Pro Tools Reference Guide Protools 9

Pro Tools - 9.0.2 - Reference Guide Pro_Tools_Ref_v902 Free User Guide for Pro Tools Software, Manual - page1

User Manual: Protools 9 Reference Guide

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Pro Tools Reference Guide
Version 9.0.2
®
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Contents iii
Contents
Part I Introduction
Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Pro Tools Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Requirements and Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
About www.avid.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 2. Pro Tools Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Hard Disk Audio Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pro Tools Nonlinear Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Digidesign Audio Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Core Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
ASIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
MIDI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Surround Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Pro Tools Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tick-Based and Sample-Based Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
System Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
DigiBase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
AAF, MXF, and OMF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Embedded Media and Linked Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 3. Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mouse Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Global Key Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Keyboard Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Toolbar Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Numeric Keypad Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Pro Tools Reference Guideiv
Chapter 4. Using Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Accessing the Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Understanding the Help Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using the Help Navigation Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
How the Search Feature Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Printing Help Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Copying from a Help Topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Part II System Configuration
Chapter 5. Pro Tools Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Pro Tools|HD Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Pro Tools|HD Native Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with Pro Tools HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Pro Tools|HD Audio Interfaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Additional Pro Tools|HD Hardware Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Pro Tools Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Additional Pro Tools Hardware Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Pro Tools System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Complete Production Toolkit 2 Capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Checking For Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 6. System Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Checking a Pro Tools|HD or Pro Tools|HD Native System with DigiTest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Configuring Pro Tools System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Configuring MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Configuring Pro Tools Hardware Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Configuring Pro Tools|HD Hardware Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
System Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 7. I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Pro Tools Signal Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
I/O Setup Pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
I/O Setup Signal Path Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
I/O Setup Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
I/O Setup Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Customizing I/O Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Configuring Hardware in I/O Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Signal Path Routing for Audio Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Signal Path Routing for Audio Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Creating New Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Creating New Sub-Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Contents v
Editing Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Assigning Paths to Hardware I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Valid Paths and Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Configuring Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Factory I/O Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
I/O Settings Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Session Interchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Chapter 8. Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Global and Local Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Display Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Operation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Editing Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Mixing Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Processing Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
MIDI Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Synchronization Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Chapter 9. Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
MIDI Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Ethernet Controllers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Mic Preamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
VENUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Chapter 10. Configuring MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
MIDI Studio Setup (Mac) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
MIDI Studio Setup (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Pro Tools Reference Guidevi
Part III Sessions & Tracks
Chapter 11. Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Quick Start Session Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Creating a New Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Session Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Opening a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Opening Recent Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Opening a Session with Plug-Ins Deactivated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Saving a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Save Copy In Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Session Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Closing a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Exiting or Quitting Pro Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Chapter 12. Pro Tools Main Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Mix Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Transport Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
MIDI Editor Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Score Editor Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Eleven Rack Control Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
DigiBase Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Managing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
How Windows Configuration Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Window Configuration Commands and Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Tool Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Chapter 13. Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Track Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Track Channel Strips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Track Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Edit Window Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Track Level Meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Adjusting Track Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Creating Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Track Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Setting Track Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Track Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
The Track List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Track Name Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Track Priority and Voice Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Contents vii
Assigning MIDI Inputs and Outputs to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Soloing and Muting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Making Tracks Inactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Color Coding for Tracks, Regions, Markers, and Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Chapter 14. Grouping Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Grouping Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Group Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Working with Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Setting Group Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Enabling Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Grouped Control Offsets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Chapter 15. The Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Region List Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Sorting and Searching in the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Selecting Regions in the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Previewing Regions in the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Stereo and Multichannel Regions in the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Naming and Displaying Regions in the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Managing Regions in the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Region Name Right-Click Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Chapter 16. DigiBase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
DigiBase Data Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Performance and Transfer Volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Digidesign Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Browser Windows and Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Working wIth Items in Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Indexing DigiBase Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
The Browser Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Browser Panes and Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Column Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Selecting Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Moving, Copying, Duplicating, and Deleting Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Searching Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Entering Data for Searches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Elastic Audio Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Previewing Audio in DigiBase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Preview Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Preview Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Linking and Relinking Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Transfer Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Missing Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Pro Tools Reference Guideviii
Relink Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Workspace Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Project Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Task Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Chapter 17. Importing and Exporting Session Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Importing and Exporting Data to and from a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Audio Conversion on Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Import Options and Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Importing Files with Drag and Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Importing Audio Files and Regions Using the Import Audio Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Importing Audio from Audio CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Importing ACID and REX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Importing Multichannel Audio Files from a Field Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Exporting Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Importing Session Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Import Session Data Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Importing AAF and OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Import Options when Importing AAF or OMF Sequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Media Composer Export Options for Audio and Video Mixdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Audio File Format Compatibility Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as AAF or OMFI Sequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as MXF Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Export Options when Exporting to AAF or OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Exporting Sessions as Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Export Session Info as Text Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Send via DigiDelivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Importing MIDI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Exporting MIDI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Exporting Sibelius Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Importing and Exporting Region Group Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Chapter 18. File and Session Management and Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Audio File Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
WAV File Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Computer Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Software Versions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Sharing Pro Tools HD 9.0 Sessions with Lower Versions of Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Sharing Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions with Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Language Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Contents ix
Chapter 19. Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Installing the Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Removing the Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Media Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Session Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Viewing Mac Drive and File Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Viewing Multisession and Dual-Format Discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Setting the File Naming Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Partitioning Mac Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Initializing Mac Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Mac HFS+ Disk Support Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Part IV Playback and Recording
Chapter 20. Playing Back Track Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Playback Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Setting the Playback Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Scrolling Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Playing Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Playing Timeline and Edit Selections with the Playhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Playback Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
MIDI Beat Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
MIDI Beat Clock Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Chapter 21. Record Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Record Setup Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Configuring Pro Tools Hardware I/O for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Connecting a Sound Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Recording with a Click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Setting the Session Meter and Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Record Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Configuring Default Names for Audio Files and Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Assigning Hardware I/O on a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Record Enabling Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Working with Hard Drives for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Selecting a Record Input Monitoring Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Setting Monitor Levels for Record and Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Reducing Monitoring Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Pro Tools Reference Guidex
Chapter 22. Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Recording Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Prime for Record Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Setting Punch and Loop Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Audio Punch Recording Over a Specified Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Recording Additional Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Loop Recording Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Alternate Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Recording from a Digital Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Half-Speed Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Chapter 23. MIDI Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Recording from MIDI Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Enabling Input Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
MIDI Thru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
MIDI Input Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Input Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Wait for Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
MIDI Merge/Replace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Recording MIDI and Instrument Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
MIDI Punch Recording Over a Specified Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Loop Recording MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
MIDI Step Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Recording System Exclusive Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Recording Audio from a MIDI Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Chapter 24. Punch Recording Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Introduction to Punch Recording Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
System, Session, and Track Guidelines for Punch Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
QuickPunch Audio Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
TrackPunch Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
TrackPunch Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Using TrackPunch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
DestructivePunch Audio Recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
DestructivePunch Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501
Using DestructivePunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504
Example TrackPunch and DestructivePunch Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Contents xi
Part V Editing
Chapter 25. Editing Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Track Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
Audio Regions and Waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
MIDI Regions and MIDI Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
Naming Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520
Displaying Region Names, Region Times, and Other Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Multiple Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
Basic Editing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
Editing Across Multiple Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527
Chapter 26. Edit Modes and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Edit Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Shuffle Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Slip Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530
Spot Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530
Grid Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Edit Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Zooming Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Zoom Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Zoomer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
Zoom Preset Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Zoom Toggle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
Zooming with a Scroll Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
Using the Trimmer Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
Trimmer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544
Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
Scrub Trimmer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Loop Trimmer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Using the Selector Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Using the Grabber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Using the Smart Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
Using the Scrubber Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Numeric Keypad Set to Shuttle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Using the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559
Pro Tools Reference Guidexii
Chapter 27. Making Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Linking or Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Linking or Unlinking Track and Edit Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562
Selecting Track Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
Timeline Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Auto-Scrolling Tracks in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576
Universe View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Navigating Your Pro Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
Chapter 28. Editing Regions and Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Creating New Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Healing Separated Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
Trimming Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
Nudging Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
Quantizing Regions to Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Editing Stereo and Multichannel Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Consolidating Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Compacting an Audio File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Processing Audio with AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
TCE (Time Compression and Expansion) Edit To Timeline Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Rating Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597
Chapter 29. Fades and Crossfades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
About Crossfades and Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
Fades Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
Creating Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
Creating a Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
Using AutoFades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Creating Fades and Crossfades in Batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611
Moving and Nudging Fades and Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 612
Separating Regions that Include Fades or Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614
Trimming Regions that Include Fades or Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Fade Boundaries and Shapes Displayed in Automation View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Chapter 30. Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
Working with Playlists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
Track Compositing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620
Playlists View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623
Matching Alternate Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 628
Matching Criteria Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
Selecting Alternate Takes on Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630
Automatically Create New Playlists when Loop Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631
Expanding Alternate Takes to New Playlists or Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
Expanding Alternate Channels to New Playlists or Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633
Contents xiii
Chapter 31. Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
Beat Detective and Source Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
Uses for Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
Beat Detective Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638
The Beat Detective Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639
Beat Detective Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639
Defining a Beat Detective Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
Beat Detective Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Calculating Tempo with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642
Generating Beat Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642
Editing Beat Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 646
Generating Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 648
DigiGroove Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 649
Separating Regions with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651
Conforming Regions with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
Edit Smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655
Detection (Normal) and Collection Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 657
Part VI MIDI
Chapter 32. MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
MIDI Editing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
Setting the Grid Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
Using the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666
Inserting MIDI Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668
Inserting a Series of Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669
Manually Editing MIDI Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670
Using the Grabber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672
Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer Tool Functionality on MIDI Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
Continuous Controller Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681
Patch Select (Program and Bank Changes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684
System Exclusive Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689
Note and Controller Chasing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 690
Offsetting MIDI Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691
Stuck Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693
Remove Duplicate Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693
MIDI Real-Time Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693
Real-Time Properties Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695
Real-Time Properties on Tracks and Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698
Writing Real-Time Properties to Tracks or Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699
Real-Time Properties In the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699
Display of Real-Time Properties Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700
Pro Tools Reference Guidexiv
Chapter 33. MIDI Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701
Opening a MIDI Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702
MIDI Editor Window Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
MIDI Editor Zoom Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708
Track List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 708
Group List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Timebase and Conductor Rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Superimposed Notes View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Notes Pane Right-Click Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
Notation View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
Velocity, Controller, and Automation Lanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Chapter 34. Score Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719
Opening the Score Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Edit Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Default Note Duration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
Default Note On Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
Play MIDI Notes When Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
Link Timeline and Edit Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
Mirrored MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
Double Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
Cursor Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 725
Score Editor Window Target. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 725
Score Editor Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 726
Customizable Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727
Track List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727
Page Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 728
Score Editor Zoom Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 729
Notation Display Track Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 730
Score Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
Editing Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 733
Score Editor Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 736
Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
Meter Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
Chord Symbols and Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 738
Exporting Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 740
Printing Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 740
Chapter 35. MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 741
Opening the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 741
Inserting Events in the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744
Editing Events in the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 746
MIDI Event List Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 748
Contents xv
Part VII Arranging
Chapter 36. Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
Timebase Rulers and Conductor Rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
Main Time Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754
The Sub Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 755
Tick-Based Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 755
Tick- and Sample-Based Timebases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 756
Song Start Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758
Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759
Graphic Tempo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765
Editing Tempo Events in the Tempo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765
Changing the Linearity Display Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
Tempo Operations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 772
Identify Beat Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778
Meter Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 781
Time Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 784
Change Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 784
Insert Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 786
Cut Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788
Move Song Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 789
Renumbering Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790
Key Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790
Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793
Chapter 37. Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795
Creating Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795
Creating Memory Locations On-the-Fly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 797
Properties of Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798
Recalling Memory Locations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800
Editing Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800
Deleting Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802
Copying Marker Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802
Memory Locations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
Memory Locations Commands and Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
Chapter 38. Arranging Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 807
Placing Regions in Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 807
Working with Multiple Items from the Region List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 808
Placing Regions at the Edit Insertion Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809
Aligning Region Start Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810
Sliding Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811
Shuffling Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811
Moving Regions with the Grabber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 813
Pro Tools Reference Guidexvi
Snapping to the Preceding or Next Region on a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
Slipping Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
Spotting Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815
Sliding Regions in Grid Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816
Replacing Audio Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818
Sync Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820
Shift Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822
Locking Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 823
Muting/Unmuting Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824
Stripping Silence from Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824
Inserting Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 828
Duplicating Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829
Repeating Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 830
Chapter 39. Region Loops and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831
Region Looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831
Creating Looped Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 832
Unlooping Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 833
Editing Looped Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 833
Region Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835
Creating Region Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836
Ungrouping Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837
Regrouping Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837
Multitrack Region Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837
Region Groups on Tick-Based Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 840
Editing Region Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 841
Fades and Crossfades on Region Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 842
Importing and Exporting Region Group Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843
Part VIII Processing
Chapter 40. AudioSuite Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847
The AudioSuite Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847
The AudioSuite Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 848
AudioSuite Window Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 848
AudioSuite Window Footer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 854
Chapter 41. Elastic Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 857
Example Elastic Audio Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 858
Elastic Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863
Enabling Elastic Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863
Disabling Elastic Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864
Contents xvii
Elastic Audio Track Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Elastic Audio Track Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Elastic Audio Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866
Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867
Elastic Audio Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 868
Editing in Warp View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 873
Warping Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 875
Editing in Analysis View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 879
Elastic Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 881
Elastic Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882
Elastic Audio Region-Based Pitch Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 884
AudioSuite Processing and Elastic Audio Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886
Moving Elastic Audio Between Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887
Fades and MicroFades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888
Elastic Audio Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 889
Chapter 42. Event Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 891
Event Operations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 891
Quantize Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892
Grid Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894
Grid Quantize Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 896
Groove Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 898
Quantizing Elastic Audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903
Quantizing Audio Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904
Quantizing Mixed Selections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905
Restore Performance Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905
Flatten Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 906
Change Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907
Change Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 909
Transpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911
Select/Split Notes Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 913
Input Quantize Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915
Step Input Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916
Part IX Mixing
Chapter 43. Basic Mixing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921
Mixing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921
Metering and Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 922
Signal Flow by Track Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 922
Audio Tracks and Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 922
Auxiliary Input Tracks and Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923
Master Fader Tracks and Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 924
Pro Tools Reference Guidexviii
Instrument Tracks and Signal Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 926
VCA Master Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 927
Inserts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 930
Configuring Inserts View in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931
HEAT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931
Stereo Pan Depth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931
Views in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 932
Audio Input and Output Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 935
Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938
Configuring Sends View in the Mix and Edit Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Sends View Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Editing Sends in the Mix and Edit Windows (Individual Send Views). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943
Output Windows for Tracks and Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946
Using Output Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 950
Signal Routing for Monitoring and Submixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951
Delay Compensation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 958
Dither . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
Using an Ethernet Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
Using a MIDI Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
Chapter 44. Plug-In and Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 971
Viewing Inserts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974
Making Inserts Inactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 975
Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 976
Plug-In Menu Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977
Moving and Duplicating Plug-In and Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 980
The Plug-In Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 980
Opening Plug-In Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 984
Using Plug-In Window Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 984
Editing Plug-In Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 985
Plug-In Automation and Safe Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 986
Side-Chain Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 986
Plug-In Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987
Plug-In Settings Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 990
Plug-In Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 992
Bypassing Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 998
Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 999
Using Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 999
Chapter 45. Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003
Automation QuickStart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003
Automation Playlists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
Automation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1006
Automation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1010
Viewing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012
Contents xix
Writing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1015
Automating Sends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1017
Automating Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
AutoMatching Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1021
Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1022
Enabling and Suspending Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1025
Deleting Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027
Thinning Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1028
Drawing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1029
Editing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1030
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1035
Glide Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1038
Trimming Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1039
Writing Automation to the Start, End, or All of a Track or Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1041
Writing Automation to the Next Breakpoint or to the Punch Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043
Guidelines for “Write To” Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1046
Overwriting or Extending Mute Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047
Creating Snapshot Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050
Previewing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1053
Capturing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
VCA Master Track Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1058
Coalescing VCA Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059
Chapter 46. Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
Selecting Audio for Loops, Submixes, and Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
Dithering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1062
Bus Recording to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1063
Bounce to Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1064
Bounce Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1065
Recording a Submix (with Bounce to Disk). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1071
Final Mixdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1072
Mastering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1073
Part X Surround
Chapter 47. Pro Tools Setup for Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077
Surround Mixing in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077
Pro Tools Audio Connections for 5.1 Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077
7.1 and 7.0 Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1078
Configuring Pro Tools for Multichannel Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1079
Default I/O Selectors in I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1083
5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1085
Pro Tools Reference Guidexx
Chapter 48. Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087
Multichannel Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087
Multichannel Signal Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1090
Paths in Surround Mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092
Example Paths and Signal Routing for a Surround Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1094
Chapter 49. Surround Panning and Mixing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1099
Introduction to Pro Tools Surround Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1099
Output Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1100
Standard Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101
Surround Panner Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102
Panning Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1105
Divergence and Center Percentage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1108
LFE Faders in Multichannel Panners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110
Pan Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
Surround Scope Plug-In. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
Part XI Sync and Video
Chapter 50. Working with Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1115
Pro Tools Synchronization Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1115
Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1117
Preparing to Work with SMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1122
Configuring Pro Tools for SMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1122
Pull Up and Pull Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1125
Effect of Using Pull Up or Pull Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1128
Putting Pro Tools Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129
Generating Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1130
Using MIDI Machine Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1132
Enabling MIDI Machine Control in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1132
MMC Transport Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1134
Setting Minimum Sync Delay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1135
Remote Track Arming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1136
Spotting Regions to SMPTE Frame Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1136
The Spot Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1137
Capturing Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1138
Auto-Spotting Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1138
Using the Trimmer Tools in Spot Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1139
Time Stamping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1139
Identifying a Synchronization Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1140
Troubleshooting SMPTE Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1141
Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video, and PAL Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1143
Contents xxi
Chapter 51. Working with Video in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1145
Introduction to Pro Tools and Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1145
QuickTime Movies Support in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1146
Windows Media Video (VC-1 AP Codec) Support in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1147
Before Starting Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1147
Video Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1148
Main Video Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1149
Video Track Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1150
Locking Video Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1152
Video Engine Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1152
Importing Video into Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1153
Configuring Video Import Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1155
Extracting Audio from QuickTime and Windows Media Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1156
Video Regions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1157
General Video Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1158
Renaming Video Disk Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1161
Video Region Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1161
Using the Video Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1161
Browsing Video in the Video Universe Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1164
Playback of High-Definition QuickTime and Windows Media Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1165
Playing QuickTime DV Video to an External Monitor Over FireWire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1166
Playing Video to an External Monitor Using a Video Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1168
Bouncing the Video Track to a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1170
Bouncing a Video Track with Windows Media Video to a WIndows Media Movie . . . . . . . . . 1171
Using Pro Tools to Import Video from Other Versions of Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1172
Chapter 52. Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1173
Field Recorder and Production Workflow Terminology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1173
Supported Field Recorder Audio Files and Metadata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1175
Displaying Field Recorder Metadata in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1176
DigiBase Support for Field Recorder Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1176
Field Recorder Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1177
Ensuring Metadata of Source Files Have Been Preserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1177
Receiving Source Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1178
Importing Source Files into Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1179
Displaying Multichannel Files from a Field Recorder in the Region List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1180
Selecting an Alternate Field Recorder Channel to Replace a Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1181
Expanding Alternate Field Recorder Channels to New Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1184
Determining the Method of Expanding Alternate Field Recorder Channels to New Tracks . . . 1185
Overview of Production Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1188
Film Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1189
Video and Fully Non-Linear Workflows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1191
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1195
Pro Tools Reference Guidexxii
1
Part I: Introduction
2
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 3
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools
Welcome to Pro Tools®, brought to you by
Avid® Technology. Pro Tools integrates powerful
multitrack digital audio and MIDI sequencing
features, giving you everything you need to
record, arrange, compose, edit, mix, and master
professional quality audio and MIDI for music,
video, film, and multimedia.
Pro Tools Documentation
Pro Tools documentation provides you with
workflow and reference information to help you
successfully use Pro Tools.
Help is installed automatically during Pro Tools
installation and can be accessed from within
Pro Tools.
PDF Versions of Guides and Read Mes are in-
stalled automatically during Pro Tools installa-
tion. The main guides can be accessed from
within Pro Tools. Additional documentation is
available in the Pro Tools Documentation
folder.
To view or print PDFs, you can use Adobe Reader
or Apple Preview (Mac only).
Print Versions of Documentation are included
with some Pro Tools software and hardware.
Examples include Quick Setups and Installation
guides.
Print-on-demand copies of the Pro Tools Refer-
ence Guide and some of the other guides in the
Pro Tools guide set can be purchased separately
from Avid (www.avid.com).
Launching Pro Tools Help
Pro Tools Help provides quick access to work-
flows and reference information while Pro Tools
is open. Built-in search capabilities and an index
are included to better support your Help needs.
To launch Help in Pro Tools:
Choose Help > Pro Tools Help.
Accessing Guides in Pro Tools
PDF (Portable Document Format) versions of the
main Pro Tools guides are accessible from the
Pro Tools Help menu.
To access guides in Pro Tools:
Choose Help, then a guide name (such as
Menus Guide).
For more information, see Chapter 4,
“Using Help.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide4
Guides Accessible in Pro Tools
The following guides are available from the
Pro Tools Help Menu:
• Audio Plug-Ins Guide
• Pro Tools Menus Guide
• Pro Tools Reference Guide
•ProTools Shortcuts
For information on these guides, see “Pro Tools
Documentation in the Documentation Folder”
on page 4.
Accessing Pro Tools Guides in the
Documentation Folder
PDF (Portable Document Format) versions of
many Pro Tools guides are installed with
Pro Tools. They are accessible from the
Pro Tools Documentation folder.
To access guides in Pro Tools Documentation
folder:
1 Locate the Documentation folder on your
hard drive.
• On Mac, go to Applications/Digidesign/
Documentation.
• On Windows, go to All Programs/Pro Tools/
Documentation.
2 Open the subfolder that has the documenta-
tion you want.
3 Double-click the PDF you want to view.
For information on guides in the Documenta-
tion folder, see “Pro Tools Documentation in
the Documentation Folder” on page 4.
Pro Tools Documentation in the
Documentation Folder
Pro Tools guides and Read Mes in the Documen-
tation folder are located in product-based sub-
folders, as follows:
Control Surfaces
C|24 Guide Supports Avid’s 24-channel control
surface for Pro Tools systems.
Command|8 Guide Supports Avid’s compact con-
trol surface for Pro Tools and other supported
Avid systems.
D-Command Guide Supports D-Command work-
surface for Avid ICON systems.
D-Control Guide Supports D-Control worksurface
for Avid ICON systems.
Pro Tools EUCON Guide Provides information
about setting up Pro Tools for use with
EuControl software and a EUCON-compatible
controller.
Hardware & Peripherals
003 Family User Guide Provides installation and
operation information for 003, 003+, and 003
Rack Pro Tools systems.
192 Digital I/O Guide Supports 192 Digital I/O
audio interfaces for Pro Tools|HD and
Pro Tools|HD Native systems.
192 I/O Guide Supports 192 I/O audio interfaces
for Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native sys-
tems.
96 I/O Guide Supports 96 I/O audio interfaces
for Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native sys-
tems.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 5
96i I/O Guide Supports 96i I/O audio interfaces
for ProTools|HD and ProTools|HD Native sys-
tems.
DigiTest Guide Provides information about using
DigiTest to troubleshoot your Pro Tools|HD or
Pro Tools|HD Native system.
Expanded Systems Guide Provides instructions
for expanding Pro Tools|HD systems with addi-
tional Pro Tools|HD cards and audio interfaces,
with or without an expansion chassis.
HD IO Guide Provides a hardware overview, as
well as detailed information for installing and
configuring HD I/O audio interfaces for use with
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native systems.
HD MADI Guide Provides a hardware overview,
as well as detailed information for installing and
configuring HD MADI audio interfaces for use
with Pro Tools|HD systems and Pro Tools|HD
Native systems.
HD Native User Guide Provides hardware instal-
lation instructions for Pro Tools|HD Native sys-
tems.
HD OMNI Guide Provides a hardware overview,
as well as detailed information for installing and
configuring the HD OMNI audio interfaces for
stand-alone use and for use with Pro Tools|HD
and Pro Tools|HD Native systems.
HD User Guide Provides hardware installation
instructions for Pro Tools|HD (TDM) systems.
Mbox Mini User Guide Provides hardware instal-
lation and operation information for Mbox
Mini audio interface.
Mbox Pro User Guide Provides hardware installa-
tion and operation information for Mbox Pro
audio interface.
Mbox User Guide Provides hardware installation
and operation information for Mbox audio in-
terface.
PRE Guide Provides detailed information for in-
stalling, configuring, using PRE, both stand-
alone and with Pro Tools.
SurroundPanner Option Guide Supports the JL
Cooper Surround Panner for Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2.
SYNC HD Guide Supports the SYNC HD synchro-
nization peripheral for Pro Tools|HD and
Pro Tools|HD Native systems.
Plug-Ins
Access Music Indigo Guide Provides detailed in-
formation for installing, authorizing, and using
the Access Music Virus Indigo plug-in.
AIR Virtual Instruments Provides detailed infor-
mation for installing, authorizing, and using
A.I.R. Virtual Instrument plug-ins (Hybrid,
Strike, Structure, Transfuser, and Velvet).
Aphex Plug-Ins Guide Provides detailed informa-
tion for installing, authorizing, and using Aphex
plug-ins.
Audio Plug-Ins Guide Describes the plug-ins in-
cluded free with Pro Tools (DigiRack and
Pro Tools Creative Collection), as well as addi-
tional Digidesign, Bomb Factory, and TL Labs
plug-ins available for purchase separately.
Dolby Surround Tools Provides detailed informa-
tion for installing, authorizing, and using Dolby
Surround Tools plug-ins.
Drawmer Dynamics Guide Provides detailed in-
formation for installing, authorizing, and using
Drawmer Dynamics plug-ins.
Pro Tools Reference Guide6
Focusrite Plug-Ins Guide Provides detailed infor-
mation for installing, authorizing, and using Fo-
cusrite plug-ins.
MDW EQ Plug-In Guide Provides detailed infor-
mation for installing, authorizing, and using the
MDW EQ plug-in.
Sonic NoNOISE Guide Provides detailed informa-
tion for installing, authorizing, and using Sonic
NoNoise plug-ins.
SymphonicOrchestraSE Guide Provides detailed
information for installing, authorizing, and us-
ing the Symphonic Orchestra SE sample content
for Structure.
Pro Tools
Feel Injector Template Provides credit and con-
tract information for Numerical Sound.
Glossary Provides a glossary of common audio
industry as well as Pro Tools–specific terms.
Intro To Pro Tools Provides several introductory
tutorials for using Pro Tools.
IO Setup Primer Provides an overview of work-
ing with the I/O Setup in Pro Tools.
Pro Tools Installation Guide Provides detailed in-
formation for installing and authorizing
Pro Tools software, as well as information for
optimizing your operating system for Pro Tools.
Pro Tools Menus Guide Covers all the Pro Tools
on-screen menus.
Pro Tools Reference Guide Explains Pro Tools
systems and software in detail.
Pro Tools Shortcuts Lists keyboard and
Right-click shortcuts for Pro Tools including
those shown in Pro Tools menus.
Sync & Surround Concepts Provides an introduc-
tion to key synchronization, surround mixing
and monitoring concepts for Pro Tools users.
What’s New In Pro Tools Provides an overview of
new features in the current version of Pro Tools.
Read Mes
Read Me documents cover compatibility infor-
mation, known issues and workarounds, and
corrections to Pro Tools guides.
Toolkits & Options
Complete Prod Toolkit 2 Provides detailed infor-
mation for installation, and an overview of fea-
tures and plug-ins included with the Complete
Production Toolkit 2 option.
Heat Option Guide Provides detailed information
for installing, authorizing, and using the HEAT
software option for Pro Tools|HD systems.
MachineControl Guide Provides detailed infor-
mation for installing and using the Machine-
Control option.
Satellite Link Guide Provides detailed informa-
tion for authorizing and using the Satellite Link
software option.
Video Satellite Guide Provides detailed informa-
tion for authorizing and using the Video Satel-
lite software option.
Video Satellite LE Guide Provides detailed infor-
mation for authorizing and using the Video Sat-
ellite LE software option.
Video
Avid Video Peripherals Guide Describes the use of
Avid Mojo SDI and Avid Mojo video peripherals
with Pro Tools systems.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 7
Pro Tools Avid Interop Provides a list of web re-
sources for interoperability with Pro Tools and
Avid video editing systems.
Pro Tools Avid Interplay Describes how to use the
Avid Interplay system to pass sequences and au-
dio files back and forth between Avid video ed-
iting systems and Pro Tools HD audio editing
and mixing systems.
Pro Tools Avid MediaNetwork Provides informa-
tion on setting up and using a Pro Tools client
on Avid Unity MediaNetwork networked stor-
age systems.
Pro Tools ISIS Guide Provides information on
setting up and using a Pro Tools client on Avid
Unity ISIS networked storage systems.
Conventions Used in
Documentation
Pro Tools documentation uses the following
conventions to indicate menu choices, key-
board commands, and mouse commands:
:
The names of Commands, Options, and Settings
that appear on-screen are in a different font.
The following symbols are used to highlight
important information:
System Requirements and
Compatibility Information
Avid can only assure compatibility and provide
support for hardware and software it has tested
and approved.
For complete system requirements and a list of
qualified computers, operating systems, hard
drives, and third-party devices, visit:
www.avid.com/compatibility
Convention Action
File > Save Choose Save 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 Click with the right
mouse button
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
this guide and other Avid documentation.
Pro Tools Reference Guide8
About www.avid.com
The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best
online source for information to help you get
the most out of your Pro Tools system. The fol-
lowing are just a few of the services and features
available.
Product Registration Register your purchase
online.
Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer
Success (technical support); download software
updates and the latest online manuals; browse
the Compatibility documents for system re-
quirements; search the online Knowledge Base
or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on
the User Conference.
Training and Education Study on your own using
courses available online or find out how you can
learn in a classroom setting at a certified
Pro Tools training center.
Products and Developers Learn about Avid
products; download demo software or learn
about our Development Partners and their plug-
ins, applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from Avid
or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 9
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts
Before you begin to use Pro Tools, you may find
it helpful to review Pro Tools concepts.These
concepts are the foundation of Pro Tools opera-
tion and functionality.
Hard Disk Audio Recording
Hard disk recording is a nonlinear (or random ac-
cess) medium—you can go immediately to any
spot in a recording without having to rewind or
fast forward.
This differs from tape-based recording, which is
a linear medium—where you need to rewind or
fast forward to hear a particular spot in a record-
ing. To rearrange or repeat material in a linear
system, you need to re-record it, or cut and
splice it.
Nonlinear systems have several advantages. You
can easily rearrange or repeat parts of a record-
ing by making the hard disk read parts of the re-
cording in a different order or multiple times. In
addition, this re-arrangement is nondestructive,
meaning that the original recorded material is
not altered.
Pro Tools Nonlinear Editing
Pro Tools is a nonlinear recording editing sys-
tem that lets you rearrange and mix recorded
material nondestructively. Nonlinear editing
simply means that you can cut, copy, paste,
move, delete, trim, and otherwise rearrange any
audio, MIDI, or video in the Pro Tools Edit win-
dow.
Nonlinear editing provides significant advan-
tages over dubbing (re-recording), and cutting
and splicing magnetic tape. It gives you the
greatest possible flexibility for editing and ar-
ranging, and it is all nondestructive and “undo-
able.” Additionally, with nonlinear editing in
Pro Tools, you will never introduce any degrada-
tion of audio fidelity as you would with tape.
Pro Tools Reference Guide10
Digidesign Audio Engine
The Digidesign Audio Engine (DAE) is a real-
time operating system for digital audio record-
ing, playback, and processing. When you install
Pro Tools, DAE is automatically installed on
your system.
In the same way that a computer’s operating sys-
tem provides the foundation for programs that
run on the computer, DAE provides the founda-
tion for much of the hard disk recording, digital
signal processing, and mix automation required
by Pro Tools and other products from Avid and
its Development Partners.
The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the
amount of memory DAE allocates to manage
disk buffers. The DAE Playback Buffer Size can
be changed in the Playback Engine (see “DAE
Playback Buffer Size” on page 67).
Playback Engine
Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of
your system by changing system settings that
affect its capacity for processing, playback, and
recording. These system settings are available
in the Playback Engine (Setup > Playback Engine).
Pro Tools takes advantage of your computer’s
host processor for certain tasks and optional
host-based DSP processing.
Pro Tools uses host (CPU) processing to provide
audio track recording, playback, mixing, and ef-
fects processing. Both Pro Tools and Pro Tools
HD use host processing to run RTAS® (Real-Time
AudioSuite) plug-ins for effects processing. Per-
formance is determined by your system and its
Playback Engine settings.
The Playback Engine lets you set a hardware
buffer size and allocate a percentage of CPU
resources for these tasks.
On Pro Tools|HD systems, you can select the
number of voices and voiceable tracks for your
system and its sessions. Voice count choices are
based on how much DSP processing you want to
allocate for voicing.
The Playback Engine is also where you assign
dedicated resources for Automatic Delay Com-
pensation.
Playback Engine for Pro Tools|HD system
For more information, see “Configuring
Pro Tools System Settings” on page 60. See
also “System Resources” on page 21.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 11
Core Audio
Apple’s Core Audio provides audio stream con-
nectivity between software applications and au-
dio hardware on Mac OS X. Pro Tools software
can use audio interfaces with supported Core
Audio drivers for playback and recording with
up to 32 channels of I/O.
ASIO
Steinberg’s Audio Stream Input/Output (ASIO)
provides audio stream connectivity between
software applications and audio hardware on
Windows. Pro Tools software can use audio in-
terfaces with supported ASIO drivers for play-
back and recording with up to 32 channels of
I/O.
MIDI
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a
communication protocol for musical instru-
ments. This industry standard enables connec-
tions between a variety of devices from different
manufacturers. Examples of MIDI-compatible
equipment include synthesizers, sound mod-
ules, drum machines, MIDI patch bays, effects
processors, MIDI interfaces, MIDI control sur-
faces, and MIDI sequencers.
MIDI devices are equipped with 5-pin DIN con-
nectors, labeled as either IN, OUT, or THRU. The
MIDI OUT port transmits messages. The MIDI
IN port receives messages. The MIDI THRU out-
puts whatever is received from the IN port. MIDI
devices are connected with MIDI cables that are
available at most music stores.
USB and FireWire-compatible MIDI devices send
and receive MIDI messages to and from the
computer over USB or FireWire.
The MIDI protocol provides 16 channels of
MIDI per port. A single MIDI cable can transmit
a separate set of messages for each of the 16
channels. These 16 channels can correspond to
separate MIDI devices or to multiple channels
within a single device (if the device is multitim-
bral). Each channel can control a different in-
strument sound. For example, bass on
channel 1, piano on channel 2, and drums on
channel 10. Similar to a multitrack tape re-
corder, a MIDI sequencer can record complex ar-
rangements—even using only a single multitim-
bral keyboard.
MIDI Terms
The following are some basic MIDI terms:
MIDI Instrument A hardware MIDI device or
software instrument (such as an instrument
plug-in).
MIDI Interface Hardware that lets computers
connect to and communicate with MIDI devices
(such as the M-Audio MIDISPORT).
MIDI signal flow
Not all devices will have all three MIDI
ports (IN, OUT, and THRU).
Pro Tools Reference Guide12
MIDI Device Any physical MIDI 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 MIDI
keyboards, MIDI guitar controllers, MIDI wind
controllers, and others. Controllers transmit
MIDI from their MIDI OUT ports.
MIDI Control Surface Any device (such as Com-
mand|8), which uses a MIDI connection to send
control messages to a software program, but is
not generally used to record MIDI information.
Multitimbral The ability of one MIDI device to
play several different instrument sounds (such
as piano, bass, and drums) simultaneously on
separate MIDI channels. This makes it possible
for a single multitimbral MIDI instrument to
play back entire arrangements.
MIDI Port A physical MIDI port on a MIDI inter-
face or a virtual MIDI port created in software.
There are separate ports for MIDI In and Out.
Physical MIDI ports connect to external MIDI
devices using MIDI cables. Virtual MIDI ports
connect software plug-ins and applications (see
also “Virtual MIDI Nodes”).
MIDI Channel Up to 16 channels of MIDI perfor-
mance data can be transmitted on a single MIDI
cable. The channel number separates the differ-
ent messages so your sound sources can receive
the correct messages.
Program Change Event A MIDI command that
tells a sound source which of its sounds (or
sound patches) to use. The MIDI protocol lets
you choose from a range of 128 patches.
Bank Select Message Many devices have more
than 128 patches, which are arranged in banks.
The Bank Select Message is a MIDI command
that specifies the bank of patches from which to
choose.
Local Control A controller setting found on most
MIDI keyboards that lets them play their own
sound source. Disabling “local control” ensures
that a device’s internal sound source is only
played by external MIDI messages (such as those
sent from Pro Tools when MIDI in Pro Tools is
routed to the MIDI keyboard). When using
Pro Tools, “local control” should usually be dis-
abled (for example, when using MIDI Thru).
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.
Virtual MIDI Nodes When using MIDI with in-
strument plug-ins in Pro Tools, virtual MIDI
nodes are created. These nodes act like MIDI
ports and provide software MIDI connections
between Pro Tools and other MIDI software,
such as instrument plug-ins. For example, when
you insert Propellerhead’s Reason as a ReWire
client on a track, the various MIDI inputs to
Reason become available to Pro Tools MIDI and
Instrument track MIDI outputs.
Common Misconcaptions About
MIDI
MIDI is not audio, and by itself makes no sound.
MIDI is control information only. It is like the
piano roll for a player piano; it provides control
information for what note to play when, for
how long, at what volume, and with what
sound (instrument). For example, when you
strike a key on a MIDI keyboard, it sends a mes-
sage to a MIDI instrument to play that particular
note at that particular velocity using the se-
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 13
lected sound (instrument). This could be its in-
ternal tone generator (like a synthesizer or sam-
pler), another external MIDI instrument, or an
instrument plug-in within Pro Tools. In order to
play and hear a MIDI recording, you must have
a MIDI instrument. Audio from an external
MIDI instrument can be sent to an external
mixer or monitored through your Pro Tools au-
dio interface (using either an Instrument track
or Auxiliary track).
If you are using an external MIDI instrument, it
must be connected to MIDI ports that are recog-
nized by your computer. These ports can be on a
Pro Tools interface that has MIDI ports (such as
an Mbox®) or some other MIDI interface (such
as an M-Audio MIDISPORT).
To actually hear an external MIDI instrument,
you need to connect its audio outputs to a mix-
ing console or connect it to one of the audio in-
puts of your Pro Tools audio interface.
Just as each Pro Tools system has unique hard-
ware features, each MIDI device has its own fea-
tures (and limitations) as to the number of
voices and instruments it can play at one time.
See the device’s documentation for information
on its capabilities.
MIDI in Pro Tools
Pro Tools provides powerful MIDI sequencing
capabilities. You can record, enter, edit, and
play back MIDI data on Pro Tools Instrument
and MIDI tracks. These actions can be done in
the Edit window, the MIDI Editor window, the
Score Editor window, and the MIDI Event List.
MIDI data in Pro Tools can be anything from
MIDI note data (note number, on/off, velocity)
to System Exclusive (Sysex) messages. MIDI data
can be recorded or played back from both exter-
nal MIDI devices with a MIDI interface (like the
M-Audio MIDISPORT or Mbox) and other MIDI
software (such as instrument plug-ins and
ReWire client applications).
Synchronization
When you are working with multiple time-
based systems, such as Pro Tools and an external
deck, you want both systems to be synchro-
nized. Synchronization is where one system out-
puts time code or MIDI Beat Clock and another
device synchronizes to or follows that time code
or MIDI Beat Clock so that they work together
according to the same clock source. Pro Tools
can be synchronized to other devices (or other
devices can be synchronized to Pro Tools) using
SMPTE/EBU time code or MIDI Time Code.
Signal paths for external MIDI instruments
For more information on different
SMPTE/EBU formats, and other concepts
related to time code, see the Pro Tools Sync
& Surround Concepts Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide14
Surround Sound
Surround sound simply means having one or
more speakers with discrete audio signals (chan-
nels) placed behind the listener in addition to
the typical stereo pair.
There are multiple types of surround formats in
use (from three-channel LCR to 7.1, which has
eight channels).
The most common surround format is 5.1,
which refers to having 5 speakers and a sub-
woofer (the “.1”). 5.1 is used in movie theaters
and home entertainment systems. Additionally,
most DVDs are mixed to 5.1. The standard
speaker placement for 5.1 for surround monitor-
ing is stereo left and right speakers, and an addi-
tional center speaker in front, two more stereo
left and right speakers in the rear, and the sub-
woofer on the side.
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with the Complete
Production Toolkit 2 option support mixing in
surround formats. In Pro Tools, each surround
format is considered to be a greater-than-stereo
multichannel format.
Pro Tools Sessions
When you start a project in Pro Tools, you create
a session. It can be helpful to understand the ba-
sic elements of a session.
Session File
A session file is the document that Pro Tools cre-
ates when you choose File > New Session and
configure a new session. Pro Tools can open
only one session file at a time. The session file is
named with a .ptf (Pro Tools file) extension. Ses-
sion files contain maps of all elements associ-
ated with a project, including audio files, MIDI
data, and all your edit and mix information. It is
important to realize that a Pro Tools session file
does not contain any media files (audio or
video). Instead, it references audio, video, MIDI,
and other files. You can make changes to a ses-
sion and save those changes in a new session
file. This lets you create multiple versions of a
session or back up your editing and mixing
work.
Tracks
Pro Tools tracks are where audio, MIDI, video,
and automation data are recorded and edited.
Pro Tools tracks also provide audio channels for
routing internal busses, and physical inputs and
outputs for audio and MIDI.
For information on fundamental surround
concepts, see the Pro Tools Sync & Surround
Concepts Guide. Session file icon
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 15
Pro Tools provides multiple types of tracks:
audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Mas-
ter, MIDI, Instrument, and video.
Audio, MIDI, Instrument, and video track data
can be edited into regions or repeated in differ-
ent locations to create loops, re-arrange sections
or entire songs, or to assemble tracks using ma-
terial from multiple takes.
Auxiliary Input tracks can route internal audio
busses or physical inputs to internal busses or
physical outputs. Auxiliary Inputs are typically
used for audio effects busses, audio throughput
(monitoring), and submixing.
Master Fader tracks provide controls for physical
audio output channels, including the volume
level of your mix, panning, and plug-in inserts.
VCA Master tracks (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only) pro-
vide control of tracks in a Mix Group that has
been assigned to the VCA Master.
Video tracks support QuickTime movies (all
Pro Tools systems) and VC-1 video files (Win-
dows 7 only). Additionally, Pro Tools supports
Avid video when using a supported Avid video
peripheral. An individual video track can play
back only one type of video at a time.
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and In-
strument tracks can be mono, stereo, or multi-
channel (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only). When
creating a new track, select from the list of chan-
nel formats supported by your system.
Voices
In Pro Tools, voices are unique, discrete audio
streams that can be routed to and from
Pro Tools audio tracks physical audio outputs
and inputs on your Pro Tools audio interfaces.
The audio paths to and from Pro Tools software
routed to Pro Tools hardware use voices. If you
exceed the number of available voices in your
system, you have effectively exceeded the avail-
able number of audio paths.
Typically, each audio channel for each track in
your Pro Tools session uses a single voice. So, for
a mono audio track, a single voice is used; for a
stereo audio track, two voices are used. When
using Punch Recording, two voices are needed
for every single audio channel (one for playback
and one for recording on punch in and out). In
some situations, with Pro Tools|HD systems,
more than one voice may be necessary for a sin-
gle channel (such as when using host processing
on a TDM bus).
Audio track in the Edit window (stereo track shown)
MIDI track in the Edit window
Video track in Frames view
Pro Tools Reference Guide16
Voices can be allocated dynamically (with all
Pro Tools systems, any available voices are auto-
matically assigned as they are needed) or explic-
itly (with Pro Tools HD only, you can explicitly
assign audio channels to specific available
voices to ensure that audio on that channel is al-
ways voiced).
On Pro Tools|HD systems, the number of avail-
able voices is dependent on the amount of ded-
icated DSP processing in your system (see “Play-
back, Recording, and Voice Limits with
Pro Tools HD” on page 44).
On all other Pro Tools systems, the full number
of available voices for your system may be lim-
ited by the host processing power of your com-
puter (see “Pro Tools System Capabilities” on
page 53).
Media Files
Pro Tools sessions create, import, export, and
reference media files. Media files are audio,
MIDI, and video files. Audio and video media
files are stored separately from the Pro Tools ses-
sion file. MIDI data is stored in the session file.
Audio Files
When you record audio into a Pro Tools session,
audio files are created.
Audio files for each session are stored in a folder
named “Audio Files.” Audio files are listed in the
Pro Tools Region List and can appear in an au-
dio track. A section of an audio file can be de-
fined as a region. See “Region” on page 16.
MIDI Files
When you record or enter MIDI into a Pro Tools
session, all MIDI data is stored in the Pro Tools
session file. You can import and export MIDI
files to and from Pro Tools sessions, but MIDI
recorded or otherwise created in a Pro Tools
session does not automatically create new MIDI
files.
Video Files
When you record or import video into a
Pro Tools session, all video data is stored as the
corresponding video file type (such as Quick-
Time). Video files can be created in (or copied
to) the Video Files folder in the session folder.
However, in most cases, Pro Tools references
video files that have been captured by another
application, such as Avid Media Composer®.
Region
A region is a segment of audio, MIDI, or video
data. A region could be a drum loop, a guitar riff,
a verse of a song, a recording take, a sound ef-
fect, some dialog, or an entire sound file. Re-
gions are especially useful for arranging audio
and MIDI. A region can also have associated au-
tomation data. In Pro Tools, regions are created
For more information about voicing in
Pro Tools, see “Track Priority and Voice As-
signment” on page 233.
Audio file icons
MIDI file icon
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 17
from audio files or MIDI data, and can be ar-
ranged in audio and MIDI track playlists. Re-
gions can also be grouped (a region of regions)
and looped (repeated).
Playlist
A playlist is a sequence of regions arranged on an
audio, MIDI, or video track. Tracks have edit
playlists and automation playlists.
On audio tracks, an edit playlist tells the hard
disk which audio regions to play in what order.
For example, you can have separate audio re-
gions for a song introduction, the first verse, the
first chorus, and so on. You can also use the
same audio region to access the same piece of
audio multiple times at different locations and
not use additional disk space. Different versions
of the same original audio can be used in differ-
ent places and have different effects applied. On
MIDI and Instrument tracks, edit playlists can
store multiple MIDI sequences (or perfor-
mances) on a track.
A playlist can be made up of a single region or
many separate regions. It can be made up of sim-
ilar elements, such as regions from several differ-
ent takes of a solo, or dissimilar elements, such
as several sound effects.
You can create any number of alternate edit
playlists for a track. This lets you assemble differ-
ent versions of performances or edits on a single
track and choose between them from the Play-
lists menu on the track.
Audio region
MIDI region
Video region (Frames view)
Region group (Mixed audio and MIDI multitrack region
group)
Playlist selector pop-up menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide18
Each audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, Master
Fader, and VCA track also has a single set of au-
tomation playlists. Automation playlists can in-
clude volume, pan, mute, and each automation-
enabled control for the insert and send assign-
ments on that track.
MIDI controller data on Instrument and MIDI
tracks is always included as part of the track
playlist.
Channel
The term channel is used to describe several re-
lated components of a Pro Tools system. The
first example of channel refers to a physical in-
put or output of your Pro Tools system. For ex-
ample, HD I/O provides up to 16 channels of au-
dio input and output to a Pro Tools|HD or
Pro Tools|HD Native system, while an Mbox au-
dio interface provides up to four inputs and two
outputs.
The second use of the term channel refers to a
channel strip in the Pro Tools Mix window.
Each track in a Pro Tools session has a corre-
sponding channel strip in the Mix window.
Audio and MIDI channel strips have similar
controls, but those controls have slightly differ-
ent effects. For example, audio, Auxiliary Input,
and Instrument track channel strip faders con-
trol the output gain to the mix bus for that
channel, while MIDI channel strip faders send
MIDI volume data (MIDI controller 7) to the se-
lected MIDI instrument.
The term ‘MIDI channel’ also describes a
separate aspect of MIDI operation. See
“MIDI” on page 11. Channel strip in the Mix window (audio track)
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 19
Signal Routing
Pro Tools provides software-based mixing and
signal routing controls for audio and MIDI.
These controls are located in the Mix window.
Some of these controls can also be accessed from
the Edit window.
A common audio signal routing task is to sub-
mix multiple tracks to a single channel strip
(such as an Auxiliary Input) for shared process-
ing and level control.
The following example shows two audio tracks
submixed to a stereo Auxiliary Input.
Signal Routing Options
Signal routing options include the following:
Track Input and Output (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 mapped
output path in order to be audible through a
hardware output. Signals can also be routed to
or from other tracks in Pro Tools (or hardware
inputs and outputs) using internal busses.
Auxiliary Input and Master Fader Tracks Auxil-
iary Inputs can be used as returns, submixers,
and bus masters. Master Fader tracks are used as
bus and output master level controls. Both Aux-
iliary Input and Master Fader tracks can have
plug-in and hardware inserts.
MIDI Tracks MIDI tracks are generally used for
routing MIDI from internal or external sources
to external MIDI devices. MIDI data can also be
routed to plug-ins on Auxiliary Inputs or Instru-
ment tracks.
Instrument Tracks Instrument tracks are the pri-
mary way to route MIDI to an instrument plug-
in and then route the plug-in’s sound to out-
puts, sends and busses, or other inserts. Instru-
ment tracks can also be used to send MIDI to
and monitor audio from external MIDI devices.
Sends Sends route audio from tracks to hard-
ware outputs, or to internal busses that are in
turn routed to other tracks within Pro Tools.
MIDI, Master Fader, and VCA Master tracks do
not have sends.
Submixing to an Auxiliary Input
Input from
stereo bus
path
Outputs to
stereo bus
path
Audio tracks
Inserts
Sends
Auxiliary
Input
Track
Pro Tools Reference Guide20
Plug-In and Hardware Inserts Plug-In processing
occurs completely within the Pro Tools system.
Hardware inserts use audio interface inputs and
outputs for traditional insert routing to and
from external effects and other devices. MIDI
and VCA Master tracks do not have inserts.
Instrument Plug-Ins Instrument plug-ins are dif-
ferent from processing plug-ins in that they gen-
erate audio rather than process the audio signal
from a track’s audio input or from hard disk.
Instrument plug-ins are typically played by
MIDI.
Paths Paths are any routing option in Pro Tools,
including internal or external inputs, outputs,
busses, and inserts. Pro Tools lets you name
these paths, and these path names appear in the
Audio Input and Output Path selectors and
other menus. For more information, see
Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”
Mixing Formats Sessions can include combina-
tions of mono, stereo, and greater-than-stereo
multichannel format tracks, busses, inputs, out-
puts, and inserts. Greater-than-stereo multi-
channel formats are supported with
Pro Tools HD, and Pro Tools with the Complete
Production Toolkit 2 option only.
Grouping and VCA Tracks Tracks can be grouped
together for mixing so that their relative mix
settings are maintained when changing a mix
setting for any track in the group (for example,
changing the volume of one track affects the
volume of all the other tracks in the group).
VCA Master tracks (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only) con-
trol the relative mix settings for all tracks within
the selected group.
Tick-Based and Sample-Based
Time
Pro Tools lets you set any track timebase to
either sample-based or tick-based. You can also
set the Timeline to be viewed as tick-based or
sample-based.
Audio in Pro Tools is sample-based by default.
This means that if an audio region is located at a
particular sample location, it will not move
from that location if the tempo changes in the
session—though its Bar|Beat location will
change.
MIDI data in Pro Tools is tick-based by default.
This means that if a MIDI region is located at a
particular Bar|Beat location, it will not move
from that Bar|Beat location if the tempo changes
in the session—though its sample location will
change.
You can select whether a track is sample-based
or tick-based when it is created, or change time-
bases later.
Sample-Based Audio and MIDI
With a sample-based audio track, all regions in
the track have an absolute location on the Time-
line. Regions stay fixed to the sample time, re-
gardless of where tempo or meter changes occur
in a session.
If you make a MIDI track sample-based, all MIDI
events in the track have an absolute location on
the Timeline. MIDI events stay fixed to sample
time, regardless of any tempo or meter changes
in a session.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 21
Tick-Based Audio and MIDI
Tick-based audio is fixed to a Bars|Beat location,
and moves relative to the sample Timeline when
tempo and meter changes occur. However, MIDI
events and tick-based audio respond differently
to tempo changes with respect to duration.
MIDI note events change length when tempo or
meter is adjusted, while audio regions do not
(unless Elastic Audio is enabled). When Elastic
Audio is not enabled on an audio track, meter
and tempo changes affect only the start point
(or sync point) for each audio region in a tick-
based track. If Elastic Audio is enabled on an au-
dio track, tempo changes apply Elastic Audio
processing, which changes the duration of the
audio region.
Elastic Audio
Elastic Audio provides real-time and non-real-
time (rendered) Time Compression and Expan-
sion (TCE) of audio. Tick-based Elastic Audio
tracks actually change the location of samples
according to changes in tempo. The audio
stretches or compresses to match changes in
tempo. Elastic Audio also provides high-quality
non-real-time region-based pitch shifting.
Pro Tools Elastic Audio uses exceptionally high-
quality transient detection algorithms, beat and
tempo analysis, and real-time or rendered TCE
processing algorithms. Elastic Audio lets you
quickly and easily tempo conform and beat
match audio to the session’s Tempo ruler. It also
provides an unprecedented degree of control
over transient detection and TCE processing on
an event-by-event basis.
With Elastic Audio, Pro Tools analyzes entire au-
dio files for transient “events.” For example, an
event can be a drum hit, a sung note, or chord
played by a guitar. These detected events can
then serve as control points for “warping” the
audio. Pro Tools can warp (TCE) audio events
automatically, such as when automatically con-
forming audio to the session tempo or quantiz-
ing audio events, or you can warp audio manu-
ally using the standard editing tools with the
audio track set to Warp view.
Elastic Audio is useful in several common work-
flows: working with loops, correcting perfor-
mances, remixing, beat and pitch matching,
and sound design and special effects.
System Resources
Track count, plug-in processing, signal path and
routing options, and voice availability are ulti-
mately limited by the combined resources avail-
able from the host computer and from your
Pro Tools hardware.
Pro Tools provides several ways to manage and
conserve resources to maximize the perfor-
mance 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:
Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of
your system by changing system settings that af-
fect its capacity for processing, playback, and re-
cording. See “Configuring Pro Tools System
Settings” on page 60.
Pro Tools Reference Guide22
In order to free up needed DSP resources,
Pro Tools allows for certain items (such as tracks
and inserts) to be manually made inactive. Inac-
tive elements are viewable, editable, and re-
tained within the session. See “Active and
Inactive Items” on page 22.
All Pro Tools systems provide flexible voice
options for audio tracks, to help maximize use
of available voices in your system. For more in-
formation on voice management and options,
see “Voice Borrowing” on page 236.
Active and Inactive Items
Pro Tools lets you make certain items (such as
tracks and inserts) inactive, in order to free up
DSP resources and mixer connections.
Items in Pro Tools that can be made inactive
include the following:
• Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
VCA Master, and Instrument tracks
• Track Inputs and Outputs
•Sends
• Side-chain inputs
•Plug-Ins
• Hardware inserts
• Paths (session-wide)
In addition to manually setting Active and Inac-
tive modes, Pro Tools automatically makes
items inactive if there are insufficient or un-
available resources.
When active, items are fully engaged and opera-
tional.
When inactive, items are silent and off, although
most associated controls can still be adjusted.
Different inactive items affect available system
resources in specific ways, as follows:
Plug-Ins When a plug-in is inactive on a track, its
DSP is made available for other plug-ins and pro-
cessing. Plug-In assignments can be made inac-
tive manually or automatically (see “Automatic
and Manual Inactive Mode” on page 23).
Paths and Path Assignments When a path or
path assignment is inactive, its mixer resources
are made available for other signal routing pur-
poses in the session. Paths and assignments can
be made inactive manually or automatically (see
“Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode” on
page 23).
Tracks When a track is made inactive, its voices
become available for another track. Inactive
mono tracks free up one voice; inactive stereo
and multichannel tracks free up one voice per
channel. Additionally, when an audio, Auxiliary
Input, Instrument, or Master Fader track is made
inactive, its plug-ins, inserts, sends, and I/O
assignments become inactive, and the associ-
ated DSP used is freed up for use elsewhere in the
session.
MIDI tracks cannot be made inactive.
Side-chain inputs support direct active and
inactive switching, but do not follow
switching all or all selected side-chain
inputs.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 23
Display of Inactive Items
When items are inactive, their names appear in
italics, and their background becomes dark gray.
When a track is inactive, the entire channel strip
is grayed out.
Automatic and Manual Inactive Mode
Active and Inactive modes are powerful options
for session transfer and system resource manage-
ment. 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 mix-
ing.
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. When opening a session,
sufficient voices may also be unavailable if the
session was created on a different Pro Tools sys-
tem type (for example, opening a session created
on a Pro Tools|HD system on a Pro Tools system
with an Mbox audio interface).
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.
Active and inactive plug-ins, sends, and tracks
Active Inactive plug-in
Inactive track
Pro Tools Reference Guide24
DigiBase
DigiBase is a database management tool for
Pro Tools. DigiBase expands upon basic
Pro Tools search and import capabilities by pro-
viding powerful tools to manage your data both
inside and outside of your sessions, on any hard
drive connected to the system.
A database is a way of organizing data such that
it can easily be searched, sorted, managed, and
utilized. Your checkbook is an example of a da-
tabase file. For every check you write, you enter
a new record. That record contains information
about the check, such as when you wrote it, to
whom you wrote it, and for what amount. This
information is written in specific columns, or
fields. Everything you need to know (the check’s
metadata) is there, even though the check itself
is not.
DigiBase browsers let you search, sort, and
mange these databases by volume or catalog.
You can use DigiBase browsers not only to orga-
nize your Pro Tools sessions and media files (au-
dio, MIDI, and video), but also to audition and
import by drag and drop.
AAF, MXF, and OMF
Pro Tools lets you exchange audio, video, and
sequences with other AAF-, MXF-, and OMF-
compatible applications (such as Avid editors).
Media Data (Media Files)
Media data represents raw audio or video mate-
rial and is stored in individual media files. Every
time you record a piece of video or audio mate-
rial into an application, you are creating a media
file. Audio media files hold samples (such as
44,100 or 48,000 samples per second of record-
ing) while video media files use frames (24, 25,
or 30 frames per second of recording).
The size of each media file depends on how
much audio or video material it contains. For
example, a file containing ten minutes of high
resolution video might be approximately
2.16 GB in size, whereas a ten-minute audio re-
cording at the might result in a 100 MB file. Me-
dia files tend to be large, since high quality au-
dio and video signals are data intensive. Video
data generally requires considerably more stor-
age than audio data.
For more information about DigiBase, see
“DigiBase” on page 273.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 25
Metadata
Metadata is used to describe the following:
• Information embedded in a media file. This
may include scene, take, sample rate, bit
depth, region names, the name of the video-
tape from which the media file was captured,
and even time code values.
• Information embedded in Pro Tools sessions
or other sequences, including what files are
used, where they appear in a timeline, and au-
tomation.
• For AAF or OMF sequences, metadata also in-
cludes information embedded in unrendered
AudioSuite™ effects (such as real-time EQ) on
Avid workstations. Pro Tools skips unrendered
effects on import. Rendered effects are media
files that can be imported into Pro Tools.
• For AAF or OMF sequences, information
about automation (clip-based gain or key-
frame gain).
AAF, OMF, and MXF Basics
AAF and OMF files are mechanisms for storing
and retrieving media files and metadata so that
projects can be freely exchanged between differ-
ent applications and platforms. MXF is a media
file format that can be used with AAF (but not
OMF) files.
Media data and metadata enable an application
that receives AAF and OMF sequence files (such
as Pro Tools) to automatically and quickly reas-
semble the composition. A simple metaphor for
this approach is that media data files are the
pieces of a puzzle and metadata is the set of in-
structions for assembling the puzzle.
In the simplest case, only an AAF or OMF se-
quence is exchanged. If this sequence points to
existing media files, the size of the sequence file
is relatively small and the export/import process
is relatively fast.
AAF and OMF sequences can also have media
data embedded in them. This creates a single,
larger file that is slower to export and import,
but which may be easier to manage than thou-
sands of files stored on different volumes.
AAF
AAF is a sequence file format. AAF sequences are
the best way to exchange projects and maintain
valuable metadata. An AAF sequence can refer to
OMF or MXF media files, or have OMF and MXF
media files embedded within them. There is no
such thing as an AAF audio or video media file.
Pro Tools will import, play back, and export an
AAF sequence that either links to media files or
has audio embedded within it.
When you import an AAF sequence with em-
bedded audio into Pro Tools, the audio will be
extracted into mono tracks using the current
session’s audio file format.
Pro Tools Reference Guide26
MXF
MXF is a media file format. There are MXF video
files and MXF audio files, but there are no MXF
sequences. An AAF sequence may refer to or in-
clude MXF media files, but OMF sequences can-
not refer to or include MXF files.
Pro Tools can import and play back MXF audio
and video files created in Media Composer or
other Avid applications.
OMF
OMF is both a media file and sequence format.
OMF media files can be audio or video, and
Pro Tools can import and play back OMF audio
and video. Pro Tools can also export OMF audio,
but not OMF video.
Pro Tools can import and play back OMF audio
and video files created in Media Composer or
other applications.
An OMF sequence cannot reference or have
MXF media embedded within it.
Pro Tools can import an OMF sequence with
embedded audio, but not embedded video.
Pro Tools and Avid Terminology
Pro Tools and Avid use different terms to de-
scribe the same items. For example, a Pro Tools
session is equivalent to an Avid sequence. The fol-
lowing table lists common Pro Tools elements
and their Avid equivalents.
MXF file icon
Video files digitized in Pro Tools are techni-
cally in the MXF format, but are intended
only for use in Pro Tools and are not tested for
compatibility with other applications.
Pro Tools Avid (AAF or OMF)
session sequence
whole file region master clip
region subclip
plug-ins real-time audio effects
volume automation gain Avid keyframe volume
Pro Tools does not have a feature that com-
pares to Avid clip-based gain. However, you
can use the Clip-Based Gain pop-up menu (in
the Import Session Data dialog) to map clip-
based gain settings to Pro Tools breakpoint
automation, or to ignore clip-based gain en-
tirely. See “Clip-Based Gain Pop-Up Menu”
on page 354.
Whole audio files in the Regions List nor-
mally appear in bold type. However, master
clip audio files imported from AAF or OMF
into Pro Tools will not appear in bold type (in-
dicating regions) in the Pro Tools Regions List
even though they are audio files.
Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 27
Embedded Media and Linked Media
There are two types of AAF and OMF files: ones with embedded media, and ones with linked media.
Embedded Media
Exporting to AAF or OMF with embedded media results in one large AAF or OMF file containing both
the metadata and all associated media files.
When working with OMF embedded media or creating AAF embedded audio, Pro Tools limits file size
to 2 GB. However, you may be able to use Pro Tools to open an AAF embedded audio file larger than
2 GB if it was exported from another source.
AAF/OMF Interchange Workflow with Embedded Media
Avid Workstation Edited Sequence
Embedded AAF/OMF File (metadata and media)
Export AAF/OMF with Embedded Media
Refers to:
Original Source Media Files
Sequence (metadata) Consolidated Media Files
(with Handle)
creates...
Pro Tools Reference Guide28
Linked Media
Exporting AAF or OMF with linked media results in a single metadata file (.AAF or .OMF) and all as-
sociated media stored as separate files.
The main benefit to this approach is that fewer copies of media files may need to be made, so the ex-
port and import process can be much faster. Using this approach, it is less likely that you will encoun-
ter any file size limitations since the data is broken up into many smaller files.
The main disadvantage to this approach is that there are potentially many files (for example, one AAF
or OMF file and hundreds of media files) that must be transported between systems.
AAF and OMF Interchange Workflow with Linked Media
Linked to:
Linked to:
Linked to:
Avid Workstation Edited Sequence
AAF/OMF File (metadata only)
Original Source Media Files
Translated Pro Tools Session File
Pro Tools Imports
Session File
Avid Workstation exports
sequence edits and
file information as AAF
or OMF sequence
Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 29
Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse
Shortcuts
A PDF listing of all shortcuts is available in
Pro Tools. Choose Help > Shortcuts.
Mouse Shortcuts
Right-Click Shortcuts
Pro Tools provides Right-click shortcuts for
choosing various Pro Tools commands and
menus with any Right-click capable mouse.
Scroll-wheel Functions
Pro Tools lets you increment or decrement val-
ues in numerical fields by selecting the value
and moving the mouse scroll wheel up or down.
Global Key Commands
Some keyboard shortcuts apply to many func-
tions in Pro Tools.
Track Functions
Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for the
following track functions:
• Changing Automation mode
• Enabling playlists
•Adding plug-ins
• Record enabling, soloing, and muting
tracks
• Record safing and solo safing tracks
• Assigning inputs, outputs, and sends
• Toggling volume/peak/delay display
• Clearing meters
• Changing track heights
For a complete list of Right-click shortcuts,
see the Shortcuts Guide.
For a complete list of keyboard shortcuts,
see the Shortcuts Guide.
Command Windows Mac
Apply action to all
channel strips/tracks
Alt+
action
Option+
action
Apply action to
selected channel
strips/tracks
Alt+
Shift+
action
Option+
Shift+
action
Pro Tools Reference Guide30
List and Parameter Selection
Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for the
following items:
• Selection of tracks in Track List
• Enabling of groups in Group List
• Automation Enable window parameters
• Setting Memory Location parameters
Controls and Editing Tools
Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for mov-
ing plug-in controls, faders and sliders, the
Scrubber, and automation data.
Keyboard Focus
The Keyboard Focus in Pro Tools determines
how the alpha keys function. Depending on
which Keyboard Focus is enabled, you can use
the keys on your computer (alpha) keyboard to
select regions in the Region List, enable or dis-
able groups, or perform an edit or play com-
mand.
You can only enable one of the three Keyboard
Focus modes at a time. Enabling a Keyboard Fo-
cus will disable the one previously enabled.
There are three types of Keyboard Focus:
Commands Keyboard Focus When selected in
the Tracks pane in the Edit window or in the
Notes pane of any MIDI Editor window, this
provides a wide range of single key shortcuts
from the computer keyboard for editing and
playing. The frontmost Edit or MIDI Editor win-
dow always receives Commands Keyboard Focus
when it is enabled.
With Commands Keyboard Focus disabled, you
can still access any of its key shortcuts by press-
ing the Start key (Windows) or Control (Mac)
along with the key. See the Shortcuts Guide for a
complete list of Commands Keyboard Focus
shortcuts.
Region List Keyboard Focus When selected, au-
dio regions, MIDI regions, and region groups
can be located and selected in the Region List by
typing the first few letters of the region’s name.
Group List Keyboard Focus When selected, Mix
and Edit Groups can be enabled or disabled by
typing the Group ID letter (in either the Mix or
Edit window).
Command Windows Mac
Toggle item and set
all others to same
new state
Alt-click item Option-click
item
Toggle item and set
all others to opposite
state
Control-click
item
Command-
click item
Command Windows Mac
Fine adjustment
of sliders,
knobs, and
breakpoints
Hold Control
while click-
ing the item
Hold Command
while clicking
the item
Keyboard Focus buttons
Region List
Keyboard Focus
Group List
Keyboard Focus
Commands Keyboard Focus
(Edit window)
Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 31
To set the Keyboard Focus, do one of the following:
Click the a–z button for the focus you want to
enable.
– or –
While pressing Control+Alt (Windows) or
Command+Option (Mac), press one of the fol-
lowing keys: 1 (Commands), 2 (Region List), or
3 (Group List).
Toolbar Focus
In the Edit window, the MIDI Editor pane can be
displayed in addition to the Tracks pane (View >
Other Displays > MIDI Editor). When the MIDI Ed-
itor pane is displayed, there are two separate
Toolbars and Timelines in the Edit window: one
for the Tracks pane and one for the MIDI Editor
pane. Only one Toolbar and Timeline can be fo-
cused for Menu and Toolbar commands (includ-
ing the corresponding keyboard shortcuts) at a
time. The focused Toolbar displays a yellow out-
line.
If Keyboard Focus for the Edit window is en-
abled, it follows the selected Toolbar focus.
To enable Toolbar focus for the Tracks pane, do
one of the following:
Click the Toolbar at the top of the Edit
window.
– or –
Press Control+Alt+4 (Windows) or
Command+Option+4 (Mac).
To enable Toolbar focus for the MIDI Editor pane,
do one of the following:
Click the Toolbar right above the MIDI Editor
pane.
– or –
Press Control+Alt+5 (Windows) or
Command+Option+5 (Mac).
Numeric Keypad Modes
The Operation preference for Numeric Keypad
mode determines how the numeric keypad
functions for Transport.
There are two Shuttle Lock modes (Classic and
Transport), and one Shuttle mode.
No matter which Numeric Keypad mode is se-
lected, you can always use the numeric keypad
to select and enter values in the Event Edit Area,
Edit Selection indicators, Main and Sub Coun-
ters, and Transport fields.
To set the Numeric Keypad Mode:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Oper-
ation tab.
2 In the Transport section, select a Numeric Key-
pad mode (Classic, Transport, or Shuttle).
3 Click OK.
Although multiple plug-in windows can have
a keyboard focus enabled, only the front-
most window receives any keyboard input.
Pro Tools Reference Guide32
Shuttle Lock Modes
There are two Shuttle Lock modes (Classic and
Transport). Both modes let you use the numeric
keypad to shuttle forward or backwards at spe-
cific speeds.
• 5 is normal speed.
• 6–9 provide increasingly faster fast-forward
speeds.
• 1–4 provide progressively faster rewind
speeds (4 is the slowest rewind Shuttle Lock
speed, 1 is the fastest).
• Press 0 to stop Shuttle Lock, then press the
number to resume Shuttle Lock speed.
• Press Escape or Spacebar to exit Shuttle
Lock mode.
Custom Shuttle Lock Speed
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The highest fast-forward Shuttle Lock speed
(key 9) can be customized.
Classic Mode
This mode emulates the way Pro Tools worked
in versions lower than 5.0. With the Numeric
Keypad mode set to Classic, you can:
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle
Lock mode. Press the Start key (Windows)
or Control (Mac), followed by 1–9 for dif-
ferent play speeds.
• Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.
• Press 0 to stop Shuttle Lock, then press the
number to resume Shuttle Lock speed.
• Press Escape or Spacebar to exit Shuttle
Lock mode.
• Recall Memory Locations by typing the
Memory Location, followed by a Period (.).
Transport Mode
This mode lets you set a number of record and
play functions, and also operate the Transport
from the numeric keypad.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport,
you can also:
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle
Lock mode. Press the Start key (Windows)
or Control (Mac), followed by 1–9 for dif-
ferent play speeds.
• Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.
• Press 0 to stop Shuttle Lock, then press the
number to resume Shuttle Lock speed.
• Press Escape or Spacebar to exit Shuttle
Lock mode.
• Recall Memory Locations by typing Period
(.), the Memory Location number, and Pe-
riod (.) again.
For information, see “Custom Shuttle Lock
Speed” on page 557.
Function Key
Click on/off 7
Countoff on/off 8
MIDI Merge/Replace mode 9
Loop Playback mode on/off 4
Loop Record mode on/off 5
QuickPunch mode on/off 6
Rewind 1
Fast Forward 2
Record enable 3
Play/Stop 0
Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 33
Shuttle Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, dif-
ferent from that of the two Shuttle Lock modes.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle,
playback of the current Edit selection is trig-
gered by pressing and holding the keys on the
numeric keypad—playback stops once the keys
are released. Various playback speeds are avail-
able in both forward and reverse. In this mode,
pre- and post-roll are ignored.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle,
you can also:
• Recall Memory Locations by typing Period (.),
the Memory Location number, and Period (.)
again.
Playback Speeds Key
1x Forward 6
1x Rewind 4
4x Forward 9
4x Rewind 7
1/4x Forward 3
1/4x Rewind 1
1/2x Forward 5+6
1/2x Rewind 5+4
2x Forward 8+9
2x Rewind 8+7
1/16x Forward 2+3
1/16x Rewind 2+1
Loop Selection (1x) 0
Shuttle Lock modes are not available when
the Numeric Keypad mode is set to Shuttle.
Pro Tools Reference Guide34
Chapter 4: Using Help 35
Chapter 4: Using Help
Pro Tools Help provides quick access to work-
flows and reference information. Built-in search
capabilities and an index are included to better
support your Help needs.
Accessing the Help System
To access Help in Pro Tools:
Choose Help > Online Help.
You can get help and background information
for tasks, windows, dialog boxes, and screen ob-
jects through your Avid Help system. The Help
system is HTML-based and operates in your de-
fault Web browser.
Understanding the Help
Display
The Help system uses the following main dis-
play areas:
• Help topics open in the right frame of the
browser.
• Navigation buttons and links for controlling
the Help display appear in the top area.
• Navigation tools (such as the Contents and
the Index) open in the left frame of the
browser.
The Help system’s search functionality has
a limitation when the Help system is run-
ning in the Safari browser. You can perform
one search successfully, but subsequent
searches do not return results until you clear
the Safari cache. You can do this by quitting
Safari and relaunching the Help, or by emp-
tying the cache directly (select Safari >
Empty Cache, or use the Command+Op-
tion+E keyboard shortcut). Other browsers,
for example Mozilla Firefox, do not have
this limitation.
Pro Tools Reference Guide36
Using the Help Navigation
Tools
The left frame of the Help browser is the display
area for most of the Help system’s main naviga-
tion tools.
The Contents provides a list of links to the main
topics in the Help system. By default, the Con-
tents tab shows only links to the first topic in
each chapter. This lets you quickly see the over-
all organization of the Help system. You can ex-
pand any chapter in the Contents to show the
main topics within that chapter, and you can
move to any of these topics by clicking its entry
in the Contents tab.
The Index provides an alphabetized list of en-
tries similar to the index of a printed book. If
Java is enabled in your browser, the Index dis-
plays as a dynamic index where the listing
scrolls as you type a word in the text box. If you
do not have Java enabled in your browser, or if
your browser does not support Java implemen-
tations, a JavaScript version of the index dis-
plays which lets you scroll manually through
the entries.
The Search tab lets you search the entire text of
the Help system for one or more words and then
lists the topics that include those words.
How the Search Feature
Works
The Search feature provides the best combina-
tion of usefulness and speed. To use Search suc-
cessfully, you should understand the following
aspects of the Search feature:
• The Search feature uses a database of valid
words. This database includes all words that
are significant for identifying topics and ex-
cludes all other words. When you type words
in the search text box, the system ignores any
invalid words that you have typed and
searches for valid words.
• The Search feature cannot search for words in
a certain order. For example, if you type “TIFF
graphics import” as a search entry, Search dis-
plays all topics that contains these three
words regardless of their location in the topic.
The results include topics where the three
words appear together as a phrase, and also
topics where the three words are scattered
throughout the topic.
• The Search feature cannot distinguish be-
tween words that are similar but not identical.
For example, if you type “capture” as a search
entry, Search displays topics that include that
word, but it does not find topics that include
related words such as “captures” or “captur-
ing.” If a search for a word fails to produce
useful results, you might be more successful if
you search again using one of the related
words.
The Help system’s search functionality has
a limitation when the Help system is run-
ning in the Safari browser. You can perform
one search successfully, but subsequent
searches do not return results until you clear
the Safari cache. You can do this by quitting
Safari and relaunching the Help, or by emp-
tying the cache directly (select Safari >
Empty Cache, or use the Command+Op-
tion+E keyboard shortcut). Other browsers,
for example Mozilla Firefox, do not have
this limitation.
Remember that Help includes a comprehen-
sive index. If Search does not produce useful
results for a particular topic, you can often
find the specific information you need
quickly by using the index.
Chapter 4: Using Help 37
Printing Help Topics
You can print a Help topic if you need to refer to
it during a complicated procedure or to use it for
reference later.
See your browser documentation for more infor-
mation on print options.
To print a Help topic:
1 Click the topic frame within the browser win-
dow that you want to print.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Print button.
– or –
• Select File > Print.
3 Select the print options.
4 Click Print.
Copying from a Help Topic
You cannot paste text from one topic into an-
other.
To copy information from a Help topic to another
document:
1 Open or click the topic to make it active, and
then select the text that you want to copy.
2 Choose Edit > Copy.
3 Place the mouse pointer in another applica-
tion, such as a word processing application.
4 Choose Edit > Paste to paste the copied text
into a document. (You can also paste the text
into the Search text box.)
(Windows only) You can print a topic by
clicking the right mouse button and select-
ing Print. (Mac only) The print button does
not appear in Internet Explorer 5.2.
Pro Tools Reference Guide38
39
Part II: System Configuration
40
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 41
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems
There are three types of Pro Tools systems,
classified by their audio hardware:
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native Systems
These systems include ProTools HD software
with Pro Tools|HD or Pro Tools|HD Native hard-
ware.
Pro Tools Systems
These systems include ProTools software with
qualified Avid audio interfaces (such as Eleven®
Rack, 003®, Mbox®, or M-Audio® Fast Track® or
ProFire 2626).
Pro Tools Core Audio and ASIO Systems
These systems include ProTools software run-
ning on the built-in audio available on Mac
computers (Core Audio), or running with third-
party audio interfaces that support Core Audio
(Mac) or ASIO (Windows) drivers.
Pro Tools|HD Systems
Each system requires at least one Pro Tools|HD
audio interface (sold separately). Pro Tools|HD
systems can be expanded by adding
Pro Tools|HD cards to increase track count and
the amount of plug-in and mixer processing,
and by adding additional audio interfaces.
For a list of qualified audio interfaces
and computers, visit
www.avid.com/compatibility.
Pro Tools system performance depends on
factors such as computer processor speed,
amount of system memory, and hard drive
performance. Visit the Avid website
(www.avid.com) for the latest system re-
quirements and compatibility information.
Pro Tools Reference Guide42
Pro Tools|HD systems are available in the
following configurations:
Pro Tools|HD 1
Includes:
• Accel Core (for PCIe) card or
HD Core™ (for PCI) card
• Pro Tools HD software
Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel
Includes:
• Accel Core (for PCIe) card or
HD Core (for PCI) card
• HD Accel card
• Pro Tools HD software
Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel
Includes:
• Accel Core (for PCIe) card or
HD Core (for PCI) card
• Two HD Accel cards
• Pro Tools HD software
Pro Tools|HD 2
Includes:
• HD Core card
•HD Process
™ card
• Pro Tools HD software
Pro Tools|HD 3
Includes:
• HD Core card
• Two HD Process cards
• Pro Tools HD software
Supported Pro Tools|HD Audio
Interfaces
The following audio interfaces are compatible
with Pro Tools|HD systems:
•HD I/O
•HD OMNI
• HD MADI
•192 I/O
™
•192 Digital I/O
™
•96 I/O
™
•96i I/O
™
Maximum I/O Configuration
Pro Tools|HD supports up to a maximum com-
bination of ten total of the following audio in-
terfaces:
• HD OMNI (only one HD OMNI interface is
supported in a single Pro Tools|HD system)
• HD I/O (up to ten HD I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously—requires five HD
cards)
• HD MADI (up to three HD MADI interfaces
can be used simultaneously—requires six
HD cards)
• 192 I/O (up to ten 192 I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously—requires five HD
cards)
• 192 Digital I/O (up to ten 192 Digital I/O
interfaces can be used simultaneously—re-
quires five HD cards)
• 96 I/O (up to ten 96 I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously—requires five HD
cards)
• 96i I/O (up to five 96i I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously)
Pro Tools|HD PCI cards require a PCI to
PCIe expansion chassis. For more infor-
mation, see the Expanded Systems Guide.
Pro Tools|HD systems require at least one
HD I/O, HD OMNI, HD MADI, 192 I/O,
192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O.
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 43
Expanded Pro Tools|HD Systems
You can expand your Pro Tools|HD system by
adding Pro Tools|HD cards to your computer, ei-
ther directly in the computer or using an expan-
sion chassis. Expanding your Pro Tools system
provides increased track counts, adds to the
amount of possible plug-in and mixer process-
ing, and lets you connect additional audio inter-
faces. With support for up to 7 Pro Tools|HD
cards in a single system, a Pro Tools|HD system
can support up to 160 channels of simultaneous
input and output.
Pro Tools|HD Native Systems
Pro Tools|HD Native-based systems consist of:
• Pro Tools|HD Native card
• At least one Pro Tools|HD audio interface
(sold separately)
• Pro Tools HD software
Native systems can be expanded by adding addi-
tional audio interfaces.
Supported Pro Tools|HD Audio Interfaces
The following audio interfaces are compatible
with Pro Tools|HD Native systems:
•HD OMNI
•HD I/O
•HD MADI
•192 I/O
•192 Digital I/O
•96 I/O
•96i I/O
Maximum I/O Configuration
Pro Tools|HD Native supports up to a maximum
combination of up to four total of the following
audio interfaces:
• HD OMNI (only one HD OMNI interface is
supported in a single Pro Tools|HD system)
• HD I/O (up to four HD I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously)
• HD MADI (full connectivity with one
HD MADI interface is possible when both
DigiLink ports of the HD MADI are con-
nected to both DigiLink ports on the
Pro Tools|HD Native card)
• 192 I/O (up to four 192 I/O interfaces can
be used simultaneously)
• 192 Digital I/O (up to four 192 Digital I/O
interfaces can be used simultaneously)
• 96 I/O (up to four 96 I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously)
• 96i I/O (up to two 96i I/O interfaces can be
used simultaneously)
For more information, see the Expanded
Systems Guide.
Pro Tools system performance depends on
factors such as computer processor speed,
amount of system memory, and hard drive
performance. Visit the Avid website
(www.avid.com) for the latest system re-
quirements and compatibility information.
Pro Tools|HD Native systems require at
least one Pro Tools|HD audio interface.
Pro Tools Reference Guide44
Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with Pro Tools HD
The table below lists the audio playback, recording, and voiceable track limits of each type of
Pro Tools|HD or Pro Tools|HD Native system. Playback and recording voices refers to the number of
unique simultaneous playback and record tracks on your system. Total voiceable tracks refers to the
maximum number of audio tracks that can share the available voices on your system. (Mono tracks
take up one voice. Stereo and multichannel tracks take up one voice per channel.)
Voice limits are dependent on the session sample rate and the number of DSP chips dedicated to the
system’s Playback Engine. Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native systems can open sessions with up
to 512 audio tracks, but any audio tracks beyond that system’s voiceable track limit will be automat-
ically set to Voice Off .
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native systems provide up to 160 Auxiliary Input tracks and a total
of 256 internal mix busses. These systems also provide up to 10 inserts and 10 sends per track (de-
pending on the DSP capacity of your system). Pro Tools|HD systems also support up to 128 Instru-
ment tracks, 512 MIDI tracks, 128 VCA Master tracks, 64 Master Fader tracks, and multiple video
tracks.
Pro Tools|HD system audio playback, recording and voice limits
Core System Type Maximum I/O Sample Rate
(kHz)
Playback and
Recording Voices
(Mono Tracks of
Simultaneous
Playback and
Recording)
Total
Voiceable
Tracks
Pro Tools|HD 1 32 channels 44.1/48 96 512
88.2/96 48 512
176.4/192 24 512
Pro Tools|HD 2,
Pro Tools|HD 3,
or any expanded
Pro Tools|HD system
64 channels (HD 2)
96 channels (HD 3)
or up to
160 channels (HD 5)
44.1/48 192 512
88.2/96 96 512
176.4/192 36 512
Pro Tools|HD Native 64 channels 44.1/48 192 512
88.2/96 96 512
176.4/192 48 512
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 45
Pro Tools|HD Audio Interfaces
The following table lists the input and output capabilities of the various Pro Tools|HD audio inter-
faces for Pro Tools|HD systems. Pro Tools|HD cards support a maximum of 32 channels of I/O each.
To record and play audio with Pro Tools HD, you must have at least one Pro Tools|HD audio interface
connected to the Pro Tools|HD Core card in your system.
Table 6. Pro Tools|HD system audio interface channel capabilities
Interface Type Number of I/O
Channels
Sample Rates
(kHz)
A/D
Conversion
D/A
Conversion Digital I/O
HD I/O 16 in/16 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96,
176.4, 192
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
HD OMNI 8 in/8 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96,
176.4, 192
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
HD MADI 64 in/64 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96,
176.4, 192
None None 24-bit
192 I/O 8 in/8 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96,
176.4, 192
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
192 Digital I/O 8 in/8 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96,
176.4, 192
None None 24-bit
96 I/O 8 in/8 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
96i I/O 16 in/2 out 44.1, 48,
88.2, 96
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Pro Tools Reference Guide46
HD OMNI Audio Interface
HD OMNI is a professional digital audio inter-
face designed for use with Pro Tools|HD sys-
tems. HD OMNI provides a compact preamp,
monitoring, and I/O solution for music produc-
tion and recording, and post production
studios.
HD OMNI Features
HD OMNI provides up to 8 discrete channels of
Pro Tools input and output, with 4-segment
LED meters for input or output (selectable).
Analog I/O
• 24-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-
analog (D/A) converters, with support for
sample rates up to 192 kHz
• 2 high-quality Mic/DI preamps (Channels
1–2)
• 2 combined XLR and 1/4-inch TRS front panel
inputs for microphone and instrument level
input
• 2 XLR back panel microphone inputs
• 2 1/4-inch TRS Send and 2 1/4-inch TRS Re-
turn back panel jacks for hardware inserts on
channels 1 and 2
• 4 analog TRS line level back panel inputs
(Channels 1–4)
• Soft Clip and Curv limiting circuits to protect
against clipping on analog input
• 8 channels of analog back panel output using
a DB-25 breakout cable (sold separately) with
variable output gain
• 2 channels of analog back panel output using
TRS (Mirrors channels 1–2 or 7–8 on DB-25
connector)
• Front panel stereo 1/4” headphone jack
Digital I/O
• 8 channels of AES/EBU output (up to 192 kHz
Single Wire) using a DB-25 breakout cable
(sold separately)
• 2 channels of AES/EBU XLR input (up to
192 kHz Single Wire)
• 2 channels of S/PDIF RCA input and output
(up to 192 kHz)
• 8 channels of ADAT TOSLINK input and out-
put
• Support for ADAT S/MUX Optical for sample
rates of 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and
192 kHz
• Support for two channels of S/PDIF Optical
with sample rates of up to 96 kHz
• Real-time sample rate conversion (SRC) on
Digital Inputs 1–2 of either AES/EBU, S/PDIF,
or Optical (S/PDIF)
Monitoring
• An additional stereo “CUE” output path in
Pro Tools for headphone monitoring from the
front panel headphone jack
• Front panel Control Room (MAIN/ALT) and
Headphone monitoring volume control
• Flexible monitoring with fold-down from all
stereo and surround formats (up to 7.1 sur-
round)
• Input mixer for low latency direct monitoring
of a variety of incoming signals (configured in
the Pro Tools Hardware Setup)
HD OMNI provides multiple analog input
connections, but only provides up to four
channels of simultaneous analog input for
Pro Tools.
SRC is not supported with ADAT S/MUX.
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 47
Synchronization
• Loop Sync input and output for connecting
additional Pro Tools|HD interfaces and pe-
ripherals
• External Clock input and output for synchro-
nizing HD OMNI with external Word Clock
devices
HD I/O Audio Interface
HD I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface
designed for use with Pro Tools|HD systems.
HD I/O features extremely high quality 24-bit
analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog
(D/A) converters, and supports sample rates of
up to 192 kHz.
HD I/O comes in three standard configurations:
• 8 x 8 x 8 (8 analog in, 8 analog out, and 8
digital in and out)
• 16 x 16 analog in and out
• 16 x 16 digital in and out
You can also add or remove HD I/O Analog Ex-
pansion cards (ADC and DAC) and HD I/O Dig-
ital Expansion cards for custom configurations.
HD I/O Features
HD I/O provides up to 16 discrete channels of
Pro Tools input and output, with 4-segment
LED meters for input and output.
Analog I/O
• Up to sixteen channels of 24-bit D/A and A/D
converters for superior analog input and out-
put at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz,
88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz
with Analog In and Analog Out HD I/O cards
• Soft Clip and Curv limiting circuits to protect
against clipping on analog input
Digital I/O
• Up to sixteen channels of 24-bit digital I/O,
using AES/EBU, TDIF DB-25, or Optical at
sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96
kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz with a Digital
HD I/O card
• Real-time sample rate conversion on digital
inputs with a Digital I/O card (up to sixteen
channels of AES/EBU, Optical, or TDIF)
• Support for S/MUX Optical for sample rates of
88.2 kHz and higher
• Support for 2 channels of S/PDIF Optical (en-
closed) with sample rates of up to 96 kHz
• 2 channels of AES/EBU I/O (enclosed) with
support for sample rates up to 192 kHz
• 2 channels of 24-bit-capable S/PDIF I/O (en-
closed) with support for sample rates up to
192 kHz
Synchronization
• Loop Sync input and output for connecting
additional Pro Tools|HD interfaces and pe-
ripherals
• External Clock input and output for synchro-
nizing HD I/O with external Word Clock de-
vices
Expandability
• Optional addition of I/O cards to expand ana-
log or digital I/O
• Simultaneous use of multiple Pro Tools|HD
audio interfaces to further expand system in-
put and output (for more information see the
Expanded Systems Guide)
For more information, see the
HD OMNI Guide.
For more information, see the HD I/O Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide48
HD MADI Digital Audio Interface
HD MADI is a 64-channel, digital audio inter-
face designed for use with Pro Tools|HD sys-
tems. HD MADI supports the Multichannel Au-
dio Digital Interface (MADI) format and sample
rates of up to 192 kHz. HD MADI provides sim-
plified connectivity between your Pro Tools|HD
system and MADI-compatible audio equipment,
such as routers, digital mixing consoles, and
converters.
HD MADI Features
• 2 MADI Optical and Coaxial inputs and 2
MADI Optical and Coaxial outputs for up to
64 discrete channels of digital input and out-
put (32 channels per DigiLink Mini port)
• Supports sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz,
88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz
• 24- or 16-bit resolution
• Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) on input or
output
• Front panel clock and SRC indicators
• Front panel signal present LEDs for input and
output
• BNC Word Clock I/O for synchronizing HD
MADI with external 1x Word Clock
• BNC Loop Sync I/O for synchronizing HD
MADI with additional Pro Tools|HD audio in-
terfaces and peripherals (such as HD I/O, HD
OMNI, or SYNC HD)
• Dedicated BNC Word Clock input and XLR
AES/EBU input (clock input only) for external
MADI synchronization (when using SRC on
output)
• Clock support for the following formats: In-
ternal, Loop Sync, Word Clock, AES/EBU, and
MADI
• Varispeed modes (supports both 64- and 56-
channel standards)
For more information, see the
HD MADI Guide.
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 49
192 I/O Audio Interface
192 I/O™ is a multichannel digital audio inter-
face designed for use with Pro Tools|HD sys-
tems. 192 I/O features high quality 24-bit ana-
log-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A)
converters, and supports sample rates of up to
192 kHz.
You can also add or remove analog cards (ADC
and DAC) and digital cards for custom configu-
rations.
192 I/O Features
• Supports sample rates up to 192 kHz
• Supports both analog and digital connections,
including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TDIF, and ADAT
Optical:
• Digital (Digital I/O Card): 8 channels,
DB-25 (AES/EBU and TDIF), or one pair of
Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors; Ex-
pandable up to 16 of channels digital I/O
with the addition of the 192 Digital expan-
sion card
• Analog: 8 channels, DB-25 (balanced) con-
nectors, inputs selectable between +4 dBu
or –10 dBV, outputs +4 dBu only; Expand-
able up to 16 analog inputs or 16 outputs
using an optional 192 AD or 192 DA ex-
pansion card, respectively
• Digital (Enclosure): 2 channels, XLR
(AES/EBU) connectors; 2 channels RCA
(S/PDIF) connectors
• Optical (Enclosure): 8 channels, one pair of
Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors (swit-
chable to 2 channels, S/PDIF)
• Loop Sync In and Out for connecting
Pro Tools|HD interfaces and peripherals
• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x
Word clock
192 Digital I/O Audio Interface
192 Digital I/O™ is a multichannel digital audio
interface designed for use with Pro Tools|HD
systems, and supports sample rates of up to
192 kHz.
192 Digital I/O Features
• Supports sample rates up to 192 kHz
• Supports digital connections, including
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TDIF, and ADAT Optical:
• Digital (2 Digital I/O Cards): 16 channels,
DB-25 (AES/EBU and TDIF), or two pairs of
Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors
• Digital (Enclosure): 2 channels, XLR
(AES/EBU) connectors; 2 channels RCA
(S/PDIF) connectors
• Optical (Enclosure): 8 channels, one pair of
Lightpipe (ADAT Optical) connectors (se-
lectable to 2 channels, S/PDIF)
• Loop Sync In and Out for connecting
Pro Tools|HD interfaces and peripherals
• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x
Word clock
For more information, see the 192 I/O Guide.
For more information, see the
192 Digital I/O Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide50
96 I/O Audio Interface
96 I/O™ is a multichannel digital audio interface
designed for use with Pro Tools|HD systems.
96 I/O features high quality 24-bit analog-to-
digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) con-
verters, and supports sample rates of up to
96 kHz.
96 I/O Features
• Supports sample rates up to 96 kHz
• Supports analog and digital connections, in-
cluding AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and ADAT optical:
• Analog: 8 channels, 1/4-inch TRS (balanced
or unbalanced) connectors, +4 dBu or
–10 dBV
• Digital: 2 channels, XLR (AES/EBU) con-
nectors; 2 channels, RCA (S/PDIF) connec-
tors
• Optical: 8 channels, one pair of Lightpipe
(ADAT Optical) connectors (switchable to 2
channels, S/PDIF)
• External Clock In and Out receive or send
1x Word clock
96i I/O Audio Interface
96i I/O™ is a multichannel digital audio inter-
face designed for use with Pro Tools|HD sys-
tems. 96i I/O features high quality 24-bit ana-
log-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A)
converters, and supports sample rates of up to
96 kHz.
96i I/O Features
• Supports sample rates up to 96 kHz
• 16 discrete channels of input, and 2 channels
of output, with 4-segment LED meters on
each channel. Audio inputs and outputs in-
clude:
• 16 channels of 24-bit, 96-kHz capable ana-
log input, with adjustable input sensitivity
• 2 channels of 24-bit, 96-kHz capable analog
output, with selectable operating level
• 2 channels of 24-bit, 96 kHz-capable digital
S/PDIF RCA input and output
• Loop Sync In and Out for connecting
Pro Tools|HD interfaces and peripherals
• External Clock In and Out receive or send 1x
Word clock
For more information, see the 96 I/O Guide.
For more information, see the 96i I/O Guide.
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 51
Additional Pro Tools|HD
Hardware Options
Pro Tools HD also supports the following
Pro Tools|HD hardware options.
• Synchronization peripherals:
•SYNC HD
™
•SYNC I/O
™
• PRE™ (Eight-channel microphone preamp)
• MIDI I/O™ (10 x 10 USB MIDI interface)
• Worksurfaces and MIDI control surfaces:
• D-Command®
• D-Control™
•C|24
™
• Command|8®
• EUCON-aware control surfaces
• M-Audio Keyboards (such as Axiom® Pro)
• Surround Panner Option
• Third-party MIDI controllers (such as
Mackie HUI, Peavey PC-1600, or CM Labs
Motor Mix)
Pro Tools Systems
Pro Tools systems are available in the following
configurations:
003 Family
A 003 system includes:
• Pro Tools software
• One of the following:
• 003 audio and MIDI interface (with
control surface)
• 003 Rack+ audio and MIDI interface
• 003 Rack audio and MIDI interface
Digi 002 Family
A Digi 002™ system includes:
• Pro Tools software
• One of the following:
• 002 audio and MIDI interface (with
control surface)
• Digi 002 Rack audio and MIDI interface
Eleven Rack
An Eleven Rack system includes:
• Pro Tools software
• Eleven Rack audio and MIDI interface, and
guitar effects processor
Pro Tools Reference Guide52
Mbox Family
An Mbox system includes:
• Pro Tools software
• One of the following:
• Mbox Pro or Mbox 2 Pro audio and MIDI
interface
• Mbox or Mbox 2 audio and MIDI interface
• Mbox Mini or Mbox 2 Mini audio interface
• Mbox 2 Micro audio interface (output
only)
M-Audio Interfaces
Pro Tools M-Audio systems includes:
• Pro Tools software
• A qualified M-Audio interface
Core Audio
A Pro Tools Core Audio system includes:
• Pro Tools software
• A third-party audio interface with sup-
ported Core Audio drivers (including
Built-in Mac audio hardware)
ASIO
A Pro Tools ASIO system includes:
• Pro Tools software
• A third-party audio interface with sup-
ported ASIO drivers
The original Digidesign Mbox audio inter-
face is not supported with Pro Tools 8.0.4
and higher.
For a current list of qualified M-Audio
interfaces, visit the Avid website
(www.avid.com).
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 53
Pro Tools System Capabilities
The following table lists the playback, recording, and input and output capabilities of several
Pro Tools systems with Avid audio interfaces.
Table 7. Pro Tools system audio playback, recording, and channel capabilities
System Type
Max. Mono or
Stereo Tracks of
Simultaneous
Playback
Total
Voiceable
Tracks
Number of I/O
Channels
A/D
Conversion
D/A
Conversion
Digital
I/O
003, 003 Rack,
003 Rack+,
Digi 002,
or Digi 002 Rack
96 at 48 kHz
48 at 96 kHz
128 up to 18 in/18 out
(48 kHz or lower)
up to 10 in/10 out
(88.2 or 96 kHz)
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Eleven Rack 96 at 48 kHz
48 at 96 kHz
128 up to 8 in/6 out
(44.1–96 kHz)
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Mbox Pro or
Mbox 2 Pro
96 at 48 kHz
48 at 96 kHz
128 up to 6 in/8 out
(48 kHz or lower)
up to 4 in/6 out
(88.2 or 96 kHz)
24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Mbox or Mbox 2 96 at 48 kHz 128 up to 2 in/2 out 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit
Mbox Mini or
Mbox 2 Mini
96 at 48 kHz 128 up to 2 in/2 out 24-bit 24-bit N/A
Mbox 2 Micro 96 at 48 kHz 128 stereo out only N/A 24-bit N/A
M-Audio
interfaces
(depending on
each interface’s
capabilities)
96 at 48 kHz
48 at 96 kHz
24 at 192 kHz
128 up to 32 (see
M-Audio
guides)
(see
M-Audio
guides)
(see
M-Audio
guides)
Other third-party
Core Audio or
ASIO interfaces
(depending on
each interface’s
capabilities)
96 at 48 kHz
48 at 96 kHz
24 at 192 kHz
128 up to 32 (see 3rd
party
device
guides)
(see 3rd
party
device
guides)
(see
3rd
party
device
guides)
Pro Tools Reference Guide54
Mono tracks of simultaneous playback refers to the
number of unique simultaneous playback and
record tracks on your system. Total voiceable
tracks refers to the maximum number of audio
tracks that can share the available voices on
your system. (Mono tracks take up a single audio
track, while stereo tracks take up two tracks.)
Pro Tools systems can open sessions with up to
128 audio tracks, but any audio tracks beyond
that system’s voiceable track limit will be auto-
matically set to Voice Off.
Pro Tools systems provide up to 32 channels of
I/O (depending on your audio interface), 128
Auxiliary Input tracks, a total of 256 internal
mix busses, and up to 10 inserts and 10 sends
per track (depending on your computer’s pro-
cessing capacity). In addition, Pro Tools systems
support up to 64 Instrument tracks and 512
MIDI tracks. Pro Tools also supports a single
QuickTime video track.
If you open a Pro Tools session created on a
Pro Tools|HD system that contains more than
the number of tracks supported on the your
Pro Tools system, audio tracks beyond the sys-
tem’s voiceable track limit will be automatically
set to inactive.
For details on transferring session material be-
tween Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools systems, see
“Sharing Sessions Created on Different
Pro Tools Systems” on page 386.
Processing Capacity
The total processing capacity of a Pro Tools sys-
tem depends on the processing power of your
computer. Contact your dealer or visit
www.avid.com for the latest system require-
ments and compatibility information.
Additional Pro Tools Hardware
Options
Pro Tools also supports the following Pro Tools
hardware options.
• PRE (Eight-channel microphone preamp)
• MIDI I/O (10 x 10 USB MIDI interface)
•Worksurfaces and MIDI control surfaces:
•C|24
• Command|8
• Avid controllers with EUCON
•M-Audio Keyboards (such as Axiom Pro)
•Third-party MIDI controllers (such as
Mackie HUI, Peavey PC-1600, or CM Labs
Motor Mix)
For more information about the I/O
capabilities of your audio interface with
Pro Tools, see the documentation that
came with your audio interface.
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 55
Pro Tools System Options
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
Pro Tools systems that have been upgraded with
the Complete Production Toolkit 2 software op-
tion. For more information, see “Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 Capabilities” on page 56.
Pro Tools|HD Systems with HEAT
Pro Tools|HD systems that have been upgraded
with the HEAT Software option. HEAT (Har-
monically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) is
a paid software option that adds “analog color”
to Pro Tools|HD systems. For more information,
see the HEAT Software Option Guide.
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native Systems
with Machine Control
Pro Tools|HD systems and Pro Tools|HD Native
systems that have been upgraded with the Ma-
chine Control software option. MachineCon-
trol™ is a paid software option for Pro Tools HD
that enables serial communication with Sony®
9-pin compatible synchronizers, and video or
audio machines. For more information, see the
Machine Control Guide.
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native Systems
with Satellite Link
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native systems
that have been upgraded with the Satellite Link
option. Avid Satellite Link is a paid option that
lets you link up to 5 Pro Tools systems (or up to
4 Pro Tools systems and an Avid Media Com-
poser®, Avid Symphony Nitris DX®, or Video
Satellite LE system) over an Ethernet network so
that you can cue, play, and stop the transports,
make play selections, and solo tracks across any
of the systems from any linked workstation. For
more information, see the Satellite Link Guide.
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native Systems
with Video Satellite Link
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native systems
that have been upgraded with the Video Satel-
lite Link option. Video Satellite is a paid soft-
ware option for Pro Tools HD that lets you link
your Pro Tools|HD or Pro Tools|HD Native sys-
tem with a separate computer running Avid Me-
dia Composer or Symphony Nitris DX software
for synced video playback, capture, and conver-
sion. For more information, see the Video Satel-
lite Guide.
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native Systems
with Video Satellite LE
Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native systems
that have been upgraded with the Video Satel-
lite LE option. Video Satellite LE is a paid soft-
ware option for Pro Tools HD, which uses a sep-
arate computer running Pro Tools software for
synchronized QuickTime HD video playback.
For more information, see the Video Satellite LE
Guide.
Pro Tools with VENUE Link
Pro Tools systems that have been connected to
VENUE systems using ethernet. VENUE Link
provides Pro Tools and VENUE system integra-
tion and interoperability.
Pro Tools Reference Guide56
Complete Production Toolkit 2
Capabilities
Complete Production Toolkit 2 enables the fol-
lowing features in Pro Tools:
• Surround mixing, editing, and automation up
to 7.1 (depending on the output capabilities
of your audio interface)
• Up to a total of 192 voiced audio tracks (up to
512 voiceable audio tracks)
• Playback of up to or a combination of play-
ing back and recording up to 192 mono
tracks or 96 stereo tracks (192 available
voices) at 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
• Playback of up to or a combination of play-
ing back and recording up to 96 mono
tracks or 48 stereo tracks (96 available
voices) at 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz
• Playback of up to or a combination of play-
ing back and recording up to 48 mono
tracks or 24 stereo tracks (48 available
voices) at 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz
• Ability to use QuickPunch™ on up to 64 tracks
• Up to 160 Auxiliary Input tracks per session
• Up to 128 Instrument tracks
• Advanced Group dialog:
•VCA assignments
• Attributes tab
• Follow globals
• Momentary Solo Latch Back/Forward com-
mands
• Custom Shuttle Lock speeds
• Numeric Keypad set to Shuttle mode
•AutoFades
• Advanced editing features:
• Continuous Scrolling
• Scrub Trim tool
• Replace Region command
• TCE Edit to Timeline Selection command
• Selection of alternate field recorder audio
channels in the Pro Tools Timeline
• Expanding alternate field recorder chan-
nels to new tracks
• Advanced automation features:
• AutoJoin with Latch mode
• Touch/Latch mode
• Trim mode
• Composite automation playlist
• Copy track automation to sends
•AutoMatch
• Prime controls for writing automation in
Latch mode
• Glide automation
• Trim automation
• Write automation to Start, End, or All
• Write automation to next breakpoint or
punch point
• Overwrite or extend Mute automation
• Snapshot automation
•Preview automation
• Capture automation
• VCA Master track automation
• Advanced video features:
• Multiple video tracks
• Multiple video playlists
• Video editing
Use the Neyrinck SoundCode™ Stereo down
mixer plug-in for monitoring surround ses-
sions in stereo with audio interfaces that
have fewer than six outputs.
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit
2 displays up to 512 tracks, with a simulta-
neous voice limit of 192 tracks. Tracks in ex-
cess of the 192-voice limit are made inactive.
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 57
• Preferences
• Back/Forward Amount
•Shuttle
• Auto Region Fade In/Out Length
• Use Absolute Pan Linking
• Suppress Automation “Write To” Warning
• Allow Latch Prime in Stop
• Coalesce when Removing Slaves from VCA
Group
• Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes
• Include Sends in Trim Mode
• AutoGlide Time
• Coalesce Trim Automation Options
• D-Control support
• D-Command support
Additional Software with
Complete Production Toolkit 2
Complete Production Toolkit 2 includes addi-
tional software for working with Pro Tools:
Neyrinck SoundCode Stereo Down Mixer
Plug-In For monitoring 5.1 surround sessions
(down mixed to stereo) with all audio interfaces
including 2 channel interfaces (such as the
Mbox Mini). This plug-in also lets you quickly
and easily create stereo mixes from 5.1 surround
sessions.
X-Form Plug-In For high-quality time compres-
sion and expansion, and formant corrected
pitch-shifting (based on the Radius algorithm
from iZotope).
Checking For Software
Updates
Pro Tools can check for Pro Tools application
and plug-in updates, either automatically or
manually. An internet connection is required to
be able to check for updates. Approximately ev-
ery two weeks, Pro Tools checks online for any
available application and plug-in updates.
If updates are available for Pro Tools or any
plug-ins, Pro Tools reports what updates (if any)
are available and how important the updates are
for your system. You can visit the Avid website
to locate, download, and install the appropriate
updates for your Pro Tools system.
To manually check for updates:
1 Launch Pro Tools.
2 Choose Help > Check For Updates.
3 Do one of the following:
• If no updates are available, click OK.
– or –
• If updates are available, do one of the
following:
• Click Details to launch your web browser
and see what updates are available for
download.
• Click Not Now if you do not want to review
or download updates until later.
To disable automatic checking for updates:
In the Software Update dialog, select the
Do Not Check For Updates Automatically option.
To enable automatic checking for updates:
1 Choose Help > Check For Updates.
2 In the Software Update dialog, deselect the
Do Not Check For Updates Automatically option.
For information about using D-Control and
D-Command worksurfaces with Pro Tools,
see the D-Command and D-Control
Guides.
Pro Tools Reference Guide58
Chapter 6: System Setup 59
Chapter 6: System Setup
You can review and update your system’s setup
to ensure it is configured for your needs.
Starting Up or Shutting Down
Your System
To ensure that the components of your
Pro Tools system communicate properly with
each other, you need to start them in a particu-
lar order.
Start up your Pro Tools system in this order:
1 Make sure all your equipment (including your
computer) is off.
2 Lower the volume of all output devices in your
system.
3 For Pro Tools|HD systems with an expansion
chassis, turn on the chassis.
4 Turn on any external hard drives. Wait ap-
proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to
speed.
5 Turn on any worksurfaces (such as
D-Command) or control surfaces (such as
Command|8).
6 Turn on any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or
synchronization peripherals.
7 Do one of the following, depending on your
Pro Tools system:
• For Pro Tools|HD systems, with the volume
of all output devices lowered, turn on your
your Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces (such as
HD OMNI or 192 I/O). Wait at least fifteen
seconds for your system hardware to ini-
tialize.
– or –
• For Pro Tools systems that use hardware re-
quiring external power (such as 003), turn
on the hardware.
8 Turn on your computer.
9 Launch Pro Tools or any third-party audio or
MIDI applications.
Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order:
1 Quit Pro Tools and any other running applica-
tions.
2 Turn off or lower the volume of all output de-
vices in your system.
3 Turn off your computer.
To quit Pro Tools, choose File > Exit
(Windows) or Pro Tools > Quit (Mac).
Pro Tools Reference Guide60
4 Do one of the following depending on your
Pro Tools system:
• For Pro Tools|HD systems, turn off your
Pro Tools audio interfaces.
– or –
• For Pro Tools systems that use hardware re-
quiring external power (such as 003), turn
off the hardware.
5 For Pro Tools|HD systems with an expansion
chassis, turn off the chassis.
6 Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or
synchronization peripherals.
7 Turn off any worksurfaces (such as
D-Command) or control surfaces (such as
Command|8).
8 Turn off any external hard drives.
Checking a Pro Tools|HD or
Pro Tools|HD Native System
with DigiTest
Before you use Pro Tools, you may want to run
the DigiTest diagnostic application to ensure
that all Pro Tools|HD cards in the system are rec-
ognized, installed in the proper order, and have
valid TDM FlexCable connections. See the Digi-
Test Guide for more information.
Configuring Pro Tools System
Settings
Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of
your system by changing system settings that
affect its capacity for processing, playback, and
recording. These system settings are available in
the Playback Engine (Setup > Playback
Engine).
In most cases, the default settings for your sys-
tem provide optimum performance, but you
may want to adjust them to accommodate large
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
Playback Engine for Pro Tools|HD system
Playback Engine for Pro Tools Mbox 2 system
Chapter 6: System Setup 61
Current Engine
In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools lets you
select the audio engine for use with your audio
interfaces. The available options are determined
by which audio interfaces are connected and
have compatible drivers installed.
Changing the Current Engine setting can be use-
ful if you have multiple audio interfaces con-
nected to your computer with different routing
configurations in your studio, or if you want to
prepare a session for use with a specific interface
on a different system (for example you might
want to prepare a session created on your
Pro Tools|HD system for use with the built-in
audio on your Mac laptop).
To select which audio engine for Pro Tools uses:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the Current Engine selector, select your
audio interface:
• For Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native
systems, use the default setting of HD TDM
or HD Native.
• For supported Pro Tools and M-Audio au-
dio interfaces (such as the Mbox Pro or Pro-
Fire 2626), selecting the name of the
corresponding interface uses the Direct I/O
engine for Pro Tools.
• For third-party audio interfaces with com-
patible CoreAudio (Mac) or ASIO (Win-
dows), select the name of the
corresponding Core Audio (Mac) or ASIO
(Windows) compatible audio interface.
• On Mac systems, if you are using built-in
audio, select any of the available built-in
options for playback or select Pro Tools Ag-
gregate I/O for simultaneous input and out-
put with the built-in I/O hardware options.
3 Click OK.
When changing engines with a Pro Tools ses-
sion open, Pro Tools must close and relaunch
the session to be able to initialize the new en-
gine.
On Pro Tools|HD systems, changing engines re-
quires that you quit and relaunch Pro Tools for
the new setting to take effect.
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O
(Mac Only)
On Mac systems using Core Audio, you can use
Pro Tools with the built-in audio inputs and
outputs on your Mac by selecting any of the
available built-in inputs and outputs, or by se-
lecting the Pro Tools Aggregate I/O option for us-
ing a combination of built-in inputs and out-
puts simultaneously (for recording and
monitoring).
When changing engines on any Pro Tools
system, you may need to reset the default
I/O settings to match the selected audio in-
terface.
Selecting Pro Tools Aggregate I/O in the Playback
Engine (Mac only)
Pro Tools Reference Guide62
You can configure the Input and Output op-
tions for Pro Tools Aggregate I/O in the Mac Au-
dio Setup, which can be accessed from the
Pro Tools Hardware Setup.
Hardware Buffer Size
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) in the
Playback Engine controls the size of the buffer
used to handle host processing tasks such as pro-
cessing with Real-Time AudioSuite™ (RTAS)
plug-ins.
• Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings are useful
for improving latency issues in certain record-
ing situations or for improving certain system
performance problems:
• On all Pro Tools systems, lower settings re-
duce RTAS MIDI-to-audio latency (such as
when playing an RTAS virtual instrument
live and monitoring the instrument’s out-
put). Lower settings can also improve
screen response or the accuracy of plug-in
and mute automation data.
• On host-based Pro Tools systems, lower set-
tings reduce all input-to-output monitor-
ing latency on any record-armed tracks or
Auxiliary Input tracks with live inputs.
• On Pro Tools|HD systems, lower settings re-
duce monitoring latency that occurs on
tracks that have one or more RTAS plug-ins.
Lower settings can also improve the accu-
racy of MIDI track timing on systems with-
out a MIDI interface that supports time
stamping. Lower settings also improve
MIDI track timing on tracks using MIDI
virtual instruments that do not support
time stamping.
• Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings are use-
ful for sessions that are using more RTAS plug-
ins for playback. These settings allow for more
audio processing. They can also be useful to
reduce errors on machines that require a
higher buffer size.
To change the Hardware Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select
the audio buffer size, in samples.
3 Click OK.
Host Processors
The Host Processors setting in the Playback En-
gine determines the number of processors in
your computer allocated for RTAS (Real-Time
AudioSuite) plug-in processing and other host
processing tasks.
With computers that have multiple processors,
or that feature multi-core processing or hyper-
threading, this setting lets you enable multipro-
cessor support for host processing tasks. Used in
combination with the CPU Usage Limit setting,
the Host Processors setting lets you control the
way host-processing tasks are handled by the
system.
If you need simultaneous input (recording)
and output (playback and monitoring) with
Pro Tools using the built-in audio options
on Mac, use the Pro Tools Aggregate I/O op-
tion. If you only need to playback audio for
editing and mixing, select the appropriate
built-in audio output option.
Chapter 6: System Setup 63
For example:
• For sessions with large numbers of RTAS plug-
ins, you can allocate 2 or more processors to
RTAS processing and set a high CPU Usage
Limit.
• For sessions with few RTAS plug-ins, you can
allocate fewer processors to RTAS processing
and set a low CPU Usage Limit to leave more
CPU resources available for automation accu-
racy, screen response, and video.
• Increase these settings to accommodate TDM
to RTAS plug-in conversion. Conversely, de-
crease these settings if you are only using
TDM plug-ins or are converting RTAS plug-ins
to TDM. TDM/RTAS conversion can be desir-
able during recording, depending on latency,
voicing needs, and record-monitoring capa-
bilities of the specific TDM and RTAS plug-ins.
• Depending on the importance of video and
overall screen response, and on the density of
automation being employed, try different
combinations of Host Processors and CPU Us-
age Limit settings to achieve the best results.
For example, to improve screen response in a
medium-sized session using a moderate num-
ber of RTAS plug-ins, try reducing the number
of RTAS plug-ins, but keep the CPU Usage Limit
set to the maximum (up to 99% on a single
processor system).
To set the number of Host Processors:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the Host Processors pop-up menu, select
the number of available processors you want to
allocate. The number of processors available var-
ies depending on how many processors are
available on your computer:
• Select 1Processor to limit host processing
for Pro Tools to one CPU in the system.
• Choose 2 Processors to enable load balanc-
ing across two available processors for
Pro Tools host processing tasks.
• On systems running four or more proces-
sors, choose the number of processors for
Pro Tools host processing tasks.
3 Click OK.
System Usage Window and Host Processing
The System Usage window (Windows > System
Usage) displays the combined amount of host
processing occurring on all enabled processors
with a single indicator, regardless of how many
processors are available in the system. If the Sys-
tem Usage Window shows that you are at the
limit of available resources, increase the number
of Host Processors and adjust the CPU Usage
Limit setting. (For more information, see “Sys-
tem Usage” on page 80.)
CPU Usage Limit
The CPU Usage Limit setting in the Playback En-
gine controls the percentage of CPU resources
allocated to Pro Tools host processing tasks.
Used in combination with the Host Processors
setting, the CPU Usage Limit setting lets you con-
trol the way Pro Tools tasks are carried out by
the system.
•Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the effect
of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-inten-
sive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are use-
ful 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
RTAS plug-ins.
Pro Tools Reference Guide64
The maximum available CPU Usage Limit de-
pends on the number of processors in your com-
puter and on the number of processors you spec-
ify for host processing. This value can range
from 85% for single-processor computers (ex-
cept for 003, 003 Rack+, 003 Rack, Digi 002, and
Digi 002 Rack, which have a limit of 99%), and
99% for multiprocessor computers (which dedi-
cate one entire processor to Pro Tools).
On multiprocessor computers, the maximum
CPU Usage Limit is reduced when you use all your
processors (as selected in the Host Processing
pop-up menu). For example, on dual-processors,
the limit is 90%. On four-processor computers,
the limit is 95%.
To change the CPU Usage Limit:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, select
the percentage of CPU processing you want to
allocate to Pro Tools.
3 Click OK.
Host Engine (Error Suppression)
The Host Engine options in the Playback Engine
determine error reporting during playback and
recording. This is especially useful when work-
ing with instrument plug-ins.
On Pro Tools|HD systems, there is a single Host
Engine option. On host-based Pro Tools systems,
there are two Host Engine options.
• Enable error suppression only if you are expe-
riencing frequent errors that are interrupting
your creative workflow. When error suppres-
sion is enabled, you can experience a degrada-
tion of audio quality. However, this may be
acceptable in order to avoid interrupting play-
back and recording when working with in-
strument plug-ins.
• Disable error suppression when you need to
ensure the highest possible audio quality,
such as for a final mix.
To enable error suppression:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 Select Ignore Errors During Playback/Record.
3 If available, you can also select Minimize Addi-
tional I/O Latency.
4 Click OK.
Error Suppression Options
Ignore Errors During Playback/Record When en-
abled, Pro Tools continues to play and record
even if the host processing requirements exceed
the selected CPU Usage Limit. This can result in
pops and clicks in the audio, but does not stop
the transport.
Minimize Additional I/O Latency (Host-based
Pro Tools Systems Only) When enabled, any ad-
ditional latency due to suppressing errors during
playback and record is minimized to 128 sam-
ples. Suppressing errors requires at least 128
samples of additional buffering on some sys-
tems. If this option is disabled, the buffer is half
the H/W Buffer Size, or at least 128 samples
(whichever is greater). If you are on an older,
slower computer, you may want to disable this
option to avoid adverse performance.
Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
down screen responses on slower computers.
Chapter 6: System Setup 65
This option is only available if the Ignore Errors
During Playback/Record option is enabled and
the Pro Tools system you are using requires ad-
ditional buffering for error suppression, as fol-
lows:
•Windows:
• Mbox Pro and Mbox 2 Pro
• All Pro Tools systems with M-Audio devices
•Mac:
• 003 family devices
•Eleven Rack
• Mbox family devices
• Digi 002 and 002 Rack
• All Pro Tools systems with M-Audio devices
• Pro Tools Aggregate I/O
Number of Voices
(Pro Tools HD Only)
On Pro Tools|HD systems, the Number of Voices
setting in the Playback Engine lets you control
the number of available voices and how those
voices are allocated to DSPs in your system. For
example, the default number of voices on a
Pro Tools|HD 1 system is 48 voices, using one
DSP (at sample rates of 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz).
Changing the number of voices affects
DSP usage, the total number of voiceable tracks,
and overall system performance.
Depending on the session sample rate and the
number of Pro Tools|HD cards in your system,
there are different choices for voice count. For
voice limits on different Pro Tools|HD systems,
see “Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with
Pro Tools HD” on page 44.
To change the Number of Voices and DSP to
allocate for voicing:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 Select the number of voices and DSPs to allo-
cate for voicing by selecting a value from the
Number of Voices pop-up menu as follows:
• Select minimum voice numbers if you are
using high-bandwidth PCI or PCIe cards
(such as video capture cards) along with
your Pro Tools|HD cards. These settings
place the lightest processing load on each
allocated DSP chip, but generally require
more DSP chips be dedicated to voicing
and mixing (leaving fewer available for
plug-ins).
• Select medium voice numbers when your
Pro Tools|HD cards are in an expansion
chassis, or when you are using other PCI or
PCIe cards along with Pro Tools|HD cards.
These settings generally provide an opti-
mum balance between number of chips
needed for voicing, and the processing load
placed on each.
• Select higher voice numbers when your
Pro Tools|HD cards are the only PCI or PCIe
cards in your computer, or when you are
using an expansion chassis to run higher
track counts (such as 64 tracks at 96 kHz)
and you want more voices per DSP (such as
16 voices per DSP at 96 kHz). These settings
use fewer DSP chips for mixing (leaving
more available for plug-ins) but place the
highest processing load on each.
3 Click OK.
Pro Tools Reference Guide66
Sample Rate (Playback Engine)
(Pro Tools HD Only)
The Sample Rate setting in the Playback Engine
determines the default sample rate when you
create a new session. This setting is available
only when there is no session open. Otherwise,
the current session sample rate is displayed, but
cannot be changed.
To change the default Sample Rate in the
Playback Engine:
1 With no session open, choose Setup > Playback
Engine.
2 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate
pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
Delay Compensation Engine
The Delay Compensation Engine setting in the
Playback Engine determines how much DSP re-
sources are dedicated to Pro Tools Delay Com-
pensation, which manages DSP and host-based
delays in the Pro Tools mixer.
Within a session, you can choose to enable or
disable Delay Compensation (Options > Delay
Compensation).
To configure the Delay Compensation Engine:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the Delay Compensation Engine pop-up
menu, select Short, Long, or None.
3 Click OK.
Delay Compensation Settings
There are three settings in the Playback Engine
to dedicate processing resources for Delay Com-
pensation:
None Allocates no resources for Delay Compen-
sation.
Short Allocates minimum resources for Delay
Compensation for each channel. This is the
most efficient setting. For sessions with only a
few plug-ins that do not induce too much DSP
and host–based delay, this setting should be suf-
ficient.
Long Allocates maximum resources for Delay
Compensation for each mixer channel. For ses-
sions with a lot of plug-ins resulting in a large
amount of DSP and host–based delay, select this
setting.
The Sample Rate setting can affect the
number of available voices.
You can change the sample rate when
creating a new Pro Tools session by selecting
a different sample rate in the New Session
dialog. (See “Creating a New Session” on
page 160.) You can also change the default
Sample Rate in the Hardware Setup, as long
as no session is open.
To make a copy of a session with a new
sample rate, use Save Copy In.
For more information, see “Delay Compen-
sation” on page 958.
Chapter 6: System Setup 67
DAE Playback Buffer Size
The DAE Playback Buffer Size setting in the Play-
back Engine determines the amount of memory
DAE allocates for disk buffers. In addition to lev-
els, the DAE Playback Buffer Size shows values in
milliseconds, which indicate the amount of au-
dio buffered when the system reads from disk.
The optimum DAE Playback Buffer Size for most
disk operations is 1500 msec; Level 2 (Default).
•DAE Playback Buffer Size settings lower than
1500 msec; Level 2 (Default) may improve
playback and recording initiation speed, as
well as preview in context in DigiBase brows-
ers. However, a lower setting may make it dif-
ficult to play or record tracks reliably with
sessions containing a large number of tracks
or a high density of edits, or with systems that
have slower or heavily-fragmented hard
drives.
•DAE Playback Buffer Size settings higher than
1500 msec; Level 2 (Default) allow higher track
count, higher density of edits in a session, or
the use of slower hard drives. However, a
higher setting may increase the time lag when
starting playback or recording, starting pre-
view in context from DigiBase browsers, or
cause a longer audible time lag while editing
during playback.
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu, se-
lect a buffer size. Memory requirements for each
setting are shown at the bottom of the Playback
Engine dialog.
3 Click OK.
4 If Pro Tools needs more system memory for
the DAE Playback Buffer, it will prompt you to
restart your computer.
Cache Size
The Cache Size setting in the Playback Engine
determines the amount of memory DAE allo-
cates to pre-buffer audio for playback and loop-
ing when using Elastic Audio.
Minimum Reduces the amount of system mem-
ory used for disk operations and frees up mem-
ory for other system tasks. However, perfor-
mance when using Elastic Audio features may
decrease.
Normal Is the optimum Cache Size for most ses-
sions.
Large Improves performance when using Elastic
Audio features, but it also decreases the amount
of memory available for other system tasks, such
as RTAS processing.
Using a larger DAE Playback Buffer Size
leaves less system memory for other tasks.
The default setting of 1500 msec (Level 2) is
recommended unless you are encountering
–9073 (“Disk too slow or fragmented”)
errors.
Using a larger Cache Size leaves less system
memory for other tasks. The default setting
of Normal is recommended unless you are
encountering -9500 (“Cache too small”)
errors.
Pro Tools Reference Guide68
To change the Cache Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the Cache Size pop-up menu, select a
disk cache size.
3 Click OK.
System Memory Allocation
(Pro Tools HD Only)
When you start your computer, Pro Tools auto-
matically reserves a portion of system memory
for the DAE Playback Buffer. This reserved mem-
ory is unavailable to other applications, even if
Pro Tools is not running.
You can set Pro Tools to reserve only the mini-
mum amount of required memory, so that more
system memory is available to other applica-
tions.
To minimize system memory allocation:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 Select the Minimize System Memory Allocation
option.
3 Click OK.
4 Do one of the following:
• On Mac systems, if prompted, enter your
password, then restart your computer.
– or –
• On Windows systems, restart your
computer.
Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size
(Structure Plug-In Only)
This setting appears in the Playback Engine only
if the Structure sampler instrument plug-in is in-
stalled on your system (this applies to Structure
LE and Structure Free as well). The Plug-In Stream-
ing Buffer Size determines the amount of mem-
ory DAE allocates for streaming playback from
disk with the Structure plug-in. This setting only
affects playback if disk streaming is activated in
Structure’s plug-in controls (see the AIR Virtual
Instruments Guide for more information).
The optimum Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size for
most sessions is 250 ms; Level 2 (Default).
•Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size settings lower
than 250 ms; Level 2 (Default) reduce the
amount of system memory used for sample
playback and frees up memory for other sys-
tem tasks. However, reliability of sample play-
back may decrease.
•Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size settings higher
than 250 ms; Level 2 (Default) improve the re-
liability of sample playback, but they also de-
crease the amount of memory available for
other system tasks, such as RTAS processing.
To change the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size pop-up
menu, select a buffer size.
3 Click OK.
Using a larger Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size
leaves less system memory for other tasks.
The default setting of 250 ms (Level 2) is
recommended unless you are experiencing
problems with the reliability of streaming
playback from disk.
Chapter 6: System Setup 69
Optimizing the Plug-In Streaming
Buffer Size
(Structure Plug-In Only)
This option appears in the Playback Engine only
if the Structure plug-in is installed on your sys-
tem. This option is useful when you are playing
samples from the same drive that contains audio
for the current session. When this option is se-
lected, Pro Tools automatically optimizes the
size of the Plug-In Streaming Buffer to facilitate
disk access from both Pro Tools and Structure.
The Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size pop-up menu is
unavailable when this option is selected.
To set Pro Tools to automatically optimize the
Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 Select the Optimize for Streaming Content on
Audio Drives option.
3 Click OK.
Configuring MIDI Setup
If you plan to use any external MIDI devices
with Pro Tools (such as controllers, keyboards,
synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, se-
quencers, or sound modules), you may want to
configure your MIDI setup using Audio MIDI
Setup (Mac) or MIDI Studio Setup (Windows).
Configuring Pro Tools
Hardware Settings
Pro Tools lets you configure the signal routing,
digital I/O format, default sample rate, clock
source, and other hardware-based settings de-
pending on your system configuration. These
system settings are available in the Hardware
Setup (Setup > Hardware).
For information on configuring MIDI, see
Chapter 10, “Configuring MIDI.”
Hardware Setup for HD OMNI, Main page
Hardware Setup for Mbox 2
Hardware Setup for an ASIO device
Pro Tools Reference Guide70
Selecting an Audio Interface to
Configure
The Peripherals list in the Hardware Setup lets
you select any audio interface connected to your
Pro Tools system associated with the selected
Current Engine setting in the Playback Engine di-
alog.
To change the Current Engine setting to use a spe-
cific audio interface or DAE (such as HD TDM,
003, a third-party Core Audio or ASIO interface,
or Pro Tools Aggregate I/O), see “Current En-
gine” on page 61).
For Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces (such as HD
OMNI or HD I/O) you can configure the signal
routing, digital I/O format, default sample rate,
clock source, and other hardware-based settings
for each HD peripheral connected to your sys-
tem.
For Pro Tools audio interfaces (such as 003 or
Mbox 2) you can configure the signal routing,
digital I/O format, default sample rate, clock
source, and other hardware-based settings de-
pending on your system configuration
For third-generation Mbox family audio inter-
faces, M-Audio audio interfaces, and third-party
Core Audio (Mac) and ASIO (Windows) compat-
ible audio interfaces, use the Launch Setup App
button to launch the control panel for configur-
ing your specific audio interface.
Launch Setup App
(Pro Tools with Mbox Family, M-Audio, or
Third-Party Audio Interfaces Only)
Using the setup application (control panel) for
your audio interface, you can change settings in
the following areas depending on your audio in-
terface:
•Mixer Settings
• Output Settings
• Hardware Settings (including sample rate,
hardware buffer size, and sync source).
To change control panel settings:
1 In the Hardware Setup dialog, click the Launch
Setup App button.
2 To change settings in the Control Panel, see
the documentation that came with your audio
interface.
3 When finished, close the Control Panel.
You can set the sample rate when creating a
new Pro Tools session by selecting a differ-
ent sample rate in the New Session dialog.
Chapter 6: System Setup 71
Configuring Pro Tools
Aggregate I/O
(Mac Only)
On Mac systems using Core Audio, you can se-
lect Pro Tools Aggregate I/O as the Current Engine
to use the built-in audio inputs and outputs on
your Mac computer. You can configure the
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O setting in the Mac Au-
dio Setup, which can be accessed from the
Pro Tools Hardware Setup.
To configure Pro Tools Aggregate I/O settings:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 In the Peripherals list, select Pro Tools Aggre-
gate I/O, or whichever Built-in input or output
option is selected as the Current Engine in the
Playback Engine.
3 Click the Launch Setup App button.
4 In the Audio Devices window of the Mac Au-
dio Setup, configure the Pro Tools Aggregate I/O
settings.
Configuring Default Sample Rate
Setting in Hardware Setup
The Sample Rate setting in the Hardware Setup
dialog determines the default sample rate when
you create a new session. This setting is available
only when there is no session open. Otherwise,
the current session sample rate is displayed, but
cannot be changed.
On Pro Tools HD, you can change the default
Sample Rate in the Hardware Setup, or in the
Playback Engine.
On Pro Tools, you can only change the default
sample rate in the Hardware Setup or using the
control panel for M-Audio and third-party audio
interfaces.
Hardware Setup for Pro Tools Aggregate I/O (Mac only)
The Pro Tools Aggregate I/O device is in-
tended for use only with the built-in audio
on your Mac computer. For best perfor-
mance, use the default settings.
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O in the Audio Devices window
On Pro Tools HD, the Sample Rate setting
can affect the number of available voices.
You can change the sample rate when
creating a new Pro Tools session by selecting
a different sample rate in the New Session
dialog.
Pro Tools Reference Guide72
To change the default Sample Rate in the
Hardware Setup:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware Setup.
2 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate
pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
Configuring Clock Source
The Pro Tools Hardware Setup lets you select the
Clock Source for the system.
Internal If you are recording an analog signal di-
rectly into Pro Tools, you will usually use the
Pro Tools Internal clock source.
External If you are transferring material into
Pro Tools from an external digital device, or if
you utilize a common house clock signal, you
will synchronize Pro Tools to that digital device
or common signal.
Depending on your audio interface, external op-
tions can include AES/EBU [Encl], S/PDIF, Optical
[Encl], AES/EBU 1–8, TDIF, ADAT, and Word Clock.
For details, see the guide for your audio inter-
face.
To select the Clock Source:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Choose the clock source from the Clock Source
pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
Configuring Digital Format and
Hardware Routing
The Hardware Setup includes additional settings
for configuring the digital format and hardware
routing for your system’s audio interfaces.
For an outline of the configuration of a
Pro Tools|HD system with one or more
Pro Tools|HD interfaces, see “Configuring
Pro Tools|HD Hardware Settings” on page 72.
Selecting Footswitch Control
(003 and 002 Only)
The footswitch connector on your 003 or 002
family interface lets you use a footswitch pedal
to control either playback start/stop or record-
ing punch in/out. Both QuickPunch audio
punch-in and punch-out and MIDI punch-in
and punch-out recording are supported.
Record Punch In/Out Select this option to use a
footswitch connected to your 003 or 002 family
interface to punch in and punch out during re-
cording.
Playback Start/Stop Select this option to use a
footswitch connected to your 003 or 002 family
interface to start and stop playback.
Configuring Pro Tools|HD
Hardware Settings
On Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools|HD Native sys-
tems, you configure Hardware settings for each
audio interface connected to your system (see
Chapter 5, “Pro Tools Systems.”)
Changes made to Clock Source in the Session
Setup window will be reflected in the Hard-
ware Setup window and vice versa.
Your digital input device must be connected
and powered on for Pro Tools to synchro-
nize to it. If your input device is not powered
on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal.
To configure specific hardware settings for
other Pro Tools, M-Audio, or third-party
audio interfaces, see the documentation
that came with your audio interface.
Chapter 6: System Setup 73
For example, Pro Tools|HD systems can have
HD I/O, HD OMNI, HD MADI, 192 I/O,
192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or 96i I/O audio inter-
faces connected to Accel Core or HD Core and
HD Accel or HD Process cards in the system. The
HD I/O, HD OMNI, 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O,
and 96 I/O can also have additional interfaces
attached using the Expansion port on each
interface.
Identifying Audio Interfaces
If you have multiple audio interfaces of the
same type connected to your system, before you
make audio connections to them, you should
confirm the identity of each interface. This en-
sures that you choose the appropriate interface
in the Peripherals list when you define its inputs
and outputs in the Hardware Setup.
To identify audio interfaces in your system:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select an audio inter-
face connected to your system.
3 Make sure the Main page is shown.
4 Select the Identify option, located in the lower
left corner of the Hardware Setup. This illumi-
nates all the LEDs on the front panel of the se-
lected audio interface.
5 Make a note of which interface in your studio
setup corresponds to the identified interface.
6 Repeat the above steps for each additional au-
dio interface in your setup.
Configuring Pro Tools|HD Audio
Interfaces
HD OMNI supports up to eight channels of si-
multaneous I/O and multiple I/O formats (such
as analog, AES/EBU, ADAT Optical, and S/PDIF).
HD I/O, 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, and 96i
I/O audio interfaces support sixteen channels of
simultaneous I/O and multiple I/O formats
(such as analog, AES/EBU, ADAT Optical,
S/PDIF, and TDIF). HD MADI supports up to 64
channels of MADI I/O.
The Main page of the Hardware Setup is where
you define which physical inputs and outputs
on your audio interface are routed to available
inputs and outputs in Pro Tools. You can think
of this window as a patchbay that allows you to
route any of the inputs or outputs on your
Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces to channel as-
signments in the Pro Tools mixer.
Additional pages are available to configure other
controls for each audio interface (such as setting
operating levels).
To configure Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select the
Pro Tools|HD audio interface connected to the
first card in your system. This will be the inter-
face at the top of the list.
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to scroll
though the Peripherals list in the Hardware
Setup.
Hardware Setup for HD I/O, Main page
Pro Tools Reference Guide74
3 Click the Main tab.
4 From the Clock Source pop-up menu, select
the appropriate clock source for the interface.
In many cases, you will use Internal. The other
choices are for resolving Pro Tools to external
clock sources. Depending on your audio inter-
face, Clock Source options can include: AES/EBU
[Encl], S/PDIF, Optical [Encl], AES/EBU 1–8, TDIF,
ADAT, and Word Clock (optional Word Clock
rates are available when operating at higher
sample rates).
5 If you want to send clock output to other de-
vices attached to the audio interface, select the
appropriate output from the Ext. Clock Output
pop-up menu.
6 Select which digital I/O port on your audio in-
terface enclosure is active by selecting the corre-
sponding option under Digital Format.
Depending on the type of interfaces in your sys-
tem, choices include AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and Opti-
cal (S/PDIF). Selecting Optical (S/PDIF) resets the
Optical I/O port (which is, by default, eight
channels of ADAT Optical I/O) to two channels
of S/PDIF Optical I/O.
7 For S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam DA-30
DAT recorders, select the Tascam option under
S/PDIF Format.
8 From the Input and Output channel pop-up
menus, select the physical ports (such as Analog
1–2 or Optical 1–2), that will be routed to the
corresponding Pro Tools input and output chan-
nels (such as Ch 1–2, Ch 3–4), listed on the left
side of the Main page.
Inputs and outputs of similar format are differ-
entiated in the input and output channel pop-
up menus. For example, the AES/EBU inputs and
outputs in the HD I/O enclosure are listed as
AES/EBU [Encl], while the AES/EBU inputs and
outputs on the factory-installed Digital I/O card
are listed (in pairs) as AES/EBU 1–2, AES/EBU
3–4, AES/EBU 5–6, and AES/EBU 7–8. For
HD I/Os equipped with a second Digital I/O
Card, the additional AES/EBU I/O ports on the
optional card are listed as AES/EBU 9–10,
AES/EBU 11–12, AES/EBU 13–14, and AES/EBU
15–16.
9 Configure any specific controls for your audio
interface:
• “Configuring HD OMNI Controls” on
page 75.
• “Configuring HD I/O Controls” on
page 76.
• “Configuring HD MADI Controls” on
page 77.
• “Configuring 192 I/O and 192 Digital I/O
Controls” on page 77.
• “Configuring 96 I/O Controls” on page 78.
• “Configuring 96i I/O Controls” on
page 79.
10 For additional Pro Tools|HD interfaces,
choose the interface in the Peripherals list, and
repeat the above steps.
Press Command+Left or Right Arrow keys
(Mac) or Control+Left or Right Arrow keys
(Windows) to move though the different
pages of the Hardware Setup.
See your peripheral’s guide for additional
configuration details and restrictions. For
example, the Optical 1–8 channels (on the
192 I/O enclosure) will not be available at
session sample rates of 88.2 kHz or higher,
while the ports on the 192 I/O Digital I/O
card will still be available.
Chapter 6: System Setup 75
Configuring HD OMNI Controls
To configure HD OMNI in Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select the HD OMNI
audio interface.
3 Click the Monitor tab and configure the op-
tions. When working with HD OMNI, you
should always configure the Monitor page first.
4 Click the Main tab and configure the options.
5 Click the Analog In tab and configure the
options.
6 Click the Analog Out tab and configure the
options.
7 Click the Mixer tab and configure the options.
8 When you are finished, click OK.
For detailed information about configuring
HD OMNI, see the HD OMNI Guide.
HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Monitor page
HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Main page
HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Analog In page
HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Analog Out page
HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Mixer page
Pro Tools Reference Guide76
Configuring HD I/O Controls
To configure controls for HD I/O:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select the HD I/O au-
dio interface.
3 Click the Main tab and configure the options.
4 If you have at least one HD I/O AD card, click
the Analog In tab and configure the options. If
you have two HD I/O AD cards, this tab is la-
beled Analog In 1–8.
5 If you have two HD I/O AD cards, click the An-
alog In 9–16 tab and configure the options.
6 If you have at least one HD I/O Digital card,
click the Digital tab and configure the options.
7 If you have two HD I/O Digital cards, click the
second Digital tab and configure the options.
8 When you are finished, click OK.
For detailed information about configuring
HD I/O, see the HD I/O Guide.
HD I/O Hardware Setup, Main page
HD I/O Hardware Setup, Analog In page
HD I/O Hardware Setup, Analog In 9–16 page
HD I/O Hardware Setup, Digital page
Chapter 6: System Setup 77
Configuring HD MADI Controls
To configure controls for HD MADI:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select either
HD MADI Port 1 or HD MADI Port 2 and config-
ure the options.
3 When you are finished, click OK.
Configuring 192 I/O and
192 Digital I/O Controls
To configure controls for a 192 I/O:
1 With the 192 I/O selected in the Peripherals
list, click the Analog In tab for the following op-
tions:
• You can set your operating level on a chan-
nel-by-channel basis by selecting Reference
Level +4 dBu or –10 dBV. These settings
correspond to two different input connec-
tors on the back of the 192 I/O. See the
192 I/O Guide for more information.
• Each of the analog channels in the 192 I/O
has two Input Trims, labeled A and B, for
precisely calibrating and switching levels.
You can select Input Trim A or B on a chan-
nel-by-channel basis. See the 192 I/O Guide
for more information.
•You can select Soft Clip on a channel-by-
channel basis. The Soft Clip limiter attenu-
ates the incoming analog signal, providing
extra protection from temporary clipping
transients that can cause digital distortion
when they exceed the maximum input of
the unit. With Soft Clip enabled, 192 I/O
supports an additional 4 dB of headroom
by rounding off the top 4 dB to the clip
point. This is useful for eliminating stray
transients.
2 Click the Analog Out tab for the following op-
tion:
For detailed information about configuring
HD MADI, see the HD MADI Guide.
HD MADI Hardware Setup
The settings for HD MADI Port 1 and
HD MADI Port 2 are linked. Any changes
are global regardless of which is selected in
the Peripherals list.
Hardware Setup for 192 I/O, Analog In page
Pro Tools Reference Guide78
• Each of the analog channels in the 192 I/O
has two Output Trims, labeled A and B, re-
spectively. You can select Output Trim A or
B on a channel-by-channel basis.
To configure controls for a 192 Digital I/O or
192 I/O with an optional Digital I/O card:
On the 192 Digital I/O or a 192 I/O with an
optional Digital I/O card, click the Digital tab to
set the Input Format (AES/EBU, TDIF, or ADAT
Optical) and enable real-time sample rate con-
version (in channel pairs, with the SR Conver-
sion option).
Configuring 96 I/O Controls
To configure controls for a 96 I/O:
1 With the 96 I/O selected in the Peripherals
list, configure your I/O front panel meters for in-
put or output metering from the Meters pop-up.
2 Click the Analog In tab for the following op-
tion:
• You can set your operating level on a chan-
nel-by-channel basis by selecting Reference
Level +4 dBu or –10 dBV. See the 96 I/O
Guide for more information on setting op-
erating levels.
3 Click the Analog Out tab for the following op-
tion:
• You can set your output level on a channel-
by-channel basis by selecting Reference
Level +4 dBu or –10 dBV. See the 96 I/O
Guide for more information on setting op-
erating levels.
Hardware Setup for 192 I/O, Analog Out page
At session sample rates above 48 kHz, sam-
ple rate conversion for the TDIF and Optical
(ADAT) inputs on the Digital I/O card is au-
tomatically enabled on all eight inputs of
the selected format.
Hardware Setup for 192 I/O, Digital page
Hardware Setup for 96 I/O, Analog In page
Hardware Setup for 96 I/O, Analog Out page
Chapter 6: System Setup 79
Configuring 96i I/O Controls
To configure controls for a 96i I/O:
1 With the 96i I/O selected in the Peripherals
list, configure your I/O front panel meters for in-
put or output metering from the Meters pop-up.
2 Set input sensitivity by doing the following:
• For Inputs 1–4, set the input trim slider to
match the output level of the connected in-
strument. Choices range from –12 dBV to
+4 dBu. If you do not know the output
level of the device, use the default input
trim level, then fine tune the input level
sensitivity.
• For each input 5–16 being used, select
–8 dBV or +4 dBu as appropriate to best
match the output level of the connected in-
strument.
3 Set Output levels (select –10 dBV or +4 dBu).
4 Click Done.
You can select analog or digital input as sources
for 96i I/O channels 1–2. Only channels 1–2 can
access the S/PDIF inputs.
To select analog or digital input for channels 1-2:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware, and select 96i I/O in
the Peripherals list to display the 96i I/O win-
dow.
2 Click to set Ch 1–2 Input to Analog or S/PDIF,
as appropriate.
Configuring I/O Setup
The I/O Setup provides a graphical representa-
tion of the signal routing for each connected au-
dio interface, with controls to route physical
ports on the audio interface to Pro Tools inputs
and outputs. These controls mirror the routing
controls found in the Hardware Setup—changes
made to physical routing in one is always re-
flected in the other.
The I/O Setup lets you label and map Pro Tools
input, output, insert, and bus signal paths. The
I/O Setup also provides important audition, me-
ter, and surround settings. For more informa-
tion, see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”
Hardware Setup for 96i I/O
The 96i I/O only supports analog and digi-
tal switching for channels 1–2, and only
from within the Hardware Setup and I/O
Setup. The 96i I/O does not support path re-
mapping within I/O Setup.
Pro Tools Reference Guide80
Routing a Pro Tools Output Pair to
Multiple Destinations
Pro Tools channel pairs can be routed to multi-
ple physical outputs on an audio interface
through the Hardware Setup.
For example, if you assign Channels 1–2 to both
outputs Analog 1–2 and Analog 3–4, when you
send a signal to Pro Tools Channels 1–2, that
signal will be routed simultaneously to both
pairs of output ports on your audio interface.
This lets you send the same signal (such as a ste-
reo pair, a stem mix, or a multichannel mix) to
multiple destinations (such as multiple master-
ing devices).
To route a Pro Tools output channel pair to
multiple audio interface output ports:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select an interface.
3 Click the Main tab.
4 Select an output port pair from an Output pop-
up menu.
5 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
the same pop-up menu a second time to choose
another available Output Port pair.
The output name updates with a plus sign (“+”)
before it to indicate that multiple output ports
are selected. In the pop-up menu, each physical
port pair assigned to that Pro Tools output pair
is indicated by a check mark.
6 Repeat the above steps to select additional
output destinations. The only limit to output
choices is the number of outputs available in
your system.
Pro Tools output pairs can also be routed to mul-
tiple audio interface outputs in the I/O Setup.
For more information, see “Configuring Hard-
ware in I/O Setup” on page 96.
System Usage
Meters in the System Usage window indicate
how much of your system’s processing power is
being used in processing audio, and when writ-
ing and playing back automation.
Activity Meter (All Pro Tools
Systems)
All versions of Pro Tools provide four common
system Activity meters:
PCI Displays the amount of PCI bus activity.
CPU (RTAS) Displays the amount of CPU pro-
cessing activity for RTAS processing.
CPU (Elastic) Displays the amount of processing
activity for Real-Time Elastic Audio processing.
Disk Displays the amount of hard disk process-
ing activity.
As these meters approach their limits, host pro-
cessing and recording or playback of automa-
tion data can be affected. If CPU or PCI Activity
are high, a system error may occur. If Disk Activ-
ity is high, Pro Tools may miss playback of some
automation data during particularly dense peri-
ods of activity, such as while using the Bounce
to Disk command.
Only currently unassigned Output Port pairs
are available.
System Usage window (Pro Tools shown)
Chapter 6: System Setup 81
Additional System Usage Meters
in Pro Tools|HD Systems
Pro Tools|HD systems (TDM only) provide three
additional meters below the Activity meter (see
page 80):
TDM Voices Allocated Displays the total number
of TDM voices that can be allocated and the
number of voices currently allocated. This in-
cludes all voices whether they are allocated ex-
plicitly or dynamically, as well as any voices
used for routing RTAS processing.
TDM Time Slots Used Displays the total number
of TDM Time Slots available and the number of
TDM Time Slots currently used.
DSP Usage (HD Core and HD Accel) Displays (in
percent) how much of each DSP chip on each
Pro Tools|HD card is currently being used for
mixer configurations and TDM plug-ins.
Managing System Resources
To monitor the usage of resources during a
Pro Tools session:
Choose Window > System Usage.
To reduce processing load, do one of the following:
Reduce the density of automation in places
where it shows the most activity. For details, see
“Thinning Automation” on page 1028.
– or –
Turn off meters in Sends view, if enabled (by
deselecting Show Meters in Sends View in the Dis-
play Preferences page). For details, see “Individ-
ual Send Views and Meters” on page 943.
DSP Caching
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
Pro Tools HD (TDM only) maintains a Plug-In
and Mixer cache for allocated DSP when closing
and opening sessions. While this has no effect
on the time it takes to open the first session after
you launch Pro Tools, it does result in being able
to open and close all subsequent Pro Tools ses-
sions much more quickly, especially when using
the Revert To Saved command or when opening
similarly configured sessions.
However, when using DSP caching, the System
Usage window may not always accurately show
the DSP resources your session is currently us-
ing. For an accurate display of current DSP us-
age, you can either disable DSP caching or purge
the DSP cache.
System Usage window (Pro Tools HD 2 Accel shown)
System
Activity
TDM Voices
Allocated
TDM Time
Slots Used
DSP
Usage
Pro Tools Reference Guide82
To enable (or disable) DSP Caching:
1 Open the System Usage window (Windows >
System Usage).
2 Click the DSP Cache pop-up menu and select
(or deselect) Use DSP Cache.
To purge the DSP cache:
1 Open the System Usage window (Windows >
System Usage).
2 Click the DSP Cache pop-up menu and select
(or deselect) Purge Cache. This refreshes the Sys-
tem Usage display.
System Usage window, DSP Cache pop-up menu
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 83
Chapter 7: I/O Setup
The I/O Setup provides tools to label, format,
and assign Pro Tools input, output, insert, and
bus audio signal paths both for individual ses-
sions as well as for your specific Pro Tools
system.
I/O Setup also provides controls for PRE (Mic
Preamp) signal paths, and Delay Compensation
settings for hardware inserts.
I/O Setup on a Pro Tools|HD system with HD OMNI and HD I/O
Channel Grid
Path Type tabs
Active/Inactive
Status
Options
Path Format selector
Path Name column
Path tools
Input and Output
selectors
Interface Name label
Import/Export Settings
Pro Tools Reference Guide84
The I/O Setup displays a graphical representa-
tion (cross-point matrix) of the signal routing for
physical input and output paths for each con-
nected audio interface. Like a virtual patchbay,
I/O Setup controls let you route physical inputs
and outputs on the audio interface to Pro Tools
input and output channels. For Pro Tools|HD
systems, some of these controls mirror the rout-
ing controls found in the Hardware Setup —
changes made to physical routing in one is al-
ways reflected in the other.
The I/O Setup also includes controls for creating
internal mix busses and for creating and map-
ping output busses.
Opening the I/O Setup
The I/O Setup can be opened from the applica-
tion window (with a session closed), or from
within a session (when a session is open).
To open the I/O Setup:
1 Make sure your audio interfaces are enabled
and configured properly in the Hardware Setup.
See “Configuring Pro Tools Hardware Settings”
on page 69.
2 Choose Setup > I/O.
Closing the I/O Setup
To close the I/O Setup and save changes:
Click OK.
Pro Tools checks several settings for routing va-
lidity (to prevent feedback loops). If there are
any overlapping or invalid settings, you will be
required to correct them (see “Valid Paths and
Requirements” on page 108).
To close the I/O Setup without saving changes:
Click Cancel.
Resizing the I/O Setup
To resize the I/O Setup dialog, do one of the
following:
On Mac, drag the lower-right corner of the
window.
– or –
On Windows, drag any corner of the window.
Navigating in the I/O Setup
To scroll left or right in the I/O Setup:
Press Option+Page Up/Down (Mac) or
Alt+Page Up/Down (Windows).
Pro Tools Signal Paths
A signal path is a logical grouping of multiple in-
puts, outputs, or busses that has a single name
and (channel) format. The I/O Setup lets you
create, define and name paths according to the
configuration of your studio and the needs of
each project.
Main Paths and Sub-Paths
Paths in Pro Tools tracks and I/O Setup include
main paths and sub-paths.
Main Paths Main paths are logical groupings of
inputs, inserts, busses, or outputs. For example,
a master stereo output path will include both its
left and right channels.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 85
Sub-Paths A sub-path represents a signal path
within a main path. For example, a default ste-
reo output bus path consists of two mono sub-
paths, left and right. Mono tracks and sends can
be routed to either mono sub-path of the stereo
output bus path.
Paths in Sessions
In sessions, signals are routed to and from
tracks, sends, and inserts using track Input,
Output, Insert, and Send selectors.
When you click a track Input, Output, Insert or
Send selector, the paths created and defined in
the IO Setup appear in the list of available paths
(see “Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to
Tracks” on page 228).
Path Configurations and
I/O Settings
Each Pro Tools system can have a different path
configuration, determined by:
• On Pro Tools systems, the type of audio in-
terface or other physical I/O (including
built-in hardware)
• On Pro Tools|HD systems, the number and
types of audio interfaces
Path configurations in Pro Tools are saved as
I/O settings.
I/O Settings are saved with both the session and
with the system. You can choose whether or not
the IO settings saved with the session overwrite
the IO settings saved with the system (see “Ses-
sions Overwrite Current I/O Setup When
Opened” on page 94).
Unavailable items (including hardware, paths,
or required resources) remain in the session as
inactive items (see “Making Paths Active or In-
active” on page 106).
When you create a new session, you can specify
which I/O Settings to use. For example, you can
use the factory installed default settings, the
“Last Used” setting, or one of any available cus-
tom I/O settings files.
Main and sub-paths in I/O Setup
It is especially useful to define and name
sub-paths for complex mixing setups, such
as a 5.1 Surround mix.
See “Factory I/O Settings” on page 112 and
“I/O Settings Files” on page 113 for more
information.
Pro Tools Reference Guide86
Default I/O Settings
Pro Tools comes with default I/O Setup settings
to get you started (see “Factory I/O Settings” on
page 112). You should only need to open the
I/O Setup if you want to customize I/O paths or
if you change your system hardware (for exam-
ple, adding an expansion card to HD I/O, or
adding or removing an audio interface).
You can always return to the default settings for
an I/O Settings page by clicking the Default but-
ton. These paths are available in session tracks
and are reflected in the I/O Setup.
You can customize your I/O Setup configuration
at any time, according to the needs of each proj-
ect (see “Customizing I/O Settings” on page 95).
I/O Setup Pages
The I/O Setup provides tabs to open pages for
configuring specific I/O Settings.
Opening a Specific I/O Setup Page
To open any specific I/O Setup page:
Click the corresponding tab at the top of the
I/O Setup.
Press and hold the Command key (Mac) or
the Control key (Windows) and use the Left
or Right Arrow keys to cycle through the dif-
ferent pages of the I/O Setup.
It is recommended that if you choose to cus-
tomize your I/O Setup, configure the system-
specific options first: Input, Output, Insert,
Mic Preamps, and H/W Insert Delay. Then
configure the Bus page. Once you have con-
figured your system, you should not need to
change it unless you add or remove hard-
ware (such as audio interfaces) from your
system. See “Customizing I/O Settings” on
page 95.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 87
Input Page
The Input page of the I/O Setup lets you create
and assign Pro Tools Input channels to receive
audio from the physical inputs of your audio
hardware.
Configure input signal path names, formats,
and source channel (analog or digital) on the In-
put page. Multichannel input paths (stereo or
greater) can have any number of sub-paths. In-
put channels can have overlapping input paths.
Input names, channel widths, and physical in-
put mappings are saved with the system and the
session, and can be recalled from either.
Output Page
The Output page of the I/O Setup lets you create
and assign Pro Tools Output channels to send
audio to the physical outputs of your audio
hardware.
Configure output signal path names and for-
mats on the Output page. Output channels can
have overlapping output paths. Output names,
channel widths, and physical output assign-
ments are saved with the system and the ses-
sion, and can be recalled from either.
I/O Setup, Input page
I/O Setup, Output page
Pro Tools Reference Guide88
Bus Page
The Bus page of the I/O Setup lets you create and
edit internal mix busses and output busses. The
Bus page also lets you map output busses to out-
put paths (as configured in the Output page of
the I/O Setup).
Configure bus path names and formats, and
map any main bus path to any available output
of the same width or greater. Multichannel bus
paths (stereo or greater) can have any number of
sub-paths. Output bus and internal mix bus
names and channel widths are saved with and
recalled from the session.
Insert Page
The Insert page of the I/O Setup lets you create
and edit hardware insert signal paths for the
Pro Tools mixer. Hardware inserts can route au-
dio through an external device connected to
parallel inputs and outputs of a Pro Tools audio
interface. This lets you process audio on a track
with a hardware insert in real time.
Insert paths require audio interface inputs and
outputs, and are determined by the configura-
tion of the Insert page in the I/O Setup for your
system.
I/O Setup, Bus page
For information about configuring busses,
see “Configuring Busses” on page 108.
I/O Setup, Insert page
For information about using hardware
inserts, see “Using Hardware Inserts” on
page 999.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 89
Mic Preamps Page
On the Mic Preamps page of the I/O Setup, sig-
nal paths for one or more PRE multi-purpose mi-
crophone preamplifiers can be mapped to audio
interfaces. For more information, see the PRE
Guide.
H/W Insert Delay (Compensation)
Page
To compensate for the delay (latency) of any ex-
ternal hardware devices (such as an effects unit)
used in your session, you can set the amount of
Hardware Insert Delay Compensation (in milli-
seconds) for each external device. These times
will be used by the Delay Compensation Engine
to time-align input paths when the hardware in-
sert is in use and Delay Compensation is en-
abled.
I/O Setup Signal Path
Controls
Depending on the I/O Setup page, the I/O Setup
provides the following controls in its graphical
section for configuring signal routing paths.
Input and Output Selectors Let you select the
physical ports on your audio interface to route
to Pro Tools inputs and outputs. Ports are select-
able in channel pairs. Available ports for each
displayed interface are based on Hardware Setup
settings; for example, if the AES/EBU inputs and
outputs of an interface are enabled in Hardware
Setup, they are available for routing in I/O
Setup. The functionality provided with the In-
put and Output selector is the same as that pro-
vided on the Main page of the Hardware Setup.
Path Name Column Shows paths that are avail-
able for selection, including the name of each
defined path. Path names can be renamed.
Expand/Collapse Triangle Shows or hides the
sub-paths associated with a main path (Input
and Bus paths only).
Active/Inactive Status Box Shows and changes
the active/inactive status of each path.
Mic Preamps page
Insert offset delay field
For more information, see “Setting a
Hardware Insert Delay Offset” on
page 964.
I/O Setup, Signal Path controls (Input page shown)
Input selector
Expand/Collapse
Path Format selector
Channel Grid
triangle Active/Inactive
Status box
Path Name
column
Pro Tools Reference Guide90
Path Format Selector Shows and selects the
type/format (such as Mono, Stereo, Quad, or
5.1) of each defined path (greater-than-stereo
multichannel formats are supported with
Pro Tools|HD systems and Pro Tools systems
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only).
Channel Grid Assigns paths to specific interfaces
and channels.
I/O Setup Buttons
Depending on the I/O Setup page, the I/O Setup
can provide the following buttons for configur-
ing signal routing.
New Path Button Lets you create a new path on
signal path pages for Input, Output, Insert, Bus,
or Mic Preamp.
New Sub-Path Button Lets you create a new sub-
path on signal path pages for Input, Insert, or
Bus.
Delete Path Button Lets you delete any selected
path or sub-path on signal path pages for Input,
Output, Insert, or Bus.
Import Settings Button Lets you import an I/O
settings file to reconfigure I/O Setup. Import Set-
tings only imports the settings for the currently
viewed page of the I/O Setup (such as the Input
page).
Export Settings Button Lets you save I/O settings
as a file that can be imported into other sessions
or used on other Pro Tools systems. Export Set-
tings exports the settings for all pages of the I/O
Setup.
Default Button Resets a path type to its default
path configuration, depending on the physical
hardware I/O you are using and how your hard-
ware is configured.
Show Last Saved Setup Appears in the I/O Setup
in certain session transfer situations. For details
on this feature, see “Show Last Saved Setup and
Show Current Setup” on page 115.
Pop-Up Menu Selectors I/O Options Provide se-
lectors with pop-up menus to set paths or or-
ders. The Output and Bus pages provide a Con-
troller Meter Path selector. The Output page also
provides selectors for Audition Paths (Region
List and DigiBase previewing), New Track De-
fault Output, Default Path Order, AFL/PFL Path
(Pro Tools HD only), and AFL/PFL Mutes
(Pro Tools HD only). See “I/O Setup Options” on
page 91.
Cancel Button Closes the I/O Setup without sav-
ing changes.
OK Button Closes the I/O Setup and saves any
changes.
I/O Setup, Signal Path buttons (Input page shown)
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Import Settings button to import set-
tings to all pages of the I/O Setup.
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Default button to restore defaults to
paths in all pages of the I/O Setup.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 91
I/O Setup Options
Pro Tools systems have several additional
I/O Setup options depending on which page of
the I/O Setup you are viewing. These include de-
fault signal routing for metering and audition-
ing, and default track layout for multichannel
mix formats.
Compensate for Delays After
Record Pass
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Pro Tools provide two options for compensating
for input and output latency (due to ADC and
DAC) after recording.
Compensation for Input Delays After Record
Pass
When enabled, this option provides automatic
compensation for any analog or digital input de-
lay with Pro Tools|HD interfaces. Enable this op-
tion for all recording situations. When record-
ing from a digital source, both the Compensation
for Input Delays After Record Pass and the Com-
pensation for Output Delays After Record Pass op-
tions must be enabled.
The Compensation for Input Delays After Record
Pass option is only available in the Input page
of the I/O Setup.
Compensation for Output Delays After
Record Pass
When enabled, this option provides automatic
compensation for any analog or digital output
delay with Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces. En-
able this option when you are synchronized to
an external clock source. When recording from
a digital source, both the Compensation for Input
Delays After Record Pass and the Compensation
for Output Delays After Record Pass options must
be enabled.
The Compensation for Output Delays After Record
Pass option is only available in the Output page
of the I/O Setup.
Controller Meter Path
(D-Control, D-Command, C|24, and ProControl
Only)
The Controller Meter Path selector determines the
path displayed across the Output meters of
D-Control or D-Command worksurfaces. For
more details, see your control surface documen-
tation.
The Controller Meter Path selector is available in
the Output and Bus pages of the I/O Setup.
Audition Paths
You can specify the output path through which
files and regions are previewed (auditioned) in
the Region List or in DigiBase browsers, and
when previewing AudioSuite processing.
The Audition Paths selector is available in the
Output and Bus pages of the I/O Setup.
I/O Setup, Signal Path options (Output page shown)
For information on previewing audio,
see “Previewing Regions in the Region
List” on page 268 or “Previewing Audio
in DigiBase” on page 297.
Pro Tools Reference Guide92
Using the Default Audition Path
When you preview a file or region in the Region
List in a DigiBase browser, or when AudioSuite
processing, Pro Tools routes the audio output
through the specified Audition Path. Pro Tools
assigns a default Audition Path to the first avail-
able main Output path of the corresponding for-
mat. You can also select a different Audition
Path in the I/O Setup.
Configuring Audition Paths
You can specify the monitoring outputs for au-
ditioning audio in the Region List and DigiBase
browsers, or for previewing AudioSuite process-
ing, using the Audition Paths pop-up menu.
Audition Paths Main Menu The main menu con-
sists of all path format choices available on the
current system (Mono and Stereo on all systems,
and LCR and greater on Pro Tools|HD systems or
Pro Tools systems with Complete Production
Toolkit 2).
Audition Paths Submenus Each path format
choice has a submenu listing Output paths of
that given format. (The mono submenu lists
Output paths of any format.)
To configure an Audition Path:
Select a path from the Audition Paths pop-up
menu or submenus.
Default Output Bus
You can specify the default output bus path as-
signment for new tracks, in each available for-
mat.
The Default Output Bus selector is available in the
Output and Bus pages of the I/O Setup.
To specify a default output for new tracks in the
I/O Setup:
Click the Default Output Bus pop-up menu and
select a format and output bus path.
AFL/PFL Path
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Tracks soloed in AFL (After Fader Listen) or PFL
(Pre Fader Listen) Solo mode are routed to the
current AFL/PFL Path, as set with the AFL/PFL
Path selector.
The AFL/PFL Path selector is available in the Out-
put and Bus pages of the I/O Setup.
The Default Output Bus can be set for inter-
nal mix bus paths, as well as for output bus
paths.
See “Solo Modes” on page 240 for more in-
formation on using AFL or PFL Solo modes.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 93
To select the AFL/PFL Path output:
Select a path from the AFL/PFL Path pop-up
menu.
Setting AFL or PFL Path Levels
You can set a separate master AFL/PFL Path level
for all AFL solos and all PFL solos.
To set the AFL/PFL Path level for AFL or PFL solos:
1 Choose Options > Solo Mode, and select a Solo
mode, as follows:
• If you want to set the level for AFL solos,
select AFL.
– or –
• If you want to set the level for PFL solos,
select PFL.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) a Solo but-
ton on any track.
3 Adjust the AFL/PFL Path fader.
4 Click on the new fader position (or press Esc)
to close the fader display.
AFL/PFL Mutes (Output Path)
(Systems without a D-Control or D-Command
Control Surface)
If you are not using a D-Control or D-Command
worksurface, your regular Pro Tools output path
can be muted when you send a signal to the
AFL/PFL Path. The muted path is set with the
AFL/PFL Mutes (Output Path) selector.
The AFL/PFL Mutes selector is available in the
Output and Bus pages of the I/O Setup.
To set which output path is muted when tracks are
soloed in AFL or PFL Solo mode:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Output tab to display the Output
page.
3 Select a path from the AFL/PFL Mutes (Output
Path) pop-up menu.
4 Click OK to save your changes to the I/O Setup
and close the I/O Setup.
Low Latency Monitoring
(Pro Tools|HD Native Only)
With Pro Tools|HD Native systems, the Output
page of the I/O Setup lets you enable (or disable)
Low Latency Monitoring. It also lets you specify
any available Output path for Low Latency
Monitoring. The Output path for Low Latency
Monitoring can be of any channel width (from
Mono to 7.1). Low Latency Monitoring uses
Outputs 1–2 by default.
Selecting None as the AFL/PFL Path disables
AFL and PFL Solo modes. When None is se-
lected, AFL and PFL cannot be used.
If you do not see the AFL/PFL Path selector,
confirm that you have installed the Sur-
round Mixer in the Plug-Ins (Used) folder.
For information on switching Mixer plug-
ins, see the Pro Tools|HD User Guide.
Tracks do not need to be soloed to have the
master AFL/PFL Path level adjusted.
To set the AFL/PFL Path level to 0 dB, Con-
trol-Start-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) any Solo button.
See “Solo Modes” on page 240 for more
information on selecting and using AFL or
PFL Solo modes.
Pro Tools Reference Guide94
To configure Low Latency Monitoring in the I/O
Setup:
1 Open the I/O Setup dialog (Setup > I/O).
2 Click the Output tab.
3 Enable the Low Latency Monitoring option.
4 From the Low Latency Monitoring pop-up menu,
select the Output path you want to use for Low
Latency Monitoring.
5 Click OK to save your changes and close the
I/O Setup.
Default Monitor Format
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The Default Monitor Format pop-up menu lets you
select the default monitor format (Stereo, 5.1, or
7.1) for new Output paths and for when you
click the Default button.
This setting does not affect existing path defini-
tions or metering—it only specifies channel
mapping in new 5.1-format paths.
The Default Monitor Format selector is only avail-
able in the Output page of I/O Setup.
To choose a Default Monitor Format:
Select the channel mapping from the Default
Monitor Format pop-up menu.
5.1 Path Order
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The 5.1 Path Order pop-up menu lets you specify
the default track layout for all new 5.1 format
paths you create.
The 5.1 Path Order selector is available in the In-
put, Output, and Insert pages of the I/O Setup.
To choose a new default 5.1-format path order
(track layout):
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Output tab.
3 Use the 5.1 Default Path Order setting to select
the track layout you want (C|24/Film,
SMPTE/ITU, DTS/ProControl Monitoring, or D-Com-
mand/D-Control).
Sessions Overwrite Current
I/O Setup When Opened
This option determines whether or not, when
opening a session, Input, Output, and Insert I/O
settings as currently configured on your system
will be overwritten by any of these I/O Settings
stored with a session.
When the Sessions Overwrite Current I/O Setup
When Opened option is disabled, Pro Tools re-
calls these settings from the system. Choose this
option when exchanging sessions among differ-
ent systems running Pro Tools 8.1 or higher (see
“Session Interchange” on page 114).
For more information about multichannel
mixing, see Chapter 47, “Pro Tools Setup
for Surround.”
Enable the Sessions Overwrite Current I/O
Setup When Opened option for legacy
Pro Tools behavior (versions lower than
8.1). This option is enabled by default.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 95
When the Sessions Overwrite Current I/O Setup
When Opened option is enabled (default),
Pro Tools recalls these settings from the session
rather than the system. Choose this option
when exchanging sessions with systems run-
ning lower versions of Pro Tools (see “Session
Interchange” on page 114).
Customizing I/O Settings
The following shows how to customize your I/O
settings for your particular studio setup. Making
sure that Sessions Overwrite Current I/O Setup
When Opened option is not enabled ensures that
your custom settings remain intact when open-
ing sessions.
To customize I/O Settings:
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O).
2 If desired, import I/O settings from an existing
I/O settings .pio file (see “Importing I/O Set-
tings” on page 113).
3 For Pro Tools|HD systems, double-click the la-
bel above an interface and enter a name.
4 Click the Input tab:
• Create input paths and sub-paths with ap-
propriate widths and physical input assign-
ments that match your studio
configuration (see “Signal Path Routing for
Audio Output” on page 99).
• Rename input paths and sub-paths to
match your studio configuration.
5 Click the Output tab:
• Create output paths with appropriate
widths and physical output assignments
that match your studio configuration.
• Rename output paths to match your studio
configuration. Use standard industry ter-
minology whenever possible (see “Recom-
mended Output Path Naming Schemes” on
page 104).
6 If you plan on using hardware inserts, click
the Insert tab:
• Create insert paths with appropriate widths
and physical input and output assignments
that match your studio configuration.
• Name insert paths to match your studio
configuration. Name insert paths using
standard industry terminology if possible,
such as “Compressor,” “Reverb,” “EQ,” and
so on.
• Click the H/W Insert Delay tab and enter the
correct insert delay in milliseconds for each
input/output pair that you are using for
hardware inserts. (See “H/W Insert Delay
(Compensation) Page” on page 89.)
Enabling or disabling this option in any
page of the I/O Setups affects all of the other
pages as well.
If you are using an HD OMNI in your
Pro Tools|HD system, be sure to configure
the Monitor page of the Hardware Setup for
HD OMNI before configuring the I/O Setup.
For more information, see the HD OMNI
Guide.
You can prepare a session for use on a dif-
ferent system this way. Any paths for hard-
ware that is not present on the current sys-
tem will appear as inactive.
With systems using Pro Tools|HD hard-
ware, the I/O Setup bases default Input and
Output path names on the custom name
given to the interface.
Pro Tools Reference Guide96
7 If you are using one or more PRE peripherals,
click the Mic Preamps tab and configure it ac-
cordingly (see the PRE Guide).
8 Click the Bus tab.
9 Create internal mix bus paths and sub-paths.
Ensure that output busses are mapped to the
correct output paths (see “Output Busses” on
page 108).
10 In any of the I/O Setup pages, make sure that
the Sessions Overwrite Current I/O Setup When
Opened option is not enabled. This way, when
opening sessions created on another system,
your custom I/O settings remain intact.
11 If desired, export your I/O settings to create a
backup of your current settings (see “Exporting
I/O Settings” on page 114).
12 Click OK. You should not have to open the
I/O Setup again unless you add or remove hard-
ware to or from your system, or if you open a
session created on a different system (see “Ses-
sion Interchange” on page 114).
Configuring Hardware in
I/O Setup
(Pro Tools HD Only)
With Pro Tools HD, you can define which phys-
ical ports on your audio interface are routed to
available input and output channels in the
I/O Setup. Any changes made here are also re-
flected in the Hardware Setup, and vice-versa
(see “Configuring Pro Tools Hardware Settings”
on page 69).
To configure I/O routing in I/O Setup:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Input or Output tab to display the cor-
responding path type.
3 Click the Input or Output selector for the first
interface channel pair, located below the first
audio interface icon.
Output busses are automatically created
and mapped to outputs when new output
paths are created.
HD MADI, and Pro Tools systems such as
the Mbox and the 003 are “hard-wired” and
cannot be changed. For third-party and
built-in hardware, in the Hardware Setup
click the Launch Setup App button to for
available configuration options.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 97
4 From the pop-up menu, select a physical port
pair (such as Analog 1–2), to route to a Pro Tools
channel pair (such as A 1–2) in the Path Name
column on the left.
5 Repeat the above step for additional channel
pairs.
6 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Routing a Pro Tools Output Pair to
Multiple Destinations
Pro Tools channel pairs can be routed to multi-
ple outputs on an audio interface through the
I/O Setup. For example, if you assign both Ana-
log 1–2 and Analog 3–4 interface outputs to
Pro Tools Output pair 1–2, when you send a sig-
nal to Pro Tools Outputs 1–2, that signal will be
routed simultaneously to both pairs of output
ports on your audio interface.
This lets you send the same signal (such as a ste-
reo pair, a stem mix, or a multichannel mix) to
multiple destinations (such as multiple master-
ing devices).
The only limit to output choices is the number
of outputs available in your system.
Pro Tools outputs pairs can also be routed to
multiple audio interface outputs in the Hard-
ware Setup.
To route a Pro Tools output channel pair to
multiple audio interface output ports:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Output tab.
3 Click the Output selector for an interface
channel pair, just below an audio interface icon.
4 From the pop-up menu, select a physical port
pair (such as Analog 1–2) to route to the corre-
sponding Pro Tools channel pair (such as A 1–2)
in the Path Name column on the left.
5 Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)
the same Output selector and select an addi-
tional output pair from the same pop-up menu.
The output name updates with a plus sign (“+”)
before it to indicate that multiple output ports
are selected. In the pop-up menu, each physical
port pair assigned to that Pro Tools output pair
is indicated by a check mark.
6 Repeat the above steps to select additional
output destinations.
7 Click OK to save changes and close the
I/O Setup.
I/O Channel selector pop-up menu
The Monitor path for HD OMNI is fixed
and cannot be changed in the I/O Setup. The
Monitor path for HD OMNI can be config-
ured in the Monitor page of the Hardware
Setup.
0utput path assignments can overlap in
certain situations. See “Valid Paths and
Requirements” on page 108 for details.
Pro Tools Reference Guide98
Signal Path Routing for Audio Input
The following example shows the signal path from the physical analog input of an HD OMNI audio
interface, and then through the Pro Tools audio input path to the Input of an audio track in the
Pro Tools mixer:
(1) Physical Input For Pro Tools|HD interfaces
such as the HD OMNI, the physical inputs that
are available to Pro Tools are set on the Main
page of the Hardware Setup (this selector is mir-
rored in the Input page of the I/O Setup).
(2) Input Path Main input paths and sub-paths
are routed (patched) to physical inputs using
cross-point matrix mapping in the I/O Setup. In
this example, audio input is routed from HD
OMNI physical inputs Analog 1–2 to Pro Tools
Input channels A 1–2.
(3) Track Input Input paths and sub-paths are
routed to track inputs in the Pro Tools mixer by
selecting the path (or sub-path) from the Track
Input selector. In this example, input sub-path
A1 is routed to the input of track “Audio 1.”
Input signal path from an HD OMNI to the Pro Tools mixer as mapped in I/O Setup
3
2
1
For Pro Tools systems such as the Mbox and
the 003, physical inputs are fixed. For third-
party and built-in hardware, in the Hard-
ware Setup click the Launch Setup App but-
ton for available configuration options.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 99
Signal Path Routing for Audio Output
The following example shows the signal path from the output of an audio track, through an output
bus mapped to an output path that is routed to a physical output on an HD I/O audio interface:
(1) Track Output Audio is played back from disk
and routed from the Track Output to Output
Bus “B 1–2.”
(2) Output Bus Path The Output Bus is defined
on the Bus page of the I/O Setup. On the Bus
page of the I/O Setup, the Output Bus “B 1–2” is
mapped to Output “B 1–2,” which is defined on
the Output page of the I/O Setup.
(3) Output Path On the Output page of the I/O
Setup, the Grid is used to route the output path
(to which the output bus is mapped) to physical
outputs.
(4) Physical Output For Pro Tools|HD interfaces
such as the HD OMNI, the physical outputs that
are available to Pro Tools are set on the Main
page of the Hardware Setup (this selector is mir-
rored in the Output page of the I/O Setup).
Output signal path from an audio track to a physical output as mapped in I/O Setup
3
4
2
1
Pro Tools Reference Guide100
Creating New Paths
The I/O Setup lets you create new paths with
custom names, formats, and assignments to
physical I/O. Custom path names appear in a
session’s track Input, Output, Insert, and Bus se-
lectors.
To create a new path:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to dis-
play the corresponding path type.
3 Click New Path.
4 In the New Path dialog, specify the number of
new paths you want to create, the channel
width for each path, and the path name.
5 Do any of the following:
• To add more paths, click the Add Row but-
ton.
– or –
• To remove a path, click the Remove Row
button.
6 Enable (or disable) the New Paths options Add
the Default Channel Assignments and Auto-Create
Sub-paths.
7 Click Create.
8 Assign the path to a specific audio interface
(Input, Output, and Insert pages only) in the
Grid column. See “Assigning Paths to Hardware
I/O” on page 106.
9 Repeat the previous steps to configure all path
types (Input, Output, Insert, or Bus).
For Pro Tools systems such as the Mbox and
the 003, physical outputs are fixed. For
third-party and built-in hardware, click the
Launch Setup App button in the Hardware
Setup for available configuration options.
New Paths dialog
Add a new path by pressing Command+N
(Mac) or Control+N (Windows), or by
pressing Command+Plus (+) (Mac) or Con-
trol+Plus (+) (Windows) on the numeric
keypad.
To remove the last path from the New Path
dialog Command+Minus (–) (Mac) or Con-
trol+Minus (–) (Windows).
When you create a new Output path, an
output bus is automatically created on the
Bus page of the IO Setup, and is automati-
cally mapped to the output path you cre-
ated. See “Output Busses” on page 108.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 101
10 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup. If there are any identically named paths,
you will be instructed to correct them before the
I/O Setup will close. For more information, see
“Valid Paths and Requirements” on page 108.
New Paths Dialog
The New Paths dialog lets you create new paths
on the Input, Output, Bus, and Insert pages of
the I/O Setup.
New Path Row Settings
Number of New Paths Enter the number of new
paths you want to create (or a certain type, like
“Bus”).
Path Format Select the channel width from the
Path Format selector.
Path Name Enter the path name. If you are cre-
ating more than one path, the number of each
new path created will be appended to the path
name (for example, Bus 1, Bus 2, Bus 3, and so
on).
Add/Remove Rows Click the Add Row button to
add more paths, or click Click the Remove Row
button to remove paths.
Move Row Icon Click and drag a Move Row icon
up or down to reorder paths.
Add Default Channel Assignments
Option
Enable Add Default Channel Assignments option if
you want Pro Tools to automatically assign in-
put, output, and insert paths to physical inputs
and outputs in the Grid (from the first available
channel to the maximum number of channels
available). If the number of new paths of a cer-
tain width exceeds the number of available
channels, Pro Tools wraps around and starts
over at channel 1.
Multichannel paths and mixing are ex-
plained in Chapter 47, “Pro Tools Setup for
Surround.”
New Paths dialog
Number of new paths
Path Format Path Name
Add/Remove Row
Move Row icon in the New Paths dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide102
Auto-Create Sub-Paths Option
For input, bus, and insert paths, enable the Auto
Create Sub-Paths option to have Pro Tools auto-
matically create the default set of sub-paths for
the path format (channel width), as follows:
Creating New Sub-Paths
You can create sub-paths for main paths in the
Input, Bus, and Insert pages of the I/O Setup.
To create a new sub-path:
1 Select the page of the I/O Setup where you
want to create sub-paths (such as the Input
page).
2 Select the Main path for which you want to
create sub-paths.
3 Click New Sub-Path.
4 Name the new sub-path.
5 Select the Format for the new sub-path (such
as Mono).
6 Click in the Grid to assign the new sub-path
channels to available main path channels.
Default Sub-Paths
Main Path Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Mono N/A N/A
Stereo 2 mono <main path
name> followed
by channel desig-
nation .L and .R
LCR 1 Stereo (LR), 3
Mono (one for
each channel)
Stereo: <main
path name>.LR
Mono: <main
path name>.L, .C,
.R
LCRS 1 Stereo (LR), 4
Mono (one for
each channel)
Stereo: <main
path name> .LR
Mono: <main path
name>.L, .C, .R,
.S
Quad 1 Stereo (LR), 4
Mono (one for
each channel)
Stereo: <main
path name> .LR
Mono: <main path
name>.L, .R, .Ls,
.Rs
5.0 – 6.0
– 7.0
1 Stereo (LR),
5–7 Mono (one
for each chan-
nel)
Stereo: <main
path name>.LR
Mono: <main
path name>.L, .C,
.R, .Ls, .Rs, and
so on
5.1 – 6.1
– 7.1
1 Stereo (LR),
6–8 Mono
(one for each
channel)
Stereo: <main
path name>.LR
Mono: <main
path name>.L, .C,
.R, .Ls, .Rs, and
so on, and LFE
You cannot create sub-paths for outputs in
the Outputs page of IO Setups. You can,
however create overlapping output paths.
With Pro Tools|HD systems, to optimize
DSP resources, it is best to create mono sub-
paths for output busses and internal mix
busses, rather than mono main paths.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 103
Editing Paths
The I/O Setup lets you edit or customize signal
path definitions.
Paths can be:
• Restored to default configurations
• Renamed, for easier identification after
changing or renaming audio interfaces
• Selected and reordered to change menu or-
der in track selectors
• Selected and deleted
• Remapped to or from different sources or
destinations
• Deactivated (or reactivated) to manage un-
available or unnecessary I/O resources
In addition, you can import and export your
I/O Setup configurations as I/O Settings files, as
well as set default path parameters. See “I/O Set-
tings Files” on page 113.
The following table lists the available attributes
for each path type:
Interfaces can also be renamed.
Restoring Default Paths and Path
Names
You can restore I/O Setup paths to their default
state at any time. You may want to restore de-
faults if, for example, you replace or add an au-
dio interface to your system.
To restore default paths and path names:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to dis-
play the corresponding path type.
3 Click Default. Pro Tools does the following:
• If a session is open, deletes any paths that
are not in use.
• Creates new default paths up to the capac-
ity of your system’s available physical I/O
and resources.
• Resets path names to the default path
names (see “Default Path Names” on
page 105). These default path names ap-
pear in track Input and Output Path selec-
tors.
4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Path options that can be edited by type
Path Type Path Options (Attributes)
Input Names, formats, and source
channel (physical input)
Output Names, formats, and destination
channel (physical output)
Insert Names, formats, and destination
(physical inputs and outputs)
Bus Names, formats, output mapping
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Default button to set all pages of I/O
Setup to the default settings.
Default stereo output paths
Pro Tools Reference Guide104
Renaming Paths
Path names can be customized in the I/O Setup.
To rename a path in the I/O Setup:
1 Double-click the path name.
2 Type a new path name.
3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Recommended Output Path Naming
Schemes
Generally, you will want to use standard nam-
ing schemes for output paths in your Pro Tools
sessions. This facilitates smoother session ex-
change between different Pro Tools systems.
Here are some examples of standard industry
naming schemes:
•Main A, Main B
• Studio A, Studio B
• Stereo A, Stereo B
• Meter
• Monitor
• Aux A, Aux B
• Cue A, Cue B, Cue C, Cue D, Cue E, Cue F,
Cue G, Cue H, Cue I, Cue J
• Dial Main, Dial A, Dial B, Dial C, Dial B,
Dial E
• Efx Main, Efx A, Efx B, Efx C, Efx D, Efx E
• Music Main, Music A, Music B, Music C,
Music D, Music E
Renaming Interfaces
Audio interfaces can be renamed in the IO
Setup. When you rename Pro Tools|HD inter-
faces, default path names are based on the cus-
tom name given to the interface.
To rename an audio interface in the I/O Setup:
1 Double-click the label above an interface.
2 Type a new interface name.
3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
I/O paths can also be renamed directly from
the Edit or Mix window by Right-clicking
the Input or Output selector and choosing
Rename.
New mono Input sub-path for Main path A 1-2
Interface Names
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 105
Default Path Names
Default names for input, output, and insert
paths are based on the hardware you are using
for physical I/O.
For Pro Tools|HD systems, default path names
are based on the names of interfaces you are us-
ing. If you have renamed your interface, default
path names are based on the custom name.
Selecting Paths
Individual and multiple paths can be selected in
the I/O Setup Path Name column. Selected paths
and sub-paths can be reordered higher or lower
in the Path Name column to change their menu
order in track Input, Output, Insert, and Bus se-
lectors. Paths can also be deleted. Sub-paths fol-
low their main paths when they are moved in
the I/O Setup.
To select a main path or sub-path:
Click the path name.
To select a range of paths:
1 Click the path name.
2 Shift-click an additional path name.
All paths between the first selected path name
and the additional path name will also be
selected.
To select or deselect noncontiguous paths, do one
of the following:
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) path names that are un-highlighted to se-
lect them.
– or –
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) path names that are highlighted to dese-
lect them.
To select all paths and sub-paths:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
path name that is un-highlighted.
To deselect all paths and sub-paths:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
path name that is highlighted.
Reordering Paths
Selected paths and sub-paths can be reordered
higher or lower in the Path Name column to
change their menu order in track Input, Output,
Insert, and Bus selectors.
To reorder paths in the I/O Setup and Track
selectors:
1 Drag one or more selected path names up or
down.
2 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Deleting Paths
Path definitions can be deleted from the current
session to reflect changes to your hardware
setup, or to clean up track selector menus by re-
moving unwanted or unnecessary path defini-
tions. After deleting a path, any tracks or send
assignments to that path are reset to No Output.
Selecting paths in the I/O Setup
Pro Tools Reference Guide106
To delete a main path or sub-path:
1 In the I/O Setup, select the path you want to
delete.
2 Click Delete Path.
3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
To delete all paths:
1 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
path name.
2 Click Delete Path.
3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Making Paths Active or Inactive
Pro Tools paths can be Active (on) or Inactive
(off, or unavailable). Paths can be globally acti-
vated or deactivated in the I/O Setup. Making a
signal path inactive will turn off the signal path
on any and all tracks currently assigned to it.
Pro Tools also sets unavailable paths to inactive.
Paths can be unavailable when hardware or
other system resources are unavailable, such as
when opening a session saved on a different
system.
Tracks can also be made active or inactive. For
information, see “Making Track Inputs and Out-
puts Inactive from the Edit or Mix Window” on
page 231.
To globally activate or deactivate a path:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Select a path type using the tabs at the top of
the window.
3 Set the Active/Inactive control for the path.
Any tracks that were assigned to the now inac-
tive path will show that path's name in italics on
the track's I/O selectors.
4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup. Path status is displayed as follows:
Italics Indicates the path is inactive.
Non-Italics Indicates the path is active.
Assigning Paths to Hardware
I/O
Paths are assigned to specific inputs, outputs,
and inserts in the Grid. Paths can be assigned to
physical I/O in the Grid, and can be reassigned
at any time.
To assign channels:
1 Select (or create) a main path or sub-path.
2 Select the channel Format (such as Stereo).
Active (top) and inactive (bottom) path settings
With overlapping output paths of different
channel widths, if the widest path is made
inactive, all other overlapped output paths
will not pass audio from Pro Tools.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 107
3 In the row for the selected path, click in the
Grid column under an audio interface and chan-
nel.
Other channels for the path type, if any, fill to
the right. For example, when assigning a new
stereo path, clicking in the path row under out-
put channel 1 fills both channel 1 and 2 (left
to 1, right to 2).
4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
If there are any invalid settings, you will be re-
quired to correct them before the I/O Setup will
close. For more information, see “Valid Paths
and Requirements” on page 108.
Assigning Paths with the Surround Mixer
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When assigning multichannel paths, the left
channel (L) is assigned first to the clicked Grid
box, and remaining channels fill immediately to
the right according to the default path order.
Because some multichannel mixing formats use
unique track layouts, Pro Tools lets you set the
default format in the I/O Setup (see “I/O Setup
Options” on page 91).
Reassiging Paths
You can move the individual assignments to dif-
ferent channels, to reorder the path’s definition
(for example, changing a multichannel path to
L-R-C-LFE-Ls-Rs).
To reassign channels in a path:
Drag the channel to the new location in the
Grid. Other channel assignments move (shuffle)
to accommodate dragged channels.
Channel Shuffling
Moving a signal from right to left results in a
shuffle of other signals after the new destination
channel. Moving a signal from left to right shuf-
fles any and all signals after the new destination
channel and leaves the previous channel empty.
Sub-Paths Follow Main Paths
When a main path is reassigned, its sub-paths (if
any) are reassigned automatically to maintain
consistent routing. For example, reassigning a
stereo path to different hardware outputs results
in any of its sub-paths moving with it.
Assigning channels
To reassign channels in a path, see
“Reassiging Paths” on page 107.
Customized Output paths for a 5.1 mix
Changing a path’s format erases any
current channel assignment.
Pro Tools Reference Guide108
Valid Paths and Requirements
While configuring the I/O Setup, certain rules
apply for path definition and channel assign-
ment. All paths must be valid before the
I/O Setup configuration can be applied.
Though it is possible to set up invalid assign-
ments in the Channel Grid, Pro Tools will not
accept an I/O Setup configuration unless all
paths meet the path definition and channel as-
signment requirements, as follows:
Minimum Path Definitions All paths must have a
name, be of a specific format, and have a valid
I/O assignment.
Valid Paths Channel assignment follows certain
rules regarding overlapping paths.
• There can be no partial overlaps between
any two output paths.
• A newly-created output path must either be
completely independent of other assign-
ments (not assigned to any other available
I/O interface/channels), or it must be a
path completely contained within a larger
path (for example, an LCR sub-path within
a larger 5.1 path).
Configuring Busses
Busses appear on the Bus page of the IO Setup.
Pro Tools provides two types of busses:
•Output busses
• Internal mix busses
Output bus and internal mix bus settings are
saved with and recalled from the session. The
advantage of this is that when you take a session
from one system to another, track and send as-
signments are maintained within the session.
Where possible, Pro Tools can automatically re-
map the session’s output busses to the output
paths of the system the session is being opened
on.
Output Busses
Output busses are mapped (routed) to output
paths, as configured on the Output page of the
I/O Setup. Output paths are then assigned to the
system’s physical audio outputs in the I/O Set-
ups Grid (see “Assigning Paths to Hardware I/O”
on page 106).
Valid (complete) output path
Invalid (partial) output path
See “Session Interchange” on page 114 for
more information exchanging sessions be-
tween systems, and on opening sessions in
lower version of Pro Tools. Output busses
do not exist in Pro Tools 8.0.4 and lower.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 109
When you create a new output path on the Out-
put page of the IO Setup, a new output bus of
the same width is automatically created and
mapped to that output path. Output busses are
also created and mapped according to default
settings when creating a new session or restor-
ing defaults (see “Restoring Default Paths and
Path Names” on page 103).
Physical outputs for output paths are configured
on the Outputs page of the I/O Setups (see “As-
signing Paths to Hardware I/O” on page 106).
Internal Mix Busses
Pro Tools 9.0 provides up to 256 internal mix
busses and are used to route audio signal from
track outputs and sends to other track inputs
and plug-in side-chains. Common uses for inter-
nal mix busses include effects sends and returns
(such as bussing sends from audio tracks to an
Auxiliary Input track for plug-in effects process-
ing) and bus recording.
Internal mix busses can also be mapped to any
outputs (see “Internal Mix Busses ” on
page 109).
Creating and Mapping Busses to
Outputs
Any available bus can be mapped to any of the
available output paths of the same channel
width or greater. For example, a mono bus can
be mapped to a mono output path, a stereo bus
can be mapped to a stereo output path, and a 5.1
surround bus can be mapped to a 5.1 surround
output path.
You can unmap busses from outputs at any
time.
To create a bus and map it to an output path:
1 On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, click New
Path.
2 In the New Paths dialog, specify the number
of new paths you want to create, the channel
width for each path, and the path name.
3 Click Create to create the new paths.
4 Enable Mapping To Output for the path.
5 Select an output path from the Mapping To Out-
put selector.
Any signals from tracks or sends sent to the bus
are now sent to the hardware outputs assigned
to the corresponding Output paths.
To map all output busses of the same format to an
output path:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Mapping To Output selector and select an out-
put path (mono or stereo).
New Paths dialog
Unmapped “MAIN” output bus
Mapping the “MAIN” output bus to output path “A 1–2”
Pro Tools Reference Guide110
All mapped output busses of the same format
(such as stereo) are all assigned to the same out-
put path. For example, you can assign all stereo
output busses to output path A 1–2.
To map all output busses of the same format to
one output path:
1 Do one of the following:
• Shift-click to select contiguous Output
busses.
– or –
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) to select noncontiguous Output
busses.
2 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) the Mapping To Output selector for
one of the selected Output busses and select an
output path (mono or stereo).
Only the selected mapped output busses of the
same format (such as stereo) are assigned to the
same output path. For example, you can assign
only the selected stereo output busses to output
path A 1–2.
To map all busses of the same format to unique
ascending output paths (cascading):
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) the Mapping to Output selector
of the top-most output path and select the first
output path.
All busses of the same channel format are auto-
matically assigned to unique output path as-
signments in ascending order. For example, for
stereo output paths, output bus A 1–2 is as-
signed to output path A 1–2, A 3–4 to A 3–4, A
5–6 to A 5–6, and so on.
Mapping Mono Busses to Surround Paths
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
You can map a mono bus to any channel of a
surround output path, for example, route a dia-
logue track to the center channel of 5.1 output
path. (This capability is available for all output
channel widths except Stereo and Quad out-
puts.)
To map a mono bus to a channel of a surround
output path:
1 On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, click New
Path.
2 In the New Paths dialog, specify Mono chan-
nel width for the bus path, type a path name,
and click Create.
3 Enable Mapping To Output for the path.
4 Select a multichannel output path from the
Mapping To Output selector. The mono bus indi-
cator changes to “C” (Center) by default, and a
pop-up menu becomes available.
5 To assign another channel, click the mono bus
indicator and select the channel from the pop-
up menu.
Selecting a multichannel output path
Assigning a channel to a mono bus
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 111
To assign the same channel to all mono busses
mapped to a multichannel output path:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
mono bus indicator and select the channel from
the pop-up menu.
To assign the same channel to all selected mono
busses mapped to a multichannel output path:
1 Do one of the following:
• Shift-click to select contiguous mono
busses in the Name column.
– or –
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) to select noncontiguous mono
busses in the Name column.
2 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) a mono bus indicator and select the
channel from the pop-up menu.
To assign ascending (cascading) channels to all
mono busses mapped to a multichannel output:
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) the mono bus indicator of the
top-most mono bus and select the first channel
from the pop-up menu.
To assign ascending (cascading) channels to all
selected mono busses mapped to a multichannel
output:
1 Do one of the following:
• Shift-click to select contiguous mono
busses in the Name column.
– or –
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) to select noncontiguous mono
busses in the Name column.
2 Command-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Con-
trol-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the mono bus in-
dicator of the top-most mono bus and select the
first channel from the pop-up menu.
Resetting Busses
You can reset the number of available internal
mix busses in your session to match your sys-
tem’s full capabilities by reverting to the default
bus configuration.
To revert to the default bus configuration for your
system:
1 Open the I/O Setup.
2 Click the Bus tab in the upper left.
3 From the pop-up menu to the right of the De-
fault button, select one of the following:
•All Busses
•Output Busses
•Internal Busses
4 Click Default.
5 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Active Busses
The Bus page of the I/O Setup displays the num-
ber of active internal mix busses. If the number
of active busses exceeds the number of available
busses (256), the display turns red. Delete or de-
activate any active busses in excess of the avail-
able number of busses to be able close the I/O
Setup and save your settings.
Pro Tools creates 128 (out of 256) internal
busses by default.
Resetting busses to the default setting will
rename all busses to their default name
(Bus 1–2, Bus 3–4, and so on).
Pro Tools Reference Guide112
Sorting Bus Paths
The Bus page provide controls to sort busses by
name (ascending or descending), format (as-
cending or descending), or by mapped to output
status (ascending only).
To sort bus paths by Name:
1 In the Bus page, click the Name column
header.
2 Click the Name column header again to toggle
between ascending and descending sort order.
To sort bus paths by Format:
1 In the Bus page, click the Format column
header.
2 Click the Format column header again to tog-
gle between ascending and descending sort or-
der.
To sort bus paths by Mapping To Output status:
In the Bus page, click the Mapping To Output
column header.
Factory I/O Settings
Pro Tools provides factory I/O settings for stereo
and surround mixing, and are automatically in-
stalled with Pro Tools. These settings provide
new sessions with generic path and sub-paths
for either mixing format.
Factory I/O settings are available in the I/O Set-
tings pop-up menu of the Quick Start or New
Session dialog.
Stereo Mix Settings
This Stereo Mix setting creates the maximum
number of stereo paths, as determined by the
available system’s I/O Setup and hardware con-
figuration.
Surround Mix Settings
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The Surround Mix setting provides additional,
surround-specific Output and Bus settings files.
Sorting bus paths in the I/O Setup
Click to sort by Name Click to sort by mapping
to output status
Click to sort by Format
Using the “Stereo Mix” settings file has the
same effect as clicking Default for every in-
dividual tab in I/O Settings. See “Restoring
Default Paths and Path Names” on
page 103.
See Chapter 47, “Pro Tools Setup for
Surround.”
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 113
I/O Settings Files
I/O settings files (.pio files) provide default path
configurations for new sessions. I/O settings can
be imported and exported for use with sessions
shared between systems. I/O settings files are
also available in the I/O Settings pop-up menu
in the Quick Start and New Session dialogs.
For I/O settings files to be available in the Quick
Start or New Session dialogs, I/O settings files
must be saved to the IO Settings folder in the
following locations:
Mac Applications/Digidesign/Pro Tools/IO Set-
tings
Windows Program Files\Common Files\Digide-
sign\DAE\IO Settings
Last Used I/O Settings
If any changes are made to the I/O Setup, these
changes are automatically saved to the IO Set-
tings folder as the Last Used settings file when
the I/O Setup is closed (by clicking OK).
Last Used settings are available in the IO Settings
pop-up menu in the Quick Start or New Session
dialog, or when importing I/O Settings in the
I/O Setup.
Custom I/O Settings
Custom I/O Settings files can be created by
changing I/O Setup settings (see “Customizing
I/O Settings” on page 95), and then exporting
the settings. These I/O settings can then be re-
stored by importing them into a system.
This lets you save settings for different projects,
import settings to reconfigure the I/O Setup,
and manage path definitions and signal routing
setups.
Importing I/O Settings
I/O Settings can be imported before or after you
open a session. I/O Settings are only imported
for the current page of the I/O Setup. For exam-
ple, if you are viewing the Output page and im-
port I/O Settings, only the settings for the Out-
put page are imported. This helps to avoid
overwriting your custom I/O Settings on other
pages.
When you import I/O Settings, you can choose
to delete any unused path definitions before im-
porting the new paths, or leave unused path def-
initions intact and add the new paths to the cur-
rent I/O Setup configuration.
To import I/O Settings:
1 Click the tab for the page of the I/O Setup for
which you want to import settings.
2 Click Import Settings.
3 Select an I/O settings file in the Import Set-
tings dialog and click Import.
4 A dialog appears asking whether you want to
delete existing paths. Do one of the following:
• Click Yes to remove any unused paths and
add the imported paths to the current I/O
Setup configuration.
– or –
• Click No to add the imported paths to the
current I/O Setup configuration.
You can also import I/O paths and path
names, as well as other session data, from a
different session by using the Import Session
Data command (File > Import > Session
Data). For information, see “Importing Ses-
sion Data” on page 338.
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Import Settings button to import set-
tings to all pages of I/O Setup.
Pro Tools Reference Guide114
If the import results in overlapping paths, the
new paths will appear in the I/O Setup as Inac-
tive. See “Making Paths Active or Inactive” on
page 106.
After importing I/O Settings, you can then reas-
sign path routing definitions in the I/O Setup by
remapping, renaming, and deleting paths. See
“Pro Tools Signal Paths” on page 84.
Exporting I/O Settings
When you export I/O settings, all pages of the
I/O Setup are exported.
To export and save an I/O Setup configuration as
a custom I/O Settings file:
1 Configure the I/O Setup settings.
2 Click Export Settings.
3 Name and save the settings file. The settings
file is appended with “.pio” to distinguish it as
an I/O settings file.
Session Interchange
When exchanging a session between Pro Tools
systems, you may need to reconfigure the ses-
sion’s I/O settings. This will depend on system
ID, path names and path format, as well as on
the Pro Tools versions of each system on which
the session is transferred.
Path Names and Automatic Output
Bus Remapping
A system ID is created and saved in a session for
every computer the session is opened on (using
the computer’s MAC address). If Pro Tools finds
a matching system ID when opening a session,
output paths are restored and no reconfigura-
tion is necessary.
When a Pro Tools session is opened on a system
for the first time, Pro Tools attempts to automat-
ically remap output busses.
If Pro Tools does not find a matching system ID,
Pro Tools attempts to remap output busses ac-
cording to the following criteria (in order):
Path Name and Format Path names must be ex-
actly the same, and of the same format. Use the
suggested path naming schemes (see “Recom-
mended Output Path Naming Schemes” on
page 104).
Path Format Only If matching path names are
not found, Pro Tools remaps paths to existing
paths of the same format (channel width).
Any output bus path that cannot be automati-
cally remapped is opened as Inactive. You must
manually remap those paths to an active output
path.
Pro Tools Versions and Session
Interchange
When exchanging a session between systems
with different versions of Pro Tools software
(such as your Pro Tools 9.0 system and a col-
league’s Pro Tools 8.x system), you can use the
following to maintain paths and signal routing.
To start sessions with a blank or empty
I/O Setup, you can create and export an I/O
Settings file in which all definitions have
been deleted.
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 115
Pro Tools 8.1 and Higher
When exchanging sessions among systems run-
ning Pro Tools 8.1 or higher, it is generally rec-
ommended that the Sessions Overwrite Current
I/O Setup When Opened option be disabled. This
maintains any system IO settings when opening
a session from another system (see “Sessions
Overwrite Current I/O Setup When Opened” on
page 94).
Pro Tools 8.0.4 and Lower
When exchanging sessions with systems run-
ning lower versions of Pro Tools, it is generally
recommended that the Sessions Overwrite Cur-
rent I/O Setup When Opened option be enabled
(see “Sessions Overwrite Current I/O Setup
When Opened” on page 94). In this case, any
custom settings saved with the session that do
not match your system may need to be reconfig-
ured manually in the I/O Setup to match your
current studio setup.
Opening Older Sessions in Pro Tools 8.1 and
Higher
When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
8.0.4 and lower in Pro Tools 8.1 or higher, out-
put paths from the legacy session are re-created
as output buses. If the Sessions Overwrite Current
I/O Setup When Opened option is enabled, the
output buses are mapped to session output
paths.
Path Order and Overlapping Output Paths
When exchanging sessions between Pro Tools
8.1 or higher and Pro Tools 8.0.4 and lower, out-
put paths and sub-paths are changed as follows,
depending on the order in which they appear in
the I/O Setups.
If a session created in Pro Tools 8.1 or higher
contains overlapping paths with a larger path
created above smaller paths in the I/O Setup, the
smaller paths are converted to sub-paths of the
larger path when the session is opened in
Pro Tools 8.0.4 and lower.
If a session created in Pro Tools 8.1 or higher
contains overlapping paths where a smaller
path appears above a larger path in the I/O
Setup, the larger path will be made inactive
when the session is opened in Pro Tools 8.0.4
and lower.
Show Last Saved Setup and Show
Current Setup
When a session is opened that contains path
definitions for unavailable I/O interfaces, the
I/O Setup lists those paths in italics.
Clicking the Show Last Saved Setup button dis-
plays the audio interfaces used in the original
session. This temporary display lets you check
the last saved I/O configuration for reference
while configuring the I/O settings for your sys-
tem.
Once a session has been opened with unavail-
able I/O retained, you can then reassign tracks
to available I/O paths.
If you created a backup of your I/O settings,
you can import settings after opening the
session (see “Importing I/O Settings” on
page 113).
If your hardware configuration has
changed, you may need to manually recon-
figure output assignments in the Grid on the
Output page of the IO Setup. See “Assigning
Paths to Hardware I/O” on page 106.
Pro Tools Reference Guide116
Chapter 8: Preferences 117
Chapter 8: Preferences
The settings in the Pro Tools Preferences define
how Pro Tools features work. The Preferences di-
alog has several tabbed pages in which you can
specify your preferred settings.
To change Pro Tools preferences:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the tab for the page that has preferences
you want to change.
3 Change preferences.
4 Click OK to save your changes and close the
Preferences dialog.
Pro Tools Preferences on a Pro Tools|HD system (Display Preferences page shown)
Pro Tools Reference Guide118
Global and Local Preferences
Pro Tools preferences are either global (system-
wide) or local (for the current session only).
Global (System-Wide) Preferences Global prefer-
ences are applied to all sessions. These prefer-
ences become the default preferences for any ex-
isting sessions that you subsequently open or
any new sessions that are created.
Local (Current Session) Preferences Local pref-
erences are applied to the current session (if one
is open). Local preferences are not applied to
older sessions that are subsequently opened.
Preferences and New Sessions
New sessions use global preference settings, plus
the most recent local preference settings. The
most recent local settings refer to the last open
session (unless subsequent changes were made
in the Preferences from the application
window).
Local (Current Session)
Preferences List
All Preferences are global, except for the follow-
ing, which are local:
• Display Preferences
• Edit Window Default Length
• Always Display Marker Colors
• Default Track Color Coding options
• Default Region Color Coding options
• Operation Preferences
• Custom Shuttle Lock Speed
• Back/Forward Amount (Pro Tools HD and
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
• PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring
(Pro Tools HD only)
• DestructivePunch File Length (Pro Tools
HD only)
• Editing Preferences
•None
• Mixing Preferences
• Coalesce Trim Automation Options
(Pro Tools HD and Complete Production
Toolkit 2 only)
• Processing Preferences
• Convert Imported “WAV” Files To
AES31/BroadcastWave
• MIDI Preferences
• Play MIDI Notes When Editing
• Display Events as Modified by Real-Time
Properties
• Automatically Create Click Track in New
Sessions
• Default Thru Instrument
• Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing
Controller Data
• Delay for External Devices Options
(Pro Tools HD only)
• Synchronization Preferences
•None
Chapter 8: Preferences 119
Display Preferences
Basics Section
Track Position Numbers Stay with Hidden
Tracks When selected, tracks keep their track
numbers even when hidden. When not se-
lected, numbers are only assigned to tracks that
are shown. In this case, shown tracks are then
numbered sequentially, and hidden tracks are
not numbered.
Tool Tips Display Options
Function Configures Tool Tips to show the basic
function of the item.
Details Configures Tool Tips to show the com-
plete name of an abbreviated name or item
(such as a track name). Details view can also
show the hidden or abbreviated value of param-
eters, as well as input and output assignments.
Edit Window Default Length
This preference sets a default length for the Edit
window in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames
(Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools with Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 only). This is useful if you
want to assemble a session of a particular length
or leave extra room to expand the Edit window’s
work area in your session. The maximum length
is 12 hours and 25 seconds at 48 kHz, and pro-
portionally less at higher sampling rates. For
best scrollbar sensitivity, set the length to
slightly longer (a minute or more) than the total
session or song length.
“Organize Plug-In Menus By” Options
These option customize how plug-in menus are
organized in the Insert selector or Plug-In selec-
tor.
Flat List Organizes plug-ins in a single list, in al-
phabetical order.
Category Organizes plug-ins by process category
(such as EQ, Dynamics, and Delay), with indi-
vidual plug-ins listed in the category submenus.
Plug-Ins that do not fit into a standard category
(such as the DigiRack Signal Generator), or
third-party plug-ins that have not had a cate-
gory designated by their developers, appear in
the Other category. Plug-Ins can appear in more
than one category.
Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins by their manu-
facturer (such as Bomb Factory, Focusrite, or TL
Labs), with individual plug-ins listed in the
manufacturer submenus. Plug-Ins that do not
have a Manufacturer defined will appear in the
“Other” manufacturer folder.
Most Avid-distributed third-party plug-ins will
be grouped under Digidesign when Manufac-
turer view is enabled.
Pro Tools Reference Guide120
Category and Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins
in two levels of menus. The top menus display
plug-ins by process category (such as EQ, Dy-
namics, and Delay), with individual plug-ins
listed in the category submenus. The bottom
menus display plug-ins by manufacturer (such
as Bomb Factory, Focusrite, or TL Labs), with in-
dividual plug-ins listed in the manufacturer sub-
menus.
Auto-Switch Input Language
When the Auto-Switch Input Language option is
enabled, the input language is switched auto-
matically from English to the current OS input
language when entering text. It automatically
switches back to English for using Keyboard
commands in Pro Tools. When disabled, Eng-
lish is used when entering test regardless of the
current OS input language.
Language Options (Windows Only)
Language Sets the language to use in the
Pro Tools application, independently of what
language version of Windows is used.
Default Automatic Naming to English Causes au-
tomatically named session elements in a session
to be named in English even when working with
the Pro Tools application set to another lan-
guage.
Meters Section
Peak Hold Options
These options determine how long the peak in-
dicators on track meters stay lit after a peak is de-
tected.
3 Seconds When selected, track meters display
the last peak level for three seconds.
Infinite When selected, track meters display the
last peak level until you click them to clear
them.
None When selected, track meters do not hold
the peak level.
Clip Indication Options
These options determine how long the clip indi-
cators on plug-in, send, and track meters stay lit
after a clip is detected.
3 Second Clip Hold When selected, meters dis-
play the last clip indication for three seconds.
Infinite Clip Hold When selected, meters display
the last clip indications until you click them to
clear them.
No Clip Hold When selected, meters do not hold
the clip indication.
Show Meters in Sends View
When the Sends view is displaying individual
send controls, you can select this option to show
send level meters. Deselecting this option can
help speed up screen redraws and processing.
Warnings and Dialogs
Reset “Don’t Show This Again” Settings If you
have made any changes the default Don’t Show
This Again setting for any dialog in Pro Tools,
you can click the Reset button to revert to the
default settings.
Show Quick Start Dialog When Pro Tools
Starts When selected, Pro Tools shows the Ses-
sion Quick Start dialog on launch. Deselect this
option if you do not want to see the Pro Tools
Quick Start dialog on launch.
Chapter 8: Preferences 121
Color Coding
Always Display Marker Colors Lets you choose to
view Marker colors in the Markers ruler, regard-
less of the settings you choose for Default Region
Color Coding.
MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity When enabled,
MIDI notes display varying shades of the as-
signed track color in MIDI notes view in the Edit
window and in MIDI Editor windows. Notes
with high velocities are darker and notes with
lower velocities are lighter.
Default Track Color Coding Options
These color coding options determine the de-
fault color coding assignment for tracks in the
Edit and Mix windows. The options are:
None Turns off color assignment for tracks.
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to
each track in the Mix or Edit window according
to its voice or MIDI channel assignment.
Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
track in the Mix or Edit window according to its
voice assignment or MIDI device assignment.
Groups Assigns a color to each track according to
its Group ID. If groups are suspended using the
Suspend Groups command, the tracks color bars
are not shown.
Track Type Assigns a color to each track accord-
ing to its type (audio, Auxiliary Input, Master
Fader, VCA Master, MIDI, Instrument, or
Video).
Default Region Color Coding Options
These color coding options determine the de-
fault color coding assignment for tracks, Marker
Locations, and regions residing in the track
playlist and Region List. The options are:
None Turns off color assignment for regions. Re-
gions are drawn with black waveform or MIDI
notes on a light gray background.
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to
each region in the Edit window according to its
voice or MIDI channel assignment.
Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
region in the Edit window according to its voice
assignment or MIDI device assignment.
Groups Assigns a color to each region according
to the Group ID of its track. If groups are sus-
pended using the Suspend Groups command, all
regions display black waveforms or MIDI notes
on a light gray background.
Track Color Assigns a region color based on the
color assigned to the track.
Marker Locations Assigns a unique color to each
marker area in the Marker ruler, including the
area preceding the first marker.
Region List Color Assigns a color to each region
based on its color in the Region List.
Pro Tools Reference Guide122
Operation Preferences
Transport Section
Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows
Playback When selected, the Timeline Insertion
and the Play Start Marker both move to the
point in the Timeline where playback stops.
When deselected, the Timeline Insertion and
Play Start Marker do not follow playback, but re-
turn to the point in time where playback began.
Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle When se-
lected, the edit cursor automatically locates to
the point where scrubbing stops.
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind When se-
lected, audio is audible during fast forward or re-
wind.
Latch Forward/Rewind When selected, fast for-
ward and rewind latch and continue until you
press Stop, Play, Return To Zero, or Go To End
on the Transport. When disabled, the Fast For-
ward and Rewind only last as long as you hold
down the mouse after clicking either button on
the Transport (or hold down the corresponding
switch on a Control Surface).
Play Start Marker Follows Timeline
Selection When enabled, the Play Start Marker
snaps to the Timeline Selection Start Marker
when you move the Timeline Selection, draw a
new Timeline Selection, or adjust the Timeline
Selection Start. When disabled, the Play Start
Marker doesn’t move with the Timeline selec-
tion.
Reserve Voices for Preview in Context (Pro Tools
HD Only) When enabled, Pro Tools reserves the
appropriate number of voices for preview in
context (previewing audio files in DigiBase dur-
ing session playback). The number of available
voices is reduced by the channel width of the se-
lected audition paths on the Output page of the
I/O Setup window. For example, if the number
of playback voices is set to 48 in the Playback
Engine, and you have a stereo audition path se-
lected in the I/O Setup, only 46 voices will be
available for tracks. If you have a 5.1 audition
path, only 42 voices will be available. When this
option is disabled, you will not be able to pre-
view in context if there are not enough available
voices.
Custom Shuttle Lock Speed Sets the highest fast-
forward Shuttle Lock speed (key 9) for Shuttle
Lock modes (Classic or Transport). The range for
this setting is 50–800%.
Press Start+N (Windows) or Control+N
(Mac) to toggle the Timeline Insertion/Play
Start Marker Follows Playback preference
on and off.
For more information, see “Custom Shuttle
Lock Speed” on page 557.
Chapter 8: Preferences 123
Back/Forward Amount (Pro Tools HD and Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 only) Sets the default
length of Back, Back and Play, Forward and For-
ward and Play. The timebase of the Back/Forward
Amount settings follows the Main Time Scale by
default, or you can deselect the Follow Main Time
Scale option and select another timebase for-
mat: Bars|Beats, Min:Sec, Time Code,
Feet+Frames, or Samples.
Numeric Keypad Mode
Numeric Keypad mode determines how the nu-
meric keypad functions. You can always use the
numeric keypad to select and enter values in the
Event Edit Area, Edit Selection indicators, Main
and Sub Counters, and Transport fields.
Classic Selects a Shuttle Lock mode that emu-
lates the way Pro Tools worked in versions lower
than 5.0. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Classic, you can play up to two tracks of audio in
Shuttle Lock mode. Press the Start key (Win-
dows) or Control (Mac), followed by 0–9 for dif-
ferent play speeds. Press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to
reverse direction. Recall Memory Locations by
typing the Memory Location number, followed
by Period (.).
Transport Selects a Shuttle Lock mode that lets
you set a number of record and play functions,
and also operate the Transport from the nu-
meric keypad. With the Numeric Keypad mode
set to Transport, you can play up to two tracks of
audio in Shuttle Lock mode. Press the Start key
(Windows) or Control (Mac), followed by 0–9
for different play speeds. Press Plus (+) or Minus
(–) to reverse direction. Recall Memory Loca-
tions by typing Period (.), the Memory Location
number, and Period (.) again.
Shuttle (Pro Tools HD and Complete Production
Toolkit 2 Only) Selects a type of shuttling differ-
ent from that of Shuttle Lock mode. With the
Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle, playback is
triggered by pressing and holding the keys on
the numeric keypad—playback stops once the
keys are released. Various playback speeds are
available in both forward and reverse. You can
also recall Memory Locations by typing Period
(.), the Memory Location number, and Period (.)
again.
Use Separate Play and Stop Keys
When enabled, this option lets you start play-
back with the Enter key and stop playback with
the 0 key on the numeric keypad. This is useful
for quickly starting and stopping playback when
auditioning loop transitions. The Use Separate
Play and Stop Keys option is only available in
Transport Numeric Keypad mode.
Auto Backup Section
Enable Session File Auto Backup When se-
lected, Pro Tools automatically saves backups of
your Pro Tools session file while you work. Back-
ups are saved to in the Session File Backups
folder in your session folder.
Keep Specifies the total number of incremental
backups that are kept.
Backup Every Specifies how often the session is
saved.
To customize the highest fast-forward Shut-
tle Lock speed, see “Custom Shuttle Lock
Speed” on page 557.
When this option is enabled, it overrides us-
ing the Enter key to add Memory Location
markers. Instead, press Period (.) and then
Enter on the numeric keypad to add a Mem-
ory Location marker.
Pro Tools Reference Guide124
Video Section
High Quality QuickTime Image (DV25 Only)
When enabled, Pro Tools decompresses both
fields of each interlaced frame of QuickTime
video. When not enabled, Pro Tools only de-
compresses one field of each frame for “half-res”
QuickTime playback.
When viewing a QuickTime movie in the
Pro Tools Video window, select this option to
display the movie at the highest possible resolu-
tion. For interlaced video that was transcoded
from a progressive source, enable this option for
a crisper image. Deselecting this option can help
improve performance if your system experi-
ences problems playing back a session with
QuickTime video.
Avid Video Errors Stop Playback
(Pro Tools HD with Avid Video Engine Only)
When selected, Pro Tools automatically stops
playback of audio and video if a single frame of
video is dropped.
When not selected, Pro Tools continues play-
back of audio even if frames are dropped. In
most cases, video playback will recover within a
few frames and continue playing audio and
video in sync.
Avid Video NTSC Has Setup (NTSC-J)
(Pro Tools HD with Avid Video Engine Only)
This preference lets you adjust the level of NTSC
video black output between 7.5 IRE (standard)
or 0 IRE. When this option is selected, output
level is 0 IRE.
Record Section
Latch Record Enable Buttons When selected,
multiple audio tracks can be record-enabled.
When not selected, multiple audio tracks can-
not be record-enabled. Record-enabling an au-
dio track takes all other audio tracks out of re-
cord-enabled mode.
Link Record and Play Faders When selected,
Pro Tools does not remember separate fader lev-
els for tracks when they are record-enabled, al-
lowing you to maintain the same monitoring
level for tracks during recording and playback.
Audio Track RecordLock (Pro Tools HD
Only) This option configures Pro Tools tracks to
either emulate a digital dubber, or to maintain
legacy behavior for track record status.
• When selected, the record-enabled audio
tracks remain record-enabled when play-
back or recording stops.
• When not selected, record-enabled audio
tracks are taken out of record enable when
Pro Tools is stopped. This prevents tracks
from remaining armed from pass to pass,
emulating track record behavior of a digital
dubber.
Chapter 8: Preferences 125
Transport RecordLock (Pro Tools HD Only) This
option lets the Transport Record (the Record
button in the Transport controls) be configured
to either emulate a digital dubber, or to main-
tain legacy behavior for the Transport master
Record.
• When selected, the Transport Record re-
mains armed when playback or recording
stops. This saves having to re-arm the
Transport between takes, emulating digital
dubber behavior.
• When not selected, the Transport Record
disarms when Pro Tools is manually
stopped or stops due to a loss of time code.
This replicates standard Pro Tools record-
ing behavior.
The Transport RecordLock option is automati-
cally disabled and grayed out when Destructive
Record mode is enabled.
Disable “Input” When Disarming Track (In “Stop”)
(Pro Tools HD Only) For flexibility, TrackInput
monitoring can be customized to remain se-
lected regardless of track record status, or to au-
tomatically switch to Auto Input monitoring af-
ter a recording pass. This lets you optimize
monitoring for a typical dubbing workflow (in
which you might want tracks to remain in Input
Only mode until explicitly switched to Auto In-
put monitoring) or a typical music tracking
workflow (in which leaving a track in Input
Only monitoring mode after recording can re-
sult in accidental double-monitoring).
• When selected, taking an audio track out of
record enable (any mode) takes it out of In-
put Only mode, regardless of the global
monitor mode, and switches it to monitor
audio from disk only.
• When not selected, audio tracks remain in
Input Only monitoring mode until explic-
itly switched to Auto Input monitoring.
Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped
(Pro Tools HD Only) This setting determines
monitor status of record-armed tracks.
• When selected, Pro Tools mutes all record-
enabled tracks when the transport is
stopped. Input can still be monitored while
stopped using the TrackInput Monitor but-
ton.
• When not selected, Pro Tools does not
mute audio input on record-enabled tracks
when the transport is stopped.
PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring (Pro Tools
HD Only) This option changes the way the Track-
Input monitoring mode is indicated on-screen
(and on supported control surfaces) to emulate
“PEC” (playback) and “Direct” (input/bus) indi-
cation on some large format consoles.
• When not selected, the TrackInput button
shows the letter “I.” The button remains
gray to indicate Auto Input mode and
lights green to indicate Input Only mode.
• When selected, the TrackInput button re-
mains gray and shows the letter “D” to in-
dicated Input Only mode (“Direct”); it
lights green and shows the letter “P” to in-
dicate Auto Input mode (“Pec” or play-
back).
Automatically Create New Playlists When Loop
Recording When selected, copies loop recorded
alternate takes to new playlists in the track. This
is especially useful to prepare for track compos-
iting in Playlists view after loop recording mul-
tiple alternate takes.
Pro Tools Reference Guide126
Online Options
Record Online at Time Code (or ADAT)
Lock When selected, online recording begins as
soon as Pro Tools receives and locks to incoming
time code.
Record Online at Insertion/Selection When se-
lected, online recording begins at the edit cursor
location. Recording continues until Pro Tools
stops receiving time code. If you make a selec-
tion, Pro Tools records online for the length of
the selection.
Open Ended Record Allocation
This preference determines how much of your
available hard drive space is allocated for record-
ing.
Use All Available Space When selected, the
drive’s entire available space is allocated. Gener-
ally, this is a good setting for recording longer
takes, as it provides the maximum amount of
drive space. Additionally, when recording mul-
tiple tracks, the files are spread across your drive.
This can sometimes slow down the recording
process for hard drives that use certain file sys-
tems, including HFS+ and NTFS.
Limit To Sets the maximum allowable recording
duration for one take. This can help reduce the
time it takes to begin recording by allocating
only a portion of your hard drive. The number
of minutes specified is allocated for each record-
enabled track. You may want to experiment
with this number to achieve the recording per-
formance you want.
If you do not regularly record longer takes, set a
smaller length (such as a low multiple of the
song’s total length).
DestructivePunch File Length
(Pro Tools HD Only)
This preference sets the duration of consoli-
dated audio files when preparing tracks for De-
structivePunch mode. The default value for this
setting is 25 minutes.
Misc (Miscellaneous) Section
Auto Region Fade In/Out Length (Pro Tools HD
and Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only) Sets a
default length for fade-ins and fade-outs auto-
matically applied to region boundaries. Using
automatic fade-ins and fade-outs saves you the
trouble of editing to zero-crossings or creating
numerous rendered fades in order to eliminate
clicks or pops in playback. Autofades are not
written to disk. Value range is from 0–10 ms for
the Auto Region Fade In/Out Length setting. A
value of zero means that no auto-fading will oc-
cur. The Auto Fade value is saved with the ses-
sion, and is automatically applied to all free-
standing region boundaries until you change it.
Calibration Reference Level (Pro Tools HD
Only) Sets a default calibration reference level in
dB when Pro Tools is in Calibration mode. For
audio interfaces that have trims (such as the
192 I/O), see the interface’s guide for calibration
instructions.
Delay Compensation Time Mode This option lets
you choose whether information in the Delay
Manager is displayed in milliseconds or samples.
This option is only available when Delay Com-
pensation is enabled (Options > Delay Compensa-
tion).
Chapter 8: Preferences 127
Editing Preferences
Regions Section
Region List Selection Follows Edit
Selection When selected, selecting a region in a
track also selects it in the Region List.
Edit Selection Follows Region List
Selection When selected, selecting a region in
the Region List causes Pro Tools to highlight
that region’s occurrence in a track.
Auto-Name Separated Regions When selected,
Pro Tools automatically names newly separated
regions by appending a number to the region’s
name.
“Separate Region” Operates On All Related
Takes When selected, editing a region with the
Separate Region command also affects all other
related takes (recording passes) with the same
User Time Stamp. This option helps you com-
pare different sections from a group of related
takes.
Tracks Section
New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase When se-
lected, all new tracks default to ticks. When de-
selected, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
and VCA (Pro Tools HD only) tracks default to
samples.
Memory Locations Section
Auto-Name Memory Locations When
Playing When selected, Pro Tools gives new
Memory Locations default names based on their
time location in the session. The time units cur-
rently chosen in the View menu determine the
units for the names.
Recall Memory Location at Original Track When
selected, Memory Locations that recall a selec-
tion also recall the track in which the selection
was made.
Fades Section
Crossfade Preview Pre-Roll This setting specifies
the amount of pre-roll to be added when you are
auditioning crossfades in the Fades dialog.
Crossfade Preview Post-Roll This setting speci-
fies the amount of post-roll to be added when
you are auditioning crossfades in the Fades dia-
log.
QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length Spec-
ifies a default length for crossfades created by
QuickPunch or TrackPunch (Pro Tools HD only)
recordings. Crossfades occur before the punch
in and after the punch out.
Preserve Fades when Editing This option pre-
serves fade-ins and fade outs, and converts sepa-
rated crossfades into corresponding fade-ins and
fade-outs.
Pro Tools Reference Guide128
Default Fade Settings
Fade In Selects the default envelope shape for
fade-ins when using the Smart Tool.
Fade Out Selects the default envelope shape for
fade-outs when using the Smart Tool.
Crossfade Selects the default envelope shape for
crossfades when using the Smart Tool.
REX Selects the default envelope shape for fades
and crossfades between regions (“slices”) in im-
ported REX files.
Zoom Toggle Section
Vertical Zoom Selects either Selection or Last
Used for the Zoom Toggle Vertical Zoom setting.
Horizontal Zoom Selects either Selection or Last
Used for the Zoom Toggle Horizontal Zoom setting.
Remove Range Selection After Zooming
In When selected, the current Edit selection col-
lapses into an insertion point after zoom tog-
gling in. Zoom toggling back out reverts to the
previous selection.
Track Height Selects Last Used, Medium, Large,
Extreme, or Fit To Window for the Zoom Toggle
Track Height setting.
Track View Selects Waveform/Notes, Warp/Notes,
Last Used, or No Change for the Zoom Toggle
Track View setting.
Separate Grid Settings When Zoomed In When
selected, the Grid setting stored with Zoom tog-
gle is recalled when zoom toggling in. When
this option is deselected, the same (current) grid
setting is used whether zoom toggling in or out.
Zoom Toggle Follows Edit Selection When se-
lected, zoom toggle automatically follows the
current Edit selection. When disabled, changing
the Edit selection has no affect on the currently
toggled-in track.
Levels of Undo
This preference sets the maximum number of
actions that can be undone with the multiple
undo feature. Setting this to a lower number can
speed up the performance of slower computers.
Pro Tools supports up to 32 Levels of Undo.
To apply a Fade In, Fade Out, or Crossfade
to an Edit selection using the Default Fade
settings, and without opening the Fades di-
alog, press Control+Start+F (Windows) or
Command+Control+F (Mac).
Chapter 8: Preferences 129
Mixing Preferences
Setup Section
Sends Default to –INF When selected, the initial
fader level of newly-created sends is set to –∞ (no
audible signal level). When not selected, the ini-
tial fader level of newly-created sends is set to
0dB.
Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan When se-
lected, newly created sends have Follow Main Pan
turned on, so the Send Pan controls follow the
pan controls of the track. When not selected,
newly created sends have Follow Main Pan turned
off.
Link Mix and Edit Group Enables When selected,
this option links enabling and disabling of Mix
and Edit Groups. For example, enabling Group
A in the Mix Window automatically enables
Group A in the Edit window.
Use Absolute Pan Linking (Pro Tools HD and Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 Only) This option af-
fects behavior of grouped pan controls.
• When selected, grouped pan controls do
not maintain relative offsets when any of
the grouped pan controls is adjusted. All
grouped pan controls snap to the absolute
value of the adjusted control.
• When not selected, grouped pan controls
maintain relative offsets when any of the
linked controls is adjusted.
Default EQ
This preference lets you choose any installed EQ
plug-in as the default, which makes it available
for quick assignment, both on-screen and on
ICON worksurfaces (Pro Tools HD only). On-
screen, the plug-in appears at the top of the In-
sert selector pop-up menu. On ICON worksur-
faces, the plug-in appears first in the list of menu
choices on the rotary encoders.
Default Dynamics
This preference lets you choose any installed
Dynamics plug-in as the default, which makes it
available for quick assignment, both on-screen
and on ICON worksurfaces (Pro Tools HD only).
On-screen, the plug-in appears at the top of the
Insert selector pop-up menu. On ICON worksur-
faces, the plug-in appears first in the list of menu
choices on the rotary encoders.
Pro Tools Reference Guide130
Controllers Section
Edit Window Follows Bank Selection If you are
using a supported control surface with
Pro Tools, this option scrolls the Edit window to
display the selected bank of tracks when you
switch banks on the control surface, ensuring
that the current bank is viewable on-screen.
Mix Window Follows Bank Selection If you are
using a supported control surface with
Pro Tools, this option scrolls the Mix window to
display the selected bank of tracks when you
switch banks on the control surface, ensuring
that the current bank is viewable on-screen.
“Scroll to Track” Banks Controllers When using
a control surface (such as D-Control or ProCon-
trol) you can select this option to bank control
surface faders to a numbered track when using
the Scroll to Track command.
Always Fill Channel Strips When Banking If you
are using an ICON worksurface (Pro Tools HD
only), or other supported control surface, you
can select this option to maximize the number
of channels displayed when banking. This set-
ting optimizes the Bank commands to prevent
the display of a small number of channels at the
extremes of the surface.
Touch Timeout If you are writing automation in
Touch mode and you stop moving a non-touch
sensitive fader or encoder, Pro Tools continues
to write automation for the Touch Timeout
value.
After the Touch Timeout period, writing of auto-
mation stops and the automation data returns
to its previous automation value at the rate spec-
ified in the AutoMatch Time setting.
Automation Section
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass When selected,
Pro Tools automatically smooths and then ap-
plies the specified amount of thinning to the au-
tomation data created in an automation pass.
Degree of Thinning Specifies the amount of thin-
ning performed on automation data when you
using the Thin Automation command, or if you
have selected the Smooth and Thin Data After Pass
option.
Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-Enabled When
selected, all applicable controls of newly added
plug-ins are enabled for automation. When not
selected, the controls of newly added plug-ins
must be manually enabled for automation.
Suppress Automation “Write To” Warnings
(Pro Tools HD and Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) When selected, Pro Tools suppresses the
warnings that appear after invoking any of the
Write Automation To Start, Selection, End, or Punch
commands and then stopping the transport.
Latching Behavior for Switch Controls in
“Touch” This option determines the behavior of
switch-type controls (such as mute or plug-in
bypass) when writing automation in Touch
mode.
• When selected, controls in Touch mode
will latch in their current state. If an exist-
ing breakpoint is encountered, writing of
automation stops. If the transport is
stopped while writing, the control will
AutoMatch to the underlying value.
• When not selected, controls in Touch
mode will not latch.
Chapter 8: Preferences 131
Allow Latch Prime in Stop (Pro Tools HD and Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 Only) When selected
and any tracks are in Latch mode, any automa-
tion-enabled controls on those tracks can be set
to new values while the transport is stopped by
touching or moving controls, to prepare for the
next automation pass.
Coalesce when Removing Slaves from VCA Group
(Pro Tools HD and Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) This option determines the behavior when
removing slave tracks from a VCA-controlled
group.
• When selected, any automation on the
VCA Master is automatically coalesced
(without confirmation) to its slave tracks
when the tracks are removed from the
group.
• When not selected, a confirmation dialog
lets you choose whether or not to coalesce
the VCA Master automation to the slave
tracks.
Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes
(Pro Tools HD and Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) This option determines which Mix group
attributes may be selected in the Group dialog
when the group is assigned to a VCA Master.
• When selected, the Main Volume, Mute,
Solo, Record Enable, and Input Monitoring
controls on slave tracks follow the VCA
Master only and are not available to be in-
dependently linked. (This emulates the be-
havior of analog console VCA masters.)
• When deselected, the Main Volume, Mute,
Solo, Record Enable, and Input Monitoring
controls follow the VCA Master, but also re-
main available for independent linking
with groups.
Include Sends in Trim Mode (Pro Tools HD and
Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only) This option
determines the Trim status of Send faders when
a track is put in Trim mode.
• When selected, Send faders go into Trim
mode along with the Main Volume fader.
• When deselected, the Main Volume fader
goes into Trim mode, but the Send fader
stays in the corresponding standard Auto-
mation mode.
Include Control Changes in Undo Queue This op-
tion determines whether certain mixer control
changes, such as moving a fader or pan control,
are entered into the Undo queue.
• When selected, mixer control changes ap-
pear in the Undo queue, and are undone if
any prior operation is undone.
• When deselected, mixer control changes
will not appear in the undo queue, allow-
ing you to undo other types of operations
without losing the current mixer settings.
Any set to default operations that affect mixer
controls will be entered into the Undo queue.
AutoMatch Time If you are writing automation
in Touch mode, when you release a fader or con-
trol, writing of automation stops and the auto-
mation data returns to its previous value. The
rate of return to the previous value is the
AutoMatch Time.
AutoGlide Time (Pro Tools HD and Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 Only) Specifies how quickly
Pro Tools transitions (glides) from one automa-
tion value to another, when
AutoGlide mode is used.
Pro Tools Reference Guide132
After Write Pass, Switch To Options
These options select the Automation mode that
Pro Tools tracks automatically switches to after
an automation pass in Write (or Write Trim)
mode. Select one of the following options:
Touch Switches to Touch mode after an automa-
tion pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode.
Latch Switches to Latch mode after an automa-
tion pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode.
No Change Stays in Write mode after an automa-
tion pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode.
After an automation pass in Write Trim mode,
tracks automatically switch to the Trim version
of the specified setting.
Coalesce Trim Automation Options
(Pro Tools HD and Complete Production Toolkit
2 Only)
These options determine when Trim automa-
tion is committed to the main automation play-
list on a track.
After Every Pass Sets Trim automation to co-
alesce when the transport is stopped at the end
of each Trim automation pass. No Composite
Playlist is indicated.
On Exiting Trim Mode Sets Trim Automation to
coalesce on a track when the track is taken out of
Trim mode. A Composite Playlist can be viewed
before committing Trim moves.
Manually Trim Automation can be coalesced
only with the Coalesce Trim Automation com-
mand. A Composite Playlist can be viewed be-
fore committing Trim moves.
Processing Preferences
AudioSuite Section
Use AudioSuite Dither When selected, certain
AudioSuite plug-ins automatically apply dither
when processing. AudioSuite plug-ins that sup-
port automatic dithering include: Gain, Nor-
malize, Smack!, and Sonic NoNOISE.
Plug-In Specifies the plug-in used for dither pro-
cessing when the Use AudioSuite Dither option is
selected.
Bit Depth Lets you select a bit depth for the dith-
ered audio (24-bit, 20-bit, 18-bit, or 16-bit).
Import Section
Convert Imported “WAV” Files To AES31/Broad-
castWave When selected, this option applies to
all newly imported WAV files, making them
compliant with the AES31/EBU Broadcast stan-
dard.
Chapter 8: Preferences 133
Automatically Copy Files on Import When se-
lected, all audio files that are imported by drag-
ging and dropping are copied to the current ses-
sion’s Audio Files folder, regardless of whether
the files need to be converted to the current ses-
sion’s file type, bit depth or sample rate. Addi-
tionally, when selected, the Copy from Source Me-
dia option is automatically enabled in the
Import Session Data dialog. The Automatically
Copy Files on Import preference does not affect
the Import Audio command.
Import REX Files as Region Groups When se-
lected, REX flies are imported as region groups,
all the underlying slices are imported as individ-
ual regions contained within the region group.
When this option is not selected, importing REX
files into a session converts them to the session’s
audio file format, the individual slices are con-
solidated, and the slice information is used for
Elastic Audio analysis. These files remain tick-
based after import and conversion.
Automatically Create Fades When selected,
crossfades are applied automatically to the
sliced regions within region groups created by
importing REX files. If the Import REX Files as Re-
gion Groups option is not selected, the Automati-
cally Create Fades option is not available.
To change the default fade settings for REX files,
click the REX button in the Default Fade Settings
section on the Editing Preferences page.
Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to
Session Tempo
The Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to Ses-
sion Tempo options determine whether or not
REX, ACID, and audio files are imported as tick-
based Elastic Audio and conformed to the ses-
sion tempo.
No Files When enabled, REX and ACID files,
and all other audio files are not conformed to
the session tempo when imported by drag and
drop from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder.
They are imported as sample-based files and
converted to the sessions audio file format.
REX and ACID Files Only When enabled, only
REX and ACID files are conformed to the session
tempo when imported by drag and drop from
Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder. REX files
are imported either as tick-based Elastic Audio
or, if the Import REX Files as Region Groups op-
tion is enabled, as tick-based region groups.
All Files When enabled, all audio files (including
REX and ACID files) imported by drag and drop
from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder are
imported as tick-based Elastic Audio and con-
form to the session tempo.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
The Sample Rate Conversion Quality pop-up
menu lets you select the default sample rate con-
version quality for importing audio files by drag
and drop from any DigiBase browser, or Win-
dows Explorer or Mac Finder. The higher the
quality of sample rate conversion you select, the
longer Pro Tools will take to process the audio
file.
Pro Tools Reference Guide134
TC/E (Time
Compression/Expansion) Section
TC/E Plug-In Lets you select the plug-in used for
Time Compression and Expansion when you
edit audio with the Time Compression/Expan-
sion Trim tool. This Trim tool works by using
Time Compression/Expansion to match an au-
dio region to the length of another region, a
tempo grid, a video scene, or other reference
point. The DigiRack Time Shift plug-in is se-
lected by default.
Default Settings Specifies the default settings
used by the chosen Time Compression/Expan-
sion plug-in.
Elastic Audio Section
These preferences determine Elastic Audio usage
and settings on new tracks, as well as for pre-
viewing and importing tick-based audio.
Default Plug-In Lets you select any Real-Time
Elastic Audio plug-in as the default for preview-
ing and importing Elastic Audio. The selected
default Elastic Audio plug-in is also used when
new tracks are created with the Enable Elastic Au-
dio on New Tracks option enabled.
Default Input Gain Lets you attenuate the signal
input to Elastic Audio plug-ins by 0 to –6 dB for
preview and import. If you experience clipping
due to Elastic Audio processing during preview
or after import, you may want to set the Default
Input Gain to slightly attenuate the audio signal
input for Elastic Audio processing. This prefer-
ence also applies to any audio imported to an
Elastic Audio-enabled track.
The Elastic Properties window inherits the De-
fault Input Gain setting. To apply further region-
based input gain attenuation for Elastic Audio
processing, select the region and adjust the Input
Gain setting in the Elastic Properties window (see
“Elastic Properties Window” on page 882).
Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks When se-
lected, new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
enabled. The selected default Elastic Audio plug-
in is used.
DSP Management Section
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
These preferences determine DSP management
behavior for converting TDM plug-ins to RTAS
and also for the HEAT software option.
Open Unresourced TDM Plug-Ins as RTAS When
this option is enabled, any TDM plug-ins that
exceed the available TDM processing are con-
verted to RTAS format plug-ins wherever possi-
ble. When this option is disabled, any TDM
plug-ins that exceed the available TDM process-
ing are made inactive.
Enable HEAT in New Sessions (Pro Tools|HD
Only) When enabled, new sessions are created
with HEAT enabled for all audio tracks. When
disabled, HEAT is disabled in new sessions by de-
fault. This option is only available if the HEAT
software option is installed. For more informa-
tion, see the HEAT Software Option Guide.
If the Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks
option is selected, you may want to also se-
lect the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
base option in the Editing Preferences page.
Chapter 8: Preferences 135
MIDI Preferences
Basics Section
Remove Range Selection After Opening the
MIDI/Score Editor When selected, the MIDI Edi-
tor and Score Editor open with no Edit selection.
When this option is disabled, the MIDI Editor
and Score Editor open with the current Edit se-
lection intact.
Use MIDI to Tap Tempo When enabled, you can
tap a MIDI keyboard to enter a new tempo value
into a tempo field.
Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Proper-
ties When enabled, Pro Tools displays the ef-
fects of Real-Time Properties in the Edit, MIDI
Editor, and Score Editor windows, and the MIDI
Event List.
Use F11 Key for Wait for Note When enabled,
pressing the F11 Function key puts MIDI record-
ing in Wait for Note mode.
Automatically Create Click Track in New
Sessions When enabled, Pro Tools automati-
cally creates a new click track in new sessions.
Default Thru Instrument
This option lets you set the default MIDI Thru
instrument. You can select a predefined device
from your available MIDI instruments, or select
First Selected MIDI Track to use the assigned MIDI
output of the first selected MIDI or Instrument
track. When multiple MIDI or Instrument tracks
are selected, the instrument in the selected track
that is closest to the top of the Edit window (or
closest to the left edge of the Mix window) is
used. Select None to only route MIDI Thru re-
cord enabled MIDI and Instrument tracks.
Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller
Data
This option lets you set the default resolution
for MIDI controller data created with the Pencil
tool. Setting this to a lower resolution helps
avoid creating controller data that is unneces-
sarily dense. The value range is from 1 to 100
milliseconds.
Global MIDI Playback Offset
This option lets you set an offset in samples to
compensate for MIDI latency. Entering a value
here has the same effect as setting an offset with
the MIDI Track Offsets command. Offset values
can be positive (later) or negative (earlier).
Double-Clicking a MIDI Region Opens
This option lets you specify what happens when
you double-click MIDI regions with the Grabber
tool on MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Edit
window.
MIDI Editor Opens the MIDI region in a MIDI
Editor window.
Score Editor Opens the MIDI region in the Score
Editor window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide136
MIDI Event List Opens the MIDI region in the
MIDI Event List.
Name Dialog Opens the Name dialog for the
MIDI region.
Note Display Options
These options set the reference for middle C as
C3, C4, or MIDI note number 60.
Delay for External Devices
Section
(Pro Tools HD Only)
These options only apply when a Delay Compen-
sation Engine is selected in the Playback Engine
and Delay Compensation is enabled in Pro Tools.
These options are distinct from the hardware
offsets available for hardware inserts in the I/O
Setup.
MIDI Time Code When selected, Pro Tools ap-
plies Delay Compensation to Pro Tools-gener-
ated MIDI Time Code (MTC). Enable this option
when synchronizing video to Pro Tools using
MTC.
MIDI Beat Clock When selected, Pro Tools ap-
plies Delay Compensation to Pro Tools-gener-
ated MIDI Beat Clock.
MIDI/Score Editor Display
Additional Empty Bars in the Score Editor
This setting lets you specify the default number
of empty bars that appear in the Score Editor
window after the end of the last MIDI region in
the session.
Synchronization Preferences
Machine Control Section
Machine Chases Memory Location When se-
lected, navigating to a specific location in a ses-
sion with a Memory Location causes a con-
nected transport to chase to that location.
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub When se-
lected, navigating to a specific location in a ses-
sion by moving the selection point or by scrub-
bing a track will cause a connected transport to
chase to that location.
When the connected device is a linear device
(such as a tape deck), select Linear Devices (jog) to
set Pro Tools to send jog commands.
When the connected device is a non-linear de-
vice (such as a random-access video recorder or
another Pro Tools system), select Non-Linear De-
vices (cue) to set Pro Tools to send cue com-
mands.
Machine Cues Intelligently (Pro Tools HD
Only) When selected, if you navigate to a cue
point that is more than 10 seconds from the cur-
rent location, Pro Tools will command a con-
nected transport to fast wind to the new loca-
Chapter 8: Preferences 137
tion at full speed to within 10 seconds of the cue
point. Cueing will then slow to normal speed
until the point is reached. This can significantly
speed up tape cueing with certain video trans-
ports.
Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero (Pro Tools HD
Only) Causes Pro Tools to send a Stop command
whenever you stop shuttling. This is useful if
you have a machine that requires an explicit
stop command to park correctly.
Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression (Pro Tools
HD Only) When Transport = Pro Tools, keeps
Pro Tools from sending a Stop command when
taken offline. This prevents Pro Tools from stop-
ping any other 9-pin devices connected to the
system.
Synchronization Section
Minimum Sync Delay Sets the initial amount of
prime time (in frames) your system’s devices
need to achieve synchronization “lock.” This
amount varies for each device. Pro Tools lock up
delay is set by entering a value for Minimum Sync
Delay in the Synchronization page of the Prefer-
ences. The lowest value available is 15 frames.
Find the shortest possible lock-up time that your
equipment can operate at consistently, and set
this as the Minimum Sync Delay. On systems using
MachineControl, enabling the Use Serial Time
Code option will make machines lock up much
faster. (Serial time code requires both a qualified
synchronization peripheral and external devices
to be locked to house video reference.)
Delay Before Locking to Longitudinal Time Code
(Pro Tools HD Only) Sets the amount of time (in
frames) for Pro Tools to lock to incoming LTC.
Use this option when locking Pro Tools to a sta-
ble time code source (such as a non-linear tape
machine or LTC generator) and not a linear tape
machine.
Delay Before Locking to Serial Time Code
(Pro Tools HD Only) Sets the amount of time (in
frames) for Pro Tools to wait before attempting
to lock to machines that issue servo lock mes-
sages. This setting allows time for the servo
mechanisms to achieve stable lock.
Remote Mode Section
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Ignore Track Arming Sets Pro Tools to ignore in-
coming track arming (record enable) com-
mands. This is useful if you are using a master
controller to arm tracks on other machines, but
you do not want to arm tracks in Pro Tools.
Set Servo Lock Bit at Play Enable this option
when using a synchronizer to control Pro Tools
in Remote mode to minimize lock-up times dur-
ing recording.
Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode Sets
Pro Tools to respond to incoming track arming
(record enable) commands even when the sys-
tem is not in Remote mode. This is useful if you
are using a paddle device to control Pro Tools
track arming or punching.
Punch In Frame Offset Sets an offset (in frames)
to compensate for punch in timing advances or
delays.
Punch Out Frame Offset Sets an offset (in frames)
to compensate for punch out timing advances
or delays.
Delay After Play Command Sets the amount of
time (in frames) for Pro Tools to wait after re-
ceiving a Play command before starting the au-
dio engine. This can prevent false starts when
locking to synchronizers that are not fully sup-
ported by Pro Tools.
Pro Tools Reference Guide138
Satellites Section
(Pro Tools HD Only)
These preferences are available only with the
Satellite Link option. The Pro Tools Satellite
Link option lets you link up to 5 Pro Tools sys-
tems (or 4 Pro Tools systems and an Avid® Me-
dia Composer® with the Video Satellite option
or a Video Satellite LE system) over an Ethernet
network so that you can cue, play, and stop the
transport, make play selections, and solo tracks
across any of the systems from any linked work-
station.
Transmit Solos Causes a linked Pro Tools system
to send the solo status of its tracks to all other
linked Pro Tools systems. On other linked sys-
tems that are set to receive solos, tracks follow
solo behavior as if the solo were on the local sys-
tem.
Receive Solos Causes a linked Pro Tools system
to receive solos from all other linked Pro Tools
systems that are set to transmit solo status of
their tracks. Tracks on the receiving system fol-
lows solo behavior as if the solos were on the lo-
cal system.
Solo Independent of Linked State Causes a
Pro Tools system to send the solo status of its
tracks to other satellite systems even when it is
unlinked. This allows control of solo status
across systems even when transport control is
not enabled.
DAE Errors Stop All Linked Systems Causes a
DAE error on any linked Pro Tools system to
stop the transport on all linked systems. When
this option is not selected, linked systems will
not stop if a DAE error occurs on one system.
Transmit Play Selections Causes a linked
Pro Tools system to send the Edit window selec-
tion to all other linked Pro Tools systems. On
other linked systems that are set to receive play
selections, the selection is mirrored in the Edit
window.
Receive Play Selections Causes a linked
Pro Tools system to receive Edit window selec-
tions from all other linked Pro Tools systems
that are set to transmit play selections.
Chapter 9: Peripherals 139
Chapter 9: Peripherals
The settings in the Peripherals dialog define
how Pro Tools works with various synchroniza-
tion, machine control, MIDI control surface,
Ethernet worksurface, Mic Preamp, satellite
peripherals and devices, and linked VENUE
systems.
To configure settings for Pro Tools peripherals:
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals.
2 Click the tab for the type of peripheral you
want to configure.
3 Change the settings.
4 Click OK to save your changes and close the
Peripherals dialog.
Synchronization
The Synchronization page lets you configure
Pro Tools for use with MIDI Time Code and a
synchronization peripheral.
MTC Reader and Generator
The MIDI Time Code (MTC) settings let you se-
lect the MIDI In and Out ports for MTC.
MTC Reader Port The MTC Reader Port setting
lets you select the MIDI In port to which the
MTC slave device is connected (the source of
MTC information from the slave device).
MTC Generator Port The MTC Generator Port set-
ting lets you select the MIDI Out port to which
the master device is connected (this the destina-
tion of MTC information from Pro Tools).
For information about synchronization pe-
ripherals, see the SYNC HD Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide140
Synchronization Device
(Pro Tools HD Only)
The Synchronization Device settings let you
configure a synchronization peripheral, such as
the SYNC HD or SYNC I/O.
Enable SYNC Peripheral
When this option is selected, any connected
synchronization peripheral is enabled for use
with Pro Tools.
Current Firmware Version
This displays the firmware version for the con-
nected synchronization peripheral, such as a
SYNC HD.
VITC Insertion Enabled
When this option is selected, VITC is inserted
into the outgoing video signal—assuming that a
video signal is present at a synchronization pe-
ripheral video input, and that the synchroniza-
tion peripheral is in a valid mode for inserting
VITC.
Pitch Memory Enabled
When this option is selected, the synchroniza-
tion peripheral will remain at a pitch (sample
rate) that corresponds to the last known incom-
ing time code speed. When deselected, the Syn-
chronization peripheral reverts to the selected
sample rate. If Pitch Memory is disabled and the
selected external clock reference is not available,
then the synchronization peripheral reverts to
the nominal, selected internal sample rate set-
ting.
Idle MTC Enabled
When this option is selected, MTC is continu-
ously output. When not enabled, MTC output is
muted when playback is idle.
LTC Output Level
This setting adjusts the analog audio level of the
LTC output, from –24 dBu to +9 dBu.
VITC Read Lines
This setting determines which line pair of in-
coming video signal is used for the VITC source.
When set to Auto, the synchronization periph-
eral searches for the first valid line pair automat-
ically. Alternatively, this value can be set to spe-
cific VITC line pairs.
VITC Generate Lines
This setting determines the line pair of the out-
going video signal onto which the synchroniza-
tion peripheral inserts VITC. Normally, this
should be left at the default (and preferred) set-
ting of 14/16.
Bi-Phase/Tach Wiring
This setting lets you select from the following
options for Bi-Phase or Tach wiring:
• Bi-Phase: FWD = A leads B
• Bi-Phase: FWD = B leads A
• Tach:FWD = B is Low
• Tach: FWD = B is High
Bi-Phase/Tach Pulses/Frame (2–254)
There are several different standards for the
number of pulses-per-frame output by Bi-Phase
or Tach devices. You can set the synchroniza-
tion peripheral to operate from 2 to 254 pulses
per frame from Pro Tools. The setting should
match the PPF rate of the Bi-Phase/Tach encoder
on the external device.
Chapter 9: Peripherals 141
Reset Bi-Phase
This button lets you set the Bi-Phase/Tach start
frame from Pro Tools. Click the button to up-
date the Time Code Display on the synchroniza-
tion peripheral to match the session time code
value.
Enable Dub Window
When this option is selected, you can insert a
time code window into a video signal with the
following Window dub appearance settings:
Vertical Position Sets the vertical position of the
window dub, relative to the bottom of the video
picture. The choices range from 10% From Bot-
tom to 50% From Bottom, in 10% increments.
Horizontal Position Sets the relative horizontal
position of the window dub within the video
picture. The choices include Extreme Left, Left,
Center, Right and Extreme Right.
Size Sets the relative size of the window dub
(Small or Large).
Color Sets the color of the time code numbers
and background of the window dub. The
choices include White on Black Bkgnd, Black on
White Bkgnd, White on Video Bkgnd, or Black
on Video Bkgnd. (Video Bkgnd means that the
background of the window dub is transparent,
so that the time code numbers are displayed di-
rectly on top of the video signal, without a con-
trasting background box.) The default setting is
White on Black Bkgnd.
Machine Control
The Machine Control page lets you configure
Pro Tools for use with MIDI Machine Control or
9-Pin Machine Control.
MIDI Machine Control (Master)
Pro Tools provides the following for configuring
MIDI Machine Control (Master) settings.
Enable
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is
the Master and it sends MMC commands to the
slave device and receives MTC information back
from the slave device.
“10% from Bottom” vertical position is out-
side the standard “safe title” area, which
means it may not be visible on some video
monitors.
The “Extreme” horizontal positions are out-
side the standard “safe title” area, which
means they may not be visible on some
video monitors.
For information about the MachineControl
Software Option for Pro Tools, see the
MachineControl Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide142
MIDI Out Port
The MIDI Out Port pop-up menu lets you select
the MIDI Out port to which the slave device is
connected.
MMC ID
The MMC ID setting lets you specify the MMC
ID number for which MMC information will be
sent. MMC commands contain an ID number to
identify which machine should respond to the
MMC command. There are 128 MMC ID num-
bers, from 0–127. The default of ID #127 is a spe-
cial setting that transmits to all 128 MMC IDs.
With a setting of 127, Pro Tools will transmit
MMC commands to all MMC IDs.
Preroll
The Preroll setting lets you specify a pre-roll
time in frames for your MMC slave device. Pre-
roll is needed to provide the device with suffi-
cient time to lock to the time code transmitted
by Pro Tools. This value will vary depending on
the external device. If the pre-roll time is insuf-
ficient, the device may not be ready to lock until
after the current time code position has passed.
MIDI Machine Control (Slave)
Pro Tools provides the following for configuring
MIDI Machine Control (Slave) settings.
Enable
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is
the slave and it receives MMC commands from
the master device and sends MTC information
back to the slave device.
MMC ID
The MMC ID setting lets you specify the MMC
ID number for which MMC information will be
received.
9-Pin Machine Control (Deck
Control)
(Pro Tools HD with Machine Control Only)
The 9-Pin Machine Control (Deck Control) settings
let you configure a Machine Control device for
Serial Deck Control mode with Pro Tools. Serial
Deck Control mode is available whenever Ma-
chine Control is connected using the Serial Deck
Control cable. When connected for Serial Deck
Control mode, Machine Control enables all
Pro Tools track arming, synchronization, and
Transport features, as available on your system.
Serial Deck Control mode also supports 9-pin se-
rial time code.
Enable
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is
in Serial Deck Control mode.
Port
The Port setting lets you select the 9-pin Ma-
chine Control port. The available choices de-
pend on your platform and configuration
Machine Type
After you select a port, Pro Tools automatically
polls the port to see what kind of machine is
connected. If the machine is recognized,
Pro Tools loads the corresponding Machine Type.
This includes the corresponding track layout
and automatically enters the name of that ma-
chine into the Machine Track Arming window.
However, if the machine is not recognized, the
“Generic 1” personality is automatically loaded.
Preroll
The Preroll setting lets you specify a variable
amount of machine preroll to account for the
time it may take the machine to achieve servo
lock. Shorter preroll values are usually better for
Chapter 9: Peripherals 143
non-linear machines. Longer preroll values are
usually better for older tape transports. The Ma-
chine preroll value is added to any preroll spec-
ified in the Transport window.
9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation)
(Pro Tools HD with Machine Control Only)
The 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) settings let
you configure Pro Tools for 9-Pin Remote (Deck
Emulation) mode. This mode makes Pro Tools
operate as a virtual tape deck, supporting most
standard Sony P2 9-pin commands. By default,
Pro Tools emulates a Sony BVW-75 model video
deck. You can also configure Pro Tools to emu-
late other machines.
Enable
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is
in 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) mode.
Port
The Port setting lets you select the 9-pin Ma-
chineControl port. The available choices de-
pend on your platform and configuration
Machine Type
The Machine Type setting lets you select the ma-
chine description for specific machine control-
lers (such as the Soundmaster ATOM). By de-
fault, Pro Tools emulates a Sony BVW-75.
Chase LTC
When Chase LTC is enabled, Pro Tools still re-
sponds to track arming and record commands.
