Pro Tools Reference Guide

Version 2023.6
Legal Notices

© 2023 Avid Technology, Inc., (“Avid”), all rights reserved. This guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written
consent of Avid.

For a current and complete list of Avid trademarks visit: www.avid.com/legal/trademarks-and-other-notices.

This product may be protected by one or more U.S. and non-U.S. patents. Details are available at www.avid.com/patents.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

Pro Tools includes élastique Pro V3 by zplane.development as time stretching engine for Elastic Audio processing.

Bonjour, the Bonjour logo, and the Bonjour symbol are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 2023 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved.
Dolby, Dolby Atmos, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation.

Guide Part Number 9329-66478-00 REV A 06/23

Contents

Part I Introduction to Pro Tools

Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Avid Master Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Requirements and Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Conventions Used in Pro Tools Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Avid Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Pro Tools Analytics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 2. Pro Tools Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hard Disk Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Nonlinear Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Audio Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Avid Video Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Surround Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pro Tools Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pro Tools Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Tick-Based and Sample-Based Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
System Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
AAF, MXF, and OMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Pro Tools and Media Composer Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Embedded Media and Linked Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 3. Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Mouse Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Global Key Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Keyboard Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Contents iii
 Toolbar Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Numeric Keypad Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Pro Tools Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 4. Using Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Accessing Guides in Pro Tools Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Accessing the Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Help Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using the Contents and Index Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using the Search Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Search Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Copying from a Help Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Printing Help Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Part II System Configuration

Chapter 5. Pro Tools Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Pro Tools Intro Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Pro Tools Artist Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Pro Tools Studio Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pro Tools Ultimate Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
MBOX Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Pro Tools | Carbon Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Pro Tools | HDX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Pro Tools | HD Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Supported Pro Tools HD Audio Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with Pro Tools Ultimate Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Pro Tools HD Audio Interface Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Pro Tools Hardware Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Pro Tools Software Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Chapter 6. I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Pro Tools Software Signal Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
I/O Setup Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
I/O Setup Signal Path Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
I/O Setup Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
I/O Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

iv Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Customizing I/O Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Configuring Hardware in I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Signal Path Routing for Audio Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Signal Path Routing for Audio Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Creating New Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Creating New Sub-Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Editing Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Assigning Paths to Hardware I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Valid Paths and Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Configuring Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Downmix and Upmix Output Busses to Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
I/O Settings Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Session or Project Interchange and I/O Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
I/O Settings and the Playback Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Organize Track I/O Menus By Preference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
I/O Setup in Session Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Pro Tools Session Templates and I/O Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Aux I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Chapter 7. System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Running DigiTest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Configuring the Playback Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Configuring MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Configuring Hardware Settings in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Configuring Pro Tools | HDX and Pro Tools | HD Native Hardware Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
System Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Chapter 8. Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Display Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Operation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Editing Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Mixing Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Metering Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Processing Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
MIDI Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Collaboration Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Contents v
 Synchronization Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Global and Local Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Chapter 9. Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
MIDI Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Ethernet Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Mic Preamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
VENUE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Dolby Atmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Chapter 10. Configuring MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

MIDI Studio Setup (Mac) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
MIDI Studio Setup (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Part III Sessions, Projects & Tracks

Chapter 11. Sessions and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Sessions and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Signing In and Out of Your Avid Master Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Dashboard Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Bit Depths and Sample Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Mixed Audio File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Interleaved Multichannel and Multi-Mono Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Session Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Pro Tools Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Creating a New Session or Project from a Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Creating a New Blank Session or Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Opening a Recent Session or Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Opening Any Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Opening a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Opening a Session or Project with Plug-Ins Deactivated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Saving Sessions and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Save Copy In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Save As New Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

vi Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Saving a Session as a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Saving a Project as a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Session Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Project and Session Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Project Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Closing a Session or Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Renaming Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Remove Local Cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Deleting Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Restore Project from Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Open Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Backup to Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Project Collaboration Invitations in the Dashboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Quitting or Exiting Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Chapter 12. Pro Tools Main Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Mix Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Transport Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
MIDI Editor Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Docked Displays in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Score Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Task Manager Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Artist Chat Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
In-Application Web Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Managing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
How Window Configurations Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Window Configuration Commands and Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Tool Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
UI Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

Chapter 13. Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Track Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Track Channel Strips in the Mix Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Contents vii
 Track Controls and Indicators in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Edit Window Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Track Level Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Adjusting Track Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Creating Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Track Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Setting Track Views in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Track Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tracks List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Track Name Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Track Priority and Voice Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Assigning MIDI Inputs and Outputs to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Soloing and Muting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Making Tracks Inactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Color Coding for Tracks, Clips, Markers, and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

Chapter 14. Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Basic Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Routing Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Opening and Closing Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Converting an Auxiliary Input Track to a Routing Folder Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Adding Tracks to and Removing Tracks from Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Editing Folder Tracks in Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

Chapter 15. Track Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

Creating and Saving Track Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Creating New Tracks from Track Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Recalling Inserts from Track Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Recalling Track Presets to Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Track Presets in Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

Chapter 16. Grouping Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Grouping Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Group Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Working with Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Setting Group Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Enabling Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

viii Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Grouped Control Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Chapter 17. The Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329

Clips List Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Sorting and Searching in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Selecting Clips in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Previewing Clips in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Stereo and Multichannel Clips in the Clips List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Naming and Displaying Clips in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Managing Clips in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Clip Name Right-Click Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Batch Renaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

Chapter 18. Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

Performance and Transfer Volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Workspace Browser Layout and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Working with Items in Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Indexing Workspace Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Workspace Browser Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Workspace Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Workspace Browser Panes and Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Column Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Selecting Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Moving, Copying, Duplicating, and Removing Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Set Column Metadata Values for Multiple Selected Files in Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . 365
Searching Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Soundbase and Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Searching Based on Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Adding and Editing Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Elastic Audio Files in the Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Previewing Audio in Workspace Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Preview Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Preview Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Linking and Relinking Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Transfer Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

Contents ix
 Missing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Relink Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Task Manager Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395

Chapter 19. Artist Chat and Avid Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

Your Avid Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Find Talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Pro Tools Projects in the Artist Chat Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Project Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Artist Chat Project List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Artist Chat Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Pinning or Unpinning Items in the Pro Tools Projects and Messages Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412

Chapter 20. Track Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413

Sharing Projects and Collaborating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
What is Shared? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
What is Not Shared? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Project Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Start Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Contacts and Collaborators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Track Collaboration Tools in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Track Collaboration Tools in the Transport Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Global Track Collaboration Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Track Collaboration Track View in the Edit and Mix Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Track Collaboration Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Track Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Conflicts Between Track Changes and the Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Track Cloud Synchronization Indicator in the Tracks List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Conductor Ruler Collaboration Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427

Chapter 21. Importing and Exporting Session Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431

Importing and Exporting Data to and from a Session or Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Audio Conversion on Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Importing Files with Drag and Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Importing Audio Files and Clips Using the Import Audio Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Importing Audio from CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Importing ACID and REX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440

x Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Importing SD II Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Importing Multichannel Audio Files from a Field Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Import Options and Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Exporting Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Importing MIDI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Exporting MIDI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Exporting Sibelius Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Importing Session Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
Import Session Data Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Importing AAF and OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Import Options when Importing AAF or OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Import Sequence from Media Production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Media Composer Software Export Options for Audio and Video Mixdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Audio File Format Compatibility Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as AAF or OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Importing MXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Exporting Pro Tools Tracks as MXF Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
Export Options when Exporting to AAF or OMF Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Export Selected Tracks to Sequence in Production Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Export Selected Tracks as New Session or Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Exporting Session Information as Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Export Session Information as Text Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Importing and Exporting Clip Group Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Chapter 22. File and Session Management and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

Audio File Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
WAV File Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494
Sharing Projects Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Computer Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Sharing Sessions Between Pro Tools Ultimate, Studio, and Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Software Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Opening Sessions with Markers Exported from Media Composer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506
Language Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506

Contents xi
 Part IV Playback and Recording
Chapter 23. Playing Back Track Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Playback Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512
Setting the Playback Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Scrolling Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Playing Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Transport Fade-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Playing Timeline and Edit Selections with the Playhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Playback Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522
MIDI Beat Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
MIDI Beat Clock Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 529
Ableton Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530

Chapter 24. Record Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535

Record Setup Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
Configuring Pro Tools Hardware I/O for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
Connecting a Sound Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Recording with a Click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
Setting the Session Meter and Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
Record Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Configuring Default Names for Audio Files and Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Assigning Hardware I/O on a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Record Enabling Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
Working with Hard Drives for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Selecting a Record Input Monitoring Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553
Setting Monitor Levels for Record and Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Reducing Monitoring Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555

Chapter 25. Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559

Recording Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Prime for Record Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562
Setting Punch and Loop Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
Audio Punch Recording Over a Specified Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Recording Additional Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Loop Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570
Alternate Takes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572

xii Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Recording from a Digital Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Half-Speed Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577

Chapter 26. MIDI Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579

Recording from MIDI Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Enabling Input Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
MIDI Thru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
MIDI Input Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
Input Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
Wait for Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
MIDI Merge/Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584
Recording MIDI and Instrument Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585
MIDI Input Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588
MIDI Punch Recording Over a Specified Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589
Loop Recording MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591
MIDI Step Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
MIDI Keyboard Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Recording System Exclusive Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
Recording Audio from a MIDI Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Retrospective Record for MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597

Chapter 27. Punch Recording Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601

Introduction to Punch Recording Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
Guidelines for Punch Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
QuickPunch Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606
TrackPunch Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607
Using TrackPunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 609
DestructivePunch Audio Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
Using DestructivePunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614
Example TrackPunch and DestructivePunch Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615

Part V Editing
Chapter 28. Editing Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
Track Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 622
Audio Clips and Waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623

Contents xiii
 MIDI Clips and MIDI Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627
Naming Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630
Displaying Clip Names, Clip Times, and Other Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631
Multiple Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
Basic Editing Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 634
Editing Across Multiple Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638

Chapter 29. Edit Modes and Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639

Edit Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639
Shuffle Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639
Slip Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
Spot Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
Grid Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 640
Edit Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642
Zooming Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643
Zoom Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643
Zoomer Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645
Zoom Preset Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 648
Zoom Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 649
Zooming with a Scroll Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
Using the Trim Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
Trim Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
Time Compression/ Expansion Trim Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 654
Scrub Trim Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 655
Loop Trim Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656
Tandem Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 658
Using the Selector Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659
Using the Grabber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660
Using the Smart Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660
Using the Scrubber Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663
Numeric Keypad Set to Shuttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 665
Using the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666
Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667

Chapter 30. Making Selections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669

Linking or Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669
Linking or Unlinking Track and Edit Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671

xiv Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Selecting Track Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671
Timeline Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 682
Auto-Scrolling Tracks in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
Universe View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686
Navigating a Pro Tools Session with Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688

Chapter 31. Editing Clips and Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693

Creating New Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 693
Healing Separated Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 696
Trimming Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 697
Nudging Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699
Layered Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702
Quantizing Clips to Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
Editing Stereo and Multichannel Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
Consolidating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705
Compacting an Audio File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705
Processing Audio with AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 706
TCE (Time Compression and Expansion) Edit To Timeline Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 706
Rating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707

Chapter 32. Fades and Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709

About Crossfades and Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709
Fade Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Fade and Crossfade Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
Fade Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
Creating Fades at the Beginnings and Ends of Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717
Creating a Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719
Using AutoFades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720
Creating Fades and Crossfades in Batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
Manually Adjusting Fade Shapes in Fade Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
Adjusting the Start and End Points of a Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
Adjusting Fade Shapes with the Smart Tool in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
Changing Fade Shapes in the Edit Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
Fades Options in the Edit Selection Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
Moving and Nudging Fades and Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 725
Separating Clips that Include Fades or Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727
Trimming Clips that Include Fades or Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 728

Contents xv
 Fade Boundaries and Shapes Displayed in Automation View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 729

Chapter 33. Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731

Working with Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
Track Compositing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
Playlists View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
Matching Alternate Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744
Matching Criteria Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 745
Selecting Alternate Takes on Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 746
Automatically Create New Playlists when Loop Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747
Expanding Alternate Takes to New Playlists or Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 748
Expanding Alternate Channels to New Playlists or Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 749
Target Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
Track Compositing Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757

Chapter 34. Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759

Beat Detective and Source Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759
Uses for Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759
Beat Detective Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 760
The Beat Detective Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761
Beat Detective Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761
Defining a Beat Detective Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762
Beat Detective Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763
Calculating Tempo with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764
Generating Beat Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764
Editing Beat Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 768
Generating Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 770
DigiGroove Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
Separating Clips with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773
Conforming Clips with Beat Detective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 774
Edit Smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777
Detection (Normal) and Collection Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 779

Part VI MIDI
Chapter 35. MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785
MIDI Editing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785

xvi Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Setting the Grid Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 787
Using the Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788
Inserting MIDI Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790
Inserting a Series of Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791
Manually Editing MIDI Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792
Using the Grabber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795
Time Compression/Expansion Trim Tool Functionality on MIDI Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801
Continuous Controller Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
Keyboard Shortcuts for Navigating MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 807
Patch Select (Program and Bank Changes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811
System Exclusive Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815
Note and Controller Chasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816
Offsetting MIDI Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817
Stuck Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819
Remove Duplicate Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819
Quantize MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819
MIDI Real-Time Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820
Real-Time Properties Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822
Real-Time Properties on Tracks and Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824
Writing Real-Time Properties to Tracks or Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 825
Real-Time Properties In the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826
Display of Real-Time Properties Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826

Chapter 36. MIDI Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 827

Opening a MIDI Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 828
MIDI Editor Window Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829
MIDI Editor Zoom Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835
Tracks List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836
Groups List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 838
Timebase and Conductor Rulers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 838
Superimposed Notes View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 839
Notes Pane Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 842
Notation View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843
Velocity, Controller, and Automation Lanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845

Chapter 37. Score Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847

Opening the Score Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 848

Contents xvii
 Edit Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 848
Default Note Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Default Note On Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Play MIDI Notes When Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Link Timeline and Edit Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Mirrored MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Double Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
Cursor Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 852
Score Editor Window Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853
Score Editor Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853
Tracks List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855
Page Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856
Score Editor Zoom Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856
Notation Display Track Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 857
Score Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859
Editing Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 861
Score Editor Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863
Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 864
Meter Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Chord Symbols and Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866
Exporting Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867
Printing Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 868

Chapter 38. MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 869

Opening the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 869
Inserting Events in the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 872
Editing Events in the MIDI Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 874
MIDI Event List Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876

Part VII Arranging

Chapter 39. Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 879
Timebase Rulers and Conductor Rulers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 879
Main Time Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882
The Sub Counter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 883
Tick-Based Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 883

xviii Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Tick- and Sample-Based Timebases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 884
Song Start Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886
Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887
Graphic Tempo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892
Editing Tempo Events in the Tempo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 893
Changing the Linearity Display Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 898
Tempo Operations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 899
Identify Beat Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905
Meter Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 908
Time Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 910
Change Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911
Insert Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 912
Cut Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 914
Move Song Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915
Renumbering Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916
Key Signatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916
Chord Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 919
Extract Chords From Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920

Chapter 40. Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923

Creating Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923
Marker Ruler and Track Marker Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 925
Creating Memory Locations During Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 925
Properties of Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 926
Recalling Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 929
Editing Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 929
Deleting Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 930
Copying Marker Memory Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931
Memory Locations Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 931
Memory Locations Commands and Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 932
Track Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 934

Chapter 41. Arranging Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937

Placing Clips from the Clips List on to Track Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937
Working with Multiple Items from the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938
Placing Clips at the Edit Insertion Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 939
Aligning Clips with the Edit Insertion Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940

Contents xix
 Arranging with Transparent Clip Overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Moving Clips with the Grabber Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Layered Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 942
Snapping to the Preceding or Next Clip on a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943
Arranging Clips in Shuffle Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 944
Arranging Clips in Slip Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
Spotting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
Arranging Clips in Grid Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 947
Replacing Audio Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949
Sync Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951
Shift Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 953
Space Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 953
Locking Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 954
Muting/Unmuting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 956
Stripping Silence from Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 956
Inserting Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959
Duplicating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959
Repeating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961

Chapter 42. Clip Loops and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963

Clip Looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
Creating Looped Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 964
Unlooping Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
Editing Looped Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
Creating Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968
Ungrouping Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 969
Regrouping Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 969
Multitrack Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 969
Clip Groups on Tick-Based Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 971
Editing Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972
Fades and Crossfades on Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 973
Clip Groups and Clip Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974
Importing and Exporting Clip Group Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 974

xx Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part VIII Processing
Chapter 43. AudioSuite Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977
AudioSuite Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977
AudioSuite Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977
AudioSuite Window Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 978
AudioSuite Window Footer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 982
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 984
Conditions for AudioSuite Rendering with Handles, Fades, Clip Gain, and Metadata . . . . . . 987

Chapter 44. Clip Gain and Clip Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989

Clip Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989
Clip Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 997
Clip Effects Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003
Clip Effects Presets and Settings Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1010

Chapter 45. Elastic Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1013

Example Elastic Audio Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014
Elastic Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1018
Disabling Elastic Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
Elastic Audio Track Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020
Elastic Audio Track Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020
Elastic Audio Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1021
Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1022
Elastic Audio Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023
Editing in Warp View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027
Warping Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1029
Editing in Analysis View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034
Elastic Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1036
Elastic Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1037
Elastic Audio Clip-Based Pitch Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1039
AudioSuite Processing and Elastic Audio Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1041
Moving Elastic Audio Between Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1042
Approximate Waveforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043
Elastic Audio Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043

Chapter 46. Melodyne Editing and Audio to MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1045

Integrated Melodyne Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1045

Contents xxi
 Extract MIDI from an Audio Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047
Drag and Drop Audio to MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1048
Copy Audio and Paste as MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1049
Audio to MIDI Plug-in Preference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050

Chapter 47. Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1051

Commit Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1051
Track Freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1056
Bounce Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059

Chapter 48. Event Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061

Event Operations Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061
Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1063
Grid Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1065
Grid Quantize Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1067
Groove Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1069
Quantizing Elastic Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1074
Quantizing Audio Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1074
Quantizing Mixed Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1075
Restore Performance Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1075
Flatten Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1076
Change Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1079
Transpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1081
Select/Split Notes Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1082
Input Quantize Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1085
Step Input Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1086

Chapter 49. HEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091

Enabling HEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091
About HEAT Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091
HEAT Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093
Master Bypass and Track Bypass Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1094
A Note About Other Track Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1095
DSP and Voice Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1095
Using HEAT with a Control Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1096

xxii Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part IX Mixing
Chapter 50. Basic Mixing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101
Mixing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101
Metering and Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101
Signal Flow by Track Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102
Audio Tracks and Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1102
Auxiliary Input Tracks and Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1103
Master Fader Tracks and Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1104
Instrument Tracks and Signal Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1106
VCA Master Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1107
Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110
Configuring Inserts View in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110
HEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
Stereo Pan Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111
Views in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1112
Audio Input and Output Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1116
Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1119
Configuring Sends View in the Mix and Edit Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1124
Sends View Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1124
Editing Sends in the Mix and Edit Windows (Individual Send Views) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1126
Bus Interrogation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129
Output Windows for Tracks and Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1130
Output Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1133
Signal Routing for Monitoring and Submixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1134
Delay Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1142
Dither . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1149
Using an Ethernet Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1150
Using a MIDI Control Surface with Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1151

Chapter 51. Plug-In and Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1153

Types of Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1153
Viewing Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1155
Making Inserts Inactive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1156
Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1157
Plug-In Menu Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1159
Plug-in Insert Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1160

Contents xxiii
 Default EQ and Dynamics Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1161
Plug-In Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1161
Moving and Duplicating Plug-In and Hardware Inserts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1162
Plug-In Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1162
Opening Plug-In Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1165
Using Plug-In Window Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1165
Editing Plug-In Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1166
Plug-In Automation and Safe Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1167
Side-Chain Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1167
Plug-in Bus Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1168
Plug-In Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1168
Plug-In Settings Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1171
Plug-In Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1174
Bypassing Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1179
Linking and Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1180
Using Hardware Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1181

Chapter 52. DSP Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1185

DSP Mode for Ultra-Low Latency Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1185
DSP Mode States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1185
Enabling DSP Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1186
Enabling DSP Mode Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1187
DSP Mode Indicators for Plug-ins, Inserts, Sends, and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1188
Workflow Example: Recording in DSP Mode for Ultra-Low Latency Monitoring . . . . . . . . . 1190
Tips for Using DSP Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1194

Chapter 53. Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1195

Automation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1195
Automation Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1196
Automation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1198
Automation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203
Viewing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1205
Indication of Automation in Track View and Automation Lane Selectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208
Writing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1208
Automating Sends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1210
Automating Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1211
AutoMatching Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1214

xxiv Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Priming Controls for Writing Automation in Latch Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1215
Enabling and Suspending Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1217
Deleting Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1219
Thinning Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1220
Drawing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1221
Editing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1222
Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1227
Glide Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1231
Trimming Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1232
Writing Automation to the Start, End, or All of a Track or Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1234
Writing Automation to the Next Breakpoint or to the Punch Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1236
Guidelines for “Write To” Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1239
Overwriting or Extending Mute Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1240
Creating Snapshot Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1243
Previewing Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1245
Capturing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1247
VCA Master Track Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250
Coalescing VCA Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1251

Chapter 54. Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1255

Selecting Audio for Loops, Submixes, and Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1255
Using Dither . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1255
Bus Recording to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1257
Bounce Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1258
Bounce From Sends or Track Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1259
Bounce Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1259
Recording a Submix (with Bounce Mix) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1268
Final Mixdown (with Bounce Mix) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1268
Mastering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1269

Part X Surround
Chapter 55. Pro Tools Setup for Surround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1273
Surround Mixing in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1273
Pro Tools Audio Connections for 5.1 Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1274
7.1 and 7.0 Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1274
7.1.2 and 7.0.2 Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1275

Contents xxv
 5.0.2 to 9.1.6 Surround Formats in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1276
Ambisonics Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1276
Configuring Pro Tools for Multichannel Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1276
Default I/O Selectors in I/O Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1280
5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1282

Chapter 56. Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1283

Multichannel Audio Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1283
Multichannel Signal Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1286
Paths in Surround Mixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1289
Example Paths and Signal Routing for a Surround Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1291
Flexible Track Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1295

Chapter 57. Surround Panning and Mixing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1297

Introduction to Pro Tools Surround Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1297
Output Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1298
Standard Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1299
Surround Panner Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1300
Panning Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1302
Divergence and Center Percentage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1305
LFE Faders in Multichannel Panners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1307
Pan Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1308
Immersive Surround Panner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1308

Chapter 58. Mixing to Dolby Atmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1309

Dolby Atmos Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1309
Configuring the Network Connection for Pro Tools and a Dolby Atmos Renderer . . . . . . . 1311
Installing and Configuring Dolby Atmos Software and Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1311
Configuring Pro Tools Using Core Audio with the Dolby Atmos Production Suite . . . . . . . 1313
Configuring Session Setup for Dolby Atmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1314
Configuring the I/O Setup for Dolby Atmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1314
Setting Up Dolby Atmos Renderer Input Configuration Using the Dolby Atmos Binaural Settings
Plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1316
Mapping Busses to Dolby Atmos Renderer Inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1316
Bed/Object Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1318
Mixing Bed Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1320
Object Names and Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1321
Track Object Output Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1322

xxvi Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Monitoring Bed/Object Audio with Pro Tools Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1323
Object View in the Edit and Mix Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1324
Object Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1324
5.0.2 to 9.1.6, and Object Panner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1326
Object/Bus Toggle Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1330
Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1331
Coalesce Pan Guide Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1332
Duplicating Object Track Pan Automation and Dolby Atmos Panner Plug-in Automation . . 1332
Object Controls Mix Attribute for Grouped Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1333
Dolby Atmos PEC/DIR Recorder Workflow Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1333
Importing Bed/Object-Related Track Data from Another Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1334
Import ADM BWF Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1335
Export ADM files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1337
Working Without a Connected Dolby Atmos Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1339
Offline Bounce of Dolby Atmos Re-renders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1340

Chapter 59. Ambisonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1343

Pro Tools Support for Ambisonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1343
What is Ambisonics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1343
Configuring the I/O Setup for Ambisonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1344
Channel Ordering for Ambisonics Audio Signal Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1345
Ambisonics Mixes in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1346
Folding Down Ambisonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1348

Part XI Sync and Video

Chapter 60. Working with Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1351
Pro Tools Synchronization Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1351
Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1352
Format Displays and Controls in the Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1354
Sync X Setup in the Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1356
SYNC Setup in the Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1357
VSO (Variable Speed Override) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1358
External Timecode Offsets in the Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1358
Timecode Settings in the Session Setup Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1359
Preparing to Work with Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1360
Configuring Pro Tools for Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1360

Contents xxvii
 Pull Up and Pull Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1362
Effect of Using Pull Up or Pull Down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1366
Putting Pro Tools Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1366
Generating Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1367
Using MIDI Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1368
Enabling MIDI Machine Control in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1369
MMC Transport Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
Setting Minimum Sync Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
Remote Track Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1372
Spotting Clips to Timecode Frame Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1372
The Spot Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1373
Capturing Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1373
Auto-Spotting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1374
Using the Trim Tools in Spot Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1375
Time Stamping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1375
Identifying a Synchronization Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1376
Troubleshooting Timecode Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1377
Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video, and PAL Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1379

Chapter 61. Pro Tools | MachineControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1381

MachineControl Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1381
Cables and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1382
Connecting Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1383
Starting Up Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1384
MachineControl Communication Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1385
Setting Up Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1387
Serial Deck Control Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1389
Configuring Serial Deck Control (Overview) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1389
Configuring a MachineControl Device for Deck Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1390
Preferences for Serial Deck Control Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1391
Session Setup Window and MachineControl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1393
Additional Pro Tools MachineControl Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1394
Selecting Pro Tools or the Machine as the Transport Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1395
Playback in Serial Deck Control Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1396
Remote Track Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1397
Configuring Track Arming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1397
Creating a Track Arming Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1398

xxviii Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Arming Tracks Remotely for Layback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1401
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1402
Configuring Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1402
Preferences for Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1404
Playback in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1405
Recording in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1405
Track Arming in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1406
Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1406
Connecting a Supported Third-Party Paddle Device to Your Pro Tools System . . . . . . . . . 1407
Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode Preference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1407
Configuring Ports for a Deck and a Supported Third-Party Paddle Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1407
Deck Control Key Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1408
Machine IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1409
9-Pin Cable Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1411

Chapter 62. Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1415

Field Recorder and Production Workflow Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1415
Supported Field Recorder Audio Files and Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1417
Displaying Field Recorder Metadata in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1418
Workspace Support for Field Recorder Metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1418
Field Recorder Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1419
Ensuring Metadata of Source Files Have Been Preserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1419
Receiving Source Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1420
Importing Source Files into Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1421
Designating Field Recorder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1423
Displaying Multichannel Files from a Field Recorder in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1423
Selecting a Matching Field Recorder Channel to Replace a Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1424
Expanding Matching Field Recorder Channels to New Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1428
Determining the Method of Expanding Matching Field Recorder Channels to New Tracks . 1429
Film Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1432
Video and Fully Non-Linear Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1434

Chapter 63. Working with Video in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1437

Avid Video Engine (AVE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1437
Video Format Support in Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1437
Check Latest Compatibility Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1438
Before Starting Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1438

Contents xxix
 Video Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1439
Main Video Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1440
Video Track Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1441
Video Track Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1443
Locking Video Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1450
Video Engine Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1450
Importing Video into Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1451
Configuring Video Import Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1453
Importing Audio from Video Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1455
Video Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1455
Showing or Hiding Video Clips in the Clips List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1456
General Video Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1456
Renaming Video Disk Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1458
Video Clip Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1459
Using the Video Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1459
Browsing Video in the Video Universe Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1461
Pro Tools Video Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1463
Tips for Optimizing Video Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1463
Compensating for Video Monitoring Delays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1464
Playing Video to an External Monitor Using a Video Peripheral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1464
Timecode Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1465
Bouncing the Video Track to a QuickTime Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1465
Bounce Mix to MOV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1468

Part XII Satellite Systems

Chapter 64. Satellite Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1473
Satellite Link Requirements and Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1474
Configuring Satellite Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1474
Linking Satellite Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1477
Using Satellite Link with MachineControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1481
Control Surface Support for Satellite Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1481

Chapter 65. Pro Tools Video Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483

Video Output Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483
Connecting a Pro Tools Video Satellite System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483
Linking the Pro Tools Video Satellite System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1484

xxx Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 66. Media Composer Video Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1487
Video Output Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1488
Supported Video Resolutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1488
Media Composer Video Satellite Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1488
Using a Video Satellite in a MediaCentral | Production Management Environment . . . . . . . 1489
Connecting Pro Tools and a Video Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1489
Matching Media Composer and Pro Tools Settings in a Video Satellite System . . . . . . . . . 1490
Linking or Unlinking Pro Tools and a Video Satellite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1496
Capturing Audio and Video with a Video Satellite System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1498
Re-Digitizing an Existing Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1499
Digitizing from an EDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1499
Laying Back Audio and Video to Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1499

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1503

Contents xxxi
xxxii Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part I: Introduction to
Pro Tools
Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools

Welcome to Pro Tools®, brought to you by Avid®

Technology. Pro Tools software integrates power- System Requirements and
ful multitrack digital audio and MIDI sequencing Compatibility Information
features, giving you everything you need to record, Avid can only assure compatibility and provide
arrange, compose, edit, mix, and master profes- support for hardware and software it has tested and
sional quality audio and MIDI for music, video, approved.
film, and multimedia.
For complete system requirements and a list of
qualified computers, operating systems, hard
Avid Master Account drives, and third-party devices, visit:
www.avid.com/compatibility
Your Avid Account contains all your purchased
product entitlements, installers, and profile details
and can be accessed through Avid Link or at
my.avid.com.
Conventions Used in
Pro Tools Documentation
To create an account: Pro Tools documentation uses the following
1 Do one of the following: conventions to indicate menu choices, keyboard
• Download and install Avid Link, then launch commands, and mouse commands:
:

the Avid Link app and click Create new ac-

Convention Action
count.
• Visit my.avid.com. File > Save Choose Save from the
File menu
2 Fill in the required fields located under “Create
Control+N Hold down the Control
a new Avid Account.”
key and press the N key
3 Next time you can just sign in to your Avid
Control-click Hold down the Control
Account through Avid Link or online. key and click the mouse
button

Right-click Click with the right

mouse button

The names of Commands, Options, and Settings

that appear on-screen are in a different font.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 3

 The following symbols are used to highlight Support and Downloads
important information:
Contact Avid Customer Success (technical sup-
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the port), download software updates and the latest on-
most from your Pro Tools system. line manuals, browse the Compatibility documents
for system requirements, search the online Knowl-
edge Base or join the worldwide Avid user com-
Important Notices include information that munity on the User Conference.
could affect your Pro Tools session data or
www.avid.com/learn-and-support
the performance of your Pro Tools system.

Training and Education

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse
shortcuts. Study on your own using courses available online,
find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at
an Avid-certified training center, or view video tu-
Cross References point to related sections in
torials and webinars.
this guide and other Avid documentation.
www.avid.com/learning

Resources Videos and Tutorials

The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best Visit the Avid YouTube channel to find playlists
online source for information to help you get the and videos that show how to use and learn
most out of your Avid system. Pro Tools.
Avid YouTube Channel (all playlists and videos)
Account Activation and Product Pro Tools Tech Tips (playlist)
Registration Pro Tools Quick Tips (playlist for the Pro Tools
Activate your product to access downloads in your Quick Reference Guide, available from the
Avid account (or quickly create an account if you Dashboard)
do not have one). Register your purchase online,
download software, updates, documentation, and Products and Developers
other resources.
Learn about Avid products, download demo soft-
www.avid.com/account
ware, or learn about our Development Partners and
their plug-ins, applications, and hardware.
www.avid.com/products

4 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Messages With the ability to message your con-
Avid Link nections in the Artist Chat window, it’s easy to stay
™
Use Avid Link to manage your Avid account, in touch with others. Share ideas and discuss proj-
product licenses and subscriptions, as well as ac- ects in real time with a group of collaborators. Seek
cess a number of other services. advice and give it by forming mentorships within
your network. Or simply reach out and say hello to
Visit www.avid.com/avid-link.
your friends.
For more information about the Avid Link
Find Talent Avid Link integrates with the entire
application, see the Avid Link User Guide.
Avid Community, making it easy to search for and
find other artists, musicians, composers, video ed-
The desktop version is installed with Pro Tools, a
itors, producers, mixers, filmmakers, and media
mobile version is available for iOS, it is available
professionals to collaborate with and follow. Se-
online using any browser, and it is also integrated
lect Find Talent to scope out the profiles of avail-
within Pro Tools using the Avid Link menu.
able talent, review their work, invite them to con-
The following are available under the Avid Link nect, and send messages about how you can work
menu in Pro Tools: together.

Home Get informed and inspired with access to the Lounges Looking to meet others to get or give ad-
latest industry news, customer stories, blogs, and vice, help, or feedback? Hang out in the Lounges,
product info. You can filter your news feed by Au- which offer a variety of discussion topics for col-
dio, Video, Notation, Live Sound, and Broadcast, laboration seekers, areas of interest, tips and tricks,
and see the latest features for your products, dis- and more. Start or join a conversation, exchange
cover great tips and tricks, be among the first to ideas, and contribute to discussions about prod-
hear about new product announcements, and gain ucts, workflows, and the industry, all in real time,
workflow insight from creative pros. on your computer or mobile device.
Marketplace Expand your creative capabilities Profile Showcase your work and talent for others
further by shopping the Marketplace, conveniently to see and hear what you can do. Avid Link gives
accessible right within Avid Link. Whether you you a powerful platform to tell your story and pro-
need plugins, video effects, stock footage (coming mote your work. Get discovered and increase your
soon), a control surface, or other software or hard- creative opportunities by tagging your profile with
ware to use with Pro Tools, Media Composer®, your skills, specialties, and expertise, making it
Sibelius®, or a third-party audio or video tool. easier for others to find and connect with you.
Pro Tools Projects Lets you view your online Products Lets you view all of your registered Avid
Pro Tools Projects in the Artist Chat window. products, including the System ID, Activation ID,
When you are signed in, double-click any project when Support Expires, and Support Status if rele-
in the list to open it. vant. You can also add Notes for each product.

For more information about accessing

Pro Tools Projects, Messages, Find Talent,
and Profile with Avid Link and Artist Chat,
see Chapter 19, “Artist Chat and Avid Link.”

Chapter 1: Welcome to Pro Tools 5

 Pro Tools Analytics
In order to better understand the needs of our cus-
tomers, Pro Tools can automatically send anony-
mous data to Avid on how you use the features in
Pro Tools. This data is used solely to improve de-
velopment planning and feature design for future
versions of Pro Tools and contains no personal in-
formation whatsoever. You can agree (or disagree)
to sending this information to Avid either when
you install Pro Tools or at any time thereafter in the
Pro Tools Operation preferences (Setup > Prefer-
ences).

6 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts

Before you begin to use Pro Tools, you may find it Nonlinear editing provides significant advantages
helpful to review Pro Tools concepts. These con- over dubbing (re-recording), and cutting and splic-
cepts are the foundation of Pro Tools operation ing magnetic tape. It gives you the greatest possi-
and functionality. ble flexibility for editing and arranging, and it is all
nondestructive and “undoable.” Additionally, with
nonlinear editing in Pro Tools, you will never in-
Hard Disk Audio Recording troduce any degradation of audio fidelity as you
would with tape.
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
Audio Engines
forward.
You can stream audio between Pro Tools software
This differs from tape-based recording, which is a and your audio hardware using the Avid Audio En-
linear medium—where you need to rewind or fast gine (Avid audio hardware only), Core Audio
forward to hear a particular spot in a recording. To (Mac), ASIO (Windows only with third-party au-
rearrange or repeat material in a linear system, you dio hardware), or WASAPI (built-in audio or
need to re-record it, or cut and splice it. third-party Windows Audio Devices for playback
Nonlinear systems have several advantages. You only).
can easily rearrange or repeat parts of a recording
Avid Audio Engine
by making the hard disk read parts of the recording
in a different order or multiple times. In addition, The Avid audio engine (AAE) is a real-time oper-
this re-arrangement is nondestructive, meaning ating system for digital audio recording, playback,
that the original recorded material is not altered. and processing with Pro Tools and Avid audio
hardware. When you install Pro Tools, AAE is au-
tomatically installed on your system. AAE pro-
Nonlinear Editing vides the foundation for much of the hard disk re-
cording, digital signal processing, and mix
Pro Tools is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
automation required by Pro Tools and other prod-
and nonlinear editing system that lets you arrange
ucts from Avid and its Development Partners.
and mix recorded material nondestructively. Non-
linear editing simply means that you can cut, copy,
paste, move, delete, trim, and otherwise arrange
any audio, MIDI, or video in the Pro Tools Edit
window.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 7

 Core Audio
(Mac Only)
MIDI
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a
Apple’s Core Audio provides audio connectivity
communication protocol for musical instruments.
between software applications and audio hardware
This industry standard enables connections be-
on macOS. Pro Tools software can use audio inter-
tween a variety of devices from different manufac-
faces with supported Core Audio drivers for play-
turers. Examples of MIDI-compatible equipment
back and recording with up to 32 channels of I/O.
include synthesizers, drum machines, MIDI patch
bays, effects processors, MIDI interfaces, MIDI
ASIO
control surfaces, and MIDI sequencers.
(Windows Only)
MIDI devices are equipped with 5-pin DIN con-
Steinberg’s Audio Stream Input/Output (ASIO)
nectors, labeled as either IN, OUT, or THRU. The
provides audio connectivity between software ap-
MIDI OUT port transmits messages. The MIDI IN
plications and audio hardware on Windows.
port receives messages. The MIDI THRU outputs
Pro Tools software can use audio interfaces with
whatever is received from the IN port. MIDI de-
supported ASIO drivers for playback and record-
vices are connected with MIDI cables that are
ing with up to 32 channels of I/O.
available at most music stores.
WASAPI USB and FireWire-compatible MIDI devices send
(Windows Only) and receive MIDI messages to and from the com-
puter over USB or FireWire.
The Windows Audio Session API (WASAPI) lets
client applications manage the flow of audio data The MIDI protocol provides 16 channels of MIDI
between the application and the built-in audio or per port. A single MIDI cable can transmit a sepa-
an external audio interface. WASAPI provides rate set of messages for each of the 16 channels.
benefits similar to those of ASIO. It also allows These 16 channels can correspond to separate
any single audio application the exclusive access MIDI devices or to multiple channels within a sin-
to a specific audio device. (To access the WASAPI gle device (if the device is multitimbral). Each
Device Settings in Windows Media Center, choose channel can control a different instrument sound.
Tools > Options > Audio > Audio Device > Device
settings.) Pro Tools provides powerful MIDI sequencing ca-
pabilities. 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
Avid Video Engine window, the MIDI Editor window, the Score Edi-
Pro Tools uses the Avid Video Engine (AVE) for tor window, and the MIDI Event List.
real-time digital video playback. AVE supports a
wide range of video formats up to 60fps with a 4k MIDI data in Pro Tools can be anything from
picture display, which provides interoperability MIDI note data (note number, on/off, velocity) to
with many video editing applications such as Avid System Exclusive (Sysex) messages. MIDI data
Media Composer. Video may be played on the can be recorded or played back from both external
desktop, as well as out an external monitor with a MIDI devices with a MIDI interface and other
qualified video peripheral. MIDI software (such as instrument plug-ins and
ReWire client applications).
8 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Synchronization Pro Tools Sessions
When you are working with multiple time-based When you start a session in Pro Tools, you create a
systems, such as Pro Tools and an external deck, session.
you want the systems to be synchronized. Syn-
chronization is where one system outputs clock Sessions are always local to your system. You
source (such as timecode or MIDI Beat Clock) and can also create shared online projects for
another device synchronizes to or follows that track-based collaboration with others. For
clock source so that they work together and stay in more information, see “Pro Tools Projects”
time. Pro Tools can be synchronized to other de- on page 15.
vices (or other devices can be synchronized to
Pro Tools) using Timecode. Session Files
A session file is the document that Pro Tools cre-
ates when you choose File > New Session and con-
Surround Sound figure a new session. Pro Tools can open only one
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) session file at a time. The session file is named
with a .ptx (Pro Tools file) extension. Session files
Surround sound simply means having one or more contain maps of all elements associated with a
speakers with discrete audio signals (channels) project, including audio files, MIDI data, and all
placed behind the listener in addition to the typical your edit and mix information. It is important to re-
stereo pair. alize that a Pro Tools session file does not contain
There are multiple types of surround formats in use any media files (audio or video). Instead, it refer-
(from three-channel LCR to 7.1, which has eight ences audio, video, MIDI, and other files. You can
channels). make changes to a session and save those changes
in a new session file. This lets you create multiple
The most common surround format is 5.1, which versions of a session or back up your editing and
refers to having 5 speakers and a sub-woofer (the mixing work.
“.1”). 5.1 is used in movie theaters and home enter-
tainment systems. Additionally, most DVDs are
mixed to 5.1. The standard speaker placement for
5.1 for surround monitoring is stereo left and right
speakers, and an additional center speaker in front,
two more stereo left and right speakers in the rear,
Session file icon
and the sub-woofer on the side.

Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software supports Tracks

mixing in surround formats. In Pro Tools, each Pro Tools tracks are where audio, MIDI, video,
surround format is considered to be a greater-than- and automation data are recorded and edited.
stereo multichannel format. Pro Tools tracks also provide audio channels for
routing internal busses, and physical inputs and
outputs for audio and MIDI.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 9

 Pro Tools provides multiple types of tracks: Video tracks support several different video file
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA types, including .mov and .mxf video files. There
Master, MIDI, Instrument, Folder, and Video. are many variations of video file types, so refer to
the Pro Tools Knowledgebase for the most up to
date specifics regarding your version of Pro Tools,
on your current operating system.

Routing Folder, Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master

Audio track in the Edit window (stereo track shown) Fader, and Instrument tracks can be mono, stereo,
or multichannel (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
only). When creating a new track, select from the
list of channel formats supported by your system.

Voices
MIDI track in the Edit window In Pro Tools, voices are unique, discrete audio
streams that can be routed to and from Pro Tools
audio tracks, and 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
Video track in Frames view have effectively exceeded the available number of
audio paths. Voices are allocated dynamically.
Audio, MIDI, Instrument, and video track data can
be edited into clips or repeated in different loca- Typically, each audio channel for each track in
tions to create loops, re-arrange sections or entire your Pro Tools session uses a single voice. So, for
songs, or to assemble tracks using material from a mono audio track, a single voice is used; for a ste-
multiple takes. reo audio track, two voices are used; for a 5.1
track, six voices are used. When using Punch Re-
Auxiliary Input tracks can route internal audio bus-
cording, two voices are needed for every single au-
ses or physical inputs to internal busses or physical
dio channel (one for playback and one for record-
outputs. Auxiliary Inputs are typically used for au-
ing on punch in and out). In some situations, with
dio effects busses, audio throughput (monitoring),
Pro Tools | HDX systems, more than one voice
and submixing.
may be necessary for a single channel (such as
Master Fader tracks provide controls for physical when using host processing on a DSP bus).
audio output channels, including the volume level
On HDX systems, the number of available voices
of your mix, panning, and plug-in inserts.
is dependent on the amount of dedicated DSP pro-
VCA Master tracks provide control of tracks in a cessing in your system.
Mix Group that has been assigned to the VCA
See “Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits
Master.
with Pro Tools Ultimate Software” on page 42).
Folder tracks let you organize both track layout
and signal routing in your projects and sessions.
10 Pro Tools Reference Guide
On all other Pro Tools systems, the full number of
available voices for your system may be limited by
the host processing power of your computer (see
“Pro Tools Artist Capabilities with Different
Hardware Configurations” on page 39).

For more information about voicing in MIDI file icon

Pro Tools, see “Track Priority and Voice
Video Files
Assignment” on page 276.
Pro Tools references video files that have been
Media Files captured by another application, such as Avid
Media Composer® Software. When video is im-
Pro Tools sessions create, import, export, and ref-
ported into Pro Tools, it references the file in its
erence media files. Media files are audio, MIDI,
current location. In some cases, such as when im-
and video files. Audio and video media files are
porting an AAF or Saving Copy In, video may be
stored separately from the Pro Tools session file.
copied and referenced from the Video Files folder
MIDI data is stored in the session file.
within the session folder. Pro Tools cannot na-
tively record new video. Depending on your OS,
Audio Files
Pro Tools is able to export video and re-import it to
When you record audio into a Pro Tools session, the timeline. For more information, visit the
audio files are created. Pro Tools Knowledgebase.

Clips
A clip is a segment of audio, MIDI, or video data.
A clip could be a drum loop, a guitar riff, a verse of
a song, a recording take, a sound effect, some dia-
Audio file icon log, or an entire sound file. Clips are especially
Audio files for each session are stored in a folder useful for arranging audio and MIDI. A clip can
named “Audio Files.” Audio files are listed in the also have associated automation data. In
Pro Tools Clips List and can appear in an audio Pro Tools, clips are created from audio files or
track. A section of an audio file can be defined as a MIDI data, and can be arranged in audio and MIDI
clip (see “Clips” on page 11). track playlists. Clips can also be grouped (a “clip
of clips”) and looped (repeated).
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 Audio clip
or otherwise created in a Pro Tools session does
not automatically create new MIDI files.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 11

 On audio tracks, an edit playlist tells the hard disk
which audio clips to play in what order. For exam-
ple, you can have separate audio clips for a song
introduction, the first verse, the first chorus, and so
on. You can also use the same audio clip to access
MIDI clip
the same piece of audio multiple times at different
locations and not use additional disk space. Differ-
ent versions of the same original audio can be used
in different places and have different effects ap-
plied. On MIDI and Instrument tracks, edit play-
lists can store multiple MIDI sequences (or perfor-
Video clip (Frames view) mances) on a track.

A playlist can be made up of a single clip or many

separate clips. It can be made up of similar ele-
ments (such as clips from several different takes of
a solo), or dissimilar elements (such as several
sound effects).

You can create any number of alternate edit play-

lists for a track. This lets you assemble different
versions of performances or edits on a single track
and choose between them from the Playlists menu
on the track.

Clip group (Mixed audio and MIDI multitrack clip Each audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, Master
group) Fader, and VCA track also has a single set of auto-
mation playlists. Automation playlists can include
Playlists volume, pan, mute, and each automation-enabled
control for the insert and send assignments on that
A playlist is a sequence of clips arranged on an au-
track.
dio, MIDI, or video track. Tracks have edit play-
lists and automation playlists. MIDI controller data on Instrument and MIDI
tracks is always included as part of the track play-
list.

Playlist selector pop-up menu

12 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Channels
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

input or output of your Pro Tools system. For ex-
ample, Pro Tools | HD I/O provides up to 16 chan-
nels of audio input and output to a HDX or
Pro Tools | HD Native system, while the
Pro Tools | Mbox® Pro audio interface provides
up to eight inputs and eight 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 corresponding
channel strip in the Mix window.

Audio and MIDI channel strips have similar con-

trols, but those controls have slightly different ef-
fects. For example, audio, Auxiliary Input, and In-
strument track channel strip faders control the
output gain to the mix bus for that channel, while
MIDI channel strip faders send MIDI volume data
(MIDI controller 7) to the selected MIDI instru-
ment.

The term “MIDI channel” also describes a

separate aspect of MIDI operation. See
“MIDI” on page 8.

Channel strip in the Mix window (audio track)

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 13

 Signal Routing Signal Routing Options

Pro Tools provides software-based mixing and Signal routing options include the following:
signal routing controls for audio and MIDI. These
Track Input and Output (I/O) Controls The most
controls are located in the Mix window. Some of
these controls can also be accessed from the Edit basic type of signal routing is track input and out-
window. put. A track needs to have an assigned input path to
record audio, and an assigned mapped output path
A common audio signal routing task is to submix in order to be audible through a hardware output.
multiple tracks to a single channel strip (such as an Signals can also be routed to or from other tracks in
Auxiliary Input) for shared processing and level Pro Tools (or hardware inputs and outputs) using
control. The following example shows two audio internal busses.
tracks submixed to a stereo Auxiliary Input.
Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, and Master Fader
Tracks Auxiliary Inputs and Routing Folder tracks
can be used as returns, submixers, and bus masters.
Inserts Master Fader tracks are used as bus and output
master level controls. Auxiliary Input, Routing
Folder tracks, and Master Fader tracks can have
plug-in and hardware inserts.
Sends
MIDI Tracks MIDI tracks are generally used for
Input from routing MIDI from internal or external sources to
Outputs to stereo external MIDI devices. MIDI data can also be
stereo bus bus path
path 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 outputs,
sends and busses, or other inserts. Instrument
tracks can also be used to send MIDI to and moni-
tor audio from external MIDI devices.

Sends Sends route audio from tracks to hardware

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.

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
Audio tracks Auxiliary Input
track Master tracks do not have inserts.
Submixing to an Auxiliary Input

14 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Instrument Plug-Ins Instrument plug-ins are dif- Online projects let you collaborate on a track-by-
ferent from processing plug-ins in that they gener- track basis with anyone in the Avid Artist Commu-
ate audio rather than process the audio signal from nity anywhere in the world; or, if you prefer, you
a track’s audio input or from hard disk. Instrument can choose your collaborators privately and invite
plug-ins are typically played by MIDI. them to join a project by email.

Paths Paths are any routing option in Pro Tools, You can only collaborate with projects, never with
including internal or external inputs, outputs, bus- sessions. Otherwise, projects work just like ses-
ses, and inserts. Pro Tools lets you name these sions. Projects have all of the same recording, ed-
paths, and these path names appear in the Audio iting, mixing, and processing capabilities as do
Input and Output Path selectors and other menus. sessions (you can save a copy of a session as a
For more information, see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.” project or a project as a session using the Save
Copy In command). Throughout this Reference
Mixing Formats Sessions can include combina-
Guide, “sessions” refers to session and projects un-
tions of mono, stereo, and greater-than-stereo mul-
less otherwise noted.
tichannel format tracks, busses, inputs, outputs,
and inserts. Greater-than-stereo multichannel for- Project data and media are bundled and cached on
mats are supported with Pro Tools Studio and local storage, but you cannot open a project by
Ultimate only. navigating through the file system. You can only
access projects through the Pro Tools Dashboard.
Grouping and VCA Tracks Tracks can be grouped
Projects are differentiated from sessions by their
together for mixing so that their relative mix set-
file icon.
tings 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
control the relative mix settings for all tracks Project icon (online, left; offline, right)
within the selected group.
You must be online and logged in to your Avid
Master Account the first time you create a project,
but after that you can work offline. Pro Tools and
Pro Tools Projects Avid Link will synchronize your local project with
Projects are similar to sessions, but projects are your account the next time you online. This pro-
cloud enabled. Projects are written to a local proj- cess runs in the background and can be monitored
ect cache that includes all project data and associ- in Pro Tools by checking the Task Manager (Win-
ated media as well as mirrored in your Avid Cloud dow > Task Manager).
Account. Offline projects store all media and proj-
If a project is downloaded on another system when
ect data in the local cache only. Online projects are
you log in to your Avid Master Account, all asso-
stored in your Avid Cloud Account and mirrored
ciated media is downloaded inside of the project
locally (though you can clear the local project
bundle. This does not affect the location of the me-
cache and have the project and its media stored
dia on the originating system. Each system main-
only in the cloud).
tains its own unique placement of media without
duplication.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 15

 Tick-Based Audio and MIDI
Tick-Based and
Sample-Based Time Tick-based audio is fixed to a Bars|Beat location,
and moves relative to the sample Timeline when
Pro Tools lets you set any track timebase to tempo and meter changes occur. However, MIDI
either sample-based or tick-based. You can also set events and tick-based audio respond differently to
the Timeline to be viewed as tick-based or sample- tempo changes with respect to duration. MIDI note
based. events change length when tempo or meter is ad-
Audio in Pro Tools is sample-based by default. justed, while audio clips do not (unless Elastic Au-
This means that if an audio clip is located at a par- dio is enabled). When Elastic Audio is not enabled
ticular sample location, it will not move from that on an audio track, meter and tempo changes affect
location if the tempo changes in the session— only the start point (or sync point) for each audio
though its Bar|Beat location will change. clip in a tick-based track. If Elastic Audio is en-
abled on an audio track, tempo changes apply Elas-
MIDI data in Pro Tools is tick-based by default. tic Audio processing, which changes the duration
This means that if a MIDI clip is located at a par- of the audio clip.
ticular Bar|Beat location, it will not move from that
Bar|Beat location if the tempo changes in the ses- Elastic Audio
sion—though its sample location will change.
Elastic Audio provides real-time and non-real-time
You can select whether a track is sample-based or (rendered) Time Compression and Expansion
tick-based when it is created, or change timebases (TCE) of audio. Tick-based Elastic Audio tracks
later. actually change the location of samples according
to changes in tempo. The audio stretches or com-
Sample-Based Audio and MIDI presses to match changes in tempo. Elastic Audio
also provides high-quality non-real-time clip-
With a sample-based audio track, all clips in the based pitch shifting.
track have an absolute location on the Timeline.
Clips stay fixed to the sample time, regardless of Pro Tools Elastic Audio uses exceptionally high-
where tempo or meter changes occur in a session. quality transient detection algorithms, beat and
tempo analysis, and real-time or rendered TCE
If you make a MIDI track sample-based, all MIDI processing algorithms. Elastic Audio lets you
events in the track have an absolute location on the quickly and easily tempo conform and beat match
Timeline. MIDI events stay fixed to sample time, audio to the session’s Tempo ruler. It also provides
regardless of any tempo or meter changes in a an unprecedented degree of control over transient
session. detection and TCE processing on an event-by-
event basis.

16 Pro Tools Reference Guide

With Elastic Audio, Pro Tools analyzes entire au-  In order to free up needed DSP resources,
dio files for transient “events.” For example, an Pro Tools allows for certain items (such as tracks
event can be a drum hit, a sung note, or chord and inserts) to be manually made inactive. Inactive
played by a guitar. These detected events can then elements are viewable, editable, and retained
serve as control points for “warping” the audio. within the session. See “Active and Inactive
Pro Tools can warp (TCE) audio events automati- Items” on page 17.
cally, such as when automatically conforming au-
 All Pro Tools systems provide flexible voice
dio to the session tempo or quantizing audio
options for audio tracks, to help maximize use of
events, or you can warp audio manually using the
available voices in your system. For more informa-
standard editing tools with the audio track set to
tion on voice management and options, see “Track
Warp view.
Priority and Voice Assignment” on page 276.
Elastic Audio is useful in several common work-
flows: working with loops, correcting perfor- Active and Inactive Items
mances, remixing, beat and pitch matching, and
sound design and special effects. Pro Tools lets you make certain items (such as
tracks and inserts) inactive, in order to free up DSP
resources and mixer connections.

System Resources Items in Pro Tools that can be made inactive

include the following:
Track count, plug-in processing, signal path and
routing options, and voice availability are ulti- • Folder, Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
mately limited by the combined resources avail- VCA Master, Instrument, and MIDI tracks
able from the host computer and from your • Track Inputs and Outputs
Pro Tools hardware.
• Sends
Pro Tools provides several ways to manage and • Side-chain inputs
conserve resources to maximize the performance
• Plug-Ins
of your system. As you begin working with
Pro Tools sessions and tracks, you can take advan- • Hardware inserts
tage of the following features to extend the effec- • Paths (session-wide)
tiveness of your available DSP and other re-
sources: Side-chain inputs support direct active and
inactive switching, but do not follow switch-
 Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of
ing all or all selected side-chain inputs.
your system by changing system settings that af-
fect its capacity for processing, playback, and re-
cording. See “Configuring the Playback Engine”
on page 96.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 17

 In addition to manually setting Active and Inactive Display of Inactive Items
modes, Pro Tools automatically makes items inac-
When items are inactive, their names appear in
tive if there are insufficient or unavailable re-
italics, and their background becomes dark gray.
sources.
When a track is inactive, the entire channel strip is
When active, items are fully engaged and opera- grayed out.
tional.
Active plug-in Inactive plug-in
When inactive, items are silent and off, although
most associated controls can still be adjusted. Dif-
ferent inactive items affect available system re-
sources 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 inactive
manually or automatically.

Paths and Path Assignments When a path or path

assignment is inactive, its mixer resources are
made available for other signal routing purposes in
the session. Paths and assignments can be made in-
active manually or automatically. Inactive
track
Tracks When a track is made inactive, its voices
become available for another track. Inactive mono
tracks free up one voice; inactive stereo and multi-
channel tracks free up one voice per channel. Ad-
ditionally, when a Routing Folder, audio, Auxil-
iary Input, Instrument, or Master Fader track is
made inactive, its plug-ins, inserts, sends, and I/O
assignments become inactive, and the associated
DSP used is freed up for use elsewhere in the ses-
sion.

Active and inactive plug-ins, sends, and tracks

18 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Workspace Browsers AAF, MXF, and OMF
The Workspace is a database management tool for Pro Tools lets you exchange audio, video, and se-
Pro Tools. Workspace browsers expand upon ba- quences with other AAF, MXF, and OMF™ com-
sic Pro Tools search and import capabilities by patible applications (such as Media Composer).
providing powerful tools to manage your data both
inside and outside of your sessions, on any hard Media Data (Media Files)
drive connected to the system.
Media data represents raw audio or video material
A database is a way of organizing data such that it and is stored in individual media files. Every time
can easily be searched, sorted, managed, and uti- you record a piece of video or audio material into
lized. Your checkbook is an example of a database an application, you are creating a media file. Audio
file. For every check you write, you enter a new re- media files hold samples (such as 44,100 or 48,000
cord. That record contains information about the samples per second of recording) while video me-
check, such as when you wrote it, to whom you dia files use frames (24, 25, or 30 frames per sec-
wrote it, and for what amount. This information is ond of recording).
written in specific columns, or fields. Everything
you need to know (the check’s metadata) is there, The size of each media file depends on how much
even though the check itself is not. audio or video material it contains. For example, a
file containing ten minutes of high resolution video
Workspace browsers let you search, sort, and might be approximately 2 GB in size, whereas a
mange these databases by volume or catalog. You ten-minute audio recording at the might result in a
can use Workspace browsers not only to organize 100 MB file. Media files tend to be large, since
your Pro Tools sessions and media files (audio, high quality audio and video signals are data inten-
MIDI, and video), but also to audition and import sive. Video data generally requires considerably
by drag and drop. more storage than audio data.
For more information, see Chapter 18,
“Workspace Browsers.”

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 19

 Metadata In the simplest case, only an AAF or OMF se-
quence is exchanged. If this sequence points to ex-
Metadata is used to describe the following:
isting media files, the size of the sequence file is
• Information embedded in a media file. This may relatively small and the export/import process is
include scene, take, sample rate, bit depth, exter- relatively fast.
nal clip names, the name of the videotape from
which the media file was captured, and even AAF and OMF sequences can also have media
timecode values. data embedded in them. This creates a single,
larger file that is slower to export and import, but
• Information embedded in Pro Tools sessions or
which may be easier to manage than thousands of
other sequences, including what files are used,
files stored on different volumes.
where they appear in a timeline, and automation.
• For AAF or OMF sequences, metadata also in- AAF
cludes information embedded in unrendered Au-
AAF is a sequence file format. AAF sequences are
dioSuite™ effects (such as real-time EQ) for
the best way to exchange projects and maintain
Media Composer. Pro Tools skips unrendered
valuable metadata. An AAF sequence can refer to
effects on import. Rendered effects are media
OMF or MXF media files, or have OMF and MXF
files that can be imported into Pro Tools.
media files embedded within them. There is no
• For AAF or OMF sequences, information about such thing as an AAF audio or video media file.
automation (clip-based gain or keyframe gain).
Pro Tools will import, play back, and export an
AAF sequence that either links to media files or
AAF, OMF, and MXF Basics
has audio embedded within it.
AAF and OMF files are mechanisms for storing
and retrieving media files and metadata so that When you import an AAF sequence with embed-
projects can be freely exchanged between different ded audio into Pro Tools, the audio will be
applications and platforms. MXF is a media file extracted into mono tracks using the current ses-
format that can be used with AAF (but not OMF) sion’s audio file format.
files.

Media data and metadata enable an application that

receives AAF and OMF sequence files (such as
Pro Tools) to automatically and quickly reassem-
ble 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 instructions for
assembling the puzzle.

20 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MXF
Pro Tools and
MXF is a media file format. There are MXF video Media Composer
files and MXF audio files, but there are no MXF Terminology
sequences. An AAF sequence may refer to or
include MXF media files, but OMF sequences can- Pro Tools and Media Composer use different
not refer to or include MXF files. terms to describe the same items. For example, a
Pro Tools session is equivalent to a Media Com-
poser sequence. The following table lists common
Pro Tools elements and their Media Composer
equivalents.

Media Composer
Pro Tools
MXF file icon (AAF or OMF)

Pro Tools can import and play back MXF audio session sequence
and video files created in Media Composer. whole file clip master clip

OMF clip subclip

OMF is both a media file and sequence format. plug-ins real-time audio effects
OMF media files can be audio or video, and volume automation gain Media Composer key-
Pro Tools can import and play back OMF audio, frame volume
but not OMF video. Pro Tools can also export
OMF audio, but not OMF video.
Whole audio files in the Clips List normally
Pro Tools can import and play back OMF audio appear in bold type. However, master clip au-
files created in Media Composer or other applica- dio files imported from AAF or OMF into
tions. Pro Tools will not appear in bold type (indi-
cating clips) in the Pro Tools Clips List even
An OMF sequence cannot reference or have MXF
though they are audio files.
media embedded within it.

Pro Tools can import an OMF sequence with em-

bedded audio, but not embedded video.

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 21

 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.

Original Source Media Files

Media Composer Edited Sequence
Refers to:

Export AAF/OMF with Embedded Media

creates...

Embedded AAF/OMF File (metadata and media)

Sequence (metadata) Consolidated Media Files

(with Handle)

AAF/OMF Interchange Workflow with Embedded Media

22 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Linked Media
Exporting AAF or OMF with linked media results in a single metadata file (.AAF or .OMF) and all
associated 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
export and import process can be much faster. Using this approach, it is less likely that you will
encounter 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.

Media Composer Edited Sequence

Li
n ke

Original Source Media Files

d
to
:

Media Composer exports

sequence edits and
file information as AAF
or OMF sequence

AAF/OMF File (metadata only)

Linked to:

Pro Tools Imports

Session File
:
to
d

Translated Pro Tools Session File

e
nk
Li

AAF and OMF Interchange Workflow with Linked Media

Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 23

24 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts

For increased operational speed and ease of use,

there are many Pro Tools keyboard and Global Key Commands
Right-click shortcuts. Some keyboard shortcuts apply to many functions
in Pro Tools.
For a complete list of the default Pro Tools
keyboard and Right-click shortcuts, as well Track Functions
as information about assigning custom key-
board shortcuts, see Pro Tools Shortcuts.pdf Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for the fol-
(Help > Pro Tools Shortcuts). lowing track functions:
• Changing Automation mode
To access the full list of Pro Tools shortcuts in
online Help: • Enabling playlists
1 Choose Help > Pro Tools Help. • Adding plug-ins
2 Click Pro Tools Shortcuts on the Contents page • Record enabling, soloing, and muting tracks
(in the left pane of Help). • Record safing and solo safing tracks

To access the full list of Pro Tools shortcuts in the • Assigning inputs, outputs, and sends
Pro Tools Shortcuts Guide: • Toggling volume/peak/delay display
 Choose Help > Pro Tools Shortcuts. • Clearing meters
• Changing track heights

Mouse Shortcuts
Command Mac Windows
Right-Click Shortcuts
Apply action to all Option+ Alt+
Pro Tools provides Right-Click shortcuts for channel strips/tracks action action
choosing various Pro Tools commands and menus
with any Right-Click capable mouse. Apply action to Option+ Alt+Shift+
selected channel Shift+ action
strips/tracks action
Scroll-wheel Functions

Pro Tools lets you increment or decrement values Vertically con-

strained, fine adjust-
in numerical fields by selecting the value and mov-
ment for automation
ing the mouse scroll wheel up or down. and control break-
points

Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 25

 List and Parameter Selection
Keyboard Focus
Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for the fol-
lowing items: The Keyboard Focus in Pro Tools determines how
the alpha keys function. Depending on which Key-
• Selection of tracks in Tracks List
board Focus is enabled, you can use the keys on
• Enabling of groups in Groups List your computer (alpha) keyboard to select clips in
• Automation Enable window parameters the Clips List, enable or disable groups, or perform
an edit or play command.
• Setting Memory Location parameters
You can only enable one of the three Keyboard Fo-
Command Windows Mac cus modes at a time. Enabling a Keyboard Focus
Toggle item and set Alt-click item Option-click will disable the one previously enabled.
all others to same item
new state There are three types of Keyboard Focus:

Toggle item and set Control-click Command- Commands Keyboard Focus When selected in
all others to opposite item click item the Tracks pane in the Edit window or in the Notes
state pane of any MIDI Editor window, this provides a
wide range of single key shortcuts from the com-
Controls and Editing Tools puter keyboard for editing and playing. The front-
Pro Tools provides keyboard shortcuts for moving most Edit or MIDI Editor window always receives
plug-in controls, faders and sliders, the Scrubber, Commands Keyboard Focus when it is en-
and automation data. abled.With Commands Keyboard Focus disabled,
you can still access any of its key shortcuts by
Command Mac Windows pressing Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) along
with the key. See the Shortcuts Guide for a com-
Fine adjustment Hold Command Hold Control
plete list of Commands Keyboard Focus shortcuts.
of sliders, while clicking while clicking
knobs, and the item the item
breakpoints

For extra-fine Hold Command Hold Control

adjustment of +Shift while +Shift while
breakpoints in adjusting auto- adjusting
Grid mode mation break- automation
points breakpoints

26 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Commands Keyboard Focus provides single-key shortcuts for a range of edit and play commands. Avid as
well as other vendors supply custom keyboards for Mac and Windows labeled with Pro Tools commands
when in Commands Keyboard Focus.

Pro Tools Custom Keyboard labeled with keyboard commands (Mac keyboard shown)

Clips List Keyboard Focus When selected, audio To set the Keyboard Focus, do one of the
clips, MIDI clips, and clip groups can be located following:
and selected in the Clips List by typing the first few  Click the a–z button for the focus you want to
letters of the clip’s name. enable.
Groups List Keyboard Focus When selected, Mix  While pressing Command+Option (Mac) or
and Edit Groups can be enabled or disabled by typ- Control+Alt (Windows), press one of the fol-
ing the Group ID letter (in either the Mix or Edit lowing keys: 1 (Commands), 2 (Clips List), or 3
window). (Groups List).

Commands Keyboard Focus Clips List Although multiple plug-in windows can have a
(Edit window) Keyboard Focus
keyboard focus enabled, only the front-most
window receives any keyboard input.

Toolbar Focus
In the Edit window, the MIDI Editor pane can be
displayed in addition to the Tracks pane (View >
Groups List
Keyboard Focus Other Displays > MIDI Editor). When the MIDI Ed-
itor pane is displayed, there are two separate Tool-
bars and Timelines in the Edit window: one for the
Tracks pane and one for the MIDI Editor pane.
Keyboard Focus buttons Only one Toolbar and Timeline can be focused for
Menu and Toolbar commands (including the cor-
responding keyboard shortcuts) at a time. The fo-
cused Toolbar displays a yellow outline.

Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 27

 If Keyboard Focus for the Edit window is enabled, Shuttle Lock Modes
it follows the selected Toolbar focus.
There are two Shuttle Lock modes (Classic and
To enable Toolbar focus for the Tracks pane, do Transport). Both modes let you use the numeric
one of the following: keypad to shuttle forward or backwards at specific
speeds.
 Click the Toolbar at the top of the Edit window.
• 5 is normal speed.
 Press Command+Option+4 (Mac) or
Control+Alt+4 (Windows). • 6–9 provide increasingly greater fast-forward
speeds.
To enable Toolbar focus for the MIDI Editor pane, • 1–4 provide progressively greater rewind speeds
do one of the following: (4 is the slowest, 1 is the fastest).
 Click the Toolbar right above the MIDI Editor • Press 0 to stop Shuttle Lock, then press the num-
pane. ber to resume Shuttle Lock speed.
 Press Command+Option+5 (Mac) or • Press Escape or Spacebar to exit Shuttle Lock
Control+Alt+5 (Windows). mode.

Custom Shuttle Lock Speed

Numeric Keypad Modes The highest fast-forward Shuttle Lock speed
The Operation preference for Numeric Keypad (key 9) can be customized.
mode determines how the numeric keypad func-
For more information, see “Custom Shuttle
tions for Transport.
Lock Speed” on page 665.
There are two Shuttle Lock modes (Classic and
Classic Mode
Transport), and one Shuttle mode. No matter
which Numeric Keypad mode is selected, you can This mode emulates the way Pro Tools worked in
always use the numeric keypad to select and enter versions lower than 5.0. With the Numeric Keypad
values in the Event Edit Area, Edit Selection indi- mode set to Classic, you can:
cators, Main and Sub Counters, and Transport
• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock
fields.
mode. Press the Control key (Mac) or the Start
To set the Numeric Keypad Mode:
key (Windows), followed by 1–9 for different
play speeds.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab. • Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.
• Press 0 to stop Shuttle Lock, then press the num-
2 In the Transport section, select a Numeric Key-
ber to resume Shuttle Lock speed.
pad mode (Classic, Transport, or Shuttle).
• Press Escape or Spacebar to exit Shuttle Lock
3 Click OK. mode.
• Recall Memory Locations by typing the Mem-
ory Location, followed by a Period (.).

28 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Transport Mode Shuttle Mode
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
This mode lets you set a number of record and play
functions, and also operate the Transport from the Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, differ-
numeric keypad. ent from that of the two Shuttle Lock modes. With
the Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle, playback
Function Key of the current Edit selection is triggered by press-
Click on/off 7 ing and holding the keys on the numeric keypad—
playback stops once the keys are released. Various
Countoff on/off 8 playback speeds are available in both forward and
MIDI Merge/Replace mode 9 reverse. In this mode, pre- and post-roll are ig-
nored.
Loop Playback mode on/off 4
Playback Speeds Key
Loop Record mode on/off 5
1x Forward 6
QuickPunch mode on/off 6
1x Rewind 4
Rewind 1
4x Forward 9
Fast Forward 2
4x Rewind 7
Record enable 3
1/4x Forward 3
Play/Stop 0
1/4x Rewind 1
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport,
you can also: 1/2x Forward 5+6

• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock 1/2x Rewind 5+4

mode. Press the Control key (Mac) or the Start 2x Forward 8+9
key (Windows), followed by 1–9 for different
play speeds. 2x Rewind 8+7

• Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction. 1/16x Forward 2+3

• Press 0 to stop Shuttle Lock, then press the num- 1/16x Rewind 2+1
ber to resume Shuttle Lock speed.
Loop Selection (1x) 0
• Press Escape or Spacebar to exit Shuttle Lock
mode. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Shuttle, you
• Recall Memory Locations by typing Period (.), can also recall Memory Locations by typing Period
the Memory Location number, and Period (.) (.), the Memory Location number, and Period (.)
again. again.

Shuttle Lock modes are not available when

the Numeric Keypad mode is set to Shuttle.

Chapter 3: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts 29

 2 In the pop-up search field, type the name of the
Pro Tools Search command or object you want. As you type all
Pro Tools lets you quickly search for commands or matching results are listed below the search
objects (such as tracks or clips) by name and do field.
any of the following:
• Search commands by name and execute
them.
• Search tracks by name and select them.
• Search clips by name and select them.
• Search Memory Locations by name and re-
call them.
• Search Track Groups by name and enable or
disable them.
• Search AudioSuite plug-ins by name and
open them.
Typing in the Search field, results listed below

To use Pro Tools search: 3 Do one of the following:

1 Open the Pro Tools Search field by doing one of • If the command or object you want is already
the following: selected in the results list, press Return to ex-
• Choose Window > Pro Tools Search. ecute the command or select the object.
• Press Control+Shift+S (Mac) or • Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move up
Start+Shift+S (Windows). and down through the list to select the item
you want and then press Return.
• Click the item you want in the list to execute
the command or select the object.

Pro Tools Search field

30 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using Help

The Pro Tools Help menu provides quick access to Guides Accessible in Pro Tools
installed PDF documentation and online Help. The
The following guides are available from the
Help system is HTML-based and launches in the
Pro Tools Help menu:
Pro Tools in-application browser. It also runs on
most common web browsers. Audio Plug-Ins Guide Describes the plug-ins in-
cluded free with Pro Tools, as well as additional
The Pro Tools Help menu also provides direct ac-
plug-ins available for purchase separately.
cess to the online Pro Tools Knowledge Base,
Avid Audio Forums, and the Avid Support Center Pro Tools Reference Guide Explains Pro Tools
using the in-application browser (an internet con- systems and software in detail.
nection is required).
Pro Tools Shortcuts Lists keyboard and
The Pro Tools in-application Web browser Right-click shortcuts for Pro Tools, including
is not available outside Pro Tools. To use those shown in Pro Tools menus.
Pro Tools Help while Pro Tools is not
running, use the default Web browser for
your operating system. Accessing the Help System
There are several ways to access the Help system.
Accessing Guides in • Open Help at its Welcome page from the Help
Pro Tools Software menu in Pro Tools
PDF (Portable Document Format) versions of the • Open Help at its Welcome page from within a
main Pro Tools guides are accessible from the Help browser in Pro Tools
Pro Tools Help menu. Adobe Reader is recom- • Open Help at its Welcome page outside of
mended for PDF documentation. Pro Tools

To access guides in Pro Tools: • Open a different version or language of

Pro Tools Help
 Choose Help, then a guide name.

Using Help 31
 To open Help within Pro Tools, do one of the
following: Using the Contents and Index
 Choose Help > Pro Tools Help.
Tabs
The left pane of the Help browser is the display
 From the Pro Tools Online browser window,
area for most of the Help system’s main navigation
choose Help.
tools, including the Contents and Index tabs.
To open Help outside of Pro Tools (or to select a
different version or language of Help): Contents Tab
1 Open your favorite online browser (such as
The Contents tab displays a complete hierarchical
Safari or Explorer).
list of all topics in the Help system. This lets you
2 Visit the Pro Tools Help launch page quickly see the overall organization of the Help
https://apps.avid.com/ProToolsHelp/ system.

3 Follow the on-screen instructions to open a You can expand and collapse the contents to view
version of Help. the logical organization of the Help system, and
you can move to any topic by clicking its entry in
To close the Help system: the Contents.
 Click the Help viewer’s Close button.
When you move to a new topic, the contents ex-
pands to the level of that topic and highlights the
topic. This feature, like the hierarchy links at the
Help Display top of each topic, lets you see exactly where the
The Help system includes the following display el- current topic is positioned within the logical orga-
ements: nization of the Help system.

Topics Help topics open in the right pane of the To display a topic from the contents:
Help viewer.  Click the Contents tab, and then click a topic’s
Navigation Tools Contents, Index, and Search tabs entry in the contents.
open in the left pane of the Help viewer.
To expand or close a section in the contents:
Hierarchy Links Use these links to verify the
 Click the Contents tab, and then click a book
location of the currently displayed topic within its
icon to the left of a link.
chapter and to jump to relevant higher-level topics,
including the Main Topic.

Show in Contents Button Use this button to

locate the current topic in the Contents.

Previous Topic and Next Topic Buttons Use

these buttons to browse through the topics in the
order in which they appear in the Contents.

Print Click this button to print one or more topics.

32 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Index Tab To perform a basic search:

The Index provides an alphabetized list of entries 1 Click the Search tab.
similar to the index of a printed book. 2 In the Search pop-up menu (located below the
Search text box), click whether you want to
If Java is enabled in your browser, the Index dis-
search in “All Available Books” or a specific
plays as a dynamic index where the listing scrolls
book (such as Pro Tools Shortcuts).
as you type a word in the text box. If you do not
have Java enabled in your browser, or if your 3 In the Search text box, type the word or words
browser does not support Java implementations, a that you want to find.
JavaScript version of the index displays, which lets
4 Click Go.
you scroll manually through the entries.
A list of topics and ranking numbers appears.
To find topics by using the Index tab:
Additional Search Information
1 Click the Index tab.
The Search feature provides the best combination
2 Click the first character of the topic in the
of usefulness and speed:
Numerics, Letters, Symbols list.
• The Search feature uses a database of valid
To view the topic associated with an index entry: words. This database includes all words that are
 Click the index entry. significant for identifying topics and excludes
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
Using the Search Tab words.
The Search tab lets you search the entire text of the • The Search feature cannot search for words in a
Help system for one or more words and then lists certain order. For example, if you type “TIFF
the topics that include those words. The list of re- graphics import” as a search entry, Search dis-
sults is ranked, placing the topics that the Search plays all topics that contains these three words
feature considers most likely to be relevant at the regardless of their location in the topic. The re-
top of the list. sults include topics where the three words ap-
pear together as a phrase, and also topics where
When you search for text, the text string automati-
the three words are scattered throughout the
cally highlights by default. You can turn these
topic.
highlights off. You can also stop displaying high-
lights after a search by using the Back and Forward • The Search feature cannot distinguish between
buttons to go to a different topic. When you come words that are similar but not identical. For ex-
back to your searched topic, the highlights no lon- ample, if you type “capture” as a search entry,
ger display. Search displays topics that include that word,
but it does not find topics that include related
For more guidelines on using the Search feature ef- words such as “captures” or “capturing.” If a
fectively, see “Search Guidelines” on page 34. search for a word fails to produce useful results,
you might be more successful if you search
again using one of the related words.

Using Help 33
 Search Guidelines Printing Help Topics
Use the following rules for formulating search You can print Help topics if you need to refer to
queries: them during a complicated procedure or to use for
• Searches are not case-sensitive, so you can type reference later.
your search in uppercase or lowercase charac- See your browser documentation for more infor-
ters. mation on print options.
• You can search for any combination of letters
(a–z) and numbers (0–9). To print a Help topic:

• Punctuation marks (such as the period, colon, 1 Click the topic pane within the browser window
semicolon, comma, and hyphen) are ignored that you want to print.
during a search, unless they are part of the topic 2 Do one of the following:
(such as .WAV).
• Click the Print button in the Topic pane.
• You can search for a literal phrase by using quo-
• Right-click in the Topic pane and select Print.
tation marks. You cannot search for quotation
marks. • Select File > Print.
3 Select the print options.
Click Print.
Copying from a Help Topic 4

You can copy information from a Help topic for Topics that you print from Help have limited
use in another document (such a text file). page layout and formatting features. If you
want to print a higher quality version of Help
To copy information from a Help topic to another information, Avid recommends that you print
document: all or part of the PDF version of the appro-
1 Open or click the topic to make it active. priate guide.

2 Select the text that you want to copy.

3 Choose Edit > Copy.
4 Place the mouse pointer in another application,
such as a word processing application.
5 Choose Edit > Paste to paste the copied text into
a document. (You can also paste the text into the
Search text box.)

34 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part II: System Configuration
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems

There are several types of Pro Tools systems: Pro Tools Ultimate Software

Pro Tools Intro Software These systems include Pro Tools Ultimate soft-
ware with any compatible non-HDX or non-
Pro Tools Intro software can be used with built-in HD Native Avid audio interfaces (such as Mbox),
computer audio, and using Avid or third-party au- or Core Audio (Mac), ASIO (Windows), or
dio interfaces with supported Core Audio (Mac) or WASAPI (Windows) hardware.
ASIO (Windows) drivers.
MBOX Studio
All Pro Tools subscriptions and trials automat-
ically default to Pro Tools Intro upon expira- MBOX Studio consists of MBOX Studio hard-
tion, ensuring that you have some limited capa- ware, MBOX Control software, Pro Tools Studio
bilities even if your license or trial expires. software, and Sibelius® Artist software.

For more information on MBOX Studio, see

For a list of qualified audio interfaces and the MBOX Studio Guide.
computers for all Pro Tools systems, visit
www.avid.com/compatibility. Pro Tools | Carbon

Pro Tools Artist Software

These systems include Pro Tools | Carbon™ hard-
ware with Pro Tools Ultimate or Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Artist software can be used with built-in software using Core Audio AVB (Mac). Carbon
computer audio, and using Avid or third-party au- provides on-board DSP for minimal latency while
dio interfaces with supported Core Audio (Mac) or recording and input monitoring. You can further
ASIO (Windows) drivers. expand your Carbon system with up to two addi-
tional Pro Tools | Carbon Pre devices.
Pro Tools Studio Software
For more information, see the Carbon Systems
These systems include Pro Tools Studio software Guide.
using either Avid or third-party audio interfaces
with supported Core Audio (Mac, including built- Pro Tools | HDX or HD Native Hardware
in audio on Mac computers), ASIO (Windows), or
WASAPI (Windows Audio Session API). Hardware accelerated Pro Tools | HD™ systems
include Pro Tools | HDX™ or HD Native (PCIe or
Thunderbolt) hardware with HD or MTRX audio
interfaces running Pro Tools Ultimate software.
Hardware accelerated systems provide expanded
I/O capabilities and low-latency monitoring.

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 37

 HDX systems provide dedicated DSP for plug-in Supported Hardware
processing and large mixer configurations (HDX Configurations with Pro Tools
Classic). HDX systems also let you use the HDX Intro Software
Hybrid Engine to leverage host processing for
Pro Tools Intro software works seamlessly with
maximum voice counts and DSP for minimal la-
Avid- and third-party Core Audio (Mac), and
tency while recording and input monitoring.
ASIO and WASAPI (Windows) audio interfaces.
For the latest information on supported hardware
configurations with Pro Tools Intro software, visit
Pro Tools Intro Software www.avid.com/compatibility.
Pro Tools Intro software is a free, feature-reduced
Processing Capacity
version of Pro Tools designed to introduce you to
the Pro Tools product line that provides the follow- The total processing capacity of a Pro Tools Intro
ing capabilities, depending on your hardware con- system depends on the processing power of your
figuration: computer. Visit www.avid.com for the latest sys-
• Up to 4 channels of I/O depending on your sys- tem requirements and compatibility information.
tem and audio hardware
Pro Tools Intro Capabilities with
• Up to a total of 8 mono or stereo audio tracks per Different Hardware Configurations
session at all sample rates
Pro Tools Artist supports up to 4 channels of audio
• Up to 4 Auxiliary Input and Routing Folder
input and output, but the available input and output
tracks
capabilities with Pro Tools Intro varies depending
• 1 Master Fader track on your audio interface. For information about the
• Up to 8 MIDI tracks input and output capabilities of your audio inter-
face, refer to the documentation that came with
• Up to 8 Instrument tracks
your hardware.
• 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit floating point audio
resolution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz If you open a Pro Tools session created on a differ-
ent Pro Tools system that contains more than the
• Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix
number of tracks supported on your Pro Tools sys-
automation
tem, audio tracks beyond the system’s track limit
• Audio processing with up to 10 real-time will be lost.
plug-ins per track, depending on the capabilities
of your computer For details on sharing sessions between
• Up to 10 sends per track Pro Tools systems, see “Sharing Sessions
Created on Different Pro Tools Systems” on
For more information about the I/O capabili- page 497.
ties of your audio interface with Pro Tools,
see the documentation that came with your
audio interface.

38 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Supported Hardware
Pro Tools Artist Software Configurations with Pro Tools
Pro Tools Artist software provides the following Artist Software
capabilities, depending on your hardware Pro Tools Artist software works seamlessly with
configuration: Avid- and third-party Core Audio (Mac), and
• Up to 16 channels of I/O depending on your sys- ASIO and WASAPI (Windows) audio interfaces.
tem and audio hardware For the latest information on supported hardware
configurations with Pro Tools Artist software, visit
• Up to a total of 32 mono or stereo audio tracks
www.avid.com/compatibility.
per session at all sample rates
• Up to 32 Auxiliary Input and Routing Folder Processing Capacity
tracks
The total processing capacity of a Pro Tools Artist
• Up to 2,000 Basic Folder tracks system depends on the processing power of your
• 1 Master Fader track computer. Visit www.avid.com for the latest sys-
• Up to 64 MIDI tracks tem requirements and compatibility information.

• Up to 32 Instrument tracks Pro Tools Artist Capabilities with

• 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit floating point audio Different Hardware Configurations
resolution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz
Pro Tools Artist supports up to 16 channels of au-
• Automatic Delay Compensation (up to 16,383 dio input and output, but the available input and
samples at 48 kHz) output capabilities with Pro Tools Artist varies de-
• Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix pending on your audio interface. For information
automation about the input and output capabilities of your au-
dio interface, refer to the documentation that came
• Audio processing with up to 10 real-time
with your hardware.
plug-ins per track, depending on the capabilities
of your computer If you open a Pro Tools session created on a differ-
• Up to 10 hardware inserts per track ent Pro Tools system that contains more than the
number of tracks supported on your Pro Tools sys-
• Up to 10 sends per track
tem, audio tracks beyond the system’s track limit
• AAC audio support will be lost.
• Timecode support
For details on sharing sessions between
For more information about the I/O capabili- Pro Tools systems, see “Sharing Sessions
ties of your audio interface with Pro Tools, Created on Different Pro Tools Systems” on
see the documentation that came with your page 497.
audio interface.

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 39

 • Clip Effects
Pro Tools Studio Software
• AAC audio support
Pro Tools Studio software provides the following
• Import video
capabilities, depending on your hardware
configuration: • Bounce Mix multi-stem support

• Up to 64 channels of I/O depending on your sys- • Support for up to 2 Satellite systems

tem and audio hardware • Timecode + Feet/Frames support
• Up to a total of 512 mono or stereo audio tracks • AFL/PFL
per session at all sample rates
• Mic Pre support
• Up to 128 Auxiliary Input and Routing Folder
• Batch Rename
tracks
• Advanced Metering
• Up to 2,000 Basic Folder tracks
• Up to 64 Master Fader track For more information about the I/O capabili-
ties of your audio interface with Pro Tools,
• Up to 1,024 MIDI tracks
see the documentation that came with your
• Up to 512 Instrument tracks audio interface.
• Up to 128 VCA Master tracks
• A single video track
Supported Hardware
Configurations with Pro Tools
• 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit floating point audio Studio Software
resolution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz
Pro Tools Studio software works seamlessly with
• Automatic Delay Compensation (up to 16,383 non-HD Avid audio hardware (such as Mbox or
samples at 48 kHz) Pro Tools | Carbon) as well as third-party
• Fixed RAM Disk Cache allocation options Core Audio (Mac), and ASIO and WASAPI
(Windows) audio interfaces. For the latest infor-
• Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix
mation on supported hardware configurations with
automation
Pro Tools Studio software, visit
• Advanced automation features www.avid.com/compatibility.
• Smart HDX DSP for minimal latency recording
and input monitoring (Pro Tools | Carbon only) Processing Capacity

• Multichannel support for surround sound in- The total processing capacity of a Pro Tools Studio
cluding Dolby Atmos® and Ambisonics system depends on the processing power of your
• Audio processing with up to 10 real-time computer. Visit www.avid.com for the latest sys-
plug-ins per track, depending on the capabilities tem requirements and compatibility information.
of your computer
• Up to 10 hardware inserts per track
• Up to 10 sends per track
• AAF and OMF Import/Export
• HEAT

40 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools Studio Capabilities with • Automatic Delay Compensation (up to 16,383
Different Hardware Configurations samples at 48 kHz)
Pro Tools Studio supports up to 64 channels of au- • Fixed RAM Disk Cache allocation options
dio input and output, but the available input and • Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix
output capabilities with Pro Tools Studio varies automation
depending on your audio interface. For informa-
• Advanced automation features
tion about the input and output capabilities of your
audio interface, refer to the documentation that • FPGA-based low latency monitoring (LLM)
came with your hardware. with Pro Tools | HDX and HD Native hardware
• Smart HDX DSP for minimal latency recording
If you open a Pro Tools session created on a differ-
and input monitoring (Pro Tools | Carbon only)
ent Pro Tools system that contains more than the
number of tracks supported on your Pro Tools sys- • Multichannel support for surround sound in-
tem, audio tracks beyond the system’s voiceable cluding Dolby Atmos and Ambisonics
track limit will be automatically set to inactive. • Audio processing with up to 10 inserts per track
(in any combination of real-time, host-based
plug-in and hardware inserts), depending on the
Pro Tools Ultimate Software capabilities of you computer, the number and
type of installed audio interfaces, and whether or
Pro Tools Ultimate software provides the follow-
not you are using HDX or Pro Tools | Carbon
ing capabilities with Core Audio, ASIO, or
hardware for additional dedicated DSP process-
WASAPI hardware:
ing
• Up to 256 channels of I/O depending on your
• Up to 10 sends per track
system configuration
• AAF and OMF Import/Export
• Up to a total of 2,048 voiceable audio tracks of
any channel width (unvoiced tracks are made in- • HEAT
active) • Clip FX
• Up to a total of 2,048 voices at all sample rates • AAC audio support
• Up to 1,024 Auxiliary Input and Routing Folder • Import video
tracks
• Bounce Mix multi-stem support
• Up to 2,000 Basic Folder tracks
• Support for up to 2 Satellite systems
• Up to 512 Master Fader tracks
• Timecode + Feet/Frames support
• Up to 128 VCA Master tracks
• AFL/PFL
• Up to 1,024 MIDI tracks
• Mic Pre support
• Up to 512 Instrument tracks
• Batch Rename
• Up to 64 video tracks per session
• Advanced Metering
• 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit floating point audio
resolution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 41

 For more information about the I/O capabili- MBOX Studio
ties of your audio interface with Pro Tools,
MBOX Studio is a versatile multi-channel audio
see the documentation that came with your
interface for Pro Tools and Sibelius software, or
audio interface.
other Core Audio or ASIO–compatible software.

Supported Hardware MBOX Studio provides:

Configurations with Pro Tools
• Up to 21 inputs and 22 outputs at 44.1/48 kHz.
Ultimate Software
Maximum I/O varies with sample rate, as fol-
Pro Tools Ultimate software works seamlessly lows: 10 x 10 simultaneous IO at 176.4/192k
with non-HD Avid audio hardware (such as Mbox
• 4x XLR/¼-inch TRS Combo Micro-
or Pro Tools | Carbon) as well as third-party Core
phone/Line/Instruments Inputs (2 on the back
Audio (Mac), and ASIO and WASAPI (Windows)
panel, 2 on the front panel), each with:
audio interfaces. For the latest information on sup-
ported hardware configurations with Pro Tools Ul- • High quality microphone preamps
timate software, visit www.avid.com/compatibil- • Variable Z impedance circuit to provide more
ity. tonal options and compatibility for Mic and In-
strument inputs
Processing Capacity
• Large dual-function (rotate/push) encoder
The total processing capacity of a Pro Tools Ulti- • Link button to link stereo inputs
mate system depends on the processing power of
• 48V phantom power
your computer. Visit www.avid.com for the latest
system requirements and compatibility informa- • HPF (High Pass Filter)
tion. • –10 dB Pad
For details on sharing sessions between differ- • Polarity invert
ent Pro Tools systems, see “Sharing Sessions • Soft-Limit
Created on Different Pro Tools Systems” on
• 9-segment input meters
page 497.
• Hardware inserts assignable via FX Loops 1–2
Pro Tools Ultimate Capabilities with
• 2x ¼-inch TRS Line inputs
Different Hardware Configurations
• 4x ¼-inch TRS Line outputs
Pro Tools Ultimate supports up to 64 channels of
• L/R Main Monitor outputs
audio input and output with non-HD hardware, but
the available input and output capabilities with • 1/2 Alt outputs
Pro Tools Ultimate varies depending on your au- • 2x ¼-inch TRS effect loops (hardware inserts)
dio interface. For information about the input and with Level and Impedance matching
output capabilities of your audio interface, refer to
• 2x ¼-inch TRS outputs
the documentation that came with your hardware.
• 2x ¼-inch TRS inputs
• Switchable impedance between “Line” and “Hi-
Z/Stomp Box”

42 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• Control Room section
Pro Tools | Carbon Systems
• Large dual-function (rotate/push) encoder to
control output levels (rotate) and Speaker Out-
For more information, see the Carbon Systems
put select Main/Alt (push)
Guide.
• Mute, Dim, and Mono buttons
• Bluetooth input/output source select button Pro Tools | Carbon
• Monitor Link Button to link output levels on Pro Tools | Carbon is a versatile multi-channel au-
Main/Alt/Bluetooth dio interface for Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools
• 4x User Action buttons, color coded with cus- Studio software, or other AVB Core Audio–com-
tom color selection (push and push /hold dual patible software.
functionality) Pro Tools | Carbon provides:
• Stereo Bluetooth input • Up to 192 kHz 32-bit AD/DA conversion
• Stereo Bluetooth output • Low latency tracking workflows with on-board
• 1x Coax S/PDIF I/O smart HDX DSP
• 1x Optical I/O (supports ADAT, SMUX and • 8 analog preamp inputs with
S/PDIF) • Variable Z (impedance) on INST inputs 1–2
• 8x Pro Tools (or other DAW) software inputs (front panel)
• 2x ¼-inch headphone outputs with individual • Variable Z (impedance) on MIC inputs 5–8
mixes and rotary controls (back panel)
• 1x ¼-inch Hi-Z Out to Amp output for re-ampli- • 8 line inputs (DB25 or TRS 1/4-inch) with
fication • True preamp bypass option
• MBOX button (launches MBOX Control) • 18 channels digital-to-analog conversion
• Input channel-based EQ, and Avid Reverb and • 8 line outputs (DB25)
Delay FX • Dedicated stereo (L–R) monitor outputs
• Built-in instrument Tuner (TRS 1/4-inch)
• 1x1 MIDI I/O • 4 stereo headphone outputs
• 2x Footswitch and/or Expression Pedal inputs • ADAT I/O
• Low Latency Direct Monitoring (LLM) via • 16 channels at 44.1/48 kHz
MBOX Control • 8 channels at 88.2/96 kHz
• USB 2.0 Type C Connector • 4 channels at 176.4/192 kHz
• Supports iOS (compatible with camera kit (not • 8 channel I/O metering
included)) • Stereo monitor output metering
• External 12V Power Supply • Front panel control over monitor sets, head-
• Kensington Security Slot phone outputs, input channel settings, input and
output metering, and talkback mic
• Integrated talkback mic
Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 43
 • Footswitch to toggle talkback on and off Pro Tools | Carbon Pre provides:
• Gigabit AVB-capable Ethernet • Sample rates up to 192 kHz
• Support for optical S/PDIF • 32-bit AD/DA conversion
• Mic Preamp control from Pro Tools tracks • 8 analog preamp inputs with
• Variable Z (impedance) on INST inputs 1–2
Pro Tools | Carbon Pre and (front panel)
Expanded Systems • Variable Z (impedance) on MIC inputs 5–8
Pro Tools | Carbon Pre is a versatile multi-channel (back panel)
audio interface for use with Pro Tools Studio and • 8 line inputs (DB25 or TRS 1/4-inch) with true
Pro Tools Ultimate software or other Core Audio– preamp bypass capability
compatible software. It provides exceptional
• 8 line outputs (DB25)
AD/DA audio conversion with 8 mic/line inputs
(combo XLR/TRS or DB25), 2 instrument inputs • Multichannel ADAT I/O:
(TS), 8 line outputs (DB25), ADAT I/O, Word • 16 channels ADAT at 44.1/48 kHz
Clock, and AVB. You can use up to two Carbon
• 8 channels ADAT at 88.2/96 kHz
Pre units in a Pro Tools | Carbon Expanded system
for additional I/O. • 4 channels ADAT at 176.4/192 kHz

In a Pro Tools | Carbon Expanded system, each ADAT I/O is not available in Pro Tools with
Pro Tools | Carbon Pre provides an additional 8 Pro Tools | Carbon Pre when it is part of a
channels of audio I/O, and when used with Pro Pro Tools | Carbon Expanded system. How-
Tools can each take advantage of the DSP in your ever, ADAT I/O remains available on the Pro
Pro Tools | Carbon. Pro Tools | Carbon Pre can Tools | Carbon primary device in a Pro Tools
also function as a standalone 8-channel analog mi- | Carbon Expanded system.
crophone preamp or as a standalone ADAT
• Stereo Optical S/PDIF input (auto-detected) at
AD/DA converter. Additionally, you can use Pro
44.1/48 kHz and 88.2/96 kHz
Tools | Carbon Pre as an AVB interface with thrid-
party AVB Core Audio–compatible audio soft- • Word Clock I/O
ware. • 8 channel I/O metering
Pro Tools | Carbon Pre can be used in the following • Front panel control over input channel settings,
system configurations: and input and output metering
• To provide additional I/O in a Pro Tools | Carbon • Gigabit AVB-capable Ethernet (100’ maximum
Expanded system (up to two Carbon Pre units) cable length)
• As a standalone AD/DA converter (ADAT
mode)
• As a standalone 8-channel microphone preamp
(ADAT mode and AD->DA mode)
• As an AVB audio interface with Pro Tools or any
other Core Audio–compatible DAW

44 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 • Fixed RAM Disk Cache allocation options
Pro Tools | HDX
• No-latency monitoring
HDX systems can be expanded by adding HDX
• Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix
cards to increase track count and the amount of
automation
plug-in and mixer processing, and expanding I/O
by adding additional audio interfaces. Each system • Audio processing with up to 10 inserts per track
requires at least one Avid HD audio interface (sold (any combination of real-time plug-in and hard-
separately). ware inserts), depending on your computer’s ca-
pabilities

Pro Tools Ultimate Capabilities • Up to 10 sends per track

with HDX Hardware • TrackPunch and DestructivePunch
Pro Tools Ultimate with HDX hardware provides • AAF and OMF Import/Export
the following capabilities: • HEAT
• Up to 192 channels of I/O depending on your • Clip FX
system configuration (up to 64 channels of I/O
per HDX card) • AAC audio support

• Up to a total of 2,048 voiceable audio tracks of • Field Recorder support

any channel width (unvoiced tracks are made in- • Import video and advanced video editing fea-
active): tures
• Up to 256 voices per HDX card (HDX Clas- • Bounce Mix multi-stem support
sic)
• Support for up to 12 Satellite systems
• Up to 2,048 voices with the HDX Hybrid En-
• Timecode + Feet|Frames support
gine (HDX Hybrid Engine only)
• H.265 support
• Up to 1,024 Auxiliary Input tracks or Routing
Folder Tracks Audio Recording and Playback
• Up to 2,000 Basic Folder tracks Capabilities
• Up to 512 Master Fader tracks The number of simultaneous tracks for audio re-
• Up to 128 VCA Master tracks cording or playback depends on your system con-
figuration and system resources.
• Up to 1,024 MIDI tracks
• Up to 512 Instrument tracks Number of Voiced Audio Tracks
• Up to 64 video tracks per session Each channel in an audio track requires a single
• 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit floating point audio voice for playback. For example, while a mono
resolution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz track uses one voice and a stereo track uses two
• Multichannel support for surround sound in- voices, a 5.1 track uses six voices.
cluding Dolby Atmos and Ambisonics
• Automatic Delay Compensation (up to 16,348
samples at 48 kHz)

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 45

 Number of Voices with HDX Classic • One or more Avid HD audio interfaces (sold
separately)
With the Playback Engine set to HDX, the number
of available voices depends on the number of HDX • DigiLink™ Mini cable for connecting
cards in your system. HD Native hardware to an audio interface
• A MIDI interface (optional)
HDX 1 256 voices at 48 kHz, 128 voices at 96 kHz,
and 64 voices at 192 kHz. For detailed information about installing
HDX 2 512 voices at 48 kHz, 256 voices at 96 kHz, HD Native PCIe hardware, see the HD Native
and 128 voices at 192 kHz. Installation Guide.
For information about installing HD Native
HDX 3 768 voices at 48 kHz, 384 voices at 96 kHz, Thunderbolt hardware, see the HD Native
and 192 voices at 192 kHz. Thunderbolt Guide.

Number of Voices with HDX Hybrid Engine

Pro Tools Ultimate Capabilities
With the Playback Engine set to HDX with the Hy- with HD Native Hardware
brid Engine enabled, Pro Tools Ultimate supports Pro Tools Ultimate with HD Native hardware pro-
up to 2,048 voices at all sample rates using host vides the following capabilities:
processing while HDX DSP are used for low la-
• Up to 64 channels of I/O depending on your sys-
tency Channel I/O in DSP mode (the number of
tem configuration
available Channel I/O depends on the number of
HDX cards in your system). • Up to a total of 2,048 voiceable audio tracks of
any channel width (unvoiced tracks are made in-
active)
Pro Tools | HD Native • Up to a total of 2,048 voices at all sample rates
HD Native systems can be expanded by adding ad- • Up to 1,024 Auxiliary Input tracks or Routing
ditional HD audio interfaces. Each system requires Folder tracks
at least one Pro Tools HD audio interface (sold • Up to 2,000 Basic Folder tracks
separately).
• Up to 512 Master Fader tracks
Pro Tools HD systems with HD Native hardware • Up to 128 VCA Master tracks
consist of the following:
• Up to 1,024 MIDI tracks
• One of the following:
• Up to 512 Instrument tracks
• HD Native PCIe card
• Up to 64 video tracks per session
• HD Native Thunderbolt interface
• 16-bit, 24-bit, or 32-bit floating point audio res-
• Pro Tools Ultimate olution, at sample rates up to 192 kHz
• An authorized iLok for running • Non-destructive, random-access editing and mix
Pro Tools Ultimate software automation

46 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• Multichannel support for surround sound in- Maximum I/O Configuration with
cluding Dolby Atmos and Ambisonics HDX
• Automatic Delay Compensation (up to 16,348 HDX supports up to a maximum combination of
samples at 48 kHz) 12 total of the following audio interfaces:
• Fixed RAM Disk Cache allocation options • HD OMNI (only 1 HD OMNI interface is sup-
• FPGA-based low latency monitoring (LLM) ported in a single system)
• Audio processing with up to 10 inserts per track • HD I/O (up to 12 HD I/O interfaces can be used
(in any combination of real-time, host-based simultaneously—requires 3 HDX cards)
plug-in and hardware inserts), depending on • HD MADI (up to 3 HD MADI interfaces can be
your computer’s capabilities, and the number used simultaneously—requires 3 HDX cards)
and type of installed audio interfaces
• MTRX (up to 12 MTRX interfaces can be used
• Up to 10 sends per track simultaneously—requires 3 HDX cards)
• MTRX Studio (only 1 MTRX Studio interface is
supported in a single system)
Supported Pro Tools HD
Audio Interfaces
Maximum I/O Configuration with
The following Pro Tools | HD audio interfaces are HD Native
compatible with HDX and HD Native hardware:
HD Native supports up to a maximum combina-
• Pro Tools | HD I/O tion of up to 4 total of the following audio inter-
• Pro Tools | HD OMNI faces:
• Pro Tools | HD MADI • HD OMNI (only 1 HD OMNI interface is sup-
ported in a single HD Native system)
• Pro Tools | MTRX
• HD I/O (up to 4 HD I/O interfaces can be used
• Pro Tools | MTRX Studio
simultaneously)
HDX and HD Native systems require at least • HD MADI (full connectivity with 1 HD MADI
one HD I/O, HD OMNI, HD MADI, MTRX, interface is possible when both DigiLink ports
or MTRX Studio. of the HD MADI are connected to both Dig-
iLink ports on the HD Native PCIe card or
Thunderbolt interface)
• MTRX (up to 4 MTRX interfaces can be used si-
multaneously)
• MTRX Studio (only 1 MTRX Studio interface is
supported in a single system)

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 47

 Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with
Pro Tools Ultimate Software
The table below lists the audio playback, recording, and voiceable track limits with Pro Tools Ultimate
software with HDX, HD Native, Core Audio, and ASIO hardware. Playback and recording voices refers to
the number of unique simultaneous playback and record tracks on your system. Total voiceable tracks re-
fers 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.)

With HDX systems, voice limits are dependent on the session sample rate and the number of DSP chips
dedicated to the system’s Playback Engine. With the HDX Hybrid Engine, HD Native, Core Audio, and
ASIO systems, voice limits are dependent on host processing.
s

Pro Tools Ultimate audio playback, recording, and voice limits by hardware configuration

Sample Rate
Core System Type Maximum I/O Maximum Voices
(kHz)

HDX, 1 card 64 channels 44.1/48 256

88.2/96 128

176.4/192 64

HDX, 2 cards 128 channels 44.1/48 512

88.2/96 256

176.4/192 128

HDX, 3 cards 192 channels 44.1/48 768

88.2/96 384

176.4/192 192

HDX Hybrid Engine 64 channels per HDX 44.1/48 2,048

card
88.2/96 2,048

176.4/192 2,048

48 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools Ultimate audio playback, recording, and voice limits by hardware configuration

Sample Rate
Core System Type Maximum I/O Maximum Voices
(kHz)

HD Native 64 channels 44.1/48 2,048

88.2/96 2,048

176.4/192 2,048

Pro Tools Ultimate with 256 channels 44.1/48 2,048

Core Audio or ASIO
88.2/96 2,048

176.4/192 2,048

Pro Tools HD Audio Interface Features

The following table lists the input and output capabilities of the various Pro Tools HD audio interfaces for
HDX and HD Native systems. Each HDX card in your system supports a maximum of 64 channels of I/O.
HD Native hardware supports a maximum of 64 channels of I/O. To record and play audio with
Pro Tools Ultimate with any of these hardware configurations, you must have at least one Pro Tools HD
audio interface connected to the first port of the first card (or Thunderbolt interface) in the system.

Avid HD audio interface channel capabilities

Number of I/O Sample A/D D/A

Interface Type Digital I/O
Channels Rates (kHz) Conversion Conversion

HD I/O 16 in/16 out 44.1, 48, 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

88.2, 96,
176.4, 192

HD OMNI 8 in/8 out 44.1, 48, 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

88.2, 96,
176.4, 192

HD MADI 64 in/64 out 44.1, 48, None None 24-bit

88.2, 96,
176.4, 192

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 49

 Avid HD audio interface channel capabilities

Number of I/O Sample A/D D/A

Interface Type Digital I/O
Channels Rates (kHz) Conversion Conversion

MTRX up to 64 44.1, 48, 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

88.2, 96,
176.4, 192

MTRX Studio up to 64 44.1, 48, 24-bit 24-bit 24-bit

88.2, 96,
176.4, 192

HD OMNI Audio Interface • 4 analog TRS line level back panel inputs
(Channels 1–4)
HD OMNI is a professional digital audio interface
designed for use with Pro Tools HD systems. HD OMNI provides multiple analog input con-
HD OMNI provides a compact preamp, monitor- nections, but only four channels of analog input
ing, and I/O solution for music production and re- for Pro Tools.
cording, and post production studios.
• Soft Clip and Curv limiting circuits to protect
HD OMNI Features against clipping on analog input

HD OMNI provides up to 8 discrete channels of • 8 channels of analog back panel output using a
Pro Tools input and output, with 4-segment LED DB-25 breakout cable (sold separately) with
meters for input or output (selectable). variable output gain
• 2 channels of analog back panel output using
Analog I/O TRS (Mirrors channels 1–2 or 7–8 on DB-25
• 24-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-an- connector)
alog (D/A) converters, with support for sample • Front panel stereo 1/4-inch headphone jack
rates up to 192 kHz
• 2 high-quality Mic/DI preamps (Channels 1–2) Digital I/O

• 2 combined XLR and 1/4-inch TRS front panel • 8 channels of AES/EBU output (up to 192 kHz
inputs for microphone and instrument level in- Single Wire) using a DB-25 breakout cable (sold
put separately)

• 2 XLR back panel microphone inputs • 2 channels of AES/EBU XLR input (up to
192 kHz Single Wire)
• 2 1/4-inch TRS Send and 2 1/4-inch TRS Return
back panel jacks for hardware inserts on chan- • 2 channels of S/PDIF RCA input and output (up
nels 1 and 2 to 192 kHz)
• 8 channels of ADAT™ TOSLINK input and out-
put

50 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• Support for ADAT S/MUX Optical for sample HD I/O Audio Interface
rates of 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and
HD I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface
192 kHz
designed for use with Pro Tools HD systems.
• Support for two channels of S/PDIF Optical HD I/O features extremely high quality 24-bit an-
with sample rates of up to 96 kHz alog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A)
• Real-time sample rate conversion (SRC) on Dig- converters, and supports sample rates of up to
ital Inputs 1–2 of either AES/EBU, S/PDIF, or 192 kHz.
Optical (S/PDIF)
HD I/O comes in three standard configurations:
SRC is not supported with ADAT S/MUX. • 8 x 8 x 8 (8 analog in, 8 analog out, and 8 digital
in and out)
Monitoring
• 16 x 16 analog in and out
• An additional stereo “CUE” output path in
Pro Tools for headphone monitoring from the • 16 x 16 digital in and out
front panel headphone jack
You can also add or remove HD I/O Analog Ex-
• Front panel Control Room (MAIN/ALT) and pansion cards (ADC and DAC) and HD I/O Digi-
Headphone monitoring volume control tal Expansion cards for custom configurations.
• Flexible monitoring with fold-down from all ste-
reo and surround formats (up to 7.1 surround) HD I/O Features

• Input mixer for low latency direct monitoring of HD I/O provides up to 16 discrete channels of
a variety of incoming signals (configured in the Pro Tools input and output, with 4-segment LED
Pro Tools Hardware Setup) meters for input and output.

Synchronization Analog I/O

• Loop Sync input and output for connecting • Up to sixteen channels of 24-bit D/A and A/D
additional HD peripherals converters for superior analog input and output
• External Clock input and output for synchroniz- at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz,
ing HD OMNI with external Word Clock de- 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz with Analog In
vices and Analog Out HD I/O cards
• Soft Clip and Curv limiting circuits to protect
For more information, see the HD OMNI Guide. against clipping on analog input

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 51

 Digital I/O HD MADI Digital Audio Interface
• Up to sixteen channels of 24-bit digital I/O, us- HD MADI is a 64-channel, digital audio interface
ing AES/EBU, TDIF DB-25, or Optical at sam- designed for use with Avid HD systems.
ple rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and HD MADI supports the Multichannel Audio Digi-
192 kHz with a Digital HD I/O card tal Interface (MADI) format and sample rates of up
• Real-time sample rate conversion on digital in- to 192 kHz. HD MADI provides simplified con-
puts with a Digital I/O card (up to sixteen chan- nectivity between your Avid HD system and
nels of AES/EBU, Optical, or TDIF) MADI-compatible audio equipment.
• Support for S/MUX Optical for sample rates of
HD MADI Features
88.2 kHz and higher
• 2 MADI Optical and Coaxial inputs and 2
• Support for 2 channels of S/PDIF Optical
MADI Optical and Coaxial outputs for up to 64
(enclosed) with sample rates of up to 96 kHz
discrete channels of digital input and output (32
• 2 channels of AES/EBU I/O (enclosed) with channels per DigiLink Mini port)
support for sample rates up to 192 kHz
• Supports sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96,
• 2 channels of 24-bit-capable S/PDIF I/O 176.4, and 192 kHz
(enclosed) with support for sample rates up to
• 24- or 16-bit resolution
192 kHz
• Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) on input or out-
Synchronization put
• Loop Sync input and output for connecting addi- • Front panel clock and SRC indicators
tional Avid HD audio interfaces and peripherals
• Front panel signal present LEDs for input and
• External Clock input and output for synchroniz- output
ing HD I/O with external Word Clock devices
• BNC Word Clock I/O for synchronizing
Expandability
HD MADI with external 1x Word Clock

• Optional addition of I/O cards to expand analog • BNC Loop Sync I/O for synchronizing
or digital I/O HD MADI with additional Avid HD audio
interfaces and peripherals (such as HD I/O,
• Simultaneous use of multiple Avid HD audio in- HD OMNI, or Sync X)
terfaces to further expand system input and out-
put • Dedicated BNC Word Clock input and XLR
AES/EBU input (clock input only) for external
For more information, see the HD I/O Guide. MADI synchronization (when using SRC on
output)
• Clock support for the following formats: Inter-
nal, 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.

