Pro Tools 101 – Session Basics (Updated for Version 8)

Opening Pro Tools Open the Pro Tools Application When Pro Tools first launches, you are presented with the Quick Start dialogue box:

From here you can choose whether to create a session based on a template, a blank session or Open an already existing session. Setting Up a Blank Session Create a Blank Session by checking the ‘Create Blank Session’ option. Session Parameters: At the bottom of the Quick Start dialogue you will notice a tab with ‘Session Parameters’, if these aren’t already visible, click the arrow on the left to expand the options. You should now see the following: Audio File Type The standard file type in Pro Tools is WAV (BWF) – Broadcast wave file. Pro Tools also supports AIFF and, on a Mac system, SDII (Sound Designer II). Sample Rate For music that’s being mixed/mastered to CD (44.1KHz) this should be set at 44.1KHz or a multiple of 44.1KHz, i.e. 88.2KHz or 176.4Khz (Note: 88.2Khz is only available on some LE systems and all HD systems and 176.4KHz is only available on HD systems with at least one 192 interface)

Bit Depth Pro Tools uses a double floating point precision engine, so all the math is done using 48bits. The internal math is calculated using a 56 bit accumulator for extra accuracy. Ordinarily this should stay set at 24bit. NOTE: Each bit of data gives you approx. 6dB of dynamic range, therefore a 16bit system will give you about 96dB of dynamic range I/O Settings These are your Input and Output setting for your Pro Tools interface and should usually be left on the ‘Last Used’ option. File & Folder Structure Pro Tools has a similar File/Folder Structure to most DAW (Digital Audio Workstations). Once you have created your new session, find it on disc and have a look at the file structure, it should have some of the following files and sub-folders. In the example below I have called my session ‘001’:

001.ptf This is your Pro Tools session file Audio Files Contains the Audio files for your session Fade Files Contains the Fade files for your session Plug-In Setting Contains any Plug-In settings specific to your session Region Groups Contains the Region Group data for your session Session File Backups Contain back-up data WaveCache.wfm Is the graphical data for drawing the waveforms on screen Note: If you’re working with audio and you loose the Audio Files folder, you’re project will not work. Everything else can be recalculated by the Pro Tools software

Main Windows You will now be presented by Pro Tools 2 main windows: Mix and Edit. Toggle between them using the short cut below. NOTE: The Mix and Edit Windows are the ONLY ‘Main Windows’ in Pro Tools, all other windows in Pro Tools are called ‘Floating Windows’ Shortcut: COMMAND + = toggles between mix and edit windows. The Edit Window:

The Mix Window:

Rulers Look at the top of the Edit Window, at the rulers shown below:

Bars:Beats This shows your position in measurement of Bar & Beats based

on the sessions Meter and Tempo and is therefore Relative Min:Secs This show your position in Minutes and Seconds and is therefore

absolute. Samples This shows your position in Samples based on your sessions

sample rate settings and is therefore absolute per session. NOTE: The Ruler highlighted in blue is the current Main timebase for the session. Tempo This shows the Tempo Ruler and by clicking on the grey triangle

on the left of the word Tempo, you can activate the Tempo Editor for your session. Using this Ruler & Editor you can make Tempo changes. (This only affects Tick based tracks – see Pro Tools 101 Official Courseware book for more details).

Meter This shows the Meter Ruler for your session, here you can make

Meter changes to your session. Key This shows the Key Ruler for your session. Here you can make

Key changes to your session (this only affects MIDI and Instrument tracks – see Pro Tools 101 Official Courseware book for more details).

NOTE: Pro Tools defaults to 120bpm and a 4/4 meter Markers This is the Marker Ruler. Here you can place markers in your

session to mark points such as Verse, Chorus, Mid-8, Spotting, etc.

NOTE: You can have up to 999 Markers per session Shortcuts: To place a marker press ENTER on the Numeric Keypad. To Jump to a marker press the point [.] key on the numeric keypad followed by the marker number and then the point [.] key again. For Example, to recall memory loc 23, I would press: . 23 .

Adding Tracks to Your Session Add some track to your session using any of the following methods: Menu: Track > New… Shortcut: COMMAND + SHIFT + N

Select from the following track types: Audio Track defaults to Mono in Samples Aux Input defaults to Mono in Samples MIDI Track defaults to Ticks Instrument Track defaults to Mono in Ticks Master Fader defaults to Mono in Samples

Shortcuts: COMMAND + up/down arrows = track type COMMAND + left/right arrows = stereo/mono COMMAND + OPTION + up/down arrows = Samples or Ticks COMMAND + SHIFT + up/down arrows = add or remove more track types Track Types in the Mix Window: Each track has it’s own unique symbol, in the Mix Window

From L to R: Audio Track, Aux Input, MIDI Track, Instrument Track, Master Fader

Video Tracks Pro Tools now support multiple video tracks in each session but only allows you to view the video from the active Video Track (this is covered in the Post Hands-On Project in your 101 book and also in the Post Production courses 210P and 310P) Voices Pro Tools LE & M-Powered, by default, can support up to 48 audio tracks (stereo or mono) NOTE: The Complete Production Toolkit expands Pro Tools LE or M-Powered to support up to 128 mono (or 64 stereo) simultaneous audio tracks at 48 kHz or up to 96 mono (or 48 stereo) audio tracks at 96 kHz with a 96 kHz-capable Pro Tools LE interface. It also gives LE or M-Powered up to 7.1 surround sound capability with a multiple output LE interface such as the Digidesign 003.