However, Pro Tools will chase incoming LTC in-
stead of behaving as a master or slave device
with the machine controller. By slaving
Pro Tools to the LTC source instead of slaving
the machine to Pro Tools time code, you can
avoid the waiting (and tape wear) that occurs
while a machine transport locates and bumps
tape to the cue point.
MIDI Controllers
The MIDI Controllers page lets you configure up
to four different MIDI controllers for Pro Tools.
Number and Color
The number of the row indicates the order of the
selected controllers. The color corresponds to
the controller focus around Pro Tools track and
plug-in controls.
Type
The Type setting lets you select the MIDI control-
ler connected to your computer. Choose from
any of the following types of MIDI controllers:
• Command|8
•HUI
•MotorMix
• Surround Panner
•M-Audio Keyboard
Pro Tools Reference Guide144
Receive From
The Receive From setting lets you select the MIDI
In port to which your MIDI controller is con-
nected.
Send To
The Send To setting lets you select the MIDI Out
port to which your MIDI controller is con-
nected.
Number of Channels
The Number of Channels (# Ch’s) setting dis-
plays the number of control channels supported
by the selected MIDI controller type.
Ethernet Controllers
The Ethernet Controllers page lets you configure
up to seven different Ethernet controllers for
Pro Tools.
EUCON (Extended User Control)
When selected, Pro Tools is enabled for control
by one or more EUCON-compatible controllers.
EUCON is an innovative high-speed Ethernet
protocol developed by Avid to allow a hardware
control surface to directly communicate with a
software application.
Enable
When selected, Pro Tools is enabled for control
by one or more Ethernet controllers (such as
D-Command or C|24).
Ethernet Port
The Ethernet Port setting lets you specify the eth-
ernet port on your computer to which your con-
troller is connected.
Number and Color
The number of the row indicates the order of the
selected controllers. The color corresponds to
the colored controller focus border around
Pro Tools track and plug-in controls.
Ethernet Controller
From the Ethernet Controller pop-up menu, se-
lect the Ethernet controller that you want to
use.
Name
Click the Name button to enter a name for the
selected Ethernet controller.
For more information about using Pro Tools
with EUCON, see the documentation in-
cluded with your controller.
Chapter 9: Peripherals 145
Mic Preamps
The Mic Preamps page lets you configure up to
nine different Mic Preamps (PRE) for Pro Tools.
Type
The Type setting lets you select none or PRE. Se-
lect the PRE option to declare any connected
PRE.
Receive From
The Receive From setting lets you specify the
MIDI In port to which the PRE is connected.
Send To
The Send To setting lets you specify the MIDI
Out port to which the PRE is connected.
Defaults
Click the Reset button reset the corresponding
PRE to its default settings.
Retain Current Settings
Select the Retain Current Settings option to retain
PRE channel settings when an existing session
with different settings is loaded. New sessions
will automatically retain the current settings.
For information about the PRE, see the PRE
Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide146
Satellites
The Satellites page lets you configure Pro Tools
for use with Satellite Link, Video Satellite, and
Video Satellite LE software options.
The Pro Tools Satellite Link option lets you link
up to 5 Pro Tools systems (or 4 Pro Tools sys-
tems and an Avid Media Composer with the
Video Satellite option or a Video Satellite LE sys-
tem) over an Ethernet network so that you can
cue, play, and stop the transport, make play se-
lections, and solo tracks across any of the sys-
tems from any linked workstation.
The Video Satellite option lets you link a
Pro Tools|HD system and a Media Composer
system. The Video Satellite LE option lets you
link a Pro Tools|HD system and a Pro Tools host-
based system for monitoring QuickTime HD
video.
System Name
Type a name for the local system. This name ap-
pears in the list of available satellites in other
connected systems with the Satellite Link op-
tion.
Mode
The Mode settings let you configure the satellite
behavior of the local system.
Administrator When enabled, the Administrator
option sets the local system to be the adminis-
trator system for any satellite systems on the
network. Satellite systems can be declared from
the administrator system.
Satellite When enabled, the Satellite option sets
the local system to be a satellite system on the
network. When a system is in Satellite mode, it
becomes available to be declared as a satellite
from any administrator system on the network.
Administrator
When the local system is in Administrator
mode, the Administrator settings let you declare
satellites from that system.
System 1–5 These popup menus let you declare
up to 4 satellite systems (in addition to the ad-
ministrator system itself) from an administrator
system. The number of the system indicates the
order of the declared satellites in the Transport
window.
For more information, see the guide for your
Satellite option.
Chapter 9: Peripherals 147
VENUE
The VENUE page lets you configure Pro Tools
for use with a VENUE system over Ethernet
using VENUE Link.
Pro Tools VENUE Link lets you import VENUE
Settings into Pro Tools, create Pro Tools markers
from VENUE Snapshots, and locate to Pro Tools
markers from VENUE Snapshots.
System Name
The System Name field lets you enter a name for
your Pro Tools system.
VENUE System
The VENUE System selector lets you select a re-
mote VENUE system for recording to (or play-
back from) your Pro Tools system. You can also
manually enter the IP addresses of the VENUE
system.
Advanced Network Settings
The Advanced Network settings let you specify an
IP address and port for VENUE Link communi-
cation.
Interface For systems that have more than one
Ethernet network connection, the Interface set-
ting lets you select which connection to use for
VENUE Link communication.
TCP/UDP Port For systems that have more than
one Ethernet network connection, you can en-
ter the TCP/UDP port number to be used for
VENUE Link communication.
Pro Tools Reference Guide148
Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI 149
Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI
If you are using external MIDI devices with
Pro Tools (such as controllers or sound mod-
ules), you can customize your MIDI studio setup
to display the names of your MIDI devices in
Pro Tools.
MIDI Studio Setup (Mac)
Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI in-
terface as generic ports. With Mac OS X, you use
Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility to iden-
tify external MIDI devices connected to your
MIDI interface and configure your MIDI studio
for use with Pro Tools.
To configure your MIDI studio in AMS:
1 Do one of the following:
• Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Ap-
plications/Utilities).
– or –
• In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI
Studio.
2 If the MIDI Studio window is not showing,
choose Window > MIDI Studio.
AMS scans your system for connected MIDI in-
terfaces. If your MIDI interface is properly con-
nected, it appears in the window with each of its
ports numbered.
3 To create a custom MIDI device for any exter-
nal MIDI devices connected to your MIDI inter-
face, click Add Device. A new external device
icon with the default MIDI keyboard image ap-
pears.
To ensure optimum performance, do not
change the AMS configuration while
Pro Tools is playing back. Stop the
Pro Tools transport before launching AMS.
Audio MIDI Setup (MIDI Devices tab)
Pro Tools Reference Guide150
4 Drag the new device icon to a convenient lo-
cation within the window.
5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI inter-
face by clicking the arrow for the appropriate
output port of the device and dragging a con-
nection or “cable” to the input arrow of the cor-
responding port of the MIDI interface.
6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port
of the device and drag a cable to the output ar-
row of the corresponding port of the MIDI inter-
face.
7 Repeat steps 3–6 for each MIDI device in your
MIDI setup.
To customize an external MIDI device in AMS:
1 Select the external device icon and click Show
Info (or double-click the new device icon).
2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new
device from the corresponding pop-up menus.
(If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus
do not provide a name for your particular de-
vice, you can type a name.)
Making MIDI input and output connections
To remove a connection, select the cable and
press Delete.
External Device Icon
Naming a new MIDI device
For Manufacturer and Model names, AMS
refers to one or more files with the suffix
“.middev” in the directory Root/Library/
Audio/MIDI Devices. Pro Tools installs a
file that contains information for many
commercially available MIDI devices,
named “Digidesign Device List.middev.” If
the Manufacturer or Model names for any of
your external MIDI devices is not available
in the AMS Manufacturer and Model pop-up
menus, you can add them by editing the
.middev file in any text editor (such as
TextEdit).
For more information, see “MIDI Patch
Names” on page 686.
Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI 151
3 Click the More Information arrow to expand
the dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI
channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives
options. (These determine which channels the
device will use to send and receive MIDI.)
4 Click the device image. The window expands
to show images for various MIDI devices (such
as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers).
Select an icon for your device.
5 Select a device image and click Apply.
6 Close the AMS window to quit the AMS appli-
cation.
The device names you enter appear as MIDI in-
put and output choices in Pro Tools.
Enabling MIDI channels
Selecting a device icon
To use your own custom icons, you can
place TIFF image files in /Library/
Audio/MIDI Devices/Generic/Images, and
they will appear as choices in the AMS
device window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide152
MIDI Studio Setup (Windows)
MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) lets you configure the
MIDI controllers and sound modules that are
connected to your system, and control the rout-
ing of MIDI data between your MIDI equipment
and Pro Tools.
MSS automatically finds MIDI interfaces, and
lets you specify a custom name for each of the
MIDI ports within the MIDI Studio Setup docu-
ment.
MSS also supports XML-based patch file names
for storing and importing patch names for your
external MIDI devices.
Entire MIDI Studio Setup configurations created
within MSS can be imported and exported.
To configure your MIDI studio with MSS:
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Stu-
dio.
2 Configure the MIDI Studio Setup windows.
3 When you are finished configuring the MIDI
Studio Setup, close the MIDI Studio Setup win-
dow.
MIDI Studio Setup Window
The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized
into three sections. Interface controls are at the
top of the window. All the currently defined in-
struments are displayed in the Instrument Name
list on the left side of the window. A detailed
view of MIDI parameters is shown in the Proper-
ties section on the right.
Interface Controls
Create Adds a new instrument to the Instru-
ment Name list.
Delete Deletes the instrument or instruments se-
lected in the Instrument Name list.
Import Imports an existing MIDI Studio Setup
file.
Export Exports the current MIDI Studio Setup
file.
MIDI Studio Setup window
Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI 153
Show Duplicate Emulated Ports When this op-
tion is selected and you are using a MIDI inter-
face that supports time-stamping (such as MIDI
I/O), in addition to the MIDI ports on Mbox 2,
the MIDI Studio setup window shows both the
DirectMusic time-stamped output ports, and
non-stamped duplicate emulated output ports.
Instrument List
The Instrument list contains all the currently
defined instruments. Selecting an instrument in
the list displays that instrument’s properties in
the Properties section of the window.
Properties Section
The Properties section lets you edit information
for new instruments, or instrument currently se-
lected in the Instrument list.
When a previously defined instrument is se-
lected in the Instrument list, the Properties sec-
tion changes to reflect the properties of the se-
lected instrument.
To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.
2 Click Create.
3 In the Instrument Name field, type the name
of your instrument, and press Enter.
4 Set a manufacturer and model for the new de-
vice from the corresponding pop-up menus. If
the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do
not provide a name for your particular device,
choose None.
5 From the Input pop-up menu, choose the in-
put port on your MIDI interface that is con-
nected to the MIDI Out of your instrument.
6 From the Output pop-up menu, choose the
output port on your MIDI interface that is con-
nected to the MIDI In of your instrument.
7 Enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16)
for the Send Channels and Receive Channels
options (These determine which channels send
and receive MIDI.)
Instrument Name
The Instrument Name field shows the user-de-
finable instrument name for the currently se-
lected instrument.
Manufacturer
The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list
of MIDI equipment manufacturers. This list is
derived from the XML-based MIDI device files.
Model
The Model pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI
devices, filtered by the manufacturer name. This
list is derived from the XML-based MIDI device
files provided with your Pro Tools installation.
Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load
or unload their drivers unless you quit and
re-launch Pro Tools. Check the documenta-
tion that came with your MIDI interface for
more information.
If you do not enter an instrument name, the
Instrument Name field will automatically
inherit information from the Manufacturer
and Model pop-up menu.
For more information, see “MIDI Patch
Names” on page 686.
For more information, see “MIDI Patch
Names” on page 686.
Pro Tools Reference Guide154
Input Port
The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of
available MIDI interface input ports. The MIDI
interface port that is set and displayed here is
the port through which MIDI data is sent from
the external MIDI device specified in the Instru-
ment Name field into your MIDI interface.
Output Port
The Output Port pop-up menu displays a list of
available MIDI interface output ports. The port
set and displayed here is the port through which
MIDI data is sent from your MIDI interface to
the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.
Send Channels
The Send Channels grid sets the send channels
for the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.
Receive Channels
The Receive Channels grid sets the receive chan-
nels for the MIDI device specified in the Instru-
ment Name field.
If you set the input port to None, the defined
instrument will not appear as a choice in a
MIDI Input Selector.
If you set the output port to None, the de-
fined instrument will not appear as a choice
in a MIDI Output Selector.
155
Part III: Sessions & Tracks
156
Chapter 11: Sessions 157
Chapter 11: Sessions
The first step in beginning a Pro Tools project is
creating a new session. Sessions are represented
by session files that can be saved, copied and
made into templates.
Quick Start Session Dialog
Pro Tools provides a Quick Start dialog on
launch that lets you quickly and easily create a
new session or open an existing one. You can
choose to show or hide the Quick Start dialog on
launch in the Pro Tools Operation Preferences.
When you first launch Pro Tools, you are
prompted by the Quick Start dialog to do one of
the following:
• Create a new session from a template.
• Create a new blank session.
• Open any of the last ten most recent sessions.
• Open any other session on your system.
Creating a New Session from a
Template
To create a new session from a template:
1 Select Create Session from Template.
2 From the Session Template pop-up menu, se-
lect the category for the session templates you
want.
Press Control+Up Arrow or Down Arrow
(Windows) or Command+Up Arrow or
Down Arrow (Mac) to select different Ses-
sion Quick Start options. Also, you can use
the Up and Down Arrows to select different
items in the Recent Sessions and Session
Templates lists.
Session Template pop-up menu, Quick Start dialog
You can create your own custom categories.
For more information, see “Session Tem-
plates” on page 170.
Pro Tools Reference Guide158
3 Select the session template you want to use
from the list (on the right).
4 If you want to change any of the session pa-
rameters, click the Session Parameters reveal
button and do any of the following:
• Select the Audio File Type for the session.
• Select the Bit Depth (16 bit or 24 bit).
• Select the Sample Rate.
5 Click OK.
6 In the Save dialog, name the session, choose
where you want to save the session, and click
Save.
Creating a New Blank Session
To create a new blank session:
1 Select Create Blank Session.
2 If you want to change any of the session pa-
rameters, click the Session Parameters reveal
button and do any of the following:
• Select the Audio File Type for the session.
• Select the Bit Depth (16 bit or 24 bit).
• Select the Sample Rate.
• Select the I/O Settings to use for the session.
Several pre-configured I/O Settings are in-
cluded with your system, or you can select
a custom I/O Setting. For more information,
see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”
3 Click OK.
4 In the Save dialog, name the session, choose
where you want to save the session, and click
Save.
Quick Start dialog, Session Parameters revealed
For optimum compatibility between
Windows and Mac, set the file type to
BWF (.WAV).
Quick Start dialog, Create Blank Session
Chapter 11: Sessions 159
Opening a Recent Session
To open a recent session:
1 Select Open Recent Session.
2 Select any of the last ten recent sessions from
the list (on the right).
3 Click OK.
Opening Any Session
To open any session:
1 Select Open Session.
2 Click OK.
3 In the Choose a Session dialog, navigate to the
location of the session file and select it.
4 Click Open.
Showing or Hiding the Quick Start
Dialog on Launch
To prevent the Quick Start dialog from appearing
when Pro Tools launches:
Deselect the Show Quick Start Dialog when
Pro Tools Starts option in either the Quick Start
dialog or the Pro Tools Operation Preferences
(Setup > Preferences).
To have the Quick Start dialog appear when
Pro Tools launches:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Display tab.
3 In the Warnings & Dialogs section of the Dis-
play Preferences page, select the Show Quick Start
Dialog when Pro Tools Starts option.
4 Click OK.
The Open Recent Session option is not
available the first time you launch
Pro Tools (or if you have cleared the Recent
Sessions list by choosing File > Open Recent
> Clear).
Quick Start dialog, Open Recent Session
Sound Designer II (SD II) files are not
supported on Pro Tools systems higher
than version 8.0.3. When opening a
session created with a lower version of
Pro Tools that uses the SD II file format,
you are prompted to convert the session
and all SD II files to WAV.
Show Quick Start Dialog when Pro Tools Starts option
Pro Tools Reference Guide160
Creating a New Session
The New Session dialog lets you create a new
session from a template or create a new blank
session (with no tracks or media).
Creating a New Session from a
Template
To create a new session from a template:
1 Choose File > New.
2 In the New Session dialog, select Create Ses-
sion from Template.
3 From the Session Template pop-up menu, se-
lect the category for the session templates you
want.
4 Select the session template you want to use
from the list (on the right).
5 Select the Audio File Type for the session.
6 Select the Bit Depth (16 bit or 24 bit) and the
Sample Rate.
7 Click OK.
8 In the Save dialog, name the session, navigate
to the location where you want to save the new
session and click Save.
Creating a New Blank Session
To create a new blank session:
1 Choose File > New.
2 In the New Session dialog, select Create Blank
Session.
3 Select the Audio File Type for the session.
4 Select the Bit Depth (16 bit or 24 bit) and the
Sample Rate.
New Session dialog, Create Session from Template
For optimum compatibility between
Windows and Mac, set the file type to
BWF (.WAV).
Sound Designer II (SD II) files can be im-
ported and exported, but are not supported
as the session Audio File Type on Pro Tools
systems version 8.0.3 or higher.
New Session dialog, Create Blank Session
Chapter 11: Sessions 161
5 Select the I/O Settings to use for the session.
Several pre-configured I/O Settings are included
with your system, or you can select a custom I/O
Setting. For more information, see Chapter 7,
“I/O Setup.”
6 Click OK.
7 In the Save dialog, name the session, navigate
to the location where you want to save the new
session and click Save.
Selecting Bit Depth and Sample
Rate
When selecting a bit depth or sample rate for
your session, consider fidelity, any compatibil-
ity issues with others systems, and storage space.
Bit depth and sample rate also have an effect on
the amount of mixing power available in a ses-
sion. Fewer mixer channels are available with
24-bit sessions and with sessions at higher sam-
ple rates. For more information, see the User
Guide for your system.
It is not possible to combine different bit depths
within a single Pro Tools session; files of differ-
ent bit depths must be converted and imported
into the session.
Session Files and Folders
When you create a new session, Pro Tools auto-
matically creates a new folder named for your
session. Within this folder is the session file, a
WaveCache.wfm file, and several subfolders (in-
cluding (but not limited to) an Audio Files
folder, a Fade Files folder, and a Region Group
folder).
Session File
The session file is the document that Pro Tools
creates when you start a new project. Pro Tools
can open only one session file at a time. The ses-
sion file is appended with the extension .ptf
(Pro Tools file).
Audio Files Folder
The Audio Files folder contains all audio re-
corded or converted during the session.
When you record a new audio track, the track is
saved as a new audio file to the Audio Files
folder. You can also import other audio files into
the session, and work with them as well.
Typical session folder contents
For details on allocating audio tracks to
different hard drive locations, including
shared media volumes, see “Recording with
Multiple Hard Drives” on page 441.
Pro Tools Reference Guide162
Fade Files Folder
The Fade Files folder contains any crossfaded
audio data generated by the session.
Rendered Files Folder
The Rendered Files folder contains any tempo-
rary files created by Rendered Elastic Audio
processing in the session. It may also contain
temporary filtered analysis files (.aan) as a result
of any changes to Elastic Audio analysis.
Region Groups Folder
The Region Groups folder is the default direc-
tory for any region groups that you export from
your Pro Tools session.
WaveCache File
The WaveCache.wfm file stores all of the wave-
form display data for the session. If you delete
the WaveCache.wfm file, Pro Tools creates a
new one the next time you open the session.
By storing waveform data in the WaveCache
file, sessions open more quickly. The session
WaveCache file can be included whenever a ses-
sion is transferred to another Pro Tools system
(7.x and higher).
Pro Tools also maintains a distinct WaveCache
file inside the Databases folder, which retains
waveform data for all files used on the system.
Deleting or trashing a WaveCache file does not
harm the session or your system. However, the
session will take longer to open because it has to
recalculate waveform data for any associated
audio files and store that data in a new Wave-
Cache file.
Session File Backups Folder
The Session File Backups folder contains auto-
matically-generated backups of your Pro Tools
sessions. These files are created when working
on a session and the Operations preference for
Enable Session File Auto Backup is enabled. (See
“Enable Session File Auto Backup” on page 123.)
Renamed Audio Files Folder
This folder includes file names that have been
renamed when you open a session that contains
audio file names with incompatible characters,
or, in certain situations, save a copy of a session
to a Pro Tools version that does not support
long file names.
Opening a Session
When you open a session, Pro Tools looks in the
session folder for audio and fade files linked to
the session.
To open an existing session:
1 Choose File > Open Session.
2 Locate the session you want to open and click
Open.
For more information, see “Renamed Audio
Files and the Renamed Audio Files Folder” on
page 381.
For more information on opening sessions
created on different platforms, Pro Tools
systems, or versions of Pro Tools software,
see Chapter 18, “File and Session Manage-
ment and Compatibility.”
You can also open a session from a DigiBase
browser by double-clicking it.
Chapter 11: Sessions 163
Opening a Session that Contains
Unavailable Files
DigiBase notifies you if files are located but re-
side on Transfer volumes (such as CD or DVD
discs), or if any required files cannot be found.
For more information, see “Locating Audio
Files” on page 380.
Opening a Session from a Transfer
Volume
When opening a session from a Transfer volume
(such as a CD or DVD disc), DigiBase prompts
you to save the session on a Performance vol-
ume, and copy and convert any referenced me-
dia files. For more information, see “Locating
Audio Files” on page 380.
Opening a Session that Contains
Unavailable Resources
Pro Tools prompts you when opening a session
that contains unavailable voices, I/O paths, DSP
resources, or plug-ins. This is common when
transferring sessions between systems with dif-
ferent Pro Tools hardware.
The Unavailable Resources dialog provides an
initial report of the missing session compo-
nents. To save a text (.txt) file containing a more
detailed Notes report, along with the resulting
action, click Yes. The Notes report is named
with the session name, followed by Notes.txt.
You can choose to save this file in your Session
folder, or in another location.
The following occurs when opening a session
with unavailable items:
With all Pro Tools Systems:
Inserts assigned to unavailable plug-ins are
made inactive.
Inputs, outputs, and sends that are assigned to
unavailable paths are made inactive.
With Pro Tools HD Only:
Any tracks beyond the maximum number of
available voices on the current system are made
inactive.
With Pro Tools Host-based Systems Only:
Any tracks beyond the maximum number of
available voices on the current system are set to
voice off.
Opening a Session with Audio File
Names that Contain Illegal
Characters
Pro Tools does not support audio file names that
contain the following ASCII characters:
/ (Forward Slash)
\ (Backslash)
: (Colon)
* (Asterisk)
? (Question mark)
“ (Quotation marks)
< (Less-than symbol)
> (Greater-than symbol)
| (vertical line or pipe)
Any “high order” ASCII character (created
with a key combination)
Sound Designer II (SD II) files are not sup-
ported on Pro Tools systems higher than
8.0.3. When opening a session created with
an lower version of Pro Tools that uses the
SD II file format, you will be prompted to
convert the session and all SD II files to
WAV.
Pro Tools Reference Guide164
When opening sessions that contain audio files
with illegal characters, Pro Tools automatically
creates a renamed copy of each file (replacing
these characters with an underscore “_”). Re-
named files are copied to the Renamed Audio
Files folder. The original files are left intact in
the Audio Files folder.
Before the session opens, you are prompted to
save a detailed report of the renamed files and
their original file names to a Notes text file. Fol-
low the on-screen instructions. By default, the
Notes text file is saved to the Session folder.
Opening a Session that was Saved
with +6 dB Fader Gain
All Pro Tools 7.x and higher sessions have a
+12 dB fader gain level. However, when saving a
Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to a lower ver-
sion of Pro Tools that supports +6 dB and
+12 dB fader gain, the new session can be saved
with either a +6 dB or a +12 dB maximum fader
gain.
When saving a +12 dB session as a +6 dB session,
Pro Tools alerts you that any automation set-
tings over +6 dB will be lowered to +6 dB. See
“Saving a Copy of the Session” on page 166.
In Pro Tools 7.x or higher, when opening a ses-
sion that was saved with a +6 dB maximum gain
level, the session will update to a +12 dB range.
Opening Recent Sessions
The Open Recent submenu in the File menu lets
you open any of the 10 most recently opened
Pro Tools sessions.
To open a recent session:
Choose File > Open Recent and choose the ses-
sion you want to open.
If a session is open when choosing a recent ses-
sion, you are prompted to save it before
Pro Tools closes the session and opens the cho-
sen recent session.
To open the most recent session:
Control+Shift+O (Windows) or Com-
mand+Shift+O (Mac).
To clear the recent sessions submenu:
Choose File > Open Recent and choose Clear.
Opening a Session with
Plug-Ins Deactivated
Pro Tools lets you open sessions with all of the
session’s plug-ins set to inactive. Since sessions
with a lot of plug-ins can take a long time to
load, this lets you quickly open any session for
immediate visual inspection and audio playback
(without plug-ins). If it is the session that you
want to work with, you can easily reopen the
session with plug-ins activated.
To open a Pro Tools session with all plug-ins set to
inactive:
1 In Pro Tools, choose File > Open Session.
2 In the Open Session dialog, locate and select
the session you want.
3 Shift-click Open.
Chapter 11: Sessions 165
To re-open the same session with all plug-ins set to
active, do one of the following:
Choose File > Revert To Saved.
– or –
Choose File > Open Recent and select the most
recent session in the submenu.
Saving a Session
You should save regularly while working on
your session to ensure that your work is pre-
served on your hard drive.
Saving the Session File
The Save command saves the changes you have
made to your session and writes them over the
previously saved version of the session file. The
Save command cannot be undone.
To save a session:
Choose File > Save.
Reverting to a Previously Saved
Session File
If you have made changes to a session since you
last saved it, you can discard those changes and
revert to its previously saved state.
To revert to the last saved version of a session:
Choose File > Revert to Saved.
Saving the Session File with a New
Name
To save a copy of the current session with a new
name or to a different hard drive location, use
the Save As command. The Save As command
closes the current session and lets you keep
working on the renamed copy. This is useful if
you are experimenting and want to save succes-
sive versions of the session.
By working this way, you can quickly retrace
your steps if you want to go back to an earlier
version of your session. The Save As command
saves a new version of the session file only, and
does not duplicate versions of the audio or fade
files.
To save a session with a new name:
1 Choose File > Save As.
2 Type a new name for your session.
3 Click Save.
Press Control+Shift+O (Windows) or
Command+Shift+O (Mac) to open the
most recent session.
Instead of reverting to the saved version of
the session to open the session with all plug-
ins active, you can simply make an individ-
ual plug-in active by Control-Start-clicking
(Windows) or Command-Control-clicking
(Mac) it. To make an entire row of plug-ins
active, Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) or
Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) any
plug-in in the row of inserts.
If you have enabled the Operation prefer-
ence for Auto Backup, you can also open up
a backup copy of your session. This feature
lets you specify the total number of incre-
mental backups that are kept and how often
the session is saved. See “Auto Backup Sec-
tion” on page 123.
Pro Tools Reference Guide166
The renamed session file is saved in the session
folder along with the original session (unless
you specify a different destination). Any new au-
dio files that you record in your renamed session
will be placed into the same Audio Files folder
that was created for your original session.
Saving a Copy of the Session
To save a copy of the current session with or
without its audio files and fade files, use the
Save Copy In command. In addition, you can
specify the session file format, audio file format,
bit depth, and sample rate for the session copy.
To save a session copy in a new location:
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
2 In the Save Session Copy dialog, choose a des-
tination and type a name for the new session
file.
3 Choose a session file format (Save As Type) for
the copied session.
4 Set the Audio File Type for the copied session. If
the audio files need to be compatible with either
Windows or Mac, select BWF (.WAV) or AIFF.
5 Set the session Sample Rate and Bit Depth for
the copied session.
6 If applicable, select a Fader Gain level for the
copied session.
7 If applicable, select Enforce Mac/PC Compatibil-
ity to create session and audio files that can be
used on both Windows and Mac Pro Tools sys-
tems (see “Saving Copies of Mac Sessions to be
Compatible with Windows” on page 384).
8 Select the Items to Copy for the copied session.
9 Click Save.
How the Save Copy In Command
Works
Unlike the Save As command, Save Copy In does
not close the original session, so subsequent ed-
its are made to the original session. Session cop-
ies can be used to archive important sessions, for
versioning, or as a means to prepare sessions for
transfer to another Pro Tools system.
Save Copy In can save only the audio being used
in the session. Any audio that was recorded or
imported and then later removed from the ses-
sion, but not deleted from disk, is not included
in the new session copy.
For information on sharing sessions between
different platforms, Pro Tools systems, or
Pro Tools software versions, see Chapter 18,
“File and Session Management and Compat-
ibility.”
Save Session Copy dialog
To include all audio being used in the ses-
sion, select the All Audio Files option.
To include all audio being used in the ses-
sion, select the All Audio Files option.
Chapter 11: Sessions 167
Using the Save Copy In command is the only way
to change the sample rate of a session. The sam-
ple rate of each of the session’s copied audio files
is converted to the selected sample rate. When
saving a session copy to a different sample rate,
Pro Tools uses the selected Sample Rate Conver-
sion Quality option in the Import section of the
Processing Preferences page (Setup > Prefer-
ences).
When you save a copy of the session to a lower
bit depth, Dither (and Noise Shaping) are ap-
plied. See the following table:
The dither setting used for any conversion is the
Dither plug-in with Noise Shaping enabled.
Save Copy In Options
When saving a copy of a session, the Save Copy
In command provides options.
Session Format
When saving a copy of a session with the Save
Copy In command, you can save the session
copy in the following formats, depending on
your platform:
Windows:
• Pro Tools Session (.ptf); supports Pro Tools
7.x -> 8.0.
• Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session (.pts);
• Pro Tools 5.0 Session (.pt5)
Mac:
• Latest; supports Pro Tools 7.x -> 8.0.
• Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session
• Pro Tools 5.0 Session
• Pro Tools 4 24-Bit Session
• Pro Tools 4 16-Bit Session
• Pro Tools 3.2 Session
Dither and Noise Shaping with Save Copy In
Session Bit Depth Dither Noise
Shaping
24-bit to 24-bit No No
16-bit to 24-bit No No
24-bit to 16-bit Yes Yes
16-bit to 16-bit No No
For more information about using Dither,
see “Dither” on page 965. When saving sessions to versions lower
than Pro Tools 5.1, multichannel tracks
(including stereo) and multi-mono plug-ins
are lost. In this case, separate the tracks and
plug-ins to individual mono tracks before
saving as a Pro Tools 5.0 session or lower.
Pro Tools Reference Guide168
Session Parameters
When saving a copy of a session with the Save
Copy In command, the following Session Pa-
rameters are available:
Audio File Type
You can save the session to reference BWF
(.WAV) or AIFF audio files.
Using Mixed File Types
A session can use mixed audio file types. If your
original session has mixed file types, they are not
converted to the selected file type unless you
specify that they be converted by selecting the
All Non-<File Type> Audio Files option in the Items
To Copy section (see “Items to Copy” on
page 169). When using mixed file types, audio
performance will be reduced (due to additional
file handling required for some file formats).
Bit Depth
You can save the session at a Bit Depth of 16 or 24
bits. If your session is in a different bit depth, au-
dio files are converted to the new session bit
depth, and copied to the specified location.
Sample Rate
You can save the session at sample rates of
44.1 kHz or 48 kHz (on Mbox, Mbox 2, Mbox
Mini, and Mbox 2 Mini) and at sample rates up
to 96 kHz (on 003, 003 Rack, 003 Rack+,
Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, Eleven Rack, Mbox Pro,
Mbox 2 Pro, and Pro Tools|HD systems with a
96 I/O or 96i I/O) or up to 192 kHz (on
Pro Tools|HD systems with an HD I/O, HD
OMNI, HD MADI, 192 I/O, or 192 Digital I/O). If
your session is at a different sample rate, audio
files are converted to the new session sample
rate, and copied to the specified location.
Fader Gain
When saving a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to
a lower version that supports +12 dB fader gain,
you can save the new session with either a +6 dB
or a +12 dB maximum fader gain. When saving
a +12 dB session as a +6 dB session, any automa-
tion over +6 dB will be lowered to +6 dB.
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility
When saving a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to
a lower version, enable the Enforce Mac/PC Com-
patibility option to force Windows or Mac ver-
sions of Pro Tools to create sessions and audio
files that are compatible on both platforms.
Limit Character Set
When saving a copy of a session to the current
session format, you can choose to limit the char-
acter set to a single language by selecting the
Limit Character Set option.
When saving a copy of a session to a lower ses-
sion format, the Limit Character Set option is au-
tomatically selected. Select a language from the
Limit Character Set pop-up menu.
To choose the language encoding when saving a
copy of a session:
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
2 Select the Limit Character Set option.
3 Choose the language you want to use from the
Limit Character Set pop-up menu.
For information on bouncing to disk and
dither, see “Dithering” on page 1062.
For more information, see “Saving Copies of
Mac Sessions to be Compatible with Win-
dows” on page 384.
Chapter 11: Sessions 169
Items to Copy
When saving a copy of a session with the Save
Copy In command, you can select which items
are copied, as follows:
All Audio Files
When this option is selected, all audio files are
copied to the new location.
This setting is automatically selected if you
change the bit depth or sample rate of the
session.
All Non-<File Type> Audio Files
The name of this option varies depending on
the audio file type you select. If you change the
audio file type of the session, this option ensures
that all files in the copied session are converted
to the selected file type. Use this option to avoid
the reduced performance of a session with
mixed file types.
This option is automatically selected if you do
any of the following:
• Change bit depth or sample rate.
• Select Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility.
Don’t Copy Fade Files
When this option is selected, Fade Files are not
copied to the new session Fade Files folder.
Pro Tools opens the copied session with all avail-
able media and any missing Fades are regener-
ated automatically.
Don’t Copy Elastic Audio Rendered Files
When this option is selected, Elastic Audio Ren-
dered files are not copied to the new session’s
Rendered Files folder.
When opening the new session, Pro Tools opens
the session with all available media and any
missing Rendered files are regenerated automat-
ically.
Session Plug-In Settings Folder
When this option is selected, the session’s
Plug-In Settings folder is copied to the new loca-
tion. The references to these plug-in settings in
the session are redirected to the copied settings
files.
Root Plug-In Settings Folder
When this option is selected, the contents of the
root-level Plug-In Settings Folder are copied into
a folder named Place in Root Settings Folder, indi-
cating that these files will need to be moved to
the root level plug-in settings folder on the des-
tination system before you can use them. The
references to these settings files in the session
are not redirected to point to the copied files.
Movie/Video Files
When this option is selected, session video files
(Avid or QuickTime) are copied to the new loca-
tion, and session references are updated to point
to the copied video files.
Preserve Folder Hierarchy When selected, the
relative arrangement of session audio files lo-
cated across different drives or folders is main-
tained. The main folder for the session copy will
include subfolders for each drive or folder in the
original session and the destination subfolders
will use the same names as the source drives and
folders.
When this option is not selected, the Save Copy
In command copies all files of the same type, re-
gardless of their location, into a single destina-
tion folder.
Pro Tools Reference Guide170
Session Templates
In addition to the Session Templates provided in
the Pro Tools Session Quick Start dialog,
Pro Tools lets you create and share your own
custom Session Templates. Pro Tools Session
Template files use the suffix “.ptt” to differenti-
ate them from regular Pro Tools session files
(“.ptf”).
Creating and Saving Custom
Templates
To create a custom Pro Tools Session Template:
1 Create a new Pro Tools session and configure
it for the session template you want.
2 Choose File > Save As Template.
3 Configure the Save Session Template dialog
(see “Save Session Template Dialog” on
page 170).
4 Select the Include Media option if there is any
audio, MIDI, or video media in the session that
you want included in the template.
5 Click OK.
If you selected the Install Template In System op-
tion, your session template will be available in
the Pro Tools Session Quick Start dialog.
If you selected the Select Location For Template
option, you are prompted by the Save As Tem-
plate dialog to save the file to another location
on your system.
Save Session Template Dialog
The Save Template dialog provides the follow-
ing options:
Install Template In System
Select this option to save the template file in the
system folder referenced by the Pro Tools Ses-
sion Quick Start dialog (the Session Templates in
the Pro Tools application folder).
Category
The Category pop-up menu is only available if
the Install Template In System option is enabled.
The Category pop-up menu lets you select the
subdirectory in which to save the template file.
It also provides options for adding a category
and revealing the Session Templates folder in
Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder.
Add Category Select this option from the Cate-
gory pop-up menu to create a new subdirectory
in the Session Templates folder.
For example, if you are a songwriter you
might simply want a session consisting of a
stereo Instrument track with an instrument
plug-in (such as Xpand! 2 with a piano pre-
set), a mono audio track (for tracking vo-
cals), a stereo Auxiliary Input track (for an
effects bus), and a stereo Master Fader
track. You can then use this template every
time you sit down to work on a new song.
Save Session Template dialog
When the Include Media option is enabled,
all media in the session is included in the
template. If you want to include media in
your session template, be sure that your ses-
sion only contains the media you want.
Chapter 11: Sessions 171
Name
The Name setting is only available if the Install
Template In System option is enabled. This lets
you type a new name for the template file. From
the Name pop-up menu (to the right of the
Name field), you can select from a list of all of
the templates available in the currently selected
Category. Selecting one places that name in the
Name field, letting you overwrite, or create a in-
cremental version of, an existing template.
Select Location For Template
Select this option to save the template file to any
directory location on your system. Note that the
saved session template will not appear in the
Pro Tools Session Quick Start dialog unless it is
in a subdirectory (Category) in the Session Tem-
plates folder in the Pro Tools application folder.
Include Media
Select this option to include any audio, MIDI, or
video media in the session with the template.
Creating New Sessions from
Templates
You can create new session from templates by
opening a template. You can open any Pro Tools
Session Template file (.ptt) to start a new session
based on that template.
To open a Pro Tools Session Template and save it
as a new session:
1 Choose File > Open, navigate to the Session
Template file you want and open it.
2 In the New Session From dialog, select the Au-
dio File Type, Sample Rate, and Bit Depth for the
new session that will be created from the tem-
plate.
3 Click OK.
4 In the Save New Session As dialog, navigate to
the location where you want to save the new
session and click Save.
For information on creating new sessions
from templates using the Quick Start dialog,
see “Creating a New Session from a Tem-
plate” on page 157.
New Session From dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide172
Closing a Session
Pro Tools only lets you work on just one session
at a time. The Close Session command closes
your current Pro Tools session but leaves the
Pro Tools application running. Pro Tools
prompts you to save a session when closing it,
but it is recommended that you save your work
using the Save or Save As command before clos-
ing a session.
To close a session:
Choose File > Close Session.
Exiting or Quitting Pro Tools
When you exit (Windows) or quit (Mac) the
Pro Tools application, Pro Tools prompts you to
save any open session before exiting or closing
the application.
To exit Pro Tools in Windows:
Choose File > Exit.
To quit Pro Tools on the Mac:
Choose Pro Tools > Quit Pro Tools.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 173
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows
Pro Tools provides two complementary ways of
viewing tracks in a session:
Mix Window Shows tracks as channel strips, like
a mixing board (see “Mix Window” on
page 174).
Edit Window Shows tracks and track material
against the Timeline (see “” on page 175).
To toggle between the Mix and Edit windows,
press Control+Equals (=) (Windows), or
press Command+Equals (=) (Mac).
Pro Tools windows
Edit window
DigiBase browser
Mix window
Transport window
Plug-In window
Pro Tools Reference Guide174
Pro Tools provides several other types of
windows:
Transport Window Lets you control the transport
and transport-related functions (see “Transport
Window” on page 182).
Plug-In Windows Let you control plug-in param-
eters, such as Frequency and Q for an EQ (see
“The Plug-In Window” on page 980).
MIDI Editor Windows Lets you edit MIDI data
(see Chapter 33, “MIDI Editors”).
Score Editor Window lets you edit MIDI data as
music notation (see Chapter 34, “Score Editor”).
DigiBase Browsers Let you manage, audition,
and import media for Pro Tools sessions (see
“DigiBase Browsers” on page 187).
Mix Window
In the Mix window, tracks appear as channel
strips just like a mixing console, with controls
for:
•Inserts
•Sends
• Input and output assignments
•Volume
• Panning
• Record enable
• Track Input monitoring
• Automation mode
• Solo and Mute
•Instrument controls
• HEAT controls (Pro Tools HD only)
•Mic preamps
To display the Mix window:
Choose Window > Mix.
To display all Mix window view options:
Select View > Mix Window > All.
For information on selecting individual view
options, see “Views in the Mix and Edit Win-
dows” on page 932.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 175
Pro Tools Mix window
Inserts
(A–E) View
(page 934)
Track List
(page 224)
Volume
fader
(page 210)
Pan knob
(page 210)
Level meter
(page 211)
Stereo
Audio Track
(page 202)
Auxiliary
Input
(page 203)
Delay
Compensation
View (page 935)
Master
Fader
(page 204)
AutoMatch
indicator
(page 1015)
Track Path selectors
(page 228 and
page 237)
Mono
Audio Track
(page 202)
MIDI
Track
(page 205)
Sends
(A–E) View
(page 934)
Automation
Mode selector
(page 1006)
Track
Comments
View
(page 933)
Voice selector
(page 234)
Track Name
(page 214)
Mix Group List
(page 247)
Group ID
indicator
(page 250)
Instrument
Track
(page 205)
Instrument
View
(page 933)
Mix Window
View selector
(page 932)
Show/Hide
Track List/Group List
View
(page 224)
Channel strips
(page 203)
Solo/Mute
(page 239)
Input Monitoring /
Record Enable
(page 444 and
page 438)
Pro Tools Reference Guide176
Edit Window
The Edit window provides a Timeline display of
audio, video, MIDI notes, as well as other MIDI
data and mixer automation for recording, edit-
ing, and arranging on tracks. As in the Mix win-
dow, each track has controls for record enable,
solo, mute, and automation mode.
To display the Edit window:
Choose Window > Edit.
To display all Edit window view options:
Select View > Edit Window > All.
Edit window view options can be selected indi-
vidually. See “Views in the Mix and Edit Win-
dows” on page 932.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 177
Pro Tools Edit window
Timebase and
Conductor rulers
(page 751)
Region
List
(page 261)
Track List
(page 224)
Edit Mode
buttons
(page 529)
Edit tools
(page 533)
Zoom buttons (page 534)
Counters and Edit
Selection indicators
(page 575)
Grid and
Nudge values
(page 179)
MIDI Editor pane
(Notation view)
(page 185)
MIDI Controller lanes
(page 718)
Selected Region
(page 563)
Edit Group
List
(page 757)
Transport controls
(page 182)
Edit Window
Toolbar and menu
(page 178)
Tracks
(page 201)
Playlists
Track View
(page 623)
Elastic Audio
Warp Track View
(page 857)
Automation
(page 1003)
Universe view
(page 577)
Edit Window
Zoom buttons
(page 180)
Pro Tools Reference Guide178
Edit Window Toolbar
At the top of the Edit window is the Edit Win-
dow Toolbar and menu. This Toolbar provides
access to the editing modes, tools, options, indi-
cators, and displays for Pro Tools. You can cus-
tomize the Toolbar in the Edit, MIDI Editor, or
Score Editor windows by re-arranging, showing,
and hiding the available controls and displays.
Edit Toolbar Controls and Displays
The following controls and displays in the Edit
Window Toolbar are always shown.
Edit Modes
The Edit mode affects the movement and place-
ment of audio and MIDI regions (and MIDI
notes), how commands like Copy and Paste
function, and also how the various Edit tools
(Trim, Selector, Grabber, and Pencil tools) work.
For more information, see “Edit Modes” on
page 529.
Edit Tools
Edit tools are used for editing audio, MIDI, and
automation data in Pro Tools. For more infor-
mation, see “Edit Tools” on page 533.
Counters and Edit Selection Indicators
The Counters and Edit selection indicators pro-
vide information where selections are in the
Timeline.
Main Counter Displays the current Edit insertion
location in the Main Timebase ruler.
Sub Counter Displays the current Edit insertion
location in the Sub Timebase ruler.
Cursor Location Displays the current cursor loca-
tion in the Main Timebase ruler.
Cursor Value Displays the value of the current
cursor value in peak amplitude (audio), pitch
(MIDI), or according to the current automation
or controller data type.
Edit Selection Indicators Display the Start, End,
and Length of the current Edit selection.
MIDI Selection Indicators and Controls Display
the current MIDI Edit selection (MIDI note
number, and Note On and Note Off velocities)
and provide controls for MIDI editing.
Edit mode buttons
Edit tools
Edit window indicators
Automatic Delay Compensation
Timeline Data Online Status
Session Data Online Status
Cursor Location
Main and Sub Counters
Edit Selection
Cursor Value
MIDI Selection
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 179
Timeline Data Online Status Indicator Is green
when all files in use in track playlists are avail-
able for playback. If files are offline, being pro-
cessed, or otherwise unavailable for playback,
this indicator is red.
Session Data Online Status Indicator Is green
when all audio and fade files referenced by the
session are available for playback. If files are of-
fline, being processed, or otherwise unavailable
for playback, this indicator is red.
Delay Compensation Status Indicator Is dis-
played when Delay Compensation is enabled (Op-
tions > Delay Compensation). When Delay Com-
pensation is disabled, this indicator is not
displayed.
Grid and Nudge
The Grid and Nudge selectors let you set the
Grid and Nudge values for editing in Pro Tools.
For information on the Grid Value selector, see
“Configuring the Grid” on page 532. For infor-
mation on the Nudge Value selector, see “Defin-
ing the Nudge Value” on page 591.
Showing and Hiding Additional
Controls in the Edit Window
To show or hide controls in the Edit window
toolbar:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Edit Window Toolbar menu (in
the upper-right corner of the window).
– or –
• Right-click in the Toolbar.
2 From the menu, select or deselect any of the
following depending on which window you are
configuring:
Zoom Controls When selected, the Zoom con-
trols are displayed in the Edit window toolbar.
Transport When selected, the Transport controls
are displayed in the Edit window toolbar.
MIDI Controls When selected, the MIDI controls
are displayed in the window toolbar.
Grid and Nudge value selectors
Grid Value selector
Nudge Value selector
Edit Window Toolbar menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide180
Synchronization When selected, the Synchroni-
zation controls are displayed in the Edit window
toolbar.
Minimal When selected, the Zoom, Transport,
MIDI, and Synchronization controls are not dis-
played in the Edit window toolbar.
All When selected, the Zoom, Transport, MIDI,
and Synchronization controls are all displayed
in the Edit window toolbar.
Expanded Transport When selected, the Ex-
panded Transport controls are displayed in the
Edit window toolbar if Transport is also selected.
Track List When selected, the Track List is
shown on the left of the Edit window.
Region List When selected, the Region List is
shown on the right of the Edit window.
Universe When selected, the Universe view is
shown near the top of the Edit window.
MIDI Editor When selected, the MIDI Editor view
is shown at the bottom of the Edit window.
Rearranging Controls and Displays
To rearrange controls and displays in the Edit,
MIDI Editor, or Score Editor window toolbar:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the control or display you want to move
and drag it to a new location in the toolbar.
For example, if you want the Counters and Edit
Selection indicators to the right of the Transport
controls in the toolbar, Control-click (Windows)
or Command-click (Mac) and drag them to the
right of the Transport controls.
Edit Window Zoom Buttons
The Edit window also provides Zoom buttons in
the lower right and upper right corners of the
tracks pane.
Vertical and Horizontal Zoom In and Out
Buttons
In addition to the Zoom controls in the Toolbar,
Pro Tools provides horizontal and vertical zoom
buttons in the lower-right corner of the Edit
window.
Moving the Counters and Edit Selection indicators
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 181
Vertical Zoom Buttons Zoom the track heights
proportionally in the Edit window.
Horizontal Zoom Buttons Zoom the Timeline just
like the Horizontal Zoom controls in the Edit
window toolbar.
Audio and MIDI Zoom In and Out Buttons
Pro Tools also provides Audio and MIDI Zoom
In and Out buttons in the upper-right corner of
the Edit window. These controls function ex-
actly the same as the Audio and MIDI Zoom
controls in the Toolbar, and let you zoom in and
out vertically on audio waveforms and MIDI
notes respectively.
Edit Window Default Length
Pro Tools lets you set a default length for the
Edit window in hours, minutes, seconds, and
frames. This is useful if you want to assemble a
session of a particular length or leave extra room
to expand the Edit window’s work area in your
session. The maximum length is 12 hours and
25 seconds at 48 kHz, and proportionally less at
higher sampling rates. For best scrollbar sensi-
tivity, set the length to slightly longer (a minute
or more) than the total session or song length.
To set the default length for the Edit window:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 On the Display page, enter the value in hours,
minutes, seconds, and frames for the Edit Win-
dow Default Length setting.
3 Click OK.
Horizontal Zoom button, Edit window
Vertical Zoom button, Edit window
In the Edit window, MIDI Vertical Zoom
only affects tracks not in Regions view.
Audio Zoom button, Edit window
MIDI Zoom button, Edit window
Pro Tools Reference Guide182
Transport Window
The Transport window can be set to show basic
transport controls, counters, MIDI controls, and
expanded features. The counters in the Trans-
port window mirror the controls and counters at
the top of the Edit window.
To display the Transport window:
Choose Window > Transport.
Basic Transport Controls and
Counters
Online Puts Pro Tools online so that playback
and recording is triggered by an external time
code source.
Return to Zero Locates to the beginning of the
session.
Rewind Rewinds from the current play location.
You can also click repeatedly to rewind incre-
mentally, by an amount based on the Main
Time Scale, as follows:
Fast Forward Fast forwards from the Timeline in-
sertion point. You can also click repeatedly to
fast forward incrementally (by an amount based
on the Main Time Scale).
Go to End Locates to the end of the session.
Transport window showing basic transport controls and
counters (Main and Sub Counters and MIDI not shown)
Start, End, and Length
Selection indicators
Online
Rewind
Fast Forward Stop
Play
Record
Return to Zero
Go to End
Pre-Roll
Post-Roll
Track Record Enable indicator
TrackInput Monitor
indicator
Transport Window menu
Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) to
Return to Zero.
You can Right-click the Return to Zero but-
ton to access the Write to Start and Write to
All automation commands.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport, you can rewind by pressing 1.
Rewind and Fast Forward Increments
Main Time Scale Format Increment Amount
Min:Sec 1 second
Time Code 1 frame
Bars|Beats 1 bar
Feet+Frames 1 foot
Sample 1 second
With Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-
port, you can fast forward by pressing 2.
You can press Control+Enter (Windows) or
Option+Return (Mac) on the alphanumeric
keyboard to locate to the end of the session.
You can Right-click the Go to End button to
access automation commands Write to End
and Write to All.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 183
Stop Stops playback or recording.
Play Starts playback or (if the Record button was
clicked first) recording from the Timeline inser-
tion point or the Play Start Marker location if
Dynamic Transport mode is enabled.
Right-clicking the Play button lets you select the
playback mode from a pop-up menu:
• Half-Speed
• Prime for Playback
• Loop
• Dynamic Transport
With the Transport stopped, Start-click Play
(Windows) or Control-click Play (Mac) to toggle
Loop Playback mode. When enabled, a loop
symbol appears in the Play button and Pro Tools
plays continuously from the beginning of the
selection to the end.
Record Arms Pro Tools for recording (the button
flashes). Clicking Play then starts recording on
record-enabled tracks only.
Right-clicking the Record button lets you select
the record mode from a pop-up menu:
•Normal
• Loop
•Destructive
•QuickPunch
• TrackPunch (Pro Tools HD only)
• Destructive Punch (Pro Tools HD only)
You can also cycle through the Pro Tools record
modes with the Transport stopped, by Start-
clicking (Windows) or Control-clicking (Mac)
the Record button.
The Record button changes to indicate the cur-
rently selected mode: blank for Nondestructive,
“D” for Destructive, a loop symbol for Loop Re-
cord, “P” for QuickPunch, “T” for TrackPunch,
and “DP” for DestructivePunch.
Track Record Enable Indicator When lit (red), in-
dicates that at least one audio track is currently
record-enabled. When off (gray), no tracks are
currently record-enabled.
TrackInput Monitor Indicator When lit (green),
indicates that at least one audio track is cur-
rently set to Input Only monitoring (regardless
of record enable status). When off (gray), all
tracks are in Auto Input monitoring.
You can also stop the transport by pressing
the Spacebar, or with the Numeric Keypad
mode set to Transport, pressing 0.
You can also begin playback by pressing the
Spacebar, or with the Numeric Keypad
mode set to Transport, pressing 0.
To initiate playback at half-speed, you can
also press Shift+Spacebar (Windows or
Mac) or Shift-click (Mac) the Play button.
For more information on loop playback and
Dynamic Transport mode, see “Loop Play-
back Mode” on page 418.
You can also begin recording immediately
by pressing F12, pressing Control+Spacebar
(Windows) or Command+Spacebar (Mac),
or with the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport, pressing 3.
To initiate recording at half-speed, you can
press Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows)
or Command+Shift+Spacebar (Mac).
Pro Tools Reference Guide184
Transport Window Menu Lets you select what op-
tions to show in the Transport window: Coun-
ters, MIDI Controls, Synchronization, Minimal, All,
and Expanded Transport.
Pre-Roll During playback or record, specifies the
amount of audio that plays before the Play
(Timeline) Cursor or Play Start Marker location,
or beginning of the Timeline selection. Pre-roll
is particularly useful with punch recording since
it gives you time to “catch the beat” before
reaching the punch-in point. To set the pre-roll
amount, type a new value in this field, or drag
the Pre-Roll flag in the Main Timebase ruler.
Post-Roll During playback or record, specifies
the amount that plays after the end of a Time-
line selection. Post-roll is useful in punch re-
cording since playback continues after the
punch-out point so you can check for a smooth
transition to previously recorded material. To
set the post-roll amount, type a new value in
this field, or drag the Post-Roll flag in the Main
Timebase ruler.
Start Specifies the beginning of the play or re-
cord range. You can set the start point by enter-
ing a location in this field, or by dragging the
corresponding Timeline Selection or Play Start
Marker in the Main Timebase ruler. For more in-
formation, see “Timeline Selection Markers” on
page 455.
End Specifies the end of the play or record range.
You can set the end point by entering a location
in this field, or by dragging the corresponding
Timeline Selection Marker in the Main Timebase
ruler. For more information, see “Timeline Se-
lection Markers” on page 455.
Length Specifies the length for the play or record
range. You can set the length by entering a loca-
tion in this field, or by selecting a range in any
Timebase ruler.
MIDI Controls
To view the MIDI controls in the Transport, do one
of the following:
Select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
– or –
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Expand/Collapse “+” button in the
Transport window to display the MIDI controls.
When the Timeline and Edit selections are
linked, you can make an Edit selection in a
track’s playlist to set the play and record
range. See “Linking or Unlinking Timeline
and Edit Selections” on page 561.
Transport window, MIDI controls
Expand/Collapse button, Transport Window with MIDI
controls
Tempo Ruler
Enable
Wait for Note
Count Off Meter
Metronome Click
MIDI Merge
Tempo
Tempo Resolution (Beat Value) pop-up menu
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 185
Wait for Note When selected, recording does not
begin until a MIDI event is received. This en-
sures that you begin recording when you’re
ready to play, and that the first note, or other
MIDI data, is recorded precisely at the beginning
of the record range.
Metronome Click When selected, Pro Tools gen-
erates a metronome pulse that can be set to trig-
ger built-in sounds or MIDI instruments during
playback and recording.
The Pro Tools metronome is configured in the
Click/Countoff Options dialog. Double-click the
Metronome Click button to open the
Click/Countoff Options dialog.
Count Off When selected, Pro Tools counts off a
specified number of measures (indicated in the
button) before playback or recording begins.
Double-click the Count Off button, to open the
Click/Count Off Options dialog.
MIDI Merge When selected (Merge mode),
recorded MIDI data is merged with existing
track material. When deselected (Replace
mode), recorded MIDI data replaces existing
track material.
Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) When selected,
Pro Tools uses the tempo map defined in the
Tempo ruler. When deselected, Pro Tools
switches to Manual Tempo mode and ignores
the Tempo ruler.
In Manual Tempo mode, you can enter a BPM
value in the tempo field, or tap in the tempo
with the T key on your alphanumeric keyboard.
Current Meter Displays the session’s current me-
ter based on the play location. Double-click the
Current Meter indicator to open the Change
Meter window.
Current Tempo Displays the session’s current
tempo based on the play location. In Manual
Tempo mode, you can enter a BPM value into
this field, or manually tap in a tempo with a
computer keyboard or an external MIDI key-
board.
MIDI Editor Windows
MIDI Editor windows let you view and edit
MIDI notes and controller data. You can open
multiple MIDI Editor windows to work on dif-
ferent parts of your MIDI arrangements sepa-
rately. MIDI Editor windows show Instrument
and MIDI track data superimposed in Notes
You can press F11 to turn on Wait for Note,
unless the MIDI preference for “Disable F11
for Wait for Note” is enabled.
On Mac, the Desktop Keyboard Shortcut
uses the same key command that Pro Tools
uses for Wait For Note (F11). To use F11
for Wait For Note in Pro Tools, be sure to
disable the Desktop Keyboard Shortcut in
the Apple System Preferences.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport, press 7 to enable the Metronome
Click.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport, press 8 to enable the Count Off.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport, press 9 to enable MIDI Merge.
Pro Tools Reference Guide186
view, or on separate tracks in Notation view,
and lets you view and edit MIDI controller data
(such as velocity, pitch bend, and mod wheel) in
controller lanes under the Notes pane.
Displaying the MIDI Editor in the
Edit Window
You can choose to show (or hide) a MIDI Editor
pane at the bottom of the Edit window (below
the Tracks pane).
To show (or hide) the MIDI Editor view in the Edit
window, do one of the following:
Select (or deselect) View > Other Displays > MIDI
Editor.
Click the MIDI Editor Show/Hide icon in the
lower left corner of the Tracks pane in the Edit
window.
Double-click the divider below the Tracks
pane in the Edit window.
From the Edit Window menu, select (or dese-
lect) MIDI Editor.
Score Editor Window
The Score Editor window lets you view and edit
Instrument and MIDI tracks as music notation.
It automatically transcribes MIDI performances
in real-time. You can print a score of your ses-
sion or just parts from individual tracks.
Eleven Rack Control Window
(Eleven Rack Only)
The Eleven Rack Control window is a special
window in Pro Tools that lets you control
Eleven Rack entirely from your computer. It can
be accessed when using Eleven Rack as an inter-
face with Pro Tools, as well as when connected
to a Pro Tools|HD system as a hardware insert
for control over USB. The Eleven Rack Control
window is only available when an Eleven Rack is
connected to your Pro Tools system.
For more information, see Chapter 33,
“MIDI Editors.”
For more information, see Chapter 34,
“Score Editor.”
Eleven Rack Control window
For more information, see the Eleven Rack
User Guide.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 187
DigiBase Browsers
DigiBase databases are accessed through Di-
giBase browsers. Browsers provide an intuitive
user interface to DigiBase databases with many
convenient features for various file manage-
ment tasks (such as search and sort functions).
Browsers in Pro Tools are analogous to windows
in your computer’s operating system (such as
Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder), but are
specially designed for working in Pro Tools.
Multiple browsers can be displayed simultane-
ously, and arranged independently with custom
display settings for each.
Browsers let you search and sort audio files,
video files, and sessions. These files are dis-
played in browsers and can be dragged directly
into the current Pro Tools session.
When offline items are needed, Pro Tools lets
you find the correct matching files, then relink
to online media.
To open the Workspace browser, press Alt+;
(Windows) or Option+; (Mac).
To bring all DigiBase browsers to the front,
press Alt+J (Windows) or Option+J (Mac).
To send all DigiBase browsers to the back,
press Alt+Shift+J (Windows) or
Option+Shift+J (Mac)
Pro Tools Reference Guide188
The main elements of a DigiBase browser (see
the figure below) include the following:
Title Bar Shows the browser type (Workspace,
Volume, Project, or Catalog), and the name of
its associated volume, session or catalog.
Toolbar Provides the Browser menu, Search icon,
View Presets (numbered 1–5), and browser navi-
gation tools.
Column Headers Display the type of metadata
displayed in the Items List. Column Headers can
be:
• Resized by dragging the column border, or
rearranged by dragging the Column head-
ers.
• Dragged to either of two available panes,
the Fixed or Scrolling panes.
Items List Displays the contents of a volume,
folder, session, or Catalog database. Each col-
umn in the items list displays metadata (such as
file name and format) for volumes, folders, and
files in the Items List.
There are three types of Pro Tools browsers
available on all supported systems:
•The Workspace browser
• Volume browsers
• The Project browser
•Catalogs
Main elements of a DigiBase browser (Volume browser shown).
Toolbar
Items
List
Fixed pane Scrolling pane
Pane split
Show/Hide
Column
headers
TItle bar
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 189
Workspace Browser
The Workspace browser provides access to all
your mounted volumes, as well as the folders
and files they contain.
Using the Workspace browser, you can:
• Access all mounted volumes.
• Access all Catalogs.
• Search across multiple volumes and Cata-
logs simultaneously.
• Designate volumes for Record and Play-
back, Playback Only, or Transfer.
• Unmount volumes.
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items in any catalog or mounted
volume.
• Update databases for entire volumes.
Volume Browsers
Volume browsers provide file management for
local and network volumes. Volumes are format-
ted partitions on a physical drive (hard drive).
Open a Volume browser by double-clicking a
volume in the Workspace browser. Any changes
made in Volume browsers (such as copying, de-
leting, or moving files and folders) is mirrored
on the volumes themselves. Volumes include
mounted hard drives, network storage, and
CD/DVD-ROMs.
Using Volume browsers you can:
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items on the volume.
• Update a database for contents of the
volume.
Project Browser
The Project browser provides powerful search
and management tools for the files referenced in
your current session, regardless of where they
are stored. Using the Project browser, you can:
• Show all the media files associated with the
current session, including any missing
files.
• View, manage, audition, and spot individ-
ual items.
Catalogs
Catalogs provide the highest level of Pro Tools
file management. Catalogs make it easy to orga-
nize files from multiple sources into libraries of
favorite files. Catalogs can be sorted and
searched, even when the files they reference are
offline. Catalogs can also be shared.
Using Catalogs, you can:
• Collect and organize files from any combi-
nation of volumes.
• Create catalogs of complete volumes to
view and search even if a volume is offline.
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items in the catalog.
• Update a database for contents of catalog.
For more information about the Workspace
browser, see “Workspace Browser” on
page 310.
For detailed information about the Project
browser, see “Project Browser” on page 313.
For detailed information about Catalogs,
see “Catalogs” on page 315.
Pro Tools Reference Guide190
Task Window
The Task window is a utility for viewing and
managing all of the background tasks that you
initiate with Pro Tools. Use the Task window to
monitor, pause, or cancel background tasks such
as file copies, searches, indexing, and fade cre-
ation.
Relink Window
The Relink window provides tools and features
for relinking sessions and catalogs to media files.
Use Relink tools to search and reacquire missing
files for use in the current session.
Managing Windows
Window Configurations
Pro Tools provides a powerful means of manag-
ing the configuration of windows in your ses-
sion, as well as the internal configurations of the
Edit, Mix, MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Trans-
port windows. Use the Window Configuration
List to create (or delete) and manage stored Win-
dow Configurations. Pro Tools lets you store up
to 99 Window Configurations. Window Config-
urations are saved with the session.
Creating New Window
Configurations
To create a new Window Configuration:
1 Open the windows you want to include in the
Window Configuration and position them
where you want on the screen.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Window > Configurations > New Con-
figuration.
– or –
• If the Window Configuration List is open,
choose New Configuration from the Window
Configuration List pop-up menu.
3 In the New Window Configuration dialog, do
one of the following:
• Select Window Layout and whether or not to
include the Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Edi-
tor, Score Editor, and Transport window
display settings.
– or –
• Select a Window Display Settings option
from the pop-up menu (Edit Window, Mix
Window, MIDI Editor (Targeted), Score Editor
Window, or Transport Window.
4 Name the Window Configuration.
For detailed information about the Task
window, see “Task Window” on page 319.
For detailed information about the Relink
window, see “Relink Window” on
page 305.
Create a session template with your favorite
Window Configurations. You can then use
the template when you start a new session,
or you can use Import Session Data to
import Window Configurations into your
current session.
New Window Configuration dialog
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 191
5 You can type a different number for the new
Window Configuration. If the number you type
is already used by another Window Configura-
tion, you are prompted to replace it or Cancel.
Otherwise, Pro Tools automatically fills in the
first available number (1–99) for the Window
Configuration.
6 Type any comments for the new Window
Configuration.
7 Click OK to store the new Window Configura-
tion, or Cancel.
The new Window Configuration is added to the
Window Configuration List.
To create a new Window Configuration at a
specific numbered slot:
On the numeric keypad, type Period (.), a
number (1–99), and then Plus (+) to add a new
Window Configuration at that number slot.
Recalling Window Configurations
You can use the Window Configuration List to
recall stored Window Configurations. You can
also use the Number Keypad on your computer
keyboard to recall a specific Window Configura-
tion.
To recall a Window Configuration, do one of the
following:
Select the Window Configuration from Win-
dow > Configurations.
In the Window Configuration List, click the
Window Configuration to recall it.
On the numeric keypad, press Period (.), the
number of the Window Configuration (1–99),
and then Asterisk (*).
The Pro Tools session’s screen layout updates
with the stored Window Configuration.
Undoing Window Configurations
Pro Tools lets you revert to the previous Win-
dow Layout and Window Settings with a single
level of undo. This is useful, for example, if you
recall a Window Configuration, but then decide
you want to revert to the previous screen state.
To undo a Window Configuration:
On the numeric keypad, press Period (.), 0,
and then Asterisk (*).
To redo a Window Configuration:
On the numeric keypad, press Period (.), 0,
and then Asterisk (*).
If Auto-Update Active Configuration is enabled, un-
doing the Window Configuration reverts to the
previously stored Window Configuration with-
out automatically saving changes (see “Updat-
ing Window Configurations” on page 192).
Editing Window Configurations
You can change which properties are stored
with Window Configurations, as well as the
number, name, or comments.
To edit a Window Configuration:
1 In the Window Configuration List, select the
Window Configuration you want to edit.
2 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, select Edit <Name>.
3 In the Edit Window Configuration dialog, edit
the configuration and click OK.
If a Window Configuration already exists
at that numbered slot, the new Window
Configuration overwrites it.
Pro Tools Reference Guide192
Updating Window Configurations
After you recall a stored Window Configuration,
you can make changes to the window layout
and window settings, and then update the
stored Window Configuration with your
changes. You can do this manually, or you can
have Pro Tools automatically update the active
configuration.
To manually update a Window Configuration, do
one of the following:
Choose Window > Configurations > Update Ac-
tive Configuration.
The active Window Configuration updates to
include any changes to its included properties
(Window Layout and Window Display Settings).
– or –
From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, choose Update <Name>.
The selected Window Configuration updates
with any changes to its included properties.
To have Pro Tools automatically update the active
Window Configuration, do one of the following:
Select Window > Configurations > Auto-Update
Active Configuration.
– or –
From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, select Auto-Update Active Configuration.
When Auto-Update Active Configuration is se-
lected, the active Window Configuration up-
dates with every change to the Window Layout
and Window Display Settings.
Window Configurations that do not include
Window Layout and only store Window Display
Settings cannot be made active and thus won't
automatically update. If you want to update a
Window Configuration with changes to the
Window Display Settings (such as the width of
the Region List in the Edit window), use the Up-
date command in the Window Configuration
List.
Clearing Window Configurations
Clearing a window configuration removes it and
its associated slot number while keeping the slot
numbers of other window configurations un-
changed. The Clear command is useful if you
want to insert another configuration it the same
slot.
To clear a Window Configuration:
1 In the Window Configuration List, select the
Window Configuration you want to clear.
2 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, select Clear <Name>.
Deleting Window Configurations
Deleting a Window Configuration removes the
it and its slot number, and renumbers any sub-
sequent Window Configurations.
To delete a Window Configuration:
1 In the Window Configuration List, select the
Window Configuration you want to delete.
2 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, select Delete <Name>.
To delete all Window Configurations:
From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, select Delete All.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 193
Importing Window Configurations
You can import Window Configurations from
another session using Import Session Data.
To import Window Configurations:
1 Choose File > Import > Session Data.
2 Select the Window Configurations option.
3 If you only want to import Window Configu-
rations, click the Session Data to Import pop-up
menu and select None.
4 Click OK.
Arranging Windows
Pro Tools provides commands to tile or cascade
all open windows. Floating windows (such as
plug-in windows) and the Transport window are
not affected by these commands.
To arrange windows:
Choose Window > Arrange and select one of the
following:
Tile Arranges all open windows in a tiled pattern
on the screen.
Tile Horizontal Arranges all open windows in a
horizontally tiled pattern on the screen. This op-
tion is not available if there are too many win-
dows open.
Tile Vertical Arranges all open windows in a ver-
tically tiled pattern, side by side, on the screen.
This option is not available if there are too many
windows open.
Cascade Arranges all open windows in cascad-
ing pattern on the screen.
Hiding All Floating Windows
The Hide All Floating Windows command hides or
shows all floating windows. This is useful for
quickly clearing the screen of all floating win-
dows so that you can work in the Edit or Mix
windows.
To hide or show all floating windows:
Select or deselect Window > Hide All Floating
Windows.
Closing Windows
To close an open window:
1 Make sure the window you want to close is in
the foreground.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Close button for the window.
– or –
• Choose Window > Close Window.
Press Control+Alt+Start+W (Windows) or
Command+Option+Control+W (Mac) to
hide or show all floating windows.
Press Control+W (Windows) or
Command+W (Mac) to close the
frontmost window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide194
How Windows Configuration
Works
A Window Configuration can store the location
and size of all open windows, including:
•Edit window
•Mix window
• Targeted MIDI Editor window
• Score Editor window
• Workspace browser
•Project browser
• DigiBase browsers
•Session Setup window
• Time, Tempo, and Event Operations win-
dows
•MIDI Event List
• Real-time MIDI Properties window
•Beat Detective window
• Plug-In windows
• Panner windows
• Mic Pre windows
• All floating windows listed in the Window
menu:
• Task Manager window
• Transport window
• Big Counter window
• Automation window
• Memory Locations window
• Machine Track Arming window
• Video Universe window
• Video window
• Color Palette window
• Undo History window
• Eleven Rack Control window
•Disk Space window
• System Usage window
A Window Configuration can also store the
Window Display settings for the Edit, Mix, Tar-
geted MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Transport
windows.
Window Configuration List
The Window Configuration List lets you recall
and manage stored Window Configurations, as
well as create new Window Configurations.
To open the Window Configuration List:
Select Window > Configurations > Window Config-
uration List.
The location and size of the Window Con-
figuration List is not stored with Window
Configurations.
Window Configuration List
Press Command+Option+J (Mac) or
Control+Alt+J (Windows) to show or hide
the Window Configuration List.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 195
Window Configuration Properties
Window Configurations can be stored and re-
called with the layout of windows in your
Pro Tools session, as well as with the settings for
the Edit, Mix, and Transport windows. You can
specify which of these properties are stored for
each Window Configuration either in the New
Window Configuration dialog or the Edit Win-
dow Configuration dialog.
Number Is the number of the slot in which the
Window Configuration is stored (1–99). You can
type Period (.), the number of the Window Con-
figuration, and then Asterisk (*) on the numeric
keypad on your computer keyboard to recall the
Window Configuration stored in that slot.
Name Is the name of the stored Window Config-
uration.
Window Layout When enabled, stores the size
and location of all open windows.
Include Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Ed-
itor, and Transport Display Settings When en-
abled, stores all window display settings for the
Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Editor,
and Transport windows with the Window Con-
figuration (such as whether or not the Region
List is shown in the Edit window). This option is
only available when the Window Layout option is
enabled.
Window Display Settings Stores only the window
display settings for the selected window (Edit,
Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Editor, or
Transport):
• Edit Window Display Settings
• Width of the Track List and Group List
• Height of the Track List
• Width of the Region List
• What rulers are shown (the main ruler is al-
ways shown)
• What track columns are shown (such as In-
serts, Sends, or Comments)
• Tempo editor display
• Whether Transport controls are shown in
the Edit window
• Edit Window Toolbar arrangement
• Mix Window Display Settings
• Width of the Track List and Group List
• Height of the Track List
• What track rows are shown (such as Inserts,
Sends, or Comments)
• Narrow/wide mixer view
•Score Editor
• MIDI Editor (Targeted)
• MIDI Editor (Untargeted)
• Transport Window Display Settings
• Counters display
• MIDI controls display
• Expanded view
Comments Lets you type comments for the Win-
dow Configuration.
Edit Window Configuration dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide196
Window Configuration
Commands and Options
There are three main types of Window Configu-
ration commands and options
• View Filter icons
• Window Configuration List pop-up menu
items
• Active Window configuration options
View Filter Icons
Using the View Filter icons, the Window Config-
uration List lets you show or hide Window Con-
figurations based on whether or not they are
stored with Window Layout, Edit Window set-
tings, Mix Window settings, Score Editor win-
dow settings, MIDI Editor Window settings, or
Transport Window settings.
To show or hide Window Configurations in the
Window Configuration List, do one of the following:
Click the View Filter icon to show or hide
Window Configurations that include that prop-
erty (Window Layout, Edit Window Settings,
Mix Window Settings, Score Editor Window Set-
tings, MIDI Editor Window Settings, or Trans-
port Window Settings).
– or –
Select or deselect the View Filter item in the
Window Configuration List pop-up menu.
Window Configuration List Pop-Up
Menu
You can select viewing and sorting options,
along with commands for creating and remov-
ing Window Configurations, from the pop-up
menu in the Window Configuration List.
View Filter Lets you show or hide Window Con-
figuration filter icons in the Window Configura-
tion List as well as show or hide Window Con-
figurations with Window Layout, Edit Window
Settings, Mix Window Settings, Score Editor
Window Settings, MIDI Editor Window Set-
tings, or Transport Window Settings.
Show Comments Lets you show or hide Com-
ments in the Window Configuration List.
New Configuration Creates a new Window Con-
figuration. This command is also available from
Window > Configurations.
Window Configuration List view filter icons
Window Layout
Edit Window settings
Mix Window settings
Transport Window settings
MIDI Editor Window (targeted) settings
Score Editor Window settings
Window Configuration List pop-up menu
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 197
Update <Name> Updates the selected Window
Configuration with any changes to the layout
and settings of windows depending on the Win-
dow Configuration’s properties. This command
is also available from Window > Configurations.
Edit <Name> Opens the Edit Window Configu-
ration dialog where you can edit the properties
of the selected Window Configuration.
Clear <Name> Clears the selected Window Con-
figuration without deleting the slot (number).
Delete All Deletes all Window Configurations.
Insert Slot Before <Name> Inserts a new slot be-
fore the selected Window Configuration and, if
necessary, increments the number of each fol-
lowing slot.
Delete <Name> Slot Deletes the selected Win-
dow Configuration and its slot (number), and
renumbers each subsequent slot.
Auto-Update Active Configuration Automatically
updates the active Window Configuration as
you make changes to the layout and settings of
windows. If Auto-Update Active Configuration is
enabled, the number of the active configuration
is also displayed in the Window menu. This
command is also available from Window > Config-
urations.
Active Window Configuration
The active Window Configuration is indicated
by a diamond to the left of the Window Config-
uration Number in the Window Configuration
List and in the Configurations submenu (Win-
dow > Configuration). If Auto-Update Active Config-
uration is enabled, the number of the active con-
figuration is also displayed in the Window menu.
Only Window Configurations that include Win-
dow Layout can be made active.
Number of active Window Configuration displayed in
Window menu
Window Configuration List showing active configuration
Pro Tools Reference Guide198
Menus
Pro Tools menus provide commands and op-
tions for configuring and working with
Pro Tools, sessions, and session material.
Pro Tools Main Menus
Pro Tools includes the following main menus:
File Provides commands that are used to create
and maintain Pro Tools sessions.
Edit Provides commands that are used to edit
and manipulate the current selection and affect
data in the Timeline or the clipboard.
View Provides options and commands to cus-
tomize what is shown in various windows.
Track Provides commands that are used to cre-
ate, manage, and edit tracks.
Region Provides commands that are used to
manage and edit regions.
Event Provides commands for editing audio and
MIDI events.
AudioSuite Provides AudioSuite plug-ins.
Options Provides commands that let you select
several editing, recording, monitoring, play-
back, and display options.
Setup Provides commands to open dialogs and
windows or configure various Pro Tools hard-
ware and software parameters.
Window Provides commands to toggle the dis-
play of various Pro Tools windows.
Help Provides access to searchable Pro Tools Help
and to the online Pro Tools Knowledge Base. The
Help menu also provides easy access to the fol-
lowing PDF documentation (installed with
Pro Tools): Audio Plug-Ins Guide, Pro Tools Menus
Guide, Pro Tools Reference Guide, and Pro Tools
Shortcuts Guide.
The Help menu also provides access to Additional
Software Options (where you can research Avid
product offering for expanding your Pro Tools
system) and to the Check For Updates command
(so that you can be sure that your Pro Tools soft-
ware and plug-ins are always up to date).
Track, Region, and Group List
Menus
The Track, Region, and Group Lists provide pop-
up menus for managing and working with the
contents of each list, as follows:
Track List Menu Provides commands to show
and hide tracks in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Editor,
and Score Editor windows. The Track List pop-
up menu also lets you sort the contents of the
Track List.
Group List Menu (Edit Groups and Mix
Groups) Provides commands to create, display,
suspend, and delete Mix and Edit Groups.
For detailed information on Pro Tools main
menus and Region List menus, see the
Menus Guide.
For more information, see “The Track List”
on page 224.
For more information, see “The Group List”
on page 249
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 199
Region List Menu (Edit Window Only) Provides
commands to find, select, sort, clear, rename,
time stamp, compact, export, and recalculate
waveform overviews of items in the Region List.
The pop-up menu also lets you set the drop or-
der for regions dragged from the Region List and
dropped in the Timeline.
Track Name and Region Name
Right-Click Menus
Track and region names provide Right-click
menus for managing and working with tracks or
regions, as follows:
Track Name Right-Click Menu Right-clicking a
track name in the Edit window, Mix window, or
the Track List provides access to various track
commands (such as show/hide, make active/in-
active, rename, duplicate, and delete tracks).
Region Name Right-Click Menu (Edit
Window Only) Right-clicking a region name in
the Region List provides commands to clear, re-
name, time stamp, or replace regions. The pop-
up menu also lets you export region definitions
or selected regions as files, recalculate waveform
overviews, select the parent file of selected re-
gions in the DigiBase Workspace Browser, or se-
lect a region as an object in the Edit window.
Group Name and Track Group ID
Indicator Pop-Up Menus
When you click and hold on a group name in
the Group List, or click on a Group ID indicator
in a track, a pop-up menu provides access to var-
ious group commands (such as selecting tracks
in a group).
Tool Tips
Pro Tools provides Tool Tips in all main win-
dows. Holding the cursor for a few seconds over
an abbreviated name, or unlabeled icon or tool,
displays either the function or details of the
item (depending on the Tool Tips preferences
settings).
To configure Tool Tips for Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Dis-
play tab.
2 In the Basics section, enable the Tool Tips op-
tions you want displayed.
Function Shows the functional name of different
Pro Tools items (such as specific buttons, indica-
tors, modes, selectors, and Edit tools).
Details Shows abbreviated or hidden Pro Tools
names or values for different Pro Tools items
(such as insert names, gain levels, settings, and
routing assignments).
3 Click OK.
For more information, see Chapter 15,
“The Region List.”
For more information, see “Track Name
Right-Click Menu” on page 227.
For more information, see Chapter 15,
“The Region List.”
For more information, see “Group Name
and Track Group ID Indicator Pop-Up
Menus” on page 250.
To turn off Tool Tips, leave both options
deselected.
Pro Tools Reference Guide200
Chapter 13: Tracks 201
Chapter 13: Tracks
Pro Tools provides different types of tracks for
working with audio, MIDI and video in
Pro Tools sessions.
Track Types
In a Pro Tools session, you can have several dif-
ferent types of tracks. These can include audio,
Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Master
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 only), MIDI, Instrument,
and video tracks.
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and VCA
Master Tracks
Pro Tools provides mono, stereo, and multi-
channel format audio, Auxiliary Input, Master
Fader, and VCA Master tracks.
Audio Tracks Audio tracks let you record to disk
and play back from disk recorded or imported
audio files.
Auxiliary Input Tracks Auxiliary Input tracks can
be used as effects sends, destinations for sub-
mixes, as a bounce destination, as inputs to
monitor or process audio (such as audio from
external MIDI instruments), and for many other
audio routing tasks.
Master Fader Tracks Master Fader tracks control
the overall level of audio paths that are routed to
physical output paths. For example, you could
have 24 tracks in a session with channels 1–8
routed to Analog Output 1–2, channels 9–16 to
Analog Output 3–4, and channels 17–24 to An-
alog Output 5–6. You could then create three
master faders, one to control each of these out-
put pairs.
Master Fader tracks have additional uses (such as
controlling submix levels). For more informa-
tion, see “Master Fader Tracks and Signal Flow”
on page 924.
VCA Master Tracks (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only) VCA
Master tracks (or VCA Masters) emulate the op-
eration of voltage-controlled amplifier channels
on analog consoles, where a VCA channel fader
would be used to control, group, or offset the
signal levels of other channels on the
console.
VCA Master tracks do not pass audio, so they do
not have inputs, outputs, inserts, or sends. A
Mix Group is assigned to a VCA Master track,
which appears in the VCA track’s Assignment
selector.
The controls of the tracks in that Group, called
the slave tracks, are modified by the controls on
the VCA Master. For more information, see
“VCA Master Tracks” on page 927.
Video track features are described in
Chapter 51, “Working with Video in
Pro Tools”
Pro Tools Reference Guide202
MIDI Tracks
MIDI tracks record, store, and playback MIDI
data. You cannot select a track format when you
create a MIDI track, because audio does not pass
through it.
Instrument Tracks
Instrument tracks are a special type of track that
provide both MIDI and audio capabilities in a
single channel strip. Instrument tracks simplify
using software and hardware instruments to re-
cord and monitor MIDI instruments.
Video Tracks
Video tracks let you add or import QuickTime
(Windows and Mac) or Windows Media Video
(Windows Vista only).
With an Avid video peripheral and Pro Tools,
you can add or import Avid video to the
Pro Tools Timeline (see Chapter 51, “Working
with Video in Pro Tools.”)
Video tracks only appear in the Edit window,
and video can be viewed in the Video window.
Track Formats
Mono Tracks
A mono audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or
Instrument track controls volume, and, in some
cases, panning, for a single channel of audio. A
mono audio track uses a single voice. A mono
track can also be routed to a multichannel out-
put.
Stereo Tracks
A stereo audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or
Instrument track is a single channel strip for two
channels of audio as a stereo pair. Stereo audio
tracks use two voices.
Multichannel Tracks
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
A multichannel track is a single channel strip
that plays multiple channels of audio (from 3 to
8 channels at a time). This allows Pro Tools to
support multichannel mixing formats including
LCRS, 5.1, 6.1, and others. Audio, Auxiliary In-
put, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can all
use any supported multichannel format.
For more information on surround mixing with
Pro Tools, see the following:
• Chapter 47, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround”
• Chapter 48, “Multichannel Tracks and
Signal Routing”
• Chapter 49, “Surround Panning and Mix-
ing”
Chapter 13: Tracks 203
Track Channel Strips
(Mix Window)
Audio Track Channel Strips
Each audio track has its own set of channel strip
controls, including volume, pan, record enable,
input monitoring (Pro Tools HD only), automa-
tion mode, solo, mute, and voice assignment.
Auxiliary Input Track Channel Strips
Each Auxiliary Input track has its own set of
channel strip controls, including volume, pan,
automation mode, solo, and mute.
Mono audio track channel strip
Inserts (A–E shown)
Sends (A–E shown)
Audio Input/Output Paths
Solo/Mute buttons
Automation Mode selector
Track Name button
Pan knob
Level meter
Volume fader
Group ID
Output Window button
Track Comments
Track Type indicator
Voice selector
Track Record Enable button
Volume/Peak/Delay indicator
Pan indicator
Delay Compensation view
TrackInput Monitor button (Pro Tools HD only)
Track Color Coding
Track Color Coding
HEAT track controls
(Pro Tools HD with HEAT option only)
Stereo Auxiliary Input track channel strip
Inserts (A–E shown)
Sends (A–E shown)
Audio Input/Output Path selectors
Solo/Mute buttons
Automation Mode selector
Track Name button
Pan knobs
Level meters
Volume fader
Group ID
Track Comm e nts
Track Type in dica t or
Volume/Peak/Delay indicator
Pan indicators
Delay Compensation view
Track Color Coding
Output Window button
Track Color Coding
Pro Tools Reference Guide204
Master Fader Track Channel Strips
Each Master Fader track has its own set of chan-
nel strip controls, including volume and auto-
mation mode.
VCA Master Track Channel Strips
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Each VCA Master track has its own set of chan-
nel strip controls, including volume, record en-
able, input monitoring (Pro Tools HD only), au-
tomation mode, solo, and mute.
Stereo Master Fader track channel strip
Inserts (A-E shown)
Audio Output Path selectors
Automation Mode selector
Track Name button
Level meters
Volume fader
Group ID
Track Comments
Track Type in dica t or
Volume/Peak/Delay indicator
Delay Compensation view
Track Color Coding
Output Window button
For more information, see “VCA Master
Tracks” on page 927.
VCA Master track
Automation Mode selector
Mute
TrackInput
(HD only)
Volume fader
Solo
Record
Enable
Track Type indicator
Track Comments
Track Color Coding
Volume indicator
Group ID
Track Color Coding
Chapter 13: Tracks 205
MIDI Track Channel Strips
Each MIDI track has its own set of channel strip
controls, including MIDI volume, pan, record
enable, automation mode, solo, mute, patch as-
signment, and channel assignment.
Instrument Track Channel Strips
Each Instrument track has its own set of channel
strip controls, including audio (like an Auxiliary
Input track) volume, pan, automation mode,
solo, and mute, and MIDI (like a MIDI track) re-
cord enable. Instrument tracks have an addi-
tional Instruments view that provides controls
for MIDI input, output, mute, volume, and pan
(like on a MIDI track).
MIDI channel strip
MIDI Input selector
MIDI Volume fader
MIDI Pan knob
Track Name button
MIDI Velocity meter
Automation Mode selector
MIDI Output selector
Record Enable
Patch Select
MIDI Pan indicator
MIDI Volume indicator
Track Type i ndi cato r
Group ID
Track Comments
Solo/Mute buttons
Track Color Coding
Track Color Coding
Stereo Instrument track channel strip, Instruments view
shown
Inserts (A–E shown)
Sends (A–E shown)
Audio Input/Output Path selectors
Solo/Mute buttons
Automation Mode selector
Track Name
Level meters
Volume fader
Group ID
Output Window button
Track Comments
Track Type in dica t or
Volume/Peak/Delay indicator
Pan knobs
Delay Compensation view
Record Enable
Patch Select
MIDI Input selector
MIDI Output selector
MIDI meter (Velocity)
MIDI Volume
MIDI Mute button
Track Color Coding
MIDI Pan
Pan indicators
Pro Tools Reference Guide206
Track Controls and Indicators
(Edit Window)
Audio Track Controls
Each audio track has its own set of track con-
trols, including Track Name, Playlist, Record En-
able, Input Monitoring (Pro Tools HD only),
Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Timebase,
Elastic Audio, Voice Assignment, and Automa-
tion mode.
Auxiliary Input Track Controls
Each Auxiliary Input track has its own set of
track controls, including Track Name, Solo,
Mute, Track View, Track Height, Timebase, and
Automation mode.
Master Fader Track Controls
Each Master Fader track has its own set of track
controls, including Track Name, Track View,
Track Height, Timebase, and Automation mode.
Edit window track controls for a mono audio track
(medium track height)
Automation Mode selector
Mute button
Voice selector
Track Height selector
Playlist selector
Track Name
Solo button
TrackInput Monitor button (Pro Tools HD only)
Timebase selector
Track View selector
Elastic Audio plug-in selector
Record Enable button
Show/Hide Automation lanes
Edit window track controls for a stereo Auxiliary Input
track (medium track height)
Edit window track controls for a stereo Master Fader
track (medium track height)
Mute button
Track Height selector
Track Name
Timebase selector
Track View selector
Solo button
Automation Mode
selector
Show/Hide Automation lanes
Track Height
selector Trac k Nam e
Track View
selector
Automation mode
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Automation lanes
Chapter 13: Tracks 207
VCA Master Track Controls
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Each VCA Master track has its own set of track
controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record
Enable, Input Monitoring (Pro Tools HD only),
Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Timebase,
and Automation mode.
MIDI Track Controls
Each MIDI track has its own set of track controls,
including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable,
Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Patch,
Timebase, and Automation mode.
Edit window track controls for a VCA Master track
(medium track height)
Mute button
Track Height selector
Track Nam e
Solo button
TrackInput Monitor button (Pro Tools HD only)
Record Enable button
Automation Mode selector
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Automation lanes
Edit window track controls for a MIDI track (medium
track height)
Mute button
Track Height selector
Playlist selector
Track Name
Solo button
Record Enable button
Automation Mode selector
Patch selector
Timebase selector
Track View selector
Show/Hide Controller lanes
Pro Tools Reference Guide208
Instrument Track Controls
Each Instrument track has its own set of track
controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record
Enable, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height,
Patch, Timebase, and Automation mode.
Video Track Controls
Each video track has its own set of track con-
trols, including Track Name, Playlist, Online,
Track View, and Track Height.
Edit Window Views
In addition to track controls and playlists (of re-
gions of events on the Timeline), the Edit win-
dow provides the following views that corre-
spond to channel strip controls in the Mix
window:
• Comments
•Mic Preamps
•Instruments
• Inserts (A–E and F–J)
• Sends (A–E and F–J)
•I/O
• Real-Time Properties
• Track Color
Comments View
Comments view lets you type and view com-
ments for a specific track.
Mic Preamps View
The Mic Preamps view shows controls for tracks
with physical audio inputs routed through PRE.
Edit window track controls for a stereo Instrument track
(medium track height)
Edit window track controls for a video track (medium
track height)
Mute button
Track Height selector
Playlist selector
Track Nam e
Solo button
Record Enable button
Track Vi ew sele cto r
Automation Mode selector
Patch selector
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Automation and Controller lanes
Online button
Track Height selector
Playlist selector
Track Nam e
Track View selector
Frame Rate indicator
See also “Views in the Mix and Edit Win-
dows” on page 932.
For more information on Comments view,
see “Adding Comments to Tracks” on
page 214.
For more information, see the PRE Guide.
Chapter 13: Tracks 209
Instruments View
Instruments view provides MIDI controls for In-
strument tracks: MIDI Input selector, MIDI Out-
put selector, MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and MIDI
Mute.
Inserts View (A–E and F–J)
Inserts view provides up to ten inserts (software
plug-ins and hardware I/O inserts for generating
and processing audio) on each audio, Auxiliary
Input, Master Fader, and Instrument track.
Sends View (A–E and F–J)
Sends view shows send assignments in each au-
dio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument track.
I/O View
In the Edit window, I/O view provides Input and
Output selectors on audio, Auxiliary Input, Mas-
ter Fader (output only), MIDI, and Instrument
tracks (corresponding to the controls of the
same name in the Mix window).
To show the I/O View in the Edit window:
Select View > Edit Window > I/O.
Volume/Peak/Channel Delay Indicator
The Volume indicator on an audio track has
three display modes: Volume, Peak, and Chan-
nel Delay.
To toggle the Volume indicator display:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the indicator to toggle it between the fol-
lowing modes:
Volume Indicator (and Pop-Up Fader) Shows the
current volume, or input level of a track as set by
the track Volume fader. In I/O view (Edit win-
dow), click the Volume indicator to display the
Volume pop-up fader, which can be used to ad-
just the volume.
Peak Indicator Functions as a headroom indica-
tor based on the last peak playback level. To re-
set the peak counter, click anywhere in the me-
ter. Values range from –∞ (no signal) to 0 dB.
For more information, see “Assigning MIDI
Input and Output for Instrument Tracks”
on page 238.
For more information on inserts, see
Chapter 44, “Plug-In and Hardware In-
serts.”
For more information, see “Configuring
Sends View in the Mix and Edit Windows”
on page 941.
Edit window I/O view (audio track)
Input Path selector
Output Path selector
Volume indicator
Pan indicator
Output Window button
Channel strips in the Mix window always
display Input and Output selectors as well
as volume and pan values, so there is no I/O
view display option for the Mix window.
For details on Input and Output selectors,
see “Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to
Tracks” on page 228.
Edit window I/O view, Volume pop-up fader (audio track)
Pro Tools Reference Guide210
Channel Delay Indicator (Pro Tools HD
Only) Shows the total delay, in samples, incurred
on the track from the use of any TDM plug-ins
or hardware inserts on that channel.
Pan Indicator
The Pan indicator displays the current pan set-
ting of a track. Pan values range from <100 (full
left) to 100> (full right). Pan controls are only
available for stereo tracks or for mono tracks
routed to a stereo output.
In I/O view (Edit window), click the Pan indica-
tor to display the Pan pop-up slider, which can
be used to adjust panning.
Pan Slider
The Pan slider controls the balance of a track be-
tween the assigned output pair. It only appears
if you are using stereo tracks or mono tracks
routed to a stereo output.
The Pan slider on a MIDI track is effective only if
you are controlling a sound module that sup-
ports MIDI panning.
Volume Fader
The Volume fader controls the playback level of
a track when it is playing back, and the monitor
level of the track when it is recording. You can
link the record and monitor levels by enabling
the Link Record and Play Faders option in the Op-
eration preferences.
The maximum fader gain for a volume fader is
+12 dB.
MIDI Volume Fader
If your MIDI sound module supports volume,
the volume fader on a MIDI or Instrument track
can send a value of 0–127 to the MIDI volume
controller.
Real-Time Properties
In the Edit window, Real-Time Properties view
provides access to Real-Time Properties controls
(such as Quantize or Transpose) on MIDI and In-
strument tracks. For more information, see
“MIDI Real-Time Properties” on page 693.
Track Color
In the Edit window, Track Color view displays
the Track Color strip at the left-most side of the
Track controls.
Edit window I/O view, Pan pop-up slider (audio track)
Greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks do
not provide a Pan indicator in I/O view. You
can view and adjust multichannel panning
in the track’s Output window or in the Mix
window.
Send Pan controls can be linked to the Main
Pan controls of a track by enabling the
Follow Main Pan button in Send window.
Chapter 13: Tracks 211
Track Level Meter
On audio tracks, level meters indicate the level
of the signal being recorded or played back from
the hard drive. On Auxiliary Input, Master
Fader, and Instrument tracks, level meters indi-
cate the level of the signal being played through
the channel output. Green indicates nominal
levels; Yellow indicates pre-clipping (–6 dB be-
low full scale); and Red indicates clipping.
When an audio track is record-enabled, these
meters indicate record levels.
On MIDI tracks, and in Instruments view for In-
strument tracks, the meter shows the MIDI ve-
locity of the most recent MIDI event.
Pre- and Post-Fader Metering
You can globally set audio track level meters to
indicate pre- or post-fader levels. When pre-
fader metering is selected, the level meters show
levels independent of fader position. With post-
fader metering, the level meters respond to fader
position.
To toggle track level metering between pre- fader
and post-fader metering:
Select Options > Pre-Fader Metering.
Peak Hold
Pro Tools meters provide a Peak Hold feature
with three options: 3 Second, Infinite, or None.
To choose a Peak Hold setting:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Display tab.
2 Select a Peak Hold option.
3 Click OK.
To clear a meter:
Click anywhere on the meter.
To clear all meters, do one of the following:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
meter.
Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators.
Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).
Clip Indication
Pro Tools meters provide Clip Indication with
three options: 3 Second, Infinite, or None. If clip-
ping occurs, the topmost LED will stay lit (red).
To choose a Clip Indication setting:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Display tab.
2 Select a Clip Indication option.
3 Click OK.
To clear a clip indicator:
Click anywhere on the meter.
To clear all clip indicators, do one of the following:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
meter.
Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators.
Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).
Clip indicators appear in plug-in, send, and
track windows.
Pro Tools Reference Guide212
Wide Meters View
Wide Meters view expands the width of the level
meters for tracks in both the Mix and Edit win-
dows, to make the track level meters easier to
read. Wide Meters view are also available Nar-
row Mix view.
To toggle Wide Meters View on or off:
Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) any track
level meter in the Mix or Edit window.
Adjusting Track Width
Mix Window
The Narrow Mix command lets you view all
tracks/channels in the Mix window at a reduced
width to conserve screen space in a large session.
(See “Track Height” on page 222, to adjust track
height in the Edit Window.)
To reduce the width of tracks in the Mix window:
Select View > Narrow Mix.
To display tracks at normal width:
Deselect View > Narrow Mix.
Creating Tracks
You can create mono and stereo tracks on all
Pro Tools systems. With Pro Tools HD or
Pro Tools with the Complete Production Toolkit
2 option, you can also create multichannel
tracks (from LCR to 7.1).
When new tracks are created, they are given a
default name that can be changed at any time.
To insert new tracks next to a specific track in
a session, select that track by clicking the track’s
name in the Mix or Edit window before opening
the New Tracks dialog. The new tracks are added
immediately after the selected track.
To insert new tracks after the last tracks in a
session, make sure that no track names are se-
lected on-screen before opening the New Tracks
dialog.
Wide Meters view, Mix and Edit windows
You can toggle track width by pressing
Command+Option+M (Mac) or
Control+Alt+M (Windows).
You can also add tracks to your session by
importing them from preexisting sessions.
See “Importing Session Data” on page 338.
Chapter 13: Tracks 213
To create new tracks:
1 Do one of the following to open the New
Tracks dialog:
• Choose Track > New.
– or –
• Right-click any Track Name in the Mix or
Edit windows, or Track List, and choose
New.
2 Select the type of track you want to add from
the Track Type pop-up menu.
3 Select the track format (mono, stereo, or one
of the multichannel surround formats) from the
Track Format pop-up menu. Surround formats
are available on Pro Tools|HD systems or
Pro Tools with the Complete Production Toolkit
2 option.
4 Select the timebase (samples or ticks) from the
Track Timebase pop-up menu.
5 Enter the number of new tracks.
6 Do any of the following:
• To add more tracks, click the Add Row but-
ton.
– or –
• To remove a track, click the Remove Row
button.
7 To reorder tracks, drag a Move Row icon up or
down.
8 Click Create.
Press Control+Shift+N (Windows) or
Command+Shift+N (Mac) to open the New
Tracks dialog
New Tracks dialog
To auto-scroll the Track Type pop-up menu
in the New Tracks dialog, press Command
(Mac) or Control (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys.
To auto-scroll the Track Format pop-up
menu, press Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows) and use the Left/Right Arrow
keys.
Number of new tracks
Track Fo rm a t
Track Type
Track Timebase
Add/Remove Row
To auto-scroll the Track Timebase pop-up
menu, press Command+Option (Mac) or
Control+Alt (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys.
If you are creating various multiple new
tracks, you can move to the next or previous
row’s Number of New Tracks field by press-
ing Tab or Shift+Tab.
Add a new track by pressing Command+N
(Mac) or Control+N (Windows), or by
pressing Command+Plus (+) (Mac) or
Control+Plus (+) (Windows) on the
numeric keypad.
To remove the last track from the New
Tracks dialog Command+Minus (–) (Mac)
or Control+Minus (–) (Windows).
Move Row icon in the New Tracks dialog
Move Row icon
Pro Tools Reference Guide214
Default Track Names
When creating new audio, Auxiliary Input, Mas-
ter Fader, VCA Master, MIDI, and Instrument
tracks, Pro Tools names them as “Audio,”
“Aux,” “Master,” “VCA,” “MIDI, or “Inst” ac-
cordingly and numbers them consecutively. For
example, when you create the first two audio
tracks in a new session, their default names are
“Audio 1” and “Audio 2.” You can rename
tracks and also log comments for each track.
Naming Tracks
Track names are used to auto-name recorded au-
dio files and regions (see “Default Track Names”
on page 214).
To rename a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Mix or Edit window, double-click the
Track Name button for the track you want
to rename.
– or –
• In the Track List, or Mix or Edit window,
Right-click the track name for the track you
want to rename.
2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, type a
new track name.
3 Click Previous or Next to rename other dis-
played tracks.
4 Click OK.
Adding Comments to Tracks
To add comments to a track, do one of the
following:
From the track channel strip, click directly in
the Comments area, type any comments for the
track, and press Enter (Windows) or Return
(Mac).
– or –
In the Edit or Mix window, double-click the
Track Name button for a track. Then click di-
rectly in the Comments area, type any com-
ments for the track, and press Enter (Windows)
or Return (Mac).
Track Name/Comments dialog
To move to the previous or next track in the
Track Name/Comments dialog, you can
press Control (Windows) or Command
(Mac) and use the Up/Down or Left/Right
Arrows.
To enter a carriage return in the Comments
area, press Shift+Enter (Windows) or
Shift+Return (Mac) on the alphanumeric
keyboard.
Chapter 13: Tracks 215
Track Numbering
With Track Number view enabled, each track is
assigned a number corresponding to its position
in the Mix and Edit Windows. When tracks are
reordered, they are renumbered to maintain po-
sitional sequence.
To enable Track Number view:
Choose View > Track Number.
To navigate directly to any track number:
1 Choose Track > Scroll to Track.
2 In the Scroll To Track dialog, enter the Track
Position Number.
3 Click OK.
The track is selected, and the windows scroll as
follows:
• The Mix window tracks scroll to bring the
selected track as close to the left as possible.
• The Edit window tracks scroll to bring the
selected track as close to the top as possible.
Selecting Tracks
Tracks need to be selected for operations such as
duplicating tracks or adding tracks to a group.
One or more tracks can be selected at a time.
To select a track:
Click the name of an unhighlighted track in
its track channel strip.
To select a range of tracks:
1 Click the name of an unhighlighted track in
its track channel strip.
2 Shift-click an additional button.
All tracks between the first track selected and the
additional track will also be selected.
To select or deselect noncontiguous tracks, do
one of the following:
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) Track Name buttons that are unhigh-
lighted to select them.
– or –
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) Track Name buttons that are highlighted
to deselect them.
To select all tracks:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
Track Name button that is unhighlighted.
Press Command+Option+F (Mac) or
Control+Alt+F (Windows) to open the
Scroll to Track dialog.
Scroll To Track dialog
Selected and unselected tracks
selected track
unselected track
Pro Tools Reference Guide216
To deselect all tracks:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
Track Name button that is highlighted.
Selecting Tracks when Making Edit Selections
Pro Tools lets you link Track selection with Edit
selections. When Track and Edit selections are
linked, you can make a selection within a track
or across multiple tracks for editing and each as-
sociated track is selected (track names automati-
cally highlight).
To link Track and Edit selections:
Select Options > Link Track and Edit Selection.
Scrolling a Track into View
To scroll a track into view:
In the Track List, or Mix or Edit window,
Right-click the track name and select Scroll into
View.
The track is selected, and the windows scroll as
follows:
• The Mix window tracks scroll to bring the
selected track as close to the left as possible.
• The Edit window tracks scroll to bring the
selected track as close to the top as possible.
Deleting Tracks
When you delete tracks, your audio or MIDI re-
gion data remains in the Region List, but your
arrangement of the regions on the deleted track
(the track’s playlist) will be lost.
If the track contains playlists that are not as-
signed to any track, you are prompted to delete
or retain them.
To delete a track:
1 Click the name of the track in its track chan-
nel strip to select it.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Delete.
– or –
• In the Track List, or Mix or Edit window,
Right-click the track name and select De-
lete.
3 Click OK to remove the selected tracks from
the session.
Duplicating Tracks
The Duplicate Track command lets you dupli-
cate one or more tracks, including their audio or
MIDI data, playlists, automation, and other at-
tributes.
To duplicate one or more tracks:
1 Select the tracks you want to duplicate.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Duplicate.
• Press Option+Shift+D (Mac) or Alt+Shift+D
(Windows).
• Right-click the name of the track in the
Track List, or Mix or Edit window, and
select Duplicate.
The Delete Track command cannot be
undone.
To select multiple tracks, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) addi-
tional Track Names.
To select a range of tracks, Shift-click
additional Track Names.
For information, see “Selecting Tracks” on
page 215.
Chapter 13: Tracks 217
3 In the Duplicate Tracks dialog, configure the
following options as needed:
• Enter how many copies you want to create
in the Number of Duplicates filed.
• To copy the currently active (visible) Edit
playlist from the source track, select Active
Playlist.
• To copy all Edit playlists on the source
track, select Alternate Playlists
• To copy all automation from the source
track, select Automation.
• To copy all plug-in and insert assignments,
select Inserts.
• To copy all sends and send assignments,
select Sends.
• To maintain all Mix and Edit Group assign-
ments, select Group Assignments.
4 If duplicating multiple tracks, do one of the
following:
• If you want all the newly created tracks to
follow the last selected source track (to the
far-right of the Mix window, and at the bot-
tom of the Edit window), select the Insert
after Last Selected Track option.
– or –
• If you want each newly-created track to be
inserted directly after its source track, dese-
lect this option.
5 Click OK to duplicate tracks according to the
settings in the Duplicate Tracks dialog. Click
Cancel to close the dialog and not create dupli-
cate tracks.
In the Mix window, each duplicate track is cre-
ated to the right of its original track. In the Edit
window, each duplicate track is created below its
original track. When duplicating multiple
tracks, you can also choose to have the new
tracks follow the last selected track (or have each
new track follow its source track).
Duplicating VCA Slave Tracks
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Duplicating a VCA slave track without duplicat-
ing its group assignments will coalesce any auto-
mation on the duplicate track. The coalesced
duplicate plays back exactly as if it were in the
VCA group. For more information, see “VCA
Master Tracks” on page 927.
Duplicate Tracks dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide218
Track Views
The Track View determines which data is dis-
played and edited in the track’s playlist area.
Track View data can be set to Playlists, Blocks,
Analysis, Warp, Waveform, Volume, Volume
Trim, Mute, Pan, Send, or an automated control
or continuous controller, based on the track
type and your Pro Tools system.
Audio Tracks Can be set to Blocks, Playlists, Anal-
ysis, Warp, Waveform, Volume, Volume Trim, Mute,
Pan, Send controls, or any plug-in controls that
are enabled for automation. By default, audio
tracks are set to Waveform view where track ma-
terial is graphically drawn with amplitude wave-
forms (a time-domain representation of sound).
This Track View provides the necessary detail for
important region edits.
Auxiliary Input Tracks Can be set to Volume, Vol-
ume Trim, Mute, Pan, Send controls, or any plug-
in controls that are enabled for automation.
Master Fader Tracks Can be set to Volume, Vol-
ume Trim, or any plug-in controls that are en-
abled for automation.
VCA Master Tracks (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only) Can be
set to Volume, Volume Trim, or Mute.
MIDI Tracks Can be set to Blocks, Regions, Notes,
Velocity, Volume, Mute, Pan, Pitch Bend, Mono Af-
ter Touch, Program Change, Sysex, and any con-
tinuous controller type. MIDI tracks are com-
monly set to Notes or Regions, each of which
displays notes in a “piano roll” format. Use Re-
gions view to edit and arrange MIDI regions. Use
Notes view for inserting and editing MIDI notes.
Other MIDI track views are useful for editing ve-
locity, controller data, program changes, and Sy-
sex events.
Instrument Tracks Can be set to Blocks, Regions,
Notes, Velocity, Volume, Mute, Pan, Pitch Bend,
Mono After Touch, Program Change, Sysex, and
any continuous controller type for MIDI; as well
as Volume, Volume Trim, Mute, Pan, Send controls,
or any plug-in controls that enabled for automa-
tion. Instrument tracks are commonly set to
Notes or Regions, each of which displays notes
in a “piano roll” format. Use Notes view for in-
serting, editing, and copying and pasting MIDI
notes. Use Regions view to arrange, capture, or
consolidate regions. Other Instrument track
views are useful for editing automation, control-
ler data, program changes, and Sysex events.
Video Tracks For information on video track
views, see “Video Track View” on page 1150.
Blocks Tracks View
With the Track View set to Blocks, audio and
MIDI regions are displayed as empty blocks
bearing the region’s name. This Track View is
most useful once you have finished capturing
and editing regions at the waveform or MIDI
event level and are moving and rearranging
them. Screen redraws are fastest with this for-
mat.
Playlists Tracks View
(Audio Tracks Only)
With the Track View set to Playlists, alternate
playlists for audio tracks are revealed in Playlist
lanes under the Main Playlist on the track. This
view is useful for track compositing, letting you
select the best parts from a track’s alternate play-
lists and copy them to the main playlist.
Chapter 13: Tracks 219
Analysis and Warp Tracks View
(Audio Tracks Only)
With the Track View set to Analysis or Warp, you
can edit Elastic Audio analysis and warp markers
on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.
Waveform View
(Audio Only)
With the Track View set to Waveform, you can
edit and arrange audio regions on audio tracks.
Waveforms are time-domain representations of
the audio data and can be shown as normal or
rectified waveforms, and calculated using Peak
or Power mode.
Regions View
(MIDI Only)
With the Track View set to Regions, you can edit
and arrange MIDI regions on MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks.
Notes View
(MIDI Only)
With the Track View set to Notes, you can insert
and edit MIDI notes on MIDI and Instrument
tracks.
Automation and Controller Views
When an audio or Instrument track is displayed
as Volume, Pan, or another automated control, or
when a MIDI or Instrument track is set to one of
the continuous controller types (such as Volume
or Pitch Bend), the data for that track appears in
the form of a line graph with a series of editable
breakpoints. The breakpoints can be dragged to
modify the automation data, and new break-
points can be inserted with the Pencil tool or a
Grabber tool. MIDI and Instrument tracks also
provide Velocity view for editing MIDI veloci-
ties.
Track View set to Waveform for audio track
On audio tracks, the Waveform is also
visible in Playlists, Analysis, Warp, and
Automation views.
Track View set to Regions for MIDI track
Track View set to Pan for audio track
For details on inserting and editing control-
ler data for MIDI tracks, see “Continuous
Controller Events” on page 681.
You can also edit automation and controller
data in lanes below the track’s main playlist
view. For details on editing automation
data for audio tracks, see Chapter 45, “Au-
tomation.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide220
Setting Track Views
To set the Track View:
Click the Track View selector for the track and
select the view from the pop-up menu.
The track displays the new view. If the track is
part of an active Edit Group, all tracks in the
group are set to the new view.
Audio Track View selector
Auxiliary Track View selector
Master Fader Track View selector
VCA Master Track View selector (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
MIDI Track View selector
Instrument Track View selector
Chapter 13: Tracks 221
Changing Track Views
For audio, Auxiliary Input, MIDI, and Instru-
ment tracks, you can change to the next or pre-
vious Track View, or toggle between pre-defined
common views.
Changing to Previous or Next Track View
When changing to the next or previous Track
View, Track View list ordering is maintained as
shown in the Track View selector.
To change to the previous or next Track View:
1 Click in the track you want to change. To
change views on multiple tracks, Shift-click or
drag the Selector tool to select additional tracks,
or select a group.
2 Do one of the following:
• To change to the previous or next Track
View on all selected tracks, press Con-
trol+Command (Mac) or Control+Start
(Windows) and the Left or Right Arrow key.
– or –
• To change to the previous or next Track
View on all tracks, press Command+Op-
tion+Control (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start
(Windows) and the Left or Right Arrow key.
Toggling Common Track Views
The most common editing view for audio tracks
are Waveform and Volume view. The most com-
mon editing views for MIDI and Instrument
tracks are Notes and Regions view. Pro Tools pro-
vides an easy way to toggle these views.
To toggle Track Views on tracks containing the
edit cursor (or an Edit selection):
1 Click in the track you want to toggle. To toggle
multiple tracks, Shift-click or drag with the Se-
lector tool to select additional tracks.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Start+Minus (Windows) or Con-
trol+Minus (Mac) on the alphanumeric
keyboard.
– or –
• With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled
(see “Keyboard Focus” on page 30), press
Minus on the alphanumeric keyboard.
Audio tracks are toggled between Waveform and
Volume view. MIDI and Instrument tracks are
toggled between Notes and Regions view.
Track Views at the beginning of the list
(such as Blocks for audio or MIDI tracks)
cannot be changed to the previous Track
View. Tracks Views at the end of the list
(such as a MIDI controllers option) cannot
be changed to the next Track View.
To toggle Track Views for all tracks, press
Option+Control+Minus (Mac) or
Alt+Start+Minus (Windows) on the
alphanumeric keyboard.
To toggle Track Views for all tracks with
Command Focus enabled, press
Option+Minus (Mac) or Alt+Minus
(Windows) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
Pro Tools Reference Guide222
Master Views for Tracks
Audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks have Track
Views that act as “master.” When a track is dis-
played in its Master view, any edits performed
apply to all data in the track. For instance, when
an audio track is set to Waveform, copying and
pasting affects not just the waveform informa-
tion, but all of the automation data as well.
The Master view is based on the type of track, as
follows:
• Audio tracks: Waveform and Blocks
• MIDI and Instrument tracks: Regions,
Blocks, and Notes (when using the Selector
tool)
Track Height
Tracks can be viewed in the Edit window at any
of eight heights: Micro, Mini, Small, Medium,
Large, Jumbo, Extreme and Fit To Window. Larger
track heights are particularly useful for precise
editing, especially for MIDI. Smaller track
heights are useful for conserving screen space in
a large session.
You can adjust track heights on an individual
track basis or set all tracks to the same height.
Track heights can be changed during playback.
To set the Track Height, do one of the following:
Click the small arrow to the left of the Track
name to get the Track Height pop-up menu.
– or –
Right-click on the vertical zoom scale just to
the right of the track controls and choose the
height from the pop-up menu.
The track is resized to the new height. If the
track is part of an Edit Group, all tracks in the
group are set to the new height.
To resize all tracks proportionally:
Click Edit window Vertical Zoom In or Out
button.
Track Height pop-up menu
Press Control+Up/Down Arrow key (Mac)
or Start+Up/Down Arrow key (Windows) to
increase/decrease track height of any track
that contains a selection or in which the
edit cursor is currently placed.
Vertical Zoom In and Out buttons, Edit window
Chapter 13: Tracks 223
Continuously Variable Track
Height
In the Edit window, you can continuously resize
the Track Height of any given track by dragging
the lower boundary of the Track Controls
column.
To resize the Track Height of any track in the Edit
window:
Drag the bottom line of any given track’s
Track Controls column up or down. The cursor
changes to indicate that you can resize the track.
The track’s Track Height changes incrementally.
Track Controls and Track Height
The Track Height affects how the various track
controls appear in the Edit window. For in-
stance, when a track’s height is set to Small,
most of the buttons are reduced in size.
When the Track Height is set to Mini or Micro,
only controls for Record, Solo, and Mute appear,
and the menus for Playlist, Track Timebase, Track
Height, and Track View are accessed from the
same selector.
When the Track Height is set to Medium, Large,
Jumbo, or Extreme, all track controls are dis-
played at their full size.
Adjusting the Track Height of an audio track
Hold Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows) while adjusting track height for
continuous, non-incremental adjustments.
To continuously resize all tracks, Option-
drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows).
To continuously resize all selected tracks,
Option-Shift-drag (Mac) or Alt-Shift-drag
(Windows).
Track Height set to Small
Track Height set to Mini
Track Height set to Large
Pro Tools Reference Guide224
The Track List
The Track List (at the left of both the Mix and
Edit windows) shows all tracks in the session. It
allows you to show or hide a track in the Mix,
Edit, MIDI Editor, and Score Editor windows.
Even though a track is hidden, the material on
the track will still play as part of the session. In-
active tracks appear in italics in the Track List.
Show/Hide Track List and Group
List
To show (or hide) the Track List (and Group List),
do one of the following:
From the Edit window menu, select (or dese-
lect) Track List.
– or –
Click the Show/Hide Track List/Group List View
button in the Mix or Edit window.
Track List Menu
The pop-up menu at the top of the Track List
provides commands that allow you to show or
hide all tracks, tracks currently selected on-
screen, or specific types of tracks (audio, Auxil-
iary Input, Master Fader, MIDI, Instrument,
VCA Master, or Inactive tracks).
The Track List can also be used to create
new tracks when importing media from
DigiBase. See “Importing Files with Drag
and Drop” on page 328.
Track List
Track List menu
Track name
Track Type icon
Track Color Code
Track Show/Hide
Show/Hide Track List /Group List, in Edit Window
Show Only option
Chapter 13: Tracks 225
The Sort Tracks By command lets you set the
track order according to Name, Type, Edit Group,
Mix Group, or Voice. The sort order will be re-
flected in the Track List in the Mix, Edit, MIDI
Editor, and Score Editor windows.
When a track that is a member of an active
group is hidden from view, editing operations
performed on other members of the group in
the Edit window will not affect the hidden track.
In the Mix window, however, all operations
other than record-enable will affect a hidden
track that is a member of an active group.
The options in the Track List menu in the Score
Editor window are different from the Mix, Edit,
and MIDI Editor windows. For more informa-
tion, see “Track List” on page 726.
Showing and Hiding Tracks
The Mix and Edit windows are linked in terms of
which tracks are shown or hidden. However, the
Score Editor window and MIDI Editor windows
are all unique in terms of which tracks are
shown or hidden. For example, hiding a specific
track in the Edit window also hides it in the Mix
window, but not in the Score Editor or MIDI Ed-
itor windows. Also, hiding a specific track in a
MIDI Editor window hides it only in that MIDI
Editor window.
To hide a track, do one of the following:
Click the Track Show/Hide icon in the Track
List.
– or –
In the Track List (or on the track channel
strip), Right-click the track name and select Hide
(or Hide and Make Inactive if the track is active
and you also want to make the track inactive).
To show a track that is currently hidden, do one of
the following:
Click the Track Show/Hide icon in the Track
List.
– or –
In the Track List (or on the track channel
strip), Right-click the track name and select
Show (or Show and Make Active if the track is ac-
tive and you also want to make it active).
Sort Tracks By options
With Pro Tools HD, even if a track is
hidden from view, its position relative to
other tracks still affects its voiceable track
playback priority (see “Voice Borrowing” on
page 236 for details).
Shown track icon in the Track List
Hidden track icon in the Track List
Pro Tools Reference Guide226
To show all tracks:
Click the Track List menu and choose Show All
Tracks.
To hide all tracks:
Click the Track List menu and choose Hide All
Tracks.
To show a range of tracks:
1 Select a range of hidden tracks in the Track
List.
2 Click the Show/Hide icon of hidden track at
the top of the Track List.
3 Shift-click the Show/Hide icon of hidden track
at the bottom of the selection.
All tracks that occur between the first track se-
lected and the last track will also be selected.
To show or hide a range of tracks in the Track List
with the Marquee:
1 Move the cursor to the left of a track name un-
til the Marquee with a small “+” symbol appears.
2 Click on the track in the list and drag up or
down over the Show/Hide icons (to show or
hide the track and the tracks immediately above
or below it).
To show or hide non-contiguous tracks:
Click the Show/Hide icon for the tracks you
want to show or hide.
Mix/Edit Groups and Hidden
Tracks
In the Mix window, if a hidden track is part of
an enabled group, all Mix window operations
performed on other members of the group also
affect the hidden track—with the exception of au-
dio or MIDI record-enabling. If you solo, mute,
or automation write-enable a grouped track, any
group members that are hidden are soloed,
muted, or automation write-enabled as well.
In the Edit window, however, editing operations
performed on members of an enabled group do
not affect hidden tracks that are also members of
the enabled group.
Clipping and the Track List
(Pro Tools HD Only)
When a track, send, or plug-in clips, the Track
List displays the track’s name in red. Both
shown and hidden tracks display clipping indi-
cation.
You can also show all tracks by Option-click-
ing (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Windows) the
Show/Hide icon of any track that is hidden.
You can also hide all tracks by Option-
clicking (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Windows)
the Show/Hide icon of any track that is
shown.
To reorder tracks on-screen, drag the track
names to new positions within the Track
List or in the Mix or Edit window.
You can also select a range of tracks by
moving the cursor to the left of the track
names so the Marquee appears, and
dragging around the track names you
want to select.
Chapter 13: Tracks 227
Track Numbering and Hidden
Tracks
In the Mix and Edit windows, Track Position
Numbers can include hidden tracks in their
numbering sequence, or ignore them, as fol-
lows:
• Numbers are only assigned to tracks that are
shown (when Track Position Numbers Stay with
Hidden Tracks is not selected in the Display
Preferences page). In this case, active tracks
are then numbered sequentially. Hidden
tracks are un-numbered.
– or –
• Tracks keep their Track Position Numbers
even when hidden (when Track Position Num-
bers Stay With Hidden Tracks is selected in the
Display Preferences page).
Track Name Right-Click Menu
(Mix Window, Edit Window, MIDI Editor
Windows, or Track List)
When you Right-click a track name in the Mix
window, Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, or
the Track List, a pop-up menu provides access to
the following commands:
Hide/Show Hides (or shows) the track (or se-
lected tracks if any).
Hide and Make Inactive Hides the track and
makes it inactive (or selected tracks if any).
Make Active/Inactive Toggles the active status
of the track (or all selected tracks in the Mix or
Edit window only).
Scroll Into View Scrolls the track to the top of the
Edit window or to the left of the Mix window.
Export MIDI (MIDI and Instrument Tracks
Only) Exports the MIDI data from one or more
MIDI or Instrument tracks to a standard MIDI
file. For more information, see “Exporting MIDI
Files” on page 374.
Coalesce VCA Master Automation (Pro Tools HD
and Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) Coalesces the VCA automation to the
slave tracks of the VCA.
Coalesce Trim Automation (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) Coalesces Trim automation on the track
(or selected tracks if any).
Clear Trim Automation (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) Clears Trim automation on the track (or
selected tracks if any).
Locked (Video Track Only) Toggles the
locked/unlocked status of the video track (or se-
lected video tracks if any).
New Opens the New Track dialog.
Rename Opens the Track Name dialog.
Duplicate Duplicates the track (or selected tracks
if any).
Split Into Mono (Multichannel Tracks Only) Splits
a multichannel track (or selected multichannel
tracks if any) into their mono component
tracks.
Delete Deletes the track (or selected tracks if
any).
MIDI Real-Time Properties (MIDI and Instrument
Tracks Only) Opens the Real-Time Properties
window for the track.
Open in New MIDI Editor (MIDI and Instrument
Tracks Only) Opens the track in a new MIDI Ed-
itor window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide228
Open in Score Editor (MIDI and Instrument Tracks
Only) Opens the track in the Score Editor win-
dow.
Open in MIDI Event List (MIDI and Instrument
Tracks Only) Opens the track in the MIDI Event
List.
Notation Display Track Settings (MIDI and Instru-
ment Tracks Only) Opens the Notation Display
Track Settings window for the track. Music nota-
tion can only be viewed in the Score Editor or in
MIDI Editor windows set to Notation view.
Expand Channels to New Tracks Expands multi-
channel audio files imported from a field re-
corder to new tracks, such that every channel re-
sides on its own mono audio track. Pro Tools
also automatically conforms all expanded tracks
to the edits in the guide (expanded) track. You
can expand multichannel files to new tracks or-
dered by channel name, by channel number, by
channel name and number, or by Time Code
only.
Assigning Audio Inputs and
Outputs to Tracks
Inputs for audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instru-
ment tracks can be assigned to audio interface
channels or busses. Outputs for audio, Auxiliary
Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can
also be assigned to audio interface channels or
busses.
For stereo and multichannel surround tracks, in-
puts and outputs appear as stereo pairs and mul-
tichannel groups. The available inputs, outputs,
and busses are defined as paths in the I/O Setup
dialog (see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup”).
Automatic Input and Output
Assignments
When adding tracks to a new session, inputs are
automatically assigned in ascending order. For
example, if you have an audio interface with
eight inputs, creating four new mono audio
tracks will automatically add four audio tracks
with inputs assigned to the first four paths de-
fined in the I/O Setup dialog. When creating ste-
reo tracks, inputs are automatically assigned to
subsequent input pairs.
The outputs automatically assigned to new
tracks are determined by the New Track Default
Output Bus specified in the I/O Setup dialog.
Assigning Audio Inputs
(Audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument Tracks)
To assign an audio input of an audio, Auxiliary
Input, or Instrument track:
1 In order to assign audio track inputs in the
Edit window, select View > Edit Window > I/O.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track’s In-
put Path selector and choose from the available
audio interface channels and busses. Stereo and
multichannel surround tracks have inputs avail-
able as pairs and multichannel groups.
The Input Path selector lets you route any audio
input or any of the Pro Tools internal busses to
an audio, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track.
The choices available in this pop-up menu are
Input/output assignments for three mono audio tracks
Track Input set
to Audio 2
Track Input
set to Bus 2
Track set to
No Input
Chapter 13: Tracks 229
determined by the Input Path configuration in
the I/O Setup. Inputs in use by another track ap-
pear bold in the Input Path selector pop-up
menu.
To automatically assign all track inputs (of the
same type and channel width) to unique ascending
Input paths (cascading):
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) the Input Path selector of the
left-most Input Path selector and select the first
Input Path (mono or stereo, depending on
whether your tracks are mono or stereo).
All visible tracks of the same channel width
(mono or stereo) are auto-assigned to unique In-
put Path assignments in ascending order. For ex-
ample, Track 1 to A1, Track 2 to A2, Track 3 to
A3, and so on.
To remove an input assignment:
Select No Input from the Input Path selector.
Assigning Audio Outputs
(Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and
Instrument Tracks)
To assign an audio output of an audio, Auxiliary
Input, Master Fader, or Instrument track:
1 In order to assign audio track outputs in the
Edit window, select View > Edit Window > I/O.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track’s
Output Path selector and choose from the avail-
able audio interface channels and busses. Stereo
and multichannel surround tracks have outputs
available as pairs and multichannel paths.
The Output Path selector lets you route a track
to any configured audio output or internal bus.
The choices available in this pop-up menu are
determined by the Output Bus Path configura-
tion in the I/O Setup. Outputs in use by another
track appear bold in the Output Path selector’s
pop-up menu.
Instrument tracks automatically assign the
audio output from the instrument plug-in
inserted on the track to the track audio In-
put.
‘
Input Path selector
Output Path selector
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-
Alt-click (Windows) the Output Path selec-
tor of the left-most track and select the first
Output Path (mono or stereo). All visible
tracks are automatically assigned to unique
Output Bus Path assignments in ascending
order. For example, Track 1 to A1–2, Track
2 to A3–4, Track 3 to A5–6, and so on.
Pro Tools Reference Guide230
To remove an output assignment:
Select No Output from the Output Path selec-
tor. Playlists become dimmed for tracks with no
output assignment.
Create and Assign New Track from Track
Output
Pro Tools lets you create a new Auxiliary Input,
Audio, or Instrument track from the Output se-
lector and automatically assign the Output of
the original track to the Input of the new track
using an available internal mix bus.
To create a new track from a track output:
1 On an existing track, click the Output selector
for the track and select New Track.
2 In the New Destination dialog, select the
Width, Type, and Time Base for the new track.
3 Type a Name for the new track.
4 Select (or deselect) whether you want the new
track to be created next to the current track.
5 Click OK.
Pro Tools creates a new track with the output of
the originating track automatically routed to the
input of the new track using an available inter-
nal mix bus.
When creating a new internal mix bus, the new
bus will be named after what you typed for the
new track. For example, if you entered the name
“Drum Sub,” Pro Tools creates a new Auxiliary
Input track named “Drum Sub” and also creates
an internal mix bus named “Drum Sub.”
Assigning an audio track, Auxiliary Input,
Master Fader, or Instrument track to “No
Output” will cause its automation data for
pan and plug-in controls to be lost.
New Destination dialog
New Auxiliary Input track with audio track output
automatically assigned to Bus 1–2
Chapter 13: Tracks 231
Assign Existing Track from a Track Output
Pro Tools lets you assign the Output of a track to
the Input of an existing track using an available
internal mix bus. Note that the destination track
must be set to either an internal mix bus or to No
Input in order to be available for assignment.
To assign the output of a track to an available
input on an existing track:
1 On an existing track, click the Output selector
for a track and select Track.
2 From the Track submenu, select the destina-
tion track you want.
Pro Tools automatically routes the track or send
to the input of the selected track using an avail-
able internal mix bus.
Renaming Track Inputs and
Outputs from the Edit or Mix
Window
I/O path names can be renamed in the Edit or
Mix windows, or in the I/O Setup.
To rename an I/O path in the Edit or Mix window:
1 In the Edit or Mix window, Right-click the In-
put selector or Output selector for a track, and
choose Rename from the pop-up menu.
2 In the Rename I/O dialog, type a name for the
I/O Path, and click OK.
Making Track Inputs and Outputs
Inactive from the Edit or Mix
Window
Track Input, Output, and Bus Path assignments
can be made inactive using the corresponding
selector on the track. Making a track’s Input or
Output inactive silences that Input or Output,
while retaining all automation and playlist data.
For Pro Tools|HD systems, inactive Inputs and
Outputs do not consume resources for TDM
mixer connections, but any active assigned
plug-ins on the track continue to use their re-
quired DSP resources. For Pro Tools host-based
systems, inactive Inputs and Outputs do not
consume host-processing resources. RTAS plug-
ins require CPU resources, and TDM plug-ins use
the DSP available on Pro Tools|HD cards.
Assigning a track output to an existing Auxiliary Input
track
‘
Rename I/O dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide232
You can make track inputs and outputs inactive
(or active) directly from the Edit or Mix win-
dows. Inactive I/O Paths are grayed out.
To make a track’s Input or Output Path inactive (or
active), do one of the following:
In the Edit or Mix window, Right-click the In-
put selector or Output selector for a track, and
choose Make Inactive (or Make Active) from the
pop-up menu.
– or –
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Input or Output selec-
tor in the Mix or Edit window.
To make all tracks’ Inputs or Outputs assigned to
the same path inactive (or active), do one of the
following:
In the Edit or Mix window, Option-Right-click
(Mac) or Alt-Right-click (Windows) the Input se-
lector or Output selector for a track, and choose
Make Inactive (or Make Active) from the pop-up
menu.
– or –
Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the Input or
Output selector in the Mix or Edit window.
To make all selected tracks’ Inputs or Outputs
assigned to the same path inactive (or active), do
one of the following:
In the Edit or Mix window, Option-Shift-
Right-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-Right-click (Win-
dows) the Input selector or Output selector for a
track, and choose Make Inactive (or Make Active)
from the pop-up menu.
– or –
Command-Option-Control-Shift-click (Mac)
or Control-Alt-Start-Shift-click (Windows) the
Input or Output selector in the Mix or Edit win-
dow.
Toggling Multiple Paths
If a track has only one main output assignment,
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-Start-
click (Windows) the track’s Output Path selector
to toggle the main output to inactive. When
there are multiple assignments, the track selec-
tor will be displayed for you to specify the Input,
Output, Insert, or Bus Path.
You can also make a path globally inactive
(or active) in the I/O Setup dialog. See
“Making Paths Active or Inactive” on
page 106.
If a Send (A–J) has multiple Output Path as-
signments and one of those is toggled active
or inactive, then all of the Output Path as-
signments for that Send (A–J) are toggled
active or inactive.
Chapter 13: Tracks 233
Track Priority and Voice
Assignment
Pro Tools|HD systems provide a certain number
of voices (simultaneous channels of audio play-
back and recording), depending on the system.
For example, a Pro Tools|HD 1 system can pro-
vide up to 96 voices of audio playback and re-
cording, at 44.1 or 48 kHz. For details on
Pro Tools system capabilities, see “Playback, Re-
cording, and Voice Limits with Pro Tools HD”
on page 44.
Pro Tools systems let you play or record up to 96
simultaneous stereo or mono tracks. For details
on system capabilities, see “Pro Tools System
Capabilities” on page 53.
Track Priority
While your Pro Tools hardware allows a fixed
number of voices, Pro Tools software allows for
additional audio tracks beyond that fixed num-
ber of voices. While all of these tracks can be re-
corded to or imported, arranged, and cued for
playback, not all of them can be played back si-
multaneously.
When the number of tracks exceeds the number
of available voices, tracks with lower priority
may not be heard. For these situations,
Pro Tools assigns priorities to tracks that com-
pete for the available voices. Because there can
be more tracks than available voices, Pro Tools
provides multiple ways of adjusting the play-
back priority of audio tracks. See “Changing a
Track’s Playback Priority” on page 233 and
“Freeing up Voices on a Track” on page 234.
With Pro Tools|HD systems, you can assign spe-
cific voices to multiple tracks such that those
voices are shared by more than one track. This
feature is called voice borrowing. The combina-
tion of playback/record tracks and shared voiced
tracks comprises the total number of voiceable
tracks on a Pro Tools|HD system.
To set multiple tracks to the same voice, see
“Setting Voice Assignment” on page 234. For
additional information on voice borrowing,
see“Voice Borrowing” on page 236).
Changing a Track’s Playback Priority
Tracks with higher positions (leftmost in the
Mix window or topmost in the Edit window)
have priority over tracks in lower positions in a
session.
To increase a track’s priority, do any of the
following:
In the Mix window, drag the Track Name but-
ton to the left of other tracks in the session.
Tracks at the left of the Mix window have higher
priority than those on the right.
In the Edit window, drag the Track Name but-
ton above other tracks in the session. Tracks at
the top of the Edit window have higher priority
than those below.
In the Track List, drag the Track Name to a
higher position in the list. Tracks at the top of
this list have higher priority than those below.
Pro Tools Reference Guide234
Freeing up Voices on a Track
You can also adjust the relative priority of tracks
by freeing up the voices of individual tracks,
making them available to other tracks in the ses-
sion.
To free up the voice of a track, do one of the
following:
Click the Voice selector of the track and set it
to Off. See “Setting Voice Assignment” on
page 234.
Deactivate the track by Control-Start-clicking
(Windows) or Command-Control-clicking
(Mac) its track type icon in the Mix window.
Make sure the track does not have an Output
Path or Send assignment.
With Pro Tools HD, you can temporarily free a
track’s voice during playback by muting it (see
“Mute Frees Assigned Voice” on page 242).
Setting Voice Assignment
A track’s voice assignment can be turned off or
set to be dynamically allocated, and with
Pro Tools HD, can also be explicitly assigned to a
specific voice number.
On all Pro Tools systems, you can use Dynami-
cally Allocated Voicing to automatically take
care of voice management in the background,
assigning voices not in use by other tracks.
With Pro Tools HD, tracks assigned to a specific
voice number take priority over dynamically al-
located tracks and support voice borrowing (see
“Voice Borrowing” on page 236). To ensure that
a track is heard, or that it is available for Quick-
Punch, TrackPunch, or DestructivePunch re-
cording, assign an explicit voice to that track.
For stereo and multichannel tracks, voices ap-
pear in pairs and multichannel groups. Voices
already explicitly assigned to another track ap-
pear in bold in the Voice selector’s pop-up
menu.
Pro Tools supports Dynamically Allocated
Voicing only; it does not support explicit voice
assignments.
With Pro Tools HD, QuickPunch, Track-
Punch, and DestructivePunch require addi-
tional voices. For more information, see
Chapter 24, “Punch Recording Modes.”
With Pro Tools HD, the initial insert of an
RTAS plug-in uses additional voices in cer-
tain situations. See “Voice Usage and Total
Latency for RTAS Plug-Ins” on page 973.
Chapter 13: Tracks 235
To set the voice assignment for a track:
Click the Voice selector and set the track to
Dyn, Off, or select a voice number (Pro Tools HD
only).
Voice Assignment with Complete
Production Toolkit 2
Complete Production Toolkit 2 lets you play or
record up to 192 voices simultaneously at 44.1
or 48 kHz and up to 96 voices at 88.2 or 96 kHz.
Each channel of an audio track uses a single
voice. For example, you can have up to 192
mono audio tracks or up to 96 stereo audio
tracks at 44.1 or 48 kHz.
Maximum track counts are only supported with
multiple hard drives and faster Avid-qualified
systems.
Track Priority and Dynamic Voicing
The lowest-numbered (highest priority) audio
tracks that are active and have their voice assign-
ment set to DYN (Dynamically Allocated Voic-
ing) are the tracks that play back. (The total
number of tracks that play back depends on the
maximum number of voiced audio tracks al-
lowed by your system.)
Tracks that are higher-numbered (lower prior-
ity) than these tracks do not play back and you
cannot record to them. Their Dynamically Allo-
cated Voicing button are blue to indicate they are
unavailable for playback or recording.
Voice selector for stereo audio track (Pro Tools HD
shown)
Elastic Audio and RTAS plug-ins are not
allowed on explicitly voiced tracks
(Pro Tools HD only). Use Dynamically Al-
located Voicing for tracks on which you
want to use Elastic Audio or RTAS plug-ins.
Tracks do not play back when they are inactive
or their voice assignment is set to Off.
Pro Tools Reference Guide236
When working with more than the maximum
number of voiced audio tracks allowed by your
system, you can only play back audio from
higher-numbered (lower priority) tracks by
changing the track priority by doing any of the
following:
• Make a lower-numbered track inactive
(click the Track Name and select Track >
Make Inactive).
• Set the voice assignment in a lower-num-
bered track to Off (click the Voice selector
and select Off).
•Drag the Track Name button of the higher-
numbered track to the left (Mix window) or
upwards (in the Edit window or Track List)
until it is in the range of the maximum
number of voiced audio tracks allowed by
your system. The previously last voiced au-
dio track is moved out of range and its
voice assignment is changed to Off.
When the priority of the higher-numbered track
is changed, its voice assignment is automatically
changed from Off to DYN.
Automatic Assignment of Ascending
Voices
(Pro Tools HD Only)
You can automatically assign all tracks or all se-
lected tracks to successive voices. For example,
you may want to select eight audio tracks and
reassign them to voices 9–16.
To assign all audio tracks to successive voices:
While pressing Control+Alt (Windows) or
Command+Option (Mac), select the starting
voice number from the Voice selector for the
track at the far left of the Mix window, or at the
top of the Edit window.
The voice is assigned to the first track, with suc-
cessive voices assigned to tracks (with the same
format) of lower priority.
To assign all selected audio tracks to successive
voices:
1 Select the audio tracks by Control-clicking
(Windows) or Command-clicking (Mac) their
names.
2 While pressing Control+Alt+Shift (Windows)
or Command+Option+Shift (Mac), select the
starting voice number from the Voice selector
for the left (Mix window) or top (Edit window)
selected track.
The voice is assigned to the starting track, with
successive voices assigned to currently selected
tracks (with the same format) of lower priority.
Voice Borrowing
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Pro Tools HD features voice borrowing, which lets
you assign more than one track to the same
voice. The track with the highest priority takes
over that voice, but when a hole opens up in the
higher-priority track, its shared voice is tempo-
rarily available, and the track with the next
highest priority “sounds through” and begins to
play. When the original track returns, the track
that had sounded through relinquishes the
shared voice to the higher priority track.
To select multiple tracks, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) addi-
tional Track Names.
To select a range of tracks, Shift-click
additional Track Names.
Chapter 13: Tracks 237
The following example demonstrates the con-
cept of voice borrowing:
In the figure above, the two visible tracks are as-
signed to the same voice. There is an open area
in the top track where no region appears. At this
point, the voice is free since it is not being used,
and the next highest priority track assigned to
that voice (the bottom track) sounds through
the open area and plays.
By experimenting with track priority, voice
assignment, and arranging regions so that they
are positioned to sound through holes in
higher priority tracks, you can find many useful
ways to maximize voiceable tracks with
Pro Tools HD.
Assigning MIDI Inputs and
Outputs to Tracks
MIDI recording and playback is supported with
MIDI tracks and Instrument tracks.
MIDI ports in your system can be named and
configured for use in Pro Tools (for Windows,
see “Configuring MIDI Studio Setup” and for
Mac, see “Configuring AMS”).
Assigning MIDI Track Input
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
channels to a MIDI track input. The default se-
lection of All receives all incoming MIDI data
from all ports on all channels. Use the MIDI In-
put selector to specify a MIDI port and channel
for input.
To assign a MIDI track input:
Click the track’s MIDI Input selector and as-
sign a port and channel for MIDI input. Chan-
nels already assigned to another track appear in
bold.
“Rhythm” regions play only when there is no “Lead”
region
For information on assigning MIDI input to
Instrument tracks, see “Assigning MIDI In-
put and Output for Instrument Tracks” on
page 238.
In the Edit window, select View > Edit
Window > I/O to access any track’s Input
selector.
MIDI Input selector (MIDI Track shown)
Pro Tools Reference Guide238
Assigning MIDI Track Output
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
channels to a MIDI track output. The default se-
lection of none sends MIDI data to no port on
any channel. Use the MIDI Output selector to
specify a MIDI port and channel for output.
To assign a MIDI track (and all its regions) to a
specific MIDI device channel:
Click the track’s MIDI Output selector and as-
sign a port and channel for MIDI output. Chan-
nels already assigned to another track appear in
bold.
To assign multiple destinations to a single MIDI
track:
Control-click (Mac) or Right-click (Mac or
Windows) the MIDI Output selector and select
additional channels from any device.
Assigning MIDI Input and Output
for Instrument Tracks
Instrument tracks have a specific view for MIDI
controls, including MIDI Input and Output se-
lectors.
To view Instrument track MIDI controls, do one of
the following:
Select View > Mix Window > Instruments.
– or –
Select View > Edit Window > Instruments.
MIDI tracks in Pro Tools cannot contain
multiple channels of MIDI data.
For information on assigning MIDI output
to Instrument tracks, see “Assigning MIDI
Input and Output for Instrument Tracks”
on page 238.
In the Edit window, select View > Edit
Window > I/O to access any track’s Output
selector.
MIDI Output selector (MIDI track shown)
For information on recording and
importing MIDI data, see Chapter 23,
“MIDI Recording.”
In addition to assigning MIDI input and
output for recording and playing back MIDI
data, Instrument tracks can also be used to
monitor the audio from your hardware
MIDI instruments and instrument plug-ins.
See “Signal Routing for Monitoring and Sub-
mixing” on page 951.
Instruments view, Mix window
MIDI Input selector
MIDI Output selector
Chapter 13: Tracks 239
Instrument Track MIDI Input
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
channels to an Instrument tracks’ MIDI input.
The default selection of All receives all incoming
MIDI data from all ports on all channels. Use the
MIDI Input selector to specify a MIDI port and
channel for input.
Channels in use by another track input appear
bold in the MIDI Input pop-up menu.
To assign an Instrument track MIDI input:
Click the track’s MIDI Input selector and as-
sign a port and channel for MIDI input. Chan-
nels already assigned to another track appear in
bold.
Instrument Track MIDI Output
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
channels to an Instrument tracks’ MIDI output.
The default selection of none sends MIDI data to
no device, port, or node on any channel. Use the
MIDI Output selector to specify a MIDI port and
channel for output.
Channels in use by another track input appear
as bold in the MIDI Input pop-up menu.
To assign an Instrument track MIDI output:
Click the track’s MIDI Output selector and as-
sign a port and channel for MIDI output. Chan-
nels already assigned to another track appear in
bold.
Soloing and Muting Tracks
The Solo and Mute buttons can be engaged at
any time during playback. The Solo and Mute
buttons affect MIDI as well as audio tracks. It is
possible to have more than one track soloed or
muted at the same time in a session.
Track grouping also affects mute and solo be-
havior. Muting or soloing a track that is a mem-
ber of an active Mix Group will mute or solo all
other tracks that are a member of that active Mix
Group as well.
Soloing Tracks
To solo tracks:
1 Click the Solo button on a track. The button is
highlighted and all other tracks are muted.
2 Click the Solo button on another track. The
buttons for both tracks are highlighted and all
other tracks are muted.
To un-solo tracks:
Click the Solo button on soloed tracks.
Instrument tracks have separate sets of Solo
and Mute buttons for MIDI and audio mon-
itoring.
For information on creating and modifying
groups for track soloing and muting, see
“Grouping Tracks” on page 247.
Pro Tools Reference Guide240
Solo Button
The Solo button normally mutes other tracks so
that the selected track can be auditioned inde-
pendently.
With Pro Tools HD, this behavior is selected as a
Solo mode, called “Solo In Place.” Additional
Solo modes are provided to change how the Solo
button works. See “Solo Modes” on page 240.
Solo Modes
(Pro Tools HD Only)
With Pro Tools HD, the Solo button can be used
to:
• Mute other tracks so that the selected track
can be auditioned alone.
– or –
• Route a selected track to a separate output.
Solo button behavior is defined by the Solo
mode, as follows:
SIP (Solo In Place) The Solo button mutes other
tracks. When this mode is enabled, tracks can be
solo safed (see “Solo Safe Mode” on page 242).
AFL (After Fader Listen) The Solo button routes
the track’s post-fader/post-pan signal to the
AFL/PFL Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is con-
figured in the Output page of the I/O Setup dia-
log (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 92).
With AFL, the level you hear is dependent on
the fader level for that track. Additionally, there
is a separate master level setting for AFL that af-
fects the output of any or all tracks you solo in
AFL mode (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 92). This
level setting is independent of the PFL level
setting.
PFL (Pre Fader Listen) The Solo button routes
the track’s pre-fader/pre-pan signal to the
AFL/PFL Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is con-
figured in the Output page of the I/O Setup dia-
log (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 92).
With PFL, the fader level and pan are ignored,
and the level you hear is dependent on the sig-
nal’s recorded level. Additionally, there is a sep-
arate master level setting for PFL that affects the
output of any or all tracks you solo in PFL mode
(see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 92). This level set-
ting is independent of the AFL level setting.
To select a Solo mode:
1 Choose Options > Solo Mode.
2 Select SIP, AFL, or PFL.
AFL and PFL Solo modes require the
Surround Mixer plug-in.
Custom Pan Depth settings are unavailable
when either AFL or PFL Solo mode is en-
abled.
If Mutes Frees Assigned Voice is enabled,
muted tracks will not be audible in PFL
mode.
The Solo mode for all soloed tracks can be
changed “on-the-fly” from any Solo mode to
either SIP or AFL. Previously soloed tracks
will switch their solo behavior to the new
mode.
Switching the Solo mode for all soloed tracks
“on-the-fly” to PFL clears all previously so-
loed tracks before entering PFL mode. This
prevents potentially large boosts in level.
Chapter 13: Tracks 241
DSP Usage when Using AFL or PFL Mode
AFL and PFL are accomplished by Pro Tools cre-
ating a “behind the scenes” mixer to route the
signal to the chosen AFL/PFL Path. Depending
on the size of your main mixer, Pro Tools will
devote a substantial portion of its available DSP
when using AFL/PFL mode.
Un-declaring the AFL/PFL Path will free up all
DSP resources previously used for AFL/PFL
mode.
Using AFL/PFL on Pro Tools Systems with a
D-Control or D-Command
AFL/PFL is optimized for Pro Tools systems us-
ing a D-Control or D-Command control surface,
where the XMON automatically switches its
monitor source between the main output and
the AFL/PFL output from Pro Tools.
Using AFL/PFL on Pro Tools Systems without
D-Control or D-Command
If you are not using a D-Control or D-Command
control surface, your regular Pro Tools output
path is not necessarily muted when you send a
signal to the AFL/PFL Path. If you need the main
signal to automatically mute when an AFL/PFL
signal is invoked, you need to do the following:
1 Configure the output path for AFL or PFL so-
loed tracks.
2 Select the main output path that will mute
when you solo a track in AFL or PFL mode (see
“AFL/PFL Mutes (Output Path)” on page 93).
3 Set up your hardware to monitor both the
main and AFL/PFL paths simultaneously.
When AFL or PFL is selected as a Solo mode and
a track is soloed, the main output path will mute
and the AFL/PFL signal will appear at the
AFL/PFL Path for monitoring.
Solo Latch Options
Solos can be latched (where pressing subsequent
buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks),
unlatched, or temporarily latched (Pro Tools HD
and Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 only).
To select a Solo Latch mode:
Choose Options > Solo Mode and select from
the following options:
Latch When selected, pressing subsequent Solo
buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks.
X–OR (Cancels Previous Solos) When selected,
pressing subsequent Solo buttons cancels previ-
ous solos.
Momentary (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 Only) When selected,
Solo buttons are not sticky. A track is soloed
only when its Solo switch is held down.
With a qualified control surface, additional
tracks can be soloed by pressing their SOLO
switches (as long as at least one Solo button is
held down). When no SOLO switch is held
down, all soloed tracks will unsolo.
For more information on using XMON and
AFL/PFL, see your control surface guide.
To override X–OR mode and solo more than
one track at a time, press and hold the Solo
button on the first track. Subsequently
pressed Solo buttons will latch.
Pro Tools Reference Guide242
Temporarily Latching Solos in Momentary
Solo Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
To temporarily latch solos:
1 Choose Options > Solo Mode > Momentary.
2 Press and hold the Solo button on the first
track that will be soloed.
3 While still holding the first Solo button, press
additional Solo buttons. Solo buttons will re-
main soloed as long as one Solo button is held.
Solo Safe Mode
Pro Tools lets you solo safe a track. This prevents
the track from being muted even if you solo
other tracks. This feature is useful for tracks such
as Auxiliary Inputs that are being used as a sub-
mix of audio tracks, or effects returns, allowing
the audio or effects track to remain in a mix
even when other tracks are soloed. It is also use-
ful to solo safe MIDI tracks so that their playback
is not affected when you solo audio tracks.
To solo safe a track:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Solo button on the track. This pre-
vents the track from being muted even if you
solo other tracks. The Solo button changes to a
transparent color in Solo Safe mode.
To return a solo safe track to normal:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Solo button on the track again.
Mute Button
The Mute button silences a chosen track. More
than one track can be muted at one time. If Op-
tions > Mute Frees Assigned Voice (Pro Tools HD
only) is enabled, muting a track will allocate its
voice to the next highest priority voiceable track
(assigned to the same voice).
To mute a track:
Click the Mute button on the track.
To unmute a track:
Click the Mute button again.
Mute Frees Assigned Voice
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Selecting Options > Mute Frees Assigned Voice
and muting a track disables playback of that
track, and surrenders control of its voice to the
next highest priority track with the same voice
assignment.
With this option enabled, there may be a delay
(ranging in length from one to several seconds
depending on the processing power of your sys-
tem) between the time you mute or unmute a
track and when you hear the effect on playback.
As long as at least one Solo button is held
down, all the solos will remain latched.
AFL or PFL soloed tracks (Pro Tools HD
only) cannot be solo safed.
Muting a track with Mute Frees Assigned
Voice enabled does not free up the voice for
QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or Destructive-
Punch recording.
Larger DAE Playback Buffer Sizes can also
increase the time between clicking the Mute
button and the onset of muting. See “DAE
Playback Buffer Size” on page 67.
Chapter 13: Tracks 243
MIDI Mute
The Mute button on a MIDI track mutes MIDI
data, not audio. Muting MIDI results in no MIDI
data being passed to the MIDI output. On In-
strument tracks, the track’s Mute button mutes
the audio signal and the MIDI Mute button is
only available in Instruments view.
Making Tracks Inactive
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Mas-
ter (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 only), and Instrument
tracks can be made inactive. Inactive tracks use
no DSP or voices. Plug-Ins, sends, voices, and au-
tomation on inactive tracks are all disabled.
Tracks may also be automatically made inactive
if a session is opened on a system with less DSP
power than the system that it was created on.
To toggle a track active/inactive:
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Track Type indicator
in the Mix window.
Playlists for inactive tracks are dimmed and
track controls are grayed out.
To make one or more tracks inactive or active, do
one of the following:
Select the track and select Track > Make Inac-
tive/Active.
– or –
Right-click the Track Name in the Track List,
or Mix or Edit windows and choose Make Inac-
tive/Active.
Color Coding for Tracks,
Regions, Markers, and Groups
Separate colors can be assigned to audio and
MIDI regions, tracks, markers, and groups. Re-
gions shown in Waveform and Block Views in
the Edit window are drawn in color. Tracks
shown in the Track List, Group List, and Mix
and Edit windows have associated color bars.
Color Bars
Color coding at the track level is displayed using
color bars, as follows:
Mix Window Track colors are displayed in hori-
zontal color bars that appear above each chan-
nel strip, and below the track name.
Edit Window Track colors are displayed in verti-
cal color bars that appear to the left of each
track.
Track List Track colors are displayed in vertical
color bars that appear to the left of each track
name.
MIDI Mute button, Instruments view, Mix window
MIDI tracks cannot be made inactive.
To select multiple tracks, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) addi-
tional Track Names.
To select a range of tracks, Shift-click the
Track Names bounding the range of tracks
you want selected.
Pro Tools Reference Guide244
Group List Track colors are displayed in vertical
color bars that appear to the left of each Group
Name.
Default colors are automatically assigned to
tracks, but you can override those colors by
choosing from a color palette of 96 possible col-
ors. For more information, see “Color Palette”
on page 245.
Display Page Preferences for
Color Coding
Color Coding options determine how colors are
assigned to the display of tracks and regions.
To change Color Coding options:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Display tab.
3 Select or deselect the Always Display Marker Col-
ors option.
4 Select the MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity op-
tion.
5 Select or deselect the Apply Color Coding to
Track Channel Strip option.
6 Select a Default Track Color Coding option.
7 Select a Default Region Color Coding option.
8 Click OK.
Always Display Marker Colors
This option lets you view Marker colors in the
Markers ruler, regardless of the option you
choose for the Default Region Color Coding op-
tion.
MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity
When this option is enabled, MIDI notes display
varying shades of the assigned track color in
MIDI notes view in the Edit window and in
MIDI Editor windows. Notes with high veloci-
ties are darker and notes with lower velocities
are lighter.
Default Track Color Coding
The Default Track Color Coding options determine
how colors are assigned to the display of tracks.
None Turns off default color assignment for
tracks.
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to
each track in the Mix or Edit window according
to its voice assignment or MIDI channel assign-
ment.
Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
track in the Mix or Edit window according to its
voice assignment or MIDI device assignment.
Groups Assigns a color to each track according to
its Mix or Edit Group ID. If groups are suspended
using the Suspend Groups command, the tracks
color bars are not shown.
Track Type Assigns a color to each track accord-
ing to its type (audio, Auxiliary Input, Master
Fader, VCA Master, MIDI, Instrument, or video).
Chapter 13: Tracks 245
Default Region Color Coding
The Default Region Color Coding options deter-
mine how colors are assigned to the display of
tracks, regions in the track playlist and Region
List, and Marker Locations.
None Turns off default color assignment for re-
gions. Regions are drawn as black waveforms or
black MIDI notes on a light gray background.
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to
each region in the Edit window according to its
voice or MIDI channel assignment.
Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
region in the Edit window according to its voice
assignment or MIDI device assignment.
Groups Assigns a color to each region according
to the Group ID of its track. If groups are sus-
pended (using the Suspend Groups command)
all regions display black waveforms or MIDI
notes on a light gray background.
Track Color Assigns a region color based on the
color assigned to the track. (See “Color Palette”
on page 245.)
Marker Locations Assigns a unique color to each
marker area in the Marker ruler, including the
area preceding the first marker.
Region List Color Assigns a color to each region
based on its color in the Region List. When this
Default Region Color Coding option is enabled, the
assigned region color is maintained even if the
region is placed in a track set to a different color
coding.
Color Palette
The Color Palette lets you make color selections
for tracks, regions, groups and markers.
The Color Palette supports independent region
color coding in the Region List and in tracks.
To apply a color from the Color Palette:
1 Choose Window > Color Palette.
2 Do one of the following:
•In the Apply to Selected pop-up menu, se-
lect the destination for color coding:
Tracks, Marker, Group, Regions in Tracks, or
Regions in Region List.
– or –
• Select a track, marker, group, track region,
or Region List region in the appropriate
Pro Tools window. The Apply to Selected
menu will display the type of item you
have selected.
Enabling any Default Region Color Coding
option other than Region List Color will
override Region List Color and reassign the
parent track color to copies of the region
placed in tracks. Copies of the region in the
Region List will retain their unique color.
Color Palette window
If selecting a marker does not display the
Marker option in the Apply to Selected
pop-up menu, then the Always Display
Marker Colors option in the Display Prefer-
ences page is deselected. See “Always Dis-
play Marker Colors” on page 244 for more
information.
Apply to Selected
Hold
Default
None
Apply to Channel Strip
Saturation
Last assigned color
Brightness
Pro Tools Reference Guide246
3 Select a color from the palette, or select one of
the following:
Default Removes any custom coloring and re-
stores the color to the default color orientation.
See “Display Page Preferences for Color Coding”
on page 244 for more information.
None Turns off color assignment. Affected re-
gions are drawn with black waveform or MIDI
notes on light gray background. Affected tracks
and groups no longer show their color bars.
Using the Hold Button
The Color Palette provides a Hold button to sim-
plify the process of assigning the same colors to
multiple items (such as track and regions).
By default, the Hold button is off. When off, the
Color Palette automatically highlights the as-
signed color (if any) of items as you select them.
When the Hold button is enabled, the assigned
color selected in the Color Palette persists and
does not change when a different track or region
is selected.
To use the Hold button to assign the same color to
multiple items:
1 Click the Hold button to enable it. The Hold
button becomes white, and the currently se-
lected color is now highlighted with a wider
white outline.
2 Select additional tracks or regions to which
you want to assign the same color. Because the
Hold button is enabled, the Color Palette does
not follow item selection; it remains (or
“holds”) at the last currently assigned color.
3 Click the assigned color again to assign it to
the new selection of tracks or regions. Use the
Apply to Selected pop-up menu to determine
which selected elements are affected.
4 To turn off Hold and return the Color Palette to
its default mode, click the Hold button until it
turns off.
Applying Track Color Coding to
Channel Strips
The Color Palette lets you apply the Track color
coding to channel strips in the Mix and Edit
windows.
To apply track color coding to channel strips:
1 Enable the Apply to Channel Strip button.
2 If necessary, adjust the Saturation slider to get
the color saturation you want.
3 If necessary, adjust the Brightness slider.
Color Coding applied to channel strips, Mix window
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 247
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks
Pro Tools provides a relative grouping function
for linking tracks and their controls.
Grouping Tracks
Groups are useful for editing several tracks in ex-
actly the same way, or for mixing several tracks
(such as a pair of stereo tracks or a submix) while
keeping them at the same relative volume level.
Pro Tools provides the following grouping
features:
• Up to 104 different groups are available, ar-
ranged in 4 banks of 26 Group IDs.
• Groups can be nested (subgroups within
groups).
• Grouped faders or controllers preserve their
levels relative to each other.
• Groups are assignable to an available VCA
Master track (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only).
Mix Groups, Edit Groups, and
Mix/Edit Groups
Mix Groups only affect mixing functions and
Edit Groups only affect editing. Mix/Edit
Groups link the grouping functions of the Mix
Group and the Edit Group.
Edit Groups
Edit Groups affect the following items in the
Edit and MIDI Editor windows:
•Track View
• Track Height
• Track Timebase
•Audio and MIDI editing functions
• Automation editing functions
Mix Groups in Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production
Toolkit 2
Mix Groups in Pro Tools HD and Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 can be set to affect the follow-
ing items:
•Main Mute
•Solo
•Send Level
• Send Mute
•Main Volume
•Main Pan
• Main LFE Level
•Record Enable
• Input Monitoring (Pro Tools HD only)
• Automation Mode
•Send Pan
• Send LFE Level
• Plug-In Controls
•Plug-In Bypass
Pro Tools Reference Guide248
Mix Groups in Pro Tools
Mix Groups in Pro Tools always affect the fol-
lowing:
• Main volume
• Automation mode
Mix Groups in Pro Tools can also be set to affect
the following:
• Main Mute
•Solo
•Send Level
• Send Mute
Grouping Limitations
Grouping does not affect these parameters:
• Voice assignment
• Output assignment
• Inserting plug-ins
• Elastic Audio plug-ins
Selectable Group Attributes
You can select which parameters, or attributes,
are linked in groups by the following methods:
• By making the group an Edit Group, a Mix
Group, or both (Mix/Edit Group).
• With Mix and Mix/Edit Groups, by selecting
from a list of attributes for the group.
• With Mix Groups in Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
only, by choosing whether the selected attri-
butes apply globally to all groups or to indi-
vidual groups.
Linking Mix and Edit Groupings
The Link Mix and Edit Group Enables option links
group enabling between the Mix and Edit win-
dows.
Pro Tools allows you to create groups that are
both Mix and Edit Groups, but in some cases you
may prefer not to link enabling of Mix and Edit
Groups. For example, when you are using the
Mix window for mixing, you may prefer to work
with large, nested groups. However, in the Edit
window or a MIDI Editor window, you may
want to perform editing tasks within a smaller
group. Disabling the Link Mix and Edit Group En-
ables preference lets you work with different
groups in the two windows.
To unlink Mix and Edit Groups:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
ing tab.
2 Deselect the Link Mix and Edit Group Enables
option.
3 Click OK.
In Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2, when the Main
Pan attribute is enabled for groups, grouped
behavior applies to the Link, Front inverse,
Rear inverse and Front/Rear inverse controls
in stereo and multichannel panner windows.
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 249
Mix Groups and VCA Masters
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
An existing Mix Group can be assigned to a VCA
Master, or a new Mix Group can be assigned to a
VCA Master while it is being created. Only one
group can be assigned to a VCA Master at a time.
A VCA Master cannot control a group that in-
cludes itself.
Group Controls
Menus and commands for creating and modify-
ing groups are accessible in the following:
•Group List
• Group name in the Group List
• Group ID indicator on a track
•Track > Group menu
The Group List
The Pro Tools track grouping functions are lo-
cated at the left side of the Mix, Edit, and MIDI
Editor windows in the Group List. This scrolling
window contains the names of all the groups in
your session, as well as a pop-up menu for ac-
cessing grouping commands. From this menu,
you can select and enable groups.
By default, every session has a group named All,
which includes every track in the session. The
All group cannot be edited or deleted.
Show/Hide Track List/Group List View
Button
To show the Group List (and Track List):
Click the Show/Hide Track List/Group List
View button in the Mix, Edit, or MIDI Editor
window.
Group ID
To the left of each name in the Group List is a
letter denoting its Group ID (“a” through “z”).
For information on assigning groups to
VCA Masters, see “Assigning Groups to
VCA Masters” on page 929.
Group List
Group List menu
Click to
select a
group by
typing its
letter
Click to
activate a
group
Click to
select group
members
on-screen
Show/Hide
Group List
Group IDs
Colors
Pro Tools Reference Guide250
Group Symbols
To the left of each Group ID (“a” through “z”) is
a symbol indicating whether that group is se-
lected in the current window (either the Mix or
Edit window). There are three types of Group
symbols, as shown in the following figure:
The Group symbols indicate the following:
Filled-in Circle Indicates that all members of the
group are currently selected, and no members
from outside the group are selected
Hollow Circle Indicates that only some members
of the group are currently selected
Circle with a Dot Indicates that all members of
the group are currently selected, plus additional
members outside the group
Group List Menu
The pop-up menu at the top of the Group List
provides the following commands:
New Group Executes the Track > Group com-
mand.
Display Provides commands to show Edit groups
only, Mix groups only, or all groups (Edit, Mix,
and Mix/Edit).
Suspend All Groups Suspends group behavior for
all Mix and Edit groups.
Modify Groups Opens Group dialog to modify
existing groups only.
Delete Active Groups Deletes only currently ac-
tive groups.
Group Name and Track Group ID
Indicator Pop-Up Menus
When you click and hold on a group name in
the Group List (or Right-click), or click a Group
ID indicator in a track, a pop-up menu provides
the following commands:
Tracks Displays track membership in group.
Attributes Displays attributes of group.
Modify Opens Group dialog to modify existing
groups only.
Duplicate Opens Group dialog for duplicated
group.
Delete Deletes a single group.
Select Tracks in Group Selects tracks in the
group.
Show/Hide Tracks in Group Shows or hides
tracks in the current group.
Show Only Tracks in Group Shows only the tracks
in the group and hides all other tracks.
Group Symbols
Hollow Circle
Filled In Circle
Circle with a Dot
Group List menu
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 251
Show All Tracks Shows all tracks in the session.
Group Dialog
Whether you are creating or modifying groups
with the Group List, a tracks’s Group ID indica-
tor, or the Track > Group menu command, you
use the Groups dialog.
The Group dialog lets you create new groups
and assign attributes to groups.
Group Dialog in Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production
Toolkit 2
In Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, the Group dialog has
three pages:
Tracks Lets you add and remove tracks from the
current group.
Attributes Lets you select which parameters are
linked for the current Mix or Mix/Edit Group.
Globals Lets you select parameters to use as a
template that can be applied to individual
groups by selecting the Follow Globals option.
Group Name pop-up menu
Group ID indicator pop-up menu
Group dialog (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2
Pro Tools Reference Guide252
Group Dialog in Pro Tools
In Pro Tools, the Group dialog has a single page.
Working with Groups
Creating Groups
You can select the tracks you want to add to a
group before creating it, or add and remove
tracks from a group after it has been created.
Creating Groups in Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production
Toolkit 2
To create a group in Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2:
1 Select the tracks you want to include in the
group. (If you do not select tracks at this time,
you can add tracks later.)
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Group.
– or –
• Choose New Group from the Group List
menu.
3 Type a name for the group.
4 Select the type of group to create: Edit, Mix, or
Mix/Edit.
5 Choose a Group ID from the ID pop-up menu.
Four banks of 26 are available: a–z, 2a–z, 3a–z,
4a–z. (If you do not choose a Group ID,
Pro Tools automatically assigns the next avail-
able ID to a new group.)
Group dialog (Pro Tools)
Selecting a Group Type
Choosing a Group ID
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 253
6 Click Tracks in the Group dialog, and do any
of the following:
• To add the tracks that are currently selected
in the session to the group, click the Add
button at the bottom of the Group dialog.
• To add tracks to the group, select the track
names in the Available track list, and click
Add or press A on the computer keyboard.
• To remove tracks from the group, select the
track names in the Currently In Group list,
and click Remove or press R on the com-
puter keyboard.
• Double-click track names in either list to
move them to the opposite column.
• To replace all tracks in the group with the
tracks that are currently selected in the ses-
sion, click the Replace button at the bot-
tom of the Group dialog.
7 If the group is a Mix Group or a Mix/Edit
Group, do the following:
• Set the Attributes for the Group (see “Set-
ting Group Attributes” on page 256).
• If you want to assign the group to an avail-
able VCA, select the VCA Master track from
the VCA pop-up menu.
8 Click OK.
Creating Groups in Pro Tools
To create a group in Pro Tools:
1 Select the tracks you want to include in the
group. (If you do not select tracks at this time,
you can add tracks later.)
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Group.
– or –
• Choose New Group from the Group List
menu.
3 Type a name for the group.
4 Select the type of group to create: Edit, Mix, or
Mix/Edit.
5 Choose a Group ID from the ID pop-up menu.
Four banks of 26 are available: a–z, 2a–z, 3a–z,
4a–z. (If you do not choose a Group ID,
Pro Tools automatically assigns the next avail-
able ID to a new group.)
Selecting track names to add to a group
In either list, Shift-click to select a range of
track names. Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) to select discontigu-
ous track names.
Choosing a VCA track to control a group
Pro Tools Reference Guide254
6 Do any of the following:
• To add the tracks that are currently selected
in the session to the group, click the Add
button at the bottom of the Group dialog.
• To add tracks to the group, select the track
names in the Available track list, and click
Add or press A on the computer keyboard.
• To remove tracks from the group, select the
track names in the Currently In Group list,
and click Remove or press R on the com-
puter keyboard.
• Double-click track names in either list to
move them to the opposite column.
• To replace all tracks in the group with the
tracks that are currently selected in the ses-
sion, click the Replace button at the bot-
tom of the Group dialog.
7 Select the items to be Linked Within Groups
(Mutes, Solos, Send Mute, Send Levels).
8 Click OK.
Modifying Groups
To modify a group:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Modify Groups from the Group List
menu.
• In the Mix window, click the Group ID in-
dicator on a track and choose Modify from
the pop-up menu.
• Right-click the Group name in the Group
List and choose Modify from the pop-up
menu.
2 In the Groups dialog, choose the group you
want to modify from the ID pop-up menu.
3 Change any of the following for the current
group:
•Group name
•Group type (Edit, Mix, or Mix/Edit)
• VCA status (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Follows Global status (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 only)
• Track membership
• Attributes (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Linked Within Group items (Pro Tools HD
and Pro Tools with Complete Production
Toolkit 2 only)
4 Click OK.
In either list, Shift-click to select a range of
track names. Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) to select discontigu-
ous track names.
Linked Within Groups options (Pro Tools)
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 255
To modify the settings for the “All” group in
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2:
1 Right-click the “All” group name in the Group
List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
2 In the Group dialog, select Edit, Mix, or
Mix/Edit to change the settings for the “All”
group. If you select Edit only or Mix only, the
“All” group will apply only to that Group type.
3 For Mix or Mix/Edit Groups, you can change
any of the following:
•Follows Global status
• Attributes
4 Click OK.
To modify the settings for the “All” group in
Pro Tools:
1 Right-click the “All” group name in the Group
List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu.
2 In the Group dialog, select Edit, Mix, or
Mix/Edit to change the settings for the “All”
group. If you select Edit only or Mix only, the
“All” group will apply only to that Group type.
3 For Mix or Mix/Edit groups, you can change
any of the following Linked Within Groups op-
tions:
•Mutes
•Solos
•Send Mutes
•Send Levels
4 Click OK.
Deleting Groups
One or all groups can be deleted at a time.
To delete a single group, do one of the following:
In the Mix window, click the Group ID indica-
tor on a track and choose Delete from the pop-
up menu.
– or –
Right-click the Group name in the Group List
and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.
Modify ALL Group dialog
Modify ALL Group dialog
Deleting a group cannot be undone.
Pro Tools Reference Guide256
To delete all currently active groups
Choose Delete Active Groups from the Group
List menu.
Duplicating Groups
You can duplicate a group and modify its set-
tings in order to quickly set up a mix.
To duplicate a group:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Group ID indicator on a track and
choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
– or –
• Right-click the Group name in the Group
List and choose Duplicate from the pop-up
menu.
2 Change any of the following for the current
group:
• Group name
• Group type (Edit, Mix, or Mix/Edit)
• VCA status (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Follows Global status (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 only)
• Track membership
• Attributes (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Linked Within Group items (Pro Tools only)
3 Click OK.
Setting Group Attributes
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When creating a Mix Group or a Mix/Edit
Group, you can select the Mix window parame-
ters that will be linked for that group. These
linked parameters are the attributes of the group.
You can select attributes in the Globals page and
then set individual groups to follow the Global
settings, or you can select attributes for groups
individually.
Selecting Attributes in the Global
Page
To select attributes in the Global page:
1 While creating or modifying a group, click
Globals in the Group dialog.
The “All” group cannot be deleted.
Globals page of Group dialog
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 257
2 Select the base set of attributes for groups in
your session.
3 Click OK to save the group and the new
Globals settings.
To select attributes for an individual group:
1 While creating or modifying a Mix Group or a
Mix/Edit Group, do one of the following:
• Click Attributes in the Group dialog, and
select the attributes you want to link.
– or –
•Enable Follow Globals to follow the base set
of attributes. The Attributes page grays out
to indicate that the group is following the
selections in the Globals page.
2 Click OK to save the settings.
For information on selecting attributes, see
“Selecting Group Attributes” on page 258.
For information on selecting attributes, see
“Selecting Group Attributes” on page 258. Attributes page of Group dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide258
Selecting Group Attributes
The following attributes can be selected for
Global settings and for individual groups.
Track controls:
• Main Volume
• Main Mute
• Main Pan
• Main LFE Level
• Record Enable
• Input Monitoring (Pro Tools HD only)
•Solo
• Automation Mode
Send controls (Sends A–J):
•Send Level
• Send Mute
•Send Pan
•Send LFE Level
Insert controls (Inserts A–J):
• Plug-In Controls
•Insert Bypass
To select the attributes for a group, do any of the
following:
Select individual attributes by clicking their
checkboxes.
To select or deselect all attributes, Alt-Shift-
click (Windows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) any
attribute.
To select or deselect all attributes for a single
Send or Insert (across a row), Start-click (Win-
dows) or Control-click (Mac) any attribute in
that row.
To select or deselect attributes for a single con-
trol across all Sends, all Inserts, or for the four
track controls (down a column), Alt-click (Win-
dows) or Option-click (Mac) any attribute in
that column.
Saving Group Attribute Presets
You can define six Group presets that can be re-
called on either the Attributes or Globals page
whenever you are creating or modifying a Mix
or Mix/Edit Group.
To save the current attribute settings as a Group
preset:
1 In the Groups dialog, click Save. (Follow
Globals must be unchecked to save a setting
from the Attributes page.)
2 In the Save Group Settings dialog, select one
of the six preset locations from the Location pop-
up menu, and click Save.
Saving a Group preset
Selecting a Group Settings Location
To save the current attribute settings
directly to a preset location, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the
preset button.
Chapter 14: Grouping Tracks 259
To recall a Group preset:
Click the corresponding Preset button (1–6) in
the Groups dialog. (Follow Globals must be un-
checked to recall a setting in the Attributes
page.)
Enabling Groups
Editing operations are not applied to members
of a group that are hidden with the Track List.
Mix operations (with the exception of record-
enabling of tracks) are applied to hidden tracks.
Pro Tools lets you create separate groups for ed-
iting and mixing. You set this option when you
use the New Group command. Groups that apply
to both editing and mixing can be decoupled.
To enable a group:
In the Group List, click the name of the group
you want to enable. The name is highlighted to
indicate that it is enabled.
To enable additional groups, click their names
in the Group List.
Moving a fader of a group member causes all
other group members to move relative to it. If a
fader belongs to multiple groups, and the groups
conflict when faders are moved, the fader will
follow the top-most or “parent” group to which
it belongs.
To disable a group:
In the Group List, click the name of the group
you want to disable. The name is unhighlighted
to indicate that it is not enabled.
Keyboard Selection of Groups
The Group List Keyboard Focus lets you type a
Group ID letter to automatically toggle that
group’s enable status.
In the Mix window, the Group List Keyboard
Focus is always enabled.
In the Edit window, you need to enable the
Group List Keyboard Focus to use it.
To enable the Edit Group List Keyboard Focus, do
one of the following:
Click the Keyboard Focus button in upper
right of the Edit Group List.
– or –
Press Control+Alt+3 (Windows) or Com-
mand+Option+3 (Mac).
To enable and disable groups using the Edit and
Mix Group List Keyboard Focus:
With Group List Keyboard Focus enabled,
type the Group ID letter (a–z) to automatically
enable or disable the corresponding group.
Recalling a Group preset
Group List Keyboard Focus enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide260
Temporarily Isolating Control of an
Item from Group Operation
You can temporarily isolate control of a group
item from group operation by Right-clicking on
the item.
The following items can be isolated from group
operation:
• Pan slider (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
• Channel Record Enable (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 only)
• Channel TrackInput (Pro Tools HD only)
• Send Pan slider
• Channel Volume fader
• Channel Pan slider
• Channel Mute button
• Channel Solo button
• Channel Record Enable button
• Channel TrackInput button
• Send fader
• Send Pan slider
Grouped Control Offsets
When the following controls are grouped with
offsets and moved to their extremes, relative off-
sets are preserved when the controls are moved
back from their extremes:
•Main Volume
• Main Pan (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Send Level
•Send Pan
For example, when a grouped Volume fader is
moved to its maximum value, any other faders
in that group that had higher values will re-
member their relative offset whenever the first
fader is pulled down again.
In Automation views, this “overflow” is indi-
cated on the automation playlist by blue auto-
mation breakpoints at the extremes of the auto-
mation playlist.
Setting Group Pan Controls to
Ignore Offsets
By default, offsets are preserved for grouped pan
controls. In some workflows, it is desirable to
have grouped pan controls match absolute val-
ues rather than preserve offsets.
To set grouped pan controls to ignore offsets:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
ing tab.
2 Select the Use Absolute Pan Linking option.
When this option is enabled, grouped pan con-
trols will snap to the absolute value of the pan
control that is being adjusted.
You can also temporarily suspend group
behavior for a track by Control-clicking
(Mac) or Start-clicking (Windows) a group
function.
Chapter 15: The Region List 261
Chapter 15: The Region List
The Edit Window displays all audio regions,
MIDI regions, and region groups in a single,
comprehensive Region List.
All regions of all types that are recorded, im-
ported, or created by editing appear in the Re-
gion List. Items can be dragged from the list to
tracks and arranged in any order. You can also
preview audio and MIDI regions and region
groups in the Region List.
Because region information can become
lengthy, the Region List can be scrolled or re-
sized as necessary.
Region List
Use the Region List as a bin for storing your
favorite audio loops and MIDI clips. Save
the session as a template and the regions are
available for future sessions (see “Session
Templates” on page 170).
Click Show/Hide Region List
button to hide Region List
Drag to resize width
of Region List Region List menu
Keyboard Focus
Pro Tools Reference Guide262
Region List Menu
The Region List menu provides tools to search,
select, sort, export, clear, and manage items in
the Region List.
To access the Region List menu:
In the Edit window, click the Region List
menu.
Displaying Regions in the Region
List
The Region List can show all region types (au-
dio, MIDI, video, Groups, Auto-Created), or
only certain region types. This is useful for iso-
lating the type of regions you want to work with
while editing and arranging. For example, when
arranging region groups, you may want the Re-
gion List to show only region groups.
To show or hide certain types of regions in the
Region List:
Click the Region List menu (at the top of the
Region List) and choose Show. From the sub-
menu, select or deselect the region type you
want to show or hide.
Audio Shows or hides audio regions in the Re-
gion List.
MIDI Shows or hides MIDI regions in the Region
List.
Video Shows or hides video regions in the Re-
gion List.
Groups Shows or hides region groups in the Re-
gion List.
Auto-Created Shows or hides automatically-cre-
ated regions (of all types) in the Region List.
These are regions that were created as a by-prod-
uct of cutting, pasting, and separating other re-
gions. Since these auto-created regions can be-
come numerous, hiding them (by deselecting
the option) helps you to avoid scrolling through
an unnecessarily long Region List.
In the Region List, whole-file audio regions are
displayed in bold, and stereo and multichannel
audio regions can be expanded to display indi-
vidual channels.
If the Region List Selection Follows Edit Selection
option is enabled in the Editing preferences, se-
lecting a region or region group in the Region
List selects it on any track where it is present in
assigned playlists. Likewise, selecting a region or
region group on a track selects it in the Region
List.
Region List menu
Hiding Auto-Created regions can be useful
when importing region groups (or REX files
as region groups), because these file types
can contain so many separate regions that it
becomes difficult to read the Region List.
Chapter 15: The Region List 263
Displaying File Info for Audio
Regions
In addition to region names, the Region List can
also display information about the region’s
color coding, type (audio, MIDI, and region
group), timebase, Elastic Audio processing, and
parent file:
Color Displays Track Color Coding as assigned
with Default Region Color Coding option in
Display Preferences page, or as assigned in the
Color Palette.
Icon Displays the icon for audio and MIDI re-
gions, and region groups.
Timebase Displays the timebase (samples or
ticks) for audio and MIDI regions, and region
groups.
Warp Indicator Displays the Warp Indicator icon
if Elastic Audio processing has been applied to
the region.
File Name Displays the parent file name.
Disk Name Displays the name of the hard drive
on which referenced file resides.
Full Path Displays the full directory path of the
region’s parent file.
Channel Name Displays the channel name for
audio files imported from field recorders.
Scene and Take Displays the scene and take for
audio files imported from field recorders.
Pro Tools displays only the region name in the
Region List by default.
Sorting and Searching in the
Region List
Most sessions will contain many regions, which
can make it challenging to swiftly locate a par-
ticular region in the Region List. Pro Tools lets
you sort and search regions in the Region List to
quickly locate any region you want.
Sorting Regions
To sort regions in the Region List:
1 Click the Region List menu (at the top of the
Region List) and choose Sort By.
2 From the submenu, select a basis for sorting.
Different options are available for audio and
MIDI regions. See “Sort By Options” on
page 264.
3 To set whether regions are listed in ascending
or descending order, click the Region List menu,
choose Sort By, and select Ascending or Descend-
ing.
Regions with file information shown in the Region List
When editing, the Region List can become
cluttered with auto-created regions. You can
hide auto-created regions by choosing Show
in the Region List menu, and deselecting
Auto-Created.
Pro Tools Reference Guide264
Sort By Options
The Sort By options let you sort regions to help
keep track of large numbers of regions.
Audio regions can be sorted by:
•Region Type
•Name
•Length
• Original Time Stamp
•User Time Stamp
•Timebase
• Start in Parent
• End in Parent
• File Name
• File Length
• File Creation Date
• File Modification Date
• Disk Name (audio and region groups only
•Track Format/Width
• By Channel Name
•By Scene and Take
MIDI regions can be sorted by:
• Name, Length
• Original Time Stamp
•User Time Stamp
•Timebase
• Start in Parent
• End in Parent
Regions can also be sorted by Region Type (Audio
and MIDI), or in Ascending or Descending order.
Finding Regions
Use the Find command to display all regions in
a list whose names contain a particular word or
phrase.
To find and display regions in the Region List:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Region List menu and choose
Find.
– or –
• Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+F (Windows).
Find Regions dialog
Chapter 15: The Region List 265
2 In the Find Regions dialog, do any of the fol-
lowing:
• Select By Name and type the name, or any
portion of the name, for regions you want
to find. The search string appears at the top
of the Region List.
• Select Include Subsequently Added Regions
to limit the display to newly added regions.
A plus (+) sign appears at the top of the Re-
gion List to indicate this option is selected.
• Select both options to start with a list of
named regions and allow display of added
regions.
Regions of any type whose name match the
word or phrase you searched are displayed in the
Region List. The search string is displayed at the
top of the Region List in brackets.
3 Click OK.
To repeat a previous search:
1 Click the Region List menu, and choose Find.
2 Click the small arrow to the right of the text
field in the Find dialog and select a text string
from the Find History pop-up menu.
The Find History is saved with the session.
In addition to storing each text string previously
entered, you can insert multiple entries into the
Find History manually (without having to per-
form each Find in order to store words or
phrases).
Found Regions in the Region List
Text entered into the Find dialog is saved
in a Find History, letting you quickly re-
peat previous searches with a minimum of
retyping.
An example of a Find history
Pro Tools Reference Guide266
To compile a Find History without performing each
search:
1 Click the Region List menu, and choose Find.
2 Type the name, or any portion of the name,
for the regions you want to find.
3 Click and hold the double arrow to the right
of the text field in the Find dialog and choose
Insert Entry from the pop-up menu.
4 Type another entry and choose Insert Entry
again to add additional search strings to the
history.
To remove an entry from the history:
1 Select it from the Find History pop-up menu so
it is displayed in the text field.
2 Choose Remove Entry from the Find History
pop-up menu.
To clear the Find History:
Choose Remove All Entries from the Find History
pop-up menu.
Selecting Regions in the
Region List
In the Region List, you can select regions so they
can be dragged to tracks, processed with Audio-
Suite plug-ins, or exported.
To select or deselect a region in the Region List,
do the following:
Click a region name that is unhighlighted to
select it.
– or –
Click a region name that is highlighted to de-
select it.
To select a range of regions in the Region List, do
one of the following:
Move the cursor to the left of the region
names, so the Marquee appears, and drag
around the regions you want to select.
– or –
Click the name of a region in the Region List,
and Shift-click an additional region name.
All regions that occur between the first region
selected and the additional region will also be
selected.
Region List while searching
Regions selected with Marquee
Chapter 15: The Region List 267
To select or deselect a range of regions with the
Marquee:
1 Move the cursor to the left of the region name
until the Marquee icon with a small “+” symbol
appears:
• To select regions, the Marquee should be to
the left of an unhighlighted region name.
• To deselect regions, the Marquee should be
to the left of a highlighted region name.
2 Click on the region name and drag up or
down (to select or deselect regions immediately
above or below the region name).
To select or deselect noncontiguous regions, do
one of the following:
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) region names that are unhighlighted
to select them.
– or –
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) region names that are highlighted to
deselect them.
Keyboard Selection of Regions
If Region List Keyboard Focus is enabled, you
can type the first few letters of a region’s name
and Pro Tools will automatically locate and se-
lect the region in the Region List.
To enable and use the Region List Keyboard Focus:
1 Click the Keyboard Focus button in the upper
right of the Region List.
2 Type the first or first few letters of the region
to automatically locate and select it. Once a re-
gion is located and selected, it can be dragged to
a track.
Keyboard selection of audio regions locates re-
gions based on their region name, not on the
names for their parent audio files or the volumes
on which they reside.
Select Options
In the Region List, you can select specific regions
so they can be dragged to tracks, processed with
AudioSuite plug-ins, or exported.
To select specific regions in the Region List:
From the Region List menu, choose Select,
and then choose one of the Select options:
All Selects all regions in the Region List.
Unused Selects regions that have not been
placed in a track in the current session. Offline
regions appear in the Region List italicized and
dimmed.
To select multiple noncontiguous regions in
the Region List, press and hold Command
(Mac) or Control (Windows) when making
subsequent selections.
Region List Keyboard Focus enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide268
Unused Except Whole Files Selects regions that
have not been placed in a track in the current
session, but do not include Whole-file regions.
Whole-file regions are regions that were created
when recording or importing audio, consolidat-
ing existing regions, and when nondestructively
processing with an AudioSuite plug-in. Whole-
file audio regions reference an entire audio file
that resides on your hard drive. Whole-file audio
regions are displayed in bold in the Region List
Offline Selects regions whose parent files cannot
be located, or are not available, when opening a
session or importing a track. Offline regions ap-
pear in the Region List as italicized and dimmed;
they appear in playlists as light blue regions
with italicized names.
Previewing Regions in the
Region List
You can preview audio and MIDI regions and re-
gion groups in the Region List. Previewing fol-
lows the master Audition path as selected in the
Output page of the I/O Setup. The base level for
previewing is determined by the Master Fader
(or Auxiliary Input) level assigned to the Audi-
tion path.
To preview a region in the Region List:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
region name.
Audio regions and region groups play back
through the specified Audition Path (see “Audi-
tion Paths” on page 91).
Sample-based regions play back at their native
tempo. Tick-based MIDI and Elastic Audio pro-
cessed regions play back at the session tempo
(based on the location of the playback cursor).
You can also preview regions from the Region
List during session playback.
MIDI regions play back using the Default Thru
Instrument selected in the MIDI Preferences
page (see “The Default Thru Instrument” on
page 473).
Auditioning Discrete Signals in
Multichannel Items
In the Region List, multichannel regions are au-
ditioned through the Audition Path specified in
the I/O Setup. Signals can be auditioned “in-
place,” or through all outputs, as described be-
low.
Audition In-Place
When auditioning a mono component of a
mono component region, the mono region can
be played from the corresponding channel of its
parent mono component region. This playback
method is called audition in-place.
To audition in-place:
1 In the Region List, make sure the stereo or
multichannel region is in expanded view (show-
ing .L, .R, and other component channels).
2 Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
region for the channel you want to audition.
Audition to All Outputs
When auditioning a mono component of a
mono component region, the region can be
routed equally to all outputs of the parent re-
gion’s Audition Path.
The Preview Volume control in the Import
Audio dialog also affects the preview
volume when auditioning regions in the
Region List.
Chapter 15: The Region List 269
To audition through all channels of the main
audition path:
Shift-Option-click (Mac) or Shift-Alt-click
(Windows) on the signal in the Region List.
Stereo and Multichannel
Regions in the Region List
Stereo and multichannel regions, whether im-
ported or recorded into Pro Tools, are displayed
as single items in the Region List. For example,
two mono source regions named “Main Pi-
ano.L” and “Main Piano.R” are listed as “Main
Piano (Stereo).” An expand/collapse triangle in-
dicates stereo and multichannel regions.
Stereo and multichannel regions are displayed
in the Region List by default in collapsed view.
The individual regions can be displayed by click-
ing the arrow to the left of the region to expand
the name.
To expand or collapse all stereo and multichannel
regions:
Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while
clicking the expand/collapse triangle.
Individual items of an expanded-view stereo or
multichannel region can be selected indepen-
dently of the other associated regions in the Re-
gion List.
Rules for Stereo and Multichannel
Regions
For stereo and multichannel audio regions to be
shown as collective regions, the component re-
gions must be the same length. If an existing ste-
reo or multichannel region has been dragged
onto multiple mono tracks and edited such a
way that one or more components are no longer
the same length, the stereo display is removed
and the regions are displayed as individual re-
gions in the Region List.
Naming and Displaying
Regions in the Region List
A typical session can become cluttered with doz-
ens of tracks and hundreds of regions. There are
a number of things you can do to keep track of
and manage a session’s regions, including:
• Renaming existing regions
• Specifying how auto-created regions are
named
• Hiding auto-created regions
• Removing unused regions
Renaming Regions
In the course of a session you can rename re-
gions to give them more descriptive names, or
to shorten or simplify existing names. When re-
naming a region that was auto-created during
editing, the region becomes a user-defined re-
gion and is displayed in the Region List even
when auto-created regions are hidden.
If a region resides in a track, you can easily re-
name it by double-clicking it with one of the
Grabber tools. However, if the region does not
reside in a track, or if you want to rename sev-
eral regions, use the Rename command in the
Region List.
Stereo regions, expanded (top) and collapsed (bottom)
Pro Tools Reference Guide270
You can also rename a region in a track using
the Rename command in the Region List menu
or the Right-click menu.
To rename one or more regions from the Region
List:
1 If you will be renaming an auto-created re-
gion, select Show > Auto-Created from the Region
List menu.
2 Select one or more regions to be renamed in
the Region List.
3 Do one of the following:
• From the Region List menu, choose Re-
name.
– or –
• Right-click on any selected region and se-
lect Rename from the pop-up menu.
4 In the Name dialog, type a new name for the
region. If a whole-file audio region was selected,
specify whether to rename just the region, or
both the region and the disk file.
5 Click OK to rename the region. If renaming
multiple regions, you are prompted, succes-
sively, to rename each region.
Auto-Naming Options
You can specify the auto-naming options for a
region when new regions are created from it in
the course of editing.
Auto-naming of regions does not affect the
names of parent audio files. Instead, it stores
pointers to the regions within the parent source
file.
To set auto-naming options for a region:
1 Select a region in the Region List.
2 Choose Auto Rename from the Region List
menu.
3 In the Rename Regions dialog, enter the text
to be used when naming regions created from
the selected region.
Name Determines the root name for the auto-
created regions.
Number Sets the start number for the sequen-
tially numbered new regions.
Zeros Determines the number of zeros that oc-
cur before the auto numbers.
Suffix Specifies text to be appended to the end of
the name, following the auto numbering.
4 Click OK.
If the Region List Selection Follows Edit Se-
lection option in the Editing Preferences
page is enabled, you can highlight a region
in the Region List by selecting it in a track.
Name dialog
Rename Selected Regions dialog
Chapter 15: The Region List 271
Managing Regions in the
Region List
In the course of editing a session, the Region List
can quickly fill up with many regions—with
ones you have created intentionally and also
with those that are automatically created by cut-
ting, pasting, and separating other regions, or
importing Region Group files (or REX files as re-
gion groups). Pro Tools lets you hide or remove
regions in your session so you do not have to
scroll through a long Region List.
Hiding Auto-Created Regions
You can hide regions that were automatically
created during the course of editing.
To hide auto-created regions:
From the Region List menu, deselect Show >
Auto-Created. With this option deselected, only
user-defined regions appear in the Region List.
User-defined regions include:
• Whole-file regions
• Regions created during recording
• Imported regions
• Renamed regions
• Regions created as a result of AudioSuite
processing
• New regions created with the Region >
Capture command or the Edit > Separate
Region commands
• Regions created by trimming whole-file
audio regions
When auto-created regions are hidden,
Pro Tools warns you if the number of auto-cre-
ated regions exceeds a certain threshold, and
gives you the option of deleting them. If you
choose to delete them, all auto-created regions
are deleted at the same time.
To ensure that you keep any specific auto-cre-
ated regions, rename them. When you name a
region, it is promoted from being an auto-cre-
ated region to a user-defined region (see “Re-
naming Regions” on page 269).
Removing Unwanted Regions
In the Region List, you can select unwanted re-
gions and then use the Clear command to re-
move them from the session. Whole-file regions
can also be permanently removed from the hard
drive on which they are stored.
To find and remove unused regions in a session:
1 Do any of the following:
• For MIDI regions, from the Region List
menu, choose Select > Unused.
– or –
• For audio regions, from the Region List
menu, choose Select, then choose Unused,
Unused Except Whole Files, or Offline (as ap-
propriate).
2 After all unused regions are selected, choose
Clear from the Region List menu.
The Clear command cannot be undone.
Pro Tools Reference Guide272
3 In the Clear Audio dialog, do one of the fol-
lowing:
• Click Remove to remove the unused regions
from the session.
– or –
• If clearing a whole-file audio region and
you want to permanently remove the au-
dio file from your hard drive, click Delete.
When deleting audio files for multiple regions,
Pro Tools presents a warning dialog for each au-
dio file.
To bypass repeated warning dialogs:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Delete button in the Clear dialog. This perma-
nently deletes each successive audio file from
your hard drive (for each of the unused regions)
without any further warning.
Region Name Right-Click
Commands
When you Right-click a region name in the Re-
gion List, a pop-up menu provides access to the
following commands:
Clear Removes selected regions from the ses-
sion.
Rename Renames selected regions.
Time Stamp Redefines the time stamp of se-
lected regions.
Replace Region Replaces multiple instances of a
region with another region.
Compact Compacts selected regions.
Export Region Definitions Exports definitions for
selected regions.
Export Regions as Files Exports selected regions
as files.
Recalculate Waveform Overviews Redraws wave-
forms for selected regions.
Select Parent in Workspace Highlights the par-
ent file of selected region in the DigiBase Work-
space Browser.
Object Select in Edit Window Selects region as an
object in the Edit window.
Clear Selected dialog (audio regions)
Use this “power delete mode” with caution:
Deletion of these files cannot be undone.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 273
Chapter 16: DigiBase
DigiBase combines an intuitive, browser-style
interface with an integrated databasing engine,
optimized for Pro Tools data and media man-
agement.
DigiBase browsers provide extensive databasing
tools for searching, sorting, auditioning, and
importing of audio, MIDI, video, plug-in set-
tings (.txf), and session files. Multiple browsers
can be displayed and arranged, with custom dis-
play settings provided to optimize your work en-
vironment.
DigiBase Data Flow
The following figure shows the data flow of a
Pro Tools session and DigiBase browsers. Arrows
show how files can be moved between the ele-
ments.
For information on dragging and dropping
files from DigiBase browsers to your
Pro Tools session, see “Importing Files with
Drag and Drop” on page 328.
Data flow between a Pro Tools session and DigiBase browsers
Workspace browser
Volume browsers Catalogs
Project browser
Relink window Task window
Pro Tools
session
Pro Tools Reference Guide274
DigiBase Browsers
DigiBase databases are accessed through Di-
giBase browsers. Browsers provide an intuitive
user interface to DigiBase databases with many
convenient features for various file manage-
ment tasks (such as search and sort functions).
Browsers in Pro Tools are analogous to windows
in your computer’s operating system, but are
specifically designed for Pro Tools workflow.
Multiple browsers can be displayed simultane-
ously, and arranged independently with custom
display settings for each.
Browsers let you search and sort audio files,
video files, and sessions. Audio, video, and ses-
sion files displayed in browsers can be dragged
directly into the current Pro Tools session.
When offline items are needed, Pro Tools lets
you find the correct matching files, then relink
to online media.
There are three types of Pro Tools browsers
available on all supported systems:
• The Workspace browser
• Volume browsers
• The Project browser
• Catalogs
Workspace Browser
The Workspace browser provides access to all
your mounted volumes, as well as the folders
and files they contain.
Using the Workspace browser, you can:
• Access all mounted volumes.
• Access all Catalogs.
• Search across multiple volumes and Cata-
logs simultaneously.
• Designate volumes for Record and Play-
back, Playback Only, or Transfer.
• Unmount volumes.
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items in any catalog or mounted
volume.
• Update databases for entire volumes.
Volume Browsers
Volume browsers provide file management for
local and network volumes. Volumes are format-
ted partitions on a physical drive (hard drive).
Open a Volume browser by double-clicking a
volume in the Workspace browser. Any changes
made in Volume browsers (such as copying, de-
leting, or moving files and folders) is mirrored
on the volumes themselves. Volumes include
mounted hard drives, network storage, and re-
movable media (such as CD-ROMs).
Using Volume browsers you can:
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items on the volume.
• Update a database for contents of the vol-
ume.
Project Browser
The Project browser provides powerful search
and management tools for the files referenced in
your current session, regardless of where they
are stored. Using the Project browser, you can:
• Show all the media files associated with the
current session, including any missing
files.
• View, manage, audition, and spot individ-
ual items.
For detailed information about the Work-
space browser, see “Workspace Browser” on
page 310.
For detailed information about the Project
browser, see “Project Browser” on page 313.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 275
Catalogs
Catalogs provide the highest level of Pro Tools
file management. Catalogs make it easy to orga-
nize files from multiple sources into libraries of
favorite files. Catalogs can be sorted and
searched, even when the files they reference are
offline. Catalogs can also be shared.
Using Catalogs, you can:
• Collect and organize files from any combi-
nation of volumes.
• Create catalogs of complete volumes to
view and search even if a volume is offline.
• View, manage, audition, and import indi-
vidual items in the catalog.
• Update a database for contents of catalog.
Task Window
The Task window is a utility for viewing and
managing all of the background tasks that you
initiate with Pro Tools. Use the Task window to
monitor, pause, or cancel background tasks such
as file copies, searches, indexing, and fade cre-
ation.
Relink Window
The Relink window provides tools and features
for relinking sessions and catalogs to media files.
Use Relink tools to search and reacquire missing
files for use in the current session.
Performance and Transfer
Volumes
DigiBase lets you view, manage, and import ses-
sions and media from both Performance and
Transfer volumes.
Performance Volumes Are storage volumes (hard
drives) that are suitable for playback and have
been designated in the Workspace browser as
Record and Playback (R) or Playback Only (P) of
media files in a Pro Tools session.
Transfer Volumes Are volumes that are not sup-
ported for media playback in Pro Tools (such as
shared network volumes or CD-ROMs), or stor-
age volumes (hard drives) that have been desig-
nated in the Workspace browser as Transfer (T)
volumes. Transfer volumes cannot be used to re-
cord or play back media in a Pro Tools session.
Designated Transfer (T) volumes can be useful
for transferring session and media files between
different Pro Tools systems.
For detailed information about Catalogs,
see “Catalogs” on page 315.
For detailed information about the Task
window, see “Task Window” on page 319.
For detailed information about the Relink
window, see “Relink Window” on
page 305.
For more information on volume designa-
tions, see “Audio and Video Volume Desig-
nators” on page 311.
Pro Tools Reference Guide276
Digidesign Databases
The information displayed in browsers is stored
in individual databases. Pro Tools creates these
databases automatically for all mounted vol-
umes, including Transfer volumes, on your sys-
tem drive.
Digidesign databases use three file types:
volume.ddb Stores media and session file meta-
data for a particular volume.
catalog.ddb Stores media and session file meta-
data for a user defined Catalog. Cataloged media
and session files are can reside on multiple vol-
umes, including Transfer volumes.
Wavecache.wfm Stores waveform overviews for
all audio files referenced by each session.
Volume Databases
For each volume (whether they be local hard
drives, removable media, or shared network
storage), a database file is created in a folder
named Digidesign Databases, on the system
drive.
On Mac, they are stored in the Library/
Application Support/Digidesign/Databases/
Volumes folder.
On Windows, these databases are stored in the
Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\
Databases\Volumes folder.
Sharing Database Files
Database files can be shared among users. This is
particularly useful for Transfer volumes, elimi-
nating duplicate processing (indexing) time.
For example, shared volumes (such as network
storage volumes) tend to be large, and indexing
can be a time consuming task. To avoid dupli-
cate effort, one user can manually index part or
all of the shared volume just once, then email
the database files to other users. Database files
can be added by placing them within each user’s
Volumes folder. Periodic manual indexing then
keeps all databases current.
Sharing Catalogs
Catalogs can be created for a particular project
and then shared among multiple systems to
help facilitate more efficient workflow. Catalogs
are stored as database files on your system drive.
On Windows, Catalog database files are stored
in the Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\
Databases\Catalogs folder.
On Mac, Catalog database files are stored in the
Library/Application Support/ Digidesign/
Databases/Catalogs folder.
If you delete the Digidesign Database
folder, all existing database information is
lost. To recreate a deleted Digidesign Data-
base folder, re-index your storage volumes
(see “Indexing DigiBase Databases” on
page 280).
Chapter 16: DigiBase 277
Browser Windows and Tools
Browsers display all files in their database, including Pro Tools and non-Pro Tools files. Unknown file
types can be shown, as well as aliases, and desktop folders.
To maximize processing speed and protect vital
components, DigiBase does not display all fold-
ers. For example, in Windows, DigiBase brows-
ers do not display the Program Files, Windows,
Digidesign Databases, WU Temp, or System Vol-
ume Information folders; and on Mac, DigiBase
browsers do not display the System, Applica-
tions, Library, or Digidesign Databases folders.
This excludes them from being indexed,
searched, sorted, or affected in any way by Di-
giBase tasks. You should not store Pro Tools ses-
sion or media files in any of these folders.
The main elements of a DigiBase browser in-
clude the following.
Title Bar Shows the browser type (Work-space,
Volume, Project or Catalog), and the name of its
associated volume, session or catalog.
Toolbar Provides the Browser menu, Search icon,
View Presets (numbered 1–5), browser naviga-
tion tools, and preview tools.
Items List Displays the contents of a volume,
folder, session, or Catalog database in rows.
Basic browser tools, panes, and columns (Volume browser shown)
Toolbar
Items List
Fixed pane Scrolling pane
Pane split
Show/Hide
Title bar
Column headers
Columns
Search icon View Presets Browser menu
Preview controls
Browser Back arrow
Pro Tools Reference Guide278
Columns Identifies the type of metadata dis-
played in the items list (such as file name and
format) for volumes, folders, and files in the
Items List.
• Columns can be resized by dragging the
column border, or rearranged by dragging
the Column headers.
• Columns can be dragged to either of two
available panes, the Fixed or Scrolling
panes.
Each row of data in a browser represents an Item
(such as a file or folder). Data about each item is
displayed in columns. Columns can be arranged
and placed in either the Fixed pane or the Scroll-
ing pane.
Opening Browsers
There are several ways to open, close, and navi-
gate within browsers.
To open the Workspace browser:
Choose Window > Workspace.
To open a Volume browser:
1 Open the Workspace browser (Window > Work-
space).
2 Double-click a volume or folder in the Items
List. A new Volume browser opens.
To open the Project browser:
1 Open a Pro Tools session.
2 Choose Window > Project.
To open a Catalog browser:
1 Open the Workspace browser (Window > Work-
space).
2 Click the Expand/Collapse icon next to the
Catalogs icon to show all Catalogs, if they are
not already visible.
3 Double-click a Catalog.
To open another Volume or Catalog in a new
browser window and leave the current Volume or
Catalog browser open:
Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-
double-click (Windows) the Volume or Catalog.
Viewing the Contents of a Volume,
Folder, or Catalog
To expand or collapse the currently selected
folder, do one of the following:
Click the Expand/Collapse icon next to the
folder.
– or –
Select a volume, folder, or Catalog, and press
the Right Arrow key to expand, or the left Arrow
key to collapse.
To move up one browser level:
Click the Back arrow in the Browser toolbar.
To move up one browser level, press Com-
mand+Up Arrow key (Mac) or Control+Up
Arrow key (Windows).
Chapter 16: DigiBase 279
Moving Browsers to the
Foreground or Background
To bring all open browsers to the foreground:
Choose Window > Browsers > Bring to Front.
To send all browsers to the background:
Choose Window > Browsers > Send to Back.
All open browsers are moved to the background,
bringing the other windows to the foreground.
Browsers remain open and accessible.
To bring an open browser to the foreground:
Choose Window > Browsers, and select an open
browser from the submenu.
To cycle to the next or previous browser:
Press Control+Left/Right Arrow keys (Win-
dows) or Command+Left/Right Arrow keys
(Mac).
Closing Browsers
To close all browsers:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Close box of any browser.
Working wIth Items in
Browsers
Opening Sessions
To open a Pro Tools session listed in a browser:
With no Pro Tools session currently open,
double-click a Pro Tools session file in any Di-
giBase browser.
Opening AAF and OMF Sequences
AAF and OMF sequences can be opened from
DigiBase browsers.
You can also drag and drop AAF and OMF se-
quences from browsers into the current session.
To open an AAF or OMF sequence from a DigiBase
browser:
1 Do one of the following:
• With no Pro Tools session currently open,
double-click the AAF or OMF sequence in a
browser.
– or –
• Drag the AAF or OMF sequence from a
browser to the Timeline in an open session.
2 Configure the Import Session Data dialog.
3 Click OK.
To bring all browsers to the foreground,
press Option+J (Mac) or Alt+J (Windows).
To send all browsers to the background,
press Option+Shift+J (Mac) or Alt+Shift+J
(Windows).
Because the Task window is a utility and
not a browser, it remains open.
Pro Tools Reference Guide280
Creating and Opening Browser
Folders
Browsers let you create and manipulate folders
(file system sub-directories). All folders have Ex-
pand/Collapse icons to show their contents.
Dragging items onto a folder icon is the same as
dragging into an open browser.
To create a new folder in a Volume browser or
Catalog:
1 Choose New Folder from the Browser menu.
2 Type a name for the folder, and click OK.
(Click Cancel to cancel the new folder.)
In Volume browsers, the folder is created on
disk. In Catalogs, the folder is created in the Cat-
alog only. The Items List updates as new items
are added.
To open a folder in the current browser:
Double-click the folder, or click the Ex-
pand/Collapse icon for the item.
To create and open a folder in its own new
browser:
Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-
double-click (Windows) the folder. The previous
(parent) Browser window remains open.
Scrolling and Moving Selections
To scroll the active pane up or down:
Press the Page Up or Page Down key.
To scroll to the top or bottom of the active pane:
Press Home (for the top) or End (for the bot-
tom).
To move items up or down in the current browser:
1 Select items in a browser, and make sure that
window is in the foreground.
2 Press the Up or Down Arrow key.
Text Entry in Browsers
Many text fields can be edited to replace or up-
date data for an item.
To enter an edit to a text field and exit, and return
to the previous display state:
Press Enter.
To revert to the previous text and cancel a text
edit:
Press Esc.
Indexing DigiBase Databases
Indexing is the process of reading media files,
extracting just the metadata for each file, then
storing that data in an associated database so
that it may be displayed in the columns of a
browser. Once a volume or folder has been fully
indexed, it can be searched very quickly because
all of the metadata has already been sorted and
organized.
With the browser in the foreground and the
folder selected, press Command+Down Ar-
row key (Mac) or Control+Down Arrow key
(Windows) to open a folder in the current
browser.
With the browser in the foreground and the
folder selected, press Control+Alt+Down
Arrow key (Windows) or Command+Op-
tion+Down Arrow key (Mac) to open a
folder in its own new browser.
For details on column editing, see “Column
Data” on page 286.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 281
If a volume or folder has not been indexed, it is
indexed automatically the first time it is opened
in a DigiBase browser. Volumes or folders con-
taining a lot of media files can take a long time
to index. For this reason, you may want to man-
ually index specific volumes or files prior to
starting a project to help expedite workflow.
Indexing while Browsing
The first time you open a Volume browser for a
volume or folder that has never been indexed,
Pro Tools automatically begins to fill the data-
base for that level of the volume. Files and fold-
ers appear in the browser Items List, along with
metadata in the columns for each item. Index-
ing continues until you either close the browser,
or until that folder is completely indexed.
The next time you open that browser, metadata
for items that have already been indexed is visi-
ble immediately. If the browser or folder was
closed before indexing was complete, or if the
contents of the folder have changed since the
last time it was browsed, Pro Tools automati-
cally updates the database the next time it is
opened. This way, the database is always up to
date for the folder you are browsing. (View the
Task Manager to see current activity.)
Indexing while Browsing saves time because it
only fills the database for items on the level of
the volume that you are currently browsing. For
example, if you are browsing the root level of
the volume, it indexes only the folders and files
on the root level. If you open a folder, Pro Tools
indexes just the items in that folder. As a result,
a database is only indexed for the parts of the
volume that you have browsed. However,
searches are faster and more complete when a
volume is already completely indexed.
Manual Indexing
Manual indexing fills in all missing data, and
updates changed data for selected folders and all
of their sub-folders.
To update the index for a folder and all sub-folders:
1 Select the item in a browser Items List.
2 Choose Update Database for Selected from the
Browser menu.
To update the index for an entire volume:
1 Select the volume to update in the Workspace
browser.
2 Choose Update Database for Selected from the
Browser menu.
Last Indexed Date Display
The Last Indexed column shows the date that
the index for that folder and all of its sub-folders
was updated. Keep in mind that individual sub-
folders may have been updated more recently.
Automatic Updating for Pro Tools Actions
Whenever Pro Tools adds, deletes, or modifies a
file on a volume or in a session, the appropriate
database is immediately updated to reflect the
change.
Changes that are made with Windows Ex-
plorer or the Mac Finder (such as copying or
moving files) are not tracked by Pro Tools
and are only indexed if the necessary folder
is browsed or if a manual index is per-
formed.
Pro Tools Reference Guide282
The Browser Menu
All Browser windows provide a Browser menu in
the upper right corner of their toolbar. The
Browser menu provides commands specific to
each type of browser, as described below.
Not all browser commands are available in all
browsers, as noted.
New Folder Creates a new folder on the current
volume, or within the current Catalog. In Vol-
ume browsers, a new folder is created on disk.
Available in Catalog and Volume browsers only.
For more information, see “Creating and Open-
ing Browser Folders” on page 280.
New Catalog Creates a new, empty Catalog.
Available in the Workspace browser only.
Create Catalog from Selection Creates a fully in-
dexed catalog of the selected items.
Calculate Waveform Calculates the waveform
displays for selected audio files, or all files con-
tained in selected folders.
Update Database for Selected Updates the data-
base for the currently selected volumes or fold-
ers. Available in Workspace and Volume brows-
ers only.
Calculate Elastic Analysis Calculates Elastic Au-
dio analysis data for all selected audio files. An-
alyzed files are indicated by a check mark to the
left of the file name. Analyzed files where a
tempo has been detected are also updated as
tick-based, display their duration in Bars|Beats,
and display their native tempo in the Tempo
column.
Clear Elastic Analysis Clears Elastic Audio analy-
sis data for all selected audio files. Files cleared of
Elastic Audio analysis data revert to sample
timebase, display their duration in minutes and
seconds, and do not report a tempo.
Select Offline Files Selects all files that are cur-
rently offline.
Select Transfer Files Selects all files identified as
Transfer files (files found on media that do not
support playback).
Select Online Files Selects all files that are on-
line.
Invert Selection Reverses (inverts) the current se-
lection.
Reveal in Finder/Explorer Opens the corre-
sponding parent window in the Finder (Mac) or
Explorer (Windows) for the currently selected
file.
Reveal in Browser Opens the parent browser for
the selected item. The selected item is high-
lighted in its parent browser.
Relink Offline Opens the Relink window. Avail-
able in the Project browsers only.
Browser menu icon
For more information, see “Waveforms” on
page 295.
For more information, see “Elastic Audio
Analysis” on page 296.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 283
Relink Selected Opens the Relink window, with
all selected files from the current browser dis-
played and selected as Files to Match. Available
in Catalogs and Project browsers only.
Copy and Relink Copies items currently selected
in the Project browser to a chosen location, and
relinks the session to the copies instead of the
originals. Use this to easily move files from a
Transfer to a Performance volume. This com-
mand is also available in Catalogs to copy items
and relink the current Catalog to the copies.
Duplicate Selected Creates a duplicate of the se-
lected items in the same location.
Lock Selected Locks all selected items. Any files
already locked remain so. Locking a folder locks
all files and sub-folders it contains.
Unlock Selected Unlocks the selected items.
Delete Selected Deletes any selected item. In the
Workspace, Project, and Volume browsers, de-
leting an item deletes it from the disk. In Cata-
logs, you are asked whether you want to clear
the items from the Catalog (leaving your disks
unchanged) or delete the files referenced by the
Catalog items.
Unmount Lets you unmount any online volume.
Available in the Workspace browser only.
Auto-Preview Enables or disables automatic pre-
view of files. When this option is enabled, se-
lecting a file in the browser starts preview. The
Preview button updates to show that Auto-Pre-
view is enabled. Additionally, the Preview but-
ton updates to show an Auto-Preview icon.
Loop Preview Previews the selected file by loop-
ing playback of the file. If multiple files are se-
lected, only the first selected file previews.
When Loop Preview mode is enabled, the Pre-
view button updates to show a Loop Preview
Mode icon.
Spacebar Toggles File Preview Enables or dis-
ables the Spacebar for starting and stopping pre-
view. When this option is disabled, use the Pre-
view button to start and stop preview. In this
mode, the spacebar starts and stops session play-
back. This lets you play back the session and,
with the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
option enabled, preview the selected audio file
in time with the session.
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo Con-
forms all tick-based audio files with Elastic Au-
dio analysis, as well as REX and ACID files, to
the session tempo. This option lets you play
back the session and simultaneously preview
the selected files in time with the session. This
option is only available when a session is open.
For more information, see “Conforming Preview
to the Session Tempo” on page 301.
When the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
option is enabled, Pro Tools analyzes un-ana-
lyzed files on preview or import. Audio files that
have been analyzed as tick-based can then be
previewed at the session tempo and conform to
the session tempo on import.
When the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
option is disabled, any tick-based audio files
with Elastic Audio analysis, and REX and ACID
files preview and import at their native tempo.
While Pro Tools is running, always use the
Unmount command in the Workspace
browser menu to unmount the volume, or
quit Pro Tools and then unmount the
volume.
When a browser is front-most, Control+P
(Windows) or Command+P (Mac) starts
and stops preview. Also, the Esc key stops
preview.
Pro Tools Reference Guide284
Additional DigiBase Commands in
Catalogs
In Catalogs, the following additional com-
mands are available to manage Comments in se-
lected items.
Copy Database Comments to Clip Names Copies
an item’s Database comments to its Clip Name.
Copy File Comments to Clip Names (Mac Only)
Copies an item’s File Comments to its Clip
Name.
Browser Panes and Display
Browsers display an Items List consisting of var-
ious columns (such as file name, size, creation
date, and sample rate). The Items List is split
into two panes. Individual columns can be
placed in either pane, and all columns can be
shown or hidden, resized, reordered, and sorted.
Moving Columns Between Panes
Columns in browser can be placed in either
pane. Move columns you frequently need to see
into the left-hand pane. Columns that you use
less often can be moved to the right-hand pane.
To move columns between panes:
Drag the column header to a different pane.
To show or hide the right-hand pane:
Click the Show/Hide icon in the lower right
corner of the lefthand pane.
Arranging and Resizing Columns
To rearrange columns in a pane:
Drag the column header to a new position.
To resize a column:
Drag the column header boundary to a new
width.
Showing and Hiding Columns
You can show or hide individual columns in Di-
giBase browsers to fit your workflow. The default
column display includes the items you would
use in most sessions.
For more information on Comments, see
“Comments Fields” on page 288.
Show/Hide Pane icon
Chapter 16: DigiBase 285
To show or hide individual columns:
Control-click (Mac), Start-click (Windows), or
Right-click a column label and select or deselect
the column name from the pop-up menu.
To show or hide all columns:
Control-click (Mac), Start-click (Windows), or
Right-click a column header and choose ALL or
NONE from the pop-up menu. (Only the Name
and Clip Name columns remain when you
choose NONE.)
To show the default set of columns:
Control-click (Mac), Start-click (Windows), or
Right-click a column header and choose DE-
FAULT from the pop-up menu.
View Presets
Pro Tools lets you save up to five preset views for
each type of browser, and the Relink window.
Presets can be recalled by clicking a View Preset
button. View Presets are specific to each type of
browser.
To store a View Preset:
1 Open a browser, or the Relink window.
2 Arrange columns and views.
3 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) one of the five View Preset buttons.
To recall a saved preset:
Click the appropriate View Preset button.
About View Preset 1
Preset 1 becomes the default layout for other
browsers of its type when they are opened for
the first time.
Sorting Columns
Columns can be sorted in ascending or descend-
ing order, and multiple sorts can be applied (up
to four levels).
To sort by columns:
Click the column title header.
It is often helpful to perform a secondary sort
(for example, to sort by tape and timestamp).
Showing and hiding columns
Browser View preset buttons
Pro Tools Reference Guide286
To add a secondary sort:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
column title for the secondary sort criteria.
To toggle the current sort order between
ascending and descending:
Click the Sort toggle arrow, at the top of the
vertical scroll bars.
Column Data
In browsers, each row of data represents an item
in a database (such as a file, session, or volume).
Each column displays specific data for an item,
as follows.
Status The Status column is the first column on
the left, and it displays the status of each item,
as follows.
Name Displays the name of the file, folder, vol-
ume, catalog, or session. This text field is edit-
able in all browsers except Catalogs.
A Designates volumes for audio R (Record and
Playback), P (Playback only), or T (Transfer).
Available in the Workspace browser only.
V Designates volumes as video R (Record and
Playback), P (Playback only), or T (Transfer).
Available in the Workspace browser only.
Kind Displays whether the volume, folder, cata-
log, or file. For files, this column displays what
kind of file it is: session file, audio file, video file,
or other. This field cannot be edited. For audio
files, this column also indicates whether the file
is sample-based to tick-based.
Size Displays the size of a file in kilobytes. For
folders, the total size of all files in the folder is
displayed. This field cannot be edited.
Date Indexed Displays the last indexed date for
the item. This field cannot be edited.
Capacity Displays the total capacity of a volume.
This field cannot be edited.
Free Displays the unused space on volumes.
This field cannot be edited.
Waveform Displays a graphical overview of an
audio file. See “Waveforms” on page 295 for
more information.
Duration Displays the duration of a file in abso-
lute time (minutes and seconds), regardless of
the time code format. For region groups, MIDI,
tick-based Elastic Audio files, REX, and ACID
files, Duration displays Bars and Beats. This field
cannot be edited.
Performing a secondary sort
Status Icons and Display
Icon Text Status
none Black Online
none Blue italics Offline
T Blue italics Transfer
√Blue Elastic Audio
Analysis
Calculated
Primary Sort Secondary Sort
For more information, see “Audio and
Video Volume Designators” on page 311.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 287
File Comment Displays any embedded com-
ments associated with the file. File comments
are supported with BWF and SD II files, but are
not supported with AIFF files. File Comments al-
ways remain with the file when copied, con-
verted, or transferred. See “Comments Fields”
on page 288 for more information.
Database Comment Displays user comments
stored with the database, with support for
Finder comments. Available in the Project
browser and Catalogs only. See “Comments
Fields” on page 288 for more information.
Date Modified Displays the last modified date for
the item. This field cannot be edited.
Date Created Displays the creation date of an
item. This field cannot be edited.
Number of Channels Displays the number of
channels in an audio file: mono, stereo, or 3–8
as appropriate for supported multichannel files.
This field cannot be edited.
Format Displays the audio file format: WAV,
WAV (ACID) for ACID files, WAV (BWF), AIFF,
MP3, or ReCycle for REX files. This field cannot
be edited.
Sample Rate Displays an audio file’s sample
rate. This field can be edited in browsers for
WAV and SDII files only. This can be useful
when dealing with audio that has been pulled
up or down, or to force a sample rate conversion
to occur if that is necessary before importing a
file that otherwise would not require conver-
sion.
Bit Depth Displays an audio file’s bit depth. This
field cannot be edited.
Tempo Displays the tempo associated with re-
gion group, MIDI, tick-based Elastic Audio files,
REX, and ACID files, and session files. This field
cannot be edited.
Video Compression Displays the compression ra-
tio of video files where applicable.
Frame Rate Displays the frame rate of video files
where applicable.
Original Time Stamp Displays the original time
stamp (time code location) of audio or video
files.
User Time Stamp Displays the user time stamp,
if any, of audio files only.
Path Displays the directory path to the item.
Unique ID Displays the unique ID for a Pro Tools
file.
Tape This column displays the original Avid
tape name if the item is an OMF file (audio or
video). If an audio file was originally recorded in
Pro Tools, this field displays the name of the
original session.
TC Rate This column displays the frame rate of
the item if the item is an AAF sequence or an
OMF sequence or file: 24, 25, 29.97, 30, drop or
non-drop. For sequences, the frame rate at the
start of the sequence is displayed.
Channel Names Displays the channel name and
number data embedded in multichannel audio
files. You can edit the Channel name for mono
BWF files only. When editing the channel
name, anything entered in parentheses is dis-
carded. However, the channel number will al-
ways be preserved.
When importing SD II files into Pro Tools
8.0.3 sessions or higher, they must be con-
verted to a supported session file format
(.WAV or .AIF).
Video files originally recorded in Pro Tools
with AVoption|XL do not display a tape
name.
Pro Tools Reference Guide288
Scene Displays scene number data embedded in
audio files.
Take Displays take number data embedded in
audio files.
Shoot Date Displays origination date and time
information embedded in audio files. However,
many field recorders do not populate the Shoot
Date field, relying instead on the file’s Creation
Date to indicate date of production. When
Pro Tools imports a field recorder file, it checks
to see if the Shoot Date field is populated. If it is
empty, Pro Tools copies the Creation Date of the
original source file to the Shoot Date field of the
new imported files. This field cannot be edited.
Sound Roll Displays sound roll number data
(This data is usually named “Tape” in BWF files,
but is distinct from the date displayed in the Di-
giBase Tape column). This field cannot be ed-
ited.
Sound Roll TC Displays the starting time code of
audio files. This field cannot be edited.
Sound Roll TC Rate Displays the frame rate in-
formation embedded in audio files: 24, 25,
29.97, 30, drop or non-drop. This field cannot
be edited.
User Bits Displays text information embedded
in audio files. This field can be used for user
comments, or auto-generated info with certain
field recorders.
Tape ID Displays tape ID information embedded
in audio files. This field cannot be edited.
Project Displays the project name data embed-
ded in audio files.
Circled Indicates if the status of a take is set to
“circled” (No or Yes) in audio files. This is usually
for indicating which take should be used.
Plug-In Name Displays the name of the plug-in
for Plug-In Settings files (.txf).
Plug-In Manufacturer Name Displays the plug-in
manufacturer’s name for Plug-In Settings files
(.txf).
Link Path Displays the path to the file used for
relinking. Available in the Relink window only.
Clip Name Displays the name of the file, or the
Avid clip name when the item is an AAF or OMF
file. The Clip Name is what appears in the Time-
line and Region List when a file is imported into
a session. This field can be edited in Catalogs
only, and can be generated using either of the
Copy Comments to Clip Name commands in
the Browser menu (see “Additional DigiBase
Commands in Catalogs” on page 284).
Comments Fields
Comments about individual files can be stored
in the database, and embedded with the file’s
metadata wrapper.
There are two types of comments fields: File
Comments and Database Comments.
File Comments
File Comments are stored with the metadata of
the file itself. Not all file types support File Com-
ments. Indexing stores File Comments in the da-
tabase, allowing them to be searched and
viewed even if the file is offline. File Comments
can be edited in browsers, as long as the files or
their parent media are not defined as read-only.
You can also add and edit File Comments to
Pro Tools Session files from the Project browser.
File Comments cannot be edited in Catalogs.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 289
Database Comments
(Catalogs and Project Browsers Only)
Database Comments in a Catalog are stored in
the Catalog database. Database comments in the
Project browser are stored in the Session. Data-
base Comments, which can be up to 256 charac-
ters in length, are searchable, cross-platform,
and editable. For more information, see “Com-
ments and Catalogs” on page 316.
Adding and Editing Comments
To add, view, or edit a Comment:
1 Click the Comments field. The field expands
to display the entire contents of the field if nec-
essary.
2 Enter or edit a comment.
3 Press Enter, or click outside the text box to
close it.
Selecting Items
To select a single item in a browser:
Click the icon for an item. When selected, the
item Name is highlighted.
To select multiple items:
Marquee-select a group of items, or Shift-click
additional items. Command-click (Mac) or Con-
trol-click (Windows) to select multiple noncon-
tinuous items.
To select all items listed:
Press Command-A (Mac) or Control-A (Win-
dows).
To select all Transfer files in the current window:
Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser
menu.
To select all offline files:
Choose Select Offline Files from the Browser
menu.
To select all online files:
Choose Select Online Files from the Browser
menu.
To reverse the current selection:
Choose Invert Selected from the Browser
menu.
Moving, Copying, Duplicating,
and Deleting Items
Moving, copying, duplicating, and deleting
items in browsers follow the same rules and be-
havior as in the operating system. For example,
moving a file to another volume copies the file,
and Pro Tools warns you if an items is about to
be overwritten or replaced. Dragging an item
from a Catalog to a Volume browser always
makes a new copy of the item.
You can also type the first letter, or the first
few letters, of the item you want to select in
the browser. For example, if you have a
folder full of drum loops, and the one you
are looking for is named “Ska Loop,” just
type the letters S and K on your computer
keyboard and the first item that starts with
“sk” will be highlighted in the list.
Pro Tools Reference Guide290
Moving Items
To move items:
Select one or more items and drag them to a
new location. Moving to a new location on the
same volume moves the item, while moving to a
different volume copies the item.
Copying Items
To copy and move items:
Select one or more items and Option-drag
them to a new location.
Duplicating Items
To duplicate one or more items:
1 Select one or more items.
2 Choose Duplicate Selected from the Browser
menu.
Deleting Items and Folders
You can select and delete files and folders in all
browsers. If a selected item resides on a read-
only volume, it cannot be deleted.
For Catalogs, see “Deleting Catalog Items” on
page 291 for additional information.
To delete one or more items:
1 Select one or more items.
2 Do one of the following:
•Press Delete.
– or –
• Choose Delete Selected from the Browser
menu.
3 Pro Tools asks you to verify that you want to
permanently delete selected files from disk.
Click Delete to proceed, or click Cancel to leave
your files and disks unchanged.
To delete locked files:
1 Select one or more items.
2 Press Command+Delete (Mac) or Control+De-
lete (Windows).
You can drag items directly into the Time-
line or Region List of the current session. See
“Importing Files with Drag and Drop” on
page 328.
To Duplicate selected items in the Browser,
press Command-D (Mac) or Control-D
(Windows).
To skip the warning dialog, hold down the
Option key while pressing Delete (or while
choosing Delete Selected).
Chapter 16: DigiBase 291
Deleting Catalog Items
When you delete a folder or item from a Cata-
log, Pro Tools lets you choose whether to delete
only the alias from the Catalog, or also delete
the original files from the disk.
To delete an item from a Catalog.
1 Open a Catalog and select one or more items.
2 Do one of the following:
•Press Delete.
– or –
• Choose Delete Selected from the Browser
menu.
3 When prompted, do one of the following:
• To remove the aliases for the selected items
from the Catalog, click Aliases.
– or –
• To delete the selected items from disk (and
remove their aliases from the Catalog),
click Files.
Deleting Folders in Catalogs
Deleting a folder from a Catalog does not delete
the folder on disk (even if you choose to delete
all files from disk). Because Catalogs are “snap-
shots” of items, their aliases only include files
that resided in the corresponding folder at the
time the Catalog was created. To avoid potential
data loss, folders are never deleted from disk,
even though you might choose to delete Files in-
stead of Aliases.
Searching Items
DigiBase provides powerful search capabilities
so you can quickly search and find files.
The Workspace browser lets you search across
multiple volumes and catalogs (if available). All
other browsers let you search the currently dis-
played contents of that individual browser.
Performing a search filters the Items List or
Search Results pane to display only found items
that match the search criteria.
The Relink window provides specialized search
capabilities for finding and relinking missing
files. For more information, see “Linking and
Relinking Files” on page 302.
Search Features for All Systems
All systems provide the following search capa-
bility:
• Search by item Name, Kind, and Date Modi-
fied.
• Results of a search are displayed in the Items
List, where they can immediately be selected
for auditioning, copying, and other opera-
tions. In the Workspace browser, a separate
“Search Results” pane displays found items.
• Utilize search syntax modifiers, such as OR,
wildcard characters, and greater than/less
than. See “Search Modifiers” on page 293.
Pro Tools Reference Guide292
• Search in Quick or Advanced Search mode.
Quick mode assumes (fills in) wildcard charac-
ters for faster data entry while searching. Ad-
vanced Search mode lets you specify wildcard
characters for more precise searching. See
“Search Modes” on page 294 for more infor-
mation.
• Search by any data column, such as Com-
ments fields, sample rate, format, and tempo
• Save the results of a search as a new Catalog.
Starting a Search
To search the current browser:
1 Click the Search icon to display the Search
pane.
2 Do one of the following:
• Type text into the File Name field to search
by name, or type a date, or select a kind
from the Kind pop-up menu. See “Entering
Data for Searches” on page 293 for more in-
formation.
– or –
• Choose additional search criteria as
needed. Press Tab to move to the next avail-
able search field, or Shift+Tab to move to
the previous.
3 Click the Search button, or press Return (Mac)
or Enter (Windows).
Searching begins, indicated by the spinning ar-
rows in the toolbar, and by the Search button
changing to Stop. The Results List (at the bottom
of the browser) fills with items that match the
search criteria. Items can be selected and audi-
tioned as they are found.
To stop a search:
During a search, click the Stop button.
This stops the search routine, and the Stop but-
ton changes back to Search. Whatever results
have already been found continue to be dis-
played, and all entries in search fields are re-
tained.
To reset your search settings:
Click Reset to clear all criteria in search fields,
and return to the main Browser view (all items).
The Search pane remains open.
To close the search pane and return to the
complete Browser view:
Click the browser Search icon to toggle the
Search pane closed or open.
The search is stopped, the Search (and Search
Results pane) close, and the window returns to
show the main Browser view.
Search icon and Search pane
You can also start a search by pressing
Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Win-
dows).
Search
Pane
Search icon
Chapter 16: DigiBase 293
Entering Data for Searches
Field Formats and Searching
The following describe the types of data formats
available (not all search fields are available on all
systems).
Text Fields Allow direct entry of text. By default,
the field is empty.
Pull-Down Menus Provide options for certain
fields. For example, the Bit Depth pull-down
provides choices for Any, 16-bit, or 24-bit.
Date and Time Accepts date and time entries in a
variety of formats.
Time Code Uses standard Pro Tools time code
entry shortcuts in hh:min:sec:frames.
Search Modifiers
Certain fields have small pull-down menus con-
taining modifiers, which limit the search criteria
entered in the field.
Modifiers include:
•Equal to (=)
• Not Equal to (!=)
• Less Than (<)
• Greater Than (>)
• Less Than or Equal to (<=)
• Greater Than or Equal To (>=)
• Range (<…>)
About Range-Limited When enabled, a second
search field is added so that a range of two val-
ues can be entered (such as two dates). Pro Tools
finds all items that fall between or are equal to
those two values.
Wildcard Characters (* and ?)
An asterisk (*) can be entered at the beginning or
end of a text entry when you want to perform
wildcard searches. For example, if you want to
find all files with a name that ends with scratch,
you could enter *scratch in the Search field. This
finds files with names such as vocal.scratch, and
dialog2.scratch.
A question mark (?) can be used for single-char-
acter wildcards. For example, a search on f?ee
finds free, and flee. A similar search on f*ee finds
frendlee, flippee, flee, free, and so on.
OR Searches
The Plus (+) and Minus (–) buttons add and de-
lete OR rows to find results that match the crite-
ria either in the top row or the additional rows.
To add and use OR rows in a search:
1 Click the (+) button to add an OR row identi-
cal to the upper row, but with no entries in the
search fields.
2 To add an additional OR row, click the Plus (+)
button again. (An empty OR row has no effect
on the search.)
3 Enter search criteria.
For example, to find all files named either Dog
or Bark:
•Type Dog in the first File Name field.
• Add an OR row.
•Type Bark in the second File Name field.
4 Click Search.
To remove OR rows:
Click the Minus (–) button to delete the bot-
tom OR row.
Pro Tools Reference Guide294
AND Searches
If you enter two or more words in a text field,
Pro Tools finds files that contain all of those
words. For example, if you type Dog Bark, only
files that contain both the words Dog and Bark
are found.
Quotations Marks for Text Strings
Text enclosed in quotation marks is searched as
one text string. For example, if you type “Dog
Bark” (with quotes), only items with Dog Bark
anywhere in the File Name are considered a
match.
Search Modes
DigiBase provides two different text searching
environments:
Quick Search Mode Applies wildcards before and
after each text string. For example, a Quick
search for Dog finds Dogs, dog_bark, and
howling_dogs.
Advanced Search Mode Does not automatically
apply any wildcards. Therefore, an Advanced
search on Dog finds Big Dog, but not Dogs (unless
you manually add a wildcard, as described in
“Wildcard Characters (* and ?)” on page 293).
In addition, Advanced Search recognizes word
breaks such as underscores and capitalization.
For example, an Advanced search on Dog also
finds Big_Dog (Big-underscore-Dog) and BigDog,
though it would not find BigDogs.
To enable Advanced Search mode:
Click to enable the Advanced Search mode
option.
To return to Quick Search mode:
Click to deselect the Advanced Search mode.
About the Search Process
Searches are conducted in two passes, each indi-
cated by Search Status displayed in the Search
pane (and the Task window).
Searching Databases The existing databases are
searched first. While this is the fastest search
pass, this search pass can only be as accurate as
the database (in other words, if the database is
not completely up to date you might not find
the files you want).
File System Search Pass This is the second pass
of a search. This search is not as fast as the Data-
base pass, but it is more thorough because it is
not relying on the database, which may or may
not be current.
Advanced Search mode option, in Search pane
Toggling search mode affects all DigiBase
browsers.
Each pass is completed before the next pass
begins.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 295
Saving Search Results as a
Catalog
To save the results of your search as a Catalog:
1 Choose Edit > Select All, or press Command+A
(Mac) or Control+A (Windows), to select all
items in the Items List.
2 From the Browser menu, choose Create
Catalog.
Waveforms
The Waveform column displays waveforms for
audio files. Waveform display depends on the
following:
• Waveforms are displayed if they have already
been calculated and stored, either with the file
metadata or in the global Waveform cache.
• When a file is imported into a session, a wave-
form is automatically calculated for it, if nec-
essary.
• Waveforms are gray if they have not been
stored with the file metadata or in the global
Waveform cache.
The waveform overview is stored in the file, or
in the Digidesign Databases folder on your sys-
tem drive. For more information, see “Wave-
Cache” on page 295.
Summed Waveforms for Multichannel Files
Waveform displays for stereo and multichannel
files are summed.
Calculating Waveforms for Display
If an audio file item does not have a waveform,
the waveform must be calculated to be visible in
a browser Waveform display.
To calculate waveforms in a browser:
1 Select online audio files, or folders containing
audio files, in a browser.
2 Choose Calculate Waveform from the Browser
menu.
WaveCache
A global WaveCache file stores waveforms that
cannot be written back to the sound file, such as
read-only files, files on network and other read-
only volumes, and interleaved files. WaveCache
files are stored in the Digidesign Databases
folder on your system drive.
For more information, see “Catalogs” on
page 315.
Waveform displays in a browser
Pro Tools Reference Guide296
Elastic Audio Analysis
You can both calculate and clear Elastic Audio
analysis for selected audio files in DigiBase
browsers. Only AIFF and WAV files are sup-
ported for Elastic Audio analysis and processing.
Any other file format (such as MP3) must be
converted to AIFF or WAV for Elastic Audio
analysis and processing.
To calculate Elastic Audio analysis:
1 In a browser, select the files you want to ana-
lyze.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the Browser menu, choose Calculate
Elastic Analysis.
• Right-click one of the selected files and
choose Calculate Elastic Analysis from the
pop-up menu.
• Preview the file with the Audio Files Conform
to Session Tempo option enabled.
Analyzed files are indicated by a check mark to
the left of the file name.
Analyzed files in which a regular tempo was de-
tected are updated as tick-based, display their
duration in Bars|Beats, and display their native
tempo in the Tempo column.
Analyzed files in which no tempo was detected
remain sample-based. These files typically con-
tain only a single transient (such as a snare hit)
or they are longer files without a readily identi-
fiable regular tempo (such as entire songs).
To clear Elastic Audio analysis:
1 In a browser, select the files with Elastic Audio
analysis that you want to clear.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the Browser menu, choose Clear Elas-
tic Analysis.
– or –
• Right-click one of the selected files and
choose Clear Elastic Analysis from the pop-
up menu.
Files cleared of Elastic Audio analysis data revert
to sample timebase, display their duration in
minutes and seconds, and do not report a
tempo.
Even though the MP3 file formats are not
directly supported by Elastic Audio, you can
import them into a WAV- or AIFF-based
session and then use the converted files on
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. File formats
that do not match the session are converted
automatically on import.
For more information on Elastic Audio, see
Chapter 41, “Elastic Audio.”
On Mac, if you do not see the Elastic Audio
Analysis icon or the duration does not
change to tick-based during the preview pro-
cess, check the permissions for the folder in
the Mac Finder. You must have write access
of the directory for this feature to work.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 297
File Timebase and Elastic Audio
Analysis Icons
DigiBase browsers provide three icons to indi-
cate whether a file has Elastic Audio analysis and
the file’s timebase.
Elastic Audio Analysis Icon Indicates that the file
has Elastic Audio analysis data.
Sample-Based File Icon Indicates that the file is
sample-based. The file’s duration is displayed in
minutes and seconds.
Tick-Based File Icon Indicates that the file is
tick-based. The file’s duration is displayed in
Bars|Beats and the file’s native tempo is dis-
played in the tempo column.
Previewing Audio in DigiBase
Audio files can be previewed in DigiBase brows-
ers. Previewing follows the master Audition
path as selected in the Output pane of the
I/O Setup (see “Audition Paths” on page 91).
The base level for previewing is determined by
the Master Fader (or Auxiliary Input) level as-
signed to the Audition path. You can also adjust
the Preview Volume in the browser.
To preview an audio file in a browser:
1 Select an audio file in a browser Items List.
Make sure the browser is the foreground (active)
window.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Waveform Preview button (the
speaker icon to the left of the waveform
display). Click again to stop auditioning.
•If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in
the Browser menu, press the Spacebar. Press
the Spacebar again to stop auditioning.
• Press Control+P (Windows) or Com-
mand+P (Mac) to start and stop preview-
ing.
• Press the Esc key to stop previewing.
To audition from a specific location within the file:
Click in the waveform display at the location.
Elastic Audio and Timebase icons in DigiBase browsers
Tick-based Sample-based
file icon
Elastic Audio
Analysis icon file icon
If the Auto-Preview option is enabled, pre-
viewing starts as soon as the file is selected
in a browser.
Auditioning an audio file
Pro Tools Reference Guide298
Interleaved Files
When previewed in DigiBase, interleaved audio
files with more than two channels are summed
to mono for auditioning.
Multi-Mono Files
Multi-mono files must be previewed one file at a
time.
Split Stereo Files Preview Together
When selecting one of a pair of Split Stereo files,
such as “Drums.L” and “Drums.R,” both files
preview together. To preview only the selected
channel of a split stereo pair, press the Shift key
and start preview.
Preview Controls and
Indicators
Every DigiBase browser provides the following
preview controls in the Toolbar: Preview, Vol-
ume, Meters, Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo, and Elastic Audio Plug-In.
Preview Button
The Preview button starts and stops preview of
audio files selected in browsers. You can also
Right-click the Preview button to change the
Preview mode and set whether or not the space-
bar toggles file preview.
Volume
The Volume control in DigiBase browsers lets
you boost or attenuate the gain for previewing
selected files.
Some Pro Tools operations can cause
temporary interruptions in DigiBase
auditioning.
MIDI files can be previewed from the ses-
sion Region List, but not from DigiBase
browsers. See “Previewing Regions in the
Region List” on page 268.
Preview controls in DigiBase browsers
DigiBase Browser, Preview button Right-click menu
Preview
button
Volume
Meters
Audio Files
Conform to
Session Tempo button
Elastic Audio
Plug-In selector
Chapter 16: DigiBase 299
To change the volume for previewing in DigiBase
browsers:
1 Click the Volume field to display the Volume
fader.
2 Adjust the Volume fader (from –INF to
+12 dB).
Meters
The meters display the level of the audio and
also provide clip indicators. For mono files, the
mono signal is shown in both meters. For stereo
files, the top and bottom meters show the left
and right channels respectively. Greater than
stereo multichannel files are displayed as
summed mono in both meters.
The Clip LED lights when clipping occurs and
clears automatically after 3 seconds.
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo Button
The Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo but-
ton mirrors the corresponding Browser menu
command. When enabled, all tick-based audio
files with Elastic Audio analysis, as well as REX
and ACID files, conform to the session tempo.
This lets you play back the session, and then si-
multaneously preview the selected files in time
with the session. The Audio Files Conform to
Session Tempo button is only available when a
session is open, otherwise it is disabled and
grayed out.
When the Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo button is enabled, Pro Tools analyzes
any un-analyzed files on preview or import.
Tick-based audio files conform to the session
tempo during preview and on import. Sample-
based files, those where no tempo has been de-
tected, always preview and import at their origi-
nal speed and duration.
When the Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo button is disabled, any tick-based audio
files with Elastic Audio analysis, and REX and
ACID files preview at their native tempo.
Elastic Audio Plug-In Selector
The Elastic Audio Plug-In selector lets you select
any Real-Time Elastic Audio plug-in as the de-
fault plug-in for previewing and importing Elas-
tic Audio. Changing the plug-in in any DigiBase
browser also affects the Elastic Audio Default Plug-
In option in the Processing preferences.
Preview Modes
DigiBase browsers provide three Preview modes:
Normal Preview, Loop Preview, and Auto-Pre-
view.
Normal Preview
Normal Preview simply plays the selected audio
file and stops at the end of the file. Deselect
Loop Preview and Auto-Preview for Normal Pre-
view mode.
DigiBase Browser, Preview Volume fader For more information, see “Conforming
Preview to the Session Tempo” on page 301
For information on Elastic Audio plug-ins,
see “Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 868.
Pro Tools Reference Guide300
Loop Preview
Loop Preview plays the selected file by looping
playback of the file. If multiple files are selected,
only the first selected file previews. When Loop
Preview mode is enabled, the Preview button
updates to show a Loop Preview Mode icon.
To loop preview a file in a DigiBase browser:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Browser menu, select Loop Preview.
The Browser Preview button updates to
show the Loop Preview icon.
– or –
• Right-click the Preview button and select
Loop Preview.
2 Select an audio file in a browser Items List.
Make sure the browser is the foreground (active)
window.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click the Browser Preview button.
• Click the Waveform Preview button.
•If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in
the Browser menu, press the Spacebar.
To stop loop audition:
Do one of the following:
• Click the Browser Preview button again.
•If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in
the Browser menu, press the Spacebar
again.
• Press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P
(Windows).
•Press the Esc key.
Auto-Preview
Auto-Preview plays the audio file as soon as it is
selected. Additionally, the Preview button up-
dates to show an Auto-Preview icon.
To automatically preview files when selected:
Do one of the following:
• From the Browser menu, select Auto-Pre-
view. The Preview button updates to show
that Auto-Preview is enabled.
• Right-click the Preview button and select
Auto-Preview.
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Win-
dows) the Preview button to toggle Loop Pre-
view mode on and off.
DigiBase Preview button, Loop Preview mode
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) the Preview button to toggle
Auto-Preview mode on and off.
DigiBase Preview button, Auto-Preview enabled
Chapter 16: DigiBase 301
Conforming Preview to the
Session Tempo
Pro Tools lets you preview Elastic Audio ana-
lyzed files at the session tempo. The selected de-
fault Elastic Audio plug-in is used for previewing
Elastic Audio analyzed audio files at the session
tempo. Additionally, other tick-based files, such
as REX and ACID files, can also be previewed at
the session tempo and in time with playback.
To preview files at the session tempo:
1 In the session, place the insertion point at the
location where you want to preview the file in
DigiBase.
2 In a DigiBase browser, select the file you want
to preview.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click the Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo button. It highlights when enabled.
• From the Browser menu, select Audio Files
Conform to Session Tempo.
• Right-click the file you want to preview and
select Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
from the pop-up menu.
4 Click the Preview button in the browser and
the file plays at the session tempo.
Preview in Context
Pro Tools lets you preview audio files in Di-
giBase browsers while playing back a Pro Tools
session. Tick-based audio files (those with
tempo detected Elastic Audio analysis, as well as
REX and ACID files) can play back in tempo,
and at the corresponding bar and beat location,
with session playback. Tick-based audio files au-
dition at the session tempo when the Audio Files
Conform to Session Tempo option is enabled.
Reserve Voices for Preview in Context
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Preview in context (previewing audio files in Di-
giBase during session playback) uses disk voices
for playback. The number of voices required de-
pends on the channel width of the selected Au-
dition Paths on the Output page of the I/O Setup
window. For example, if a stereo audition path
selected in the I/O Setup requires 2 voices for
preview in context, whereas a 5.1 audition path
requires 6 voices. If one or more voices are not
available for preview in context because they are
in use by disk tracks (or routing for RTAS pro-
cessing), the Preview button in DigiBase brows-
ers will be unavailable during session playback.
Pro Tools provides an option to reserve voices
for preview in context. The number of reserved
voices is determined by the channel width of
the selected Audition Paths in the I/O Setup.
Voices reserved for preview in context are un-
available for disk tracks.
Deselect the Spacebar Toggles File Preview
option in the Browser menu to be able to
start and stop session playback with the
spacebar without starting and stopping au-
ditioning in the browser. Use Command+P
(Mac) or Control+P (Windows) to start and
stop preview in the front-most browser dur-
ing session playback.
The DAE Playback Buffer setting in the
Playback Engine dialog affects the amount
of time it takes before preview starts. Pre-
view takes longer to start with higher set-
tings (which are necessary for sessions with
a lot of tracks and edits). Use lower settings
for more responsive preview start times. For
more information, see “DAE Playback Buf-
fer Size” on page 67
Pro Tools Reference Guide302
To reserve for voices for preview in context:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Select the Operation tab.
3 Enable the Reserve Voices For Preview In Con-
text option.
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Linking and Relinking Files
A Pro Tools session is made up of references, or
links, to audio files and other session media. Au-
dio and video files must be stored on suitable
Performance volumes and be properly linked in
order to be playable in the session.
The following types of files are not playable:
Transfer Files Files that are stored on volumes
not suitable for playback, such as network vol-
umes or CD-ROMs.
Missing Files Files that cannot be found where
the session expects them, either because they
have been moved, or because they are stored on
volumes that are not currently mounted (offline
volumes).
The process of reacquiring missing files is re-
ferred to as relinking. Relinking can involve cer-
tain sub-tasks, depending on the situation.
• Transfer files must first be copied to a suitable
Performance volume. The session is then
relinked to the copies on the Performance vol-
umes instead of the original Transfer files.
• Volumes may be searched for missing files
and, when the files are found, Pro Tools
relinks the session to the file's new location.
• Files that reside on offline volumes must first
have their volumes mounted (brought online)
before they can be relinked.
Choosing When to Relink
Pro Tools lets you relink files while opening a
session or after a session is already open, as fol-
lows:
Relinking when opening a session ensures
that the session opens with all media playable.
Automatic and manual relinking can be per-
formed. See “Opening a Session with Missing
Files” on page 303.
Relinking later (after a session is already open)
is the fastest way to open the session, but all
missing items remain offline and unplayable.
When items are needed, go to the Project
browser to relink offline items. See “Missing
Files in an Open Session” on page 305.
Forcing a Relink
If you cannot relink to the original file, you can
force a relink to another file. See “Force Relink-
ing Files” on page 308.
Transfer Files
Unlike missing files, Transfer files are files that
have been found but which reside on volumes
unsuitable for playback, such as CD-ROMs or
network drives. These volumes appear as Trans-
fer volumes in the Workspace browser.
Catalogs have unique linking characteris-
tics. See “Relinking and Aliases in Cata-
logs” on page 309.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 303
Opening a Session with Transfer
Files
If a session finds files on a volume unsuitable for
playback, a dialog appears prompting you to
copy them to a suitable volume.
To copy Transfer files found when opening a
session, do one of the following:
Click Yes to open the Copy and Relink dialog.
– or –
Click No to open the session with all Transfer
files offline. When opened, the session’s Project
browser indicates Transfer files with a “T” in
their Status column.
Transfer Files in an Open Session
To make Transfer files playable in the current
session:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Double click the Audio Files folder to display
all of the audio files.
3 Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser
menu.
4 Choose Copy and Relink from the Browser
menu.
5 Specify a location for the copied files on a
valid Performance volume and click OK.
6 Repeat for video and fade files, as necessary.
Copy and Relink
The Copy and Relink command is a file manage-
ment option in the Project browser and in Di-
giBase Catalogs.
Copy and Relink provides a convenient way to
copy files and relink the session or Catalog to
the copies rather than to the originals.
To copy items to a new location and Relink to the
copies:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Window > Project.
– or –
• Open the appropriate Catalog.
2 Select the items you want to copy and relink.
You can select any media files (online, offline,
and Transfer files).
3 Choose Copy and Relink Selected from the
Browser menu.
4 If the default location for the copies (the ses-
sion’s Audio Files folder) is not appropriate,
specify a different location and click Choose.
5 The files are copied to the chosen destination
and the session or Catalog is relinked in the
background.
Missing Files
Files are missing if they are not found in the
same location as when the session was last
saved. This could be because you moved the files
or the session folder, or because the files are on a
volume that is not currently mounted.
Opening a Session with Missing
Files
To open a session with missing files:
1 When you open a session, Pro Tools opens the
session with all available media, then shows you
how many files are missing (if any) and asks
how you want to proceed. (If told that files are
unsuitable for playback, see “Transfer Files” on
page 302.)
Pro Tools Reference Guide304
2 Select one of the following:
•Skip All—or press Command+S (Mac) or
Control+S (Windows).
•Manually Find Relink—or press Com-
mand+M (Mac) or Control+M (Windows).
•Automatically Find Relink—or press Com-
mand+A (Mac) or Control+A (Windows).
3 Select Regenerate Missing Fades Without
Searching—or press Command+R (Mac) or Con-
trol+R (Windows)—to exclude fade files from
the relink process and regenerate them instead.
4 Select Regenerate Missing Rendered Files With-
out Searching to exclude rendered Elastic Audio
files from the relink process and regenerate
them instead.
5 Click OK.
Skip All
Use the Skip All option to skip all missing files
and fades. This option is the fastest way to open
the session utilizing all available media. Missing
files are offline in the session, and shown in the
Region List and the Project browser with italic
text. Missing fades are regenerated if the con-
tributing files are online.
Manually Find and Relink
This option opens the Relink window. Use the
Relink window to search, compare, verify, and
relink missing files. Files can be relinked one at a
time or in batches. See “Relink Window” on
page 305 for more information.
Automatically Find and Relink
Automatically Find and Relink is the simplest
method to relink sessions to required media, but
it provides no way to compare files or verify
links. This option cannot be undone. The Auto-
matically Find and Relink option does the follow-
ing:
• Searches all Performance volumes for all miss-
ing items with matching Name, ID, Format,
and Length.
• Links missing items to the first matches
found.
• Commits links for all items possible, in the
background.
• If some files remain unlinked, the Task win-
dow opens and a failed task appears in the
Paused Tasks pane. Double-click the Task icon
to open the Relink window and manually find
and relink files.
Missing files warning when opening a session
Links, once committed, cannot be undone
once the session is saved. The only way to
revert to previous links is to close the session
without saving changes.
Even if all of the missing files are later
found and relinked, the failed task remains
in the Task Window. Like all failed tasks, it
must be manually selected and deleted. See
“About Failed Tasks” on page 321.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 305
Regenerate Missing Fades Without Searching
Enable this option to exclude fades files from
the relinking process (fades are recalculated in-
stead). This option is available when Automati-
cally Find and Relink or Manually Find and Relink is
enabled.
Regenerate Missing Rendered Files Without
Searching
Enable this option to exclude rendered Elastic
Audio files from the relinking process (rendered
files are recalculated instead). This option is
available when Automatically Find and Relink or
Manually Find and Relink is enabled.
Missing Files in an Open Session
You can open the Project browser to select and
relink some or all missing files.
To relink missing (offline) files in an open session:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Choose Relink Offline from the Browser menu
to open the Relink window.
3 Configure the Relink window as needed. See
“Relink Window” on page 305 for more infor-
mation.
To relink selected files in an open session:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Select the files to relink. Any file can be
relinked, even if it is not an offline file.
3 Choose Relink Selected from the Browser
menu.
4 Configure the Relink window as needed. See
“Relink Window” on page 305 for more infor-
mation.
Relink Window
The Relink window provides tools for all relinking tasks.
Main elements in the Relink window
Files to Relink
Candidates
Areas to Search
Menu and toolbar
Pro Tools Reference Guide306
Menu and Toolbar Includes the Relink menu,
View Presets, and relinking buttons. Status is
displayed at the far right.
Areas to Search Selects volumes on which to
search for missing items.
Files to Relink Lists missing files.
Candidates Lists files that match the “relinking
criteria” for a particular missing file. The Link
icon next to the candidate can be toggled on or
off to link (or unlink) the proposed candidate to
the selected missing file.
The Relink window controls each phase of the
relinking process.
The following topics explain how to:
• Open the Relink window (“Opening the
Relink Window” on page 306).
• Select volumes and folders to search and not
search (“Selecting Areas to Search” on
page 306).
• Search, compare, and link individual files to
one or more candidates (“Relinking Individ-
ual Missing Files” on page 307).
• Quickly match and link missing files in
batches, with the ability to adjust the criteria
by which files are matched (“Relinking Multi-
ple Missing Files” on page 308).
• Toggle links on or off for any candidate
(“Force Relinking Files” on page 308).
• Compare and review links before committing
(“Committing Links” on page 309).
Opening the Relink Window
When opening a session with missing files, use
the Manually Find and Relink option to open the
Relink window.
The Relink window can also be accessed after a
session is open.
To access the Relink window from an open
session:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Choose Relink Offline from the Browser menu.
Selecting Areas to Search
Selecting volumes and folders in the Areas to
Search pane lets you focus the search for missing
files. This can speed the relinking process by
limiting the number of volumes or folders to
search. In addition, excluding folders from a
search for missing files also lets you redirect a
session or Catalog to a more appropriate copy of
an item.
To select volumes or folders to include or exclude
in a search:
1 Configure the Areas to Search pane to display
the appropriate volume, Catalog, or folder.
Volumes selected to include in the search
Chapter 16: DigiBase 307
2 Click each item’s Search column to toggle it to
be included or excluded in the search. A check
next to an item indicates it will be included in
the search. All folders within items are also
checked.
Single and Multi-File Relinking
The Relink window can be used to relink one
missing file at a time, or to relink missing files in
batches.
Relinking Individual Missing Files
In some situations, individual files must be
relinked one at a time in order to relink the ses-
sion to the correct file. This is necessary if mul-
tiple copies of a media file are online, or when-
ever you want the most control and flexibility
over the relinking process.
To relink a missing file:
1 Configure the Areas to Search pane.
2 Select one item in the Files to Relink list.
3 Click Find All Candidates.
Pro Tools searches the selected volumes and dis-
plays all files that match File Name or Unique ID
in the Candidates list. Link icons indicate if a
Candidate is already linked.
4 Click the Link icon next to the appropriate
Candidate to which you want to relink. A Link
icon next to an item indicates it will be relinked
to the item currently selected in the Files to
Relink list.
5 Click the Link icon next to other Candidates,
if you want to relink to additional missing files.
6 Click the Commit Links button.
Find All Candidates, for relinking a selected missing file
OMF video clips can only be relinked to a
session if they have matching Unique IDs.
QuickTime video clips can only be relinked
to a session by file name and file format
(QuickTime).
To control matching and linking criteria
when relinking an individual missing file,
use the Find Links button. Find Links is ex-
plained in “Relinking Multiple Missing
Files” on page 308.
Link icon, indicating Linked status
Pro Tools Reference Guide308
Relinking Multiple Missing Files
Using the Find Links button, multiple files can
be matched and linked in one procedure.
To relink multiple missing files:
1 Configure Areas to Search. (See “Selecting Ar-
eas to Search” on page 306.)
2 Select one or more items in the Files to Relink
list. The Find Links button becomes available.
3 Click Find Links.
4 Configure criteria for relinking, if necessary, in
the Linking Options dialog:
• By default, Find by Name and ID is en-
abled.