52 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools | MTRX Synchronization

Pro Tools | MTRX is a multichannel digital audio • Sample rates of 44.1–384 kHz as well as
interface designed for use with Pro Tools | HDX DSD64/DSD 128 with high precision internal
and Pro Tools | HD Native systems. clock and PLL
• Sample rate can be adapted to the setting of an
Depending on installed analog expansion I/O external device
cards, MTRX features extremely high quality
24-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-ana- • Synchronization by Word Clock, AES11, Video,
log (D/A) converters, and supports sample rates of and all digital audio inputs
up to 192 kHz.
Remote Control
MTRX comes in three standard configurations: • Operation using DADman software—some set-
• 8 x 8 x 8 (8 analog in, 8 analog out, and 8 digital tings can be controlled on the front panel
in and out) • All settings are controlled over Ethernet
• 16 x 16 analog in and out
Pro Tools | MTRX I/O Expansion Options
• 16 x 16 digital in and out
• 2 to 48 analog channels depending on the in-
You can also add or remove analog and digital I/O stalled analog I/O cards (Mic/Line AD cards
expansion cards for custom configurations. with relay-based mic pre gain circuits):
• MTRX 8 Line Pristine AD Card
MTRX Features
• MTRX 2 Mic/Line Pristine AD Card
Pro Tools MTRX provides up to 64 discrete chan- • MTRX 8 Mic/Line Pristine AD Card
nels of audio for Pro Tools with two DigiLink Mini • MTRX Pristine 8 DA Card
ports (Primary and Primary/Expansion).
• Digital I/O Expansion Cards:
Digital I/O • MTRX 8 AES3 I/O Card
• Built-in 8 AES3 interfaces with 16 channels of • MTRX Dual SDI/HD/3G Card
I/O • MTRX Dante 128 Card
• Built-in MADI coax interface with 64 channels • MTRX 64-Channel IP Audio Dante Module
of I/O
• MTRX Dual MADI I/O Card
• Compliant with the Dante Controller and Dante
• MTRX DigiLink I/O Card
Virtual Sound Card
• MTRX SPQ Processing Card
• Ethernet IP audio interface for 64 I/O channels
using Dante® with configurable redundant net- For more information, see the MTRX In-
work stallation and the MTRX Operation guides.
• Digital router and format converter between all
analog and digital inputs and outputs

Chapter 5: Pro Tools Systems 53

 Pro Tools | MTRX Studio
Pro Tools Hardware Options
Pro Tools | MTRX Studio is a multi-channel audio
interface for Pro Tools | HDX and Pro Tools | HD Pro Tools Ultimate also supports the following
Native systems. Avid HD hardware options.
• Pro Tools | Sync X or SYNC HD™ synchroniza-
MTRX Studio Features tion peripherals (HDX and HD Native systems
only):
MTRX Studio provides up to 64 discrete channels
of audio for Pro Tools with two DigiLink Mini Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools Studio also sup-
ports (Primary and Primary/Expansion). ports the following Avid HD hardware options.

Analog I/O • Pro Tools | PRE™ (Eight-channel microphone

preamp)
• 2 Instrument/Microphone inputs (with mic pres)
• Control surfaces (such as Avid S1™, Dock, Avid
• 16 analog line inputs (DB-25)
Control app, and Artist™ Series controllers)
• 16 analog line outputs (DB-25)
• 2 monitor outputs (balanced 1/4-inch)
• 2 stereo headphone outputs Pro Tools Software Options

Digital I/O Pro Tools | MachineControl

• 64x64 Dante I/O
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
• 16x16 ADAT I/O
Pro Tools | MachineControl™ enables serial com-
Synchronization munication with Sony® 9-pin compatible synchro-
• Sample rates of 44.1–192 kHz nizers, and video or audio machines (see
Chapter 61, “Pro Tools | MachineControl”).
• Synchronization by Internal, Word Clock, Loop
Sync, ADAT, or Dante IP
Pro Tools with VENUE Link
Control, Routing, and Processing For Pro Tools systems that are connected to
• Operation using DADman software—some set- VENUE™ systems using Ethernet, VENUE Link
tings can be controlled on the front panel provides Pro Tools and VENUE system integra-
• All settings controlled over Ethernet tion and interoperability (see “VENUE” on
page 158).
• 512x512 cross-point matrix
• 256x32 summing (Pro | Mon) with monitor pro-
files
• 256 filters for 16 channels of speaker EQ

For more information, see the MTRX Studio

Installation and the MTRX Studio Operation
guides.

54 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 6: I/O Setup

The I/O Setup provides tools to label, format, and assign Pro Tools input, output, insert, and bus audio sig-
nal paths both for individual sessions as well as for your specific Pro Tools system. I/O Setup also provides
controls for Mic Preamps (such as for Avid | PRE) signal paths and Delay Compensation settings for hard-
ware inserts.

The I/O Setup displays a graphical representation (cross-point matrix) of the signal routing for physical in-
put and output paths for each connected audio interface. Like a virtual patchbay, I/O Setup controls let you
route physical inputs and outputs on audio interfaces to Pro Tools input and output channels. For HDX and
HD Native systems, some of these controls mirror the routing controls found in the Hardware Setup—
changes made to physical routing in one is always reflected in the other. The I/O Setup also includes con-
trols for creating internal mix busses and for creating and mapping output busses.

Path Type tabs Path Format selector Interface Name label

Path Name column

Input and Output
selectors

Active/Inactive
Status

Channel Grid

Path tools Options

Import/Export Settings

I/O Setup on an HDX system with HD OMNI and HD I/O

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 55

 Opening the I/O Setup
Pro Tools Software Signal
The I/O Setup can be opened from the application Paths
window (with a session closed), or from within a
session (when a session is open). A signal path is a logical grouping of multiple in-
puts, outputs, or busses that has a single name and
To open the I/O Setup: (channel) format. The I/O Setup lets you create,
define and name paths according to the configura-
1 Make sure your audio interfaces are enabled
tion of your studio and the needs of each project.
and configured properly in the Hardware Setup.
24 busses are created by default, but you can create
See “Configuring Hardware Settings in
as many as you need.
Pro Tools” on page 104.
2 Choose Setup > I/O. Main Paths and Sub-Paths
Paths in Pro Tools tracks and I/O Setup include
Closing the I/O Setup
main paths and sub-paths.
To close the I/O Setup and save changes:
Main Paths
 Click OK.
Main paths are logical groupings of inputs, inserts,
Pro Tools checks several settings for routing valid- busses, or outputs. For example, a master stereo
ity (to prevent feedback loops). If there are any output path will include both its left and right chan-
overlapping or invalid settings, you will be re- nels.
quired to correct them (see “Valid Paths and Re-
quirements” on page 81). Sub-Paths

To close the I/O Setup without saving changes: A sub-path represents a signal path within a main
path. For example, a default stereo output bus path
 Click Cancel.
consists of two mono sub-paths, left and right.
Mono tracks and sends can be routed to either
Navigating in the I/O Setup mono sub-path of the stereo output bus path.
To scroll up or down in the I/O Setup:

 Press Page Up/Down (Mac) or Page Up/Down

(Windows).

To scroll left or right in the I/O Setup:

 Press Option+Page Up/Down (Mac) or

Alt+Page Up/Down (Windows).

Main and sub-paths in I/O Setup (Input page)

56 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sub-paths for Output Paths Default Sub-Paths

Pro Tools lets you create sub-paths for physical Main

Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Path
output paths in the Output page. Using output bus
sub-paths rather than physical output sub-paths is 5.0 – 1 Stereo (LR) 5– Stereo: <main path
sufficient for most workflows. Use physical output 6.0 – 7 Mono name >.LR
sub-paths only when you need alternate mix for- 7.0 (one for each Mono: <main path
channel) name >.L, .C, .R,
mats for the same physical output (including ex- .Ls, .Rs, and so on
plicit downmix paths).
5.1 – 1 Stereo (LR) 6– Stereo: <main path
Default Bus Sub-paths 6.1 – 8 Mono name >.LR
7.1 (one for each Mono: <main path
Pro Tools lets you create the default sub-paths for channel) name >.L, .C, .R,
busses in the New Sub-Path dialog when accessed .Ls, .Rs, and so on,
and LFE
from the Bus page. Enable the Create Default Sub-
Paths option to have Pro Tools automatically cre- 7.0.2 1 each: 7.0, 5.0, multichannel sub-
ate the default set of sub-paths for the path format (Dolby Quad, LCR, Ste- paths: <main path
(channel width) of the selected main bus path, as Atmos reo, Overhead name >.<channel
only) (LR); format>
follows:
and 9 Mono Mono: <main path
Default Sub-Paths (one for each name >.L, .C, .R,
channel) .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr,
Main .Lts, .Rts
Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Path
7.1.2 1 each: 7.1, 7.0, Stereo: <main path
Mono N/A N/A (Dolby 5.1, 5.0, Quad, name >.LR
Atmos LCR, Stereo, Mono: <main path
Stereo 2 mono <main path
name > followed by only) Overhead (LR); name >.L, .C, .R,
and10 Mono .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr,
channel designation
(one for each .LFE, .Lts, .Rts
.L and .R
channel)
LCR 1 Stereo (LR) Stereo: <main path
3 Mono (one for name >.LR When the Create Default Sub-Paths option is en-
each channel) Mono: <main path
abled, all other custom options in the New Sub-
name >.L, .C, .R
Paths dialog are grayed-out and unavailable.
LCRS 1 Stereo (LR) Stereo: <main path
4 Mono (one for name > .LR It is especially useful to define and name
each channel) Mono: <main path sub-paths for complex mixing setups, such
name>.L, .C, .R, .S as a 5.1 surround mix.
Quad 1 Stereo (LR) Stereo: <main path
4 Mono (one for name > .LR
each channel) Mono: <main path
name>.L, .R, .Ls, .Rs

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 57

 Paths in Sessions When you create a new session, you can specify
which I/O Settings to use. For example, you can
In sessions, signals are routed to and from tracks,
use the factory installed default settings, the “Last
sends, and inserts using track Input, Output, Insert,
Used” setting, or one of any available custom I/O
and Send selectors.
settings files.
When you click a track Input, Output, Insert, or
See “Factory I/O Seittings” on page 86
Send selector, the paths created and defined in the
and “I/O Settings Files” on page 87 for
I/O Setup appear in the list of available paths (see
more information.
“Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to Tracks”
on page 271). Default I/O Settings

Pro Tools comes with default I/O Setup settings to

Path Configurations and
get you started (see “Factory I/O Seittings” on
I/O Settings
page 86). You should only need to open the I/O
Each Pro Tools system can have a different path Setup if you want to customize I/O paths or if you
configuration, determined by: change your system hardware (for example, add-
• On Pro Tools systems, the type of audio inter- ing an expansion card to HD I/O, or adding or re-
face or other physical I/O (including built-in moving an audio interface).
hardware)
You can always return to the default settings for an
• On HDX and HD Native systems, the number I/O Settings page by clicking the Default button.
and types of audio interfaces These paths are available in session tracks and are
reflected in the I/O Setup.
Path configurations in Pro Tools are saved as
I/O settings. You can customize your I/O Setup configuration at
any time, according to the needs of each project
I/O Settings are saved with both the session and
(see “Customizing I/O Settings” on page 68).
with the system. You can choose to overwrite the
I/O settings saved with the system with those
saved with the session (see “Restore from Session”
on page 89).

Unavailable items (including hardware, paths, or

required resources) remain in the session as inac-
tive items (see “Making Paths Active or Inactive”
on page 79).

58 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Input Page
I/O Setup Pages
The Input page of the I/O Setup lets you create and
The I/O Setup provides tabs to open pages for con- assign Pro Tools Input channels to receive audio
figuring specific I/O Settings. from the physical inputs of your audio hardware.

Opening an I/O Setup Page Configure input signal path names, formats, and
source channel (analog or digital) on the Input
To open an I/O Setup page: page. Multichannel input paths (greater-than-ste-
reo) can have any number of sub-paths. Input
 Click the corresponding tab at the top of the I/O
channels can have overlapping input paths. Input
Setup.
names, channel widths, and physical input map-
Hold the Command key (Mac) or the Control pings are saved with the system and the session,
key (Windows) and use the Left or Right Arrow and can be recalled from either.
keys to cycle through the different 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 config-
ured your system, you should not need to
change it unless you add or remove hardware
(such as audio interfaces) from your system.
See “Customizing I/O Settings” on page 68.

I/O Setup, Input page

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 59

 Output Page Bus Page
The Output page of the I/O Setup lets you create The Bus page of the I/O Setup lets you create and
and assign Pro Tools Output channels to send au- edit internal mix busses and output busses. The
dio to the physical outputs of your audio hardware. Bus page also lets you map output busses to output
paths (as configured in the Output page of the I/O
Configure output signal path names and formats on Setup).
the Output page. Output channels can have over-
lapping output paths. Multichannel Output paths Configure bus path names and formats, and map
(greater-than-stereo) can have any number of sub- any main bus path to any available output of the
paths. Output names, channel widths, and physical same width or greater. Multichannel bus paths
output assignments are saved with the system and (greater-than-stereo) can have any number of sub-
the session, and can be recalled from either. paths. Output bus and internal mix bus names and
channel widths are saved with and recalled from
the session.

I/O Setup, Output page

I/O Setup, Bus page

For more information, see “Configuring

Busses” on page 82.

60 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Insert Page Mic Preamps Page
The Insert page of the I/O Setup lets you create and On the Mic Preamps page of the I/O Setup, signal
edit hardware insert signal paths for the Pro Tools paths for one or more Mic Preamp (such as
mixer. Hardware inserts can route audio through Avid | PRE or Pro Tools | MTRX) multi-purpose
an external device connected to parallel inputs and microphone preamplifiers can be mapped to audio
outputs of a Pro Tools audio interface. This lets interfaces. For more information, see the PRE
you process audio on a track with a hardware insert Guide or the Pro Tools MTRX Guide.
in real time.

Insert paths require audio interface inputs and out-

puts, and are determined by the configuration of
the Insert page in the I/O Setup for your system.

Mic Preamps page

H/W Insert Delay

(Compensation) Page
To compensate for the delay (latency) of any exter-
nal hardware devices (such as an effects unit) used
in your session, you can set the amount of Hard-
ware Insert Delay Compensation (in milliseconds)
I/O Setup, Insert page
for each external device. These times will be used
by the Delay Compensation Engine to time-align
input paths when the hardware insert is in use and
For more information, see “Using Hard-
Delay Compensation is enabled.
ware Inserts” on page 1181.

Insert offset delay field

For more information, see “Setting a

Hardware Insert Delay Offset” on
page 1148.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 61

 Active/Inactive Status Box Shows and changes
I/O Setup Signal Path the active/inactive status of each path.
Controls
Path Format Selector Shows and selects the
Depending on the I/O Setup page, the I/O Setup type/format (such as Mono, Stereo, Quad, or 5.1)
provides the following controls in its graphical of each defined path (greater-than-stereo multi-
section for configuring signal routing paths. channel formats are supported with
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only).
Path Name Path Format selector
column Channel Grid Assigns paths to specific interfaces
Input selector
and channels.

I/O Setup Buttons

Depending on the I/O Setup page, the I/O Setup
can provide the following buttons for configuring
signal routing.
Expand/Collapse
triangle Channel Grid

Active/Inactive
Status box

I/O Setup, Signal Path controls (Input page shown)

Input and Output Selectors (HDX and HD Native

Systems Only) Let you select the physical ports on
your audio interface to route to Pro Tools inputs
and outputs. Ports are selectable in channel pairs.
Available ports for each displayed interface are I/O Setup, Signal Path buttons (Output page shown)
based on Hardware Setup settings; for example, if Aux I/O Button (macOS Big Sur or Later
the AES/EBU inputs and outputs of an interface Only) Lets you use Aux I/O to extend your
are enabled in Hardware Setup, they are available Pro Tools I/O capabilities through Core Audio
for routing in I/O Setup. The functionality pro- routing (see “Aux I/O” on page 92).
vided with the Input and Output selector is the
same as that provided on the Main page of the New Path Button Lets you create a new path on
Hardware Setup. signal path pages for Input, Output, Insert, Bus, or
Mic Preamp.
Path Name Column Shows paths that are available
for selection, including the name of each defined New Sub-Path Button Lets you create a new sub-
path. Path names can be renamed. path on signal path pages for Input, Output, Insert,
or Bus.
Expand/Collapse Triangle Shows or hides the sub-
paths associated with a main path (Input and Bus Delete Path Button Lets you delete any selected
paths only). path or sub-path on signal path pages for Input,
Output, Insert, or Bus.

62 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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.

Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)

I/O Setup, Signal Path options (Output page shown)
the Default button to restore defaults to paths
in all pages of the I/O Setup. Compensate for Delays After
Record Pass
Import Settings Button Lets you import an I/O
(HDX and HD Native Systems Only)
settings file to reconfigure I/O Setup. Import Set-
tings only imports the settings for the currently Pro Tools provides two options for compensating
viewed page of the I/O Setup (such as the Input for input and output latency (due to any inherent
page). latency in the analog to digital and digital to analog
converters of the audio interface) after recording.
Apply to All Tabs Applies imported I/O settings to
all pages of the I/O Setup.
Compensation for Input Delays After
Record Pass
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Import Settings button to import settings to all When enabled, this option provides automatic
pages of the I/O Setup. compensation for any analog or digital input delay
with Avid HD interfaces. Enable this option for all
Export Settings Button Lets you save I/O settings
recording situations. When recording from a digi-
as a file that can be imported into other sessions or
tal source, both the Compensation for Input Delays
used on other Pro Tools systems. Export Settings
After Record Pass and the Compensation for Out-
exports the settings for all pages of the I/O Setup.
put Delays After Record Pass options must be en-
Show Last Saved Setup Appears in the I/O Setup abled.
in certain session transfer situations. For details on
The Compensation for Input Delays After Record
this feature, see “Show Last Saved or Current
Pass option is only available in the Input page of
Setup” on page 90.
the I/O Setup.
Cancel Button Closes the I/O Setup without
saving changes. Compensation for Output Delays After
Record Pass
OK Button Closes the I/O Setup and saves any
changes. When enabled, this option provides automatic
compensation for any analog or digital output de-
lay with Avid HD audio interfaces. Enable this op-
tion when you are synchronized to an external
I/O Setup Options clock source. When recording from a digital
Pro Tools systems have several additional source, both the Compensation for Input Delays
I/O Setup options depending on which page of the After Record Pass and the Compensation for
I/O Setup you are viewing. These include default Output Delays After Record Pass options must be
signal routing for metering and auditioning, and enabled.
default track layout for multichannel mix formats.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 63

 The Compensation for Output Delays After Record Using the Default Audition Path
Pass option is only available in the Output page of
When you preview a file or clip in the Clips List or
the I/O Setup.
in a Workspace browser, or when previewing Au-
dioSuite processing, Pro Tools routes the audio
Monitor Path output through the specified Audition Path.
Pro Tools provides a Monitor Path setting in the Pro Tools assigns a default Audition Path to the
Output page of the I/O Setup. Using the selected first available main Output path of the correspond-
Monitor path for the main mix output of your ing format. You can also select a different Audi-
Pro Tools sessions ensures that a session created tion Path in the I/O Setup.
on another Pro Tools system will always have at
least one audible output. Configuring Audition Paths

You can specify the monitoring outputs for audi-

Pro Tools automatically downmixes or upmixes
tioning audio in the Clips List and Workspace
the session Monitor path to the system Monitor
browsers, or for previewing AudioSuite process-
path so that you always hear session playback re-
ing, using the Audition Paths pop-up menu.
gardless of name and width of the Output path on
either system. Audition Paths Main Menu The main menu con-
sists of all path format choices available on the cur-
The Monitor path is graphically indicated by a
rent system (Mono and Stereo on all systems, and
speaker icon in track and send Output selectors,
LCR and greater with Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
Output paths, and in the Output and Bus pages of
dio only).
the I/O Setup.
Audition Paths Submenus Each path format
Audition Path choice has a submenu listing Output paths of that
given format. (The mono submenu lists Output
You can specify the output path through which paths of any format.)
files and clips are previewed (auditioned) from the
Clips List or Workspace browsers, as well as when To configure an Audition Path:
previewing AudioSuite processing. Pro Tools lets
 Select a path from the Audition Paths pop-up
you assign the Audition path to any available Out-
menu or submenus.
put path regardless of its channel width. For mis-
matched channel widths, the Audition path is auto-
matically downmixed or upmixed to the selected Bed/Object Fold Down Path
Output path. (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio with Dolby
Atmos Only)
The Audition Path selector is available in the Out-
put page of the I/O Setup. Dolby Atmos® mixes are monitored from the
Dolby Atmos Renderer. If Pro Tools is discon-
For information on previewing audio, see nected from or cannot communicate with the Ren-
“Previewing Clips in the Clips List” on derer, you can monitor the mix in Pro Tools over
page 335 or “Previewing Audio in Work- the output path designated as the Bed/Object Fold
space Browsers” on page 380. Down Path. When Pro Tools cannot recognize a

64 Pro Tools Reference Guide

connection to the Renderer, it automatically re- Output Meter Path
routes all object output paths, and folds them down
The Output Meter Path selector determines the
to the selected output format using coefficients for
which output or bus paths are monitored by the
down mixing 7.1.2 panning.
Output Meters in the transport (see “Output Me-
Pro Tools can be configured to use the ters” on page 1133). It also determines the path
Bed/Object Fold Down Path even when displayed across the Output meters of D-Control or
the Renderer is present. See “Bed/Object D-Command worksurfaces as well as in the
Fold Down Path” on page 159. Pro Tools transport. For more details, see your
control surface documentation.
To designate the Bed/Object Fold Down Path:
The Output Meter Path selector is available in the
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the
Output tab. Output and Bus pages of the I/O Setup.

2 In the Output page, ensure that there is an avail- To set the Output Meter Paths:
able output path with the channel format that you
want. If not, create one. 1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup.

3 Select the Bed/Object Fold Down Path output 2 Select the Output tab.
path you want to use to monitor surround format
3 From the Output Meter Path selector, select the
beds and panned object audio
desired output path for metering.

Default Output Bus

You can specify the default output bus path
assignment for new tracks, in each available
format.

I/O Setup, Bed/Object Fold Down Path selector The Default Output Bus selector is available in the
Bus page of the I/O Setup.
4 Click OK to save your changes and close the I/O
Setup. The Default Output Bus can be set for
Make sure that Pro Tools is not connected to a Ren- internal mix bus paths, as well as for
derer, start playback and you will hear all object au- output bus paths.
dio downmixed to the designated Bed/Object Fold
Down Path. To specify a default output for new tracks in the
I/O Setup:
Because the Bed/Object Fold Down Path acti-  Click the Default Output Bus pop-up menu and
vates an invisible internal bus, it cannot be select a format and output bus path.
metered on a Master Fader or the Edit Win-
dow Output Meter Path display.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 65

 AFL/PFL Path To set the AFL/PFL Path level for AFL or PFL
solos:
Tracks soloed in AFL (After Fader Listen) or PFL
1 Choose Options > Solo Mode, and select a Solo
(Pre Fader Listen) Solo mode are routed to the cur-
mode:
rent AFL/PFL Path, as set with the AFL/PFL Path
selector. • To set the level for AFL solos, select AFL.
• To set the level for PFL solos, select PFL.
Pro Tools provides a combined AFL/PFL Path set-
ting that can use any available Output path, regard- 2 In the Mix or Edit window, Control-click Com-
less of channel width. For mismatched channel mand-click (Mac) or (Windows) a Solo button
widths, the AFL/PFL path is automatically down- on any track.
mixed or upmixed to the selected Output path. 3 Adjust the AFL/PFL Path fader.
Note that if you assign the AFL/PFL Path to a phys- 4 Click on the new fader position (or press Esc) to
ical output used for monitoring, that signal is close the fader display.
muted when soloed and the solo path is used for
monitoring instead. However, if the AFL/PFL Path To set the AFL/PFL Path level to 0 dB,
is assigned to a different output, the main output Command-Control-click (Mac) or
continues to pass signal even when the AFL/PFL Control-Start-click (Windows) any Solo
path is soloed. This lets you use XMON™ “Broad- button.
cast Mode” without XMON (ICON) hardware.
Low Latency Monitoring
The AFL/PFL Path selector is available in the Out- (HD Native Systems Only)
put page of the I/O Setup.
With HD Native systems, the Output page of the
See “Solo Modes” on page 281 for more in- I/O Setup lets you enable (or disable) Low Latency
formation on using AFL or PFL Solo modes. Monitoring. It also lets you specify any available
Output path for Low Latency Monitoring. The
To select the AFL/PFL Path output:
Output path for Low Latency Monitoring can be of
 Select a path from the AFL/PFL Path pop-up any channel width (from Mono to 7.1). Low La-
menu. tency Monitoring uses Outputs 1–2 by default.

Selecting None as the AFL/PFL Path disables To configure Low Latency Monitoring in the I/O
AFL and PFL Solo modes. When None is Setup:
selected, AFL and PFL cannot be used.
1 Open the I/O Setup dialog (Setup > I/O).
Setting AFL or PFL Path Levels 2 Click the Output tab.
You can set a separate master AFL/PFL Path level 3 Enable the Low Latency Monitoring option.
for all AFL solos and all PFL solos.
4 From the Low Latency Monitoring pop-up menu,
Tracks do not need to be soloed to have the select the Output path you want to use for Low
master AFL/PFL Path level adjusted. Latency Monitoring.
5 Click OK to save your changes and close the I/O
Setup.

66 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default Format Path Order
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

The Default Format selector lets you select the de- The Path Order selector lets you specify the de-
fault format (Mono, Stereo, and all multichannel fault channel order for all new paths created. The
formats) for new paths and for when you click the selected Path Order setting determines the channel
Default button. order for the following:

The Default Format selector is available in the • Channels added to newly created path (first
Input, Output, and Insert pages of I/O Setup. The paths) when hitting the Default button.
Default Format settings on each page are set inde- • Channels added to empty paths when penciling
pendently of one another. The Input and Insert in channel assignments.
pages only provide Mono and Stereo options. The • Channels added when creating a new path and
Output page provides all available formats. selecting the Add default channel assignments
Depending on which page of the I/O Setup is cur- option.
rently shown, the Default Format setting deter- The Path Order selector is available in the Input,
mines the width of the first output (or input or in- Output, and Insert pages of I/O Setup. Setting the
sert) when clicking the Default button. If mono or Path Order on any page of I/O Setup affects the
stereo is selected, all outputs (or inputs or inserts) other pages.
are created accordingly.
To choose a new default path order (track layout):
To choose a Default Format:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
 Select the desired channel format from the De-
fault Format pop-up menu. 2 Click the Output tab.
3 Use the Default Path Order setting to select the
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio let you filter
channel order you want for the corresponding
which multichannel formats appear in the De-
channel width.
fault Format selector. For more information,
see “Channel Width Filtering” on page 1285.

For more information about multichannel mix-

ing with Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools
Studio, see Chapter 55, “Pro Tools Setup for
Surround.”

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 67

 Embed Eleven Settings From
(Systems with Eleven Rack Only)
Customizing I/O Settings
The following shows how to customize your I/O
With an Eleven® Rack connected to your
settings for your particular studio setup.
Pro Tools system, Pro Tools lets you embed the
current Eleven Rack Rig settings into audio clips If you are using an HD OMNI, be sure to con-
as you record them, so that you can retrieve that figure the Monitor page of the Hardware
same setting for further use later. This can also be Setup for HD OMNI before configuring the
helpful when collaborating or bringing sessions or I/O Setup. For more information, see the
clips to a different system using Eleven Rack, be- HD OMNI Guide.
cause your settings travel with the files.
To customize I/O Settings:
The Embed Eleven Setting From selector deter-
mines the audio input used for routing audio from 1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O).
an Eleven Rack into a separate audio interface. 2 Import I/O settings from an existing I/O settings
.pio file or a Pro Tools session file (.ptx) (see
The Embed Eleven Setting From selector is avail-
“Importing I/O Settings” on page 88).
able in the Input page of the I/O Setup.
You can prepare a session for use on a differ-
To embed Rig setting in recorded audio:
ent system this way. Any paths for hardware
1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup. that is not present on the current system will
appear as inactive.
2 Select the Input tab.
3 Set the Embed Setting From menu to the input 3 For HDX and HD Native systems, double-click
you plan to record through, such as Eleven Rig the label above an interface and enter a name.
L/R.
With systems using HDX or HD Native hard-
This same method applies when using Eleven ware, the I/O Setup bases default Input and
Rack as an insert with any Pro Tools system Output path names on the custom name given
to the interface.
4 Create an audio track, and set its input to the
corresponding input on your audio interface. 4 Click the Input tab and do the following:
• Create input paths and sub-paths with appro-
5 Record enable the track.
priate widths and physical input assignments
6 Record your part. that match your studio configuration (see
“Signal Path Routing for Audio Output” on
7 The settings of the currently loaded Rig will be
page 72).
embedded in each audio clip that is recorded
from the input you select in the Embed Setting • Rename input paths and sub-paths to match
From menu. your studio configuration.

Audio clips with embedded Rig data are marked

with a small Eleven Rack logo icon in both the Edit
Window and the Clips List in Pro Tools.

68 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 Click the Output tab and do the following: 11 Click OK. You should not have to open the I/O
• Create output paths with appropriate widths Setup again unless you add or remove hardware
and physical output assignments that match to or from your system, or if you open a session
your studio configuration. created on a different system (see “Session or
Project Interchange and I/O Mapping” on
• Rename output paths to match your studio
page 89).
configuration.
6 If you plan on using hardware inserts, click the
Insert tab and do the following: Configuring Hardware in
• Create insert paths with appropriate widths I/O Setup
and physical input and output assignments (Pro Tools HDX and HD Native Systems Only)
that match your studio configuration.
With HDX and HD Native systems, you can define
• Name insert paths to match your studio con-
which physical ports on your audio interface are
figuration. Name insert paths using standard
routed to available input and output channels in the
industry terminology if possible, such as
I/O Setup. Any changes made here are also re-
“Compressor,” “Reverb,” “EQ,” and so on.
flected in the Hardware Setup, and vice-versa (see
• Click the H/W Insert Delay tab and enter the “Configuring Hardware Settings in Pro Tools” on
correct insert delay in milliseconds for each page 104).
input/output pair that you are using for hard-
ware inserts. (See “H/W Insert Delay (Com- HD MADI and Pro Tools systems such as
pensation) Page” on page 61.) Mbox Pro and 003 are “hard-wired” and
cannot be changed. For third-party and built-
7 If you are using one or more PRE peripherals,
in hardware, in the Hardware Setup click the
click the Mic Preamps tab and configure it ac-
Launch Setup App button to for available
cordingly (see the PRE Guide).
configuration options.
8 Click the Bus tab.
To configure I/O routing in I/O Setup:
9 Create internal mix bus paths and sub-paths.
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
Ensure that output busses are mapped to the cor-
rect output paths (see “Output Busses” on 2 Click the Input or Output tab to display the
page 82). corresponding path type.

Output busses are automatically created and 3 Click the Input or Output selector for the first
mapped to outputs when new output paths are interface channel pair, located below the first
created. audio interface icon.

10 Export your I/O settings to create a backup of

your current settings (see “Exporting I/O Set-
tings” on page 89).

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 69

 4 From the pop-up menu, select a physical port The only limit to output choices is the number of
pair (such as Analog 1–2), to route to a outputs available in your system.
Pro Tools channel pair (such as A 1–2) in the
Path Name column on the left. 0utput path assignments can overlap in certain
situations. See “Valid Paths and Require-
ments” on page 81 for details.

Pro Tools outputs pairs can also be routed to mul-

tiple audio interface outputs in the Hardware
Setup.

To route a Pro Tools output channel pair to

multiple audio interface output ports:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
I/O Channel selector pop-up menu
2 Click the Output tab.
5 Repeat the above step for additional channel
3 Click the Output selector for an interface chan-
pairs.
nel pair, just below an audio interface icon.
6 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
4 From the pop-up menu, select a physical port
Setup.
pair (such as Analog 1–2) to route to the corre-
The Monitor path for HD OMNI is fixed sponding Pro Tools channel pair (such as A 1–
and cannot be changed in the I/O Setup. 2) in the Path Name column on the left.
The Monitor path for HD OMNI can be 5 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
configured in the Monitor page of the the same Output selector and select an addi-
Hardware Setup. tional output pair from the same pop-up menu.

Routing a Pro Tools Output Pair The output name updates with a plus sign (“+”) be-
to Multiple Destinations fore it to indicate that multiple output ports are se-
lected. In the pop-up menu, each physical port pair
Pro Tools channel pairs can be routed to assigned to that Pro Tools output pair is indicated
multiple outputs on an audio interface through the by a check mark.
I/O Setup. For example, if you assign both Analog
1–2 and Analog 3–4 interface outputs to Pro Tools 6 Repeat the above steps to select additional
Output pair 1–2, when you send a signal to output destinations.
Pro Tools Outputs 1–2, that signal will be routed 7 Click OK to save changes and close the
simultaneously to both pairs of output ports on I/O Setup.
your audio interface.

This lets you send the same signal (such as a stereo

pair, a stem mix, or a multichannel mix) to multi-
ple destinations (such as multiple mastering de-
vices).

70 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Signal Path Routing for Audio Input
The following example shows the signal path from the physical analog input of an HD OMNI audio
interface, through the Pro Tools audio input path, to the Input of an audio track in the Pro Tools mixer:

Input signal path from an HD OMNI to the Pro Tools mixer as mapped in I/O Setup

(1) Physical Input For Avid HD interfaces, such as (2) Input Path Main input paths and sub-paths are
the HD OMNI, the physical inputs that are avail- routed (patched) to physical inputs using cross-
able to Pro Tools are set on the Main page of the point matrix mapping in the I/O Setup. In this ex-
Hardware Setup (this selector is mirrored in the In- ample, audio input is routed from HD OMNI phys-
put page of the I/O Setup). ical inputs Analog 1–2 to Pro Tools Input channels
A 1–2.
For Pro Tools systems such as the Mbox Pro
and the 003, physical inputs are fixed. For (3) Track Input Input paths and sub-paths are
third-party and built-in hardware, in the routed to track inputs in the Pro Tools mixer by se-
Hardware Setup click the Launch Setup App lecting the path (or sub-path) from the Track Input
button for available configuration options. selector. In this example, input sub-path A1 is
routed to the input of track “Audio 1.”
Chapter 6: I/O Setup 71
 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:

Output signal path from an audio track to a physical output as mapped in I/O Setup

(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.

72 Pro Tools Reference Guide

(4) Physical Output For Avid HD audio interfaces, 5 Do one of the following:
such as the HD OMNI, the physical outputs that • To add more paths, click the Add Row
are available to Pro Tools are set on the Main page button (“+”).
of the Hardware Setup (this selector is mirrored in
• To remove a path, click the Remove Row
the Output page of the I/O Setup).
button (“–”).
For Pro Tools systems such as the Mbox Pro
Add a new path by pressing Command+N
and the 003, physical outputs are fixed. For
(Mac) or Control+N (Windows), or by pressing
third-party and built-in hardware, click the
Command+Plus (+) (Mac) or Control+Plus
Launch Setup App button in the Hardware
(+) (Windows) on the numeric keypad.
Setup for available configuration options.

To remove the last path from the New Path

Creating New Paths dialog Command+Minus (–) (Mac) or
Control+Minus (–) (Windows).
The I/O Setup lets you create new paths with cus-
tom names, formats, and assignments to physical 6 Enable (or disable) the New Paths options Add
I/O. Custom path names appear in a session’s track the Default Channel Assignments and Auto-
Input, Output, Insert, and Bus selectors. Create Sub-paths.

To create a new path: 7 Click Create.

1 Choose Setup > I/O. When you create a new Output path, an out-
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to dis- put bus is automatically created on the Bus
play the corresponding path type. page of the IO Setup, and is automatically
mapped to the output path you created. See
3 Click New Path. “Output Busses” on page 82.
4 In the New Path dialog, specify the number of
new paths you want to create, the channel width 8 Assign the path to a specific audio interface (In-
for each path, and the path name. put, Output, and Insert pages only) in the Grid
column. See “Assigning Paths to Hardware
I/O” on page 80.
9 Repeat the previous steps to configure all path
types (Input, Output, Insert, or Bus).
10 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup. If there are any identically named paths,
New Paths dialog you will be instructed to correct them before the
I/O Setup will close. For more information, see
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio let you filter “Valid Paths and Requirements” on page 81.
which multichannel formats appear in the
New Paths Format selector. For more infor- Multichannel paths and mixing are explained in
mation, see “Channel Width Filtering” on Chapter 55, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround.”
page 1285.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 73

 New Paths Dialog Add Default Channel
Assignments Option
The New Paths dialog lets you create new paths on
the Input, Output, Bus, and Insert pages of the I/O Enable Add Default Channel Assignments option if
Setup. you want Pro Tools to automatically assign input,
output, and insert paths to physical inputs and out-
Number of new paths Add/Remove Row puts in the Channel Grid (from the first available
channel to the maximum number of channels
Path Format Path Name
available). If the number of new paths of a certain
width exceeds the number of available channels,
Pro Tools wraps around and starts over at the first
physical input or output of your audio interface.

New Paths dialog Auto-Create Sub-Paths Option

New Path Row Settings For input, bus, and insert paths, enable the Auto
Create Sub-Paths option to have Pro Tools auto-
Number of New Paths Enter the number of new matically create the default set of sub-paths for the
paths you want to create (or a certain type, like path format (channel width), as follows:
“Bus”).
Default Sub-Paths
Path Format Select the channel width from the Main
Path Format selector. Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Path

Path Name Enter the path name. If you are creat- Mono N/A N/A
ing more than one path, the number of each new
Stereo 2 mono <main path
path will be appended to the path name (for exam- name > followed by
ple, Bus 1, Bus 2, Bus 3, and so on). channel designation
.L and .R
Add/Remove Rows Click the Add Row button to
add more paths, or click Click the Remove Row LCR 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path
button to remove paths. 3 Mono (one for name >.LR
each channel) Mono: <main path
Move Row Icon Drag a Move Row icon up or name >.L, .C, .R
down to reorder paths. LCRS 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path
4 Mono (one for name > .LR
each channel) Mono: <main path
name>.L, .C, .R, .S

Quad 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path

4 Mono (one for name > .LR
each channel) Mono: <main path
name>.L, .R, .Ls, .Rs

Move Row icon in the New Paths dialog

74 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default Sub-Paths 4 Configure the New Sub-Paths dialog as desired
Main and click Create.
Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Path
5 Click in the Grid to assign the new sub-path
5.0 – 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path channels to available main path channels.
6.0 – 5–7 Mono name >.LR
7.0 (one for each Mono: <main path
channel) name >.L, .C, .R, New Sub-Path Dialog
.Ls, .Rs, and so on
The New Sub-Path dialog lets you create new sub-
5.1 – 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path paths for main paths on the Input, Output, Bus, and
6.1 – 6–8 Mono name >.LR Insert pages of the I/O Setup.
7.1 (one for each Mono: <main path
channel) name >.L, .C, .R, Add/Remove Row
Number of new sub-paths
.Ls, .Rs, and so on,
Sub-Path Format Sub-Path Name
and LFE

7.0.2 1 each: 7.0, 5.0, multichannel sub-

(Dolby Quad, LCR, Ste- paths: <main path
Atmos reo, Overhead name >.<channel
only) (LR); format>
and 9 Mono Mono: <main path
(one for each name >.L, .C, .R,
channel) .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr, New Sub-Paths dialog for Input main path
.Lts, .Rts
New Sub-Path Row Settings
7.1.2 1 each: 7.1, 7.0, Stereo: <main path
Number of New Sub-Paths Enter the number of
(Dolby 5.1, 5.0, Quad, name >.LR
Atmos LCR, Stereo, Mono: <main path new sub-paths you want to create for the selected
only) Overhead (LR); name >.L, .C, .R, main path.
and10 Mono .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr,
(one for each .LFE, .Lts, .Rts Sub-Path Format Select the channel width from
channel) the Path Format selector.

Sub-Path Name Enter the sub-path name. If you

are creating more than one sub-path, the number of
Creating New Sub-Paths each new sub-path will be appended to the sub-
You can create sub-paths for main paths in the path name (for example, Bus 1, Bus 2, Bus 3, and
Input, Output, Bus, and Insert pages of the I/O so on).
Setup.
Add/Remove Rows Click the Add Row button to
To create a new sub-path:
add more paths, or click Click the Remove Row
button to remove paths.
1 Select the page of the I/O Setup where you want
to create sub-paths (such as the Input page). Move Row Icon Drag a Move Row icon up or
down to reorder paths.
2 Select the Main path for which you want to cre-
ate sub-paths.
3 Click New Sub-Path.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 75

 Default Sub-Paths

Main
Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Path

LCR 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path

3 Mono (one for name >.LR
each channel) Mono: <main path
Move Row icon in the New Sub-Paths dialog name >.L, .C, .R
LCRS 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path
Add Default Channel 4 Mono (one for name > .LR
Assignments Option each channel) Mono: <main path
(Input, Output, and Insert Sub-Paths Only) name>.L, .C, .R, .S

Enable Add Default Channel Assignments option if Quad 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path
you want Pro Tools to automatically assign input, 4 Mono (one for name > .LR
each channel) Mono: <main path
output, and insert sub-paths to physical inputs and
name>.L, .R, .Ls, .Rs
outputs in the Grid (from the first available channel
to the maximum number of channels available). If 5.0 – 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path
the number of new sub-paths of a certain width ex- 6.0 – 5–7 Mono name >.LR
7.0 (one for each Mono: <main path
ceeds the number of available channels, Pro Tools
channel) name >.L, .C, .R,
wraps around and starts over the first physical in- .Ls, .Rs, and so on
put or output of your audio interface.
5.1 – 1 Stereo (LR), Stereo: <main path
6.1 – 6–8 Mono name >.LR
Create Default Sub-Paths Option 7.1 (one for each Mono: <main path
(Bus Sub-Paths Only) channel) name >.L, .C, .R,
.Ls, .Rs, and so on,
Pro Tools lets you create the default sub-paths for and LFE
busses in the New Sub-Path dialog when accessed
7.0.2 1 each: 7.0, 5.0, multichannel sub-
from the Bus page. Enable the Create Default Sub- (Dolby Quad, LCR, Ste- paths: <main path
Paths option to have Pro Tools automatically cre- Atmos reo, Overhead name >.<channel
ate the default set of sub-paths for the path format only) (LR); format>
(channel width) of the selected main bus path, as and 9 Mono Mono: <main path
shown in the following table. (one for each name >.L, .C, .R,
channel) .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr,
Default Sub-Paths .Lts, .Rts

Main 7.1.2 1 each: 7.1, 7.0, Stereo: <main path

Sub-Paths Sub-Path Name
Path (Dolby 5.1, 5.0, Quad, name >.LR
Atmos LCR, Stereo, Mono: <main path
Mono N/A N/A only) Overhead (LR); name >.L, .C, .R,
and10 Mono .Lss, .Rss, .Lsr, .Rsr,
Stereo 2 mono <main path
(one for each .LFE, .Lts, .Rts
name > followed by
channel)
channel designation
.L and .R
When the Create Default Sub-Paths option is en-
abled, all other custom options in the New Sub-
Paths dialog are grayed-out and unavailable.

76 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Restoring Default Paths and
Editing Paths Path Names
The I/O Setup lets you edit or customize signal You can restore I/O Setup paths to their default
path definitions. state at any time. You may want to restore defaults
if, for example, you replace or add an audio inter-
Paths can be:
face to your system.
• Restored to default configurations
• Renamed, for easier identification after chang- To restore default paths and path names:
ing or renaming audio interfaces 1 Choose Setup > I/O.
• Selected and reordered to change menu order in 2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to dis-
track selectors play the corresponding path type.
• Selected and deleted
3 Click Default. Pro Tools does the following:
• Remapped to or from different sources or desti- • If a session is open, deletes any paths that are
nations not in use.
• Deactivated (or reactivated) to manage unavail- • Creates new default paths up to the capacity
able or unnecessary I/O resources of your system’s available physical I/O and
resources.
In addition, you can import and export your
I/O Setup configurations as I/O Settings files, as • Resets path names to the default path names
well as set default path parameters. See “I/O Set- (see “Default Path Names” on page 78).
tings Files” on page 87. These default path names appear in track In-
put and Output Path selectors.
The following table lists the available attributes for
each path type: Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Default button to set all pages of I/O
Path options that can be edited by type
Setup to the default settings.
Path Type Path Options (Attributes)
4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Input Names, formats, and source
channel (physical input)
Setup.

Output Names, formats, and destination

channel (physical output)

Insert Names, formats, and destination

(physical inputs and outputs)

Bus Names, formats, output mapping

Default stereo output paths

Interfaces can also be renamed.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 77

 Renaming Paths 3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
Path names can be customized in the I/O Setup.
Default Path Names
I/O paths can also be renamed directly from
the Edit or Mix window by Right-clicking the Default names for input, output, and insert paths
Input or Output selector and choosing Rename. are based on the hardware you are using for physi-
cal I/O.
To rename a path in the I/O Setup:
1 Double-click the path name. For HDX and HD Native systems, default path
names are based on the names of interfaces you are
2 Type a new path name. using. If you have renamed your interface, default
3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O path names are based on the custom name.
Setup.
Selecting Paths
Renaming Interfaces 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 selectors.
Paths can also be deleted. Sub-paths follow their
main paths when they are moved in the I/O Setup.

To select a main path or sub-path:

New mono Input sub-path for Main path A 1-2  Click the path name.
Audio interfaces can be renamed in the IO Setup.
When you rename Avid HD audio interfaces, de-
fault path names are based on the custom name
given to the interface.

To rename an audio interface in the I/O Setup:

1 Double-click the label above an interface.

Selecting paths in the I/O Setup

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

Interface Name
the additional path name will also be
selected.
2 Type a new interface name.
78 Pro Tools Reference Guide
To select or deselect noncontiguous paths, do one To delete a main path or sub-path:
of the following:
1 In the I/O Setup, select the path you want to
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click delete.
(Windows) path names that are unhighlighted to
2 Click Delete Path.
select them.
3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
Setup.
(Windows) path names that are highlighted to
deselect them.
To delete all paths:

To select all paths and sub-paths: 1 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
path name.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
path name that is unhighlighted. 2 Click Delete Path.

To deselect all paths and sub-paths:

3 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
path name that is highlighted.
Making Paths Active or Inactive
Reordering Paths Pro Tools paths can be Active (on) or Inactive (off,
or unavailable). Paths can be globally activated or
Selected paths and sub-paths can be reordered deactivated in the I/O Setup. Making a signal path
higher or lower in the Path Name column to inactive will turn off the signal path on any and all
change their menu order in track Input, Output, tracks currently assigned to it.
Insert, and Bus selectors.
Pro Tools also sets unavailable paths to inactive.
To reorder paths in the I/O Setup and Track Paths can be unavailable when hardware or other
selectors: system resources are unavailable, such as when
1 Drag one or more selected path names up or opening a session saved on a different
down. system.

2 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O Tracks can also be made active or inactive. For in-
Setup. formation, see “Making Track Inputs and Outputs
Inactive from the Edit or Mix Window” on
Deleting Paths page 275.

Path definitions can be deleted from the current To globally activate or deactivate a path:
session to reflect changes to your hardware setup,
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
or to clean up track selector menus by removing
unwanted or unnecessary path definitions. After 2 Select a path type using the tabs at the top of the
deleting a path, any tracks or send assignments to window.
that path are reset to No Output.
3 Set the Active/Inactive control for the path.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 79

 Active (top) and inactive (bottom) path settings Assigning channels

Any tracks that were assigned to the now inactive Other channels for the path type, if any, fill to the
path will show that path's name in italics on the right. For example, when assigning a new stereo
track's I/O selectors. path, clicking in the path row under output 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. Path status is displayed as follows: To reassign channels in a path, see
“Reassiging Paths” on page 81.
Italics Indicates the path is inactive.

Non-Italics Indicates the path is active. 4 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
Setup.
With overlapping output paths of different
channel widths, if the widest path is made in- If there are any invalid settings, you will be re-
active, all other overlapped output paths will quired to correct them before the I/O Setup will
not pass audio from Pro Tools. close. For more information, see “Valid Paths and
Requirements” on page 81.

Assigning Paths with the Surround Mixer

Assigning Paths to Hardware (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
I/O
When assigning multichannel paths, the left chan-
Paths are assigned to specific inputs, outputs, and
nel (L) is assigned first to the clicked Grid box, and
inserts in the Grid. Paths can be assigned to physi-
remaining channels fill immediately to the right
cal I/O in the Grid, and can be reassigned at any
according to the default path order.
time.
Because some multichannel mixing formats use
To assign channels:
unique track layouts, Pro Tools lets you set the de-
1 Select (or create) a main path or sub-path. fault format in the I/O Setup (see “I/O Setup Op-
tions” on page 63).
2 Select the channel Format (such as Stereo).
3 In the row for the selected path, click in the Grid
column under an audio interface and channel.

Default Format and Path Order settings

80 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Reassiging Paths Though it is possible to set up invalid assignments
in the Channel Grid, Pro Tools will not accept an
You can move the individual assignments to dif-
I/O Setup configuration unless all paths meet the
ferent channels, to reorder the path’s definition
path definition and channel assignment require-
(for example, changing a multichannel path to
ments, as follows:
L-R-C-LFE-Ls-Rs).
Minimum Path Definitions All paths must have a
To reassign channels in a path: name, be of a specific format, and have a valid I/O
 Drag the channel to the new location in the assignment.
Grid. Other channel assignments move (shuffle)
Valid Paths Channel assignment follows certain
to accommodate dragged channels.
rules regarding overlapping paths.
Channel Shuffling • There can be no partial overlaps between any
two output paths.
Moving a signal from right to left results in a shuf-
• A newly-created output path must either be
fle of other signals after the new destination chan-
completely independent of other assignments
nel. Moving a signal from left to right shuffles any
(not assigned to any other available I/O inter-
and all signals after the new destination channel
face/channels), or it must be a path completely
and leaves the previous channel empty.
contained within a larger path (for example, an
Changing a path’s format erases any cur- LCR sub-path within a larger 5.1 path).
rent channel assignment.

Sub-Paths Follow Main Paths

When a main path is reassigned, its sub-paths (if

any) are reassigned automatically to maintain con-
sistent routing. For example, reassigning a stereo
path to different hardware outputs results in any of
its sub-paths moving with it. Valid (complete) output path

Valid Paths and

Requirements
While configuring the I/O Setup, certain rules ap-
ply for path definition and channel assignment. All
paths must be valid before the I/O Setup configu-
ration can be applied. Invalid (partial) output path

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 81

 Internal Mix Busses
Configuring Busses
Pro Tools provides internal mix busses that can be
Busses appear on the Bus page of the IO Setup. used to route audio signal from track outputs and
Pro Tools provides two types of busses: sends to other track inputs and plug-in side-chains.
• Output busses Common uses for internal mix busses include ef-
• Internal mix busses fects sends and returns (such as bussing sends from
audio tracks to an Auxiliary Input track for plug-in
Output bus, internal mix bus, and Object bus set- effects processing) and bus recording.
tings are saved with and recalled from the session.
The advantage of this is that when you take a ses- Object Paths
sion from one system to another, track and send as- (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio with Dolby
signments are maintained within the session. Atmos Only)

Where possible, Pro Tools can automatically re- Object paths are busses mapped (routed) to Object
map the session’s output busses to the output paths Input paths, as defined by the Dolby Atmos Ren-
of the system on which the session is being opened. derer (see “Mapping Object Busses to Dolby At-
mos Renderer Input Paths” on page 1317).
See “Session or Project Interchange and I/O
Mapping” on page 89 for more information For more information about Pro Tools au-
exchanging sessions between systems, and on thoring to Dolby Atmos, see Chapter 58,
opening sessions in lower version of “Mixing to Dolby Atmos.”
Pro Tools. Output busses do not exist in
Pro Tools 8.0.x and lower. Creating and Mapping Busses to
Outputs
Output Busses
Any available bus can be mapped to any of the
Output busses are mapped (routed) to output paths, available output paths of the same channel width
as configured on the Output page of the I/O Setup. or greater. For example, a mono bus can be
Output paths are then assigned to the system’s mapped to a mono output path, a stereo bus can be
physical audio outputs in the I/O Setups Grid (see mapped to a stereo output path, and a 5.1 surround
“Assigning Paths to Hardware I/O” on page 80). bus can be mapped to a 5.1 surround output path.

When you create a new output path on the Output You can unmap busses from outputs at any time.
page of the I/O Setup, a new output bus of the same
width is automatically created and mapped to that To create a bus and map it to an output path:
output path. Output busses are also created and 1 On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, click New
mapped according to default settings when creat- Path.
ing a new session or restoring defaults (see “Re-
storing Default Paths and Path Names” on 2 In the New Paths dialog, specify the number of
page 77). new paths you want to create, the channel width
for each path, and the path name.
Physical outputs for output paths are configured on
the Outputs page of the I/O Setups (see “Assigning
Paths to Hardware I/O” on page 80).

82 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 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).

All mapped output busses of the same format (such

New Paths dialog
as stereo) are all assigned to the same output path.
3 Click Create to create the new paths. For example, you can assign all stereo output bus-
ses 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
Unmapped “MAIN” output bus busses.
4 Enable Mapping To Output for the path. • Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) to select noncontiguous Output
5 Select an output path from the Mapping To Out- busses.
put selector.
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
Mapping the “MAIN” output bus to output path “A 1–2” only the selected stereo output busses to output
path A 1–2.
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) to select multiple outputs in the To map all busses of the same format to unique
Mapping to Output menu in the Bus page of ascending output paths (cascading):
the I/O Setup (I/O Setup > Bus > Mapping  Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
to Output).
click (Windows) the Mapping to Output selec-
Any signals from tracks or sends sent to the bus are tor of the top-most output path and select the
now sent to the hardware outputs assigned to the first output path.
corresponding Output paths. All busses of the same channel format are automat-
ically assigned to unique output path assignments
in ascending order. For example, for stereo output
paths, output bus A 1–2 is assigned to output path
A 1–2, A 3–4 to A 3–4, A 5–6 to A 5–6, and so on.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 83

 Mapping Mono Busses to Surround To assign the same channel to all mono busses
Paths mapped to a multichannel output path:

(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
mono bus indicator and select the channel from
You can map a mono bus to any channel of a sur-
the pop-up menu.
round output path. For example, route a dialogue
track to the center channel of 5.1 output path. (This To assign the same channel to all selected mono
capability is available for all output channel widths busses mapped to a multichannel output path, do
except Stereo and Quad outputs.) one of the following:

 Shift-click to select contiguous mono

To map a mono bus to a channel of a surround
output path: busses in the Name column.

1 On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, click New  Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
Path. dows) to select noncontiguous mono busses in
the Name column.
2 In the New Paths dialog, specify Mono channel
width for the bus path, type a path name, and  Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
click Create. (Windows) a mono bus indicator and select the
channel from the pop-up menu.
3 Enable Mapping To Output for the path.
To assign ascending (cascading) channels to all
4 Select a multichannel output path from the Map-
mono busses mapped to a multichannel output:
ping To Output selector. The mono bus indicator
changes to “C” (Center) by default, and a pop-  Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
up menu becomes available. 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, do one of the following:
Selecting a multichannel output path
 Shift-click to select contiguous mono
5 To assign another channel, click the mono bus busses in the Name column.
indicator and select the channel from the pop-up
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
menu.
dows) to select noncontiguous mono busses in
the Name column.
 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.

Assigning a channel to a mono bus

84 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using Keyboard Modifiers When Resetting Busses
Enabling or Assigning Output
Busses You can reset the number of available internal mix
busses in your session to match your system’s full
Pro Tools lets you use keyboard modifiers when capabilities by reverting to the default bus config-
enabling or assigning Output busses. These key- uration.
board modifiers behave in the same way as when
assigning track inputs, and track and send outputs. Pro Tools creates 24 internal busses by
Being able to assign a single output bus to multiple default.
physical outputs is useful in cases where you want
To revert to the default bus configuration for your
to route a single source signal to two or more out-
system:
puts. Rather than assigning multiple outputs on a
track-by-track basis, you can do it once in the 1 Open the I/O Setup.
I/O Setup. 2 Click the Bus tab in the upper left.
In the I/O Setup, the following keyboard modifiers 3 From the pop-up menu to the right of the Default
apply: button, select one of the following:
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) to • All Busses
apply to all busses. • Output Busses
• Command-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Control- • Internal Busses
Alt-Shift-click (Windows) to apply only to se-
lected Output busses. 4 Click Default.

• Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) Resetting busses to the default setting will re-
for each additional Output path you want to as- name all busses to their default name (Bus 1–
sign an Output bus to. 2, Bus 3–4, and so on).
• Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
5 Click OK to save changes and close the I/O
click (Windows) to assign a bus to the selected
Setup.
Output path and all subsequent busses to the
next available Output path sequentially. Active Busses

The Bus page of the I/O Setup displays the number

of active internal mix busses. If the number of ac-
tive busses exceeds the number of available bus-
ses, the display turns red. Delete or deactivate any
active busses in excess of the available number of
busses to be able close the I/O Setup and save your
settings.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 85

 Sorting Bus Paths Stereo Mix Settings
The Bus page provide controls to sort busses by This Stereo Mix setting creates the maximum
name (ascending or descending), format (ascend- number of stereo paths, as determined by the avail-
ing or descending), or by mapped to output status able system’s I/O Setup and hardware configura-
(ascending only). tion.

Click to sort by Name Click to sort by map- Using the “Stereo Mix” settings file has
ping to output status
the same effect as clicking Default for ev-
Click to sort by Format ery individual tab in I/O Settings. See
“Restoring Default Paths and Path
Names” on page 77.

Surround Mix Settings

(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

Sorting bus paths in the I/O Setup The Surround Mix setting provides additional, sur-
round-specific Output and Bus settings files.
To sort bus paths by Name:

1 In the Bus page, click the Name column header. See Chapter 55, “Pro Tools Setup for
Surround.”
2 Click the Name column header again to toggle
between ascending and descending sort order.

To sort bus paths by Format:

Downmix and Upmix Output
Busses to Outputs
1 In the Bus page, click the Format column
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
header.
2 Click the Format column header again to toggle Pro Tools lets you “downmix” session output
between ascending and descending sort order. buses to physical output paths with channel for-
mats of a lesser width. For example, you can listen
To sort bus paths by Mapping To Output status: to a 5.1 mix on a stereo system without modifying
the actual session routing.
 In the Bus page, click the Mapping To Output
column header. Narrower formats automatically map to wider ones
with one-to-one matching connections (for exam-
Factory I/O Seittings ple, L to L, R to R, and so on). In cases where cer-
tain channels do not match (such as mono to stereo
Pro Tools provides factory I/O settings for stereo Left and Right, or LCRS to 5.1), Pro Tools lets you
and surround mixing, and are automatically in- upmix by distributing the mismatched channels of
stalled with Pro Tools. These settings provide new an output bus channel to more than one physical
sessions with generic path and sub-paths for either output channel. For example, Pro Tools let you up-
mixing format. mix a mono output bus to both channels of a stereo
output path, or the Surround path from an LCRS
Factory I/O settings are available in the I/O Set-
source to the Left Surround and Right Surround
tings pop-up menu in the Dashboard.
paths of a 5.1 output.

86 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When down mixing (“fold down”) or up mixing
(“fan out”), Pro Tools uses the routing coefficients
defined in the Mixing Preferences (see “Routing
Coefficients” on page 132).

It is not recommended that you mix while 5.1 track with Downmix indicator
monitoring the session through a downmixed
or unmixed Output path. Use downmixed or
upmixed monitoring for editing and other I/O Settings Files
non-mixing tasks.
I/O settings files (.pio files) provide default path
To assign downmix or upmix Output bus paths: configurations for new sessions. I/O settings can
be imported and exported for use with sessions
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O).
shared between systems. I/O settings files are also
2 Select the Bus page (I/O Setup > Bus). available in the I/O Settings pop-up menu in the
Dashboard.
3 Click the Mapping to Output column on the row
for the Output bus that you want to remap to a For I/O settings files to be available in the Dash-
lower or higher channel format (from the avail- board, I/O settings files must be saved to the IO
able Output paths). Settings folder in the Root Settings Folder. You
can change the location of the Root Settings Folder
in the Operation Preferences (see “User Media and
Settings Location” on page 121).

Selecting a stereo Output path for a 5.1 Output Bus

Last Used I/O Settings
If any changes are made to the I/O Setup, these
changes are automatically saved to the IO Settings
folder as the Last Used settings file when the I/O
Setup is closed (by clicking OK).
Selecting a 5.1 Output path for an LCRS Output Bus

4 Click OK to save your changes and close I/O Last Used settings are available in the I/O Settings
Setup. pop-up menu in the Dashboard, or when importing
I/O Settings in the I/O Setup.

Downmix and Upmix Indicators

for Output Paths Custom I/O Settings
When a track or send is set to an Output path of a Custom I/O Settings files can be created by chang-
different channel width, the source audio is down- ing I/O Setup settings (see “Customizing I/O Set-
mixed or to upmixed accordingly. The Output se- tings” on page 68), and then exporting the settings.
lector in the Mix, Edit, and Output windows dis- These I/O settings can then be restored by import-
plays a > (downmix) or a < (upmix) symbol ing them into a system.
respectively. This lets you easily identify any track
that is downmixing or upmixing to an Output path
of a different channel width.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 87

 This lets you save settings for different projects,
import settings to reconfigure the I/O Setup, and You can also import I/O paths and path
manage path definitions and signal routing setups. names, as well as other session data, from
a different session by using the Import Ses-
sion Data command (File > Import > Ses-
Importing I/O Settings sion Data). For information, see “Import-
Pro Tools lets you import I/O Settings from session ing Session Data” on page 451.
files (.ptx) I/O settings files (.pio) before or after
To import I/O Settings:
you open a session. I/O Settings are only imported
for the current page of the I/O Setup. For example, 1 Click the tab for the page of the I/O Setup for
if you are viewing the Output page and import I/O which you want to import settings.
Settings, only the settings for the Output page are
2 Click Import Settings.
imported. This helps to avoid overwriting your
custom I/O Settings on other pages. Enable the Apply to all tabs option or press
Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while click-
When you import I/O Settings, you can choose to
ing Import Settings to overwrite I/O Settings
delete any unused path definitions before import-
in all pages with the settings imported from a
ing the new paths, or leave unused path definitions
session file or I/O settings file.
intact and add the new paths to the current I/O
Setup configuration. 3 Select an I/O settings file (.pio) or a Pro Tools
session file (.ptx) in the Import Settings dialog
To import I/O settings for your Pro Tools system
and click Import.
from a Pro Tools session file:
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O). 4 A dialog appears asking whether you want to
delete existing paths. Do one of the following:
2 Select the tab for the page where you want to
• Click Yes to remove any unused paths and
import settings.
add the imported paths to the current I/O
3 Click Import Settings. Setup configuration.
• Click No to add the imported paths to the cur-
Enable the Apply to all tabs option or press
rent I/O Setup configuration.
Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while click-
ing Import Settings to overwrite I/O Settings If the import results in overlapping paths, the new
in all pages with the settings imported from a paths will appear in the I/O Setup as Inactive. See
session file. “Making Paths Active or Inactive” on page 79.

4 In the Open dialog, navigate to and select the After importing I/O Settings, you can then reassign
session or I/O settings file you want. path routing definitions in the I/O Setup by remap-
ping, renaming, and deleting paths. See “Pro Tools
5 Click Open.
Software Signal Paths” on page 56.
6 Click OK to save your changes and close I/O
Setup.

88 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Exporting I/O Settings
Session or Project
When you export I/O settings, all pages of the I/O Interchange and I/O Mapping
Setup are exported.
I/O Setup mappings are saved both with the last
To export and save an I/O Setup configuration as a used .pio file (Pro Tools I/O settings file) and the
custom I/O Settings file: session or project. When opening a session or proj-
1 Configure the I/O Setup settings. ect on a system that has a different I/O Setup,
Pro Tools follows these rules to ensure the best
2 Click Export Settings. possible re-mapping of the session’s or project’s
3 Name and save the settings file. The settings file I/O Setup to the new system:
is appended with “.pio” to distinguish it as an • Output busses are mapped to system Output
I/O settings file. paths by unique ID if possible.

To start sessions with a blank or empty

• Pro Tools always maps the Monitor Path of the
I/O Setup, you can create and export an I/O
session or project to the Monitor path of the cur-
Settings file in which all definitions have been
rent system. (If Monitor subpaths exist in the
deleted.
session, Pro Tools uses the best matching format
for the system Monitor subpaths.)
Restore from Session • Otherwise, Output busses that are mapped to
system Output paths by name and format if there
Pro Tools provides a Restore from Session button is an exact match.
that only affects the currently viewed page in I/O
Setup. For example, if you are viewing the Output If there is no match between Output busses and
page, only the Output settings are overwritten by system Output paths, you can manually remap
the settings saved with the session. Output busses. Pro Tools uses the manually re-
mapped unique ID the next time the session is
To restore I/O settings from the session: opened on that system.
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O).
After configuring the I/O Setup on any given sys-
2 Select the tab for the page that you want to re- tem for a session or project, the settings are re-
store from the session. tained with the session file or the project.
3 Click Restore from Session. You can recall the I/O settings saved with the
session or project and overwrite the system
Enable the Apply to all tabs option or press
settings (see “Restore from Session” on
Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while click-
page 89).
ing Restore from Session to restore settings
for all I/O Setup pages from the session.

4 Click OK to save your changes and close I/O

Setup.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 89

 Indication of Remapping in the Both the Input and Output pages of the I/O Setup
Bus Page window provide the Show Last Saved Setup but-
ton. When the last saved I/O setup is shown, the
Where the system Output path name or format has
button is highlighted.
changed, session Output busses that are success-
fully remapped are displayed in green. Once you save the session, the Show Last Saved
Setup button is grayed out.

Remapped Output Busses displayed in green

Additionally, a Previous Output Mappings column Show Last Saved Setup button in the Input page
appears to the right of the Output Mappings col- When showing the I/O Setup last saved with the
umn. This lets you take note of the output map- session, any unavailable hardware Inputs or Out-
pings that the session used the last time it was puts are displayed in italics.
saved.

Previous Output Mappings column

Unavailable hardware Input shown in italics
Once you save the session, the Output mapping
changes from green to black and is saved both with Additionally, when showing the I/O Setup last
the system and with the session. saved with the session, the Monitor Path, Audition
Path, Output Meter Path, and AFL/PFL Path set-
tings that were saved with the session are shown
Show Last Saved or Current
grayed out.
Setup
When opening a session that was saved with a dif- To show the last saved I/O settings:
ferent I/O Setup configuration for either hardware 1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O).
inputs or outputs, Pro Tools lets you switch be-
tween the I/O Setup last saved with the session and 2 Click either the Input or Output tab.
the current system I/O Setup. This lets you take 3 Click the Show Last Saved Setup button (the
note of the hardware Input and Output configura- button highlights).
tion of the I/O Setup saved with the session.
You can restore the I/O settings saved with
the session and overwrite the system settings
(see “Restore from Session” on page 89).

90 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 When viewing the I/O Setup last saved with Organize Track I/O Menus By
the session, the OK option is not available for Preference
saving and closing I/O Setup.
Pro Tools lets you organize track I/O Menus by
To show the current I/O settings: Type, Width, or both Type and Width.
1 If not already open, open the I/O Setup (Setup >
I/O).

2 Click either the Input or Output tab.

3 Click the highlighted Show Last Saved Setup
button (the button becomes unhighlighted).

I/O Settings and the Playback

Engine
When you change the Playback Engine (for exam- Track IO menus organized by both Type and Width
ple, from HDX to Built-in) Pro Tools automati- To specify the organization of Track I/O Menus:
cally creates and recalls I/O Settings (.pio) files
based on the Playback Engine. The first time that 1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
you use a new Playback Engine, Pro Tools uses the 2 Select the Display tab.
stereo defaults for the selected Playback Engine
and corresponding hardware. Thus, even on the 3 Select one of the following options from the Or-
ganize Track IO Menus By selector:
same computer, Pro Tools treats different Play-
back Engines as if they are different systems. This Type Displays only the I/O Type (Interface or Bus)
facilitates changing the Playback Engine without as I/O categories in Track I/O menus.
having to manually remap Output Busses in the
I/O Setup. These I/O Settings files are named after Width Displays only the I/O Channel Width (such
the corresponding Playback Engine and are saved as stereo or 5.1) as I/O categories in Track I/O
both on the system and with the session. menus.

Pro Tools remembers the individual I/O settings Type and Width Displays both Type and Width as
for your system for each Playback Engine avail- I/O categories in Track I/O menus.
able to your system. This includes all Inputs, Out- 4 Click OK.
put, Insert, and Hardware Delay settings, and also
settings such as the selected Monitor and Audition
paths. The session’s output bus mappings are
stored in the I/O Settings of the selected Playback
Engine, ensuring that you can hear the main mix
from the session from any Playback Engine.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 91

 I/O Setup in Session Notes Pro Tools Session Templates
and I/O Settings
When opening a Pro Tools session or project, the
Session Notes dialog provides a complete list of Pro Tools session templates include the I/O Set-
any mismatched Output bus mappings. In addition tings of the system on which the template was cre-
to being able to see this information and save it to ated. The I/O Settings selector is available when
a text file, you can also open the I/O Setup from the creating a new session from a template. This set-
Session Notes dialog to resolve any unmapped ting determines the configuration of the physical
Output busses. inputs and outputs of your system. The new ses-
sion uses the busses from the selected template, but
these busses are automatically mapped to the phys-
ical outputs of the system (the selected Playback
Engine).

Aux I/O
(macOS Big Sur or Later Only)

Pro Tools on macOS lets you use Aux I/O to ex-

tend your Pro Tools I/O capabilities through Core
Audio routing on macOS (Big Sur or later only).
Choose any device that you prefer to use as your
main Playback Engine, such as HDX (Hybrid En-
gine only) or Pro Tools | Carbon, and then add in-
Session Notes with unmapped Output busses dividual Aux I/O input and/or output devices in the
To open the I/O Setup from the Session Notes I/O Setup (such as Zoom or your favorite sound li-
dialog: brary application). Each enabled device appears in
I/O Setup as an additional interface that can be as-
1 If the Session Notes dialog reports unmapped
signed to input or output of a track.
bus paths, click the I/O Setup button.
2 In I/O Setup, reassign any unmapped bus paths Aux I/O is not supported with Pro Tools Intro
as necessary. and is not available with Classic HDX (for
technical reasons).
3 Click OK to save your changes and close I/O
Setup.

92 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Use Aux I/O with Pro Tools Audio Bridge to 3 In the Aux I/O dialog, select the In or Out option
stream audio between Pro Tools and another DAW for the Core Audio devices that you want to use
(such as Ableton Live) or virtual instrument and as additional Input and Output Aux I/O with Pro
effects hosts like Apple MainStage, or use Aux I/O Tools.
to stream audio out to Zoom or Microsoft Teams
for production review.

For more information about Pro Tools Audio

Bridge in AMS, see “Pro Tools Audio Bridge”
on page 163.

When streaming audio between Pro Tools

and other audio applications and hardware,
it is strongly recommended that they all use
the same sample rate in order to avoid perfor-
mance issues. Aux I/O dialog

While Aux I/O can use any Core Audio device Use Pro Tools Audio Bridge as the audio con-
on the system, it is recommended that you use nection between Pro Tools and any other ap-
Pro Tools Audio Bridge devices for optimal plication to avoid clicks pops, errors, or other
performance. Aux I/O devices should not be artifacts.
used interchangeably with your main playback
engine as it incurs greater, non-deterministic 4 If desired, you can rename Aux I/O input and
latency (which means latency can change be- output devices in the Display Name column.
tween playback and recording passes). Aux 5 After you have selected In and Out for any Core
I/O is meant to be used as a utility to route sig- Audio devices you want to use as Aux I/O with
nal through Pro Tools, but should not be relied Pro Tools, click OK.
upon for critical audio tasks.
6 Click OK to close the I/O Setup window.
Setting Up Aux I/O Any Core Audio devices selected as In or Out Aux
The Input and Output pages of the Pro Tools I/O I/O devices can be selected as the input or output
Setup window let you add any Core Audio device for audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, Instru-
for use with Pro Tools as Aux I/O in addition to the ment, and Master Fader tracks, or as Outputs for
I/O of the selected Playback Engine. Sends.

In the Playback Engine (Setup > Playback

To add Core Audio devices as additional Auxiliary
Inputs or Outputs to the Pro Tools mixer: Engine), enable the Aux I/O option under Ig-
nore Errors During Playback/Record to en-
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
sure uninterrupted playback with Aux I/O.
2 On either the Input or Output page of the I/O However, this may result in pops and clicks
Setup, click the Aux I/O button. during playback.

Chapter 6: I/O Setup 93

94 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 7: System Setup

Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order:

Starting Up or Shutting Down
Quit Pro Tools.
Your System 1

To ensure that the components of your Pro Tools To quit Pro Tools, choose Pro Tools > Quit
system communicate properly with each other, you (Mac) or File > Exit (Windows).
need to start them in a particular order.
2 Turn off or lower the volume of all output
Start up your Pro Tools system in this order:
devices in your system.

1 Make sure all your equipment (including your 3 Turn off your computer.
computer) is off. 4 Do one of the following depending on your
2 Lower the volume of all output devices in your Pro Tools system:
system. • For HDX and HD Native systems, turn off
your Pro Tools audio interfaces.
3 For systems with an expansion chassis, turn on
the chassis. • For Pro Tools systems with hardware requir-
ing external power (like Pro Tools | Carbon),
4 Turn on any control surfaces (such as S1 or S6). turn off the hardware.
5 Turn on any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or 5 For systems with an expansion chassis, turn off
synchronization peripherals. the chassis.
6 Do one of the following, depending on your 6 Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or
Pro Tools system: synchronization peripherals.
• For HDX and HD Native systems, with the
7 Turn off any control surfaces (such as S1 or S6).
volume of all output devices lowered, turn on
your audio interfaces (such as HD OMNI).
Wait at least fifteen seconds for your system
hardware to initialize. Running DigiTest
• For Pro Tools systems with hardware requir- Before you use Pro Tools, you may want to run the
ing external power (like Pro Tools | Carbon), DigiTest™ diagnostic application to ensure that all
with the volume of all output devices low- HDX cards in the system are recognized, installed
ered, turn on the hardware. in the proper order, and have valid connections.
You can also use DigiTest to validate your
7 Turn on your computer.
HD Native PCIe card or Thunderbolt interface.
8 Launch Pro Tools. For more information, see the Avid DigiTest Guide.

Chapter 7: System Setup 95

 Configuring the Playback
Engine
When you first launch Pro Tools, you are now
prompted to select the Playback Engine for your
system. Similarly, if the previously selected Play-
back Engine is unavailable, you are prompted to
select a new Playback Engine the next time you
launch Pro Tools.

To select the Playback Engine for your system the

first time you launch Pro Tools:

1 Install and then launch Pro Tools.

2 When prompted to select the audio device
(Playback Engine) for you system, click Next.
3 In the resulting Playback Engine dialog, select
the desired Playback Engine for your system.
4 Click OK.

Pro Tools launches using the selected Playback

Engine for audio input and output. Playback Engine for an HDX system, Hybrid Engine
enabled (Mac)

To configure the Pro Tools Playback Engine:

Playback Engine
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of your
system by changing system settings that affect its 2 From the Playback Engine selector, select your
capacity for processing, playback, and recording. audio interface:
These system settings are available in the Playback • For HDX systems, use HDX for the Playback
Engine (Setup > Playback Engine). Engine. Enable the Hybrid Engine option for
mixed HDX DSP and host CPU processing
In most cases, the default settings for your system
for the mixer. Disable the Hybrid Engine op-
provide optimum performance, but you may want
tion to use only HDX DSP for the mixer
to adjust them to accommodate large or process-
(HDX Classic).
ing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
• For HD Native systems, use the default set-
ting of HD Native.
• For supported Avid audio interfaces (such as
Mbox), select the name of the corresponding
interface to use the Avid Audio Engine for
Pro Tools.

96 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 • For Pro Tools | Carbon (Mac only), select When changing engines with a Pro Tools session
Pro Tools | Carbon (configured with Core open, Pro Tools closes and reopens the session to
Audio AVB in AMS). For more information, initialize the new engine.
see the Pro Tools | Carbon Guide.
On HDX systems, changing engines, or toggling
• For third-party audio interfaces with compat-
the Hybrid Engine on or off, requires that you quit
ible Core Audio (Mac) or ASIO (Windows),
and relaunch Pro Tools for the new setting to take
select the name of the corresponding Core
effect.
Audio (Mac) or ASIO (Windows) compatible
audio interface. When changing engines on any Pro Tools
• On Mac systems, if you are using built-in au- system, you may need to reset the default
dio, select any of the available built-in op- I/O settings to match the selected audio
tions for playback or select Pro Tools interface.
Aggregate I/O for simultaneous input and
HDX Classic versus HDX Hybrid Engine
output with the built-in I/O hardware options.
(You can create and configure Aggregate I/O (HDX Systems Only)
Core Audio devices in AMS.) HDX systems running with the Hybrid Engine dis-
• On Windows systems, select ASIO4ALL v2 abled use dedicated DSP on the HDX cards in-
or Windows Audio Device to use the built-in stalled in your system for playback and recording,
audio. plug-in processing, and mixer configurations. This
is referred to as HDX Classic to differentiate it
3 Configure the remaining Playback Engine set-
from the HDX Hybrid Engine. With HDX Classic
tings as desired.
the number of available voices for playback and re-
4 Click OK. cording is limited by the number of HDX cards in-
stalled in your system.
Device Section
HDX systems running on the HDX Hybrid Engine
Playback Engine on the other hand, use CPU host processing for
plug-in processing, mixer configurations, and
In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools lets you
playback with high voice counts, and reserve HDX
select the audio engine for use with your audio in-
DSP for track-by-track plug-in processing and
terface. The available options are determined by
mixer configuration in DSP Mode for ultra-low la-
which audio interfaces are connected and have
tency record and input monitoring.
compatible drivers installed.

Changing the Playback Engine setting can be use-

ful if you have multiple audio interfaces connected
to your computer with different routing configura-
tions in your studio, or if you want to prepare a ses-
sion for use with a specific interface on a different
system (for example, you might want to prepare a
session created on your HDX system for use with
the built-in audio on your Mac laptop).

Chapter 7: System Setup 97

 Playback Engine using HDX Classic
Playback Engine using Pro Tools Aggregate I/O (Mac)
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O
(Mac Only) Configure the Input and Output options for
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O in the Mac Audio MIDI
On Mac systems using Core Audio, you can use
Setup (AMS), which can be accessed from the
Pro Tools with the built-in audio inputs and out-
Pro Tools Hardware Setup.
puts on your Mac by selecting any of the available
built-in inputs and outputs, or by selecting the If you need simultaneous input (recording)
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O option for using a combi- and output (playback and monitoring) with
nation of built-in inputs and outputs simultane- Pro Tools using the built-in audio options on
ously (for recording and monitoring). Mac, use the Pro Tools Aggregate I/O option.
If you only need to play back audio for editing
and mixing, select the appropriate built-in
audio output option.

98 Pro Tools Reference Guide

ASIO4ALL v2 Windows Audio Device (WASAPI)
(Windows Only) (Windows Only)

On Windows systems, select the ASIO4ALL v2 op- On Windows systems, select the Windows Audio
tion to use the built-in WDM sound card (for re- Device option to use the built-in audio, or any other
cording and monitoring). The ASIO4ALL v2 supported 3rd-party Windows Audio Device.
driver is installed automatically with Pro Tools.
You can configure the ASIO4ALL settings in its In order to reduce demand on the CPU and to
Setup App (choose Settings > Hardware and click provide optimal performance when using a
Launch Setup App). WASAPI device with Pro Tools, audio stream-
ing with that device is restricted to Pro Tools
and is unavailable for the system or any other
audio application.

Playback Engine using ASIO4all (Windows)

Playback Engine using Windows Audio Device

Playback Engine with ASIO device on Windows

Chapter 7: System Setup 99

 Settings Section With the HDX Hybrid Engine enabled, you can en-
able or disable DSP Mode on a track-by-track basis
The Settings section of the Playback Engine dialog
for ultra-low latency input and record monitoring.
provides different settings and options depending
DSP Mode is only supported with the HDX Hybrid
on the device selected as the Playback Engine.
Engine or Pro Tools | Carbon.
HDX Hybrid Engine For information about DSP Mode, see
(HDX Systems Only) Chapter 52, “DSP Mode.”

The HDX Hybrid Engine uses both HDX DSP and

host CPU processing to maximize Pro Tools per- Using the HDX Hybrid Engine can also re-
formance. With the Hybrid Engine enabled, the duce system delays incurred by mixed DSP
mixer runs on the host CPU, and HDX DSP is re- and Native plug-in processing, which directly
served for DSP plug-in processing and track-based improves the fader and knob responsiveness
DSP Mode. The Hybrid Engine provides up to when using a control surface.
2,048 voices (at all sample rates)—compared to a
maximum of 256 voices per HDX card with the Number of Voices
Hybrid Engine disabled (HDX Classic). (HDX Classic Only)

On HDX systems with the Hybrid Engine disabled

(HDX Classic), the Number of Voices setting in the
Playback Engine lets you set the number of avail-
able voices. Depending on the session sample rate
and the number of HDX cards in your system,
there are different choices for voice count.

For voice limits with different HDX systems, see

“Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits with
Pro Tools Ultimate Software” on page 48.

Hybrid I/O Channels

(HDX Hybrid Engine Only)

On HDX systems with the Hybrid Engine enabled,

the Hybrid I/O Channels setting lets you specify the
number of Input and Output channels available for
ultra-low latency monitoring with tracks in DSP
Mode. Each HDX card installed in your system
supports 256 Hybrid I/O channels at 48 kHz, 128 at
96 kHz, and 64 at 192 kHz. As a general rule, se-
Playback Engine using the HDX Hybrid Engine lect the lowest number of Hybrid I/O channels you
need.

100 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Hardware Buffer Size Sample Rate
(HDX Systems Only)
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con-
trols the size of the buffer used to handle host- The Sample Rate setting in the Playback Engine
based processing tasks such as processing with Na- shows the default sample rate used when you cre-
tive plug-ins. ate a new session. If a session is open, the current
• Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings are useful session sample rate is displayed, but cannot be
for improving latency issues in certain recording changed. If no session is open, you can set the de-
situations or for improving certain system per- fault sample rate for new sessions.
formance problems.
Voices
• On all Pro Tools systems, lower settings re-
duce MIDI-to-audio latency (such as when (Pro Tools Ultimate on non-HDX Systems or
HDX Hybrid Engine Only)
playing a virtual instrument live and monitor-
ing the instrument’s output). Lower settings Displays the maximum number of voices available
can also improve screen response or the accu- (2,048).
racy of plug-in and mute automation data.
• On host-based Pro Tools systems, lower set- Video Engine
tings reduce all input-to-output monitoring
Enable the Video Engine option to import, edit, and
latency on any record-armed tracks or Auxil-
playback a wide range of Avid HD and SD MXF
iary Input tracks with live inputs.
video formats on Pro Tools video tracks without
• On HDX systems, lower settings reduce mon- transcoding. With the Video Engine enabled you
itoring latency that occurs on tracks that have can simultaneously view desktop video and video
one or more Native plug-ins. Lower settings monitored using a video peripheral.
can also improve the accuracy of MIDI track
timing on systems without a MIDI interface
that supports time stamping. Lower settings
Optimizations Section
also improve MIDI track timing on tracks us- The settings in the Optimization section provide
ing MIDI virtual instruments that do not sup- various options for optimizing Pro Tools perfor-
port time stamping. mance.
• Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings are useful
Ignore Errors During
when playing back and mixing sessions that use
Playback/Recording
Native plug-ins. They can also be useful to re-
duce errors on machines that require a higher The Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option
buffer size. determines how Pro Tools responds to error re-
porting from the Avid Audio Engine (AAE) during
playback and recording. This can be useful when
working with instrument plug-ins where you care
less about clicks and pops in the audio signal while
you work on composing and arranging.

Chapter 7: System Setup 101

 Once you are ready to work on the final mix you Minimize Additional I/O Latency
should disable this option. Observe the following (Host-based Pro Tools Systems Only)
guidelines as to whether or not to enable or disable
error suppression: When the Minimize Additional I/O Latency option is
enabled, any additional latency due to ignoring er-
• Enable error suppression only if you are experi-
rors during playback and recording is minimized to
encing frequent errors that are interrupting your
128 samples. Ignoring errors requires at least 128
creative workflow. When error suppression is
samples of additional buffering on some systems.
enabled, you can experience a degradation of au-
If this option is disabled, the buffer is half the H/W
dio quality. However, this may be acceptable in
Buffer Size, or at least 128 samples (whichever is
order to avoid interrupting playback and record-
greater). If you are using a slower computer, you
ing when working with instrument plug-ins.
may want to disable this option to avoid adverse
• Disable error suppression when you need to en- performance.
sure the highest possible audio quality, such as
for a final mix. Dynamic Plug-In Processing

If the Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option When enabled, the Dynamic Plug-In Processing
is enabled and too many CPU intensive Native option maximizes plug-in counts by dynamically
plug-ins are active in the session (such as Eleven reallocating host-based processing resources as
Free or various virtual instrument plug-ins), you needed. This means that plug-ins only use CPU
may experience badly distorted audio. If you en- cycles when they are actually processing audio.
counter this problem, remove or make inactive any
unnecessary Native plug-ins. You can also isolate Optimize Performance at Low Buffer
and bus record any tracks that use virtual instru- Sizes
ments, and then make those source tracks inactive (Mac Only)
to free up processing resources.
In the Playback Engine dialog, the Optimize Per-
Ignore Errors During Playback/Recording For formance at Low Buffer Sizes option ensures that
CPU performance is optimized as thread-wakeup
On macOS only, there are two options for ignoring time jitter is minimized on macOS. When enabled
errors during playback and recording: (it is enabled by default), this option impacts only
the two lowest available HW Buffer Size settings.
Main Playback Engine Enable to avoid interrup-
However, when this option is enabled, certain
tions to playback and recording for the main play-
plug-ins may cause the system to hang for several
back engine.
seconds. If you encounter this issue, disable the
Aux I/O Enable to avoid interruptions to playback option or increase the HW Buffer Size setting.
and recording for any Aux I/O configured for Input
and/or output with Pro Tools on macOS. Limit Number of Real-Time Threads
(Pro Tools on Intel-based Macs Only)

Pro Tools uses real-time threads for low-latency

audio processing. To achieve low latency, these
threads take priority to be processed quickly. How-
ever, if there are other, non-Pro Tools real-time

102 Pro Tools Reference Guide

threads running, they may contend with Pro Tools When the Intel Turbo Boost option is disabled, Mac
threads for CPU resources. This can cause play- fan noise should be greatly reduced. However, you
back errors (such as –9093 and –6101 errors) and may notice a slight reduction in overall system per-
AVB audio drop outs. formance.

To reduce the possibility of resource contention

you can limit the number of real-time threads that Disk Playback Section
are spun up and run by enabling the Limit Number
Cache Size
of Real-Time Threads option in the Playback En-
gine dialog. The Cache Size setting in the Playback Engine de-
• When enabled, CPU resource contention is min- termines the amount of memory allocated to pre-
imized by limiting the number of low latency buffer audio for playback and recording. In most
processing threads that Pro Tools will spin up to cases, the default setting of Normal is the optimum
[(number of physical cores) –1]. Cache Size for most sessions.

• When disabled (legacy Pro Tools behavior), Pro Tools can also load audio files used in
Pro Tools will spin up and run more real-time Pro Tools sessions into RAM for cached playback.
threads [(number of logical cores) –1], or [(num- Pro Tools prioritizes files closest to the current
ber of logical cores) –2] for machines with 12 or playhead location. This way, when you start play-
more logical cores. back, those files are already cached for playback.
This is especially useful when working with shared
If you are recording or input monitoring many media storage (such as with Avid Unity ISIS®
tracks with plug-ins, having this option en- shared storage systems).
abled may result in –9093 and –6101 errors
due to a reduction in the number of parallel To determine the maximum amount of RAM avail-
high-priority real-time threads that Pro Tools able for the Disk Cache, Pro Tools polls the com-
will spin up. If this occurs, disable this option. puter for the amount of RAM installed and sub-
tracts 4 GB of RAM. For example, if your
Intel® Turbo Boost computer has 16 GB of RAM installed, the total
(Intel-based Macs with Turbo Boost Support amount of RAM available for the Disk Cache will
Only) be 12 GB.
Many Intel®-based Macs provide a feature called You can use the Disk Cache and Memory
“Turbo Boost.” This accelerates processor and meters in the System Usage window to deter-
graphics performance for peak loads, automati- mine whether to assign more or less RAM to
cally allowing processor cores to run faster than the Disk Cache for the current session. See
the rated operating frequency. The downside is “System Usage” on page 111.
that this also increases CPU temperature, which
can cause Mac fans to have to run faster and thus To set the amount of RAM for use by the Disk
generate more noise. Cache:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
Turbo Boost is enabled by default on macOS and
its setting applies to the entire Mac system (not just 2 From the Disk Cache selector, select the amount
Pro Tools). of RAM you want to allocate for Disk Cache.
3 Click OK.
Chapter 7: System Setup 103
 Selecting an Audio Interface to
Configuring MIDI Setup Configure
If you plan to use any external MIDI devices with The Peripherals list in the Hardware Setup lets you
Pro Tools (such as controllers, keyboards, synthe- select any audio interface connected to your
sizers, drum machines, samplers, sequencers, or Pro Tools system associated with the selected Cur-
sound modules), you may want to configure your rent Engine setting in the Playback Engine dialog.
MIDI setup using Audio MIDI Setup (Mac) or
MIDI Studio Setup (Windows). To change the Playback Engine setting to use a
specific audio interface or AAE (such as HDX, HD
For more information, see Chapter 10, Native, or a third-party Core Audio or ASIO inter-
“Configuring MIDI.” face), see “Playback Engine” on page 97).

For Avid HD audio interfaces (such as HD OMNI

Configuring Hardware or HD I/O) you can configure the signal routing,
Settings in Pro Tools digital I/O format, default sample rate, clock
source, and other hardware-based settings for each
Pro Tools lets you configure the signal routing, HD peripheral connected to your system.
digital I/O format, default sample rate, clock
source, and other hardware-based settings depend- For third-generation Mbox family audio inter-
ing on your system configuration. These system faces, and third-party Core Audio (Mac) and ASIO
settings are available in the Hardware Setup (Windows) compatible audio interfaces, use the
(Setup > Hardware). Launch Control Panel button to launch the control
panel for configuring your specific audio interface.

Launch Control Panel or Setup

App
(Pro Tools with Avid Hardware or Third-Party
Audio Interfaces with Control Panel Software)

Using the control panel or setup application for

your audio interface, you can change settings in the
following areas, depending on your audio inter-
Hardware Setup for HD OMNI, Main page face:
• Mixer Settings
• Output Settings
• Hardware Settings (including sample rate,
hardware buffer size, and sync source).

You can set the sample rate when creating a

new Pro Tools session by selecting a different
sample rate in the New Session dialog.

Hardware Setup for Mbox (third generation)

104 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To change control panel settings: 4 In the Audio Devices window of the Mac Audio
1 In the Hardware Setup dialog, click the Launch Setup, configure the Pro Tools Aggregate I/O
Control Panel button or Launch Setup App but- settings.
ton (depending on your audio interface).
The Pro Tools Aggregate I/O device is in-
2 To change settings in the control panel or setup tended for use only with the built-in audio on
application, see the documentation that came your Mac computer. For best performance,
with your audio interface. use the default settings.

3 When finished, close the control panel or setup

application.
Configuring Default Sample Rate
Setting in Hardware Setup

Configuring Pro Tools The Sample Rate setting in the Hardware Setup di-
Aggregate I/O alog determines the default sample rate when you
(Mac Only) create a new session. This setting is available only
when there is no session open. Otherwise, the cur-
On Mac systems using Core Audio, you can select rent session sample rate is displayed, but cannot be
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O as the Current Engine to changed.
use the built-in audio inputs and outputs on your
Mac computer. You can configure the Pro Tools With HDX and HD Native hardware, you can
Aggregate I/O setting in the Mac Audio Setup, change the default Sample Rate in the Hardware
which can be accessed from the Pro Tools Hard- Setup, or in the Playback Engine.
ware Setup.
With HDX and HD Native hardware, the
To configure Pro Tools Aggregate I/O settings: Sample Rate setting can affect the number
of available voices.
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 In the Peripherals list, select Pro Tools Aggre- On other Pro Tools systems, you can only change
gate I/O, or whichever Built-in input or output
the default sample rate in the Hardware Setup or
option is selected as the Current Engine in the using the control panel for third-party audio inter-
Playback Engine. faces.

You can set the sample rate when creating a

new Pro Tools session by selecting a different
sample rate in the New Session dialog.

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.
Hardware Setup for Pro Tools Aggregate I/O 3 Click OK.
(Mac only)

3 Click the Launch Setup App button.

Chapter 7: System Setup 105

 Configuring Clock Source Configuring Digital Format and
Hardware Routing
The Pro Tools Hardware Setup lets you select the
Clock Master for the system. The Hardware Setup includes additional settings
for configuring the digital format and hardware
Changes made to Clock Master in the Session routing for your system’s audio interfaces.
Setup window are reflected in the Hardware
Setup window. To configure specific hardware settings for
other Pro Tools or third-party audio inter-
Internal If you are recording an analog signal faces, see the documentation that came with
directly into Pro Tools, you will usually use the your audio interface.
Pro Tools Internal clock source.

External If you are transferring material into

Pro Tools from an external digital device, or if you
Configuring Pro Tools | HDX
utilize a common house clock signal, you will syn-
and Pro Tools | HD Native
chronize Pro Tools to that digital device or com-
Hardware Settings
mon signal. On HDX and HD Native systems, you configure
Hardware settings for each audio interface con-
Depending on your audio interface, external
nected to your system (see Chapter 5, “Pro Tools
options can include AES/EBU [Encl], S/PDIF,
Systems.”)
Optical [Encl], AES/EBU 1–8, TDIF, ADAT, and
Word Clock. For details, see the guide for your au- HDX and HD Native systems can have HD I/O,
dio interface. HD OMNI, HD MADI, Pro Tools | MTRX, or
Pro Tools | MTRX Studio audio interfaces con-
To select the Clock Master: nected to HDX cards or HD Native hardware.
1 Choose Setup > Hardware. HD I/O, HD OMNI, MTRX, and MTRX Studio
can also have additional interfaces attached using
2 Choose the clock source from the Clock Master
the Expansion port on each interface.
pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.

Your digital input device must be

connected and powered on for Pro Tools to
synchronize to it. If your input device is not
powered on, leave the Clock Master set to
Internal.

106 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Identifying Audio Interfaces Configuring Avid HD Audio
Interfaces
If you have multiple audio interfaces of the same
type connected to your system, before you make HD OMNI supports up to eight channels of simul-
audio connections to them, you should confirm the taneous I/O and multiple I/O formats (such as ana-
identity of each interface. This ensures that you log, AES/EBU, ADAT Optical, and S/PDIF).
choose the appropriate interface in the Peripherals
HD I/O audio interfaces support sixteen channels
list when you define its inputs and outputs in the
of simultaneous I/O and multiple I/O formats (such
Hardware Setup.
as analog, AES/EBU, ADAT Optical, S/PDIF, and
To identify audio interfaces in your system: TDIF). HD MADI supports up to 64 channels of
MADI I/O.
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
The Main page of the Hardware Setup is where
2 From the Peripherals list, select an audio inter-
you define which physical inputs and outputs on
face connected to your system.
your audio interface are routed to available inputs
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to scroll and outputs in Pro Tools. You can think of this
though the Peripherals list in the Hardware window as a patchbay that allows you to route any
Setup. of the inputs or outputs on your audio interfaces to
channel assignments in the Pro Tools mixer.
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 audio
interface in your setup. Hardware Setup for HD I/O, Main page

Additional pages are available to configure other

controls for each audio interface (such as setting
operating levels).

Chapter 7: System Setup 107

 To configure Avid HD audio interfaces: 7 For S/PDIF compatibility with Tascam DA-30
1 Choose Setup > Hardware. DAT recorders, select the Tascam option under
S/PDIF Format.
2 From the Peripherals list, select the audio inter-
face connected to the first card in your system. 8 From the Input and Output channel pop-up
This will be the interface at the top of the list. menus, select the physical ports (such as Analog
1–2 or Optical 1–2), that will be routed to the
3 Click the Main tab. corresponding Pro Tools input and output chan-
nels (such as Ch 1–2, Ch 3–4), listed on the left
Press Command+Left or Right Arrow keys
side of the Main page.
(Mac) or Control+Left or Right Arrow keys
(Windows) to move though the different Inputs and outputs of similar format are differenti-
pages of the Hardware Setup. ated in the input and output channel pop-up menus.
For example, the AES/EBU inputs and outputs in
4 From the Clock Master pop-up menu, select the
the HD I/O enclosure are listed as AES/EBU [Encl],
appropriate clock source for the interface.
while the AES/EBU inputs and outputs on the fac-
In many cases, you will use Internal. The other tory-installed Digital I/O card are listed (in pairs)
choices are for resolving Pro Tools to external as AES/EBU 1–2, AES/EBU 3–4, AES/EBU 5–6,
clock sources. Depending on your audio interface, and AES/EBU 7–8. For HD I/Os equipped with a
Clock Source options can include: AES/EBU second Digital I/O Card, the additional AES/EBU
[Encl], S/PDIF, Optical [Encl], AES/EBU 1–8, TDIF, I/O ports on the optional card are listed as
ADAT, and Word Clock (optional Word Clock rates AES/EBU 9–10, AES/EBU 11–12, AES/EBU 13–
are available when operating at higher sample 14, and AES/EBU 15–16.
rates). 9 Configure any specific controls for your audio
5 If you want to send clock output to other de- interface:
vices attached to the audio interface, select the • “Configuring HD OMNI Controls” on
appropriate output from the Ext. Clock Output page 109.
pop-up menu. • “Configuring HD I/O Controls” on page 110.
6 Select which digital I/O port on your audio in- • “Configuring HD MADI Controls” on
terface enclosure is active by selecting the cor- page 110.
responding option under Digital Format.
10 For additional audio interfaces, select them in
Depending on the type of interfaces in your
the Peripherals list, and repeat the above steps.
system, choices include AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and
Optical (S/PDIF). Selecting Optical (S/PDIF) re- See your audio interface guide for additional
sets the Optical I/O port (which is, by default, configuration details and restrictions.
eight channels of ADAT Optical I/O) to two
channels of S/PDIF Optical I/O.

108 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Configuring HD OMNI Controls 5 Click the Analog In tab and configure the
options.
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 options.
When working with HD OMNI, you should al-
ways configure the Monitor page first.

HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Analog In page

6 Click the Analog Out tab and configure the

options.

HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Monitor page

4 Click the Main tab and configure the options.

HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Analog Out page

7 Click the Mixer tab and configure the options.

HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Main page

HD OMNI Hardware Setup, Mixer page

8 When you are finished, click OK.

For detailed information about configuring

HD OMNI, see the HD OMNI Guide.

Chapter 7: System Setup 109

 Configuring HD I/O Controls 8 When you are finished, click OK.

To configure controls for HD I/O: For detailed information about configuring

1 Choose Setup > Hardware. HD I/O, see the HD I/O Guide.

2 From the Peripherals list, select the HD I/O Configuring HD MADI Controls
audio interface.
To configure controls for HD MADI:
3 Click the Main tab and configure the options.
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 From the Peripherals list, select either
HD MADI Port 1 or HD MADI Port 2 and con-
figure the options.

HD I/O Hardware Setup, Main page

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. 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.

3 When you are finished, click OK.

For detailed information about configuring

HD MADI, see the HD MADI Guide.
HD I/O Hardware Setup, Analog In page

5 If you have two HD I/O AD cards, click the

Analog 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.

110 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Configuring MTRX and MTRX CPU Meters
Studio Controls
The CPU Total meter displays session performance
for Elastic Audio processing, Clip Gain process-
ing, and Native plug-in and mixer processing. A
3-second peak indicator provides visual indication
of peak CPU usage.

Pro Tools | MTRX Hardware Setup

System Usage window, CPU peak meter indicator

MTRX and MTRX Studio are configured using
DADman Control software. For information, The individual CPU meters provide a general indi-
see the MTRX Operation Guide or the MTRX cation of how much Pro Tools is using each of the
Studio Operation Guide. processors in your computer.

System Usage
Meters in the System Usage window indicate how
much of your system’s resources are being used System Usage window, individual CPU meters
when processing audio, and when writing and
playing back automation. Activity Meters
The Activity section of the System Usage window
As these meters approach their limits, host pro-
display meters for disk usage and memory usage.
cessing and recording or playback of automation
data can be affected. If CPU or PCI Activity are
Disk Meter
high, a system error may occur. If Disk Activity is
high, Pro Tools may miss playback of some auto- As in previous versions of Pro Tools, the Disk me-
mation data during particularly dense periods of ter displays the amount of hard disk processing ac-
activity, such as while using the Bounce Mix com- tivity.
mand.

System Usage window, Disk meter

System Usage window, Pro Tools software

Chapter 7: System Setup 111

 Disk Cache Meter Resources
The System Usage window lets you monitor use of The Resources section of the System Usage win-
the Disk Cache. This meter is only present if a dow display meters for Voices and Time Slots
fixed Cache Size is selected in the Playback En- (HDX only).
gine dialog.

Voices
Time Slots

System Usage window, Disk Cache meter System Usage window (HDX shown)
The Disk Cache meter indicates the amount of al- Voices
located memory being used to cache audio in the
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
timeline (up to the amount of RAM selected for the
Disk Cache setting in the Playback Engine). An The Voices meter displays the total number of
additional peak-meter style indicator is included to voices available and the number of voices cur-
show how much of the allocated RAM is needed rently used. This includes all voices, including any
for caching the session. voices used for routing between DSP and host-
based processing.
Memory Meter
Time Slots
The Memory meter displays how much of the in-
(HDX Systems Only)
stalled physical RAM in the system is being used
by Pro Tools. This includes RAM used by the au- The Time Slots meter displays the total number of
dio engine, the video engine (if enabled), plug-ins, DSP Time Slots available and the number of DSP
and the disk cache. Other than Pro Tools, it does Time Slots currently used.
not show any other RAM usage by the system. If
the Memory meter approached 100%, install more
physical RAM or lower the Disk Cache setting in
the Playback Engine dialog.

System Usage window, Memory meter

112 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Hybrid I/O Channels HDX Card DSP Usage Meters
(HDX Hybrid Engine Only) (HDX Systems Only)

Displays how many of the available Hybrid Input The DSP meters display how much of each DSP
and Output channels are being used for record and chip on each HDX card is currently being used for
input monitoring in DSP Mode. mixer configurations and DSP-based plug-ins.

Hybrid I/O
Channels

DSP Usage

System Usage window (HDX 2 shown)

System Usage window (HDX Hybrid Engine shown)

Chapter 7: System Setup 113

 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 (see “Thinning
Automation” on page 1220.)
 Make unnecessary track inputs and outputs in-
active (see “Making Track Inputs and Outputs
Inactive from the Edit or Mix Window” on
page 275).
 Make unnecessary tracks inactive (see “Making
Tracks Inactive” on page 283).
 Make unnecessary DSP plug-ins inactive (see
“Making Inserts Inactive” on page 1156).

114 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 8: Preferences

The settings in the Pro Tools Preferences define

how Pro Tools features work. The Preferences di- Display Preferences
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.

Chapter 8: Preferences 115

 Basics the Signal Generator), or third-party plug-ins that
have not had a category designated by their devel-
Track Position Numbers Stay with Hidden
opers, appear in the Other category. Plug-Ins can
Tracks When selected, tracks keep their track
appear in more than one category.
numbers even when hidden. When not selected,
numbers are only assigned to tracks that are Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins by their manu-
shown. In this case, shown tracks are then num- facturer (such as Bomb Factory, Focusrite, or TL
bered sequentially, and hidden tracks are not num- Labs), with individual plug-ins listed in the manu-
bered. facturer submenus. Plug-Ins that do not have a
Manufacturer defined will appear in the “Other”
Tool Tips Display Options
manufacturer folder.
Function Configures Tool Tips to show the basic
Category and Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins in
function of the item.
two levels of menus. The top menus display plug-
Details Configures Tool Tips to show the complete ins by process category (such as EQ, Dynamics,
form of an abbreviated name or item (such as a and Delay), with individual plug-ins listed in the
track name). Details view can also show the hidden category submenus. The bottom menus display
or abbreviated value of parameters, as well as input plug-ins by manufacturer (such as Bomb Factory,
and output assignments. Focusrite, or TL Labs), with individual plug-ins
listed in the manufacturer submenus.
Edit Window Default Length
“Organize Track I/O Menus By” Options
This preference sets a default length for the Edit
window in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames These options determine how track I/O menus are
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only). This is use- organized in the Track Input selector, and Send
ful if you want to assemble a session of a particular and Track Output selectors.
length or leave extra room to expand the Edit win-
Type Displays only the I/O Type (Interface or Bus)
dow’s work area in your session. The maximum
as I/O categories in Track I/O menus.
length is 24 hours. For best scrollbar sensitivity,
set the length to slightly longer (a minute or more) Width Displays only the I/O Channel Width (such
than the total session or song length. as stereo or 5.1) as I/O categories in Track I/O
menus.
“Organize Plug-In Menus By” Options
Type and Width Displays both Type and Width as
These options determine how plug-in menus are I/O categories in Track I/O menus.
organized in the Insert selector or Plug-In selector.
Language Options
Flat List Organizes plug-ins in a single list, in
alphabetical order. You must have Administrator privileges for the
Pro Tools application Properties to change these
Category Organizes plug-ins by process category
options.
(such as EQ, Dynamics, and Delay), with individ-
ual plug-ins listed in the category submenus. Plug- Language Sets the language to use in the
Ins that do not fit into a standard category (such as Pro Tools application, independently of what lan-
guage is used by your OS.

116 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default Automatic Naming to English Causes au- General Color
tomatically named session elements in a session to
be named in English even when working with the MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity
Pro Tools application set to another language. When this options is enabled, MIDI notes display
varying shades of the assigned track color in MIDI
Auto-Switch Input Language
notes view in the Edit window and in MIDI Editor
When the Auto-Switch Input Language option is windows. Notes with high velocities are darker
enabled, the input language is switched automati- and notes with lower velocities are lighter.
cally from English to the current OS input lan-
guage when entering text. It automatically Default Track Color Coding Options
switches back to English for using Keyboard com- These color coding options determine the default
mands in Pro Tools. When disabled, English is color coding assignment for tracks in the Edit and
used when entering text regardless of the current Mix windows. The options are:
OS input language.
None Turns off color assignment for tracks.
UI Theme
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to each
Pro Tools lets you change the theme for the User track in the Mix or Edit window according to its
Interface (UI) between Classic (legacy) and Dark voice or MIDI channel assignment.
(new). Depending on the lighting environment
where you use Pro Tools, you may find that one UI Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
Theme is more desirable than the other. track in the Mix or Edit window according to its
voice assignment or MIDI device assignment.
You can customize UI Themes in the Color Pal-
ette window (see “UI Themes” on page 230). 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
Warnings and Dialogs
are not shown.
Reset “Don’t Show This Again” Settings If you
have made any changes by selecting the Don’t Track Type Assigns a color to each track according
Show This Again setting for any dialog in to its type (audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
Pro Tools, you can click this Reset button to VCA Master, MIDI, Instrument, or Video).
revert to the default settings.
Default Clip Color Coding Options
Show Dashboard Window When Pro Tools
Starts When selected, Pro Tools shows the Dash- These color coding options determine the default
board window on launch. Deselect this option if color coding assignment for tracks, Marker Loca-
you do not want to see the Pro Tools Dashboard tions, and clips residing in the track playlist and
window on launch. Clips List. The options are:

None Turns off color assignment for clips. Clips

are drawn with black waveform or MIDI notes on
a light gray background.

Chapter 8: Preferences 117

 Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to each
clip in the Edit window according to its voice or Operation Preferences
MIDI channel assignment.

Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each

clip in the Edit window according to its voice as-
signment or MIDI device assignment.

Groups Assigns a color to each clip according to

the Group ID of its track. If groups are suspended
using the Suspend Groups command, all clips dis-
play black waveforms or MIDI notes on a light
gray background.

Track Color Assigns a clip 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.

Clips List Color Assigns a color to each clip based

on its color in the Clips List.

Marker Colors Transport

Randomize Marker Color Upon Creation Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows
Playback When selected, the Timeline Insertion
When enabled, newly created markers are assigned
and the Play Start Marker both move to the point in
a random color (note that black, white, and gray
the Timeline where playback stops. When dese-
are excluded). When disabled, new marker default
lected, the Timeline Insertion and Play Start
to amber.
Marker do not follow playback, but return to the
location where playback began.
Show Marker Lane Colors For

Timeline Marker Ruler Marker color extends Press Control+N (Mac) or Start+N (Windows)
within the lane until the next marker is reached. to toggle the Timeline Insertion/Play Start
Marker Follows Playback preference on and
Tracks Marker color extends within the lane until off.
the next marker is reached.

