Pro Tools | First: Fundamentals of Audio Production

Acknowledgments
About the Author
INTRODUCTION Welcome to Pro Tools | First
What Is Pro Tools, Exactly?
About This Book
Who This Book is Written For
Book Structure
Conventions and Symbols
System Requirements and Download Media
System Requirements
Download Media
Becoming Avid Certified
The Avid Learning Partner Program
Curriculum and Certification Levels
User Certification
Operator Certification
Expert Certification
Avid Certified. Real Skills. Proven.
CHAPTER 1 Getting Started
Audio Basics
Waveform, Frequency and Amplitude
Waveform
Frequency
Amplitude
Audio in the Digital Domain
Frequency and Sample Rates
Bit Depth and Dynamic Range
The Impact of Sample Rate and Bit Depth Choices on File Size
DAWs and Pro Tools: An Introduction
A Brief History of Audio Technology
Before the Revolution
Drum Machines and Samplers
MIDI Steps In
Digital Audio Recorders: The Hard Drive Replaces Tape
Digital Audio Workstations: The Computer Stands on its Own
Digital Audio Workstations: What Are They?
Sessions and Projects
Clips vs. Files
Non-Linear,Non-destructive
Real-timeProcessing
Why Pro Tools?
What Pro Tools Can Do
Pro Tools Versions
Pro Tools: The Industry Standard
What Makes Up a Pro Tools System?
The Heart of Your DAW: The Computer
CPU
RAM
Hard Drives
Not to be Overlooked: Mice, Trackballs, Keyboards
Getting Audio In, Getting Audio Out: Audio Interfaces
Computer Connections
Analog Audio Connections
Digital Audio Connections
Hearing the Real Mix: Monitors
What to Look for in Monitor Speakers
Speakers Versus Headphones
Great Resources
Avid’s Compatibility Documents
Knowledge Base
In-ApplicationHelp
Installing Pro Tools | First
Installing Pro Tools | First
iLok Protection
Avid Link
Software Updates
Finding Installation Information
Opening and Playing a Pro Tools | First Project
What is a Project?
When a Project is Not a Project
Opening a Project
Signing In
Choosing a Project
Playback Engine and Hardware Setup
The Playback Engine Dialog Box
The Hardware Dialog Box
Basic Pro Tools Operation
Starting and Stopping Playback
Setting a Playback Start Point
Closing a Project and Quitting Pro Tools | First
Hands-OnExercise 1.1: Basic Playback
Signing In and Opening a Project
Setting Up the Playback Engine and Hardware
Playing a Project
Quitting Pro Tools | First
Review Questions
CHAPTER 2 Creating Projects and Tracks
Powering Up Your Hardware
Creating a Project
Creating a Blank Project
Creating a Project from a Template
Creating a Project from a Session
Saving a Project
Deleting a Project
Hands-OnExercise 2.1: Creating a Project
Creating Projects
Deleting a Project
The Main Pro Tools Windows
The Edit Window
Edit Window Toolbar
Edit Mode Buttons
Edit Tools
Counter and Edit Selection
MIDI Controls
Transport Controls
Output Meters
Collaboration Controls
Rulers
Tracks List
Changing Tracks List Width
Tracks and Clips
Edit Window Views
The Mix Window
Mix Controls
Tracks List
Mix Window Views
The Transport Window
Playback and Record Controls
Collaboration Tools
Counters
MIDI Controls
Meters
The System Usage Window
Window Management
Menu Structure
Hands-OnExercise 2.2: Customizing the Pro Tools GUI
Change Main Counter
Show or Hide Edit Window Views
Change Main Windows
Show and Hide Mix Window Views
Introduction to Tracks
Track Types
Audio
Auxiliary Input
MIDI
Instrument
Master Fader
Mono vs. Stereo
Creating New Tracks
Adding Multiple Tracks
Adding New Tracks Like the Previous
Selecting Inputs and Outputs
Managing Your Tracks
Selecting Tracks
Showing and Hiding Tracks
Changing Track Order
Changing Track Height
Changing Track Color
Renaming Tracks
Muting and Soloing Tracks
Deleting Tracks
Hands-OnExercise 2.3: Making Tracks
Open an Existing Project
Create New Tracks
Set Inputs and Outputs
Renaming Tracks
Delete a Track
Save a project
Review Questions
CHAPTER 3 Importing Audio
Considerations Prior to Import
Sample Rate and Bit Depth
Audio File Formats
Split Stereo versus Interleaved
Importing Audio
Importing Audio from the File Menu
Importing from a File Browser
Hands-OnExercise 3.1: Importing Audio
Create a New Project
Import Audio from the File Menu
Drag Audio from the File Browser
Project Clean-Up
The Workspace/Soundbase Browser
Opening the Soundbase Browser
Understanding the Soundbase Window
The Locations Pane
The Tags Pane
The Advanced Search Settings Pane
The Browser Pane
The Toolbar
Soundbase Workflows
Basic Search
Advanced Search
Searching by Tag
Previewing
Importing
Hands-OnExercise 3.2: Importing from the Soundbase Browser
Setting Up
Importing a Guitar Part
Importing Other Tracks
Cleaning Up
Customizing the Soundbase
Changing the Soundbase Window
Tags
Setting Sound Libraries
Hands-OnExercise 3.3: Tagging Files
Setting Up
Adding Tags
A New Way to Search by Tags
Review Questions
CHAPTER 4 Editing Audio
What is Editing?