• To add additional matching criteria, select
an option from the Linking Options dialog.
(Modification Date is only applicable to
Catalogs.)
•If Match Duration is enabled, Pro Tools only
selects files of the same length or greater.
5 Click OK to continue (or click Cancel to return
to the Relink window).
Pro Tools searches for an acceptable candidate
for the first missing file (the first item selected in
the Files to Relink list). A link icon appears next
to each file as Pro Tools finds and links the first
acceptable candidate to the missing file. The
Link Path column shows the location of the se-
lected candidate. Pro Tools continues searching,
matching, and linking for each missing file in
the Files to Relink list.
6 To view a candidate for a missing file, select to
highlight the missing file. That file’s candidate
appears in the Candidates pane, where you can
view its information and waveform.
7 If you are not satisfied with the candidate for
a particular missing file, you can click Find All
Candidates for the selected file (see “Relinking
Individual Missing Files” on page 307).
Force Relinking Files
If you want to link to a substitute file (for exam-
ple, if you know a file has the same audio or
video but does not have a matching File Name
or Unique ID), you can force a relink.
To force relink an audio file, its file format
(WAV, AIFF, or MXF), sample rate and bit depth
must match those of the original file.
To force relink a video file, its format (Quick-
Time, Avid, MXF, or OMF) and frame rate must
match those of the original file.
To force a relink:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Choose Relink Offline from the Browser menu.
3 In the Relink window, select one item in the
Files to Relink list.
4 Navigate in the Areas to Search pane to locate
the file you want to relink.
5 Drag the file to the Candidates pane in the
Relink window.
6 Click the Link icon next to the file you
dragged to the Candidates pane.
7 Click the Commit Links button.
Linking options
Chapter 16: DigiBase 309
Committing Links
There is no Undo for relinking. Once a file has
been relinked and the session saved, the session
always remembers the new link (the original
link is forgotten). For this reason, no files are ac-
tually relinked until you click Commit Links.
To commit links:
1 Use the Relink window to link files as ex-
plained in “Single and Multi-File Relinking” on
page 307.
2 Click Commit. You are asked to verify commit-
ting links.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click Yes to commit links.
– or –
• Click No to stop without affecting files.
Relinking and Aliases in Catalogs
Catalogs are collections of “aliases” or “short-
cuts” to actual files. If the files are moved, an
item in a Catalog can become unlinked from the
file it references.
To relink a Catalog:
1 Open the Catalog.
2 Select items to relink.
3 Choose Relink Selected from the Browser
menu in that Catalog window.
The Automatically Find and Relink option
is the only relinking process that does not
ask you to verify links before they are com-
mitted. If you use this option and are unsat-
isfied with the results, close the session
without saving to prevent the new links
from being committed.
Pro Tools Reference Guide310
Workspace Browser
The Workspace browser is your starting point for managing media. The Workspace browser is always
available while Pro Tools is running, even if no session is open.
Only the Workspace browser lets you do the fol-
lowing:
• Designate volumes as Performance vol-
umes (Playback or Record volumes) or as
Transfer volumes.
• View and access all available volumes
• Unmount volumes
• Create, view, and access Catalogs.
• Search multiple volumes and Catalogs si-
multaneously.
The Workspace browser is similar to your com-
puter’s desktop, in that it shows all of the
mounted local and network volumes. The
Workspace browser has all the common browser
elements, including an Items list, View presets,
and access to all files. In addition, the Work-
space browser provides drive allocation settings,
access to catalogs, and the ability to search mul-
tiple volumes and catalogs simultaneously.
Opening the Workspace Browser
To open the Workspace browser:
1 Launch Pro Tools.
2 Choose Window > Workspace.
Workspace browser, with the Search pane displayed
Browser name
Menu and toolbar
Items List
Search Results
Volume designators
Fixed pane Scrolling pane
Search pane
Pane split
Show/Hide
Press Option+; (Mac) or Alt+; (Windows) to
open the Workspace browser.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 311
Audio and Video Volume
Designators
The Workspace includes columns for Audio and
Video Volume designators. These two columns
display, and let you designate, whether a vol-
ume is a Record, Playback, or Transfer volume.
R (Record and Playback) Able to play audio and
video files already on the volume, and record
new files.
P (Playback Only) Can play audio and video files
already on the volume, but cannot have new
files recorded to it.
T (Transfer) Can only be used for storing, trans-
ferring, or auditioning files, and cannot be used
for recording or playback.
To change a volume designator:
1 Open the Workspace browser.
2 Click and select the appropriate Audio or
Video designator for the volume.
Mounting and Unmounting
Volumes
The Workspace browser lets you unmount vol-
umes while Pro Tools is running, and shows
newly mounted volumes as they come online.
To unmount a volume from within the Workspace
browser:
1 Select a volume in the Workspace browser.
2 Choose Unmount Volumes from the Browser
menu.
The Workspace browser closes the database file
for the selected online volume and removes it
from the Workspace browser, and unmounts
the disk from the computer.
Pro Tools alerts you if the volume being un-
mounted has files referenced in the Timeline.
If you have a Pro Tools system with multi-
ple drives, and you intend to record multiple
tracks simultaneously, you may want to
designate the System drive as a Playback
only or Transfer only drive for optimal per-
formance.
Designating a volume in the Workspace
Always use the Unmount command in the
Workspace browser menu to unmount vol-
umes, or quit Pro Tools and then unmount
the volume. Do not use any other method to
unmount a volume while Pro Tools is run-
ning.
Pro Tools Reference Guide312
Catalogs in the Workspace
Browser
The Workspace browser provides special tools
for creating and accessing Catalogs. Once Cata-
logs have been created, they appear in the
Workspace browser in the Catalogs folder.
To show all Catalogs:
1 Open the Workspace browser.
2 Click the Expand/Collapse icon next to the
Catalogs folder.
To open an individual Catalog:
Double-clicking a catalog opens a Browser
window for that catalog.
Searching in the Workspace
Browser
The Workspace browser provides the most com-
prehensive DigiBase search capabilities. The
Workspace browser lets you perform searches
across a single volumes, multiple volumes, or
across any combination of volumes, folders, and
Catalogs. You select which volumes to include
in the search, and which to exclude. The Work-
space also provides a separate Search Results
pane to view, select and manage the results of
searches.
The Search Results pane lets you maintain the
results of searches, while still viewing and con-
figuring options for additional searches.
To search from the Workspace:
1 Choose Window > Workspace to open the
Workspace browser.
2 Click the Search icon to display the Workspace
Search pane.
3 Configure search criteria.
4 Click next to each item in the Areas to Search
list to include or exclude volumes to be
searched. Checked items and their sub-folders
are included in the search. (The next time you
open a Search pane in the Workspace, these set-
tings remain in effect.)
5 Click Search.
6 The results of the search are shown in the
Search Results pane.
Viewing Catalogs in the Workspace.
For complete instructions on creating and
working with Catalogs, see “Catalogs” on
page 315.
Search and Search Results panes in the Workspace
For more information on searching, see
“Searching Items” on page 291.
Search
pane
Areas to
search
Search
results
Chapter 16: DigiBase 313
Project Browser
The Project browser displays and manages all the files related to the current session, regardless of what
volume they reside on.
The Project browser is similar to the Region List
in that it contains all files associated with a ses-
sion, with the added data, searching, and sort-
ing capabilities of Pro Tools browsers.
Unlike the Region List, however, individual re-
gions are not displayed in the Project browser
(in which only complete files are listed).
Use the Project browser and its Browser menu
commands to:
• View all media files associated with a ses-
sion
• Identify, select, and relink offline files
• Identify, select, copy, and relink Transfer
files
Opening the Project Browser
To open the Project browser:
1 Launch Pro Tools and open a session.
2 Choose Window > Project.
The Project browser displays the following:
Audio Files Folder Contains all of the audio files
currently referenced by the session, regardless of
where they are located.
Fade Files Folder Contains all of the fade files
referenced by the session, regardless of where
they are located.
Render Sources Folder Contains all files that
have been imported into the session, but are still
being converted, copied, or processed.
Figure 1. Project browser
Folders and
files
Browser menu
and toolbar
Press Alt+O (Windows) or Option+O (Mac)
to open the Workspace browser.
Pro Tools Reference Guide314
Video Files Folder Contains any video files refer-
enced by the session.
Each of the folder types in the Project browser
has an Expand/Collapse icon. Clicking the icon
shows or hides all of the files in the sub-group.
The folders displayed in the Project browser are
session-specific groupings of files, not physical
folders on disk.
Locating Parent Files of Regions
The Project Browser can be set to automatically
highlight the parent file of any region selected
in the Pro Tools Region List.
To highlight the parent file of a selected region:
1 Select a region in the Region List. If the Region
List Selection Follows Track Selection preference is
enabled, you can select a region on a track.
2 From the Region List menu, select Select Par-
ent in Project Browser.
About the Project Browser
No Drag and Drop to the Project
Browser
To import a file from another browser into the
current session, you must drag files to the Time-
line or Region List. You cannot import a file into
a session by dragging it to the Project browser.
(You can, however, spot files from the Project
browser into the current session using
drag/drop.)
Deleting Items in the Project Browser
Deleting items in the Workspace browser or in
Volume browsers deletes the files from disk.
Video and session files cannot be deleted in the
Project Browser.
Deleting an item from the Project browser lets
you remove items from the current session, or
delete them from disk (using the Pro Tools Clear
Regions dialog).
Copy and Relink Restrictions
In the Project Browser, the Copy and Relink com-
mand (in the Browser menu) cannot be used on
session files, or on offline audio files. Use the
Relink window to first bring items online. In ad-
dition, the Relink Selected command cannot be
used on session files.
Updating the Project Browser
The Project browser is automatically updated
whenever a file is added to or deleted from the
session, so it is always fully indexed and up to
date.
When the Select Parent in Project Browser
option is enabled, the Project browser auto-
matically highlights the parent file of any
file or region selected in the Region List.
For instructions on searching, sorting, and
working with the Project Browser, see “Proj-
ect Browser” on page 313.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 315
Catalogs
While Volume browsers are designed to be an accurate representation of the file structure on a given
volume, Catalogs are similar to having a Favorites folder, and serve as a way to collect and organize
frequently used items regardless of where they are stored. A Catalog is analogous to a folder full of
aliases or shortcuts. Placing a file in a Catalog does not create a copy of the file, and does not change
where the file is stored. Rather, it stores a reference (or alias) to the file so that it can be found and ma-
nipulated without having to search for its physical location.
Opening a Catalog Browser
Catalogs are displayed in the Workspace
browser.
To open a Catalog browser:
1 Open the Workspace browser.
2 Click the Catalogs Expand/Collapse icon.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click the Expand/Collapse icon for the Cat-
alog to view its contents in the Workspace.
– or –
• Double-click the Catalog name to open it
in its own browser window.
Catalog browser
Catalog name
Menu and
toolbar
Items List
Fixed pane Scrolling pane
Pane split
Show/Hide
Catalogs item in the Workspace
Pro Tools Reference Guide316
Clip Names in Catalogs
Clip Names are the names that appear in the
Timeline and Region List when a file is imported
into a session.
For most files, the Clip name is the same as the
file name. For OMF Files, the Clip Name is the
name that appears in the Avid bin.
Clip names can only be edited in a Catalog. Ed-
iting the Clip name does not affect the actual
file; however, if you add the same file to a new
Catalog, it retains its original Clip Name. When
you drag a file from a Catalog into a session, the
edited Clip Name is what appears in the Time-
line and Region List.
If the Clip Name is longer than 32 characters,
Pro Tools truncates the name automatically
when imported into the session.
Comments and Catalogs
Catalogs provide commands for managing OS 9
Finder comments, Database comments, and
Clip Names.
Database Comments in a Catalog are stored in
the Catalog database. Database Comments,
which can be up to 256 characters in length, are
searchable, cross-platform, and editable.
Copy OS 9 Finder Comment to Database Com-
ments (Mac Only) Copies an item’s OS 9 Finder
comments to its Database comments.
Copy OS X Finder Comment to Database Com-
ments (Mac Only) Copies an item’s OS X Finder
comments to its Database comments.
Copy Database Comments to Clip Names Copies
an item’s Database comments to Clip Name.
Copy File Comments to Clip Names Copies an
item’s File Comments to Clip Name.
Creating Catalogs
Catalogs can be added to the Workspace as new,
empty Catalogs, or you can select items first and
then save a Catalog of all selected items.
To create a new, empty Catalog:
1 Open the Workspace browser.
2 Choose New Catalog from the browser menu.
3 Type a unique name and click OK.
To catalog a selection of items:
1 Open any browser (including an existing Cat-
alog).
2 Select the items you want to include in the
new Catalog.
3 Choose Create Catalog from Selection from the
Browser menu.
A new, fully indexed Catalog database of the se-
lected items is created.
Creating Catalogs of Folders
To create a Catalog of an entire folder and all its
contents:
1 Open the Workspace browser, if not already
open.
2 Drag and drop a single folder onto the Catalog
icon in the Workspace browser.
OS 9 Finder comments (from the OS 9 Get
Info window) are not supported in OS X Get
Info windows. Use the Copy OS 9 Finder
Comment to Database Comments com-
mand to utilize any OS 9 Finder comments
stored with your media.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 317
Pro Tools first indexes the folder, then a fully in-
dexed Catalog is created, with the same name as
the dropped folder.
Renaming a Catalog
Catalogs can be renamed at any time.
To rename a Catalog:
1 Click the Catalog item in the Workspace
browser until its name highlights.
2 Type a new name for the Catalog.
Modifying Catalogs
To add items to a Catalog, do one of the following:
Open the Catalog and drop new items from
another browser.
– or –
Click the main Catalogs icon in the Work-
space, to expand your view of all existing Cata-
logs, then drop items onto any Catalog.
To add a folder to a Catalog:
1 Open the Catalog.
2 Choose Create Folder from the Browser menu.
To delete items from a Catalog:
1 Select the items.
2 Press the Delete key, or choose Delete Selected
from the Browser menu. A warning dialog ap-
pears.
3 In the warning dialog, do one of the follow-
ing:
• Click Cancel to cancel the delete operation.
• Click Delete Files to delete aliases and asso-
ciated files from disk.
• Click Delete Aliases to delete only the
aliases and not the associated files.
This operation cannot be undone.
Consolidating Files with Catalogs
Catalogs are excellent tools for consolidating
files from a variety of sources.
For example, create a Catalog named “Thumps”
and fill it with sound effects from three different
volumes. You can then drag the Catalog from
the Workspace browser to another volume, and
a folder named “Thumps” is created on that vol-
ume. All of the files referenced by the Catalog
are automatically copied to the volume. Folders
and sub-folders, if any, and their contents are
included in the copy.
Updating Catalogs
Since a Catalog database is not linked to any par-
ticular volume, there is a limit to the abilities of
the Update Index command. When Update Data-
base for Selected is selected from the Browser
menu in a Catalog, Pro Tools searches for the
items represented by the aliases in the Catalog
and updates the following information:
Metadata Metadata for all files found online, in-
cluding File comments, are updated.
Database Comments Database Comments are
not updated, because they are unique to each
Catalog and are not part of the file’s metadata.
Pro Tools Reference Guide318
Relinking Catalog Items
If files are ever missing from a Catalog, use the
Relink window to locate, copy, and relink files.
For more information, see “Linking and Relink-
ing Files” on page 302.
Deleting Catalogs
To delete a Catalog:
1 Select one or more Catalogs in the Workspace
browser.
2 Press the Delete key, or choose Delete Selected
from the Browser menu. A warning dialog ap-
pears.
3 In the warning dialog, do one of the follow-
ing:
• Click Cancel to cancel the delete operation.
• Click Delete Files to delete aliases and asso-
ciated files from disk.
• Click Delete Aliases to delete only the
aliases and not the associated files.
This operation cannot be undone.
Importing Catalog Items
You can import online and offline items from
Catalogs into the current session.
Importing Online Items from a Catalog
Dragging and dropping audio files to the
Pro Tools Region List and Timeline is identical
to dragging and dropping from Volume brows-
ers.
Importing Offline Items from a Catalog
With Catalogs, it is possible to search and im-
port files that are offline. For example, if you
have a music cue that you know you want to
use, but it resides on a CD-ROM or other un-
mounted volume, you can spot the file from a
Catalog to the session Timeline, and it is auto-
matically imported into the session when the
volume is mounted.
The first step is to add files to a Catalog (files
must be online to be added to a Catalog). Once
added to a Catalog, if the items are taken offline
they are listed in italicized text.
Offline files can be dropped from a Catalog to
the Timeline just like online files. When you
drop the files, a dialog appears asking if you
want to relink the files or skip relinking. Click
Skip All to load all the items as offline files (in the
Timeline, their regions appear in light blue). In
the Project browser, these items are listed in the
Render Sources folder, to ensure that Pro Tools
remembers that these items need to be relinked.
Whenever the volume containing the offline
items is mounted, Pro Tools automatically starts
to import the files, in the background. This is
true even if you have saved the session, quit,
and relaunched Pro Tools.
Once the items are completely imported, they
appear as online items in the Timeline, Region
List, and in the Project browser.
If the offline items match the session sample
rate, bit depth, and file format, no conversion is
necessary. As long as the volume is playable, the
items become playable in the session as soon as
the volume is mounted.
For more information, see “Importing Files
with Drag and Drop” on page 328.
Chapter 16: DigiBase 319
If the volume is unsuitable for playback, you are
informed that some items must be copied to
suitable volumes first.
Task Window
For maximum performance and flexibility with
file management tasks, Pro Tools provides the
Task window. File management with Pro Tools
involves nearly constant creating, copying, con-
verting, processing, searching, and indexing
files. These tasks occur in the background, let-
ting you continue recording, editing, and mix-
ing without delay.
The Task window lets you monitor, pause and
cancel ongoing tasks including file copying,
fade creation and indexing.
Opening the Task Window
To open the Task Window:
In Pro Tools, choose Window > Task Manager.
Task Window Messages
If any background task cannot be successfully
completed, the Task window comes to the fore-
ground to notify you. The incomplete task is
shown in the Paused Tasks pane of the Task win-
dow.
Because the Task window is a floating window,
it does not interrupt current work. This allows
you to continue recording and editing, and
postpone file management until a more conve-
nient time.
Task Window Views
The Task window provides a maximized and
minimized view.
For more information on Transfer files,
missing files, and relinking, see “Relink
Window” on page 305.
You cannot drag and drop items to or from
the Task window.
Press Option+’ (Mac) or Alt+’ (Windows) to
open the Workspace browser.
Task window, maximum view
Paused Tasks
Active Tasks
View Toggle (Maximize/Minimize)
Status
Pro Tools Reference Guide320
To toggle between maximized and minimized
views:
Click the View Toggle icon in the top of the
Task window.
Task Window Tools, Columns, and
Displays
The Task window menu provides commands for
Task window operations.
The following data is always displayed in the
Task window (both views):
Item Name Indicates affected item, whether a
file, database, or other supported item.
Status Action being taken (for example, copy-
ing, processing, indexing and so on).
Progress Indicates the progress of the task or its
sub-tasks, which include assessing the size of the
items and the estimated amount of time neces-
sary to complete the task.
Progress Indicator Indicates processing is ongo-
ing.
Quantification Shows percentage of progress of
the current task.
Active Tasks Pane
The upper Active Tasks pane shows the tasks
that are in progress or waiting to start. The cur-
rently executing task is at the top. Tasks in this
pane will be processed.
As tasks complete, they disappear from the
queue.
Any task that fails to complete successfully is
moved to the Paused Tasks pane (see below).
The Status column displays a description of the
failure.
Paused Tasks Pane
The Paused Tasks pane is displayed below the
Active Tasks pane, and is separated by a move-
able horizontal divider. Tasks listed in this pane
will not be processed until they are moved back
to the Active Tasks pane.
Pausing and Cancelling Tasks
The Task window lets you pause, resume, and
cancel tasks.
To pause a task:
Drag the appropriate task from the Active
Tasks pane to the Paused Tasks pane.
The task moves to the top of the Paused Tasks
pane.
To pause all tasks:
Choose Pause All from the Task window
menu.
To resume a task:
Drag a task from the Paused Tasks pane to the
Active Tasks pane. The task returns to its previ-
ous position in the queue.
To resume all paused tasks:
Select Resume All from the Task window
menu. All tasks in the Paused Tasks pane (except
failed tasks) are moved to the Active Tasks pane.
Task window, minimum view
Chapter 16: DigiBase 321
To cancel a task:
1 Highlight any task in either pane of the Task
window.
2 Press Delete to remove it from the Task win-
dow.
To cancel all tasks:
1 Select any single task in either pane.
2 Press Command+A (Mac) Control+A (Win-
dows) to select all the tasks in that pane.
3 Press Delete.
This command cannot be undone.
About Cancelling Tasks
Some tasks involve one or more sub-tasks. Delet-
ing a task cannot undo sub-tasks already com-
pleted. For example, if importing and convert-
ing multiple files appears as a single task,
deleting that task before it is completed stops
the import and conversion process, but files al-
ready converted and imported remain on disk. If
you want to cancel a task involving multiple
sub-tasks, you can instead let the process com-
plete and then use Undo to completely undo all
sub-tasks, as available.
Closing Sessions with Pending
Tasks
If you close a session or quit Pro Tools while
tasks are still pending (either in the Active or
Paused Tasks panes of the Task window)
Pro Tools asks if you want to cancel, or complete
the pending tasks. You can choose to open the
Task window and wait for pending tasks to com-
plete, cancel the pending tasks, or quit. If you
quit, some tasks are cancelled. Tasks that in-
volve file copies are remembered and restarted
when you relaunch Pro Tools.
About Failed Tasks
The Paused Tasks pane shows any tasks that
could not be completed. The reason for the fail-
ure is shown in the Status column.
Failed Tasks cannot be resumed, and must be de-
leted manually from the Paused Tasks pane.
If Automatically Find and Relink was unable to find
all files in a session, a failed task is placed in the
Paused Tasks pane of the Task window. It re-
mains there unless you manually remove it from
the Task window (even if you have since found
the files through a subsequent search and relink
task).
Task Prioritization
A task that is in progress may be interrupted by
a task of higher priority. When this happens, the
partially completed task is halted and resched-
uled later in the queue, and shown with a prog-
ress bar in the Active Tasks pane. When the
higher priority task is finished the first incom-
plete task in the queue resumes.
Tips for Using the Task Window
Pause Tasks During Playback
A global preference Pause During Playback is pro-
vided in the Task window Browser menu. When
enabled, Active Tasks are paused whenever
Pro Tools is playing (or recording). This setting
is especially useful when working on slower
CPUs, or whenever you want to minimize sys-
tem load for maximum playback and recording
performance. This preference maintains its set-
ting until the next time it is changed.
Pro Tools Reference Guide322
Stored Tasks
Any task that imports files into a session is
stored with a session when it is closed, and re-
sumes when the session is re-opened.
For example, if you Import Session Data with
Copy From Source Media selected, then Save and
Close the session before the copy completes, the
copy tasks resume when the session is reopened.
Grouped Tasks
Some tasks consist of many smaller tasks. For in-
stance, Copy and Relink may require hundreds of
individual files to be copied. To help manage
these tasks, they are grouped under the originat-
ing command. So in the example of a Copy and
Relink command, one copy task would appear
with an Expand/Collapse icon in the Task win-
dow. Clicking the icon shows each of the indi-
vidual sub-tasks.
If there is more than one grouped task in the
queue, all of the sub-tasks for the first group
must be completed before the sub-tasks of the
second group can be processed.
If the session is saved and closed while several of
these group tasks are in the queue, and if those
tasks are the type that can be interrupted and
saved when closing the session, all of the tasks
reappear as part of the same group when the ses-
sion is reopened.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 323
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting
Session Data
Pro Tools lets you import and export a variety of
data into and out of a session, including audio
and MIDI files, region groups, video files, track
playlists, I/O configurations, and signal routing
configurations.
You can import individual audio and MIDI files
into a session, or import entire audio or MIDI
tracks, along with all of their attributes, from an-
other session. Additionally, with Pro Tools HD,
you have the option of importing any combina-
tion of track attributes from another session,
such as a track’s audio or MIDI playlists, signal
routing, plug-ins, or automation (see “Import-
ing Session Data” on page 338).
When you are working with video, you can im-
port and export video files from a session (see
Chapter 51, “Working with Video in
Pro Tools”).
Importing and Exporting Data
to and from a Session
Importing
Pro Tools lets you import audio, video, MIDI, re-
gion groups, or session files into the current
Pro Tools session by:
• Dragging and dropping from:
• A DigiBase browser
• Mac Finder or Windows Explorer
• Using the File menu Import commands:
•Session Data
•Audio
•MIDI
•Video
•Region Groups
Session data, audio files and regions can be im-
ported to existing tracks, new tracks, the Track
List, or the Region List in a Pro Tools session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide324
Exporting
Pro Tools lets you export audio, video, MIDI, re-
gion groups, and session data by:
•Using the Send Via DigiDelivery command
•Using the Export to Sibelius or Send to Sibelius
command (MIDI only)
• Using the File menu Export commands:
•Selected Tracks as New AAF/OMF
•MIDI
•Score
•Session Info As Text
• Using the Tracks Right-click menu:
•Send To Sibelius command (Score Editor
only)
•Export MIDI command
• Using the Region List menu:
•Export Region Definitions command
•Export Regions as Files command
•Export Region Groups command
Audio Conversion on Import
Depending on the properties of the audio files
you are importing, you can add, copy, or con-
vert the files:
When files are added to a Pro Tools session,
they remain at their current hard drive location
and are not moved or copied. The session refer-
ences the original files where ever they are on
your system.
When files are copied into the session, the
original files remain where ever they are on your
system and are copied to the session’s Audio
Files folder and are then added to the session.
The session references the copied files, not the
original files.
When files are converted into the session, the
original files remain where ever they are on your
system and are copied to the session’s Audio
Files folder and converted to the session’s audio
file format, sample rate, and bit depth. The ses-
sion references the converted files, not the orig-
inal files.
Files that Can Be Added to a Session without
Conversion
Mono and split stereo (or split multichannel)
audio files that are of the same audio file format,
sample rate, and bit depth of the session can be
added to the session without conversion and
with or without copying the files to the session’s
Audio Files folder.
Files that Must Be Converted on Import
Pro Tools automatically converts files that don’t
match the session’s audio file type, sample rate,
or bit depth. Audio files that don’t match the
session audio file type, sample rate, and bit
depth must be converted on import. Pro Tools
also splits interleaved audio files into multiple
mono files.
If region definitions are present in an audio file,
you can convert and import the audio for a re-
gion without importing the entire parent audio
file using the Import Audio command.
You can enable the Automatically Copy
Files on Import option in the Processing
Preferences page to be sure to always copy
files to the session’s Audio Files folder when
importing audio by drag and drop.
Pro Tools 7.x and higher does not support
audio file names that contain certain ASCII
characters (see “Opening a Session that
Contains Audio File Names with Illegal
Characters” on page 381).
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 325
Supported Audio File Formats
Audio files of the following types can be im-
ported (and, if necessary, converted) into
Pro Tools sessions:
•AIFF
•WAV or BWF (.WAV)
•SDII
•SDI
•MP3
•MXF audio
• Sound Resource (AIFL—Mac only)
• WMA (Windows Media—Windows only)
•QuickTime (Mac only)
• AAC audio (including audio with AAC,
Mp4, and M4a file extensions)
• ReCycle (REX 1 and 2) files
• ACID files
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
The Sample Rate Conversion Quality setting deter-
mines the quality of sample rate conversion
used when converting and importing audio into
a session. It can also applied when exporting
files at different sample rate and when bouncing
to disk. There are five possible settings, ranging
from Low (fastest, but lowest quality) to Tweak
Head (highest quality, but slowest). The higher
the quality of sample rate conversion you
choose, the longer Pro Tools will take to process
the audio file.
The Sample Rate Conversion Quality options are
available in the Import Audio, the Import Ses-
sion Data, the Export Regions as Files, and the
Bounce to Disk dialogs. In each case, the Sample
Rate Conversion Quality setting is local to that
specific dialog. The Sample Rate Conversion Qual-
ity preference only applies to conversion on im-
port by drag and drop.
To set the sample rate conversion quality for
importing audio by drag and drop:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Processing tab.
2 From the Sample Rate Conversion Quality pop-
up menu, select a quality setting. For most appli-
cations, the Good or Better setting will yield very
good results.
3 Click OK.
Bit Depth Conversion and
Dithering
When importing audio at a lower bit depth than
the session, Pro Tools converts the file to match
the session bit depth by adding empty bits. For
example, when importing a 16-bit file into a
24-bit session, Pro Tools converts the file to
24-bit.
When importing audio at a higher bit depth
than the session, Pro Tools automatically ap-
plies a preset, noise-shaped dither and converts
the file to the session bit depth. For example,
when importing a 24-bit file into a 16-bit ses-
sion, dither is applied automatically and the file
is converted to 16-bit.
Pro Tools cannot import protected AAC or
MP4 files with the .M4p file extension.
These files are protected under the rules of
digital rights management.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality preference
The Import Audio, Import Session Data,
and Bounce To Disk dialogs provide local
controls for sample rate conversion quality.
Pro Tools Reference Guide326
Importing Interleaved Files
When using the Import Audio command, inter-
leaved stereo files are automatically imported to
stereo tracks.
Split stereo (dual mono) audio files can be auto-
matically imported to stereo tracks. Split stereo
audio files must have the channel identifiers
“.L” and “.R” in their names (for example, file-
name.L and filename.R), and the files must be the
same length. In Windows, or in Mac/PC Com-
patibility mode, these files will have a 3-letter
file extension appended after the “.L” or “.R”
channel identifier.
Pro Tools also lets you import multichannel in-
terleaved files of any supported file type.
Import Options and
Preferences
Pro Tools provides several options and prefer-
ences that affect audio import. Configure
Pro Tools to match your most common work-
flows. For example, if you frequently work by
importing REX files for loop-based composition,
you can configure Pro Tools to always import
REX files to conform to tempo and create new
tick-based Elastic Audio tracks.
Convert Imported “WAV” Files To AES31/Broad-
castWave When selected, this option applies to
all newly imported WAV files, making them
compliant with the AES31/EBU Broadcast
standard.
Automatically Copy Files on Import When se-
lected, all audio files that are imported by drag-
ging and dropping are copied to the current ses-
sion’s Audio Files folder, regardless of whether
the files need to be converted to the current ses-
sion’s file type, bit depth, or sample rate. Addi-
tionally, when selected, the Import Session Data
dialog defaults to Copy from Source Media. The
Automatically Copy Files on Import preference does
not affect the Import Audio command.
Import REX Files as Region Groups When se-
lected, REX flies are imported as region groups,
all the underlying slices are imported as individ-
ual regions contained within the region group.
When this option is not selected, importing REX
files into a session converts them to the session’s
audio file format, the individual slices are con-
solidated, and the slice information is used for
Elastic Audio analysis. These files remain tick-
based after import and conversion.
Automatically Create Fades When selected,
crossfades are applied automatically to the
sliced regions within region groups created by
importing REX files. If the Import REX Files as Re-
gion Groups option is not selected, the Automati-
cally Create Fades option does not apply.
To change the default fade settings for REX files,
click the REX button in the Default Fade Settings
section on the Editing Preferences page (see
“Fades Editing Preference” on page 328).
Import options in the Processing Preferences page
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 327
Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to
Session Tempo
The Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to Ses-
sion Tempo options determine whether or not
REX, ACID, and all other audio file formats
dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer or
Mac Finder are imported as tick-based Elastic
Audio and conformed to the session tempo.
None When enabled, all audio files, including
REX and ACID files, are not conformed to the
session tempo when imported by drag and drop
from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder. They
are imported as sample-based files and con-
verted to the sessions audio file format.
REX and ACID Files Only When enabled, only
REX and ACID files are conformed to the session
tempo when imported by drag and drop from
Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder. REX files
are imported either as tick-based Elastic Audio
or, if the Import REX Files as Region Groups op-
tion is enabled, as tick-based region groups.
All Files When enabled, all audio files are im-
ported as tick-based Elastic Audio and conform
to the session tempo.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
The Sample Rate Conversion Quality preference
determines the quality of sample rate conver-
sion used when converting and importing audio
into a session by drag and drop. Sample rate
conversion is used in a variety of Pro Tools pro-
cesses including converting and importing au-
dio files of different formats into a session, and
bouncing and saving tracks to a different sample
rate or bit depth. The higher the quality of sam-
ple rate conversion you choose, the longer
Pro Tools will take to process the audio file.
Elastic Audio Options
The Elastic Audio preferences determine which
Elastic Audio plug-in is used for preview and im-
port, and whether or not new tracks are created
with Elastic Audio enabled using the selected de-
fault plug-in.
Default Plug-In Lets you select any Real-Time
Elastic Audio plug-in as the default plug-in for
previewing and importing Elastic Audio. The se-
lected default Elastic Audio plug-in is also used
when new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
enabled. The Elastic Audio Plug-In selector in
DigiBase browsers inherits the selected default
plug-in. Likewise, changing the selected plug-in
in DigiBase browsers updates the selected Default
Plug-In in the Processing preferences.
Default Input Gain Lets you attenuate the signal
input to Elastic Audio plug-ins by 0 to –6 dB for
preview and import. If you experience clipping
due to Elastic Audio processing during preview
or after import, you may want to set the Default
Input Gain to slightly attenuate (lower) the audio
signal input for Elastic Audio processing. This
preference also applies to any audio imported to
an Elastic Audio-enabled track.
If you commit any regions on a track (by dis-
abling Elastic Audio on the track) that were im-
ported with the Default Input Gain applied, their
region-based In put Gain is reset to 0.
Processing Preferences, Elastic Audio
Pro Tools Reference Guide328
The Elastic Properties window inherits the De-
fault Input Gain preference. To apply further re-
gion-based Input Gain for Elastic Audio process-
ing, select the region and adjust the Input Gain
setting in the Elastic Properties window (see
“Elastic Properties Window” on page 882).
Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks When se-
lected, new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
enabled. The selected default Elastic Audio plug-
in is used. When importing audio to new tracks,
new tracks are created with Elastic Audio en-
abled if this option is enabled.
Tracks Preference
When the New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase
option is enabled, all new tracks default to ticks.
This includes importing audio to new tracks.
When deselected, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master
Fader, and VCA (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only) tracks
default to samples. MIDI and Instrument tracks
always default to ticks.
Fades Editing Preference
The Default Fade Settings for REX files in the Ed-
iting preferences lets you select the default enve-
lope shape for fades and crossfades between re-
gions (“slices”) in imported REX files. Fades are
only applied to imported REX files if the Import
REX Files as Region Groups option and the Auto-
matically Create Fades option are both enabled
on the Processing Preferences page.
Importing Files with Drag and
Drop
Pro Tools lets you import audio, MIDI, video,
and session files by dragging and dropping files
from a DigiBase browser, Windows Explorer, or
Mac Finder to the Pro Tools application icon,
the session Timeline, a track, the Track List, or
the Region List.
The following figure illustrates some of the op-
tions available to import files using drag and
drop from DigiBase browsers.
If the Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks
option is selected, you may want to also
select the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
base option in the Editing Preferences page.
REX Auto-Crossfades preference and dialog
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 329
To import files into the Region List:
1 Select audio, video, MIDI, region group, REX,
or ACID files in a DigiBase browser, or Windows
Explorer, or Mac Finder.
2 Drag the selected files onto the Region List.
To import files into an existing track:
1 Select the files you want to import in a Di-
giBase browser, or Windows Explorer, or Mac
Finder.
2 Drag the selected file to a location on an exist-
ing, compatible track. The file is imported and
placed where it was dropped.
Importing from browsers by drag and drop
Volumes
Catalogs
Drop files in the
Region List to import
Drop media or session files
to existing tracks, or to the
Track List to add as new tracks
Volumes
Workspace
Importing does not always convert or copy
audio files. See “Audio Conversion on Im-
port” on page 324.
Importing using drag and drop does not nec-
essarily bring the Edit window to the fore-
ground. For example, dragging and drop-
ping a file from a browser into a track leaves
the source browser in the foreground (not
the Edit window). Always verify the active,
foreground window or browser before con-
tinuing.
Pro Tools Reference Guide330
To import files as new tracks:
1 Select the files you want to import in a Di-
giBase browser, or Windows Explorer, or Mac
Finder.
2 Do any of the following:
• Shift-drag files and drop anywhere in the
Edit window.
• Drop files to the Track List.
• Drop files to empty space in the Edit win-
dow, below or between tracks.
To import and spot files into a track:
1 Enable Spot mode.
2 Select the files you want to import in a Di-
giBase browser, or Windows Explorer, or Mac
Finder.
3 Drag the files onto an existing, compatible
track. The Spot dialog appears.
4 Enter the appropriate time code location
(where you want to spot the imported file).
5 Click OK.
To import and spot an audio file by its Waveform in
DigiBase browsers:
1 In a DigiBase browser, Control-click (Win-
dows) or Command-click (Mac) the file’s Wave-
form display at the approximate reference point
you want to use for placement in a track.
2 While continuing to press Control (Win-
dows), or Command (Mac), drag the waveform
onto an existing audio track (the source audio
file and the destination audio track must have
the same number of channels).
Snapping to Head and Tail
You can drag and drop files to tracks and have
them snap to the head or the tail of the current
Edit selection or insertion point. When snap-
ping to head, the beginning of the imported file
snaps to the beginning of the Edit selection.
When snapping to tail, the end of the imported
file snaps to the beginning of the Edit selection.
To import and snap to head:
Start-drag (Windows) or Control-drag (Mac) a
file onto a track.
To snap to head and copy the file to the session
Audio files folder:
Alt-Start-drag (Windows) or Option-Control-
drag (Mac) a file onto a track.
To snap to tail:
Control-Start-drag (Windows) or Command-
Control-drag (Mac) a file onto a track.
To snap to tail and copy the file to the session
Audio Files folder:
Control-Alt-Start-drag (Windows) or Com-
mand-Option-Control-drag (Mac) a file onto a
track.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 331
Elastic Audio on Import
When importing any audio file by drag and
drop to an Elastic Audio-enabled track, the au-
dio file is imported and analyzed (if not already
analyzed). If the imported audio file is tick-
based, it is conformed to tempo using the track’s
Elastic Audio plug-in. If it is a sample-based au-
dio file, such as a single drum hit or short sound
effect, it maintains its original duration. Longer
audio files with no detectable tempo also remain
sample-based.
You can also import audio by drag and drop to
create new tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks.
When importing tick-based audio by drag and
drop from DigiBase browsers to the Track List or
empty space in the Edit window, Pro Tools cre-
ates a new tick-based, Elastic Audio-enabled
track using the default Elastic Audio plug-in se-
lected in the Processing Preferences page (see
“Elastic Audio Options” on page 327).
If you are importing an audio file by drag and
drop from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder to
the Track List or to empty space in the Edit win-
dow, files are imported as sample-based or as
tick-based Elastic Audio depending on the Drag
and Drop from Desktop Conforms to Session
Tempo preference (see “Drag and Drop From
Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo” on
page 327).
Importing Elastic Audio from
DigiBase to the Region List
With the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
option enabled, dragging and dropping tick-
based audio from DigiBase browsers to the Re-
gion List (or to the Track List), creates two sepa-
rate regions in the Region List. The first is a sam-
ple-based whole file region and the second is a
tick-based copy of the same region.
Importing Tempo from Tick-Based
Audio
If there are no tracks in the session, and you im-
port a tick-based audio file to the Region List,
Track List, or empty space in the Edit window,
you are prompted to either import the tempo
from the file or use the default session tempo. To
keep the default session tempo, and have the
loop conform to the session tempo, click Don’t
Import.
If the session already contains at least one track
(regardless of track type), you are not prompted
to import the tempo from the file and the file is
conformed to the session tempo.
Importing Audio Files and
Regions Using the Import
Audio Command
The Import Audio command lets you import au-
dio files or regions into your Pro Tools session.
To import audio files or regions into a session
using the Import Audio command:
1 Choose File > Import > Audio.
2 In the Import Audio dialog, locate and select
an audio file to display its properties and associ-
ated regions.
To import entire tracks from other sessions,
see “Importing Session Data” on page 338.
Pro Tools Reference Guide332
You can choose to display only a certain file
type (such as AIFF) by selecting the type from
the Show pop-up menu. To display all supported
file types, select All Documents from the Show
pop-up menu.
In the import list, audio files are distinguished
from regions by their icons.
3 To preview a selected file or region before you
import it, click the Play and Stop buttons in the
Import Audio dialog.
Adjust the preview volume with the vertical
slider. To navigate to a particular location in the
file, use the horizontal slider under the Play and
Stop buttons.
The audition output path defaults to channels
1–2. For Pro Tools systems with more than 2
channels of output, the audition path can be
changed in the I/O Setup (see “Audition Paths”
on page 91).
4 Do any of the following:
• To place a file or region in the Import list,
select the file and click Add or Convert.
• To import all files and regions in the cur-
rent directory, click Add All or Convert All.
• To remove a file or region from the Import
list, select it and click Remove.
• To remove all files and regions, click Re-
move All.
5 When you have added all audio files and re-
gions to the Import list, you can apply sample
rate conversion by doing the following:
• Enable Apply SRC.
•Specify the Source Sample Rate either by
typing a number, or by selecting a sample
rate from the pop-up menu.
• Select the sample rate conversion quality
from the Quality pop-up menu. This setting
overrides the Sample Rate Conversion Qual-
ity setting in the Processing Preferences
page.
Figure 2. Import Audio dialog
File and Region icons in the Import Audio dialog
On Mac, Sound Resource files must have the
“.SFIL” extension to be imported by
Pro Tools.
Audio File icon
Audio Region icon
The Preview Volume control in the Import
Audio dialog also affects the preview volume
when auditioning regions in the Region List.
Pro Tools lets you add files to a session that
are at a different sample rate than your
session. In the comments field of the Import
Audio dialog, a warning is posted that these
files will play back at the wrong speed and
pitch if they are not converted.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 333
6 Click Done.
7 If you are copying or converting files, choose
a location for the new files. Choose a folder on a
valid audio drive, such as the Audio Files folder
for the current session.
8 In the Audio Import Options dialog, select
where the imported files will go in the session:
New Track Each audio file is imported into its
own individual track and into the Region List.
When importing audio into a track, you can also
choose the location in the track where the audio
file will begin (such as Session Start).
Region List Audio files are imported into the Re-
gion List without creating a new track. Imported
audio files appear in the Region List and can
then be dragged to audio tracks.
9 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported file in the track:
Session Start Places the file or region at the start
of the session.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file or re-
gion to the Song Start point.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file or re-
gion to the edit cursor or to the beginning of a
selection in the Timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you
spot the file or region to a precise location based
on any of the Time Scales.
10 Click OK.
Importing Audio from
Audio CDs
Pro Tools lets you import tracks from audio CDs
using the same methods that you use to import
audio files, as follows:
• Drag and drop CD audio from the CD
folder.
• Drag and drop files from DigiBase Browser.
•Use the Import Audio command.
Before importing CD audio, make sure your
hard drive has enough space for the converted
audio files.
Because the transfer is made in the digital do-
main, there is no signal loss.
The sample rate for audio CDs is 44.1 kHz.
Therefore, if your session’s sample rate is set to
48 kHz or higher, Pro Tools will convert the
sample rate for the imported audio. Before im-
porting CD audio, set the Sample Rate Conver-
sion Quality preference accordingly. For more in-
formation, see “Sample Rate Conversion
Quality” on page 325.
Audio Import Options dialog
Importing CD audio with either drag and
drop method lets you continue working in
the session foreground (such as in the Mix or
Edit window), while the Task Manager
(Window > Task Manager) works in the
background (importing and converting the
audio until the import is completed). For
more information on the Task Manager, see
“Task Window” on page 319.
Pro Tools Reference Guide334
Importing ACID and REX Files
ACID files and REX 1 and 2 files are converted to
the session audio file type. Depending on the
preferences settings, ACID and REX files can be
imported as sample-based regions or as tick-
based Elastic Audio regions. For REX files only,
Pro Tools uses any slice data to create Event
markers with 100% confidence. ACID files are
analyzed for Elastic Audio events just like WAV
files, and so events are detected with varying de-
grees of confidence.
REX files can also be imported as tick-based re-
gion groups.
To import ACID and REX flies as sample-based
regions:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
cessing tab.
2 Disable the Import REX Files as Region Groups
option.
3 Select No Files as the Drag and Drop from Desk-
top Conforms to Session Tempo preference.
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
5 When importing by drag and drop from Di-
giBase browsers, make sure that the Audio Files
Conform to Session Tempo option is disabled.
6 Import the ACID and REX files you want by
drag and drop from a DigiBase browser or the
Desktop, or using the Import Audio command
(see “Importing Audio Files and Regions Using
the Import Audio Command” on page 331).
To import ACID and REX files as tick-based Elastic
Audio regions:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
cessing tab.
2 Disable the Import REX Files as Region Groups
option.
3 Select REX and ACID Files Only or All Files as the
Drag and Drop from Desktop Conforms to Session
Tempo preference.
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
5 Do one of the following:
• Import the REX files you want by drag and
drop from a DigiBase browser
• Import the REX files you want by drag and
drop from the Desktop.
•Use the Import Audio command (see “Im-
porting Audio Files and Regions Using the
Import Audio Command” on page 331).
To import REX files as tick-based region groups:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
cessing tab.
2 Select the Import REX Files as Region Groups op-
tion.
3 To apply real-time crossfades to the files, en-
able the Automatically Create Fades option (see
“Automatic Fades for Imported REX Files” on
page 335).
4 Select REX and ACID Files Only or All Files as the
Drag and Drop from Desktop Conforms to Session
Tempo preference.
5 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
For information on Elastic Audio, see
Chapter 41, “Elastic Audio.”
For information on region groups, see
“Region Groups” on page 835).
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 335
6 Do one of the following:
• Import the REX files you want by drag and
drop from a DigiBase browser
• Import the REX files you want by drag and
drop from the Desktop.
•Use the Import Audio command (see “Im-
porting Audio Files and Regions Using the
Import Audio Command” on page 331).
Automatic Fades for Imported REX Files
If the Import REX Files as Region Groups option is
enabled in the Processing Preferences page,
Pro Tools can automatically apply real-time
crossfades to the regions or “slices” in imported
REX format files.
To apply real-time crossfades to REX files:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
cessing tab.
2 Enable the Import REX Files as Region Groups
option.
3 Enable the Automatically Create Fades option.
4 In the Preferences dialog, click the Editing tab.
5 Under Default Fade Settings, click REX.
6 In the REX Auto-Crossfades dialog, select the
shapes you want for crossfades, and click OK.
7 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Importing Multichannel Audio
Files from a Field Recorder
Pro Tools lets you use any of its import methods
to import monophonic and polyphonic audio
files recorded by a field recorder. When you im-
port these types of files, they must be converted
to an audio format compatible with Pro Tools.
Importing Monophonic Audio Files
A monophonic audio file contains one mono
channel and relevant metadata from a single
multichannel recording.
When you import monophonic audio files that
were recorded simultaneously, they are con-
verted to multichannel regions and displayed
together in the Region List. Any metadata is also
imported with the files.
Importing Polyphonic Audio Files
A polyphonic audio file contains multiple mono
channels and relevant metadata recorded simul-
taneously in a multichannel recording.
When imported into Pro Tools, a polyphonic
audio file is divided into individual mono-
phonic audio files written to disk—one file for
each channel. Regions for each channel appear
in the playlist, and a multichannel region ap-
pears in the Region List with the channels ex-
pandable underneath. Any metadata is also im-
ported with the files.
Depending on your edits or tempo changes
after importing REX files, the fades can be
deleted and you will have to recreate them
manually.
For more information on importing files
from a field recorder, see Chapter 52,
“Working with Field Recorders in
Pro Tools.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide336
Exporting Audio
Pro Tools supports exporting audio regions as
audio files, exporting left and right audio files as
stereo interleaved files, and exporting region in-
formation.
You can also export audio from Pro Tools by
bouncing or consolidating audio tracks. For
more information, see “Bounce to Disk” on
page 1064 and “Consolidating Regions” on
page 594.
Exporting a Region as a New Audio
File
You can export regions as audio files with the
Export Regions as Files command. Use this
command if you intend to use a region in other
sessions (or other audio applications) without
using its parent source file.
This command also provides a way to convert
regions to a different audio format, sample rate,
or bit depth.
To export regions as new audio files:
1 In the Region List, select the regions you want
to export.
2 From the Region List menu, choose Export Re-
gions as Files.
3 In the Export Selected dialog, set the File Type,
Format, Bit Depth, and Sample Rate. In addition,
specify the Conversion Quality, and choose the
Destination Directory.
When you export regions to a lower bit depth,
Dither (with or without Noise Shaping) is ap-
plied as shown in the following table.
Warped regions (Elastic Audio) will be ex-
ported unwarped at their original duration.
Export Selected dialog
Dither and Noise Shaping with Export Selected dialog
Bit Depth Dither Noise
Shaping
24-bit to 24-bit No No
16-bit to 24-bit No No
24-bit to 16-bit Yes Yes
16-bit to 16-bit No No
24-bit to 8-bit Yes No
16-bit to 8-bit Yes No
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 337
The Dither used for any conversion is the Digi-
Rack Dither plug-in (with or without Noise
Shaping enabled.
4 If you are exporting to an 8-bit file, enable the
Use Squeezer option. This optimizes the dynam-
ics of the exported audio by preprocessing it us-
ing compression, limiting, and gating before
conversion to 8-bit resolution (for more infor-
mation, see “Use Squeezer” on page 1071).
5 Select an option for how Pro Tools should re-
solve duplicate file names.
Prompting for Each Duplicate Prompts you for a
file name for any file that has the same name as
a file in your destination directory.
Auto Renaming Automatically changes the
name of any duplicate file by adding a number
at the end of the file name (such as file_01).
Replacing with New Files Replaces files with the
same name with the new files.
6 Click Export to export the new audio files.
Exporting Stereo or Multichannel
Interleaved Files
You can use the Export Regions as Files com-
mand to export audio regions to stereo or multi-
channel interleaved files for use in other appli-
cations. (Pro Tools cannot use interleaved files
directly in the Timeline—these must be con-
verted into multiple mono files.) For example,
for this to work with a stereo file, the selected re-
gions must have identical names with “.L” and
“.R” suffixes (for instance, vocals_01.L and
vocals_01.R). These regions appear as a stereo re-
gion in the Region List.
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 also let you bounce multi-
channel interleaved files of any supported file
type.
To export regions as a stereo or multichannel
interleaved file:
1 Select the stereo or multichannel audio region
in the Region List or in the track playlist. If the
regions appear on mono tracks in the session,
select the two mono regions.
2 From the Region List menu, choose Export Re-
gions as Files.
3 In the Export Selected dialog, select Stereo In-
terleaved in the Format pop-up menu. For multi-
channel regions, the Stereo Interleaved option
produces a multichannel interleaved file.
4 Configure any other output settings, then
click Export to export the new stereo interleaved
file.
Exporting Region Definitions
Pro Tools stores region definitions for audio files
within each session. If you want to use an audio
file’s regions in another session, or with another
application that supports them, you can export
the region information.
The Export Region Definitions command does not
export regions as audio files (unlike the Export
Regions as Files command). Instead, it stores
pointers to the regions within the parent source
file.
For more information about using Dither,
see “Dither” on page 965.
If you plan to transfer Pro Tools session
data to another session, you should export
region definitions for sessions containing
multiple takes created with Loop Record.
Pro Tools Reference Guide338
To export region definitions for an audio file:
1 In the Region List, select any regions or region
groups for which you want to export defini-
tions. You do not have to select the parent file
audio region.
2 Choose Export Region Definitions from the Re-
gion List menu.
3 Click Export.
Importing Session Data
You can import entire tracks from other
Pro Tools sessions into the current Pro Tools ses-
sion using the Import Session Data command or
drag and drop.
With Pro Tools, you can import tracks and you
can select specific session data (such as automa-
tion and routing) to import. You can also import
main playlist options—either replacing existing
options or overlaying elements onto existing
tracks.
To import tracks or their attributes:
1 Open or create a new session.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Import > Session Data, select
the session to import data from, and click
Open.
– or –
• Drag the session file whose tracks or attri-
butes you want to import from a DigiBase
browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder
into empty space in the Edit window or to
the Track List.
3 If the Fader Gain setting of the session is differ-
ent, you will be prompted to keep or change the
Fader Gain before the Session Data dialog opens.
4 In the Source section, select tracks to import
by clicking the pop-up menu to the right of each
track name and selecting New Track.
5 For each track you select, you can choose to
import it as a new track, or choose a destination
track from the corresponding pop-up menu.
Click Match Tracks to automatically match
source and destination tracks with the same
names.
6 Select any additional track data you want to
import from the Track Data to Import pop-up
menu.
7 Select from among the Main Playlist Options to
choose how you want to import the source
tracks.
8 If applicable, choose options for how media
files should be imported from the Audio Media
Options and the Video Media Options pop-up
menus.
9 Choose the Time Code Mapping Options for im-
ported data.
10 If the sample rates of the sessions are differ-
ent, select the sample rate for the source session
from the Source Sample Rate pop-up menu.
11 To import the meter and tempo maps from
the source session, select the Import Tempo/Meter
Map option.
12 To import key signatures from the source ses-
sion, select the Import Key Signature Map option.
To select multiple tracks, Alt-click (Win-
dows) or Opt-click (Mac) on any track pop-
up menu and select Import As New Track.
If the destination Pro Tools system does not
support surround mixing, surround tracks
are not displayed in the Source Track List.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 339
13 To import Markers and Memory Locations
from the source session, select the Import
Marker/Memory Locations option.
14 To import Window Configurations, select
the Import Window Configurations option.
15 With Pro Tools HD, select the Import Mic Pre
Settings option to import any Mic Pre settings
from the source session.
16 Click OK when you are finished.
17 If you chose to copy or consolidate media,
choose a location to place the media files.
Importing Grouped Playlists from
Other Sessions
You can import tracks that use Grouped Playlists
from another Pro Tools session, and the playlist
grouping function will remain intact for those
imported tracks. There is, however, a restriction
for importing from pre-Pro Tools 6.1 sessions:
After importing a partial set of grouped playlists
(such as tracks 1–7 of a 10-track group), you can-
not subsequently import tracks 8–10 and have
them rejoin the playlist group for tracks 1–7.
Importing Sessions and Tracks by
Drag and Drop
Session files can be dragged into the current
session to import (and spot) audio, video, MIDI,
region group, REX and ACID files, tracks, and
session data.
• Dragging a session to the Region List imports
all the regions from that session (without im-
porting tracks).
• Dragging a session to a track in Pro Tools lets
you import tracks.
• Dragging a session to a track playlist in
Pro Tools opens the Import Session Data dia-
log, letting you select tracks and attributes to
import. The imported session data will begin
wherever you drop the session in the Time-
line.
To import tracks and other session data by drag
and drop:
1 Open a browser.
2 Drag a Pro Tools session file, or an AAF or OMF
sequence, into the current session, as follows:
• Drag onto an existing track to overlay or
overwrite data on the target tracks. Hold
the Shift key while dragging if you intend
to replace the current track playlists with
those being imported (the Shift key pre-
configures the settings in the Import Ses-
sion Data dialog).
• Drag to empty space in the Edit window to
create new tracks for the imported session
data.
• Configure the Import Session Data options
(see “Import Session Data Dialog” on
page 340).
Imported tracks are made inactive if their
source media is unavailable, or if the cur-
rent session does not contain an equivalent
output path.
Pro Tools Reference Guide340
Copying During Import
If no conversion is necessary, and the files reside
on a suitable Performance volume, Pro Tools ref-
erences the original version of the media. You
can also choose to copy media while importing
by using key commands, or enabling the Auto-
matically Copy Files on Import preference. Copies
are created in the session’s Audio Files Folder.
To manually copy files on import:
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac) the
files. A copy is created in the session Audio Files
folder.
When importing sessions or tracks, the Import
Session Data dialog lets you specify whether to
reference the source media, or copy it.
To automatically copy files on import:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Op-
erations tab.
2 Select Automatically Copy Files on Import.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Using Undo after Importing
Using Undo after importing any files to the
Timeline removes the files from the Timeline.
However, the files remain in the session (in the
Region List and Project browser) and are offline.
If you do not remove or delete the files from the
session manually, Pro Tools will report them as
missing files the next time the session is opened.
Import Session Data Dialog
The Import Session Data dialog lets you view the
properties of the source session, select which
tracks to import, and with Pro Tools HD, choose
which attributes of those tracks you want to im-
port into the current session.
Source Properties
The Import Session Data dialog displays proper-
ties for the source session. These properties in-
clude source session name, session type, start
time of the session, audio bit depth, and sample
rate. For Pro Tools 5.1 or higher sessions, the
program that created the session and the ses-
sion’s audio file type are listed.
Import Session Data dialog (Pro Tools HD)
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 341
Text Encoding
Pro Tools allows entry and display of any lan-
guage characters supported in Unicode any-
where in the Pro Tools application. This lets you
use multiple languages in session names, and in
path names, file names and region names.
However, Pro Tools 7.3.x and lower does not
support Unicode. When importing data from
sessions or OMF sequences created or saved with
older versions of Pro Tools, you may need to
identify the language encoding used in the im-
ported elements.
To choose the language encoding when importing
data from a legacy Pro Tools session:
1 Choose File > Import > Session Data.
2 Choose the language used in the legacy ses-
sion from the Text Encoding pop-up menu.
Audio Media Options
The following Audio Media Options are avail-
able in the Import Session Data dialog:
Link to Source Media (Where Possible) This op-
tion lets you avoid duplicating audio files by re-
ferring to the original files when possible. If the
source files do not reside on supported playback
media (such as a CDs or DVDs), or if they require
bit depth or sample rate conversion, the source
files are copied instead. This option allows the
current session to refer to files that do not match
the current session’s audio file format.
Copy from Source Media This option copies all
audio files related to the imported tracks from
the source media to a new specified location,
and converts the files to the current session’s au-
dio file format, bit depth, and sample rate if nec-
essary. This is useful if you are importing tracks
from a source such as CD or DVDs or shared
storage, and you want to place the audio files on
a different hard drive.
Consolidate from Source Media This option con-
solidates audio while copying it. This is useful if
you want to copy only the regions of the audio
files used in the source tracks, without copying
unused audio. This option copies and converts
consolidated audio to the current session’s au-
dio file format, bit depth, and sample rate if nec-
essary.
When you choose this option, you can also
choose the Handle Size (in milliseconds) applied
to consolidated audio. Handle is the amount of
the original audio file that is preserved before
and after each region in case you need to make
any edits (such as applying fades or trimming)
to the new regions.
Force to Target Session Format This option cop-
ies and converts any files that do not match the
current session’s file format, bit depth, and sam-
ple rate. Files that do match the current session’s
file type, bit depth and sample rate are referred
to directly and not copied.
Video Media Options
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can ei-
ther choose to leave video media files in their
original locations or copy them to a new loca-
tion. This is useful if you are importing tracks
from a source such as CDs or DVDs or shared
storage, and you want to place video files on a
different drive.
Consolidate From Source Media is not
available when importing Elastic Audio
tracks.
Pro Tools Reference Guide342
Link to Source Media
Select this option to avoid duplicating video
files by referring to the original files.
Copy from Source Media
Select this setting to copy all video files related
to the imported tracks from the source media to
a new specified location.
Import as Offline Satellite Media
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Select this option to import a video track with
offline media. You will be able to see cuts and
clip names, but the video media remains offline.
You can view the video media on a connected
Video Satellite system. This option is only avail-
able when New Satellite Track is selected for the
video track.
Time Code Mapping Options
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can spec-
ify where the imported tracks are placed in the
current session. Times are indicated in time
code.
The following Time Code Mapping Options are
available:
Maintain Absolute Time Code Values This op-
tion places tracks at the locations where they
were located in the source session. For example,
if the current session starts at 00:01:00:00, and
the session from which you are importing starts
at 10:00:00:00, the earliest imported tracks can
appear in your session is 9 hours and 59 minutes
after the start of the session.
Maintain Relative Time Code Values This option
places tracks at the same offset from session start
as they had in the source session. For example, if
the source session starts at 01:00:00:00 and con-
tains a track that starts at 01:01:00:00, and the
current session start is 02:00:00:00, the track will
be placed at 02:01:00:00 in the current session.
Map Start Time Code To This option places
tracks relative to their original session start time.
(Times are expressed in hh:mm:ss:ff) For exam-
ple, if the current session starts at 00:01:00:00,
and the session from which you are importing
starts at 10:00:00:00, you can reset the start time
code to 00:01:00:00, to avoid placing files 9
hours and 59 minutes from the start of your ses-
sion.
Track Offset Options
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can spec-
ify a track offset in addition to any offset in-
curred with the Time Code Mapping Options. Any
imported audio is offset in the current session’s
Timeline by the specified amount. You can en-
ter values in Minutes:Seconds, Bars|Beats, Sam-
ples, Time Code, or Feet/Frames.
Sample Rate Conversion (SRC)
Options
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can set
options that control how sample rate conver-
sion is applied to imported audio files. If the
source session and the current session have the
same sample rate, this portion of the dialog is
unavailable.
The following Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) Op-
tions are available:
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 343
Source Sample Rate For audio files created in
any session, no matter what the session sample
rate is, you can have the sample rate conversion
process treat the files in several ways to compen-
sate for pull-up, pull-down, and NTSC or PAL
frame rates. This setting allows you to choose
the sample rate from which you want the sam-
ple rate conversion process to start.
Destination Sample Rate The destination sample
rate is always set to the sample rate of your cur-
rent session.
Conversion Quality This option lets you set the
quality of the sample-rate conversion process
(see “Sample Rate Conversion Quality” on
page 325).
Source Tracks
This area of the Import Session Data dialog lists
the tracks in the source session that can be im-
ported, each with a corresponding pop-up
menu.
Operation/Destination Track
Pop-Up Menus
In the Import Session Data dialog, each source
track has a corresponding pop-up menu that
lists options for importing the track as well as for
possible destination tracks in the current ses-
sion. The pop-up menus display the following
items:
Do Not Import Neither the source track nor any
of its attributes are imported.
Import as New Track The source track and all at-
tributes selected in the Track Data to Import pop-
up menu are imported into a new track in the
current session.
Destination Track Names The names of possible
destination tracks in the current session are
listed at the bottom of the pop-up menu. Im-
ported playlists and all attributes selected in the
Track Data to Import pop-up menu will be placed
in the destination track you select.
Only destination tracks that match the track
type (audio, Instrument, MIDI, Auxiliary Input,
or Master Fader) and the channel format (mono,
stereo, or any of the supported multichannel
formats) of the source track appear in the pop-
up menu.
Matching Tracks
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can make
sure track names match when you are importing
playlists from source tracks with the same name
as destination tracks in the current session (such
as a new cut of a scene). Click Matching Tracks to
automatically match the track names. Tracks
must have the same name, track type, and chan-
nel format to be automatically matched.
Track Data to Import
In the Import Session Data dialog, the Track Data
to Import pop-up menu is where you select which
attributes of the selected tracks you want to im-
port into the current session.
Selected attributes are applied to all tracks that
you choose to import into the current session.
Replacing Track Attributes
When you import an attribute of the source
track into an existing track in the current ses-
sion, it replaces the corresponding attribute in
the destination track. If you choose not to im-
port an attribute of the source track, the corre-
sponding attribute in the destination track is re-
tained.
Pro Tools Reference Guide344
Replacing Track Path Names
When you import a track’s input, output, send
output or hardware insert assignments, any cus-
tom path names and I/O configurations from
the source session are not imported. You can im-
port path names and I/O configurations by im-
porting I/O Setup settings. For more informa-
tion, see “Factory I/O Settings” on page 112.
Selecting Track Data to Import
You can select All, None, or any combination of
the listed track data to import. The following are
available for import:
All Imports all of the source track’s playlists, ac-
cording to the Main Playlist Option setting, and all
of the attributes in the Track Data to Import list.
None Imports only the source track’s main play-
list, according to the Main Playlist Options setting,
and no other attributes of the source track.
Alternate Playlists Imports all of the source
track’s alternate playlists. The alternate playlists
appear in the destination track’s playlist pop-up
menu.
Regions and Media Imports all of the audio files
or regions in the source track, and places them
in the Region List.
Volume Automation and Setting Imports the
source track’s Volume fader setting and any au-
tomation data on the track’s Volume Automa-
tion playlist. The Volume fader setting and any
Volume automation data in the destination
track are replaced.
Pan Automation and Setting Imports the source
track’s Pan Slider settings and any automation
data on the track’s Pan Automation playlist. The
Pan Slider setting and any Pan automation data
in the destination track are replaced.
Mute Automation and Setting Imports the source
track’s Mute setting and any automation data
on the track’s Mute automation playlist. The
Mute setting and any Mute automation data in
the destination track are replaced.
Main Output Assignments Imports the source
track’s channel output assignments, including
any multiple output assignments. The channel
output assignments in the destination track are
replaced.
Send Output Assignments Imports the source
track’s send output assignments. Any Send out-
put assignments in the destination track are re-
placed.
Plug-In Assignments Imports the source track’s
plug-in assignments. Any plug-ins in the desti-
nation track are removed, and their associated
settings and automation are lost.
If the source track uses a plug-in that is not avail-
able on the destination system, it appears in the
destination track and is made inactive.
Plug-In Settings and Automation When the
source track’s plug-in assignments are imported,
this option imports the track’s plug-in settings
and any automation data associated with the
plug-ins. If no plug-in assignments are im-
ported, this option has no effect.
Elastic Audio Track State Imports the source
track’s Elastic Audio track state. Any Elastic Au-
dio settings in the destination track are replaced.
HW Insert Assignments Imports the source
track’s hardware Insert assignments. Any Insert
assignments in the destination track are re-
placed.
Voice Assignments Imports the source track’s
voice assignment from the source session. Any
voice assignments in the destination track are
replaced.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 345
Input Assignments Imports the source track’s
channel input assignment. The Input assign-
ment in the destination track is replaced.
Side-Chain Assignments When the source track’s
plug-in assignments are imported, this option
imports any side-chain assignments associated
with the plug-ins. If no plug-in assignments are
imported, this option has no effect.
Track Active State Imports the active/inactive
state of the source track from the source session.
Track Comments Imports the track comments
associated with the source track. Any comments
in the destination track are replaced.
Track Colors Imports the track color associated
with the source track. Any color for the destina-
tion track is changed.
Record Safe/Solo Safe Settings Imports the re-
cord safe and solo safe settings of the source
track from the source session. Any record safe or
solo safe settings in the destination track are re-
placed.
Track View Settings Imports the track height
and playlist view of the source track from the
source session.
Mix/Edit Groups Imports track groups from the
source session.
ICON Custom Fader Groups (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) Imports any ICON Custom Fader Groups
from the source session.
ICON Automation Snapshots (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
Only) Imports any ICON Automation Snapshots
from the source session.
HEAT Switch Settings (Pro Tools|HD Systems with
the HEAT Software Option Only) Imports any
stored HEAT switch settings from the source ses-
sion.
Import Options
The following Import Options are available in
the Import Session Data dialog:
Import Tempo/Meter Map Imports the meter
and tempo maps, as they appear in the Tempo
and Meter Conductor rulers, from the source
session. Any Tempo or Meter events in the des-
tination session are replaced.
Import Key Signature/Chord Map Imports all key
signatures (if present) and chord markers into
Pro Tools with the imported session data. Any
key signatures and chord markers in the destina-
tion session are replaced.
Import Marker/Memory Locations Imports
markers and Memory Locations as they appear
in the Marker ruler, from the source session. Any
markers and Memory Locations in the destina-
tion session are retained. Imported marker and
Memory Locations are assigned the next avail-
able Marker/Memory Location numbers.
Import Window Configurations Imports the Win-
dow Configurations from the source session.
Import Mic Pre Settings Imports any Pro Tools
Mic Pre settings from the source session. Any
Mic Pre settings in the destination session are re-
placed.
Import HEAT Master Settings (Pro Tools HD with
HEAT Only) Imports any HEAT Master settings
from the source session, including Bypass,
Drive, and Tone settings. The HEAT Master set-
tings in the destination session are replaced.
Pro Tools Reference Guide346
Main Playlist Options
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can select
from the following options to control how the
main playlist from each source track is imported
to the destination track in the current session.
Import – Replace Existing Playlists Imports the
main playlist from the source track. When you
import the playlist into an existing track, the
main playlist in the destination track is deleted
and replaced with the imported playlist.
If you select this option and import all of the
source track’s attributes, this is equivalent to im-
porting the entire track.
If you select this option and do not import
any of the source track’s attributes, you replace
the audio playlists while keeping your current
mixer settings.
Import – Overlay New On Existing Playlists Im-
ports the main playlist from the source track.
When you import the playlist into an existing
track, any existing playlist data that overlaps
data imported from the source track is trimmed
and replaced with the imported data. Any play-
list data in the destination track that does not
overlap remains in the destination track.
Do Not Import Does not import the main playlist
from the source track. No audio is imported;
only the attributes selected in the Track Data to
Import list are imported to the selected tracks.
When selected, importing all of the source
track’s input, output, send, insert and plug-in at-
tributes is equivalent to importing a channel
strip.
Importing AAF and OMF
Sequences
Pro Tools lets you open AAF and OMF sequences
as new Pro Tools sessions, or you can import
AAF and OMF sequences into existing Pro Tools
sessions. Pro Tools can import AAF and OMF se-
quences exported from other Pro Tools sessions,
from Avid Media Composer, or from third-party
applications (such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Audio,
Adobe Premiere Pro, or Nuendo).
Avid-generated OMF sequences with clip-based
pan are supported. However, Pro Tools will not
import automation (keyframe) pan data from an
OMF.
When importing AAF sequences, Pro Tools can
import mono and stereo audio tracks.
When opening and importing an AAF or OMF
sequence the New Session dialog opens,
prompting you to name and save the sequence
as a new session. Once you name and save the
new session, the Import Session Data dialog
opens. For more information, see “AAF/OMF
Source Track Translation Settings” on page 354.
You can import the following types of files into
Pro Tools:
• AAF or OMF sequences (including those
with embedded audio)
• Individual Avid video files in the MXF or
OMF format
• OMF audio files
Avid Mojo SDI or Avid Mojo is required for
importing MXF and OMF video.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 347
To import AAF or OMF sequences into Pro Tools,
do one of the following:
Use the File > Import > Session Data command.
Use the File > Open Session command.
Drag and drop them from any DigiBase
browser or the desktop.
To import individual Avid video files into Pro Tools,
do one of the following:
Use the File > Import > Video command.
– or –
Drag and drop them from any DigiBase
browser or the desktop.
To import individual OMF audio files into Pro Tools,
do one of the following:
Use the File > Import > Audio command.
– or –
Drag and drop them from any DigiBase
browser or the desktop.
Importing an AAF or OMF
Sequence as a Pro Tools Session
The easiest way of using Pro Tools to edit a se-
quence exported from an Avid application (such
as Media Composer) is to open it as a new ses-
sion.
To open and import an AAF or OMF sequence in
Pro Tools:
1 Launch Pro Tools.
2 Choose File > Open Session.
3 In the Open Session dialog, navigate to the
AAF or OMF sequence you want to import.
4 Click Open.
5 Select the audio file type, sample rate, and bit
depth to use for the session.
6 Click OK.
7 Name your session in the Save As field.
8 Click Save.
Pro Tools cannot play MXF audio or video
files embedded within an AAF or OMF se-
quence.
New Session From dialog
You can open and import OMF or AAF se-
quences that reference audio files with mixed
sample rates or bit depths. Audio files will be
converted to the highest sample rate and bit
depth of the files being imported (for new ses-
sions) or to the current sample rate or bit
depth (for existing sessions).
Pro Tools Reference Guide348
9 Depending on how you want to import the
audio, select the appropriate option from the Au-
dio Media Options pop-up menu (see “Audio Me-
dia Options” on page 351).
10 Depending on how you want to import the
video, select the appropriate option from the
Video Media Options pop-up menu (see “Video
Media Options” on page 352).
11 Change other settings and options as neces-
sary (see “Import Options when Importing AAF
or OMF Sequences” on page 351).
12 Click OK.
Pro Tools creates a new Audio Files folder, a Fade
Files folder, Region Groups folder, a Session File
Backups folder, a Video Files folder, a cache.wfm
file, and a session file where you have desig-
nated their locations. This session will match
the audio file type, sample rate, and bit depth of
the audio in the OMF or AAF you selected.
Pro Tools does not import video embedded in a
sequence.
If you are opening an AAF or OMF sequence cre-
ated on an Avid system, you might be prompted
to locate Fade files. It is recommended that you
select the Skip All Fades option because fades cre-
ated on an Avid system are not compatible with
Pro Tools. Pro Tools always recreates all fades.
Import Session Data dialog If there are any errors, region name trunca-
tions, or other notes (such as missing effect
renderings), during the import, a dialog ap-
pears asking you if you want a detailed report
of the changes. Click Yes and choose where
you want to save the log. The log is a text file
that you can open in any text editing applica-
tion.
Every AAF and OMF file has a filename and
unique identifier stored in the AAF and OMF
metadata, and a name which is displayed on
the desktop. Truncating a region name in the
translation process does not change the AAF
or OMF filename or unique ID.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 349
Multi-Cam Resolution Files
On an Avid system, Multi-Cam Resolution files
display multiple individual camera angles of the
same scene. The Avid operator chooses which of
the Multi-Cam files (and therefore camera an-
gles) will be dominant, at the time of creating an
AAF or OMF export. When you import an AAF
or OMF sequence into a Pro Tools session, only
the clip representing the dominant camera an-
gle will be displayed.
Importing an AAF or OMF
Sequence into an Existing Session
You can import an AAF or OMF sequence con-
taining audio and video media into an existing
Pro Tools session.
To open and import audio and/or video tracks from
an OMF or AAF sequence:
1 Launch Pro Tools, and open an existing
Pro Tools session.
2 Choose File > Import > Session Data, and select
the AAF or OMF sequence that you want to im-
port.
3 In the Import Session Data dialog, deselect
any source tracks that you do not want im-
ported. (If importing Session Data from AAF or
OMF sequences, all tracks are selected by de-
fault. If you are importing tracks from a
Pro Tools session, no tracks are selected by de-
fault.)
4 Select the AAF/OMF translation settings, if
any (see “AAF/OMF Source Track Translation
Settings” on page 354).
5 Select the Audio Media Options (see “Audio Me-
dia Options” on page 351).
6 Select the Video Media Options (see “Video Me-
dia Options” on page 352).
7 Select the Time Code Mapping Options, if any
(see “Time Code Mapping Options” on
page 352).
8 Set the Track Offset Options, if any (see “Track
Offset Options” on page 353).
9 Set the Sample Rate Convert Options, if any (see
“Sample Rate Conversion Options” on
page 353).
10 Change other settings and options as neces-
sary (for more information about the Import
Session Data dialog, see “Import Session Data
Dialog” on page 340).
11 Click OK.
You can also open an AAF or OMF sequence
by dragging it from any location on your com-
puter or the DigiBase browser to the Pro Tools
Timeline.
Source Tracks
If there are any errors or region name trunca-
tions, a dialog will appear asking you if you
want a detailed report of the changes. Click
Yes and choose where you want to save the
log.
Pro Tools Reference Guide350
12 If your audio or video source media is on a
volume that is not suitable for playback (shown
as a Transfer volume in the Workspace browser),
Pro Tools displays a dialog that guides you to
copy the media to a volume designated for Play-
back or Record. (Click Yes.)
Pro Tools imports the audio and video media to
the Timeline. Audio tracks with mixed sample
rates or bit depth are automatically converted to
the same sample rate and bit depth as the ses-
sion.
Now you are ready to edit or mix the audio files
in Pro Tools.
Importing AAF/OMF Audio
Sequences with Mixed Sample
Rates or Bit Depth
You can open and import AAF or OMF se-
quences with mixed audio sample rates and/or
bit-depths into Pro Tools.
Audio files that are not of the same bit depth or
sample rate as a session must be converted to be
used with the session. When an audio file is con-
verted, a new file with the correct bit depth, file
type, and sample rate is created and placed in a
folder you choose.
Importing Audio from AAF
Sequences with Unsupported
Video Formats
Pro Tools with an Avid video peripheral lets you
import audio from AAF sequences containing
unsupported video formats, including high-def-
inition Avid video files with frame rates over 30
frames per second.
The following rules apply when importing AAF
sequences of this type:
• Supported audio in these sequences will play
back, but unsupported video will not.
• Unsupported video appears in the Timeline as
orange blocks.
Media Composer 4.0 added a check box to the
AAF export settings called “AAF Edit Protocol.”
This allows AAF exports larger than 4 GB. AAFs
exported with this check box checked are com-
patible with Pro Tools 7.2 and higher, but will
not import into PT 7.1 and previous.
Importing AAF/OMF Sequences
Containing Media Mixdowns
Pro Tools with an Avid video peripheral lets you
import AAF and OMF sequences exported from
Avid editing applications by selecting File > Im-
port > Session Data or by dragging them from
the desktop or a DigiBase browser to Pro Tools.
For more information, see “Importing Session
Data” on page 338.
If the sequence contains a video mixdown, the
video mixdown and its corresponding metadata
are displayed in two separate video tracks on the
Timeline.
If the sequence contains an audio mixdown, the
audio mixdown and its corresponding metadata
are displayed in two separate video tracks on the
Timeline.
You can use the Source Sample Rate settings
to compensate for any pull up or pull down
factors that may have been applied to the au-
dio prior to importing. In a sequence with files
of mixed sample rates, set the Source Sample
Rate in proportion to the Target sample rate
of the session, and the pull up or pull down
compensation will be applied correctly to all
files in proportion with their original sample
rate.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 351
Import Options when
Importing AAF or OMF
Sequences
When importing AAF or OMF sequences,
Pro Tools provides the following import options
through the Import Session Data dialog:
• Audio Media options
• Video Media options
• Time Code Mapping options
• Track Offset options
• Sample Rate Conversion options
• AAF/OMF Source Track Translation settings
• Main Playlist options
Audio Media Options
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
Pro Tools, use the Audio Media Options pop-up to
select whether to copy, consolidate, or link to
the source audio media.
Link to Source Audio Media (Where Possible)
Select this option to translate the AAF or OMF
file to a Pro Tools session that refers to as many
of the original media files as possible. In this
case, the Pro Tools session points to the BWF
(WAV) or AIF files from the source project.
When importing audio embedded in an AAF se-
quence, Pro Tools copies the audio to a new
drive or folder even if this setting is selected.
Copy from Source Media
Use this setting to copy referenced audio to a
new drive or folder.
You can perform sample rate conversion on au-
dio during translation.
Consolidate from Source Media
Use this setting to copy the audio from the
source project to the Pro Tools session, while re-
moving all unused areas in the copies. For exam-
ple, you might only be using ten seconds of a
ten-minute audio file in your project. Consoli-
dating this audio saves a great deal of disk space
by preserving only the audio you use and a user-
defined amount of handle, and discarding the
rest.
You can sample-rate convert the audio during
translation.
Force to Target Session Format
Use this setting to convert source media to the
session audio file format if the source media file
format differs from the session file format.
Locators To (Milliseconds)
If you have selected Consolidate from Source Me-
dia, you can specify the number of milliseconds
of each original audio file to retain both before
and after the region boundaries defined in the
source project. This enables you to extend re-
gion boundaries even after you’ve consolidated,
by the amount you specify.
It is a good idea to have at least 1000 millisec-
onds of handle, so you can “trim out” edits that
sound “clipped” or “up-cut.”
Audio Media Options
Pro Tools Reference Guide352
Video Media Options
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
Pro Tools, use the pop-up menu in the Video
Media Options section to copy or link to the
source video media.
Link to Source Media
Select this option to avoid duplicating video
files by referring to the original files.
Copy from Source Media
Select this setting to copy all video files related
to the imported tracks from the source media to
a new specified location.
Import as Offline Satellite Media
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Select this option to import a video track with
offline media. You will be able to see cuts and
clip names, but the video media remains offline.
You can view the video media on the connected
Video Satellite system. This option is only avail-
able when New Satellite Track is selected for the
video track.
Time Code Mapping Options
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
Pro Tools, you can specify where the imported
tracks are placed in the current session. Times
are indicated in time code.
Maintain Absolute Time Code Values
This option places tracks at the locations where
they were located in the source session. For ex-
ample, if the current session starts at
00:01:00:00, and the session from which you are
importing starts at 10:00:00:00, the earliest im-
ported tracks can appear in your session is 9
hours and 59 minutes after the start of the ses-
sion.
Maintain Relative Time Code Values
This option places tracks at the same offset from
session start as they had in the source session.
For example, if the source session starts at
01:00:00:00 and a contains a track that starts at
01:01:00:00, and the current session start is
02:00:00:00, the track will be placed at
02:01:00:00 in the current session.
Map Start Time Code to hh:mm:ss:ff
This option places tracks relative to their origi-
nal session start time. For example, if the current
session starts at 00:01:00:00, and the session
from which you are importing starts at
10:00:00:00, you can reset the start time code to
00:01:00:00, to avoid placing files 9 hours and
59 minutes from the start of your session.
Video Media Options
Time Code Mapping Options
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 353
Track Offset Options
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
Pro Tools, specify a track offset in addition to
any offset incurred with the Time Code Map-
ping options. Any imported audio is offset in
the current session’s timeline by the specified
amount. Values can be entered in Bars|Beats,
Min:Sec, Time Code, Feet+Frames, or Samples.
Sample Rate Conversion Options
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
Pro Tools, these settings let you convert the
sample rate of the session’s audio files. For ex-
ample, you can convert from 48 kHz to
44.1 kHz, or from 44.1 kHz to 48 kHz.
Pro Tools|HD systems support sample rates
higher than 48 kHz (88.2 kHz, 96 kHz,
176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz). These settings also en-
able you to convert to compensate for the 0.1%
speed change (pull-up or pull-down) between
24 fps film and 29.97 fps NTSC video, or the 4%
speed change (pull-up or pull-down) between
24 fps film and 25 fps PAL video.
Source Sample Rate
This setting lets you specify the sample rate of
the audio material you are working with in
Pro Tools, independent of the project sample
rate settings.
For example, you may receive a project origi-
nated on Media Composer at 44.1 kHz. If you
want to work at 48 kHz in Pro Tools, you should
set the Source Audio Sample Rate setting to
44,100 and the Destination Audio Sample Rate
to 48,000.
These settings can also be used to correct for
pull-up or pull-down problems. For example,
you may receive an AAF or OMF transfer from a
Film Composer that contains audio media at
“film speed” when played back at 48 kHz. You
may want to convert all the audio files and edits
to play back at NTSC video speed and 48 kHz.
In this case, set the Source Audio Sample Rate
setting to 47,952 and the Destination Audio
Sample Rate to 48,000. These settings tell
Pro Tools that you want to fit 47,952 of the orig-
inal “film speed” samples into 48,000 of the new
“video speed” samples. With these settings, you
sample-rate-convert the material to NTSC video
speed.
You can set the Source Audio Sample Rate either
by selecting one of the predefined sample rates
from the pop-up menu, or by typing a value into
the text box.
Track Offset Options
Sample Rate Conversion Options
See “Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video,
and PAL Video” on page 1143, for informa-
tion about converting between different
speeds and sample rates.
Pro Tools Reference Guide354
Destination Sample Rate
This setting determines the target session’s au-
dio sample rate setting, as shown in the Session
Setup window, and the sample rate of all audio
files in the target session. Available settings in-
clude Pro Tools standard sample rates of
44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Pro Tools|HD systems sup-
port sample rates higher than 48 kHz (88.2 kHz,
96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz).
If this setting differs from the Source Audio Sam-
ple Rate setting, audio is sample-rate converted
digitally to the Destination Audio Sample Rate.
Conversion Quality Pop-Up Menu
This pop-up menu lets you select settings corre-
sponding to Pro Tools sample rate conversion
settings. The Tweak Head (Slowest) option pro-
vides the best results.
AAF/OMF Source Track Translation
Settings
Pro Tools provides specific options for “translat-
ing” audio clips when importing AAF sequences
or OMF files and sequences.
Ignore Rendered Audio Effects
Enabling the Ignore Rendered Audio Effects op-
tion imports clips as audio regions without the
rendered effects, such as EQ, that are applied to
the clip. You might do this if you want to use
Pro Tools audio effects and audio processing ex-
clusively for your audio post production work.
The resulting audio with this setting is the un-
processed source material.
Clip-Based Gain Pop-Up Menu
The Clip-Based Gain setting lets you map clip-
based gain settings in the sequence you are im-
porting to Pro Tools breakpoint automation, or
ignore clip-based gain entirely. Media Composer
and other Avid products provide clip-based gain
to adjust the volume of an individual audio clip.
This differs from Pro Tools volume adjustments
for an entire track, or volume breakpoint auto-
mation.
Ignore Clip-Based Gain Select this option to dis-
card the project’s clip-based gain settings, and
adjust volume using Pro Tools mixing capabili-
ties.
Convert Clip-Based Gain to Automation Select
this option to convert clip-based gain to break-
point automation in Pro Tools. Breakpoint auto-
mation is ramped across crossfades. Clip-based
gain exceeding +6 dB will be ignored by sessions
saved in versions of Pro Tools lower than 6.4.
Ignore Auto-Gain
Enable the Ignore Auto-Gain option to discard the
project’s auto-gain settings. Disable the Ignore
Auto-Gain option (it is disabled by default) to
translate keyframe gain to breakpoint automa-
tion in Pro Tools. Keyframe gain exceeding
+6 dB will be ignored by sessions saved in ver-
sions of Pro Tools lower than 6.4.
See “Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video,
and PAL Video” on page 1143, for informa-
tion about converting between different
speeds and sample rates.
Translation settings
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 355
Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right
The Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right setting
enables you to set the basic track pan setting so
that odd-numbered tracks translate with full-left
panning, and even-numbered tracks translate
with full-right panning. This is useful if you
want to pan the currently unpanned audio full-
left or full-right.
Locators To Import
Avid Media Composer sequences can contain
metadata points called Locators that serve a sim-
ilar purpose to Markers in Pro Tools, adding
color-coded contextual information to the time-
line. Even though locators are associated with
specific tracks in Media Composer, you can im-
port locators into Pro Tools without importing
those tracks.
When exporting an AAF from Media Composer,
Locator information is included and can be im-
ported into Pro Tools as Markers, thus preserv-
ing this data.
To import all Locators:
Click the Locators to Import menu and select
All.
To import no Locators:
Click the Locators to Import menu and select
None.
To import Locators based on locator color:
1 Click the Locators to Import menu.
2 Select the colors of locators you want to im-
port. Check marks appear next to the selected
colors.
Once imported, the new Markers can be edited
as normal.
Track Data to Import Pop-Up Menu
The Track Data to Import pop-up menu lets you
select which attributes of the selected tracks you
want to import into the current session. The se-
lected attributes are applied to all tracks that you
choose to import into the current session. For
more information about Track Data To Import op-
tions, see “Track Data to Import” on page 343.
The Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right
setting is not supported when importing ste-
reo audio tracks from an AAF. When im-
porting stereo tracks, the setting is greyed-
out and the imported stereo channels are
panned hard right and hard left.
Locators can only be imported from AAF se-
quences.
Unlike Pro Tools Markers, which only mark
specific points in time in a session, Media
Composer Locators point specifically to in-
dividual audio or video tracks. Information
on which track each Locator was associated
with can be found in the Comments section
in the Memory Locations window in
Pro Tools.
When Locators are imported to Pro Tools as
Markers, the associated comment text is
added to the Marker name in Pro Tools (up
to 31 characters). Comments over 31 char-
acters can be viewed in full in the Memory
Locations window in Pro Tools.
Pro Tools Reference Guide356
Importing RTAS Plug-In Settings from AAF
Avid Media Composer 5 and higher lets you pro-
cess audio tracks with RTAS plug-ins. Pro Tools
lets you import RTAS plug-in data from audio
tracks in Media Composer-generated AAF se-
quences. Plug-in type, order, and control set-
tings are preserved.
When importing an AAF into Pro Tools, use the
Track Data to Import menu to specify whether or
not to import the plug-ins and plug-in settings.
To import plug-in settings when importing AAF
tracks or sequences:
1 Open the Track Data to Import menu.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose All.
– or –
• Choose Some, and ensure that Plug-in As-
signments is checked.
To avoid importing plug-in settings when importing
AAF tracks or sequences:
1 Open the Track Data to Import menu.
2 Choose Some, and ensure that Plug-in Assign-
ments is unchecked.
Main Playlist Options
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
Pro Tools, you can select from the following op-
tions to control how the main playlist from each
source track is imported to the destination track
in the current session.
Import - Replace Existing Playlists This option
imports selected source playlists from the source
track. When you import selected playlists into
existing tracks, Pro Tools deletes the original
playlists in destination tracks and replaces them
with imported playlists.
Import - Overlay New on Existing Playlists This
option lets you overlay the selected source play-
lists on top of existing playlists. Any existing
playlist data that overlaps data imported from
the source track is trimmed and replaced with
the imported data. Any playlist data in the des-
tination track that does not overlap remains in
the destination track.
Do Not Import This option does not import se-
lected playlists from source tracks. No media is
imported; Pro Tools imports only attributes that
are selected in the Session Data to Import pop-
up menu into the current session.
Pro Tools cannot export RTAS plug-in data
when outputting an AAF for use with Media
Composer. Because Pro Tools mixes often
contain complex busing, routing, and plug-
in automation, tracks should be printed or
bounced to retain new processing changes
before exporting to AAF.
Main Playlist options
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 357
Media Composer Export
Options for Audio and Video
Mixdowns
You can request the following export options for
the AAF you are receiving from an Avid applica-
tion:
• To export both a video mixdown and its
corresponding editing metadata, the Avid
video editor should select Video Mixdown
from the Export Method pop-up menu,
then select Mixdown with Video Edits in the
Export Settings dialog.
• To export both an audio mixdown and its
corresponding editing metadata, the Avid
video editor should select Add Audio Mix-
down Track(s) in the Export Settings dialog.
• To export directly to DigiDelivery, the Avid
video editor should choose DigiDelivery
from the Export Method pop-up menu.
Audio File Format
Compatibility Issues
AIFC Audio File Format
Avid Media Composer and other Avid editors
support audio files in the AIFC format, a version
of the Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) that
supports compressed media. Pro Tools can im-
port and use this format, but not compress au-
dio in this format.
Sound Designer II Audio File
Format
Support for AAF Sequences Referencing SDII
Audio Files
Pro Tools lets you import AAF sequences that
reference Sound Designer II (SDII) audio files.
However, any referenced Sound Designer II files
will need to be converted to the session file for-
mat (WAV or AIF). Pro Tools does this automat-
ically.
Translation Notes File
If there are any errors, region name truncations,
or other notes (such as missing effect render-
ings), during import of an AAF or OMF file or se-
quence, a dialog appears asking if you want a de-
tailed report of the changes. Click Yes and
choose where you want to save the translation
notes file.
The Translation Notes File can be opened by
most word processing applications that can read
plain text files.
Translation Notes Format
Translation Notes are presented in the following
format:
Track Name <Time Code Start–Time Code End>
“clip name (if available)”;message
With Pro Tools 8.0.3 and higher, Sound
Designer II files are no longer supported as a
session file format. You can still import and
export SDII files, but the must be converted
to the session file format (WAV or AIF) on
import.
Pro Tools Reference Guide358
Translation Notes and Categories
The Translation Notes File is separated into dif-
ferent categories. The following are sample mes-
sages in each category, with explanations of
what has happened and solutions if necessary.
Parsing Errors
Example
A1<01:00:00:00–01:00:04:20>error reading
component “Assertion in OMF_Objects2x.cpp”, line
2871;substituting fill.
This error indicates a problem that may have
originated in Pro Tools or the application that
produced the AAF or OMF file. In the translated
composition, there will be silence or video black
at the given interval.
Missing Renderings
Example 1
A1<01:00:02:00–01:00:07:01> no rendering for
effect:EFF_AUDIO_EQMB;using bypass clip.
This indicates the presence of an effect for
which there is no rendering. The “bypass clip” is
the (unprocessed) source material for the effect.
Example 2
V1<01:00:48:25–01:00:49:26>no rendering for
effect: omfi:effect: VideoRepeat;substituting
silence/video black.
For some effects, the length of the output is dif-
ferent than the length of the input. In this case,
substituting a bypass when a rendering is miss-
ing doesn't make sense, because it won't sync
properly. Pro Tools substitutes silence or video
black.
Ignored Effects
A1<01:00:02:00–01:00:07:01>ignoring rendering
for effect: EFF_AUDIO_EQMB;using bypass clip.
This indicates that the user has selected “Ignore
Rendered Audio Effects” in Pro Tools. This note
is a convenience so that if something is odd in
the translated sequence, the user can determine
if an effect that was ignored is actually required.
Incomplete Rendering
A1<00:00:28:29-00:00:31:17>incomplete
rendering for effect Audio MultiBand EQ;using
bypass clip.
This indicates that an effect was not rendered
completely at a fade boundary in an Avid sys-
tem. On import, Pro Tools bypassed the incom-
plete rendering and imported the audio without
the effect. If you need the effect, re-render the
effect and fade on the Avid system, and export
again.
Miscellaneous Errors (Misc Errors)
Example
A1<01:00:00:00–01:00:16:06>“Jag film to
Whirl.01.Sub.06.new.01”; insufficient source
material for clip;shortening clip by 1 sample.
This Translation Note is primarily informa-
tional, informing you that Pro Tools was not
able to translate the AAF or OMF sequence ex-
actly, and has had to make an adjustment so
Pro Tools can understand it.
This error occurs because applications don’t al-
ways calculate the number of samples in a frame
in the same way. In some cases, there may be
one too few samples of media to support a given
clip from the Pro Tools standpoint. In this situ-
ation, there can potentially be an audio “pop.”
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 359
Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as
AAF or OMFI Sequences
Pro Tools lets you export individual tracks in
AAF or OMFI format. Use the Export Selected
Tracks as AAF/OMF command.
AAF and OMF sequences exported from
Pro Tools do not support video files, or retain in-
formation about plug-in assignments or param-
eters, routing, or grouping. It is recommended
that you render any effects prior to export. Ste-
reo and greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks
are split into separate mono tracks on export.
Pro Tools does export volume automation to
AAF and OMF, but only if the Quantize Edits to
Frames Boundaries option (Avid Compatibility
Mode) is disabled.
To export selected audio tracks as an AAF or OMF
sequence:
1 In Pro Tools, select the tracks you want to ex-
port. Choose either mixed or unmixed files.
2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks as
OMF/AAF.
3 From the Export As pop-up menu, select AAF or
OMF.
4 If desired, select Enforce Avid Compatibility.
5 Be sure to select the correct Target Project Time
Code Format option for the project as set for the
project in your target application (such as Avid
Media Composer).
6 Set the Sample Rate Conversion Options as nec-
essary.
Tracks are exported in their entirety and time
selections are ignored.
Volume and pan automation is not retained
on export if Quantize Edits to Frame Bound-
aries is enabled (Avid Compatibility Mode).
The video track cannot be exported to AAF or
OMF from Pro Tools.
Shift-click to select multiple tracks; or
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
to select all tracks.
Export to OMF/AAF dialog
Enforce Avid Compatibility limits the sample
rate options to 44.1 or 48 kHz. Dithering
without noise shaping will be applied to files
being exported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
Pro Tools Reference Guide360
7 Set the Audio Media Options settings as nec-
essary:
• Ensure that the Format and Bit Depth match
the settings in your target project (as set for
the project in your video software applica-
tion).
– or –
• Select a Copy Option (Link to Source Media,
Copy from Source Media, or Consolidate from
Source Media).
8 Select other options.
9 Click OK.
10 In the Publishing Options dialog, type the
Pro Tools Comment and Sequence Name.
11 Click OK.
12 In the Save dialog, navigate to a folder where
you can easily locate the AAF or OMF sequence
when it is time to distribute it to another editor
or import it into Media Composer.
13 Click Save.
14 In the “Please Choose a Folder for Converted
Audio Files” dialog, navigate to a folder where
the media files can be easily located (such as the
same folder where AAF or OMF sequence re-
sides).
15 Click Choose (Mac) or Use Current Folder
(Windows).
Pro Tools exports the composition and related
media to the appropriate folders.
Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as
MXF Audio Files
You can export MXF audio files using the fol-
lowing commands:
• Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF
• Bounce to Disk
• Export Selected Regions as Files
Exporting AAF Sequences
Containing MXF Audio
Use Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF to export
individual tracks or an entire Pro Tools session
as an AAF sequence referring to MXF audio files.
For more information, see “Export Options
when Exporting to AAF or OMF Sequences” on
page 363.
Publishing Options dialog (Export Selected Tracks as
OMF/AAF) shown
Some video editors (such as Avid Media Com-
poser), require all media files to be in specific
folders to allow proper relinking.
Tracks are exported in their entirety and time
selections are ignored.
Volume and pan automation is not exported
if Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries or
Avid Compatibility Mode are enabled.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 361
To export selected audio tracks from Pro Tools as
an AAF sequence referring to MXF audio files:
1 In Pro Tools, select the tracks you want to ex-
port.
2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks as
OMF/AAF.
3 Under OMF/AAF Options, select AAF from the
Export As pop-up menu.
4 Select Enforce Avid Compatibility.
5 Ensure the Target Project Time Code Format is
correct for the Avid application project to which
you are exporting the AAF sequence.
6 Under the Audio Media Options section, se-
lect MXF from the Audio Format pop-up menu.
7 Verify the Audio Bit-Depth setting is acceptable
for the recipient of this export.
8 Click OK.
9 In the Publishing Options dialog, type the
Pro Tools Comment and Sequence Name.
Pro Tools will create a sequence with the name
you supply. The comment appears in the Avid
application bin in the Pro Tools Comment col-
umn.
10 Click OK.
11 In the Name the AAF File to Export dialog,
navigate to a folder where you can easily locate
the AAF sequence when it is time to distribute it
to another editor or import it into
Media Composer.
12 Click Save.
13 In the Please Choose a Folder for Converted Au-
dio Files dialog, navigate to a folder where the
media files can be easily located (such as the
same folder where AAF or OMF sequence re-
sides).
14 Click Choose (Mac) or Use Current Folder
(Windows).
Pro Tools exports the AAF sequence to the se-
lected folder, and exports the related media to
the OMFI MediaFiles folder (OMF files) or the
Avid MediaFiles folder (MXF files).
15 If you are ready to import the files into the
Avid application, exit Pro Tools.
An OMF sequence cannot reference MXF me-
dia files. When using the Export Selected
Tracks as OMF/AAF dialog, choose AAF in
the Export As pop-up menu to enable MXF in
the Audio Format menu.
Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame-ac-
curate edits, wraps the files as OMFI (unless
you choose MXF), and limits the sample rate
options to 44.1 or 48 kHz. Dithering without
noise shaping will be applied to files being ex-
ported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
Many versions of Avid editors only support
16-bit audio. However, all versions of Media
Composer Adrenaline editors and
Avid Xpress Pro versions 4.5 or higher sup-
port 24-bit audio.
Some video editors (such as Avid Media Com-
poser), require all media files to be in specific
folders to allow proper relinking.
For more information on working in
Avid applications, see the appropriate
Avid application guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide362
Exporting MXF Audio Files Using
Bounce to Disk
You can use the Bounce to Disk command to
create pre-mixed MXF audio files of the current
Pro Tools session. This does not export all of the
individual files on the Timeline, but it does
guarantee that the mix you hear in another ap-
plication will be identical to the mix you hear in
Pro Tools, including all panning, effects and au-
tomation.
To export to MXF using Bounce to Disk:
1 After you have finished recording and mixing
a session in Pro Tools, highlight the length of
the session in the timeline ruler (or on a track),
plus an additional amount of time to avoid cut-
ting off any reverb tails that might continue past
the end of the region.
2 Choose File > Bounce To > Disk.
3 In the Bounce dialog, select the Bounce
Source.
4 Select Enforce Avid Compatibility.
5 Select MXF for the File Type.
6 Select a Sample Rate and Bit Depth.
7 Click Bounce.
8 In the Publishing Options dialog, do the fol-
lowing:
• Type the Pro Tools Comment and Clip
Name.
– or –
• Choose a Target Project Time Code Format
that matches the Avid application project
to which you are exporting the MXF audio.
All audible audio in the selection will be ex-
ported to two multi-mono audio files.
9 In the Save Bounce As dialog, choose the drive
where you want to save the files.
10 Click Save.
Pro Tools will begin bouncing to disk. Pro Tools
bounces are done in real time, so you hear audio
playback of your mix during the bounce process
(though you cannot adjust it).
Pro Tools Bounce to Disk dialog
Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame-ac-
curate edits, wraps the files as OMFI (unless
you choose MXF), and limits the sample rate
options to 44.1 or 48 kHz. Dithering without
noise shaping will be applied to files being ex-
ported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
Pro Tools Bounce to Disk dialog
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 363
Exporting a Region as a New MXF
File
You can export regions as MXF audio files with
the Export Selected As Files command. Use this
command if you intend to use a region in other
sessions or other audio applications without us-
ing its parent source file.
This command also provides a way to convert
regions to a different sample rate or bit depth.
To export regions as new MXF files:
1 In the Regions List, select the regions you
want to export.
2 From the Audio Regions List pop-up menu,
choose Export Selected As Files.
3 In the Export Selected dialog, select the En-
force Avid Compatibility option.
4 Select MXF from the Audio Format pop-up
menu.
5 Set the bit resolution and sample rate. In ad-
dition, specify the Conversion Quality and Des-
tination Directory.
6 Click OK.
Export Options when
Exporting to AAF or OMF
Sequences
Pro Tools provides several translation settings
when exporting tracks to OMF/AAF, including
OMF/AAF Options, Sample Rate Conversion Op-
tions, and Audio Media Options.
OMF/AAF Options
When exporting tracks to AAF or OMF,
Pro Tools provides the following OMF/AAF Op-
tions:
Export Selected dialog
Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame-ac-
curate edits, wraps the files as OMFI (unless
you choose MXF), and limits the sample rate
options to 44.1 or 48 kHz. Dithering without
noise shaping will be applied to files being ex-
ported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
Export to OMF/AAF Options
Pro Tools Reference Guide364
Enforce Avid Compatibility
If the Enforce Avid Compatibility option is enabled,
all AAF and OMF files and sequences will meet
the specific requirements of Avid Video worksta-
tions. Sample rates are limited to 44.1 kHz or
48 kHz. Exported regions will be padded to the
nearest frame boundaries (Quantize Edits to
Frame Boundaries). This padding ensures that
the placement of a file in the Timeline will be
the same on sample-accurate as well as frame-ac-
curate systems.
Target Project Time Code Format
Select the time code format for the project into
which this file or sequence will be imported.
This may be different from the time code format
of the current session. This parameter allows re-
gions to be placed correctly in sessions with dif-
ferent time code formats, and also calculates
how many samples must be added to pad re-
gions to frame boundaries.
Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries
Pro Tools allows sample-accurate placement of
regions. In Pro Tools, you can place a region of
any length at any position, without any require-
ment for aligning regions with frame boundar-
ies.
However, most video editing programs, such as
Media Composer, only support frame-accurate
editing. In these programs, you can only edit
sounds on whole frame boundaries, limiting
your precision.
Selecting Enforce Avid Compatibility will automat-
ically select Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries.
The Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries option al-
lows Pro Tools to export your sample-accurate
Pro Tools edits into an AAF or OMF file so they
appear as frame-accurate.
When you quantize edits to frame boundaries,
you must enter a handle size (length) under Au-
dio Media Options. See “Consolidate Handle
Size (Milliseconds)” on page 367.
The Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries set-
ting must be selected when you are translating
your Pro Tools session for use in frame-accu-
rate editing workstations. Therefore, it is au-
tomatically selected whenever you export
tracks with Enforce Avid Compatibility
checked.
Figure 3. Original region
Figure 4. Region exported with handles
Figure 5. Subclip: Region stretched to farthest frame
boundaries
Figure 6. Subclip with OFFs (One-frame files) laid over
end frames
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 365
A master clip consisting of the region plus the
handle size (length) on both front and back will
be exported. The exported sequence creates a
subclip which is equivalent to the original re-
gion, but extended to the farthest frame bound-
aries. For example, if the region starts at 1:15
and 500 samples, the subclip would start at 1:15;
and if the region ends at 4:00 and 500 samples,
the subclip would end at 4:01.
Because quantizing edits to frame boundaries
extends the regions, extra undesired audio may
be heard. To prevent this extra audio from play-
ing, special one-frame sound files are rendered
to duplicate the original boundaries of the re-
gion. In the exported sequence, these one-frame
files are placed over the start and end frames of
the extended region so you cannot hear the ex-
tension.
One-frame files (OFFs) are imported into Avid
workstations as part of the AAF or OMF se-
quence like any other sound file. In the Avid
Timeline, they appear as one-frame edits on ei-
ther side of a subclip.
If you decide you need to extend the subclip at
any point, discard the OFF and trim the subclip
as needed.
Sample Rate Conversion Options
These settings allow you to convert the sample
rate of your Pro Tools session during export to
AAF or OMF by sample-rate converting each au-
dio file, and adjusting the edits in the resulting
AAF or OMF file to compensate for this change.
You might want to change the sample rate of a
session if you are exporting to a system or are at
a stage in the process that requires a different
sample rate.
For example, your session contains audio media
at 29.97 fps (NTSC video) at 48 kHz, while the
film composer to whom you are exporting your
session requires audio media at 24 fps (film
speed) at 48 kHz. To convert all the audio files
and edits to play back at 24 fps (film speed) at 48
kHz, you would set the Source Audio Sample
Rate setting to 48,048 (a pull-up rate of 0.1%)
and the Destination Audio Sample Rate to
48,000. These settings tell Pro Tools that you
want to fit 48,048 of the original video speed
samples into 48,000 of the new film speed sam-
ples. With these settings, you sample-rate con-
vert the video material to film speed.
This solution is only available when you ex-
port a sequence, not when you export individ-
ual files.
If Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries is se-
lected, Pro Tools volume automation will not
be exported.
Sample Rate Conversion Options
See “Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video,
and PAL Video” on page 1143, for informa-
tion about converting between different
speeds and sample rates.
Check the Audio and Video pull options be-
fore applying a sample rate conversion to the
entire session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide366
Source Audio Sample Rate
This setting allows you to specify the sample
rate of the material you are working with in
Pro Tools, independent of the session’s sample
rate settings.
Destination Audio Sample Rate
This setting allows you to specify the sample
rate for audio files after the AAF or OMF transla-
tion.
If this setting differs from the Source Audio Sam-
ple Rate setting, audio is sample-rate converted
digitally to the Destination Audio Sample Rate.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
These settings correspond to Pro Tools sample
rate conversion settings. It is not recommended
that you use the Low (Fastest) setting. The Tweak
Head (Slowest) setting provides the highest qual-
ity sample rate conversion.
Audio Media Options
When exporting tracks to AAF or OMF,
Pro Tools provides the following Audio Media
Options:
Audio Format
Choose whether you want the resulting AAF or
OMF file to refer to BWF (.WAV), AIFF, SD II (Mac
and OMF only), MXF (AAF only), or embedded
files. The audio files will be converted accord-
ingly.
Bit-Depth
Select 16-bit or 24-bit as the target bit-depth for
the exported media. Pro Tools will apply the Au-
dioSuite dithering algorithm, without noise
shaping, when reducing bit-depth from 24-bit
to 16-bit.
Audio Media Options
If you create AIFF or BWF (.WAV) audio, the
audio files have extra OMF data attached to
them. Though most applications will not have
problems reading these audio files, they may
not be compatible with all applications.
MXF is only available if you have selected the
Enforce Avid Compatibility option.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 367
Source Media
When exporting tracks from Pro Tools to AAF or
OMF, there are three ways that Pro Tools can
handle source audio media (as set in the Export
to OMF/AAF dialog’s Audio Media Options pop-
up menu).
Link To Source Media Creates an AAF or OMF file
that refers to as many of the original media files
as possible. In this case, the AAF or OMF file
points to the BWF (.WAV), MXF, AIFC, or Sound
Designer II files from the source project.
Copy From Source Media Copies audio to an-
other drive or folder. You can sample-rate con-
vert the audio during this translation.
Consolidate From Source Media Copies only the
part of the files that are actually used by the ses-
sion. For example, you may only be using a ten
second region of a ten-minute audio file in your
session. Consolidating this audio saves a great
deal of disk space by copying only the audio you
use, and discarding the rest.
Consolidate Handle Size (Milliseconds) Specifies
the number of milliseconds of the original audio
file to retain at the beginning and end of each
audio clip that is created. This lets you extend
clip boundaries even after you have consoli-
dated, by the amount you specify. It is a good
idea to have at least 1000 milliseconds (one sec-
ond) of handle, so you can “trim out” edits that
sound “clipped” or “up-cut.” Consolidate Handle
Size is only available when Consolidate From
Source Media is selected.
Publishing Options
When exporting AAF or OMF files from
Pro Tools, specific publishing options that pro-
vide information about the sequence or media
are available through the Publishing Options di-
alog. These options will vary depending on
which method of exporting files you use.
OMFI/AAF Options
Pro Tools Comment Identifies the source of the
file, and defaults to the name of the current ses-
sion. The Pro Tools Comment field does not ap-
pear if you are using the Export Selected as
Tracks command, since audio on one track may
have many different sources.
Sequence Name This is the name that will be
displayed when the file is imported into another
AAF- or OMF-compatible program. The se-
quence name is not the file name that will ap-
pear in the finder. This field defaults to the
Pro Tools region name. When exporting more
than one region, all clip names are automati-
cally set to the region name.
Target Project Time Code Format This is the time
code format for the project into which this file
or sequence will be imported. This may be dif-
ferent from the time code format of the current
session. This parameter allows regions to be
placed correctly in sessions with different time
code formats, and also calculates how many
samples must be added to pad regions to frame
boundaries.
Consolidate Source Audio Media is the only
usable option for a Pro Tools to AAF or OMF
translation when Quantize Edits to Frame
Boundaries is selected. See “Quantize Edits to
Frame Boundaries” on page 364.
Pro Tools Reference Guide368
Time Stamping
When you export to AAF or OMF, all exported
media is time stamped. A time stamp is a specific
time code location stored within an individual
media file.
The time stamp can indicate:
• Time Code location on the source tape
• Where the file was originally recorded in
the Pro Tools Timeline
• Where a region was placed in an Avid or
Pro Tools Timeline
• User entered time codes
Time stamps can be stored in three different
places within a media file:
• In a region definition
• In the file format metadata (for
example, .WAV file wrappers)
• In the AAF or OMF wrapper
Exporting a Region
If you are exporting a region, the time stamp
will be the start point of the region, relative to
the point where the file originally started to re-
cord. For example, if you record a file from 1:00
to 1:30, then trim it to start at 1:15, the time
stamp for the exported region would be 1:15.
This is true even if the region is slipped else-
where in the Timeline.
Exporting a Region as Part of a
Sequence
When you export a region as part of a sequence,
the region’s original time stamp reflects the re-
gion’s position in the Timeline of the sequence.
Exporting a File
Recorded in Pro Tools If the file was recorded in
Pro Tools, the time stamp is the location in the
Timeline at which the recording began. For in-
stance, if you record the file from 1:00 to 2:00,
the time stamp would be 1:00.
AudioSuite with Playlist If the file was created by
AudioSuite, using the Playlist option, the time
stamp is the location in the Timeline to which
the source region was spotted. For example, if
you record a file from 1:00 to 2:00, then move it
to start at 4:00, the file would be duplicated, pro-
cessed with the plug-in and the new time stamp
for the duplicate would be 4:00.
AudioSuite with Region List If the file was cre-
ated by AudioSuite, using the Region List op-
tion, the time stamp reflects the original time
stamp of the source file. For example, if you re-
cord a file from 1:00 to 2:00m then trim it to
start at 1:15, the file is duplicated, processed
with the plug-in, and the new time stamp is
1:15.
Existing Time Stamp If a file is imported with an
existing time stamp, it will remain the time
stamp for the exported file as well. If the original
file contained a time stamp in the format wrap-
per, it will be copied to the OMF wrapper when
exported.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 369
Exporting a File With No Time Stamp
If you import a file that does not contain a time
stamp (such as a sound effect from a CD), the
time stamp will be 0 when it is exported.
Importing Files from an Avid AAF or OMF
Sequence
If you import a file from an Avid AAF or OMF se-
quence, the media file's source tape time stamp
becomes the original time stamp of the new
Pro Tools file. The User Timestamp maintains
the original time stamp.
Exporting Sessions as Text
You can use the Export Session Info as Text com-
mand to create a text file that contains extensive
information about your session.
This text file can contain a list of audio files, au-
dio regions, audio track EDL (Edit Decision List)
information, extended timestamp information,
and information about crossfades.
Track EDLs are exported as tab-delimited text—
that is, with tabs between each column heading,
and tabs between each event parameter. You
can use this data in a program for reading EDLs,
or you can format the EDL data into tables using
a word processor or spreadsheet application.
To export a session as text:
1 Choose File > Export > Session Info as Text.
2 Select whether to include the File List, Region
List, and track EDLs.
3 If you choose to include track EDLs, select
whether to show subframes, and whether to in-
clude user timestamps. Also select an option for
crossfade handling.
4 If you choose to include track EDLs, select the
Time Format for the exported session text from
the pop-up menu.
5 Select the File Format for exported text using
the pop-up menu.
6 When you have set your options, click OK.
7 Select a location and type a filename for the
exported text file. In Windows, Pro Tools adds
the correct 3-letter filename extension, while on
the Mac, the file extension “.txt” is added.
DigiBase provides columns for specific Avid
OMF metadata, including: Clip Name, Tape,
FPS, Original Timestamp, and User Time-
stamp.
Pro Tools Reference Guide370
Exported Session Text Files
Session Information
The session text file starts with basic informa-
tion about the session. This information in-
cludes the session name, sample rate, bit depth,
time code format, and number of audio tracks,
audio regions, and audio files, as shown in the
following example.
File List and Region List
Next, if you choose to include them, are the lists
of audio files and regions.
Track EDLs
The final item, if exported, is the list of track
EDLs. A track EDL lists the track name, and all
edits, including the event number, the region
name, region start and end time, and region du-
ration. The region timestamp is also exported, if
you select this option. Subframes are shown in
each time field if you select this option.
Export Session Info as Text
Options
Include File List/Region List
You can choose to export a list of the session’s
audio files and regions. The File List provides a
list of all the audio files and fades in the session,
and their hard drive locations. The Region List
displays all audio regions in the session, and the
source audio file for each region.
Include Track EDLs (Playlists)
You can export track EDLs (playlists). Track
EDLs can be used to spot-check region place-
ment and edits, or in a conforming program for
post applications. In extreme circumstances the
EDL can be used to recreate the entire session.
Session Information example
SESSION NAME: Ripleys II-092700
SAMPLE RATE: 48000.000000
BIT DEPTH: 24-bit
TIME CODE FORMAT: 30 Frame
# OF AUDIO TRACKS: 19
# OF AUDIO REGIONS: 203
# OF AUDIO FILES: 54 Export Session Info as Text dialog
MIDI track EDLs are not exported.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 371
When exporting track EDLs, the following op-
tions are available:
Show Subframes This option allows you to ex-
port subframe time information with track
EDLs, if used in your session.
Include User Timestamps You can include user
timestamps with track EDLs. User timestamps
indicate a user-defined session location for the
region, or the original location of the region
when recorded.
Fade Handling For track EDLs, you can choose
whether to show crossfades, not to show them,
or to combine crossfaded regions. When regions
are combined, their durations and locations are
listed up to the center of the crossfade (for the
leading region) and from the center of the cross-
fade (for the following region).
Time Format You can select the appropriate time
format that exported EDL information is based
on. For example, for post work, you might select
SMPTE time, but for music creation locked to a
grid, you might select Bars:Beats.
File Format
You can choose to export to any of several differ-
ent text formats. These include standard text
formats, and Microsoft Word and Excel formats.
Send via DigiDelivery
Aspera DigiDelivery® is a system for efficient
and reliable transfer of digital media files over
the Internet. Send via DigiDelivery lets you send a
Pro Tools session and all of its related files using
DigiDelivery from within Pro Tools.
Like the Save Copy In command, DigiDelivery
copies all files of the same type, regardless of
their location, into a single destination folder.
Anyone can send and receive files from a
DigiDelivery system, even if they do not own a
DigiDelivery network appliance, as follows:
To send a delivery, senders must have an In-
ternet connection, an account on a DigiDelivery
network appliance, and the DigiDelivery client
application.
To receive a delivery, recipients only need an
Internet connection and the DigiDelivery client
application. An account on the network appli-
ance is not needed.
To send a session from Pro Tools using
DigiDelivery:
1 Choose File > Send via DigiDelivery.
2 Do one of the following:
• If the DigiDelivery client is not installed on
your system, Pro Tools will launch your
Web browser, and connect to the DigiDe-
livery site where you can download the
current DigiDelivery client.
– or –
• If the DigiDelivery client is installed on
your system, the Send to DigiDelivery dia-
log will open.
For more information about DigiDelivery,
visit the Aspera website
(http://www.asperasoft.com).
Pro Tools Reference Guide372
3 In the Send to DigiDelivery dialog, select
which files to include.
You have the option to include:
• Audio files
• Fade files
• Video files
• Plug-In settings files
• Visible Timeline files only (files that are ref-
erenced in the current session Timeline on
tracks that are shown)
4 Click OK. The DigiDelivery client will launch,
and the DigiDelivery Send Wizard (Page 1) will
open. On this page you can name the delivery
and add or remove files.
5 Complete the remaining DigiDelivery Send
Wizard pages and send the file, following the in-
structions that came with the DigiDelivery cli-
ent software.
Importing MIDI Files
You can import Standard MIDI Files (SMF) into
your Pro Tools sessions.
Pro Tools provides several ways to import MIDI
files into an open session.
• “Importing MIDI Files Using Pro Tools
Menu Commands” on page 373.
• “Importing MIDI Files with Drag and
Drop” on page 374.
Pro Tools does not import proprietary sequence
files. To use sequences from other MIDI applica-
tions in a Pro Tools session, you will need to first
save them as Standard MIDI Files. See the man-
ufacturer’s documentation for details on saving
Standard MIDI Files.
There are two types of Standard MIDI Files, both
of which are supported by Pro Tools:
• Type 0 MIDI files store data for all MIDI chan-
nels in a single track. When importing these
files, Pro Tools separates the data by channel
and places each track’s data in separate re-
gions and tracks.
• Type 1 MIDI files, sometimes referred to as
multitrack MIDI files, contain multiple tracks
of MIDI data. When importing these files,
each track’s data is placed on its own new
MIDI track in the Pro Tools session.
Include in Delivery dialog
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 373
Importing MIDI Files Using
Pro Tools Menu Commands
Pro Tools provides commands to import MIDI
files.
To import Standard MIDI files into a session using
the Pro Tools File menu:
1 Choose File > Import > MIDI and select the file
you want to import.
2 In the MIDI Import Options dialog, choose
where the imported file will go:
New Track Creates a new track where the file will
be imported.
Region List Imports the file into the Region List,
where it will be available to place into tracks.
3 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported file in the track:
Session Start Places the file or region at the start
of the session.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file to the
Song Start point.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file to the
edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in
the Timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you
spot the file to a precise location based on any of
the Time Scales.
4 Select any of the following Import options:
Import Tempo Map From MIDI File When se-
lected, overwrites any existing tempo and meter
map with tempo and meter information read
from the MIDI file.
Import Key Signature From MIDI File When se-
lected, overwrites any existing key signatures
with key signature information read from the
MIDI file.
Remove Existing Instrument Tracks When se-
lected, deletes any existing Instrument tracks.
Selecting this option does not remove any cur-
rent MIDI tracks. All existing MIDI regions will
be left in the Region List.
Remove Existing MIDI Tracks When selected, de-
letes any existing MIDI tracks. Enabling this op-
tion does not remove any current Instrument
tracks. All existing MIDI regions will be left in
the Region List.
Remove Existing MIDI Regions When selected,
deletes existing MIDI regions (all data on all
MIDI and Instrument tracks) but leaves existing
MIDI and Instrument tracks in place.
5 Click OK.
The MIDI file will be imported according to the
settings in the Import MIDI Settings dialog.
MIDI Import Options dialog
If the Standard MIDI File contains markers,
they are only imported if the current session
does not contain any markers.
Pro Tools Reference Guide374
6 In the Mix window, click the MIDI Output se-
lector for each new track and assign a MIDI in-
strument and channel.
Importing MIDI Files with Drag and
Drop
You can drag and drop MIDI files from a Di-
giBase browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac
Finder to the Timeline, a track, the Track List, or
the Region List.
To import MIDI into the Region List:
1 Select MIDI files in a DigiBase browser, or
Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder.
2 Drag the files onto the Region List of the cur-
rent session.
To import MIDI into an existing track:
1 Select MIDI files in a DigiBase browser, Win-
dows Explorer, or Mac Finder.
2 Drag the files onto an existing track in the Edit
window of the current session.
To import MIDI into new tracks:
1 Select MIDI files in a DigiBase browser, Win-
dows Explorer or Mac Finder.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the DigiBase browser, Shift-drag the
files anywhere in the Edit window of the
current session.
• Drag the files to the Timeline of the current
session.
• Drag the files to the Track List.
Exporting MIDI Files
To export a session’s MIDI tracks for use in an-
other MIDI application, or for playback with an
external (hardware) MIDI sequencer, you can
export Pro Tools MIDI and Instrument tracks as
a Standard MIDI File.
MIDI can be exported from Pro Tools as a
merged, single, multichannel track (Type 0), or
as multiple tracks (Type 1).
If your Pro Tools session uses key signatures and
meters, they are exported with the MIDI file.
To export all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the
current session:
1 Make sure to unmute any MIDI tracks in the
session that you want included in the exported
MIDI file. (Or, conversely, mute any MIDI tracks
you do not want included in the exported MIDI
file.) For Instrument tracks, enable or disable the
MIDI mute button (Instruments view).
2 Choose File > Export > MIDI. The Export MIDI
Settings dialog opens.
3 From the MIDI File Format pop-up menu, select
1 (multitrack) or 0 (single track).
4 If the Song Start time is different from the Ses-
sion Start time, select Session Start or Song Start
from the Location Reference pop-up menu.
5 Enable or disable the Apply Real-Time Properties
option.
For more information on using DigiBase
browsers, see “DigiBase” on page 273.
Export MIDI Settings dialog
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 375
6 Click OK.
7 Specify a folder destination and name for the
MIDI file.
8 Click Save.
Pro Tools exports all unmuted MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks in the current session to a Standard
MIDI File and writes it to your hard drive. Ex-
ported MIDI information includes notes, con-
troller events, program changes, and System Ex-
clusive data, as well as events for tempo, meter,
and markers.
The SMPTE start time for the session or the song
(depending on the selection from the Location
Reference pop-up menu) is also exported. This
ensures that the exported tracks, when played
from another MIDI application, will align with
the correct SMPTE frames, and also synchronize
correctly to tape and video devices, or Pro Tools.
See your third-party MIDI sequencer documen-
tation to determine whether it supports import-
ing SMPTE start times from MIDI files.
Items Not Exported with MIDI Files
Mute automation and muted regions do not af-
fect exported MIDI. As long as a MIDI track is
not muted by clicking its Mute button, or an In-
strument track is not muted by clicking its MIDI
Mute button (Instruments view), all of its MIDI
data is exported.
Chord symbols and chord diagrams are not ex-
ported with MIDI files.
When exporting MIDI files from Pro Tools, de-
vice assignments for tracks are not retained
(though channel assignments are). If you export
MIDI or Instrument tracks from Pro Tools and
later re-import them, you will need to reassign
the tracks to devices in your studio.
All playlist information for MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks is lost when exporting. For example,
tracks that previously contained dozens of MIDI
regions will be flattened and only contain single
regions after exporting and re-importing.
Exporting Individual MIDI and
Instrument Tracks
You can also export individual MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks as MIDI files. This can be useful for
storing libraries of your favorite MIDI sequences
or Sysex data (such as bulk or individual patch
dumps for your external MIDI devices), or for
importing MIDI into notation applications
(other than Sibelius).
To export a single MIDI or Instrument track as a
MIDI file:
1 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the Track name of an unselected
track in the Edit or Mix window, or in the
Track List.
– or –
• In the Track List, or Mix or Edit window,
Control-Right-click (Windows) or Com-
mand-Right-click (Mac) the track name.
2 From the Right-click menu, select Export MIDI.
3 Set the Export MIDI settings in the Export
MIDI Settings dialog.
4 Click OK.
Pro Tools automatically adds the “.mid”
extension when exporting MIDI files.
Pro Tools Reference Guide376
5 In the Save dialog, type a name for the MIDI
file, specify where you want to save it, and click
Save.
To export all selected Pro Tools Instrument or
MIDI tracks as a MIDI file:
1 Select the tracks you want to export to a MIDI
file.
2 Right-click the Track name of one of the se-
lected tracks in the Edit or Mix window, or in the
Track List.
3 From the Right-click menu, select Export MIDI.
4 Set the Export MIDI settings.
5 Click OK.
6 In the Save dialog, type a name for the MIDI
file, specify where you want to save it, and click
Save.
Exporting Sibelius Files
Pro Tools can export the score of your session as
a Sibelius file (.sib). You can choose to export
the score as Sibelius file for later use or score
transfer, or to open the score in Sibelius imme-
diately (if Sibelius) is installed on your com-
puter. Sibelius uses the Pro Tools transcription
of MIDI in your session as seen in the Pro Tools
Score Editor window (for more information, see
“Exporting Scores” on page 740).
Importing and Exporting
Region Group Files
Pro Tools can export and import the region
group file format (.rgrp). This lets you do the fol-
lowing:
• Separate region group metadata from audio
files to avoid unnecessary file copy opera-
tions when exporting audio region groups
composed from multiple source files.
• Export MIDI data as part of a region group.
• Create multitrack loops.
Region group files store the following metadata:
• References to all audio files within the re-
gion group
• Region names and relative location in
tracks
• Embedded fades and crossfades
• Region group names and format (single or
multitrack)
• All MIDI data present in the region group
(such as notes, controllers, and Sysex)
• Track names
• Elastic Audio Warp markers and TCE factor
• Region timebase (samples or ticks)
•Sync points
• Loops
•Tempo map
Region group files do not store the following:
•Audio
• Automation
•Plug-Ins
• Track routing
• Meter map
• Region List information
Alt-Right-click (Windows) or Option-Right-
click (Mac) to export all tracks to a single
MIDI file.
Alt-Shift-Right-click (Windows) or Option--
Shift-Right-click (Mac) to export all selected
tracks as a single MIDI file.
Sibelius 5.x or higher is required to open .sib
files exported from Pro Tools.
Chapter 17: Importing and Exporting Session Data 377
Pro Tools provides several ways to import region
groups into an open session:
• “Importing Region Groups with Pro Tools
Menu Commands” on page 377
• “Importing Region Groups with Drag and
Drop” on page 377
Importing Region Groups with
Pro Tools Menu Commands
To import a region group with Pro Tools menu
commands:
1 Choose File > Import > region groups and select
the region group you want to import.
2 In the Region Group Import Options dialog,
choose where the region group will go:
New Track Creates a new track where the region
group will be imported.
Region List Imports the region group into the
Region List, where it will be where it will be
available to place into tracks.
3 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported group in the track:
Session Start Places the group at the start of the
session.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the group to
the Song Start point.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the group to
the edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection
in the Timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you
spot the group to a precise location based on any
of the Time Scales.
4 Select any of the following import options:
Import Tempo Map from Region Group File When
selected, replaces the session tempo map with
the tempo map of the region group. This option
is only available when importing the region
group to the Session Start.
5 Click OK.
Importing Region Groups with
Drag and Drop
You can drag and drop region groups from a
DigiBase browser or from Windows Explorer or
the Mac Finder to the Timeline, a track, the
Track List, or the Region List.
To import region groups into the Region List:
1 Select one or more region groups in a DigiBase
browser, Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.
2 Drag the files onto the Region List of the cur-
rent session.
To import region groups into an existing track:
1 Select one or more region groups in a
DigiBase browser or from Windows Explorer or
Mac Finder.
2 Drag the files onto an existing track in the Edit
window of the current session.
Region Group Import Options dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide378
To import region groups into new tracks:
1 Select one or more region groups in a DigiBase
browser, Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the DigiBase browser, Shift-drag the
files anywhere in the Edit window of the
current session.
• Drag the files onto any empty space in the
Edit window of the current session.
• Drag the files to the Track List.
Exporting Region Groups
To export a region group:
1 Select one or more region groups in the Re-
gion List.
2 From the Region List menu, choose Export Re-
gion Groups. The Export Region Groups dialog
opens.
3 The Destination Directory defaults to the
auto-created Region Groups folder in the session
folder. You can change the Destination Direc-
tory by clicking the Choose button, navigating
to a new location, and clicking Choose. Click Re-
set to reset the Destination Directory to the de-
fault location.
4 Enable one of the following options for resolv-
ing duplicate region group file names:
•Prompting for Each Duplicate (default)
•Auto Renaming
•Replacing with New Files
5 Click OK.
Exporting Region Groups to Another Hard Drive
Generally, if you are exporting region groups to
another hard drive, you should copy any refer-
enced audio files. This way you can move region
groups not only from one session to another,
but from one system to another.
To export a region group to a different hard drive
and include its audio files:
1 Export one or more region groups to the new
drive.
2 Create a new session on the new drive.
3 Choose Setup > Preferences.
4 In the Preferences dialog, click the Processing
tab and select Automatically Copy Files on Import.
5 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
6 Import all previously exported region groups
by dragging and dropping them into the ses-
sion.
The audio files folder of the new session now
contains all files referenced by the region
groups.
Export Region Groups dialog
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 379
Chapter 18: File and Session
Management and Compatibility
When working with Pro Tools, you will encoun-
ter several different kinds of computer files.
Pro Tools systems require that you keep certain
files in specific hard drive locations in order to
function properly:
• Pro Tools software files (such as the appli-
cation and plug-ins files) should be located
on your Startup drive (the drive that con-
tains your operating system and other sys-
tem-related files).
• Data files (such as session files, audio files,
and fade files) can be located on any com-
patible drive connected to your computer’s
internal or external SAS, SATA, IDE/ATA,
FireWire, or SCSI busses (including SCSI
HBA).
You can specify the location of new session files
when creating new sessions (see “Creating a
New Session” on page 160).
In Pro Tools sessions, use the Disk Allocation
command to specify where you want newly re-
corded audio files to be stored (see “Working
with Hard Drives for Recording” on page 441).
Although Pro Tools lets you record to your
system drive, this is generally not recom-
mended. You should record to system drives
only when necessary—for example, if your
computer system has just one hard drive, or
it your other hard drives are completely full.
If you have a system with multiple drives,
you can designate the System drive as a
Playback only or Transfer only drive for op-
timal performance (see “Audio and Video
Volume Designators” on page 311).
Pro Tools Reference Guide380
Audio File Management
Unique File IDs
Pro Tools tags each audio file in a session with a
unique identifier that allows it to distinguish a
particular file even if its name or location has
changed.
Locating Audio Files
With Pro Tools, you manage links to audio and
other media files using the Relink window.
Pro Tools classifies storage volumes according to
their suitability for performance (recording or
playback) or transfer (storage or copying) of au-
dio and other media files. Audio files must be
stored on suitable Performance volumes and be
properly linked in order to be playable in a
Pro Tools session.
When you open a session, if Pro Tools deter-
mines that audio files are not located on a Per-
formance volume, or if it is unable to locate au-
dio files contained in the session, you can locate
or copy the files in order to play back the ses-
sion. This process is called relinking.
Transfer Files
Transfer files reside on volumes unsuitable for
playback, such as CD or DVD discs, or network
drives.
To open a session containing Transfer files:
Open the Pro Tools session. If any files are on
a volume unsuitable for playback, Pro Tools
prompts you to do one of the following:
• Click Yes to open the Copy and Relink win-
dow.
– or –
• Click No to open the session with all Trans-
fer files offline.
To make Transfer files playable in the current
session:
1 Choose Window > Project.
2 Double-click the Audio Files folder to display
all of the audio files.
3 Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser
menu.
4 Choose Copy and Relink from the Browser
menu.
5 Specify a location for the copied files on a
valid Performance volume.
6 Click OK.
For more information on storage volume
classifications, see “Performance and
Transfer Volumes” on page 275.
For more information on relinking Transfer
files, see “Linking and Relinking Files” on
page 302.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 381
Missing Files
A file is missing if it is not found in the same lo-
cation as when the session was last saved.
To open a session with missing files:
1 Open the Pro Tools session. If any files are
missing, Pro Tools posts a Missing Files warning.
2 Choose one of the following options:
Skip All Ignores all missing files and fades. The
missing files are offline in the session.
Manually Find and Relink Opens the Relink win-
dow, where you can search, compare, verify, and
relink missing files.
Automatically Find and Relink Searches all Per-
formance volumes for all missing files with
matching name, unique file ID, format, and
length, and automatically commits links to
missing files where possible.
3 To exclude fades from the relinking process,
and have them recalculated instead, select Re-
generate Missing Fades Without Searching.
4 To exclude any Rendered Elastic Audio files
from the relink process and regenerate them in-
stead, select Regenerate Missing Rendered Files
Without Searching.
5 Click OK.
Renamed Audio Files and the
Renamed Audio Files Folder
Renamed audio files are located in the auto-cre-
ated Renamed Audio Files folder in the
Pro Tools session folder. Files can be renamed
when you open a session that references audio
file names with incompatible characters. Files
can also be renamed in certain situations when
saving a copy of a session to a Pro Tools version
that does not support long file names
Opening a Session that Contains Audio File
Names with Illegal Characters
Pro Tools 7.x and higher does not support audio
file names that contain the following ASCII
characters:
/ (Forward Slash)
\ (Backslash)
: (Colon)
* (Asterisk)
? (Question mark)
“ (Quotation marks)
< (Less-than symbol)
> (Greater-than symbol)
| (vertical line or pipe)
Any “high order” ASCII character (created
with a key combination)
When opening sessions that contain audio file
names with illegal characters, Pro Tools auto-
matically creates a renamed copy of each file
that contains illegal characters (replacing these
characters with an underscore “_”). Renamed
files are copied to the Renamed Audio Files
folder. The original files are left intact in the
Audio Files folder.
Missing files warning when opening a session
For more information on missing files, see
“Linking and Relinking Files” on page 302.
Pro Tools Reference Guide382
Before the session opens, you are prompted to
save a detailed report of the renamed files and
their original file names to a Notes text file. By
default, the Notes text file is saved to the Session
folder.
Saving a Copy of a Session that Contains Long
Audio File Names
When saving files to Pro Tools 6.9.x and lower
(using Save Copy In), audio files with file names
that exceed the limits of the destination format
are truncated and located in the Session folder,
as follows:
• If the new session is saved to the same direc-
tory as the original, a Renamed Audio Files
folder is created in the session’s original
folder, and the renamed audio files are placed
in it.
• If the new session is saved to a different direc-
tory than the original and the All Audio Files
option is not checked, a new Session folder is
created, which includes an Audio Files folder
and a Renamed Audio Files folder. Renamed
audio files are included in the Audio Files
folder.
• If the new session is saved to a different direc-
tory than the original and the All Audio Files
option is checked, a new Session folder is cre-
ated, which includes an Audio Files folder. Re-
named audio files are included in the Audio
Files folder.
WAV File Compatibility
Convert Imported WAV files to
AES31/BroadcastWave
Pro Tools always creates AES31/Broadcast com-
pliant BWF (.wav) files when the file originates
in Pro Tools. Non-BWF .wav files can be added
to BWF (WAV) format Pro Tools sessions with-
out conversion. This option ensures that all
WAV files are imported, and if necessary, con-
verted to BWF (WAV), compliant with the
AES31/EBU Broadcast standard.
AES31/Broadcast Wave is a variant of the stan-
dard audio WAV file type. The AES31 format
contains SMPTE time stamps and other informa-
tion beyond the raw PCM audio data.
This variant complies with standards set by the
AES (Audio Engineering Society) and EBU (Euro-
pean Broadcasters Union). Choose this option
to ensure compatibility with other workstations
that recognize this file type.
To make imported WAV files compliant with the
AES31/EBU Broadcast standard:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
cessing tab.
2 Select the Convert Imported “.wav” Files to
AES31/BroadcastWave option.
3 Click OK.
It is possible to have a Pro Tools 7.x or
higher session that contains audio file
names with illegal characters. If you Save
Copy In the session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or
lower with Mac/PC Compatibility on, the
tracks are renamed with legal characters. If
Mac/PC Compatibility is off, the characters
are not changed.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 383
Sharing Sessions Created on
Different Computer Platforms
Working with Mac-Based HFS+
Drives on Windows Computers
Either the HFS+ Disk Support option or the Mac-
Drive Utility is required to mount HFS+ drives
on an NTFS system for use with Pro Tools.
HFS+ Drive Support Option
(Windows Only)
Pro Tools for Windows support recording and
playback of sessions directly from Mac-format-
ted (HFS+) drives using the HFS+ Disk Support
option. The HFS+ Disk Support option is auto-
matically installed with Pro Tools software by
default.
When using the HFS+ Disk Support option for
recording and playback on a Windows system,
the session file and all associated files (such as
audio and MIDI files) must be stored on Mac-
formatted (HFS+) drives. Recording and play-
back of a session from a mixture of Windows-
and Mac-formatted drives is not supported.
Moving Sessions on Windows
Systems to Mac-Based HFS+
Drives
(From Window-Based NTFS Drives Only)
There are specific steps for transferring session
files from Windows-based NTFS drives to Mac-
based HFS+ drives.
To transfer Pro Tools Windows sessions from NTFS
drives to HFS+ drives:
1 Set the HFS+ Disk Support Options or the Mac-
Drive Options to Backup/File Transfer.
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the session folder from the NTFS drive
to the HFS+ drive.
– or –
• Open the Windows session on the NTFS
drive, choose Save Copy In, and save a copy
of the session to the HFS+ drive.
Moving Mac-Based Sessions on
HFS+ Drives to Windows Systems
(To Windows-Based NTFS Drives Only)
There are specific steps for transferring files from
Mac-based HFS+ drives to Windows-based NTFS
drives.
For more information, see Chapter 19,
“Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option
(Windows Only).”
To save (or create) Mac sessions to be com-
patible on Windows systems, see “Saving
Copies of Mac Sessions to be Compatible
with Windows” on page 384.
When transferring Pro Tools sessions from
HFS+ drives to NTFS drives, Pro Tools ses-
sions cannot relink to audio files and fades
that have Mac characters that are illegal in
Windows. These characters are automati-
cally converted to underscore (“_”) charac-
ters. These files are saved to the Renamed
Audio Files folder. You need to manually
relink each file by File ID. See “Missing
Files” on page 381.
To save session with no illegal characters,
see “Saving Copies of Mac Sessions to be
Compatible with Windows” on page 384.
Pro Tools Reference Guide384
To transfer Pro Tools Mac sessions from HFS+
drives to NTFS drives:
1 Set the HFS+ Disk Support option or the Mac-
Drive Options to Normal Use.
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag the session folder from the HFS+ drive
to the NTFS drive.
– or –
• Open the Mac session on the HFS+ drive,
and when prompted, choose Save Copy In
and save a copy of the session to the HFS+
drive.
If the session previously used SD II files, the files
are converted to the new audio file format.
Recording and Playback from
HFS+ Drives on Windows
Windows supports recording and playback of
sessions directly from Mac-formatted (HFS+)
drives using either the HFS+ Disk Support op-
tion or the MacDrive software application.
When using either the HFS+ Disk Support op-
tion or MacDrive for recording and playback on
a Windows system, the session file and all audio
files must be stored on Mac-formatted (HFS+)
drives. Recording and playback of a session from
a mixture of Windows- and Mac-formatted
drives is not supported.
To record or play back from HFS+ drives with
Windows using MacDrive:
1 In Windows, go to the MacDrive Control
Panel.
2 Choose Options > File Names and select the In-
ternational Use option.
3 Delete all options listed under “File Name
Maps.”
4 In Pro Tools, choose Window > Workspace and
make sure that all Mac-formatted volumes are
set to R (record) or P (playback) in the A (Audio)
and V (Video) columns.
Saving Copies of Mac Sessions to
be Compatible with Windows
(Save Copy In to Pro Tools 6.9.x and Lower
Only)
Sessions created and saved as Pro Tools 7.x and
higher sessions are always compatible on both
Windows and Mac systems.
If you create a Pro Tools 6.9.x or lower session
on a Mac system, the session is only compatible
on Windows systems if the Enforce Mac/PC Com-
patibility option is selected when using the Save
Copy In command. In addition, there are cross-
platform limits to consider when completing
the Save Copy In command.
In older versions of Pro Tools, Mac-for-
matted HFS+ drives could only be used as
Transfer volumes when connected to
Windows systems using MacDrive.
For information on using the HFS+ Disk
Support option, see the Mac HFS+ Disk Sup-
port Option Guide.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 385
Cross-Platform Session Limits
When saving (or creating) a copy of a Pro Tools
session that you want to be compatible on both
Mac and Windows, keep in mind the following
limits and how Pro Tools deals with them:
Audio File Types
The recommended file format for cross-platform
interoperability is BWF (.WAV). To support op-
timal session interchange, Pro Tools defaults to
BWF format for new sessions.
Pro Tools lets you save, bounce, and export in a
variety of audio file formats, including WAV,
AIFF, SD II, MP3, and QuickTime.
File Name Extensions
For cross-platform compatibility, all files in a
session must have a 3-letter file extension added
to the file name. Pro Tools 5.1 to 6.9.x session
files have the extension “.pts,” and Pro Tools 5
sessions have the extension “.pt5.” Wave files
have the “.wav” file extension, and AIFF files
have the “.aif” file extension.
Incompatible ASCII Characters
Region names, track names, file names, and
plug-in settings cannot use ASCII characters that
are incompatible with either system.
When importing files into a session, incompati-
ble characters are converted to underscores (“_”)
and the renamed files are placed in the Renamed
Files folder.
The following characters cannot be used in
Windows sessions:
/ (Forward Slash)
\ (Backslash)
: (Colon)
* (Asterisk)
? (Question mark)
“ (Quotation marks)
< (Less-than symbol)
> (Greater-than symbol)
| (vertical line or pipe)
Any “high order” ASCII character (created
with a key combination)
Saving Cross-Platform Sessions
To save an existing session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or
lower and maintain Mac and Windows
compatibility:
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
2 In the Save Session Copy dialog, choose a des-
tination and type a name for the new session
file.
3 Set the Audio File Type to AIFF or BWF (.WAV).
These file formats are compatible with either
platform.
4 Set the Sample Rate and Bit Depth for the ses-
sion.
5 Select Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility. This op-
tion must be selected to make the session cross-
platform compatible.
6 Select the Items to Copy options for the new
session.
7 Click Save.
If the session previously used SD II files, the files
are converted to the new audio file format.
Pro Tools can convert a file created on a
Mac and saved without the “Enforce
Mac/PC compatibility” option selected to a
Windows compatible file. For more infor-
mation, see “Sharing Sessions Created on
Different Computer Platforms” on
page 383.
Pro Tools Reference Guide386
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Systems
Pro Tools makes it easy to share sessions between Pro Tools|HD systems and Pro Tools systems. There
are some important differences between the three types of systems that can affect how session mate-
rial is transferred.
The following table also includes Pro Tools systems with the Complete Production Toolkit 2.
Opening Pro Tools HD Sessions in
Pro Tools
A Pro Tools HD session can be opened with
Pro Tools, but certain session components open
differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 9.0 session in
Pro Tools 9.0, the following occurs:
Tracks
• Any tracks beyond the first 128, as well any
inactive tracks, are set to voice off.
• Any Instrument tracks beyond 64 are made
inactive.
• Any Auxiliary Input tracks beyond 128 are
made inactive.
• TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents are con-
verted; those without equivalents are made
inactive.
• Multichannel surround tracks are removed
from the session.
• Unavailable input and output paths are made
inactive.
For details on transferring sessions between Windows and Mac systems, see
“Sharing Sessions Created on Different Computer Platforms” on page 383.
Differences between Pro Tools systems
Feature Pro Tools|HD Systems Pro Tools Systems
Pro Tools Systems with
Complete Production
Toolkit 2
Maximum number of
audio tracks
up to 512 tracks (up to
192 voiceable)
up to 128 tracks (up to
64 voiceable)
up to 512 tracks (up to
192 voiceable)
Maximum number of
Auxiliary Input tracks
160 128 160
Maximum number of
Instrument tracks
128 64 128
Maximum number of
internal mix busses
256 internal mix bus-
ses
256 internal mix bus-
ses
256 internal mix bus-
ses
Inserts per track up to 10 inserts up to 10 inserts up to 10 inserts
Sends per track up to 10 sends up to 10 sends up to 10 sends
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 387
• HEAT (if present) is removed (Pro Tools HD
8.1 and higher sessions with HEAT option
only).
Groups
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
tion.
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for
grouped controls is be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, Mutes, Send Levels,
Send Mutes is be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings are
dropped.
Video
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session
is displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in
the Region List but no video track, the session
opens with a new QuickTime Movie track
containing the first QuickTime movie from
the Region List.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
video playlists are not available.
Sharing Sessions Created on
Different Pro Tools Software
Versions
Pro Tools makes it easy to share sessions be-
tween different software versions of a particular
Pro Tools system.
See the following:
• “Sharing Pro Tools HD 9.0 Sessions with
Lower Versions of Pro Tools” on page 387
• “Sharing Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions with
Pro Tools LE” on page 392
Sharing Pro Tools HD 9.0
Sessions with Lower Versions
of Pro Tools
Opening Pro Tools HD 9.0
Sessions with Pro Tools HD 8.1
and 8.5
A Pro Tools HD 9.0 session can be opened with
Pro Tools HD 8.1 and 8.5, but certain session
components open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 8.1 or 8.5, you are warned that
you are opening a session created with a
newer version of Pro Tools and that not all
session components will be available.
Pro Tools Reference Guide388
When opening a Pro Tools HD 9.0 session with
Pro Tools HD 8.1 or 8.5, the following occurs:
• Any audio tracks beyond 256 are made inac-
tive.
• Any internal mix busses beyond 128 are made
inactive.
• The Stereo Pan Depth reverts to –2.5 dB.
Opening Pro Tools HD 9.0
Sessions with Pro Tools HD 8.0
A Pro Tools HD 9.0 session can be opened with
Pro Tools HD 8.0, but certain session compo-
nents open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 9.0 session with
Pro Tools HD 8.0, the following occurs:
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools HD
9.0 session with Pro Tools HD 8.1.
• Output bus assignments are removed.
• HEAT (if present) is removed.
Opening Pro Tools HD 9.0
Sessions with Pro Tools HD 7.4.x
A Pro Tools HD 9.0 session can be opened with
Pro Tools HD 7.4.x, but certain session compo-
nents open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 9.0 session with
Pro Tools HD 7.4.x, the following occurs:
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools HD
9.0 session with Pro Tools HD 8.0.
• Inserts F–J and any associated automation are
removed.
• Regions from audio files larger than 2 GB
appear offline.
• Pitch transpositions of Elastic regions are
removed.
• Chord markers are removed.
Opening Pro Tools HD 7.4 or
Higher Sessions with Pro Tools HD
7.3.x or 7.2
A Pro Tools HD 7.4 or higher session can be
opened with Pro Tools HD 7.3.x or 7.2, but cer-
tain session components open differently or not
at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 7.4.x or higher
session with Pro Tools HD 7.3.x or 7.2, the
following occurs:
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools HD
8.x or higher session with Pro Tools HD 7.4.x.
• Elastic Audio-enabled tracks open without
Elastic Audio and region durations revert to
the timing of the original source file.
• Sessions with mixed language characters sup-
ported in Unicode may not open or, if they do
open, Pro Tools displays “garbage” text.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 8.0, you are warned that you are
opening a session created with a newer ver-
sion of Pro Tools and that not all session
components will be available.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 7.4.x, you are warned that you
are opening a session created with a newer
version of Pro Tools and that not all session
components will be available.
When opening a Pro Tools 7.4 or higher
session with Pro Tools 7.3.x, you are
warned that you are opening a session cre-
ated with a newer version of Pro Tools and
that not all session components will be
available.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 389
Opening Pro Tools HD 7.2 or
Higher Sessions with Pro Tools HD
7.1 or 7.0
A Pro Tools HD 7.2 or higher session without
video tracks or VCA Masters can be opened with
Pro Tools HD 7.1 or 7.0, but certain session com-
ponents open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 7.4 or higher
session with a version of Pro Tools HD 7.1 or
7.0 the following occurs:
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools HD
7.4 or higher session with Pro Tools HD 7.3.x
or 7.2.
Tracks
• VCA Master tracks are removed and any unco-
alesced VCA automation is dropped.
• Any uncoalesced Trim automation is dropped.
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups
a–z) are dropped.
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
tion.
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for
grouped controls is not preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send
Levels, Send Mutes is not preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings are
dropped.
Video
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session
is displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in
the Region List but no video track, the session
opens with a new QuickTime Movie track
containing the first QuickTime movie from
the Region List.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
video playlists are not available.
• Video regions and video region groups are not
shown or saved.
When opening a Pro Tools 7.4 or higher
session with Pro Tools 7.2, 7.1, or 7.0, you
are not be warned that not all session com-
ponents will be available.
Pro Tools HD 7.2 or higher sessions that
contain video tracks or VCA Masters can
only be opened with Pro Tools HD 7.1cs3
and higher.
Pro Tools Reference Guide390
Opening Pro Tools HD 7.2 or
Higher Sessions with
Pro Tools LE 8.0
A Pro Tools HD 7.2 or higher session that does
not contain video tracks or VCA Masters can be
opened with Pro Tools LE 8.0, but certain ses-
sion components open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools HD 7.x or higher
session in Pro Tools LE 8.0, the following
occurs:
Tracks
• Any tracks beyond the first 48, as well any in-
active tracks, are set to voice off.
• Any assignments to busses beyond 32 are
made inactive.
• Any Instrument tracks beyond 32 are made
inactive.
• TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents are con-
verted; those without equivalents are made
inactive.
• Multichannel surround tracks are removed
from the session.
• Unavailable input and output paths are made
inactive.
• Any Delay Compensation settings are re-
moved.
• VCA Master tracks are removed and any unco-
alesced VCA automation is dropped.
• HEAT (if present) is removed (Pro Tools HD
8.1 sessions with HEAT option only).
• Output Bus assignments are removed
(Pro Tools HD 8.1 sessions only).
Groups
• In Pro Tools LE 7.1 or lower only, all groups
beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) are
dropped.
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
tion.
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for
grouped controls is be preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, Mutes, Send Levels,
Send Mutes is be preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings are
dropped.
Video
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session
is displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in
the Region List but no video track, the session
opens with a new QuickTime Movie track
containing the first QuickTime movie from
the Region List.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
video playlists are not available.
• In Pro Tools LE 7.1 or lower only, video re-
gions and video region groups are not shown
or saved.
Pro Tools HD 7.2 sessions that contain
video tracks or VCA Master tracks can only
be opened with Pro Tools LE 7.0cs3 and
higher.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 391
Saving Pro Tools HD 9.0 Sessions
to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Format
Pro Tools 7.x and higher sessions cannot be
opened with Pro Tools versions 6.9.x through
5.1.
To save a Pro Tools 9.0 session so it is compati-
ble with Pro Tools version 6.9.x through 5.1, use
the File > Save Copy In command to choose the
Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session format.
When saving a Pro Tools HD 9.0 session to
Pro Tools HD 5.1 -> 6.9 format, the following
occurs:
Tracks
• Any audio tracks beyond 256 are removed.
• Any internal mix busses beyond 128 are re-
moved.
• Output bus assignments are removed.
• HEAT (if present) is removed.
• Elastic Audio-enabled tracks are saved un-
transposed, unwarped, and region durations
revert to the timing of the original source file.
• Instrument tracks are split into separate Aux-
iliary Input and MIDI tracks.
• VCA Master tracks are removed and VCA au-
tomation is coalesced to the corresponding
slave tracks.
• Trim automation playlists are coalesced to
their corresponding automation playlists.
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints
higher than +6 dB are changed to +6 dB.
• Long names are shortened to 31 characters.
• The following attributes are dropped:
•Region groups
• Region loops
• Sample-based MIDI regions
• Sample-based MIDI tracks
• Inserts F–J and any associated automation
• Sends F–J and any associated automation
• Marker/Memory Locations 201–999
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups
a–z) are dropped.
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
tion.
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Automation Mode information.
• Automation overflow information for
grouped controls is not preserved.
• Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send
Levels, Send Mutes is not preserved.
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings are
dropped.
Video
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session
is displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in
the Region List but no video track, the session
opens with a new QuickTime Movie track
containing the first QuickTime movie from
the Region List.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
video playlists are not available.
Pro Tools 8.x and higher supports file sizes
up to 3.4 GB. However Pro Tools 5.1
through 6.9 on Mac only support file sizes
up to 2 GB.
If your session references audio files larger
than 2 GB, be sure to edit and consolidate
regions as necessary to reference only files
smaller than 2 GB.
Pro Tools Reference Guide392
• Video regions and video region groups are not
shown or saved.
Language Compatibility
• The Limit Character Set option must be en-
abled and you must select a single language
and character set.
Saving Pro Tools HD 9.0 Sessions
to Pro Tools 5.0 Format
Pro Tools 7.x and higher sessions cannot be
opened with Pro Tools version 5.0.
To save a Pro Tools 9.0 session so it is compati-
ble with Pro Tools version 5.0, use the File > Save
Copy In command to choose the Pro Tools 5.0
Session format.
When saving a Pro Tools HD 9.0 session to
Pro Tools 5.0 format, the following occurs:
• All that occurs when saving a Pro Tools HD
9.0 session to Pro Tools HD 5.1->6.9 format.
• Multichannel surround tracks are removed
from the session.
• Inactive tracks are removed from the session.
• Tracks assigned to “No Output” are routed to
busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks or sends assigned to busses 33–64 are
routed to busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks assigned to multichannel paths or sub-
paths of multichannel paths are routed to bus-
ses 31 and 32.
• Sends assigned to multichannel paths or sub-
paths of multichannel paths are dropped.
• Tracks or sends assigned to stereo paths refer-
ring to even/odd channels (such as 2–3) are
routed to busses 31 and 32.
• Multi-mono plug-in instances are dropped.
Sharing Pro Tools 9.0
Sessions with Pro Tools LE
Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions
with Pro Tools LE 8.x
A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with
Pro Tools LE 8.x, but certain session compo-
nents open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools LE 8.x, the following occurs:
• Any audio tracks beyond 256 are made inac-
tive.
• Any internal mix busses beyond 128 are made
inactive.
• Stereo Pan Depths other than –2.5 dB revert to
–2.5 dB.
Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions
with Pro Tools LE 7.4.x
A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with
Pro Tools LE 7.4.x, but certain session compo-
nents open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools LE 7.4.x, the following occurs:
• Inserts F–J and any associated automation are
removed.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools LE 8.x, you are warned that you
are opening a session created with a newer
version of Pro Tools and that not all session
components will be available.
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 7.4.x, you are warned that you
are opening a session created with a newer
version of Pro Tools and that not all session
components will be available.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 393
• Regions from audio files larger than 2 GB ap-
pear offline.
• Sessions that use mixed file formats must con-
vert audio files to a single file format
• Pitch transpositions of Elastic regions re-
moved.
• Chord markers are removed.
Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions
with Pro Tools LE 7.3.x
A Pro Tools LE 7.4.x or higher session can be
opened with Pro Tools LE 7.3.x, but certain ses-
sion components open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools LE 7.4 or higher
session with Pro Tools LE 7.3.x, the following
occurs:
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools LE
8.x session with Pro Tools LE 7.4.x.
Tracks
• Any Elastic Audio-enabled tracks open with-
out Elastic Audio and all audio regions on
those tracks are at their original duration. All
warping is lost.
• Sessions with mixed language characters sup-
ported in Unicode may not open or, if they do
open, Pro Tools displays “garbage” text.
Opening Pro Tools LE 7.3.x or
higher Sessions with Pro Tools LE
7.1 or 7.0
A Pro Tools LE 7.3.x or higher session that does
not contain video tracks can be opened with
Pro Tools LE 7.1 or 7.0, but certain session com-
ponents open differently or not at all.
When opening a Pro Tools LE 7.3.x or higher
session with a version of Pro Tools LE 7.1 or
7.0:
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools LE
7.4.x session or higher on Pro Tools LE 7.3.x.
Groups
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups
a–z) are dropped.
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
tion.
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Automation Mode information.
Video
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session
is displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in
the Region List but no video track, the session
opens with a new QuickTime Movie track
containing the first QuickTime movie from
the Region List.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
video playlists are not available.
• Video regions and video region groups are not
shown or saved.
When opening a Pro Tools 7.4 session with
Pro Tools 7.3.x, you are warned that you
are opening a session created with a newer
version of Pro Tools and that not all session
components will be available. When open-
ing a Pro Tools 7.4 session with Pro Tools
7.1, or 7.0, you will not be warned that not
all session components will be available.
Pro Tools Reference Guide394
Sharing Pro Tools LE 7.x or Higher
Sessions with Pro Tools LE 6.9 or
Lower
Pro Tools 7.x and higher format sessions cannot
be opened on Pro Tools versions 6.9.x or lower,
but they can be saved to a lower compatible ver-
sion. Some session components in the new copy
open differently or not at all.
Saving Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions to
Pro Tools LE 5.1 -> 6.9 Format
Pro Tools 7.x and higher sessions cannot be
opened with Pro Tools versions 6.9.x through
5.1.
To save a Pro Tools 9.0 session so it is compati-
ble with Pro Tools version 6.9.x through 5.1, use
the File > Save Copy In command to choose the
Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session format.
When saving a Pro Tools 9.0 session to
Pro Tools LE 5.1 -> 6.9 format, the following
occurs:
Tracks
• Elastic Audio-enabled tracks are saved un-
transposed, unwarped, and region durations
revert to the timing of the original source file.
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups
a–z) are dropped.
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
tion.
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Automation Mode information.
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session
is displayed or played back.
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in
the Region List but no video track, the session
opens with a new QuickTime Movie track
containing the first QuickTime movie from
the Region List.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
video playlists are not available.
• Video regions and video region groups are not
shown or saved.
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints
higher than +6 dB are changed to +6 dB.
• Long names are shortened to 31 characters.
• Instrument tracks are split into separate Aux-
iliary Input and MIDI tracks.
• The following attributes are dropped:
•Region groups
• Region loops
• Sample-based MIDI regions
• Sample-based MIDI tracks
• Inserts F–J and any associated automation
• Sends F–J and any associated automation
• Marker/Memory Locations 201–999
• busses 17–32 (Pro Tools LE)
• The Limit Character Set option must be en-
abled and you must select a single language
and character set.
Pro Tools 8.x supports file sizes up to
3.4 GB. However Pro Tools 5.1 through 6.9
on Mac only support file sizes up to 2 GB.
If your session references audio files larger
than 2 GB, be sure to edit and consolidate
regions as necessary to reference only files
smaller than 2 GB.
Chapter 18: File and Session Management and Compatibility 395
Saving Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions to
Pro Tools LE 5.0 Format
To save a Pro Tools 9.0 session so it is compati-
ble with Pro Tools version 5.0, use the File > Save
Copy In command to select the Pro Tools 5.0 Ses-
sion format.
When saving a Pro Tools 9.0 session to
Pro Tools 5.0 format, the following occurs:
• All that occurs when saving a Pro Tools 9.0
session to Pro Tools 5.1->6.9 format.
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints
higher than +6 dB are changed to +6 dB.
• Multi-mono plug-in instances are dropped.
• Sends assigned to multichannel paths or sub-
paths of multichannel paths are dropped.
•Tracks assigned to “No Output” are routed to
busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks/sends assigned to busses 33–64 are
routed to busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks assigned to multichannel paths or sub-
paths of multichannel paths are routed to bus-
ses 31 and 32.
• Tracks/sends assigned to stereo paths referring
to even/odd channels (such as 2–3) are routed
to busses 31 and 32.
Language Compatibility
Unicode Support for Languages
Pro Tools supports entry and display of any lan-
guage characters supported in Unicode any-
where in the Pro Tools application. This lets
you:
• Use multiple languages in session names,
and in path names, file names and region
names within the same session.
• Search for terms in multiple languages in
DigiBase browsers.
Pro Tools Automatic Naming
Language
When working in a language other than Eng-
lish, you can set Pro Tools to automatically
name session elements (such as regions, tracks,
and I/O paths) in English. This is useful when
sharing sessions with other users working in
English.
To set the Automatic Naming Language to match
the language selected for the Pro Tools
application:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Dis-
play tab.
2 Choose the language you want to use in
Pro Tools from the Language pop-up menu.
3 Deselect the Default Automatic Naming to Eng-
lish option.
Pro Tools Reference Guide396
Pro Tools Application Language
(Windows Only)
You can choose the language you want to use in
the Pro Tools application, independently of
what language version of Windows you are us-
ing.
To select the language for Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and select the Dis-
play tab.
2 Choose the language you want to use in
Pro Tools from the Language pop-up menu.
Multilingual Application Support
for Pro Tools Systems
(Localized OS on Mac Only)
Localized versions of Pro Tools (such as
Pro Tools Korean, simplified Chinese, or Japa-
nese) can be opened on a qualified Mac that sup-
ports English and the localized language ver-
sions of Mac. You can also select a different
language in any localized version of Pro Tools
(including English) in the Apple System Prefer-
ences.
To change to a different language version of
Pro Tools:
1 Close Pro Tools if it is currently open.
2 Launch Apple System Preferences.
3 Click International (the “flag” icon).
4 Click the Language tab.
5 In the Languages column, drag the language
you want to the top of the list.
6 Close the International window.
7 Do one of the following:
• If you are changing from a localized lan-
guage to English, launch Pro Tools.
– or –
• If you are changing from one localized lan-
guage to another (or from English to a lo-
calized language), log out and log in from
the Apple menu, then launch Pro Tools.
If you want your computer to start with the
previous language (after working on a dif-
ferent language version) follow the above
steps and change the International prefer-
ence back to the previous language.
Chapter 19: Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option (Windows Only) 397
Chapter 19: Mac HFS+ Disk Support
Option (Windows Only)
The Mac HFS+ Disk Support option lets you in-
terchange sessions between Mac-based and
Windows-based Pro Tools systems using local
HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) formatted hard drives.
With the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option in-
stalled on a Windows computer, you can mount
an HFS+ drive on a Windows-based Pro Tools
system, and record and play back Pro Tools ses-
sions directly on that drive as if it were natively-
formatted for Windows.
Installing the Mac HFS+ Disk
Support Option
The Mac HFS+ Disk Support option is available
as part of the Pro Tools installation procedure. If
you did not install it with Pro Tools, you can run
the Pro Tools installer again.
To install the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option:
8 Insert the Pro Tools installer disc in your DVD
drive. Locate and open the Pro Tools Installer
folder, and double-click the Setup icon.
9 In the Installer Wizard, select Modify, and click
Next.
10 Select the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option for
installation, and click Next.
11 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed
with the installation.
12 When Installation is complete, click Finish.
When using the Mac HFS+ Disk Support
option for recording and playback on a
Windows-based system, the session file and
all associated files (such as audio and MIDI
files) must be stored on Mac-formatted
drives. Recording and playback of a session
from a mixture of Windows- and Mac-for-
matted drives is not supported.
If you use the Format Mac Disk command
that is installed as part of the Mac HFS+
Disk Support option to initialize or partition
a Mac-formatted drive, it will not be offi-
cially supported as a Playback/Record drive.
Though Pro Tools may be able to play back
and record to such a drive, only HFS+ disks
formatted on a Mac using Apple Disk Util-
ity are supported for playback and record-
ing.
While the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option
will allow your system to read/write HFS
(Mac Standard format) disks, HFS drives
are not supported for either record/playback
or transfer.
Pro Tools Reference Guide398
Removing the Mac HFS+ Disk
Support Option
If you need to remove the Mac HFS+ Disk Sup-
port option from your computer, use the unin-
stall command in Windows.
To remove the Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option from
your computer:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel > Programs and
Features.
2 Select HFS+ Disk Support.
3 Click Uninstall.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove
the option.
Media Compatibility
The Mac HFS+ Disk Support option enables
Windows and other software running under
Windows to access nearly any type of Mac disk.
Windows, however, must be able to communi-
cate with the drive to allow Mac HFS+ Disk Sup-
port to function.
If you are currently able to use your removable
media drive with normal PC-formatted disks,
you can be confident that Windows is success-
fully communicating with the drive, and that
Mac HFS+ Disk Support will be able to recognize
Mac disks when they are inserted.
If the disk device is new to your Windows sys-
tem (as would be the case, for example, when
plugging an external drive from a Mac OS sys-
tem into your Windows PC FireWire adapter for
the first time), it is likely that it will be recog-
nized by Windows and work properly without
requiring the installation of driver software
from the drive or adapter manufacturer, but this
is not guaranteed.
When attaching a removable media drive, if
Windows presents no drive letter for the remov-
able drive, the hardware may not be properly in-
stalled, or driver software may be necessary.
When attaching a Mac external hard drive, Win-
dows will not present a drive letter unless both
the drive and the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option
are properly installed.
If you are using SCSI or Fibre Channel drives,
you can watch for notification from the SCSI or
Fibre Channel adapter during the boot process
detailing detected drives. If a newly-attached
SCSI drive is not detected, check for ID conflicts
and proper termination. Regardless of the drive
type, if it is not detected, look for faulty cables,
check both drive and adapter configuration, and
try PC-formatted disks in order to confirm
whether the drive is working.
The Mac HFS+ Disk Support option works with
the following:
Zip, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, DVD±RW/±R, Jaz,
iPod, hard drives, SyQuest, MO, ORB and nearly
any other disk device that works with Windows
can be accessed.
High-density (1.44MB) Mac floppies can be
accessed on any Windows system with a floppy
drive.
The HFS+ Disk Support option only works
on a computer that has a valid installation
of the Pro Tools application. If you remove
the Pro Tools application from your system,
the HFS+ Disk Support option will also be
removed.
Low-density (400KB and 800KB) Mac
floppies cannot be accessed due to physical
differences between the floppy drives in
Mac OS systems and Windows PCs.
Chapter 19: Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option (Windows Only) 399
Session Compatibility
The Mac HFS+ Disk Support option enables
Windows to recognize Pro Tools sessions cre-
ated on Mac-based Pro Tools 7.x–9.x (.ptf) and
Pro Tools 5.x–6.x (.pts) systems.
Mac-based Pro Tools 5.x–6.x sessions that refer-
ence audio files in Sound Designer II (SD II) for-
mat are not supported on Windows.
If your Mac-based Pro Tools session includes
any audio files in SD II format, you will need to
return to the Mac-based Pro Tools system and
re-save the session so that its audio files are Win-
dows-compatible, then open it on your Win-
dows system.
To save a Mac-based Pro Tools 5.x–6.x session
with SD II files to be Windows compatible:
1 Open the session on the Mac-based Pro Tools
system.
2 Choose File > Save Session Copy In.
3 In the Save Session Copy dialog, select Enforce
Mac/PC Compatibility.
4 Choose the audio file type (.WAV), sample
rate, and bit depth for the session.
5 Choose a destination and enter a name for the
new session.
6 Click Save.
Viewing Mac Drive and File
Properties
When you view properties for a Mac-formatted
drive or a file or folder on a Mac-formatted
drive, you can view the Mac-specific properties
of that drive, file or folder from its shortcut
menu.
You can also display the Mac properties of files
in the Windows Explorer Details view.
To view the properties of a Mac drive, file or folder:
1 Right-click the element whose properties you
want to view, and choose Properties from the
shortcut menu.
2 In the Properties window, click the HFS+ Disk
Support tab.
3 Click OK to close the Properties window.
The following information is displayed for the
element, where applicable:
Mac name Displays the file’s true Mac name as it
exists on disk. This may be different from the
name reported by Windows due to the fact that
certain Mac filenames automatically have Win-
dows file extensions added to them, and the ne-
cessity of changing some Mac file names slightly
to conform to Windows file-naming rules.
Data size Displays the size of the file's data fork,
where cross-platform data is usually stored.
Resource size Displays the size of the file's re-
source fork, where additional data, usually Mac-
specific, is stored.
Backed up Displays the date that the file was last
backed up, if ever.
While it is possible to use the Mac HFS+
Support option with drives mounted as part
of a Storage Area Network (SAN), this con-
figuration not been qualified.
Mac RAID disk volumes are not supported
by the Mac HFS+ Disk Support option.
Pro Tools Reference Guide400
File type and File creator For files, displays the
four-character codes stored by Mac OS that indi-
cate the type of data contained in the file and
the software that created the file.
Files on volume and Folders on volume For
drives, displays the numbers of files and folders
on the drive.
Advanced Opens a window with additional ad-
vanced attributes of the disk, folder or file. Only
the Name Locked attribute can be changed in
this window. The other attributes are shown
only for your reference.
To view the properties of a Mac file in Windows
Explorer (Windows XP only):
1 In Windows Explorer, choose View > Choose
Details.
2 In the Choose Details window, select any of
the following:
Mac Resources Displays information about the
file’s resource fork.
Mac Type Displays the four-character code that
indicates the type of data contained in the file.
Mac Creator Displays the code that indicates the
software that created the file.
Mac Backup Date Displays the date that the file
was last backed up, if ever.
3 Click OK.
Columns for the selected properties appear in
Windows Explorer when you choose View > De-
tails.
Viewing Multisession and
Dual-Format Discs
When you mount a Mac-formatted multisession
CD or a dual-format CD, you can select view op-
tions for each from the disc shortcut menu.
Dual-Format Mac CD-ROMs
Some CD-ROMs have both Windows (ISO-9660)
and Mac (HFS or HFS+) volumes on them. You
can choose which volume to access from the
disc shortcut menu. The effect is much like
ejecting one disc and inserting another. Mac
HFS+ Disk Support remembers which volume,
Windows or Mac, you last used on a particular
disc, and will return you to that setting if that
disc is used again.
To switch display of a CD between Windows and
Mac volumes:
Right-click the disc whose display you want to
change, and choose Show Mac Files or Show Win-
dows Files from the shortcut menu.
Multisession Mac CD-Rs
A list of available volumes appears in the disc
shortcut menus of multisession CD-Rs. Selecting
a new volume causes the current volume to dis-
appear, and the new volume to appear in its
place. The effect is much like ejecting one disc
On some computers, after choosing a new
volume on a multisession CD-R or a new
file set on a dual-format CD-ROM, the
name of the disk as it appears under Win-
dows Explorer may not be properly updated.
Refer to the disc shortcut menu or its con-
tents, rather than the name of the disc, to
assure that the volume is available.
Chapter 19: Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option (Windows Only) 401
and inserting another. Mac HFS+ Disk Support
remembers which session you last used on a par-
ticular disc, and will return you to that session if
that disc is used again.
To choose which volume of a multisession CD to
display:
1 Right-click the multisession disc whose dis-
play you want to change, and choose
Mac Volumes from the shortcut menu.
2 Choose the name of the volume you want to
display from the submenu.
Setting the File Naming Mode
When you view files on a Mac-formatted drive,
you can change the way the filenames are dis-
played for that drive from the shortcut menu.
To set the file naming mode for a Mac drive:
1 Right-click the drive whose file naming mode
you want to change, and choose Mac File Names
from the shortcut menu.
2 Choose one of the following from the sub-
menu:
Normal This mode maximizes compatibility
with a wide range of software, and preserves in-
ternational characters where possible.
International This mode is appropriate for a disk
containing files named using international Uni-
code characters, in cases where preservation of
those characters is important, but compatibility
with a wide range of software is less important.
This is the default setting.
Backup/File Transfer This mode is appropriate
for tape backups of Mac disks, or transfers of files
from one Mac disk to another, including be-
tween a true Mac disk and an NTFS volume stor-
ing a Services for Mac network share. This mode
preserves Unicode characters, but, unlike the
other two modes above, does not append artifi-
cial file name extensions for software-compati-
bility purposes.
Partitioning Mac Drives
The HFS+ Disk Manager gives you the ability to
create and delete partitions on Mac-formatted
hard drives.
When using HFS+ Disk Manager, make sure to
note the following:
• While you can leave part of a disk unused
(called Unallocated space by HFS+ Disk Man-
ager), you will not be able to make a PC parti-
tion or volume (FAT, FAT32, NTFS, or
otherwise) in the unallocated space. The only
thing you can do with unallocated space is to
make additional Mac partitions in it in the fu-
ture, or simply leave it unused.
Mac HFS+ Disk Support does not change the
names of files on the Mac-formatted drive,
it only affects the way they are displayed in
Windows. Similarly, setting the File Nam-
ing Mode does not affect filenames on disk,
it only changes the way they are displayed
in Windows.
If you use this command to partition a Mac-
formatted drive, it will not be officially sup-
ported as a Playback/Record volume.
Though Pro Tools may be able to play back
and record to such a drive, only HFS+ disks
formatted on a Mac using Apple Disk Util-
ity are supported for playback and recording
Pro Tools Reference Guide402
• You cannot use HFS+ Disk Manager to add a
Mac partition to a PC-partitioned disk. Using
Mac HFS+ Disk Manager on a PC-partitioned
disk will destroy all PC partitions.
• You cannot use Mac HFS+ Disk Manager to re-
size a partition and retain its contents. The
only way to resize a partition is to delete and
recreate it at a different size, which will result
in the loss of any files in the original partition.
• Mac HFS+ Disk Manager works only with
fixed hard drives; it cannot be used to parti-
tion removable disks.
To partition a Mac drive:
1 Make sure Pro Tools is not running.
2 Click the Start menu and choose Programs >
Digidesign > HFS+ Disk Support > Create or
Change Mac Hard Disks.
In the Modify Mac Volumes window, Mac-for-
matted drives appear with a small red apple icon
next to them.
3 Click a Mac-formatted drive to display its par-
titions.
4 To add a partition where unallocated space is
available, select the Free Space listed under the
drive and do the following;
• Click New Volume.
• Enter a name for the new partition.
• Set the size of the partition by entering it in
the Size box or by adjusting the slider.
5 To change or remove a partition, select the
partition and do any of the following:
• Click Format Volume to rename or change
the format of the partition.
• Click Delete Volume to remove the parti-
tion.
6 When you have finished configuring the par-
titions, click Finish.
Initializing Mac Drives
The HFS+ Disk Manager gives you the ability to
initialize the drive in HFS+ format.
This process will erase any data on the drive.
To initialize a Mac-formatted drive:
1 Click the Start menu and choose Programs >
Digidesign > HFS+ Disk Support > Create or
Change Mac Hard Disks.
In the Modify Mac Volumes window, Mac-for-
matted drives appear with a small red apple icon
next to them.
2 Select the Mac-formatted drive you want to
initialize.
3 Click Initialize Disk.
4 When formatting is complete, click Finish.
All formatting and maintenance of HFS+
drives for Pro Tools should be carried out
when the drives are connected to a Mac, us-
ing Apple Disk Utility. If you use this com-
mand to initialize a Mac-formatted drive,
the drive will be qualified only as a Transfer
drive in Pro Tools.
Chapter 19: Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option (Windows Only) 403
Mac HFS+ Disk Support
Warnings
Volume Check
Whenever a disk is mounted, Mac HFS+ Disk
Support checks the disk to see if it was properly
unmounted the last time it was used.
If there are signs that it wasn't unmounted cor-
rectly, Mac HFS+ Disk Support displays a warn-
ing so that you will know there is a risk that the
disk was improperly unmounted.
If Mac HFS+ Disk Support displays a Volume
Check warning, do one of the following:
To mount the drive, click Mount Anyway.
To cancel mounting the drive, click Cancel.
Mac HFS+ Disk Support will only mount such a
drive in Read-Only state, so it cannot be used to
record in Pro Tools.
Note that this warning does not mean that the
disk has been judged to be corrupt; it merely
means that there is a significant risk, and that
the disk should be remounted and then cor-
rectly unmounted on a Mac system before re-
connecting it to a Windows system.
If the problem persists, the disk should either be
repaired or reformatted (using Mac OS X Disk
Utility) in order to avoid future problems.
Disk Protection
Whenever an attempt is made to change the
partitioning on Mac disk by any Windows soft-
ware other than HFS+ Disk Manager, Mac HFS+
Disk Support steps in to mediate the situation.
This is done because if Windows software other
than HFS+ Disk Manager makes changes to the
partitioning on a Mac disk, the disk will no lon-
ger be Mac-partitioned or Mac-formatted, and
all contents of the Mac disk will be lost.
Sometimes this is a desirable outcome, if a Mac
disk is no longer needed, and you want to repar-
tition and reformat it for use exclusively with
Windows. In this case, you should select Erase
the Mac Disk.
At other times, however, Mac HFS+ Disk Support
steps in and protects a Mac disk from accidental
damage. In that case, you should select Don’t
Change the Mac Disk.
If you decide that you really do want to change
partitions on the Mac disk, but want it to remain
a Mac disk when you are done, you should select
Modify the Mac Disk.
Pro Tools Reference Guide404
405
Part IV: Playback and Recording
406
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 407
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track
Material
After importing or recording audio or MIDI to
tracks, you will want to play back the material
when editing and mixing.
Starting and Stopping Playback
To start playback, do one of the following:
• Click Play in the Transport.
• Press the Spacebar.
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport or Shuttle, press 0 on the nu-
meric keypad.
• If the Numeric Keypad mode is set to Trans-
port, and the Use Separate Play and Stop
Keys option is enabled, press Enter on the
numeric keypad.
• If you have a worksurface or MIDI control
surface connected and configured, press
the Play switch.
• If Pro Tools is online and slaved to another
deck, press play on the master deck (see
“Putting Pro Tools Online” on page 1129).
To stop playback, do one of the following:
• Click Stop in the Transport.
• Press the Spacebar.
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport or Shuttle, press 0 on the nu-
meric keypad.
• If you have a worksurface or MIDI control
surface connected and configured, press
the Stop switch.
• If Pro Tools is online and slaved to another
deck, press stop on the master deck (see
“Putting Pro Tools Online” on page 1129).
Example: Playing Back Audio
To play back audio:
1 Import or record audio to a track.
2 Assign the track’s Output selector to your
main monitoring path.
3 To have playback start from the beginning of
the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
port.
4 Start playback.
5 The audio plays through the selected Output
Path. Adjust the track’s volume and pan faders
as necessary.
6 When you are finished, stop playback.
For more information about the Numeric
Keypad modes, see “Numeric Keypad
Modes” on page 31.
Pro Tools Reference Guide408
Example: Playing Back MIDI
To play back MIDI (and monitor the audio):
1 Import, record, or enter MIDI into an Instru-
ment or MIDI track.
2 For an Instrument track, do the following:
• Set the Instrument track’s audio Output se-
lector to the main monitoring path.
• If you are using an Instrument Plug-In, in-
sert the plug-in on the track. The track’s
MIDI Output selector (in Instrument view)
should be automatically set to the plug-in.
• If you are using an external MIDI device
(not an Instrument plug-in), set the MIDI
Output selector in Instrument view to the
MIDI device (port) and channel you want
to play back.
• If you are using an external MIDI device
(not an Instrument plug-in), set the Instru-
ment track’s audio Input selector to the In-
put path to which your MIDI device’s audio
outputs are connected.
3 For a MIDI track, do the following:
• If you are using an Instrument plug-in, cre-
ate an Auxiliary Input or Instrument track
insert the Instrument plug-in on the track.
• If you are using an external MIDI device
(not an Instrument plug-in), create an Aux-
iliary Input or Instrument track to monitor
the audio from an external MIDI device or
Instrument plug-in.
• If you are using an external MIDI device
(not an Instrument plug-in), set the Auxil-
iary Input or Instrument track’s audio In-
put selector to the Input path to which
your MIDI device’s audio outputs are con-
nected.
• Set the Auxiliary Input or Instrument
track’s audio Output selector to the main
monitoring path.
• Set the MIDI track’s output selector to the
Instrument plug-in, or MIDI device (port),
and channel you want to play back.
4 To have playback start from the beginning of
the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
port.
5 Start playback.
6 The MIDI plays the selected MIDI device, and
the audio from the MIDI device is monitored
through the selected Output Path on the Auxil-
iary Input or Instrument track. Adjust the MIDI,
Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track’s volume
and pan faders as necessary.
7 When you are finished, stop playback.
Playback Location
The playback location is the point in the
Pro Tools Timeline where you can begin playing
back audio or MIDI in your session.
The playback location is displayed in counters
and indicators in the Edit window, Transport
window, and Big Counter. The playback loca-
tion (or Edit selection) is also indicated by a
playback or edit cursor in the Timeline or play-
list of the Edit window.
For information about synchronizing exter-
nal MIDI devices with Pro Tools for play-
back and recording using MIDI Beat Clock,
see “MIDI Beat Clock” on page 422, and
for information about using MIDI Time
Code, see “Generating Time Code” on
page 1130.
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 409
Pro Tools also provides a pre-roll control for set-
ting playback to begin before the playback loca-
tion. See “Basic Transport Controls and Coun-
ters” on page 182.
Counters and Indicators that
Display the Playback Location
Main and Sub Counters and Edit Selection
Indicators
At the top of the Edit window, the playback lo-
cation is displayed in the Main and Sub coun-
ters, and the Edit Selection Start indicator. If no
selection is made, the playback location is also
displayed in the Edit Selection End indicator.
Counters and Edit Selection indicators can also
be displayed in the Transport window.
To display the Main Counter in the Transport
window:
Select View > Transport > Counters.
To display the Sub Counter in the Transport
window:
1 Select View > Transport > Counters.
2 Select View > Transport > Expanded.
To display Edit Selection indicators in the
Transport window:
Select View > Transport > Expanded.
The Big Counter
The current playback location can also be dis-
played in the Big Counter.
To display the Big Counter:
Choose Window > Big Counter.
Cursors that Indicate the Playback
(or Edit) Location
There are two types of cursors in the Pro Tools
Edit window for indicating the current playback
or Edit selection:
Playback Cursor
The playback cursor is a solid line that moves
across the Edit window to indicate the current
playback location.
The selected Scrolling Option determines how
the Edit window scrolls during playback, and
how the playback cursor functions. See “Scroll-
ing Options” on page 414 for details.
Main and Sub Counters, Edit Selection indicators
Transport with Counters displayed
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Win-
dows) the Expand/Collapse button in the
Transport window to show or hide counters.
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Expand/Collapse button in the Trans-
port window to show or hide counters and
MIDI controls.
Big Counter window
Pro Tools Reference Guide410
Edit Cursor
The edit cursor is a flashing line that appears
when you click with the Selector tool in a track’s
playlist. The flashing edit cursor indicates the
start point for any editing tasks performed. If
you make a selection and perform an edit, the
selection is the target of the edit.
Locating the Playback Cursor when It Is
Off-Screen
Use the Playback Cursor locator to locate the
playback cursor when it is off-screen.
The Playback Cursor locator appears on the
right edge of the Main Timebase ruler if the
playback cursor is located beyond the time visi-
ble in the Edit window. If the playback cursor is
located before the time visible in the Edit win-
dow, the Playback Cursor locator appears on the
left edge of the Main Timebase ruler.
For example, if the Scrolling option is set to
None, the playback cursor moves off-screen af-
ter it has played past the time currently visible
in the Edit window. The Playback Cursor locator
appears on the right edge of the Main Timebase
ruler after the playback cursor has moved be-
yond the time visible in the Edit window.
The Playback Cursor locator is red when a track
is record-enabled and blue when no track is re-
cord-enabled.
To locate the playback cursor when it is off-screen:
Click the Playback Cursor locator in the Main
Timebase ruler.
The Edit window changes to center the playback
cursor on-screen.
Setting the Playback Location
Pro Tools provides commands for different ways
of setting or moving the playback location in a
session. These include finding a passage in a
song, moving to a different section of your ar-
rangement, or comparing different sections.
Setting Playback Location Using
the Selector Tool
To set where playback begins, you can click any-
where in a track with the Selector tool (as long as
the Timeline and Edit selections are linked). See
“Linking or Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selec-
tions” on page 561).
Playback Cursor locator, recording enabled (playback
cursor located after currently viewed audio)
Setting a playback point with the Selector tool
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 411
To begin playing from a specific point within a
track:
1 Make sure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection is enabled.
2 With the Selector tool, click in the track where
you want playback to begin.
3 Start playback.
4 Stop playback.
To jump to a different location and begin playing
from there, do one of the following:
When playback is stopped, click with the Se-
lector tool at the point you want to start play-
back and click Play in the Transport window.
– or –
During playback, click the new location in
any Timebase Ruler.
With the Timeline and Edit selections linked,
you can click a region or MIDI note with the
Time Grabber tool to automatically update the
Timeline with the selection’s start time, letting
you play from that point.
Setting Playback Location with
Basic Transport Controls
Transport controls in the Transport window and
top of the Edit window can be used to move the
playback location. These include Rewind, Fast
Forward, and Return to Zero (to move playback
location to the beginning of the session). For
more information, see “Basic Transport Con-
trols and Counters” on page 182.
Setting Playback Location with
the Main Counter or Edit Selection
Start Indicator
To set the playback location using a Main Counter
(or the Edit Selection Start indicator):
1 Do one of the following:
• Click in one of the counters.
– or –
• Press asterisk (*) on the numeric keypad to
highlight the Main Counter in the Edit
window (or the Main Counter in the Trans-
port window or Big Counter window, if ei-
ther are displayed).
2 Type in the new location. Press Period (.) to cy-
cle through to the different time fields.
3 Press Enter to accept the new value and auto-
matically locate there.
Setting Playback Location with
Fast Forward/Rewind
You can use the Fast Forward and Rewind but-
tons in the Transport window to move the play-
back location. If the Operation preference for Au-
dio During Fast Forward/Rewind is selected, the
scanned audio is heard (similar to a CD player)
when clicking the Fast Forward and Rewind but-
tons.
You can also fast forward or rewind incremen-
tally by repeatedly clicking the appropriate but-
ton. The size of these increments is determined
by the Main Time Scale:
Bars|Beats Moves to the beginning of the previ-
ous or next bar.
Min:Sec Moves back or forward in one-second
steps.
Pro Tools Reference Guide412
Time Code Moves back or forward in one-second
steps (while adjusting for current SMPTE for-
mat).
Feet+Frames Moves back or forward in one-foot
steps.
Samples Moves back or forward in one-second
steps.
Setting Playback Location with
Back and Forward Commands
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools provides four Back/Forward com-
mands (sometimes called “rollback”) for mov-
ing the playback location in the Edit window.
You can also move the playback location in
multiple increments by repeating the command
(See “Repeating Back/Forward Commands” on
page 413).
Back Moves the playback location backward by
the Back/Forward Amount.
Back and Play Moves the current playback loca-
tion backward by the Back/Forward Amount and
automatically begins playback.
Forward Moves the playback location forward by
the Back/Forward Amount.
Forward and Play Moves the current playback lo-
cation forward by the Back/Forward Amount
and automatically begins playback.
Setting the Back/Forward Amount
The length of the Back/Forward move is deter-
mined by the Back/Forward Amount preference
in the Operation page (Setup > Preferences).
To configure the Back/Forward Amount:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Oper-
ation tab.
The timebase of the Back/Forward Amount set-
tings follows the Main Time Scale by default, or
you can deselect Follow Main Time and select
any of the following timebase formats:
• Bars|Beats
•Min:Sec
• Time Code
• Feet+Frames
•Samples
2 Do one of the following:
• Select a preset amount in the Back/Forward
Amount pop-up menu.
– or –
•In the Back/Forward Amount field, enter a
custom amount.
Using Back or Forward Commands
To move the playback location backward by the
Back/Forward Amount:
Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows),
and click Rewind in the Transport window.
To move the playback location forward by the
Back/Forward Amount:
Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows),
and click Fast Forward in the Transport window.
Back/Forward commands also work when
controlling a 9-pin device. See the Machine-
Control Guide for details.
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 413
To move the playback location backward by the
Back/Forward Amount and then begin playback:
Press Command+Option (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt (Windows), and click Rewind in the
Transport window.
To move the playback location forward by the
Back/Forward Amount and then begin playback:
Press Command+Option (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt (Windows), and click Fast Forward in
the Transport window.
Repeating Back/Forward Commands
All the Back/Forward commands can be repeated
in order to increase the amount of the total Back
or Forward move.
To repeat Back/Forward moves:
1 Press and hold Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows).
2 Click Rewind or Fast Forward the number of
times you want to repeat moving the playback
location backwards or forwards by the specified
Back/Forward Amount.
Extending Selections with Back or Back and
Play Commands
The Back or Back and Play commands can be
used to extend a selection backwards by the
length of the specified Back/Forward Amount.
To extend a selection with Back or Back and Play
commands:
1 Specify the Back/Forward Amount. (See “Set-
ting the Back/Forward Amount” on page 412.)
2 With the Selector tool, drag within a track to
make a selection.
3 Do one of the following:
• To extend the selection backwards by the
Back/Forward Amount, press Shift+Com-
mand (Mac) or Shift+Control (Windows)
and click Rewind in the Transport window.
– or –
• To extend the selection backwards by the
Back/Forward Amount and then begin
playback, press Shift+Command+Option
(Mac) or Shift+Control+Alt (Windows) and
click Rewind in the Transport window.
Additional Ways of Moving the
Playback Location
You can also move the playback location with
the following:
Shuttle Lock Modes With either Shuttle Lock
mode (Classic or Transport) you can use the nu-
meric keypad to shuttle forward or backwards at
specific speeds. For more information, see
“Shuttle Lock Modes” on page 32.
Memory Locations Memory Locations can be
used to move the playback location (or Edit se-
lection). When a Memory Location is recalled,
the playback location (or Edit selection) up-
dates. Memory Locations can be recalled from
the Memory Locations window and from the
numeric keypad. In addition, Marker Memory
Selections can be recalled by clicking them in
the Markers ruler. For more information, see
“Recalling Memory Locations” on page 800.
Tabbing to Transients With the Tab to Transients
button enabled, you can automatically navigate
to transients in audio waveforms, placing the
cursor just before the detected transient peak.
For more information, see “Tabbing to Tran-
sients” on page 572.
Although you cannot extend a selection
with the Forward or Forward and Play com-
mands, you can use the following proce-
dures with Forward or Forward and Play to
move the start point of a current selection.
Pro Tools Reference Guide414
Scrolling Options
You can configure how contents of the Edit win-
dow scroll during playback and recording.
To configure Scrolling options:
Choose Options > Scrolling and select one of
the following options:
None The Edit window does not scroll during or
after playback. The playback cursor moves
across the Edit window, indicating the playback
location.
After Playback The playback cursor moves
across the Edit window, indicating the playback
location. When playback has stopped, the Edit
window scrolls to the final playback location.
Page The playback cursor moves across the Edit
window, indicating the playback location.
When the right edge of the Edit window is
reached, its entire contents are scrolled, and the
playback cursor continues moving from the left
edge of the window. For more information, see
“Page Scrolling During Playback” on page 414.
Continuous (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 Only) See “Continu-
ous Scrolling During Playback” on page 414.
Center Playhead (Pro Tools HD Only) See “Cen-
ter Playhead Scrolling” on page 415.
Page Scrolling During Playback
You can set Pro Tools to scroll the track display
while playing, and also have the edit cursor ap-
pear wherever playback stops.
To make the track display and the edit cursor
follow playback:
Enable the Timeline Insertion/Play Start
Marker Follows Playback button in the Edit win-
dow.
Continuous Scrolling During
Playback
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When this scrolling option is selected, the Edit
window’s contents scroll continuously past the
playback cursor, which remains in the center of
the window. With this option, playback is al-
ways based on the Timeline selection (unlike the
Center Playhead Scrolling option). Continuous
Making a selection in the Timeline or a
playlist, or manually scrolling the Timeline
while in Page Scroll or Continuous Scroll
mode suspends page scrolling. To resume
page scrolling and jump to the current play-
back location, click the Playback Cursor
locator in the Main Timebase ruler (see
“Locating the Playback Cursor when It Is
Off-Screen” on page 410).
Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows Playback
button enabled
You can enable or disable the Timeline In-
sertion/Play Start Marker Follows Playback
option in the Operation Preferences.
Press Control+N (Mac) or Start+N (Win-
dows) to toggle the Timeline Insertion/Play
Start Marker Follows Playback preference
on and off.
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 415
Scrolling During Playback uses host processing
power, so use this option with host-based
Pro Tools systems only when absolutely neces-
sary.
Center Playhead Scrolling
(Pro Tools HD Only)
When this scrolling option is selected, the Edit
window’s contents scroll continuously past the
Playhead, which is a blue line in the center of the
window (or a red line when recording).
The Playhead indicates where playback begins
when clicking Play in the Transport window.
To move the Playhead to a particular location
for playback, you can scroll there in a ruler (see
“Scrolling in a Timebase Ruler” on page 575),
use the Edit window’s horizontal scroll bar, or
type the location into one of the Edit Selection
indicators or one of the Counters.
Moving the Playhead with these methods does
not update the Timeline selection. However, up-
dating the Timeline selection automatically
moves the Playhead to the Timeline insertion
point.
With the Playhead enabled, you can jump to
and play an Edit or Timeline selection. For de-
tails, see “Playing Timeline and Edit Selections
with the Playhead” on page 417.
Half-Screen Edit Window
When the Scrolling option is set to Continuous or
Center Playhead, a half-screen appears at the far
left of the Edit window (before the beginning of
the session) when the Playhead is at the begin-
ning of the session.
Playing Selections
Once an Edit selection is made, you can audi-
tion it by clicking Play in the Transport window.
If enabled, the pre- and post-roll amounts play
as well.
To play a selection:
1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
a track selection.
3 If you want to use pre-roll or post-roll, enable
and set the pre-roll and post-roll amounts. For
details, see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on
page 458.
Center Playhead Scrolling option
Center Playhead Scrolling and Dynamic
Transport mode cannot be used at the same
time. Selecting Center Playhead Scrolling
disables Dynamic Transport mode (if it is
enabled). Likewise, enabling Dynamic
Transport mode when Center Playhead
Scrolling is selected automatically changes
the Scrolling option to No Scrolling.
Half-screen for Center Playhead Scrolling option
Pro Tools Reference Guide416
4 Click Play in the Transport window, or press
the Spacebar.
All tracks play for the range of the selection, in-
cluding pre-roll and post-roll if enabled.
To play an Edit selection with Link Timeline and
Edit Selection disabled:
Choose Edit > Selection > Play Edit.
To play a Timeline selection with Link Timeline and
Edit Selection disabled:
Choose Edit > Selection > Play Timeline.
Auditioning Pre-Roll and Post-Roll
You can audition and play just the pre-roll or
post-roll material for a selection.
To play from the pre-roll point to the start of a
selection, or to the current Cursor location:
Press Option+Left Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Left Ar-
row (Windows).
To play to the post-roll point from the end of a
selection, or from the current Cursor location:
Press Command+Right Arrow (Mac) or Con-
trol+Right Arrow (Windows).
Auditioning Start and End Points
for Selections
There may be times when you want to audition
the start or end of an audio selection without
hearing the entire selection. This allows you to
check, for instance, whether the beginning or
end of a selection includes any unwanted clicks
or pops.
To audition a selection start point:
Press Command+Left Arrow (Mac) or Con-
trol+Left Arrow (Windows).
When auditioning the beginning of a selection,
the selection plays from the start point for a du-
ration equal to the post-roll amount.
To audition a selection start point with pre-roll:
Press Command+Option+Left Arrow (Mac) or
Control+Alt+Left Arrow (Windows).
To audition a selection end point:
Press Option+Right Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Right
Arrow (Windows).
When auditioning the end of a selection, play-
back begins before the end point by the pre-roll
amount.
To audition a selection end point with post-roll:
Press Command+Option+Right Arrow (Mac)
or Control+Alt+Right Arrow (Windows).
Playback ranges for auditioning start/end points
plays start
(for post-roll amount)
plays pre-roll + start
plays end
(for pre-roll amount)
plays end + post-roll
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 417
Playing Timeline and Edit
Selections with the Playhead
(Pro Tools HD Only)
When the Scrolling option is set to Center Play-
head, selections in the Timeline do not deter-
mine when playback begins. The Playhead itself
denotes where playback begins when clicking
Play in the Transport.
Timeline and Edit selections, however, can still
be played when the Playhead is enabled.
To play an Edit selection with the Playhead
enabled:
1 Deselect Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tions.
2 Select Options > Scrolling > Center Playhead.
3 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
a track selection.
4 Choose Edit > Selection > Play Edit.
The Playhead jumps to the Edit selection and
plays it from beginning to end, and then stops.
To play a Timeline selection with the Playhead
enabled:
1 Deselect Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tions.
2 Select Options > Scrolling > Center Playhead.
3 Drag with the Selector tool in any Timebase
ruler to set the play range.
4 Choose Edit > Selection > Play Timeline.
The Playhead jumps to the Timeline selection
and plays it from beginning to end, and then
stops.
Moving the Playhead
When the Scrolling option is set to Center Play-
head, the Playhead can be moved forward or
back to the next region boundary in the selected
track.
To move the Playhead through a track’s region
boundaries:
1 Make sure the Tab to Transients button is not
enabled (see “Tabbing to Transients” on
page 572).
2 Click in the track with the Selector tool.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Tab to move the Playhead forward to
the next region boundary.
– or –
• Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab
(Windows) to move the Playhead back to
the previous region boundary.
Playback Modes
Pro Tools provides several Playback modes:
• Normal Playback mode
• Half-Speed Playback mode
• Prime for Playback mode
• Loop Playback mode
• Dynamic Transport mode
Normal Playback Mode
Normal Playback mode is simply when none of
the other Playback modes are selected. In Nor-
mal Playback mode, Pro Tools plays back at the
session sample rate.
Pro Tools Reference Guide418
Half-Speed Playback Mode
Use Half-Speed Playback mode to learn or tran-
scribe difficult passages in recorded tracks.
To play at half-speed:
1 Do one of the following:
• Shift-click the Play button in the Transport.
– or –
• Right-click the Play button in the Transport
and select Half-Speed. Then click Play to
start Half-Speed Playback.
2 Click Stop in the Transport to stop playback.
Prime for Playback Mode
When playing back a large number of tracks,
Pro Tools may take a little longer to actually
start playback. To avoid this delay, put Pro Tools
in Prime for Playback mode before starting play-
back.
To enable Prime for Playback mode and start
playback:
1 Do one of the following:
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
Play in the Transport to put Pro Tools in
Prime for Playback mode.
– or –
• Right-click the Play button and select Prime
for Playback.
The Stop button lights and the Play button
flashes.
2 To begin playback instantaneously, click Play.
3 Click Stop to stop playback.
Loop Playback Mode
When Loop Playback mode is enabled, the se-
lected track range repeats on playback. If there is
no selection, playback occurs normally from the
current Cursor location.
Looping playback is a useful way to check the
rhythmic continuity of a selection when work-
ing with musical material. If you’re working
with one-bar selections, you can loop playback
to see if the material loops cleanly. If it seems to
skip, you should then adjust the length of the
selection until it works “musically” within the
context of the playlist and the other tracks.
To loop playback of a selection:
1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
2 With the Selector tool, select the track range
you want to loop.
3 Enable Loop Playback by doing one of the fol-
lowing:
• Select Options > Loop Playback.
• Right-click the Play button in the Transport
window and select Loop from the pop-up
menu.
• Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Win-
dows) the Play button in the Transport
window.
• Press Command+Shift+L (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+L (Windows).
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport, press 4 on the numeric keypad.
You can also play at half-speed by pressing
Shift+Spacebar.
When synchronizing to time code, use
Prime for Playback mode to play back large
numbers of tracks. This decreases the time it
takes to lock to time code.
A selection must be at least 500 ms in
length for it to loop on playback.
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 419
When enabled, a loop symbol appears in the
Play button in the Transport window.
4 Click Play in the Transport window.
Playback begins from the pre-roll point (if en-
abled) and continues to the selection’s end
point, where it loops back to the selection’s start
point.
5 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop
playback.
Loop Playback and Audio Recording
Looping playback does not enable loop record-
ing. Use Loop Record mode to loop during re-
cording (see “Loop Recording Audio” on
page 463).
Dynamic Transport Mode
Dynamic Transport mode lets you decouple the
playback location from the Timeline selection.
This means that you can start playback from
anywhere on the Timeline without losing your
Timeline or Edit selections. For example, you
can use Dynamic Transport mode in conjunc-
tion with Loop Playback mode to quickly audi-
tion loop transitions.
When Dynamic Transport mode is enabled, the
Main Timebase ruler expands to double-height
and reveals the new Play Start Marker. The Play
Start Marker determines where playback starts
when the Transport is engaged. You can posi-
tion the Play Start Marker independently of the
Timeline Selection. The Play Start Marker can be
repositioned during playback and playback con-
tinues from the new location.
To enable or disable Dynamic Transport mode, do
one of the following:
Select or deselect Options > Dynamic Transport.
Right-click the Play button in the Transport
window and select Dynamic Transport from the
pop-up menu.
Press Command+Control+P (Mac) or Con-
trol+Start+P (Windows) to toggle Dynamic
Transport mode on or off.
Loop Playback enabled
Enabling Dynamic Transport mode auto-
matically disables Link Timeline and Edit
Selection, and automatically enables Loop
Playback mode.
Center Playhead Scrolling (Pro Tools HD
only) and Dynamic Transport mode cannot
be used at the same time. Selecting Center
Playhead Scrolling disables Dynamic
Transport mode (if it is enabled). Likewise,
enabling Dynamic Transport mode when
Center Playhead Scrolling is selected auto-
matically changes the Scrolling option to
No Scrolling.
Dynamic Transport mode, Play Start Marker shown in
expanded Main Timebase ruler
Play Start Marker
Timeline selection
Play Start Marker strip
Pro Tools Reference Guide420
To reposition the Play Start Marker, do one of the
following:
With any Edit tool selected, click in the Play
Start Marker strip in the Main Timebase ruler.
With any Edit tool selected, drag the Play Start
Marker to a new location.
Click Fast Forward or Rewind in the Transport
to relocate the Play Start Marker forward or
backward by the standard Fast Forward and Re-
wind increment amount.
To change the Timeline Selection Start or End
Markers:
1 Make a Timeline selection with the Selector
tool by dragging in the Main Timebase ruler. If
the Link Timeline and Edit Selection option is en-
abled, you can make an Edit selection with the
Selector or any of the Grabber tools.
2 With any Edit tool selected, drag either the
Timeline Selection Start or End Markers left or
right, extending or constricting the Timeline se-
lection.
To move the Timeline selection:
With any Edit tool selected, drag the selection
on the Main Timeline ruler to another location.
Play Start Marker Follows Timeline Selection
When enabled, the Play Start Marker snaps to
the Timeline Selection Start Marker when you
move the Timeline Selection, draw a new Time-
line Selection, or adjust the Timeline Selection
Start. When disabled, the Play Start Marker
doesn’t move with the Timeline selection.
To have the Play Start Marker always snap to the
Timeline Selection Start Marker:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operation tab.
3 Select Play Start Marker Follows Timeline Selec-
tion.
4 Click OK.
Double-click anywhere in the Play Start
Marker strip in the Main Timebase ruler to
move the Play Start Marker to that location
and start playback.
Changes to the Timeline selection during
playback temporarily interrupt playback.
To minimize this interruption, reduce the
DAE Playback Buffer size in the Playback
Engine dialog.
Dynamic Transport mode, moving the Edit selection
When the Link Timeline and Edit Selection
option is disabled, Option-drag (Mac) or
Alt-drag (Windows) the Timeline selection
to snap the Edit selection to the Timeline se-
lection and move both in tandem.
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 421
Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows
Playback
When enabled, the Play Start Marker moves to
the point in the Timeline when playback stops.
When disabled, the Play Start Marker does not
follow playback.
When not in Dynamic Transport mode, the
Timeline Insertion follows playback.
To have the Timeline Insertion and the Play Start
Marker follow playback:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operation tab.
3 Select Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Fol-
lows Playback.
4 Click OK.
Using Dynamic Transport Mode
with Loop Playback
Use Dynamic Transport mode in conjunction
with Loop Playback to specify the loop start and
end points with the Timeline selection while us-
ing the Play Start Marker to specify where play-
back begins. This is especially useful for audi-
tioning loop transitions. Note that enabling
Dynamic Transport mode automatically enables
Loop Playback mode.
To audition a loop transition:
1 Enable Dynamic Transport mode.
2 Ensure that Loop Playback mode is enabled.
3 Make a Timeline selection to loop.
4 Reposition the Play Start Marker before the
Timeline Selection End Marker.
5 Start playback.
Playback starts before the loop end point and
continues across the loop point through the
loop start. You can reposition the Timeline Se-
lection Start and End Markers by dragging them
left or right, even during playback.
Using Separate Play and Stop
Keys
When enabled, the Use Separate Play and Stop
Keys option lets you start playback with the En-
ter key and stop playback with the 0 key on the
numeric keypad. This is useful for quickly start-
ing and stopping playback when auditioning
loop transitions.
To use separate play and stop keys on the numeric
keypad:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operation tab.
3 Select Transport for Numeric Keypad.
4 Select Use Separate Play and Stop Keys.
5 Click OK.
Press Control+N (Mac) or Start+N (Win-
dows) to toggle the Timeline Insertion/Play
Start Marker Follows Playback preference
on and off.
Dynamic Transport mode, auditioning the loop
transition
This option overrides using the Enter key to
add Memory Location markers. Press Period
(.) and then Enter on the numeric keypad to
add a Memory Location marker.
Pro Tools Reference Guide422
The Enter key starts playback. The Zero key stops
playback. Pressing Zero twice locates the Play
Start Marker to the Timeline Selection start.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Relocating
the Play Start Marker
In Dynamic Transport mode, you can use key-
board shortcuts to quickly relocate the Play Start
Marker either during playback or when the
Transport is stopped.
To move the Play Start Marker to the Timeline
Selection Start:
Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and
then the Left Arrow.
To move the Play Start Marker to the Timeline
Selection End:
Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and
then the Right Arrow.
To move the Play Start Marker to the Edit
Selection Start:
Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and
then the Down Arrow.
To move the Play Start Marker to location of the
Playhead:
Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and
then the Up Arrow.
To nudge the Play Start Marker backward
(rewind):
Press 1 on the numeric keypad.
To nudge the Play Start Marker forward (fast
forward):
Press 2 on the numeric keypad.
To move the Play Start to a specific bar:
With Bars|Beats selected as the Main Timebase
ruler, do the following on the numeric keypad:
• Press Asterisk (*).
• Type the bar number.
•Press Enter.
Recording in Dynamic Transport
Mode
Recording in Dynamic Transport mode lets you
start playback independently of the Timeline se-
lection. Use the Play Start marker as a manual
pre-roll before the Timeline selection. Recording
punches in and out based on the Timeline selec-
tion.
MIDI Beat Clock
Pro Tools can transmit MIDI Beat Clock to syn-
chronize external MIDI devices that receive
MIDI Beat Clock (such as drum machines, hard-
ware sequencers, or arpeggiators) with the
Pro Tools session tempo for playback and re-
cording. Some instrument plug-ins also support
MIDI Beat Clock for synchronizing to the
Pro Tools tempo.
Transmitting Beat Clock
To transmit MIDI Beat Clock:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Beat Clock.
2 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, select the En-
able MIDI Beat Clock option.
For information about synchronizing exter-
nal MIDI devices with Pro Tools for play-
back and recording using MIDI Time Code,
see “Generating Time Code” on page 1130.
Chapter 20: Playing Back Track Material 423
3 Select the devices you want to receive MIDI
Beat Clock. If your MIDI interface does not sup-
port transmitting MIDI Beat Clock to separate
ports, only the interface appears as a destina-
tion.
4 Enter the correct negative offset values (such
as “–200” samples) for each port that is enabled
for transmitting MIDI Beat Clock (see “Measur-
ing Beat Clock Latency” on page 423).
5 Click OK.
Sending MIDI Beat Clock Over IAC
(Mac Only)
You can synchronize other MIDI applications
that use the Apple Inter-Application Communi-
cation (IAC) driver to Pro Tools by transmitting
MIDI Beat Clock on the IAC bus.
To transmit MIDI Beat Clock on the IAC bus:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.
2 In the MIDI Devices window of Audio MIDI
Setup, double-click the IAC Driver icon.
3 Configure the IAC Driver ports and confirm
that it is online.
4 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Beat Clock.
5 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, select the En-
able MIDI Beat Clock option.
6 Select the IAC Driver ports you want to enable
for sending MIDI Beat Clock.
7 Click OK.
MIDI Beat Clock Offsets
You can set an offset for MIDI Beat Clock on a
port-by-port basis with your MIDI interface and
external MIDI devices. This lets you adjust the
timing for each device where some devices
sound late due to different, fixed latencies.
Where appropriate, enter negative offset values
in samples for each port to correctly synchro-
nize the audio signals from your external MIDI
devices with Pro Tools playback.
Measuring Beat Clock Latency
To determine the correct MIDI Beat Clock offset
for an external MIDI device:
1 Ensure that your computer and external MIDI
device are correctly connected and configured
for MIDI, and that its audio output is correctly
connected to audio inputs on your Pro Tools au-
dio interface.
2 Ensure that your external MIDI device is con-
figured to receive MIDI Beat Clock, and that it is
correctly configured to play back a simple rhyth-
mic pattern “on the beat.”
3 Create a new Pro Tools session.
4 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, ensure that
MIDI Beat Clock is enabled and that the device is
selected.
MIDI Beat Clock dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide424
5 Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.
6 Create a new audio track and select the audio
input channels for your external MIDI device.
7 Record enable the audio track and start record-
ing. MIDI Beat Clock is sent to the external MIDI
device, which starts playing back the pattern.
8 Stop recording after a few bars.
9 Enable both Snap to Grid and Show Grid.
10 With the Selector tool, place the edit cursor
on the beat grid prior to a prominent transient
in the waveform that is “on the beat.”
11 Enable Tab to Transients and Shift+Tab to the
transient. The duration of this selection is the
approximate amount of latency for your exter-
nal MIDI device (see Figure 7 below).
12 Switch the Main Time Scale to Samples. The
length of the selected region in samples is the
MIDI Beat Clock latency for that device.
13 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, enter the Sam-
ple Offset value as a negative number.
MIDI Beat Clock Sample Offset
Since MIDI is not sample accurate, you may
want to make several measurements at dif-
ferent grid locations and average them to
come up with the best value for the MIDI
Beat Clock Offset.
Once you have measured the latency for
your MIDI Beat Clock-enabled devices, be
sure to keep a record of these values in case
you need to re-enter the MIDI Beat Clock
Sample Offset in other sessions.
Figure 7. Measuring the offset for MIDI Beat Clock in samples
Chapter 21: Record Setup 425
Chapter 21: Record Setup
Before you start recording in Pro Tools, you need
to set up your Pro Tools system, a session, and
one or more tracks for recording. You will also
need to configure how Pro Tools monitors the
input you intend to record.
While some of the information here is relevant
to preparing to record MIDI, there are more spe-
cific setup details for MIDI recording in
Chapter 23, “MIDI Recording.”
For information on recording audio, see
Chapter 22, “Audio Recording.”
Record Setup Overview
Record setup includes the following:
Hardware Setup for Recording
• “Configuring Pro Tools Hardware I/O for Re-
cording” on page 426
• “Connecting a Sound Source” on page 427
Session Setup for Recording
• Configuring a new or existing session for re-
cording:
• “Working with Hard Drives for Recording”
on page 441
• “Recording with a Click” on page 428
• “Setting the Session Meter and Tempo” on
page 430
• Setting a Record Mode. See “Record Modes”
on page 433
Track Setup for Recording
• Configuring one or more tracks for recording:
• “Configuring Default Names for Audio
Files and Regions” on page 436
• “Assigning Hardware I/O on a Track” on
page 437
• “Record Enabling Tracks” on page 438
• “Recording with Multiple Hard Drives” on
page 441
Monitoring Setup for Recording
• “Selecting a Record Input Monitoring Mode”
on page 444
• “Setting Monitor Levels for Record and Play-
back” on page 447
• “Reducing Monitoring Latency” on page 447
• “Recording with Delay Compensation” on
page 448
For information on digitizing (recording)
video in Pro Tools, see Chapter 51, “Work-
ing with Video in Pro Tools” or the Avid
Video Peripherals Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide426
Configuring Pro Tools
Hardware I/O for Recording
Before you start recording, make sure your
Pro Tools system hardware is connected and
configured properly. For details on connecting
Pro Tools to your studio and configuring your
Hardware in the Hardware Setup dialog, see the
User Guide that came with your system. For in-
formation on how to route signal paths in
Pro Tools, see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”
Input Connections and Audio
Levels
Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces operate as line-
level devices and offer no pre-amplification.
Low-level sources like microphones and electric
guitars need to be pre-amplified. You can do this
with a quality mixing board or dedicated pre-
amp (such as PRE).
003 Rack+ has eight inputs with preamps, to
which you can connect low-level signals.
003, 003 Rack, Digi 002, and Digi 002 Rack have
four inputs with preamps, to which you can
connect low-level signals, and four additional
line-level inputs with switchable gain.
Eleven Rack has one Mic input with a preamp
and 1 instrument-level Guitar input with a spe-
cial variable-impedance circuit called True-Z (for
more information, see the Eleven Rack User
Guide.)
Mbox, Mbox 2, Mbox Pro, Mbox 2 Pro, Mbox
Mini, and Mbox 2 Mini each have two inputs
with preamps, to which you can connect low-
level signals.
For input information for qualified M-Audio de-
vices, see your M-Audio documentation.
For all systems, volume and pan controls for
tracks in Pro Tools only affect monitoring lev-
els—not the recording input gain. The LED me-
ters on Pro Tools audio interfaces indicate both
full-code (highest level before clipping) and true
clipping of Pro Tools output signals. The on-
screen meters in Pro Tools indicate only true
clipping.
Digital Clipping
Clipping occurs when you feed a signal to a re-
corder or mixer that is louder or “hotter” than
the device allows. On many analog tape decks, a
little clipping adds a perceived warmth to the
sound due to tape compression. In digital re-
cording, however, clipping causes digital distor-
tion, which is undesirable and should always be
avoided.
Set Input Levels
When you feed a signal into any audio record-
ing system, including Pro Tools, make sure to
adjust the input level to optimize the dynamic
range and signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded
file. If the input level is too low, you will not
take full advantage of the dynamic range of your
Pro Tools system. If the input level is too high,
the waveform can clip and distort the recording.
Set the input levels high, but not high enough
to clip.
As a general rule of thumb, try to set levels so
that they peak within –6 dB to –12 dB on the in-
put meter without triggering the clipping indi-
cator on your audio interface. Depending on the
type of material you are recording and its dy-
namic range and peak content, you may want to
record with higher or lower levels.
PRE can be remote-controlled from within
Pro Tools sessions.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 427
You can display a track’s input levels in its Vol-
ume/Peak/Delay indicator. Normally, this indi-
cator is set to be a Volume indicator. When you
change it into a Peak indicator, it can function
as a headroom indicator based on the last peak
playback level.
To display a track’s peak level:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) a track’s Volume indicator to step through
the different indicator modes (Volume, Peak,
and Channel Delay) until the indicator displays
peak (pk) level.
Calibration Mode
(Pro Tools HD Only)
You can use the Calibration mode in Pro Tools
to adjust the input and output levels for your au-
dio interface so they match those of your mix-
ing console and other audio devices in your stu-
dio.
HD I/O has one set of adjustable trim pots for its
inputs. Additionally, the reference level for the
input can be set to +4 dBu or –10 dBV. For more
information on calibrating HD I/O, see the HD
I/O Guide.
192 I/O has two sets of adjustable trim pots for
its inputs, and two sets of adjustable trim pots
for its outputs. Additionally, the reference level
for the input can be set to +4 dBu or –10 dBV.
For more information on calibrating 192 I/O,
see the 192 I/O Guide.
There are no input or output trims on the fol-
lowing audio interfaces: HD OMNI, HD MADI,
192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, and 96i I/O. Some
Pro Tools audio interfaces that do not have out-
put trims (such as the 96i I/O) offer software-
controllable input levels, adjustable from Setup
> Hardware (see the guide for your particular au-
dio interface).
Connecting a Sound Source
Depending on your Pro Tools audio interfaces,
you can connect different types of sound
sources (such as musical instruments, mics, and
mixer outputs). See the User Guide for your
Pro Tools system. For additional information,
see the documentation that came with your
sound source.
If you connect a sound source to a Pro Tools in-
put that was not previously configured to accept
input, you may need to reconfigure you hard-
ware in the Hardware Setup dialog (see your User
Guide). You may also need to reset your I/O sig-
nal paths in I/O Setup (see Chapter 7, “I/O
Setup.”).
Pro Tools Reference Guide428
Recording with a Click
(Optional)
If you intend to work with MIDI or Instrument
tracks in your session, or if the audio you’re
working with is bar and beat-oriented, you can
record your tracks while listening to a click. This
ensures that recorded material, both MIDI and
audio, aligns with the session’s bar and beat
boundaries.
When your track material lines up with the
beats, you can take advantage of some very use-
ful editing functions in Pro Tools, such as quan-
tizing MIDI and audio events or regions, quan-
tizing individual MIDI notes, and copying and
pasting measures and song sections in Grid
mode.
Creating a Click Track
Pro Tools lets you create a Click track using the
DigiRack Click plug-in. You can also create a
click track using the TL Metro plug-in (included
with Pro Tools) or using a MIDI instrument.
To create a click track using the DigiRack Click
plug-in:
Choose Track > Create Click Track.
Pro Tools creates a new Auxiliary Input track
named “Click” with the DigiRack Click plug-in
already inserted. In the Edit window, the click
track’s Track Height is set to Mini. You can cre-
ate more than one click track and each subse-
quent click track is named in sequence. For ex-
ample, Click 1, Click 2, and Click 3.
To hear the click during playback and recording,
configure the Click Options (see “Click Op-
tions” on page 429) and ensure that Click is en-
abled (see “Enabling the Click” on page 429).
To create a click track using MIDI:
1 Create a new (mono) Auxiliary Input or In-
strument track.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the track’s Input selector, select the
path to which the MIDI device is con-
nected.
– or –
• Insert an instrument plug-in on the track
(such as Xpand2).
3 Configure the Click/Countoff options, and be
sure to select the port for the MIDI device or in-
strument plug-in from the Output pop-up menu
(see “Click Options” on page 429).
4 Enable Click (see “Enabling the Click” on
page 429).
Material that is recorded without listening
to a click can still be aligned to bar and beat
boundaries in Pro Tools with Beat Detective
(see Chapter 31, “Beat Detective”), or by us-
ing the Identify Beat command to determine
the tempo (see “Identify Beat Command”
on page 778).
For more information on the DigiRack Click
or the TL Metro, see the Audio Plug-Ins
Guide.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 429
Enabling the Click
Click tracks must be enabled to be heard during
playback or recording.
To enable the click from the MIDI menu:
Select Options > Click.
To enable the click in the Transport:
1 Display the MIDI controls in the Transport by
doing one of the following:
• Select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
• From the Transport window menu, select
MIDI Controls.
• Control-click (Windows) or Command-
click (Mac) the Expand/Collapse “+” but-
ton in the Transport window to display the
MIDI controls.
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac)
the Expand/Collapse “+” button in the
Transport window to display the MIDI con-
trols and the Counters.
2 In the Transport, click the Metronome button
so it is highlighted.
3 To hear the click count off when recording or
playing, click the Count Off button in the Trans-
port so it is highlighted.
Hearing the countoff before recording helps mu-
sicians to start playing at the right time and in
tempo. The Count Off button in the Transport
window displays the number of bars counted be-
fore the transport starts.
Click Options
Pro Tools provides options and controls for driv-
ing a click. The following steps are for configur-
ing and enabling a click using the DigiRack
Click plug-in or MIDI.
Selecting MIDI Controls from the Transport window
menu
Expand/Collapse “+” button, Transport Window with
MIDI Controls
Metronome button, enabled
Count Off button, enabled
The countoff is ignored when Pro Tools is
online and synchronized to SMPTE time
code.
Pro Tools Reference Guide430
To configure click options:
1 Open the Click/Countoff Options dialog by
doing one of the following:
• Choose Setup > Click/Countoff.
– or –
• Double-click the Metronome button in the
Transport window.
2 In the Click/Countoff Options dialog, do one
of the following:
• If using the TL Metro or DigiRack Click
plug-in, select None in the Output pop-up
menu.
– or –
• If playing a click using MIDI, select the port
number (device) and channel for the click
from the Output pop-up menu.
3 Specify the note, velocity, and duration for the
accented and unaccented notes.
When listening to the click in your Pro Tools
sessions, the accented note sounds on the first
beat of each measure and the unaccented note
sounds on the remaining beats.
4 Select whether the click is heard During Play
and Record, or Only During Record, or Only During
Countoff.
5 If using a countoff, specify the number of Bars
to be counted off. To hear the countoff only
when recording, select that option.
6 Click OK.
Setting the Session Meter
and Tempo
(Optional)
Setting the Session Meter
When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the
meter defaults to 4/4. If you intend to record
with a click in a meter other than 4/4, make sure
to set the meter accordingly.
If a session’s meter does not match the music
you’re recording, the accented clicks will not
line up with what you’re playing, and, as a re-
sult, the recorded material may not align with
the bars and beats in the Edit window.
Meter events, which can occur anywhere within
a Pro Tools session, appear in the Meter ruler.
For more information on inserting and editing
meter events, see “Meter Events” on page 781.
Click/Countoff Options dialog
If one is connected, you can also play new
note values on a MIDI controller keyboard.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 431
To set the meter for a session:
1 Double-click the Current Meter button in the
Transport window.
2 Enter the Meter for the session and set the Lo-
cation to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the inserted me-
ter event replaces the default).
3 From the Click pop-up menu, select a note
value for the beat. (For example, if you are in
6/8, select a dotted-quarter note).
4 Click OK to insert the new meter event.
Setting the Session Tempo
When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the
tempo defaults to 120 BPM. If you intend to re-
cord with a click at a tempo other than
120 BPM, make sure to set the tempo accord-
ingly.
To change the session tempo:
1 Double-click the Song Start Marker in the Edit
window (see “Song Start Marker” on page 758).
2 Enter the BPM value for the session.
3 Set the Location to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the
inserted tempo event replaces the default).
4 From the Resolution pop-up menu, select the
note value for the beat. (For example, if you are
in 6/8, select a dotted-quarter note.)
5 Click OK.
Using Manual Tempo Mode
In Manual Tempo mode, Pro Tools ignores tempo
events in the Tempo track and instead plays
back a Manual Tempo. This tempo can be set
with the Tempo slider, or if you are not sure of
the actual tempo, by tapping in the tempo.
While you can adjust the Manual Tempo during
playback, doing so momentarily interrupts play-
back.
Meter button
Meter Change window
Tempo events, which can occur anywhere
within a Pro Tools session, appear in the
Tempo ruler. For more information on in-
serting and editing tempo events, see
“Tempo” on page 759.
You can type in a specific tempo, or you can
use the T key to tap in the tempo.
Tempo Change window
Pro Tools Reference Guide432
To set the Manual Tempo with the Tempo slider:
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo
Ruler Enable button (Conductor) button so it
becomes unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to
Manual Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo
events in the Tempo track are ignored.
3 To base the BPM value on something other
than the default quarter-note, click the Tempo
Resolution selector and select a different note
value. (For example, if you are in 6/8, select a
dotted-quarter note.)
4 To enter a new tempo, do one of the follow-
ing:
• Drag the Tempo value up or down. For finer
resolution, press Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac) while dragging.
– or –
• Click the Tempo value, type a new number,
and press Enter.
To exit Manual Tempo mode and enable the Tempo
track:
Click the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor)
button in the Transport window so it becomes
highlighted.
To set the Manual Tempo by tapping:
1 Ensure that the MIDI controls are shown in
the Transport window (select View > Transport >
MIDI Controls).
2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo
Ruler Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes
unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
the Tempo track are ignored.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click in the Tempo field so it becomes
highlighted and tap the “T” key on your
computer keyboard repeatedly at the new
tempo.
– or –
•If the Use MIDI to Tap Tempo option is en-
abled in the MIDI Preferences, click in the
Tempo field so it becomes highlighted and
tap in the tempo by playing a note repeat-
edly at the new tempo on your MIDI key-
board controller.
To compute the new tempo, Pro Tools averages
the last eight (or fewer) taps to determine the
correct tempo. The computed BPM value ap-
pears in the Transport window’s Tempo field.
To lock in the new tempo:
Take Pro Tools out of Manual Tempo mode by
clicking the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor)
button, then set the default tempo for the Song
Start Marker to the new tempo.
Manual Tempo mode
Tempo value in BPM
Tempo Rul e r
Enable button
Tempo Resolution selector
Chapter 21: Record Setup 433
Record Modes
For recording audio, Pro Tools provides the fol-
lowing Record modes:
• Normal (Nondestructive)
•Destructive
• Loop
•QuickPunch
• TrackPunch (Pro Tools HD only)
• DestructivePunch (Pro Tools HD only)
To select the Record mode, do one of the
following:
Select the Record mode in the Options menu.
If no Record mode is selected, Pro Tools is in
Normal (Nondestructive) Record mode.
– or –
Right-click the Record button in the Transport
and select the Record mode from the pop-up
menu.
The Record button changes to indicate the se-
lected Record mode as follows:
• Blank for Normal (Nondestructive)
• “D” for Destructive
• Loop symbol for Loop Record
•“P” for QuickPunch
• “T” for TrackPunch (Pro Tools HD only)
• “DP” for DestructivePunch (Pro Tools HD
only)
Normal (Nondestructive) Record
Mode
In Normal, Nondestructive Record mode,
Pro Tools records audio nondestructively, which
means that if you record over a track’s existing
regions, the audio is not erased from your hard
drive. Both the new and old audio files remain
on your hard drive, available as regions from the
Region List.
In Normal Record mode, the record range can be
defined by selecting a range in a ruler or in a
track’s playlist, or by specifying start and end
points in the Transport window. If there is no
selection, recording begins from the current
Cursor location and continues until the Trans-
port’s Stop button is clicked.
The pre- and post-roll settings allow material to
be heard up to and after the start and end
points, which is useful when punch recording
(see “Audio Punch Recording Over a Specified
Range” on page 460).
You can also cycle through the Pro Tools re-
cord modes with the Transport stopped, by
Start-clicking (Windows) or Control-click-
ing (Mac) the Record button.
Destructive Record mode enabled
When recording, you can preserve disk space
by removing unwanted record takes (see
“Removing Unwanted Regions” on
page 271) and compacting audio files (see
“Compacting an Audio File” on page 595).
To set a record range by selecting within a
track’s playlist, the Timeline and Edit selec-
tions must be linked. See “Linking or Un-
linking Timeline and Edit Selections” on
page 561.
Pro Tools Reference Guide434
Destructive Record Mode
In Destructive Record mode, recording over ex-
isting regions replaces the original audio perma-
nently, which allows you to keep disk use to a
minimum. However, if you have sufficient drive
space, it is usually best to use Pro Tools in Non-
destructive Record mode, to avoid losing any
previously recorded material.
When defining the record range and setting pre-
and post-roll, Destructive Record mode works
the same as Normal (Nondestructive) mode.
Unlike the other record modes, it is not possible
to cancel or undo record takes when using De-
structive Record mode (see “Canceling a Record
Take” on page 453).
Loop Record Mode
Loop Record mode lets you record take after take
(nondestructively) while the same section of au-
dio repeats. This is a convenient technique for
quickly recording multiple takes of a part with-
out losing spontaneity.
The time range that is looped and recorded—
which must be at least one second in length—is
defined by selecting a range in a ruler or in a
track’s playlist, or by specifying start and end
points in the Transport window. The pre-roll
setting, if enabled, is used during the first record
pass, but on each successive loop the pre- and
post-roll times are ignored.
When using Loop Record mode, each successive
take appears as a region in the Region List and
each is numbered sequentially. The various
takes, which are identical in length and start
time, are easily auditioned and placed in the
track at the correct location with the Matches
pop-up menu (see “Selecting Alternate Takes”
on page 465).
QuickPunch
QuickPunch gives you the ability to manually
and instantaneously punch in (initiate record-
ing) and punch out (stop recording) on record-
enabled audio tracks during playback by click-
ing the Record button in the Transport. Record-
ing with QuickPunch is nondestructive.
When using QuickPunch, Pro Tools begins re-
cording a new file when playback begins, auto-
matically generating regions in that file at each
punch in/out point. These regions appear in the
track’s playlist; and the complete audio file ap-
pears in the Region List along with the Quick-
Punch created regions. Up to 200 of these “run-
ning punches” can be performed in a single
pass.
Though you can punch record in the other re-
cord modes by manually specifying the record
range, only QuickPunch provides instantaneous
monitor switching on punch-out.
In Destructive Record mode, the waveform
overview is not redrawn until you stop
recording.
To set a record range by selecting within a
track’s playlist, enable the Link Timeline
and Edit Selection option. See “Linking or
Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selections” on
page 561.
In Loop Record mode, the waveform over-
view is not redrawn until you stop
recording.
For more information on QuickPunch, see
“QuickPunch Audio Recording” on
page 494.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 435
TrackPunch
(Pro Tools HD Only)
TrackPunch lets individual tracks be punched
in, punched out, and taken out of record enable
without interrupting online recording and play-
back.
TrackPunch is a nondestructive recording mode.
When a track is TrackPunch-enabled, Pro Tools
begins recording a new file when playback be-
gins. During playback, you may record arm or
disarm, or punch in or out a combination of any
or all TrackPunch enabled tracks.
TrackPunch automatically creates regions in
that file at each punch-in and punch-out point.
These regions appear in the track’s playlist, and
the complete audio file appears in the Region
List along with the TrackPunch created regions.
Up to 200 of these “running punches” can be
performed in a single pass.
DestructivePunch
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Destructive Punch is a destructive recording
mode that lets you instantaneously punch in
(start recording) and punch out (stop recording)
on individual audio tracks during playback,
while preserving a contiguous audio file on each
punched track.
Record Modes and MIDI
In addition to the various record modes, there is
also a MIDI Merge button in the Transport win-
dow that determines how MIDI is recorded.
When enabled (Merge mode), recording over ex-
isting MIDI regions results in the new data being
merged with the old. When the MIDI Merge
button is disabled (Replace mode), the new ma-
terial replaces the old.
MIDI recording works the same whether using
Nondestructive or Destructive Record mode. In
addition, neither QuickPunch nor TrackPunch
need to be enabled to punch on-the-fly with
MIDI—this capability is available in Nonde-
structive and Destructive Record modes.
Unlike audio loop recording, the state of the
MIDI Merge toggle determines whether existing
material is replaced or merged.
Unless MIDI Merge is enabled, MIDI recording is
destructive (though you can undo a MIDI record
pass), either overwriting or adding to region ma-
terial. One exception to this rule is when Loop
Record mode is enabled; in this mode, existing
track regions are replaced with new regions
when new material is recorded. The old regions
remain intact and available from the Region
List, and from the Matches pop-up menu. In
Loop Record mode, MIDI Merge has no effect, so
its button is dimmed.
For more information on TrackPunch, see
“TrackPunch Audio Recording” on
page 496.
For more information on DestructivePunch,
see “DestructivePunch Audio Recording” on
page 500.
MIDI Merge button, enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide436
Configuring Default Names
for Audio Files and Regions
(Optional)
Track names define new file and region names
when recording to a track (see “Naming Tracks”
on page 214).
When recording to an audio track, the resulting
file and region names are based on the name of
the track. For example, after recording for the
first time on a track called “Electric Gtr,” an au-
dio file is created with the name “Electric
Gtr_01.” In addition, a region appears in the Re-
gion List with the name “Electric Gtr_01.” This
region is a whole-file region.
Subsequent record takes on the same track are
named identically, but the digits (indicating the
take number) are incremented (for example,
“Electric Gtr_02.”) A second set of digits (such as
used in “Electric Gtr_01-01”) indicates that the
region was auto-created from an edit.
When recording MIDI tracks, a similar naming
scheme is used, though with only one set of dig-
its. For example, after recording to a track called
“Synth 1,” a region is created called “Synth 1-
01.” Subsequent regions for that track, generat-
ing either from additional record takes or region
edits, are numbered sequentially (for example,
“Synth 1-02”).
To rename a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Mix or Edit window, double-click the
Track Name button for the track you want
to rename.
– or –
• In the Track List in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Ed-
itor, or Score Editor window, Right-click the
track name for the track you want to re-
name.
2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, type a
new track name.
3 Click OK.
Names for Stereo Audio Tracks
When recording to stereo audio tracks, audio
file and region names for the left and right chan-
nels are appended with a “.L” and “.R” suffix.
QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and Destructive
Punch modes use a different method for
numbering regions. For details, see “Track-
Punch Audio Recording” on page 496.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 437
Names for Multichannel Tracks
(Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When recording to multichannel surround
tracks, audio file and region names for each
channel are appended with the following suf-
fixes:
Assigning Hardware I/O on a
Track
Before recording to a track, you must specify the
input and output signal path for the material
you are recording. You will do this by assigning
a hardware input (recording source) and an out-
put bus (for monitoring recording) on the track.
To assign I/O on a track:
1 Assign a hardware input (recording source) by
doing one of the following:
• In the Mix window, select the correspond-
ing hardware input for your source from
the track’s Input Path selector.
– or –
• In the Edit window, with I/O view enabled,
select the corresponding hardware input
for your source from the track’s Input Path
selector.
Multichannel
Format File and Region Suffixes
LCR L, C, R
Quad L, R, Ls, Rs
LCRS L, C, R, S
5.0 L, C, R, Ls, Rs
5.1 L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE
6.0 L, C, R, Ls, Cs, Rs, LFE
6.1 L, C, R, Ls, Cs, Rs
7.0 L, C, R, Lss, Rss, Lsr, Rsr
7.1 L, C, R, Lss, Rss, Lsr, Rsr, LFE
7.0 SDDS L, Lc, C, R, Rc, Ls, Rs
7.1 SDDS L, Lc, C, R, Rc, Ls, Rs, LFE
Input Path selector, Mix window
Input Path selector, Edit window
Pro Tools Reference Guide438
2 Assign an output bus (for monitoring record-
ing) by doing one of the following:
• In the Mix window, select the correspond-
ing output bus for monitoring (such as
“Monitor” or “A 1–2”) from the track’s
Output Path selector.
– or –
• In the Edit window, with I/O view enabled,
select the corresponding output bus for
monitoring (such as “Monitor” or “A 1–2”)
from the track’s Output Path selector.
Record Enabling Tracks
To record audio or MIDI to a track you must first
enable the track’s Record Enable button. To re-
cord simultaneously to multiple tracks, record
enable multiple audio, Instrument, or MIDI
tracks.
When one or more tracks are record-enabled,
click the Record button in the Transport to arm
recording, and then click the Play button in the
Transport to start recording.
To record enable an audio, MIDI, or Instrument
track:
From either the Mix or Edit window, click the
track’s Record Enable button to toggle record en-
able on or off for the track. The track’s Record
Enable button flashes red, the track’s fader is
solid red, and the Track Record Enabled indica-
tor in the Transport turns red (indicating at least
one track is record-enabled).
Output Path selector, Mix window
Output Path selector, Edit window
MIDI and Instrument tracks can be record-
enabled during playback or record. To re-
cord enable audio tracks, the Transport
must be stopped, or QuickPunch, Track-
Punch, or DestructivePunch must be en-
abled. For more information on Quick-
Punch, TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch,
see “Record Modes” on page 433.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 439
To record enable multiple audio tracks:
From either the Mix or Edit window, click
each audio track’s Record Enable button to tog-
gle record enable on or off for each track.
To record enable multiple MIDI and Instrument
tracks:
From either the Mix or Edit window, Shift-
click each MIDI or Instrument track’s Record En-
able button to toggle record enable on or off for
each track.
To record enable MIDI and Instrument tracks using
the Up/Down Arrows:
While pressing Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows), press the Up/Down Arrows to re-
cord enable the previous or next MIDI or Instru-
ment track. The previous (or next) record track
is no longer record-enabled.
To record enable all audio tracks, or all MIDI and
Instrument tracks:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Record Enable button to toggle record enable on
or off for all audio tracks, or all Instrument and
MIDI tracks.
For record-enable, Pro Tools treats MIDI and In-
strument tracks as the same type. Consequently,
Option-clicking (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Win-
dows) the Record Enable button on any MIDI or
Instrument track will record enable all MIDI and
Instrument tracks in the session.
Record-enabled audio track in Mix and Edit windows
Press Shift+R to record enable any track
containing the Edit cursor on an Edit
selection.
If Latch Record mode is not enabled, Shift-
click each track’s Record Enable button to
toggle record enable on or off for each track.
See “Latch Record Enable Buttons Prefer-
ence” on page 440.
Edit window
Mix window
To keep the previous track record-enabled
while enabling new tracks, press
Command+Shift+Up/Down (Mac) or
Control+Shift+Up/Down (Windows).
Pro Tools Reference Guide440
To record enable all selected audio tracks, or all
selected MIDI and Instrument tracks:
Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) the Record Enable button on any se-
lected audio, or MIDI or Instrument track to tog-
gle record enable on or off for all selected audio,
or MIDI and Instrument tracks.
Latch Record Enable Buttons
Preference
When the Latch Record Enable Buttons option is
selected in the Operation Preferences, you can
record enable additional audio tracks by clicking
their Record Enable buttons. Previously record-
enabled tracks remain enabled. The Latch Record
Enable Buttons option affects audio tracks only.
When the Latch Record Enable Buttons option is
deselected, record enabling a subsequent audio
track disables the previously record-enabled au-
dio track.
To enable the Latch Record Enable Buttons
preference:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Select Latch Record Enable Buttons.
Record Safe Mode
Pro Tools provides a Record Safe mode on a per
track basis that prevents tracks from being re-
cord-enabled by accident. Use Record Safe mode
to protect important audio or MIDI data on a
track from being recorded over.
To put an audio, MIDI, or Instrument track in
Record Safe mode:
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the track’s Record Enable button. The Re-
cord Enable button is grayed out.
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) again to take the track out of Record Safe
mode.
To put all audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks in
Record Safe mode:
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) the Record Enable button on
any track.
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) again to take all tracks out of
Record Safe mode.
To put all currently selected tracks into Record
Safe mode:
Command-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Con-
trol-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the Record Enable
button on any of the selected tracks to toggle
them in and out of Record Safe mode.
Record enabling a track that is part of a Mix
Group does not record enable the other
tracks in the Group. To record enable all
tracks in a group, click directly to the left of
the group’s name in the Group List to select
all tracks in the group, and then Option-
Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Win-
dows) the Record Enable button of one of
the tracks to record enable the selected
tracks.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 441
Working with Hard Drives for
Recording
Monitoring Drive Space
Pro Tools lets you check how much drive space
is available. The Disk Usage window shows the
available drive space for each drive connected to
your system as text and as a gauge display.
To monitor available space on your drive during a
Pro Tools session:
Choose Window > Disk Space.
To display available drive space in Text Only view
only:
From the Disk Usage menu, select Text Only.
Recording with Multiple Hard
Drives
(Optional)
By default, Pro Tools records audio files to the
Audio Files folder inside the session folder. If
you have multiple hard drives for recording, you
can use the Disk Allocation window to specify
other hard drive locations to record audio files
on a track-by-track basis.
Hard drives that are full do not appear in the
Disk Allocation window.
To increase system performance, Pro Tools can
record and play each track from a different hard
drive. You can also automatically distribute any
newly created tracks to multiple audio drives
with Round Robin Allocation.
Navigating in the Disk Allocation Window
To resize the Disk Allocation window:
Drag the lower-right corner of the window ac-
cording to standard convention for your operat-
ing system (Windows or Mac).
To scroll up or down in the Disk Allocation window:
Press Page Up or Page Down.
Disk Usage window
Disk Usage window, selecting Text Only view
Pro Tools Reference Guide442
Allocating Audio Drives in Your
System
To allocate the audio drives in your system:
1 Choose Setup > Disk Allocation.
2 In the Disk Allocation window, assign a hard
drive for each track by clicking in the Root Me-
dia Folder column and selecting a volume from
the Disk Allocation pop-up menu.
Only drives designated as R (Play and Record)
can be selected in the Disk Allocation window.
For more information, see “Performance and
Transfer Volumes” on page 275.
A folder with the session name is created on
each hard drive, containing subfolders for audio
and fade files.
• To assign a track to a different hard drive,
click the track and select a drive name.
• To assign all tracks to the same hard drive,
press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while
selecting a drive name.
• To make a continuous selection, Shift-click
a track name (in the Track column) to ex-
tend the selection to include already-se-
lected tracks and all tracks in between.
• To make a noncontiguous selection, Com-
mand-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) a track name in the Track column to
extend the selection to include already-se-
lected tracks without including tracks in-
between.
3 To save recorded audio files to an existing
folder (without creating another session folder),
select Customize Allocation Options, then click
Change and choose the folder. To create subfold-
ers in this folder, select the Create Subfolders for
Audio, Video, and Fade Files option.
4 To automatically distribute any newly created
tracks among the drives connected to your sys-
tem, select the Use Round Robin Allocation for New
Tracks option.
If you are using Round Robin Allocation and
want audio to be recorded to your system’s start-
up drive, do the following:
• Open the Workspace browser (Window >
Workspace) and set the Volume Designator
for your system volume to R (Record and
Playback). See “Workspace Volume Desig-
nation” on page 443.
Disk Allocation window
Disk Allocation pop-up menu
Round Robin Allocation is not supported
with partitioned hard drives.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 443
5 When you are finished, click OK.
Saving Disk Allocation Settings
To save Disk Allocation settings for use with fu-
ture sessions, save the session as a template. For
details, see “Session Templates” on page 170.
Disk Allocation and Cross-
Platform Sessions
To ensure cross-platform operation, it is re-
quired that Mac Pro Tools sessions and their as-
sociated audio files be on Mac-formatted (HFS or
HFS+) drives. Windows Pro Tools sessions and
their associated audio files must be on Win-
dows-formatted NTFS drives.
Reallocating Tracks
When opening a session where some of the pre-
viously assigned hard drives are no longer avail-
able (or do not match the current session plat-
form), Pro Tools automatically reassigns tracks
to the volume where the session file is stored. In
such cases, use Disk Allocation if you need to re-
allocate tracks to other drives.
Workspace Volume Designation
The Workspace volume designation can alter
disk availability, thus affecting Disk Allocation.
From the Workspace browser, you can designate
volumes as Record, Playback, or Transfer. If you
change a drive’s designation, making it read-
only (Play Only or Transfer), check the Disk Al-
location window for any tracks formerly allo-
cated to that drive. For more information, see
“Audio and Video Volume Designators” on
page 311.
Recording to the System Volume
Although Pro Tools lets you record to your sys-
tem volume, this is generally not recommended.
Performance for audio recording and playback
on system drives is not as good as on non-sys-
tem hard drives.
Record to system drives only when absolutely
necessary, such as if your computer system has
only one hard drive, or if your other hard drives
are completely full.
If you want to exclude individual, valid,
mounted volumes from Round Robin Allo-
cation passes, open the Workspace browser
and make the volume safe, by designating it
as P (Playback only) or T (Transfer). For
more information, see “Audio and Video
Volume Designators” on page 311.
See “Saving Copies of Mac Sessions to be
Compatible with Windows” on page 384
and “Sharing Sessions Created on Different
Computer Platforms” on page 383.
On Windows, with the HFS+ Disk Support
option installed, you can record to and play
back from Mac-formatted HFS+ drives. For
more information, see the Mac HFS+ Disk
Support Option Guide.
Reallocating tracks does not affect the previ-
ously recorded audio. Reallocating tracks
only affects where new audio recording is
saved.
Pro Tools Reference Guide444
By default, the system volume is not included in
Round Robin Allocation (regardless of volume
designation in the Workspace browser). To in-
clude the System Volume in Round Robin Allo-
cations, see “Allocating Audio Drives in Your
System” on page 442.
Open Ended Record Allocation
The Operation preference for Open Ended Record
Allocation determines how much of your avail-
able hard drive space is allocated whenever you
record into one or more tracks in Pro Tools.
When this allocation preference is set to Use All
Available Space, the drive’s entire available space
is allocated. This setting lets you record lengthy
takes, or longer sessions.
However, when allocating all available space,
Pro Tools may take a little longer to begin re-
cording. You can reduce this delay by allocating
a specific amount of time for recording.
In general, the Use All Available Space preference
makes hard drives work harder. In addition to
record and punch lag times, many systems see
better overall recording performance when the
Open Ended Record Allocation setting is limited.
To allocate a specific amount of time to recording:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Under Open Ended Record Allocation, select
Limit To and enter the number of minutes to be
allocated.
The number of minutes specified is allocated for
each record-enabled track.
3 When you are finished, click OK.
Selecting a Record Input
Monitoring Mode
Pro Tools offers two modes of input monitoring:
Auto Input and Input Only. These monitoring
modes determine how input signals are moni-
tored during playback, recording, or while the
transport is stopped.
If you have a Pro Tools system with multi-
ple drives, and you intend to record multiple
tracks simultaneously, you may want to
designate the System drive as a Playback
only or Transfer only drive for optimal per-
formance.
You can also avoid recording delays by put-
ting Pro Tools in Record Pause mode before
beginning to record. See“Prime for Record
Mode” on page 454.
Open Ended Record Allocation, Operation preference
Chapter 21: Record Setup 445
Auto Input Monitoring
In Auto Input mode, when session playback is
stopped, Pro Tools monitors audio input. When
playback is started for a punch-in, Pro Tools
monitors existing track material up until the
punch point. While punched in, the input sig-
nal is monitored. On punch-out, monitoring
switches back to the existing track material. This
is similar to the auto-switching logic found on
digital and analog multitrack tape machines.
Input Only Monitoring
In Input Only mode, when a track is record-en-
abled, Pro Tools monitors audio input only, re-
gardless of any punch-in/out selection or state.
For Pro Tools, the Input Monitor Enabled Status
indicator (in the Transport window) lights green
when Input Only mode is enabled.
For Pro Tools HD, the indicator lights green
when one or more tracks have TrackInput en-
abled (see “Selecting Record Monitor Modes
with TrackInput Monitoring” on page 445).
Selecting a Record Monitor Mode
For record-enabled tracks to use Auto Input
Monitoring:
Select Track > Auto Input Monitoring.
For record-enabled tracks to use Input Only
Monitoring:
Select Track > Input Only Monitoring.
Selecting Record Monitor Modes
with TrackInput Monitoring
(Pro Tools HD Only)
TrackInput monitoring lets you toggle individual
audio tracks between Auto Input and Input
Only monitoring modes at any time, during
playback, recording, while stopped, and even
when a track is not record-enabled. TrackInput
monitoring provides the necessary monitoring
flexibility for overdubbing and mixing, and is
similar to input switching on analog multitrack
recorders and similar machines.
When the TrackInput button in a track is en-
abled (green), the track monitors audio in Input
Only mode.
When in Auto Input mode, the switch back to
monitoring track material on punch-out is not
instantaneous.
With Pro Tools HD, tracks are in Auto In-
put mode by default, and a monitoring con-
trol (TrackInput button) is provided for each
track. See “Selecting Record Monitor Modes
with TrackInput Monitoring” on page 445.
Input Monitor Enabled Status, Transport window
To toggle between Auto Input and Input
Only monitoring, press Option+K (Mac) or
Alt+K (Windows).
TrackInput Monitor button On (Input Only), in the Edit
Window
Pro Tools Reference Guide446
When the TrackInput button in a track is dis-
abled, the track monitors in Auto Input mode.
To toggle the monitoring mode of audio tracks, do
one of the following:
To toggle individual tracks, click the TrackIn-
put Monitor button for each track you want to
toggle.
To toggle all tracks in the session, Option-click
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a TrackInput Mon-
itor button.
To toggle all selected tracks in the session, Op-
tion-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Win-
dows) a selected track’s TrackInput Monitor
button.
To toggle the TrackInput button states of all
record-enabled tracks, do one of the following:
To change all record-enabled tracks to Auto
Input monitoring, select Track > Set Record
Tracks to Auto Input.
– or –
To change all record-enabled tracks to Input
Only monitoring, select Track > Set Record
Tracks to Input Only.
Disable “Input” When Disarming Track
When the Disable “Input” When Disarming Track
(in “Stop”) option is enabled in the Operation
Preferences, TrackInput monitoring is disabled
whenever a track is taken out of record enable.
This is useful for certain workflows, such as
when you are recording on a series of tracks, one
at a time.
Disabling this option allows TrackInput buttons
to remain enabled when deselecting the track
Record Enable button.
TrackInput Monitor button Off (Audio Input), in the Edit
Window
Press Shift+I to enable the TrackInput Mon-
itor button for any track containing the Edit
cursor on an Edit selection.
To toggle record-enabled tracks between
Auto Input and Input Only monitoring,
press Option+K (Mac) or Alt+K (Windows).
Chapter 21: Record Setup 447
Setting Monitor Levels for
Record and Playback
Pro Tools remembers two different fader levels
for monitoring each audio track: one for when
the track is record-enabled, and one for when it
is not record-enabled.
Pro Tools keeps track of these two states for
fader levels automatically. If you adjust a fader
when a track is record-enabled and then turn off
record enable for the track, the fader returns to
its playback level.
When audio tracks are record-enabled, their vol-
ume faders in the Mix window turn red, indicat-
ing that the record monitor level is active.
Link Record and Play Faders
When the Link Record and Play Faders option is
selected in the Operation Preferences, Pro Tools
does not keep track of record and play levels for
audio tracks. In this case, record enabling an au-
dio track has no effect on the fader level for the
track. This lets you maintain a consistent mix re-
gardless of whether you are recording or just lis-
tening.
Reducing Monitoring Latency
There will inevitably be some audio delay, or la-
tency, in the monitoring signal (even if only a
few samples) due to the process of converting an
analog signal to a digital signal (input) and back
again (output). There may be additional latency
due to mixer configurations and processing.
Pro Tools|HD systems have additional latency
when using RTAS plug-ins because these plug-
ins also use your computer’s host processor.
Host-based Pro Tools systems use the host pro-
cessor in your computer for all audio processing,
playback, and recording, so there is always a
small amount of latency in the system. For ex-
ample, there may be some audible delay be-
tween the incoming signal and outgoing signal
when monitoring recording through Pro Tools.
With Pro Tools, latency occurs as follows:
• All Pro Tools systems can have RTAS MIDI-
to-audio latency (such as when playing an
RTAS virtual instrument live and monitor-
ing the instrument’s output).
• Pro Tools systems have input-to-output
monitoring latency on any record-armed
tracks or Auxiliary Inputs with live inputs.
• Pro Tools|HD systems have monitoring la-
tency on tracks that have one or more RTAS
plug-ins.
Pro Tools Reference Guide448
The latency amount is related to the H/W Buffer
Size setting—the larger the buffer size the
greater the latency. You can reduce the amount
of monitoring latency by reducing the H/W Buf-
fer Size setting. However, even at the smallest
buffer size, there is still some latency.
In addition, reducing the buffer size limits the
number of simultaneous audio tracks you can
record without encountering performance er-
rors.
While there may be times when you want a
larger buffer size, such as when you have higher
track counts with more plug-ins, you will gener-
ally want the smallest possible buffer size when
latency is present during recording and moni-
toring.
If you are monitoring the recording source with
an external mixer before it is routed to
Pro Tools, you will not hear any latency.
To set the Hardware Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 Choose the number of samples from the H/W
Buffer Size pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
Recording with Delay
Compensation
Generally, you will want to record with Delay
Compensation enabled to maintain phase co-
herent time alignment between tracks with dif-
ferent DSP delays. However, you will generally
want to avoid using inserts on recording tracks
or tracks used for controlling the levels of cue
mixes. For more information, see “Delay Com-
pensation” on page 958.
Zero Latency Monitoring
(Mbox, Mbox 2, Mbox Mini, and Mbox 2 Mini
Only)
Mbox, Mbox 2, Mbox Mini, and Mbox Mini 2
give you the ability to monitor your analog in-
put signals while recording, without hearing
any latency. This zero-latency analog monitor-
ing is controlled by the front panel Mix knob,
which you can use to blend and adjust the mix
between the interface’s analog input and
Pro Tools playback. For more information, see
your system’s User Guide.
Low Latency Monitoring
(Pro Tools|HD Native, 003, 003 Rack, 003
Rack+, Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, Mbox Pro,
and Mbox Pro 2 Only)
Pro Tools|HD Native, 003, 003 Rack, 003 Rack+,
Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, Mbox Pro, and Mbox
Pro 2 systems can use the Low Latency Monitoring
option to record with an extremely small
amount of monitoring latency, to as many
tracks as each system supports. Only tracks with
inputs set to an audio interface (not a bus) use
Low Latency Monitoring.
For more information on H/W Buffer Size
setting, see “Hardware Buffer Size” on
page 62.
Computers with slower CPUs may not be
able to use a H/W Buffer Size setting lower
than 512 samples buffer size without en-
countering performance errors.
Chapter 21: Record Setup 449
To use Low Latency Monitoring:
1 Do one of the following:
• For Pro Tools|HD Native systems, assign
each track to the selected Low Latency
Monitoring Path as set in the I/O Setup
Output page (see “Low Latency Monitor-
ing” on page 93). Only tracks assigned to
these outputs use Low Latency Monitoring.
– or –
• For Pro Tools (non-HD), assign each track
output to either Output 1 or Output 2
(mono), or both (stereo). Only tracks as-
signed to these outputs use Low Latency
Monitoring.
2 Record enable audio tracks by clicking their
Record Enable buttons.
3 Select Options > Low Latency Monitoring.
When Low Latency Monitoring is enabled, any
plug-ins and sends assigned to record-enabled
tracks (routed to the selected Low Latency Mon-
itoring Path with Pro Tools|HD Native systems,
or to Outputs 1–2 with all other systems) are au-
tomatically bypassed, and must remain by-
passed. Also, these tracks do not register on me-
ters for Master Faders.
Low Latency Monitoring and
Bounce To Disk
With Low Latency Monitoring enabled, only audio
tracks are included with the Bounce to Disk com-
mand—Auxiliary Input and Instrument tracks
are ignored. To include Auxiliary Input and In-
strument tracks, disable Low Latency Monitoring
before using Bounce to Disk.
In Pro Tools with the Complete Production
Toolkit 2 option, Low Latency Monitoring
is not available in surround sessions.
External input cannot be recorded during a
Bounce to Disk. To include external input in
your bounce, it must be recorded to new au-
dio tracks before using Bounce to Disk (see
“Bounce to Disk” on page 1064).
Pro Tools Reference Guide450
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 451
Chapter 22: Audio Recording
In Pro Tools, you record audio to audio tracks.
Audio tracks can be mono, stereo, or multichan-
nel as appropriate for the recording source.
When recording a mono source, record to a sin-
gle, mono audio track in Pro Tools. A single,
mono audio file is written to disk, and the file
appears as a region both in the track’s playlist
and in the Region List.
When recording a stereo audio source, record to
a single, stereo audio track in Pro Tools. A single,
mono audio file is written to disk for each chan-
nel of a stereo track: one for the left channel,
and one for the right channel. These files appear
as a stereo region both in the track’s playlist and
in the Region List.
Recording a multichannel source to a multi-
channel track (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only) is similar
to recording stereo audio tracks. A single, mono
audio file is written for each channel in the
track, and these files appear as multichannel re-
gions in both the track’s playlist and in the Re-
gion List (see “Multichannel Audio Tracks” on
page 1087).
Before Recording
Before you start recording in Pro Tools, you need
to set up your Pro Tools system, a session, and
one or more tracks for recording. You will also
need to configure how Pro Tools monitors the
input you intend to record. For information, see
Chapter 21, “Record Setup.”
Basic Recording Steps
To record an audio track:
1 From the track’s Input Path selector, select the
audio Input Path you want to record (see “As-
signing Hardware I/O on a Track” on page 437).
2 From the track’s Output Path selector, select
the main monitoring path.
3 Select the Record Enable button for the audio
track. It lights red.
Record enabling a track in the Mix window
Pro Tools Reference Guide452
4 Adjust the output level of your sound source
(instrument, mixer, or preamp). Monitor the
track’s meter levels in Pro Tools to ensure that
levels peak within at least –6 dB to –12 dB on the
input meter without triggering the clipping in-
dicator on your audio interface.
5 Do one of the following:
• In the Mix window, adjust the track’s vol-
ume and pan faders. These settings are for
monitoring purposes only and do not af-
fect the recorded material.
– or –
• In the Output window for the track, adjust
the track’s Volume fader and Pan sliders.