118 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle When se- • If a new timeline selection is made during
lected, the edit cursor automatically locates to the playback that is later than the current location
point where scrubbing stops. of the Playhead, the Playhead continues unin-
terrupted without jumping to the new selec-
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind When se-
tion.
lected, audio is audible during fast forward or
rewind. • If the Playhead enters the new selection, it re-
sumes loop playback between the loop points
Latch Forward/Rewind When selected, fast for- of the selection.
ward and rewind latch and continue until you press • If a new timeline selection is made before the
Stop, Play, Return To Zero, or Go To End on the location of the Playhead during playback, the
Transport. When disabled, the Fast Forward and Playhead continues uninterrupted without
Rewind only last as long as you hold the mouse af- jumping back to the start of the new selection.
ter clicking either button on the Transport (or hold You will need to manually relocate the Play-
the corresponding switch on a Control Surface). head to the new timeline selection to loop
Play Start Marker Follows Timeline playback within the selection boundaries.
Selection When enabled, the Play Start Marker • If a new timeline selection is made during
snaps to the Timeline Selection In Point when you playback that does not contain the Playhead,
move the Timeline Selection, draw a new Timeline stopping and restarting the transport moves
Selection, or adjust the Timeline Selection Start. the Playhead to the beginning of the selection
When disabled, the Play Start Marker doesn’t and loops within the selection boundaries.
move with the Timeline selection.
Reserve Voices for Preview in Context (HDX and
Dynamic Transport Follows Timeline Selection HD Native Only) When enabled, Pro Tools re-
During Playback Lets you switch between moving serves the appropriate number of voices for pre-
the Playhead or not when changing the timeline se- view in context (previewing audio files from
lection during playback in Dynamic Transport Workspace browsers during session playback).
mode. The number of available voices is reduced by the
• When this option is enabled, the Playhead jumps channel width of the selected audition paths on the
to the new timeline selection instantly without Output page of the I/O Setup window. For exam-
waiting for playback of the current loop to com- ple, if the number of playback voices is set to 48 in
plete, changing the timeline selection during the Playback Engine, and you have a stereo audi-
Loop Playback in Dynamic Transport mode, and tion path selected in the I/O Setup, only 46 voices
begins to loop within the boundaries of the new will be available for tracks. If you have a 5.1 audi-
selection. tion path, only 42 voices will be available. When
this option is disabled, you will not be able to pre-
• When this option is disabled, the Playhead be-
view in context if there are not enough available
haves as follows when changing the timeline se-
voices.
lection in Dynamic Transport mode with Loop
Playback:

Chapter 8: Preferences 119

 Custom Shuttle Lock Speed Sets the highest fast- Start key (Windows), followed by 0–9 for different
forward Shuttle Lock speed (key 9) for Shuttle play speeds. Press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to reverse
Lock modes (Classic or Transport). direction. Recall Memory Locations by typing Pe-
The range for this setting is 50–800%. riod (.), the Memory Location number, and Period
(.) again.
For more information, see “Custom Shuttle
Lock Speed” on page 665. To customize the highest fast-forward
Shuttle Lock speed, see “Custom Shuttle
Custom FF/REW Speed Sets the speed for fast for- Lock Speed” on page 665.
ward and rewind in relation to normal playback.
The range for this setting is 100–3,200%. Shuttle (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) Selects a type
of shuttling different from that of Shuttle Lock
Back/Forward Amount (Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
mode. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Shut-
Sets the default length of Back, Back and Play, tle, playback is triggered by pressing and holding
Forward and Forward and Play. The timebase of the keys on the numeric keypad—playback stops
the Back/Forward Amount settings follows the once the keys are released. Various playback
Main Time Scale by default, or you can deselect speeds are available in both forward and reverse.
the Follow Main Time Scale option and select an- You can also recall Memory Locations by typing
other timebase format: Bars|Beats, Min:Sec, Time- Period (.), the Memory Location number, and Pe-
code, Feet+Frames, or Samples. riod (.) again.

Numeric Keypad Mode Use Separate Play and Stop Keys

Numeric Keypad mode determines how the nu- When enabled, this option lets you start playback
meric keypad functions. You can always use the with the Enter key and stop playback with the 0
numeric keypad to select and enter values in the key on the numeric keypad. This is useful for
Event Edit Area, Edit Selection indicators, Main quickly starting and stopping playback when audi-
and Sub Counters, and Transport fields. tioning loop transitions. The Use Separate Play
and Stop Keys option is only available in Trans-
Classic Selects a Shuttle Lock mode that emulates port Numeric Keypad mode.
the way Pro Tools worked in versions lower than
5.0. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Classic, When this option is enabled, it overrides
you can play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle using the Enter key to add Memory Location
Lock mode. Press Control (Mac) or the Start key markers. Instead, press Period (.) and then
(Windows), followed by 0–9 for different play Enter on the numeric keypad to add a
speeds. Press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to reverse di- Memory Location marker.
rection. Recall Memory Locations by typing the
Memory Location number, followed by Period (.). Auto Backup
Transport Selects a Shuttle Lock mode that lets Enable Session File Auto Backup When se-
you set a number of record and play functions, and lected, Pro Tools automatically saves backups of
also operate the Transport from the numeric key- your Pro Tools session file while you work. Back-
pad. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans- ups are saved to in the Session File Backups folder
port, you can play up to two tracks of audio in in your session folder.
Shuttle Lock mode. Press Control (Mac) or the

120 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Keep n Most Recent Session Backups Specifies Record
the total number of incremental backups that are
kept for sessions (backups for projects are handled Record Enable Buttons Options
separately by Revision History). Latch Audio Tracks When selected, the Record
Backup Every Specifies how often the session is
Enable button on each audio track latches on (or
saved. off) when you click it.
Cancel Previous on Audio Tracks When se-
User Media and Settings lected, clicking the Record Enable button on any
Location audio track disengages record enable on all other
audio tracks.
Documentation and Settings
Cancel Previous on All Tracks When selected,
Click the Change button to set the Root directory clicking the Record Enable button on any track of
for all user files including Documentation, any type disengages record enable on all other
Grooves, IO Settings, Plug-In Maps, Plug-In Set- tracks regardless of track type.
tings, Session Templates, and Video Test Patterns.
Shift-click the track record enable button of
Project Media Cache any track of any type to engage or disengage
record enable on that track in latch mode re-
Click the Change button to set the Root directory
gardless of the selected Record Enable But-
for caching all project media.
tons option.
Sound Libraries
Enable Automation in Record When this option is
When Pro Tools is installed, any included audio enabled, automation can be written during record-
loops are stored in the Sound Libraries folder by de- ing as well as during playback. When this option is
fault: disabled, automation can only be written during
playback.
Mac Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/
Documents/Pro Tools/Sound Libraries Note that when the Enable Automation in Record
option is selected, the Link Record and Play Faders
Windows C:\Users\<username>\Documents\
Pro Tools\Sound Libraries option is automatically disabled and is unavailable.

Click the Change button to direct Pro Tools to ref- Link Record and Play Faders When selected,
erence another location for the Sound Libraries Pro Tools does not remember separate fader levels
folder and Loops content. for tracks when they are record-enabled, allowing
you to maintain the same monitoring level for
Show Sound Libraries in Workspace Locations tracks during recording and playback.

Enable the Show Sound Libraries in Workspace/

Locations option to show Sound Libraries in the
Locations pane of Workspace browsers.

Chapter 8: Preferences 121

 Audio Track RecordLock (Pro Tools Ultimate to Auto Input monitoring) or a typical music track-
Only) This option configures Pro Tools tracks to ing workflow (in which leaving a track in Input
either emulate a digital dubber, or to maintain leg- Only monitoring mode after recording can result in
acy behavior for track record status. accidental double-monitoring).
• When selected, the record-enabled audio tracks • When selected, taking an audio track out of re-
remain record-enabled when playback or re- cord enable (any mode) takes it out of Input
cording stops. Only mode, regardless of the global monitor
• When not selected, record-enabled audio tracks mode, and switches it to monitor audio from
are taken out of record enable when Pro Tools is disk only.
stopped. This prevents tracks from remaining • When not selected, audio tracks remain in Input
armed from pass to pass, emulating track record Only monitoring mode until explicitly switched
behavior of a digital dubber. to Auto Input monitoring.
Transport RecordLock (Pro Tools Ultimate Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped This
Only) This option lets the Transport Record (the setting determines monitor status of record-armed
Record button in the Transport controls) be config- tracks.
ured to either emulate a digital dubber, or to main-
tain legacy behavior for the Transport master Re- • When selected, Pro Tools mutes all record-en-
cord. abled tracks when the transport is stopped. Input
can still be monitored while stopped using the
• When selected, the Transport Record remains TrackInput Monitor button.
armed when playback or recording stops. This
saves having to re-arm the Transport between • When not selected, Pro Tools does not mute au-
takes, emulating digital dubber behavior. dio input on record-enabled tracks when the
transport is stopped.
• When not selected, the Transport Record dis-
arms when Pro Tools is manually stopped or Enable DSP Mode when Tracks with Hardware In-
stops due to a loss of timecode. This replicates puts are Record-Armed/Input-Enabled (HDX Hy-
standard Pro Tools recording behavior. brid Engine and Pro Tools | Carbon Only) When
enabled, audio tracks are automatically set to DSP
The Transport RecordLock option is automatically Mode when they are record-armed or input-en-
disabled and grayed out when Destructive Record abled. This ensures low-latency monitoring using
mode is enabled. DSP Mode for all live signal paths. This option is
enabled by default.
Disable “Input” When Disarming Track
(In “Stop”) For flexibility, TrackInput monitoring Disable DSP Mode when Disabling Record/Input
can be customized to remain selected regardless of (HDX Hybrid Engine and Pro Tools | Carbon
track record status, or to automatically switch to Only) When enabled, Pro Tools automatically dis-
Auto Input monitoring after a recording pass. This ables DSP Mode when disengaging Record Arm
lets you optimize monitoring for a typical dubbing and TrackInput Monitor on a track. This option is
workflow (in which you might want tracks to re- disabled by default.
main in Input Only mode until explicitly switched

122 Pro Tools Reference Guide

PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring Misc (Miscellaneous)
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only) This option changes the
way the TrackInput monitoring mode is indicated Mouse Wheel Scrolling Snaps to Track
on-screen (and on supported control surfaces) to
The Operations page of the Preferences window
emulate “PEC” (playback) and “Direct” (in-
includes a new Mouse Wheel Scrolling Snaps to
put/bus) indication on some large format consoles.
Track option. When this option is enabled, the top
• When not selected, the TrackInput button shows of tracks in the Edit window snap to fit as you
the letter “I.” The button remains gray to indi- scroll with the mouse wheel and tracks in the Mix
cate Auto Input mode and lights green to indi- window snap to the left. When this option is dis-
cate Input Only mode. abled, scrolling with the mouse wheel is smooth
• When selected, the TrackInput button remains and continuous.
gray and shows the letter “D” to indicated Input
Press Control (Mac) or Start (Windows)
Only mode (“Direct”); it lights green and shows
while scrolling the mouse wheel to accelerate
the letter “P” to indicate Auto Input mode (“Pec”
scrolling tracks vertically in the Edit window
or playback).
or horizontally in the Mix window.
Automatically Create New Playlists When Loop
Recording When selected, copies loop recorded
Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
alternate takes to new playlists in the track. This is
while scrolling the mouse wheel to slow down
especially useful to prepare for track compositing
scrolling tracks vertically in the Edit window
in Playlists view after loop recording multiple al-
or horizontally in the Mix window.
ternate takes.
Clip Auto Fade In/Out Length
Online Options (Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
Record Online at Timecode (or ADAT)
This setting determines the default length for fade-
Lock When selected, online recording begins as
ins and fade-outs that are automatically applied to
soon as Pro Tools receives and locks to incoming
clip boundaries on playback. Using automatic
timecode.
fade-ins and fade-outs saves you the trouble of ed-
Record Online at Insertion/Selection When se- iting to zero-crossings or creating numerous ren-
lected, online recording begins at the edit cursor dered fades in order to eliminate clicks or pops in
location. Recording continues until Pro Tools playback. Autofades are not written to disk. Value
stops receiving timecode. If you make a selection, range is from 0–10 ms for the Auto Clip Fade
Pro Tools records online for the length of the se- In/Out Length setting. A value of zero means that
lection. no auto-fading will occur. The Auto Fade value is
saved with the session, and is automatically ap-
DestructivePunch File Length plied to all free-standing clip boundaries until you
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only) change it.
This preference sets the duration of consolidated
audio files when preparing tracks for Destructive-
Punch mode. The default value for this setting is 25
minutes.

Chapter 8: Preferences 123

 Local Waveform Cache Versions Play Start Latency
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
If you are working on a slower computer, set the
The Local Waveform Cache Versions preference Play Start Latency setting to a higher value. The
determines whether or not one or more copies of the range is from 1-Shortest to 5-Longest.
Waveform cache are stored locally for sessions on
network storage systems. Enable Slewing
Keeping a short history of the Waveform cache
The Enable Slewing option in the Operation Pref-
stored locally can greatly speed up opening sessions
erences can be disabled to prevent video slewing in
on network storage. Rendering tasks and redrawing
waveforms are also quicker when the Waveform cases where it is interacting poorly with video
cache is stored locally. hardware. This is only recommend that you disable
this option if you are encounter video engine er-
A setting of 0 means that no local Waveform cache is rors, such as failure messages during loop play-
stored and the Waveform cache is only saved on the back. Note that when this preference is disabled,
network storage system. A setting of 1 always only
and no common clock is not provided, video may
saves the most recent version of the Waveform cache
drift over time. If you are locked to common clock,
locally and deletes the previously locally saved
Waveform cache. You can store up to 99 versions of or you do not have a video peripheral, this prefer-
the Waveform cache locally. When the designated ence is not applicable.
number of versions to be stored locally is exceeded
creation of a new Waveform cache, the oldest locally Diagnostics
stored Waveform cache is deleted.
Save Logs
The local Waveform cache (if any) is saved to the
Documents/Pro Tools/Local Waveform Cache Click Save Logs to save all log files as a .zip file
folder on your system drive. that you can share with Avid Customer Support for
troubleshooting purposes.
Video
Reset Logging
Enable GPU
Click Reset Logging to reset Pro Tools logs if re-
Pro Tools video processing is done on the GPU quested by Avid Customer Support.
(Graphics Processing Unit) in order to free up the
CPU for Pro Tools audio and MIDI. If you are us- Advanced Video Logging
ing a slower GPU and encounter poor video play-
Enable the Advanced Video Logging option to cap-
back, you may want to disable this option and have
ture advanced logging options for the Avid Audio
the video processing done on the CPU.
Engine (AVE).
Prevent Tearing
Send Anonymous Pro Tools Usage Data to Avid
When enabled, Pro Tools buffers video to prevent
Enable the Send Anonymous Pro Tools Usage
visual artifacts with horizontal movement in situa-
Data to Avid option to opt in to reporting Pro Tools
tions where video sync does not match the screen
usage data to Avid. Disable this option to opt out.
refresh rate. This options is not available when the
Enable GPU option is disabled.

124 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Send Fully Overlapped Clips to Playlist while
Editing Preferences Editing Whenever a whole clip is fully overlapped
by another clip when editing it is moved from the
main playlist to a new playlist (or the first available,
empty playlist). This is true for editing on all play-
lists, not just the main playlist.

Send Fully Overlapped Clips to Playlist while

Recording Whenever a whole clip is fully over-
lapped by another clip when recording it is moved
from the main playlist to a new playlist (or the first
available, empty playlist).

Double-Click Selects Automation

Breakpoints Enable this option to select between
automation breakpoints by double-clicking with
the selector tool. Disable to ignore breakpoints for
selection, making it quicker to select the duration
of a clip.

Clip Gain Nudge Value This setting specifies the

amount (from 0.1 dB to 6.0 dB) by which clip gain
settings are adjusted when nudging clip gain.

Clip Matching Options Lets you assign number

keys 1–5 to control either Zoom Presets or Clip Ef-
Clips fects Presets. Press Control+1–5 (Mac) or
Clips List Selection Follows Edit Selection When Start+1–5 (Windows) to recall the corresponding
selected, selecting a clip in a track also selects it in preset in your session or project for the selected
the Clips List. option. If Commands Keyboard Focus is also en-
abled in the Edit window, just press the number for
Edit Selection Follows Clips List Selection When the preset you want (1–5).
selected, selecting a clip in the Clips List causes
Pro Tools to highlight that clip’s occurrence in a Press Command+Control+1–5 (Mac) or
track. Control+Start+1–5 (Windows) to apply the
number keys to the opposite of what is set for
Auto-Name Separated Clips When selected,
the 1–5 Number Keys Control preference (for
Pro Tools automatically names newly separated
example, if Zoom Presets is selected, these
clips by appending a number to the clip’s name.
key combinations would apply to Clip Effects
“Separate Clip” Operates On All Related Presets instead). If Commands Keyboard Fo-
Takes When selected, editing a clip with the cus is enabled for the Edit window, press
Separate Clip command also affects all other re- Command+1–5 (Mac) or Control+1–5 (Win-
lated takes (recording passes) with the same User dows).
Time Stamp. This option helps you compare dif-
ferent sections from a group of related takes.

Chapter 8: Preferences 125

 Tracks QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length

New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase When Specifies a default length for crossfades created by
selected, all new tracks default to ticks. When QuickPunch™ or TrackPunch (Pro Tools Ultimate
deselected, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, only) recordings. Crossfades occur before the
and VCA tracks default to samples. punch in and after the punch out.

Suppress Name Dialog When Creating New Preserve Fades when Editing This option pre-
Playlists Enable this option to automatically name serves fade-ins and fade outs, and converts sepa-
new playlists without opening the Name New rated crossfades into corresponding fade-ins and
Playlist dialog. This applies when creating both fade-outs.
new of duplicate playlists.
Auto Accept Adjust Bounds This option automat-
Show Target Playlist(s) After Sending Clip ically adjusts fade boundaries without presenting
Selection Enable this option to show Target play- the Invalid Fades dialog.
list(s) in the Main playlist after moving or copying
an Edit selection to that playlist. Smart Tool Fade Adjustment

Determines whether adjusting fade and crossfade

Memory Locations shapes in the Edit window using the Smart Tool is al-
Auto-Name Memory Locations When ways on or if it requires that you also use the Com-
Playing When selected, Pro Tools gives new mand key (Mac) or the Control key (Windows) to ad-
Memory Locations default names based on their just fades and crossfades with the Smart Tool (see
time location in the session. The time units cur- “Adjusting Fade Shapes with the Smart Tool in the
rently chosen in the View menu determine the Edit Window” on page 723).
units for the names.
Always On Adjust fade and crossfade shapes in the
Recall Memory Location at Original Track When Edit window using the Smart Tool.
selected, Memory Locations that recall a selection
Requires Command Key (Mac) or Requires Con-
also recall the track in which the selection was
trol Key (Windows) adjust fade and crossfade
made.
shapes in the Edit window using the Smart Tool only
Marker Target Follows First Selected when the Command key (Mac) or Control key (Win-
Track When selected, the Marker Target always dows) is pressed.
follows the first track in the selection. If no track is
Default Fade Settings
selected, the Marker Target moves to the ruler.
Fade In Selects the default envelope shape for
Fades fade-ins when using the Smart Tool.

Crossfade Preview Pre-Roll This setting specifies Fade Out Selects the default envelope shape for
the amount of pre-roll to be added when you are fade-outs when using the Smart Tool.
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 dialog.

126 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Crossfade Selects the default envelope shape for Zoom Toggle Follows Edit Selection When se-
crossfades when using the Smart Tool. lected, zoom toggle automatically follows the cur-
rent Edit selection. When disabled, changing the
To apply a Fade In, Fade Out, or Crossfade Edit selection has no affect on the currently tog-
to an Edit selection using the Default Fade gled-in track.
settings, and without opening the Fades dia-
log, press Command+Control+F (Mac) or
Control+Start+F (Windows).
Levels of Undo
This preference sets the maximum number of ac-
REX Selects the default envelope shape for fades
tions that can be undone with the multiple undo
and crossfades between clips (“slices”) in im- feature. Setting this to a lower number can speed
ported REX files. up the performance of slower computers.
Pro Tools supports up to 64 levels of Undo.
Zoom Toggle
Vertical Zoom Selects either Selection or Last
Used for the Zoom Toggle Vertical Zoom setting. Mixing Preferences
Horizontal Zoom Selects either Selection or Last
Used for the Zoom Toggle Horizontal Zoom set-
ting.

Remove Range Selection After Zooming

In When selected, the current Edit selection col-
lapses into an insertion point after zoom toggling
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 toggle
is recalled when zoom toggling in. When this op-
tion is deselected, the same (current) grid setting is
used whether zoom toggling in or out.

Chapter 8: Preferences 127

 Setup Default EQ

Sends Default to Lets you enter a value from – This preference lets you choose any installed EQ
–144) to +12 dB for the initial fader level of plug-in as the default, which makes it available for
newly-created sends. The default setting is – (no quick assignment, both on-screen and on ICON
audible signal level). controllers (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only).
On-screen, the plug-in appears at the top of the In-
Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan When se-
sert selector pop-up menu. On ICON controllers,
lected, newly created sends have Follow Main Pan
the plug-in appears first in the list of menu choices
turned on, so the Send Pan controls follow the pan
on the rotary encoders.
controls of the track. When not selected, newly
created sends have Follow Main Pan turned off. Insert Slot The specified Insert slot (none, or a–j)
is used (if it is available) when inserting the default
Use Absolute Pan Linking (Pro Tools Ultimate
EQ plug-in from a S6 or S4 control surface. If the
and Studio Only) This option affects behavior of
specified slot is not available, the next available
grouped pan controls.
plug-in slot is used. When None is selected, S6 or
• When selected, grouped pan controls do not S4 control surfaces insert the selected default plug-
maintain relative offsets when any of the in in the first available insert slot.
grouped pan controls is adjusted. All grouped
pan controls snap to the absolute value of the ad- Default Dynamics
justed control.
This preference lets you choose any installed Dy-
• When not selected, grouped pan controls main- namics plug-in as the default, which makes it
tain relative offsets when any of the linked con- available for quick assignment, both on-screen and
trols is adjusted. on ICON controllers (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
Allow Sends to Persist During LLM (Core Audio, dio only). On-screen, the plug-in appears at the top
ASIO, and HD Native Systems Only) All plug-ins of the Insert selector pop-up menu. On ICON con-
and sends are bypassed by default when Low La- trollers, the plug-in appears first in the list of menu
tency Monitoring (LLM) is enabled (Options > choices on the rotary encoders.
Low Latency Monitoring). Enable the Allow Sends
Insert Slot The specified Insert slot (none, or a–j)
to Persist During LLM option to maintain sends au-
is used (if it is available) when inserting the default
dio signal output with Low Latency Monitoring.
Dynamics plug-in from a EUCON™ control sur-
When this setting is enabled, plug-ins and sends re- face. If the specified slot is not available, the next
main active. Audio signal that is routed to the main available plug-in slot is used. When None is se-
outputs bypass the plug-ins in the signal flow, but lected, EUCON control surfaces insert the selected
any sends still receive the plug-in affected audio default plug-in in the first available insert slot.
along with any additional incurred latency. This
option is most useful when using sends for delay Auto Insert Default Plug-Ins from EUCON
and reverb effects while monitoring track input Surfaces When selected, the default EQ and
signals in Low Latency mode for recording. default Dynamics plug-ins are automatically avail-
able when creating new tracks from EUCON
surfaces.

128 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Controllers Always Show EUCON Assignable Knob
Highlight
Edit Window Follows
If you are using an Avid S4/S6, Dock, or Artist
Banking If you are using a supported control sur- Transport and the EUCON Assignable Knob fea-
face with Pro Tools, this option scrolls the Edit ture, you can use this setting to optimize indication
window to display the selected bank of tracks of the EUCON Assignable Knob (this setting is en-
when you switch banks on the control surface, en- abled by default):
suring that the current bank is viewable on-screen. • When enabled, the Assignable Knob high-
Select If you are using a supported control surface light is shown in Pro Tools whenever any pa-
with Pro Tools, this option scrolls the track into rameter is hovered over, clicked, assigned, or
view as the top-most track in the Edit window. adjusted.
• When not enabled, the Assignable Knob
Mix Window Follows highlight is only shown around the currently
Banking If you are using a supported control sur- assigned parameter (if any).
face with Pro Tools, this option scrolls the Mix The blue highlight appears in Pro Tools when-
window to display the selected bank of tracks ever EUCON is enabled (Setup > Peripherals,
when you switch banks on the control surface, en- Ethernet Controllers) even when using an Art-
suring that the current bank is viewable on-screen. ist Mix or Artist Transport, which do not sup-
Select If you are using a supported control surface port the Assignable Knob.
with Pro Tools, this option scrolls the track into
Touch Timeout
view as the left-most track in the Mix window.
If you are writing automation in Touch mode and
“Scroll to Track” Banks Controllers you stop moving a non-touch sensitive fader or en-
When using a control surface (such as D-Control) coder, Pro Tools continues to write automation for
you can select this option to bank control surface the Touch Timeout value.
faders to a numbered track when using the Scroll to After the Touch Timeout period, writing of auto-
Track command. mation stops and the automation data returns to its
previous automation value at the rate specified in
Always Fill Channel Strips When Banking
the AutoMatch Time setting.
If you are using an ICON controller
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only), or other EUCON Surfaces EQ Dyn cycling Starting at
Insert (S6 and S4 Consoles Only)
supported control surface, you can select this op-
tion to maximize the number of channels displayed Lets you specify the starting slot for EQ/Dyn cy-
when banking. This setting optimizes the Bank cling with S6 or S4 consoles to optimize EQ and
commands to prevent the display of a small num- Dyn cycling (via repeated pressing of the EQ or
ber of channels at the extremes of the surface. Dyn switches) to start from either a specific slot, or
from the most recently cycled slot. Choose <none>
to have Pro Tools begin cycling from most re-
cently cycled slot.

Chapter 8: Preferences 129

 Automation Coalesce when Removing Members from VCA
Group This option determines the behavior when
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass When se- removing member tracks from a VCA-controlled
lected, Pro Tools automatically smooths and then group.
applies the specified amount of thinning to the au-
tomation data created in an automation pass. • When selected, any automation on the VCA
Master is automatically coalesced (without con-
Degree of Thinning Specifies the amount of thin- firmation) to its member tracks when the tracks
ning performed on automation data when you us- are removed from the group.
ing the Thin Automation command, or if you have • When not selected, a confirmation dialog lets
selected the Smooth and Thin Data After Pass op- you choose whether or not to coalesce the VCA
tion. Master automation to the member tracks.
Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-Enabled When Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes This
selected, all applicable controls of newly added option determines which Mix group attributes may
plug-ins are enabled for automation. When not se- be selected in the Group dialog when the group is
lected, the controls of newly added plug-ins must assigned to a VCA Master.
be manually enabled for automation.
• When selected, the Main Volume, Mute, Solo,
Suppress Automation “Write To” Warnings Record Enable, and Input Monitoring controls
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only) When se- on member tracks follow the VCA Master only
lected, Pro Tools suppresses the warnings that ap- and are not available to be independently linked.
pear after invoking any of the Write Automation To (This emulates the behavior of analog console
Start, Selection, End, or Punch commands and VCA masters.)
then stopping the transport.
• When deselected, the Main Volume, Mute, Solo,
Latching Behavior for Switch Controls in Record Enable, and Input Monitoring controls
“Touch” This option determines the behavior of follow the VCA Master, but also remain avail-
switch-type controls (such as mute or plug-in by- able for independent linking with groups.
pass) when writing automation in Touch mode.
Include Sends in Trim Mode (Pro Tools Ultimate
• When selected, controls in Touch mode will and Studio
latch in their current state. If an existing break- Only) This option determines the Trim status of
point is encountered, writing of automation Send faders when a track is put in Trim mode.
stops. If the transport is stopped while writing,
• When selected, Send faders go into Trim mode
the control will AutoMatch to the underlying
along with the Main Volume fader.
value.
• When deselected, the Main Volume fader goes
• When not selected, controls in Touch mode will into Trim mode, but the Send fader stays in the
not latch. corresponding standard Automation mode.
Allow Latch Prime in Stop (Pro Tools Ultimate
and Studio Only) When selected and any tracks
are in Latch mode, any automation-enabled con-
trols 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.

130 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Include Control Changes in Undo Queue This On Exiting Trim Mode Sets Trim Automation to
option determines whether certain mixer control coalesce on a track when the track is taken out of
changes, such as moving a fader or pan control, are Trim mode. A Composite Playlist can be viewed
entered into the Undo queue. before committing Trim moves.
• When selected, mixer control changes appear in Manually Trim Automation can be coalesced only
the Undo queue, and are undone if any prior op- with the Coalesce Trim Automation command. A
eration is undone. Composite Playlist can be viewed before commit-
• When deselected, mixer control changes will not ting Trim moves.
appear in the undo queue, allowing you to undo
other types of operations without losing the cur- Steep Breakpoint Smoothing Time
rent mixer settings. This setting lets you specify a minimum delay time
Any set to default operations that affect mixer con- in milliseconds to help avoid pops or clicks due to
trols will be entered into the Undo queue. abrupt changes in volume or pan automation. If
there are any automation breakpoints with large
After Write Pass, Switch To Options value differences that are extremely close together,
this preference applies a slight delay between those
These options select the Automation mode that breakpoints to smooth the audio ramp between
Pro Tools tracks automatically switches to after an them. The default value of 0 applies no delay be-
automation pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode. tween breakpoints. Enter a minimum delay in mil-
Select one of the following options: liseconds. For any volume or pan automation
Touch Switches to Touch mode after an automa- breakpoints that are closer together than the speci-
tion pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode. fied value, the second breakpoint will be delayed
by the specified value. Breakpoints that are already
Latch Switches to Latch mode after an automation separated by at least the specified amount are not
pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode. affected.

No Change Stays in Write mode after an automa- AutoMatch Time

tion pass in Write (or Write Trim) mode.
If you are writing automation in Touch mode,
After an automation pass in Write Trim mode, when you release a fader or control, writing of au-
tracks automatically switch to the Trim version of tomation stops and the automation data returns to
the specified setting. its previous value. The rate of return to the previ-
ous value is set by the AutoMatch Time.
Coalesce Trim Automation Options
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only) AutoGlide Time (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
Only)
These options determine when Trim automation is
committed to the main automation playlist on a This setting specifies how quickly Pro Tools tran-
track. sitions (glides) from one automation value to an-
other, when AutoGlide mode is used.
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.

Chapter 8: Preferences 131

 Delay Compensation Fold Down

Delay Compensation Time Mode Classic Uses the legacy coefficients used in earlier
versions of Pro Tools and cannot be edited. All ses-
When Delay Compensation is enabled (Options > sions created in versions of Pro Tools prior to
Delay Compensation), this option lets you choose 2021.10 default to using the Classic coefficients.
whether information in the Delay Manager is dis-
played in milliseconds or samples. Modern Uses an updated set of coefficients. You
can also edit certain important coefficients to suit
Compensate Side Chains your needs.

When Delay Compensation is enabled (Options > 5.x to 7.x

Delay Compensation), this option applies Delay
Compensation to plug-in side chain signals. Select one of the following options to determine
what happens to the left and right surround chan-
nels of 5.x or Quad signal when routing to a 7.x
Routing Coefficients path (including 7.1.2):
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only)
Ls/Rs Direct to Lss/Rss Ls/Rs are sent to Lss/Rss
The Routing Coefficients settings are used for all
at unity. No signal is sent to Lsr/Rsr.
fold down and fan out routing in the session. These
settings affect what happens in the following cir- Ls/Rs Direct to Lsr/Rsr Ls/Rs are sent to Lsr/Rsr
cumstances: at unity. No signal is sent to Lss/Rss.
• Internal routing within the session of an output Ls/Rs Split to Lss/Rss and Lsr/Rsr Ls/Rs are sent
or send to a bus with a different channel width. to both Lss/Rss and Lsr/Rsr at –3 dB.
• Mapping a bus to an output with a different
channel width. 7.x to 5.x

• Signal sent to the Audition path. Select one of the following options to determine
• Signal sent to the AFL/PFL path. what happens to the left and right side surround
channels of a 7.x (including 7.1.2) signal, when
New Session Defaults and Current routing to a 5.x or Quad path:
Session Settings
Lss/Rss Downmixed to Ls/Rs Lss/Rss and
The New Session Defaults settings for Routing Lsr/Rsr are both sent to Ls/Rs at –3 dB.
Coefficients are only saved with new sessions and
Lss/Rss Split to L/R and Ls/Rs Lss/Rss is sent to
new session templates. Sessions created from ex-
both L/R and Ls/Rs at –3 dB. Lsr/Rsr is sent to
isting templates retain the settings used to create
Ls/Rs at unity.
the template. Changing the New Session Defaults
settings does not affect the currently open session
Surround to Stereo
The Current Session Settings show the Routing Enter the desired gain reduction value for down
Coefficients settings saved with the session. mixing surround channels to stereo. This also con-
Changing the Current Session Settings affects the trols the downmix level for height channels for-
currently open session and are saved with it. mats such as 7.1.2.

132 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Include LFE When Folding Down ter meters to use different Meter Type settings (for
example, you may want to use VU metering for
Enable this option to include the LFE channel
your Track meters, but Peak for your Master me-
when folding down. Enter the desired gain reduc-
ters).
tion value for the LFE signal.
Track Meters and Master Meters

Metering Preferences Pro Tools lets you choose from several industry
standard meter types for visually monitoring audio
levels. You can link the Track (audio, Auxiliary In-
put, and Instrument tracks) and Master (Master
Fader) meter settings, or you can set them inde-
pendently of one another. The following Meter
Type options are available:

Sample Peak Provides the default Pro Tools me-

tering. The scale and the decay time is calculated in
dB/second, which results in slower decay in meter-
ing compared to previous versions of Pro Tools.
The Sample Peak option is the only Meter Type
that has a 0 sample integration time, and as such
shows all dynamic activity of the digital signal at
every moment in time.

Pro Tools Classic Provides legacy Pro Tools scale

and metering ballistics.

Linear Use Linear for post-production and music

Metering preferences (Pro Tools Ultimate shown)
mixing scenarios. Using a fast decay time, Linear
provides direct one-to-one linear metering of sam-
Track and Master Meter Types
ple peaks in the audio signal with a metering range
The Track Meters section of the Mixing prefer- down to –40 dB. This offers higher metering reso-
ences let you set the Meter Type and associated lution closer to 0 dB (which can be particularly
metering ballistics and displays settings for audio, useful for mixing and mastering).
Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks. The Master
Meters sections let you configure these settings in- Linear (Extended) Provides the same ballistics as
dependently for Master Fader tracks. Linear, but the meter scaling extends to –60 dB.

RMS Provides metering ballistics that display the

Track and Master Meter Types Linked
average loudness (Root Mean Square of the signal)
Enable the Track and Master Meter Types Linked over a range of time. Peak metering, on the other
option to ensure that Track (audio, Auxiliary Input, hand, displays the peak signal level at any given
and Instrument tracks) and Master (Master Fader) point in time.
meters always use the same Meter Type setting.
Disable this option if you want the Track and Mas-

Chapter 8: Preferences 133

 VU Popular for music and dialog mixing, the VU PPM DIN Used in German broadcasting, the nomi-
scale used in Pro Tools is extended on the low end nal analog signal corresponding to Permitted Max-
from –23 dB to –40 dB to accommodate a wide imum Level was standardized by ARD at 1.55
range of material without the need for stage re-cal- volts (+6 dBu), and this is the usual sensitivity of a
ibration. DIN-type PPM for an indication of 0 dB. The
Alignment Level (−3 dBu) is shown on the meter
Digital VU Provides VU ballistics with a modern
by a scale mark at −9.
digital scale.
K-12 The K-scales are RMS based scales with an
PPM Digital Popular in Europe and Asia with
integrated sample peak meter as a secondary value.
broadcasters, and also with US Film consoles K-Scales are popular with music mixers that are
(such as the Avid System5 consoles), PPM Digital looking for a meaningful indication of overall
has a similar integration time to Sample Peak me- loudness. K-12 should be reserved strictly for au-
tering, but different scales and decay times. dio to be dedicated to broadcast, though broadcast
The PPM Digital option, like all other Meter Type recording engineers may choose K-14 if they feel it
options besides Sample Peak, does not report ev- fits their program material.
ery transient (such as a series of very fast tran- K-14 Use K-14 for mastering when working in a
sients). However, even though it under-reports the calibrated mastering suite.
actual digital dynamic range, it more closely
matches human hearing of loudness over time. K-20 Using K-20 during mix encourages a clean-
sounding mix that is advantageous to the mastering
PPM BBC Adopted by commercial broadcasters in engineer. At that point, the producer and mastering
the UK, BBC scaling uses 4 dB spacing between engineer should discuss whether the program
scale marks. Other organizations around the world, should be converted to K-14, or remain at K-20. If
including the EBU, CBC, and ABC used the same mixing to analog tape, work at K-20, and realize
dynamics but with slightly different scales. that the peak levels off tape will not exceed about
PPM Nordic A Scandinavian variant of the DIN +14.
PPM has the same integration and return times but
K-scale meters are RMS based scales with an
a different scale, with “TEST” corresponding to
integrated sample peak meter as a secondary
Alignment Level (0 dBu) and +9 corresponding to
value. For more information about K-scale
Permitted Maximum Level (+9 dBu). Compared to
metering, see the paper “An Integrated Ap-
the DIN scale, the Nordic scale is more logarithmic
proach to Metering, Monitoring, and Leveling
and covers a somewhat smaller dynamic range.
Practices” by Bob Katz, Digital Domain, Inc.
PPM EBU Is a variant of the British PPM designed
VENUE Peak Provides the same ballistics as Sam-
for the control of program levels in international
ple Peak, but with VENUE meter scaling to
program exchange (Type IIb PPM in IEC 60268-
+20 dB.
10). It is identical to the British PPM (BBC) except
for the meter scale. The meter scale is calibrated in VENUE RMS Provides the same ballistics as RMS,
dB relative to the Alignment Level, which is but with VENUE meter scaling to +20 dB.
marked “TEST.” There are ticks at 2 dB intervals
and at +9 dB, which corresponds to the Permitted
Maximum Level.

134 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Advanced Meter Type Settings Color Break High
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only)
The Color Break High setting determines the high
The Advanced Meter Type settings let you adjust point in dB where the color changes for metering.
the scale and ballistics of the selected Meter Type. Typically, this will be the ceiling level for the cur-
These settings update automatically to match the rent Meter Type. When this level is exceeded clip-
specifications of the selected Meter Type. In some ping will occur. Levels registering on the meters
system configurations you may want to make man- between the Color Break High setting and the Color
ual adjustments to these settings in order to ensure Break Low setting should be considered the “sweet
that Pro Tools metering matches the meter re- spot” for the loudness of the program material.
sponse your broadcast console (some broadcast
consoles use variations from the standard Meter Color Break Low
Types that are provided in Pro Tools). However, in The Color Break Low setting determines the low
most cases these settings should be left at the de- point in dB where the color changes for metering.
fault values. Typically, this will be the minimum level for the
current Meter Type. Use this setting to provide a
Decay
visual indication in the meters for the lowest level
The Decay settings determine the decibel range of the dynamic range of the program material for
(dBs) that the meters fall at the specified rate in the intended delivery format (such as film, DVD,
seconds after peak level is registered. For some CD, MP3, or broadcast).
Meter Types, these settings are not adjustable
(such as VU). Reset

Click the Reset button to reset the Advanced Me-

0 dBFS
ter Type preferences to the default settings for the
The 0 dBFS setting determines the unity reference selected Meter Type.
level for the meter scale in decibels compared to
digital 0 dB. Exceeding this level should result in Peak/Clip
clipping at the digital to analog converters or to the
specified clipping level for broadcast. For some Peak Hold Options
Meter Types, this setting is not adjustable (such as
These options determine how long the peak indica-
K-meters).
tors on track meters stay lit after a peak is detected.
Integration Time 3 Seconds When selected, track meters display
The Integration Time setting determines the the last peak level for three seconds.
amount of time it takes, in milliseconds, to average Infinite When selected, track meters display the
the peak level as registered on the meter display. last peak level until you click them to clear them.
You can think of this as the attack time for regis-
tering peak levels on the meters. For some Meter None When selected, track meters do not hold the
Types, this setting is not adjustable (such as Peak). peak level.

Chapter 8: Preferences 135

 Clip Indication Options Show Insert Assignments Gain Reduction
Meter
These options determine how long the clip indica-
tors on plug-in, send, and track meters stay lit after Enable the Show Insert Assignment Gain Reduc-
a clip is detected. tions Meter option to show Gain Reduction meters
in Insert Assignments on audio, Auxiliary Input,
3 Seconds When selected, meters display the last Instrument, and Master Fader tracks in the Mix
clip indication for three seconds. window. Note that even when this option is en-
Infinite When selected, meters display the last clip
abled, Gain Reduction meters are only displayed
indications until you click them to clear them. for those tracks with supported dynamics plug-in
inserted. When this option is disabled, Gain Re-
None When selected, meters do not hold the clip duction meters are not displayed in Insert Assign-
indication. ments on tracks.

Gain Reduction Meter Type

Display
The Gain Reduction Meter Type settings determine
The Display section of the Metering preferences
which dynamics processing plug-ins display Gain
provides options for configuring the display of the
Reduction meters on audio, Auxiliary Input, In-
new Gain Reduction meters on tracks and in sends.
strument, and Master Fader tracks in the Mix win-
Show Send Assignment Level Meter dow. Note that even Gain Reduction Meters are
only displayed for those tracks with supported dy-
Enable the Show Send Assignment Level Meter namics plug-in of the corresponding type inserted.
option to show Level meters in Sends Assignments
on audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks in Compressor/Limiter When selected, only gain re-
the Mix window. When this option is disabled, duction applied by Compressor/Limiter plug-ins
level meters are not displayed in Send Assign- on tracks are displayed in the gain reduction meter.
ments on tracks.
Expander/Gate When selected, only gain reduc-
tion applied by Expander/Gate plug-ins on tracks
Show Track Gain Reduction Meter
are displayed in the gain reduction meter.
Enable the Show Track Gain Reductions Meter op-
Priority Compressor/Limiter When selected, if a
tion to show Gain Reduction meters in tracks on
audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, and Master Compressor/Limiter is inserted on a track, only
Fader tracks in the Mix window. Note that even gain reduction applied by Compressor/Limiter
when this option is enabled, Gain Reduction me- plug-ins is displayed in the gain reduction meter.
ters are only displayed for those tracks with sup- However, if no Compressor/Limiter plug-in is on a
ported dynamics plug-in inserted. When this op- track, any gain reduction applied by other dynam-
tion is disabled, Gain Reduction meters are not ics processing plug-ins on the track is displayed on
displayed on tracks. that track.

136 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Priority Expander/Gate When selected, if an Ex- AudioSuite
pander/Gate plug-in is inserted on a track, only
gain reduction applied by Expander/Gate plug-ins Default Handle Length
is displayed in the gain reduction meter. However, The Default Handle Length options let you set the
if no Expander/Gate plug-in is on a track, any gain default length for AudioSuite and clip gain han-
reduction applied by other dynamics processing dles.
plug-ins on the track is displayed on that track.
Whole File When enabled, AudioSuite and clip
All – Summed When selected, the sum of all gain
gain rendering renders the whole file referenced by
reduction applied on a track by dynamics plug-ins the selection or clip.
inserted on that track is displayed in the gain re-
duction meter. Length This setting lets you specify the default
Handle Length (from 0.00 to 60.00 seconds) for
AudioSuite and clip gain rendering. AudioSuite
Processing Preferences and clip gain rendering renders the selection plus
any additional available audio up to the specified
Handle Length.

Import
Convert Imported “WAV” Files To AES31/Broad-
castWave When selected, this option applies to all
newly imported WAV files, making them compli-
ant with the AES31/EBU Broadcast standard.

Automatically Copy Files on Import When se-

lected, all audio files that are imported by dragging
and dropping are copied to the current session’s
Audio Files folder, regardless of whether the files
need to be converted to the current session’s file
type, bit depth or sample rate. Additionally, when
selected, the Copy from Source Media option is au-
tomatically enabled in the Import Session Data di-
alog. The Automatically Copy Files on Import pref-
erence does not affect the Import Audio command.

Convert Copied Files to Session Format When

selected, files that have different file formats from
the current session file format are copied and con-
verted to the current session audio file format on
import. For example, if the session file format is
WAV and you import an AIF, the files is copied

Chapter 8: Preferences 137

 and converted to WAV on import. When this op- No Files When enabled, REX and ACID files, and
tion is not selected, copied files retain their original all other audio files are not conformed to the ses-
format (unless that file format is incompatible with sion tempo when imported by drag and drop from
Pro Tools, in which case it must be converted). Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder. They are
imported as sample-based files and converted to
Do Not Convert Sample Rate on Import When se- the sessions audio file format.
lected, files with different sample rates than the
session sample rate are not automatically con- REX and ACID Files Only When enabled, only
verted when imported into the session. This means REX and ACID files are conformed to the session
that files with mis-matched sample rates playback tempo when imported by drag and drop from Win-
at a different speed (and pitch transpositions than dows Explorer or the Mac Finder. REX files are
when they were originally recorded (or converted). imported either as tick-based Elastic Audio or, if
the Import REX Files as Clip Groups option is en-
Import REX Files as Clip Groups When selected, abled, as tick-based clip groups.
REX flies are imported as clip groups, all the un-
derlying slices are imported as individual clips All Files When enabled, all audio files (including
contained within the clip group. When this option REX and ACID files) imported by drag and drop
is not selected, importing REX files into a session from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder are im-
converts them to the session’s audio file format, ported as tick-based Elastic Audio and conform to
the individual slices are consolidated, and the slice the session tempo.
information is used for Elastic Audio analysis.
These files remain tick-based after import and con- Sample Rate Conversion Quality
version. The Sample Rate Conversion Quality pop-up menu
Automatically Create Fades When selected, lets you select the default sample rate conversion
crossfades are applied automatically to the sliced quality for importing audio files by drag and drop
clips within clip groups created by importing REX from any Workspace browser, or Windows Ex-
files. If the Import REX Files as Clip Groups option plorer or Mac Finder. The higher the quality of
is not selected, the Automatically Create Fades op- sample rate conversion you select, the longer
tion is not available. Pro Tools will take to process the audio file.

To change the default fade settings for REX files,

Commit
click the REX button in the Default Fade Settings
section on the Editing Preferences page. Rendered File Bit Depth

Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to The Rendered File Bit Depth options determine the
Session Tempo bit depth of new audio files created using the Track
Commit command.
The Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to
Session Tempo options determine whether or not Always Use 32-bit When selected, new audio files
REX, ACID, and audio files are imported as tick- created using Track Commit command are 32-bit
based Elastic Audio and conformed to the session files regardless of the session bit depth.
tempo.
Follow Session Settings When selected, new au-
dio files created using Track Commit command are
the same bit depth as the session.

138 Pro Tools Reference Guide

TC/E (Time Compression/ Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks When se-
Expansion) lected, new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
enabled. The selected default Elastic Audio plug-
TC/E Plug-In Lets you select the plug-in used for
in is used.
Time Compression and Expansion when you edit
audio with the Time Compression/Expansion Trim If the Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks
tool. This Trim tool works by using Time Com- option is selected, you may want to also se-
pression/Expansion to match an audio clip to the lect the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
length of another clip, a tempo grid, a video scene, base option in the Editing Preferences page.
or other reference point. The Time Shift plug-in is
selected by default. DSP Management
Default Settings Specifies the default settings These preferences determine DSP management
used by the chosen Time Compression/Expansion behavior for converting DSP plug-ins to Native
plug-in. and also for the HEAT software option.

Open Unresourced DSP Plug-Ins as

Elastic Audio Native (HDX Systems Only) When this option is
These preferences determine Elastic Audio usage enabled, any DSP plug-ins that exceed the avail-
and settings on new tracks, as well as for preview- able DSP processing are converted to Native for-
ing and importing tick-based audio. mat plug-ins wherever possible. When this option
is disabled, any DSP plug-ins that exceed the avail-
Default Plug-In Lets you select any Real-Time able DSP processing are made inactive.
Elastic Audio plug-in as the default for previewing
and importing Elastic Audio. The selected default Enable HEAT in New Sessions When enabled,
Elastic Audio plug-in is also used when new tracks new sessions are created with HEAT enabled for
are created with the Enable Elastic Audio on New all audio tracks. When disabled, HEAT is disabled
Tracks option enabled. in new sessions by default. This option is only
available if the HEAT software option is installed.
Default Input Gain Lets you attenuate the signal For more information, see Chapter 49, “HEAT.”
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
Celemony ARA
after import, you may want to set the Default Input Audio to MIDI Plug-in
Gain to slightly attenuate the audio signal input for
Elastic Audio processing. This preference also ap- The Audio to MIDI Plug-in preference lets you se-
plies to any audio imported to an Elastic Audio-en- lect an installed plug-in for audio to MIDI conver-
abled track. sion. Melodyne™ Essentials from Celemony is in-
stalled with Pro Tools by default.
The Elastic Properties window inherits the
Default Input Gain setting. To apply further clip-
based input gain attenuation for Elastic Audio pro-
cessing, select the clip and adjust the Input Gain
setting in the Elastic Properties window (see “Elas-
tic Properties Window” on page 1037).

Chapter 8: Preferences 139

 Miscellaneous Noise Burst Peak Protection

Parallel Task Optimization The Noise Burst Peak Protection option is de-
signed to protect your ears from unexpected spikes
The Parallel Task Optimization preference lets you in the audio signal, which may occur with certain
select the optimal possible number of parallel pro- plug-ins or other components in the signal chain.
cessing tasks that can happen at the same time on When enabled, signals above 20 dBFS are silenced
your computer. Relevant factors include how automatically. Disabling this option allows for full
many core processors your computer has, how fast 32-Bit floating point headroom, but removes pro-
the processors are, how fast or how fragmented tection against high signal-level noise bursts.
your hard drives are, how fast your network stor-
age connection is, and so on. The optimal possible For HDX systems, if you have an open session,
number of parallel processing tasks is usually pro- Pro Tools prompts you to close and reopen the ses-
portional to the number of core processors in your sion. Note that for Pro Tools | Carbon systems this
computer. option is always enabled and disabling it does not
affect the output signal, though it does still affect
Affected parallel processing tasks include: the signal for internal busses.
• Waveform calculation
• File indexing
• Rendering Clip Gain, Clip Effects, and Elastic MIDI Preferences
Audio

Compare different settings to see what works best

with your system.

Off Only a single task is processed at a time

Low Up to 4 tasks can be processed simultaneously

Med Up to 6 tasks can be processed simultaneously

High Up to 8 tasks can be processed simultaneously

While Loading Waveforms, Display in Low

Resolution

Enable this option to improve speed and perfor-

mance when opening large sessions and when pre-
forming actions such as continuous scrolling at ex-
treme zoom levels. This can be especially helpful
when working with network storage or using older
non-solid-state drives. Waveforms will be ren-
dered in low resolution until Pro Tools is able to
complete reading the file from the Waveform
cache, after which waveforms are displayed in full
resolution.

140 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Basics Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing
Controller Data
Remove Range Selection After Opening the
MIDI/Score Editor When selected, the MIDI Editor This option lets you set the default resolution for
and Score Editor open with no Edit selection. MIDI controller data created with the Pencil tool.
When this option is disabled, the MIDI Editor and Setting this to a lower resolution helps avoid creat-
Score Editor open with the current Edit selection ing controller data that is unnecessarily dense. The
intact. value range is from 1 to 100 milliseconds.

Use MIDI to Tap Tempo When enabled, you can Global MIDI Playback Offset
tap a MIDI keyboard to enter a new tempo value
into a tempo field. This option lets you set an offset in samples to
compensate for MIDI latency. Entering a value
Display Events as Modified by Real-Time Proper- here has the same effect as setting an offset with
ties When enabled, Pro Tools displays the effects the MIDI Track Offsets command. Offset values
of Real-Time Properties in the Edit, MIDI Editor, can be positive (later) or negative (earlier).
and Score Editor windows, and the MIDI Event
List. Double-Clicking a MIDI Clip Opens

Use F11 Key for Wait for Note When enabled, This option lets you specify what happens when
pressing the F11 Function key puts MIDI record- you double-click MIDI clips with the Grabber tool.
ing in Wait for Note mode.
Docked MIDI Editor Opens the MIDI clip in a
Automatically Create Click Track in New Docked MIDI Editor window.
Sessions When enabled, Pro Tools automatically
creates a new click track in new sessions. MIDI Editor Opens the MIDI clip in a MIDI Editor
window.
Default Thru Instrument
Score Editor Opens the MIDI clip in the Score Ed-
This option lets you set the default MIDI Thru in- itor window.
strument. You can select a predefined device from
your available MIDI instruments, or select First MIDI Event List Opens the MIDI clip in the MIDI
Selected MIDI Track to use the assigned MIDI out- Event List.
put of the first selected MIDI or Instrument track. Name Dialog Opens the Name dialog for the MIDI
When multiple MIDI or Instrument tracks are se- clip.
lected, the instrument in the selected track that is
closest to the top of the Edit window (or closest to MIDI Merge Release Mode
the left edge of the Mix window) is used. Select
None to only route MIDI Thru record enabled MIDI Merge Release mode determines how
MIDI and Instrument tracks. Pro Tools writes MIDI CC data when recording
MIDI in MIDI Merge mode.

Latch Continues writing the last value. Any exist-

ing events are overwritten until you stop recording.

Chapter 8: Preferences 141

 Latch Until Next Event Continues writing the last
value until the next event even if you are still re- Collaboration Preferences
cording.

Touch Immediately stops writing any new values

(only use this mode to add pedal-based control
data, not to modify existing data).

Note Display Options

These options set the reference for middle C as C3,
C4, or MIDI note number 60.

Delay Compensation for

External Devices Options
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 off-
sets available for hardware inserts in the I/O Setup.

MIDI Timecode When selected, Pro Tools applies Pro Tools Track Collaboration
Delay Compensation to Pro Tools-generated
MIDI Timecode (MTC). Enable this option when New Tracks Are Shared When enabled, new
synchronizing video to Pro Tools using MTC. tracks are automatically shared when they are cre-
ated.
MIDI Beat Clock When selected, Pro Tools applies
Delay Compensation to Pro Tools-generated First Invite Shares All Tracks When enabled, all
MIDI Beat Clock. tracks are automatically shared when you invite
anyone to join your project.
MIDI Notes and Controllers When selected,
Pro Tools applies Delay Compensation to MIDI Joining Project Downloads All Shared
Tracks When enabled, all shared tracks in the proj-
notes and MIDI controller data. This is useful
ect are automatically downloaded when you join a
when monitoring playback or when recording in-
project.
put from external MIDI devices.
Enable “Track Notes” Dialog When enabled, the
MIDI/Score Editor Display Track Notes dialog is presented whenever opening
a project that reports information such as mis-
Additional Empty Bars in the Score Editor matched I/O Settings or missing plug-ins and so
This setting lets you specify the default number of forth. When this option is disabled, the Track
empty bars that appear in the Score Editor window Notes dialog is suppressed when opening a project
after the end of the last MIDI clip in the session. even there are reportable discrepancies.

142 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Automatically Download New Shared Note that a temp file (.tmp) is automatically gener-
Tracks When enabled, any new remote shared ated if a session is opened on NAS, even if the Pre-
tracks are automatically downloaded. vent Others from Overwriting Open Session option
is disabled.
Cloud Storage Services
Keep Unused Folders on Session Close
Prevent Others from Overwriting Open Session
File Extension It is helpful to minimize unnecessary file syncing
operations when working with cloud-based file
When working with cloud based file synchroniza- synchronization services. By default, when you
tion services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or close a session Pro Tools removes unused folders
Microsoft OneDrive, enable this option to prevent within the session folder that it automatically cre-
collaborators from overwriting your session. ated when the session was opened. This includes,
Pro Tools creates a temporary file next to the ses- but is not limited to, Clip Groups and Video Files
sion file on both local and cloud storage as long as folders. Enable the Keep Unused Folders on Ses-
the session is open. If another user attempts to open sion Close option to leave these folders in place
the session, they are notified that you already have when closing your session, preventing additional
the session open and that they should Save As a synchronization operations.
new session to continue. When you close the ses-
sion, the temp file is deleted so that others can take Additionally, you can use the Local Waveform
command of the session. Cache Versions setting in the Operation Prefer-
ences to reduce unnecessary synchronization oper-
File Extension ations. When a value greater than zero is used, the
session waveform cache is created and updated
The file extension for the temp file can be set to ei- outside of the session folder. The waveform cache
ther .tmp or .ptmp. It is recommended that you use is then copied into the session folder when you
.tmp when working exclusively with NAS (Net-
close the session. This lets you have a single syn-
work Attached Storage) to ensure compatibility chronization operation instead of many while
with any legacy Pro Tools systems (Pro Tools 10 working on the session. Note that the Prevent Oth-
to 2020.3) also operating on the same NAS. How- ers from Overwriting Open Session option must
ever, you must use .ptmp when working with Mic- also be enabled in order for this to work with non-
rosoft OneDrive as OneDrive ignores .tmp files. NAS related storage.
You can use either extension in most other cases. If
you encounter a service that does not recognize the
file extension, try using the other extension. The
File Extension setting only dictates which exten-
sion Pro Tools creates when a session is opened.
Pro Tools always respects either extension, and
other users will be notified, even if their Prevent
Others from Overwriting Open Session option is
disabled. Unless all users are working exclusively
with NAS, all users must be using Pro Tools
2020.5 or higher.

Chapter 8: Preferences 143

 Machine Cues Intelligently (HDX and HD Native
Synchronization Preferences Systems Only) When selected, if you navigate to a
cue point that is more than 10 seconds from the
current location, Pro Tools will command a con-
nected transport to fast wind to the new location 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 transports.

Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero (HDX and HD Native

Systems Only) Causes Pro Tools to send a Stop
command whenever you stop shuttling. This is
useful if you have a machine that requires an ex-
plicit stop command to park correctly.

Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression (HDX

and HD Native Systems Only) When Transport =
Pro Tools, keeps Pro Tools from sending a Stop
command when taken offline. This prevents
Pro Tools from stopping any other 9-pin devices
connected to the system.
Machine Control
Machine Chases Memory Location When se-
Synchronization
lected, navigating to a specific location in a session Minimum Sync Delay Sets the initial amount of
with a Memory Location causes a connected trans- prime time (in frames) your system’s devices need
port to chase to that location. to achieve synchronization “lock.” This amount
varies for each device. Pro Tools lock up delay is
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub When se-
set by entering a value for Minimum Sync Delay in
lected, navigating to a specific location in a session
the Synchronization page of the Preferences. The
by moving the selection point or by scrubbing a
lowest value available is 15 frames. Find the short-
track will cause a connected transport to chase to
est possible lock-up time that your equipment can
that location.
operate at consistently, and set this as the Minimum
When the connected device is a linear device (such Sync Delay. On systems using MachineControl,
as a tape deck), select Linear Devices (jog) to set enabling the Use Serial Timecode option will
Pro Tools to send jog commands. make machines lock up much faster. (Serial time-
code requires both a qualified synchronization pe-
When the connected device is a non-linear ripheral and external devices to be locked to house
device (such as a random-access video recorder or video reference.)
another Pro Tools system), select Non-Linear De-
vices (cue) to set Pro Tools to send cue
commands.

144 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Delay Before Locking to Longitudinal Timecode Punch In Frame Offset Sets an offset (in frames)
(HDX and HD Native Systems Only) Sets the to compensate for punch in timing advances or
amount of time (in frames) for Pro Tools to lock to delays.
incoming LTC. Use this option when locking
Pro Tools to a stable timecode source (such as a Punch Out Frame Offset Sets an offset (in frames)
non-linear tape machine or LTC generator) and not to compensate for punch out timing advances or
a linear tape machine. delays.

Delay Before Locking to Serial Timecode (HDX Delay After Play Command Sets the amount of
and HD Native Systems Only) Sets the amount of time (in frames) for Pro Tools to wait after receiv-
time (in frames) for Pro Tools to wait before at- ing a Play command before starting the audio en-
tempting to lock to machines that issue servo lock gine. This can prevent false starts when locking to
messages. This setting allows time for the servo synchronizers that are not fully supported by
mechanisms to achieve stable lock. Pro Tools.

Remote Mode Satellites

(HDX and HD Native Systems Only) (HDX and HD Native Systems Only)

Ignore Track Arming Sets Pro Tools to ignore in- Satellite Link lets you link up to 12 Pro Tools HD
coming track arming (record enable) commands. systems, or 11 Pro Tools HD systems and an Avid
This is useful if you are using a master controller to Video Satellite (Media Composer) or a Pro Tools
arm tracks on other machines, but you do not want Video Satellite system, over an Ethernet network
to arm tracks in Pro Tools. so that you can cue, play, and stop the transport,
make play selections, and solo tracks across any of
Set Servo Lock Bit at Play Enable this option the systems from any linked workstation.
when using a synchronizer to control Pro Tools in
Remote mode to minimize lock-up times during Transmit Solos Causes a linked Pro Tools system
recording. to send the solo status of its tracks to all other
linked Pro Tools systems. On other linked systems
Allow 9-Pin Track Arm Commands in Local that are set to receive solos, tracks follow solo be-
Mode Sets Pro Tools to respond to incoming track
havior as if the solo were on the local system.
arming (record enable) commands even when the
system is not in Remote mode. This is useful if you Receive Solos Causes a linked Pro Tools system
are using a paddle device to control Pro Tools to receive solos from all other linked Pro Tools
track arming or punching. systems that are set to transmit solo status of their
tracks. Tracks on the receiving system follows solo
Allow 9-Pin Transport Commands in Local
behavior as if the solos were on the local system.
Mode Sets Pro Tools to respond to incoming trans-
port commands even when the system is not in Re- Solo Independent of Linked State Causes a
mote mode. This is useful when using Satellite Pro Tools system to send the solo status of its
Link in conjunction with a 9-pin controller. You tracks to other satellite systems even when it is un-
can receive the transport controls from the 9-pin linked. This allows control of solo status across
controller, but not experience the lag-time associ- systems even when transport control is not en-
ated with a 9-pin device. abled.

Chapter 8: Preferences 145

 AAE Errors Stop All Linked Systems Causes an Local (Session or Project Only)
AAE error on any linked Pro Tools system to stop Preferences
the transport on all linked systems. When this op-
All Preferences are global (system-wide), except
tion is not selected, linked systems will not stop if
for the following, which are local:
an AAE error occurs on one system.
• Display Preferences
Transmit Play Selections Causes a linked
• Edit Window Default Length
Pro Tools system to send the Edit window selec-
tion to all other linked Pro Tools systems. On other • Always Display Marker Colors
linked systems that are set to receive play selec- • Default Track Color Coding options
tions, the selection is mirrored in the Edit window. • Default Clip Color Coding options
Receive Play Selections Causes a linked • Operation Preferences
Pro Tools system to receive Edit window selec- • Latch Forward/Rewind
tions from all other linked Pro Tools systems that
• Custom Shuttle Lock Speed
are set to transmit play selections.
• Custom FF/REW Speed
• Back/Forward Amount (Pro Tools Ultimate
Global and Local Preferences only)
• PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring
Pro Tools preferences are either global (system-
(Pro Tools Ultimate only)
wide) or local (for the current session or project
only). • DestructivePunch File Length
(Pro Tools Ultimate only)
Global (System-Wide) Preferences Global prefer-
• Clip Auto Fade In/Out Length
ences are applied to all sessions. These preferences (Pro Tools Ultimate only)
become the default preferences for any existing
• Delay Comp Time Mode
sessions that you subsequently open or any new
sessions that are created. • Compensate side chains
(HDX systems only)
Local (Current Session) Preferences Local pref-
• Editing Preferences
erences are applied to the current session (if one is
open). Local preferences are not applied to older • None
sessions that are subsequently opened. • Mixing Preferences
• Coalesce When Removing Members from
Preferences and New Sessions
VCA Group (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
New sessions use global preference settings, plus only)
the most recent local preference settings. The most • Metering Preferences
recent local settings refer to the last open session
• None
(unless subsequent changes were made in the Pref-
erences from the application window). • Processing Preferences
• Convert Imported “WAV” Files To
AES31/BroadcastWave

146 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• MIDI Preferences
• Display Events as Modified by Real-Time
Properties
• Automatically Create Click Track in New
Sessions
• Default Thru Instrument
• Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Con-
troller Data
• Delay for External Devices Options
• Collaboration Preferences
• None
• Synchronization Preferences
• None

Chapter 8: Preferences 147

148 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 9: Peripherals

The settings in the Peripherals dialog define how

Pro Tools works with various audio, synchroniza-
tion and controller devices, as well as with
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 Peripherals with Sync X

Synchronization
The Synchronization page lets you configure
Pro Tools for use with MIDI Timecode and a syn-
chronization peripheral.

Pro Tools Ultimate supports both SYNC HD and

Pro Tools | Sync X synchronization peripherals
with Pro Tools | HDX and HD Native systems.

For information about synchronization

peripherals, see the Pro Tools | Sync X
Guide or the SYNC HD Guide.

Synchronization Peripherals with SYNC HD

Chapter 9: Peripherals 149

 MTC Reader and Generator Pitch Memory Enabled
(SYNC HD Only)
The MIDI Timecode (MTC) settings let you select
the MIDI In and Out ports for MTC. When this option is selected, the synchronization
peripheral will remain at a pitch (sample rate) that
MTC Reader Port The MTC Reader Port setting
corresponds to the last known incoming timecode
lets you select the MIDI In port to receive MIDI speed. When deselected, the Synchronization pe-
Timecode from an external device. ripheral reverts to the selected sample rate. If Pitch
MTC Generator Port The MTC Generator Port set- Memory is disabled and the selected external clock
ting lets you select the MIDI Out port for sending reference is not available, then the synchronization
MIDI Timecode generated by Pro Tools. peripheral reverts to the nominal, selected internal
sample rate setting.

Synchronization Device Sync X always maintains Pitch Memory, so

(HDX and HD Native Systems Only) this option is not exposed in the Synchroniza-
tion Device settings.
The Synchronization Device settings let you en-
able and configure a synchronization peripheral Idle MTC Enabled
(Pro Tools | Sync X or SYNC HD) for use with
Pro Tools Ultimate running on Pro Tools | HDX or When this option is disabled, MTC output is muted
HD Native systems. when playback is idle. When enabled, MTC is con-
tinuously output.
Sync X Enabled/Enable SYNC HD
LTC Output Level
When this option is selected, any connected syn-
chronization peripheral is enabled for use with This setting adjusts the analog audio level of the
Pro Tools. LTC output, from –24 dBu to +9 dBu.

Current Firmware Version VITC Read Lines

(SYNC HD Only)
This displays the firmware version for the con-
nected synchronization peripheral, such as a This setting determines which line pair of incom-
SYNC HD or Sync X. ing video signal is used for the VITC source. When
set to Auto, the synchronization peripheral
VITC Insertion Enabled searches for the first valid line pair automatically.
(SYNC HD Only) Alternatively, this value can be set to specific
VITC line pairs.
When this option is selected, VITC is inserted into
the outgoing video signal—assuming that a video VITC Generate Lines
signal is present at a synchronization peripheral (SYNC HD Only)
video input, and that the synchronization periph-
eral is in a valid mode for inserting VITC. This setting determines the line pair of the outgo-
ing video signal onto which the synchronization
peripheral inserts VITC. Normally, this should be
left at the default (and preferred) setting of 14/16.

150 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Bi-Phase/Tach Wiring Horizontal Position Sets the relative horizontal
position of the window dub within the video pic-
This setting lets you select from the following op-
ture. The choices include Extreme Left, Left, Cen-
tions for Bi-Phase or Tach wiring:
ter, Right and Extreme Right.
• Bi-Phase: FWD = A leads B
The “Extreme” horizontal positions are out-
• Bi-Phase: FWD = B leads A
side the standard “safe title” area, which
• Tach:FWD = B is Low means they may not be visible on some video
• Tach: FWD = B is High monitors.

Bi-Phase/Tach Pulses/Frame (2–254) Size Sets the relative size of the window dub
(Small or Large).
There are several different standards for the num-
ber of pulses-per-frame output by Bi-Phase or Color Sets the color of the timecode numbers and
Tach devices. You can set the synchronization pe- background of the window dub. The choices in-
ripheral to operate from 2 to 254 pulses per frame clude White on Black Bkgnd, Black on White Bk-
from Pro Tools. The setting should match the PPF gnd, White on Video Bkgnd, or Black on Video
rate of the Bi-Phase/Tach encoder on the external Bkgnd. (Video Bkgnd means that the background
device. of the window dub is transparent, so that the time-
code numbers are displayed directly on top of the
Reset Bi-Phase video signal, without a contrasting background
box.) The default setting is White on Black Bkgnd.
This button lets you set the Bi-Phase/Tach start
frame from Pro Tools. Click the button to update Enable Relay-Based GPOs
the Timecode Display on the synchronization pe- (Pro Tools | Sync X Only)
ripheral to match the session timecode value.
When this option is selected, GPO Output triggers
Enable Dub Window 0–3 are enabled for the GPIO DB-25 port on the
(SYNC HD Only) back panel of Sync X. When disabled, there is no
audible click noise from the device during play-
When this option is selected, you can insert a time- back, record, or fader start. For more information,
code window into a video signal with the follow- see the Pro Tools | Sync X Guide.
ing Window dub appearance settings:
Displays
Vertical Position Sets the vertical position of the
(Pro Tools | Sync X Only)
window dub, relative to the bottom of the video
picture. The choices range from 10% From Bottom This setting lets you specify the behavior of the
to 50% From Bottom, in 10% increments. Sync X front panel displays when the unit is pow-
ered on and idle for a certain amount of time.
“10% from Bottom” vertical position is out-
side the standard “safe title” area, which Use Screensaver After 15 minutes of inactivity
means it may not be visible on some video the displays are dimmed. After 30 minutes the
monitors. screen saver appears. After 60 minutes the displays
are turned off. Pressing any front panel switch re-
turns displays to normal on state.

Chapter 9: Peripherals 151

 Always On (Not Recommended) Displays are al- MIDI Machine Control Master
ways on while Pro Tools is running and Sync X is
enabled. Not recommended for long periods of Pro Tools provides the following for configuring
MIDI Machine Control Master settings.
time as this reduces display lifespan.

Off Displays are turned off, but can be turned on Enable

temporarily by pressing any front panel switch.
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is
Recommended when displays are only viewed oc-
the Master. Pro Tools sends MMC commands to
casionally.
control a connected MMC-compatible device and
receives MTC information back from that device.

Machine Control MIDI Out Port

The Machine Control page lets you configure Select the MIDI Out Port to which the MMC device
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio for use with MIDI you want to control is connected.
Machine Control or 9-Pin Machine Control
(Pro Tools Ultimate only). MMC ID

For information about using MachineControl The MMC ID setting lets you specify the MMC ID
with Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, see number for which MMC information will be sent.
Chapter 61, “Pro Tools | MachineControl.” MMC commands contain an ID number to identify
which machine should respond to the MMC com-
mand. There are 128 MMC ID numbers, from 0–
127. The default of ID #127 is a special 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 the MMC device being controlled.
Pre-roll is needed to provide the device with suffi-
cient time to lock to the timecode transmitted by
Pro Tools. This value will vary depending on the
device. If the pre-roll time is insufficient, the de-
vice may not be ready to lock until after the current
timecode position has passed.

152 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Machine Control Remote Machine Type

Pro Tools provides the following for configuring After you select a port, Pro Tools automatically
MIDI Machine Control Remote settings. polls the port to see what kind of machine is con-
nected. If the machine is recognized, Pro Tools
Enable loads the corresponding Machine Type. This in-
cludes the corresponding track layout and auto-
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is
matically enters the name of that machine into the
controlled by MMC commands it receives from
Machine Track Arming window. However, if the
the master device and sends MTC information
machine is not recognized, the “Generic 1” per-
back to that device.
sonality is automatically loaded.
MMC ID
Preroll
The MMC ID setting lets you specify the MMC ID
The Preroll setting lets you specify a variable
number for which MMC information will be re-
amount of machine preroll to account for the time
ceived.
it may take the machine to achieve servo lock.
Shorter preroll values are usually better for non-
9-Pin Machine Control (Deck linear machines. Longer preroll values are usually
Control) better for older tape transports. The Machine pre-
(HDX and HD Native Systems Only) roll value is added to any preroll specified in the
The 9-Pin Machine Control (Deck Control) settings Transport window.
let you configure a Machine Control device for Se-
rial Deck Control mode with Pro Tools Ultimate. 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation)
Serial Deck Control mode is available whenever (HDX and HD Native Systems Only)
Machine Control is connected using the Serial
Deck Control cable. When connected for Serial The 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) settings let
Deck Control mode, Machine Control enables all you configure Pro Tools Ultimate for 9-Pin Re-
Pro Tools track arming, synchronization, and mote (Deck Emulation) mode. This mode makes
Transport features, as available on your system. Pro Tools operate as a virtual deck, supporting
Serial Deck Control mode also supports 9-pin se- most standard Sony P2 9-pin commands. By de-
rial timecode. fault, Pro Tools emulates a Sony BVW-75 model
video deck. You can also configure Pro Tools to
Enable emulate other machines.

When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is in Enable

Serial Deck Control mode.
When the Enable option is selected, Pro Tools is in
Port 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) mode.

The Port setting lets you select the 9-pin Machine Port
Control port. The available choices depend on
your platform and configuration The Port setting lets you select the 9-pin Machine-
Control port. The available choices depend on
your platform and configuration

Chapter 9: Peripherals 153

 Machine Type Number and Color

The Machine Type setting lets you select the ma- The number of the row indicates the order of the
chine description for specific machine controllers selected controllers. The color corresponds to the
(such as the Soundmaster ATOM). By default, controller focus around Pro Tools track and plug-
Pro Tools emulates a Sony BVW-75. in controls.

Chase LTC Type

When Chase LTC is enabled, Pro Tools still re- The Type setting lets you select the MIDI control-
sponds to track arming and record commands. ler connected to your computer. Choose from any
However, Pro Tools will chase incoming LTC of the following types of MIDI controllers:
with the machine controller. By having Pro Tools • Command | 8 (Windows only)
follow the LTC source instead of having the ma-
chine chase Pro Tools timecode, you can avoid the • HUI
waiting (and tape wear) that occurs while a ma- • Surround Panner
chine transport locates and bumps tape to the cue • M-Audio Keyboard
point.
• Komplete Kontrol

Be sure to install and configure Native Instru-

MIDI Controllers ments Komplete Kontrol software according to
The MIDI Controllers page lets you configure up the manufacturer’s instructions before select-
to four different MIDI controllers for Pro Tools. ing it for use as a MIDI controller in Pro Tools.

Receive From

The Receive From setting lets you select the MIDI

In port to which your MIDI controller is con-
nected.

With Komplete Kontrol, Receive From will be au-

tomatically set to Komplete Kontrol DAW-1.

Send To

The Send To setting lets you select the MIDI Out

port to which your MIDI controller is connected.

With Komplete Kontrol, Send To will be automat-

ically set to Komplete Kontrol DAW-1.
For information on using any third-party
MIDI controller, consult the manufacturer’s Number of Channels
documentation.
The Number of Channels (# Ch’s) setting displays
the number of control channels supported by the
selected MIDI controller type.

154 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Legacy Control Surfaces
Ethernet Controllers
When selected, Pro Tools is enabled for control by
The Ethernet Controllers page lets you configure one or more legacy Avid Ethernet controllers (such
up to seven different Ethernet controllers for as C|24™ or D-Command).
Pro Tools.
Ethernet Port

The Ethernet Port setting lets you specify the

Ethernet 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, select

Enable EUCON (Extended User Control)
the Ethernet controller that you want to use.
When selected, Pro Tools is enabled for control by
one or more EUCON-compatible controllers. Name
EUCON is an innovative high-speed Ethernet
Click the Name button to enter a name for the se-
protocol developed by Avid to allow hardware
lected Ethernet controller.
control surface to directly communicate with a
software application.

You can also toggle EUCON on and off using

the EUCON Status Control in the Edit Window
toolbar. This Edit Window Toolbar view also
indicates the current status of EUCON:
disabled, enabled, connected, or if there is a
connection error. For more information see
Using EuControl Surfaces.pdf.

For more information about using Pro Tools

with EUCON, see the documentation for your
controller.

Chapter 9: Peripherals 155

 Retain Current Settings
Mic Preamps
Select the Retain Current Settings option to retain
The Mic Preamps page lets you configure up to PRE channel settings when an existing session
nine different Mic Preamps (PRE or Carbon) for with different settings is loaded. New sessions will
Pro Tools. automatically retain the current settings.
For information about Avid | PRE, see the
Remote Lock-Out Mode
Avid | PRE Guide.
For information about Pro Tools | Carbon, When the Remote Lock-Out Mode option is se-
see the Pro Tools Carbon Guide. lected, all connected PREs ignore their front panel
controls.

Satellites
The Satellites page lets you configure synchroni-
zation between multiple Pro Tools systems (in-
cluding an Avid Video Satellite system) using Sat-
ellite Link.

Satellite Link lets you link up to 12 HDX or

HD Native systems (or any combinations of 11
HDX or HD Native systems and an Avid Video
Satellite system or a Pro Tools Video Satellite sys-
tem) over an Ethernet network so that you can cue,
Type play, and stop the transport, make play selections,
and solo tracks across any of the systems from any
The Type setting lets you select none or PRE. linked workstation.
Select the PRE option to declare any connected
PRE. Without HD hardware, you can link up to 2 sys-
tems: one administrator and one satellite system
Receive From (typically used for monitoring video).

The Receive From setting lets you specify the Media Composer Video Satellite lets you link an
MIDI In port to which the PRE is connected. HDX or HD Native system and a Media Composer
system for monitoring Avid video. Pro Tools
Send To Video Satellite lets you link an administrator (can
be an HDX or HD Native system, or a non-HD
The Send To setting lets you specify the MIDI Out
system) and a Pro Tools host-based system for
port to which the PRE is connected.
monitoring video.
Defaults
For more information, see Chapter 64,
Click the Reset button reset the corresponding “Satellite Link.”
PRE to its default settings.

156 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 System 1–12 These pop-up menus let you declare
up to 11 satellite systems (in addition to the admin-
istrator system itself) from an administrator sys-
tem. The number of the system indicates the order
of the declared satellites in the Transport window.

Advanced Network Settings

The Advanced Network Settings options let you

manually configure the satellite network. Typi-
cally, these options should be left at the default set-
tings.

Interface Lets you select the Ethernet interface if

more than one interface is available on your sys-
System Name tem.
Type a name for the local system. This name TCP/UDP Port Lets you enter the TCP/UDP Port
appears in the list of available satellites in other number. By default, Satellite Link uses TCP/UDP
connected systems with the Satellite Link option. port 28282. If the default port is already in use, or
if you want to set up separate Satellite Link net-
Mode works, you can select a different TCP/UDP port
The Mode settings let you configure the satellite for Satellite Link communication.
behavior of the local system.
For Satellite Link to function properly,
Administrator When enabled, the Administrator you must select a TCP/UDP port number
option sets the local system to be the administrator between 1024 and 65534.
system for any satellite systems on the network.
Reset Network Lets you reset the entire satellite
Satellite systems can be declared from the admin-
network. Click the Reset Network button to auto-
istrator system.
matically disconnect and reconnect all satellites on
Satellite When enabled, the Satellite option sets the network.
the local system to be a satellite system on the net-
work. When a system is in Satellite mode, it be-
comes 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. HDX and HD Native systems let
you administer up to 12 satellite systems. Non-HD
systems let you administer only one satellite sys-
tem (typically for monitoring video).

Chapter 9: Peripherals 157

 Interface For systems that have more than one
VENUE Ethernet network connection, the Interface setting
The VENUE page lets you configure Pro Tools for lets you select which connection to use for
use with a VENUE system over Ethernet using VENUE Link communication.
VENUE Link. TCP/UDP Port For systems that have more than
Pro Tools VENUE Link lets you create Pro Tools one Ethernet network connection, you can enter
sessions based on VENUE settings for live record- the TCP/UDP port number to be used for VENUE
ing and Virtual Soundcheck, create Pro Tools Link communication.
markers from VENUE Snapshots, and locate to
Pro Tools markers from VENUE Snapshots.
Dolby Atmos
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio with Dolby
Atmos Only)

The Dolby Atmos page in the Peripherals dialog

lets you configure Pro Tools for use with a Render-
ing Mastering Unit (RMU) in a Dolby Atmos sys-
tem.

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 playback Atmos page in the Peripherals dialog
from) your Pro Tools system. You can also manu- Enable
ally enter the IP addresses of the VENUE system.
When this option is selected, Pro Tools is enabled
Advanced Network Settings for communication with the Renderer over the net-
work. This option must be selected to mix to Dolby
The Advanced Network settings let you specify an
Atmos regardless of whether you are connected to
IP address and port for VENUE Link communica- the Renderer.
tion.

158 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Connection Status Always Active When selected, Pro Tools can use
the Bed/Object Fold Down Path whether or not the
When Pro Tools is successfully connected to the Renderer is connected. With the Render con-
Dolby Atmos Renderer, the Connection Status in- nected, you can use the Render for monitoring the
dicator lights solid. This indicator flashes on and full Dolby Atmos mix and the Bed/Object Fold
off when Dolby Atmos is enabled, but the connec- Down Path for separately monitoring the mix
tion failed and Pro Tools is unable to communicate folded down for non-mixing tasks (such as edit-
with the Renderer. Note that you can still work on ing).
the session even if not connected to the Renderer
as long as Enable is selected. Monitor Format

If Dolby Atmos is not enabled, the Connection Sta- Monitor Format displays the current monitoring
tus indicator is unlit. mode of the connected Dolby Atmos Renderer.

Renderer Host

Enter the IP Address for the Renderer (RMU or

rendering and mastering workstation) on the net-
work that you want to use or select it from the from
the drop-down list. Enter localhost if you are mix-
ing to the Dolby Atmos Renderer application in-
cluded with the Dolby Atmos Production Suite.

Link Object and Audio Recording

When this option is enabled, Pro Tools links re-

cording and monitoring of audio and metadata for
tracks with object output assignments. For more
information, see “Dolby Atmos PEC/DIR Re-
corder Workflow Example” on page 1333).

Bed/Object Fold Down Path

You can monitor your Dolby Atmos mix in

Pro Tools though the assigned Bed/Object Fold
Down Path (configured in the Output page of the
I/O Setup). For more information, see “Monitoring
Bed/Object Audio with Pro Tools Outputs” on
page 1323.

Active When Renderer Disconnected When se-

lected, Pro Tools will only use the Bed/Object Fold
Down Path when the Renderer is disconnected.

Chapter 9: Peripherals 159

160 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI

If you are using external MIDI devices with 2 If the MIDI Studio window is not showing,
Pro Tools (such as controllers or sound modules), choose Window > Show MIDI Studio.
you can customize your MIDI studio setup to dis-
play the names of your MIDI devices in Pro Tools.

MIDI Studio Setup (Mac)

Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI inter-
face as generic ports. With macOS, you use Ap-
ple’s Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility to identify
external MIDI devices connected to your MIDI in-
terface and configure your MIDI studio for use Audio MIDI Setup, MIDI Devices window
with Pro Tools.
AMS scans your system for connected MIDI inter-
To ensure optimum performance, do not faces. If your MIDI interface is properly con-
change the AMS configuration while nected, it appears in the window with each of its
Pro Tools is playing back. Stop the Pro Tools ports numbered.
transport before launching AMS. 3 To create a custom MIDI device for any exter-
nal MIDI devices connected to your MIDI inter-
To configure your MIDI studio in AMS:
face, click the + button at the top of the window.
1 Do one of the following: A new external device icon with the default
• Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in MIDI keyboard image appears.
Applications/Utilities).
4 Drag the new device icon to a convenient loca-
• In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI tion within the window.
Studio.

Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI 161

 5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI interface 2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new
by clicking the arrow for the appropriate output device from the corresponding pop-up menus.
port of the device and dragging a connection or (If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus
“cable” to the input arrow of the corresponding do not provide a name for your particular de-
port of the MIDI interface. vice, you can type a name.)

Making MIDI input and output connections

6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port of

the device and drag a cable to the output arrow
of the corresponding port of the MIDI interface.

To remove a connection, select the cable and

press Delete.
Naming a new MIDI device
7 Repeat steps 3–6 for each MIDI device in your
MIDI setup.
For Manufacturer and Model names, AMS
refers to one or more files with the suffix
To customize an external MIDI device in AMS:
“.middev” in the directory Root/Library/
1 Double-click the new device icon. Audio/MIDI Devices. Pro Tools installs a file
that contains information for many commer-
cially 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
External Device Icon
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 812.

162 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 If necessary, click Properties, then enable the Pro Tools Audio Bridge
appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the
Pro Tools Audio Bridge provides a set of Core Au-
Transmits and Receives options. (These deter-
dio drivers with different I/O counts for streaming
mine which channels the device will use to send
audio between Pro Tools software and other Core
and receive MIDI.)
Audio–compatible applications.
4 Click the device image. The window expands to
show images for various MIDI devices (such as Although Pro Tools Audio Bridge devices (just
keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers). like any Core Audio Device) can be selected as
Select an icon for your device. the main Playback Engine, Pro Tools Audio
Bridge was designed to be used for Aux I/O
streaming only and should not to be used as
the main Playback Engine.

Pro Tools Audio Bridge provides a set of Core Au-

dio drivers with different I/O counts for streaming
audio between Pro Tools software and other Core
Audio–compatible applications. It is recom-
mended that you use a device with a channel count
that is closest to your streaming requirements.
Note that each device can only be used for either
input or output, but not both.

Selecting a device icon

To use your own custom icons, you can place

TIFF image files in /Library/Audio/MIDI De-
vices/Generic/Images, and they will appear as
choices in the AMS device window.

5 Select a device image and click Apply. Pro Tools Audio Bridge 2-A

6 Close the AMS window to quit the AMS appli- Pro Tools Audio Bridge includes devices with the
cation. following channel counts:

The device names you enter appear as MIDI Pro Tools Audio Bridge 16 Provides 16 channels
input and output choices in Pro Tools. of input or 16 channels of output to or from Pro
Tools software.

Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI 163

 Pro Tools Audio Bridge 2-A and 2-B Two sepa- 4 Save the file and restart your computer.
rate drivers that each provide 2 channels of input or
2 channels of output to and from Pro Tools soft- When you next launch Core Audio after restarting,
ware. your changes appear in AMS.

Pro Tools Audio Bridge 6 Provides 6 channels of

input or 6 channels of output to or from Pro Tools MIDI Studio Setup (Windows)
software., which is useful for 5.1 routing.
MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) lets you configure the
Pro Tools Audio Bridge 32 Provides 32 channels MIDI controllers and sound modules that are con-
of input or 32 channels of output to or from nected to your system, and control the routing of
Pro Tools software. MIDI data between your MIDI equipment and
Pro Tools Audio Bridge 64 Provides 64 channels
Pro Tools.
of input or 64 channels of output to or from MSS automatically finds MIDI interfaces, and lets
Pro Tools software. you specify a custom name for each of the MIDI
ports within the MIDI Studio Setup document.
Customizing Pro Tools Audio Bridge
Drivers MSS also supports XML-based patch file names
(For Advanced Users Only) for storing and importing patch names for your ex-
ternal MIDI devices.
You can create, edit, and delete Pro Tools Audio
Bridge devices to match your specific needs using Entire MIDI Studio Setup configurations created
TextEdit. Note that the following should only be within MSS can be imported and exported.
attempted by advanced users.
To configure your MIDI studio with MSS:
To change the configuration of Pro Tools Audio
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI
Bridge devices:
Studio.
1 Quit any applications that are using Pro Tools
Audio Bridge. 2 Configure the MIDI Studio Setup windows.

2 Open ProToolsAudioBridge.config with any 3 When you are finished configuring the MIDI
text editor (such as Apple’s TextEdit), which is Studio Setup, close the MIDI Studio Setup
located here: window.
Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-
Ins/HAL/ProToolsAudioBridge.driver/Contents/
Resources/

3 Add, remove, or modify an existing line to add,

remove, or change the Pro Tools Audio Bridge
devices listed in AMS. The first number is the
channel count, followed by the name of the de-
vice.

164 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Studio Setup Window Instrument List

The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized into The Instrument list contains all the currently de-
three sections. Interface controls are at the top of fined instruments. Selecting an instrument in the
the window. All the currently defined instruments list displays that instrument’s properties in the
are displayed in the Instrument Name list on the Properties section of the window.
left side of the window. A detailed view of MIDI
parameters is shown in the Properties section on Properties Section
the right.
The Properties section lets you edit information for
new instruments, or instrument currently selected
in the Instrument list.

When a previously defined instrument is selected

in the Instrument list, the Properties section
changes to reflect the properties of the selected in-
strument.

To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup:

MIDI Studio Setup window

1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.

Interface Controls 2 Click Create.

Create Adds a new instrument to the Instrument

3 In the Instrument Name field, type the name of
Name list. your instrument, and press Enter.

Delete Deletes the instrument or instruments If you do not enter an instrument name, the
selected in the Instrument Name list. Instrument Name field will automatically in-
herit information from the Manufacturer and
Import Imports an existing MIDI Studio Setup file. Model pop-up menu.
Export Exports the current MIDI Studio Setup file. 4 Set a manufacturer and model for the new de-
Show Duplicate Emulated Ports When this option vice from the corresponding pop-up menus. If
is selected and you are using a MIDI interface that the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do
supports time-stamping, the MIDI Studio setup not provide a name for your particular device,
window shows both the DirectMusic time-stamped choose None.
output ports, and non-stamped duplicate emulated 5 From the Input pop-up menu, choose the input
output ports. port on your MIDI interface that is connected to
the MIDI Out of your instrument.
Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load
or unload their drivers unless you quit and 6 From the Output pop-up menu, choose the out-
re-launch Pro Tools. Refer to the documenta- put port on your MIDI interface that is con-
tion that came with your MIDI interface for nected to the MIDI In of your instrument.
more information.

Chapter 10: Configuring MIDI 165

 7 Enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) Output Port
for the Send Channels and Receive Channels
The Output Port pop-up menu displays a list of
options (These determine which channels send
available MIDI interface output ports. The port set
and receive MIDI.)
and displayed here is the port through which MIDI
Instrument Name data is sent from your MIDI interface to the MIDI
device specified in the Instrument Name field.
The Instrument Name field shows the user-defin-
able instrument name for the currently selected in- If you set the output port to None, the defined
strument. instrument will not appear as a choice in a
MIDI Output Selector.
Manufacturer
Send Channels
The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list of
MIDI equipment manufacturers. This list is de- The Send Channels grid sets the send channels for
rived from the XML-based MIDI device files. the MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name
field.
For more information, see “MIDI Patch
Names” on page 812. Receive Channels

Model The Receive Channels grid sets the receive chan-

nels for the MIDI device specified in the Instru-
The Model pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI ment Name field.
devices, filtered by the manufacturer name. This
list is derived from the XML-based MIDI device
files provided with your Pro Tools installation.

For more information, see “MIDI Patch

Names” on page 812.

Input Port

The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of

available MIDI interface input ports. The MIDI in-
terface port that is set and displayed here is the port
through which MIDI data is sent from the external
MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name
field into your MIDI interface.

If you set the input port to None, the defined

instrument will not appear as a choice in a
MIDI Input Selector.

166 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part III: Sessions, Projects &
Tracks
Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects

Projects can also be online or offline (Pro Tools

Sessions and Projects 12.8 or higher). Online projects are stored in the
The first step to working in Pro Tools is creating a cloud and mirrored locally (though the local cache
new session or project. can be cleared to free up local storage and down-
loaded later). Offline projects are not backed up to
Sessions are represented by session files that can the cloud and are only stored in the local project
be saved, copied, and made into templates. Ses- cache (you might want to do this to free up online
sions and all associated media and settings files are storage for other active projects). You can only
stored locally on connected qualified storage sys- collaborate with online projects.
tems (such as internal and external hard drives, or
certain network storage systems (such as Avid Projects store all associated media and project data
ISIS). in the cloud while caching it locally. Sessions store
all associated media and session data locally, ei-
Projects are similar to sessions except that they ther on hard drives in your computer or networked
store your media and project data online (as well as storage. For example, with a session, you can go to
caching it locally) in your Avid Cloud account. the session folder and find all of the audio files as-
Projects also let you collaborate on a track-by- sociated with that session in the Audio Files folder
track basis with anyone in the Avid Artist Commu- (note that if you have configured Pro Tools to store
nity anywhere in the world; or, if you prefer, you audio in other locations, those files will not be in
can choose your collaborators privately and invite the session’s Audio Files folder). With projects
them to join a project by email as long as everyone you must export media from the project as a new
is using Pro Tools 12.5 or higher. Otherwise, proj- file. While media is cached locally it is all bundled
ects operate just like sessions. Projects have all of with the project data, so you cannot simply go and
the same recording, editing, mixing, and process- find individual audio files in the local cache.
ing capabilities as sessions. As such, throughout
most of this Reference Guide, unless otherwise You can save a copy of a session as a project using
noted, any feature or function for sessions works the Save Copy In command. This lets you take an
for projects as well. existing session and save it as a project for cloud
collaboration. Likewise, you can save a copy of a
project as a session. You might want to do this with
the project is complete so that you can archive it as
a session and free up storage space in your Avid
Cloud Account.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 169

 To sign out of your Avid Master Account, do one of
Signing In and Out of Your the following:
Avid Master Account  If the Dashboard is not open, choose File > Sign
To be able to create or open a project, you must first Out (<username>).
be signed in to your Avid Master Account. You will  In the Dashboard window, click Sign Out.
have already created your Avid Master Account
when you registered Pro Tools. Once you are signed  In the Dashboard window, press Command+S
in and have created or opened a project, you can (Mac) or Control+S (Windows).
choose to work online or offline.

To sign in to your Avid Master Account from Dashboard Window

Pro Tools:
1 Do one of the following: Pro Tools presents the Dashboard window on
launch. The Dashboard lets you quickly and easily
• If the Dashboard is not open, choose File >
create a new session or project, or open an existing
Sign In.
one. You can choose to show or hide the Dash-
• In the Dashboard window, click Sign In. board on launch in the Pro Tools Display Prefer-
• In the Dashboard window, press Com- ences (Settings > Preferences > Display).
mand+S (Mac) or Control+S (Windows).

Sign In link in the Dashboard

2 Enter your email and password for your Avid

Master Account.

Dashboard window

Avid Master Account sign in

3 Click Sign In.

170 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When you first launch Pro Tools, you are Open from Disk (Sessions Only) Click to navi-
prompted by the Dashboard window to do one of gate to and open any session stored on your local
the following: system. you can also press Command+O (Mac) or
• Create a new session or project from a template. Control+O (Windows).

• Create a new blank session or project. Cancel Click to close the Dashboard window with-
out creating or opening a session or project.
• Open any of the last ten most recent sessions and
projects. Create/Open Click Create to close the Dashboard
• Open any other session on your system. and create a new session or project with the speci-
fied session or project settings (on the Create tab
• Open any projects you created or projects that
only). Click Open to open the selected session or
you are collaborating on.
project (on the Recent and Project tabs only). You
To open or close the dashboard window, do any of can also press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to
the following: Create or open a session or project.

 Choose File > New or press Command+N (Mac) Show on Startup Disable to skip the Dashboard
or Control+N (Windows). when Pro Tools starts. To resume showing the
Dashboard when Pro Tools starts, enable the Show
 Choose File > Open Project or press Com-
Dashboard window when Pro Tools starts option
mand+Option+N (Mac) or Control+Alt+N
(Settings > Preferences > Display).
(Windows).
Create Tab Settings
Dashboard Commands, Options,
and Settings To show the Create tab (if not already shown, do
one of the following:
The Dashboard provides several options for creat-
ing and opening sessions and projects.  In the Dashboard, click the Create tab.
 In the Dashboard, press Command+1 (Mac) or
Global Dashboard Commands and Control+1 (Windows).
Settings
 In the Dashboard, press Command+Up/Down
Sign In/Out The Sign In/Out link is present in all Arrows to toggle through the tabs.
tabs. Click Sign In to sign in to your Avid Master
Account. Once you are signed in, your Display  In Pro Tools, choose File > Create New, or press
Name will be shown and you will also see the per- Command+N (Mac) or Control+N (Windows).
centage of your Avid Cloud storage that you are  In Pro Tools, choose File > Create New, or press
using all of the projects you own. Any media you Command+N (Mac) or Control+N (Windows).
post to a shared project that you do not own will
count against the project owner’s Cloud storage al- Local Storage (Session) Select this option to create
location. To sign out, click your Display Name and a session using local storage only.
choose Sign Out.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 171

 Collaboration and Cloud Backup Prompt for Location (Sessions Only) Enable to
(Projects) Select this option to create an online proj- be prompted for where you want to save the ses-
ect for collaboration and cloud back up. The number sion. When Prompt for Location is enabled, Loca-
of projects you currently have is displayed in relation tion is automatically disabled.
to the total number of projects you are entitled to base
on your Avid Cloud Storage Account. Location (Sessions Only) Click the Location but-
ton to specify the default location for saving ses-
Press Command+Left/Right Arrow (Mac) or
sions. When Location is enabled, Prompt for Loca-
Control+Left/Right Arrow (Windows) to tog-
tion is automatically disabled.
gle between these options.
Backup to Cloud (Projects Only) Select the
Name Type a name for your session or project. Backup to Cloud option to create an online project.
Create from Template Enables the options to cre- Disable this option if you want to create an offline
ate a session or project from a template. project (you can always put the project online later
with the Backup To Cloud command in the Projects
Template Group Select the Template Group you tab). For more information, see “Backup to Cloud:
want to review. Press Option+Up/Down Arrows Online and Offline Projects” on page 177.
(Mac) or Alt+Up/Down Arrows (Windows) to
scroll through the available Template Groups. Recent Tab

File Type Sets the File Type (WAV or AIFF) for In the Dashboard, click the Recent tab, or press
the session or project. Press Command+F (Mac) or Command+2 (Mac) or Control+2 (Windows) to
Control+F (Windows) to toggle between the two show the Recent tab. The Recent tab lists your 10
options. most recent sessions and projects, but otherwise it
has no unique commands, options, or settings.
Sample Rate Sets the sample rate for the session or Double-click any session or project in the list to
project. Press Command+R (Mac) or Control+R open it. Recent projects are not shown if you are
(Windows) to scroll not logged in.
Bit Depth Sets the Bit Depth (16-bit, 24-bit, or
Projects Tab
32-bit floating) for the session or project. Press
Command+B (Mac) or Control+B (Windows) to In the Dashboard, click the Projects tab, or press
toggle through the available options. Command+3 (Mac) or Control+3 (Windows) to
show the Projects tab. The Projects tab lists all
I/O Settings Sets which I/O Settings to use for the
projects stored in the cloud that you have created
session or project. Press Command+I (Mac) or
or collaborated on. Double-click any project in the
Control+I (Windows) to toggle through the avail-
list to open it. No projects are shown if you are not
able I/O Settings options.
logged in.
Interleaved Enable the Interleaved option to create
interleaved stereo (or greater) audio files in the ses-
sion or project. Press Command+G (Mac) or Con-
trol+G (Windows) to enable or disable the Inter-
leaved option.

172 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Getting Started Tab
Bit Depths and Sample Rates
In the Dashboard, click the Getting Started tab, or
press Command+4 (Mac) or Control+4 (Win- When selecting a bit depth or sample rate for your
dows). The Getting Started tab provides easy ac- session or project, consider fidelity, any compati-
cess to a videos, tutorials, and additional educa- bility issues with others systems, and storage
tional content. The bottom provides three basic space.
templates: Beats (for electronic music production), Bit depth and sample rate also have an effect on
Singer Songwriter (for songwriting, and recording the amount of mixing power available in a session
guitar and vocals), and Podcasting. or project. Fewer mixer channels are available
with 24-bit and 32-bit floating point sessions and
Additional Dashboard Keyboard
projects, and with sessions at higher sample rates.
Shortcuts

To navigate through the focused Template, Ses- Bit Depths

sion, or Project list, press the Up/Down Arrows
(Mac) or Alt+Up/Down Arrows (Windows). 16-Bit Using 16-bit for audio files is useful for
keeping audio file sizes down. You may want to
To select the item at the top or bottom of the dis- use 16-bit for sessions and projects with few
played list, press Home/End (Mac and Windows). tracks, and little mixing and plug-in processing.
CDs (Compact Discs) use 16-bit.
To scroll up or down through the focused Tem-
plate, Session, or Project list, press Page Up/Down 24-Bit Using 24-bit for audio files is commonly
(Mac and Windows). used for most music production and post-produc-
tion sessions and projects with multiple audio
Showing or Hiding the tracks, mixing, and plug-in processing. 24-bit files
Dashboard on Start take up a third as much space as 16-bit files.

To show or hide the Dashboard on startup, do one 32-Bit Floating Point Using a 32-bit floating point
of the following: bit depth for audio files in Pro Tools sessions and
projects can help avoid clipping or unnecessary
 In the Dashboard, enable (or disable) the Show
dithering with AudioSuite rendering. It can also
on startup option.
help avoid rounding errors in signal processing
 In the Warnings & Dialogs section of the Dis- (which can occur during bit depth conversion for
play Preferences page (Setup > Preferences), file playback and real-time plug-in insert process-
select (to show) or deselect (to hide) the Show ing). However, 32-bit files take up a third more
Dashboard window when Pro Tools starts op- disk space and audio streaming bandwidth, which
tion. Click OK. can be problematic with higher track counts when
using slower hard drives.

You can change the bit depth for all newly re-
corded or imported (and converted) files in the ses-
sion or project by selecting a different Bit Depth
option in the Session Setup window.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 173

 To change the Bit Depth for the Pro Tools session
or project: Mixed Audio File Formats
1 Choose Setup > Session. Pro Tools supports mixed audio file formats (such
2 In the Session Setup window, select a bit depth as WAV and AIF) in a single session or project.
from the Bit Depth selector. When importing audio files into a Pro Tools ses-
sion or project, you can choose to Add them rather
than Convert them regardless of the audio file for-
mat.

You can change the audio file format for all newly
recorded or imported (and converted) files in a ses-
sion or project by selecting a different Audio For-
Session Setup window, selecting 32 Bit Float mat option in the Session Setup window.

Sample Rates To change the Audio Format for the Pro Tools
session or project:
44.1 kHz Is the sample rate used for CDs and is
used in most common music production environ- 1 Choose Setup > Session.
ments. 2 In the Session Setup window, select an audio
file format (AIF or WAV) from the Audio For-
48 kHz Is the standard sample rate for film and
mat selector.
video projects, and is commonly used in post-pro-
duction environments. It is the sample rate used for
DVDs.
Interleaved Multichannel and
88.2 kHz and 96 kHz Each of these sample rates Multi-Mono Audio Files
are twice the standard sample rates for CD audio
and DVD audio respectively. Audio files recorded For stereo and greater-than-stereo multichannel
at higher sample rates take up more drive space, audio, Pro Tools supports both interleaved
but provide higher resolution for time-based plug- multichannel audio files and multi-mono audio
in processing (which can help avoid aliasing). files.
These options are only available if you are running An interleaved audio file contains all channel in-
Pro Tools with audio hardware that supports these formation, stored in an alternating single audio
sample rates. “stream.” Interleaving distributes and “inter-
176.4 kHz and 192 kHz Each of these sample rates leaves” the consecutive bits of data. This helps
are four times the standard sample rates for CD au- protect against consecutive errors when the data is
dio and DVD audio respectively. Audio files re- read back.
corded at higher sample rates take up more drive
Multi-mono, or “split-mono” multi-channel audio
space, but provide higher resolution for time-based
files are separate mono audio files that are treated
plug-in processing (which can help avoid aliasing).
together as a multichannel group of audio files.
These options are only available if you are running
This lets you each channel (file) independently.
Pro Tools with audio hardware that supports these
For example, with stereo files, two separate files
sample rates.
are created, where one file contains the left chan-
nel, and the other file contains the right channel.

174 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The files are identified by the suffixes of “.L” and Session File
“.R”. The two files are linked, and are edited as a
The session file is the document that Pro Tools cre-
pair in stereo tracks in Pro Tools. However, you
ates when you start a new project. Pro Tools can
can decouple them and split them to individual
open only one session file at a time. The session
mono audio tracks in Pro Tools so that the can be
file is appended with the extension .ptx.
edited, processed, and mixed independently.

You can change the Interleaved setting for the cur- Audio Files Folder
rently open session or project in the Session Setup
window. When this option is enabled, all newly re- The Audio Files folder contains all audio recorded
corded or imported (and converted) stereo or or converted during the session.
greater-than-stereo multichannel files in the ses-
When you record a new audio track, the track is
sion will be interleaved audio files.
saved as a new audio file to the Audio Files folder.
You can also import other audio files into the ses-
To enable (or disable) interleaved audio files for
the Pro Tools session or project: sion, and work with them as well.

1 Choose Setup > Session. For details on allocating audio tracks to

2 In the Session Setup window, select (or dese- different hard drive locations, including
lect) the Interleaved option. shared media volumes, see “Recording with
Multiple Hard Drives” on page 551.

Fade Files Folder

Session Files and Folders
The Fade Files folder may be present in legacy
When you create a new session, Pro Tools auto-
Pro Tools sessions. Versions of Pro Tools lower
matically creates a new folder named for your ses-
than 10.0 use rendered fades and cross-fades that
sion. Within this folder is the session file, a Wave-
are written to the “Fade Files” folder in the session
Cache.wfm file, and several subfolders (including,
folder.
but not limited to, an Audio Files folder and a Clip
Group folder).
Bounced Files Folder
The Bounced Files folder is the default directory
for files bounced from the session (Bounce Mix).

Rendered Files Folder

The Rendered Files folder contains any temporary
files created by Rendered Elastic Audio processing
in the session. It may also contain temporary fil-
tered analysis files (.aan) as a result of any changes
to Elastic Audio analysis.

Typical session folder contents (macOS shown)

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 175

 Clip Groups Folder Renamed Audio Files Folder
The Clip Groups folder is the default directory for This folder includes file names that have been re-
any clip groups that you export from your named when you open a session that contains au-
Pro Tools session. dio file names with incompatible characters, or, in
certain situations, save a copy of a session to a
WaveCache File Pro Tools version that does not support long file
names.
The WaveCache.wfm file stores all of the wave-
form display data for the session. If you delete the For more information, see “Renamed Audio
WaveCache.wfm file, Pro Tools creates a new one Files” on page 493.
the next time you open the session.

By storing waveform data in the WaveCache file, Pro Tools Projects

sessions open more quickly. The session Wave-
Cache file can be included whenever a session is A Pro Tools project is like an online session. It lets
transferred to another Pro Tools system (7.x and you access your session from any system with on-
later). line access. Projects also let you collaborate re-
motely with other people. Pro Tools synchronizes
Pro Tools also maintains a distinct WaveCache file your local project and associated media with your
inside the Databases folder, which retains wave- online account automatically.
form data for all files used on the system.
You must be online and signed in to your Avid
Deleting or trashing a WaveCache file does not Master Account the first time you create a project
harm the session or your system. However, the ses- (see “Signing In and Out of Your Avid Master Ac-
sion will take longer to open because it has to re- count” on page 170), but after that you can work
calculate waveform data for any associated audio offline. Pro Tools synchronizes your local project
files and store that data in a new WaveCache file. with your online account the next time you are on-
line. This process runs in the background and can
Session File Backups Folder be monitored in Pro Tools by checking the Task
Manager (Window > Task Manager).
The Session File Backups folder contains automat-
ically-generated backups of your Pro Tools ses- Project data and media are bundled and cached on
sions. These files are created when working on a local storage, but you cannot open a project by
session and the Operations preference for Enable navigating through the file system. You can only
Session File Auto Backup is enabled. (See “Enable access projects through the Pro Tools Dashboard.
Session File Auto Backup” on page 120.) Projects are differentiated from sessions by the
Project icon in the Dashboard.
Video Files Folder
The Video Files folder is the default directory for
video files in the session.
Project icon (online project)

176 Pro Tools Reference Guide

You can save a session as a project using the Save You cannot collaborate with other users on offline
Copy In command. This lets you take an existing projects nor can you access offline projects from
session and save it as a project for cloud collabora- any other computer. Disabling the Backup to Cloud
tion. Likewise, you can save a project as a session. option for an online project deletes the project and
You might want to do this when the project is com- all associated media from your Avid Cloud Ac-
plete so that you can archive it as a session and free count, leaving only the local cached copy of the
up storage space in your Avid Cloud Account. project. Offline projects do not appear in the Proj-
ects List in the Artist Chat window, they only ap-
Backup to Cloud: Online and pear in the Projects List in the Dashboard. Note
Offline Projects that you cannot disable the Backup to Cloud option
for shared projects or if the local project cache has
The Backup to Cloud option determines whether or been cleared.
not a project is online (stored in the cloud) or of-
fline (stored in the local project cache only). Dis-
abling Backup to Cloud for online projects can be
Shared Projects and Ownership
useful for freeing up storage in your Avid Cloud Whoever creates a project, owns the project. All
Account for other projects. This option is only media posted to the project, whether by the owner
available for projects (not sessions). or a collaborator, counts against the owner’s cloud
storage allocation. Posted media never counts
Online Projects against a collaborator’s cloud storage allocation.
When the Backup to Cloud option is enabled for a You can hover the cursor over a project icon in the
project, the project is online and all associated me- Dashboard and a tooltip identifying the project
dia are copied to your Avid Cloud Storage Ac- name and the project owner appears.
count as well as being stored in the local desig-
nated project cache. You can collaborate with
other users on online projects as well as access
your project from any computer when you are
signed in to your Avid Master Account. Enabling
the Backup to Cloud option for an offline project
copies the project and all associated media to your
Avid Cloud Account.

