and that
your iLok USB Smart Key is inserted in an avail­able USB port before you launch Pro Tools to
complete this automated process. This is a one­time-only procedure for plug-ins that require it.

Updating Older Plug-Ins

Because the Plug-In Installer CD-ROM contains
the latest versions of all Digidesign plug-ins, you
can use it to update any plug-ins you already
own by installing the desired plug-in from the
CD-ROM. If the installed iLok is already autho­rized, or there is already a valid authorization
key on the destination hard disk, you will not be
prompted for a new one.

Digidesign plug-ins for Pro Tools 5.3 and
lower are not supported in Pro Tools 6.0
and higher.

Installation

To install a plug-in:

1

Insert the Plug-Ins Installer CD-ROM in your

CD-ROM drive.

2 Open the Digidesign Plug-Ins directory.

3 Locate and double-click the Install file on the

Installer CD-ROM for the plug-in you want to
install.

4 Follow the on-screen instructions.

6 Repeat steps 3 through 5 for additional plug-

ins that you want to install.

You will be prompted to authorize the plug-ins
when you launch Pro Tools.

Digidesign Registration

Make sure to complete and return the registra­tion card included with your Digidesign plug-in.
Registered users will receive periodic software
update and upgrade notices. Please refer to the
registration card for information on technical
support.

Authorizing Plug-Ins

Digidesign plug-ins are authorized using the
iLok USB Smart Key (iLok) from PACE Anti-Pi­racy.

The iLok is similar to a dongle, but unlike a don­gle, it is designed to securely authorize multiple
software applications from a variety of software
developers. This key can hold over 100 authori­zations for all of your iLok-enabled software.
Once an iLok is authorized for a given piece of
software, you can use the iLok to authorize that
software on any computer.

The iLok USB Smart Key is not supplied
with plug-ins, and must be purchased
separately.

License Cards are specific to each plug-in. You
will receive the appropriate License Cards for
the plug-ins that you purchase. License Cards
have a small punch-out plastic chip called a
GSM cutout.

5 When the installation is complete, click Fin-

ish (Windows) or Quit (Macintosh).

Chapter 1: Getting Started With Plug-Ins

3

The authorization steps in this section must be
repeated for each plug-in bundle, package, or in­dividual plug-in purchased.

To authorize a plug-in with iLok:

1 Insert the iLok into an available USB port on

your computer.

Removing Expired Plug-Ins

If you let a demo version of a plug-in expire, you
should remove it from your system. Otherwise,
each time you open Pro Tools you will be
prompted with a message that the plug-in has
expired.

2 Launch Pro Tools. You will be prompted to au-

thorize any installed unauthorized plug-ins or
software options.

If you are already using a demo version of
the plug-in or software option, launch
Pro Tools before you insert the iLok, then
insert the iLok into any available USB port
when prompted by Pro Tools.

3 Follow the on-screen instructions until you

are prompted to insert the License Card into the
iLok.

4 Separate the GSM cutout from the larger pro-

tective card by pulling it up and out with your
thumb. Do not force the cutout down with your
finger.

5 Insert the GSM cutout into the iLok. Visually

verify that the metal portion of the cutout
makes contact with the iLok’s metal card reader.

Windows

To remove an expired plug-in:

1 From the Start menu, choose Settings > Con-

trol Panel and double-click Add or Remove Pro­grams.

2 Select the expired plug-in from the list of in-

stalled applications and click the Change/Re­move button.

3 When removal is complete, click OK to close

the window.

Mac OS X

To remove an expired plug-in:

1 Locate the Library/Application Sup-

port/Digidesign folder on your Startup drive.

2 Open the Plug-Ins folder or Plug-Ins (Unused)

folder and drag the expired plug-in to the Trash.

3 Empty the Trash.

iLok with License Card

6 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete

the authorization process for each plug-in.

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide4

Conventions Used in This Guide

All Digidesign 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

Control-click Hold down the Control

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.

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in
the Pro Tools Guides.

Chapter 1: Getting Started With Plug-Ins 5

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide6

chapter 2

Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins

Real-time plug-ins process audio nondestruc­tively in real time. They do not alter the original
source audio, but only apply their effect during
playback.

Processing Power Requirements of TDM and RTAS Plug-Ins

There are two formats of real-time plug-ins:

TDM Plug-Ins Rely on the processing power of
Digidesign DSP cards. TDM plug-ins run only on
TDM-equipped Pro Tools systems.