These settings are for monitoring purposes
only and do not affect the recorded mate-
rial. (See “Output Windows for Tracks and
Sends” on page 946.)
6 Choose Window > Transport to display the
Transport window. Click Return to Zero to go to
the beginning of the session.
7 Click Record in the Transport window to arm
Pro Tools for recording. The Record button
flashes red to indicate that Pro Tools is ready to
record.
8 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
9 When you are ready to start recording, click
Play or press the Spacebar.
If using Countoff, Pro Tools counts off the spec-
ified number of measures and then begins re-
cording. See “Recording with a Click” on
page 428.
10 Record your performance.
11 Click Stop in the Transport window or press
the Spacebar when you are finished recording.
The newly recorded audio is written to disk and
appears as an audio region both in the track’s
playlist and in the Region List.
To play back the audio track:
1 Click the Record Enable button for the audio
track so that it is no longer record-enabled.
Track volume faders now function as playback
level controls.
2 To have playback start from the beginning of
the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
port.
3 To start playback, click Play in the Transport
or press the Spacebar.
Transpor t window
Fast Forward
Record
Go to End
Play
Stop
Rewind
Return to Zero
Online
If a record-enabled track is in Auto Input
Monitor mode, you will hear “through” the
input while the Transport is stopped. The
track automatically switches to playback
when you press play, then back to Input
mode when you either stop, or punch into re-
cord. For more information, see “Auto Input
Monitoring” on page 445.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 453
Undo or Cancel Audio Recording
Once you have recorded an audio track and the
transport is stopped, you can undo the record
take.
To undo an audio recording:
Once the Transport has been stopped, choose
Edit > Undo Record Audio.
The track’s playlist is restored to its previous
state and material is discarded as follows:
• When in normal Record mode, only the
most recent take is discarded.
• When in Loop Record mode, all takes from
each record pass are discarded.
• When using QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or
DestructivePunch mode, all punches from
the last recording pass are discarded.
If no actions are available to undo, the menu
displays a grayed out Can’t Undo.
Canceling a Record Take
While recording, it is possible to discard the cur-
rent record take. This removes the audio (re-
corded up to that point) from your hard drive
and deletes the region from the track’s playlist
and the Region List. When using Loop Record
mode, all takes from each record pass are dis-
carded. Canceling recording when in Destruc-
tive Record mode is prohibited.
To cancel a record take while recording:
Press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or Con-
trol+Period (.) (Windows) before the Transport is
stopped.
Recording Multiple Audio Tracks
Pro Tools can record multiple audio tracks si-
multaneously, up to the track recording limits of
your system. To record to multiple tracks, con-
figure and record enable each track, then record.
Follow the same steps as in “Basic Recording
Steps” on page 451.
For each record-enabled track, a new audio file is
written to disk, and a new region is created that
appears both in the track’s playlist and in the
Region List.
If you undo a record pass during recording,
Pro Tools removes any previously undone re-
cord pass from the session and lets you
delete the previous record pass from your
hard drive.
If you have a Pro Tools system with multi-
ple drives, and you intend to record multiple
tracks simultaneously, you may want to
designate the System drive as a Transfer
only drive for optimal performance.
Pro Tools Reference Guide454
Recording Shortcuts
In addition to clicking the Record button in the
Transport or Edit window to arm Pro Tools re-
cording, you can arm and start recording with
the following keyboard shortcuts:
• Press F12 to start recording immediately.
• Press Command+Spacebar (Mac) or Con-
trol+Spacebar (Windows) to start recording.
• Press 3 on the numeric keypad (when the Nu-
meric Keypad mode is set to Transport) to start
recording.
Prime for Record Mode
When recording a large number of tracks or
channels, or playing back a large number of
tracks while recording, Pro Tools may take a lit-
tle longer to begin recording. To avoid this de-
lay, put Pro Tools in Prime for Record mode be-
fore beginning to record.
To enable Prime for Record mode and start
recording:
1 Click Record in the Transport. The Record but-
ton flashes.
2 Do one of the following:
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
Play in the Transport to put Pro Tools in
Prime for Record mode.
– or –
• Right-click the Play button and select Prime
for Record.
The Stop button lights and both the Play and Re-
cord buttons flash.
3 To begin recording instantaneously, click Play.
4 Click Stop to stop recording.
Setting Punch and Loop
Points
The start and end points of a record range for
punch and loop recording can be set by the fol-
lowing methods:
• Select a range in a track’s playlist (with Op-
tions > Link Timeline and Edit Selection en-
abled).
• Select a range in a Timebase ruler.
• Drag the Timeline Selection Markers in the
ruler.
• Enter start and end times in the Transport
window.
• Recall a Memory Location that includes an
Edit selection (with Options > Link Timeline
and Edit Selection enabled).
On Mac systems, to use F12 for recording, the
Mac “Dashboard” feature must be
disabled or remapped. See your User Guide
for details.
On Mac systems, to use Command+Spacebar
for recording, the Mac “Spotlight” feature
must be disabled or remapped. See your User
Guide for details.
To initiate recording at half speed, press
Command+Shift+Spacebar (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). For
details, see “Half-Speed Recording” on
page 470.
When synchronizing to time code, use
Prime for Record mode to record or play back
large numbers of tracks. This decreases the
time it takes to lock to time code.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 455
To set the record range in a track’s playlist:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
3 Do one of the following:
• With the Selector tool, select the record
range in a track’s playlist.
– or –
• If a region’s start and end points define the
record range, select the entire region.
To set the record range in a Timebase ruler:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Select the record range in any Timebase ruler.
Timeline Selection Markers
When tracks are record-enabled, Timeline Selec-
tion Markers for start and end times appear as
red up and down arrows in the Main Timebase
ruler. If no tracks are record-enabled, the Time-
line Selection Markers are blue.
The Timeline Selection Markers can be moved,
either separately or at the same time, to set re-
cord and play ranges.
Playlist selection
You can also enter a start and end point
during playback. Press the Down Arrow to
set the start point, and press the Up Arrow to
set the end points. Note that when in Grid
mode, start and end point when entered in
this manner do not snap to the grid.
Timeline selection
If the Selector tool is not active, you do not
need to manually select it. Other Edit tools
(such as the Time Grabber tool) automati-
cally turn into the Selector tool when used in
Timebase rulers.
Timeline Selection Markers in the Main Timebase ruler
Pro Tools Reference Guide456
To set the record range by dragging the Timeline
Selection Markers:
1 If you want the Timeline Selection Markers to
snap to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode
to Grid
2 Drag the first Timeline Selection Marker
(down arrow) to the start point of the range.
3 Drag the second Timeline Selection Marker
(up arrow) to the end point of the range.
Start, End, and Length Fields
In its Expanded view, the Transport window can
display start, end, and length times, and pre-
and post-roll settings. When setting a record or
play range, the range is reflected in these fields.
You can enter locations in the start and end
fields to set the record or play range. The Time-
line Selection Markers in the Main Timebase
ruler are updated accordingly.
To set the record range by entering start and end
times in the Transport window:
1 To see the start, end, and length times, do one
of the following:
• Select View > Transport > Expanded.
– or –
• Shift-click the Expand/Collapse “+” button
in the Transport window.
2 Do one of the following:
• In the Transport window, click in the Start
field.
– or –
• Press Option+Forward Slash (/) (Mac) or
Alt+Forward Slash (/) (Windows) on the
numeric keypad to select the start field in
the Transport window.
3 Type in the start location and press Op-
tion+Forward Slash (/) (Mac) or Alt+Forward
Slash (/) (Windows) on the numeric keypad to
enter the value and automatically move to the
end field.
4 Type in the end location and press Enter to ac-
cept the value.
Dragging a Timeline Selection Marker (start time) in the
Main Timebase ruler
If the current record range is already the
right length and the range needs only to be
moved to a new location, Option-drag (Mac)
or Alt-drag (Windows) either Timeline Se-
lection Marker to move both to a new loca-
tion (while keeping the same length).
Transport window with Start, End, and Length fields
displayed
Use the Period (.) or Left/Right Arrow keys
to move through the different time fields for
Start and End. Use the Up/Down Arrow
keys to increase or decrease the numerical
values.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 457
Memory Locations
You can store Edit selections as Memory Loca-
tions, which can also include current pre- and
post-roll values.
To save an Edit selection with a Memory Location:
1 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection is selected.
2 Set the record range by making an Edit or
Timeline selection, or by entering start and end
times in the Transport window.
3 To save the pre- and post-roll values, enable
and set the pre- and post-roll amounts by enter-
ing them in the Transport window, or by drag-
ging the Pre- and Post-Roll Flags in the ruler that
represents the Main Time Scale (see “Setting Pre-
and Post-Roll” on page 458).
4 Press Enter on the numeric keypad or click the
Add Marker/Memory Location button in the
Edit window.
5 In the New Memory Location dialog, set Time
Properties to Selection, and if saving pre- and
post-roll values, select the Pre/Post Roll Times
option in the General Properties section.
6 Type a name for the new Memory Location.
7 Click OK.
To recall an Edit selection with a Memory
Location:
1 Make sure to select Options > Link Timeline and
Edit Selection.
2 Choose Windows > Memory Locations.
For more information on Memory Locations,
see Chapter 37, “Memory Locations.”
New Memory Location dialog
Memory Locations window
Pro Tools Reference Guide458
3 Do one of the following:
• In the Memory Locations window, click the
name or number of the Memory Location.
– or –
• Recall the Memory Location by typing Pe-
riod (.), the Memory Location number, and
Period (.) again on the numeric keypad.
(See “Numeric Keypad Modes” on page 31).
The start and end times and pre- and post-roll
settings stored with the Memory Location are re-
called.
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll
Pre- and post-roll times appear as flags in the
ruler that represents the Main Time Scale. When
pre- and post-roll are enabled, the flags are
green, otherwise they are gray.
Pre- and post-roll amounts can be entered in the
Transport window, set from a track’s playlist or
Timebase ruler, or by recalling a Memory Loca-
tion.
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in the
Transport Window
Pre- and post-roll can be enabled and set in the
Transport window.
To set and enable the pre- and post-roll times in the
Transport window:
1 Select View > Transport > Expanded.
2 In the Transport window, click in the pre-roll
field.
3 Type in the pre-roll amount and press Forward
Slash (/) on the numeric keypad to enter the
value and automatically move to the post-roll
field.
4 Type in the post-roll amount and press Enter
to accept the new value.
5 To enable either pre- or post-roll, click the ap-
propriate button so it is highlighted.
Green Pre- and Post-Roll Flags (enabled) in the Main
Timebase ruler
Pre-roll enabled for 2 beats; Post-roll disabled
Use the Period (.) or Left/Right Arrow keys
to move through the different time fields for
pre and post-roll. Use the Up/Down Arrow
keys to increase or decrease the numerical
values.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 459
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in a
Playlist
You can use the Selector tool to enable and dis-
able pre- and post-roll by clicking in a track’s
playlist.
To set and enable the pre- and post-roll by clicking
in a playlist:
1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
2 With the Selector tool, select the record range
in the track’s playlist.
3 With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or
Alt-click (Windows) in the track’s playlist before
the selection to enable the pre-roll at that loca-
tion.
4 With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or
Alt-click (Windows) in the track’s playlist after
the selection to enable the post-roll at that loca-
tion.
To disable the pre- and post-roll by clicking in a
playlist:
1 With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or
Alt-click (Windows) in the Edit selection near
the start to disable the pre-roll.
2 With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or
Alt-click (Windows) in the Edit selection near
the end to disable the post-roll.
3 Drag the Pre-Roll Flag to the Timeline Selec-
tion Start Marker.
4 Drag the Post-Roll Flag to the Timeline Selec-
tion End Marker.
Enabling Pre/Post-Roll from the
Options Menu
Pre- and post-roll (as a pair) can be enabled and
disabled from the Options menu.
To enable both pre/post-roll from the Options
menu:
Select Options > Pre/Post-Roll.
Dragging Pre- and Post-Roll Flags
in the Timebase Ruler
The Pre- and Post-Roll Flags can be moved in the
Main Timebase ruler, either separately or at the
same time, to set their location.
To set the pre- and post-roll amounts by dragging in
the Main Timebase ruler:
1 If you want the Pre- and Post-Roll flags to snap
to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode to
Grid.
2 Drag the Pre-Roll Flag to a new location in the
ruler.
3 Drag the Post-Roll Flag to a new location in
the Timebase ruler.
In the Timeline, you can reset the pre- and
post-roll to zero. First, drag the Pre-Roll Flag
to the Timeline Selection Start Marker, then
drag the Post-Roll Flag to the Timeline Se-
lection End Marker.
Dragging a Pre-Roll Flag in a Timebase ruler
To set pre- and post-roll values to the same
amount, Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag
(Windows) either the Pre- or the Post-Roll
Flag in the ruler. The deselected flag will
immediately reset to the same value, and
will adjust accordingly as you drag the
selected flag.
Pro Tools Reference Guide460
Audio Punch Recording Over a
Specified Range
You can set Pro Tools to automatically punch re-
cord over a specific range in an audio track (for
example, to replace a portion of a recorded
track). The range’s start (punch in) and end
(punch out) points must be specified before re-
cording.
Though there are several ways to set record and
play ranges (see “Setting Punch and Loop
Points” on page 454), perhaps the easiest is to
select within the track’s playlist the range for re-
cording.
During the recording process, playback begins at
the pre-roll time (if enabled) and proceeds to the
start time (the punch-in point), where recording
begins. When the end time (the punch-out
point) is reached, Pro Tools automatically
switches out of Record mode and continues
playing through the specified amount of
post-roll. This automated punch-in/out feature
is a powerful and precise way of recording or
re-recording on a track.
To punch record on an audio track:
1 Do one of the following:
• To record nondestructively, make sure that
Options > Destructive Record is not selected.
– or –
•If you do want to permanently record over
the specified record range, select Options >
Destructive Record.
2 Record enable the track.
3 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
4 With the Selector tool, drag in the track’s play-
list or in one of the Timebase rulers until the se-
lection encompasses the punch range (see
“Setting Punch and Loop Points” on page 454).
To manually punch in and out on record-
enabled audio tracks during playback, see
Chapter 24, “Punch Recording Modes.”
To set a record or play range by selecting
within a playlist, the Edit and Timeline se-
lections must be linked (select Options >
Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
Timeline selection for punch recording with Pre-roll and
Post-roll
If you are recording in any mode other than
Destructive Record mode, punches do not
permanently replace previously recorded
material. If you do want to permanently re-
cord over the specified record range (and
keep only the most recent take), select
Options > Destructive Record.
Punch In Punch Out
Pre-roll flag Post-roll flag
Pre-roll
enabled Post-roll
enabled
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 461
5 To hear any existing track material up to the
start point, or after the end point, enable and set
pre- and post-roll times (see “Setting Pre- and
Post-Roll” on page 458).
6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
7 Click Play to start recording.
Pro Tools starts recording from the punch-in
(start) point. If there is any pre-roll, recording
starts when the punch-in (start) point is
reached. Recording continues until the punch-
out (end) point is reached (unless you manually
stop recording first). If post-roll is enabled, play-
back continues for the specified post-roll
amount.
If recording nondestructively, a new audio file is
written to your hard drive and a new audio re-
gion appears both in the track and the Region
List.
If recording in Destructive Record mode, the
new audio overwrites the previous material in
the existing audio file and region.
Monitoring during Punch-Ins
Pro Tools provides two monitoring modes for
recording: Auto Input monitoring and Input
Only monitoring (see “Selecting a Record Input
Monitoring Mode” on page 444).
Recording Additional Takes
After recording to an audio track, you can record
additional takes to the same track. Any of these
additional takes can be used in the main play-
list. For information about accessing alternate
takes, see “Alternate Takes” on page 465.
Recording additional takes in Destructive Re-
cord mode overwrites previous take. To keep the
audio from previous takes, record the new takes
in Normal (Nondestructive) Record mode.
To nondestructively record a new take on the
same track:
1 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
2 Record enable the track.
3 Do one of the following:
• To record from the beginning of the ses-
sion, click Return to Zero in the Transport.
– or –
•If Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is
enabled, click anywhere in the track’s play-
list to begin recording from that point.
4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
5 Click Play to start recording.
6 Click Stop to stop recording.
An audio file for the new take is written to disk
and appears as an audio region both in the
track’s playlist and in the Region List.
The audio from the original take remains on
your hard drive, and is still available as a region
in the Region List.
For information on audio file and region
names for new takes, see “Configuring De-
fault Names for Audio Files and Regions”
on page 436.
To record a specific track range, with precise
start and end points, see “Audio Punch Re-
cording Over a Specified Range” on
page 460.
Pro Tools Reference Guide462
To destructively record over a previous take:
1 Do one of the following:
• Select Options > Destructive Record. When
in Destructive Record mode.
– or –
• Right-click the Record button in the Trans-
port and select Destructive.
A “D” appears in the Record button.
2 Record enable the track.
3 Do one of the following:
• To record from the beginning of the track,
click Return to Zero in the Transport.
– or –
•If Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is
enabled, click anywhere in the track’s play-
list to begin recording from that point.
4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
5 Click Play to start recording.
6 When finished, click Stop to stop recording.
The audio for the new take is written to disk,
permanently overwriting the original. The new
material replaces the original material within
the existing region and the region is not re-
named.
Appending New Material to the
End of a Track
You can also append new material to the end of
a track.
To append new material to the end of a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Go to End button in the Trans-
port to locate to the end of the track (this
locates the end of the session).
– or –
• Tab to the end point of the last region on
the track.
2 From there, begin recording.
Pro Tools adds the new material to the end of
the track. If using Destructive Record mode, the
new audio is appended to the audio file and re-
gion from the first take. In Nondestructive Re-
cord mode, a new file and region are created.
Recording to a New Playlist
Instead of recording over existing audio regions,
there is another way to nondestructively record
new takes to the same track. Do this by creating
a new playlist for the track, then record just as
before.
Tracks can have multiple edit playlists, each of
which stores a list of regions strung together in a
particular order. Also, since playlists follow
groups, duplicating or selecting alternate play-
lists for a track in an enabled group will affect all
tracks in the group.
Destructive Record mode enabled
To record a specific track range, with precise
start and end points, see “Audio Punch Re-
cording Over a Specified Range” on
page 460.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 463
To record to a new playlist for a track:
1 From the track’s Playlist selector, choose New.
2 Type a name for the new playlist.
3 Click OK.
When a new playlist is created, its name replaces
the track name. Names for new audio files and
regions are based on the track name.
4 Record enable the track.
5 To start from the beginning of the session,
click Return to Zero in the Transport.
6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
7 Click Play to start recording.
8 Click Stop to stop recording.
An audio file for the new take is written to disk
and appears as an audio region both in the
track’s new playlist and in the Region List.
Selecting a previous playlist from track’s Playlist
selector recalls its regions as they previously ap-
peared in the track. At any time, all regions from
all playlists are available in the Region List, and
can be mixed and matched between playlists
and tracks.
Loop Recording Audio
Pro Tools provides a loop recording feature that
lets you record take after take while the same
section of audio repeats over and over. This is a
convenient technique for quickly recording
multiple takes of a part without losing sponta-
neity.
When loop recording, you must first specify the
start and end points for the loop. Though there
are several ways to set record and play ranges
(see “Setting Punch and Loop Points” on
page 454), the easiest is to select the range to be
looped in the track’s playlist (ensure that Options
> Link Timeline and Edit Selection is selected).
The pre-roll setting, if enabled, is used only dur-
ing the first record pass. Pre- and post-roll times
are ignored on each successive loop. To com-
pensate for this, you may want to make the loop
range slightly longer. Later, you can trim back
the recorded takes to the proper length with the
Trim tool (see “Using the Trimmer Tools” on
page 544).
When loop recording audio, Pro Tools creates a
single audio file that includes all takes. Takes ap-
pear as individual regions in the Region List and
are numbered sequentially. Once you stop re-
cording, you can audition any of the recorded
takes.
Playlist selector
For more information on playlists and play-
list editing, see “Playlists” on page 617.
To use alternate takes created with Loop Re-
cord in other sessions (such as when
using Import Session Data), export region
definitions (see “Exporting Region Defini-
tions” on page 337). If region definitions
are not exported, alternate takes created
with Loop Record will be inaccessible when
imported into another session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide464
To loop record an audio track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Select Options > Loop Record. When Loop
Record mode is enabled, a loop symbol ap-
pears in the Record button.
– or –
• Right-click the Record button in the Trans-
port and select Loop.
2 Record enable the audio track by clicking its
Record Enable button.
3 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
4 With the Selector tool, select the loop range
on the track. For other methods of setting the re-
cord range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
on page 454.
5 To hear track material up to the start point of
the loop, enable pre-roll and set the pre-roll time
(see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 458).
6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
7 Click Play to start recording.
The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
gins recording. When the end point is reached,
Pro Tools loops back to the start time and con-
tinues recording.
8 To cancel all recorded takes while loop record-
ing, press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or Con-
trol+Period (.) (Windows).
9 When finished, click Stop to stop recording.
If you stop recording before you reach the mid-
point of the loop, Pro Tools discards that take. If
you record more than half of the looped take,
Pro Tools leaves the take in the track when you
stop recording.
The recorded takes appear as regions in the Re-
gion List and are numbered sequentially. The
most recently recorded take appears in the ac-
tive playlist on the track. For details on audi-
tioning the different takes, see “Selecting Alter-
nate Takes” on page 465.
Loop Playback and Audio Recording
Pro Tools ignores Loop Playback when recording.
The only way to loop while recording is to en-
able Loop Record mode.
Automatically Create New
Playlists When Loop Recording
When loop recording, Pro Tools creates a single
file containing all recording passes where each
recording pass is a region in the file. On the
track, only the last recording pass is present as a
region in the main playlist. All other regions (re-
cording passes) are hidden and can only be re-
called as matching alternate regions (takes).
When enabled, the new Automatically Create New
Playlists When Loop Recording option in the Op-
eration Preferences page automatically copies
each region (take) to a new playlist in the track.
This facilitates using Playlists view for audition-
ing and selecting alternate takes.
To automatically create new playlists when loop
recording:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Oper-
ation tab.
2 In the Recording section, enable the Automati-
cally Create New Playlists When Loop Recording op-
tion.
Loop Recording enabled
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 465
Alternate Takes
When punch recording or loop recording,
Pro Tools creates matching alternate takes (re-
gions). Pro Tools lets you exchange regions in
the main playlist on tracks with matching alter-
nate regions from other playlists associated with
the same track, from other tracks, or from the
Region List. Matching alternate regions are re-
gions that meet certain criteria, for example, re-
gions that have the same User Time Stamp match
(see “Matching Alternate Regions” on
page 628).
Selecting Alternate Takes
After recording multiple takes with loop or
punch recording, you can replace the current
take in the track’s active playlist with any of the
previous takes. All takes are numbered sequen-
tially.
Selecting Alternate Takes from the
Region List
To select a take from the Region List:
1 In the Edit window, select the current region
(take) with the Time Grabber tool.
2 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) dif-
ferent regions in the Region List to audition
them.
3 Control-drag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows)
the region you want from the Region List into
the playlist.
The region replaces the previous take and snaps
precisely to the correct location.
Selecting Alternate Takes on a Track
Each region resulting from a punch or loop re-
cord pass has an identical start time (the User
Time Stamp). You can select and audition alter-
nate takes from the Right-click Matches sub-
menu or the Alternate Takes pop-up menu—
even during playback.
To select an alternate take:
1 Ensure that Track ID (or Track Name) is se-
lected and that Region Start is selected in the
Matching Criteria window (see “Matching Crite-
ria Window” on page 466).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region with the Selector or
the Grabber tool, and select a matching al-
ternate take from the Matches submenu in
the pop-up menu.
• If the take currently residing in the track is
selected, Command-click (Mac) or Control-
click (Windows) anywhere on the selected
take with the Selector tool, and select a dif-
ferent take from the Alternate Takes pop-up
menu.
• With the Selector tool, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) at the
precise beginning of the loop or punch
range and select a different take from the
Alternate Takes pop-up menu.
Right-click Matches submenu
Pro Tools Reference Guide466
The selected matching alternate region (take) re-
places the region in the main playlist and snaps
precisely to the correct location.
One way to ensure that subsequent recording
takes have the same User Time Stamp (and as
such can be available as matching alternate re-
gions) is to store punch and loop record selec-
tions as Memory Locations. Then, if you later
need to record additional takes, recall the corre-
sponding Memory Location.
To change the User Time Stamp of other regions
so that they can be available as alternate match-
ing regions for a specific location, use the Time
Stamp command in the Region List menu.
Matches and Multiple Tracks
If you have loop recorded on multiple tracks,
and each track contains multiple takes with
identical User Time Stamps, you can change all
takes simultaneously.
To switch takes for multiple tracks:
1 Configure the Matching Criteria window (see
“Matching Criteria Window” on page 466), so
that the following options are enabled:
•Track Name
– and –
•Selection Range
2 With the Selector tool, select the take range for
each track you want to replace.
3 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the Edit selection and select a
different matching alternate take from the
Matches submenu.
– or –
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) the Edit selection and select a
different take from the Alternates pop-up
menu.
The selected take replaces the previous take and
snaps precisely to the correct location on each
track.
Matching Criteria Window
The Matching Criteria window lets you select
the criteria for matching alternate regions. This
lets you refine the list of available matching re-
gions in the Alternate Takes pop-up menu and
Region Right-click Matches submenu.
Alternate Takes pop-up menu
Matching Criteria window
Matching Criteria affects MIDI as well as
audio regions.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 467
Alternates Match Options
The following Alternates Match options can be
selected in any combination:
Track ID Any regions recorded to the same track
are considered matching. Use this option for se-
lecting alternate takes from loop or punch re-
cording.
Track Name Any regions that share the same
root name with the track or playlist are consid-
ered matching. For example, the Matches for a
track named “Gtr.L” would show the regions
“Gtr.L_01” and “Gtr.L_02-01,” but not “Gui-
tar.L_01.”
Region Rating Any regions that have the same
Rating are considered matching. Enable this op-
tion if you have rated regions (see “Rating Re-
gions” on page 597).
In Addition To Match Options
The following In Addition To Match options are
mutually exclusive.
All Any regions that include the time location of
the Edit cursor; or any regions that are either
partly or fully within the current time range of
the Edit selection.
Region Start Any regions that have the same
start time as the time location of the Edit cursor
or Edit selection.
Region Start and End Any regions that have the
same start and end times as the Edit selection.
Selection Range Any complete regions that are
entirely within the Edit selection.
None No other criteria in addition to the se-
lected Alternates Match options are used to filter
matching alternate regions.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New
Playlists or Tracks
Pro Tools lets you copy alternate takes to new
playlists or tracks. This is especially useful for au-
ditioning, editing, and mixing multiple alter-
nate takes or channels. Alternate takes are cre-
ated when punch and loop recording.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New
Playlists
Expanding alternate takes to new playlists read-
ily facilitates track compositing. Once you have
expanded alternate takes to new playlists on a
track, you can audition and edit them in Play-
lists view to assemble the best takes in the main
playlist.
To expand alternate takes to new playlists:
1 Identify the region on the main playlist with
matching alternate regions (takes).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region and choose Matches
> Expand Alternates To New Playlists.
• If the region is selected, with the Selector
tool, Command-click (Mac) or Control-
click (Windows) anywhere on the selected
region and choose Matches > Expand Alter-
nates To New Playlists.
• If the region is not selected, with the Selec-
tor tool, Command-click (Mac) or Control-
click (Windows) at the precise beginning of
the loop or punch range and choose
Matches > Expand Alternates To New Play-
lists.
Pro Tools Reference Guide468
All matching alternate regions are copied to new
playlists on the track. To view all playlists for the
track, select Playlists view. In any track view,
you can also select any available alternate play-
list as the main playlist from the Playlist selec-
tor. For more information, see “Playlists View”
on page 623.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New
Tracks
Expanding alternate takes to new tracks readily
facilitates auditioning, editing, and mixing al-
ternate takes, each on separate tracks.
To expand alternate takes to new tracks:
1 Identify the region on the main playlist with
matching alternate regions (takes).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region and choose Matches
> Expand Alternates To New Tracks.
• If the region is selected, with the Selector
tool, Command-click (Mac) or Control-
click (Windows) anywhere on the selected
region and choose Matches > Expand Alter-
nates To New Tracks.
• If the region is not selected, with the Selec-
tor tool, Command-click (Mac) or Control-
click (Windows) at the precise beginning of
the loop or punch range and choose
Matches > Expand Alternates To New Tracks.
3 Then choose one of the following from the Ex-
pand Alternates To New Tracks sub-menu:
By Track Name Names all new tracks after the
source track name.
By Region Name Names each new tracks after
the corresponding original region names that
you see in the Matches list.
By Track and Region Name Names all new tracks
after the source track name, but with the corre-
sponding original region names in parenthesis.
All matching alternate regions are copied to new
tracks.
Recording from a Digital
Source
If you plan to use a DAT player, digital-output
CD recorder, or other digital device with your
Pro Tools system, make sure it supports the cor-
rect digital format. For example, your Pro Tools
audio interface’s AES/EBU inputs and outputs
should only be connected to another AES/EBU
device.
Pro Tools|HD Digital Options
The HD I/O, HD OMNI, 192 I/O,
192 Digital I/O, and 96 I/O include AES/EBU,
S/PDIF, and ADAT digital options. Additionally,
the HD I/O with a Digital Expansion card,
192 I/O, and 192 Digital I/O include TDIF digi-
tal I/O options. The 96i I/O includes only the
S/PDIF digital option.
HD MADI includes both optical and coaxial
MADI I/O (for more information, see the
HD MADI Guide).
On HD I/O, HD OMNI, 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O,
or 96 I/O, Pro Tools can receive digital audio
from the factory-installed Optical (ADAT) I/O at
any time (if it is not set to S/PDIF). However,
Pro Tools can only receive digital audio from
one of its enclosure [Encl] digital sources—
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, or Optical (S/PDIF)—at a time.
For additional information on configuring
your particular Pro Tools system for record-
ing from a digital source, see your User
Guide.
Chapter 22: Audio Recording 469
Enclosure digital sources come standard with
Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces and are labelled
on-screen as [Encl] versions, to differentiate
them from digital inputs and outputs available
on the Digital card installed in HD I/O or
192 I/O. For example, the AES/EBU inputs and
outputs that come standard in the 192 I/O en-
closure are identified as AES/EBU [Encl].
The additional digital ports on the HD I/O,
192 I/O and 192 Digital I/O are TDIF, AES/EBU,
and ADAT. Pro Tools can only receive digital au-
dio from one of these ports at a time.
However, inputs on both the HD I/O and
192 I/O enclosure I/O and Digital card can be
used simultaneously. For example, on an
HD I/O, it is possible to clock off a source from
one of the enclosure inputs and have another
digital input from the digital ports doing a sam-
ple rate conversion, thus having two digital
sources.
Pro Tools Audio Interface Digital
Options
003, 003 Rack, 003 Rack+, Digi 002, and
Digi 002 Rack include S/PDIF and ADAT
digital I/O.
Eleven Rack includes S/PDIF and AES/EBU
digital I/O.
Mbox, Mbox 2, Mbox Pro, and Mbox Pro 2 in-
clude only the S/PDIF digital option.
All digital outputs are active at all times, so you
can actually send digital audio to different digi-
tal devices simultaneously at mix time.
Recording from Digital Sources
To record from a digital source with Pro Tools:
1 Connect the digital output of the recording
source to the appropriate digital input of your
audio hardware.
2 If you want to start a new session with a dif-
ferent sample rate, do the following:
• Choose File > New Session
• Select the sample rate.
• Configure the rest of the New Session dia-
log accordingly.
• Click Save.
3 Specify the format (digital) of the inputs of the
audio interface to which the digital recording
source is connected:
• Choose Setup > Hardware.
• Choose the audio interface.
• Select the digital format for the appropriate
channel pair (such as AES/EBU or S/PDIF).
4 For Pro Tools HD, select the appropriate Clock
Source in the Session Setup window or Hardware
Setup dialog.
5 Create a new stereo audio track.
6 Assign the Input Path selector for the track to
the appropriate input. Since this is a digital
transfer, you do not need to worry about input
levels.
7 Assign the Output Path selector for the track
to the appropriate output for monitoring (such
as A 1–2).
Some Pro Tools audio interfaces only have
two channels that can be set for analog or
digital. For example, Mbox has S/PDIF L–R
(Stereo) digital inputs and In 1–2 analog in-
puts. Mbox can record through analog and
digital inputs simultaneously.
Pro Tools Reference Guide470
8 In the Options menu, ensure that the follow-
ing options are deselected: Destructive Record,
Loop Record, QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and De-
structivePunch.
9 To have recording start from the beginning of
the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
port.
10 Record enable the new audio track.
11 Click Record in the Transport to arm
Pro Tools for recording.
12 Click Play to start recording.
13 Start playback on the recording source.
14 When the material from the source has fin-
ished, click Stop in the Transport.
15 Stop playback on the recording source.
After a Digital Transfer
(Pro Tools HD Only)
After you have finished recording digitally, set
the Clock Source pop-up menu in the Session
Setup window back to Internal. Otherwise,
Pro Tools will not switch back to its own inter-
nal clock and may not record or play audio
properly. Failure to switch back to Internal syn-
chronization typically results in pitch problems
(fast or slow playback), clicks and pops, or DAE
errors, since a DAT machine or CD Recorder that
is idle can default to a different sample rate or
stop outputting a sample rate clock altogether.
Half-Speed Recording
Pro Tools lets you play and record at half-speed.
This capability is similar to that of a tape deck
where you can record material at half-speed and
then play it back at normal speed (faster and up
an octave), or record material at normal speed
and play it back at half-speed (slower and down
an octave), for special effects.
Use half-speed recording to record difficult to
play MIDI tracks or to record complex automa-
tion moves.
To record at half-speed:
1 Record enable the tracks you want to record at
half-speed.
2 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
3 Press Command+Shift+Spacebar (Mac) or
Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). Recording
begins and all existing track material plays at
half-speed.
4 When you have finished recording, click Stop.
For information on Half-Speed Playback,
see “Half-Speed Playback Mode” on
page 418.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 471
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording
Although recording MIDI in Pro Tools is similar
to recording audio, there are some important
differences:
Unlike audio, MIDI recording is almost always
destructive. See “Record Modes and MIDI” on
page 435 for details.
Unlike audio tracks, MIDI and Instrument
tracks can be record-enabled on-the-fly during
playback or recording.
MIDI and Instrument tracks have an Input se-
lector that determines which port on your MIDI
interface (devices) and which MIDI channel is
routed and recorded to the track. If the MIDI In-
put selector is set to All, all channels for all de-
vices are routed to the track.
Similar to Auxiliary Inputs, Instrument tracks
have audio Input and Output selectors. These se-
lectors are different than the Instrument track’s
selectors for MIDI Input and Output and are pri-
marily used for monitoring audio from MIDI in-
struments or instrument plug-ins.
It is not necessary to use QuickPunch, Track-
Punch, or DestructivePunch to punch in on-the-
fly with MIDI or Instrument tracks. This capabil-
ity is available both in Normal (Nondestructive)
Record mode and Destructive Record mode.
Recording from MIDI Devices
The MIDI Inputs for record-enabled MIDI and
Instrument tracks determine what MIDI data is
recorded in Pro Tools. MIDI Inputs can be set to
a specific device (port) and channel, or they can
be set to All, where all channels for all devices
are merged to the track.
MIDI and Instrument tracks in Pro Tools do not
contain multiple channels and always play back
on the track’s assigned MIDI output device and
channel. Multiple MIDI devices and channels
can be simultaneously recorded to multiple
tracks.
The following Pro Tools options determine
whether you can record from a MIDI controller
(such as a MIDI keyboard or drum pad):
Devices that are assigned as a MIDI Controller
in the Peripherals dialog (Setup > Peripherals) are
ignored when MIDI tracks are recorded. This is
to avoid recording data from MIDI control sur-
faces (such as Command|8).
To record and play MIDI, the device must be
enabled in the MIDI Input Enable dialog. For
more information, see “Enabling Input Devices”
on page 472.
Pro Tools Reference Guide472
In addition, the following options affect how
MIDI data is recorded in Pro Tools:
The MIDI Input Filter can filter out MIDI mes-
sages that you may not want to record, such as
Polyphonic Aftertouch or System Exclusive
data. For more information, see “MIDI Input Fil-
ter” on page 474.
Input Quantize, when enabled, automatically
quantizes (time corrects) all MIDI notes that are
recorded. For more information, see “Input
Quantize” on page 474.
Enabling Input Devices
To record from a MIDI device (such as a MIDI
keyboard) in Pro Tools, the device must be en-
abled in the MIDI Input Enable dialog. You can
also use this dialog to make sure unwanted
notes from certain devices, such as drum ma-
chines or arpeggiators, are not recorded.
MIDI Control Surfaces In order to use any MIDI
control surfaces (such as Command|8), they
must be enabled in the MIDI Input Enable dia-
log.
MMC In order for Pro Tools to synchronize to
MIDI Machine Control (MMC), the MMC
source must be enabled in the MIDI Input En-
able dialog. For more information on using
MMC with Pro Tools, see “Using MIDI Machine
Control” on page 1132.
To enable input devices:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices.
2 In the MIDI Input Enable dialog, do the fol-
lowing:
• Select the MIDI devices you want to record.
Also, select any device to be used as a con-
trol surface.
– and –
• Deselect any input devices you want to ig-
nore while recording MIDI.
3 Click OK.
MIDI Input Enable dialog
Devices do not need to be selected to receive
MIDI data from Pro Tools. For example, a
device used exclusively as a sound module
does not need to be selected in the MIDI In-
put Enable dialog.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 473
MIDI Thru
To monitor MIDI tracks while recording, enable
MIDI Thru. When enabled, Pro Tools routes
MIDI from your controllers to the device and
channels assigned to the currently record-en-
abled MIDI track.
To enable MIDI Thru:
Select Options > MIDI Thru.
The Default Thru Instrument
In addition to any MIDI tracks that are record-
enabled, you can also route MIDI to the Default
Thru Instrument. This saves the extra steps of
creating a MIDI track and record enabling it to
hear a particular MIDI device and channel.
Unlike MIDI tracks, which only receive MIDI
from the device and channel assigned to its
MIDI Input selector, all incoming MIDI data is
routed to the Default Thru Instrument.
If the Default Thru Instrument is assigned to a
record-enabled MIDI track, Pro Tools only
routes incoming MIDI to the record-enabled
track.
To configure a default Thru instrument:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the MIDI tab.
3 Do one of the following:
• Select a specific device from the Default Thru
Instrument pop-up menu to play MIDI
through on that device by default.
• Select Follows First Selected MIDI Track to
have MIDI preview assignment follow
MIDI track selection. When multiple MIDI
tracks are selected, previewing uses the top-
most MIDI track in the Edit window or the
leftmost MIDI track in the Mix window.
• To disable the Default Thru Instrument, select
None.
The MIDI preference for Global MIDI Play-
back Offset and individual MIDI track off-
sets do not affect MIDI routed with MIDI
Thru.
When MIDI Thru is enabled, System Exclu-
sive (Sysex) events are echoed to the MIDI
device assigned to the record-enabled
track—but only if the Sysex events are
smaller than 256 bytes.
When using MIDI Thru, you should disable
Local Control, if present, on your MIDI
devices. Otherwise, your MIDI device may
receive double MIDI notes, which can lead
to stuck notes. If you are unsure how to dis-
able Local Control for your instrument, see
the manufacturer’s documentation.
The Default Thru Follows First Selected
MIDI Track Selection option also lets you
play an instrument without having to create
and record-enable a MIDI or Instrument
track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide474
MIDI Input Filter
Use the MIDI Input Filter to prevent certain
types of MIDI messages from being recorded.
The MIDI Input Filter can be set to record All
messages, Only the specified messages, or All Ex-
cept the specified messages.
For example, to filter out program changes:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Filter.
2 In the MIDI Input Filter dialog, select the All
Except option.
3 Select the option for Program Changes. Leave
all other messages deselected.
4 Click OK.
When using the All Except option, the selected
types of MIDI messages are not recorded. Con-
versely, when using the Only option, only the se-
lected types of MIDI messages are recorded.
Input Quantize
When Input Quantize is enabled in the Input
Quantize Event Operations dialog (Event > Event
Operations > Input Quantize), all recorded MIDI
notes are quantized automatically. Quantizing
MIDI on input is useful for achieving rhythmi-
cally precise MIDI recordings. However, to pre-
serve all of the original nuance of your recorded
MIDI tracks (such as rubato phrasing), disable
this option.
Wait for Note
The Wait for Note button, located in the Trans-
port window, determines how Pro Tools begins
recording. When enabled, Pro Tools does not
start recording until a MIDI event is received.
This ensures that recording begins only when
you start playing, and that the first note, or
other MIDI data, is recorded precisely at the be-
ginning of the set record range (start time).
Wait for Note can be used when recording nor-
mally, when punching in, or when loop record-
ing. If pre-roll is enabled, it occurs after the MIDI
event is received and before recording begins.
MIDI Input Filter dialog
For more information on Input Quantize,
see “Input Quantize Command” on
page 915.
Wait for Note and Countoff are mutually
exclusive and cannot both be enabled at the
same time. If, for instance, Countoff is
enabled and you click the Wait for Note
button, Countoff is disabled. Furthermore,
Wait for Note starts recording immediately,
ignoring any specified Pre-roll.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 475
To enable Wait for Note:
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 In the Transport window, click the Wait for
Note button so it becomes highlighted.
MIDI Merge/Replace
The MIDI Merge button, located in the Trans-
port window, determines how MIDI is recorded
when overdubbing or punching in. When MIDI
Merge is on (Merge mode), recorded MIDI is
merged with existing track material. When
MIDI Merge is off (Replace mode), existing data
within the punched region is replaced by the
newly recorded material.
The MIDI Merge button can be turned on and
off during playback and recording. In Loop Re-
cord mode, MIDI Merge has no effect, and the
button is dimmed.
To enable MIDI Merge:
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 In the Transport window, click the MIDI
Merge button so it becomes highlighted.
Transport window with MIDI Controls
Wait for Note button, enabled
With the Operation preference for “Use F11
for Wait for Note” enabled, you can press
F11 to turn on Wait for Note. (On Mac sys-
tems, the Mac “Desktop” keyboard shortcut
must be disabled or remapped.)
To enable MIDI Merge with a keyboard
shortcut, set the Numeric Keypad mode to
Transport, and press the 9 key on the nu-
meric keypad.
You can also paste and merge MIDI notes
using Paste Special commands. See “Special
Paste Function for Automation Data” on
page 1038.
MIDI Merge button, enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide476
Configuring MIDI or
Instrument Tracks for
Recording
To configure one or more MIDI or Instrument
tracks for recording:
1 Create a new MIDI or Instrument track, or use
an existing MIDI or Instrument track.
2 For Instrument tracks, select View > Mix
Window > Instruments or View > Edit Window >
Instruments.
3 From the track’s MIDI Input selector, select the
device and channel to be recorded. (For Instru-
ment tracks, the MIDI Input selector is available
in Instruments view.)
4 From the MIDI Output selector, select the de-
vice and channel for MIDI playback.
5 To assign multiple destinations to a single
MIDI or Instrument track, Control-click (Mac)
or Start-click (Windows) the MIDI Output selec-
tor and select additional channels from any de-
vice. When multiple destinations are selected
for a single MIDI track, a plus sign (“+”) appears
next to the first destination name in the track’s
MIDI Output selector.
6 To assign a default program change to the
track, do the following:
• Click the Patch Select button.
• Make the necessary selections for program
and bank select.
• Click Done.
MIDI track Input selector
Instrument track MIDI Input selector
MIDI track Output selector, Mix window
Instrument track MIDI Input selector, Mix window
Default program changes are sent whenever
the track is played. For more information,
see “Patch Select (Program and Bank
Changes)” on page 684.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 477
7 If recording to multiple MIDI or Instrument
tracks, repeat the preceding steps for each track,
then continue to the next step.
8 To use a click, enable and configure the click,
and set a default tempo and meter for the ses-
sion (see “Recording with a Click” on page 428).
9 Enable either Wait for Note or Countoff in the
Transport window.
10 To replace existing track material, disable
MIDI Merge in the Transport window (see “MIDI
Merge/Replace” on page 475).
11 To automatically quantize material as it is re-
corded, enable Input Quantize (Event > Event Oper-
ations > Input Quantize). See “Input Quantize” on
page 474.
12 To start recording from the beginning of the
session, click Return to Zero in the Transport.
13 Record enable the MIDI or Instrument track
by clicking its Record Enable button.
14 Make sure that Options > MIDI Thru is selected,
then play y our MID I controller. The MIDI device
or instrument plug-in assigned to the track’s
MIDI Output sounds, and the track’s meters reg-
ister MIDI activity (note velocity).
You are now ready to record MIDI data to the re-
cord-enabled MIDI and Instrument tracks.
Recording MIDI and
Instrument Tracks
In Pro Tools, you can record to one or more
MIDI and Instrument tracks. Recording simulta-
neously to multiple tracks lets you:
• Record from multiple MIDI devices at the
same time, such as when recording several
performers.
• Record multiple channels from the same de-
vice, such as recording from a split keyboard.
• Transfer MIDI tracks from an external MIDI
sequencer.
To record to one or more MIDI or Instrument
tracks:
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
Tracks for Recording” on page 476).
2 Ensure that the track to which you want to re-
cord is record enabled.
To record enable additional MIDI and In-
strument tracks, Shift-click their Record En-
able buttons.
To monitor audio from an external MIDI
instrument, select the corresponding audio
Input Path for your MIDI instrument on the
Instrument track (or use an Auxiliary Input
track). See “Signal Routing for Monitoring
and Submixing” on page 951.
To take full advantage of the MIDI editing
capabilities in Pro Tools, make sure to re-
cord tick-based MIDI tracks with a click.
This ensures that recorded data aligns with
the session’s bar and beat boundaries. You
can also record to sample-based MIDI tracks
without a click and derive the tempo and
meter from the performance.
To record audio from a MIDI instrument or
instrument plug-in, bus the audio output of
the Instrument or Auxiliary Input track that
is monitoring the instrument to an audio
track. Record enable the audio track and
start recording. See “Recording Audio from a
MIDI Instrument” on page 486.
Pro Tools Reference Guide478
3 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording (Record Ready mode). The Track
Record Enabled indicator lights red.
5 Do one of the following:
• Click Play to start recording. If using
Countoff, Pro Tools counts off the specified
number of measures and then begins re-
cording.
– or –
• If Wait for Note is enabled, do not click the
Play button; recording will begin automat-
ically as soon as you start playing (when a
MIDI event is received).
6 Play your MIDI controller.
7 When you are finished playing, click Stop in
the Transport to stop recording.
For each record-enabled track, a new MIDI re-
gion is created and appears both in the playlist
and in the Region List.
MIDI Regions Are Created on
Barlines
When recording MIDI, or when manually enter-
ing MIDI notes, the beginning and ending of
MIDI regions are created on bar boundaries. This
greatly facilitates arranging MIDI regions in a
musically meaningful way, in whole bar
lengths.
The beginning of a recorded MIDI region always
starts on the barline immediately before the first
MIDI note (Note On) of the region. Likewise, the
MIDI region ends on the barline immediately
following the last note (Note Off) of the region.
Recording Over Existing MIDI
Regions
Unlike audio regions, existing MIDI regions are
never overwritten even though MIDI data
within regions can be overwritten. When MIDI
Merge mode is disabled and recording MIDI on a
track with existing regions, newly recorded
MIDI data overwrites existing MIDI data within
existing regions, but the existing region bound-
aries remain. New MIDI regions are only created
to fill the gaps between existing MIDI region
boundaries. Typically, new MIDI regions are al-
ways created on barlines. However, if existing
region boundaries are not on barlines, newly
created regions are bound by the existing re-
gions.
To record enable additional MIDI and In-
strument tracks, Shift-click their Record En-
able buttons.
Record button in Record Ready mode
Press F12 to start recording immediately.
You can also press Command+Spacebar
(Mac) or Control+Spacebar (Windows) to
start recording. For more information, see
“Recording Shortcuts” on page 454.
It is possible to have the Note On of a MIDI
note be in one MIDI region, and its Note Off
be in a subsequent MIDI region. It is also
possible to have the region end before the
Note Off, resulting in notes that extend
beyond the region boundary. However, Note
Ons can never precede the beginning of a
region.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 479
Playing Back Recorded MIDI
To play back recorded MIDI and Instrument tracks:
1 To start from the beginning of the session,
click Return to Zero in the Transport.
2 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
The recorded MIDI data plays back through each
track’s assigned Output device (port) and chan-
nel.
Undoing MIDI Recording
You can undo previous MIDI record takes.
To undo a MIDI recording:
Once the Transport has been stopped, choose
Edit > Undo MIDI Recording.
The track’s playlist is restored to its previous
state. However, the following conditions apply:
• If you punched in and out several times be-
fore stopping the Transport, only the last
punch is undone.
• When using Loop Record mode, all takes
from each record pass are discarded.
Canceling a Record Take
It is also possible to discard the current record
take before the Transport is stopped.
To cancel a take while recording:
Press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or Con-
trol+Period (.) (Windows) before the Transport is
stopped.
When in Loop Record mode, all takes from each
record pass are discarded.
MIDI Punch Recording Over a
Specified Range
You can set Pro Tools to automatically punch re-
cord over a specific range in a MIDI or Instru-
ment track. The range’s start (punch in) and end
(punch out) points must be specified before re-
cording.
To punch in on a MIDI or Instrument track:
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
Tracks for Recording” on page 476).
2 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for
Note and Countoff.
4 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
5 With the Selector tool, select the punch range
in the track’s playlist.
To monitor audio from an external MIDI
instrument, select the corresponding audio
Input Path for your MIDI instrument on the
Instrument track (or use an Auxiliary Input
track). See “Signal Routing for Monitoring
and Submixing” on page 951.
For other methods of setting the record
range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
on page 454.
Pro Tools Reference Guide480
6 To hear existing track material up to the start
point, or after the end point, enable and set pre-
and post-roll times (see “Setting Pre- and Post-
Roll” on page 458).
7 Record enable the track containing the previ-
ous take.
8 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording. The Record button flashes.
9 Click Play to start recording.
If pre-roll is enabled, the track material leading
up to the punch-in point plays. You can start
playing during the pre-roll to get the “feel.”
MIDI is not recorded until the start point is
reached.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
gins recording. Recording continues until the
end point is reached. If post-roll is enabled, play-
back continues for the specified post-roll
amount.
10 When you have finished recording, click
Stop in the Transport. The newly recorded MIDI
data appears in the track.
Punch Recording During Playback
with MIDI
You do not have to set a record range to punch
in on a MIDI or Instrument track. In fact, you
can punch in and out on-the-fly at any time dur-
ing playback. Unlike audio tracks, it is not nec-
essary to enable QuickPunch to perform real-
time punch recording.
To punch record on-the-fly with MIDI:
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
Tracks for Recording” on page 476).
2 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for
Note and Countoff.
4 Record enable the track containing the previ-
ous take.
5 Click Play in the Transport to start playback.
6 When you reach the punch-in point, do one
of the following:
• Click Record in the Transport.
– or –
• For Pro Tools systems that support a con-
nected footswitch, press the footswitch at
the punch-in point.
The Record button in the Transport and the
track’s Record Enable button stop flashing and
stay lit during recording.
7 To punch out, click Record again (or press the
footswitch).
Pro Tools exits Record mode and continues
playing. You can perform additional punches
during the same pass.
Foot switches are supported by 003 family
interfaces, Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, Mbox
Pro, and Mbox 2 Pro, as well as any
Pro Tools system with a supported control
surface (such as C|24 or Command|8).
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 481
MIDI Regions and Punch
Recording
Depending on the record range, new regions
may be created after punch recording.
For example, if MIDI Merge mode is disabled, re-
cording overwrites any existing MIDI data
within the record range. Since the start and end
times for recording are located within both of
the existing regions, newly recorded notes are
written into both of the existing regions, and
into a new region created to fill the space be-
tween them.
When selecting an entire region, or a section
within a region, before punching, no new re-
gions are created. In this instance, only the ma-
terial residing within the existing region
changes, with no new material recorded outside
the region.
Unlike audio recording, MIDI recording in this
scenario is destructive. Newly recorded MIDI
data overwrites existing MIDI data while leaving
the existing region boundaries intact.
If the MIDI data within a region is altered be-
cause of a record take, the original material is ei-
ther lost (unless you choose Edit > Undo MIDI
Recording) or combined with new material (if
MIDI Merge was enabled during recording). If
an existing region contains material you want to
keep, use Duplicate to make a copy of the region
(“Duplicating Regions” on page 829), or dupli-
cate the track’s playlist or record in a new play-
list to keep a backup (see “Working with Play-
lists” on page 617).
Loop Recording MIDI
Loop recording with MIDI is supported by two
methods:
• In Normal (Nondestructive) Record mode, en-
able Loop Playback and MIDI Merge for drum
machine style loop recording.
– or –
• Use Loop Record mode to record multiple
takes on each record pass. This is similar to
loop recording audio.
Loop Recording in MIDI Merge
Mode
For MIDI loop recording, use Normal (Nonde-
structive) Record mode with Loop Playback and
MIDI Merge enabled. With this method, MIDI is
recorded and merged to the same region with
each new record pass—for example, you can re-
cord hi-hats on the first pass and kick and snare
on the next.
Region added after punch record
new region
newly recorded
material
After punch record
Before punch record
For drum machine style step entry, use Step
Input (see “Step Input Command” on
page 916).
Pro Tools Reference Guide482
Make sure that MIDI Merge is enabled in the
Transport window, otherwise (in Replace mode)
each subsequent take destructively replaces the
previous take.
To loop record in MIDI Merge mode:
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
Tracks for Recording” on page 476).
2 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
3 Select Options > Loop Playback. When Loop
Playback is enabled, a loop symbol appears in
the Play button.
4 Record enable the MIDI or Instrument track.
Ensure that no audio tracks are record-enabled.
5 In the Transport window, click the MIDI
Merge button so it is highlighted.
6 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the
Transport window.
7 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
8 With the Selector tool, select the loop range in
the track’s playlist.
9 To hear track material up to the start point of
the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time (see
“Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 458).
10 Click Record in the Transport to arm
Pro Tools for recording. The Record button
flashes.
11 Click Play to start recording.
The Record button flashes during pre-roll.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
gins recording. When the end point is reached,
Pro Tools loops back to the start point and con-
tinues playing and recording.
12 Play your MIDI controller. Newly recorded
MIDI data appears as a region in the record
track. On each successive take, recorded mate-
rial shows up in the region, without replacing
material from previous takes.
13 To switch to a new record track, press Com-
mand (Mac) or Control (Windows), and press
the Up/Down Arrow keys to record enable the
previous or next MIDI or Instrument track.
14 When you are finished recording, click Stop
in the Transport.
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
region in the track’s playlist, and in the Region
List.
You can record enable a different MIDI or
Instrument track on-the-fly while loop re-
cording. While pressing Command (Mac) or
Control (Windows), use the Up/Down Ar-
rows to record enable the previous or next
MIDI or Instrument track.
Loop Playback enabled
For other methods of setting the record
range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
on page 454.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 483
Loop Recording Multiple Takes
When recording MIDI in Loop Record mode,
new regions are created each time new material
is received during a record pass. This differs
somewhat from loop recording audio, where
Pro Tools creates a single audio file that com-
prises all takes, which appear as individual re-
gions in the Region List.
You can use MIDI loop recording to record suc-
cessive takes without stopping the record pro-
cess, thereby capturing your creative spontane-
ity. Another advantage with this method of
recording MIDI, which is nondestructive, is that
all existing and newly recorded regions remain
intact (and available in the Region List).
To record MIDI in Loop Record mode:
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
Tracks for Recording” on page 476).
2 Select Options > Loop Record. When Loop Re-
cord mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears in
the Record button.
3 If you have not done so already, record enable
the MIDI or Instrument track by clicking its Re-
cord Enable button. Make sure no audio tracks
are record-enabled.
4 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the
Transport window.
5 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
6 With the Selector tool, select the loop range in
the track’s playlist.
7 To hear track material up to the start point of
the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time (see
“Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 458).
8 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording. The Record button flashes.
9 Click Play to start recording.
The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools be-
gins recording. When the end point is reached,
Pro Tools loops back to the start point and con-
tinues playing and recording.
10 Play your MIDI controller. A new MIDI re-
gion containing the newly recorded material is
automatically created and appears in the track’s
playlist, replacing the previous region.
Regions are replaced (nondestructively) during
subsequent record passes when new MIDI mate-
rial is received.
11 When you are finished recording, click Stop
in the Transport.
The recorded takes appear as regions in the Re-
gion List and are numbered sequentially. The
takes, which are the same length and easily in-
terchangeable, can be selected from the Matches
pop-up menu—even while the session plays or
loops.
Loop Recording enabled
For other methods of setting the record
range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
on page 454.
Pro Tools Reference Guide484
To select the various record takes:
1 Ensure that the Matching Criteria window is
correctly configured (see “Matching Criteria
Window” on page 466).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region with the Selector or
Grabber tools, and select a take from the
Matches submenu in the pop-up menu.
• With the Selector tool, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) at the
precise beginning of the loop or punch
range and select a different take from the
Alternates pop-up menu.
• If the take currently residing in the track is
selected, with the Selector tool, Command-
click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows)
anywhere on the selected take and select a
different take from the Alternates pop-up
menu.
The selected take (region) replaces the previous
take and snaps precisely to the correct location.
MIDI Step Input
Step Input lets you use a MIDI keyboard (or any
other MIDI controller that sends MIDI note
data) to enter notes individually, one step at a
time. This gives you precise control over note
placement, duration, and velocity. With MIDI
Step Input you can also create musical passages
that might be difficult to play accurately, or at
faster tempos.
Recording System Exclusive
Data
Pro Tools supports recording and playing Sys-
tem Exclusive data (Sysex) with MIDI tracks.
This allows you to use MIDI tracks in Pro Tools
to store patch and configuration data for your
MIDI devices, or to record real-time Sysex
changes for a particular parameter of a MIDI de-
vice that cannot be controlled by a standard
MIDI controller.
To record a Sysex dump at the beginning of a MIDI
track:
1 Make sure that the MIDI OUT for the device
sending the Sysex is connected to your MIDI in-
terface’s MIDI IN.
2 In the MIDI Input Filter dialog, enable Only
and System Exclusive.
3 Configure a MIDI track for recording (see
“Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for Re-
cording” on page 476).
4 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 433).
5 Record enable a MIDI track.
Selecting an alternate MIDI take
For more information on auditioning and
managing takes, see “Selecting Alternate
Takes” on page 465.
For more information on Step Input, see
“Step Input Command” on page 916.
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 485
6 Enable Wait for Note in the Transport window.
7 To start recording from the beginning of the
session, click Return to Zero in the Transport.
8 When you are ready to begin recording, click
Record in the Transport window.
The Record, Play, and Wait for Note buttons
flash, indicating that Pro Tools is waiting for
MIDI data.
9 Initiate the Sysex transfer from the MIDI de-
vice, according to the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions. Pro Tools automatically begins recording
as soon as it starts to receive Sysex data.
10 When the Sysex transfer is complete, click
Stop in the Transport.
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
region in the track’s playlist, and in the Region
List. MIDI regions that contain System Exclusive
data appear blank when the Track View is set to
Regions.
To see the Sysex event blocks, which indicate
the location of the data, set the Track View to Sy-
sex (see “Regions View for MIDI and Instrument
Tracks” on page 517).
To send Sysex data from Pro Tools to an external
MIDI device:
1 For the device receiving the System Exclusive
data, make sure its MIDI IN is connected to the
MIDI interface’s MIDI OUT. Also , make sure the
device is set to receive Sysex. Some devices re-
quire that memory protect be off. For more in-
formation, see the manufacturer’s instructions.
2 Make sure that the MIDI track containing the
Sysex data is not record enabled.
3 Click the track’s MIDI Output selector and as-
sign the device from the pop-up menu.
4 Configure the external MIDI device to receive
Sysex data according to the manufacturer’s in-
structions.
5 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
Pro Tools begins playing and transmits the pre-
viously recorded Sysex to the assigned MIDI de-
vice.
For information on moving and copying of
Sysex data, see “System Exclusive Events”
on page 689.
Pro Tools Reference Guide486
Recording Audio from a MIDI
Instrument
Typically, you will monitor the audio from
MIDI instruments (both hardware and plug-ins)
using Instrument and Auxiliary Input tracks.
During the final mixdown, audio from Instru-
ment and Auxiliary Input tracks can be included
when using Bounce to Disk, or on a bussed re-
cording path if recording to a new track.
Recording Audio from an
Instrument Plug-In
To record audio from an instrument plug-in:
1 Create a new Instrument track.
2 Insert an instrument plug-in on that track.
3 Do one of the following:
• Record your MIDI performance on the In-
strument track.
– or –
• Manually enter MIDI data in the Instru-
ment track.
4 Create a new audio track with the same num-
ber of channels as the Instrument track (such as
stereo).
5 Set the Instrument track’s Audio Output Path
selector to a bus (for example, Bus 1–2).
6 Set the audio track’s Audio Input Path selector
to the same bus.
7 Set the audio track’s Audio Output Path selec-
tor to the main monitoring path).
8 Record enable the audio track.
9 Do one of the following:
• To record from the beginning of the ses-
sion, click Return To Zero in the Transport.
– or –
• Make a Timeline selection for the record
range.
10 Click Record in the Transport to arm
Pro Tools for recording.
11 Click Play in the Transport to start recording.
12 When your previously recorded MIDI perfor-
mance is finished playing, click Stop in the
Transport to stop recording.
When using instrument plug-ins, you may
want to record the audio from a MIDI in-
strument to a new track before mixing in or-
der to free up DSP resources.
You can also record the MIDI and audio
from your performance at the same time.
Bus recording audio from an instrument plug-in
Chapter 23: MIDI Recording 487
Recording Audio from an External
MIDI Instrument
You can record audio from an external MIDI in-
strument in one of two ways:
• By bussing audio from the output of the In-
strument (or Auxiliary Input) track used to
monitor the MIDI instrument to an audio
track for recording.
• By setting the audio track’s Audio Input Path
selector to the same Audio Input Path as the
Instrument (or Auxiliary Input) track used for
monitoring the external MIDI instrument.
This second method avoids any additional la-
tency associated with bussing. However, be sure
to mute the Instrument (or Auxiliary Input)
track used for monitoring while recording the
same audio path to the audio track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide488
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 489
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes
Punch recording is used in many areas of audio
production for film, video, and music.
Introduction to Punch
Recording Modes
Once basic track material has been recorded, it is
often necessary to replace some, but not all, of
the audio that makes up each track. Punch re-
cording lets you manually “punch” one or more
audio tracks in and out of recording on-the-fly
(without stopping the Transport).
Pro Tools Punch Recording Modes
Pro Tools provides three different manual
punch recording modes:
QuickPunch A nondestructive Record mode that
lets record-enabled tracks be punched in and
punched out during playback by clicking the Re-
cord button in the Transport. QuickPunch
mode is available on all systems.
TrackPunch (Pro Tools HD Only) A nondestruc-
tive Record mode that lets individual tracks be
punched in, punched out, and taken out of re-
cord enable without interrupting online record-
ing and playback.
DestructivePunch (Pro Tools HD Only) A destruc-
tive Record mode that maintains a single con-
tinuous audio file per punch track, and lets indi-
vidual tracks be punched in, punched out, and
taken out of record enable without interrupting
online recording and playback.
You do not need to use QuickPunch or any
other audio punch recording mode to punch
on-the-fly with MIDI tracks. MIDI tracks
can be punched while in Normal (Nonde-
structive) Record mode, and in Destructive
Record mode.
To automatically punch in and out on re-
cord-enabled audio tracks over a specific
range, see “Audio Punch Recording Over a
Specified Range” on page 460.
Pro Tools Reference Guide490
System, Session, and Track
Guidelines for Punch
Recording
This topic lists the basic settings and guidelines
for Pro Tools punch recording, including the
following:
• “Voice Requirements for Punch Recording”
on page 490.
• “Delay Compensation and Destructive-
Punch Mode” on page 491.
• “Audio Files, Regions and Takes” on
page 492.
• “Preferences for Punch Recording” on
page 492 (for crossfades, as well as trans-
port and monitor configuration settings).
Voice Requirements for
Punch Recording
The maximum number of tracks that can be
punched depends on the type of system you are
using, as well as the number of available voices.
The following topics provide guidelines for
voice usage with punch recording that can be
useful when managing resources during ses-
sions.
Pro Tools
(QuickPunch Only)
QuickPunch capabilities for Pro Tools depends
on the total number of voices available. This will
vary depending on the number of tracks and
plug-ins in use in the current session (which af-
fects the number of available voices).
Similarly, installing a Toolkit option expands
your system’s voice capabilities; this can in-
crease the number of available voices, which
then increases the number of tracks which can
be punched.
To make more voices available for punch
recording:
1 Identify tracks that are not record-enabled,
and do not need to be heard while recording.
2 Make those tracks inactive.
Pro Tools HD
(QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and
DestructivePunch)
When using any punch recording mode with
Pro Tools HD, two voices are required for each
record-enabled mono track. This means that
you can punch record up to half the total num-
ber of voices available on your system. For ex-
ample, a Pro Tools|HD Accel system configured
for 192 voices can simultaneously punch record
on up to 96 mono tracks with QuickPunch (or
48 stereo tracks).
If the required number of voices for the record-
enabled tracks is not available when switching
to QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or Destructive-
Punch mode, you are prompted to free up the
necessary voices.
QuickPunch uses CPU processing power,
and may reduce the number of tracks and
plug-ins you can use.
For details on voice capabilities, see
“Pro Tools System Capabilities” on
page 53.
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 491
To make more voices available for punch
recording:
1 Identify tracks that are not record-enabled,
and do not need to be heard while recording,
and do any of the following:
• Set voice assignments for tracks to Off.
• Make tracks inactive.
• Group all RTAS plug-ins before TDM plug-
ins.
Voices that are in use by other tracks, but not re-
cord-enabled, may be “stolen” during punch re-
cording as necessary.
When any punch recording mode is enabled,
voice playback priority is as follows (from high-
est to lowest playback priority):
• Tracks with assigned voices that are not re-
cord-enabled.
• Tracks with assigned voices that are record-
enabled.
• Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing
that are not record-enabled.
• Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing
that are record-enabled.
If a session has plenty of available voices, you
should have no trouble punch recording tracks
using Dynamically Allocated Voicing. However,
if you are running out of voices, and want to en-
sure that a track is heard when punch recording,
assign it a voice.
Dynamically Allocated Voicing
When punch recording with a Pro Tools|HD sys-
tem configured for its maximum number of
voices, make sure to set the voice assignment for
each audio track to Dyn (for Dynamically Allo-
cated Voicing). This ensures that Pro Tools han-
dles the distribution of voices between each set
of voices automatically. For example, for a
192-voice configured Pro Tools|HD Accel sys-
tem, Dynamically Allocated Voicing distributes
voices evenly across four sets of voices (1–48,
49–96, 97–144, and 145–192).
If you do not use Dynamically Allocated Voic-
ing, the voices must be evenly distributed be-
tween all DSP engines. For example, to use
QuickPunch on 32 tracks without Dynamically
Allocated Voicing, tracks 1–16 must be assigned
to voices 1–16 and tracks 17–32 must be as-
signed to voices 33–48.
Delay Compensation and
DestructivePunch Mode
When using DestructivePunch to punch in on
an existing recording, make sure the Delay
Compensation settings are the same as when
the original file was recorded. If they differ, the
punched-in audio will not be time-accurate to
the original recording.
If Delay Compensation was inactive when re-
cording the original file, it should be deactivated
while using DestructivePunch.
If Delay Compensation was active when re-
cording the original file, it should be kept active
while using DestructivePunch.
To ensure that the Delay Compensation path on
record tracks remains consistent while using De-
structivePunch, you need to prevent Pro Tools
from using the Low Latency monitoring path
when record tracks switch to Input monitoring.
To apply Delay Compensation to a track where
Delay Compensation was suspended, do one of the
following:
Right-click the Track Compensation indicator
on the track and select Auto Low Latency Off.
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Track Compensation
indicator on the track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide492
To apply Delay Compensation to all selected
tracks where Delay Compensation was
suspended, do one of the following:
Shift-Right-click the Track Compensation in-
dicator on the track and select Auto Low Latency
Off.
– or –
Command-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Con-
trol-Start-Shift-click (Windows) the Track Com-
pensation indicator on the track.
Audio Files, Regions and Takes
QuickPunch and TrackPunch Modes
QuickPunch and TrackPunch are nondestructive
recording modes. Instead of replacing audio
while punching, QuickPunch and TrackPunch
create new audio files for each pass (a pass is one
cycle of starting and stopping the Transport).
Pro Tools begins recording a new audio file
when playback begins, automatically generating
regions in that file at each punch-in and punch-
out point. Up to 200 of these “running
punches” can be performed in a single pass.
QuickPunch and TrackPunch provide instanta-
neous monitor switching on punch-out.
After recording with QuickPunch or Track-
Punch, the new audio regions appear in the Re-
gion List. This includes the whole-file audio re-
gion encompassing all punches from the record
pass, along with the regions derived for each
punch.
Names for the punched regions are numbered
consecutively starting with “01.” For example, if
QuickPunch is used to punch in twice on a track
called “Lead Gtr,” a region for the parent audio
file appears and is named “Lead Gtr_01,” and
two regions for the punches are named “Lead
Gtr_01-01” and “Lead Gtr_01-02.”
If you stop playback and record additional
punches with QuickPunch (or TrackPunch), a
new whole file region is created (since one is cre-
ated for each pass), and subsequent regions are
named by incrementing the first two digits in
the name. For example, on the second pass, the
punched regions are named “Lead Gtr_02-01,”
“Lead Gtr_02-02,” and so forth.
DestructivePunch Mode
DestructivePunch is a destructive recording mode
which permanently replaces pre-existing track
material with newly recorded “punch” audio.
Pro Tools only records while tracks are punched
in, inserting new material and replacing audio
in the track playlist.
Preferences for Punch Recording
(Crossfade, Transport, and Record Settings)
Pro Tools provides several punch-related
preference settings that let you specify how
crossfades, monitoring and transport functions
are to perform during and after recording passes.
These settings optimize Pro Tools fades,
transport and track behavior for different types
of tasks, including dubbing, mixing, and over-
dubbing.
For more information, see “Delay Compen-
sation” on page 958.
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 493
Crossfades while Punch Recording
Pro Tools places crossfades at each in and out
point, for smooth transitions between punch re-
gions. You can specify the crossfade length for
QuickPunch and TrackPunch modes (Destruc-
tivePunch uses a fixed crossfade length which
cannot be changed). After punch recording is
completed, all crossfades can be edited in the
same manner as standard crossfades (see
Chapter 29, “Fades and Crossfades”).
QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length
Pro Tools can automatically write a crossfade for
each punch point when using QuickPunch and
TrackPunch. The length for these crossfades is
set with the QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade
Length option on the Editing Preferences page.
To set the QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade
Length:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Editing tab.
2 Enter a new value (in msec) for the Quick-
Punch/TrackPunch CrossFade Length. A good gen-
eral-purpose crossfade length for punches is
10 milliseconds. If you set the preference to
zero, Pro Tools will not create any crossfades at
the punch-in/out points.
3 Click OK.
If a value other than zero is specified for the
QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length,
Pro Tools writes a pre-crossfade at the punch-in
point (the fade occurs up to but not into the
punched region boundary), and a post-crossfade
at punch-out (after the punched region).
Regardless of the current QuickPunch/Track-
Punch Crossfade Length setting, Pro Tools al-
ways executes a 4 millisecond “monitor only”
crossfade (which is not written to disk) to avoid
distracting pops or clicks that might occur as
you enter and exit record mode.
DestructivePunch and Crossfades
DestructivePunch uses a fixed 10-millisecond
linear crossfade at each in and out point. After
punch recording is completed, crossfades can be
edited in the same manner as standard cross-
fades (see Chapter 29, “Fades and Crossfades”).
Transport and Record Settings
Transport and Record preferences for punch re-
cording appear on the Operation Preferences
page. These preferences specify how track and
Transport record status respond during, be-
tween, and after punches and passes.
TrackPunch preferences
Pro Tools Reference Guide494
Transport RecordLock
This setting lets the Transport Record be config-
ured to either emulate a digital dubber, or to
maintain legacy behavior for the Transport mas-
ter Record.
When not enabled, the Transport Record dis-
arms when Pro Tools is manually stopped or
stops due to a loss of time code. This replicates
legacy Pro Tools recording behavior.
When enabled, the Transport Record remains
armed when playback or recording stops. This
saves having to re-arm the Transport between
takes, emulating digital dubber behavior.
Destructive Recording and Transport RecordLock
As a precaution against accidentally recording
over previous material, the Transport RecordLock
option is automatically disabled and grayed out
when Destructive record mode is enabled.
Audio Track RecordLock
This setting lets Pro Tools tracks either emulate
a digital dubber, or maintain legacy behavior for
track record status.
When the Audio Track RecordLock option is en-
abled, the record-enabled audio tracks remain
armed when playback or recording stops.
When the Audio Track RecordLock option is not
enabled, record-enabled audio tracks are taken
out of record enable when Pro Tools is stopped.
This prevents tracks from remaining armed
from pass to pass, emulating track record behav-
ior of a digital dubber.
Synchronization and Track Arming
Options for Punch Recording
(SYNC HD or SYNC I/O Only)
Synchronization settings for online punch re-
cording vary depending on the type and capa-
bilities of your Pro Tools system and other de-
vices in your studio.
The MachineControl™ option for Pro Tools HD
lets you remotely arm tracks on supported 9-pin
decks (or V-LAN for Transport only).
QuickPunch Audio Recording
QuickPunch is available on all systems and lets
you instantaneously punch in and out all re-
cord-enabled audio tracks during playback by
clicking the Record button in the Transport.
Punching out of record by pressing Record
on the Transport takes the transport out of
record enable.
For examples of how these settings can be
applied, see “Example TrackPunch and De-
structivePunch Workflows” on page 505.
For basic time code and synchronization
information for Pro Tools, see Chapter 50,
“Working with Synchronization.”
Choose Setup > Machine Track Arming
Profiles to configure your system, and
choose Window > Machine Track Arming to
display the Machine Track Arming window.
For information on remote track arming
with MachineControl, see the Machine-
Control Guide.
Many Pro Tools systems also let you use a
footswitch to punch in and out. See the
guide that came with your Pro Tools audio
interface, control surface, or ICON worksur-
face (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only).
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 495
Recording with QuickPunch
To punch on-the-fly with QuickPunch:
1 Do one of the following:
• Select Options > QuickPunch.
– or –
• Right-click the Record button in the Trans-
port and select QuickPunch.
When QuickPunch is enabled, a “P” appears in
the Record button in the Transport.
2 Check or reconfigure the crossfade setting for
punch recording (see “QuickPunch/TrackPunch
Crossfade Length” on page 493).
3 Click the track Record Enable button to record
enable each track on which you want to punch
in.
4 Prepare to record by cueing Pro Tools to an ap-
propriate location. To use pre-roll, enable a pre-
roll value in the Transport window.
5 Start playback by clicking Play in the Trans-
port window.
6 Do one of the following:
• When you reach the punch-in point, click
Record in the Transport.
– or –
• For Pro Tools systems that support using a
connected footswitch, step on the foot-
switch at the punch-in point.
The Record button stops flashing and stays lit
during recording.
7 To punch out, click Record again (or step on
the footswitch).
As Pro Tools continues playing, you can per-
form additional punches (up to 200). When re-
cording multiple punches during a single pass, a
single audio file is recorded from which
Pro Tools creates the appropriate regions.
After a QuickPunch recording pass, the punched
track’s playlist in the Edit window displays the
regions created by punching. You can use any of
the Trim tools after punch recording to open up
the head or tail of QuickPunch recorded regions,
or to reveal the parent audio file that was re-
corded in the background. This lets you com-
pensate for any late or missed punches.
For information on file and region naming, see
“Audio Files, Regions and Takes” on page 492.
QuickPunch enabled
If you cannot record enable tracks due to
voice limitations, see “Voice Requirements
for Punch Recording” on page 490.
QuickPunch enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide496
QuickPunch with an Edit Selection
If you make an Edit selection and use Quick-
Punch, the following rules apply:
If the Transport is not online, recording be-
gins and stops whenever you click the Record
button in the Transport—regardless of the selec-
tion’s start or end point.
If the Transport is online, punch-in/out be-
havior is controlled by the Online Options set-
ting on the Operation Preferences page.
• If you select Record Online at Insertion/Se-
lection, QuickPunch punches in and out
only within the selection (or in the case of
an insertion point, only after the insertion
point).
• If you select Record Online at Time Code
Lock, QuickPunch disregards the selection
and punches in and out whenever you
want (after Pro Tools has locked to time
code).
TrackPunch Audio Recording
(Pro Tools HD Only)
TrackPunch mode lets you punch tracks in and
out individually (one at a time) or punch multi-
ple tracks in and out simultaneously. Track-
Punch is a nondestructive punch mode which
leaves previous material on disk. (To destruc-
tively replace audio on disk, see “Destructive-
Punch Audio Recording” on page 500).
TrackPunch Setup
Before using TrackPunch in a record pass you
must configure Pro Tools, session, and track set-
tings.
Configure Pro Tools
To configure Pro Tools:
1 Configure tracks, voicing, and other Track-
Punch settings as needed (see “System, Session,
and Track Guidelines for Punch Recording” on
page 490).
2 Make sure Pro Tools is not recording or play-
ing back (the Transport is stopped).
Enable TrackPunch Mode
To enable TrackPunch mode:
Do any of the following:
• Select Options > TrackPunch.
• Right-click the Record button in the Trans-
port, and select TrackPunch from the pop-
up menu.
• Start-click (Windows) or Control-click
(Mac) the Record button in the Transport
to cycle through available Record modes
until TrackPunch mode is selected (a “T”
indicates TrackPunch mode).
• Press Command+Shift+T (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+T (Windows).
For information about online playback with
Pro Tools, see the User Guide that came
with your system or with a Toolkit option (if
you purchase one). For information about
synchronization with TrackPunch and De-
structivePunch recording, see “Synchroniza-
tion and Track Arming Options for Punch
Recording” on page 494.
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 497
Transport Display of TrackPunch Status
The Transport Record button indicates Track-
Punch and Record status as follows:
When TrackPunch mode is enabled:
A “T” appears in the Record button in the
Transport.
If at least one track is TrackPunch-enabled, the
Record button lights solid blue.
When TrackPunch mode is enabled and the
transport is armed for recording:
If no tracks are TrackPunch-enabled, the Re-
cord button in the Transport flashes gray and
red.
If at least one track is TrackPunch-enabled, the
Record button flashes blue and red.
If at least one TrackPunch-enabled track is also
record-enabled, the Record button flashes blue
and red, and the record LED lights.
Whenever at least one audio track is record-
ing, the Transport Record button lights solid
red.
TrackPunch Enabling Tracks
Before each pass, you must TrackPunch enable
all tracks that you intend to punch (you can
TrackPunch enable tracks without record en-
abling them).
To TrackPunch enable one audio track:
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
the track’s Record Enable button.
To TrackPunch enable or disable all audio tracks:
Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click
(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button.
To TrackPunch enable or disable all selected audio
tracks:
Option-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-
Shift-click (Windows) a track’s Record Enable
button.
When TrackPunch enabled, Track record enable
buttons light solid blue.
TrackPunch and TrackInput Status indicators in the
Transpor t window
TrackPunch mode, with at least one TrackPunch-
enabled track
Input Status
indicator
TrackPunch Record Enable
Status indicator
enabled
Create track groups for each stem or set of
tracks on which you plan to punch, then use
the Group List to quickly select all tracks in
the group.
Pro Tools Reference Guide498
Track Record Status Display
Each track’s Record Enable button indicates its
TrackPunch and record enable status as follows:
• When a track is TrackPunch-enabled but not
record-enabled, its Record Enable button
lights solid blue.
• When a track is both TrackPunch-enabled and
record-enabled, its Record enable button
flashes blue and red.
• When a track is record-enabled only, its Re-
cord Enable button flashes red.
• While a track is recording (in any mode), its
Record Enable button lights solid red.
Monitoring and Levels
To complete the setup for TrackPunch:
1 Configure monitoring for record-enabled
tracks by selecting a mode from the Track menu,
or using the TrackInput button, as appropriate.
Choices include:
•Set Record Tracks to Auto Input
•Set Record Tracks to Input Only
Selecting either monitoring mode only affects
tracks that are record-enabled.
2 Start playback and compare levels of the input
source with audio on disk. Click the TrackInput
button to toggle the track source. When lit
(green), the track is monitoring input. When
unlit (gray), the track is monitoring from disk
(see “Selecting Record Monitor Modes with
TrackInput Monitoring” on page 445).
3 When you are satisfied with your levels, you
are ready to start punch recording.
Using TrackPunch
After you have configured Pro Tools, tracks, and
levels, you can record with TrackPunch in sev-
eral ways.
Punching In on Individual Tracks
To punch in on individual tracks:
1 Make sure Pro Tools is in TrackPunch mode.
2 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
the Record Enable button for each track you
want to punch in, so that the track is Track-
Punch-enabled only. The track’s Record Enable
button should light solid blue.
Record Enable button, enabled
Red (not flashing) indicates recording (all modes)
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 499
3 Click Record in the Transport to enter the
TrackPunch Record Ready mode. The Record
button flashes blue and red.
4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
5 During playback, punch in and out on indi-
vidual TrackPunch-enabled tracks by clicking
their respective Record Enable buttons.
6 While continuing local or remote playback,
do any of the following:
• Punch in on other TrackPunch enabled
tracks individually.
• After punching out, take tracks out of re-
cord enable then record enable different
TrackPunch enabled tracks.
• Repeat as needed to punch other stems,
tracks, or takes.
7 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock
preference settings.
After a TrackPunch recording pass, the punched
track’s playlist in the Edit window displays the
regions created by punching. You can use any of
the Trim tools after punch recording to open up
the head or tail of TrackPunch recorded regions,
or to reveal the parent audio file that was re-
corded in the background. This lets you com-
pensate for any late or missed punches.
For information on file and region naming, see
“Audio Files, Regions and Takes” on page 492.
Punching In on Multiple Tracks
Simultaneously
To punch in on multiple tracks simultaneously:
1 Enable TrackPunch mode.
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
you want to punch in, so that the track is both
TrackPunch- and Record-enabled. The track’s
Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
3 Do either of the following:
• During playback, click Record in the Trans-
port to punch in and out on all Track-
Punch-enabled tracks simultaneously.
– or –
• Click Record in the Transport first, then
Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button
to simultaneously punch in and out on all
currently selected TrackPunch enabled
tracks.
4 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock
preference settings.
Pro Tools Reference Guide500
Start Recording on All Tracks
You can choose to begin a punch pass in record,
to punch out and back in as needed.
To punch in on all tracks:
1 Enable TrackPunch mode (see “Transport Dis-
play of TrackPunch Status” on page 497).
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
you want to punch in, so that the track is both
TrackPunch- and Record-enabled. The track’s
Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
3 Click Record in the Transport to enter the
TrackPunch Record Ready mode. The Record
button flashes blue and red.
4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
5 During playback, punch out and back in on
individual TrackPunch-enabled tracks by click-
ing their respective Record Enable buttons.
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock
preference settings.
DestructivePunch Audio
Recording
(Pro Tools HD Only)
DestructivePunch is a destructive recording mode
that lets you punch in and out on during play-
back, while preserving a contiguous audio file
on each punched track. Like TrackPunch mode,
DestructivePunch mode lets you punch tracks in
and out individually (one at a time) or punch
multiple tracks in and out simultaneously.
Unlike QuickPunch and TrackPunch, Destruc-
tivePunch replaces audio within the target par-
ent file. DestructivePunch is essentially a de-
structive version of TrackPunch mode. Where
TrackPunch always records audio to a new file in
the background, DestructivePunch destructively
records audio directly into the original file, us-
ing a fixed 10-millisecond linear crossfade. No
additional regions are created when recording in
DestructivePunch mode. Up to 200 “running
punches” can be performed in a track during a
single DestructivePunch pass.
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 501
DestructivePunch Setup
Before using DestructivePunch in a record pass
you must configure Pro Tools, session, and track
settings.
Configure Pro Tools for
DestructivePunch
To configure Pro Tools:
1 Configure tracks, voicing, and other settings
as needed (see “System, Session, and Track
Guidelines for Punch Recording” on page 490).
2 Make sure Pro Tools is not recording or play-
ing back (the Transport is stopped).
Enable DestructivePunch Mode
To enable DestructivePunch mode:
Do one of the following:
• Select Options > DestructivePunch.
• Right-click the Record button in the Trans-
port and select DestructivePunch.
• Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Win-
dows) the Record button in the Transport
to cycle through available Record modes
until DestructivePunch mode is indicated
by “dp” in the Transport Record Enable
button.
Transport Display of DestructivePunch Status
When DestructivePunch mode is enabled:
The letters “dp” appears in the Record button
in the Transport.
If at least one track is DestructivePunch-en-
abled, the Record button in the Transport lights
solid blue.
When DestructivePunch mode is enabled and the
transport is armed for recording:
If no tracks are DestructivePunch-enabled, the
Record button in the Transport flashes gray and
red.
If at least one track is DestructivePunch-en-
abled, the Record button flashes blue and red.
If at least one DestructivePunch-enabled track
is also record enabled, the Record button flashes
blue and red, and the record LED lights.
Whenever at least one audio track is record-
ing, the Record button lights solid red.
Power waveform view is not available in
Destructive Punch mode.
Transport Record Enable button with DestructivePunch
mode enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide502
Prepare Tracks for
DestructivePunch Recording
In order for a track to be enabled for Destructive-
Punch recording, the track must contain a con-
tiguous audio file that meets the following re-
quirements:
• The file must start at the beginning
(sample 0) of the session.
– and –
• The File Length must be equal to or greater
than the DestructivePunch File Length set-
ting (see “DestructivePunch File Length”
on page 502).
If a track does not contain a file that meets these
requirements, you can do any of the following
to meet the requirements:
• Move the current file in the track Timeline
so that its beginning aligns with the session
start.
• Use the Consolidate command to create a
continuous file of the required length.
• Change the DestructivePunch File Length
setting so that the current file is equal to or
greater than the required length.
• Use the Prepare DPE Tracks command to
consolidate audio on all DestructivePunch-
enabled tracks. (See “Using the Prepare DPE
Tracks Command” on page 502.)
DestructivePunch File Length
To use DestructivePunch on an audio track, the
track must contain a contiguous audio file of a
minimum length, which is set in the Pro Tools
Operation preferences page.
To set DestructivePunch File Length:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Oper-
ation tab.
2 Type a value for DestructivePunch File Length.
3 Click OK.
Using the Prepare DPE Tracks Command
To prepare a track for DestructivePunch recording:
1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enable De-
structivePunch Mode” on page 501).
2 Make sure the tracks you want to prepare are
DestructivePunch-enabled (see “Destructive-
Punch Enabling Tracks without Record Enabling
Them” on page 503).
3 Choose Options > Prepare DPE Tracks.
Pro Tools consolidates audio on all Destructive-
Punch-enabled tracks from the beginning of the
session to the value specified in the Destructive-
Punch File Length preference.
Enabling Tracks for
DestructivePunch Recording
You can enable tracks for DestructivePunch
without record enabling them. This lets you
punch in on individual tracks at any time after
starting playback by clicking their respective Re-
cord Enable buttons.
Or, you can simultaneously DestructivePunch
enable tracks and record enable them. This lets
recording begin as soon as the transport is re-
cord-armed and playback begins. (See “Destruc-
tivePunch-Enabling and Record-Enabling Tracks
Simultaneously” on page 503.)
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 503
DestructivePunch Enabling Tracks without
Record Enabling Them
This method lets you use the Prepare DPE Tracks
command to consolidate files for Destructive-
Punch recording.
To DestructivePunch-enable an audio track:
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
the track’s Record Enable button to toggle the
button to solid blue.
To DestructivePunch-enable all audio tracks:
Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click
(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button to
toggle all Record Enable buttons to solid blue.
To DestructivePunch-enable all selected audio
tracks:
Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-
Shift-click (Windows) a track’s Record Enable
button to toggle the Record Enable buttons for
the selected audio tracks solid blue.
DestructivePunch-Enabling and Record-
Enabling Tracks Simultaneously
This method can be used when tracks already
meet the requirements for DestructivePunch re-
cording.
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and
record enable an audio track:
Click the track’s Record Enable button. The
track’s Record Enable button flashes blue and
red.
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and
record enable all audio tracks:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a
track’s Record Enable button. All tracks’ Record
Enable buttons flash blue and red.
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and
record enable all selected audio tracks:
Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button. The
Record Enable buttons for the selected audio
tracks flash blue and red.
Track Record Status Display
When Pro Tools is in DestructivePunch mode,
each track’s Record Enable button indicates its
DestructivePunch and record enable status as
follows:
• When a track is both DestructivePunch-en-
abled and record-enabled, its Record Enable
button flashes blue and red.
• When a track is DestructivePunch-enabled
but not record-enabled, its Record Enable but-
ton lights solid blue.
• When a track is record-enabled only, its Re-
cord Enable button flashes red.
• While a track is recording (in any mode), its
Record Enable button lights solid red.
Create a VCA group for each stem or set of
tracks on which you plan to punch, and use
the VCA Record Enable button to arm all
tracks in the group for DestructivePunch.
For more information, see “VCA Master
Tracks” on page 927.
Pro Tools Reference Guide504
Monitoring and Levels
To complete the setup for DestructivePunch:
1 Configure monitoring for record-enabled
tracks by selecting a mode from the Track menu,
as appropriate. Choices include:
•Set Record Tracks to Auto Input
•Set Record Tracks to Input Only
Selecting either monitoring mode only affects
tracks that are record-enabled.
2 Start playback.
3 To compare levels of the input source with au-
dio on disk, click the TrackInput button. When
lit (green), the track is monitoring input. When
unlit (gray), the track is monitoring from disk
(see “Selecting Record Monitor Modes with
TrackInput Monitoring” on page 445).
When you are satisfied with your levels, you are
ready to start punch recording.
Using DestructivePunch
After you have configured Pro Tools, tracks, and
levels, you can use DestructivePunch to record
in several ways.
Punching In On Single Tracks
To punch in on single tracks:
1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enable De-
structivePunch Mode” on page 501).
2 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
the Record Enable button for each track you
want to punch in, so that the track is Destruc-
tivePunch-enabled only. The track’s Record En-
able button lights solid blue.
3 Click Record in the Transport to enter Record
Ready mode. The Record Enable button flashes
blue and red.
4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
5 During playback, punch in and out on indi-
vidual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by
clicking their Record Enable buttons.
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock
preference settings.
Punching In on Multiple Tracks
To punch in on multiple tracks simultaneously:
1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enable De-
structivePunch Mode” on page 501).
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
you want to punch in, so that the track is both
DestructivePunch-enabled and Record-enabled.
Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue
and red.
3 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
4 During playback, click Record in the Transport
to punch in and out on all DestructivePunch-
enabled tracks simultaneously.
5 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock
preference settings.
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 505
Starting Recording Immediately
on Multiple Tracks
To punch in on multiple tracks:
1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enable De-
structivePunch Mode” on page 501).
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
you want to punch in, so that the track is both
DestructivePunch-enabled and Record-enabled.
Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue
and red.
3 Click Record in the Transport to enter Record
Ready mode. The Record button flashes blue
and red.
4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
5 During playback, punch out and back in on
individual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by
clicking their respective Record Enable buttons.
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with
the record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport RecordLock
preference settings.
Example TrackPunch and
DestructivePunch Workflows
TrackPunch and DestructivePunch let you use
Pro Tools punch recording in many ways. For
example, DestructivePunch lets Pro Tools be
used as a digital dubber for film re-recording
(dubbing) and mixing (see “Film Dubbing and
Mixing” on page 506).
Keyboard shortcuts and preference settings for
recording and input monitoring provide flexi-
bility that makes TrackPunch or Destructive-
Punch equally useful for the following work-
flows commonly performed in film, video, and
music production:
• Loading dailies (see “Loading Dailies Using
RecordLock” on page 507)
• Recording Foley (see “Foley Recording” on
page 507)
• Tracking and overdubbing in music produc-
tion and any other recording situation (see
“Tracking and Overdubbing Music” on
page 508)
Because Pro Tools can be networked, Track-
Punch (and all other) audio files and whole ses-
sions can be available for secure transfer to other
systems for review, editing, and archiving.
If you are not already familiar with routing,
selecting, and grouping Pro Tools tracks, see
Chapter 13, “Tracks” and Chapter 43,
“Basic Mixing.”
Throughout these examples, references to
TrackPunch can also be applied to Destruc-
tivePunch (just remember that TrackPunch
is nondestructive, while DestructivePunch is
a destructive punch mode).
Pro Tools Reference Guide506
Film Dubbing and Mixing
Film dubbing and mixing features of Track-
Punch and DestructivePunch let you do the fol-
lowing:
• Arm and punch Pro Tools audio tracks re-
motely from a master synchronizer such as
SoundMaster through P2 commands at any
time, without having to stop playback and
while maintaining time code lock. (Requires
the MachineControl option.)
• Toggle Pro Tools audio tracks between input
and disk monitoring.
• Use Pro Tools as the time code master (gener-
ating) or when slaving.
• Punch non-destructively with TrackPunch, or
destructively with DestructivePunch.
A typical pre-dub session includes the following
steps:
1 Configure synchronization between Pro Tools
and other devices as appropriate.
2 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
3 Select (enable) Transport RecordLock. This
keeps the Transport Record armed after the
transport stops.
4 Deselect Audio Track RecordLock. This causes
the audio track record to disarm when the trans-
port stops.
5 Do either of the following:
• Select Options > TrackPunch to enable Track-
Punch mode for non-destructive punch re-
cording.
• Select Options > DestructivePunch to enable
DestructivePunch recording.
6 Create 32 new tracks, then do the following:
• Assign their inputs.
– and –
• Group them into eight-track groups.
7 Click the record enable buttons in the first
eight tracks to TrackPunch enable the first eight
tracks (or, the group for the first pre-dub).
8 Assign the console paddles to the first eight-
track group in the session.
9 Begin the pre-dub pass. Use the console pad-
dles to arm Pro Tools, and to punch in and out
on the first group.
10 When the first pre-dub is over and all tracks
are punched out, clear all TrackPunch or De-
structivePunch enabled tracks.
11 Select the next group of tracks and Track-
Punch- or DestructivePunch-enable them.
12 Punch in and out on the second group of
tracks.
13 Repeat the preceding steps as necessary.
In Remote mode, Transport RecordLock has
no effect. The synchronizer determines the
behavior.
In Remote mode, Audio Track RecordLock
has no effect. The synchronizer determines
the behavior.
Use the Group List to quickly select all
tracks in the group, and Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) to
record-enable all the tracks in the group.
Chapter 24: Punch Recording Modes 507
Loading Dailies Using RecordLock
Dailies and similar types of transfers are com-
prised of multiple takes or scenes, each recorded
while locked to unique time-of-day time code.
In between each take, time code does not con-
tinue but stops completely. Because of this, the
time code on dailies and similar source material
is said to be “discontinuous” or discontinuous
(also known as broken time code).
By default, Pro Tools drops out of recording
when it goes offline due to broken time code.
However, you can change this behavior so that
Pro Tools will instead remain armed, waiting to
begin recording again when lock is re-estab-
lished with the time code of the next take.
To configure RecordLock for loading:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Enable Transport RecordLock.
3 Enable Audio Track RecordLock.
4 Configure synchronization and other settings
as required.
5 Put Pro Tools online, and start the external
source player.
6 Whenever time code drops out or stops,
Pro Tools remains online and waits to receive
new time code. The Transport and record-en-
abled tracks remain record-enabled. When time
code resumes, Pro Tools begins recording to a
new audio file (properly time stamped based on
the incoming code).
Foley Recording
Foley recording is one of the more specialized
forms of recording in film production with
unique monitoring requirements. Between
punches and takes, inputs must be muted while
Foley artists move themselves and equipment as
they progress through a scene.
TrackInput monitoring can be configured to
support Foley style TrackPunch recording using
the Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped pref-
erence.
To configure Pro Tools for Foley-style punch record
monitoring:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Enable Mute Record-Armed Tracks While
Stopped.
3 Configure synchronization and other settings
for Pro Tools and your other devices.
4 Enable TrackPunch or DestructivePunch
mode and proceed with punch recording.
When recording online and Mute Record-Armed
Tracks While Stopped is enabled, record-enabled
tracks mute when the Transport is stopped. In-
put can still be monitored at any time by using
the TrackInput switch.
Because Pro Tools has a 13-hour Timeline
limit, you must use multiple sessions to
load dailies if the span is more than
13 hours.
Pro Tools Reference Guide508
Tracking and Overdubbing Music
Modern multitrack recording requires the
flexibility to “capture the moment” by allowing
on-the-fly record enabling and punch record-
ing, as provided by TrackPunch. Features of
TrackPunch for all tracking, overdubbing, and
punching situations include the following:
• Record enable tracks on-the-fly.
• Punch tracks in and out using on-screen
Record Enable buttons, remotely from a
synchronizer, from a control surface, or
using a foot switch.
• Compare and match levels using
TrackInput switching.
509
Part V: Editing
510
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 511
Chapter 25: Editing Basics
Use the Edit window in Pro Tools to edit and ar-
range audio, video, and MIDI. Track material
can be edited nondestructively and in real time
during playback.
The Edit window also lets you graphically edit
other data, as follows:
Editing Regions and Selections See Chapter 28,
“Editing Regions and Selections.” Also, see
Chapter 38, “Arranging Regions.”
Editing Fades and Crossfades See Chapter 29,
“Fades and Crossfades.”
Editing Elastic Audio See Chapter 41, “Elastic
Audio.”
Editing MIDI See Chapter 32, “MIDI Editing.”
Editing Automation See Chapter 45, “Automa-
tion.”
Editing Video See Chapter 51, “Working with
Video in Pro Tools.”
Nondestructive Editing
The vast majority of audio editing in Pro Tools is
nondestructive. Whether cutting, pasting, trim-
ming, separating, or clearing regions, you are
only performing these functions on a map of
the actual media (such as audio files). The source
files remain untouched. However, certain pro-
cesses or tools work destructively (can perma-
nently change audio files on your hard disk), as
noted in other topics.
While editing for MIDI tracks is in some in-
stances destructive, with a few precautions you
can keep important MIDI tracks and regions safe
when performing edits (see “Nondestructive
MIDI Editing” on page 520).
Editing during Playback
Pro Tools lets you perform many editing tasks
while the session plays. This powerful capability
lets you interactively modify and edit a session,
hearing the changes as you make them.
Following are just a few examples of editing and
arranging tasks that can be performed while
playing back a Pro Tools session:
• Capture, separate, cut, copy, paste, and
trim regions.
• Place, spot, or rearrange regions.
• Add fades or crossfades to audio regions.
• Quantize MIDI notes and audio events.
• Transpose and otherwise modify MIDI
tracks.
• Nudge audio or MIDI regions.
Use Loop and Dynamic Transport modes for
auditioning and editing loops during play-
back. See “Playback Modes” on page 417.
Pro Tools Reference Guide512
• Audition different playlists.
• Adjust or scale automation and MIDI con-
tinuous controller data.
• Insert real-time plug-ins.
• Apply Real-Time (and Rendered) Elastic
Audio processing.
• Process audio with an AudioSuite plug-in.
• Automation editing.
There are a few things that cannot be changed
while Pro Tools plays, as noted in relevant top-
ics.
Track Material
Each time you record or import audio, video,
and MIDI, Pro Tools creates regions for the new
track data, which not only indicate where the
material begins and ends, but also provides vi-
sual feedback on its general character and con-
tent. When you record additional takes, or
“punch in” on a specific location within a track,
Pro Tools creates additional regions.
Regions are also created by cutting and pasting,
resizing, separating, and re-capturing existing
regions. Regions in a session are listed in the Re-
gion List, where they can be dragged to existing
tracks. A track can contain any number of re-
gions, in any arrangement. The order and loca-
tion of regions in a track define its playlist.
In addition to audio and MIDI regions, tracks
provide automation playlists of any automation
data (such as volume and pan). Automation can
be recorded and edited in the Mix, Edit, and
MIDI Editor windows (see Chapter 45, “Auto-
mation”).
Region Types
There are different types of audio and MIDI re-
gions, based on how they are created:
Whole-File Audio Regions These audio regions
are created when recording or importing audio,
consolidating existing regions, and when non-
destructively processing with an AudioSuite
plug-in. Whole-file audio regions reference an
entire audio file that resides on your hard drive.
Whole-file audio regions are displayed in bold
in the Region List (see Chapter 15, “The Region
List”). Normal regions often reference only a
portion of the parent audio file and are created
in the course of editing and, in some instances,
when punch recording or loop recording.
User-Defined Regions These are regions that are
explicitly defined, such as when you record or
import audio or MIDI; capture, separate, or con-
solidate a selection; trim a whole-file audio re-
gion; or rename an existing region.
Auto-Created Regions These regions are auto-
matically created in the course of editing, and,
in some instances, when punch recording over
existing regions. Since these regions can accu-
mulate rapidly in a session, you can hide them
in the Region List. Auto-created regions can be
turned into user-defined regions by renaming
them.
For information on video regions, see
Chapter 51, “Working with Video in
Pro Tools.”
For more information, see “Naming and
Displaying Regions in the Region List” on
page 269.
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 513
Offline Regions Regions are offline when their
parent files cannot be located, or are not avail-
able, when opening a session or importing a
track. Offline regions appear in the Region List
as italicized and dimmed; they appear in play-
lists as light blue regions with italicized names.
Offline regions can be edited like other regions,
but they cannot be processed with AudioSuite
plug-ins.
Multichannel Regions These regions, which are
displayed as a single region in the Region List,
reference multiple regions and audio files for
stereo and surround tracks. Multichannel re-
gions can be expanded (by clicking the triangle
next to their name) to see the individual chan-
nels, which can be dragged independently to
tracks.
Region Groups A region group is a collection of
any combination of audio and MIDI regions
that looks and acts like a single region. Region
groups are essentially containers holding one or
more regions. Region groups can be created on a
single track or on multiple adjacent audio,
MIDI, and Instrument tracks. Region groups let
you “nest” multiple regions into “macro” re-
gions for groove and tempo manipulation, edit-
ing, and arranging (see “Region Groups” on
page 835).
Warped Regions Regions on Real-Time Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks can be warped. Warped re-
gions are identified with a Warp Indicator icon
in the upper-right corner of regions on tracks
and to the left of region names in the Region
List. Warped regions result from the application
of Elastic Audio processing. Elastic Audio pro-
cessing can be applied manually in Warp view
or using the TCE Trimmer in Waveform view, or
automatically using tempo conform, quantiza-
tion, or transposition (see “Warped Regions” on
page 878).
Audio Regions and Waveforms
When the Track View for audio tracks is set to
Waveform, Pro Tools draws a waveform diagram
of the audio. Audio waveforms tell you several
things about the recorded sound.
In the figure above, the “peaks” represent places
in the recording where the attack of the sound
causes the volume to increase momentarily.
These are followed by “valleys,” where the vol-
ume decreases.
Different types of sounds produce different
types of waveforms. Drums, for example, gener-
ally produce waveforms with sharp transients
(peaks of short duration) that are clearly de-
fined. A drum hit has a loud, sharp attack and a
rapid decay.
Other sounds, such as vocals or sustained syn-
thesizer pads, produce very different waveforms.
These sounds have less pronounced peaks and
valleys because they generally have softer at-
tacks and longer decays.
Waveform Views
Pro Tools provides a several different Waveform
View options. Depending on the editing task,
you may want to display waveforms in any
number of different ways.
Audio waveform of a drum track
Pro Tools Reference Guide514
Calculating Waveform Overviews
Waveforms can be calculated using Peak or
Power overviews.
To set how the Waveform view is calculated:
Choose View > Waveforms and select one of the
following:
•Peak
– or –
•Power
Peak When selected, the waveform display is
calculated based on the sample-by-sample peak
level. Peak view is traditionally how Pro Tools
calculates the waveform overview and can be
used for normal or rectified views. Peak view
clearly displays any clipping in the waveform.
Power When selected, the wave form display is
calculated according to the Root Mean Square
(RMS). Power view can be used for normal or
rectified views. Power view is useful for better
seeing the characteristics of the audio in the
waveform representation when zoomed out be-
yond the sample level. For mastering applica-
tions in particular, it can be more revealing of
the sonic characteristics of the audio than Peak
view.
Rectified Waveforms
Rectified waveforms are displayed so that their
positive and negative waveform excursions (the
portions that fall above and below the center
line) are summed together and viewed as a sin-
gle positive-value signal. This view lets you see
more waveform detail in normal or reduced
track height views. It can be particularly useful
when editing volume automation data, since it
depicts waveform levels as starting at the bot-
tom of the track. Rectified view is available in
both Peak and Power views.
Normal Peak Waveform view with Outlines
When zoomed in to the sample level,
Pro Tools always displays Peak view.
Normal Power Waveform view with Outlines
Peak view is always shown during record-
ing. Power waveform view is calculated and
shown only after you stop recording.
Power view is not available in Destructive
Punch mode or when zoomed to the sample
level.
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 515
To show waveforms rectified (or normally):
Select (or deselect) View > Waveforms >
Rectified.
Outlined Waveforms
Outlined waveforms provide more visual defini-
tion of the waveform, especially when viewed
from a distance. However, you may want to dis-
able Outlines when you need to do precise, de-
tailed editing in Peak waveform view. Outlines
are not displayed when you are zoomed in to
the sample level.
To show (or hide) waveform outlines:
Select (or deselect) View > Waveforms >
Outlines.
Rectified Peak Waveform view with Outlines
Rectified Power Waveform view with Outlines
When zoomed in to the sample level,
Pro Tools always displays waveforms in
Normal Peak view.
Peak Waveform view without Outlines
Power Waveform view without Outlines
Rectified Peak Waveform view without Outlines
Rectified Power Waveform view without Outlines
Pro Tools Reference Guide516
Guidelines for Editing Waveforms
With the Selector tool in the Edit window, you
can select portions of audio waveforms and di-
vide them into segments called regions, so that
you can rearrange and manipulate them in
tracks.
While editing musical material, try to create re-
gions that let you maintain a consistent beat. If
you always define regions so that they contain a
whole number of beats, you will be able to string
the regions together and maintain a smooth,
steady rhythm.
It is sometimes useful to have a steady, well-de-
fined reference waveform (such as a drum track
or click track) as a guide when selecting and de-
fining other regions. If you have played in time
with the beat, it should be easier to create rhyth-
mically accurate regions by referring to the ref-
erence waveform.
Some important rules to keep in mind when de-
fining regions:
Whenever possible, begin a region precisely
before a volume peak, and end it immediately
before another volume peak.
Whenever possible, make sure a region starts
and ends on exactly the same part of a beat.
Use the following Pro Tools features to help
you edit rhythmic material or audio with clear
transients into precise regions:
• Tab to Transients (see “Tabbing to Tran-
sients” on page 572.)
• Editing to a Grid (see “Grid Mode” on
page 531)
• Beat Detective (see Chapter 31, “Beat De-
tective”)
Avoiding Clicks and Pops
If an edited region begins or ends at a point of
high amplitude, you may hear a click when
Pro Tools plays from one region to another. In
order to avoid clicks or pops do any of the fol-
lowing:
Make sure that the start and end points of
your selection are as close as possible to the
point where the amplitude of the waveform ta-
pers down to meet the zero-crossing line (the cen-
ter line of the track’s waveform display). If
necessary, use the zooming tools in the Edit win-
dow (see “Zooming Options” on page 534) to
display waveforms in greater detail.
Apply a crossfade between regions where a
click or pop occurs. See “Creating a Crossfade”
on page 609 for details.
With Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2, use the AutoFade fea-
ture to apply real-time fade-ins/outs to all region
boundaries that do not touch or overlap other
regions. See “Using AutoFades” on page 610 for
details.
Selection that begins and ends at zero crossings
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 517
Nondestructive Audio Editing
When editing an audio track’s playlist in
Pro Tools, you are not actually cutting and mov-
ing pieces of sound as you would if you were
cutting and splicing analog tape. Instead,
Pro Tools creates a map of the audio file on your
hard disk, which describes the order in which to
play various portions of the audio.
When trimming audio regions with any of the
Trimmer tools, or when editing the placement
or order of regions within a track, you can use
multiple playlists to easily return to a track’s pre-
vious state. For more information, see “Playlists”
on page 617.
Audio Regions and Automation
Data
Automation data for audio resides in tracks and
not in the Region List. This means that when
you drag an audio region from the Region List to
a new track, no automation data is placed in the
track. However, if you drag an audio region from
an existing track (that contains automation
data) to another track, the automation from the
source track is placed in the destination track.
You can edit automation data by switching track
views or by revealing the automation lanes un-
der the track.
MIDI Regions and MIDI Data
The two most common Track Views you will use
for MIDI and Instrument tracks are Notes and
Regions:
Use Regions view for arranging regions.
Use Notes view for inserting and editing indi-
vidual MIDI notes, and for working with and af-
fecting groups of notes.
Regions View for MIDI and
Instrument Tracks
MIDI and Instrument tracks can be viewed as
Regions, which is similar to Waveform view for
audio tracks. While a track’s notes are visible in
Regions view, individual note editing is not
available in this view. Instead, all editing occurs
across a time range encompassing all track data,
including continuous controller events, pro-
gram changes, and System Exclusive events.
Use Regions view to define regions that repre-
sent song sections and clips, or to rearrange or
assemble track material.
In Regions view, the vertical zoom is automati-
cally scaled to fit the entire range of pitches of
MIDI notes on a track.
For more information on automation, see
Chapter 45, “Automation.”
For more information on setting Track
View, see “Track Views” on page 218.
To toggle the Track View between Notes
and Regions, click in the track you want to
toggle and press Start+Minus (Windows) or
Control+Minus (Mac) on the alphanumeric
keyboard.
You can double-click a MIDI region to open
it in the MIDI Editor window. See
Chapter 33, “MIDI Editors.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide518
There are a few things to consider when select-
ing, copying and cutting, and trimming MIDI
regions:
When cutting or clearing a region or region
group selection that includes a note’s start
point, the entire note is removed. This is even
the case when only a portion of the note (that
includes its start point) is selected.
When cutting or clearing a region or region
group selection that includes a note’s end point
(but not its start point), the note remains and
overlaps the edge of the region.
Similar rules also apply when MIDI regions or
region groups containing MIDI regions are
trimmed with any of the Trimmer tools. If the
MIDI region’s start point is moved beyond a
note’s start point, the note is removed. If the re-
gion’s end point is trimmed so that a note’s start
point is within the region but its end point is
not, the note remains and overlaps the edge of
the region.
When moving and placing MIDI regions with
overlapping notes, the notes always move with
the regions. When placing MIDI regions with
overlapping notes next to or near another re-
gion, the overlapping notes extend into the
next region on the track.
MIDI Regions Created on Barlines
When recording MIDI, or when manually enter-
ing MIDI notes, the beginning and ending of re-
sulting MIDI regions are constrained to bar
boundaries. This facilitates arranging MIDI re-
gions in a musically meaningful way, in whole
bar lengths.
The beginning of a recorded MIDI region always
starts on the barline immediately before the first
MIDI note (Note On) of the region. Likewise, the
MIDI region ends on the barline immediately
following the last note (Note Off) of the region.
MIDI Regions and Continuous
Controller Events
Continuous controller events reside in MIDI re-
gions and not in tracks. This means that when
dragging regions that contain controller data
from either a track or the Region List, the con-
troller data is written to the destination track.
You can edit continuous controller events by
switching track views or by revealing the con-
troller lanes under the track.
Cutting a MIDI region with note overlap
To separate MIDI notes, rather than leave
them hanging, when separating, cutting or
copying regions, make the Edit selection you
want, switch to Notes view and use the Sep-
arate At Selection command, then switch
back to Regions view and make the edit
(separating, cutting, or copying).
For more information on editing MIDI con-
troller data, see Chapter 32, “MIDI Editing.”
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 519
MIDI Mute Automation
Unlike continuous controller events, which rep-
resent nuances that are part of a MIDI perfor-
mance, Mute in Pro Tools is an automation
playlist that actually mutes the MIDI engine.
Mute automation does not correspond to actual
MIDI events and is therefore not exported when
saving as a Standard MIDI File.
Notes View for MIDI and
Instrument Tracks
When a MIDI or Instrument track’s Track View is
set to Notes, MIDI notes are displayed in a
“piano roll” format. Each note is displayed as a
small rectangle with its vertical placement indi-
cating pitch and its horizontal placement indi-
cating location in time (and duration).
To the left of the MIDI or Instrument track’s
playlist is a vertical mini-keyboard, complete
with octave numbering, for pitch reference. You
can click the mini-keyboard to play pitches us-
ing the track’s selected MIDI output. Arrows at
the top and bottom of the mini-keyboard (not
available in the smaller track heights) are used to
scroll the Notes display up and down.
In Notes view, the pitch range of MIDI notes
that can be displayed depends on the track
height, and on the current zoom value. Any
time a track’s notes do not fit within its current
height, notes above or below the viewed area are
displayed as single-pixel lines at the very top
and bottom of the range.
To scroll the Notes display up or down for a MIDI or
Instrument track, do one of the following:
Click either the up or down arrow of the mini-
keyboard.
With any of the Edit tools (such as the Time
Grabber tool) selected, press Control+Alt+Start
(Windows) or Command+Option+Control
(Mac) and drag up or down on the mini-key-
board.
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, move
the cursor over the track and Control-Alt-Start-
scroll (Windows) or Command-Option-Control-
scroll (Mac) up or down to scroll the notes dis-
play up or down.
MIDI track displaying notes
Up Arrow
Down Arrow
MIDI note above the current display
Keyboard reference MIDI note
Clicking the mini-keyboard clears the cur-
rent Edit selection. For more information,
see “Selecting MIDI Notes” on page 670.
Scrolling notes with the Up Arrow on mini-keyboard
Scrolling Notes display by dragging
Pro Tools Reference Guide520
Using the Edit tools, notes can be inserted, de-
leted, transposed, trimmed, and moved. For
more information, see “Manually Editing MIDI
Notes” on page 670.
Nondestructive MIDI Editing
While editing audio regions is usually nonde-
structive, this is generally not the case for MIDI
regions. For instance, if a MIDI region resides in
just one track at a single location, editing for
that region is destructive. This means that alter-
ing the pitch, duration, or placement of notes in
Notes view permanently alters the region.
However, if the Mirror MIDI Editing option is dis-
abled, when editing a MIDI region that appears
elsewhere in the session (either on the same
track at another location or in a different play-
list, or in another track), editing is nondestruc-
tive and creates a new auto-created region. To go
back to the previous material, drag the original
region from the Region List, or return to a previ-
ously saved playlist.
Naming Regions
You can rename regions to give them more de-
scriptive names, or to simplify existing names.
When renaming a region that was auto-created
during editing, the region becomes a user-de-
fined region and is displayed in the Region List
even when auto-created regions are hidden.
To rename a region on a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Select the region you want to rename and
then choose Region > Rename.
• With any of the Edit tools, Right-click the
the region that you want to rename and se-
lect Rename from the pop-up menu.
• Press Control+Shift+R (Windows) or Com-
mand+Shift+R (Mac).
• With the Grabber tool, double-click the re-
gion you want to rename. For MIDI re-
gions, the Name Dialog option must be
selected as the Double-Clicking a MIDI Region
Opens setting in the MIDI Preferences.
2 In the Name dialog, type a new name for the
region. If a whole-file audio region was selected,
specify whether to rename just the region, or
both the region and the disk file.
3 Click OK to rename the region.
One way to safely return to a track’s previ-
ous state is with playlists. Before you edit
notes, trim regions, or rearrange the order of
regions, make a duplicate of the track’s ex-
isting playlist and then edit the duplicate
(see “Playlists” on page 617).
To apply edits to all instances of a MIDI re-
gion, enable Mirrored MIDI Editing mode
(see “Mirrored MIDI Editing” on page 665).
For details on renaming regions, see “Re-
naming Regions” on page 269.
Name dialog
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 521
Displaying Region Names,
Region Times, and Other Data
Region names and times can sometimes get in
the way of editing audio waveforms and MIDI
data. In these instances, you may want to dis-
able their display. In other instances, such as ar-
ranging or spotting Foley, displaying region
names and times is extremely useful.
To enable or disable the display of region names in
playlists:
Select or deselect View > Region > Name.
To display region times:
From View > Region, select one of the follow-
ing options:
No Time Disables display of region times.
Current Time Displays start and end times for re-
gions.
Original Time Stamp Displays the Original Time
Stamp for each region. The Original Time Stamp
is the original time code location for the region
when it was first recorded or created.
User Time Stamp Displays the User Time Stamp
for each region. The User Time Stamp, which de-
faults to the Original Time Stamp, can be rede-
fined with the Time Stamp command.
Displaying Other Region Information
You can also choose to display the following in
regions:
Sync Points Can be displayed on regions in play-
lists (see “Sync Points” on page 820). This is use-
ful when visually spotting to time code or in ar-
ranging in Grid mode.
Region Overlaps Can be displayed on regions in
playlists. This is useful for arranging and when
working with tick-based audio tracks (see “Re-
gion Overlap and Underlap” on page 587).
Channel Name and Scene And Take
Information Can be displayed in regions in play-
lists and in the Region List. This is useful for
working with multichannel recordings and
metadata made by field recorders.
Display enabled for region names, Overlap, and times
See the Field Recorder Workflow Guide for
detailed information on workflows for field
recorders.
Pro Tools Reference Guide522
Multiple Undo
Pro Tools can keep track of up to 32 of the last
undoable operations, allowing you to return to a
previous editing state.
The Undo operations in Pro Tools are stored in a
queue, in the order in which they were invoked.
When choosing Edit > Undo, the most recent op-
eration is undone. If you choose Undo again, the
next operation in the queue is undone. You can
also choose Edit > Redo to redo an operation,
which moves back through the Undo queue by
one step.
When the number of operations in the Undo
queue reaches the maximum specified level of
Undo (set in the Editing Preferences page), per-
forming another undoable operation will re-
move the oldest operation at the top of the
queue.
To undo the last operation, do one of the following:
Choose Edit > Undo.
– or –
Press Control+Z (Windows) or Command+Z
(Mac).
To redo the last undone operation, do one of the
following:
Choose Edit > Redo.
– or –
Press Shift+Control+Z (Windows) or
Shift+Command+Z (Mac).
Undo History Window
You can use the Undo History window to view
the queue of the undoable and redoable opera-
tions and return to any previous state. The Undo
History can show edit creation times, enabling
you to revert to the state a session held at a par-
ticular time.
To show (or hide) the Undo History window:
Choose Window > Undo History.
To undo operations in the Undo History window:
Click the operation (bold) in the list to undo.
All operations in the queue that were performed
after the operation you select are also undone.
In the Undo History window, undoable opera-
tions are shown in bold and redoable operations
(operations that have already been undone) are
shown in italics.
To redo operations in the Undo History window:
Click the operation (italics) in the list to redo.
The operation you choose, as well as all the op-
erations in the queue before it, are redone.
If no actions are available to undo, the
menu displays Can’t Undo.
If no actions are available to redo, the menu
displays Can’t Redo.
Undo History Window
Undoable
operations
Redoable
operations
Creation times
Options selector
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 523
To toggle display of creation times in the Undo
History window:
Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
Show Creation Times.
To undo all the operations in the Undo Queue:
Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
Undo All.
To redo all the operations in the Redo Queue:
Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
Redo All.
Clearing the Undo Queue
To manually clear the Undo Queue
Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
Clear Undo Queue.
Other operations that clear the Undo Queue in-
clude:
• Deleting a track, or clearing a region from
the Region List
• Selecting Select > Unused, or Select > Un-
used Audio Except Whole Files in the Region
List menu
When the number of operations in the Undo
History reaches the maximum level of Undo,
performing another undoable operation re-
moves the oldest operation at the top of the
Undo History queue. When the oldest operation
is one operation away from being pushed out of
the queue, it is shown in red.
Levels of Undo and Memory
Because Pro Tools needs to keep track of the
playlists for all tracks that are edited, the use of
multiple levels of Undo can be memory inten-
sive. You can lower the Levels of Undo setting
(Editing Preferences) in Pro Tools to reduce the
amount of system memory (RAM) used by the
Undo queue. If you have plenty of memory
available for Pro Tools, you can use a higher Lev-
els Of Undo setting.
To set the Levels of Undo in Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Editing tab.
2 Click in the Levels of Undo field and type a
value between 1–32.
3 Click OK.
Use the Undo History window to view a
queue of undo operations and return to a
previous state.
Levels of Undo preference
Pro Tools Reference Guide524
Basic Editing Commands
Pro Tools provides many standard edit com-
mands (such as Cut, Copy, and Paste). Pro Tools
also provides many specialized edit commands
that are optimized for audio and MIDI produc-
tion (such as Repeat Paste to Fill).
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear
Use the Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear commands to
rearrange and edit track material. Edits can oper-
ate on entire regions selected with the Time
Grabber tool, or on track ranges selected with
the Selector tool. Edits can also work across mul-
tiple tracks (see “Editing Across Multiple Tracks”
on page 527).
Track View and Edit Content
When cutting or copying track material, the
Track View determines the type of data placed
on the Clipboard. When editing in a track’s
Master View (Waveform view for audio tracks
and Regions view for MIDI or Instrument
tracks), selections can include all underlying au-
tomation and controller data (“Automation Fol-
lows Edit Option” on page 1012). Thus, cutting
an audio region can also cut any volume, pan,
mute, send, continuous controller, or plug-in
automation that is also on the track. This saves
you from having to individually cut from each
automation playlist on the track.
When selecting groups of MIDI notes in Notes
view with any of the Grabber tools (by drawing
a rectangle around them), only the note data is
placed on the Clipboard. When selecting a time
range of MIDI notes (in Notes view) with the Se-
lector tool, all controller data in the track is se-
lected (similar to selecting with the Selector tool
for audio tracks in Waveform view).
When a track is displaying automation data or
controller data, only that data is placed on the
Clipboard. Also, whenever you cut or copy auto-
mation data, bounding breakpoints are created
at each end of the selected area, in order to pre-
serve the slope of the automation both inside
and outside the selection.
If tracks are grouped, copying and pasting on
any of the tracks affects each of the other tracks
in the group. Tracks that are hidden—even if
they are part of a group being edited—are not af-
fected by edits.
You can Cut, Copy, and Paste noncontiguous
regions by selecting them with the Object
Grabber tool.
Audio waveform data
Automation data with Cut and Pasted audio region
Use Control+Start+V (Windows) or Com-
mand+Control+V (Mac) to special paste
automation data into another automation
type. For example, you can copy Pan auto-
mation into a Volume automation playlist.
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 525
The Shuffle Regions option affects how material
is cut and pasted:
• When Shuffle Regions is enabled, the Cut
command leaves no empty space, since the re-
gions to the right of the cut slide over, closing
the gap. Otherwise the Cut command leaves
an empty space corresponding to the data re-
moved from the track.
• When Shuffle Regions is enabled, pasted data
causes all regions to slide over to make room
for the pasted material. Otherwise, pasted
data can overlap an adjacent region.
New regions are often auto-created when per-
forming edits. For instance, when clearing a se-
lection from a region, new regions are auto-cre-
ated from the material residing outside of the
selection.
Cut and Copy Commands
Use the Cut command to remove the selection
from the track and place it on the Clipboard.
Use the Copy command to place a copy of the se-
lection on the Clipboard so it can be pasted to
another track, or to the same track at a different
location, while leaving the original intact and in
place.
To cut or copy a selection or region:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, enable Snap to Grid.
2 Set the Track View for the tracks you want to
edit.
When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or
notes or regions for MIDI tracks, selections in-
clude underlying automation and controller
data. If the track is displaying automation data,
only the automation data is affected by the ed-
its.
3 Make an Edit selection of the material you
want to Cut or Copy.
4 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Cut to remove the selection
and place it on the Clipboard.
– or –
• Choose Edit > Copy to place the selection on
the Clipboard, without removing it.
If a portion of a region was cut or copied, the
material on the Clipboard appears as a new re-
gion in the Region List. If a portion of a region
was cut, new regions are auto-created from the
material residing outside of the selection.
When Shuffle Regions is enabled, any subse-
quent regions slide over to fill any empty space.
Deleting Underlying Region Data
When removing a region or selection, you can
choose to remove or keep the underlying region
data.
To delete a region or selection along with the
underlying region data:
Choose Edit > Cut.
To delete a region or selection without removing
the underlying region data:
Choose Edit > Clear.
For more information on the Shuffle Re-
gions option, see “Shuffle Mode” on
page 529.
For information on making Edit selections,
see “Selecting Track Material” on page 563.
Pro Tools Reference Guide526
Paste Command
Use the Paste command to place the contents of
the Clipboard at the Edit insertion point, and
overwrite any material already there.
To paste a selection or region:
1 If you want to constrain the insertion point or
the selection to the current Grid value, enable
Snap to Grid.
2 Do one of the following:
• With the Selector tool, click in a track at the
point where you want to paste the mate-
rial.
– or –
• Use the Selector or Time Grabber tool to
make a selection where the material will be
placed.
3 Choose Edit > Paste.
If pasting at an insertion point with Shuffle Re-
gions enabled, material to the right of the paste
point is shifted to the right. Otherwise, any ma-
terial within the paste range is overwritten.
If pasting into a selection with Shuffle Regions
enabled, the selection is replaced by the Clip-
board’s contents with the adjacent material slid
left or right as necessary. Otherwise, the selec-
tion is also replaced but with the surrounding
material remaining unchanged.
Clear Command
Use the Clear command to remove a selection
from a track without placing it on the Clip-
board.
To clear a selection or region:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, enable Snap to Grid.
2 Set the Track View for the tracks you want to
edit.
When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or
notes or regions for MIDI tracks, selections in-
clude underlying automation and controller
data. If the track is displaying automation data,
only the automation data is affected by the ed-
its.
3 Make an Edit selection.
4 Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selection.
If a portion of a region was cleared, new regions
are auto-created from the material residing out-
side of the selection. When Shuffle Regions is
enabled, any subsequent regions slide over to fill
any empty space.
With the Grabber tool, Start-click (Win-
dows) or Control-click (Mac) a region to
conform it to the current selection.
When working with MIDI, you can merge
the contents of the Clipboard with material
in the destination track using Edit > Paste
Special > Merge. For more information, see
“Paste Special” on page 1037.
Chapter 25: Editing Basics 527
Special Cut, Copy, Paste, and
Clear Commands
Use the four “special” Edit menu commands
(Cut Special, Copy Special, Paste Special, and
Clear Special) for cutting, copying, pasting, and
clearing automation (volume, pan, mute, and
plug-in automation) on audio, Auxiliary Input,
Master Fader, VCA Master, and Instrument
tracks. These commands can also be used for
MIDI controller data on MIDI and Instrument
tracks.
Repeat To Fill Selection
The Repeat to Fill Selection command lets you
automatically fill a selection with audio or MIDI
regions or data without requiring that you man-
ually duplicate the regions. To use Repeat to Fill
Selection, Cut or Copy a region, then make a se-
lection and use the command to fill the selec-
tion. When pasting audio regions, you are
prompted to specify a crossfade to be used for
the pasted regions.
If you fill an area that is an exact multiple of the
copied region size (for example, filling 16 bars
with a 4-bar region), the copied selection is
pasted as many times as it takes to fill the selec-
tion. If you fill an area that is not an exact mul-
tiple of the copied region size (for example, fill-
ing 15 seconds of a track with a 2-second region
of room noise), the remaining selection area is
filled with an automatically trimmed version of
the original selection.
To fill a selection with Repeat to Fill Selection:
1 Select the region you want to copy.
2 Choose Edit > Copy.
3 Select the area you want to fill using the Selec-
tor tool and choose Edit > Paste Special > Repeat
to Fill Selection.
4 Do one of the following:
• If pasting audio regions to larger areas, the
Batch Fades dialog opens. Configure the di-
alog to create crossfades between each
pasted region, then click OK.
– or –
• If you do not want crossfades for the
pasted audio, click Cancel in the Batch
Fades dialog.
Editing Across Multiple Tracks
When working with data from multiple tracks,
there are some important points to remember.
For example, if any selected tracks are set to
their master view (see “Master Views for Tracks”
on page 222), edits affect not only audio and
MIDI for the selected tracks, but all automation
and controller data as well.
If all selected tracks are displayed as automation
data, edits only affect the type of automation
data displayed in each track. Furthermore, if
track 1 displays Pan automation, track 2 displays
Volume automation, and track 3 displays Mute
automation, the Cut command cuts only pan
data from track 1, volume data from track 2, and
mute data from track 3.
You cannot paste MIDI controller data to
automation data nor automation to MIDI.
For more information, see “Cutting, Copying,
and Pasting Automation” on page 1035.
For more information on selecting data on
multiple tracks, see “Selecting Across Multi-
ple Tracks” on page 569.
Pro Tools Reference Guide528
To copy all types of automation on all selected
tracks when copying only automation or controller
data:
Choose Edit > Copy Special > All Automation.
To paste to multiple tracks:
1 Do one of the following:
• Place the insertion point in each of the des-
tination tracks by Shift-clicking in them.
• Make a selection in one of the Timebase
rulers.
2 Choose Edit > Paste.
When you paste multiple types of data, what-
ever data has been copied is pasted into the cor-
rect type of playlist. Automation data is pasted
into the corresponding automation playlist. Au-
dio or MIDI data is pasted into the audio or
MIDI playlist. You do not need to set target
tracks to the specific type of data being pasted
for the paste to work correctly.
If all destination tracks in a multitrack paste are
displayed as automation, the paste replaces any
previous data on the target track without shuf-
fling—regardless of whether Shuffle Regions is
enabled.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 529
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools
Pro Tools provides four Edit modes and various
Edit tools to help you successfully edit material.
Edit Modes
Pro Tools has four Edit modes: Shuffle, Spot,
Slip, and Grid. Grid mode provides two modes
of operation, Relative and Absolute, explained
below. The Edit mode is selected by clicking the
corresponding button in the upper left of the
Edit window.
The Edit mode affects the movement and place-
ment of audio and MIDI regions (and MIDI
notes), how commands like Copy and Paste
function, and also how the various Edit tools
(Trim, Selector, Grabber, and Pencil tools) work.
Shuffle Mode
In Shuffle mode, you can move, trim, delete,
cut, or paste regions freely within a track or to
other tracks, but their movement is constrained
by other regions. That is, if you place several re-
gions in a track, they automatically snap to each
other. You can then “shuffle” their order, but
you cannot separate them from each other and
you cannot make them overlap as in Slip mode.
However, if there is silence between existing re-
gions, and the regions are shuffled, the silence is
maintained, and not removed.
In Shuffle mode, adding another region to the
beginning of a track moves all subsequent re-
gions to the right (later in time) by the length of
the added region.
When using any of the Trimmer tools in Shuffle
mode, changing a region’s start or end point au-
tomatically moves any subsequent regions as
necessary. The placement and insertion of MIDI
notes is not affected by Shuffle mode.
Edit mode buttons
Use the Accent key ( ` ) to toggle through the
Edit modes. Press F1 to enable Shuffle mode.
Pro Tools Reference Guide530
Shuffle Lock
With certain workflows, it is important to ex-
clude Shuffle mode in order to ensure that re-
gions stay time-aligned while editing. Shuffle
Lock prevents you from inadvertently entering
Shuffle mode by disabling all key commands
and control surface switches for Shuffle mode.
You cannot invoke Shuffle Lock while in Shuffle
mode.
To lock out Shuffle Mode:
While in any Edit mode other than Shuffle
mode, Control-click (Windows) or Command-
click (Mac) the Shuffle button on-screen. A lock
icon appears in the Shuffle button.
To unlock Shuffle Mode:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the locked Shuffle button on-screen.
Slip Mode
In Slip mode, regions can be moved freely
within a track or to other tracks. In this mode, it
is possible to place a region so that there is space
between it and other regions in a track. When
the track is played back, this space is silent. It is
also possible to move a region so that it overlaps
or completely covers another region.
Use Slip mode when you want the Trim, Selec-
tor, Grabber, and Pencil tools to work without
any restrictions to placement in time.
Spot Mode
Use Spot mode to place regions at precise loca-
tions. In Spot mode you can specify a frame lo-
cation (or a location based on any of the other
time formats), capture an incoming Time Code
address, or use a region’s time stamps as refer-
ence points for spotting. This can be particularly
useful when performing post production tasks
around SMPTE frame locations.
When Spot mode is enabled, Pro Tools asks you
to specify a destination location when a region
is dragged from the Region List, a DigiBase
browser, Windows Explorer, or the Mac Finder.
Shuffle Lock enabled Press F2 to enable Slip mode.
Press F3 to enable Spot mode.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 531
Grid Mode
In Grid mode, regions and MIDI notes that are
moved, trimmed or inserted “snap” to the cur-
rently selected Grid value, or to precise incre-
ments on a user-definable time grid.
Displaying Grid Lines
To show (or hide) the Grid lines in the Edit window
or in a MIDI Editor window, do one of the following:
Select (or deselect) the Grid button.
– or –
Click the Name of the currently selected
Timebase ruler.
Absolute and Relative Grid
Grid mode can be applied in Absolute or Rela-
tive mode:
In Absolute Grid mode, moving any region
snaps the region start to Grid boundaries. If a re-
gion’s start point falls between beats, and the
Grid is set to 1/4 notes, dragging the region will
snap its start time to the nearest 1/4 note (the
current absolute Grid value).
In Relative Grid mode, regions can be moved
by Grid (or Nudge) units. If a region’s start point
falls between beats and the Grid is set to a 1/4
note (assuming the 1/4 note gets the beat), drag-
ging the region will be constrained to 1/4 notes,
preserving the region’s relative position to the
nearest beat. For more information on Relative
Grid mode, see “Sliding Regions in Grid Mode”
on page 816.
To select Absolute or Relative Grid mode:
Click the Grid mode selector and choose Abso-
lute or Relative.
Press F4 to enable Grid mode.
Grid button selected in the Edit window
Turning on Grid lines from a Timebase ruler
To temporarily suspend Grid mode and
switch to Slip mode while dragging a region,
hold down the Control key (Windows) or
Command key (Mac) after clicking the
mouse.
Pro Tools Reference Guide532
Snap To Grid
Pro Tools lets you enable Snap To Grid while in
Shuffle, Slip, or Spot mode. When in any of
these modes with Snap To Grid also enabled,
placing the Edit cursor and making Edit selec-
tions is constrained by the Grid, but any region
editing is also affected by the other selected Edit
mode.
For example, in Shuffle mode, with Snap To
Grid enabled, you can make a selection in a re-
gion based on the Grid, cut the selection, and
any regions to the right of the edit shuffle to the
left.
To enable Snap To Grid while in another Edit mode:
Shift-click the Grid mode button.
To enable Shuffle, Slip, or Spot while in Grid mode:
Shift-click the Shuffle, Slip, or Spot mode but-
ton.
Configuring the Grid
The actual Grid size, chosen from the Grid value
selector can be based on a time value using the
Main Time Scale; or, if the Follow Main Time Scale
option is deselected, another time format can be
used for the Grid size.
The Grid Value indicator and selector are lo-
cated in the Edit window. Also, the Score Editor
window and MIDI Editor windows each provide
an independent Grid Value indicator and selec-
tor.
Shuffle mode with Snap To Grid enabled
Press Shift+F4 to enable Snap To Grid while
in another Edit mode.
Press F1+F4 to enable Snap To Grid and
Shuffle mode; press F2+F4 to enable Snap
To Grid and Slip mode; and press F3+F4 to
enable Snap To Grid and Spot mode.
Grid Value indicator and pop-up menu
The current Grid value is also used for the
Quantize to Grid command (see “Quantiz-
ing Regions to Grid” on page 593) and Sep-
arated Region At Grid command (see “Sepa-
rate Commands” on page 584).
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 533
The Regions/Markers option in the Grid Value
menu allows events to be placed freely (as in Slip
mode), but they will snap to region locations
(start, end, and sync points), markers, and Edit
selections when placed near them.
Grid Mode Lock
To ensure that you do not inadvertently change
the Grid mode setting when using Edit mode
keyboard shortcuts, you can enable Edit/Tool
Mode Keyboard Lock.
To lock (or unlock) the selected Grid mode:
1 Click the Grid mode selector and choose Abso-
lute or Relative.
2 Select (or deselect) Options > Edit/Tool Mode
Keyboard Lock.
Edit Tools
Pro Tools provides the following Edit tools: the
Zoomer, Trimmer, Selector, Grabber, Scrubber,
and Pencil tools, and the multifunctional Smart
Tool.
To select an Edit tool:
Click the icon for the tool you want in the
Toolbar.
The Zoomer, Trimmer, Grabber, and Pencil tools
have multiple modes, which you can select from
a pop-up menu when you click the tool.
MIDI notes inserted with the Pencil tool ig-
nore the Regions/Markers option, and in-
stead snap to the time value selected in the
Grid Value selector.
Zoom buttons and Edit tools
You can use F5 (Zoomer), F6 (Trimmer), F7
(Selector), and F8 (Grabber), F9 (Scrubber),
and F10 (Pencil) to select and toggle
through the modes for each tool.
Press the Escape key to toggle through the
Edit tools.
Zoom Toggle
Smart Tool Pencil
Zoomer
Trimm er
Selector
Grabber
Scrubber
Zoom buttons
Pro Tools Reference Guide534
Zoom Buttons Use the Zoom buttons to zoom in
and out vertically and horizontally on MIDI and
audio track material. You can also store and re-
call five Zoom presets.
Zoomer Tool Use the Zoomer tool to select a
zoom view in a track.
Zoom Toggle Use the Zoom Toggle to switch be-
tween the current zoom view and a defined
zoom view.
Trimmer Tools Use the Trimmer tools to trim re-
gions and region groups.
Selector Tool Use the Selector to make selections
on tracks.
Grabber Tools Use the Grabber tools to select,
separate, or move regions on tracks.
Smart Tool Use the Smart tool to Trim, Select, or
Grab regions in tracks.
Scrubber Tool Use the Scrubber tool to scrub
through track material.
Pencil Tool Use the Pencil tool to draw automa-
tion and MIDI data.
Zooming Options
Zooming options in Pro Tools include Zoom
buttons, the Zoomer tool, the Zoom Preset but-
tons, and the Zoom Toggle command.
Zoom Buttons
Pro Tools includes different Zoom buttons for
zooming in and out on track data.
The Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, and the
Score Editor window also provide Zoom buttons
above and below the right vertical scroll bar (see
“Edit Window Zoom Buttons” on page 180,
“MIDI Editor Zoom Controls” on page 708, and
“Score Editor Zoom Controls” on page 729.)
Horizontal Zoom In and Out
Buttons
The Horizontal Zoom In and Out buttons let
you zoom in and out horizontally on track data.
To zoom in horizontally for all tracks, do one of the
following:
Click the Horizontal Zoom In button.
Drag on the Horizontal Zoom In button to
zoom in continuously.
Press Control+] (Windows) or Command+]
(Mac).
To zoom out horizontally for all tracks, do one of
the following:
Click the Horizontal Zoom Out button.
Drag on the Horizontal Zoom Out button to
zoom out continuously.
Press Control+[ (Windows) or Command+[
(Mac).
For information on using the Edit tools in
Notes view on MIDI and Instrument tracks,
see Chapter 32, “MIDI Editing.”
For information on using the Edit tools in
Warp view and Analysis view on Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks, see “Editing in Warp
View” on page 873 and “Editing in Analy-
sis View” on page 879.
Horizontal Zoom Out and In buttons
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 535
Audio and MIDI Zoom In and Out
Buttons
The Audio and MIDI Zoom buttons let you
zoom in and out vertically on audio and MIDI
data respectively.
To zoom in vertically for all audio tracks, do one of
the following:
Click the Audio Zoom In button.
Drag on the Audio Zoom In button to zoom
continuously.
Press Control+Alt+] (Windows) or
Command+Option+] (Mac).
To zoom out vertically for all audio tracks, do one
of the following:
Click the Audio Zoom Out button.
Click the Audio Vertical Zoom buttons.
Press Control+Alt+[ or Control+Alt+]
(Windows) or Command+Option+[ or
Command+Option+] (Mac).
To zoom all audio vertically to show the default
waveform height:
Press Control+Alt+Start+[ (Windows) or
Command+Option+Control+[ (Mac).
To zoom in vertically for all MIDI and Instrument
tracks, do one of the following:
Click the MIDI Zoom In button.
– or –
Press Control+Shift+] (Windows) or
Command+Shift+] (Mac).
To zoom out vertically for all MIDI and Instrument
tracks, do one of the following:
Click the MIDI Zoom Out button.
– or –
Press Control+Shift+[ (Windows) or
Command+Shift+[ (Mac).
To zoom MIDI vertically to show all notes (lowest
to highest) in MIDI and Instrument tracks:
Press Control+Start+Shift+[ (Windows) or
Command+Control+Shift+[ (Mac)
Audio Vertical Zoom button
MIDI Vertical Zoom button
MIDI Vertical Zoom only affects tracks in
not in Regions view.
Pro Tools Reference Guide536
To zoom in or out vertically for a single MIDI or
Instrument track:
1 Make sure the Track View is not set to Regions.
2 Select the Zoomer tool.
3 Hold Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) and
drag upwards to zoom in, or downward to zoom
out.
Additional Zoom Key Commands
To return to the previous zoom level, do one of the
following:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) any
of the Horizontal, Audio, or MIDI Zoom but-
tons.
– or –
Press Control+Alt+E (Windows) or
Command+Option+E (Mac).
To zoom in horizontally on the Edit selection
without affecting vertical zoom:
Press Alt+F (Windows) or Option+F (Mac).
If the selection contains MIDI notes, the se-
lected MIDI notes are vertically scrolled to show
in tracks as necessary.
To zoom in horizontally on a selection without
affecting vertical zoom or scrolling, do one of the
following:
Press Alt+Start+F (Windows) or
Option+Control+F (Mac).
– or –
Press Control+Start+] (Windows) or
Command+Control+] (Mac).
To zoom horizontally to show the entire session, do
one of the following:
Double-click the Zoomer tool in the toolbar.
Press Alt+A (Windows) or Option+A (Mac).
Audio waveforms revert to the default vertical
zoom; on tracks set to Notes view, MIDI notes
zoom vertically to show all notes in the track
(same as the vertical zoom in Regions view); and
the Tempo Editor zooms vertically to show all
tempo events.
To zoom horizontally to show the entire session
without affecting vertical zoom or scrolling, do one
of the following:
Press Alt+Start+A (Windows) or
Option+Control+A (Mac).
– or –
Press Control+Start+[ (Windows) or
Command+Control+[ (Mac).
To set horizontal zoom to “overview scale” (256
samples per pixel):
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Zoomer tool.
Zoomer Tool
Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in and out around
a particular area within a track.
The Zoomer tool offers two modes:
Normal Zoom The Zoomer tool remains selected
after zooming.
Single Zoom The previously selected Edit tool is
automatically reselected after zooming.
Press the F5 key to select the Zoomer tool
and toggle between Normal and Single
Zoom modes.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 537
Normal Zoomer Tool
To zoom around a certain point in a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and
select Normal Zoom mode.
– or –
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Zoomer Tools > Normal Zoom.
2 Click once with the Zoomer tool at a location
within the track. All tracks are zoomed in by one
level and the Edit window is centered around
the zoomed location.
3 To zoom back to the previous level, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) with the
Zoomer tool.
To zoom into a particular track area:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and
select Normal Zoom mode.
– or –
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Zoomer Tools > Normal Zoom.
2 Do either of the following:
• To zoom horizontally only, drag with the
Zoomer tool in the track’s playlist.
– or –
• To zoom horizontally and vertically, press
Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
while dragging in the track’s playlist.
The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window.
Zoomer tool
Zooming horizontally with Zoomer tool
Pro Tools Reference Guide538
Single Zoom Mode
Single Zoom mode returns you to the previously
selected tool after a zoom has been performed.
For example, when using the Smart Tool you
can click the Single Zoomer tool, and once the
Zoom operation has been performed, Pro Tools
automatically switches back to the Smart Tool.
To use Single Zoom mode, do one of the following:
Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and se-
lect Single Zoom mode.
Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Zoomer Tools > Single Zoom.
Press the F5 key to toggle to Single Zoom
mode.
Single Zoom is identified with an arrow to the
right of the Zoomer icon.
Normal Zoom mode does not have the arrow.
Zooming in a Ruler
To zoom horizontally in a ruler:
1 Press Control+Start (Windows) or Com-
mand+Control (Mac) and move the cursor into
the ruler area, so the Zoomer tool appears.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click once to zoom in one level around a
certain point.
– or –
• Drag to zoom in around a particular ruler
range.
Continuous Zoom with the Zoomer
Tool
Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in or out continu-
ously.
To use continuous zoom on one track or a group of
tracks:
1 Select the Zoomer tool.
2 Hold the Start key (Windows) or Control
(Mac) and do one of the following:
• Drag up to continuously zoom in vertically.
• Drag down to continuously zoom out ver-
tically.
• Drag to the right to continuously zoom in
horizontally.
• Drag to the left to continuously zoom out
horizontally.
For horizontal zoom, all tracks zoom together.
Tracks will zoom in or out centered horizontally
on the location where you click.
Single Zoom mode
Zooming in a ruler
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 539
Vertical Zooming In or Out of All
Audio Tracks Continuously
To vertically zoom in or out of all audio tracks
using continuous zoom:
Drag up or down on the Audio Zoom In or
Out button.
To vertically zoom in or out of all MIDI and
Instrument tracks that are set to Notes view using
continuous zoom:
Drag up or down on the MIDI Zoom In or Out
button. Any waveform height offsets will be
maintained.
To zoom horizontally and show the entire session,
and to reset the audio waveform to show the
default height, zoom MIDI to show all notes in a
track, and zoom the Tempo Editor to show all
tempo events, do one of the following:
Double-click the Zoomer tool.
Press Alt+A (Windows) or Option+A (Mac).
To only zoom horizontally to show the entire
session without affecting vertical zoom or
scrolling:
Press Alt+Start+A (Windows) or
Option+Control+A (Mac).
To set all audio track waveform heights to match
the waveform height of the topmost audio track in
the Edit window:
Control-Shift-click (Windows) or Command-
Shift-click (Mac) the Audio Zoom button. All
waveform height offsets will be lost.
To set all MIDI and Instrument track note heights
to match the note height of the topmost MIDI or
Instrument track in the Edit window:
Control-Shift-click (Windows) or Command-
Shift-click (Mac) the MIDI Zoom button. All
note height offsets will be lost.
Zoom Preset Buttons
Pro Tools lets you save up to five horizontal Edit
window Zoom presets, which can be recalled by
typing a number or by clicking a Zoom Preset
button.
To store a view as a Zoom preset:
1 Use the Zoomer tool to configure the Track
View.
2 Click and hold one of the Zoom Preset buttons
(1–5) and choose Save Zoom Preset from the
Zoom Preset pop-up menu. The preset button
flashes momentarily, and any previously stored
Zoom preset at that number is replaced.
This will also affect your MIDI note
heights.
To reset the default audio waveform heights
without affecting the horizontal zoom level
or MIDI note heights, press Control+
Alt+Start+[ (Windows) or Command+
Option+Control+[ (Mac).
Zoom Preset pop-up menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide540
To recall a saved Zoom preset, do one of the
following:
Click the appropriate Zoom Preset button
(1–5).
– or –
Click and hold the Zoom Preset button and
choose Recall Zoom Preset from the Zoom Preset
pop-up menu.
Zoom Toggle
Zoom Toggle lets you define and toggle between
zoom states in the Edit window.
Zoom Toggle Parameters
The Zoom Toggle stores and recalls the follow-
ing parameters:
•Vertical Zoom
• Horizontal Zoom
• Track Height
•Track View
•Grid setting
Zoom Toggle Preferences
The Zoom Toggle preferences determine how
Zoom Toggle works. Adjust the Zoom Toggle
preferences to fit your workflow.
To change the Zoom Toggle preferences:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Editing tab.
3 Change the Zoom Toggle settings and options.
4 Click OK.
Vertical Zoom
Selection When selected, zoom toggling in
zooms vertically to the current Edit Selection.
Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
zooms vertically to the last stored Zoom Toggle
state for MIDI notes in Notes view only.
Horizontal Zoom
Selection When selected, zoom toggling in
zooms horizontally to the current selection.
This is especially useful for audio editing.
Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
zooms horizontally to the last stored Zoom Tog-
gle state. This option can emulate a separate ed-
itor window. This is especially useful for editing
MIDI notes.
Zoom Toggle preferences
For MIDI Editing, set the Zoom Toggle pref-
erences as follows: Vertical Zoom to Last
Used, Horizontal Zoom to Last Used, Track
View to Waveform/Notes, and Track Height
to Fit to Window.
For audio editing, set the Zoom Toggle pref-
erences as follows: Vertical Zoom to Selec-
tion, Horizontal Zoom to Selection, Track
Height to Fit to Window, and Track View to
No Change.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 541
Remove Range Selection After Zooming In When
the Remove Range Selection After Zooming In
option is selected, the current Edit selection col-
lapses into an insertion point after zoom tog-
gling in.
Track Height
Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
changes all tracks containing an Edit Selection
to the last used Track Height.
Medium When selected, zoom toggling in
changes all tracks containing an Edit Selection
to the Medium Track Height.
Large When selected, zoom toggling in changes
all tracks containing an Edit Selection to the
Large Track Height.
Jumbo When selected, zoom toggling in changes
all tracks containing an Edit Selection to the
Jumbo Track Height.
Extreme When selected, zoom toggling in
changes all tracks containing an Edit Selection
to the Extreme Track Height.
Fit To Window When selected, zoom toggling in
changes all tracks containing an Edit Selection
to the Fit To Window Track Height.
Track View
Waveform/Notes When selected, zoom toggling
in changes the Track View for audio tracks to
Waveform view, and changes the Track View for
Instrument and MIDI tracks to Notes view.
Warp/Notes When selected, zoom toggling in
changes the Track View for audio tracks to Warp
view, and changes the Track View for Instru-
ment and MIDI tracks to Notes view.
Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
changes the Track View to the last used Track
View that was stored with Zoom Toggle.
No Change When selected, the track view does
not change when zoom toggling in or out.
Separate Grid Settings When Zoomed In
When this option is selected, the Grid setting
stored with Zoom toggle is recalled when zoom
toggling in. When this option is deselected, the
same (current) grid setting is used whether zoom
toggling in or out.
Zoom Toggle Follows Edit Selection
When selected, this option ensures that zoom
toggle automatically follows the current Edit se-
lection. When disabled, changing the Edit selec-
tion has no affect on the currently toggled-in
track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide542
Using Zoom Toggle
Depending on the Zoom Toggle preferences set-
tings, the Zoom Toggle button in the Edit win-
dow lets you define a zoom state and toggle be-
tween it and the current zoom state, or it zooms
to the settings in the Zoom Toggle preferences.
When Zoom Toggle is enabled, the Edit window
displays the stored zoom state. Additionally,
any changes made to the view while Zoom Tog-
gle is enabled are also stored in the zoom state.
When Zoom Toggle is disabled, the Edit window
reverts to the last zoom state.
To store a zoom state using Zoom Toggle:
1 Set the Zoom Toggle preferences.
2 Make an Edit selection.
3 Click the Zoom Toggle button. It lights to in-
dicate that Zoom Toggle is enabled and
Pro Tools zoom toggles in based on the settings
of the Zoom Toggle preferences.
If Last Used is selected for any of the following,
you can adjust the corresponding zoom, height,
or view in the Edit window to update the stored
zoom state:
•Vertical Zoom
• Horizontal Zoom
• Track Height
•Track View
To modify the stored Zoom Toggle state, do one of
the following:
Change the Zoom Toggle preferences.
– or –
If Last Used is selected for any of the Vertical
Zoom, Horizontal Zoom, Track Height, or Track
View preferences, do the following:
• Make sure the Zoom Toggle button is lit
(enabled).
– and –
• Adjust the Track Height, Vertical Zoom,
Track View, or the Grid depending on
which preferences are set to Last Used.
Changes are stored as the new Zoom Toggle
state.
To clear the stored Zoom Toggle state:
1 Make sure the Zoom Toggle button is lit (en-
abled).
2 Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Zoom Toggle button.
Zoom Toggle button in the Edit window
In Commands Keyboard Focus mode (see
“Keyboard Focus” on page 30), press the
E key to enable or disable Zoom Toggle.
Press Alt+Shift+E (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift+E (Mac) to cancel Zoom Toggle
without reverting to the previous view.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 543
To use Zoom Toggle without changing playlist
views:
1 Make a selection on one or more tracks.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Alt+Start+E (Windows) or Op-
tion+Control+E (Mac).
– or –
• With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled
(see “Keyboard Focus” on page 30), press
Alt+E (Windows) or Option+E (Mac).
Auto-Toggle When Changing
Selection
When Zoom Toggle is enabled, selecting a dif-
ferent range of material, or selecting material on
a different track affects Zoom Toggle as follows:
• Changing the selection length does not re-
zoom the window, the current zoom level
is maintained.
• Changing the selection to a different track
sets the toggle-in state for track height and
view. However, horizontal zoom remains
unchanged. When moving the selection
from a toggled in track, the toggled out
track height and view are restored.
Using the Zoom Toggle
Auto-Toggle does not work for Edit selec-
tions across multiple tracks that are Zoom-
toggled to Fit to Window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide544
Zooming with a Scroll Wheel
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can
use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out of tracks,
both vertically and horizontally.
To continuously zoom horizontally using a scroll
wheel:
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
turning the mouse scroll wheel.
To continuously zoom audio (vertical zoom) in the
Edit window:
Hold Alt+Shift (Windows) or Option+Shift
(Mac) while turning the mouse scroll wheel.
To continuously zoom MIDI (vertical zoom) in the
Edit window:
Hold Alt+Start (Windows) or Option+Control
(Mac) while turning the mouse scroll wheel.
To scroll the contents of the Edit window or Mix
window horizontally:
1 Focus the window you want to scroll by click-
ing in it or bringing it forward.
2 Hold the Shift key while turning the mouse
scroll wheel.
Using the Trimmer Tools
Trimmer tools provide region, note, and data
trimming functions. The following Trimmer
tools are available:
• Trimmer tool; also called the Standard
Trimmer tool
• Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer
tool; also called the TCE Trimmer tool
• Scrub Trimmer tool (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 Only)
• Loop Trimmer tool
The Standard and Scrub Trimmer tools are only
constrained by the boundaries of the whole-au-
dio file referenced by the region. The TCE Trim-
mer tool is only constrained by the maximum
TCE amount when using the TCE Trimmer tool.
Trimmer Tool
With the Trimmer tool, you can quickly shorten
or expand a region (up to the entire length of
the source audio file). The first time you trim a
region, Pro Tools automatically adds it to the
Region List as a new region (with a name derived
from the original) in order to differentiate it
from the original.
The Trimmer tool is a nondestructive tool and
does not actually modify the original audio or
MIDI data (when working on regions). To return
to the length of the original region, drag it from
the Region List, or resize the edited region with
the Trimmer tool to its original length.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 545
Use of the Trimmer tool is affected by the cur-
rent Edit mode: Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid (see
“Edit Modes” on page 529).
To trim a region with the Trimmer tool:
1 Select the Trimmer tool.
If necessary, do one of the following:
• Click the Trimmer tool pop-up menu and
select Standard.
– or –
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Trimmer Tools > Standard.
2 Move the cursor near the start or end of the re-
gion, so the Trimmer Tool cursor appears.
To reverse the direction of the Trimmer tool,
press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac).
3 Do one of the following:
• If trimming the end, drag left to shorten
the region, right to lengthen.
– or –
• If trimming the start, drag right to shorten
the region, left to lengthen.
When trimming regions in a stereo or multi-
channel track, all channels are trimmed.
When using Shuffle mode, subsequent regions
are slid as necessary to make room for the edited
region. If using Grid mode, the dragged
start/end times snap to the nearest Grid bound-
ary. If using Spot mode, the Spot dialog opens,
where you can enter the new location for the re-
gion’s start or end point.
Time Compression/Expansion
Trimmer Tool
The Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer
tool (TCE Trimmer) is a convenient tool for
matching an audio region to the length of an-
other region, a tempo grid, a video scene, or to
practically any other reference point you want.
The Trimmer tool can also be used to
lengthen and shorten MIDI notes (see
“Trimming Note Start and End Times” on
page 673), and also to scale automation
and controller data up or down “Drawing
Automation” on page 1029.
Trimmer tool
Trimmer tool
When working with audio, you cannot trim
past the boundaries of adjacent regions.
Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool over a
region
The TCE Trimmer tool unloops and
consolidates looped regions.
Pro Tools Reference Guide546
Elastic Audio TCE Trimmer Tool
On Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, the TCE tool
uses the track’s selected Elastic Audio plug-in
(Real-Time or Rendered) to apply Real-Time or
Rendered Elastic Audio processing. The resulting
region displays a Warp indicator to indicate
Elastic Audio processing.
AudioSuite TCE Trim Tool
On audio tracks without Elastic Audio enabled,
the Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool
works by using the Time Compression/Expan-
sion (TCE) AudioSuite plug-in selected in the
Pro Tools Processing preferences to create a new
audio file.
Time Compression/Expansion
Plug-In Preferences
You can select which AudioSuite plug-in is used
for trimming with the TCE Trimmer tool on
non-Elastic Audio-enabled audio tracks.
To set the AudioSuite plug-in for use with the TCE
Trimmer tool:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Processing tab.
3 From the TC/E Plug-In pop-up menu, select the
AudioSuite plug-in to be used with the Time
Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool.
4 From the Default Settings pop-up menu, select
the plug-in setting best suited to the material
you work with most (such as Stereo Mix Default).
5 Click OK.
Using the TCE Trimmer Tool in Grid
Mode
The TCE Trimmer tool can be used in Grid mode
to match a region to the tempo of a session or a
section of a session. For example, you might im-
port a one-bar drum loop with a tempo of 90
BPM into a session with a tempo of 120 BPM. In
Grid mode, you can use this tool to simply and
quickly “time compress” the drum loop to the
length of one measure, with no noticeable to
minimal loss of audio fidelity.
You can match an Edit selection to the length
of a Timeline selection by selecting Edit >
TCE Edit to Timeline Selection command
(see “TCE (Time Compression and Expan-
sion) Edit To Timeline Selection” on
page 596.
For information on Elastic Audio plug-ins,
see “Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 868.
TC/E Preferences
For more information about AudioSuite
plug-ins, see Chapter 40, “AudioSuite Pro-
cessing.”
Trimming regions while in Relative Grid
mode will trim the regions in grid incre-
ments while maintaining their relative off-
set (if any) from the grid.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 547
To use the TCE Trimmer tool in Grid mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Trimmer tool pop-up menu and
select TCE.
– or –
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Trimmer Tools > TCE.
3 With the TCE Trimmer tool, drag the audio re-
gion’s start or end point to compress or expand
the region to the Grid (for example, by quarter
notes).
Using the TCE Trimmer Tool in Slip
Mode
To use the TCE Trimmer tool in Slip mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Slip.
2 Click the Trimmer tool pop-up menu and se-
lect TCE.
3 With the TCE Trimmer tool, drag the region’s
start or end point to compress or expand the re-
gion freely.
Using the TCE Trimmer Tool in Spot
Mode
In Spot mode, clicking with the TCE Trimmer
tool in a region opens the Spot dialog. You can
specify the location you want the region to start
or end at, or the duration of the region, and the
region is automatically compressed or expanded
as specified.
To use the TCE Trimmer tool in Spot mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Spot.
2 Click the Trimmer tool pop-up menu and se-
lect TCE.
3 Click the region near its start or end point.
The Spot dialog opens. Using any Time Scale,
enter a new start or end time (or duration) for
the region, then click OK.
Scrub Trimmer Tool
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The Scrub Trimmer tool is a convenient tool for
auditioning material (on up to two tracks) to
find a trim point. You can drag in a track to hear
the audio information, then trim at a specific lo-
cation by releasing the mouse button.
This action creates a new region. Note that the
Scrub Trimmer tool changes into a “right trim”
or “left trim” shape as it is placed over the right
or left side of a region. To reverse the direction
of the Scrub Trimmer tool, press Alt (Windows)
or Option (Mac) before you click the region.
Scrub playback speed and direction vary with
controller movement. Scrubbed audio is routed
through the track signal path, so you hear any
effects in the signal path.
Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool
Scrub Trimmer tool over a region
Pro Tools Reference Guide548
To scrub trim a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Trimmer tool pop-up menu and
select Scrub.
– or –
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Trimmer Tools > Scrub.
The tool changes to a speaker with a bracket.
2 Drag within a track to the left or right. Audio
from a scrubbed track is routed through the
track signal path, including any TDM effects.
When you locate the trim point, release the
mouse button to trim the region.
To scrub trim two tracks, drag with the Scrub
Trimmer tool between two adjacent tracks.
To scrub with finer resolution (without having
to zoom in), press Control (Windows) or Com-
mand (Mac) while scrubbing.
Loop Trimmer Tool
Use the Loop Trimmer tool to create or trim
looped regions (see “Region Looping” on
page 831).
Creating Loops with the Loop
Trimmer Tool
To create loop regions using the Loop Trimmer
tool:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Trimmer tool pop-up menu and
select Loop.
– or –
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Trimmer Tools > Loop.
2 Position the cursor over the top half of an un-
looped audio or MIDI region, or region group.
The cursor changes to indicate that you can loop
trim the region. (Positioning the cursor over the
bottom half of the region results in the Standard
Trim cursor.)
3 Do one of the following:
• Click at the end of the region, and drag left
or right to the point you want the loop to
stop.
– or –
• Click at the beginning of the region, and
drag left or right to the point you want the
loop to start.
Loop Trimmer tool
Loop Trim cursor
Looped region
Loop Trimmer tool
Loop icon
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 549
Trimming Looped Regions
You can trim looped regions in two ways:
• Loop Trim a looped region to change how
long the region is looped. For example, Loop
Trim a looped region from 2 bars to four bars.
With a 1 bar region, the number of loops
changes from 2 to 4. Each loop iteration re-
mains the same length, but the length of the
entire looped region changes.
• Trim the source region (loop iteration) while
keeping the overall loop length unchanged.
The number of loop iterations within the
looped region changes accordingly. For exam-
ple, trim a 2 bar loop iteration of a 4 bar
looped region to 1 bar. The 4 bar looped re-
gion remains constant, but the number of
loop iterations changes from 2 to 4. Each loop
iteration’s length changes, but how long the
region is looped does not.
To Loop Trim a looped region:
1 Select the Loop Trimmer tool.
2 Move the cursor over the top half of the
looped region (not over a Loop icon). The cursor
indicates the Loop Trimmer tool.
3 Trim the looped region.
The number of loops increases or decreases to
fill the new length of the entire looped region.
Loop Trimmer tool
Loop trimming a looped region
Hold down the Start key on Windows, or
the Control key on Mac, while trimming to
trim in loop iteration increments.
Trimming a looped region does not trim any
underlying Fades.
Pro Tools Reference Guide550
To trim the source region (loop iteration) of a
looped region:
1 Select the Loop Trimmer tool.
2 Move the cursor over a Loop icon in the
looped region, or anywhere along the bottom of
the region. The cursor indicates the Trimmer
tool icon.
3 Trim the start or end of the loop iteration.
The number of trimmed loop iterations in-
creases or decreases to fill the original length of
the entire looped region.
Using the Selector Tool
Use the Selector tool to place the edit cursor in a
track or Timebase ruler, or to make Timeline se-
lections or Edit selections on tracks.
Placing the Edit Cursor
To place the edit cursor with the Selector tool:
1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Click the location in a track or on a Timebase
ruler.
Making an Edit Selection with the
Selector Tool
To make an Edit selection with the Selector tool:
1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Do one of the following:
• To make an Edit selection in a single track,
drag in the track.
• To make an Edit selection across multiple
tracks, drag across the tracks.
• If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is en-
abled, drag on the Timebase ruler to make
an Edit selection across all tracks.
Loop Trimmer tool
Trimming a looped region
Trimmed looped region
Placing the edit cursor with the Selector tool
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 551
To select an entire region with the Selector tool:
1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Double-click a region on a track.
To select an entire track with the Selector tool:
1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Triple-click in the track.
Making a Timeline Selection with
the Selector Tool
To make a Timeline selection with the Selector
tool:
1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag on a Timebase ruler.
– or –
• If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is en-
abled, drag in a track.
Using the Grabber Tools
Use the Grabber tools to select, move, separate,
and arrange regions on tracks. There are three
modes for the Grabber tool: Time Grabber, Sep-
aration Grabber, and Object Grabber. For more
information about arranging regions, also see
Chapter 38, “Arranging Regions.”
Time Grabber Selects an entire region on a track
with a single click. For more information on se-
lecting regions, see “Selecting Track Material”
on page 563.
Separation Grabber Cuts and pastes an Edit se-
lection from one location to another by drag-
ging. For more information, see “Separation
Grabber Tool” on page 586.
Object Grabber Lets you select multiple, non-
contiguous regions. For more information, see
“Object Selections” on page 565.
Making a selection with the Selector tool
Time Grabber tool
Separation Grabber tool
Object Grabber tool
Pro Tools Reference Guide552
To select one of the Grabber tools, do one of the
following:
Click the Grabber tool in the Edit window and
select the Grabber tool from the pop-up menu.
– or –
Right-click on any track and select the Grab-
ber tool from Tools > Grabber Tools.
Using the Smart Tool
With the Smart Tool, you can instantly access
the Selector, Grabber, and Trimmer tools, and
you can also perform fades and crossfades. The
position of the cursor in relation to a region or
note, or within an automation playlist, deter-
mines how the Smart Tool functions.
To select the Smart Tool, click its icon in the up-
per left of the Edit window, or press F6+F7 (or
F7+F8) simultaneously.
The Smart Tool in Waveform View
(Audio) or Regions View (MIDI)
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working with audio tracks in
Waveform or Blocks view, or MIDI or Instru-
ment tracks in Regions view:
For the Selector tool, position the cursor over
the middle of the region, in the upper half of the
region.
For the Grabber tool, position the cursor over
the middle of a region, in the lower half of the
region.
For the Trimmer tool, position the cursor near
the region’s start or end point.
For a fade-in or fade-out, position the cursor
near an audio region’s start or end point, near
the top of the region. Once the Fade cursor ap-
pears, drag into the region to set the fade length.
The fade is created automatically with the De-
fault Fade Settings (in the Editing Preferences
page).
Selecting a Grabber tool
Smart Tool enabled in the Edit window
Smart Tool in Waveform view
Fade-In Fade-OutSelector tool
Grabber tool
Trimmer
tool
(start)
Trimmer
tool (end)
Crossfade
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 553
For a crossfade, position the cursor between
two adjacent audio regions, near the bottom of
the region. Once the Crossfade cursor appears
drag left or right to set the crossfade length. The
crossfade is created automatically with the De-
fault Fade Settings (in the Editing Preferences
page).
The Smart Tool in Warp View
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working with Elastic Audio-
enabled audio tracks in Warp view, or MIDI or
Instrument tracks in Regions view:
For the Selector tool, position the cursor over
the middle of the region, in the upper half of the
region.
For the Grabber tool, position the cursor over
the middle of a region, in the lower half of the
region, but not over an Event marker or Warp
marker.
For Elastic Audio warping, position the cursor
over an Event marker or a Warp marker, in the
lower half of the region (for more information
on warping audio, see “Editing in Warp View”
on page 873).
For the Trimmer tool, position the cursor near
the region’s start or end point, in the upper half
of the region.
The Smart Tool in Notes View
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working with MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks in Notes view in the Edit window
and in MIDI Editor windows:
For the Marquee Selector, position the cursor
so it does not cover any notes.
For the Grabber tool, position the cursor over
the note, near its middle.
For the Trimmer tool, position the cursor near
the note start or end point.
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Scrubber, place the cursor over the region so
that the Selector tool is enabled, then press
Start (Windows) or Control (Mac).
Smart Tool in Warp view
Selector tool
Grabber tool
Trimmer
tool
(start)
Trimmer
tool
(end)
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Scrubber, place the cursor in the upper half
of the region so that the Selector tool is en-
abled, then press Start (Windows) or Con-
trol (Mac).
Smart Tool in Notes view
Selector tool (marquee)
Grabber tool
Trim note start Trim note end
Pro Tools Reference Guide554
For the Velocity Trimmer tool, position the
cursor over the note and press Control (Win-
dows) or Command (Mac).
The Smart Tool in Automation and
Controller Views
The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working in both automation
and controller views:
For the Selector tool, position the cursor any-
where in the bottom 75% of the playlist for the
Selector tool. Drag with the Selector tool to se-
lect breakpoints.
For Trimmer tools, position the cursor in the
top 25% of the playlist for the Trimmer tool.
Drag with the Trimmer tool to trim breakpoints.
Press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
while trimming for fine control.
For Grabber tools, Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac) for the Grabber tool, then click
in on the automation line to create breakpoints.
To edit existing breakpoints, move the cursor
near a breakpoint for the Grabber tool.
For fine control with the Grabber tool, press
Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)—or
continue to hold the key if you are creating a
new breakpoint.
To vertically constrain Grabber tool movement,
press Shift.
To vertically constrain Grabber tool movement
with fine control, press Control+Shift (Win-
dows) or Command+Shift (Mac).
The Smart Tool with Stereo and
Multichannel Tracks
When using the Smart Tool on stereo and mul-
tichannel tracks, individual channels cannot be
independently edited. All edits affect all chan-
nels as a whole.
Tool switching for the Smart Tool in stereo and
multichannel tracks is determined by the posi-
tion within the entire track, and not within in-
dividual channels.
Using the Scrubber Tool
The Scrubber tool lets you “scrub” up to two
tracks of audio in the Edit Window. Scrubbing is
a technique that originated in tape editing,
where the tape was rocked back and forth past
the playhead at slower than normal speeds to
find a particular location (usually for cutting
and splicing).
Trimming the velocity of a note
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to
the Pencil tool, press Start (Windows) or
Control (Mac).
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to
the Eraser, press Alt+Start (Windows) or
Option+Control (Mac).
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 555
While viewing an audio waveform in Pro Tools
can be helpful in visually finding an edit point,
sometimes a waveform display (because of its
sonic characteristics) may not reveal the desired
spot in the audio material. By scrubbing back
and forth in Pro Tools, you can listen and locate
an exact edit point.
When the Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle
option is enabled in the Operation Preferences
page, the edit cursor automatically locates to the
point where scrubbing stops.
When the Scrolling option is set to Continuous
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 only) or Center Playhead
(Pro Tools HD only), clicking with the Scrubber
in a track’s playlist centers the Edit window
around that point, and moves the Playhead
there. With these Scrolling Options, scrubbed
material moves past the Playhead, which re-
mains stationary and centered.
To scrub a single audio track:
1 Select the Scrubber tool.
2 Drag within the track: left for reverse or right
for forward.
The distance and speed with which you drag
(with either the mouse, or the scrub wheel on a
control surface) determine the length and speed
of the scrubbed audio. Audio from the scrubbed
track is routed to its output, along with any ef-
fects assigned to the track.
The resolution for the Scrubber is dependent on
the zoom factor for the scrubbed track.
To scrub multiple audio tracks, do one of the
following:
With the Scrubber selected, drag between two
adjacent tracks.
– or –
Scrub within a selection that contains multi-
ple tracks.
When scrubbing multiple tracks, only the first
two tracks are heard.
Scrubbing an audio track with the Scrubber
You can temporarily switch the Selector tool
to the Scrubber tool by Start-clicking (Win-
dows) or Control-clicking (Mac). For finer
resolution, Control-Start-click (Windows)
or Command-Control-click (Mac).
Scrubbing between two audio tracks
The maximum number of channels
scrubbed in Pro Tools is eight, which lets
you scrub a 7.1 track, two stereo tracks (four
channels), but not two 5.1 surround tracks
(12 channels).
Pro Tools Reference Guide556
Scrub/Shuttle Mode
When scrubbing normally, you can scrub at nor-
mal playback speeds or slower. Scrub/Shuttle
mode, however, lets you scrub at several times
normal speed, which is helpful in playing
through large ranges and locating material.
To scrub in Shuttle mode (at several times normal
speed):
1 Select the Scrubber tool.
2 While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), drag within the track—left for reverse,
right for forward. The Fast Forward and Rewind
buttons in the Transport window engage.
The distance and speed dragged determine the
speed for the scrubbed audio.
Shuttle Lock Mode
Shuttle Lock mode lets you use the numeric key-
pad to shuttle up to two tracks forward or back-
wards at specific speeds: 5 is normal speed, num-
bers from 6 up to 9 provide increasingly faster
fast-forward speeds, and numbers from 4 down
to 1 provide progressively faster rewind speeds
(4 is the slowest rewind Shuttle Lock speed, 1 is
the fastest). If multiple tracks are selected, only
the first two tracks are shuttled.
To play one or two tracks with the shuttle lock:
1 With Pro Tools HD, make sure the Operation
preference for Numeric Keypad mode is not set
to Shuttle (see “Operation Preferences” on
page 122).
2 With the Selector tool, click in the track where
you want playback to begin. To shuttle on two
tracks, Shift-click in a second track.
3 Press the Start key (Windows) or Control
(Mac) and a number on the numeric keypad:
0–9 (9 is fastest, 5 is normal speed, and 0 stops
shuttling).
Once Shuttle Lock mode is initiated, Fast For-
ward and Rewind become highlighted in the
Transport window.
4 Press additional keys to change the playback
speed, or press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to switch the
playback direction (plus for forward, minus for
backward).
5 To stop playback, press Start+0 (Windows) or
Control+0 (Mac).
To exit Shuttle Lock mode, do one of the following:
Press Stop in the Transport window.
– or –
Press the Spacebar.
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 557
Custom Shuttle Lock Speed
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Use the Custom Shuttle Lock Speed preference
to customize the highest fast-forward Shuttle
Lock speed (key 9) to better match your editing
and auditioning needs.
To configure Custom Shuttle Lock Speed:
1 In Pro Tools, select Setup > Preferences and
click the Operation tab.
2 Be sure that the Numeric Keypad mode is set
to Transport or Classic (see “Operation Prefer-
ences” on page 122).
3 Enter a percentage for the Custom Shuttle Lock
Speed setting. The range for this setting is
50–800%. You can use the Up and Down Arrow
keys to increase or decrease the setting.
4 Click OK.
The Custom Shuttle Lock Speed setting is saved
with your Pro Tools system preferences (not
with the session).
To enable Custom Shuttle Lock Speed:
Press Start+9 (Windows) or Control+ 9 (Mac)
on the numeric keypad.
Numeric Keypad Set to
Shuttle
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, dif-
ferent from that of Shuttle Lock mode. With the
Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle, playback
of the current Edit selection is triggered by press-
ing and holding the keys on the numeric key-
pad—playback stops once the keys are released.
Various playback speeds are available in both
forward and reverse. In this mode, pre- and post-
roll are ignored.
To shuttle with the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Shuttle:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Oper-
ation tab.
2 Set the Numeric Keypad mode to Shuttle and
click OK.
3 With the Selector tool, click in the track where
you want playback to begin. To shuttle on two
tracks, Shift-click in a second track.
4 Press and hold any of the following keys (or
key combinations) on the numeric keypad to
trigger playback.
5 Press a different key to switch the playback di-
rection or speed. Release to stop.
Shuttle Speed Rewind Key Forward Key
1 X Speed 4 6
4 X Speed 7 9
1/4 X Speed 1 3
1/2 X Speed 4+5 5+6
2 X Speed 7+8 8+9
Pro Tools Reference Guide558
Using the Pencil Tool
The Pencil tool lets you draw several types of
Pro Tools data:
• audio waveforms (see “Waveform Repair
with the Pencil Tool” on page 558)
• MIDI data (see “Using the Pencil Tool” on
page 666)
• tempo changes (see “Editing Tempo Events
in the Tempo Editor” on page 765)
• automation (see “Drawing Automation” on
page 1029).
Waveform Repair with the Pencil
Tool
On audio tracks, the Pencil tool lets you destruc-
tively “redraw” waveform data. This tool is most
commonly used to repair a pop or click in an au-
dio file. A pop or click appears as a sudden sharp
spike in a waveform. This tool only becomes ac-
tive when the Edit window is zoomed in to the
sample level.
Although you can Undo a Pencil tool edit, it is
recommended that you create a backup copy of
the target audio before using the Pencil tool.
You can do this by using the AudioSuite Dupli-
cate plug-in.
To destructively edit an audio waveform with the
Pencil tool:
1 Locate the area you want to edit.
2 Using the Zoomer tool or the Zoom buttons,
zoom down to the sample level so the waveform
appears as a continuous thin line. Adjust the
Track Height, as necessary, to edit the waveform
with greater precision. You can also use vertical
zoom for greater visual resolution.
3 Select the Pencil tool.
4 Carefully draw with the Pencil tool by drag-
ging over the area of the waveform.
Do not over-edit or the results may be undesir-
able. However, you can use the Undo command
to undo your previous edit.
The Pencil tool can independently edit different
channels of a multichannel track.
Try to limit editing to smoothing over a very
small problem area, and keep the “fixes” in char-
acter with the shape of the surrounding wave-
form.
The Pencil tool is a destructive editing tool
that permanently modifies the audio file on
disk and should be used with caution.
For information about the AudioSuite
Duplicate plug-in, see the Audio Plug-Ins
Guide.
You can recall zoom levels with the Zoom
Preset buttons (see “Zooming Options” on
page 534), or with Memory Locations (see
“Recalling Memory Locations” on
page 800). The default setting for Zoom
Preset 5 is at the sample level for Pencil ed-
iting.
Pencil tool
Repairing a “pop” with the Pencil tool
Chapter 26: Edit Modes and Tools 559
Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard
Lock
Enable Options > Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock to
lock the currently selected Edit Tools (Zoom,
Trim, Grabber, and Pencil only) in place and
prevent them from being inadvertently changed
when using keyboard shortcuts. However, even
when Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock is enabled,
Edit Tool types can still be changed using the
mouse or by using the Right-click menu. You
can also switch between tools (such as switching
from the Grabber to the Trimmer) using key-
board shortcuts.
To lock (or unlock) the current Edit Tool modes:
1 Select the Edit Tool modes you want (such as
the Standard Trim tool, Time Grabber tool, and
the Free Hand Pencil tool).
2 Select (or deselect) Options > Edit/Tool Mode
Keyboard Lock.
Pro Tools Reference Guide560
Chapter 27: Making Selections 561
Chapter 27: Making Selections
Pro Tools provides many tools for selecting ma-
terial in the Edit window.
Linking or Unlinking Timeline
and Edit Selections
Pro Tools lets you link or unlink the Timeline
and Edit selections.
When the Timeline and Edit selections are
linked, selecting in a track’s playlist (making an
Edit selection) also defines the play and record
range (the Timeline selection).
Unlinking Timeline and Edit selections lets you
make a selection within a track for editing pur-
poses that is distinct from the selection in the
Timeline (which determines the playback and
recording range).
To link or unlink the Timeline and Edit selections,
do one of the following:
Select or deselect Options > Link Timeline and
Edit Selection.
– or –
In the Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or
the Score Editor window, click the Link Timeline
and Edit Selection button so it becomes high-
lighted (selected) or un-highlighted (not se-
lected). Enabling or disabling the Link Timeline
and Edit Selection button in any editor window
affects all editor windows.
If you are working on a film or video scene, you
may want to unlink the Timeline and Edit selec-
tions to find or audition material that is at a dif-
ferent location than the current Timeline selec-
tion. Edit selections can be played (choose Edit >
Selection > Play Edit) without disrupting the cur-
rent Timeline selection. Once you find the ma-
terial, you can then go back to the Timeline se-
lection and place it within the context of the
scene.
The following figure illustrates another reason
why you might want to unlink the Timeline and
Edit selections. In this example, the Timeline se-
lection sets a range to be looped on playback,
while a MIDI region (residing within the loop) is
selected for editing purposes.
During playback, the Edit selection can be
nudged, quantized, or transposed while the loop
plays back completely independent and unin-
terrupted.
Link Timeline and Edit Selection button enabled in the
Edit window
Press Shift+Forward Slash (/) to toggle Link
Timeline and Edit Selection on and off.
Pro Tools Reference Guide562
While you could theoretically do this with the
Timeline and Edit selections linked, as soon as
playback is stopped, the playback range would
then be updated to that of the more recent edit
range, or to a single note when editing MIDI.
Timeline and Edit Selection
Markers
Timeline selections are displayed in the Main
Timebase ruler with Timeline Selection Markers,
which appear as blue arrows (red when record-
ing). In addition, there are Pre- and Post-Roll
Flags (which are green when enabled) indicating
the location for pre- and post-roll.
When the Timeline and Edit selections are un-
linked, Edit selections are displayed in the ruler
with Edit Markers, which appear as black brack-
ets.
If the Timeline and Edit selections are linked,
Edit selections are represented by the blue Time-
line Selection Markers.
See the following topics for more information
on working with Timeline and Edit selections:
• “Selecting Track Material” on page 563
• “Timeline Selections” on page 573
• “Setting Punch and Loop Points” on
page 454
• “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 458
Linking or Unlinking Track and
Edit Selections
Pro Tools lets you link or unlink Track selection
with Edit selections.
When Track and Edit selections are linked, you
can make a selection within a track or across
multiple tracks for editing and each associated
track is selected (track names automatically
highlight). This lets you quickly apply track-
level commands (such as Track View toggle,
change track heights) and have the command
apply to all tracks you are working on.
When Track and Edit selections are unlinked,
making an Edit selection does not automatically
select all associated tracks.
To link or unlink Track and Edit selection, do one of
the following:
Select or deselect Options > Link Track and Edit
Selection.
– or –
In the upper left of the Edit window, under
the Edit tools, click the Link Track and Edit Se-
lection button so it becomes highlighted (se-
lected) or un-highlighted (not selected).
Timeline and Edit selections unlinked
Timeline Selection Markers with Pre- and Post-Roll
Flags
Edit Markers
Chapter 27: Making Selections 563
Selecting Track Material
Before audio and MIDI material can be edited, it
must first be selected. The Track View deter-
mines how the material is viewed and selected.
When you make a selection, it appears as a high-
lighted area of the tracks, and is also indicated
by blue start and end arrows (Timeline Selection
Markers) in the Main Timebase ruler. If any track
(audio or MIDI) in the session is record-enabled,
even if it is hidden, these markers appear red.
If the Timeline and Edit selections are unlinked,
the Edit selection range is indicated by Edit
Markers in the Main Timebase ruler. See “Link-
ing or Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selections”
on page 561 for details.
Selections and Edit Groups
When making selections on tracks that are part
of an Edit Group, all tracks within the group be-
come selected.
Selections and Hidden Tracks
When editing tracks that are part of an active
Edit Group, any tracks within the group that are
hidden are not affected by the edits. To edit all
members of a group, make sure they are visible
by highlighting their names in the Track List.
Selections in Multiple Tracks
To make a selection in multiple tracks:
With the Selector tool, drag vertically to in-
clude adjacent tracks in a selection (drag hori-
zontally to define the time range).
Selecting Regions
To select a portion of a region:
With the Selector tool, drag within a region
(left or right) to select the material on a single
track. (You can also use the Selector tool across
multiple, adjacent tracks to make multitrack se-
lections.)
Link Track and Edit Selection enabled
Timeline Selection Markers indicating Edit selection
Selecting a portion of a region
Pro Tools Reference Guide564
To select an entire region, do one of the following:
Click the region with the Time Grabber tool.
– or –
Double-click the region with the Selector tool.
To select two regions and the time range between
them:
1 With the Time Grabber, click the first region.
2 Shift-click the second region. Both regions are
selected, along with the time range between
them (including any other regions).
To select an entire track, do one of the following:
Click in the track with the Selector tool and
then choose Edit > Select All.
– or –
Triple-click with the Selector tool in the track.
To select all regions in all tracks:
1 Select the “All” Edit Group in the Group List
pop-up menu.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click in any track with the Selector tool
and choose Edit > Select All.
– or –
• Triple-click with the Selector tool in any
track.
Region List Selection Follows Edit
Selection
When the Editing preference for Region List Se-
lection Follows Edit Selection is enabled, selecting
a region in a track also causes the region to be-
come selected in the Region List.
Conversely, if the Editing preference for Edit Se-
lection Follows Region List Selection is enabled, se-
lecting a region in the Region List causes the ini-
tial occurrence of that region to become selected
within the track.
Selecting All from Timebase
Rulers
To select all material in all displayed audio and
MIDI tracks:
1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection (Op-
tions > Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
2 Double-click in any Timebase ruler. All regions
in all displayed audio and MIDI tracks are se-
lected. Tracks that are hidden are not selected.
To select all material in all tracks, including
Conductor events:
1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection (Op-
tions > Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
2 While pressing Control (Windows) or Option
(Mac), double-click in any Timebase ruler. All re-
gions in all displayed audio and MIDI tracks are
selected, including all events in each of the Con-
ductor tracks.
Press Control+A (Windows) or Com-
mand+A (Mac) for Select All.
Another way to select all regions in all
tracks, without having to select the “All”
Edit Group, is to press Enter (Windows) or
Return (Mac), then press Control+A (Win-
dows) or Command+A (Mac). The Link
Timeline and Edit Selection option must be
enabled.
Chapter 27: Making Selections 565
Making Selections While Playing
Pro Tools lets you make on-the-fly selections
with the Up and Down Arrow keys.
To make a selection while playing:
1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection (Op-
tions > Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
2 With the Selector tool, click somewhere near
the beginning of the track in which you want to
make the selection.
3 Click Play in the Transport window (or press
the Spacebar) to begin playback.
4 When playback reaches the point where you
want the selection to begin, press the Down Ar-
row key.
5 Press the Up Arrow key at the point where you
want the selection to end. The selected range be-
comes highlighted.
6 To stop playback, click Stop in the Transport
(or press the Spacebar).
To automatically scroll to the beginning of the
selection (or to the location of the on-screen
cursor), press the Left Arrow key. To scroll to the
end of the selection, press the Right Arrow key.
While in Page Scroll or Continuous Scroll mode,
making a selection in the Timeline or a playlist
during playback as the playback cursor moves
off-screen suspends page scrolling. To resume
page scrolling and jump to the current playback
location, click the Playback Cursor locator in the
Main Timebase ruler (see “Locating the Playback
Cursor when It Is Off-Screen” on page 410).
Object Selections
Use the Object Grabber tool to select noncontig-
uous regions on one or more tracks. Noncontig-
uous selections must encompass entire regions.
If you want a noncontiguous selection to in-
clude a portion of a region, first turn the portion
into a new region with the Separate Region com-
mand (see “Separate Commands” on page 584).
To select noncontiguous regions:
1 Set the Edit mode to either Slip or Grid.
2 Click the Grabber tools pop-up menu and se-
lect Object.
3 Shift-click each region you want to include in
the selection. The regions can even reside on dif-
ferent tracks.
Each clicked region is surrounded by a dark bor-
der, indicating it is selected.
The Object Grabber tool ignores Edit Groups
when making selections. For instance, selecting
a region on a grouped track does not cause re-
gions in the other tracks in the group to become
selected.
The Object Grabber is not available when
the Edit mode is set to Shuffle or Spot.
Object Grabber tool
Noncontiguous selection
Pro Tools Reference Guide566
Object to Time Selection
You can convert between Time- and Object-
based selections. Time selections are made with
the Selector and Time Grabber tools. Object se-
lections are made with the Object Grabber tool.
Converting to an Object selection is useful when
you are working with large selections, especially
across multiple tracks, and you want to remove
certain regions from the selection.
Converting to a Time selection is useful if you
want to select all regions between a noncontig-
uous Object selection.
To change a Time selection to an Object selection:
1 Drag with the Selector tool in any track to de-
fine a selection, or select in a Timebase ruler to
select across all tracks.
2 With the Object Grabber tool selected, dou-
ble-click the Grabber icon in the toolbar. Re-
gions falling within the selection range become
selected as objects. Regions that were partially
selected become deselected.
To select regions that were partially selected,
press Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) while
double-clicking the Grabber icon.
To change an Object selection to a Time selection:
1 Select any number of regions with the Object
Grabber tool.
2 Double-click the Selector tool in the toolbar.
The time range between the first and last region
becomes selected.
When using the Object Grabber tool on tracks
that belong to an Edit Group, regions in the
other grouped tracks are selected if they fall
within the range of the selected region.
Changing a Selection Length
The selection range can be shortened or length-
ened. This does not affect the material within
the selection.
To change the length of a selection, do one of the
following:
With the Selector tool, position the cursor
over one end of the current selection and Shift-
click, or Shift-drag left or right.
In the Main Timebase ruler, drag the Timeline
Selection Marker for the selection’s start or end
point.
Selected regions
Regions selected as objects
Dragging a Timeline Selection Marker
Chapter 27: Making Selections 567
If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is disabled,
drag the Edit Marker to change the selection
length.
To make a long-length selection:
1 With the Selector tool, click at where you
want the selection to start.
2 Scroll to the end point and Shift-click at the
point where you want the selection to end.
To verify the start and end points of a long selec-
tion, press the Left Arrow key to scroll to the be-
ginning of the selection, or press the Right Ar-
row key to scroll to the end.
Nudging a Selection Range
The selection range (not the material within the
selection) can be moved by the Nudge value.
To nudge a selection range:
1 Configure the Nudge value. For details, see
“Defining the Nudge Value” on page 591.
2 Make the initial selection with the Selector
tool.
3 While pressing Shift, press Plus (+) or
Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the
selection range by the Nudge value.
Nudging Selection Start/End
Points
Start and end points for selections can be moved
by nudging them.
To move a selection start or end point by the
Nudge value:
1 Configure the Nudge value. For details, see
“Defining the Nudge Value” on page 591.
2 Make the initial selection with the Selector
tool.
3 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Alt+Shift (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift (Mac), press Plus (+) or Minus (–)
on the numeric keypad to move the selec-
tion’s start point by the Nudge value.
– or –
• While pressing Control+Shift (Windows)
or Command+Shift (Mac), press Plus (+) or
Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move
the selection’s end point by the Nudge
value.
Edit Markers
Pro Tools Reference Guide568
Extending Selections
You can extend selections to region start and
end points, to include an adjacent region, or to
Markers and Memory Locations.
To extend a selection to a region start or end
point:
1 With the Selector tool, select a portion of a re-
gion, or click anywhere in the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Shift+Tab to extend the selection to
the region’s end point.
– or –
• Press Control+Shift+Tab (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift+Tab (Mac) to extend the selec-
tion to the region’s start point.
To extend a selection to include an adjacent
region:
1 Select the first region with the Time Grabber
tool.
2 Do one of the following:
• With Tab to Transients disabled, press
Start+Shift+Tab (Windows) or Con-
trol+Shift+Tab (Mac) to extend the selec-
tion to the next region boundary.
– or –
• Press Control+Start+Shift+Tab (Windows)
or Option+Control+Shift+Tab (Mac) to ex-
tend the selection to include the previous
region boundary.
To extend a selection to a Marker or Memory
Location:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click in a track with the Selector tool at the
start or end point.
– or –
• Make a selection with the Selector or Time
Grabber tool.
2 Do one of the following:
• Shift-click a Marker in the Markers ruler.
– or –
• Shift-click a Memory Location in the Mem-
ory Locations window.
The selection is extended from the original In-
sertion point to the Marker or Memory Loca-
tion.
Using the Edit Selection Indicators
(Start, End, and Length)
The Edit Selection indicators at the top of the
Edit window can define precise Edit selections.
Time values for the Edit Selection indicators use
the time format for the Main Time Scale.
Edit Selection indicators
Chapter 27: Making Selections 569
To make a selection with the Edit Selection
indicators:
1 Click with the Selector tool in the track you
want to select.
2 Click in the Start field at the top of the Edit
window.
3 Type in the start point for the selection and
press the Forward Slash key (/) to enter the value
and automatically move to the end field.
4 Type in the end point for the selection and
press Enter to accept the value.
Numeric Entry Shortcuts for Selection
Indicators
You can use the following shortcuts for entering
values in the Edit Selection indicators:
• Press the Forward Slash (/) key to cycle
through the three Edit Selection indicators.
• Use Period (.) or the Left and Right Arrow keys
to move through the different time fields in
each Edit Selection indicator.
• Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to increase
or decrease numerical values.
• Move the mouse scroll wheel up or down to
increase or decrease numerical values.
• Drag in a field to scroll to a new value. For
finer resolution, Control-drag (Windows) or
Command-drag (Mac).
• Press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and Plus (+) or Minus (–), then type a number,
to add or subtract from the current field value.
For example, to add 10 to a current field value,
press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and Plus (+) key, type “10,” and press Enter.
• Press Escape to exit the Edit Selection indica-
tors without entering any values.
Calculator Entry Mode
You can perform calculator-style editing of val-
ues in the Edit Selection indicators.
To subtract time values:
1 In the Edit Selection indicator, highlight the
time field you want to change.
2 Press Minus (–) on the numeric keypad.
3 Type the amount you want to subtract from
the current time value, then press Enter.
4 Press Enter again to apply the change.
To add time values:
1 In the Edit Selection indicator, highlight the
time field you want to change.
2 Press Plus (+) on the numeric keypad.
3 Type the amount you want to add to the cur-
rent time value, then press Enter.
4 Press Enter again to apply the change.
Selecting Across Multiple Tracks
To perform edits across multiple tracks or all
tracks, you must first select the tracks. Do this by
including other tracks in the selection, or by se-
lecting in a Timebase ruler (for all tracks).
To make a selection in multiple tracks:
With the Selector tool, drag vertically to in-
clude adjacent tracks in a selection (drag hori-
zontally to define the time range).
To extend a selection to another track:
1 Using the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
a selection in the first track or tracks.
2 Shift-click in additional tracks with the Selec-
tor tool. An identical range is selected for each
additional track.
These shortcuts can also be used to enter start
and end values in the Transport window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide570
To shorten or lengthen the selection across each
of the tracks, press Shift while dragging to
change the range of the selection.
To select across all tracks, do one of the following:
Enable the All Edit Group and make a selec-
tion in any track.
– or –
Drag with the Selector tool in any Timebase
ruler (make sure the Timeline and Edit Selec-
tions are linked).
These selections include all tracks in the Edit
window, but do not include the Conductor
tracks (for Tempo, Meter, and Markers).
To select across all tracks, including the
Conductor tracks (for Tempo, Meter, and
Markers):
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac)
with the Selector tool in any Timebase ruler.
Moving and Extending Selections
Between Tracks
With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled, Edit
selections can be moved or extended to adjacent
tracks.
To move a selection to an adjacent track:
1 Enable Commands Keyboard Focus (see “Key-
board Focus” on page 30).
2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
a selection.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press P on your computer keyboard to
move the selection to the previous track.
– or –
• Press semicolon (;) to move the selection to
the next track.
In either instance, the original Edit selection be-
comes deselected.
To extend a selection to an adjacent track:
1 Enable Commands Keyboard Focus (see “Key-
board Focus” on page 30).
2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
a selection.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Shift+P to extend the selection to the
previous track.
– or –
• Press Shift+Semicolon (;) to extend the se-
lection to the next track.
In either instance, the original Edit selection re-
mains selected.
Commands Keyboard Focus button enabled
With Commands Keyboard Focus disabled,
press Start+P (Windows) or Control+P
(Mac) to move the selection to the previous
track, or Start+Semicolon (;) (Windows) or
Control+Semicolon (;) (Mac) to move the se-
lection to the next track.
With Commands Keyboard Focus disabled,
press Start+Shift+P (Windows) or Con-
trol+Shift+P (Mac) to extend the selection to
the previous track, or Start+Shift+Semicolon
(;) (Windows) or Control+Shift+Semicolon
(;) (Mac) to extend the selection to the next
track.
Chapter 27: Making Selections 571
To remove the bottom track from a selection:
Press Alt+Start+Semicolon (;) (Windows) or
Option+Control+Semicolon (;) (Mac) to remove
the bottom track.
Other Useful Selection Techniques
Following are some additional selection tech-
niques.
To position the edit cursor precisely at a region
start, end, or sync point:
1 Make sure the Tab to Transients button is not
enabled. (See “Tabbing to Transients” on
page 572.)
2 Click with the Selector tool in the track.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Tab to move the cursor to the next re-
gion or region group start, end, or sync
point.
– or –
• Press Control+Tab (Windows) or Op-
tion+Tab (Mac) to move the cursor to the
previous region or region group start, end,
or sync point.
To make a selection with the Scrubber:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Select the option for “Edit Insertion Follows
Scrub/Shuttle,” then click OK.
3 Scrub with the Scrubber to find an appropriate
start point for the selection, then release.
4 While pressing Shift, scrub to an appropriate
end point for the selection, then release. The
range between the initial and final scrub be-
comes selected.
To move a selection to an adjacent region on the
same track:
1 Select a region with the Time Grabber.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Start+Tab (Windows) or Control+Tab
(Mac) to move the selection to the next re-
gion.
– or –
• Press Control+Start+Tab (Windows) or Op-
tion+Control+Tab (Mac) to move the selec-
tion to the previous region.
In either instance, the original region becomes
deselected.
To slide an Edit selection in the Main Timebase
ruler:
1 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
a selection.
2 While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), move the cursor over either of the Time-
line Selection Markers in the ruler (the Time
Grabber appears).
3 Drag left or right to move the Edit selection
back or forward in time while preserving its
length.
If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is disabled
(Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection), Alt-
drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac) the Edit
Markers instead.
Sliding an Edit selection in the Main Timebase ruler
Pro Tools Reference Guide572
Right-Click Commands and
Selection Preservation
You can use Right-click commands with key
combinations to perform operations on objects
while maintaining selections in the Edit and
Mix windows. For example, you can maintain
selections in the following areas while carrying
out certain commands:
• Region selections in the Timeline
• Region name selections in the Region List
• Track selections
To apply a command to an object while keeping
the current selection:
Control-Right-click (Windows) or Command-
Right-click (Mac) the object and choose a com-
mand from the pop-up menu.
Tabbing to Transients
With the Tab to Transients button enabled, you
can automatically navigate to transients in au-
dio waveforms in Waveform view, placing the
cursor just before the detected transient peak.
This lets you define selections and play ranges,
as well as start and end points for new regions,
without having to zoom in on the waveform.
In Warp view, Tab to Transients tabs to all Event
and Warp markers in a region. Normal Tab tabs
to region boundaries and all Warp markers. In
Analysis view, pressing Tab always tabs to Event
markers, regardless of whether or not Tab to
Transients is enabled.
For MIDI and Instrument tracks in Notes view,
pressing Tab always tabs to the next note, re-
gardless of whether or not Tab to Transients is
enabled. In Regions view, Tab to Transients tabs
to notes and Normal Tab tabs to region bound-
aries.
For MIDI notes, when tabbing to chords, each
note in the chord is recognized as a single event.
This lets you tab to each note in the chord.
When Tab to Transients is enabled, the Tabbing
function also locates the cursor to region start
and end points, but not to sync points.
To set the start and end points of a selection with
Tab to Transients:
1 In the upper left of the Edit window, click the
Tab to Transients button so it becomes selected.
2 If you will be setting the play range with this
selection, enable Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection.
3 Click in the audio track just before the begin-
ning of the material you want to select.
4 Press Tab repeatedly until the cursor locates to
the transient where you want to start the selec-
tion.
If necessary, you can move to the previous tran-
sient by pressing Control+Tab (Windows) or
Option+Tab (Mac).
5 Press Shift+Tab until the cursor locates to the
end of the material you want to select.
To move the selection end point to the previous
transient, press Control+Shift+Tab (Windows)
or Option+Shift+Tab (Mac).
Tab to Transients button enabled
To toggle Tab to Transients on and off,
press Control+Alt+Tab (Windows) or Com-
mand+Option+Tab (Mac).
Chapter 27: Making Selections 573
Once selected, the material can be looped for re-
cording or playback, or it can be turned into a
new region with the Separate or Capture com-
mand.
Tab to Transients Across Multiple
Tracks
With the edit cursor inserted across multiple
tracks, you can use Tab to Transients to tab to
the next transient on any of those tracks. When
transients on multiple tracks are closely aligned,
Tab to Transients tabs to the first transient on
any of those tracks.
Timeline Selections
With the Link Timeline and Edit Selection op-
tion disabled, selections can be made in the
Timeline that are distinct and separate from Edit
selections.
With the Timeline and Edit selections linked,
any Edit selections that are made are mirrored in
the Timeline, and any Timeline selection is mir-
rored as an Edit selection across all tracks.
Whether the Timeline and Edit selections are
linked or not, the range indicated by the Time-
line Selection Markers always determines the
range for playback and recording (except when
in Dynamic Transport mode, see “Dynamic
Transport Mode” on page 419).
With Pro Tools HD, when the Scrolling option is
set to Center Playhead, it determines where
playback begins (see “Playing Timeline and Edit
Selections with the Playhead” on page 417).
To make a Timeline selection with the Selector
tool:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Drag with the Selector tool in any Timebase
ruler.
The Timeline selection is indicated in the Main
Timebase ruler by the blue Timeline Selection
Markers (or if a track is record-enabled, the
Timeline Selection Markers are red). The start,
end, and length for the Timeline selection is dis-
played in the corresponding fields in the Trans-
port window.
Peak transients are usually visible in the
waveform. However, some low-frequency
transients may not appear as visible peaks
in the waveform.
Making a Timeline selection with the Selector tool
To select all tracks, including Conductor
tracks, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac)
while dragging in a Timebase ruler with the
Selector tool.
Pro Tools Reference Guide574
To set the Timeline selection by dragging the
Timeline Selection Markers:
1 If you want to constrain movement to the cur-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 With the Time Grabber, drag the first Timeline
Selection Marker (down arrow) to set the start
point.
3 Drag the other Timeline Selection Marker (up
arrow) to set the end point.
To set the Timeline selection by typing into the
Transport window:
1 If necessary, resize the Transport window to
Expanded view so the start and end times are
displayed (View > Transport > Expanded).
2 Do one of the following:
• In the Transport window, click in the start
field.
– or –
• Press Alt+Forward Slash (/) (Windows) or
Option+Forward Slash (/) (Mac) on the nu-
meric keypad to select the start field in the
Transport window.
3 Type in the new start location and press For-
ward Slash (/) to enter the value and automati-
cally move to the end field.
4 Type in the new end location and press Enter
to accept the value.
Sliding a Timeline Selection
Like Edit selections, Timeline selections can be
slid in the Main Timebase ruler.
To move a Timeline selection in the Main
Timebase ruler:
1 While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), move the cursor over either of the Time-
line Selection Markers (the Time Grabber ap-
pears).
2 Drag left or right to move the Timeline selec-
tion back or forward in time, while preserving
its length.
Timeline Selections to/from Edit
Selections
When the Timeline and Edit selections are un-
linked, you can copy selections between them.
To change the Timeline selection to match the
current Edit selection:
Choose Edit > Selection > Change Timeline to
Match Edit.
To change the Edit selection to match the current
Timeline selection:
Choose Edit > Selection > Change Edit to Match
Timeline.
Dragging a Timeline Selection Marker
Shortcuts for entering start and end values
in the Transport window are listed in “Nu-
meric Entry Shortcuts for Selection Indica-
tors” on page 569.
Press Alt+Shift+5 (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift+5 (Mac) to change the Timeline
selection to match the Edit selection.
Press Alt+Shift+6 (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift+6 (Mac) to change the Edit selec-
tion to match the Timeline selection.
Chapter 27: Making Selections 575
Navigating the Timeline with the
Edit Window Counters and
Indicators
The counters and indicators at the top of the
Edit window display the current playback loca-
tion and Edit selection. These include the Main
and Sub Counters, and the Edit Selection Start,
End, and Length indicators.
All Edit window counters and indicators (except
the Sub Counter) let you enter a location in their
counter display to navigate to a specific time lo-
cation.
The Main Counter displays the playback loca-
tion in the time format for the Main Time Scale.
The Sub Counter can be set to any of the other
Time Scale formats for another timing reference.
The Edit Selection indicators (to the right of the
Main and Sub counters) display the Start and
End times, and Length of the current Edit selec-
tion according to the Main Timebase.
The Main and Sub Counters, as well as the Edit
Selection indicators, also appear in the Trans-
port window when it is set to display Counters.
To navigate with the Edit window Main Counter (or
one of the Edit Selection indicators):
1 Do one of the following:
• Click in one of the counters.
– or –
• Press asterisk (*) on the numeric keypad to
highlight the Main Counter in the Edit
window (or the Main Counter in the Trans-
port window or Big Counter window, if ei-
ther are displayed).
2 Type in the new location. Press Period (.) to cy-
cle through to the different time fields.
3 Press Enter to accept the new value and auto-
matically locate there.
Scrolling in a Timebase Ruler
You can scroll the contents of the Edit window
by dragging in a ruler. While this does not actu-
ally update the session’s Current Location, it
does let you conveniently shift the display left
or right for the sake of finding and editing ma-
terial.
This method of scrolling is especially useful
when using the Continuous Scrolling option,
which does not update or follow Timeline selec-
tions.
To scroll the entire contents of the Edit window
from a ruler:
While pressing Control+Alt+Start (Windows)
or Command+Option+Control (Mac), drag left
or right in any of the Timebase rulers.
Main and Sub Counters, Edit Selection indicators
Scrolling in a ruler
Pro Tools Reference Guide576
Scrolling with a Scroll Wheel
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can
use the scroll wheel to scroll vertically or hori-
zontally in any Pro Tools window that has a
scroll bar (such as the MIDI Event List).
To scroll a Pro Tools window vertically:
1 Place the mouse over the window you want to
scroll (for example, in the Edit window you
might want to scroll either the track display or
the Region List).
2 Scroll the scroll wheel up or down to scroll the
window up or down.
To scroll a Pro Tools window horizontally:
1 Place the mouse over the window you want to
scroll (for example, in the Edit window you
might want to scroll either the track display or
the Region List).
2 Shift-scroll the scroll wheel up or down to
scroll the window to the left or right.
Auto-Scrolling Tracks in the
Mix and Edit Windows
If you are working with more tracks than can be
displayed at one time in the Mix or Edit win-
dows, you can select a track in one window and
Pro Tools will automatically scroll to that track
in both windows.
To auto-scroll the Mix and Edit windows to show a
track, do one of the following:
In the Track List, Right-click the track name
and select Scroll Into View.
– or –
In the Track List, Control-click (Mac) the track
name and select Scroll Into View.
The track becomes selected, and the Mix and
Edit windows both scroll to display the selected
track.
Navigating to Tracks Using Track
Position Numbers
With Track Number View enabled, each track is
assigned a number corresponding to its position
in the Mix and Edit Windows. You can scroll di-
rectly to any track by its positional number.
To navigate directly to any track using Track
Position Numbers:
1 Choose View > Track Number.
2 Choose Track > Scroll to Track.
3 In the Scroll To Track dialog, enter the Track
Number for the track you want to view.
4 Click OK.
The track is selected, and the windows scroll as
follows:
• The Edit window tracks scroll to bring the se-
lected track as close to the top as possible.
• The Mix window tracks scroll to bring the se-
lected track as close to the left as possible.
When tracks are reordered, Track Position
Numbers are reassigned to keep them in nu-
merical sequence.
Press Control+Alt+F (Windows) or Com-
mand+Option+F (Mac) to Scroll to Track.
Scroll To Track dialog
Chapter 27: Making Selections 577
Universe View
The Universe view displays an overview of the entire Pro Tools session above the tracks pane in the
Edit window.
This overview represents audio and MIDI mate-
rial on all tracks in the session that are not hid-
den (including tracks that are inactive, or that
contain offline regions). The order in which ma-
terial is displayed in the Universe view corre-
sponds to the track order in the Edit window.
In the Universe view, audio, MIDI, and video re-
gions on tracks are represented by horizontal
lines that are the same colors as the regions on
the tracks. Each audio track is represented at the
same height regardless of how many channels it
has. Additionally, tracks that show Automation,
Controller, or Playlist lanes are represented with
increasing height for each lane shown.
Since Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and VCA
Master tracks do not contain audio or MIDI re-
gions, they are displayed as blank areas in the
Universe view.
Showing the Universe Window
To show or hide the Universe view in the Edit
window, do one of the following:
Select or deselect View > Other Displays > Uni-
verse.
Double-click the divider above the Main
Timebase ruler.
Universe view at the top of the Edit window
Pro Tools Reference Guide578
From the Edit window pop-up menu, select or
deselect Universe.
Click the Show/Hide Universe view button.
Framed Area in the Universe View
The framed area in the Universe view represents
what is visible in the Tracks pane in the Edit
window. If you change what is displayed in the
Edit window—by zooming, scrolling horizon-
tally or vertically, hiding or showing tracks, or
changing track heights—the framed area in the
Universe view relocates and resizes accordingly.
During playback, if the Edit window is set to
scroll, the framed area in the Universe view also
scrolls.
When all tracks are visible in the Edit window
and the session is zoomed all the way out, with
all regions visible, the entire Universe window is
framed.
Selecting Universe view from the Edit window pop-up
menu
Clicking the Show/Hide Universe view button
Framed area representing what part of the session is
viewed in the Tracks pane of the Edit window
Chapter 27: Making Selections 579
Navigating with the Universe View
By clicking in the Universe view, you can scroll
the material displayed in the Edit window hori-
zontally, vertically, or both. This provides a con-
venient method of focusing the Edit window
anywhere in the session.
To navigate the session using the Universe view:
1 Ensure that Universe view is shown (View >
Other Displays > Universe).
2 Click anywhere in the Universe view to move
the framed area and the Edit window updates
accordingly.
Resizing the Universe View
You can resize the height of the Universe view to
fit the total number of tracks in the session, or to
show more of the Edit window.
To resize the height of the Universe view:
1 Click the area between the bottom of the Uni-
verse window and the top of the Timebase rul-
ers. The cursor changes to show that you can
resize the Universe view.
2 Drag up to decrease the height of the Universe
view or drag down to increase the height of the
Universe view.
Scrolling the Universe View
If you have more tracks in the session than are
visible in the Universe view, you can scroll up or
down to show the other tracks.
To scroll the Universe view up or down:
Click the Scroll Up or Scroll Down Arrows on
the right of the Universe view.
Resizing the Universe view
Scroll Up and Down Arrows in the Universe view
Pro Tools Reference Guide580
Navigating Your Pro Tools
Session
In addition the Universe view, Pro Tools let you
quickly and easily navigate your session using
keyboard shortcuts. This topic provides an over-
view of the essential key commands for navigat-
ing and making Edit selections in your session.
Zooming to the Entire Session and
to the Edit Selection
To zoom your entire session into view:
1 Press Alt+Start+A (Windows) or Option+Con-
trol+A (Mac) to horizontally fit the begging and
end of your session to the length of the Edit win-
dow.
2 Press Alt+Start+Up Arrow (Windows) Op-
tion+Control+Up Arrow (Mac) to fit all of the
tracks in your session to the height of the Edit
window.
Now that you can see your entire session in the
Edit window, identify the location to view for
editing.
To zoom to an Edit selection:
1 With the Selector or the Grabber tool, make an
Edit selection.
2 Press Alt+Start (Windows) or Option+Con-
trol+F (Mac) to fit the length of the selection to
the length of the Edit window.
3 Press Control+Start+Up Arrow (Windows) or
Command+Control+Up Arrow (Mac) to zoom
the Track Height of the Edit selection to fit to
the height of the Edit window.
To zoom to an Edit selection using Zoom Toggle:
1 With the Selector or the Grabber tool, make an
Edit selection.
2 Press Start+E (Windows) or Control+E (Mac)
to enable Zoom Toggle.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Start+E (Windows) or Control+E
(Mac) again to revert to the preview zoom
state.
– or –
• Press Alt+Shift+E (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift+E (Mac) to cancel Zoom Toggle
without reverting to the previous view.
Creating Edit Selections with Tab
to Transients
If editing audio with clear transients, use Tab to
Transients to make Edit selections:
1 Press Control+Alt+Tab (Windows) or Com-
mand+Option+Tab (Mac) to toggle Tab to Tran-
sients on and off.
2 With the Selector tool, place the Edit cursor
before the first transient your want in your se-
lection.
3 Press Tab to place the Edit cursor at the first
transient.
4 Press Shift+Tab to make an Edit to the next
trnansient.
Press F7 for the Selector tool or F8 for the
Grabber tool.
Press F7 for the Selector tool or F8 for the
Grabber tool.
Set the Track Height option for Zoom Toggle
to Fit To Window in the Editing Preferences.
Chapter 27: Making Selections 581
You can also do the following:
• Press Control+Tab (Windows) or Op-
tion+Tab (Mac) to move the Edit cursor to
the previous transient.
– and –
• Press Control+Shift+Tab (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift+Tab (Mac) to extend the selec-
tion to the previous transient.
Making an Edit Selection During
Playback
To make an Edit selection during playback:
1 Place the Edit cursor in the track or across mul-
tiple tracks where you want to make the selec-
tion.
2 Start playback.
3 Press the Down Arrow to place the Edit cursor
at the current playback location and mark the
beginning of the Edit selection.
4 Press the Up Arrow to mark the end point of
the Edit selection.
5 Stop playback.
6 Do one of the following:
• Press the Left arrow to locate the beginning
of the Edit selection.
– or –
• Press the Right arrow to locate the end of
the Edit selection.
Changing the Edit Selection
Pro Tools provides several keyboard shortcuts
for moving and extending or decreasing the
range of an Edit (or Timeline) selection.
To move the selection down to the next track:
Press Start+; (semicolon) (Windows) or Con-
trol+; (semicolon) (Mac).
To move the selection up to the next track:
Press Start+P (Windows) or Control+P (Mac).
To move the selection forward by the selection
amount:
Press Control+Alt+Start+’ (single quote) (Win-
dows) or Command+Control+Option+’ (single
quote) (Mac).
To move the selection backward by the selection
amount:
Press Control+Alt+Start+L (Windows) or
Command+Control+Option+L (Mac).
To double the Edit selection:
Press Control+Alt+Start+Shift+’ (single quote)
(Windows) or Command+Control+Op-
tion+Shift+’ (single quote) (Mac).
To halve the Edit selection:
Press Control+Alt+Start+Shift+L (Windows) or
Command+Control+Option+Shift+L (Mac).
To extend the Edit selection down across
tracks, Press Start+Shift+; (semicolon)
(Windows) or Control+Shift+; (semicolon)
(Mac).
To extend the Edit selection up across
tracks, Press Start+Shift+P (Windows) or
Control+Shift+P (Mac).
Pro Tools Reference Guide582
Moving the Insertion to the
Beginning or End of the Selection
With the Transport stopped, you can use the
Down and Up Arrows on your alphanumeric
keyboard to the beginning or end of the Edit (or
Timeline) selection (and collapse the selection).
To move the insertion to the beginning of the
selection:
Press the Down Arrow.
To move the insertion to the end of the selection:
Press the Up Arrow.
Restoring the Last Selection
There are times when editing that you can loose
your selection. If you loose the current Edit (or
Timeline) selection and want to restore it, use
the Restore Last Selection command.
To restore the last selection:
Choose Edit > Restore Last Selection.
Changing Track Heights
To fit the Track heights of tracks containing he
Edit selection to the height of the Edit window:
Press Control+Start+Up Arrow (Windows) or
Command+Control+Up Arrow (Mac).
To change Track height proportionally for tracks
containing the Edit selection:
Press Start+Up or Down Arrows (Windows) or
Control+Up or Down Arrows (Mac).
To change Track views for all tracks together:
Press Alt+Start+Up or Down Arrows (Win-
dows) or Option+Control+Up or Down Arrows
(Mac).
Changing Track Views
To change Track views for tracks containing the
Edit selection:
Press Control+Start+Left or Right arrows
(Windows) or Command+Control+Left or Right
arrows (Mac).
To change Track views for all tracks together:
Press Control+Alt+Start+Left or Right arrows
(Windows) or Command+Option+Control+Left
or Right arrows (Mac).
You can also press Control+Alt+Z (Win-
dows) or Command+Option+Z (Mac) to re-
store the previous selection.
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 583
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and
Selections
Regions are the basic building blocks for arrang-
ing audio and MIDI in Pro Tools. Understanding
how regions are created, edited, and arranged is
essential to taking full advantage of the editing
capabilities of Pro Tools.
This topic covers basic editing functions as they
apply to regions and region groups, and selec-
tions, which for the most part apply to both
MIDI and audio data.
For editing procedures more specific to MIDI,
see Chapter 32, “MIDI Editing.” For editing pro-
cedures specific to video, see “Video Regions”
on page 1157.
Creating New Regions
Pro Tools provides several commands for creat-
ing regions and region groups, each of them
having a slightly different effect on the selec-
tion. When you create a new region or region
group, it appears in the Region List and in the
track’s playlist. When creating a new region
from an existing region, the original region re-
mains in the Region List. New regions are
named automatically (see “Auto-Naming Op-
tions” on page 270).
Capture Region Command
The Capture Region command defines a selection
as a new region and adds it to the Region List.
From there, the new region can be dragged to
any existing tracks.
Pro Tools Reference Guide584
To capture a new region:
1 With the Selector tool, drag in an existing re-
gion to select the material for the new region.
2 Choose Region > Capture.
3 Type a name for the new region and click OK.
The new region appears in the Region List. The
original region remains intact and unchanged.
Separate Commands
The Separate commands define a selection
within an existing region, or a partially selected
region, as a new region and separate it from sur-
rounding material. The Separate commands can
also be applied to MIDI notes (see “Separating
MIDI Notes” on page 674).
New regions appear in the tracks in which they
are created, separate from the data surrounding
them. They also appear in the Region List.
There are three different Separate commands:
At Selection (or Edit Cursor) Creates new region
boundaries at the selection start and end points.
If there is no selection and the edit cursor is
placed within the region, the region is split into
two new regions at the insertion point. Likewise,
MIDI notes can be separated at the selection
start and end points (or at the Edit cursor).
On Grid Creates new regions according to the se-
lected Grid value (see “Defining the Grid Value”
on page 817). Likewise, MIDI notes can be sepa-
rated on the grid.
At Transients Automatically creates region
boundaries on detected transients within a se-
lection. This uses the same algorithm for tran-
sient detection as the Tab to Transients feature
(see “Tabbing to Transients” on page 572). On
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, the Separate At
Transients command uses the transient events
detected by Elastic Audio analysis (see “Elastic
Audio Analysis” on page 866). Separate At Tran-
sients only applies to audio and is not applicable
to MIDI notes or regions.
To separate one or more regions (or MIDI notes) at
the selection (or at the edit cursor):
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Selector tool, make an Edit selec-
tion.
– or –
• With the Selector tool, click at the point
where you want to separate the region (or
MIDI note).
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Separate > At Selection.
– or –
• With an Edit selection, Right-click near the
cursor position or selection and choose
Separate from the pop-up menu.
3 If the Editing preference for Auto-Name Sepa-
rated Regions is disabled, type a name for the
new region when prompted, then click OK.
Selecting a portion of a region
Press Control+R (Windows) or Com-
mand+R (Mac) for Capture Region.
Press Control+E (Windows) or
Command+E (Mac) for Separate At Selection.
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 585
To separate regions (or MIDI notes) according to
the current grid resolution:
1 Make an Edit selection.
2 Choose Edit > Separate > On Grid.
3 In the Pre-Separate Amount dialog, type a
pre-separate amount in milliseconds. This can
be useful to pad the beginnings of the new re-
gions.
4 Click OK.
To separate audio regions at transients:
1 Make an Edit selection.
2 Choose Edit > Separate > At Transients.
3 In the Pre-Separate Amount dialog, type a
pre-separate amount in milliseconds. This can
be useful to pad the beginnings of the new re-
gions.
4 Click OK.
Auto-Name Separated Regions
Option
With the Auto-Name Separated Regions option in
the Editing Preferences page selected, Pro Tools
automatically names separated regions for you.
The name is a numbered variation of the origi-
nal region’s name.
By separating a region, additional regions are
auto-created from data on either side of the sep-
aration, which have new numbers assigned to
their names. The original region remains intact
and unchanged on the Region List.
“Separate Region” Operates On
All Related Takes
When the “Separate Region” Operates on All Re-
lated Takes option is enabled in the Editing Pref-
erences, editing a region with the Separate Re-
gion command also affects all other related takes
with the same User Time Stamp.
This option helps you compare different sec-
tions from a group of related takes. For example,
you can quickly separate an entire group of re-
lated vocal takes into sections, then audition
and select the best material from each section
independently.
If this option is selected, make sure the Track
Name and Region Start and End options are also
selected in the Matching Criteria window (see
“Matching Criteria” on page 629). If they are
not, all regions in the session that have the same
User Time Stamp will be affected.
In most instances, you will want to disable the
Separate Region Operates On All Related Takes op-
tion, to prevent a large number of regions from
being created when you use the Separate Region
command.
Pre-Separate Amount dialog
The Region List can quickly fill up with
auto-created regions. For easier region man-
agement, click the Region List menu, dese-
lect Show > Auto-Created to hide all auto-
created regions in the Region List.
Pro Tools Reference Guide586
Separating Multiple Tracks
The following figure illustrates a separation
across one mono audio track and two stereo
tracks. For some tracks, the selection resides
within a region, while others reside at the start
or end of a region.
Once separated, this material can be moved or
copied to another location.
Separation Grabber Tool
You can use the Separation Grabber tool to auto-
matically separate an Edit selection and move it
to another location or another track.
To separate a selection with the Separation
Grabber tool:
1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection.
The selection can reside within a single region,
across adjacent regions within the same track, or
across multiple tracks.
2 From the Grabber tools pop-up menu, choose
the Separation Grabber tool.
3 Drag the selection to the new location, or to
another track.
A new region (or regions) containing the previ-
ous selection is created, separate from the origi-
nal selection. New regions are also created from
the material outside the original selection.
Figure 8. Separating across multiple tracks
Separation Grabber tool
Dragging selection to later in track with Separation
Grabber tool
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 587
To separate a selection without affecting the
original regions:
1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection.
The selection can reside within a single region,
across adjacent regions within the same track, or
across multiple tracks.
2 From the Grabber tools pop-up menu, choose
the Separation Grabber tool.
3 While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), drag the selection to the new location, or
to another track.
New regions containing the previous selection
are created and placed at the new location. The
original selection and regions remain intact.
Region Overlap and Underlap
When a tick-based audio track has multiple re-
gions, an increase in tempo can cause neighbor-
ing regions to overlap. Audio regions can be set
to display a small “dog-ear” corner to indicate
overlapping region boundaries.
To toggle the display of overlap and underlap
region boundaries:
Choose View > Region > Overlap.
Changing Region Overlap/Underlap
After tempo changes with tick-based audio, and
other edits, regions may overlap in undesired
ways. To correct this, a region can be brought to
the front, or sent behind neighboring regions as
needed.
To change the region overlap or underlap:
1 In the Edit window, choose the region or re-
gions you want to re-order.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Bring to Front to make the
region overlap the neighboring regions.
– or –
• Choose Region > Send to Back to make the
region underlap the neighboring regions.
If multiple overlapping regions are selected,
Pro Tools will apply the command to each re-
gion as that region relates to the neighboring re-
gion on the right.
Dragging to another track with the Separation Grabber
tool
Region overlap and underlap
Overlap region
Underlap region
Overlap region
Pro Tools Reference Guide588
Healing Separated Regions
The Heal Separation command returns sepa-
rated regions to their original state—provided
the regions are still next to each other and their
relative start and end points have not changed
since the separation.
If you have trimmed or otherwise changed the
start or end points of the two regions, or moved
them further away from each other, you will not
be able to repair them with the Heal Separation
command. It is not possible to heal two regions
created from different audio files.
To heal a separation between two regions:
1 With the Selector tool, make a selection that
includes part of the first region, the entire sepa-
ration between the regions, and part of the sec-
ond region.
2 Choose Edit > Heal Separation.
If the regions do not heal with Heal Separation, do
one of the following to return the separated
regions to a single region:
Delete one of the two separated regions (verify
that Slip mode is enabled so the gap does not
close) and use the Trimmer tool to expand the
remaining region to its original length (see “Us-
ing the Trimmer Tools” on page 544).
– or –
Delete both of the separated regions and drag
the original region from the Region List to the
original location (see “Placing Regions in
Tracks” on page 807).
Trimming Regions
In addition to the Trimmer tools (see “Using the
Trimmer Tools” on page 544), Pro Tools pro-
vides several options for editing region and re-
gion group boundaries.
Trim to Selection Command
The Trim to Selection command removes data be-
fore and after a region or MIDI note selection,
leaving only the selection. This command lets
you quickly remove all data in a region (and in
some instances the entire track) except for the
current selection.
To trim unwanted data from a region or note:
1 With the Selector tool, select a portion of a re-
gion or note (or a range of notes).
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region > To Selection to re-
move material outside of the selection.
Press Control+H (Windows) or
Command+H (Mac) to Heal Separation.
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 589
Trim to Insertion Commands
You can trim a region or MIDI note by automat-
ically removing the material between the Edit
insertion point and the start or end point of the
region.
To trim from a start point to insertion:
1 With the Selector tool, click inside the region
or note where you want the new start point to
be.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region > Start To Insertion.
The region’s start point is automatically
trimmed to the insertion point.
To trim from an end point to insertion:
1 With the Selector tool, click inside the region
or note where you want the new end point.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region > End To Insertion.
The region’s end point is automatically trimmed
to the insertion point.
Trim to Fill Selection Commands
The Trim to Fill Selection commands let you au-
tomatically reveal underlying material in the
gaps between regions, or before and after indi-
vidual regions, as follow:
To trim from a start point to fill gaps:
1 With the Selector tool, select across at least
one gap between regions.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region > Start to Fill Selec-
tion.
The start point of the region behind the gap is
automatically trimmed (expanded) to the previ-
ous region, or as far as possible if there is not
enough underlying material to cover the gap.
To trim from an end point to fill gaps:
1 With the Selector tool, select across at least
one gap between regions.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region > End To Fill
Selection.
Press Alt+Shift+7 (Windows) or Option+
Shift+7 (Mac) to Trim Start To Insertion.
Region end trimmed to insertion
Press Alt+Shift+8 (Windows) or Option+
Shift+8 (Mac) to Trim Start To Insertion.
Region start trimmed to fill gap
Pro Tools Reference Guide590
The end point of the region in front of the gap is
automatically trimmed (expanded) to the next
region, or as far as possible if there is not enough
underlying material to cover the gap.
To trim from a region’s start and end points to fill
the Edit selection:
1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection
that includes the region you want to trim out.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region > To Fill Selection.
The start point of the region is automatically
trimmed (expanded) to the Edit selection start,
or as far as possible if there is not enough under-
lying material to cover the selection, and the
end point of the region is automatically
trimmed out (expanded) to the Edit selection
end, or as far as possible if there is not enough
underlying material to cover the selection.
The Trim to Fill Selection command is the inverse
of the Trim to Fit Selection command: where the
Trim to Fill Selection command trims a region out
to match the Edit selection, the Trim to Fit Selec-
tion command trims a region in to match the
Edit selection.
Trimming with Nudge
You can trim the start and end points of regions
(or MIDI notes) by the current Nudge value.
To trim a region’s start or end point by the Nudge
value:
1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
Nudge Value” on page 591).
2 With the Time Grabber tool, select the region
you want to trim.
3 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the
numeric keypad to trim the region’s start
point by the Nudge value.
– or –
• While pressing Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac), press Plus (+) or Minus
(–) on the numeric keypad to trim the
region’s end point by the Nudge value.
Nudging Regions
Pro Tools can nudge regions (or MIDI notes) by
precise increments with the Plus (+) and Minus
(–) keys on the numeric keypad. The amount of
the nudge is determined by the value specified
in the Nudge Value pop-up menu. The Nudge
function can be used in any of the Edit modes.
Nudging can be invaluable for adjusting the
“groove” of a musical phrase or a sound effect
relative to other elements in the session. Since
Pro Tools can nudge material during playback,
you can nudge continuously in real time to ad-
just the timing relationship between tracks.
Nudge can also be used to adjust the placement
of automation breakpoints. For more informa-
tion, see “Editing Automation” on page 1030.
Region end trimmed to fill gap
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 591
Defining the Nudge Value
The Nudge value determines how far regions
and selections are moved when nudging.
Start and end points for selections can also be
moved by the Nudge value (see “Nudging Selec-
tion Start/End Points” on page 567). In addi-
tion, regions can be trimmed by the Nudge
value (see “Trimming with Nudge” on
page 590).
To set the Nudge value:
1 Do one of the following:
•From the View > Main Counter menu, select
the Time Scale for the Nudge value.
– or –
• To keep the Main Time Scale and use a dif-
ferent time format for the Nudge value, de-
select Follow Main Timebase in the Nudge
Value pop-up menu.
2 Specify a Nudge value by doing one of the fol-
lowing:
• From the Nudge value pop-up menu in the
Edit window, select the Nudge value.
– or –
• To specify a Nudge value not listed in the
Nudge Value pop-up menu, click the
Nudge Value indicator and type in the
value.
Nudging with Nudge
To nudge one or more region:
1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
Nudge Value” on page 591).
2 With the Time Grabber or Selector tool, select
the region, regions, or region groups you want
to nudge. The regions can reside on multiple
tracks. Only regions that are completely selected
are nudged.
3 Do one of the following:
• On the numeric keypad, press Plus (+) to
move the selection forward by the Nudge
value.
– or –
• Press Minus (–) to move the selection back
by the Nudge value.
The Nudge command works the same regardless
of the Edit mode. Adjacent regions are over-
lapped in Shuffle mode, the Spot dialog does not
appear when in Spot mode, and shifted material
does not snap to the Grid when in Grid mode.
Nudge Value pop-up menu showing Time Code
Pro Tools Reference Guide592
Nudging Regions on Multiple
Tracks and in Multichannel Tracks
When nudging a selection of multiple regions
within a single track or across multiple tracks,
that also contains silence, any automation data
residing within the silence is also nudged.
Nudging by Next Nudge Value
In addition to nudging by the current Nudge
value, you can also nudge by the next larger
value in the Nudge pop-up menu.
For example, if the Nudge value is set to 1 frame
and you want to nudge by a larger value, you
can nudge by the Nudge value of 10 frames.
To nudge forward or back by the next larger Nudge
value:
1 Enable Commands Keyboard Focus (see “Key-
board Focus” on page 30).
2 Select the regions or notes you want to nudge.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Forward Slash (/) to nudge the se-
lected material forward by the next Nudge
value.
– or –
• Press M to nudge the selection back by the
next Nudge value.
Nudging a Region’s Contents
Often a region’s start point will reside at the cor-
rect location, perhaps at a SMPTE frame or bar-
line, but the material within the region starts
too late or early. You can, in effect, nudge a re-
gion’s audio waveform or MIDI notes without
displacing the region’s start and end points.
This “sliding” of region contents is only possible
if there is material residing outside the region’s
start and end points—from the region having
been trimmed, or perhaps captured from a larger
region.
To nudge the contents of a region without
changing the region start and end points:
1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
Nudge Value” on page 591).
2 With the Time Grabber tool, select the region
whose contents you want to nudge.
3 While pressing the Start key (Windows) or
Control (Mac), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the
numeric keypad to move the material by the
Nudge value.
When Commands Keyboard Focus is not
enabled, press Start+Forward Slash (/)
(Windows) or Control+Forward Slash (/)
(Mac) to nudge the selected material
forward by the next Nudge value, and press
Start+M (Windows) or Control+M (Mac) to
nudge the selected material back by the next
Nudge value.
Nudging region contents
Region contents are slid, moving waveform material
into and out of the current region boundaries
before
after
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 593
Quantizing Regions to Grid
The Quantize to Grid command adjusts the place-
ment of selected audio and MIDI regions so that
their start points (or sync points, if present)
align precisely to the nearest Grid boundary.
To quantize individual MIDI notes or Elastic Au-
dio Events, use the Quantize Event Operations.
You can also use the Quantize Event Operation
to quantize audio regions (see “Quantize Com-
mand” on page 892).
To quantize one or more regions:
1 Select the Grid value (see “Defining the Grid
Value” on page 817).
2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, select
the region or regions you want to quantize. The
regions can be on multiple tracks. Only regions
that are entirely selected will be quantized.
3 Choose Region > Quantize to Grid. Region start
times (or sync points) are aligned to the nearest
boundaries for the defined Grid.
For MIDI regions, only the regions are quantized
and all MIDI data contained within the regions
(such as notes) are moved equally, thereby re-
taining their rhythmic relationships.
For Elastic Audio regions, only the regions are
quantized and all Elastic Audio Events con-
tained within the regions (such as transient
events) are moved equally, thereby retaining
their rhythmic relationships.
Editing Stereo and
Multichannel Tracks
Regions on individual channels within stereo
and multichannel tracks cannot be indepen-
dently selected. All selections for these tracks are
time-based, which means that selections made
with the Selector or Time Grabber tool extend to
each and every channel in the track.
When regions in multichannel tracks are edited
with any of the Trimmer tools or dragged with
the Time Grabber tool, material on all channels
is affected equally as a group.
Split Selected Tracks
To edit a specific channel within a stereo or
multichannel track without affecting the other
channels, you can split the track into separate
mono tracks. Once the edits have been made to
the separated material, you can then drag or
copy it back to the original multichannel track.
To split a stereo or multichannel track:
1 Select one or more stereo or multichannel
tracks (see “Selecting Tracks” on page 215).
2 Choose Track > Split Into Mono. Regions from
the channels on the selected tracks are placed on
new, mono audio tracks.
Press Control+0 (Windows) or
Command+0 (Mac) to Quantize to Grid.
To quantize individual MIDI notes or Elas-
tic Audio Events, use the Quantize Event
Operations. You can also use the Quantize
Event Operation to quantize audio regions.
For more information see “Quantize Com-
mand” on page 892).
Pro Tools Reference Guide594
Names for the new tracks are based on the
source track name and channel suffix. For exam-
ple, if a stereo track called “Funkit” is split, two
new tracks called “Funkit.L” and “Funkit.R” are
created.
Output and send assignments and volume and
pan settings are retained in the new tracks.
Mono equivalents of stereo and multi-mono
plug-in assignments are assigned in the new
tracks. However, multichannel plug-in assign-
ments are not assigned in the new tracks.
Dragging Regions to and from
Stereo and Multichannel Tracks
When dragging regions to or from stereo or
multichannel tracks, the following rules apply:
Provided the number of tracks and channels
are the same for the source and destination, you
can drag regions between multichannel tracks
and mono tracks.
The source and destination for dragged re-
gions can be mixed. For example, you can drag
regions from a 5.0 track (containing five chan-
nels) to a stereo track and three mono audio
tracks.
When dragging multichannel regions to
mono tracks, the destination tracks must be
adjacent.
When dragging regions from mono tracks to a
multichannel track, the source tracks need not
be adjacent.
Multichannel regions can also be dragged from
the Region List, to multichannel tracks of the
same format, groups of mono audio tracks, or a
combination of both.
Conversely, a collection of single, mono regions
can be dragged from the Region List to multi-
channel tracks—provided the dragged number
of regions matches the number of channels in
the destination track.
Consolidating Regions
During the course of normal edit operations,
any track can accumulate many regions. How-
ever, once a track or track range (such as a verse
or chorus) reaches a satisfactory state, you may
want to consolidate multiple regions into a sin-
gle region.
When consolidating an entire audio track or just
an Edit selection, a new audio file is written that
consists of the entire selection, including any
blank space.
When consolidating, muted regions are treated
as silence. Otherwise, whether or not a track is
muted, or contains Mute automation, does not
affect the Consolidate command.
Dragging a stereo region to two mono audio tracks
Consolidating an audio track does not
consolidate underlying automation data.
To create a single file with automation data
applied to the audio, use Bounce to Disk
(see “Bounce to Disk” on page 1064).
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 595
To consolidate regions within a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Using the Time Grabber or Selector tool, se-
lect the regions you want to consolidate.
– or –
• To select all regions in a track, triple-click in
its playlist with the Selector tool.
2 Choose Edit > Consolidate.
Compacting an Audio File
The Compact command deletes unused portions
of audio files to conserve disk space, and to pre-
pare for cleaner hard drive back-ups. The Com-
pact Selected command also deletes any audio
files for which there are no regions on tracks ref-
erencing those files.
Because it permanently deletes audio data, the
Compact command should be used only after
you have completely finished your editing and
are sure that you have no further use for the un-
used audio data.
The Compact command can pad the regions of
the compacted file by a selectable amount. If re-
gions in your session use crossfades, or if you
want to pad the regions for the sake of any fu-
ture trimming, you should enter an appropriate
amount of padding (in milliseconds).
To compact an audio file:
1 In the Region List, select the region or regions
you want to compact.
2 From the Region List menu, choose Compact.
3 Enter the amount of padding in milliseconds
that you want for each region in the file.
4 Click Compact to compact the file or Cancel to
cancel the command.
Once the Compact command has been com-
pleted, the session is saved automatically.
Processing Audio with
AudioSuite Plug-Ins
The AudioSuite plug-ins included with your
Pro Tools system can be used to process and
modify audio regions or even entire audio files.
Do this in order to apply a specific AudioSuite
process (such as Normalization or DC Offset Re-
moval) to any number of audio regions in your
session.
Press Alt+Shift+3 (Windows) or
Option+Shift+3 (Mac) to Consolidate.
The Compact command is destructive and
cannot be undone. It permanently alters the
original audio files. There is no way to
recover data deleted by this command.
For more information about AudioSuite
plug-ins, see Chapter 40, “AudioSuite Pro-
cessing.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide596
TCE (Time Compression and
Expansion) Edit To Timeline
Selection
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When the Edit and Timeline selections are un-
linked, you can compress or expand an audio se-
lection to fit the Timeline selection. On audio
tracks, TCE Edit to Timeline Selection uses the TCE
AudioSuite Plug-In selected in the Processing
preferences (see “Processing Preferences” on
page 132). On Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, TCE
Edit To Timeline Selection uses the track’s selected
Elastic Audio plug-in (see “Elastic Audio Plug-
Ins” on page 868).
To fit an Edit selection to the Timeline:
1 Deselect Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tion.
2 With the Selector tool, select the audio mate-
rial to be compressed or expanded.
3 In any Timebase ruler, select the time range
where you want to fit the audio material.
4 Choose Edit > TCE Edit to Timeline Selection.
The Edit selection is compressed or expanded to
the length of the Timeline selection.
TCE Edit to Timeline Selection on
Multiple Tracks and Channels
The TCE Edit to Timeline command can be used
on multichannel selections, and selections
across multiple tracks. All regions are com-
pressed or expanded equally by the same per-
centage value, based on Edit selection range.
This ensures that the rhythmic relationship
between the different channels or tracks is
maintained.
Fitting an Audio Region to an Edit
Selection
Regions can be dragged from the Region List to
fit within an Edit selection. The dragged region
is compressed or expanded to fit within the se-
lection. On audio tracks, fitting an audio region
to the Edit selection uses the TCE AudioSuite
Plug-In selected in the Processing preferences
(see “Processing Preferences” on page 132). On
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, it uses the track’s
selected Elastic Audio plug-in (see “Elastic Audio
Plug-Ins” on page 868).
To fit an audio region to an Edit selection:
1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection
in an audio track.
2 Control-Alt-drag (Windows) or Command-
Option-drag (Mac) the region from the Region
List to the track with the selection. The start of
the region is positioned at the selection start,
and the region is compressed or expanded to
match the length of the selection.
Fit to Selection on Multiple Tracks
and Channels
The Fit to Selection command supports dragging
multiple regions from the Region List to multi-
ple tracks, or multichannel tracks.
However, all dragged regions are compressed or
expanded equally by the same percentage value,
based on length of the region last clicked before
dragging.
Chapter 28: Editing Regions and Selections 597
Rating Regions
You can rate different regions on a scale of 1 to
5, where 5 is the highest (or best) and 1 is the
lowest (or worst). Region rating is useful for
identifying which takes (regions) you like the
most when compositing playlists. You can dis-
play or hide the region rating in regions to facil-
itate track compositing or regular editing. You
can also show or hide Playlist lanes based on the
ratings of regions in the playlist (see “Filtering
Lanes” on page 628).
To rate a region:
1 Select the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Rating, and select a rank-
ing of 1 to 5.
– or –
• Right-click the region, choose Rate, and se-
lect a ranking of 1 to 5.
To display ratings in regions:
Select View > Region > Rating.
To hide ratings in regions:
Deselect View > Region > Rating.
You can rate selected regions during play-
back by pressing Control+Alt+Start (Win-
dows) or Command+Option+Control (Mac)
and then typing the rating number (1–5) on
the numeric keypad.
Region with Rating shown
Pro Tools Reference Guide598
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 599
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades
You can quickly and easily apply a fade-in or
fade-out on a audio region, as well as crossfades
between adjacent audio regions. Crossfading is
the process of fading between two regions of au-
dio to prevent pops, clicks, or sudden changes in
sound. Crossfades have many applications,
from smoothing transitions between regions to
creating special audio effects. The crossfade du-
ration, position, and shape are all user-defin-
able.
Fades are computed and written to disk. Cross-
fades that are written to disk are stored in a
folder named “Fade Files” within the session
folder. When you play back your track,
Pro Tools reads and plays back the fade file from
disk.
Pro Tools does not let you replace fade-ins and
fade-outs with crossfades. To add a crossfade be-
tween regions, any existing fade-ins and fade-
outs between the regions must first be deleted.
About Crossfades and Curves
To create a crossfade between two regions, use
the Selector tool to select across the end point of
the first region and the start point of the second.
The length of the selection determines the
length of the crossfade. Though fades may ap-
pear to be discrete regions, they cannot actually
be separated from the regions in which they
were created. You can, however, create fade-ins
and fade-outs for individual regions (see “Creat-
ing Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Re-
gions” on page 607).
Use the Fades dialog to select, view, and manip-
ulate the curves used to perform fades and cross-
fades. Different volume curves can be assigned
to the fade-out and fade-in portions of cross-
fades. The Fades dialog can also render a preview
of the fade.
The type of selection you make determines the
character of the crossfade.
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 includes an AutoFade
feature that provides real-time fades with-
out processing them to disk (see “Using
AutoFades” on page 610).
Since crossfades are created by fading
between overlapping audio material, a
crossfade cannot be performed on regions
that do not contain audio material
beyond their region boundaries.
Pro Tools Reference Guide600
Standard Crossfade (Centered)
This type of selection creates a crossfade on both
sides of the splice point, which affects the vol-
ume of region 1 and region 2. It is the most
common type of crossfade.
This crossfade type requires that region 1 con-
tain audio material beyond its end point, and
region 2 contain audio material before its start
point.
Pre Crossfade
This type of selection creates a crossfade before
the splice point. This lets you maintain the vol-
ume of the very beginning of region 2 instead of
fading across it, which is useful if there is a
strong attack at the beginning of region 2 that
you want to preserve. When making selections
for crossfades that occur on the border of two re-
gions, you can use the Tab key to move the cur-
sor to the exact beginning or end of a region.
This crossfade type requires that region 2 con-
tain audio material before its start point.
Post Crossfade
This type of selection creates a crossfade after
the splice point. It is useful if you want to main-
tain the amplitude of region 1 until its very end.
When making selections for crossfades that oc-
cur on the border of two regions, you can use
the Tab key to move the cursor to the exact be-
ginning or end of a region.
This crossfade type requires that region 1 con-
tain audio material beyond its end point.
If a region references insufficient data to ex-
ecute a selected fade or crossfade, you are
prompted to either skip those fades or to ad-
just the bounds of the selection to be able to
execute those fades.
Centered crossfade
Pre crossfade
splice
point fade-in curvefade-out curve
crossfade selection
region 2
region 1
crossfade selection
region 2region 1
sp
lice
point
crossfade selection
region 2region 1
sp
lice
point
Post crossfade
crossfade selection
region 2region 1
sp
lice
point
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 601
Fades Dialog
When choosing the Edit > Fades command you
can use the Fades dialog to select, view, and pre-
view fades and crossfades, and to edit the curves
used to perform fades and crossfades. A fade-in
shows the In Shape settings, but not the Out
Shape settings, and likewise a fade-out shows
the Out Shape settings, but not the In Shape set-
tings.
The controls in the Fades dialog include:
Audition
Click this button to audition fades. Pro Tools
supports fade auditioning directly from your au-
dio interface outputs.
View First Track (Crossfades Only)
If you are cross-fading between more than one
track, this button allows you to view and pre-
view the audio of the first in a pair of adjacent
tracks.
View Second Track (Crossfades Only)
If you are cross-fading between more than one
track this button allows you to view and preview
the audio of the second in a pair of adjacent
tracks.
View Both Tracks (Crossfades Only)
Click this button to display the waveforms of
the first two adjacent tracks in a multitrack
crossfade.
Fades dialog, fade-out
Fades dialog, crossfade
Pro Tools Reference Guide602
Fade Curves Only
Click this button to display the specified fade
curves without showing the actual audio wave-
forms. This is the default view when you open
the Fades dialog.
Fade Curves and Separate Waveforms
Click this button to display the specified fade
curves along with separate views of the fade-in
and fade-out waveforms.
Fade Curves and Superimposed Waveforms
Click this button to display the specified fade
curves along with superimposed views of the
fade-in and fade-out waveforms.
Fade Curves and Summed Waveform
Click this button to display the specified fade
curves along with a single waveform represent-
ing the summation of the any crossfaded audio.
Zoom In
Click this button to scale the view of the wave-
form’s amplitude upwards. Control-click (Win-
dows) or Command-click (Mac) for the default
view scale.
Zoom Out
Click this button to scale the view of the wave-
form’s amplitude downwards. Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) for the de-
fault view scale.
Fade-Out Shape Settings
The Out Shape setting lets you define the shape
of the fade-out from a region for a fade, or from
region 1 for a crossfade.
Standard Selects a single continuous fade curve.
This creates a general-purpose fade that can be
edited by dragging the curve itself.
S-Curve Selects an S-shaped curve, which inverts
its beginning and end characteristics. This
makes it possible to fade out faster at the curve’s
start and slower at its end, for example. S-shaped
curves can be useful with material that is diffi-
cult to crossfade effectively. S-curves can be ed-
ited by dragging the curve in the curve editor.
Fade-in Shape
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 603
Preset Curves Seven commonly used preset
curves are provided for fast crossfade creation.
These can be edited by dragging the end points
of the curve in the curve editor portion of this
dialog. The seven presets are as follows:
Preset Curve 1 stays at full volume throughout
the fade, then immediately drops the volume at
the end of the fade.
Preset Curve 2 fades out relatively slowly,
keeping the volume fairly high throughout the
duration of the fade.
Preset Curve 3 fades out slightly faster, keep-
ing the volume slightly lower during the fade.
Preset Curve 4 fades out with a linear fade.
This is the default curve.
Preset Curve 5 fades out quickly at the begin-
ning of the crossfade.
Preset Curve 6 drops the volume even more
quickly at the beginning of the fade.
Preset Curve 7 silences any audio at the begin-
ning of the fade.
Link Settings
(Crossfades Only)
The Link setting links the selected fade-out and
fade-in curves of a crossfade. If you adjust one
curve, the corresponding curve is also adjusted.
This ensures that the resulting crossfade is an
equal power or equal gain crossfade, depending
on which one you select.
Preset Curve 1
Preset Curve 2
Preset Curve 3
Preset Curve 4
Preset Curve 5
Preset Curve 6
Preset Curve 7
Fade Link
Pro Tools Reference Guide604
Equal Power Recommended for material that is
not phase coherent, as in the case of a crossfade
between two completely different types of mate-
rial. Use this option to avoid the volume drop
that can occur with an Equal Gain crossfade.
With this fade, you can Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac) the fade curve to reset it to
its default shape.
Equal Gain Recommended for material that is
phase-coherent or nearly phase-coherent, as in
the case of a crossfade between identical re-
gions/instruments (for example, a repeated
drum loop). Use this option to avoid clipping
that can occur when using an Equal Power cross-
fade. With this fade, you can Alt-click (Win-
dows) or Option-click (Mac) the fade curve to re-
set it to its default shape.
None Disables linking between the fade-out and
fade-in curves, and lets you freely adjust them
separately, including start and end points. This
option also allows you to create custom cross-
fade shapes.
When Link is set to Equal Power or Equal Gain, you
can edit only the fade-in portion of the curve, by
pressing Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
dragging. To edit only the fade-out portion of
the curve, press Control (Windows) or Com-
mand (Mac) while dragging.
Slope Settings
(Fade-In or Fade-Out Only)
The Slope settings affect the slope of the fade-in
or fade-out. Select either Equal Power or Equal
Gain. For more information on Equal Power and
Equal Gain fades, see “Link Settings” on
page 603.
Use Dither
The Use Dither option turns on a preset, noise-
shaped dither function that improves audio per-
formance when fading in or fading out of si-
lence, and crossfading between low amplitude
regions. Dithering is usually not necessary when
applying fades to regions with audio at high am-
plitudes. You can disable Dither while editing
fades in the Fades dialog to speed up previews
and fade recalculation, then re-enable Dither to
create the final fade or crossfade.
Adjusting the end point of a fade curve
Fade Link
Dither option for Fades
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 605
Fade-In Shape Settings
The In Shape setting lets you define the shape of
the fade-in to a region for a fade, or to region 2
for a crossfade.
Standard Selects a single continuous fade curve.
This creates a general-purpose fade that can be
edited by dragging the curve itself.
S-Curve Selects an S-shaped curve, which inverts
its beginning and end characteristics. This
makes it possible to fade in faster at the start of
the curve, and slower at the end. S-shaped
curves are useful with material that is difficult to
fade effectively. S-curves can be edited by drag-
ging the curve in the curve editor.
Preset Curves Seven commonly used preset
curves are provided for fast creation. These can
be edited by dragging the end points of the
curve in the curve editor portion of this dialog.
The seven presets are as follows:
Preset Curve 1 fades in at full volume immedi-
ately at the beginning of the fade and keeps it
there throughout the fade.
Preset Curve 2 fades in quickly in the begin-
ning, reaching full amplitude fairly early in the
fade.
Preset Curve 3 fades in moderately fast.
Preset Curve 4 fades in with a linear fade
curve. This is the default curve.
Preset Curve 5 fades in slowly at the begin-
ning of the fade.
Preset Curve 6 fades in even more slowly than
the previous curve.
Preset Curve 7 silences any audio until the
end of the fade.
Preset Curve 1
Preset Curve 2
Preset Curve 3
Preset Curve 4
Preset Curve 5
Preset Curve 6
Preset Curve 7
Pro Tools Reference Guide606
Typical Curve Combinations
Following are the available combinations of
fade-out and fade-in curves.
Linear Crossfade This is a good general purpose
crossfade with a smooth, even transition be-
tween region 1 and region 2.
Equal Power Crossfade This is a good general
purpose crossfade useful in cases where a linear
crossfade seems to create a noticeable drop in
volume across the splice point.
Overlap Fade This combination of curves keeps
both regions at full amplitude throughout the
crossfade: region 2 “jumps in” at the beginning
and region 1 “jumps out” at the end.
Fade and Crossfade Preferences
You can set default fade and crossfade settings.
These settings load as your “base” settings when
you use the Create Fades command, and the
Fade to Start and Fade to End commands.
To set the fade and crossfade preferences:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Editing tab.
2 Set the Pre-Roll and Post-Roll times for Fade
previews.
3 Click Fade In and set the default shape for
fade-ins when using the Smart Tool, then click
OK.
4 Click Fade Out and set the default shape for
fade-outs when using the Smart Tool, then click
OK.
Linear Crossfade
Equal Power Crossfade
1. Out 2. In
1. Out 2. In
Overlap Crossfade
Fade preferences
1. Out 2. In
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 607
5 Click Crossfade and set the default shape for
crossfades when using the Smart Tool, then click
OK.
6 Click OK.
Creating Fades at the
Beginnings and Ends of
Regions
Pro Tools lets you create fade-ins and fade-outs
at the beginnings and ends of regions.
With Pro Tools HD, you can also use an auto-
matic fade-in/out option, which applies real time
fade-ins/outs to all regions during playback.
These fades are not written to disk, but are auto-
matically applied during playback. For more in-
formation, see “Using AutoFades” on page 610.
Creating Fade-Ins and Fade-Outs
Depending on how you make the selection, you
can position a fade-in or fade-out at the exact
beginning or end of a region, or position it so it
extends into a blank area of the track. The
length of the selection in the region determines
the length of the fade-in or fade-out.
You can also fade to the beginning or end of a
region from an insertion point.
Although fades appear to be discrete regions,
they cannot be separated from the regions in
which they were created.
When changing tempo in a tick-based audio
track, fade-ins and fade-outs remain with their
parent regions. Fades maintain their absolute
duration and are consequently recalculated after
any tempo changes.
To create a fade-in:
1 Select the beginning of the region that you
want to fade in. The selection must extend to
the exact beginning of the region or a blank area
prior to the region in the track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
– or –
• Press Control+F (Windows) or
Command+F (Mac).
3 Select the fade-in curve and configure the
other Fade settings.
4 Click the Audition button to audition the
fade.
5 Adjust the curve by dragging it or by selecting
a different shape from the In Shape pop-up
menu.
6 Click OK.
To apply the default fade or crossfade
shape, make an Edit selection and press
Control+Start+F (Windows) or
Command+Control+F (Mac).
Region with a fade-in
Selecting the beginning of a region for a fade-in
To apply a Fade In using the Default Fade
In setting (in the Editing Preferences page),
and without opening the Fades dialog, press
Control+Start+F (Windows) or
Command+Control+F (Mac).
Pro Tools Reference Guide608
Pro Tools calculates the fade and writes it to
disk. The selected fade curve appears in the re-
gion.
To create a fade-out:
1 Select the end of the region that you want to
fade out. The selection must extend to the exact
end of the region or a blank area after the region
in the track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
– or –
• Press Control+F (Windows) or
Command+F (Mac).
3 Select the fade-out curve and configure the
other Fade settings.
4 Click the Audition button to audition the
fade.
5 Adjust the curve by dragging it or by selecting
a different shape from the Out Shape pop-up
menu.
6 Click OK.
Pro Tools calculates the fade and writes it to
disk. The chosen fade curve appears in the re-
gion.
To fade from the insertion point to a region start
point:
1 Place the cursor at a location in the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To Start.
– or –
• Press Alt+D (Windows) or
Control+D (Mac).
The fade is applied based on the Fade In prefer-
ences (see “Fade and Crossfade Preferences” on
page 606).
To fade from the insertion point to a region end
point:
1 Place the cursor at a location in the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To End.
– or –
• Press Alt+G (Windows) or
Control+G (Mac).
The fade is applied based on the Fade Out pref-
erences (see “Fade and Crossfade Preferences”
on page 606).
Selecting the end of a region for a fade-out
To apply the Fade Out using the Default Fade
Out setting (in the Editing Preferences page),
and without opening the Fades dialog, press
Control+Start+F (Windows) or
Command+Control+F (Mac).
Fade lengths can be resized with any of the
Trimmer tools, including Nudge Trim
commands. See “Using the Trimmer Tools”
on page 544 and “Trimming with Nudge”
on page 590.
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 609
Creating a Crossfade
To create a crossfade between two regions:
1 With the Selector tool, click at the point where
you want the crossfade to begin in the first re-
gion and drag to where you want it to end in the
second region. Crossfade selections can begin
and end anywhere in their respective regions.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
– or –
• Press Control+F (Windows) or
Command+F (Mac).
3 Use the view buttons to adjust the view of the
crossfade. It may take a few moments to calcu-
late the waveform display for long selections.
4 Select an Out Shape and an In Shape.
5 Select a Linking option.
6 Click the Audition button to audition the
crossfade. For long crossfades, it may take
Pro Tools a few moments to calculate and load
the audio into playback RAM.
7 Do one of the following:
• Adjust the curves by selecting different pre-
set shapes with the Out Shape and In Shape
pop-up menus.
– or –
• Drag the Fade-In and Fade-Out curves to a
custom shape. By choosing None as the
Linking option, you can drag the begin-
ning or end points of a fade curve to adjust
its beginning or end point.
8 Click the Audition button to audition the
crossfade again.
9 When the crossfade sounds right, click OK.
The fade is calculated and written to disk, but
the audio files and regions remain unchanged.
Crossfades are stored in the Fade Files folder in
the session folder.
To remove a crossfade, do one of the following:
Select the area of the track containing any
crossfades you want to delete and choose Edit >
Fades > Delete.
Select the crossfade with the Time Grabber
tool and press Backspace (Windows) or Delete
(Mac).
Right-click the crossfade with any of the edit
tools and select Delete Fades from the pop-up
menu.
To trim a crossfade:
1 Select the crossfade with the Time Grabber
tool, or double-click it with the Selector tool.