Offline Projects Tooltip displaying project name and project owner

When the Backup to Cloud option is disabled for a Setting the Location of the Local
project, the project is offline and all associated me- Cache
dia is only stored in the local project cache.
All project data and media is stored both in your
Avid Cloud account and in a local cache. The local
project cache is stored on your system drive by de-
fault. However, for the best performance with
Project icon (offline project) Pro Tools, it is generally recommended that you do
not use your system drive for recoding audio, so

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 177

 you should set the local project cache to an exter-
nal drive if possible. You can change the location
of where the project cache is stored in the
Pro Tools Operation Preferences.

To set the location for storing the local project

cache:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operation tab.
3 Click the Change button for the Project Media
Cache.

4 In the Open dialog, navigate to the location

where you want to store the Project Media
Cache and click Open.

Creating a New Session or Dashboard, Create From Template option enabled

Project from a Template 7 If you want to change any of the session or proj-
ect parameters, do any of the following:
To create a new session or project from a template:
• Select the Audio File Type (WAV or AIF).
1 In the Dashboard, click the Create tab if it is not
• Select the Bit Depth (16 bit, 24 bit, or 32 bit
already shown, or press Command+1 (Mac) or
float).
Control+1 (Windows).
• Select the Sample Rate.
You can create your own custom categories. • To create interleaved multichannel audio files
For more information, see “Session Tem- in the session or project, enable Interleaved.
plates” on page 194.
• For sessions only, select either the Prompt for
2 For Type, select either Project (cloud) or Ses- location option or the Location option. If you
sion (local). select the Location option, you can specify the
default location for saving sessions by click-
3 Type a Name for the session or project. ing the Location button.
4 Enable the Create From Template option. • For projects only, select the Backup to Cloud
option to create an online project. Disable this
5 From the Template Group pop-up menu, select
option if you want to create an offline project.
the category of templates you want (for exam-
ple, Guitar or Songwriter).
6 Select the template you want to use from the list
(on the right).

178 Pro Tools Reference Guide

8 Click Create. 3 Type a Name for the session or project.
9 For sessions only, in the Save dialog, specify 4 Ensure that the Create From Template option is
where you want to save the session, and then deselected.
click Save.
5 If you want to change any of the session or proj-
For optimum compatibility between Mac and ect parameters, do any of the following:
Windows, set the file project to BWF (.WAV). • Select the audio File Type (WAV or AIF).
• Select the Bit Depth (16 bit, 24 bit, or 32 bit
float).
Creating a New Blank
• Select the Sample Rate.
Session or Project
• Select the I/O Settings to use for the session
To create a new blank session or project: or project. Several pre-configured I/O Set-
1 In the Dashboard, click the Create tab if it is not tings are included with your system, or you
already shown, or press Command+1 (Mac) or can select a custom I/O Setting. For more in-
Control+1 (Windows). formation, see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.”
• To create interleaved multichannel audio files
in the session or project, enable Interleaved.
• For sessions only, select either the Prompt for
location option or the Location option. If you
select the Location option, you can specify the
default location for saving sessions by click-
ing the Location button.
• For projects only, select the Backup to Cloud
option to create an online project. Disable this
option if you want to create an offline project.
6 Click Create.
7 For sessions only, in the Save dialog, specify
where you want to save the session, and then
click Save.

Dashboard, creating a new project

2 For Format, select either Project (cloud) or Ses-

sion (local).

You must be online and signed in to your

Avid Master Account to create a new project
(see “Signing In and Out of Your Avid Mas-
ter Account” on page 148).

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 179

 To open a recent session or project from the File
Opening a Recent Session or menu:
Project  Choose File > Open Recent > and select the re-
To open a recent session or project from the cent session you want to open from the list.
Dashboard:
Press Command+Shift+O (Mac) or Con-
1 In the Dashboard, select Recent, or press Com- trol+Shift+O (Windows) to open the most
mand+2 (Mac) or Control+2 (Windows). recent session or project.

Opening Any Session

To open any session:
1 Do one of the following:
• In the Dashboard, click the Open from Disk
button.
• In Pro Tools, choose File > Open Session.
• Press Command+O (Mac) or Control+O
(Windows).
2 In the Open dialog, navigate to the location of
the session file you want to open and select it.
3 Click Open.

Dashboard, Recent Sessions/Projects list

Opening a Session
The Open Recent Session option is not avail- When you open a session, Pro Tools looks in the
able the first time you launch Pro Tools (or if session folder for audio and fade files linked to the
you have cleared the Recent Sessions list by session.
choosing File > Open Recent > Clear).
For more information on opening sessions
2 Select any of the last ten recent sessions or proj- created on different platforms, Pro Tools sys-
ects from the list (on the right). tems, or versions of Pro Tools software, see
Chapter 22, “File and Session Management
You must be online and signed in to your Avid
and Compatibility.”
Master Account to open a project. If you are
not signed in, no projects appear in this list
(see “Signing In and Out of Your Avid Master
Account” on page 148).

3 Click Open.

180 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To open an existing session: Opening a Session that Contains
1 Do one of the following: Unavailable Resources
• If Pro Tools is running, choose File > Open Pro Tools prompts you when opening a session
Session. that contains unavailable voices, I/O paths, DSP
• To open a session from the Dashboard, click resources, or plug-ins. This is common when trans-
the Open from Disk button or press Com- ferring sessions between systems with different
mand+O (Mac) or Control+O (Windows). Pro Tools hardware.

2 In the Open dialog, locate the session you want The Unavailable Resources dialog provides an ini-
to open and click Open. tial report of the missing session components. To
save a text (.txt) file containing a more detailed
You can also open a session from a Work- Notes report, along with the resulting action, click
space browser by double-clicking it. Yes. The Notes report is named with the session
name, followed by Notes.txt. You can choose to
Opening a Session that Contains save this file in your Session folder, or in another
Fade Files location.
When opening a session created in a version of The following occurs when opening a session with
Pro Tools lower than 10.0, Pro Tools calculates unavailable items:
and plays back all fades in real time. The “Fade
Files” folder in the session folder is neither deleted With all Pro Tools Systems:
nor used. Any rendered fades created in legacy ses-
 Inserts assigned to unavailable plug-ins are
sions are calculated and played back in real time.
made inactive.
Any new fades created in the session do not gener-
ate any new rendered fade files in the pre-existing  Inputs, outputs, and sends that are assigned to
“Fade Files” folder. unavailable paths are made inactive.

With HDX Systems Only:

Opening a Session that Contains
Unavailable Files  Any tracks beyond the maximum number of
available voices on the current system are made in-
Pro Tools notifies you if files are found but reside
active.
on Transfer volumes, or if any required files can-
not be found. For more information, see
With Pro Tools Host-based Systems Only:
“Locating Audio Files” on page 492.
 Any tracks beyond the maximum number of
available voices on the current system are set to
Opening a Session from a
voice off.
Transfer Volume
When opening a session from a Transfer volume
(such as a CD or DVD), Pro Tools prompts you to
save the session on a Performance volume, and
copy and convert any referenced media files. For
more information, see “Locating Audio Files” on
page 492.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 181

 Opening a Session with Audio When saving a +12 dB session as a +6 dB session,
File Names that Contain Illegal Pro Tools alerts you that any automation settings
Characters over +6 dB will be lowered to +6 dB. See “Save
Copy In” on page 184.
Pro Tools does not support audio file names that
contain the following ASCII characters: In Pro Tools 7.x or higher, when opening a session
/ (Forward Slash) that was saved with a +6 dB maximum gain level,
\ (Backslash) the session will update to a +12 dB range.
: (Colon)
* (Asterisk)
? (Question mark)
Opening a Session or Project
with Plug-Ins Deactivated
“ (Quotation marks)
< (Less-than symbol) Pro Tools lets you open sessions and projects with
all plug-ins set to inactive. Since sessions and proj-
> (Greater-than symbol)
ects with a lot of plug-ins can take a long time to
| (vertical line or pipe) load, this lets you quickly open any session or proj-
ect for immediate visual inspection and audio play-
When opening a session that contains audio files
back (without plug-ins). If it is the session or proj-
with illegal characters, Pro Tools automatically
ect that you want to work with, you can easily
creates a renamed copy of each file (replacing
reopen the session or project with plug-ins acti-
these characters with an underscore “_”). Renamed
vated.
files are copied to the Renamed Audio Files folder.
The original files are left intact in the Audio Files You can make individual plug-ins active by
folder. Command-Control-clicking (Mac) or Control-
Start-clicking (Windows) them. To make an en-
Before the session opens, you are prompted to save
tire row of plug-ins active, Command-Option-
a detailed report of the renamed files and their
Control-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-Start-click
original file names to a Notes text file. Follow the
(Windows) any plug-in in the row of inserts.
on-screen instructions. By default, the Notes text
file is saved to the Session folder. To open a Pro Tools session with all plug-ins set to
inactive:
Opening a Session that was 1 In Pro Tools, choose File > Open Session.
Saved with +6 dB Fader Gain
2 In the Open Session dialog, locate and select the
All Pro Tools 7.x and later sessions have a +12 dB session you want.
fader gain level. However, when saving a
Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to a lower version 3 Shift-click Open.
of Pro Tools that supports +6 dB and +12 dB fader If you close and re-open the session without using
gain, the new session can be saved with either a the Shift key, plug-ins are activate.
+6 dB or a +12 dB maximum fader gain.

182 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To open a Pro Tools project with all plug-ins set to Reverting to a Previously Saved
inactive: Session or Project
1 In Pro Tools, choose File > Open Project.
If you have made changes to a session or project
2 In the Dashboard Projects list, select the project since you last saved it, you can discard those
you want. changes and revert to its previously saved state.

3 Shift-click Open. To revert to the last saved version of a session or

project:
If you close and re-open the project without using
the Shift key, plug-ins are activate.  Choose File > Revert to Saved.

If you have enabled the Operation preference

for Auto Backup, you can also open up a
Saving Sessions and Projects backup copy of your session or project. This
feature lets you specify the total number of in-
Saving the Session File cremental backups that are kept and how often
The Save command saves the changes you have the session or project is saved. See “Auto
made to your session and writes them over the pre- Backup” on page 120.
viously saved version of the session file. The Save
command cannot be undone. Consider saving reg- Reverting to a previously saved session or
ularly while working on your session to ensure that project can also be used to open a session or
your work is preserved on your hard drive. projects with all of its plug-ins active, after
opening it with all of its plug-ins inactive. See
To save a session or project: “Opening a Session or Project with Plug-Ins
 Choose File > Save. Deactivated” on page 182.

Press Command+S (Mac) or Control+S Saving the Session File with a

(Windows) to save the session or project. New Name
To save a copy of the current session with a new
Saving Projects
name or to a different hard drive location, use the
Projects are saved to the cloud when changes are Save As command. The Save As command closes
uploaded by any collaborator. The local cache the current session and lets you keep working on
keeps your local working copy distinct from the the renamed copy. This is useful if you are experi-
cloud version (and from other collaborators’ ver- menting and want to save successive versions of
sions) until all changes are uploaded and down- the session.
loaded (you can set this to happen automatically).
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 dupli-
cate versions of the audio or fade files.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 183

 To save a session with a new name: To save a session or project copy as new session
or project:
1 Choose File > Save As.
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
2 Type a new name for your session.
2 Specify the Format for the copy, such as Ses-
3 Click Save. sion (Latest).
Press Command+Control+S (Mac) or 3 Set the audio File Type for the copy: BWF
Control+Start+S (Windows) for the Save (.WAV) or AIFF.
As command.
4 Set the Sample Rate and Bit Depth for the copy.
The renamed session file is saved in the session 5 If applicable, select a Fader Gain level for the
folder along with the original session (unless you copy.
specify a different destination). Any new audio
files that you record in your renamed session will 6 If applicable, select Enforce Mac/PC Compati-
be placed into the same Audio Files folder that was bility to create session and audio files that can be
created for your original session. used on both Windows and Mac Pro Tools sys-
tems.
7 Select the Items to Copy for the copy.
Save Copy In
To include all audio being used in the session,
To save a copy of the current session or project, select the All Audio Files option.
use the Save Copy In command. In addition, you
can specify the session or project file format, audio 8 Click Save.
file format, bit depth, and sample rate for the copy.
For information on sharing sessions between
different operating systems, Pro Tools sys-
tems, or versions of Pro Tools software, see
Chapter 22, “File and Session Management
and Compatibility.”

How the Save Copy In Command

Works
Unlike the Save As command, Save Copy In does
not close the original session, so subsequent edits
are made to the original session. Session copies
can be used to archive important sessions, for ver-
sioning, or as a means to prepare sessions for trans-
fer to another Pro Tools system.

Save Copy In dialog

184 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Save Copy In can save only the audio being used in The dither setting used for any conversion is the
the session. Any audio that was recorded or im- Dither plug-in with Noise Shaping enabled.
ported and then later removed from the session, but
not deleted from disk, is not included in the new For more information about using Dither,
session or project copy. see “Dither” on page 1149.

To include all audio being used in the session Save Copy In Options
or project, select the All Audio Files option.
When saving a copy of a session or project, the
Using the Save Copy In command is the only way Save Copy In command provides the following
to change the sample rate of a session or project. options.
The sample rate of each of the session or project
copied audio files is converted to the selected sam- Format
ple rate. When saving a session copy to a different When saving a copy of a session or project with the
sample rate, Pro Tools uses the selected Sample Save Copy In command, you can save the session
Rate Conversion Quality option in the Import sec- or project copy in the following formats:
tion of the Processing Preferences page (Setup >
Preferences). • Project; lets you save a copy of the session as a
project.
When you save a copy of the session or project to • Latest; supports Pro Tools 10.x and later
a lower bit depth, Dither (and Noise Shaping) are sessions (.ptx)
applied automatically.
• Pro Tools 7.x -> 9.x Session (.ptf)
See the following table: • Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session (.pts)
Dither and Noise Shaping with Save Copy In
Session Parameters
Noise
Bit Depth Dither
Shaping When saving a copy of a session or project with the
Save Copy In command, the following Session Pa-
32-bit float to 32-bit float No No rameters are available:
32-bit float to 24-bit Yes Yes
Audio File Type
32-bit float to 16-bit Yes Yes You can save the session or project to reference
BWF (.WAV) or AIFF audio files.
24-bit to 32-bit float No No
Using Mixed File Types
24-bit to 24-bit No No
Sessions and projects can use mixed audio file
24-bit to 16-bit Yes Yes
projects. If your original session or project has
16-bit to 32-bit float No No
mixed file projects, they are not converted to the
selected file project unless you specify that they be
16-bit to 24-bit No No converted by selecting the Convert to Specified
Format option in the Items To Copy section (see
16-bit to 16-bit No No “Items to Copy” on page 186).

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 185

 Bit Depth Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility

You can save the session or project at a Bit Depth When saving a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to a
of 16 Bit, 24 Bit, or 32 Bit Float. lower version, enable the Enforce Mac/PC Com-
patibility option to force Windows or Mac versions
Pro Tools 10.0 and later sessions can use audio of Pro Tools to create sessions and audio files that
files with different bit depths. If your original ses- are compatible on both platforms.
sion or project has mixed bit depths, they are not
converted to the selected bit depth unless you spec- Limit Character Set
ify that they be converted by selecting the Convert
to Specified Format option in the Items To Copy When saving a copy of a session or project to the
section (see “Items to Copy” on page 186). current session or project format, you can choose
to limit the character set to a single language by se-
When saving to a Session Format lower than 10.0, lecting the Limit Character Set option.
if your session or project is in a different bit depth,
audio files are converted to the new session bit When saving a copy of a session or project to a
depth, and copied to the specified location. Also, lower session format, the Limit Character Set op-
32 Bit Float is not available for session formats tion is automatically selected. Select a language
lower than 10.0. from the Limit Character Set pop-up menu.

For information on bouncing to disk and To choose the language encoding when saving a
dither, see “Using Dither” on page 1255. copy of a session or project:
1 Choose File > Save Copy In.
Sample Rate
2 Select the Limit Character Set option.
You can save the session or project at various sam-
ple rates depending on your system hardware. See 3 Choose the language you want to use from the
“Supported Hardware Configurations with Limit Character Set pop-up menu.
Pro Tools Artist Software” on page 39.
Items to Copy
If your session or project is at a different sample
When saving a copy of a session or project with the
rate, audio files are converted to the new session or
Save Copy In command, you can select which
project sample rate, and copied.
items are copied, as follows:
Fader Gain
Audio Files
When saving a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session to a
When this option is selected, all audio files are
lower version that supports +12 dB fader gain, you
copied to the new location. This setting is automat-
can save the new session with either a +6 dB or a
ically selected if you select a Session Format lower
+12 dB maximum fader gain. When saving a
than 10.0.
+12 dB session as a +6 dB session, any automation
over +6 dB will be lowered to +6 dB.

186 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Convert To Specified Format When this option is not selected, all tracks in the
source session or project are saved with the copy.
When the Convert To Specified Format option is
This option is automatically disabled when choos-
selected, all copied audio files are converted to the
ing File > Save Session Copy.
specified audio file format settings in the Session
Parameters section. When this option is not se- Backup to Cloud
lected, any copied audio files retain their original (Projects Only)
audio file format settings (including sample rate
and bit depth), and are exactly copied, bit-by-bit. When saving a copy of a session or project as a
new project, enable the Backup to Cloud option to
Note that copying formats bit-by-bit is much create an online project. Disable this option to cre-
faster than converting files. ate an offline project.

This option is automatically selected if you enable Session Plug-In Settings Folder
Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility. (Sessions Only)

Don’t Copy Elastic Audio Rendered Files When this option is selected, the session’s Plug-In
Settings folder is copied to the new location. The
When this option is selected, Elastic Audio Ren- references to these settings in the session are redi-
dered files are not copied to the new session’s Ren- rected to the copied settings files.
dered Files folder or project bundle.
Root Plug-In Settings Folder
When opening the new session or project, (Sessions Only)
Pro Tools opens the session or project with all
available media and any missing Rendered files When this option is selected, the contents of the
are regenerated automatically. root-level Plug-In Settings Folder are copied into a
folder named Place in Root Settings Folder, indi-
Main Playlist Only cating that these files will need to be moved to the
root level plug-in settings folder on the destination
When this option is selected, only the main play- system before you can use them. The references to
lists are included with the copy. Any alternate these settings files in the session are not redirected
playlists are not included with the copy. to point to the copied files.
When this option is not selected, all playlists are
Movie/Video Files
included with the copy.
When this option is selected, video files are cop-
Selected Tracks Only ied, and references are updated to point to the cop-
When this option is selected, only the selected ied video files.
tracks in the source session or project are saved
with the copy. This option is automatically enabled
when choosing File > Export > Selected Tracks As
New Session.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 187

 Preserve Folder Hierarchy
(Sessions Only) Save As New Version
(Projects Only)
When this option is selected, the relative arrange-
ment of session audio files located across different You can save different versions of Pro Tools projects
drives or folders is maintained. The main folder for using the Save As New Version command (similar
the session copy will include subfolders for each to using the Save As command for sessions).
drive or folder in the original session and the des- Pro Tools lets you review and restore any version of
tination subfolders will use the same names as the a project from the Project Revision History window.
source drives and folders.
To save a new version of the current project:
When this option is not selected, the Save Copy In 1 Choose File > Save As New Version.
command copies all files of the same project, re-
gardless of their location, into a single destination Press Command+Control+S (Mac) or
folder. Control+Start+S (Windows) to save a new
version of the open project.
Session Fade Settings Folder
(Sessions Only)

When this option is selected, the session’s Fade

Settings folder is copied to the new location. The
references to these settings in the session are redi-
rected to the copied settings files.

Root Fade Settings Folder

(Sessions Only)

When this option is selected, the contents of the

root-level Fade Settings Folder are copied into a
folder named Place in Root Settings Folder, indi- Save New Version window
cating that these files will need to be moved to the
2 In the Save New Version window, type the Title
root level Fade settings folder on the destination for the new version of the project (for example,
system before you can use them. The references to “Ver. 3” or “acapella version”).
these settings files in the session are not redirected
to point to the copied files. 3 Type any notes for this version of the project un-
der Project Notes. This is optional—you can al-
Clip Effects Quick Presets
ways add or edit Project Notes for any given
version later (see “Project Notes” on page 197).
Enable this option to export any custom Clip Ef- 4 Click OK.
fects Presets with the copy of the session or proj-
ect.

188 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The title bar at the top of the Edit and Mix win-
dows, and the Revision History window update to
read “<project name>—<version title>.”

Enter a unique title for the new version of the

project. No project can contain two separate
versions with the same name nor can one ver-
sion overwrite another. Opening Revision History for a project from the
Dashboard

To close the revision history window:

Revision History
 Click Done.
(Projects Only)
Press Esc to close the Revision History win-
Revision History keeps track of all versions of a proj-
ect, including any automatically and manually saved dow.
histories for each version.
Version List
The left pane of the Revision History window lists all
versions for the project, and the right side displays The Version List displays the versions you have
Project Notes (if any) for the selected version of the saved by name and are always sorted by date (with
project. the most recent at the top of the list). Any manually
or automatically saved histories of any version in the
list can be displayed by clicking the reveal triangle to
the left of the version title. You can also rename any
version of the project in the list.

Revision History window

To open the revision history window, do one of the

following:
 Choose File > Revision History.
Version List
 Press Command+Control+O (Mac) or
Control+Start+O (Windows).
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to navigate
 On the Project page of the Dashboard, choose the Region History List, and use the Right
Open Revision History from the Project pop-up and Left Arrow keys to Show or Hide the save
menu. history for the selected version.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 189

 Save History Renaming Versions of a Project
Automatic and manual save histories are readily ac-
To rename any version of a project:
cessible for any version of a project. However, they
are automatically thinned out over time—always 1 Open the Revision History window.
keeping the most recent while gradually deleting 2 Do one of the following:
older save histories from your local cache and cloud
• Right-click the version you want to rename
storage for the project (automatic saves are deleted
first). Revision History maintains a reasonable distri- and choose Rename.
bution of older to more recent save histories in rela-
tion to your available storage.

Save histories are deleted (or not deleted) according

to the following rules:
• Original versions are always kept.
• The latest manual save for each version is always
kept. Right-click any version of a project to rename it
• If at least one save (manual or auto) is contained in
• Click the name of the version you want to re-
the version, it is always kept.
name.
• The last two automatically saved backups are al-
ways kept for all versions.
• Every manual save for the last two hours is kept.
• A save for every half hour, if any, is kept for up to
24 hours for all versions.
Renaming a version of a project
• Manual saves are preferred over auto-saves.
• A save for every hour, if any, is kept for a week for • Select Window > Metadata Inspector and type
all versions. the Title that you want for this version of the
• The last manual save of every day, if any, is always project. However, you can only do this if you
kept for all versions. are the owner of the project; collaborators
cannot edit the Metadata Inspector.
• The automatic deletion of save histories in both the
cloud and the local cache that are to be “thinned 3 Type the new name.
out” for the project happens directly after any save
4 Press Enter.
(manual or automatic).
• The version history for a project is synchronized When renaming a version of a project, it must
across all machines sharing the project. be a name that is not already used by another
The Auto Backup settings in the Operation prefer- version of the project. No project can contain
ences determine how often the active version of a two separate versions with the same name nor
project is automatically saved and how many auto- can one version overwrite another.
matically saved backups are maintained for that ver-
sion.

190 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Restoring a Version of the
Project
The Revision History window lets you restore any
version of a project and still maintain access to all
other versions. Restoring a version closes the cur-
rently open, active version of the project (you will
be prompted to save any changes) and opens the
selected version of the project. The date and time
are reset for the most recently opened version of
the project and it moves to the top of the Version
List.

To restore a version of a project:

1 Select the version you want to restore in the Ver-
sion List.
Shared Tracks Conflict warning
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Restore button. Pro Tools warns you of conflicts and lists the
names of mismatched tracks so that you can make
• Double-click the version in the Version List.
an informed decision on how to proceed:
• Press Return or Enter.
• Upload and overwrite tracks and project data in the
• Press the R key. cloud.
3 You may be prompted to Save the currently open • Download and overwrite local tracks and project
version of the project before restoring the selected data.
version. • Do nothing and leave both the local version and
the cloud version unaltered.
Conflicts Between Shared • Unshare any conflicting tracks and leave the cloud
Tracks in Different Versions of a version unaltered.
Project
Even if the Auto Upload All or Auto Download All
It is possible to have conflicts with shared tracks and Track Collaboration options are enabled in a
project data in the active version of a project if they
shared project, Pro Tools never automatically
do not match the latest version on the cloud. This
overwrites the cloud version with the local version,
may be a common occurrence when working with
different versions of a shared project. For example, if nor the local version with the cloud version, when
you save version X of a shared project, make some conflicts are detected.
edits without saving or uploading your changes, then
save as new version Y and upload your changes, and
then restore version X, there will be conflicts be-
tween the version in the cloud (Y) and the local, ac-
tive version (X).

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 191

 Importing Data from Another
Version of a Project
You can import project data from any version into
the currently active version of the project (much
like when importing data from another session into
the current session). This can be useful if you only
want to use some of the data from another version
of the project and not have to restore that entire
version. For example, you might have the best gui-
tar solo in one version of the project, but you want
to keep everything else in the currently active ver-
sion. Use the Import command in the Revision
History window to import just that one track.

To import project data from another version

into the current version of the project:
1 In the Version List, select the version from which
you want to import data. Import Session Data

2 Do one of the following: Deleting a Version of a Project

• Click the Import button.
You can delete any version (or manual or automatic
• Press I on your computer keyboard. save) of a project in the Revision History window.
• Right-click the version you want to import
data from and choose Import. To delete any version of a project:

3 Configure the Import Session Data dialog as de- 1 In the Version List, select the version you want to
sired. delete.

4 Click OK. 2 Do one of the following:

• Click the Delete button.
For detailed information on the Import Session
• Press the D key.
Data dialog, see “Importing and Exporting
Data to and from a Session or Project” on • Right-click the version you want to delete and
page 431. choose Delete.
3 Click Delete.

The selected version of the project and its entire save

history are permanently deleted. When deleting one
of the automatically or manually saved histories for a
version, only that one history of the version is de-
leted.

192 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 5 In the Save Copy In dialog, set the Format to
Saving a Session as a Project Project.
Pro Tools lets you save a copy of a session as a
project. This facilitates taking an existing session
and converting it to a project for online collabora-
tion (and you will still have the original session for
reference).

Before saving a copy of a session as a project, con-

sider your allocated online storage space and avail-
able bandwidth. For example, if you are working
with clips that only reference only a little bit of au-
dio in much larger files, you might want to consol-
idate each of those clips. If you don’t have the fast-
est internet connection, it might take awhile to
upload large referenced files whereas small whole
file clips might upload and download relatively
quickly. Maybe you don’t need to share every al-
ternate playlist, perhaps just a track’s main playlist Saving a copy of a session as a project
will do. Or, maybe you can have your collaborators 6 Set the Session Parameters as desired. For the
record to a scratch track rather than the whole mix. sake of bandwidth and storage, you may con-
The more you can do to lighten up your session be- sider saving the session to a project with a lower
fore saving it as a project, the better. It will save sample rate and bit depth.
you and your collaborators both time and online
storage space. 7 Select which Items To Copy. Saving a session as
a project always copies all Audio Files. and only
To save a copy of a session as a project: the main playlist on tracks. Also, you might not
want to copy rendered Elastic Audio files.
1 Prepare the session for saving as a project (for
example, remove extraneous files from the ses- 8 Enable Selected Tracks Only (optional).
sion, consolidate clips that only reference part
9 Enable (or disable) Backup to Cloud to save as
of large files, and so on).
an online project (or an offline project).
2 Select only the tracks that you want in the proj-
10 Click OK.
ect (optional).
3 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-
ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
Dashboard).
4 Choose File > Save Copy In.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 193

 Saving a Project as a Session Session Templates
Pro Tools lets you save a copy of a project as a ses- In addition to the Session Templates provided in
sion. When you are done working on a project you the Dashboard, Pro Tools lets you create and share
can archive it as a session locally and delete the on- your own custom Session Templates. Pro Tools
line project to free up cloud storage in your Avid Session Template files use the suffix “.ptxt” to dif-
Cloud Account. ferentiate them from regular Pro Tools session
files (“.ptx”).
To save a copy of a project as a session:
1 Ensure that you have accepted or rejected all Creating and Saving Custom
changes to shared tracks. Templates
(Sessions Only)
2 Choose File > Save Copy In.
3 In the Save Copy In dialog, set the Format to To create a custom Pro Tools Session Template:
Session (Latest). 1 Create a new Pro Tools session and configure it
for the session template you want.

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 vocals),
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.

2 Choose File > Save As Template.

Saving a copy of a project as a session

4 Set the Session Parameters as desired.

5 Select which Items To Copy. Note that Audio
Files and Movie/Video Files will always be cop- Save Session Template dialog
ied. 3 Configure the Save Session Template dialog
6 Click OK. (see “Save Session Template Dialog” on
page 195).

194 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Select the Include Media option if there is any Category
audio, MIDI, or video media in the session that
The Category pop-up menu is only available if the
you want included in the template.
Install Template In System option is enabled. The
When the Include Media option is enabled, Category pop-up menu lets you select the subdi-
all media in the session is included in the rectory in which to save the template file. It also
template. If you want to include media in provides options for adding a category and reveal-
your session template, be sure that your ses- ing the Session Templates folder in Windows Ex-
sion only contains the media you want. plorer or the Mac Finder.

5 Click OK. Add Category Select this option from the Cate-
gory pop-up menu to create a new subdirectory in
If you selected the Install Template In System op- the Session Templates folder.
tion, your session template will be available in the
Dashboard. Name

If you selected the Select Location For Template The Name setting is only available if the Install
option, you are prompted by the Save As Template Template In System option is enabled. This lets
dialog to save the file to another location on your you project a new name for the template file. From
system. the Name pop-up menu (to the right of the Name
field), you can select from a list of all of the tem-
When you are ready to use a template as the plates available in the currently selected Category.
basis for a new session, see “Creating a New Selecting one places that name in the Name field,
Session or Project from a Template” on letting you overwrite, or create a incremental ver-
page 178. sion of, an existing template.

Save Session Template Dialog Select Location For Template

The Save Template dialog provides the following Select this option to save the template file to any
options: directory location on your system. Note that the
saved session template will not appear in the Dash-
Install Template In System board unless it is in a subdirectory (Category) in
the Session Templates folder in the Pro Tools Root
Select this option to save the template file in the
Settings folder. You can change the location of the
system folder referenced by the Dashboard (the
Root Settings Folder in the Operation Preferences
Session Templates in the Pro Tools application
(see “User Media and Settings Location” on
folder).
page 121).

Include Media

Select this option to include any audio, MIDI, or

video media in the session with the template.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 195

 Creating New Sessions or Metadata Inspector Window
Projects from Templates
The Metadata Inspector window displays the fol-
You can create new session or project from tem- lowing information about your session or project.
plates by opening a template. You can open any Some metadata can be edited and some is display
Pro Tools Session Template file (.ptt) to start a only.
new session based on that template.
Name (Sessions Only) Displays the name of the
For information on creating new sessions session.
from templates using the Dashboard, see
Project Name (Projects Only) Displays the name
“Creating a New Session or Project from a
of the project.
Template” on page 178.
Project Owner (Projects Only) Displays the name
of the project owner.
Project and Session
Metadata Title Enter a title that is independent of the name of
the session or project.
Pro Tools provides a Metadata Inspector window
for sessions and projects. Sessions and projects Artist(s) Enter the name of the artist (or artists) for
have slightly different Metadata options.This win- the session or project.
dow lets you view and edit metadata for sessions
Contributor(s) Enter the names of the contributors
and projects. However, certain metadata is display
to the session or project.
only (such as Sample Rate and Bit Depth). Meta-
data is stored with the session file (.ptx) or with the Sample Rate Displays the session or project sam-
project bundle. ple rate. The Sample Rate can also be viewed in
the Workspace.
To open the Metadata Inspector:
Bit Depth Displays the session or project bit depth.
 Choose Window > Metadata Inspector.
The Bit Depth can also be viewed in the Work-
space.

Location Enter the location where the session or

project was recorded.

Date Created Display the date and time that the

session or project was created. The Date Created
can also be viewed in the Workspace.

Date Modified Displays the date and time that the

session or project was last modified. The Date
Modified can also be viewed in the Workspace.

BPM Displays the tempo or range of tempos used

in the session or project in beats per minute. BPM
can also be viewed in the Workspace as Tempo.
Session Metadata Inspector window

196 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To close a session or project:
Project Notes
 Choose File > Close Session/Project.
Pro Tools lets you add and edit Project Notes for any
version of a project. Use Project Notes for anything
from reminders to descriptions, or a to do list. You
can add and edit Project Notes when you create a new Renaming Projects
version of a project or in the Project Notes window. You can rename any project you own that is not
Project Notes are always saved with the specific ver- currently open on the Projects tab of the Dash-
sion of the project.
board.
To add or edit Project Notes: To rename a project:
1 Do one of the following:
1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-
• Choose File > Save as New Version to open ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
the Save New Version dialog. click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
• Select Window > Project Notes to open the Dashboard).
Project Notes window for the current version
2 In the Dashboard window, select the Projects
of the project.
tab to view your current projects; or if Pro Tools
2 Type and edit the Project Notes as desired. is already running, choose File > Open Proj-
ect—Command+Option+O (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt+O (Windows)—to access Projects tab
in the Dashboard window.
3 To the right of the project list, click the pop-up
menu for the project you want to rename.

Project Notes window

Closing a Session or Project Dashboard, Rename Project

Pro Tools only lets you work on just one session or 4 Choose Rename.
project at a time. The Close Session/Project com-
5 In the resulting dialog, project the new name for
mand closes your current Pro Tools session or
the project.
project but leaves the Pro Tools application run-
ning. Pro Tools prompts you to save the session or 6 Click OK.
project when closing it, but it is recommended that
you save your work using the Save or Save As
command before closing a session or project.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 197

 Remove Local Cache Deleting Projects
Use the Remove Local Cache command for any Once you have completed work on a project and
project that is not currently open to free up storage exported the final mix or archived it as a session
space on your local system. Your project will re- using the Save Copy In command, you can delete
main intact and retrievable from the cloud. You the project to free up online storage space for other
can always restore your project from your online projects. Use the Dashboard window to delete any
MyAvid account cloud storage. project that you no longer need.

To remove the local cache for a project: You cannot undo the Delete Project command. If
you delete a project that you do not own, but are
1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-
only collaborating on, you simple remove yourself
ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
as a collaborator for that project. The project re-
click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
mains available to the owner and other collabora-
Dashboard).
tors. However, once you delete a project that you
2 In the Dashboard window, select the Projects own, it is permanently deleted and is unrecover-
tab to view your current projects; or if Pro Tools able.
is already running, choose File > Open Proj-
ect—Command+Option+O (Mac) or Con- To delete a project:
trol+Alt+O (Windows)—to access Projects tab 1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-
in the Dashboard window. ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
3 To the right of the project list, click the pop-up click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
menu for the project whose local cache you Dashboard).
want to clear. 2 In the Dashboard window, select the Projects
tab to view your current projects; or if Pro Tools
is already running, choose File > Open Proj-
ect—Command+Option+O (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt+O (Windows)—to access Projects tab
in the Dashboard window.
Dashboard, Remove Local Cache 3 To the right of the Project list, click the pop-up
menu for the project you want to delete.
4 Choose Remove Local Cache.
5 When prompted, click Delete.

Notice the Cloud icon to the right of the project.

Pro Tools deletes the local cache for the project
while keeping the project intact in the cloud. Click
the Cloud icon to download the project media and
synchronize the local and online versions of the
project. Dashboard, Delete project

4 Choose Delete.

198 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools deletes the project and updates the per-
centage of your available storage used. Open Revision History
Use the Open Revision History command to open
the Revision History window and restore the proj-
Restore Project from Cloud ect from any version or from any version’s save
history.
If you have deleted the local cache for a project,
you can restore your project from the cloud. To open the latest auto-backup for a project:

To restore a project from the cloud: 1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-
ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-
click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
Dashboard).\
click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
Dashboard). 2 In the Dashboard window, select the Projects
tab to view your current projects; or if Pro Tools
2 In the Dashboard window, select the Projects
is already running, choose File > Open Proj-
tab to view your current projects; or if Pro Tools
ect—Command+Option+O (Mac) or Con-
is already running, choose File > Open Proj-
trol+Alt+O (Windows)—to access Projects tab
ect—Command+Option+O (Mac) or Con-
in the Dashboard window.
trol+Alt+O (Windows)—to access Projects tab
in the Dashboard window. 3 To the right of the Project list, click the pop-up
menu for the project for which you want to open
3 To the right of the Project list, click the Cloud
the Revision History.
icon for the project you want to restore.

Dashboard, Open Revision History

Dashboard, Cloud icon 4 Choose Open Revision History.
Pro Tools downloads all data from the cloud to the
Pro Tools opens the Revision History window
local cache on your system for the selected project.
where you can view, restore, import, and delete
Download progress is shown to the right of the
versions of the project as well as their save histo-
project name.
ries.

For more information about working with the

Restore History window, see “Revision History”
on page 189.

Dashboard, download progress

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 199

 3 In the list of projects list, deselect (or select)
Backup to Cloud Backup to Cloud from the pop-up menu to the
Using the Backup to Cloud option in the Projects right of the project you want to take offline (or
tab in the Dashboard, you can take existing online put online).
projects offline or put offline projects online at any
time. Since shared projects cannot be taken offline,
the Backup to Cloud option is grayed out and un-
available.

For projects you are taking offline, all project data

and associated media is deleted from your Avid
Cloud Storage Account and the Project icon turns
gray. Dashboard, Projects tab, deselecting Backup to Cloud
for a project
For projects you are putting online, all project data
and associated media are uploaded to your Avid
Cloud Storage Account and the Project icon turns Project Collaboration
blue. Invitations in the Dashboard
The Dashboard lets you accept or reject project par-
ticipation requests. When another user invites you to
join a project, that project appears in the Project List
in the Dashboard along with Reject and Accept icons.

Dashboard, Projects tab, offline projects are indicated

by a gray Project icon and online projects are blue

To take an online project offline (or to put an offline

project online):

1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-

ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
Dashboard).
2 Choose File > Open Project, or press Com-
mand+Option+O (Mac) or Control+Alt+O
(Windows) to open the Dashboard showing the
Projects tab.

Dashboard, project participation requests

200 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To accept or reject project participation requests
from the Dashboard:

1 Ensure that you are logged in to your Avid Mas-

ter Account through Pro Tools (File > Sign In or
click Sign In in the upper right corner of the
Dashboard).
2 In the Dashboard, select the Projects tab. Proj-
ects that you have been invited to display Ac-
cept and Reject icons to the right of the project
name.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click the Accept icon to join the project.
• Click the Reject icon to reject the collabora-
tion request and remove the project from the
project list.

For more information about project partici-

pation requests, see “Responding to Collab-
oration Invitations” on page 404.

Quitting or Exiting Pro Tools

When you quit (Mac) or exit (Windows) the
Pro Tools application, Pro Tools prompts you to
save any open session before exiting or closing the
application.

To quit Pro Tools on the Mac:

 Choose Pro Tools > Quit Pro Tools.

To exit Pro Tools in Windows:

 Choose File > Exit.

Chapter 11: Sessions and Projects 201

202 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows

Pro Tools provides two complementary ways of Edit Window Shows tracks and track material
viewing tracks in a session: against the Timeline (see “Edit Window” on
page 206).
Mix Window Shows tracks as channel strips, like a
mixing board (see “Mix Window” on page 204). To toggle between the Mix and Edit windows,
press Control+Equals (=) (Windows), or
press Command+Equals (=) (Mac).

Edit window

Workspace browser Mix window

Transport window

Plug-In window

Pro Tools windows

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 203

 Pro Tools provides several other types of
windows: Mix Window
Transport Window Lets you control the transport
In the Mix window, tracks appear as channel strips
and transport-related functions (see “Transport just like a mixing console, with controls for:
Window” on page 212). • Inserts

Plug-In Windows Let you control plug-in parame- • Sends

ters, such as Frequency and Q for an EQ (see • Input and output assignments
“Plug-In Windows” on page 1162). • Volume
MIDI Editor Windows Lets you edit MIDI data (see • Panning
Chapter 36, “MIDI Editors”).
• Record enable
Score Editor Window lets you edit MIDI data as • Track Input monitoring
music notation (see Chapter 37, “Score Editor”).
• Automation mode
Workspace Browsers Let you manage, audition, • Solo and Mute
and import media for Pro Tools sessions (see
• Instrument controls
“Workspace Browsers” on page 347).
• HEAT controls
Artist Chat Lets you chat with project collabora-
• Mic preamps
tors (see Chapter 19, “Artist Chat and Avid Link”).

In-App Web Browsers Let you access the Avid To display the Mix window:
Marketplace and Pro Tools Online (see “In-Appli-  Choose Window > Mix.
cation Web Browser” on page 219).
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 1112.

204 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Channel strips
(page 235)

Instrument
Tracks List View
(page 266) (page 1113)

Inserts View
(page 1113)

Sends View
(page 1114)

Track Path selectors

(page 271 and
Group ID page 278)
indicator Automation
(page 320) Mode selector
Input Monitoring / (page 1198)
Record Enable
Pan knob
(page 553 and
(page 244)
page 548)

Solo/Mute
(page 280)

Volume
fader
(page 244)

Level meter
Voice selector (page 245)
(page 277)

AutoMatch
indicator Track Name
(page 1207) (page 255)

Mix Groups List

(page 317) Track
Comments
View
Delay (page 1113)
Compensation
View (page 1115)

Show/Hide Mono MIDI Stereo

Track List/Groups Audio Track Track Audio Track
List View (page 234) (page 237) (page 234)
(page 266)
Mix Window Instrument Auxiliary Master
View selector Track Input Fader
(page 1112) (page 237) (page 235) (page 236)

Pro Tools Mix window

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 205

 To display the Edit window:
Edit Window
 Choose Window > Edit.
The Edit window provides a Timeline display of
audio, video, MIDI notes, as well as other MIDI To display all Edit window view options:
data and mixer automation for recording, editing,  Select View > Edit Window > All.
and arranging on tracks. As in the Mix window,
each track has controls for record enable, solo, Edit window view options can be selected individ-
mute, and automation mode. ually. See “Views in the Mix and Edit Windows”
on page 1112.

Universe view
Grid and
(page 686)
Nudge values
Zoom buttons (page 643) Collaboration (page 413) (page 208) Edit Window
Counters and Edit Toolbar and menu
Edit Mode Selection indicators
Edit tools (page 206)
buttons (page 684)
(page 639) (page 642)

Timebase and Clip

Conductor List
rulers (page 329)
(page 879)

Tracks List
(page 266)
Tracks
(page 233)

Edit
Groups
List

Playlists MIDI Editor pane Elastic Audio Automation Edit Window

Track View (Notation view) Warp Track View (page 1195) Zoom buttons
(page 737) (page 216) (page 1013) (page 211)

Selected Clip MIDI Controller

(page 672) lanes (page 845)

Pro Tools Edit window

206 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Edit Window Toolbar Counters and Edit Selection Indicators

At the top of the Edit window is the Edit Window The Counters and Edit selection indicators provide
Toolbar and menu. This Toolbar provides access information where selections are in the Timeline.
to the editing modes, tools, options, indicators, and
displays for Pro Tools. You can customize the MIDI Selection
Toolbar in the Edit, MIDI Editor, or Score Editor Edit Selection
windows by re-arranging, showing, and hiding the Main and Sub Counters
available controls and displays.

Edit Toolbar Controls and Displays

The following controls and displays in the Edit

Window Toolbar are always shown. Cursor Location Track Mute
indicator
Cursor Value
Edit Modes Timeline Data Online Status Track Solo
Session Data Online Status indicator
The Edit mode affects the movement and place- Automatic Delay Compensation Global Freeze Tracks
ment of audio and MIDI clips (and MIDI notes), Task Manager Status
how commands like Copy and Paste function, and
Edit window indicators
also how the various Edit tools (Trim, Selector,
Grabber, and Pencil tools) work. For more infor- Main Counter Displays the current Edit insertion
mation, see “Edit Modes” on page 639. 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.
Edit mode buttons
Cursor Value Displays the value of the current cur-
Edit Tools
sor value in peak amplitude (audio), pitch (MIDI),
Edit tools are used for editing audio, MIDI, and au- or according to the current automation or control-
tomation data in Pro Tools. For more information, ler data type.
see “Edit Tools” on page 642.
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 num-
Edit tools ber, and Note On and Note Off velocities) and pro-
vide controls for MIDI editing.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 207

 Timeline Data Online Status Indicator Is green Track Solo Indicator Lights yellow when any
when all files in use in track playlists are available track in the session is soloed. When no tracks in the
for playback. If files are offline, being processed, session are soloed, the Track Solo indicator ap-
or otherwise unavailable for playback, this indica- pears dim green. For systems using Satellite Link,
tor is red. the Track Solo indicator lights dim yellow when a
track is soloed on any satellite system.
Session Data Online Status Indicator Is green
when all audio files referenced by the session are If the Track Solo indicator is lit, you can click it to
available for playback. If files are offline, being pro- clear all soloed tracks in the session.
cessed, or otherwise unavailable for playback, this
indicator is red. If any files are offline, you can click Track Mute Indicator Lights orange when any
the indicator to open the Relink window and relink to track in the session is muted. When no tracks in the
offline files. session are muted, the Track Mute indicator ap-
pears dim green. (Note that because Mute is an au-
Delay Compensation Status Indicator Is dis- tomatable mixing function, the Track Mute indica-
played when Delay Compensation is enabled (Op- tor does not function to clear all mutes when
tions > Delay Compensation). When Delay Com- clicked.)
pensation is disabled, this indicator is not
displayed. Grid and Nudge

Task Manager Status Lights and animates when The Grid and Nudge selectors let you set the Grid
the Task Manager is busy. When no tasks are in and Nudge values for editing in Pro Tools. For in-
progress, it is unlit. The indicator turns red if the formation on the Grid Value selector, see “Config-
Task Manager requires your attention. Click the uring the Grid” on page 641. For information on
Task Manager Status indicator to open or close the the Nudge Value selector, see “Defining the
Task Manager window. Nudge Value” on page 700.

Global Freeze Tracks Indicator lights when one or

Grid Value selector
more tracks in the session are frozen. When it is
Nudge Value selector
unlit, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Global Freeze Tracks button to freeze all audio,
Grid and Nudge value selectors
Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks in the ses-
sion. When it is lit, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click
(Windows) it to unfreeze all tracks in the session. Showing and Hiding Additional
You can also Right-click the Global Freeze Tracks Controls in the Edit Window
button to specify which track types you want (or do To show or hide controls in the Edit window
not want) to freeze. toolbar:

Tracks cannot be frozen while hidden or inactive. 1 Do one of the following:

• Click the Edit Window Toolbar menu (in the
If any of the Include options are deselected, you upper-right corner of the window).
can Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) • Right-click in the Toolbar.
the Global Freeze icon to freeze (or unfreeze)
all tracks. The previously selected Include op-
tions remain selected.

208 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 From the menu, select or deselect any of the fol- Ableton Link When selected, the Ableton Link
lowing depending on which window you are controls and indicators are displayed in the Edit
configuring: window toolbar.

Zoom Controls When selected, the Zoom controls

are displayed in the Edit window toolbar.

Quantize When selected, the Quantize tools are

displayed in the Edit window toolbar (for more in-
formation, see “Edit and MIDI Editor Window
Transport When selected, the Transport controls Toolbar Quantize Controls” on page 1064).
are displayed in the Edit window toolbar.

Output Meters When selected, the Output meters

are displayed in the Edit window toolbar.
MIDI Controls When selected, the MIDI controls
are displayed in the window toolbar.

EUCON When selected, EUCON Status controls

Synchronization When selected, the Synchroniza- are displayed in the Edit window toolbar. These
tion controls and indicators are displayed in the controls let you enable/disable EUCON and moni-
Edit window toolbar. These controls and indicators tor the connection status of EUCON control sur-
are slightly different depending on whether or not faces..
you have Sync X or SYNC HD, or no synchroni-
zation peripheral in your Pro Tools system.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 209

 Track Collaboration (Projects Only) When se- Tracks List When selected, the Tracks List is
lected, the Track Collaboration controls are dis- shown on the left of the Edit window.
played in the Edit window toolbar.
Clips List When selected, the Clips List is shown
on the right of the Edit window.

MIDI Editor When selected, the MIDI Editor view

is shown at the bottom of the Edit window.

MIDI Input Display When selected, the MIDI Input

Eleven Rack (Eleven Rack Only) This option is
available only when an Eleven Rack is connected display is shown in the Edit window toolbar.
to your Pro Tools system. When selected, Eleven
Rack controls are displayed in the Edit window
toolbar. For more information, refer to the Eleven
Rack User Guide.

Rearranging Controls and

Displays
To rearrange controls and displays in the Edit,
Minimal When selected, the Zoom, Transport, MIDI Editor, or Score Editor window toolbar:
MIDI, and Synchronization controls are not dis-  Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
played in the Edit window toolbar. dows) the control or display you want to move
All When selected, the Zoom, Transport, MIDI,
and drag it to a new location in the toolbar.
and Synchronization controls are all displayed in For example, if you want the Counters and Edit Se-
the Edit window toolbar. lection indicators to the right of the Transport con-
Expanded Transport When selected, the trols in the toolbar, Command-click (Mac) or Con-
Expanded Transport controls are displayed in the trol-click (Windows) and drag them to the right of
Edit window toolbar if Transport is also the Transport controls.
selected.

Universe When selected, Universe view is shown

Moving the Counters and Edit Selection indicators
near the top of the Edit window.

Clip Effects When selected, Clip Effects view is

shown at the bottom of the Edit window.

210 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Edit Window Zoom Buttons Audio and MIDI Zoom In and Out Buttons

The Edit window also provides Zoom buttons in Pro Tools also provides Audio and MIDI Zoom In
the lower right and upper right corners of the tracks and Out buttons in the upper-right corner of the
pane. Edit window. These controls function exactly the
same as the Audio and MIDI Zoom controls in the
Vertical and Horizontal Zoom In and Out Toolbar, and let you zoom in and out vertically on
Buttons audio waveforms and MIDI notes respectively.
In addition to the Zoom controls in the Toolbar,
In the Edit window, MIDI Vertical Zoom only
Pro Tools provides horizontal and vertical zoom
affects tracks not in Clips view.
buttons in the lower-right corner of the Edit win-
dow.

Audio Zoom button (Edit window)

Vertical Zoom buttons (Edit window)

MIDI Zoom button (Edit window)

Edit Window Default Length

Horizontal Zoom buttons (Edit window)
Pro Tools lets you set a default length for the Edit
Vertical Zoom Buttons Zoom the track heights window in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.
proportionally in the Edit window. This is useful if you want to assemble a session of
a particular length or leave extra room to expand
Horizontal Zoom Buttons Zoom the Timeline just
the Edit window’s work area in your session. The
like the Horizontal Zoom controls in the Edit win-
maximum length is 12 hours and 25 minutes at
dow toolbar.
48 kHz, and proportionally less at higher sample
rates. For best scrollbar sensitivity, set the length
to slightly longer (a minute or more) than the total
session or song length.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 211

 To set the default length for the Edit window: Online Puts Pro Tools online so that playback and
1 Choose Setup > Preferences. recording is triggered by an external timecode
source.
2 On the Display page, enter the value in hours,
minutes, seconds, and frames for the Edit Win- Return to Zero Locates to the beginning of the ses-
dow Default Length setting. sion.

3 Click OK. Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to

Return to Zero.

Transport Window You can Right-click the Return to Zero but-

The Transport window can be set to show basic ton to access the Write to Start and Write to
transport controls, counters, MIDI controls, and All automation commands.
expanded features. The counters in the Transport
Rewind Rewinds from the current play location.
window mirror the controls and counters at the top
You can also click repeatedly to rewind incremen-
of the Edit window.
tally, by an amount based on the Main Time Scale,
To display the Transport window:
as follows:

 Choose Window > Transport. With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-
port, you can rewind by pressing 1.
Basic Transport Controls and
Counters Rewind and Fast Forward Increments
Increment
Transport Window menu Main Time Scale Format
Amount
Track Record Enable indicator
Go to End Min:Sec 1 second
Fast Forward Stop
Rewind Play Timecode 1 frame
Return to Zero Record
Online Bars|Beats 1 bar

Feet+Frames 1 foot

Pre- Sample 1 second

Roll
Post- Fast Forward Fast forwards from the Timeline in-
Roll
sertion point. You can also click repeatedly to fast
forward incrementally (by an amount based on the
Start, End, and Length Main Time Scale).
TrackInput Monitor
indicator With Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-
Transport window showing basic transport controls port, you can fast forward by pressing 2.
and counters (Main and Sub Counters and MIDI not
shown)

212 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Go to End Locates to the end of the session. With the Transport stopped, Control-click Play
(Mac) or Start-click Play (Windows) to toggle
You can press Option+Return (Mac) or Con- Loop Playback mode. When enabled, a loop sym-
trol+Enter (Windows) on the alphanumeric bol appears in the Play button and Pro Tools plays
keyboard to locate to the end of the session. continuously from the beginning of the selection to
the end.
You can Right-click the Go to End button to
For more information on loop playback and
access automation commands Write to End
Dynamic Transport mode, see “Loop Play-
and Write to All.
back Mode” on page 523.
Stop Stops playback or recording.
Record Arms Pro Tools for recording (the button
You can also stop the transport by pressing flashes). Clicking Play then starts recording on re-
the Spacebar, or with the Numeric Keypad cord-enabled tracks only.
mode set to Transport, pressing 0.
You can also begin recording immediately by
Play Starts playback or (if the Record button was pressing F12, pressing Command+Spacebar
clicked first) recording from the Timeline insertion (Mac) or Control+Spacebar (Windows), or
point or the Play Start Marker location if Dynamic with the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-
Transport mode is enabled. port, pressing 3.

You can also begin playback by pressing the Right-clicking the Record button lets you select
Spacebar, or with the Numeric Keypad mode the record mode from a pop-up menu:
set to Transport, pressing 0. • Normal

Right-clicking the Play button lets you select the • Loop

playback mode from a pop-up menu: • Destructive
• Half-Speed • QuickPunch
• Prime for Playback • TrackPunch (Pro Tools HD only)
• Loop • Destructive Punch (Pro Tools HD only)
• Dynamic Transport
You can also cycle through the Pro Tools record
To initiate playback at half-speed, you can modes with the Transport stopped, by Control-
also press Shift+Spacebar (Windows or clicking (Mac) or Start-clicking (Windows) the
Mac) or Shift-click (Mac) the Play button. Record button.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 213

 The Record button changes to indicate the cur- Start Specifies the beginning of the play or record
rently selected mode: blank for Nondestructive, range. You can set the start point by entering a lo-
“D” for Destructive, a loop symbol for Loop Re- cation in this field, or by dragging the correspond-
cord, “P” for QuickPunch, “T” for TrackPunch, ing Timeline Selection or Play Start Marker in the
and “DP” for DestructivePunch. Main Timebase ruler. For more information, see
“Timeline Selection Markers” on page 563.
To initiate recording at half-speed, you can
press Command+Shift+Spacebar (Mac) or End Specifies the end of the play or record range.
Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). You can set the end point by entering a location in
this field, or by dragging the corresponding Time-
Track Record Enable Indicator When lit (red), in- line Selection Marker in the Main Timebase ruler.
dicates that at least one audio track is currently re- For more information, see “Timeline Selection
cord-enabled. When off (gray), no tracks are cur- Markers” on page 563.
rently record-enabled.
Length Specifies the length for the play or record
TrackInput Monitor Indicator When lit (green), in- range. You can set the length by entering a location
dicates that at least one audio track is currently set in this field, or by selecting a range in any Time-
to Input Only monitoring (regardless of record en- base ruler.
able status). When off (gray), all tracks are in Auto
Input monitoring. When the Timeline and Edit selections are
linked, you can make an Edit selection in a
Transport Window Menu Lets you select what op- track’s playlist to set the play and record
tions to show in the Transport window: Counters, range. See “Linking or Unlinking Timeline
MIDI Controls, Synchronization, Ableton Link, Out- and Edit Selections” on page 669.
put Meters, and Expanded Transport.

Pre-Roll During playback or record, specifies the MIDI Controls

amount of audio that plays before the Play (Time-
line) Cursor or Play Start Marker location, or be- Tempo Resolution (Beat Value) pop-up menu

ginning of the Timeline selection. Pre-roll is par-

ticularly useful with punch recording since it gives Count Off Meter
you time to “catch the beat” before reaching the Tempo
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.
Wait for Note
Tempo Ruler
Post-Roll During playback or record, specifies the Metronome Click Enable
amount that plays after the end of a Timeline selec- MIDI Merge
tion. Post-roll is useful in punch recording since
Transport window, MIDI controls
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.

214 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To view the MIDI controls in the Transport, do one The Pro Tools metronome is configured in the
of the following: Click/Countoff Options dialog. Double-click the
 Select View > Transport > MIDI Controls. Metronome Click button to open the Click/Coun-
toff Options dialog.
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the Expand/Collapse “+” button in the With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-
Transport window to display the MIDI controls. port, press 7 to enable the Metronome Click.

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.

With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-

Expand/Collapse button, Transport Window with MIDI port, press 8 to enable the Count Off.
controls
MIDI Merge When selected (Merge mode),
Wait for Note When selected, recording does not
recorded MIDI data is merged with existing track
begin until a MIDI event is received. This ensures
material. When deselected (Replace mode), re-
that you begin recording when you’re ready to
corded MIDI data replaces existing track material.
play, and that the first note, or other MIDI data, is
recorded precisely at the beginning of the record With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans-
range. port, press 9 to enable MIDI Merge.

You can press F11 to turn on Wait for Note, Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) When selected,
unless the MIDI preference for “Disable F11 Pro Tools uses the tempo map defined in the
for Wait for Note” is enabled. Tempo ruler. When deselected, Pro Tools switches
to Manual Tempo mode and ignores the Tempo
On Mac, the Desktop Keyboard Shortcut uses ruler.
the same key command that Pro Tools uses In Manual Tempo mode, you can enter a BPM
for Wait For Note (F11). To use F11 for Wait value in the tempo field, or tap in the tempo with
For Note in Pro Tools, be sure to disable the the T key on your alphanumeric keyboard.
Desktop Keyboard Shortcut in the Apple Sys-
tem Preferences. Current Meter Displays the session’s current me-
ter based on the play location. Double-click the
Metronome Click When selected, Pro Tools gen- Current Meter indicator to open the Change Meter
erates a metronome pulse that can be set to trigger window.
built-in sounds or MIDI instruments during play-
back and recording. 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 keyboard.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 215

 Synchronization Track Collaboration
(Projects Only)
The Synchronization controls and indicators in the
Transport window mirror those that are displayed The Track Collaboration controls can be shown or
in the Edit Window toolbar. These controls and in- hidden in the Transport window. They mirror the
dicators are slightly different depending on controls at the top of the Edit window.
whether or not you have Sync X or SYNC HD, or
no synchronization peripheral in your Pro Tools To view the Track Collaboration controls in the
system. For more information, see “Putting Transport:
Pro Tools Online” on page 1366 and “Generating 1 Do one of the following:
Timecode” on page 1367. • Select View > Transport > Output Meters.
• Click the Transport Window menu (in the
Output Meters upper-right corner of the window) and select
Pro Tools provides Output meters in the Transport or deselect Track Collaboration.
that display the monitoring levels for signals • Right-click in the Transport window and se-
routed to the physical outputs on your audio inter- lect or deselect Track Collaboration.
faces from your session or to internal busses in the
session. The top LED is red and indicates clipping For more information, see “Global Track Col-
at the converters on your audio interface (DAC) on laboration Tools” on page 416“Global Track
the corresponding channels or on internal busses. Collaboration Tools” on page 416.

To view the Output Meters in the Transport:

1 Do one of the following: MIDI Editor Windows
• Select View > Transport > Output Meters. MIDI Editor windows let you view and edit MIDI
• Click the Transport Window menu (in the notes and controller data. You can open multiple
upper-right corner of the window) and select MIDI Editor windows to work on different parts of
or deselect Output Meters. your MIDI arrangements separately. MIDI Editor
windows show Instrument and MIDI track data su-
• Right-click in the Transport window and se-
perimposed in Notes view, or on separate tracks in
lect or deselect Output Meters.
Notation view, and lets you view and edit MIDI
2 From the menu, select or deselect Output Me- controller data (such as velocity, pitch bend, and
ters. mod wheel) in controller lanes under the Notes
pane.

For more information, see Chapter 36,

“MIDI Editors.”

Output meters in the Transport window

For more information, see “Output Me-

ters” on page 1133.

216 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Clip Effects Tab
Docked Displays in the Edit
Window You can choose to show (or hide) Clip Effects at
the bottom of the Edit window (below the Tracks
MIDI Editor Tab pane).

You can choose to show (or hide) a MIDI Editor To show (or hide) the Clip Effects tab in the Edit
pane at the bottom of the Edit window (below the window, do one of the following:
Tracks pane).  Select (or deselect) View > Other Displays > Clip
Effects.
To show (or hide) the MIDI Editor tab in the Edit
window, do one of the following: For more information, see “Clip Effects”
 Select (or deselect) View > Other Displays > on page 997
MIDI Editor.
Open Last Shown Docked Editor
 From the Edit Window menu, select (or dese-
lect) MIDI Editor. The following two methods open the Clip Effects
tab in new empty sessions, and open the MIDI Ed-
 Press Shift+Option+Control+“=” (Mac) or
itor tab if a MIDI track is in the session and no
Shift+Alt+Start+“=” (Windows).
other Editor tab was shown previously; otherwise,
the following open the last shown Editor tab:
Melodyne Tab
 Click the Docked Editor Show/Hide icon in the
Pro Tools lets you edit audio with Melodyne™ by lower left corner of the Tracks pane in the Edit
Celemony from within the Edit window. Pro Tools window.
provides a docked Melodyne editor at the bottom
of the Edit window along with the docked MIDI  Double-click the divider below the Tracks pane
Editor and Clip Effects, each organized in tabs. in the Edit window.
You can analyze and edit whole audio tracks or
single audio clips using Melodyne.
Score Editor Window
To show (or hide) the Melodyne tab:
The Score Editor window lets you view and edit
 Select (or deselect) View > Other Displays > Instrument and MIDI tracks as music notation. It
Melodyne. automatically transcribes MIDI performances in
real-time. You can print a score of your session or
For more information, see Chapter 46,
just parts from individual tracks.
“Melodyne Editing and Audio to MIDI.”
For more information, see Chapter 37,
“Score Editor.”

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 217

 The main elements of a Workspace browser (see
Workspace Browsers the figure below) include the following:
Pro Tools can database your session and media View Presets Let you store up to 5 different
files and directories using Workspace browsers. browser views.
Browsers provide an intuitive user interface within
Pro Tools to quickly access both online and offline Preview Controls Provide tools for auditioning
media files and sessions. audio files from the browser.

Browsers in Pro Tools are analogous to windows Search Tools Let you search your system for files
in your computer’s operating system (such as Win- and folders by simple or advanced search criteria.
dows Explorer or the Mac Finder), but are spe-
Browser Menu Provides commands for file man-
cially designed for working in Pro Tools. Multiple
agement.
browsers can be displayed simultaneously, and ar-
ranged independently with custom display settings Column Headers Display the type of metadata dis-
for each. played in the Items List. Column Headers can be:
Browsers let you search and sort audio files, video • Resized by dragging the column border, or rear-
files, and sessions. These files are displayed in ranged by dragging the Column headers.
browsers and can be dragged directly into the cur- • Dragged to either of two available panes, the
rent Pro Tools session. Fixed or Scrolling panes.
When offline items are needed, Pro Tools lets you Soundbase Lets you tag audio files with descrip-
find the correct matching files, then relink to on- tive metadata that you can then use as search crite-
line media. ria.

To open/close a Workspace browser focused Track Presets Lets you organize all of your Track
on Volumes, press Option+; (Mac) or Alt+; Presets for easy access.
(Windows).
Locations Pane Provides a view of Volumes (and
To open a default Workspace browser focused
on Volumes, press Option+I (Mac) or Alt+I
folders and files), Catalogs, and the currently open
(Windows). Press these key combinations again
Session for your system.
to open additional Workspace browsers. Browser Pane Provides a view of items on your
To open a Workspace browser with Soundbase system contained within the Volume (or folder),
and the Tags pane revealed, press Option+ Catalog, or open session that is selected in the Lo-
Control+I (Mac) or Alt+Start+I (Windows). cations pane. Alternatively, the Browser pane dis-
Press these key combinations again to open ad- plays search results.
ditional Workspace browsers with Soundbase.
To bring all browsers to the front, press For detailed information about Workspace
Option+J (Mac) or Alt+J (Windows). browsers, see Chapter 18, “Workspace
To send all browsers to the back, press Option+ Browsers.”.
Shift+J (Mac) or Alt+Shift+J (Windows).

218 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Pro Tools In-Application Web
Task Manager Window Browser Navigation Controls
The Task Manager window is a utility for viewing The Pro Tools in-application Web browser pro-
and managing all of the background tasks that you vides a few simple navigation controls in the Web
initiate with Pro Tools. Use the Task window to Browser Tool Bar.
monitor, pause, or cancel background tasks such as
file copies, searches, indexing, and fade creation. Go Backward Clicking the Go Backward button
navigates back to the previously viewed page.
For detailed information about the Task win-
dow, see “Task Manager Window” on Go Forward Clicking the Go Forward button navi-
page 395. gates forward to the next page.

Go Home Clicking the Home button navigates to

the starting page for the currently selected Loca-
Artist Chat Window tion.
The Artist Chat window lets you chat with collab-
Refresh Clicking the Refresh button reloads the
orators for your Pro Tools projects.
currently viewed page.
For detailed information about the Artist Locations Clicking a location button navigates to
Chat window, see Chapter 19, “Artist Chat the corresponding starting page on the Avid web-
and Avid Link.” site. The Avid Marketplace and Pro Tools Online
browsers provide different Location options.

In-Application Web Browser

Pro Tools provides easy access to web-based
Pro Tools Help, the Knowledge Base, and the
Avid Support Center using an in-application Web
browser.

To launch the Pro Tools in-application Web

browser for online resources, choose one of the
following from the Help menu:

 Pro Tools Help

 Pro Tools Knowledge Base

 Avid Audio Forums

 Avid Support Center

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 219

 Launching an External Web Browser To launch the currently viewed page in an external
browser:
You can launch the currently viewed page in the
 Click the Launch in External Web Browser icon
default Web browser for your operating system.
in either the Avid Marketplace window or the
Pro Tools Online window.

Go Backward
Go Forward Locations Open in external browser
Refresh

Pro Tools Web browser

220 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Managing Windows

Window Configurations
Pro Tools provides a powerful means of managing
the configuration of windows in your session, as
well as the internal configurations of the Edit, Mix,
MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Transport win-
dows. Use the Window Configuration List to cre-
ate (or delete) and manage stored Window Config-
urations. Pro Tools lets you store up to 99 Window
Configurations. Window Configurations are saved New Window Configuration dialog
with the session.
3 In the New Window Configuration dialog, do
Create a session template with your favorite one of the following:
Window Configurations. You can then use • Select Window Layout and whether or not to
the template when you start a new session, or include the Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor,
you can use Import Session Data to import Score Editor, and Transport window display
Window Configurations into your current settings.
session.
• Select a Window Display Settings option
from the pop-up menu (Edit Window, Mix
Creating New Window Window, MIDI Editor (Targeted), Score Editor
Configurations
Window, or Transport Window.
To create a new Window Configuration: • If there are any shown MIDI CC lanes that
1 Open the windows you want to include in the you want to save with the configuration, en-
Window Configuration and position them able Include MIDI Lanes in Display Settings.
where you want on the screen. 4 Name the Window Configuration.
2 Do one of the following: 5 You can type a different number for the new
• Choose Window > Configurations > New Con- Window Configuration. If the number you type
figuration. is already used by another Window Configura-
• If the Window Configuration List is open, tion, you are prompted to replace it or Cancel.
choose New Configuration from the Window Otherwise, Pro Tools automatically fills in the
Configuration List pop-up menu. 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.
Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 221
 To create a new Window Configuration at a To undo a Window Configuration:
specific numbered slot:
 On the numeric keypad, press Period (.), 0, and
 On the numeric keypad, type Period (.), a num- then Asterisk (*).
ber (1–99), and then Plus (+) to add a new Win-
dow Configuration at that number slot. To redo a Window Configuration:

If a Window Configuration already exists  On the numeric keypad, press Period (.), 0, and
at that numbered slot, the new Window then Asterisk (*).
Configuration overwrites it. If Auto-Update Active Configuration is enabled, un-
doing the Window Configuration reverts to the
Recalling Window previously stored Window Configuration without
Configurations automatically saving changes (see “Updating Win-
You can use the Window Configuration List to re- dow Configurations” on page 222).
call stored Window Configurations. You can also
use the Number Keypad on your computer key- Editing Window Configurations
board to recall a specific Window Configuration.
You can change which properties are stored with
To recall a Window Configuration, do one of the Window Configurations, as well as the number,
following: name, or comments.
 Select the Window Configuration from Window
To edit a Window Configuration:
> Configurations.
1 In the Window Configuration List, select the
 In the Window Configuration List, click the Window Configuration you want to edit.
Window Configuration to recall it.
2 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
 On the numeric keypad, press Period (.), the menu, select Edit <Name>.
number of the Window Configuration (1–99),
and then Asterisk (*). 3 In the Edit Window Configuration dialog, edit
the configuration and click OK.
The Pro Tools session’s screen layout updates with
the stored Window Configuration.
Updating Window
Configurations
Undoing Window Configurations
After you recall a stored Window Configuration,
Pro Tools lets you revert to the previous Window you can make changes to the window layout and
Layout and Window Settings with a single level of window settings, and then update the stored Win-
undo. This is useful, for example, if you recall a dow Configuration with your changes. You can do
Window Configuration, but then decide you want this manually, or you can have Pro Tools automat-
to revert to the previous screen state. ically update the active configuration.

222 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To manually update a Window Configuration, do To clear a Window Configuration:
one of the following:
1 In the Window Configuration List, select the
 Choose Window > Configurations > Update Ac- Window Configuration you want to clear.
tive Configuration. The active Window Config-
2 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
uration updates to include any changes to its
menu, select Clear <Name>.
included properties (Window Layout and Win-
dow Display Settings).
Deleting Window Configurations
 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
menu, choose Update <Name>. The selected Deleting a Window Configuration removes it and
Window Configuration updates with any its slot number, and renumbers any subsequent
changes to its included properties. Window Configurations.

To have Pro Tools automatically update the active To delete a Window Configuration:
Window Configuration, do one of the following:
1 In the Window Configuration List, select the
 Select Window > Configurations > Auto-Update Window Configuration you want to delete.
Active Configuration.
2 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
 From the Window Configuration List pop-up menu, select Delete <Name>.
menu, select Auto-Update Active Configuration.
To delete all Window Configurations:
When Auto-Update Active Configuration is
 From the Window Configuration List pop-up
selected, the active Window Configuration
menu, select Delete All.
updates with every change to the Window Layout
and Window Display Settings.
Importing Window
Window Configurations that do not include Win- Configurations
dow Layout and only store Window Display Set-
tings cannot be made active and thus won't auto- You can import Window Configurations from an-
matically update. If you want to update a Window other session using Import Session Data.
Configuration with changes to the Window Dis-
To import Window Configurations:
play Settings (such as the width of the Clips List in
the Edit window), use the Update command in the 1 Choose File > Import > Session Data.
Window Configuration List. 2 Select the Window Configurations option.
3 If you only want to import Window Configura-
Clearing Window Configurations
tions, click the Session Data to Import pop-up
Clearing a window configuration removes it and menu and select None.
its associated slot number while keeping the slot
4 Click OK.
numbers of other window configurations un-
changed. The Clear command is useful if you want
to insert another configuration in the same slot.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 223

 Arranging Windows Closing Windows
Pro Tools provides commands to tile or cascade all To close an open window:
open windows. Floating windows (such as plug-in
1 Make sure the window you want to close is in
windows) and the Transport window are not af-
the foreground.
fected by these commands.
2 Do one of the following:
To arrange windows:
• Click the Close button for the window.
 Choose Window > Arrange and select one of the • Choose Window > Close Window.
following:
Press Command+W (Mac) or Control+W
Tile Arranges all open windows in a tiled pattern
(Windows) to close the frontmost window.
on the screen.

Tile Horizontal Arranges all open windows in a

horizontally tiled pattern on the screen. This option How Window Configurations
is not available if there are too many windows Work
open. A Window Configuration can store the location
Tile Vertical Arranges all open windows in a verti- and size of all open windows, including:
cally tiled pattern, side by side, on the screen. This • Edit window
option is not available if there are too many win- • Mix window
dows open.
• Targeted MIDI Editor window
Cascade Arranges all open windows in cascading
• Score Editor window
pattern on the screen.
• Workspace browsers

Hiding All Floating Windows • Session Setup window

• Time, Tempo, and Event Operations windows
The Hide All Floating Windows command hides or
shows all floating windows. This is useful for • MIDI Event List
quickly clearing the screen of all floating windows • Real-time MIDI Properties window
so that you can work in the Edit or Mix windows.
• Beat Detective™ window
To hide or show all floating windows: • Plug-In windows
 Select or deselect Window > Hide All Floating • Panner windows
Windows. • Mic Pre windows
Press Command+Option+Control+W (Mac)
or Control+Alt+Start+W (Windows) to hide
or show all floating windows.

224 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• All floating windows listed in the Window To open the Window Configuration List:
menu:  Select Window > Configurations > Window
• Task Manager window Configuration List.
• Transport window
Press Command+Option+J (Mac) or
• Big Counter window Control+Alt+J (Windows) to show or hide
• Automation window the Window Configuration List.
• Memory Locations window
• Machine Track Arming window Window Configuration
Properties
• Video Universe window
Window Configurations can be stored and recalled
• Video window
with the layout of windows in your Pro Tools ses-
• Color Palette window sion, as well as with the settings for the Edit, Mix,
• Undo History window and Transport windows. You can specify which of
• Disk Space window these properties are stored for each Window Con-
figuration either in the New Window Configura-
• System Usage window
tion dialog or the Edit Window Configuration dia-
The location and size of the Window Configuration log.
List is not stored with Window Configurations.

A Window Configuration can also store the Win-

dow Display settings for the Edit, Mix, Targeted
MIDI Editor, Score Editor, and Transport win-
dows.

Window Configuration List

The Window Configuration List lets you recall and
manage stored Window Configurations, as well as
create new Window Configurations.
Edit Window 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 Config-
uration, and then Asterisk (*) on the numeric key-
pad on your computer keyboard to recall the Win-
dow Configuration stored in that slot.

Name Is the name of the stored Window Configu-

Window Configuration List ration.

Window Layout When enabled, stores the size and

location of all open windows.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 225

 Include Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Ed- • Transport Window Display Settings
itor, and Transport Display Settings When en-
• Counters display
abled, stores all window display settings for the
Edit, Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Editor, • MIDI controls display
and Transport windows with the Window Config- • Expanded view
uration (such as whether or not the Clips List is
Include MIDI Lanes in Display Settings Stores the
shown in the Edit window). This option is only
layout of MIDI Automation Lanes in MIDI Editor
available when the Window Layout option is en-
windows, whether docked in the Edit window or
abled.
when open as a separate window. Any Window
Window Display Settings Stores only the window Configuration that includes MIDI Lanes in Dis-
display settings for the selected window (Edit, play Settings will recall that exact window and
Mix, Targeted MIDI Editor, Score Editor, or MIDI Automation Lane layout.
Transport):
Comments Lets you type comments for the
• Edit Window Display Settings Window Configuration.
• Width of the Tracks List and Groups List
• Height of the Tracks List
• Width of the Clips List Window Configuration
Commands and Options
• What rulers are shown (the main ruler is
always shown) There are three main types of Window Configura-
• What track columns are shown (such as tion commands and options
Inserts, Sends, or Comments) • View Filter icons
• Tempo editor display • Window Configuration List pop-up menu items
• Whether Transport controls are shown in the • Active Window configuration options
Edit window
• Edit Window Toolbar arrangement View Filter Icons
• Mix Window Display Settings
Using the View Filter icons, the Window Configu-
• Width of the Tracks List and Groups List ration List lets you show or hide Window Config-
• Height of the Tracks List urations based on whether or not they are stored
• What track rows are shown (such as Inserts, with Window Layout, Edit Window settings, Mix
Sends, or Comments) Window settings, Score Editor window settings,
MIDI Editor Window settings, or Transport Win-
• Narrow/wide mixer view
dow settings.
• Score Editor
• MIDI Editor (Targeted)
• MIDI Editor (Untargeted)

226 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 MIDI Editor Window (targeted) settings
Transport Window settings
Score Editor Window settings
Mix Window settings
Edit Window settings
Window Layout

Window Configuration List pop-up menu

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 Config-
urations with Window Layout, Edit Window
Settings, Mix Window Settings, Score Editor Win-
dow Settings, MIDI Editor Window Settings, or
Window Configuration List view filter icons Transport Window Settings.

To show or hide Window Configurations in the Show Comments Lets you show or hide Com-
Window Configuration List, do one of the ments in the Window Configuration List.
following:
New Configuration Creates a new Window Con-
 Click the View Filter icon to show or hide Win-
figuration. This command is also available from
dow Configurations that include that property
Window > Configurations.
(Window Layout, Edit Window Settings, Mix
Window Settings, Score Editor Window Set- Update <Name> Updates the selected Window
tings, MIDI Editor Window Settings, or Trans- Configuration with any changes to the layout and
port Window Settings). settings of windows depending on the Window
 Select or deselect the View Filter item in the Configuration’s properties. This command is also
Window Configuration List pop-up menu. available from Window > Configurations.

Edit <Name> Opens the Edit Window Configura-

Window Configuration List tion dialog where you can edit the properties of the
Pop-Up Menu selected Window Configuration.
You can select viewing and sorting options, along Clear <Name> Clears the selected Window Con-
with commands for creating and removing Win- figuration without deleting the slot (number).
dow Configurations, from the pop-up menu in the
Window Configuration List. 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 follow-
ing slot.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 227

 Delete <Name> Slot Deletes the selected Window
Configuration and its slot (number), and renum- Menus
bers each subsequent slot. Pro Tools menus provide commands and options
Auto-Update Active Configuration Automatically for configuring and working with Pro Tools, ses-
updates the active Window Configuration as you sions, and session material.
make changes to the layout and settings of win-
dows. If Auto-Update Active Configuration is en- Pro Tools Main Menus
abled, the number of the active configuration is
Pro Tools includes the following main menus:
also displayed in the Window menu. This com-
mand is also available from Window > Configura- File Provides commands that are used to create and
tions. maintain Pro Tools sessions.

Edit Provides commands that are used to edit and

Active Window Configuration manipulate the current selection and affect data in
The active Window Configuration is indicated by a the Timeline or the clipboard.
diamond to the left of the Window Configuration
View Provides options and commands to custom-
Number in the Window Configuration List and in
ize what is shown in various windows.
the Configurations submenu (Window > Configura-
tion). If Auto-Update Active Configuration is en- Track Provides commands that are used to create,
abled, the number of the active configuration is manage, and edit tracks.
also displayed in the Window menu. Only Window
Configurations that include Window Layout can Clip Provides commands that are used to manage
be made active. and edit clips.

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, playback,
and display options.

Setup Provides commands to open dialogs and

windows or configure various Pro Tools hardware
Window Configuration List showing active
and software parameters.
configuration
Window Provides commands to toggle the display
of various Pro Tools windows.

Avid Link Provides access to the online Avid Mar-

ketplace, your Pro Tools projects and messages,
the Avid Find Talent service, Avid Lounges, your
online Profile, and your registered Avid products.

228 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Help Provides access to searchable Pro Tools Help, Track Name and Clip Name
the online Pro Tools Knowledge Base, and the on- Right-Click Menus
line Avid Audio Forums. The Help menu also pro-
Track and clip names provide Right-click menus
vides easy access to PDF documentation (installed
for managing and working with tracks or clips, as
with Pro Tools).
follows:
The Help menu also provides access to the Avid
Track Name Right-Click Menu Right-clicking a
Support Center.
track name in the Edit window, Mix window, or
the Tracks List provides access to various track
Track, Clip, and Groups List commands (such as show/hide, make active/inac-
Menus tive, rename, duplicate, and delete tracks).
The Track, Clip, and Groups Lists provide pop-up
For more information, see “Track Name
menus for managing and working with the con-
Right-Click Menu” on page 269.
tents of each list, as follows:
Clip Name Right-Click Menu (Edit Window Only)
Tracks List Menu Provides commands to show
and hide tracks in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Editor, and Right-clicking a clip name in the Clips List pro-
Score Editor windows. The Tracks List pop-up vides commands to clear, rename, time stamp, or
menu also lets you sort the contents of the Tracks replace clips (Pro Tools HD software only). The
List. pop-up menu also lets you export clip definitions
or selected clips as files, recalculate waveform
For more information, see “Tracks List” on
overviews, select the parent file of selected clips in
page 266.
a Workspace Browser, or select a clip as an object
Groups List Menu (Edit Groups and Mix in the Edit window.
Groups) Provides commands to create, display,
For more information, see Chapter 17,
suspend, and delete Mix and Edit Groups.
“The Clips List.”
For more information, see “The Groups
List” on page 319 Group Name and Track Group ID
Indicator Pop-Up Menus
Clips List Menu (Edit Window Only) Provides
commands to find, select, sort, clear, rename, time When you click and hold on a group name in the
stamp, compact, export, and recalculate waveform Groups List, or click on a Group ID indicator in a
overviews of items in the Clips List. The pop-up track, a pop-up menu provides access to various
menu also lets you set the drop order for clips group commands (such as selecting tracks in a
dragged from the Clips List and dropped in the group).
Timeline. For more information, see “Group Name and
For more information, see Chapter 17, Track Group ID Indicator Pop-Up Menus”
“The Clips List.” on page 320.

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 229

 To set the UI Theme, do one of the following:
Tool Tips
 Select the desired theme (Classic or Dark) in the
Pro Tools provides Tool Tips in all main windows. Display Preferences (Setup > Preferences).
Holding the cursor for a few seconds over an ab-
 Select the desired theme (Classic or Dark) in the
breviated name, or unlabeled icon or tool, displays
Color Palette window (Window > Color Pal-
either the function or details of the item (depend-
ette).
ing on the Tool Tips preferences settings).

To configure Tool Tips for Pro Tools: UI Customization

1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Dis- The Color Palette window provides UI Customiza-
play tab. tion settings that let you adjust the look and feel of
2 In the Basics section, enable the Tool Tips op- Pro Tools to best fit your work environment.
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).

To turn off Tool Tips, leave both options

deselected.

3 Click OK.

UI Themes
Pro Tools lets you change the look and feel of the
User Interface (UI) between Classic and Dark UI
Color Palette window, Dark UI Theme selected
Themes. Depending on the lighting environment
where you work, you may find that one UI Theme To customize UI themes:
is more desirable than the other. You can custom- 1 Choose Window > Color Palette.
ize UI Themes to best suite your needs and save
them as presets. 2 If necessary, click the UI Customization ex-
pand/collapse icon and then click the ex-
pand/collapse icon for any section to display its
settings.
3 Adjust settings as desired.

If desired, you can save your settings as a preset.

230 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Color Palette Presets UI Customization Settings

The currently selected UI Theme and all Color Pal- UI Theme

ette settings can be saved as Color Palette Presets
files. Color Palette Presets files can be imported, The UI Theme selector in the expanded Color Pal-
transferred for backup or sharing, and locked to ette window lets you change the UI Theme (Clas-
prevent changes. Quick Presets 1–5 let you store sic or Dark). This is the same as the settings in the
and quickly switch color settings. Display Preferences (Setup > Preferences). When
you change the theme, the user interface switches
To save a Color preset file: immediately.
1 In the Color Palette window, select a UI Theme
UI Theme Settings
and adjust any settings as desired.
The sections under the UI Theme selector provides
2 Click the Preset selector and choose Save Set-
settings to customize brightness and other parame-
tings, or Save Settings As, name the file and
ters for specific UI elements and areas (such as
click Save.
Text, Tracks, Clips, and more). An asterisk (*) next
Quick Presets to a section title indicates that one or more param-
eters have been changed.
Quick Presets 1–5 let you quickly switch color set-
tings for different users, or to optimize color dis- High Contrast UI Option
play for different types of work or lighting envi-
When the High Contrast UI option is enabled, the
ronments. For example, you might prefer one
user interface changes to set text and other UI ele-
setting while editing clips in the Edit window, and
ments in high contrast to their background. This
different settings while working with automation.
can improve visibility of the user interface when
Quick presets 1–5 function identically to similar
working in low light conditions, as well as provide
features such as Zoom Presets.
greater accessibility if you have low vision or color
To store a Color Quick Preset:
blindness.

1 Use the expanded Color Palette window to ad- Reset All

just the settings for visual elements as desired.
Use this button to clear all custom settings and re-
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- set them to their default values.
dows) a Color Preset button 1–5.
3 To recall a Color Preset, click its button (1–5).

Chapter 12: Pro Tools Main Windows 231

232 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 13: Tracks

Pro Tools provides different types of tracks for Master Fader Tracks Master Fader tracks control
working with audio, MIDI, and video in Pro Tools the overall level of audio paths that are routed to
sessions. 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
Track Types Analog Output 3–4, and channels 17–24 to Analog
Output 5–6. You could then create three master
In a Pro Tools session, you can have several differ- faders, one to control each of these output pairs.
ent types of tracks. These can include audio, Aux-
iliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Master, MIDI, In- Master Fader tracks have additional uses (such as
strument, Folder, and video tracks. controlling submix levels). For more information,
see “Master Fader Tracks and Signal Flow” on
Video track features are described in page 1104.
Chapter 63, “Working with Video in
Pro Tools” VCA Master Tracks VCA Master tracks (or VCA
Masters) emulate the operation of voltage-con-
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and VCA trolled amplifier channels on analog consoles,
Master Tracks where a VCA channel fader would be used to con-
trol, group, or offset the signal levels of other chan-
Pro Tools provides mono, stereo, and multichan-
nels on the console.
nel format audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder,
Master Fader, and VCA Master tracks. VCA Master tracks do not pass audio, so they do
not have inputs, outputs, inserts, or sends. A Mix
Audio Tracks Audio tracks let you record to disk
Group is assigned to a VCA Master track, which
and play back from disk recorded or imported au-
appears in the VCA track’s Assignment selector.
dio files.

Auxiliary Input Tracks Auxiliary Input tracks can The controls of the tracks in that Group are modi-
be used as effects sends, destinations for submixes, fied by the controls on the VCA Master. For more
as a bounce destination, as inputs to monitor or information, see “VCA Master Tracks” on
process audio (such as audio from external MIDI page 1107.
instruments), and for many other audio routing
tasks.

Chapter 13: Tracks 233

 MIDI Tracks Pro Tools Studio lets you import a single video file
to create a single video track in a session, while
MIDI tracks record, store, and playback MIDI
Pro Tools Ultimate lets you create up 64 separate
data. You cannot select a track format when you
video tracks in a session.
create a MIDI track, because audio does not pass
through it.
Track Formats
Instrument Tracks
Mono Tracks
Instrument tracks are a special type of track that
provide both MIDI and audio capabilities in a sin- A mono audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder,
gle channel strip. Instrument tracks simplify using Master Fader, or Instrument track controls volume,
software and hardware instruments to record and and, in some cases, panning, for a single channel of
monitor MIDI instruments. audio. A mono audio track uses a single voice. A
mono track can also be routed to a multichannel
Folder Tracks output.

Folder tracks are a special type of track that essen- Stereo Tracks
tially function as containers for other tracks of any
type. A Folder track can be closed to hide all of the A stereo audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder,
tracks it contains, or opened to show all of the Master Fader, or Instrument track is a single chan-
tracks it contains (member tracks). There are two nel strip for two channels of audio as a stereo pair.
types of Folder tracks: Basic and Routing. Stereo audio tracks use two voices.

Basic Folder Tracks Basic Folder tracks let you Multichannel Tracks
organize tracks in your sessions, but without any of (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
the special routing capabilities that Routing Folder
A multichannel track is a single channel strip that
tracks provide.
plays multiple channels of audio (from 3 to 8 chan-
Routing Folder Tracks Routing Folder tracks let nels at a time). This lets Pro Tools support multi-
you organize tracks in your sessions, and also route channel mixing formats including LCRS, 5.1, 6.1,
audio through its input, apply plug-ins, use sends, and others. Audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing
assign track automation, and output audio simi- Folder, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can all
larly to an Auxiliary Input track. use any supported multichannel format.

Video Tracks For more information on surround mixing with

Pro Tools, see the following:
Video tracks let you add or import supported video
• Chapter 55, “Pro Tools Setup for Surround”
file formats. With an Avid video peripheral and
Pro Tools, you can add or import Avid video to the • Chapter 56, “Multichannel Tracks and
Pro Tools Timeline (see Chapter 63, “Working Signal Routing”
with Video in Pro Tools.”). • Chapter 57, “Surround Panning and Mixing”

Video tracks only appear in the Edit window, and

video can be viewed in the Video window.

234 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Auxiliary Input Track Channel
Track Channel Strips in the Strips
Mix Window
Each Auxiliary Input track has its own set of chan-
nel strip controls, including volume, pan, automa-
Audio Track Channel Strips
tion mode, solo, and mute.
Each audio track has its own set of channel strip
controls, including volume, pan, record enable, in-
put monitoring, automation mode, solo, mute, and
voice assignment. Inserts (A–E shown)

Track Color Coding

HEAT track controls
Sends (A–E shown)

Inserts (A–E shown)

Audio Input/Output Path selectors
Output Window button
Automation Mode selector
Sends (A–E shown) Group ID

Pan knobs
Pan indicators
Audio Input/Output Paths
Output Window button Solo/Mute buttons
Automation Mode selector
Group ID
Pan knob
Volume fader
Pan indicator
TrackInput Monitor button Level meters
Track Record Enable button
Solo/Mute buttons

Volume fader
Level meter Peak/Delay and Headroom indicators
Track Type indicator
Track Name button
Delay Compensation view

Voice selector Track Comments

Peak/Delay and Headroom indicators

Track Type indicator Track Color Coding
Track Name button
Delay Compensation view Stereo Auxiliary Input track channel strip

Track Comments

Track Color Coding

Mono audio track channel strip

Chapter 13: Tracks 235

 Master Fader Track Channel VCA Master Track Channel
Strips Strips
Each Master Fader track has its own set of channel Each VCA Master track has its own set of channel
strip controls, including volume and automation strip controls, including volume, record enable, in-
mode. put monitoring, automation mode, solo, and mute.

For more information, see “VCA Master

Tracks” on page 1107.
Inserts (A-E shown)

Group ID
Automation Mode selector

Audio Output Path selectors

Output Window button
Automation Mode selector Record
TrackInput Enable
Group ID
Solo Mute

Volume
fader
Level meter

Volume fader

Level meters
Volume indicator
Track Type indicator

Peak/Delay and Headroom indicators

Track Type indicator Track Comments
Track Name button
Delay Compensation view Track Color Coding

Track Comments VCA Master track

Track Color Coding

Stereo Master Fader track channel strip

236 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Track Channel Strips
MIDI Volume
Each MIDI track has its own set of channel strip MIDI Input selector
controls, including MIDI volume, pan, record en- MIDI Mute button
able, automation mode, solo, mute, patch assign- MIDI Output selector
ment, and channel assignment. MIDI meter (Velocity)
MIDI Pan

MIDI Input selector Inserts (A–E shown)

MIDI Output selector
Automation Mode selector
Group ID
Sends (A–E shown)
MIDI Pan knob
MIDI Pan indicator
Record Enable Audio Input/Output Path selectors
Output Window button
Solo/Mute buttons
Automation Mode selector
Group ID
MIDI Volume fader
Pan knobs
MIDI Velocity meter Pan indicators
Record Enable

Solo/Mute buttons

Patch Select
Volume fader
MIDI Volume indicator
Track Type indicator Level meters
Track Name button

Track Comments
Patch Select
Peak/Delay and Headroom indicators
Track Color Coding
Track Type indicator
Track Name
MIDI channel strip
Delay Compensation view

Instrument Track Channel Track Comments

Strips
Each Instrument track has its own set of channel Track Color Coding
strip controls, including audio (like an Auxiliary
Stereo Instrument track channel strip, Instruments
Input track) volume, pan, automation mode, solo, view shown
and mute, and MIDI (like a MIDI track) record en-
able. Instrument tracks have an additional Instru-
ments view that provides controls for MIDI input,
output, mute, volume, and pan (like on a MIDI
track).

Chapter 13: Tracks 237

 Basic Folder Track Channel
Strips
Each Basic Folder track has its own set of channel Inserts (A–E shown)
strip controls and indicators, including solo and
mute, audio and MIDI signal indicators, and
Open/Close Folder.

Sends (A–E shown)

Group ID

Solo button Audio Input/Output Path selectors

Mute button Output Window button
Automation Mode selector
Audio signal indicator
Group ID
MIDI signal indicator
Pan knobs
Pan indicators

Solo/Mute buttons

Audio signal indicator

MIDI signal indicator

Volume fader

Level meters
Open/Close Folder track
Track Name button

Track Comments

Track Color Coding

Peak/Delay and Headroom indicators
Basic Folder track channel strip Open/Close Folder track
Track Name button
Routing Folder Track Channel Delay Compensation view
Strips
Each Routing Folder track has its own set of chan- Track Comments
nel strip controls and indicators, including volume,
pan, automation mode, solo and mute, audio and
Track Color Coding
MIDI signal indicators, and Open/Close Folder.
Stereo Routing Folder track channel strip

238 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Auxiliary Input Track Controls
Track Controls and
Indicators in the Edit Window Each Auxiliary Input track has its own set of track
controls, including Track Name, Solo, Mute,
Audio Track Controls Track View, Track Height, Track Freeze, Time-
base, and Automation mode.
Each audio track has its own set of track controls,
including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable, Solo button
Track Height selector
Input Monitoring, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track
Track Name
Height, Track Freeze, Timebase, Elastic Audio,
Voice Assignment, and Automation mode.
Mute button
Track Height selector Track View
Track Name selector
Record Enable button Automation Mode
TrackInput Monitor button selector
Solo button
Mute button

Timebase selector
Playlist
selector Show/Hide Automation lanes

Freeze Track icon

Track View
selector Edit window track controls for a stereo Auxiliary Input
track (medium track height)

Master Fader Track Controls

Each Master Fader track has its own set of track
Automation Mode selector
Elastic Audio plug-in selector
controls, including Track Name, Track View,
Voice selector Track Height, Timebase, and Automation mode.
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Automation lanes Track Height Track View
Freeze Track icon selector selector
Track Name
Edit window track controls for a mono audio track
(medium track height)

Timebase selector

Show/Hide Automation lanes Automation mode selector

Edit window track controls for a stereo Master Fader

track (medium track height)

Chapter 13: Tracks 239

 VCA Master Track Controls MIDI Track Controls
Each VCA Master track has its own set of track Each MIDI track has its own set of track controls,
controls, including Track Name, Playlist, Record including Track Name, Playlist, Record Enable,
Enable, Input Monitoring, Solo, Mute, Track Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Patch,
View, Track Height, Timebase, and Automation Timebase, and Automation mode.
mode.
Track Height selector
Track Height selector Record Enable button
Track Name Track Name
Solo button
Record Enable button
Mute button
TrackInput Monitor button
Solo button
Mute button
Track View Playlist selector

Track View selector

Automation Mode selector

Patch selector
Automation Mode selector Timebase selector
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Controller lanes
Show/Hide Automation lanes
Edit window track controls for a MIDI track (medium
Edit window track controls for a VCA Master track
track height)
(medium track height)

240 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Instrument Track Controls Basic Folder Track Controls
Each Instrument track has its own set of track con- Each Basic Folder track has its own set of track
trols, including Track Name, Playlist, Record En- controls, including Track Name, Track View, and
able, Solo, Mute, Track View, Track Height, Track Track Height.
Freeze, Patch, Timebase, and Automation mode.
Track Height selector
Track Name
Track Height selector
Solo button
Record Enable button
Mute button
Track Name
Solo button Audio signal
indicator
Mute button

MIDI signal in-

Playlist dicator
selector

Track View
selector

Open/Close Folder track

Edit window track controls for a Basic Folder track

(medium track height)

Automation Mode selector

Patch selector
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Automation and Controller lanes
Freeze Track icon

Edit window track controls for a stereo Instrument

track (medium track height)

Chapter 13: Tracks 241

 Routing Folder Track Controls
Edit Window Views
Each Routing Folder track has its own set of track
controls, including Track Name, Track View, and In addition to track controls and playlists (of clips
Track Height. of events on the Timeline), the Edit window pro-
vides the following views that correspond to chan-
Track Height selector nel strip controls in the Mix window:
Track Name
• Comments
Solo button
Mute button • Mic Preamps
Audio signal
indicator
• Instruments
MIDI signal • Inserts (A–E and F–J)
indicator
• Sends (A–E and F–J)
Track View
selector • I/O
• Object (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio with
Dolby Atmos only)
Automation Mode selector
• Real-Time Properties
Timebase selector
Show/Hide Automation and Controller lanes • Track Color
Open/Close Folder track • Marker Controls
Edit window track controls for a Routing Folder track • Track Collaboration (projects only)
(medium track height)
See also “Views in the Mix and Edit Windows”
Video Track Controls on page 1112.
Each video track has its own set of track controls,
including Track Name, Playlist, Online, Track Comments View
View, and Track Height. Comments view lets you type and view comments
for a specific track.
Track Name
Playlist selector For more information on Comments view, see
“Adding Comments to Tracks” on page 257.
Online button
Track View selector Mic Preamps View
The Mic Preamps view shows controls for tracks
Video File Frame Rate indicator with physical audio inputs routed through
Avid | PRE or Pro Tools | Carbon.
Edit window track controls for a video track (medium
track height) For more information, see the PRE Guide or the
Pro Tools | Carbon Guide.

242 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Instruments View
Input Path selector
Instruments view provides MIDI controls for In- Output Window button
strument tracks: MIDI Input selector, MIDI Output Volume indicator
selector, MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and MIDI Pan indicator
Mute. Output Path selector

Edit window I/O view (audio track)

For more information, see “Assigning MIDI
Input and Output for Instrument Tracks” on To show the I/O View in the Edit window:
page 280.
 Select View > Edit Window > I/O.

Inserts View (A–E and F–J) Channel strips in the Mix window always dis-
play Input and Output selectors as well as
Inserts view provides up to ten inserts (software
volume and pan values, so there is no I/O
plug-ins and hardware I/O inserts for generating
view display option for the Mix window.
and processing audio) on each audio, Auxiliary In-
put, Routing Folder, Master Fader, and Instrument
track. For details on Input and Output selectors, see
“Assigning Audio Inputs and Outputs to
For more information on inserts, see Tracks” on page 271.
Chapter 51, “Plug-In and Hardware
Inserts.” Volume/Peak/Channel Delay Indicator

The Volume indicator on an audio track has three

Sends View (A–E and F–J)
display modes: Volume, Peak, and Channel Delay.
Sends view shows send assignments in each audio,
Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, and Instrument To toggle the Volume indicator display:
track.  Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the indicator to toggle it between the fol-
For more information, see “Configuring
lowing modes:
Sends View in the Mix and Edit Windows” on
page 1124. Volume Indicator (and Pop-Up Fader) Shows the
current volume, or input level of a track as set by
I/O View the track Volume fader. In I/O view (Edit win-
dow), click the Volume indicator to display the
In the Edit window, I/O view provides Input and
Volume pop-up fader, which can be used to adjust
Output selectors on audio, Auxiliary Input, Rout-
the volume.
ing Folder, Master Fader (output only), MIDI, and
Instrument tracks (corresponding to the controls of
the same name in the Mix window).

Chapter 13: Tracks 243

 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 supports
Edit window I/O view, Volume pop-up fader (audio
track) MIDI panning.

Peak Indicator Functions as a headroom indicator Send Pan controls can be linked to the Main
based on the last peak playback level. To reset the Pan controls of a track by enabling the
peak counter, click anywhere in the meter. Values Follow Main Pan button in Send window.
range from – (no signal) to 0 dB.
Volume Fader
Pan Indicator
The Volume fader controls the playback level of a
The Pan indicator displays the current pan setting track when it is playing back, and the monitor level
of a track. Pan values range from <100 (full left) to of the track when it is recording. You can link the
100> (full right). Pan controls are only available record and monitor levels by enabling the Link Re-
for stereo tracks or for mono tracks routed to a ste- cord and Play Faders option in the Operation pref-
reo output. erences.

In I/O view (Edit window), click the Pan indicator The maximum fader gain for a volume fader is
to display the Pan pop-up slider, which can be used +12 dB.
to adjust panning.
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 control-
ler.
Edit window I/O view, Pan pop-up slider (audio track)
Real-Time Properties
Greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks do In the Edit window, Real-Time Properties view
not provide a Pan indicator in I/O view. You provides access to Real-Time Properties controls
can view and adjust multichannel panning in (such as Quantize or Transpose) on MIDI and In-
the track’s Output window or in the Mix win- strument tracks. For more information, see “MIDI
dow. Real-Time Properties” on page 820.

244 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Color
In the Edit window, Track Color view displays the
Track Color strip at the left-most side of the Track
controls.

Meter Type
Marker Controls scale
In the Edit window, Marker Controls view dis- Clip indicator
Fader Gain
plays the controls for Track Markers. For more in- scale
formation, see “Marker Ruler and Track Marker Gain Reduction
Controls” on page 925. meter

Track Collaboration
Track signal
(Projects Only) meters
In the Edit window, Track Collaboration view pro-
vides access to the Track Collaboration controls
for all track types except Basic Folder, VCA and
Video tracks. Routing Folder tracks are converted
to Auxiliary Input tracks when shared. Track Col-
laboration controls are only available in projects Stereo audio track with Signal and Gain Reduction
meters in the Mix window
and never in sessions. For more information, see
“Track Collaboration Track View in the Edit and Fader Gain Scale
Mix Windows” on page 418.
The Fade Gain scale indicates the amount of gain
boost or attenuation of the signal by the Fader con-
trol.
Track Level Meters
Meter Type Scale Displays the meter scale for the
On audio tracks, level meters indicate the level of
selected Meter Type (see “Advanced Metering” on
the signal being recorded or played back from the
page 248).
hard drive. When an audio track is record-enabled
or input monitoring–enabled, these meters indicate Gain Reduction Meter Pro Tools provides the op-
record or input monitoring levels respectively. tion to display a Gain Reduction Meter just to the
right of the track signal meters on audio, Auxiliary
On Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, Master Fader,
Input, Instrument, and Master Fader tracks with
and Instrument tracks, level meters indicate the
supported dynamics plug-ins (such as the Avid
level of the signal being played through the chan-
Pro Compressor or Pro Expander). For more infor-
nel output.
mation, see “Configuring Gain Reduction Meters”
On MIDI tracks, and in Instruments view for In- on page 250.
strument tracks, the meter shows the MIDI veloc-
ity of the most recent MIDI event.

Chapter 13: Tracks 245

 Track Signal Meter For audio, Auxiliary Input, In- To clear all meters, do one of the following:
strument, VCA, and Master Fader tracks, meters  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
show a green hash mark to indicate where digital meter.
0 dB sits on the selected Meter scale. If digital
0 dB sits above the current Meter scale, the hash  Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators.
mark moves to the top of the Meter and is colored  Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).
orange.

Clip Indicator Displays Red when clipping at the Clip Indication

audio interface input or output converters, or when
Because Pro Tools uses 64-bit floating point calcu-
clipping while writing to a 16- or 24-bit audio file.
lations for the mixer, there will never be any inter-
The clip indicator displays yellow when the audio
nal clipping in the mixer. However, it is possible to
signal exceeds 0 dBFS in the internal mixer. For
clip at the converters on your audio interface. It is
more information, see “Clip Indication” on
also possible to clip when writing audio to disk in
page 246.
fixed point audio files (16-bit or 24-bit files only,
32-bit floating point files will not clip).
Pre- and Post-Fader Metering
Pro Tools meters provide Clip Indication with
You can globally set audio track level meters to in-
three options:3 Second, Infinite, or None. If clip-
dicate pre- or post-fader levels. When pre-fader
ping occurs, the topmost LED will stay lit.
metering is selected, the level meters show levels
independent of fader position. With post-fader me- Clip indicators appear in plug-in, send, and
tering, the level meters respond to fader position. track windows.

To toggle track level metering between pre- fader To choose a Clip Indication setting:
and post-fader metering:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
 Select Options > Pre-Fader Metering. Metering tab.

2 Select a Clip Indication option.

Peak Hold
3 Click OK.
Pro Tools meters provide a Peak Hold feature with
three options: 3 Second, Infinite, or None. To clear a clip indicator:

To choose a Peak Hold setting:  Click anywhere on the meter.

1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the To clear all clip indicators, do one of the following:
Metering tab.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
2 Select a Peak Hold option. meter.
3 Click OK.  Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators.

To clear a meter:  Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).

 Click anywhere on the meter.

246 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Auxiliary Input and Instrument Track,
and Sends Clip Indicators

Auxiliary Input and Instrument tracks, as well as

Sends clip indicators display yellow when the au-
dio signal exceeds 0 dBFS (even though there is no
internal clipping). This provides a warning that
these audio streams can clip at the output convert-
ers or when writing fixed-point file formats to disk.

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 Narrow Mix
view.

Audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, and Master Fader To toggle Wide Meters View on or off:
tracks showing clipping  Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or Con-
Master Fader Track Clip Indicators trol-Alt-Start-click (Windows) any track level
meter in the Mix or Edit window.
Master Fader track clip indicators display red
when the audio signal exceeds 0 dBFS, causing
clipping at the output converters on your audio in-
terface. This behavior is mirrored in the Output
Meters in the Transport.

Audio Track Clip Indicators

Audio track clip indicators display red under the

following circumstances, otherwise they display
yellow:
• When an audio track is record enabled or set to
input monitoring and the input assignment is set
to a physical input signal that exceeds 0 dBFS
causing clipping at the converters. Wide Meters view, Mix and Edit windows

• When an audio track is recording to a fixed-

point bit depth (16- or 24-bit) and the audio writ-
ten to disk exceeds 0 dBFS causing clipping in
the file.

Chapter 13: Tracks 247

 Showing or Hiding Meters and Advanced Metering
Faders
Pro Tools lets you change metering ballistics and
Pro Tools lets you show or hide Meters and Faders scales to match your needs for visually monitoring
in the Mix window. This can be useful for conserv- audio levels. For most users, the default settings
ing screen space, especially if you are working for each of the Meter Type settings work best.
with a control surface. However, for some broadcasters, post production
facilities, and mixing and mastering facilities,
To show (or hide) meters and faders in the Mix other metering options may be desired so that
window, do one of the following:
Pro Tools metering matches the metering on vari-
 Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window Views > ous external consoles or other devices.
Meters and Faders.
Fader and Meter Scales
 From the Mix Window View selector, select (or
deselect) Meters and Faders. In the Mix window, Pro Tools shows a gain boost
and attenuation scale, measured in dB, to the left of
the track Volume fader from +12 dB down to –
INF dB. This scale shows how much changes to
the fader affect the audio level for the track. In
some cases, such as with Wide Meters view or
greater-than-stereo channel widths, the Fader scale
may not be displayed.

The values between the fader and the meters

change depending on the selected Meter Type. For
example, for the Peak Meter Type, the meter scale
is from 0 dB down to –60 dB, while for the VU Me-
ter Type, the meter scale is from +3 dB down to –
20 dB.

Meter Type
scale

Mix Window View selector

Peak VU
Different Meter Type scales

248 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Gain Reduction Meter Placement to 4 Do one of the following:
Scale • If the Track and Master Meter Types Linked
The placement of the Gain Reduction meter (when setting is enabled, select the desired Meter
shown) depends on the scale for the selected Meter Type from either the Track Meters or Master
Type. The top of the Gain Reduction meter will al- Meters pop-up menus.
ways match the reference level for the selected • If the Track and Master Meter Types Linked
Meter Type. Likewise, the bottom the Gain Reduc- setting is disabled, select the desired Meter
tion meter scales to the range of the selected Meter Type for Track meters from the Track Meters
Type. pop-up menu and select the desired Meter
Type for Master meters from the Master Me-
ters pop-up menu.

Option-Right-click (Mac) or Alt-Right-Click

(Windows) any track meter and select the de-
sired Meter Type to set all track types to the
same setting regardless of the Track and
Master Meter Types Linked option is setting.

5 Click OK.
Peak VU K-20 To set the Track Meter Type in the Mix or Edit
windows:
Different Gain Meter locations to Meter Type scale
1 Right-click on any Track meter.
Setting the Meter Type
2 From the Meter Type menu, select the desired
You can set the Meter Type either in the Pro Tools option.
Metering preferences or using the Right-click Me-
ter menu. Depending on the Track and Master Me- If the Track and Master Meter Types Linked
ter Types Linked setting, you can set the Track (au- option is enabled in the Pro Tools Metering
dio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks) or Preferences, Master meters are also set to the
Master (Master Fader tracks) Meter Type settings selected Meter Type
independently.
To set the Master Meter Type in the Mix or Edit
For details on the available Meter Types, see windows:
“Track and Master Meter Types” on 1 Right-click on any Master meter.
page 133.
2 From the Meter Type menu, select the desired
To set the Meter Type for Track and Master meters option.
in the Pro Tools Preferences:
If the Track and Master Meter Types Linked
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
option is enabled in the Pro Tools Metering
2 Click the Metering tab. Preferences, all Track meters are also set to
the selected Meter Type
3 Enable or disable the Track and Master Meter
Types Linked setting as desired.