RTAS Plug-Ins Rely on the processing power of
your computer. RTAS plug-ins run on Pro Tools
TDM and LE systems.

TDM and RTAS plug-ins differ in their process­ing power requirements.

TDM Plug-Ins

Each real-time TDM plug-in that is inserted in a
Pro Tools session uses a portion of your system’s
total available DSP resources. Since these DSP re­sources reside on the cards that make up your
particular Pro Tools hardware configuration,
the amount of DSP available depends entirely
on the number and type of DSP cards in your
system.

You can add more mixing and processing power
to your system by installing additional DSP
cards, provided you have unused PCI expansion
slots in your computer or use a Digidesign-ap­proved Expansion Chassis.

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 7

The System Usage window (Windows > Show
System Usage) shows how much DSP is available
on your system and gives an approximation of
how it is currently being used.

For more information on the System Usage
window, see the

System Usage window

Pro Tools Reference Guide.

See Appendix A, “DSP Requirements for
TDM Plug-Ins” compare the number of in­stances of each Digidesign TDM plug-in
that can be powered by a single DSP chip.
DSP usage differs according to card type.

DSP Sharing Between TDM Plug-Ins

With Digidesign’s MultiShell II technology, dif­ferent types of TDM plug-ins can share the same
DSP chip at the same time. This lets you simul­taneously use a greater variety of plug-ins by ef­ficiently managing the DSP available on each
chip in your system.

In order to take advantage of this capability,
plug-ins must be MultiShell II compatible.

The following Digidesign plug-ins are Multi­shell:

• Maxim

• D-Fi

• SurroundScope

SoundReplacer is an AudioSuite only plug-in.

RTAS Plug-Ins

RTAS plug-ins rely on and are limited by the pro­cessing power of your computer’s CPU. The
more RTAS plug-ins you use concurrently in a
session, the greater the impact it will have on
other aspects of your system’s performance,
such as maximum track count, the density of
edits possible, and latency in automation and
recording.

For more information on the System Usage
window, see the

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide8

Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Improving RTAS Plug-In Performance

You can increase the number of RTAS plug-ins
your system can use concurrently by increasing
the Hardware Buffer Size and CPU Usage Limit.

Hardware Buffer Size

The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con­trols the size of the hardware cache used to han­dle host processing tasks such as monitoring la­tency, as well as Real-Time AudioSuite (RTAS)
plug-ins.

◆ Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings reduce

monitoring latency, and are useful when you are
recording live input.

◆ Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings allow for

more audio processing and effects, and are use­ful when you are mixing and using more RTAS
plug-ins.

In addition to causing slower screen re­sponse and monitoring latency, higher
Hardware Buffer Size settings can affect the
accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data,
and timing for MIDI tracks.

To change the Hardware Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

CPU Usage Limit

The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of
CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host pro­cessing tasks such as RTAS plug-in performance
and screen redraws.

◆ Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the ef-

fect of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-inten­sive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are useful
when you are experiencing slow system re­sponse, or when running other applications at
the same time as Pro Tools.

◆ Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate

more processing power to Pro Tools, and are
useful for playing back large sessions or using
more real-time plug-ins.

Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
down screen response on slower computers.

To change the CPU Usage Limit:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, se-

lect the percentage of CPU processing you want
to allocate to Pro Tools. (On dual-processor Mac­intosh computers, this setting controls the allo­cation of a single processor.)

2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select

the audio buffer size, in samples.

3 Click OK.

Choosing the CPU Usage Limit

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 9

3 Click OK.

For more information on Hardware Buffer
Size and CPU Usage Limit, see the

Reference Guide

.

Pro Tools

Delay in Digital Signal Processing

DSP processing in digital audio systems incurs
signal delay of varying amounts. Such delays
can vary from as short as a few samples to as
long as several hundred samples, depending on
the type of processing applied.

If you have recorded an instrument on multiple
tracks using multiple microphones (a drum kit
for example) and process the different tracks
with different plug-ins, the tracks may go out of
phase due to the varying amount of processing
delay imparted by each different plug-in.