2 With any of the Trimmer tools, trim either
side of the crossfade. The crossfade is recalcu-
lated to reflect the newly trimmed length.
Crossfades on Tick-Based Audio
Tracks
Crossfades are re-rendered after changing tempo
in a tick-based audio track. The new crossfade is
the same duration as the crossfade prior to the
tempo change.
To apply a Crossfade using the Default
Crossfade setting (in the Editing Preferences),
and without opening the Fades dialog, press
Control+Start+F (Windows) or
Command+Control+F (Mac).
Crossfade lengths can be resized with any of
the Trimmer tools, including Nudge Trim
commands. See “Using the Trimmer Tools”
on page 544 and “Trimming with Nudge”
on page 590.
Pro Tools Reference Guide610
If there is not enough audio material to com-
plete the crossfade, or if the new crossfade area
falls outside of valid region boundaries, the
crossfade is removed.
Pre and Post Crossfade
Selections
By making a selection that begins or ends pre-
cisely on the border of two regions, you can cre-
ate “pre” or “post” crossfades. Use the Tab key to
place the insertion point at the exact beginning
or end of a region.
To create a pre- or post-crossfade:
1 With the Selector tool, click in the track that
contains the regions you want to crossfade.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Tab to move forward to the next
region boundary.
– or –
• Press Control+Tab (Windows) or
Option+Tab (Mac) to move back to the
previous region boundary.
3 Extend the selection as follows:
• Shift-drag to adjust your selection, or press
Shift+Tab to extend the selection forward
to the next region boundary.
– or –
• Press Control+Shift+Tab (Windows) or
Option+Shift+Tab (Mac) to extend the
selection back to the previous region
boundary.
4 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
– or –
• Press Control+F (Windows) or
Command+F (Mac).
5 Select a fade type and click OK.
Using AutoFades
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 can automatically apply real-
time fade-ins and fade-outs to all region bound-
aries in the session. Specify the duration (0 to
10 ms) for automatic real-time fades with the
Auto Region Fade In/Out Length preference in the
Operation Preferences page). These fade-ins and
fade-outs are performed during playback and do
not appear in the Edit window, and are not writ-
ten to disk.
The automatic fade-in/out option also has an ef-
fect on Voice borrowing in a session. Whenever
a lower-priority virtual track “pops thru” a si-
lence in a higher-priority track on the same
voice, a fade-in and fade-out is applied to the
transition.
This feature is especially useful in post produc-
tion situations such as dialogue tracking. For ex-
ample, you can assign both a dialogue track and
a “room tone” track with matching background
to the same voice. You can then set the AutoFade
option to a moderate length (4 ms or so) so that
whenever a silence occurs in the dialog, play-
back switches smoothly to and from the back-
ground track without clicks or pops.
Using automatic fade-ins/outs saves you the
trouble of editing to zero-crossings or creating
numerous rendered fades in order to eliminate
clicks or pops in playback. However, since these
autofades are not written to disk, those clicks or
pops still exist in the underlying sound file.
Consequently, those anomalies still appear if
the Duplicate AudioSuite plug-in or the Export
AutoFades are not applied to AudioSuite
processing.
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 611
Regions As Files command (from the Region
List) are used to duplicate multiple regions as a
continuous file. To render these real-time auto
fades to disk, choose File > Bounce to > Disk.
To set the length of automatic fade-ins/outs:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Type a value between 0 and 10 ms for the Auto
Region Fade In/Out Length. A value of zero (the
default) means that no auto-fading will occur.
3 Click OK. The AutoFade value is saved with the
session, and is automatically applied to all free-
standing region boundaries until you change it.
Creating Fades and
Crossfades in Batches
Using Batch Fades, you can create many fades at
once. Select across several regions and use the
Create Fades command to create crossfades for
each region transition. If your selection includes
regions that already have crossfades, this feature
lets you modify them.
To apply crossfades between multiple regions:
1 With the Selector tool, click in the first region
in which you want to create a crossfade. Make
sure that the selection includes the entire re-
gion.
2 Drag to extend the selection to include the last
region you want to crossfade. Make sure that the
selection includes the entire region.
3 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
– or –
• Press Control+F (Windows) or
Command+F (Mac).
4 In the Batch Fades dialog, select whether you
want to Create New Fades, Create New Fade-Ins &
Outs, Adjust Existing Fades, or a combination of
these options.
If you choose to create new fades and new fade-
ins and outs, new crossfades are created at each
region boundary that is bordered by another se-
lected region, a fade-in is created at the start of
the first region, and a fade-out is created at the
end of the last region.
5 Select the placement of the Fades: Pre-Splice,
Centered, or Post-Splice (see “About Crossfades
and Curves” on page 599).
6 Enter a crossfade length in milliseconds.
7 Click OK.
Selected regions for Batch Fades
Batch Fades dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide612
Pro Tools creates the fades for all selected re-
gions.
Moving and Nudging Fades
and Crossfades
Fades and crossfades can be moved or nudged in
tracks, independently of their contributing re-
gions. Moving or nudging fade-ins or fade-outs
reveals or hides audio as the fade is moved from
the edge of a contributing region. Moving or
nudging crossfades changes the overlap point of
the contributing regions. Moving or nudging
fades is also constrained by underlying region
boundaries.
Moving or Nudging Fades or
Crossfades within Regions
To move or nudge a fade or crossfade within its
contributing regions:
1 Select the fade or crossfade by doing one of
the following:
• Use the Time Grabber tool to select the
fade.
– or –
• Use the Selector tool to select a range that
includes the fade.
2 Move the fade by doing one of the following:
• Drag the fade with the Time Grabber tool
to a new location on the track.
– or –
• Nudge the fade by pressing Plus (+) or
Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move
the fade forward or backward on the track.
Moving Regions Containing Fades
or Crossfades
When you move or nudge a region selection
that contains a fade-in, fade-out, or crossfade,
the fade moves with the selection.
To move a region selection with fades or
crossfades:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click a region with the Time Grabber tool
(or double-click with the Selector tool) to
select the region along with the fade (in or
out).
– or –
• Select multiple regions that include the
fades and crossfades you want to move.
Fade lengths can be resized with any of the
Trimmer tools, including Nudge Trim com-
mands. See “Using the Trimmer Tools” on
page 544 and “Trimming with Nudge” on
page 590.
Selecting a fade with the Time Grabber
Dragging the fade with the Time Grabber
Result of moved fade
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 613
2 Move the region selection by doing one of the
following:
• Drag the region selection with the Grabber
tool to a new location on the track.
– or –
• Nudge the region selection by pressing Plus
(+) or Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to
move the region forward or backward on
the track.
Nudging Regions Adjacent to
Fade-Ins or Fade-Outs
When you nudge a region selection adjacent to
a fade-in or fade-out, but do not select the fade,
the adjacent fade stretches or shrinks to main-
tain the fade start or end point. The amount of
change depends on the amount of audio mate-
rial outside the fade start or end point.
To a nudge region without its fade:
1 Select the region, but not the fade.
2 Nudge the region by pressing Plus (+) or Mi-
nus (–) on the numeric keypad.
Moving Regions Adjacent to
Crossfades
When you move either of the regions that con-
tributes to a crossfade, the regions separate. The
status of the fade depends on the Preserve Fades
when Editing preference (in the Editing Prefer-
ences page).
To separate crossfaded regions and retain the
corresponding fades:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Edit-
ing tab.
2 Select Preserve Fades when Editing.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
4 Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber
tool to select one of the contributing regions to
a crossfade.
5 Drag the selected region with the Grabber.
To separate crossfaded regions and remove the
fade:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Edit-
ing tab.
2 Deselect Preserve Fades when Editing.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Dragging a region with its fade
Selecting a region without its fade
Nudging a region without its fade
Selecting a region with a crossfade
Separating regions while preserving fades
Pro Tools Reference Guide614
4 Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber
tool to select one of the contributing regions to
a crossfade.
5 Drag the selected region with the Grabber.
Nudging Regions Adjacent to
Crossfades
When you nudge either of the regions that con-
tributes to a crossfade, the fade stretches to pre-
serve the relative position of the crossfade start
and end points. The amount of stretch depends
on the amount of overlap between the contrib-
uting regions.
If you nudge a region beyond the boundary of
available audio for the crossfade, the fade is re-
moved.
To nudge a region and stretch its crossfade:
1 Use the Time Grabber tool to select one of the
contributing regions to the crossfade.
2 Nudge the region by pressing Plus (+) or
Minus (–) on the numeric keypad.
Separating Regions that
Include Fades or Crossfades
You can create regions from track material that
overlaps with fades or crossfades. If the Preserve
Fades when Editing option is enabled in the Edit-
ing Preferences page, the fades from the source
region are adjusted to the new region.
To separate a region that overlaps with a fade or
crossfade:
1 With the Selector tool, drag to select the ma-
terial for the new region.
2 Choose Edit > Separate Region > At Selection.
Where your selection overlaps any fade-ins or
fade-outs, the fade is trimmed to fit the selec-
tion.
Selecting a region with a crossfade
Separating regions while removing fades
Selecting a region with a crossfade
Stretching the crossfade by nudging
Selecting material that overlaps a fade-in
Chapter 29: Fades and Crossfades 615
Where your selection overlaps a crossfade, the
crossfade is separated into a fade-out and fade-in
at the selection boundary.
Trimming Regions that Include
Fades or Crossfades
You can trim regions that include fades or cross-
fades.
Trimming a Region to a Fade
Boundary
You can trim regions that are adjacent to fade
and crossfade boundaries.
To trim a region on a fade boundary:
With the Trimmer tool, click the region
boundary and drag to trim the region. The fade
remains constant and follows the new region
boundary.
Trimming to a Selection Across
Fades or Crossfades
You can trim regions to selections that include
fades or crossfades.
Result of Separate Region command on fade-in
Selecting material that overlaps a crossfade
Result of Separate Region command on crossfade
If the Preserve Fades when Editing option is
not enabled in the Editing preferences, any
fades within the selection are deleted when
editing.
Dragging a region boundary with the Trimmer tool
Result of trimming the region
Pro Tools Reference Guide616
To trim a region to a selection that includes fades,
do one of the following:
Make a selection in the track and choose Edit >
Trim > To Selection. You can Trim across multiple
regions and fades. Affected fades are adjusted to
the new region boundaries.
– or –
Click with the Selector in the region and
choose Edit > Trim > Start to Insertion or End to In-
sertion. You can trim to region or fade boundary
in the track.
Fade Boundaries and Shapes
Displayed in Automation View
Fade boundaries and fade shapes are shown and
can be edited in Automation views, allowing for
more precise viewing and editing of automation
data. For more information on Automation and
Automation views, see Chapter 45, “Automa-
tion.”
Trimming to a selection across multiple fades
Fade information in Automation view
Chapter 30: Playlists 617
Chapter 30: Playlists
The ability to create playlists is a powerful fea-
ture of Pro Tools. Each track maintains a “main”
playlist and any number of “alternate” edit play-
lists.
Edit playlists let you take a snapshot of a track’s
current arrangement of regions, thereby freeing
you to experiment with alternate arrangements,
returning as necessary to previously saved play-
lists.
A playlist, which can consist of a single region or
many regions, can only be assigned to a track if
it is not in use by another track. While you can
create an almost unlimited number of edit play-
lists, which are shared among all tracks, each
track has its own dedicated automation playlist.
Automation playlists for audio, Auxiliary Input,
Master Fader, and Instrument tracks store data
for volume, pan, mute, and plug-in controls.
Automation playlists for MIDI tracks, however,
store only mute information; continuous con-
troller events, program changes, and Sysex
events are stored in MIDI regions and therefore
reside within edit playlists for both MIDI and In-
strument tracks (see Chapter 45, “Automation”).
Working with Playlists
When you create a new track, it contains a sin-
gle, empty playlist until you record, import, or
drag and drop material to it.
New playlists can be created that are empty or
duplicates of the current playlist. Once created,
you can recall, rename, and delete playlists as
needed by using the Playlist selector.
New and duplicated playlists are auto-named
with the track name, followed by a Period (.) and
the playlist number. For example, the first dupli-
cated playlist on a track named “Kick” is auto-
named “Kick.01,” subsequent duplicated play-
lists are auto-named “Kick.02,” “Kick.03,” and
so on.
Audio material can be dragged and dropped
onto a track from the Region List, DigiBase
browsers, from Windows Explorer or the
Mac Finder.
Playlist selector
Pro Tools Reference Guide618
Creating a Playlist
You can create new empty playlists for recording
or importing audio and MIDI. This can be useful
for creating alternate takes of audio or MIDI, or
for constructing alternate arrangements.
To create a new (empty) playlist:
1 Click the track’s Playlist selector and choose
New.
2 Type a name for the new playlist and click OK.
An empty playlist with the specified name ap-
pears in the track.
Duplicating a Playlist
When you edit a track, you can work with a
copy of the track's playlist and keep the original
playlist arrangement intact.
To duplicate a track’s current playlist:
1 Click the track’s Playlist selector and choose
Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
2 Type a name for the new playlist and click OK.
The duplicated playlist appears in the track and
the track’s name is changed to the name of the
new playlist.
Assigning a Playlist to Another
Track
By default, a playlist is typically available only
for the track on which it was created. However,
if the playlist is no longer in use on its original
track or any other track, it can be reassigned in
another track using the Other Playlists feature.
When a playlist is reassigned to another track
(assigned on any track), it is unavailable to other
tracks including the track on which it origi-
nated.
An audio playlist’s timebase is saved with the
playlist. When assigning an unassigned playlist
to any track, the track assumes the saved time-
base of the playlist.
To assign a track playlist:
Click the track’s Playlist selector and do one of
the following:
• Select one of the track’s playlists.
– or –
• Select a playlist from a different track by
clicking the Other Playlists submenu, and
selecting a playlist.
The selected playlist appears in the track and the
track’s name is updated to that of the selected
playlist.
Press Control+\ (Mac) or Start+\ (Windows)
to create a new playlist for the first selected
track in the session.
Press Command+Control+\ (Mac) or
Control+Start+\ (Windows) to duplicate the
main playlist for first selected track in the
session. Selecting a playlist from a different track
Chapter 30: Playlists 619
Renaming a Playlist
You can rename a playlist by renaming the track
to which it is assigned.
To rename a track’s assigned playlist:
1 Double-click the track’s name.
2 Type a new name and click OK.
Both the track and playlist names are updated.
Deleting a Playlist
You can delete a playlist from a session entirely.
However, since playlists require minimal disk
space, you do not need to delete them to con-
serve storage.
To delete one or more playlists from a track:
1 Click the track’s Playlist selector and choose
Delete Unused.
2 Select the unassigned playlists you want to de-
lete. Shift-click (Windows or Mac), Control-click
(Windows), or Command-click (Mac) to select
multiple playlists.
3 Click OK to delete the selected playlists. This
operation cannot be undone.
Playlists and Edit Groups
Creating new playlists with grouped tracks auto-
matically increments the suffixes of the playlist
names for each track of the active edit group.
This lets you revert back to an earlier take by
switching the playlist takes by group.
Using this method, you can add new tracks to
the existing group and the suffixes for their
playlist names are synchronized with the origi-
nal tracks.
Empty playlists are created automatically to
keep the playlist takes synchronized when
switching back to the earliest playlist takes in
the group.
To keep your playlist names and performances
synchronized (example workflow):
1 Create new tracks and group them together.
2 Make sure the group is enabled.
3 Create a new playlist (by clicking the Playlist
selector in one of the tracks in the group and
choosing New). The default suffix will now be
“.01”—signifying take 1.
4 Record take 1, then create a new playlist. The
playlists on all tracks in the group increment to
“.02.”
5 Create new tracks (for example, for an addi-
tional musician or microphone), then add these
tracks to the group (or create a new group with
all the tracks).
6 Increment all the playlists by clicking the
Playlist selector in one of the tracks in the group
and choosing New.
You can also delete playlists in Playlists
view. Right-click the Playlist Name on a
lane or in the Track List and choose Delete.
When deleting a track from a session, you
have the option of deleting or keeping its
playlists, so they can be used on other
tracks.
For more information on grouping tracks,
see “Grouping Tracks” on page 247.
Pro Tools Reference Guide620
All the playlists will now have the same suffix
appended to them. (Creating additional play-
lists in any of the group tracks will increment all
of their playlists to keep them synchronized.)
7 If you want to hear the .01 take on the first
group of tracks, you can switch any playlist in
the group back to playlist .01.
All tracks in the group have playlists numbered
with .01 suffixes (even those tracks that were
added to the original group after the earlier
takes). Empty playlists are automatically created
on these newly-added members so that playlist
numbers match across all members of the group.
Elastic Audio and Alternate
Playlists
Alternate playlists on Elastic Audio-enabled,
tick-based tracks are only affected by tempo
changes. Otherwise, alternate playlists are not
affected by editing Warp or Event markers in the
main playlist.
Track Compositing
Pro Tools provides track compositing tools for au-
dio tracks. Track compositing is the process of
assembling various selections from alternate
takes, or playlists, to construct the best possible
version of a performance from multiple record-
ing passes. Using Playlists view for an audio
track, you can select the best parts from the
track’s alternate playlists and copy them to the
main playlist. This lets you quickly and easily
create the “perfect take” from multiple alternate
playlists.
Track Compositing Example
In this workflow, you will be introduced to some
common track compositing tasks:
• Configure a session for this workflow.
• Loop record multiple takes on an audio
track.
• Audition and select the best take.
• Copy the best take to the main playlist.
To configure a session:
1 Open an existing Pro Tools session or create a
new one.
2 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
Operation tab.
3 On the Operation page, in the Record section,
select the Automatically Create New Playlists When
Loop Recording option.
4 Click OK.
Enabling the Automatically Create New Playlists When
Loop Recording option in the Operation Preferences
Chapter 30: Playlists 621
To loop record multiple takes:
1 Create a new audio track (stereo or mono), or
use an existing track.
2 Make sure the source you want to record is
correctly connected and routed to the track in-
put.
3 From the Track View selector, select Playlists.
4 To hear track material up to the start point of
the loop, enable pre-roll and set the pre-roll
time.
5 Enable Loop Recording by doing one of the
following:
• Select Options > Loop Playback.
– or –
• Right-click the Play button in the Transport
and select Loop.
6 Make sure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection is selected.
7 With the Selector tool, select the loop range
on the track.
8 Record enable the audio track by clicking its
Record Enable button.
9 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording.
10 Click Play to start recording.
11 When finished, click Stop to stop recording.
12 If you do not want to make another loop re-
cord pass, record disable the audio track.
After you have stopped loop recording, notice
that all of the loop recording takes are revealed
in Playlist lanes below the main playlist (includ-
ing the whole audio file region of all of the loop
record passes).
Playlists view showing multiple alternate playlists
If the Automatically Create New Playlists
When Loop Recording option was disabled
before you started loop recording, Right-click
the region in the main playlist and choose
Matches > Expand Alternates to New Play-
lists.
Pro Tools Reference Guide622
To hide the playlist for the whole file region, do one
of the following:
Right-click on the Playlist lane and choose
Hide.
– or –
With the same Edit selection that you used for
loop recording intact, Right-click the Track
Name or any of the Playlist Lane Names and
choose Filter Lanes > Show Only Lanes With > Re-
gions Within the Edit Selection.
To audition alternate playlists:
1 Enable Loop Playback by doing one of the fol-
lowing:
• Select Options > Loop Playback.
– or –
• Right-click the Play button in the Transport
and select Loop.
2 With the same Timeline selection intact, and
and the same pre-roll/post-roll settings enabled,
start playback. The main playlist plays back.
3 Click the Solo button for the alternate playlist
lane you want to audition. Repeat this step for
each playlist lane. (Soloing a Playlist lane only
solos the playlist in the track, it does not mute
any other tracks in the session.)
To select and copy the best take to the main
playlist:
1 Once you have identified the best take, make
any changes to the Edit selection. This is the se-
lection that will be copied to the main playlist.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Copy Selection To > Main
Playlist.
• Right-click the selection and choose Copy
Selection to Main Playlist.
• Click the Copy Selection to Main Playlist
button for the Playlist lane.
Filtering Playlist lanes viewed
Copying the Edit selection in an alternate playlist to the
main playlist
Press Alt+Start+V (Windows) or Op-
tion+Control+V (Mac) to copy the selection
to the main playlist.
Copy Selection to
Main Playlist button
Chapter 30: Playlists 623
Playlists View
Playlists view lets you view the main playlist in
the track, and also any alternate playlists associ-
ated with the track. Alternate playlists are dis-
played directly below the track in Playlist lanes.
You can edit alternate playlists in Playlists view
just like the main playlist in Waveform view. In
Playlists view, edits that are applied to range se-
lections are applied to all shown alternate play-
lists. Alternate playlists that are not shown are
not affected.
To view the Playlist lanes for a track:
From the Track View selector, select Playlists.
\
If the track does not contain any alternate play-
lists in addition to the main playlist, only a sin-
gle, empty Playlist lane is shown under the main
playlist. You can drag and drop audio to this
lane from the Region List, DigiBase Browsers, or
other audio tracks to create an alternate playlist
for the track, in addition to the main playlist.
If the track contains one or more alternate play-
lists in addition to the main playlist, they are
displayed in lanes under the main playlist. Re-
gardless, the bottom Playlist lane is always
empty and can be used for adding regions to cre-
ate new alternate playlists.
Before starting work with Track Composit-
ing, duplicate the track’s Main Playlist to
keep it intact as a backup alternate playlist.
Region groups are not supported in Playlists
Track View.
Selecting Playlists Track view
You can also Control-Alt-click (Windows)
or Command-Control-click (Mac) the Play-
list selector to toggle between Playlists view
and Waveform view.
Dropping audio from Region List to create an alternate
playlist
Track with alternate playlists in Playlists Track view
Pro Tools Reference Guide624
Auditioning Alternate Playlists
Only the main playlist plays back through the
track audio output path. To hear an alternate
playlist, you need to solo the Playlist lane. The
soloed lane then plays through the track audio
output path instead of the main playlist.
To audition an alternate playlist:
1 Click the Solo button for the Playlist lane you
want to audition. (Soloing a Playlist lane only
solos the playlist in the track, it does not mute
any other tracks in the session.)
2 Start Pro Tools playback.
Copying Alternate Playlists to the
Main Playlist
Once you have found a selection in an alternate
playlist that you want to use in the main play-
list, copy and paste the selection to the main
playlist. In this way you can construct the best
combination of selections from alternate play-
lists.
In addition to manually copying and then past-
ing to the main playlist, Pro Tools provides sev-
eral commands for copying and pasting the se-
lection to the main playlist:
Copy Selection To Main Playlist Copies and
pastes the selection to the main playlist. Any
material already on the main playlist at the
same location is overwritten.
Copy Selection to New Playlist Creates a new,
empty main playlist and copies and pastes the
selection to the new main playlist
Copy Selection to Duplicate Playlist Duplicates
the current main playlist and copies and pastes
the selection to the duplicate of the main play-
list. The previous main playlist moves to a new
Playlist lane.
Soloing an alternate playlist
Press Shift+S to solo any one Playlist lane
containing the Edit cursor. If more than one
Playlist lane contains the Edit cursor, the
topmost lane is soloed.
Use Start+P and Start+“;” (Windows) or
Control+P and Control+“;” (Mac) to move
the Edit cursor up and down through
Playlist lanes.
Chapter 30: Playlists 625
To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to the
main playlist:
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-
nate playlist.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Copy Selection To Main Playlist
button in the Playlist Lane controls.
• Choose Edit > Copy Selection to Main Playlist.
• Right-click the selection and choose Copy
Selection To Main Playlist.
The selection from the alternate playlist is cop-
ied to the same time location in the main play-
list.
To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to a
new main playlist:
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-
nate playlist.
2 Choose Edit > Copy Selection to New Playlist.
Making a selection in an alternate playlist
Press Alt+Start+V (Windows) or Op-
tion+Control+V (Mac) to copy the selection
to the main playlist.
Selection copied to the main playlist
Selection copied to a new main playlist
Pro Tools Reference Guide626
To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to a
duplicate of the main playlist:
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-
nate playlist.
2 Choose Edit > Copy Selection to Duplicate
Playlist.
Dragging Regions to Playlists
Lanes
You can drag and drop regions to any available
Playlist lane on any track that has the same
channel width. For example, you cannot drag
and drop a stereo region to a mono track Playlist
lane. Similarly, you can drag regions from any
Playlist lane to any other track of the same chan-
nel width.
Editing in Playlist Lanes
You can edit regions in Playlist lanes in the same
way that you do in the main playlist. You can
even move regions between different Playlist
lanes (including the main playlist), between dif-
ferent tracks, and to different points in time.
However, you will not be able to hear your edits
on Playlist lanes unless the lane you are editing
is soloed (see “Auditioning Alternate Playlists”
on page 624).
Reordering Playlist Lanes
You can reorder Playlist lanes the same way you
reorder tracks.
To reorder Playlist lanes:
Click the name of the alternate playlist and
drag it to the location you want.
Selection copied to a duplicate of the main playlist
Reordering Playlist lanes
Chapter 30: Playlists 627
Resizing Playlist Lanes
You can resize Playlist lanes the same way you
resize tracks.
To resize the track and all Playlist lanes together,
do one of the following:
Click the line in between lanes and drag up or
down. The track and all Playlist lanes resize ac-
cordingly.
– or –
Right-click the vertical scale between the play-
list area and the Playlist Lane controls and select
the lane size you want. The track and all Playlist
lanes resize accordingly.
To resize a single Playlist lane, do one of the
following:
Control-click the line in between lanes and
drag up or down. The upper lane resizes accord-
ingly.
– or –
Control-Right-click the vertical scale between
the playlist area and the Playlist Lane controls
and select the lane size you want.
Renaming Alternate Playlists
You can rename alternate playlists the same way
you rename tracks.
To rename an alternate playlist:
1 Double-click the name of the alternate play-
list.
2 In the resulting Name dialog, type the name
you want.
3 Click OK.
Alternate Playlists in the Track
List
When an audio track is set to Playlists view, all
of its associated playlists appear listed under the
track name in the Track List. The names of asso-
ciated alternate playlists are indented to distin-
guish Playlist lanes from tracks. From the Track
List you can show and hide alternate playlists.
Press Start+Up/Down Arrow key (Win-
dows) or Control+Up/Down Arrow key
(Mac) to resize heights for tracks, playlists,
and lanes containing the Edit cursor or Edit
selection.
Resizing a Playlist lane
Selecting a preset size for a Playlist lane
Pro Tools Reference Guide628
You can also access the Right-click menu for al-
ternate playlists, which lets you apply Show or
Hide, Scroll Into View, Rename, Delete, and Filter
Lanes commands.
Filtering Lanes
You can filter Playlist lanes to show or hide
them based on different criteria.
To filter Playlist lanes:
1 Right-click the Track Name or the Playlist
Name.
2 From the Right-click menu, select one of the
following:
•Show All Lanes
•Show Only Lanes With > Regions Within The
Edit Selection
•Show Only Lanes With > Regions Outside The
Edit Selection
•Show Only Lanes With > “Regions Rated >=
1–5”
•Hide All Lanes
•Hide Only Lanes With > Regions Within The
Edit Selection
•Hide Only Lanes With > Regions Outside The
Edit Selection
•Hide Only Lanes With > “Regions Rated >=
1–5”
Playlist lanes are shown and hidden accord-
ingly.
Matching Alternate Regions
Pro Tools lets you exchange regions in the main
playlist on tracks with matching alternate re-
gions from other playlists associated with the
same track, from other tracks, or from the Re-
gion List. Matching alternate regions are regions
that meet certain criteria. For example, regions
that have the same User Time Stamp are matches.
There are several ways to create matching alter-
nate regions in Pro Tools:
• When punch recording (audio or MIDI),
Pro Tools creates matching regions for the
original region (if any) and the new punch re-
corded region.
• When loop recording (audio or MIDI),
Pro Tools creates multiple matching regions
for each recording pass.
• When duplicating playlists (audio or MIDI),
there will be matching alternate regions be-
tween playlists.
• When importing multichannel audio from a
field recorder, there will be matching alternate
regions between channels.
Pro Tools also provides several ways to access
and audition multiple matching alternate re-
gions:
• Use the Region Right-click menu to select
matching alternate regions according to cer-
tain criteria.
• Use the Alternate Takes pop-up menu to select
matching alternate regions.
• Use the Expand Alternates to New Tracks com-
mand to copy matching alternate regions to
new tracks.
Track List showing Playlist lanes for “Audio 1” track
Chapter 30: Playlists 629
• Use the Expand Alternates to New Playlists
command to copy matching alternate regions
to new alternate playlists on the same track.
Then use Playlists view to access the alternate
playlists.
Matching Criteria
The Matching Criteria window lets you select
the criteria for matching alternate regions. This
lets you refine the list of available matching re-
gions in the Alternate Takes pop-up menu and
Region Right-click Matches submenu.
To configure the Matching Criteria options for
matching alternate regions:
1 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region with the Selector or
the Grabber tool and select Matches >
Match Criteria.
– or –
• With the Selector tool, Control-click (Win-
dows) or Command-click (Mac) at the pre-
cise beginning of the loop or punch range
and select Match Criteria.
2 In the Matching Criteria window, select any
combination of the following Alternates Match
options:
•Track ID
• Track Name
•Region Rating
3 Select one of the following In Addition To op-
tions:
•All
• Region Start
• Region Start and End
• Within Selection
•None
4 Leave the Matching Criteria window open to
change the settings as appropriate while com-
positing tracks. Close the Matching Criteria win-
dow when you are done.
Matching Criteria Options
Alternates Match Options
The following Alternates Match options can be
selected in any combination:
Track ID Any regions recorded to the same track
are considered matching. Use this option for se-
lecting alternate takes from loop or punch re-
cording.
Track Name Any regions that share the same
root name with the track or playlist are consid-
ered matching. For example, the Matches for a
track named “Gtr.L” would show the regions
“Gtr.L_01” and “Gtr.L_02-01,” but not “Gui-
tar.L_01.”
Matching Criteria window
Matching Criteria affects MIDI as well as
audio regions.
Matching Criteria settings are saved with
your Pro Tools session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide630
Region Rating Any regions that have the same
Rating are considered matching. Enable this op-
tion if you have rated regions (see “Rating Re-
gions” on page 597).
In Addition To Match Options
The following In Addition To Match options are
mutually exclusive.
All Any regions that include the time location of
the Edit cursor; or any regions that are either
partly or fully within the current time range of
the Edit selection.
Region Start Any regions that have the same
start time as the time location of the Edit cursor
or Edit selection.
Region Start and End Any regions that have the
same start and end times as the Edit selection.
Within Selection Any complete regions that are
entirely within the Edit selection.
None No other criteria in addition to the se-
lected Alternates Match options are used to filter
matching alternate regions.
Selecting Alternate Takes on
Tracks
Each region resulting from a punch or loop re-
cord pass has an identical start time (the User
Time Stamp). You can select and audition alter-
nate takes from the Right-click Matches sub-
menu or the Alternate Takes pop-up menu—
even during playback.
To select an alternate take:
1 Configure the Matching Criteria window if
necessary (see “Matching Criteria” on
page 629).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region with the Selector or
the Grabber tool, and select a matching al-
ternate take from the Matches submenu in
the pop-up menu.
• If the take currently residing in the track is
selected, with the Selector tool, Control-
click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac)
anywhere on the selected take and select a
different take from the Alternate Takes pop-
up menu.
• With the Selector tool, Control-click (Win-
dows) or Command-click (Mac) at the pre-
cise beginning of the loop or punch range
and select a different take from the Alter-
nate Takes pop-up menu.
The selected matching alternate region (take) re-
places the region in the main playlist and snaps
precisely to the correct location.
Right-click Matches submenu
Alternate Takes pop-up menu
Chapter 30: Playlists 631
One way to ensure that subsequent recording
takes have the same User Time Stamp (and as
such can be available as matching alternate re-
gions) is to store punch and loop record selec-
tions as Memory Locations. Then, if you later
need to record additional takes, recall the corre-
sponding Memory Location.
To change the User Time Stamp of other regions
so that they can be available as alternate match-
ing regions for a specific location, use the Time
Stamp command in the Region List menu.
Matches and Multiple Tracks
If you have loop recorded on multiple tracks,
and each track contains multiple takes with
identical User Time Stamps, you can change all
takes simultaneously.
To switch takes for multiple tracks:
1 Configure the Matching Criteria window (see
“Matching Criteria” on page 629), so that the
following options are enabled:
•Track Name
– and –
• Selection Range
2 With the Selector tool, select the take range for
each track you want to replace.
3 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the Edit selection and select a
different matching alternate take from the
Matches submenu.
– or –
• Control-click (Windows) or Command-
click (Mac) the Edit selection and select a
different take from the Alternates pop-up
menu.
The selected take replaces the previous take and
snaps to the correct location on each track.
Automatically Create New
Playlists when Loop
Recording
When loop recording, Pro Tools creates a single
file containing all recording passes where each
recording pass is a region in the file. On the
track, only the last recording pass is present as a
region in the main playlist. All other regions (re-
cording passes) are hidden, but can be recalled
as matching alternate regions (takes).
When enabled, the new Automatically Create New
Playlists When Loop Recording option in the Op-
eration Preferences page automatically copies
each region (take) to a new playlist in the track.
This facilitates using Playlists view for audition-
ing and selecting alternate takes.
To automatically create new playlists when loop
recording:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 In the Recording section, enable the Automati-
cally Create New Playlists When Loop Recording op-
tion.
3 Click OK.
For more information on loop recording, see
“Loop Recording Audio” on page 463.
Pro Tools Reference Guide632
Expanding Alternate Takes to
New Playlists or Tracks
Pro Tools lets you copy alternate takes and
channels to new playlists or tracks. This is useful
for auditioning, editing, and mixing multiple al-
ternate takes or channels. Alternate takes are
created when punch and loop recording. Alter-
nate channels are included with files imported
into Pro Tools from field recorders.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New
Playlists
Expanding alternate takes to new playlists read-
ily facilitates track compositing. Once you have
expanded alternate takes to new playlists on a
track, you can audition and edit them in Play-
lists view to assemble the best takes in the main
playlist.
To expand alternate takes to new playlists:
1 Identify the region on the main playlist with
matching alternate regions (takes).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region and choose Matches
> Expand Alternates To New Playlists.
• If the region is selected, with the Selector
tool, Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) anywhere on the se-
lected region and choose Matches > Expand
Alternates To New Playlists.
• If the region is not selected, with the Selec-
tor tool, Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) at the precise begin-
ning of the loop or punch range and
choose Matches > Expand Alternates To New
Playlists.
All matching alternate regions are copied to new
playlists on the track. To view all playlists for the
track, select Playlists view. In any track view,
you can also select any available alternate play-
list as the main playlist from the Playlist selec-
tor.
Expanding Alternate Takes to New
Tracks
Expanding alternate takes to new tracks readily
facilitates auditioning, editing, and mixing al-
ternate takes, each on separate tracks.
To expand alternate takes to new tracks:
1 Identify the region on the main playlist with
matching alternate regions (takes).
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the region and choose Matches
> Expand Alternates To New Tracks.
• If the region is selected, with the Selector
tool, Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) anywhere on the se-
lected region and choose Matches > Expand
Alternates To New Tracks.
• If the region is not selected, with the Selec-
tor tool, Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) at the precise begin-
ning of the loop or punch range and
choose Matches > Expand Alternates To New
Tracks.
3 Then choose one of the following from the Ex-
pand Alternates To New Tracks sub-menu:
By Track Name Names all new tracks after the
source track name.
By Region Name Names each new tracks after
the corresponding original region names that
you see in the Matches list.
Chapter 30: Playlists 633
By Track and Region Name Names all new tracks
after the source track name, but with the corre-
sponding original region names in parenthesis.
All matching alternate regions are copied to new
tracks.
Expanding Alternate Channels
to New Playlists or Tracks
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When working with a mono region that is part
of a multichannel recording imported from a
field recorder, you can expand that region (or a
selected portion of it) to new playlists that re-
flect its matching alternate channels while pre-
serving any edits or fades (see Chapter 52,
“Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools”).
Conditions for Alternate Channel
Availability
An alternate channel is available to replace the
original channel (represented by the region or
portion of a region selected on the Timeline) if
all of the following are true:
• Both channels are part of a multichannel
recording made simultaneously on one or
more field recorders.
• Certain metadata matches between the
original channel and the alternate channel.
• The metadata embedded during shooting
and recording has been preserved prior to
import into Pro Tools.
With multichannel recordings from one or
more field recorders, both channels must over-
lap at least once between their start time code
and end time code positions, and must also
meet one of the following conditions:
• Matching Scene and Take
• Matching Shoot Date (applies only if Scene
and Take contain any information for both
channels)
• Matching Tape name
• Matching Sound Roll name
• Alternate channel Sound Roll name
matches current channel Tape name
• Alternate channel Tape name matches cur-
rent channel Sound Roll name
Expanding Channels to New
Playlists
To expand alternate channels to new playlists:
1 In the Timeline, do one of the following:
• To expand only a portion of the regions on
the track, make a selection that includes or
overlaps any number of regions on a track,
and Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Con-
trol-click (Mac) the selection.
– or –
• To expand all of the regions on the track,
Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-
click (Mac) the track name.
2 Choose the Expand to New Playlists pop-up
menu, and select one of the following methods
by which to expand alternate channels for the
selection to new tracks:
• By Channel Name
• By Channel Number
• By Channel Name and Number
• By Time Code Only
Pro Tools Reference Guide634
If alternate channels are available, Pro Tools ex-
pands them to new playlists (including the
channel represented in the original track) ac-
cording to the selected option.
Expanding Channels to New Tracks
To expand alternate channels to new tracks:
1 In the Timeline, do one of the following:
• To expand only a portion of the regions on
the track, make a selection that includes or
overlaps any number of regions on a track,
and Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Con-
trol-click (Mac) the selection.
– or –
• To expand all of the regions on the track,
Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-
click (Mac) the track name.
2 Choose the Expand Channels to New Tracks
pop-up menu, and select one of the following
methods by which to expand alternate channels
for the selection to new tracks:
• By Channel Name
• By Channel Number
• By Channel Name and Number
• By Time Code Only
If alternate channels are available, Pro Tools ex-
pands them to new tracks (including the chan-
nel represented in the original track) according
to the chosen parameters.
Expanding Channels by Time Code
Only
The Expand To New Tracks By Time Code Only
command lets you expand an entire track or
only selected regions to new playlists on the
same track or to new separate tracks, thus reveal-
ing all other regions recorded at the same time
code location, regardless of channel name or
number. This is especially useful when expand-
ing edited guide tracks to original source audio
that was recorded while referenced to time code,
but where channel names or numbers were not
written to the audio files.
Example Workflow: Working with a Guide Track for
Live Concert Videos
1 Multitrack audio is recorded in Pro Tools
while chasing time code. A mono or stereo mix
is recorded simultaneously as a guide track for
the video editor.
2 The picture and audio guide tracks are edited
in a video editing application.
3 The edited audio guide tracks are exported
from the video editor as an AAF (or OMF) se-
quence, including handles of at least 2 frames.
4 The AAF (or OMF) sequence is imported into
Pro Tools as a new session. The original source
audio files and unedited guide track are also im-
ported into the session.
5 The original unedited guide track is relinked
to the session (see “Relinking the Original
Unedited Guide Track” on page 635).
6 The Pro Tools editor Right-clicks the name of
the guide track and selects Expand Channels to
New Tracks > By Time Code Only. The original
source tracks expand to new tracks with edits
and fades that match the guide track.
It is not possible to rename files encoded
with XML metadata. The file extension will
always be .A1 and .A2 (even for stereo
files). Also, it is not possible to rename files
with a .L/.R suffix. As a result, Pro Tools
does not always recognize these channels as
a stereo pair.
Chapter 30: Playlists 635
Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track
After importing the AAF (or OMF) sequence and
original source audio files into the session, it is
recommended that you relink the edited guide
track to the original unedited source audio.
To relink the original unedited guide track:
1 Open the Project Browser for the session and
open the Audio Files folder.
2 Right-click the edited guide track audio file in
the browser and choose Relink Selected.
3 In the upper pane of the Relink window, nav-
igate to the original unedited guide track audio
file that was recorded in Pro Tools.
4 In the Select Files To Relink pane, select the
edited guide track file.
5 Drag the original unedited guide track audio
file into the Candidates pane. If a dialog appears
stating that one or more files are shorter than
the media file you are trying to relink, click Yes
to select it for relinking anyway.
6 Check the box to the left of the file in the Can-
didates pane so that the Link icon appears.
7 Click Commit Links at the top of the Relink
window and then close the Relink window.
8 You can now Right-click the name of the guide
track and select Expand To New Tracks > By Time
Code Only. All expanded tracks should be syn-
chronous with the guide track.
If the original unedited file is not available,
you can relink to any of the source audio
files as long as they have the same start and
end times as the guide track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide636
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 637
Chapter 31: Beat Detective
Beat Detective is a powerful tool for analyzing,
editing, and manipulating audio or MIDI data
that has an inherent rhythmic character.
Beat Detective analyzes an audio or MIDI selec-
tion, identifies its peak transients or accented
notes, and generates beat triggers based on the
detected peak transients or MIDI notes. From
these beat triggers, Beat Detective can:
• Extract tempo and beat information to create
Bar|Beat Markers that can be used to define
the session’s tempo map. See “Generating
Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective” on
page 648.
• Extract tempo and groove information as
groove templates, called DigiGrooves. These
templates can be applied to audio or MIDI us-
ing Beat Detective or Groove Quantize (see
“DigiGroove Templates” on page 649.
• Separate an audio selection into discrete re-
gions, and then conform (or “quantize”) sep-
arated regions to the session’s tempo map, or
to groove templates. See “Separating Regions
with Beat Detective” on page 651 and “Con-
forming Regions with Beat Detective” on
page 652.
Beat Detective and Source
Material
Beat Detective is most effective with audio or
MIDI that has clear attack transients or accent
patterns (including most instruments used in
popular music, such as drums, guitar, or bass).
Beat Detective will be less successful with audio
material with soft attacks, or legato phrasing
(such as strings and vocals).
Uses for Beat Detective
Beat Detective can be useful in many situations,
including:
Extracting Tempo from Audio and MIDI Beat De-
tective can generate Bar|Beat Markers, from
which it can extract the tempo—even if the
audio or MIDI contains varying tempos, or
material with a swing feel. Additionally, once
Bar|Beat Markers have been generated, other
audio and MIDI regions and events can be quan-
tized to them.
Creating DigiGrooves Beat Detective can extract
groove templates, called DigiGrooves, from an
audio or MIDI selection. DigiGrooves can be
used to apply the groove, or feel of the captured
passage to other audio selections (using Groove
Conform) or MIDI data (using Groove
Quantize).
Pro Tools Reference Guide638
Conforming Audio Regions Beat Detective can
conform (“quantize”) audio with a different
tempo, or with varying tempos, to the session’s
current tempo map, or to a groove template.
“Tighten Up” Performances Beat Detective can
be used to improve the timing of some audio
material by calculating and extracting its aver-
age tempo, and then conforming its rhythmic
components—regions separated with Beat De-
tective—to the session’s tempo map.
Loop Matching Since Beat Detective can extract
tempo and beat information from audio and
MIDI, and conform audio to an existing tempo
map or groove template, this makes it very use-
ful for aligning loops with different tempos or
grooves. If a loop is at a different tempo than the
current session, Beat Detective lets you quickly
separate each beat in the loop and conform
them to the tempo map (as an alternative to
time compressing or expanding the loop, which
can alter the pitch and tone of the audio).
Remixes Beat Detective can be used for remixes
or creating new rhythms. It can extract tempo
from the original drum tracks, or in some in-
stances the original stereo mix. New audio or
MIDI tracks can then be conformed to the orig-
inal material, or the original material can be
conformed to new drum tracks, achieving an en-
tirely new feel.
Smoothing Post Production Edits (Audio
Only) Beat Detective’s Edit Smoothing can be
used to automatically clean up foley tracks that
contain many regions requiring trimming and
crossfading, effectively removing the gaps of si-
lence between the regions (thus retaining the
room tone throughout the track).
Beat Detective Requirements
Beat Detective is available with all Pro Tools
systems.
RAM Requirements for Beat Detective
Beat Detective operations can require a large
amount of RAM, especially when working with
multiple tracks and lengthy selections. To avoid
low memory situations with Beat Detective, do
the following:
• If you begin to experience slower Beat Detec-
tive response, add more RAM to your com-
puter.
• If your computer does not have extra RAM,
work with shorter selections, or individual
tracks.
• Set the Editing preference for Levels of Undo
to a smaller value (see “Levels of Undo and
Memory” on page 523). Memory-intensive
editing operations, such as Edit Smoothing
(audio only) with Beat Detective, can use up a
large amount of memory when in the Undo
queue.
When working with tick-based audio, use
Beat Detective’s Region Separation
command to quickly separate audio regions
into individual “hits” (or slices). You can
also create a region group of the separated
regions to facilitate editing and arranging.
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 639
The Beat Detective Window
Beat Detective is managed from the Beat Detective window.
To open the Beat Detective window, do one of the
following:
Choose Event > Beat Detective.
– or –
Press Control+8 (Windows) or Command+8
(Mac) on the numeric keypad.
Beat Detective is a floating window that can be
left open while working. This lets you adjust the
controls in real time during playback, while
viewing the beat triggers that appear in your se-
lection in the Edit window.
Beat Detective Modes
The Beat Detective window is divided into three
sections: Operation, Selection, and Detection.
Depending on the Operation mode, the controls
in the Action section change. The Selection op-
tions for Beat Detective are available in each of
the Operation modes.
The Beat Detective modes include the following:
Operation Lets you choose to analyze either
MIDI or audio material.
Bar|Beat Marker Generation Generates Bar|Beat
Markers corresponding to transients detected in
the audio selection or according to accent pat-
terns with MIDI notes.
Groove Template Extraction Extracts the rhyth-
mic and dynamic information from audio or
MIDI, and saves this information to the Groove
Clipboard, or as a DigiGroove template.
Region Separation (Audio Only) Separates and
creates new regions based on transients detected
in the audio selection.
Region Conform (Audio Only) Conforms all sepa-
rated regions within the selection to the current
tempo map. Beat Detective can conform audio
regions to groove templates (such as DigiGroove
templates) in addition to standard quantization.
Edit Smoothing (Audio Only) Fills the gaps be-
tween conformed regions by automatically
trimming them, and inserts crossfades.
Beat Detective window
Pro Tools Reference Guide640
Defining a Beat Detective
Selection
Whether you will be generating Bar|Beat Mark-
ers, extracting a DigiGroove template, or sepa-
rating regions to be conformed, you must al-
ways define the audio or MIDI selection to be
analyzed. The Beat Detective window provides
tools to define and capture the selection range,
time signature, and swing (sub-division) con-
tent for the selected audio.
For Beat Detective to generate beat triggers that
are metrically accurate, the length and meter of
the selection must be correctly defined. In addi-
tion, the selection should not contain any meter
or tempo changes.
To define a selection for Beat Detective:
1 In the Edit window, select a range of audio or
MIDI material in a single track or in multiple
tracks.
Make sure the selection’s start and end points
fall cleanly on the beat. To zero in on an audio
region’s start and end points, zoom to the sam-
ple level and use the Tab to Transients option
(see “Tabbing to Transients” on page 572).
2 Choose Event > Beat Detective.
3 You must define or capture the selection every
time you make a new selection or change the
tempo map. To define the selection range, do
one of the following:
• If the tempo and meter of the audio selec-
tion do not match the session’s default
tempo and meter, enter the Time Signature,
and Start Bar|Beat and End Bar|Beat loca-
tions. For a four-bar selection that starts on
beat 1, enter 1|1 and 5|1.
• If the tempo and meter of the audio selec-
tion do not match the session’s default
tempo and meter, and you are unsure of
the length of the material, enter the Time
Signature and the Start Bar|Beat location;
then start playback, and click the Tap End
B|B button repeatedly to automatically
calculate the End Bar|Beat. When using Tap
End B|B with long selections, continue to
tap until the End Bar|Beat stabilizes. Once
stabilized, you may need to manually
adjust the number to the nearest bar
boundary.
• If the selection’s tempo and meter match
the session tempo and meter (see “Calcu-
lating Tempo with Beat Detective” on
page 642), and it aligns correctly with the
session’s bars and beats, click the Capture
Selection button. The correct Time Signa-
ture, and Start Bar|Beat and End Bar|Beat
values will be filled in automatically.
To ensure the best possible results with Beat
Detective, make sure the selected passage
starts exactly on the attack of the first beat.
Use Loop playback to check the accuracy of
your selection.
To keep the Edit selection intact while play-
ing or looping from any location, deselect
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
Making an audio selection for Beat Detective
To avoid losing an existing selection, save
and recall an Edit selection by saving it as a
Memory Location. See Chapter 37, “Mem-
ory Locations.”
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 641
4 To improve Beat Detective’s accuracy in ana-
lyzing swung notes, select the Contains option
that indicates the smallest sub-division of the
beat contained in the selection. The Contains op-
tion includes quarter-notes, eighth-notes, six-
teenth-notes (the default setting), thirty-second-
notes, and a triplet modifier. The selected Con-
tains option determines the groove template
grid locations for DigiGroove templates.
Beat Detective Analysis
Beat Detective provides several analysis algo-
rithms for beat detection appropriate to differ-
ent types of audio material.
High Emphasis Works well with high frequency,
inharmonic material, such as cymbals and hi-
hats, while avoiding low frequency material.
Low Emphasis Works well with low frequency
material, such as bass guitar and kick drum, as
well as with most harmonic material, such as pi-
ano or rhythm guitar.
Enhanced Resolution Works well with the broad-
est range of material, such as full mixes and
loops.
Beat Detection Across Multiple Tracks
When analyzing a selection with multiple
tracks, Beat Detective analyzes each indepen-
dently. Transients that are detected in any track
appear as Beat Triggers across all selected tracks
regardless of whether or not the detected tran-
sient resides in any other track. However, for
closely aligned events on multiple tracks, Beat
Detective only identifies the first detected tran-
sient of a beat event.
For example, if you have four drum tracks—kick,
snare, and a pair of overheads—transients in the
overhead mics tracks occur a little later than the
closely miked snare and kick tracks because it
takes more time for the sound to travel from the
source to the microphones. If you make a selec-
tion across all four tracks and analyze them us-
ing Beat Detective, only the transients in the
kick and snare tracks will be identified as beat
triggers because the transients on overheads will
be recognized as being part of the same beat
events (only a little bit late). For information on
individually analyzing multiple tracks, see “Us-
ing Collection Mode” on page 658.
Beat Detective, Selection options
As long as the audio material is correctly
aligned with the session’s tempo map, use
Capture Selection each time you make a
new selection or make any changes to the
tempo map (such as changing tempo or me-
ter).
The Selection definition is not retained
when a session is closed and re-opened
Pro Tools Reference Guide642
Calculating Tempo with Beat
Detective
If you know the meter, and start and end points
of the audio selection, use Beat Detective to cal-
culate its tempo.
To calculate a selection’s tempo with Beat
Detective:
1 Make an Edit selection in the Edit window or
a MIDI Editor window (MIDI only) and define
the selection in the Beat Detective window as
described in “Defining a Beat Detective Selec-
tion” on page 640.
2 Select Bar|Beat Marker Generation.
3 In the Detection section (Normal mode), click
Analyze.
4 Set Sensitivity set to 0%.
5 Click Generate.
Bar|Beat Markers are automatically generated at
the beginning and end of the selection, indicat-
ing the material’s tempo and meter.
Generating Beat Triggers
Once you have accurately defined the selection
range, Beat Detective can generate beat triggers
based on detected MIDI notes or audio peak
transients. The range and type of transients
found can be adjusted with the Detection set-
tings, allowing you to zero in on the bars, beats,
and sub-beats in the material, while avoiding
the non-rhythmic content.
To generate beat triggers from an audio selection:
1 In the Edit window, make an audio selection.
2 Select Audio from the Operation pop-up menu.
3 In the Beat Detective window, select one of
the following modes:
• Bar|Beat Marker Generation
• Groove Template Extraction
• Region Separation (audio only)
4 Define or capture the selection as described in
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640.
5 From the Analysis pop-up menu, choose a de-
tection algorithm.
6 Click Analyze.
7 Depending on the rhythmic content of the se-
lection, set the Resolution to Bars, Beats, or Sub-
Beats.
8 Adjust the Sensitivity until beat triggers appear
on the beats and sub-beats in the selection.
Beat Detective, Detection mode
Beat Detective generated Bar|Beat Markers identifying
tempo and meter
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 643
Bar triggers are indicated with thick lines, beat
triggers with medium lines, and sub-beat trig-
gers with thin lines.
9 You can zoom to the sample level and click the
Scroll Next button to scroll to the next trigger
within the selection. To scroll to the previous
trigger, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click
(Mac) the Scroll Next button (see “Navigating
Consecutive Beat Triggers” on page 647). This is
useful to confirm that the beat triggers are ap-
pearing in the appropriate locations. If false trig-
gers appear between the beats or sub-beats
(representing non-rhythmic material), delete
them (see “Deleting Beat Triggers” on page 646),
or reduce the Sensitivity value.
10 To display the metric locations for the trig-
gers, select the Show Trigger Time option.
11 If you cannot get the beat triggers to appear
at the right locations, repeat steps 5–10, trying
one of the other Analysis algorithms (High or
Low Emphasis).
To generate beat triggers from a MIDI selection:
1 In the Edit window, set the MIDI track you
want to use to Notes view.
2 In the Edit window, or in a MIDI Editor win-
dow, make a selection across a range of MIDI
notes. Make certain that the selection start and
end points are at musically relevant locations,
such as barlines.
3 Choose Event > Beat Detective.
4 Select MIDI from the Operation pop-up menu.
5 In the Beat Detective window, select one of
the following modes:
• Bar|Beat Marker Generation
• Groove Template Extraction
6 Define the selection range. If the tempo and
meter of the audio selection do not match the
session’s default tempo and meter, enter the
Time Signature, and Start Bar|Beat and End
Bar|Beat locations. For example, for a four-bar
selection that starts on beat 1, enter 1|1 and 5|1.
7 If your MIDI track contains chords, choose
one of the following MIDI chord recognition al-
gorithms from the Analysis pop-up menu:
• Last Note
•First Note
• Loudest Note
•Average Location
•Highest Note
•Lowest Note
8 Click Analyze.
Beat triggers
BarBeat Sub-Beats
Pro Tools Reference Guide644
MIDI Chord Recognition
Since MIDI notes in a chord may be played at
slightly different moments, Beat Detective inter-
prets notes that are close together (closer than
half the time value that is set in the Selection
Contains field) as a chord.
Beat Detective uses the criteria you set in the
Analysis pop-up menu to interpret the location
of the beat in relation to the chord.
Last Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of the
last note played in the chord.
First Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of the
first note played in the chord.
Loudest Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of
the note in the chord played with the highest
velocity.
Average Location Sets the beat trigger to a point
that represents the average between the start of
the first note played in the chord, and the last
note played in the chord.
Highest Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of
the highest note played in the chord.
Lowest Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of
the lowest note played in the chord.
Realign Session
Beat Detective’s Realign Session function lets you
generate Bar|Beat markers without tick-based
material shifting. This is useful if you want to
extrapolate Bar|Beat markers from tick-based
material to align the tempo map and Bar|Beat
grid to the tick-based material.
Generating Bar|Beat markers in sessions with
tick-based material, such as MIDI tracks and
tick-based audio tracks, can cause the tick-based
material to shift in absolute time. This can be
useful if you want to align the tick-based mate-
rial to Bar|Beat markers generated from sample-
based material.
When you generate Bar|Beat Markers in a ses-
sion that contains tick-based audio or MIDI,
Beat Detective gives you the option to preserve
the position of the session’s tick-based material,
or to allow the material to shift.
MIDI chord analysis
First
Note Last
Note
Highest Note
Lowest Note
You can also switch tick-based material,
such as a MIDI performance, to be sample-
based and then manually insert Bar|Beat
markers.
Realign Session dialog
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 645
To generate Bar|Beat Markers with Beat
Detective in a session with tick-based tracks:
1 In the Edit window, make an audio or MIDI se-
lection.
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Bar|Beat
Marker Generation.
3 Define or capture the selection as described
in“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640.
4 Set the Resolution to Bars or Beats.
5 Click Generate.
6 Do one of the following:
• In the Realign Session dialog, choose Pre-
serve Tick Position if you want to let the
tick-based material shift in absolute time.
– or –
• Choose Preserve Sample Position if you
want to have the tick-based material main-
tain its absolute position. This option can
be useful when adding a meter and tempo
map to a freely played performance.
7 Click OK.
Tips for Getting Useful Beat
Triggers
Use the following tips to verify beat triggers:
To focus on a particular area in the selection,
unlink the Timeline and Edit Selections and set
the playback range by clicking or dragging in
any Timebase ruler.
Check the thickness of the beat triggers to see
if they align properly with the audio material.
Thick triggers fall on barlines, medium triggers
fall on beats, and thin triggers fall on sub-beats.
Select the option for Show Trigger Time and see
if the (assumed) metric locations of the triggers
align with the material. A false trigger should be
moved or deleted because it can cause subse-
quent triggers to appear in the wrong locations
(see “Editing Beat Triggers” on page 646).
Consider whether lengthy selections should
first be broken down into smaller selections,
which could be more easily managed. For exam-
ple, working in 8- or 4-bar sections might yield
better results more quickly.
Beat triggers are preserved when switching be-
tween audio and MIDI modes. This allows using
MIDI triggers for editing audio, or collecting
triggers from combinations of MIDI and audio
tracks.
For selections across multiple tracks, consider
whether it may be easier to work with them in-
dividually, or in Collection mode. See “Detec-
tion (Normal) and Collection Mode” on
page 657.
Pro Tools Reference Guide646
Editing Beat Triggers
Even though Beat Detective offers a great deal of
flexibility in how transients are detected, there
may be times when beat triggers must be de-
leted, moved, or manually inserted. Addition-
ally, triggers can be promoted so they are re-
tained at lower sensitivity settings.
Deleting Beat Triggers
False triggers, which do not represent an actual
beat or sub-beat in the source material, may ap-
pear when raising the Sensitivity to detect quiet
material. In these instances you can locate and
manually delete any false triggers.
To delete a beat trigger:
1 With the Beat Detective window open, select
any Grabber tool in the Edit window.
2 Locate the false trigger you want to delete.
Transients for false triggers usually have smaller
peaks than the other trigger points, and typi-
cally fall between the sub-beats.
3 Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
trigger to delete it.
Moving Beat Triggers
You can adjust the placement of triggers to al-
low for the attack of their transients, or to com-
pensate for an individual transient that is
slightly ahead of or behind the beat.
To move a beat trigger:
1 With the Beat Detective window open, select
any Grabber tool in the Edit window.
2 Locate the beat trigger you want to move and
drag it left or right.
Inserting Beat Triggers
If an important beat or sub-beat is not detected,
because it is too quiet, you can manually insert a
beat trigger.
To insert a beat trigger:
1 With the Beat Detective window open, select
any Grabber tool in the Edit window.
2 Click in the selection where you want to insert
the new trigger. After inserting a beat trigger,
you can drag it left or right to adjust its place-
ment (see “Moving Beat Triggers” on page 646).
Deleting a beat trigger
Moving a beat trigger
If you click too close to an existing trigger,
the existing trigger will be moved to the new
location.
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 647
Promoting Beat Triggers
To ensure that important beat triggers do not
disappear when lowering the Sensitivity, you can
promote them. This is useful if a selection has nu-
merous false triggers (too many to bother delet-
ing) at a Sensitivity level where crucial, neces-
sary beat triggers are also displayed. If lowering
the Sensitivity and the needed triggers to disap-
pear, simply promote them first.
To promote a beat trigger:
1 Raise the Sensitivity until the transient is de-
tected and a beat trigger appears.
2 Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the beat trigger to promote it.
3 If necessary, repeat steps 1–2 to promote addi-
tional beat triggers.
4 Lower the Sensitivity to a value where the false
triggers disappear.
Once beat triggers are promoted, they will only
disappear if the Sensitivity value is set to 0%. To
demote all beat triggers in the selection—return-
ing them to their original state—click the Ana-
lyze button.
Redefining a Beat Trigger’s Metric
Location
It is vital that beat triggers are accurately placed
at the correct metric location. If a detected tran-
sient is slightly off the beat, Beat Detective may
assign it, as well as other transients in the selec-
tion, to the wrong metric location.
For example, if you have a bass track where a
note was intended to be a downbeat, but was
played too early, Beat Detective may define its
location as occurring a little before the down-
beat. If you then separate and conform the re-
gion containing this note, it will be moved to
the wrong location. Subsequent regions may be
moved to the wrong locations as well.
If a beat trigger is not assigned the correct metric
location, relocate it using Identify Trigger.
To change the metric location of a beat trigger:
1 Double-click the beat trigger you want to relo-
cate. The Identify Trigger dialog opens.
2 In the Identify Trigger dialog, enter the correct
location for the trigger, then click OK.
Navigating Consecutive Beat
Triggers
Use the Scroll Next button to move from the cur-
rently selected beat trigger to the next beat trig-
ger. To move to the previous beat trigger, Alt-
click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the Scroll
Next button. This is particularly useful for edit-
ing consecutive beat triggers when zoomed in at
the sample level.
Promoting a beat trigger Identify Trigger dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide648
Generating Bar|Beat Markers
with Beat Detective
Once Beat Detective has accurately detected the
peak transients in the audio selection and accu-
rately generated beat triggers, the triggers can be
converted to Bar|Beat Markers. Bar|Beat Markers
generated by Beat Detective create a tempo map
that can be used throughout the session.
Once a tempo map has been generated, other
audio regions and MIDI notes can be conformed
to the Bar|Beat Markers generated by Beat Detec-
tive.
If you want to match the audio material to the
session’s existing tempo map or a groove tem-
plate, do not generate Bar|Beat Markers from the
material. Instead, use Beat Detective to separate
and conform the material (see “Separating Re-
gions with Beat Detective” on page 651).
To generate Bar|Beat Markers with Beat
Detective:
1 Make an Edit selection.
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Bar|Beat
Marker Generation mode.
3 Define or capture the selection as described in
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640.
4 Set the Resolution to Bars or Beats, and config-
ure the Detection setting so the selection’s peak
transients (or MIDI Note Ons) are accurately de-
tected (see “Generating Beat Triggers” on
page 642).
5 Click Generate.
Bar|Beat Markers are generated, based on the
beat triggers, and appear in the Tempo ruler.
Working with Sub-Beats
Tempo is derived from Bar|Beat Markers.
Groove, or feel, is derived from Sub-Beats—the
deviation of subdivisions of the beat from the
strict tempo grid determines the groove or feel.
To extract the groove from a selection, set the
Detection Resolution to Sub-Beats. This ensures
that the inner rhythms within each bar (if they
indeed exist) are represented when generating
Bar|Beat Markers. These Bar|Beat Markers can
then be used to quantize other audio regions or
MIDI tracks, thereby conforming to the Bar|Beat
Markers generated by Beat Detective.
If you are simply aligning a sloppy part to
the other tracks, you probably do not need to
generate Bar|Beat markers.
Bar|Beat Markers generated at Bar resolution
Bar|Beat Markers generated at Beat resolution
When quantizing regions or MIDI notes to
Bar|Beat Markers on sub-beats that
represent a swing feel, make sure to use a
straight quantize value (with the Swing
option for Quantize disabled).
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 649
DigiGroove Templates
Beat Detective allows the fine timing nuances of
a rhythmic performance to be extracted and
saved as a groove template, called a DigiGroove
template. DigiGrooves can be saved locally to
the Groove Clipboard, or saved to disk as Di-
giGrooves.
Groove templates can be used to transfer the feel
of a particular performance to:
• Selected audio regions using Groove Conform
(see “Groove Conform” on page 654).
• Selected MIDI data using Groove Quantize
(see “Groove Quantize” on page 898).
Groove templates are “quantization maps” de-
rived from real musical performances. The
rhythmic character of each performance is ana-
lyzed and stored as a groove template. Beat De-
tective analyzes an audio selection for transient
peaks according to a defined threshold and
maps the rhythmic relationships to a 960 parts
per quarter note (ppq) template.
When creating DigiGroove templates, Beat De-
tective also analyzes the dynamics of a perfor-
mance. MIDI velocity data is saved from MIDI
tracks, and accents and peak levels in audio data
are incorporated into the groove template as ve-
locity data, which can be applied to change the
dynamics of MIDI tracks.
Beat Detective translates the amplitude of sig-
nals in audio tracks to MIDI velocity according
to a linear scale. For example:
• A 0 dBFS signal equals a MIDI velocity of
127.
• A signal at –6 dBFS equals a MIDI velocity
of 64.
• A signal at –12 dBFS equals a MIDI velocity
of 32.
• A –48 dBFS equals a MIDI velocity of 1.
Capturing this information is very important to
preserving the feel of a performance, and can
add life to MIDI tracks that lack dynamics.
Extracting Groove Templates
To extract a Groove Template:
1 In the Edit window, make an Edit selection
(including audio or MIDI). The selection should
consist of one or more complete bars, starting
and ending on downbeats.
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Groove
Template Extraction.
3 Define or capture the selection as described in
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640.
4 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
tion’s peak transients (or MIDI Note Ons) are ac-
curately detected (see “Generating Beat
Triggers” on page 642).
5 Click Extract.
6 In the Extract Groove Template dialog, enter
comments about the groove. You can enter a
maximum of 255 characters to describe the
groove. Comments can be viewed using the
Show Info button in the Beat Detective window.
Beat Detective only captures duration data
from MIDI tracks, not from audio tracks.
When extracting Groove Templates, the
captured selection must not include Bar|Beat
Markers. Otherwise, the accuracy of the
Groove Template will be compromised.
Pro Tools Reference Guide650
7 Do one of the following:
• To save the extracted template for use in
the current session, without writing the
template file to disk, click Save To Groove
Clipboard. (This template will be lost when
you close the current session.)
• To save the extracted template to disk in or-
der to use it in other sessions or share it
with other Pro Tools users, click Save To
Disk. Enter a name for the template and
click Save. (Do not change the location of
DigiGroove template files and folders or
they will not be available in your sessions.)
• Click Cancel to cancel without saving the
template.
Swing Content for Generating
Groove Templates
When defining swing content of the selection,
select the Contains eighth-note option if the au-
dio selection has a heavily swung eighth-note
groove. If the audio selection has relatively
straight eighth-notes, use the Contains six-
teenth-note option. This lets the resultant Di-
giGroove template be applied more easily else-
where. Although a groove might be based upon
non-swung eighth-note material, you might
want to apply the template to material that con-
tains sixteenth-notes. If a template only has
eighth-note resolution, but the material being
conformed contains sixteenth-notes, adjacent
sixteenth-notes will be mapped to the same
eighth-note location.
Groove Extrapolation
Beat Detective’s ability to extract tempo data
from a wide range of material is enhanced by its
powerful “groove extrapolation” logic. Groove
extrapolation automatically generates beat trig-
gers for inclusion in groove templates even if a
peak transient is not detected. For example, a
drum loop might not have a hit on beat 3, con-
sequently no peak transient is detected and no
beat trigger is generated. Beat Detective will ex-
trapolate from other beat triggers in the selec-
tion and create a trigger for beat 3 in the groove
template.
In addition, extrapolated triggers preserve the
feel of triggers generated from detected peak
transients. For example, if a bar of kick drum de-
tected three beat triggers, all of which were 20
ticks ahead of the beat, any extrapolated beat
triggers will also be mapped 20 ticks ahead of
the beat.
Extract Groove Template dialog
Use folders and subdirectories to organize
DigiGroove templates. However, be sure
they are always located in C:\
Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools\
Grooves (Windows) or Applications/
Digidesign/Pro Tools/Grooves (Mac).
Groove template files located elsewhere will
not be available in either Groove Quantize
or Beat Detective.
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 651
Separating Regions with
Beat Detective
(Audio Only)
Once beat triggers appear in your selection, they
can be used to define start and end points for
new regions that can be separated automati-
cally. The new regions can then be conformed
to the session’s existing tempo map, or to a
groove template.
If you want to clean up the timing for the selec-
tion, without affecting the tempo, make sure to
first calculate the tempo by generating Bar|Beat
Markers (see “Calculating Tempo with Beat De-
tective” on page 642).
To separate regions with Beat Detective:
1 In the Edit window, make an audio selection.
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Region
Separation.
3 Define or capture the selection as described in
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640.
4 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
(see “Generating Beat Triggers” on page 642).
5 Click Separate.
Regions are separated based on the detected beat
triggers.
Trigger Pad
When separating regions, the Beat Detective
window displays an option called Trigger Pad.
Type a value (0–50 ms) in this field to pad region
start points—where the point of separation is lo-
cated in relation to the beat trigger (transient).
This creates a space between the region start
point and the region sync point, thereby ensur-
ing that the attack portion of the material re-
mains intact.
When conforming separated regions, the region
sync point determines where the region is
placed (see “Sync Points” on page 820).
Detection settings, Region Separation mode
Separated region with 20 ms Trigger Pad
Region start Sync point
(point of separation)
20 ms
(beat trigger)
Pro Tools Reference Guide652
Separating Multiple Tracks
You can use beat triggers from a single track, or
subset of tracks, to separate a group of tracks.
In the following example, the defined selection
is a drum loop consisting of two bars of 5/4. The
kick, snare, hi-hat, and overhead microphones
are recorded to separate tracks.
Analyzing the loop’s kick drum track, with the
detection Resolution set to Beats, Beat Detective
places beat triggers at the transients on beats 1
and 4.
Extending the selection to the snare, hi-hat, and
overhead microphones tracks, and then per-
forming the separation, results in separated re-
gions in each of the drum tracks at the same lo-
cation, based on the beat triggers from the kick
drum track.
The separated regions can then be conformed as
a group.
You can also use Collection mode when work-
ing with multiple tracks. Collection mode lets
you analyze and detect triggers on tracks indi-
vidually, and if you choose, add only the unique
triggers from the current track to the overall col-
lection. For more information, see “Detection
(Normal) and Collection Mode” on page 657.
Conforming Regions with Beat
Detective
(Audio Only)
After regions have been separated with Beat De-
tective, the regions can then be conformed us-
ing one of two modes:
Standard Conform Uses the session’s current
tempo map (Grid)
Groove Conform Uses groove templates.
Beat Detective will conform any selected region,
whether or not it was separated with Beat Detec-
tive. However, in order to successfully conform
regions with Beat Detective, the region start
points must correspond to the start of the mate-
rial that will align with the session’s bars and
beats. This should generally not be a problem if
the regions were separated with Beat Detective
(rather than manually separated or trimmed).
Kick drum track with beat triggers
Kick drum, snare, hi-hat, and overhead microphones
tracks with beat triggers
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 653
Standard Conform
This is similar to using the Region > Quantize to
Grid command, but with one important differ-
ence: With a single operation, Beat Detective
can adjust the position of all regions, whether
they have a straight or swing feel.
To conform regions using Standard Conform:
1 In the Beat Detective window, select Region
Conform.
2 Make sure Standard is selected.
3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, se-
lect the separated regions you want to conform.
Make sure the selection’s start and end points
fall cleanly on the beat.
4 In the Beat Detective window, define or recap-
ture the selection as described in “Defining a
Beat Detective Selection” on page 640.
5 To affect how strongly the regions are con-
formed to the Grid (tempo map), select the
Strength option and specify a percentage value
with either the slider or by typing in a value:
• Lower percentage values preserve the origi-
nal feel of the regions.
• Higher percentage values align the regions
more tightly to the tempo map, with 100%
aligning precisely to the tempo map.
6 To affect which regions are conformed, select
the Exclude Within option and specify a percent-
age value with the slider or by typing in a value:
• Lower percentage values ensure that re-
gions further away from the Grid are con-
formed, while those closer to the Grid are
not.
• Higher percentage values ensure that
regions closer to the Grid, as well as those
further away, are conformed.
7 To achieve a swing feel for the conformed re-
gions, select the Swing option and whether the
swing is based on eighth-notes or sixteenth-
notes, then specify a percentage value with the
slider or by typing in a value:
• Smaller percentage values yield less swing,
with 0% yielding none.
• Larger percentage values yield more swing,
with 100% yielding a triplet, swing feel.
• Percentage values between 100–150 move
the regions beyond a triplet, swing feel, to-
ward the next sixteenth-note boundary
(provided the Swing note value is set to
eighth-notes).
Beat Detective, Standard Conform options
To “tighten up” the original feel while
retaining it, set the Strength option to
85–88%.
To “tighten up” the original feel while
retaining it, set the Exclude Within option
to 10–15%.
If Beat Detective has successfully captured
enough of the sub-beats from a selection be-
fore separating, you can successfully con-
form with the Swing option to change the
groove from a “straight” feel to one that is
swung. You can also import a groove tem-
plate containing a swing feel (see “Groove
Conform” on page 654).
Pro Tools Reference Guide654
8 Click Conform to automatically conform all re-
gions in the selection.
9 Audition the new conformed regions by click-
ing Play in the Transport.
10 Do one of the following:
• If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat
steps 4–8 trying a different set of Conform
settings.
– or –
• If necessary, apply Edit Smoothing (see
“Edit Smoothing” on page 655).
Groove Conform
Instead of using a grid based on the session’s
tempo map, Groove Conform uses a grid based
on a groove template, or DigiGroove. Di-
giGrooves can be used to apply the feel of a cap-
tured passage to the selected audio regions. For
information about creating DigiGroove tem-
plates, see “DigiGroove Templates” on
page 649.
To conform regions using Groove Conform:
1 In the Beat Detective window, select Region
Conform.
2 Select Groove.
3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, se-
lect the separated regions you want to conform.
Make sure the selection’s start and end points
fall cleanly on the beat.
4 In the Beat Detective window, define or recap-
ture the selection as described in “Defining a
Beat Detective Selection” on page 640.
5 From the Groove Template pop-up menu, se-
lect the Groove Clipboard or a saved groove tem-
plate (for information on creating groove
templates, see “DigiGroove Templates” on
page 649).
6 To see comments about the selected template,
click Show Info.
Regions conformed with Beat Detective
Beat Detective, Groove Conform options
When using Groove Conform, the captured
selection must not include Bar|Beat Mark-
ers. Otherwise, the accuracy of the Groove
Template will be compromised.
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 655
7 To affect how strongly the regions are con-
formed to the groove template, select the Timing
option and specify a percentage value with ei-
ther the slider or by typing in a value:
• Lower percentage values preserve the origi-
nal feel of the regions.
• Higher percentage values align the regions
more tightly to the groove templates grid,
with 100% aligning precisely to the tem-
plate grid.
• If the slider is set to 200%, regions move to
a location that is twice the difference be-
tween the original region location and the
position of the referenced template event.
For example, if a note was played at Bar 1|1|060
(a 16th note), and the corresponding template
event is at 1|1|073, a slider value of 100% results
in the note being shifted to 1|1|073; a slider
value of 200% shifts the note to 1|1|086.
8 To conform the material before applying the
groove template, enable the Pre-Process Using
Standard Conform option.
With this option enabled, Beat Detective con-
forms regions to the current Standard Conform
settings before applying the groove template.
For material in which the performance was not
accurate, enabling Pre-Process Using Standard
Conform can lead to better results by ensuring
that the performance is accurately mapped to
the correct bars, beats, and sub-beats before the
groove template is applied. Experimentation is
the best way to determine when it is appropriate
to use this option.
9 Click Conform to automatically conform all re-
gions in the selection.
10 Audition the new conformed regions by
clicking Play in the Transport.
11 Do one of the following:
• If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat
steps 4–9 trying a different groove template
or Groove Conform settings.
– or –
• If necessary, apply Edit Smoothing (see
“Edit Smoothing” on page 655).
Edit Smoothing
(Audio Only)
After regions are conformed, there may be gaps
between the regions. These gaps can cause the
material to sound unnatural on playback.
Beat Detective can automatically fill the gaps be-
tween regions, and even add crossfades if you
choose. The Edit Smoothing option can be used
with regions that have been conformed, or with
a track that contains many regions that need to
be trimmed and crossfaded (such as in a sound
effects track). This automated process of
smoothing region edits can save many hours of
tedious editing.
When conforming an audio passage to a
heavily swung groove template, enabling
Pre-Process using Standard Conform will
often yield better results.
Beat Detective, Smoothing options
Pro Tools Reference Guide656
To use Edit Smoothing on conformed regions:
1 In the Beat Detective window, select Edit
Smoothing.
2 Select a Smoothing option:
Fill Gaps Select this option to trim region end
points so that the gaps between regions are
filled.
Fill And Crossfade Select this option to trim re-
gion end points and automatically add a pre-
fade (in ms) directly before each region start
point.
3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, se-
lect the range of conformed audio regions you
want to smooth. Make sure the selection’s start
and end points fall cleanly on the beat.
4 Click Smooth to smooth the edits for the se-
lected regions.
5 Audition the results by clicking Play in the
Transport.
6 If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat
steps 2–5 trying a different Crossfade Length.
Edit Smoothing Creates Sync
Points
After smoothing edits with Beat Detective, sync
points (corresponding to the material’s start
point) are automatically created for the con-
formed regions. This allows you to later con-
form the regions to a different tempo map or
groove template, or use different Conform set-
tings. However, sync points are only created as
they are needed: If gaps between regions are cre-
ated during Region Conform, Fill Gaps in Edit
Smoothing mode will trim regions to fill the gap
and a sync point will be created at each region’s
original start point. If there is no gap between
regions, no sync point will be created by Edit
Smoothing.
Consolidating Regions after Edit
Smoothing
The process of separating, conforming, and
smoothing with Beat Detective can leave tracks
with many regions and many crossfades. If you
are working with multiple tracks, the density of
these edits may lead to system performance
problems.
Regions before and after Edit Smoothing
For more information on region sync points,
see “Sync Points” on page 820.
If performance is not an issue, use the Re-
gion Group command for easier editing and
manipulation of regions. This can be useful
for arranging beats that were sliced with
Beat Detective, especially if you plan on
changing tempos with tick-based audio
tracks. For more information on region
groups, see “Region Groups” on page 835.
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 657
Once you are satisfied with the results from Beat
Detective, it is recommended that you flatten
the tracks with the Consolidate command. For all
regions selected, Consolidate creates a single,
contiguous audio file to reduce the session’s edit
density. See “Consolidating Regions” on
page 594.
Detection (Normal) and
Collection Mode
In some instances, it may be difficult for Beat
Detective to successfully analyze multiple tracks
with the same Detection settings. With Beat De-
tective’s Collection mode, you can collect a set
of beat triggers from different tracks, each with
different Detection settings, and use the collec-
tion of triggers to generate Bar|Beat Markers or
DigiGroove templates, or separate new regions.
Collection mode is the only way to analyze and
create beat triggers on one track, and apply
them to another track.
This method of selectively adding beat triggers
from separate analysis passes on different tracks,
until you get only the triggers you want, is po-
tentially much more effective than manually de-
leting, inserting, or adjusting incorrect or false
triggers.
Drum Tracks and Collection Mode
Suppose you have drum tracks for kick, snare,
hi-hat, and overhead mics. If you analyze a se-
lection across all of the tracks, you may get
many false triggers when you raise the Sensitiv-
ity slider high enough to capture the hi-hat ma-
terial (coming mainly from the tracks for the
overhead mics).
However, if you analyze only the track for the
overhead mics, the resulting beat triggers are
slightly later than the material on the other
tracks (since it will take more time for the sound
to reach the overhead mics). If you then extend
the selection to the other drum tracks and sepa-
rate them, the regions from the kick, snare, and
tom tracks will be cut slightly late.
Using Collection mode, you can analyze each
drum track separately, one at a time, optimizing
the Detection settings for each track until you
get the triggers you want. The triggers for each
track can be added successively to the collec-
tion, or you can choose to collect only the
unique triggers from a track. The collection of
triggers that results can then be used to generate
Bar|Beat Markers or a DigiGroove template, or
separate new regions.
Before consolidating a large selection across
multiple tracks, make sure there is enough
RAM available. See “RAM Requirements for
Beat Detective” on page 638.
Overhead mics generate late beat triggers
Pro Tools Reference Guide658
Using Collection Mode
Collection mode is available in Bar|Beat Marker
Generation, Groove Template Extraction, or Re-
gion Separation mode (audio only), and is ac-
cessed by selecting Collection in the Detection
pop-up menu.
To use Collection mode:
1 In the Edit window, make an audio selection
on a single track. Make sure the selection’s start
and end points fall cleanly on the beat.
2 In the Beat Detective window, select one of
the following modes:
• Bar|Beat Marker Generation
• Groove Template Extraction
• Region Separation (audio only)
3 Define or capture the selection as described in
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640.
4 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
(see “Generating Beat Triggers” on page 642).
5 From the Detection pop-up menu, select Collec-
tion.
6 In the Detection (Collection Mode) section,
click Add All to add all the current beat triggers to
the collection.
7 From the Detection pop-up menu, select Nor-
mal and move the selection to the next track you
want to analyze. Make sure to keep the selection
range constant for each track.
8 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
(see “Generating Beat Triggers” on page 642).
9 Select Collection again.
10 Do one of the following:
• In the Detection (Collection Mode) sec-
tion, click Add Unique to add only the
unique triggers from the track to the collec-
tion. When you choose to add unique trig-
gers, Pro Tools looks for triggers that are
close to triggers already collected from
other tracks. Where triggers already exist,
the newly detected triggers are discarded.
• Click Add All to add all triggers to the collec-
tion.
• Click Clear All to clear all triggers from the
collection.
Each new set of triggers added to the collection
appears in a different color. If successive triggers
in the collection are located closely together (for
example, because of microphone leakage), Beat
Detective keeps only the earlier triggers.
Beat Detective, Collection mode options
Press Start+P (Windows) or Control+P
(Mac) to move the selection up, or
Start+Semi-colon (Windows) or Con-
trol+Semi-colon (Mac) to move the selection
down.
With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled,
press “P” to move the selection up, or Semi-
colon (;) to move the selection down. Hold
down the Shift key to retain and add to the
current selection
Chapter 31: Beat Detective 659
11 Repeat steps 7–10 for each additional track
you are analyzing.
The beat triggers stored in the Collection mode
are saved with sessions. Therefore, when a ses-
sion is opened later, the previous collection ma-
terial is still there (until it is cleared).
12 Once the beat triggers have been added to
the collection, you can use them to generate
Bar|Beat Markers or groove template, or separate
regions. However, this must be done from the
Collection Mode section (when the triggers are
displayed in multiple colors).
Figure 9. Overhead mic track displaying a collection of beat triggers containing unique triggers generated from the
kick, snare, and hi-hat tracks
1. Beat triggers
detected in Kick track
added to collection
2. Unique beat triggers
detected in Snare track
added to collection
3. Unique beat triggers
detected in Hi-hat track
added to collection
4.Collected beat triggers
applied to Overhead
microphones track
To separate regions across multiple tracks,
make sure to extend the selection to any ad-
ditional tracks before separating.
Pro Tools Reference Guide660
661
Part VI: MIDI
662
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 663
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing
Pro Tools provides powerful MIDI editing tools.
You can create and edit individual MIDI notes
and controller events with the Pencil, Trim, and
Grabber tools in the Edit window, MIDI Editor
windows (see Chapter 33, “MIDI Editors”), and
the Score Editor window (Chapter 34, “Score Ed-
itor”).
You can use the various Event Operations (such
as Quantize, Transpose, Change Velocity, and
Change Duration) to destructively transform
groups of MIDI notes in terms of pitch, timing,
dynamics, and phrasing (see Chapter 42, “Event
Operations”).
Additionally, you can use Real-Time Properties
to nondestructively affect MIDI on playback or
play-through (see “MIDI Real-Time Properties”
on page 693).
Pro Tools also provides numerous zoom and
view tools that are optimized for MIDI editing.
MIDI Editing Options
Pro Tools provides a few options for determin-
ing MIDI editing behavior. These options are
available in the Edit window, MIDI Editor win-
dows, and the Score Editor window. However,
these options are only available if there is at
least one MIDI or Instrument track in your
Pro Tools session.
Play MIDI Notes When Editing
When enabled, the Play MIDI Notes When Edit-
ing option causes MIDI notes to play (send a
MIDI Note On message) when editing.
For information on region-specific editing
for both MIDI and audio, see Chapter 28,
“Editing Regions and Selections.”
MIDI Editing Controls in the Edit window
Play MIDI Notes When Editing
Default Note Duration
Default Note On Velocity
Pro Tools Reference Guide664
Default Note Duration
The Default Note Duration setting lets you de-
fine the default note duration for inserting notes
manually. The Edit window, MIDI Editor win-
dows, and Score Editor window can each have a
different Default Note Duration setting.
To select a Default Note Duration:
1 Click the Default Note Duration setting in the
Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or the
Score Editor window.
2 Select the Default Note Duration value you
want. (For example, select the 1/4 Note option
to insert quarter notes with the Pencil tool.)
The Default Note Duration setting updates to
show the selected note value.
3 To define a dotted or triplet duration, do one
of the following:
• To dot the selected Default Note Duration
value, click the Default Note Duration set-
ting and select Dotted.
– or –
• To make the selected Default Note Dura-
tion value a triplet, click the Default Note
Duration setting and select Triplet.
Follow Grid
Select the Follow Grid option to have the Default
Note Duration follow the selected Grid value. To
stop following the Grid value, select the rhyth-
mic value for the Default Note Duration setting.
Default Note On Velocity
The Default Note On Velocity setting lets you
define the default Note On velocity for inserting
notes manually. The Edit window, MIDI Editor
windows, and Score Editor window can each
have a different Default Note On Velocity set-
ting.
To define the Default Note On Velocity, do one of
the following:
Click the Default Note On Velocity setting in
the Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or the
Score Editor window and drag up or down.
– or –
Click the Default Note On Velocity setting in
the Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or the
Score Editor window, type a new number and
press Enter.
Selecting a Default Note Duration in the Edit window
Default Note Duration, quarter note selected
Default Note On Velocity
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 665
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI re-
gions and have your edits apply to every copy of
the same MIDI region. This can be particularly
useful when editing looped MIDI regions.
To enable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the
following:
Select Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.
– or –
Enable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in
the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.
In Mirrored MIDI Editing mode, the Mirrored
MIDI Editing button flashes Red once as an edit
is made to alert you that your edit is being ap-
plied to more than one region.
To disable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the
following:
Deselect Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.
– or –
Disable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in
the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.
Setting the Grid Value
When inserting MIDI notes with the Pencil tool,
the Grid value determines the Note On location
of each note, or other characteristics, based on
the Pencil tool shape (see “Using the Pencil
Tool” on page 666). The Edit window, MIDI Ed-
itor windows, and Score Editor window can each
be set to a different Grid value.
To set the Grid value for MIDI editing:
1 Click the Grid Value selector and select
Bars|Beats. If the Follow Main Time Scale option is
enabled you can simply set the Main Time Scale
to Bars|Beats (see “Setting the Main Time Scale”
on page 754).
2 Click the Grid Value selector again and select
a note value (such as 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16).
Mirrored MIDI Edit button in the Edit window
If Mirrored MIDI Editing mode is disabled,
and you edit notes of looped regions in
Notes view, the edit flattens the loop. Simi-
larly editing region groups separates the re-
gion groups.
Selecting the Grid value in the Edit window
Pro Tools Reference Guide666
3 To define a dotted or triplet value, do one of
the following:
• To dot the selected Grid value, click the
Grid Value selector again and select Dotted.
– or –
• To make the selected Grid value a triplet,
click the Grid Value selector again and se-
lect Triplet.
4 Verify the default session meter and tempo
(see “Setting the Session Meter” on page 430
and “Setting the Session Tempo” on page 431).
To show (or hide) grid lines in the Edit window or in
a MIDI Editor window:
Select (or deselect) the Grid button.
Using the Pencil Tool
The Pencil tool is useful for creating and editing
MIDI data. The first five Pencil tool shapes (Free
Hand, Line, Triangle, Square, and Random) can
be used to create MIDI notes with varying dura-
tions and velocities. In the Edit window MIDI
Editor windows, and the Score Editor window,
note velocities are determined by the Pencil tool
shape). The various Pencil tool shapes can be
particularly useful for drawing and editing dif-
ferent types of MIDI control data—for example,
try using Line for volume, Triangle for pan, Free
Hand for pitch bend, and Square or Random for
velocity.
To select the Pencil tool shape:
1 Click the Pencil tool icon in the Toolbar for
the Pencil tool shape pop-up menu.
2 Select a Pencil tool shape.
Pencil Tool Shapes for MIDI
Free Hand
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument
tracks in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows,
and in the Score Editor, the Free Hand shape in-
serts a single MIDI note whose velocity is de-
fined by the Default Note On Velocity setting.
The pitch, location, and duration of the note are
determined by where on the track you click with
the mouse.
For more information on Grid mode, see
“Grid Mode” on page 531.
Grid button selected in the Edit window
Parabolic and S-Curve Pencil shapes are
used for drawing tempo events only in the
Tempo Editor. See “Drawing Tempo
Events” on page 766.
Pencil tool shapes available for MIDI
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 667
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous
controller data, the Free Hand shape draws
freely according to the movement of the mouse.
The shape is reproduced as a series of steps ac-
cording to the Pencil Tool Resolution When
Drawing Controller Data MIDI preference.
Line
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument
tracks in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows,
and in the Score Editor, the Line shape inserts a
series of MIDI notes on a single pitch whose ve-
locities are defined by the Default Note On Ve-
locity setting. The duration and spacing for the
inserted notes are determined by the current
Grid value and the Default Note Duration set-
ting.
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous
controller data, the Line shape draws in a
straight line from click to release. MIDI contin-
uous controller values change in steps according
to the Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Con-
troller Data option in the MIDI Preferences page.
Triangle
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument
tracks in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows,
and in the Score Editor, the Triangle shape in-
serts a series of MIDI notes on a single pitch
whose velocities oscillate between the Default
Note On Velocity setting and 127 according to a
triangle pattern. The duration and spacing for
the inserted notes are determined by the current
Grid value and the Default Note Duration set-
ting.
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous
controller data, the Triangle shape draws a trian-
gular pattern that changes direction according
to the current Grid value. MIDI controller values
change in steps according to the Pencil Tool Res-
olution When Drawing Controller Data option in
the MIDI Preferences page.
Square
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument
tracks in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows,
and in the Score Editor, the Square shape inserts
a series of MIDI notes on a single pitch whose
velocities alternate between the Default Note
On Velocity setting and 127. The duration and
spacing for the inserted notes are determined by
the current Grid value and the Default Note Du-
ration setting.
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous
controller data, the Square shape draws a square
pattern that repeats at a rate based on the cur-
rent Grid value.
Random
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument
tracks in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows,
and in the Score Editor, the Random shape in-
serts a series of MIDI notes on a single pitch
whose velocities change randomly within the
range between the Default Note On Velocity set-
ting and 127. The duration and spacing for the
inserted notes are determined by the current
Grid value and the Default Note Duration set-
ting.
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous
controller data, the Random shape draws a series
of random values that change at a rate based on
the current Grid value.
Pro Tools Reference Guide668
Inserting MIDI Notes
In addition to recording, step recording, and im-
porting MIDI into Pro Tools, you can manually
insert MIDI notes using the Pencil tool.
To insert a MIDI Note On a track in the Edit
window:
1 In the Edit window, set the MIDI or Instru-
ment track to Notes view.
2 Select the Pencil tool and make sure it is set to
Free Hand. The cursor will change to the Pencil
tool when located over the playlist area of a
MIDI or Instrument track in Notes view.
3 To insert quarter notes on the beat, do the fol-
lowing:
• Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.
• Set the Edit mode to Grid.
• Set the Grid value to quarter notes.
• Set the Default Note Duration value either
to quarter notes (or to Follow Grid).
4 Move the Pencil tool into the playlist area for
the MIDI or Instrument track. Use the Edit win-
dow’s ruler and the track’s mini-keyboard as a
reference to locate the pitch and time location
you want.
When using the Pencil tool, the Cursor location
and value are displayed in the Window Toolbar.
5 When you reach the pitch and time location
you want, click to insert the note.
When inserting MIDI notes or other MIDI
data with the Pencil tool, MIDI region
boundaries are created on the nearest bar-
lines.
Cursor location and value
MIDI note inserted with the Pencil tool
With the Smart Tool active (see “Using the
Smart Tool” on page 552), Start-click
(Windows) or Control-click (Mac) to change
the cursor to the Pencil tool and insert MIDI
notes; Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Alt-Start-click (Mac) to delete notes.
With Grid mode enabled, the start point of
the MIDI note snaps to the nearest Grid
boundary by default. With the Free Hand
Pencil tool, press Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac) after clicking and holding
to temporarily suspend Snap to Grid.
Cursor Timeline location
Cursor pitch location
Pencil Cursor
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 669
The velocity for inserted notes is determined by
the Default Note On Velocity setting. The dura-
tion is determined by the Default Note Duration
value. When in Grid mode, the Note On loca-
tion is determined by the Grid value.
If the Play MIDI Notes When Editing option is
enabled, each note sounds as it is inserted.
The Pencil tool can be dragged after clicking
(and before releasing) to adjust the note’s pitch
or duration. Drag right to lengthen the note
without changing its start point. Drag left to
shorten the note without changing its end
point.
Inserting a Series of Notes
In the Edit window and in MIDI Editor win-
dows, the Line, Triangle, Square, and Random
Pencil tool shapes can be used to enter a series of
identical pitches with varying velocities. The
duration and spacing for the inserted notes are
determined by the current Grid value and the
Default Note Duration setting.
When the Default Note Duration is greater than
the Grid value, the inserted notes are truncated
to match the Grid value and not overlap.
The note velocities are determined by the Pencil
tool shape:
• Use the Line shape to enter notes with
identical velocities.
• Use the Triangle shape for a ramp up and
down of velocities.
• Use the Square shape for alternating veloc-
ities of loud and soft.
• Use the Random shape for a series of notes
with random velocities.
For example, to insert a series of notes with
random velocities in the Edit window:
1 In the Edit window, set the MIDI or Instru-
ment track to Notes view.
2 Select the Pencil tool and make sure it is set to
Random.
3 To insert consecutive quarter notes on the
beat, do the following:
• Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.
• Set the Edit mode to Grid.
• Set the Grid value to quarter notes.
• Set the Default Note Duration value either
to quarter notes (or to Follow Grid).
With these settings, the notes are inserted
spaced one quarter note apart.
4 Click at the point to insert the first note and
drag to the right until the number of notes you
want have been inserted.
Adjusting the duration for an inserted note
With the Grid mode enabled, the end point
of the MIDI note snaps to the nearest Grid
boundary by default. Control-drag (Win-
dows) or Command-drag (Mac) with the
Pencil tool to temporarily suspend Snap to
Grid.
Inserting a series of notes with the Pencil tool
Pro Tools Reference Guide670
Manually Editing MIDI Notes
All aspects of a MIDI note can be edited in the
Edit window or in a MIDI Editor window, in-
cluding start and end points, duration, pitch,
and velocity. The Selector, Grabber, and Pencil
tools can operate on individual notes or groups
of notes.
Selecting MIDI Notes
MIDI notes must be selected before they can be
edited.
To select MIDI notes, do one of the following:
With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool,
Shift-click each note.
With any Grabber tool, move the cursor to
where there are no notes (the Marquee appears)
and click and draw a rectangle around the group
of notes you want to edit.
When using a Grabber tool, if any portion of the
rectangle touches a note (either its start or end
point), the note is included in the selection.
However, selections made with a Grabber tool
are object selections and do not include under-
lying controller and automation data for the
MIDI track.
With the Selector tool, drag across a range of
notes.
When using the Selector tool, a note’s start
point must be included in order for it to be se-
lected. When a MIDI or Instrument track is in
Notes or Regions view, selections made with the
Selector tool are range selections and include all
underlying controller and automation data.
To deselect one or more notes from a selection:
With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool,
Shift-click the notes so they become deselected.
Selecting notes with a Grabber tool
Selecting notes with the Selector tool
With the Selector tool, Alt-click (Windows)
or Option-click (Mac) to get the Note Selector
tool in the Edit window and MIDI Editor
windows (the Selector tool always make note
selections in the Score Editor). The Note
Selector tool selects all MIDI notes within
the duration of the selection as objects and
does not select any other MIDI events (such
as controller data or program changes).
You can also select notes in the Select/Split
Notes window. See “Select/Split Notes Com-
mand” on page 913.
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 671
Selecting and Auditioning MIDI
Notes with the Mini-Keyboard
Use the mini-keyboard on MIDI and Instrument
tracks to select and play notes on that track. You
can click on the mini-keyboard with any Edit
tool.
To play a note on a MIDI or Instrument track, and
select all notes of that pitch on the track:
With any Edit tool selected, click a key on the
mini-keyboard.
To select and play a range of notes on a MIDI or
Instrument track:
With any Edit tool selected, click a key and
drag up or down on the mini-keyboard.
Selecting Only MIDI Notes Using
the Note Selector Tool
In Notes or Velocity view on MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks in the Edit window, or in a MIDI Ed-
itor window, the Selector tool makes a time
range selection that includes all MIDI event
types in addition to MIDI notes and velocities
(such as program changes, and continuous con-
troller data). The Note Selector tool can be used
to select only MIDI notes and velocities in a time
range selection.
To select only MIDI notes and velocities with the
Note Selector tool:
1 Select the Selector tool.
Playing a note with the mini-keyboard and selecting all
notes of that pitch
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac)
to play notes without making a selection.
Control-click (Windows) or Command-
click (Mac) to select or deselect notes, and to
make noncontiguous selections.
Playing a range of notes with the mini-keyboard and
selecting all notes of including those pitches
You can also Shift-click on the mini-keyboard
to extend or contract the range of notes.
Pro Tools Reference Guide672
2 On MIDI or Instrument tracks in the Edit win-
dow in Notes or Velocity view, or in a MIDI Edi-
tor window, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag
(Mac) over the time range that includes the
notes you want to select.
When using the Smart tool and pressing Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac), the Selector is
available in the upper part of the Track and the
Note Selector is available in the lower part of the
track.
Using the Grabber Tools
Use the Grabber tools to select, move, separate,
and arrange regions on tracks. There are three
modes for the Grabber tool: Time Grabber, Sep-
aration Grabber, and Object Grabber. For more
information about arranging regions, also see
Chapter 38, “Arranging Regions.”
Transposing Notes
MIDI notes can be transposed by dragging them
up or down with the Pencil tool or any Grabber
tool. If several notes are selected before drag-
ging, each is transposed.
To transpose a MIDI note:
1 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes
view.
2 Select the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool.
3 While pressing Shift, drag the note up or
down.
The Shift key ensures that the transposed note
maintains its original start point.
While dragging, each new note sounds and the
Cursor Location Value indicator (in the Edit
window) indicates the number of semitones and
direction (+/–) for the transposition.
Moving Notes
Like regions, MIDI notes can be dragged left or
right with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool to
change their start point. If several notes are se-
lected before dragging, they are all moved to-
gether.
Selecting only MIDI notes using the Note Selector tool
Transposing with a Grabber tool
Press and hold Control (Mac) or Start (Win-
dows), and then press Plus (+) on the nu-
meric keypad transpose the selected MIDI
notes up by one semitone or press Minus (–)
on the numeric keypad transpose the se-
lected MIDI notes down by one semitone.
To transpose a copy of the note, leaving the
original unchanged, press Alt (Windows) or
Option (Mac) while dragging.
MIDI notes can also be transposed using the
Transpose Event Operation (see “Trans-
pose” on page 911) or MIDI Real-Time
Properties (see “MIDI Real-Time Properties”
on page 693).
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 673
To move a MIDI note:
1 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes
view.
2 With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, drag
the note left or right (press Shift while dragging
to preserve the note’s pitch).
As the note is dragged, the Cursor Location
Value indicator (in the Edit window) displays
the new start point.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged note
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens.
Trimming Note Start and End
Times
Like regions, start and end points for MIDI notes
can be adjusted with the Trimmer tool. If several
notes are selected when performing the trim,
each note is changed.
To change the start or end points for a group of
MIDI notes:
1 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes
view.
2 Using the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool,
Shift-click each note you want to trim.
3 Do one of the following:
• Select the Trimmer tool.
– or –
•Use the Pencil tool.
4 Move the cursor near the beginning of any of
the highlighted notes, so the Trimmer tool ap-
pears. Drag right to shorten the notes, or drag
left to lengthen them.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged start
or end point snaps to the nearest Grid bound-
ary. If the Edit mode is set to Spot, the Spot dia-
log opens, where you can enter the new location
for the note’s start or end point.
Notes can also be trimmed with the Trim Region
to Selection command (see “Trim to Selection
Command” on page 588) and the Trim To Inser-
tion command (see “Trimming with Nudge” on
page 590).
To copy the selected notes, leaving the orig-
inals intact, press Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac) while dragging.
The placement of MIDI notes can also be
adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Command”
on page 822) or Nudge (see “Nudging Re-
gions” on page 590).
The Trimmer tool can also be used on MIDI
regions. For more informations, see “Time
Compression/Expansion Trimmer Tool
Functionality on MIDI Regions” on
page 679.
Changing note end times with the Trimmer tool
When in Grid mode, use the Control key
(Windows) or the Command key (Mac) to
temporarily disable Grid mode.
Pro Tools Reference Guide674
Trimming MIDI Notes with Nudge
You can trim the start and end points of selected
MIDI notes by the current Nudge value.
To trim the selected MIDI notes start or end points
by the Nudge value:
1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
Nudge Value” on page 591).
2 With the Time Grabber tool, select the MIDI
notes you want to trim.
3 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the nu-
meric keypad to trim the start point of the
selected MIDI notes by the Nudge value.
– or –
• While pressing Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac), press Plus (+) or Minus
(–) on the numeric keypad to trim the nu-
meric keypad to trim the end point of the
selected MIDI notes by the Nudge value.
Transposing MIDI Notes with
Nudge
You can transpose selected MIDI notes by semi-
tonal increments using Plus (+) or Minus (–) on
the numeric keypad.
To transpose the selected MIDI notes by
semitones:
1 With the Time Grabber tool, select the MIDI
notes you want to transpose.
2 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Start (Windows) or Control
(Mac), press Plus (+) on the numeric keypad
transpose the selected MIDI notes up by
one semitone.
– or –
• While pressing Start (Windows) or Control
(Mac), press Minus (–) on the numeric key-
pad transpose the selected MIDI notes
down by one semitone.
Separating MIDI Notes
The Separate command lets you separate MIDI
notes at the Edit cursor location or at the bound-
aries of the Edit selection. When in Notes view
in the Edit window and in MIDI Editor win-
dows, separating MIDI regions creates new MIDI
notes but does not create new MIDI regions.
However, when in Regions view in the Edit win-
dow, separating MIDI regions only creates new
MIDI regions. Also, if the Edit selection includes
any audio tracks, the Separate command sepa-
rates only regions on MIDI and Instrument
tracks regardless of the Track View setting.
To separate MIDI notes at the Edit cursor location
or at the boundaries of the Edit selection:
1 Make an Edit selection or place the Edit cursor
at the location where you want to separate one
or more MIDI notes.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Separate > At Selection.
– or –
• Right-click in the Notes pane and choose
Separate.
Press Control+E (Windows) or
Command+E (Mac) to separate MIDI notes
at the selection.
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 675
To separate MIDI notes on the grid:
1 Set the Grid value.
2 Make an Edit selection or a marquee selection
that includes the MIDI notes you want to sepa-
rate.
3 Choose Edit > Separate > On Grid.
4 In the Pre-Separate Amount dialog, click OK.
Separate and Consolidate Tools
for MIDI Notes
In Notes view in the Edit window and in MIDI
Editor windows, both the Pencil and Grabber
tools can be used to separate MIDI notes and to
consolidate MIDI notes.
The cursor updates to show a “knife” for the Sep-
arate tool and a “bandage” for the Consolidate
tool.
To separate a MIDI note with the Separation tool:
With the Grabber or Pencil tool, Start-Shift-
click (Windows) or Control-Shift-click (Mac) on
the MIDI note at the location where you want
the separation.
To consolidate MIDI notes with the Consolidate
tool:
With the Grabber or Pencil tool, Start-Shift-
click (Windows) or Control-Shift-click (Mac) be-
tween the separated MIDI notes.
Consolidating MIDI Notes
The Consolidate command lets you combine two
or more consecutive MIDI notes of the same
pitch into a single MIDI note.
To consolidate MIDI notes:
1 Select the MIDI notes you want to consoli-
date.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Consolidate.
– or –
• Right-click the selected notes and choose
Consolidate.
MIDI note separated into two using the Separate Tool
Consolidating MIDI notes into one using the Consolidate
Tool
Press Alt+Shift+3 (Windows) or
Option+Shift+3 (Mac) to consolidate adja-
cent selected MIDI notes of the same pitch.
Pro Tools Reference Guide676
Muting MIDI Notes
The Mute command lets you mute individual
MIDI notes. If entire regions are selected, the
Mute command prompts you to either mute re-
gions or MIDI notes.
To mute one or more MIDI notes:
1 Select the MIDI notes you want to mute.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Mute Notes.
– or –
• Right-click the selected MIDI notes and
choose Mute Notes.
To unmute one or more MIDI notes:
1 Select the MIDI notes you want to unmute.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Unmute Notes.
– or –
• Right-click the selected MIDI notes and
choose Unmute Notes.
Manually Editing Note Velocities
When a MIDI or Instrument track is set to Veloc-
ity view, or when the Velocity lane is revealed
under a track, each note’s attack velocity is rep-
resented with a velocity stalk. The taller the ve-
locity stalk, the higher the velocity value
(0–127).
To edit MIDI velocity in the Edit window:
1 Do one of the following:
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Veloc-
ity view.
– or –
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or
Instrument track and show Velocity.
2 Select any Grabber tool.
3 Drag the top (diamond) of the velocity stalk
up or down.
Press Control+M (Windows) or
Command+M (Mac) to mute and unmute
selected MIDI notes.
Revealing the Velocity Lane
Dragging a velocity stalk
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 677
The velocities for a range of notes can be edited
with any Pencil tool.
To draw velocity values for a crescendo:
1 Do one of the following:
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Veloc-
ity view.
– or –
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or
Instrument track and show Velocity.
2 Select the Pencil tool with the shape set to
Line.
3 Click at the beginning of the note range, near
the bottom of the velocity range, and drag to the
right and up until the line encompasses the
range of notes you want to include in the fade.
You can also use the Trimmer tool to scale the
velocities for all selected notes. This is useful if
you like the velocity relationship between the
notes, but want them all to be louder or softer.
To scale velocities with the Trimmer tool:
1 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Velocity
view.
2 Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool, se-
lect the range of notes to be edited.
3 With the Trimmer tool, click near the range of
selected notes and drag up or down. Dragging
up increases the velocities for each note and
dragging down decreases them.
Velocity Trimmer Tool
To trim the velocity of one or more selected MIDI
notes:
With the Grabber tool selected, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the note
and drag up or down. Notice that the Grabber
tool changes to the Velocity Trimmer tool.
Changing velocities with the Line shape
When in Velocity view, the Trimmer tool
can be used to trim note durations in
addition to changing velocities.
Changing velocities with the Trimmer tool
Editing simultaneous velocities
Pro Tools Reference Guide678
Drag up to increase the velocity value, or down
to decrease it. While dragging, the diamond
turns blue and the associated note becomes se-
lected. The dragged velocity values are reflected
in the Cursor Location Value indicator (in the
Edit window).
Auditioning Velocity Changes
If the Play MIDI Notes When Editing option is
enabled, Pro Tools plays the note at the new ve-
locity when editing velocities for MIDI notes
with the Grabber tool. This lets you hear when
you have the velocity setting you want for a
MIDI note.
Typing in Note Attributes
When an individual note is selected with the
Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, its attributes are
displayed in the Event Edit area.
Pitch is listed by note name and octave number.
Attack and release velocities are listed with their
MIDI values (0–127). Edit Selection Start, End,
and Length times are displayed in the Main
Time Scale.
To change an attribute for a MIDI note:
1 In the Edit window, with a MIDI or Instru-
ment track set to Notes View, select the note
with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool.
2 Click in the Attributes text box and do one of
the following:
• Enter the new value on the numeric key-
pad.
• Press the Up or Down Arrow to increment
or decrement to the new value.
• Drag up or down to scroll to the new value.
• Play the new note value on your MIDI key-
board controller.
Press Forward Slash (/) to move between the
fields in the Event Edit area.
Multiple Notes and Event Edit
Area
When multiple notes are selected, you can enter
values in the Event Edit area fields to affect all
selected notes. A triangle (delta symbol) to the
left of the displayed note indicates that multiple
notes are selected.
A new value in the Start field moves the first
note in the selection to that location, with all
other notes moving with it.
If two notes have the same start time (with
velocity stalks on top of each other), Con-
trol-drag (Windows) or Command-drag
(Mac) the actual note up or down to adjust
its velocity.
Event Edit Area showing MIDI track information
Pitch
Attack Velocity
Release Velocity
You can also change attributes of MIDI
notes in the MIDI Event List (see
Chapter 35, “MIDI Event List”).
Multiple notes in the Event Edit area
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 679
Values entered in the pitch and velocity fields
add to or subtract from the values for all selected
notes. For example, to transpose all selected
notes down an octave, enter a value of –12 for
pitch.
Deleting MIDI Notes
In addition to deleting selected notes with the
Clear command in the Edit menu, individual
notes can also be deleted with the Pencil tool.
To delete a group of MIDI notes with the Clear
command:
1 Using the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
notes to be deleted (see “Selecting MIDI Notes”
on page 670).
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected
notes. The track’s underlying controller
data remains intact.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click any selected
note and choose Clear.
• Press the Backspace (Windows) or Delete
(Mac) key.
To delete a single MIDI note with the Pencil tool:
With the Pencil tool selected, Alt-click (Win-
dows) or Option-click (Mac) the note. The Pen-
cil tool changes to an Eraser when Alt
(Windows) or Option (Mac) is pressed.
Time Compression/Expansion
Trimmer Tool Functionality on
MIDI Regions
The Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer
tool is useful for matching a MIDI region to the
length of another region, a tempo grid, or any
other reference point.
When deleting MIDI notes within a time
range selection, all underlying controller
and automation data is also deleted.
Deleting a note with Pencil tool
Program change events and Sysex events
can also be deleted by Alt-clicking
(Windows) or Option-clicking (Mac) them
with the Pencil tool.
Pro Tools Reference Guide680
With the Time Compression/Expansion Trim-
mer tool, you can move the MIDI region’s start
or end point to expand or compress the region,
scaling the MIDI data accordingly regardless of
the track’s timebase (ticks or samples).
Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trimmer Tool in Grid
Mode
The Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer
tool (TCE Trimmer tool) can be used in Grid
mode to match a region to the tempo of a ses-
sion or a section of a session, or to create “dou-
ble time” or “half time” performances.
To compress or expand MIDI regions in Grid mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 If necessary, set the MIDI or Instrument track
to Regions view.
3 Select the TCE Trimmer tool.
4 With the TCE Trimmer tool, drag the MIDI re-
gion’s start or end point to compress or expand
the region to the Grid (for example, by quarter
notes). A new MIDI region is automatically cre-
ated, and appears both in the playlist and in the
Region List.
Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trimmer Tool in Slip
Mode
To compress or expand MIDI regions in Slip mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Slip.
2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Regions
view.
3 Select the TCE Trimmer tool.
4 With the TCE Trimmer tool, drag the MIDI re-
gion’s start or end point to compress or expand
the region freely A new MIDI region is automat-
ically created, and appears both in the playlist
and in the Region List.
Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trimmer Tool in Spot
Mode
In Spot mode, clicking with the TCE Trimmer
tool in a region opens the Spot dialog. You can
specify the location where you want the region
to start or end, or the duration of the region, and
the region is automatically compressed or ex-
panded as specified.
To compress or expand MIDI regions in Spot mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Spot.
2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Regions
view.
3 Select the TCE Trimmer tool.
4 Click the MIDI region near its start or end
point. The Spot dialog opens. Using any Time
Scale, enter a new start or end time (or duration)
for the region, and then click OK. A new MIDI
region is automatically created, and appears
both in the playlist and in the Region List.
Before trimming a MIDI region with the Time
Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool
After trimming a MIDI region with the Time
Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 681
Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trimmer Tool in Shuffle
Mode
In Shuffle mode, the trimmed region will always
begin at the original region’s start point regard-
less of whether you trim from the front to the
rear or from the rear to the front.
To compress or expand MIDI regions in Shuffle
mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Shuffle.
2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Regions
view.
3 Select TCE Trimmer tool.
4 With the Time Compression/Expansion Trim-
mer tool, drag the MIDI region’s start or end
point to compress or expand the region freely. A
new MIDI region is automatically created, and
appears both in the playlist and in the Region
List.
Continuous Controller Events
Continuous controller events for MIDI and In-
strument tracks are displayed in the form of a
line graph with a series of editable breakpoints.
Controller events for MIDI and Instrument
tracks differ from automation data for audio
tracks in that the breakpoints are stepped (in-
stead of vector-based), where each breakpoint
represents a single controller event.
To show MIDI Controller data for a track, do one of
the following:
Select the corresponding Track View from the
Track View menu.
– or –
Reveal the corresponding MIDI Controller
lane under the track.
Continuous controller events that can be in-
serted and edited in Pro Tools include:
•volume
•pan
•pitch bend
• aftertouch (mono)
• MIDI controllers, 0–127
Instrument track displaying MIDI Volume events in MIDI
Volume view
Instrument track displaying MIDI Volume lane
Polyphonic aftertouch cannot be viewed in
the Edit window. To view polyphonic after-
touch in Pro Tools, use the MIDI Event List
(see Chapter 35, “MIDI Event List”).
Reveal Controller lanes
Controller Type selector
Pro Tools Reference Guide682
MIDI controller #7 (volume) and #10 (pan) are
treated by Pro Tools as automation data. This
means that these controller events (along with
Mutes) can be recorded and automated from the
Mix window; in addition, each MIDI or Instru-
ment track’s automation mode affects how
these events are played back and recorded.
While a MIDI track’s volume, pan, and mute
events can be suspended, all other controller
events in the track always play. Instrument
tracks support both MIDI volume, pan, and
mute, and audio volume, pan, and mute.
To avoid overwriting existing MIDI volume and
pan automation data, record in MIDI Merge
mode. When recording in MIDI Merge mode,
existing volume and pan data play back while
recording new MIDI data.
Continuous controller events (including vol-
ume and pan) can be recorded from an external
MIDI controller (such as a keyboard or control
surface), and they can be inserted in a MIDI
track’s playlist using the Pencil tool or any Grab-
ber tool.
Inserting and Editing Controller
Events
Continuous controller events can be edited with
any of the following methods:
Individual breakpoints can be dragged with
any Grabber tool to adjust their location or
value.
A group of selected breakpoints can be scaled
up or down with any of the Trimmer tools.
New controller events can be drawn in with
the Pencil tool to replace existing events. Events
can be drawn with the Pencil tool (set to Free
Hand, Line, Triangle, Square, or Random).
Controller events can be cut or copied and
pasted, as well as nudged or shifted.
Setting Resolution for Inserted
Controller Events
When inserting controller events with the Pen-
cil tool, the density of the events is determined
by the Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Con-
troller Data setting in the MIDI Preferences page.
To set the Pencil tool resolution:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, then click the
MIDI tab.
2 Type a value (1 to 100 milliseconds) for Pencil
Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data.
3 Click OK.
To copy continuous MIDI controller events
and paste to a different MIDI controller, use
Special Paste (Edit > Paste Special > To Cur-
rent Automation Type). For example, you
might want to use the same control data for
volume and a cut-off filter, or for pan and
pitch bend. For more information, see “Spe-
cial Paste Function for Automation Data”
on page 1038.
Edits to volume data affect all tracks within
an enabled Edit Group. This is not the case,
however, for other controller playlists (such
as pan). To insert and edit other controller
types across all tracks in an Edit Group,
press the Start key (Windows) or Control
(Mac) while performing the edits.
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 683
To edit a continuous controller event with the
Pencil tool, the controller first has to be added
to the Automated MIDI Controllers list.
To manually enable a continuous controller for
automation:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Track View selector for the MIDI
or Instrument track you want to edit, and
select Add/Remove Controller from the
controllers submenu.
– or –
• If Controller lanes are revealed under the
MIDI or Instrument track you want to edit,
click the Controller Type selector for the
Controller lane under the track and select
Add/Remove Controller from the control-
lers submenu.
2 In the Automated MIDI Controllers dialog, se-
lect the MIDI Controllers range for the control-
ler you want to automate.
3 Select the controller that you want to auto-
mate from the list on the left, and click Add. The
selected controller is added to the Automated
MIDI Controllers list on the right.
The controller is automatically added to the
Automated MIDI Controllers list when you
record controller information from an exter-
nal device.
Selecting Add/Remove Controllers from the Track View
selector
Selecting Add/Remove Controllers from the Controller
Type selector on a Controller lane
Selecting the MIDI Controllers range
Pro Tools Reference Guide684
4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary until you
have added all of the MIDI controllers you want
for automation.
5 To remove a controller from the Automated
MIDI Controllers list, select it in the list on the
Right and click Remove.
6 Click OK to close the Automated MIDI Con-
troller dialog.
Patch Select (Program and
Bank Changes)
Each MIDI and Instrument track can have a de-
fault program change that is sent each time the
track plays. Additional program changes can be
inserted at any point within the track.
About Program and Bank Changes
The MIDI protocol lets you choose from a range
of 128 programs (0–127). However, most MIDI
instruments have several banks of 128 pro-
grams. To specify a bank, a bank select message
must be sent. Some instruments use Controller 0
to switch the bank while others use Controller
32; some use a combination of the two. The
Patch Select dialog in Pro Tools lets you use ei-
ther of these bank select messages when insert-
ing a program change event. Check the manu-
facturer’s documentation for your MIDI device
to see which Controller value it uses.
Automated MIDI Controllers dialog
When you record continuous controller in-
formation from an external MIDI device,
the controller is automatically added to the
MIDI Controllers list.
Program changes are sent to external MIDI
devices. Instrument plug-ins in Pro Tools do
not respond to program change informa-
tion.
If you do not know what bank select com-
mand your instrument uses, you can record
MIDI to Pro Tools while making a bank
change from the instrument. Then review
the bank select information your instrument
has recorded into Pro Tools in the MIDI
Event List.
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 685
Default Program Change
The default program change for each MIDI track
is specified by clicking on the Patch Select but-
ton, from either the Mix or Edit window. Once
specified, the default program change message is
sent to your instrument when playing the track.
To set the default program change for a MIDI or
Instrument track:
1 From the Mix or Edit window, click the Patch
Select button.
2 Do one of the following:
• In the Patch Select dialog, select a program
number.
– or –
• If you are using patch name files, select a
patch name (see “MIDI Patch Names” on
page 686).
3 Click Done.
Once selected, the program number (or patch
name) appears in the Patch Select button in the
Edit window.
Unlike recorded and inserted program change
events, the default program change does not ap-
pear in the track’s playlist.
To clear the default program change, select None
in the Patch Select dialog.
Some older MIDI devices (such as the Kurz-
weil K1000) use a program change instead
of a Bank Select message to switch banks.
For these devices you may find it necessary
to send two program change messages to ac-
cess a particular program, where the first
sets the bank and the second sets the pro-
gram.
Patch Select buttons
Patch Select dialog
Patch Select button, Edit window
Pro Tools Reference Guide686
MIDI Patch Names
Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup
Language) for storing and importing patch
names for external MIDI devices (such as MIDI
instruments). Pro Tools installs MIDI patch
name files (.midnam) for the factory default
patch names of many common MIDI devices.
Patch name files are sorted by manufacturer and
are located:
• On Windows, in Program Files\Common
Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\
Digidesign
• On Mac, in /Library/Audio/ MIDI Patch
Names/Digidesign
On Mac, these files reside in /Library/Audio/
MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign.
On Windows, these files reside in Program Files\
Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\
Digidesign.
To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.
2 Do one of the following depending on your
computer platform:
• On Mac, verify the MIDI Device name in
the MIDI Studio window (see “MIDI Studio
Setup (Mac)” on page 149).
– or –
• On Windows, verify the MIDI Device name
in the MIDI Studio Setup window (see
“MIDI Studio Setup (Windows)” on
page 152).
3 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is
correctly assigned to the MIDI device.
4 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Se-
lect button.
MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be
edited in any text editor, or you can use
third-party patch librarian and editor soft-
ware to create your own custom patch
names.
For information on configuring MIDI on
Windows and Mac systems, see
Chapter 10, “Configuring MIDI.”
Patch Select button, Edit window
Patch Select button, Mix window
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 687
5 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.
6 In the Open dialog, do one of the following
depending on your computer platform:
• On Mac, navigate to /Library/Audio/MIDI
Patch Names/Digidesign/<name of manu-
facturer>, and select the MIDI Patch Name
file (.midnam) for the MIDI device.
– or –
• On Windows, navigate to Program
Files\Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI
Patch Names\Digidesign\<name of manu-
facturer>, and select the MIDI Patch Name
file (.midnam) for the MIDI device.
7 Select the MIDI Patch Name file (.midnam) for
the MIDI device.
8 Click Open. The Patch Select dialog is popu-
lated by patch names from the selected file.
9 For MIDI devices that have multiple banks of
patches, select which bank of patches you want
from the Bank pop-up menu.
Once patch names have been imported into
Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de-
vice in all sessions.
To clear patch names:
1 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear but-
ton.
2 Click Done.
Patch Select dialog
Change button
Patch Select dialog with patch names
Choosing a bank in Patch Select dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide688
Inserting and Editing Program
Changes
Program changes can be inserted into a track’s
playlist with the Pencil tool. Existing program
changes can be edited, moved, and copied and
pasted.
To insert a program change with the Pencil tool:
1 Do one of the following:
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Pro-
gram Change view.
– or –
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or
Instrument track and show Program
Change.
2 If you want the inserted event to snap to a
Grid value, enable Grid mode.
3 Click with the Pencil tool in the track’s playlist
at the point where you want to insert the pro-
gram change.
4 In the Patch Select dialog, select a program
number (or patch name) and, if necessary, spec-
ify a bank change value.
5 Click Done to insert the program change event
in the track’s playlist.
To edit a program change event:
1 With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, dou-
ble-click the program change event you want to
edit.
2 In the Patch Select dialog, select the new pro-
gram number, or name and specify a bank
change value (if necessary).
3 Click Done.
To move a program change event:
With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, drag
the program change event left or right.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens.
To delete a program change event:
1 With the Track View or Controller lane set to
Program Change view, click the program change
event with any Grabber tool to select it.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected
events from the track.
– or –
• Press the Backspace (Windows) or Delete
(Mac).
On some instruments, changing programs
during playback can interrupt playback. To
avoid this, place program change events in
the track where there are no notes sounding.
Program change event
The placement of program changes can also
be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Com-
mand” on page 822) or Nudge (see “Nudg-
ing Regions” on page 590).
If the region contains other events you want
to delete, you can delete the region and the
Program Change event will also be deleted.
Individual program change events can also
be deleted by Alt-clicking (Windows) or
Option-clicking (Mac) them with the Pencil
tool.
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 689
Auditioning Programs
When the Patch Select dialog is open, Pro Tools
can automatically scroll through the different
patches for a track’s assigned MIDI device.
To audition patches:
1 If you want to audition patches for a MIDI
track or Instrument during playback, click Play
in the Transport.
2 Open the Patch Select dialog by clicking the
Patch Select button, or by inserting or editing a
program change event in a MIDI or Instrument
track.
3 Click a program number (or patch name)—the
starting point from which you will scroll
through the patches.
4 Type a value for the number of seconds that
will elapse between each program change.
5 Select the Increment Patch option.
After the specified number of seconds, Pro Tools
selects the next patch and transmits the pro-
gram change to the track’s assigned MIDI out-
put.
6 When you are finished auditioning settings,
deselect the Increment Patch option and select
the program number (or patch name) you want
and click Done.
System Exclusive Events
System Exclusive (Sysex) events can be recorded
to MIDI or Instrument tracks in Pro Tools (see
“MIDI Step Input” on page 484). Once the
events are recorded, they appear in the track’s
playlist as blocks when the Track View is set to
Sysex or a Controller lane set to Sysex is shown.
While the contents of recorded System Exclu-
sive events cannot be directly edited in
Pro Tools, the events can be moved or nudged,
copied and pasted, or deleted.
To record a Sysex event:
1 Create a new MIDI track.
2 Set the MIDI track Input to the MIDI port to
which your MIDI device is connected.
3 Configure your MIDI device to send Sysex
(such as a bulk dump).
4 Start recording in the Transport.
5 Start the Sysex transfer from your MIDI de-
vice.
6 When the Sysex transfer from your MIDI de-
vice is complete, click Stop in the Transport.
Sysex event block, Sysex view shown
To begin recording the Sysex transfer from
your MIDI device at the Timeline insertion
point, enable Wait For Note.
Pro Tools Reference Guide690
To move a Sysex event:
1 Do one of the following:
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Sysex
view.
– or –
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or
Instrument track and show Sysex.
2 With any Grabber tool, drag the Sysex event
left or right.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens.
To delete one or more Sysex events:
1 Do one of the following:
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Sysex
view.
– or –
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or
Instrument track and show Sysex.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected
events from the track.
– or –
• Press the Backspace (Windows) or Delete
(Mac).
Note and Controller Chasing
Note Chasing
Note Chasing allows long, sustained MIDI notes
to be heard when playing from a point after
their start time. For example, if a note’s start
time is at 1|1|000 and lasts for 8 measures (until
9|1|000), note chasing lets you begin playing
from bar 5 and still hear the note that started at
1|1|000 as it continues to sustain until 9|1|000.
Note Chasing is an option that can turned on and
off individually for each MIDI or Instrument
track. By default, new MIDI and Instrument
tracks have Note Chasing enabled.
To enable Note Chasing for a MIDI track:
Click the track’s Playlist selector and select the
Note Chasing option.
Make sure to disable Note Chasing when working
with samplers that are playing loops. If a MIDI
track, for example, is triggering a 4-bar drum
loop and you begin playing at bar 3, the loop
will begin playing at the wrong time and be out
of synchronization with the other tracks.
The placement of Sysex event blocks can
also be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Com-
mand” on page 822) or Nudge (see “Nudg-
ing Regions” on page 590).
Individual Sysex event blocks can also
be deleted by Alt-clicking (Windows) or
Option-clicking (Mac) them with the
Pencil tool.
Note Chasing enabled in Playlist selector
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 691
Controller and Program Chasing
Pro Tools always chases continuous controller
events and program changes for MIDI tracks.
This ensures that controller values and patches
for MIDI devices are always set correctly.
For example, suppose a MIDI track lasting 32
measures starts with a MIDI volume of 127 and
in the last bar fades down to 0. If after playing
the track in its entirety you attempt to play from
bar 8, the initial MIDI volume of 127 is chased
and sent to the track’s assigned device—other-
wise the track would not be heard since the most
recent volume event sent would have been 0.
Chasing also occurs for a MIDI track’s default
program change, along with any program
change events residing within the track. There-
fore, if you have chosen a default program
change for a track, when playing from any point
within the track, the program change event is
sent to the track’s assigned device.
Default Controller Values and
Chasing
Though new MIDI tracks appear to have default
values for continuous controller playlists, this is
actually not the case. For example, when view-
ing a MIDI track’s Mod Wheel playlist, you’ll see
that the breakpoint line is set to a default of
zero. However, since the modulation wheel on
your MIDI controller may be purposely set to a
different value, the default value in the track is
not transmitted when playing.
For example, if you record Mod Wheel automa-
tion that changes from 0–90 towards the end of
the track, and you then play from the beginning
of the track, or from anywhere before the
change, having the Mod Wheel value remains at
90 until the 0 value is reached is not likely to be
what you want.
To ensure that the default controller value for a
playlist is sent (and chased), click the initial
breakpoint at the beginning of the track, move
it slightly, and set it back to the default value.
Offsetting MIDI Tracks
Pro Tools can offset MIDI tracks globally or indi-
vidually.
Global MIDI Playback Offset
Pro Tools provides a preference for MIDI offset
that lets MIDI and Instrument tracks play back
earlier or later (than audio tracks) by the speci-
fied number of samples. The offset affects play-
back only and does not alter in any way how
MIDI data is displayed in the Edit window.
This capability is provided in large part to com-
pensate for the audio monitoring latency in
host-based Pro Tools. If you are monitoring the
output of external MIDI instruments with an ex-
ternal mixer or sound system (or headphones),
there is no latency. If, however, you are moni-
toring the output of your MIDI devices through
a Pro Tools interface (such as 003 family de-
vices), your MIDI tracks sound slightly later
than your audio tracks. The larger the setting for
the H/W Buffer Size (128, 256, 512, or 1024 sam-
ples), the larger the latency.
When Delay Compensation is active, MIDI
and Instrument tracks are automatically de-
lay-compensated to provide low latency
monitoring. For more information, see “De-
lay Compensation for MIDI” on page 963.
Pro Tools Reference Guide692
By configuring the Global MIDI Playback Offset
setting, you can align your MIDI tracks to play
back slightly earlier (by a specified number of
samples), thereby compensating for any latency
when monitoring audio in Pro Tools host-based
systems.
To configure the Global MIDI Playback Offset:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the MIDI
tab.
2 Enter the number of samples (–10,000 to
10,000) for the Global MIDI Playback Offset set-
ting. A negative value causes the MIDI tracks to
play back earlier than the audio tracks; a positive
value causes the MIDI tracks to play back later.
To allow for monitoring latency in Pro Tools
host-based systems, set the offset to a value that
is roughly equivalent to the H/W Buffer Size.
3 Click OK.
Individual MIDI and Instrument Track
Offsets
You can offset individual MIDI and Instrument
track offsets in Pro Tools to compensate for de-
lays in MIDI devices (the time it takes to trigger
events on a sampler or synth).
For example, if you have some kick drums that
are being played by an audio track in Pro Tools
and want them to be exactly synchronized with
kick drums that are being played by a MIDI de-
vice, you may need to use a MIDI offset. In this
example, it will usually take at least 5 ms to trig-
ger the MIDI notes, and it could take even lon-
ger, depending on the MIDI device.
You can measure the latency for a MIDI device
assigned to a MIDI track by recording its audio
output back into Pro Tools. Compare the sample
locations for the recorded audio events against
the original MIDI notes to calculate the latency.
To configure a MIDI or Instrument track offset for
a track:
1 Choose Event > MIDI Track Offsets.
2 Click in the Sample Offset column for the
MIDI or Instrument track and enter the number
of samples (–10,000 to 10,000) for the offset. A
negative value causes the MIDI or Instrument
tracks to play back earlier than the audio tracks;
a positive value causes the MIDI or Instrument
tracks to play back later.
The Global MIDI Playback Offset can also
be set from the MIDI Track Offsets window.
You can also apply MIDI Real-Time Proper-
ties delay to offset MIDI (see “MIDI Real-
Time Properties” on page 693).
Measuring MIDI latency
MIDI Track Offsets window
MIDI Note On
Audio Transient recorded
from MIDI device
Approximate offset
in samples
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 693
The equivalent offset in milliseconds is dis-
played in the msec Offset column. This value
cannot be edited, but updates when a new value
is entered in the Sample Offset column.
3 Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) to ac-
cept the entered offset value.
To reset all offsets for all MIDI and Instrument
tracks, click the Reset button in the upper left of
the window.
Stuck Notes
If you encounter stuck notes with any of your
MIDI devices, you can silence them with the All
MIDI Notes Off command.
To turn off all stuck notes:
Choose Event > All MIDI Notes Off.
Remove Duplicate Notes
The Remove Duplicate Notes command is used to
remove duplicate MIDI notes. If a note starts
within the first 25% of the duration of a note of
the same pitch which is already sounding (or
within an eighth-note, whichever is shorter), it
is considered a duplicate and is combined with
the previous note. If it starts later than that, the
first note is shortened so that it ends at the same
tick at which the new one starts.
To remove duplicate notes:
1 Make an Edit selection including the duplicate
notes you want to remove.
2 Choose Event > Remove Duplicate Notes.
MIDI Real-Time Properties
MIDI Real-Time Properties let you change some
MIDI properties of MIDI and Instrument tracks
(or MIDI regions) during playback. There are
five types of MIDI Real-Time Properties: Quan-
tize, Duration, Delay, Velocity, and Transpose.
MIDI Real-Time Properties can be adjusted dur-
ing playback, so you can listen to the results.
Once you have found the settings you want, you
can write the settings to the selected tracks or re-
gions. This overwrites the corresponding MIDI
properties on selected tracks or regions and re-
sets the Real-Time Properties display to its de-
fault settings.
Real-Time Properties can be adjusted in the Real-
Time Properties view in the Edit window, or in
the Real-Time Properties window.
Press Control+Shift+Period (.) (Windows)
or Command+Shift+Period (.) (Mac) for the
All MIDI Notes Off command.
For MIDI Real-Time Properties to apply to
incoming MIDI data with MIDI Thru
enabled, the corresponding MIDI and
Instrument tracks must be record-enabled.
Pro Tools Reference Guide694
Real-Time Properties View
Real-Time Properties view in the Edit window
only applies to tracks. To apply Real-Time Prop-
erties to regions, use the Real-Time Properties
window (see “Real-Time Properties Window” on
page 694).
To enable Real-Time Properties view in the Edit
window:
Select View > Edit Window > Real-Time Proper-
ties.
For Micro, Mini, and Small track heights, the
Real-Time Properties column only displays one
or two properties, accordingly. The first one or
two properties that are enabled are displayed au-
tomatically.
To select a different Real-Time Property in Mini or
Small track height view:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) on a real-time property element to select a
different element from the pop-up menu.
Real-Time Properties Window
Using the Real-Time Properties window, you can
apply Real-Time Properties to selected tracks or
regions.
To open the Real-Time Properties window:
Choose Event > MIDI Real-Time Properties.
The Real-Time Properties window can be used to
apply either track-based or region-based Real-
Time Properties by making an Edit selection and
selecting tracks or regions from the Apply To
pop-up menu.
Real-Time Properties column in the Edit window
Real-Time Properties pop-up menu with Mini Track
Height
Real-Time Properties window with properties enabled
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 695
Expanded Real-Time Properties Window
In the Real-Time Properties window, Quantize,
Duration, and Velocity each provide an ex-
pand/collapse triangle to show or hide addi-
tional settings.
Enabling Real-Time Properties
To enable Real-Time Properties:
1 Select a track, or make an Edit selection.
2 In Real-Time Properties view in the Edit win-
dow, or in the Real-Time Properties window, se-
lect Real-Time Properties by clicking the
property name (Quantize, Duration, Delay, Ve-
locity, or Transpose). Enabled Real-Time Proper-
ties are highlighted and display their settings.
3 If you are using the Real-Time Properties win-
dow and Link Track and Edit Selection mode is
enabled, select the track or region to affect from
the Apply To pop-up menu.
4 Configure the Real-Time Properties settings
(see “Real-Time Properties Settings” on
page 695).
Enabled Real-Time Properties are heard on play-
back and play through for the selected tracks
and regions.
Real-Time Properties Settings
Quantize
Quantize either can be based on a grid or a
groove template. For grid quantize, additional
tuplet and grid offset settings are available in ad-
dition to the standard MIDI quantize properties.
For groove quantize, additional controls are pro-
vided to set the extent to which the groove’s du-
ration and velocities are applied. Both grid and
groove quantize also let you set a strength
amount, an “include” range, and a randomize
amount.
Real-Time Properties window, expanded view
When using Real-Time Properties, enable
Link Track and Edit Selection mode to make
a track selection from an Edit selection (see
“Linking or Unlinking Track and Edit Selec-
tions” on page 562).
Expand/collapse
triangles
Quantize cannot be applied as a Real-Time
Property to MIDI Input and Thru.
Pro Tools Reference Guide696
Quantize Pop-Up Menu Select the quantize value,
including all standard note rhythm values be-
tween whole notes and 64th notes, including
dotted and triplet options. This pop-up menu
also provides access to all standard and custom
groove templates.
Swing Value Enter the amount of swing as a per-
centage between 0 and 300%.
Tuplet Value Enable Tuplet and enter the ratio for
the tuplet (1–99), such as 3 to 2 or 5 to 4. Tuplet
is only available in the expanded Real-Time
Properties window.
Offset Value Enable Offset and enter the offset
value in Ticks between –2000 and 2000. Offset is
only available in the expanded Real-Time Prop-
erties window.
Strength Value Enable Strength and enter the
amount as a percentage between 0 and 100%.
Strength is only available in the expanded Real-
Time Properties window.
Include Enable Include and enter the range be-
tween 0 and 100%. Include is only available in
the expanded Real-Time Properties window.
Random Enable Random and enter a percentage
between 0 and 100%. Random is only available
in the expanded Real-Time Properties window.
Duration
Duration can be used to increase or decrease the
duration of MIDI notes by a fixed amount or by
a percentage. This is useful for creating legato or
staccato passages.
Duration Mode Pop-Up Menu
Select one of the following options from the Du-
ration Mode pop-up menu: Set, Add, Subtract,
Scale, Legato/Gap, or Legato/Overlap.
Set Select to set notes to the specified duration.
Add Select to add the specified duration to the
current duration of each note.
Subtract Select to subtract the specified duration
from the current duration of each note.
Scale Select to scale the current duration of each
note by a percentage from 1 to 400%.
Legato/Gap Select to extend each note to the
following note. The specified duration is the
subtracted to create a consistent gap between
notes.
Legato/Overlap Select to extend each note to the
following note. The specified duration is then
added to create a consistent amount of overlap.
Selecting a Grid Quantize value or a Groove Template
Duration cannot be applied as a Real-Time
Property to MIDI Input and Thru.
Selecting a Duration mode
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 697
Duration Amount
If the Ticks/Notes pop-up menu is set to ticks,
enter a duration as a number of quarter-notes
plus a number of ticks, such as 4|000. If the
Ticks/Notes pop-up menu is set to a note size,
enter a number to by which to multiply that
note size, such as 7 16th-notes.
Ticks/Notes Pop-Up Menu
The Ticks/Notes pop-up menu lets you select ei-
ther Ticks or a note size for Note Durations.
There is also a Ticks/Notes pop-up menu for the
Minimum and Maximum Durations options.
Minimum and Maximum Durations
Enable either or both minimum and maximum
durations and enter a value in quarter notes plus
ticks or as a multiple of a note size. The Mini-
mum (Min) and Maximum (Max) Durations op-
tions are only available in the expanded Real-
Time Properties window.
Delay
Delay lets you delay or advance all MIDI data in
the selected region or track. Select “+” from the
Delay pop-up menu to delay MIDI data, or select
“–” to advance MIDI data. Select Ticks or Milli-
seconds (MS) from the Ticks/Milliseconds pop-
up menu. Enter the Delay amount in Tick or
Millisecond values. Delay is limited to a maxi-
mum of value of 2000 ms or 999 ticks.
Velocity
Velocity lets you change MIDI velocity by a per-
centage or by constant value. Enter a percentage
value in the Dynamics field to scale velocity
around the median velocity of 64. You can also
enter an offset by adding (+) or subtracting (–)
values between 1 and 127. You can also enter
Minimum and Maximum Velocity value limits.
The Minimum (Min) and Maximum (Max) Veloc-
ity options are only available in the expanded
Real-Time Properties window.
Real-Time Properties Ticks/Notes pop-up menus
Real-Time Properties Ticks/Milliseconds pop-up menus
Duration cannot be applied as a Real-Time
Property to MIDI Input and Thru.
Velocity can be applied as a Real-Time
Property to MIDI Input and Thru on record-
enabled MIDI and Instrument tracks.
Pro Tools Reference Guide698
Transpose
Transpose lets you transpose MIDI notes up or
down by a specified number of octaves and
semitones, or in key by scale steps (based on the
Key Signature ruler). You can also transpose to a
specified pitch. Select By, To, or In from the
Transpose pop-up menu to transpose by an in-
terval, to a specific pitch, or in key by scale steps.
To transpose by an interval, enter the number of
octaves and semitones as a positive or negative
numbers.
To transpose to a specific pitch, enter the MIDI
note name.
To transpose in key by scale steps, enter the
number of steps as a positive or negative num-
bers. For example, enter +2 to transpose up by
thirds in key (a unison plus a second equals a
third).
Real-Time Properties on
Tracks and Regions
Real-Time Properties can be configured to apply
to an entire track (all regions on that track), or
on a region-by-region basis. Track-level proper-
ties also provide real-time MIDI input process-
ing of velocity and transposition.
The presence of track-based Real-Time Proper-
ties are indicated by a “T” displayed in the upper
right-hand corner of MIDI regions. Region-
based Real-Time Properties are indicated by an
“R” displayed in the upper right-hand corner of
the region. Regions boundaries including the
“T” and the “R” displays are indicated in Notes
view and in MIDI Editor windows, but not in
the Score Editor window.
Region-Based Real-Time Properties
Region-based Real-Time Properties can only be
applied using the Real-Time Properties window
(Event > MIDI Real-Time Properties). Real-Time
Properties can be applied to multiple regions.
Once Real-Time Properties have been assigned
to a region, the region can be moved or copied
and pasted and retain its Real-Time Properties.
Track-Based Real-Time Properties
All track-based Real-Time Properties consis-
tently apply to MIDI data throughout the entire
track. However, regions with region-based Real-
Time Properties will take precedence over any
track-based Real-Time Properties. You can clear
region-based Real-Time Properties by selecting
the region and clicking the Clear Region Proper-
ties button in the Real-Time Properties window
(see “Writing Real-Time Properties to Tracks or
Regions” on page 699).
For greater flexibility, when Real-Time Proper-
ties are assigned on a track basis they are actu-
ally contained in a track playlist. This lets you
create multiple playlists containing different
Real-Time Property settings.
Transpose can be applied as a Real-Time
Property to MIDI Input and Thru on record-
enabled MIDI and Instrument tracks.
Track-based and region-based Real-Time Property
indicators
Indicates
track-based
Real-Time Properties
Indicates
region-based
Real-Time Properties
Chapter 32: MIDI Editing 699
Writing Real-Time Properties
to Tracks or Regions
Once you have found the settings you want, you
can write Real-Time Properties to the selected
tracks or regions using the Real-Time Properties
window. Real-Time Properties are applied to the
current MIDI data on the track or in a region.
To write Real-Time Properties to tracks:
1 Enable Link Track and Edit Selection.
2 Select one or more tracks to which you want
to apply Real-Time Properties.
3 Open the Real-Time Properties window (Event
> MIDI Real-Time Properties).
4 Select Tracks from the Real-Time Properties Ap-
ply To pop-up menu.
5 Configure the Real-Time Property settings.
6 Do one of the following:
• Click the Write to Track button in the Real-
Time Properties window.
– or –
• Choose Track > Write MIDI Real-Time Proper-
ties.
To write Real-Time Properties to regions:
1 Select one or more regions to which you want
to apply Real-Time Properties.
2 Open the Real-Time Properties window (Event
> MIDI Real-Time Properties).
3 If Link Track and Edit Selection is enabled, se-
lect Regions from the Real-Time Properties Apply
To pop-up menu.
4 Configure the Real-Time Property settings.
5 Click the Write to Region button.
To clear Real-Time Properties from a region:
1 Select the region for which you want to clear
Real-Time Properties.
2 Open the Real-Time Properties window (Event
> MIDI Real-Time Properties).
3 Select Regions from the Real-Time Properties Ap-
ply To pop-up menu.
4 Click the Clear Region Properties button.
Real-Time Properties In the
MIDI Event List
In the MIDI Event List, the presence of track-
based Real-Time Properties are indicated by a
“T” displayed to the right of each event. Region-
based Real-Time Properties are indicated by an
“R.”
For more information on the MIDI Event
List, see Chapter 35, “MIDI Event List.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide700
Display of Real-Time
Properties Effects
The Display Events as Modified by the Real-Time
Properties option determines if Pro Tools dis-
plays the effects of Real-Time Properties in both
the Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, the
Score Editor window, and the MIDI Event List.
The Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, the
Score Editor window, and the MIDI Event List
all display the effects of Real-Time Properties
when the Display Events as Modified by Real-Time
Properties option is enabled. With this option
disabled, the effects of Real-Time Properties are
heard but not seen—you see the notes and other
MIDI events at their original locations, pitches,
durations, and velocities, but you hear them as
they are affected by the Real-Time Properties set-
tings.
To enable or disable the Display Events as
Modified by Real-Time Properties option:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the MIDI
tab.
2 Enable or disable the Display Events as Modified
by Real-Time Properties option.
3 Click OK.
Real-Time Properties Effects Displayed in the
MIDI Event List
The MIDI Event List takes into account the ef-
fect of Real-Time Properties whenever the Dis-
play Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties op-
tion is enabled. When editing or inserting an
event in a track or region with active Real-Time
Properties, Pro Tools takes the properties into
account and edits or inserts the event in a differ-
ent place if necessary to match the effect of the
Real-Time Properties.
Real-Time Properties Effects Displayed in the
Edit Window
MIDI events appear where they sound in the
Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, and the
Score Editor window, with the Display Events as
Modified by Real-Time Properties option enabled
in the MIDI preferences. However, MIDI events
are not actually written to their modified loca-
tions until you write the Real-Time Properties to
the track or region.
When moving MIDI events, the actual locations
(pitch or time) move by the amount the events
are dragged, but the effect of Real-Time Proper-
ties is displayed.
When inserting an event in a track or region
with active properties, Pro Tools takes the prop-
erties into account and edits or inserts the event
in a different place if necessary to match the ef-
fect of the Real-Time Properties.
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 701
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors
Pro Tools provides MIDI Editor windows for detailed MIDI editing.
MIDI Editor window
Solo
Zoom controls
Cursor location Target
Notation View
Mute
Link Timeline and Edit SelectionEdit Tools
Notation View
MIDI Editor menu
Default Note Duration
Play MIDI Notes While Editing
Default Note Velocity
Velocity, Controller and Superimposed MIDI
and Instrument tracks
Track List
Groups List
Key Focus
Automation lanes
Edit modes
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Grid
selector Nudge
selector
Track Edit selector
Pro Tools Reference Guide702
Superimposed MIDI and Instrument Tracks
MIDI Editor windows display and let you edit
MIDI data (notes, velocities, and continuous
controller data) for one or more MIDI or Instru-
ment tracks. When displaying multiple tracks in
a MIDI Editor window, MIDI notes from differ-
ent tracks are superimposed. MIDI Editor win-
dows can also show Auxiliary Input tracks.
Automation and Controller Lanes
Velocity, other continuous controller data
(MIDI and Instrument tracks), and automation
data (Instrument and Auxiliary Input tracks
only), can be edited along with MIDI notes and
appear in Controller lanes under the Notes pane.
Velocities for MIDI notes on multiple tracks are
also superimposed in the Velocity lane. How-
ever, for all other automation and controller
data, additional lanes are shown for each auto-
mation or controller type for each track.
For example, if two Instrument tracks are shown
in a MIDI Editor window, the MIDI notes for
each track are superimposed in the Notes pane
and the velocities for each track are superim-
posed in the Velocity lane. However, you would
see two Mod Wheel Controller lanes, one for
each track; and you would see two Volume
lanes, one for each track.
Opening a MIDI Editor Window
To open a MIDI Editor window, do one of the
following:
Choose Window > MIDI Editor.
In the Edit window, Right-click a MIDI region
on the track, or the track name in the track con-
trols or in the Track List, and choose Open In MIDI
Editor.
In the Score Editor window, Right-click any-
where on the score, or on a track name in the
Track List, and choose Open In MIDI Editor.
To open additional MIDI Editor windows, do one of
the following:
Deselect the Target button in the open MIDI
Editor window and open another MIDI Editor
window.
– or –
Right-click in the open MIDI Editor window
and select Open in New MIDI Editor.
To bring an open MIDI Editor window to the front:
Choose Window > MIDI Editor and select the
MIDI Editor window you want.
Press Start+“=” (Windows) or Control+“=”
(Mac) to open a MIDI Editor window.
If the MIDI Editor option is selected as the
“Double Clicking a MIDI Region Opens”
setting in the Pro Tools MIDI Preferences,
you can double-click a MIDI region to open
it in a MIDI Editor.
To cycle through all open MIDI Editor win-
dows, press Start+“=” (Windows) or
Control+“=” (Mac) repeatedly until the
window you want is in the front.
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 703
MIDI Editor Window Toolbar
The MIDI Editor window toolbar is similar to
the Edit window toolbar, but with a few excep-
tions. Each MIDI Editor window and the Edit
window can be configured independently of
one another. For example, you can have Nota-
tion view enabled in one MIDI Editor window,
but not another; or you can have a MIDI Editor
window set to Grid mode, but the Edit window
set to Slip mode. You can also customize the
toolbar in MIDI Editor windows.
Solo and Mute Buttons
In a MIDI editor window, the Solo and Mute
buttons affect tracks in all windows. They let
you either audition the tracks shown in the cur-
rent MIDI Editor window without the rest of the
mix, or let you hear just the mix without the
tracks shown in the MIDI Editor window.
Solo
The Solo button lets you solo all the tracks cur-
rently displayed in the MIDI Editor window.
Mute
The Mute button lets you mute all the tracks
currently displayed in the MIDI Editor window.
Mixed Mute and Solo States
The Solo and Mute buttons are global controls
in that they affect all tracks shown in a MIDI Ed-
itor window. If you independently solo or mute
tracks in the Edit window that are also shown in
a MIDI Editor window, the appearance of the
Solo and Mute buttons updates to indicate
mixed states. Mixed solo and mute states occur
when one or more tracks shown in the MIDI Ed-
itor window, but not all, are soloed or muted.
Notation View
The Notation view button lets you view MIDI
notes in the MIDI Editor window as music nota-
tion. In Notation view, MIDI and Instrument
tracks are not superimposed, but are shown as
staves just like in the Score Editor window.
Notation view enabled in a MIDI Editor window
You can access the Notation Display Track
Settings in a MIDI Editor window when in
Notation view. Select the Notation Display
Track Settings option from the Track List
menu or Right-click in the Notes pane and
select the Notation Display Track Settings
option from the Right-click menu. For more
information, see “Notation Display Track
Settings” on page 730.
Pro Tools Reference Guide704
Edit Tools
The Edit tools in MIDI Editor windows can be
viewed as a single tool with a pop-up menu for
selecting other tools, or as an expanded, com-
plete row of Edit tool icons just like in the Edit
window. The Edit tools in MIDI Editor windows
function exactly the same way for MIDI data as
in the Edit window. Edit tool settings can be set
independently in each MIDI Editor window,
and are independent of tool selection in the Edit
window and Score Editor.
To view the Expanded Edit tools in a MIDI Editor
window, do one of the following:
Click the MIDI Editor Window Toolbar menu
and select Expanded Edit Tools.
– or –
Right-click in the toolbar and select Expanded
Edit Tools.
To revert to the single Edit Tool icon with the Edit
Tool pop-up menu:
Deselect Expanded Edit Tools.
MIDI Editing Controls
The MIDI Editing controls function exactly the
same way in MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit
window.
Track Edit Selector
If more than one MIDI or Instrument track is
shown in the MIDI Editor window, the Track
Edit selector lets you select which track is “pen-
cil-enabled.” You can manually insert MIDI
notes only in pencil-enabled tracks. You can
also pencil-enable tracks in the Track List (see
“Manually Inserting MIDI Notes” on page 713).
Default Note Duration
The Default Note Duration selector lets you de-
fine the default note duration for manually in-
serted notes.
Default Note On Velocity
The Default Note On Velocity setting lets you
define the default Note On velocity for manu-
ally inserted notes.
Play MIDI Notes When Editing
When enabled, Play MIDI Notes When Editing
causes MIDI notes to sound when you insert
them with the Pencil tool, click them with the
Grabber tool, Tab to them, or select them with
the Note Selector tool.
Link Timeline and Edit Selection
When this button is enabled, the Timeline and
Edit selections are linked. When it is disabled,
you can make Timeline and Edit selections inde-
pendently of one another.
MIDI Editing controls
Link Timeline and
Default Note Duration
Play MIDI Notes While Editing
Default Note Velocity
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Track Edit selector
Edit Selection
Play MIDI Notes When Editing, Link Time-
line and Edit Selection, and Mirrored MIDI
Editing are all global settings that are avail-
able in the Edit window, MIDI Editor
windows, and in the Score Editor window.
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 705
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI re-
gions and have your edits apply to every copy of
the same MIDI region. This can be particularly
useful when editing looped MIDI regions.
Edit Modes
The Edit modes in MIDI Editor windows func-
tion exactly the same way for MIDI data as in
the Edit window. Edit mode settings are unique
to each MIDI Editor window and are also set in-
dependently of the Edit window.
Cursor Location Display
The Cursor Location display in MIDI Editor win-
dows functions exactly the same way in MIDI
Editor windows as in the Edit window.
Edit Selection Display
The Edit Selection display in MIDI Editor win-
dows functions exactly the same way for MIDI
data in MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit win-
dow. The Selection display can be shown or hid-
den in the Toolbar.
To show (or hide) the Edit Selection display in a
MIDI Editor window, do one of the following:
Click the MIDI Editor Window Toolbar menu
and select (or deselect) Selection Display.
– or –
Right-click in the toolbar and select (or dese-
lect) Selection Display.
Grid and Nudge Selectors
When the Expanded Grid/Nudge Display option is
enabled in the MIDI Editor Window menu, the
Grid and Nudge selectors in MIDI Editor win-
dows function exactly the same way for MIDI
data in MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit win-
dow.
When the Expanded Grid/Nudge Display option is
disabled in the MIDI Editor Window menu, you
can toggle between Grid Display and Nudge Dis-
play using the Grid/Nudge Display selector.
Target
Generally, the Target button for MIDI Editor
windows functions just like the Target button
for Plug-In, Output, and Send windows. Addi-
tionally, the Target button in a MIDI Editor win-
dow synchronizes its Timeline location view to
the Timeline location view in the Edit window.
Any changes to the Edit selection in the Edit
window are reflected in the Targeted MIDI Edi-
tor window. There can only be one targeted
MIDI Editor window at a time. The targeted
MIDI Editor window can also be stored in a Win-
dow Configuration.
If Mirrored MIDI Editing mode is disabled,
and you edit notes of looped regions in
Notes view, the edit flattens the loop.
Similarly editing region groups separates
the region groups.
Grid/Nudge Display selector, selecting Nudge display
Pro Tools Reference Guide706
One or more untargeted MIDI Editor windows
can remain open and available at the same time,
just like untargeted Plug-In windows. Targeting
an untargeted MIDI Editor window disables any
other targeted MIDI Editor window.
The front-most window, regardless of whether it
is targeted, always receives Keyboard Command
focus and control surface focus.
To enable or disable the Target for a MIDI Editor
window:
Click the Target button for the MIDI Editor
window so that it is highlighted (targeted) or
unhighlighted (untargeted).
MIDI Editor Window Menu
The MIDI Editor Window menu provides access
to MIDI Editor Window Display options and
Scrolling options.
MIDI Editor Window Display
Options
Expanded Edit Tools
When selected, the Expanded Edit Tools option
displays all of the Edit Tools in the MIDI Editor
window toolbar.
When this option is not selected, only the icon
for the selected Edit tool is displayed. Any of the
other Edit tools can be selected from the Edit
Tool pop-up menu.
Expanded Grid/Nudge Display
When selected, the Expanded Grid/Nudge Display
option displays the Nudge selector in addition
to the Grid selector in the MIDI Editor window
toolbar.
Targeted MIDI Editor window
Untargeted MIDI Editor window
Expanded Edit tools displayed in a MIDI Editor window
Edit Tool pop-up menu
Grid and Nudge selectors
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 707
Selection Display
When selected, the Selection Display option
shows the Edit Selection Display in the MIDI Ed-
itor window toolbar.
Track List
When selected, the Track List option displays the
Track List in the MIDI Editor window.
Scrolling Submenu
The Scrolling submenu lets you select the scroll-
ing options for the MIDI Editor window inde-
pendently of other MIDI Editor windows and
the Edit window. The scrolling options include:
No Scrolling The MIDI Editor window does not
scroll during or after playback. The playback
cursor moves across the MIDI Editor window,
indicating the playback location.
After Playback The playback cursor moves
across the MIDI Editor window, indicating the
playback location. When playback has stopped,
the MIDI Editor window scrolls to the final play-
back location.
Page The playback cursor moves across the
MIDI Editor window, indicating the playback
location. When the right edge of the MIDI Edi-
tor window is reached, its entire contents are
scrolled, and the playback cursor continues
moving from the left edge of the window.
Continuous The MIDI Editor window scrolls con-
tinuously past the playback cursor, which re-
mains in the center of the window. With this
option, playback is always based on the Time-
line selection (unlike the Center Playhead Scroll-
ing option).
Center Playhead (Pro Tools HD Only) The MIDI
Editor window scrolls continuously past the
Playhead, which is represented as a blue line in
the center of the window (or a red line when re-
cording).
Follow Edit Window When selected, the MIDI Ed-
itor window follows the scrolling option se-
lected for the Edit window (Options > Edit Win-
dow Scrolling).
Customizable Toolbar
You can customize the toolbar in MIDI Editor
windows by rearranging, and showing and hid-
ing the available controls and displays just like
in the Edit window or the Score Editor window.
Changing Toolbar Display Options
To change the toolbar display options in a MIDI
Editor window toolbar:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the MIDI Editor Window Toolbar
menu.
– or –
• Right-click in the toolbar.
2 From the pop-up menu, select or deselect any
of the following:
• Expanded Edit Tools
• Expanded Grid/Nudge Display
• Selection Display
Selection display
Pro Tools Reference Guide708
Rearranging Controls and Displays
You can rearrange the controls and displays in
the MIDI Editor window toolbar just like in the
Edit window or the Score Editor window.
To rearrange controls and displays in a MIDI Editor
window toolbar:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the controls or displays you want to move
and drag them to the location in the Toolbar
you want.
MIDI Editor Zoom Controls
Vertical and Horizontal Zoom In and Out
Buttons
In addition to the Zoom controls in the Toolbar,
Pro Tools provides horizontal and vertical zoom
buttons in the lower-right corner of MIDI Editor
windows.
Vertical Zoom Buttons Zoom the lane heights
proportionally for Automation and Controller
lanes.
Horizontal Zoom Buttons Zoom the Timeline just
like the Horizontal Zoom controls in the MIDI
Editor window toolbar.
MIDI Zoom In and Out Buttons
Pro Tools provides MIDI Zoom In and Out but-
tons in the upper-right corner of MIDI Editor
windows. These controls function exactly the
same as the MIDI Zoom controls in the toolbar,
and let you zoom in and out vertically on MIDI
notes.
Track List
The Track List in MIDI Editor windows lets you
show or hide MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary
Input tracks in the MIDI Editor window. The
Track List settings are unique to each MIDI Edi-
tor window. However, the order of tracks in the
Track List is global. Sorting or changing the
order of tracks affects the Track List in every
window.
Horizontal and Vertical Zoom In and Out buttons
MIDI Zoom In and Out buttons
Track List
Track List menu
Track name
Track Type icon
Track Color Code
Track Show/Hide
Pencil Enable
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 709
Track List Columns
In MIDI Editor windows there are four columns
for the Track List:
Show/Hide Indicates which tracks are shown or
hidden in the MIDI Editor window.
Track Color Displays the track color for each
track by type or by track.
Name Displays the name for each track.
Pencil Lets you enable a track for manually en-
tering MIDI notes with the Pencil tool.
Track List Menu
The Track List menu lets you show and hide
MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input tracks in
the MIDI Editor window (see “Showing and Hid-
ing Tracks” on page 709).
The Track List menu also lets you sort tracks in
the Track List by Name, Type, Edit Group, Mix
Group, or Voice (see “Sorting Tracks in the Track
List” on page 710).
Showing and Hiding Tracks
To show MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input
tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
Enable the Eye in the Track List for tracks you
want to show in the MIDI Editor window.
To show all MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input
tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
From the Track List pop-up menu, select Show
All Tracks.
To show only selected MIDI, Instrument, and
Auxiliary Input tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
1 In the Track List, select the MIDI, Instrument,
and Auxiliary Input tracks you want to show in
the MIDI Editor window.
2 From the Track List pop-up menu, select Show
Only Selected Tracks.
To show all tracks of a single type (MIDI or
Instrument) in a MIDI Editor window:
From the Track List pop-up menu, choose
Show Only, and select the track type you want.
To hide MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input
tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
Disable the Eye in the Track List for tracks you
want to hide in the MIDI Editor window.
To hide all (but one) MIDI, Instrument, and
Auxiliary Input tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
From the Track List pop-up menu, select Hide
All Tracks.
All but the top MIDI or Instrument track in the
Track List are hidden. MIDI Editor windows re-
quire that at least one MIDI or Instrument track
always be shown in the window.
To hide selected MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary
Input tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
1 In the Track List, select the MIDI, Instrument,
and Auxiliary Input tracks you want to hide.
2 From the Track List pop-up menu, select Hide
Selected Tracks.
Pro Tools Reference Guide710
Sorting Tracks in the Track List
You can sort tracks in the Track List by the fol-
lowing criteria:
Name Sorts the order of tracks in the Track List
by Track Name.
Type Sorts the order of tracks in the Track List by
Track Type.
Edit Group Sorts the order of tracks in the Track
List by Edit Groups.
Mix Group Sorts the order of tracks in the Track
List by Mix Groups.
Voice Sorts the order of tracks in the Track List
by Voice allocations.
Track List Right-Click Menu
In addition to common track management com-
mands, the Track List Right-click menu shares
commands with both the Track List pop-up
menu and the Notes Pane Right-click menu.
To access the MIDI Editor Track List Right-click
menu:
Right-click on any Track Name in the Track
List.
Track List Right-click Menu Options
The following options are available depending
on the track type (Auxiliary Input, Instrument,
or MIDI).
Hide Hides the selected track.
Hide and Make Inactive Hides the selected track
and makes it inactive.
Make Inactive Makes the selected track inactive.
Export MIDI Exports the selected track as a MIDI
file.
New Opens the New Track dialog.
Rename Renames the selected track.
Duplicate Duplicates the selected track.
Split into Mono Splits the selected stereo Instru-
ment or Auxiliary Input track into two mono
tracks.
Delete Deletes the selected track.
MIDI Real-Time Properties Opens the MIDI Real-
Time Properties window for the selected track.
Open in New MIDI Editor Opens the tracks dis-
played in the current MIDI Editor window in a
new MIDI Editor window. The new MIDI Editor
window will be untargeted.
Open in Score Editor Opens the shown tracks in
the Score Editor window.
Open in MIDI Event List Opens the selected track
in the MIDI Event List.
Notation Display Track Settings Opens the Nota-
tion Display Track Settings window.
Group List
The Group List in MIDI Editor windows pro-
vides the same functionality as in the Edit win-
dow. You can create, edit, and delete Edit
Groups using the Group List in any MIDI Editor
window. The Group List is linked between the
Edit window and all MIDI Editor windows.
For information on grouping tracks, see
Chapter 14, “Grouping Tracks.”
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 711
Timebase and Conductor
Rulers
Timebase and Conductor rulers in MIDI Editor
windows function exactly the same as in the
Edit window. However, the Edit window and
each MIDI Editor window can have a unique
view of the Timeline in terms of which Time-
base and Conductor rulers are shown, and in
terms of zoom level and time location.
Superimposed Notes View
The Notes pane in MIDI Editor windows lets you
view and edit MIDI notes superimposed from
different MIDI and Instrument tracks such that
you can easily edit multitrack arrangements in a
single constellation of color-coded notes. The
Notes pane lets you edit MIDI notes much the
same way as in Notes view on MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks in the Edit window, except you can
edit MIDI notes on multiple MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks at the same time.
Color Coding MIDI Notes
You can color code MIDI notes by Track or by Velocity.
You can also view and edit MIDI notes in
Notation view in the Notes pane (see “Nota-
tion View” on page 716).
MIDI Editor window, Notes pane with five superimposed Instrument tracks
Pro Tools Reference Guide712
Color Coding by Track
When Color Coding by Track is enabled, tracks in the MIDI Editor are temporarily assigned one of
sixteen fixed colors, in the order they appear in the track list.
To Color Code MIDI notes by Track:
Enable the Color Code MIDI Notes By Track button
Color Coding by Velocity
When Color Coding by Velocity is enabled, MIDI notes are all the same red color (hue) on all tracks
displayed, and MIDI notes vary in color saturation (from a light red to a dark red) based on the Note
On velocity. Notes with low velocities are lighter in color and those with high velocities are darker.
To Color Code MIDI notes by Velocity:
Enable the Color Code MIDI Notes By Velocity button.
No Color Coding
When neither Color Coding by Track nor Color Coding by Velocity are enabled, notes are drawn in
the MIDI Editor in as the same color they are in the Edit window—using the color coding options as
set in the Track Color Coding settings in the Display Preferences.
Color Code MIDI Note By Track Enabled in MIDI Editor window
Color Code MIDI Notes By Velocity enabled in MIDI Editor window
No Color Code enabled in MIDI Editor window
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 713
Editing MIDI Notes
You can edit any note on any track shown in the
Notes pane. You edit MIDI notes in the Notes
pane the same way as in Notes view for MIDI
and Instrument tracks in the Edit window, ex-
cept that notes from different tracks are super-
imposed.
Manually Inserting MIDI Notes
Using the Pencil tool, you can manually insert
MIDI notes to any pencil-enabled track shown
in the Notes pane. If only one track is viewed in
the MIDI Editor window, that track will auto-
matically be pencil-enabled. If multiple super-
imposed tracks are shown in the Notes pane,
MIDI notes will be inserted on the pencil en-
abled tracks only.
To insert MIDI notes on a specific track in the
Notes pane:
1 Do one of the following:
• Select the track you want pencil-enabled
from the Track Edit selector in the Toolbar.
– or –
• Click the Pencil column in the Track List to
pencil-enable the track you want.
2 With the Pencil tool, click at a time and pitch
location to insert a MIDI note on the pencil-en-
abled track with the default Note On velocity
and the selected Default Note Duration.
For more information on editing MIDI
notes, see Chapter 32, “MIDI Editing.”
For more information on manually insert-
ing MIDI notes, see “Inserting MIDI Notes”
on page 668.
Selecting a track for editing
Only tracks that are currently shown in the
MIDI Editor window are available in the
Track Edit selector pop-up menu.
“Blad Pad Midi” track pencil-enabled
Inserting a MIDI note on track “Inst 3”
To pencil-enable multiple contiguous
tracks, Shift-click in the Pencil column of
the range of tracks you want. To pencil-en-
able multiple discontiguous tracks, Control-
click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac)
in the Pencil column of any additional
tracks. Alt-click (windows) or Option-click
(Mac) to pencil-enable all tracks. Manually
inserted notes are written to all pencil-en-
abled tracks.
Pro Tools Reference Guide714
Notes Pane Right-Click Menu
The Notes Pane Right-click menu provides sev-
eral useful commands for editing, exporting,
and viewing MIDI data.
To access the MIDI Editor Right-click menu:
Right-click anywhere in the Notes pane.
Notes Pane Right-Click Menu
Options
Tools
The Tools submenu lets you select any Edit tools
relevant to the Score Editor.
Zoomer Selects the Zoomer tool.
Trimmer Selects the Trimmer tool.
Selector Selects the Selector tool.
Grabber Selects the Grabber tool.
Scrubber Selects the Scrubber tool.
Pencil Selects the Pencil tool.
Smart Selects the Smart tool.
Zoomer Tools Lets you select Normal Zoom or
Single Zoom.
Pencil Tools Lets you select any of the Pencil
tools.
Insert
The Insert submenu lets you insert key changes,
meter changes, and chord symbols at the loca-
tion of the Edit cursor.
Key Inserts a key change.
Meter Inserts a meter change.
Chord Inserts a chord symbol.
Cut
The Cut command cuts the current Edit selec-
tion.
Copy
The Copy command copies the current Edit se-
lection.
Paste
The Paste command pastes the clipboard to the
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cur-
sor location. Any MIDI notes already present at
the same location are overwritten.
Merge
The Merge command pastes the clipboard to the
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cur-
sor location and merges the pasted data with
any MIDI notes already present at the same lo-
cation.
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 715
Clear
The Clear command clears (deletes) the current
Edit selection.
Separate
The Separate command lets you separate MIDI
notes at the Edit cursor location.
Consolidate
The Consolidate command lets you consolidate
selected multiple consecutive MIDI notes of the
same pitch.
Mute Notes
The Mute Notes (or Unmute Notes) command lets
you mute (or unmute) selected MIDI notes.
MIDI Real-Time Properties
Selecting the MIDI Real-Time Properties option
opens the MIDI Real-Time Properties window.
Event Operations
The Event Operations submenu lets you select
any of the Event Operations windows (such as
Quantize or Change Velocity).
Open In New MIDI Editor
Selecting the Open In New MIDI Editor option
opens all shown tracks in a new MIDI Editor
window.
Open In Score Editor
The Open In Score Editor option opens the shown
tracks in the Score Editor window.
Open in MIDI Event List
The Open In MIDI Event List option opens the se-
lected track in the MIDI Event List.
Display Notation
Selecting the Display Notation option changes
the MIDI Editor to Notation view. Deselecting
this option reverts the MIDI Editor to Notes
view.
Pro Tools Reference Guide716
Notation View
The Notes pane in MIDI Editor windows can also display MIDI notes in standard music notation. In
Notation view, each MIDI and Instrument track is displayed independently, with one track per staff.
In MIDI Editor windows, notation is displayed
as a continuous timeline and not in page view as
in the Score Editor window.
To enable Notation view:
Enable the Notation view button in the MIDI
Editor window toolbar.
– or –
Right-click in the Notes pane and select
Notation View.
MIDI Editor window, Notes pane in Notation view
For information on editing notation, see
“Editing Notes” on page 733.
Notation view enabled in a MIDI Editor window
Chapter 33: MIDI Editors 717
Editing in Notation view in a MIDI Editor win-
dow works the same way as in the Score Editor
window, but with the advantage of having ac-
cess to Velocity, Controller, and Automation
lanes.
Double Bar in Notation View
The Double Bar button is only available in Nota-
tion view. When enabled, the Double Bar option
shows the final double bar line in the MIDI Edi-
tor window. The double bar line is located at the
end of the last MIDI region or event in the ses-
sion.
When the Double Bar option is disabled, there
will be a number of empty bars at the end of the
last event in the session. The number of empty
bars is determined by the Additional Empty Bars In
The Score Editor setting in the MIDI Preferences
page (Setup > Preferences). Disable the Double
Bar option to manually enter notes in the Score
Editor after the last MIDI region or event in the
session.
Notation View Right-Click Menu
When in Notation view, the Notes Pane Right-
click menu provides slightly different options
than when in Superimposed Notes view.
In both views, the following options are avail-
able:
• Tools
•Insert
•Cut
• Copy
•Paste
•Clear
• Separate
• Consolidate
•Mute
• MIDI Real-Time Properties
• Event Operations
•Open In New MIDI Editor
• Open In Score Editor
• Open In MIDI Event List.
•Display Notation
In Notation view, the additional Notation Display
Track Settings option is available in the Right-
click menu. Select this option to open the Nota-
tion Display Track Settings dialog and configure
the display settings for tracks in Notation view.
For information on the Notation Display Track
Settings dialog, see “Notation Display Track Set-
tings” on page 730.
Note that in Notation view, the Trimmer
tool functions as the Grabber tool when over
a note and as the Note Selector tool when
not over a note.
In Notation view, the Edit mode is
automatically set to Grid and cannot be
changed.
Double Bar enabled in a MIDI Editor window
Pro Tools Reference Guide718
Velocity, Controller, and Automation Lanes
MIDI Editor windows let you edit velocities, MIDI controller data, and automation for all shown
MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input tracks in lanes under the Notes pane.
You can move and resize Automation and Con-
troller lanes just like in the Edit window.
When viewing multiple MIDI and Instrument
tracks, the velocities for notes on separate tracks
are superimposed in a single lane, just like notes
in the Notes pane. However, all other Controller
lanes are grouped by automation and controller
type, and provide individual lanes for each
shown track.
To show or hide lanes under the Notes pane:
Click the Show/Hide Lanes button.
To add lanes:
Click the Add Lane button.
To remove lanes:
Click the Remove Lane button.
To change the Automation or Controller type for a
lane:
Click the Automation or Controller Type se-
lector and select the Automation or Controller
type you want.
Velocity, Controller, and Automation lanes for two stereo Instrument tracks
Show/Hide lanes
Velocity lane
(2 tracks superimposed)
Remove lane
Add lane
Controller/Automation
Type selector
Paired Automation
lanes for separate
tracks
Chapter 34: Score Editor 719
Chapter 34: Score Editor
The Score Editor window lets you view, edit, arrange, and print MIDI from your session as music
notation. MIDI notes are transcribed in real-time whether you record, import, draw (with the Pencil
tool), or Step Enter MIDI.
Figure 10. Score Editor window
Edit tools
Default Note Duration
Track List Page controls Zoom controls
Grid selectorCursor location Target
Play MIDI Notes While Editing
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Double Bar
Default Note Velocity
Score Editor menu
Selection
Link Edit and Timeline Selection
Pro Tools Reference Guide720
Opening the Score Editor
Window
To open the Score Editor window:
Choose Window > Score Editor.
To open the Score Editor window with a single
MIDI or Instrument track shown:
1 Ensure that there is no Edit selection.
2 Right-click the Track name of an unselected
track in the Edit or Mix window, or in the Track
List of the Edit, Mix, or MIDI Editor window.
3 From the Right-click menu, choose Open In
Score Editor.
To open the Score Editor window with the current
Edit selection shown:
1 In the Edit window or in a MIDI Editor win-
dow, make an Edit selection on one or more
tracks that includes what you want shown in
the Score Editor window.
2 Right-click the Edit selection and choose Open
In Score Editor.
Edit Tools
The Edit tools in the Score Editor window func-
tion much the same as in the Edit window, but
with a few differences for editing music nota-
tion.
Zoomer
Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in and out around
a particular area in the score.
The Zoomer tool provides two modes:
Normal Zoom The Zoomer tool remains selected
after zooming.
Single Zoom The previously selected Edit tool is
automatically reselected after zooming.
Normal Zoom Mode
To zoom around a certain point in the score:
1 Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select
Normal Zoom mode.
2 Click once with the Zoomer tool at a location
within the score. The score is zoomed in by one
level and is centered around the zoomed loca-
tion.
3 To zoom back to the previous level, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) with the
Zoomer tool.
Press Alt+Start+“=” (Windows) or
Option+Control+“=” (Mac) to show the
Score Editor window.
If the Score Editor option is selected as the
“Double Clicking a MIDI Region Opens”
setting in the MIDI Preferences page, you
can double-click a MIDI region to open it in
the Score Editor.
Press the F5 key to select the Zoomer tool
and toggle between Normal and Single
Zoom modes.
Also see “Score Editor Zoom Controls” on
page 729
Chapter 34: Score Editor 721
To marquee zoom to a particular area of the score:
1 Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select
Normal Zoom mode.
2 Drag in the score, making a marquee selection
of the area to which you want to zoom.
The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window.
Single Zoom Mode
Single Zoom mode returns you to the previously
selected tool after a zoom has been performed.
For example, when using the Pencil tool you can
select the Single Zoomer tool, and once the
Zoom operation has been performed, Pro Tools
automatically switches back to the Pencil tool.
Single Zoom is identified with an arrow to the
right of the Zoomer icon. (Normal Zoom mode
does not show the arrow.)
To use Single Zoom mode:
Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and se-
lect Single Zoom mode.
Trimmer
The Trimmer tool lets you lengthen or shorten
the duration of a note in the Score Editor win-
dow.
Note Selector
Use the Note Selector tool to select notes on one
or more staves in the Score Editor window. Se-
lected notes highlight blue. Selected notes can
be deleted, moved, transposed, and processed
(using Event Operations).
Grabber
Use the Grabber tool to select one or more notes
in the Score Editor window. You can also use the
Grabber tool to move single notes, or all selected
notes, to a different pitch or time location.
Pencil
Use the Pencil tools to insert, select, move, or
delete notes in the Score Editor window. The
various Pencil tools differ in how they draw note
durations, repeated notes, and velocities, but
function in the same fashion as drawing notes
on tracks in Notes view in the Edit window or in
a MIDI Editor window.
Marquee zooming with the Zoomer tool
Press the F6 key to select the Trimmer tool.
Press the F7 key to select the Note Selector
tool.
The Note Selector tool makes a range
selection that only includes MIDI notes and
velocities. It does not include any other
MIDI data, such as program changes or
continuous controller data.
Press the F8 key to select the Grabber tool.
Pro Tools Reference Guide722
To select a Pencil tool:
Click the Pencil tool pop-up menu and select
the Pencil tool you want.
The following Pencil tools are available in the
Score Editor:
Free Hand
The Free Hand Pencil tool lets you draw single
notes of varying duration.
Note velocities are determined by the Default
Note Velocity setting (see “Default Note On Ve-
locity” on page 723).
The minimum duration of the note is deter-
mined by the selected Default Note Duration
(see “Default Note Duration” on page 723).
Line
The Line Pencil tool lets you draw multiple
notes of the same pitch and duration.
Note velocities are determined by the Default
Note Velocity setting (see “Default Note On Ve-
locity” on page 723).
The duration is determined by the selected De-
fault Note Duration (see “Default Note Dura-
tion” on page 723).
The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 725).
Triangle
The Triangle Pencil tool lets you draw a series of
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities os-
cillate between the defined Default Note Veloc-
ity and 127 in a triangle pattern. The duration of
each note is determined by the current Grid
value.
The duration is determined by the selected De-
fault Note Duration (see “Default Note Dura-
tion” on page 723).
The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 725).
Square
The Square Pencil tool lets you draw a series of
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities al-
ternate between the defined Default Note Veloc-
ity and 127 in a square pattern. The duration of
each note is determined by the current Grid
value.
The duration is determined by the selected De-
fault Note Duration (see “Default Note Dura-
tion” on page 723).
The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 725).
Random
The Square Pencil tool lets you draw a series of
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities
change randomly within the range between the
defined Default Note Velocity and 127 in a
square pattern. The duration of each note is de-
termined by the current Grid value.
The duration is determined by the selected De-
fault Note Duration (see “Default Note Dura-
tion” on page 723).
The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 725).
Press the F10 key to select the current Pencil
tool. Press the F10 key repeatedly to cycle
through the different Pencil tools.
Chapter 34: Score Editor 723
Default Note Duration
The Default Note Duration selector lets you de-
fine the default note duration for manually in-
serted notes.
To define the Default Note Duration:
From the Default Note Duration selector, se-
lect a note value. Select the Follow Grid option if
you want the Default Note Duration to use the
selected Grid value.
If you want dotted note values, also select the
Dotted option.
If you want triplet note values, also select the
Triplet option.
Default Note On Velocity
The Default Note On Velocity setting lets you
define the default Note On velocity for manu-
ally inserted notes.
Play MIDI Notes When Editing
When enabled, the Play MIDI Notes When Edit-
ing option causes MIDI notes to sound when
you insert them with the Pencil tool or drag
them with the Grabber tool.
Link Timeline and Edit
Selection
When this button is enabled, the Timeline and
Edit selections are linked. When it is disabled,
you can make Timeline and Edit selections inde-
pendently of one another.
Default Note Duration selector
Play MIDI Notes When Editing enabled in the Score
Editor window
Link Timeline and Edit Selection enabled in the Score
Editor window
Pro Tools Reference Guide724
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI re-
gions and have your edits apply to every copy of
the same MIDI region. This can be particularly
useful when editing looped MIDI regions.
In Mirrored MIDI Editing mode, the Mirrored
MIDI Editing button flashes Red once as an edit
is made to alert you that your edit is being ap-
plied to more than one region.
To enable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the
following:
Select Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.
– or –
Select the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in
the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.
To disable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the
following:
Deselect Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.
– or –
Disable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in
the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.
Double Bar
When enabled, the Double Bar option shows
the final double bar line in the Score Editor win-
dow. The double bar line is located at the end of
the last MIDI region or event in the session. En-
able the Double Bar option when you are ready
to print the score.
When the Double Bar option is disabled, there
will be a number of empty bars at the end of the
last MIDI region in the session. The number of
empty bars is determined by the Additional Empty
Bars In The Score Editor setting in the Pro Tools
MIDI Preferences (Setup > Preferences). Disable
the Double Bar option to manually enter notes
in the Score Editor after the last MIDI region.
Cursor Location
The Cursor Location display provides informa-
tion about the current cursor location in
Bars|Beats|Ticks and pitch.
Mirrored MIDI Editing disabled in the Score Editor
window
If Mirrored MIDI Editing mode is disabled,
and you edit notes of looped regions in
Notes view, the edit flattens the loop. Simi-
larly, editing region groups separates the re-
gion groups.
Double Bar enabled in the Score Editor window
Cursor Location indicator in the Score Editor window
Chapter 34: Score Editor 725
Grid
The Grid selector lets you define the Grid value
for MIDI notes inserted and displayed in the
Score Editor window.
To set the Grid value for the Score Editor window:
From the Grid Value pop-up menu, select a
note value.
If you want dotted note values, also select the
Dotted option.
If you want triplet note values, also select the
Triplet option.
Inserting Notes on the Grid
When inserting MIDI notes with the Pencil tool
(using the Line, Triangle, Square, or Random
shapes), the Grid value determines the Note On
location and the Default Note Duration value
determines the note duration (see “Default Note
Duration” on page 723).
For example, if the Default Note Duration is set
to quarter notes and the Grid is set to half notes,
drawing with the Line Pencil tool creates alter-
nating quarter notes and quarter note rests.
If the selected Grid value is shorter than the De-
fault Note Duration, the Grid value determines
both the Note On location and note duration
for notes inserted with the Pencil tool. For ex-
ample, if the Default Note Duration is set to
quarter notes and the Grid is set to eighth notes,
drawing with the Line Pencil tool creates a se-
quence of eighth notes.
Score Editor Window Target
When the Target is enabled for the Score Editor
window, navigating the Edit window automati-
cally navigates the Score Editor window as well.
For example, if in the Edit window you navigate
to bar 32, beat 3 in a MIDI track, when you view
the Score Editor window it too will show the
same location.
When the Target is disabled, the Score Editor
does not update to show the current Edit win-
dow selection or Edit cursor location.
Setting the Grid value
Inserting notes on the Grid
Pro Tools Reference Guide726
Score Editor Window Menu
The Score Editor Window menu provides access
to the Expanded Edit Tools, Selection Display,
Track List, and Scrolling options.
Expanded Edit Tools
When selected, the Expanded Edit Tools option
displays all of the relevant Edit Tools in the
Score Editor window toolbar.
When this option is not selected, only the icon
for the selected Edit tool is displayed. Any of the
other Edit tools can be selected from the Edit
Tool pop-up menu.
Selection Display
When selected, the Selection Display option
shows the Edit Selection Display in the MIDI Ed-
itor window toolbar.
Track List
When selected, the Track List option displays the
Track List in the Score Editor window.
Scrolling
The Scrolling submenu lets you select the scroll-
ing options for the Score Editor window inde-
pendently of the Edit window and any MIDI Ed-
itor windows. The scrolling options include:
No Scrolling The Score Editor window does not
scroll during or after playback. The playback
cursor moves across the Edit window, indicating
the playback location.
After Playback The playback cursor moves
across the Score Editor window, indicating the
playback location. When playback has stopped,
the Score Editor window scrolls to the final play-
back location.
Page The playback cursor moves across the
Score Editor window, indicating the playback
location. When the right edge of the current
page shown in the Score Editor window is
reached, it scrolls to the next page and the play-
back cursor continues moving from the left edge
of the window.
Follow Edit Window When selected, the Score Ed-
itor window follows the scrolling option se-
lected for the Edit window (Options > Edit Win-
dow Scrolling).
Selection display
For Pro Tools|HD systems, the Continuous
and Center Playhead scrolling options are
not available in the Score Editor window. If
the Score Editor window is set to the Follow
Edit Window scrolling option and the Edit
window is set to either the Continuous or
Center Playhead scrolling options, the Score
Editor window scrolls by page.
Chapter 34: Score Editor 727
Customizable Toolbar
You can customize the toolbar in the Score Edi-
tor window by re-arranging, and showing or
hiding the available controls and displays just
like in the Edit window or MIDI Editor windows.
Changing Toolbar Display Options
To change the toolbar display options in the Score
Editor window toolbar:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Score Editor Window Toolbar
menu.
– or –
• Right-click in the Toolbar.
2 From the pop-up menu, select or deselect any
of the following:
• Selection Display
• Expanded Edit Tools
Rearranging Controls and Displays
To rearrange controls and displays in a MIDI Editor
window toolbar:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the controls or displays you want to move
and drag them to a new location in the Toolbar.
Track List
The Track List lets you show and hide MIDI and
Instrument tracks in the Score Editor. It also pro-
vides access to the Notation Display Track Set-
tings and Score Setup (see “Notation Display
Track Settings” on page 730 and “Score Setup”
on page 731).
To show or hide the Track List in the Score Editor
window:
From the Score Editor Window menu, select
or deselect Track List.
Showing and Hiding Tracks
Use the Track List to show and hide MIDI and
Instrument tracks as staves in the score.
To show MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score
Editor:
Enable the Eye in the Track List for tracks you
want to show in the score.
Partial Score: Violin I and Violin II shown; all other
tracks are hidden
Pro Tools Reference Guide728
To show all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the
Score Editor:
From the Track List pop-up menu, select Show
All Tracks.
To show only selected MIDI and Instrument tracks
in the Score Editor:
1 In the Track List, select the MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks you want to show in the score.
2 From the Track List pop-up menu, select Show
Only Selected Tracks.
To hide MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score
Editor:
Disable the Eye in the Track List for tracks you
want to hide in the score.
To hide all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score
Editor:
From the Track List pop-up menu, select Hide
All Tracks.
To hide selected MIDI and Instrument tracks in the
Score Editor:
1 In the Track List, select the MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks you want to hide in the score.
2 From the Track List pop-up menu, select Hide
Selected Tracks.
Page Controls
The Score Editor window provides controls for
navigating forward and backward by page. The
current page number is displayed in the lower-
left corner of the window.
To display the next page of the score:
Click the Page Forward button.
To display the previous page of the score:
Click the Page Back button.
To display any specific page of the score:
1 Click the Current Page display.
2 Type the page number for the page you want
to view.
3 Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac).
Score Editor Page controls
Page Forward
Page Back
Current Page Display
Chapter 34: Score Editor 729
Score Editor Zoom Controls
In addition to the Zoomer tool, the Score Editor
provides Zoom In and Out buttons in the lower
right hand corner of the window. It also pro-
vides a Zoom selector that lets you zoom to a
preset percentage or page size. When using these
Zoom controls, the Score Editor zooms around
the current Edit selection.
To zoom in one level:
Click the Zoom In button.
To zoom out one level:
Click the Zoom Out button.
To zoom to a preset percentage:
1 Click the Zoom selector.
2 From the Zoom pop-up menu, select the zoom
percentage.
To zoom to a page size:
1 Click the Zoom selector.
2 From the Zoom pop-up menu, select the page
size.
Zoom to Page Sizes
The Zoom pop-up menu provides the following
page sizes:
Fit Page Width Zooms so that the width of one
page fits in the Score Editor window.
Fit Page Height Zooms so that the height of the
page fits in the Score Editor window.
Fit Page Zooms so that an entire page fits in the
Score Editor window.
Fit 2 Pages Zooms so that two pages fit horizon-
tally in the Score Editor window.
Score Editor Zoom controls
Zoom In
Zoom Out
Zoom selector
Selecting a zoom percentage from the Zoom pop-up
menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide730
Notation Display Track
Settings
The Notation Display Track settings determine
how individual MIDI and Instrument tracks ap-
pear in the Score Editor. You can set the Clef,
Display Quantization, and whether or not to
display the track at “concert pitch” or as a trans-
posing instrument (such as a B-flat tenor sax).
To configure the Notation Display Track settings:
1 Do one of the following:
• From the Track menu in the Score Editor,
select Notation Display Track Settings.
• Right-click in the Score Editor and select
Notation Display Track Settings.
• Double-click a Clef on a Staff.
2 From the Track pop-up menu, select the MIDI
or Instrument track whose Notation Display Set-
tings you want to change.
3 Configure the settings.
4 Repeat the preceding steps for other MIDI and
Instrument tracks as necessary.
Notation Display Track Settings
Options
Track
From the Track pop-up menu, select the track
you want to configure.
Clef
From the Clef pop-up menu, select the Clef you
want for the selected track from the following
options:
•Grand Staff
•Treble Clef
• Bass Clef
• Alto Clef
• Tenor Clef
Display Transposition
From the Key pop-up menu, select the key of
Transposition for the track. For instruments that
transpose from another octave, you can also ad-
just the Octave slider. For example, for a Bass
Clarinet track, select the Key of B-flat and set the
Octave slider to +1. This way, when you print
the Bass Clarinet part, the player will be able to
read the part and concert pitch will sound cor-
rectly a major ninth below where the part is
written.
Attributes
The Attributes tab lets you specify the notation
display quantization settings for the selected
track. If the Clef is set to Grand Staff, you can also
set the Split Point to divide notes between the
treble and bass clefs.
Notation Display Track Settings
Chapter 34: Score Editor 731
Follow Globals
When the Follow Globals option is selected, the
track attributes use the global attributes settings
(see “Globals” on page 731). This option is en-
abled for all tracks by default.
Display Quantization
The Display Quantization setting lets you select
the quantization grid for the display of MIDI
notes in music notation. MIDI notes in
Pro Tools still maintain their original start time
and duration, but this setting affects what note
values are displayed. The notation display is
quantized to the nearest select note value.
Straighten Swing
When enabled, the Straighten Swing option
causes “swung” notes to be displayed as straight
notation. For example, a run of swung eighth
notes will be displayed as straight eighth notes.
Allow Note Overlap
Pro Tools only displays a single rhythmic line
on a single staff. When two notes that start at
different times overlap, the first note will be
truncated when the second note begins. If the Al-
low Note Overlap option is enabled, Pro Tools dis-
plays the full length of overlapping notes using
tied notes.
Split Point
When the Clef for the selected track is set to
Grand Staff, the selected Split Point setting deter-
mines at which pitch the notes are placed in ei-
ther the upper or lower staff of the Grand Staff.
Automatic When selected, Pro Tools splits notes
between the upper and lower staves of the
Grand Staff based on logical note groupings.
Fixed When selected, you can specify a particu-
lar pitch at which to split notes between the up-
per and lower staves of the Grand Staff.
Globals
The Globals tab provides the same settings as the
Attributes tab (see “Attributes” on page 730). You
can select which tracks follow the settings in the
Globals tab in the Attributes tab for each track.
Score Setup
The Score Setup window lets you set up the page
layout and staff spacing. You can enter the Title
and Composer for the score. You can also select
what elements of the score to display. Changes
to the Score Setup update instantly in the Score
Editor.
To open the Score Setup, do one of the following:
Choose File > Score Setup.
From the Tracks menu in the Score Editor win-
dow, select Score Setup.
Right-click in the Score Editor window and se-
lect Score Setup.
Notation Display Track Settings window, Attributes tab
Pro Tools Reference Guide732
Score Setup Window Options
Information
Title Enter the Title for the score. This appears at
the top of the first page.
Composer Enter the Composer for the score.
This appears in the upper right-hand corner of
the first page.
Display
The Display options determine which score ele-
ments you want displayed in the score. Deselect
the elements you do not want displayed in the
score.
Title and Composer Select to display the Title
and Composer on the score.
Page Numbers Select to display Page Numbers at
the bottom of each page.
Bar Numbers Select to display Bar Numbers at
the beginning of each system above the top
staff.
Track Names Select to display Track Names for
each staff at the beginning of the score.
Chord Symbols Select to display chord symbols
in the score.
Chord Diagrams Select to display Chord Dia-
grams (guitar tablature) in the score (see “Chord
Symbols and Diagrams” on page 738).
Spacing
Between Staves Enter the spacing you want be-
tween staves.
Between Systems Enter the spacing you want
between systems.
Below Title and Composer Enter the spacing you
want between the Title and Composer and the
first staff of the score.
Below Chord Symbols and Diagrams Enter the
spacing you want between Chord Symbols and
Diagrams and the top stave of each system.
Score Setup window
Disable the Chord Diagrams option when
printing charts and lead sheets where you
just want to see chord symbols.
On pages where the music is vertically justi-
fied, the distance between staves and systems
will be larger than the numbers specified.
Chapter 34: Score Editor 733
Layout
Page Size Select the page size (Letter, Legal, Tab-
loid, or A4).
Portrait Select to set the page orientation to Por-
trait.
Landscape Select to set the page orientation to
Landscape.
Staff Size Enter the Staff Size.
Page Margins Enter the size for the top, bottom,
left, and right page margins.
Inches Select to enter Stave Size and Page Mar-
gins in inches.
Millimeters Select to enter Stave Size and Page
Margins in millimeters.
Editing Notes
MIDI note editing in the Edit window, MIDI Ed-
itor windows, and the Score Editor window all
affect the same MIDI data. When editing in one
window, your edits are reflected in all other win-
dows.
The Score Editor provides simple score editing
tools for entering, moving, and transposing
MIDI notes as music notation:
• The Trimmer tool lets you lengthen or shorten
the duration of notes.
• The Note Selector tool lets you make object se-
lections of notes in the score.
• The Grabber tool lets you select and move
notes to another time or pitch location on the
same track.
• The Pencil tool lets you insert notes and move
them to another time or pitch location on the
same track.
Selecting Notes
You can use either the Note Selector tool or the
Grabber tool to select notes on one or more
staves.
To select notes on one or more staves with the
Note Selector tool:
1 Click the Note Selector tool.
2 Drag in the score to highlight the notes you
want to select.
To make a marquee selection on one or more
staves with the Grabber tool:
1 Click the Grabber tool.
2 Drag in the score to highlight the notes you
want to select.
Transposing Notes
You can use the Grabber tool or the Pencil tool
to manually transpose a note up or down. You
can also use the Transpose Event Operation
(Event > Event Operations > Transpose) to trans-
pose selected notes.
Selecting notes with the Note Selector tool
Selecting notes with the Grabber tool
Pro Tools Reference Guide734
To transpose a single note:
1 Click the Grabber tool.
2 Drag the note you want to transpose up or
down.
To transpose all selected notes:
1 Click the Grabber tool.
2 Drag around the notes you want to Transpose
to select them.
3 Drag any of the selected notes up or down to
transpose them.
Moving Notes
Use the Grabber tool to move selected notes
from one time location to another time location
on the same staff. When moving notes in the
Score Editor, the underlying MIDI notes main-
tain their position relative to the Grid.
To move notes to another time location:
1 Click the Grabber tool.
2 If you want to move more than one note, drag
around the notes you want to move to select
them.
3 Drag any of the selected notes to another time
location on the same staff.
Inserting Notes
Use the Pencil tool to manually insert notes in
the Score Editor. When you insert a note, the
Score Editor automatically places it on the Grid
and creates rests where appropriate.
To manually insert a note:
1 Select the Default Note Duration setting you
want (see “Default Note Duration” on
page 723).
2 Select the Grid setting you want (see “Grid”
on page 725).
3 Select the Default Note On Velocity (see “De-
fault Note On Velocity” on page 723).
4 Click the Pencil tool and select Free Hand.
Transposing a note with the Grabber tool
Transposing selected notes with the Grabber tool
Moving selected notes with the Grabber tool
You can also Nudge notes in the Score Editor
by the currently selected Grid value.
You can also enter notes by recording MIDI,
importing MIDI from a file, or using Step Input
(Event > Event Operations > Step Input).
Chapter 34: Score Editor 735
5 With the Free Hand Pencil tool, do any of the
following:
• Single-click at the time location and pitch
you want to enter a single note of the se-
lected Default Note Duration.
– or –
• Click at the time location and pitch you
want and drag to the right to increase the
duration of the note. Release the mouse
when you have the duration you want.
To manually insert multiple notes of the same
pitch:
1 Select the Default Note Duration setting you
want (see “Default Note Duration” on
page 723).
2 Select the Grid setting you want (see “Grid”
on page 725).
3 Select the Default Note On Velocity (see “De-
fault Note On Velocity” on page 723).
4 Click the Pencil tool and select any of the fol-
lowing shapes:
•Line
• Triangle
•Square
•Random
5 Click at the time location and pitch you want
and drag to the right. Repeated notes of the se-
lected Default Note Duration are entered on the
selected Grid. The Note On velocities for each
note are determined in part by the Default Note
On Velocity setting and the selected Pencil tool
shape (see “Pencil” on page 721).
Rests
The Score Editor automatically adds rests as nec-
essary. Rests cannot be moved or inserted man-
ually.
Entering a single note with the Pencil tool
Entering a single longer note with the Pencil tool
Entering multiple note of the same pitch with the Line
Pencil tool
Pro Tools Reference Guide736
Score Editor Right-Click Menu
The Score Editor Right-click menu provides sev-
eral useful commands for editing, exporting,
and formatting the score and MIDI data.
To access the Score Editor Right-click menu:
Right-click anywhere on the score.
Score Editor Right-Click Menu
Items
Tools
The Tools submenu lets you select any Edit tools
relevant to the Score Editor.
Zoomer Selects the Zoomer tool.
Note Selector Selects the Note Selector tool.
Grabber Selects the Grabber tool.
Pencil Selects the Pencil tool.
Insert
The Insert submenu lets you insert key changes,
meter changes, and chord symbols into the
score at the location of the Edit cursor.
Key Inserts a key change.
Meter Inserts a meter change.
Chord Inserts a chord symbol.
Cut
The Cut command cuts the current Edit selec-
tion.
Copy
The Copy command copies the current Edit se-
lection.
Paste
The Paste command pastes the clipboard to the
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cur-
sor location. Any MIDI notes already present at
the same location are overwritten.
Merge
The Merge command pastes the clipboard to the
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cur-
sor location and merges the pasted data with
any MIDI notes already present at the same
location.
Clear
The Clear command clears (deletes) the current
Edit selection.
Event Operations
The Event Operations submenu lets you select
any of the Event Operations windows (such as
Quantize or Change Velocity).
Open in MIDI Editor
Choosing the Open in MIDI Editor option opens
the tracks shown in the Score Editor in a MIDI
Editor window.
Open in MIDI Event List
The Open In MIDI Event List option opens the se-
lected track in the MIDI Event List.
Notation Display Track Settings
Choosing the Notation Display Track Settings op-
tion opens the Notation Display Track Settings
dialog (see “Notation Display Track Settings” on
page 730).
Chapter 34: Score Editor 737
Score Setup
Choosing the Score Setup option opens the
Score Setup dialog (see “Score Setup” on
page 731).
Send to Sibelius
Choosing the Send to Sibelius option command
sends the score exactly as it appears in the Score
Editor window to Sibelius notation software (see
“Exporting Scores” on page 740).
Print Score
Choosing the Print Score command prints the
score (see “Printing Scores” on page 740).
Key Changes
You can add, edit, and delete Key Signatures in
your score. Key Signatures affect the note spell-
ing of MIDI notes in the score. For example,
MIDI note number 58 (“B-flat 3”) is B-flat in F
major, but it is A-sharp in B major.
To add a Key Signature:
1 With the Note Selector, Grabber, or Pencil
tool, Right-click at the location in the score
where you want to change key and select Insert >
Key Change.
2 In the Key Change dialog, select the mode
(major or minor), the key, its location and range,
and how you want it to affect pitched tracks.
3 Click OK.
The selected Key Signature is displayed in the
score and the note spellings for notes after the
key change are updated accordingly.
To edit a Key Signature:
1 With the Grabber tool, double-click the Key
Signature you want to edit.
2 Enter values in the Key Change dialog and
click OK.
To delete a Key Signature:
With the Grabber tool, Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac) the Key Signature you want
to delete.
Meter Changes
You can add, edit, and delete Meters in your
score. Meter changes affect the number of bars
in the score (and in your session). When chang-
ing meter, notes are not moved, but the barlines
will be redrawn.
To add a Meter change:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Event > Time Operations > Change
Meter.
– or –
• With the Note Selector, Grabber, or Pencil
tool, Right-click at the location in the score
where you want to change meter and select
Insert > Meter Change.
You can also add and delete Key Signatures
in the Key Signatures ruler in the Edit win-
dow or in any MIDI Editor window.
You can also add and delete Meters in the
Meter ruler in the Edit window and in MIDI
Editor windows.
Pro Tools Reference Guide738
2 In the Meter Change dialog, do the following:
• Enter the Location and Meter for the meter
change.
– and –
• If you want the inserted meter event to fall
cleanly on the first beat of the nearest mea-
sure, select the Snap To Bar option.
3 Select a note value for the number of clicks to
sound in each measure. For a dotted-note click
value, select the dot (.) option in addition to the
note value.
4 Click OK to insert the new meter.
To edit a Meter change:
1 With the Grabber tool, double-click the Meter
event you want to edit.
2 Enter values in the Meter Change dialog and
click OK.
To delete a Meter change:
With the Grabber tool, Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac) the Meter event you want to
delete.
Chord Symbols and Diagrams
You can add, edit, and delete chord symbols and
chord diagrams (guitar tablature) in your score.
Chord symbols have no effect on MIDI data.
Also, chord symbols are not included when ex-
porting MIDI data from Pro Tools to a MIDI file,
but they are included when exporting to a Sibel-
ius file (.sib) or when using the Send to Sibelius
command.
Meter Change dialog
For some meters, it may be desirable to use
a dotted value for the click. For instance, if
using a meter of 6/8, a dotted quarter note
click (yielding two clicks per measure) is
generally more suitable than a straight
eighth note click (six clicks per measure).
You can also add and delete chord symbols
in the Chord Symbol ruler in the Edit window
and in MIDI Editor windows. However,
Chord Diagrams (guitar tab) are only
displayed in the Score Editor window.
Chapter 34: Score Editor 739
To insert a chord symbol:
1 With the Note Selector, Grabber, or Pencil
tool, Right-click at the location in the score
where you want to add a chord symbol and se-
lect Insert > Chord.
2 In the Chord Change dialog, select the name
for the root of the Chord from the Chord selec-
tor (such as D).
3 Select the quality from the Chord Quality se-
lector (such as major or minor).
4 Select the bass note of the chord from the Bass
selector (such as B-flat for an inverted G minor
chord).
5 Select a Chord Diagram (guitar tablature) from
the available options.
6 Click OK.
The selected chord symbol is placed above the
top staff in the system.
To edit a chord symbol:
1 With the Grabber tool, double-click the chord
symbol you want to edit.
2 Make changes in the Chord Change dialog,
and click OK.
To move a chord symbol:
With the Grabber tool, drag the chord symbol
to a new location.
To delete a chord symbol:
With the Grabber tool, Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac) the chord symbol you want
to delete.
To display or hide chord symbols in the score:
In the Score Settings dialog (File > Score
Setup), enable or disable the Chord Symbols op-
tion.
To display or hide chord diagrams (guitar tab) in
the score:
In the Score Settings dialog (File > Score
Setup), enable or disable the Chord Diagrams
option.
Chord Change dialog
Chord selector
Chord Quality
selector Bass selector
Chord Diagrams
Chord symbol and diagram in the score
Pro Tools Reference Guide740
Exporting Scores
Pro Tools lets you export the score from your
session as a Sibelius (.sib) file. You can then
open your score in Sibelius as transcribed by
Pro Tools, edit the notation in Sibelius, and
print the score and parts from Sibelius.
To export a score from Pro Tools:
1 Configure the score for your session in Score
Editor window.
2 Choose File > Export > To Sibelius.
3 Select a destination and click Save.
To send the score from your Pro Tools session to
Sibelius, do one of the following:
1 Configure the score for your session in the
Score Editor window.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Send to Sibelius.
– or –
• Right-click in the Score Editor and choose
Send to Sibelius.
Pro Tools exports all Instrument and MIDI
tracks shown in the Score Editor to Sibelius as a
.sib file and launches Sibelius if it is installed on
your computer. You can then further edit the
notation in Sibelius and print the score or parts
from Sibelius.
Printing Scores
Pro Tools lets you print the score from your
Pro Tools session. The score will be printed ex-
actly as it appears in the Score Editor window.
Configure the Score Setup and show or hide any
MIDI and Instrument tracks. Only those tracks
that are shown in the score will be printed.
To print the score from your Pro Tools session:
1 Open the Score Editor window and configure
your score.
2 Choose File > Print Score.
3 Configure the Print dialog as necessary and
click OK (Windows) or Print (Mac).
Sibelius 5.x or higher is required to open .sib
files exported from Pro Tools.
Press Control+P (Windows) or Command+P
(Mac) to print the score.
Chapter 35: MIDI Event List 741
Chapter 35: MIDI Event List
The MIDI Event List displays a detailed list of all
events in a single MIDI or Instrument track. The
events are displayed with text and numbers, al-
lowing you to precisely edit their location,
length, and event values.
Events in the MIDI Event List can be copied and
pasted, selected, or deleted. Any MIDI event (ex-
cept Sysex data) can be inserted and edited in
the list. Certain MIDI event types can be hidden
with the View Filter.
Opening the MIDI Event List
To open the MIDI Event List, do one of the
following:
Choose Window > MIDI Event List.
– or –
Right-click a MIDI or Instrument track name
in the Mix or Edit window, or in the Track List.
Track Selector
The Track selector in the MIDI Event List both
indicates the currently displayed MIDI or Instru-
ment track and can be used to choose a different
MIDI or Instrument track to be displayed.
Number of Events
The number of MIDI events on the selected
track are displayed at the top of the MIDI Event
List.
MIDI Event List
Unlike playlists in the Edit window, you can
insert and display polyphonic aftertouch in
the MIDI Event List.
Track selector
MIDI Event List menu
Number of Events
Target
Mute data for MIDI and Instrument tracks
is not displayed in the MIDI Event List.
Press Alt+Equal (Windows) or
Option+Equal (Mac) to open the MIDI
Event List.
Pro Tools Reference Guide742
Target
The Target button for the MIDI Event List deter-
mines whether or not the MIDI Event List fol-
lows the Edit cursor and Edit selections in the
Edit window and MIDI Editor windows. For ex-
ample, when the Target is enabled, the Events
shown in the MIDI Event List update to show
the event in the Edit selection in the Edit win-
dow. When the Target is disabled, the MIDI
Event List shows the same events regardless of
changes to the Edit selection in other windows.
MIDI Event List Menu
The MIDI Event List menu contains commands
and options for the MIDI Event List (see “MIDI
Event List Options” on page 748).
Columns in the MIDI Event List
Information for the events in the MIDI Event
List is displayed in the following three columns:
Start Column Displays the start location, using
the Main Time Scale, for each event. Locations
can also be displayed in the Sub Time Scale
when the Show Sub Counter option is selected
in the Options pop-up menu.
The playback cursor appears as a blue arrow (red,
when tracks are record-enabled) in the Start col-
umn.
When several events reside at the same location,
the location is only indicated for the top event,
with the others dimmed. The dimmed locations
can be edited by double-clicking them.
Event Column Displays the event type, indicated
by an icon, and associated event values.
Length/Info Column Displays the end point or
length for notes, depending on which option is
selected in the Options pop-up menu. Also dis-
played are the names for continuous controller
events and program changes.
View Filter for MIDI Event List
You can use the View Filter to specify which
event types are displayed in the MIDI Event List.
This can help you zero in on only the events you
want to affect; it also protects MIDI events from
being edited or deleted. Events not displayed in
the MIDI Event List still play back.
The View Filter can be set to display “all” mes-
sages, “only” the specified messages, or “all ex-
cept” the specified messages.
MIDI Event List columns
When inserting an event type that has been
filtered from the MIDI Event List, that event
type will no longer be filtered.
double-click
to edit
simultaneous
MIDI events
Playback cursor
Chapter 35: MIDI Event List 743
Example: To filter the display of aftertouch and
System Exclusive Messages in the MIDI Event
List:
1 In the MIDI Event List, choose View Filter from
the MIDI Event List menu.
2 In the MIDI Event List View Filter dialog, se-
lect the All Except option.
3 Select the options for Mono Aftertouch, Poly-
phonic Aftertouch, and System Exclusive. Leave all
other messages deselected.
When using the All Except option, the selected
events are not displayed. Conversely, when us-
ing the Only option, only the selected events are
displayed.
4 Click OK.
Navigating in the MIDI Event List
You can use the Tab and Arrow keys to move
through the MIDI Event List. You can also locate
to the Edit start point, or any other specified lo-
cation.
To move through the MIDI Event List, do any of the
following:
• Double-click to edit a value.
• Press Tab or the Down Arrow to move to the
next event (with or without the edit field se-
lected).
• Press Control+Tab (Windows) or Option+Tab
(Mac) or the Up Arrow to move to the previ-
ous event (with or without the edit field se-
lected).
• With an edit field selected, press the Right Ar-
row to move to the next edit field to the right.
• With an edit field selected, press the Left Ar-
row to move to the next edit field to the left.
To keep the last event selected, press Shift while
moving to the next or previous event.
To go to the Edit start point:
In the MIDI Event List, choose Scroll To Edit
Selection from the MIDI Event List menu.
To go to a specific location in the MIDI Event List:
1 In the MIDI Event List, choose Go To from the
MIDI Event List menu.
2 In the Go To dialog, choose a format from the
Time Scale pop-up menu.
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Control+F (Windows) or
Command+F (Mac) to open the MIDI Event
List View Filter dialog.
MIDI Event List View Filter dialog
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Control+G (Windows) or
Command+G (Mac) to open the Go To dialog.
Pro Tools Reference Guide744
3 If using Time Code, you can select the Use
Subframes option.
4 Enter the location you want to go to, then
click OK.
The following items from the MIDI Event List
menu affect navigating in the MIDI Event List:
•When the Page Scroll During Playback op-
tion is selected, the MIDI Event List scrolls
during playback.
•When Scroll During Edit Selection is selected,
the MIDI Event List is scrolled automati-
cally when the Edit selection changes in
the Edit window.
Inserting Events in the MIDI
Event List
You can insert events in the MIDI Event List by
choosing an event type from the MIDI Event
List menu. Following are several examples of in-
serting events in the MIDI Event List.
To insert a note in the MIDI Event List:
1 From the MIDI Event List menu, select Insert >
Note.
2 Enter the location, pitch, attack (Note On)
and release (Note Off) velocities, and length for
the new note. To move between the Event Entry
fields, use the Left and Right Arrow keys.
When a field is selected, enter a value with any
of the following methods:
• Enter the value on the numeric keypad.
• Drag up or down to scroll to the value.
• Play the note on your MIDI controller key-
board, then press Enter (Windows) or Re-
turn (Mac) on the alphanumeric keyboard
to confirm the value.
Go To dialog
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Control+N (Windows) or
Command+N (Mac) to Insert a note.
Event Entry fields for note
With the Start field selected, you can auto-
matically enter the location of another event
already in the track by clicking that event.
Pitch
Attack velocity
Release velocity
Chapter 35: MIDI Event List 745
3 Do one of the following:
• To insert the note and remain in Event
Entry mode, press Enter on the numeric
keypad.
• To insert the note and exit Event Entry
mode, press Enter (Windows) or Return
(Mac) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
• To exit Event Entry mode, without insert-
ing the note event, press Escape on the
alphanumeric keyboard.
To insert a controller event in the MIDI Event List:
1 From the MIDI Event List menu, choose Insert
> Controller.
2 Enter the location, controller “type” number,
and controller value for the new event. The con-
troller name is displayed in the Length/Info col-
umn, to the right of the controller value. To
move between the Event Entry fields, use the
Left and Right Arrow keys.
When a field is selected, enter a value with any
of the following methods:
• Enter the value on the numeric keypad.
• Press the Up or Down Arrow to scroll to the
value.
• While pressing Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac), drag up or down to scroll
to the value.
• Play the controller event on your MIDI
controller keyboard, then press Enter (Win-
dows) or Return (Mac) on the alphanu-
meric keyboard to confirm the value.
3 Do one of the following:
• To insert the controller event and remain
in Event Entry mode, press Enter on the
numeric keypad.
• To insert the controller event and exit
Event Entry mode, press Enter (Windows)
or Return (Mac) on the alphanumeric key-
board.
• To exit Event Entry mode, without insert-
ing the controller event, press Escape on
the alphanumeric keyboard.
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Control+L (Windows) or
Command+L (Mac) to Insert a controller
event.
Event Entry fields for controller event
Controller number Controller name
Controller value
With the Start field selected, you can auto-
matically enter the location of another event
already in the track by clicking that event.
Pro Tools Reference Guide746
To insert a program change in the MIDI Event List:
1 From the MIDI Event List menu, choose Insert
> Program Change.
2 Enter the location for the new event.
3 Enter a Program Change number and Bank Se-
lect value (if necessary). The program change
name is displayed in the Info column.
You can click in the Length/Info column to
open the Program Change window (for details,
see “Patch Select (Program and Bank Changes)”
on page 684).
4 Do one of the following:
• To insert the program change and remain
in Event Entry mode, press Enter on the
numeric keypad.
• To insert the program change and exit
Event Entry mode, press Enter (Windows)
or Return (Mac) on the alphanumeric key-
board.
• To exit Event Entry mode, without insert-
ing the program change, press Escape on
the alphanumeric keyboard.
Inserting Another Event
After inserting an event, you can easily insert
another event of the same type. The event type
to be inserted is indicated at the bottom of the
Insert menu.
Example: After inserting a note, to insert another,
do one of the following:
From the MIDI Event List menu, select Insert >
Another Note.
Editing Events in the MIDI
Event List
Events in the MIDI Event List can be edited, se-
lected, deleted, and copied and pasted.
To edit an event in the MIDI Event List:
1 Do one of the following:
• Double-click the event field you want to
edit.
– or –
• To edit a selected event, press Control+En-
ter (Windows) or Command+Enter (Mac).
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Control+P (Windows) or
Command+P (Mac) to Insert a program
change event.
Event Entry fields for program change
With the Start field selected, you can auto-
matically enter the location of another event
already in the track by clicking that event.
Program number Program name
Controller 0 value
Controller 32 value
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Control+M (Windows) or
Command+M (Mac) to Insert a note.
When the option for Insert At Playback Lo-
cation is enabled (see “MIDI Event List Op-
tions” on page 748), you can use the key-
board shortcuts for inserting “another”
event to insert events on-the-fly.
Chapter 35: MIDI Event List 747
2 Enter a new value with any of the following
methods:
• Enter the new value on the numeric key-
pad.
• While pressing Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac), press the Up or Down Arrow to
scroll to a new value.
• While pressing Control (Windows) or
Command (Mac), drag up or down to scroll
to a new value.
• Play the new note or controller value on
your MIDI controller keyboard, then press
Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) on the al-
phanumeric keyboard to confirm.
3 Do one of the following:
• To enter the new event value and move to
another field or event, use the Arrow keys.
• To enter the new value and remain in Edit
Entry mode, press Enter on the numeric
keypad.
• To enter the new value and exit Edit Entry
mode, press Enter (Windows) or Return
(Mac) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
• To exit Edit Entry mode without entering
the new value, press Escape on the alpha-
numeric keyboard.
Selecting Events in the MIDI Event
List
To select a range of events in the MIDI Event List,
do one of the following:
Click the event at the beginning of the selec-
tion and drag to the ending event.
– or –
Shift-click the event at the beginning of the
selection, then Shift-click the ending event.
To select noncontiguous events in the MIDI Event
List:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) each event.
To deselect an event in the MIDI Event List:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the selected event.
Deleting Events in the MIDI Event
List
To delete an event in the MIDI Event List:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
event you want to delete.
To delete a selection of events in the MIDI Event
List:
1 Select the events you want to delete by either
dragging in the Start column, or by Shift-click-
ing each event.
2 To view only the events you want to delete,
use the View Filter (see “View Filter for MIDI
Event List” on page 742). Events not displayed
cannot be deleted.
3 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Clear to delete all selected
events.
– or –
• Press Backspace (Windows) or Delete (Mac)
on the alphanumeric keyboard.
Notes selected in the MIDI Event List can be
modified by any of the commands in the
Event Operations window (see Chapter 42,
“Event Operations”).
Pro Tools Reference Guide748
Copying and Pasting Events in the
MIDI Event List
To copy and paste events in the MIDI Event List:
1 Select the events you want to copy in the
MIDI Event List.
2 Choose Edit > Copy.
3 Do one of the following:
• To paste the material at an existing event’s
location, click the event in the MIDI Event
List.
– or –
• To paste the material at any location,
choose Go To from the Options menu in
the MIDI Event List, enter the location
where you want to paste, and click OK.
4 Choose Edit > Paste. The events from the Clip-
board are pasted, replacing any existing events
already there.
MIDI Event List Options
The MIDI Event List menu provides the follow-
ing options:
Show Sub Counter Displays event times in the
Sub Time Scale.
Go To Opens the Go To dialog, where you can
specify a location, based on any of the sup-
ported Time Scales, to which the Edit insertion
point is moved.
Scroll To Edit Selection Scrolls the MIDI Event
List to the Edit start point or Edit insertion
point.
Page Scroll During Playback Scrolls the MIDI
Event List during playback.
Show Note Length Displays note lengths, instead
of note end times, in the Length/Info column of
the MIDI Event List.
Show Note End Time Displays note end times,
instead of note lengths, in the Length/Info col-
umn of the MIDI Event List.
Insert Provides a submenu of options that let
you insert any type of MIDI event.
Insert At Edit Location Defaults the location for
inserted events defaults to the Edit start point or
Edit insertion point.
Insert At Playback Location Lets you insert
events in the MIDI Event List in real time while
listening to the session playback.
Insert At Playback Location With Grid Snaps the
location for events inserted in real time to the
grid.
View Filter Opens the View Filter dialog, where
you can specify which events are displayed in
the MIDI Event List (see “View Filter for MIDI
Event List” on page 742).
Selecting in the MIDI Event List
To paste events without overwriting other
events, use the Merge Paste Special
command.
749
Part VII: Arranging
750
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 751
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key,
and Chords
In Pro Tools, editing and arranging is typically
done on tracks against a fixed Timeline.
Regions and events can be anchored to points in
absolute time, or relative time, as measured on
the session’s Timeline. The Timeline includes
two different types of rulers for measuring time:
Timebase rulers and Conductor rulers.
The Timebase rulers can measure time in two
different ways: sample-based time (absolute
time) and tick-based time (relative time). For ex-
ample, the Minutes:Seconds ruler measures ab-
solute time and the Bars|Beats ruler measures
relative time.
The relative time of the Bars|Beats ruler is deter-
mined in part by tempo and meter. Tempo, Me-
ter, and Key Signature rulers reside in Conductor
tracks. Tempo and meter events affect the tim-
ing of tick-based tracks, and also provide the
tempo and meter map for the Bar:Beat grid and
Click. You can edit tempo events in the Tempo
ruler or Tempo Editor.
Key changes can affect MIDI notes when apply-
ing transposition. You can edit key and key
changes in the Key Signature ruler.
Timebase Rulers and
Conductor Rulers
Timebase Rulers
Any or all of the following Timebase rulers can
be displayed at the top of the Edit window and
in MIDI Editor windows:
Bars|Beats Displays the Time Scale in bars and
beats. Use this Time Scale if you are working
with musical material that must align with bars
and beats. The Bars|Beats Time Scale is relative
and is affected by the session’s tempo and meter
map.
Pro Tools also provides a Markers ruler
for Memory Location (see Chapter 37,
“Memory Locations”).
All rulers displayed
Pro Tools Reference Guide752
Minutes:Seconds Displays the Time Scale in
minutes and seconds. As you zoom in farther
with the Zoomer tool, the Time Scale begins to
display tenths, hundredths, and thousandths of
a second. The Minutes:Seconds Time Scale is ab-
solute.
Time Code Displays the Time Scale in SMPTE
frames. The Time Code Rate and Session Start
time are set from the Session Setup window. The
Time Code Time Scale is absolute, based on the
frame rate.
Pro Tools supports the following frame rates:
• 23.976 FPS
• 24 FPS
• 25 FPS
• 29.97 FPS
• 29.97 FPS Drop
• 30 FPS
• 30 FPS Drop
Secondary Time Code Ruler A secondary time
code ruler, labeled Time Code 2, lets you refer-
ence video frame rates in the Timeline that are
different from the session Time Code rate. How-
ever, you cannot Spot to the Time Code 2 ruler
and it cannot be set as the Main Time Scale. The
secondary time code ruler can be set to show
any Pro Tools supported frame rate. The Time
Code 2 ruler can also display the following addi-
tional frame rates:
•50 FPS
• 59.94 FPS
• 59.94 FPS Drop
•60 FPS
•60 FPS Drop
Feet+Frames Displays the Time Scale in feet and
frames for referencing audio-for-film projects.
The Feet+Frames time display is based on the 35
millimeter film format. The Feet+Frames Time
Scale is absolute, based on the frame rate.
Samples Displays the Time Scale in samples.
This format is very useful for high-precision
sample editing. The Samples Time Scale is abso-
lute, based on the sample rate.
In addition to providing a timing reference for
track material, the Timebase rulers are also used
to define Edit selections for track material, and
Timeline selections for record and play ranges.
To ensure your tracks align with the bars
and beats in your session, record with a click
(see “Recording with a Click” on page 428).
Material that is recorded without listening
to a click can still be aligned to bar and beat
boundaries in Pro Tools with the Identify
Beat command (see “Identify Beat Com-
mand” on page 778), or with Beat Detective
(see Chapter 31, “Beat Detective”).
With the Selector tool, drag in any Time-
base ruler to select material across all tracks
in the Edit window or MIDI Editor window.
To include the Conductor tracks in the selec-
tion, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac)
while dragging.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 753
Conductor Rulers
Any or all of the following Conductor rulers can
be displayed:
•Markers
• Tempo (and Tempo Editor)
• Meter
• Keys (and Key Signature Staff)
•Chords
The Meter and Tempo rulers indicate changes in
meter and tempo within the Session. The Key
Signature ruler indicates changes of key. The
Chord Symbols ruler shows chord markers. The
Markers ruler displays markers to important
track locations.
Displaying Rulers
To display all rulers:
Select View > Rulers > All.
To remove a ruler from the display, do one of the
following:
Option-click the ruler’s name (to the left of
the ruler display).
– or –
Choose View > Rulers, and deselect a ruler
option.
To display only the Main Time Scale in the
Timebase ruler:
Select View > Rulers > None (“Main Time Scale”
on page 754.)
To add a specific ruler to the display, such as the
Markers ruler, for instance:
Select View > Rulers > Marker.
To change the display order for the rulers:
Drag a ruler’s name up or down to a new
location.
To copy the range selection from a Conductor ruler
to make an Edit selection in the top track in the
Edit window (or in the Notes pane in MIDI Editor
windows):
Press Control+; (semicolon) (Mac) or
Start+; (semicolon) (Windows).
Ruler View Selector
The Timebase and Conductor rulers can also be
configured with the Ruler View selector.
For more information on Memory Location
markers, see Chapter 37, “Memory Locations.”
Ruler View selector in the Edit Window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide754
Main Time Scale
While all Timebase rulers can be displayed si-
multaneously in the Edit and MIDI Editor win-
dows, there is only one that represents the Main
Time Scale. This ruler is also called the Main
Timebase ruler.
The Main Time Scale determines the time for-
mat used for:
• The Main Counter in the Transport
• The Main Counter at the top of the Edit
window or MIDI Editor window
• Start, End, and Length values
• Pre- and post-roll amounts
• Grid and Nudge values
The Main Time Scale can be set to the following
formats:
• Bars|Beats
• Minutes:Seconds
• Time Code
•Feet+Frames
•Samples
Setting the Main Time Scale
To set the Main Time Scale, do one of the
following:
Click a Main Counter selector (located at the
top of the Edit or Transport window (when it is
set to display Counters) and select a Time Scale.
If a Timebase ruler is displayed, click its name
so it becomes highlighted.
Navigating with the Main Counters
The Main Counters (at the top of the Edit win-
dow and in the Transport window) provide a
convenient way to navigate to a specific time lo-
cation.
To navigate with a Main Counter:
1 Click in a Main Counter.
2 Type in a location.
3 Press Enter (Windows or Mac) or Return (Mac)
to automatically navigate to a new location.
Main Counter selector (in the Edit window)
Setting the Main Time Scale to the timebase
currently displayed in the Sub Counter
switches the two Time Scales, setting the
Sub Time Scale to the previous timebase of
the Main Time Scale.
Switching the Main Time Scale from Bars|Beats to
Min:Sec
The Main Counter indicator in the
Transport window only displays when the
Transport is set to display Counters.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 755
The Sub Counter
Below each Main Counter is a Sub Counter that
can be shown or hidden. The Sub Counter pro-
vides an additional timing reference.
To show (or hide) the Sub Counter in the Edit
window:
From the Main Counter selector, select (or de-
select) the Show Sub Counter option.
To show the Sub Counter in the Transport window:
From the Transport Window menu, ensure
that the Counters and Expanded Transport op-
tions are enabled.
To set the Time Scale for the Sub Counter:
Click the Sub Counter selector and select a
Time Scale.
Tick-Based Timing
Pro Tools is a sample-based program with an in-
ternal MIDI resolution of 960,000 pulses per
quarter note (ppq). However, when the Time
Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the display resolution
in Pro Tools is 960 ppq and the Timebase is tick-
based.
When working in Bars|Beats, you will often
want to specify tick values for a number of oper-
ations, including:
• Placing and spotting regions
• Setting lengths for regions or MIDI notes
• Locating and setting play and record ranges
(including pre- and post-roll)
• Specifying settings in the Quantize and
Change Duration pages of the Event Oper-
ations window
• Setting the Grid and Nudge values
Sub Counter selector (in the Edit window)
In the Bars|Beats Time Scale, Pro Tools is
tick-based (960 ticks to a quarter note).
Some amount of sample-rounding may oc-
cur when placing events at certain locations
(see “Sample Rounding and Edit Opera-
tions” on page 758).
When the Main Time Scale is set to
Bars|Beats, and you are using tempo
changes, set the Linearity Display Mode to
Linear Tick Display (see “Changing the Lin-
earity Display Mode” on page 771). This
will keep the Bars|Beats ruler fixed (at the
selected zoom level) and sample-based rul-
ers such as Minutes:Seconds will scale to fit
any tempo changes while bar lengths re-
main constant.
Pro Tools Reference Guide756
The following table lists the number of ticks for
each of the main note sizes:
Tick- and Sample-Based
Timebases
Pro Tools lets you set any track timebase to ei-
ther sample-based or tick-based.
Audio tracks in Pro Tools are sample-based by
default. This means that audio regions and
events are located at specific sample locations,
and they do not move from that location if the
tempo changes in the session—even though
their bar and beat locations do change.
MIDI and Instrument tracks in Pro Tools are
tick-based by default. This means that MIDI re-
gions and events are located at a specific bar and
beat locations, and they do not move from that
location if the tempo changes in the session—
even though its sample location does change.
Sample-Based Audio and MIDI
With a sample-based audio track, all audio re-
gions in the track have an absolute location on
the absolute Timeline (for example, on the Sam-
ples or Minutes:Seconds Timebase ruler). Audio
stays fixed to the sample time, regardless of any
tempo or meter changes occur in a session.
On sample-based MIDI and Instrument tracks,
all MIDI events in the track have an absolute lo-
cation on the absolute Timeline (for example,
on the Sample or Minutes:Seconds Timebase
ruler). MIDI events stay fixed to the sample
time, regardless of where tempo or meter
changes occur in a session.
Tick-Based Audio and MIDI
Tick-based audio is fixed to the relative time of
the Bars|Beats Timebase ruler, and moves rela-
tive to the sample Timeline when tempo and
meter changes occur. However, MIDI and Elastic
Audio events, and tick-based audio regions
(non–Elastic Audio) respond differently to
tempo changes in respect to duration. MIDI
note events and Elastic Audio regions change
their duration when tempo is adjusted, while
non–Elastic Audio audio regions do not. Tempo
changes affect only the location of the begin-
ning (or sync point) of each audio region in a
tick-based (non–Elastic Audio) audio track.
You can select whether a track is sample-based
or tick-based when it is created, or change time-
bases later.
Note Value Normal Dotted Triplet
1/2 note 1920 2880 1280
1/4 note 960 1440 640
1/8 note 480 720 320
1/16 note 240 360 160
1/32 note 120 180 80
1/64 note 60 90 40
To have all new tracks default to tick-based,
enable the New Tracks Default to Tick
Timebase option in the Editing Preferences.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 757
Tick-Based Elastic Audio
Tick-based Elastic Audio tracks automatically
apply Real-Time (or Rendered) Elastic Audio
processing (TCE) when changing tempo. For
more information, see “Tempo Changes and
Tick-Based Elastic Audio Tracks” on page 763.
Switching Timebases
All Pro Tools tracks can be switched between be-
ing sample-based or tick-based.
Track height affects how various track controls
appear in the Edit window. The Timebase selec-
tor, which is used for switching a track’s time-
base, is only visible in Medium or larger track
heights.
To switch the timebase of a track, do one of the
following:
If the track’s height is set to Medium or larger,
click the Timebase selector for the track and se-
lect the timebase. The Timebase selector icon
changes to reflect your choice.
.
.
– or –
If the track’s height is set to Small (or smaller),
click the Track Height selector and select the
timebase from the Track Timebase submenu.
Alternate Playlist Timebases
When you change a track’s timebase, you can
choose to apply the timebase change to that
track only, or to the active Playlist and all alter-
nate playlists for that track.
To configure a timebase change to affect
timebases of all playlists in a track:
Click the Timebase selector (or Track Height
Selector) and enable the Selection Changes Alter-
nate Playlists option.
Groups
When you change the timebase for an audio
track that is part of an active Edit group, all the
tracks in the group will change to the same time-
base.
Timebase selector (samples)
Timebase selector (ticks)
Track Height pop-up menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide758
Audio Region Location
In tick-based audio tracks, the location of an au-
dio region is determined by the region’s start
point, unless the region contains a sync point.
If the region contains a sync point, the sync
point determines where the audio region is fixed
to the grid.
Marker Location
When creating markers and Selection Memory
Locations, you can specify whether they have an
Absolute (sample-based) or Bar|Beat (tick-based)
reference. For more information, see “Bar|Beat
and Absolute Reference” on page 799.
Sample Rounding and Edit
Operations
When audio material in Pro Tools is sample-
based, some amount of sample-rounding may
occur with some edits when the Main Time
Scale is set to Bars|Beats. This is most evident
when you need audio regions to fall cleanly on
the beat (as when looping) and notice that the
material is sometimes a tick or two off. With a
few simple precautions, this can be avoided.
To ensure that selections are precisely aligned to
the grid for looping, copying, duplicating, or re-
peating, consider the following:
If you use the Selector tool, enable Grid mode
and select the appropriate grid value (such as
sixteenth notes).
For the greatest accuracy, type the selection
Start and End points in the Event Edit area.
Do not select the material with any of the
Grabber tools (or by double-clicking with the Se-
lector tool).
Song Start Marker
The Song Start Marker defines the initial tempo
for Bar|Beat-based material. New sessions open
with a default tempo of 120 BPM.
When a new session is created, the Song Start
Marker has no associated meter event. A meter
event is added automatically at the Song Start if
you add another meter event anywhere else on
the Meter ruler.
The Song Start Marker can be moved, but it can-
not be deleted.
To move the Song Start Marker by dragging:
In the Tempo ruler with any Edit tool, drag
the Song Start Marker left or right.
Song Start Marker
The position of the Song Start Marker can
also be changed in the Time Operations
window, see “Move Song Start” on
page 789.
Dragging the Song Start Marker
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 759
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the Song Start
Marker moves in increments of the current Grid
value.
To edit the initial tempo in the Song Start Marker:
1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the Song Start
Marker.
2 In the Change Tempo dialog, enter a new BPM
value.
3 Click OK.
Tempo
The Tempo ruler lets you edit Tempo events one
at a time or according to tempo curves. You can
edit tempo visually in the Tempo Editor, or
make precise changes in tempo using the Tempo
Operations window.
Tempo Events
Tempo events can be assigned to the Song Start
Marker to replace the default tempo (of 120
BPM), and they can be inserted anywhere else
within the session to change tempo.
To display the Tempo ruler:
Select View > Rulers > Tempo.
Current Tempo
As tempo events are encountered during play-
back, the session’s current tempo is displayed in
the Transport window.
Inserting Tempo Events
To insert a tempo event:
1 Click in the Tempo ruler where you want to
insert the tempo event.
2 Click the Add Tempo Change button at the
left of the Tempo ruler.
To move the Song Start Marker only, with-
out moving any tick-based data, press
Start+Shift (Windows) or Control+Shift
(Mac) while dragging. When dragging the
Song Start Marker only, dragging is con-
strained to whole bar increments only.
To set the default session tempo, see “Set-
ting the Session Meter and Tempo” on
page 430.
You can use Beat Detective to generate
Bar|Beat markers (tempo map). For more in-
formation, see “Generating Bar|Beat Mark-
ers with Beat Detective” on page 648.
When working with tempo changes and
tick-based material, set the Linearity Dis-
play Mode to Linear Tick Display.
In Manual Tempo mode, the Tempo track is
ignored and the session plays at the tempo
defined in the Transport window, see “Us-
ing Manual Tempo Mode” on page 431.
Current Tempo in Transport window
Add Tempo Change button
Pro Tools Reference Guide760
3 In the Tempo Change window, enter the Lo-
cation and BPM value for the tempo change.
4 To place the inserted tempo event cleanly on
the first beat of the nearest measure, select the
Snap To Bar option.
5 To base the BPM value on something other
than the default quarter note, select a different
note value.
6 Click OK. The new tempo event is inserted and
appears in the Tempo ruler.
Each tempo event has a small green triangle
next to it that indicates its location. These trian-
gles can be dragged to move the tempo event,
and they can be double-clicked to edit the
tempo event.
Moving and Editing Tempo Events
Existing tempo events can be moved, edited, de-
leted, copied, and pasted.
To move a tempo event by dragging:
In the Tempo ruler, drag the triangle for the
tempo event left or right.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
snaps to the current Grid value.
To edit a tempo event:
1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the tempo
event.
2 In the Tempo Change window, enter a new
Location or BPM value for the tempo event.
3 Click OK.
To delete a tempo event:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
tempo event (the cursor changes to a Grabber
with a “–”).
Tempo Change dialog
Inserted tempo event
Dragging a tempo event
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 761
To copy and paste several tempo events:
1 With the Selector tool, drag in the Tempo ruler
to select the range of bars that includes the
tempo events.
2 Choose Edit > Copy.
3 Click in the Tempo ruler at the point where
you want to paste the tempo events.
4 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip-
board are pasted from the insertion point, re-
placing any existing tempo events.
To extend an Edit selection in a track to the Tempo
ruler:
1 With the Selector or Grabber tool, make a
Timeline selection.
2 Shift-click in the Tempo ruler.
To select all tempo events:
Double-click with the Selector tool in the
Tempo ruler.
To clear a range of selected tempo events:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Drag with the Selector tool in the Tempo ruler
to select the tempo events you want to remove.
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected
tempo events.
Tap Tempo
You can manually set the tempo for a Pro Tools
session by tapping on your computer keyboard.
You can also use a connected MIDI keyboard to
tap tempo.
To set the Manual Tempo by tapping on a computer
keyboard:
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo
Ruler Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes
unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
the Tempo track are ignored.
3 Click in the Tempo field so it becomes high-
lighted and tap the “T” key on your computer
keyboard repeatedly at the new tempo.
Tempo events selected
Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
dragging to select across all Conductor
tracks.
Tempo Ruler button (unhighlighted), set to Manual
Tempo mode
You can apply the new tempo to the entire
session by changing the default tempo of the
Song Start Marker. See “Song Start Marker”
on page 758.
Pro Tools Reference Guide762
To set the Manual Tempo by tapping on an external
MIDI keyboard:
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport
window, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the MIDI
tab.
3 Ensure that Use MIDI to Tap Tempo is selected.
4 In the Transport window, click the Tempo
Ruler Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes
unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
the Tempo track are ignored.
5 Click in the Tempo field so it becomes high-
lighted and tap in the tempo by playing a note
repeatedly at the new tempo on your MIDI key-
board controller.
To compute the new tempo, Pro Tools averages
the last eight (or fewer) taps to determine the
correct tempo. The computed BPM value ap-
pears in the Transport’s Tempo field.
Tempo and Automation Drift
(With Sample-Based Regions on Tick-Based
Tracks Only)
When a track is sample-based, the track’s auto-
mation playlist is unaffected by changes in
tempo. This means that automation is always
aligned with any sample-based audio on the
track with sample accuracy.
When a track is tick-based, the automation
breakpoints change to match the changes in
tempo.
Generally, when applying tempo changes with
tick-based MIDI and Elastic Audio, this is desir-
able. In fact, you will probably want to set all of
the tracks in your session that contain automa-
tion to tick-based. This way any tempo changes
affect all tick-based track automation and track
material equally. However, when working with
sample-based (non-Elastic) audio on tick-based
tracks, tempo changes affect the start location of
audio regions, but not their duration.
Since the length of each sample-based audio re-
gion in a track is unaffected by changes in
tempo, existing automation data is not aligned
with the audio after a tempo change is made to
a tick-based audio track.
Tempo changes applied to (non-Elastic) audio regions
When tempo changes on a tick-based audio track...
...automation gets out of sync with audio.
Tempo at 120 bpm
No Elastic Audio
Tick-based
Tempo at 146 bpm
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 763
Minimizing Automation Drift
In general, automation drift is more pro-
nounced with larger sample-based audio re-
gions. By creating many small regions, the ef-
fects of automation drift can be minimized,
because the start points of each subsequent re-
gion changes as the tempo changes. When
tempo is decreased, automation expands. When
tempo is increased, automation contracts.
Tempo Changes and Tick-Based
Elastic Audio Tracks
Regions on tick-based, Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks apply Time Compression and Expansion
(TCE) based on tempo changes. For simple
tempo changes, regions on tick-based Elastic Au-
dio-enabled tracks automatically conform to
match the new tempo. Tempo changes do not
affect sample-based, Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks.
In the following figure, the first two-bar region
is at its native tempo of 120 bpm. The second
two-bar region has been conformed to the
tempo change of 100 bpm. Since the second re-
gion has been warped to remain two bars long at
the slower tempo, it displays the Region Warp
indicator in the upper right-hand corner of the
region.
Tempo changes applied to small sample-based regions
on a tick-based track
To break an audio region into smaller re-
gions, use Beat Detective. For more informa-
tion, see Chapter 31, “Beat Detective.”
You can also separate regions at transients
or based on the current grid resolution. For
more information, see “Separate Com-
mands” on page 584
Using many smaller regions...
...keeps audio aligned with automation changes.
Tempo conformed audio, linear tempo change
Pro Tools Reference Guide764
For tempo curves, such as an accelerando or ri-
tardando, Tempo Event Warp markers are auto-
matically created corresponding to each tempo
event, and the region conforms accordingly.
The following figure shows a region in Warp
view. Notice how the audio conforms to the
tempo curve.
Tempo Event-generated Warp markers cannot
be edited. They only show where the audio has
been warped in order to conform to tempo
changes.
Conform to Tempo
Pro Tools lets you conform regions on Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks (both sample- and tick-
based) to the session tempo. If necessary, the
Conform to Tempo command analyzes the se-
lected regions to determine its tempo and dura-
tion (in bars and beats), and then applies Elastic
Audio processing to conform the region to
match the session tempo.
To conform a region to the session tempo:
1 Select the region you want to conform to the
session tempo.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Conform to Tempo.
– or –
• Right-click the region you wan to conform
to tempo and select Conform to Tempo.
Pro Tools analyzes the region’s entire file for
Elastic Audio events and tempo. If a tempo is de-
tected, and a duration in bars and beats is deter-
mined, the region conforms automatically to
the session tempo. If a tempo and duration is
not detected (such as with a region that is a sin-
gle drum hit or with a long region with no clear
tempo), the region is not conformed to the ses-
sion tempo.
Alternate Playlists and Tempo
Alternate playlists on Elastic Audio-enabled,
tick-based tracks are only affected by tempo
changes. Otherwise, alternate playlists are not
affected by editing Warp or Event markers in the
main playlist.
Figure 11. Tempo conformed audio, tempo curve
If you change the track timebase from ticks
to samples, any Tempo Event–generated
Warp markers convert to regular, editable
Warp markers.
You can also use telescoping warp in Warp
view to manually conform a long region to
the session tempo. See “Telescoping Warp”
on page 875.
Conform to Tempo can only be applied to
regions and cannot be applied to region
groups. To conform region groups to the
tempo, ungroup the region group, then ap-
ply Conform to Tempo to the underlying re-
gions, and then regroup those regions.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 765
Graphic Tempo Editor
The Tempo Editor, a resizeable window beneath
the Tempo ruler in the Edit Window, lets you
view and edit tempo information graphically.
Displaying the Tempo Editor
The Tempo Editor is an expansion of the Tempo
ruler, opening in the rulers section of the Edit
Window.
To display the Tempo Editor, do one of the
following:
Select View > Rulers > Tempo, then select
View > Rulers > Tempo > Tempo Editor.
– or –
Click the Tempo Editor expand/collapse
triangle.
Zooming and Scrolling in the
Tempo Editor
To zoom in vertically in the Tempo Editor:
Click the Tempo Editor Zoom In button (“+”).
To zoom out vertically in the Tempo Editor:
Click the Tempo Editor Zoom Out button
(“–”).
To scroll vertically in the Tempo Editor, do any of
the following:
Click the Scroll Up Arrow to scroll up.
Click the Scroll Down Arrow to scroll down.
Drag the Scroll bar up or down.
Editing Tempo Events in the
Tempo Editor
Tempo events in the Tempo Editor can be edited
with any of the following methods:
Individual tempo events can be dragged with
any of the Grabber tools to adjust their location
or value.
A group of selected tempos can be scaled up or
down with the Trimmer tool.
New tempo events can be drawn in with the
Pencil tool to replace existing ones.
Tempo events can be copied and pasted,
nudged, and shifted.
Tempo Editor
Tempo Editor expand/collapse triangle
Tempo events
Tempo Resolution
Tempo Density
Add Tempo Change
Zoom In and Out buttons in the Tempo Editor
Pro Tools Reference Guide766
Drawing Tempo Events
Tempo events can be drawn in the Tempo Editor
using the follow Pencil tool shapes.
Free Hand The Free Hand shape draws freely ac-
cording to the movement of the mouse. The
shape is reproduced as a series of steps according
to the Tempo Edit Density setting. (For more in-
formation, see “Selecting Tempo Edit Density”
on page 767.)
Line The Line shape draws in a straight line from
click to release. Tempo values change in steps
according to the Tempo Edit Density and Reso-
lution.
Parabolic The Parabolic shape draws the best
possible curve to fit your freehand drawing. The
shape is reproduced as a series of steps according
to the Tempo Edit Density setting.
S-Curve The S-Curve shape draws a best possible
fit of an S-Curve to your freehand drawing. The
shape is reproduced as a series of steps according
to the Tempo Edit Density setting.
Selecting Tempo Resolution
(BPM Rate)
The Tempo Editor lets you specify the beat note
value for tempo events by changing the Tempo
Resolution. The beat note value selected for the
Tempo Resolution is usually based on the meter.
For example, in 4/4 the beat is a quarter note
and in 6/8 the beat is (usually) a dotted-quarter
note.
To select the Tempo Resolution (BPM rate) for
Pencil tool edits, do one of the following:
Click the Tempo Resolution selector and se-
lect the appropriate note value from the pop-up
menu. The Tempo Resolution for tempo events
created by drawing with the Pencil tool are set to
the specified note value for the BPM rate.
– or –
Click the Tempo Resolution selector and se-
lect Follow Metronome Click. The Tempo Resolu-
tion for tempo events created by drawing with
the Pencil tool automatically mirror the click
values set by meter events in the Meter ruler.
A tempo curve can have different BPM values if
there are meter click changes within the selected
range.
The Triangle, Square, and Random Pencil
tool shapes do not apply to tempo events.
Tempo Resolution selector and pop-up menu
Because it can be unnecessarily complicated
to set meter events separately for each Tempo
event, selecting Follow Metronome Click is
recommended in most cases.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 767
Selecting Tempo Edit Density
The Tempo Editor lets you specify the density of
tempo events created in the Tempo ruler when
you draw a tempo curve with the Pencil tool.
To select the Tempo Edit Density for Pencil tool
edits:
Click the Tempo Edit Density selector and se-
lect a time value from the pop-up menu. Tempo
events created by drawing with the Pencil tool
are placed in the Tempo ruler at the specified
density.
Curve Adjustment Mode
Immediately after you draw new tempos using
the Pencil tool, a tempo curve appears in blue,
outlining the newly created tempo graph. Blue
adjustment handles on the curve let you adjust
the shape and size of the new tempo graph.
The blue adjustment handles are only active un-
til a new tool is selected or a new command is
executed.
Tempo curve with different click values
Tempo Edit Density selector and pop-up menu
Pressing Start (Windows) or Control (Mac)
before drawing a pencil line conforms
already created tempo events to the drawn
line rather than creating new tempo events.
Quarter note click Dotted-quarter click
Tempo Curve Adjustment handles
All the new tempo events under the curve
will change as you move the Tempo Curve
Adjustment Handles. To adjust the curve
shape without the track data adjusting im-
mediately, press Start (Windows) or Control
(Mac) while adjusting the curve. Tempo
events will change to fit the new curve when
you release the mouse button.
Pro Tools Reference Guide768
Creating New Tempo Settings with
Grabber Tools
The Grabber tools let you create new tempo set-
tings by dragging tempo events in the Tempo
Editor.
To change the tempo of a tempo event:
With the Grabber tool, drag a tempo event up
or down.
To adjust the location of the tempo change:
With the Grabber tool, drag a tempo event to
the left or right.
To remove a tempo event:
With the Grabber tool, Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac) the tempo event.
Selecting Tempo Events
You can easily select a single tempo event, or an
entire tempo curve within the Tempo Editor.
To Select a tempo event in the Tempo Editor:
Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool,
double-click between two tempo events. The
first event is selected.
To Select a tempo curve in the Tempo Editor:
Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool,
triple-click on a horizontal tempo line in the
curve that you want to select.
Extending Tempo Selections
You can extend Tempo selections to the next or
the previous tempo event.
To extend a tempo selection:
1 With the Selector tool, select a range of tempo
events.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Shift+Tab to extend the selection to
the next tempo event.
– or –
• Press Shift+Control+Tab (Windows) or
Shift+Option+Tab (Mac) to extend the se-
lection to the previous tempo event.
Using a Grabber tool to change a tempo event
Selecting a single tempo event
Selecting a tempo curve
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 769
Scaling and Stretching Tempo
Events with the Trimmer Tool
The Trimmer tool lets you scale all the tempo
events of the session, or within a Timeline selec-
tion. The Trimmer tool also lets you stretch a re-
gion of tempo events to cover a longer or shorter
area in the Timeline.
To scale all the session’s tempo events with the
Trimmer tool:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Trimmer tool, click above any tempo
event and drag up or down. Dragging up in-
creases the tempo values for all tempo event in
BPM; dragging down decreases them.
To scale selected tempo events with the Trimmer
tool:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you
want to edit.
3 With the Trimmer tool, click within the se-
lected area, and drag up or down. Dragging up
increases the tempo values of the selection in
BPM; dragging down decreases them.
To adjust the rate of tempo change over absolute
time with the Trimmer tool:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you
want to edit.
3 With the Trimmer tool, click either the start or
end handle for the selected range, and drag up
or down. The BPM values for tempo events scale
accordingly and tempo events scale over a lon-
ger or shorter amount of absolute time.
Changing all tempo events with the Trimmer tool
Changing selected tempo events with the Trimmer tool
Adjusting the rate of tempo change with the
Trimmer tool
Pro Tools Reference Guide770
To scale the duration of tempo changes with the
Trimmer tool:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you
want to edit.
3 With the Trimmer tool, click at the start or end
of the selection, and drag horizontally. Tempo
events do not change in terms of actual BPM
values, but they are scaled over a longer or
shorter amount of absolute time.
Moving, Cutting, Pasting and
Nudging in the Tempo Editor
To move a selected group of tempo events in the
Tempo Editor:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you
want to move.
3 With any Grabber tool, click on any selected
tempo event and drag horizontally to move the
tempo events to a new location.
To copy and Paste tempo events in the Tempo
Editor:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you
want to copy.
3 Choose Edit > Copy.
4 Click in the Tempo Editor at the point where
you want to paste the tempo events.
5 Choose Edit > Paste. Your copied selection is
pasted from the insertion point, replacing any
existing tempo events.
To nudge a selection in the Tempo Editor:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you
want to nudge.
3 Do one of the following:
• On the numeric keypad, press Plus (+) to
move the selected tempo events forward by
the Nudge value.
– or –
• Press Minus (–) to move the selection back
by the Nudge value.
Scaling the duration of selected tempo events with the
Trimmer tool
Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
dragging to move a copy of the tempo
events.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 771
Changing the Linearity Display
Mode
The Timeline can be viewed in either a Linear
Tick (relative) scale or a Linear Sample (absolute)
Time Scale. MIDI and Instrument tracks, audio
tracks, and Tempo curves can appear and func-
tion very differently depending on the timebase
display settings.
The Linearity Display Mode pop-up menu deter-
mines whether the Tempo Editor displays
tempo events in an absolute (samples) timebase
or a relative (ticks) timebase.
Linear Sample Display The display of the Time-
line is sample-based and the location of tick-
based events (like Bars and Beats) shift after a
tempo curve is drawn. That is, as you change
tempo, the location of bars and beats move
against the fixed sample-based Timeline (such as
Minutes:Seconds). When working with sample-
based material, such as when you are tracking or
mixing, make sure that Linear Sample Display is
selected. This is especially true if you intend to
align the tempo and meter map to sample-based
events.
Linear Tick Display The display of tempo events
is tick-based and tempo event Bar|Beat locations
remain constant after the tempo curve is drawn
and all sample-based events move against bar
beat locations in the Timeline. When working
on any tick-based material, such as MIDI notes
or Elastic Audio events, make sure that Linear
Sample Display is selected. This is especially true
if you will be making tempo changes, but want
the bars and beats to remain fixed in the Time-
line.
To change the timebase display:
Click the Linearity Display Mode selector and
select a timebase from the pop-up menu.
Tempo Edit Density and Linearity
Display Mode
When the Tempo Edit Density setting (in the
Tempo Editor) and the Linearity Display Mode
setting are both set to either a Bars|Beats Time
Scale or to an absolute Time Scale, Tempo edits
appear evenly spaced. When the Tempo Edit
Density setting and the Linearity Display Mode
setting are set so that one is set to an absolute
Time Scale and the other is set to a Bars|Beats
Time Scale, the number of Tempo edits appear
to increase or decrease over time (against abso-
lute time).
Linearity Display Mode selector and pop-up menu
Drawing tempo events using the Linear
Sample Display causes Bar|Beat based
material to move. This can make it difficult
to work on tick-based material. In most
cases, you will want to use Linear Tick Dis-
play when drawing tempo changes.
Pro Tools Reference Guide772
Tempo Operations Window
The Tempo Operations window lets you define
tempo events over a range of time (or measures).
The time range is specified in the time format
chosen for your Main Time Scale. In addition,
the Tempo Operations window lets you:
• Fit a specific number of Bars|Beats into a
precise time range.
• Create tempos that speed up or slow down,
both linearly and over various curves.
• Scale and stretch existing tempos.
The Tempo Operations window has six pages,
one for each type of tempo operation.
Constant Lets you create a constant tempo over
a selected range of time.
Linear Lets you create tempos that change
evenly over a selected range of time.
Parabolic Lets you create tempos that accelerate
or decelerate following a tempo curve that
changes the tempo more rapidly or less rapidly
over the selection time.
S-Curve Lets you create tempos that accelerate or
decelerate following a tempo curve with a defin-
able breakpoint that determines mid-curve
times and tempo values.
Scale Lets you scale tempos within the selection
by a percentage amount.
Stretch Lets you select a region of tempo events
and apply them to a larger or smaller selection
area.
To open a specific Tempo Operations window
page:
Choose Event > Tempo Operations, followed by
one of the Tempo Operations page commands
(such as Constant).
To open the last active Tempo Operations window
page:
Choose Event > Tempo Operations > Tempo Op-
erations Window.
To define tempo events over a range of time:
1 Make a selection in the Timebase or in a track.
2 Choose Event > Tempo Operations > Tempo Op-
erations Window.
3 Select a Tempo Operation page from the pop-
up menu at the top of the Tempo Operation
window.
4 Change the settings for the page you have
chosen, as necessary.
5 Do one of the following:
• Click Apply.
– or –
• Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) to
automatically apply the values and close
the window.
The Tempo Operations window is not avail-
able in Manual Tempo mode.
If the Tempo Operations window is already
open, you can select any of the pages from
the pop-up menu at the top of the window.
Press Alt+2 (Windows) or Option+2
(Mac) on the number keypad to open the
Tempo Operations window and display
the last active Tempo Operations page.
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 773
Constant
The Constant page in the Tempo Operations
window lets you create a constant tempo over a
selected range of time.
Advanced When the Advanced checkbox is se-
lected, the selection range changes to the Main
Time Scale format, and additional and modified
options become available.
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either
the tempo, or the selection end time.
Selection Start and End Specifies the start and
end point for the tempo change in Bars|Beats.
When an Edit selection is made, the Start and
End fields will display the selection boundaries.
End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the selec-
tion end time. When the Main Time Scale is set
to Bars|Beats, the end time is displayed in the
Sub Time Scale. When the Main Time Scale is set
to any absolute timebase, the end time is calcu-
lated and displayed in Bars|Beats. Changing the
end time value causes the tempo to change.
Tempo Specifies the tempo, in beats per minute
(BPM), to apply to the selected range.
Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the
BPM note value for your tempo setting.
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the
density of the tempo change events written to
the Tempo ruler.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the
selection end point is preserved after the selec-
tion. If unselected, the last tempo event created
by the tempo operation continues to the end of
the session, or until the next tempo event be-
yond the selected range.
Linear
The Linear page in the Tempo Operations win-
dow lets you create tempos that change evenly
over a selected range of time.
Advanced When the Advanced checkbox is se-
lected, the selection range changes to the Main
Time Scale format, and additional and modified
options become available.
Constant page (Advanced Option)
Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set
the tempo BPM note value to mirror the
click value set in the meter markers.
Linear page (Advanced Option)
Pro Tools Reference Guide774
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either
the selection end time, the start tempo, or the
end tempo.
Selection Start and End Displays the start and
end points for the tempo change in the cur-
rently selected Main timebase. When an Edit se-
lection is made, the Start and End fields will dis-
play the selection boundaries. Changing start or
end values changes the selection range.
End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the abso-
lute time for the selection end. When the Main
Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time is
displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main
Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the
end time is calculated and displayed in
Bars|Beats. Changing the end time value causes
the tempo to change.
Tempo Start and End Displays the tempo, in
beats per minute (BPM), for the start and end
points of the selected range. Changing the
tempo causes the end time value to change.
Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the
BPM note value for your tempo setting.
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the
density of the tempo change events written to
the Tempo ruler.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the
selection end point is preserved after the selec-
tion. If unselected, the last tempo event created
by the tempo operation continues to the end of
the session, or until the next tempo event be-
yond the selected range.
Parabolic
The Parabolic page in the Tempo Operations
window lets you create tempos that accelerate or
decelerate by following a tempo curve, which
changes the tempo more rapidly or less rapidly
over the selection time.
Advanced When the Advanced checkbox is se-
lected, the selection range changes to the Main
Time Scale format, and additional and modified
options become available.
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates the se-
lection end time, the start tempo, the end
tempo, or the curvature of the tempo change.
Selection Start and End Displays the start and
end points for the tempo change in the cur-
rently selected Main timebase. When an Edit se-
lection is made, the Start and End fields will dis-
play the selection boundaries. Changing start or
end values changes the selection range.
Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set
the tempo BPM note value to mirror the
click value set in the meter markers.
Parabolic page (Advanced Option)
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 775
End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the abso-
lute time for the selection end. When the Main
Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time is
displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main
Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the
end time is calculated and displayed in
Bars|Beats. Changing the end time value causes
the tempo to change.
Tempo Start and End Displays the tempo, in
beats per minute (BPM), for the start and end
points of the selected range. Changing the
tempo causes the end time value to change.
Curvature Specifies and displays a numerical and
graphic representation of the tempo curve. Neg-
ative numbers indicate a more rapid tempo
change at the beginning of the time range, and
positive numbers indicate a more rapid tempo
change at the end of the time range. This value
can be set with the Curvature slider.
Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the
BPM note value for your tempo setting.
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the
density of the tempo change events written to
the Tempo ruler.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the
selection end point is preserved after the selec-
tion. If unselected, the last tempo event created
by the tempo operation continues to the end of
the session, or until the next tempo event be-
yond the selected range.