Importing Audio Import some audio using any of the methods below: Menu: File > Import > Audio Shortcut: COMMAND + SHIFT + I You will now be presented with the Import Audio Dialogue:

You will note the ‘Add’ and ‘Convert’ or ‘Copy’ buttons. NOTE: Files that are ‘added’ to a session are NOT COPIED to the Audio Files folder, because of this, at this level , it’s best to use ‘Copy’ or ‘Convert’. You can import all of the following audio file formats into Pro Tools: AIFF & WAV SD I, SD II – Sound Designer (Mac Only) MP3 AAC – Apple Audio Codec (including audio with AAC, mp4 and m4a extensions) AIFL – Sound Resource (Mac Only) WMA – Windows Media (Windows Only) Quicktime RealAudio MXF Audio REX 1 & 2 files & ACID files NOTE: Pro Tools can import REX and ACID files as Region Groups

Tools Now you have some audio in your session you can experiment with some Edit Tools.

Pro Tools offers a variety of editing tools to assist you in cutting, trimming, scrubbing, editing & tweaking your audio and MIDI data. If you have Keyboard Command Focus activated, you can change the Tool Mode by clicking the F5 to F10 keys on the keyboard. To activate Keyboard Command Focus – click on the ‘a…z’ button in the top, right hand side of the Edit Window, like so…

A yellow border and letters denotes that this mode is activated. Shortcuts: Zoom Tool: F5 Trimmer Tool: You can change the type of Trimmer by repeatedly pressing F6 Selector Tool: F7 Grabber Tool: You can change the type of Grabber by repeatedly pressing F8 Scrubber Tool: F9 Pencil Tool: F10 You can activate the Smart Tool by simultaneously pressing any 2 of: F6, F7 or F8 Using the Smart Tool, it’s also possible to create Fade In, Fade Out and Crossfades on audio regions. Hover over different areas of a Region and watch the Smart Tool change mode. Shortcut: You can quickly Zoom out ,to see your entire session, by double clicking on the Zoom Tool Icon on screen

Edit Modes 8. Try changing the edit mode and using the Grabber Tool to drag your audio. What happens in each mode?

Pro Tools has 5 main Edit Modes: Shuffle, Slip, Spot, Absolute Grid & Relative Grid. If you still have Keyboard Command Focus Mode activated you can switch between these Edit Modes using the F1 to F4 keys on your keyboard, as detailed below. Shortcuts: Shuffle: F1 Slip: F2 Spot: F3 Grid & Rel Grid: F4 toggles between Grid and Relative Grid For further information see Chapter 2 of your Pro Tools 101 Official Courseware book. NEW FEATURE: In Pro Tools 8 you can be in Grid (or Relative Grid) mode and any of the other Edit Modes simultaneously. This means that the selected Edit Mode will work as usual but any Edit Selections will snap to the Grid.

Shortcuts for the new Edit Modes: Shuffle Grid: Press F1 and F4 together Slip-Grid: Press F2 and F4 together Spot-Grid: Press F3 and F4 together

Transport Window The Transport Window is a ‘Floating Window’ and can be activated by either of these methods: Menu: WINDOW > TRANSPORT Shortcut: COMMAND + 1 (num keys) = Show/Hide Transport Window

If your transport window doesn’t look like the one above, you need to change the view, you can do this like so: Menu: View > Transport Counters: Shows the Green Counters MIDI Controls: Displays the MIDI Controls to the right of the main counter Expanded: Shows Pre & Post Roll, the sub-counter and the Conductor

Saving Your Session You should regularly save your session by either of the following methods Menu: File > Save Shortcut: COMMAND + S Make sure you give your file a memorable name, so you can find it again later. REMEMBER: It is your responsibility to back-up your work to CD, DVD or removable drives or media. Closing a Session Sometimes you may wish to close a session but keep Pro Tools open, so you can load another session, to do this you can do either of the following: Menu: File > Close Session Shortcut: COMMAND + SHIFT + W Quitting Pro Tools When you have finished using Pro Tools, make sure you exit the application via the Pro Tools menu or by using the standard Mac shortcut for quitting applications. Menu: Pro Tools LE > Quit Pro Tools LE Shortcut: COMMAND + Q