Automatic Delay Compensation

(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)

On supported systems, the Delay Engine can be
enabled to have Pro Tools automatically com­pensate for delays. For details on Delay Com­pensation requirements, operation, and limita­tions, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

TimeAdjuster

(TDM Systems Only)

You can compensate for TDM plug-in-induced
delays by using the TimeAdjuster plug-in. This
plug-in lets you apply a specific number of sam­ples of delay to the signal path of a Pro Tools
track. TimeAdjuster provides settings files that
apply the correct compensation time in samples
for delay introduced by one or more plug-ins.
See the DigiRack Guide for information about the
Time Adjuster plug-in.

See Appendix B, “DSP Delays Incurred by
TDM Plug-Ins” for information on delays
inherent in specific Digidesign TDM plug­ins. See the
guide to calculating DSP-induced delays.

Pro Tools Reference Guide for a

Compensating for Delay

Pro Tools TDM 6.4 and higher provide Delay
Compensation, which utilizes a portion of your
system resources to delay signals as needed for
time aligned output. For details on Delay Com­pensation, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

When using earlier versions of Pro Tools, you
need to compensate for these delays manually
to avoid phase correlation problems.

Use the following methods, as available, to com­pensate for processing delay.

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide10

For information about TimeAdjuster in De­lay Compensation sessions, see the Pro
Tools Reference Guide.

Manual Delay Compensation

You can manually compensate for processing
delay by first calculating the amount of delay on
each track, and then nudging other track’s play­lists later or earlier in time. This method is useful
when Delay Compensation is unavailable, or
when you want to conserve DSP resources.

Plug-Ins as Inserts

Real-time plug-ins are available as in-line inserts
on audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master
Faders. A maximum of 5 real-time plug-ins can
be used per track.

When more than one insert is used on a track,
they process the audio in series, each effect be­ing added to the previous one, from top to bot­tom in the Mix window.

Pre-Fader Operation

Real-time plug-ins function as pre-fader inserts
(except on Master Fader tracks, where inserts are
post-fader), meaning that their input levels are
not affected by a track’s volume fader.

Real-time plug-ins are pre-fader, but post-disk.
This means that if you record to disk with a
plug-in inserted on the record track, you will
hear the effect of the plug-in, but the effect will
not be recorded to disk.

If you are using both TDM and RTAS plug­ins on the same track, RTAS plug-ins must
occur first in the signal chain, followed by
TDM plug-ins. You cannot place TDM
plug-ins before RTAS plug-ins.

Inserts can be used in two ways:

On Single Tracks An insert can be applied to an
individual audio track or Auxiliary Input using
the Insert Selector on that track.

With in-line inserts, you control the level of ef­fect by adjusting the controls of the plug-in.

As Shared Resources An insert can be used as a
shared resource in a send-and-return arrange­ment by bussing signals from several tracks to
an Auxiliary Input, and applying the insert to
the Auxiliary Input track. With such an arrange­ment, you can control the send level for each
track and the overall level of the effect can be
controlled from the Auxiliary Input track.

Shared arrangements let you make more effi­cient use of your system’s processing power.

To record with a plug-in effect, create an Auxil­iary Input, insert the desired effect on the Aux­iliary Input track, then route the Auxiliary Input
to the audio track to which you want to record.
Alternatively, bounce the audio track with the
plug-in after recording in order to write the ef­fected audio to disk.

AudioSuite plug-ins provide another option
for processing audio. See Chapter 3, “Work­ing with AudioSuite Plug-Ins.”

Mono, Multi-Mono, and Multichannel Plug-Ins

Plug-ins can be used in mono, multi-mono, or
multichannel formats, depending on the type of
plug-in and whether the destination is a mono
or multichannel track.

In general, when working with stereo and
greater-than-stereo tracks, use multichannel
plug-ins. If a multichannel version of a plug-in
is not available, use a multi-mono version.

On TDM systems, RTAS plug-ins can be in­serted on audio tracks only. For Auxiliary
Inputs or Master Faders, use TDM plug-ins.

Plug-in formats

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 11

Mono Plug-Ins Used on mono tracks. Some
mono plug-ins let you generate a stereo output
from a mono channel. Plug-ins that occur on a
track after a stereo plug-in are used in stereo as
well.

Multi-Mono Plug-Ins Used on stereo or greater­than-stereo multichannel tracks when a multi­channel version of the plug-in is not available.
Multi-mono plug-ins will analyze and process
each channel independently without regard to
each other. Controls for all channels are linked
by default so that you can adjust them in tan­dem. You can unlink controls for independent
adjustment using the Master Link button. See
“Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi­Mono Plug-ins” on page 17.