Careers in Editing: An Interview with Steven Saltzman
Scrolling and Zooming in the Edit Window
Scrolling
Zooming
Vertical Zooming
The Big Three: Trim, Selector, and Grabber
The Trim Tool
The Selector Tool
The Grabber Tool
The Edit Modes
Slip Mode
Shuffle Mode
Grid Mode
Relative Grid Mode
Spot Mode
Accessing the Edit Modes with F Keys
Hands-OnExercise #4.1: Assembling a Song Pt. 1
Getting Started
Building the First Section
More Edit Tools
The Zoomer Tool
Single Zoom
The Pencil Tool
The Smart Tool
Making Selections and Playing Audio
Making Selections on Multiple Tracks
Playing Selections
Hands-OnExercise #4.2: Assembling a Song Pt. 2
Getting Started
Editing with the Smart Tool
Sync Points and Spot Mode
Review Questions
CHAPTER 5 Recording Audio
What is Recording?
Careers in Recording: An Interview with Mario De Jesus
Getting Audio into Your System
Microphones
Dynamic Microphones
Condenser Microphones
Ribbon Microphones
Large Diaphragm vs. Small Diaphragm
Polarity Patterns
Line Level Inputs
DI Inputs
The Importance of the Recording Space
Isolating the Microphone
Sound Absorption
The Proximity Effect and Your Recording Space
Preparing to Record
Meter and Tempo
Meter
Tempo
Tempo and Meter Rulers
Tap Tempo
The Conductor Track
Click Track
Creating a Click Track
Click and Countoff Options
Setting Up I/O for Recording
Using an Output Window
Monitoring During Recording
Basic Recording
After Recording
Hands-On Exercise 5.1: Basic Recording
Setting Up
Preparing to Record
Record Voiceover
Review Recording
Punch-In Recording
Recording Selections
Pre-Roll and Post-Roll
QuickPunch Recording
Hands-On Exercise 5.2: Punching In
Set Punch-in and Punch-out Points
Set Pre-Roll and Post-Roll
Punch-In
QuickPunch
Loop Recording
Choosing Takes
Review Questions
CHAPTER 6 MIDI
MIDI Basics
Digital Music Paper
How Sound is Created with MIDI
Controllers and Sound Modules
Virtual Instruments
Careers in Music Creation
Setting Up Your MIDI Studio
MIDI Studio Setup on a Mac
MIDI Studio Setup on a Windows Computer
Creating MIDI Tracks and Instrument tracks
MIDI/Aux Track Workflow
Using Virtual Instruments on an Aux Track
Instrument Tracks
Changing Sounds
Changing Sounds on an External Device
Changing Sounds on a Virtual Instrument
Hands-On Exercise 6.1: Creating MIDI and Instrument Tracks
Setting Things Up
Setting Up a MIDI/Aux Track Combination
Setting Up an Instrument Track
Time and MIDI
What is a Tick?
Timebases and Rulers
Timebases and Tracks
Editing MIDI
Clips View
Notes View
Editing MIDI with the Pencil Tool
Velocity View
Volume, Pan, and Continuous Controllers
More Ways to Work with MIDI
Working with Tempo
The Event>Event Operations Window
The MIDI Editor
Recording MIDI
Basic MIDI Recording
MIDI Loop Recording
MIDI Merge Recording
“Printing” MIDI
Panic!
Hands-On Exercise 6.2: Editing MIDI
Setting Up
Creating MIDI Data with the Pencil Tool
Editing Pitch
Editing Duration
Changing Velocity
Review Questions
CHAPTER 7 Taking Your Editing to the Next Level
Managing Multiple Tracks
Selecting Tracks
Changing Multiple Tracks
Basic Clip Editing
Cut, Copy, and Paste
Clearing
Duplicating
Repeating
Constraining Motion with the CONTROL/START Key
Separating Clips
Basic Separate
Separate at Grid
Separate at Transient
Heal Separation
Consolidating Clips
Trimming Clips
Trimming with Shortcuts
Trimming from the Beginning of a Clip
Trimming from the End of a Clip
Trimming to Selection
Trim Tool Variations
TCE
Clip Looping and the Loop Trim Tool
Nudging
Fades
Creating a Fade-in or Fade-out
Creating a Crossfade
Creating Fades with Shortcuts
Creating Fades with The Smart Tool
Editing Fades
Deleting Fades
Batch Fades
Controlling Playback
Scrolling Options
Insertion Follows Playback
Using the Tab Key
Basic Tabbing
Tab to Transients
Making Selections While Tabbing
When You Make Mistakes . . .