S-Curve
The S-Curve page in the Tempo Operations win-
dow lets you create tempos that accelerate or de-
celerate by following a tempo curve with a de-
finable breakpoint that determines mid-curve
times and tempo values.
Advanced When the Advanced checkbox is se-
lected, the selection range changes to the Main
Time Scale format, and additional and modified
options become available.
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either
the selection end time, the start tempo, the end
tempo or the curvature of the tempo change.
Selection Start and End Displays the start and
end points for the tempo change in the cur-
rently selected Main timebase. When an Edit se-
lection is made, the Start and End fields will dis-
play the selection boundaries. Changing start or
end values changes the selection range.
Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set
the tempo BPM note value to mirror the
click value set in the meter markers.
S-Curve page (Advanced Option)
Pro Tools Reference Guide776
Start and End Time (Advanced Option) Displays
the absolute time for the selection end. When
the Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end
time is displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When
the Main Time Scale is set to any absolute time-
base, the end time is calculated and displayed in
Bars|Beats.
Tempo Start and End Displays the tempo, in
beats per minute (BPM), for the start and end
points of the selected range. Changing the
tempo causes the end time value to change.
Curvature Specifies and displays a numerical and
graphic representation of the tempo curve. Neg-
ative numbers indicate a more rapid tempo
change at the start and end of the of the time
range, with a low rate of change around the
midpoint. Positive numbers indicate a low rate
of change near the start and end of the selected
range, with rapid tempo change around the
midpoint. This value can be set with the Curva-
ture slider.
Mid Point Specifies the Main Time Scale location
for the curve mid point. This value can be set
with the Mid Point slider.
Mid Tempo Specifies the tempo at the mid point.
This value can be set with the Mid Tempo slider.
Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the
BPM note value for your tempo setting.
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the
density of the tempo change events written to
the Tempo ruler.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the
selection end point is preserved after the selec-
tion. If unselected, the last tempo event created
by the tempo operation continues to the end of
the session, or until the next tempo event be-
yond the selected range.
Scale
The Scale page in the Tempo Operations win-
dow lets you scale tempos within the selection
by a percentage amount.
Advanced When the Advanced checkbox is se-
lected, the selection range changes to the Main
Time Scale format, and additional and modified
options become available.
Calculate (Advanced Option) In combination
with settings chosen in the Scale pop-up menu,
the Calculate pop-up menu lets you calculate
the selection end time, the average tempo, the
start tempo, or the end tempo.
Select “Follow Metronome Click” will set
the tempo BPM note value to mirror the
click value set in the meter markers.
Scale page (Advanced Option)
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 777
Scale (Advanced Option) In combination with
settings chosen in the Calculate pop-up menu,
the Scale pop-up menu lets you scale all tempos,
the start tempo, or the end tempo.
Scaling all tempos scales each tempo in the se-
lected range equally. Scaling the start tempo
scales the tempos unevenly, scaling the first
tempo event the most, scaling each consecutive
tempo event less until the end tempo which is
not scaled. Scaling the end tempo scales the
tempos unevenly, scaling the last tempo the
most, scaling each previous tempo event less
until the start tempo which is not scaled.
Selection Start and End Displays the start and
end points for the tempo operation in the cur-
rently selected Main timebase. When an Edit se-
lection is made, the Start and End fields will dis-
play the selection boundaries. Changing start or
end values changes the selection range.
Start and End Time Displays the absolute time
for the selection start and end points. When the
Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, times are
displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main
Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, times
are calculated and displayed in Bars|Beats.
Average Tempo Displays the Average Tempo, in
beats per minute (BPM), across the selected
range. Changing the Average Tempo changes
the Scale percentage.
Scale Displays the percentage by which the
tempo is scaled, in beats per minute (BPM),
across the selected range. Changing Scale
changes Average Tempo.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the
selection end point is preserved after the selec-
tion. If unselected, the last tempo event created
by the tempo operation continues to the end of
the session, or until the next tempo event be-
yond the selected range.
Stretch
The Stretch page in the Tempo Operations win-
dow lets you select a region of tempo events and
apply them to a larger or smaller selection area.
Advanced When the Advanced checkbox is se-
lected, the selection range changes to the Main
Time Scale format, and additional and modified
options become available.
Selection Start and End Specifies the range of
tempo events that you want to modify. When
an Edit selection is made, the Start and End
fields will display the selection boundaries.
Stretch To End Specifies a new end point for the
region to which you want to apply the selected
tempo events. Changing the end point causes
the Stretch percentage to change.
Stretch page (Advanced Option)
Pro Tools Reference Guide778
Stretch To Start (Advanced Option) Specifies a
new start point for the region to which you
want to apply the selected tempo events.
Changing the end point causes the Stretch per-
centage to change.
Stretch Specifies the percentage of time for the
the selected tempo events to cover.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the
selection end point is preserved after the selec-
tion. If unselected, the last tempo event created
by the tempo operation continues to the end of
the session, or until the next tempo event be-
yond the selected range.
Identify Beat Command
The Identify Beat command lets you establish a
tempo/meter map for audio that was recorded
without a click, or for imported audio with un-
known tempos.
The Identify Beat command analyzes a selection
range (usually with a distinct number of beats or
measures) and calculates its tempo based on the
specified meter. In doing this, Bar|Beat Markers
for the calculated tempo are inserted and appear
in the Tempo ruler at the beginning and end of
the selection; in addition, meter events are in-
serted into the Meter ruler.
Bar|Beat Markers
Bar|Beat Markers look similar to tempo events,
but instead have small blue triangles to indicate
their location.
Choosing Bar|Beat Markers or
Tempo Events
Because tempo events are tick-based, and
Bar|Beat Markers are sample-based, they cannot
be mixed. If a session contains tempo events
and you attempt to insert Bar|Beat Markers, ex-
isting tempo events are converted to Bar|Beat
Markers (and vice versa).
Tempo events can also be manually converted
to Bar|Beat Markers and vice versa. When con-
verting between Tempo events and Bar|Beat
Markers, some amount of sample rounding may
occur.
To use either tempo events or Bar|Beat Markers:
1 Press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and click the Add Tempo Change button.
2 Select either Tempo Events or Bar|Beat Markers
from the pop-up menu.
Use Beat Detective to generate Bar|Beat
Markers within a selection that includes
rhythmic changes on beats or sub-beats (see
Chapter 31, “Beat Detective”).
Bar|Beat Marker
Tempo ruler pop-up menu
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 779
Identifying Beats
Identifying the beat of a one-bar drum loop and
creating Bar|Beat Markers for it:
1 Place a one-bar drum loop at the beginning of
an audio track.
2 Select View > Rulers > Samples. This ensures
that the selected audio material will be sample-
accurate.
3 Select the audio region with the Time Grabber
tool and choose Event > Identify Beat.
4 In the Bar|Beat Markers dialog, specify the
start and end locations for the inserted Bar|Beat
Markers. Since this example deals with a one-bar
loop, enter 1|1|000 and 2|1|000.
5 If necessary, specify a time signature for the
start and end range.
6 Click OK to automatically calculate the new
tempo and insert the necessary Bar|Beat Markers
and meter events. Any existing tempo and me-
ter events residing within the selection are de-
leted.
When working with a selection, the Identify Beat
command only calculates a single tempo for the
selected range. If the tempo varies from measure
to measure, or beat to beat, you’ll need to use
the Identify Beat command for each tempo vari-
ance (making sure to accurately define a precise
selection range or beat location for the tempo
change).
To accurately define tempos for a range of audio
with the Identify Beat command, make certain
that the initial selection represents an accurate
length of bars and beats. You may want to first
loop the selection on playback to see if it plays
accurately (see “Loop Playback Mode” on
page 418). To avoid drift, and remain sample-ac-
curate, select the audio material with the Time
Scale set to Samples rather than Bars|Beats.
Identify Beat dialog
Bar|Beat Markers inserted
When identifying beats, select as large an
area as possible. For example, if you
have a four-bar-long audio file you want to
identify, select the entire four bars instead
of just one bar, in order to minimize round-
ing errors (see “Sample Rounding and Edit
Operations” on page 758).
Pro Tools Reference Guide780
Dragging Bar|Beat Markers
Bar|Beat Markers can be dragged to new loca-
tions so they can align with audio regions that
have been moved, or so that they can align to a
slightly different point within an audio region.
This results in neighboring MIDI data being ad-
justed to align with the new tempo map.
Because Bar|Beat Markers are sample-based and
tempo events are tick-based, they behave differ-
ently when you drag them in the Tempo ruler.
When dragging a Bar|Beat Marker:
• Its BPM value is recalculated along with the
Bar|Beat Marker to its immediate left. Bar|Beat
Markers to the right of the dragged marker re-
main unchanged.
• Its bar and beat location is dragged with the
Bar|Beat Marker. If the Bar|Beat Marker was
originally placed at 3|1|000, it remains there
(unless it is edited).
• Its sample and SMPTE locations change, as
calculated for by the new tempo for the
Bar|Beat Marker.
• Neighboring MIDI events, along with the
Bars|Beats ruler, shrink or expand as necessary
to adjust for the new tempo.
When dragging a tempo event:
• The tempo event is placed at a new bar and
beat location. The sample and SMPTE loca-
tions for the event are updated as well.
• The BPM value for the dragged tempo event
remains constant, as do any other tempo
events in the session.
• Neighboring MIDI events and audio regions
on tick-based tracks, along with the ruler,
shrink or expand as necessary to adjust for the
new tempo location.
Editing Bar|Beat Markers
A Bar|Beat Marker can be edited to redefine its
bar and beat location, which also redefines the
start or end point of the range being analyzed
for tempo. This is different from dragging a
Bar|Beat Marker.
To edit a Bar|Beat Marker:
1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the Bar|Beat
Marker.
2 In the Edit Bar|Beat dialog, enter a new Loca-
tion for the Bar|Beat Marker.
3 Enter a new Time Signature.
4 Click OK.
To delete a Bar|Beat Marker:
With the Grabber tool, Alt-click (Windows) or
Option-click (Mac) the Bar|Beat Marker.
Dragging a Bar|Beat Marker
Edit Bar|Beat dialog
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 781
Inserting Bar|Beat Markers One at
a Time
Sample-Based Material with Varying Tempos
You can insert Bar|Beat Markers one at a time by
setting an Edit insertion point (instead of mak-
ing a selection) before using the Identify Beat
command. The ability to identify each beat, one
at a time, is especially useful when working with
sample-based material with varying tempos.
For instance, if you have a measure that acceler-
ates slightly, you can insert a Bar|Beat Marker on
each beat so the tempo is accurately reflected.
After the Bar|Beat Markers are inserted, further
adjustments in the tempo map are possible by
dragging each of the Markers, as necessary, to
align with the associated beat within the audio.
Meter Events
You can change meter in the Meter ruler, or
make precise meter changes in the Time Opera-
tions window.
Meter events can be inserted at the beginning of
a session to replace the default meter (of 4/4),
and they can be inserted anywhere within the
session for additional meter changes.
To display the Meter ruler:
Select View > Rulers > Meter.
Current Meter
As meter events are encountered during play-
back, the session’s current meter is displayed in
the Transport window.
Bar|Beat Markers on each beat
Current meter displayed in Transport window
Pro Tools Reference Guide782
Inserting Meter Events
To insert a meter event:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Event > Time Operations > Change
Meter.
• Click the Add Meter Change button at the
right of the Meter ruler.
• With the Grabber, Start-click (Windows) or
Control-click (Mac) at the location where
you want to insert the event.
• Double click the meter display in the Trans-
port window.
2 In the Meter Change window, do the follow-
ing:
• Enter the Location and Meter for the meter
change.
– and –
• If you want the inserted meter event to fall
cleanly on the first beat of the nearest mea-
sure, select the Snap To Bar option.
3 Select a note value for the number of clicks to
sound in each measure. For a dotted-note click
value, select the dot (.) option.
4 Click OK to insert the new meter event. The
new meter event is inserted and appears in the
Meter ruler.
Each meter event has a small yellow triangle
next to it that indicates its location. These trian-
gles can be selected for copying and pasting, and
they can be double-clicked to edit the meter
event.
Add Meter Change button
Manually inserting a meter event
Current meter displayed in Transport window
Meter Change window
For some meters, it may be desirable to use
a dotted value for the click. For instance, if
using a meter of 6/8, a dotted quarter note
click (yielding two clicks per measure) is
generally more suitable than a straight
eighth note click (six clicks per measure).
Inserted meter event
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 783
Editing Meter Events
Existing meter events can be edited, deleted,
copied, and pasted.
To edit a meter event:
1 In the Meter ruler, double-click the meter
event.
2 In the Meter Change dialog, enter a new Loca-
tion or Meter for the event.
3 Click OK.
To delete a meter event:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
meter event.
To copy and paste several meter events:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Drag in the Meter ruler to select the range that
includes the meter events.
If the beginning of the selection includes a me-
ter event, press Control (Windows) or Com-
mand (Mac) so the Selector tool appears.
3 Choose Edit > Copy.
4 Click in the Meter ruler at the point where you
want to paste the meter events.
5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip-
board are pasted from the insertion point, re-
placing any existing meter events.
To extend an Edit selection in a track to the Meter
ruler:
1 Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool, se-
lect a track range.
2 Shift-click in the Meter ruler.
Shift-click again in the Meter ruler to remove it
from the selection.
To select all meter events:
With the Selector tool, double-click in the Me-
ter ruler.
To clear a range of selected meter events:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Drag in the Meter ruler to select the meter
events you want to remove.
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected me-
ter events.
Partial Measures
As necessary, Pro Tools will create a partial mea-
sure to accommodate the inserted meter event.
When a meter event is preceded by a partial
measure, the meter event is displayed in italics
in the Meter ruler.
Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
dragging to select across all Conductor tracks.
Partial measure of 4/4
Pro Tools Reference Guide784
Partial measures can also occur when pasting
meter events to locations other than the first
beat of a measure.
Time Operations
The Time Operations window lets you:
• Change Meter
•Insert Time
•Cut Time
• Move Song Start
To open a specific Time Operations window:
Choose Event > Time Operations, followed by
one of the Time Operations commands (such as
Change Meter).
To open the last active Time Operations window:
Choose Event > Time Operations > Time Opera-
tions Window.
Change Meter
Change Meter in the Time Operation window
lets you specify complex meter changes for
Bar|Beat-based material. You can enter meter
changes at a particular bar, make a meter change
over a selected area of time, or add meter
changes sequentially one bar at a time.
Change Meter Examples
To change the meter over a range of bars:
1 Do one of the following:
• Drag with the Selector tool to select a range
of bars to change.
– or –
• To have the meter change apply until the
next meter event, click where you want the
meter change to begin with the Selector
tool. The meter change will be made at the
beginning of the nearest bar.
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Change Me-
ter.
To insert meter events while avoiding partial
bars, use the Change Meter command in the
Time Operations window. See “Change Me-
ter” on page 784.
If the Time Operations window is already
open, you can select any Time Operation
from the pop-up menu at the top of the
window.
Press Alt+1 (Windows) or Option+1
(Mac) on the number keypad to open the
Time Operations window and display the
last active Time Operations window.
Change Meter window
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 785
3 Specify a new meter and click setting.
Pro Tools will automatically set the selection op-
tions to fit the new meter to the selected range
as closely as possible, adding or subtracting
beats a necessary.
4 Select To Selected Range in the Apply Change
pop-up menu.
5 Select which rulers and tracks you want to re-
align after meter changes have been made.
6 Click Apply.
To add a series of meter changes, one measure at
a time:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Selector tool, click where you
want the meter change to begin. The meter
change will be made at the beginning the
nearest bar.
– or –
• Enter the first measure number in the Start-
ing At Bar field.
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Change Me-
ter.
3 Specify a new meter and click setting.
4 Select Until the Next Bar from the Apply Change
To pop-up menu.
5 Click Apply to enter the new meter and to
move the insertion point to the end of the new
measure.
6 Specify a new meter and click setting for the
next measure.
7 Repeat steps 5–6 for every additional meter
change you want to insert.
Change Meter Options
Options for the Change Meter command include:
New Meter Lets you specify a new time signa-
ture. The first field lets you enter the number of
beats (up to 99) in a measure, and the second
field lets you enter the note length that counts
as one beat.
Click Lets you specify the note value that will
trigger the metronome click. For example, if an
eighth note is chosen, a click is played for every
eighth note, regardless of tempo.
Starting at Bar Sets the bar where the meter
change is added. Meter changes made in the
Change Meter page can only be made at the be-
ginning of a bar.
Apply Change To Lets you apply the meter
change to the selected range, to the end of the
session, or until the next bar.
Change The Change fields let you specify the
number of bars of the new meter that you want
to have replace the selected range.
Pro Tools automatically calculates the nearest
whole bar number, or you can specify a number
of bars to be affected. Time is inserted or deleted,
in whole bar increments, at the end of the selec-
tion, as necessary on all affected tracks when
you override the calculated range.
Pro Tools Reference Guide786
Realign
The Realign controls let you choose which items
to realign after a meter change has been made.
You can choose to realign meter events, or
choose to realign meter and tempo events, tick-
based markers and tracks, and also all or none of
the sample-based markers and tracks.
Meter Ruler Only Applies the meter change and
realigns only the Meter ruler. All other rulers
and tracks are unaffected.
Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, all Tick-
Based Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based
Markers and Tracks Applies the meter change
and realigns the Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord
rulers, and all tick-based markers and tracks. Us-
ing the pop-up menu, you can also choose to re-
align All or No sample-based markers and tracks.
Time is inserted or deleted as needed at the end
of the selection to preserve the alignment of ma-
terial following the selection.
Insert Time
Insert Time in the Time Operation window lets
you insert an amount of blank time (silence)
into Conductor rulers, MIDI tracks, and audio
tracks.
Insert Time Example
To insert four empty measures of 4/4 time into a
session:
1 Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Insert Time.
3 Enter the measure where you want to insert
the measures in the Start field.
4 Enter four measures in the Length field.
5 Select the Realign option for Meter, Tempo,
Key, and Chord Rulers, Tick-Based Markers and
Tracks and All Sample-Based Markers and Tracks.
6 Click Apply.
Insert Time window
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 787
Insert Time Options
Options for the Insert Time command include:
Start, End, and Length Sets the start and end
points for the selection, and the selection
length.
Set Meter If your Main Time Scale is Bars|Beats,
Set Meter lets you specify a new meter for the in-
serted time. The selection is quantized to the
nearest bars, and the previous meter is inserted
after the selection. If your Main Time Scale is
sample-based, Set Meter is not available.
Realign
The Realign settings let you select which items
shift (occur later) when time is inserted, as fol-
lows:
• If your Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats,
you can choose to realign meter events only,
or choose to realign a combination of Meter
and Tempo rulers, all tick-based markers and
tracks, and your choice of sample-based
tracks.
• If your Main Time Scale is set to an absolute
timebase (such as Min:Secs), you can choose
to independently realign conductor events,
tick-based markers and tracks, and your
choice of sample-based tracks.
Meter Ruler Only If your Main Time Scale is
Bars|Beats, you have the option to insert time
into the Meter ruler only. Meter events after the
start point of the selection are shifted past the
end point by the length of time selection.
If your Main Time Scale is sample-based, Realign
Meter Ruler Only is not available.
Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, Tick-Based
Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based Markers
and Tracks Lets you insert time into the Meter,
Tempo, Key, and Chord rulers, and all tick-based
markers and tracks. Events after the start point
of the selection are shifted past the end point by
the length of time inserted.
If the Timeline selection includes any audio re-
gions on tick-based tracks, the audio regions are
separated at the Start point, and the new region
containing the previous selection is shifted to
the end point.
Using the pop-up menu, you can also choose to
insert time into All or No sample-based markers
and tracks. If All is selected and the selection in-
cludes any audio regions on sample-based
tracks, the selected portions of the audio regions
are separated at the Start point, and the new re-
gion containing the previous selection is shifted
to the end point.
Pro Tools Reference Guide788
Cut Time
Cut Time in the Time Operation window lets you
cut a specified amount of time (both Timebase
and track data) from Conductor rulers, MIDI
tracks, and audio tracks.
Cut Time Example
To cut thirty seconds of time from a session:
1 Set the Main Time Scale to Minutes:Seconds.
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Cut Time.
3 With the Selector tool, click at the beginning
of the area that you want to cut.
4 Enter thirty seconds (0:30.000) in the Length
field.
5 Select the Realign option for Meter, Tempo,
Key, and Chord Rulers, all Tick-Based Markers and
Tracks and All Sample-Based Markers and Tracks.
6 Click Apply.
Cut Time Options
Options for the Cut Time command include:
Start, End, and Length Sets the start and end
points for the selection, and the selection
length.
Realign
The Realign controls let you choose which items
shift when time is cut, as follows:
• If your Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats,
you can choose to realign meter events only,
or choose to realign a combination of Meter
and Tempo rulers together, all tick-based
markers and tracks, and your choice of sam-
ple-based tracks.
• If your Main Time Scale is set to an absolute
timebase (such as Min:Secs), you can choose
to independently realign conductor events,
tick-based markers and tracks, and your
choice of sample-based tracks.
Meter Ruler Only If your Main Time Scale is
Bars|Beats, you have the option to remove time
from the Meter ruler only. Meter events within
the selection are removed, and meter events
that occur after the end point of the selection
are shifted to the selection start point.
If your Main Time Scale is sample-based, Realign
Meter Ruler Only is not available.
Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, Tick-Based
Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based Markers
and Tracks Cuts time and realigns the Meter,
Tempo, Key, and Chord rulers, and all tick-based
markers and tracks.
If the time selection includes any tick-based re-
gions, the selected area of the regions is deleted,
and regions following the selection are shifted
forward.
Cut Time window
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 789
Using the pop-up menu, you can also choose to
cut time from All or No sample-based markers
and tracks. If All is selected and the selection in-
cludes any audio regions on sample-based
tracks, the selected area of the regions is deleted,
and regions following the selection are shifted
forward.
Move Song Start
Move Song Start in the Time Operation window
lets you redefine the location of the Song Start
Marker.
Move Song Start Example
To move the Song Start Marker to 15 seconds on
the Timeline:
1 Choose Event > Time Operations > Move Song
Start.
2 Select Minutes:Seconds from the Timebase
pop-up menu.
3 In the Move Song Start To field, enter
“0:15:000” to move the song start forward by 15
seconds.
4 If you want to renumber the bars so that the
Song Start Marker sits at a different bar, select
the Renumber Song Start option, and enter the
bar number.
5 Select whether you want to move All or No
sample-based markers and tracks.
6 Click Apply.
Move Song Start Options
Options for the Move Song Start command in-
clude:
Timebase Lets you precisely redefine the posi-
tion of the Song Start Marker measured by any
supported timebase.
Move Start To Sets the location for the Song
Start Marker in the chosen timebase.
Renumber Song Start To When enabled, this lets
you set the Song Start Marker to any bar
number.
Move
The Move controls let you choose which items
shift when the Song Start is moved, as follows:
Song Start Only Moves the Song Start Marker
only.
Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, all Tick-
Based Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based
Markers and Tracks Moves the Song Start
Marker, events in the Meter, Tempo, Key, and
Chord rulers, all tick-based markers and tracks,
and your choice of all or no sample-based mark-
ers and tracks.
Move Song Start window
Pro Tools Reference Guide790
Renumbering Bars
You can use the Renumber Bars command to re-
number all bars in the session, effectively chang-
ing the bar locations for all regions, meter and
tempo events while leaving their position in-
tact. In doing so, however, the SMPTE and sam-
ple locations of the session data are not
changed.
To renumber bars:
1 Choose Event > Renumber Bars.
2 Specify the bar you want to renumber, along
with the new bar number, then click Renumber.
Key Signatures
The Key Signature ruler lets you add key signa-
tures to Pro Tools sessions. Key signatures can be
imported and exported with MIDI data. This is
especially useful when exporting MIDI se-
quences for use in notation programs like Sibel-
ius (see “Exporting Sibelius Files” on page 376).
The default key signature is C major.
Key Signature Ruler
The Key Signature ruler lets you add, edit, and
delete key signatures. You can use key signatures
to indicate key and key changes in your
Pro Tools session. Key signatures can also be
used for certain diatonic functions, such as
transposing in key or constraining pitches to the
specified key.
To view the Key Signature ruler, do one of the
following:
Select View > Rulers > Key Signature.
– or –
From the Ruler View selector in the Edit win-
dow, select Key.
You can also show or hide the Key Signature
Staff for the Key Signatures ruler.
To view the staff for the Key Signature ruler:
1 Show the Key Signature ruler.
2 Do one of the following:
• Select View > Rulers > Key Signature Staff.
– or –
• Click the Show/Hide triangle on the Key
Signature ruler.
Renumber Bars dialog
Key Signature ruler
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 791
Changing Key Signatures
You can add, edit, or delete key signatures.
To add a key signature:
1 Place the cursor in the Timeline where you
want to add a key signature.
2 Do one of the following:
•Choose Event > Add Key Change.
– or –
• Click the Plus (+) button in the Key Signa-
ture ruler.
3 In the Key Change dialog, select the mode
(major or minor), the key, its location and range,
and how you want it to affect pitched tracks.
4 Click OK.
To edit a key signature:
1 Double-click the Key Signature marker in the
Key Signature ruler.
2 Make changes in the Key Change dialog.
3 Click OK.
To delete a key signature, do one of the following:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Key Signature marker in the Key Signature ruler.
– or –
Make a selection in the Key Signature ruler
that includes the key signature you want to de-
lete and choose Edit > Clear or press Delete.
Key Change Dialog
The Key Change dialog lets you specify the
mode (major or minor), the key (from seven
flats to seven sharps), the range affected (for ex-
ample, from Bar 1 to the next key change), and
whether or not MIDI notes on pitched tracks are
transposed or constrained to key (see “Pitched
Tracks” on page 792). The Key Change dialog
opens whenever you add or edit a Key Signature
marker.
Major Keys Displays the major keys from seven
flats to seven sharps.
Minor Keys Displays the minor keys from seven
flats to seven sharps. Pro Tools only applies the
natural minor mode.
Sharps Lets you select any of the sharp keys to
seven sharps and C major (or A minor).
Flats Lets you select any of the flat keys to seven
flats and C major (or A minor).
From Lets you specify where to place the Key Sig-
nature marker in Bars|Beats.
To Lets you specify to where you want the key
change to take effect: to the next Key Signature
marker, to a selection, or to the end of the ses-
sion.
Snap to Bar Snaps the Key Signature marker to
the barline.
Key Change dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide792
Edit Pitched Tracks Enabling the Edit Pitched
Tracks option lets you transpose existing MIDI
notes on Pitched tracks up or down, either dia-
tonically or chromatically based on the key
change, or constrain pitches to the new key. For
more information on Pitched tracks, see
“Pitched Tracks” on page 792.
Transpose When the Edit Pitched Tracks option
is enabled, lets you transpose existing MIDI
notes on Pitched tracks up or down, diatonically
or chromatically. For example, if the session is
in C major and you are adding a key change to D
minor, select Edit Pitched Tracks, Transpose,
Up, and Diatonically to transpose notes on
Pitched tracks up a whole step and then lower
the third, sixth, and seventh scale degrees by a
half step. The sequence C, D, E is transposed to
D, E, F (natural, rather than sharp as happens
when transposing chromatically).
When transposing diatonically, chromatic
notes are maintained when changing key. For
example, when changing key from C major to E
major, the note B-flat is transposed to D-natural.
This lets you maintain “blue-notes” when
changing keys and applying diatonic transposi-
tion.
Constrain Pitches To Key When the Edit Pitched
Tracks option is enabled, lets you constrain
pitches to the notes of the new key. This means
that any diatonic pitches of the old key on
Pitched tracks that are not in the new key are in-
dividually transposed to the nearest diatonic
pitch of the new key. For example, when chang-
ing from C major to D major, the sequence C, D,
E, F, G changes to C-sharp, D, E, F-sharp, G.
Constraining pitches to key also constrains any
chromatic pitches to the new diatonic scale. For
example, when changing from C major to D ma-
jor, the sequence C, D, D-sharp, E changes to C-
sharp, D, D, E.
Pitched Tracks
Pitched tracks are MIDI or Instrument tracks
that can be affected by transpositions due to key
changes (including constrain to key). MIDI and
Instrument tracks are “pitched” by default.
However, if you have MIDI or Instrument tracks
assigned to drum machines or samplers, you do
not want those tracks to be affected by key
changes because of key mappings. You can dese-
lect the Pitched option for specific MIDI and In-
strument tracks so that they will not be affected
by key changes.
To select (or deselect) Pitched tracks:
Click the track’s Playlist selector and select (or
deselect) the Pitched option.
Pitched enabled in Playlist selector
Chapter 36: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 793
Importing Key Signatures
When importing MIDI (or session data with
MIDI), you can select whether or not to import
any key signatures stored in MIDI files.
Import MIDI
The Import MIDI dialog includes the Import Key
Signature from MIDI File option. When selected,
key signatures (if present) are imported into
Pro Tools with any other MIDI data.
Import Session Data
The Import Session Data dialog includes the Im-
port Key Signature/Chord Map option. When se-
lected, key signatures (if present) and chord
markers (if present) are imported into the cur-
rent session with the imported session data.
Chord Symbols
The Chord Symbols ruler lets you add chord
symbols to Pro Tools sessions in the Edit win-
dow and in MIDI Editor windows. You can also
add chord symbols and diagrams in the Score
Editor (“Chord Symbols and Diagrams” on
page 738).
Chord symbols have no effect on MIDI data.
Also, chord symbols are not included when ex-
porting MIDI data from Pro Tools to a MIDI file,
but they are included when exporting to a Sibel-
ius file (.sib) or when using the Send to Sibelius
command.
Chord Symbols Ruler
The Chord Symbols ruler lets you add, edit, and
delete chord symbols. You can use chord sym-
bols to indicate the chord changes in your
Pro Tools session.
To view the Chord Symbols ruler, do one of the
following:
Select View > Rulers > Chord Symbols.
– or –
From the Ruler View selector in the Edit win-
dow or in a MIDI Editor window, select Chords.
Import MIDI dialog
Import Session Data
Chord Symbols ruler
Chords ruler
Add Chord Symbol
Chord Symbol markers
Pro Tools Reference Guide794
To add a chord symbol:
1 Place the cursor in the Timeline where you
want to add a chord symbol.
2 Do one of the following:
• Place the cursor in the timeline, then click
the Plus (+) button in the Chords ruler.
– or –
• While pressing the Start key (Windows) or
Control (Mac), move the cursor into the
Chords ruler (where the cursor changes to
the Grabber with a “+”) and click at the lo-
cation where you want to place the chord
symbol.
3 In the Chord Change dialog, select the name
for the root of the chord, the chord quality, the
bass note of the chord, and the chord diagram
(chord diagrams are only displayed in the Score
Editor).
4 Click OK.
To change a chord symbol:
1 Double-click the Chord Symbol marker in the
Chord Symbol ruler.
2 Make changes in the Chord Change dialog.
3 Click OK.
To move a chord symbol:
Drag the Chord Symbol marker to a new time
location.
To delete a chord symbol, do one of the following:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Chord Symbol marker in the Chords ruler.
– or –
Make a selection in the Chords ruler that in-
cludes the chord symbols you want to delete
and choose Edit > Clear or press Delete.
Chord Change Dialog
The Chord Change dialog lets you specify a
commercial chord symbol and chord diagram
(guitar tab) to place in the Chords ruler or on the
score in the Score Editor. The Chord Change di-
alog opens whenever you add or edit a Chord
marker.
Chord Select the name for the root of the Chord
(such as D).
Chord Quality Select the chord quality from the
selector (such as major or minor).
Bass Select the bass note of the chord (such as B-
flat for a G minor chord in first inversion).
Chord Diagram Select the chord diagram for gui-
tar tablature.
Chord Change dialog
To show or hide chord symbols and diagrams
in the Score Editor, select or deselect the cor-
responding option in the Score Setup dialog.
Chord selector Chord Quality
selector Bass Note
Chord Diagrams
selector
Chapter 37: Memory Locations 795
Chapter 37: Memory Locations
Memory Locations provide a powerful way to
navigate your session while editing and arrang-
ing.
Each session can save up to 999 Memory Loca-
tions that can be used to recall:
• Markers to important locations in the ses-
sion
• Edit selections across one or more tracks
• Record and play ranges, along with pre-
and post-roll times
• Track settings that include Show/Hide sta-
tus, Track Heights, and zoom values
• Edit and Mix Groups enables
• Window Configurations
Memory Locations are viewed and sorted in the
Memory Locations window, where they can be
recalled by clicking the Memory Location.
Creating Memory Locations
Memory Locations can be created in different
ways, based on the type of Memory Location:
Marker Memory Location Refers to a specific
point in the timeline.
Selection Memory Location Refers to an Edit Se-
lection
General Properties Memory Location Refers to a
combination of session settings (such as zoom
settings, pre- and post-roll times, Show/Hide sta-
tus for tracks, Track Heights, and Edit and Mix
Group enables).
When creating Memory Locations, the next
available number is assigned to it (1–999). This
number is used in recalling the Memory Loca-
tion from the numeric keypad.
Pro Tools Reference Guide796
To create a Marker Memory Location:
1 Configure any session settings you will save
with the Marker Memory Location, such as
zoom settings, pre- and post-roll times,
Show/Hide status for tracks, Track Heights, and
Edit and Mix Group enables.
2 If necessary, enable Options > Link Timeline and
Edit Selection.
3 Ensure that the Markers ruler is displayed
(View > Rulers > Markers).
4 Do one of the following:
• Click with the Selector tool in any track or
ruler at the location where you want to
place the Marker. To place a Marker at the
beginning of a region, select the region
with the Time Grabber tool. Click the Add
Marker/Memory Location button (or press
Enter on the numeric keypad).
– or –
• While pressing the Start key (Windows) or
Control (Mac), move the cursor into the
Markers ruler (where the cursor changes to
the Grabber with a “+”) and click at the lo-
cation where you want to place the Marker.
5 In the New Memory Location dialog, select
the Marker option and set the Reference to ei-
ther Bar|Beat or Absolute.
6 Enter a Name for the new Marker and select
any General Properties you want to save with
the Marker.
7 Click OK. The Marker is created and appears in
the Markers ruler, and in the Memory Locations
window.
To create a Selection Memory Location:
1 Configure any session settings you will save
with the Selection Memory Location, such as
zoom settings, pre- and post-roll times,
Show/Hide status for tracks, Track Heights, and
Edit and Mix Group enables.
2 Select a range of material in one or more
tracks.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Enter on the numeric keypad.
– or –
• From the Memory Locations Window
menu, choose Add Memory Location.
4 In the New Memory Location dialog, select
the Selection option and set the Reference to ei-
ther Bar|Beat or Absolute.
5 Enter a Name for the new Memory Location
and select any General Properties you want to
save with it.
6 Click OK. The Selection Memory Location is
created and appears in the Memory Locations
window.
Add Marker/Memory Location button
Manually inserting a Marker
Chapter 37: Memory Locations 797
To create a General Properties Memory Location:
1 Configure any session settings you will save
with the Selection Memory Location, such as
zoom settings, pre- and post-roll times,
Show/Hide status for tracks, Track Heights, and
Edit and Mix Group enables.
2 Press Enter on the numeric keypad.
3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the
None option.
4 Enter a Name for the new Memory Location
and select any General Properties you want to
save with it.
5 Click OK. The General Properties Memory Lo-
cation is created and appears in the Memory Lo-
cations window.
Creating Memory Locations
On-the-Fly
When the Auto-Name Memory Locations When
Playing option is enabled in the Editing Prefer-
ences page, Memory Locations can be created
during playback, without opening the New
Memory Location dialog. This option can also
be selected from the Memory Locations Win-
dow menu.
This capability is useful if you want to mark cer-
tain locations while listening during a record
pass, or if you want to mark frame locations
while viewing a video scene.
To create a Marker during playback:
1 From the Memory Locations Window menu,
select Default To Marker. This ensures that new
Memory Locations default to being Markers.
2 From the Memory Locations Window menu,
select Auto-Name Memory Locations.
3 For inserted Markers to have a Bar|Beat refer-
ence, make sure to set the Main Time Scale to
Bars|Beats.
4 Click Play in the Transport.
5 When the location is reached, press Enter on
the numeric keypad. A Marker is automatically
created and appears in the Markers ruler.
Auto-created Markers are named with increasing
numbers, for example, “Marker 1,” “Marker 2,”
and “Marker 3.”
When the Default To Marker option is deselected,
new Memory Locations default to whatever type
was last created. Therefore, if a Selection Mem-
ory Location was created last, it will be the type
that is created on-the-fly. In this case, the name
for the created Memory Location is based on the
start of the Edit selection using the time format
for the Main Time Scale (such as “2|2|305” or
“0:02.658”).
In the New Memory Location dialog, you
can Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click
(Mac) any General Property to enable or
disable all properties. You can also Control-
click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac)
any property to toggle its state and the state
of all other General Properties.
When Use Separate Play and Stop Keys op-
tion is enabled in the Operation Preferences
page, it overrides using the Enter key to add
Memory Location markers. When this op-
tion is enabled, press Period (.) and then En-
ter on the numeric keypad to add a Memory
Location marker. The new marker is created
when you press Enter.
Pro Tools Reference Guide798
Properties of Memory
Locations
When creating a new Memory Location (see
“Creating Memory Locations” on page 795) you
are prompted to define its Time Properties and
General Properties.
Time Properties
Under Time Properties, a Memory Location can
be set to Marker, Selection, or None. This deter-
mines the type of Memory Location that is cre-
ated. Each of these three Memory Location types
can also save any combination of General Prop-
erties.
Marker Recalls a Timeline location whose refer-
ence can be either Bar|Beat (tick-based) or Abso-
lute (sample-based). When recalling a Marker
Memory Location, the playback cursor moves to
the Marker’s location and the start and end
times in the Transport window are also updated.
If the Timeline and Edit Selections are linked,
the edit cursor also moves to the Marker loca-
tion.
Markers appear in the Markers ruler with a thin
yellow line extending down through all tracks
in the Edit window (to assist in arranging and
aligning track material). You can click a Marker
in the Markers ruler to recall its location along
with its stored General Properties.
Selection Recalls an Edit selection or edit cursor
location whose reference can be either Bar|Beat
(tick-based) or Absolute (sample-based). A Selec-
tion Memory Location lets you store Edit selec-
tions, for one or more tracks, that you return to
often within a session. If the Timeline and Edit
Selections are linked, a Selection Memory Loca-
tion can recall record and play ranges.
None Recalls no Time Properties and is therefore
referred to as a General Properties Memory Loca-
tion.
Memory Locations window
Markers in the Markers ruler
Only contiguous selections can be saved
with Memory Locations. Noncontiguous se-
lections, made with the Object Grabber tool,
will be recalled as if the selections were
made with the Time Grabber tool.
Chapter 37: Memory Locations 799
Bar|Beat and Absolute Reference
The Reference pop-up determines whether the
Marker or Selection Memory Location is
Bar|Beat or Absolute. When set to Bar|Beat, the
Memory Location is tick-based and its bar and
beat location remains constant if the tempo is
changed—though its relation to the absolute
sample location changes accordingly.
When set to Absolute, the Memory Location is
sample-based and its bar and beat location shifts
if the tempo is changed—though its sample lo-
cation remains constant, along with its relation
to audio material.
In the Markers ruler, Markers that are Bar|Beat
appear as yellow chevrons, and Markers that are
Absolute appear as yellow diamonds.
General Properties
All three types of Memory Locations (Marker,
Selection, and None) can store and recall any
combination of the following General Proper-
ties:
Number Change the number to overwrite an ex-
isting Memory Location, or to reorder Memory
Locations in the Memory Locations window.
Name Enter a descriptive name for each memory
location.
Zoom Settings Recalls the horizontal, audio,
and MIDI zoom values for audio, MIDI, and In-
strument tracks.
Pre/Post Roll Times Recalls pre- and post-roll
times (but not whether they are enabled). This
property can be stored with a Selection Memory
Location to recall record and play ranges along
with pre- and post-roll.
Track Show/Hide Recalls which tracks are hid-
den. Use this property to display groups of
tracks for editing and mixing.
Track Heights Recalls all Track Heights. Use this
option along with Zoom Settings to recall edit
environments that are suited for particular
tasks, such as editing down to the sample level
or trimming MIDI notes.
Group Enables Recalls which Edit and Mix
Groups are enabled. This option is helpful in re-
calling groups for particular edit and mixing op-
erations, such as muting all drum tracks or fad-
ing a stereo pair.
Window Configuration Recalls a specific Window
Configuration. This option is helpful in recall-
ing specific Window Configurations to facilitate
editing or mixing tasks. For more information
on Window Configurations, see “Window Con-
figurations” on page 190.
Comments
All three types of Memory Locations (Marker,
Selection, and None) can store and recall com-
ments. You can enter a maximum of 255 char-
acters to describe the Memory Location. You can
also edit comments previously entered.
Bar|Beat Marker (left) and Absolute Marker (right)
See “Creating Memory Locations” on
page 795 and “Editing Memory Locations”
on page 800 for more information.
Pro Tools Reference Guide800
Recalling Memory Locations
Memory Locations can be recalled from the
Memory Locations window and from the nu-
meric keypad. Additionally, Memory Location
Markers can be recalled by clicking them in the
Markers ruler.
To recall a Memory Location:
1 Select Window > Memory Locations to display
the Memory Locations window.
2 If recalling a Selection Memory Location that
defines a record or play range, ensure that Op-
tions > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is selected.
3 Do one of the following:
• In the Memory Locations window, click the
Memory Location to recall it.
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Classic, press the Memory Location num-
ber followed by Period (.).
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Transport or Shuttle, press Period (.), the
Memory Location number, and Period (.)
again.
To recall a Marker from the Markers ruler:
1 Select View > Rulers > Markers to display the
Markers ruler.
2 Click the Marker you want. The playback cur-
sor locates to the Marker and any General Prop-
erties stored with the Marker are recalled.
Editing Memory Locations
Memory Locations can be renamed, edited, de-
leted, and copied and pasted.
To rename a Memory Location:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Memory Locations window, double-
click the Memory Location to open the Edit
Memory Location dialog.
• In the Marker ruler, double-click the
Marker to open the Edit Memory Location
dialog and relocate the insertion point at
the marker location.
• In the Marker ruler, Start-click (Windows)
or Control-click (Mac) the Marker to open
the Edit Memory Location dialog without
locating the insertion point at the marker
location.
2 Enter the new name for the Memory Location,
and click OK.
To redefine the General Properties stored with a
Memory Location:
1 Make changes to the session’s zoom settings,
pre- and post-roll times, Show/Hide status of
tracks, Track Heights, or Group Enables.
2 Do one of the following:
• In the Memory Locations window, double-
click the Memory Location to open the Edit
Memory Location dialog.
• In the Marker ruler, double-click the
Marker to open the Edit Memory Location
dialog and relocate the insertion point at
the marker location.
• In the Marker ruler, Start-click (Windows)
or Control-click (Mac) the Marker to open
the Edit Memory Location dialog without
locating the insertion point at the marker
location.
When recalling a Memory Location from
the numeric keypad, the Memory Locations
window does not need to be open.
Even if the Markers ruler is not displayed,
Markers can be recalled from the Memory Lo-
cations window, or from the numeric keypad.
Chapter 37: Memory Locations 801
3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the
General Properties you want to save with the
Memory Location.
4 Enter a name for the Memory Location and
click OK.
To change a Memory Location from one type to
another:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Memory Locations window, double-
click the Memory Location to open the Edit
Memory Location dialog.
• In the Marker ruler, double-click the
Marker to open the Edit Memory Location
dialog and relocate the insertion point at
the marker location.
• In the Marker ruler, Start-click (Windows)
or Control-click (Mac) the Marker to open
the Edit Memory Location dialog without
locating the insertion point at the marker
location.
2 In the Memory Location dialog, select either
Marker, Selection, or None as the Memory Loca-
tion type.
3 Enter a name for the Memory Location and
click OK.
To change the Selection stored with a Memory
Location:
1 Select View > Rulers > Markers to display the
Markers ruler.
2 Select a range of material in one or more
tracks.
3 In the Memory Locations window, Right-click
(Windows) or Control-click (Mac) the Memory
Location that you want to redefine.
4 Enter a name for the Memory Location and
click OK.
To move a Marker by dragging:
In the Markers ruler, drag the Marker left or
right.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
snaps to the current Grid value. If using Spot
mode, the Spot dialog opens.
To align a Marker to a different location:
1 If necessary, select Options > Link Timeline and
Edit Selection.
2 Do one of the following:
• In any of the Timebase rulers, click with the
Selector tool at the new location.
– or –
• Click in the playlist for any track. To align
the Marker to the start of a region, select
the region with the Time Grabber tool.
3 In the Memory Locations window or the
Markers ruler, Start-click (Windows) or Control-
click (Mac) the Marker Memory Location that
you want to redefine.
4 Enter a name for the Marker and click OK.
Pro Tools Reference Guide802
Deleting Memory Locations
To delete a Memory Location, do one of the
following:
Select the Memory Location and choose De-
lete Memory Location from the Memory Loca-
tions Window menu.
– or –
In the Memory Locations window, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the Memory
Location.
To delete all Memory Locations, do one of the
following:
Choose Delete All from the Memory Locations
Window menu.
– or –
Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-Shift-
click (Mac) any Memory Location in the Mem-
ory Locations window.
To delete a Marker from the Markers ruler:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Marker.
Copying Marker Memory
Locations
To copy and paste a range of Markers:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Drag in the Tempo ruler to select the range of
measures that includes the Markers.
If the beginning of the selection includes a
Marker, press Control (Windows) or Command
(Mac) so the Selector tool appears.
3 Choose Edit > Copy.
4 Click in the Markers ruler at the point where
you want to paste the tempo events.
5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip-
board are pasted from the insertion point, re-
placing any existing Markers.
To extend an Edit selection in a track to the
Markers ruler:
1 Using the Selector or Grabber tool, select a
track range.
2 Shift-click in the Markers ruler.
Shift-click again in the Markers ruler to remove
it from the selection.
To select all Markers in the Markers ruler:
With the Selector tool, double-click in the
Markers ruler.
Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) while
dragging to select across all Conductor
tracks.
Chapter 37: Memory Locations 803
Memory Locations Window
In the Memory Locations windows, Memory Lo-
cations are listed with assigned number, name,
and View Filter icons. Locations can be recalled
or edited from this window.
To recall a Memory Location from the Memory
Location window:
Click the Memory Location.
Memory Locations Commands
and Options
You can select viewing and sorting options,
along with commands for creating and remov-
ing Memory Locations, from the Memory Loca-
tions Window menu.
View Filter Submenu Provides commands to
show or hide specific memory location proper-
ties:
•Show Icons
• View Markers
• View Selections
• View Locations with Zoom Info
• View Locations with Pre/Post Roll Info
• View Locations with Track Show/Hide Info
• View Locations with Track Height Info
• View Locations with Group Info
• View Locations with Window Configura-
tion Info
•Show Markers Only
•View All
Show Main Counter When selected, a column
appears in the Memory Locations window that
displays the locations based on the Main Time-
scale for Markers, and the start times for Selec-
tion Memory Locations. General Property Mem-
ory Locations display nothing in this column.
Memory Locations window with View Filter icons
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Clas-
sic, press the Memory Location number fol-
lowed by Period (.). With the Numeric Key-
pad mode set to Transport or Shuttle, press
Period (.), the Memory Location
number, and Period (.) again.
Memory Locations Window menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide804
You can click at the top of the Main Time Scale
column for a pop-up menu that lets you change
the Main Time Scale.
Show Sub Counter When selected, a column ap-
pears in the Memory Locations window that dis-
plays the locations based on the Sub Time Scale
for Markers, and the start times for Selection
Memory Locations. General Property Memory
Locations display nothing in this column.
You can click at the top of the Sub Time Scale
column for a pop-up menu that lets you change
the Sub Time Scale.
Show Comments When selected, a column ap-
pears in the Memory Locations window that dis-
plays the comments for each of the Markers.
Sort by Time When selected, Markers are sorted
by their order in the Timeline, followed by Se-
lection and General Properties Memory Loca-
tions, which are listed in the order in which
they were created.
When Sort by Time is deselected, all Memory Lo-
cations are listed in the order of their assigned
numbers.
New Memory Location Choose this command to
create a new Memory Location.
Edit <Name> Opens the Edit Memory Location
dialog for the selected Memory Location. You
can also double-click a Memory Location in the
Memory Locations window to edit it.
Clear <Name> Clears the selected Memory Loca-
tion, but does not remove its slot. Subsequent
Memory Locations are not renumbered.
Delete All Deletes all Memory Locations. The
next Memory Location you add starts at slot
number 1.
Insert Slot Before <Name> Adds a new, empty
Memory Location slot above the selected Mem-
ory Location, and renumbers all subsequent
Memory Locations.
Delete <Name> Slot Deletes the selected Mem-
ory Location, and renumbers all subsequent
Memory Locations.
Default To Marker When selected, new Memory
Locations default to Markers, though in the New
Memory Location dialog you can still define the
new Memory Location as one of the other types.
Main/Sub Counters in the Memory Locations window
Memory Locations Window, selecting the Main Time
Scale
Comments in the Memory Locations window
Sub Time Scale
Main Time Scale
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac)
a Memory Location in the Memory Loca-
tions window to clear it.
Chapter 37: Memory Locations 805
Auto-Name Memory Location When selected,
Memory Locations are created automatically
without encountering the New Memory Loca-
tion dialog. If the Default To Marker option is se-
lected, a Marker Memory Location is auto-cre-
ated. Otherwise, the Memory Location type is
determined by whatever type (Marker, Selec-
tion, or None) was created last.
View Filter Icons
When Show Icons is selected in the Memory Lo-
cations pop-up menu, the Memory Locations
window provides an icon-based “View Filter”
that lets you show or hide Memory Locations
based on the properties they contain.
To show or hide Memory Locations containing a
specific property:
Click the appropriate icon.
Color and Properties
When a view icon is enabled, it appears in color.
When it is disabled, it appears gray.
If an icon is disabled (grayed out), all Memory
Locations associated with that property are hid-
den. However, if a Memory Location contains
other properties for an icon that is enabled, it is
still displayed.
In addition, the View Filter provides a useful ref-
erence for which properties are stored in each
Memory Location (indicated by a row of icons
for each Memory Location).
Memory Locations View Filter icons
Marker
Selection
Memory Location
Zoom
Pre- and Post-Roll
Show/Hide
Track Heights
Settings
Active Groups
Window Configuration
Pro Tools Reference Guide806
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 807
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions
Once you have created a region, it appears in the
Region List. From the Region List you can drag it
to a track to add to an existing arrangement of
regions, or you can create a new track and start
adding regions from scratch. The exact place-
ment of regions in a track depends on whether
the Edit mode is set to Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid
(see “Edit Modes” on page 529).
Placing Regions in Tracks
To place a region in a track:
1 In the Region List, select the region or regions
you want to place.
2 Drag the selected regions from the Region List
to a location in a track.
If dragging multiple regions, the regions are
placed on adjacent tracks left to right or on mul-
tiple tracks from top to bottom depending on
the selected Timeline Drop Order option (see “Set-
ting Timeline Drop Order” on page 808). If drag-
ging a stereo audio region, it must be placed in a
stereo track or in two mono tracks.
Regions are placed according to the current Edit
mode:
• In Shuffle mode, existing track regions are slid
as necessary to make room for the new region.
• In Spot mode, you are prompted by the Spot
dialog to enter a location for the dragged re-
gion (see “Spotting Regions” on page 815).
• In Grid mode, the dragged region snaps to the
nearest Grid boundary.
• In Slip mode, the regions are placed exactly
where they are dropped in the destination
track.
You can locate regions in the Region List
by typing the first few letters of their name
(see “Keyboard Selection of Regions” on
page 267).
You can temporarily disable Grid mode
while dragging a region by holding down the
Control key (Windows) or Command key
(Mac) after clicking with the mouse.
Pro Tools Reference Guide808
Working with Multiple Items
from the Region List
Setting Timeline Drop Order
The Timeline Drop Order option in the Region List
menu sets whether tracks dragged from the Re-
gion List are dropped sequentially in a single
track or spread across multiple tracks, as follows:
Top to Bottom When enabled, regions spread
across multiple destination (drop) tracks or on
new tracks (when dragging to the area below the
last track or to the Track List).
Left to Right When enabled, regions are placed
sequentially in a single destination (drop) track
or on a new track (when dragging to the area be-
low the last track or on to the Track List).
To set the Region List Drop Order:
Choose Region List > Timeline Drop Order, and
then Top to Bottom or Left to Right.
Dragging and Dropping Multiple
Items from the Region List
To drag and drop multiple items from the Region
List to multiple new tracks:
1 From the Region List menu, choose Timeline
Drop Order > Top to Bottom.
2 Search and sort the Region List to configure
the order in which items will be placed.
3 Select multiple items in the Region List and do
one of the following:
•To create new tracks and place items to a
specific location, drop items at the location
along the area below the last track.
– or –
•To create new tracks and have items placed
at the start of the session, drop the items on
the Track List.
To place multiple items across multiple existing
tracks:
1 From the Region List menu, choose Timeline
Drop Order > Top to Bottom.
2 Select multiple items in the Region List and
drop them in the playlist of a compatible track
at the target location. When the cursor is over a
compatible destination, the region outlines ap-
pear at the location.
New tracks after dropping multiple Region List items,
with Timeline Drop Order set to Top to Bottom mode
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 809
To drag and drop multiple items from the Region
List to a single track:
1 From the Region List menu, choose Timeline
Drop Order > Left to Right.
2 Search and sort the Region List to configure
the order in which items will be placed.
3 Select multiple items in the Region List and do
one of the following:
• To create a new track and spot the first item
to a specific location, drop at the location
in the area below the last track shown in
the Edit window.
• To create a new track and have the first
item placed at the start of the session, drop
the items on the Track List.
• To place items in an existing track, drop the
items in the Edit playlist for the track.
If the selected items include mixed types of re-
gions (such as audio and MIDI, or region groups
and MIDI) the appropriate track types will be
created and each corresponding item will be
placed in them. Similarly, if the selected items
include multiple formats (mono, stereo, or
other) new tracks of each format will be created
and those regions placed in them.
Placing Regions at the Edit
Insertion Point
You can drag a region from the same track, from
another track, or from the Region List, and align
its start, end, or sync point to the Edit insertion
point. This technique is useful in post produc-
tion since it lets you set an Edit selection point
during playback or while stopped and then
quickly place sound effects at the edit insertion
point.
To place the start of a region at the Edit insertion
point:
1 With the Selector tool, click in the track at the
time location where you want to place the start
of the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• While pressing the Start key (Windows) or
Control (Mac), drag the region from the Re-
gion List, or from another track, to the des-
tination track.
– or –
• If the region is already in the track, Start-
click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) the
region with the Time Grabber tool.
A new track created by dropping multiple Region List
items with Timeline Drop Order set to Left to Right
mode
With Pro Tools HD, when the Scrolling op-
tion is set to Center Playhead, regions snap
to the playhead, instead of the Edit insertion
point.
Pro Tools Reference Guide810
To place the end of a region at the Edit insertion
point:
1 With the Selector tool, click in the track at the
time location where you want to place the end
of the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Control+Start (Windows) or
Command+Control (Mac), drag the region
from the Region List, or from another
track, to the destination track.
– or –
• If the region is already in the track, Con-
trol-Start-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the region with the
Time Grabber tool.
To place the sync point of a region at the Edit
insertion point:
1 With the Selector tool, click in the track at the
time location where you want to place the sync
point of the region.
2 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Start+Shift (Windows) or
Control+Shift (Mac), drag the region from
the Region List, or from another track, to
the destination track.
– or –
• If the region is already in the track, Shift-
Start-click (Windows) or Shift-Control-
click (Mac) the region with the Time Grab-
ber tool.
Aligning Region Start Points
The start, end, and sync point of one region can
be aligned to the start of a different region on
another track.
To align the start points of regions on different
tracks:
1 With the Time Grabber tool, select the region
you want to align to by clicking it.
2 If the Scrolling option is set to Center Play-
head (Pro Tools HD only), move the playhead to
the start of the selected region. For details, see
“Moving the Playhead” on page 417.
3 Do one of the following:
• Start-drag (Windows) or Control-drag
(Mac) a region from the Region List to an-
other track.
– or –
• If the region is already in the track, Start-
click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) the
region you want to move with the Time
Grabber tool.
With Pro Tools HD, when the Scrolling op-
tion is set to Center Playhead, region start,
end, and sync points align to the playhead.
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 811
To align the end point of a region to the start of
another region (on a different track):
1 With the Time Grabber tool, select the region
you want to align to by clicking it.
2 If the Scrolling option is set to Center Play-
head (Pro Tools HD only), move the playhead to
the start of the selected region (see “Moving the
Playhead” on page 417).
3 Do one of the following:
• Control-Start-drag (Windows) or Com-
mand-Control-drag (Mac) a region from
the Region List to another track.
– or –
• If the region is already in the track, Con-
trol-Start-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the region you want to
move with the Time Grabber tool.
To align the sync point of a region to the start of
another region (on a different track):
1 With the Time Grabber tool, select the region
you want to align.
2 If the Scrolling option is set to Center Play-
head (Pro Tools HD only), move the playhead to
the start of the selected region (see “Moving the
Playhead” on page 417).
3 Do one of the following:
• Start-Shift-drag (Windows) or Control-
Shift-drag (Mac) a region from the Region
List to another track.
– or –
• If the region is already in the track, Start-
Shift-click (Windows) or Control-Shift-
click (Mac) the region you want to move
with the Time Grabber tool.
Sliding Regions
A region or group of selected regions (on the
same track or on multiple tracks) can be slid
with the Time Grabber tool to new locations or
to other tracks. This feature is useful in post pro-
duction applications where the timing of audio
events such as sound effects and dialog need to
be spotted to music, film, or video.
Sliding regions is affected by whether the cur-
rent Edit mode is set to Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or
Grid (see “Edit Modes” on page 529).
Shuffling Regions
In Shuffle mode, you can move regions freely
within a track or onto another track, but their
movement is constrained by other regions. That
is, if you place several regions in a track, their
start and end points automatically snap to each
other. You can then “shuffle” their order, but
you cannot separate them from each other and
you cannot make them overlap as in Slip mode.
In Shuffle mode, adding another region to the
beginning of a track moves all subsequent re-
gions to the right by the length of the region
added.
You can slide a copy of a region to another
location or track by pressing Alt (Windows)
or Option (Mac) while dragging.
To retain a region’s time location when
dragging to another track, press the Start
key (Windows) or Control (Mac) while
dragging.
Pro Tools Reference Guide812
To shuffle regions:
1 Enable Shuffle mode (see “Edit Modes” on
page 529).
2 Drag a mono region from the Region List to an
empty track. The region snaps to the beginning
of the track.
3 Drag a second region from the Region List to
the same track, somewhere in the middle. The
start point for the second region snaps to the
end of the first region.
4 With the Time Grabber tool, drag the second
region to the beginning of the track.
Pro Tools “shuffles” the position of the two re-
gions. The second region now occurs first, yet
the two still cling together.
5 Experiment more with Shuffle mode by drag-
ging additional regions to the track and rear-
ranging them.
Locked regions (see “Locking Regions” on
page 823), and all regions occurring after the
locked region, are not displaced when other
neighboring regions are moved in Shuffle mode.
If there is not enough room to place or duplicate
a region in front of a locked region, the insertion
area is disabled.
If you place a region while in Slip mode and
switch to Shuffle mode, Pro Tools preserves the
relative timing and position of the slipped re-
gion, and any space between it and other
regions.
Shuffling Multiple Tracks and
Multichannel Regions
Selections across multiple tracks or on multi-
channel tracks can be shuffled. Unlike shuffling
regions on a single track, any partially selected
regions are cut and moved along with the
dragged region. This lets you retain only the ma-
terial that corresponds to the dragged region.
With certain workflows, it is important to
exclude Shuffle mode in order to ensure that
regions stay time-aligned while editing.
Shuffle Lock prevents you from inadver-
tently entering Shuffle mode by disabling all
key commands and control surface switches
for Shuffle mode. For more information, see
“Shuffle Lock” on page 530.
Shuffling a region results in cutting the channel
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 813
Moving Regions with the
Grabber Tools
Use the Grabber tools to move one or more re-
gions, or the Edit selection, to another location.
The Grabber tools cut the selection and paste it
to the new location.
To move one or more regions, or the Edit selection,
with one of the Grabber tools:
1 Make a selection.
2 With one of the Grabber tools (Time, Separa-
tion, or Object), drag the selection to the new lo-
cation.
Time Grabber and Object Grabber
If you are moving audio data, the Time Grabber
and Object Grabber tools overlay only the audio
data on the destination track.
Separation Grabber
The Separation Grabber replaces the entire se-
lected range on the destination track Timeline.
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) when
dragging the selection with a Grabber tool to
copy the selection rather than cut it.
Moving a selection with the Time Grabber
Moving a selection with the Separation Grabber
Pro Tools Reference Guide814
Snapping to the Preceding or
Next Region on a Track
A region—or an Edit selection including one or
more regions on the same track or on multiple
tracks—can snap to the end of the preceding re-
gion or to the beginning of the following region.
This is useful for “butt splicing” adjacent regions
on a track.
To snap to the preceding region on a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Time Grabber, select a region.
– or –
• With the Selector, select an area in a track
that contains whole regions. The regions
do not need to be adjacent.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Snap To > Previous.
– or –
• Right-click the region or Edit selection and
choose Snap to Previous.
The selected region snaps to the preceding re-
gion on the track so that the two regions are
“butt-spliced.”
To snap to the next region on a track:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Time Grabber, select a region.
– or –
• With the Selector, select an area in a track
that contains whole regions. The regions
do not need to be adjacent.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Snap To > Next.
– or –
• Right-click the region or Edit selection and
choose Snap to Next.
The selected region snaps to the following re-
gion on the track so that the two regions are
“butt-spliced.”
Slipping Regions
In Slip mode, regions can be moved with the
Time Grabber tool freely within a track, or onto
other tracks. In this mode, it is possible to place
a region so that there is space between it and
other regions in a track. When the track is
played back, this space is silent. It is also possible
to move a region so that it overlaps or com-
pletely covers another region.
Snapping a region to the next region in a track
You can also use the Snap To commands
with an Edit selection that includes multiple
regions on one or more tracks.
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 815
To slip regions:
1 Enable Slip mode (see “Edit Modes” on
page 529).
2 Drag a region from the Region List to an
empty track.
3 Drag a second region from the Region List to
the same track, somewhere in the middle. The
second region is placed wherever you release it.
It does not snap to the first region as in Shuffle
mode.
4 Drag the regions to different locations within
the track to get a feel for moving them in Slip
mode. Try placing the second region so that it
slightly overlaps the first region. Play back the
results.
Spotting Regions
Spot mode is useful for sessions in which you
want to spot regions to precise locations based
on any of the Time Scales. This is useful when
performing post production tasks. In Spot mode
you can spot a region by specifying a SMPTE
frame or bar and beat location, by capturing an
incoming time code address, or by using the re-
gion’s time stamps.
To spot a region:
1 Enable Spot mode (see “Edit Modes” on
page 529).
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag a region from the Region List, or drag
audio files or sessions from a DigiBase
browser, to an existing track.
– or –
• Click a region already in a track with the
Time Grabber tool.
3 In the Spot dialog, select a time format from
the Time Scale pop-up menu.
Each of the fields in the Spot dialog are dis-
played in the chosen Time Scale.
4 If the Time Scale is set to Time Code, select the
Use Subframes option to display subframes in
the fields for improved accuracy.
5 Do one of the following:
• Click in the field for Start, Sync Point, or
End and type in a new location. Changing
one of these locate points automatically
updates the other locate points.
For even quicker spotting, if you are using
VITC, use the Auto-Spot Regions command
to spot a region to the current SMPTE frame
location with the Time Grabber tool. For
more information, see “Auto-Spotting Re-
gions” on page 1138.
For more information on using SMPTE with
Pro Tools, see Chapter 50, “Working with
Synchronization.”
Spot dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide816
• Click one of the up arrows next to Original
Time Stamp or User Time Stamp to enter
the associated values into the currently se-
lected field.
• If you are using an external SMPTE time
code source, click the down arrow next to
the Current Time Code display—or press
Equal (=) on the numeric keypad—to cap-
ture an incoming time code address.
6 Click OK. The region is moved to the new lo-
cation specified for its start, end, or sync point.
If a region does not have a sync point defined,
the Sync Point field in the Spot dialog functions
the same as the Start field.
Right-Click Commands for
Spotting Regions
You can use Right-click commands with a key
combination to spot regions in a track.
To spot a region to a selection:
1 Click or drag with the Selector tool to locate
the cursor or make a selection in the track where
you want to spot the region.
2 Control-Right-click (Windows) or Command-
Right-click (Mac) the region and choose any of
the following from the pop-up menu:
•Move Region Start to Selection Start
•Move Region Sync to Selection Start
•Move Region End to Selection Start
Region Time Stamps
When a region is created, it is time stamped rel-
ative to the SMPTE start time specified for the
session. This Original Time Stamp is perma-
nently stored with the region and cannot be
changed. If a region is ever moved, it can easily
be placed at its original position from the Spot
dialog.
When the Original Time Stamp for a region is
initially set, this same location is also used to de-
fine the region’s User Time Stamp.
Unlike the Original Time Stamp, the User Time
Stamp can be redefined with the Time Stamp
command in the Region List menu (see “Time
Stamping” on page 1139).
Time Stamps in DigiBase
Columns are provided in DigiBase browsers for
both the Original and User Time Stamps.
Time Stamps and Matches
Regions with identical User Time Stamps appear
together in the Matches submenu in the Right-
click menu when auditioning takes (see “Select-
ing Alternate Takes on a Track” on page 465).
Sliding Regions in Grid Mode
Grid mode provides several useful capabilities
for sliding and moving regions in track playlists.
This mode is especially useful for lining up re-
gions at precise intervals, as when working with
a session that is bar- and beat-based. Grid
boundaries, depending on the Main Time Scale,
can be based on frames, bar and beat values,
minutes or seconds, or a number of samples.
In lower versions of Pro Tools, Right-click-
ing in a region with the Grabber tool would
spot the region to a selection.
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 817
Grid mode also provides two operational modes,
Absolute and Relative. These modes control how
the Grid is applied (see “Absolute and Relative
Grid Mode” on page 817).
Setting Up the Grid
When the Draw Grid in Edit Window option is
enabled in the Display Preferences page, vertical
Grid lines appear in the Edit window.
Grid lines in the Edit window can also be en-
abled and disabled by clicking the Timebase
ruler name after it becomes highlighted.
Defining the Grid Value
In addition to affecting the placement of re-
gions, the Grid value also constrains Timeline
and Edit selections, and determines how the Re-
gion > Quantize to Grid command works.
To set the Grid value:
1 Do one of the following:
•From the View > Main Counter menu, select
the Time Scale for the Grid value.
– or –
• To keep the Main Time Scale and use a dif-
ferent time format for the Grid, deselect Fol-
low Main Timebase in the Grid value pop-up
menu.
2 Do one of the following:
• From the Grid value pop-up menu, select
the time value for the Grid boundaries.
– or –
• To define a Grid based on the session’s
Markers, selections, and region boundaries,
select Regions/Markers from the Grid value
pop-up menu.
Absolute and Relative Grid Mode
Grid mode can be applied in Absolute or Rela-
tive mode.
In Absolute Grid mode, moving any region
snaps the region start to Grid boundaries. If a re-
gion’s start point falls between beats, and the
Grid is set to 1/4 notes, dragging the region will
snap its start time to the nearest 1/4 note (the
current absolute Grid value).
In Relative Grid mode, regions can be moved
by Grid (or Nudge) units. If a region’s start point
falls between beats and the Grid is set to 1/4
notes, dragging the region will be constrained to
1/4 notes, preserving the region’s relative posi-
tion to the nearest beat.
To temporarily suspend Grid mode and
switch to Slip mode while dragging a region,
hold down the Control key (Windows) or
Command key (Mac).
Grid value pop-up menu showing Bars|Beats
Pro Tools Reference Guide818
To select Absolute or Relative Grid mode:
Click the Grid mode selector and select Abso-
lute Grid or Relative Grid.
To place or move a region while in Grid mode:
1 Configure the Grid value (see “Defining the
Grid Value” on page 817).
2 Do one of the following:
• Drag a region from the Region List to an ex-
isting track.
– or –
• With the Time Grabber tool, drag a region
already in a track to a new location.
The region’s start point snaps to the closest Grid
boundary. If the region has a sync point defined,
the sync point snaps to the Grid boundary.
Replacing Audio Regions
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Use the Replace Region function to replace mul-
tiple instances of an audio region in a playlist
with another region. This is useful in post pro-
duction if you use a sound effect, room noise, or
atmosphere region many times in a session, and
later decide to replace one or all of the original
regions with a different region.
This is also useful in music production if you
want to replace a certain loop or sample (for ex-
ample, a drum beat) with a new one. You can
use this compositionally, if you know the tempo
of a section or session, to create a scratch piece
with “rough” regions of the correct length, and
later replace them with “final” regions of the
same length.
To replace regions by dragging and dropping:
1 Select a region in a track’s playlist that you
want to replace. The selection can extend be-
yond the region’s end point, to include material
from the replacement region that is longer than
the original region.
2 Control-Shift-drag (Windows) or Command-
Shift-drag (Mac) the replacement region from
the Region List to the selected region. The Re-
place Region dialog opens.
3 Configure the Replace Region dialog (see “Re-
place Region Dialog Options” on page 819).
4 Click OK.
To temporarily suspend Grid mode and
switch to Slip mode while dragging a region,
hold down the Control key (Windows) or
Command key (Mac).
Control-Shift-drag (Windows) or Com-
mand-Shift-drag (Mac) any region from the
Region List to any unselected region on a
track to open the Replace Region dialog
without first making a selection.
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 819
Replacing Regions from the
Region List
The Replace Regions command is also available
in the Region List menu. To use this command,
make sure there is a region selected in a track
and a different (replacement) region selected in
the Region List.
To replace regions using the Region List menu:
1 Select a region in a track to be replaced.
2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the replacement region in the
Region List and choose Replace Regions
from the pop-up menu.
• Select the replacement region in the Region
List and choose Replace Regions from the
Region List menu. (If the Region List Selec-
tion Follows Edit Selection preference is en-
abled, Control-click (Windows) or
Command-click (Mac) the selected region
to deselect it, then Control-click (Win-
dows) or Command-click (Mac) the re-
placement region to select it, and then
choose Replace Regions from the Region
List menu.)
3 Configure the Replace Region dialog (see “Re-
place Region Dialog Options” on page 819).
4 Click OK.
Replace Region and Multichannel
Tracks
The Replace Region command supports drag-
ging multichannel regions from the Region List
to multichannel tracks, provided they are the
same channel format. For example, you can re-
place a selected stereo region in a stereo audio
track with another stereo region from the Re-
gion List. However, you cannot replace it with
two mono audio regions. Additionally, you can-
not replace regions in multiple mono tracks
with multichannel regions.
Replace Region Dialog Options
The following options are available in the Re-
place Region dialog:
Replace: Original Region Only Replaces only the
selected region with the replacement region
dragged from the Region List.
Replace Region dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide820
Replace: All Instances of the Original Region Re-
places all instances of the selected region that fit
the On criteria with the replacement region
from the Region List.
•On This Track: replaces regions that fit the
Match criteria and are on the same track as
the original region.
•On All Tracks: replaces regions that fit the
Match criteria for all tracks in the session.
•On Within the Selection: replaces regions
that fit the Match criteria within the cur-
rent selection.
Replace: All Regions that Match Original Region’s
Replaces all regions that fit the Match criteria
and the On criteria with the replacement region
from the Region List.
•Start Position: replaces all regions that have
the same original start time as the selected
region. This includes regions that may have
been auto-created when trimming end
points.
•End Position: replaces all regions that have
the same original end time as the selected
region. This includes regions that may have
been auto-created when trimming start
points.
•Name: replaces all regions that come from
the same audio file and have been renamed
to the same name
•On This Track: replaces regions that fit the
Match criteria and are on the same track as
the original region.
•On All Tracks: replaces regions that fit the
Match criteria for all tracks in the session.
•On Within the Selection: replaces regions
that fit the Match criteria within the cur-
rent selection.
Region matching uses all specified Match crite-
ria. For example, if you select Start Position and
End Position, all regions from the same original
audio file as your selection with the same origi-
nal start and end times will be replaced.
Fit Region Using The: Original Region Length If
the replacement region is smaller than the orig-
inal region, the region is placed in the playlist
and any remaining audio from the original re-
gion is removed.
If the replacement region is larger than the se-
lection, it is placed in the playlist and trimmed
to fit within the length of the original region.
Fit Region Using The: Original Selection
Length When the playlist selection extends be-
yond the original region, the replacement re-
gion (if larger than the original region) is
trimmed to fit within the selection.
Fit Region Using The: Replacement Region
Length The replacement region is placed in its
entirety, regardless of the length of the original
region or selection.
Sync Points
The placement of regions in Grid and Spot mode
can be based on the definition of a region sync
point. Sync points can be added to audio, MIDI,
and video regions and also to region groups.
Sync points are used when a specific point
within a region must be aligned to the Grid or to
a particular SMPTE or bar/beat location. This ca-
pability is especially important when placing
music and sound effects for film and video
work.
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 821
For example, suppose you had an audio region
for a door slam that included the creak of the
door closing, the actual slam, and the reverb of
the slam. Using a sync point for the slam sound
in the region lets you spot it to a specific time in
the session.
To define a region sync point:
1 Enable Slip mode (see “Edit Modes” on
page 529).
2 Do one of the following:
• With the Selector tool, click at the point in
the region where you want the sync point.
– or –
• Press the Down Arrow key while playing
back.
3 Choose Region > Identify Sync Point. A small
down arrow appears at the bottom of the region,
with a vertical, light gray line indicating the lo-
cation of the sync point.
To change the location of a sync point:
With the Selector tool, click at a point in a re-
gion and choose Region > Identify Sync Point. The
new location is identified as the sync point for
the region.
Removing Sync Points
To remove a sync point, do one of the following:
Select the entire region and choose Region >
Remove Sync Point.
– or –
Choose the Time Grabber tool, then Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the sync point
to delete it.
Displaying Sync Points
Sync points in audio regions may displayed or
hidden.
To disable the display of sync points in audio
regions:
Deselect View > Region > Sync Point.
To enable the display of sync points in audio
regions:
Choose View > Region > Sync Point.
Dragging Sync Points
You can drag a sync point to another position in
the audio region.
To set the sync point by dragging:
1 If you want the sync point to snap to the cur-
rent Grid value, enable Grid mode (see “Edit
Modes” on page 529).
2 Select the Time Grabber tool.
3 Drag the sync point to a new location.
Sync Point
You can also move the location of a sync
point by dragging it (see “Dragging Sync
Points” on page 821).
Pro Tools Reference Guide822
Scrubbing Sync Points
While viewing an audio waveform can be a good
way to set a sync point, a waveform display may
not always reveal the desired spot in the audio
material. By scrubbing while moving the sync
point over an audio waveform, you can listen
for the exact location to place the sync point.
To scrub while dragging the sync point:
1 If you want the sync point to snap to the cur-
rent Grid value when you finish scrubbing, set
the Edit mode to Grid (see “Edit Modes” on
page 529).
2 Select the Scrubber tool.
3 Drag the sync point to a new location. The
sync point scrubs the audio as you move it.
Shift Command
Use the Shift command to move track material
forward or back in time by a specified amount.
The Shift command can operate on selections,
regions, MIDI notes, MIDI controller data, and
automation breakpoints.
To shift a selection or region:
1 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, select
the track material you want to shift. The selected
material can reside on multiple tracks.
2 Choose Edit > Shift. In the Shift dialog, select
whether the data will be moved Earlier or Later.
3 Click in one of the Timebase fields to specify
the amount by which the material will be
shifted. Entering a value in one Timebase field
automatically updates the others.
4 If you want to shift material with greater pre-
cision, select the Use Subframes option.
5 Click OK. The material is shifted earlier or later
by the specified amount.
If a portion of a region was selected, new regions
are created from the selection and from any ma-
terial outside of the selection.
The Shift command works the same regardless of
the Edit mode. For example, adjacent regions
are overlapped in Shuffle mode, the Spot dialog
does not appear when in Spot mode, and shifted
material does not snap to the Grid when in Grid
mode.
Scrubbing a Sync Point (cursor)
Shift dialog
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 823
Locking Regions
In many cases you may want to “lock” regions
or region groups to a specific time location to
keep them from being moved inadvertently.
You may also want to protect them from being
inadvertently edited. Pro Tools provides two dif-
ferent commands for locking regions: Edit lock-
ing and Time locking.
Edit Locking Regions
If you have a region or group of regions that you
want to protect from being inadvertently edited,
you can Edit lock them. Regions that are Edit-
locked cannot be edited (such as cutting, delet-
ing, separating, or trimming) or moved to a dif-
ferent time location. Copied edit-locked regions
can be pasted to any other track or time loca-
tion, but the copy will also be Edit-locked at the
new time location.
To Edit lock (or unlock) a region:
1 With the Time Grabber, select the region or re-
gions to Edit lock (or unlock). The regions can
reside on multiple tracks.
2 Choose Region > Edit Lock/Unlock.
When Edit-locked, a small Edit Lock icon ap-
pears in the region and it cannot be moved, de-
leted, or edited. If you attempt to perform edits
on a locked region, Pro Tools alerts you (see “Al-
lowing Editing of Edit-Locked Regions” on
page 824).
In Shuffle mode, Edit-locked regions, and all re-
gions occurring after the locked region, are not
displaced when other neighboring regions are
moved.
On tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, Edit-
locked regions conform to tempo changes, but
not other Elastic Audio processing (such as
Quantize or manual warping) can be applied.
Time Locking Regions
For regions that you want to lock to a particular
location in a track (a beat, SMPTE frame, or sam-
ple location), you can lock it in place so it can-
not be moved accidentally. Time-locked regions
cannot be moved. However, they can be edited
in ways that do not move the region to a differ-
ent time location (such as separating, trimming,
AudioSuite processing, or even moving the re-
gion to another track). Time-locked regions can
also be deleted. When separating a Time-locked
region, any new regions will also be locked to
their time locations.
To Time lock (or unlock) a region:
1 With the Time Grabber, select the region or re-
gions to Time lock (or unlock). The regions can
reside on multiple tracks.
2 Choose Region > Time Lock/Unlock.
Press Control+L (Windows) or Com-
mand+L (Mac) to Edit lock or unlock the se-
lected region.
Edit Lock icon
Press Alt+Start+L (Windows) or Op-
tion+Control+L (Mac) to Time lock or un-
lock the selected region.
Pro Tools Reference Guide824
When Time-locked, a small Time Lock icon ap-
pears in the region and the region cannot be
moved, but it can be edited or even deleted.
In Shuffle mode, Time-locked regions, and all re-
gions occurring after the locked region, are not
displaced when other neighboring regions are
moved.
On tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks,
Time-locked regions conform to tempo changes,
but not other Elastic Audio processing (such as
Quantize or manual warping) can be applied.
Allowing Editing of Edit-Locked
Regions
If you attempt to edit an Edit-locked region,
Pro Tools warns you and prompts you to Cancel
or Allow the edit. If you allow an edit that keeps
any part of the region intact, the region remains
locked.
Muting/Unmuting Regions
Choosing the Mute/Unmute Region command
mutes playback of a selected region. Choosing
the command a second time unmutes the re-
gion. Regions that are muted become dimmed
to indicate their status.
To mute or unmute a region or regions:
1 With the Time Grabber, select the region or re-
gions you want to mute or unmute. The regions
can even reside on multiple tracks.
2 Choose Edit > Mute/Unmute. When muted, re-
gions are dimmed.
Stripping Silence from
Regions
Strip Silence analyzes audio selections—across
multiple tracks—and removes (or extracts) any
areas of silence, dividing the selection into
smaller regions and removing the silent areas.
You can use Strip Silence to strip (remove) si-
lence from a region, or instead, extract the audio
and keep the silence. Getting rid of silent areas is
useful when preparing to compact audio (see
“Compacting an Audio File” on page 595). Strip
Silence automatically separates the selection
into separate regions, which is useful if you
want to quantize audio to musical values, or lo-
cate sound effects to SMPTE locations.
Time Lock icon
Muted audio region (middle)
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 825
Auto-Naming for Strip Silence
The Rename button in the Strip Silence window
opens the Rename Selected Regions dialog,
which determines how regions are named when
stripping silence. The dialog remembers your
previous settings, which can be cleared by click-
ing the Clear button.
Name Specifies the base name for regions cre-
ated with Strip Silence.
Number Specifies the number at which sequen-
tial auto-numbering starts.
Zeros Specifies the number of zeroes that occur
before the appended auto numbers.
Suffix Specifies text appended to the end of the
name, after the auto numbering.
For example, if you set these naming options to:
•Name = SFX
• Auto Number Start = 23
•Leading Zeros = 1
• Suffix = .Reel1
The names generated for regions created by Strip
Silence would be:
• SFX023.Reel1
• SFX024.Reel1
• SFX025.Reel1
• SFX026.Reel1
• SFX027.Reel1
Using Strip Silence
To strip silence from an audio selection:
1 Select one or more audio regions.
2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence.
3 To set the naming scheme for regions created
with Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
name Selected Regions dialog. For details, see
“Auto-Naming for Strip Silence” on page 825.
4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the set-
tings for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Du-
ration (Min Strip) until Strip Silence rectangles
appear in the selection.
For finer resolution on these controls, press
Control (Windows) or Command (Mac) while
adjusting them.
Rename Selected Regions dialog
Press Control+U (Windows) or Com-
mand+U (Mac) to open the Strip Silence
window.
Strip Silence rectangles
Pro Tools Reference Guide826
5 To retain material before and after the new re-
gions, adjust the settings for Region Start Pad
and Region End Pad.
6 Once the Strip Silence rectangles encompass
the audio that you want to keep, press the Strip
button.
The material defined as silence is removed from
the selection and new regions are created, which
also appear in the Region List.
Strip Silence is nondestructive and does not re-
move audio data from parent audio files. In ad-
dition to the Undo command, you can use the
Heal Separation command to restore stripped
material.
To extract audio from an audio selection using
Strip Silence:
1 Make an Edit selection.
2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence.
3 To set the naming scheme for regions created
with Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
name Selected Regions dialog (see “Auto-Nam-
ing for Strip Silence” on page 825).
4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the set-
tings for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Du-
ration (Min Strip) until the Strip Silence
rectangles appear in the selection.
5 Click the Extract button.
All audio above the designated threshold is de-
leted and the “silent” portions of the track are
left.
To separate regions using Strip Silence:
1 Make an Edit or Timeline selection.
2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence.
3 To set the naming scheme for regions created
with Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
name Selected Regions dialog (see “Auto-Nam-
ing for Strip Silence” on page 825).
4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the set-
tings for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Du-
ration (Min Strip) until the Strip Silence
rectangles appear in the selection.
5 Click the Separate button.
New regions are created based on the boundar-
ies detected by Strip Silence.
Strip Silence, padding region start and end points
Strip Silence works with stereo and multi-
channel tracks, and keeps their audio re-
gions phase-coherent.
Attack to be padded Decay to be padded
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 827
The Strip Silence Window
The Strip Silence window contains the following
controls that let you set the parameters by
which silence is defined when using Strip Si-
lence.
Adjusting these controls causes rectangles to
temporarily appear in the selection, indicating
areas of silence that will be affected by the Strip,
Extract, or Separate commands.
Strip Threshold Sets the amplitude threshold
(from –96 dB to 0 dB) for Strip Silence. Audio
falling below this threshold is considered silence
and removed. Audio above the threshold is re-
tained and defined as new regions.
Minimum Strip Duration Sets the minimum dura-
tion (from 0 to 4,000 ms) that the material
above the threshold must last to be considered
silence. Use this control to avoid countless small
regions that may occur within a selection.
Region Start Pad Specifies a time value to be
added to the beginning of each new region cre-
ated with Strip Silence. This is useful for preserv-
ing musical material that falls below the thresh-
old, such as the breath before a vocal phrase, or
the finger slide before a guitar chord.
Region End Pad Specifies a time value to be ap-
pended to the end of each new region created
with Strip Silence, thereby preserving the nu-
ances in the decay of the material.
Strip Clears the detected silence, but leaves the
regions containing audio on the track.
Extract Clears the audio and leaves the silent
portions of the track (in other words, an “in-
verse” strip silence feature that is ideal for gener-
ating room tone or ambience to use elsewhere).
Rename Opens the Rename Selected Regions di-
alog (see “Auto-Naming for Strip Silence” on
page 825).
Separate Separates regions based on the bound-
aries detected by Strip Silence.
Strip Silence window
Strip Silence rectangles
Pro Tools Reference Guide828
Inserting Silence
The Insert Silence command is a simple and con-
venient way to insert silence on audio, MIDI,
and Instrument tracks. This command lets you
make a selection on a track (or tracks) and insert
precisely that amount of silence.
In Shuffle mode, all data on the track is shuffled
later in the track by an amount equal to the se-
lection.
In Grid mode, the Insert Silence command
works just like the Clear command.
Shuffle Mode When inserting silence on multi-
ple tracks in Shuffle mode, the following condi-
tions apply:
If any track is displayed as audio or MIDI data,
the selected duration of silence is inserted into
the audio or MIDI data and all underlying auto-
mation data on all selected tracks. All subse-
quent regions are shuffled by the amount of
silence inserted. On MIDI tracks, only notes that
are selected from the beginning are affected, so
if you have selected the tail of a note and you In-
sert Silence, the note will remain unchanged.
If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
tion data, the selected range is cleared of auto-
mation data only of the type visible on each
track. Regions are not shuffled. Instead, a blank
gap appears equal to the length of the selection.
If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
tion data, press the Start key (Windows) or Con-
trol (Mac) while choosing the Insert Silence
command to inserts silence on all automation
playlists for all selected tracks. Regions are not
shuffled.
Slip Mode When inserting silence on multiple
tracks in Slip mode, the following conditions
apply:
If any track is displayed as audio or MIDI data,
the selected range is cleared of audio or MIDI
data and all underlying automation data on all
selected tracks.
If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
tion data, silence is inserted only into the auto-
mation type visible on each track.
If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
tion data, press the Start key (Windows) or Con-
trol (Mac) while choosing the Insert Silence
command to insert silence on all automation
playlists for all selected tracks.
To insert silence into a track:
1 Make a selection in a track or tracks. The
length of the selection determines the duration
of the silence inserted.
2 Choose Edit > Insert Silence.
In Shuffle mode, Pro Tools inserts the selected
amount of silence. In the process, it splits the re-
gions at the beginning of the insertion point,
and moves the new regions later in the track by
an amount equal to the length of the selection.
The Insert Silence command also affects
markers in any selected Conductor Rulers
(such as the Tempo or Meter rulers).
Chapter 38: Arranging Regions 829
Duplicating Regions
The Duplicate command copies a selection and
places it immediately after the end of the selec-
tion. Though this is similar to using Copy and
Paste, Duplicate is more convenient and faster,
particularly when working with data on multi-
ple tracks.
To make more than one copy of a selection, use
the Repeat command (see “Repeating Regions”
on page 830). You can also loop regions (see
“Region Looping” on page 831).
As with the Copy and Paste commands, certain
rules apply when duplicating material on multi-
ple tracks (see “Editing Across Multiple Tracks”
on page 527).
To duplicate a selection or region:
1 If working with material that is bar- and beat-
based, such as loops, set the Main Time Scale to
Bars|Beats.
2 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
3 Make an Edit selection.
4 Choose Edit > Duplicate. The material is placed
immediately after the selection’s end point.
In Shuffle mode, the duplicated data is placed
directly after the end of the selection. Regions
occurring after it slide to accommodate the du-
plicated material. In Slip mode, the duplicated
material overlaps any adjacent data.
When using Duplicate (or Repeat) with MIDI
notes that were selected with the Time Grabber
tool, material is always duplicated one measure
later, and is merged with existing track material
(instead of replacing it).
Duplicating Audio and Keeping It
On The Beat
When using Duplicate (or Repeat) for audio that
must fall cleanly on the beat (such as rhythmic
loops), it is important that you select the audio
material with the Selector tool, or by typing in
the start and end points in the Event Edit area. If
you select an audio region with the Time Grab-
ber tool (or by double-clicking it with the Selec-
tor tool), the material may drift by several ticks
because of sample-rounding.
If, on the other hand, you want to Duplicate (or
Repeat) audio that is not bar- and beat-based, set
the Time Scale to any format except Bars|Beats.
This ensures that the duplicated audio material
has the correct number of samples and is accu-
rately placed.
Press Control+D (Windows) or Com-
mand+D (Mac) to Duplicate any selected
regions.
Pro Tools Reference Guide830
Repeating Regions
The Repeat command is similar to Duplicate, but
lets you specify the number of times the selected
material is duplicated.
As with the Copy and Paste commands, certain
rules apply when repeating material on multiple
tracks (see “Editing Across Multiple Tracks” on
page 527).
You can repeatedly paste copied data until it
completely fills a selection (see “Repeat To Fill
Selection” on page 527).
You can also loop regions (see “Region Looping”
on page 831).
To repeat a selection or region:
1 If working with material that is bar- and beat-
based, such as loops, set the Main Time Scale to
Bars|Beats.
2 If you want to constrain the selection to the
current Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.
3 Make an Edit selection.
4 Choose Edit > Repeat. In the Repeat dialog, en-
ter the number of times you want the material
to repeat, then click OK.
The material is placed immediately after the se-
lection’s end point, and duplicated the specified
number of times.
In Shuffle mode, the repeated data is placed di-
rectly after the end of the selection. Regions oc-
curring after it slide to accommodate the re-
peated material. In Slip mode, the repeated
material overlaps any subsequent data.
Repeat dialog
Press Alt+R (Windows) or Option+R (Mac)
to open the Repeat dialog for any selected
regions.
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 831
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups
Pro Tools lets you loop regions or a group of re-
gions (called a Region Group).
Region Looping
Pro Tools lets you loop audio regions, MIDI re-
gions, and region groups. Looping regions is an
easy and powerful way to repeat a single region
on a track or regions across tracks for composing
and arranging. Looping regions provides more
flexibility than the Repeat and Duplicate com-
mands.
Looped regions repeat the source region as
many times as specified in the Region Looping
dialog, or enough to fill the specified Loop
Length (such as 30 seconds or until the next re-
gion on the track). The source region is the origi-
nal region selected for looping. Loop iterations
are all looped regions following the source re-
gion. In cases where a specific number of repeti-
tions has not been indicated, the last loop itera-
tion is truncated to fill to the end of the
selection or specified Loop Length.
Once looped, the looped region can be edited
much like a region group. For example, selecting
and moving a looped region selects and moves
the source region and all its loop iterations to-
gether.
Looped regions (all iterations) display a Loop
icon in the lower, right corner or each loop iter-
ation.
Looped region
Looping a region does not loop any automa-
tion associated with the source region. Use
the Copy Special and Paste Special Repeat
To Fill Selection commands to copy auto-
mation for the source loop to all loop itera-
tions (see “Automation and Looped Re-
gions” on page 834).
Loop icons
Source region Loop iterations
Looped region
Pro Tools Reference Guide832
Creating Looped Regions
You can create looped regions using the Loop
command or using the Loop Trimmer tool.
To loop a region:
1 Select an audio or MIDI region, or region
group.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Loop.
– or –
• Right-click the region you want to loop and
select Loop.
3 In the Region Looping dialog, do one of the
following:
• Select the Number of Loops option and enter
the number of times to loop the region.
• Select the Loop Length option and enter the
duration according to the main timebase. If
the duration is not an exact multiple of the
source loop’s duration, the last loop itera-
tion will be truncated.
• Select the Loop Until End of Session or Next
Region option. The looped region will be re-
peated until the end of the session, or until
the next region on the track. If necessary,
the last loop iteration will be truncated to
fit.
4 To add a crossfade at the loop point, select the
Enable Crossfade option. To edit the loop cross-
fade, do the following:
• Click the Settings button.
• Configure the Loop Crossfades.
• Click OK.
5 In the Region Looping dialog, click OK.
For information on using the Loop Trimmer
tool, see “Loop Trimmer Tool” on
page 548.
You can also select regions across tracks for
looping.
Region Looping dialog
Press Control+Alt+L (Windows) or
Command+Option+L (Mac) to open the
Region Looping dialog.
Loop Crossfade dialog
For information on working with crossfades,
see Chapter 29, “Fades and Crossfades.”
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 833
Unlooping Regions
To unloop a looped region:
1 Select the looped region.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Unloop.
– or –
• Right-click the region you want to unloop
and select Unloop.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click Remove to unloop and remove all
loop iterations except the first full loop it-
eration (source region).
– or –
• Click Flatten to unloop and create individ-
ual regions from each loop iteration.
To unloop and ungroup a selection down to its
individual regions:
1 Select a looped region that contains one or
more region groups.
2 Choose Region > Ungroup All.
Unlooping and Flattening Looped Regions with
Separate Regions Menu Commands
The Separate Regions commands (At Selection,
On Grid, and At Transients) automatically unloop
and flatten looped regions before separating.
Editing Looped Regions
Looped regions can be edited as a group (all loop
iterations together) or as individual regions
(each loop iteration). For example, selecting a
looped region with the Grabber tool selects the
entire loop (the source region and all its loop it-
erations), but clicking the Loop icon of one of
the loop iterations selects only that one itera-
tion.
Moving a looped region moves the source re-
gion and all its loop iterations together as a
group. Loop iterations cannot be moved inde-
pendently of their source region. If you move or
paste another shorter region over a looped re-
gion the loop is continued after the new region.
The parts of a separated looped region can be ad-
justed independently.
To select a looped region as a group (all loop
iterations), do one of the following:
With the Grabber tool or Smart Tool, single-
click the looped region.
– or –
With the Selector tool, double-click the
looped region.
The source region and all its loop iterations are
selected.
Region Ungroup functions on loops the same
as using the Unloop command and choosing
Flatten.
Manually warping any part of a looped re-
gion in Warp view separates only that iter-
ation from the looped region.
Pro Tools Reference Guide834
To select an individual source region or loop
iteration, do one of the following:
With the Grabber tool or Smart Tool, single-
click the Loop icon of the source region or loop
iteration.
– or –
With the Selector tool, single click the Loop
icon and drag to the left until the region is se-
lected.
Tabbing to Transients and Region Boundaries
With Tab to Transients enabled you can tab
both to transients and region boundaries in a
looped region. Normal Tab (Tab to Transients
disabled) tabs to the start and end boundaries of
the entire looped region. For more information,
see “Tabbing to Transients” on page 572.
Trimming Looped Regions
Trimming looped regions can be done using the
Trimmer tool, the Loop Trimmer tool, or one of
the Trim Region commands. The Loop Trimmer
tool trims the entire looped region. The Trim-
mer tool trims only the individual loop iteration
while increasing or decreasing the number of
loop iterations to fill the total length of the
looped region.
If the source region is extended to the left by us-
ing the Trimmer tool to change the total length
of the looped region, the source region is moved
earlier in the Timeline and loop iterations fill in
up to the point where the last original loop iter-
ation ended. If the trim to the left is part of the
source region’s length, the source region is not
moved and a partial loop iteration is created to
the left of the source region. This is a powerful
feature that lets you make quick changes to your
arrangement by using partial loops as upbeats,
or by extending looped sound effects or ambi-
ence earlier in a film score.
To trim a looped region to the selection:
1 Use the Selector tool to make an Edit selection
including some or all of the looped region.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Region and one of the Trim
Region commands (To Selection, To Fill Selection,
Start to Fill Selection, or End to Fill Selection).
Automation and Looped Regions
Looping an audio region does not loop any au-
tomation associated with the source region. This
lets you apply automation across an entire
looped region. For example, you may want to
have a long volume fade across part or all of a
looped region that is independent of any one
single loop iteration.
You can also repeat automation on each loop it-
eration. For looped audio regions, use the Copy
Special and Paste Special Repeat to Fill Selection
commands to copy and paste any or all automa-
tion data from the source region to some or all
of its loop iterations.
Loop icon
For information on trimming looped regions
using the Loop Trimmer tool, see “Loop
Trimmer Tool” on page 548.
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 835
To copy and paste automation from the source
region to loop iterations:
1 Select the source region.
2 Choose Edit > Copy Special and one of the Copy
Special commands (All Automation, Pan Automa-
tion, or Plug-In Automation), depending on what
automation you want to copy.
3 Select the entire looped region.
4 Choose Edit > Paste Special > Repeat to Fill Se-
lection.
Region Groups
A region group is a collection of any combination
of audio and MIDI regions that looks and acts
like a single region. Region groups are essen-
tially containers holding one or more regions.
Region groups can be created on a single or on
multiple adjacent audio, MIDI, and Instrument
tracks. Region groups let you “nest” multiple re-
gions into “macro” regions for groove and
tempo manipulation, editing, and arranging.
Region groups can be placed on tracks alongside
standard regions, and edited using many of the
same editing techniques as regular regions. Cer-
tain edits to a region group will apply to all re-
gions contained by the region group, such as Cut
or Delete. Other edits only apply to the bound-
aries of the region group and do not affect the
underlining regions, such as Trim.
Each region group is saved with the session as a
Region Group file (.rgrp). Region group files can
be exported from and imported into different
Pro Tools sessions.
Region groups are especially useful for:
• Grouping tick-based audio regions that have
been separated into many small regions, such
as with individual hits of a drum pattern.
Many such small regions can easily be created
with Beat Detective or the Separate Region At
Transients command, or imported as REX or
ACID files.
• Grouping parts and sections of your session to
facilitate composition and arranging. For ex-
ample, grouping the regions of a brass section
during the chorus to copy it to the next cho-
rus.
Selected Pan automation for Special Copy
Pan automation Special Paste to Fill Selection
Region groups are completely independent of
and unique from Mix and Edit Groups.
Editing Elastic Properties is disallowed for
region groups.
Region groups are not supported on audio
tracks set to Playlists view. Changing an
audio track to Playlist View automatically
ungroups any region groups on the track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide836
Creating Region Groups
To create a region group:
1 Select one or more regions on one or more
tracks. (For more information on multitrack re-
gion groups, see “Multitrack Region Groups” on
page 837).
The size of the selection determines the size of
the region group. The selection can start and
end on any region boundary, empty space, or
even in the middle of a region. Selections start-
ing or ending within a region will separate the
region at the selection boundary when you cre-
ate a region group. Region groups created from
object-based selections include all selected and
unselected regions between the first and last se-
lected region on the track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Group.
– or –
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose
Group.
The region group appears as one region with the
region groups icon in the lower left corner. Re-
gion groups also appear in the Region List.
Region Group Timebase Format
Region groups are created in the same timebase
format (samples or ticks) as the tracks on which
they are created. Multitrack region groups can
include both sample-based and tick-based
tracks.
Selecting regions to be grouped on a single audio track
Press Control+Alt+G (Windows) or
Command+Option+G (Mac) to group
selected regions.
The Group and Ungroup Region menu
commands apply to any Edit selection
regardless of the current Track View.
Region Group icons on an audio track and in the Region
List
Audio Region Group icon on an audio track
MIDI Region Group icon on a MIDI track
Region groups can be created from empty
selections. This can be useful when working
in Shuffle mode to preserve the gaps between
regions.
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 837
Ungrouping Regions
To ungroup a region group:
1 Select a region group.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Ungroup.
– or –
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose
Ungroup.
The region group disappears, revealing all un-
derlying regions and any nested region groups.
When there are multiple nested region groups,
the Ungroup command will ungroup the front-
most top-layer region group only, preserving
any underlying region groups.
To ungroup a region group (and include all of its
nested region groups):
1 Select a region group.
2 Choose Region > Ungroup All.
Regrouping Regions
The Regroup menu command undoes the last Un-
group command and regroups all the individual
regions as a region group. This lets you ungroup
a grouped region, edit its underlying regions,
and regroup it to continue working on higher-
level composition and arranging.
To regroup a region group:
1 Select any region from the ungrouped region
group.
2 Choose Region > Regroup.
If you used the Ungroup All command, the Re-
group command recreates all previous nested re-
gion groups.
3 If you regrouped an ungrouped region group
that was used more than once in the session, do
one of the following when the Change All dialog
opens.
• Choose Modify to apply your changes to all
other instances of the same region group.
– or –
• Choose Copy to create a copy and apply
your changes only to the copied region
group.
Multitrack Region Groups
Multitrack region groups (region groups created
across multiple tracks) are useful for grouping
parts (such as multi-miked drum tracks), and for
composing and arranging. Multitrack region
groups can be created across any combination of
audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks, and can in-
clude either or both tick-based or sample-based
tracks.
Multitrack region groups work much like single-
track region groups. Multitrack region groups
appear as a single object across adjacent tracks.
Press Control+Alt+U (Windows) or
Command+Option+U (Mac) to ungroup
selected region groups.
Press Control+Alt+R (Windows) or
Command+Option+R (Mac) to regroup
selected regions that were formally part of a
region group.
Pro Tools Reference Guide838
To create a multitrack region group:
1 Select regions across multiple adjacent tracks.
2 Choose Region > Group.
Selecting regions to be grouped across multiple tracks
Region Group icon
Mixed Region Group icon (for a multitrack region group
of sample- and tick-based audio, and tick-based MIDI)
Multitrack region groups create nested
region groups of multiple regions by track
before grouping them across tracks.
The Regroup command supports multitrack
region groups.
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 839
Separated Multitrack Region
Groups
You can insert, move, hide, or delete tracks in
multitrack region groups, but it may break the
region group. A separated region group displays
a break in the Region Group icon. Separated re-
gion groups will continue to function as a single
region group, but the separated icon indicates
that the region group displayed is somehow in-
complete or separated across nonadjacent
tracks.
A region group is separated when you do any of
the following:
• Insert a track within a multitrack region
group.
• Move a track that is part of a multitrack region
group so that it is no longer adjacent with the
other tracks of the region group.
• Hide a track that is part of a multitrack region
group.
• Delete a track that is part of a multitrack re-
gion group.
• Change the tempo of a mixed sample-based
and tick-based region group.
• Record into a region group.
• Change playlists on a track that is part of a
multitrack region group.
• Change to Playlists view.
• Apply manual warping in Warp view.
There may be situations where you want sepa-
rated region groups. For example, if you use the
same accompaniment on verses one and two of
a song, you can group the parts of verse one and
copy them as a region group for verse two, but
still have a continuous vocal track in the middle
of those region groups.
Separated Region Group icon
If you want to delete a track and keep the
region group intact, first ungroup the region
group, then delete track, and then Regroup
the region group. The region group will be
recreated intact, but without the deleted
track.
Pro Tools Reference Guide840
Region Groups on Tick-Based
Tracks
When changing tempos, region groups on tick-
based tracks adjust their length by adjusting the
position of all enclosed regions accordingly.
This can be useful for arranging rhythmic mate-
rial and for playing back region groups imported
from REX and ACID files.
Changing Region Group Timebase
The timebase format of a region group can be
changed by:
• Changing the track’s timebase.
– or –
• Dragging the region group to a track with a
different timebase.
Changing the timebase creates a copy of the
original region group. Both region groups (the
original and the copy) appear in the Region List,
but they have different timebases.
Converting Samples to Ticks
When dragging a region group from a sample-
based track to a tick-based track, the length of
the region group does not change. This is be-
cause region groups are converted from samples
to ticks after they are moved into tick-based
tracks. The length of the region group only
changes with subsequent tempo changes. If ap-
propriate, change the local tempo on the tick-
based track to match the tempo of the sample-
based region group before moving a sample-
based region group to a tick-based track.
Converting Ticks to Samples
When dragging a region group from a tick-based
track to a sample-based track, the length of the
region group does not change unless it is moved
to another time location with a different tempo.
This is because region groups are converted from
ticks to samples after they are moved into the
sample-based tracks.
A region group on a tick-based audio track at 120 BPM
and at 160 BPM
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 841
Multitrack Region Groups with Sample- and
Tick-Based Tracks
Multitrack region groups can include both sam-
ple-based and tick-based tracks. However,
changing the tempo separates the region group
between sample-based tracks and tick-based
tracks.
Editing Region Groups
Region groups are edited in much the same way
as regular regions: They can be named, moved,
cut, copied, pasted, trimmed, muted, locked,
and so on. However, there are a few significant
differences between editing regular regions and
region groups.
Editing MIDI Region Groups
If a MIDI region within a region group is modi-
fied in any way, a new region copy is created
and placed over the region group. For example,
if you record, draw in a new note, edit MIDI con-
troller data, or quantize a Timeline selection, a
new region is created over the region group.
Editing Audio Region Groups
Certain audio editing commands create new re-
gions over region groups. To use these com-
mands and maintain the region group, ungroup
the region group, perform the edit, and then re-
group the region group.
The following edit commands create new re-
gions over region groups:
• AudioSuite processing of a grouped region re-
sults in a new region over the region group.
• Consolidating a selection of a grouped region
creates a new audio file and region over the re-
gion group.
• Recording into a region group creates a new
audio file and region over the region group.
• Pencil tool waveform redraw results in a new
region over the region group.
Tabbing to Transients and Region
Boundaries
With Tab to Transients enabled, the Tab key
moves the Location Cursor to transients and re-
gion boundaries within a region group.
With Tab to Transients disabled, the Tab key
moves the Location Cursor to region group
boundaries only (and the sync point, if present).
A multitrack region group separated across sample-
based and tick-based tracks after changing tempo
For more information, see “Tabbing to
Transients” on page 572.
Pro Tools Reference Guide842
Trimming Region Groups
Trimming region groups with the Standard
Trimmer tool works the same way as trimming
regular regions, regardless of whether you are
trimming a single-track region group or a multi-
track region group.
Trimming a region group does not trim the un-
derlying regions, but rather trims the region
group boundaries. All underlying regions retain
their original length and location. This is true
for all underlying audio and MIDI regions, and
nested region groups. If you trim the region
group shorter, underlying regions may not be
heard on playback because they are outside the
region boundaries of the trimmed region group.
When trimming region groups with the TC/E
Trimmer tool, it applies only to audio or MIDI
regions, depending on which region type in the
group you trim, and creates a new region over
the region group.
If you ungroup regions after trimming a region
group in (shorter), audio regions falling outside
of the bounds of the current region group are
trimmed to fit the region group boundary or re-
moved.
Recording
When recording audio or MIDI, new regions are
created over (in front) of region groups instead
of being included in the region group. To record
into a region group, first ungroup the region
group, then record, and then regroup the region
group. The region group will be recreated intact
with the newly recorded material.
Fades and Crossfades on
Region Groups
Region groups can have fades and crossfades just
like regular regions. Fades only apply to audio
regions. In addition to crossfading between re-
gion groups, you can also crossfade between re-
gion groups and regular audio regions.
Two adjacent multitrack region groups with crossfades
on the audio tracks, but not on the MIDI track
Ungrouping a region group removes any
region group level fades or crossfades. Fades
and crossfades are restored by the Regroup
command.
Region groups that contain regions with
fades are not allowed on Elastic Audio-
enabled tracks.
When changing tempo with region groups
on tick-based tracks, you may need to Un-
group, redo or create new fades, and then
Regroup in order to maintain the fades.
For information on working with fades and
crossfades in Pro Tools, see Chapter 29,
“Fades and Crossfades.”
Chapter 39: Region Loops and Groups 843
Importing and Exporting
Region Group Files
Pro Tools can export and import region groups
as region group files (.rgrp) to do any of the fol-
lowing:
• Separate region group metadata from audio
files to avoid unnecessary file copy opera-
tions when exporting audio region groups
composed from multiple source files
• Export MIDI data as part of a region group
• Create multitrack loops
Region group files store the following metadata:
• References to all audio files within the re-
gion group
• Region names and relative location in
tracks
• Embedded fades and crossfades
• Region group names and format (single or
multitrack)
• All MIDI data present in the region group
(such as notes, controllers, Sysex, and so
on)
• Track names
• Elastic Audio Warp markers and TCE factor
• Region timebase (samples or ticks)
•Sync points
• Loops
•Tempo map
Region group files do not store the following:
• Automation
•Plug-Ins
• Track routing
• Meter map
• Region List information
For more information, see “Importing and
Exporting Region Group Files” on page 376.
Pro Tools Reference Guide844
845
Part VIII: Processing
846
Chapter 40: AudioSuite Processing 847
Chapter 40: AudioSuite Processing
The following explains the use of AudioSuite
plug-ins in Pro Tools. AudioSuite plug-ins are
used to process and modify audio files on disk.
AudioSuite processing applies non-real-time, or
rendered, audio processing to selected audio re-
gions in your Pro Tools session. Depending on
how you configure an AudioSuite plug-in, it will
either alter the original source audio file or cre-
ate an entirely new audio source file.
TDM and RTAS plug-ins process audio playing
back on or through a track. These plug-ins are
nondestructive and real time. For information
on using real-time plug-ins (as well as hardware
inserts) on tracks, see Chapter 44, “Plug-In and
Hardware Inserts.”
The AudioSuite Menu
AudioSuite plug-ins are accessed through the
AudioSuite menu. Plug-Ins can be organized in
the AudioSuite menu in Pro Tools by Flat List
(with plug-ins in alphabetical order), Category,
Manufacturer, or Category and Manufacturer.
To open the AudioSuite Plug-In window:
1 Make an Edit selection that includes the audio
region, or regions, you want to process.
2 From the AudioSuite menu, select the plug-in
you want.
For information on individual AudioSuite
plug-ins included with Pro Tools, see the
Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
For more information, see “Plug-In Menu
Organization” on page 977.
Selecting and AudioSuite plug-in
Pro Tools Reference Guide848
The AudioSuite Window
When you select a plug-in from the AudioSuite
menu, the AudioSuite window appears. From
this floating window you can access and edit the
controls for the selected AudioSuite plug-in.
AudioSuite Window Header
The AudioSuite Window header provides con-
trols for changing AudioSuite plug-ins and set-
ting presets, and how AudioSuite processing will
be applied.
AudioSuite Plug-In Selector
From this menu you can select any AudioSuite
plug-in installed in your Plug-Ins folder. Plug-
Ins are listed in the Plug-In selector pop-up
menu according to the Organize Plug-Ins Menu By
setting in the Display Preferences page.
Selection Reference
This menu aims the selected process at either re-
gions selected in an audio track or playlist, or at
regions selected in the Region List.
When you select a region on-screen (in either a
track/playlist or the Region List) Pro Tools nor-
mally selects both occurrences of the region.
Since you may not want to process both, this
menu provides a convenient means of limiting
the AudioSuite process to regions selected in one
or the other.
Playlist Applies AudioSuite processing to regions
on the Timeline (playlists on audio tracks). Pro-
cessed regions also appear in the Region List.
AudioSuite window, EQ III 1-Band shown
AudioSuite window header
Plug-In selector
Selection Reference
Use in Playlist button
Librarian menu
File Mode selector
Process Mode selector Compare
Settings Select
Next Setting
Previous Setting
Plug-In menu (flat list, non-category view)
Selection Reference pop-up menu (Invert plug-in shown)
Chapter 40: AudioSuite Processing 849
Region List Applies AudioSuite processing only
to selected regions in the Region List. Processing
is not be applied to regions on the Timeline
(playlists on audio tracks).
AudioSuite Processing Region Groups in the
Region List
AudioSuite plug-ins process Region Groups in
the Region List with certain limitations. With
audio files, AudioSuite processes are applied to
all copies of a unique audio file in your session
when the Region List option and the Use in Play-
list option are selected. However, when a Region
Group is selected for Audio Suite processing in
the Region List, Pro Tools does not recognize the
Region Group as audio. This is because a Region
Group is not treated as audio until it is actually
used in a track. To apply AudioSuite processing
to a Region Group in the Region List, first un-
group the Region Group, and then regroup it af-
ter processing.
To apply an AudioSuite process to all copies of a
Region Group in a session at once, do the
following:
1 Select the Region Group to be processed.
2 From the Region List menu, select Ungroup All.
All elements of the group will remain selected.
3 Perform the AudioSuite processing.
4 From the Region List menu, select Regroup.
When prompted, choose Modify to apply the Au-
dioSuite process to all copies of the Region
Group in the session, or Copy to apply it only to
the selected Region Group.
Use In Playlist Button
This button determines whether AudioSuite
processing will replace all instances of the se-
lected regions everywhere in the session, or only
the occurrences of the regions that are currently
selected.
Use In Playlist Off When Use in Playlist is dis-
abled, a new, processed version of the selected
region will be added to the Region List. No orig-
inal regions will be replaced or overwritten any-
where in the session.
Use In Playlist On, Reference = Region
List When Use in Playlist is enabled and the Se-
lection Reference pop-up menu is set to Region
List, all copies of the selected region will be re-
placed everywhere in the session.
Use In Playlist On, Reference = Playlist When
Use in Playlist is enabled and the Selection Refer-
ence is set to Playlist, only regions selected in
tracks in the Edit window will be replaced. If the
session includes other copies of the region used
in other playlists, those copies of the original,
unprocessed region will not be replaced.
File Mode Selector
This menu lets you select whether or not the Au-
dioSuite plug-in will process the selected audio
destructively or nondestructively, and how the
original files will be modified.
If the Use In Playlist option is enabled in
addition to Region List being selected in the
Selection Reference pop-up menu, the pro-
cessing will be applied to the selected region
in both the playlist and the Region List.
If the Selection Reference pop-up menu is set
to Region List, the Use in Playlist button
will automatically be disabled to ensure
that you do not accidentally replace every
occurrence of the region in a session.
File Mode pop-up menu (Invert plug-in shown)
Pro Tools Reference Guide850
There are three options:
Overwrite Files Processes the selected regions de-
structively, overwriting the original audio. Not
all AudioSuite plug-ins can be used destruc-
tively.
Create Individual Files Processes the selected re-
gions nondestructively, creating a new audio
file for each region. The new audio files are
added to the session, leaving the original source
audio files in the Region List unchanged.
(Whether the processed audio is added to the
current playlist or only to the Region List, is de-
termined by the Selection Reference setting.)
Create Continuous File Processes the selected re-
gions nondestructively and creates a new audio
file consisting of the selected regions consoli-
dated into a single, unbroken region. This mode
is particularly useful if you are assembling a
composite track from multiple takes. This mode
is not available when the Selection Reference is
set to Region List.
Process Mode Selector
If you have made a selection that includes mul-
tiple regions, this pop-up menu lets you specify
whether AudioSuite processing is performed on
a region-by-region, or entire-selection basis.
Region by Region Analyzes each region in a se-
lection individually, rather than over the entire
multi-region selection as a whole.
Entire Selection Uses the entire selection for
analysis. All regions will be analyzed and pro-
cessed relative to the entire selection.
AudioSuite Plug-In Preset
Controls
Most AudioSuite plug-ins let you load and save
presets (plug-in settings files). However, some
AudioSuite plug-ins, such as DC Offset Removal
or Duplicate, do not provide Preset controls
since they have no parameter controls.
Plug-In Selector Lets you select any AudioSuite
plug-in installed on your system.
Plug-In Settings Menu Lets you copy, paste, save,
and import plug-in presets.
Plug-In Librarian Menu Recalls settings files (pre-
sets) saved in the plug-in’s root settings folder or
in the current session’s Settings folder.
The Create Continuous File option is not
available with some time domain plug-ins.
To achieve a similar result, use the Dupli-
cate plug-in to consolidate regions processed
with these plug-ins.
Process Mode selector (Invert plug-in shown)
AudioSuite Preset controls
For more information about plug-in presets,
see “Plug-In Presets” on page 987.
Librarian menu
Compare
Settings Select
Next Setting
Previous Setting
Plug-In Settings menu
Chapter 40: AudioSuite Processing 851
Next (+) and Previous (–) Setting Buttons Lets
you select the next or previous plug-in setting
from the Plug-In Librarian menu.
Plug-Ins Settings Select Button Accesses the
Plug-In Settings dialog, which lists the presets
for the current plug-in. From this list, you can
select a new preset, or audition a series of pre-
sets.
Compare Toggles between the original saved
plug-in preset and any changes you have made
to it so you can compare them.
Other AudioSuite Controls
In addition to the standard AudioSuite controls
that are common to all AudioSuite plug-ins,
there are a number of special-purpose controls
found only on certain plug-ins:
Chan/Track Process Mode Selector
If you have made a selection that includes re-
gions from multiple tracks, the Normalize
AudioSuite plug-in (as well as some third-party
AudioSuite plug-ins) lets you choose whether
you want to perform processing on a channel-
by-channel/track-by-track, or an all-channel/all-
tracks basis using the Chan/Track Process Mode
selector.
Peak On Each Chan/Track Analyzes and pro-
cesses each selected track individually. If you ap-
ply the Normalize plug-in to multiple tracks or a
multichannel track in Peak On Each Chan/Track
mode, each channel or track will be normalized
independently, without regard to the other se-
lected tracks.
Peak On All Chans/Tracks Uses all currently se-
lected channels and tracks for analysis. If you
apply the Normalize plug-in to a multichannel
track or multiple tracks in Peak On All
Chans/Tracks mode, the tracks will be analyzed
as a single entity and regions will be normalized
relative to the averaged peak level within all se-
lected channels and tracks.
Find Level Button
For some gain processing plug-ins, the Find Level
button can be found next to the Process button
in the AudioSuite Plug-In Window footer. It can
analyze a selection without actually processing
it. For example, using the DigiRack Gain plug-
in, you can use the Find Level button to deter-
mine the maximum peak level on a track at a
specific gain value before you process the audio.
Key Input Selector
Selects a track/bus to be used to trigger process-
ing. In order to use this feature, the key input
source audio must occur at the same time as the
target audio. Side-chain input is monophonic.
See “Side-Chain Input” on page 986.
Channel Mode Button
The Channel Mode button lets you process con-
tiguous channels within a selected region as
though they were mono or stereo tracks (and in
some cases greater-than-stereo tracks), regard-
less of the type of tracks they occupy.
Mono Mode Processes each contiguous channel
within a selected region as a separate mono
track. For example, a region comprised of six
mono tracks would be processed as six mono
tracks.
You will lose the current plug-in settings if
they are not saved before you use the Next
and Previous Setting buttons. Always save
your plug-ins settings as presets using the
Plug-In Settings menu.
Side-chain inputs for plug-ins have no effect
on AudioSuite processes when the Selection
Reference is set to Region List.
Pro Tools Reference Guide852
Stereo Mode Processes each contiguous pair of
channels within a selected region as a stereo
track. When applied to an odd number of chan-
nels, the plug-in processes the last odd, unpaired
channel as mono, using the left channel settings
of the stereo plug-in. If you want the last track to
be processed in stereo, you must select an addi-
tional track to pair it with—an empty one if nec-
essary.
For example, a region comprised of two mono
tracks would be processed as a stereo track, with
the first mono track processed as the left chan-
nel and the second mono track processed as the
right channel.
Multi Mode Processes each set of three or more
contiguous channels within a selected region as
a multichannel greater-than-stereo track, with
the number of selected channels determining
the type of track. For example, five contigu-
ously-selected channels would be processed as a
5.0 track, while seven contiguously-selected
channels will be processed as a 7.1 track.
AudioSuite Window Footer
The AudioSuite Window footer provides con-
trols for previewing and applying AudioSuite
processing.
Preview Button
The Preview button in the AudioSuite window
lets you audition the effect of a plug-in before
you process the audio. By adjusting the plug-in
controls while you listen to this audio preview,
you can fine-tune the effect. Not all AudioSuite
plug-ins support previewing.
The Preview function routes audio to the spe-
cific outputs selected for the Audition Path setting
in the Outputs page of the I/O Setup dialog.
Make sure you have configured this option cor-
rectly for your system or you may not be able to
hear previewed audio.
Before you previewing AudioSuite processing,
be aware that:
The performance of the Preview function de-
pends on the speed of your CPU. Faster comput-
ers preview AudioSuite effects better than slower
computers.
Regardless of how many tracks and regions are
currently selected, the Preview button will audi-
tion only the first selected stereo track or the
first selected pair of mono tracks.
In Mono mode, only the first channel of any
selected multichannel region will be previewed.
If you are processing using Region-by-Region
mode, the Preview function will preview only
the first region within a multi-region selection.
To hear all selected regions, temporarily select
Create Continuous File from the File Mode menu
before previewing.
Multi mode is available only for certain
plug-ins, such as Dynamics III.
AudioSuite window footer
Preview button
Bypass button Process button
Preview Level meters
Preview volume
For more information on using the I/O
Setup dialog to configure your system’s
audio outputs, see “Audition Paths” on
page 91.
Chapter 40: AudioSuite Processing 853
Preview Volume Control
The Preview Volume control in the AudioSuite
window lets you adjust the volume for preview-
ing AudioSuite processing.
To adjust the volume for previewing AudioSuite
processing:
1 Click the Preview Volume control.
2 In the resulting pop-up fader, drag up to in-
crease the preview volume or drag down to de-
crease the preview volume.
Preview Volume Level Meters
The Preview Volume Level meters display the
levels for previewed AudioSuite processing. This
can help you watch for clipping in the processed
signal.
Bypass Button
When Bypass is enabled in the AudioSuite win-
dow, the selected audio is auditioned without
AudioSuite processing. The Bypass button ap-
plies only to previewing. It does not affect actual
AudioSuite processing.
Process Button
Clicking the Process button in the AudioSuite
window begins AudioSuite processing of the se-
lected audio. Processing can occur during play-
back (though it may take slightly longer). Pro-
cessed files are auto-named with the region or
audio file’s name and include an acronym for
the chosen AudioSuite process.
New files are written to the hard disk specified
for that track in the Disk Allocation dialog, or to
the same drive as the original file if the region is
not currently on a track. See “Automatic File
Naming of AudioSuite-Processed Audio” on
page 854.
Multichannel Processing
Most DigiRack AudioSuite plug-ins can process
up to 48 channels of audio simultaneously.
Adjust the volume for previewing AudioSuite processing When processing multiple regions of
different formats (mono and multichannel
surround, for example), all channels will be
processed according to the channel format
of the AudioSuite plug-in. Mono AudioSuite
plug-ins can process stereo regions and
stereo AudioSuite plug-ins can process
mono regions.
Pro Tools Reference Guide854
Undoing AudioSuite Processing
If you have processed an audio selection nonde-
structively, the Undo and Redo commands let
you undo the selected AudioSuite process. You
can undo or redo an AudioSuite process during
audio playback.
Automatic File Naming of AudioSuite-
Processed Audio
When new audio files are created as a result of
AudioSuite processing, Pro Tools will auto-name
these files according to the type of plug-in used.
The name of the region determines the prefix,
while the type of AudioSuite plug-in determines
the suffix.
Automatic file naming follows these rules:
New regions are named beginning with the re-
gion name, followed by an abbreviation of the
current AudioSuite process, followed by stan-
dard Pro Tools file and region numbering.
If a plug-in’s File Mode is set to Overwrite Files,
the original region’s name will not be changed.
If a plug-in’s File Mode is set to Create Individ-
ual Files, the resulting regions will have an ab-
breviated version of the plug-in name appended
to them.
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins
AudioSuite plug-ins can be applied to whole re-
gions, partial regions, or selections that are
made up of whole and partial regions across one
or more tracks.
When audio selected in the Edit window in-
cludes partial regions, the regions will automat-
ically be split into two or more regions when
they are processed. Processing is applied only to
the selection, leaving other regions unchanged.
Only audio files on locally connected hard
drives can be processed with AudioSuite plug-
ins. You cannot process audio files on remote
hard drives over a network (unless it is an Avid
Unity network).
To process audio with an AudioSuite plug-in:
1 Do one of the following:
• Make an Edit selection of the audio you
want to process.
– or –
• Select audio regions in the Region List that
you want to process.
2 Choose an AudioSuite plug-in from the
AudioSuite menu.
3 Adjust the plug-in controls for the effect you
want. These settings determine how the file is
processed and what effect the processing has on
the original regions.
Undo is not available when a plug-in is
configured for destructive editing since the
process has already overwritten the source
audio file.
Processing a locked region will cause the re-
gion to become unlocked, and processing a
muted region will cause it to become un-
muted.
Chapter 40: AudioSuite Processing 855
Follow these guidelines:
• To process the selected region only in the
track in which it appears, select Playlist for
the Selection Reference. Alternatively, if
you want to process the selected region in
the Region List only, select Region List.
• If you want to process and update every oc-
currence of the selected region throughout
your session, enable the Use In Playlist but-
ton (and also select Region List as the Selec-
tion Reference). Alternatively, if you do not
want to update every occurrence of the se-
lected region, deselect the Use In Playlist
button.
• To configure the plug-in for destructive
processing, select Overwrite Files for the File
Mode. This will overwrite and permanently
modify the original source audio files.
• Alternatively, to configure the plug-in for
nondestructive processing, select Create In-
dividual Files for the File Mode. This will cre-
ate new audio files that have been
processed with the AudioSuite plug-in set-
tings and leave the original source audio
files untouched.
• If you have selected multiple regions for
processing and want to create a new file
that connects and consolidates all of these
regions together, select Create Continuous
File for the File Mode.
4 Click the Preview button to audition the Au-
dioSuite processing of the selected material.
5 Make any further adjustments to the plug-in
controls if necessary.
6 When you are satisfied with the results, click
the Process button.
The selected audio is processed according to the
specified settings. Pro Tools appends an acro-
nym to the region name indicating the Audio-
Suite process that has been applied. Any new au-
dio files appear in the Region List.
Selecting Tracks for AudioSuite
Processing
Because AudioSuite processes are performed on
the specific regions that you select, it is impor-
tant that you select only those regions, or parts
of regions, you actually want to process.
Selecting Tracks for Delay or
Reverb Processing
Because some AudioSuite effects such as delay
and reverb add additional material to the end of
the selected audio, it is important that you make
a selection that is longer than the original source
material so that the plug-in can write it to the
audio file. If you select only the original mate-
rial, without leaving additional space at the end,
any reverb decay or delay that occurs after the
end of the region will be cut off.
To compensate for this, place the region in a
track and select the audio plus an amount of
blank space at the end of the region equal to the
amount of delay or reverb decay that you have
added in the plug-in. The plug-in will then have
space at the end of the region in which to write
the final delay or decay. If you select more time
than needed, you can trim it after applying Au-
dioSuite processing.
When processing a single audio channel
with an AudioSuite plug-in, make sure that
the plug-in is set to Mono mode, if available.
Pro Tools Reference Guide856
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins in
Stereo
Some AudioSuite plug-ins can be used in either
mono or stereo. If you plan to use them in ste-
reo, consider the following:
To process a mono track and obtain a stereo
result, select the track or region plus an empty
track or region. Then set the plug-in to Stereo
mode and select the Sum Inputs button (if pres-
ent) to center the dry signal. When you process
the audio, the result will be two tracks or regions
that represent the right and left channels of the
processed audio. You should then pan these
tracks hard right and hard left in your mix.
If you set a plug-in to Stereo mode, then select
an odd number of Pro Tools tracks for process-
ing (as opposed to an even number), the plug-in
will process the selected tracks in pairs, in stereo.
However, the last odd, unpaired track will be
processed as mono, using the left channel set-
tings of the stereo plug-in. If you want the last
track to be processed in stereo, you must select
an additional track to pair it with—an empty
one if necessary.
For more information, see “Channel Mode
Button” on page 851.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 857
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio
Elastic Audio provides track-based Real-Time
and Rendered Time Compression and Expan-
sion (TCE) and region-based pitch shifting
(transposition). Pro Tools Elastic Audio uses ex-
ceptionally high-quality transient detection al-
gorithms, beat and tempo analysis, and real-
time TCE and pitch shifting processing algo-
rithms. Elastic Audio lets you quickly and easily
transpose the pitch of audio regions and tempo
conform (beat match) audio to the session’s
Tempo map. It also provides an unprecedented
degree of control over transient detection and
TCE processing on an event-by-event basis.
With Elastic Audio, Pro Tools analyzes entire au-
dio files for transient events. For example, an
event can be a drum hit, a sung note, or chord
played by a guitar. These detected events can
then serve as control points for warping the au-
dio. Pro Tools can warp (TCE) audio events au-
tomatically, such as automatically conforming
audio to the session tempo or quantizing audio
events, or you can warp audio manually using
standard editing tools in Warp view.
Elastic Audio is useful in several common work-
flows: working with loops, correcting perfor-
mances, remixing, sound design and special ef-
fects, and film scoring.
Working with Loops
If you work with loops, Elastic Audio lets you
preview your loops in DigiBase browsers at their
native tempo (BPM) or at the session tempo
(BPM). You can even preview the loop while the
session is playing back. When you find the loop
you like, drag it from the browser and drop it
into the session. The loop automatically con-
forms to the session tempo map and Bar|Beat
grid. You can then further manipulate its timing
and also transpose the region to match the pitch
of other loops in your session.
Correcting Performances
Elastic Audio lets you quantize audio to tighten
up a performance or even manually re-align that
one note that was played just a little late. Or,
you might decide that the performance is excel-
lent, but just a little under tempo. Tick-based
Elastic Audio automatically warps audio to con-
form to tempo changes. When you change your
tracks to tick-based and increase the session
tempo, the audio automatically time com-
presses to match.
Pro Tools Reference Guide858
Remixing
Elastic Audio lets you quickly beat match an en-
tire song to the session tempo and Bar|Beat grid.
You can also transpose regions to match pitch.
Sound Design and Special Effects
Use Elastic Audio to achieve special effects with
extreme or widely variable TCE or pitch manip-
ulation. Use the Varispeed algorithm to achieve
tape-like effects for speed and pitch change.
Film Scoring
If you are scoring a film scene, use Elastic Audio
to fit the music to the required duration. You
can even use tempo changes to achieve accele-
randos and ritardandos.
Example Elastic Audio
Workflow
In this workflow, you will be introduced to some
common Elastic Audio tasks for working with
loops:
• Create and configure a new session for this
workflow.
• Locate and preview a loop in DigiBase at
the session tempo.
• Import the loop at the session tempo on a
tick-based, Elastic Audio-enabled track.
• Change the session tempo to change the
tempo of the region on tick-based, Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks.
• Quantize the audio to apply a Groove Tem-
plate to the rhythm.
• Transposition the region to match the
pitch of the imported audio to other audio
and MIDI in the session.
Create and configure a new session
1 Create a new Pro Tools session.
2 Set the session’s Main Timebase ruler to
Bars|Beats.
3 Be sure to display the Tempo and Meter rulers.
4 Use the default tempo of quarter-note equals
120 BPM.
Remember, when using tempo adjustments
for sessions that include multiple cues,
tempo changes may affect the time code
position of other cues later on the Timeline.
Elastic Audio is not recommended for pull-
up and pull-down workflows. Use the
Session Setup window real time pull-up or
pull downs, or the presets included with
DigiRack Time Shift or X-Form AudioSuite
plug-ins.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 859
Locate and preview a loop in DigiBase at the
session tempo:
1 Open the Workspace (Window > Workspace).
2 Navigate to the folder where you keep your
drum loops. Double-click the folder name to
open a volume browser of just the folder’s con-
tents.
3 Select the loop you want to preview.
4 Click the Preview button to preview the loop
at its native tempo.
5 Click the Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo button so that it highlights.
6 Click the Preview button again and the file
previews at the session tempo.
7 Notice that if the loop was sample-based to be-
gin with, the column to the left of the file name
initially indicates that DigiBase is analyzing the
file. When the analysis is done a check mark ap-
pears in that column, the file’s Duration is now
measured in Bars and Beats instead of Minutes
and Seconds, the Sample-based icon is replaced
by the Tick-based icon, and the detected tempo
of the file is displayed in the Tempo column.
8 Repeat the preceding steps to preview other
loops at the session tempo.
Import the loop at the session tempo:
1 Make sure that the Audio Files Conform to
Session Tempo button is still highlighted. This
ensures that the file will be imported as a tick-
based, Elastic Audio region and can be con-
formed to the session tempo.
Audition Paths for previewing are selected
in the I/O Setup window (Choose Setup >
I/O and click the Output tab).
Preview and Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
buttons in a DigiBase browser
Audio Files Conform
to Session Tempo button
Preview button
Elastic Audio controls and indicators in DigiBase
Sample-based
file icon
Elastic Audio
Analysis icon Duration
Detected
tempo
Tick-based
file icon
Pro Tools Reference Guide860
2 Drag and drop the loop from the browser to
the Track List in the session’s Edit window (see
Figure 1 below).
3 One of the following occurs:
• If there are no tracks in the session and the
file is tick-based, you are prompted to ei-
ther import the tempo from the file or use
the session tempo. To keep the session
tempo and have the loop conform to the
session tempo, click Don’t Import.
– or –
• If there are tracks in the session, the file is
imported and automatically conformed to
the session tempo.
4 A new tick-based audio track is created with
the Default Elastic Audio plug-in enabled.
5 Since you chose to not import the file’s origi-
nal tempo, you will notice that the loop con-
forms to the tempo map and Bar|Beat grid of the
session. A Warp indicator appears in both the re-
gion in the track and in the Region List (see
Figure 2 on page 861).
Also in the Region List, notice that there are two
regions. One is the sample-based whole file re-
gion (the imported source file) and the other is
the tick-based Elastic Audio–processed copy.
If All Files is selected as the Drag and Drop
From Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo
option in the Processing Preferences page,
you can also drag and drop audio files from
the Desktop and they are imported as tick-
based Elastic Audio.
You can also conform regions on Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks to the session tempo
using the Conform to Tempo command (see
“Conform to Tempo” on page 764).
Figure 1. Dragging and dropping a tick-based audio file from a DigiBase browser to the Track List
New tick-based,
Elastic Audio–enabled
track
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 861
Change the session tempo to change the tempo of
the region:
1 Change the tempo from the default 120 BPM
to 110 BPM (see “Tempo” on page 759).
2 Notice that since the region is on a tick-based,
Real-Time Elastic Audio-enabled track it auto-
matically conforms to the new tempo.
Quantize audio to apply a Groove Template:
1 Select the region on the tick-based, Real-Time
Elastic Audio-enabled track.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 In the What to Quantize section, make sure
Elastic Audio Events option is selected.
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select a
Groove Template.
5 Set any other options.
6 Click Apply.
7 In the following figure, notice that the audio
has been quantized according to the selected
Groove Template. In Warp view, you can see
that Warp markers have been added at every
Event marker near the Quantize Grid and were
used to apply quantization to those events (see
Figure 3 on page 862).
Figure 2. Imported tick-based audio file with Elastic Audio processing
Warp indicators
Sample-based whole-file Tick-based Elastic Audio–processed
region
region
Changing the default tempo
Pro Tools Reference Guide862
Transpose the audio region down a whole-tone:
1 Select the region on the Elastic Audio-enabled
track.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
3 Select the Transpose By option.
4 Enter “–2” semitones.
5 Click Apply.
Figure 3. Quantized audio events (Warp markers) in Warp view
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 863
Elastic Audio Tracks
Any audio track in your Pro Tools session can be
Elastic Audio enabled. Elastic Audio tracks can
be either sample- or tick-based. Sample-based
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks let you apply real-
time or rendered Elastic Audio processing by ed-
iting in Warp view, applying Quantize, and us-
ing the TCE Trimmer tool. However, only tick-
based Elastic Audio tracks also automatically ap-
ply Elastic Audio processing based on tempo
changes in the session.
Enabling Elastic Audio Tracks
To enable Elastic Audio on a track:
1 Create a new audio track or choose an existing
audio track.
2 Click the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In selector,
and select the Elastic Audio plug-in appropriate
to your track material and the results you want
from the pop-up menu: Polyphonic, Rhythmic,
Monophonic, Varispeed, or X-Form (see “Elastic
Audio Plug-Ins” on page 868).
Any audio regions on the track temporarily go
offline while they are analyzed and come back
online when the analysis is finished. The wave-
form for audio regions that are offline for Elastic
Audio analysis appears grayed out.
When recording to a real-time Elastic Audio-en-
abled track, once recording is stopped, the
newly recorded audio temporarily goes offline
while it is analyzed and comes back online as
soon as the analysis is finished.
To have all new tracks be tick-based, enable
the New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase
option in the Editing preferences.
When creating new tracks by dragging and
dropping audio from a DigiBase browser, if
the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
option is enabled, Pro Tools creates tick-
based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks regard-
less of whether the Elastic Audio analyzed
file is tick-based or sample-based. If the Au-
dio Files Conform to Session Tempo option
is not enabled, Pro Tools creates regular
sample-based tracks.
With Pro Tools HD, Elastic Audio is disal-
lowed on voiced tracks. Use dynamic voice
allocation for tracks on which you want to
use Elastic Audio. (Pro Tools only supports
dynamic voice allocation, and cannot spe-
cifically allocate individual voices.)
Elastic Audio Plug-In pop-up menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide864
3 From the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In pop-up
menu, select Real-Time Processing or Rendered
Processing for Real-Time or Rendered Elastic Au-
dio processing.
Creating New Tracks with Elastic
Audio Enabled
New tracks are created with Elastic Audio auto-
matically enabled in the following cases:
•When the Enable Elastic Audio On New
Tracks option is enabled in the Processing
Preferences page (see “Elastic Audio Op-
tions” on page 327).
• When dragging and dropping tick-based,
Elastic Audio analyzed files from DigiBase
browsers to the Track List or empty space in
the Edit window with the Audio Files Con-
form to Session Tempo option enabled (see
“Elastic Audio on Import” on page 331).
• When dragging and dropping REX or ACID
files from the Desktop (if either REX and
ACID Files Only or the All Files option is en-
abled for the Drag and Drop from Desktop
Conforms to Session Tempo setting in the
Processing Preferences page) or a DigiBase
browser (if the Audio Files Conform to Ses-
sion Tempo button is enabled) to the Track
List or empty space in the Edit window (see
“Importing ACID and REX Files” on
page 334).
Disabling Elastic Audio Tracks
To disable Elastic Audio on a track:
1 From the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In selector,
select None – Disable Elastic Audio.
2 If the track had any Elastic Audio-based pro-
cessing, you are prompted to Cancel, Revert, or
Commit.
Cancel Leaves Elastic Audio enabled on the
track.
Revert Removes any Elastic Audio processing,
reverts regions on the track to their original du-
ration, and disables Elastic Audio on the track.
Commit Renders and commits any Elastic Audio
processing on the track, writes new files to disk,
and disables Elastic Audio on the track.
Committed Regions
Regions that are committed, either by disabling
Elastic Audio on a track or by moving a region to
a track without Elastic Audio enabled, are writ-
ten to disk as new audio files. These new audio
files include the audio in the region, plus any
fades, and also an additional 5 seconds of audio
before and after the region, if available.
Disabling Elastic Audio and
Alternate Playlists
Disabling Elastic Audio on a track affects all
playlists on the track. All playlists on the track
are committed or reverted depending on which
option you choose.
Elastic Audio processing can be Real-Time
or Rendered. Real-Time Elastic Audio pro-
cessing is immediate, but it is more de-
manding of system resources. Rendered
Elastic Audio processing is non-real-time,
but is less demanding of system resources. If
you are working on a system with limited re-
sources, use Rendered Elastic Audio process-
ing. For more information, see “Real-Time
and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing” on
page 867.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 865
Elastic Audio Track Controls
Audio tracks provide controls for enabling Elas-
tic Audio, selecting the Elastic Audio plug-in,
and selecting whether Real-Time or Rendered
Elastic Audio processing.
Elastic Audio Plug-In Selector Selects the Elastic
Audio plug-in for Elastic Audio processing (see
“Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 868). You can
also use the Elastic Audio Plug-In selector to dis-
able Elastic Audio processing, and to select ei-
ther Real-Time or Rendered processing (see
“Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Process-
ing” on page 867).
Elastic Audio Plug-In Button Displays the name
of the selected Elastic Audio plug-in. Click the
Elastic Audio Plug-In button to open the Elastic
Audio Plug-In window (see “Elastic Audio Plug-
Ins” on page 868).
Real-Time or Rendered Processing
Indicator Lights when Elastic Audio processing is
real-time and dims when Elastic Audio process-
ing is rendered (see “Real-Time and Rendered
Elastic Audio Processing” on page 867).
Elastic Audio Track Views
There are two special Track Views for Elastic Au-
dio-enabled tracks: Warp and Analysis.
Warp View
Warp view lets you manually “time warp” (Elas-
tic Audio process) audio. In Warp view you can
create and edit Warp markers. If you are using
Elastic Audio to correct the timing of a perfor-
mance, or to achieve special effects, work in
Warp view (see “Editing in Warp View” on
page 873).
Analysis View
Analysis view lets you edit detected Event mark-
ers. In most cases you will not need to use Anal-
ysis view. However, with material that does not
have clear transients, you may want to work in
Analysis view to add or relocate Event markers,
or to delete erroneous Event markers. For exam-
ple, when using Elastic Audio to correct the tim-
ing of a performance, you may need to add,
move, or remove Event markers in Analysis view
to achieve the highest quality Elastic Audio pro-
cessing (see “Editing in Analysis View” on
page 879).
Elastic Audio Track controls
Elastic Audio
Plug-In selector
Elastic Audio
Plug-In button
Real-Time or
Rendered
Processing
indicator
Track View pop-up menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide866
Elastic Audio Analysis
When recording, pasting, moving, or importing
un-analyzed audio to an Elastic Audio-enabled
track, or when enabling Elastic Audio on an ex-
isting audio track, Pro Tools automatically ana-
lyzes the audio for transient events. In Wave-
form view, the waveform initially appears
grayed out because regions go offline during
Elastic Audio analysis. Once the analysis is com-
plete, the audio comes back online. Elastic Au-
dio analysis is file-based, which means that even
if you are only working with a small region of a
large file, the entire audio file is analyzed.
Elastic Audio analysis detects transient events in
the audio file. These transient events are indi-
cated by Event markers. Event markers are dis-
played in both the Warp and Analysis track
views. Elastic Audio analysis also calculates the
native tempo of the analyzed audio file and its
duration in bars and beats.
Elastic Audio analysis data (detected events,
tempo, and duration in Bars|Beats) is stored with
the file. In DigiBase browsers, analyzed audio
files are indicated by a check mark to the left of
the file name, and these files display their dura-
tion in Bars|Beats, their timebase as ticks, and
their native tempo in BPM.
Tempo Detection
Elastic Audio analysis does its best to detect a
regular tempo for all analyzed audio. Any audio
containing regular periodic rhythm can be suc-
cessfully analyzed for tempo and duration in
bars and beats. Analyzed files in which a tempo
was detected are treated as tick-based files. Tick-
based files can be conformed to the session
tempo for preview and import.
Analyzed files in which no tempo was detected
are treated as sample-based files. If there is only
a single transient in the file (such as with a sin-
gle snare hit), no tempo will be detected. Also,
longer files that contain tempo changes or ru-
bato, or that do not contain regular periodic
rhythmic patterns will probably not have a de-
tected tempo and will be treated as sample-
based files.
Event Confidence
Transient events are detected with a certain de-
gree of confidence. The level of confidence is
based on the relative clarity of transients.
For example, a drum loop is likely to have clear,
sharp transients. These will be detected with a
high degree of confidence. However, a legato vi-
olin melody may not have clear, sharp tran-
sients, so transients will be detected with a lower
degree of confidence.
Note that peak amplitude is not the most
important measure for event confidence.
The clarity of transients is measured in part
by the spectral transition from one moment
to the next. This tends to favor higher fre-
quency content in terms of event confidence.
For example, changing the Event Sensitivity
in the Elastic Properties window for a se-
lected drum loop results in the clearer tran-
sients of the higher frequency hi-hat hits
having more event confidence than the less
well defined transients of the lower fre-
quency kick drum hits even though kick
drum hits have a higher peak amplitude.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 867
Pro Tools is very aggressive with its transient de-
tection in order to detect every possible audio
event. Consequently, it is possible to have erro-
neously detected events. These events will be
analyzed with a low degree of confidence and
can be filtered out by lowering the Event Sensi-
tivity in the Elastic Properties window (see
“Event Sensitivity Property” on page 883). Fil-
tering out any false transients can result in
higher quality Elastic Audio processing.
Conversely, for material with few clear tran-
sients, Elastic Audio analysis may not accurately
detect audio events, and those detected may be
detected with a low level of confidence. You can
relocate or add Event markers where necessary
in Analysis view (see “Editing in Analysis View”
on page 879).
For example, a slow synth pad may not have
clear transients and detected Event markers may
be incorrectly located or may have not been de-
tected at all. In Analysis view, you can relocate,
remove, and add Event markers as necessary
(such as where the chord changes). Accurately
locating Event markers yields better results
when applying Elastic Audio processing.
Real-Time and Rendered
Elastic Audio Processing
Real-Time Elastic Audio processing means that
any changes to Elastic Audio processing—
whether it be a tempo change or a manual TCE
warp, or pitch shifting—take effect immedi-
ately. However, Real-Time Elastic Audio process-
ing can be very demanding on your system’s re-
sources. Consequently, you may want to use
Rendered Elastic Audio processing in some
cases. With Rendered Elastic Audio processing,
when you make a change to Elastic Audio pro-
cessing, any affected audio regions temporarily
go offline, a new “rendered” audio file is gener-
ated, and any affected audio regions come back
online.
To set an Elastic Audio track to Real-Time or
Rendered:
1 Click the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In selector.
2 From the pop-up menu, select an Elastic Au-
dio plug-in.
3 From the pop-up menu, select one of the
following:
•Real-Time Processing
– or –
•Rendered Processing
When processing non-rhythmic audio (such
as legato strings) with the Polyphonic plug-
in, reducing the number of Event markers
often yields better sounding results. You can
either manually remove Event markers in
Analysis view (see “Editing in Analysis
View” on page 879) or lower the Event Sen-
sitivity setting in the Elastic Properties win-
dow for the region you want to process (see
“Elastic Properties Window” on page 882).
In rendered mode, any change you make is
rendered using the original source audio to
avoid generational loss from multiple subse-
quent edits.
Select Real-Time processing for tick-based
Elastic Audio processing (such as tempo
changes). Rendered audio processing can be
useful for sample-based Elastic Audio
processing or if you need to save system
resources.
Pro Tools Reference Guide868
About Rendered Files
Pro Tools creates temporary files for Rendered
Elastic Audio processing. These files are kept in
an auto-created Rendered Files folder in the ses-
sion folder. Once you commit Rendered Elastic
Audio processing to a track, a new file is written
to disk in the Audio Files folder, and the tempo-
rary rendered file from which it was created is
deleted from the Rendered Files folder.
Region Clip Indicator
(Rendered Processing Only)
Since Rendered Elastic Audio processing is not
real-time, it does not report clipping due to Elas-
tic Audio processing in the Elastic Audio plug-in
window. Instead, when clipping occurs due to
Rendered Elastic Audio processing, the region
displays an Elastic Audio Processing Clip indica-
tor just to the left of the Warp indicator.
To avoid clipping on playback, lower the Input
Gain for the region in the Elastic Properties win-
dow (see “Elastic Properties Window” on
page 882).
Elastic Audio Plug-Ins
Pro Tools provides several algorithms for real-
time and rendered track-based Elastic Audio pro-
cessing. The selected Elastic Audio plug-in deter-
mines how the audio is processed. Each plug-in
uses different algorithms for Elastic Audio pro-
cessing. Different algorithms are better suited to
different types of audio. Select the plug-in
whose algorithm is appropriate to the material
on the track you want to process.
Elastic Audio plug-ins have their own selector
that is only available in the Edit window. You
cannot insert Elastic Audio plug-ins on track in-
serts.
Elastic Audio plug-ins provide few to no adjust-
able parameters. The adjustable controls, if any,
are available in the Elastic Audio Plug-In win-
dow. Elastic Audio plug-in parameters cannot be
automated.
To open an Elastic Audio Plug-In window:
Click the Elastic Audio Plug-In button.
Elastic Audio Plug-In selector and pop-up menu
To toggle between Real-Time and Rendered
Elastic Audio processing, Control-Start-click
(Windows) or Command-Control-click
(Mac) the Elastic Audio Plug-In button.
Elastic Audio Region Clip indicator
Elastic Audio plug-in button
Elastic Audio Region
Clip indicators
Warp
indicators
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 869
Elastic Audio Plug-In Window
Controls
The Elastic Audio Plug-In window provides a set
of controls in the window header that are com-
mon to all Elastic Audio plug-ins.
Track Selector Lets you access any other audio
track in the session.
Plug-In Selector Lets you select any Elastic Audio
plug-in or disable Elastic Audio.
Plug-In Settings Menu Lets you copy, paste, save,
and import plug-in presets.
Plug-In Librarian Menu Recalls Elastic Audio
plug-in settings files (presets) saved in the plug-
in’s root settings folder or in the current ses-
sion’s Settings folder.
Next (+) and Previous (–) Setting Buttons Lets
you select the next or previous preset from the
Plug-In Librarian menu.
Plug-Ins Settings Select Button Accesses the
Plug-In Settings dialog, which lists the presets
for the current plug-in. From this list, you can
select a new preset, or audition a series of pre-
sets.
Compare Toggles between the original saved
plug-in settings and any changes you have made
to it so you can compare them.
Clip LED Lights red to indicate clipping in the
Elastic Audio processing. Clipping can occur
when time compressing audio. If clipping oc-
curs, you can lower the Input Gain in the Elastic
Properties window (“Input Gain Property” on
page 884), or attenuate the Default Input Gain
in the Processing Preferences page (see “Elastic
Audio Options” on page 327).
You can undo any Elastic Audio processing and
apply an appropriate amount of AudioSuite
Gain reduction, and then try the Elastic Audio
processing again. The Clip LED only functions
for Real-Time Elastic Audio processing; it does
not function for Rendered Elastic Audio process-
ing. For Real-Time Elastic Audio plug-ins, the
Elastic Audio plug-in button on the audio track
also turns red to indicate clipping.
Elastic Audio plug-in controls
Librarian menu
Track selector Settings menu Target
button
Clip
LED
Plug-In selector
Next Setting button
Compare button
Plug-In Settings Select button
Previous Setting button
You will lose the current plug-in settings if
they are not saved before you use the Next
and Previous Setting buttons. Always save
your plug-in settings as presets using the
Plug-In Settings menu.
For Rendered Elastic Audio processing, clip-
ping is indicated by the appearance of the
Elastic Audio Processing Clip indicator on
the region (see “Region Clip Indicator” on
page 868).
Pro Tools Reference Guide870
Target Button When multiple Elastic Audio
Plug-In windows are open, clicking this button
selects that plug-in as the target for any com-
puter keyboard commands. Deselecting the Tar-
get button lets you open another targeted Elastic
Audio Plug-In window.
Polyphonic Plug-In
The Polyphonic plug-in is a general, all-purpose
algorithm that is effective with a wide range of
material. For complex loops and multi-instru-
ment mixes, use the Polyphonic plug-in. The
Polyphonic plug-in supports region-based pitch
shifting.
Follow
Selecting the Follow option enables an envelope
follower that simulates the original acoustics of
the audio being stretched. Click the Follow but-
ton to enable or disable envelope following.
Window
The Polyphonic plug-in provides a single con-
trol for adjusting the analysis window size for
TCE processing. Experiment with adjusting the
Window size for different types of material until
you achieve the best results. The following table
provides some recommended Window sizes for
different types of material.
Rhythmic Plug-In
The Rhythmic plug-in is best suited to material
with clear attack transients, such as drums. The
Rhythmic plug-in supports region-based pitch
shifting.
The Polyphonic plug-in is the default plug-
in for previewing and importing from Di-
giBase browsers or the Region List.
Elastic Audio plug-in: Polyphonic
If you frequently work with distinct types of
material, you may want to find the best
Window settings for each type of material
and save them as plug-in settings for quick
and easy recall.
Type of Material Recommended
Window Size
General purpose 30–40 ms
Percussive 20 ms or lower
Pads and other legato
material
60 ms or higher
Elastic Audio plug-in: Rhythmic
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 871
Decay Rate
The Decay Rate control determines how much
of the decay from a transient is heard in the pro-
cessed audio when time stretching. When the
Rhythmic plug-in is selected, any gaps between
transients resulting from time stretching are
filled in with audio. The Decay Rate determines
how much of this audio is heard by applying a
fade out rate. Adjust the Decay Rate up to 100%
to hear the audio that is filling the gaps created
by the time stretching with only a slight fade, or
adjust down to 1.0% to completely fade out be-
tween the original transients.
Monophonic Plug-In
The Monophonic plug-in is best suited to mono-
phonic material where you want to keep the for-
mant relationships intact, such as with vocals.
The Monophonic plug-in is also well suited to
monophonic instrumental lines, such as a bass
track. The Monophonic plug-in provides no
plug-in specific parameters.
Varispeed Plug-In
Use the Varispeed plug-in to link time and pitch
changes for tape-like speed change effects, and
post production workflows. The Varispeed plug-
in provides no plug-in specific controls.
Elastic Audio plug-in: Monophonic
Elastic Audio pitch shifting is not supported
with the Monophonic algorithm.
The Monophonic plug-in analyzes pitch as
well as peak transients in order to provide
higher quality TCE to pitched material.
Consequently, analysis for the Monophonic
algorithm takes longer than for the Poly-
phonic, Rhythmic, and Varispeed algo-
rithms. Also, when switching from another
Elastic Audio plug-in to Monophonic,
Pro Tools reanalyzes any audio on the track
to collect the extra analysis data.
Elastic Audio plug-in: Varispeed
Try using Varispeed with Quantize on drum
loops for some interesting effects.
Pro Tools Reference Guide872
X-Form Plug-In
(Rendered Only)
The X-Form Elastic Audio plug-in is a modified
version of the standalone X-Form AudioSuite
processing plug-in (based on the Radius® algo-
rithm from iZotope). The X-Form Elastic Audio
plug-in is for Rendered Elastic Audio processing
only and cannot process in real-time or as an
AudioSuite plug-in. It provides the highest qual-
ity time compression algorithms for music pro-
duction, sound design, and audio loop applica-
tions. Use it to manipulate audio loops for
tempo matching or to change vocal tracks for
formant correct pitch shifting.
Quality
Select either Maximum or Low (Faster) from the
Quality pop-up menu. Maximum is the slowest
processing algorithm, but provides the highest
quality results. Low (Faster) produces relatively
good results and is much faster than the Maxi-
mum setting.
Formant
For audio material with clear formants, enable
Formant to preserve the formant shape of audio
when applying TCE processing.
Elastic Audio plug-in: X-Form
Audio with a fundamental pitch has an
overtone series, or set of higher harmonics.
The strength of these higher harmonics cre-
ates a formant shape, which is apparent if
viewed using a spectrum analyzer. The over-
tone series, or harmonics, have the same
spacing related to the pitch and have the
same general shape regardless of what the
fundamental pitch is. It is this formant
shape that gives the audio its overall char-
acteristic sound or timbre. When pitch
shifting audio, the formant shape is shifted
with the rest of the material, which can re-
sult in an unnatural sound. Keeping this
shape constant is critical to formant correct
pitch shifting and achieving a natural
sounding result.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 873
Editing in Warp View
In Warp view, you can manually “time warp”
(TCE) audio to correct or adjust the timing of a
performance, or create special effects. In Warp
view, you can add, move, and delete Warp
markers. Warp markers are used to fix a specific
point in the audio (typically a detected transient
event) to a specific point in the Timeline. In this
way, you can apply detailed and nuanced
“warping” (TCE) of audio events.
To display Warp view:
1 Click the Elastic Audio-enabled track’s Track
View selector.
2 Select Warp from the Track View pop-up menu.
Elastic Audio Markers in Warp
View
Three types of markers are visible in Warp view:
Event markers, Warp markers, and Tempo
Event–generated Warp markers. Use Event
markers and Warp markers as control points for
applying Elastic Audio processing.
Event Markers
Event markers indicate detected (or manually
created) audio events. Event markers are only
displayed in Warp view and Analysis view. In
Warp view, Event markers appear as gray verti-
cal lines that do not fully extend to the top and
bottom of the track. With the Grabber tool in
Warp view, you can drag Event markers to apply
various kinds of warping depending on whether
or not Warp markers are present in the region as
well. In Warp view, you cannot add, relocate, or
delete Event markers. Use Analysis view to edit
Event markers (see “Editing in Analysis View”
on page 879).
Warp Markers
Warp markers anchor the audio to a specific
point in the Timeline. Warp markers are only
displayed in Warp view. In Warp view, a Warp
marker appears as a thick black vertical line with
a triangle at its base.
To better understand how Warp markers work,
think of the audio region as a rubber band, the
Timeline as a ruler, and Warp markers as pins.
Warp markers can be used to pin a specific point
of the rubber band (the audio) to a specific point
on the ruler (the Timeline). If you pin down one
point of the rubber band to one point on the
ruler, use a second pin to pin down another
point of the rubber band to another point on
the ruler, and then place a third pin equally be-
tween them on the rubber band, but fix it to a
point on the ruler closer to the second pin, the
Warp view is only available for Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks.
Figure 4. Elastic Audio markers in Warp view
Warp marker
Event marker
Tempo Event
Warp markers
The display of Event markers is dependent
on Horizontal Zoom. If you are zoomed out
too far, Event markers are not displayed.
To see Event markers, zoom in.
Pro Tools Reference Guide874
rubber band will be stretched (or expanded) be-
tween the first and middle pins, and relaxed (or
compressed) between the middle pin and the
last pin.
In Warp view, you can add, relocate (without
warping), and delete Warp markers. You can
also move a Warp marker to apply Elastic Audio
processing (see “Warping Audio” on page 875).
To add a Warp marker:
In Warp view, do one of the following:
• With the Pencil tool, click anywhere in the
region to add a Warp marker at that loca-
tion. If you click on an Event marker, a
Warp marker is created on top of the Event
marker.
• With the Grabber tool, Start-click (Win-
dows) or Control-click (Mac) anywhere in
the region to add a Warp marker at that lo-
cation. If you click on an Event marker, a
Warp marker is created on top of the Event
marker.
• With the Grabber tool, if no Warp markers
are present in the region, or if Warp mark-
ers are only present prior to the location
where you want to add a new Warp marker,
double-click an Event marker to add a Warp
marker on top of the Event marker.
• With the Grabber tool, double-click any-
where in the region where an Event marker
is not present to add a Warp marker at that
location.
• With the Grabber tool, single-click any
Event marker prior to another existing
Warp marker in the region to add a Warp
marker on top of that Event marker.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click anywhere in
the region and select Add Warp Marker from
the pop-up menu to add a Warp marker at
that location. If there is an Edit selection,
Warp markers are added at the selection
start and end.
To relocate a Warp marker (without applying
warping):
With the Grabber or the Pencil tool, Start-drag
(Windows) or Control-drag (Mac) a Warp
marker to a new location.
To delete a Warp marker:
In Warp view, do one of the following:
• With the Grabber tool, double-click a Warp
marker.
• With the Grabber or the Pencil tool, Alt-
click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) a
Warp marker.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click a Warp
marker and select Remove Warp Marker from
the pop-up menu.
To delete all Warp markers in a selection:
1 In Warp view, make an Edit selection that in-
cludes only the Warp markers you want to de-
lete (and none of the Warp markers you want to
keep).
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Delete or Backspace on your com-
puter keyboard.
– or –
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the Edit se-
lection and select Remove Warp Marker from
the pop-up menu.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 875
Tempo Event–Generated Warp
Markers
Tempo Event–generated Warp markers are not
editable and are only displayed to indicate
where Elastic Audio processing has been applied
to conform the audio to Tempo Events. You will
only see Tempo Event–generated Warp markers
on tick-based tracks.
If you change the track timebase from ticks to
samples, any Tempo Event–generated Warp
markers convert to regular, editable Warp mark-
ers.
Warping Audio
In Warp view, you can manually warp audio in
three specific ways: Telescoping Warp, Accor-
dion Warp, and Range Warp.
Telescoping Warp
Telescoping Warp can be applied to any audio
region before or after a Warp marker as long as
no other Warp marker precedes or follows it ac-
cordingly. The audio can be on a sample- or tick-
based track. Telescoping Warp is especially use-
ful for adjusting audio files to match the session
tempo map and Bar|Beat grid.
To apply Telescoping Warp to a region:
In Warp view, do one of the following:
• With the Grabber tool, drag any Event
marker that is after the last Warp marker in
the region to the left or right to Telescope-
Warp the audio that is after the Warp
marker in or out. If no Warp marker is pres-
ent in the region, one is created automati-
cally at the region start. The region start
remains anchored to its location on the
Timeline.
– or –
• With the Grabber tool, Alt-drag (Windows)
or Option-drag (Mac) any Event marker
that is before the first Warp marker in the
region to the left or right to Telescope-Warp
the audio that is before the Warp marker in
or out. If no Warp marker is present in the
region, one is created automatically at the
region end. The region end remains an-
chored to its location on the Timeline.
For more information, see “Tempo Changes
and Tick-Based Elastic Audio Tracks” on
page 763.
Automation does not follow manual warp-
ing of audio regions, including TCE trim-
ming and quantization of Elastic Audio.
However, automation does follow tempo
changes on tick-based tracks.
Before and after warping, applying Telescoping Warp
with the region start fixed
Pro Tools Reference Guide876
Workflow Example
Beat match a song to the session tempo and
Bar|Beat grid using Telescoping Warp:
1 Make sure the Main Timebase ruler is set to
Bars|Beats.
2 Set the default tempo and meter.
3 Select Grid mode.
4 Import a song, or any other longer audio file
from a DigiBase browser.
5 Make sure that Elastic Audio is enabled on the
track.
6 Select Warp view.
7 Make sure there are no Warp markers present
on the region. If necessary, delete any exisiting
Warp markers.
8 With the Pencil tool, add a Warp marker at the
bar 1 downbeat location within the region.
9 With the Grabber tool, drag the single Warp
marker to the bar in the Timeline where you
want the downbeat of the audio file to start.
10 Drag the Event marker on the downbeat of
bar 2 of the region to Telescope warp the audio
such that the Event marker matches the corre-
sponding bar number in the Bars|Beats ruler.
11 If the region’s tempo varies, add a Warp
marker to the next downbeat location at the
tempo change and repeat the preceding steps.
Accordion Warp
Accordion Warp applies Elastic Audio process-
ing on both sides of a singe Warp marker in a re-
gion. This lets you expand or compress the au-
dio equally on both sides of a fixed point.
Accordion warp is useful for audio files where
the downbeat occurs in the middle of the re-
gion.
To apply Accordion Warp to a region:
1 In Warp view, add a single Warp marker at the
point in the region that you want to remain
fixed on the Timeline.
2 With the Grabber tool, drag any Event marker
that is before or after the single Warp marker to
the left or the right.
Range Warp
Range Warp applies Elastic Audio processing be-
tween two fixed points in a region. To apply
Range Warp, there must be at least two Warp
markers present in the region.
To apply Range Warp within a region:
1 In Warp view, add a Warp marker at the first
point that you want to fix to the Timeline.
2 Add another Warp marker to the end point
that you want to fix to the Timeline.
Before and after warping, applying Accordion Warp to a
region around a fixed point
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 877
3 With the Grabber tool, drag an Event marker
between the two Warp markers to the left or
right. A Warp marker is added on top of the
Event marker and the audio is compressed or ex-
panded on either side of the dragged marker
while the audio outside the bounding markers
remains unaffected.
Range Warp with an Edit Selection
Pro Tools lets you apply Range Warp between
bounding Warp markers, but keeps the timing
intact between other Warp markers within an
Edit selection.
To apply Range Warp with an Edit Selection:
1 In Warp view, add a Warp marker at the first
point that you want to fix to the Timeline.
2 Add another Warp marker to the end point
that you want to fix to the Timeline.
3 Add any number of Warp markers in between.
4 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection
that includes the Warp markers in between the
bounding Warp markers.
5 With the Grabber tool, drag any of the Warp
markers within the Edit Selection to the left or
the right.
Elastic Audio processing is only applied to the
audio between the bounding Warp markers and
the first and last Warp markers in the Edit Selec-
tion. All audio between the first and last Warp
markers in the Edit Selection maintain their rel-
ative timing.
Individual Range Warp
Individual Range Warp applies warping to a sin-
gle audio event in relation to the adjacent audio
events.
To apply Individual Range Warp:
1 In Warp view, with the Grabber tool, Shift-
click a Warp marker or an Event marker. If not
already present, Warp markers are automatically
created on the adjacent Event markers.
2 Drag to the left or right to warp the clicked
event.
Before and after warping, applying Range Warp
between two Warp markers in a region
Before and after warping, applying Range Warp to a
selection between bounding Warp markers
Pro Tools Reference Guide878
Warped Regions
Regions that have been warped either manually
or automatically by tempo change, quantiza-
tion, or pitch shifting display a Warp indicator
in the upper right-hand corner of the region.
This indicator is visible in any track view. Since
unwarped regions can reside on Elastic Audio-
enabled tracks, regions on Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks do not necessarily display the Warp indi-
cator. The Warp indicator only indicates that
Elastic Audio processing has been applied to a
region.
Displaying the Warp Indicator
The Warp indicator for Elastic Audio regions can
displayed or hidden.
To toggle the display of the Warp indicator in
Elastic Audio regions:
Select or deselect View > Region > Processing
State.
Out of Range Processing
Pro Tools lets you apply extreme amounts of
Elastic Audio processing. However, at such ex-
tremes, it is possible to go out of the selected
Elastic Audio plug-in’s processing range. When
this happens, it is possible that not every sample
will be processed correctly and you may encoun-
ter audio drop outs.
The valid range for Elastic Audio TCE processing
is 1/4x to 4x for all Elastic Audio plug-ins except
X-Form, which supports 1/8x to 8x. TCE less
than or greater than these ranges is effectively
“out of range.”
When out of range processing occurs, the sec-
tion of the audio region that is out of range
turns red. You can still apply Elastic Audio pro-
cessing, but you are warned by the color change
that the TCE factor is out of the normal range of
Elastic Audio processing.
Before and after warping, applying Individual Range
Warp
Warp indicator in a region in Waveform view
TCE Factor is out of range (in red)
The TCE Factor in the Elastic Properties
window supports extreme ranges from
1–9999%. However anything outside of
25–400% will be “out-of-range” and will
be displayed in red.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 879
Removing Region Warping
If you have applied any warping to a region, you
can remove warping and revert the region to its
original duration. This can be useful if you are
not satisfied with the results and want to revert
to the pre-warped region. Warp markers are not
deleted when applying the Remove Warp com-
mand, but any warping is undone.
To remove region warping:
1 Select the region for which you want to re-
move warping.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Remove Warp.
– or –
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the region
and select Remove Warp from the pop-up
menu.
Edit Groups and Warp Editing
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks can be included in
Edit Groups. For Elastic Audio-enabled tracks
that are part of an Edit Group, applying Elastic
Audio processing on one track likewise applies it
to all other tracks within that Edit Group.
If corresponding Warp markers are not already
present on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks that are
part of an Edit Group, new Warp markers are
created on those tracks when you add or move a
Warp marker on any track that is part of the Edit
Group.
Editing in Analysis View
In Analysis view, you can add, move, promote,
and delete Event markers. Usually, Pro Tools ac-
curately detects all the transient events (Event
markers) in an audio file and you will not need
to work in Analysis view. However, Pro Tools
may not accurately detect every audio event or
may erroneously detect audio events with some
types of audio material. This is especially true for
audio without clear transients, such as legato
strings, melismatic vocals, or soft synth pads.
Use Analysis view to manually correct the pres-
ence and location of Event markers. The accu-
rate identification of audio events yields the best
results when applying Elastic Audio processing.
To display Analysis view:
1 Click the Elastic Audio-enabled track’s Track
View selector.
2 Select Analysis from the Track View pop-up
menu.
Remove Warp can only be applied to re-
gions and cannot be applied to region
groups. To unwarp region groups you must
first ungroup the region, then apply Remove
Warp to the underlying regions, and then
regroup those regions.
Analysis view is only available for Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks.
In Analysis view, you can only edit Analysis
markers using the Edit tools. You cannot
use the Edit tools for any region editing.
Switch to Warp or Waveform views for
region-based editing capabilities with the
Edit tools.
When manually editing Analysis markers,
Pro Tools writes temporary Elastic Audio
analysis files (.aan) to the session’s
Rendered Files folder. Any unused tempo-
rary analysis files are purged when you
close the session.
Pro Tools Reference Guide880
Adding Event Markers
To add an Event marker:
In Analysis view, do one of the following:
• With the Pencil tool, click at the location
where you want to add an Event marker.
• With the Grabber tool, double-click at the
location where you want to add an Event
marker.
• With the Grabber tool, Start-click (Win-
dows) or Control-click (Mac) at the loca-
tion where you want to add an Event
marker.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click at the loca-
tion where you want to add an Event
marker and select Add Event Marker from
the pop-up menu.
Moving Event Markers
To move an Event marker:
In Analysis view, do one of the following:
• With the Pencil tool, drag the Event marker
to a new location.
– or –
• With the Grabber tool, drag the Event
marker to a new location.
Promoting Event Markers
Event markers are detected with relative degrees
of confidence (between 1% and 100%). You can
filter out extraneous Event markers by adjusting
the Event Sensitivity setting in the Elastic Prop-
erties window; event markers with the least con-
fidence are filtered out first. However, some sig-
nificant events may not be recognized with a
high degree of confidence. In this case, you may
want to promote the Event marker to ensure
that it is not filtered out when reducing the
Event Sensitivity setting. Promoted Event mark-
ers, like manually created or moved Event mark-
ers, have 100% confidence.
To promote an Event marker:
In Analysis view, with the Grabber or Pencil
tool (or with the Smart Tool in the bottom half
of the track), single-click the Event marker you
want to promote.
Adding an Event marker with the Pencil tool
Moving an Event marker
Promoted Event markers look the same as
detected Event Markers. To see all Event
markers that have 100% confidence, reduce
the Event Sensitivity setting in the Elastic
Properties window (see “Event Sensitivity
Property” on page 883).
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 881
Deleting Event Markers
To delete an Event marker:
In Analysis view, do one of the following:
• With the Pencil tool, Alt-click (Windows)
or Option-click (Mac) the Event marker
you want to delete.
• With the Grabber tool, Alt-click (Windows)
or Option-click (Mac) the Event marker
you want to delete.
• With the Selector tool, make an Edit selec-
tion that includes any Event markers you
want to delete and press Delete or Back-
space on your computer keyboard.
• With the Selector tool, make an Edit selec-
tion that includes any Event markers you
want to delete, Right-click the selection,
and choose Remove Event Marker from the
pop-up menu.
Edit Groups and Event Editing
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks can be included in
Edit Groups. For Elastic Audio-enabled tracks
that are part of an Edit Group, editing Event
markers on one track likewise applies to all other
tracks within that Edit Group.
Elastic Properties
Each region on an Elastic Audio-enabled track
has specific Elastic Audio properties (such as
tempo, meter, TCE factor, Input Gain, and Pitch
Shift).
The Elastic Properties window lets you view and
change the properties for selected regions. For
example, you can reduce the Input Gain for
Elastic Audio processing to avoid clipping that
can occur during processing.
From the Elastic Properties window, you can
also filter Event markers for Elastic Audio re-
gions on tick-based tracks. Filtering Event mark-
ers can result in better quality Elastic Audio pro-
cessing of material with ambiguous transients.
To view the Elastic Properties for a region:
1 Select a region on an Elastic Audio-enabled
track. The track can be either sample- or tick-
based.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Elastic Properties.
– or –
• Right-click the region and choose Elastic
Properties.
Deleting an Event marker with the Pencil tool
Press Alt+5 (Windows) or Option+5 (Mac)
on the numeric keypad to open the Elastic
Properties window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide882
Elastic Properties Window
The Elastic Properties window displays informa-
tion about Elastic Audio processing and analysis
for one or more regions. You can also use the
Elastic Properties window to adjust Elastic Audio
processing and analysis data.
There are different Elastic Properties available in
the Elastic Properties window, depending on
whether the track is tick-based or sample-based.
If the track is sample-based, a reduced set of Elas-
tic Audio Properties are displayed.
Region Property
The Region property in the Elastic Properties
window displays the name of the region and in-
dicates whether or not the region is on a tick or
sample-based track. If more than one region is
selected, the number of selected regions is dis-
played. If regions on both tick and sample-based
tracks are selected, only the reduced set of prop-
erties are displayed.
Source Length Property (Tick-
Based Tracks Only)
The Source Length property in the Elastic Prop-
erties window displays the length of the region
based on the source file in bars and beats. If the
length of the source file was analyzed incor-
rectly, you can change it.
To change the Source Length of a region:
1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the re-
gion.
2 Do one of the following:
• Type the correct bar, beat, and tick values
in the Source Length field.
• If the duration was incorrectly analyzed as
being half the duration of the source file,
click the x2 button.
• If the duration was incorrectly analyzed as
being twice the duration of the source file,
click the 1/2 button.
Source Tempo Property (Tick-
Based Tracks Only)
The Source Tempo property in the Elastic Prop-
erties window displays the average tempo of the
source file, which is calculated based on the de-
tected transient events and the length of the file.
If the tempo of the source file was analyzed in-
correctly, you can change it.
Elastic Properties, tick-based
Elastic Properties, sample-based
Changing the duration of a region on an
Elastic Audio-enabled track using the TCE
Trimmer tool updates the Source Length in
the Elastic Properties window.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 883
To change Source Tempo of a region:
1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the re-
gion.
2 Select the correct note value for the beat from
the Tempo Resolution pop-up menu. For exam-
ple, if the source file is in 5/8, select 1/8 note.
3 Do one of the following:
• Type the tempo in the Source Tempo field.
• If the tempo was incorrectly analyzed as be-
ing half the tempo of the source file, click
the x2 button.
• If the tempo was incorrectly analyzed as be-
ing twice the tempo of the source file, click
the 1/2 button.
Meter Field (Tick-Based Only)
Elastic Audio analysis does not calculate meter
and assumes all files are in 4/4. If you work with
meters other than 4/4, use the Meter property to
correctly identify the source meter.
To change Meter of a region:
1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the re-
gion.
2 Click in the Meter nominator field and type
the correct number of beats per measure. For ex-
ample, if the region is in 3/4, type 3.
3 Click the Meter denominator field and type
the correct note value. For example, if the meter
is in 6/8, type 8.
TCE Factor Property
The TCE Factor property in the Elastic Properties
window displays the percentage of change ap-
plied to the source file. On tick-based tracks, this
property is display only and cannot be edited.
On sample-based tracks, you can change the
TCE Factor to apply TCE to the region. The per-
centage of the TCE factor is always calculated in
relation to the source file. The TCE Factor value
turns red when Elastic Audio processes exceeds
the valid range (see “Out of Range Processing”
on page 878).
Event Sensitivity Property
The Event Sensitivity property in the Elastic
Properties window lets you filter Event markers
based on the analysis confidence level. The con-
fidence level for any detected transient event is
based, in part, on the clarity of the transient. For
example, if the file is a drum loop, loud accented
hits will be analyzed with a higher degree of
confidence than a soft, unaccented hit.
The Event Sensitivity acts like a threshold for
showing only the transient events that were de-
tected with a high degree of confidence. In
Warp or Analysis track views you will see the
number of Event markers decrease or increase as
you lower or raise the Event Sensitivity.
Lowering the event sensitivity can help reduce
the number of erroneously detected transients.
In turn, this can result in better sounding Elastic
Audio processing. Pro Tools preserves the de-
tected transients when applying TCE in order to
avoid flamming and granulation of the tran-
sients. Consequently, false transients are also
preserved and the resulting sound quality can be
less than desirable. If you are working with au-
dio material that does not have clearly defined
transients, you may want to lower the Event
Sensitivity in the Elastic Properties, or you may
want to even edit the Event markers in Analysis
view.
If lowering the Event Sensitivity results in filter-
ing out important Event markers, you can pro-
mote those Event markers in Analysis view (see
“Promoting Event Markers” on page 880).
Pro Tools Reference Guide884
Reset Button
Click the Reset button in the Elastic Properties
window to reset event analysis data for the re-
gion to match the original file. The Event Sensi-
tivity property is reset to 100%.
Input Gain Property
It is possible to encounter clipping when time
compressing audio. Real-Time Elastic Audio
plug-ins provide a Clip indicator to let you know
when clipping has occurred and the Elastic Au-
dio plug-in button turns red. Rendered Elastic
Audio regions display a Clip indicator on the re-
gion when clipping has occurred (see “Region
Clip Indicator” on page 868).
If you encounter clipping when processing Elas-
tic Audio, use the Input Gain property in the
Elastic Properties window to attenuate the gain
of the audio signal before it is processed.
Pitch Shift Property(Polyphonic,
Rhythmic, and X-Form Only)
The Pitch Shift property in the Elastic Properties
window lets you pitch shift whole regions on
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks using the Poly-
phonic, Rhythmic, and X-Form plug-ins. You
apply real-time or rendered pitch shifting in
semitones and cents by +/– 2 octaves.
Elastic Audio Region-Based
Pitch Shifting
(Polyphonic, Rhythmic, and X-Form Only)
In addition to Pro Tools Elastic Audio time com-
pression and expansion capabilities, you can
also change the pitch of whole audio regions in
semitones and cents in the range of +/– 2 oc-
taves.
To pitch shift a region:
1 Make sure the region, or regions, you want to
pitch shift are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks
(using the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form al-
gorithm).
2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
audio region you want to pitch shift. Only re-
gions that are completely selected will be af-
fected.
For REX files, Pro Tools converts the slices
as Events with 100% confidence. Conse-
quently, setting the Event Sensitivity from
99% to 1% does not filter out any events
based on slices. However, if you set the
Event Sensitivity to 0%, all markers are
filtered out regardless.
When you change the Event Sensitivity
property, Pro Tools writes temporary fil-
tered Elastic Audio analysis files (.aan) to
the session’s Rendered Files folder. Any
unused temporary filtered analysis files are
purged when you close the session.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not sup-
ported with the Monophonic algorithm.
However, if you switch to the Monophonic
plug-in after pitch shifting with another
plug-in, the pitch metadata for the region is
maintained.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition cannot be
applied to looped regions or region groups.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 885
3 Open the Elastic Properties window for the re-
gion.
4 Adjust the Pitch Shift settings up (“+”) or down
(“–”) by an amount in semitones and cents.
To transpose the pitch of an audio region in the
Transpose window:
1 Make sure the region, or regions, you want to
Transpose are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks
(using the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form al-
gorithm).
2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
audio region you want to transpose. Only re-
gions that are completely selected will be af-
fected.
3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
4 Do one of the following:
• Adjust the Transpose By settings by an
amount in semitones and cents.
– or –
• Adjust the Transpose From and To settings
by an amount in Semitones and Cents.
5 Click Apply.
Varispeed and Pitch Shifting
When using the Varispeed algorithm, pitch
transposition and time compression/expansion
are always linked. If you apply pitch transposi-
tion to an audio region using the Polyphonic or
Rhythmic algorithms, that transposition data is
stored in the metadata for the region. Conse-
quently, if you then switch to Varispeed, change
the TCE factor, and then switch back to the orig-
inal Elastic Audio algorithm, the region will re-
vert to the original amount of pitch shifting
while maintaining the amount of time compres-
sion/expansion applied by the Varispeed algo-
rithm.
Elastic Properties window
Event Operations, Transpose
The Transpose All Notes To and the Trans-
pose In Key settings can only be applied to
MIDI notes. When only audio regions are
selected, these options are unavailable.
Pro Tools Reference Guide886
Removing Region Pitch Shifting
If you have applied any pitch shifting to a re-
gion, you can remove pitch shifting and revert
the region to its original pitch. This can be use-
ful if you are not satisfied with the results and
want to revert to the pre–pitch shifted region.
To remove region pitch shifting:
1 Select the region for which you want to re-
move warping.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Region > Remove Pitch Shift.
– or –
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the region
and select Remove Pitch Shift.
AudioSuite Processing and
Elastic Audio Regions
Real-Time Elastic Audio processing is non-de-
structive. However, since AudioSuite plug-ins
process the entire region and write a new audio
file (or actually apply destructive processing),
when applying AudioSuite processing to regions
on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, any Elastic Au-
dio processing is rendered first, the rendered file
is then processed by AudioSuite, and the result-
ing new audio file is analyzed for Elastic Audio
processing.
Remove Pitch Shift can only be applied to
regions and cannot be applied to region
groups. To remove pitch shifting from re-
gion groups you must first ungroup the re-
gion, then apply Remove Pitch Shift to the
underlying regions, and then regroup those
regions.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 887
Moving Elastic Audio Between Tracks
Pro Tools analyzes, conforms, and commits audio in different ways when moving audio regions be-
tween tracks with Elastic Audio enabled and tracks without Elastic Audio enabled. The following table
shows the different results for moving regions between real-time Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, Ren-
dered Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, and audio tracks without Elastic Audio.
Moving Elastic Audio between tracks
From To Result
Real-time Elastic
Audio–enabled track
Rendered Elastic
Audio–enabled track
Render region with destination track’s Elastic Audio plug-
in
Real-time Elastic
Audio–enabled track
audio track (no Elastic
Audio)
Render region with source track’s Elastic Audio plug-in
and commit the region to the destination track
Rendered Elastic
Audio–enabled track
Real-time Elastic
Audio–enabled track
Apply real-time Elastic Audio processing using the desti-
nation track’s Elastic Audio plug-in
Rendered Elastic
Audio–enabled track
audio track (no Elastic
Audio)
Commit to track
Audio track (no Elastic
Audio)
Real-time Elastic
Audio–enabled track
Calculate Elastic Audio analysis and apply real-time Elas-
tic Audio processing using the destination track’s Elastic
Audio plug-in
Audio track (no Elastic
Audio)
Rendered Elastic
Audio–enabled track
Calculate Elastic Audio analysis and render the region
using the destination track’s Elastic Audio plug-in
Pitched Elastic
Audio–enabled track
audio track (no Elastic
Audio)
Render region pitch shift with source track’s Elastic
Audio plug-in and commit the region to the destination
track
Regions that are committed, either by disabling Elastic Audio on a track or by moving a region to a
track without Elastic Audio enabled, are written to disk as new audio files (see “Committed Regions”
on page 864.)
Pro Tools Reference Guide888
Fades and MicroFades
Fades and Elastic Audio
Processing
When applying fades to warped regions (regions
that have been processed by Elastic Audio), the
audio selected for the fade is first rendered and
then the fade is generated based on the rendered
audio file. While you can create fades and cross-
fades on regions on Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks, neither Real-Time nor Rendered Elastic
Audio processing can be applied to fades. Con-
sequently, fades always retain their absolute du-
ration and fades must be recalculated after any
Elastic Audio processing has been applied to the
underlying audio.
For example, if you change the session tempo, a
region on a tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled
track will change its duration (in minutes and
seconds) to match the new tempo, but any fades
that are part of that region do not change dura-
tion. The underlying audio is processed to
match the tempo change, then it is rendered,
and then the fade is regenerated. Even though
the underlying audio changes, the absolute du-
ration of the fade does not.
In Warp view, you will notice that Event mark-
ers never appear in fades and that Warp markers
cannot be added within fades. As a general rule,
apply fades to regions on Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks only after you have finished any manual
warp editing.
Microfades
Real-time Elastic Audio processing is not com-
pletely deterministic. Consequently, depending
on where you start playback, the part of a region
being played might actually be a few samples
longer or shorter. When fades or crossfades are
applied to warped regions, the audio waveform
at the boundary between the (real-time) region
and the (rendered) fade may not actually be con-
tinuous.
For example, if there are two butt-spliced re-
gions on a Real-Time Elastic Audio-enabled
track, Elastic Audio processes them separately
even though they are contiguous on the track.
As a result, the audio may not really be contigu-
ous after Elastic Audio processing and there may
be an audible pop when playing back across the
transition between the two regions.
To help compensate, Pro Tools applies micro-
fades to region boundaries on Real-Time Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks. Microfades are small real-
time fades at region boundaries intended to mit-
igate artifacts across region boundaries, or be-
tween an Elastic Audio processed region and a
rendered Fade file. Microfades are very short;
they are only about 1.5 milliseconds long (64
samples at 44 kHz, 128 samples at 96 kHz, and
256 samples at 192 kHz).
Region groups that contain regions with
fades are not allowed on Elastic Audio-en-
abled tracks.
Chapter 41: Elastic Audio 889
Approximate Waveforms
Another consequence of Real-Time Elastic Au-
dio processing is that the drawing of the wave-
forms is only approximate. For example, if you
bus record a Real-Time Elastic Audio processed
track, you will notice that the Waveform on the
source track does not necessarily exactly match
the recorded track. However, be assured that
what you hear is an accurate rendition of the
Real-Time Elastic Audio processing even if the
waveform drawing on the source track is only
approximate.
Elastic Audio Preferences
The Elastic Audio settings in the Processing Pref-
erences page determine which Elastic Audio
plug-in is used for preview and import, and
whether or not new tracks are created with Elas-
tic Audio enabled using the selected default
plug-in.
Default Plug-In Lets you select any Real-Time
Elastic Audio plug-in as the default plug-in for
previewing and importing Elastic Audio. The se-
lected default Elastic Audio plug-in is also used
when new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
enabled. The Elastic Audio Plug-In selector in
DigiBase browsers inherits the selected Default
Plug-In setting. Likewise, changing the selected
plug-in in DigiBase browsers updates the se-
lected Default Plug-In setting in the Processing
Preferences page.
Default Input Gain Lets you attenuate the signal
input to Elastic Audio plug-ins by 0 to –6 dB for
preview and import. If you experience clipping
due to Elastic Audio processing during preview
or after import, you may want to set the Default
Input Gain to slightly attenuate the audio signal
input for Elastic Audio processing. This prefer-
ence also applies to any audio imported to an
Elastic Audio-enabled track.
If you commit any regions on a track (by dis-
abling Elastic Audio on the track) that were im-
ported with Input Gain, their region-based In
put Gain is reset to 0.
The Elastic Properties window inherits the De-
fault Input Gain preference. To apply further re-
gion-based Input Gain for Elastic Audio process-
ing, select the region and adjust the Input Gain
setting in the Elastic Properties window (see
“Elastic Properties Window” on page 882).
Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks When se-
lected, new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
enabled. The selected default Elastic Audio plug-
in is used.
Elastic Audio preferences
If the Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks
option is selected, you may want to also
select the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
base option in the Editing Preferences page.
Pro Tools Reference Guide890
Chapter 42: Event Operations 891
Chapter 42: Event Operations
Various events in Pro Tools (such as groups of
MIDI Notes, audio region start times or sync
points, and whole regions) can be transformed
with Event Operations.
Event Operations Window
The Event Operations window provides com-
mands to transform groups of MIDI notes to af-
fect pitch, timing, and phrasing. The Quantize
and Restore Performance Event Operations can
also be applied to audio region start times (or
sync points) and Elastic Audio events. The
Transpose Event Operation can also be applied
to whole regions on Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks.
The Event Operations window has nine pages,
one for each Event Operations command.
• Quantize
• Restore Performance
• Flatten Performance
• Change Velocity
• Change Duration
• Transpose
• Select/Split Notes
• Input Quantize
• Step Input
The Event Operations window can be left open,
This provides quick access to apply a command
or try out different options for a particular com-
mand.
To open a specific Event Operations window page:
Choose Event > Event Operations, followed by
one of the Event Operations (such as Quantize).
You can also apply quantize, duration,
delay, and transpose to MIDI nondestruc-
tively using MIDI Real-Time Properties. See
“MIDI Real-Time Properties” on page 693.
Event Operations window (Quantize page shown)
Pro Tools Reference Guide892
To open the last active Event Operations window
page:
Choose Event > Event Operations > Event Oper-
ations.
To apply an Event Operations command, do one of
the following:
Click Apply or press Enter on the numeric key-
pad. This applies the command and leaves the
window in the foreground.
– or –
Press Enter on the alphanumeric keyboard
(Windows) or Return (Mac). This applies the
command and closes the window.
To undo a command in the Event Operations
window:
Choose Edit > Undo.
Using the Event Operations
Window
Use the following methods to configure options
in the Event Operations window:
To move forward and back through the vari-
ous fields, press Tab or Shift+Tab.
Increment or decrement selected fields with
the Up and Down Arrow keys. Press and hold
these keys to scroll quickly through the values.
Drag up or down in a selected field to scroll to
a new value.
Press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
while adjusting sliders for finer resolution.
For selected pitch and velocity fields, play a
note on your MIDI controller keyboard to auto-
matically enter it.
Changing a value for a particular control
(such as the Swing Percentage in the Quantize
window), automatically enables the control.
Quantize Command
The Quantize command in the Event Operations
window can be applied to MIDI notes, audio re-
gions, and Elastic Audio events. For MIDI, quan-
tization adjusts MIDI note locations and dura-
tions so that timing is improved, or so that a
particular rhythmic “feel” is achieved. For audio
regions, quantization adjusts the start times (or
sync points) of audio regions. For Elastic Audio,
quantization adjusts to the location of detected
transient events and applies Elastic Audio pro-
cessing accordingly.
The Quantize Event Operations window lets you
apply Grid Quantize based on rhythmic values
(such as 1/16 note) or using Groove Quantize
based on Groove Templates. Slightly different
options are provided for Grid Quantize and
Groove Quantize.
To open the Event Operations window, press
Option+3 (Mac) or Alt+3 (Windows).
If the Event Operations window is already
open, you can select any of the pages from
the pop-up menu at the top of the window.
When using the Event Operations window
and MIDI Real-Time Properties at the same
time, Event Operations are applied to the
actual MIDI data. MIDI Real-Time
Properties continue to applied on top of the
actual MIDI data.
Chapter 42: Event Operations 893
The Quantize Event Operation and Quantize to Grid
commands can both be used to quantize re-
gions. However, each command also has a spe-
cific additional use.
Use the Quantize to Grid command (Region >
Quantize to Grid) to adjust the start points (or
sync points) for selected regions. The Quantize to
Grid command can be applied to both MIDI and
audio regions (see “Quantizing Regions to Grid”
on page 593).
The Quantize Event Operation, on the other
hand, can be applied to MIDI notes and Elastic
Audio events individually in addition to audio
region start times (or sync points). Some notes
or events may be moved back in time, others
forward. For MIDI notes only, some may be
shortened, some lengthened, and some more
drastically affected than others.
To open the Quantize window:
Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
To select Grid Quantize:
From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
a note value.
To select Groove Quantize:
From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
a groove template.
You can also quantize MIDI input, see “In-
put Quantize Command” on page 915.
The settings in the Quantize window are
saved with each session. To store your fa-
vorite settings for use in future sessions,
save them as part of a session template (see
“Session Templates” on page 170).
Press Option+0 (Mac) or Alt+0 (Windows)
to open the Quantize window.
Event Operations window, Quantize
Pro Tools Reference Guide894
Grid Quantize
The Quantize window can apply Grid Quantize
when a specific rhythmic value is selected in the
Quantize Grid pop-up menu. When a groove
template is selected in the Quantize pop-up
menu, Groove Quantize can be applied. For in-
formation on Groove Quantize, see “Groove
Quantize” on page 898.
What to Quantize
The What to Quantize settings determine what
aspects of any selected MIDI notes are quan-
tized: Note Ons (attacks), Note Offs (releases), or
both. You can also select whether to quantize
audio regions or Elastic Audio events. Depend-
ing on what type of track material is selected,
not all options will be available. If only MIDI is
selected, the Audio Regions and Elastic Audio
Events options are unavailable. If only audio is
selected, the Note On, Note Off, and Preserve Note
Duration options are not available.
Note On When selected, MIDI note start points
are quantized.
Note Off When selected, MIDI note end points
are quantized.
Preserve Note Duration When selected, MIDI
note durations are preserved.
When deselected with the Note On option se-
lected, note end points are not moved.
When deselected with the Note Off option se-
lected, note start points are not moved.
If the options for both Note On and Note Off are
selected, the Preserve Note Durations option is
unavailable.
The following figure shows how MIDI notes are
adjusted by the different What To Quantize op-
tions.
Audio Regions When selected in the What to
Quantize pop-up menu, Quantize is applied to
region start times (or sync points if present) for
selected audio regions. MIDI regions are not af-
fected. Typically, you will only want to apply
quantization to sliced audio regions or region
groups (such as imported REX files or regions
created using the Separate Regions at Transients
command or Beat Detective). Quantization can
be applied to mixed selections of MIDI notes
and audio regions.
Elastic Audio Events When selected in the What
to Quantize pop-up menu, Quantize is applied
to detected transient events within the Edit se-
lection on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. Quanti-
zation can be applied to mixed selections of
Before quantizing, followed by two examples showing
the results of different What To Quantize settings
Chapter 42: Event Operations 895
MIDI notes and Elastic Audio events. Warp
markers are created automatically on top of
Event markers nearest the quantize grid. Quan-
tize then uses these Warp markers to apply
quantization.
Quantize Grid
Quantize Grid Pop-Up Menu Determines the beat
boundaries to which MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
events, and audio region start points are aligned.
Any size from whole notes (1/1) to sixty-fourth
notes (1/64), including dotted and triplet values,
can be selected for the Grid size.
Tuplet Select the Tuplet option to quantize ac-
cording to irregular note groupings, such as
quintuplets (5 in the time of 4). The Quantize
Grid for tuplets is calculated from the note size
selection and the Tuplet value. For example, if
an sixteenth note equals 240 ticks, quintuplet
sixteenth notes with 5 in time of 4 would yield a
Grid size of 192 ticks or (240 ticks/5)*4.
Offset Grid By Offsets the Quantize Grid forward
or back in time by a specified number of ticks.
Use this option to achieve a pushed feel (by us-
ing positive values) or a laid back feel (by using
negative values).
Randomize When selected, MIDI notes, Elastic
Audio events, and audio regions are moved ran-
domly forward or back in time (after the Quan-
tize occurs). For example, with the Quantize
Grid set to eighth notes and Randomize set to
50%, notes and events are placed up to a 32nd
note before or after the beat boundary. The Ran-
domize setting also affects note durations (if Re-
leases is selected).
Additional Grid Quantize Options
Additional Grid Quantize options include:
Swing When selected, every other Grid bound-
ary is shifted by the specified percentage value
(0–300) to achieve a “swing” feel. A Swing value
of 0% yields no swing, while 100% yields a trip-
let feel. Settings above 100% progressively nar-
row the swing until the maximum of 300%, at
which every other Grid boundary is moved to
the next Grid point.
Include Within When selected, MIDI Note Ons
and MIDI Note Offs, Elastic Audio events, and
audio regions are only quantized if located
within the specified percentage of the Quantize
Grid. Use this option to clean up downbeats
without affecting notes that are “swung” or
wildly off the beat.
The following figure shows the Quantize Grid
set to quarter notes with the Include Within op-
tion set to 50%. In this example, only the MIDI
Note Ons and MIDI Note Offs falling within the
shaded area (equivalent to an eighth note area
around each beat) are quantized.
Relative Grid mode does not affect the
Quantize Grid.
To Quantize just the backbeats, set the
Quantize Grid to half-notes with an Offset
of 960 ticks.
100% Swing, eighth note Grid
Every other Grid point
shifted by swing
0% Swing
(480 ticks)
100% Swing
(640 ticks)
Pro Tools Reference Guide896
Exclude Within When selected, MIDI Note Ons
and MIDI Note Offs, Elastic Audio events, and
audio regions are not quantized if located
within the specified percentage of the Quantize
Grid. Use this option to preserve the feel of
events close to the beat, while correcting others
that are drastically away from the beat.
The following figure shows the Quantize Grid
set to quarter notes with the Exclude Within op-
tion set to 25%. In this example, MIDI Note Ons
and MIDI Note Offs falling within the shaded
area (equivalent to a sixteenth note area around
each beat) are not quantized.
Strength When selected, MIDI notes, Elastic Au-
dio events, and audio regions are moved a per-
centage toward the Quantize Grid. Lower per-
centages preserve the original feel of the events,
higher percentages align the notes more tightly
to the Grid.
Grid Quantize Examples
The following examples illustrate some of the
more common uses for Grid Quantize.
If you intend to loop playback while quantizing,
you may want to deselect Options > Link Time-
line and Edit Selection. This ensures that the
play range does not change when selected
events are moved in the course of quantizing
and undoing.
Straight Quantize
To quantize to a straight sixteenth note feel:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
events, or audio regions to be quantized.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On
option for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quan-
tize MIDI note durations, select the Note Off op-
tion. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
Regions or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up
menu.
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
sixteenth notes (1/16). Make sure that the other
options for Tuplet, Offset Grid By, and Swing are
not selected.
5 Ensure that the remaining Quantize options
are deselected.
6 Click Apply.
Include Within option
Exclude Within option
After quantizing, you can use Restore Per-
formance to revert to the original version
(see “Restore Performance Command” on
page 905.)
Chapter 42: Event Operations 897
Quantizing While Preserving the
Original “Feel”
You can quantize less strictly, to preserve the
original feel of your recorded MIDI and audio
tracks.
To quantize while preserving the original feel:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
events, or audio regions to be quantized.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On
option for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quan-
tize MIDI note durations, select the Note Off op-
tion. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
Regions or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up
menu.
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
the note value you want to use.
5 Ensure that the other options for Tuplet, Off-
set Grid By, and Swing are not selected.
6 Select the Exclude Within option with a value of
10–15%.
7 Select the Strength option with a value of
70–80%.
8 Ensure that the remaining Quantize options
are deselected.
9 Click Apply.
10 Audition the change. If the desired effect is
not achieved, undo the edit and experiment
with different values for Exclude Within and
Strength.
Quantizing with Swing
If you are working with MIDI hi-hats or bass
lines or audio equivalents, you may want to ap-
ply more of a swing feel when quantizing.
To quantize with an eighth note swing feel:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
events, or audio regions to be quantized.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On
option for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quan-
tize MIDI note durations, select the Note Off op-
tion. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
Regions or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up
menu.
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
eighth notes (1/8).
5 Select the Swing option with the Swing per-
centage you want:
• For a light swing, use 12%.
• For a tighter swing-like groove, use 24%.
• For a true “triplet-like” swing feel, use
50–75%.
6 Ensure that the options for Tuplet, Offset Grid
By, and Randomize are not selected.
7 Click Apply.
8 Audition the change. If the desired effect is
not achieved, undo the edit and experiment
with different Swing percentages.
Pro Tools Reference Guide898
Quantizing with Randomize
If quantized events sound too mechanical or
“on the beat,” use the Randomize option in the
Quantize window to make them sound more
natural.
To “humanize” the rhythmic feel of events:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
events, or audio regions to be quantized.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On
option for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quan-
tize MIDI note durations, select the Note Off op-
tion. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
Regions or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up
menu.
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
the note value you want to use.
5 Select the Randomize option and enter a value
of 5%.
6 Click Apply.
7 Audition the change. If the desired effect is
not achieved, undo the edit and experiment
with different Randomize percentages.
Experimenting with Grid Quantize
When using the Quantize command, you may
have to experiment with many of the controls
to achieve the results you want. Try different
values for Include Within and Exclude Within, and
Strength; these controls determine which notes
are affected and how drastically they are
changed. Additionally, use the Randomize
option, which adds a percentage of randomness
to the quantization, to make tracks sound less
“mechanical.”
Groove Quantize
In the Quantize window, you can apply Groove
Quantize when a groove template is selected in
the Quantize Grid pop-up menu. Groove quan-
tize adjusts MIDI note locations and durations,
Elastic Audio events, and audio regions accord-
ing to a groove template rather than a strict quan-
tization grid. Groove templates extract the par-
ticular rhythmic feel of a recorded audio or
MIDI performance so that is can be applied to
another MIDI sequence or audio selection. Di-
giGroove templates can be generated using Beat
Detective.
Quantize options with a groove template selected
Chapter 42: Event Operations 899
Groove Templates
Groove templates (such as DigiGroove tem-
plates) are “quantization maps” derived from
real musical performances. The rhythmic char-
acter of each performance is analyzed and stored
as a groove template. Groove templates can be
used to transfer the feel of a particular perfor-
mance to MIDI notes (Timing, Duration, and
Velocity), Elastic Audio events, and audio re-
gions.
DigiGroove templates can be created using Beat
Detective. Beat Detective analyzes an audio se-
lection for transient peaks according to a de-
fined threshold and maps the rhythmic rela-
tionships to a 960 parts per quarter note (ppq)
template. Beat Detective can also analyze a MIDI
selection for Note Ons and velocities to generate
groove templates. These template can then be
used with Groove Quantize, as well as with Beat
Detective.
DigiGroove templates are also available from
Avid and third-party manufacturers.
Groove Quantize Settings
Quantize Grid Pop-Up Menu Determines which
groove template to use for quantization. All
groove template files in the Grooves folder are
available in the Quantize Grid pop-up menu.
The directory path for the Grooves folder is:
• On Windows: C:\Program Files\
Digidesign\Pro Tools\Grooves
• On Mac: Applications/Digidesign/
Pro Tools/Grooves
If you organize your groove templates in sub-
folders in the Groove folder, they appear as sub-
menus in the pop-up menu. Once you have se-
lected a groove template, specific information
about the template’s meter and duration (in
bars) is displayed under the pop-up menu.
Show Comments The Comments field displays
any comments saved with the groove template
from Beat Detective. The Comments field can-
not be edited in the Quantize page, but can be
edited when saving a groove template from the
Groove Quantize page.
Pre-Quantize Enable to hard quantize the se-
lected MIDI notes to a sixteenth-note grid before
applying Groove Quantize.
Groove Quantize Options
Timing Enable to apply Groove Quantize to the
selected MIDI notes, Elastic Audio events, or au-
dio regions. Use the slider to change the amount
of quantization applied to the selection. If the
slider is set to 0%, there is no change in timing.
A setting of 100% moves notes to the underly-
ing template locations. If the slider is set to
200%, events move to a tick location that is
twice the difference between the original event
location and the position of the referenced tem-
plate event.
For information on Beat Detective and
creating groove templates, see Chapter 31,
“Beat Detective.”
Numerical Sound’s Feel Injector Templates
(960 ppq) are supported in Pro Tools, but
DNA Groove Templates (192 ppq) are not.
Pro Tools Reference Guide900
For example, if an event was played at Bar
1|1|060 (a 16th note), and the corresponding
template event is at 1|1|073, a slider value of
100% results in the event being shifted to
1|1|073 (a slider value of 200% shifts the note to
1|1|086).
The default value for the Timing slider is 100%.
Duration Enable to influence the durations of
the selected MIDI notes. The Duration option
does not apply to audio selections. At a setting
of 100%, durations are changed to match the
current groove template. Set to 200%, durations
increase and decrease based on the ratio of the
original duration of the selected notes and the
durations in the template.
The default value for the Duration slider is
100%.
Velocity Enable to influence the velocities of the
selected MIDI notes. The Velocity option does
not apply to audio selections. If the slider is set
to 0% there is no change to the selected veloci-
ties, a setting of 100% sets all velocities to match
the current groove template. A velocity setting
of 200% typically results in over-exaggerated ve-
locities—loud notes increasing and soft notes
decreasing in volume.
For example, if two adjacent notes have equal
velocities of 80, and the two corresponding tem-
plate velocities are 70 and 90, setting the slider
to 200% changes the velocities to 60 and 100.
The default value for the Velocity slider is 100%.
Recalling Options Slider Settings
To Save the groove template with the current
Options Slider Settings:
1 In the Quantize window, select Recall with
Template if you want to restore all Groove Quan-
tize Options to the settings that are saved with
the current template
2 Click the Save button.
3 Enter or edit any comments you want to save
with the template.
4 Do one of the following:
• Click the Save button to save the groove
template with the current Options Slider
Settings.
– or –
• Click the Save As button to make a copy of
the groove template with the current Op-
tions Slider Settings. In the resulting Save
dialog, enter a name for the copy and click
Save.
Slider settings can be lost if any of the following
operations are performed without saving the
settings first:
• Another Event Operations window is se-
lected.
• The Event Operations window is closed.
• You switch to another groove template.
Beat Detective does not extract duration in-
formation from audio performances.
DigiGroove templates created using Beat
Detective contain a fixed duration value that
is 50% of the selected template resolution
(see “Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 640).
Chapter 42: Event Operations 901
Applying Groove Templates
Groove templates can be of any length and can
be applied to any number of bars. Typically, you
will apply groove templates to selections of the
same bar length and meter. However, groove
templates can be applied to different meters—
for example, a groove template in 6/8 can be ap-
plied to a selection in 4/4. Also, it is not neces-
sary to start on the downbeat when making a se-
lection to apply a groove template.
To apply Groove Quantize:
1 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
MIDI notes, Elastic Audio events, or audio re-
gions you want to Groove Quantize.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 Select a groove template from the Grid Quan-
tize pop-up menu.
4 Enable Timing, Duration, and Velocity, and ad-
just their sliders to the percentages you want.
5 If desired, enable Pre-Quantize.
6 Click the Apply button.
Figure 5. A DigiGroove template (derived from the audio shown) applied to a series of sixteenth-notes with Timing
and Velocity both set to 100%
Pro Tools Reference Guide902
Mapping Groove Templates
Pro Tools applies groove templates relative to
the song start. For example, a two-bar groove
template repeats starting at every odd-num-
bered bar in the session (bar 1, 3, 5, 7…).
Template Mapping for Equal Meters And Odd
Numbered Bars
If a two-bar groove template is applied to a selec-
tion of one bar of the same meter, only the first
bar of the template is used. If the selection does
not encompass bar boundaries, for example
1|2|000 to 2|1|000, the groove template only
modifies the selected notes.
Template Mapping for Equal Meters And Even
Bars
If a selection starts on an even bar, only the ap-
propriate portion of the groove template will be
used. For example, if the selection is two bars
long and starts on an even bar, the template ap-
plies bar 2 before bar 1.
Template Mapping for Unequal Meters
In cases where the Groove Templates and track
selections are based on different meters, the
template will be repeated or truncated to match
the number of beats in the selection.
For example, if the Groove Template contains
fewer beats than the selection, such as a one-bar
template in 6/8 being applied to a one-bar selec-
tion in 4/4, the template repeats to make up the
difference.
2-bar groove template, repeating template grid
Applying 2-bar groove template to a 1-bar selection, odd
numbered bar
2-bar
groove
template
2-bar
groove
template
2-bar
groove
template
2-bar
groove
template
4/4 bar 1 4/4 bar 2 (not used)
4/4 1-bar selection
Applying a 2-bar groove template to a 1-bar selection,
even numbered bar
Applying a 1-bar groove template in 6/8 to a 1-bar
selection in 4/4
4/4 bar 1 (not used) 4/4 bar 2
4/4 1-bar selection
6/8 bar 1
4/4 1-bar selection
6/8 bar 1 repeated
(beats 3–6
not used)
Chapter 42: Event Operations 903
If the Groove Template contains more beats
than the selection on a track, such as a one-bar
template in 6/4 being applied to a two-bar selec-
tion in 4/4, only uses the appropriate number of
beats.
Behavior for Mixed Meters
If the selection contains mixed meters, the
groove template will always be mapped so that
the downbeats are aligned. For example, if the
Groove Template consists of one-bar of 4/4 and
it is being applied to a selection of one-bar of 4/4
followed by a bar of 7/16 and one-bar of 5/8, the
downbeat of the Groove Template is aligned
with the downbeats in the selection and only
uses the appropriate number of beats from the
Groove Template.
Quantizing Elastic Audio
Pro Tools lets you apply Quantize to Elastic Au-
dio events as well as MIDI notes. Quantize can
be applied to Event and Warp markers closest to
the quantize grid on Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks, regardless of whether they are sample- or
tick-based. When quantizing, Event markers
closest to the quantize grid are promoted to
Warp markers and all Warp markers closest to
the quantize grid are quantized based on the
Quantize settings.
Quantization can also be applied to region start
times (or sync points) on all audio tracks,
whether they are Elastic Audio-enabled, or sam-
ple- or tick-based. This lets you quickly quantize
Applying a 1-bar groove template in 6/4 to a 1-bar
selection in 4/4
6/4 bar 1
4/4 1-bar selection
(beats 3–6
not used)
Applying a 1-bar groove template in 4/4 to a 3-bar
selection in different meters
You can reset the groove template grid by
adding a new meter marker (it can be the
same meter). The groove template will
restart at the meter marker regardless of the
measure number or whether or not the meter
has actually changed.
3-bar selection of changing meters
4/4 bar 1
4/4 bar 1
4/4 bar 1
(not used)
Pro Tools Reference Guide904
audio regions without applying TCE, and is es-
pecially useful when working with “one-shot”
regions (single-event regions) such as sliced re-
gions or region groups.
To quantize Elastic Audio events:
1 Select the audio you want to quantize on Elas-
tic Audio-enabled tracks. (Audio not on Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks will not be quantized.)
2 Choose Events > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 In the Quantize window, select Elastic Audio
Events from the What to Quantize pop-up
menu.
4 Set the Quantize Grid and Options settings.
5 Click Apply.
The Warp and Event markers closest to the
Quantize Grid are quantized accordingly. TCE is
applied between these markers and all other
markers maintain their position relative to the
Quantize Grid.
Quantizing Audio Regions
Pro Tools lets you quantize audio region start
times (or sync points) using the Quantize opera-
tion. Audio region start times (or sync points)
are quantized to the nearest quantize grid value.
To quantize audio regions:
1 Select the audio regions you want to quantize.
2 Choose Events > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 In the Quantize window, select Audio Regions
from the What to Quantize pop-up menu.
4 Set the Quantize Grid and Options settings.
5 Click Apply.
The region start times (or sync points if present)
are quantized according to the quantize settings.
Use Restore Performance to undo quantiza-
tion of audio and MIDI. See “Restore Perfor-
mance Command” on page 905.
Before quantizing Elastic Audio Events in Warp view
After quantizing Elastic Audio Events in Warp view
Quantizing region groups only adjust the
location of the region group start (or sync
point). To quantize the underlying sliced
regions in a region group, you must first
ungroup, then quantize, and then regroup.
For more information on region groups, see
“Region Groups” on page 835.
Before and after quantized audio regions
Chapter 42: Event Operations 905
Quantizing Mixed Selections
You can apply Quantize to both MIDI notes and
audio regions, or both MIDI notes and Elastic
Audio events at the same time. However, you
cannot apply Quantize to both audio regions
(non-Elastic Audio) and Elastic Audio events at
the same time.
Restore Performance
Command
The Restore Performance command in the Event
Operations window reverts all selected MIDI
notes to their original state (when first recorded
or manually inserted), even after the session has
been saved, or the Undo queue has been cleared.
Restore Performance can also be applied to quan-
tized Elastic Audio Events or quantized audio re-
gions.
The following MIDI note, Elastic Audio Event,
and audio region attributes can be restored:
Timing (Quantization) Restores the original start
times of the selected notes, audio regions, and
Elastic Audio Events. For MIDI only, this
changes the durations of selected notes if the Du-
ration option is not enabled.
Duration Restores the original durations of the
selected notes. If the Timing (Quantization) option
is not enabled, the start times of selected notes
are not restored and the end times are affected.
Duration has no effect on audio.
Velocity Restore the original velocities of the se-
lected notes. Velocity has no effect on audio.
Pitch Restores the original pitches of the se-
lected notes and pitch shifted Elastic Audio re-
gions.
To restore the original time, duration, velocity, or
pitch for selected MIDI notes, audio regions, or
Elastic Audio Events:
1 Select the MIDI notes, audio regions, or Elastic
Audio Events you want to restore.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Restore Per-
formance.
3 Select which performance attributes to re-
store.
4 Click Apply.
Event Operations window, Restore Performance page
The Restore Performance command can be
undone.
Pro Tools Reference Guide906
Any changes made through the Quantize, Change
Duration (MIDI only), Change Velocity (MIDI
only), or Transpose commands are undone and
the original “performance” is restored. Also, any
MIDI notes that were recorded with Input
Quantize enabled are restored (see “Input Quan-
tize Command” on page 915).
Removing Input Quantize
Restore Performance can be used to remove
quantization on input for MIDI notes. For exam-
ple, if you recorded a performance with Input
Quantize on, you can still restore the perfor-
mance as it was actually played.
Flatten Performance
The Flatten Performance command in the Event
Operations window “locks in” the current per-
formance for selected notes, creating a new “re-
store to” state for the specified note attributes
when using Restore Performance.
To flatten the performance:
1 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
MIDI notes you want to flatten.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Flatten Per-
formance to open the Flatten Performance page.
3 Select the note attributes to flatten. (For de-
scriptions of these attributes, see “Restore Per-
formance Command” on page 905).
4 Click Apply.
Restore Performance does not undo cut, cop-
ied, pasted, or otherwise manually moved
MIDI notes, audio regions, or Elastic Audio
events.
Restore Performance does not undo Dura-
tion changes made by trimming the start of
a note. Trimming the start of a note essen-
tially changes the note’s timing, and there-
fore is treated by Pro Tools the same as if it
were manually moved.
For information on Input Quantize, see “In-
put Quantize Command” on page 915.
Event Operations window, Flatten Performance page
The Flatten Performance command can be
undone.
Chapter 42: Event Operations 907
Change Velocity
The Change Velocity command in the Event Op-
erations window automatically adjusts Note On
(attack) and Note Off (release) velocities for se-
lected MIDI notes. Use it to make notes louder
or softer, or to create crescendos or decrescen-
dos.
Velocities can also be edited manually with the
Pencil and Grabber tools (see “Manually Editing
MIDI Notes” on page 670).
Fading Velocities
To change velocities smoothly over time:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change Ve-
locity.
3 Select the Change Smoothly option with the
range set from 127 to 0.
4 Click Apply.
Preserving Existing Velocity
Relationships
To partially preserve the existing velocity rela-
tionships and still achieve velocity fades, use the
option for Change Smoothly by Percentage. The
following figures illustrates the difference be-
tween the two Change Smoothly options
Scaling Velocities
Many times existing note velocities already have
the relationship between them that you want,
but are either too soft or too loud overall. In
these instances, use the Scale By option.
For example, to make velocities 20% louder:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change Ve-
locity.
You can also change velocity nondestruc-
tively in real-time using MIDI Real-Time
Properties. See “MIDI Real-Time Properties”
on page 693.
Original velocities
Velocities after Change Smoothly by Percentages,
100% to 20%
Velocities after Change Smoothly by Percentages, 100
to 10
After Change Smoothly, from velocity of 100 to 10
Pro Tools Reference Guide908
3 Select the Scale By option with the percentage
value set to 120.
4 Click Apply.
Change Velocity Settings
Note On Applies the Change Velocity options to
the MIDI Note On.
Note Off Applies the Change Velocity options to
the MIDI Note Off.
Set All To Sets all velocities to the specified value
(1–127).
Add Adds to existing velocity values by the spec-
ified amount (1–127).
Subtract Subtracts from existing velocity values
by the specified amount (1–127).
Scale By Scales all velocities by a percentage
amount (1–400%).
Change Smoothly Allows velocities to change
smoothly from one value to another over time.
Change Smoothly by Percentage Allows veloci-
ties to change smoothly from one percentage
value to another over time.
The curve for this change can be adjusted
(+/– 99) to affect how gradually the change oc-
curs.
Limit To When selected, restricts the Change Ve-
locity command to a minimum and maximum
range after the selected Change Velocity option
has been applied (and also after any randomiza-
tion has been applied).
Randomize When selected, the selected Change
Velocity option is randomized by the specified
percentage value after the selected Change Ve-
locity option has been applied. For example,
with the Set All To option enabled and set to a
Event Operations window, Change Velocity page
Velocity values usually affect the loudness
of MIDI notes. Depending on how velocity is
mapped with any MIDI instrument, veloci-
ties may also affect other aspects of an in-
strument’s sound (such as filter cutoff, enve-
lopes, and modulations).
The settings in the Change Velocity window
are saved with each session. To store your
favorite settings as the default for use in fu-
ture sessions, save them as part of a session
template (see “Session Templates” on
page 170).
While there are options for adjusting both
the Note On (attack) and Note Off (release)
velocities for notes, most MIDI devices ig-
nore release velocity information. To see if
your instrument supports release velocities,
see the manufacturer’s documentation.
Chapter 42: Event Operations 909
value of 64, and with Randomize enabled and set
to a value of 50%, the resulting velocities will be
anywhere between 48 and 80 (+/– 25% of the
velocity value).
To randomize selected velocities without applying
any other Change Velocity options:
1 Enable the Scale By option and set it to 100%.
2 Enable Randomize and set the amount of ran-
domization you want.
3 Click Apply.
Velocity Ranges
The valid range for MIDI note velocities is
1–127. The Change Velocity command will
never result in moving velocities outside this
range; 1 is always the lowest and 127 is always
the highest. This means that you can encounter
situations where the Change Velocity command
has no effect on a particular note.
For example, if a note with a velocity 64 is scaled
by 200%, the new velocity would be 127. At-
tempting to scale or increase the velocity any
further yields no further change.
Change Duration
The Change Duration command in the Event Op-
erations window adjusts durations for selected
MIDI notes. Use it to affect the articulation of
the selected notes by making them more stac-
cato or legato.
Change Duration Settings
Set/Add/Subtract/Scale Option
Set All To Sets all durations to a length specified
in quarter notes and ticks.
Add Adds to the durations by a specified number
of quarter notes and ticks.
Subtract Subtracts from the durations by a spec-
ified number of quarter notes and ticks.
Scale by Shortens or lengthens durations based
on a percentage value (1–400%).
You can also change note duration nonde-
structively in real-time using MIDI Real-
Time Properties. See “MIDI Real-Time Prop-
erties” on page 693.
Event Operations window, Change Duration
The settings in the Change Duration page
are saved with each session. To store your
favorite settings as the default for use in fu-
ture sessions, save them as part of a session
template (see “Session Templates” on
page 170).
Pro Tools Reference Guide910
Legato
Enable the legato option to add legato to the
MIDI selection. Select Gap or Overlap from the
Legato pop-up menu and enter the gap or over-
lap in beats and ticks.
Remove Overlap
The Remove Overlap option removes any note
overlap for all notes of the same pitch. This
command is different from Legato in that non-
overlapping notes of the same or different
pitches remain unchanged. To create a gap be-
tween previously overlapping notes, enter the
gap in beats and ticks.
Transform Sustain Pedal To Duration
The Transform Sustain Pedal To Duration option
extends the length of all notes that are sounding
when the sustain pedal (controller 64) is down
(64 to 127) to the point when the sustain pedal
goes up (0 to 63). Enable the Delete Sustain Pedal
Events option to convert sustain pedal events to
note durations. Converting sustain pedal events
to note duration can greatly simplify editing
while maintaining the desired performance ef-
fect. For example, if a sustain pedal down event
is deleted while editing, the subsequent MIDI
performance loses its legato effect.
Change Continuously Option
The Change Continuously option lets you change
the duration of notes continuously in ticks or by
percentage. Adjust the Curve slider to modify
the shape of the change.
Change Continuously in Ticks Allows note
lengths to change smoothly from one duration
to another over time. Duration values are speci-
fied in quarter notes and ticks.
Change Continuously by Percentage Allows note
lengths to change smoothly from one percent-
age value to another over time.
The curve for this change can be adjusted
(+/– 99) to affect how gradually the change oc-
curs.
Limit Range When selected, restricts the Change
Duration command to a minimum and maxi-
mum range (in quarter notes and ticks).
Randomize When selected, the Change Duration
command is randomized by the specified per-
centage value. For example, using “Set all to”
with a value of 480 ticks, along with a Random-
ize value of 50%, yields durations anywhere be-
tween 360 and 600 (+/– 25% of the duration
value).
Change Duration Examples
To make notes more staccato:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change Du-
ration.
3 Select the option for Scale By with a percent-
age value of 50.
4 Click Apply. The durations for the selected
notes are reduced by 50%.
With this option you may have to experiment
with the percentage value to achieve the desired
effect.
Press Alt+P on Windows or Option+P on
Mac to open the Change Duration window.
Chapter 42: Event Operations 911
To make notes more legato:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change Du-
ration.
3 Select the Legato option.
4 From the Legato pop-up menu, select Overlap.
5 Enter 0|000 for the amount of overlap.
6 Click Apply.
The end points for the selected notes are ex-
tended to the start point of the next note,
thereby eliminating the space between each
note.
Transpose
While the Grabber tools can be used to manu-
ally transpose individual MIDI notes, or small
groups of notes, the Transpose command in the
Event Operations window can be used for entire
MIDI tracks and regions. One of the more com-
mon uses for Transpose is to change the key for
your MIDI tracks. You can define an Edit Group
for MIDI tracks that you want to transpose, mak-
ing sure to exclude any drum tracks from the
group so they aren’t transposed. You can even
transpose in key.
The Transpose command can also be applied to
whole regions on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks
using the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form
plug-ins.
Transpose By (Octaves) Transposes selected
MIDI notes by up to +/– 10 octaves, or trans-
poses selected Elastic Audio regions up to +/– 2
octaves.
Transpose By (Semitones) Transposes selected
MIDI notes up or down chromatically by up to
+/–127 semitones, or transposes selected Elastic
Audio regions up or down chromatically by up
to +/– 48 semitones (4 octaves).
Transpose (From and To) Transposes selected
MIDI notes, or selected Elastic Audio regions, by
semitones, as expressed by the difference be-
tween the source and destination pitches. Trans-
posing from C3 to F#3, for example, transposes
the notes up by an augmented fourth (six semi-
tones).
You can also transpose MIDI notes nonde-
structively in real-time using MIDI Real-
Time Properties. See “MIDI Real-Time
Properties” on page 693.
For information on Transposing Elastic Au-
dio regions, see “Elastic Audio Region-
Based Pitch Shifting” on page 884.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not sup-
ported with the Monophonic algorithm.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition cannot be
applied to looped regions or region groups.
Event Operations window, Transpose
Pro Tools Reference Guide912
Transpose All Notes To Transposes all selected
notes to the same pitch. Use the slider or the
number entry box to enter the pitch to which to
transpose all selected notes. This option is not
applicable to Elastic Audio regions.
Transpose In Key Transposes selected notes in
key up or down by scale steps (based on the Key
Signature ruler). This option is not applicable to
Elastic Audio regions.
To transpose MIDI notes:
1 If you will be transposing a group of tracks, en-
able the Edit Group.
2 Select the MIDI notes you want to transpose.
3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
4 Select the Transpose option (By, From and To,
All Notes To, or In Key).
5 Set the corresponding pitch fields.
With any pitch field selected, play a note on
your MIDI controller to automatically enter it as
the pitch value.
6 Click Apply.
To transpose all notes on a track down by an
octave:
1 With the Selector tool, double-click in the
track to select all of its MIDI notes.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
3 Select the Transpose By option.
4 Enter a value of –1 octave.
5 Click Apply.
To transpose selected notes in key:
1 Select the MIDI notes you want to transpose.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
3 Select Transpose in Key.
4 Adjust the slider (or type a number) for the
number of scale steps (+ or –) by which you want
to transpose the selection. For example, to trans-
pose down a third, enter “–2.”
5 Click Apply.
To transpose an Elastic Audio region:
1 Make sure the region, or regions, you want to
Transpose are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.
2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
audio region you want to transpose. Only re-
gions that are completely selected will be af-
fected.
3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
4 Do one of the following:
• Adjust the Transpose By settings by an
amount in semitones and cents.
– or –
• Adjust the Transpose From and To settings
by an amount in Semitones and Cents.
5 Click Apply.
Press Option+T (Mac) or Alt+T (Windows)
to open the Transpose window.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not sup-
ported with the Monophonic algorithm.
The Transpose All Notes To and the Trans-
pose In Key settings can only be applied to
MIDI notes. When only audio regions are
selected, these options are unavailable.
Chapter 42: Event Operations 913
Select/Split Notes Command
The Select/Split Notes command in the Event
Operations window provides a complete set of
tools to select and split MIDI notes based on a
wide variety of criteria. Additional tools are pro-
vided to specify whether selected data is copied
to the clipboard or to new tracks, whether the
data is split to multiple new tracks or a single
destination, and more.
Select/Split Notes Settings
Pitch Criteria
All Notes Selects all notes.
Notes Between Selects a range of notes between
the specified upper and lower note. Values for
the notes can be entered in pitch (C1–G8) or
MIDI note numbers (0–127).
Top Selects the highest note or notes in each
chord.
Bottom Selects the lowest note or notes in each
chord.
Other Criteria
Velocity Enable the Velocity option to specify a
range of velocities for selecting or splitting
notes. Enter minimum and maximum veloci-
ties.
Duration Enable the Duration option to specify a
range of durations (in beats and ticks) for select-
ing or splitting notes. Enter minimum and max-
imum durations.
Position Enable the Position option to select or
split all notes that fall into a range of relative
beat and tick locations within each bar. The
minimum value determines the start of the
range, the maximum value sets the end of the
range.
Action
Select Notes Selects MIDI notes based on the
specified criteria.
Split Notes: The Clipboard Copies the selected
data to the clipboard only.
Split Notes: A New Track Copies all selected data
to a single, new track. If the selection includes
multiple tracks, that same number of tracks are
created. The new tracks duplicate the original
track type (Instrument or MIDI).
Split Notes: A New Track per Pitch Copies all se-
lected data to multiple new tracks (one new
track for each pitch). New tracks zoom to single-
note display. If the selection includes multiple
tracks, each track has its data split separately.
Include All Continuous MIDI Data Includes all
continuous MIDI data, including pitch bend
and aftertouch, on the entire track, without any
restriction on time selection.
Event Operations window, Select/Split Notes
Pro Tools Reference Guide914
Selecting and Splitting Notes
To select and split notes:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Grabber or Selector tool, select
the range of MIDI notes that contains the
notes.
– or –
• To affect all the MIDI notes on a track, click
in the track with the Selector tool, so that it
contains a flashing edit cursor.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Select/Split
Notes.
3 Configure the Pitch Criteria.
4 Configure the Other Criteria (Velocity, Dura-
tion, and Position).
5 Enable the Select or Split option.
6 From the Split Notes pop-up menu, select Copy
or Cut.
7 If splitting notes, select the Copy or Cut to des-
tination.
8 If splitting notes, enable the Include All Contin-
uous MIDI Data option. Enabling this option in-
cludes all controller data associated with the
split notes in newly created tracks. Leave this
option unchecked to split only note data to new
tracks.
9 Click Apply.
Any Real-Time Properties associated with the
track or regions are copied to new tracks created
by Select/Split Notes.
Selecting a Pitch Range of Notes
A common use for Select/Split Notes is to select
a single note for the entire length of a region or
track. This is especially useful if you want to se-
lect a note in a MIDI drum track (such as a hi-
hat), and affect it over the selected time range
with the Quantize, Groove Quantize, Transpose, or
Change Duration command.
To select only the hi-hats in a General MIDI drum
track:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Grabber or Selector tool, select
the range of MIDI notes that contains the
notes.
– or –
• To affect all the MIDI notes on a track, click
in the track with the Selector tool, so that it
contains a flashing edit cursor.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Select/Split
Notes.
3 Select the Notes Between option with the note
range set to F#1 and F#1 (if the MIDI Note Display
setting in the MIDI Preferences page is set to
Standard Pitch).
For a General MIDI drum kit, the closed hi-hat is
assigned to MIDI note number 42 (F#1 at Stan-
dard Pitch). If the hi-hat for your drum kit is as-
signed to a different note, make sure to specify
it.
4 Click Apply.
You can also select all notes of a specific
pitch on a track using the mini-keyboard.
For more information, see “Selecting MIDI
Notes” on page 670.
Chapter 42: Event Operations 915
Selecting Notes in a Chord
Another use for Select/Split Notes is to select
only the upper or lower notes in a chord. Many
times you may only want to affect the upper or
lower notes in a chord—for example, to increase
velocities or transpose pitches.
To select only the bass notes in a chord:
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Grabber or Selector tool, select
the range of MIDI notes that contains the
notes.
– or –
• To affect all the MIDI notes on a track, click
in the track with the Selector tool, so that it
contains a flashing edit cursor.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Select/Split
Notes.
3 Select the Bottom option and leave the num-
ber of notes set to 1.
4 Click Apply.
Input Quantize Command
When Input Quantize is enabled in the Event
Operations window, all recorded MIDI notes are
quantized automatically.
To enable Input Quantize:
1 Choose Event > Event Operations > Input Quan-
tize.
2 In the Input Quantize page, select Enable Input
Quantize.
3 Configure the other options in the Input
Quantize page. (For more information on the
Quantize options, see “Quantize Command” on
page 892.)
4 When finished, close the Event Operations
window.
In order for notes to be considered a chord,
their start times must be within thirty-two
ppq ticks of each other.
Event Operations window, Input Quantize
Use Input Quantize for drum machine style
loop recording (see “Loop Recording in MIDI
Merge Mode” on page 481).
Pro Tools Reference Guide916
Step Input Command
Step Input in the Event Operations window lets
you use a MIDI controller to enter notes individ-
ually, one step at a time. This gives you precise
control over note placement, duration, and ve-
locity. With MIDI step input you can also create
musical passages that might be difficult to play
accurately, or at a fast tempo.
To enter MIDI notes with Step Input (using an
external MIDI device):
1 Make certain your external MIDI device is
properly connected and working with Pro Tools.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Step Input.
3 Select the Enable option.
4 Choose the MIDI or Instrument track for step
entry from the Destination track pop-up menu.
5 Choose the note value you want to enter from
the Step Increment section.
6 Play a note or chord on your MIDI instru-
ment. This enters the note and moves to the
next step of the insertion point.
To increase a note’s length while using Step Input:
1 Play and hold a note on your MIDI instru-
ment.
2 Choose the note value that you would like to
add and press the Increment button.
Release the note on your MIDI keyboard to
move to the next step insertion point.
Step Input Controls
The Step Input page has the following controls:
Enable When selected, adds MIDI events to the
destination track when you play your external
MIDI keyboard. Additionally, each previously
record-enabled MIDI track is taken out of record
enable.
If a Default Thru Instrument is defined in the
MIDI Preferences page, it is disabled when Step
Input is enabled, and is re-enabled when Step
Input is no longer disabled.
Step Input window
Use Step Input to enter MIDI notes in the
Score Editor or in MIDI Editor windows.
When Step Input is enabled, each previ-
ously record-enabled MIDI or Instrument
track is taken out of record enable, and if
the Default Thru Instrument preference is
defined, it is disabled.
When a note is being held on the MIDI key-
board, Next Step changes to read “Incre-
ment.”
Chapter 42: Event Operations 917
Destination Lets you select the destination track
for the Step Input from a pop-up list of all the
MIDI tracks in your session.
Step Increment Section Controls
The controls in the Step Increment section let
you set the spacing and duration of MIDI events
entered using the Step Input operation. You can
select any size from whole notes to sixty-fourth
notes (including dotted values).
Tuplet Lets you input irregular note groupings
(such as triplets or quintuplets). The tuplet
length is calculated from the note spacing selec-
tion and the Tuplet values. For example, an
eighth note equals 480 ticks, so tuplet eighth
notes with 3 in time of 2 would yield a note
spacing of 320 ticks (480 ticks / 3 * 2).
Note Length Lets you select the note length as a
percentage of the spacing value. For example, an
eighth note equals 480 ticks, so an eighth note
with an 80% duration would be 384 ticks long.
Step Input Options
Use Input Velocity When selected, MIDI notes
are recorded using the velocity that you play on
your MIDI keyboard.
Set Velocity To When selected, MIDI notes are
recorded with the velocity that you specify in
the Velocity field. This value can be set with the
Velocity slider.
Enable Numeric Keypad Shortcuts When se-
lected, Step Input options can be selected from
the numeric keypad. See “Numeric Keypad
Shortcuts for Step Input” on page 918.
Undo Step, Next Step, and Redo Step
Use the Undo Step and Next Step buttons to do
the following:
• Move the step insertion point, by either re-
moving the previous note or by advancing
the insertion point by the Step Increment
value.
• Lengthen and shorten notes that are being
held on the MIDI controller, by adding or
removing Step Increment values. The Step
Increment value can be changed mid-note
to create a note with a hybrid note length.
Use the Redo Step button to sequentially redo
any previously undone steps.
Undo Step When the previous note has been re-
leased from the MIDI keyboard, and the inser-
tion point has moved forward to the next note,
Undo Step removes the entire last note.
When a note is being held on the MIDI key-
board, Undo Step changes to read “Decrement,”
and removes the last Step Increment length that
was added to the held note.
Next Step (or Increment) When no note is being
held on the MIDI keyboard, Next Step moves the
insertion point by the Step Increment value, es-
sentially inserting a musical rest.
When a note is being held on the MIDI key-
board, Next Step changes to read “Increment”
and adds the Step Increment value to the held
note, increasing its length by the Step Incre-
ment value.
Note length percentages
100% 80% 120%
Pro Tools Reference Guide918
While the note is being held, the Step Increment
value can be changed, allowing you to create
notes of any musical length.
Redo Step Reinserts the last note that was re-
moved by the Undo Step operation.
Triggering the Undo Step, Next
Step, or Redo Step Buttons
The Undo Step, Next Step, and Redo Step buttons
can be set to be triggered by an external MIDI
synth, drum pad, or other controller.
To set Undo Step, Next Step and Redo Step MIDI
triggers:
1 Place the Edit insertion on a track at the loca-
tion where you want to enter the first MIDI
note.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Step Input.
3 Locate the button you want to assign a MIDI
event to, and click in the field below the button.
4 Play the MIDI event you want to use as a trig-
ger.
5 Press Enter to confirm the MIDI trigger assign-
ment.
Numeric Keypad Shortcuts for
Step Input
When Enable Numeric Keypad Shortcuts is se-
lected, you can apply many of the controls in
the Step Input page, as well as several selection
controls, using your computer’s numeric key-
pad.
:
If you use a continuous controller as a trig-
ger (such as Pitch Bend), you should make
certain to use an extreme controller value to
avoid erroneous data input.
Step Input Shortcuts Key
Whole note 1
1/2 note 2
1/4 note 4
1/8 note 5
1/16 note 6
1/32 note 7
1/64 note 8
Dotted note . (decimal key)
Toggle Tuplet on/off 3
Next step Enter
Undo step 0
Nudge forward +
Nudge back –
Select Main Counter =
Edit Selection indicators /
919
Part IX: Mixing
920
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 921
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing
Mixing in Pro Tools involves working with ele-
ments of audio signal flow, including inputs,
outputs, busses, inserts, and sends, for purposes
of submixing and mixdown.
In addition to the final mixdown, mixing tasks
can occur any time during a session.
During mixing, real-time plug-ins and hardware
inserts provide effects and signal processing (see
Chapter 44, “Plug-In and Hardware Inserts”).
Mixing Concepts
Mixing involves making decisions about ele-
ments such as volume levels, panning, and ef-
fects in your studio. While you can control
many variables in your studio (such as speakers
and room acoustics), you cannot control the lis-
tening environment in which your final mix
will be heard. The following tips will help you
make your mix sound as good as possible to as
many listeners as possible:
Alternate Speakers and Reference
Monitoring Listen to your mixes on a variety of
different speakers to gauge how well the mix
will translate to different playback systems.
Reference Mixes Make audio CDs and MP3-en-
coded files of rough mixes and audition them
outside the studio in different listening environ-
ments.
Format Compatibility Monitoring Check stereo
mixes for compatibility with mono playback
systems, and multichannel surround mixes for
compatibility with stereo playback systems. (see
the Pro Tools Sync & Surround Concepts Guide).
Pro Tools Reference Guide922
Metering and Calibration
Meters provide a visual display of signal levels.
They tell whether signal is getting to a channel,
and how loud or soft a signal is relative to (above
or below) “0.”
By calibrating all your equipment to standard
reference levels, a consistent level can be
achieved (and metered) among different record-
ing devices in a studio, throughout a facility, or
throughout an entire production chain. For ex-
ample, a level of –18 dBFS coming out of a DAT
deck should play and meter at –18 dBFS in
Pro Tools.
Calibrating Audio Interfaces
(HD I/O or 192 I/O Only)
If you are using a Pro Tools|HD system with an
HD I/O or 192 I/O, use the Calibration Refer-
ence Level option (in the Operation Preferences
page) to set the reference level when Pro Tools is
in Calibration mode.
Signal Flow by Track Type
Pro Tools provides the following track types:
•Audio
• Auxiliary Input
•Master Fader
•MIDI
•Instrument
• VCA Master (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and In-
strument tracks can route audio. MIDI and In-
strument tracks can route MIDI data.
VCA Master tracks do not pass audio or MIDI
data, but do affect controls on other tracks. See
“VCA Master Tracks” on page 927.
Tracks can be identified in the Mix window by
their Track Type icon.
Audio Tracks and Signal Flow
Audio tracks play audio from disk, record audio
to disk, and monitor input signals when record-
enabled or in TrackInput monitoring mode. In-
serts on audio tracks are pre-fader. Sends on au-
dio tracks can be pre- or post-fader.
Mono and stereo audio tracks are available on
all Pro Tools systems.
For instructions on calibrating an HD I/O,
see the HD I/O Guide.
For instructions on calibrating a 192 I/O,
see the 192 I/O Guide.
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Master, MIDI,
and Instrument tracks
For information on creating tracks, see
“Creating Tracks” on page 212.
Track Type icons
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 923
Multichannel audio tracks and surround mixing
formats are supported by Pro Tools HD or
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
only.
Auxiliary Input Tracks and
Signal Flow
Auxiliary Input tracks provide the same signal
routing options as audio tracks, except that their
input must come from an internal bus or hard-
ware input. Inserts on Auxiliary Inputs are
pre-fader.
Auxiliary Input tracks are used as inputs for au-
dio from external MIDI instrument and other
sources, as well as to submix internal bus and
output paths. They can be fully automated.
When using Auxiliary Input tracks as inputs for
external sources, adjust the source output levels
to achieve proper recording levels.
Audio track audio signal flow
Inserts
Sends,
Volume
(plug-ins or
Main Output
pre-fader
Solo
Panner
Additional Outputs
Sends, post-fader
Output
+
Source: any mono, stereo, or
multichannel audio file, playing
back from disk
Source
or Input
inserts)
hardware
Input: while record-monitoring or
in TrackInput monitoring mode
Record
Mute
Input
HEAT, pre-insert
(Pro Tools HD with HEAT option only)
HEAT, post-insert
(Pro Tools HD with HEAT option only)
Auxiliary Input track audio signal flow
Sends,
Main Output
pre-fader
Additional Outputs
Sends, post-fader
+
Source: bus or
Input
hardware input path
Inserts
Volume
(plug-ins or
Solo
Panner
Output
inserts)
hardware
Mute
Pro Tools Reference Guide924
Common Uses for Auxiliary Inputs
Auxiliary Inputs can be used to:
• Apply real-time plug-ins or an external pro-
cessor to a submix, using the Auxiliary In-
put as an effects return (such as reverb or
bus line compression)
• Input audio from external MIDI instru-
ments and other audio sources into the
mix, to monitor or route to audio tracks for
recording to disk (such as from the audio
outputs of a MIDI synthesizer)
• Consolidate volume control of any submix
under a single fader
• Mix multiple outputs from an instrument
plug-in (such as Structure, Strike, or Trans-
fuser)
Routing an Auxiliary Input
To route an Auxiliary Input:
1 Click the Input Path selector of the Auxiliary
Input and choose an input or bus path.
2 Click the Output Path selector of the Auxiliary
Input and choose an output or bus path.
3 Adjust the Auxiliary Input fader to set the re-
turn volume.
Master Fader Tracks and
Signal Flow
Master Fader tracks control the master output
levels of output and bus paths. When assigned
to an active output or bus path, they provide
post-fader effects processing and master level
control for a main mix, headphone and cue
mixes, stems, effects sends, and other signal
routing applications. Master Faders support all
track formats supported on your Pro Tools sys-
tem.
Master Faders do not consume any of your sys-
tem’s audio processing power. Master Faders
provide up to five post-fader inserts and no
sends. Also, Master Fader tracks do not have Pan
sliders, or Mute and Solo buttons.
See the submix examples in “Signal Routing
for Monitoring and Submixing” on
page 951. Master Fader track audio signal flow
Inserts,
Volume
(plug-ins or
Output
post-fader
hardware)
Main Output
Additional Outputs
+
Input (source) determined by
output assignment (of other
tracks)
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 925
Unlike inserts on audio tracks and Auxiliary In-
puts, Master Fader inserts are post-fader. This
lets you insert a dither plug-in, or similar plug-
in, on your master mix, and affect its processing
with the Master Fader level (for more informa-
tion, see “Dither” on page 965).
Master Fader Meters
Meters on Master faders always show post-fader
levels, regardless of the Pre-Fader Metering set-
ting in the Options menu.
Master Faders and Paths
Master Faders can be assigned to main or sub-
paths as defined in the I/O Setup. Multiple Mas-
ter Faders cannot be assigned to the same path.
Active and Inactive Master Faders
When a Master Fader track is inactive, its associ-
ated plug-ins, I/O assignments, and their re-
sources are made inactive.
When a Master Fader output assignment (path
assignment) is made inactive, the Master Fader
no longer controls the master gain of that path.
When you duplicate a Master Fader track, the
duplicated track’s assignment will be inactive.
Common Uses for Master Faders
Master Faders can be used to:
• Control and process output mixes
• Monitor and meter an output (such as a bus
or hardware output) to guard against clip-
ping
• Control submix levels
• Control effects sends levels
• Control submaster (bussed tracks) levels
• Apply dither or other inserts to an entire
mix
Use Master Faders to control submix levels, send
level masters, and other outputs. Master Faders
can control either output or internal busses. You
can use a Master Fader track assigned to an Out-
put path as a master volume control. You can
also use a Master Fader track assigned to a bus to
trim the inputs to Auxiliary Input tracks for sub-
mixes to avoid clipping.
Using a Master Fader
To use a Master Fader as a stereo master volume
control:
1 Create a stereo Master Fader track.
2 Set the outputs of all audio tracks in the ses-
sion to the main output path (for example, out-
puts 1–2 of your primary audio interface) and set
the panning for each track.
3 Set the output of the Master Fader to the main
output path.
To use a Master Fader to trim the input to a
submix:
1 Create an Auxiliary Input track.
2 Bus the signal from audio tracks in your ses-
sion to the input of the Auxiliary Input track.
If you absolutely must have a pre-fader in-
sert on your Master Fader signal, set up an
Auxiliary Input before the Master Fader. For
example, if you want compression on the
mix, but you also want to fade out the mix,
insert a compression plug-in on the Auxil-
iary Input track and insert a dither plug-in
on the Master Fader track that is assigned to
the Output path of the Auxiliary Input
track. Then you can fade out with the Mas-
ter Fader without changing the compression
threshold for the mix.
Pro Tools Reference Guide926
3 Create a stereo Master Fader track and assign
the Output to the bus path that feeds the Auxil-
iary Input track.
Instrument Tracks and Signal
Flow
Instrument tracks provide the same audio signal
routing options as Auxiliary Input tracks, except
that their input must come from an instrument
plug-in inserted on that Instrument track, or
from a bus or hardware input.
Instrument tracks are used as inputs for instru-
ment plug-ins, and other sources (including in-
ternal busses). They can be fully automated.
When using an Instrument track as an input for
an external source, adjust the output level at the
source to achieve proper recording level.
Common Uses for Instrument
Tracks
By playing back MIDI from or through an In-
strument track you can control and monitor the
audio from:
• Instrument plug-ins, such as software syn-
thesizers or samplers.
• External MIDI instruments, such as synthe-
sizers and samplers
Routing with an Instrument Track
To route audio from an external MIDI instrument to
an Instrument track:
1 Click the Input Path selector of the Instru-
ment track and choose the corresponding hard-
ware input for your external MIDI instrument.
2 Click the Output Path selector of the Instru-
ment track and choose an output or bus path.
3 In Instruments view, click the MIDI Input se-
lector, and assign a device and channel from the
pop-up menu to record and control the external
MIDI instrument.
4 In Instruments view, click the MIDI Output se-
lector, and assign the port and channel for the
external MIDI instrument from the pop-up
menu.
5 Adjust the Instrument fader to set the volume.
Instrument track audio signal flow
Inserts
Sends,
Volume
(plug-ins or
Main Output
pre-fader
Solo/Mute
Panner
Additional Outputs
Sends, post-fader
Output
+
Input
inserts)
hardware
Record
(MIDI only)
Instrument plug-in,
internal bus, or
hardware instrument
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 927
VCA Master Tracks
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
VCA Master tracks emulate the operation of
voltage-controlled amplifier channels on analog
consoles, where a VCA channel fader would be
used to control, group, or offset the signal levels
of other channels on the console.
VCA Master tracks do not pass audio, so they do
not have inputs, outputs, inserts or sends. A Mix
group is assigned to a VCA Master track, which
appears in the VCA track’s Group Assignment
selector. The controls of the tracks in that Mix
group, called the slave tracks, are modified by
the controls on the VCA Master.
VCA Slave Track Control
Indications
Unlike VCAs on traditional analog consoles,
VCA Master tracks in Pro Tools directly affect
their slave tracks, so that the controls on each
slave track always show their actual values:
• The output level of each slave track is indi-
cated by the position of its fader.
• The solo, mute, record enable, and TrackIn-
put status of each slave track are indicated
by the corresponding controls on the track.
This ensures that even when a VCA Master track
is not visible, the true state of its slave tracks is
accurately displayed.
VCA Slave Track Controls and
Group Behavior
When a group is assigned to a VCA Master, the
VCA-modifiable controls (Volume, Mute, Solo,
Record Enable and TrackInput) on its slave
tracks, by default, do not follow any grouped be-
havior that may be set in the Attributes page of
For information on assigning MIDI input
and output for Instrument tracks, see “As-
signing MIDI Input and Output for Instru-
ment Tracks” on page 238.
For information inserting plug-ins on
tracks, see “Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks”
on page 976.
VCA Master track
Group Assignment
selector
VCA Tr a ck Typ e indi cato r
TrackInput
Mute
Volume
Solo
Record
Level meter
Pro Tools Reference Guide928
the Groups dialog. This lets you control the out-
put levels of the group’s member tracks while re-
taining the ability to adjust individual member
track levels.
Slave tracks can be set to follow normal grouped
behavior. See “Assigning Groups to VCA Mas-
ters” on page 929.
Common Uses for VCA Master
Tracks
By grouping tracks in a Mix group and assigning
that group to a VCA Master track, you can:
• Control the output levels of all the VCA
group’s member tracks without the need to
bus them to an Auxiliary Input track or to
the same output path
• Create multiple, nested VCA groups and
control the output levels of multiple sub-
mixes at the same time
• Automate a submix by automating its VCA
Master track
VCA Master Track Controls
The controls on a VCA Master track affect the
corresponding controls on the slave tracks in its
assigned Mix group. VCA Master tracks have the
following controls:
Volume
The VCA Volume fader controls the Volume
fader on audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument,
Master Fader, and other VCA Master tracks in a
VCA-controlled group. (Volume faders on MIDI
tracks are not affected.) Volume faders on slave
tracks move to show the composite level, or the
level on each track resulting from the position
of the VCA Master Volume fader.
Mute
The VCA Mute button controls the mute state of
audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, MIDI, and
other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled
group. Muting a VCA-controlled group does not
change the underlying mute state of slave
tracks. (Mute buttons on slave tracks that were
previously unmuted show an implicit mute.)
Solo
The VCA Solo button controls the solo state of
audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, MIDI, and
other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled
group.
• Soloing a VCA Master will implicitly mute
all tracks except its slave tracks, thereby in-
directly soloing the slave tracks.
• Soloing a VCA Master will clear any explicit
solos on its slave tracks, leaving them indi-
rectly soloed, and implicitly mute all other
tracks.
• Explicitly soloing a slave track while its
VCA Master track is soloed will override the
VCA Master solo.
Record Enable
The VCA Record Enable button toggles the Re-
cord Enable status of only those audio, Instru-
ment, and other VCA tracks that have already
been record-enabled individually. You can then
toggle record enable on and off for those tracks
using the VCA Master Record Enable.
To temporarily force all slave tracks to toggle their
record enable status:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Record Enable button on the VCA Master.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 929
TrackInput
The VCA TrackInput button toggles the input
monitor status of only those audio tracks in a
VCA-controlled group that are record-enabled.
You can toggle input monitor status for those
tracks using the VCA Master TrackInput button.
To temporarily force all slave tracks to toggle their
input monitoring status:
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
VCA Master TrackInput button on the VCA Mas-
ter.
Level Meter
On VCA Master tracks, level meters indicate the
highest level occurring on any of its individual
tracks, not a summed level of all slave tracks.
The channel format of level meters on the VCA
Master is set according to the channel formats of
its slave tracks, as follows:
• If all slave tracks are the same channel for-
mat (mono, stereo or a multichannel for-
mat), the number of level meters on the
VCA Master track is identical to that of the
slave tracks.
• If the slave tracks are different formats, the
number of level meters on the VCA Master
track is set to one.
Record Enable, TrackInput and
Slave Tracks
When a slave track is record-enabled (the Record
Enable button is lit) or set to Input Only mode
(the TrackInput button is lit), its automation is
temporarily turned off, and its Volume fader is
no longer affected by the VCA Master.
Assigning Groups to VCA Masters
An existing Mix group can be assigned to a VCA
Master, or a new Mix group can be assigned to a
VCA Master while it is being created. Only one
group can be assigned to a VCA Master at a time.
A VCA Master cannot control a group that in-
cludes itself.
To assign an existing group to a VCA Master:
Click the Group Assignment selector on the
VCA Master track and choose an available group
from the pop-up menu.
To assign a new group to a VCA Master:
1 While creating a new group, select Mix or
Mix/Edit as the Group type.
2 In the Group dialog, choose an available VCA
Master track from the VCA pop-up menu.
Track Membership in Multiple VCA Groups
It is possible for a single slave track to be a mem-
ber of more than one VCA-controlled group. In
this case, the contribution of all VCA Master
Volume faders is summed on the slave track.
Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and TrackInput fol-
low the same rules for enabling or disabling
slave tracks.
Assigning an existing group to a VCA Master
Pro Tools Reference Guide930
Allowing Grouped Behavior of VCA
Slave Track Controls
When a track is a VCA slave track, its Volume,
Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and TrackInput con-
trols follow VCA functions, and normally do
not follow Mix group behavior.
However, these slave track controls can be set to
allow Mix group behavior in addition to their
VCA functions.
To allow grouped behavior of VCA-related controls
on slave tracks:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
ing tab.
2 In the Automation section, deselect the Stan-
dard VCA Logic for Group Attributes option.
3 Click OK.
Volume, Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and Track-
Input are made available as Mix group attributes
in the Group dialog.
Inserts
Pro Tools lets you insert up to ten inserts (A–E
and F–J) on each audio, Auxiliary Input, Master
Fader, or Instrument track. Each insert can be ei-
ther a software plug-in insert or a hardware insert,
or an instrument plug-in (see Chapter 44, “Plug-
In and Hardware Inserts”).
Inserts provide the following features:
• Plug-Ins and hardware inserts route the signal
from the track through the effect of your
choice, and automatically return it to the
same track.
• Hardware inserts send and return the signal to
corresponding input and output channels of
an audio interface, which can be connected to
outboard effects.
• Some Instrument plug-ins (such as Transfuser)
accept audio from the track input (letting you
use them as processing plug-ins.
• Inserts on audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instru-
ment tracks are pre-fader.
• Inserts on Master Faders are post-fader.
• Inserts can be bypassed or made inactive.
• Most plug-in controls are fully automatable.
Track Output Format and Plug-Ins
Pro Tools supports mono, multi-mono, stereo,
and multichannel plug-ins (Pro Tools HD with
Surround Mixer only).
Because inserts process in series, changing the
plug-in format can alter the channel format. For
example, inserting a mono-to-stereo plug-in on
a mono Auxiliary Input changes the signal path
from that plug-in through the rest of the track.
This restricts all hardware inserts or plug-ins af-
ter the stereo plug-in to be stereo-in/stereo-out
plug-ins (or the supported multichannel for-
mat).
Plug-In Formats
Pro Tools supports mono and stereo plug-ins,
including the following three types of plug-in
paths:
• mono-in/mono-out
• mono-in/stereo-out
• stereo-in/stereo-out
Pro Tools HD sessions running with the Sur-
round mixer also support 3–8 channel multi-
mono and multichannel plug-ins.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 931
Configuring Inserts View in
the Mix and Edit Windows
Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master tracks,
and Instrument tracks include two sets of inserts
Views: Inserts A–E (inserts 1–5) and Inserts F–J
(inserts 6–10). The View menu provides separate
options for viewing each of set of inserts in the
Mix and Edit windows.
To display inserts in the Mix window:
Select any of the following:
•View > Mix Window > Inserts A–E.
•View > Mix Window > Inserts F–J.
To display inserts in the Edit window:
Select any of the following:
•View > Edit Window > Inserts A–E.
•View > Edit Window > Inserts F–J.
HEAT
(Pro Tools|HD Systems with HEAT Option Only)
HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Tech-
nology) is a paid software option that adds “an-
alog color” to Pro Tools|HD systems. HEAT is ap-
plied to all active audio tracks in your session,
emulating the effect of an analog mixing con-
sole. Use HEAT to open up your mixes with
warm, analog-modeled soft-saturated distor-
tion. Using HEAT in conjunction with the Ste-
reo Pan Depth option (in the Session Setup win-
dow) lets you emulate the effect of classic analog
consoles right in Pro Tools.
Stereo Pan Depth
Pro Tools lets you select the pan depth for stereo
output paths. You can set the Pan Depth in the
Session Setup window. The Pan Depth setting
lets you set the amount of signal attenuation
when a track is routed to a stereo output and
panned to center.
For more information about HEAT, see the
HEAT Software Option Guide.
Session Setup window
On Pro Tools|HD systems only, if the Stereo
Mixer plug-in is installed in the Plug-ins
folder, the Pan Depth setting defaults to
–2.5 dB and cannot be changed. Move the
Stereo Mixer plug-in to the Plug-ins (Un-
used) folder to be able to change the Pan
Depth setting.
The Surround Mixer requires slightly more
DSP resources than the Stereo Mixer. Conse-
quently, if you plan to regularly mix in ste-
reo and use a Pan Depth of –2.5, you may
want to use the Stereo Mixer plug-in.
Pro Tools Reference Guide932
To set the stereo pan depth:
1 Choose Setup > Session to open the Session
Setup window.
2 Select an option from the Pan Depth selector.
Stereo Pan Depth Options
The following Pan Depth options are available:
–2.5 Used to be the standard stereo pan depth
setting in Pro Tools 8.0.x and lower. When
opening Pro Tools 8.0.x or lower session in
Pro Tools 8.1, this is the default option.
–3.0 Is the industry standard for surround mix-
ers and many consoles. This is the default set-
ting for new Pro Tools 8.1 sessions.
–4.5 Is the standard for many British analog
consoles.
–6.0 Is the standard for full mono compatibility.
Views in the Mix and Edit
Windows
The Mix and Edit windows can be configured to
show or hide various mixing controls, using
menu commands or view selectors.
Most of these views are available in both win-
dows, unless noted.
Window View Selectors
Both the Edit window and Mix window provide
Window View selectors to configure their views.
Session Setup window
For greater than stereo formats (such as
5.1), all surround output panning is fixed at
–3.0 dB. The variable pan depth options are
only available for stereo outputs.
Edit Window View selector
Mix Window View selector
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 933
Displaying Views
To display all views in the Mix or Edit window, do
one of the following:
Select View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) > All.
– or –
Click the Mix Window View selector (or Edit
Window View selector), and select All.
To display none of the views in the Mix or Edit
window, do one of the following:
Select View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) >
None.
– or –
Click the Mix Window View selector (or Edit
Window View selector), and select None.
To show or hide available views in the Mix and Edit
windows, do one of the following:
Choose View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) and
select or deselect one of the view types (such as
Comments).
– or –
Click the Mix Window View selector (or Edit
Window View selector), and select or deselect
one of the view types (such as Comments).
Hiding Views in the Edit Window
You can quickly hide View columns in the Edit
window using the mouse with keyboard modi-
fier.
To hide a View column in the Edit window:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) at
the top of the column you want to hide (Mic
Pre, Comments, Instrument, Inserts A–E, Inserts
F–J, Sends A–E, Sends F–J, I/O, Real-Time Proper-
ties, or Track Color).
Window View Options
Comments View Shows any text entered as com-
ments in the Track Name/Comments dialog. For
more information, see “Naming Tracks” on
page 214.
Mic Preamps View Shows controls in each track
for PRE. For detailed information, see the PRE
Guide.
Instruments View Shows MIDI controls on In-
strument tracks (MIDI Input selector, MIDI Out-
put selector, MIDI volume, MIDI pan, and MIDI
mute).
Comments View in the Mix and Edit windows
Mic Preamps View
Instruments View
Pro Tools Reference Guide934
HEAT View (Pro Tools HD with HEAT Option
Only) (Mix Window Only) Shows HEAT track con-
trols on audio tracks in the Mix window. This
view is only available in the Mix window for
Pro Tools|HD systems with an authorized ver-
sion of the HEAT option installed. For more in-
formation, see the HEAT Software Option Guide.