Multi-mono dynamics-based or reverb plug­ins may not function as you expect. Use the
multichannel version of a multi-mono dy­namics or reverb plug-in when available.

Multichannel Plug-Ins Used on stereo and
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks. On
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks, the
controls for all channels are always linked to­gether.

To insert a plug-in on a track:

■ Click the Insert Selector on the track and se-

lect the plug-in that you want to use.

Inserting a plug-in (Pro Tools 6.4) with Plug-Ins by
Category enabled

click here

Inserting a plug-in (standard view)

Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks

To use a real-time plug-in in a Pro Tools session,
insert it on a track. Before doing so, make sure
the Inserts View is shown in the Mix window.

To show inserts in the Mix window:

■ Choose Display > Mix Window Shows > In-

serts View.

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide12

Plug-Ins by Category and Plug-In Favorites

Pro Tools 6.4 and higher lets you organize plug­ins by process category (such as EQ, Dynamics,
Delay, and others), with individual plug-ins
listed in the category sub-menus. When this op­tion is enabled, you can also designate fre­quently used plug-ins as Plug-In Favorites to
simplify navigation and plug-in assignment.
This Plug-Ins by Category option is enabled in
the Pro Tools Preferences dialog box. See the
Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information
on plug-in Category and Favorites features.

To remove an insert from a track:

■ Click the Insert Selector and select No Insert.

Removing a plug-in

To move an insert:

■ Drag the insert to a new insert location.

Inserting Plug-Ins During Playback

On Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|24 MIX systems
(Pro Tools 6.x only) and Pro Tools LE systems,
plug-ins can be inserted or removed during
playback, with the following restrictions:

◆ Plug-ins cannot be inserted or removed dur-

ing recording (Pro Tools 6.x only).

◆ A plug-in cannot be dragged to a different in-

sert location during playback or recording. Stop
playback to do this.

◆ Plug-ins that change a track's format (a mono-

to-stereo plug-in, for example) cannot be in­serted or removed during playback. Stop play­back to do this.

◆ Plug-ins that contain automation cannot be

removed during playback. Stop playback to do
this.

◆ Playback must be stopped when enabling

plug-in controls for automation.

◆ Side-chain inputs cannot be created during

playback. Stop playback to do this.

Moving and Duplicating Inserts

Moving a plug-in

Dragging an insert on top of an existing in­sert will replace it.

To duplicate an inser t:

■ Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Macin-

tosh) the insert to a new insert location. The du­plicated plug-in retains its original settings and
automation.

Making Plug-Ins Inactive

Pro Tools lets you set plug-ins as inactive in or­der to free up DSP resources for other plug-ins
and processing. When a plug-in is inactive it re­tains its assignment, position, and related auto­mation playlists. However, it will not pass audio
and does not consume any DSP or TDM re­sources.

To toggle a plug-in active or inactive:

■ Control-Start-click (Windows) or Command-

Control-click (Macintosh) the Insert button.

– or –

You can move or duplicate an insert by dragging
it to a different position on the same track or a
different track. Inserts that are moved or dupli­cated retain their original settings and automa­tion.

Make the track inactive.

For more information about making tracks
inactive, refer to the

Guide

.

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 13

Pro Tools Reference

To toggle plug-ins in the same inser t position
(1–5) on all tracks active or inactive:

■ Control-Start-Alt click (Windows) or Com-

mand-Control-Option click (Macintosh) an In­sert button in the position you want to toggle.

To toggle plug-ins in the same inser t position
(1–5) on all selected tracks active or inactive:

■ Control-Start-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or

Command-Control-Option-Shift-click (Macin­tosh) an Insert button in the position you want
to toggle.

Clip Indicators

(Pro Tools 6.4 Only)

Many plug-ins provide meters that let you see
when the processed signal is clipping.

In addition to clipping displays that are a part of
a plug-in’s individual interface, plug-ins that
display clipping now report the clipping in the
plug-in header. The insert button in the Mix
and Edit window also turns red if a plug-in has
clipped.

To clear plug-in clipping:

■ Click the clip LED in the plug-in header

The Plug-In Window

The Plug-In window appears whenever you click
a plug-in Insert button on a track. This floating
window lets you set the controls of any real­time plug-in insert in use on a track.