Chapter 13: Tracks 249

 Enabling Gain Reduction Meters in the Mix window

Selecting the Meter Type in the Mix window

Configuring Gain Reduction Meters Adjusting Track Width

(Mix Window)
You can configure the Gain Reduction meters ei-
ther in the Pro Tools Metering preferences or using The Narrow Mix command lets you view all
the Right-click Meter menu. The Gain Reduction tracks/channels in the Mix window at a reduced
Meters setting applies equally to Track and Master width to conserve screen space in a large session.
meters regardless of the Track and Master Meter (See “Track Height” on page 264, to adjust track
Types Linked setting. height in the Edit Window.)

To configure Gain Reduction Meter Type, do one of To reduce the width of tracks in the Mix window:
the following:
 Select View > Narrow Mix.
 Choose Setup > Preference > Metering and se-
lect the desired Gain Reduction Meter Type op- To display tracks at normal width:
tion.  Deselect View > Narrow Mix.
 Right-click on any Track meter and select the
You can toggle track width by pressing
desired option from the Gain Reduction sub-
Command+Option+M (Mac) or
menu in the Gain Reduction Meter Type menu.
Control+Alt+M (Windows).

250 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Creating Tracks
You can create mono and stereo tracks on all Pro Tools systems. With Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, you
can also create multichannel tracks (from LCR to 7.1).

When new tracks are created, they are given a 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 selected on-
screen before opening the New Tracks dialog.

You can also add tracks to your session by importing them from preexisting sessions. See “Importing
Session Data” on page 451.

To create new tracks:

1 Do one of the following to open the New Tracks dialog:
• Choose Track > New.
• Right-click any Track Name in the Mix or Edit windows, or Tracks List, and choose New.
• Press Command+Shift+N (Mac) or Control+Shift+N (Windows).
2 Configure the New Tracks dialog as desired (see “New Tracks Dialog” on page 251).
3 Click Create.

New Tracks Dialog

Number of new tracks Track Type Track Timebase

Track Format Track Name Add/Remove Row

New Tracks dialog

Chapter 13: Tracks 251

 Number of New Tracks
To auto-scroll the Track Type pop-up menu
Enter the number of tracks of the specified type in the New Tracks dialog, press Command
and formate that you want to create. (Mac) or Control (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys.
In the New Tracks dialog, press the Tab key to
move forward from the Number of tracks field
to the Name field and down row by row. Press
Shift+Tab to move backward from the Name
field to the Number of tracks field and up row
by row.
If there are multiple rows for new tracks, press
Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab to move
down the column for either the Number field
or the Name field. Press Option+Shift+Tab
(Mac) or Control+Shift+Tab (Windows) to
move up the column.

Track Format

Select the track format (mono, stereo, or one of the

multichannel surround formats) from the Track
Format pop-up menu. Surround formats are only
available with Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio.

To auto-scroll the Track Format pop-up menu,

press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
and use the Left/Right Arrow keys.

Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio lets you filter

which multichannel formats appear in the
Track Format selector. For more informa-
tion, see “Channel Width Filtering” on
page 1285.

Track Type

Select the track type (Routing Folder, Basic

Folder, Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Input,
MIDI, Instrument, Video, or Track Preset) from
the Track Type pop-up menu.

252 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Timebase

Select the timebase (samples or ticks) from the

Track Timebase pop-up menu.

To auto-scroll the Track Timebase pop-up

menu, press Command+Option (Mac) or
Control+Alt (Windows) and use the
Up/Down Arrow keys.

Track Name

If desired, name the track something other than the

default name. If you are creating multiple tracks,
each track name is appended with a number se-
quentially (for example, “name 1,” “name 2,”
“name 3,” and so on).

If you clear the track name for any row, the

new tracks are created and named with num-
bers sequentially. For example, if you create
5 new mono audio tracks and clear the name
field, the resulting tracks are named 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5 respectively.

Add Tracks

To add more tracks, click the Add Row button.

To add a new track, press Command+N

(Mac) or Control+N (Windows), or press
Command+Plus (+) (Mac) or Control+Plus
(+) (Windows) on the numeric keypad.

Remove Tracks

To remove track, click the Remove Row button.

To remove the last track from the New Tracks

dialog, press Command+Minus (–) (Mac) or
Control+Minus (–) (Windows).

Chapter 13: Tracks 253

 Reordering Track Rows

To reorder tracks, drag a Move Row icon up or down.

Move Row icon in the New Tracks dialog

Adding New Tracks by Double- To add a new audio track of the same channel
Clicking in the Edit or Mix width as the last new track, do one of the
Windows following:

 Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-dou-

Pro Tools lets you add new tracks by double-click-
ble-click (Windows) on the empty area of the
ing in blank space below tracks in the Edit window
Mix window below or to the right of any current
or below or to the right of tracks in the Mix win-
tracks.
dow.
 Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-dou-
To add a new track of the same type and channel ble-click (Windows) on the empty area of the
width as the last new track, do one of the
Edit window below any current tracks.
following:

 Double-click in the empty area of the Mix win-  Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-dou-
dow below or to the right of any current tracks. ble-click (Windows) in the empty area below
any current tracks in the Tracks List.
 Double-click in the empty area of the Edit win-
dow below any current tracks. If no tracks exist in the session, a stereo audio track
is created by default.
 Double-click in the empty area below any cur-
rent tracks in the Tracks List.

If no tracks exist in the session, a stereo audio track

is created by default.

254 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To add a new Auxiliary Input track of the same Default Track Names
channel width as the last new track, do one of the
following: When creating new Folder, Audio, Auxiliary In-
put, Master Fader, VCA Master, MIDI, and Instru-
 Control-double-click (Mac) or Start-double-
ment tracks, Pro Tools names them as “Folder,”
click (Windows) on the empty area of the Mix
“Audio,” “Aux,” “Master,” “VCA,” “MIDI, or
window below or to the right of any current
“Inst” accordingly and numbers them consecu-
tracks.
tively. For example, when you create the first two
 Control-double-click (Mac) or Start-double- audio tracks in a new session, their default names
click (Windows) on the empty area of the Edit are “Audio 1” and “Audio 2.” You can change the
window below any current tracks. default track name when you create the track (see
“Creating Tracks” on page 251). You can also
 Control-double-click (Mac) or Start-double-
change track names anytime after (see “Renaming
click (Windows) in the empty area below any
Tracks” on page 255).
current tracks in the Tracks List.

If no tracks exist in the session, a stereo Auxiliary Renaming Tracks

Input track is created by default.
Track names are used to auto-name recorded audio
To add a new Master Fader track of the same files and clips. You can rename tracks and also log
channel width as the last new track, do one of the comments for each track in the session.
following:

 Shift-double-click on the empty area of the Mix

window below or to the right of any current
tracks.
 Shift-double-click on the empty area of the Edit
window below any current tracks.
 Shift-double-click (Mac) in the empty area be-
low any current tracks in the Tracks List.

If no tracks exist in the session, a stereo Master

Fader track is created by default.

Track Name/Comments dialog

Chapter 13: Tracks 255

 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.
• In the Tracks 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.

To move to the previous or next track in the

Track Name/Comments dialog, press Command
(Mac) or Control (Windows) and use the
Up/Down or Left/Right Arrows.

4 Click OK.

Batch Renaming Tracks

The Batch Rename command for tracks is only
available in the Track Name Right-click menu.

To rename selected tracks in batches: Batch Track Rename dialog

1 Select the tracks you want to rename. 4 Configure the Batch Track Rename dialog as
desired.
2 Right-click any selected track name in the
Tracks List, Edit window, Mix window, Score 5 Click OK.
Editor window, or a MIDI Editor window.
All selected tracks are renamed accordingly.
3 Choose Batch Rename.
For details on batch renaming tracks or
Press Option+Shift+R (Mac) or Alt+Shift+R clips, see “Batch Renaming” on page 341.
(Windows) to open the Batch Track Rename
dialog.

256 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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 Return (Mac) or Enter (Win-
dows).
 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 Return (Mac) or
unselected track
Enter (Windows). selected track
Selected and unselected tracks
To enter a carriage return in the Comments
area, press Shift+Return (Mac) or Shift+En- To select a range of tracks:
ter (Windows) on the alphanumeric key- 1 Click the name of an unhighlighted track in its
board. track channel strip.

Track Numbering 2 Shift-click an additional button.

With Track Number view enabled, each track is as- All tracks between the first track selected and the
signed a number corresponding to its position in additional track will also be selected.
the Mix and Edit Windows. When tracks are reor-
To select or deselect noncontiguous tracks, do
dered, they are renumbered to maintain positional
one of the following:
sequence.
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
To enable (or disable) Track Number view: dows) Track Name buttons that are unhigh-
 Select (or deselect) View > Track Number. lighted to select them.
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
Selecting Tracks dows) Track Name buttons that are highlighted
to deselect them.
Tracks need to be selected for operations such as
duplicating tracks or adding tracks to a group. One To select all tracks:
or more tracks can be selected at a time.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
To select a track: Track Name button that is unhighlighted.

 Click the name of an unhighlighted track in its To deselect all tracks:

track channel strip.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
Track Name button that is highlighted.

Chapter 13: Tracks 257

 Selecting Tracks when Making Edit Selections 4 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows), or
click OK.
Pro Tools lets you link Track selection with Edit
selections. When Track and Edit selections are The specified track is selected and scrolled into
linked, you can make a selection within a track or view.
across multiple tracks for editing and each associ-
ated track is selected (track names automatically To scroll a track into view from the Tracks List
highlight). Right-click menu:

 In the Tracks List, or Mix or Edit window,

To link Track and Edit selections:
Right-click the track name and select Scroll into
 Select Options > Link Track and Edit Selection. View.

Press Shift+T to toggle Link Track and Edit Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Start-Shift-click
Selection on and off. (Windows) the track name in the Edit window,
Mix window, or Track List.
Scrolling a Track into View
Changing Track Channel Widths
The Scroll To Track dialog lets you type the name
of the track you want to scroll to. As you type a You can change the channel width of any track to
track name, only those tracks whose names begin any other available channel width, while preserv-
with the letter you enter appear in the Scroll To ing plug-ins, sends, and routing. For example, you
Track list. You can also Right-click a track name in can convert a stereo Auxiliary Input into a 5.1
the Tracks List and choose Scroll Into View. Auxiliary Input track, or convert a 5.1 audio track
into a 7.1.2 audio track and maintain all plug-ins
To scroll to a track by name in the Edit or Mix and signal routing (plug-ins must support the des-
window: tination width). This can be especially useful for
1 Choose Track > Scroll To Track. modifying and updating Track Presets and session
templates.
Press Command+Option+F (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt+F (windows) to open the Scroll to To change the channel width of a track:
Track dialog.
1 Be sure the track you want to change does not
2 In the Scroll To Track dialog, type the first few have any clips in the timeline.
letters of the track name you want to scroll to. 2 Do one of the following:
3 From the Scroll To Track list, select the track • Select the track and choose Track > Change
name you want to scroll to using the Up and Track Width.
Down Arrow keys. • Right-click a Track Name and choose
Change Track Width.

3 Select the desired new channel width from the

sub-menu.

Scroll To Track dialog

258 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools updates any plug-ins on the track(s) as Duplicating Tracks
long as the plug-in supports the new channel
The Duplicate Track command lets you duplicate
width. If any multi-mono plug-ins on a stereo or
one or more tracks, including their audio or MIDI
larger track are un-linked, changing track width
data, playlists, automation, and other attributes.
prompts you to relink the un-linked channels. Any
automation not supported by the new channel
To duplicate one or more tracks:
width will be discarded, but you will be warned
first. 1 Select the tracks you want to duplicate.

For information, see “Selecting Tracks” on

Deleting Tracks page 257.
When you delete tracks, your audio or MIDI clip
2 Do one of the following:
data remains in the Clips List, but your arrange-
ment of the clips on the deleted track (the track’s • Choose Track > Duplicate.
playlist) will be lost. • Press Option+Shift+D (Mac) or Alt+Shift+D
(Windows).
If the track contains playlists that are not assigned
• Right-click the name of the track in the
to any track, you are prompted to delete or retain
Tracks List, or Mix or Edit window, and se-
them.
lect Duplicate.
When deleting a Folder track, you are prompted to
Keep or Delete its member tracks.

The Delete Track command cannot be undone.

To delete a track:
1 Click the name of the track in its track channel
strip to select it.

To select multiple tracks, Command-click (Mac)

or Control-click (Windows) additional Track
Names.
To select a range of tracks, Shift-click additional
Track Names.
Duplicate Tracks dialog
2 Do one of the following: 3 In the Duplicate Tracks dialog, configure the
• Choose Track > Delete. following options:
• In the Tracks List, or Mix or Edit window, • Enter how many copies you want to create in
Right-click the track name and select the Number of Duplicates filed.
Delete. • To copy the currently active (visible) Edit
3 Click OK to remove the selected tracks from the playlist from the source track, select Active
session. Playlist.
• To copy all Edit playlists on the source track,
select Alternate Playlists

Chapter 13: Tracks 259

 • To copy all automation from the source track,
select Automation. Track Views
• To copy all plug-in and insert assignments, The Track View determines which data is dis-
select Inserts. played and edited in the track’s playlist area. Track
• To copy all sends and send assignments, View data can be set to Playlists, Blocks, Analysis,
select Sends. Warp, Waveform, Volume, Volume Trim, Mute,
Pan, Send, or an automated control or continuous
• To copy all Track Markers,
controller, based on the track type and your
select Markers.
Pro Tools system.
• To maintain all Mix and Edit Group assign-
ments, select Group Assignments. Basic Folder Tracks Provides only Overview.
• To duplicate all member tracks of a Folder Routing Folder Tracks Can be set to Overview,
track, select All Member Tracks. Volume, Volume Trim, Mute, Pan, Send controls,
4 If duplicating multiple tracks, do one of the fol- or any plug-in controls that are enabled for auto-
lowing: mation.

• If you want all the newly created tracks to follow Audio Tracks Can be set to Blocks, Playlists, Anal-
the last selected source track (to the far-right of ysis, Warp, Waveform, Volume, Volume Trim,
the Mix window, and at the bottom of the Edit Mute, Pan, Send controls, or any plug-in controls
window), select the Insert after Last Selected that are enabled for automation. By default, audio
Track option. tracks are set to Waveform view where track mate-
• If you want each newly-created track to be in- rial is graphically drawn with amplitude wave-
serted directly after its source track, deselect the forms (a time-domain representation of sound).
Insert after Last Selected Track option. This Track View provides the necessary detail for
important clip edits.
5 Click OK to duplicate tracks according to the
settings in the Duplicate Tracks dialog. Click Auxiliary Input Tracks Can be set to Volume, Vol-
Cancel to close the dialog and not create dupli- ume Trim, Mute, Pan, Send controls, or any plug-in
cate tracks. controls that are enabled for automation.

Master Fader Tracks Can be set to Volume, Vol-

Duplicating VCA Member Tracks ume Trim, or any plug-in controls that are enabled
for automation.
Duplicating a VCA member track without dupli-
cating its group assignments will coalesce any au- VCA Master Tracks Can be set to Volume, Volume
tomation on the duplicate track. The coalesced du- Trim, or Mute.
plicate plays back exactly as if it were in the VCA
group. For more information, see “VCA Master MIDI Tracks Can be set to Blocks, Clips, Notes, Ve-
Tracks” on page 1107. locity, Volume, Mute, Pan, Pitch Bend, Mono After
Touch, Program Change, Sysex, and any continu-
ous controller type. MIDI tracks are commonly set
to Notes or Clips, each of which displays notes in a
“piano roll” format. Use Clips view to edit and ar-

260 Pro Tools Reference Guide

range MIDI clips. Use Notes view for inserting and Playlists Track View
editing MIDI notes. Other MIDI track views are (Audio Tracks Only)
useful for editing velocity, controller data, pro-
gram changes, and Sysex events. With the Track View set to Playlists, alternate
playlists for audio tracks are revealed in Playlist
Instrument Tracks Can be set to Blocks, Clips, lanes under the Main Playlist on the track. This
Notes, Velocity, Volume, Mute, Pan, Pitch Bend, view is useful for track compositing, letting you
Mono After Touch, Program Change, Sysex, and select the best parts from a track’s alternate play-
any continuous controller type for MIDI; as well as lists and copy them to the main playlist.
Volume, Volume Trim, Mute, Pan, Send controls,
or any plug-in controls that enabled for automa-
Analysis and Warp Track View
tion. Instrument tracks are commonly set to Notes
(Audio Tracks Only)
or Clips, each of which displays notes in a “piano
roll” format. Use Notes view for inserting, editing, With the Track View set to Analysis or Warp, you
and copying and pasting MIDI notes. Use Clip can edit Elastic Audio analysis and warp markers
view to arrange, capture, or consolidate clips. on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.
Other Instrument track views are useful for editing
automation, controller data, program changes, and Waveform View
Sysex events.
(Audio Only)
Video Tracks For information on video track
With the Track View set to Waveform, you can edit
views, see “Video Track View” on page 1441.
and arrange audio clips on audio tracks. Wave-
forms are time-domain representations of the au-
Overview Track View dio data and can be shown as normal or rectified
waveforms, and calculated using Peak or Power
Folder tracks provide the unique Overview track
mode.
view. Overview displays blocks representing clips
on member tracks. You can edit track material on
all member tracks in Overview.

Blocks Track View

With the Track View set to Blocks, audio and Track View set to Waveform for audio track
MIDI clips are displayed as empty blocks bearing
the clip’s name. This Track View is most useful On audio tracks, the Waveform is also visible
once you have finished capturing and editing clips in Playlists, Analysis, Warp, and Automation
at the waveform or MIDI event level and are mov- views.
ing and rearranging them. Screen redraws are fast-
est with this format.

Chapter 13: Tracks 261

 Clips View
For details on inserting and editing controller
(MIDI Only)
data for MIDI tracks, see “Continuous Con-
With the Track View set to Clips, you can edit and troller Events” on page 803.
arrange MIDI clips on MIDI and Instrument
tracks.
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 53, “Automation.”

Track View set to Clips for MIDI track Setting Track Views in the
Edit Window
Notes View
To set the Track View:
(MIDI Only)
 Click the Track View selector for the track and
With the Track View set to Notes, you can insert
select the view from the pop-up menu.
and edit MIDI notes on MIDI and Instrument
tracks. The track displays the new view. If the track is part
of an active Edit Group, all tracks in the group are
Automation and Controller set to the new view.
Views
When an audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder,
Master Fader, 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 break- Audio Track View selector
points. The breakpoints can be dragged to modify
the automation data, and new breakpoints can be
inserted with the Pencil tool or a Grabber tool.
MIDI and Instrument tracks also provide Velocity
view for editing MIDI velocities.

Auxiliary Track View selector

Track View set to Pan for audio track

262 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Master Fader Track View selector

Routing Folder Track View selector

Changing Track Views

For audio, Auxiliary Input, MIDI, and Instrument
tracks, you can change to the next or previous
VCA Master Track View selector
Track View, or toggle between pre-defined com-
mon 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.

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 Track View selector
MIDI controllers option) cannot be changed
to the next Track View.

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 Control+Com-
mand (Mac) or Control+Start (Windows) and
the Left or Right Arrow key.
• To change to the previous or next Track View
on all tracks, press Command+Option+Con-
Instrument Track View selector
trol (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start (Windows)
and the Left or Right Arrow key.

Chapter 13: Tracks 263

 Toggling Common Track Views Master Views for Tracks
The most common editing view for audio tracks Audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks have Track
are Waveform and Volume view. The most com- Views that act as “master.” When a track is dis-
mon editing views for MIDI and Instrument tracks played in its Master view, any edits performed ap-
are Notes and Clips view. Pro Tools provides an ply to all data in the track. For instance, when an
easy way to toggle these views. audio track is set to Waveform, copying and past-
ing affects not just the waveform information, but
To toggle Track Views on tracks containing the edit all of the automation data as well.
cursor (or an Edit selection):

1 Click in the track you want to toggle. To toggle The Master view is based on the type of track, as
multiple tracks, Shift-click or drag with the Se- follows:
lector tool to select additional tracks. • Audio tracks: Waveform and Blocks
2 Do one of the following: • MIDI and Instrument tracks: Clips, Blocks, and
• Press Control+Minus (Mac) or Start+Minus Notes (when using the Selector tool)
(Windows) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
• With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled
(see “Keyboard Focus” on page 26), press Track Height
Minus on the alphanumeric keyboard. Tracks can be viewed in the Edit window at any of
eight heights: Micro, Mini, Small, Medium, Large,
To toggle Track Views for all tracks, press
Jumbo, Extreme and Fit To Window. Larger track
Option+Control+Minus (Mac) or
heights are particularly useful for precise editing,
Alt+Start+Minus (Windows) on the
especially for MIDI. Smaller track heights are use-
alphanumeric keyboard.
ful for conserving screen space in a large session.

You can adjust track heights on an individual track

To toggle Track Views for all tracks with
basis or set all tracks to the same height. Track
Commands Keyboard Focus enabled, press
heights can be changed during playback.
Option+Minus (Mac) or Alt+Minus
(Windows) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
To set the Track Height, do one of the following:

Audio tracks are toggled between Waveform and  Click the small arrow to the left of the Track
Volume view. MIDI and Instrument tracks are tog- name to get the Track Height pop-up menu.
gled between Notes and Clips view.

Track Height pop-up menu

 Right-click on the vertical zoom scale just to the

right of the track controls and choose the height
from the pop-up menu.
264 Pro Tools Reference Guide
The track is resized to the new height. If the track is The track’s Track Height changes incrementally.
part of an Edit Group, all tracks in the group are set
to the new height.

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.
Adjusting the Track Height of an audio track
To resize all tracks proportionally:

 Click Edit window Vertical Zoom In or Out but- Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
ton. 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
Vertical Zoom In and Out buttons, Edit window (Windows).

Continuously Variable Track Track Controls and Track Height

Height
The Track Height affects how the various track
In the Edit window, you can continuously resize
controls appear in the Edit window. For instance,
the Track Height of any given track by dragging
when a track’s height is set to Small, most of the
the lower boundary of the Track Controls column.
buttons are reduced in size.
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 Track Height set to Small
changes to indicate that you can resize the track. 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.

Track Height set to Mini

Chapter 13: Tracks 265

 When the Track Height is set to Medium, Large,
Jumbo, or Extreme, all track controls are displayed Track Show/Hide
at their full size. Track Color Code
Track Type icon
Track name
Tracks List menu

Track Height set to Large

Tracks List
The Tracks List (at the left of both the Mix and Tracks List
Edit windows) shows all tracks in the session. It al-
lows you to show or hide a track in the Mix, Edit, Show/Hide Tracks List and
MIDI Editor, and Score Editor windows. Even Groups List
though a track is hidden, the material on the track
To show (or hide) the Tracks List (and Groups
will still play as part of the session. Inactive tracks List), do one of the following:
appear in italics in the Tracks List.
 From the Edit window menu, select (or dese-
The Tracks List can also be used to create lect) Tracks List.
new tracks when importing media by drag
 Click the Show/Hide Tracks List/Groups List
and drop from a Workspace browser. See
View button in the Mix or Edit window.
“Importing Files with Drag and Drop” on
page 434.

Show/Hide Tracks List /Groups List, in Edit Window

266 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Tracks List Menu The options in the Tracks List menu in the Score
Editor window are different from the Mix, Edit,
The Tracks List menu (at the top right of the
and MIDI Editor windows. For more information,
Tracks List) provides commands that allow you to
see “Tracks List” on page 853.
show or hide all tracks, tracks currently selected
on-screen, or specific types of tracks (Folders, au-
dio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, MIDI, Instru- Showing and Hiding Tracks
ment, VCA Master, or Inactive or Frozen 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 Editor win-
dows. Also, hiding a specific track in a MIDI Edi-
tor window hides it only in that MIDI Editor win-
Show Only option dow.
The Sort Tracks By command lets you set the track
Note that hiding a Folder track also hides all of its
order according to Name, Type, Edit Group, Mix
member tracks. Likewise, showing a Folder track
Group, or Voice. The sort order will be reflected in
also shows all of its member tracks (except for any
the Tracks List in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Editor, and
that were explicitly hidden separately).
Score Editor windows.
To hide a track, do one of the following:

 Click the Track Show/Hide icon in the Tracks

List.
 In the Tracks 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 it inactive).

Sort Tracks By options

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 win-
Shown track icon in the Tracks List
dow, however, all operations other than record-en-
able will affect a hidden track that is a member of
an active group.

Chapter 13: Tracks 267

 To show a range of tracks:
1 Select a range of hidden tracks in the Tracks
List.
2 Click the Show/Hide icon of hidden track at the
top of the Tracks List.
3 Shift-click the Show/Hide icon of hidden track
Hidden track icon in the Tracks List at the bottom of the selection.
To show a track that is currently hidden, do one of
the following: All tracks that occur between the first track se-
lected and the last track will also be selected.
 Click the Track Show/Hide icon in the Tracks
List. To show or hide a range of tracks in the Tracks List
with the Marquee:
 In the Tracks List (or on the track channel strip),
Right-click the track name and select Show (or 1 Move the cursor to the left of a track name until
Show and Make Active if the track is inactive the Marquee with a small “+” symbol appears.
and you also want to make it active). 2 Click on the track in the list and drag up or down
over the Show/Hide icons (to show or hide the
To show all tracks:
track and the tracks immediately above or be-
 Click the Tracks List menu and choose Show All low it).
Tracks.
To show or hide non-contiguous tracks:
You can also show all tracks by Option-click-
 Click the Show/Hide icon for the tracks you
ing (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Windows) the
want to show or hide.
Show/Hide icon of any track that is hidden.

To hide all tracks: To restore previously shown tracks after using the
Show All Tracks, Show Only Selected Tracks, or
 Click the Tracks List menu and choose Hide All Show Only Tracks by <Track Type> commands:
Tracks.
 From the Tracks List menu, choose the Restore
You can also hide all tracks by Option-clicking Previously Shown Tracks option.
(Mac) or Alt-clicking (Windows) the
To show selected hidden tracks and hide all shown
Show/Hide icon of any track that is shown. tracks:
1 In the Tracks List, select the hidden tracks you
To reorder tracks on-screen, drag the track want to show.
names to new positions within the Tracks List
or in the Mix or Edit window. 2 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) the Show/Hide icon for one of the
selected hidden tracks.

268 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Mix/Edit Groups and Hidden
Tracks
Routing Folder, open
In the Mix window, if a hidden track is part of an
Tracks contained by
enabled group, all Mix window operations per- the Routing Folder track
formed on other members of the group also affect Basic Folder, closed
the hidden track—with the exception of audio or
MIDI record-enabling. If you solo, mute, or auto-
mation write-enable a grouped track, any group Folder tracks in the Tracks List
members that are hidden are soloed, muted, or au-
tomation write-enabled as well.
Track Name Right-Click
In the Edit window, however, editing operations Menu
performed on members of an enabled group do not
(Mix Window, Edit Window, MIDI Editor
affect hidden tracks that are also members of the Windows, or Tracks List)
enabled group.
When you Right-click a track name in the Mix
window, Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, or
Track Numbering and Hidden
Tracks the Tracks List, a pop-up menu provides access to
the following commands:
In the Mix and Edit windows, Track Position
Numbers can either include hidden tracks in their Download (Tracks List, Remote Shared Tracks
numbering sequence, or ignore them: Only) Downloads the track data without importing.
Track data can be imported at a later time.
• When Track Position Numbers Stay with Hidden
Tracks is not selected in the Display Preferences Ignore for Future Download (Tracks List, Re-
page, numbers are only assigned to tracks that mote Shared Tracks Only) Does not download or
are shown. In this case, active tracks are then import the track data.
numbered sequentially. Hidden tracks are un- Import (Tracks List, Remote Shared Tracks
numbered. Only) Downloads and imports the track data imme-
• When Track Position Numbers Stay With Hidden diately.
Tracks is selected in the Display Preferences
For more information about downloading re-
page, tracks keep their Track Position Numbers
mote shared tracks, see “Track Cloud Syn-
even when hidden.
chronization Indicator in the Tracks List” on
page 426.
Folder Tracks in the Tracks List
Hide/Show Hides (or shows) the track (or selected
Folder Tracks appear in the Tracks List just like tracks if any).
any other track type, but any tracks contained by
them are indented to indicate the folder hierarchy. Hide and Make Inactive Hides the track and makes
Folder tracks also have a reveal triangle to the left it inactive (or selected tracks if any).
of their name in the Tracks List that lets you open
Make Active/Inactive Toggles the active status of
or close the list of track names contained in any
the track (or all selected tracks in the Mix or Edit
given Folder track.
window only).

Chapter 13: Tracks 269

 Scroll Into View Scrolls the track to the top of the Recall Track Preset Lets you recall a track preset.
Edit window or to the left of the Mix window.
New Opens the New Track dialog.
Move To Lets you move the selected track to a
Rename Opens the Track Name dialog.
New Folder (the Move To New Folder dialog
opens), to an existing folder (choose the folder Batch Rename Opens the Batch Track Rename di-
name), or, if the track is already in a folder, you can alog.
move it out of that folder to the top level (Top
Level). Duplicate Duplicates the track (or selected tracks
if any).
For more information about moving tracks in
and out of Folder tracks, see Chapter 14, Split Into Mono (Multichannel Tracks Only) Splits
“Folder Tracks.” a multichannel track (or selected multichannel
tracks if any) into their mono component tracks.
Export MIDI (MIDI and Instrument Tracks
Only) Exports the MIDI data from one or more Convert Aux To Routing Folder (Auxiliary Input
Tracks Only) Converts the selected Auxiliary In-
MIDI or Instrument tracks to a standard MIDI file.
For more information, see “Exporting MIDI Files” put track to a Routing Folder track.
on page 449. Change Track Width Lets you change the channel
Freeze (Audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument
width of any track to any other available channel
Tracks Only) Freezes the track. width while preserving plug-ins (plug-ins must
support the destination width), sends, and routing.
Commit Commits the track.
Delete Deletes the track (or selected tracks if any).
Bounce Opens the Track Bounce dialog.
Field Recorder Guide Track (Audio Tracks on
Extract MIDI to New Track (Audio Tracks Pro Tools Ultimate Only) Sets the selected track to
Only) Opens the Audio to MIDI Properties dialog. be the guide track for field recorder workflows.
Coalesce VCA Master Automation (VCA Master MIDI Real-Time Properties (MIDI and Instrument
Tracks Only) Coalesces the VCA automation to Tracks Only) Opens the Real-Time Properties
the member tracks of the VCA. window for the track.
Coalesce Trim Automation (Pro Tools Ultimate Open in New MIDI Editor (MIDI and Instrument
and Studio Only) Coalesces Trim automation on Tracks Only) Opens the track in a new MIDI
the track (or selected tracks if any). Editor window.
Clear Trim Automation (Pro Tools Ultimate and Open in Score Editor (MIDI and Instrument Tracks
Studio Only) Clears Trim automation on the track Only) Opens the track in the Score Editor window.
(or selected tracks if any).
Open in MIDI Event List (MIDI and Instrument
Locked (Video Track Only) Toggles the Tracks Only) Opens the track in the MIDI Event
locked/unlocked status of the video track (or List.
selected video tracks if any).

Save Track Preset Opens the Save Track Preset

dialog.

270 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Notation Display Track Settings (MIDI and Instru- For stereo and multichannel surround tracks, in-
ment Tracks Only) Opens the Notation Display puts and outputs appear as stereo pairs and multi-
Track Settings window for the track. Music nota- channel groups. The available inputs, outputs, and
tion can only be viewed in the Score Editor or in busses are defined as paths in the I/O Setup dialog
MIDI Editor windows set to Notation view. (see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup”).
Expand Channels to New Tracks Expands multi-
channel audio files imported from a field recorder Automatic Input and Output
to new tracks, such that every channel resides on Assignments
its own mono audio track. Pro Tools also automat- When adding tracks to a new session, inputs are
ically conforms all expanded tracks to the edits in automatically assigned in ascending order. For ex-
the guide (expanded) track. You can expand multi- ample, if you have an audio interface with eight in-
channel files to new tracks ordered by channel puts, creating four new mono audio tracks will au-
name, by channel number, by channel name and tomatically add four audio tracks with inputs
number, or by Timecode only. assigned to the first four paths defined in the I/O
EUCON Control (Master Fader Tracks Only) On Setup dialog. When creating stereo tracks, inputs
systems configured for use with EUCON, are automatically assigned to subsequent input
Pro Tools lets you use a single Master Fader to act pairs.
as a Monitor Path control for EUCON control sur- The outputs automatically assigned to new tracks
faces. are determined by the New Track Default Output
Bus specified in the I/O Setup dialog.

Assigning Audio Inputs and Assigning Audio Inputs

Outputs to Tracks (Routing Folder, Audio, Auxiliary Input, and
Inputs for Routing Folder, audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument Tracks)
and Instrument tracks can be assigned to audio in-
To assign an audio input of a Routing Folder,
terface channels, busses, or plug-in output busses
audio, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track:
(such as with some Virtual Instrument or multi-
band processing plug-ins). Outputs for Routing 1 In order to assign audio track inputs in the Edit
Folder, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and window, select View > Edit Window > I/O.
Instrument tracks can also be assigned to audio in- 2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track’s In-
terface channels or busses. put Path selector and choose from the available
audio interface channels and busses. Stereo and
Track Input Track Input Track set to
set to Audio 2 set to Bus 2 No Input multichannel surround tracks have inputs avail-
able as pairs and multichannel groups.

The Input Path selector lets you route any audio in-
put or any of the Pro Tools internal busses to a
Routing Folder, audio, Auxiliary Input, or Instru-
ment track. The choices available in this pop-up
Input/output assignments for three mono audio tracks

Chapter 13: Tracks 271

 menu are determined by the Input Path configura- Assigning Audio Outputs
tion in the I/O Setup. Inputs in use by another track (Routing Folder, Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master
appear bold in the Input Path selector pop-up Fader, and Instrument Tracks)
menu.
To assign an audio output of a Routing Folder,
Instrument tracks automatically assign the audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instrument
audio output from the instrument plug-in in- track:
serted on the track to the track audio Input. 1 In order to assign audio track outputs in the Edit
window, select View > Edit Window > I/O.
To automatically assign all track inputs (of the
same type and channel width) to unique ascending 2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the track’s
Input paths (cascading): Output Path selector and choose from the avail-
 Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt- able audio interface channels and busses. Stereo
click (Windows) the Input Path selector of the and multichannel surround tracks have outputs
left-most Input Path selector and select the first available as pairs and multichannel paths.
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 Input Path
assignments in ascending order. For example,
Track 1 to A1, Track 2 to A2, Track 3 to A3, and so
on.
‘
Output Path selector

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 deter-
mined by the Output Bus Path configuration in the
I/O Setup. Outputs in use by another track appear
bold in the Output Path selector’s pop-up menu.

Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-

Alt-click (Windows) the Output Path selector
Input Path selector of the left-most track and select the first Out-
put Path (mono or stereo). All visible tracks
To remove an input assignment:
are automatically assigned to unique Output
 Select No Input from the Input Path selector. 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.

272 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To remove an output assignment: When creating a new internal mix bus, the new bus
 Select No Output from the Output Path selector. will be named after what you typed for the new
Playlists become dimmed for tracks with no track. For example, if you entered the name “Drum
output assignment. Sub,” Pro Tools creates a new Auxiliary Input
track named “Drum Sub” and also creates an inter-
Assigning an audio track, Auxiliary Input, nal mix bus named “Drum Sub.”
Master Fader, or Instrument track to “No
Output” will cause its automation data for
pan and plug-in controls to be lost.

Create and Assign New Track from

Track Output

Pro Tools lets you create a new Auxiliary Input,

Audio, or Instrument track from the Output selec-
tor and automatically assign the Output of the orig-
inal 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 Track 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. New Auxiliary Input track with audio track output
automatically assigned to Bus 1–2
Pro Tools creates a new track with the output of the Assign Existing Track from a Track Output
originating track automatically routed to the input
of the new track using an available internal mix Pro Tools lets you assign the Output of a track to
bus. the Input of an existing track using an available in-
ternal 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.

Chapter 13: Tracks 273

 To assign the output of a track to an available input 2 Type a few letters included the path name that
on an existing track: you want. Only paths whose names that include
1 On an existing track, click the Output selector those letters (highlighted yellow) now appear in
for a track and select Track. the list (maximum of 20).

2 From the Track submenu, select the destination

track you want.

Assigning a track output to an existing Auxiliary Input

track
Searching a path selector, typing to find a path
Pro Tools automatically routes the track or send to
the input of the selected track using an available in- 3 Select the desired path with the mouse, or use
ternal mix bus. the Up and Down arrow keys to select the path
name.

Searching Track Input and

Track Output Path Selectors
To search for a path in an Input or Output selector:
1 Click the path selector for the input or output
you want to assign and do one of the following:
• Type the first character of the path name you
want.
• Click Search.
• Press Tab.
Searching a path selector—single path found by
typing the first letters of its name

4 Do one of the following:

• Press Return again to close the selector menu.
• Click anywhere outside the menu.

Searching a path selector (Track Output)

274 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To search for and assign multiple paths (Sends Renaming Track Inputs and
and Track Outputs only): Outputs from the Edit or Mix
1 Type to search for each additional path assign- Window
ment, do one of the following: I/O path names can be renamed in the Edit or Mix
• Tab to confirm current tag that you are typing. windows, or in the I/O Setup.
• Press Shift+Return.
To rename an I/O path in the Edit or Mix window:
• Click the entry.
1 In the Edit or Mix window, Right-click the In-
2 Press Return to close the selector menu and as- put selector or Output selector for a track, and
sign the outputs. 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.
‘

Rename I/O dialog

Searching and assigning multiple outputs Making Track Inputs and

Outputs Inactive from the Edit
or Mix Window
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) to
assign outputs to the same path for all tracks Track Input, Output, and Bus Path assignments can
of the same type. be made inactive using the corresponding selector
on the track. Making a track’s Input or Output in-
active silences that Input or Output, while retain-
Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click ing all automation and playlist data. For HDX sys-
(Windows) to assign outputs to the same path tems, inactive Inputs and Outputs do not consume
for all selected tracks. resources for DSP mixer connections, but any ac-
tive assigned plug-ins on the track continue to use
their required DSP resources. For Pro Tools host-
based systems, inactive Inputs and Outputs do not
consume host-processing resources. Host-based,
or Native plug-ins require CPU resources, and
DSP-based plug-ins use the DSP available on
HDX cards.

Chapter 13: Tracks 275

 You can make track inputs and outputs inactive (or Toggling Multiple Paths
active) directly from the Edit or Mix windows. In-
If a track has only one main output assignment,
active I/O Paths are grayed out.
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-Start-
You can also make a path globally inactive click (Windows) the track’s Output Path selector
(or active) in the I/O Setup dialog. See “Mak- to toggle the main output to inactive. When there
ing Paths Active or Inactive” on page 79. are multiple assignments, the track selector will be
displayed for you to specify the Input, Output, In-
To make a track’s Input or Output Path inactive (or sert, or Bus Path by Control-clicking (Mac) or
active), do one of the following: Start-clicking (Windows).
 In the Edit or Mix window, Right-click the In-
If a Send (A–J) has multiple Output Path as-
put selector or Output selector for a track, and
signments and one of those is toggled active
choose Make Inactive (or Make Active) from the
or inactive, then all of the Output Path as-
pop-up menu.
signments for that Send (A–J) are toggled ac-
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control- tive or inactive.
Start-click (Windows) the Input or Output se-
lector in the Mix or Edit window.
Track Priority and Voice
To make all tracks’ Inputs or Outputs assigned to Assignment
the same path inactive (or active), do one of the
following: Track priority and voice assignment are dependent
 In the Edit or Mix window, Option-Right-click on your Pro Tools hardware and software configu-
(Mac) or Alt-Right-click (Windows) the Input ration.
selector or Output selector for a track, and HDX systems provide a certain number of voices
choose Make Inactive (or Make Active) from the (simultaneous channels of audio playback and re-
pop-up menu.
cording), depending on the number of cards in the
 Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or Con- system. For details on Pro Tools system capabili-
trol-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the Input or Out- ties, see “Playback, Recording, and Voice Limits
put selector in the Mix or Edit window. with Pro Tools Ultimate Software” on page 48.

To make all selected tracks’ Inputs or Outputs Pro Tools systems let you play or record up to 256
assigned to the same path inactive (or active), do simultaneous stereo or mono tracks in any combi-
one of the following: nation. For details on system capabilities, see
 In the Edit or Mix window, Option-Shift-Right- “Pro Tools Artist Capabilities with Different
click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-Right-click (Windows) Hardware Configurations” on page 39.
the Input selector or Output selector for a track,
and choose Make Inactive (or Make Active)
from the pop-up menu.
 Command-Option-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-Shift-click (Windows) the In-
put or Output selector in the Mix or Edit win-
dow.

276 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Priority Freeing up Voices on a Track

With certain system configurations it is possible to You can also adjust the relative priority of tracks
have more voiceable tracks in a session than avail- by freeing up the voices of individual tracks, mak-
able voices. In this case, not all tracks in the ses- ing them available to other tracks in the session.
sion can play back simultaneously. When the num-
ber of tracks exceeds the number of available To free up the voice of a track, do one of the
voices, tracks with lower priority may not be following:

heard. For these situations, Pro Tools assigns pri-  Click the Voice selector of the track and set it to
orities to tracks that compete for the available Off. See “Setting Voice Assignment” on
voices. Because there can be more tracks than page 277.
available voices, Pro Tools provides several ways
 Deactivate the track by Command-Control-
of adjusting the playback priority of audio tracks.
clicking (Mac) or Control-Start-clicking (Win-
See “Changing a Track’s Playback Priority” on
dows) its track type icon in the Mix window.
page 277 and “Freeing up Voices on a Track” on
page 277.  Make sure the track does not have an Output
Path or Send assignment.
Changing a Track’s Playback Priority

Tracks with higher positions (leftmost in the Mix Setting Voice Assignment
window or topmost in the Edit window) have pri-
A track’s voice assignment can be turned off or set
ority over tracks in lower positions in a session.
to be dynamically allocated. Use Dynamically Al-
located Voicing to automatically take care of voice
To increase a track’s priority, do any of the
following: management in the background.

 In the Mix window, drag the Track Name button With Pro Tools Ultimate, QuickPunch,
to the left of other tracks in the session. Tracks TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch require
at the left of the Mix window have higher prior- additional voices. For more information, see
ity than those on the right. Chapter 27, “Punch Recording Modes.”
 In the Edit window, drag the Track Name button
above other tracks in the session. Tracks at the With HDX systems, the initial insert of a Na-
top of the Edit window have higher priority than tive (host-based) plug-ins uses additional
those below. voices in certain situations. See “Inserting
Native and DSP Plug-Ins on Tracks” on
 In the Tracks List, drag the Track Name to a
page 1158.
higher position in the list. Tracks at the top of
this list have higher priority than those below.

Chapter 13: Tracks 277

 To set the voice assignment for a track: • Drag the Track Name button of the higher-num-
 Click the Voice selector and set the track to Dyn bered track to the left (Mix window) or upwards
or Off. (in the Edit window or Tracks List) until it is in
the range of the maximum number of voiced au-
dio tracks allowed by your system. The previ-
ously last voiced audio track is moved out of
range and its voice assignment is changed to Off.
Voice selector for an audio track When the priority of the higher-numbered track is
Track Priority and Dynamic Voicing changed, its voice assignment is automatically
changed from Off to DYN.
The lowest-numbered (highest priority) audio
tracks that are active and have their voice assign-
ment set to DYN (Dynamically Allocated Voicing) Assigning MIDI Inputs and
are the tracks that play back. (The total number of Outputs to Tracks
tracks that play back depends on the maximum
number of voiced audio tracks allowed by your MIDI recording and playback is supported with
system.) MIDI tracks and Instrument tracks.

Tracks that are higher-numbered (lower priority) MIDI ports in your system can be named and con-
than these tracks do not play back and you cannot figured for use in Pro Tools (for Windows, see
record to them. For those tracks, the Dynamically “Configuring MIDI Studio Setup” and for Mac,
Allocated Voicing button turns blue to indicate they see “Configuring AMS”).
are unavailable for playback or recording.
Assigning MIDI Track Input
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
channels to a MIDI track input. The default selec-
No free voice available for a lower priority audio track tion of All receives all incoming MIDI data from
all ports on all channels. Use the MIDI Input selec-
Tracks do not play back when they are inac- tor to specify a MIDI port and channel for input.
tive or their voice assignment is set to Off.
For information on assigning MIDI input to
When working with more than the maximum num- Instrument tracks, see “Assigning MIDI In-
ber of voiced audio tracks allowed by your system, put and Output for Instrument Tracks” on
you can only play back audio from higher-num- page 280.
bered (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-numbered
track to Off (click the Voice selector and select
Off).

278 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To assign a MIDI track input:
For information on assigning MIDI output to
 Click the track’s MIDI Input selector and assign
Instrument tracks, see “Assigning MIDI In-
a port and channel for MIDI input. Channels al-
put and Output for Instrument Tracks” on
ready assigned to another track appear in bold.
page 280.
In the Edit window, select View > Edit To assign a MIDI track (and all its clips) to a
Window > I/O to access any track’s Input specific MIDI device channel:
selector.
 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.

In the Edit window, select View > Edit Window

> I/O to access any track’s Output selector.

MIDI Input selector (MIDI Track shown)

Assigning MIDI Track Output

Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
channels to a MIDI track output. The default selec-
MIDI Output selector (MIDI track shown)
tion of none sends MIDI data to no port on any
channel. Use the MIDI Output selector to specify a To assign multiple destinations to a single MIDI
MIDI port and channel for output. track:

 Control-click (Mac) or Right-click (Mac or

MIDI tracks in Pro Tools cannot contain
Windows) the MIDI Output selector and select
multiple channels of MIDI data.
additional channels from any device.

For information on recording and

importing MIDI data, see Chapter 26,
“MIDI Recording.”

Chapter 13: Tracks 279

 Assigning MIDI Input and Output To assign an Instrument track MIDI input:
for Instrument Tracks  Click the track’s MIDI Input selector and assign
Instrument tracks have a specific view for MIDI a port and channel for MIDI input. Channels al-
controls, including MIDI Input and Output selec- ready assigned to another track appear in bold.
tors.
Instrument Track MIDI Output
In addition to assigning MIDI input and out-
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and
put for recording and playing back MIDI
channels to an Instrument tracks’ MIDI output.
data, Instrument tracks can also be used to
The default selection of none sends MIDI data to
monitor the audio from your hardware MIDI
no device, port, or node on any channel. Use the
instruments and instrument plug-ins. See
MIDI Output selector to specify a MIDI port and
“Signal Routing for Monitoring and Submix-
channel for output.
ing” on page 1134.
Channels in use by another track input appear as
To view Instrument track MIDI controls, do one of
the following: bold in the MIDI Input pop-up menu.

 Select View > Mix Window > Instruments. To assign an Instrument track MIDI output:

 Select View > Edit Window > Instruments.  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
MIDI Input selector
MIDI Output selector
bold.

Instruments view, Mix window Soloing and Muting Tracks

Instrument Track MIDI Input The Solo and Mute buttons can be engaged at any
time during playback. The Solo and Mute buttons
Pro Tools lets you assign specific MIDI ports and affect MIDI as well as audio tracks. It is possible to
channels to an Instrument tracks’ MIDI input. The have more than one track soloed or muted at the
default selection of All receives all incoming MIDI same time in a session.
data from all ports on all channels. Use the MIDI
Input selector to specify a MIDI port and channel Instrument tracks have separate sets of
for input. Solo and Mute buttons for MIDI and audio
monitoring.
Channels in use by another track input appear bold
in the MIDI Input pop-up menu. Track grouping also affects mute and solo behav-
ior. Muting or soloing a track that is a member of
an active Mix Group will mute or solo all other
tracks that are a member of that active Mix Group
as well.

280 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Soloing Tracks SIP (Solo In Place) The Solo button mutes other
tracks. When this mode is enabled, tracks can be
To solo tracks: solo safed (see “Solo Safe Mode” on page 283).
1 Click the Solo button on a track. The button is
AFL (After Fader Listen) The Solo button routes
highlighted and all other tracks are muted.
the track’s post-fader/post-pan signal to the
2 Click the Solo button on another track. The but- AFL/PFL Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is con-
tons for both tracks are highlighted and all other figured in the Output page of the I/O Setup dialog
tracks are muted. (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 66).

Soloing a Folder track leaves all member tracks With AFL, the level you hear is dependent on the
unmuted (except for any member tracks that were fader level for that track. Additionally, there is a
explicitly muted separately) while all other tracks separate master level setting for AFL that affects
that are not also soloed are muted. the output of any or all tracks you solo in AFL
mode (see “AFL/PFL Path” on page 66). This
To un-solo tracks: level setting is independent of the PFL level
 Click the Solo button on soloed tracks. setting.

PFL (Pre Fader Listen) The Solo button routes the

For information on creating and modifying
groups for track soloing and muting, see
track’s pre-fader/pre-pan signal to the AFL/PFL
“Grouping Tracks” on page 317.
Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is configured in
the Output page of the I/O Setup dialog (see
“AFL/PFL Path” on page 66).
Solo Button
The Solo button normally mutes other tracks so With PFL, the fader level and pan are ignored, and
that the selected track can be auditioned inde- the level you hear is dependent on the signal’s re-
pendently. corded level. Additionally, there is a separate mas-
ter level setting for PFL that affects the output of
With Pro Tools Ultimate, this behavior is selected any or all tracks you solo in PFL mode (see
as a Solo mode, called “Solo In Place.” Additional “AFL/PFL Path” on page 66). This level setting is
Solo modes are provided to change how the Solo independent of the AFL level setting.
button works. See “Solo Modes” on page 281.
AFL and PFL Solo modes require the
Surround Mixer plug-in.
Solo Modes
Pro Tools lets you use the Solo button to:
Custom Pan Depth settings are unavailable
• Mute other tracks so that the selected track can when either AFL or PFL Solo mode is
be auditioned alone. enabled.
• Route a selected track to a separate output.
If Mute Frees Assigned Voice is enabled,
Solo button behavior is defined by the Solo mode,
muted tracks will not be audible in PFL
as follows:
mode.

Chapter 13: Tracks 281

 To select a Solo mode: To select a Solo Latch mode:
1 Choose Options > Solo Mode.  Choose Options > Solo Mode and select from
the following options:
2 Select SIP, AFL, or PFL.
Latch When selected, pressing subsequent Solo
The Solo mode for all soloed tracks can be
buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks.
changed from any Solo mode to either SIP or
AFL. Previously soloed tracks will switch X–OR (Cancels Previous Solos) When selected,
their solo behavior to the new mode. pressing subsequent Solo buttons cancels previous
solos.
Switching the Solo mode for all soloed tracks
to PFL clears all previously soloed tracks To override X–OR mode and solo more than
before entering PFL mode. This prevents one track at a time, hold the Solo button on
potentially large boosts in level. the first track. Subsequently pressed Solo but-
tons will latch.
DSP Usage when Using AFL or PFL Mode
Momentary (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) When se-
AFL and PFL are accomplished by Pro Tools cre-
lected, Solo buttons are not sticky. A track is so-
ating a “behind the scenes” mixer to route the sig-
loed only when its Solo switch is held down.
nal to the chosen AFL/PFL Path. Depending on the
size of your main mixer, Pro Tools will devote a With a qualified control surface, additional tracks
substantial portion of its available DSP when using can be soloed by pressing their SOLO switches (as
AFL/PFL mode. long as at least one Solo button is held down).
When no SOLO switch is held down, all soloed
Un-declaring the AFL/PFL Path will free up all
tracks will unsolo.
DSP resources previously used for AFL/PFL
mode.
Temporarily Latching Solos in Momentary
Solo Mode
Using AFL/PFL on Pro Tools Systems with a
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
D-Control or D-Command

AFL/PFL is optimized for Pro Tools systems using To temporarily latch solos:
a D-Control or D-Command control surface, 1 Choose Options > Solo Mode > Momentary.
where the XMON automatically switches its mon-
itor source between the main output and the 2 Press the Solo button on the first track that will
AFL/PFL output from Pro Tools. be soloed.
3 While holding the first Solo button, press addi-
For more information on using XMON and
tional Solo buttons. Solo buttons remain soloed
AFL/PFL, see your control surface guide.
as long as one Solo button is held.

Solo Latch Options As long as at least one Solo button is held, all
the solos will remain latched.
Solos can be latched (where pressing subsequent
buttons adds them to the soloed mix of tracks), un-
latched, or temporarily latched
(Pro Tools Ultimate only).

282 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Solo Safe Mode To mute a track:

Pro Tools lets you solo safe a track. This prevents  Click the Mute button on the track.
the track from being muted even if you solo other
To unmute a track:
tracks. This feature is useful for tracks such as
Auxiliary Inputs that are being used as a submix of  Click the Mute button again.
audio tracks, or effects returns, allowing the audio
or effects track to remain in a mix even when other MIDI Mute
tracks are soloed. It is also useful to solo safe MIDI
The Mute button on a MIDI track mutes MIDI
tracks so that their playback is not affected when
data, not audio. Muting MIDI results in no MIDI
you solo audio tracks.
data being passed to the MIDI output. On Instru-
New Auxiliary Input tracks default to Solo ment tracks, the track’s Mute button mutes the au-
Safe mode when added to a session. However, dio signal and the MIDI Mute button is only avail-
when converting an Auxiliary Input track to a able in Instruments view.
Routing Folder track, the resulting Routing
Folder track will not be in Solo Safe mode.

AFL or PFL soloed tracks cannot be solo safed.

To solo safe a track:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

dows) the Solo button on the track. This pre- MIDI Mute button, Instruments view, Mix window
vents the track from being muted even if you
solo other tracks. The Solo button changes to a
transparent color in Solo Safe mode.
Making Tracks Inactive
Folder, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA
To return a solo safe track to normal: Master, Instrument, and MIDI tracks can be made
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- inactive. Inactive tracks use no DSP or voices.
dows) the Solo button on the track again. Plug-Ins, sends, voices, and automation on inac-
tive tracks are all disabled. Tracks may also be au-
tomatically made inactive if a session is opened on
Mute Button
a system with less DSP power than the system that
The Mute button silences a chosen track. More it was created on.
than one track can be muted at one time.
Making a Folder track inactive also makes all of its
Muting a Basic Folder track also mutes all member member tracks inactive. Similarly, making a
tracks. However, muting a Routing Folder track Folder track active also makes all its members ac-
mutes only the output of the Routing Folder track. tive (except for any that were explicitly made inac-
Member tracks of the Routing Folder are not tive separately).
muted, so any tracks that are not routed to the input
of the Routing Folder track are potentially still au-
dible.

Chapter 13: Tracks 283

 To toggle a track active/inactive: To make one or more tracks inactive or active, do
one of the following:
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Track Type indicator  Select the track and select Track > Make Inac-
in the Mix window. tive/Active.

Playlists for inactive tracks are dimmed and track  Right-click the Track Name in the Tracks List,
controls are grayed out. or Mix or Edit windows and choose Make Inac-
tive/Active.

To select multiple tracks, Command-click

(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) additional
Track Names.

To select a range of tracks, Shift-click the

Track Names bounding the range of tracks
you want selected.

Color Coding for Tracks,

Clips, Markers, and Groups
Separate colors can be assigned to audio and MIDI
clips, tracks, markers, and groups. Clips shown in
Waveform and Block Views in the Edit window
are drawn in color. Tracks shown in the Tracks
List, Groups 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 channel
strip, and below the track name.

Edit Window Track colors are displayed in vertical

color bars that appear to the left of each track.

Tracks List Track colors are displayed in vertical

color bars that appear to the left of each track
name.

Groups List Track colors are displayed in vertical

color bars that appear to the left of each Group
Name.

284 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default colors are automatically assigned to tracks, Default Track Color Coding
but you can override those colors by choosing
The Default Track Color Coding options determine
from a color palette of 96 possible colors. For more
how colors are assigned to the display of tracks.
information, see “Color Palette” on page 286.
None Turns off default color assignment for
Display Page Preferences for tracks.
Color Coding
Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to each
Color Coding options determine how colors are as- track in the Mix or Edit window according to its
signed to the display of tracks and clips. voice assignment or MIDI channel assignment.

To change Color Coding options: Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
track in the Mix or Edit window according to its
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
voice assignment or MIDI device assignment.
2 Click the Display tab.
Groups Assigns a color to each track according to
3 Select or deselect the Always Display Marker its Mix or Edit Group ID. If groups are suspended
Colors option. using the Suspend Groups command, the tracks
4 Select the MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity op- color bars are not shown.
tion. Track Type Assigns a color to each track according
5 Select or deselect the Apply Color Coding to to its type (audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
Track Channel Strip option. VCA Master, MIDI, Instrument, or video).

6 Select a Default Track Color Coding option. Default Clip Color Coding
7 Select a Default Clip Color Coding option. The Default Clip Color Coding options determine
8 Click OK. how colors are assigned to the display of tracks,
clips in the track playlist and Clips List, and
Always Display Marker Colors Marker Locations.

This option lets you view Marker colors in the None Turns off default color assignment for clips.
Markers ruler, regardless of the option you choose Clips are drawn as black waveforms or black MIDI
for the Default Clip Color Coding option. notes on a light gray background.

Tracks and MIDI Channels Assigns a color to each

MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity
clip in the Edit window according to its voice or
When this option is enabled, MIDI notes display MIDI channel assignment.
varying shades of the assigned track color in MIDI
Tracks and MIDI Devices Assigns a color to each
notes view in the Edit window and in MIDI Editor
clip in the Edit window according to its voice as-
windows. Notes with high velocities are darker
signment or MIDI device assignment.
and notes with lower velocities are lighter.

Chapter 13: Tracks 285

 Groups Assigns a color to each clip according to The Color Palette supports independent clip color
the Group ID of its track. If groups are suspended coding in the Clips List and in tracks.
(using the Suspend Groups command) all clips
display black waveforms or MIDI notes on a light You can also use the Color Palette to customize
gray background. UI Themes (see “UI Themes” on page 230).

Track Color Assigns a clip color based on the color To apply a color from the Color Palette:
assigned to the track. (See “Color Palette” on 1 Choose Window > Color Palette.
page 286.)
2 Do one of the following:
Marker Locations Assigns a unique color to each
• In the Apply to Selected pop-up menu, select the
marker area in the Marker ruler, including the area
destination for color coding: Tracks, Marker,
preceding the first marker.
Group, Clips in Tracks, or Clips in Clips List.
Clips List Color Assigns a color to each clip based • Select a track, marker, group, track clip, or Clips
on its color in the Clips List. When this Default Clip List clip in the appropriate Pro Tools window.
Color Coding option is enabled, the assigned clip The Apply to Selected menu will display the
color is maintained even if the clip is placed in a type of item you have selected.
track set to a different color coding.
If selecting a marker does not display the
Enabling any Default Clip Color Coding op- Marker option in the Apply to Selected
tion other than Clips List Color will override pop-up menu, then the Always Display
Clips List Color and reassign the parent track Marker Colors option in the Display Prefer-
color to copies of the clip placed in tracks. ences page is deselected. See “Always Dis-
Copies of the clip in the Clips List will retain play Marker Colors” on page 285 for more
their unique color. information.

Color Palette 3 Select a color from the palette, or select one of

the following:
The Color Palette lets you make color selections
for tracks, clips, groups and markers. Default Removes any custom coloring and restores
the color to the default color orientation. See “Dis-
Apply to Selected play Page Preferences for Color Coding” on
Apply to Channel Strip None page 285 for more information.
Saturation Default
Brightness None Turns off color assignment. Affected clips
are drawn with black waveform or MIDI notes on
light gray background. Affected tracks and groups
no longer show their color bars.

Last assigned color Hold

Color Palette window

286 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the Hold Button Applying Track Color Coding to
Channel Strips
The Color Palette provides a Hold button to sim-
plify the process of assigning the same colors to The Color Palette lets you apply the Track color
multiple items (such as track and clips). coding to channel strips in the Mix and Edit win-
dows.
By default, the Hold button is off. When off, the
Color Palette automatically highlights the assigned To apply track color coding to channel strips:
color (if any) of items as you select them.
1 Enable the Apply to Channel Strip button.
When the Hold button is enabled, the assigned 2 If necessary, adjust the Saturation slider to get
color selected in the Color Palette persists and does the color saturation you want.
not change when a different track or clip is se-
lected. 3 If necessary, adjust the Brightness slider.

To use the Hold button to assign the same color to

multiple items:

1 Click the Hold button to enable it. The Hold but-

ton becomes white, and the currently selected
color is now highlighted with a wider white out-
line.
2 Select additional tracks or clips to which you
want to assign the same color. Because the Hold
button is enabled, the Color Palette does not fol-
low 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 clips. Use the Apply to
Selected pop-up menu to determine which se-
lected elements are affected.
4 To turn off Hold and return the Color Palette to
its default mode, click the Hold button until it Color Coding applied to channel strips, Mix window
turns off.

Chapter 13: Tracks 287

288 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 14: Folder Tracks

Pro Tools provides Folder tracks to help you orga- Routing Folder Tracks Let you organize and man-
nize both track layout and signal routing in your age tracks in your sessions, and they also provide
projects and sessions. Folder tracks essentially audio routing and processing. You can route audio
function as containers for other tracks of any type. from member tracks through its input, apply plug-
A Folder track can be closed to hide all of the ins, use sends, assign track automation, and output
tracks it contains, or opened to show all contained audio much like an Auxiliary Input track.
tracks (member tracks). Thus, Folder tracks are a
powerful tool for organizing tracks (by stems, in- Tracks do not need to be contained by a
struments, and so on) so that you can more easily Routing Folder track in order to route audio
navigate complex sessions from a high level over- through it. You can bus audio from any track
view. to the audio input of a Routing Folder track
as desired.
Folder tracks can hold other Folder tracks up to
nine layers deep. A Folder track that contains an-
other Folder track is a parent Folder, and the Folder Basic Folder Tracks
it contains is a child Folder. Folder tracks that are
Basic Folder tracks can contain multiple tracks of
in the same layer are sibling Folders.
any type (including other Folder tracks). Use Basic
There are two types of Folder tracks: Basic and Folder tracks to organize tracks in your session. In
Routing. the Edit window, Basic Folder tracks display an
Overview of clips on all member tracks. Any edits
Basic Folder Tracks Let you organize and manage you make on Folder tracks Overview apply to all
tracks in your sessions, but without any of the spe- member tracks (see “Editing Folder Tracks in
cial routing capabilities that Routing Folder tracks Overview” on page 300).
provide. A Basic Folder track is like a container for
other tracks (of any type). It is especially useful in
large sessions with many tracks. For example, if
you have sixteen drum tracks in a session, you can
add them to a Basic Folder track which you can
then close to free up screen space so you can view
other tracks in the Edit and Mix windows without
scrolling. The solo and mute buttons on Basic
Folder tracks affect all member tracks, but other-
wise Basic Folder tracks do not provide any audio
or MIDI routing for member tracks.

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 289

 To create a Basic Folder track:
1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > New.
• Press Command+Shift+N (Mac) or Control+Shift+N (Windows).
• Right-click the Track name of any track in the Tracks List, or Edit or Mix windows, and choose New.
2 In the New Tracks dialog, select Basic Folder from the Track Type selector.

New Tracks dialog, Basic Folder track selected

3 Type a descriptive Name for the Folder track, if desired.

4 Click Create.

Basic Folder Track Controls

Basic Folder tracks provide Solo and Mute controls that apply to all member tracks. They also provide Au-
dio and MIDI signal indicators, which light when any member track is playing back audio or MIDI respec-
tively.

Audio signal indicator

MIDI signal indicator

Mute button
Solo button

Open/Close Folder track

Basic Folder track, Edit window controls and indicators

290 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Audio Signal Indicator Lights green when any
member track plays back audio (even if the track is
muted). If audio from any member track clips, the
border of the indicator turns either amber or red.
Solo button
MIDI Signal Indicator Lights amber when any
Mute button member track plays back MIDI.
Audio signal indicator Mute When selected (lit), all member tracks are
muted.
MIDI signal indicator
Solo When selected (lit), all member tracks remain
unmuted (except for any member tracks that were
explicitly muted separately) while all other tracks
that are not also soloed are muted.
Open/Close Folder Click to open or close the
Folder track. When closed, all member tracks are
hidden. When open, all member tracks are shown.
In the Edit window, member tracks are indented to
Open/Close Folder track show that they are contained by the Folder track. In
the Mix window, member tracks are bracketed by
Basic Folder track, Mix window controls and indicators the Folder track’s track color.

To open or close any Folder tracks that con-

tain the Edit cursor or are included in the
Edit selection, press Shift+F.

Indentation indicating member

tracks of the open Open/Close Folder track
folder track

Edit window, Basic Folder track open

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 291

 Outline indicating member tracks
of the open folder track

Open/Close Folder track

Mix window, Basic Folder track open

292 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Routing Folder Tracks
Routing Folder tracks function just like Basic Folder tracks and can contain multiple tracks of any type (in-
cluding other Folder tracks). They also let you route and process audio in the same way as Auxiliary Input
tracks. Routing Folder tracks are especially useful for summing and stem-mixing workflows. In the Edit
window, Routing Folder tracks provide Track Automation views in addition to Overview. Any edits you
make on Folder tracks Overview apply to all member tracks (see “Editing Folder Tracks in Overview” on
page 300).

To create a Routing Folder track:

1 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > New.
• Press Command+Shift+N (Mac) or Control+Shift+N (Windows).
• Right-click the Track name of any track in the Tracks List, or Edit or Mix windows, and choose New.
2 In the New Tracks dialog, select Routing Folder from the Track Type selector.

New Tracks dialog, stereo Routing Folder track selected

3 Select the desired channel width from the Track Format selector.
4 Select the desired Track Time Base.
5 Type a descriptive Name for the Folder track.
6 Click Create.

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 293

 Routing Folder Track Controls

Routing Folder tracks provide the same controls and indicators as Basic Folder tracks as well as the same
controls as Auxiliary Input tracks. However, be sure to note the difference in Mute behavior between Basic
and Routing Folder tracks.

Audio signal indicator

MIDI signal indicator
Track View selector

Track Freeze button Mute button

Solo button
Open/Close Folder track
Automation mode selector
Open/Close Automation
lanes
Track Timebase selector

Routing Folder track, Edit window controls and indicators

Audio Signal Indicator Lights green when any Track Freeze Button Lets you Freeze (or Un-
member track plays back audio (even if the track is freeze) the Routing Folder track. Only the audio
muted). If audio from any member track clips, the output of the Routing Folder track will be frozen
border of the indicator turns either amber or red. (or unfrozen); audio from member tracks that are
not routed through the Routing Folder track are not
MIDI Signal Indicator Lights amber when any
included.
member track plays back MIDI.
Open/Close Folder Click to open or close the
Mute When selected (lit), the output of the Routing
Folder track. When closed, all member tracks are
Folder track is muted. Unlike the Mute behavior
hidden. When open, all member tracks are shown.
with Basic Folder tracks, tracks contained by the
In the Edit window, member tracks are indented to
Routing Folder are not muted, so any tracks that
show that they are contained by the Folder track. In
are not routed to the input of the Routing Folder
the Mix window, member tracks are bracketed by
track are potentially still audible.
the Folder track’s track color.
Solo When selected (lit), all member tracks remain
Open/Close Automation Lanes Click to open or
unmuted (except for any member tracks that were
close Automation lanes for the Folder track. All
explicitly muted separately) while all other tracks
Routing Folder track automation applies only to
that are not also soloed are muted.
audio routed through the Routing Folder track.
Track View Selector Lets you select Overview or
Track Timebase Selector Lets you select the
Track Automation views.
Track Timebase (Samples or Ticks).
Automation Mode Selector Lets you select the
Automation mode for the Routing Folder track. To open or close any Folder tracks that
contain the Edit cursor or are included in
the Edit selection, press Shift+F.

294 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Outline indicating member tracks
of the open folder track

Audio signal indicator

MIDI signal indicator

Open/Close Folder track

Mix window, Routing Folder track open—output of contained audio tracks routed to input of Routing Folder track

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 295

 Track View selector (Overview)
Open/Close Folder track

Indentation indicating member

tracks of the open
folder track

Edit window, Routing Folder track open

To open (or close) a folder track, do one of the

Opening and Closing Folder following:
Tracks  Click the Open/Close Folder track icon on the
Folder tracks can be opened or closed to show or track in either the Edit or Mix window.
hide all member tracks. When opened, tracks con-
 Click the reveal triangle in the Tracks List.
tained by a Folder track are indented in the Edit
window and Tracks List, and always appear in or-  Right-click the Folder track name in the Tracks
der below the Folder track. In the Mix window, List, or in the Edit or Mix window, and choose
tracks contained by a Folder track are outlined and Open (or Close).
always appear in order to the right of the Folder
track. The track color bars at the top and bottom
show folder levels and membership in the Mix
window.

296 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Keyboard Shortcuts and Key
Modifiers for Opening and Converting an Auxiliary Input
Closing Folder Tracks Track to a Routing Folder
Track
Press Shift+F to open or close Folder tracks:
Pro Tools lets you convert Auxiliary Input tracks
• In the Edit window, this affects only tracks in
to Routing Folder tracks. This is especially useful
an Edit selection.
when working with projects and sessions created
• In the Mix window, this affects only tracks in earlier versions of Pro Tools. Once you have
within a track selection. converted an Auxiliary Input track to a Routing
• If a non-folder track that is a member of a Folder track, you can then manually add tracks to
Folder track is selected, its parent Folder is it.
closed.
To convert an Auxiliary Input track to a Routing
Click a Folder icon or reveal triangle in the Tracks Folder track:
List using the following key modifiers:
1 Select the Auxiliary Input track that you want to
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click convert in the Edit or Mix window, or in the
(Windows) to open or close the entire Folder Tracks List.
hierarchy.
2 Do one of the following:
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
to open or close all Folder tracks in the same • Choose Track > Convert Aux to Routing
layer (sibling Folders). Folder.

• Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control- • Right-click the name of the Auxiliary Input

Alt-click (Windows) to open or close all track in the Edit or Mix window, or in the
Folder tracks in the same layer (sibling Fold- Tracks List and choose Convert Aux to Rout-
ers) and below (nested, or child Folders). ing Folder.

• Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click

(Windows) to open or close all selected
Folder tracks.

In order to avoid confusion when a large

number of tracks are being shown or hidden,
Pro Tools does its best to keep the tracks that
are currently on-screen visible while Folders
are being opened or closed.

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 297

 Adding Tracks to and Removing Tracks from Folder Tracks
You can add tracks to and remove tracks from Folder tracks in several different ways.

To add one or more tracks of any type to a new Folder track:

1 Select one or more tracks in the Edit or Mix window, or in the Tracks List that you want to add to a new
Folder track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Track > Move To New Folder.
• Press Command+Option+Shift+N (Mac) or Control+Alt+Shift+N (Windows).
• Right-click the Track name of a selected track and choose Move To > New Folder.
3 In the resulting Move To New Folder dialog, do the following:
• Select Basic Folder or Routing Folder for the Type selector.
• If you selected Routing Folder, select the Format, Time Base, and, if desired, select Route Tracks
to New Folder.
• Name the new Folder track.
• Click Create.

Move To New Folder dialog

A new Basic or Routing Folder track is created and the selected tracks are moved to the new Folder track.
If you created a new Routing Folder track, a new internal bus named after the new folder track is created
and assigned to its track input. If you selected the Route Tracks to New Folder option, the outputs of any
tracks you are moving to the new Routing Folder track are also assigned to that bus.

A new bus is always created for a new Routing Folder and assigned to its input. The outputs of new mem-
ber tracks are only automatically routed to that bus if the Route Tracks to New Folder option is enabled.

298 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To add one or more tracks of any type to an exiting
Folder track:

1 Select one or more tracks in the Edit or Mix

window, or in the Tracks List that you want to
add to an existing Folder track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click and drag any of the selected tracks to
the Folder track in either the Edit or Mix win-
dow, or in the Tracks list. Orange lines indi-
cate the target location and level.
• Right-click the Track name of any selected
track and choose Move To > <Folder track
name>.

Moving a Folder track also moves all of its

member tracks with it.

You cannot change the channel width of any

Folder Track that contains one or more tracks.
Dragged track added to Folder

To remove one or more tracks from a Folder track:

1 If necessary, open the Folder track to view all
contained tracks.
2 Select one or more tracks in the Edit or Mix
window, or in the Tracks List that you want to
remove from the Folder track.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click and drag any of the selected tracks out
of the Folder to blank space or to another
track location in either the Edit or Mix win-
dow, or in the Tracks list. Orange lines indi-
cate the target location of dragged tracks.
• Right-click the Track name of any selected
track and choose Move To > Top Level.

Dragging a track to add it to a Folder track

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 299

 Dragging a track to remove it from a Folder track Dragged track removed from Folder

Editing Folder Tracks in Overview

In the Edit window, Folder tracks provide the unique Overview track view that displays blocks represent-
ing clips on member tracks. This is the only track view available for Basic Folder tracks. Routing Folder
tracks also let you view and edit in Track Automation views in addition to Overview.

Overview of member tracks

Open Folder track in Overview

300 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Any Edit selection you make on a Folder track in Of course you can make explicit Edit selections in
Overview includes any track material within the member tracks and apply edits only to specific
range of the selection on all member tracks. Edit- member tracks.
ing in Overview on Folder tracks applies to track
material on all member tracks. Track-based edits (such as changing the color of a
track), however, are not propagated to member
When a Folder is open, Edit selections made on a tracks and only apply to the selected Folder track.
Folder track in Overview are implicitly extended
to all member tracks. Most edit commands can be Press Option+Control+Shift+P (Mac) or
used without any restrictions (such as Clear, Cut, Alt+Start+Shift+P (Windows) to extend the
Copy, and Paste) and apply to all member tracks. Edit selection up through member tracks.

Press Option+Control+Shift+; (Mac) or

Alt+Start+Shift+; (Windows) to extend the
Edit selection down through member tracks.

The following are disallowed for implicit selec-

tions on member tracks whether the Folder track is
open or closed:
• Commit (Track menu)
• Toggling bypass of inserts and sends
Edit Selection on Folder track in Overview
The following are restricted on closed Folder
tracks:
• Select/Split Notes (Event Operations)
• Step Input (Event Operations)
• Record Enable
• Input Monitor
• Special edit commands for plug-in automation
• Real-Time Properties
• Elastic Properties

Clear applied to all member tracks

When a Folder is closed, Edit selections made in

Overview are implicitly extended to all member
tracks. However, not all edit commands are avail-
able for closed Folder tracks, and some restrictions
apply. Commands that are unavailable for closed
Folder tracks are grayed out in their respective
menus.

Chapter 14: Folder Tracks 301

 Modifier Keys for Folder Track
Selections
The following key modifiers can be used to make
track selections in the Edit and Mix windows, as
well as the Tracks List:
• Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-
click (Windows) any track in the Edit or Mix
windows, or in the Tracks List to select all
tracks in the same layer (siblings).
• Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) a track in
the Tracks List to select (or deselect) siblings
in different Folders.
• Option-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-
Start-Shift-click (Windows) to extend the se-
lection to sibling tracks.

Editing Routing Folder Track

Automation
Routing Folder tracks let you view and edit track
automation, such as Volume, either in the corre-
sponding track view or in Automation lanes. Rout-
ing Folder track automation is independent of any
automation on member tracks, and editing Routing
Folder track automation does not affect the auto-
mation on member tracks.

302 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 15: Track Presets

Pro Tools lets you create, save, overwrite, and re- To create and save a new Track Preset:
call Track Presets. A Track Preset captures the cur- 1 Create and configure one or more tracks for any
rent configuration of the selected track or tracks, of your common workflow scenarios (such as
and can include the track type, format, level, pan- “lead vocal input chain,” or “drums parallel
ning, plug-in and send configurations, and more. compression bus,” and so on).
You can recall Track Presets to create new pre-
configured tracks in your session. You can also re- 2 Do one of the following:
call Inserts or Sends configurations from Track • Select the track or tracks and choose Track >
Presets to tracks that are already in your session. Save Track Preset.
• Right-click the track name and choose Save
Track Presets are available for recall in the Track
Track Preset.
Type selector in the New Tracks dialog. Track Pre-
sets can also be recalled from a Workspace • Select the track or tracks and press Op-
browser to create new tracks. You can use Work- tion+Shift+P (Mac) or Alt+Shift+P (Win-
space browsers to organize, manage, and search dows).
your collection of Track Presets, so you always 3 Configure the Save Track Preset dialog as de-
have easy access to the perfect Track Presets for sired (see “Save Track Preset Dialog Settings”
any session or project. on page 303).
4 Click OK.
Creating and Saving Track
Presets Save Track Preset Dialog
Settings
You can save any selected track or tracks in your
session as a Track Preset. A Track Preset captures The Save Track Preset dialog lets you name the
the current configuration of the selected track or preset, assign it to a category, and include audio
tracks. and MIDI clips (all clips or only clips within the
current Edit selection). Add metadata tags to your
Track Presets to make searching for the perfect
Track Preset in a Workspace browser even easier.
You can rename and re-categorize Track Presets
later in any Workspace browser.

Chapter 15: Track Presets 303

 2 In the resulting dialog, type the name for the
New Category.

Naming a new Track Preset Category

3 If desired, select the directory in which you

want your new category to be created.

Save Track Preset dialog

Category

From the Category selector, assign the Track Pre-

set to an appropriate category. If the appropriate Selecting the directory in which to create a new Track
category for the preset doesn’t yet exist, create a Preset Category
new one.
4 Click OK.
To create a new Track Preset Category:
The new category is added to the available Track
1 In the Save Track Preset dialog, choose Add Preset Categories.
Category from the Category selector.
Press Command+Left/Right Arrow keys (Mac)
or Control+Left/Right Arrow keys (Windows)
to cycle through the available Categories.

Name

The Name field is pre-populated with the track

Adding a Track Preset Category name. You can continue using the track name for
the preset, type a new name, or select the name of
an existing preset to overwrite it.

Press Command+Up/Down Arrow keys (Mac)

or Control+Up/Down Arrow keys (Windows)
to cycle through the Name menu.

304 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Include All Member Tracks Auto-populate tags from Track Data

When saving a Folder track as a Track Preset, you Enable Auto-populate tags from Track Data to au-
can either save the Folder track as an empty folder tomatically create tags based on the following
or with all member tracks. To include all member Track Data: Plug-in Manufacturers, Plug-in
tracks with the Track Preset, enable the Include All Names, Plug-in Categories, Plug-in Preset (if un-
Member Tracks option in the Save Track Preset di- modified), Track Types, Track Names, and Track
alog. Folder track hierarchies are maintained when Width.
Track Presets are saved and recalled.
Press Command+T (Mac) or Control+T (Win-
Include Audio and MIDI Clips dows) to enable or disable the Auto-populate
Tags from Track Data option.
Enable Include Audio and MIDI Clips to include any
audio or MIDI clips on the track with the Track Tags Field
Preset. This can be useful if you often work with
Type descriptive tags for the Track Preset in the
loops, for example.
Tags field.
Press Command+I (Mac) or Control+I (Win-
To add a tag to a Track Preset:
dows) to enable or disable the Include Audio
and Media Clips option. 1 Click in the Tags filed and type the tag you want
(for example, “Strings,” “Synth,” or “Pad”).
Clips in Edit Selection Only
2 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to as-
Enable Clips in Edit Selection Only to include only sign each new tag that you type.
whole audio and MIDI clips, and any associated
automation data that is within the current Edit se-
lection. Use this option in conjunction with Track
Offset Options set in the Track Data To Recall di-
alog to place included media at any desired Time-
line location in any other session or project (see
“Track Data to Recall” on page 306).

The beginning of the Edit selection is defined

as the first sample of the saved Track Preset.
Entering tags in the Tags field
Press Command+N (Mac) or Control+N To remove a tag from a Track Preset:
(Windows) to enable or disable the Clips in
Edit Selection Only option.  Click the X on the right-edge of the tag.

Tags Use the Left and Right Arrow keys to navigate

tags. Press Delete to remove a selected tag.
Add metadata tags to Track Presets to narrow
searches for Track Presets in Workspace browsers.

Chapter 15: Track Presets 305

 Track Data to Recall
Pro Tools lets you specify what Track and Session data to recall with the Track Preset. These settings can
be modified in a Workspace browser for any selected Track Preset (see “Track Presets in Workspace
Browsers” on page 313).

Track Data to Recall dialog

Press Command+R (Mac) or Control+R (Windows) to open the Track Data To Recall dialog from the
Save Track Preset dialog.

When recalling a Track Preset by any means, press Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) to open and
edit the Track Data to Import dialog. You can then specify what Track Data you want to recall.

Clips and media will only be stored with a Track Preset if the Clips and Media option is enabled.

306 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Data to Recall Presets Save Settings Saves the current settings. This
command overwrites any previous version of the
Pro Tools lets you store and recall different config- preset.
urations of the Track Data to Recall dialog as pre-
sets. The Presets controls for the Track Data to Re- Press Command+Shift+S (Mac) or Control+
call dialog work much like the Presets controls for Shift+S (Windows) to save the current settings.
Batch Renaming, Fades, and Clip Effects.
Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a
Presets Buttons new preset. You can name the preset and save it to
any location on your system.
The Track Data to Recall dialog provides five Pre-
sets buttons that let you store and recall your most Import Settings Opens the Choose a Settings File
commonly used Track Data to Recall configura- dialog focused on the default Track Data to Recall
tions. You can also save and recall Track Data to folder. Track Data to Recall Settings files stored in
Recall settings using the Librarian menu. this location are listed by name under <factory de-
fault> in the Librarian menu. In the Choose a Set-
To store a Track Data to Recall preset: tings File dialog, you can navigate to any location
1 Configure the Track Data to Recall dialog as on your system to select and import the Track Data
you like. to Recall Settings preset file you want.

2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
dows) the Presets button where you want to the current settings file from disk.
store the current Track Data to Recall settings.
Lock (Unlock) Settings File Locks (or unlocks)
To recall a Track Data to Recall preset: the selected Settings file so that it cannot (or can)
be edited.
 Click the Presets button that contains the set-
tings you want to recall. Track Data

Librarian Menu Pro Tools lets you include (or exclude) Track Data
with Track Presets. For a complete list of Track
Use the Librarian menu to save and recall presets
Data options with descriptions, see “Track Data to
files (.ptpreset). These are usually saved to and re-
Import” on page 457.
called from the Track Data to Recall folder
(/Documents/Pro Tools/Pro Tools Presets/Track Session Data
Data to Recall/). However, you can save to and re-
call from any directory location on your system. Pro Tools lets you include (or exclude) the follow-
Preset files can be shared and used on any other ing Session Data with Track Presets: For a com-
Pro Tools system as well. plete list of Session Data options with descriptions,
see “Importing Session Data” on page 451.
The Librarian menu commands include:

<factory default> Restores the default settings for

the Track Data to Recall dialog.

Chapter 15: Track Presets 307

 Track Offset Options Track Presets Files
Pro Tools lets you specify a Track Offset in addi- All Track Presets are stored as and recalled from
tion to any offset incurred with the Timecode Map- Track Presets files (.ptxp). By default, Pro Tools
ping Options. Any imported audio is offset in the installs and looks for Track Presets files in the fol-
current session or project Timeline by the specified lowing locations:
amount.
Mac Macintosh HD/Users/<username>/
Select one of the following options: Documents/Pro Tools/Track Presets

No Offset No Track Offset is applied. Windows C:\Users\<username>\Documents\

Pro Tools\Track Presets
Offset To Lets you specify the Track Offset to a
Timeline location in Bars|Beats, Min:Sec, Time- Customize the location for storing Track Pre-
code, Feet+Frames, or Samples. set files in Preferences > Operation > Docu-
mentation and Settings.
Offset to Song Start Marker Locates the Track
Offset to the Session Song Start Marker.
Track Presets can be stored in sub-folders
Offset to Timeline Selection Locates the Track within the designated directories so you can
Offset to the start of the current Timeline Selec- organize your Track Presets by sub-catego-
tion. ries. Pro Tools displays these as sub-menus
when selecting Track Presets in the applica-
Other Options tion.

Pro Tools lets you set et the current Track Preset to

Recall settings to be Tick-based or as a Sample-
Creating New Tracks from
based track.
Track Presets
Force to Timebase You can create new tracks from Tracks Presets us-
ing the New Tracks dialog or the Track Right-click
Enable the Force to Timebase option to ensure that
menu, or by drag and drop from a Workspace
the Track Preset is always imported in the selected
browser (see “Track Presets in Workspace Brows-
Timebase:
ers” on page 313).
Ticks Ensures that the Track Preset imports as
Tick-based.

Samples Ensures that the Track Preset imports as

Sample-based.

308 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Presets in the New Tracks Dialog
To create a new track from a Track Preset:

1 Choose Tracks > New Track.

2 From the Track Type selector, choose Track Presets and select the Track Preset Category (such as
“Avid”).

Selecting the Track Preset Category

3 Select the Track Preset.

Selecting a Track Preset

4 Click Create.

The Track Preset is recalled into the session as a new track (or as new tracks) according to the current Track
Data to Recall settings.

Chapter 15: Track Presets 309

 Track Presets in the New Tracks Dialog from Track Output Selector
To create a new track from a Track Preset using the Track Output Selector:

1 Click the Output selector of a track and choose New Track.

Creating a New Track from a Track Output selector

2 From the Track Type selector, choose Track Presets and select the Track Preset Category (such as
“Avid”).

Selecting the Track Preset Category

3 Select the Track Preset.

Creating a new track from a Track Preset

4 Click Create.

The Track Preset is recalled into the session as a new track (or as new tracks) according to the current Track
Data to Recall settings.

310 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Presets in the Tracks
Right-Click Menu Recalling Inserts from Track
Presets
To configure a track from a Track Preset using the
Track Right-click menu: Pro Tools lets you recall Inserts saved in a Track
Preset. This lets you quickly configure any track
1 Right-click any Track Name in the Tracks List,
with common effects chains saved in Track Pre-
or in the Edit or Mix windows.
sets.
2 From the Right-click menu, choose Recall
Track Preset and select the Track Preset you Plug-ins recalled from Track Presets adapt to
want to recall. the format of the current track when possible.
For example, if a Track Preset was saved as
stereo, but you are recalling Inserts from it to
a 5.1 track, any plug-ins stored with that Track
Preset that support 5.1 are recalled as 5.1 in-
serts. However, if a plug-in does not support
the track format (for example, in this case, if
there is no 5.1 version of a plug-in saved with
the Track Preset), it is not recalled.

Selecting a Track Preset from the Track Right-click

menu

Chapter 15: Track Presets 311

 To recall inserts from a Track Preset, do one of the
following: Recalling Track Presets to
 Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace
Sends
browser to the Inserts view of an existing track. Pro Tools lets you recall Sends configurations
saved in a Track Preset. This lets you quickly con-
 Choose a Track Preset from the Recall Inserts
figure any track with common send configurations
submenu in the Inserts selector of an existing
saved in Track Presets.
track.
To recall sends from a Track Preset, do one of the
following:

 Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace

browser to the Sends view of an existing track.
 Choose a Track Preset from the Recall Sends
submenu in the Sends selector of an existing
track.

Recalling inserts from a Track Preset

Recalling sends from a Track Preset

312 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Presets in Workspace Browsers
Workspace browsers provide easy access to all of your Track Presets from the Track Presets alias in the
Locations pane. Subdirectories of the Track Presets location let you organize Track Presets by Category—
each subdirectory appears as a Track Preset Category in the New Tracks dialog. Search for Track Presets
by name, category, or by matching metadata tags (just like with Soundbase) in any Workspace browser.

To open new Workspace browser focused on Track Presets:

 Choose Window > New Workspace > Track Presets.

To recall Track Presets from the Workspace into a session and create new tracks, do one of the following:

 Drag and drop a Track Preset to the Tracks List or to blank space in the Mix or Edit windows.
 Double-click a Track Preset.
 Right-click a Track Preset and choose Recall Track Preset.

Track Preset selected in a Workspace browser showing Track Data to Recall

Chapter 15: Track Presets 313

 Tagging Track Presets
Pro Tools lets you add metadata tags to Track Presets just like with Soundbase. For more information about
working with tags, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Searching Track Presets

Pro Tools lets you search for track presets in a Workspace browser using basic or advanced search criteria,
or by searching on metadata tags. For more information about searching in Workspace browsers, see
“Searching Items” on page 365.

Searching Track Presets with Tags in a Workspace

Filtering Track Data when Recalling Track Presets from Workspace

When a Track Preset is selected in the search pane of a Workspace browser, the Track Data to Recall
settings for the selected Track Preset appears in its own pane on the right side of the Workspace browser.
These settings are the same as those in the Track Data to Recall dialog. You can edit the Track Data to
Recall settings for the selected Track Preset in the Workspace browser. The Track Preset is updated with
any changes you make. These settings are applied when you recall the Track Preset from the Workspace
browser or when you create a new track (Track > New) from the Track Preset.

For more information about the Track Data to Recall settings, see “Track Data to Recall” on page 306.

314 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Dragging Track Presets from a Importing Multiple Presets from
Workspace Browser Workspace Browser
Simultaneously
You can recall Track Presets by dragging and
dropping them from Workspace browsers to your Pro Tools lets you import an entire folder of Track
session or project. Presets from Workspace browsers with a single
command. Similarly, you can import a selection of
Dragging to the Tracks List, or Edit or multiple Track Presets at once.
Mix Windows
To import all of the Track Presets in a folder:
Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace
browser to the Tracks List, or to the Edit or Mix 1 Locate the folder of Track Presets you want to
window to create new tracks from the Track Pre- recall in a Workspace browser.
set. See also “Creating New Tracks from Track 2 Right-click the folder and choose Import Track
Presets” on page 308. Preset.

Dragging to Inserts All Track Presets are recalled to create new tracks
in your session or project.
Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace
browser to a track’s Inserts view in the Edit or Mix To recall a selection of Track Presets:
window to recall Inserts from the Track Preset. See
1 Locate the Track Presets you want to recall in a
also “Recalling Inserts from Track Presets” on
Workspace browser.
page 311.
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
Dragging to Sends dows) the Track Presets you want to import.
Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace 3 Right-click one of the selected Track Presets
browser to a track’s Sends view in the Edit or Mix and choose Import Track Preset.
window to recall Sends configurations from the
Track Preset. See also “Recalling Track Presets to All selected Track Presets are imported to create
Sends” on page 312. new tracks in your session or project.

Dragging to a Track Name

Drag and drop a Track Preset from a Workspace

browser to a Track Name in the Edit or Mix win-
dow to configure that track based on the Track Pre-
set. If the Track Preset contains more than one
track, on the first track stored with the Track Preset
is recalled.

Press Option+Shift (Mac) or Alt+Shift (Win-

dows) when dragging and dropping to config-
ure all tracks based on the Track Preset.

Chapter 15: Track Presets 315

316 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks

Pro Tools provides a relative grouping function for Mix Groups, Edit Groups, and
linking tracks and their controls. Mix/Edit Groups
Mix Groups only affect mixing functions and Edit
Groups only affect editing. Mix/Edit Groups link
Grouping Tracks the grouping functions of the Mix Group and the
Groups are useful for editing several tracks in ex- Edit Group.
actly the same way, or for mixing several tracks
(such as a pair of stereo tracks or a submix) while Edit Groups
keeping them at the same relative volume level. Edit Groups affect the following items in the Edit
and MIDI Editor windows:
Pro Tools provides the following grouping
features: • Track View
• Up to 104 different groups are available, ar- • Track Height
ranged in 4 banks of 26 Group IDs. • Track Timebase
• Groups can be nested (subgroups within • Audio and MIDI editing functions
groups).
• Automation editing functions
• Grouped faders or controllers preserve their lev-
• Rulers
els relative to each other.
• Groups are assignable to an available VCA Mas-
ter track.

Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks 317

 Mix Groups Grouping Limitations

Mix Groups can be set to affect the following Grouping does not affect these parameters:
items: • Voice assignment
• Main Mute • Output assignment
• Solo
• Inserting plug-ins
• Send Level
• Elastic Audio plug-ins
• Send Mute
• Main Volume Selectable Group Attributes
• Main Pan
You can select which parameters, or attributes, are
• Main LFE Level (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio linked in groups by the following methods:
only)
• By making the group an Edit Group, a Mix
• Record Enable
Group, or both (Mix/Edit Group).
• Input Monitoring
• With Mix and Mix/Edit Groups, by selecting
• Automation Mode from a list of attributes for the group.
• Object Controls (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
• With Mix Groups in Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
with Dolby
dio only, by choosing whether the selected attri-
Atmos only)
butes apply globally to all groups or to
• Send Pan individual groups.
• Send LFE Level (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
only)
• Plug-In Controls
• Plug-In Bypass

In Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, 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.

318 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Mix Groups and VCA Masters By default, every session has a group named All,
which includes every track in the session. The All
An existing Mix Group can be assigned to a VCA
group cannot be edited or deleted.
Master, or a new Mix Group can be assigned to a
VCA Master while it is being created. Only one Groups List menu
group can be assigned to a VCA Master at a time. Click to
select a
A VCA Master cannot control a group that in- group by
cludes itself. typing its
letter
Click to
For information on assigning groups to VCA select Click to
group
Masters, see “Assigning Groups to VCA members
activate a
group
Masters” on page 1109. on-screen

Group Controls
Colors Group IDs Show/Hide
Menus and commands for creating and modifying Groups List
groups are accessible in the following:
• Groups List Groups List

• Group name in the Groups List Show/Hide Tracks List/Groups List

View Button
• Group ID indicator on a track
• Track > Group menu To show the Groups List (and Tracks List):

 Click the Show/Hide Tracks List/Groups List

The Groups List View button in the Mix, Edit, or MIDI Editor
window.
The Pro Tools track grouping functions are located
at the left side of the Mix, Edit, and MIDI Editor
Group ID
windows in the Groups List. This scrolling win-
dow contains the names of all the groups in your To the left of each name in the Groups List is a let-
session, as well as a pop-up menu for accessing ter denoting its Group ID (“a” through “z”).
grouping commands. From this menu, you can se-
lect and enable groups.

Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks 319

 Group Symbols Modify Groups Opens Group dialog to modify ex-
isting groups only.
To the left of each Group ID (“a” through “z”) is a
symbol indicating whether that group is selected in Delete Active Groups Deletes only currently ac-
the current window (either the Mix or Edit win- tive groups.
dow). There are three types of Group symbols, as
shown in the following figure:

Hollow Circle

Filled In Circle

Circle with a Dot Groups List menu

Group Symbols Group Name and Track Group ID

Indicator Pop-Up Menus
The Group symbols indicate the following:
When you Right-click on a group name in the
Filled-in Circle Indicates that all members of the Groups List or click a Group ID indicator in a
group are currently selected, and no members from track, a pop-up menu provides the following com-
outside the group are selected. mands:
Hollow Circle Indicates that only some members Tracks Displays track membership in group.
of the group are currently selected.
Attributes Displays attributes of group.
Circle with a Dot Indicates that all members of the
group are currently selected, plus additional mem- Modify Opens Group dialog to modify existing
bers outside the group. groups only.

Duplicate Opens Group dialog for duplicated

Groups List Menu
group.
The pop-up menu at the top of the Groups List pro-
Delete Deletes a single group.
vides the following commands:
Select Tracks in Group Selects tracks in the
New Group Executes the Track > Group com-
group.
mand.
Show/Hide Tracks in Group Shows or hides tracks
Display Provides commands to show Edit groups
in the current group.
only, Mix groups only, or all groups (Edit, Mix,
and Mix/Edit). Show Only Tracks in Group Shows only the
tracks in the group and hides all other tracks.
Suspend All Groups Suspends group behavior for
all Mix and Edit groups.

320 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Show All Tracks Shows all tracks in the session. Group Dialog

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 tem-

plate that can be applied to individual groups by
selecting the Follow Globals option.
Group Name pop-up menu

--Include Rulers--

Group ID indicator pop-up menu

Group Dialog
Whether you are creating or modifying groups
with the Groups List, a track's Group ID indicator,
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

Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks 321

 6 Click Tracks in the Group dialog, and do any of
Working with Groups the following:
• To add the tracks that are currently selected in
Creating Groups the session to the group, click the Add button at
You can select the tracks you want to add to a the bottom of the Group dialog.
group before creating it, or add and remove tracks • To add tracks to the group, select the track
from a group after it has been created. names in the Available Tracks List, and click
Add or press A on the computer keyboard.
Creating Groups
• To remove tracks from the group, select the track
To create a group: names in the Currently In Groups List, and click
Remove or press R on the computer keyboard.
1 Select the tracks you want to include in the
group. (If you do not select tracks at this time, • Double-click track names in either list to move
you can add tracks later.) them to the opposite column.

2 Do one of the following: • To replace all tracks in the group with the tracks
that are currently selected in the session, click
• Choose Track > Group.
the Replace button at the bottom of the Group
• Choose New Group from the Groups List menu. dialog.
3 Type a name for the group. In either list, Shift-click to select a range of
4 Select the type of group to create: Edit, Mix, or track names. Command-click (Mac) or Con-
Mix/Edit. trol-click (Windows) to select discontiguous
track names.
5 Choose a Group ID from the ID pop-up menu.
Four banks of 26 are available: a–z, 2a–z, 3a–z, 7 If the group is a Mix Group or a Mix/Edit
4a–z. (If you do not choose a Group ID, Group, do the following:
Pro Tools automatically assigns the next avail-
• Set the Attributes for the Group (see “Setting
able ID to a new group.)
Group Attributes” on page 324).
• If you want to assign the group to an available
VCA, select the VCA Master track from the
VCA pop-up menu.

8 Click OK.

322 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Modifying Groups
To modify a group:

1 Do one of the following:

• Choose Modify Groups from the Groups List
menu.
• In the Mix window, click the Group ID indicator
on a track and choose Modify from the pop-up
menu.
• Right-click the Group name in the Groups 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
• Follows Global status
Modify ALL Group dialog
• Track membership
3 For Mix or Mix/Edit Groups, you can change
• Attributes any of the following:
• Linked Within Group items • Follows Globals status
4 Click OK. • Mix Attributes

To modify the settings for the “All” group: 4 Click OK.

1 Right-click the “All” group name in the Groups

List and choose Modify from the pop-up menu. Deleting Groups
2 In the Group dialog, select Edit, Mix, or Mix/Edit One or all groups can be deleted at a time.
to change the settings for the “All” group. If you
Deleting a group cannot be undone.
select Edit only or Mix only, the “All” group will
apply only to that Group type. 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.
 Right-click the Group name in the Groups List
and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks 323

 To delete all currently active groups
Setting Group Attributes
 Choose Delete Active Groups from the Groups
List menu. When creating a Mix Group or a Mix/Edit Group,
you can select the Mix window parameters that
The “All” group cannot be deleted. will be linked for that group. These linked param-
eters are the attributes of the group.
Duplicating Groups
You can select attributes in the Globals page and
You can duplicate a group and modify its settings then set individual groups to follow the Global set-
in order to quickly set up a mix. tings, or you can select attributes for groups indi-
vidually.
To duplicate a group:
Do one of the following:
1
Selecting Attributes in the
• Click the Group ID indicator on a track and Globals Page
choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu.
To select attributes in the Globals page:
• Right-click the Group name in the Groups List
and choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu. 1 While creating or modifying a group, click Glo-
bals in the Group dialog.
2 Change any of the following for the current
group:
• Group name
• Group type (Edit, Mix, or Mix/Edit)
• VCA status (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
only)
• Follows Global status (Pro Tools Ultimate and
Studio only)
• Track membership
• Attributes (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only)
• Linked Within Group items (Pro Tools Ultimate
and Studio only)
3 Click OK.

Globals page of Group dialog

324 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Select the base set of attributes for groups in 2 Click OK to save the settings.
your session.
3 Click OK to save the group and the new Globals
settings.

For information on selecting attributes, see

“Selecting Group Attributes” on page 325.

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.
• Enable Follow Globals to follow the base set of
attributes. The Attributes page grays out to indi-
cate that the group is following the selections in
the Globals page.

For information on selecting attributes, see

“Selecting Group Attributes” on page 325.

Attributes page of Group dialog

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 (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
only)

Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks 325

 Insert controls (Inserts A–J): Saving Group Attribute Presets
• Plug-In Controls You can define six Group presets that can be re-
• Insert Bypass called on either the Attributes or Globals page
whenever you are creating or modifying a Mix or
Send controls (Sends A–J): Mix/Edit Group.
• Send Level
To save the current attribute settings as a Group
• Send Mute preset:
• Send Pan 1 In the Groups dialog, click Save. (Follow Glo-
• Send LFE Level (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio bals must be deselected to save a setting from
only) the Attributes page.)

Mix Attributes:
• Record Enable
• Input Monitoring Saving a Group preset
• Solos 2 In the Save Group Settings dialog, select one of
• Automation Mode the six preset locations from the Location pop-
up menu, and click Save.
• HEAT Pre/Post
• HEAT Bypass
• Object Controls (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
with Dolby Atmos only)

To select the attributes for a group, do any of the

following:
Selecting a Group Settings Location
 Select individual attributes.
 To select or deselect all attributes, Option-Shift- To save the current attribute settings
click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) any directly to a preset location, Command-
attribute. click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the
preset button.
 To select or deselect all attributes for a single
Send or Insert (across a row), Control-click To recall a Group preset:
(Mac) or Start-click (Windows) any attribute in
that row.  Click the corresponding Preset button (1–6) in
the Groups dialog. (Follow Globals must be de-
 To select or deselect attributes for a single con- selected to recall a setting in the Attributes
trol across all Sends, all Inserts, or for the four page.)
track controls (down a column), Option-click
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any attribute in
that column.

Recalling a Group preset

326 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Keyboard Selection of Groups
Enabling Groups
The Groups List Keyboard Focus lets you type a
Editing operations are not applied to members of a Group ID letter to automatically toggle that
group that are hidden with the Tracks List. Mix op- group’s enable status.
erations (with the exception of record-enabling of
tracks) are applied to hidden tracks.  In the Mix window, the Groups List Keyboard
Focus is always enabled.
Pro Tools lets you create separate groups for edit-
ing and mixing. You set this option when you use  In the Edit window, you need to enable the
the New Group command. Groups that apply to Groups List Keyboard Focus to use it.
both editing and mixing can be decoupled.
To enable the Edit Groups List Keyboard Focus, do
one of the following:
To enable a group:
 Click the Keyboard Focus button in upper right
 In the Groups List, click the name of the group
of the Edit Groups List.
you want to enable. The name is highlighted to
indicate that it is enabled.  Press Command+Option+3 (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt+3 (Windows).
To enable additional groups, click their names in
the Groups List.

Moving a fader of a group member causes all other

group members to move relative to it. If a fader be-
longs 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:
Groups List Keyboard Focus enabled
 In the Groups List, click the name of the group
To enable and disable groups using the Edit and
you want to disable. The name is unhighlighted
Mix Groups List Keyboard Focus:
to indicate that it is not enabled.
 With Groups List Keyboard Focus enabled,
type the Group ID letter (a–z) to automatically
enable or disable the corresponding group.

Chapter 16: Grouping Tracks 327

 Temporarily Isolating Control of
an Item from Group Operation Grouped Control Offsets
You can temporarily isolate control of a group When the following controls are grouped with off-
item from group operation by Right-clicking on sets and moved to their extremes, relative offsets
the item. are preserved when the controls are moved back
from their extremes:
You can also temporarily suspend group • Main Volume
behavior for a track by Control-clicking
(Mac) or Start-clicking (Windows) a group • Main Pan
function. • Send Level
• Send Pan
The following items can be isolated from group
operation: For example, when a grouped Volume fader is
• Pan slider moved to its maximum value, any other faders in
that group that had higher values will remember
• Channel Record Enable
their relative offset whenever the first fader is
• Channel TrackInput pulled down again.
• Send Pan slider
In Automation views, this “overflow” is indicated
• Channel Volume fader on the automation playlist by blue automation
• Channel Pan slider breakpoints at the extremes of the automation
playlist.
• Channel Mute button
• Channel Solo button
Setting Group Pan Controls to
• Channel Record Enable button Ignore Offsets
• Channel TrackInput button By default, offsets are preserved for grouped pan
• Send fader controls. In some workflows, it is desirable to have
• Send Pan slider grouped pan controls match absolute values rather
than preserve offsets.

To set grouped pan controls to ignore offsets:

1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Select the Use Absolute Pan Linking option.

When this option is enabled, grouped pan controls

will snap to the absolute value of the pan control
that is being adjusted.

328 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 17: The Clips List

The Edit Window displays all audio clips, MIDI Because clip information can become lengthy, the
clips, and clip groups in a single, comprehensive Clips List can be scrolled or resized as necessary.
Clips List.
Use the Clips List as a bin for storing your
Drag to resize width Keyboard Focus favorite audio loops and MIDI clips. Save
of Clips List the session as a template and the clips are
Clips List menu
available for future sessions (see “Session
Templates” on page 194).

Clips List Menu

The Clips List menu provides tools to search, se-
lect, sort, export, clear, and manage items in the
Clips List.

To access the Clips List menu:

 In the Edit window, click the Clips List menu.

Click Show/Hide Clips List but-

ton to hide Clips List

Clips List

All clips of all types that are recorded, imported, or

created by editing appear in the Clips List. Items
can be dragged from the list to tracks and arranged
in any order. You can also preview audio and
MIDI clips and clip groups in the Clips List.

Clips List menu

Chapter 17: The Clips List 329

 Displaying Clips in the Clips List In the Clips List, whole-file audio clips are dis-
played in bold, and stereo and multichannel audio
The Clips List can show all clip types (audio,
clips can be expanded to display individual chan-
MIDI, video, Groups, Auto-Created), or only cer-
nels.
tain clip types. This is useful for isolating the type
of clips you want to work with while editing and If the Clips List Selection Follows Edit Selection
arranging. For example, when arranging clip option is enabled in the Editing preferences, select-
groups, you may want the Clips List to show only ing a clip or clip group in the Clips List selects it on
clip groups. any track where it is present in assigned playlists.
Likewise, selecting a clip or clip group on a track
To show or hide certain types of clips in the Clips selects it in the Clips List.
List:

 Click the Clips List menu (at the top of the Clips Displaying File Info for Audio
List) and choose Show. From the submenu, Clips
select or deselect the clip type you want to show
or hide. In addition to clip names, the Clips List can also
display information about the clip’s color coding,
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) type (audio, MIDI, and clip group), timebase, Elas-
to select (or deselect) multiple items in the tic Audio processing, and parent file:
Show submenu without closing the menu.
Timebase Displays the timebase (samples or ticks)
Audio Shows or hides audio clips in the Clips List. for audio and MIDI clips, and clip groups.

MIDI Shows or hides MIDI clips in the Clips List. Color Displays Track Color Coding as assigned
with Default Clip Color Coding option in Display
Video Shows or hides video clips in the Clips List. Preferences page, or as assigned in the Color Pal-
Groups Shows or hides clip groups in the Clips ette.
List. Processing State Displays the Warp Indicator
Auto-Created Shows or hides automatically-cre- icon if Elastic Audio processing has been applied
ated clips (of all types) in the Clips List. These are to the clip.
clips that were created as a by-product of cutting, Guitar Settings (Eleven Rack Only) Displays the
pasting, and separating other clips. Since these Eleven Rack icon if guitar settings are embedded
auto-created clips can become numerous, hiding in the clip.
them (by deselecting the option) helps you to avoid
scrolling through an unnecessarily long Clips List. File Type Displays the File Type icon for audio
and MIDI clips, and clip groups.
Hiding Auto-Created clips can be useful
when importing clip groups (or REX files File Name Displays the parent file name.
as clip groups), because these file types can
Disk Name Displays the name of the hard drive on
contain so many separate clips that it be-
which referenced file resides.
comes difficult to read the Clips List.

330 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Full Path Displays the full directory path of the Sorting Clips
clip’s parent file.
To sort clips in the Clips List:
Channel Name Displays the channel name for
1 Click the Clips List menu (at the top of the Clips
audio files imported from field recorders.
List) and choose Sort By.
Scene and Take Displays the scene and take for
2 From the submenu, select a basis for sorting.
audio files imported from field recorders.
Different options are available for audio and
MIDI clips. See “Sort By Options” on page 331.
3 To set whether clips are listed in ascending or
descending order, click the Clips List menu,
choose Sort By, and select Ascending or
Descending.

Sort By Options
Clips with file information shown in the Clips List The Sort By options let you sort clips to help keep
track of large numbers of clips.
Pro Tools displays only the clip name in the Clips
List by default. Audio clips can be sorted by:
When editing, the Clips List can become • Clip Type
cluttered with auto-created clips. You can • Name
hide auto-created clips by choosing Show
• Length
in the Clips List menu, and deselecting
Auto-Created. • Original Time Stamp
• User Time Stamp
• Timebase
Sorting and Searching in the
Clips List • Start in Parent

Most sessions will contain many clips, which can • End in Parent
make it challenging to swiftly locate a particular • File Name
clip in the Clips List. Pro Tools lets you sort and • File Length
search clips in the Clips List to quickly locate any
clip you want. • File Creation Date
• File Modification Date
• Disk Name (audio and clip groups only)
• Track Format/Width
• By Channel Name
• By Scene and Take
• Guitar Settings

Chapter 17: The Clips List 331

 MIDI clips can be sorted by: 2 In the Find Clips dialog, do any of the follow-
• Name ing:

• Length • Select By Name and type the name, or any por-

tion of the name, for clips you want to find. The
• Original Time Stamp search string appears at the top of the Clips List.
• User Time Stamp • Select Include Subsequently Added Clips to
• Timebase limit the display to newly added clips. A plus (+)
• Start in Parent sign appears at the top of the Clips List to indi-
cate this option is selected.
• End in Parent
• Select both options to start with a list of named
Clips can also be sorted by Clip Type (Audio and clips and allow display of added clips.
MIDI), or in Ascending or Descending order.

Finding Clips
Use the Find command to display all clips in a list
whose names contain a particular word or phrase. Found Clips in the Clips List

To find and display clips in the Clips List: Clips of any type whose name match the word or
phrase you searched are displayed in the Clips List.
1 Do one of the following:
The search string is displayed at the top of the
• Click the Clips List menu and choose Find. Clips List in brackets.
• Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or
Text entered into the Find dialog is saved in
Control+Shift+F (Windows).
a Find History, letting you quickly
repeat previous searches with a minimum
of retyping.