Undo and Redo from the Menu
The Undo History Window
Levels of Undo
Things that Cannot be Undone
Revert to Saved
Restore Last Selection
Collaboration
Creating a Collaborative Project
Adding Collaborators
Collaboration Tools and Workflows
Downloading Shared Tracks
Uploading Changes
Downloading Changes
Hands-On Exercise 7.1: Mini-Gauntlet
Setting Up
Selecting Tracks
TCE, Repeat, and Loop
Trimming and Aligning
Separating Clips
Creating Fades
Nudging
Review Questions
CHAPTER 8 Getting Started with Mixing
What is Mixing?
Careers in Mixing: An Interview with Scott Weber
Mixing and Mastering
Signal Flow, Signal Flow, Signal Flow
The First Step: A “Static” Mix
Setting Up a Static Mix
Volume
Pan
Stereo Track Panning and Pan Linking
Approaches on How to Create a Static Mix
Watch Out for Levels!
Pre-fader vs. Post-fader Metering
Hands-On Exercise 8.1: A Static Mix
Getting Started
Show A Mixing Environment
Create a Static Mix
Controlling Your Mix: Subgroups and Master Faders
Getting Organized: Subgroups
Solo Safe
Creating a Subgroup of Subgroups: the “Main SUB”
Master Fader Tracks
Master Fader Signal Flow
Setting Up a Master Fader Track
Using a Master Fader Track
Master Faders and Dither
Hands-On Exercise 8.2: Managing Your Mix
take your static mix to the next level with subgroups and Master Faders!
Organize Tracks into Subgroups
Create a MAIN SUB
Create a Master Fader
Improve Your Static Mix
Mix Automation
Viewing Automation
Automation Lanes
Editing Automation
Automation and the Pencil Tool
Automation and the Trim Tool
Automation and the Grabber Tool
Automation Modes
Choosing an Automation Mode
Read and Off
Touch and Latch
Write
Creating a Mixdown
External Layback
Bounce to Track
Bounce to Disk
Hands-On Exercise 8.3: Automation and Mixdown
Getting Started
Automating by Section
Tweaking with Tools
Tweaking with Live Automation
Exporting Your Mix
Review Questions
CHAPTER 9 Getting Started with Plug-ins
More Mixing = More Signal Flow
What is an Insert ?
Using Inserts in Pro Tools
Instantiating a Plug-in on an Insert
Inserts on Master Faders
Plug-ins
Plug-in Formats
Plug-ins on Multichannel Tracks
Using Multi-Mono Plug-ins
Getting Around the Plug-in Window
Automating Plug-in Parameters
Enabling and Disabling Plug-in Parameters for Automation: Method One
Enabling and Disabling Plug-in Parameters for Automation: Method Two
Writing Plug-In Automation
Another Way to Work: AudioSuite
Getting Around the AudioSuite Plug-in Window
Reverse Effects
Handles
Key Effect #1: EQ
EQ Types
Using EQ
Tonal Control
Mix Cohesion
Additive EQ vs. Subtractive EQ
The EQ Plug-in Window
Input and Output Meters
Bands
High Pass and Low Pass Filters
The 1-Band EQ
Finding Frequencies
Sweeping
Soloing the Band
Hands-On Exercise 9.1: EQ Practice
Setting Up
Taming the Bass
Emphasizing Kick and Snare
Sculpting the Guitars
Finishing Up
Key Effect #2: Compression
What is a Compressor?
Compression Parameters
Understanding the Compressor Graph
Threshold
Ratio
Attack Time and Release Time
Knee
Gain
Levels
Side-Chain Controls
Compressors vs. Limiters
Key Effect #3: Expansion
Expander Parameters
Threshold and Ratio
Attack and Release
Levels
Hold
Look Ahead
The Expansion Process
Expanders vs. Gates
Hands-On Exercise 9.2: Dynamics Practice
Setting Up
Fixing the Kick
Taming the Bass
Adding Punch to the Drums
Reducing Ambient Noise
Experimentation
Review Questions
CHAPTER 10 Adding Ambience to your Mix
More Signal Flow with Sends
Sends and Returns
But Why Do We Do This?
Using Sends
Viewing Sends
Creating Sends and “Returns” in Pro Tools
Adjusting Send Parameters
Send Selector
Follow Main Pan
PRE
Working with Sends
Sends and Cue Mixes
Pre-Fader vs. Post-Fader
Key Effect #4: Reverb
How Reverb Is Used in a Mix
Types of Reverb
Reverb Parameters
Meters
Reverb Algorithm
Decay
Pre-Delay
Diffusion
High Frequency Cut and Low Frequency Pass Filter
Mix
Mono/Stereo
Presets
Key Effect #5: Delay
How Delay Is Used in a Mix
Delay Parameters
Meters
Delay Time
Feedback
Low Pass Filter
Musical Delay Parameters
Modulation Parameters
Mix
Mono/Stereo
Hands-On Exercise 10.1: Adding Ambience
Setting Up
Adding a Reverb
Adding a Delay
Well Done!
Review Questions