Insert button

Insert

Selector

key input

selector

Settings menu

Track Selector

Librarian menu

Insert Position
Selector

Plug-In Selector

Compare

Effect Bypass

Automation

Safe button

Target button

Convert plug-in

Plug-in clip indicators follow the current
Pro Tools preference setting for clip display.

Plug-In Clipping indicator in the plug-In header

clipped

Plug-In Clipping indication in the Mix window

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide14

Clip
LED

Plug-In window (mono Bruno shown)

Link Enable buttons

Channel Selector

Master Link button

Plug-In window (multi-mono Bruno shown)

Settings Menu Lets you copy, paste, save, and
import plug-in settings.

Track Selector Accesses any non-MIDI track in a
session.

Librarian Menu Recalls settings files saved in the
plug-in’s root settings folder or in the current
session’s Settings folder. See “Using the Librar­ian” on page 22.

Insert Position Selector Accesses any insert on
the current track.

Key Input Selector Lets you select audio on a
particular input or bus and route it to trigger the
plug-in. This menu only appears on plug-ins
that feature side-chain processing. Key inputs
are monophonic.

Plug-In Selector Lets you select any real-time
plug-in installed in the Plug-Ins folder (that is
created when you install Pro Tools).

Compare Toggles between the original saved
plug-in setting and any changes you have made
to it so you can compare them.

Effect Bypass Disables the currently displayed
plug-in. This lets you compare the track with
and without the effect.

Auto Lets you enable individual plug-in controls
for automation recording. See “Automating
Plug-Ins” on page 20.

Target Button When multiple Plug-In windows
are open, clicking this button selects that plug­in as the target for any computer keyboard com­mands.

Phase Invert Button Inverts the phase polarity of
the input signal.

Clip LED Lights red to indicate if any meter in a
plug-in has clipped (not available on all plug­ins). The Plug-In Clip LED follows Pro Tools set­tings for clip indication (see the Pro Tools Refer-
ence Guide for more information).

Channel Selector Accesses a specific channel
within a multichannel track for plug-in control
editing. This menu appears only on multi-mono
plug-ins inserted on tracks with more than one
channel. Shift-clicking this selector opens a sep­arate Plug-In window for each channel of the
multichannel track on which the plug-in is in­serted.

Master Link Button When enabled, links the
controls on all channels of a multi-mono plug­in so that they can be adjusted in tandem.

Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link or
unlink the controls of specific channels of a
multi-mono plug-in. Each square represents a
speaker channel. The Master Link button must
be disabled to use the Link Enable buttons. See
“Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi­Mono Plug-ins” on page 17.

Safe When enabled, prevents existing plug-in
automation from being overwritten.

Convert Plug-In Lets you convert the insert from
a TDM plug-in to an RTAS plug-in of the same
type (or vice-versa). This feature can only be
used on plug-ins that are available in both TDM
and RTAS formats.

LFE Enable Enables plug-in processing of the
LFE (low-frequency effects) channel on a multi­channel track formatted for 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 sur­round formats. To disable LFE processing, dese­lect this button. For more information on the
LFE channel, refer to the Pro Tools Reference
Guide.

Tempo Sync Enables compatible plug-ins to au­tomatically synchronize to the session tempo,
for rhythmic delay, echo, and similar effects.

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 15

Opening Plug-In Windows

Plug-In Window Controls

To open a Plug-In window:

■ Click the plug-in button in the Mix or Edit

window channel strip.

By default, each plug-in you open will appear in
the same location as a currently open plug-in,
replacing it in the same window location.

Opening Multiple Plug-In Windows

Pro Tools normally displays a single Plug-In
window from which you can adjust the controls
of any plug-in in a session. You can also open
additional Plug-In windows for specific plug­ins.

Once you begin working with multiple Plug-In
windows, you will need to click the Target but­ton on the plug-in whose controls you want to
adjust using keyboard commands.

To open an additional Plug-In window:

■ Shift-click the Insert button for the additional

plug-in.

To open Plug-In windows for each channel of a
multi-mono plug-in:

■ Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macin-

tosh) the Channel Selector in the Plug-In win­dow of the multi-mono plug-in.

All plug-ins provide standard Pro Tools controls
for track and insert selection, bypass, and other
controls, in addition to processor-specific con­trols.

To select a different plug-in on the same track:

■ Click the Insert Selector and select a plug-in

from the pop-up menu.