Inserts View (Inserts A–E and Inserts F–J) Shows
inserts (software plug-ins and hardware I/O in-
serts) in each track. For more information, see
“Configuring Inserts View in the Mix and Edit
Windows” on page 931.
Sends View (Sends A–E and Sends F–J) Shows
send assignments in each track. Deselect to hide.
For more information, see “Configuring Sends
View in the Mix and Edit Windows” on
page 941.
I/O View (Edit Window Only) Shows Input and
Output selectors, and Volume and Pan indica-
tors in each track.
Click on the volume or pan indicators in the
Edit window I/O View to adjust the volume or
pan controls with a pop-up fader.
HEAT View
Views in the Mix window
Inserts (A–E) View
Sends (A–E) View
I/O View
Sends (F–J) View
Inserts (F–J) View
I/O View (Edit window)
I/O View Volume pop-up fader (Edit window)
I/O View Pan pop-up slider (Edit window)
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 935
Real-Time Properties View (Edit Window
Only) Shows controls for Real-Time Properties
for MIDI and Instrument tracks. For more infor-
mation on Real-Time Properties, see “MIDI Real-
Time Properties” on page 693.
Delay Compensation View The Delay Compensa-
tion View displays the total amount of plug-in
(TDM and RTAS) and hardware insert delay on
each track, lets you apply a user offset of track
delay, and displays the total amount of delay
that Pro Tools applies to each track. The Delay
Compensation View can be shown or hidden in
the Mix Window.
Delay values can be specified in either samples
or milliseconds, as selected in the Operation
Preferences page. For more information on De-
lay Compensation, see “Delay Compensation”
on page 958.
Track Color View Shows track color in each
track. For detailed information, see “Color Cod-
ing for Tracks, Regions, Markers, and Groups”
on page 243.
Audio Input and Output Paths
Pro Tools lets you configure the physical input
and outputs of your audio interfaces and also in-
ternal bus paths and subpaths in the I/O Setup
dialog and the Hardware Setup dialog. These
hardware inputs and outputs, and internal bus
paths can be assigned as inputs and outputs on
audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, and Master
Fader tracks.
Input Audio Path
Input Path selectors determine the source input
for audio, Auxiliary Input, and (optionally) In-
strument tracks. Track inputs can be set from
hardware inputs or internal bus paths or sub-
paths. For detailed information on assigning
track inputs, see “Assigning Audio Inputs” on
page 228.
Hardware input and bus paths can be configured
in the I/O Setup. For more information, see
Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”
You can also define what physical ports are
routed to Pro Tools input ports in the Hardware
Setup dialog. For more information, see “Con-
figuring Pro Tools System Settings” on page 60.
Output Audio Path
Track Output Path selectors route the post-fader
signals to the assigned output or bus paths. The
Output Path selector routes the main track out-
put to the chosen main or sub-path. Tracks can
be routed directly to hardware output or inter-
nal bus paths and subpaths for submixing (main
or sub-paths).
Real-Time Properties View (Edit window)
Delay Compensation View
User Offset
Track Compensation
indicator
Delay indicator
Pro Tools Reference Guide936
The track format (mono, stereo, or multichan-
nel) determines the available main and sub-path
choices for track output. For detailed informa-
tion on assigning track outputs, see “Assigning
Audio Outputs” on page 229.
When audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and
Instrument tracks are created, their mono, ste-
reo, or greater-than-stereo multichannel format
is defined:
• Mono tracks can be assigned to any available
mono, stereo, multichannel main and sub-
paths.
• Stereo tracks can be assigned to any available
mono, stereo, or multichannel main and sub-
paths.
• Multichannel tracks (Pro Tools HD or
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
only) can be assigned to any mono path, or
path of the same number of channels (for ex-
ample, an LCRS track can be assigned to a
mono or LCRS path).
Output Windows
Output windows provide the essential track
mixing controls (such as track panning and vol-
ume), as an alternative to Mix and Edit window
views. Multichannel Output and Send windows
also provide expanded Panner views, and other
surround-specific controls. See Chapter 49,
“Surround Panning and Mixing.”
Output windows are useful in large sessions to
leave important tracks in an anchored location,
unaffected by Mix and Edit window (or control
surface) banking. See “Output Windows for
Tracks and Sends” on page 946.
Multiple Output Assignments
Pro Tools audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instru-
ment tracks can be assigned to multiple output
paths. Assigning to multiple paths is an efficient
way to route an identical mix to other discrete
outputs, for simultaneous monitor feeds, head-
phone mixes, or other situations where a paral-
lel mix is needed.
To assign a track to multiple outputs:
1 Assign a main output path by selecting it from
the track’s Output Path selector.
2 Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)
an additional output path in the track’s Output
Path selector. The newly selected output desti-
nation is added as an additional output.
Display of Multiple Output
Assignments
When a track is assigned to multiple output
paths, the Output Path selector denotes multi-
ple assignment status and active/inactive status
with the following indicators:
• A plus sign (+) indicates that the track has
multiple output assignments.
Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-
click (Windows) to add the assignment to
all tracks, or Option-Shift-Control-click
(Mac) or Alt-Shift-Start-click (Windows) to
add to all selected tracks.
Indication of multiple output assignments
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 937
• In the Output Path selector menu, all cur-
rently assigned track outputs are checked to
indicate they are active for the current track.
• An asterisk (*) indicates that one or more cur-
rently assigned outputs is Inactive.
Inactive Outputs
An output path can be made inactive, either
globally in the I/O Setup dialog (affecting all
tracks assigned to that path), or locally per as-
signment (only affecting that output on that au-
dio track Auxiliary Input track, or Instrument
track).
To make an output path inactive, do one of the
following:
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Output selector.
– or –
Right-click the Output selector and select
Make Inactive.
When opening sessions, outputs will be made
inactive automatically if the required hardware
or other resources are not available.
Inactive outputs retain all associated automa-
tion playlists. Edits made in the session also af-
fect the inactive track’s output automation play-
lists.
To make an inactive output path active, do one of
the following:
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Output selector.
– or –
Right-click the Output selector and select
Make Active.
Inactive Outputs and DSP
Resources
Making a track output inactive silences the out-
put, while retaining all automation and playlist
data. Inactive outputs do not consume resources
for TDM mixer connections, but any assigned
plug-ins on the track continue to use their re-
quired DSP resources. RTAS plug-ins require
CPU resources, and TDM plug-ins use the DSP
available on Pro Tools|HD cards.
You can free up DSP of an unused plug-in by
making its track inactive, or by making just the
plug-in inactive.
About the “No Output” Option
Track outputs can be set to No Output. Assigning
a track output to No Output causes any panning
automation associated with the track to be lost.
Tracks assigned to No Output will not be audible,
but they do not free their associated DSP re-
sources.
Indication of multiple output assignments with at least
one inactive output
See “Making Tracks Inactive” on page 243.
See “Active and Inactive Items” on page 22,
and “Making Inserts Inactive” on page 975
for more information.
Pro Tools Reference Guide938
Sends
Pro Tools lets you insert up to ten sends (A–E
and F–J) on each audio track, Auxiliary Input, or
Instrument track.
Sends provide the following features:
• Sends can be set as pre- or post-fader.
• Send level, pan, mute, and LFE controls can be
configured to follow Groups.
• Send level, send mute, and send pan (for ste-
reo and multichannel sends) are fully autom-
atable. See “Automating Sends” on page 1017.
• Send controls can be displayed and edited
from the Mix or Edit windows, or in their own
output windows.
• Sends can be assigned to available output and
bus paths (main or sub-paths), in mono or ste-
reo, or any of the supported multichannel for-
mats for surround mixing.
• Each send can have multiple assignments (for
example, to available output and bus paths).
To be audible in Pro Tools, sends must be re-
turned to the mix through an Auxiliary Input,
audio track, or Instrument track. The sends can
then be monitored and processed through an
Auxiliary Input (or Instrument track), recorded
to audio tracks, and bounced to disk. (Bouncing
and mixdown are explained in Chapter 46,
“Mixdown.”)
Assigning Sends to Tracks
To add a send to a track:
1 Make sure Sends View is enabled in the Mix or
Edit window (see “Views in the Mix and Edit
Windows” on page 932 for information).
2 Click the Send selector on the track and
choose a path from the pop-up menu.
The send can be a mono or stereo (or any of the
supported multichannel formats for surround
mixing) output or bus path.
Assigning a send to a stereo bus path
Send window (stereo)
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 939
3 Set the output level of the send in the Send
window by doing one of the following:
• Adjust the Send Level fader.
– or –
• Set the send level to unity gain (0 dB) by
Alt-clicking (Windows) or Option-clicking
(Mac) the Send Level fader.
When you create a new send, its initial output
level depends on the setting of the Sends Default
to –INF preference.
Pans for sends can be linked to the panning on
the track’s main output path by enabling the
Send Pans Default To Follow Main Pan preference.
To change the default setting for sends:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
ing tab.
2 Do one of the following:
• Select Sends Default to “–INF.”
– or –
• Deselect Sends Default to “–INF” and new
sends will default to unity gain (0 dB).
3 Do one of the following:
• Select Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan.
– or –
• Deselect Send Pans Default to Follow Main
Pan to have panning control over the sends
independent of the panning on the track’s
main output path.
To remove a send from a track:
Click the Sends button on the track and
choose No Send from the pop-up menu.
Create and Assign a New Track
from a Send
Pro Tools lets you create a new Auxiliary Input,
Audio, or Instrument track from the Send selec-
tor and automatically assign the send to the In-
put of the new track using an available internal
mix bus.
To create a new track from a send:
1 On an existing track, click the Send selector
and select New Track.
2 In the resulting New Destination dialog, select
the Width, Type, and Time Base for the new track.
3 Type a Name for the new track.
The name entered is used for both the new track
and the new mix bus. (For example, if you en-
tered the name “Drum Sub,” Pro Tools creates a
new Auxiliary Input track named “Drum Sub”
and also creates an internal mix bus named
“Drum Sub.”)
4 Select (or deselect) whether you want the new
track to be created next to the current track
(with the send).
5 Click OK.
New Destination dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide940
Pro Tools creates a new track with the output of
the originating send automatically routed to the
input of the new track using an available inter-
nal mix bus.
Assign an Existing Track from a
Send
Pro Tools lets you assign a send directly to an ac-
tive Auxiliary Input, Audio, or Instrument track
using an available internal mix bus. Note that
the destination track must be set to either an in-
ternal mix bus or to No Input in order to be avail-
able for assignment.
To assign a send to an available input on an
existing track:
1 On an existing track, click the Send selector
and select Track.
2 From the Track submenu, select the destina-
tion track you want.
Pro Tools automatically routes the send to the
input of the selected track using an available in-
ternal mix bus.
New Auxiliary Input track with audio track send
automatically assigned to Bus 1–2
Assigning a send to an existing Auxiliary Input track
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 941
Send Formats
Mono and Stereo Sends When you click the
Sends button on a track, you can choose from a
list of mono or stereo output or bus paths.
Multichannel Sends (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only) When
you click the Sends button on a track, you can
choose from a list of multichannel output or bus
paths.
Send Path Selector Choices
The choices available in track Send selectors in-
clude bus and output paths.
Internal Mix Busses Pro Tools provides 256 in-
ternal mix busses for routing signals internally.
Internal bus paths are useful for submixing and
processing with plug-ins. Bus paths are defined
in the I/O Setup dialog, and are available in all
supported channel formats (mono, stereo, or
multichannel, as supported on your system).
Hardware Outputs Hardware sends are often used
for headphone cue mixes, or for sending signals
to external effects processors. Sends do not auto-
matically return audio as do hardware inserts.
Configuring Sends View in the
Mix and Edit Windows
Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Instrument
tracks include two sets of Sends Views: Sends
A–E (sends 1–5) and Sends F–J (sends 6–10). The
View menu provides separate options for view-
ing these sends in the Mix and Edit windows.
To display sends in the Mix window:
Select any of the following:
•View > Mix Window > Sends A–E.
•View > Mix Window > Sends F–J.
To display sends in the Edit window:
Select any of the following:
•View > Edit Window > Sends A–E.
•View > Edit Window > Sends F–J.
Sends View Options
Sends are displayed in the Mix and Edit window
according to the Sends A–E View and Sends F–J
View options. Each Send View has six view
choices: Assignments View and five individual
Send Views (A–E or F–J).
The names, format, and channel mapping
of busses and output paths can be custom-
ized in the I/O Setup dialog. See “Output
Busses” on page 108.
Pro Tools Reference Guide942
Assignments View
This is the default Sends View, showing all five
of the Sends A–E or Sends F–J sends on all tracks
displayed in the Mix and Edit windows.
In Assignment View, send controls are adjusted
from Send windows. See “To view a different
track Output or Send window:” on page 947.
To show all send assignments:
1 If sends are not currently visible on your
tracks, select View > Mix Window (or Edit Window)
> Sends A–E (or Sends F–J).
2 Do one of the following:
• Select View > Sends A–E > Assignments or
View > Sends F–J > Assignments.
– or –
• When displaying sends in an individual
Send View (such as Send A View), Control-
click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac)
the Send selector and select Assignments.
Individual Send Views (A–J)
Individual Send Views (such as Send A) provide
send level, pan, and mute controls for a single
send across all tracks.
Send controls can be adjusted directly from
these Send Views. Sends can also be opened for
control or metering in Send windows. See “Out-
put Windows for Tracks and Sends” on
page 946.
To display the controls for an individual send
across all tracks:
1 If sends are not currently visible on your
tracks, select View > Mix Window (or Edit Win-
dow) > Sends A–E (or Sends F–J).
2 Do one of the following:
• Select View > Sends A–E (or Sends F-J) and
select one of the individual Send Views
(such as Send A).
– or –
• In Assignment View, Control-click (Win-
dows) or Command-click (Mac) the Send
Assignment selector.
Assignments View, no sends (left) and with an assigned
send (right)
Send selectors (A–E)
Send A, Assignment View
Send A View, with different types of send assignments
pre-fader
multichannel
post-fader
no assignment
stereo
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 943
Editing Sends in the Mix and
Edit Windows (Individual Send
Views)
Individual Send Views (such as Send A) display
all the controls of an individual send in the
sends area of the Mix and Edit windows. These
views provide full access to all controls for that
send on all tracks.
Send level and mute can follow Mix groups, to
adjust multiple send controls from a single set of
controls.
Individual Send Views and Meters
When you display the controls for an individual
send, you also have the option of displaying
send level meters.
Send level meters show peak values and indicate
clipping that occurs while the meter is displayed
(if a send clips any time before its meter is dis-
played, this is not shown). If you are using a
slower computer, hiding send level meters can
improve screen redraw times.
To clear a send meter’s Clip indicator:
Click the Clip indicator.
To clear all meters, do one of the following:
Option-click any Clip indicator.
Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators.
Press Alt+C (Windows) or Option+C (Mac).
Send Status Display
When displaying all controls for an individual
sends, the Send status is visible directly in the
Mix or Edit windows.
In Assignment View, Send status is displayed as
follows:
• By default, the Send button is gray, to indicate
that it is unmuted.
• The Send button text is red when the send has
clipped.
• The Send button is blue when the send is
muted.
• The Send button is lit whenever a send’s win-
dow is open.
Sends Views, A–E set to “A” and F–J set to
“Assignments”
Send A View, with mono send shown
Send Mute button
Send Pan
Send meter
Send level
Pre/Post Fader button
Send Assignment button
Send selector
In Assignment View, edit sends by opening
their Output windows. See “Output Win-
dows for Tracks and Sends” on page 946.
Pro Tools Reference Guide944
If you use a control surface (such as D-Control or
003) with Pro Tools, colored outlines around
sends, inserts, and outputs indicate the current
controller focus.
Inactive Sends
Sends can be made inactive. Inactive sends free
their DSP and mixer resources, while retaining
their position in track Sends View. Inactive
sends do not output audio. However, Inactive
sends retain all related automation playlists. In
addition, edits made to regions on tracks with
inactive sends can still affect the sends automa-
tion playlists.
When opening sessions, sends will automati-
cally be made inactive if the required hardware
or other resources are not available.
To make a send inactive, do one of the following:
Control-Start-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) on the Send assignment.
– or –
Make the Track inactive. See “Making Tracks
Inactive” on page 243.
To toggle sends in the same position (A–J) and
assigned to the same path on all tracks active or
inactive:
Control-Start-Alt click (Windows) or Com-
mand-Control-Option click (Mac) a send button
in the position you want to toggle.
To toggle sends in the same position (A–J) and
assigned to the same path on all selected tracks
active or inactive:
Control-Start-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or
Command-Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) a
send button in the position you want to toggle.
Moving or Copying Sends
Sends can be moved or copied to other tracks, or
to other positions on the same track by drag-
ging. Sends can be dragged to create new sends
at the destination, or dragged onto existing send
assignments to replace them.
Sends can be moved and copied to tracks with
compatible send formats (mono, stereo, or
other). Pro Tools alerts you when you try to
move or copy a send to an incompatible destina-
tion. (For more information, see “Send Format
and Track Compatibility” on page 945).
Indication of Send mute, clipping, and window status
Display of inactive sends
Unmuted Window is open
(lit Send)
Muted
(blue)
Clipped
(red text)
Inactive sendActive
Inactive track
(italicized and
grayed out)
send
(plain text)
(entire track is italicized
and grayed out)
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 945
To move a send:
Drag the send name to a new position in the
original track or in a different track.
To copy a send:
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac) the
send to a new position.
Moving or copying a send maintains all routing
assignments, automation, level/pan/mute set-
tings, and output format.
Send Format and Track Compatibility
Sends can only be copied to other tracks with a
compatible send output format (mono, stereo,
or other). In addition, the following conditions
apply when moving or copying sends among
tracks:
• When copying a stereo send from a mono
track to a stereo track, Send pan automation
(if any) will be dropped without warning.
• When copying a stereo send from a stereo
track to a mono track, the left Send pan auto-
mation data is retained and the right side data
is dropped. A warning dialog appears for you
to confirm or cancel this destructive opera-
tion.
• When moving or copying a send and replac-
ing an existing send, all automation on the
existing send will be replaced. A warning dia-
log appears for you to confirm or cancel this
destructive operation.
Copying Track Settings to Sends
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Sometimes you need send settings to match the
settings in the track itself—for example, to pro-
vide a headphone mix based on the main mix.
You can copy the current values or the entire au-
tomation playlist from selected tracks to any of
their sends.
Linking Send Pan and Main Pan
Controls
You can link pan controls of individual Sends to
the Main pan controls of their corresponding
tracks. This can help you quickly setup cue mix
(headphone mix) or effects processing bus rout-
ing.
Linked Send pan controls appear in light gray.
For more information, see “Copying Track
Automation to Sends” on page 1018.
Follow Main Pan button
Pro Tools Reference Guide946
To link a Send’s Pan controls to the Main Pan
controls of a track:
1 Click the Send Assignment button for the
Send you want to link to open the Send window.
2 In the Send window, click the FMP (Follow
Main Pan) button.
To change the default FMP (Follows Main Pan)
setting for newly created Sends:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
ing tab.
2 Under Setup, select or deselect the Send Pans
Default to Follow Main Pan option.
Output Windows for Tracks
and Sends
Track outputs and sends can be opened for dis-
play and editing in dedicated windows.
• Track Output windows provide track fader,
pan, automation, solo, and mute controls.
• Send windows provide send level, pan, auto-
mation, and mute controls.
• Standard Output and Send window controls
provide additional routing, assignment, and
display settings.
To open a track Output window:
Click the Output Window button in the chan-
nel strip.
Opening a track Output window
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 947
To open a Send window:
Click the Send Assignment button in the Mix
or Edit window.
To view a different track Output or Send window:
Click an Output Window button, or Send As-
signment button, in the Mix or Edit window.
If a similar Output window was already open
with a highlighted Target icon (red, lit), the
newly selected send will open in its place.
Opening Multiple Output Windows
Multiple track and Send windows can be dis-
played simultaneously using either of the fol-
lowing methods.
To open additional Output windows:
Shift-click any Output Window button or
Send Assignment button.
To set a window to remain open when opening
additional Output windows:
Make sure the Target is disabled.
For additional information, see “Targeted Win-
dows” on page 950.
Opening a Send window
Multiple Send windows
Target enabled Target disabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide948
Panner Linking
Stereo outputs provide two panning controls,
one for each side of the left/right pair. Multi-
channel outputs provide a multichannel pan-
ner.
The Output window provides controls to link
channels for precise panning of stereo and mul-
tichannel tracks.
In the linked state, all sides match changes to
any other side’s Pan control. This is Absolute
Link mode. To mirror panning changes, see “In-
verse Linked Panning” on page 948.
When unlinked, Pan controls are completely in-
dependent of each other.
To enable linking:
Enable the Link icon.
To unlink an output for independent panning:
Deselect the Link icon.
Inverse Linked Panning
When linked and set to Inverse mode, panning
moves are inverted or reversed in the other
channels.
Inverse panning reflects one side’s location and
direction in the other side. For example, when
enabled for Front Inverse, if you pan one side of
a stereo track output from right to left, the other
side will exactly mirror that movement and pan
left to right.
Front Inverse linking is available on all systems.
Rear Inverse, and Front/Rear Inverse linking are
available on Pro Tools|HD systems only, and
only appear as options on multichannel plug-
ins and panners/output windows.
To enable inverse linking:
1 Enable the Link icon.
2 Select an Inverse mode.
Unlinked (left), linked (middle), front inverse linked
(right) Send windows
Link icon
Inverse icon
Link and Inverse selectors (multichannel track)
Link
Front/Rear Inverse
Front Inverse
Rear Inverse
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 949
Standard Selector Controls in
Output Windows
All Output windows provide standard selectors
for path, automation, and other controls in the
top area of the window (the Output Editor area).
Track Selector Provides access to any audio
track, Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader in the ses-
sion.
Output View Selector Provides access to other
outputs (track and send) in the track, if any, dis-
playing the selected output in the current win-
dow.
Send View Selector (Send Window Only) Pro-
vides access to other sends on the track.
Output Path Selector Allows you to assign the
Output path for the current track or send.
Pre/Post Fader Button (Send Window Only) De-
termines whether the send is pre- or post-fader.
FMP (Follow Main Pan) (Send Window Only) De-
termines whether or not panning for the send
follows the panning settings of the track. When
the FMP button is enabled, the Panning controls
in the Send window become unavailable and
the panning for the send is determined by the
panning settings for the track.
Automation Safe Protects track and send level,
pan, and other controls from automation over-
writes by placing them in Automation Safe
mode. See Chapter 45, “Automation” for more
information.
Inverse Pan Reflects one side’s panning location
and direction in the other side (for example,
left- and right-channel Pan controls).
Link and Unlink Lets you link and unlink left and
right (or other) outputs in stereo (or multichan-
nel). Unlinked mode provides discrete adjust-
ment of individual sides, or channels. When
linked, all changes affect all channels. See “Pan-
ner Linking” on page 948.
Target Identifies the target of plug-in settings
commands. Also sets the current window for
display of Output windows. See “Targeted Win-
dows” on page 950.
Path Meter View Opens the path Meter View.
These meters display levels of the selected path
(not the levels of the track or send).
Output window standard controls
Send window standard controls
Automation Safe
Targe t
Path selector
Track selector
Inverse Pan
Link
button
Output View
selector
Pre/Post Fader
Automation Safe
Target
Path selector
Track selector
Inverse Pan
Link
Send selector
Follow Main Pan
Path Meter View in a Send window
Path
Path Meter
Send meter
Path Meter
selector
meters
View button
Pro Tools Reference Guide950
Track Fader, Pan Controls, and
Solo, Mute, and Automation
Controls
Output windows provide the associated track’s
Volume fader, Pan controls, Solo and Mute
switches, and Automation Mode selector. Use
these to adjust or automate the controls of the
Output window.
Targeted Windows
When lit (red), the Target indicates its window is
“targeted,” and the next window opened of the
same type replaces the current display (unless it
is opened as an additional window with the
Shift modifier). When unlit, the target is gray,
and the current window anchors to its current
contents and location on-screen. Opening addi-
tional windows does not affect anchored win-
dows.
To set an open Send window as the target window:
Click the Target, so that it is lit (red).
Using Output Windows
Output windows provide standard Pro Tools
track, send, Target, and other controls.
To move to a different track:
Click the Track selector and choose a track
from the pop-up menu.
To reassign output:
Click the Output Path selector and select a
path from the pop-up menu.
To display the controls for a different send on the
same track:
Click the Send View selector and select the
send.
To assign a different send to the same track:
Click the Send selector and choose an output
or bus path from the pop-up menu.
To add an additional output assignment to the
current send:
Press Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) while
selecting an additional output path from the
Send selector (or Output Path selector.
Plug-In windows have additional features
related to the Target (such as Focus of Set-
tings commands). See “The Plug-In Win-
dow” on page 980.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 951
Signal Routing for Monitoring
and Submixing
The bussing and mixing features in Pro Tools
support many possibilities for submixing and
monitoring, including the ability to:
• Monitor and mix playback of audio tracks
with audio inputs or with MIDI instruments
• Bus submixes for effects processing or moni-
toring (including headphone or “cue” mixes)
• Mix submixes with Master Faders
Monitoring and Mixing Audio with
Auxiliary Input Tracks
Use Auxiliary Input tracks to monitor and mix
audio from external sources, such as MIDI in-
struments, tape, or microphone inputs, in a
Pro Tools mix.
To use an Auxiliary Input track to monitor and mix
external audio sources:
1 Connect the audio outputs of your audio
source (such as a MIDI synthesizer or tape out-
put) to available inputs on your Pro Tools audio
interface.
2 If necessary, configure the I/O Setup dialog for
the input paths you plan to use (see Chapter 7,
“I/O Setup.”)
3 Use an existing or create a new Auxiliary Input
track with a channel format that corresponds to
the channel format of your audio source (mono,
stereo, or multichannel).
4 Set the input of the Auxiliary Input track to
the corresponding input path.
5 Assign the track output to the appropriate
path or paths for monitoring.
6 Adjust the Auxiliary Input fader to mix the au-
dio input.
Monitoring and Mixing Audio with
Instrument Tracks
Use Instrument tracks to monitor and mix audio
from instrument plug-ins or external MIDI in-
struments in a Pro Tools mix.
To use an Instrument track to monitor and mix the
output of an instrument plug-in:
1 Use an existing or create a new Instrument
track.
2 Choose View > Mix Window > Instruments to
show the MIDI controls of the Instrument track.
3 Select an instrument plug-in from the first In-
sert selector on the Instrument track (such as
Xpand2).
Instrument track configured to control and monitor an
instrument plug-in (Xpand2 shown)
MIDI Output selector
MIDI Volume control
Audio Input selector
Audio Output
MIDI Pan control
Instrument plug-in
selector
(set to no input)
MIDI Input selector MIDI Mute
MIDI Velocity meter
Pro Tools Reference Guide952
4 The virtual MIDI node (port) for the instru-
ment plug-in should be automatically selected
for the Instrument track’s MIDI Output. If not,
select the MIDI channel and corresponding port
for the instrument plug-in from the MIDI Out-
put selector.
5 Assign the track audio output to the appropri-
ate path or paths for monitoring.
6 Adjust the Instrument track fader to mix the
audio input.
7 If you are controlling the Instrument plug-in
from the Instrument track, you can also mix us-
ing the MIDI Volume and Pan controls in the In-
strument View.
To use an Instrument track to monitor and mix
audio from an external MIDI instrument:
1 Connect the audio outputs of your external
MIDI instrument (such as a MIDI synthesizer) to
available inputs on your Pro Tools audio inter-
face.
2 If necessary, configure the I/O Setup dialog for
the input paths you plan to use (see Chapter 7,
“I/O Setup.”)
3 Connect the MIDI input and output of your
external MIDI instrument to available MIDI in-
put and output ports on your MIDI interface.
4 If necessary, configure the MIDI Studio Setup
(Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio).
5 Use an existing or create a new Instrument
track with a channel format that corresponds to
the channel format of your audio source (mono,
stereo, or multichannel).
6 Choose View > Mix Window > Instruments to
show the MIDI controls of the Instrument track.
7 Set the audio input of the Instrument track to
the corresponding input path.
8 In the Instrument track’s Instrument View, set
the MIDI output to the corresponding MIDI
port connected to the MIDI input of your exter-
nal MIDI instrument.
9 Assign the track output to the appropriate
path or paths for monitoring.
10 Adjust the Instrument track fader to mix the
audio input.
11 If you are controlling the external MIDI in-
strument from the Instrument track, you can
also mix using the MIDI Volume and Pan con-
trols in the Instrument View.
For information on configuring audio and
MIDI signal routing for controlling and
monitoring ReWire client applications, see
the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
Instrument track configured to control and monitor an
external MIDI instrument (Yamaha TG-77 shown)
MIDI Output selector
MIDI Volume control
Audio Input selector
Audio Output
MIDI Pan control
selector
(set to no input)
MIDI Input selector MIDI Mute
MIDI Velocity meter
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 953
To monitor and mix audio from an Instrument plug-
in with multiple audio outputs:
1 Use an existing or create a new Instrument
track.
2 Choose View > Mix Window > Instruments to
show the MIDI controls of the Instrument track.
3 Select a multi-output instrument plug-in from
the first Insert selector on the Instrument track
(such as Transfuser).
4 The virtual MIDI node (port) for the instru-
ment plug-in should be automatically selected
for the Instrument track’s MIDI Output. If not,
select the MIDI channel and corresponding port
for the instrument plug-in.
5 In the plug-in window, assign the individual
audio outputs of the plug-in.
6 Create an Auxiliary Input track for each out-
put of the plug-in. Make sure the channel for-
mat of the Auxiliary Inputs corresponds to the
channel format of the plug-in outputs (mono,
stereo, or multichannel).
7 Set the inputs of the Auxiliary Input tracks to
receive the individual outputs of the plug-in.
8 Assign the outputs of the Auxiliary Input
tracks to the appropriate path or paths for
monitoring.
9 Adjust the Auxiliary Input faders to mix the
individual outputs of the plug-in.
Creating a Submix
A submix is created by routing multiple audio
sources to a common bus or output path. This
“submixes” the sources to a single path that can
be returned to an Auxiliary Input, where the
submix can be processed with plug-ins or exter-
nal effects processors.
Audio is routed to a submix by assigning any
combination of sends and track output to avail-
able bus or output paths.
Instrument plug-in with multiple outputs routed to
Auxiliary Input tracks
When routing mono signals with internal
mix busses, be sure to use mono busses
rather than splitting stereo busses. Since
Pro Tools keeps stereo busses phase aligned,
splitting stereo busses can result in inaccu-
rate delay compensation.
Instrument plug-in
Inputs from
plug-in outputs
Pro Tools Reference Guide954
Submixing with Track Outputs or Sends
You can use both track outputs and sends to
route audio for submixing, depending on
whether you want a discrete or send and return
submix.
Discrete Submix Output
Pro Tools lets you discretely route source audio
through a submix. This is preferred for dither or
other mastering processing, where you do not
want unprocessed audio heard in addition to
the processed signals. Use track outputs (not
sends) to assign tracks to a bus path for discrete
submixing. In this arrangement, the balance of
processed and unprocessed signal is controlled
by plug-in wet/dry settings.
To create a discrete submix:
1 Set the output of the tracks you want to in-
clude in the submix to a stereo bus path.
2 Pan each track.
3 Choose Track > New.
4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format
(stereo), then click Create.
5 Set the input of the Auxiliary Input to the
same bus path to which you assigned all contrib-
uting tracks.
6 Set the output of the Auxiliary Input track to
your main stereo mix outputs (typically, outputs
1–2).
7 Set the Auxiliary Input Track level.
8 To process the submix, assign a plug-in or
hardware insert on the Auxiliary Input.
9 Set the controls of the plug-in. The plug-in By-
pass and Wet/Dry controls (if available) deter-
mine the amount of effect heard.
The contributing track faders control the bal-
ance within the submix. The Auxiliary Input
track controls the output levels of all tracks
routed to it.
You can apply mix automation to the volume,
pan, mute, and send level, send pan, and send
mute controls of the Auxiliary Input.
You can also bounce a submix to disk to free up
the voices for use by other tracks. See
Chapter 46, “Mixdown” for more information.
Send and Return Submixing for
Effects Processing
When you are submixing for reverb, delay, and
similar effects processing, use sends to achieve
traditional send/return bussing. You can use a
real-time plug-in or a hardware insert as a shared
resource for all tracks included in a submix. The
wet/dry balance in the mix can be controlled us-
ing the track faders (dry level) and Auxiliary In-
put fader (effect return, or wet, level).
See Chapter 44, “Plug-In and Hardware In-
serts” for more information.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 955
To create an effects return submix with a plug-in or
hardware insert:
1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
2 On the source tracks, assign a send (mono or
stereo) and select a mono or stereo bus path
from the Send selector. Configure the sends for
pre- or post-fader, as needed.
3 Choose Track > New.
4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format
(stereo), then click Create.
5 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Input Path se-
lector, select the send bus path.
6 Solo safe the track so that if you solo another
track that uses the effects send, you won’t mute
the effects return (see “Solo Safe Mode” on
page 242).
7 Assign a plug-in or hardware insert on the
Auxiliary Input.
8 Set the effect to “100% wet,” and set any other
controls.
9 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Output Path
selector, select an output path (main outputs).
Adjust the individual track faders to balance the
dry (unprocessed) tracks. With the send set to
pre-fader, the amount of effect is controlled by
the level of the Send Level fader or the Auxiliary
Input Volume fader. If the send is post-fader, the
Send Level fader follows volume level.
Send and Return Submixes with
External Devices
To create an effects return submix with an
external device:
1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
2 Assign a send (mono or stereo) and set the
send destinations on the source tracks to the
output path connected to the external device.
Configure the sends for pre- or post-fader, as
needed.
3 Choose Track > New.
4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format
(stereo or mono), then click Create.
Send/return setup for a plug-in or hardware insert
Send to effect bus
Input set to send bus path
Output set to main mix outs
Controls level of dry signal
Controls level of effect return
Effect (plug-in or hardware)
Insert
Controls level of send
to effects bus
Pro Tools Reference Guide956
5 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Input Path se-
lector, select the input path connected to the ex-
ternal device.
6 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Output Path
selector, select an output path (main outputs).
7 Adjust the individual track faders to balance
the dry (unprocessed) tracks.
The amount of effect is controlled by the level of
the Send Level fader or the Auxiliary Input Vol-
ume fader.
Creating Monitor Submixes
Route track sends to one or more Auxiliary Input
tracks to monitor submixes in a studio environ-
ment. You can monitor the main mix in the
control room on one or more pairs of audio out-
puts while you route a submix to another pair of
audio outputs for a headphone or “cue” mix for
the “talent.” For example, you may want to pro-
vide the bassist with a submix of the drums and
their own track for overdubbing a new bass part.
To create a monitor submix:
1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
2 Assign a send (mono or stereo) and set the
send destinations on the source tracks to the
output path connected to the external device.
Configure the sends for pre- or post-fader, as
needed.
3 Choose Track > New.
4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format
(stereo or mono), then click Create.
5 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Output Path
selector, select the output path (not the main
outputs) for monitoring the mix.
Send/return setup for an external device
Send to external device
Input set to device’s return
Output set to main mix outs
Controls level of dry signal
Controls level of effect return
Controls level of send
to external device
With cue mixes, when recording overdubs it
is recommended that there be no inserts (or
at least only inserts with very low delays) on
the record track to avoid any unnecessary la-
tency in the monitoring signal path.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 957
Adjust the Auxiliary Input track fader to control
the volume for the monitor mix.
Creating a Master Send Level
Control
A Master Fader can control the overall level of
bus and output paths.
To create a Master send level control:
1 Choose Track > New.
2 Specify the track type (Master Fader), and
mono, stereo, or any of the supported multi-
channel formats for surround mixing.
3 Click Create.
4 Do one of the following:
• Set the output of the Master Fader to the
same path that you are using to send to an
Auxiliary Input track.
• Set the output of the Master Fader to match
the path that you have chosen for your ef-
fects send.
You can then adjust send levels to balance the
source tracks, and use the Master Fader as a mas-
ter level control for the entire submix.
Soloing Tracks in a Submix
Soloing any tracks implicitly mutes all other
tracks, including Auxiliary Inputs. Solo-safing
an Auxiliary Input prevents this implicit muting
and lets the Auxiliary Input continue to pass au-
dio when its source tracks are in Solo.
To solo safe an Auxiliary Input:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Solo button on the Auxiliary Input
track.
To solo an individual track that is part of a group:
Start-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac)
the Solo button.
Generating Stereo Output from a
Mono Send/Return
You can use an Auxiliary Input to generate a ste-
reo output from a mono send. Set the send des-
tination to a mono Auxiliary Input track and
place a mono to stereo plug-in on the Auxiliary
Input. The output of the Auxiliary Input be-
comes stereo.
To create a “stereo” effect from a mono source,
you must use reverb, delay, or other time do-
main effects.
Drum submix for monitoring
Pro Tools Reference Guide958
Delay Compensation
Pro Tools provides automatic Delay Compensa-
tion for managing DSP and host-based delays
from plug-in inserts, and mixer routing (bussing
and sends). With Delay Compensation enabled,
Pro Tools maintains phase coherent time align-
ment between tracks that have plug-ins with dif-
fering delays, tracks with different mixing paths,
tracks that are split off and recombined within
the mixer, and tracks with hardware inserts.
To maintain phase coherent time alignment,
Delay Compensation should always be enabled
during playback and mixing. Delay Compensa-
tion should also be used in most recording situ-
ations.
Enabling Delay Compensation
To enable Delay Compensation:
Select Options > Delay Compensation.
When Delay Compensation is enabled, the De-
lay Compensation status indicator in the Edit
Window Toolbar is displayed.
The Delay Compensation View for tracks can be
displayed in the Mix Window (see “Delay Com-
pensation View” on page 960).
Configuring Delay Compensation
Engine
The amount of Delay Compensation available
for your session is set in the Playback Engine.
The total amount of delay due to inserts and
mixer routing for the entire session is displayed
in the Session Setup window.
There are three settings in the Playback Engine
dialog to dedicate processing resources for Delay
Compensation:
None Allocates no resources for Delay Compen-
sation.
Short Allocates minimum resources for Delay
Compensation for each channel. This is the
most efficient setting. For sessions with only a
few plug-ins that do not induce too much DSP
and host–based delay, this setting should be suf-
ficient.
Delay Compensation indicator
The Delay Compensation indicator in the
Edit window turns red if you have any de-
lays in the session that exceeds the maxi-
mum available delay compensation (see
“Delay that Exceeds the Compensation
Limit” on page 961).
Red can also indicate that you have created
a feedback loop that cannot be compen-
sated for. For example, if the output of a
track is routed to the input of the same
track. Mouse over the Delay Compensation
indicator in the Edit window to see if the
tooltip identifies this as a problem.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 959
Long Allocates maximum resources for Delay
Compensation for each mixer channel. For ses-
sions with a lot of plug-ins resulting in a large
amount of DSP and host–based delay, select this
setting.
To configure the Delay Compensation Engine:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the Delay Compensation Engine pop-up
menu, select a Delay Compensation setting.
3 Click OK.
Delay Compensation Time Mode
Delay values can be specified in either samples
or milliseconds, as selected with the Delay Com-
pensation Time Mode setting in the Operation
Preferences page.
Delay Compensation Limit
The Delay Compensation limit is displayed in
samples in the Delay Compensation Engine
pop-up menu in the Playback Engine dialog.
This is the maximum amount of Delay Compen-
sation available for the session. This value is dif-
ferent depending on the session sample rate and
which Delay Compensation Engine option is se-
lected.
System Delay
Pro Tools adds the exact amount of delay to
each track necessary to make that particular
track’s delay equal to the total System Delay.
The total system delay is the longest delay re-
ported on a track, plus any additional delay
caused by mixer routing.
The System Delay is shown in the Session Setup
window (Session > Setup). Reference the re-
ported System Delay to monitor whether or not
you are close to exceeding the Delay Compensa-
tion limit.
System Delay in Session Setup window
Pro Tools HD accounts for converter delays
when using Automatic Delay Compensa-
tion. However, when using non-HD hard-
ware, System Delay only displays internal
delay and does not take into account any la-
tency incurred by the analog-to-digital
(ADC) or digital-to-analog (DAC) convert-
ers in your audio interface.
Pro Tools Reference Guide960
Delay Compensation View
The Delay Compensation View displays the to-
tal amount of plug-in (TDM and RTAS) and
hardware insert delay (HD only), and the total
amount of delay that Pro Tools applies to each
track. You can also apply an offset for track de-
lay on a track-by-track basis. The Delay Com-
pensation View can be shown or hidden in the
Mix Window.
To view Delay Compensation information:
Select View > Mix Window > Delay Compensa-
tion.
Delay Compensation View
Indicators and Field
Delay (dly) Indicator
The Delay (dly) indicator reports the total plug-
in (TDM and RTAS) and hardware insert delay
on the track. The Delay indicator’s report to
Pro Tools Delay Compensation Engine can be
bypassed when Delay Compensation is enabled.
This is useful for manually time-aligning a track
when the total delay on a track exceeds the De-
lay Compensation limit. See “Delay that Ex-
ceeds the Compensation Limit” on page 961.
The display color indicates reported track delay,
as follows:
Green Indicates that track delay reporting is en-
abled and the track does not exceed the avail-
able amount of Delay Compensation.
Orange Indicates that this is the track reporting
the longest plug-in and hardware insert delay in
the session.
Red Indicates that the amount of plug-in and
hardware insert delay on the track exceeds the
available amount of Delay Compensation (see
“Delay that Exceeds the Compensation Limit”
on page 961).
Gray Track delay report is bypassed.
User Offset (+/–) Field
This field lets you adjust track delays manually
while Delay Compensation is enabled. The User
Offset is added to or subtracted from the
amount of delay applied by Track Compensa-
tion. The User Offset is useful for the following
cases:
• For manually time-aligning a track if a
plug-in is incorrectly reporting its delay.
• For adjusting the timing “feel” of a track.
The color of the values in this field indicate User
Offset status, as follows:
White Indicates that the User Offset is enabled
on the track and the User Offset compensation
value is applied to the track.
Gray Indicates that the User Offset is disabled on
the track and the User Offset compensation
value is not applied.
Delay Compensation View
Delay Compensation view only shows the
insert delay for each track. To view the com-
plete system delay, including mixer delays,
check the System Delay in the Session Setup
window (see “System Delay” on page 959).
Track
Compensation
Delay indicator
User Offset field
indicator
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 961
To change track delay using the User Offset field:
1 In the Delay Compensation View, click in the
User Offset edit field.
2 To set your delay value (in samples or millisec-
onds depending on your current preferences),
do one of the following:
• Enter a positive number (with or without
the “+” modifier) for a positive delay (later
in time) or negative number (with the “–”
modifier) for a negative delay (earlier in
time).
• Drag in the User Offset field to scroll to a
new value. For finer resolution, Control-
drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac).
• Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to in-
crease or decrease the numerical values.
3 Press Enter.
To bypass the user delay:
Start-Control-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the User Offset field. The
user-defined delay appears grayed out and does
not apply to the track.
Track Compensation (cmp) Indicator
This indicator shows the amount of Delay Com-
pensation Pro Tools applies to each track.
The display color indicates the amount of Delay
Compensation applied, as follows:
Green Track compensation is enabled and the
track does not exceed the Delay Compensation
limit. The amount of Delay Compensation
shown in the indicator is applied to the track.
Blue (Audio Tracks Only) Indicates that Delay
Compensation is force-enabled on the track.
When the track is record-enabled or TrackInput-
enabled, Delay Compensation is not suspended
and remains enabled (see “Overriding Low La-
tency Monitoring During Recording” on
page 962).
Red Indicates that the track delay exceeds the
available amount of Delay Compensation and
no Delay Compensation is applied to the track
(see “Delay that Exceeds the Compensation
Limit” on page 961).
Gray Indicates that Delay Compensation for the
track is bypassed and no delay is applied to the
track.
Delay that Exceeds the
Compensation Limit
When the total delay on a track exceeds the to-
tal available amount of available Delay Com-
pensation (selected in the Playback Engine dia-
log), no Delay Compensation is applied on that
track. Any audio on that track will no longer be
properly time-aligned and will be out of phase.
Both the Delay indicator and Track Compensa-
tion indicator turn red to show that the track de-
lay exceeds the Delay Compensation limit. The
maximum available Delay Compensation is ap-
plied to all other tracks.
However, you can manually compensate for de-
lay on tracks that exceed the Delay Compensa-
tion limit.
Pro Tools Reference Guide962
To compensate for delay that exceeds the
compensation limit, do one of the following:
If the Delay Compensation Engine setting in
the Playback Engine is set to Short, change the
setting to Long.
– or –
If the Delay Compensation Engine is already
set to Long, do the following:
• Bypass the reported delay for the track by
Start-Control-clicking (Windows) or Com-
mand-Control-clicking (Mac) the Delay in-
dicator. The track information is grayed out
once it is bypassed.
– and –
• Manually nudge any audio data on the
track earlier by the amount of delay re-
ported in the track’s Delay indicator.
Low Latency Monitoring During
Recording
When an audio track is armed for recording (re-
cord-enabled), TrackInput-enabled, Destructive-
Punch-enabled, or punched in, the track’s Delay
Compensation is automatically suspended (and
the Track Compensation indicator displays 0).
This reduces monitoring latency on those track
outputs. When the track is played back (with
both record-enable and TrackInput disabled) it
is correctly time-aligned with the other delay-
compensated tracks.
Tracks that are not record-enabled still apply De-
lay Compensation. Pro Tools automatically
compensates for any timing discrepancies be-
tween the recorded material and the delay-com-
pensated mix.
Overriding Low Latency
Monitoring During Recording
You can override Low Latency Monitoring Dur-
ing Recording on record-enabled tracks, but this
may introduce latency in the signal path corre-
sponding to the amount of Delay Compensa-
tion. This latency may be acceptable depending
on the recording source. For example, in certain
“non-performance” workflows, overriding Low
Latency Monitoring During Recording ensures
that delay compensation is applied consistently
regardless of whether a track is record- or punch-
enabled, or whether Pro Tools is recording or
playing back.
To override Low Latency Monitoring During
Recording on specific record tracks:
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Track Compensation
indicator. Delay Compensations is applied to
the track and the Track Compensation indicator
displays in blue.
In certain dubbing workflows you may want
to cascade bus recordings to multiple tracks.
In these cases you should be sure to override
Low Latency Monitoring on the recording
tracks.
Command-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or
Control-Start-Shift-click (Windows) the
Track Compensation indicator to override
Low Latency Monitoring for all selected
tracks.
Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the
Track Compensation indicator to override
Low Latency Monitoring for all tracks.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 963
Delay Compensation on Auxiliary
Inputs
Delay Compensation on Auxiliary Inputs can be
bypassed to let you monitor outside sources
(such as the audio tracks of a slaved video deck)
with minimal latency, while still reporting the
track’s delay.
To bypass an Auxiliary Input’s Delay
Compensation:
Start-Control-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the Track Compensation in-
dicator. The reported track delay will be zero,
and will appear grayed out.
Delay Compensation for MIDI
Pro Tools automatically maintains time align-
ment between recorded MIDI events and delay
compensated playback.
When Delay Compensation is enabled, a MIDI
event that is recorded to sound “in time” with
delay-compensated material actually is recorded
late by the length of total delay in effect. To
compensate, MIDI events are shifted back in
time by the total session delay following each
MIDI recording pass. MIDI playback after a re-
cord pass with Delay Compensation enabled ac-
counts for the low latency recording path and
maintains phase coherent time alignment with
MIDI playback.
Low-Latency Recording with
Virtual MIDI Instruments and
Delay Compensation
When a MIDI or Instrument track that is routing
MIDI data to an instrument plug-in is record-en-
abled, Pro Tools automatically suspends Delay
Compensation through the main outputs of the
audio track, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track
on which the instrument plug-in is inserted. This
allows for latency-free monitoring of the instru-
ment plug-in during recording.
MIDI and Audio Processing Plug-Ins
Some audio processing plug-ins (such as Bruno
and Reso) and many instrument plug-ins let you
process audio while allowing MIDI data to con-
trol processing parameters. When you record
enable a MIDI or Instrument track that is con-
trolling an audio processing plug-in, the track
the plug-in is inserted on will go into low-la-
tency mode, effectively making the processed
audio play early. The steps to prevent this and
keep audio time-aligned depend on the type of
track on which the plug-in resides.
To keep audio time-aligned when recording using a
MIDI controlled plug-in on an audio track:
Start-Control-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the Track Compensation in-
dicator for the audio track to apply Delay Com-
pensation.
When any Instrument or MIDI track is re-
cord enabled, all Instrument and Auxiliary
Input tracks with Instrument plug-in inserts
that are configured to receive MIDI in
Pro Tools are set to low-latency mode. In
this case, the Delay Compensation indica-
tors for those tracks display 0.
Delay Compensation for Instrument plug-ins
works only when all MIDI and audio connec-
tions take place inside Pro Tools. While
Pro Tools does not suspend Delay Compen-
sation when you are using ReWire to connect
software synthesizers and samplers in other
ReWire client applications (such as Reason),
Pro Tools cannot account for any latency
within the ReWire client itself.
Pro Tools Reference Guide964
To keep audio time-aligned when recording using a
MIDI controlled plug-in on an Auxiliary Input:
1 Start-Control-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the Track Compensation in-
dicator for the Auxiliary Input to bypass Delay
Compensation.
2 Enter the total system delay into the User Off-
set field.
Configuring Cue Mixes with Delay
Compensation
If you already have a Pro Tools session that uses
various plug-in inserts and mixer routing, you
will most likely want to have Delay Compensa-
tion enabled. However, if you want to record
overdubs with a recording artist, “the talent,”
you will need to configure monitoring mixes
(headphone or “cue” mixes).
Use sends to bus cue mixes to audio output
paths for headphone monitoring by the talent.
In addition to the main mix, which will monitor
in the control room, route track sends to one or
more additional audio output paths tracks for
cue mix monitoring. Using sends lets you con-
figure different mixes from the main mix for cue
mix monitoring. For example, when recording a
guitarist, they may want to hear themselves
more in the cue mix than you will want to hear
in the main mix.
Example configuration using sends for cue mixes:
1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
2 Assign a send (mono or stereo) for each track
and set the send outputs to output paths 3 and 4
on your audio interface.
3 Enable the FMP (Follow Main Pan) button on
all of the sends so that the cue mix has the same
panning as the main mix.
4 Set all of the sends to unity and to post-fader.
This lets you use the same mix for the talent, but
also lets you boost (or attenuate) the level of the
talent’s signal in the cue mix by adjusting the
send level as needed.
5 Choose Track > New.
6 Specify the track type (Main Fader) and format
(stereo), then click Create.
7 From the Master Fader track’s Output Path se-
lector, select output paths 3 and 4 for monitor-
ing the mix.
8 Adjust the Master Fader track’s fader to control
the overall volume for the cue mix.
9 Repeat the preceding steps for additional cue
mixes on additional outputs on your audio in-
terface as necessary.
Setting a Hardware Insert Delay
Offset
You can manually compensate for the delay (la-
tency) of any external hardware devices (such as
an effects unit) used in your session, you can set
the amount of Hardware Insert Delay Compen-
sation (in milliseconds) for each external device
in the I/O Setup. These times will be used by the
Delay Compensation Engine to time-align input
paths when the hardware insert is in use and De-
lay Compensation is enabled
With Delay Compensation enabled, it is
recommended that you do not use any in-
serts on any Auxiliary Input or Master
Fader tracks you may be using to control the
cue mix volume. Also, you should avoid us-
ing inserts on any record tracks. (Some low
latency inserts may be acceptable depend-
ing on the talent’s preference.)
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 965
To set an insert delay offset:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the H/W Insert Delay tab.
3 Type a value, in milliseconds, in the field cor-
responding with the input where the hardware
insert is connected.
Determining Your Hardware’s
Insert Delay
Check the documentation for your external
hardware to see if it identifies the hardware la-
tency, or use the following procedure in
Pro Tools to determine the latency for hardware
inserts.
To determine your hardware’s insert delay:
1 Ensure that Automatic Delay Compensation is
enabled (Options > Delay Compensation).
2 Change your session’s Main Time Scale to
Min:Sec.
3 Create two tracks.
4 Place a short tone (or other sound with a de-
finitive beginning) on track 1.
5 Insert the HW insert on track 1.
6 Ensure that only the dry signal is being passed
through the device.
7 Bus the output of track 1 to the input of track
2.
8 Record enable track 2 and press Record Enable
and Play in the Transport window to play back
the audio in track 1 and record it to track 2.
9 After recording, zoom in and measure the dif-
ference between where the audio starts in track
1 and track 2. The difference is the value you
would enter as your hardware’s insert delay off-
set.
Dither
Dither is used to minimize quantization artifacts
when reducing the bit depth of an audio signal,
for example, from 24-bit to 16-bit. Quantization
artifacts are most apparent when a signal is near
the low end of its dynamic range, such as during
a quiet passage or a fade-out.
Dither minimizes quantization artifacts by in-
troducing very low-level random noise to a sig-
nal, which smooths out the distortion that can
result when the signal’s bit depth is reduced.
With dither there is a trade-off between signal-
to-noise performance and less-apparent distor-
tion. Proper use of dither lets you get better sub-
jective performance when reducing the bit
depth of audio.
Dither in Pro Tools
There are several ways dither can be used in
Pro Tools. Each has a specific application within
the various operations that could benefit from
using dither.
Dither Plug-Ins for Mixdown Whenever you are
mixing down or bouncing to disk and your des-
tination bit depth is lower than 24-bit, insert a
dither plug-in on a Master Fader that controls
the output mix. You can use real-time dither
plug-ins from Avid or third-party manufactur-
ers.
Insert delay offsets only have an effect when
the I/O is used for hardware inserts.
Pro Tools Reference Guide966
For important information on using dither
when mixing down or bouncing to disk, see
“Dithering” on page 1062.
AudioSuite Dither Some AudioSuite plug-ins can
automatically apply dither when processing.
You can select this option in the Processing Pref-
erences page.
The Use AudioSuite Dither option enables a pre-
set, noise-shaped dither for the following Digi-
Rack AudioSuite plug-ins:
•Gain
• Normalize
•Smack!
•Sonic NoNOISE
Dither in Fades and Crossfades In the Fades dia-
log (Edit > Fades > Create), the Use AudioSuite
Dither option enables a preset, noise-shaped
dither.
Dither on Export and Import When you export
audio to a lower bit depth, or when you import
an audio file into a session that is at a lower bit
depth than the file, a preset, noise-shaped dither
is applied.
Dithered Mixer Plug-Ins (Pro Tools HD Only) Avid
has developed a mixer that provides all of the
benefits of the standard Stereo Mixer and Sur-
round Mixer plug-ins, but also provides uncorre-
lated dither on any summed output. There are
two Mixer plug-ins that feature dither with
noise shaping: Stereo Dithered Mixer and Sur-
round Dithered Mixer.
Noise Shaping
Noise shaping can further improve audio perfor-
mance and reduce perceived noise inherent in
dithered audio. Noise shaping uses filtering to
shift noise away from frequencies in the middle
of the audio spectrum (around 4 kHz), where
the human ear is most sensitive.
Noise Shaping is available in the DigiRack
Dither and POW-r Dither plug-ins.
For more information on Dither plug-ins, see
the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
For more information on AudioSuite Dither,
see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
For more information on using the Dither in
fades and crossfades, see “Use Dither” on
page 604.
For more information about the application
of dither on export, see “Exporting Audio”
on page 336.
For more information about the application
of dither on import, see “Bit Depth Conver-
sion and Dithering” on page 325.
For more information on using the Dithered
Mixer plug-ins, see the Pro Tools|HD
User Guide.
For more information on using Noise Shaping,
see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 967
Using an Ethernet Control
Surface with Pro Tools
Avid offers several Ethernet-based control sur-
face options for Pro Tools.
D-Control and D-Command
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
D-Control and D-Command tactile worksur-
faces are part of ICON, a flexible, integrated sys-
tem that extends the functionality of Pro Tools.
C|24
C|24 is a dedicated control surface that provides
access to nearly all Pro Tools recording, mixing,
editing, signal routing, plug-in control, and au-
tomation features.
EUCON
Pro Tools supports Avid control surfaces using
EUCON (Extended User Control) control (see
the Pro Tools EUCON Guide.) EUCON is an inno-
vative high-speed Ethernet protocol developed
by Avid to allow Avid hardware control surfaces
to directly communicate with software applica-
tions (such as Pro Tools).
Enabling an Ethernet Control
Surface in Pro Tools
To enable an Ethernet control surface in Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the Ether-
net Controllers tab.
2 Select Enable.
3 If your Ethernet control surface consists of
more than one unit, select the units in numeri-
cal order as you want them arranged left to
right.
4 Click OK.
To enable EUCON control in Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup >Peripherals.
2 Select the Ethernet Controllers tab.
3 Select the EUCON option.
4 Click OK.
When the EUCON option is selected, Pro Tools is
enabled for control by one or more EUCON-
compatible controllers.
Using a MIDI Control Surface
with Pro Tools
MIDI Control Surfaces add hands-on control to
many Pro Tools functions, allowing you to ad-
just faders and knobs, activate transport con-
trols, or edit plug-in parameters.
Command|8
Command|8 is a compact USB-based MIDI con-
trol surface for Pro Tools systems.
Other MIDI Control Surfaces
Pro Tools supports MIDI control surfaces from
CM Labs (such as MotorMate and MotorMix),
and Mackie (such as Mackie Control and HUI),
as well as other control surfaces that support the
MotorMix and HUI controller personalities.
For more information, see the documentation
that came with your Ethernet control surface.
For more information about using Pro Tools
with EUCON, see the Pro Tools EUCON
Guide.
For complete instructions on connecting
and configuring Command|8, see the
Command|8 Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide968
MIDI Control Surface
Personalities
MIDI Control Surface Personalities are files that al-
low Pro Tools to communicate with the MIDI
control surface. When you install Pro Tools,
these files are installed by default in the Con-
trollers folder inside the Pro Tools application
folder. If the files are not present, run the
Pro Tools installer to install the personality files.
Connecting a MIDI Control Surface
If your Pro Tools hardware includes MIDI ports,
you can connect a MIDI control surface directly
to your system. If it does not include MIDI ports,
you will need to use a MIDI Interface, such as
the MIDI I/O or M-Audio MIDISPORT). USB
MIDI control surfaces (such as the Command|8)
and FireWire control surfaces (such as the 003)
do not require an additional MIDI connection
to your computer.
To connect a (non-USB or FireWire) MIDI control
surface:
1 Using a standard 5-pin MIDI cable, connect
the MIDI Out port on your MIDI control surface
to the MIDI In port on your Pro Tools hardware
or MIDI interface.
2 Using a standard 5-pin MIDI cable, connect
the MIDI In port on your MIDI control surface
to the MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools hard-
ware or MIDI interface.
3 If you have a multi-port MIDI interface, note
which MIDI port the control surface is con-
nected to.
Configuring Your System for a
MIDI Control Surface
A MIDI Control Surface is configured in the
same way as any other MIDI device in Pro Tools,
using MIDI Studio Setup (Windows) or Audio
MIDI Setup (Mac).
For complete instructions on configuring
your MIDI studio, see the User Guide that
came with your system.
Chapter 43: Basic Mixing 969
Enabling a MIDI Control Surface in
Pro Tools
To enable a MIDI control surface in Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the MIDI
Controllers tab.
2 Choose your MIDI control surface device
name from the Type pop-up menu.
3 Choose the MIDI control surface’s source port
from the Receive From pop-up menu.
4 Choose a destination port from the Send To
pop-up menu.
5 If your MIDI control surface has more than
eight channel strips, or if you are using multiple
devices of the same type in series, choose the ap-
propriate number of channel strips from the
pop up menu under #Ch’s.
6 Click OK.
You can configure additional MIDI control sur-
faces (up to a total of four) by repeating the
above steps. Make sure that none of the control
surfaces are assigned to the same MIDI source
and destination ports or channels in the
Pro Tools Peripherals dialog.
Enabling the MIDI Control Surface
as an Input Device
You must ensure that the MIDI control surface is
enable as an input device in Pro Tools.
To enable a MIDI control surface as an input
device:
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices.
2 Select the source port that you selected in the
Receive From pop-up menu in the MIDI Control-
lers page of the Peripherals dialog.
3 Click OK.
If you want to prevent control surface MIDI data
from reaching Pro Tools, you can deselect its
source port in the MIDI Input Enable window.
MIDI control surface (Command|8) enabled
Enabling a MIDI input device
Pro Tools Reference Guide970
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 971
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware
Inserts
Pro Tools provides up to ten unity-gain inserts
on each audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
and Instrument track. Audio, Auxiliary Input,
and Instrument track inserts are pre-fader, and
Master Faders inserts are post-fader.
An insert can be either a software DSP plug-in or
a hardware insert. A Pro Tools insert routes the
signal from the track to a plug-in or external
hardware effect of your choice and automati-
cally returns it to the same track. Inserts do not
alter the original audio source files, but process
audio in real time, during playback. You can
permanently apply real-time effects to tracks by
recording or bouncing the effect to disk (see
Chapter 46, “Mixdown” for more information).
General Insert Information
When more than one plug-in or hardware insert
is used on a track, they are processed in series.
Each effect is added to that of any previous in-
serts (flowing from top to bottom in the Mix
window Inserts View, and left to right in the Edit
window Inserts View).
Inserts on audio tracks and Auxiliary Inputs and
Instrument tracks are pre-fader. You can cause
clipping if you boost their gain to extremes, es-
pecially on tracks recorded at high amplitude.
Watch on-screen metering for indication of clip-
ping. (Inserts on Master Faders are post-fader.)
Plug-In Inserts
Plug-In inserts are software inserts that process
audio material on a track in real time. For exam-
ple, the DigiRack EQ, compressor, and delay
plug-ins supplied with your Pro Tools system
can be used as real-time plug-in inserts.
Additional real-time plug-ins are available from
Avid and from many third-party developers.
Insert button and selector on a track
Insert button
Insert selector
For more information about the plug-ins
included with your Pro Tools system, see
the Audio Plug-Ins Guides.
For information about optional plug-ins,
visit www.avid.com.
Pro Tools Reference Guide972
Hardware I/O Inserts
Hardware I/O inserts can route audio through
an external device connected to parallel inputs
and outputs of an audio interface. You can pro-
cess the audio material on a track with a hard-
ware insert in real time.
Insert paths require audio interface inputs and
outputs, and are determined by the I/O Setup
configuration of your system.
Using Inserts for Effects
Processing
Inserts can be used in two ways:
On Single Tracks An insert can be applied to an
individual audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
or Instrument track.
With in-line inserts, you control the amount of
effect by adjusting the balance (or the wet/dry
mix) controls of the plug-in or external device.
As Shared Resources An insert can be used as a
shared resource in a send-and-return arrange-
ment, by bussing signals from several tracks to
an Aux Input, and then applying the insert to
that track. You can then control the send level
for each track, and the overall level of the effect
can be controlled from the Auxiliary Input
track. Using sends and other signal routing fea-
tures helps maximize your system’s processing
power.
Insert Formats
Mono Inserts Used on mono tracks. Inserts that
occur on a track after a stereo insert are automat-
ically used in stereo as well.
Stereo Inserts Used on stereo tracks. A stereo
hardware I/O insert sends the signal to an in-
put/output path.
Mono In/Stereo Out Plug-In Inserts Used to re-
turn a stereo effect from a mono source. Certain
plug-ins (such as D-Verb) let you generate stereo
output from a mono channel. A track made into
stereo in this way has panning controls for each
channel of the stereo signal. Any inserts that oc-
cur on a track after a stereo insert are automati-
cally used in stereo as well.
Multi-Mono Plug-In Inserts Used on stereo or
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks when a
multichannel version of the plug-in is not avail-
able. Controls for all channels are linked by de-
fault so that you can adjust them in tandem.
You can unlink controls for independent adjust-
ment using the Master Link button. See “Link-
ing and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono
Plug-Ins” on page 999.
Multichannel Plug-In Inserts Used on stereo and
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks. On
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks, the
controls for all channels are generally linked to-
gether.
Hardware I/O insert
For examples of send and return busses and
other submixing setups, see “Signal Routing
for Monitoring and Submixing” on
page 951.
Relinking may cause automation to be lost.
See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 999
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 973
Plug-In Formats
There are three plug-in formats supported by
Pro Tools (TDM, RTAS, and AudioSuite), two of
which can be used as real-time inserts, as fol-
lows:
TDM Plug-Ins Used with Pro Tools HD systems,
these plug-ins rely on the processing power of
DSP on Pro Tools|HD system cards.
RTAS Plug-Ins Similar to their TDM counter-
parts, but unlike TDM plug-ins, they rely on and
are limited by the host processing power of your
computer.
AudioSuite Plug-Ins Non-real-time (rendered),
file-based processing plug-ins for Pro Tools.
Depending on your Pro Tools software, real-
time plug-ins can be used as follows:
Pro Tools|HD Systems
• Both TDM and RTAS plug-ins can be used on
audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and
Instrument tracks.
Pro Tools Host-based Systems
• RTAS plug-ins can be used on audio, Auxiliary
Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks.
Voice Usage and Total Latency for
RTAS Plug-Ins
(Pro Tools HD Only)
With Pro Tools HD, the initial insert of an RTAS
plug-in may cause additional latency, and will
take up two additional voices per channel (one
voice for input and one voice for output) in the
following conditions:
• When inserted on an Auxiliary Input or
Master Fader track
• When inserted on an Instrument track that
does not contain an instrument plug-in
• When inserted after a TDM plug-in on any
kind of track
For example, the initial insert of an RTAS plug-
in on a mono Auxiliary Input track uses two
voices (one channel with two voices), while the
initial insert of that plug-in on a stereo Auxiliary
Input track uses four voices (two channels with
two voices each).
Subsequent RTAS plug-ins on the same track do
not take up additional voices unless a TDM
plug-in is inserted between other RTAS plug-ins.
Audio tracks that have active RTAS plug-in in-
serts cannot be explicitly voiced. The voice allo-
cation must be set to Dynamic or Off.
For information on using AudioSuite plug-
ins in Pro Tools, see Chapter 40, “Audio-
Suite Processing.”
With Pro Tools HD, RTAS plug-ins on Aux-
iliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument
tracks will use additional voices and may
introduce extra latency based on the HW
Buffer Size. See “Voice Usage and Total La-
tency for RTAS Plug-Ins” on page 973.
For tips on maximizing RTAS performance,
see “Configuring Pro Tools System Set-
tings” on page 60.
Avoid inserting TDM plug-ins between
RTAS plug-ins on any kind of track—this
causes unnecessary voice usage and may
cause additional latency.
Pro Tools Reference Guide974
Furthermore, one additional voice is used for
each occurrence of any of the following condi-
tions when using voices for RTAS plug-ins on a
track:
• When you use the external key side-chain
of an RTAS plug-in on that track
• When you select multiple track outputs for
that track (one voice used for each output)
• When you select an AFL/PFL Path output in
the Output tab of the I/O Setup dialog (one
voice used for each channel)
Viewing Inserts
Both the Mix and Edit windows can be config-
ured to show or hide inserts A–E and F–J. Plug-In
windows provide complete access to plug-in
controls.
To show (or hide) inserts, do one of the following:
In the Mix window (or Edit window), select
View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) > Inserts A–E
or Inserts F–J.
– or –
Select Inserts A–E or Inserts F–J from the Edit
Window or Mix Window View selector.
When you use Pro Tools 6.9.x or lower to
open a session originally created with
Pro Tools 7 or later, any RTAS plug-ins in-
serted on Auxiliary Input or Master Fader
tracks—or after TDM plug-ins on any kind
of track—will become inactive.
inserts and Sends in the Mix window
Inserts (A–E) View
Sends (A–E) View
I/O View
Sends (F–J) View
Inserts (F–J) View
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 975
Display of Plug-In Window Status
In the Mix and Edit window, the plug-in button
and selector display the currently inserted plug-
in, its bypass state (see “Bypassing Plug-Ins” on
page 998), focus status, and window status.
Indicating the Controller Focus
For most control surfaces, only one plug-in can
be focused at a time. ICON worksurfaces can
have up to four plug-ins focused at once (using
the EQ and Dynamics controls, and Custom
Faders on your worksurface).
The current controller focus, if any, is indicated
with a color outline around its name:
Making Inserts Inactive
Plug-In and hardware inserts can be made inac-
tive to free up their resources for other uses.
When a plug-in insert is inactive it retains its as-
signment, position, and related automation
playlists. However, it will not pass audio and
does not consume any DSP or TDM resources.
When opening sessions, inserts will automati-
cally be made inactive in any of the following
situations:
• The system has insufficient DSP resources.
• A plug-in is not installed.
• A plug-in type is not available (RTAS or TDM).
• Opening the session results in plug-in type
substitutions. This can happen if the type is
available but substituting would result in an
unsupported condition, such as opening a ses-
sion containing a TDM plug-in for which an
RTAS version is unavailable.
To make an insert inactive, do one of the following:
Control-Start-click (Windows) or Command-
Control-click (Mac) the Insert button.
Right-click the Insert button and select Make
Inactive.
Make the track inactive. See “Making Tracks
Inactive” on page 243.
To toggle inserts in the same position on all tracks
active or inactive:
Control-Start-Alt click (Windows) or Com-
mand-Control-Option click (Mac) an Insert but-
ton in the position you want to toggle.
Lit plug-in name indicates open plug-in window
Controller focus
Pro Tools Reference Guide976
To toggle inserts in the same position on all
selected tracks active or inactive:
Control-Start-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or
Command-Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) an
Insert button in the position you want to toggle.
Inactive Plug-In Inserts
Inactive plug-in inserts retain all associated au-
tomation playlists. In addition, any edits made
in the session affect the plug-in automation
playlists. You cannot record automation or ad-
just the controls for an inactive plug-in.
Inactive Hardware Inserts
Inactive hardware inserts retain their assign-
ments, but do not pass audio and do not con-
sume any DSP resources.
Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks
To use a real-time plug-in, insert it on a track.
To insert a plug-in on a track:
1 Make sure the Inserts (A–E or F–J) View is
shown in the Mix or Edit window.
2 Click the Insert selector on the track and select
the plug-in that you want to use. (See “Plug-In
Formats” on page 973 for related information.)
To remove an insert from a track:
Click the Insert selector and choose No Insert.
Display of inactive plug-ins
Display of inactive Plug-In window
Hardware inserts do not provide a bypass
control. You can use the inactive feature
whenever you need to mute or bypass a
hardware insert.
(italicized) Active
(plain text)
Inactive
Plug-Ins cannot be inserted or removed dur-
ing recording.
Inserting a TDM plug-in
You can insert a plug-in on a track by drag-
ging one of its Plug-In Settings (.txf) files
from a DigiBase browser onto an available
track Insert position in the Mix window. See
“Dragging and Dropping Plug-In Settings
Files” on page 991.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 977
Ordering RTAS and TDM Plug-Ins
on Audio Tracks
(Pro Tools|HD Systems Only)
With Pro Tools|HD systems, when RTAS and
TDM plug-ins are combined on an audio track,
Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader, the order in
which they are inserted produces different re-
sults:
RTAS Plug-Ins Grouped Before TDM Plug-Ins No
additional voices will be used, and no process-
ing latency will occur. RTAS plug-ins will be by-
passed when Record Enable or TrackInput mon-
itoring is enabled for that track.
RTAS Plug-Ins Grouped After TDM Plug-Ins Each
initial insert of an RTAS plug-in after a TDM
plug-in on a track will cause processing latency,
and will use voices as described in “Voice Usage
and Total Latency for RTAS Plug-Ins” on
page 973. RTAS plug-ins will stay active while
Record Enable or TrackInput monitoring is en-
abled for that track.
Ordering Recommendations
When combining RTAS and TDM plug-ins on an
audio track, use one of the following two strate-
gies based on your recording needs:
• To ensure that RTAS plug-ins stay active when
you record enable a track or use TrackInput
monitoring, order all TDM plug-ins before
RTAS plug-ins.
– or –
• To conserve voices and minimize processing
latency, order all RTAS plug-ins before TDM
plug-ins.
Plug-In Menu Organization
You can customize how plug-in lists (plug-in
menus) are organized in the Insert selector and
Plug-In selector.
Use the Organize Plug-In Menus By setting in the
Display Preferences page to organize plug-in
menus in a Flat List (with plug-ins in alphabeti-
cal order), or by Category, Manufacturer, or Cate-
gory and Manufacturer.
Control Surface Support
Control surfaces with multi-color LCDs (such as
D-Control) indicate plug-ins as follows:
• Plug-In categories (such as EQ) and plug-in
manufacturers (such as Aphex) are indi-
cated in yellow (amber) text.
• Specific plug-ins located in the plug-in sub-
folders (such as EQ III in the EQ subfolder)
are indicated in green text.
Control surfaces with single-color displays (such
as Command|8) do not indicate plug-in view
choices. They display contents of a plug-in
folder as a single list of plug-ins.
“Organize Plug-In Menus By”
Setting
Flat List Organizes plug-ins in a single list, in al-
phabetical order.
Category Organizes plug-ins by process category
(such as EQ, Dynamics, and Delay), with indi-
vidual plug-ins listed in the category submenus.
Plug-Ins that do not fit into a standard category
(such as the DigiRack Signal Generator), or
third-party plug-ins that have not had a cate-
gory designated by their developers, appear in
the Other category. Plug-Ins can appear in more
than one category.
As a rule, always group plug-ins of the same
type together, especially if inserting RTAS
after TDM plug-ins. Otherwise, additional
voices may be unnecessarily used.
Pro Tools Reference Guide978
Plug in categories include:
•EQ
• Dynamics
• Pitch Shift
• Reverb
•Delay
•Modulation
• Harmonic
•Noise Reduction
•Dither
• Sound Field
•Instrument
•Other
•Effects
The Effects subfolder organizes special effects,
multi-effect processors, and other plug-ins. All
plug-ins that specify their plug-in category as an
“Effects” type will be displayed within the Ef-
fects subfolder.
Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins by their manu-
facturer (such as Bomb Factory, Digidesign, and
Trillium Lane Labs), with individual plug-ins
listed in the manufacturer submenus. Plug-Ins
that do not have a Manufacturer defined will ap-
pear in the “Other” manufacturer folder.
Most Avid-distributed third-party plug-ins will
be grouped under Digidesign when this option
is enabled.
Category and Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins
in two levels of menus. The top menus display
plug-ins by process category (such as EQ, Dy-
namics, and Delay), with individual plug-ins
listed in the category submenus. The bottom
menus display plug-ins by manufacturer (such
as Bomb Factory, Digidesign, and Trillium Lane
Labs), with individual plug-ins listed in the
manufacturer submenus.
To select how plug-ins are organized:
1 Open or create a session.
2 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click Display.
Plug-Ins organized by category (using the Insert
selector)
If no plug-ins within a certain category are
installed on your system, the subfolder
named for that category will not appear in
the menu.
Plug-Ins organized by Manufacturer (using the Insert
selector)
If no plug-ins by a certain manufacturer are
installed on your system, the subfolder
named for that manufacturer will not ap-
pear in the menu.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 979
3 Click the Organize Plug-In Menus By pop-up
menu, and select one of the view options.
4 Click OK.
The Organize Plug-In Menus By setting is saved
with Pro Tools preferences (it is not saved with
the Pro Tools session file).
Default EQ and Dynamics Plug-Ins
You can set a default EQ plug-in and Dynamics
plug-in, which places them at the top of the In-
sert selector pop-up menu on-screen, and first in
the list of menu choices when assigning inserts
on ICON worksurfaces.
To set a default plug-in:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Setup, choose a plug-in from the De-
fault EQ or Default Dynamics pop-up menu.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
Plug-In Favorites
To find a plug-in faster, a plug-in can be desig-
nated as a favorite. Favorite plug-ins are shown at
the top of the plug-in menu.
When a plug-in becomes a favorite, it is still
shown in its plug-in category and its name ap-
pears in bold.
To designate a plug-in as a favorite:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Insert selector and select a plug-in to
designate it as a favorite.
To change the status of a plug-in favorite:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Insert selector and select a plug-in fa-
vorite that you no longer want designated as a
favorite.
When selecting the plug-in favorite to change,
you can select the plug-in from the list of favor-
ites at the top of the plug-in menu, or in its plug-
in category (where the plug-in appears in bold).
Default plug-in display in the Insert selector menu
Menu display of favorite plug-ins
Favorite plug-ins
Plug-In categories
Pro Tools Reference Guide980
Moving and Duplicating
Plug-In and Hardware Inserts
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 dupli-
cated retain their original settings and automa-
tion.
To move an inser t:
Drag the insert to a new insert location.
To duplicate an insert:
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac) the
insert to a new insert location. Duplicated plug-
in inserts retain their original settings and auto-
mation.
The Plug-In Window
The Plug-In window appears whenever you click
a plug-in’s Insert button on a track. This floating
window lets you edit the adjust the controls of
any real-time plug-in insert in use on a track.
Plug-Ins cannot be moved or duplicated
during recording.
Moving a plug-in
Dragging an insert on top of an existing in-
sert will replace it and any automation.
You can also duplicate Sends. See “Moving
or Copying Sends” on page 944
Insert button and selector on a track
Plug-In window (mono 1-Band EQ III shown)
Insert button
Insert selector
Targe t
button
Effect
Bypass
Automation Safe
Auto button
Convert
plug-in
Clip
LED
Plug-In Mapping
controls
Track
controls
Preset
controls
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 981
Track Controls in the Plug-In
Window
Track Selector Accesses any track in the session
except MIDI, VCA, and Video tracks.
Insert Position Selector Accesses any insert on
the current track.
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).
Key Input Selector Lets you select audio on a par-
ticular input or bus and route it to trigger the
plug-in. This selector only appears on plug-ins
that feature side-chain processing. Key inputs
are monophonic.
MIDI Node Display Shows MIDI node informa-
tion for MIDI-enabled plug-ins. MIDI nodes are
virtual connections from Pro Tools to software
instruments and other MIDI-enabled plug-ins.
MIDI nodes are useful for routing multiple MIDI
tracks to different channels of a single virtual
MIDI device. MIDI node numbers are also dis-
played in a track’s MIDI Output selector. The
MIDI node indicator only appears in plug-ins
that can receive MIDI.
Preset Controls in the Plug-In Window
Plug-In Settings Menu Lets you copy, paste, save,
and import plug-in settings.
Plug-In Librarian Menu Recalls plug-in presets
(plug-in settings files saved in the plug-in’s root
settings folder or in the current session’s Set-
tings folder). See “Plug-In Presets” on page 987.
Track controls in the plug-in window
Key Input selector (Dyn III Compressor/Limiter shown)
Track selector
Insert Position selector
Plug-In selector
MIDI Node Display indicator (Transfuser shown)
Preset controls in the plug-in window
Plug-In Settings menu
Plug-In Librarian menu
Compare button
Next Setting
Previous Setting
Settings Select
Pro Tools Reference Guide982
Next (+) and Previous (–) Setting Buttons Let
you select the next or previous preset from the
Librarian menu.
Plug-In Settings Select Button Accesses the Plug-
In Settings dialog, which lists the presets for the
selected plug-in. From this list, you can audition
and select plug-in presets.
Compare Toggles between the original saved
plug-in settings and any changes you have made
to it so you can compare them.
Automation Controls in the Plug-In
Window
Auto Button Lets you enable individual plug-in
controls for automation recording. See “Auto-
mating Plug-Ins” on page 1019.
Automation Safe When enabled, prevents exist-
ing plug-in automation from being overwritten.
Plug-In Map Controls in the Plug-In
Window
When a supported control surface is declared in
Pro Tools, Plug-In Map controls appear in the
plug-in window.
Map Options Menu Lets you create, rename,
save, delete, import, export, and set default
plug-in maps.
Map Presets Menu Lets you choose from avail-
able custom Plug-In Maps for the plug-in.
Learn Button Puts the plug-in in Learn mode,
where you can map plug-in parameters to a con-
trol surface.
Parameter Menu When in Learn mode, lets you
select a parameter on the plug-in for mapping. If
you click a parameter in the plug-in window
while in Learn mode, this menu shows the
name of the parameter.
You will lose the current settings if they are
not saved before you use the Next and Pre-
vious Setting buttons. Always save your
plug-in settings as a preset using the Plug-In
Settings menu.
Automation controls in the plug-in window
Auto button
Automation Safe button
Plug-In Map controls in the plug-in window
Map Options menu
Map Presets menu
Learn button
Parameter menu
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 983
Additional Plug-In Controls in the
Plug-In Window
Effect Bypass Button Disables the currently dis-
played plug-in. This lets you compare the track
with and without the effect.
Convert Plug-In Selector Lets you convert the in-
sert 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.
Clip LED Lights red to indicate if any meter in a
plug-in has clipped (not available on all plug-
ins). The Plug-In Clip LED follows Pro Tools set-
tings for clip indication.
Target Button When multiple Plug-In windows
are open, clicking this button selects that plug-
in as the target for any computer keyboard com-
mands. For more information, see “Targeted
Windows” on page 950.
Multi-Mono Controls in the Plug-In
Window
Master Link Button When enabled, links the
controls on all channels of a multi-mono plug-
in 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 Multi-
Mono Plug-Ins” on page 999.
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 sep-
arate Plug-In window for each channel of the
multichannel track on which the plug-in is in-
serted.
Plug-In Map controls in the plug-in window
Plug-In Bypass button
Clip indicator
Target button
Convert Plug-In selector
Plug-In window (multi-mono 1-Band EQ shown)
Channel Selector
Link Enable buttons
Master Link button
Pro Tools Reference Guide984
Opening Plug-In Windows
To open a plug-in window:
Click the plug-in button in Inserts view in the
Mix or Edit window.
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 session plug-in. You can also open addi-
tional Plug-In windows for specific plug-ins.
Once you begin working with multiple plug-in
windows, you will need to click the Target but-
ton on the plug-in whose controls you want to
adjust using keyboard commands.
To open an additional plug-in window:
In the Mix window, Shift-click the Insert but-
ton of a plug-in. The new plug-in window opens
untargeted.
To open plug-in windows for each channel of a
multi-mono plug-in:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Channel selector in the Plug-In window of a
plug-in insert.
To close all currently open plug-in windows:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
close box of any currently open plug-in window.
Using Plug-In Window
Controls
All plug-ins provide standard Pro Tools controls
for track and insert selection, bypass, and other
controls, in addition to the EQ, dynamics, and
other processor-specific controls.
To select a different plug-in on the same track:
Click the Insert selector and select another
plug-in from the pop-up menu.
To choose a different track:
Click the Track selector and select another
track from the pop-up menu.
Target Window and Settings Shortcuts
When multiple plug-in windows are open, a
highlighted target indicates the target window.
Pro Tools keeps a single plug-in target window.
Opening a new plug-in opens it as the new tar-
get window, in the same location. In addition,
the plug-in target window is also the focus of
keyboard shortcuts for plug-in settings.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 985
Editing Plug-In Controls
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. For instructions on edit-
ing specific plug-ins, see the plug-in’s documen-
tation.
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 Close the Plug-In window to save the most re-
cent changes.
Editing Plug-In Parameters Using a
Mouse
You can adjust rotary controls by dragging hori-
zontally or vertically. Parameter values increase
as you drag upward or to the right, and decrease
as you drag downward or to the left.
Keyboard Shortcuts
For finer adjustments, Control-drag (Win-
dows) or Command-drag (Mac) the control.
To return a control to its default value, Alt-
click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the con-
trol.
Editing Plug-In Parameters Using a
Computer Keyboard
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.
To change control values with a computer
keyboard:
1 Click or Navigate to the control text field that
you want to edit to activate the field.
2 Change the value by doing one of the follow-
ing.
• To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on
your keyboard.
• To decrease a value, press the Down Arrow
on your keyboard.
• Type the value.
For information about the specific controls
of each of the DigiRack plug-ins (installed
with Pro Tools), see the Audio Plug-Ins
Guide. Additional free plug-ins (and paid
plug-in options) that can be installed with
Pro Tools are also documented in the Audio
Plug-Ins Guide.
The plug-in target window is the focus of
keyboard shortcuts for plug-in settings. To
make a plug-in the target for any computer
keyboard commands (including key short-
cuts), click the plug-in’s Target button in its
Plug-In window.
To move forward through the different con-
trol fields, press the Tab key. To move back-
ward, press Shift+Tab.
In fields that support values in kilohertz,
typing “k” after a number value will multi-
ply the value by 1,000. For example, type
“8k” to enter a value of 8,000.
Pro Tools Reference Guide986
3 Do one of the following to confirm the value:
• Press Enter on the numeric keyboard to in-
put the value and remain in keyboard edit-
ing mode.
– or –
• Press Enter on the alpha keyboard (Win-
dows) or Return (Mac) to enter the value
and leave keyboard editing mode.
To clear all clip indicators in the session, including
plug-in clipping:
Press Alt+C (Windows) or Option+C (Mac).
Plug-In Automation and Safe
Modes
All real-time plug-ins can be fully automated,
and support all Pro Tools Automation modes
(Write, Touch, and Latch, plus Trim).
The Auto button opens the Plug-In Automation
dialog, where you can enable individual plug-in
controls for automation recording (see “Auto-
mating Plug-Ins” on page 1019).
The Safe button engages Automation Safe mode.
When enabled, existing plug-in automation is
protected from being overwritten (see “Record
Safing Plug-In Automation” on page 1021).
Side-Chain Input
The side-chain input is the split-off signal used
by a plug-in's detector to trigger dynamics pro-
cessing, and is generally drawn internally from
the input signal. However, some plug-ins let you
switch between internal and external side-chain
processing.
With external side-chain processing, a plug-in's
detector is triggered by an external signal (such
as a separate reference track or audio source)
known as the key input.
A typical use for external side-chain processing
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.
Side-Chain Filters
Some plug-ins feature key high-pass and low-
pass filters. These controls let you define a spe-
cific frequency range in the side-chain signal
with which to trigger the plug-in effect. A com-
mon production technique is to use these con-
trols to filter a drum track so that only specific
high frequency sounds (such as a hi-hat) or low
frequency ones (such a tom or a kick) trigger the
effect.
Using a Key Input for External
Side-Chain Processing
To use a key input for external side-chain
processing:
1 Click the plug-in’s Key Input selector and se-
lect the input or bus carrying the audio you
want to use to trigger the plug-in.
Selecting a Key Input
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 987
2 Click the External Key to activate external
side-chain processing.
3 Press the Spacebar to begin playback. The
plug-in uses the input or bus that you chose as a
key input to trigger its effect.
4 During playback, do any of the following to
fine-tune key input triggering:
• To hear the audio source you have selected
to control the key input, enable Side-Chain
Listen or Key Listen (depending on the
plug-in). When finished, disable Side-
Chain Listen/Key Listen to resume normal
plug-in monitoring.
• To filter the key input so that only specific
frequencies trigger the plug-in, use the fil-
tering controls (if available) to select the
frequency range.
5 Adjust the plug-in’s Threshold control (if
available) and other controls as needed.
Plug-In Presets
Pro Tools makes it easy to create your own li-
brary of plug-in settings, or presets. Using the
Plug-In Settings menu, you can copy, paste,
save, and import these settings from plug-in to
plug-in, or from session to session.
Once you create and save settings files to disk
(and tell Pro Tools where to find them by assign-
ing to a root folder) they appear both in the
Plug-In Librarian menu and in the Plug-In Set-
tings dialog. They also appear as plug-in settings
files (.txf) in DigiBase browsers.
Plug-In Settings Menu
Use the Plug-In Settings menu commands to
save, copy, paste, and manage plug-in settings as
presets (plug-in settings files).
Plug-In Settings menu commands include:
Save Settings Saves the current settings. This
command overwrites any previous version of
the preset.
Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a
new preset under a different name.
Copy Settings Copies the current plug-in set-
tings. 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 com-
mand.
Paste Settings Pastes plug-in settings copied
with the Copy Settings command.
Import Settings Imports a plug-in settings file
(.tfx) from a location other than the Root Set-
tings folder or Session folder.
Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
the current plug-in settings file (.tfx) from disk.
Lock Settings File Prevents the current preset
from being overwritten by the Save command.
If you attempt to save any changes to the plug-
in settings, you will be prompted to save them
using a different name or disk location.
You can use the Plug-In Settings dialog to
audition and select plug-in settings (see
“Plug-In Settings Dialog” on page 990).
Plug-In Settings menu
Pro Tools Reference Guide988
Set As User Default Defines the current preset as
the User Default for the selected plug-in.
Settings Preferences
The Settings Preferences submenu provides
commands for configuring preferences for sav-
ing and importing presets. They include:
Set Plug-In Default To Sets the default preset to
either Factory Default (the standard default set-
ting for that plug-in) or User Default (your cus-
tom setting).
Save Plug-In Settings To Selects the folder where
presets (plug-in settings files) are saved. If you
select Session Folder, the settings are saved in a
folder named “Plug-In Settings” within the cur-
rent Session folder. If you select Root Settings
Folder, the settings are saved in the folder you
specified with the Set Root Settings Folder com-
mand.
Set Root Settings Folder Selects a location or
root folder for saving and importing presets. This
root settings folder must be named “Plug-In Set-
tings.” Use this command only if you want to
choose a location other than the default Plug-In
Settings folder.
The default location for the Root Plug-In Set-
tings folder is as follows:
Windows Program Files\Common Files\
Digidesign\DAE\Plug-In Settings
Mac Library/Application Support/
Digidesign/Plug-In Settings
Choosing a Destination for
Settings
Before you save plug-in settings, select their des-
tination folder.
To select a destination folder:
From the Plug-In Settings menu, choose Set-
tings Preferences > Save Plug-In Settings To, and
select Session Folder or Root Settings Folder.
If you selected Root Settings Folder, Pro Tools
saves to the default Root Plug-In Settings folder
unless you have specified a different location for
the Root Settings folder.
To select a different Root Settings folder:
1 From the Plug-In Settings menu, choose Set-
tings Preferences > Set Root Settings Folder.
2 Select the folder you want to use as your Root
folder and click Select.
Creating Subfolders for Settings
To make it easier to find specific types of set-
tings, you can subdivide settings files by creat-
ing subfolders for them.
To create a settings subfolder:
1 From the Plug-In Settings menu, choose Save
Settings.
2 Click the New Folder button and type a name
for the subfolder.
3 Name the preset and click Save. The plug-in
settings file is saved within the subfolder.
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.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 989
Managing Presets
Use the Plug-In Settings menu to manage plug-
in presets.
To save a preset:
1 Choose Save Settings from the Plug-In Set-
tings menu.
2 Type a name and click OK. The setting appears
in the Plug-In Librarian menu.
To load a plug-in preset:
Choose the name of the preset from the
Plug-In Librarian menu.
To import a preset:
1 Choose Import Settings from the Plug-In Set-
tings 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.
To copy plug-in settings:
Choose Copy Settings from the Plug-In Set-
tings menu.
To paste plug-in settings:
1 Open the destination plug-in.
2 Choose Paste Settings from the Plug-In Set-
tings menu.
To create a custom User Default preset:
1 Create and save a plug-in settings file.
2 Select Set As User Default from the Plug-In Set-
tings menu.
To make a plug-in default to your custom preset:
From the Plug-In Settings menu, select Set-
tings Preferences > Set Plug-In Default To > User
Setting.
Changing Presets with the Next
(+) and Previous (–) Setting
Buttons
These buttons let you select the next or previous
preset in the Plug-In Librarian menu.
To change plug-in presets using the +/– buttons:
Click the Plus (+) or Minus (–) buttons to se-
lect the next or previous preset. The next (or pre-
vious) preset is enabled, and the Plug-In
Librarian menu changes to show the name of
the new preset.
Unlinked multi-mono plug-ins have specific
rules for settings. See “Linking and Unlink-
ing Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on
page 999.
Press Control+Shift+S (Windows) or Com-
mand+Shift+S (Mac) to save plug-in set-
tings.
Press Control+Shift+C (Windows) or Com-
mand+Shift+C (Mac) to copy plug-in set-
tings.
Press Control+Shift+V (Windows) or Com-
mand+Shift+V (Mac) to paste plug-in set-
tings.
You will lose the current plug-in settings if
they are not saved before you use the Next
and Previous Setting buttons. Always save
your plug-in settings to the selected Root
Settings folder.
Pro Tools Reference Guide990
Editing Settings on Unlinked Multi-
Mono Plug-Ins
When a multi-mono plug-in is unlinked, im-
porting, copying, pasting, or bypassing settings
affects only the currently selected channel.
Plug-In Settings Dialog
The Plug-In Settings dialog lists the presets for
the current plug-in type. From this list, you can
audition and select presets.
Use the Folder pop-up menu at the top of the
Plug-In Settings dialog to switch between plug-
in settings subfolders, or root and session set-
tings folders.
The Plug-In Settings dialog includes the
following:
Folder This pop-up menu lets you switch be-
tween presets located in root or session folders
(and any available subfolders).
Patch Field This field displays the name of the
active (highlighted) preset.
Increment Patch Every X Sec This option lets
you audition plug-in presets in series by auto-
matically scrolling through them for a specified
number of seconds.
To change plug-in presets using the Plug-In
Settings dialog:
1 Click the Settings Select button.
2 Do one of the following:
• Select a preset from the dialog list.
– or –
• Use the Arrow keys to scroll through the
available presets.
3 Click Done.
Auditioning Plug-In Presets
When the Plug-In Settings dialog is open, you
can have Pro Tools automatically scroll through
and audition the plug-in settings files saved in
the plug-in’s root settings folder or in the cur-
rent session’s settings folder.
To audition plug-in presets:
1 Click the Settings Select button.
2 From the dialog list, click a preset—the start-
ing point from which you will scroll through
the settings files.
3 Enter a value for the number of seconds that
will elapse between each preset change.
4 Select the Increment Setting option.
After the specified number of seconds, Pro Tools
selects the next preset.
Plug-In Settings dialog
To switch between plug-in settings subfold-
ers, press Control (Windows) or Command
(Mac) and use the Up/Down Arrow keys.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 991
5 When you are finished auditioning presets, do
one of the following:
• Click Done to stop incrementing patches,
and to close the Plug-In Settings dialog.
– or –
• Deselect the Increment Patch option to stop
incrementing patches and keep the Plug-In
Settings dialog open. Then select the preset
you want and click Done.
DigiBase and Plug-In Settings
Files
DigiBase browsers recognize plug-ins settings
files (.txf) as a known Type and lets you drag and
drop them to Pro Tools plug-in windows and In-
serts. You can also search for plug-in settings by
type.
Searching for Plug-In Settings
Files
To search for plug-in settings files:
1 In the Workspace browser, click the Search
icon.
2 Select Plug-In Settings File from the Kind pop-
up menu.
3 To further narrow your search, type all or part
of the name of the plug-in settings file you want.
4 Click Search.
5 To sort your search by Plug-In Name or Man-
ufacturer, click the corresponding column title.
Dragging and Dropping Plug-In
Settings Files
You can insert a plug-in with a specific plug-in
settings file, as well as change plug-in settings of
inserted plug-ins by dragging and dropping
plug-in settings files from a DigiBase browser.
Searching for plug-in settings files
Plug-In settings files found in the Workspace browser
and sorted by Plug-In Name
You can create catalogs of specific plug-in
settings that you work with frequently to
streamline your workflow. For more infor-
mation on Catalogs, see “Catalogs” on
page 315.
Pro Tools Reference Guide992
To insert a plug-in by drag and drop:
Drag a plug-in settings file from a DigiBase
browser to an Insert in the Mix (or Edit) window.
To change a plug-in preset by drag and drop:
Drag a plug-in settings file from a DigiBase
browser to the plug-in window. The plug-in set-
tings file must be for the same plug-in name. For
example, you cannot replace a 1-Band EQ 3 with
a plug-in setting for 4-Band EQ 3.
Plug-In Mapping
Pro Tools lets you customize the arrangement of
plug-in parameter controls on supported con-
trol surfaces. You can save these customized
plug-in maps as presets and export them for use
across different sessions and systems.
Plug-In Learn Mode
Plug-Ins can be put into Learn mode, from
which any automatable plug-in parameter can
be mapped to a channel strip encoder, switch, or
(in Flip mode) fader on the control surface.
Plug-In Map Presets
A map for a plug-in can be saved and recalled for
any plug-in of the same type.
You can save multiple map presets for a single
plug-in, and switch between maps at any time
during a session.
You can also use multiple map presets on differ-
ent instances of a plug-in at the same time. This
is useful for virtual instrument plug-ins with
multiple configurations, or for multi-user work-
flows on large systems.
You can set a custom plug-in map to be the de-
fault map for a plug-in, so that the same map is
used for all default instances of that plug-in.
Plug-In Map Files
Plug-In maps can be exported (as .pim files) for
use in other sessions and on other systems with
a similar type of control surface (8-fader surface,
24-fader surface, or ICON surface).
Dragging and dropping a plug-in settings file to an
Insert
Dragging and dropping a plug-in settings file to a plug-in
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 993
Control Surface Mapping
When you create a custom plug-in map, its pa-
rameters are arranged in pages that correspond
to the controls on the control surface. The size
of a page depends on the type of control surface.
Each custom plug-in map allows up to 200 pages
of mapped parameters.
Plug-In mapping is stored according to the fol-
lowing types of control surfaces:
8-Fader Surfaces The following have a page size
of 8 mappable encoders/switches:
• 003
• Digi 002
• Command|8
• M-Audio Axiom Pro
24-Fader Surfaces The following have a page
size of 24 mappable encoders/switches:
•C|24
• Control|24
ICON Surfaces The following have a separately
mappable encoders and switches with the fol-
lowing page sizes:
• D-Control®
• Custom Faders display 6 rows (pages) of
8 encoders and switches at a time
• Channel strips display 1 column (page) of 6
encoders and switches at a time
• D-Command
• Custom Faders display 2 rows (pages) of
8 encoders and switches at a time
• Channel strips display 1 column (page) of 6
encoders and switches, 2 at a time
Plug-In Mapping is not supported with
ProControl.
If you import a plug-in map that was cre-
ated on a different type of control surface, it
will appear as an inactive choice in the Map
Presets menu.
Pro Tools Reference Guide994
Plug-In Map Controls
When a supported control surface is declared in
Pro Tools, Plug-In Map controls appear in the
plug-in window.
Map Options Menu Lets you create, rename,
save, delete, import, export, and set default
plug-in maps.
Map Presets Menu Lets you choose from avail-
able custom Plug-In Maps for the plug-in.
Learn Button Puts the plug-in in Learn mode,
where you can map plug-in parameters to a con-
trol surface.
Parameter Menu When in Learn mode, lets you
select a parameter on the plug-in for mapping. If
you click a parameter in the plug-in window
while in Learn mode, this menu shows the
name of the parameter.
Plug-In Map controls can be shown or hidden.
To show (or hide) Plug-In Map controls:
Select (or deselect) View > Plug-In > Map Con-
trols.
Creating Plug-In Maps
This topic covers creating plug-in maps on the
following control surfaces:
•C|24
• Control|24
•003
• Digi 002
• Command|8
Putting a Plug-In into Learn Mode
When you first put a plug-in into Learn mode, a
new plug-in map is created (with the default
name “Custom Map”), and the plug-in is fo-
cused on the control surface, but with a blank
page of controls, ready for mapping.
Only one plug-in can be in Learn mode at a
time.
To put a plug-in into Learn mode, do one of the
following:
Click the Learn button in the plug-in window.
– or –
From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
New Map.
To take a plug-in out of Learn mode, do one of the
following:
Click the active Learn button in the plug-in
window.
Close the plug-in window.
Click the Learn button in a different plug-in
window.
Plug-In Map controls in the plug-in window
Map Options menu
Map Presets menu
Learn button
Parameter menu
For details on plug-in mapping for D-Con-
trol and D-Command, see the D-Control
Guide and D-Command Guide.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 995
Creating and Editing Plug-In Maps
To create a custom map of plug-in parameters:
1 Open the plug-in whose mapping you want to
customize.
2 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in
is focused on the control surface, but with a
blank page of controls, ready for mapping.
3 In the plug-in window, click the plug-in pa-
rameter you want to map. The parameter name
appears in the Parameter menu.
4 On the control surface, do one of the follow-
ing:
• Turn the encoder or press the channel Se-
lect switch where you want to map the pa-
rameter.
– or –
• If the control surface is in Flip mode, move
the fader or press the channel Select switch
where you want to map the parameter.
5 Repeat steps 3-4 for each parameter you want
to map.
6 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode.
To change parameter mapping in a plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose custom map you
want to change.
2 Choose the map you want to change from the
Map Preset pop-up menu.
3 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in
is focused on the control surface.
4 Do the following for each parameter mapping
you want to change:
• In the plug-in window, click the new plug-
in parameter you want to map. The param-
eter name appears in the Parameter menu.
– and –
• On the control surface, page to the encoder
or switch where you want to change the
mapping, and turn the encoder or press the
switch.
5 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode.
To remove parameter mapping from a plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose custom map you
want to change.
2 Choose the map you want to change from the
Map Preset pop-up menu.
3 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in
is focused on the control surface.
4 Do the following for each parameter mapping
you want to remove:
• Make sure the Parameter menu displays No
Control.
– and –
• On the control surface, page to the encoder
or switch where you want to remove the
mapping, and turn the encoder or press the
switch.
5 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode.
Plug-Ins are automatically taken out of
Learn mode when moved to a different
insert position, made inactive, or converted
between TDM and RTAS formats.
Pro Tools Reference Guide996
Saving Plug-In Maps
You can save plug-in maps as presets for reuse
on the same Pro Tools system.
Plug-In maps are saved as global preferences on
a Pro Tools system, so they are available to all
sessions created on the system.
When you create a map for a plug-in, that map
becomes available to all other plug-ins of the
same type and channel format.
You can also export plug-in maps for use on
other Pro Tools systems with a similar control
surface (see “Exporting and Importing Plug-In
Maps” on page 998.
To save a copy of a custom plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to
copy.
2 Choose the map you want to copy from the
Map Presets pop-up menu.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Save Map As.
4 Enter a name for the plug-in map.
5 Click OK. The new copy becomes the active
plug-in map.
To rename a custom plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to re-
name.
2 Choose the map you want to rename from the
Map Presets pop-up menu.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Rename Map.
4 Enter a new name for the plug-in map.
5 Click OK.
Deleting Plug-In Maps
From the plug-in window, you can delete indi-
vidual plug-in maps.
You can also delete all custom plug-in maps on
the system, reverting all plug-ins to their Factory
Default plug-in maps.
To delete a custom plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to de-
lete.
2 Choose the map you want to delete from the
Map Presets pop-up menu.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Delete Current Map.
4 Click Delete.
To delete all plug-in maps from the system:
1 Open any plug-in in the session.
2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Delete All Maps.
3 Click Delete.
If you want to map the same plug-in in dif-
ferent channel formats (such as mono, ste-
reo and 5.1 surround) you need to create a
separate plug-in map for each format.
On D-Control and D-Command systems,
when you delete all plug-in maps, you are
also deleting all Custom Fader Plug-In
mappings.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 997
Setting a Custom Plug-In Map as
the Default Map
You can set a custom plug-in map as the default
map for a plug-in, instead of the Factory Default
map.
When you set a custom plug-in map as the de-
fault, it applies across the entire session. All in-
stances of that plug-in that were set to the Fac-
tory Default map, or to another custom default
map, change to the new default.
If you change parameter mapping in the custom
plug-in map that has been set as the default, the
changes will propagate to all instances of the
plug-in using that default.
How Default Plug-In Map Settings are Stored
Default map settings are stored as global (sys-
tem-wide) Pro Tools preferences, so they are ap-
plied to all sessions that you subsequently open
or create on that system.
To set a custom plug-in map as the default plug-in
map:
1 Open the plug-in whose default plug-in map
you want to change.
2 Choose the map you want to use as the new
default from the Map Presets pop-up menu.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Set As Default.
Hiding Default Plug-In Map Pages
When you create a custom plug-in map, its pa-
rameters are arranged in pages that correspond
to the groups of controls that appear on a con-
trol surface.
When you page through the controls for a plug-
in on a control surface, the pages for custom
plug-in maps appear first, and the pages for the
Factory Default map appear after the custom
pages.
You can hide the Factory Default pages of a
plug-in, so that only the custom pages appear
on the control surface. This applies to all in-
stances of the plug-in.
To hide the Factory Default pages of a plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose default plug-in map
pages you want to hide.
2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Hide Factory Default Pages.
When you export a plug-in map, the default
map setting for that plug-in is also exported.
When that map is imported, the default set-
ting is also updated, and all instances of the
plug-in change to the new default.
If you plan to work with the same plug-in
mapping on multiple sessions, back up your
settings by exporting all plug-in maps on a
regular basis and saving the .pim file with
your sessions.
Pro Tools Reference Guide998
Exporting and Importing Plug-In
Maps
Plug-In maps can be exported as .pim files for use
on other Pro Tools systems.
When exporting plug-in maps, you can choose
to save individual map files for each plug-in, or
a single map file containing all the plug-in maps
for the system.
To export an individual plug-in map:
1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to ex-
port.
2 Choose the map you want to export from the
Map Presets pop-up menu.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Export Current Plug-In Map.
4 Choose a location for the map file.
5 Click Save.
To export all plug-in maps in the system to a single
map file:
1 Open any plug-in in the session.
2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Export All Plug-In Maps.
3 Choose a location for the map file.
4 Click Save.
To import a map file:
1 Open the plug-in where you want to import a
plug-in map.
2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
Import Plug-In Maps From File.
3 Locate the plug-in map (.pim) file you want to
import.
4 Click Open.
Bypassing Plug-Ins
Plug-Ins can be bypassed from their Plug-In win-
dow, or from the Mix and Edit window Inserts
View.
To bypass a plug-in, do one of the following:
Click the Plug-In window’s Effect Bypass but-
ton.
– or –
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the plug-in’s Insert button in the Mix or
Edit window.
When a plug-in is bypassed, its Insert button
turns blue. If only some of the channels of a
multi-mono plug-in are bypassed, its Insert but-
ton turns purple.
On D-Control and D-Command systems,
when you export all plug-in maps, you are
also exporting Custom Fader Plug-In map-
ping to the same file. For more information,
see the D-Control Guide or D-Command
Guide.
Indication of bypassed plug-in state
bypassed (blue) not bypassed
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 999
Linking and Unlinking Controls
on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins
When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a stereo
track or greater-than-stereo multichannel track
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only), the controls are
linked by default. Adjusting the Gain control on
one channel, for example, will adjust it for all
channels.
You can unlink multi-mono plug-in controls on
specific channels of a track and edit them inde-
pendently. You can also selectively link the con-
trols of specific channels.
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 channels
whose controls you want to link.
Using Hardware Inserts
You can connect external devices, such as reverb
or effects processors, to your Pro Tools system
and use them as hardware inserts on individual
tracks or on submixes.
Pro Tools inserts utilize corresponding hardware
input and output channels to send and return
the audio. Inserts can be defined, and their
channels mapped to audio interface channels
on the Insert page in the I/O Setup dialog.
If you plan to use a device as an insert, be sure to
connect the device to matching inputs and out-
puts on your system. For example, a hardware
insert being supplied by outputs 7–8 needs to be
returned to hardware inputs 7–8.
To define a hardware insert:
1 Choose Setup > I/O, then click the Insert tab.
2 Select an insert path, or click New Path to cre-
ate a new Insert path.
3 Double-click the Path Name to enter a custom
path name for the insert.
4 Make sure the insert path is set to the correct
format (mono, stereo, or other).
5 Map inserts in the Channel Grid as needed.
Insert and Output paths have special rules re-
garding channel mapping (see “Valid Paths and
Requirements” on page 108).
Channel selector and Link controls (shown with Link
disabled)
All channels linked except the LFE
Channel Selector
Link Enable buttons
Master Link button
Delay Compensation can be applied to
Hardware Inserts. See “H/W Insert Delay
(Compensation) Page” on page 89.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1000
Assigning Hardware Inserts
To assign an external hardware insert to a track:
Select an insert from the track Insert selector.
Bypassing Hardware Inserts
Hardware inserts do not provide a bypass con-
trol. To monitor playback without a hardware
insert, either set it to Inactive, remove it by reas-
signing it to No Insert, or use a bypass switch on
the hardware device itself. (See “Making Inserts
Inactive” on page 975 for more information.)
Connecting and Integrating
External Devices
Pro Tools can create dedicated connections to
external analog or digital devices. The number
and type of connections depends on what kind
of system you have.
To connect an external device to a Pro Tools
system:
1 Connect an unused output (or pair of outputs
for a stereo device) of your Pro Tools system to
an input of the external signal processor.
2 Connect the output of the external signal pro-
cessor to an unused input (or pair of inputs for a
stereo device) of your Pro Tools system.
3 Define what physical ports are routed to
Pro Tools input and output ports, as appropri-
ate, in either the Hardware Setup dialog or
I/O Setup dialog.
4 Define output, input, or insert paths as appro-
priate in the I/O Setup dialog.
If you plan to use a device as an insert, be sure to
connect the device to matching inputs and out-
puts on your system. For example, to use out-
puts 7–8, the insert has to use inputs 7–8 also.
Selecting a hardware I/O insert
Hardware Insert window
For additional information on connecting
external devices, see the User Guide that
came with your system.
Chapter 44: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1001
Connecting Effects Units Digitally
If you want to use the digital inputs and outputs
on your Pro Tools system as effects sends and re-
turns to a digital effects device, Pro Tools should
be the clock master in most cases. Set your digi-
tal effects device to accept an external digital
clock so that it synchronizes to Pro Tools.
To set up a digital send to an external device from
Pro Tools HD:
1 For Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces (HD I/O,
HD OMNI, 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, or
96i I/O), choose Setup > Hardware, choose the
peripheral, format, and clock format, and set the
channel pair to Digital.
2 Select Internal from the Clock Source pop-up
menu.
3 Click OK.
To set up a digital send to an external device from
a Pro Tools system with 003, 003 Rack+, 003
Rack, Digi 002, or Digi 002 Rack:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine and choose
the peripheral.
2 Do one of the following:
• If the external device is connected to the
S/PDIF RCA jacks, deselect S/PDIF Mirror-
ing. (When S/PDIF Mirroring is on, digital
output at the S/PDIF RCA jacks exactly mir-
rors the output of analog Channels 1–2.)
• If the external device is connected to the
Optical ports, choose a format (most likely
S/PDIF for an effects device) from the Opti-
cal Format pop-up menu.
3 Choose Internal from the Clock Source pop-up
menu.
4 Click OK.
5 Optionally, configure the I/O Setup dialog
with new path names for effects routing.
Using External Clock Sources (for
Recording and Monitoring)
When recording or monitoring, Pro Tools can
synchronize to an external clock source. Op-
tions for external clock vary according to the
type of Pro Tools system you are using.
Pro Tools|HD Systems
Pro Tools|HD systems can receive external clock
through any of the digital inputs on any
Pro Tools|HD I/O (including AES/EBU, S/PDIF,
and Optical).
To select an external clock source from
Pro Tools HD:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Select the appropriate Pro Tools|HD audio in-
terface in order to display its settings in the
Main page.
3 If necessary, enable the appropriate Digital
Format (if you have not already done so, accord-
ing to the instructions in your User Guide or I/O
Guide).
4 Set the Clock Source to match the type of
input.
5 Configure input routing of the digital source,
using the Input and Output pop-up menus, if
necessary.
6 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.
If you set the Optical Format to S/PDIF,
Pro Tools will watch the Optical port for
any audio input, and ignore any audio in-
put on the S/PDIF RCA jacks.
For details on audio interface connections,
see the Pro Tools|HD User Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1002
Pro Tools Systems with 003, 003 Rack+, 003
Rack, Digi 002, or Digi 002 Rack
Pro Tools can receive external clock from the
Optical input or S/PDIF input.
To select an external clock source for a Pro Tools
system with 003, 003 Rack+, 003 Rack,
Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Set the Clock Source to match the type of in-
put.
3 If you select Optical, make sure the Optical For-
mat matches the type of optical input you are
sending to your Pro Tools system.
Pro Tools Systems with Eleven Rack
Pro Tools can receive external clock from the
AES/EBU input or S/PDIF input.
To select an external clock source for Eleven
Rack:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Set the Clock Source to match the type of
input.
Pro Tools Systems with Mbox Pro, Mbox 2 Pro,
Mbox, or Mbox 2
Pro Tools can receive external clock from the
S/PDIF input on these interfaces.
To select an external clock source from Pro Tools
with an Mbox Pro, Mbox 2 Pro, Mbox, or Mbox 2:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Select SPDIF (Windows) or SPDIF/RCA (Mac)
from the Clock Source pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
If you set the Optical Format to S/PDIF,
Pro Tools will watch the Optical port for ex-
ternal clock, and ignore any clock input on
the S/PDIF RCA jacks.
Your digital input device must be connected
and powered on for Pro Tools to synchro-
nize to it. If your input device is not powered
on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal.
Chapter 45: Automation 1003
Chapter 45: Automation
Pro Tools features dynamic automation of mix-
ing controls on each of the track types. You can
write automation moves and view them in real
time during playback of your session. You can
also edit automation data with the same tech-
niques you use to edit audio and MIDI data.
Automation Accuracy with
Control Surfaces
Control Surfaces D-Control, D-Command, Pro-
Control, C|24, Control|24, and Command|8
control surfaces (as well as the 003 and Digi 002
integrated audio and MIDI interfaces with con-
trol surfaces for Pro Tools) support the automa-
tion features in Pro Tools. Pro Tools control sur-
faces provide 10-bit resolution, or 1,024 steps of
fader resolution. Pro Tools interpolates this in-
put to 24-bit resolution on playback, resulting in
extremely accurate and smooth fader automa-
tion.
EUCON Avid control surfaces using EUCON pro-
vide 12-bit resolution fader and knob control.
MIDI Control Surfaces Most MIDI control sur-
faces have 7-bit resolution, or 128 steps.
Pro Tools interpolates this input to 24-bit reso-
lution on playback, resulting in accurate and
smooth fader automation.
Automation QuickStart
Pro Tools provides many options for recording,
replacing, and editing automation data.
The basic steps for automation recording are:
• Enable the automation type that you want to
record (volume, pan, mute, send level, send
pan, send mute, or plug-in automation).
• Put the appropriate tracks in an automation
writing mode (Write, Touch, or Latch, or a
Trim mode).
• If you are automating a plug-in, enable the in-
dividual plug-in controls to be automated.
• Automation Safe any plug-ins, outputs, or
sends that have existing automation data that
you want to protect from being overwritten.
• Begin playback to begin automation record-
ing, and adjust controls as needed. Pro Tools
remembers all moves performed on enabled
controls.
To edit automation once it has been recorded,
you can:
• Repeat the above steps to write new automa-
tion over the previous data.
• Graphically edit the automation data in the
Edit window.
• Cut, copy, paste, or delete automation data
(certain restrictions apply).
For details on using control surfaces to cre-
ate mix automation, see your control surface
guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1004
Automation Playlists
Each Pro Tools track contains a single automa-
tion playlist for each automatable parameter.
On audio tracks, these parameters include:
•Volume
• Volume Trim (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Pan
•Mute
•Send Level
• Send Level Trim (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 only)
•Send Pan
• Send Mute
• Plug-In controls
On Auxiliary Input tracks, these parameters in-
clude:
•Volume
• Volume Trim (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
•Mute
•Pan
On Master Faders, these parameters include:
•Volume
• Volume Trim (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 only)
• On MIDI tracks, these parameters include:
•MIDI Volume
•MIDI Pan
•MIDI Mute
On Instrument tracks, these parameters include:
• Volume (audio)
• Volume Trim (audio) (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Tool-
kit 2 only)
• Mute (audio)
•Pan (audio)
On VCA Master tracks (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2
only), these parameters include:
•Volume
•Volume Trim
•Mute
You can display and edit each of these automat-
able playlists individually from Pro Tools, even
during playback.
In addition, on MIDI and Instrument tracks you
can display and edit other continuous MIDI
controller data (such as mod wheel, breath con-
troller, foot controller, or sustain) in a similar
manner. For more information on editing MIDI
data, see “Continuous Controller Events” on
page 681.
Chapter 45: Automation 1005
Automation Playlists with Audio
and MIDI Regions
Pro Tools handles audio regions and their auto-
mation playlists differently from MIDI regions
and their automation playlists.
Audio Tracks
On audio tracks, automation data resides on a
separate playlist from audio data and regions.
Each edit playlist on an audio track shares the
same automation data.
MIDI and Instrument Tracks
On MIDI tracks and Instrument tracks, all con-
troller automation data except for MIDI Mute
data, or audio mute (Instrument tracks only), is
stored in the MIDI region that contains it. Each
edit playlist on the track is separate, and repre-
sents a distinct performance, complete with
controller automation.
Trim Automation Playlists
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Separate Trim automation playlists are available
for Volume trim and Send Level trim. Volume
trim is available on all track types except MIDI
tracks. Send Level trim is available on audio
tracks only.
Each Trim automation playlist shows the posi-
tion of the Trim fader with yellow breakpoint
automation that can be edited. For more infor-
mation on Trim playlists, see “Trim Mode” on
page 1008 and “Viewing Automation” on
page 1012.
Multiple Edit Playlists and Audio
Track Automation
All edit playlists on a single audio track share the
same automation data. When you record or edit
automation data in an audio track, the automa-
tion data is stored in the track’s corresponding
automation playlist so it can be edited with, or
independently from, its associated audio re-
gions.
When you copy or cut audio data from a track
while it is in Waveform view, the underlying au-
tomation data is cut or copied with it.
If you paste audio data from other locations or
tracks into an edit playlist, you may change the
underlying automation data on the track.
When you trim regions using Edit > Trim, the
underlying automation data remains un-
changed.
MIDI Mute data is independent of the MIDI
data in a MIDI region. This lets you mute
playback of individual MIDI or Instrument
tracks in Pro Tools without altering the con-
troller data.
MIDI continuous controller data always
follows region editing, with the exception of
mute. See “MIDI and Instrument Tracks”
on page 1005 for more information.
For more information, see “Editing Auto-
mation” on page 1030.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1006
Duplicating Tracks for Playlist
Editing
The Duplicate Track command provides a conve-
nient way to make a working copy of a track to
experiment with routing, plug-ins, and automa-
tion. This protects the original track and its au-
tomation data from being edited or overwritten.
Automation Modes
Automation modes control how a track’s auto-
mation data is written and played back. Each
track provides an Automation Mode selector for
selecting the track’s Automation mode.
Off Mode
Off mode turns off automation for all automat-
able parameters:
•Volume
•Pan
•Mute
• Send volume, pan, and mute
• Plug-In controls
• MIDI volume, pan, and mute
In Off mode, automation data for these parame-
ters is ignored during playback. All other MIDI
controller data is sent.
Automation can be switched from Off to an-
other Automation mode during playback or re-
cord.
Read Mode
Read mode plays any automation that was pre-
viously written for a track.
Write Mode
Write mode writes automation from the time
playback starts to the time it stops, erasing any
previously written automation for the duration
of the automation pass.
AutoMatch can be applied to a Write automa-
tion pass. See “AutoMatch Time” on page 1011.
“After Write Pass, Switch To” Option
You can set Pro Tools to automatically change
to Touch mode or Latch mode, or remain in
Write mode after the completion of an automa-
tion pass in Write mode.
To set the Automation mode after a Write pass:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Automation, select an After Write Pass,
Switch To option (Touch, Latch, or No Change).
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
Touch Mode
Touch mode writes automation only while a
fader or switch is touched or clicked with the
mouse. When the fader is released, the writing
of automation stops and the fader returns to any
previously automated position, at a rate deter-
mined by the AutoMatch and Touch Timeout
settings. See “Automation Preferences” on
page 1010.
For more information on duplicating tracks
command, see “Duplicating Tracks” on
page 216.
Chapter 45: Automation 1007
In Touch mode, certain control surfaces start
writing automation as soon as you touch them.
These include touch-sensitive fader controllers,
such as D-Control, D-Command, ProControl,
C|24, 003, Digi 002, or Command|8.
With other control surfaces in Touch mode,
writing of automation does not begin until the
fader hits the pass-through point, or the previ-
ously automated position. Once you reach the
pass-through point with the fader, or a non-
touch sensitive rotary control, writing of auto-
mation begins and continues until you stop
moving the fader.
Latch Mode
Latch mode works in the same way as Touch
mode, writing automation only if you touch or
move a control. However, unlike Touch, writing
of automation continues until you stop play-
back or “punch out” of the automation pass by
changing the Automation mode to Read or
Touch.
AutoMatch can be applied to a Latch automa-
tion pass. See “AutoMatch Time” on page 1011.
Latch mode is particularly useful for automating
Pan controls and plug-ins on non-touch sensi-
tive rotary controls, since it does not time out
and revert to its previous position when you re-
lease a control.
AutoJoin with Latch Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools provides two different methods to re-
sume writing automation on controls that were
active at the point where the transport stopped:
AutoJoin Lets you automatically resume writing
automation in Latch mode.
Join Lets you manually resume writing automa-
tion in Latch mode. Join is available only with
supported control surfaces.
To enable AutoJoin from Pro Tools:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Click the AutoJoin button.
See also “Writing Automation to the Start,
End, or All of a Track or Selection” on
page 1041. AutoJoin Enable button in the Automation window
See your control surface guide for details on
using Join and AutoJoin with a control surface.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1008
AutoJoin Indicator
After a Latch automation pass with AutoJoin en-
abled, the AutoJoin indicator appears in the
Pro Tools Edit window.
The AutoJoin indicator is a vertical line that sig-
nifies the point where the last automation pass
was stopped, and the point where the “join” will
automatically occur on all tracks that were writ-
ing during that previous pass. When automa-
tion writing is resumed from this point, the line
disappears.
Touch/Latch Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Touch/Latch Automation mode places a track’s
Volume control in Touch mode and all other au-
tomatable controls in Latch mode.
In Touch/Latch mode, the Volume control fol-
lows Touch behavior, writing automation when
touched and returning to previously written lev-
els when released.
All other controls follow Latch behavior, writing
automation when touched and continuing until
playback stops, or until you punch out of writ-
ing automation.
Trim Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools HD can adjust (or trim) existing track
volume and send level automation data in real
time. Pan, mute and plug-in automation cannot
be trimmed in this manner. Trim mode works in
combination with the other Automation modes
(Read, Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch, and Write)
and is useful when you want to preserve all of
your volume automation moves, but need to
make levels a bit louder or softer to balance a
mix. For more information, see “Trim Automa-
tion Modes” on page 1009.
AutoJoin indicator in the Edit window
To use Join or AutoJoin to resume writing on
controls that were writing when the trans-
port stopped, restart the transport before the
AutoJoin indicator.
Selecting Touch/Latch mode
Chapter 45: Automation 1009
When writing automation in Trim mode, fader
moves write relative rather than absolute values.
The existing automation data is changed by the
amount of increase or decrease (or the delta
value) indicated by the faders.
When Trim mode is enabled, non-trimmable
controls behave in the same manner as in the
standard Automation modes, with the excep-
tion of Write/Trim mode, where non-trimmable
controls operate as in Touch mode.
Trim Automation Modes
When a track is in a Trim automation mode (ex-
cept for Trim Off) its main Volume faders and all
Send level faders are displayed in yellow. When
trimming, a track’s Volume indicator or Send
Level indicator shows the delta value being writ-
ten rather than the absolute value.
Behavior of the Trim Automation modes also
depends on the Coalesce Trim Automation pref-
erence setting. See “Coalescing Trim Automa-
tion” on page 1040.
Trim Off
Trim Off turns off reading and writing of all au-
tomation (main and trim) for a track. All auto-
mation moves are ignored during playback.
Trim faders are temporarily set to zero when a
track is set to Trim Off mode.
Depending on the Coalesce Trim Automation
preference setting, changing a track to Trim Off
can coalesce Trim automation on that track. See
“Coalescing Trim Automation” on page 1040.
Automation can be switched from Trim Off to
another Automation mode during playback or
record.
Read Trim
In Read Trim mode, Volume and Send level
Trim faders are disengaged from the main auto-
mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au-
tomation. You can move a Trim fader during
playback to audition new trim values, but no au-
tomation is written. When the Trim fader is re-
leased, it returns to any previously written Trim
automation values.
If a track does not contain Trim automation,
you can move a Trim fader during playback to
audition new trim values, but no automation is
written. The Trim fader retains its position until
the track is removed from Trim mode, or if you
manually coalesce the Trim level.
When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable
controls (all controls other than track volume
and send level) behave as if they are in regular
Read mode—no automation data is written.
Touch Trim
In Touch Trim mode, Volume and Send level
Trim faders are disengaged from the main auto-
mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au-
tomation. When a Trim fader is touched, writ-
ing of Trim automation begins. When the fader
is released, writing stops and the fader returns to
any previously written Trim automation values.
The rate of the fader’s return to previous trim
values is determined by the AutoMatch Time
specified in the Automation Preferences page.
See “AutoMatch Time” on page 1011 for more
information.
When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable
controls (all controls other than track volume
and send level) behave as if they are in regular
Touch mode—they follow the previously writ-
ten automation until touched. When they are
touched, their absolute positions are written un-
til the control is released or until playback stops.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1010
Latch Trim
In Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send level
Trim faders are disengaged from the main auto-
mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au-
tomation. When a Trim fader is touched, writ-
ing of Trim automation begins. Writing of Trim
automation continues until playback stops, or
until you punch out of writing automation.
When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable
controls (all controls other than track volume
and send level) behave as if they are in regular
Latch mode—they follow the previously written
automation until touched. When they are
touched, their absolute positions are written un-
til playback is stopped.
Touch/Latch Trim
In Touch/Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send
level faders are disengaged from the main auto-
mation playlist and follow any existing Trim au-
tomation. The main Volume Trim fader follows
Touch Trim behavior, and Send level Trim fad-
ers follow Latch Trim behavior.
Write Trim
In Write Trim mode, as soon as playback begins,
writing of Trim automation begins for Volume
and Send levels, and continues until playback
stops, or until you punch out of writing automa-
tion.
When Write Trim mode is enabled, non-trim-
mable controls (all controls other than track vol-
ume and send level) are not in Write mode, but
behave as if they are in regular Touch mode (no
automation is written unless a control is
touched). This is to prevent the controls from
overwriting all of their automation data on ev-
ery pass in Write Trim mode.
Automation Preferences
Pro Tools gives you several options for control-
ling the writing and playback of automation
data.
To display Automation preferences:
Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
The “After Write Pass, Switch To” prefer-
ence affects Write Trim mode. After an au-
tomation pass in Write/Trim mode, tracks
automatically switch to the Trim mode ver-
sion of the setting specified by this prefer-
ence.
Mixing Preferences page
For detailed information on Pro Tools Auto-
mation preferences, see “Mixing Prefer-
ences” on page 129.
Chapter 45: Automation 1011
Send Levels and Trim Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
You can set Pro Tools to exclude Send levels
from Trim mode, so that only the Main Volume
goes into Trim when a track is put into Trim
mode. This gives you more flexibility in setting
Send levels while in Trim mode.
To exclude Send levels from Trim mode:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Automation, deselect Include Sends in
Trim Mode.
3 Click OK.
Smoothing
When you perform automation moves (includ-
ing Trim moves) with a continuous control,
Pro Tools records the move as a series of very
small steps, resulting in a staircase pattern with
many breakpoints. Smoothing intelligently re-
solves this staircase pattern into a single,
smooth ramp from one breakpoint to the next.
(Smoothing does not apply to switched controls
such as mutes or plug-in bypasses.) With
smoothing enabled, the resulting automation
data is often a more accurate representation of
actual automation moves.
Thinning
Thinning automatically reduces the overall
number of breakpoints in an automation play-
list (including Trim playlists) in order to im-
prove system performance. The amount of thin-
ning applied is determined by the Degree of
Thinning setting in the Automation Preferences
page. When using high amounts of thinning,
the resulting automation may differ noticeably
from the original automation moves. Thinning
only applies to audio tracks, and does not affect
MIDI tracks. For instructions, see “Thinning Au-
tomation” on page 1028.
AutoMatch Time
AutoMatch Time is the amount of time it takes
for a fader to return (by ramping up or down) to
the level of automation still on the track as the
automation pass ends. This time value is set in
the Automation Preferences page (see “Automa-
tion Preferences” on page 1010).
AutoMatch is automatically applied to all Touch
mode passes, and can be applied to Latch or
Write passes.
The AutoMatch Time also determines the rate at
which delta values written with the Trim will re-
turn to 0 dB (delta value of zero).
The AutoMatch feature works with continuous
controls (such as Volume or Pan) by ramping
their values back to previously automated levels.
There are some stepped controls (for example,
the EQ type in the 1-band EQ plug-in) that pro-
vide more than two discrete steps over their op-
erational range. AutoMatch has no effect on
these controls.
Any uncoalesced automation on a Send will
still coalesce when the other automation on
its track is coalesced, even if “Include Sends
in Trim Mode” is deselected.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1012
Automation Follows Edit Option
When disabled, automation events are not af-
fected by edits to audio or MIDI notes. When en-
abled, automation events are affected by edits to
audio or MIDI notes.
To disable Automation Follows Edit:
Choose Options > Automation Follows Edit.
Automation Safe
Outputs, sends, and plug-ins can be placed in
Automation Safe mode. In Automation Safe
mode, any automation associated with an Out-
put window (such as track or send level, pan-
ning, or mute), or plug-in on that track, is pro-
tected from being overwritten while automating
other items on that track.
Automation Safe mode suspends automation re-
cording for the selected track output, send, or
plug-in that is enabled. You can also suspend au-
tomation recording and playback session-wide
from the Automation window. See “Enabling
and Suspending Automation” on page 1025.
Viewing Automation
Pro Tools creates a separate playlist in the Edit
window for each type of automation in a track,
including a playlist for each type of Trim auto-
mation. This data can be viewed and edited in
the same way as audio and MIDI data. You can
either change Track Views to show the automa-
tion you want, or you can reveal an Automation
lane under the track regardless of its Track View.
Track Views
You can view automation data by type by select-
ing the corresponding Track View.
To display an automation playlist in the Track
View:
Click the Track View selector and select from
the automation type you want to view.
Automation Safe enabled send
You can easily toggle between different
Track Views. See “Changing Track Views”
on page 221.
Displaying a standard automation playlist
Chapter 45: Automation 1013
Automation and Controller Lanes
In the Edit window, you can view automation
and controller data under a track (regardless of
the selected Track View). Each track provides
Automation and Controller lanes that let you
edit track automation and controller data with-
out changing the Track View. You can edit auto-
mation and controller data in lanes exactly the
same way that you do in different automation
and controller Track Views.
Automation and Controller lanes can be shown
or hidden. You can also add and remove lanes.
These lanes always remain under the track, but
you can resize and reorder lanes independently
of one another.
To show or hide Automation lanes under the main
track view:
Click the Show/Hide Lanes button.
To add a lane:
Click the Add Lane button.
To remove lanes:
Click the Remove Lane button.
To change the Automation or Controller type for a
lane:
Click the Automation/Controller Type selec-
tor and select the Automation or Controller type
you want.
Displaying Trim automation playlists
Trim automation playlist
Revealing an Automation lane
Automation Type
selector
Show/Hide
Lanes button
Remove Lane
Add Lane
Selecting the Automation type for a lane
Pro Tools Reference Guide1014
To replace all Automation and Controller lanes
under the track with a single lane of the specified
automation or controller type:
1 Right-click the Show/Hide Lanes button.
2 Select the Automation or Controller type you
want.
To resize the height of all Automation and
Controller lanes for a track, do one of the
following:
Right-click on the vertical zoom scale just to
the right of the track controls and select the
height from the pop-up menu.
– or –
Drag the bottom line of any given Lane Con-
trols column up or down. The cursor changes to
indicate that you can resize the lane.
To resize the height of a single Automation or
Controller lane for a track:
Press Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) while
selecting the Lane Height setting.
To reorder lanes:
To reorder lanes on-screen, drag the lane con-
trol section to new positions in the Edit window.
Displaying Trim Automation Along
with the Main Playlist
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The appearance of Trim automation depends on
how it is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing
Trim Automation” on page 1040.
If automation is not set to coalesce after every
automation pass, you can display Trim automa-
tion data along with the main Volume or Send
level automation data in the same automation
view. This Trim automation display cannot be
directly edited.
To display the Trim automation playlist along with
main automation playlist on tracks:
Select View > Automation > Trim Playlist.
Displaying the Composite
Automation Playlist
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
If automation is not set to coalesce after every
automation pass, you can display a composite
automation playlist that shows the contribution
of the Trim automation to the main Volume or
Send Level automation data. This composite
playlist display cannot be directly edited.
Right-click menu for selecting a single Automation or
Controller lane
Press Start+Up/Down Arrow key (Win-
dows) or Control+Up/Down Arrow key
(Mac) to increase or decrease height of any
lane that contains the Edit cursor or an Edit
selection.
Display of Trim automation in a main Volume playlist
Volume
data
Volume
Trim
data
Chapter 45: Automation 1015
The composite playlist is shown in both the
main automation playlist and the Trim automa-
tion playlist.
To display the composite playlist:
Select View > Automation > Composite Playlist.
AutoMatch Indicators
There are triangular AutoMatch indicators at the
bottom left of each channel strip in the Mix
window. When lit, these indicate the direction
the fader will automatically move when Auto-
Matching.
Writing Automation
You can write automation for all automatable
controls by moving those controls during play-
back.
To write automation on tracks:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure the automation type is write-en-
abled.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector on each of the tracks you
want to automate, and set the Automation
mode. For the initial automation pass, select
Write.
Display of Trim automation and the composite playlist
in a main Volume playlist
Triangular AutoMatch indicator on a channel strip
Volume
data
Volume
Trim
data
Composite
playlist
Automation window
Setting the Automation mode of a track
Pro Tools Reference Guide1016
4 Start playback to begin writing automation.
5 Move the controls you want to automate
(such as a track volume fader).
6 When you have finished, stop playback.
After the first automation pass, you can write
additional automation to the track without
completely erasing the previous pass by choos-
ing Touch mode or Latch mode. These modes
add new automation only when you actually
move a control. (See “Automation Modes” on
page 1006.)
To write additional automation to a previous pass:
1 Enable Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tion.
2 In the Edit window, make a selection or place
the cursor in the location where you want to
start writing automation.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector on each of the tracks you
want to automate, and set the Automation
mode to Touch or Latch mode.
4 Start playback to begin writing automation.
5 Move the controls you want to automate.
6 When you have finished, stop playback.
Storing an Initial Control Position
When you create a new audio, Auxiliary Input,
VCA Master, MIDI, or Instrument track, it is au-
tomatically placed in Read mode. Even though
the track is in Read mode, you can set the initial
position of any automatable control, and it is
saved with your session.
In this initial state, only a single automation
breakpoint appears at the beginning of each au-
tomation playlist. If you move the control with-
out writing automation, this breakpoint will
move to the new value.
You can permanently store the initial position
of an automatable control by doing any of the
following:
• Place the track in Write mode and press Play
to write a few seconds of automation data to
the track
• Manually place a breakpoint on the automa-
tion playlist somewhere after the initial break-
point. (See “Graphical Editing of Automation
Data” on page 1030 for more information.)
Automating Switched Controls
When automating switched controls (such as
mutes, plug-in bypasses, or switched controls on
plug-ins) Pro Tools treats them as touch sensi-
tive controls. Automation data is written for as
long as the switch or button for that control is
pressed or touched.
For example, if you have just written a series of
mute on/off states on a track in quick succes-
sion, the manual method for clearing this auto-
mation data would require you to move to the
Edit window, choose automation playlist for
Mute, select the mute automation data, and de-
lete it. In Pro Tools, this can be done automati-
cally.
If you write automation in Touch mode
with Loop Playback enabled, writing of au-
tomation will automatically stop at the end
of the looped selection. At the beginning of
each successive loop, you can then touch or
move the control again to write new data.
Chapter 45: Automation 1017
To automate a switched control (such as the Mute
button):
1 Perform another automation pass on the
track.
2 When you reach the location of the mute state
you want to remove, press and hold down the
switched control (such as the Mute button).
3 As long as the button is held down, Pro Tools
overwrites the underlying data on the track with
the current state of the switch (on or off) until
playback is stopped.
Automating Switched Controls in
Touch Mode
When automating switched controls (including
mute, plug-in bypass, and any switched control
on a plug-in) in Touch mode, these controls will
latch in their current state after they are
touched.
However, to preserve any automation for that
switched control later in the Timeline, this
latched behavior ends if either of the following
occurs:
• If an existing automation breakpoint is en-
countered, Pro Tools stops writing automa-
tion at that point.
• If you stop playback or punch out of writ-
ing automation before reaching an existing
automation breakpoint, Pro Tools Au-
toMatches to the underlying automation
state.
Setting Switched Controls for
Momentary Behavior
In some cases, such as when overwriting or ex-
tending Mute automation, you may want to
momentarily write automation for a control by
holding it down, and not have the control latch.
To set switched controls for momentary behavior:
1 Choose Options > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Deselect Latching Behavior for Switch Controls in
“Touch.”
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
Automating Sends
Pro Tools provides automation of send level,
send mute, and send pan (for stereo and multi-
channel sends only). This makes it easy to con-
trol effect levels and placement during mix-
down with great precision.
Send level and mute can also be configured to
follow groups.
To automate a send level, mute or pan:
1 In the Automation window, make sure the au-
tomation type is write-enabled (send level, send
mute, send pan).
2 In the Mix or Edit window, set the Automa-
tion mode for each track containing sends you
want to automate. For each track, click the Au-
tomation Mode selector and set the Automation
mode. For the initial automation pass, choose
Write mode.
3 If sends are not currently visible on your
tracks, select View > Mix Window (or Edit Window)
> Sends A–E (or Sends F–J).
When playback gets to the first muted sec-
tion, the Mute button becomes highlighted.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1018
4 To display send controls, do one of the follow-
ing:
• Click the send to open the Output window
for the send that you want to automate.
– or –
• Select View > Sends A–E (or Sends F–J) and
select one of the individual views (such as
Send A).
5 Start playback to begin writing automation.
6 Move the controls you want to automate.
7 When you have finished, stop playback.
Send level, mute, and pan can also be config-
ured to follow Mix Groups (see “Automation
Preferences” on page 1010).
Copying Track Automation to
Sends
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
There may be times where you want a track’s
send settings or automation to mirror the set-
tings or automation in the track itself, for exam-
ple, when creating a headphone mix based on
the main mix, or when an effect level needs to
follow the levels in a main mix. You can copy
the current settings or the entire automation
playlist for the selected controls to the corre-
sponding playlist for the send.
To copy a track’s settings or automation to one of
its sends:
1 Select the tracks you want to edit by clicking
on the track names to highlight them.
2 Choose Edit > Automation > Copy to Send.
3 In the Copy to Send dialog, do any of the fol-
lowing:
• Select Current Value to copy the current set-
tings of the corresponding controls.
• Select Automation to copy the entire auto-
mation playlist for the corresponding con-
trols.
4 Select the controls you want to copy.
5 Select the sends to which to copy the automa-
tion, and click OK.
You can undo the results of the Copy to Send
command.
Copy To Send dialog
When overwriting automation, Pro Tools
presents a confirmation dialog. To suppress
this dialog, press Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac) while clicking OK.
Chapter 45: Automation 1019
Automating Plug-Ins
You can automate changes to virtually all plug-
in controls. Automating a plug-in is slightly dif-
ferent from other automation procedures, be-
cause you must enable individual plug-in con-
trols for automation.
To enable plug-in controls for automation:
1 Open the Plug-In window for the plug-in you
want to automate.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Automation Enable button in the
Plug-In window.
– or –
• Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) or Com-
mand-Option-Control-click the Track View
selector in the Edit window.
3 In the plug-in automation dialog, choose the
controls to automate and click Add. If there are
multiple plug-ins on the same track, you can se-
lect from among them by clicking their buttons
in the Inserts section of this dialog.
4 Click OK to close the Plug-In Automation
dialog.
To automate a plug-in:
1 In the Plug-In Automation Enable window,
make sure plug-in automation is enabled for the
controls you want to automate.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, for each track con-
taining plug-ins you want to automate, click the
Automation Mode selector and set the Automa-
tion mode. For the initial automation pass, se-
lect Write.
3 Start playback to begin writing automation,
and move the controls you want to automate.
4 When you have finished, stop playback.
Automation Enable button for accessing the Plug-In
Automation dialog
Plug-In automation dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide1020
Enabling Automation for Individual
Plug-In Parameters
You can enable individual plug-in controls di-
rectly from the Plug-In window.
To enable a plug-in parameter from the plug-in
window:
1 Make sure the plug-in window is open for the
plug-in you want to automate.
2 Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) or Com-
mand-Option-Control-click (Mac) the control
for the parameter.
Enabling Automation for All Plug-
In Parameters
To enable all plug-in parameters:
1 Make sure the plug-in window is open for the
plug-in you want to automate.
2 Control+Alt+Start-click (Windows) or Com-
mand+Option+Control-click (Mac) on the Auto
button at the top of the plug-in window.
Automatically Enabling Plug-Ins
for Automation
You can set Pro Tools to automatically enable all
controls of a plug-in for automation when you
first add the plug-in to your session.
To automatically enable all plug-in controls for
automation:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Select Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-Enabled.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
Color Indication of Automation
Mode for Plug-In Parameters
In the Plug-In window, the controls for plug-in
parameters highlight in different colors to indi-
cate whether or not a control is automated in
what automation mode. The color also is differ-
ent depending on whether or not a parameter is
being controlled by a control surface (such as
D-Command or Command|8).
The following table shows the color coding for
automated plug-in parameters, with and with-
out a control surface.
Enabling plug-in automation for individual parameters
Color coding for automated plug-in parameters
Automation
Mode: Off Read
Touch,
Latch,
Write
No Control
Surface
none Green Red
Control
Surface
none Blue Yellow
Chapter 45: Automation 1021
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.
AutoMatching Controls
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Use the AutoMatch button in the Automation
window to automatically change automation
controls to their existing automation levels.
AutoMatching All Controls
You can AutoMatch all currently writing con-
trols to their existing automation levels.
To AutoMatch all currently writing controls:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure the automation types you want to
AutoMatch are write-enabled.
3 Start playback.
4 When you reach a point in the track where
you want to return control to their previously
written values, click the AutoMatch button in
the Automation window.
All currently writing controls stop writing auto-
mation and return to any previously written val-
ues according to the AutoMatch Time setting in
the Mixing preferences.
AutoMatching Individual Tracks
You can invoke AutoMatch on individual tracks.
All controls currently writing automation on
the track stop writing and return to existing au-
tomation levels.
To AutoMatch all controls on a track:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Automation Mode selector on the
track.
Automation Safe enabled plug-in
AutoMatch button in the Automation window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1022
AutoMatching Individual
Automation Types
You can invoke AutoMatch on individual auto-
mation types across a session.
To AutoMatch all controls of one automation type:
In the Automation window, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the button
for the automation type (Volume, Pan, Mute,
Plug-In, Send level, Send pan, or Send mute).
AutoMatching Individual Controls
(D-Control and D-Command Only)
On ICON worksurfaces, you can invoke Au-
toMatch on individual controls or control types
on single channels.
To AutoMatch all controls of a type on a channel:
Hold Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and press any of the following in the Channel
Strip Mode controls for the track whose controls
you want to AutoMatch:
•Inserts
•Sends
•Pan
• Dyn (D-Control only)
• EQ (D-Control only)
To AutoMatch a pan control or the controls for an
individual insert or send:
1 Press the switch in the Channel Strip Mode
controls to display the Pan controls or the top
level of Inserts or Sends for the channel.
2 Hold Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and press the Rotary Encoder Select switch for
the control you want to AutoMatch:
• For Sends, the Send level, pan, and mute
will AutoMatch.
• For Inserts, all automated controls will Au-
toMatch.
• For Pan, all pan sliders on the channel will
AutoMatch.
To AutoMatch all controls for a plug-in displayed in
the Dynamics or EQ section:
Hold Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and press the Auto switch in the Dyn or EQ sec-
tion of the console.
Priming Controls for Writing
Automation in Latch Mode
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
If a track is in Latch or Touch/Latch automation
mode, you can prime individual controls for
writing automation while the transport is
stopped. This Latch Prime capability lets you pre-
pare for an automation pass before starting play-
back.
Chapter 45: Automation 1023
To prime controls for writing automation in Latch
mode while the transport is stopped:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Automation, select Allow Latch Prime in
Stop.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
4 In the Automation window, make sure the
controls you want to automate are write-en-
abled.
5 Click the Automation Mode selector on the
track where you want to write automation and
do one of the following:
• Choose Latch mode to allow priming of all
automation-enabled controls on the track.
– or –
• Choose Touch/Latch mode to leave the
main Volume fader in Touch mode and al-
low priming of all other automation-en-
abled controls.
6 While the transport is stopped, touch or move
the controls you want to start writing at the be-
ginning of the automation pass. When at least
one control on a track is primed, the Automa-
tion Mode selector displays in red.
7 Start playback. All primed controls begin writ-
ing automation at their primed values.
8 Stop playback to finish the automation pass.
All tracks are taken out of their Latch Prime
state.
Taking Tracks and Controls Out of
Latch Prime
You can take individual tracks or automation
types out of their Latch Prime state before or
during an automation pass.
When you take a track or automation type out
of Latch Prime before starting playback, it stays
in Latch mode but the corresponding controls
are not primed to write when playback starts.
When you take a track or automation type out
of Latch Prime during an automation pass, the
corresponding controls AutoMatch to their cur-
rently written values.
If you AutoMatch a control that is in a Latch
Prime state, the control will no longer be
primed.
To take a track out of Latch Prime:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Automation Mode selector on the
track.
The selector button unbolds to indicate that the
track is no longer primed.
Automation mode indicator before (left) and after
priming of latched controls (right)
You can use the Write to Punch command
at the end of your automation pass to write
the current value back to the start of the
pass.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1024
To take all tracks out of Latch Prime, do one of the
following:
Alt-Control-click (Windows) or Option-Com-
mand-click (Mac) the Automation Mode selec-
tor on a track.
– or –
Click the AutoMatch button in the Automation
window.
To take all selected tracks out of Latch Prime, do
one of the following:
Alt-Control-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-
Command-Shift-click (Mac) the Automation
Mode selector on a track.
– or –
Alt-Shift-click (Windows) Option-Shift-click
(Mac) the AutoMatch button in the Automation
window.
To take an automation type out of Latch Prime on
all tracks, do one of the following:
In the Automation window, Control-click
(Windows) or Command-click (Mac) the button
for the automation type (Volume, Pan, Mute,
Plug-In, Send level, Send pan, or Send mute).
Rolling Through Automation Punch
Points in Latch Prime
After you prime controls for writing automation
while the transport is stopped, you can set
Pro Tools to automatically punch in at that
point after issuing a back and play command, or
after rolling back and locking to time code.
To set Pro Tools to automatically punch in
automation writing on a track:
1 Locate the cursor where you want to punch in
automation.
2 Prime controls for writing while the transport
is stopped. (See “Priming Controls for Writing
Automation in Latch Mode” on page 1022.)
3 In the Automation window, click the AutoJoin
button.
AutoMatch button in the Automation window
Automation type buttons in the Automation window
Chapter 45: Automation 1025
4 In the Automation window, click the Capture
button and then click the Punch Capture button.
The AutoJoin marker (a vertical red line) appears
on-screen at the punch point.
5 Issue a Back and Play command, roll back the
external machine to before the punch in point,
or enable pre-roll.
6 Start playback. When the transport reaches
the punch-in point, automation writing begins.
Enabling and Suspending
Automation
From the Automation window, you can enable
or suspend writing for the following types of au-
tomation across all tracks:
•Volume
•Volume trim
•Pan
•Mute
•Plug-In
•Send level
• Send level trim
•Send pan
•Send mute
Automation can be suspended or enabled dur-
ing playback (without having to stop the Trans-
port).
Suspending Automation on All
Tracks
To suspend automation on all tracks:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Do one of the following:
• To suspend writing of all automation on all
tracks, click the Suspend button.
– or –
• To suspend writing of a specific type of au-
tomation on all tracks, click the button for
that automation type (volume, mute, pan,
plug-in, send level, send mute, or send
pan).
Capture button in the Automation window
Punch Capture button in the Automation window
Suspend button in the Automation window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1026
To suspend Trim automation on all tracks
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 only):
In the Automation window, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Suspend
button.
The Suspend button highlights yellow to indi-
cate that Trim automation is suspended.
Suspending Automation for
Individual Controls
You can suspend automation for one or more
controls. When a control is suspended, its con-
trol name is italicized in the Track View selector.
To suspend automation for individual controls on a
track:
1 In the Edit window, set the Track View selector
to show the automation playlist for the control
you want to suspend.
2 Do one of the following:
• To suspend writing and playback of auto-
mation for only the displayed control,
Control-click (Windows) or Command-
click (Mac) the control name in the Track
View selector.
• To suspend writing and playback of auto-
mation for all controls, Control-Shift-click
(Windows) or Command-Shift-click (Mac)
the name of any control in the Track View
selector.
• To suspend writing and playback of auto-
mation for a specific control on all tracks,
Control-Alt-click (Windows) or Command-
Option-click (Mac) the name of the control
in the Track View selector.
To suspend Trim automation for individual controls
on a track (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with
Complete Production Toolkit 2 only):
1 In the Edit window, set the Track View selector
to show the automation playlist for the Trim
control you want to suspend (Volume Trim or
Send level Trim).
2 Do one of the following:
• To suspend only the displayed Trim control
on a single track, Control-click (Windows)
or Command-click (Mac) the control name
in the Track View selector.
– or –
• To suspend the displayed Trim control on
all tracks, Control-Alt-click (Windows) or
Command-Option-click (Mac) the control
name in the Track View selector.
Viewing Automation Enable
Status
Track Automation Mode Selectors
When a track is enabled for automation but
not writing automation, the Automation mode
selector shows the mode in normal red text.
When any control on a track is writing auto-
mation, the Automation mode selector shows
the mode highlighted in red.
Suspending automation from the Edit win-
dow obeys Edit groups. To suppress grouped
behavior, hold Start (Windows) or Control
(Mac) while suspending a control.
Automation Mode selector showing enabled state (left)
and writing state (right)
Chapter 45: Automation 1027
Automation Window Buttons
When an automation type is writing automa-
tion on any track in the session, the correspond-
ing button in the Automation window displays
bold red text.
When an automation type is enabled but is
not writing anywhere in the session, the corre-
sponding button in the Automation window
displays normal red text.
Automation Enable Guidelines
The following rules determine whether automa-
tion is enabled for a track:
Although Pro Tools shows a single Automa-
tion mode for each track, all automatable con-
trols associated with that track are not
necessarily in the same Automation mode.
If automation is globally suspended in the Au-
tomation window, all automatable controls be-
have as if they were in Off mode, regardless of
the track’s current Automation mode.
If automation for a control is suspended by
Control-clicking (Windows) or Command-click-
ing (Mac) its name in the Track View selector,
that control behaves as if it were in Off mode, re-
gardless of the track’s current Automation
mode.
If automation for a control is suspended in the
Automation window, that control behaves as if
it is in Read mode when the track is in a record-
able Automation mode (Touch, Latch, or Write
mode).
Deleting Automation
Automation data takes the form of a line graph
with editable breakpoints. The easiest way to re-
move automation in a track or selection is to
manually delete breakpoints from the automa-
tion playlist.
Removing data in this manner is different from
using the Cut command, which creates anchor
breakpoints at the boundaries of the remaining
data. For details, see “Cutting, Copying, and
Pasting Automation” on page 1035.
To remove automation data, display the auto-
mation playlist you want to edit by selecting it
from the Track View selector, or by revealing it
in an Automation lane, and do one of the fol-
lowing:
To remove a single breakpoint:
With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Alt-
click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
breakpoint.
To remove several breakpoints at once:
Use the Selector tool to select a range that
contains the breakpoints, and press Backspace
(Windows) or Delete (Mac).
To remove all automation data of the displayed
type:
Click with the Selector tool in the track and
choose Edit > Select All, then press Backspace
(Windows) or Delete (Mac).
To remove all automation for all automation
playlists on a track:
1 Use the Selector tool to select a range of data
to be removed.
2 Press Start+Backspace (Windows) or Con-
trol+Delete (Mac).
Automation window showing possible automation
states
Enabled
Not Enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide1028
All automation data within the selection is re-
moved for all automation playlists on that track,
regardless of whether automation is write-en-
abled for those controls.
Clearing Trim Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
If Trim automation has not been coalesced on a
track, you can clear it. When you clear Trim au-
tomation, automation breakpoints on all Trim
playlists are deleted and all Trim faders are reset
to zero.
To clear Trim automation:
1 Select the track where you want to clear the
Trim automation.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Clear Trim Automation.
– or –
• Right-click the track name and choose
Clear Trim Automation.
Thinning Automation
Pro Tools writes a maximum density of automa-
tion data during an automation pass in the form
of breakpoints. Since Pro Tools creates ramps be-
tween breakpoints, it may not need all of the
captured points to create a sonically accurate
representation of the automation moves that
you have made. Each breakpoint takes up space
in memory allocated for automation, so thin-
ning data by removing unneeded breakpoints
can maximize system efficiency and perfor-
mance.
Pro Tools provides two different ways to thin
automation data: automatically with the
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option and man-
ually with the Thin Automation commands.
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass
When this option is selected in the Mixing Pref-
erences page, Pro Tools automatically thins the
automation breakpoint data after each automa-
tion pass.
In the default settings for new sessions, the
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option is se-
lected, with the Degree of Thinning setting set to
Some. In most cases, this setting yields optimum
performance while providing an accurate repro-
duction of your automation moves.
If you select None for the Degree of Thinning set-
ting, Pro Tools writes the maximum possible
number of breakpoints. You can still perform
thinning at any time with the Thin Automation
command. For more information on smoothing
automation data, see “Smoothing” on
page 1011.
Thin Automation Commands
The Thin Automation and the Thin All Automation
commands lets you selectively thin areas where
automation data is too dense. You can use the
Undo command to audition the results of thin-
ning (comparing thinning and not thinning)
before you apply it permanently.
Chapter 45: Automation 1029
To manually thin automation:
1 In the Edit window, click the Track View selec-
tor to display an automation type you want to
thin, or reveal the corresponding Automation
lane.
2 With the Selector tool, highlight the automa-
tion data you want to thin. To thin automation
for the entire track, click in the track with the Se-
lector tool and choose Edit > Select All.
3 Do one of the following:
• To thin only the currently displayed type of
automation, choose Edit > Automation >
Thin.
• To thin all types of automation, choose Edit
> Automation > Thin All.
Drawing Automation
Use the Pencil tool to create automation events
for audio and MIDI tracks by drawing in any au-
tomation or MIDI controller playlist, including
Trim automation if it has not been coalesced.
The Pencil tool can be set to draw a series of au-
tomation events with the following shapes:
Free Hand Draws freely according to the move-
ment of the mouse. In audio tracks, the shape
has the number of breakpoints needed to
smoothly interpolate and reproduce the auto-
mation shape. In MIDI tracks, the shape is repro-
duced as a series of steps, according to the reso-
lution setting in the MIDI Preferences page.
Line Draws a straight line. In audio tracks, the
line has a single breakpoint at either end. In
MIDI tracks, the controller value changes in
steps according to the resolution setting in the
MIDI Preferences page.
Triangle Draws a sawtooth pattern that repeats
at a rate based on the current Grid value. In au-
dio tracks, the pattern has a single breakpoint at
each extreme. In MIDI tracks, the controller
value changes in steps according to the resolu-
tion setting in the MIDI Preferences page. Am-
plitude is controlled by vertical movement of
the Pencil tool.
Square Draws a square pattern that repeats at a
rate based on the current Grid value. Amplitude
is controlled by vertical movement of the Pencil
tool.
Random Draws a random pattern of levels that
change at a rate based on the current Grid value.
Amplitude is controlled by vertical movement
of the Pencil tool.
Using Pencil Tool Shapes
You can draw automation for audio as well as
MIDI tracks. For example, use the Triangle pat-
tern to control continuous functions, or the
Square pattern to control switched functions
such as Mute or Bypass.
Since the Pencil tool draws these shapes using
the current Grid value, you can use it to perform
panning in tempo with a music track, or on
frame scene changes when working in post pro-
duction.
The Parabolic and S-Curve Pencil shapes
are not available for editing automation.
For more information on MIDI continuous
controller data, see “Continuous Controller
Events” on page 681.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1030
Resolution of MIDI Controller Data
When using the Pencil tool to draw MIDI auto-
mation, the data is drawn as a series of discrete
steps. You can control the resolution (or den-
sity) of these steps to help manage the amount
of MIDI data sent for a given MIDI controller
move.
To set the resolution for the Pencil tool:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click MIDI.
2 Enter a value for Pencil Tool Resolution When
Drawing Controller Data. The value can range
from 1 to 100 milliseconds.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
The illustrations below show the same MIDI
controller automation drawn with different
Pencil tool resolution settings.
For better performance, consider selecting a
smaller value for MIDI controls that need higher
resolution (such as MIDI volume), and a larger
value for controls that may not require a high
resolution (such as Pan).
Editing Automation
For all tracks in a session, Pro Tools provides sev-
eral ways to edit automation data—including
Trim automation if it has not been coalesced
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 only). You can edit auto-
mation data graphically by adjusting break-
points in any automation playlist. You can also
cut, copy, and paste automation data in the
same manner as audio and MIDI data.
Graphical Editing of Automation
Data
Automation data takes the form of a line graph
with editable breakpoints.
By dragging these breakpoints, you can modify
the automation data directly in the Edit window
and MIDI Editor windows. When you drag an
automation breakpoint up or down, the change
in value is numerically or textually indicated.
MIDI Data drawn with resolution of 10 ms
MIDI Data drawn with resolution of 100 ms
Automation breakpoint
Automation breakpoint value
Chapter 45: Automation 1031
Dragging an automation breakpoint to the left
or right adjusts the timing of the automation
event.
To view the breakpoint automation type on any
track, either select the corresponding Track
View or reveal the corresponding Automation or
Controller lane under the track.
Using the Grabber Tools
The Grabber tools lets you create new break-
points by clicking on the graph line, or adjust
existing breakpoints by dragging them. Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) breakpoints
with a Grabber tool to remove them.
Using the Pencil Tool
The Pencil tool lets you create new breakpoints
by clicking once on the graph line. Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) breakpoints
with the Pencil tool to remove them.
Using the Trimmer Tools
The Trimmer tools let you adjust all selected
breakpoints up or down by dragging anywhere
within that selection.
Editing Automation Types
Each automatable control has its own automa-
tion playlist, that can be displayed by choosing
it from the Track View selector. “Viewing Auto-
mation” on page 1012.
Editing Volume Automation
Drag a breakpoint up or down to change the vol-
ume (dB value). Drag a breakpoint to the left or
right to adjust the timing of the volume change.
Using the Grabber tool to create a new breakpoint
Using the Pencil tool to delete a breakpoint
Using the Trimmer tool to move breakpoints
Track volume automation
Pro Tools Reference Guide1032
Editing Pan Automation
Drag a breakpoint down to pan right, and up to
pan left. Drag a breakpoint to the left or right to
adjust the timing of the panning moves.
Editing Mute Automation
Drag the breakpoint down to mute a section.
Drag a breakpoint up to unmute the section.
Drag a breakpoint to the left or right to adjust
the timing of the mute.
Editing Stepped Control Automation
Automation for certain controls (such as MIDI
controller values or plug-in settings) appears as a
stepped pattern on the breakpoint line. Drag a
breakpoint up or down to a different step to
change to a new control value. Drag a break-
point to the left or right to adjust the timing of
the stepped control change.
Editing Automation Breakpoints
To edit automation breakpoints, display the au-
tomation playlist for the control you want to
edit by selecting it from the Track View selector,
then do one of the following:
Track Pan automation
Track mute automation
Stepped control automation
Chapter 45: Automation 1033
To create a new breakpoint:
Click with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool
on the line graph.
To edit a single breakpoint:
Click an existing point on the line graph with
any Grabber tool and drag it to a new position.
To clear a single breakpoint:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac)
with any Grabber tool.
To edit several breakpoints at once:
Use the Selector tool to select a range in the
automation playlist that contains the break-
points, and do one of the following:
• To move the breakpoints earlier or later in
the track, press the Plus key (+) to nudge
them later (to the right) or the Minus key
(–) to move them earlier (to the left). The
breakpoints move by the current Nudge
value.
• To adjust the breakpoint values, click with
any of the Trimmer tools in the selection
and drag the breakpoints up or down.
To edit all breakpoint values in a region:
Click in the region with any of the Trimmer
tools and drag the breakpoints up or down.
Constrain New Breakpoints to
Next or Previous Automation
Value
New automation breakpoints can be con-
strained and written to the same value as the
next or previous breakpoint.
To write a new breakpoint to the next automation
value:
Press and hold Alt+Shift (Windows) or Op-
tion+Shift (Mac) while writing a breakpoint (by
clicking with any Grabber tool in a track’s auto-
mation playlist).
To write a new breakpoint to the previous
automation value:
Press and hold Control+Alt (Windows) or
Command+Option (Mac) while writing a break-
point (by clicking with any Grabber tool in a
track’s automation playlist).
When you use a Trimmer tool to edit a se-
lection containing breakpoints, new anchor
breakpoints are created before and after the
selected area. To suppress creation of anchor
breakpoints, press Alt (Windows) or Option
(Mac) while using a Trimmer tool.
Constraining and writing new breakpoints (at Marker 1)
Writing a new breakpoint to the next or pre-
vious automation value is accomplished us-
ing any Grabber tool, but is not supported
with the Smart Tool.
Original automation
After write to previous breakpoint
After write to next breakpoint
Pro Tools Reference Guide1034
Editing Automation on Stereo and
Multichannel Tracks
Stereo and multichannel tracks display a single
automation playlist per track. Only one playlist
for volume and mute is available for the stereo
or multichannel track.
Plug-In Automation Playlists on Stereo and
Multichannel Tracks
Some multichannel plug-ins provide a single set
of automatable controls for all channels in a
track. Other multichannel plug-ins and all
multi-mono plug-ins provide a single set of con-
trols for all channels when linked, or discrete
controls for each channel when unlinked. See
your plug-in guide for more information.
For multi-mono plug-ins, automation playlists
for each individual channel can be displayed
and edited when the plug-in is unlinked, and
the track is in showing Automation lanes.
To view and edit the individual playlists of a multi-
mono plug-in:
1 Unlink the plug-in.
2 Select the automation playlist from the Track
View selector or reveal it in an Automation lane
under the track.
Editing Automation on Grouped
Tracks
When you edit automation on an audio track
that is a member of an active Edit Group, the
same type of automation is also edited on all
tracks that are part of that group. This occurs
even if the playlist for that type of automation is
not currently displayed on the other grouped
tracks.
Examples
If you create new automation breakpoints on
a grouped track (with the Pencil tool or any
Grabber tool), other members of the group have
breakpoints placed relative to that track.
If you move automation on a grouped track
(with any of the Trimmer tools), other members
of the group have their breakpoints trimmed rel-
ative to that track. This lets you trim entire sec-
tions of a mix.
To individually edit a automation for a member of a
group without affecting the other members, do
one of the following:
Press the Start key (Windows) or Control
(Mac) while you perform the edit.
Selecting an automation lane for an unlinked multi-
mono plug-in control
Trimming automation on an active grouped track
Chapter 45: Automation 1035
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting
Automation
Cutting automation data is different from delet-
ing it, and yields different results (although both
change the existing automation data). Copying
automation leaves the original automation data
intact.
You delete automation data by selecting a range
of breakpoints and pressing Backspace (Win-
dows) or Delete (Mac). See “Deleting Automa-
tion” on page 1027 for details.
You cut automation data by selecting a range of
breakpoints from an automation playlist and se-
lecting the Cut command.
When you cut automation data and when you
paste it into a new location, anchor breakpoints
are added to the beginning and end points of
the data. This is done to preserve the true slope
(of continuous controls, such as Volume faders
or pans) or state (of switched or stepped con-
trols, such as Mutes) of the automation data
both inside and outside the selection.
The following illustrations show the difference
between cutting and deleting automation data.
In the following figure, a track is set to display
volume automation, and a range of automation
data is selected.
If the Cut command is chosen, anchor break-
points are created at each end of the selection,
and the automation slope on either side of the
cut data is preserved, as shown in the following
figure.
If the data is deleted by pressing Backspace
(Windows) or Delete (Mac), the automation
data is removed, and automation values span
the gap between pre-existing breakpoints, as
shown in the following figure.
In addition, if cut or copied data is pasted else-
where in a track, breakpoints are created at the
end points of the pasted data to preserve its
“neighboring” (incoming and outgoing) auto-
mation value and slope, as shown in the follow-
ing figure.
Selecting automation data
After cutting the automation data
After deleting the automation data
After pasting the automation data in another location
Pro Tools Reference Guide1036
Editing and Track Views
Audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks each have a
Track View that acts as the Master View for pur-
poses of editing. When the Master View is dis-
played, any edits performed on the track apply
to all data in the track.
The Master Views are:
• Audio tracks: Blocks and Waveform
• MIDI and Instrument tracks: Blocks, Re-
gions, and Notes
For example, when an audio track is set to
Waveform or Blocks, cutting, copying and past-
ing affects the audio data and all types of auto-
mation data on that track. If the track is set to
show Pan automation, only the Pan data is af-
fected.
When a selection includes multiple tracks, if any
of those tracks is in its Master View, all data on
all selected tracks is affected.
To edit all automation types on an Auxiliary Input
or Master Fader track, do one of the following:
Make an Edit selection that includes at least
one audio or MIDI track that is displayed in its
main format.
– or –
Press Control while cutting or copying the au-
tomation data.
Tips for Cutting, Copying and
Pasting Automation
On audio tracks, when you are in Waveform
View and cut or copy a section of the waveform,
any automation data associated with the wave-
form is also cut or copied.
On audio tracks, when you are in Waveform
View and cut audio data from a track also con-
taining automation data, breakpoints are auto-
matically created at the boundaries of the
remaining automation data.
On audio tracks, pasting waveform data also
pastes any associated automation data.
On Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instru-
ment tracks, only the displayed automation
data is cut or copied. To cut or copy all automa-
tion data on these types of tracks, press Control
while cutting or copying.
In tracks where an automation playlist con-
tains no data (when there is only a single break-
point at the very beginning of the track), if you
cut data, no new breakpoints are created.
In cases where regions overlap (such as when
moving regions in Slip mode) and an overlap-
ping region is removed, any overlapped automa-
tion breakpoints are lost.
If cut or copied data contains a type of auto-
mation not currently on the target track,
Pro Tools prompts you before allowing you to
paste the data.
Cut or copied automation data for plug-ins or
sends that do not exist on the target track is ig-
nored when pasted.
For additional flexibility, you can use play-
lists or the Duplicate Track command to
work nondestructively on a copy of the edit
data.
Chapter 45: Automation 1037
Cut, Copy, Clear, and Paste
Special Commands
Four “special” commands—Cut Special, Copy
Special, Paste Special, and Clear Special—sim-
plify the tasks involved with moving or clearing
different types of automation data and MIDI
controller data between tracks, sends, and plug-
ins. These commands let you
• Edit automation and MIDI controller data
only (without associated audio or MIDI
notes).
• Edit automation and MIDI controller data
without having to change Track Views
In addition, the Paste Special command lets you
copy one data type to another (for example, Left
Pan data into the Right Pan playlist)
T
Cut Special
The Cut Special commands let you cut just auto-
mation data from the current selection (without
associated audio or MIDI notes) and place it in
memory to paste elsewhere, as follows:
All Automation Cuts all automation or MIDI con-
troller data whether it is shown or not.
Pan Automation Cuts only pan automation or
MIDI pan data whether it is shown or not.
Plug-In Automation Cuts only the plug-in auto-
mation that is shown.
Copy Special
The Copy Special commands let you copy just
automation data from the current selection
(without associated audio or MIDI notes) and
place a copy of it in memory to paste elsewhere,
as follows:
All Automation Copies all automation or MIDI
controller data whether it is shown or not.
Pan Automation Copies only pan automation or
MIDI pan data whether it is shown or not.
Plug-In Automation Copies only the plug-in au-
tomation that is shown.
Paste Special
The Paste Special commands let you paste auto-
mation data into another region (without affect-
ing associated audio or MIDI notes) in the fol-
lowing ways:
Merge Lets you add the pasted data to any exist-
ing automation data of the same type in the des-
tination selection. This can be useful for consol-
idating MIDI data from several tracks into a
single MIDI track. For example, you like the
pitch bend on the synth trombones and want to
apply it to the synth guitar.
Repeat to Fill Selection Pastes multiple itera-
tions of the automation data to the entire selec-
tion range. If you select an area that is not an ex-
act multiple of the copied region size, the
remaining selection area is filled with a trimmed
version of the original selection. This lets you
easily create drum loops and other repetitive ef-
fects. Before the data is pasted, Pro Tools
prompts you to specify a crossfade to smooth
transitions between regions.
You cannot paste MIDI controller data to
automation data nor automation to MIDI.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1038
To Current Automation Type Pastes the automa-
tion data or MIDI controller data from the clip-
board to the selection as current automation
type or MIDI controller. This lets you copy auto-
mation from any type to any other type. For ex-
ample, you can copy a Left Pan automation to
Plug-In automation. Or, you can copy MIDI vol-
ume data and paste it to MIDI pan.
Clear Special
The Clear Special commands let you clear just
automation data from the current region, as fol-
lows:
All Automation Clears all automation or MIDI
controller data whether it is shown or not.
Pan Automation Clears only pan automation or
MIDI pan whether it is shown or not.
Plug-In Automation Clears only the plug-in auto-
mation that is shown.
Special Paste Function for
Automation Data
Normally, when you copy and paste automation
data, it is pasted in an automation playlist of the
exact same type (for example, Left Pan data is
pasted into the Left Pan playlist).
However, there may be times when you want to
paste from one data type to another (for exam-
ple, Left Pan data into the Right Pan playlist).
The Special Paste command lets you copy one
data type to another.
If you want to paste automation or MIDI con-
troller data only (without its associated audio or
MIDI notes), use the Paste Special command.
For this special paste mode to function, the fol-
lowing must be true:
• Every track selected for pasting must be cur-
rently displayed as automation data.
– and –
• There must be only one automation playlist
on the Clipboard for each target track. (The
Special Paste command cannot copy multiple
automation playlists for each track.)
To paste data into a different automation playlist:
Press the Start key (Windows) or Control
(Mac) when choosing Edit > Paste.
Glide Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The Glide Automation commands let you manu-
ally create an automation transition (or glide)
from an existing automation value to a new one,
over a selected area.
You cannot interchange automation data
between audio and MIDI tracks, or between
continuous controls (such as faders or pans)
and switched or stepped controls (such as
mute or MIDI controllers).
When gliding multiple parameters at the
same time, such as with the Surround Pan-
ner or plug-ins, use the Edit > Automation >
Glide to All Enabled option.
For MIDI automation, Glide To commands
only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and
MIDI Mute. MIDI parameters cannot use
the Write To commands.
Chapter 45: Automation 1039
To apply a Glide Automation to the current
automation parameter type:
1 In the Automation window, make sure the au-
tomation type is write-enabled.
2 Click the Track View selector to choose the au-
tomation type you want to automate.
3 Drag with the Selector tool in the track to se-
lect the area you want to write the glide to.
4 Change the automation parameter to the
value you want at the end of the selection. For
example, to glide automation volume to –Infin-
ity, move the Volume fader to –Infinity.
5 Choose Edit > Automation > Glide to Current.
To do a Glide Automation to all current enabled
parameters:
1 In the Automation window, make sure the au-
tomation types are write-enabled.
2 In each track you want to automate, click the
Track View selector and select from the pop-up
menu the automation type you want to auto-
mate.
3 With the Selector tool, drag horizontally to in-
clude all the tracks you want to automate in a se-
lection (drag vertically to define the time range).
4 In each track you want to automate, change
the automation parameter to the value you
want at the end of the selection.
5 Choose Edit > Automation > Glide to All Enabled.
Glide Automation Considerations
When Glide Automation is applied to automa-
tion data, it behaves as follows:
• When a selection is made, automation break-
points are written at the start and end points
of the Glide Automation. The automation
value at the start of the selection is the start
point of the Glide Automation and the end of
the selection is the end point of the Glide Au-
tomation. The Glide Automation that is cre-
ated between the two is based on the length of
the selection and the end value that is se-
lected.
• If automation breakpoints follow the selec-
tion, they are not changed, but the value se-
lected for the end of the selection is written
from the end point up until the next break-
point.
• If no automation breakpoints follow the selec-
tion, the value selected for the end of the se-
lection is written to the end of the track.
• If no selection is made, a breakpoint is written
to the current location, and the value selected
for the Glide Automation is written to the
next breakpoint.
Trimming Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
If you have already written automation, you can
modify automation data for track volume and
send levels in real time by using Trim mode.
When a track is trim-enabled, you are not re-
cording absolute fader positions, but relative
changes in the existing automation. See “Trim
Mode” on page 1008 for more information.
You can also press Alt+Forward Slash (/)
(Windows) or Option+Forward Slash (/)
(Mac).
You can also press Alt+Shift+Forward Slash
(/) (Windows) or Option+Shift+Forward
Slash (/) (Mac).
Pro Tools Reference Guide1040
To enable Trim mode:
In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector of the track where you want
to trim automation, and select Trim.
When a track’s Trim mode is enabled, its Vol-
ume and Send Level faders turn yellow, and its
Automation Mode selector is outlined in yellow.
This outline appears solid if the track is trim-en-
abled, and flashes whenever trimming is occur-
ring on the track’s volume or send levels.
Writing Trim Automation
The writing of Trim automation depends on
how it is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing
Trim Automation” on page 1040. If automation
is not set to coalesce after every automation
pass, Trim automation moves are written to a
separate Trim playlist.
To trim track Volume or Send levels:
1 In the Automation window, make sure the au-
tomation type (Volume or Send level) is write-
enabled.
2 Click the Automation Mode selector of the
track where you want to write automation and
choose the automation mode (Touch, Latch,
Touch/Latch, or Write).
3 Click the Automation Mode selector and se-
lect Trim.
4 Start playback, and adjust the Volume or Send
levels.
5 Stop playback to finish the Trim pass.
Coalescing Trim Automation
You can set Pro Tools to commit, or coalesce,
Trim automation to the main automation play-
list by the following methods:
After Every Pass Trim moves are automatically
applied when the transport is stopped at the end
of an automation pass. Trim automation play-
lists are cleared, and Trim faders are returned to
zero.
On Exiting Trim Mode Trim moves are stored sep-
arately in the Trim automation playlist until
they are coalesced. Trim automation is automat-
ically coalesced on a track only when you take
the track out of Trim mode. You can repeat an
automation pass, edit Trim automation manu-
ally on any of the Trim playlists, or clear Trim
automation before coalescing with this method.
Manually Trim moves are stored separately in
the Trim automation playlist until they are co-
alesced. With this setting, the only way to co-
alesce Trim moves is with the Coalesce Trim Au-
tomation command. You can repeat an
automation pass, edit Trim automation manu-
ally on any of the Trim playlists, or clear Trim
automation before coalescing with this method.
Enabling Trim mode
Even when automation is set to coalesce on
exiting Trim mode, you can use the
Coalesce Trim Automation command to
commit Trim moves at any time.
Chapter 45: Automation 1041
To set the method by which Trim Automation is
coalesced:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select one
of the following:
•After Every Pass
•On Exiting Trim Mode
•Manually
To coalesce Trim automation on a track when
exiting Trim mode:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select On
Exiting Trim Mode.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
4 Make sure the Pro Tools transport is stopped.
5 On the track where you want to coalesce Trim
automation, click the Automation Mode selec-
tor and deselect Trim.
The Trim automation is applied to the main au-
tomation playlist, Trim automation playlists are
cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.
To manually coalesce Trim automation on a track:
1 Select the track where you want to coalesce
the Trim automation.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Coalesce Trim Automation.
– or –
• Right-click the track name and choose Co-
alesce Trim Automation.
The Trim automation is applied to the main au-
tomation playlist, Trim automation playlists are
cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.
Writing Automation to the
Start, End, or All of a Track or
Selection
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools lets you write current automation val-
ues from any insertion point forward (or back-
ward) to the end (or beginning) of a track or Edit
selection in a track, or to an entire track or Edit
selection, while performing an automation pass.
The standard Write Automation to Start, All, or End
commands do not operate when the Pro Tools
transport is stopped. It only affects automation
for those parameters that are currently write-en-
abled and currently writing automation data.
If transport is playing and you are writing
automation, you cannot directly enter or
exit Trim mode. You must AutoMatch be-
fore exiting Trim mode. This prevents any
abrupt jumps in automation values.
Write Automation to Start, End, and All buttons in the
Automation window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1042
Optionally, Write Automation to Start, All, and End
can be configured to always be applied automat-
ically. See “Writing Automation to the Start,
End or All of a Track or Selection on Stop” on
page 1043.
Requirements for Standard Write
Automation Commands
For automation data to be written for a specific
parameter, the associated track must be in one
of the following Automation modes and meet
the following conditions:
Latch Mode The control for the parameter must
be changed (touched) during the automation
pass.
Touch Mode The control for the parameter must
be changed (touched).
Write Mode All controls on that track must be in
Write mode.
This command can be undone.
To write current automation values to the start,
end, or all of a track or Edit selection:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure that the automation type is write-
enabled.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click in a track at an insertion point.
– or –
• Drag with the Selector tool to select a por-
tion of the track.
4 Start playback.
5 Make sure you are actively writing on the ap-
propriate track if you are in Latch or Touch
mode.
6 When you reach a point in the track or selec-
tion that contains the automation data you
want to apply, click the Write Automation to Start,
All, or End button in the Automation window.
7 Stop playback.
The current values of all write-enabled automa-
tion at that point are written to the correspond-
ing area of the track/selection.
Write to Start, End or All and Trim
Mode
While in Trim mode, it is also possible to write
trim delta values for track volume and send lev-
els to the start, end or all of a track or Edit selec-
tion.
To write current trim delta values to the start, end,
or all of a track or selection:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure the automation type (track volume
or send level) is write-enabled.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector of the track you want to trim
automation, and select Trim. The track Volume
and Send Level faders turn yellow.
4 Do one of the following:
• Click in a track at an insertion point.
– or –
• Drag with the Selector tool to select a por-
tion of the track.
5 Click Play to begin playback.
For MIDI automation, the Write To com-
mands only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI
Pan, and MIDI Mute. MIDI parameters
cannot use the Write To commands.
Chapter 45: Automation 1043
6 When you reach a point in the track or selec-
tion that contains the trim setting (delta value)
you want to apply, click the Write Automation to
Start, All, or End button in the Automation win-
dow.
7 Stop playback.
The relative changes to the track volume and
send levels at that point are written to the corre-
sponding area of the track/selection.
Writing Automation to the Start,
End or All of a Track or Selection
on Stop
The Automation window provides options for
writing automation on any automation playlist
(including Trim playlists) after a valid automa-
tion pass has been performed.
The Write Automation to Start, End, or All
modes can be configured to disable or remain
enabled after a valid automation pass.
See “Requirements for Standard Write Automa-
tion Commands” on page 1042.
To configure Write on Stop modes to disable after
an automation pass:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Click to enable one of the Write On Stop
modes (Start, All, End).
The enabled Write on Stop arrow appears in
blue.
To configure Write on Stop modes to remain
enabled after an automation pass:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) one
of the Write On Stop buttons (Start, All or End)
to enable the Write On Stop mode.
The enabled Write on Stop arrow appears in red.
Writing Automation to the
Next Breakpoint or to the
Punch Point
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
While performing an automation pass,
Pro Tools lets you write current automation val-
ues from the current insertion point forward to
the next automation breakpoint, or back to the
punch point (the location in the track where au-
tomation writing started).
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint lets you
update automation within a track without over-
writing automation located earlier or later in the
Timeline, and without having to define a selec-
tion before editing automation.
Write Automation to Punch Point lets you fill
back an automation value within a track after
finding the right level or setting during an auto-
mation pass, without having to go back and re-
peat the pass.
Write On Stop buttons in the Automation window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1044
Like the standard Write Automation to Start, End,
and All commands, the Write Automation to Next
Breakpoint and Write Automation to Punch Point
commands do not operate when the Pro Tools
transport is stopped. They only affect automa-
tion for those parameters that are currently
write-enabled and currently writing automation
data.
Optionally, the Write Automation to Next Break-
point and Write Automation to Punch Point com-
mands can be configured to be applied automat-
ically after a valid automation pass has been
performed. See“Writing Automation to the Next
Breakpoint or to the Punch Point on Stop” on
page 1045.
To write current automation values to the next
breakpoint:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure that the automation type is write-
enabled.
3 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
4 Start playback.
5 Make sure you are actively writing on the ap-
propriate track if you are in Touch, Latch, or
Touch/Latch mode.
6 When you reach a point in the track where
you want to apply the current settings, click the
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint button.
7 Stop Playback.
The current values of all controls being written
at that point are written up to the next break-
point.
To write current automation values back to the
automation punch point:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure the automation type is write en-
abled.
3 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
4 Start playback.
5 Make sure you are actively writing on the ap-
propriate track if you are in Touch, Latch, or
Touch/Latch mode.
For MIDI automation, the Write To com-
mands only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI
Pan, and MIDI Mute. Other MIDI parame-
ters cannot use the Write To commands.
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint and
Write Automation to Punch Point have the
same requirements as Write Automation to
Start, End and All commands. See “Writing
Automation to the Start, End, or All of a
Track or Selection” on page 1041.
Write To Next Breakpoint buttons in the Automation
window
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint re-
mains enabled after a valid automation
pass. Unlike standard Write Automation
commands, it cannot be configured to dis-
able after an automation pass.
Write to Next Breakpoint
Write to Next Breakpoint
on Stop
button
button
Chapter 45: Automation 1045
6 When you reach a point in the track where
you want to apply the current settings, click the
Write Automation to Punch Point button.
The current values of all write-enabled parame-
ters are written back to the point where the first
control began writing automation.
Write To Next Breakpoint or Punch
Point and Trim Mode
While in Trim mode, it is also possible to write
trim values for track volume and send levels to
the next written breakpoint or back to the auto-
mation punch-in point.
To write current trim values to the next breakpoint
or to the punch point:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure that the automation type (track vol-
ume or send level) is write-enabled.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector and select Trim. The track
Volume and Send Level faders turn yellow.
4 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
5 Start playback.
6 When you reach a point in the track where
you want to apply the current trim values, click
the Write Automation to Next Breakpoint but-
ton in the Automation window.
To write current trim values to the punch point:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure that the automation type (track vol-
ume or send level) is write-enabled.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector and select Trim. The track
Volume and Send Level faders turn yellow.
4 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
5 Start playback.
6 When you reach a point in the track where
you want to apply the current trim values, click
the Write Automation to Punch Point button in
the Automation window.
Writing Automation to the Next
Breakpoint or to the Punch Point
on Stop
The Automation window provides an option for
automatic Write Automation to Next Break-
point on Stop or Write Automation to Punch
Point on Stop.
Write To Punch Point buttons in the Automation window
Write to Punch Point
Write to Punch Point
on Stop
button
button
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint
remains enabled after a valid automation
pass. Unlike standard Write Automation
commands, it cannot be configured to
disable after an automation pass.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1046
To configure Write Automation to Next Breakpoint
on Stop:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Click the Write Automation to Next Break-
point on Stop button or the Write Automation
to Punch Point button.
When this option is enabled, automation writ-
ing will be performed automatically forward to
the next breakpoint after a valid automation
pass has been performed.
To configure Write Automation to Punch Point on
Stop:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Click the Write Automation to Punch Point
on Stop button.
When this option is enabled, automation writ-
ing will be performed automatically back to the
automation punch-in point after a valid auto-
mation pass has been performed.
Guidelines for “Write To”
Commands
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Using “Write To” Commands
During Playback
You can carry out any of the Write Automation To
commands without stopping the Pro Tools
transport. On supported control surfaces, the
corresponding “Write To” button flashes until
you stop the transport.
While the Pro Tools transport is moving, issuing
Write Automation To commands affects writing of
automation in the following ways:
• Write to Start/Selection Start: Currently
writing controls continue writing automa-
tion
• Write to All/Selection: Currently writing
controls (except controls in Write mode)
punch out of writing automation
• Write to End/Selection End: Currently writ-
ing controls (except controls in Write
mode) punch out of writing automation
• Write to Next Breakpoint: Currently writ-
ing controls (except controls in Write
mode) punch out of writing automation
• Write to Punch point: Currently writing
controls continue writing automation
For MIDI automation, the Write To com-
mands only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI
Pan, and MIDI Mute. MIDI parameters
cannot use the Write To commands.
Chapter 45: Automation 1047
Applying “Write To” Commands to
Selected Tracks
The Write Automation To commands normally ap-
ply to all tracks currently writing automation. It
is possible to apply these commands to selected
tracks only.
To apply any of the “Write Automation To”
commands to currently selected tracks:
1 Select the tracks where you want to apply the
Write To commands.
2 Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-Shift-
click the corresponding “Write Automation To”
button.
Supressing Warnings when Using
“Write To” Commands
When you carry out any of the Write Automation
To commands (except Write to Next Break-
point), Pro Tools posts a dialog warning that au-
tomation values will be changed in the session.
You can suppress these warnings.
To suppress “Write To” warning dialogs:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Under Automation, select Suppress Automa-
tion “Write To” Warnings.
Overwriting or Extending
Mute Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools lets you overwrite or extend an exist-
ing mute event in real time, without changing
the current mute state.
A mute event can be overwritten when the auto-
mation pass begins before the first mute event
and ends after the second event. In this case, the
current on/off state of the mute is maintained.
Overwriting a mute automation event
Mute on event overwritten
Original mute automation
(mute off, mute on, mute off)
Pro Tools Reference Guide1048
A mute event can be extended when the auto-
mation pass begins before an on or off event and
stops before the end of the second event.
Mute Overwrite/Extend is supported in Touch
and Latch mode, as follows:
Touch Mode Writes the current state as long as
the Mute button is held.
Latch Mode Writes the current state until you
stop or AutoMatch out.
To overwrite a mute state on one or more tracks:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure Mute is write-enabled.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector of the track where you want
to overwrite the mute state, and set the Automa-
tion mode to Touch or Latch mode.
4 In each track you want to automate, click the
Track View selector and select mute.
5 Place the cursor before the start of the mute
event you want to overwrite.
6 Start playback.
Extending a mute automation event
Mute off event extended (up to automation pass end)
Original mute automation
(mute off, mute on, mute off)
Mute enable button in the Automation window
To overwrite mute states on multiple tracks,
set all tracks to the same Automation mode.
Placing the cursor before the start of a mute event
Chapter 45: Automation 1049
7 Press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and the track Mute button before the start of the
mute event you want to overwrite.
8 After the end of the second mute event, re-
lease the key and the Mute button.
9 When you have finished the automation pass,
stop playback.
To extend a mute state on a track:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure mute is write-enabled.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector of the track you want to au-
tomate, and select Touch or Latch mode.
4 In each track you want to automate, click the
Track View selector and select mute.
5 Place the cursor before the start of the mute
event you want to extend.
6 Start playback.
7 Press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
and the track Mute button before the start of the
mute event you want to extend.
8 Before the end of the second mute event, re-
lease the key and the Mute button.
To overwrite mute states on multiple tracks,
press Alt+Control (Windows) or Op-
tion+Command (Mac) and the Mute button
on one of the tracks to be automated.
With Touch mode, you have to hold the
Mute button for the duration of the write.
Stopping automation pass after the end of a mute event
Example of mute state overwritten
Mute on state overwritten
To extend mute states on multiple tracks,
set all the tracks to the same Automation
mode.
Placing the cursor before the start of a mute event
To extend mute states on multiple tracks,
press Alt+Control (Windows) or Op-
tion+Command (Mac) and the Mute button
on the track.
If you extend past the subsequent on or off
event, the entire event will be changed.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1050
9 When you have finished the automation pass,
click Stop.
Creating Snapshot
Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 let you write automation data
values for multiple parameters in a single step.
You can write snapshot automation in two
ways:
To a Selection Automation data is written to the
Timeline selection (as well as the Edit selection if
linked). Anchor breakpoints are placed just be-
fore and after the selection so that data outside
the selection is not affected.
To a Cursor Location Automation data is written
at the insertion point. After the insertion point,
the automation ramps to the next breakpoint
value, or if no breakpoints exist, remains at the
newly written value for the remainder of the
session.
For more information on cutting, copying, and
pasting automation data within a session, see
“Writing Automation to the Start, End, or All of
a Track or Selection” on page 1041.
To write snapshot automation:
1 In the Automation window, make sure that
the parameters you want to edit are write-en-
abled. Deselect any parameters whose automa-
tion you want to preserve.
2 In the Edit window, click the Track View selec-
tor to show the automation you want to edit.
3 Write a breakpoint in the playlist if none cur-
rently exists, as follows:
• Place the cursor in the playlist (or make an
Edit selection), then choose Control+For-
ward Slash (/) (Windows) or Com-
mand+Forward Slash (/) (Mac).
– or –
• Select the Grabber tool and click anywhere
in the playlist.
4 Do one of the following:
• Select an area in the track’s playlist (or
within multiple tracks) where you want to
apply the automation.
– or –
• Place the cursor at an Edit insertion point.
Stopping automation before the end of a mute event
Example of mute state extended (up to automation
pass end)
For MIDI automation, the Write To, Trim
To, and Glide To commands only apply to
MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and MIDI Mute.
MIDI parameters cannot use the Write To
commands.
Chapter 45: Automation 1051
5 Adjust the controls you want to automate.
You can also change a plug-in preset.
6 Choose Edit > Automation and do one of the
following:
• To write the current value to only the cur-
rently displayed automation parameter,
choose Write to Current.
– or –
• To write the current settings for all automa-
tion parameters enabled in the Automation
window, choose Write to All Enabled.
Adding Snapshot Automation to
Empty Automation Playlists
When you use a Write Automation command on
an automation playlist with no previously writ-
ten automation data, the selected value is writ-
ten to the entire playlist and not just the se-
lected area.
This is because a playlist with no automation
data contains only a single automation break-
point that corresponds to the current position of
the control for the parameter. The position of
the breakpoint is updated whenever the param-
eter value is changed.
If you do not want the Write Automation com-
mand to write the selected automation value to
the entire playlist, you can:
• Anchor the automation data by placing the
cursor at the end of the session (or any other
end point) and choosing Write to Current.
– or –
• Click with any Grabber tool on each side of
the selection.
This lets the Write Automation command write
only to the selected area.
Writing Snapshot Automation over
Existing Automation Data
When you move the playback cursor, the auto-
mated controls in Pro Tools update to reflect the
automation data that is already on the track. To
keep the settings you have made for a snapshot,
you can suspend automation parameters to pre-
vent them from updating.
To write snapshot automation over existing data:
1 In the Automation window, make sure that
the automation parameters you want to edit are
write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose
automation you want to preserve.
2 Adjust the controls for the parameters you
want to automate.
3 Click the Automation Mode selector and se-
lect Off mode for the tracks where you want to
apply the automation.
4 With the Selector, select the range where you
want to apply the automation.
5 Choose Edit > Automation and select one of the
following from the submenu:
• To write the current value to only the auto-
mation parameter currently displayed in
the Edit window, choose Write to Current.
– or –
• To write the current settings for all automa-
tion parameters enabled in the Automation
window, choose Write to All Enabled.
6 Click the Automation Mode selector and se-
lect Read mode for the tracks you want to play
back with automation.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1052
Capturing Automation and
Applying it Elsewhere
The Write Automation commands can also be
used to capture automation states at specific lo-
cations in a track and apply them to other loca-
tions in the track.
To capture and apply automation:
1 In the Automation window, make sure that
the automation parameters you want to edit are
write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose
automation you want to preserve.
2 Click the Automation Mode selector and se-
lect Read mode for the tracks that have automa-
tion you want to capture.
3 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Se-
lection is selected.
4 With the Selector tool, select the location
where you want to capture automation. All au-
tomated controls update to reflect the automa-
tion at that location. (If you make a selection,
the controls update to reflect the automation at
the beginning of the selection.)
5 In each track you want to apply the captured
automation, click the track’s Automation Mode
selector and set the Automation mode to Off.
6 With the Selector tool, select the location
where you want to apply the automation.
7 Enable the automation parameters previously
suspended.
8 Choose Edit > Automation and select one of the
following from the submenu:
• To write the current value to only the auto-
mation parameter currently displayed in
the Edit window, choose Write To Current.
– or –
• To write the current settings for all automa-
tion parameters enabled in the Automation
Enable window, choose Write To All Enabled.
9 Click the Automation Mode selector and se-
lect Read mode for the tracks you want to play
back with automation.
Snapshot Automation and
Trimming of Automation Data
Pro Tools lets you use trim values as snapshots
and apply the relative changes (delta values) to
the selected automation by using the Trim Auto-
mation command. This works in much the same
way as the Write Automation command, except
that it writes delta values instead of absolute val-
ues to automation data.
You can use trim values in writing snapshot au-
tomation to any automatable parameter.
To create a snapshot of relative changes in
automation data:
1 In the Automation window, make sure that
the automation parameters you want to edit are
write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose
automation you want to preserve.
2 Select the area of the track you want to edit.
All automated controls update to reflect the au-
tomation at the beginning of the selection.
3 Move the controls for the parameter up or
down by the amount you want to change the
data.
Chapter 45: Automation 1053
4 Choose Edit > Automation and do one of the
following:
• To write the current delta value to only the
currently displayed automation parameter,
choose Trim to Current.
– or –
• To write the current delta value for all auto-
mation parameters enabled in the Automa-
tion window, choose Trim to All Enabled.
Previewing Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Automation Preview mode lets you audition
changes to a mix and compare them to existing
automation values without committing them to
the automation playlist.
When you put Pro Tools in Automation Preview
mode, you can preview values for automation-
enabled controls on any track that is in a writ-
able automation mode.
While in Automation Preview mode, when you
touch or move a control, it isolates the control,
disengaging it from its automation playlist. The
control stops reading or writing automation, al-
lowing you to freely audition changes.
When you have found a level or state that you
want to use, you can then commit or punch the
previewed value to the automation playlist for
the isolated controls.
If you punch during playback, the automa-
tion mode is set to Latch and writing begins at
the preview value.
If you punch while the transport is stopped,
the automation mode is set to Latch and the
control is primed at the preview value.
Previewing New Automation
Values
To preview a new automation value for a control:
1 Make sure the track where you want to pre-
view the value is enabled for automation
(Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or their correspond-
ing Trim modes).
2 Make sure the automation type you want to
preview is enabled in the Automation window
(Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send
mute, or Plug-In).
3 Click the Preview button in the Automation
window. The button lights green to indicate that
Preview mode is active.
4 To isolate a control, touch or move an auto-
mation-enabled control.You can isolate controls
during playback or while the transport is
stopped.
It is not necessary for the Allow Latch Prime
in Stop preference to be enabled for Preview
to put a control into Latch Prime.
Preview controls in the Automation window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1054
The Automation Mode indicator on the track
lights green to indicate that at least one of its
controls is isolated, and the Punch Preview but-
ton in the Automation window lights to indi-
cate a preview value is available to punch.
5 Start playback and adjust the isolated control
to audition the changes.
Taking Controls Out of Isolated
State
You can take controls out of their isolated state
without leaving Preview mode.
To take all controls on a track out of their isolated
state, do one of the following:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the automation mode selector on the
track.
– or –
Change the track automation mode to Read or
Off.
To take all controls of an automation type out of
their isolated state:
In the Automation window, disable the auto-
mation type.
Isolating Multiple Controls
In some cases, such as when starting a new mix,
you may want to isolate multiple controls at the
same time.
To isolate all currently write-enabled controls:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the
Preview button.
To isolate all write-enabled controls on all selected
tracks:
Alt-Shift-click (Windows) or Option-Shift-
click (Mac) the Preview button.
Suspending Preview Mode
You can temporarily suspend Preview mode, al-
lowing you to toggle between preview values
and existing automation.
To suspend Preview mode:
Control-click (Windows) or Command-click
(Mac) the Preview button.
Punching Preview Values
After you have isolated a control and auditioned
a new value, you can punch (write) the value to
the automation playlist.
To punch a preview value to the automation
playlist:
Click the lit Punch Preview button.
Preview Mode and “Write To”
Commands
The Write Automation To commands work as fol-
lows with Preview mode:
Before Punching Preview Values The Write Auto-
mation To commands (except Write to Next Break-
point) can be used to extend previewed values.
The Write Automation To command will only ap-
ply to isolated controls. Pro Tools remains in
Preview mode.
After Punching Preview Values The Write Automa-
tion To commands (except Write to Next Break-
point) can be used to extend the punched value
in the same manner as other automation.
Chapter 45: Automation 1055
Capturing Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
You can capture current automation values at
one location in a session and quickly apply
them in another location with the Capture and
Punch Capture commands. The Capture com-
mand temporarily stores the value of all controls
currently writing automation, and the Punch
Capture commands writes those stored values to
all enabled automation types.
ICON Systems allow for the capture of up to
48 different values, or snapshots.
All other systems allow for the capture of a
single value.
Capturing Automation Values
You can capture the current automation values
of actively writing controls.
To capture automation values:
1 Make sure all tracks whose automation values
you want to capture are in a write-enabled state
(Write, Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or Latch).
2 Make sure the automation types you want to
capture are enabled in the Automation window
(Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send
mute, or Plug-In).
3 Start playback. When you reach a location
where you want to capture the current automa-
tion states, click the Capture button in the Auto-
mation window.
The Punch Capture button in the Automation
window lights to indicate a captured value is
available to punch.
Punching Captured Automation
Values
After automation values are captured, they can
be punched (written) to another location in the
track. Any tracks set to Read or Off are unaf-
fected.
If you punch during playback, the automa-
tion mode of any track set to Touch is set to Latch
and writing begins at the captured value.
If you punch while the transport is stopped,
the automation mode of any track set to Touch is
set to Latch and the control is primed at the cap-
tured value.
Capture controls in the Automation window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1056
To punch captured automation values:
1 Move to a location where you want to apply
the captured automation states. You can do this
during playback or while the transport is
stopped.
2 Click the Punch Capture button in the Auto-
mation window to apply the captured automa-
tion states. The captured states are applied to all
automation types that are currently enabled in
the Automation window.
Capturing Automation Values for
All Controls
You can capture the state of all automatable
controls (except on tracks with their Automa-
tion Mode set to Off) in a session, regardless of
whether they are currently writing automation.
To capture the automation values of all controls:
When you reach a location where you want to
capture the current automation states, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the Capture
button.
To capture the automation values of all controls on
selected tracks only:
When you reach a location where you want to
capture the current automation states, Alt-Shift-
click (Windows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) the
Capture button.
Punching Automation Values for
All Controls
You can punch all captured automation values
to another location on their corresponding
tracks (except those tracks with their Automa-
tion Mode set to Off).
To punch the automation values of all controls:
When you reach a location where you want to
apply the captured automation states, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) the Punch
Capture button. Any track set to Read or Touch
are set to Latch. Any tracks set to Off are unaf-
fected.
To punch the automation values of all controls on
selected tracks only:
When you reach a location where you want to
apply the captured automation states, Alt-Shift-
click (Windows) or Option-Shift-click (Mac) the
Punch Capture button. Any selected tracks set to
Read or Touch are set to Latch. Any selected
tracks set to Off are unaffected.
Capture and Trim Mode
The Capture and Punch Capture commands
work with Trim automation in the same way as
regular automation. Pro Tools saves Trim status
when capturing, so if you attempt to punch cap-
tured Trim values while displaying a non-Trim
automation playlist, Pro Tools will automati-
cally apply the values to the corresponding Trim
playlist.
Chapter 45: Automation 1057
Punch Capture and “Write To”
Commands
After issuing a Punch Capture command, the af-
fected controls are writing automation (in Latch
mode), so any of the Write Automation To com-
mands can be used to extend the punched value
in the same manner as other automation.
Capture and Preview Mode
Loading Captured Values into Preview
You can preview and modify captured automa-
tion values in Preview mode before punching
the values to the automation playlist.
To capture an automation value and use it to
preview:
1 Make sure the track where you want to pre-
view the value is enabled for automation
(Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or their correspond-
ing Trim modes).
2 Make sure the automation type you want to
preview is enabled in the Automation window
(Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan, Send
mute, or Plug-In).
3 Capture an automation value that you want to
preview in another location on a track. (See
“Capturing Automation Values” on page 1055.)
4 Go to a location where you want to preview
the captured automation states, and click the
Preview button in the Automation window.
5 Click the Punch Capture button.
The affected controls are isolated and updated
to the captured values. The Punch Preview but-
ton in the Automation window lights to indi-
cate the preview value is available to punch.
6 Start playback and adjust the isolated control
to audition the changes.
7 When you are ready to punch the preview
value to the automation playlist, click the lit
Punch Preview button.
Capturing Values While in Preview Mode
When you are in Preview mode, you can capture
the values of isolated controls and apply them
elsewhere on a track. By capturing preview val-
ues, you can leave the underlying automation
unchanged at the place where you capture.
On ICON systems, you can use preview mode to
capture multiple snapshots without changing
automation.
To capture a preview value:
1 Activate Preview mode and isolate a control.
(See “Previewing New Automation Values” on
page 1053).
2 Start playback and adjust the isolated control
to audition the changes.
3 When you are ready to capture preview value,
click the Capture button in the Automation
window.
The Punch Capture button in the Automation
window lights to indicate a captured value is
available to punch.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1058
VCA Master Track Automation
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Displaying Automation on VCA
Master Tracks
The following controls on VCA Master tracks
can be automated and have separate automa-
tion playlists:
•Volume
•Volume trim
•Mute
These automation playlists follow the same be-
havior as automation playlists on other track
types. For more information on Volume trim au-
tomation, see “Trimming Automation” on
page 1039.
Displaying the Composite
Automation Playlist on Slave
Tracks
When a track is a VCA slave, you can display a
composite automation playlist that shows the
contribution of the VCA Master to the Volume
or Mute automation data on the slave track. This
composite playlist reflects the actual position of
the Volume fader on the slave track.The com-
posite playlist display cannot be directly edited.
To display the composite playlist on VCA slave
tracks:
Select View > Automation > Composite Playlist.
Excluding VCA Slave Tracks from
VCA Master Automation
When you are writing automation on a VCA
Master track, the corresponding moves will ap-
pear on the composite automation playlist of
each of its slave tracks. If you want to exclude a
slave track from an automation pass, write-en-
able the slave track for automation.
To exclude a slave track from VCA Master track
automation pass:
1 Write-enable the VCA Master track for auto-
mation (Write, Touch or Latch mode).
2 Write-enable the slave track you want to ex-
clude for automation (Write mode).
3 Make sure other slave tracks that you want to
include in the pass are not write-enabled for au-
tomation.
4 Start playback.
5 Move the fader on the VCA Master track.
6 Stop playback.
Automation is written on the excluded slave
track such that the fader moves on the VCA
Master track are canceled out, and the fader on
the excluded slave track does not move on sub-
sequent playback.
Viewing composite automation on a VCA slave track
Volume
automation
Composite
playlist
playlist
Automation for excluded VCA slave track, canceling
VCA Master automation
VCA Master
included slave
excluded slave
Chapter 45: Automation 1059
Coalescing VCA Automation
There are several ways to commit, or coalesce,
the contribution of a selected VCA Master
track’s Volume and Mute automation to the au-
tomation playlists of its slave tracks.
Clearing the VCA Master
You can use a VCA Master to write grouped au-
tomation, coalesce the VCA automation to all of
the slave tracks, and clear the automation on the
VCA Master. The coalesced tracks will play back
exactly as they did when they were in the VCA
group.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all
of its slave tracks and retain the VCA Master:
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automa-
tion you want to coalesce.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Auto-
mation.
– or –
• Right-click the VCA Master track name and
choose Coalesce VCA Master Automation.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are
coalesced to each of the slave tracks. The VCA
Master Volume fader is reset to zero, the VCA
Mute is set to unmuted, and any automation on
the VCA Master is cleared.
Deleting the VCA Master
You can temporarily use a VCA Master to write
grouped automation, then coalesce the VCA au-
tomation to all of the slave tracks by deleting
the VCA Master. The coalesced tracks will play
back exactly as they did when they were in the
VCA group.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all
of its slave tracks and delete the VCA Master
track:
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automa-
tion you want to coalesce.
2 Choose Track > Delete.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are
committed to each of the slave tracks.
Removing a Slave Track from a
VCA Group
You can remove an individual slave track from a
VCA group, which commits the VCA automa-
tion to that track, leaving the VCA Master and
the other slave tracks untouched. The coalesced
slave track plays back exactly as it did when it
was in the VCA group.
This action cannot be undone.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1060
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to an
individual slave track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Modify Groups from the Group List
menu.
• Click the Group ID indicator on the track
and choose Modify.
• Right-click the Group name in the Group
List and choose Modify.
2 In the Groups dialog, select the VCA-con-
trolled group that includes the slave track.
3 In the Groups dialog, click Tracks and remove
the slave track from the group.
4 Click OK.
The slave track is removed from the VCA group,
and the composite Volume level and Mute state
are coalesced to the track.
Duplicating a Slave Track
When you duplicate a slave track without dupli-
cating its group assignments, the VCA automa-
tion is coalesced to the duplicate track. The co-
alesced duplicate plays back exactly as if it were
in the VCA group.
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to a
single slave track by duplicating the track:
1 Select the slave track whose automation you
want to coalesce.
2 Choose Track > Duplicate.
3 In the Duplicate Track dialog, deselect Group
Assignments.
4 Click OK.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are
coalesced to the duplicate track. The original
slave track is preserved, and the VCA group is
unchanged.
Coalescing Automation Across an
Edit Selection
You can commit VCA automation across an Edit
selection in a VCA Master track, without com-
mitting the automation on the entire length of
the track.
To coalesce automation in an Edit selection on a
VCA Master track:
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automa-
tion you want to coalesce.
2 Make an Edit selection in the VCA Master
track that includes the range of automation you
want to coalesce.
3 Do one of the following:
• Hold Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) and
choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Automa-
tion.
– or –
• Hold Start (Windows) or Control (Mac) and
Right-click the VCA Master track name and
choose Coalesce VCA Master Automation.
The composite Volume level and Mute state are
committed to each of the slave tracks over the
Edit selection. The VCA Master Volume is set to
zero, the VCA Mute state is set to unmuted, and
any automation on the VCA Master is cleared
for the selected area only.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1061
Chapter 46: Mixdown
Pro Tools lets you mix down by recording a mix
to new audio tracks or by bouncing a mix to disk.
Recording to Tracks This is the process of sub-
mixing and recording the submix to new audio
tracks, as you would any other track input sig-
nals. This method requires available tracks,
voices, and bus paths to accommodate the sub-
mix and the new tracks. While recording to
tracks, you can manually adjust mixer or other
controls.
Record to new tracks if you want to adjust mixer
controls during the mixdown.
Bouncing to Disk The Bounce to Disk command
lets you write a final mix, create a new loop,
print effects, or consolidate any submix to new
audio files on disk. This method lets you write
all available voices to disk without holding any
in reserve.
Any available output or bus path can be selected
as the bounce source. Sample rate, bit depth,
and other conversion processes can be applied
during or after the bounce. Though you can
hear the bounce being created in real time, you
cannot adjust mixer or other controls while
bouncing to disk.
Use Bounce to Disk if you need to convert the
bounced files, or if you do not want to manually
adjust mixer controls during the mixdown.
Selecting Audio for Loops,
Submixes, and Effects
Both Bounce to Disk and recording to tracks op-
erate on the current Timeline or Edit selection, if
one exists. This makes it easy to turn multitrack
selections into mono, stereo, or multichannel
loops. Submixes, stems, and other specialized
types of mixes can also be recorded (or
“printed”) to disk using either method, or
played out to another recording, transfer, or ar-
chiving medium.
Printing effects to disk is the technique of per-
manently adding real-time effects, such as EQ or
reverb, to an audio track by bussing and record-
ing it to new tracks with the effects added. The
original audio is preserved, so you can return to
the source track at any time. This can be useful
when you have a limited number of tracks or ef-
fects devices.
AudioSuite plug-ins provide another option
for writing (or “printing”) a plug-in effect to
disk. For more information, see Chapter 40,
“AudioSuite Processing.”
Pro Tools Reference Guide1062
Dithering
Dither can significantly improve audio quality
when reducing the bit depth of digital audio.
When to Use a Dither Plug-In
You should use a dither plug-in in any situation
where you are reducing bit depth, for example,
when mixing down to a 16-bit file with the
Bounce to Disk command, or when sending
your final mix to an external digital device that
records at 16-bit resolution.
A dither plug-in is necessary even when mixing
down to 16-bit from a 16-bit session. Even
though 16-bit sessions use 16-bit files, they are
still processed at higher internal bit depths.
• Pro Tools|HD systems use 24-bit audio input
and output signal paths, and internal 48-bit
mixing and processing
• Pro Tools systems use 24-bit audio input and
output signal paths, and internal 32-bit float-
ing point processing for mixing and audio
processing
For this reason, whether you are working with a
24-bit session or a 16-bit session, the following
are recommended:
• When mixing down to a 16-bit destination,
use a dither plug-in on the main output.
• When bus recording a submix to a track in the
same session, do not use a dither plug-in on
the destination track.
• When mixing down to a 24-bit destination,
do not use a dither plug-in on the main
output.
• When mixing down to an analog destination
with any 24-bit capable interface, do not use a
dither plug-in on the main output.
• During normal recording and playback, by-
pass any dither plug-in on the main output.
Bounce to Disk and Dither
Bouncing to disk does not apply dither when re-
ducing bit depth. To apply dither when bounc-
ing to disk, you should insert a dither plug-in as
the last processor in the signal path on a Master
Fader assigned to the bounce source audio out-
put path.
Using a dither plug-in on a Master Fader is pref-
erable to an Auxiliary Input because Master
Fader inserts are post-fader. As a post-fader in-
sert, the dither plug-in can process changes in
Master Fader level.
If you do not use a dither plug-in on your
bounce source path, and you choose to convert
to a lower resolution during or after bouncing to
disk, the resulting file will be converted by trun-
cation.
Using Dither on an Output Mix
Pro Tools includes real-time dither plug-ins that
improve 16-, 18-, or 20-bit performance and re-
duce quantization artifacts when reducing the
bit depth of an output mix.
To use a dither plug-in on an output mix:
1 Choose Track > New and create a (stereo) Mas-
ter Fader track.
2 Set the output of the Master Fader to the out-
put or bus path you want to bounce.
3 Assign the outputs of all audio tracks in the
session to the same path you selected in step 2.
The Master Fader now controls the output levels
of all tracks routed to it.
4 On the Master Fader, insert a dither plug-in as
the last processor in the signal chain.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1063
5 In the dither plug-in window, choose an out-
put Bit Resolution and Noise Shaping setting.
6 Do one of the following:
• Play back the session to record (or “lay-
back”) Pro Tools output to lower bit-rate
media (such as a DAT).
– or –
• Choose File > Bounce To > Disk. In the
Bounce to Disk dialog, select the appropri-
ate bit depth (such as 16-bit for CD audio).
Before being converted by the Bounce to
Disk command, the signal is processed ac-
cording to the resolution and noise shap-
ing settings in the dither plug-in inserted
on the Master Fader.
Sample Rate Conversion and Bit
Depth Reduction
If you want to do both a sample rate conversion
and a bit depth reduction when mixing down,
first convert the sample rate while maintaining
the higher bit depth, and then reduce the sam-
ple rate-converted file to the lower bit depth, us-
ing a dither. By keeping the higher bit depth
when performing the sample rate conversion,
you ensure the highest possible audio quality.
Bus Recording to Tracks
You can create a submix in your Pro Tools ses-
sion and bus record it to available tracks in the
same session. This technique lets you add live
input to the mix, as well as adjust volume, pan,
mute, and other controls during the recording
process. You can also use this technique instead
of Bounce to Disk to create mixed tracks directly
in your Pro Tools session.
Voice Requirements for Recording
a Submix
Recording a submix to new tracks requires an
available voice for each track that you want to
record. Make sure you have enough voices avail-
able to play back all tracks that you want to re-
cord and enough voices available to record the
destination tracks.
In contrast, the Bounce to Disk command lets
you bounce all available voices to disk without
holding any in reserve, but you cannot manu-
ally change any controls during the bounce. For
more information, see “Bounce to Disk” on
page 1064.
For information about dither plug-ins, see
the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
For information about voice management,
see “Track Priority and Voice Assignment”
on page 233.
With Pro Tools HD, RTAS plug-ins placed
on Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and In-
strument tracks will use additional voices
and may introduce extra latency based on
the H/W Buffer Size. For more information,
see “Voice Usage and Total Latency for
RTAS Plug-Ins” on page 973.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1064
To record a submix to a track:
1 Apply any plug-ins or external processors you
want to add to your audio tracks or Auxiliary In-
puts before you record.
2 Set the main channel output of the tracks you
want to include in the submix to a bus path. If
you are using stereo or multichannel tracks, set
the panning of each track.
3 Make sure Loop Record is not enabled.
4 Choose Track > New and create one or more
mono, stereo, or multichannel audio tracks.
5 If you are recording in stereo, pan the new ste-
reo track (or mono tracks) hard left and right.
6 Set the input of each destination track to the
bus path from which you are recording.
7 Set the output of your new tracks to your main
output path.
8 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Se-
lection is selected.
9 Select audio to record. The start, end, and
length of the recording can be based on the cur-
sor location or Timeline and Edit selections.
• Selection-based recording automatically
punches in and out of recording at the se-
lection start and end. Be sure to include
time at the end of a selection for reverb
tails, delays, and other effects.
• If you do not make a selection, recording
will begin from the location of the play-
back cursor. Recording will continue until
you press Stop.
10 Record enable the new tracks and click Re-
cord in the Transport.
11 Click Play to begin recording the submix.
12 If recording a selection, recording will stop
automatically. If performing an open-ended re-
cording, click Stop, or punch out of recording.
Bounce to Disk
The Bounce to Disk command lets you mix down
with all available voices on your system. Since it
records to separate audio files, you do not have
to reserve any tracks for a bounce.
Pro Tools bounces are done in real time, so you
hear audio playback of your mix during the
bounce process (though you cannot adjust it).
You can use the Bounce to Disk command to cre-
ate and automatically import loops, submixes,
or any audio into your session. You can use it to
create a final mono, stereo, or multichannel
master, in any of several audio file formats.
Bounce to Disk provides conversion options for
sample rate, bit resolution, and format.
When you bounce a track to disk, the bounced
mix includes the following:
Audible Tracks All audible tracks that are routed
to the output which is selected as the source of
the bounce are included in the bounce. Any
muted tracks are not included in the bounce. If
you solo one or more tracks, only the soloed
tracks are included in the bounced mix.
Automation All read-enabled automation is
played back and incorporated in the bounced
mix.
Inserts and Sends All active inserts, including
real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts, are ap-
plied to the bounced mix.
Selection or Track Length If you make a selec-
tion in a track, the bounced mix will be the
length of the selection. If there is no selection in
any track, the bounce will be the length of the
longest audible track in the session.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1065
Time Stamp Information Bounced material is au-
tomatically time stamped so that you can drag it
into a track and place it at the same location as
the original material. For more information
about time stamping, see “Time Stamping” on
page 1139.
Bounced Files Are Delay-Compensated
Pro Tools compensates for any bus and plug-in
delays due to a bounce. This means that if a
bounced file is imported back into a session, and
placed directly in time against the source mix, it
is time-aligned with the original source mix.
Record-Enabled Tracks and TrackInput-Enabled
Tracks Cannot Be Bounced
Pro Tools does not allow you to bounce tracks
that are either record-enabled or in Input Only
monitoring mode.
To Bounce to Disk:
1 Make a Timeline selection to define the range
to be bounced.
2 Choose File > Bounce to > Disk.
3 Configure the Bounce options (see “Bounce
Options” on page 1065).
4 Click Bounce.
Bouncing with Mute Frees
Assigned Voice (Pro Tools HD
Only)
When bouncing sessions that include muted
tracks, enabling “Mute Frees Assigned Voice”
can, in some instances, increase the number of
tracks that can be successfully bounced. See
“Mute Frees Assigned Voice” on page 242.
Bounce Options
When you use the Bounce to Disk command,
you can configure several file options.
Help
The Help button in the Bounce to Disk dialog
opens a display-only dialog that describes the
Bounce to Disk features.
Bounce Source
All currently active bus paths, output paths, and
physical outputs as defined in the I/O Setup di-
alog are available as the Bounce Source.
Bus The bounced file will include audio signal
from the selected bus path.
Output The bounced file will include audio sig-
nal from the selected output path.
Bounce to Disk dialog, with conversion and options
enabled
Pro Tools Reference Guide1066
Physical Output This is useful when working
with overlapping output paths. The bounced
file will include audio signal from all output
paths mapped to the selected physical output.
To set the bounce source:
Select a bus path, output path, or physical
output from the Bounce Source selector.
Enforce Avid Compatibility
Enable this control in the Bounce to Disk dialog
to create frame-accurate edits, wraps the files as
OMFI (unless File Type is MXF), and limits the
sample rate options to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz.
Dither without noise shaping will be applied to
files being exported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
File Type
In the Bounce to Disk dialog, this field selects
the (creator) type for the bounced files.
Sound Designer II
(Mac Only)
This was the native format for older Mac-based
Pro Tools systems. Pro Tools can export SD II
format files, but they will have to been con-
verted to .WAV or .AIF on import.
BWF (Broadcast .WAV Format)
This was the native format for older Windows-
based Pro Tools systems, but is now supported
on Windows and Mac. To use a BWF (.WAV) file
in Pro Tools, you can drag and drop from the Di-
giBase browser, Windows Explorer or Mac
Finder, or a folder, or you can use the Import Au-
dio command. Files in this format do not have to
be converted to be used in Pro Tools.
AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format)
To use an AIFF file in Pro Tools, you can drag
and drop from the DigiBase browser, Windows
Explorer or Mac Finder, or you can use the Im-
port Audio command. Files in this format do not
have to be converted to be used in Pro Tools.
QuickTime
QuickTime is Apple’s multimedia audio file for-
mat. Pro Tools does not directly support this
type of file in its sessions. To use a QuickTime
audio file within Pro Tools, use the Import Audio
command. The QuickTime format is popular for
attaching to emails, to simplify long-distance
project review and approval. Many popular mul-
timedia applications also support QuickTime.
Windows Media
(Windows Only)
Windows Media formatted files can contain au-
dio, video, or script data stored in Windows Me-
dia Format. A Windows Media Format file may
have an .asf, .wma, or .wmv file name exten-
sion.
MXF (Material Exchange Format)
MXF is a media file format that includes both
video and audio files, and is designed for the in-
terchange of audio-visual material with associ-
ated data and metadata. It was designed for im-
proving file-based interoperability between
servers, workstations, and other content cre-
ation devices.
AAF and OMF sequence format files can refer to
MXF media files, or have MXF media files em-
bedded within them. Pro Tools supports AAF
embedded sequences.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1067
MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3)
The MPEG-1 Layer 3 compression format (MP3)
is used for streaming and downloading audio
over the Internet, and for playback on portable
devices.
When you select this format, the Resolution pop-
up menu in the Pro Tools Output Options dia-
log is unavailable. The resolution is set by the
encoder.
The sample rate chosen is given to the codec as
a base sample rate for operations. The actual
sample rate of the resulting file is determined in
the MP3 Encoder Options dialog. For example, if
a base sample rate of 48000 Hz is chosen, the
MP3 Encoder Options dialog will allow output
streams in 48, 24, or 12 kHz, depending on en-
coding quality.
When you export or bounce to MP3 format, you
can set the following options:
Encoder Settings
Encoder Speed Determines the audio quality of
the bounced file. There are two options: Highest
Quality and Fastest Encoding Time.
The Highest Quality option can take up to five
times longer to process audio than the Fastest
Encoding option, so you should use it only when
the highest fidelity is essential and you have the
time to devote to the encoding process.
Constant Bit Rate (CBR) Encodes the file at a
single bit rate that you choose from the Constant
Bit Rate (CBR) pop-up menu. Because the bit rate
is fixed, the quality of the encoded audio will
vary depending on the nature of the material be-
ing compressed. The 128 kbit/s option is gener-
ally best for streaming over the Internet, since it
has predictable bandwidth requirements.
Enable MP3 Surround Encoding This option is
available only when bouncing stereo output to
an interleaved MP3 file. The stereo output is up-
mixed and encoded to a 5.1-channel surround
MP3 file that is also compatible with stereo MP3
playback.
MP3 Export Options
For complete information on requirements
for MP3 surround playback, visit
www.fraunhofer.com.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1068
ID3 Tag Info Settings
ID3 Tag Type The ID3 tag stores data about the
encoded audio file that is used by MP3 players to
display information about the file. Pro Tools
supports three versions of this tag, in order to
provide backward compatibility with older MP3
players:
• ID3 v1.0: Appears at the end of a streaming
MP3 file, so that tag information is only dis-
played after software streaming is finished.
• ID3 v1.1: Same as version 1.0, but adds track
number information to the tag.
• ID3 v2.3: Appears at the front of a streaming
MP3 file, so that tag information is displayed
when streaming begins.
Title/Artist/Album/Comment Type the title, art-
ist, and other information for the MP3 file. This
information is displayed by many MP3 players.
Genre Choose a genre for the file. This informa-
tion is displayed by many MP3 players, and can
appear in searchable catalogs and databases.
Track Number If you select ID3 tag type v1.1 or
v2.3, you can enter a CD track number for the
file. This information is displayed by many MP3
players.
Year Enter a year for the file. This information is
displayed by many MP3 players.
Mac File Settings
Mac File Type and Creator If you expect your file
to be used on a Mac, you can enter the Mac file
type and creator. This will allow users to double-
click the file to open their MP3 player.
Default Button
To restore all settings in this dialog to their de-
fault values, click Defaults.
While ID3 v2.3 is the current standard
MP3 format, not all MP3 players support
ID3 v2.3. Contact the player software
developer for compatibility information.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1069
Format
This is the format for the bounced result.
Choices are Mono (Summed), Multiple Mono, and
Stereo Interleaved.
To set the format of the bounced file:
Select a file format from the Format selector.
Mono (Summed) Creates a single disk file that is
a summed mono mix of the current sources be-
ing monitored.
Before bouncing to disk, make sure your levels
are below –3 dB to avoid clipping that occurs
when left and right signals exceed –3 dB below
maximum, or full code (0 dBFS).
Multiple Mono Creates multiple mono files with
the same number of channels as the source
path.
• If the source output or bus path is stereo, two
mono files will be created, and appended with
“.L” and “.R” suffixes on bounce.
• If a multichannel format is used (for example,
six-channel, 5.1), individual mono files will
be created for each member of the path. Files
will be appended with path suffixes according
to the path definition in the I/O Setup dialog.
• If the source output or bus path is mono, the
pop-up menu will switch from multiple mono
to mono, and will create one mono file (no
summing of multiple sources).
Stereo Interleaved Creates a single, interleaved
file that contains all of the bounced streams
from the chosen output path. In an interleaved
stereo bounce, tracks assigned to odd-numbered
outputs are sent to the left channel, and tracks
assigned to even-numbered outputs are sent to
the right channel.
Pro Tools also lets you bounce multichannel in-
terleaved files of any supported file type. This
can simplify file management of mixes and proj-
ects for backup and archiving.
Pro Tools does not support interleaved files na-
tively. This means that they must be split into
multi-mono files on import (requiring addi-
tional disk space).
Resolution
This option lets you select between three differ-
ent bit resolutions for the bounce conversion.
Bounce to Disk does not apply dither when con-
verting during or after a bounce to a lower reso-
lution (including when bouncing to 16-bit).
When you need to create a lower resolution file,
use a dither plug-in, on a Master Fader assigned
to the bounce source path. This dithers the
bounced file, before the Bounce to Disk conver-
sion truncates down to the final file resolution.
(See “Dithering” on page 1062.)
Resolution choices include the following:
8-Bit This resolution is often used in multimedia
applications. If the material you are working
with is relatively simple, you can use the
Pro Tools “Squeezer” feature for optimal results.
See “Use Squeezer” on page 1071 for details.
16-Bit This is the Compact Disc standard bit res-
olution.
If your session is 16-bit, you should still use
a dither plug-in on the output mix, because
all Pro Tools systems process audio inter-
nally at higher bit depths.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1070
24-Bit This setting provides the highest resolu-
tion. It is useful when you want to create a final
mix without losing any resolution (for example,
if you are delivering a final mix that will be
ready to master).
To set the resolution of the bounced file:
Select a bit depth from the Resolution
selector.
Sample Rate
This option lets you save to any of several sam-
ple rates. Choices are dependent on your
Pro Tools system and Pro Tools audio interfaces.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
If you choose a sample rate that differs from the
original sample rate of the session, the conver-
sion options become available. You can config-
ure the conversion quality, and schedule con-
version to occur during, or after, the bounce. See
“Sample Rate Conversion Quality Option” on
page 1070 for more information.
The following are the more common sample
rates, and their applications. Higher sampling
rates will provide better audio fidelity for record-
ing and playback, and also for processing with
dynamics, dither (with noise shaping), and ana-
log emulation plug-ins.
192000 This is a supported sample rate for some
audio DVDs, and provides the highest quality
audio fidelity with compatible audio interfaces
(such as the 192 I/O).
176400 You may want to work at a sample rate
of 176.4 kHz if the final delivery will be at
44.1 kHz (such as compact disc). This will pro-
vide a slightly faster sample rate conversion to
44.1 kHz than from 192 kHz.
96000 This is a supported sample rate for DVD
audio and provides high-quality audio fidelity
with compatible audio interfaces (such as the
192 I/O, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 003, and Digi 002).
88200 You may want to work at a sample rate of
88.2 kHz if the final delivery will be at 44.1 kHz
(such as compact disc). This will provide a
slightly faster sample rate conversion to
44.1 kHz than from 96 kHz.
48000 This is a standard sample rate for Profes-
sional and DVD video, as well as some broadcast
and recording label archiving, and is supported
by DA-88/98, DAT, and ADAT decks.
44100 This is the standard sample rate for com-
pact discs (CD), and is supported by DA-88/98,
DAT, and ADAT decks.
Custom For a custom sample rate, click in the
sample rate window and manually enter in a
value.
Pull-Up and Pull-Down Rates All available sample
rates support pull-up and pull-down rates, or
other specialized rates.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
Option
When you specify a different sample rate for a
bounced file (for example, when mixing a ses-
sion recorded at 96 kHz to 44.1 kHz for release
on an audio CD), Pro Tools uses the Conversion
Quality option to determine the quality of sam-
ple rate conversion used.
There are five possible settings, ranging from
Low (lowest quality) to Tweak Head (highest
quality). The higher the quality of sample rate
conversion, the longer it takes to convert the
bounced file.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1071
Use Squeezer
(8-Bit Resolution Only)
The Use Squeezer option uses a proprietary DSP
algorithm specifically designed for performing
8-bit conversion of simple source files such as
voice-overs. It optimizes the dynamics of the au-
dio by preprocessing it using compression, lim-
iting, and gating before conversion to 8-bit res-
olution. This results in greater apparent
loudness in the signal, and improved intelligi-
bility. If you are converting a more complex 16-
bit audio file to 8-bit resolution, test this option
before converting all of your material.
Convert During or After Bounce
The Bounce to Disk dialog can perform any con-
version options, including sample rate and bit
depth conversion, during a bounce or post-
bounce.
The following options are only available when
bouncing to a different file type, format, resolu-
tion, or sample rate.
Convert During Bounce This option may take less
time than Convert After Bounce, but does so at
the expense of plug-in automation playback ac-
curacy.
Convert After Bounce The Convert After Bounce
option, though it takes more time, offers the
highest level of plug-in automation accuracy
possible.
Import Into Session After Bounce
The Import After Bounce option automatically
imports the newly bounced files into the Region
List so you can place them in tracks. If your
newly bounced files are split stereo files (Multi-
ple Mono), they are listed together in the Region
List.
Recording a Submix (with
Bounce to Disk)
You can create a submix with the Bounce to Disk
command by muting tracks or bypassing inserts
that are not part of the submix, and selecting
the part of the session you want to bounce; or,
you could solo only the audio you want to
bounce.
You can also create a submix by recording to
new tracks. For details, see “Sample Rate Con-
version and Bit Depth Reduction” on page 1063.
To bounce a submix to disk:
1 Configure your submix using sends, Auxiliary
Inputs, and Master Faders. (See “Signal Routing
for Monitoring and Submixing” on page 951.)
2 Do one of the following:
• To bounce the entire session, click Return
to Zero in the Transport window to go to
the beginning of the session.
– or –
• To bounce a portion of the session, enable
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection,
and make a selection in the Edit window.
3 Choose File > Bounce to > Disk.
4 Configure bounce options and settings.
The Import After Bounce option is only
available if the target file type and sample
rate for the bounce is the same as the file
type and sample rate of the current session,
and the target resolution (bit rate) is the
same or lower than the resolution of the ses-
sion. In addition, tracks bounced to a Stereo
Interleaved file cannot be automatically im-
ported after a bounce.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1072
5 Verify the bit resolution for the bounced file
matches the bit resolution of the session.
6 Verify the sample rate for the bounced file is
supported by the session and the audio inter-
face.
7 If required, verify the file type and format for
the bounced file matches the file type and for-
mat of the session.
8 If you want to bring the bounced file into your
current session, select the Import After Bounce op-
tion.
9 Click Bounce.
10 Select a destination for the new audio file,
enter a name, and click Save.
Pro Tools bounces are done in real time, so you
hear audio playback of your mix during the
bounce process. You cannot adjust controls
while bouncing to disk.
To bring bounced files back into tracks:
1 Do one of the following:
• If the newly bounced audio was automati-
cally imported into the session, drag the
new files from the Region List to existing
tracks in your session.
• If the bounced files are not available in the
Region List, import them into the session
with the Import Audio command, or drag
and drop the bounced files from a DigiBase
browser.
• If you are placing multiple files, keep chan-
nels time-aligned with each other by Shift-
selecting them in the Region List, and drag-
ging them simultaneously into existing
tracks of the correct format.
2 When working with stereo tracks, set the Pan
controls hard left and hard right.
3 Solo the track with the bounce on it.
4 Click Play in the Transport to hear the results
of the bounce.
Final Mixdown
In final mixdown, you create a mix that in-
cludes all your edits, automation, and effects
processing.
To bounce a final mix to disk:
1 Adjust track output levels, and finalize any
mix automation for each track in the session.
2 Adjust any real-time plug-in and effects set-
tings and their automation for each track in the
session.
3 Make sure that all of the tracks you want to in-
clude in the bounce are audible (not muted or
inactive).
4 Assign the output of each of the tracks you
want to include in your bounce to the same out-
put or bus path.
5 Add dither (see “Dithering” on page 1062).
If you bounced from a selection point, you
can snap the file to the bounce point: Start-
drag (Windows) or Control-drag (Mac) the
region from the Region List to the destina-
tion track.
Chapter 46: Mixdown 1073
6 Do one of the following:
• To bounce the entire session, click Return
to Zero in the Transport to go to the begin-
ning of the session.
– or –
• To bounce a portion of the session, enable
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection,
and make a selection in the Edit window.
7 Choose File > Bounce to > Disk.
8 Choose the source path you want to bounce.
9 Configure other Bounce to Disk settings as ap-
propriate. See “Bounce Options” on page 1065.
10 Click Bounce.
11 Select a destination for the new audio file,
enter a name, and click Save.
Mastering
In the final mastering process, you might record
directly to disk, DAT, DVD, CD, stereo master-
ing recorder, or a multitrack recorder (for sur-
round mixes).
Once you have created a master of your session,
you can transfer it to a portable medium for du-
plication. You can transfer the master file to CD
or DAT to be used as a master for pressing com-
pact discs.
Mastering to a Digital Recorder
Although it is usually best to master sessions di-
rectly to hard disk, Pro Tools also lets you master
digitally, direct to any AES/EBU-equipped or
S/PDIF-equipped digital recorder such as a DAT
deck.
24-Bit Input and Output
Pro Tools|HD systems support full 24-bit audio
input and output signal paths, with 48-bit inter-
nal mixing and processing, providing an addi-
tional 16 bits of headroom at the top of a chan-
nel’s dynamic range, and 8 bits at the bottom.
You can exchange files with other 24-bit record-
ing systems without any bit-depth conversion
(as long as they are in a compatible file format).
Pro Tools systems support 24-bit input and out-
put, and uses 32-bit floating point mixing and
processing internally. You can exchange files
with other 24-bit recording systems without any
bit-depth conversion (as long as they are in a
compatible file format).
By default, the bounce will end at the last
audio waveform or MIDI note. To end the
bounce sooner, make an Edit or Timeline
selection to define the end (and start) of the
bounce.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1074
Mastering and Audio Compression
Although audio compression is often an indis-
pensable tool in analog recording, it can present
problems in the digital domain. If you compress
an input signal at a very high ratio, you create a
signal that contains a much higher overall
power level compared to its transients. By re-
cording a number of such signals at the highest
possible level on multiple tracks, you create a
scenario that is more likely to clip the mixed
output signal.
High-power compressed signals, when mixed
together, create an extremely high-level output.
This output may rise above the full-code level,
resulting in clipping.
To avoid this problem, watch the overall level of
your program material—use a meter on a Master
Fader, or use an external mastering deck’s me-
ters to help identify clipping. If you are master-
ing to hard disk, avoid mixing full-code audio
signals together at unity or “0” level, as this in-
variably causes clipping.
Mastering and Error-Correcting
Media
Random access media (such as hard disks, opti-
cal cartridges, Bernoulli cartridges or WORM
drives) can produce a true digital copy of your
data, because every bit value is maintained. Se-
quential media (such as DAT tapes) use error
correction schemes to fix the occasional bad
data that is received in a digital transfer. These
corrections are deviations from the actual data,
and with successive reproductions, represent a
subtle form of generation loss.
You can avoid this loss by creating and main-
taining masters on random-access digital media
(such as a hard drive) and transferring them to
sequential digital media (such as DAT tapes)
only as needed.
To configure Pro Tools for direct digital stereo
mastering:
1 Connect your digital recorder to your system’s
digital outputs. If your system has multiple dig-
ital outputs, use channel 1 and 2 of the audio in-
terface.
2 In Pro Tools, set the appropriate digital format
and output from the Hardware Setup dialog or
I/O Setup dialog. (See “Configuring Pro Tools
Hardware Settings” on page 69.)
3 Set the clock on the master device to slave to
Pro Tools digital clock, or to provide master
clock to Pro Tools. (See “Configuring Pro Tools
Hardware Settings” on page 69.)
4 On your digital recorder, choose the appropri-
ate digital format for the connections.
5 In Pro Tools, set all audio tracks you want to
your master outputs 1–2 path.
6 Click Return to Zero in the Transport to go to
the beginning of the session.
7 Press Record on your digital recorder.
8 Start playback of your session.
9 When your session has finished playing, stop
the digital recorder.
1075
Part X: Surround
1076
Chapter 47: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1077
Chapter 47: Pro Tools Setup for
Surround
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 let you work with sur-
round formats up to 7.1.
Surround Mixing in Pro Tools
Pro Tools supports mixing in the following mul-
tichannel (greater than stereo) formats: LCR,
Quad, LCRS, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0, 7.0 SDDS
(Sony Dynamic Digital Sound), 7.1, and 7.1
SDDS.
Pro Tools Audio Connections
for 5.1 Mixing
While all 5.1 mixing formats provide the same
speaker arrangement, there are three primary
standards in use for the track layout of the indi-
vidual channels that comprise the 5.1-format
multichannel mix.
In the following table, it is assumed that sur-
round channels are assigned to outputs 1–6 of a
Pro Tools audio interface. Use channels 7–8 to
monitor a stereo mix for a stereo version, or for
cue mixes and monitoring.
For information on fundamental surround
concepts, see the Pro Tools Sync & Surround
Concepts Guide.
For Pro Tools with Complete Production
Toolkit 2, depending on your Pro Tools
device, you may not be able to monitor all
available surround formats. For more
information, see the Complete Production
Toolkit Guide.
Track Layouts for 5.1 Formats
Formats Track Layout
123456
Film
(Pro Tools
default)
LCRLsRsLFE
SMPTE/ITU
for Dolby
Digital (AC3)
LRCLFELsRs
DTS
or ProControl
LRLsRsCLFE
C|24 L C R Ls Rs Lf
Control|24 L R C Lf Ls Rs
Pro Tools Reference Guide1078
The following table shows the X-MON mono
track routing for a 7.1 SDDS mix. A 5.1 mix
should use the same routing, excluding outputs
2 and 4 (Lc and Rc).
To connect your audio interfaces for 5.1 format
mixing and monitoring:
1 Determine the 5.1 format and track layout
you want to use.
2 Connect the output channels of your audio
interface to the corresponding input channels of
your monitoring system according to the assign-
ments listed in the tables above.
7.1 and 7.0 Formats
7.1 and 7.0 Format
HD-DVD and Blu-Ray systems use the following
track layout for 7.1 and 7.0 surround formats:
• 3 front channels (Left, Center, Right)
• 2 side channels (Left Surround Side, Right
Surround Side)
• 2 rear channels (Left Surround Rear, Right
Surround Rear)
• 1 LFE channel (x.1 formats only)
The following table shows the default mono
track routing for a 7.1 mix in Pro Tools.
7.1 and 7.0 SDDS Formats
The Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) 7.1
and 7.0 surround formats use the following
track layout:
• 5 front channels (Left, Left Center, Center,
Right Center, Right)
• 2 rear channels (Left Rear, Right Rear)
• 1 LFE channel (x.1 formats only)
The following table shows default mono track
routing for a 7.1 SDDS mix in Pro Tools.
Default Track Layout for 7.1 SDDS Format
Formats Track Layout
1234567 8
ICON X-MON L Lc C Rc R Ls Rs LFE
If you use a control surface, see its guide for
more information.
Default Track Layout for 7.1 Format
Track Layout
123 4 5 6 7 8
LCR Lss RssLsrRsrLFE
Default Track Layout for 7.1 SDDS Format
Track Layout
1234567 8
LLcCRcRLsRsLFE
Chapter 47: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1079
Configuring Pro Tools for
Multichannel Sessions
Configuring Pro Tools and sessions for multi-
channel mixing can be done in any (or all) of
the following ways:
New Sessions
You can create a new session and choose a sur-
round mix I/O Settings file as the default
I/O Setup. See “New Sessions and I/O Settings”
on page 1079.
Remixing Sessions in Surround (Importing
Multichannel I/O Setups)
By creating or importing a surround mix I/O Set-
tings file in the I/O Setup dialog, multichannel
paths can be made available in any stereo (or
other format) session. You can then reassign
track routing from the original stereo paths to
multichannel paths. Inactive and active paths
simplify reassignment. See “Importing Multi-
channel I/O Setups” on page 1081.
Custom Multichannel Paths
You can customize and redefine existing paths
in the I/O Setup dialog. For more information,
see “Custom Multichannel Paths” on
page 1082.
Importing Session Data
By using the Import Session Data command (File
> Import > Session Data), you can import tracks
and media from other sessions plus their associ-
ated paths and track assignments. After import-
ing session data, you can use the I/O Setup dia-
log to configure main and sub-paths for the
requirements of the session. For more informa-
tion, see Chapter 7, “I/O Setup.”
New Sessions and I/O Settings
When you create a new session, you can specify
a surround format that you want to use as your
I/O Setup. Default path configurations are pro-
vided as I/O Settings files, for stereo and sur-
round mixing.
Once you create the new session, you can create
and import tracks, import audio, and assign sig-
nal routing to set up your mix.
To create a new session for multichannel mixing:
1 Choose File > New Session.
2 Select the Create Blank Session option.
3 Select the Audio File Type, Sample Rate, and
Bit Depth.
To see multichannel options in Pro Tools,
the Surround Mixer plug-in must be in-
stalled in the Plug-Ins folder. This plug-in
can be installed with Pro Tools (see the User
Guide for your Pro Tools system). If it is not
installed, you can move it from the Plug-Ins
(Unused) folder to the Plug-Ins folder.
New Session dialog, 5.1 Film Mix I/O setting selected
Pro Tools Reference Guide1080
4 From the I/O Settings menu, select one of the
following options:
•5.1 Film Mix
•SMPTE/ITU
•DTS/ProControl Monitoring
•C24 Mix
•Control 24 Mix
•ICON X-MON Mix
5 Click OK.
6 In the Save dialog, name the session, navigate
to the location where you want to save the new
session, and click Save.
The surround presets preconfigure the I/O Setup
dialog for the new session with default 5.1 for-
mat main and sub-paths for outputs and busses.
Surround Mix Settings Files
The surround mix I/O Settings provide output
and bus paths for six specific track layout stan-
dards in the new session. (For information on
inputs and insert paths, see “Default Input and
Insert Paths with 5.1 Settings” on page 1081.)
All available 5.1 format (and greater) I/O Set-
tings (Film, SMPTE/ITU, DTS, C24 Mix,
Control 24 Mix, or ICON X-MON Mix) provide
the following default output and bus paths for
the new session:
Default 5.1 Output Paths
• One 5.1 main output path.
– and –
•One stereo main path.
Standard 5.1 format (film) output paths
Settings Files and Track Layouts
5.1 Settings Track Layout
5.1 Film Mix L C R Ls Rs LFE
SMPTE/ITU Mix L R C LFE Ls Rs
DTS Mix (ProControl) L R Ls Rs C LFE
C24 Mix L C R Ls Rs Lf
Control 24 Mix L R C Lf Ls Rs
ICON X-MON Mix L Lc C Rc R Ls Rs LFE
I/O Setup, Output page, default 5.1 (Film) Output
assignments
Chapter 47: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1081
Default 5.1 Bus Paths
• One 5.1 main output bus path, with sub-
paths for 5.0 (no LFE), left/right (stereo),
LCR, and center (mono).
– and –
• One stereo main output bus path with two
mono sub-paths.
Default Input and Insert Paths with 5.1 Settings
The 5.1 Mix settings files provide default stereo
main paths and mono sub-paths for inputs and
inserts. If you need multichannel input paths or
inserts, you can create them in the I/O Setup
(see “Custom Multichannel Paths” on
page 1082).
Importing Multichannel
I/O Setups
The I/O Setup dialog can import and export set-
tings files. This is useful when you want to remix
a stereo session in surround. You can also use
this feature to prepare a session for transfer to a
different Pro Tools system, or to save and ex-
change I/O Settings.
To import a multichannel I/O Setup settings file:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Output tab.
3 Click Import Settings.
4 Select the settings file (.pio) to import and
click Open.
5 If the current session has path definitions that
do not match those in the imported settings file,
Pro Tools asks whether you want to delete the
existing paths or retain them and add the im-
ported settings to your session.
• Click No to add new paths to your current I/O
Setup configuration.
• Click Yes to replace your current I/O Setup
configuration with the imported settings.
6 Click the Bus tab.
7 If the Bus page does not show the correct out-
put bus mappings for the imported I/O Settings
file, click the Default button (for All Busses or for
Output Busses).
8 Click OK to close the I/O Setup.
Exporting I/O Settings
Exporting I/O Setup settings files lets you build a
library of multichannel setups for different proj-
ects.
To export an I/O Setup settings file:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click Export Settings.
3 Name and Save your current I/O Settings.
I/O Setup, Bus page, default 5.1 (Film) Output Bus
assignments
Pro Tools Reference Guide1082
Custom Multichannel Paths
The I/O Setup dialog lets you create and custom-
ize signal paths for any supported multichannel
mixing format.
Multichannel paths and sub-paths are assigned
to input and output channels in the Channel
Grid. When you select a preset 5.1 I/O Settings
file, default layout for the corresponding multi-
channel format paths you create will match the
selected format’s track layout.
In addition, the I/O Setup dialog, like the Main
page of the Hardware Setup dialog, provides
controls for routing the physical inputs and out-
puts on your audio interface to available inputs
and outputs in Pro Tools.
Reassigning Channels
The I/O Setup dialog and its Channel Grid also
let you reassign channels. This is especially use-
ful for routing channels within a multichannel
path, without having to repatch your audio in-
terfaces.
You can reassign paths to any required configu-
ration, limited only by your systems resources,
and the I/O Setup dialog requirements for chan-
nel overlapping and naming (see “Valid Paths
and Requirements” on page 108 for more infor-
mation).
Example LCRS Setup
The following example shows one possible way
to configure the I/O Setup dialog to mix in
4-channel LCRS format, with an HD I/O.
To define an LCRS path:
1 Choose Setup > I/O, and click the Output tab.
2 Click New Path.
3 Select LCRS from the Path Format selector.
4 Name the path LCRS.
5 In the Channel Grid, click in the box below
the first (left-most) audio interface channel for
the path. Pro Tools automatically fills up the ad-
jacent units to the right. If you click in the LCRS
row under channel 1, the LCRS path will be as-
signed to channels 1–4.
6 Click the Bus tab.
7 If the Bus page does not show the correct out-
put bus mappings for the LCRS output, click the
Default button (for All Busses or for Output Bus-
ses).
8 Select the new LCRS path and click the Reveal
Sub-paths triangle.
When creating 5.1 format paths, you can
specify the default track layout. See “De-
fault Path Order for 5.1 Tracks” on
page 1084.
See also “Example Paths and Signal Rout-
ing for a Surround Mix” on page 1094.
For additional I/O Setup information, see
“Output Busses” on page 108.
Output page, LCRS output path
Chapter 47: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1083
9 If not all of the sub-paths are present, do the
following:
• Click New Sub-Path.
• Name the new sub-path LCR and select
LCR as the Path format. Click in channel 1
in the LCR row to assign the bus path.
• Select the LCRS path, click New Sub-Path,
and create a stereo sub-path for front Left
and front Right.
• Select the LCRS path, click New Sub-Path,
and create a mono sub-path for the Center
channel.
• Select the LCRS path, click New Sub-Path,
and create a mono sub-path for the Sur-
round channel.
10 Click OK to close the I/O Setup.
5.1 Tracks, Formats, Assignments,
and Metering
Path definitions in I/O Setup determine how au-
dio is routed through, and metered on, your au-
dio interfaces.
Pro Tools internal (on-screen) metering of 5.1
format paths always follows the Film track lay-
out:
L C R Ls Rs LFE
Pro Tools track layout of 5.1 format audio tracks
in the Edit window also conforms to the Film
layout (arranged top to bottom). See “5.1 Track
Layouts, Routing, and Metering” on page 1085
In the I/O Setup dialog, you can route these sig-
nals out of your audio interfaces according to
any track layout (such as DTS or SMPTE/ITU).
To re-assign channels in a path:
Drag a channel to a new valid location in the
Grid. Other channel assignments will move
(shuffle) to accommodate dragged channels.
Default I/O Selectors in I/O
Setup
The Output page of the I/O Setup dialog pro-
vides selectors for setting I/O defaults in your
multichannel sessions.
Bus page, LCRS output bus with sub-paths
Default selectors in the I/O Setup dialog
Default 5.1 Path Order I/O Setup Options
Pro Tools Reference Guide1084
Default Monitor Format Sets the default monitor
format (Stereo, 5.1, or 7.1) for new Output paths
and for when you click the Default button.
5.1 Path Order Selects the default track layout
(or, path order) for new 5.1 format (six-channel)
Output paths.
Controller Meter Path Selects the path that will
be shown in the control surface output meters.
See “5.1 Tracks, Formats, Assignments, and Me-
tering” on page 1083 for more information.
Audition Paths Selects the monitoring path for
previewing audio in the Region List, Import Au-
dio dialogs, and DigiBase. Only outputs on your
primary interface can be used as your Audition
path.
New Track Default Output Selects the default
output path for all new tracks, for each sup-
ported track format.
AFL/PFL Path Selects where tracks are routed to
when they are soloed in AFL (After Fader Listen)
or PFL (Pre Fader Listen) Solo mode.
AFL/PFL Mutes (Output Path) Selects which out-
put is muted when AFL (After Fader Listen) or
PFL (Pre Fader Listen) Solo mode is enabled, and
a track is soloed.
Default Path Order for 5.1 Tracks
You can specify the default track layout for all
new 5.1 format paths you create.
To choose a new default 5.1-format path order
(track layout):
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
2 Click the Output tab.
3 Use the 5.1 Default Path Order setting to select
the track layout you want (Film, SMPTE/ITU, or
DTS/ProControl Monitoring0.
The New Track Default Output can be set to
bus paths, as well as output paths.
Chapter 47: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1085
5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering
Track layout of different 5.1 formats
Channel Assignments in I/O Setup5.1 Format
Film
SMPTE/ITU
DTS
L C R Ls Rs LFE
(Control|24 Mix)
L R Ls Rs C LFE
L C R Ls Rs LFE
Track Meters Tracks
L C R Ls Rs LFE
(top to bottom)
same
L C R Ls Rs LFE
same
same
same
L C R Ls Rs LFE
(left to right)
L C R Ls Rs LFE
(Pro Tools Standard,
(ProControl Monitoring)
L C R Ls Rs LFE
L R C LFE Ls Rs
L R Ls Rs C LFE
L R C LFE Ls Rs
and C|24 Mix)
ICON X-MON
(8-channel 7.1)
L C R Ls Rs LFE
(top to bottom)
same same
L C R Ls Rs LFE
(left to right)
L x C x R Ls Rs LFE
L x C x R Ls Rs LFE
Pro Tools Reference Guide1086
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1087
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and
Signal Routing
Surround sessions typically include a combina-
tion of mono, stereo, and multichannel audio,
Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument
tracks, and inserts and busses.
Once the appropriate I/O Setup has been im-
ported or configured, audio, Auxiliary Input,
Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can be
mixed in multichannel for surround using
Pro Tools mixing features.
Multichannel I/O and signal routing is deter-
mined by the paths defined in the I/O Setup di-
alog.
Multichannel Audio Tracks
Multichannel audio tracks contain an individ-
ual channel for each signal in the track (for ex-
ample, a 5.1 track would have six channels for
left, center, right, left surround, right surround,
and LFE).
Multichannel audio tracks can be:
• Recorded directly into Pro Tools, using multi-
ple microphones or microphone arrays, or
routed to appropriate multichannel Pro Tools
Input paths
• Imported from other Pro Tools sessions
• Edited, processed, and mixed in combination
with mono and stereo tracks
5.1 format audio files and tracks conform to the
Film track layout standard. Regardless of path
assignments in the I/O Setup dialog, all 5.1 for-
mat audio tracks and meters follow the Film
standard track layout:
LCRLsRsLFE
Multichannel surround mixing is supported
with Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 only.
5.1 format multichannel audio track
Pro Tools Reference Guide1088
Multichannel audio tracks are not required to
mix in multichannel formats. Mono, stereo, and
all supported track formats can be mixed using
Pro Tools track outputs and sends (see “Multi-
channel Signal Routing” on page 1090).
Placing Audio in Multichannel
Tracks
You can drag audio files and regions from Di-
giBase browsers, the Region List, Windows Ex-
plorer, or Mac Finder, or from other tracks, to
place them in multichannel audio tracks.
To do so, the number of channels being dragged
must match the destination track format. For
example, you can only drag a stereo pair or two
mono regions onto a stereo audio track. Simi-
larly, you can only place audio into an LCR track
when you have selected three regions. With 5.1
tracks, you must select six mono files or regions.
Solo, Mute, and Gain in
Multichannel Tracks and Paths
Stereo and multichannel tracks consist of multi-
ple audio signals, linked together. By default,
multichannel tracks are linked and are con-
trolled by a single channel fader, and solo and
mute switches.
For discrete control of signals, multichannel
tracks can be converted into individual mono
tracks. For discrete level and phase adjustment,
you can insert and unlink a multi-mono Trim
plug-in. Both of these techniques are explained
below.
To convert a multichannel track into discrete
mono tracks:
1 Select the multichannel track.
2 Choose Track > Split Into Mono.
When dragged into a multichannel track,
audio files are placed from top to bottom in
the exact order that they appear in the Re-
gion List or playlist from which they came
(Top to Bottom must be selected for in the
Region List menu > Timeline Drop Order).
For this reason, you may want to rename
audio files before dragging them, so that
they are placed in the preferred order. Re-
name them so that sorting them By Region
Name in the Region List results in the pre-
ferred order. (For example, with a 5.1-for-
mat track, you can rename the audio tracks
so that the arrangement of the tracks corre-
sponds to L, C, R, Ls, Rs, and LFE.)
Once converted to mono, multichannel
tracks cannot be relinked into their original
multichannel format. However, a multi-
channel track can be reassembled by drag-
ging the corresponding number of mono
files (with the appropriate file suffixes) into
a multichannel track, although some auto-
mation data may be lost. As an alternative,
record the submix of the mono tracks to disk
on a multichannel track.
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1089
To have discrete control of gain on individual
channels of a multichannel track:
1 Insert a multi-mono Trim plug-in on the mul-
tichannel track.
2 Unlink the Trim plug-in by clicking the Link
icon so that it is unlit.
3 Use the Channel selector to display the con-
trols for a channel, and adjust the gain.
Track and Output Formats
When you create new tracks, you specify mono,
stereo, or a supported multichannel format for
the new tracks.
In the Mix and Edit windows, the track format
of a track’s output is always visible by the num-
ber of track meters contained in its fader strip
(for example, a single meter for mono tracks, a
pair of meters for stereo tracks, and six meters
for 5.1 tracks).
Assigning track output determines the format of
that output. For example, a mono track always
has a single track meter, even when assigned to
a stereo output path. If that same mono track is
assigned to a 5.1 output path, it's output will be
split among those six output channels, depend-
ing on the position of its panner.
Changing Format
Changing the output format for a given track
has several effects:
• The panner that appears in the track will
change to reflect the new output format.
• It may be necessary for one or more pan re-
lated automation playlists to be created or de-
leted.
Because changing the output format has these
effects, a warning dialog appears whenever you
change the output format of a track to a format
of fewer channels. Specifically, this will occur
whenever automation playlists will have to be
deleted.
Multiple Output Assignments and Track Format
When a track is assigned to more than one path
of differing formats, the main output for that
track will match the format of the assigned path
with the greatest number of channels.
Multiple Outputs and Automation Playlists
When a track has multiple output assignments,
Pro Tools sorts panning data appropriately for
each assigned path. For example, if you assign a
mono track to a stereo path and a 5.1 path si-
multaneously, that track will have a 5.1 panner
in the Mix or Edit window. When you pan the
track, Pro Tools interprets the 5.1 panning
moves into stereo panning moves.
This provides a type of parallel mixing. You can
create a variety of mixes of differing formats all
at the same time by routing your elements to
multiple paths.
See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1091 for
more information.
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) any control in an
Output window to show its automation
playlist in the Edit window and view any
pan automation.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1090
Multichannel Signal Routing
To mix in a multichannel format, tracks are as-
signed to multichannel paths.
Tracks can be mixed in surround using the fol-
lowing two methods:
• By setting a track main output to a multichan-
nel path.
• By assigning a multichannel send to route au-
dio to a multichannel path.
Multichannel Track Outputs
Tracks can be routed to multichannel output or
bus paths using the track’s Output Path selector.
This provides a multichannel panner and meter
in the Mix and Edit window I/O View.
Additional output assignments can be added by
Start-clicking (Windows) or Control-clicking
(Mac) the Selector tool and assigning another
path.
Multichannel Sends
All track formats, including mono and stereo, let
you assign one or more multichannel sends.
This provides a multichannel panner in the
Sends View. Sends are also useful to bus tracks
for multichannel plug-in processing.
The following figure shows a mono audio track
with a 5.1 (6-channel) send (View > Sends A–E >
Send A).
Two different ways to configure tracks for multichannel
mixing
This channel’s output path
is multichannel, so the
track provides a multichan-
nel panner
This channel’s main
output path is mono
(“Center music”). It
has a multichannel
send providing a multi-
channel panner
A mono audio track with a mono output format and a
multichannel send
Multichannel send panner
Mono meter
Mono output format
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1091
Pro Tools bussing and submixing features are
available for all channel formats, from
mono/stereo through 8-channel. For examples
of multichannel monitoring, effects processing,
and bussing, see “Mixing with Paths and Sub-
Paths” on page 1092. For mono and stereo mix
examples, see Chapter 43, “Basic Mixing.”
Multichannel Auxiliary Inputs and
Master Faders
A multichannel Auxiliary Input or Master Fader
is used as a return for the multichannel bus.
Sends are useful when you need to create an ad-
ditional, independent mix simultaneously (per-
haps of a distinct format), requiring dedicated
fader, mute, solo, and automation controls.