3 Click OK.

To repeat a previous search:

1 Click the Clips List menu, and choose Find.

Find Clips dialog
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.

An example of a Find history

332 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Find History is saved with the session. Select Parent in Workspace
In addition to storing each text string previously Enable this option to highlight the parent file of
entered, you can insert multiple entries into the any selected clips in a Workspace browser.
Find History manually (without having to perform
each Find in order to store words or phrases).
Selecting Clips in the Clips
To compile a Find History without performing each List
search:

1 Click the Clips List menu, and choose Find. In the Clips List, you can select clips so they can be
dragged to tracks, processed with AudioSuite
2 Click and hold the small arrow to the right of the plug-ins, or exported.
text field in the Find dialog and select the item
in the Found History list before which you want To select or deselect a clip in the Clips List, do the
to insert the new entry. following:

3 Type the name, or any portion of the name, for  Click a clip name that is unhighlighted to
the clips you want to find. select it.

4 Click and hold the small arrow to the right of the  Click a clip name that is highlighted to
text field in the Find dialog and choose deselect it.
Insert Entry from the pop-up menu.
To select a range of clips in the Clips List, do one
of the following:

 Move the cursor to the left of the clip names, so

the Marquee appears, and drag around the clips
you want to select.

Clips List while searching

5 If desired, type another entry and choose Insert

Entry again to add additional search strings to
the Found History list.

To remove an entry from the history: Clips selected with Marquee

1 Select it from the Find History pop-up menu so it
 Click the name of a clip in the Clips List, and
is displayed in the text field.
Shift-click an additional clip name.
2 Choose Remove Entry from the Find History
All clips that occur between the first clip
pop-up menu.
selected and the additional clip will also be
To clear the Find History: selected.

 Choose Remove All Entries from the Find

History pop-up menu.

Chapter 17: The Clips List 333

 To select or deselect a range of clips with the To enable and use the Clips List Keyboard Focus:
Marquee:
1 Click the Keyboard Focus button in the upper
1 Move the cursor to the left of the clip name right of the Clips List.
until the Marquee icon with a small “+” symbol
appears:
• To select clips, the Marquee should be to the left
of an unhighlighted clip name.
• To deselect clips, the Marquee should be to the
left of a highlighted clip name.
2 Click on the clip name and drag up or down (to
select or deselect clips immediately above or Clips List Keyboard Focus enabled
below the clip name).
2 Type the first or first few letters of the clip to au-
To select multiple noncontiguous clips in tomatically locate and select it. Once a clip is lo-
the Clips List, hold Command (Mac) or cated and selected, it can be dragged to a track.
Control (Windows) when making subse-
Keyboard selection of audio clips locates clips
quent selections.
based on their clip name, not on the names for their
To select or deselect noncontiguous clips, do one parent audio files or the volumes on which they re-
of the following: side.
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) clip names that are unhighlighted to Select Options
select them.
In the Clips List, you can select specific clips so
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click they can be dragged to tracks, processed with Au-
(Windows) clip names that are highlighted to dioSuite plug-ins, or exported.
deselect them.
To select specific clips in the Clips List:

Keyboard Selection of Clips  From the Clips List menu, choose Select, and
then choose one of the Select options:
If Clips List Keyboard Focus is enabled, you can
type the first few letters of a clip’s name and All Selects all clips in the Clips List.
Pro Tools will automatically locate and select the
Unused Selects clips that have not been placed in a
clip in the Clips List.
track in the current session. Offline clips appear in
the Clips List italicized and dimmed.

334 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Unused Except Whole Files Selects clips that To preview a clip in the Clips List:
have not been placed in a track in the current ses-  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
sion, but do not include Whole-file clips. Whole- clip name.
file clips are clips that were created when record-
ing or importing audio, consolidating existing Audio clips and clip groups play back through the
clips, and when nondestructively processing with specified Audition Path (see “Audition Path” on
an AudioSuite plug-in. Whole-file audio clips ref- page 64).
erence an entire audio file that resides on your hard
drive. Whole-file audio clips are displayed in bold Sample-based clips play back at their native
in the Clips List tempo. Tick-based MIDI and Elastic Audio pro-
cessed clips play back at the session tempo (based
Offline Selects clips whose parent files cannot be on the location of the playback cursor). You can
located, or are not available, when opening a ses- also preview clips from the Clips List during ses-
sion or importing a track. Offline clips appear in sion playback.
the Clips List as italicized and dimmed; they ap-
pear in playlists as light blue clips with italicized MIDI clips play back using the Default Thru In-
names. strument selected in the MIDI Preferences page
(see “The Default Thru Instrument” on page 581).
“Select Unused” Ignores Parent Clip Enabling
the “Select Unused” Ignores Parent Clip option af-
Auditioning Discrete Signals in
fects the behavior of the Select Unused command.
Multichannel Items
When it is enabled, all unused clips are selected ex-
cept for any unused whole clips that have related In the Clips List, multichannel clips are auditioned
sub-clips currently on tracks in the session. through the Audition Path specified in the I/O
Setup. Signals can be auditioned “in-place,” or
through all outputs, as described below.
Previewing Clips in the Clips Audition In-Place
List
When auditioning a mono component of a mono
You can preview audio and MIDI clips and clip
component clip, the mono clip can be played from
groups in the Clips List. Previewing follows the
the corresponding channel of its parent mono com-
master Audition path as selected in the Output
ponent clip. This playback method is called audi-
page of the I/O Setup. The base level for preview-
tion in-place.
ing is determined by the Master Fader (or Auxil-
iary Input) level assigned to the Audition path. To audition in-place:

The Preview Volume control in the Import 1 In the Clips List, make sure the stereo or multi-
Audio dialog also affects the preview channel clip is in expanded view (showing .L,
volume when auditioning clips in the .R, and other component channels).
Clips List.
2 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
clip for the channel you want to audition.

Chapter 17: The Clips List 335

 Audition to All Outputs Individual items of an expanded-view stereo or
multichannel clip can be selected independently of
When auditioning a mono component of a mono
the other associated clips in the Clips List.
component clip, the clip can be routed equally to
all outputs of the parent clip’s Audition Path.
Rules for Stereo and
To audition through all channels of the main Multichannel Clips
audition path:
For stereo and multichannel audio clips to be
 Shift-Option-click (Mac) or Shift-Alt-click shown as collective clips, the component clips
(Windows) on the signal in the Clips List. must be the same length. If an existing stereo or
multichannel clip has been dragged onto multiple
mono tracks and edited such a way that one or
Stereo and Multichannel more components are no longer the same length,
Clips in the Clips List the stereo display is removed and the clips are dis-
played as individual clips in the Clips List.
Stereo and multichannel clips, whether imported
or recorded into Pro Tools, are displayed as single
items in the Clips List. For example, two mono
source clips named “Main Piano.L” and “Main Pi-
Naming and Displaying Clips
ano.R” are listed as “Main Piano (Stereo).” An ex-
in the Clips List
pand/collapse triangle indicates stereo and multi- A typical session can become cluttered with doz-
channel clips. ens of tracks and hundreds of clips. There are a
number of things you can do to keep track of and
Stereo and multichannel clips are displayed in the
manage a session’s clips, including:
Clips List by default in collapsed view. The indi-
vidual clips can be displayed by clicking the arrow • Renaming existing clips
to the left of the clip to expand the name. • Specifying how auto-created clips are named
• Hiding auto-created clips
• Removing unused clips

Renaming Clips
In the course of a session you can rename clips to
give them more descriptive names, or to shorten or
simplify existing names. When renaming a clip
Stereo clips, expanded (top) and collapsed (bottom) that was auto-created during editing, the clip be-
comes a user-defined clip and is displayed in the
To expand or collapse all stereo and multichannel Clips List even when auto-created clips are hidden.
clips:

 Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while If a clip resides in a track, you can easily rename it
clicking the expand/collapse triangle. by double-clicking it with one of the Grabber tools.
However, if the clip does not reside in a track, or if
you want to rename several clips, use the Rename
command in the Clips List.

336 Pro Tools Reference Guide

You can also rename a clip in a track using the Clip Info
Rename command in the Clips List menu or the
The Name dialog provides the option to view in-
Right-click menu.
formation about the selected clip. This information
To rename one or more clips from the Clips List: is not editable from the Name dialog. The follow-
ing clip information is available:
1 If you will be renaming an auto-created clip, se-
lect Show > Auto-Created from the Clips List Instances Displays the number of instances of the
menu. clip used in the session.
2 Select one or more clips to be renamed in the Rating Displays the Rating for the clip (see “Rat-
Clips List. ing Clips” on page 707).

If the Clips List Selection Follows Edit Selec- File Name Displays the file name of the parent file
tion option in the Editing Preferences page is for the clip.
enabled, you can highlight a clip in the Clips
List by selecting it in a track. Start Displays the start time of the selected clip ac-
cording to the main timebase.
3 Do one of the following:
Sync Displays the Sync point time of the selected
• From the Clips List menu, choose Rename. clip according to the main timebase.
• Right-click on any selected clip and select Re-
End Displays the end time of the selected clip ac-
name from the pop-up menu.
cording to the main timebase.
4 In the Name dialog, type a new name for the
Duration Displays the duration of the selected clip
clip. If a whole-file audio clip was selected,
according to the main timebase.
specify whether to rename just the clip, or both
the clip and the disk file. Original Time Stamp Displays the original time
stamp of the selected clip according to the main
timebase.

User Time Stamp Displays the user time stamp of

the selected clip according to the main timebase.

Name dialog

5 Click OK to rename the clip. If renaming multi-

ple clips, you are prompted, successively, to re-
name each clip.

You can resize the Name dialog by dragging

the boundaries of the dialog.

Chapter 17: The Clips List 337

 To show (or hide) information for the selected clip: 3 In the Rename Selected Clips dialog, enter the
 In the Name dialog, click the show/hide triangle text to be used when naming clips created from
for Clip Info. the selected clip.

Rename Selected Clips dialog

Name Determines the root name for the auto-cre-

ated clips.

Starting Number Sets the start number for the se-

quentially numbered new clips.

Number of Places Determines the number of dig-

its that occur before the auto numbers.
Name dialog (Clip Info shown)
Suffix Specifies text to be appended to the end of
Auto-Naming Options the name, following the auto numbering.

You can specify the auto-naming options for a clip 4 Click OK.
when new clips are created from it in the course of
editing. Batch Clip Renaming
Auto-naming of clips does not affect the names of The Batch Rename command for clips is only
parent audio files. Instead, it stores pointers to the available in the Clips List.
clips within the parent source file.
Clip Groups and clips contained within are
To set auto-naming options for a clip: ignored by Batch Clip Renaming.

1 Select a clip in the Clips List. To batch rename selected clips:

2 Choose Auto Rename from the Clips List menu. 1 In the Clips List, select the clips you want to re-
name.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Clips List menu.
• Right-click a selected Clip in the Clips List.

338 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Choose Batch Rename. All selected clips are renamed accordingly.

Press Control+Shift+R (Mac) or For details on batch renaming tracks or

Start+Shift+R (Windows) to open the clips, see “Batch Renaming” on page 341.
Batch Clip Rename dialog.

Managing Clips in the Clips

List
In the course of editing a session, the Clips List can
quickly fill up with many clips—with ones you
have created intentionally and also with those that
are automatically created by cutting, pasting, and
separating other clips, or importing Clip Group
files (or REX files as clip groups). Pro Tools lets
you hide or remove clips in your session so you do
not have to scroll through a long Clips List.

Hiding Auto-Created Clips

You can hide clips that were automatically created
during the course of editing.

To hide auto-created clips:

 From the Clips List menu, deselect Show >

Auto-Created. With this option deselected, only
user-defined clips appear in the Clips List.

User-defined clips include:

• Whole-file clips
• Clips created during recording
• Imported clips
• Renamed clips
• Clips created as a result of AudioSuite
Batch Clip Rename dialog processing
4 Configure the Batch Clip Rename dialog as de- • New clips created with the Clip >
sired. Capture command or the Edit > Separate
Clip commands
5 Click OK.
• Clips created by trimming whole-file
audio clips

Chapter 17: The Clips List 339

 When auto-created clips are hidden, Pro Tools 4 Do one of the following:
warns you if the number of auto-created clips ex- • Click Remove to remove the unused clips from
ceeds a certain threshold, and gives you the option the session.
of deleting them. If you choose to delete them, all
auto-created clips are deleted at the same time. • If clearing a whole-file audio clip and you want
to permanently remove the audio file from your
To ensure that you keep any specific auto-created hard drive, click Delete.
clips, rename them. When you name a clip, it is
promoted from being an auto-created clip to a user- When deleting audio files for multiple clips,
defined clip (see “Renaming Clips” on page 336). Pro Tools presents a warning dialog for each audio
file.

Clearing Unwanted Clips To bypass repeated warning dialogs:

In the Clips List, you can select unwanted clips and  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
then use the Clear command to remove them from Delete button in the Clear dialog. This perma-
the session. Whole-file clips can also be perma- nently deletes each successive audio file from
nently removed from the hard drive on which they your hard drive (for each of the unused clips)
are stored. without any further warning.

The Clear command cannot be undone. Use this “power delete mode” with caution.
Deletion of these files cannot be undone.
To find and remove unused clips in a session:

1 Do any of the following:

• For MIDI clips, from the Clips List menu, Clip Name Right-Click
choose Select > Unused. Commands
• For audio clips, from the Clips List menu, When you Right-click a clip name in the Clips List,
choose Select, then choose Unused, Unused Ex- a pop-up menu provides access to the following
cept Whole Files, or Offline. commands:

2 After all unused clips are selected, choose Clear Clear Removes selected clips from the session.
from the Clips List menu. The Clear Selected
Rename Renames selected clips.
dialog opens.
3 In the Clear Selected dialog, select the Automat- Batch Rename Lets you batch rename selected
ically select all unused clips option if you want clips.
to ensure that all unused clips, including whole Time Stamp Redefines the time stamp of selected
file clips, are selected for deletion or removal. clips.
Any selections previously made in the Clips
List are ignored. Spot to Edit Insertion Spots selected clips to the
Edit insertion point on tracks.

Replace Clip (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) Replaces

multiple instances of a clip with another clip.

340 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Copy Audio as MIDI (Audio Clips Only) Opens timeline order or Clips List sort order. Both dialogs
the Audio to MIDI Properties dialog for the se- also offer presets so you can store and recall com-
lected audio clip. mon renaming schemes best suited to your work-
flow.
Compact Compacts selected clips.
Renaming tasks are applied in order from
Export Clip Definitions Exports definitions for se-
top to bottom: Replace, then Trim, then Add,
lected clips.
and finally Numbering.
Export Clips as Files Exports selected clips as
files. Replace

Recalculate Waveform Overviews Redraws Enable (or disable) the Replace option to replace
waveforms for selected clips. text in the names of clips or tracks.

Reveal in Workspace Lets you reveal the parent Press Command+R (Mac) or Control+R
file for any individual clip in a Workspace (Windows) to select (or deselect) Replace.
browser.

Reveal in Finder/Reveal in Explorer lets you re-

veal the parent file for any individual clip in the
Mac Finder or Windows Explorer.

Object Select in Edit Window Selects clip as an

object in the Edit window.
Batch Rename, Replace options

Find Type the text you want replaced in the names

Batch Renaming of selected items.

Pro Tools lets you rename selected tracks or clips Replace Type the text you want to use in the
in batches. This can be very useful for managing names of selected items instead.
auto-named tracks and clips, especially in a large Clear Existing Name Enable to completely clear
session. the existing names of selected items.

Batch Renaming Dialog Options Regular Expressions Enable to use advanced find
and Settings and replace operations using regular expressions.

The Batch Track Renaming and Batch Clip Re- For more information about using regular
naming dialogs provide controls for changing the expressions for batch renaming tasks, see
names of all selected items (tracks or clips) by Re- “Regular Expressions Workflow Examples”
placing text, Trimming characters, Adding charac- on page 344.
ters, and sequential Numbering. The Batch Clip
Renaming dialog also provides controls for setting
the order for numbering selected clips based on

Chapter 17: The Clips List 341

 Trim Add

Enable (or disable) the Trim option to remove the Enable (or disable) the Add option to add prefixes
specified number of characters from the beginning or suffixes to names. You can also insert text into
or end of names. the middle of names.

Press Command+T (Mac) or Control+T Press Command+D (Mac) or Control+D

(Windows) to select (or deselect) Replace. (Windows) to select (or deselect) Add.

Batch Rename, Add options

Prefix Enable the Prefix option and type the text

Batch Rename, Trim options
you want to add to the names of selected items as a
From Beginning Enter the number of characters prefix.
you want to trim from the beginning of the names
of selected items. Insert Enable the Insert option and type the text
you want to insert into the names of selected items.
From End Enter the number of characters you Enter a number in the At Index field to specify after
want to trim from the end of the names of selected which character you want to insert the text (for ex-
items. ample, type 3 to insert text after the third character
in names).
Range Enable Range and then enter the number of
characters From the beginning and the number of Suffix Enable the Suffix option and type the text
character To the end of the range that you want to you want to add to the names of selected items as a
trim (or crop) the selected names to. The From and suffix.
To values can be counted from the beginning or
from the end of the selected names.

Count From Beginning Enable to count the From

and To values for Range from the beginning of the
selected names.

Count From End Enable to count the From and To

values for Range from the end of the selected
names.

342 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Numbering Process Order
(Batch Clips Renaming Only)
Enable (or disable) the Numbering option to add
numbers to the names of selected items. The Process Order options are only in the Batch
Clips Rename dialog and determine the order by
Press Command+N (Mac) or Control+N
which numbering is applied to selected clips.
(Windows) to select (or deselect) Numbering.
\

Batch Clips Rename, Process Order

Timeline Order (Left to Right, Top to

Bottom) Applies numbering according to the time-
line order of selected clips from left to right and
then from top to bottom.

Batch Rename, Numbering options Clips List Sort Order Applies number according
to the current Clips List sort order for selected
Position Select whether you want numbers to be
clips.
added at the Beginning or End of names, or at the
specified character index (At Index) in names. If
Presets
you select At Index, also enter a number in the In-
dex field to specify after which character in names Pro Tools lets you store and recall common renam-
you want to insert the numbers. ing schemes best suited to your workflow in both
the Batch Track Renaming and Batch Clip Renam-
Starting Number Enter the number from which
ing dialogs. The Presets controls for Batch Renam-
you want to start.
ing work much like the Preset controls for Fades
Number of Places Enter the number of places you and Clip Effects.
want for numbering (for example, type 3 for three
places 000). Presets Buttons

Increment Enter the value by which you want the Both the Batch Track Renaming dialog and the
numbering to increment. Batch Clip Renaming dialog provide five preset
buttons that let you store and recall your most com-
Separate With Enable to separate added numbers monly used naming conventions. You can also
with a space or any other single character after (if save and import additional Batch Naming settings
placed at the beginning) or before (if placed at the using the Librarian menu.
end), or before and after the specified character in- \

dex (if inserted at the specified index).

Use A.Z Enable to use capital letters instead of

numbers.

Batch Rename Presets, Librarian menu shown

Chapter 17: The Clips List 343

 To store a Batch Naming preset: Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a
1 Configure the Batch Naming dialog as you like. new preset. You can name the preset and save it to
any location on your system.
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the Preset button where you want to store Import Settings Opens the Choose a Settings File
the current Batch Naming settings. dialog focused on the default Batch Rename
folder. Batch Naming Settings files (.ptpreset)
To recall a Batch Naming preset: stored in this location are listed by name just under
<factory default> in the Librarian menu. In the
 Click the Preset button that contains the settings
Choose a Settings File dialog, you can navigate to
you want to recall.
any location on your system to select and import
Librarian Menu the Batch Settings file you want.

Use the Librarian menu to save and recall Batch Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
Naming Settings files (.ptpreset). These are usu- the current settings file (.ptpreset) from disk.
ally saved to and recalled from the Batch Track Lock (Unlock) Settings File Locks (or unlocks)
Rename folder or the Batch Clip Rename folder the selected Settings file so that it cannot (or can)
accordingly (/Documents/Pro Tools/Pro Tools be edited.
Presets/Batch Track Rename/). Of course you can
save to and import from any directory location on
your system. Batch Name preset files can be Regular Expressions Workflow
shared and used on any other Pro Tools system as Examples
well. Regular expressions are standardized text strings
that describe search patterns. Use regular expres-
The Librarian menu commands include:
sions when batch renaming tracks or clips to find
<factory default> Restores the default settings for and replace text based on more advanced criteria
Batch Naming. than simple find and replace text operations.

Save Settings Saves the current settings. This For more information about regular expres-
command overwrites any previous version of the sions, visit https://www.regex101.com.
preset.

Press Command+Shift+S (Mac) or Control+

Shift+S (Windows) to save the current settings.

344 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Some commonly used regular expressions for advanced find and replace text operations:

regular expressions function

. Matches any single character.

\-\ Lets the character following the second \ be considered differently. For
example, since . (period) is used to match any character, type \. to match an
actual . (period) in a search string.

\s Matches any instance of a single space (such as the space bar or tab).

\d Matches a single number.

\w Matches a single “word character” or letter.

+ Any of the above regular expressions or any literal character can be fol-
lowed with + to match one or more of the preceding characters (for exam-
ple, \w+ can be used to find any number of spaces created by the spacebar
or tab).

[abc] Match a single instance of a, b, or c.

[^abc] Match any character except a, b, or c.

Performing Multiple Find and Replace Commands

With Regular Expressions enabled, any number of text patterns can be matched and replaced when batch
renaming tracks or clips. In the Find field, type the pattern you want to match inside parentheses and then
separate patterns using | (the pipe symbol). For example:

find replace

(Audio)|(VCA)|(Aux) (?1)(?2)(?3)

The text following ?1 will replace the text Audio, the text following ?2 will replace VCA, and the text fol-
lowing ?3 will replace Aux—(?1Aud)(?2Group Master)(?Bus)

Chapter 17: The Clips List 345

 Removing Automatic Names Generated By Track Duplication

Use the following regular expressions to remove all instances of .dup1, .dup2, or up to any number of du-
plicates from track or clip names by replacing them with no character at all.

find replace

\.dup\d+

\. searches for literal periods—as opposed to the special token . (period) since . itself is used to match any
character—followed by dup, then \d (the regular expression for any number) followed by + (which matches
any number of digits that follow .dup) and replaces all matches with nothing (effectively deleting that text).

Replacing Multiple Common AudioSuite Suffixes from Clip Names

Use the following regular expressions to find text automatically added by common AudioSuite processes
and remove them or replace them with something more appropriately descriptive.

find replace

(-Norm)|(-EQ3-1B) (?1)(?2-HPF)

This replaces -Norm with nothing (effectively deleting that text), and replaces -EQ3-1B with -HPF to indi-
cate that the EQ3-1B AudioSuite processing on the selected clips was used to roll off low frequencies.

346 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers

The Pro Tools Workspace combines an intuitive, When offline items are needed, Pro Tools lets you
browser-style interface with an integrated databas- find the correct matching files, then relink to on-
ing engine, optimized for metadata and media line media.
management.
The Workspace browser provides access to all
Workspace browsers provide extensive databasing your mounted volumes, as well as the folders and
tools for searching, sorting, auditioning, and im- files they contain.
porting of audio, MIDI, video, plug-in settings
(.tfx), Guitar Rig Settings (Eleven Rack only), and Using the Workspace browser, you can:
session files. Multiple browsers can be displayed • Use Soundbase to tag and find audio files with
and arranged, with custom display settings pro- musically descriptive metadata
vided to customize your work environment. • Access all mounted volumes
For information on dragging and dropping • Access and organize Track Presets
files from Workspace browsers to your • Access all Catalogs
Pro Tools session, see “Importing Files with
• Search across multiple volumes and Catalogs
Drag and Drop” on page 434.
simultaneously
Workspace Browsers • Designate volumes for Record and Playback,
Playback Only, or Transfer
Workspace browsers provide an intuitive user in-
terface to databases with many convenient features • View, manage, audition, and import individual
for various file management tasks (such as search items in any catalog or mounted volume
and sort functions). • Update databases for entire volumes

Workspace browsers in Pro Tools are analogous to Sound Libraries

windows in your computer’s operating system, but
are specifically designed for Pro Tools workflow. At the top of the list in the Location pane of any
Multiple browsers can be displayed simultane- Workspace browser is the Sound Libraries direc-
ously, and arranged independently with custom tory. Sound Libraries provides easy access to
display settings for each. tagged audio files, and search on criteria that in-
cludes musically useful information about the au-
Workspace browsers let you search and sort audio dio content—especially Time Base, Duration
files, video files, and sessions. Audio, video, and (Min:Sec or Bars|Beats), Tempo, Key, Time Sig-
session files displayed in browsers can be dragged nature, Favorites, Rating, and Tags. Use Sound-
directly into the current Pro Tools session. base in Workspace browsers to find audio files us-

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 347

 ing tags (WAV and AIFF only). Tags are Catalogs
descriptive metadata saved to and read from the
Catalogs provide the highest level of Pro Tools file
header of an audio file. You can create, add, and
management. Catalogs make it easy to organize
edit tags for any WAV or AIFF file accessible
files from multiple sources into libraries of favorite
through the Workspace.
files. Catalogs can be sorted and searched, even
Volumes when the files they reference are offline.

Workspace browsers provide file management for Using Catalogs, you can:
local and network volumes. Volumes are formatted • Collect and organize files from any combination
partitions on a physical drive (hard drive). Any of volumes
changes made in the Workspace (such as copying,
• Create catalogs of complete volumes to view
or moving files and folders) is mirrored on the vol-
and search even if a volume is offline
umes themselves. Volumes include mounted hard
drives, network storage, and removable media • View, manage, audition, and import individual
(such as USB thumb drives). items in the catalog
• Update a database for contents of catalog
When Volumes are focused in the Locations pane
you can: For more information, see “Catalogs” on
• View, manage, audition, and import individual page 392.
items on the volume
• Update a database for contents of the volume
Task Manager Window
The Task Manager window is a utility for viewing
Session and managing all of the background tasks that you
initiate with Pro Tools. Use the Task Manager
Workspace browsers provide powerful search and
window to monitor, pause, or cancel background
management tools for the files referenced in your
tasks such as file copies, searches, and indexing.
current session, regardless of where they are
stored. For more information, see “Task Manager
When the currently open session is focused in the Window” on page 395.
Locations pane you can:
Relink Window
• Show all the media files associated with the cur-
rent session, including any missing files The Relink window provides tools and features for
relinking sessions and catalogs to media files. Use
• View, manage, audition, and spot individual
Relink tools to search and reacquire missing files
items
for use in the current session.
Track Presets
For more information, see “Relink Window”
Select Track Presets in the Locations pane to view on page 388.
all of your Track Presets. You can organize and
search Track Presets in the Workspace. Drag and
drop Track Presets from the Workspace to tracks in
your sessions.

348 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 The waveform cache for audio files indexed by the
Performance and Transfer database are stored within the database file. This
Volumes includes the mini thumbnail waveforms for pre-
Workspace browsers let you view, manage, and viewing (waveform cache files for sessions con-
import sessions and media from both Performance tinue to be stored in the session folder).
and Transfer volumes.
There is also a global waveform cache file used to
Performance Volumes These are storage volumes store audio file metadata when no session is open,
(hard drives) that are suitable for playback and or for files that reside on read-only volumes. As in
have been designated in the Workspace browser as previous versions of Pro Tools, this is a separate
Record and Playback (R) or Playback Only (P) of file that is stored next to the database file.
media files in a Pro Tools session.
When opening sessions created in previous ver-
Transfer Volumes These are volumes that are not sions of Pro Tools in Pro Tools 12.7 or later, you
supported for media playback in Pro Tools (such are prompted to update the database file and to
as shared network volumes or USB thumb drives), manually back up the database file from the
lower version of Pro Tools. This is important if
or storage volumes (hard drives) that have been
you (or anyone else for that matter) expect to
designated in the Workspace browser as Transfer
continue to work on the session in a version of
(T) volumes. Transfer volumes cannot be used to Pro Tools lower than 12.7. Back up that database
record or play back media in a Pro Tools session. file to facilitate session interchange between dif-
Designated Transfer (T) volumes can be useful for ferent versions Pro Tools. This helps to maintain
transferring session and media files between dif- things like Catalogs created in previous versions
ferent Pro Tools systems. of Pro Tools or Favorites and Ratings created in
Pro Tools 12.7 or later.
For more information, see “Volume
Permissions” on page 352. When opening a session last saved in Pro Tools
12.7 in a lower version of Pro Tools, any
Pro Tools 12.7 database file is backed up auto-
Databases matically and appended with the version of the
backup starting with “.1” (Workspace.wksp.1).
The information displayed in Workspace browsers The appended number increases incrementally
is stored in the system-wide Pro Tools database. for each subsequent backup.
Pro Tools creates a centralized database automati-
cally for all mounted volumes, including Transfer Pro Tools databases use two file types:
volumes, on your system drive. Pro Tools uses a
Workspace.wksp Stores media and session file
single database file that maintains an index of all
metadata for a particular volume or catalog.
volumes (hard drives, networked drives, and re-
movable media) and catalogs. Wavecache.wfm Stores waveform overviews for
all audio files referenced by each session.
On Mac, the database file is stored in
/Users/Shared/Pro Tools. There is also the MiscSettings file which stores the
directory path for the Sound Libraries folder.
On Windows, the database file is stored in
<Systemdrive>/Users/Public/Pro Tools.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 349

 Workspace Browser Layout and Tools
Workspace 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.

Parent Folder button

Title bar
View Presets Preview controls Columns Search tools Browser menu

Toolbar
Column headers

Items List

Locations pane
Browser pane
Show/Hide

Pane split

Basic Workspace browser tools, panes, and columns

To maximize processing speed and protect vital The main elements of a Workspace browser
components, Workspace browsers do not display include the following.
all folders. For example, in Windows, Workspace
Toolbar Provides the Browser menu, Search icon,
browsers do not display the WU Temp or System
Volume Information folders; and on Mac, Work- View Presets (numbered 1–5), Workspace browser
space browsers do not display the System folder. navigation tools, and preview tools.
This excludes them from being indexed, searched, Items List Displays the contents of a volume,
sorted, or affected in any way by Workspace tasks. folder, session, or Catalog database in rows.
You should not store Pro Tools session or media
files in any of these folders.

350 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Columns Identifies the type of metadata displayed To open a new Workspace browser focused
in the items list (such as file name and format) for on the Project:
volumes, folders, and files in the Items List. Col-  Press Option+O (Mac) or Alt+O (Windows).
umns can be resized by dragging the column bor-
der, or rearranged by dragging the Column head- To open a new Workspace browser from a
ers. selected volume, catalog, or folder, do one of
the following:
Each row of data in a Workspace browser rep-
resents an Item (such as a file or folder). Data  Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-dou-
about each item is displayed in columns. ble-click (Windows) a volume, catalog, or
folder in the currently open Workspace browser.
Locations Pane Used to navigate the Sound Li-
braries, volumes (local and networked drives) on  Press Option+Down Arrow (Mac) or
your system, the currently open session, indexed Alt+Down Arrow (Windows) to open the cur-
Catalogs of media, and the system User directory. rently selected volume, catalog, or folder in a
new Workspace browser.
Browser Pane Displays the contents of items se-
lected in the Locations pane or search results.  Press Option+; (Mac) or Alt+; (Windows). to
open and close a single Workspace browser.

Opening Workspace Browsers Option+; (Mac) or Alt+; (Windows) also

There are several ways to open, close, and navigate close the Workspace browser if the selection
one or more Workspace browsers. in the Locations pane is on the Volumes root
folder. If another item is selected in the Loca-
To open a new Workspace browser focused tions pane, these key commands will open a
on Volumes, do one of the following: new browser focused on that item.

Choose Window > New Workspace > Default.


Viewing the Contents of Sound
 Press Option+I (Mac) or Alt+I (Windows). Libraries, or a Volume, Folder, or
Catalog
To open a new Workspace browser focused
on Soundbase: To expand or collapse the currently selected
folder, do one of the following:
 Choose Window > New Workspace > Sound-
 Click the Expand/Collapse icon next to the vol-
base.
ume, folder, session, or catalog in either the
 Press Option+Control+I (Mac) or Browser pane or the Locations pane.
Control+Alt+I (Windows).
 Select Sound Libraries, or a volume, folder, or
Catalog, and press the Right Arrow key to ex-
To open a new Workspace browser focused
on Track Presets: pand, or the left Arrow key to collapse.

 Choose Window > New Workspace > Track

Presets.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 351

 To move up one level in a browser: Closing Workspace Browsers
 Click the Browse Back arrow in the toolbar.
To close all Workspace browsers:
To move up one level in a browser,  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
press Command+Up Arrow key (Mac) Close box of any Workspace browser.
or Control+Up Arrow key (Windows).
Because the Task window is a utility and not a
Moving Workspace Browsers to browser, it remains open.
the Foreground or Background
Volume Permissions
To bring all open Workspace browsers to the
foreground: The Workspace includes a permissions column
(Permissions) for Volume permissions. This col-
 Choose Window > Browsers > Bring to Front. umn displays, and let you designate, whether a vol-
ume has permissions for Record, Playback, or
To bring all Workspace browsers to the
Transfer of media files.
foreground, press Option+J (Mac) or
Alt+J (Windows). R (Record and Playback) Able to play audio and
video files already on the volume, and record new
To send all Workspace browsers to the
audio files.
background:
 Choose Window > Browsers > Send to Back. P (Playback Only) Can play audio and video files
already on the volume, but cannot have new files
To send all Workspace browsers to the recorded to it.
background, press Option+Shift+J (Mac)
T (Transfer) Can only be used for storing, transfer-
or Alt+Shift+J (Windows).
ring, or auditioning files, and cannot be used for re-
All open Workspace browsers are moved to the cording or playback.
background, bringing the other windows to the
If you have a Pro Tools system with multiple
foreground. Nonetheless, all Workspace browsers
drives, and you intend to record multiple
remain open and accessible.
tracks simultaneously, you may want to des-
ignate the System drive as a Playback only or
To bring an open Workspace browser to the
foreground: Transfer only drive for optimal performance.

 Choose Window > Browsers, and select an open To change a volume designator:
Workspace browser from the submenu. 1 Open a Workspace browser.

To cycle to the next or previous Workspace 2 In the Locations pane, select Volumes.
browser:
3 In the Browser pane, click and select the appro-
 Press Command+Left/Right Arrow keys (Mac) priate permissions for any volume.
or Control+Left/Right Arrow keys (Windows).

352 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To open an AAF or OMF sequence from a
You can also Right-click any volume in either Workspace browser:
the Locations pane or the Browser pane and set
1 Do one of the following:
the desired permissions setting for the selected
volume. • With no Pro Tools session currently open, dou-
ble-click the AAF or OMF sequence in the
Browser pane of any Workspace browser.
• Drag the AAF or OMF sequence from the
Browser pane of any Workspace browser to the
Timeline in an open session.
2 Configure the Import Session Data dialog.
Designating a volume in the Workspace 3 Click OK.

Unmounting Volumes
Creating and Opening
Use the Finder (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Win- Workspace Browser Folders
dows) to mount and unmount volumes while
Workspace browsers let you create and manipulate
Pro Tools is running.
folders (file system sub-directories). All folders
have Expand/Collapse icons to show their con-
tents. Dragging items onto a folder icon is the same
Working with Items in as dragging into an open Workspace browser.
Workspace Browsers
To create a new folder in a volume, folder, or
Opening Sessions catalog:
1 Select the volume, folder, or catalog in which
To open a Pro Tools session listed in a
Workspace browser: you want to create a new folder.

 With no Pro Tools session currently open, dou- 2 Right-click the item and choose New Folder.
ble-click a Pro Tools session file in the Browser 3 Type a name for the folder and click OK.
pane of any Workspace browser.
4 For volumes and folders, the folder is created on
disk. In Catalogs, the folder is created in the cat-
Opening AAF and OMF alog database only. The Items List updates as
Sequences new items are added.
AAF and OMF sequences can be opened from
Workspace browsers. To open a folder in the current Workspace
browser:
You can also drag and drop AAF and OMF se-
quences from Workspace browsers into the current  Double-click the folder, or click the
session. Expand/Collapse icon for the item.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 353

 To enter an edit to a text field and exit, and
With a browser in the foreground and the return to the previous display state:
folder selected, press Command+Down
 Press Enter.
Arrow (Mac) or Control+Down Arrow
(Windows) to open a folder in the
To revert to the previous text and cancel a
current Workspace browser.
text edit:
To open a folder in its own new Workspace  Press Esc.
browser:
For details on column editing, see “Column
 Command-double-click (Mac) or Control-dou-
Data” on page 360.
ble-click (Windows) the folder. The previous
(parent) Workspace browsers window remains
open.
Indexing Workspace
With a browser in the foreground and the Databases
folder selected, press Command+ Indexing is the process of reading media files, ex-
Option+Down Arrow (Mac) or tracting just the metadata for each file, then storing
Control+Alt+Down Arrow (Windows) to that data in an associated database so that it may be
open a folder in its own new browser. displayed in the columns of a Workspace browser.
Once a volume or folder has been fully indexed, it
Scrolling and Moving Selections can be searched very quickly because all of the
metadata has already been sorted and organized.
To scroll the active pane up or down:
 Press the Page Up or Page Down key. If a volume or folder has not been indexed, it is in-
dexed automatically the first time it is opened in a
To scroll to the top or bottom of the active Workspace browser. Volumes or folders contain-
pane: ing a lot of media files can take a long time to in-
dex. For this reason, you may want to manually in-
 Press Home (for the top) or End (for the dex specific volumes or files prior to starting a
bottom). project to help expedite workflow.

To move items up or down in the current

Workspace browser: Indexing while Browsing
1 Select items in a Workspace browser, and make The first time you open a browser for a volume or
sure that window is in the foreground. folder that has never been indexed, Pro Tools auto-
matically begins to fill the database for that level of
2 Press the Up Arrow or Down Arrow key.
the volume. Files and folders appear in the browser
Items List, along with metadata in the columns for
Text Entry in Workspace each item. Indexing continues until you either
Browsers close the browser, or until that folder is completely
Many text fields can be edited to replace or update indexed.
data for an item.

354 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The next time you open that browser, metadata for Manual Indexing
items that have already been indexed is visible im-
Manual indexing fills in all missing data, and up-
mediately. If the browser or folder was closed be-
dates changed data for selected folders and all of
fore indexing was complete, or if the contents of
their sub-folders.
the folder have changed since the last time it was
browsed, Pro Tools automatically updates the da-
To update the index for a folder and all sub-
tabase the next time it is opened. This way, the da-
folders:
tabase is always up to date for the folder you are
browsing. (View the Task Manager to see current  Right-click the item in a Workspace browser
activity.) Items List and choose Update Index.

Indexing while Browsing saves time because it To update the index for an entire volume:
only fills the database for items on the level of the
volume that you are currently browsing. For exam-  Right-click the volume to update in the Work-
ple, if you are browsing the root level of the vol- space browser and choose Update Index.
ume, it indexes only the folders and files on the
Last Indexed Date Display
root level. If you open a folder, Pro Tools indexes
just the items in that folder. As a result, a database The Date Indexed column shows the date that the
is only indexed for the parts of the volume that you index for that folder and all of its sub-folders was
have browsed. However, searches are faster and updated. Keep in mind that individual sub-folders
more complete when a volume is already com- may have been updated more recently.
pletely indexed.
Automatic Updating for Pro Tools Actions
The following actions engage indexing:
Whenever Pro Tools adds, deletes, or modifies a
• Navigating to a folder cause a re-indexing of just
file on a volume or in a session, the appropriate da-
the top level items in that folder and for only the
tabase is immediately updated to reflect the
items with changed modified dates.
change.
• Click Update Index on a folder to look recur-
sively through the folder for any changed modi- Changes that are made with Windows Ex-
fied dates and update the index. plorer or the Mac Finder (such as copying or
moving files) are not tracked by Pro Tools and
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) Up-
are only indexed if the necessary folder is
date Index to force a recursive re-index of a
browsed or if a manual index is performed.
folder for all files, regardless of changed to mod-
ified date.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 355

 Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo Con-
Workspace Browser Menu forms all tick-based audio files with Elastic Audio
All Workspace browsers provide a Browser menu analysis, as well as REX and ACID files, to the
in the upper right corner of their toolbar. The session tempo. This option lets you play back the
Browser menu provides access to global work- session and simultaneously preview the selected
space commands. When enabled, these commands files in time with the session. This option is only
apply to all items in all open browsers. available when a session is open. For more infor-
mation, see “Conforming Preview to the Session
Tempo” on page 384.

When the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo

option is enabled, Pro Tools analyzes un-analyzed
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.
Workspace Browser menu icon
When the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
Loop Preview Previews the selected file by loop- option is disabled, any tick-based audio files with
ing playback of the file. If multiple files are se- Elastic Audio analysis, and REX and ACID files
lected, only the first selected file previews. When preview and import at their native tempo.
Loop Preview mode is enabled, the Preview button
updates to show a Loop Preview Mode icon. Don’t Limit Search Results Select (or deselect)
the Don’t Limit Search Results option to show all
Auto-Preview Enables or disables automatic pre- search results past the default 1,000 item limit. If a
view of files. When this option is enabled, select- search returns more than 1,000 items you are notified
ing a file in the browser starts preview. The Pre- to the left of the simple search field that 1,000+ items
view button updates to show that Auto-Preview is were found. You can click the 1,000+ link to show
enabled. all items found or you can enable the Don’t Limit
Search Results option to always show all search re-
Spacebar Toggles File Preview Enables or dis- sults.
ables the Spacebar for starting and stopping pre-
Show Offline Volumes Select (or deselect) the
view. When this option is disabled, use the Pre-
Show Offline Volumes command to show (or hide)
view button to start and stop preview. In this mode,
all indexed offline volumes from the database in
the Spacebar starts and stops session playback.
the Locations pane.
This lets you play back the session and, with the
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo option en- Delete Index for All Offline Volumes Deletes the
abled, preview the selected audio file in time with index for all offline volumes from the database.
the session.
Keep Window on Top Select (or deselect) the Keep
When a browser is front-most, Command+P Window On Top option in the Workspace Browser
(Mac) or Control+P (Windows) starts and menu to ensure that the Workspace remains in the
stops preview. Also, the Esc key stops preview. foreground when working with other windows. This
can be helpful when working with the Workspace
and the Edit window in particular. When this option

356 Pro Tools Reference Guide

is disabled, clicking on another window (such as the Spot To Edit Insertion Spots the selected audio
Edit or Mix windows) brings that window to the front file to the current Edit insertion location. Note that
and the Workspace may be hidden behind it. When the channel width of the file must match the chan-
enabled, all open Workspace browser remain in front nel width of the target audio track.
of all other windows with the focused Workspace al-
Update Index Updates the index for the currently
ways in the foreground.
selected volumes or folders.

Delete Index Deletes the index of files for the

Workspace Right-Click Menu items in the selected volume or folder from the da-
tabase.
Pro Tools lets you Right-click on items in the Lo-
cations pane (such as volumes and folders) and the Delete Index for All Offline Volumes Deletes the
Browser pane (such as folders and files) to access index for all offline volumes from the database.
relevant contextual commands. These commands
are specific to the type of items selected in the Lo- Invert Selection Reverses (inverts) the current
cations pane or the Browser pane, as described be- selection.
low. Select All Selects all items shown in the browser.
New Folder Creates a new folder on the currently Calculate Waveform Calculates the waveform dis-
selected volume or folder, or within the currently plays for selected audio files, or for all audio files
selected catalog. For volumes and folders, a new within selected volumes, folders, or catalogs.
folder is created on disk. For more information, see
“Creating and Opening Workspace Browser Fold- For more information, see “Waveforms” on
ers” on page 353. page 378.

Create Catalog from Selection Creates a fully in- Calculate Elastic Analysis Calculates Elastic Au-
dexed catalog of all items selected in either the Lo- dio analysis data for all selected audio files. Ana-
cations or the Browser pane. lyzed files are indicated by a blue clock for sam-
ple-based files and by a green metronome for tick-
Reveal in Finder/Explorer Opens the correspond-
based files. Analyzed files where a tempo has been
ing parent window in the Finder (Mac) or Explorer
detected are also updated as tick-based, display
(Windows) for the currently selected file.
their duration in Bars|Beats, and display their na-
Open in New Workspace Opens the selected item tive tempo in the Tempo column. You can view the
in a new browser. The selected item is highlighted progress of Elastic Audio analysis in the Task win-
in the new browser. dow.

Tags Opens the Assign Tags popover window for Clear Elastic Analysis Clears Elastic Audio analy-
audio files (WAV or AIFF only). For details on the sis data for all selected audio files. Files cleared of
Assign Tags popover window, see “Soundbase and Elastic Audio analysis data revert to sample time-
Tags” on page 372). base, display their duration in minutes and sec-
onds, and do not report a tempo.
Recently Used Tags Lets you assign any of the
last 10 used tags to the selected audio file (WAV or For more information, see “Elastic Audio
AIFF only). Files in the Workspace” on page 379.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 357

 Load Guitar Rig Settings (Eleven Rack Scan Audio File(s) for Irregularities Lets you scan
Only) Loads the Guitar Rig Settings for selected audio files for irregularities in the workspace. The
audio files with embedded Guitar Rig Settings scan looks for the following corrupt files and irreg-
from an Eleven Rack. ularities: the file header size does not match the file
size, chunk chains do not proceed linearly, chunk
Select Offline Files Selects all files that are
sizes and/or offsets that point outside the bounds of
currently offline.
the file, and suspected invalid chunks (chunk IDs
Select Online Files Selects all files that are online. with non-alphanumeric or space characters). After
the scan is complete, any irregularities found are
Select Transfer Files Selects all files identified as be reported. A more detailed report can be gener-
Transfer files (files found on media that do not ated from the resulting dialog.
support playback).

Relink Offline Opens the Relink window for items

selected in the current session. Workspace Browser Panes
and Display
Relink Opens the Relink window, with all selected
files from the current browser displayed and se- Workspace browsers display an Items List consist-
lected as Files to Match. This command is avail- ing of various columns (such as file name, size,
able for catalogs and sessions only. creation date, and sample rate).

Copy and Relink Copies items selected in the cur-

Showing (or Hiding) the
rent session browser to a chosen location, and
Locations Pane
relinks the session to the copies instead of the orig-
inals. Use this to easily move files from a Transfer The Locations pane can be hidden.
to a Performance volume. This command is also
available in selected catalogs to copy items and To show or hide the Locations pane:
relink the current catalog to the copies.  Click the Show/Hide icon in the lower right cor-
Duplicate Creates a duplicate of the selected items ner of the left-hand pane.
in the same location.

Rename Renames the selected item.

Permissions Lets you set Transfer, Playback, or

Record permissions for the selected volume (see
“Volume Permissions” on page 352).

Lock Locks all selected items. Any files already

locked remain so. Locking a folder locks all files Show/Hide Locations Pane icon
and sub-folders it contains.
Moving Columns
Unlock Unlocks the selected items.

Delete Lets you delete selected files, folders, and

To move a column:
catalogs from disk, or move selected items to the  Drag the column to a new location in the
Trash (Mac) or to the Recycle Bin (Windows). Workspace.

358 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Resizing Columns To show all columns:
 Right-click a column label and Option-click
To resize a column, do one of the following:
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any unchecked
 Drag the right column boundary to a new width. checkbox in the popover menu.
 Double-click the right column boundary to re-
To hide all columns:
size the column to the widest element in col-
umn.  Right-click a column label and Option-click
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any checked
Showing and Hiding Columns checkbox in the popover menu.

You can show or hide individual columns in To show the default set of columns:
Workspace browsers to fit your workflow. The de-
 Right-click a column header and choose
fault column display includes the items you would
DEFAULT from the popover menu.
use in most sessions.

To show or hide individual columns: View Presets

 Right-click a column label and select or dese- Pro Tools lets you save up to five preset views for
lect checkboxes for column names in the pop- the Workspace browser and for the Relink win-
over menu. dow. Presets can be recalled by clicking a View
Preset button.

To store a View Preset:

1 Open a Workspace browser or the Relink
window.
2 Arrange columns and views.
3 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) any of the Preset buttons 1–5.

Showing and hiding columns

Selected items appear in new columns. Deselected

items are hidden.

Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a

column to hide it. The item is deselected in the
Column menu. Browser View preset buttons

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 359

 To recall a saved preset: Author Displays the assigned Author of the item.
Click in the Author column for an item and type the
 Click the appropriate View Preset button.
name of the author or authors.

Sorting Columns Bit Depth Displays an audio file’s bit depth. This
field cannot be edited.
Columns can be sorted in ascending or descending
order, and multiple sorts can be applied (up to four Capacity Displays the total capacity of a volume.
levels). This field cannot be edited.

Channel Names Displays the channel name and

To sort by columns:
number data embedded in multichannel audio
 Click the column title header. files. You can edit the Channel name for mono
BWF files only. When editing the channel name,
To toggle the current sort order between anything entered in parentheses is discarded. How-
ascending and descending: ever, the channel number will always be preserved.
 Click the column title header a second time.
Circled Indicates if the status of a take is set to “cir-
cled” (No or Yes) in audio files. This is usually for
To sort by multiple columns:
indicating which take should be used.
 Shift-click successive column headers.
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-
Column Data line and Clips List when a file is imported into a
In Workspace browsers, each row of data rep- session.
resents an item in a database (such as a file, ses-
Copyright Displays the assigned Copyright for the
sion, or volume). Each column displays specific
item. Click in the Copyright column for an item and
data for an item.
type the copyright.
ALL Choose to show all columns.
Database Comment Displays user comments
NONE Choose to hide all but the Name column stored with the database, with support for Finder
(which is always shown). comments. See “Comments Fields” on page 363
for more information.
DEFAULT Choose to show the default columns.
Date Created Displays the creation date of an
SOUNDBASE Choose to show only Soundbase re- item. This field cannot be edited.
lated columns.
Date Modified Displays the last modified date for
# of Channels Displays the number of channels in the item. This field cannot be edited.
an audio file: mono, stereo, or 3–8 as appropriate
for supported multichannel files. This field cannot Date Indexed Displays the last indexed date for the
be edited. item. This field cannot be edited.

360 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Duration Displays the duration of a file in absolute
time (minutes and seconds), regardless of the time- For more information about ISRC, visit
code format. For clip groups, MIDI, tick-based www.usisrc.org.
Elastic Audio files, REX, and ACID files, Dura-
Key Displays the assigned key of the file. Click in
tion displays Bars and Beats. This field cannot be
the Key column for an item and select the key (such
edited.
as C) and mode (such as Major).
Favorite Select (or deselect) the heart icon to des-
Kind Displays whether the item is a volume,
ignate an item as a Favorite. Only items in the se-
folder, catalog, or file. For files, this column dis-
lected Location that are marked as a Favorite are
plays what kind of file it is: session file, audio file,
shown when the Favorites (heart) icon is enabled
video file, or other. This field cannot be edited. For
in the Workspace Toolbar.
audio files, this column also indicates whether the
File Comment Displays any embedded comments file is sample-based to tick-based.
associated with the file. File comments are sup-
Link Path Displays the path to the file used for
ported with BWF and SD II files, but are not sup-
relinking. Available in the Relink window only.
ported with AIFF files. File Comments always re-
main with the file when copied, converted, or Loop Click the Loop icon for an item to enable (or
transferred. See “Comments Fields” on page 363 disable) its Loop designation.
for more information.
Name Displays the name of the file, folder, vol-
Pro Tools 11 through 2020.5 cannot convert ume, catalog, or session. For offline items, the
SD II files on import. They must be converted to name is italicized. The Name column is always
a supported audio file format (.WAV or .AIF) shown.
that can be imported into a session. Pro Tools
Original Time Stamp Displays the original time
2020.9 and later can convert SD II files to the
session file format on import (macOS only).
stamp (timecode location) of audio or video files.
On Windows, SD II files must be separately Path Displays the directory path to the item.
converted to a supported audio file format
(.WAV or .AIF) that can then be imported into a Permissions Displays the designated permissions
session. for volumes for media recording, playback, or
transfer only.
Format Displays the audio file format: WAV,
WAV (ACID) for ACID files, WAV (BWF), For more information, see “Volume
AIFF, MP3, or ReCycle for REX files. This field Permissions” on page 352.
cannot be edited.
Plug-In Manufacturer Name Displays the plug-in
Frame Rate Displays the frame rate of video files manufacturer’s name for Plug-In Settings files
where applicable. (.tfx).

Free Displays the unused space on volumes. This Plug-In Name Displays the name of the plug-in for
field cannot be edited. Plug-In Settings files (.tfx).

ISRC Displays the ISRC (International Standard Project Displays the project name data embedded
Recording Code), if any, for the selected file. Click in audio files.
the ISRC field to add or edit the ISRC for a file.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 361

 Rating Lets you rate the item from zero to five Tags Displays, and lets you add and edit tags.
stars. Click the Stars to set the rating for an item. Click in the Tags column for an item to add or edit
tags. You can also mark items as Favorites and
Sample Rate Displays an audio file’s sample rate.
Rate them from zero to five stars. For more infor-
This field can be edited in Workspace browsers for mation, see “Soundbase and Tags” on page 372.
WAV and SD II files only. This can be useful
when dealing with audio that has been pulled up or Take Displays take number data embedded in au-
down, or to force a sample rate conversion to occur dio files.
if that is necessary before importing a file that oth-
Tape This column displays the original Avid tape
erwise would not require conversion.
name if the item is an OMF file (audio or video). If
Scene Displays scene number data embedded in an audio file was originally recorded in Pro Tools,
audio files. this field displays the name of the original session.

Shoot Date Displays origination date and time in- Tape ID Displays tape ID information embedded in
formation embedded in audio files. However, audio files. This field cannot be edited.
many field recorders do not populate the Shoot
TC Rate This column displays the frame rate of the
Date field, relying instead on the file’s Creation
Date to indicate date of production. When item if the item is an AAF sequence or an OMF se-
Pro Tools imports a field recorder file, it checks to quence or file: 24, 25, 29.97, 30, drop or non-drop.
see if the Shoot Date field is populated. If it is For sequences, the frame rate at the start of the se-
empty, Pro Tools copies the Creation Date of the quence is displayed.
original source file to the Shoot Date field of the Tempo Displays the tempo associated with clip
new imported files. This field cannot be edited. group, MIDI, tick-based Elastic Audio files, REX,
Size Displays the size of a file. This field cannot be
and ACID files, and session files. This field cannot
edited. be edited.

SMPTE ID Displays the 32-bit unique ID for spe-

Time Signature Displays the assigned Time Sig-
cific MXF files that were made with the SMPTE nature of the file. Click in the Time Signature col-
standard identifier. Also, WAV files generated umn and select the meter (such as 4/4).
from Pro Tools or Media Composer display a Unique ID Displays the standard 8-bit Unique ID
SMPTE ID. for most media and Pro Tools files.
Sound Roll Displays sound roll number data (This User Bits Displays text information embedded in
data is usually named “Tape” in BWF files, but is audio files. This field can be used for user com-
distinct from the date displayed in the Workspace ments, or auto-generated info with certain field re-
Tape column). This field cannot be edited. corders.
Sound Roll TC Displays the starting timecode of User Time Stamp Displays the user time stamp, if
audio files. This field cannot be edited. any, of audio files only.
Sound Roll TC Rate Displays the frame rate infor- Video Compression Displays the compression ra-
mation embedded in audio files: 24, 25, 29.97, 30, tio of video files where applicable.
drop or non-drop. This field cannot be edited.

362 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Waveform Displays a graphical overview of an au-
dio file. See “Waveforms” on page 378 for more Selecting Items
information.
To select a single item in the Locations pane:

Comments Fields  Click the icon for an item. When selected, the
item is highlighted. The contents of the selected
Comments about individual files can be stored in item (volume, folder, session, or catalog) are
the database, and embedded with the file’s meta- displayed in the Browser pane.
data wrapper. There are two types of comments
fields: File Comments and Database Comments. If there is already a selection in the Locations
or Browser pane, you can also type the first
File Comments letters of the item you want to select.
File Comments are stored with the metadata of the To select multiple items in the Browser pane:
file itself. Not all file types support File Com-
ments. Indexing stores File Comments in the data-  Drag to select a group of items, or Shift-click
base, allowing them to be searched and viewed additional items. Command-click (Mac) or
even if the file is offline. File Comments can be ed- Control-click (Windows) to select multiple non-
ited in Workspace browsers, as long as the files or contiguous items.
their parent media are not defined as read-only.
To select all items listed:
You can also add and edit File Comments to
 Press Command-A (Mac) or Control-A
Pro Tools Session files. File Comments cannot be
(Windows).
edited in Catalogs.

Database Comments
To select all Transfer files in the current
window:
(Sessions and Catalogs Only)
 Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser
Database Comments, which can be up to 256 char- menu.
acters in length, are searchable, cross-platform,
and editable. To select all offline files:
Choose Select Offline Files from the Browser
Adding and Editing Comments


menu.
To add, view, or edit a comment:
To select all online files:
1 Click the Comments field. The field expands to
display the entire contents of the field if neces-  Choose Select Online Files from the Browser
sary. menu.

2 Enter or edit a comment. To reverse the current selection:

3 Press Enter, or click outside the text box to close  Choose Invert Selected from the Browser menu.
it.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 363

 Duplicating Items
Moving, Copying, Duplicating,
and Removing Items To duplicate one or more items:
Moving, copying, duplicating, and removing items 1 Select one or more items.
in Workspace browsers follow the same rules and
2 Choose Duplicate Selected from the Browser
behavior as in the operating system. For example,
menu.
moving a file to another volume copies the file, and
Pro Tools warns you if an items is about to be To Duplicate selected items in Work-
overwritten or replaced. Dragging an item from a space browser, press Command-D (Mac)
Catalog to a Volume folder always makes a new or Control-D (Windows).
copy of the item.
Removing Session Items
Moving Items
Workspace browsers let you remove or delete files
To move items: from the currently open session. If a selected item
resides on a read-only volume, it can be removed
 Select one or more items and drag them to a new from the session, but it cannot be deleted.
location. Moving to a new location on the same
volume moves the item, while moving to a dif- To delete one or more items from the
ferent volume copies the item. session:

You can drag items directly into the Time- 1 Select the current session in the Locations pane.
line or Clips List of the current session. 2 Select one or more items in the Browser pane.
See “Importing Files with Drag and
Drop” on page 434. 3 Choose Delete from the Right-click menu.
4 Do one of the following:
Copying Items
• Click Move to Trash (Mac) or Move to Recycle
To copy and move items: Bin (Windows) to remove the item from session.
• Click Delete to remove the items from your sys-
 Select one or more items and Option-drag
tem.
(Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) them to a new lo-
cation. • Click Cancel to leave selected items unchanged.

364 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Set Column Metadata Values Searching Items
for Multiple Selected Files in
Pro Tools lets your search your entire system, or
Workspace Browsers
specific volumes, directories, or catalogs with
Pro Tools lets you select multiple files in a Work- ease. Workspace browsers provide a simple set of
space browser and then set certain metadata (by search tools so you can quickly search and find
column) for the selected items to the same value si- files (both online and offline) on your system.
multaneously. The following columns can be ed-
ited in this fashion: Permissions, Circled, Key, Performing a search filters items listed in the
Time Signature, Tags, Favorite, Rating, and Loop. Browser pane to display only those items that
match the search criteria.
To set the column metadata for all selected The Relink window provides specialized search
files in a Workspace browser to the same
capabilities for finding and relinking missing files.
value:
For more information, see “Linking and Relinking
1 Select multiple files in a Workspace browser. Files” on page 385.
The selected files can be contiguous or discon-
tiguous.
Searching for Either/Or or And
2 Do one of the following: Text Strings
• Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click When typing in a search query in either simple or
(Windows) the column drop-down menu advanced search mode, use spaces for OR
(Permissions, Circled, Key, Time Signature, searches. For example, to search for file names that
or Tags) and select the desired value. contain either guitar or bass, type guitar bass.
• Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
Similarly, use quotes around text strings separated
(Windows) the Rating, Favorite, or Loop
by spaces for AND searches. For example, to
column.
search for file names that contain both bass and
• Click on the Rating, Favorite, or Loop icon guitar, type “bass guitar”.
and drag up or down.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 365

 Search Tools Advanced Search Button

The top of every Workspace browser provides a set Click the Advance Search button to open the Ad-
of search tools for finding files on your system vanced search toolbar (see “Advanced Search” on
quickly and easily. page 368).

Advanced Search button Tags Button

Simple Search button
Click the Tags button to show the Tags pane. (see
Browser Search field
“Tags Pane” on page 374).

Simple Search
Number of items
in the Browser List Tags button Pro Tools provides a simple text search with the
Search tools Browser Search Field that lets you quickly search
all volumes for items by file name as well as any
Number of Items other text field available in the Workspace browser
The Number of items listed in the Browser pane is (such as File Comment, Database Comment,
displayed to the left of the Browser Search field in Scene, Take, Plug-In Name, and so on).
the Workspace Toolbar. If a search returns more Initiating a search with no search criteria re-
than 1,000 items you are notified that 1,000+ items
turns all items on the system.
are returned from the search. You can click this to
show all items returned in the search. To initiate a simple search:
1 In the Locations pane, select the Volume, Cata-
Browser Search Field
log, Session, or Folder that you want to search.
Type the names of files, dates, durations, and so If you do not make a selection, the entire system
forth into the Browser Search field. As soon as you is searched (including shown offline volumes).
start typing, Pro Tools initiates the search for
2 Do one of the following:
matches to the text you type. Results are displayed
in the Browser pane. • Click the Simple Search button.
• Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F
Simple Search Button (Windows).
Click the Search button to initiate a simple search 3 Type in the Browser Search field.
before typing any text into the Browser Search
4 Click in the Browser Search field and type text
field. The Simple Search button changes from a
for the search.
magnifying glass icon to an “X” and immediately
initiates a search. Click the Search button again to
end the search (or press the Esc key).

366 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Search results are displayed in the Browser pane.

Location selected for search Browser Search field Simple Search enabled

Search results

Simple search results for the selected location

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 367

 Advanced Search
Pro Tools provides advanced tools for searching files and volumes by specific categories. You can refine
your search by providing multiple constraints on the search parameters. You can also easily switch from an
advanced search to a simple search.

Volume selected for search Advanced Search settings Advanced Search enabled

Search Checked
option (disabled) Search results

Advanced search results for the selected Volume

To initiate an advanced search on a selected item in the Locations pane:

1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Advanced Search button.
• Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or Control+Shift+F (Windows).
2 If it is disabled, enable the Search Checked option at the left of the Locations pane header by clicking it.
3 In the Locations pane, select the Volume, Catalog, Session, or Folder that you want to search.

368 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Select the Column name.

Selecting the Column name

5 Select the Search Criteria.

Selecting the Search Criteria

6 Click in the Search Text field and type text for the search.

Type what to search for

7 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows).

The search results are displayed in the Browser pane.

If you want to refine your search, click the Add Row button to add further constraints to the search.
Repeat steps 4–6 for each row you add.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 369

 To initiate an advanced search on checked items in the Locations pane:
1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Advanced Search button.
• Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or Control+Shift+F (Windows).
2 If it is disabled, enable the Search Checked option at the left of the Locations pane header by clicking it.
3 In the Locations pane, check each of the Volumes, Catalogs, Sessions, or Folders that you want to
search.

Folders checked for search Advanced Search settings Advanced Search enabled

Search Checked
option (enabled) Search results

Advanced search results for checked folders

4 Select the Column type.

5 Select the Search Criteria.

Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) to select multiple criteria for an either/or search.

6 Click in the Search Text field and type text for the search. (Use spaces between text strings
for either/or searches and use quotes around text strings with spaces for and searches.)
7 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows).

370 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The search results are displayed in the Workspace Column Search Selector
pane.
You can search text by all columns or only be spe-
If you want to refine your search, click the Add cific columns in the browser.
Row button to add further constraints to the search.
Repeat steps 4-6 for each row you add. Search Criteria Selector

You can search for items in the selected column

To switch from an advanced search to a according to the following search criteria:
simple search, do one of the following:
Contains Select this option to search for items that
 Click the Advanced Search button so that it is
include the text you type into the Search Text field.
unhighlighted.
 Press Command+Shift+F (Mac) or Con- Does Not Contain Select this option to exclude
trol+Shift+F (Windows). items from the search that contain the text you type
into the Search Text field.
To switch from an simple search to an Starts With Select this option to search for items
advanced search, do one of the following:
that start with the text that you type into the Search
 Click the Advanced Search button so that it is Text field.
highlighted.
Contains Exactly Select this option to search for
 Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Win- items that are an exact match to the text you type
dows). into the Search Text field.

To cancel the search entirely: Search Text Field

 Click the Simple Search button (“X”). Use the Search Text field to search the selected
column type according to the selected column type
Advanced Search Features and search criteria.

Once you have initiated an advanced search, the Add/Remove Row Buttons
Workspace browser displays additional advanced
search features. Pro Tools lets you refine your search by up to 8
rows of search criteria.
Add Row button
Add Row Button Click the Add button (“+”) to
Search Text field add another row to refine the advanced search.
Search Column selector
Press Shift + “+” (plus) or to add a new row.

Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-

Alt-click (Windows) a column header to add
it as search criteria.

Search Criteria selector

Remove Row button
Advanced Search tools

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 371

 Remove Row Button Click the Remove button (“– To open a Workspace browser with
”) for a row to remove that row. Soundbase, do one of the following:
 Choose Window > New Workspace > Sound-
Press Shift + “–” (minus) to remove the bot-
base.
tom row.
 Press Option+Control+I (Mac) or Alt+Start+I
(Windows).
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 Right-click any selected item and choose
Create Catalog.

For more information, see “Catalogs” on

page 392.
Workspace showing Soundbase with Sound Libraries
and Tags pane

Soundbase and Tags Sound Libraries

Use Soundbase in Workspace browsers to find au- At the top of the list in the Location pane of any
dio files using tags (WAV and AIFF only). Tags Workspace browser is the Sound Libraries folder. It
are descriptive metadata saved to and read from the is an essential part of Soundbase that provides a spe-
header of audio file. You can create, add, and edit cial location for easy access to tagged audio files. In
tags for any WAV or AIFF file accessible through addition to descriptive metadata tagging, you can in-
clude musically useful information about the audio
the Workspace. Use the Sound Libraries folder in
content through column data, especially Time Base,
the Locations pane to store and organize the audio
Duration (Min:Sec or Bars|Beats), Tempo, Key,
files in your sound library collection. Time Signature, Favorites, Rating, and Tags.
Tags are written to and read from the file
To show (or hide) Sound Libraries in
header.
Workspace Locations:
Choose Setup > Preferences.
Opening a Workspace Browser 1

with Soundbase 2 Click the Operations tab.

By default, Workspace browsers open without the 3 Enable (or disable) the Show Sound Libraries in
Tags pane shown (see “Tags Pane” on page 374). Workspace Locations option.
However, you can open a new Workspace browser 4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
with the Tags pane shown for ready access to Sound-
base. The Workspace browser also opens with col-
umns relevant to Soundbase shown (such as Key,
Time Signature, and Tags).

372 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When you install Pro Tools, this folder is created in Adding and Removing Sound Library
the following locations: Locations

macOS HD/Users/<username>/Documents/ You can add (or remove) different directories on

Pro Tools/Sound Libraries/ your system whose contents are not actually copied
or moved to the Sound Libraries folder. Added loca-
Windows C:\Users\<username>\Documents\ tions are essentially aliases that point to the original
Pro Tools\Sound Libraries location of the designated folder and no media is cop-
ied or moved from the original location.
You can install audio content for Sound Libraries
available from Avid as well as third-party vendors.
Of course, you can also add your own content by ei- To add a location to the Sound Library:
ther actually copying it to the location Sound Librar- 1 In any Workspace browser, navigate to the loca-
ies folder on your system or by adding alias to other tion of the folder you want to add to the Sound Li-
locations on your system. brary.
2 Right-click the folder and choose Add Sound Li-
To show (or hide) Sound Libraries in brary Location.
Workspace Locations:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operations tab.
3 Enable (or disable) the Show Sound Libraries in
Workspace Locations option.
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.

Sound Libraries Location Adding a folder to Sound Libraries

Pro Tools lets you change the location of the An alias of that folder is added to Sound Libraries.
Sound Libraries folder in the Operation prefer- Directories (and all folders and files in that folder)
ences. However, you will have to manually copy or that are added as a Sound Library Location are col-
move any media to the new location. ored blue, whereas files and folders actually lo-
cated in the default (or assigned) Sound Libraries
To change the location of the Sound location are gray.
Libraries folder:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operations tab.
3 Click the Change button for Sound Libraries un-
der User Media and Settings Location.
4 Navigate to the new location you want for the
Sound Libraries folder and click Open.
5 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Added folders that point to other locations are blue

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 373

 To remove a location from the Sound Library: To show (or hide) the Tags pane in a
1 In the Locations pane of any Workspace browser, Workspace browser:
reveal the contents of Sound Libraries.  Click the Tags pane icon at the top of the Work-
2 Right-click the folder you want to remove from space browser. It is highlighted only when the
the Sound Library and choose Remove Sound Li- Tags pane is shown.
brary Location.

Removing a folder from Sound Libraries

The folder is removed from Sound Libraries. How-

ever, the folder and all files within it remain at the
original location. Only the alias is removed. Tags pane shown, Tags pane icon highlighted

Tags Pane Press Command+Option+Control+T (Mac)

You can show or hide the Tags pane in any Work- or Control+Alt+Start+T (Windows) to show
space browser. The Tags pane shows all tags for me- or hide the Tags pane.
dia in the selected folder in the Locations pane. Click
any Tag in the Tags pane to show only media with
that Tag in the browser. Searching Based on Tags
Tags appear in the Tags Pane in order from Use tags in Soundbase to find all audio files in the se-
most used to least used for any selected loca- lected Location that have the selected tags. Any
tion in Sound Libraries folder. After adding a WAV or AIFF audio file can be assigned multiple
new Sound Library that has existing tags tags so you can refine you search criteria using as
many descriptive tags as necessary. Be sure to be
(such as the Avid Loopmasters Sample Pack)
consistent in how you tag your audio files so that you
or after tagging a number of files, relaunch
can quickly and reliably call up the audio files you
Pro Tools to ensure that these tags appear in need, based on tags that accurately describe the au-
the proper order. dio, for whatever project you are working on.

374 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To search audio files based on tags: Exclude Files from Search
1 Show the Tags pane in any Workspace browser. Results with Selected Tags
2 Navigate to the location you want to search in the Not only can you find audio files by what tags they
Locations pane. do have, you can also find files by what tags they do
not have.
3 Click the desired tags in the Tags pane to limit the
search to those criteria, or type in the name of
To exclude files from the search results that
Tags in the search field.
have the specified tag:
1 Show the Tags pane in any Workspace browser.
2 Navigate to the location you want to search in the
Locations pane.
3 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
tags in the Tags pane that you want to exclude
from the search results. Those tags turn gray in the
Search Tags field.

Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any gray

tags in the Search Tags field again to include files
with those tags in the search results. Those tags turn
back to blue.

A single audio file found with two matching tags

4 Click the “X” on the right side of any tag in the

Tag Search field to clear it from the search criteria.
The search results in the Browser list update auto-
matically.

Press the Esc key to clear the search criteria.

5 Audition and use the audio in the search results

that best suits your needs.

Search results based on tags “R&B” included (blue)

and Melodic excluded (gray)

The search results include only files with the blue

tags and exclude those with the gray tags.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 375

 When searching on tags, all audio files in the selected
Adding and Editing Tags location with matching tags appear in the search re-
Pro Tools lets you add and edit tags for audio files in sults—the more tags you specify, the more selective
Soundbase. If you want to search your existing sam- your searches can be.
ple libraries or custom audio files, you will need to
add tags manually.

To add tags to an audio file:

1 Locate and select one or more audio files that you
want to tag in any Workspace browser.
2 Right-click on a selected audio file in the Work-
space browser and choose Tags.

Adding tags to selected audio files

Choosing Tags in the Right-click menu for selected

audio files

You can also assign tags by clicking in the

Tags column.

3 Select the tags you want to add or type in a new Creating a new tag for the selected audio file
tag. You can add as many tags to any audio file
(WAV or AIFF only) as you like. If more than one Choose from the Recently Used Tags options
audio file is selected, you are prompted to confirm in the Right-click menu to quickly add any of
that you want to add the tag to all selected files. the last used tags to the selected audio files.
4 When done, press Enter.

376 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Assign Tags Popover Window To assign 0–5 stars for the rating of selected
audio files in the Assign Tags popover
Access the Assign Tags popover window for one or window:
more selected items either through the Right-click
menu or from the Tags column. Here you can add, re-  Click the Star icons so that the number of stars you
move, and create new tags assigned to the selected want for the rating are highlighted.
audio files. You can also mark a file as a favorite and
rate it from zero to five stars. Press Control+0–5 (Mac) or Start+0–5
(Windows) to assign the number of stars for
Rating.

To mark (or unmark) a file as a loop in the

Tags pop-up window:
 In the Tags pop-up window, select (or deselect)
the Loop icon in the lower-right corner of the
pop-up window. The icon highlights when se-
lected.

Assign Tags popover window

Press Option+Control+T (Mac) or

Alt+Start+T (Windows) to show or hide the
Assign Tags popover window for selected
items.
Loop indicator enabled in Tags pop-up menu
To enable (or disable) the Favorite marker for
selected audio files in the Assign Tags
popover window: Press Control+O (Mac) or Start+O (Windows)
 Click the Heart icon so that it is highlighted (or to mark (or unmark) the selected file as a loop.
unhighlighted).

Press Control+F (Mac) or Start+F (Windows)

to enable or disable the Favorite designation
in the Assign Tags popover window.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 377

 Favorites
Waveforms
Pro Tools lets you mark audio files as Favorites, so
you can quickly filter the Items List to show only Fa- The Waveform column displays waveforms for
vorites. audio files. Waveform display depends on the fol-
lowing:
To mark an audio file as a favorite, do one of • Waveforms are displayed if they have already
the following:
been calculated and stored, either with the file
 Select the Heart icon in the Assign Tags popover metadata or in the global Waveform cache.
window.
• When a file is imported into a session, a wave-
 Select the Heart icon in the Favorite column. form is automatically calculated for it.

To filter for Favorites:

 Select the Heart icon in the Workspace Browser
Toolbar.

Waveform displays in a Workspace browser

The waveform overview is stored in the file, or in

the Pro Tools Databases folder on your system
drive. For more information, see “WaveCache” on
page 379.

To scale the vertical zoom on waveforms

Favorites filter enabled
displayed in the Workspace browser, press
Command+Option+[ or Command+Op-
Press Command+Option+Control+F (Mac) tion+] (Mac), or Control+Alt+[ or Con-
or Control+Alt+Start+F (Windows) to show trol+Alt+] (Windows).
or hide Favorites for the selected Location or
search results. Summed Waveforms for Multichannel Files

To use the Favorites designation in an Waveform displays for stereo and multichannel
Advanced Search: files are summed.
1 Select Favorites for the Column type.
2 Select either Set or Not Set for the Search Crite-
ria.
3 Press Enter or Return.

378 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Calculating Waveforms for
Display Even though the MP3 file formats are not
directly supported by Elastic Audio, you
If an audio file item does not have a waveform, the can import them into a WAV- or AIFF-
waveform must be calculated to be visible in a based session and then use the converted
Workspace browser Waveform display. files on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. File
formats that do not match the session are
To calculate waveforms in a Workspace converted automatically on import.
browser:
1 Select online audio files, or folders containing
For more information, see Chapter 45,
audio files, in a Workspace browser.
“Elastic Audio.”
2 Right-click any selected item and choose
Calculate Waveform. To calculate Elastic Audio analysis:
1 In a Workspace browser, select the files you
WaveCache want to analyze.

A global WaveCache file stores waveforms that 2 Do one of the following:

cannot be written back to the sound file, such as • Right-click one of the selected files and choose
read-only files, files on network and other read- Calculate Elastic Analysis from the pop-up
only volumes, and interleaved files. menu.

On Mac, the WaveCache file is stored in • Preview the file with the Audio Files Conform to
/Users/Shared/Pro Tools. Session Tempo option enabled.

On Windows, the WaveCache file is stored in Analyzed files in which a regular tempo was de-
<Systemdrive>/Users/Public/Pro Tools. tected are updated as tick-based, display their du-
ration in Bars|Beats, and display their native tempo
in the Tempo column.
Elastic Audio Files in the Analyzed files in which no tempo was detected re-
Workspace main sample-based. These files typically contain
You can both calculate and clear Elastic Audio only a single transient (such as a snare hit) or they
analysis for selected audio files in Workspace are longer files without a readily identifiable regu-
browsers. Only AIFF and WAV files are supported lar tempo (such as entire songs).
for Elastic Audio analysis and processing. Any On Mac, if you do not see the Elastic Audio
other file format (such as MP3) must be converted Analysis icon or the duration does not
to AIFF or WAV for Elastic Audio analysis and change to tick-based during the preview pro-
processing. 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 18: Workspace Browsers 379

 To clear Elastic Audio analysis: are tick-based and contain their own tempo and
1 In a Workspace browser, select the files with Bar|Beat metadata. WAV and AIF files with elas-
Elastic Audio analysis that you want to clear. tic audio analysis that are tick-based also display a
green metronome icon.
2 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 Previewing Audio in

to sample timebase, display their duration in min- Workspace Browsers
utes and seconds, and do not report a tempo. Audio files can be previewed in Workspace brows-
ers. Previewing follows the master Audition path
File Timebase and Elastic Audio as selected in the Output pane of the I/O Setup (see
Analysis Icons “Audition Path” on page 64). The base level for
previewing is determined by the Master Fader (or
Workspace browsers provide two different icons
Auxiliary Input) level assigned to the Audition
for time-based or tick-based files. For time-based
path. You can also adjust the Preview Volume in
files, the time-based icon is color coded to indicate
the Workspace browser.
whether or not a file includes Elastic Audio analy-
sis.
To preview an audio file in a Workspace
Tick-based Sample-based browser:
file icon file icon
1 Select an audio file in a browser Items List.
Make sure the Workspace browser is the fore-
ground (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.
Elastic Audio and Timebase icons in Workspace
browsers • If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in
the Browser menu, press the Spacebar. Press the
Sample-Based File Icon Indicates that the file is
Spacebar again to stop auditioning.
sample-based. The icon is color coded to display
whether or not the file includes Elastic Audio anal- • Press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P (Win-
ysis data. Sample-based WAV and AIF files with- dows) to start and stop previewing.
out elastic audio analysis data display a gray clock • Press the Esc key to stop previewing.
icon. Sample-based WAV and AIF files with elas-
tic audio analysis data display a blue clock icon. If the Auto-Preview option is enabled,
The file’s duration is displayed in minutes and sec- previewing starts as soon as the file is
onds. selected in a Workspace browser.

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 displayed
in the tempo column. MIDI, REX and ACID files

380 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To audition from a specific location within
the file: Preview Controls and
Indicators
 Click in the waveform display at the location.
Every Workspace browser provides the following
preview controls in the Toolbar: Preview, Volume,
Meters, Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo,
and Elastic Audio Plug-In.

Audio Files Conform

to Session Tempo
Preview button
Auditioning an audio file button
Volume
Interleaved Files Meters

When previewed in Workspace browsers, inter-

leaved 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. Preview controls in Workspace browsers

Split Stereo Files Preview Together Preview Button

When selecting one of a pair of Split Stereo files, The Preview button starts and stops preview of au-
such as “Drums.L” and “Drums.R,” both files pre- dio files selected in Workspace browsers. You can
view together. To preview only the selected chan- also Right-click the Preview button to change the
nel of a split stereo pair, press the Shift key and Preview mode and set whether or not the Spacebar
start preview. toggles file preview.

Some Pro Tools operations can cause

temporary interruptions in Workspace
auditioning.

MIDI files can be previewed from the

session Clips List, but not from Workspace Workspace Browser, Preview button Right-click menu
browsers. See “Previewing Clips in the
Volume
Clips List” on page 335.
The Volume control in Workspace browsers lets
you boost or attenuate the gain for previewing se-
lected files.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 381

 To change the volume for previewing in When the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
Workspace browsers: button is enabled, Pro Tools analyzes any un-ana-
1 Click the Volume control (Fader icon) to dis- lyzed files on preview or import. Tick-based audio
play the Volume fader. files conform to the session tempo during preview
and on import. Sample-based files, those where no
2 Adjust the Volume fader (from –INF to tempo has been detected, always preview and im-
+12 dB). port at their original 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.

For more information, see “Conforming Pre-

view to the Session Tempo” on page 384
Workspace Browser, Preview Volume fader
Elastic Audio Plug-In Selector
Meters
The Elastic Audio Plug-In selector lets you select
The meters display the level of the audio and also any Real-Time Elastic Audio plug-in as the default
provide clip indicators. For mono files, the mono plug-in for previewing and importing Elastic Au-
signal is shown in both meters. For stereo files, the dio files. Changing the plug-in in any Workspace
left and right meters show the left and right chan- browser also affects the Elastic Audio Default Plug-
nels respectively. Greater than stereo multichannel In option in the Processing preferences.
files are displayed as summed mono in both me-
ters. To use Elastic Audio for preview in context:
1 Right-click the Audio Files Conform to Session
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo Button
Tempo button.
The Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo but-
2 Select the desired Elastic Audio plug-in.
ton mirrors the corresponding Browser menu com-
mand. 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 simultane-
ously preview the selected files in time with the
session. The Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo button is only available when a session is
Workspace Browser, selecting Elastic Audio plug-in
open, otherwise it is disabled and grayed out. for previewing Elastic Audio files.

For more information, see “Elastic Audio

Plug-Ins” on page 1023.

382 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 3 Do one of the following:
Preview Modes
• Click the Browser Preview button.
Workspace browsers provide three Preview
• Click the Waveform Preview button.
modes: Normal Preview, Loop Preview, and Auto-
Preview. • If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in
the Browser menu, press the Spacebar.

Normal Preview • Press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P

(Windows).
Normal Preview simply plays the selected audio
file and stops at the end of the file. Deselect Loop To stop loop audition:
Preview and Auto-Preview for Normal Preview
mode.  Do one of the following:
• Click the Browser Preview button again.
Loop Preview • If Spacebar Toggles File Preview is selected in
the Browser menu, press the Spacebar again.
Loop Preview plays the selected file by looping
playback of the file. If multiple files are selected, • Press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P
only the first selected file previews. When Loop (Windows).
Preview mode is enabled, the Preview button up- • Press the Esc key.
dates to show a Loop Preview Mode icon.

Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Win- Auto-Preview

dows) the Preview button to toggle Loop Auto-Preview plays the audio file as soon as it is
Preview mode on and off. selected. Additionally, the Preview button
updates to show an Auto-Preview icon.
To loop preview a file in a Workspace
browser: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
1 Do one of the following: (Windows) the Preview button to toggle
• In the Browser menu, select Loop Preview. The Auto-Preview mode on and off.
Browser Preview button updates to show the To automatically preview files when
Loop Preview icon. selected:
• Right-click the Preview button and select Loop
 Do one of the following:
Preview.
• From the Browser menu, select Auto-Preview.
The Preview button updates to show that Auto-
Preview is enabled.
• Right-click the Preview button and select Auto-
Workspace Preview button, Loop Preview mode
Preview.
2 Select an audio file in a Workspace browser’s
Items List. Make sure the Workspace browser is
the foreground (active) window.

Workspace Preview button, Auto-Preview enabled

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 383

 Conforming Preview to the Preview in Context
Session Tempo
Pro Tools lets you preview audio files in Work-
Pro Tools lets you preview Elastic Audio analyzed space browsers while playing back a Pro Tools
files at the session tempo. The selected default session. Tick-based audio files (those with tempo
Elastic Audio plug-in is used for previewing Elas- detected Elastic Audio analysis, as well as REX
tic Audio analyzed audio files at the session tempo. and ACID files) can play back in tempo, and at the
Additionally, other tick-based files, such as REX corresponding bar and beat location, with session
and ACID files, can also be previewed at the ses- playback. Tick-based audio files audition at the
sion tempo and in time with playback. session tempo when the Audio Files Conform to
Session Tempo option is enabled.
To preview files at the session tempo:
Deselect the Spacebar Toggles File Preview
1 In the session, place the insertion point at the lo-
option in the Browser menu to start and stop
cation where you want to preview the file in
session playback with the Spacebar without
Workspace.
previewing in the Workspace browser. Use
2 In a Workspace browser, select the file you want Command+P (Mac) or Control+P (Win-
to preview. dows) to start and stop preview in the front-
most Workspace browser during session
3 Do one of the following:
playback.
• Click the Audio Files Conform to Session
Tempo button. It highlights when enabled. Reserve Voices for Preview in Context
• From the Browser menu, select Audio Files Con- (Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
form to Session Tempo.
Preview in context (previewing audio files in
• Right-click the file you want to preview and se- Workspace during session playback) uses disk
lect Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo from voices for playback. The number of voices re-
the pop-up menu. quired depends on the channel width of the se-
lected Audition Paths on the Output page of the I/O
4 Click the Preview button in the Workspace
Setup window. For example, if a stereo audition
browser and the file plays at the session tempo.
path selected in the I/O Setup requires 2 voices for
preview in context, whereas a 5.1 audition path re-
quires 6 voices. If one or more voices are not avail-
able for preview in context because they are in use
by disk tracks (or routing for Native processing on
HDX systems), the Preview button in Workspace
browsers will be unavailable during session play-
back.

384 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools provides an option to reserve voices for The process of reacquiring missing files is referred
preview in context. The number of reserved voices to as relinking. Relinking can involve certain sub-
is determined by the channel width of the selected tasks, depending on the situation.
Audition Paths in the I/O Setup. Voices reserved • Transfer files must first be copied to a suitable
for preview in context are unavailable for disk Performance volume. The session is then
tracks. relinked to the copies on the Performance vol-
umes instead of the original Transfer files.
To reserve for voices for preview in context:
• Volumes may be searched for missing files and,
1 Choose Setup > Preferences. when the files are found, Pro Tools relinks the
2 Select the Operation tab. session to the file's new location.

3 Enable the Reserve Voices For Preview In • Files that reside on offline volumes must first
Context option. have their volumes mounted (brought online)
before they can be relinked.
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Catalogs have unique linking characteristics.
See “Relinking and Aliases in Catalogs” on
Linking and Relinking Files page 391.

A Pro Tools session is made up of references, or Choosing When to Relink

links, to audio files and other session media. Audio
and video files must be stored on suitable Perfor- Pro Tools lets you relink files while opening a ses-
mance volumes and be properly linked in order to sion or after a session is already open, as follows:
be playable in the session.  Relinking when opening a session ensures that
the session opens with all media playable. Auto-
The following types of files are not playable:
matic and manual relinking can be performed. See
Transfer Files Files that are stored on volumes not “Opening a Session with Missing Files” on
suitable for playback, such as network volumes or page 387.
USB thumb drives.
 Relinking later (after a session is already open)
Missing Files Files that cannot be found where the is the fastest way to open the session, but all miss-
session expects them, either because they have ing items remain offline and unplayable. See
been moved, or because they are stored on vol- “Relink Window” on page 388.
umes that are not currently mounted (offline vol-
umes). Forcing a Relink

If you cannot relink to the original file, you can

force a relink to another file. See “Force Relinking
Files” on page 391.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 385

 Copy and Relink
Transfer Files
The Copy and Relink command is a file manage-
Unlike missing files, Transfer files are files that ment option for session and catalogs in the Work-
have been found but which reside on volumes un- space browser.
suitable for playback, such as USB thumb drives or
network drives. These volumes appear as Transfer Copy and Relink provides a convenient way to
volumes in the Workspace browser. copy files and relink the session or Catalog to the
copies rather than to the originals.
Opening a Session with Transfer
Files To copy items to a new location and Relink to
the copies:
If a session finds files on a volume unsuitable for
1 Do one of the following:
playback, a dialog appears prompting you to copy
them to a suitable volume. • Choose Window > New Workspace and select
the current session in the Locations pane.
To copy Transfer files found when opening a • Open a Catalog.
session, do one of the following:
2 Select the items you want to copy and relink.
 Click Yes to open the Copy and Relink dialog. You can select any media files (online, offline,
 Click No to open the session with all Transfer and Transfer files).
files offline. When opened, the session’s Work- 3 Choose Copy and Relink Selected from the
space browser indicates Transfer files with a Browser menu.
“T” in their Status column.
4 If the default location for the copies (the ses-
Transfer Files in an Open Session sion’s Audio Files folder) is not appropriate,
specify a different location and click Choose.
To make Transfer files playable in the current
5 The files are copied to the chosen destination
session:
and the session or Catalog is relinked in the
1 Select the current session in the Locations pane. background.
2 Double click the Audio Files folder to display
all of the audio files.
Missing Files
3 Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser
menu. Files are missing if they are not found in the same
location as when the session was last saved. This
4 Choose Copy and Relink from the Browser
could be because you moved the files or the ses-
menu.
sion folder, or because the files are on a volume
5 Specify a location for the copied files on a valid that is not currently mounted.
Performance volume and click OK.
6 Repeat for video files, as necessary.

386 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Opening a Session with Missing Automatically Find and Relink Is the simplest
Files method to relink sessions to required media, but it
provides no way to compare files or verify links.
To open a session with missing files: This option cannot be undone. The Automatically
1 When you open a session, Pro Tools opens the Find and Relink option does the following:
session with all available media, then shows • Searches all Performance volumes for all miss-
you how many files are missing (if any) and ing items with matching Name, ID, Format, and
asks how you want to proceed. (If told that files Length
are unsuitable for playback, see “Transfer Files”
• Links missing items to the first matches found
on page 386.)
• Commits links for all items possible
2 Select one of the following:
• Skip All—or press Command+S (Mac) or Links, once committed, cannot be undone
Control+S (Windows). once the session is saved. The only way to re-
vert to previous links is to close the session
• Manually Find Relink—or press Command+M without saving changes.
(Mac) or Control+M (Windows).
• Automatically Find Relink—or press If some files remain unlinked, the Task window
Command+A (Mac) or Control+A (Windows). opens and a failed task appears in the Paused Tasks
pane. Double-click the Task icon to open the
3 Select Regenerate Missing Rendered Files Relink window and manually find and relink files.
Without Searching to exclude rendered Elastic
Audio files from the relink process and regener- Even if all of the missing files are later found
ate them instead. and relinked, the failed task remains in the
Task Window. Like all failed tasks, it must be
4 Click OK.
manually selected and deleted. See “About
Skip All Skips all missing files. This option is the Failed Tasks” on page 397.
fastest way to open the session utilizing all avail-
Regenerate Missing Rendered Files Without
able media. Missing files are offline in the session,
Searching
and shown in the Clips List and the Workspace
browser with italic text. Enable this option to exclude rendered Elastic Au-
dio files from the relinking process (rendered files
Manually Find and Relink Opens the Relink win-
are recalculated instead). This option is available
dow. Use the Relink window to search, compare,
when Automatically Find and Relink or Manually
verify, and relink missing files. Files can be
Find and Relink is enabled.
relinked one at a time or in batches. See “Relink
Window” on page 388 for more information.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 387

 Relink Window
The Relink window provides tools for all relinking tasks.

Menu and toolbar

Areas to Search

Files to Relink

Candidates

Main elements in the Relink window

Menu and Toolbar Includes the Relink menu, Opening the Relink Window
View Presets, and relinking buttons. Status is dis-
played at the far right. When opening a session with missing files, use the
Manually Find and Relink option to open the Relink
Areas to Search Selects volumes on which to window. The Relink window can also be accessed
search for missing items. after a session is open.

Files to Relink Lists missing files.

To access the Relink window from an open
Candidates Lists files that match the “relinking session:
criteria” for a particular missing file. The Link icon 1 In the Workspace browser, select the item you
next to the candidate can be toggled on or off to want to relink.
link (or unlink) the proposed candidate to the se-
2 Choose Relink Offline from the Browser menu.
lected missing file.
The Session Data Online Status indicator in
The Relink window controls each phase of the
the Edit window (under the Edit Selection in-
relinking process.
dicators) is green when all audio files refer-
enced by the session are available for play-
back. However, if files are offline, being
processed, or otherwise unavailable for play-
back, this indicator is red. If any files are of-
fline, click the indicator to open the Relink
window and relink to offline files.

388 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting Areas to Search Relinking Individual Missing Files

Selecting volumes and folders in the Areas to In some situations, individual files must be
Search pane lets you focus the search for missing relinked one at a time in order to relink the session
files. This can speed the relinking process by lim- to the correct file. This is necessary if multiple cop-
iting the number of volumes or folders to search. In ies of a media file are online, or whenever you
addition, excluding folders from a search for miss- want the most control and flexibility over the
ing files also lets you redirect a session or Catalog relinking process.
to a more appropriate copy of an item.
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.

Volumes selected to include in the search

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.
2 Click each item’s Search column to toggle it to
be included or excluded in the search. A check
Find All Candidates, for relinking a selected missing
next to an item indicates it will be included in file
the search. All folders within items are also
checked. Pro Tools searches the selected volumes and dis-
plays all files that match File Name, SMPTE ID, or
Unique ID in the Candidates list. Link icons indi-
Single and Multi-File Relinking
cate if a Candidate is already linked.
The Relink window can be used to relink one miss-
ing file at a time, or to relink missing files in OMF video clips can only be relinked to a
batches. session if they have matching Unique IDs.

Video clips can only be relinked to a session

by file name and file format.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 389

 • To add additional matching criteria, select an op-
To control matching and linking criteria tion from the Linking Options dialog. (Modifi-
when relinking an individual missing file, cation Date is only applicable to Catalogs.)
use the Find Links button. Find Links is ex-
• If Match Duration is enabled, Pro Tools only se-
plained in “Relinking Multiple Missing
lects files of the same length or greater.
Files” on page 390.

4 Click the Link icon next to the appropriate Can-

didate 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.

Linking options

5 Click OK to continue (or click Cancel to return

Link icon, indicating Linked status
to the Relink window).
5 Click the Link icon next to other Candidates, if
Pro Tools searches for an acceptable candidate for
you want to relink to additional missing files.
the first missing file (the first item selected in the
6 Click the Commit Links button. Files to Relink list). A link icon appears next to
each file as Pro Tools finds and links the first ac-
Relinking Multiple Missing Files ceptable candidate to the missing file. The Link
Path column shows the location of the selected
Using the Find Links button, multiple files can be
candidate. Pro Tools continues searching, match-
matched and linked in one procedure.
ing, and linking for each missing file in the Files to
To relink multiple missing files:
Relink list.

1 Configure Areas to Search. (See “Selecting Ar- 6 To view a candidate for a missing file, select to
eas to Search” on page 389.) highlight the missing file. That file’s candidate
appears in the Candidates pane, where you can
2 Select one or more items in the Files to Relink view its information and waveform.
list. The Find Links button becomes available.
7 If you are not satisfied with the candidate for a
3 Click Find Links. particular missing file, you can click Find All
4 Configure criteria for relinking, if necessary, in Candidates for the selected file (see “Relinking
the Linking Options dialog: Individual Missing Files” on page 389).

• By default, Find by Name and ID is enabled.

390 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Force Relinking Files
The Automatically Find and Relink option
If you want to link to a substitute file (for example, is the only relinking process that does not
if you know a file has the same audio or video but ask you to verify links before they are
does not have a matching File Name, SMPTE ID, committed. If you use this option and are
or Unique ID), you can force a relink. unsatisfied with the results, close the
 To force relink an audio file, its file format
session without saving to prevent the new
(WAV, AIFF, or MXF), sample rate and bit depth links from being committed.
must match those of the original file.
To commit links:
 To force relink a video file, its format (MOV, 1 Use the Relink window to link files as explained
Avid, MXF, or OMF) and frame rate must match in “Single and Multi-File Relinking” on
those of the original file. page 389.

To force a relink: 2 Click Commit. You are asked to verify commit-

ting links.
1 Select the items you want to relink.
3 Do one of the following:
2 Choose Relink Offline from the Browser menu.
• Click Yes to commit links.
3 In the Relink window, select one item in the
• Click No to stop without affecting files.
Files to Relink list.
Navigate in the Areas to Search pane to locate
4
Relinking and Aliases in
the file you want to relink. Catalogs
5 Drag the file to the Candidates pane in the Catalogs are collections of “aliases” or “shortcuts”
Relink window. to actual files. If the files are moved, an item in a
6 Click the Link icon next to the file you dragged Catalog can become unlinked from the file it refer-
to the Candidates pane. ences.

7 Click the Commit Links button. To relink a Catalog:

1 Open the Catalog.
Committing Links
2 Select items to relink.
There is no Undo for relinking. Once a file has
been relinked and the session saved, the session al- 3 Choose Relink Selected from the Browser menu
ways remembers the new link (the original link is in that Catalog window.
forgotten). For this reason, no files are actually
relinked until you click Commit Links.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 391

 Creating Catalogs of Folders
Catalogs
Catalogs are similar to having a Favorites folder, To create a Catalog of an entire folder and all
its contents:
and serve as a way to collect and organize fre-
quently used items regardless of where they are 1 Open the Workspace browser, if not already
stored. A Catalog is analogous to a folder full of open.
aliases or shortcuts. Placing a file in a Catalog does
2 Drag and drop a single folder onto the Catalog
not create a copy of the file, and does not change
icon in the Workspace browser.
where the file is stored. Rather, it stores a reference
(or alias) to the file so that it can be found and ma- Pro Tools first indexes the folder, then a fully in-
nipulated without having to search for its physical dexed Catalog is created, with the same name as
location. the dropped folder.

Creating Catalogs Renaming a Catalog

Catalogs can be added to the Workspace as new, Catalogs can be renamed at any time.
empty Catalogs, or you can select items first and
then save a Catalog of all selected items. To rename a Catalog:
1 Click the Catalog item in the Workspace
To create a new, empty Catalog:
browser until its name highlights.
1 Open a Workspace browser.
2 Type a new name for the Catalog.
2 Choose New Catalog from the Browser menu.
3 Type a unique name and click OK. Modifying Catalogs

To catalog a selection of items: To add items to a Catalog, do one of the

following:
1 Open a Workspace browser.
 Open the Catalog and drop new items from an-
2 Select the items you want to include in the new other Workspace browser.
Catalog.
 Click the main Catalogs icon in the Workspace,
3 Choose Create Catalog from Selection from the to expand your view of all existing Catalogs,
Browser menu. then drop items onto any Catalog.
A new, fully indexed Catalog database of the se-
To add a folder to a Catalog:
lected items is created.
1 Open the Catalog.
2 Choose New Folder from the Browser menu.

392 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Removing Catalog Items Updating Catalogs
When you remove a folder or file from a Catalog, Since a Catalog database is not linked to any par-
Pro Tools lets you choose whether to delete only ticular volume, there is a limit to the abilities of the
the alias from the Catalog, or also delete the origi- Update Index command. When Update Index for
nal files from disk. Selected Items is selected from the Browser menu
in a Catalog, Pro Tools searches for the items rep-
To delete an item from a Catalog. resented by the aliases in the Catalog and updates
1 Select a catalog in the Locations pane. the following information:

2 In the Browser pane, select one or more items in Metadata Metadata for all files found online, in-
the catalog that you want to remove. cluding File comments, are updated.

3 Choose Remove Selected Items from the Database Comments Database Comments are not
Browser menu. updated, because they are unique to each Catalog
and are not part of the file’s metadata.
4 When prompted, do one of the following:
• To remove the aliases for the selected items from
Relinking Catalog Items
the Catalog, click Remove.
If files are ever missing from a Catalog, use the
• To delete the selected items from disk (and re-
Relink window to locate, copy, and relink files.
move their aliases from the Catalog), click Move
For more information, see “Linking and Relinking
To Trash (Mac) or Move To Recycle Bin (Win-
Files” on page 385.
dows).

Consolidating Files with Removing Catalogs

Catalogs To delete a Catalog:
Catalogs are excellent tools for consolidating files 1 Select a catalog in the Locations pane.
from a variety of sources.
2 Select the catalog in the Browser pane.
For example, create a Catalog named “Thumps”
and fill it with sound effects from three different 3 Choose Remove Selected Items from the
volumes. You can then drag the Catalog from the Browser menu. A warning dialog appears.
Workspace browser to another volume, and a 4 In the warning dialog, do one of the following:
folder named “Thumps” is created on that volume.
• Click Cancel to cancel the delete operation.
All of the files referenced by the Catalog are auto-
matically copied to the volume. Folders and sub- • Click Move to Trash (Mac) or Move to Recycle
folders, if any, and their contents are included in Bin (Windows) to remove aliases and associated
the copy. files from disk.
• Click Remove to remove only the aliases from
the catalog (and not the associated files on disk).

This operation cannot be undone.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 393

 Importing Catalog Items Whenever the volume containing the offline items
is mounted, Pro Tools automatically starts to im-
You can import online and offline items from Cat-
port the files, in the background. This is true even
alogs into the current session.
if you have saved the session, quit, and relaunched
Pro Tools.
Importing Online Items from a Catalog
Once the items are completely imported, they ap-
Dragging and dropping audio files to the Pro Tools
pear as online items in the Timeline, Clips List,
Clips List and Timeline is identical to dragging
and in the Workspace browser.
and dropping from Workspace browsers.
If the offline items match the session sample rate,
For more information, see “Importing Files
bit depth, and file format, no conversion is neces-
with Drag and Drop” on page 434.
sary. As long as the volume is playable, the items
Importing Offline Items from a Catalog become playable in the session as soon as the vol-
ume is mounted.
With Catalogs, it is possible to search and import
files that are offline. For example, if you have a If the volume is unsuitable for playback, you are
music cue that you know you want to use, but it re- informed that some items must be copied to suit-
sides on an unmounted volume, you can spot the able volumes first.
file from a Catalog to the session Timeline, and it
For more information on Transfer files, miss-
is automatically imported into the session when the
ing files, and relinking, see “Relink Window”
volume is mounted.
on page 388.
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
clips appear in light blue).

394 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Task Manager Window
For maximum performance and flexibility with file management tasks, Pro Tools provides the Task Man-
ager window. File management with Pro Tools involves nearly constant creating, copying, converting,
processing, searching, and indexing files. These tasks occur in the background, letting you continue record-
ing, editing, and mixing without delay.

The Task window lets you monitor, pause and cancel ongoing tasks including file copying, fade regener-
ation, and indexing. You can also use the Task Manager to monitor upload and download progress with
projects.

View Toggle (Maximize/Minimize)

Status

Active Tasks

Paused Tasks

Task window, maximum view

Opening the Task Window Task Manager Status

To open the Task Window, do one of the The Task Manager Status indicator lights and ani-
following: mates when the Task Manager is busy. When no
tasks are in progress, it is unlit. The indicator turns
 In Pro Tools, choose Window > Task Manager. red if the Task Manager requires your attention.
 Press Option+’ (Mac) or Alt+’ (Windows) to
open the Workspace browser.
 Click the Task Manager Status indicator in the
Edit Window toolbar.

Task Manager Status indicator, tasks in progress

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 395

 Task Window Messages Progress Indicates the progress of the task or its
sub-tasks, which include assessing the size of the
If any background task cannot be successfully items and the estimated amount of time necessary
completed, the Task window comes to the fore- to complete the task.
ground to notify you. The incomplete task is
shown in the Paused Tasks pane of the Task win- Progress Indicator Indicates processing is ongo-
dow. ing.

Because the Task window is a floating window, it Quantification Shows percentage of progress of
does not interrupt current work. This allows you to the current task.
continue recording and editing, and postpone file
management until a more convenient time. Active Tasks Pane

The upper Active Tasks pane shows the tasks that

Task Window Views are in progress or waiting to start. The currently ex-
ecuting task is at the top. Tasks in this pane will be
The Task window provides a maximized and min-
processed.
imized view.
As tasks complete, they disappear from the queue.
To toggle between maximized and minimized
views: Any task that fails to complete successfully is
moved to the Paused Tasks pane (see below). The
 Click the View Toggle icon in the top of the
Status column displays a description of the failure.
Task window.
Paused Tasks Pane

The Paused Tasks pane is displayed below the Ac-

tive Tasks pane, and is separated by a movable hor-
Task window, minimum view izontal divider. Tasks listed in this pane will not be
processed until they are moved back to the Active
Task Window Tools, Columns, Tasks pane.
and Displays
The Task window menu provides commands for Pausing and Canceling Tasks
Task window operations.
The Task window lets you pause, resume, and can-
The following data is always displayed in the Task cel tasks.
window (both views):
To pause a task:
Item Name Indicates affected item, whether a file,
database, or other supported item.  Drag the appropriate task from the Active Tasks
pane to the Paused Tasks pane.
Status Action being taken (for example, copying,
processing, indexing and so on). To pause all tasks:
 Choose Pause All from the Task window menu.

396 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To resume a task: Closing Sessions with Pending
 Drag a task from the Paused Tasks pane to the
Tasks
Active Tasks pane. The task returns to its previ- If you close a session or quit Pro Tools while tasks
ous position in the queue. are still pending (either in the Active or Paused
Tasks panes of the Task window) Pro Tools asks if
To resume all paused tasks: you want to cancel, or complete the pending tasks.
 Select Resume All from the Task window menu. You can choose to open the Task window and wait
All tasks in the Paused Tasks pane (except for pending tasks to complete, cancel the pending
failed tasks) are moved to the Active Tasks tasks, or quit. If you quit, some tasks are canceled.
pane. Tasks that involve file copies are remembered and
restarted when you relaunch Pro Tools.
To cancel a task:
About Failed Tasks
1 Highlight any task in either pane of the Task
window. The Paused Tasks pane shows any tasks that could
not be completed. The reason for the failure is
2 Press Delete to remove it from the Task win- shown in the Status column.
dow.
Failed Tasks cannot be resumed, and must be de-
To cancel all tasks: leted manually from the Paused Tasks pane.
1 Select any single task in either pane. If Automatically Find and Relink was unable to find
2 Press Command+A (Mac) Control+A (Win- all files in a session, a failed task is placed in the
dows) to select all the tasks in that pane. Paused Tasks pane of the Task window. It remains
there unless you manually remove it from the Task
3 Press Delete. window (even if you have since found the files
This command cannot be undone. through a subsequent search and relink task).

About Canceling Tasks Task Prioritization

Some tasks involve one or more sub-tasks. Delet- A task that is in progress may be interrupted by a
ing a task cannot undo sub-tasks already com- task of higher priority. When this happens, the par-
pleted. For example, if importing and converting tially completed task is halted and rescheduled
multiple files appears as a single task, deleting that later in the queue, and shown with a progress bar in
task before it is completed stops the import and the Active Tasks pane. When the higher priority
conversion process, but files already converted and task is finished the first incomplete task in the
imported remain on disk. If you want to cancel a queue resumes.
task involving multiple sub-tasks, you can instead
let the process complete and then use Undo to com-
pletely undo all sub-tasks, as available.

Chapter 18: Workspace Browsers 397

 Pausing 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 system load for
maximum playback and recording performance.
This preference maintains its setting until the next
time it is changed.

Stored Tasks
Any task that imports files into a session is stored
with a session when it is closed, and resumes when
the session is re-opened. For example, if you Im-
port 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 originating com-
mand. So in the example of a Copy and Relink
command, one copy task would appear with an Ex-
pand/Collapse icon in the Task window. Clicking
the icon shows each of the individual sub-tasks.

If there is more than one grouped task in the queue,

all of the sub-tasks for the first group must be com-
pleted 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 session is
reopened.

398 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link

In addition to using the standalone Avid Link To set up your Avid Profile:
application, you can access Avid Link within 1 If you are not already signed in to your Avid
Pro Tools using the Avid Link menu and the Artist Master Account in Pro Tools, choose File > Sign
Chat window. With Avid Link, you can create and In and sign in.
manage your Avid Community Profile, find col-
laborators using Find Talent, and engage the Avid 2 In Pro Tools, choose Avid Link > Profile.
creative community through Lounges. The Artist 3 To add or change your Profile Picture and Cover
Chat window lets you invite people from your list Photo, do the following:
of contacts to collaborate on a project and commu-
• Choose Edit Cover Photo from the gear icon
nicate with collaborators using Messages.
in the upper right corner of the window.
• Click Edit to browse for and add photos.
Your Avid Profile • Click Save Changes.

Set up and maintain your Avid Profile to promote 4 To add relevant information about you, such as
your work, and share your talents and skills with your Bio and Contact Information, do the fol-
the Avid Creative Community. Add tags for your lowing:
skills to helps people find you when they are • Click About Me.
searching for collaborators using Find Talent. • Click Add Bio.
• Select (or deselect) Make My Profile Public.
• Enter your personal information.
• Click Save when you are done.
5 To add (or remove) tags for your talents and
skills, do the following:
• Click About Me.
• Click Add Skill and select your skills in each
category (for example, select Instruments and
click Piano). Tags for each selected skill are
added to your Profile.
• For each added tag, set your Expertise.
• Click Save when you are done.
New Avid Profile

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 399

 6 To add audio samples of your work, do the fol-
lowing:
• Click My Portfolio.
• Click Add Content and select Audio Content.
• Click Upload File, locate and select the audio
file you want to upload and click Open.
• Add a picture and enter information about the
audio file as desired.
• Click Save.
Searching for talent by name
To edit your personal information after you have
4 Locate the person you are looking for in the re-
setup your Profile:
sults list and click their name, profile photo, or
1 Choose Edit About Me from the gear icon in the See More Portfolio to view their Profile.
upper right corner of the window.
To search for talent by Skill tags:
2 Edit your personal information as desired.
1 If you are not already signed in to your Avid
3 Click Save when you are done.
Master Account in Pro Tools, choose File > Sign
In and sign in.

Find Talent 2 In Pro Tools, choose Avid Link > Find Talent.

Use Find Talent to search for other members of the 3 Click Filters.
Avid Creative Community to add to your contacts 4 Click a Category (such as Instruments).
for collaboration based on specific talents and
skills. You can also search for people by name. If 5 Click a skill in that Category (such as Cello).
you want to collaborate with someone who is not 6 To further refine your search, click Filters again
yet part of the Avid Creative Community, you can and select a Genre (such as Classical).
email them an invitation to join.