Choosing a plug-in from the Plug-In window

To choose a different track:

■ Click the Track Selector and select a track from

the pop-up menu.

To close all currently open Plug-In windows:

■ Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macin-

tosh) the close box of any currently open Plug­In window.

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide16

Choosing a track from the Plug-In window

Bypassing Plug-Ins

To bypass a plug-in:

■ Click the Plug-In window’s Bypass button.

– or –

■ Control-click (Windows) or Command-click

(Macintosh) the plug-in’s Insert button in the
Mix or Edit window.

When a plug-in insert is bypassed, the In­sert Selector in the Mix window changes its
color to blue for easy visual reference. If
some, but not all channels of an unlinked
multi-mono plug-in are bypassed, the Insert
Selector appears purple (Pro Tools 6.x) or
half blue and half black (Pro Tools 5.x).

Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-ins

When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multi­channel track, the controls are normally linked.
Adjusting the Gain control on one channel, for
example, will adjust it for all channels.

If necessary, you can unlink plug-in controls on
specific channels of a track and edit them inde­pendently. You can also selectively link the con­trols of specific channels.

Master Link button

Link Enable buttons

Channel Selector

some channels bypassed (purple)

bypassed (blue)

unbypassed (gray)

Bypass states indicated by color (Pro Tools 6.x)

some channels bypassed (half blue)

bypassed (blue)

unbypassed (black)

Bypass states indicated by color (Pro Tools 5.3)

Channel Selector and Link controls

To unlink controls on a multi-mono plug-in:

■ Deselect the Master Link button.

To access controls for a specific channel:

■ Select the channel from the Channel Selector.

To link the controls of specific channels:

1 Deselect the Master Link button if it is not al-

ready deselected.

2 Click the Link Enable buttons for the chan-

nels whose controls you want to link.

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 17

Adjusting Parameters

Editing Parameters Using a Computer Keyboard

Editing Parameters Using a Mouse

You can adjust plug-in controls by dragging the
control’s slider or knob, or by typing a value into
the control’s text box.

To adjust a plug-in control:

1 Begin audio playback so that you can hear the

control changes in real time.

2 Adjust the controls of the plug-in for the effect

you want.

3 Closing the plug-in will save the most recent

changes.

Keyboard Shortcuts

◆ For finer adjustments, Control-drag (Win-

dows) or Command-drag (Macintosh) the con­trol.

◆ To return a control to its default value, Alt-

click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh)
the control.

You can use your computer keyboard to edit
plug-in controls.

If multiple Plug-In windows are open, Tab and
keyboard entry remain focused on the plug-in
that is the target window.

Most controls have a corresponding parameter
text field directly below it. This displays the cur­rent value of the parameter. You can edit the nu­meric value of a parameter with your computer
keyboard.

To type a parameter value:

1 Click on the parameter text that you want to

edit.

2 Change the value.

•Type the desired value.

– or –

•To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on
your keyboard. To decrease a value, press
the Down Arrow on your keyboard.

• In fields that support values in kilohertz,
typing “k” after a number value will multi­ply the value by 1,000. For example, type
“8k” to enter a value of 8,000.

•To move forward through the different
control fields, press the Tab key. To move
backward, press Shift+Tab.

3 Press Enter on the numeric keyboard to input

the value and remain in keyboard editing mode.

– or –

Press Enter on the alpha keyboard (Windows) or
Return (Macintosh) to enter the value and leave
keyboard editing mode.

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide18

Using a Key Input for Side­Chain Processing

Some plug-ins feature side-chain processing ca­pabilities. With side-chain processing you can
trigger a plug-in from a separate reference track
or external audio source. The source used for
triggering is referred to as the Key Input. Key in­puts are monophonic.

A typical use for this feature is to control the dy­namics of one audio signal using the dynamics
of another signal (the Key Input). For example, a
kick drum track could be used to trigger gating
of a bass track to tighten it up, or a rhythm gui­tar track could be used to gate a keyboard pad.

RTAS plug-ins do not provide side-chain
processing when used on TDM-based sys­tems. If you want to use side-chain process­ing, use the TDM versions of plug-ins on
TDM-based systems.

Key Input Filters

Some plug-ins feature key high-pass and low­pass filters. These controls let you define a spe­cific frequency range in the Key Input signal
with which to trigger the plug-in effect. A com­mon production technique is to use these con­trols to filter a drum track so that only specific
high frequencies (a hi-hat, for example) or low
frequencies (a tom or a kick, for example) trigger
the effect.