You can assign Master Faders to main and sub-
paths. Main paths must match the format of the
Master Fader, and only one Master Fader can be
active and assigned to any single (active) main
or sub-path. A Master Fader cannot be assigned
to a sub-path if its associated main path is al-
ready assigned on another Master Fader. See
“Master Fader Tracks and Signal Flow” on
page 924.
Multichannel Instrument Tracks
Multichannel tracks can be used to monitor and
route multichannel instrument plug-ins or mul-
tichannel external MIDI instruments.
Mono, Multi-Mono and
Multichannel Plug-Ins
Plug-Ins can be used in mono, multi-mono, or
multichannel formats.
For information about mono, stereo, and mono-
in/stereo-out plug-ins, see Chapter 44, “Plug-In
and Hardware Inserts.”
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins Are designed for use on ste-
reo or greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks.
Multi-mono plug-ins are useful, or required, in
the following situations:
• When a plug-in does not involve multichan-
nel correlated processing (for example, when
applying EQ to select sides of a multichannel
signal)
• When you need to adjust signals within the
multichannel track independently
• When a plug-in does not support multichan-
nel formats
When a multi-mono plug-in is first inserted on a
multichannel track, the plug-in controls are
linked. You can unlink them for independent
adjustment. See “Linking and Unlinking Con-
trols on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1091 for
more information.
Multi-mono plugs-ins can also be inserted on
stereo tracks, to apply unlinked plug-ins on the
left and right channels.
Multichannel Plug-Ins Are designed for use on
stereo and multichannel tracks that require cor-
related processing, including stereo and multi-
channel limiting, compression, and similar ef-
fects.
Linking and Unlinking Controls on
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins
When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multi-
channel track of more than two channels, 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 inde-
pendently. You can also selectively link the con-
trols of specific channels.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1092
For example, to apply equal filter cutoffs to the
Ls and Rs (surround) channels in a 5.1 mix, you
could link enable just those channels in an un-
linked, multi-mono EQ plug-in. Adjusting the
controls in the plug-in window for either chan-
nel (Ls or Rs) adjusts the other, linked channel
as well.
Channel Selector Accesses a specific channel
within a multichannel track for plug-in parame-
ter editing. This menu appears only on multi-
mono plug-ins inserted on tracks with more
than two channels.
Master Link Button When enabled, links the
controls on all channels of a multi-mono plug-
in so that they can be adjusted in tandem.
Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link the
controls of specific channels of a multi-mono
plug-in. Each square represents a speaker chan-
nel. The Master Link button must be disabled to
use the Link Enable buttons.
To unlink controls on a multi-mono plug-in:
Deselect the Master Link button. It is lit when
linked, unlit when unlinked.
To access controls for a specific channel:
Select the channel from the Channel selector.
To open a plug-in window for all channels of a
multi-mono plug-in:
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) 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 channels
whose controls you want to link.
Paths in Surround Mixes
Because Pro Tools provides a flexible routing
and submixing environment, you can maximize
your system’s available resources by first identi-
fying the elements that you want to pan dynam-
ically and those that can be placed in certain
channels only (see “Mixing with Paths and Sub-
Paths” on page 1092).
Once you have identified these elements in your
session, you can use a combination of main and
sub-path assignments, and multichannel pan-
ning.
Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths
It is rare that every track needs to be “flown” (ac-
tively panned in between more than a pair of
speakers). In most situations, certain elements
are placed in certain speakers and remain there,
providing the foundation for a mix.
The following figure illustrates an example of
how panning and signal routing can be com-
bined in a multichannel mix.
Channel selector and Link controls
Channel selector
Link Enable buttons
Master Link button
See “Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions
to Surround Mixing” on page 1095 for re-
lated information.
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1093
The following topics describe how to organize
your session and signal routing to maximize the
available resources.
When to Assign Multichannel Outputs
Assign 5.1 paths only to those tracks that need
to be panned to all six channels.
For example, a sound effects track with a jet fly-
over should be assigned a 5.1 path to fly the
sound from front-to-back. In a music mix, you
can fly a solo instrument or make a synth pad
swirl around the room as a special effect.
Elements that need to be heard in all speakers si-
multaneously can also be assigned to the multi-
channel output, whether or not they require ac-
tive panning in the sound field.
Using signal routing and sub-paths to mix in surround
Effect bus
routing
Outputs to
sub-paths
Outputs to main 5.1 path for surround panning
Tracks routed to main
5.1 surround path
Tracks routed to subpaths Auxiliary Input
routed to main
5.1 surround path
Pro Tools Reference Guide1094
When to Use Sub-Paths
To help simplify large sessions, use sub-paths
to route static (or, stationary) elements directly
to the output channel or channels.
For example, film dialog is often mixed to the
center channel to anchor this essential sound el-
ement to the picture. Instead of assigning a six-
channel panner to dialog tracks and panning
the tracks to the center speaker only, you can
route the dialog track’s main output to a mono
(Center) sub-path.
Extending Stereo Mixing
Conventions to Surround Mixing
Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and
static panning, and surround mixing can bene-
fit from the same basic principles.
Panning a sound back-and-forth between the
left and right speakers is best used as a special ef-
fect. In a typical music mix, the basic tracks are
placed in the stereo sound field and remain
there.
Surround mixes can become incoherent if too
many elements are continuously moving, For
special effects, some tracks can be panned dy-
namically, bouncing between speakers or sweep-
ing from one side to the other.
Example Paths and Signal
Routing for a Surround Mix
Signal routing is the key element in any
Pro Tools surround session. Signal routing is
configured and defined in the I/O Setup dialog.
The examples that follow show how Auxiliary
Inputs, Master Faders, and other Pro Tools sig-
nal routing features can be used for stem mixes,
submixes, and similar project needs.
In these examples, music and effects are being
mixed for a trailer, in 5.1 surround. Separate
stem mixes (for music and for effects) are to be
mastered to 8-track MDM.
Example Output Paths
The following figure shows output paths de-
fined in the I/O Setup dialog of an example ses-
sion that was created on a Pro Tools|HD system
with one HD I/O audio interface.
Different Output paths have been defined for
Mix, Music, and FX main output paths.
Additional stereo output paths, with mono sub-
paths, have also been defined for the remaining
channels.
I/O Setup, example output paths
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1095
Example Bus Paths
The following figure shows example bus paths.
An LCR format path (“Dialog”) and two 5.1 for-
mat paths (“Music” and “FX”) have been de-
fined, each with several sub-paths.
Example Sub-Paths
Sub-paths let you route to selective channels
within the multichannel surround output. In
the following figure, the Mix 5.1 bus has several
sub-paths that show this.
5.0 Sub-Path The 5.0 path is a 5-channel sub-
path. Use this type of sub-path routing to con-
serve mixing resources with tracks you want to
keep out of the LFE channel.
LFE Path A custom LFE sub-path (“Lf”) has been
added to provide a discrete mono path for the
LFE channel.
Signal Routing Examples
The following examples show how main and
sub-paths can be used, using an example session
consisting of a 5.1 main mix, with music and ef-
fects stems (or submixes).
Submix Stem Examples
The figure below shows a routing configuration
for an effects submix. Two tracks are routed to
stereo bus sub-paths, while others are assigned
to an LCR and a mono bus sub-path. Two tracks
(one mono, one stereo) are assigned to multi-
channel busses for surround panning. A 5.1
Auxiliary Input assigned to the FX main bus
path serves as a submixer.
Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions to
Surround Mixing
Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and
static panning, and surround mixing can bene-
fit from the same basic principles.
Panning a sound back-and-forth between the
left and right speakers is best used as a special ef-
fect. In a typical music mix, the basic tracks are
placed in the stereo sound field and remain
there.
Surround mixes can become incoherent if too
many elements are continuously moving, For
special effects, some tracks can be panned dy-
namically, bouncing between speakers or sweep-
ing from one side to the other.
I/O Setup, example bus paths
I/O Setup, example sub-paths
Pro Tools Reference Guide1096
The following figure shows a routing configuration for music tracks.
FX stem
Music stem
Chapter 48: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1097
Most of the music tracks in this example are
routed to the front left/right channels, using a
stereo sub-path. A 5.1 Auxiliary Input controls
the bus and stem output.
Multiple Output Assignments
Multiple output assignments make it possible to
configure a number of multi-format mixes. For
example, you can assign an additional stereo
output to tracks and create a stereo mix at the
same time as a 5.1 mix. For more information,
see “Multiple Output Assignments” on
page 936.
LFE Examples
LFE tracks and other audio can contribute to the
LFE output in two ways:
• Using the LFE fader in Output windows.
This LFE signal is post-fader.
– or –
• Using a custom sub-path to route channels
discretely.
The following figure shows a channel Output
window, sending and metering the LFE channel.
Using the LFE fader, you can add any amount of
any multichannel path to the overall LFE out-
put. In the above example, the track’s Center
percentage has been turned off, and the LFE
fader has been raised to route it to the LFE chan-
nel.
LFE fader
Pro Tools Reference Guide1098
The following figure shows how a “traditional”
LFE track can be routed to only the LFE channel.
This example uses a custom-defined LFE sub-
path to the FX main bus path.
LFE and Filtering
Pro Tools applies no filtering to LFE signals.
Some delivery requirements may require filter-
ing for the LFE track. For more information, see
the Pro Tools Sync & Surround Concepts Guide.
Discrete LFE routing, with main output to mono LFE
channel
LFE faders can follow Mix and Edit Groups.
For information, see “Selecting Group Attri-
butes” on page 258.
For instructions on how to create a sub-
path, see “Custom Multichannel Paths” on
page 1082.
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1099
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and
Mixing
Before you can pan a track in surround, it must
be assigned to an appropriate multichannel out-
put or bus path.
The I/O Setup dialog defines the bussing and
output architecture of the Pro Tools multichan-
nel surround mixer. If you have not already
done so, it is recommended that you become fa-
miliar with main and sub-paths and the
I/O Setup dialog before starting multichannel
Pro Tools projects.
Introduction to Pro Tools
Surround Panning
There are four different track panning methods
available:
• In the Edit window, using the reduced-height
Panner Grid in the I/O View
• In the Mix window, using the reduced-height
Panner Grid
• In the Output window, using the full-size
Panner Grid
• Through pan automation editing
Certain Pro Tools control surfaces provide addi-
tional panning options. See the documentation
for your control surface.
See Chapter 47, “Pro Tools Setup for Sur-
round” for more information on multichan-
nel configurations and I/O Setup options. For
multichannel signal routing, see Chapter 48,
“Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing.”
Multichannel surround mixing is supported
with Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2 only.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1100
Mix and Edit Window Panner Grids
In the Mix and Edit window, multichannel Pan-
ner Grids are displayed on tracks that have mul-
tichannel track or send output assignments.
To pan from the Mix or Edit window:
1 To pan in the Edit window, make sure I/O
View is being shown (View > Edit Window > I/O).
Panner Grids are always displayed in Mix win-
dow tracks that support panning.
2 Begin playback.
3 Drag in the appropriate multichannel track’s
Panner Grid in the Mix or Edit windows.
The Pan Location cursor follows your move-
ments as long as you hold down the mouse but-
ton. Movements are scaled so that, once you
click to “grab” the Pan Location cursor, you do
not need to limit your movements to the small
Track Grid area.
Pan Location Cursor Color while Automating
The Pan Location cursor is green when the track
is in Automation Read mode, red in an Automa-
tion Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch, or Write
modes, and yellow in Automation Off (or Auto-
mation Suspend) mode.
In Trim mode, the Volume fader and LFE fader
are yellow.
Output windows provide additional features
and controls (and a much larger Grid). For de-
tails, see “Output Windows” on page 1100.
Output Windows
Output windows provide panning controls
(called panners), as well as standard Pro Tools
controls, for tracks of all mix formats (from 3-
channel LCR through 8-channel 7.1).
For information on Output window standard
controls, see “Standard Controls” on page 1101.
For information on Output window panning
controls, see “Surround Panner Controls” on
page 1102.
Some of the features of Output windows in-
clude:
• X/Y (joystick-style) panning
• 3-Knob panning
• Full Divergence and Center Percentage
control
• AutoGlide
• LFE feed
• Multichannel meters
• Pro Tools target window support
Multiple panners can be opened simultane-
ously, or a single window can display the cur-
rent panner.
Drag to pan in the Track Grid
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1101
To open an Output window:
Click the Output Window button (the small
fader at the right edge of the Output selector for
a track in the Mix or Edit window (I/O View).
Standard Controls
All Output windows provide standard Pro Tools
controls for routing, path assignment and other
track features. These controls are located at the
top of all Output, Send, Insert, and Plug-In win-
dows (see “Standard Selector Controls in Output
Windows” on page 949).
Track Fader, Solo, Mute, and Auto
All Output windows provide track volume and
mute controls. You can adjust and automate
track volume, or mute, directly using these con-
trols. The larger fader and Mute button are
equivalent to those in the Pro Tools Mix
window.
Opening a multichannel Output window
For instructions on managing multiple Out-
put windows, see “Output Windows for
Tracks and Sends” on page 946.
Panner Control section
Track selector
Output selector
Path selector Target icon
Show meters
Automation Safe
Pro Tools Reference Guide1102
Surround Panner Controls
When assigned to tracks or paths with four or more channels, the Output window provides an X/Y
Grid for surround panning. The speakers associated with the panner’s multichannel format are dis-
played in their relative positions outside the Panner Grid. These speakers are also used as Snap Pan to
Speaker controls.
This section identifies all the controls and features found in Pro Tools multichannel panners.
Figure 6. Output window with a 7.1 format multichannel panner
X/Y Grid
LFE fader
Track fader and meter
Position
(knob panners)
Divergence
Pan Location
cursor
Panning Mode button
Track Automation.
Solo, and Mute
Center %
Click to show meters
Snap Pan to Speaker icons
Side %
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1103
The X/Y Grid and Pan Location
Cursor
The X/Y Grid is where multichannel panning
information is input and displayed. You can in-
put pan information using X/Y mode, 3-Knob
mode, or by entering numeric values in the Po-
sition data fields. You can also edit pan automa-
tion graphically in the Edit window.
Multichannel panners default to X/Y mode. In
X/Y mode, the track’s current pan position is
represented by a green dot. This dot is the Pan
Location cursor, and its color indicates track au-
tomation status using standard Pro Tools colors:
Green The track is in automation Read mode.
Red The track is in automation Write, Touch,
Latch, or Touch/Latch mode.
Yellow The track is in automation Off mode (or
Automation Suspend) mode.
Panning Mode Button
This button, located below the X/Y Grid, pro-
vides access to Surround panning modes (see
“Panning Modes” on page 1105).
Position Controls
The Position controls let you set the positions of
the panner.
Front Displays and controls the current front X-
axis (left/right) position of the panner.
Rear Displays and controls the current rear X-
axis (left/right) position of the panner. In de-
fault X/Y Panning mode, Rear is linked to Front
position and cannot be controlled indepen-
dently.
F/R (Front/Rear) Displays and controls the cur-
rent Y-axis position of the panner.
Center % Control
Center % controls how much of the signal is
routed to the center speaker. This lets you mix a
track to the front with a phantom center (0%
Center value) or to three-channel (LCR) when
panning front.
X/Y Grid and Pan Location cursor
X/Y grid
Pan Location
cursor
Panner Mode button set to X/Y mode
Position and Center % controls
Pro Tools Reference Guide1104
Divergence Controls
Divergence determines the width of the panned
signal with respect to neighboring speakers. (For
more information, see the Pro Tools Sync & Sur-
round Concepts Guide). There are three Diver-
gence controls:
Front, Rear, and F/R Divergence Provide sepa-
rate, automatable divergence control over front
speakers, rear speakers, and between front/rear,
respectively.
Snap Pan to Speaker Icons
The Snap Pan to Speaker icons let you force the
panner to the speaker’s location. For example,
clicking on the upper left speaker moves the Pan
Location cursor to the upper left corner of the
X/Y Grid.
LFE Fader
The LFE fader is only available in “.1” surround
formats (5.1, 6.1, and 7.1).
The LFE fader determines how much of the cur-
rent track’s signal will be routed to the LFE chan-
nel. LFE faders in Track and Send windows can
follow groups. The Pro Tools LFE channel is al-
ways full-bandwidth. For more information on
how to use the LFE fader, see “LFE Faders in Mul-
tichannel Panners” on page 1110.
Multichannel Panner Linking
Stereo tracks with multichannel outputs provide
left and right multichannel panners. The Out-
put window provides controls to link the left
and right channels for precise panning.
When you create a stereo track that is routed to
a multichannel output, the following pan link-
age controls are active by default:
• Link (links Left and Right pan controls)
• Front Inverse (inverts Left and Right pan
control linkage across front)
• Rear Inverse (inverts Left and Right pan
control linkage across rear)
The Front/Rear Inverse pan control is unlinked
by default.
Divergence controls
For examples of how divergence settings af-
fect output panning, see “Divergence and
Center Percentage” on page 1108.
LFE fader
Stereo multichannel panner controls showing default
linking
Link
Front/Rear Inverse
Front Inverse
Rear Inverse
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1105
Panning Modes
The Panning Mode button provides access to
four panning modes: X/Y mode, Divergence
Editing, 3-Knob mode, and AutoGlide mode.
Panning controls can be automated in all four
modes.
Pro Tools provides the following Panning
Modes:
X/Y Mode Joystick-style panning by dragging
the Pan Location cursor within the X/Y Speaker
Grid. See “X/Y Panning” on page 1105 for more
information.
3-Knob Mode Point-to-point panning, between
pairs of speakers. See “3-Knob Panning” on
page 1106 for more information.
Divergence Editing The divergence X/Y Grid can
be dragged to resize the divergence boundaries.
See “Divergence Editing Mode” on page 1109.
AutoGlide Mode Point-to-point panning from
the Pan Location cursor to a new destination
over a specified AutoGlide Time. See “AutoGlide
Mode” on page 1107 for more information.
To enable a Panning Mode:
Click on the Panning Mode button in the Sur-
round Panner until the mode icon is displayed.
X/Y Panning
To pan in X/Y mode:
1 Click on the Panning Mode button until the
X/Y mode icon is displayed.
2 Drag the Pan Location cursor, or click any-
where in the Grid and drag to pan the track. The
location of the Pan Location cursor determines
the pan position of the signal. For example, to
pan something to the left rear speaker, move the
Pan Location cursor to the lower-left corner of
the Grid.
Panning Mode button (X/Y mode shown)
Panning Mode button
Panner Mode button set to X/Y mode
It is not necessary to click exactly on the Pan
Location cursor. Clicking anywhere in the
Grid will move the Pan Location cursor rel-
ative to where you click or take over with a
hardware panner. Panning does not jump to
the click position.
X/Y Panning
Pro Tools Reference Guide1106
To snap the Pan Location cursor to a location in
the Grid:
Control-Shift-click (Windows) or Command-
Shift-click (Mac) at the location in the X/Y Grid.
Grid Options and Shortcuts
Fine-Adjust Mode Hold down the Control key
(Windows) or Command key (Mac) for fine ad-
justment of all Panner controls.
Constraining to X or Y Movement Shift-drag the
Pan Location cursor to constrain its movement
to the X or Y direction.
Reset to Default Alt-click (Windows) or Option-
click (Mac) in the Panner Grid to reset all con-
trols to their default position.
Snap Pan to Speaker Click one of the Snap Pan
to Speaker icons to force the panner to that
speaker location.
Display Automation in Edit Window Control-
Start-click (Windows) or Command-Control-
click (Mac) a control to display that control’s
playlist in the Edit window.
3-Knob Panning
Pro Tools provides 3-Knob mode as an addi-
tional way to input pan moves.
3-Knob mode lets you:
• Pan in straight lines, moving the Pan Location
cursor using the Position rotary knobs with
full movement of front, rear, and front-rear
position.
– and –
• Pan discretely between pairs of speakers.
For example, when panning front-left to rear-
right in 3-Knob mode, audio will be heard from
just those two speakers (assuming full diver-
gence is in effect).
By comparison, in X/Y mode a diagonal pan
may result in audio being heard in some or all
channels.
The difference is that 3-Knob mode pans dis-
cretely between the front and rear position of
the panning trajectory, while X/Y mode panning
takes place in the full 360° Panning Grid. Diver-
gence and Center Percentage are variable in
both Panning modes.
To enable 3-Knob Panning mode:
Click on the Panning Mode button until the
3-Knob mode icon is displayed.
The panner trajectory line appears across the
Grid, extending from the front (X-axis) to the
rear (Y-axis).
All Pan controls can be automated, includ-
ing pan position and divergence. See
Chapter 45, “Automation” for details.
Panning and metering in 3-Knob mode
Panner Mode button set to 3-Knob mode
3-Knob trajectory
3-Knob mode
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1107
To pan in 3-Knob mode:
1 Adjust the Front and Rear Position knobs to
set the trajectory line.
2 Rotate the Front/Rear Position knob to pan
along the trajectory. The Pan Location cursor is
constrained to the white trajectory line.
To change the 3-Knob trajectory angles, do one of
the following:
Drag either end point (Front or Rear) of the
trajectory line.
– or –
Adjust the Front or Rear Position controls.
To change the current trajectory position (left-to-
right) and retain its current angles:
Drag the trajectory line (not its end points) to
a new position.
AutoGlide Mode
AutoGlide mode lets you quickly write Surround
Panner automation by clicking new locations in
the Surround Panner window, instead of manu-
ally moving the Surround Panner controls.
The time it takes to glide from point to point
(from the Pan Location cursor to the new desti-
nation) is called the AutoGlide Time. This time
is set in the Mixing Preferences page and has a
range of 10 msec to 10000 msec (10 seconds).
To set the AutoGlide Time
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
ing tab.
2 Set the AutoGlide Time in the Automation
section.
To do an AutoGlide automation pass:
1 Click the Panning Mode button until the
AutoGlide mode icon is displayed.
The Panning Mode button displays a slanted
dotted line that ends with a filled in dot (repre-
senting a cursor) at its top right corner.
2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector and select an Automation
mode for the track you want to automate.
3 Press Play to begin playback.
4 Set a new destination for the cursor by doing
one of the following:
• Click a Snap Pan to Speaker icon to glide to
its speaker location.
– or –
• Click in the pan window to glide to a spe-
cific location in the X/Y Grid.
When writing automation in AutoGlide
mode, the Pan Location cursor cannot be
dragged from its location.
Panner Mode button set to AutoGlide mode
Panning Mode button (AutoGlide mode shown)
AutoGlide mode
Snap Pan to
Speaker icons
Pan Location
cursor
Pro Tools Reference Guide1108
The Pan Location cursor will begin to move to-
wards the new destination in the time it takes to
travel the AutoGlide Time. When the new desti-
nation point is reached, a new breakpoint will
be written at the new location.
5 Repeat the previous step if you want to write
additional panning moves.
6 Stop the transport when finished.
Divergence and Center
Percentage
The Divergence and Center Percentage controls
range from 0 to 100, and can be automated.
They are especially useful for ensuring audibility
and coverage in large venues, and to increase
clarity of voices.
Front Divergence Controls divergence between
front speakers (X-axis only).
Rear Divergence Controls divergence between
the rear speakers (X-axis only).
Front/Rear Divergence Controls divergence be-
tween front and rear (the Y-axis).
Center % (Percentage) Determines whether
there is a discrete center image, a completely
phantom center image, or a variable amount in
between.
Side % (Percentage) Determines whether there
is a discrete side image, a completely phantom
side image, or a variable amount in between the
right and left side channels for 7.1 and 7.0 for-
mats.
Divergence
In the Panner Grid, the current divergence val-
ues are displayed using a purple outline.
By default, Pro Tools surround panners are
100% or fully divergent, meaning that a signal
that is panned completely to one speaker will
only be audible in that speaker.
Lower divergence settings result in a progres-
sively wider source signal. When Divergence is
less than 100%, tracks will be routed to neigh-
boring speakers to some degree, even when the
Pan Location cursor is positioned next to a sin-
gle speaker.
Divergence display and controls
Front Divergence at less than 100% for wider panning
Divergence display
Divergence controls
Front
Divergence
Pan Location
cursor
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1109
To adjust divergence:
Adjust the Front, Rear, and Front/Rear Diver-
gence controls as necessary.
Divergence Editing Mode
In Divergence Editing mode, you can adjust the
divergence boundaries by dragging directly in
the Divergence Grid.
To adjust divergence graphically:
1 Click on the Panning Mode button until the
Divergence Editing icon is displayed.
2 Drag in the Grid to resize the divergence
boundaries.
Center % (Percentage)
In LCR, LCRS, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1 7.0, 7.0 SDDS,
7.1, and 7.1 SDDS surround formats, the
Center % controls whether there is a discrete cen-
ter channel for the track or a phantom center
channel.
Center Percentage Example
In film and video production, the center chan-
nel often contains dialog. To enhance the clarity
of dialog, it is often beneficial to keep elements
such as music out of the center speaker. By re-
ducing the Center Percentage on music tracks,
music panned to the front of the soundfield can
be panned to only the left and right speakers,
forcing them to have a variable phantom center
image.
To adjust Center Percentage:
Adjust the Center Percentage knob as appro-
priate.
As you reduce the Center Percentage value, the
center speaker at the top of the Grid becomes
less visible. At 0, the center speaker is com-
pletely invisible, reflecting the setting for fully
phantom center.
Side % (Percentage)
For 7.1 and 7.0 surround formats, the Side %
controls whether there are discrete side chan-
nels for the track or a phantom side channel.
To adjust Side Percentage:
Adjust the Side Percentage knob.
Panner Mode button set to Divergence Editing
Center % set to 0 (no center speaker shown)
Pro Tools Reference Guide1110
As you reduce the Side Percentage value, the
speakers at the sides of the Grid become less vis-
ible. At 0, the side speakers are completely invis-
ible, reflecting the setting for fully phantom
center.
LFE Faders in Multichannel
Panners
The LFE fader controls how much of the track is
sent to LFE. LFE faders are only available when a
track is assigned to a path whose format sup-
ports LFE (5.1, 6.1, or 7.1).
To mix to the LFE channel:
Adjust the LFE fader in any “.1” surround for-
mat Output window.
LFE Faders and Groups
Track and send LFE faders can follow Mix and
Edit Groups by being enabled in the Group At-
tributes page in either the Create Groups or
Modify Groups dialog. LFE faders can be as-
signed to follow groups as a global attribute or
on a group by group basis. See “Selecting Group
Attributes” on page 258.
LFE Enable
Some multichannel plug-ins, including the mul-
tichannel DigiRack Dynamics III Compres-
sor/Limiter, provide LFE Enable. This lets you
enable or bypass processing of the LFE channel
if present.
To process the LFE channel in a multichannel plug-
in:
Click to enable LFE Enable in supporting mul-
tichannel plug-ins. LFE Enable is highlighted
when LFE processing is enabled, and unhigh-
lighted when LFE processing is bypassed.
Side % set to 50% (side center speakers dimmed)
For general information about LFE, sub
channels, and related topics, see the
Pro Tools Sync & Surround Concepts Guide.
LFE Enable in the multichannel DigiRack Dynamics III
Compressor/Limiter
When LFE Enable is unavailable, try using
the multi-mono version of the plug-in.
Chapter 49: Surround Panning and Mixing 1111
Pan Playlists
Multichannel panners have an automation
playlist for each position and divergence con-
trol.
Surround Scope Plug-In
The Surround Scope plug-in provides a 360° me-
ter for metering multichannel paths during mix-
ing.
5.1 Format Track Layouts
All 5.1-format meters (including those displayed
in the Surround Scope meter, on tracks, and in
Output windows and their Path Meter Views)
are always arranged in the following order:
L C R Ls Rs LFE
To use the Surround Scope Plug-In:
On a multichannel Master Fader, click an In-
sert button and select Multichannel TDM plug-in >
Sound Field > Surround Scope.
Surround Scope displays output levels in both a
360° Grid, and in traditional LED meters.
Pan automation can be drawn, edited, cut,
copied, and pasted from the Edit window.
For more information, see Chapter 45, “Au-
tomation.”
For more information on Pro Tools meter-
ing, see “5.1 Tracks, Formats, Assignments,
and Metering” on page 1083.
For details on Surround Scope, see the Audio
Plug-Ins Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1112
1113
Part XI: Sync and Video
1114
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1115
Chapter 50: Working with
Synchronization
Synchronization allows one system to output
time code and the other device to chase (follow)
that time code. Pro Tools is synchronized to
other devices using SMPTE/EBU time code or
MIDI Time Code.
See the Sync & Surround Concepts Guide for an in-
troduction to key synchronization, surround
mixing and monitoring concepts.
Pro Tools Synchronization
Options
There are several options for synchronizing
Pro Tools to an external source or using
Pro Tools as the master device. Not all options
are available on all Pro Tools systems, as noted.
SMPTE Trigger Only
This solution is useful for short projects if both
systems are extremely close in speed, but even
the best systems will rarely stay perfectly syn-
chronized for longer than a couple of minutes.
SMPTE Trigger Resolved with a
SYNC Peripheral
(Pro Tools HD Only)
You can use an optional Synchronization pe-
ripheral (such as the SYNC HD) to resolve
Pro Tools recording and playback speed with
any of the following clock reference sources
while slaving Pro Tools to time code:
•LTC
•Video source
• House video reference (SD or HD)
•VITC
•1x Word Clock
• AES/EBU “null” clock
• Pilot Tone
• Bi-Phase
This enables long-term, high-fidelity synchroni-
zation when all transports within the system are
resolved to this common synchronization
source, or by resolving to any variations in in-
coming time code while slaving to time code.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1116
SMPTE Trigger while Locking to an
Unresolved Source
SMPTE Trigger can be used with an optional
SYNC peripheral or equivalent qualified device
to resolve Pro Tools recording and playback
speed while slaving to LTC. This enables long-
term, accurate synchronization by resolving to
any variations in incoming time code. SYNC pe-
ripherals also support VITC and Bi-phase/Tach
positional reference.
SYNC Peripheral Synchronization
Options
By adding a Synchronization peripheral to your
Pro Tools|HD system, you can use Pro Tools as
the master device in your synchronization
setup. All other devices are then slaved to
Pro Tools.
You can use Pro Tools in conjunction with a
Synchronization peripheral to generate LTC,
MIDI Time Code, or MMC commands. When
the SYNC peripheral is reading incoming SMPTE
time code, it regenerates the time code through
the LTC or MTC output connector. This signal
can be passed along to other slave devices.
MachineControl
Synchronization peripherals also support Ma-
chineControl™ software, which provides many
specialized features for post production syn-
chronization tasks including remote track arm-
ing, VTR emulation, serial time code, and other
capabilities. (See the MachineControl Guide for
more information, or contact your dealer.)
Ext. Clock Output
Pro Tools can be used as the master device in
your synchronization setup, where all other de-
vices are then slaved to Pro Tools Word Clock
output.
To set Ext. Clock Output:
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Click the Ext. Clock Output pop-up menu and
select an available signal.
3 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog
when you have finished.
For instructions on connecting an external
synchronization peripheral to your Pro Tools
system, see your User Guide. If you are using
a SYNC peripheral, see its documentation.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1117
Session Setup Window
The Session Setup window lets you configure various time code-related settings on your system. The
window also includes display-only areas for session sample rate, file format, bit depth, and pull up
and pull down rates.
The Session Setup window is organized into three sections. Session displays and settings are displayed
at the top of the window. The SYNC Setup & Session Offsets section, and the Time Code Settings sec-
tion, can be shown or hidden using their dedicated expand/collapse triangles.
To show the Session Setup window:
From a Pro Tools session, choose Setup >
Session.
To expand SYNC Setup & Session Offset section:
Click the SYNC Setup & Time Code Offsets ex-
pand/collapse triangle.
The controls in this section configure settings of
Synchronization Peripherals. Settings are pro-
vided for Clock and Positional Reference, Video
Ref Format, Video In Format, and Variable Speed
Override.
To show Time Code Settings section:
Click the Time Code Settings expand/collapse
triangle.
The controls in this section provide time code
generation and freewheel options, and separate
pull up and down selectors for audio and video
rates.
Session Setup window with a SYNC Peripheral
SYNC & Time Code
Offsets section
SYNC Setup settings
Time Code Settings
section
Generator settings Pull Up/Pull Down
settings
External Time Code
Offset settings
Session displays
and settings
Time Code Reader
Freewheel settings
Clock Source
offset
Press Control+2 (Windows) or
Command+2 (Mac) to open the Session
Setup window.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1118
Session Displays and Settings
Sample Rate
This display indicates the sample rate for the
current session.
Bit Depth
This display indicates the bit depth for the cur-
rent session.
Audio Format
This display indicates the file format for files re-
corded in the session.
Clock Source
Use this menu to configure the system Clock
Source. You can choose between a SYNC periph-
eral, an internal clock source from a peripheral,
or an external clock source connected to a
Pro Tools|HD audio interface.
Clock Source Options
SYNC When using a SYNC Peripheral, Pro Tools
receives its clock source from the SYNC periph-
eral. The SYNC Peripheral can in turn reference
an external clock source, selected in the SYNC
Setup section of the Session Setup window.
Internal In Internal mode, your system refer-
ences your peripheral’s internal clock and plays
back at the session’s sample rate.
External Clock Sources Depending on your
Pro Tools|HD audio interface, external Clock
Source options can include AES/EBU, S/PDIF,
S/PDIF Optical, ADAT Optical, TDIF, and Word Clock
(optional word clock rates are available at higher
session sample rates). External sources can be
any multiple of the “base” rate. The base rate is
44.1 kHz for 88.2 and 176.4 kHz sources. The
base rate is 48 kHz for 96 and 192 kHz sources. If
an external source is chosen and no valid sync
clock is detected at the External Clock In, the
I/O reverts to Internal mode.
System Delay
When Delay Compensation is enabled (Options
> Delay Compensation), this display indicates the
total amount of delay (in samples) applied by
the system to compensate for plug-ins and
mixer routing delays.
Session Start
Use this field to specify a SMPTE start frame edge
location for your session. See “Setting a SMPTE
Session Start Time (Start Frame)” on page 1123.
Incoming Time (Current Time)
This display indicates incoming time code from
an external source (such as a VTR).
Changes made to Clock Source in the
Hardware Setup dialog will be reflected in
the Session Setup window and vice versa.
If a SYNC Peripheral is enabled in the
Peripherals dialog, and is correctly
connected in the Loop Sync chain, the
SYNC peripheral can be the Loop
Master, and Pro Tools|HD audio
interfaces will clock as Loop Sync slaves.
For more information on external clock
sources, see your SYNC peripheral docu-
mentation.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1119
Time Code Rate
The Time Code Rate setting lets you set the
SMPTE time code rate for the current session.
Feet+Frame Rate
The Feet+Frame Rate setting lets you set the
Feet+Frame rates for sessions. Supported rates
include 23.976, 24, and 25 fps.
Set this rate to match the rate of the film projec-
tor, or the video if the film projector speed is
taken into account. For example, doing a Tele-
cine transfer from a 24 fps film projector to
NTSC video would necessitate the projector run-
ning at 23.976 fps. This is regardless of whether
the session is using pull down audio or not.
Time Code 2 Rate
The Time Code 2 Rate setting lets you set a sec-
ondary frame rate that can be displayed in the
ruler alongside the main Time Code ruler. This
lets you reference frame rates in the Timeline
that are different from the session time code rate
(also see “Timebase Rulers” on page 751).
SYNC Setup and Time Code
Offsets
(Pro Tools HD Only)
Sync Setup
The controls in the SYNC Setup section let you
configure SYNC peripheral settings, including
clock reference, positional reference, video refer-
ence format, video input format, and Variable
Speed Override (VSO).
Clock Reference This menu lets you set the
Pro Tools clock reference.
When using a Synchronization peripheral,
the Clock Reference selector lists all supported
clock types for the Synchronization peripheral.
When using Pro Tools|HD systems without a
Synchronization peripheral, choices include
any currently-enabled digital format or source
available from your Pro Tools|HD I/O (such as
AES, S/PDIF, or 1x Word arriving at the
Pro Tools|HD interface’s Word Clock In port).
Positional Reference Sets the time code source
for Pro Tools to use for positional reference.
Video Ref Format Sets the video reference format
for a Synchronization peripheral.
Video In Format Indicates the expected format at
the Video In connector on a Synchronization
peripheral. At certain HD rates, a pop-up menu
is provided for selecting a format.
\Variable Speed Override (VSO) Requires a Syn-
chronization peripheral. When a Synchroniza-
tion peripheral is connected to a Pro Tools|HD
system, the VSO controls are located in the
SYNC Setup section of the Session Setup win-
dow.
SYNC Setup
See your SYNC peripheral documentation for
instructions on using VSO to varispeed
Pro Tools playback.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1120
Ref Present, Locked, and Speed Cal Indicators
The Ref Present, Locked, and Speed Cal indica-
tors in the SYNC Setup section of the Session
Setup window display synchronization status of
the SYNC peripheral. The Locked and Speed Cal
indicators reflect the state of the same LEDs on
the front panel.
Ref Present Indicator The Ref Present indicator
lights when the Video Ref In connector is receiv-
ing a valid video signal.
Locked Indicator The Locked indicator lights
solid green when the SYNC peripheral is locked
to the selected clock reference. The Locked indi-
cator flashes yellow if the selected clock refer-
ence source is missing or out of lockable fre-
quency range.
Speed Cal Indicator This indicator shows the sta-
tus of the incoming clock reference:, depending
on the type of SYNC peripheral you are using:
•SYNC I/O
• Lit: SYNC I/O is locked and the clock refer-
ence is within 0.025% of the expected rate
• Flashing fast: SYNC I/O is locked but the
clock reference is more than 0.025% faster
than the expected rate
• Flashing slow: SYNC I/O is locked but the
clock reference is more than 0.025% slower
than the expected rate
• Unlit: Clock reference is not within 0.025%
of the expected rate
•SYNCHD
• Yellow Solid: SYNC HD is locked and the
clock reference is within 0.025% of the ex-
pected rate
• Yellow Flashing Fast: SYNC HD is locked
but the clock reference is between 0.025%
and 4% faster than the expected rate
• Yellow Flashing Slow: SYNC HD is locked
but the clock reference is between 0.025%
and 4% slower than the expected rate
• Red Flashing Fast: SYNC HD is locked but
the clock reference is more than 4% faster
than the expected rate
• Red Flashing Slow: SYNC HD is locked but
the clock reference is more than 4% slower
than the expected rate
• Unlit: SYNC HD is not locked to the chosen
clock reference
HD MADI VSO Range
When using Varispeed with HD MADI, it is pos-
sible to exceed the available bandwidth. When
Varispeed exceeds the maximum frequency for
the current nominal sample rate, audio drops
out. The maximum frequency for Varispeed at
each nominal sample rate is listed in the follow-
ing table.
Ref Present, Locked, and Speed Cal Indicators
Varispeed maximum sample rate limits
Nominal sample
rate Channel Count Maximum
Frequency
44.1/48 kHz 64 48.8 kHz
44.1/48 kHz 56 55.6 kHz
88.2/96 kHz 32 97.5 kHz
88.2/96 kHz 28 111.5 kHz
176.4/192 kHz 16 194.9 kHz
176.4/192 kHz 14 223.0 kHz
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1121
External Time Code Offsets
In the External Time Code Offsets section,
Pro Tools lets you compensate for devices that
are consistently offset by a fixed number of
frames (such as some color–corrected video mas-
ters), or for material that starts at a different
time than the session.
Pro Tools provides four different types of Exter-
nal Time Code Offset settings. These offsets in-
clude:
• MMC (MIDI Machine Control)
• 9-Pin (Deck Control)
• Synchronization peripherals such as the
SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, or other peripherals
(such as MIDI interfaces that provide MIDI
Time Code).
• Satellite (Pro Tools with Satellite Link or
Video Satellite)
Unique values can be defined for each of these
types of offsets, or you can link all to adjust in
unison.
Positive and negative offset values can be en-
tered to offset Pro Tools time code display later
or earlier, respectively.
If you are using the MachineControl option, ad-
ditional options for External Time Code Offsets
are available. See the MachineControl Guide for
more information.
To redefine the External Time Code offsets:
1 Choose Setup > External Time Code Offset.
2 In the Redefine External Time Code Offset di-
alog, enter the offset you want in the Desired
Time Code Position field.
3 Click OK.
Sample Offset (Sync Offset)
This field lets you set a trigger offset for incoming
MIDI Time Code (anywhere from –100000 to
+100000 samples). This lets you create a perma-
nent offset to fine-tune the point at which
Pro Tools synchronizes relative to incoming
time code. For example, a value of –50 makes an
event in Pro Tools occur 50 samples before the
same event in the incoming MIDI Time Code.
Use this to compensate for timing differences
between various SMPTE-to-MIDI Time Code
converters or analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog
converters.
Time Code Settings
Freewheel
The choices in the Freewheel section let you
configure how Pro Tools will freewheel, or con-
tinue playback if time code is interrupted or cor-
rupted. Use these options to protect against er-
rors that can occur if your SMPTE time code
source has “drop outs” or temporary lost signals.
None No freewheel is applied.
Frames Sets a number of frames to freewheel,
from 1 to 120 frames. This value defaults to 8
frames, which is the recommended setting for
most applications.
Jam Sync Lets Pro Tools trigger synchronization
to incoming time code, and continue to play
back even if time code input is completely inter-
rupted. It can be useful if time code is damaged,
or has been accidentally erased from your source
tape.
Redefine External Time Code Offset dialog
Pro Tools Reference Guide1122
Pull Up/Down
When Pro Tools is used in conjunction with a
Synchronization peripheral, or a qualified third-
party peripheral that supports pulled sample
rates, this option lets you “pull up” or “pull
down” the current sample rate.
For general information, see the Pro Tools Sync &
Surround Concepts Guide. For more information
on applying pull factors in Pro Tools, see “Pull
Up and Pull Down” on page 1125.
Preparing to Work with SMPTE
The first step when preparing to work with
SMPTE is to choose an appropriate SMPTE frame
rate. Pro Tools supports all standard SMPTE
frame rates. If you are working with SMPTE
striped tape, it is important to know the frame
rate. In some cases, a SYNC peripheral can be
used to do this.
Configuring Pro Tools for
SMPTE
Synchronization and MachineControl system
settings are enabled in the Pro Tools Peripherals
dialog (Setup > Peripherals). These settings are
system settings, and remain constant regardless
of the particular session you are working on.
Configure these settings before opening a ses-
sion.
Other settings are configured in the Session
Setup window, such as the session Time Code
rate, the Feet+Frames rate, the session start
frame, and time display format. These settings
are session-specific settings. These settings can
only be configured when a session is open.
Selecting a SMPTE Format
To choose a SMPTE format:
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session.
2 Choose a frame rate (SMPTE format) from the
Time Code Rate selector.
3 Enter the Time Code Freewheel frames (if any)
in the designated box (see “Freewheel” on
page 1121).
Remember, pull up and pull down are ap-
plied differently in different workflows.
Make sure you check each project’s specific
workflow before you begin your work.
For a full explanation of SMPTE frame
rates, see the Pro Tools Sync & Surround
Concepts Guide.
MachineControl is supported on
Pro Tools|HD systems only.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1123
Setting a SMPTE Session Start
Time (Start Frame)
The Session Setup window also allows you to set
a SMPTE Start Frame for your session. Video
work tapes are rarely striped beginning at a
SMPTE frame address of 00:00:00:00. You can
quickly enter a start time for your session based
on an appropriate frame number from your
project tape. The Pro Tools SMPTE-related func-
tions (such as Spot mode) will then use this
value as their reference for the session’s start
point.
Start Time When Striping Tape
If you are generating time code, it is a good prac-
tice to stripe your time code beginning at
01:00:00:00 (subtracting time for the head for-
mat, such as initial black, bars and tone, or lo-
gos). This prevents problems that can occur with
some synchronizers when the striped time code
crosses from 23:59:59:29 to 00:00:00:00 (com-
monly referred to as the “midnight” boundary).
To set a SMPTE Start Time for your session:
1 Choose Setup > Session.
2 Enter a SMPTE frame number in the Session
Start field.
To capture an incoming SMPTE address as the
session start time:
1 Click in the Session Start field.
2 Begin playback of the time code source.
3 At the location where you want to capture the
incoming value, press Equal (=) in the numeric
keypad.
4 Press Enter to accept the value. You can then
edit the captured address. The session uses the
frame number you enter as its SMPTE start frame
when online.
• If there are existing regions on the tracks
and you are changing the original SMPTE
start frame to a later time (from
00:00:00:00 to 01:00:00:00, for example),
all existing regions on tracks will remain in
their relative positions, but will start later
by the time value added to the start frame.
• If you are changing the session start time in
an open session in which tracks already ex-
ist, a warning dialog appears when you
press Enter. Choose from one of two op-
tions:
Maintain Time Code Places the additional ses-
sion time at the start of the session, and keeps
existing regions in their original time code loca-
tions.
Maintain Relative Position Places the additional
session time at the start of the session, and
maintains the relative position of existing re-
gions to the new start frame. For example, if you
change the session start frame from 01:00:00:00
to 00:59:00:00, Pro Tools adds one minute of
session time to accommodate the new start
frame, and moves all existing regions earlier in
time to maintain their relative position to the
start frame.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1124
Redefining a Feet+Frames
Position
Use the Current Feet+Frames command to rede-
fine the Feet+Frames position at the current in-
sertion point. The session start time is recalcu-
lated based on the new, relative Feet+Frames
location.
Typically, this command is used for integrating
test tones, pre-roll, Academy leader, and similar
pre-program material into Pro Tools sessions.
Redefining Feet+Frames does not redefine the
session start time.
To set a relative frame position for a session
(Feet+Frames):
1 With the Selector tool, click in a track (or
make a selection) where you want to redefine
the position.
2 Choose Setup > Current Feet+Frames Position.
3 Enter a Feet+Frame position to correspond to
the time code shown in the dialog.
4 Click OK.
Redefining a Time Code Position
Use the Current Time Code Position command to
redefine the current time code position and ses-
sion start time. By creating an insertion point
(or selection), and then entering the new time
code position for that location, the session start
time will be recalculated based on the new, rela-
tive Time Code location.
To redefine a current Time Code code position:
1 With the Selector tool, click in a track (or
make a selection) where you want to redefine
the position.
2 Choose Setup > Current Time Code Position.
3 Enter a new SMPTE frame number in the dia-
log to correspond to the time code shown in the
dialog.
4 Click OK.
If your insertion or selection is not on a grid
boundary, it will round to the closest
boundary.
If your insertion or selection is not on a grid
boundary, it will round to the closest
boundary.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1125
Displaying Time in SMPTE Frames
In Pro Tools, you can set the Main Time Scale to
Time Code (SMPTE) and this will be displayed in
the Main Counter. Though Pro Tools will still
synchronize to incoming SMPTE time code if
the Time Scale is displayed in Bars|Beats, Min-
utes:Seconds, or Feet.Frames, it is usually more
useful to use SMPTE time code as your reference.
To set the Main Time Scale to SMPTE Time Code,
do one of the following:
Choose View > Rulers > Time Code.
– or –
Click the Main Counter selector in the Edit
window and select Time Code.
Pro Tools displays time code values in the cur-
rently selected SMPTE frame rate.
Sub Counter and Sub Time Scale Display
You can display a Sub Time Scale in the Sub
Counter. For example, if the Main Time Scale is
set to Time Code, and you want to compare
SMPTE time to “wall clock,” when you are using
29.97 Non-Drop frame rate, click the Sub Coun-
ter selector and select Min:Secs as the Sub Time
Scale.
Pull Up and Pull Down
Pro Tools supports up to 4% pull up and pull
down, with support for an additional 0.1% up or
down. Separate rates can be set for session audio
and video (when video has been imported or
captured into the session).
When referring to 4% pull up and pull down,
the precise percentages used in pull ups is
4.167%.
While a Synchronization peripheral is not re-
quired in order to use the extended pull up and
down options provided in Pro Tools, a Synchro-
nization peripheral is the only device that can
be controlled from within Pro Tools, and that
recalls and restores pull factors automatically
when a session opens. Other synchronization
peripherals must be configured manually.
Pull up and down settings do not affect time
code generated by a SYNC peripheral.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1126
Configuring Pull Up and Pull Down
To pull up or pull down audio or video:
1 Choose Setup > Session.
2 From the Time Code Settings section of the
Session Setup window, select a Pull Up/Down
Rate.
Audio Rate Pull Up/Down Controls the audio
sample rate. See “Audio Sample Rate Pull Up and
Down” on page 1127.
Video Rate Pull Up/Down Controls the video
rate. See “Video Frame Rate Pull Up and Down”
on page 1128.
The choices available in these menus are deter-
mined by the session frame rate. Combinations
can be applied by choosing from both menus.
The choices available in these menus are also de-
termined by the Preferences and the Auto Match
Pull Factors option in the Time Code Rate menu.
See “Extended Pull Up and Pull Down Prefer-
ence and Session Setup Controls” on page 1126
and “Auto Match Pull Factors” on page 1126.
Extended Pull Up and Pull Down
Preference and Session Setup
Controls
The Audio Rate Pull Up/Down setting offers all
possible combinations of pull ups and pull
downs for the audio sample rate, regardless of
the session frame rate.
In addition, if there is a QuickTime movie in the
Timeline, the video rate can be pulled up or
down by 0.1%, regardless of the session frame
rate. Though not a recommended workflow, ear-
lier versions of Pro Tools also enabled pull down
of QuickTime video clips when audio was pulled
down, so this option is included in Pro Tools
5.3.1 and higher to maintain compatibility with
earlier sessions.
Auto Match Pull Factors
The Auto Match Pull Factors option is available
from the session Time Code Rate menu in the
Session Setup window. When Auto Match Pull
Factors is enabled, Pro Tools adjusts audio and
video playback rates as needed to match any
changes to the current session Time Code Rate.
Auto Match Pull is applied relative to the current
pull up setting. While enabled, if the session
frame rate is changed in such a way that the
video would have to be pulled by an unsup-
ported amount, the video remains unaffected.
This setting is latching, is not enabled by de-
fault, and its state is stored with the session.
Press Control+2 (Windows) or Com-
mand+2 (Mac) to open the Session Setup
window.
Session Setup window
4% pull factors are not available in 176.4
and 192 kHz sessions.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1127
Example of Auto Match Pull
Factors
The Auto Match Pull Factors option links audio
and video pull factors when changing session
frame rate.
For example, assume a Pro Tools session is set to
a frame rate of 25 fps, the audio and video are
both playing with no pull ups, and Auto Match
Pull Factors is enabled.
If you then change the session Frame Rate to
24 fps, both the Audio and Video Rate Pull set-
tings would change by –4.0% (the appropriate
pull setting required by the change in frame
rate).
Auto Match-enabled pull factors are applied to
any existing Audio Rate Pull Up/Down or Video
Rate Pull Up/Down settings.
For example, if audio was already being pulled
–0.1% when you changed the session Frame
Rate from 29.97 to 24 fps, then the Audio Rate
Pull Up/Down menu would switch to None.
Audio Sample Rate Pull Up and
Down
The Audio Rate Pull Up/Down setting applies pull
up or down factors to session audio record and
playback. All pull rates are available, regardless
of session frame rate.
See also “Auto Match Pull Factors” on
page 1126.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1128
Audio Rates and Pull Up/Down Options
The following table lists actual sample rates of each pull up and pull down option and combination
(rounded to the nearest whole Hz):
Video Frame Rate Pull Up and
Down
The Video Pull Up/Down setting lets you change
the frame rate of QuickTime movie playback in-
dependently from the audio pull-up/down rate.
The choices available for Video Rate Pull
Up/Down depend on the file format and frame
rate of the QuickTime movie. Video pull rates
are saved with the session.
Effect of Using Pull Up or Pull
Down
This topic describes how related Pro Tools fea-
tures are affected by pull up and down rates.
Video Pull Up and Pull Down and
Time Code Ruler
Video pull up and down does not affect the Time
Code ruler. Be sure to set the session Frame Rate
to the correct frame rate for your project. For ex-
ample, if working with 24 fps video and you pull
the video up by 4%, switch the session Frame
Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Settings
Pull Up/Down
Sample Rate
44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000
+4.1667%
and +0.1%
45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a
+4.1667% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a
+4.1667%
and –0.1%
45892 49950 91783 99900 n/a n/a
+0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192
–0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808
–4.0% and
+0.1%
42378 46126 84757 92252 n/a n/a
–4.0% 42336 46080 84672 92160 n/a n/a
–4.0% and
–0.1%
42294 46034 84587 92068 n/a n/a
Avid video tracks cannot be pulled up or
pulled down.
See also “Auto Match Pull Factors” on
page 1126.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1129
Rate to 25 fps to keep the Time Code ruler
aligned. Similarly, if working with 24 fps video
that is pulled down by 0.1%, switch the frame
rate of the session to 29.97.
When working with 25 fps Avid media and the
video is set to pull down by 4%, set the session
Frame Rate to 24 fps.
Plug-Ins and Pull Up and Pull Down
For proper operation at larger (4%) pull rates,
plug-ins must utilize sample clock instead of an
absolute time clock. All Pro Tools audio plug-ins
are based on sample clock.
Higher Sample Rates and Pull
Factors
4% audio pull rates are not available in 176.4
and 192 kHz sample rate sessions.
No Video Recording with Pull Up or
Pull Down
(Avid Video Peripheral Required)
Since Avid video cannot be pulled up or pulled
down, video cannot be recorded to the Timeline
if a video pull up or down is selected. If the video
track is record-enabled while video pull ups are
enabled, or if you attempt to set a video pull up
rate while the video track is record-enabled,
Pro Tools posts a dialog and disallows video re-
cording. To proceed with digitization, reset the
Video Rate Pull Up/Down setting to None.
Putting Pro Tools Online
To trigger playback or recording from an exter-
nal source, the Pro Tools Transport must be
placed online. This tells Pro Tools to listen for in-
coming time code.
To put the Pro Tools Transport online, do one of the
following:
Choose Options > Transport Online.
– or –
Click the Online button in the Transport.
The Online button flashes while Pro Tools waits
for a SMPTE frame to trigger playback. When
time code is received, playback begins and the
Online button becomes highlighted. The Edit
Selection indicators in the Edit window, and the
Incoming Time field in the Session Setup win-
dow display the incoming time code.
To take Pro Tools offline, do one of the following:
Deselect Options > Transport Online.
– or –
Deselect the Online button in the Transport
window.
Press Command+J (Mac) or Control+J
(Windows) to put the Transport Online.
Clicking the Online button in the Transport
Pro Tools Reference Guide1130
Recording Online
The Operation Preferences page contains two
options that affect how Pro Tools initiates re-
cording when online.
Record Online at Time Code (or ADAT)
Lock Makes online recording begin as soon as
Pro Tools receives and locks to time code or
ADAT sync. In this case, you do not need to
make an insertion or selection in a track to des-
ignate a start point.
Record Online at Insertion/Selection Makes on-
line recording begin wherever you have placed
the insertion point in a track. Recording then
continues until Pro Tools stops receiving time
code. If you make a Timeline selection,
Pro Tools will record online only for the length
of the selection.
Generating Time Code
Using a SYNC peripheral, Pro Tools can generate
SMPTE and MIDI Time Code (MTC). Without a
SYNC peripheral, Pro Tools can only generate
MTC. This lets Pro Tools function as a master
synchronization source with other devices slave
to it (chase).
To generate MIDI Time Code from Pro Tools:
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the Syn-
chronization tab.
2 From the MTC Generator Port setting, select the
MIDI output port on which you want to trans-
mit MIDI Time Code (MTC).
3 From the Transport Window menu (or the
Edit Window menu), select Synchronization.
4 Click the Gen MTC button so that it highlights.
5 Start playback.
To generate time code using a SYNC peripheral:
1 Connect the SYNC peripheral LTC Out to the
SMPTE in connector on the devices you are slav-
ing. If you are slaving a device that recognizes
MTC, connect the MTC OUT connector of the
SYNC peripheral to the MIDI IN connector of
the slaved device.
2 Make sure your SYNC peripheral is powered
on.
3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals and
click the Synchronization tab.
4 In the Synchronization Device section of the
Synchronization page, select Enable SYNC Periph-
eral.
5 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
Selecting the MTC Generator Port
Transport, Gen MTC enabled
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1131
6 Choose Setup > Session, and choose the ap-
propriate frame rate for the Time Code Rate set-
ting.
7 In the SYNC Setup section of the Session Setup
window, choose a clock reference from the
Clock Reference selector. Not all clock choices
are available at all sample rates. See “External
Clock Sources” on page 1118.)
8 From the Transport Window menu (or the
Edit Window menu), select Synchronization.
9 Select one of the following:
•Gen MTC to generate MIDI Time Code.
– or –
•Gen LTC to generate Linear Time Code.
10 Start playback.
Pro Tools generates and outputs time code from
the SYNC peripheral.
Limitations for SYNC Peripherals
Locked to Video Input or Video
Reference
A SYNC peripheral can generate time code at
any frame rate when locked to Video Reference
or Video In, regardless of the frame rate of the
incoming video reference signal. However, if
you choose to generate time code using a frame
rate which does not match that of the video sig-
nal, the frame edges in the Pro Tools session
(and the frame edges of the time code you are
generating) will not be aligned with the video
frame edges.
Transport window, Synchronization options shown
Press Command+Control+J (Mac) or Con-
trol+Start+J (Windows) to enable (or dis-
able) Generate LTC (GEN LTC).
If you change time code rates in the middle
of a session, many SMPTE-to-MIDI Time
Code converters need to be turned off and
turned on again to be able to recognize the
new frame rate.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1132
Using MIDI Machine Control
Pro Tools provides the capability to transmit lo-
cation information to external devices and to
control their transports using MIDI Machine
Control (MMC).
Controlling External Devices Using
MMC
Any device that supports MMC can be con-
trolled directly from within Pro Tools, with ei-
ther the device or Pro Tools acting as clock mas-
ter.
The external devices supported by Pro Tools im-
plement “open loop” communications only. Be-
cause of this, while Pro Tools is the Transport
Master, any direct operation of the receiving de-
vice’s transport will not be communicated back
to Pro Tools. Instead, you can use the Transport
pop-up to select the external device (MMC in
the pop-up) and use the Pro Tools on-screen
transport controls to drive the device.
Pro Tools does not support remote track arming
of MMC-controlled external devices. You need
to manually arm tracks for recording on the ex-
ternal device.
Enabling MIDI Machine
Control in Pro Tools
Pro Tools as MMC Master
When Pro Tools is the Master, it sends MMC
commands to the slave device and receives MTC
information back from the slave device.
To slave an external device to Pro Tools using
MIDI Machine Control:
1 Connect a MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools
MIDI interface to an appropriate port on the
slave device.
2 Connect the MTC out from the slave device to
a MIDI In port on your Pro Tools MIDI Interface.
3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals and
click the Synchronization tab.
4 Deselect Enable SYNC Peripheral if it is selected.
5 From the MTC Reader Port pop-up menu, select
the MIDI In port to which the slave device is
connected (the source of MTC information from
the slave device).
6 Click the Machine Control tab in the Peripher-
als dialog.
7 In the MIDI Machine Control (Master) sec-
tion, select Enable.
The MachineControl option supports re-
mote track arming for Sony 9-pin and V-
LAN enabled devices. See “Remote Track
Arming” on page 1136.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1133
8 In the MIDI Machine Control (Master) sec-
tion, select the MIDI Out port to which the slave
device is connected from the pop-up menu.
9 Set the MMC ID number for which this infor-
mation will be sent in the “ID” field.
MMC commands contain an ID number to
identify which machine should respond to the
MMC command. There are 128 MMC ID num-
bers, from 0–127. The default of ID #127 is a spe-
cial setting that transmits to all 128 MMC IDs.
With a setting of 127, Pro Tools will transmit
MMC commands to all MMC IDs.
10 Set a pre-roll time for your MMC slave device.
Pre-roll is needed to provide the device with suf-
ficient time to lock to the time code transmitted
by Pro Tools. This value will vary depending on
the external device. If the pre-roll time is insuf-
ficient, the device may not be ready to lock until
after the current time code position has passed.
11 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
12 In the Pro Tools Transport window, choose
Transport = MMC.
Pro Tools will now be able to control the se-
lected device’s transport and act as the clock
master.
13 To have the Pro Tools transport chase the
playback location of the slave device, click the
Online button in the Transport window.
Pro Tools as MMC Slave
When Pro Tools is the slave, it receives MMC
commands from the master device and sends
MTC information back to the slave device.
To slave Pro Tools to an external device using
MIDI Machine Control:
1 Connect a MIDI In port on your Pro Tools
MIDI interface to an appropriate port on the
master device.
2 Connect a MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools
MIDI Interface to the MTC in port on the master
device.
3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session.
4 In the Time Code Settings section of the Ses-
sion Setup window, select Using MTC.
5 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the Syn-
chronization tab.
6 Deselect Enable SYNC Peripheral if it is selected.
7 From the MTC Generator Port pop-up menu, se-
lect the MIDI Out port to which the master de-
vice is connected (this the destination of MTC
information from Pro Tools).
8 Click the Machine Control tab in the Peripher-
als dialog.
Selecting the MIDI Out port for MMC
Selecting Transport = MMC
In order for Pro Tools to receive MMC com-
mands, the MMC source must be enabled in
the MIDI Input Enable dialog. For more in-
formation, see “Enabling Input Devices” on
page 472
Pro Tools Reference Guide1134
9 In the MIDI Machine Control (Slave) section,
select Enable.
10 Set the MMC ID number (channel) on which
this information will be received in the “ID”
field.
11 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
Pro Tools will now respond to MMC commands
from the external device.
Operating MMC Devices with the
Pro Tools Transport
You can use the Pro Tools Transport window as
the remote controller for all your enabled de-
vices (such as a nonlinear video deck). To do so,
set the enabled devices to listen to the address
you enter for MMC. The Transport window will
then drive the Pro Tools transport and any
slaved devices.
To control external devices from the Pro Tools
Transport:
Select either Pro Tools or MMC from the Trans-
port pop-up in the Pro Tools Transport window.
The selected item will act as Transport Master.
• When the Transport Master is set to
Pro Tools, the playback position is gov-
erned by the on-screen cursor in Pro Tools.
• When the Transport Master is set to MMC,
the playback position is governed by the
external device’s play position.
MMC Transport Settings
When using MMC, you can set the following
options for machine transport behavior in the
Synchronization Preferences page.
Machine Chases Memory Location When se-
lected, navigating to a specific location in a ses-
sion with a Memory Location causes a con-
nected transport to chase to that location.
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub When se-
lected, navigating to a specific location in a ses-
sion by moving the selection point or by scrub-
bing a track causes a connected transport to
chase to that location.
Machine Control page of the Peripherals dialog
Selecting the Transport Master
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1135
Taking a Device Offline
Use the Online pop-up menu in the Transport
Master selector to take a MIDI (or Machine) de-
vice offline.
To take a device offline:
1 Click the Transport Master selector.
2 In the Transport, click on the Online pop-up
menu and deselect the device (Machine or
MIDI). Device choices depend on the current
Transport Master and which devices have been
set up in Pro Tools.
To bring a device back online, click and reselect
it in the Online pop-up menu.
Setting Minimum Sync Delay
Lock-up time delay is the initial amount of
prime time your system’s devices need to
achieve synchronization “lock.” This amount
varies for each device. Pro Tools lock up delay is
set by entering a value for Minimum Sync Delay in
the Synchronization preferences. The lowest
value available is 15 frames. Find the shortest
possible lock-up time that your equipment can
operate at consistently, and set this as the Mini-
mum Sync Delay. On systems utilizing Machine-
Control, enabling the Use Serial Time Code set-
ting in the Session Setup window will make
machines lock up much faster. (Serial time code
requires both the SYNC peripheral and external
devices to be locked to house video reference.)
To set a Minimum Sync Delay:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
Synchronization tab.
2 Enter a number of frames in the Minimum Sync
Delay field.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Configuring Minimum Sync Delay for External
MMC Devices Locked to House Sync
When controlling a house-synced device from
Pro Tools through MMC, the device will first
lock to the MMC location and then align the
color framing. Within house sync code are 4
frames for ensuring color frame lock. If the min-
imum synchronization setup time is less than
the time required to achieve both location and
color frame lock, playback will begin before the
device has aligned the color frames. In this sce-
nario, you should set the Minimum Sync Delay to
be more than the time required for color frame
lock. This is not a problem with a SYNC periph-
eral, which will drop out of lock until the color
frame is locked.
Online pop-up menu with device deselected to take it
offline
The Online pop-up menu will only display
devices that have been properly set up in
Pro Tools.
To set up MIDI devices, see “Enabling MIDI
Machine Control in Pro Tools” on
page 1132.
To set up machine devices, see the
MachineControl Guide.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1136
Remote Track Arming
The MachineControl option for Pro Tools lets
you remotely arm tracks on supported 9-pin (or
V-LAN for transport only) decks. Without Ma-
chineControl, Pro Tools does not support re-
mote track arming of external devices. Machine-
Control lets Pro Tools act as the master or slave
to external Sony 9-pin (or V-LAN for transport
only) machines, in addition to providing re-
mote track arming from within Pro Tools.
Spotting Regions to SMPTE
Frame Locations
Spotting is the process of assigning music and
sound cues to specific SMPTE frame locations in
a film or video. This function can be used to
spot:
Entire regions, selected with the Time Grabber
tool. Multiple regions can also be selected, and
Pro Tools will reference the first region in your
selection.
A specific location within a region, by clicking
with the Selector tool at that location, and
choosing Region > Identify Sync Point.
Sessions or tracks, dragged from a browser to
the session Timeline or Region List.
Spot Mode
In Spot mode, a region in a track can be quickly
spotted by simply clicking it with the Time
Grabber tool.
You can also drag a region from a DigiBase
browser, or from the Region List, to a track while
in Spot mode.
Choose Setup > Machine Track Arming
Profiles to configure your system, and
choose Window > Machine Track Arming to
display the Machine Track Arming window.
Press Command+Option+Control+J (Mac)
or Control+Alt+Start+J (Windows) to en-
able (or disable Remote mode. If using a
D-Command or D-Control work surface,
press the 9-pin Remote button.
For information on remote track arming
with MachineControl, see the
MachineControl Guide.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1137
The Spot Dialog
The Spot dialog appears when you drag a region
to a track or click a region with the Time Grab-
ber tool in Spot mode. The numeric fields func-
tion as both data displays and editing controls
for the currently selected regions.
Information in these fields is displayed in
SMPTE Time Code, Minutes:Seconds,
Feet.Frames, Samples, or Bars & Beats, depend-
ing on which Time Scale format is selected.
A highlighted numeric field indicates the cur-
rent active field for numeric entry editing. En-
tering a value in a field allows you to move a se-
lected element to the time location that you
enter. The Start, Sync Point, and End fields are
accessible when the Time Grabber tool is active.
Only the Start or End (depending on where you
click the mouse) and Duration fields are active
when one of the Trimmer tools is active (see
“Using the Trimmer Tools in Spot Mode” on
page 1139).
Use Subframes Option
A subframe is 1/100th of a frame. The Use Sub-
frames option enables you to use these smaller
units for greater accuracy. This command adds
an additional time field in the SMPTE
hours:minutes:seconds:frames box, which ap-
pears as the far right time field when enabled.
Use a Period (.) to separate subframe values from
whole frames.
Spot dialog
To increase or decrease SMPTE values in the
Spot dialog by a specific number of frames,
press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric
keypad, enter a number, and press the Enter
key.
Additional time field with “Use Subframes” enabled
Subframe measurements are not available
in the Current Time field.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1138
Capturing Time Code
Pro Tools also allows you to easily capture frame
locations on-the-fly in the Spot dialog by press-
ing the Equal key, or by clicking the Current Time
Code button while valid time code is being re-
ceived by Pro Tools. With VITC, you can accu-
rately capture a paused or “crawling” VTR’s
SMPTE location.
When Time Code is selected for the Time Scale,
pressing the Equal key captures the incoming
time code. When Bars|Beats is selected for the
Time Scale, pressing the Equal key will capture
to the nearest measure.
Although Capture Time Code works with free-
running Linear Time Code (LTC) or VITC, frame
numbers of a paused frame can only be captured
with VITC.
SYNC peripherals can read VITC. With
MachineControl and a SYNC peripheral, you
can also read serial time code.
To spot a region to a specific SMPTE frame:
1 Enable Spot mode.
2 Set the Main Time Scale to Time Code. (See
“Setting a SMPTE Session Start Time (Start
Frame)” on page 1123.)
3 Identify the SMPTE frame location where you
want to trigger playback of your region by paus-
ing your video deck on that frame.
4 With the Time Grabber tool, click a region in
a track, or in the Region List, and drag it into a
track. The Spot dialog appears.
5 Enter the SMPTE frame location by doing one
of the following:
• If you are using VITC, you can press the
Equal (=) key on the numeric keypad, or
click Current Time Code to enter a paused
VTR’s current SMPTE location.
– or –
• If you are using LTC, when Time Code is se-
lected for the Time Scale, press the Equal
(=) key on the numeric keypad to capture
the incoming time code. When Bars|Beats
is selected for the Time Scale, press the
Equal key to capture the nearest measure.
6 If you recorded the region while online, you
can use the Original Time Stamp button to recall
and enter the SMPTE frame location at which
the region was originally recorded. You can also
access a user-defined Time Stamp by clicking the
User Time Stamp button. See “Time Stamping”
on page 1139 for more information.
7 Click OK to close this dialog. The region spots
to the chosen SMPTE frame location. When the
session is online, this frame number will trigger
playback of the region.
Auto-Spotting Regions
The Pro Tools Auto-Spot Regions option simpli-
fies the task of spotting regions even further. If
you are using VITC with this option enabled, or
MachineControl software, you can pause your
video at an appropriate SMPTE frame location,
click a region with the Time Grabber tool, and
the region will be automatically spotted to the
current time code location.
You can also use MachineControl’s serial time
code ability to auto-spot by enabling Machine-
Control and enabling serial time code in the pe-
ripheral.
To use Remote mode with MachineControl,
you will need an approved serial port. For a
complete list of currently approved ports, see
www.avid.com.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1139
To Auto-Spot a region:
1 Choose Options > Auto-Spot Regions.
2 If you are using VITC, identify the SMPTE
frame location where you want to trigger play-
back of your region by pausing your video deck
on that frame.
3 Click the region with the Time Grabber tool.
The region will be automatically spotted to the
current time code location (or machine loca-
tion).
Using the Trimmer Tools in
Spot Mode
You can use the Spot dialog to trim your regions,
including start/end/duration times and refer-
encing incoming time code addresses. If you
click a region with any of the Trimmer tools in
Spot mode, the Spot dialog will appear, allowing
you to enter a value in the Start or End and Du-
ration fields to specify exactly where you want
to trim the region’s beginning or end. Use this
to edit the length of a region to correspond to a
particular visual “hit point.”
Trimming a region that contains a sync point
(see “Identifying a Synchronization Point” on
page 1140) does not affect the SMPTE location
of the sync point, unless the region is trimmed
past the sync point.
Time Stamping
Pro Tools time stamps every region recorded on-
line with the original SMPTE time at which au-
dio was recorded. You can recall this original
SMPTE time for a region by clicking the Original
Time Stamp button in the Spot dialog.
You can also spot a region to a separate user-de-
fined SMPTE time stamp, defined using the Time
Stamp command in the Region List menu. Once
the region is time stamped using this command,
you can click the User Time Stamp button to re-
spot a region to its user-defined SMPTE location.
Show Original Time Code in
Regions
This command displays the original “time
stamped” SMPTE times in all regions currently
placed in tracks. This SMPTE frame number rep-
resents the time at which the region was origi-
nally recorded online with Pro Tools, and does
not necessarily reflect the region’s current
SMPTE location in a track.
To show (or hide) Original Time Stamps in regions:
Select (or deselect) View > Region > Original
Time Stamp.
Creating a User Time Stamp
If you want to create a separate user-defined
SMPTE time stamp, you can use the Time Stamp
command in the Region List menu. This com-
mand lets you select a region (or regions) and re-
define its SMPTE time stamp. The Original Time
Stamp and the User-Time Stamp are then stored
with your session.
Clicking a region with any of the Trimmer
tools will allow you to trim the region to the
current time code location.
Auto-spotted regions are spotted by their
start times, unless you have identified a
Sync Point (see “Identifying a Synchroniza-
tion Point” on page 1140). If the region con-
tains a Sync Point, the region is spotted to it.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1140
When audio is first recorded, the User Time
Stamp will match the Original Time Stamp, but
you can change the User Time Stamp at any
time using the Time Stamp command. This fea-
ture is particularly useful in post production sit-
uations where the SMPTE time code on video
“work prints” often changes from one edit revi-
sion to another.
To time stamp a region (or regions) with a new
SMPTE frame number:
1 In a track, select the region that you want to
time stamp.
2 From the Region List menu, choose the Time
Stamp command.
3 Enter a new SMPTE time by doing one of the
following:
• Enter the numbers manually (with the help
of the arrow keys).
• Click the Current Time Code button (or press
the Equal key), if you want to capture the
incoming time code address.
• Click the Current Selection button, if you
want to enter the start time of the current
on-screen selection.
4 Click OK to close this dialog.
This command can be used in “batch mode” to
set new time stamps for several regions at a time.
To do this, simply select several regions and
choose the Time Stamp command. One after an-
other, a dialog will open for each region, allow-
ing you to quickly enter new values.
Once entered, the user time stamps can be dis-
played in all regions currently placed in tracks.
To show (or hide) User Time Stamps in regions:
Select (or deselect) View > Region > User Time
Stamp.
Identifying a Synchronization
Point
The Pro Tools Identify Sync Point command lets
you identify a specific point within a region for
audio spotting purposes.
Imagine the following sound effects spotting
scenario: You have a single sound effect that
consists of a creaky door slamming shut, fol-
lowed by a few seconds of ambient reverbera-
tion. The slam portion of the effect—which you
must precisely match to picture—occurs neither
at the very beginning of the audio file nor at the
very end. It is somewhere in the middle, making
it tough to spot. In this scenario, use the Identify
Sync Point command to create a point in the re-
gion and synchronize that point to a SMPTE
frame.
User Time Stamp dialog
For more information on Sync Points, see
“Sync Points” on page 820.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1141
To create a sync point in a region:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click with the Selector tool at the point in
the region that you want to synchronize to
a SMPTE frame location.
– or –
• Press the Down Arrow key while playing
back.
2 Choose Region > Identify Sync Point. The cur-
rent SMPTE time is automatically entered as the
SMPTE location for the sync point. A small
down arrow appears at the bottom of the region,
with a vertical, light gray line indicating the lo-
cation of the sync point.
Troubleshooting SMPTE
Synchronization
If you are having problems getting SMPTE syn-
chronization to work properly, you can trouble-
shoot your system and solve common problems.
Stripe SMPTE Before You Record
All tapes in your setup (both audio and video)
must be striped with SMPTE Time Code before
any audio is recorded onto them or to Pro Tools.
If tapes aren’t striped, your system may seem to
work, but synchronization will never properly
occur. The machines and Pro Tools will drift far-
ther and farther apart the longer they run.
The same problem occurs when audio is re-
corded into Pro Tools without a resolved SMPTE
source (for example, if it was recorded before the
current session). The audio cannot be accurately
synchronized with an analog tape recorder or
video tape deck, since the Pro Tools audio was
not recorded referenced to the SMPTE time code
from the analog tape deck or video tape deck.
Resolve All Components of Your
System
When striping time code, make sure that the
time code generator and the video record deck
are resolved to the same crystal reference. For
example, when striping 29.97 Drop Frame time
code onto a VTR, both the SMPTE generator and
the VTR should be resolved to the same “black
burst” or house sync generator. During play-
back, the master deck should be resolved to
“black burst” or house sync.
This convention provides compatibility for your
tape between the record and playback passes,
and when it is played back in other facilities on
different equipment. This also means that when
playing back a tape striped with time code, the
playback deck should be resolved to the same
synchronization rate as the record deck was re-
solved to at the time of the striping. When you
stripe time code using an audio transport, it
should be “free-running” and unresolved, but
should be resolved with a house sync-referenced
synchronizer during playback.
Sync Point in an audio region
Pro Tools Reference Guide1142
Know the True Frame Rate on Your
Media
If you get your media from a production com-
pany instead of recording them yourself, be ab-
solutely sure that they indicate the SMPTE frame
rate used on the tape correctly. Several time code
formats use the same frame count (such as
23.976 fps and 24 fps) yet they run at slightly
different frame rates per second.
A Synchronization peripheral (and some third-
party products) can be used to help determine
frame rate.
29.97 fps Non-Drop Rate Not
Recognized
29.97 fps Non-Drop is a slightly slower version
of 30 fps Non-Drop time code. When 29.97 fps
Non-Drop is used with color video, each video
frame matches up with each SMPTE frame with-
out having to use a drop-frame coding. This
makes any frame number mathematics much
simpler, since no frame numbers are dropped.
Some hardware and software devices do not rec-
ognize 29.97 Non-Drop as a separate frame rate.
For example, any standard SMPTE-to MTC-con-
verter does not explicitly recognize it. You must
set the convertor to expect 30 fps Non-Drop in-
stead. In fact, many devices that read SMPTE
work acceptably by reading 29.97 Non-Drop if
they are set to expect 30 fps Non-Drop.
Any SMPTE reader that uses the time code num-
bers to make real-time calculations (as Pro Tools
does when it tries to trigger and synchronize to
SMPTE) also needs to know that the frame for-
mat is 29.97 and not 30 fps. Since Pro Tools al-
lows this choice of frame rate this does not really
pose a problem. The problem exists because
many users cannot readily distinguish 29.97
from 30 fps.
Even though NTSC tapes only use 29.97, some
production companies will distribute video
work prints striped with 29.97 fps but mark
them as “30 fps NTSC,” by which they actually
mean 29.97 fps Non-Drop.
By the time you get the tape, you may have no
idea what’s actually on it. Feeding 29.97 Non-
Drop to Pro Tools when it is set for 30 fps Non-
Drop will result in timing errors of about 1.8
frames per minute, causing audio playback to
trigger out of sync.
Use a Consistent Clock Source
When possible, media files should be played
back using the same sync reference signal they
were recorded with. This assures the closest
match between record and playback sample
rates.
Chapter 50: Working with Synchronization 1143
Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video, and PAL Video
Figure 7. Frame rates, telecine transfers, and relative playback speeds
faster
slower
25 fps
24 fps
23.976 fps
30 fps
29.97 fps
same program speed,
less frames per second more frames per second
same program speed,
x104.1667% up x96.0% down
x100.1% up
(0.1% pull up) (0.1% pull down)
x99.9% down
Telecine
Telecine
(0.1% pull down)
x99.9% down
x100.1% up
(0.1% pull up)
(4% pull up) (4% pull down)
Pro Tools Reference Guide1144
Table 51. Sample Rate Conversion Using Source Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Setting
From: To: Pull: Source Sample Rate
NTSC
Video
PAL +0.1% then
+4.1667%
45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a
Film PAL +4.1667% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a
NTSC
Video
Film +0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192
Film NTSC
Video
–0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808
PAL Film –4.0% 42336 46080 84672 92160 n/a n/a
PAL NTSC
Video
–4.0% then
0.1%
42294 46034 84587 92068 n/a n/a
NTSC Video = 23.976/29.97 fps
Film = 24/30 fps
PAL = 25 fps
Destination Sample Rate
44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000
Table 52. Sample Rate Conversion Using Destination Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Setting
NTSC Video = 23.976/29.97 fps
Film = 24/30 fps
PAL = 25 fps
Source Sample Rate
44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000
From: To: Pull: Destination Sample Rate
NTSC
Video
PAL +0.1% then
+4.1667%
42294 46034 84587 92068 n/a n/a
Film PAL +4.1667% 42336 46080 84672 92160 n/a n/a
NTSC
Video
Film +0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808
Film NTSC
Video
–0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192
PAL Film –4.0% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a
PAL NTSC
Video
–4.0% then
0.1%
45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1145
Chapter 51: Working with Video in
Pro Tools
This topic covers video features in Pro Tools.
Differences between support for QuickTime,
Windows Media, and Avid video are noted
throughout.
The Avid Video Peripherals Guide provides in-
structions for using Avid Mojo SDI and Avid
Mojo video peripherals with Pro Tools systems.
Introduction to Pro Tools and
Video
Pro Tools lets you do the following with video:
• Create video tracks and import QuickTime
and Windows Media video to the Timeline
using menu commands or drag and drop
• Lock video tracks
• Extract audio from QuickTime or Windows
Media video
• Scrub audio in tandem with video
• View video in the Video window or output
it through a FireWire peripheral to an ex-
ternal monitor
• Bounce the video track to QuickTime or
Windows Media video
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2,
Pro Tools with an Avid video peripheral, and
Pro Tools HD let you do the following with
video:
• Import multiple video files into the Time-
line
• Select from multiple video playlists on each
video track
• Mix multiple codecs in video tracks
• Organize, group, and edit video regions in
the Timeline much like audio regions
• Organize, group, and edit video regions
with audio regions
• Manage video regions
• Undo multiple video operations
• Create multiple video tracks with Quick-
Time, Windows Media, and Avid video in
the Timeline
An Avid video peripheral is required to work
with Avid video.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1146
QuickTime Movies Support in
Pro Tools
Pro Tools supports the import, playback, and
editing of QuickTime movies.
QuickTime Required
Quicktime must be installed if you plan to in-
clude movie files, or import MP3 or MP4 (AAC)
files in your Pro Tools sessions. QuickTime for
Windows is available as a free download from
the Apple website (www.apple.com).
QuickTime Movie Playback
Performance Options
High Quality QuickTime Image
When the High Quality QuickTime Image (DV25
Only) option is enabled in the Operation Prefer-
ences page, Pro Tools decompresses both fields
of each interlaced frame of QuickTime video.
When viewing a QuickTime movie in the
Pro Tools Video window, select this option to
display the movie at the highest possible resolu-
tion. For interlaced video that was transcoded
from a progressive source, enabling option pro-
vides a crisper image in the Pro Tools Video win-
dow. For true interlaced video, enabling this op-
tion provides a smoother and clearer image
when viewing the video on a client monitor.
Deselecting this option can help improve per-
formance if your system experiences problems
playing back a session with QuickTime video
(such as comb-like interlacing artifacts or flick-
ering video when monitoring using an Avid
Mojo).
Supported QuickTime Movies
When working with someone who is preparing
QuickTime movies for use with Pro Tools, en-
sure that you communicate the following:
Consolidated and Referenced Media QuickTime
DV movies can be either complete (consoli-
dated) Quicktime files (where media is copied
into a Quicktime file) or Quicktime reference
files (where just a small composition is in the
Quicktime file which references the original DV
files).
Codec Requirements When exporting from
Avid, always use the Apple DV codec. Do not en-
able “Use Avid Codec” in the export dialog. If an
Avid-codec DV movie is imported into
Pro Tools, you cannot play it unless you have in-
stalled an Avid video peripheral.
DV Stream Movies Pro Tools does not support
audio from a DV Stream file. DV Stream files
contain the entire data stream that has been
transferred or recorded over the FireWire cable
from a camera. In this type of file, the audio and
video data are stored in an interleaved fashion,
as opposed to a QuickTime file where audio and
video are stored separately.
Limitations for Applying Pull-Ups
to QuickTime Movies in Sessions
Containing Avid Video
Applying a pull-up to QuickTime movies is dis-
allowed if you also have Avid video in that ses-
sion. You can only use video pull-up for sessions
that do not contain Avid video.
For information on which version of Quick-
Time is compatible with your version of
Pro Tools, visit www.avid.com.
See also “Exporting QuickTime DV from
Avid” on page 1167.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1147
Windows Media Video (VC-1
AP Codec) Support in
Pro Tools
(Windows Only)
Pro Tools supports the import and playback of
Windows Media video files created using the
VC-1 Advanced Profile codec. See your Win-
dows documentation for detailed information
about Windows Media video.
Windows Media Video File
Caveats
The following limitations apply to Windows
Media video in Pro Tools.
• Pro Tools cannot open Windows Media video
files that require Windows Media File Digital
Rights Management (DRM) passwords to
view.
• High-resolution Windows Media video files
play back accurately at normal speed on the
Windows desktop or an external monitor
with a qualified DirectShow output device.
However, due to processing requirements for
VC-1 decompression, Avid cannot guarantee
accurate playback of video frames when per-
forming other transport commands (such as
scrubbing, looping, and off-speed play).
• Pro Tools does not support Windows Media
playback via Avid video peripherals.
Before Starting Your Project
Before you start any project that requires work-
ing with video, consider the following:
Frame Rate Before receiving video, find out the
frame rate. Use this frame rate when setting the
frame rate of your Pro Tools sessions and when
capturing video.
Creator Application and Codec Before receiving
video as media files, find out the application
and codec used to create those files. Then con-
firm that you can play those files in Pro Tools. It
is always a good idea to get a sample file in ad-
vance.
QuickTime Movie Time Code Burn-in Before re-
ceiving QuickTime movies, request the time
code display to be “burned in” (superimposed) if
possible. This ensures that Pro Tools places the
file at the correct time code location in the
Timeline.
Sufficient Space on Video Drives Ensure suffi-
cient space is available on separate dedicated
video-only drives. Video files take up signifi-
cantly more space and bandwidth than audio,
and must be kept on separate drives from audio
files to prevent performance problems.
Separate Video-Only and Audio-Only Drives For
best results, always use separate video-only and
audio-only drives. For complete information on
hard drive requirements, visit www.avid.com.
Though not prohibited, editing Windows
Media video or adding multiple clips to the
Timeline can lead to irregular video output
performance.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1148
Video Tracks
Video tracks let you add or import video to the
Timeline, as follows:
• Pro Tools lets you add or import one video
track per session, with a limit of one video
playlist and one QuickTime or Windows Me-
dia video file on that track.
• Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools with Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2, and Pro Tools with an Avid
video peripheral let you add multiple video
tracks to the Timeline, with multiple video
playlists and multiple video files per track.
• Pro Tools with an Avid video peripheral lets
you mix QuickTime and Avid video tracks in
the Timeline (but not on the same video
track).
To create a video track in Pro Tools, do one of the
following:
Use File > Import to import a video file.
Drag a video file to the Timeline.
Use File > Import > Session Data to import a
session containing a video track.
For more information, see “Importing Video
into Pro Tools” on page 1153.
To create a new video track with Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2, or
with an Avid video peripheral:
1 Choose Track > New.
2 In the New Tracks dialog, do the following:
• Select Video Track from the Track Type
pop-up menu.
– and –
• Enter the number of new video tracks.
3 Click Create.
A new empty video track appears. Video tracks
may appear slightly different depending on
your system configuration or the type of video
added to a video track.
Multiple Video Tracks in the
Timeline
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
You can add multiple video tracks to the Time-
line, but only one video track can be played back
at a time. This track is known as the main video
track.
An Avid video peripheral is required to
import, play back, and edit Avid video.
Empty video track
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1149
Multiple Video Track Playlists
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
Playlists provide an easy way of changing back
and forth between alternate versions of a video
track.
You can perform all of the same operations with
video playlists as you can with audio playlists,
including:
• Duplicating a playlist
• Creating a playlist
• Assigning a playlist to another video track
• Renaming a playlist
• Deleting a playlist
Multiple Codecs on an Individual
Video Track
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
A single video track can contain video regions
compressed with different video codecs of the
same type of video. For example, you can add
QuickTime files that were compressed using
multiple codecs to the same video track.
However, once the first video file has been
added to a session, all additional video files
added to the Timeline must have the same video
frame rate as the first video file.
Main Video Track
The main video track is the video track that is
currently online, and will be played back with
any audio in the session.
When the main video track is offline, you can
play back the audio in your session without
playing back the video. When the video is of-
fline, the Video Online button changes to gray
so you can tell at a glance whether your video is
offline or simply playing black fill.
If no video track is currently online, the main
video track is the video track that was last on-
line.
To select the main video track:
Click the Video Online button of any track
that is offline (gray) to put it online (blue), mak-
ing that track the main video track.
For more information, see Chapter 30,
“Playlists.”
Video Online button (offline and online, respectively)
Pro Tools Reference Guide1150
Video Track Controls and
Indicators
Video Track View
The video track can be viewed in Frames View or
in Blocks View, both of which display all video
region boundaries and metadata. Video frame
images are displayed only in Frames View.
To set the view for the video track:
On the video track, select Frames or Blocks
from the View Options pop-up menu.
Frames View
In Frames View, video data is displayed as pic-
tures in the video track. These pictures are com-
puted based on the video image, and scale ac-
cording to your track zoom and height settings.
They allow you to easily find a scene or se-
quence in the video track.
Frames do not display properly if you change
zoom settings during playback. Black frames are
drawn until playback is stopped. You should
stop playback before changing zoom settings if
you want to view frames.
If video pull-up or pull-down is enabled, frames
do not change position.
Frames View Performance
When using Frames View to view video content
in the video track, your computer may exhibit
reduced or sluggish performance. If this hap-
pens on your computer, hide the video track or
switch to Blocks View.
Blocks View
In Blocks View, video frames are replaced by col-
ored blocks.
Video Track Type Icons
A video track displays a QuickTime icon, Win-
dows Media icon, or an Avid icon depending on
the type of video added to it. No icon displays
when the video track is empty.
When switching from Blocks mode to
Frames mode during playback, the video
track will not update to displaying frames
until playback is stopped.
Video track in Frames View
Video track in Blocks View
Video tracks displaying QuickTime, Windows Media,
and Avid icons
Avid
icon
QuickTime
icon
Windows Media icon
(Windows Vista only)
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1151
You can add any supported video to an empty
video track, in which case the icon will update
and the video track will play back only that type
of video.
Differences in Video Tracks with
Avid Video
When an Avid video peripheral (such as an
Avid Mojo SDI) is connected to your system and
powered on, the following conditions apply:
• All video tracks display a Video Output se-
lector, but only tracks containing Avid
video display a Video Input selector.
• You can add Avid video to an empty video
track.
• Only Avid video tracks contain a Record
Enable button.
Video Online Button
The Video Online button lets you select the
main video track, switch that track online or of-
fline, and see at a glance by color whether a
video track is offline (gray) or online (blue).
To switch a video track online or offline:
Click the Video Online button of any track
that is offline (gray) to put it online (blue), mak-
ing that track the main video track.
Click the Video Online button of the main
video track to take it offline, and Pro Tools will
not output video.
See the Avid Video Peripherals Guide for de-
tailed information on using the Record En-
able button and the controls in the I/O
View.
Video Online button (offline (top) and online (bottom)
Pro Tools Reference Guide1152
Locking Video Tracks
You can lock one or more video tracks to pre-
vent any video regions on those tracks from be-
ing edited.
When a video track is locked, Pro Tools restricts
all editing operations involving the track (ex-
cept for locking and unlocking video regions).
A locked video track displays a small lock to in-
dicate that the video track has been locked and
cannot be edited. (The lock does not appear if
the Track Height of the video track is set to
Mini.)
To lock a video track:
1 Select the video track or tracks you want to
lock.
2 Do one of the following:
• Start-click (Windows) or Control-click
(Mac) the name of any selected video track,
and select Locked.
– or –
• Right-click the name of any selected video
track, and select Locked.
Locking or unlocking a video track does not al-
ter the lock status of individual regions. If a re-
gion was locked before you lock the track, the re-
gion will still be locked when you unlock the
track. However, unlocking a region in a locked
track will not allow you to edit that region. It
will behave as if the region were locked until
you unlock the track.
Video Engine Rate
The video engine rate represents the number of
video frames output by Pro Tools per second,
and is determined automatically by the frame
rate of the first video file added to a session.
Video files subsequently added to the session
must have the same video frame rate as the
video engine rate.
The video frame rate is displayed for each video
file in the DigiBase browsers, and the current
video engine rate is displayed in the I/O View of
the main video track.
The video engine rate is independent of the ses-
sion's time code rate, which determines the
number of frames displayed per second in grids,
rulers, and counters. You can set the session
time code rate manually with the Time Code
Rate pop-up menu in the Session Setup window.
In order for the grids and rulers to align with the
actual frames of the video files in the Timeline,
the session's Time Code Rate setting should be
set to match the video engine rate.
You can Edit lock or Time lock individual
Video regions. For more information about
locking regions, see “Locking Regions” on
page 823.
See “Video Engine Rate Indicator” on
page 1153 for information on the Video
Engine Rate indicator in the I/O View.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1153
Video Engine Rate Indicator
The Video Engine Rate indicator displays only
in the main video track (whether it is online or
offline) and shows the video engine rate, which
is the number of video frames per second output
by Pro Tools.
The Video Engine Rate indicator is normally
black, but turns red if one of the following con-
ditions are present:
• The video engine rate does not match the
session’s current Time Code Rate setting.
– or –
• A pull-up has been applied to the video,
causing the video engine rate to differ from
the session Time Code Rate.
Importing Video into Pro Tools
Pro Tools provides the following methods of im-
porting video files into the Timeline, Region
List, and new or existing video tracks:
• Using the Import Video command (File >
Import > Video)
• Dragging from the Region List to the Time-
line (Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2, or Pro Tools
with an Avid video peripheral only)
• Dragging from a DigiBase browser or from
Windows Explorer or Mac Finder
•Using the Import Session Data command
(File > Import > Session Data)—this lets you
import video from another Pro Tools ses-
sion, or from and AAF or OMF file, but not
individual video files
Video Frame Rate
The Time Code Rate is set in the Session
Setup window. For more information, see
“Session Setup Window” on page 1117.
See “Pull Up and Pull Down” on page 1125
for detailed information on using video
pull up and pull down.
The video frame rate of the first video file
added to a session determines the session’s
video engine rate. Video files subsequently
added to the session must have the same
video frame rate as the video engine rate.
In general, audio and video media should
be stored on separate dedicated drives.
When importing audio and video at the
same time by linking to media, however,
Pro Tools may copy both to the same drive.
To avoid performance problems, move the
video to a video playback drive before
importing the audio and video into your
session.
When you import MPEG-2 video into
Pro Tools, only the video portion of the file
is imported and the resulting video regions
cannot be edited.
In a DigiBase browser, you can designate
your audio drives to play or record audio but
only transfer video, or vice versa. You may
use these settings to ensure that your audio
and video are on the correct volumes. For de-
tailed instructions, see “Audio and Video
Volume Designators” on page 311.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1154
Importing Video into Pro Tools
Using the Import Video Command
The Import Video menu command lets you
choose one or more video files to import into
Pro Tools.
When you use this method to import video into
Pro Tools, the Video Import Options dialog ap-
pears. This dialog contains multiple options for
customizing how files are imported.
To import video into Pro Tools using the Import
Video command:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose File > Import > Video.
– or –
• Press Control+Alt+Shift+I (Windows) or
Command+Option+Shift+I (Mac).
2 In the Select Video File to Import dialog, select
one or more video files.
3 Click Open.
4 Configure the Video Import Options dialog,
and click OK to import video into Pro Tools.
Importing Video into Pro Tools
with Drag and Drop
You can drag and drop video files from a
DigiBase browser or from Windows Explorer or
Mac Finder to the Timeline, a track, a Track List,
or the Region List.
When you use this method to import video into
Pro Tools, the Video Import Options dialog ap-
pears. This dialog contains multiple options for
customizing how files are imported.
To import video into Pro Tools using drag and drop:
1 Drag and drop one or more video files from a
DigiBase browser or from Windows Explorer or
Mac Finder to the Track List, Timeline, or an ex-
isting video track.
2 Configure the Video Import options, and click
OK to import video into Pro Tools.
Importing Video into Pro Tools
Using Import Session Data
You can use the Import Session Data command
to import video from other Pro Tools sessions or
(with DigiTranslator 2.0) from an AAF or OMF
sequence. Any video files you import must have
the same video frame rate as any video file al-
ready present in the session.
Dragging Video Files from the
Region List to the Timeline
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
You can add video files to the Timeline by drag-
ging and dropping directly from the Region List
to a video track.
To add video files to a video track by dragging
them from the Region List:
1 Select one or more video files in the Region
List.
See “Configuring Video Import Options” on
page 1155 for detailed instructions.
See “Configuring Video Import Options” on
page 1155 for detailed instructions.
For information on importing session data,
see “Importing Session Data” on page 338.
For detailed information on importing AAF
or OMF sequences into Pro Tools, see the
DigiTranslator Guide.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1155
2 In any Edit mode, drag the selected video files
to a blank area in the Timeline (to create a new
video track) or an existing video track (to place it
within that track).
Configuring Video Import
Options
The Video Import Options dialog appears when
you import video into Pro Tools by using the
Import Video command or dragging video files
from a DigiBase browser or from Windows Ex-
plorer or Mac Finder.
Destination Section
The Destination section of the Video Import
Options dialog lets you choose a general desti-
nation for imported video in Pro Tools.
Main Video Track The video file is imported di-
rectly to the track that is currently online
(known as the main video track) and into the
Region List. If no track is currently online, the
video file will be imported to the last existing
video track that was online.
New Track Each video file is imported into its
own individual track and into the Region List.
Region List (Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit or2, or an Avid Video Pe-
ripheral Only) Each video file is imported directly
into the Region List, where it will be available to
drag and drop into the Timeline.
Location Pop-Up Menu
If you do not select the Region List as a destina-
tion in the Destination section, the Location
pop-up menu lets you choose precisely where in
the Timeline Pro Tools places imported video.
Session Start Places the video file at the start of
the session.
Song Start Places the video file at the Song Start
position.
Selection Places the video file at the edit cursor
position or within the selection (if one was
made).
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you
spot video to precise locations based on any of
the Time Scales.
Original Time Stamp (Avid Video Only) Places
Avid video in the Timeline at a time code loca-
tion that corresponds to the timestamps from
the original source tape. With multiple video
files, this places all video files in the Timeline at
their respective original timestamps.
Video Import Options dialog
See “Bypassing the Video Import Options
Dialog” on page 1156 for details on
bypassing the Video Import Options dialog
when dragging and dropping video files.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1156
Additional Video Import Options
Gaps Between Regions (Pro Tools HD and
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2, or
an Avid Video Peripheral Only) When you import
more than one video file into a track, they will
be shuffled together by default. This option lets
you indicate the number of seconds by which
each video clip will be separated when imported
into the video track.
Import Audio from File (QuickTime and Windows
Media Video Only)
When selected, the audio from the QuickTime
or Windows Media video file you are importing
will be extracted and placed into new mono or
stereo audio tracks in the Timeline. (Mono or
stereo audio with a sampling rate of 48 kHz or
lower are supported.) When unselected, only
the video portion of the video file will be im-
ported into Pro Tools.
Remove Existing Video Tracks When selected, all
existing video tracks will be deleted before
Pro Tools imports video into the session.
Remove Existing Video Regions When selected,
all existing video regions will be removed from
the Timeline and the Region List before
Pro Tools imports video into the session (but left
on disk). This option is useful if you want to im-
port a video file into the session with a video
frame rate that does not match the current video
engine rate.
Clear Main Video Track Playlist When selected,
all existing video regions in the currently-se-
lected playlist on the main video track will be re-
moved from the track before Pro Tools imports
video into the session. No other playlists, video
tracks, or video regions will be affected. (This
option is only enabled if the main video track is
selected as the Destination option.)
Bypassing the Video Import
Options Dialog
You can bypass the Video Import Options dialog
when dragging video files into Pro Tools. The
video files are added exactly where you drop
them in the Timeline following the current
Pro Tools editing mode.
To bypass the Video Import Options dialog when
importing video into Pro Tools:
Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac) one
or more video files from a DigiBase browser,
Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder into the Re-
gion List or the Timeline.
Extracting Audio from
QuickTime and Windows
Media Video
(QuickTime and Windows Media Video Only)
You can extract many audio file formats from
QuickTime and Windows Media video files
without importing the video.
The audio is converted to the session’s sample
rate and bit resolution, and a new region ap-
pears in the Region List for each imported file.
The regions are listed in the Region List with the
region name, the number of the originating
track, and the number of the region from the
track.
See “Video Engine Rate” on page 1152 for
more information.
Pro Tools cannot extract audio from
Windows Media video files that require
Windows Media File Digital Rights
Management (DRM) passwords.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1157
To import audio from a QuickTime or Windows
Media video file without importing the video, do
the following:
1 Choose File > Import > Audio.
2 In the Import Audio dialog, navigate to the
video file from which you want to import audio,
and select it.
3 Under the Region section, click the name of
the audio region you want to extract from the
video file, and click Convert Region or Add Region.
4 Select other audio files, and click Done to im-
port the audio.
5 In the Audio Import Options dialog, choose
whether to import the audio into a new track
(and the Region List) or the Region List only.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
If you import QuickTime audio that was not
originally recorded at the session’s sample rate,
the sample rate is converted to match the audio
to your session. Pro Tools allows you to choose
the quality of the sample rate conversion by
means of the Conversion Quality setting in the
Editing Preferences page.
There are five possible settings, ranging from
Low (lowest quality) to Tweak Head (highest
quality). The higher the quality of sample rate
conversion, the longer it takes to convert the
bounced file.
To set the sample rate conversion quality:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Processing tab.
2 Click the Conversion Quality pop-up menu and
select a conversion setting.
Video Regions
You can create video regions that function in
much the same way as audio regions.
A video region is a segment of video data, and
can be a portion of video or an entire video file.
In Pro Tools, video regions are created from
QuickTime, Windows Media, or Avid video files,
and can be arranged in corresponding video
track playlists. Video regions can also be
grouped, looped, and color coded.
When using Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2, or Pro Tools with an
Avid video peripheral, you can add, edit, and
change viewing options for video regions in the
same ways as audio regions. All edits to video re-
gions are nondestructive. (See “General Video
Editing” on page 1158 for more information.)
Just like audio regions, video regions display in
Pro Tools in the Region List or the Timeline.
When using Pro Tools, the following limitations
apply to video regions:
• You can add only one video region to a ses-
sion. It can be played back, but cannot be ed-
ited and will not be listed in the Region List.
Video region as displayed in Frames View in the
Timeline
Pro Tools Reference Guide1158
• When you import video or open a session cre-
ated by Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools with Com-
plete Production Toolkit 2, or Pro Tools with
an Avid video peripheral, only the main or
first available video track containing Quick-
Time regions will be imported. You can play
back and view multiple regions, and tab
through region boundaries. However, you
cannot edit them. (See “Using Pro Tools to Im-
port Video from Other Versions of Pro Tools”
on page 1172 for more information.)
Video Regions in the Region List
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
A video region displays in the Region List with a
small video icon next to its name.
Showing or Hiding Video Regions
in the Region List
The Region List menu provides commands that
let you show or hide video regions in the Region
List.
To show or hide video regions in the Region List:
1 In the Edit window, click the Region List
menu, and choose Show.
2 Select the Video option to show or hide video
regions.
General Video Editing
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
Most editing operations that are available for au-
dio regions can also be applied to video regions.
This section describes all available video editing
operations. Unless noted, the procedure for each
video editing operation is the same as its audio
editing counterpart.
Basic Video Editing Features
• Nondestructive editing
• Display of region names, region times, and
other data in playlists
• Multiple video playlists
•Multiple Undo
• Video regions and video region groups in
Region List
• All Edit modes
• All Edit Tools (except for Time Compres-
sion Expansion and Pencil tools)
Video region icon in the Region List
For information on working with regions
in the Region List, see Chapter 15, “The
Region List.”
See the appropriate topic for detailed infor-
mation on performing editing operations.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1159
Playing and Selecting Video Track Material
• Selecting within video frame boundaries (see
“Selecting within Video Frame Boundaries”
on page 1160)
• Selecting and editing across multiple tracks
(see “Selecting and Editing Across Multiple
Audio and Video Tracks” on page 1160)
• Link or unlink track and Edit selections
• Auto-scroll video tracks
• Loop playback
• Video Universe window (see “Browsing Video
in the Video Universe Window” on
page 1164)
Working with Regions and Selections
•Capture regions
• Separate regions and Separate Grabber Tool
• Region overlap and underlap
• All trimming commands except for TCE
• Heal separated regions
• Place, align, slide, shuffle, and spot regions
• Nudging (quantized to frame boundaries)
•Shift command (moving track material back
or forward in time by a specified amount)
•Quantize Region to Grid (rounds to nearest
video frame)
•Replace Region command
•Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear commands
•Special Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear commands
• Repeat to fill selection
• Editing across multiple tracks
•Duplicate command
•Repeat command
• Region groups (see “Video Region Groups” on
page 1161)
• Region looping
Managing Regions
• Insert space (see “Using the Insert Silence
Command to Insert Space in Video Tracks” on
page 1160)
•Compact Selected (nothing happens to the
video, and at least one audio track must be se-
lected)
• All naming and displaying of region com-
mands
Video Editing Caveats
The following caveats apply to video editing in
Pro Tools:
• MPEG-2 video in the Timeline cannot be ed-
ited.
• If you create and enable a track group contain-
ing audio and video tracks—and any audio
track has region boundaries that do not line
up with video frame boundaries— you cannot
tab through those region boundaries.
General Editing Operations Not
Applicable to Video Regions
The following editing operations are applicable
to audio regions, but are not applicable to video
regions:
•Fades
•Mute/unmute regions
• AudioSuite plug-ins
• Waveform Repair with the Pencil tool
• Strip silence
• Consolidate regions
Pro Tools Reference Guide1160
Selecting and Editing Across
Multiple Audio and Video Tracks
You can create a selection across multiple audio
and video tracks, and cut, copy, or paste audio
and video simultaneously.
Audio and video that is selected and cut, copied,
or pasted follow the current Edit mode.
Selecting within Video Frame
Boundaries
Pro Tools does not let you select, play back, or
edit a partial video frame. The following rules
apply when selecting or editing video:
• When you make a selection in a video track,
the selection boundaries follow the current
Grid setting but round to the nearest video
frame boundary, as follows:
• If the selection includes more than half of a
video frame, the full video frame is in-
cluded within the selection.
• If the selection includes less than half of a
video frame, that video frame is not in-
cluded in a video selection.
• When you paste a selection containing video
to a video track, the insertion point automat-
ically aligns with the closest video frame
boundary.
Using the Insert Silence Command
to Insert Space in Video Tracks
The Insert Silence command lets you make a se-
lection on a track (or tracks) and insert precisely
that amount of space. You can also select across
video and audio tracks, and use the Insert Si-
lence command to insert audio silence and
space simultaneously.
In Shuffle mode, all video data on the track is
shuffled later in the track by an amount equal to
the selection. In Slip, Grid, or Spot mode, the In-
sert Silence command works just like the Edit >
Clear command.
Selecting and editing across multiple tracks (Slip mode
shown)
When you paste audio and video simulta-
neously, this video frame re-alignment may
result in the audio not being positioned
exactly where you placed it. A warning
dialog displays when this occurs.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1161
To insert space into a video track:
1 Make a selection in a track or tracks. The
length of the selection determines the duration
of the space inserted.
2 Choose Edit > Insert Silence.
Renaming Video Disk Files
When renaming audio regions in either the
Timeline or the Region List, you have the option
of also renaming the audio files on disk. How-
ever, this does not apply to video files on disk.
To rename video files on disk, you must rename
them in a DigiBase browser or in Windows Ex-
plorer or Mac Finder.
Video Region Groups
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2, or with an Avid Video
Peripheral Only)
You can include video regions within region
groups for the following operations:
• Creating region groups
• Creating multitrack region groups (includ-
ing audio tracks)
• Editing region groups
• Creating fades and crossfades for audio files
in region groups
• Importing and exporting region group files
Using the Video Window
Pro Tools provides a Video window that lets you
view, display, or scrub video.
To display the Video window, do one of the
following:
Select Window > Video.
– or –
Press Control+9 (Windows) or Command+9
(Mac).
Changing Video Window Options
The Video window pop-up menu lets you do the
following:
• Toggle online status of the main video track.
• Toggle output of QuickTime video between
the Video window and an external monitor
using the FireWire port (without an Avid
Video peripheral this is supported with Mac
only) or PCIe (with a qualified video card).
• Resize the Video window.
Changes made in the operating system will
not automatically update the information
displayed in the DigiBase browser.
See “Region Groups” on page 835 for
detailed information on working with
region groups.
Avid video displays in the Video window
only when scrubbed or shuttled.
Video window
Pro Tools Reference Guide1162
To toggle the online status of the main video track:
Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click
(Mac) the Video window, and select Online.
To toggle output of QuickTime video between the
Video window and FireWire, do one of the following
(Mac only):
Select (or deselect) Options > Video Out
FireWire.
– or –
Right-click, or Control-click, the Video win-
dow, and select (or deselect) Video Out FireWire.
To toggle output of QuickTime video between the
Video window and PCIe, do one of the following
(Mac only):
Select (or deselect) Options > Video Out PCIe.
– or –
Right-click, or Control-click, the Video win-
dow, and select (or deselect) Video Out PCIe
Resizing the Video Window
You can resize the Video window by dragging or
using the Video window pop-up menu.
To resize the Video window by dragging:
Place the cursor at the bottom left or bottom
right of the Video window, and drag the window
to the size you want.
To resize the Video window by using the Video
window pop-up menu:
Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click
(Mac) the Video window, and choose from the
following resize options:
•Half Size
•Actual Size
•Double Size
• Fit Screen
Video window (with pop-up menu shown)
For information on playing video through
FireWire, see “Playing QuickTime DV
Video to an External Monitor Over
FireWire” on page 1166.
For information on playing video through
PCIe, see “Playing Video to an External
Monitor Using a Video Card” on
page 1168.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1163
Scrubbing the Video Track
Due to the latency introduced by all FireWire-
based video peripherals, the video on an exter-
nal monitor will not be in sync with the Scrub-
ber tool. To scrub video without latency, you
can scrub in the Video window.
If you scrub directly on the video track, only the
video will scrub (no audio will play). If you scrub
on an audio track, audio and video will scrub si-
multaneously.
To scrub a video track:
1 Ensure that scrubbing in the Video window is
enabled by selecting Options > Scrub in Video Win-
dow.
2 Select the Scrubber tool.
3 Click in the video track and drag the Scrubber.
Shuttling the Video Track
Shuttle Lock mode lets you use the numeric key-
pad to shuttle a video track and one or two au-
dio tracks forward or backwards at specific
speeds. Numbers 0 through 9 provide progres-
sively faster speeds, as follows:
• To stop shuttling, press 0.
• To increase the speed progressively towards
normal speed, press numbers 1 through 4.
• To shuttle at normal speed, press 5.
• To increase the speed progressively faster than
normal speed, press numbers 6 through 9.
Only the main video track is shuttled. When
multiple audio tracks are selected, only the first
two tracks are shuttled.
To play the video track with the shuttle lock:
1 With Pro Tools HD, make sure the Operation
preference for Numeric Keypad mode is not set
to Shuttle (see “Operation Preferences” on
page 122).
2 Make sure the Video Online button in the
video track you want to scrub is set to an online
(blue) status.
3 With the Selector tool, click in the audio track
where you want playback to begin. To shuttle on
two tracks, Shift-click in a second audio track.
4 Press the Start key (Windows) or Control
(Mac) and a number on the numeric keypad:
0–9 (9 is fastest, 5 is normal speed, and 0 stops
shuttling).
Once Shuttle Lock mode is initiated, Fast For-
ward and Rewind become highlighted in the
Transport window.
5 Press additional keys to change the playback
speed, or press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to switch the
playback direction (plus for forward, minus for
backward).
6 To stop playback, press Start+0 (Windows) or
Control+0 (Mac).
To exit Shuttle Lock mode, do one of the following:
Click Stop in the Transport.
– or –
Press the Spacebar.
To scrub with finer precision, press the
Command key while scrubbing.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1164
Browsing Video in the Video
Universe Window
(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete
Production Toolkit 2 Only)
The Video Universe window lets you view, nav-
igate, zoom, and select video regions on the
main video track.
The Video Universe window displays the center
video frame of each video region in the main
video track. Video frames are ordered sequen-
tially according to their order in the Timeline,
and the colored strip under each frame repre-
sents the color coding for that region.
To display the Video Universe window:
1 Make sure the Video Online button in the
main video track is set to online status (blue).
2 Choose Window > Video Universe.
Increasing or Decreasing the Size
of Video Frames
To increase or decrease the size of video frames in
the Video Universe window:
Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click
(Mac) anywhere in the Universe, and select In-
crease or Decrease.
Selecting Zoom Resolutions in the
Video Universe
When you move the cursor over the top half of
a video frame in the Video Universe, it displays
and behaves as a zoom tool. This tool lets you
zoom in on one or more video regions to fill the
entire Edit window display.
To use the Video Universe window to zoom video
regions in the Edit window:
1 Move the cursor over the top half of any video
frame until it becomes a zoom tool.
2 Do one of the following:
• To move the beginning of a video region to
the far left of the Timeline while maintain-
ing the current zoom resolution in the Edit
window, click the video frame representing
the region once.
• To zoom in on a video region so that it fills
the entire Edit window, double-click the
video frame representing the region.
• To zoom a range of selected regions so that
they fill the Edit window, drag on the video
frames that represent the regions.
Video Universe with video frames representing video
regions on the main video track
Video frame with zoom tool
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1165
Selecting Ranges in the Video
Universe
When you move the cursor over the bottom half
of a video frame in the Video Universe, it dis-
plays and behaves as a selector tool. This tool
lets you select ranges within one or more video
regions in the Edit window.
To use the Video Universe window to select ranges
in video regions in the Edit window:
1 Move the cursor over the bottom half of any
video frame until it becomes a selector tool.
2 Do one of the following:
• To place the cursor at the beginning of a
video region, click the video frame repre-
senting the video region.
• To select an entire video region from start
to end, double-click the video frame repre-
senting that region.
• To select one or more entire regions from
start to end, drag the video frames repre-
senting the video regions.
Selecting Zoom Resolutions and
Ranges Simultaneously in the
Video Universe
When you move the cursor over a video frame
in the Video Universe while pressing Alt (Win-
dows) or Option (Mac), the cursor appears as a
selector tool. This tool lets you zoom and select
ranges simultaneously.
To use the Video Universe window to select and
zoom simultaneously in the Edit window:
1 Move the cursor over any area of any video
frame in the Video Universe window until it be-
comes a selector or zoom tool.
2 To select a range of video regions while simul-
taneously zooming to fill the Edit window, Alt-
drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac) multiple
video frames.
Playback of High-Definition
QuickTime and Windows
Media Video
Pro Tools lets you import and play back High-
Definition QuickTime and Windows Media
video files.
Video frame with selector tool
If the Edit window does not display the se-
lected video regions, it will automatically
scroll to show the beginning of the selection.
When playing HD video through an Avid
video peripheral (QuickTime only) or other
device locked to a standard-definition video
reference (such as a black burst generator),
the display updates at the frame rate of the
video reference.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1166
Setting Session Time Code Rate
for HD QuickTime and HD Windows
Media Video Import
When playing back QuickTime and Windows
Media video with frame rates higher than 30 fps,
Pro Tools syncs properly only if the Time Code
Rate in the Session Setup window is set to half of
the video frame rate of the video files.
For example, to properly play back QuickTime
or Windows Media HD video at 59.94 fps,
change the session’s Time Code Rate to 29.97
frames per second.
To set the session’s Time Code Rate:
1 Choose Setup > Session.
2 In the Session Setup window, select the appro-
priate time code rate in the Time Code Rate pop-
up menu.
Playing QuickTime DV Video
to an External Monitor Over
FireWire
When using a DV decoder, you can output
QuickTime DV25 video (including QuickTime
movies exported as QuickTime DV from Avid)
through your computer’s FireWire port.
For the latest compatibility information on
Firewire transcoders, visit www.avid.com.
Performance may vary, depending on the specif-
ics of your system and projects.
Playing QuickTime DV Video
Through the FireWire Port
(Mac Only)
To Play QuickTime DV video through the FireWire
Port:
1 Import a QuickTime video file into a Pro Tools
session. (See “Importing Video into Pro Tools”
on page 1153 for detailed information.)
2 Choose Options > Video Out Firewire.
When this option is enabled, Pro Tools will play
the video (NTSC or PAL) out the FireWire port to
an external DV decoder.
If the Video window is open while video plays
out the FireWire port, it displays text indicating
that video is playing out the FireWire port.
Press Control+2 (Windows) or
Command+2 (Mac) to open the Session
Setup window.
When using an Avid video peripheral (such
as an Avid Mojo SDI or Avid Mojo), you can
output QuickTime video formats to an ex-
ternal display using the FireWire port on
Windows and Mac. See the Avid Video Pe-
ripherals Guide for more information.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1167
Exporting QuickTime DV from Avid
The following instructions describe export set-
tings for Media Composer, Media Station|PT, or
Avid Xpress Pro. These settings are required to
create QuickTime DV movies that can be played
back in Pro Tools through the Firewire port.
To export a QuickTime DV reference movie for
Pro Tools Firewire playback, set the following:
1 Enable the following export options:
• Flatten video tracks
• Fill in spaces with black
• Render all video effects
• Use Apple DV Codec
• Enable the Apple DV codec
2 Make sure the Use Avid Codec option is not en-
abled.
Tips for Optimizing Video Playback
When using Pro Tools to play video files, the
quality of the playback is dependent on the fol-
lowing:
• Speed of your computer and hard drive
• Size (in pixels) of the video file
• Quality of the video hardware used to capture
and play back the digitized video
• Codec and level of compression used
For more consistently smooth video playback,
here are some suggestions:
• Use an Avid video peripheral.
• Use the fastest computer possible.
• Set Scrolling option to None (Options > Scroll-
ing > None).
• Recompress the video at a reduced pixel di-
mension, for example 320 x 240 pixels to
640 x 480 pixels.
• Use a video clip with less compression (heav-
ily compressed files require more processor
speed to decompress for display).
• Hide the video track when not needed (or
change from Frames to Blocks view).
• Ensure that any unnecessary software is not
running.
• Resize the Video window to a small desktop
size, for example by using half size instead of
whole or full screen.
Compensating for Video
Monitoring Delays
You can compensate for delays in the video out-
put that may be introduced by external decoders
and certain types of displays (such as projectors
or plasma screens).
To compensate for delays caused by video
monitoring devices:
1 Choose Setup > Video Sync Offset.
2 In the Set Video Sync Offset dialog, enter a
value in the QuickTime Video Offset field or
Windows Media Video Offset field that is appro-
priate to compensate for the delay caused by
your video monitor chain.
These export settings can be saved in
Avid Xpress Pro as a default, simplifying
future media exchange. See your Avid
XPress documentation for more information
on export settings and defaults.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1168
The amount of delay introduced varies based on
your system and the type of video peripheral
you are using. When using an Avid peripheral
with QuickTime, 18 quarter-frames is a good
starting point, but you will need to verify the
precise setting for your system. (Third-party de-
vices are available to help you measure this de-
lay.
Once this value is set, it should not need to be
updated unless you change components in your
video monitoring chain (such as projectors or
plasma screens).
Playing Video to an External
Monitor Using a Video Card
QuickTime HD or SD Output
Pro Tools lets you output QuickTime HD or SD
video to an external HD-SDI, HDMI, NTSC, or
PAL monitor.
Pro Tools offers professional quality support of
most SD and HD Quicktime video formats, in-
cluding 720p, 1080p, and 1080i at all standard
frame rates.
Playing QuickTime HD or SD Video
Through PCIe
(Mac Only)
With a qualified PCIe video card, Pro Tools can
play and display QuickTime SD or QuickTime-
based HD video files with frame edge-locked HD
image output to a variety of professional HD
monitors.
To Play QuickTime video through PCIe:
1 Import a QuickTime-based video file into a
Pro Tools session. (See “Importing Video into
Pro Tools” on page 1153 for detailed informa-
tion.)
2 Select Options > Video Out PCIe.
When this option is enabled, Pro Tools will play
the video out the PCIe video card to the con-
nected HD monitor.
If the Video window is open while video plays
out the PCIe video card, it displays text indicat-
ing that video is playing out PCIe.
To toggle output of QuickTime video between the
Video window and PCIe, do one of the following:
Select (or deselect) Options > Video Out PCIe.
– or –
Right-click, or Control-click, the Video win-
dow, and select (or deselect) Video Out PCIe.
Video Sync Offset dialog
For a list of devices explicitly tested for
QuickTime HD or SD output from
Pro Tools, visit www.avid.com.
Though no PCI video cards have been
qualified for use with Pro Tools, some may
work. Visit www.avid.com for more infor-
mation.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1169
Video Reference
Video output can be locked to external video
reference, including Black Burst and Tri-Level
Sync.
Supported QuickTime Codecs
Most common QuickTime codecs are supported,
including HD codecs such as h.264, DVCPro 100
HDV, and DV25.
Supported Video Formats
* The video output format may displayed on the ex-
ternal monitor.
Windows Media (VC-1 AP) Output
(Windows Vista Only)
Pro Tools lets you output Windows Media (VC-1
AP) video to NTSC or PAL monitors via any de-
vice that is compatible with standard Direct-
Show output.
Pro Tools HD should be locked to a suitable
clock reference, such as a Synchronization
peripheral. If no external audio clock is
referenced, audio will not be frame-edge
aligned and may drift.
Supported Video Formats using a PCIe video card
Video
Format
Video
Reference
Rate
PT Frame
Rate
Video
Output
Format*
23.976p
NTSC
NTSC 23.976 NTSC
720p/
23.976
720p/
59.94 or
NTSC
23.976 720p/
59.94
1080p/
23.976
1080psf/
23.98
23.976 1080psf/
23.98
24p NTSC NTSC 24 NTSC
24p PAL PAL 24 PAL
1080p/
24
1080psf/
24
24 1080psf/
24
25p PAL PAL 25 PAL
25i PAL PAL 25 PAL
1080p/
25
1080i/50
or PAL
25 1080i/50
30i NTSC NTSC 29.97 NTSC
720p/
29.97
HDV
720p/
59.94 or
NTSC
29.97 720p/
59.94
720p/50 720p/50
or PAL
25 720p/50
1080i/50 1080i/50
or PAL
25 1080i/50
720p/
59.94
720p/
59.94 or
NTSC
29.97 720p/
59.94
1080i/
59.94
1080i/
59.94 or
NTSC
29.97 1080i/
59.94
For a list of devices explicitly tested for
Windows Media (VC-1 AP) output from
Pro Tools, visit www.avid.com.
Supported Video Formats using a PCIe video card
Video
Format
Video
Reference
Rate
PT Frame
Rate
Video
Output
Format*
Pro Tools Reference Guide1170
Bouncing the Video Track to a
QuickTime Movie
When you have finished your final mix and syn-
chronized your audio events to the movie, you
can bounce the main video track (QuickTime or
Avid video) and a mono or stereo mixdown of
your session to a new QuickTime movie.
You can choose from a variety of standard
QuickTime codecs, which are fully compatible
with other QuickTime applications.
To bounce video and audio in the video track to a
QuickTime movie:
1 Finalize your mix.
2 Make sure the video track you want to bounce
is currently the main video track. (The track’s
Video Online button must be highlighted blue.)
3 Make sure that all of the audio tracks you want
to include in the bounce are audible (not muted
or inactive).
4 Assign the output of each of the tracks you
want to include in your bounce to the same ste-
reo output or bus path.
5 Do one of the following:
• To bounce the entire session, click Return
to Zero in the Transport window to go to
the beginning of the session.
– or –
• To bounce a portion of the session, enable
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection,
and make a selection in the Edit window or
the Timeline.
6 Choose File > Bounce to > QuickTime Movie.
The Bounce dialog appears (if you are bouncing
QuickTime movies) or the Bounce to QuickTime
dialog appears (if you are bouncing Avid video
to QuickTime movies).
7 Select your mix’s output or bus path from the
Bounce Source selector.
8 If you are bouncing Avid to QuickTime and
you want to configure QuickTime video set-
tings, click Options.
9 Configure other settings as appropriate.
10 Click Bounce.
11 Select a destination for the new QuickTime
movie, enter a new name, and click Save.
Bouncing video may take quite a bit longer than
real-time, depending on the format of the
source video, the format of the bounced video,
and processing speed.
Because all formats and codecs have not
been tested, you should verify the
QuickTime movie bounced successfully.
Pro Tools cannot bounce audio or video to
an MPEG-2 video file.
Pro Tools is qualified to bounce to Quick-
Time DV25. Bouncing to other formats is
has not been qualified.
See Apple documentation for detailed
information on configuring QuickTime
movie settings.
Chapter 51: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1171
Bouncing a Video Track with
Windows Media Video to a
WIndows Media Movie
You can bounce the main video track and a
mono or stereo mixdown of your session to a
new Windows Media movie.
To bounce video and audio in the video track to a
Windows Media movie:
1 Finalize your mix.
2 Make sure the video track you want to bounce
is currently the main video track. (The track’s
Video Online button must be highlighted blue.)
3 Make sure that all of the audio tracks you want
to include in the bounce are audible (not muted
or inactive).
4 Assign the output of each of the tracks you
want to include in your bounce to the same ste-
reo output or bus path.
5 Do one of the following:
• To bounce the entire session, click Return
to Zero in the Transport window to go to
the beginning of the session.
– or –
• To bounce a portion of the session, enable
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection,
and make a selection in the Edit window or
the Timeline.
6 Choose File > Bounce to > Windows Media
Movie. The Bounce dialog appears.
7 Select your mix’s output or bus path from the
Bounce Source selector.
8 Click Bounce.
9 In the Windows Media dialog, do the follow-
ing:
•In the Profile pop-up menu, select the pro-
file matching the size and data rate of the
exported video—the larger the resolution,
the larger the resulting video file.
• To include uncompressed audio in the
video file that will be exported, select Loss-
less Audio Compression.
10 Select a destination for the new video file, en-
ter a new name, and click Save.
Bouncing video may take quite a bit longer than
real-time, depending on the format of the
source video, the format of the bounced video,
and processing speed.
QuickTime and Avid video cannot be
bounced to Windows Media video, and
vice versa.
Because all formats and codecs have not
been tested, you should verify the Windows
Media movie file bounced successfully.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1172
Using Pro Tools to Import
Video from Other Versions of
Pro Tools
When you use Pro Tools to import video or
open a session created by Pro Tools HD or
Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit 2,
or an Avid video peripheral, some components
of the session may open differently or not open
at all, as follows:
• Only the main video track is displayed. If no
video track was selected as the main video
track when the session was saved, the first
video track containing QuickTime or Win-
dows Media video in that session is displayed.
• Only the playlist that was chosen when the
session was saved will be displayed.
• All QuickTime or Windows Media video on
the main video track will be displayed, but the
video track will be locked and cannot be ed-
ited.
• All additional video tracks, playlists, and
video regions will not be shown. However,
they will continue to be saved with the ses-
sion, and will be available if the session is
opened on a system that supports them.
When using Pro Tools to work with video in
such a session, you can do the following:
• Use the Tab key to move the Location Cursor
to video region boundaries.
• Add and edit audio tracks.
• Bounce the video track to disk as a QuickTime
or Windows Media video file.
• Export the session, including the full video
track.
See “Bouncing the Video Track to a Quick-
Time Movie” on page 1170.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1173
Chapter 52: Working with Field
Recorders in Pro Tools
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Pro-
duction Toolkit 2 let you import multichannel
audio files and metadata recorded by field
recorders.
Field Recorder and Production
Workflow Terminology
This topic provides a brief glossary of terms used
for this topic.
Field Recorder Terminology
The following terminology applies to field re-
corders in general:
Metadata
Metadata is used to describe the following:
• Information embedded in a media file. This
may include scene, take, sample rate, bit
depth, region names, the name of the video-
tape from which the media file was captured,
and even time code values.
• Information embedded in Pro Tools sessions
or other sequences, including what files are
used, where they appear in a timeline, and au-
tomation.
• For AAF or OMF sequences, information
about automation (clip-based gain or key-
frame gain).
Digital Field Recorders
A field recorder, also known as a hard disk loca-
tion audio recorder, is a device used by a produc-
tion sound mixer during a film or video shoot to
make a multichannel recording of multiple mi-
crophone inputs recorded simultaneously.
Depending on the capabilities and settings of a
field recorder, multichannel recordings can in-
clude one or more tracks (up to 32) and are
saved as monophonic or polyphonic audio files
on a hard drive, DVD-RAM, or Flash media.
Multichannel recordings made by a field re-
corder should be encoded with start and end
time stamps representing SMPTE time code, lin-
ear time code (or LTC). Most field recorders also
allow manual entry of additional types of meta-
data, including Channel Name/Number, Scene,
Take, Circled Take, User Bits, and more.
Pro Tools can import monophonic and poly-
phonic files and certain types of metadata en-
tered on field recorders. (Polyphonic files will be
converted to multiple monophonic files.)
Pro Tools Reference Guide1174
Production Sound Mix
For each multichannel recording made by a field
recorder, the production sound mixer may des-
ignate a production sound mix comprising either a
representative channel or a mixdown of other
selected channels in the recording.
The production sound mix is intended to func-
tion as a general reference of all audio recorded
within an individual multichannel recording,
and is typically used by the Avid® editor when
assembling a sequence.
Broadcast WAV Files (BWF)
A WAV file containing a BEXT chunk is known
as a Broadcast WAV file (or BWF) while still
maintaining a .WAV file extension. Broadcast
WAV files can contain both BEXT and iXML
chunks, or a BEXT chunk by itself.
BEXT and iXML Chunks
BEXT and iXML chunks are sets of metadata
found within a Broadcast WAV file.
Caveats
The following caveats apply to handling of im-
ported metadata from field recorders.
• The BEXT specification as described here adds
some features that conform to standards used
by Avid applications and Pro Tools—specifi-
cally, Description metadata is interpreted dif-
ferently.
• When you import multiple files in which the
same metadata are populated with different
values, Pro Tools imports the value that is first
present based on the following order:
• Avid OMF-wrapped media or MXF media
• Any iXML chunk metadata in a BWF
• Any BEXT chunk metadata in a BWF
Production Terminology for All
Production Workflows
The following terminology applies to all produc-
tion workflows:
Time Code
There are four types of time code, depending on
your production:
Keycode Each frame of film stock is embedded
during manufacturing with a unique identifying
time code position known as keycode.
SMPTE Time Code Also known as LTC or linear
time code. The generating clock of this time
code can be based on the time of day or can be
set to ascend beginning from a certain starting
time of day.
Minutes:Seconds Time code based on minutes
and seconds.
Wild No time code. Most consumer digital video
recorders do not have the ability to generate
time code.
Production Sound Mixer
The production sound mixer uses a field re-
corder to record multichannel audio during a
shoot, and later delivers those source files to one
or more parties:
• Telecine operator (film workflow only)
•Avid editor
• Pro Tools editor
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1175
Production Terminology for Film
Workflows Only
The following terminology applies only to film
workflows:
Shootlist
The shootlist is a document in which the camera
assistant records each scene and take relative to
its keycode value on the film stock. It is later
used by the telecine operator to synchronize the
audio and video together.
Sound Log
The sound log is a document in which the pro-
duction sound mixer records each scene and
take relative to its beginning time code position.
Slate Operator and Clapboard Information
The slate operator holds and labels the slate
(also known as a clapboard) for each new scene
and take. At the start of each take, the slate op-
erator claps the slate, which simultaneously cap-
tures the following information:
• The scene, take, and time code information
is captured visually on film.
• The sound of the slate clapping is captured
by the field recorder, which should be us-
ing the same time code as displayed on the
slate.
The telecine operator uses all of the information
above to synchronize used film stock to the re-
corded audio in order to create the telecine vid-
eotape.
Telecine and Telecine Videotape
The Telecine is a machine used to transfer film
footage and synchronized audio to videotape
(referred to as the dailies).
The telecine videotape contains the dailies. The
SMPTE time code on the telecine videotape will
be different from the time code recorded on lo-
cation.
FLEx File
The FLEx file is a text file generated during a te-
lecine session that relates film keycode, field re-
corder time code, and telecine videotape time
code. When the telecine videotape is batch dig-
itized in the Avid application, the information
in the FLEx file is used to assign the original (lo-
cation) time code to the resulting audio and
video source files.
Supported Field Recorder
Audio Files and Metadata
Pro Tools supports the following audio files re-
corded by field recorders:
• OMF-wrapped media
•MXF
• Broadcast WAV (BWF) files with the following
metadata:
• Both BEXT and iXML chunks
• BEXT metadata but no iXML metadata
Pro Tools Reference Guide1176
Displaying Field Recorder
Metadata in Pro Tools
You can enable or disable the display of field re-
corder metadata within regions in the Timeline
and the Region List.
To enable or disable the display of field recorder
metadata in playlists, do the following:
From View > Region, select or deselect either of
the following options:
• Channel Name
• Scene and Take
To show or hide field recorder metadata in the
Region List:
1 Click the Region List pop-up menu, and
choose Show.
2 From the Show submenu, select or deselect ei-
ther of the following options:
• Channel Name
• Scene and Take
When enabled in the Region List, Scene and
Take metadata are added to every region when
available in the corresponding audio file.
DigiBase Support for Field
Recorder Metadata
DigiBase browsers display the following meta-
data from multichannel recordings made with
field recorders.
•Duration
• File Comment
• Date Modified
• Date Created
• # Channels
•Format
•Sample Rate
•Bit-Depth
• Original Time Stamp
•User Time Stamp
•Tape
• TC Rate (renamed from FPS)
• Channel Names
•Scene
•Take
• Shoot Date
•Sound Roll
• Sound Roll TC
• Sound Roll TC Rate
•User Bits
•Tape ID
•Project
•Circled
• Clip Name
For more information on using DigiBase,
see Chapter 16, “DigiBase.”
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1177
To show or hide field recorder metadata in
DigiBase browsers:
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
the column header and select or deselect either
of the following options:
• Channel Name
• Scene and Take
About Tape and Sound Roll
Metadata
Avid application and field recorders use Tape to
represent different kinds of metadata: Avid uses
Tape to store the telecine videotape name, while
a BWF file with a BEXT chunk or iXML chunk
uses Tape to store the name of the sound roll.
To avoid this overlap, Pro Tools preserves Tape
metadata from the Avid and populates Sound
Roll with Tape metadata from BWF audio files.
About Shoot Date Metadata
Many field recorders do not populate the Shoot
Date field, relying instead on the file's Creation
Date to indicate date of production. When
Pro Tools imports a field recorder file, it checks
to see if the Shoot Date field is populated. If it is
empty, Pro Tools copies the Creation Date of the
original file to the Shoot Date field of the new
files.
Editing the Channel Name
The Channel Name field in DigiBase displays
the channel name, followed the by channel
number in parentheses. When using Pro Tools 8
or higher, it is possible to edit the Channel
name for mono BWF files. When editing the
channel name, anything you enter in parenthe-
ses will be discarded. However, the channel
number will always be preserved.
Field Recorder Workflows
Using Pro Tools to work with field recorder files
from a film, video, or digital shoot involves the
following steps:
1 Before receiving source files, ensure that meta-
data have been preserved (“Ensuring Metadata
of Source Files Have Been Preserved” on
page 1177).
2 Receive source files (“Receiving Source Files”
on page 1178).
3 Import source files into Pro Tools (“Importing
Source Files into Pro Tools” on page 1179).
4 Replace edits from the production sound mix
with audio from different takes of the same
scene (“Selecting an Alternate Field Recorder
Channel to Replace a Region” on page 1181).
Ensuring Metadata of Source
Files Have Been Preserved
Before you receive source files, it is important to
ensure that the files have been prepared prop-
erly at each phase of the production process so
that their original metadata are preserved.
If the original metadata have not been pre-
served, you can use other types of data (such as
File Creation Date or File Name) to find related
channels. However, the matching process will
be easier if metadata has been preserved.
For detailed information about preserving
metadata during the production process, see
“Overview of Production Workflows” on
page 1188.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1178
Receiving Source Files
When involved in the audio post-production of
edited video sequences, you need both of the
following sets of source files:
• AAF or OMF sequence with an edited pro-
duction sound mix synced to video (such
as referenced QuickTime movies or Avid
video)
• Alternate source files representing multi-
channel recordings from a field recorder
You will receive these files either separately
(from the Avid video editor and production
sound mixer) or together as part of an AAF or
OMF sequence export including alternate source
audio (from the Avid video editor).
Separate Deliveries of Source
Files
When you receive an AAF or OMF sequence
from the Avid editor and alternate source audio
from the production sound mixer, you must im-
port them separately before Pro Tools will be
able to match them together.
Single Delivery of Source Files
There are two methods the Avid editor may use
to prepare the files before exporting them:
• Alternate source audio has been auto-
synced in the Avid Bin and placed on the
Timeline
• Alternate source audio has not been auto-
synced and resides only in the Avid Bin
Alternate Source Audio in Bin Auto-Synced to Ed-
ited Production Sound Mix The alternate source
audio residing in the Avid Bin has been auto-
synced to the edited production sound mix re-
siding in the Avid Timeline.
When you import this type of sequence into
Pro Tools, the edited video and edited produc-
tion sound mix are available to import directly
into the Timeline. The alternate source audio
does not appear as separate tracks in the Import
Session Data dialog, but will import directly into
the Region List.
When exporting the edited production sound
mix as a sequence, the Avid editor should make
sure to also select all of the alternate source au-
dio in the Bin.
Alternate Source Audio in Timeline Auto-Synced to
Edited Production Sound Mix The alternate
source audio in the Avid Bin has been auto-
synced to the edited located sound mix, and all
audio channels reside in the Avid Timeline.
When you import this type of sequence into
Pro Tools, the edited video, edited production
sound mix, and all alternate source audio will be
available to import directly into the Timeline.
Alternate Source Audio Not Auto-Synchronized to
Edited Production Sound Mix In the Avid appli-
cation, the alternate source audio has not been
auto-synced to the edited production sound mix
residing in the Avid Timeline.
See “Importing an AAF or OMF Sequence
into Pro Tools” on page 1179 and “Import-
ing Alternate Source Audio Directly into
Pro Tools” on page 1180.
In such a case, the AAF or OMF sequence
does not contain or reference the alternate
source audio when imported into
Pro Tools—the Avid editor must auto-sync
the alternate source audio to the edited pro-
duction sound mix, then re-deliver the se-
quence to you.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1179
Importing Source Files into
Pro Tools
This topic describes importing alternate source
audio from the following types of files:
• AAF or OMF sequences
• Alternate source audio (if received sepa-
rately from the AAF or OMF sequence)
Importing an AAF or OMF
Sequence into Pro Tools
To open an AAF (or OMF) sequence as a Pro Tools
session:
1 Launch Pro Tools.
2 Choose File > Open Session.
3 In the Open Session dialog, navigate to the
AAF or OMF sequence you want to import.
4 Click Open.
5 Name your session in the File Name field.
6 Select WAV from the Audio File Type pop-up
menu.
7 Select the I/O Settings to use for the session.
Several pre-configured I/O Settings are included
with your system, or you can select a custom I/O
Setting that you have created.
8 Click Save.
The Import Session Data dialog appears.
9 Choose Link to Source Media (Where Possible)
from the Audio Media Options pop-up menu.
10 Choose Link to Source Media from the Video
Media Options pop-up menu.
11 In the Source Tracks section, select tracks to
import by clicking the pop-up menu to the right
of each track name and selecting Import As New
Track.
Any tracks that were selected in the Avid Time-
line when the sequence was exported appear in
each pop-up menu.
12 Change other parameters.
13 Click OK.
Pro Tools creates a new Audio Files folder, Fade
Files folder, Video Files folder, cache.wfm file,
and session file at the designated locations. This
session matches the audio file type, sample rate,
and bit depth of the audio in the selected AAF or
OMF. Any selected tracks in the Source Tracks
section of the Import Session Data dialog are au-
Only WAV files can hold field recorder
metadata. If you do not select WAV as the
Audio File Type format, any files created in
the session will not be able to hold the field
recorder metadata.
Pro Tools lets you open and import OMF or
AAF sequences that reference audio files with
mixed sample rates or bit depths. Audio files
will be converted to the highest sample rate
and bit depth of the files being imported (for
new sessions) or to the current sample rate or
bit depth (for existing sessions).
To select multiple tracks, Option-click (Mac)
or Alt-click (Windows) on any track pop-up
menu and select Import As New Track.
If alternate source audio files were located
only in the Avid Bin (and auto-synced to the
location audio mix on the Timeline) when
exported from the Avid application, they
will not be available in the Source Tracks
section. However, they will be imported di-
rectly into the Region List.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1180
tomatically placed in the Timeline. Any auto-
synced alternate source audio that was exported
from the Avid Bin with the AAF or OMF appears
in the Region List.
Importing Alternate Source Audio
Directly into Pro Tools
If the AAF or OMF sequence you imported into
Pro Tools did not include alternate source au-
dio, you must import it into the session sepa-
rately using media supplied by the production
sound mixer.
You can import monophonic or polyphonic au-
dio files from field recorders into Pro Tools us-
ing any of the following methods:
•Using File > Import > Audio, and selecting
the files you want to import
• Dragging files to the Region List from Di-
giBase browsers or the desktop (and then
using the Audio Import Options dialog to
place them in the Region List)
Repairing Audio Misalignment
When Importing Audio Not
Exported from Avid
When you use Pro Tools to import alternate
source audio that was not exported from an
Avid application—such as audio delivered sepa-
rately from an AAF or OMF sequence—that au-
dio will be offset with the audio in the AAF or
OMF sequence by as much as half a frame.
This misalignment results from the incompati-
bility between frame-accurate time stamping in
Avid applications and sample-accurate time
stamping in Pro Tools. When you attempt to
link the two, the misalignment results.
In order to repair this discrepancy, you must off-
set the alternate source audio after importing it
into Pro Tools, either manually, or with a utility
like SynchroArts Titan.
Displaying Multichannel Files
from a Field Recorder in the
Region List
When importing multichannel recordings from
a field recorder, Pro Tools saves each channel as
a separate region. Regions from the same multi-
channel recording are collected into a multi-
channel region, which displays as a single item
in the Region List. An expand/collapse triangle
next to an item in the Region List indicates a
multichannel region.
For multichannel audio regions imported from
field recorders to be shown as collective regions,
both component regions must have the follow-
ing properties:
• Same length
• Same region name prefix (such as Audio File
or Audio File_01)
• Consecutively-numbered region name suf-
fix, from A1 through A8
For example, the regions Audio File_01.A1 and
Audio File_01.A2 would be grouped as a multi-
channel region in the Region List.
For more information about importing AAF
and OMF sequences in Pro Tools, see “Im-
porting AAF and OMF Sequences” on
page 346.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1181
If an existing stereo or multichannel region has
been dragged onto multiple mono tracks and
edited in such a way that one or more compo-
nents are no longer the same length, the stereo
display is removed and the regions are displayed
as individual regions in the Region List.
Selecting an Alternate Field
Recorder Channel to Replace
a Region
(Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools Native, and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only)
Once you have imported an AAF or OMF se-
quence into the Timeline and alternate source
audio into the Region List, you can replace the
original production sound mix with an equiva-
lent alternate field recorder channel while pre-
serving the original edits.
Replacing a Region with a
Matching Segment from an
Alternate Field Recorder Channel
You can replace a mono region (or selected por-
tion of a mono region) with a matching seg-
ment of an alternate field recorder channel that
was recorded simultaneously. Any fades per-
formed on the original region are automatically
recalculated against the replacement region,
and any pre-existing automation on that track is
unchanged.
To replace a region with a matching alternate field
recorder channel:
1 In the Timeline, make a selection that in-
cludes or overlaps the region or portion of the
region you want to replace.
2 Do one of the following:
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the selec-
tion you want to replace, then select
Matching Field Recorder Channels from
the pop-up menu.
– or –
• With the Selector tool, Command-option-
click (Mac) or Control-alt-click (Windows)
the selection you want to replace.
If the Import Session Data process imported
all alternate source audio directly into the
Timeline, this procedure is unnecessary.
Using this feature is especially useful when
combining it with duplicating the produc-
tion sound mix track. For example, you
could replace the audio from a boom micro-
phone with the audio from a lavalier micro-
phone—while preserving any edits or fades
from the original edited production sound
mix in the AAF or OMF sequence.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1182
3 From the Matching Field Recorder Channels
pop-up menu, select the name of the alternate
region that you want to use to replace the origi-
nal region.
4 Repeat this procedure for every region you
want to replace on each track.
Conditions for Alternate Field
Recorder Channel Availability
By default, an alternate field recorder channel is
available to replace the original channel (repre-
sented by the region or portion of a region se-
lected on the Timeline) if all of the following are
true:
• Both channels are part of a multichannel part
of a recording made simultaneously on one or
more field recorders.
• Both channels overlap at least once between
their start time code and end time code posi-
tions.
• Criteria set in the Match Criteria dialog is met.
• The metadata embedded during shooting and
recording has been preserved prior to import
into Pro Tools.
However, different field recorders can behave
differently, and in some cases, available meta-
data can be incorrect, incomplete, or missing.
To aid in finding alternate field recorder chan-
nels in these situations, Pro Tools lets you con-
trol its channel match criteria.
The first time you open the Matching Field
Recorder Channels menu for a certain re-
gion, Pro Tools must search for matching
channels, and displays “Searching for meta-
data in the background.” Close and open
the menu again once the search is complete
to see the found matches.
If the production sound mixer entered the
channel name (or some other descriptive ref-
erence) during shooting, the Matching Field
Recorder Channels pop-up menu displays
this information.
For information on how to ensure that
metadata have been properly preserved in
your source files, see “Ensuring Metadata of
Source Files Have Been Preserved” on
page 1177.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1183
Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria
For maximum flexibility, the Field Recorder
Channels Match Criteria dialog lets you set the
criteria Pro Tools uses to find alternate field re-
corder channels.
You can find matches using any or all of the fol-
lowing identifying data points:
File Creation Date The date the files were cre-
ated, as specified by the operating system.
Shoot date The shoot date of the content, as
specified by iXML metadata.
Scene The scene number of the content, as
specified by iXML metadata.
Scene and Take The scene number and take
number, as specified by iXML metadata.
Tape Name The tape name, as specified by iXML
metadata, must match the tape name of the
guide file.
Sound Roll Name The sound roll name, as speci-
fied by iXML metadata, must match the sound
roll name of the guide file.
Sound Roll Name to Tape Name The tape name,
as specified by iXML metadata, matches the
sound roll name of the guide file.
Tape Name to Sound Roll Name The sound roll
name, as specified by iXML metadata, matches
the tape name of the guide file.
First X Letters in File Name Matches files based
on a user-specified number of characters in the
file name, starting at the beginning.
Channel Name The channel name, as specified
by iXML metadata.
Channel Number The channel number, as speci-
fied by iXML metadata.
Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria window
Matching channels by take can only be done
if also matching by scene.
When matching by the above criteria,
Pro Tools will accept time code matches in
both Original Time Stamp and Sound Roll
Time Code.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1184
To set match criteria:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Edit window, Right-click on a mono
region, and choose Matching Field Recorder
Channels > Match Criteria... in the pop-up
menu that opens.
– or –
• In the Edit window, Command-option
click (Mac) or Control-alt-click (Windows)
on a mono region, and choose Field Re-
corder Channel Match Criteria... from the
pop-up menu that opens.
2 The Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria
window will open.
3 Click the check boxes next to the matching
conditions you want Pro Tools to search by.
4 Choose ANY or ALL from the Match Time
Code Plus... drop-down menu. Choosing ANY
will find matches based on any one of the crite-
ria you’ve set. Choosing ALL will require that all
of the criteria you’ve set must be matched for
Pro Tools to consider a prospective match valid.
5 In future searches for alternate field recorder
channels, Pro Tools will follow the guidelines
you’ve set, until you change them again.
Expanding Alternate Field
Recorder Channels to New
Tracks
(Pro Tools HD, Pro Tools Native, and Pro Tools
with Complete Production Toolkit 2 Only)
When working with a mono region that is part
of a multichannel recording, you can expand
that region (or a selected portion of it) to new
tracks that reflect its matching alternate chan-
nels while preserving any edits or fades.
For example, this feature lets you easily create
different versions of an edited dialogue track
corresponding to multiple channel inputs (mi-
crophones) that were recorded simultaneously.
To expand alternate field recorder channels to new
tracks:
1 In the Timeline, do one of the following:
• To expand only a portion of the regions on
the track, make a selection that includes or
overlaps any number of regions, and Com-
mand-option-click (Mac) or Control-alt-
click (Windows) the selection.
– or –
• To expand all of the regions on a mono
track, Right-click the track’s name plate.
When looking for the largest number of
matches, choose ANY. Then, you can use
ALL to narrow down your matches to a spe-
cific shoot date, channel name, or other
identifying data point.
The Reset button toggles all check boxes to
their default values.
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
any check box to select or deselect all boxes
in the dialog.
Matching alternate channels are mono
channels that were usually recorded simul-
taneously with the original region (such as
multichannel recordings made by one or
more field recorders). For information on
setting the detailed criteria that alternate
matching channels must meet, see “Condi-
tions for Alternate Field Recorder Channel
Availability” on page 1182.
The channel you plan to expand must be
mono.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1185
2 Choose the Expand Channels to New Tracks
submenu, and select one of the following meth-
ods by which to expand alternate field recorder
channels for the selection to new tracks:
• By Match Criteria
• By Time Code Only
If alternate field recorder channels are available,
Pro Tools expands them (plus the channel rep-
resented in the original track) to new tracks ac-
cording to the chosen parameters.
Determining the Method of
Expanding Alternate Field
Recorder Channels to New
Tracks
Alternate field recorder channels may be ex-
panded to new tracks based on the channel
match criteria specified in the Field Recorder
Channels Match Criteria dialog (For more info,
see “Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria” on
page 1183), or by time code only.
Expanding Alternate Field
Recorder Channels by Match
Criteria
Choosing Expand Channels to New Tracks > By
Match Criteria creates a new track for each
unique channel found in alternate channels of
the selection that matches the criteria you’ve
specified.
If channels with duplicate match criteria (such
as Channel Name or Channel Number) are en-
countered, additional tracks are created for each
duplicate channel. The new channels share the
name of the original channel they were ex-
panded from, appended with a period, followed
by an identifying number. The first alternate
channel will be appended by .2, the second by
.3, and so on.
Each new track contains only channels that
match according to the specified match criteria,
with edits and fades preserved from the original
selection. Gaps reflect regions from the original
selection that did not have an alternate match-
ing channel with that channel name.
When expanding only a portion of the re-
gions on a track, the Match Criteria option
will be grayed out if there are no valid
matches found, or if the ANY option is cho-
sen in the Field Recorder Channels Match
Criteria dialog and no boxes are checked.
See “Determining the Method of Expanding
Alternate Field Recorder Channels to New
Tracks” on page 1185 for more information
on how each of these options expand to new
tracks.
Result of expanding a selection to new tracks
Pro Tools Reference Guide1186
Naming and Sorting Expanded Channels
For maximum flexibility, Pro Tools lets you con-
trol the naming and sorting of new channels
created by the Expand Channels to New Tracks
by Match Criteria command.
.
This parameter can be set in the Field Recorder
Channels Match Criteria dialog (for more info,
see “Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria” on
page 1183.)
How Tracks Are Named When Expanding
Alternate Field Recorder Channels by Channel
Name
Tracks expanded this way are named as follows:
• For unique channel names that create only
one track, each track is named using the orig-
inal track’s name plus the channel name. For
example, expanding the unique channel
name Boom from the track Guide.A1 would
create a new track called Guide.A1.Boom.
• For unique channel names that create two or
more tracks, each of the new tracks that share
channel names are named by appending a pe-
riod, followed by an identifying number. The
first alternate channel will be appended by .2,
the second by .3, and so on. For example, ex-
panding the duplicate channel names Boom
from the track Guide.A1 would create
Guide.A1.2 and Guide.A1.3.
How Tracks Are Named When Expanding
Alternate Field Recorder Channels by Channel
Number
Tracks expanded this way are named as follows:
• For unique channel numbers that create only
one track, each track is named using the orig-
inal track’s name plus the channel number.
For example, expanding the unique channel
number A1 from the track Guide.A1 would
create a new track called Guide.A1.A1.
• For unique channel number that create two or
more tracks, each of the new tracks that share
channel numbers are named by appending a
period, followed by an identifying number.
The first alternate channel will be appended
by .2, the second by .3, and so on. For exam-
ple, expanding the duplicate channel num-
bers A1 from the track Guide.A1 would create
Guide.A1.A1.2 and Guide.A1.A1.3.
Expanded channels with gaps representing regions that
did not have an alternate matching channel with the
specified match criteria
Name and Sort Tracks by: section of the Field Recorder
Channels Match Criteria dialog
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1187
How Tracks Are Named When Expanding
Alternate Field Recorder Channels by Channel
Name & Number
Tracks expanded this way are named as follows:
• For unique channel name and number combi-
nations that create only one track, each track
is named using the original track’s name plus
the channel name and number. For example,
expanding the unique channel name and
number combination Boom.A1 from the track
Guide.A1 would create a new track called
Guide.A1.Boom.A1.
• For unique channel name and number combi-
nations that create two or more tracks, each of
the new tracks that share channel name and
numbers are named by appending a period,
followed by an identifying number. The first
alternate channel will be appended by .2, the
second by .3, and so on. For example, expand-
ing the duplicate channel names Boom.A1
from the track Guide.A1 would create
Guide.A1.A1.2 and Guide.A1.A1.3.
Expanding Alternate Field
Recorder Channels by Time Code
Only
The Expand To New Tracks By Time Code Only
command lets you expand an entire track or
only selected regions to new playlists on the
same track or to new separate tracks, thus reveal-
ing all other regions recorded at the same time
code location, regardless of channel name or
number. This is especially useful when expand-
ing edited guide tracks to original source audio
that was recorded while referenced to time code,
but where channel names or numbers were not
written to the audio files.
When finding matches by time code only,
Pro Tools will reference both Original Time
Stamp and Sound Roll Time Code. If a cross-
match is found between Tape and Sound Roll
Name (or vice versa) Pro Tools will also look for
cross-matches between Original Time Stamp
and Sound Roll Time Code.
Example Workflow: Working with a
Guide Track
For live concert videos, the video is captured
separately while the audio is recorded in
Pro Tools. The video editor will use a guide au-
dio track that is edited along with the video in
their video editing software (such as Avid Media
Composer). The edited guide track is then re-
turned to Pro Tools, but it needs to be expanded
to the conformed original source tracks for mix-
ing and mastering.
1 Multitrack audio is recorded in Pro Tools
while chasing time code. A mono or stereo mix
is recorded simultaneously as a guide track for
the video editor.
2 The picture and audio guide tracks are edited
in a video editing application (such as Avid
Media Composer).
3 The edited audio guide tracks are exported
from the video editor as an AAF (or OMF) se-
quence, including handles of at least 2 frames.
4 The AAF (or OMF) sequence is imported into
Pro Tools as a new session.
5 The original source audio files and unedited
guide track are also imported into the session.
6 The original unedited guide track is relinked
to the session (see “Relinking the Original
Unedited Guide Track” on page 1188).
Pro Tools Reference Guide1188
7 The Pro Tools editor Right-clicks the name of
the guide track and selects Expand to New Tracks
> By Time Code Only. The original source tracks
expand to new tracks with edits and fades that
match the guide track.
Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track
After importing the AAF (or OMF) sequence and
original source audio files into the session, it is
recommended that you relink the edited guide
track to the original unedited source audio.
To relink the original unedited guide track:
1 Open the Project Browser for the session and
open the Audio Files folder.
2 Right-click the edited guide track audio file in
the browser and choose Relink Selected.
3 In the upper pane of the Relink window, nav-
igate to the original unedited guide track audio
file that was recorded in Pro Tools.
4 In the Select Files To Relink pane, select the
edited guide track file.
5 Drag the original unedited guide track audio
file into the Candidates pane. If a dialog appears
stating that one or more files are shorter than
the media file you are trying to relink, click Yes
to select it for relinking anyway.
6 Check the box to the left of the file in the Can-
didates pane so that the Link icon appears.
7 Click Commit Links at the top of the Relink
window and then close the Relink window.
• You can now Right-click the name of the
guide and select Expand To New Tracks > By
Time Code Only. All expanded tracks should
be synchronous with the guide track.
Overview of Production
Workflows
This topic describes overviews of various work-
flows for preparing the following media during
and after shooting picture:
• “Film Workflow” on page 1189
• “Video and Fully Non-Linear Workflows”
on page 1191
Distributing this Document
The purpose of these example workflows is to
ensure that the Pro Tools editor receives original
source files containing usable metadata that was
entered or captured during a shoot.
It is strongly recommended that the following
parties read and understand this appendix:
For film workflows:
• Production sound mixer
• Telecine operator
• Camera assistant
• Camera operator
•Avid editor
• Pro Tools editor
For all other workflows:
• Production sound mixer
•Avid editor
• Pro Tools editor
If the original unedited file is not available,
you can relink to any of the source audio
files as long as they have the same start and
end times as the guide track.
If you are the Pro Tools editor, distribute
this documentation to the appropriate par-
ties listed below.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1189
Film Workflow
This topic describes the film workflow from
shooting to the point where the Avid editor is
ready for editing, and is intended for the follow-
ing parties:
• Camera assistant
• Camera operator
• Production sound mixer
• Telecine operator
• Pro Tools editor
Overview of Film Workflow
The following describes an overview of the steps
necessary to a film workflow:
1 Set up before shooting.
2 Shoot.
3 Telecine transfer.
4 Batch digitize in Avid application.
Following these steps ensures that time code
metadata are preserved from the moment shoot-
ing begins to the final delivery of source files to
the Pro Tools editor.
Setting Up Before Shooting (Film
Workflow)
Before each day’s shooting begins, the produc-
tion sound mixer should decide on a unique
name—preferably ascending by day—and enter
that exact name in the Tape BEXT or iXML
metadata field inside the Broadcast WAV file.
For example, the production sound mixer might
use T001 for the first day’s shooting, T002 for
the second day’s shooting, and so forth.
Shooting (Film Workflow)
1 Shooting proceeds as follows:
• Film camera begins rolling.
• One or more field recorders begin record-
ing. The production sound mixer has desig-
nated one or two channels as a production
sound mix, which is a consolidation of one
or more channels in each multichannel re-
cording.
2 During shooting, the following time code in-
formation is captured:
• The camera captures images to film, each
frame of which is embedded during manu-
facturing with a unique identifying time
code position known as keycode.
• One or more field recorders simultaneously
make multichannel recordings that are em-
bedded with SMPTE time code based on
time of day (or longitudinal time code).
3 During shooting, the following information is
noted:
• The camera assistant keeps a written record
(called a shootlist) documenting each scene
and take with a corresponding keycode po-
sition.
• The production sound mixer also keeps a
written record (also called a sound log) doc-
umenting each scene and take with a corre-
sponding time code position.
4 The slate operator claps the slate to indicate
the beginning of the take. The field recorder re-
cords the audio of the clap, and the film camera
captures the following images:
• Scene and take number (written on the
slate)
• Exact moment the slate closes
• Time code position of the slate closing
5 Shooting ends and the take is complete.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1190
Telecine Transfer (Film Workflow)
When shooting is complete for the day, the fol-
lowing components are delivered to the telecine
operator:
• Processed film stock
• Multichannel location audio
• Written shootlist and sound log
The telecine operator generates the dailies (a vid-
eotape containing the day’s shots) by transfer-
ring the film and audio to a videotape. The
shootlists will be used as a guide.
To use a telecine to create dailies:
1 Load film and audio into the telecine.
2 Enter the Tape name or Sound Roll name
(whichever was used during the production)
character for character into the telecine.
3 Using the camera assistant’s shootlist, locate
the film frame representing the first keycode po-
sition of the film in the shootlist (which should
be just before the slate is clapped).
4 Locate the film to the first frame where the
slate clap occurs, and note the time code posi-
tion displayed on the slate.
5 Locate the audio to the exact time code posi-
tion listed on the slate in the film frame (which
lines up the audio with the film).
6 Play back the film and audio to test that they
are synchronized. If they are not synchronized,
make small manual adjustments as needed until
the film and audio are synchronized.
7 Once the film and audio are properly synchro-
nized, lock the film and audio in place.
8 Insert a blank videotape into the VTR con-
nected to the telecine, and manually assign lin-
ear time code (LTC) information to the
videotape.
9 Begin the telecine capture. During the telecine
capture, the following occurs:
• The telecine begins capturing the synchro-
nized film and audio to the videotape, with
linear time code (LTC) being assigned to
the videotape beginning from where you
entered the start time code.
• A FLEx file is created, where scene and take
information is automatically written and
associated to the film keycode and telecine
videotape time code relative to audio time
code.
10 When the telecine transfer is complete, de-
liver the following to the Avid editor:
• Telecine videotape
• FLEx file
• Shootlist
•Sound log
• Location audio media
To ensure that metadata are preserved for
the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
Tape name or Sound Roll name character
for character. For example, if the metadata
was T001 (with two zeroes), enter T001
with two zeroes—not T01 with one zero or
T0001 with three zeroes.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1191
Batch Digitizing the Telecine
Videotape to Digital Files (Film
Workflow)
This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid
editor receives the following components from
the telecine operator:
• Telecine videotape
• FLEx file
• Shootlist
• Sound log
In a film workflow, the Avid editor batch digi-
tizes the telecine videotape to digital video and
audio files in order to edit them.
To batch digitize a telecine videotape to digital
source files:
1 In the Avid application, import all relevant
FLEx files into Avid Log Exchange.
Avid Log Exchange displays a list of all scene
and take combinations, with associated film
keycode, audio time code, and relative video-
tape time code.
2 In Avid Log Exchange, select the items in the
FLEx file that represent the scenes and takes you
want to batch digitize from the videotape.
3 Process the selected scenes and takes in the
FLEx file. Avid Log Exchange sends the selected
items to the Avid application, where they are
loaded into the Bin as offline media.
4 In the Avid Bin, select the items you want to
capture.
5 Load the telecine videotape into the Avid, and
begin the batch digitize.
The Avid automatically batch digitizes the
scenes and takes selected in the Avid Bin, and
uses the FLEx file to assign each of the digitized
video and audio files with the time code infor-
mation matching the original keycode and time
code information from the shoot.
6 When the batch digitize is complete, use the
Avid application to edit audio and video.
7 When you are finished editing, export the ed-
ited sequence as an AAF or OMF sequence so
that it can be imported into Pro Tools.
Video and Fully Non-Linear
Workflows
This topic describes both video and fully non-
linear workflows from shooting to the point
where the Avid editor is ready for editing, and is
intended for the following parties:
• Camera assistant
• Camera operator
• Production sound mixer
•Avid editor
• Pro Tools editor
Overview of Video and Fully Non-Linear
Workflows
The following describes an overview of the steps
that are necessary in these workflows:
1 Set up before shooting.
2 Shoot.
3 Digitize video in Avid application (video
workflow only) or import digital video files di-
rectly into Avid application (fully non-linear
workflow only).
In some cases, you may also receive location
audio from the production sound mixer.
Any metadata required for matching (such
as Tape name) should be visible in the un-
digitized clips.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1192
Following these steps ensures that time code
and other metadata are preserved from the mo-
ment shooting begins to the final delivery of
source files to the Pro Tools editor.
Setting Up Before Shooting (Video
and Fuly Non-Linear Workflows)
Before shooting begins, the camera operator and
the production sound mixer should ensure the
following:
• The field recorder’s audio output feeds the
video camera’s audio input.
• Both the field recorder and the video camera
should be locked to the same production time
code.
Matching Tape Name to Sound Roll Metadata
for Video Shoots
Before loading the videotape into the video
camera, the camera operator physically labels
the videotape with a unique name. The produc-
tion sound mixer must enter that exact name in
the Tape BEXT or iXML metadata field inside
the Broadcast WAV file.
Matching Tape Name to Sound Roll Metadata
for Fully Non-Linear Shoots
After loading the digital video storage into the
camera, the camera operator gives it a unique
name. The production sound mixer must enter
that exact name in the Tape BEXT or iXML
metadata field inside the Broadcast WAV file.
Shooting (Video and Fuly Non-
Linear Workflows)
1 Shooting proceeds as follows:
• Camera begins rolling.
• One or more field recorders begin record-
ing. The production sound mixer has desig-
nated one or two channels as a production
sound mix, which is a consolidation of one
or more channels in each multichannel re-
cording.
2 During shooting, the following time code in-
formation is captured:
• The camera captures images to video or file
embedded with SMPTE time code based on
time of day (or longitudinal time code).
• One or more field recorders simultaneously
make multichannel recordings that are em-
bedded with SMPTE time code based on
time of day (or longitudinal time code).
3 The slate operator claps the slate to indicate
the beginning of the take. The field recorder re-
cords the audio of the clap, and the film camera
captures the following images:
• Scene and take number (displayed on the
slate)
• Exact moment the slate closes
• Time code position of the slate closing
4 Shooting ends and the take is complete.
After you import a file containing Tape
metadata into Pro Tools, the metadata dis-
plays in the Sound Roll field in DigiBase
browsers.
To ensure that metadata are preserved for
the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
Tape name character for character. For ex-
ample, if the metadata was T001 (with two
zeroes), enter T001 with two zeroes—not
T01 with one zero or T0001 with three ze-
roes.
Chapter 52: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1193
Digitizing a Videotape in the Avid
Application
(Video Workflow Only)
This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid
editor receives the following components from
the camera operator and the production sound
mixer:
•Videotape
• Multichannel recordings
In a video workflow, the Avid editor digitizes the
videotape to digital video and audio files in or-
der to edit them. Before doing so, however, the
Avid editor must name the tape.
To digitize a videotape to digital source files:
1 Load the videotape into the Avid system.
2 When prompted to name the videotape, enter
the exact Tape name used by the camera opera-
tor and the production sound mixer.
3 Digitize the videotape loaded into the Avid.
4 When the digitize is complete, use the Avid
application to edit audio and video.
When you are finished editing, export the ed-
ited sequence as an AAF or OMF sequence so
that it can be imported into Pro Tools.
Importing Digital Video Directly
into the Avid Application
(Fully Non-Linear Workflow Only)
This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid
editor receives the following components from
the camera operator and the production sound
mixer:
• Digital video (on flash card, hard drive, or
some other file-based storage)
• Multichannel recordings
In a fully non-linear workflow, the Avid editor
simply has to import the video and audio media
into the Avid application in order to edit them.
To import video into the Avid application:
1 In the Avid application, create a Bin.
2 Import the video files directly into the Bin.
3 When the Disk Label Import dialog appears,
enter the exact Tape name used by the camera
operator and the production sound mixer.
4 Use the Avid application to edit audio and
video.
5 When you are finished editing, export the ed-
ited sequence as an AAF or OMF sequence so
that it can be imported into Pro Tools.
To ensure that metadata are preserved for
the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
Tape name character for character. For
example, if the metadata was T001 (with
two zeroes), enter T001 with two zeroes—
not T01 with one zero or T0001 with three
zeroes.
To ensure that metadata are preserved for
the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
Tape name character for character. For
example, if the metadata was T001 (with
two zeroes), enter T001 with two zeroes—
not T01 with one zero or T0001 with three
zeroes.
Pro Tools Reference Guide1194
Index 1195
Index
Symbols
+ and – (see Plus (+) and Minus (–))
Numerics
003 51
003 Rack 51
003 Rack+ 51
16-bit
Bounce to Disk 1069
176.4 kHz
and pull factors 1129
192 Digital I/O 42, 43, 49, 77, 78
192 I/O 42, 43, 49, 77, 78
192 kHz
and pull factors 1129
24-bit
Bounce to Disk 1070
29.97 FPS Non-Drop 1142
3 Second Clip Hold option 120, 211
3 Second Peak Hold option 120, 211
3-knob panning 1106
5.0 paths in 5.1 mixes 1095
5.1 Path Order selector 94
5.1 surround formats in Pro Tools 1083
7.1 and 7.0 surround formats 1078
8-bit 1069
96 I/O 42, 43, 50, 78
96i I/O 42, 43, 50, 79
9-Pin Machine Control (Deck Control) settings 142
9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) settings 143
A
AAF
import translation settings 354
linked media 28
metadata 25, 1173
opening in Pro Tools 347
AAF file format 346, 359
Absolute Grid mode 531, 817
Accel Core card 42
ACID files 325
importing 334
active 22, 23
inserts 975
tracks 243
Active Busses display 111
Add Key Change command 791
Add Marker/Memory Location button 796
Add Meter Change button 782
Add Tempo Change button 759, 778
Add Unique Triggers 658
adding
new playlist 618
sends 938
AFL (After Fader Listen) 240
AFL/PFL Mutes (Output Path) selector 93
AFL/PFL Path 93
AFL/PFL Path selector 92
After Fader Listen mode 240
After Playback Scrolling option 414
After Write Pass, Switch To option 132, 1006
AIFC 357
AIFF file format 1066
All MIDI Notes Off command 693
all tracks
hiding 226
selecting all regions in 564
selecting in Timebase rulers 570
Allow Latch Prime in Stop option 131
Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode option 137
alternate channels
Expand to New Playlists 633
alternate matching takes 465, 630
Alternate Takes pop-up menu 466, 630
Always Display Market Colors option 121
Always Fill Channel Strips When Banking option 130
Analysis view 865, 879
AND (DigiBase search modifier) 294
Apply Real-Time Properties option 374
archiving sessions (with Compact command) 595
ASIO 11
Assignments View (Sends View option) 942
attributes (groups) 256
Attributes Group command 250
Audio Bit Depth 366
Audio Designator 311
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 122, 411
Pro Tools Reference Guide1196
audio files
compacting 595
concepts 16
default names 436
formats 1066
importing 324
mixed file types 168
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo button 299
Audio Files folder 161
Audio Format 366
audio format, for session 1118
audio interfaces
input channels 18
Pro Tools|HD 45
Audio Media Options 366
on export 366
on import 351
Audio Media options 341
Audio MIDI Setup 69
Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Mac) 149
Audio Pull Up and Pull Down 1126
audio regions 513
and automation 517
fitting to an Edit selection 596
stripping silence from 824
whole-file 512
Audio Regions List menu
Export Selected As Files command 363
audio signal paths 84
Audio Track RecordLock option 124, 494
audio tracks 14
5.1 format 1077
and Output format 1089
and surround sessions 1087
bouncing to disk 1064
channel strips 203
creating a tempo map for 778
disabling Elastic Audio 864
enabling Elastic Audio 863
loop recording 463
placing audio in multichannel tracks 1088
punch recording 460
recording multiple 453
signal flow 922
track controls 206
Waveform View 513
Audio Zoom In button 535
Audio Zoom Out button 535
AudioSuite
Dither 966
multichannel processing 853
Plug-In selector 848
plug-ins 966
Preview 852
processing 595, 854
AudioSuite menu 198
AudioSuite plug-ins 854
AudioSuite processing on networked hard drives 854
AudioSuite window 848
audition
in Regions List, configuring path 92
Audition Paths selector 91
auditioning
fades 601
in browsers 297
MIDI notes 671
pre/post-roll 416
programs 689
regions in the Region List 268
selection start and end points 416
takes 465
Auto Backup option 123
Auto button 982
Auto Input Monitoring mode 445
Auto Match Pull Factors 1126
Auto Region Fade In/Out Length preference 126, 611
Auto Rename Region List command 270
auto-created regions 512
hiding 271
renaming 269
auto-fades 610
AutoGlide mode 1107
AutoGlide Time preference 131, 1107
AutoJoin
command 1007
indicator 1008
AutoMatch
all controls 1022
button 1021
indicators 1015
individual automation types 1022
individual controls 1021
AutoMatch Time preference 131, 1011
automatic delay compensation 66
Automatically Copy Files on Import option 133, 326, 340
Automatically Create Click Track in New Sessions option 135
Automatically Find and Relink 381
automating
plug-ins 1019, 1020
sends 1017
switched controls 1016
tracks 1015
VCA Masters 1058
automation 1003
and audio regions 517
and multichannel pan 1111
and multiple output assignments 1089
breakpoints 1032
capturing and applying elsewhere 1052, 1055
coalescing Trim automation 1040
coalescing VCA automation 1059
copying 1035
creating 1019
cutting 1035
deleting 1027
delta 1009
display of fade boundaries and shapes 616
drawing with Pencil 1029
editing 1030
editing with Smart Tool 554
enabling 1025
for grouped tracks 1034
for hidden tracks 226
modes 1006
on multichannel tracks 1034
On Stop 1043
pass-through point 1007
Index 1197
pasting 1035
playlists 617, 1004, 1012
plug-in accuracy in bounce 1071
relative and absolute 1009
Safe button 982
safing 1012
smoothing 1011
snapshot 1050
Special Paste mode 1038
stepped 1032
suspending 1025, 1026
thinning 1011, 1028
to next breakpoint 1043
Track View 524
trimming 1039
writing 1015
writing to selection, selection start, or selection end
1041
Automation Enable window 1015
Automation Follows Edit option 1012
Automation lanes 1013
in MIDI Editor windows 718
in the Edit window 1013
Automation Mode selector 1006
Automation modes
Off 1006
automation modes
Latch 1007
Latch Trim 1010
Read 1006
Read Trim 1009
Touch 1006
Touch Trim 1009
Touch/Latch 1008
Touch/Latch Trim 1010
Trim Off 1009
Write 1006
Write Trim 1010
Automation Preferences
AutoMatch Time preference 1011
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option 1028
Automation Preview mode 1053
Punch Preview button 1054
suspending 1054
Write Automation To commands 1054
Auto-Name Memory Locations While Playing option 127, 797
Auto-Name Separated Regions option 127, 585
auto-naming
and Strip Silence 825
audio files and regions 436
playlists 617
QuickPunch regions 492
separated regions 585
takes 436
Auto-Spot Regions command 1138
Auxiliary Inputs 19, 201
channel strips 203
monitoring and mixing 951
signal flow 923
track controls 206
Avid Video Errors Stop Playback option 124
Avid Video NTSC Has Setup option 124
Avid video playback in Pro Tools 1166
Avid Xpress DV
codec requirements for export 1146
B
Back and Play command 412
Back command 412
Back/Forward Amount 412
Back/Forward Amount preference 123
Back/Forward commands 412
extending selections 413
repeating 413
backing up sessions automatically 123, 162
bank select 12, 684
Bar|Beat Markers
and tempo events 780
audio with varying tempos 781
editing 780
from Identify Beat command 779
generated with Beat Detective 648
moving 780
Bars|Beats Time Scale 751
Batch Fades dialog 611
Beat Detective 637, 638, 639
beat triggers
deleting 646
generating 642
inserting 646
moving 646
promoting 647
Collection Mode 657
conforming regions 652
defining a selection 640
detecting transients 642
DigiGroove templates 649
edit smoothing 655
extrapolation 650
generating Bar|Beat Markers 648
groove templates 649
Scroll Next 647
separating regions 651
system requirements 638
templates 649
Trigger Pad 651
window 639
with multiple tracks 652
Big Counter window 409
Bi-Phase/Tach
pulses-per-frame setting 140
Wiring setting 140
bit depth, for session 161, 1118
black burst 1141
Blocks View
audio track 218
video track 1150
Bounce to Disk command 1061, 1064
and dither 1062
and time stamps 1065
Bounce options 1065
Convert After Bounce 1071
Convert During Bounce 1071
File Type 1066
Format 1069
Help 1065
recording a submix 1071
Resolution 1069
sample rate conversion options 1070
source path 1065
Use Squeezer option 1071
Pro Tools Reference Guide1198
Bounce to QuickTime Movie command 1170
bouncing
to a stereo mix 1072
to a submix 1071
breakpoints 1032
Avid keyframes 1030
Bring to Front command 587
browsers 188, 277
display options 284
foreground 279
navigating 278
opening 278
sorting 285
Buffer Size (Hardware) 448
bussing
multichannel sends 1091
sends 938
signal paths 83
submixing and effects processing 951
surround examples 1095
BWF (.WAV) file format 1066
Bypass button 853
for real-time plug-ins 983
C
C|24 51
Cache Size 67
Calculator Entry mode (for numeric entry) 569
Calibration Mode command 427
Calibration Reference Level preference 126
cancelling record takes 453, 479
Capture Region command 583
capturing automation values 1055
capturing time code 1138
catalog.ddb 276
Catalogs
Clip Name 316
creating folders in 280
deleting folders 291
Center % (Percentage) 1108
Center % in Output window 1109
Center Playhead Scrolling option 415
centered crossfade 600
Chan/Track Process Mode 851
Change Duration command 891, 909
Change Edit to Match Timeline command 574
Change Meter command 738, 782, 784
Change Tempo command 760
Change Timeline to Match Edit command 574
Change Velocity command 891, 907
Channel Delay indicator 210
channel mapping
default path order 94
editing 106
re-mapping 107
Channel selector 983
for multi-mono plug-ins 1092
channel strips 18
audio tracks 203
Auxiliary Inputs 203
Instrument tracks 205
Master Fader tracks 204
MIDI tracks 205
VCA Master tracks 204
channels 18
chasing
controller events 691
MIDI notes 690
program changes 691
Check for Updates 57
Chord Change dialog 794
Chord symbols
in the Score Editor 738
Chord Symbols ruler 793
chords 793
diagrams 794
symbols 794
Classic Numeric Keypad mode 32, 123
Clear All Clip Indicators command 211, 943
Clear command (Edit menu) 526
Clear command (Region List) 271, 272
Clear Special commands (automation) 1038
Clear Trim Automation Track command 227, 1028
clearing Elastic Audio analysis 296
click 428
configuring 430
enabling 429
Click plug-in 428
click track 428
clicks and pops, avoiding 470, 516
Clip Hold options 120, 211
Clip LED 983
clip-based gain 354
clipping 426, 983
Clock Source 72, 1001
clock source 1001
Close Session command 172
closing multiple plug-in windows 984
Coalesce Trim Automation options 132
Coalesce Trim Automation Track command 227
Coalesce VCA Master Automation Track command 227
Coalesce when Removing Slaves from VCA Group option 131
coalescing
Trim automation 1040
VCA automation 1059
Collection Mode (Beat Detective) 657
Color Coding
Apply to Channel Strip 246
options 121, 243
Color Palette window 245
Color setting (for window dub) 141
Command|8 51, 967
Commands Keyboard Focus 30
Comments View 214, 933
Committing Elastic Audio 864
Compact command 595
Compact Selected command 272
Compare button 982
compatibility 7
Compensation for Input Delays After Record Pass option 91
Compensation for Output Delays After Record Pass option 91
Complete Production Toolkit
features 56
compositing 620
compressed QuickTime audio formats 1156
Conductor button 185
Conductor rulers 753
including in selections 570
Index 1199
configuring
click options 430
MMC 1132, 1133
SMPTE 1122
Conform to Tempo command 764
connecting
effects units digitally 1001
external audio devices 1000
Consolidate command
audio 594
MIDI notes 675
Consolidate From Source Media 367
Consolidate Handle Length 351, 367
Consolidate Handle Size 367
Consolidate Source Audio Media 351
consolidating media 317
Constant command (Tempo Operations) 773
continuous controller events 12
Continuous Scroll with Playhead option 415
Continuous Scrolling During Playback option 414, 415
continuous zoom 534
control surfaces
C|24 967
Command|8 967
D-Command 967
D-Control 967
controller events 12, 681
and MIDI regions 518
chasing 691
editing 682
editing with Smart Tool 554
inserting 682
Controller lanes 681, 1013
in MIDI Editor windows 718
in the Edit window 1013
Controller Meter Path selector 91
Controllers folder (controller personalities) 968
Conversion Quality option 325, 1070, 1157
Convert Plug-In selector 983
Convert WAV files to AES31/BroadcastWave option 132, 326,
382
converting clip-based gain to Breakpoint Automation 354
converting session
audio file format 166
bit depth 166
sample rate 166
Copy command 525
Copy From Source Media 367
Copy from Source Media (Video) 342, 352
Copy Settings command 987
Copy Source Audio Media 351
Copy Special commands 1037
Copy to Send command 1018
copying
MIDI notes with the Split command 913
plug-in settings 989
selections and regions 525
track automation to sends 1018
track control settings to sends 945
Core Audio 11
count off 429
Countoff button 185
CPU (Elastic Audio) processing activity 80
CPU (RTAS) processing activity 80
CPU Usage Limit 63
Create Click Track command 428
Create Continuous File command 850
Create Fades command 609, 610
Create Individual Files command 850
creating
crossfades 609
fade-ins/outs 607
Mac and PC compatible sessions 384
Markers and Memory Locations 795
region groups 836
regions 583
sessions 160
settings subfolders 988
Crossfade Preference for Pre/Post-Roll option 127, 606
crossfades
and dither 966
creating with Smart Tool 553
DestructivePunch 493
equal gain 604
equal power 604, 606
Fades dialog 601
in batches 611
linear 606
overlap 606
pre/post 610
removing 609
TrackPunch 493
trimming 609
with dither 604
Current Engine setting 61
Current Feet+Frames command 1124
current meter 185, 781
Current Meter indicator 185
current tempo 185, 759
Current Time Code Position command 1124
Current Time display 1118
Custom Note Duration
Follow Grid 664
custom session templates 170
Custom Shuttle Lock Speed 557
Custom Shuttle Lock Speed preference 122
Cut command 525
Cut Special commands 1037
All Automation 1037
Pan Automation 1037
Plug-In Automation 1037
Cut Time command 784, 788
cutting
automation 1035
MIDI notes with the Split command 913
selections and regions 525
D
DAE 10
DAE errors, avoiding 470
DAE Playback Buffer Size 67
DAT recorder, recording from 469
database
files and sharing 276
databases 276
D-Command 51, 967
D-Control 51, 967
Pro Tools Reference Guide1200
default
audition path 91
meter 430
metering path 91
output path 92
path order 94
paths 103
program change 685
tempo 431
Default (Paths) 103
Default Automatic Naming to English option 120
Default Dynamics preference 129, 979
Default EQ preference 129, 979
Default Fade Settings 128
Default Input Gain preference 134
Default Monitor Format selector 94
Default Note Duration 664
Default Note On Velocity setting 664
Default Plug-In preference 134
Default Region Color Coding options 121
Default Settings, for TC/E plug-in 134
Default Thru Instrument 473
Default Thru Instrument preference 135
Default Track Color Coding options 121
Degree of Thinning preference 130
delay
Channel Delay indicator 210
MIDI Track Offsets 692
Delay (dly) indicator 960
Delay After Play Command preference 137
Delay Before Locking to LTC option 137
Delay Before Locking to Time Code option 137
Delay Compensation 66, 958
applying to automatically bypassed tracks 491, 962
bypassing 961
changing track delay 961
configuring Delay Compensation Engine 959
dedicating DSP resources 66
Delay (dly) indicator 960
enabling 958
engine 66
exceeding compensation limit 961
H/W Insert 89
hardware insert delays 89, 964
information 960
MIDI Beat Clock 136
MIDI Time Code 136
mode 959
settings 958
Time Mode option 126
User Offset (+/–) field 960
viewing 212, 935
Delay Compensation Engine 959
Delay Compensation limit 959
Delay Compensation Status indicator 179
Delay Compensation Time Mode option 126, 959
Delay Compensation View 212, 935
Delay Compensation View option 960
Delay for External Devices options 136
Delay plug-ins 971
Delay setting (Real-Time Properties) 697
Delete Active Groups (Group List) command 250, 256
Delete Current Settings File command 987
Delete Fades command 609
Delete Group command 250, 255
Delete Path 106
Delete Track command 216, 227
deleting
automation 1027, 1035
existing I/O paths 105
groups 255
in MIDI Event List 747
Memory Locations 802
MIDI notes 679
playlists 619
program changes 688
sysex events 690
tracks 216
unused regions 271
delta
trimming automation 1009
designating volumes 311
Destination Audio Sample Rate 354, 366
destination folder for plug-in settings 988
destructive editing
compacting audio files 595
Destructive Record mode 434, 462
destructive recording 462
DestructivePunch 500
crossfades 493
Prepare DPE Tracks 502
preparing for 502
DestructivePunch File Length preference 126, 502
Digi 002 51
punching with footswitch 494
Digi 002 Rack 51
DigiBase 296
Advanced Search mode 294
auditioning 297
Automatically Find and Relink 304
Auto-Preview mode 300
browser display options 284
browser menu 282, 283
browsers 274, 277
Calculate Waveform 295
candidates for relinking 306
catalog database file 276
Catalogs 275, 315, 316, 317
Clip Name 316
commands 284
Comments 288, 289
Copy and Relink 303
copying database items 289
database items 286, 287, 288
deleting
database items 289
folders from Catalogs 291
Elastic Audio analysis 296
Elastic Audio Plug-In selector 299
Failed Tasks 321
Find Links 308
indexing 280
Linking Options 308
links 302
Loop Audition mode 300
managing tasks 321
Manually Find and Relink 304
Missing files 302, 303
modifiers (browser search) 293
moving database items 289
Index 1201
Paused Tasks 320
Performance Volume 275
Plus (+) and Minus (–) buttons 293
preferences 321
preview at session tempo 301
preview controls 298
previewing 297
Project browser 274, 313
Quick Search 291
Quick Search mode 294
Regenerate Missing Fades 305
Regenerate Missing Rendered Files 305
Relink window 275, 305
relinking 302
saving a search as a Catalog 295
search modes 294
search modifiers 293
searching 291, 293, 294
sharing catalog database files 276
sharing database files 276
Skip All 304
sorting columns 285
suitable volumes (see Transfer files) 303
Task window 275, 319
Tasks 320
Transfer files 302
Transfer Volume 275
Volume browsers 274
volume database file 276
volumes 276
WaveCache 276
waveform display 295
Workspace browser 274, 310, 312
DigiDelivery 371
Digidesign Audio Engine 10
DigiGroove templates 649
digital clipping 426
digital mastering 1073
DigiTest 60
Disable “Input” When Disarming Track (In “Stop”) option 125
discrete signal control 1088
Disk Allocation 442
and cross-platform sessions 443
and system volume 443
window 441
Disk Processing Activity 80
Disk Space window 441
Display (Group List) command 250
Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties option
135, 700
display in browsers 284
Display Preferences 119
Clip Hold options 120
Draw Grids in Edit Window option 531
Language options 120
Peak Hold options 120
displaying
all rulers 753
file info for audio regions 263
Meter Ruler 781
Original Time Stamps 1139
region names 521
region times 521
Tempo ruler 759
User Time Stamps 1140
dither
and Bounce to Disk 1062
and fades 604, 966
AudioSuite 966
on Master Faders 1062
preferences 966
resolution and Bounce to Disk 1069
Dither Mixer plug-ins 966
Dither Plug-In preference 132
divergence
drawing 1109
using 1108
Double-Clicking a MIDI Region Opens option 135
drag and drop
from the Region List to tracks 808, 809
importing audio files 328
importing MIDI files 374
Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo
options 133, 327
Draw Grids in Edit Window option 531
DSP
active and inactive items 22
and inactive inputs and outputs 231
and inactive outputs 937
and inactive sends 944
and no output 937
and overall resources 21
and Send meters 943
DSP delays
automatic compensation 66
DSP usage meters 81
dubber
preference to emulate 125, 494
Duplicate command 829
Duplicate Group command 250
Duplicate Track command 216, 227, 1006
duplicating
inserts 980
MIDI note selections 829
playlists 618
selections and regions 829
sends 944
Duration
Real-Time Properties 696
durations, for MIDI notes
editing with Change Duration command 909
making more legato 911
making more staccato 910
randomizing 910
DV
and sync offset 1167
DV Stream 1146
DV25 Movies
playback through FireWire 1166
Dynamic Transport mode 419
Dynamically Allocated Voicing 234
Dynamics plug-ins 971
Pro Tools Reference Guide1202
E
Edit commands 524
copy 525
cut 525
paste 526
edit cursor 410
and scrubbing 555
moving to region boundaries 571
placing with the Selector tool 550
Edit Groups 252
and selections 563
Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option 122, 555
Edit insertion point
placing regions at 809
trimming regions to 589
Edit Markers 562
and selection length 567
Edit menu 198
Change Edit to Match Timeline command 574
Change Timeline to Match Edit command 574
Clear command 526
Clear Special commands 1038
Consolidate command 594
Copy command 525
Copy Special commands (automation) 1037
Copy to Send command 1018
Create Fades command 609, 610
Cut command 525
Cut Special commands 1037
Delete Fades command 609
Duplicate command 829
Fade To End command 608
Fade To Start command 608
Fades command 601
Heal Separation command 588
Identify Sync Point command 821
Insert Silence command 828
Paste command 526
Play Edit Selection command 417
Play Timeline Selection command 417
Redo command 522
Repeat command 830
Repeat to Fill Selection command 527
Select All command 564
Separate Region commands 584
Shift command 822
Strip Silence command 824, 825
TCE Edit to Timeline Selection command 596
Thin All Automation command 1028
Thin Automation command 1028
Trim Automation to All Enabled command 1053
Trim Automation to Current command 1053
Trim Region End to Fill Selection command 589
Trim Region End to Insertion command 589
Trim Region Start to Fill Selection command 589
Trim Region Start to Insertion command 589
Trim Region to Fill Selection command 590
Trim Region to Selection command 588
Undo command 522
Write Automation commands 1051, 1052
Edit mode buttons 178, 529
Edit modes 529
and placing regions 807
Grid 531
Relative Grid 531
Shuffle 529
Shuffle Lock 530
Slip 530
Spot 530, 1136
edit playlists 617
Edit Selection Follows Region List Selection option 127, 564
Edit Selection indicators 568
Edit selections
auditioning with Playhead enabled 417
copied from Timeline selection 574
copied to Timeline selection 574
making with the Selector tool 550
sliding in the Ruler 571
edit smoothing, with Beat Detective 655
Edit tools 533
Grabber 533, 565
Pencil 533, 558
Scrubber 533, 554
Selector 410, 533
Smart Tool 533
Trimmer 533, 544
Zoomer 533, 534
Edit window 175, 176, 177
All View option 933
half-screen 415
None Views option 933
scrolling from the Ruler 575
Universe view 577
View options 176
Edit Window Default Length 181
Edit Window Default Length preference 119
Edit Window Follows Bank Selection option 130
Edit Window option 176
Edit Window View options 933
Edit Window View selector 932
Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock 559
editing
across multiple tracks 527
and Edit modes 529
and Grid modes 817
and hidden tracks 226
and Track View 524
automation 1030
Bar|Beat Markers 780
breakpoints 1032
controller events 682
during playback 512
Grid mode 531, 532
in MIDI Event List 746
Markers 800
Memory Locations 800
meter events 783
MIDI notes 670
MIDI regions 518
nondestructive 511
nondestructively for audio 517
nondestructively for MIDI 520
note attributes 678
note durations 909
note velocities 676, 907
program changes 688
Index 1203
regions as grid 533
Shuffle Lock mode 530
Shuffle mode 529
Slip mode 530
Spot mode 530
tempo events 760
waveforms 516
Editing Preferences 127
Auto-Name Memory Locations While Playing option 797
Auto-Name Separated Regions option 585
Conversion Quality option 325
Crossfade Preference for Pre/Post-Roll option 127, 606
Edit Selection Follows Region List Selection option 564
QuickPunch Crossfade Length preference 493
Region List Selection Follows Edit Selection option 262,
564
Separate Region Operates On All Related Takes option
585
Edit-locking regions 823
Effect Bypass button 983
effects, printing to disk 1061
Elastic Audio 857
Accordion Warp 876
adding Event markers 880
analysis 866
analysis in DigiBase 296
Analysis view 865, 879
and AudioSuite processing 886
and Edit Groups 879
batch analysis 296
calculating analysis in DigiBase 296
clearing analysis in DigiBase 296
Clip indicator (Rendered) 868
committing 864
common workflows 857
Conform to Tempo 764
CPU processing activity 80
creating new tracks 864
deleting Event markers 881
disabling 864
enabling on tracks 863
event confidence 866
Event markers 873
example workflow 858
Individual Range Warp 877
microfades 888
Monophonic plug-in 871
moving Event markers 880
moving regions between tracks 887
out of range processing 878
pitch shift 884
Plug-In selector in browsers 299
plug-ins 868
Polyphonic plug-in 870
preview at session tempo in browsers 301
promoting Event markers 880
properties 881
quantizing 903
Range Warp 876
Real-Time processing 867
Region Clip indicator 868
removing region pitch shift 886
removing region warping 879
Rendered files 868
regenerating 305, 381
Rendered processing 867
Rhythmic plug-in 870
setting to Real-Time or Rendered 867
TCE algorithms 868
Telescoping Warp 875
tempo detection 866
Tempo Event–generated Warp markers 875
tempo-based warping 763
track controls 865
track views 865
tracks 863
transpose 885
Varispeed plug-in 871
Warp indicator 878
Warp markers 873
Warp view 865, 873
warped regions 878
X-Form plug-in 872
Elastic Audio Plug-In Selector 865
Elastic Audio preferences 134
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks 863
Elastic Properties window 881
Eleven Rack 51
Eleven Rack Control window 186
embedded media 27
Enable Dub Window option 141
Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks preference 134
Enable Session File Auto Backup option 123
Enable SYNC Peripheral option 140
enabling
Auto Backup option 123
automation 1025
groups 259
MIDI input devices 472
plug-in automation 986
End To Insertion command 589
Enforce Avid Compatibility 364
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility option 168, 384
Entire Selection mode 850
EQ plug-ins 971
equal gain crossfades 604
equal power crossfades 604, 606
error suppression 64
Ethernet Controllers 144
EUCON 51, 144, 967, 1003
Event Edit Area 678
Event menu 198
All MIDI Notes Off command 693
Beat Detective command 639
Change Meter command 782
Event commands 891
Identify Beat command 778
MIDI commands 891
MIDI Event List 741
MIDI Track Offsets command 692
Remove Duplicate Notes command 693
Renumber Bars command 790
Tempo commands 772
Time commands 784
Event Operations commands 891
Change Duration command 909
Change Velocity command 907
Flatten Performance command 906
Input Quantize command 915
Quantize command 892
Pro Tools Reference Guide1204
Restore Performance command 905
Select/Split Notes command 914
Step Input command 916
Transpose command 911
Event Operations window 891, 892
Exit command (Windows) 172
Expand Channels to New Playlists 633
Expand to New Tracks command 228
Expanded Transport View 195, 456
explicit voice allocation 234
Export 366
OMF/AAF Options 363
Sample Rate Conversion Options 365
Export MIDI command 374
Export MIDI Settings dialog
Apply Real-Time Properties option 374
MIDI File Format pop-up menu 374
export OMF/AAF
Consolidate From Source Media 367
Copy From Source Media 367
Refer To Source Media 367
translation settings 363
Export Region Definitions command 272, 338
Export Region Groups command 378
Export Regions as Files command 272, 336
Export Selected As Files command 363
Export Selected dialog 336, 363
Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF 360
Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF command 359, 360
Export Session Info as Text command 369
Export Settings button (I/O Setup) 114
exporting 324
AAF files 359
audio 336
audio from regions 336
markers 375
MIDI tracks 374
OMFI files 359
region definitions 337
region groups 378
Score to Sibelius 740
sessions as text 369
Sibelius (.sib) files 740
stereo interleaved files 337
Ext. Clock Output 74, 1116
extending selections 568, 768
to adjacent tracks 569, 570
to include adjacent regions 568
to Markers and Memory Locations 568
to region boundaries 568, 768
external clock source 1001
External MIDI instrument
recording audio from 487
external side-chain processing 986
External Time Code Offsets 1121
extrapolation 650
F
factory I/O settings 112
Fade Files folder 162
Fade To End command 608
Fade To Start command 608
fade-in shapes 605
fade-out shapes 602
fades 607
and dither options 966
auto-fades 610
creating 607
creating with Smart Tool 552
in batches 611
moving 612
nudging 612
regenerating 305, 381
with dither 604
Fades command 601
Fades dialog 601
In Shape 605
Link option 603
Out Shape 602
Use Dither option 604
Fast Forward
incrementally 411
locating with 411
Fast Forward button 182
Feet.Frames Time Scale 752
Feet+Frame Rate setting 1119
Feet+Frames
redefining position 1124
field recorder
expanding alternate channels to new playlists 633
importing monophonic audio files 335
importing polyphonic audio files 335
file formats (audio) 1066
AIFF 1066
BWF (.WAV) 1066
MP3 1067
MXF 1066
QuickTime 1066
Sound Designer II 1066
file management 379
File menu 198
Bounce to Disk command 1064
Close Session command 172
Exit command (Windows) 172
Export MIDI command 374
Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF command 359
Export Session Info as Text command 369
Import Audio to Track command 331
Import Region Groups command 377
Open Session command 162
Revert to Saved command 165
Save As command 165
Save command 165
Save Copy In command 166, 385
Send via DigiDelivery 371
Send via DigiDelivery command 371
File Mode selector 849
files
Clip Name 316
missing fades 304
final mixdown 1072
Find All Candidates 307
Find History 266
Find Matching Tracks option 343
Find Region List command 264
Find Regions
By Name 265
Include Subsequently Added Regions 265
Index 1205
finding regions 264
Find History 265
FireWire
QuickTime DV25 playback 1166
First Selected MIDI Track option 135
Flatten Performance command 891, 906
folders
creating and opening 280
footswitch 72
Force Audio Media to Target Session Format 351
foreground 279
Forward and Play command 412
Forward command 412
frame rate
pull up and pull down 1126
Frames 1150
Frames View
video track 1150
freewheeling time code 1121
Front Divergence 1108
Front/Rear Divergence 1108
G
generating time code 1130
Glide Automation commands 1038
global (system-wide) preferences 118
Global MIDI Playback Offset preference 135, 691
Go to End button 182
Grabber tools 533, 551, 565, 672
editing breakpoints with 768, 1031
Object Grabber tool 551, 565
selecting MIDI notes with 670
Separation Grabber tool 551, 586
Time Grabber tool 551
Grid mode 531, 818
Absolute 531, 817
configuring 532
Draw Grids in Edit Window option 531
Regions/Markers option 533
Relative 531, 817
setting the Grid value 817
suspending 818
with Slip, Shuffle, or Spot enabled 532
grid panners in Mix and Edit 1100
Grid value 665, 817
setting for MIDI editing 665
Grid Value selector 532
Groove Quantize 898
groove templates 649, 899
applying 901
mapping 902
Group 250
Group Assignment selector 927
Group ID indicator 250
Group List 249
hiding 249
Keyboard Focus 30
pop-up menu 250
showing 249
Group Name 250
Group Track command 252, 253
groups
and automation editing 1034
and hidden tracks 226
attributes 256
control offsets 260
creating 252
deleting 255
duplicating 256
Edit Groups 252
enabling 259
keyboard selection 259
linking Mix and Edit Groups 248
Mix Groups 252
modifying 254
renaming 254
unlinking Mix and Edit Groups 248
Groups dialog 251
guitar tablature 794
H
H/W Buffer Size 448
H/W Insert Delay 89
half-screen 415
half-speed playback 418
half-speed recording 470
hard drives
and Compacting Audio 595
recording to system volume 443
Round Robin Allocation 442
Hardware Buffer Size 10, 60, 62
hardware I/O inserts 972
delays 89
hardware I/O sends 941
Hardware Insert Delay Compensation 89, 964
Hardware Setup
Buffer Size 448
Ext. Clock Output 74
selecting multiple outputs 80
HD Accel 42
HD Core card 42
HD I/O 42, 47
Analog Expansion cards 47
analog I/O 47
configurations 47
Digital Expansion cards 47
Digital I/O 47
synchronization 47
HD MADI 42, 48
HD OMNI 42, 46
analog I/O 46
configuring Hardware Setup 75
digital I/O 46
features 46
monitoring 46
synchronization 47
HD Process card 42
Heal Separation command 588
HEAT
import Master Settings 345
HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Technology) 55
Help 198
help
Bounce to Disk 1065
Tool Tips 119, 199
Help menu 29, 198
HFS+ Disk Support option 383
Pro Tools Reference Guide1206
HFS+ drives
and Windows systems 383
hidden tracks
and group edits 226
and groups 226
and selections 563
Hide All Floating Windows command 193
Hide and Make Inactive Track command 227
Hide/Show Track command 227
hiding
all tracks 226
auto-created regions 271
tracks 225
High Quality QuickTime Image option 124
history (Find regions) 265
Horizontal Position setting 141
Horizontal Zoom In button 534
Horizontal Zoom Out button 534
Host Engine 64
Host Processors setting 62, 63
I
I/O Settings 112
I/O Setup 83
and surround sessions 1079
Bus page 88
configuring I/O routing 96
controls 89
creating paths 100
creating sub-paths 102
customizing 95
dialog 84
displaying unavailable I/O 115
factory settings files 112
H/W Insert Delay page 89
importing for surround 1081
Input page 87
Insert page 88
last used 114
Low Latency Monitoring 93
Mic Preamps 89
options 91
Output page 87
resizing 84
settings files 112
surround mix examples 1094
surround mix settings file 112
I/O View 209, 934
Identify Beat command 778, 779
Identify Sync Point command 821, 1140
Idle MTC Enabled option 140
Ignore Clip-Based Gain 354
Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option 64
Ignore Keyframe Gain 354
Ignore Rendered Audio Effects 354
Ignore Track Arming option 137
illegal characters 163, 381
Import
Audio Media Options 351
Sample Rate Conversion Options 353
Time Code Mapping Options 352
Import as Offline Satellite Media 342, 352
Import Audio dialog 332
Import Audio to Track command 331
Import HEAT Master Settings 345
Import Key Signature Map option 345
Import Marker/Memory Locations 345
Import MIDI 373
Import Region Groups command 377
Import REX Files as Region Groups option 133, 326
Import Session Data
Text Encoding 341
Import Session Data command 338
Import Session Data dialog 340
Import Settings button (I/O Setup) 113
Import Settings command (plug-ins) 987
Import Video command 1154
Import Window Configurations 345
importing 323
audio 324
audio and Conversion Quality 325
copying during 340
HEAT Master Settings 345
key signature map 345
Marker/Memory Locations 345
Markers 373
MIDI tracks 372
multichannel audio files from a field recorder 335
multichannel I/O Settings 1081
offline items from Catalogs 318
plug-in settings 989
Pre settings 345
QuickTime audio 1156
reference or copy 340
region groups 377
tempo and meter map 345
tracks for other sessions 338
using drag and drop 328
Window Configurations 345
inactive 22, 23
inputs 231
inserts 975
Master Faders and assignments 925
outputs 231
paths 106
paths, global 106
sends 944
track path assignments 231
tracks 243
Include Control Changes in Undo Queue option 131
Include Sends in Trim Mode option 131
Incoming Time display 1118
Infinite Clip Hold option 120, 211
Infinite Peak Hold option 120, 211
in-place auditioning 268
input connections 18, 426
Input Devices command 472
Input Filter command 474
MIDI Event List View Filter dialog 743
MIDI Input Filter dialog 474
input levels 426
Input Only Monitoring mode 445
Input Path selector 209, 228
Input Quantize command 891, 915
Input selectors 228
Insert Position selector 981
Insert Silence command 828
and Shuffle mode 828
and Slip mode 828
Index 1207
Insert Time command 784, 786
inserting
controller events 682
events in MIDI Event List 744
meter events 782
MIDI notes 668
plug-ins on tracks 976
program changes 688
tempo events 759
Insertion Follows Playback option 122, 421
inserts 930, 971
as a shared bus 972
duplicating 980
for hardware I/O 972
for plug-ins 971
hardware insert delays 89
labeling 999
making inactive (and active) 975
mono 972
moving 980
on single tracks 972
post-fader on Master Faders 924, 971
shared within a submix 954
stereo 972
Inserts A–E View options 931
Inserts F–J View options 931
Inserts View 934
Instrument plug-in
recording audio from 486
Instrument tracks 202
and surround mixing 1091
channel strips 205
configuring for recording 476
MIDI Input selector 239
MIDI Output selector 239
monitoring and mixing 951
Notes View 218
Regions View 218
signal flow 926
track controls 208
Instruments View 933
Interchange Workflow
Embedded Media 27
linked media 28
Internal mode (Clock Source option) 1118
internal side-chain processing 986
Inverse linked panning 948
Items To Copy
Preserve Folder Hierarchy 169
Items to Copy 169
J
Jam Sync 1121
Join command 1007
K
key input 981, 986
Key Input selector 851, 981
key signature map
importing 345
Keyboard Focus 29
Commands 30
Group List 30
Region List 30, 267
keyboard shortcuts 985
global key commands 29
numeric entry 569
recording 454
Knowledge Base 198
L
labeling
inserts and sends 999
Language options 120
Last Used 114
Latch automation mode 1007
AutoJoin 1007
Join 1007
Latch option 241
Latch Record Enable Buttons option 124
Latch Trim automation mode 1010
Latching Behavior for Switch Controls in “Touch” option 130
latency
Hardware Buffer Size 62
LCRS path examples 1082
length, for selections 566
level faders
sends 938
Level meters
for audio tracks 211
for Aux Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks 211
Levels of Undo preference 128, 523
LFE
enable in plug-ins 1110
example sub-path 1095
examples of discrete versus contribution 1097
faders 1110
Librarian menu 981
Limit Character Set option 168
Limit To preference 126
Linear command (Tempo Operations) 773
linear crossfades 606
Linear Sample Display 771
Linear Tick Display 771
Linearity Display Mode 771
Link Enable buttons 983
in multi-mono plug-ins 1092
Link Mix and Edit Group Enables option 129
Link Record and Play Faders option 124, 447
Link Selection button 561, 563
Link Timeline and Edit Selection option 561
Link to Source Media (Video) 342, 352
Link Track and Edit Selection option 216, 562
linked media 28
linking
inverse panning 948
multi-mono plug-ins 1091
plug-in controls 999
stereo panners 948, 1104
local (current session) preferences 118
Local Control 12, 473
Pro Tools Reference Guide1208
locating
the playback cursor 410
with Fast Forward/Rewind 411
with Location indicators 575
Location indicators 575
locating with 575
locations, for MIDI notes
dragging 672
quantizing 896
randomizing 895, 898
Locators to Import 355
Lock Region command 823
Lock Settings File command 987
Locked indicator 1120
locked regions and AudioSuite processing 854
Locked Track command 227
Loop Playback option 418
and Touch mode 1016
loop points 454
Timeline Selection Markers 455
Loop Record mode 434, 464
loop recording
and pre/post-roll 463
audio 463
MIDI 481
multiple takes 483
Loop Trimmer tool 548
creating loops 548
looped regions 831
copying and pasting automation 835
creating 832
editing 833
selecting 833
trimming with Loop Trim tool 549, 550
unlooping 833
looping
playback 418
regions 831
selections 418
loops
creating with the Loop Trimmer tool 548
recording with reverb or delay 1064
low latency monitoring
Bounce to Disk 449
Low Latency Monitoring path 93
Low Latency Monitoring option 448
LTC Output Level setting 140
M
Mac sessions
compatibility with Windows 384
Machine Chases Memory Location option 136, 1134
Machine Control 141
Machine Cues Intelligently option 136
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option 136, 1134
Machine Track Arming window 1136
Main Counters 754
main paths 84
Main Time Scale 754, 1125
Main Timebase ruler 754
Make Active command 243
Make Active/Inactive Track command 227
Make Inactive command 243
making an Edit selection 550
managing regions 269
Manual Tempo mode 185, 431
Manually Find and Relink 381
mapping paths in I/O Setup 106
Marker/Memory Locations
importing 345
Markers 355, 798
creating 795
creating on the fly 797
deleting 802
editing 800
exporting 375
extending selections to 568
importing 373
moving 801
sorting 804
tick-based and sample-based 799
viewing options 803
Markers ruler 753, 798
Master Faders 924
as a stereo master volume control 925
as master send level control 957
channel strips 204
inactive 925
inserts 971
meters pre/post fader 925
multichannel 1091
post-fader inserts 924
signal flow 924
track controls 206
trimming the input to a submix 925
Master Link button 983
in multi-mono plug-ins 1092
Master View for tracks 222, 1036
mastering
digitally 1073
to disk 1072
Matches 630
Matches (alternate takes) 465, 630
Matching Criteria window 466, 629
M-Audio Control Panel 70
Mbox 52
Mbox 2 52
Mbox 2 Micro 52
Mbox 2 Mini 52
Mbox 2 Pro 52
Mbox Mini 52
Mbox Pro 52
measures
renumbering 790
media data 24
Memory Locations 795, 799
creating 795
creating on the fly 797
deleting 802
deleting all 802
editing 800
extending selections to 568
Markers 798
recalling 800
recalling Edit selections 458
renaming 800
Selection Memory Locations 798
storing Edit selections 457
Index 1209
Memory Locations window 798, 800
View Filter 805
viewing options for Markers 803
Merge mode (see MIDI Merge mode)
metadata 25, 1173
meter
current 781
default 430
display 185
Meter button 431
meter events 781
editing 783
inserting 782
meter map
importing 345
Meter Path selector 91
Meter Ruler
displaying 781
extending an Edit selection to 783
meters
and control surfaces 91
for MIDI tracks 211
pre/post fader levels 211
Sends View 943
SurroundScope plug-in 1111
Meters options 120
Metronome button 429
Metronome Click button 185
Mic Preamps
configuring 145
I/O Setup 89
Mic Preamps View 933
MIDI 11
assigning channels 238
channels 12
common misconceptions 12
configuring MIDI setup 69
consolidating notes 675
control surfaces 12
controller devices 12
controller events 681
Default Thru Instrument 473
devices 12
editing in a MIDI Editor window 713
import by drag and drop 374
importing 373
interface 11
Local Control 12
loop recording 481
muting notes 676
offsets 691
patch name files (.midnam) 686
patch names 686
playing back 408
ports 12
select and split notes 913
separating notes 674
setting the Grid value for editing 665
setup (Mac) 149
setup (Windows) 152
signal paths 13
MIDI Beat Clock 422
offsets 423
transmitting 422
transmitting over IAC 423
MIDI clips and Region List 261
MIDI controller devices 471
Local Control 473
MIDI Controllers 143
MIDI Editor
Automation lanes 718
Controller lanes 718
editing MIDI notes 713
Notation View 716
Superimposed Notes View 711
Velocity lane 718
MIDI Editor view (in the Edit window) 186
MIDI Editor windows 701
MIDI Event List 741
deleting events 747
editing events 746
inserting events 744
navigating in 743
Options menu 748
selecting events 747
View Filter 742
MIDI File Format pop-up menu 374
MIDI files (see Standard MIDI Files)
MIDI I/O 51
MIDI Input selector 209, 237
Instrument track 239
MIDI Machine Control (MMC) 1132
configuring in Pro Tools 1132, 1133
controlling external devices with 1132
Master settings 141
Slave settings 142
MIDI Merge mode 185, 435, 475
MIDI meter 211
MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity option 121
MIDI Note Display options 136
MIDI notes
attributes for 678
auditioning with the mini-keyboard 671
chasing 690
deleting 679
duplicating selected 829
editing 670
durations 909
pitch 672
velocities 676, 907
inserting 668
lengths in ticks 756
moving 672
quantizing 898
scrolling 519
selecting 670
selecting with the mini-keyboard 671
splitting 913
transposing 672, 911
trimming start/end points 673
MIDI Operations window 891
MIDI Output selector 209, 238
Instrument track 239
MIDI Preferences 134
Global MIDI Playback Offset preference 691
Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data
option 135, 682, 1030
MIDI Preferences page 134
Pro Tools Reference Guide1210
MIDI Real-Time Properties 693
on tracks and regions 698
settings 695
MIDI recording 471
cancelling takes 479
enabling input devices 472
Input Filter 474
Merge/Replace mode 475
monitoring with MIDI Thru 473
quantizing on input 474, 915
System Exclusive data 484
undoing a take 479
Wait for Note 474
MIDI regions 517
and controller events 518
and punch recording 481
created on barlines 478
guidelines for editing 518
MIDI Replace mode 185, 435, 475
MIDI Setup commands
Input Devices command 472
Input Filter command 474
MIDI Beat Clock command 422
MIDI Studio Setup 69
MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) (Windows) 152
MIDI Studio Setup window 686
MIDI Thru command 473
MIDI Time Code (MTC)
Idle MTC Output 140
MIDI Track Offsets command 692
MIDI tracks
and MIDI offsets 691
assigning to multiple channels 476
channel strips 205
configuring for recording 476
default program change 685
input 237
loop recording 481
note chasing 690
Notes View 218, 219, 519
output 238
punch recording 479
punching on the fly 480
recording 471
Regions View 218, 219, 517
selecting a pitch range in 914
Sysex View 689
track controls 207
Velocity View 676
MIDI Volume fader 210
MIDI Zoom In button 535
MIDI Zoom Out button 535
mini-keyboard 671
Minimize Additional I/O Latency option 64
Minimum Sync Delay option 137, 1135
Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 752
Mirror MIDI Editing 665
missing files 381
fades and regenerating 304
skipping 304
mix buses 386, 941
Mix Groups 252
Mix window 174, 175
All View option 174, 933
None Views option 933
track controls 174
track width 212
Mix Window Follows Bank Selection option 130
Mix Window option 174
Mix Window View options 933
Mix Window View selector 932
mixed file types 168
mixing down to stereo 1072
Mixing Preferences 129
AutoMatch Time preference 131
Mixing Preferences page
Touch Timeout option 130
MMC (see MIDI Machine Control)
Modify Group command 250
Modify Groups (Group List) command 250
Momentary Solo Latch option 241
monitoring
during punch recording 461
MIDI recording with MIDI Thru 473
monitoring modes 444
Auto Input 445
Input Only 445
mono
Bounce to Disk 1069
inserts 972
paths 102
mono in/stereo out 972
Move Song Start command 784, 789
moving
Bar|Beat Markers 780
fades 612
inserts 980
Markers 801
MIDI notes 672
program changes 688
regions with fades 612
sysex events 690
MP3 file format 1067
importing 325
MTC (MIDI Time Code)
outputting 1121
MTC Generator Port setting 139
MTC Reader Port setting 139
Multi-Cam Resolution files 349
multichannel plug-ins 972, 1091
multichannel regions 513
multichannel tracks 451
and automation 1034
dragging regions to 594
names for 437
replacing regions in 819
splitting 593
multilingual application support 396
multi-mono
plug-in Channel selector 1092
plug-ins 972, 1091
multiple mono files, exporting 1069
multiple outputs
Hardware Setup 80
Index 1211
multiple tracks
and Beat Detective 652
audition takes 466, 631
editing across 527
extending selections to 569, 570
fitting audio regions to Edit selection 596
nudging regions in 592
pasting to 528
selecting 569
separating regions on 586
shuffling regions on 812
multitimbral 12
Mute Audio Inputs in Auto Input option 507
Mute automation 1032
Mute button 242
Mute Frees Assigned Voice option 242
Mute Overwrite/Extend 1047
Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped option 125, 507
Mute/Unmute Region command 824
muted regions and AudioSuite processing 854
muting
MIDI notes 676
regions 824
tracks 242
MXF format 325, 1066
N
Narrow Mix View option 212
navigating 278
New Group (Group List) command 250
New Memory Location dialog 457
New Paths dialog 101
New Session command 114, 160
New Track command 213, 227
New Track Default Output selector 92
New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase option 127, 328
New Tracks dialog 213
Next Setting button 982
No Clip Hold option 120, 211
No Output
by deleting paths 105
No Output option 937
No Peak Hold option 120, 211
no scrolling during playback 414
noncontiguous selections 565
nondestructive editing 511
for audio 517
for MIDI 520
Nondestructive Record mode 433
nondestructive recording 461
recording to a new playlist 462
with QuickPunch 492
nonlinear 9
Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression option 137
non-real-time plug-ins 847
Normal Zoom mode 537, 720
Notation
in MIDI Editor windows 716
Notation Display Track settings 730
Note Chasing option 690
Note Selector tool 671
notes (see MIDI notes)
Notes report 163
Notes View 218, 219, 519
MIDI and Instrument tracks 519
mini-keyboard 519
scrolling up or down 519
Nudge value 591
trimming MIDI notes by 674
trimming regions by 590
nudging 590
by next Nudge value 592
fades 612
multiple regions 592
region contents 592
regions with fades 612
selection range 567
selection start/end points 567
selections and regions 591
setting the Nudge value 591
Number of Voices setting 65
numeric entry
shortcuts 569
Numeric Keypad modes 31, 123
Classic 32, 123
Shuttle 33, 123, 557
Transport 32, 123
Use Separate Play and Stop Keys 123
O
Object Grabber 565
and Edit Groups 565
Object Grabber tool 551
Object Select in Edit Window command 272
Object selections 565
offline
files, selecting in DigiBase 282
regions 513
OMF
embedded media 27
import translation settings 354
linked media 28
media data 24
metadata 25, 1173
opening in Pro Tools 347
publishing options 367
OMF file format 346
OMF/AAF Options
on export 363
OMFI file format 359
On Stop 1043
Online button 182
Online options 126
online recording 1130
on-the-fly punch recording
MIDI tracks 480
QuickPunch 434, 494
Open Ended Record Allocation preference 126, 444
Open Session command 162
Open Unresourced TDM Plug-Ins as RTAS preference 134
Opening an AAF sequence in Pro Tools 347
Opening an OMF sequence in Pro Tools 347
opening multiple plug-in windows 984
Operation Preferences 122
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 411
Auto Region Fade In/Out Length preference 611
Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option 555
Pro Tools Reference Guide1212
Link Record and Play Faders option 447
Machine Chases Memory Location option 1134
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option 1134
Open Ended Record Allocation preference 444
Record Online option 1130
Use F11 for Wait for Note 475
Operation/Destination Track pop-up menus 343
Operations menu
Calibration Mode command 427
Link Timeline and Edit Selection option 561
Link Track and Edit Selection 216, 562
Low Latency Monitoring option 448
Options menu 198
Auto-Spot Regions command 1138
Delay Compensation option 958
Destructive Record mode 462
Link Track and Edit Selection option 216, 562
Loop Playback option 418
Loop Record mode 464
MIDI Thru command 473
Mirror MIDI Editing command 665
Mute Frees Assigned Voice option 242
Pre/Post Roll option 459
Pre-Fader Metering option 211
Scrolling options 414
Solo Latch options 241
Transport Online command 1129
Video Out FireWire Port command 1166
Video Out PCIe command 1168
OR (DigiBase search modifier) 293
Organize Plug-In Menus By option 119, 977
Original Time Stamp 816, 1139
Other Playlists menu 618
Output Options
Conversion Quality option 1070
Sample Rate 1070
Output Path selector 209, 229
Output Window button 1101
Output windows 936
outputs
assigning multiple outputs 936
default 5.1 paths and sub-paths 1080
format and tracks 1089
to multichannel paths 1090
overlap crossfades 606
overlapping paths 108
Overwrite File command 850
P
P (Playback Only volumes) 311
Page Scrolling option 414, 707, 726
Pan automation 1032
Pan Depth 931
Pan indicator 210
Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right 355
Pan slider 210
panning
3-knob 1106
automation and groups 1034
fine-adjust mode 1106
grids 1100
guidelines 1094, 1095
linked stereo 948, 1104
multichannel automation playlists 1111
take over in grid 1105
trajectory 1107
Use Absolute Pan Linking option 129
X/Y mode 1105
Parabolic command (Tempo Operations) 774
parallel mixing 1089
pass-through point 1007
Paste command 526
Paste Settings command 987
Paste Special commands (automation) 1037
pasting
automation 1038
multiple data types 528
plug-in settings 989
selections and regions 526
to multiple tracks 528
with Repeat to Fill Selection command 527
Patch Select button 685
Patch Select dialog 685
paths 84
active and inactive 106
audition 91
creating 100
creating multichannel 1082
customizing 103
default mono and stereo 103
default order 94
default output 92
deleting 105
editing 103
for surround 1092
last used 114
main 84
mapping 106
mono versus stereo 102
multichannel example 107
overlapping 108
reordering 105
selecting 105
sub-path surround examples 1095
sub-paths 85
PCI bus activity 80
PCIe video card
QuickTime HD playback 1168
Peak Hold options 120
3 Second 211
Infinite 211
None 211
Peak indicator 209
Peak On All Chans/Tracks mode 851
Peak On Each Chan/Track mode 851
Peak view 514
PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring option 125
Pencil tool 533, 558, 666
as Eraser 679
drawing automation with 1029
editing breakpoints with 1031
Free Hand 666
inserting MIDI notes with 668
Line 667
Tempo editing 766
Random 667
repairing waveforms with 558
resolution for inserted controller events 682
selecting the Pencil tool shape 666
Index 1213
shapes 666, 1029
Square 667
Triangle 667
Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data option
135, 682, 1030
pending tasks 321
Performance Volume 275
Peripherals
Ethernet controllers 144
Machine Control 141
MIDI Controllers 143
PRE 145
Satellites 146
Synchronization 139
VENUE 147
Peripherals dialog 139, 471
Peripherals list 73
personalities 968
PFL (Pre Fader Listen) 240
Pitch Memory Enabled option 140
pitch shifting 884
pitch, for MIDI notes
transposing 672
transposing with Transpose command 911
Play button 183
Play Edit Selection command 416, 417
Play MIDI Notes When Editing option 663
Play Start Follows Timeline Selection option 122
Play Start Marker Follows Timeline Selection option 420
Play Timeline Selection command 416, 417
playback
audio 407
MIDI 408
no scrolling 414
starting 407
stopping 407
playback cursor 409
Playback Cursor locator 410
Playback Engine 60
Cache Size 67
CPU Usage Limit 63
DAE Playback Buffer Size 67
Delay Compensation 66
H/W Buffer Size 62
Host Engine 64
Host Processors setting 62
Minimize system memory allocation 68
Number of Voices 65
Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size 68
Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size 69
Sample Rate 66
Playhead 415, 707
and Edit selections 417
and Timeline selections 417
moving to region boundaries 417
playing
and on-the-fly selections 565
at half-speed 418
audio 407
Edit selections with Playhead enabled 417
from a track point 411
MIDI 408
selections 415
Timeline selections with Playhead enabled 417
tracks 407, 452
Playlist command 848
Playlist lanes 623
Playlist selector 17, 617
playlists 17, 617
adding new 618
and groups 619
and multichannel tracks 1034
and nondestructive MIDI editing 520
assigning 618
automation playlists 617, 1004, 1012
auto-naming 617
changing timebase of 757
deleting 619
duplicating 618
edit playlists 617
Playlist selector 617
recalling 618
recording to new 463
renaming 619
setting pre/post-roll in 459
Playlists view 623
plug-in controls
adjusting 985
linking 999
Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-Enabled option 130
plug-in inserts 971
plug-in maps 992
creating 994
deleting 996
importing and exporting 998
Learn mode 992
managing 996
setting default 997
Plug-In selector
for AudioSuite plug-ins 848
for real-time plug-ins 981
plug-in settings
creating User Default 989
Plug-In Settings menu 981
Plug-in Settings menu 987
Plug-In Settings Select button 982
Plug-In Streaming Buffer 69
Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size 68
Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size 69
plug-in window
closing multiple windows 984
opening multiple windows 984
plug-ins
and pull rates 1129
and surround mixing 1091
automating 1019
automation accuracy in bounce 1071
bypassing from window 998
Category 977
Category and Manufacturer 978
Channel selector for multi-mono 1092
creating a default setting 989
enabling for automation 986, 1020
favorites 979
Flat List 977
for surround 1091
Host Processors setting 62
inserting on tracks 976
Librarian menu 981
linking and unlinking 999, 1091
Pro Tools Reference Guide1214
Manufacturer 978
mono-to-stereo 972
multichannel 972
multi-mono 972, 1091
multiprocessors 63
Next Setting button 982
Organize Plug-In Menus By command 977
Plug-In Settings menu 981
Plug-In Settings Select button 982
presets 987
Previous Setting button 982
removing from tracks 976
pops, avoiding 470
post crossfades 600, 610
Post-Roll button 184
Power view 514
PRE 51
configuring 145
I/O Setup 89
pre crossfades 600, 610
Pre Fader Listen mode 240
PRE settings
importing 345
Pre/Post Fader button 949
Pre/Post Roll option 459
pre/post-fader inserts 971
pre/post-roll
and loop recording 463
and punch recording 460
auditioning 416
setting 458
Pre/Post-Roll Flags 459, 562
Pre-Fader Metering option 211
Preferences
Automatically Copy Files on Import option 340
DestructivePunch 493
DestructivePunch File Length 502
Mute Audio Inputs in Auto Input 507
Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped 507
Pause during Playback 321
Tool Tips Display 199
TrackInput 446
TrackPunch 493
Zoom Toggle 128
preferences
changing 117
global 118
local 118
Preferences dialog 117
Prepare DPE Tracks 502
Pre-Process using Standard Conform 655
Pre-Roll button 184
Preserve Fades when Editing option 127
Preserve Folder Hierarchy command 169
presets
plug-in maps 992
plug-ins 987
preview
AudioSuite processing 852
in context 301
reserving voices 301
voice requirements 301
Preview Volume
AudioSuite 853
previewing
audio in browsers 297
regions in the Region List 268
Previous Setting button 982
Prime for Playback mode (Play Pause) 418
Prime for Record mode (Record Pause) 454
Print Score 740
Pro Tools
Additional Software Options 198
Check For Updates 198
file management 379
guides 3, 4
Help 198
Knowledge Base 198
main menus 198
session file icon 14
systems 41
video track 1150
Pro Tools and Avid terms 26
Pro Tools menu
Quit command (Mac) 172
Pro Tools systems
QuickPunch 490
Pro Tools|HD
audio interfaces 45
control surfaces 51
I/O capabilities 45
synchronization peripherals 51
worksurfaces 51
Pro Tools|HD Accel systems 42
Pro Tools|HD systems
MIDI capabilities 44
QuickPunch 490, 491
Process Mode selector 850
processing
AudioSuite 853
multichannel for AudioSuite 853
processing bandwidth 80
Processing Preferences 132
Program Change dialog 685, 687
program changes 12, 684
and bank select 684
auditioning 689
chasing 691
default, for MIDI tracks 685
deleting 688
editing 688
inserting 688
moving 688
Project browser 314, 380
pull up and pull down
and plug-ins 1129
and rulers 1128
audio 1126
video 1126
pulses-per-frame
Bi-Phase/Tach 140
Punch Capture button 1056
Punch In Frame Offset preference 137
Punch Out Frame Offset preference 137
punch points 454
Timeline Selection Markers 455
Punch Preview button 1054
Index 1215
punch recording
and monitoring 461
and pre/post-roll 460
audio 460
MIDI 479
MIDI on-the-fly 480
Q
Quantize
audio regions 894, 904
Elastic Audio events 895, 903
quantizing regions to grid 593
Real-Time Properties 695
Quantize command 891, 892
experimenting with 898
Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries 364
Quantize Regions command
and Grid value 817
Quantize to Grid command 593
Quantize window 895
quantizing
MIDI notes 894, 898
MIDI on input 474, 915
Quick Start dialog 157
QuickPunch 434, 490, 494
crossfades 493
Pro Tools|HD systems 490
region/take numbering 492
QuickPunch Crossfade Length preference 127, 493
QuickTime file formats 1066
QuickTime movies
and Avid video 1166
optimizing for playback 1167
requirements 1146
sync 1167
Quit command (Mac) 172
R
R (Record and Playback volumes) 311
randomizing
note durations 910
note locations 895
Read automation mode 1006
Read Trim automation mode 1009
real-time editing 512
real-time plug-ins 971
Real-Time Properties
clearing 699
Delay 697
Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties
option 135
Duration 696
enabling 695
in the Edit window 700
in the MIDI Event List 699
on tracks and regions 698
Quantize 695
region-based 698
settings 695
track-based 698
Transpose 698
Velocity 697
View 693
viewing 693
writing to regions 699
writing to tracks 699
Real-Time Properties View 694, 935
Real-Time Properties window 694
Rear Divergence 1108
Recalculate Waveform Overviews command 272
Recall Memory Location Selection at Original Track option 127
Record button 183
Record Enable button 438, 497
record modes 433
and MIDI 435
Destructive Record mode 434
Loop Record mode 434
Nondestructive Record mode 433
QuickPunch 434
Record Online at Insertion/Selection option 126
Record Online at Time Code (or ADAT) Lock option 126
Record Online option 1130
Record Safe mode 440
recording 451
a mono audio track 451
a stereo audio track 451
a submix to disk 1063
additional takes 461
at half-speed 470
bouncing to disk 1064
cancelling takes 453
configuring Instrument tracks 476
configuring MIDI tracks 476
destructively 462
from a digital source 468
from Record Pause mode 454
keyboard shortcuts 454
Loop Record 464
MIDI regions 478
multichannel tracks 451
multiple audio tracks 453
nondestructively 9, 461
nonlinear 9
online 1130
QuickPunch mode 494
record enabling tracks 438
status LED 497
System Exclusive data 484
to a new playlist 463
to the system volume 443
undoing a take 453
with a count off 429
with Round Robin Allocation 442
with the click 428
Rectified view 514
ReCycle 325
redefining
Feet+Frames position 1124
time code position 1124
Redo command 522
Ref Present indicator 1120
Refer to Source Audio Media Where Possible 351
Refer To Source Media 367
reference or copy when importing 340
Regenerate Missing Fades 381
Regenerate Missing Rendered Files 381
Pro Tools Reference Guide1216
region boundaries
extending selections to 568, 768
moving edit cursor to 571
moving Playhead to 417
Region by Region mode 850
region definitions 337
region group file format (.rgrp) 376, 843
region groups 513, 835
changing timebase format 840
creating 836
editing 841
exporting to different hard drives 378
fades and crossfades 842
importing 377
importing and exporting 376
mixed 837
multitrack 837
regrouping 837
separated 839
tick-based 840
timebase format 836
trimming 842
ungrouping 837
Region Groups folder 162
Region List 261
and MIDI clips 261
auditioning regions 268
displaying file info for audio regions 263
dragging from 807
Export Regions as Files command 336
Find History 266
finding regions 264
Keyboard Focus 30
pop-up menu 262
previewing regions 268
repeating a previous search 265
selecting regions 266
sorting 263
Region List command 849
Region List Keyboard Focus 267
Region List menu 1139
Auto Rename command 270
Clear command 271
Compact command 595
Export Region Definitions command 338
Find command 264
Rename command 270
Select options 267
Selected Unused command 271
Show Auto-Created option 271
Sort By options 263, 264
Time Stamp Selected command 816
Timeline Drop Order option 808
Region List Selection Follows Edit Selection option 127, 262,
564
Region menu 198
Bring to Front command 587
Capture command 583
Identify Sync Point 1140
Lock command 823
Mute/Unmute command 824
Quantize to Grid command 593
Remove Sync Point command 821
Send to Back command 587
Ungroup All Regions command 837
Ungroup Regions command 837
Unlock command 823
Unloop Regions command 833
Region Name
Right-click menu 199, 272
View option 521
Region Time View option 521
regions 16
aligning to region start points 810
auto-created 512
auto-naming options 270
auto-spotting 1138
bringing to front 587
capturing 583
clearing 526
clearing Real-Time Properties 699
Conform to Tempo 764
conforming with Beat Detective 652
consolidating 595
copying 525
creating 583
crossfading between 609
cutting 525
default names 436
displaying names 521
displaying times 521
dragging from Region List 807
dragging to multichannel tracks 594
duplicating 829
Edit-locking 823
exporting as audio files 336
extending selections to include 568
finding 264
healing separations 588
hiding auto-created 271
inserting silence into 828
locking 823
looping 831
managing 269
MIDI 478
moving in Grid mode 818
moving regions with fades 612
multichannel 513
muting 824
nudging 591
nudging regions with fades 612
offline 513
Original Time Stamp 816
pasting 526
placing at Edit insertion point 809
placing in tracks 807
quantizing 593, 904
removing pitch shift 886
removing silence from 825
removing unused 271
removing warping 879
renaming in the Region List 270
renaming on a track 520
repeating 830
replacing 818
Select options 267
selecting 551, 563
selecting all in a track 564
sending to back 587
separating 584
Index 1217
separating with Beat Detective 651
separating with Separation Grabber 586
shifting 822
shuffling 812
on multiple tracks 812
sliding 811
slipping 815
snapping to 814
snapping to next 814
sorting 263
spotting 815, 1138
sync points 820, 1140
time stamping 1139
Time-locking 823
trimming by Nudge value 590, 674
trimming start/end points 545
trimming to Edit insertion point 589
trimming unwanted data from 588
unlocking 823
User Time Stamp 816
user-defined 269, 271, 512
warped 513
warping (Elastic Audio) 878
whole-file audio regions 512
Regions View 218, 219, 517
Regroup Region command 837
related takes
and Separate Region command 585
Relative Grid mode 531, 817
relinking
Find Links 308
Linking Options 308
Remote Mode options 137
Remove Duplicate Notes command 693
Remove Sync Point command 821
removing
crossfades 609
plug-ins from tracks 976
sends 939
Rename command (Region List) 270, 272
Rename Track command 227
Renamed Audio Files
save copy in 382
renaming
auto-created regions 269
Memory Locations 800
playlists 619
renaming regions in the Region List 270
renaming regions on tracks 520
Render Sources 313, 318
Rendered Files folder 162, 868
Renumber Bars command 790
Repeat command 830
Repeat to Fill Selection command 527
repeating selections and regions 830
Replace mode (see MIDI Replace mode)
Replace Region command 272, 818
and multichannel tracks 819
Replace Region dialog 819
Reserve Voices For Preview In Context option 122, 301
Reset Bi-Phase button 141
Restore Performance command 891, 905
Rests (in the Score Editor) 735
Return to Zero button 182
Revert to Saved command 165
Rewind
incrementally 411
locating with 411
Rewind button 182
REX files 325
importing 334
Root Settings folder 987, 988
Round Robin Allocation 442
RTAS plug-ins 973
additional latency 973
voice usage 973
Ruler View options 753
Bars|Beats Time Scale 751
Feet.Frames Time Scale 752
Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 752
Samples Time Scale 752
Time Code Time Scale 752
Ruler View selector 753
rulers
changing display order 753
Conductor rulers 753
displaying all 753
pull up and pull down 1128
scrolling in 575
Timebase rulers 751
zooming in 538
S
safing automation 1012
Sample Offset (Sync Offset) 1121
Sample Rate
Hardware Setup dialog 71
Playback Engine dialog 66
Sample Rate Conversion Options
on export 365
on import 353
Sample Rate Conversion options 342
Sample Rate Conversion Quality 354, 366
sample rate conversion quality 325, 1070, 1157
Sample Rate Conversion Quality preference 133, 327
Sample Rate Convert Audio 353
Sample Rate setting 1070
sample-based timing 755, 799
Samples Time Scale 752
Satellite Link option 146
preferences 138
Satellites 146
Save As command 165
Save command 165
Save Copy In command 166, 385
saving a copy of a session 166
saving a session 165
saving plug-in settings 989
Save Plug-In Settings To command 988
Save Settings As command 987
Save Settings command 987
saving the session file with a new name 165
Scale command (Tempo Operations) 776
scaling note velocities 677, 907
Score Editor
chord symbols and diagrams 738
editing in 733
exporting a score 740
opening 720
Pro Tools Reference Guide1218
page controls 728
printing 740
rests 735
zoom controls 729
Score Setup window 731
Scroll Into View command 227
Scroll into View command 216
Scroll to Track Banks Controllers option 130
Scroll To Track command 215, 576
scroll wheel
and MIDI track Note display 519
and MIDI track’s Note display 544
scrolling a Pro Tools window 576
zooming in the Edit window 544
zooming in the Edit windows 544
scrolling
a track into view 216
in the ruler 575
Mix and Edit to tracks 576
Notes View up or down 519, 544
Pro Tools window vertically or horizontally 576
Scrolling options 414
After Playback 414
Center Playhead 415
Continuous Scrolling During Playback 414
None 414
Page 414, 707, 726
Scrub in Video Window command 1163
Scrub Trimmer tool 547
Scrubber tool 533, 554
in Shuttle mode 556
selecting with 571
scrubbing 554
a single audio track 555
and edit cursor 555
on two audio tracks 555
playback speed and direction 555
resolution 555
video tracks 1163
with Scrub Trim tool 548
with the Selector 555
S-Curve command (Tempo Operations) 775
SDDS 1078
Secondary Time Code Ruler 752
Select All command 564
Select Parent in Project browser 314
Select Parent in Workspace command 272
Select Region List options 267
Select Tracks in Group command 250
Select Unused Regions command 271
Select/Split Notes command 891, 913, 914
Split notes action 913
selecting
a pitch range of notes 914
across all tracks 570
across multiple tracks 569
all regions in a track 564
all regions in all tracks 564
during playback 565
in MIDI Event List 747
items in browsers 289
MIDI notes 670, 671
noncontiguous regions 565
notes in a chord 915
regions 563
track material 563
with Edit Selection indicators 569
with Scrubber 571
selecting tracks for AudioSuite processing 855
Selection Changes Alternate Playlists 757
Selection commands
Play Edit Selection 416
Play Timeline 416
Selection Memory Location 798
moving stored selection 801
Selection Reference selector 848
selections
across multiple tracks 563, 569
and Bounce to Disk 1064
and Edit Groups 563
and hidden tracks 563
and Timeline Selection Markers 563
auditioning start and end points 416
changing length of 566
clearing 526
consolidating 595
copying 525
cutting 525
duplicating 829
extending 568, 768
extending to the Meter Ruler 783
extending to the Tempo ruler 761, 802
including Conductor rulers 570
looping 418
moving to adjacent tracks 570
moving to the next/previous region 571
non-contiguous 565
nudging 567, 591
nudging start/end points 567
Object 565
on-the-fly 565
pasting 526
playing 415
removing a track from 571
repeating 830
shifting 822
storing with Memory Locations 798
Selector tool 410, 533, 550
making a Timeline selection 551
making an Edit selection 550
placing the edit cursor 550
scrubbing with 555
selecting an entire region 551
selecting an entire track 551
selecting MIDI notes with 670
Send controls 938
Send mute 938
Send pan 938
Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan option 129
Send to Back command (Region menu) 587
Send To Sibelius 740
Send via DigiDelivery command 371
sends 938
adding 938
and multichannel mixing 1090
Assignments View 942
automating 1017
changing default setting 939
copying track automation to 1018
default level 939
Index 1219
displaying controls for 943
for hardware I/O 941
for mix buses 941
labeling 999
mono or stereo 941
multichannel 1090
removing 939
view options 941
Sends Default to -INF option 129
Sends View 934
Separate MIDI notes 674
Separate Region commands 584
and multiple tracks 586
and related takes 585
At Selection 584
At Transients 584
On Grid 584
Separate Region Operates On All Related Takes option 127,
585
Separation Grabber 586
Separation Grabber tool 551
session data
importing 338
Session Data Online Status indicator 179
Session Data to Import menu 343
Session File Backups folder 162
session parameters 168
Session Setup window 1117
sessions 14
audio format 1118
backups 123, 162
bit depth 161, 1118
closing 172
creating 160
creating for surround mixing 1079
files 14
frame rate 1119
mixed audio formats 168
opening 162
opening from a Transfer volume 163
sample rate 161, 1118
saving 165
start frame 1118
templates 170
Sessions Overwrite Current I/O Setup When Opened option 94
Set As User Default command 988
Set Plug-In Default To command 988
Set Record Tracks to Auto Input command 446
Set Record Tracks to Input Only command 446
Set Root Settings Folder command 988
Set Servo Lock Bit at Play option 137
setting punch/loop points 454
settings
choosing a destination for 988
copying 989
creating subfolders 988
pasting 989
saving 989
Settings Preferences command 988
Setup menu 198
Click/Countoff Options dialog 430
Disk Allocation 442
I/O Setup 84
MIDI windows 686
Preferences command 117
Session Setup 1117
Video Sync Offset command 1167
Shift command 822
Shift dialog 822
shortcuts for keyboard input 985
Show All Tracks Group command 251
Show Auto-Created option 271
Show Meters in Sends View option 120
Show Only Tracks in Group command 250
Show/Hide Region List button 261
Show/Hide Track List/Group List View button 224, 249
Show/Hide Tracks in Group command 250
Shuffle
and locked regions 824
Shuffle Lock mode 530
Shuffle mode 529
and locked regions 823
and moving regions 811
shuttle
fixed mode option 557
Shuttle Numeric Keypad mode 33, 123, 557
Sibelius (.sib) file
exporting 740
Side % (Percentage) 1108
side-chain
definition 986
filters 986
processing 981
signal flow
audio tracks 923
Auxiliary Inputs 923
Instrument tracks 926
Master Faders 924
signal paths 84
signal routing
and default path order 94
basics for surround 1090
example 19
surround examples 1095
Single Zoom mode 538, 721
SIP (Solo In Place) 240
Size setting (for window dub) 141
Skip All 381
slices 638
sliding regions 811
Slip mode 530
and moving regions 814
Smart Tool 533, 552
and audio tracks 552
and Elastic Audio tracks 553
and MIDI tracks 553
and multichannel tracks 554
creating crossfades with 553
creating fades with 552
editing automation with 554
editing controller events with 554
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option 130, 1028
smoothing automation 1011
SMPTE
configuration 1122
start frame for session 1118
Snap Pan to Speaker icons 1104
Snap To Bar option 782
Snap To commands 814
Snap To Grid 532
Pro Tools Reference Guide1220
snapping to the following or preceding region 814
snapshot automation 1050
adding to empty automation playlists 1051
and trim values 1052
writing over existing automation 1051
software updates 57
Solo button 240
Solo in Place mode 240
Solo Latch options 241
Solo modes 240
Solo Safe mode 242
soloing
tracks 239
tracks in a submix 957
Song Start Marker 758
editing tempo 759
moving 758
Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) 1078
Sort By options 263, 264
sorting
data in browsers 285
Markers 804
regions 263
secondary sorts 286
Sound Designer II file format 1066
Source Audio Sample Rate 353, 366
source media 351, 367
Source Path 1065
Special Paste 1038
Speed Cal indicator 1120
split (MIDI) 913
Split Into Mono Track command 227, 593, 1088
Split notes action 913
splitting stereo and multichannel tracks 593
Spot dialog 815, 1137
Use Subframes option 1137
User Time Stamp button 1139
Spot mode 530, 1136
and moving regions 815
trimming regions in 1139
spotting
auto-spotting 1138
regions 815, 1136, 1138
SRC options 342
Standard MIDI Files 372
exporting 374
importing 372
Type 0 372
Type 1 372
Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes option 131
start frame, for sessions 1118
Start To Insertion command 589
Start, End, and Length display 456
Step Input command 891, 916
stepped control automation 1032
Stereo 1069
stereo inserts 972
stereo interleaved files, exporting 337
stereo tracks
dragging regions to 594
names for 436
replacing regions in 819
splitting 593
Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero option 137
Stop button 183
Stretch command (Tempo Operations) 777
Strip Silence command 824, 825
and region naming 825
Strip Silence window 827
stuck notes 693
Sub Counter selectors 755
Sub Time Scale 755, 1125
subfolders, creating for settings 988
subframes 1137
submixes
applying an insert to 954
bouncing to 1071
bouncing to disk 1063
soloing tracks in 957
sub-paths 85, 102
examples for surround 1094
Suppress Automation “Write To” Warnings option 130
surround
and sends 1090
basic signal routing 1090
center percentage (%) 1109
configuring Pro Tools 1087
configuring Pro Tools and sessions 1079
discrete level, solo, mute 1088
example 5.1 format paths 1083
importing I/O Settings 1081
pan playlists and automation 1111
panning grids 1100
settings files 1079
side center percentage (%) 1109
using paths 1092
using sub-paths, examples 1094
SurroundScope 1111
Suspend All Groups (Group List) command 250
suspending
automation 1025, 1026
writing automation 1025
swing 895, 897
Sync Mode field 1118
Sync Offset 1121
SYNC peripherals
generating time code with 1130
resolving with 1115
sync options 1116
Sync Point View option 821
sync points 1140
for regions 820
from Beat Detective 656
identifying 821, 1140
Synchronization 139
synchronization 139
black burst 1141
MIDI Beat Clock 422
MMC 1132
options 1115
resolving 1141
troubleshooting 1141
Synchronization Device settings 140
Synchronization Preferences 136
Sysex View 689
system
shutting down 59
starting up 59
Index 1221
System Exclusive data 12, 689
deleting 690
moving 690
recording 484
System Memory Allocation 68
system resources 21
system settings
Cache Size 67
Clock Source system setting 72
CPU Usage Limit 63
Current Engine 61
Hardware Buffer Size 10, 60, 62
Hardware Setup 71
Host Engine 64
Number of Voices 65
Plug-In Streaming Buffer 69
Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size 68
Sample Rate 66
System Memory Allocation 68
System Usage window 80, 81
T
T (Transfer volumes) 311
Tab to Transients button 413, 572
take over (surround pan) 1105
Takes
multiple tracks 466, 631
takes
auditioning 465
default names 436
matching alternates 465, 630
MIDI 484
numbering for QuickPunch 492
recording additional 461
selecting an alternate take 465, 630
tapping in the tempo 432
Target button 983
Target Project Time Code Format 364
Task Manager 333
tasks
failed 321
grouped 322
paused 320
pausing during playback 321
pending 321
tasks (DigiBase)
active 320
TC/E Plug-In preference 134
TC/E Plug-in preference 546
TCE Edit to Timeline command 596
TCE Trimmer tool 545
using in Grid mode 546
using in Slip mode 547
using in Spot mode 547
TDM plug-ins 973
TDM Time Slot usage 81
TDM Voices Allocated 81
templates
Beat Detective 649
DigiGroove 649
Pro Tools session 170
tempo
current 759
default 431
display 185
effects on Markers and Memory Locations 799
Manual Tempo mode 431
tapping in 432
Tempo Edit Density pop-up menu 767
Tempo Editor
zooming 765
Tempo Event Warp markers 764
Tempo Event–generated Warp markers 875
tempo events 759
and Bar|Beat Markers 780
editing 760
inserting 759
tempo map
from Identify Beat command 778
importing 345
Tempo Operations commands
Constant command 773
Linear command 773
Parabolic command 774
Scale command 776
S-Curve command 775
Stretch command 777
Tempo Operations window 772
Tempo Resolution selector 766
Tempo ruler
displaying 759
extending an Edit selection to 761, 802
Tempo Ruler Enable button 185
test 1071
Text Encoding
Import Session Data 341
Thin All Automation command 1028
Thin Automation command 1028
thinning automation 1011, 1028
tick-based timing 755, 799
time code
and Jam Sync 1121
capturing 1138
freewheeling 1121
generating 1130
redefining position 1124
Time Code 2 Rate setting 1119
Time Code 2 ruler 752
Time Code Mapping Options
on import 352
Time Code Mapping options 342
Time Code Rate setting 1119
Time Code Time Scale 752
Time Compression/Expansion plug-in 596
Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool 134, 545, 679
Time Grabber tool 551, 566
Time Operations commands 784
Change Meter command 784
Cut Time command 788
Insert Time command 786
Move Song Start command 789
Time Operations window 781, 784
Pro Tools Reference Guide1222
Time Scale 754
Bars|Beats 751
Feet.Frames 752
Main 754, 1125
Minutes:Seconds 752
Samples 752
Sub 755, 1125
Time Code 752
time stamp 368
Time Stamp command 272, 466, 631, 1139
Time Stamp Selected command 816
time stamps 1139
and Bounce to Disk 1065
Timebase rulers 751
and selecting on all tracks 570
and Timeline selections 573
Edit Markers 562
Pre/Post-Roll Flags 562
sliding Edit selections 571
sliding Timeline selections 574
Time Code 2 752
Timeline Selection Markers 562
Timeline and Edit selection, unlinked 561
Timeline Data Online Status indicator 179
Timeline Drop Order option 808
Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows Playback button
414
Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows Playback option
122, 421
Timeline Selection Markers 455, 562
and Edit selections 563
selection length 566
Timeline selections 574
Timeline selections 573
auditioning with Playhead enabled 417
copied from Edit selection 574
copied to Edit selection 574
in Timebase rulers 573
making with the Selector tool 551
sliding in the Ruler 574
start, end, and length fields 184
Timeline Selection Markers 574
Time-locking regions 823
toggling
track height 222
Track View 221
Tool Tips 119, 199
Toolbar focus 31
Touch automation mode 1006
Touch Timeout option 130
Touch Trim automation mode 1009
Touch/Latch automation mode 1008
Track Color View 935
Track Compensation (cmp) indicator 961
track compositing 620
track controls
audio tracks 206
Auxiliary Input tracks 206
Edit window 206, 207, 208
Elastic Audio 865
Instrument tracks 208
Master Fader tracks 206
MIDI tracks 207
VCA Master tracks 207
video tracks 208
track data 512
Track Height 222
resizing 223
track layout
default path order 94
track level meters 211
Track List 224
hiding 224
pop-up menu 224
showing 224
Track menu 198
Auto Input Monitoring mode 445
Clear All Clip Indicators command 211, 943
Delete command 216
Duplicate command 216, 1006
Group command 252, 253
Input Only Monitoring mode 445
Make Active command 243
Make Inactive command 243
New Track command 213
Scroll to Track 215
Scroll to Track command 576
Set Record Tracks to Auto Input 446
Set Record Tracks to Input Only 446
Split Into Mono command 593, 1088
Write MIDI Real-Time Properties command 699
Track Name
Right-click menu 227
Track Name/Comments dialog 214
Track Number command 215, 576
Track Offset options 342, 353
Track Position Numbers Stay with Hidden Tracks option 119
Track Record Enable indicator 183
Track selector 981
Track View 218
and edit content 524
Blocks 218
changing 221
Master View 1036
Notes 218, 219, 519
Playlists 623
Regions 218, 219, 517
Sysex 689
toggling 221
Velocity 676
Waveform 513
Track View selector 220
Track View Toggle 221
track width 212
TrackInput Monitor button 445
TrackInput Monitor indicator 183
TrackPunch
crossfades 493
preferences 493
tracks
5.1 format track layout 1087
adding comments 214
adding to selection 569, 570
and surround 1087
appending new material to end of 462
Color Coding options 243
concepts 14
configuring MIDI recording 476
converting multichannel tracks into mono tracks 1088
creating a click track 428
Index 1223
creating new Elastic Audio tracks 864
deleting 216
duplicating 216, 1006
Elastic Audio 863
formats 202
grouping 247
hiding 225
locating with Fast Forward/Rewind 411
making inactive/active 243
Master View 222, 1036
metering 211
moving selections between 570
muting 242
names 212, 214
placing regions in 807
playback priority 234
playing 407, 452
record enabling 438
removing from a selection 571
scrolling shortcut 576
selecting across multiple 569
selecting all regions in 564
selecting material in 563
soloing 239
Track Height 222
Track View 218, 221
transposing 911
trimming unwanted data from 588
types 201
Tracks Group command 250
trajectory panning 1107
Transfer files 380
selecting in DigiBase 282
Transfer volume 275
transients 513
detecting with Beat Detective 642
tabbing to 413, 572
Transport 182
Count Off 429
Meter 431
Metronome 429
Transport Master 1134
Transport Numeric Keypad mode 32, 123
Transport Online option 1129
Transport RecordLock option 125, 494, 506
Transport View options 184, 409, 456, 458
Transport window 182
MIDI controls 184
pre/post-roll 184, 458
record status display 497
start, end, and length fields 184, 456
transport controls 182
Transpose
Elastic Audio 885
MIDI notes 911
Real-Time Properties 698
Transpose command 891, 911
transposing 911
by octave 912
key 912
MIDI notes 672
tracks 911
Trim automation
coalescing 1040
Trim Automation commands 1053
Trim to All Enabled 1053
Trim to Current 1053
Trim Region commands
End to Fill Selection 589
End to Insertion 589
Start to Fill Selection 589
Start to Insertion 589
To Fill Selection 590
To Selection 588
Trim to All Enabled Automation command 1053
Trim to Current Automation command 1053
Trimmer tools 533, 544, 769, 1031
Loop Trimmer tool 548
Scrub Trimmer tool 547
Time Compression/Expansion Trimmer tool 134, 545,
679
trimming
automation breakpoints 769, 1031, 1039
crossfades 609
note start/end points 673
region start/end points 545
regions by Nudge value 590, 674
regions to Edit insertion point 589
regions with Scrub Trim tool 548
unwanted region and track data 588
Tweak Head setting (Conversion Quality) 1070, 1157
U
unavailable I/O 115
unavailable resources 163
Undo and audio recording 453
Undo command 522
Undo History window 522
Undo Queue 523
Ungroup All Regions command 837
Ungroup Region command 837
Ungroup Regions command 837
Universe view 577
unlinked Timeline and Edit selection 561
unlinking plug-in controls 999, 1091
Unlock Region command 823
Unloop Regions command 833
Use Absolute Pan Linking option 129
Use All Available Space preference 126
Use AudioSuite Dither option 132, 966
Use F11 for Wait for Note option 135, 475
Use in Playlist button 849
Use MIDI to Tap Tempo option 135
Use Separate Play and Stop Keys option 123
Use Squeezer option 1071
Use Subframes option 1137
User Default setting, creating 989
User Offset (+/–) field 960
User Time Stamp 816, 1140
user-defined regions 269, 271, 512
Using Sample-Rate Conversion 365
Pro Tools Reference Guide1224
V
VCA Masters
assigning groups 929
channel strips 204
clearing 1059
controls 928
deleting 1059
displaying automation 1058
mixing 927
track controls 207
track type 201, 927
velocities, for MIDI notes
drawing with Pencil 677
editing 676, 907
editing velocity 676
fading 907
Real-Time Properties 697
scaling 907
scaling with Trim tool 677
Velocity Trimmer tool 677
Velocity View 676
VENUE 147
VENUE Link 147
Vertical Position setting 141
video
recording limits with pull 1129
Video Designator 311
Video Media options 341
Video Online button 1149, 1151
Video Out FireWire Port command 1166
Video Out PCIe command 1168
Video Pull Up/Down 1126
Video Satellite LE option 146
Video Satellite option 146
Video Sync Offset command 1167
video track
scrubbing 1163
viewing as blocks 1150
video tracks 202
track controls 208
Video Universe window 1164
Video Window command 1161
View Filter (Memory Locations window) 805
View Filter (MIDI Event List) 742
View menu 198
Edit Window View options 176, 933
Edit Window view options 933
Mix Window option 174
Mix Window View options 933
Narrow Mix View option 212
Region Name View option 521
Region Sync Point View option 821
Region Time View options 521
Track Number command 215, 576
Transport View options 184, 409, 456, 458
viewing blocks in the video track 1150
views
Delay Compensation 212
I/O View 209
Inserts View 934
Sends View 934
Wide Meters View 212
VITC
Generate Lines setting 140
Read Lines setting 140
Read Lines, defaults 140
VITC Insertion Enabled option 140
voice allocation
dynamic 234
explicit 234
RTAS 973
Voice selector 235
voices
and RTAS 973
and track priority 234
auto-assignment of ascending 236
QuickPunch on Pro Tools host-based systems 490
volume
Performance 275
Transfer 275
Volume automation 1031
Volume browsers 188, 277
Volume fader 210
Volume indicator 209
volume.ddb 276
W
Wait for Note 185, 474
Warp indicator 878
Warp markers 873
adding 874
deleting 874
relocating (without applying warping) 874
Warp view 865, 873
warped regions 513
warping audio (Elastic Audio) 875
WAV file format 382, 1066
AES31/Broadcast compliant 382
WaveCache 295
WaveCache.wfm file 162, 276
Waveform View 513
Waveform View options 513
Outlines 515
Peak 514
Power 514
Rectified 514
waveforms 513
and zero-crossing 516
avoiding clicks and pops 516
DigiBase 295
guidelines for editing 516
repairing with Pencil tool 558
WaveCache 295
website 8
whole-file audio regions 512
Wide Meters View 212
Window Configuration List 194
Window Configurations 190
importing 345
window dub
horizontal position 141
setting color 141
size 141
vertical position 141
Index 1225
Window menu 198
Automation Enable command 1015
Big Counter command 409
Color Palette 245
Disk Space command 441
Edit command 176
Machine Track Arming command 1136
Memory Locations command 800
Mix command 174
Project command 380
System Usage command 81
Task Manager command 333
Transport command 182
Undo History command 522
Workspace command 442
windows
arranging 193
Cascade 193
closing 193
hiding all floating windows 193
Tile 193
Tile Horizontal 193
Tile Vertical 193
Windows sessions
compatibility with Mac 384
Word Clock 74
workflows 505
Workspace browser 442, 444
Write 1052
Write Automation commands 1051, 1052
Write automation mode 1006
Write Automation To commands 1054
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint command 1044
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint on Stop command 1045
Write Automation to Selection/Selection Start/Selection End
buttons 1041
Write MIDI Real-Time Properties command 699
Write Trim automation mode 1010
writing
automation 1015
automation on stop 1043
automation to next breakpoint 1043
automation to selection, selection start, or selection end
1041
snapshot automation 1050
X
XML (MIDI patch names) 686
X–OR (Cancels Previous Solos) Solo Latch option 241
Z
zero-crossing 516
Zoom buttons 534
Zoom Presets 539
Zoom Toggle 540
Zoom Toggle preferences 128, 540
Zoomer tool 533, 534, 536
zooming 534
a track area 537, 721
around a track point 537, 720
continuously 534
horizontally for all tracks 534
in the ruler 538
in the Tempo Editor 765
on a selection 536
out to the entire session 536
recalling zoom levels 540
return to the previous zoom level 536
storing zoom levels 539
to make all regions visible 536
vertically for all audio tracks 535
vertically for all MIDI tracks 535
with a scroll wheel 544
Zoom Toggle 540
Pro Tools Reference Guide1226
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