To find a member of the Avid Creative Community

by name:

1 If you are not already signed in to your Avid

Master Account in Pro Tools, choose File > Sign Searching for talent by tags
In and sign in.
7 The Talent list updates to show only those Pro-
2 In Pro Tools, choose Avid Link > Find Talent. files that have the Skill tags for which you have
added Filters.
3 In Search Community field in the upper right
corner of the window, type the name of the per-
son you are searching for and press Return
(Mac) or Enter (Windows), or click the Magni-
fying Glass icon.

400 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To invite someone from the Talent list to connect
and add them to your contacts:

1 If you are not already signed in to your Avid

Master Account in Pro Tools, choose File > Sign
In and sign in.

2 In Pro Tools, choose Avid Link > Find Talent.

3 Search for talent by name or filter the Talent list
Skill tags.
4 Click the Add Contact icon for the person with
Emailing an invitation to join the Avid Creative
whom you want to connect. Community and connect
5 Type a message and click Send Invite. 5 Type a message and click Send Invite.

That person will receive an email from you with a

link inviting them to join the Avid Artist Commu-
nity and connect.

To respond to an invitation to connect:

1 When you are invited to connect as a new con-

tact, you receive a new Message in the Artist
Chat window.
2 To accept, click the Accept button.
Sending an invitation to connect

To invite a person to join the Avid Creative

Community to connect and collaborate:
1 If you are not already signed in to your Avid
Master Account in Pro Tools, choose File > Sign
In and sign in.

2 In Pro Tools, choose Avid Link > Find Talent.

3 Under the Search Community field, click Send
Email Invitation. Emailing an invitation to join the Avid Creative
Community and connect
4 Enter the person’s email address and click Send
Invite. You are both added to each others list of contacts
and you can now invite each other to collaborate
on projects.

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 401

 Pro Tools Projects in the Artist Chat Window
Use the Artist Chat window to invite people in your contacts to collaborate on individual projects. You can
monitor collaboration activity on Pro Tools Projects, see who is collaborating on a project, and communi-
cate with all project collaborators using group messaging in the Artist Chat window. The project owner
(the person who created the project) can invite collaborators from their contacts.The project owner can also
remove individual collaborators from the project.

To open (or close) the Artist Chat window:

1 Launch Pro Tools.
2 Log in to your Avid Master Account, either through the Dashboard window or by selecting File > Sign
In. You must be connected to the Internet and signed in to access the Artist Chat window.

3 Do one of the following:

• Choose Window > Artist Chat.
• Choose Avid Link > Pro Tools Projects.
• Press Command+Shift+= (equals) (Mac) or Control+Shift+= (equals) (Windows).
• Click the Show Artist Chat button in the Edit window toolbar or Transport window collaboration con-
trols.

Artist Chat window, Pro Tools Projects

402 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Project Controls
The Artist Chat window provides controls for managing who can participate in the project, messaging be-
tween project participants, and whether or not to show the project collaboration transaction logs.

Show/Hide Collaboration
Transaction Logs
Invite Contacts
to Collaborate
Project Name Show/Hide Participants

Project Participants

Artist Chat window, Pro Tools Project controls

Invite Contacts to Collaborate

(Project Owner Only)

You can invite any of your contacts to collaborate

on the open project.

To invite any of your contacts to collaborate on the

selected project:
1 Open the project for which you want to invite
collaborators.
2 Click the Invite contacts to Collaborate icon.
3 Search your contacts or select one or more con-
tacts from the list.
4 Click the Invite to Project button.

The selected contacts are notified that you invited

them to collaborate on your project. They can
choose to accept or reject your invitation.
Inviting selected contacts to collaborate on the project

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 403

 Responding to Collaboration Participant Status Indicators
Invitations
The status of each participant is indicated graphi-
If you are invited to collaborate on a project, you cally to let you know if they have been invited but
are notified both in the Artist Chat window and in have not yet accepted the invitation, and whether
the Project page of the Dashboard. or not they are online or offline if they have ac-
cepted.
To accept or decline an invitation to collaborate on
a project:
1 In the Artist Chat window, you will see an invi-
tation to collaborate on a specific project from
the project creator.
Offline Online Invitation pending
2 Click Accept or Decline.
Participant status indicators

Revoke an Invitation to
Collaborate
(Project Owner Only)

If you are the owner of the project, you can revoke

the invitation to collaborate on the project for any-
one that has not yet accepted your invitation.

To revoke an invitation to collaborate:

Responding to an invitation to collaborate on a project 1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show
project participants. Any participant that has not
Show or Hide Project yet accepted the invitation shows “Invited” to
Participants the left of their name.
You can show or hide the participants for the se-
2 Click on their name and choose Revoke Invita-
lected project. Each participant is listed by name
tion.
with indicators for the status of their participation.

To show or hide project participants:

 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon.

Revoking an invitation to participate on a project

404 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Removing Participants from the To leave a project:
Project  Right-click on the project icon in the Pro Tools
(Project Owner Only) Projects list and choose Leave.
If you are the project owner, you can remove par-
ticipants from the project. When a participant is re- Adding Project Participants to
moved from a project, that project is no longer Your Contacts
available to them and will not appear in their list of
If you are participating in a project for which you
projects in the Dashboard or in the Artist Chat win-
are not the owner, you can add other participants to
dow.
your contacts with whom you have not yet con-
To remove a participant from a project:
nected.

1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show To add another project participant to your
project participants. contacts:

2 Click on the name of the participant you want to 1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show
remove and choose Remove. project participants.
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to
The Remove command is not available if the
add to your contacts and choose Add to Con-
participant currently has the project open.
tacts.
s

Adding a participant to your contacts

Removing a participant from the project
A contact request is sent to that participant.
That participant is removed from the project and
the project is no longer available to them.
Collaboration Transaction Logs
The collaboration transaction logs show all actions
Leave a Pro Tools Project
taken by the owner and all contributors on the proj-
If you are participating in a project for which you ect. When any participant uploads any changes to
are not the owner, you can leave it at any time. the project (such as sharing a new track or upload-
When you leave a project, the other participants ing changes), these changes are added to the col-
are notified and you are removed from the list of laboration transaction logs for the project. This
project participants. You now no longer have ac- useful for keeping a record and tracking all
cess to that project, and it is removed from the changes to the project. However, if you find that
Projects lists in the Artist Chat window and in the they clutter the project chat, you can hide them.
Projects page of the Dashboard.

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 405

 To show the collaboration transaction logs for the Project Chat
project:
Type in the Write Message field to communicate
 Click the Show/Hide Collaboration Transaction
with all participants in the selected project. Any
Logs icon so that it is lit.
participant can communicate using the project
chat. You can also chat with individual partici-
pants or select group of participants.

Collaboration Transcript Logs shown

To hide the collaboration transaction logs for the

project:

 Click the Show/Hide Collaboration Transaction

Logs icon so that it turns gray. Project chat

To communicate using project chat:

1 Click in the Write Message field and type your

message.
2 To add emoticons or notation, click the Show
Emoticons icon.
3 To send your message, press Return (Mac) or
Enter (Windows), or click the Send icon.

Private Messages Between

Project Participants
Any participant can privately message one or more
Collaboration Transcript Logs shown of any other participant in the project

406 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To privately message one or more participants in
the project: Artist Chat Project List
1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show All projects that you are participating in, either as
project participants. an owner or as a collaborator, are listed on the left
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to of the Artist Chat window. You can select any
message and choose Message. project from the list to participate in the project
s
chat whether that project is open or not.

The number of any new changes to the project you

have not yet downloaded as well as any new proj-
ect chat messages you have not yet read are shown
Message a particular project participant to the right of each Project icon.

3 .The Artist Chat window updates to show Mes-

sages with the individual participant selected Opening a Project from Artist
for private messaging.
Chat
You can open any project listed in the Projects List
s

from the Artist Chat window.

To open a project:
 Double-click the Project icon in the Project List.

Artist Chat Messages

The Artist Chat window keeps track of your indi-
vidual and group chats that are independent of
project chats. In the left column of the Artist Chat
Private Messaging with selected participant Messages window shows the names of each indi-
4 If you want to include any of your other con- vidual and group chat. When you are not viewing a
tacts, do the following: specific chat thread, a number shows up to the right
of the chat thread name if you have received any
• Click the Add Contact Message icon.
messages while you were not viewing it. As soon
• Select anyone else you want to include from as you select that chat thread in the list, the number
the Contacts list. disappears since you can review all unread mes-
• Click the Add to Chat button. sages in that chat thread.

5 Type a message in the Write Message field.

6 To send your message, press Return (Mac) or
Enter (Windows), or click the Send icon.
7 To return to the project chat, choose Avid Link >
Pro Tools Projects.

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 407

 To view Messages in the Artist Chat window: 2 In the resulting list of your contacts, select who
 Choose Avid Link > Messages. you want to chat with. Select multiple contacts
to start a new group chat thread.

Artist Chat Messages

Start a New Chat Thread

You can start a new chat with any of your contacts.
Artist Chat Messages
To start a new chat thread:
3 Click the Start Chat button.
1 In Artist Chat Messages, click the Create New
Messages icon. 4 In the Write Message field, type your message
and then press Return (Mac) or Enter (Win-
dows), or click the Send icon.

Individual Chat
To chat with an individual contact:
1 Do one of the following:
• Start a new chat with one of your contacts.
• Continue an existing chat by clicking the
name of the Contact in the Messages list.
2 In the Write Message field, type your message
and then press Return (Mac) or Enter (Win-
Create New Message icon
dows), or click the Send icon.

408 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Group Chat
You can create a new chat with multiple contacts
or add contacts to an existing chat to create a group
chat.

Group chats provide several additional options that

are not available with individual chats:
• Rename a group chat
• Show participants in the group chat
• Privately message individual participants in
the group chat
• Add or remove participants to or from the
group chat
• View the status of participants in the group Add Contact to Message icon
chat
4 Click the Add to Chat button.
• If a participant is not already in your contacts,
you can add them Any added contacts are sent an invitation to join
the group chat thread.
To start a group chat:

1 Do one of the following: Responding to Group Chat Invitations

• Create a new chat with multiple contacts. If you are invited to a group chat thread, you are
• Add one or more contacts to an existing chat. notified in the Artist Chat Messages window.

To add one or more contacts to an existing chat: To accept or decline an invitation to collaborate on
a project:
1 In the Messages list, select the chat you want to
1 In the Artist Chat Messages window, you will
add to.
see an invitation to join a group chat thread
2 Click the Add Contact to Message icon. from one of its participants.
2 Click Accept or Decline.

Add Contact to Message icon

3 Select any contacts you want to add to the chat.

Responding to an invitation to join a group chat thread

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 409

 Show or Hide Project Participants

You can show or hide the participants for the se-

lected group chat thread. Each participant is listed
by name with indicators for the status of their par-
ticipation.
Revoking an invitation to join a group chat
To show or hide project participants:

 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon. Removing Participants from a Group

Chat
Participant Status Indicators If you are started the group chat, you can remove
The status of each participant is indicated graphi- participants from it. When a participant is removed
cally to let you know if they have been invited but from a project, that project is no longer available to
have not yet accepted the invitation, and whether them and will not appear in their list of projects in
or not they are online or offline if they have ac- the Dashboard or in the Artist Chat window.
cepted.
To remove a participant from a group chat:
1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show
the group chat participants.
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to
remove and choose Remove.
Offline Online Invitation pending
Participant status indicators

Revoke an Invitation to Join a Group

Chat

Anyone who has already join a group chat can re- Removing a participant from the group chat
voke the invitation to join for anyone else that has
not yet accepted the invitation. That participant is removed from the group chat
and it is no longer available to them.
To revoke an invitation to join a group chat:
Leave a Group Chat
1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show
group chat participants. Any participant that has If you are participating in a group chat that you did
not yet accepted the invitation shows “Invited” not initiate, you can leave it at any time. When you
to the left of their name. leave a group chat, the other participants are noti-
2 Click on their name and choose Revoke Invita- fied and you are removed from their list of group
tion. chat participants. You now no longer have access
to that group chat, and it is removed from the Mes-
sages list in the Artist Chat window.

410 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To leave a group chat:

 Right-click on the group chat icon in the Mes-

sages list and choose Leave.

Add a Group Chat Participant to Your

Contacts
Group chat right-click menu
If you are participating in a group chat that you did
not star, you can add other participants to your con- 2 Type the a name for the group chat and press
tacts with whom you have not yet connected. Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows).

To add another group chat participant to your

contacts:
1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show
Renaming a group chat
the group chat participants.
Group Chat Participants
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to
add to your contacts and choose Add to Con- Use the Participant menu to privately message any
tacts. participant of a group chat. If you initiated the
group chat, you can remove participants from it.
s

Also, if a participant is not one of you contacts, you

can add them to your contacts.

Message a Group Chat Participant

Adding a participant to your contacts
To privately message a participant in the group:
A contact request is sent to that participant. 1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show
the group chat participants.
Renaming a Group Chat Thread
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to
When a group chat is started, it initially uses the chat with privately and choose Message.
names of the members of the chat as the name for
the chat. You can add a specific name to the group
chat to help identify it in the Messages list.

To rename a group chat:

1 Do one of the following:
Message a participant in a group chat privately
• Double click the title of the group chat at the top
of the chat pane. 3 Send that person a private message.
• Right-click the group chat in the Messages list
Remove a Participant from a Group
and choose Rename.
Chat

If you initiated a group chat, you can remove any

other participant in that group chat.

Chapter 19: Artist Chat and Avid Link 411

 To remove a participant from a group chat (only if
you started the chat): Pinning or Unpinning Items in
1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show the Pro Tools Projects and
the group chat participants. Messages Lists
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to After you have been working with projects, adding
remove and choose Remove. contacts, and collaborating for awhile, you can
imagine that the Pro Tools Projects and Messages
lists might get rather long. Pro Tools lets you “pin”
items in either list to the top of the list, or if you
don’t need to keep an item at the top of the list any
longer, you can “unpin” it. Note that pinning a
project or a chat also pins it for all participants in
Remove a participant from a group chat that project or chat (the same is true for unpinning).
This can be useful for keeping the highest priority
That person is removed from the group chat.
projects and chats at the top of the list for all par-
ticipants.
Add a Participant to your contacts

If there is a participant in a group chat with you To pin a project or chat thread:
who is not already in your contacts, you can add 1 Right-click the project or chat you want to pin
them. to the top of the list.

To add participant in a group to your contacts: 2 Choose Pin.

1 Click the Show/Hide Participants icon to show 3 The project or chat moves to the top of the list.
the group chat participants.
This item will also be pinned to the top of the list
2 Click on the name of the participant you want to for all participants the next time they go online
add to your contacts and choose Add to Con-
tacts. To unpin a project or chat thread:
1 Right-click the project or chat you want to un-
pin from the top of the list.
2 Choose Unpin.
3 The project or chat moves back to its original
Add a participant in a group chat to your contacts location on the list.
A contact request is sent to that participant. This item will also be unpinned to for all partici-
pants the next time they go online.

412 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration

Sharing Projects and What is Shared?

Collaborating
Most project data, media, track data, and conduc-
Pro Tools lets you upload your projects to the tor rulers is shared when you choose to share a
cloud and collaborate on the same project with project. Some items are continuously shared, that
other users on a track-by-track basis. Obviously, is they can be constantly edited and posted or
you do not have to share a project and you can just downloaded. Other aspects of a project are only
use your cloud storage to keep your project and all shared the first time you upload or download a
associated media backed up online, but the real fun project, such as the sample rate, bit depth, and au-
of working with online projects is being able to dio file format for the project. Other project data is
collaborate with others. Once you have created a never shared.
project using the Dashboard, and you have created
your Artist Profile in Avid Link, you can find and Continually Shared Items
invite other Pro Tools users to collaborate on the
project. Likewise, other users can share their proj- The following items are continually shared with all
ects with you and enlist your collaboration. participants in the project:

When you first get started with shared projects and Tracks and Rulers
collaboration, you may want to use an existing ses-
sion rather than create a new project from scratch. Tracks
In this case, open the session you want to work • Audio, MIDI, Instrument, and Master Fader
with and use the Save Copy In command to save it tracks
and its associated media (for more information, see
• Main Playlists
“Saving a Session as a Project” on page 193).
• Alternate Playlists
For in depth information about creating, • Clips Associated with Playlists
opening, and saving projects, among other
tasks, see “Pro Tools Projects” on page 176. • Clip Gain
• Clip Color
For information about using the Artist Chat • Elastic Audio Properties for Clips
window and Avid Link to invite and commu- • Melodyne track status
nicate with collaborators, see Chapter 19,
• Media Associated with Clips
“Artist Chat and Avid Link.”
• Track Color
• Volume Automation Settings
Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 413
 • Pan Automation Settings to the collaborator’s system and they are notified
• Mute Automation Settings through the project notes when they first receive an
open the project. If this occurs, they may have to
• Plug-In Assignments remap those busses manually.
• Plug-In Settings and Automation
• Sidechain Assignments Items Shared Only when a
• HW Insert Assignments
Project is First Downloaded
• Track Metadata Project Level
• Track I/O assignments • Sample Rate
• Bit Depth
Routing Folder tracks can be shared, but they are
converted to Auxiliary Input tracks and all member • File Format
tracks are moved to the top level. • Interleaved Audio Files option (enabled or dis-
abled)
Rulers
• Project Start Time
• Markers (Specific Markers)
• Project Length
• Tempo ruler
• Timecode Rate
• Meter
• Feet+Frames Rate
• Key
• Timecode 2 Rate
• Chords
• If the Conductor is enabled or not (whether or
Automation Mode Selector not to follow the project Tempo track)

The track automation mode selector is continu- • Pan depth

ously shared, but not every change prompts an up- • Track level (initial fader settings, not volume au-
date. tomation)

While “Read” and “None” are continually shared, • Track Voice assignments
“Write” modes are not (as this could cause prob-
lems for other project participants). Sending and Receiving Tracks
and Updates
I/O Setup
A track must be shared to send or receive updates
New projects are received with the bus settings with other project participants. If a track is not
from the project owner. All existing busses on col- shared, it is usable only on the local system. This
laborator systems are cleared for the new project. can be desirable if you want to keep certain tracks
from being changed by other participants in the
Any received bus follows the standard I/O Setup project, or if you want to share only mixdowns of
mapping logic. Output mapped busses look for a the full mix rather than the entire mix (this can ac-
unique ID, followed by the assigned monitor path tually save time and online storage space). A track
(if any), followed by the name and channel format must be shared by at least one user to show up as
of tracks. If none are found, the bus does not map “available for download” in the Tracks List.

414 Pro Tools Reference Guide

What is Not Shared? Start Collaboration
The following are not shared in a project: Use the Start Collaboration command to quickly
• Mix and Edit groups invite collaborators to join an existing session or
project, or to create a new collaborative online
• Clip groups project.
• Basic Folder tracks
To start a collaboration:
• VCA tracks
1 Choose File > Start Collaboration.
• HEAT settings
• Video 2 If you are not already signed in to your Avid
Account, you are prompted to do so.
3 Do one of the following:
Project Ownership • If a project is already open, skip this step.
The owner of the project is the one who creates the • If a session is already open, the session is
project and invites others to collaborate on the saved, closed, duplicated as a project, and
project. All media posted to the shared project that project is opened automatically.
counts only against the project owner’s storage al- • If no session or project is already open, the
location. Be sure to communicate using the Artist Dashboard opens where you can create a new
Chat window or Avid Link to make sure all partic- project or open an existing project.
ipants manage the amount of media they post to the
project so as to not overburden the project owner. 4 The Artist Chat window opens automatically
Only the project owner can invite participants to where you can immediately invite collaborators
collaborate on the project and delete participants from your contacts to join the project.
from the project. When the project owner deletes
the project, it is deleted for all participants. When a
participant who is not the project owner deletes the Contacts and Collaborators
project, it is the same as if they simply leave the
Use Find Talent to find potential collaborator to
project and all other participants will be able to
add to your contacts. You can invite anyone in
continue collaborating on the project.
your contacts to collaborate on your projects. Cre-
ate and maintain your Avid Profile so that other
members of the Avid Creative Community can
find you and invite you collaborate on their proj-
ects.

For information about using the Artist Chat

window and Avid Link for collaboration, see
Chapter 19, “Artist Chat and Avid Link.”

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 415

 Track Collaboration Tools in Global Track Collaboration
the Edit Window Tools
The Edit Window toolbar is host to the global The Global Track Collaboration tools provide a
Track Collaboration tools. high level means of posting and receiving all
shared track data. For track-by-track collaboration
To show (or hide) the Track Collaboration tools in controls, see “Track Collaboration Controls” on
the Edit window toolbar, do one of the following: page 419.
 Select (or deselect) View > Track Collaboration.
Upload All
 From the Edit Window menu, select (or dese- New Changes
lect) Track Collaboration. Download All
New Changes
Download All
Shared Tracks

Track Collaboration Tools in

the Transport Window
Just like the Edit window, the Transport window
can also be host to the Global Track Collaboration
tools. These controls and their settings mirror each
Collaboration
other in both the Edit Window toolbar and in the Alerts
Transport window. Show Artist Cloud Storage
Chat Usage
Invite User
To show (or hide) the Track Collaboration tools in
the Transport window, do one of the following: Track Collaboration tools in the Edit window toolbar

 Select (or deselect) View > Transport > Track

Collaboration. If a project is offline, all collaborations tools
are grayed out. Collaboration is only possible
 From the Transport Window menu, select (or with online projects.
deselect) Track Collaboration.
Invite User
Click the Invite User button to open the Artist Chat
window where you can invite one or more of your
contacts to participate on the project (see “Invite
Contacts to Collaborate” on page 403).

Track Collaboration view in the Transport window (in

Expanded view on top and non-Expanded view on the
bottom)

416 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Show Artist Chat To abandon all changes since the last upload:

Click the Show Artist Chat button to open the Art-  Right-click the Upload All New Changes button
and choose Abandon Changes.
ist Chat window. The Show Artist Chat button
turns green when you receive a message from an-
other participant in the Project Chat for the open
project.

See Chapter 19, “Artist Chat and Avid Link.”

Global Abandon Changes
Track Ownership Request
Download All New Changes
The Track Ownership Request indicator turns or-
As soon as another collaborator has made any change
ange when you have ownership of a track and an-
on any track whose Upload Track Changes control
other participant wants to take ownership of the turns green, your Download All New Changes but-
track. ton turns green as well. Since you probably won’t
want to download each change individually, you can
wait until you are ready to download all changes
from the cloud.

To receive all the new changes other collaborators

on the project have made on tracks in the project
Track Ownership Requested since your last complete download:

Upload All New Changes  Click the lit Download All New Changes button

As soon as you have made any change on any track If other participants have made changes to tracks and
whose own Upload Track Changes control turns you decide that you do not want to receive these
green, the Upload All New Changes button also changes, you can choose Ignore Changes. The Up-
turns green. If you are busy working on the project load All New Changes light goes out and no changes
you probably won’t want to upload each change indi- are downloaded.
vidually, but rather wait until you feel ready to post
all of your changes at once. To ignore all changes other collaborators on the
project have made in the project since your last
complete download:
To post all the new changes you have made on
tracks in the project since the last complete  Right-click the Download All New Changes but-
upload: ton and choose Ignore Changes
 Click the lit Upload All New Changes button

If you have made changes to tracks and decide that

you do not want to share your changes, you can
Abandon Changes. The Upload All New Changes
light goes out and your project reverts to the way it
was right before you started making changes. Global Ignore Changes

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 417

 Download All Shared Tracks What the Project Owner Sees

Typically, the Download All Shared Tracks button The project owner sees the meter level rise or
turns green the first time you join a project with lower as more media is posted to or deleted from
tracks. As with all collaboration transaction activ- their Cloud Account. The tool tip informs you of
ity, you can monitor the progress of the download how much storage is being used (both as a percent-
in the Task Manger window (Window > Task Man- age and as a hard number) on your Cloud Account
ager). The Download All Tracks button turns and how much total storage you have allocated to
green again when any participant creates new your account.
tracks and shares them. Tracks that are unshared,
and then re-shared do not trigger the lighting of the
Download All Tracks button.

To download all available tracks in a project:

 If it is lit, click the Download All Tracks button to Cloud Storage Meter and tool tip for the project owner
download all available tracks in the project.
What a Project Collaborator Sees

A collaborator sees a meter level and how full the

project owner’s cloud storage is.

Download All Tracks button lights when any new

tracks are available

Cloud Storage Usage Meter

The Cloud Storage Usage Meter shows how much Cloud Storage Meter and tool tip for a collaborator
cloud storage is being used on the project owner’s
account. If you hover the mouse cursor over the
meter, a tooltip appears that shows how much of Track Collaboration Track
the owner’s storage space is being used by the View in the Edit and Mix
project. Note that the Details Tool Tip option must Windows
be enabled in the Pro Tools Display Preferences Track Collaboration controls can be shown or hid-
for this to occur. den independently in both the Edit window and
Mix windows. In the Edit window, these controls
show up in the left-most column of all Track and
Ruler views. In the Mix window, these controls ap-
pear between the Sends and the I/O selectors.
These controls mirror each other for any given
track regardless of whether they are changed in the
Edit window or the Mix window.

418 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To show (or hide) the Track Collaboration controls
in the Edit window, do one of the following:

 Select (or deselect) View > Edit Window Views >

Track Collaboration.

 From the Edit Window View selector, enable

(or disable) Track Collaboration.

Selecting Track Collaboration Track view, Mix window

Selecting Track Collaboration view for tracks in the

Edit window

Track Collaboration Track view, Mix window

Track Collaboration Controls

The Track Collaboration controls in the Edit and
Track Collaboration Track view, Edit window Mix windows mirror each other on a track-by-
track basis. Use these controls to share a track, take
To show (or hide) the Track Collaboration controls
or release ownership of a track, upload changes on
in the Mix window, do one of the following:
a track, or download changes to a track.
 Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window Views >
Track Collaboration. Share Track
Upload Track Changes
 From the Mix Window View selector, enable
(or disable) Track Collaboration.
Download Track Changes
Track Owner

Track Collaboration Track view, Edit window

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 419

 Share Track Share Track Indicators

Enable the Share Track control to share a track There are three different states that the track can be
with other participants in the project. When a track in with sharing. The clearest is when a track is ei-
is shared, the Share Track icon is blue. When a ther shared or not shared. Anyone can click any
track is not shared, it is gray. Anyone can share or Share Track control to share it or unshare it just as
unshare any track in the project that has been long as they already have that track in their local
posted to the cloud and that they have downloaded copy of the project.
from the cloud. Any participant can create new
tracks and keep them private in their own local
copy of the project by not sharing them at all.

To share a track:
Track not Track
1 Create a new track (or use an existing one). shared shared

2 Show Track Collaboration view to access the Share Track indications

Track Collaboration controls (see “Track Col- Track, Not Shared When it is not shared, it is gray.
laboration Track View in the Edit and Mix Win- When a track is not shared, none of the other Track
dows” on page 418). Collaboration controls are available. You can keep
3 Click the Share Track control. unshared tracks in your project as if they are “pri-
vate” tracks. In many cases you won’t need to
share all the tracks in your project. Consider dupli-
cating tracks to keep them as a reference against
other collaborators changes. Or, consider sharing
only mixed down tracks as a reference for your
collaborators rather than sharing the entire mix.

Shared Track When a track is shared, the Share

Sharing a track Track control is blue. When a track is shared, any-
one can take ownership of the track and make
The Share Track control turns blue when the track
changes to it.
is successfully shared.

Upload Track Changes

When any participant makes a “share-able” change
to a shared track, they take ownership of that track,
even if only temporarily, and the Upload Track
Changes control on that track turns green. When
that person clicks the Upload Track Changes con-
Shared track trol, it uploads the track changes to the cloud copy
of the project. Other participants will notice that
the Download Track Changes control for that track
turns green in their local copy of the project and
they can choose to download those changes or not.

420 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To upload track changes: Shared as Frozen
1 Make changes on a shared track. The Shared as Frozen option is especially useful if
2 Do one of the following: you know that your collaborators do not have a
particular plug-in that you are using, but you want
 Click the Upload Track Changes control. them to be able to hear what you are doing on that
 Right-click the Upload Track Changes control track. The Upload Track Changes control icon
and choose Upload. shows a slightly different graphic to indicate that
the track has been shared as a frozen track.
Command-click (Mac) or Control-Click
(Windows) an Upload Track Changes con-
trol to force upload the track.

Upload Track Changes Right-Click Upload Track Uploading Track Track Shared
Menu as Frozen as Frozen as Frozen
Share Track as Frozen indicators

A shared frozen track will be frozen on all systems

that download that track.

Download Track Changes

Upload Track Changes Right-Click menu When any participant makes a “share-able” change
The Upload Track Changes control provides a few to a shared track that you do not own and they up-
additional options in its right-click menu as fol- load it to the cloud copy of the project, your Down-
lows: load Track Changes control for that track turns
green. When you click the Download Track
Force Upload Changes control, your local copy of the project be-
gins to download the changes for that track.
The Force Upload command is only available
when the Upload Track Changes control is not lit. To download track changes, do one of the
Choose Force Upload to force upload the entire following:
track, replacing the cloud version.
 Click the Download Track Changes control.
Upload  Right-click the Download Track Changes con-
trol and choose Accept Download.
The Upload command works just like clicking a
green Upload Track Changes control and posts all Consider making an unshared duplicate of a
of the changes on that track to the cloud copy of the track before you download changes to it. This
project. way you will always have your original for
reference.
Abandon Changes

Choosing the Abandon Changes command clears

the upload and resets all of the changes to how the
track was prior to you working on the track.

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 421

 Download Track Changes Right-Click
Menu Track Ownership
The Track Ownership control lets you take owner-
ship of a shared track, release ownership of a
shared track, request ownership of a shared track,
and show you if another participant currently owns
the track.

Download Track Changes Right-Click menu It is important to understand that the ownership of
shared tracks is not restrictive. Multiple partici-
The Download Track Changes control provides a pants can edit unowned tracks simultaneously, and
few additional options in its right-click menu as this can result in edit conflicts between the cloud
follows: copy of the project and collaborators’ local copies
(see “Conflicts Between Track Changes and the
Force Download
Cloud” on page 425).
The Force Download command is only available
Generally speaking, no collaborator should take
when the Download Track Changes control is not
lit. Choose Force Download to force download of ownership of any track for any longer than they
the entire track from the cloud, replacing the entire need to work on that track and upload their
local track. changes. This helps to avoid conflicting changes
between collaborators.
Accept Download
When any Upload Track Changes control or
The Accept Download command works just like Download Track Changes controls light yellow, it
clicking a green Download Track Changes control indicates that there are edit conflicts between vari-
and downloads all changes to the track from the ous participants’ local copies of the project and the
cloud copy of the project. cloud copy of the project. You can upload your
changes and overwrite the cloud copy for a track
Ignore Changes simply by clicking the Upload Track Changes con-
trol, even if it is yellow. Otherwise, you can click
Choosing the Ignore Changes command rejects
the Download Track Changes button, even if it is
any changes to that track in the cloud copy of the
yellow, and overwrite your local track with the
project and maintains your current version of the
version from the cloud.
track.

422 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Taking Ownership of an Manual Ownership
Unowned Track
You manually take ownership of an unowned track
Unowned Shared Track (or one that you took ownership of automatically)
simply by clicking the Track Ownership control. It
When no one owns a shared track, the Track Own- shows your Display Name and turns solid green.
ership control is gray and anyone is free to work on Even if you make changes to the track and then up-
it. load those changes, you retain ownership of the
track. Any other collaborator must request owner-
ship and be granted ownership, or seize ownership
to take ownership of a manually owned track.
Shared track, unowned

You can take ownership of an unowned track ei-

ther by making changes on the track (in this case
you automatically become the owner of the track) You manually own the track
or you can click on the Track Ownership control to
manually take ownership of the track. The Display Requesting Track Ownership
Name for whoever takes ownership of a track is
If another collaborator has manual ownership of a
shown in the Track Ownership control for all par-
track, their Display Name appears in the Track
ticipants to see. It turns green when you own it, and
Ownership control on the track and the control is
it turns orange when another participant owns it.
colored orange. You can request ownership, and
they can relinquish ownership to you or deny your
Automatic Ownership
request.
You automatically take ownership of an unowned
track by making a “share-able” change on it. The
Track Ownership control turns dim green (it turns
orange for every one else) and shows your Display
Track owned by another participant
Name and the Upload Track Changes control turns
green. You automatically release ownership of the To request track ownership, do one of the
once your changes are uploaded. Any other collab- following:
orator can download your changes and even take  Click the Track Ownership control.
ownership of it if they want.
 Right-click the Track Ownership control and
choose Request.

The Track Ownership control highlights and dis-

You automatically own the track plays the notification, “Ownership Pending.”

Ownership request pending

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 423

 Rescinding Your Request  f you took ownership of the track automatically,
choose Keep to keep your changes without
If you change you mind, you can rescind your re-
posting and change the track to manual owner-
quest.
ship.
To rescind your request for track ownership: The Track Ownership control turns gray and is
 Right-click the Track Ownership control and now unowned.
choose Rescind My Request.
Responding to a Track
The Track Ownership control reverts to the
Ownership Request
owner’s name and remains colored orange.
If another collaborator requests ownership of a
Seizing Ownership track from you, you are notified both on the track
requested and by the Track Ownership Request in-
If you really need to work on a track owned by
dicator in the Edit window toolbar. The collabora-
someone else and they aren’t responding to your
tor who is requesting ownership can rescind the re-
request for ownership, you can seize ownership.
quest, seize ownership, or be denied the transfer of
ownership. You can relinquish ownership (or not)
To seize track ownership:
at any time.
 Right-click the Track Ownership control and
choose Seize. Track Ownership Requested

The you now own the track, and the Track Owner- The Track Ownership control on the track for
ship control displays your name and turns solid which ownership is being requested also highlights
green (or orange for every one else). and displays the text “Ownership Requested.”

Relinquishing Track Ownership

If you own a track, you can relinquish ownership
whether or not another collaborator requested
ownership from you. If you relinquish a track that
no one else is requesting, it becomes an unowned Ownership Request for a track
track. Track Ownership Request Indicator

To relinquish ownership of a track, do one of the The Track Ownership Request indicator turns or-
following: ange when you have ownership of a track and an-
 If you took ownership of the track automati- other participant wants to take ownership of the
cally, click the Track Ownership control. track.

 If you took ownership of the track either manu-

ally or automatically, Right-click the Track
Ownership control and choose Relinquish.

Track Ownership Requested indicator in the Edit

window toolbar

424 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If you have many tracks in your project, it may not Reject Collaborator Request If you do not want to
be immediately clear for which track ownership is surrender track ownership (and regardless of
being requested. The Track Ownership Request in- whether or not you have any track changes that
dicator lets you toggle between showing all tracks have not yet been uploaded), choose Reject Collab-
and only those tracks requested by another collab- orator Request.
orator.

To show only tracks requested by another

collaborator:
Conflicts Between Track
Changes and the Cloud
 Click the Track Ownership Request indicator to
show only the requested track (or tracks) in the When any Upload Track Changes control or
Edit window. Download Track Changes control turn yellow, it
indicates that there are conflicts between collabo-
The Track Ownership Request indicator turns blue rators’ changes and the cloud.
and all tracks except those being requested are hid-
den. You can upload your changes and overwrite the
cloud copy for a track simply by clicking the Up-
load Track Changes control, even if it is yellow.
However, if you upload your changes, the cloud
copy will be overwritten.

Showing only the requested track Track changes conflict with cloud copy

 Click the Track Ownership Request indicator Likewise, you can click the Download Track
again to show all previously shown tracks in the Changes control, even if it is yellow, and overwrite
project. The Track Ownership Request indica- your local track with the version from the cloud.
tor again turns orange.
If you make changes to a track while another par-
To relinquish ownership or reject a request, ticipant uploads their changes to the cloud copy,
Right-click the Track Ownership control and when you are notified that changes are available
choose one of the following options: for download, the Download Track Changes con-
Relinquish If you have no track changes that have trol turns yellow indicating that your local track
not yet been uploaded, choose Relinquish to sur- changes will be overwritten by changes on the
render track ownership to the collaborator making cloud.
the request.

Cloud copy conflicts with your track changes

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 425

 If you place the cursor over any yellow track Track Cloud Synchronization
Upload Track Changes or Track Download Indicator in the Tracks List
Changes control, a tool tip appears with a
Pro Tools displays a Cloud icon in the Tracks List
warning about whether the track will be over-
for tracks in online projects that are shared but the
written by the cloud copy or the cloud copy
track data is not downloaded to the local cache.
will be overwritten by you track changes.
The Cloud icon is gray for tracks that are in the
cloud, but not mirrored in the local project cache.
Making Changes to Tracks The icon changes to clear with a black boarder and
Owned by Another Collaborator
an arrow pointing down while the track is being
You can make changes to a track that you do not downloaded. The Cloud icon is cleared once the
own, in which case the Upload Track Changes track is downloaded and synchronized between the
control is darkened. You should request and take cloud copy and the local cache.
ownership of the track before uploading your
changes to avoid conflicts with other collabora- Top three tracks on the cloud, but not downloaded

tor’s work. You will not be able to upload your

changes until ownership is relinquished.

Local track changes conflict with changes made by the

track owner

Indication of Transfer of Bottom four tracks in the process of being downloaded

Conflicting Changes Two states of the cloud icon

The Download Track Changes control turns red To download a track from the cloud, do one of the
when a download for that track is currently in following:
progress and the cloud copy is in conflict with the  In the Tracks List, click the gray Cloud icon to
local track changes. Once the transfer is complete the left of the track name to download and im-
it changes to yellow. You can then choose to ig- port all track data.
nore those changes and keep your version of the
 In the Tracks List, right-click the gray Cloud
track, or download those changes and overwrite
icon to the left of the track name and select on of
your version of the track.
the following options:

Download Downloads the track data without im-

porting. Track data can be imported at a later time.

Download from cloud in progress that conflicts with Ignore for Future Download Does not download
local track changes or import the track data.

Import Downloads and imports the track data im-

mediately.

426 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Upload Conductor Ruler
Changes
When any participant makes a “share-able” change
to a Conductor ruler, the Upload Ruler Changes
control turns green. They can then click the control
to upload their changes to the cloud copy of the
project.

To upload Conductor ruler changes:

1 Make changes on a Conductor ruler (see “Track

Tracks List Right-click menu for online, shared tracks
Ownership” on page 422).
2 Do one of the following:

Conductor Ruler  Click the Upload Ruler Changes control.

Collaboration Controls  Right-click the Upload Ruler Changes control
Conductor rulers have Ruler Collaboration con- and choose Upload.
trols that work just like the Track Collaboration
Command-click (Mac) or Control-Click
controls. Each conductor ruler has its own Ruler
(Windows) an Upload Ruler Changes control
Collaboration controls—Tempo, Meter, Key,
to force upload the track.
Chords, and Markers—and they are shown any
time Track Collaboration is selected in the Edit Upload Ruler Changes Right-Click Menu
Window View.
The Upload Ruler Changes control provides a
It is important to understand, that unlike tracks in a right-click menu that offers similar controls to the
shared project (which can be shared or not), all Upload Track Changes control right-click menu.
Conductor rulers in a shared project are always
shared.

Download Ruler Changes

Ruler Owner
Upload Ruler Changes Right-Click menu

Force Upload

The Force Upload command d is only available

when the Upload Ruler Changes control is not lit.
Choose Force Upload to force upload the entire
ruler as is, replacing the cloud version.

Upload Ruler Changes

Ruler Collaboration controls

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 427

 Upload Force Download

The Upload command works just like clicking a The Force Download command is only available
green Upload Ruler Changes control and posts all when the Download Ruler Changes control is not
of your changes on the ruler to the cloud copy of lit. Choose Force Download to force download of
the project. the entire ruler from the cloud, replacing the entire
local ruler.
Abandon Changes
Accept Download
Choosing the Abandon Changes command clears
the upload and resets all of your changes to how The Accept Download command works just like
the Conductor ruler was prior to you working on clicking the green Download Ruler Changes con-
the it. trol and downloads all changes on that ruler from
the cloud copy of the project.
Download Conductor Ruler
Ignore Changes
Changes
When another participant makes a “share-able” Choosing the Ignore Changes command clears the
change to a Conductor ruler and they then upload download and keeps your Conductor ruler as is re-
their changes to the cloud copy of the project, the gardless of any changes in the cloud copy of the
corresponding Download Ruler Changes control project.
turns green for all other participants. They can
click the Download Ruler Changes control to Conductor Ruler Ownership
download the changes to the Conductor ruler from
The Conductor Ruler Ownership control lets you
the cloud copy of the project to their local copy.
take ownership of a Conductor ruler, release own-
To download Conductor ruler changes, do one of
ership of a Conductor ruler, request ownership of a
the following: Conductor ruler, and show you if another partici-
pant currently owns that Conductor ruler.
 Click the Download Ruler Changes control.
 Right-click the Download Ruler Changes con- Ruler Ownership Right-Click Menu
trol and choose Accept Download.
The Conductor Ruler Ownership control right-
click menu provides different commands depend-
Download Ruler Changes Right-Click
ing on whether or not the ruler is unowned, owned
Menu
by you, or owned by another, and whether or not
The Download Ruler Changes control provides a changes are pending upload or download.
right-click menu that offers similar controls to the
Download Track Changes control right-click
menu.

Ruler Ownership Right-Click menu

Download Ruler Changes Right-Click menu

428 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Request control and manually take ownership of the ruler.
For whoever takes ownership of a ruler, the Con-
Choose Request to request ownership of a Con-
ductor Ruler Ownership control turns either dim
ductor ruler that is owned by another or to take
green or solid green. For all other participants, the
ownership of an unowned Conductor ruler.
Conductor Ruler Ownership control turns orange
Keep
in their local copy of the project.

Choose Keep to keep ownership of a Conductor Automatic Ownership

ruler that you have changed without posting your
When you automatically take ownership of a Con-
changes.
ductor ruler by making a “share-able” change on
Relinquish an unowned ruler, the Upload Ruler Changes con-
trol turns dim green.
Choose Relinquish to surrender ownership of a
Conductor ruler.

Reject Collaborator Request

You Automatically Own the Conductor ruler
Choose Reject Collaborator Request to deny the
Manual Ownership
request for ownership of a Conductor ruler by an-
other collaborator, keeping ownership for yourself. When you manually take ownership of a Conduc-
tor ruler by clicking its Conductor Ruler Owner-
Rescind My Request ship control, it turns solid green and no other par-
Choose Rescind My Request to cancel your re- ticipant can take ownership of that Conductor ruler
quest for ownership of a Conductor ruler. simply by making a “share-able” change to their
copy of that Conductor ruler.
Seize

Choose Seize to seize ownership of a Conductor

ruler from another collaborator.
You Manually Own the Conductor ruler

Unowned Conductor Rulers Ownership Requested

When no one owns a Conductor ruler, anyone is If any other participant wants to take ownership of
free to work on it and the Conductor Ruler Owner- that Conductor ruler, they must request ownership
ship control is gray. either by making a “share-able” change to that
Conductor ruler or by clicking the Conductor
Ruler Ownership control for that ruler in their local
copy of the project.
Unowned Conductor ruler

You can take ownership of a Conductor ruler either

by making “share-able” changes on that ruler (in
Conductor Ruler Ownership Requested
this case you automatically own the ruler for the
time being) or you can click the Ruler Ownership

Chapter 20: Track Collaboration 429

 You can click the Conductor Ruler Ownership
control to relinquish ownership of that ruler and
the other participant will take ownership of that
ruler.

Conductor Ruler Owned by Another

Participant

When another participant owns a Conductor ruler,

the Conductor Ruler Ownership control turns or-
ange for everyone else.

Conductor ruler owned by another participant

Ownership Pending

If you want to take control of a Conductor ruler

owned by another participant, you can make a
“share-able” change on the Conductor ruler or
click the Conductor Ruler Ownership control. The
other participant is notified that the ownership of
the Conductor ruler is being requested and you will
see that the request is pending. If they relinquish
ownership of that Conductor ruler, you will take
ownership of it.

Ownership request pending

430 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session
Data

Pro Tools lets you import and export a variety of • Using the File menu Import commands:
data into and out of a session, including audio and • Session Data
MIDI files, clip groups, video files, track playlists,
• Audio
I/O configurations, and signal routing configura-
tions. • MIDI
• Video
You can import individual audio and MIDI files
• Clip Groups
into a session, or import entire audio or MIDI
tracks, along with all of their attributes, from an- • VENUE Channel Names as Track Names
other session. Additionally, with
Session or project data, audio files, and clips can
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, you have the op-
be imported to existing tracks, new tracks, the
tion of importing any combination of track attri-
Tracks List, or the Clips List in a Pro Tools session
butes from another session, such as a track’s audio
or project.
or MIDI playlists, signal routing, plug-ins, or auto-
mation (see “Importing Session Data” on Exporting
page 451).
Pro Tools lets you export audio, video, MIDI, clip
When you are working with video, you can import groups, and session data by:
and export video files from a session (see
• Using the Export to Sibelius or Send to Sibelius
Chapter 63, “Working with Video in Pro Tools”).
command (MIDI only)
• Using the File menu Export commands:
Importing and Exporting • Selected Tracks as New AAF/OMF
Data to and from a Session or • Selected Tracks as New Session
Project • MIDI
Importing • Sibelius
• Session Info As Text
Pro Tools lets you import audio, video, MIDI, clip
groups, or session files into the current Pro Tools • Using the Tracks Right-click menu:
session or project by: • Send To Sibelius command (Score Editor
• Dragging and dropping from: only)
• A Workspace browser • Export MIDI command
• Mac Finder or Windows Explorer
Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 431
 • Using the Clips List menu: Files That Can Be Added to a Session or Project
Without Conversion
• Export Clip Definitions command
• Export Clips as Files command Any audio file of a supported file format (WAV
• Export Clip Groups command and AIFF) and bit depth (16, 24, and 32-bit float)
can be added to sessions and projects without con-
version. Audio files with sample rates that do not
match the session or project sample rate can be
Audio Conversion on Import added to the session or project without conversion,
Depending on the properties of the audio files you but will playback at a different pitch and speed
are importing, you can add, copy, or convert the from files that match the session or project sample
files: rate.

 When files are added to a Pro Tools session, You can enable the Automatically Copy Files
they remain at their current hard drive location and on Import option in the Processing Prefer-
are not moved or copied. The session references ences page to be sure to always copy files to
the original files wherever they are on your system. the session’s Audio Files folder when import-
Additionally, the files referenced by the session re- ing audio by drag and drop.
tain their original file format, sample rate, and bit
depth. Files That Must Be Converted on Import

 When files are copied into the session, the orig- Audio files formats other than WAV and AIFF
inal files remain wherever they are on your system must be converted on import. Pro Tools automati-
and are copied to the session’s Audio Files folder cally converts these files to the current session or
and are then added to the session. The session ref- project audio file format on import. Also, if the
erences the copied files, not the original files. Ad- session or project is not enabled for Interleaved
ditionally, the copied files referenced by the files, Pro Tools splits interleaved audio files into
session retain their original file format, sample multiple mono files on import.
rate, and bit depth.
If clip definitions are present in an audio file, you
 When files are converted into the session, the can convert and import the audio for a clip without
original files remain wherever they are on your importing the entire parent audio file using the Im-
system, converted to the session file format, sam- port Audio command.
ple rate, and bit depth, and are written to the ses-
sion’s Audio Files folder. The session references Pro Tools 7.x and later does not support au-
the converted files, not the original files. dio file names that contain certain ASCII
characters (see “Opening a Session that
Contains Audio File Names with Illegal
Characters” on page 493).

432 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Supported Audio File Formats • .snd

Audio files of the following types can be imported • Sound Resource (AIDL – Mac Only)
into Pro Tools sessions and projects without con- • .sd2
version: • Legacy Pro Tools audio file format (Mac
• .wav Only)
• PCM (uncompressed) audio
Pro Tools 11 through Pro Tools 2020.5
• Wave Extensible, RF64, BW64, OMF cannot import SD I or SD II files or convert
• .aif/.aiff/.aifc them to the session format on import. To
convert SD II files on import, use Pro Tools
• PCM (uncompressed), AIFF-C audio
10 or lower, or Pro Tools 2020.9 or later
• .mxf (macOS only). Otherwise, use an audio file
• PCM (uncompressed) audio format conversion utility to convert the SD I
• OP-Atom (single audio channel per file) or SD II files to AIFF or WAV for use with
the latest version of Pro Tools.
Audio files of the following types can be imported
into Pro Tools sessions and projects, but will be
Pro Tools cannot import protected AAC or
converted to the current session or project file for-
MP4 files with the .M4p file extension. These
mat on import:
files are protected under the rules of digital
• .m4a/.m4v/.aac rights management.
• AAC audio
• Apple Lossless ALAC Sample Rate Conversion Quality
• .mp3 The Sample Rate Conversion Quality setting deter-
• MP3 audio mines the quality of sample rate conversion used
when converting and importing audio into a ses-
• .mov
sion. It can also applied when exporting files at dif-
• PCM (uncompressed), AAC, and MP3 audio ferent sample rate and when bouncing to disk.
• .mp4 There are five possible settings, ranging from Low
(fastest, but lowest quality) to Tweak Head (high-
• PCM (uncompressed), and AAC audio
est quality, but slowest). The higher the quality of
• .mxf sample rate conversion you choose, the longer
• PCM (uncompressed) audio Pro Tools will take to process the audio file.
• OP1a (audio from a combined audio/video
The Sample Rate Conversion Quality options are
MXF)
available in the Import Audio and the Import Ses-
• .wav sion Data dialogs. In each case, the Sample Rate
• ACID files Conversion Quality setting is local to that specific
dialog. The Sample Rate Conversion Quality pref-
• .rx/.rx2
erence only applies to conversion on import by
• Recycle (Rex 1 and 2) drag and drop.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 433

 To set the sample rate conversion quality for Importing Interleaved Files
importing audio by drag and drop:
When using the Import Audio command, inter-
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
leaved stereo files are automatically imported to
Processing tab.
stereo tracks. With Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio,
2 From the Sample Rate Conversion Quality pop- greater-than-stereo multichannel audio files are
up menu, select a quality setting. For most ap- automatically imported to tracks with the corre-
plications, the Good or Better setting will yield sponding multichannel audio file format.
very good results.
If the Interleaved option is enabled for the session,
3 Click OK. or is enabled on import, interleaved files are im-
ported to the session and remain interleaved files.
The Import Audio and Import Session Data
If this option is not enabled, interleaved files are
dialogs provide local controls for sample rate
split into multi-mono.
conversion quality.
Conversely, split stereo (dual mono) audio files
Bit Depth Conversion and Dither can be automatically imported to stereo tracks.
Split stereo audio files must have the channel iden-
If the Convert Copied Files on Import preference is
tifiers “.L” and “.R” in their names (for example,
enabled (Setup > Preferences > Processing), the
filename.L and filename.R), and the files must be
following occurs when importing audio files with
the same length. In Windows, or in Mac/PC Com-
different bit depths than the current session bit
patibility mode, these files will have a 3-letter file
depth:
extension appended after the “.L” or “.R” channel
• When importing audio at a lower bit depth than identifier.
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
Importing Files with Drag
24-bit session, Pro Tools converts the file to
and Drop
24-bit.
Pro Tools lets you import audio, MIDI, video, and
• When importing audio at a higher bit depth than
session files by dragging and dropping files from a
the session, Pro Tools automatically applies a
Workspace browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac
preset, noise-shaped dither and converts the file
Finder to the Pro Tools application icon, the ses-
to the session bit depth. For example, when im-
sion Timeline, a track, the Tracks List, or the Clips
porting a 24-bit file into a 16-bit session, dither
List.
is applied automatically and the file is converted
to 16-bit. The following figure illustrates some of the
options available to import files using drag and
drop from Workspace browsers.

434 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Workspace

Drop media or session files to

existing tracks, or to the Drop files in the Clips
Tracks List to add as new List to import

Importing from the Workspace by drag and drop

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 435

 To import files into the Clips List: To import and spot files into a track:
1 Select audio, video, MIDI, clip group, REX, or 1 Enable Spot mode.
ACID files in a Workspace browser, or Win-
2 Select the files you want to import in a Work-
dows Explorer, or Mac Finder.
space browser, or Windows Explorer, or Mac
2 Drag the selected files onto the Clips List. Finder.

To import files into an existing track:

3 Drag the files onto an existing, compatible
track. The Spot dialog appears.
1 Select the files you want to import in a Work-
space browser, or Windows Explorer or Mac 4 Enter the appropriate timecode location (where
Finder. you want to spot the imported file).

2 Drag the selected file to a location on an exist- 5 Click OK.

ing, compatible track. The file is imported and
placed where it was dropped. To import and spot an audio file by its Waveform in
Workspace browsers:

To import files as new tracks: 1 In a Workspace browser, Command-click (Mac)

1 Select the files you want to import in a Work- or Control-click (Windows) the file’s Wave-
space browser, or Windows Explorer or Mac form display at the approximate reference point
Finder. you want to use for placement in a track.

2 Do any of the following: 2 While continuing to press Control (Windows),

or Command (Mac), drag the waveform onto an
• Shift-drag files and drop anywhere in the Edit existing audio track (the source audio file and
window. the destination audio track must have the same
• Drop files to the Tracks List. number of channels).
• Drop files to empty space in the Edit window,
below or between tracks. Snapping to Head and Tail
Importing does not always convert or copy You can drag and drop files to tracks and have
audio files. See “Audio Conversion on Im- them snap to the head or the tail of the current Edit
port” on page 432. selection or insertion point. When snapping to
head, the beginning of the imported file snaps to
the beginning of the Edit selection. When snapping
Importing using drag and drop does not to tail, the end of the imported file snaps to the be-
necessarily bring the Edit window to the ginning of the Edit selection.
foreground. For example, dragging and
dropping a file from a browser into a track To import and snap to head:
leaves the source browser in the fore-
 Control-drag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows) a
ground (not the Edit window). Always
file onto a track.
verify the active, foreground window or
browser before continuing.

436 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To snap to head and copy the file to the session Elastic Audio depending on the Drag and Drop
Audio files folder: from Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo prefer-
 Option-Control-drag (Mac) or Alt-Start-drag ence (see “Drag and Drop From Desktop Con-
(Windows) a file onto a track. forms to Session Tempo” on page 443).

To snap to tail:
Melodyne Analysis Data on
 Command-Control-drag (Mac) or Control- Import
Start-drag (Windows) a file onto a track. When importing audio, Melodyne analysis persists
as long as no sample rate conversion is applied.
To snap to tail and copy the file to the session
Audio Files folder:

Command-Option-Control-drag (Mac) or Con-

Importing Elastic Audio from
Workspace to the Clips List


trol-Alt-Start-drag (Windows) a file onto a

track. With the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
option enabled, dragging and dropping tick-based
Elastic Audio on Import audio from Workspace browsers to the Clips List
(or to the Tracks List), creates two separate clips in
When importing any audio file by drag and drop to the Clips List. The first is a sample-based whole
an Elastic Audio-enabled track, the audio file is file clip and the second is a tick-based copy of the
imported and analyzed (if not already analyzed). If same clip.
the imported audio file is tick-based, it is con-
formed to tempo using the track’s Elastic Audio
Importing Tempo from
plug-in. If it is a sample-based audio file, such as a
Tick-Based Audio
single drum hit or short sound effect, it maintains
its original duration. Longer audio files with no de- If there are no tracks in the session, and you import
tectable tempo also remain sample-based. a tick-based audio file to the Clips List, Tracks
List, or empty space in the Edit window, you are
You can also import audio by drag and drop to cre- prompted to either import the tempo from the file
ate new tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. or use the default session tempo. To keep the de-
fault session tempo, and have the loop conform to
When importing tick-based audio by drag and drop
the session tempo, click Don’t Import.
from Workspace browsers to the Tracks List or
empty space in the Edit window, Pro Tools creates If the session already contains at least one track
a new tick-based, Elastic Audio-enabled track us- (regardless of track type), you are not prompted to
ing the default Elastic Audio plug-in selected in import the tempo from the file and the file is con-
the Processing Preferences page (see “Elastic Au- formed to the session tempo.
dio Options” on page 444).

If you are importing an audio file by drag and drop

from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder to the
Tracks List or to empty space in the Edit window,
files are imported as sample-based or as tick-based

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 437

 In the import list, audio files are distinguished
Importing Audio Files and from clips by their icons.
Clips Using the Import Audio
Command Audio File icon
The Import Audio command lets you import audio
files or clips into your Pro Tools session or project. Audio Clip icon

To import entire tracks from other sessions, File and Clip icons in the Import Audio dialog
see “Importing Session Data” on page 451.
On Mac, Sound Resource files must have the
For a complete list of key commands for “.SFIL” extension to be imported by
use in the Import Audio dialog, refer to the Pro Tools.
Pro Tools Shortcuts Guide.pdf.
3 To preview a selected file or clip before you im-
To import audio files or clips into a session or port it, click the Play and Stop buttons in the Im-
project using the Import Audio command: port Audio dialog.
1 Choose File > Import > Audio. Adjust the preview volume with the vertical slider.
2 In the Import Audio dialog, locate and select an To navigate to a particular location in the file, use
audio file to display its properties and associ- the horizontal slider under the Play and Stop but-
ated clips. tons.

You can choose to display only a certain file type The Preview Volume control in the Import
(such as WAV) by selecting the type from the Audio dialog also affects the preview volume
Show pop-up menu. To display all supported file when auditioning clips in the Clips List.
types, select All Documents from the Show pop-up
menu. 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 Path” on page 64).

Import Audio dialog

438 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Do any of the following: 8 In the Audio Import Options dialog, select
• To place a file or clip in the Import list, where the imported files will go in the session:
select the file and click Add or Convert.
• To import all files and clips in the current direc-
tory, click Add All or Convert All.
• To remove a file or clip from the Import list, se-
lect it and click Remove.
• To remove all files and clips, click Remove All.

Pro Tools lets you add files to a session that

are at a different sample rate than your
Audio Import Options dialog
session. In the comments field of the Import
Audio dialog, a warning is posted that these New Track Each audio file is imported into its own
files will play back at the wrong speed and individual track and into the Clips List.
pitch if they are not converted.
When importing audio into a track, you can also
5 When you have added all audio files and clips to choose the location in the track where the audio
the Import list, you can apply sample rate con- file will begin (such as Session Start).
version by doing the following: Clips List Audio files are imported into the Clips
• Enable Apply SRC. List without creating a new track. Imported audio
• Specify the Source Sample Rate either by typ- files appear in the Clips List and can then be
ing a number, or by selecting a sample rate from dragged to audio tracks.
the pop-up menu. 9 If you chose to create a new track, choose a
• Select the sample rate conversion quality from location for the imported file in the track:
the Quality pop-up menu. This setting overrides
Session Start Places the file or clip at the start of
the Sample Rate Conversion Quality setting in
the session.
the Processing Preferences page.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file or clip
6 Click Done.
to the Song Start point.
Press Command+W (Mac) or Alt+E (Win-
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file or clip to
dows) to select Done. Press Command+ “.”
the edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in
(Period) (Mac) or Esc to Cancel.
the Timeline.
7 If you are copying or converting files, choose a Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot
location for the new files. Choose a folder on a the file or clip to a precise location based on any of
valid audio drive, such as the Audio Files folder the Time Scales.
for the current session.
10 Click OK.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 439

 Importing Audio from CDs Importing ACID and REX
(Mac Only) Files
Pro Tools lets you import tracks from audio CDs ACID files and REX 1 and 2 files are converted to
using the same methods that you use to import au- the session audio file type. Depending on the pref-
dio files, as follows: erences settings, ACID and REX files can be im-
ported as sample-based clips or as tick-based
• Drag CD audio from the CD folder. Elastic Audio clips. For REX files only, Pro Tools
• Drag files from a Workspace Browser. uses any slice data to create Event markers with
• Use the Import Audio command. 100% confidence. ACID files are analyzed for
Elastic Audio events just like WAV files, and so
Before importing CD audio, make sure your hard events are detected with varying degrees of confi-
drive has enough space for the converted audio dence.
files.
For information on Elastic Audio, see
Importing CD audio with either drag and Chapter 45, “Elastic Audio.”
drop method lets you continue working in the
session foreground (such as in the Mix or Edit REX files can also be imported as tick-based clip
window), while the Task Manager (Window > groups.
Task Manager) works in the background (im-
For information on clip groups, see “Clip
porting and converting the audio until the im-
Groups” on page 967).
port is completed). For more information on
the Task Manager, see “Task Manager Win- To import ACID and REX flies as sample-based
dow” on page 395. clips:

Because the transfer is made in the digital domain, 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
cessing tab.
there is no signal loss.
2 Disable the Import REX Files as Clip Groups op-
The sample rate for audio CDs is 44.1 kHz. There-
tion.
fore, if your session’s sample rate is set to 48 kHz
or higher, Pro Tools will convert the sample rate 3 Select No Files as the Drag and Drop from
for the imported audio. Before importing CD au- Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo prefer-
dio, set the Sample Rate Conversion Quality pref- ence.
erence accordingly. For more information, see
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
“Sample Rate Conversion Quality” on page 433.
5 When importing by drag and drop from Work-
space 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 Workspace browser or the
Desktop, or using the Import Audio command
(see “Importing Audio Files and Clips Using
the Import Audio Command” on page 438).

440 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To import ACID and REX files as tick-based Elastic 6 Do one of the following:
Audio clips:
• Import the REX files you want by drag and drop
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the from a Workspace browser
Processing tab.
• Import the REX files you want by drag and drop
2 Disable the Import REX Files as Clip Groups from the Desktop.
option.
• Use the Import Audio command (see “Importing
3 Select REX and ACID Files Only or All Files as Audio Files and Clips Using the Import Audio
the Drag and Drop from Desktop Conforms to Command” on page 438).
Session Tempo preference.
Automatic Fades for Imported REX Files
4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
If the Import REX Files as Clip Groups option is en-
5 Do one of the following: abled in the Processing Preferences page,
• Import the REX files you want by drag and drop Pro Tools can automatically apply real-time cross-
from a Workspace browser. fades to the clips or “slices” in imported REX for-
• Import the REX files you want by drag and drop mat files.
from the Desktop.
To apply real-time crossfades to REX files:
• Use the Import Audio command (see “Importing
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
Audio Files and Clips Using the Import Audio
cessing tab.
Command” on page 438).
2 Enable the Import REX Files as Clip Groups op-
To import REX files as tick-based clip groups: tion.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the 3 Enable the Automatically Create Fades option.
Processing tab.
4 In the Preferences dialog, click the Editing tab.
2 Select the Import REX Files as Clip Groups
option. 5 Under Default Fade Settings, click REX.

3 To apply real-time crossfades to the files, enable 6 In the REX Auto-Crossfades dialog, select the
the Automatically Create Fades option (see shapes you want for crossfades, and click OK.
“Automatic Fades for Imported REX Files” on 7 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
page 441).
Depending on your edits or tempo changes
4 Select REX and ACID Files Only or All Files as
after importing REX files, fades can be
the Drag and Drop from Desktop Conforms to
deleted and you will have to recreate them
Session Tempo preference.
manually.
5 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 441

 Importing Polyphonic Audio
Importing SD II Files Files
(Mac Only)
A polyphonic audio file contains multiple mono
Pro Tools converts SD II (Sound Designer II) files channels and relevant metadata recorded simulta-
on import when using Import Audio (File > Import neously in a multichannel recording.
> Audio), Import Session Data (File > Import >
Session Data), or drag and drop from a Work-
When imported into Pro Tools, a polyphonic audio
space browser or macOS Finder. When opening a file is divided into individual monophonic audio
legacy session with SDII files, the session file for- files written to disk—one file for each channel.
mat is set to BWF (.WAV) and all SD II files are Clips for each channel appear in the playlist, and a
converted to BWF (.WAV). multichannel clip appears in the Clips List with the
channels expandable underneath. Any metadata is
also imported with the files.

Importing Multichannel Audio

Files from a Field Recorder
Import Options and
Pro Tools lets you use any of its import methods to Preferences
import monophonic and polyphonic audio files re-
Pro Tools provides several options and prefer-
corded by a field recorder. When you import these
ences that affect audio import. Configure
types of files, they must be converted to an audio
Pro Tools to match your most common workflows.
format compatible with Pro Tools.
For example, if you frequently work by importing
For more information on importing files from REX files for loop-based composition, you can
a field recorder, see Chapter 62, “Working configure Pro Tools to always import REX files to
with Field Recorders in Pro Tools.” conform to tempo and create new tick-based Elas-
tic Audio tracks.
Importing Monophonic Audio Convert Imported “WAV” Files To AES31/Broad-
Files castWave When selected, this option applies to all
A monophonic audio file contains one mono chan- newly imported WAV files, making them compli-
nel and relevant metadata from a single multichan- ant with the AES31/EBU Broadcast standard.
nel recording.
Automatically Copy Files on Import When se-
When you import monophonic audio files that lected, all audio files that are imported by dragging
were recorded simultaneously, they are converted and dropping are copied to the current session’s
to multichannel clips and displayed together in the Audio Files folder, regardless of whether the files
Clips List. Any metadata is also imported with the need to be converted to the current session’s file
files. type, bit depth, or sample rate. Additionally, 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.

442 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Convert Copied Files to Session Format When Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to
selected, files that have different file formats from Session Tempo
the current session file format are copied and con-
The Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to
verted to the current session audio file format, bit
Session Tempo options determine whether or not
depth, and sample rate on import. For example, if
REX, ACID, and all other audio file formats
the session file format is WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz and
dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer or
you import an AIF, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz file, the file is
Mac Finder are imported as tick-based Elastic Au-
copied and converted to WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz on
dio and conformed to the session tempo.
import. When this option is not selected, copied
files retain their original format (unless that file None When enabled, all audio files, including
format is incompatible with Pro Tools, in which REX and ACID files, are not conformed to the ses-
case it must be converted). sion tempo when imported by drag and drop from
Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder. They are
Do Not Convert Sample Rate on Import When se-
imported as sample-based files and converted to
lected, files with different sample rates than the
the sessions audio file format.
session sample rate are not automatically con-
verted when imported into the session. This means REX and ACID Files Only When enabled, only
that files with mis-matched sample rates play back REX and ACID files are conformed to the session
at a different speed (and pitch transpositions than tempo when imported by drag and drop from Win-
when they were originally recorded (or converted). dows Explorer or the Mac Finder. REX files are
imported either as tick-based Elastic Audio or, if
Import REX Files as Clip Groups When selected,
the Import REX Files as Clip Groups option is en-
REX flies are imported as clip groups, all the un-
abled, as tick-based clip groups.
derlying slices are imported as individual clips
contained within the clip group. When this option All Files When enabled, all audio files are im-
is not selected, importing REX files into a session ported as tick-based Elastic Audio and conform to
converts them to the session’s audio file format, the session tempo.
the individual slices are consolidated, and the slice
information is used for Elastic Audio analysis. Sample Rate Conversion Quality
These files remain tick-based after import and con-
The Sample Rate Conversion Quality preference
version.
determines the quality of sample rate conversion
Automatically Create Fades When selected, used when converting and importing audio into a
crossfades are applied automatically to the sliced session by drag and drop. Sample rate conversion
clips within clip groups created by importing REX is used in a variety of Pro Tools processes includ-
files. If the Import REX Files as Clip Groups option ing converting and importing audio files of differ-
is not selected, the Automatically Create Fades op- ent formats into a session, and bouncing and sav-
tion does not apply. ing tracks to a different sample rate or bit depth.
The higher the quality of sample rate conversion
To change the default fade settings for REX files, you choose, the longer Pro Tools will take to pro-
click the REX button in the Default Fade Settings cess the audio file.
section on the Editing Preferences page (see
“Fades Editing Preference” on page 444).

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 443

 Elastic Audio Options Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks When se-
lected, new tracks are created with Elastic Audio
The Elastic Audio preferences determine which
enabled. The selected default Elastic Audio plug-
Elastic Audio plug-in is used for preview and im-
in is used. When importing audio to new tracks,
port, and whether or not new tracks are created
new tracks are created with Elastic Audio enabled
with Elastic Audio enabled using the selected de-
if this option is enabled.
fault plug-in.
If the Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks op-
Default Plug-In Lets you select any Real-Time
tion is selected, you may want to also
Elastic Audio plug-in as the default plug-in for
select the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
previewing and importing Elastic Audio. The se-
base option in the Editing Preferences page.
lected default Elastic Audio plug-in is also used
when new tracks are created with Elastic Audio en- Tracks Preference
abled. The Elastic Audio Plug-In selector in Work-
space browsers inherits the selected default plug- When the New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase
in. Likewise, changing the selected plug-in in option is enabled, all new tracks default to ticks.
Workspace browsers updates the selected Default This includes importing audio to new tracks. When
Plug-In in the Processing preferences. deselected, audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
and VCA tracks default to samples. MIDI and In-
Default Input Gain Lets you attenuate the signal strument tracks always default to ticks.
input to Elastic Audio plug-ins by 0 to –6 dB for
preview and import. If you experience clipping Fades Editing Preference
due to Elastic Audio processing during preview or
after import, you may want to set the Default Input The Default Fade Settings for REX files in the Ed-
Gain to slightly attenuate (lower) the audio signal
iting preferences lets you select the default enve-
input for Elastic Audio processing. This preference lope shape for fades and crossfades between clips
also applies to any audio imported to an Elastic (“slices”) in imported REX files. Fades are only
Audio-enabled track. applied to imported REX files if the Import REX
Files as Clip Groups option and the Automatically
If you commit any clips on a track (by disabling Create Fades option are both enabled on the Pro-
Elastic Audio on the track) that were imported cessing Preferences page.
with the Default Input Gain applied, their clip-
based In put Gain is reset to 0.

The Elastic Properties window inherits the Default

Exporting Audio
Input Gain preference. To apply further clip-based Pro Tools supports exporting audio clips as audio
Input Gain for Elastic Audio processing, select the files, exporting left and right audio files as stereo
clip and adjust the Input Gain setting in the Elastic interleaved files, and exporting clip information.
Properties window (see “Elastic Properties Win-
dow” on page 1037). You can also export audio from Pro Tools by
bouncing or consolidating audio tracks. For more
information, see “Bounce Mix” on page 1258 and
“Consolidating Clips” on page 705.

444 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Exporting a Clip as a New Audio When you export clips to a lower bit depth, Dither
File (with or without Noise Shaping) is applied as
shown in the following table:
You can export clips as audio files with the
Dither and Noise Shaping with Export Selected dialog
Export Clips as Files command. Use this
command if you intend to use a clip in other ses- Noise
sions (or other audio applications) without using Bit Depth Dither
Shaping
its parent source file.
32-bit float to 32-bit float No No
This command also provides a way to convert clips
to a different audio format, sample rate, or bit 32-bit float to 24-bit Yes Yes
depth.
32-bit float to 16-bit Yes Yes
To export clips as new audio files:
24-bit to 32-bit float No No
1 In the Clips List, select the clips you want to ex-
port. 24-bit to 24-bit No No

Warped clips (Elastic Audio) will be exported 24-bit to 16-bit Yes Yes
unwarped at their original duration.
16-bit to 32-bit float No No
2 From the Clips List menu, choose Export Clips
as Files. 16-bit to 24-bit No No

16-bit to 16-bit No No

The Avid Dither plug-in is used for any conversion

(with or without Noise Shaping enabled.

For more information about using Dither,

see “Dither” on page 1149.

4 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
Export Selected dialog of the file name (such as file_01).
3 In the Export Selected dialog, set the File Type,
Replacing with New Files Replaces files with the
Format, Bit Depth, and Sample Rate. In addi-
same name with the new files.
tion, choose the Destination Directory.
5 Click Export to export the new audio files.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 445

 Exporting Stereo or Exporting Clip Definitions
Multichannel Interleaved Files
Pro Tools stores clip definitions for audio files
You can use the Export Clips as Files command to within each session. If you want to use an audio
export audio clips to stereo or multichannel inter- file’s clips in another session, or with another ap-
leaved files for use in other applications. plication that supports them, you can export the
(Pro Tools cannot use interleaved files directly in clip information.
the Timeline—these must be converted into multi-
ple mono files.) For example, for this to work with If you plan to transfer Pro Tools session
a stereo file, the selected clips must have identical data to another session, you should export
names with “.L” and “.R” suffixes (for instance, clip definitions for sessions containing mul-
vocals_01.L and vocals_01.R). These clips appear tiple takes created with Loop Record.
as a stereo clip in the Clips List.
The Export Clip Definitions command does not ex-
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio also let you bounce port clips as audio files (unlike the Export Clips as
multichannel interleaved files of any supported file Files command). Instead, it stores pointers to the
type. clips within the parent source file.

To export clips as a stereo or multichannel To export clip definitions for an audio file:
interleaved file:
1 In the Clips List, select any clips or clip groups
1 Select the stereo or multichannel audio clip in for which you want to export definitions. You
the Clips List or in the track playlist. If the clips do not have to select the parent file audio clip.
appear on mono tracks in the session, select the
2 Choose Export Clip Definitions from the Clips
two mono clips.
List menu.
2 From the Clips List menu, choose Export Clips
3 Click Export.
as Files.

3 In the Export Selected dialog, select Stereo In-

terleaved in the Format pop-up menu. For mul- Importing MIDI Files
tichannel clips, the Stereo Interleaved option
produces a multichannel interleaved file. You can import Standard MIDI Files (SMF) into
your Pro Tools sessions and projects.
4 Configure any other output settings, then click
Export to export the new stereo interleaved file. Pro Tools provides several ways to import MIDI
files into an open session or project.
• “Importing MIDI Files Using Pro Tools Menu
Commands” on page 447.
• “Importing MIDI Files with Drag and Drop” on
page 448.

446 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools does not import proprietary sequence 4 In the Mix window, click the MIDI Output
files. To use sequences from other MIDI applica- selector for each new track and assign a MIDI
tions in a Pro Tools session, you will need to first instrument and channel.
save them as Standard MIDI Files. See the manu-
facturer’s documentation for details on saving MIDI Import Options Dialog
Standard MIDI Files.
The MIDI Import Options dialog lets you specify
There are two types of Standard MIDI Files, both what Pro Tools does when importing MIDI files.
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 clips and
tracks.
• Type 1 MIDI files, sometimes referred to as mul-
titrack 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.

Importing MIDI Files Using

Pro Tools Menu Commands
Pro Tools provides commands to import MIDI
files.

To import Standard MIDI Files into a session or

project using the Pro Tools File menu: MIDI Import Options dialog

1 Choose File > Import > MIDI and select the file Destination
you want to import.
The Destination options determine whether new
2 Configure the MIDI Import Options dialog as tracks are created for imported MIDI or if MIDI is
desired (see “MIDI Import Options Dialog” on imported just to the Clips List.
page 447).
New Track(s)
3 Click OK.
The New Track(s) option creates new tracks for
The MIDI file will be imported according to the
imported MIDI
settings in the Import MIDI Settings dialog.
Instrument Track Select this option to create new
If the Standard MIDI File contains markers, Instrument tracks for imported MIDI.
they are only imported if the current session
does not contain any markers. MIDI Track Select this option to create new MIDI
tracks for imported MIDI.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 447

 Clips List Remove Existing MIDI Tracks When selected,
deletes any existing MIDI tracks. Enabling this
The Clips List option imports the file into the Clips
option does not remove any current Instrument
List, where it will be available to place into tracks.
tracks. All existing MIDI clips will be left in the
Clips List.
Location
Remove Existing MIDI Clips When selected,
The Location options determine where imported
deletes existing MIDI clips (all data on all MIDI
MIDI is placed when the New Track(s) option is
and Instrument tracks) but leaves existing MIDI
selected.
and Instrument tracks in place.
Session Start Places the file or clip at the start of
the session. Importing MIDI Files with Drag
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file to the
and Drop
Song Start point. You can drag and drop MIDI files from a Work-
space browser, Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file to the
to the Timeline, a track, the Tracks List, or the
edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in the
Clips List.
Timeline.
To import MIDI into the Clips List:
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot
the file to a precise location based on any of the 1 Select MIDI files in a Workspace browser, or
Time Scales. Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder.
2 Drag the files onto the Clips List of the current
Additional Options
session.
Import Tempo Map From MIDI File When
selected, overwrites any existing tempo and meter To import MIDI into an existing track:
map with tempo and meter information read from 1 Select MIDI files in a Workspace browser, Win-
the MIDI file. dows Explorer, or Mac Finder.
Import Key Signature From MIDI File When 2 Drag the files onto an existing track in the Edit
selected, overwrites any existing key signatures window of the current session.
with key signature information read from the MIDI
file. To import MIDI into new tracks:

Remove Existing Instrument Tracks When

1 Select MIDI files in a Workspace browser, Win-
selected, deletes any existing Instrument tracks. dows Explorer or Mac Finder.
Selecting this option does not remove any current
MIDI tracks. All existing MIDI clips will be left in
the Clips List.

448 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Do one of the following: 2 Choose File > Export > MIDI. The Export MIDI
• From the Workspace browser, Shift-drag the Settings dialog opens.
files anywhere in the Edit window of the current
session.
• Drag the files to the Timeline of the current ses-
sion.
• Drag the files to the Tracks List.

For more information, see Chapter 18,

“Workspace Browsers.” Export MIDI Settings dialog

3 From the MIDI File Format pop-up menu, select

Exporting MIDI Files 1 (multitrack) or 0 (single track).

To export a session’s MIDI tracks for use in an- 4 If the Song Start time is different from the
other MIDI application, or for playback with an Session Start time, select Session Start or
external (hardware) MIDI sequencer, you can ex- Song Start from the Location Reference pop-up
port Pro Tools MIDI and Instrument tracks as a menu.
Standard MIDI File. 5 Enable or disable the Apply Real-Time
Properties option.
MIDI can be exported from Pro Tools as a merged,
single, multichannel track (Type 0), or as multiple 6 Click OK.
tracks (Type 1).
7 Specify a folder destination and name for the
If your Pro Tools session uses key signatures and MIDI file.
meters, they are exported with the MIDI file.
Pro Tools automatically adds the “.mid”
To export all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the extension when exporting MIDI files.
current session:
8 Click Save.
1 Make sure to unmute any MIDI tracks in the
session that you want included in the exported Pro Tools exports all unmuted MIDI and Instru-
MIDI file. (Or, conversely, mute any MIDI ment tracks in the current session to a Standard
tracks you do not want included in the exported MIDI File and writes it to your hard drive. Ex-
MIDI file.) For Instrument tracks, enable or dis- ported MIDI information includes notes, controller
able the MIDI mute button (Instruments view). events, program changes, and System Exclusive
data, as well as events for tempo, meter, and mark-
ers.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 449

 The Timecode start time for the session or the song Exporting Individual MIDI and
(depending on the selection from the Location Ref- Instrument Tracks
erence pop-up menu) is also exported. This en-
You can also export individual MIDI and Instru-
sures that the exported tracks, when played from
ment tracks as MIDI files. This can be useful for
another MIDI application, will align with the cor-
storing libraries of your favorite MIDI sequences
rect Timecode frames, and also synchronize cor-
or Sysex data (such as bulk or individual patch
rectly to tape and video devices, or Pro Tools.
dumps for your external MIDI devices), or for im-
See your third-party MIDI sequencer documenta- porting MIDI into notation applications (other than
tion to determine whether it supports importing Sibelius).
Timecode start times from MIDI files.
To export a single MIDI or Instrument track as a
Items Not Exported with MIDI Files MIDI file:
1 Do one of the following:
Mute automation and muted clips do not affect ex-
ported MIDI. As long as a MIDI track is not muted • Right-click the Track name of an unselected
by clicking its Mute button, or an Instrument track track in the Edit or Mix window, or in the Tracks
is not muted by clicking its MIDI Mute button (In- List.
struments view), all of its MIDI data is exported. • In the Tracks List, or Mix or Edit window, Com-
mand-Right-click (Mac) or Control-Right-click
Chord symbols and chord diagrams are not ex-
(Windows) the track name.
ported with MIDI files.
2 From the Right-click menu, select Export MIDI.
When exporting MIDI files from Pro Tools, device
assignments for tracks are not retained (though 3 Set the Export MIDI settings in the Export
channel assignments are). If you export MIDI or MIDI Settings dialog.
Instrument tracks from Pro Tools and later re-im- 4 Click OK.
port them, you will need to reassign the tracks to
devices in your studio. 5 In the Save dialog, type a name for the MIDI
file, specify where you want to save it, and click
All playlist information for MIDI and Instrument Save.
tracks is lost when exporting. For example, tracks
that previously contained dozens of MIDI clips Option-Right-click (Mac) or Alt-Right-click
will be flattened and only contain single clips after (Windows) to export all tracks to a single
exporting and re-importing. MIDI file.

450 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To export all selected Pro Tools Instrument or MIDI the Revision History window. The Import Session
tracks as a MIDI file: Data dialog lets you import tracks and select spe-
1 Select the tracks you want to export to a MIDI cific session data (such as automation and routing)
file. to import. You can also import main playlist op-
tions—either replacing existing options or over-
2 Right-click the Track name of one of the se-
laying elements onto existing tracks.
lected tracks in the Edit or Mix window, or in
the Tracks List. To import tracks or their attributes:
3 From the Right-click menu, select Export MIDI. 1 Open or create a new session or project.
4 Set the Export MIDI settings. 2 Do one of the following:
5 Click OK. • Choose File > Import > Session Data, select the
session to import data from, and click Open.
6 In the Save dialog, type a name for the MIDI
file, specify where you want to save it, and click • Drag the session file whose tracks or attributes
Save. you want to import from a Workspace browser,
Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder into empty
Option-Shift-Right-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift- space in the Edit window or to the Tracks List.
Right-click (Windows) to export all selected
3 If the Fader Gain setting of the session is differ-
tracks as a single MIDI file.
ent, you will be prompted to keep or change the
Fader Gain before the Session Data dialog
opens.
Exporting Sibelius Files
4 In the Source section, select tracks to import by
Pro Tools can export the score of your session or
clicking the pop-up menu to the right of each
project as a Sibelius file (.sib). You can choose to
track name and selecting New Track.
export the score as a Sibelius file for later use or
score transfer, or to open the score in Sibelius im- To select multiple tracks, Opt-click
mediately (if Sibelius) is installed on your com- (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) on any
puter. Sibelius uses the Pro Tools transcription of track pop-up menu and select Import As
MIDI in your session as seen in the Pro Tools New Track.
Score Editor window (for more information, see
“Exporting Scores” on page 867).
If the destination Pro Tools system does not
Sibelius 5.x or higher is required to open .sib support surround mixing, surround tracks
files exported from Pro Tools. are not displayed in the Source Tracks List.

5 For each track you select, you can choose to im-

Importing Session Data port it as a new track, or choose a destination
track from the corresponding pop-up menu.
You can import data and copy media from other Click Match Tracks to automatically match
Pro Tools sessions into the current Pro Tools ses- source and destination tracks with the same
sion or project using the Import Session Data com- names.
mand (or drag and drop). You can also import data
into sessions from versions of projects by means of

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 451

 6 Select any additional track data you want to im- 17 If you chose to copy or consolidate media,
port from the Track Data to Import pop-up choose a location to place the media files.
menu.
Imported tracks are made inactive if their
7 Select from among the Main Playlist Options to source media is unavailable, or if the cur-
choose how you want to import the source rent session does not contain an equiva-
tracks. lent output path.
8 If applicable, choose options for how media
files should be imported from the Audio Media Importing Grouped Playlists
Options and the Video Media Options pop-up from Other Sessions
menus. You can import tracks that use Grouped Playlists
from another Pro Tools session, and the playlist
Any tracks in a project containing media
grouping function will remain intact for those im-
linked to a local source file cannot be shared.
ported tracks. There is, however, a restriction for
9 Choose the Timecode Mapping Options for im- importing from pre-Pro Tools 6.1 sessions: After
ported data. importing a partial set of grouped playlists (such as
tracks 1–7 of a 10-track group), you cannot subse-
10 If the sample rates of the sessions are different, quently import tracks 8–10 and have them rejoin
select the sample rate for the source session the playlist group for tracks 1–7.
from the Source Sample Rate pop-up menu.
11 To import the meter and tempo maps from the Folder Tracks and Import
source session, select the Import Tempo/ Session Data
Meter Map option.
When importing Folder tracks and their member
12 To import key signatures from the source ses- tracks using Import Session Data, the hierarchy of
sion, select the Import Key Signature Map op- source tracks is maintained where possible. The
tion. Tracks Source column indicates Folder track hier-
archies using indentations. If a Folder track and its
13 To import Markers and Memory Locations from
member tracks are imported, the Folder hierarchy
the source session, select the Import
is maintained.
Marker/Memory Locations option.

14 To import Window Configurations, select the Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click

Import Window Configurations option. (Windows) to select all source tracks in the
same layer (siblings).
15 With Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, select the
Import Mic Pre Settings option to import any Tracks imported as new tracks are inserted after
Mic Pre settings from the source session. the last selected track. Note that if the last selected
track is an open Folder track, selected tracks are
16 Click OK when you are finished.
imported into that Folder track.

452 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Importing Sessions and Tracks Copying During Import
by Drag and Drop
If no conversion is necessary, and the files
Session files can be dragged into the current reside on a suitable Performance volume,
session or project to import (and spot) audio, Pro Tools references the original version of the
video, MIDI, clip group, REX and ACID files, media. You can also choose to copy media while
tracks, and session data. importing by using key commands, or enabling the
• Dragging a session to the Clips List imports all Automatically Copy Files on Import preference.
the clips from that session (without importing Copies are created in the session’s Audio Files
tracks). Folder or, for projects, uploaded to the cloud.

• Dragging a session to a track in Pro Tools lets To manually copy files on import:
you import tracks.
 Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) the
• Dragging a session to a track playlist in files. A copy is created in the session Audio
Pro Tools opens the Import Session Data dialog, Files folder or, for projects, uploaded to the
letting you select tracks and attributes to import. cloud.
The imported session data will begin wherever
you drop the session in the Timeline. When importing sessions or tracks, the Import Ses-
sion Data dialog lets you specify whether to refer-
To import tracks and other session data by drag ence the source media, or copy it.
and drop:
1 Open a Workspace browser. To automatically copy files on import:

2 Drag a Pro Tools session file, or an AAF or 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
OMF sequence, into the current session, as Processing tab.
follows: 2 Select Automatically Copy Files on Import.
• Drag onto an existing track to overlay or over- 3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
write data on the target tracks. Hold the Shift key
while dragging if you intend to replace the cur-
rent track playlists with those being imported Using Undo after Importing
(the Shift key pre-configures the settings in the Using Undo after importing any files to the Time-
Import Session Data dialog). line removes the files from the Timeline. However,
• Drag to empty space in the Edit window to cre- the files remain in the session or project (in the
ate new tracks for the imported session data. Clips List and Workspace browser) and are offline.
If you do not remove or delete the files from the
• Configure the Import Session Data options (see
session or project manually, Pro Tools will report
“Import Session Data Dialog” on page 454).
them as missing files the next time the session or
project is opened.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 453

 Source Properties
Import Session Data Dialog
The Import Session Data dialog displays proper-
The Import Session Data dialog lets you view the ties for the source session. These properties in-
properties of the source session, select which clude source session name, session type, start time
tracks to import, and with Pro Tools Ultimate and of the session, audio bit depth, and sample rate. For
Studio, choose which attributes of those tracks you Pro Tools 5.1 or higher sessions, the program that
want to import into the current session or project. created the session and the session’s audio file type
are listed.

Text Encoding

Pro Tools allows entry and display of any lan-

guage characters supported in Unicode anywhere
in the Pro Tools application. This lets you use mul-
tiple languages in session names, and in path
names, file names and clip names.

However, Pro Tools 7.3.x and lower does not sup-

port Unicode. When importing data from sessions
or OMF sequences created or saved with older ver-
sions of Pro Tools, you may need to identify the
language encoding used in the imported 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 session
Import Session Data dialog (Pro Tools Ultimate) from the Text Encoding pop-up menu.

454 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Audio Media Options When you choose this option, you can also choose
the Handle Size (in milliseconds) applied to con-
The following Audio Media Options are available
solidated audio. Handle is the amount of the origi-
in the Import Session Data dialog:
nal audio file that is preserved before and after
Link to Source Media (Where Possible) This op- each clip in case you need to make any edits (such
tion lets you avoid duplicating audio files by refer- as applying fades or trimming) to the new clips.
ring to the original files when possible. If the
Consolidate From Source Media is not avail-
source files do not reside on supported playback
able when importing Elastic Audio tracks.
media (such as removeable media, like a thumb
drive), or if they require bit depth or sample rate Force to Target Session Format This option cop-
conversion, the source files are copied instead. ies and converts all source media files to the cur-
This option allows the current session or project to rent session or project file format, bit depth, and
refer to files that do not match the current session sample rate. Files are copied even if they already
or project audio file format. match the current session or project format.
Projects can link to media files on the local system
Video Media Options
that are stored outside of the project bundle. In this
case, linked media it will still sync to the cloud, but In the Import Session Data dialog, you can either
it will not be copied to the local project media choose to leave video media files in their original
cache. locations or copy them to a new location. This is
useful if you are importing tracks from a source
Copy from Source Media This option copies all
such as CDs or DVDs or shared storage, and you
audio files related to the imported tracks from the
want to place video files on a different drive.
source media to a new specified location (for ses-
sions) or to the cloud (for projects), and converts Link to Source Media
the files to the current session or project sample
rate if necessary. The source media’s audio file Select this option to avoid duplicating video files
format and bit depth are not changed. This is useful by referring to the original files.
if you are importing tracks from a source such as
shared storage or such as removeable media, like a Copy from Source Media
thumb drive, and you want to place the audio files Select this setting to copy all video files related to
on a different hard drive. the imported tracks from the source media to a new
Consolidate from Source Media This option con- specified location.
solidates audio while copying it. This is useful if
Import as Offline Satellite Media
you want to copy only the clips of the audio files
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
used in the source tracks, without copying unused
audio. This option copies and converts consoli- Select this option to import a video track with of-
dated audio to the current session or project audio fline media. You will be able to see cuts and clip
file format, bit depth, and sample rate if necessary. names, but the video media remains offline. You
can view the video media on a connected Video
Satellite system. This option is only available
when New Satellite Track is selected for the video
track.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 455

 Timecode Mapping Options Track Offset Options
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can specify In the Import Session Data dialog, you can specify
where the imported tracks are placed in the current a track offset in addition to any offset incurred with
session. Times are indicated in timecode. the Timecode Mapping Options. Any imported au-
dio is offset in the current session or project Time-
The following Timecode Mapping Options are line by the specified amount. You can enter values
available: in Minutes:Seconds, Bars|Beats, Samples, Time-
Maintain Absolute Timecode Values This option code, or Feet/Frames.
places tracks at the locations where they were lo-
cated in the source session. For example, if the cur- Sample Rate Conversion (SRC)
rent session starts at 00:01:00:00, and the session Options
from which you are importing starts at
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can set op-
10:00:00:00, the earliest imported tracks can ap-
tions that control how sample rate conversion is
pear in your session is 9 hours and 59 minutes after
applied to imported audio files. If the source ses-
the start of the session.
sion and the current session have the same sample
Maintain Relative Timecode Values This option rate, this portion of the dialog is unavailable.
places tracks at the same offset from session start
The following Sample Rate Conversion (SRC)
as they had in the source session. For example, if
Options are available:
the source session starts at 01:00:00:00 and con-
tains a track that starts at 01:01:00:00, and the cur- Source Sample Rate For audio files created in any
rent session start is 02:00:00:00, the track will be session, no matter what the session sample rate is,
placed at 02:01:00:00 in the current session. you can have the sample rate conversion process
treat the files in several ways to compensate for
Map Start Timecode To This option places tracks
pull up, pull down, and NTSC or PAL frame rates.
relative to their original session start time. (Times
This setting allows you to choose the sample rate
are expressed in hh:mm:ss:ff) For example, if the
from which you want the sample rate conversion
current session starts at 00:01:00:00, and the ses-
process to start.
sion from which you are importing starts at
10:00:00:00, you can reset the start timecode to Destination Sample Rate The destination sample
00:01:00:00, to avoid placing files 9 hours and 59 rate is always set to the sample rate of your current
minutes from the start of your session. session.

Adjust Session Start Time to Match Source Conversion Quality This option lets you set the
Start Time quality of the sample-rate conversion process (see
“Sample Rate Conversion Quality” on page 433).
When selected, the Adjust Session Start Time to
Match Source Start Time option lets you automat-
ically set the start time of the current Pro Tools ses-
sion to match the start time of the session, or AAF
or OMF sequence you are importing.

456 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Source Tracks Matching Tracks
This area of the Import Session Data dialog lists In the Import Session Data dialog, you can make
the tracks in the source session that can be im- sure track names match when you are importing
ported, each with a corresponding pop-up menu. playlists from source tracks with the same name as
destination tracks in the current session or project
Operation/Destination Track (such as a new cut of a scene). Click Matching
Pop-Up Menus Tracks to automatically match the track names.
Tracks must have the same name, track type, and
In the Import Session Data dialog, each source channel format to be automatically matched.
track has a corresponding pop-up menu that lists
options for importing the track as well as for pos-
sible destination tracks in the current session or
Track Data to Import
project. The pop-up menus display the following Available through the Import Session Data dialog,
items: the Track Data to Import dialog lets you select
which attributes of the selected tracks you want to
Do Not Import Neither the source track nor any of
import into the current session or project.
its attributes are imported.
Selected attributes are applied to all tracks that you
Import as New Track The source track and all at-
choose to import into the current session or project.
tributes selected in the Track Data to Import pop-up
menu are imported into a new track in the current
Replacing Track Attributes
session or project.
When you import an attribute of the source track
Destination Track Names The names of possible
into an existing track in the current session or proj-
destination tracks in the current session or project
ect, it replaces the corresponding attribute in the
are listed at the bottom of the pop-up menu. Im-
destination track. If you choose not to import an at-
ported playlists and all attributes selected in the
tribute of the source track, the corresponding attri-
Track Data to Import pop-up menu will be placed
bute in the destination track is retained.
in the destination track you select.
Replacing Track Path Names
Only destination tracks that match the track type
(audio, Instrument, MIDI, Auxiliary Input, or When you import a track’s input, output, send out-
Master Fader) and the channel format (mono, ste- put or hardware insert assignments, any custom
reo, or any of the supported multichannel formats) path names and I/O configurations from the source
of the source track appear in the pop-up menu. session are not imported. You can import path
names and I/O configurations by importing I/O
Setup settings. For more information, see “Factory
I/O Seittings” on page 86.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 457

 Selecting Track Data to Import Clips and Media Recalls all of the audio files or
clips in the source track, and places them in the
To select what Track Data to import: Clips List.
1 In the Import Session Data dialog, click the
Clip Gain Recalls the clip gain settings for all im-
Choose button for Track Data to Import.
ported audio clips.
2 Configure the Track Data to Import dialog as
Clip Effects Recalls the clip effects settings for all
desired.
imported audio clips.
3 Click OK.
Main Volume Automation and Setting Recalls the
source track’s Volume fader setting and any auto-
mation data on the track’s Volume Automation
playlist. The Volume fader setting and any Vol-
ume automation data in the destination track are re-
placed.

Main Pan Automation and Setting Recalls the

source track’s Pan Slider settings and any automa-
tion data on the track’s Pan Automation playlist.
The Pan Slider setting and any Pan automation
data in the destination track are replaced.

Main Mute Automation and Setting Recalls 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 Recalls the source

track’s channel output assignments, including any
multiple output assignments. The channel output
assignments in the destination track are replaced.

Send Volume Automation and Setting Recalls the

Volume fader setting and any automation data for
Track Data to Import dialog sends on the source track. The Volume fader set-
Pro Tools lets you include (or exclude) the follow- ting and any Volume automation data for sends in
ing Track Data with Track Presets: the destination track are replaced.

Alternate Playlists Recalls all of the alternate Send Pan Automation and Setting Recalls the
playlists from source tracks. The alternate playlists Pan slider setting and any automation data for
appear in the playlist selector of destination tracks. sends on the source track. The Pan slider setting
and any Pan automation data for sends in the des-
tination track are replaced.

458 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Send Mute Automation and Setting Recalls the Side-Chain Assignments When the source track’s
Mute setting and any Mute automation data on the plug-in assignments are recalled, this option im-
source track. The Mute setting and any Mute auto- ports any side-chain assignments associated with
mation data in the destination track are replaced. the plug-ins. If no plug-in assignments are im-
ported, this option has no effect.
Send Output Assignments Recalls the source
track’s send output assignments. Any Send output Track Active State Recalls the active/inactive state
assignments in the destination track are replaced. of the source track from the source session.

Plug-In Assignments Recalls the source track’s Track Comments Recalls the track comments as-
plug-in assignments. Any plug-ins in the destina- sociated with the source track. Any comments in
tion track are removed, and their associated set- the destination track are replaced.
tings and automation are lost.
Track Markers Recalls all Markers on the source
If the source track uses a plug-in that is not avail- track.
able on the destination system, it appears in the
Track Colors Recalls the track color associated
destination track and is made inactive.
with the source track. Any color for the destination
Plug-In Settings and Automation When the track is changed.
source track’s plug-in assignments are recalled,
Record Safe/Solo Safe Settings Recalls the re-
this option imports the track’s plug-in settings and
cord safe and solo safe settings of the source track
any automation data associated with the plug-ins.
from the source session. Any record safe or solo
If no plug-in assignments are imported, this option
safe settings in the destination track are replaced.
has no effect.
Elastic Audio Track State Recalls the source Track View Settings Recalls the track height and
track’s Elastic Audio track state. Any Elastic Au- playlist view of the source track from the source
dio settings in the destination track are replaced. session.

Melodyne Track State Recalls the source track’s Mix/Edit Groups Recalls track groups from the
Melodyne track state. Any Melodyne settings in source session.
the destination track are replaced. ICON Custom Fader Groups (Pro Tools Ultimate
and Studio Only) Recalls any ICON Custom
HW Insert Assignments Recalls the source track’s
Fader Groups from the source session.
hardware Insert assignments. Any Insert assign-
ments in the destination track are replaced. ICON Automation Snapshots (Pro Tools Ultimate
and Studio Only) Recalls any ICON Automation
Voice Assignments Recalls the source track’s
Snapshots from the source session.
voice assignment from the source session. Any
voice assignments in the destination track are re- HEAT Switch Settings Recalls any stored HEAT
placed. switch settings from the source session.
Input Assignments Recalls the source track’s
channel input assignment. The Input assignment in
the destination track is replaced.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 459

 Bed/Object Assignment and Toggle Setting To recall a Track Data to Import preset:
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio with Dolby Atmos
Only) Imports the mapping of busses to Bed Inputs to
 Click the Presets button that contains the set-
the Renderer, and Object Output Path assignments tings you want to recall.
and Bus/Object toggle settings for any tracks se-
lected for import. Librarian Menu

Bed/Object Group Assignments Use the Librarian menu to save and recall presets
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio with Dolby Atmos files (.ptpreset). These are usually saved to and re-
Only) Imports Bed/Object Group assignments to called from the Track Data to Import folder
busses in the I/O Setup. The setting is not available if (/Documents/Pro Tools/Pro Tools Presets/Track
Bed/Object Groups are being managed by the Ren- Data to Import/). However, you can save to and
derer. import from any directory location on your system.
Include Instrument/MIDI output Recalls the Preset files can be shared and used on any other
source track’s MIDI output assignment for Instru- Pro Tools system as well.
ment and MIDI tracks. The MIDI output assign- The Librarian menu commands include:
ment in the destination track is replaced. Disable
this option to keep the current assignment of desti- <factory default> Restores the default settings for
nation tracks. the Track Data to Import dialog.

Track Data to Import Presets Save Settings Saves the current settings. This
command overwrites any previous version of the
Pro Tools lets you store and recall different config- preset.
urations of the Track Data to Import dialog as pre-
sets. The Presets controls for the Track Data to Im- Press Command+Shift+S (Mac) or Control+
port dialog work much like the Presets controls for Shift+S (Windows) to save the current settings.
Batch Renaming, Fades, and Clip Effects.
Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a
Presets Buttons new preset. You can name the preset and save it to
any location on your system.
The Track Data to Import dialog provides five Pre-
sets buttons that let you store and recall your most Import Settings Opens the Choose a Settings File
commonly used Track Data to Import configura- dialog focused on the default Track Data to Import
tions. You can also save and import Track Data to folder. Track Data to Import Settings file stored in
Import settings using the Librarian menu. this location are listed by name under <factory de-
fault> in the Librarian menu. In the Choose a Set-
To store a Track Data to Import preset: tings File dialog, you can navigate to any location
on your system to select and import the Track Data
1 Configure the Track Data to Import dialog as
to Import Settings preset file you want.
you like.
Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the Presets button where you want to the current settings file from disk.
store the current Track Data to Import settings. Lock (Unlock) Settings File Locks (or unlocks)
the selected Settings file so that it cannot (or can)
be edited.

460 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Import Options Import – Replace Existing Playlists Imports the
main playlist from the source track. When you im-
The following Import Options are available in the port the playlist into an existing track, the main
Import Session Data dialog: playlist in the destination track is deleted and re-
Import Tempo/Meter Map Imports the meter and placed with the imported playlist.
tempo maps, as they appear in the Tempo and Me-  If you select this option and import all of the
ter Conductor rulers, from the source session. Any source track’s attributes, this is equivalent to im-
Tempo or Meter events in the destination session porting the entire track.
or project are replaced.
 If you select this option and do not import any
Import Key Signature/Chord Map Imports all key of the source track’s attributes, you replace the au-
signatures (if present) and chord markers into dio playlists while keeping your current mixer set-
Pro Tools with the imported session data. Any key tings.
signatures and chord markers in the destination
session or project are replaced. Import – Overlay New On Existing Playlists Im-
ports the main playlist from the source track. When
Import Marker/Memory Locations Imports mark- you import the playlist into an existing track, any
ers and Memory Locations as they appear in the existing playlist data that overlaps data imported
Marker ruler, from the source session. Any mark- from the source track is trimmed and replaced with
ers and Memory Locations in the destination ses- the imported data. Any playlist data in the destina-
sion or project are retained. Imported marker and tion track that does not overlap remains in the des-
Memory Locations are assigned the next available tination track.
Marker/Memory Location numbers.
Do Not Import Does not import the main playlist
Import Window Configurations Imports the Win- from the source track. No audio is imported; only
dow Configurations from the source session. the attributes selected in the Track Data to Import
list are imported to the selected tracks. When se-
Import Mic Pre Settings Imports any Pro Tools
lected, importing all of the source track’s input,
Mic Pre settings from the source session. Any Mic
output, send, insert and plug-in attributes is equiv-
Pre settings in the destination session or project are
alent to importing a channel strip.
replaced.

Import HEAT Master Settings Imports any HEAT

Master settings from the source session, including Importing AAF and OMF
Bypass, Drive, and Tone settings. The HEAT Mas- Sequences
ter settings in the destination session or project are
replaced. Pro Tools lets you open AAF and OMF sequences
as new Pro Tools sessions or projects, or you can
import AAF and OMF sequences into existing
Main Playlist Options Pro Tools sessions and projects. Pro Tools can
In the Import Session Data dialog, you can select import AAF and OMF sequences exported from
from the following options to control how the main other Pro Tools sessions or projects, from Avid
playlist from each source track is imported to the Media Composer, or from third-party applications
destination track in the current session or project.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 461

 (such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Audio, Adobe Pre-
miere Pro, and Nuendo—consult your third-party For more information, see “Importing an
application’s documentation for information on AAF or OMF Sequence into an Existing
how they handle OMF and AAF export). Session or Project” on page 464.

When importing AAF sequences generated from To import individual Avid MXF or OMF video files
into Pro Tools, do one of the following:
an Avid video editing application, Pro Tools can
import mono, stereo, and 5.1 and 7.1 surround au-  Use the File > Import > Video command.
dio tracks. Mono tracks with 5.1 or 7.1 surround
 Drag and drop them from any Workspace
panning can also be imported, with panning infor-
browser or the desktop.
mation intact. (Greater-than-stereo multichannel
formats are supported with Pro Tools Ultimate and To import individual OMF or MXF audio files into
Studio only.) Pro Tools, do one of the following:

When opening and importing an AAF or OMF se-  Use the File > Import > Audio command.
quence, a modified version of the Dashboard win-
 Drag and drop them from any Workspace
dow opens and prompts you to name and save the
browser or the desktop.
sequence as a new session or project. Once you
name and save the new session or project, the Im-
port Session Data dialog opens. For more informa- Importing an AAF or OMF
tion, see “AAF/OMF Source Track Translation Sequence as a Pro Tools
Settings” on page 470.
Session
The easiest way of using Pro Tools to edit a
Pro Tools can import the following types of files
sequence exported from an Avid application (such
sourced from Avid editors:
as Media Composer) is to open it as a new session
• AAF or OMF sequences (including those with or project.
embedded audio)
Pro Tools cannot play video files embedded
• Individual Avid video files in the MXF or OMF
within an AAF or OMF sequence.
format
• OMF and MXF audio files To open and import an AAF or OMF sequence in
Pro Tools:
Multi-channel import and export are only pos- 1 Launch Pro Tools.
sible with AAF sequences.
2 Choose File > Open Session.
To import AAF or OMF sequences into Pro Tools,
do one of the following: 3 In the Open Session dialog, navigate to the AAF
or OMF sequence you want to import.
 Use the File > Import > Session Data command.
4 Click Open.
 Use the File > Open Session command.
 Drag and drop them from any Workspace
browser or the desktop.

462 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Import Session Data dialog

5 Set Type to Project (cloud) or Session (local).

6 Name your session or project.
7 Select the Audio File Type, Sample Rate, and Bit
Depth to use for the session.

8 To create interleaved multichannel audio files in

the session. select Interleaved.
Import Session Data dialog
9 Click OK.
11 Select an option for importing audio from the
10 Click Save. The Import Session Data dialog
Audio Media Options pop-up menu (see “Audio
opens.
Media Options” on page 466).
You can open and import OMF or AAF 12 Select an option for importing video from the
sequences that reference audio files with Video Media Options pop-up menu (see “Video
mixed sample rates or bit depths. Media Options” on page 468).
13 Change other settings and options as necessary
(see “Import Options when Importing AAF or
OMF Sequences” on page 466).
14 Click OK.

Pro Tools creates a new online project or a new

local session file in the location you specified,
along with the following new items (sessions
only):
• Audio Files folder
• Bounced Files folder
• Clip Groups folder
• Session File Backups folder

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 463

 • Video Files folder OMF export. When you import an AAF or OMF
• cache.wfm file sequence into a Pro Tools session, only the clip
representing the dominant camera angle will be
This session or project will match the audio file displayed.
type, sample rate, and bit depth of the audio in the
OMF or AAF you selected. Pro Tools does not im- Importing an AAF or OMF
port video embedded in a sequence. Sequence into an Existing
Session or Project
If a Video Satellite system is available, Pro Tools
can import the video metadata from a sequence to You can import an AAF or OMF sequence con-
a satellite track. In this case, the video itself is taining audio and video media into an existing
played back from the Video Satellite machine, in Pro Tools session or project.
tandem with Pro Tools playback.
To open and import audio and/or video tracks from
For more information, see Chapter 66, “Me- an OMF or AAF sequence:
dia Composer Video Satellite.” 1 Launch Pro Tools, and open an existing
Pro Tools session or project.
During the import, if there are any errors, clip 2 Choose File > Import > Session Data, and select
name truncations, or other notes (such as miss- the AAF or OMF sequence that you want to im-
ing effect renderings), a dialog appears asking port.
you if you want a detailed report of the changes.
Click Yes and choose where you want to save You can also open an AAF or OMF sequence
the log. The log is a text file that you can open in by dragging it from any location on your com-
any text editing application. puter or the Workspace browser to the
Pro Tools Timeline.
Every AAF and OMF file has a filename and 3 In the Import Session Data dialog, deselect any
unique identifier stored in the AAF and OMF source tracks that you do not want imported.
metadata, and a name which is displayed on (If importing Session Data from AAF or OMF
the desktop. Truncating a clip name in the sequences, all tracks are selected by default.
translation process does not change the AAF or However, if you are importing tracks from a
OMF filename, Unique ID, or SMPTE ID (only Pro Tools session, no tracks are selected by
Pro Tools 12.8 and later generate and recog- default.)
nize both Unique ID and SMPTE ID for AIFF
and WAV files).

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 Source Tracks
the Multi-Cam files (and therefore camera angles)
will be dominant, at the time of creating an AAF or 4 Select the AAF/OMF translation settings (see
“AAF/OMF Source Track Translation Settings”
on page 470).

464 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 Select the Audio Media Options (see “Audio Audio files that are not of the same sample rate as
Media Options” on page 466). a session or project must be converted to be used
with the session or project. When an audio file is
6 Select the Video Media Options (see “Video
converted, a new file with the correct file type, and
Media Options” on page 468).
sample rate is created and placed in a folder you
7 Select the Timecode Mapping Options (see choose. Audio files with mixed bit depths (and
“Timecode Mapping Options” on page 468). matching sample rates) can be imported without
conversion.
8 Set the Track Offset Options (see “Track Offset
Options” on page 469). You can use the Source Sample Rate settings
9 Set the Sample Rate Convert Options (see to compensate for any pull up or pull down
“Sample Rate Conversion Options” on factors that may have been applied to the au-
page 469). dio prior to importing. In a sequence with files
of mixed sample rates, set the Source Sample
10 Change other settings and options as necessary Rate in proportion to the Target sample rate
(for more information about the Import Session of the session, and the pull up or pull down
Data dialog, see “Import Session Data Dialog” compensation will be applied correctly to all
on page 454). files in proportion with their original sample
11 Click OK. rate.