To use a Key Input for side-chain processing:

1 From the Key Input menu, choose the input

or bus carrying the audio you want to use to trig­ger the plug-in.

Choosing a Key Input

2 Click External Key to activate side-chain pro-

cessing.

3 To hear the audio source you have selected to

control side-chain input, click Key Listen.

4 To filter the Key Input so that only specific fre-

quencies trigger the plug-in, use the Key HPF
and Key LPF controls (if available) to select the
frequency range.

5 Begin playback. The plug-in uses the input or

bus that you chose as a Key Input to trigger its
effect.

6 Adjust the plug-in’s Threshold control (if

available) to fine-tune Key Input triggering.

7 Adjust other controls to achieve the desired ef-

fect.

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 19

Automating Plug-Ins

You can automate changes to plug-in controls.
You can later edit and modify each automated
control individually. This lets you build up com­plex automation in stages.

To create automation for a stereo plug-in
with separate controls for each channel,
record the automation for one channel then
copy and paste it to the other channel as ex­plained in the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

To enable plug-in controls for automation:

1 Open the Plug-In window for the plug-in you

want to automate.

2 Click the Automation button in the Plug-In

window.

3 Choose the controls to automate and click

Add. If there are multiple plug-ins on the same
track, you can select from among these by click­ing their buttons in the Inserts section of this di­alog.

Plug-In automation dialog

4 Click OK to close the Plug-In Automation di-

alog.

Plug-In Automation

Accessing the Plug-In Automation dialog

– or –

Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) or Com­mand-Option-Control-click the Track View Se­lector in the Edit window.

You can also use this keyboard shortcut to
open the Plug-In Automation dialog.
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) or Com­mand-Option-Control-click (Macintosh)
any plug-in control in the Plug-In window,
then choose Open Automation Dialog from
the pop-up menu.

As an alternative to using the Plug-In Auto­mation dialog, you can enable individual
plug-in controls directly from the Plug-In
window by Control-Alt-Start-clicking (Win­dows) or Command-Option-Control-click­ing (Macintosh) the control.

Shortcut for enabling plug-in automation

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide20

To automate a plug-in:

1 In the Automation Enable window, make sure

plug-in automation is enabled (Windows >
Show Automation Enable).

Plug--In Automation Enable button

Record Safing Plug-In Automation

You can protect plug-in automation from being
overwritten by using Automation Safe mode.

To enable plug-in safe mode:

1 Open a plug-in.

2 Click the Safe button so that it is highlighted.

Safe enabled

Automation Safe enabled plug-in

Automation Enable window

2 Select an Automation mode for each track

containing plug-ins you want to automate. For
the initial automation pass, choose Auto Write.

3 Click Play to begin writing automation, and

move the controls you want to automate.

4 When you have finished, click Stop.

After the initial automation pass, you can write
additional automation to the track without
completely erasing the previous pass by choos­ing Auto Touch mode or Auto Latch mode.
These modes add new automation only when
you actually move the control.

To disable plug-in safe mode:

■ In the Plug-In window, click the Safe button

so that it is unhighlighted.

For more information on creating and edit­ing automation, see the

Guide

.

Pro Tools Reference

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 21

Using the Librarian

The Settings Librarian makes it easy to create
your own library of plug-in settings. Using the
Librarian and Settings pop-up menus, you can
copy, paste, save, and import these settings from
plug-in to plug-in, or from session to session.

Librarian menu

Once you create and save settings files to disk
(and tell Pro Tools where to find them by assign­ing their root folder) they will appear in the Li­brarian menu.

The Settings Menu

The Settings menu let you save, copy, paste, and
manage plug-in settings files.

Settings menu commands include:

Save Settings Saves the current settings. This
command overwrites any previous version of
the settings. The setting then appears in the Li­brarian menu.

Save Settings As Saves the current settings un­der a different name.

Copy Settings Copies the current settings. You
can then apply these settings to the same type of
plug-in on a different track by choosing the
track in the Plug-In window and pasting the set­tings with the Paste Settings command.

Paste Settings Pastes settings copied with the
Copy Settings command.

Import Settings Imports a settings file from a lo­cation other than the Root Settings folder or Ses­sion folder.

Delete Current Settings File Permanently de­letes the current settings file from disk.

Lock Settings File Prevents the current settings
from being overwritten by the Save command.
If you attempt to save control settings, you will
be required to save them using a different name
or disk location.

Set As User Default Defines the current settings
as the User Default for a specific plug-in.

Settings menu

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide22

Settings Preferences

The Settings Preferences sub-menus are for
choosing preferences for saving and importing
plug-in settings. They include:

Set Plug-In Default To Sets the default setting to
either Factory Default (the standard default set­ting for that plug-in) or User Default (your cus­tom setting).

Save Plug-In Settings To Selects the folder where
plug-in settings are saved. If you choose Session
Folder, the settings are saved in a folder named
“Plug-In Settings” within the current Session
folder. If you choose Root Settings Folder, the
settings are saved in the folder you specified
with the Set Root Settings Folder command.

Set Root Settings Folder Selects a location or
root folder for saving and importing settings.
This root settings folder must be named “Plug­In Settings.” Use this command only if you want
to choose a location other than the default Plug­In Settings folder.

In Pro Tools 6.1 and higher, the default location
for the Root Plug-In Settings folder is as follows:

Windows Program Files\Common Files\Digide­sign\DAE\Plug-In Settings

Macintosh Library/Application Support/Digi­design/Plug-In Settings

To save plug-in settings to any location
other than the default Plug-In Settings
folder, you must first create a folder named
“Plug-In Settings” in the new location and
then save to that folder.

Choosing a Destination for Settings

To select a different Root Settings folder :

1 From the Settings pop-up menu, choose Set-

tings Preferences > Set Root Settings Folder.

2 Select the folder you want to use as your Root

folder and click Select.

Managing Settings

Use the Settings pop-up menu to manage set­tings.

Unlinked multi-mono plug-ins have specific
rules for settings. See “Editing Settings on
Unlinked Multi-Mono Plug-ins” on
page 24.

To save a setting:

1 Choose Save Settings from the Settings pop-

up menu.

2 Type a name and click OK. The setting appears

in the Librarian menu.

Press Control+Shift+S (Windows) or Com­mand+Shift+S (Macintosh) to save plug-in
settings.

To load a previously saved setting:

■ Choose the setting from the Librarian pop-up

menu.

Before you save plug-in settings, select their des­tination folder.

To select a destination folder:

■ From the Settings pop-up menu, choose Set-

tings Preferences > Save Plug-In Settings To, and
choose Session Folder or Root Settings Folder.

If you choose Root Settings folder, Pro Tools
saves to the default Plug-In Settings folder un­less you have specified a different location for
the Root Settings folder.

To import a setting:

1 Choose Import Settings from the Settings pop-

up menu.

2 Locate the settings file you want to import

and click Open. Pro Tools loads the setting and
copies it to the root destination folder.

Chapter 2: Working with Real-Time Plug-Ins 23

To copy a setting:

■ Choose Copy Settings from the Settings pop-

up menu.

Press Control+Shift+C (Windows) or Com­mand+Shift+C (Macintosh) to copy plug-in
settings.

To paste a setting:

1 Open the destination plug-in.

2 Choose Paste Settings from the Settings pop-

up menu.

Press Control+Shift+V (Windows) or Com­mand+Shift+V (Macintosh) to paste plug­in settings.

To create a custom User Default setting:

1 Create and save a setting.

2 Choose Set As User Default from the Settings

pop-up menu.

To make a plug-in default to your custom setting:

■ From the Settings pop-up menu, choose Set

Plug-In Default To > User Setting.

Creating Subfolders for Settings

To make it easier to find specific types of set­tings, you can subdivide settings files by creat­ing subfolders for them.

If you are using Reverb One, for example, you
may want to organize settings by room size. This
lets you keep your library well organized with
hierarchical menus for settings.

Librarian menu with subfolders for settings

To create a settings subfolder:

1 From the Settings pop-up menu, choose Save

Settings.

2 Click the New Folder button and type a name

for the subfolder.

Editing Settings on Unlinked Multi­Mono Plug-ins

When a multi-mono plug-in is unlinked, im­porting, copying, pasting, or bypassing settings
affects only the currently selected channel.

To apply an operation to all channels of an
unlinked plug-in:

■ Hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Option

key (Macintosh) while performing the com­mand.

Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide24

3 Name the setting and click Save. The setting is

saved within the subfolder.