If there are any errors or clip name truncations, Importing Audio from AAF
a dialog will appear asking you if you want a Sequences with Unsupported
detailed report of the changes. Click Yes and Video Formats
choose where you want to save the log.
Pro Tools lets you import audio from AAF se-
12 If your audio or video source media is on a vol- quences containing unsupported video formats, in-
ume that is not suitable for playback (shown as cluding high-definition Avid video files with
a Transfer volume in the Workspace browser), frame rates over 30 frames per second.
Pro Tools displays a dialog that guides you to The following rules apply when importing AAF
copy the media to a volume designated for Play- sequences of this type:
back or Record. (Click Yes.)
• Supported audio in these sequences will play
Pro Tools imports the audio and video media to the back, but unsupported video will not.
Timeline. Audio tracks with mixed sample rates • Unsupported video appears in the Timeline as
are automatically converted to the same sample orange blocks.
rate as the session.

Importing AAF/OMF Audio

Sequences with Mixed Sample
Rates or Bit Depth
You can open and import AAF or OMF sequences
with mixed sample rates and bit depths into
Pro Tools.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 465

 Importing AAF/OMF Sequences SMPTE ID and Unique ID
Containing Media Mixdowns
Pro Tools recognizes and creates two different
Pro Tools with an Avid video peripheral lets you unique IDs for media files (AIFF and WAV only):
import AAF and OMF sequences exported from Unique ID and SMPTE ID. SMPTE ID (Pro Tools
Avid editing applications by selecting File > Import 12.8 and later only) provides optimal compatibility
> Session Data or by dragging them from the desk- and interchange with other applications that utilize
top or a Workspace browser to Pro Tools. For SMPTE IDs in media files and AAF sequences
more information, see “Importing Session Data” (such as Avid Media Composer), and ensures truly
on page 451. unique IDs for AIFF and WAV files.

If the sequence contains a video mixdown, the 8-bit Unique ID Legacy ID format used with ver-
video mixdown and its corresponding metadata are sions of Pro Tools lower that 12.8.
displayed in two separate video tracks on the
Timeline. SMPTE ID 32-bit SMPTE IDs created and sup-
ported with Pro Tools 12.8 or higher.
If the sequence contains an audio mixdown, the au-
dio mixdown and its corresponding metadata are
displayed in two separate video tracks on the Import Options when
Timeline. 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
• Timecode 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.

466 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Link to Source Audio Media (Where Possible) To convert an OMFI audio file that exists in the
current session or project:
Select this option to translate the AAF or OMF file
1 Select the audio to be converted.
to a Pro Tools session that refers to as many of the
original media files as possible. In this case, the 2 Apply the Consolidate command to convert the
Pro Tools session points to the BWF (WAV) or selected audio (Edit > Consolidate Clip).
AIF files from the source project.
3 Edit and process your newly converted files as
When importing audio embedded in an AAF se- normal.
quence, Pro Tools copies the audio to a new drive
or folder even if this setting is selected. Consolidate from Source Media

For projects, you should always copy or consoli- Use this setting to copy the audio from the source
date from source media. Any tracks in a project sequence to the Pro Tools session or project, while
that contain linked local media cannot be shared. removing all unused areas in the copies. For exam-
ple, you might only be using ten seconds of a ten-
Copy from Source Media minute audio file in your project. Consolidating
this audio saves a great deal of disk space by pre-
Use this setting to copy referenced audio to a new serving only the audio you use and a user-defined
drive or folder. amount of handle, and discarding the rest.
You can perform sample rate conversion on audio You can sample-rate convert the audio during
during translation. translation.
OMFI Audio Media and Copy from Source Media
Mode Force to Target Session Format

When importing an AAF or OMF sequence with Use this setting to convert source media to the ses-
the Copy from Source Media option enabled, sion audio file format if the source media file for-
Pro Tools can copy OMFI format .WAV and .AIF mat differs from the project or session file format.
audio files directly into the session. However,
Handle Size (Milliseconds)
Pro Tools treats OMFI audio files as read-only.
If you have selected Consolidate from Source Me-
Destructive edits or processes (such as the Pencil
dia, you can specify the number of milliseconds of
tool) cannot be applied to these files, unless they
each original audio file to retain both before and
are first converted into standard audio files.
after the clip boundaries defined in the source proj-
To convert OMFI audio files during import:
ect. This enables you to extend clip boundaries
even after you’ve consolidated, by the amount you
 Choose Force to Target Format mode, rather specify.
than Copy from Source Media mode, when set-
ting import options. For more information, see It is a good idea to have at least 1000 milliseconds
“Force to Target Session Format” on page 467. of handle, so you can “trim out” edits that sound
“clipped” or “up-cut.”

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 467

 Video Media Options Maintain Relative Timecode Values

When importing AAF or OMF tracks into This option places tracks at the same offset from
Pro Tools, use the pop-up menu in the Video Me- session start as they had in the source session. For
dia Options section to copy or link to the source example, if the source session starts at 01:00:00:00
video media. and a contains a track that starts at 01:01:00:00,
and the current session start is 02:00:00:00, the
Link to Source Media track will be placed at 02:01:00:00 in the current
session.
Select this option to avoid duplicating video files
by referring to the original files. Map Start Timecode to hh:mm:ss:ff

Copy from Source Media This option places tracks relative to their original
session start time. For example, if the current ses-
Select this setting to copy all video files related to
sion starts at 00:01:00:00, and the session from
the imported tracks from the source media to a new
which you are importing starts at 10:00:00:00, you
specified location.
can reset the start timecode to 00:01:00:00, to
Import as Offline Satellite Media avoid placing files 9 hours and 59 minutes from the
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) start of your session.

Select this option to import a video track with of- Adjust Session Start Time to Match Source
fline media. You will be able to see cuts and clip Start Time
names, but the video media remains offline. You This option changes the start time of the current
can view the video media on the connected Video session to match the start time of the AAF or OMF
Satellite system. This option is only available sequence being imported. When this option is en-
when New Satellite Track is selected for the video abled, the Map Start Timecode to hh:mm:ss:ff op-
track. tion (and its timecode entry box) are disabled.

Timecode Mapping Options If the sequence being imported has a later start
time than the current session or project, the
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into Maintain Absolute Timecode Values option is
Pro Tools, you can specify where the imported disabled.
tracks are placed in the current session. Times are
indicated in timecode.
In some cases, when clips in the current ses-
Maintain Absolute Timecode Values sion or project are situated near the time
boundaries of the session or project, en-
This option places tracks at the locations where abling Adjust Session Start Time and choos-
they were located in the source session. For exam- ing to Maintain Relative Timecode Values
ple, if the current session starts at 00:01:00:00, and can put clips in danger of being moved out of
the session from which you are importing starts at bounds. In these cases, a warning is dis-
10:00:00:00, the earliest imported tracks can ap- played and Pro Tools does not adjust the ses-
pear in your session is 9 hours and 59 minutes after sion start time.
the start of the session.

468 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Offset Options These settings can also be used to correct for pull
up or pull down problems. For example, you may
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into
receive an AAF or OMF transfer from a Film
Pro Tools, specify a track offset in addition to any
Composer that contains audio media at “film
offset incurred with the Timecode Mapping op-
speed” when played back at 48 kHz. You may
tions. Any imported audio is offset in the current
want to convert all the audio files and edits to play
session’s timeline by the specified amount. Values
back at NTSC video speed and 48 kHz.
can be entered in Bars|Beats, Min:Sec, Timecode,
Feet+Frames, or Samples. In this case, set the Source Audio Sample Rate set-
ting to 47,952 and the Destination Audio Sample
Sample Rate Conversion Rate to 48,000. These settings tell Pro Tools that
Options you want to fit 47,952 of the original “film speed”
samples into 48,000 of the new “video speed” sam-
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into ples. With these settings, you sample-rate-convert
Pro Tools, these settings let you convert the sam- the material to NTSC video speed.
ple rate of the session’s audio files. For example,
you can convert from 48 kHz to 44.1 kHz, or from You can set the Source Audio Sample Rate either
44.1 kHz to 48 kHz. HDX and HD Native systems by selecting one of the predefined sample rates
support sample rates higher than 48 kHz from the pop-up menu, or by typing a value into
(88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz). the text box.
These settings also enable you to convert to com-
pensate for the 0.1% speed change (pull up or pull Destination Sample Rate
down) between 24 fps film and 29.97 fps NTSC
This setting determines the target session or proj-
video, or the 4% speed change (pull up or pull
ect audio sample rate setting, as shown in the Ses-
down) between 24 fps film and 25 fps PAL video.
sion Setup window, and the sample rate of all au-
See “Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video, dio files in the target session or project. Available
and PAL Video” on page 1379 for information settings include Pro Tools standard sample rates of
about converting between different speeds and 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. HDX and HD Native systems
sample rates. support sample rates higher than 48 kHz
(88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz).
Source Sample Rate
If this setting differs from the Source Audio Sam-
This setting lets you specify the sample rate of the ple Rate setting, audio is sample-rate converted
audio material you are working with in Pro Tools digitally to the Destination Audio Sample Rate.
independently of the source audio sample rate set-
tings. Conversion Quality Pop-Up Menu

For example, you may receive a a sequence created This pop-up menu lets you select settings corre-
on Media Composer at 44.1 kHz. If you want to sponding to Pro Tools sample rate conversion set-
work at 48 kHz in Pro Tools, you should set the tings. The Tweak Head (Slowest) option provides
Source Audio Sample Rate setting to 44,100 and the best results.
the Destination Audio Sample Rate to 48,000.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 469

 AAF/OMF Source Track An AAF often contains clip information about all
Translation Settings channels related to a multi-channel clip or file,
even if not all channels are on the timeline. This
Pro Tools provides specific options for “translat-
can be useful if you are on the same shared storage
ing” audio clips when importing AAF sequences
environment with the video editor because you
or OMF files and sequences.
have immediate access to the alternate channels,
Import Rendered Audio Effects even if the video editor decided not to include them
in the edit. However, when users do not work in a
Enabling the Import Rendered Audio Effects op- shared environment, it can result in missing files.
tion imports clips as audio clips, retaining the ren- This is because when an AAF is exported from
dered effects (such as EQ) that were applied to the Media Composer, only the timeline contents are
clip. You may want to disable this if you plan to copied to a folder, but the AAF is still aware of the
use Pro Tools audio effects and audio processing alternate channels.
exclusively for your audio post production work.
The resulting audio with this setting disabled is the Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right
unprocessed source material.
The Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right set-
Import Clip Gain ting enables you to set the basic track pan setting so
that odd-numbered tracks translate with full-left
The Import Clip Gain setting lets you import clip- panning, and even-numbered tracks translate with
based gain settings, or ignore clip-based gain en- full-right panning. This is useful if you want to pan
tirely. Media Composer and other Avid products the currently unpanned audio full-left or full-right.
provide clip-based gain to adjust the volume of an
individual audio clip. The Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right
setting is not supported when importing
Clip-based gain differs from standard Pro Tools multi-channel audio tracks from an AAF.
volume adjustments for an entire track, or volume When importing multi-channel tracks, the
breakpoint automation. Enable this option to im- setting is greyed-out and any imported stereo
port clip-based gain data from the incoming se- channels are panned hard right and hard left.
quence.
Markers To Import
Import Volume Automation
Avid Media Composer sequences can contain
The Import Volume Automation setting lets you metadata points called Markers that serve a similar
import volume breakpoint automation, or ignore it purpose to the Markers in Pro Tools, adding color-
entirely. Media Composer and other Avid products coded contextual information to the timeline. Even
provide volume automation, for continuous vol- though markers are associated with specific tracks
ume change throughout a sequence. in Media Composer, you can import markers into
Pro Tools without importing those tracks.
Only Include Clips on Timeline

When enabled, the Only Include Clips on Timeline

option prevents missing files for those that do not
work directly on a shared storage environment
with video editors.

470 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When exporting an AAF from Media Composer, Track Data to Import Dialog
Marker information is included and can be im-
The Track Data to Import dialog lets you select
ported into Pro Tools, thus preserving this data.
which attributes of the selected tracks you want to
Markers can only be imported from AAF import into the current session or project. The se-
sequences. lected attributes are applied to all tracks that you
choose to import into the current session or project.
To import all Markers: For more information about Track Data To Import
 Click the Markers to Import menu and select All. options, see “Track Data to Import” on page 457.

When importing an AAF into Pro Tools, use the

To import no Markers:
Track Data to Import dialog to specify whether or
 Click the Markers to Import menu and select not to import the plug-ins and plug-in settings.
None.
To import (or ignore) plug-in settings when
To import Markers based on marker color: importing AAF tracks or sequences:

1 Click the Markers to Import menu. 1 For Track Data to Import, click Choose.
2 Select the colors of markers you want to import. 2 Enable (or disable) the Plug-in Settings and Au-
Check marks appear next to the selected colors. tomation option.

Once imported, the new Markers can be edited as 3 Configure the rest of Track Data to Import dia-
normal. log as desired.
4 Click OK.
Unlike Pro Tools Markers, which only mark
specific points in time in a session, You can also enable (or disable) Main Mute Auto-
Media Composer Markers point specifically mation and Setting to import (or ignore) static
to individual audio or video tracks. Informa- track mute settings in an AAF created from Avid
tion on which track each Marker was associ- Media Composer 2020.9 and higher.
ated with can be found in the Comments sec-
tion in the Memory Locations window in To import (or ignore) static track mute settings
Pro Tools. when importing AAF tracks or sequences:

1 For Track Data to Import, click Choose.

When Media Composer Markers are im- 2 Enable (or disable) the Main Mute Automation
ported to Pro Tools as Markers, the associ- and Setting option.
ated comment text is added to the Marker
name in Pro Tools (up to 31 characters). 3 Configure the rest of Track Data to Import dia-
Comments over 31 characters can be viewed log as desired.
in full in the Memory Locations window in 4 Click OK.
Pro Tools.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 471

 Note that Pro Tools automatically exports Media Composer Software
static mute settings with an AAF (File > Export Export Options for Audio and
> Selected Tracks as New AAF/OMF), but only Video Mixdowns
if there is no additional mute automation on the
You can request the following export options for
track. If there are more mute automation
the AAF you are receiving from an Avid applica-
breakpoints on the track than the initial mute
tion:
on/off, no mute settings are exported.
• To export both a video mixdown and its corre-
Main Playlist Options sponding editing metadata, the Avid video editor
should select Video Mixdown from the Export
When importing AAF or OMF tracks into Method pop-up menu, then select Mixdown with
Pro Tools, you can choose how the main playlist Video Edits in the Export Settings dialog.
from each source track is imported to the destina-
• To export both an audio mixdown and its corre-
tion track in the current session. See “Main Playlist
sponding editing metadata, the Avid video editor
Options” on page 461.
should select Add Audio Mixdown Track(s) in
the Export Settings dialog.

Import Sequence from Media

Production
Audio File Format
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
Compatibility Issues
Pro Tools Ultimate lets you import sequences from
Avid MediaCentral | Production Management. AIFC Audio File Format

To import a sequence from Production

Avid Media Composer and other Avid editors sup-
Management: port audio files in the AIFC format, a version of the
Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) that sup-
1 Create a new session or use an existing session.
ports compressed media. Pro Tools can import and
2 Choose File > Import > Sequence from Produc- use this format, but not compress audio in this for-
tion Management. mat.

For more information, see the Pro Tools

Production Management Guide.
Sound Designer II Audio File
Format
Support for AAF Sequences Referencing SD II
Audio Files

Pro Tools 11.x and later do not support Sound De-

signer II (SD II) audio files. Open any AAF se-
quence that references SD II files in Pro Tools 10.x
and lower, or Pro Tools 2020.9 or later (macOS
only). Any referenced Sound Designer II files are

472 Pro Tools Reference Guide

automatically converted to a supported audio file Missing Renderings
format (WAV or AIF). You can then save the ses-
sion and open it in Pro Tools 11.x through 2020.9 Example 1
or higher. A1<01:00:02:00–01:00:07:01> no rendering for
effect:EFF_AUDIO_EQMB;using bypass clip.
Translation Notes File
This indicates the presence of an effect for which
If there are any errors, clip name truncations, or
there is no rendering. The “bypass clip” is the (un-
other notes (such as missing effect renderings),
processed) source material for the effect.
during import of an AAF or OMF file or sequence,
a dialog appears asking if you want a detailed re- Example 2
port of the changes. Click Yes and choose where
you want to save the translation notes file. V1<01:00:48:25–01:00:49:26>no rendering for
effect: omfi:effect: VideoRepeat;substituting
The Translation Notes File can be opened by most silence/video black.
word processing applications that can read plain
text files. For some effects, the length of the output is differ-
ent than the length of the input. In this case, substi-
Translation Notes Format tuting a bypass when a rendering is missing doesn't
make sense, because it won't sync properly.
Translation Notes are presented in the following
Pro Tools substitutes silence or video black.
format:

Track Name <Timecode Start–Timecode End> Ignored Effects

“clip name (if available)”;message A1<01:00:02:00–01:00:07:01>ignoring render-
ing for effect: EFF_AUDIO_EQMB;using bypass
Translation Notes and Categories clip.
The Translation Notes File is separated into differ-
This indicates that the user has selected “Ignore
ent categories. The following are sample messages
Rendered Audio Effects” in Pro Tools. This note is
in each category, with explanations of what has
a convenience so that if something is odd in the
happened and solutions if necessary.
translated sequence, the user can determine if an
effect that was ignored is actually required.
Parsing Errors

Example Incomplete Rendering

A1<01:00:00:00–01:00:04:20>error reading A1<00:00:28:29-00:00:31:17>incomplete

component “Assertion in OMF_Objects2x.cpp”, rendering for effect Audio MultiBand EQ;using
line 2871;substituting fill. bypass clip.

This error indicates a problem that may have orig-

inated in Pro Tools or the application that pro-
duced the AAF or OMF file. In the translated com-
position, there will be silence or video black at the
given interval.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 473

 This indicates that an effect was not rendered com-
pletely at a fade boundary in an Avid system. On Pro Tools can export AAF or OMF sequences
import, Pro Tools bypassed the incomplete render- linked to RF64/BW64 audio files. RF64/BW64
ing and imported the audio without the effect. If files are special WAV files that can be larger
you need the effect, re-render the effect and fade than 4 GB (normal WAV files must be under 4
on the Avid system, and export again.Miscella- GB). If you are exporting a sequence from a
neous Errors (Misc Errors) session referencing RF64/BW64 WAV files,
use AAF as the sequence container and MXF
Example as the media file format.

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 informational,

informing you that Pro Tools was not able to trans-
late the AAF or OMF sequence exactly, and has
had to make an adjustment so Pro Tools can under-
stand it.

This error occurs because applications do not 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 situation, there
can potentially be an audio “pop.”

Exporting Pro Tools Tracks

as AAF or OMF Sequences
Pro Tools lets you export individual tracks in AAF
or OMF format. Use the Export Selected Tracks as
AAF/OMF command.
Export to OMF/AAF dialog
AAF and OMF sequences exported from
Pro Tools do not support video files. They also do
not retain information about Elastic Audio, plug-in
assignments, parameters, markers, routing, or
grouping. It is recommended that you commit
Elastic Audio tracks, and any plug-in or hardware
insert processing prior to export.

474 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To export selected audio tracks as an AAF or OMF 9 Select other export options as desired.
sequence:

1 In Pro Tools, select the tracks you want to ex- For more information, see “Export Options
port. Choose either mixed or unmixed files. when Exporting to AAF or OMF Sequences” on
page 480.
Shift-click to select multiple tracks; or
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) 10 Click OK.
to select all tracks. 11 In the Publishing Options dialog, type the
Pro Tools Comment and Sequence Name.
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.

Enforce Avid Compatibility limits the sample

Publishing Options dialog (Export Selected Tracks as
rate options to 44.1 or 48 kHz, and enables
OMF/AAF) shown
exporting of clip gain data. Dither without
noise shaping will be applied to files being 12 Click OK.
exported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
13 In the Save dialog, navigate to a folder where
5 Be sure to select the correct Target Project you can easily locate the AAF or OMF se-
Timecode Format option for the project as set quence when it is time to distribute it to another
for the project in your target application (such editor or import it into Media Composer.
as Avid Media Composer). 14 Click Save.
6 Set the Sample Rate Conversion Options as 15 In the “Please Choose a Folder for Converted
necessary. Audio Files” dialog, navigate to a folder where
7 Set the Audio Media Options settings by doing the media files can be easily located (such as the
the following: same folder where AAF or OMF sequence re-
sides).
• Ensure that the Format and Bit Depth match the
settings in your target project (as set for the proj- Some video editors (such as Avid
ect in your video software application). Media Composer), require all media files to
• Select a Copy Option (Link to Source Media, be in specific folders to allow proper relink-
Copy from Source Media, or Consolidate from ing.
Source Media).
16 Click Choose (Mac) or Use Current Folder
8 If you’re exporting a sequence that contains ste- (Windows).
reo, 5.1 or 7.1 tracks and want those tracks to re-
tain proper channel layouts upon export, enable Pro Tools exports the composition and related
the Export Stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 Tracks as Multi- media to the appropriate folders.
Channel option.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 475

 Exporting Multichannel Audio Exporting Fades
Tracks
While Pro Tools supports generating audio fades
When exporting AAF, stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 tracks in real time, all fades in the session are rendered to
can be exported as multichannel tracks, or as split- disk upon AAF or OMF export, to optimize com-
mono tracks. When exporting to OMF, multi- patibility with Avid video editing applications.
channel tracks are always exported as multiple
mono files. Fades are rendered and exported even when
creating an AAF/OMF sequence with the
Video tracks cannot be exported to AAF or Link to Source Media option enabled.
OMF from Pro Tools.
Clip Groups
Exporting Clip Gain
Pro Tools cannot export tracks with clip groups
When exporting to AAF with the Enforce Avid when exporting to AAF or OMF. Before exporting
Compatibility option on, Pro Tools generates tracks from a sequence containing clip groups to
Media Composer-style clip gain data, based on the AAF or OMF, ensure that any tracks containing
clip gain data on each track. clip groups are not selected or ungroup any clip
groups on tracks you want to export.
To export clip-based gain data, the Enforce
Avid Compatibility option must be enabled.

The clip gain of Pro Tools clips with static volume Importing MXF Files
between -inf dB and +12 dB will translate directly MXF (Material Exchange Format) files are com-
to clip-based gain upon export. Dynamic clip gain monly used with a NLE (Non-Linear Editor), such
and values above 12 dB will be rendered for each as Avid Media Composer. There are several types
clip in the resulting media, to optimize compatibil- of MXF files with varying file complexities. The
ity with Avid video editing applications. different types are referred to by their operational
Clip-based gain is not exported when
patterns. Pro Tools supports two different opera-
exporting to OMF format.
tional patterns within MXF files: OP-Atom and
OP1a.
Exporting Volume Automation to AAF or OMF

Pro Tools does export volume automation to AAF OP-Atom MXF Files
and OMF, but only if the Enforce Avid Compatibil- OP-Atom MXF files contain either one channel of
ity and Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries op- audio or one track of video per file. These files
tions are disabled. cannot contain both audio and video, nor more
than one channel of either. OP-Atom files are opti-
mized for post-production and editorial because
they are easy to decode and play. However, since
the audio and video channels are not self-con-
tained, they are not a especially useful as a final de-
livery format.

476 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools can import and playback OP-Atom Exporting AAF Sequences
MXF audio and video files natively without con- Containing MXF Audio
version, but they cannot be used as a default audio
Use Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF to export
file format. OP-Atom MXFs are often sent and re-
individual tracks or an entire Pro Tools session as
ceived with an AAF that references them in a se-
an AAF sequence referring to MXF audio files.
quence, which can be imported alongside the AAF
using Import Session Data (File > Import > Session Tracks are exported in their entirety and time
Data). They can also be imported using standard selections are ignored.
import methods, such as Import Audio (audio only
MXF), Import Video (video only MXF), and drag
and drop. Volume and pan automation is not exported if
Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries or Avid
Compatibility Mode are enabled.
OP1a MXF Files
To export selected audio tracks from Pro Tools as
OP1a MXF files contain more than one channel of
an AAF sequence referring to MXF audio files:
audio, as well as video, in a single file. These files
are typically used for the final delivery format, 1 In Pro Tools, select the tracks you want to
rather than for editorial workflows. They are easy export.
to deliver because all of the audio and video ele- 2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks as
ments are contained within a single package. How- OMF/AAF.
ever, they are more complicated to decode and
playback in real-time, which makes them less op- 3 Under OMF/AAF Options, select AAF from the
timal for editorial work. Export As pop-up menu.

Pro Tools can import and playback MXF OP1a An OMF sequence cannot reference MXF
video natively. Pro Tools can also import MXF media files. When using the Export Selected
OP1a audio, but it it is converted to the native ses- Tracks as OMF/AAF dialog, choose AAF in the
sion file format. Audio and video can be imported Export As pop-up menu to enable MXF in the
together using Import Video or drag and drop, or Audio Format menu.
audio can be imported using Import Audio.
4 Select Enforce Avid Compatibility.

Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame-

Exporting Pro Tools Tracks accurate edits, wraps the files as OMFI (unless
as MXF Audio Files you choose MXF), and limits the sample rate
options to 44.1 or 48 kHz. Dither without noise
You can export MXF audio files using the follow-
shaping will be applied to files being exported
ing commands:
from 24-bit to 16-bit.
• Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF
• Bounce Mix 5 Ensure the Target Project Timecode Format is
correct for the Avid application project to which
• Export Selected Clips as Files you are exporting the AAF sequence.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 477

 6 Under the Audio Media Options section, select Pro Tools exports the AAF sequence to the se-
MXF from the Audio Format pop-up menu. lected folder, and exports the related media to the
OMFI MediaFiles folder (OMF files) or the Avid
7 Verify the Audio Bit Depth setting is acceptable
MediaFiles folder (MXF files).
for the recipient of this export.
16 If you are ready to import the files into the Avid
8 If you’re exporting a sequence that contains ste-
video application, exit Pro Tools.
reo, 5.1 or 7.1 tracks and want to export those
tracks as multi-channel audio files, enable the For more information on working in Avid
Export Stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 Tracks as Multi- video applications, see the appropriate Avid
Channel option. video application guide.
9 Click OK.
Exporting MXF Audio Files Using
10 In the Publishing Options dialog, type the Bounce Mix
Pro Tools Comment and Sequence Name.
You can use the Bounce Mix command to create
Pro Tools creates a sequence with the name you pre-mixed MXF audio files of the current
supply. The comment appears in the Avid applica- Pro Tools session or project. This does not export
tion bin in the Pro Tools Comment column. all of the individual files on the Timeline, but it
does guarantee that the mix you hear in another ap-
11 Click OK.
plication will be identical to the mix you hear in
12 In the Name the AAF File to Export dialog, Pro Tools, including all panning, effects, and auto-
navigate to a folder where you can easily locate mation.
the AAF sequence when it is time to distribute it
to another editor or import it into To export to MXF using Bounce Mix:
Media Composer. 1 After you have finished recording and mixing a
13 Click Save. session in Pro Tools, highlight the length of the
session in the timeline ruler (or on a track), plus
14 In the Please Choose a Folder for Converted an additional amount of time to avoid cutting
Audio Files dialog, navigate to a folder where off any reverb tails that might continue past the
the media files can be easily located (such as the end of the clip.
same folder where AAF or OMF sequence re-
sides). 2 Choose File > Bounce Mix.
3 In the Bounce dialog, select the Mix Source.
Some video editors require all media files to be
in specific folders to allow proper relinking.

15 Click Choose (Mac) or Use Current Folder

(Windows).

478 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Select MXF (OP-Atom) for the File Type. 9 In the Publishing Options dialog, do the
following:
• Type the Pro Tools Comment and Clip Name.
• Choose a Target Project Timecode Format
that matches the Avid application project to
which you are exporting the MXF audio.

Publishing Options dialog

10 Click OK.

All audible audio in the selection will be exported

to two multi-mono audio files.

Exporting a Clip as a New MXF

File
You can export clips as MXF audio files with the
Pro Tools Bounce Mix dialog (MXF file type) Export Selected As Files command. Use this com-
mand if you intend to use a clip in other sessions or
5 Select a Sample Rate and Bit Depth. other audio applications without using its parent
6 Type a different name for the bounce file if de- source file. This command also provides a way to
sired. convert clips to a different sample rate or bit depth.

7 Click Choose to specify the directory where

you want the bounced file to be saved.
8 Click Bounce.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 479

 To export clips as new MXF files:
Export Options when
In the Clips List, select the clips you want to ex-
1
Exporting to AAF or OMF
port.
Sequences
2 From the Clips List menu, choose Export Se-
Pro Tools provides several translation settings
lected As Files.
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 Options:

Enforce Media Composer Compatibility

If the Enforce Media Composer Compatibility op-

tion is enabled, all AAF and OMF files and se-
quences will meet the specific requirements of Me-
dia Composer. Sample rates are limited to
44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Exported clips will be padded
to the nearest frame boundaries (Quantize Edits to
Pro Tools Bounce Mix dialog (MXF file type) Frame Boundaries). This padding ensures that the
3 In the Export Selected dialog, select the placement of a file in the Timeline will be the same
Enforce Avid Compatibility option.
on sample-accurate as well as frame-accurate sys-
tems.
Enforce Avid Compatibility creates frame-
When exporting a sequence with multi-chan-
accurate edits, wraps the files as OMFI (unless
nel audio tracks, the Enforce Media Com-
you choose MXF), and limits the sample rate
poser Compatibility option must be enabled.
options to 44.1 or 48 kHz. Dither without noise
shaping will be applied to files being Target Project Timecode Format
exported from 24-bit to 16-bit.
Select the timecode format for the project into
4 Select MXF from the Audio Format pop-up which this file or sequence will be imported. This
menu. may be different from the timecode format of the
5 Set the bit resolution and sample rate. current session or project. This parameter allows
clips to be placed correctly in sessions or projects
6 Click Choose to specify the Destination Direc- with different timecode formats, and also calcu-
tory. lates how many samples must be added to pad clips
7 Click Export. to frame boundaries.

480 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries

Pro Tools allows sample-accurate placement of

clips. In Pro Tools, you can place a clip of any
Subclip with OFFs (One-frame files) laid over end
length at any position, without any requirement for frames
aligning clips with frame boundaries.
When you quantize edits to frame boundaries, you
However, most video editing programs, such as must enter a handle size (length) under Audio Me-
Media Composer, only support frame-accurate ed- dia Options. See “Consolidate Handle Size (Milli-
iting. In these programs, you can only edit sounds seconds)” on page 483.
on whole frame boundaries, limiting your preci-
sion. A master clip consisting of the clip plus the handle
size (length) on both front and back will be ex-
Selecting Enforce Media Composer Compatibility ported. The exported sequence creates a subclip
will automatically select Quantize Edits to Frame which is equivalent to the original clip, but ex-
Boundaries. tended to the farthest frame boundaries. For exam-
ple, if the clip starts at 1:15 and 500 samples, the
The Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries option al-
subclip would start at 1:15; and if the clip ends at
lows Pro Tools to export your sample-accurate
4:00 and 500 samples, the subclip would end at
Pro Tools edits into an AAF or OMF file so they
4:01.
appear as frame-accurate.
Because quantizing edits to frame boundaries ex-
The Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries set-
tends the clips, extra audio may be heard. To pre-
ting must be selected when you are translating
vent this extra audio from playing, special one-
your Pro Tools session or project for use in
frame sound files are rendered to duplicate the
frame-accurate editing workstations. There-
original boundaries of the clip. In the exported se-
fore, it is automatically selected whenever you
quence, these one-frame files are placed over the
export tracks with Enforce Media Composer
start and end frames of the extended clip so you
Compatibility selected.
cannot hear the extension.

One-frame files (OFFs) are imported into Avid

workstations as part of the AAF or OMF sequence
like any other sound file. In the Avid Timeline,
Original clip they appear as one-frame edits on either side of a
subclip.If you decide you need to extend the sub-
clip at any point, discard the OFF and trim the sub-
clip as needed.
Clip exported with handles
This solution is only available when you export a
sequence, not when you export individual files.

If Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries is se-

Subclip: Clip stretched to farthest frame boundaries
lected, Pro Tools volume automation will not
be exported.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 481

 Export Stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 Tracks as Multi- Source Sample Rate
Channel
This setting allows you to specify the sample rate
Select this option to make Pro_Tools export audio of the material you are working with in Pro Tools,
from multi-channel tracks as multi-channel audio independent of the session or project sample rate
files, rather than sets of multiple mono files. settings.

Destination Sample Rate

Sample Rate Conversion
Options This setting allows you to specify the sample rate
These settings allow you to convert the sample rate for audio files after the AAF or OMF translation.
of your Pro Tools session or project during export
If this setting differs from the Source Sample Rate
to AAF or OMF by sample-rate converting each
setting, audio is sample-rate converted digitally to
audio file, and adjusting the edits in the resulting
the Destination Sample Rate.
AAF or OMF file to compensate for this change.
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
See “Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video,
and PAL Video” on page 1379, for information These settings correspond to Pro Tools sample rate
about converting between different speeds and conversion settings. It is not recommended that
sample rates. you use the Low (Fastest) setting. The Tweak Head
(Slowest) setting provides the highest quality sam-
You might want to change the sample rate of a ses- ple rate conversion.
sion or project if you are exporting to a system or
are at a stage in the process that requires a different
sample rate. Audio Media Options
When exporting tracks to AAF or OMF, Pro Tools
Check the Audio and Video pull options before
provides the following Audio Media Options:
applying a sample rate conversion to the entire
session or project. Audio Format

For example, your session or project contains au- Choose whether you want the resulting AAF or
dio media at 29.97 fps (NTSC video) at 48 kHz, OMF file to refer to BWF (.WAV), AIFF, MXF
while the film composer to whom you are export- (AAF only), or embedded files. The audio files
ing your session or project requires audio media at will be converted accordingly.
24 fps (film speed) at 48 kHz. To convert all the
audio files and edits to play back at 24 fps (film If you create AIFF or BWF (.WAV) audio, the
speed) at 48 kHz, you would set the Source Sam- audio files have extra OMF data attached to
ple Rate setting to 48,048 (a pull up rate of 0.1%) them. Though most applications will not have
and the Destination Sample Rate to 48,000. These problems reading these audio files, they may
settings tell Pro Tools that you want to fit 48,048 not be compatible with all applications.
of the original video speed samples into 48,000 of
the new film speed samples. With these settings, MXF is only available if you have selected
you sample-rate convert the video material to film the Enforce Media Composer Compatibility
speed. option.

482 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Bit Depth you can “trim out” edits that sound “clipped” or
“up-cut.” Consolidate Handle Size is only avail-
Select 16-bit or 24-bit as the target bit depth for the
able when Consolidate From Source Media is se-
exported media. Pro Tools automatically applies
lected.
dither, without noise shaping, when reducing bit
depth from 24-bit to 16-bit. Export Stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 Tracks as Multi-
Channel
Source Media
When exporting a sequence with multi-channel
When exporting tracks from Pro Tools to AAF or (stereo, 5.1 or 7.1) tracks, enable this option to re-
OMF, there are three ways that Pro Tools can han- tain proper channel layouts upon export.
dle source audio media (as set in the Export to
OMF/AAF dialog’s Audio Media Options pop-up
menu). Publishing Options
When exporting AAF or OMF files from
Link To Source Media Creates an AAF or OMF
Pro Tools, specific publishing options that provide
file that refers to as many of the original media
information about the sequence or media are avail-
files as possible. In this case, the AAF or OMF file
able through the Publishing Options dialog. These
points to the BWF (.WAV), AIFF, or MXF from
options will vary depending on which method of
the source project.
exporting files you use.
Copy From Source Media Copies audio to another
drive or folder. You can sample-rate convert the OMF Options
audio during this translation. Comments Identifies the source of the file, and de-
Consolidate From Source Media Copies only the faults to the name of the current session. The Com-
part of the files that are actually used by the session ment field does not appear if you are using the Ex-
or project. For example, you may only be using a port Selected as Tracks command, since audio on
ten second clip of a ten-minute audio file in your one track may have many different sources.
session or project. Consolidating this audio saves a Sequence Name This is the name that will be dis-
great deal of disk space by copying only the audio played when the file is imported into another AAF-
you use and discarding the rest. or OMF-compatible program. The sequence name
Consolidate Source Audio Media is the only us- is not the file name that will appear in the finder.
able option for a Pro Tools to AAF or OMF This field defaults to the Pro Tools clip name.
translation when Quantize Edits to Frame When exporting more than one clip, all clip names
Boundaries is selected. See “Quantize Edits to are automatically set to the clip name.
Frame Boundaries” on page 481. Target Project Timecode Format This is the time-
code format for the project into which this file or
Consolidate Handle Size (Milliseconds) Speci-
sequence will be imported. This may be different
fies the number of milliseconds of the original au-
from the timecode format of the current session or
dio file to retain at the beginning and end of each
project. This parameter allows clips to be placed
audio clip that is created. This lets you extend clip
boundaries even after you have consolidated, by
the amount you specify. It is a good idea to have at
least 1000 milliseconds (one second) of handle, so

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 483

 correctly in sessions or project with different time- Exporting a File
code formats, and also calculates how many sam-
Recorded in Pro Tools If the file was recorded in
ples must be added to pad clips to frame boundar-
Pro Tools, the time stamp is the location in the
ies.
Timeline at which the recording began. For in-
Time Stamping stance, if you record the file from 1:00 to 2:00, the
time stamp would be 1:00.
When you export to AAF or OMF, all exported
media is time stamped. A time stamp is a specific AudioSuite If the file was created by AudioSuite,
timecode location stored within an individual me- the time stamp depends on the rendering mode
dia file. used when the file was rendered. If Create Individ-
ual Files mode is selected, the time stamp of the
The time stamp can indicate: new file matches the original time stamp of the
• Timecode location on the source tape source file. If Create Continuous File is selected,
the time stamp of the new file matches the position
• Where the file was originally recorded in the of source file on the timeline.
Pro Tools Timeline
Existing Time Stamp If a file is imported with an
• Where a clip was placed in an Avid or Pro Tools
existing time stamp, it will remain the time stamp
Timeline
for the exported file as well. If the original file con-
• User-entered timecodes tained a time stamp in the format wrapper, it will
be copied to the OMF wrapper when exported.
Time stamps can be stored in three different
places within a media file:
Exporting a File With No Time Stamp
• In a clip definition
If you import a file that does not contain a time
• In the file format metadata (for example, .WAV
stamp (such as a sound effect from a CD), the time
file wrappers)
stamp will be 0 when it is exported.
• In the AAF or OMF wrapper
Importing Files from an Avid AAF or
Exporting a Clip OMF Sequence

If you are exporting a clip, the time stamp will be If you import a file from an Avid AAF or OMF se-
the start point of the clip, relative to the point quence, the media file's source tape time stamp be-
where the file originally started to record. For ex- comes the original time stamp of the new
ample, if you record a file from 1:00 to 1:30, then Pro Tools file. The User Timestamp maintains the
trim it to start at 1:15, the time stamp for the ex- original time stamp.
ported clip would be 1:15. This is true even if the
clip is slipped elsewhere in the Timeline. Workspace provides columns for specific
Avid OMF metadata, including Clip Name,
Exporting a Clip as Part of a Sequence Tape, FPS, Original Timestamp, and User
Timestamp.
When you export a clip as part of a sequence, the
clip’s original time stamp reflects the clip’s posi-
tion in the Timeline of the sequence.

484 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To export selected tracks as a new session or
Export Selected Tracks to project:
Sequence in Production 1 Select the tracks you want to export as a new
Management session or project.
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks As New
Pro Tools Ultimate lets you export selected tracks Session. The Save Copy In dialog opens. (You
in your session as a sequence for check-in to Avid can also open the Save Copy In dialog by
MediaCentral | Production Management. choosing File > Save Copy In.)

To export selected tracks as a sequence to

Production Management:
1 Select the tracks you want to export as a se-
quence and check in to Production Manage-
ment.
2 Choose File > Export > Selected Tracks to Se-
quence in Production Management.

For more information, see the Pro Tools

Production Management Guide.

Export Selected Tracks as

New Session or Project
Pro Tools lets you export any selected tracks in a Save Session Copy dialog
session or project as a new session or project. This 3 In the Save Copy In dialog, verify that the Se-
feature is especially useful in collaborative situa- lected Tracks Only option is enabled.
tions.
4 Configure the Format (Project or Session) and
For example, you might be working on a large Session Parameters settings and options.
post-production session and you want your collab-
5 Configure the Items to Copy settings and
orator to work on only some dialog in the session
options.
or project while you continue working on other
parts of the session. You can now select the dialog 6 For projects only, enable (or disable) the
tracks and export them as a new session or project. Backup to Cloud options to create an online
Your collaborator can then open the new session or project (or an offline project).
project and edit the dialog. When your collaborator
7 You can also enable the Main Playlist Only
is done, you can import the session data from the
option if you do not want to include any of
dialog session or project to update the dialog tracks
the alternate playlists associated with any of the
in your big session or project.
selected tracks in the new session or project.
8 Click OK.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 485

 9 Either the Save dialog opens or the Save Project 3 If you choose to include track EDLs, select
Copy dialog opens depending on the Format whether to show subframes, and whether to in-
setting. Type a name for the session or project. clude user timestamps. Also select an option for
crossfade handling.
10 For sessions only, navigate to where you want
to save the session. 4 If you choose to include track EDLs, select the
Time Format for the exported session text from
11 Click Save.
the pop-up menu.
A copy of the session or project that contains only 5 Select the File Format for exported text using
the selected tracks from the source session or proj- the pop-up menu.
ect is saved to the specified location for sessions
and to the cloud for projects. 6 When you have set your options, click OK.
7 Select a location and type a filename for the ex-
For information on the Save Copy In dialog
ported text file. In Windows, Pro Tools adds the
settings and options, see “Save Copy In Op-
correct 3-letter filename extension, while on the
tions” on page 185.
Mac, the file extension “.txt” is added.

Exporting Session Exported Session Text Files

Information as Text
Session Information
You can use the Export Session Info as Text com-
mand to create a text file that contains extensive in- The session text file starts with basic information
formation about your session or project. about the session or project. This information in-
cludes the session or project name, sample rate, bit
This text file can contain a list of audio files, audio depth, timecode format, and number of audio
clips, audio track EDL (Edit Decision List) infor- tracks, audio clips, and audio files, as shown in the
mation, extended timestamp information, and in- following example.
formation about crossfades. Session Information example

Track EDLs are exported as tab-delimited text, SESSION NAME: Ripleys II-092700
with tabs between each column heading, and tabs
SAMPLE RATE: 48000.000000
between each event parameter. You can use this
data in a program for reading EDLs, or you can BIT DEPTH: 24-bit
format the EDL data into tables using a word pro-
TIMECODE FORMAT: 30 Frame
cessor or spreadsheet application.
# OF AUDIO TRACKS: 19
To export session information as text:
# OF AUDIO CLIPS: 203
1 Choose File > Export > Session Info as Text.
# OF AUDIO FILES: 54
2 Select whether to include the File List, Clips
List, and track EDLs. File List and Clips List

Next, if you choose to include them, are the lists of

audio files and clips.

486 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track EDLs Include Clips List

The final item, if exported, is the list of track Select this option to export a list of the session or
EDLs. A track EDL lists the track name, and all ed- project audio clips. The Clips List provides a list of
its, including the event number, the clip name, clip all of the audio clips in the session or project, as
start and end time, and clip duration. The clip time- well as the source audio file for each clip.
stamp is also exported, if you select this option.
Subframes are shown in each time field if you se- Include Markers
lect this option.
Select this option to export a list of all markers in-
cluded in the session or project.

Export Session Information Include Plug-In List

as Text Options
Select this option to export a list of the plug-ins
used in the session or project.

Include Track EDLs (Playlists)

You can export track EDLs (playlists). Track

EDLs can be used to spot-check clip placement
and edits, or in a conforming program for post ap-
plications. In extreme circumstances the EDL can
be used to recreate the entire session or project.
You can export session text for All Tracks or for
Selected Tracks Only.

MIDI track EDLs are not exported.

When exporting track EDLs, the following options

are available:

Show Subframes This option allows you to export

subframe time information with track EDLs, if
used in your session or project.

Include User Timestamps You can include user

timestamps with track EDLs. User timestamps in-
dicate a user-defined session or project location for
the clip, or the original location of the clip when re-
Export Session Text dialog corded.
Include File List

Select this option to export a list of the session or

project audio files. The File List provides a list of
all the audio files in the session (and their hard
drive locations) or project.
Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 487
 Fade Handling Clip group files store the following metadata:
For track EDLs, you can choose whether to show • References to all audio files within the clip
crossfades, not to show them, or to combine cross- group
faded clips. When clips are combined, their dura- • Clip names and relative location in tracks
tions and locations are listed up to the center of the
• Embedded fades and crossfades
crossfade (for the leading clip) and from the center
of the crossfade (for the following clip). • Clip group names and format (single or multi-
track)
Time Format • All MIDI data present in the clip group (such as
You can select the appropriate time format that ex- notes, controllers, and Sysex)
ported EDL information is based on. For example, • Track names
for post work, you might select Timecode location, • Elastic Audio Warp markers and TCE factor
but for music creation locked to a grid, you might
select Bars:Beats. • Clip timebase (samples or ticks)
• Sync points
File Format
• Loops
On Mac, you can to export to TextEdit, UTF-8, MS • Tempo map
Excel, MS Word, Write Now, Word Perfect, and
AppleWorks text formats. On Windows, you can Clip group files do not store the following:
export to either TextEdit or UTF-8. • Audio
• Automation

Importing and Exporting Clip • Plug-Ins

Group Files • Track routing
Pro Tools can export and import the clip group file • Meter map
format (.rgrp). This lets you do the following: • Clips List information
• Separate clip group metadata from audio files to
Pro Tools provides several ways to import clip
avoid unnecessary file copy operations when ex-
groups into an open session:
porting audio clip groups composed from multi-
ple source files. • “Importing Clip Groups with Pro Tools Menu
Commands” on page 489
• Export MIDI data as part of a clip group.
• “Importing Clip Groups with Drag and Drop” on
• Create multitrack loops.
page 489

488 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Importing Clip Groups with 4 If desired, enable the Import Tempo Map from
Pro Tools Menu Commands Clip Group File option, which replaces the ses-
sion tempo map with the tempo map of the clip
To import a clip group with Pro Tools menu group). This option is only available when im-
commands:
porting the clip group to the Session Start.
1 Choose File > Import > Clip Groups and select
the clip group you want to import. 5 Click OK.

2 In the Clip Group Import Options dialog,

Importing Clip Groups with Drag
choose where the clip group will go:
and Drop
New Track Creates a new track where the clip You can drag and drop clip groups from a
group will be imported. Workspace browser, or from Windows Explorer or
Clips List Imports the clip group into the Clips the Mac Finder to the Timeline, to a track, to the
List, where it will be where it will be available to Tracks List, or to the Clips List.
place into tracks.
To import clip groups into the Clips List:

1 Select one or more clip groups in a Workspace

browser, or Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.
2 Drag the files onto the Clips List of the current
session.

To import clip groups into an existing track:

1 Select one or more clip groups in a Workspace
browser, or from Windows Explorer or Mac
Finder.
2 Drag the files onto an existing track in the Edit
Clip Group Import Options dialog
window of the current session or project.
3 If you chose to create a new track, choose a lo-
cation for the imported group in the track. To import clip groups into new tracks:
1 Select one or more clip groups in a Workspace
Session Start Places the group at the start of the
browser, Windows Explorer or Mac Finder.
session or project.
2 Do one of the following:
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the group to
the Song Start point. • From the Workspace browser, Shift-drag the
files anywhere in the Edit window of the current
Selection Aligns the beginning of the group to the session or project.
edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in the • Drag the files onto any empty space in the Edit
Timeline. window of the current session or project.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot • Drag the files to the Tracks List.
the group to a precise location based on any of the
Time Scales.

Chapter 21: Importing and Exporting Session Data 489

 Exporting Clip Groups Exporting Clip Groups to Another Hard Drive

To export a clip group: Generally, if you are exporting clip groups to an-
other hard drive, you should copy any referenced
1 Select one or more clip groups in the Clips List.
audio files. This way you can move clip groups not
2 From the Clips List menu, choose Export Clip only from one session to another, but from one sys-
Groups. tem to another.

To export a clip group to a different hard drive and

include its audio files:

1 Export one or more clip groups to the new drive.

2 Create a new session or project on the new
drive.
3 Choose Setup > Preferences.
4 In the Preferences dialog, click the Processing
tab and select Automatically Copy Files on Im-
Export Clip Groups dialog
port.
3 In the Export Clip Groups dialog, the Destina-
5 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
tion Directory defaults to the auto-created Clip
Groups folder in the session folder. You can 6 Import all previously exported clip groups by
change the Destination Directory by clicking dragging and dropping them into the session or
the Choose button, navigating to a new loca- project.
tion, and clicking Open. Click Reset to reset the
Destination Directory to the default location. The audio files folder of the new session or the
cloud account for the project now contain all files
4 Enable one of the following options for resolv- referenced by the clip groups.
ing duplicate clip group file names:
• Prompting for Each Duplicate (default)
• Auto Renaming
• Replacing with New Files
5 Click Export.

490 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 22: File and Session Management
and Compatibility

When working with Pro Tools, you will encounter In Pro Tools sessions, use the Disk Allocation
several different kinds of computer files. Pro Tools command to specify where you want newly re-
systems require that you keep certain files in spe- corded audio files to be stored (see “Working with
cific hard drive locations in order to function prop- Hard Drives for Recording” on page 550).
erly:
Although Pro Tools lets you record to your
• Pro Tools software files (such as the application
system drive, this is generally not recom-
and plug-ins files) should be located on your
mended. You should record to system drives
Startup drive (the drive that contains your oper-
only when necessary—for example, if your
ating system and other system-related files).
computer system has just one hard drive, or it
• Data files (such as session files, audio files, and your other hard drives are completely full.
video files) can be located on any compatible
drive connected to your computer’s internal or
If you have a system with multiple drives,
external SSD, SAS, SATA, IDE/ATA, FireWire,
you can designate the System drive as a
USB, or Thunderbolt busses.
Playback only or Transfer only drive for op-
You can specify the location of new session files timal performance (see “Volume Permis-
when creating new sessions (see “Creating a New sions” on page 352).
Blank Session or Project” on page 179).

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 491

 Locating Audio Files
Audio File Management
With Pro Tools, you manage links to audio and
Unique File IDs other media files using the Relink window.

Pro Tools tags each audio file in a session with a Pro Tools classifies storage volumes according to
unique identifier that allows it to distinguish a par- their suitability for performance (recording or
ticular file even if its name or location has playback) or transfer (storage or copying) of audio
changed. This Unique ID is 8-bit and is used by and other media files. Audio files must be stored
versions of Pro Tools lower than 12.8. on suitable Performance volumes and be properly
linked in order to be playable in a Pro Tools
session.
SMPTE IDs
Pro Tools (version 12.8 and later) creates and When you open a session, if Pro Tools determines
reads 32-bit SMPTE IDs. SMPTE ID provides op- that audio files are not located on a Performance
timal compatibility and interchange with other ap- volume, or if it is unable to locate audio files con-
plications that utilize SMPTE IDs in media files tained in the session, you can locate or copy the
and AAF sequences (such as Avid Media Com- files in order to play back the session. This process
poser), and ensures truly unique IDs for all AIFF is called relinking.
and WAV files. When linking to WAV files, the For more information on storage volume
SMPTE ID is prioritized over any Unique ID. classifications, see “Performance and
ID linking priority is as follows: Transfer Volumes” on page 349.

1 SMPTE ID: Both Pro Tools and Media Com- Transfer Files
poser generate these.
Transfer files reside on volumes unsuitable for
2 Unique ID: Stored in the UMID Chunk. This is playback, such as CD or DVD discs, or network
the legacy Pro Tools ID. drives.
3 Unique ID: Stored in the OMF Chunk - This is
To open a session containing Transfer files:
the ID that you see in Wave files included with
an AAF from Media Composer. They are shown  Open the Pro Tools session. If any files are on a
in the Unique ID field if there is no UMID volume unsuitable for playback, Pro Tools
Chunk ID, and they are only be used for linking prompts you to do one of the following:
if there is no SMPTE ID or UMID Chunk ID. • Click Yes to open the Copy and Relink
window.
• Click No to open the session with all
Transfer files offline.

492 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To make Transfer files playable in the current Automatically Find and Relink Searches all Per-
session: formance volumes for all missing files with match-
1 Select the session in the Locations pane. ing name, unique file ID, format, and length, and
automatically commits links to missing files where
2 Double-click the Audio Files folder to display possible.
all of the audio files.
3 To exclude any Rendered Elastic Audio files
3 Choose Select Transfer Files from the Browser from the relink process and regenerate them in-
menu. stead, select Regenerate Missing Rendered
4 Choose Copy and Relink from the Browser Files Without Searching.
menu. 4 Click OK.
5 Specify a location for the copied files on a valid
For more information, see “Linking and
Performance volume.
Relinking Files” on page 385.
6 Click OK.
Renamed Audio Files
For more information, see “Linking and
Relinking Files” on page 385. Renamed audio files are located in the auto-created
Renamed Audio Files folder in the Pro Tools ses-
Missing Files sion folder. Files can be renamed when you open a
A file is missing if it is not found in the same loca- session that references audio file names with in-
tion as when the session was last saved. compatible characters. Files can also be renamed
in certain situations when saving a copy of a ses-
To open a session with missing files: sion to a Pro Tools version that does not support
long file names
1 Open the Pro Tools session. If any files are
missing, Pro Tools posts a Missing Files Opening a Session that Contains Audio File
warning. Names with Illegal Characters

Pro Tools does not support audio file names that

contain the following ASCII characters:
/ (Forward Slash)
\ (Backslash)
: (Colon)
* (Asterisk)
Missing files warning when opening a session ? (Question mark)
“ (Quotation marks)
2 Choose one of the following options:
< (Less-than symbol)
Skip All Ignores all missing files. Missing files ap-
> (Greater-than symbol)
pear offline in the session.
| (vertical line or pipe)
Manually Find and Relink Opens the Relink win-
dow, where you can search, compare, verify, and
relink missing files.

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 493

 When opening sessions that contain audio file • If the new session is saved to a different direc-
names with illegal characters, Pro Tools automati- tory than the original and the All Audio Files op-
cally creates a renamed copy of each file that con- tion is selected, a new Session folder is created,
tains illegal characters (replacing these characters which includes an Audio Files folder. Renamed
with an underscore “_”). Renamed files are copied audio files are included in the Audio Files folder.
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

WAV File Compatibility
a detailed report of the renamed files and their Convert Imported WAV files to
original file names to a Notes text file. By default, AES31/Broadcast Wave
the Notes text file is saved to the Session folder. Pro Tools always creates AES31/Broadcast com-
pliant BWF (.wav) files when the file originates in
It is possible to have a Pro Tools 7.x or
Pro Tools. Non-BWF .wav files can be added to
higher session that contains audio file names
BWF (WAV) format Pro Tools sessions without
with illegal characters. If you Save Copy In
conversion. This option ensures that all WAV files
the session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or earlier with
are imported, and if necessary, converted to BWF
Mac/PC Compatibility on, the tracks are re-
(WAV), compliant with the AES31/EBU Broad-
named with legal characters. If Mac/PC
cast standard.
Compatibility is off, the characters are not
changed. AES31/Broadcast Wave is a variant of the stan-
dard audio WAV file type. The AES31 format con-
Saving a Copy of a Session that Contains Long
tains time stamps and other information beyond
Audio File Names
the raw PCM audio data.
When saving files to Pro Tools 6.9.x and lower
(using Save Copy In), audio files with file names This variant complies with standards set by the
that exceed the limits of the destination format are AES (Audio Engineering Society) and EBU (Eu-
truncated and located in the Session folder, as fol- ropean Broadcasters Union). Choose this option to
lows: ensure compatibility with other workstations that
recognize this file type.
• If the new session is saved to the same directory
as the original, a Renamed Audio Files folder is To make imported WAV files compliant with the
created in the session’s original folder, and the AES31/EBU Broadcast standard:
renamed audio files are placed in it. 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Pro-
• If the new session is saved to a different direc- cessing tab.
tory than the original and the All Audio Files op-
2 Select the Convert Imported “.wav” Files to
tion is not selected, a new Session folder is
AES31/BroadcastWave option.
created, which includes an Audio Files folder
and a Renamed Audio Files folder. Renamed au- 3 Click OK.
dio files are included in the Audio Files folder.

494 Pro Tools Reference Guide

WAVE Extensible File Format
If Pro Tools creates or converts a 4 GB or
Pro Tools supports the WAVE Extensible file for- greater file to the WAV format, the resulting
mat for audio files. This file format specifies mul- file is formatted as RF64 even if the file
tiple audio channel data (surround sound) along originated as BW64. While Pro Tools can
with speaker positions, which is stored within the link to and play back BW64 files, it does not
audio file header. These audio files are identified acknowledge the ADM metadata that is
in Workspace browsers with the designation unique to the format.
“WAV (BWF EXT)” in the Attributes field.

If you are working with greater-than-stereo multi-

channel track formats in your Pro Tools sessions, it
Sharing Projects Offline
is recommended that you use the WAV file format. For Pro Tools projects, all media is stored in the
cloud and cached locally as specified in the Project
When using the WAV file format in Pro Tools Media Cache setting in the Operation Preferences.
sessions, the corresponding channel order for
each channel of greater-than-stereo, inter- To share projects offline, you must save the project
leaved multichannel files is displayed in the as a session using the Save Copy In command, and
Clips List. then share the session.

RF64

Pro Tools supports the RF64 audio file format. Sharing Sessions Created on
RF64 is an extension to the WAV audio file format Different Computer Platforms
that addresses the 4 gigabyte size limitation of
other WAV audio file formats. RF64 audio files Working with Mac-Based HFS+
are identified in Workspace browsers with the des- Drives on Windows Computers
ignation “MBWF” in the Attributes field.
You can use the MacDrive Utility from Mediafour
Earlier versions of Pro Tools cannot read to mount HFS+ drives on an NTFS system for use
RF64 files. These files have to be manually ed- with Pro Tools.
ited and consolidated so that they are no
larger than 4 GB in order to be available to Moving Sessions on Windows
systems running earlier versions of Pro Tools. Systems to Mac-Based HFS+
Drives
BW64 (From Window-Based NTFS Drives Only)
Pro Tools lets you convert BW64 files on import, There are specific steps for transferring session
as well as link to and play back BW64 files. BW64 files from Windows-based NTFS drives to Mac-
audio files are extensions to the WAV audio file based HFS+ drives.
format that address the 4 gigabyte size limitation
of other WAV audio file formats.

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 495

 To transfer Pro Tools Windows sessions from If the session previously used SD II files, those
NTFS drives to HFS+ drives: files must be converted to the new audio file for-
1 Set the MacDrive Options to Backup/File mat separately.
Transfer.

2 Do one of the following: Recording and Playback from

HFS+ Drives on Windows
• Drag the session folder from the NTFS drive to
the HFS+ drive. Windows supports recording and playback of ses-
sions directly from Mac-formatted (HFS+) drives
• Open the Windows session on the NTFS drive,
using the MacDrive software application.
choose Save Copy In, and save a copy of the ses-
sion to the HFS+ drive. In older versions of Pro Tools, Mac-formatted
HFS+ drives could only be used as Transfer
Moving Mac-Based Sessions on volumes when connected to Windows systems
HFS+ Drives to Windows using MacDrive.
Systems
(To Windows-Based NTFS Drives Only) When using MacDrive for recording and playback
on a Windows system, the session file and all audio
There are specific steps for transferring files from files must be stored on Mac-formatted (HFS+)
Mac-based HFS+ drives to Windows-based NTFS drives. Recording and playback of a session from a
drives. mixture of Windows- and Mac-formatted drives is
not supported.
When transferring Pro Tools sessions from
HFS+ drives to NTFS drives, Pro Tools ses- To record or play back from HFS+ drives with
sions cannot relink to audio files that have Windows using MacDrive:
Mac characters that are illegal in Windows.
1 In Windows, go to the MacDrive Control Panel.
These characters are automatically con-
verted to underscore (“_”) characters. These 2 Choose Options > File Names and select the In-
files are saved to the Renamed Audio Files ternational Use option.
folder. You need to manually relink each file
3 Delete all options listed under “File Name
by File ID. See “Missing Files” on page 493.
Maps.”
To transfer Pro Tools Mac sessions from HFS+ 4 In Pro Tools, choose Window > Workspace and
drives to NTFS drives:
make sure that all Mac-formatted volumes are
1 Set the MacDrive Options to Normal Use. set to R (record) or P (playback) in the A (Au-
2 Do one of the following: dio) and V (Video) columns.

• Drag the session folder from the HFS+ drive to

the NTFS drive.
• 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.

496 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sharing Sessions Created on Different Pro Tools Systems
Pro Tools makes it easy to share sessions between different tiers of Pro Tools. There are some important
differences between systems that can affect how session material is transferred.

For details on transferring sessions between Windows and Mac systems, see “Sharing Sessions Created
on Different Computer Platforms” on page 495.

Differences between Pro Tools systems

Pro Tools Pro Tools

Ultimate on Ultimate on Pro Tools Pro Tools Pro Tools
Feature
HDX non-HDX Studio Artist Into
Systems Systems

Maximum In HDX Clas- 2,048 1,024 1,024 1,024

number of sic mode: 256
voices voices per
HDX card
(768 voices
with HDX3)
In HDX Hybrid
mode: 2,048

audio tracks 2,048 2,048 512 32 8

Aux Input and 1,024 1,024 128 32 4

Routing
Folder tracks

Instrument 512 512 512 32 8

tracks

MIDI tracks 1,024 1,024 1,024 64 8

VCA tracks 128 128 128 0 0

Master tracks 512 512 64 1 1

Video tracks 64 64 1 0 0

I/O channel 256 256 64 16 4

count

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 497

 When opening a Pro Tools Ultimate or
Sharing Sessions Between Pro Tools Studio session in Pro Tools Artist,
Pro Tools Ultimate, Studio, the following occurs:
and Artist • Any tracks beyond the first 32 are lost.
A session created in any tier of Pro Tools (Artist, • Any Auxiliary Input and Routing Folder tracks
Studio, or Ultimate) can be opened in any other tier beyond 32 are lost.
of Pro Tools. However, when opening a session • Any Instrument tracks beyond 32 are lost.
created in a higher tier in a lower tier (such as when
opening a session created in Pro Tools Ultimate in • Any MIDI tracks beyond 64 are lost.
Pro Tools Studio) certain caveats apply. • Any VCA tracks are lost.
• Only the first Master track is preserved.
When opening a Pro Tools Ultimate session in
Pro Tools Studio, the following occurs: • Any video tracks are lost.
• Any tracks beyond the first 512 are lost. • Any multichannel surround tracks are removed
• Any Auxiliary Input and Routing Folder tracks from the session.
beyond 128 are lost. • Unavailable input and output paths are made in-
• Any Master tracks beyond 64 are lost. active.

• DSP plug-ins with Native equivalents are con-

verted; those without equivalents are made inac-
tive. Sharing Sessions Created on
Different Pro Tools Software
• Unavailable input and output paths are made in- Versions
active.
Pro Tools .ptx session files can be opened in
• Video:
Pro Tools versions 10.x and later. However, there
• Only the main video track is displayed. are certain caveats to consider when opening ses-
• Only the first movie in the session is dis- sions created in later versions of Pro Tools in pre-
played or played back. vious versions of Pro Tools as follows.
• If the session contains movies in the Clips
List but no video track, the session opens with Sharing Sessions Between
a new video track containing the first movie Pro Tools 2023.6 and Pro Tools
from the Clips List. 2023.3
• The Timeline displays and plays back only Pro Tools 2023.6 and Pro Tools 2023.3 sessions
the video playlist that was last active. Alter- are cross-compatible. However, the following ca-
nate video playlists are not available. veats apply:
• Any tracks or busses using unsupported immer-
sive surround formats are converted to 5.0/5.1
for any 5.0.2/5.1.2 tracks and busses, and
7.0.2/7.1.2 for any 5.0.4-9.1.6 tracks and busses.
• All 4th Order and higher Ambisonics tracks and
busses are converted to 3rd order Ambisonics.

498 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• Clips using unsupported immersive surround Sharing Sessions Between
formats are converted to separate mono clips. Pro Tools 2021.10 to 2021.12
• Any 4th through 7th order Ambisonics clips are
and Pro Tools 2021.7
kept as 3rd order multichannel clips with left- Pro Tools 2021.10 to 2021.12 and Pro Tools
overs as mono clips. 2021.7 sessions are cross-compatible. However,
• Any Track Markers are lost.. the following caveat applies:
• With Pro Tools Ultimate, unsupported routing
Sharing Sessions Between assignments are removed (multichannel output
Pro Tools 2022.9 and Pro Tools and send assignments made to paths of mis-
2022.6 matched channel widths).

Pro Tools 2022.9 and Pro Tools 2022.6 sessions

are cross-compatible. However, the following ca- Sharing Sessions Between
veats apply: Pro Tools 2021.6 and Pro Tools
2021.3
• Any Aux I/O routing is lost.
Pro Tools 2021.6 and Pro Tools 2021.3 sessions
• Markers (Memory Locations) beyond 999 are
are cross-compatible. However, the following ca-
lost.
veat applies:
• Melodyne track states and edits are lost.
• With Pro Tools, any tracks beyond 128 are lost.
• With Pro Tools Ultimate, any tracks beyond
Sharing Sessions Between 1,024 are lost.
Pro Tools 2022.4 to Pro Tools
2022.6 and Pro Tools 2021.10 to
2021.12 Sharing Sessions Between
Pro Tools 2020.11 to 2021.3, and
Pro Tools 2022.4 and Pro Tools 2021.7 to 2021.12 Pro Tools 2020.9
sessions are cross-compatible. However, the fol-
lowing caveats apply: Pro Tools 2020.11 to 2021.3 sessions, and
Pro Tools 2020.9 sessions are cross-compatible.
• Custom Keyboard Shortcuts are unavailable.
However, the following caveat applies:
• With Pro Tools | Ultimate:
• Any Master Fader tracks beyond 64 are lost.
• Any Instrument tracks beyond 512 are lost.
• Unavailable input and output paths are made Sharing Sessions Between
inactive. Pro Tools 2020.3 and Pro Tools
• With Pro Tools: 2019.x to 2020.9
• Any audio tracks beyond the first 256 are lost. Pro Tools 2020.3 and Pro Tools 2019.x to 2020.9
• Any multichannel surround tracks are lost. sessions are cross-compatible. However, the fol-
lowing caveats apply:
• Any VCA tracks are lost.
• Basic Folder tracks are lost, but all member
tracks are retained.

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 499

 • Routing Folder tracks are converted to Auxiliary • When opening a session created Pro Tools 12.8
Input tracks, all member tracks are retained, and session with any Dolby Atmos specific elements
all track settings, including input and output in a lower version of Pro Tools, they are
routing, are maintained. dropped.
• When opening a session created Pro Tools 12.8
Sharing Sessions Between session with 7.0.2 or 7.1.2 paths or tracks in a
Pro Tools 2019.x and Pro Tools lower version of Pro Tools, those paths and
2018.x tracks are dropped.
Pro Tools 2019.1 and Pro Tools 2018.x sessions • Offline projects created by Pro Tools 12.8 or
are cross-compatible. However, the following ca- higher are not supported with earlier versions of
veats apply: Pro Tools.
• Voices beyond the available maximum are made • Pro Tools 12.8 and later can create and read
inactive. ISRC metadata for audio files (AIFF and WAV),
• MIDI tracks beyond 512 are deleted. but earlier versions cannot.
• When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
Sharing Sessions Between 12.7 or higher in Pro Tools 12.6.1 or earlier, Re-
Pro Tools 2018.x and Pro Tools vision History in not available.
12.x • When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
Pro Tools 2018.x and Pro Tools 12.x sessions are 12.7 or higher in Pro Tools 12.6.1 or earlier,
cross-compatible. However, the following caveats Soundbase in not available.
apply: • When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
• Track Presets are not available in Pro Tools 12.x 12.7 or higher in Pro Tools 12.6.1 or earlier, the
and lower. database file for Soundbase is backed up and a
new database file is written.
• EQ Curve view is not available in Pro Tools 12.x
and lower. • When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
12.6 or higher in Pro Tools 12.5 or earlier, clip
effects will be dropped.
Sharing Sessions Between
Pro Tools 12.x and Pro Tools • When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
11.x 12.2 or higher that have VCA Master tracks in
Pro Tools 12.1 or earlier, those tracks will be
Pro Tools 12.x and Pro Tools 11.x sessions are dropped.
cross-compatible. However, the following caveats
apply: • When opening sessions created in Pro Tools
12.1 or higher that have more than the maximum
• When opening a session created Pro Tools number of audio tracks or instrument tracks in
12.8.2 session with any Ambisonics paths or Pro Tools 12.0 or earlier, those tracks will be
tracks in a lower version of Pro Tools, they are dropped.
dropped.

500 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Sharing Sessions Between When saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to
Pro Tools 11.x or Higher and Pro Tools 7 –> 9 format, the following occurs:
Pro Tools 10.x • Any audio tracks beyond 256 are made inactive
Pro Tools 11.x or higher and Pro Tools 10.x ses- • Clip effects and settings are dropped (sessions
sions are cross-compatible. However, for sessions created in Pro Tools HD 12.6 or higher). If you
with 64-bit AAX plug-ins that do not have 32-bit want to apply any clip effects prior to saving the
equivalents, those plug-ins will be made inactive session copy, you will need to manually render
when opening the session in Pro Tools 10.x. Like- clip effects.
wise, for sessions with 32-bit AAX, RTAS, and • Clip gain and settings are dropped. If you want
TDM plug-ins that do not have 64-bit AAX equiv- to apply any clip gain settings prior to saving the
alents, those plug-ins will be made inactive when session copy, you will need to manually render
opening the session in Pro Tools 10.x. clip gain settings.
Additionally, for sessions created or modified by • Fades have to be rendered when the session is
Pro Tools 11.x or higher, any instrument tracks be- opened in a lower version of Pro Tools.
yond 128 will be made inactive when the session is • Sessions with mixed file formats and bit depths
opened in Pro Tools 10.x. must convert all files to the same file format and
When opening a session in Pro Tools 10.x that was bit depth.
created in Pro Tools 11.x or higher that uses more • Sessions with files that have a bit depth of 32-bit
than 4 GB of RAM (due to plug-in usage), the ses- floating point must be converted to 24-bit or 16-
sion will not open. bit.
• For sessions with RF64 files larger than 4 GB,
Sharing Sessions with Video
these files will be unavailable to earlier versions
When opening a session in Pro Tools 11.x or of Pro Tools. (You will need to manually edit
higher created in a lower version of Pro Tools that and consolidate these files so that the audio can
contains SD video, the aspect ratio must be reset. be available to earlier versions of Pro Tools.)

When opening a session created in Pro Tools 11.x

Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions
or higher that contains Avid video in a lower ver-
with Pro Tools 8.1 and 8.5
sion of Pro Tools, the track will be inactive unless
the Avid video is an SD resolution and a Mojo or A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with
Mojo SDI is attached. Pro Tools 8.1 and 8.5, but certain session compo-
nents open differently or not at all.
Saving Pro Tools 12.x–10.x When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Sessions to Pro Tools 7 –> 9 Pro Tools 8.1 or 8.5, you are warned that you
Format
are opening a session created with a newer
To save a Pro Tools 12.x or 10.x session so it is version of Pro Tools and that not all session
compatible with Pro Tools version 7.x through 9.x, components will be available.
use the File > Save Copy In command to choose the
Pro Tools 7 –> 9 Session format. When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 8.1 or 8.5, the following occurs:
• Any audio tracks beyond 256 are made inactive.

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 501

 • Any internal mix busses beyond 128 are made • Clips from audio files larger than 2 GB
inactive. appear offline.
• The Stereo Pan Depth reverts to –2.5 dB. • Pitch transpositions of Elastic clips are
removed.
Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions • Chord markers are removed.
with Pro Tools 8.0
A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with Opening Pro Tools 7.4 or Higher
Pro Tools 8.0, but certain session components Sessions with Pro Tools 7.3.x or
open differently or not at all. 7.2
A Pro Tools 7.4–9.x session can be opened with
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 7.3.x or 7.2, but certain session compo-
Pro Tools 8.0, you are warned that you are
nents open differently or not at all.
opening a session created with a newer
version of Pro Tools and that not all session When opening a Pro Tools 7.4–9.x session
components will be available. with Pro Tools 7.3.x, you are warned that
you are opening a session created with a
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 8.0, the following occurs: newer version of Pro Tools and that not all
session components will be available.
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools 9.0
session with Pro Tools 8.1. When opening a Pro Tools 7.4.x or higher
• Output bus assignments are removed. session with Pro Tools 7.3.x or 7.2, the
following occurs:
• HEAT (if present) is removed.
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools 8.x or
higher session with Pro Tools 7.4.x.
Opening Pro Tools 9.0 Sessions • Elastic Audio-enabled tracks open without Elas-
with Pro Tools 7.4.x
tic Audio and clip durations revert to the timing
A Pro Tools 9.0 session can be opened with of the original source file.
Pro Tools 7.4.x, but certain session components • Sessions with mixed language characters sup-
open differently or not at all. ported in Unicode may not open or, if they do
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with open, Pro Tools displays “garbage” text.
Pro Tools 7.4.x, you are warned that you are
opening a session created with a newer ver- Opening Pro Tools 7.2 or Higher
sion of Pro Tools and that not all session Sessions with Pro Tools 7.1 or
components will be available. 7.0
A Pro Tools 7.2–9.x session without video tracks
When opening a Pro Tools 9.0 session with
Pro Tools 7.4.x, the following occurs: or VCA Masters can be opened with Pro Tools 7.1
or 7.0, but certain session components open differ-
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools 9.0
ently or not at all.
session with Pro Tools 8.0.
• Inserts F–J and any associated automation are
removed.

502 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 • If the session contains QuickTime movies in the
When opening a Pro Tools 7.4–9.x session Clips List but no video track, the session opens
with Pro Tools 7.2, 7.1, or 7.0, you are not with a new QuickTime Movie track containing
warned that not all session components will the first QuickTime movie from the Clips List.
be available.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
video playlist that was last active. Alternate
Sessions created with Pro Tools HD 7.2–9.x video playlists are not available.
that contain video tracks or VCA Masters can
• Video clips and video clip groups are not shown
only be opened with Pro Tools HD 7.1cs3
or saved.
and later.

When opening a Pro Tools 7.4–9.x session with Opening Sessions Created with
a version of Pro Tools 7.1 or 7.0 the following Pro Tools HD 7.2–9.x with
occurs: Pro Tools LE 8.0
• All that occurs when opening a Pro Tools 7.4 or A session created with Pro Tools HD 7.2–9.x ses-
higher session with Pro Tools 7.3.x or 7.2. sion that does not contain video tracks or VCA
Tracks Masters can be opened with Pro Tools LE 8.0, but
• VCA Master tracks are removed and any unco- certain session components open differently or not
alesced VCA automation is dropped. at all.

• Any uncoalesced Trim automation is dropped. Session created with Pro Tools HD 7.2 or
higher that contain video tracks or VCA Mas-
Groups
ter tracks can only be opened with Pro Tools
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups LE 7.0cs3 and later.
a–z) are dropped.
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa- When opening a session created with
Pro Tools HD 7.x–9.x in Pro Tools LE 8.0, the
tion.
following occurs:
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
Tracks
Automation Mode information.
• Any tracks beyond the first 48, as well any inac-
• Automation overflow information for grouped
tive tracks, are set to voice off.
controls is not preserved.
• Any assignments to busses beyond 32 are made
• Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send
inactive.
Levels, Send Mutes is not preserved.
• Any Instrument tracks beyond 32 are made inac-
• Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings are dropped.
tive.
Video • TDM plug-ins with RTAS equivalents are con-
• Only the main video track is displayed. verted; those without equivalents are made inac-
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session is tive.
displayed or played back. • Multichannel surround tracks are removed from
the session.

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 503

 • Unavailable input and output paths are made in- Saving Pro Tools 12.x–10.x
active. Sessions to Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9
• Any Delay Compensation settings are removed.
Format
• VCA Master tracks are removed and any unco- Pro Tools 7.x and later sessions cannot be opened
alesced VCA automation is dropped. with Pro Tools versions 6.9.x through 5.1.

• HEAT (if present) is removed (Pro Tools HD 8.1 To save a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session so it is com-
or higher sessions with HEAT option only). patible with Pro Tools version 6.9.x through 5.1,
• Output Bus assignments are removed use the File > Save Copy In command to choose the
(Pro Tools HD 8.1 or higher sessions only). Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 Session format.

Groups Pro Tools 8.x and later supports file sizes up

• In Pro Tools LE 7.1 or earlier only, all groups to 3.4 GB, and Pro Tools 10 and later support
beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups a–z) are file sizes over 4 GB. Pro Tools 5.1 through 6.9
dropped. on Mac only supports file sizes up to 2 GB. If
your session references audio files larger than
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
2 GB, edit and consolidate clips to reference
tion.
only files smaller than 2 GB.
• 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
Clips List but no video track, the session opens
with a new QuickTime Movie track containing
the first QuickTime movie from the Clips 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 earlier only, video clips
and video clip groups are not shown or saved.

504 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to Groups
Pro Tools 5.1 -> 6.9 format, the following
• All groups beyond the first 26 (Bank 1, Groups
occurs:
a–z) are dropped.
• All that occurs when saving a Pro Tools 12.x–
• Mix Groups keep only Main Volume informa-
10.x session to Pro Tools 7–>9 session format.
tion.
Tracks
• Mix/Edit Groups keep only Main Volume and
• Any audio tracks beyond 256 are removed. Automation Mode information.
• Any internal mix busses beyond 128 are re- • Automation overflow information for grouped
moved. controls is not preserved.
• Output bus assignments are removed. • Group behavior of Solos, LFEs, Mutes, Send
• HEAT (if present) is removed. Levels, Send Mutes is not preserved.
• Elastic Audio-enabled tracks are saved untrans- • Solo Mode and Solo Latch settings are dropped.
posed, unwarped, and clip durations revert to the Video
timing of the original source file.
• Only the main video track is displayed.
• Instrument tracks are split into separate Auxil-
• Only the first QuickTime movie in the session is
iary Input and MIDI tracks.
displayed or played back.
• VCA Master tracks are removed and VCA auto-
• If the session contains QuickTime movies in the
mation is coalesced to the corresponding mem-
Clips List but no video track, the session opens
ber tracks.
with a new QuickTime Movie track containing
• Trim automation playlists are coalesced to their the first QuickTime movie from the Clips List.
corresponding automation playlists.
• The Timeline displays and plays back only the
• Fader Gain levels and automation breakpoints video playlist that was last active. Alternate
higher than +6 dB are changed to +6 dB. video playlists are not available.
• Long names are shortened to 31 characters. • Video clips and video clip groups are not shown
• The following attributes are dropped: or saved.
• Clip groups Language Compatibility
• Clip loops • The Limit Character Set option must be enabled
• Sample-based MIDI clips and you must select a single language and char-
• Sample-based MIDI tracks acter set.

• Inserts F–J and any associated automation

• Sends F–J and any associated automation
• Marker/Memory Locations 201–999

Chapter 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 505

 Saving Pro Tools 12.x–10.x
Sessions to Pro Tools 5.0 Opening Sessions with
Format Markers Exported from
Media Composer
Pro Tools 5.1 and later sessions cannot be opened
with Pro Tools version 5.0. Media Composer 2022.12 can export Pro Tools
session files with markers that work with all ver-
To save a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session so it is com- sions of Pro Tools. When opening sessions ex-
patible with Pro Tools version 5.0, use the File > ported from Media Composer 2022.12:
Save Copy In command to choose the
• Pro Tools 2022.12 places the Media Composer
Pro Tools 5.0 Session format.
comment field text into the Pro Tools memory
When saving a Pro Tools 12.x–10.x session to location name field. The memory location com-
Pro Tools 5.0 format, the following occurs: ments also contain the Media Composer track
name and marker color. This results in the same
• All that occurs when saving a Pro Tools 12.x–
behavior as for markers imported from a Media
10.x session to Pro Tools 5.0 format.
Composer generated AAF.
• Multichannel surround tracks are removed from
• Versions prior to Pro Tools 2022.12 show the
the session.
Media Composer marker name in the Pro Tools
• Inactive tracks are removed from the session. memory location name field—this is a one-to-
• Tracks assigned to “No Output” are routed to one mapping of name field, and the Media Com-
busses 31 and 32. poser marker name typically contains the Media
Composer username.
• Tracks or sends assigned to busses 33–64 are
routed to busses 31 and 32.
• Tracks assigned to multichannel paths or sub-
Language Compatibility
paths of multichannel paths are routed to busses
31 and 32.
Unicode Support for Languages
• Sends assigned to multichannel paths or sub-
paths of multichannel paths are dropped. Pro Tools supports entry and display of any lan-
guage characters supported in Unicode anywhere
• Tracks or sends assigned to stereo paths refer-
in the Pro Tools application. This lets you:
ring to even/odd channels (such as 2–3) are
routed to busses 31 and 32. • Use multiple languages in session names, and in
path names, file names and clip names within
• Multi-mono plug-in instances are dropped.
the same session.
• Search for terms in multiple languages in
Workspace browsers.

506 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools Automatic Naming Multilingual Application Support
Language for Pro Tools Systems
(Localized OS on Mac Only)
When working in a language other than English,
you can set Pro Tools to automatically name ses- Localized versions of Pro Tools can be opened on
sion elements (such as clips, tracks, and I/O paths) a qualified Mac that supports English and the lo-
in English. This is useful when sharing sessions calized language versions of Mac. You can also se-
with other users working in English. lect a different language in any localized version of
Pro Tools (including English) in the Apple System
To set the Automatic Naming Language to match Preferences.
the language selected for the Pro Tools
application:
To change to a different language version of
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Dis- Pro Tools:
play tab. 1 Quit Pro Tools if it is currently open.
2 Choose the language you want to use in 2 Launch Apple System Preferences.
Pro Tools from the Language pop-up menu.
3 Click International (the “flag” icon).
3 Deselect the Default Automatic Naming to
English option. 4 Click the Language tab.
5 In the Languages column, drag the language
Pro Tools Application Language you want to the top of the list.
You can choose the language you want to use in 6 Close the International window.
the Pro Tools application, independently of what
7 Do one of the following:
language the OS is using.
• If you are changing from a localized language to
To select the language for Pro Tools: English, launch Pro Tools.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and select the Dis- • If you are changing from one language to an-
play tab. other (or from English to a localized language),
log out and log in from the Apple menu, then
2 Choose the language you want to use in
launch Pro Tools.
Pro Tools from the Language pop-up menu.
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 22: File and Session Management and Compatibility 507

508 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part IV: Playback and
Recording
Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material

After importing or recording audio or MIDI to To stop playback, do one of the following:
tracks, you will want to play back the material • Click Stop in the Transport.
when editing and mixing.
• Press the Spacebar.
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport
Starting and Stopping Playback
or Shuttle, press 0 on the numeric keypad.
To start playback, do one of the following: • If you have a control surface connected and con-
• Click Play in the Transport. figured, press the Stop switch.
• Press the Spacebar. • If Pro Tools is online and controlled by another
deck, press stop on the master deck (see “Putting
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Transport
Pro Tools Online” on page 1366).
or Shuttle, press 0 on the numeric keypad.
• If the Numeric Keypad mode is set to Transport,
and the Use Separate Play and Stop Keys option
Playing Back Audio
is enabled, press Enter on the numeric keypad. To play back audio:
• If you have a worksurface or MIDI control sur- 1 Import or record audio to a track.
face connected and configured, press the Play
switch. 2 Assign the track’s Output selector to your main
monitoring path.
• If Pro Tools is online and controlled by another
deck, press play on the master deck (see “Putting 3 To have playback start from the beginning of
Pro Tools Online” on page 1366). the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
port.
For more information about the Numeric
Keypad modes, see “Numeric Keypad 4 Start playback.
Modes” on page 28. 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.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 511

 Playing Back MIDI 4 To have playback start from the beginning of
the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
To play back MIDI (and monitor the audio): port.
1 Import, record, or enter MIDI into an Instru-
5 Start playback.
ment or MIDI track.
6 The MIDI plays the selected MIDI device, and
2 For an Instrument track, do the following:
the audio from the MIDI device is monitored
• Set the Instrument track’s audio Output selector through the selected Output Path on the Auxil-
to the main monitoring path. iary Input or Instrument track. Adjust the MIDI,
• If you are using an Instrument Plug-In, insert the Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track’s volume
plug-in on the track. The track’s MIDI Output and pan faders as necessary.
selector (in Instrument view) should be automat- 7 When you are finished, stop playback.
ically set to the plug-in.
• If you are using an external MIDI device (not an For information about synchronizing exter-
Instrument plug-in), set the MIDI Output selec- nal MIDI devices with Pro Tools for play-
tor in Instrument view to the MIDI device (port) back and recording using MIDI Beat Clock,
and channel you want to play back. see “MIDI Beat Clock” on page 528, and for
information about using MIDI Timecode, see
• If you are using an external MIDI device (not an “Generating Timecode” on page 1367.
Instrument plug-in), set the Instrument track’s
audio Input selector to the Input path to which
your MIDI device’s audio outputs are con- Playback Location
nected.
The playback location is the point in the Pro Tools
3 For a MIDI track, do the following: Timeline where you can begin playing back audio
• If you are using an Instrument plug-in, create an or MIDI in your session.
Auxiliary Input or Instrument track insert the In-
strument plug-in on the track. The playback location is displayed in counters and
indicators in the Edit window, Transport window,
• If you are using an external MIDI device (not an and Big Counter. The playback location (or Edit
Instrument plug-in), create an Auxiliary Input or selection) is also indicated by a playback or edit
Instrument track to monitor the audio from an cursor in the Timeline or playlist of the Edit win-
external MIDI device or Instrument plug-in. dow.
• If you are using an external MIDI device (not an
Instrument plug-in), set the Auxiliary Input or Pro Tools also provides a pre-roll control for set-
Instrument track’s audio Input selector to the In- ting playback to begin before the playback loca-
put path to which your MIDI device’s audio out- tion. See “Basic Transport Controls and Counters”
puts are connected. on page 212.

• Set the Auxiliary Input or Instrument track’s au-

dio Output selector to the main monitoring path.
• Set the MIDI track’s output selector to the In-
strument plug-in, or MIDI device (port), and
channel you want to play back.

512 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Counters and Indicators that To display the Sub Counter in the Transport
Display the Playback Location window:

1 Select View > Transport > Counters.

Main and Sub Counters and Edit Selection
Indicators 2 Select View > Transport > Expanded.
At the top of the Edit window, the playback loca- To display Edit Selection indicators in the
tion is displayed in the Main and Sub counters, and Transport window:
the Edit Selection Start indicator. If no selection is
 Select View > Transport > Expanded.
made, the playback location is also displayed in the
Edit Selection End indicator. The Big Counter

The current playback location can also be dis-

played in the Big Counter.

Main and Sub Counters, Edit Selection indicators

Counters and Edit Selection indicators can also be

displayed in the Transport window. Big Counter window

To display the Big Counter:

 Choose Window > Big Counter.

Cursors that Indicate the

Transport with Counters displayed Playback (or Edit) Location
To display the Main Counter in the Transport There are two types of cursors in the Pro Tools
window:
Edit window for indicating the current playback or
 Select View > Transport > Counters. Edit selection:

Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Win- Playback Cursor

dows) the Expand/Collapse button in the
Transport window to show or hide counters. The playback cursor is a solid line that moves
across the Edit window to indicate the current
playback location.
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the Expand/Collapse button in the Transport The selected Scrolling Option determines how the
window to show or hide counters and MIDI Edit window scrolls during playback, and how the
controls. playback cursor functions. See “Scrolling Op-
tions” on page 518 for details.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 513

 Edit Cursor To locate the playback cursor when it is off-
screen:
The edit cursor is a flashing line that appears when
you click with the Selector tool in a track’s playlist.  Click the Playback Cursor locator in the Main
The flashing edit cursor indicates the start point for Timebase ruler.
any editing tasks performed. If you make a selec- The Edit window changes to center the playback
tion and perform an edit, the selection is the target cursor on-screen.
of the edit.

Locating the Playback Cursor when It Is

Off-Screen Setting the Playback
Location
Use the Playback Cursor locator to locate the play-
back cursor when it is off-screen. Pro Tools provides commands for different ways
of setting or moving the playback location in a ses-
If the playback cursor is located after the time vis- sion. These include finding a passage in a song,
ible in the Edit window, the Playback Cursor loca- moving to a different section of your arrangement,
tor appears on the right edge of the Main Timebase or comparing different sections.
ruler. If the playback cursor is located before the
time visible in the Edit window, the Playback Cur- Setting Playback Location Using
sor locator appears on the left edge of the Main the Selector Tool
Timebase ruler.
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 669).

Playback Cursor locator, recording enabled (playback

cursor located after currently viewed audio)

For example, if the Scrolling option is set to None,

the playback cursor moves off-screen after it has
played past the time currently visible in the Edit Setting a playback point with the Selector tool
window. The Playback Cursor locator appears on
the right edge of the Main Timebase ruler after the
playback cursor has moved beyond 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
record-enabled.

514 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To begin playing from a specific point within a Setting Playback Location with
track: the Main Counter or Edit
1 Make sure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection Start Indicator
Selection is enabled.
To set the playback location using a Main Counter
2 With the Selector tool, click in the track where (or the Edit Selection Start indicator):
you want playback to begin. 1 Do one of the following:
3 Start playback. • Click in one of the counters.
4 Stop playback. • Press asterisk (*) on the numeric keypad to high-
light the Main Counter in the Edit window (or
To jump to a different location and begin playing the Main Counter in the Transport window or
from there, do one of the following: Big Counter window, if either are displayed).
 When playback is stopped, click with the Selec- 2 Type in the new location. Press Period (.) to cy-
tor tool at the point you want to start playback cle through to the different time fields.
and click Play in the Transport window.
3 Press Enter to accept the new value and auto-
 During playback, click the new location in any matically locate there.
Timebase Ruler.

With the Timeline and Edit selections linked, you Setting Playback Location with
can click a clip or MIDI note with the Time Grab- Fast Forward/Rewind
ber tool to automatically update the Timeline with You can use the Fast Forward and Rewind buttons
the selection’s start time, letting you play from that in the Transport window to move the playback lo-
point. cation. If the Operation preference for Audio
During Fast Forward/Rewind is selected, the
Setting Playback Location with scanned audio is heard (similar to a CD player)
Basic Transport Controls when clicking the Fast Forward and Rewind but-
tons.
Transport controls in the Transport window and
top of the Edit window can be used to move the You can also fast forward or rewind incrementally
playback location. These include Rewind, Fast by repeatedly clicking the appropriate button. The
Forward, and Return to Zero (to move playback lo- size of these increments is determined by the Main
cation to the beginning of the session). For more Time Scale:
information, see “Basic Transport Controls and
Counters” on page 212. Bars|Beats Moves to the beginning of the previ-
ous or next bar.

Min:Sec Moves back or forward in one-second

steps.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 515

 Timecode Moves back or forward in one-second To configure the Back/Forward Amount:
steps (while adjusting for current Timecode 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
format). Operation tab.
Feet+Frames Moves back or forward in one-foot The timebase of the Back/Forward Amount set-
steps. tings follows the Main Time Scale by default, or
Samples Moves back or forward in one-second you can deselect Follow Main Time and select any
steps. of the following timebase formats:
• Bars|Beats
Setting Playback Location with • Min:Sec
Back and Forward Commands • Timecode
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
• Feet+Frames
Pro Tools provides four Back/Forward commands • Samples
(sometimes called “rollback”) for moving the
2 Do one of the following:
playback location in the Edit window.
• Select a preset amount in the Back/Forward
You can also move the playback location in multi- Amount pop-up menu.
ple increments by repeating the command (See
• In the Back/Forward Amount field, enter a
“Repeating Back/Forward Commands” on
custom amount.
page 517).
Using Back or Forward Commands
Back/Forward commands also work
when controlling a 9-pin device. For To move the playback location backward by the
more information, see Chapter 61, Back/Forward Amount:
“Pro Tools | MachineControl.”
 Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows),
Back Moves the playback location backward by and click Rewind in the Transport window.
the Back/Forward Amount.
To move the playback location forward by the
Back and Play Moves the current playback loca- Back/Forward Amount:
tion backward by the Back/Forward Amount and  Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows),
automatically begins playback. and click Fast Forward in the Transport win-
Forward Moves the playback location forward by dow.
the Back/Forward Amount.
To move the playback location backward by the
Forward and Play Moves the current playback lo- Back/Forward Amount and then begin playback:
cation forward by the Back/Forward Amount and  Press Command+Option (Mac) or
automatically begins playback. Control+Alt (Windows), and click Rewind in
the Transport window.
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).

516 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To move the playback location forward by the 3 Do one of the following:
Back/Forward Amount and then begin playback:
• To extend the selection backwards by the
 Press Command+Option (Mac) or Back/Forward Amount, press Shift+Command
Control+Alt (Windows), and click Fast For- (Mac) or Shift+Control (Windows) and click
ward in the Transport window. Rewind in the Transport window.

Repeating Back/Forward Commands • To extend the selection backwards by the

Back/Forward Amount and then begin playback,
All the Back/Forward commands can be repeated press Shift+Command+Option (Mac) or
in order to increase the amount of the total Back or Shift+Control+Alt (Windows) and click Rewind
Forward move. in the Transport window.

To repeat Back/Forward moves:

Additional Ways of Moving the
1 Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows). Playback Location
2 Click Rewind or Fast Forward the number of You can also move the playback location with the
times you want to repeat moving the playback following:
location backwards or forwards by the specified
Back/Forward Amount. Shuttle Lock Modes With either Shuttle Lock
mode (Classic or Transport) you can use the nu-
Extending Selections with Back or Back and meric keypad to shuttle forward or backwards at
Play Commands specific speeds. For more information, see “Shut-
tle Lock Modes” on page 28.
The Back or Back and Play commands can be used
to extend a selection backwards by the length of Memory Locations Memory Locations can be
the specified Back/Forward Amount. used to move the playback location (or Edit selec-
tion). When a Memory Location is recalled, the
Although you cannot extend a selection with
playback location (or Edit selection) updates.
the Forward or Forward and Play com-
Memory Locations can be recalled from the Mem-
mands, you can use the following procedures
ory Locations window and from the numeric key-
with Forward or Forward and Play to move
pad. In addition, Marker Memory Selections can
the start point of a current selection.
be recalled by clicking them in the Markers ruler.
To extend a selection with Back or Back and Play For more information, see “Recalling Memory Lo-
commands: cations” on page 929.
1 Specify the Back/Forward Amount. (See “Set- Tabbing to Transients With the Tab to Transients
ting the Back/Forward Amount” on page 516.) button enabled, you can automatically navigate to
2 With the Selector tool, drag within a track to transients in audio waveforms, placing the cursor
make a selection. just before the detected transient peak. For more
information, see “Tabbing to Transients” on
page 681.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 517

 Scrolling Options You can change the Scrolling option while
the Transport is running.
You can configure how contents of the Edit
window scroll during playback and recording.
Page Scrolling During Playback
To configure Scrolling options: You can set Pro Tools to scroll the track display
 Choose Options > Scrolling and select one of the while playing, and also have the edit cursor appear
following options: wherever playback stops.

No Scrolling The Edit window does not scroll To make the track display and the edit cursor
during or after playback. The playback cursor follow playback:
moves across the Edit window, indicating the play-  Enable the Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker
back location. Follows Playback button in the Edit window.
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 en- Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows Playback
button enabled
tire contents are scrolled, and the playback cursor
continues moving from the left edge of the win-
dow. For more information, see “Page Scrolling You can enable or disable the Timeline
During Playback” on page 518. Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows Play-
back option in the Operation Preferences.
Continuous See “Continuous Scrolling During
Playback” on page 518.
Press Control+N (Mac) or Start+N (Win-
Center Playhead (HDX and HD Native Systems dows) to toggle the Timeline Insertion/Play
Only) See “Center Playhead Scrolling” on Start Marker Follows Playback preference
page 519. on and off.
Making a selection in the Timeline or a play-
list, or manually scrolling the Timeline while Continuous Scrolling During
in Page Scroll or Continuous Scroll mode sus-
Playback
pends page scrolling. To resume page scroll- When this scrolling option is selected, the Edit
ing and jump to the current playback location, window’s contents scroll continuously past the
click the Playback Cursor locator in the Main playback cursor, which remains in the center of the
Timebase ruler (see “Locating the Playback window. With this option, playback is always
Cursor when It Is Off-Screen” on page 514). based on the Timeline selection (unlike the Center
Playhead Scrolling option).

518 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Continuous Scrolling During Playback uses host
processing power, so use this option with host- Center Playhead Scrolling and Dynamic Trans-
based Pro Tools systems only when absolutely port mode cannot be used at the same time. Se-
necessary. lecting Center Playhead Scrolling disables Dy-
namic Transport mode (if it is enabled). Likewise,
enabling Dynamic Transport mode when Center
Center Playhead Scrolling Playhead Scrolling is selected automatically
(HDX and HD Native Systems Only)
changes the Scrolling option to No Scrolling.
When this scrolling option is selected, the Edit
window’s contents scroll continuously past the Half-Screen Edit Window
Playhead, which is a blue line in the center of the When the Scrolling option is set to Continuous or
window (or a red line when recording). Center Playhead, a half-screen appears at the far
The Playhead indicates where playback begins left of the Edit window (before the beginning of
when clicking Play in the Transport window. the session) when the Playhead is at the beginning
of the session.

Center Playhead Scrolling option Half-screen for Center Playhead Scrolling option

To move the Playhead to a particular location for

playback, you can scroll there in a ruler (see
Playing Selections
“Scrolling in a Timebase Ruler” on page 684), use
the Edit window’s horizontal scroll bar, or type the Once an Edit selection is made, you can audition it
location into one of the Edit Selection indicators or by clicking Play in the Transport window. If en-
one of the Counters. abled, the pre- and post-roll amounts play as well.

Moving the Playhead with these methods does not To play a selection:
update the Timeline selection. However,
1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit
updating the Timeline selection automatically
Selection.
moves the Playhead to the Timeline insertion
point. 2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make a
track selection.
With the Playhead enabled, you can jump to and
play an Edit or Timeline selection. For details, see 3 If you want to use pre-roll or post-roll, enable
“Playing Timeline and Edit Selections with the and set the pre-roll and post-roll amounts. For
Playhead” on page 521. details, see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on
page 565.
4 Click Play in the Transport window, or press the
Spacebar.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 519

 All tracks play for the range of the selection, in-
cluding pre-roll and post-roll if enabled. plays start plays end
(for post-roll amount) (for pre-roll amount)

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
plays pre-roll + start plays end + post-roll
You can audition and play just the pre-roll or post-
roll material for a selection. Playback ranges for auditioning start/end points

To audition a selection start point:

To play from the pre-roll point to the start of a
selection, or to the current Cursor location:  Press Command+Left Arrow (Mac) or
 Press Option+Left Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Left Control+Left Arrow (Windows).
Arrow (Windows). When auditioning the beginning of a selection, the
selection plays from the start point for a duration
To play to the post-roll point from the end of a
selection, or from the current Cursor location: equal to the post-roll amount.

 Press Command+Right Arrow (Mac) or To audition a selection start point with pre-roll:
Control+Right Arrow (Windows).
 Press Command+Option+Left Arrow (Mac) or
Control+Alt+Left Arrow (Windows).
Auditioning Start and End Points
for Selections To audition a selection end point:

There may be times when you want to audition the  Press Option+Right Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Right
start or end of an audio selection without hearing Arrow (Windows).
the entire selection. This allows you to check, for
instance, whether the beginning or end of a selec- When auditioning the end of a selection, playback
tion includes any unwanted clicks or pops. 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).

520 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Transport Fade-in Be sure to disable the Fade-in Transport op-
tion when recording. Audio that is recorded
Pro Tools provides a Fade-in option for the Trans-
with the Fade-in Transport option enabled
port. Enable this option to fade in the levels for all
will include a fade based on the set Fade-in
source audio linearly, from silence to the current
duration.
levels of the source audio when the transport starts.
The Fade-in time can be set between 0.000 and
4.000 seconds. This option is useful for avoiding
Playing Timeline and Edit
pops and clicks, or sudden boosts in volume when
Selections with the Playhead
relocating the playback location during playback.
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

When the Scrolling option is set to Center Play-

head, selections in the Timeline do not determine
when playback begins. The Playhead itself denotes
where playback begins.

Timeline and Edit selections, however, can still be

Fade-in time
played when the Playhead is enabled.
Fade-in enable
Transport window with Fade-in enabled (2 seconds) To play an Edit selection with the Playhead
enabled:
For music production scenarios, use shorter fade-
in times (250 ms). In certain post-production sce- 1 Deselect Options > Link Timeline and Edit
narios when synchronizing to external decks, use Selections.
longer fade-in times depending on how long it
2 Select Options > Scrolling > Center Playhead.
takes for all synchronized decks to lock to time-
code (up to 2 seconds). 3 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make a
track selection.
To enable (or disable) the Fade-in Transport
option: 4 Choose Edit > Selection > Play Edit.
1 Open the Expanded Transport window. To play a Timeline selection with the Playhead
enabled:
2 Click Fade-in so that it is lit (or unlit).
1 Deselect Options > Link Timeline and Edit
To set the Fade-in time for the Transport: Selections.
1 Open the Expanded Transport window. 2 Select Options > Scrolling > Center Playhead.
2 Click in the numeric field to the right of the 3 Drag with the Selector tool in any Timebase
Fade-in enable button. ruler to set the play range.
3 Type in the desired time. 4 Choose Edit > Selection > Play Timeline.
4 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) on your
computer keyboard.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 521

 Moving the Playhead Half-Speed Playback Mode
When the Scrolling option is set to Center Use Half-Speed Playback mode to learn or tran-
Playhead, the Playhead can be moved forward or scribe difficult passages in recorded tracks.
back to the next clip boundary in the selected track.
To play at half-speed:
To move the Playhead through a track’s clip 1 Do one of the following:
boundaries:
• Shift-click the Play button in the Transport.
1 Make sure the Tab to Transients button is not
enabled (see “Tabbing to Transients” on • Right-click the Play button in the Transport and
page 681). select Half-Speed. Then click Play to start Half-
Speed Playback.
2 Click in the track with the Selector tool.
You can also play at half-speed by pressing
3 Do one of the following:
Shift+Spacebar.
• Press Tab to move the Playhead forward to the
next clip boundary. 2 Click Stop in the Transport to stop playback.
• Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Win-
dows) to move the Playhead back to the previous Prime for Playback Mode
clip boundary.
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
Playback Modes Prime for Playback mode before starting playback.
Pro Tools provides several Playback modes:
To enable Prime for Playback mode and start
• Normal Playback mode playback:
• Half-Speed Playback mode 1 Do one of the following:
• Prime for Playback mode • Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) Play
• Loop Playback mode in the Transport to put Pro Tools in Prime for
Playback mode.
• Dynamic Transport mode
• Right-click the Play button and select Prime for
Playback.
Normal Playback Mode
The Stop button lights and the Play button flashes.
Normal Playback mode is simply when none of the
other Playback modes are selected. In Normal 2 To begin playback instantaneously, click Play.
Playback mode, Pro Tools plays back at the ses-
3 Click Stop to stop playback.
sion sample rate.
When synchronizing to timecode, use Prime
for Playback mode to play back large num-
bers of tracks. This decreases the time it takes
to lock to timecode.

522 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Loop Playback Mode When enabled, a loop symbol appears in the Play
button in the Transport window.
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.

A selection must be at least 500 ms in length Loop Playback enabled

for it to loop on playback.
4 Click Play in the Transport window.
Looping playback is a useful way to check the Playback begins from the pre-roll point (if
rhythmic continuity of a selection when working enabled) and continues to the selection’s end point,
with musical material. If you’re working with one- where it loops back to the selection’s start point.
bar selections, you can loop playback to see if the
material loops cleanly. If it seems to skip, you 5 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop
should then adjust the length of the selection until playback.
it works “musically” within the context of the
playlist and the other tracks. Loop Playback and Audio Recording

Looping playback does not enable loop recording.

To loop playback of a selection:
Use Loop Record mode to loop during recording
1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit (see “Loop Recording Audio” on page 570).
Selection.

2 With the Selector tool, select the track range Dynamic Transport Mode
you want to loop.
Dynamic Transport mode lets you decouple the
3 Enable Loop Playback by doing one of the playback location from the Timeline selection.
following: This means that you can start playback from any-
where on the Timeline without losing your Time-
• Select Options > Loop Playback.
line or Edit selections. For example, you can use
• Right-click the Play button in the Transport win- Dynamic Transport mode in conjunction with
dow and select Loop from the pop-up menu. Loop Playback mode to quickly audition loop tran-
• Control-click (Mac) or Start-click sitions.
(Windows) the Play button in the Transport win-
When Dynamic Transport mode is enabled, the
dow.
Main Timebase ruler expands to double-height and
• Press Command+Shift+L (Mac) or reveals the Play Start Marker. The Play Start
Control+Shift+L (Windows). Marker determines where playback starts when the
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans- Transport is engaged. You can position the Play
port, press 4 on the numeric keypad. Start Marker independently of the Timeline Selec-
tion. The Play Start Marker can be repositioned
during playback and playback continues from the
new location.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 523

 To enable or disable Dynamic Transport mode, do To reposition the Play Start Marker, do one of the
one of the following: following:

 Select or deselect Options > Dynamic  With any Edit tool selected, click in the Play
Transport. Start Marker strip in the Main Timebase ruler.
 Right-click the Play button in the Transport  With any Edit tool selected, drag the Play Start
window and select Dynamic Transport from the Marker to a new location.
pop-up menu.
 Click Fast Forward or Rewind in the Transport
 Press Command+Control+P (Mac) or to relocate the Play Start Marker forward or
Control+Start+P (Windows) to toggle Dynamic backward by the standard Fast Forward and Re-
Transport mode on or off. wind increment amount.

Enabling Dynamic Transport mode automat- Double-click anywhere in the Play Start
ically disables Link Timeline and Edit Selec- Marker strip in the Main Timebase ruler to
tion, and automatically enables Loop Play- move the Play Start Marker to that location
back mode. and start playback.

To change the Timeline Selection Start or End

Center Playhead Scrolling (Pro Tools Ultimate Markers:
and Studio only) and Dynamic Transport mode 1 Make a Timeline selection with the Selector
cannot be used at the same time. Selecting Cen- tool by dragging in the Main Timebase ruler. If
ter Playhead Scrolling disables Dynamic Trans- the Link Timeline and Edit Selection option is
port mode (if it is enabled). Likewise, enabling enabled, you can make an Edit selection with
Dynamic Transport mode when Center Play- the Selector or any of the Grabber tools.
head Scrolling is selected automatically changes
the Scrolling option to No Scrolling. 2 With any Edit tool selected, drag either the
Timeline Selection Start or End Markers left or
right, extending or constricting the Timeline se-
Play Start Marker strip lection.
Timeline selection
Changes to the Timeline selection during
Play Start Marker
playback temporarily interrupt playback. To
minimize this interruption, reduce the AAE
Playback Buffer size in the Playback Engine
dialog.

Dynamic Transport mode, Play Start Marker shown in

expanded Main Timebase ruler

524 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To move the Timeline selection: Dynamic Transport Follows Timeline Selection
During Playback
 With any Edit tool selected, drag the selection
on the Main Timeline ruler to another location. When enabled, the Playhead snaps to the Timeline
Selection In Point when you move the Timeline
Selection, draw a new Timeline Selection, or ad-
just the Timeline Selection Start during playback.
When disabled, the Playhead is not affected by
changes to the Timeline Selection during play-
back.

Also see “Using Dynamic Transport Mode

Dynamic Transport mode, moving the Edit selection
with Loop Playback” on page 526.

When the Link Timeline and Edit Selection To have the Playhead always snap to the Timeline
option is disabled, Option-drag (Mac) or Selection In Point when changed during playback:
Alt-drag (Windows) the Timeline selection 1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
to snap the Edit selection to the Timeline se-
lection and move both in tandem. 2 Click the Operation tab.
3 Select Dynamic Transport Follows Timeline Se-
Play Start Marker Follows Timeline Selection
lection During Playback.
When enabled, the Play Start Marker snaps to the 4 Click OK.
Timeline Selection In Point when you move the
Timeline Selection, draw a new Timeline Selec- With this option is enabled and you make a new
tion, or adjust the Timeline Selection Start. When timeline selection during Loop Playback in Dy-
disabled, the Play Start Marker does not move with namic Transport mode, the Playhead jumps to the
the Timeline Selection. beginning of the new timeline selection instantly
without waiting for playback of the current loop to
To have the Play Start Marker always snap to the complete, and it begins to loop within the boundar-
Timeline Selection In Point:
ies of the new selection.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
When this option is disabled and you make a new
2 Click the Operation tab. timeline selection during Loop Playback in Dy-
3 Select Play Start Marker Follows Timeline namic Transport mode, the Playhead is behaves as
Selection. follows:
• If a new Timeline Selection is made during play-
4 Click OK.
back that is later than the current location of the
Playhead, the Playhead continues uninterrupted
without jumping to the start of new selection.
• If the Playhead enters the new selection, it loops
playback between the loop points of the selec-
tion.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 525

 • If a new Timeline Selection is made before the Using Dynamic Transport Mode
location of the Playhead during playback, the with Loop Playback
Playhead continues uninterrupted without jump-
Use Dynamic Transport mode in conjunction with
ing back to the start of the new selection. You
Loop Playback to specify the loop start and end
will need to manually relocate the Playhead to
points with the Timeline selection while using the
the new timeline selection to loop playback
Play Start Marker to specify where playback be-
within the selection boundaries.
gins. This is especially useful for auditioning loop
• If a new Timeline Selection is made during play- transitions. Note that enabling Dynamic Transport
back that does not contain the Playhead, stop- mode automatically enables Loop Playback mode.
ping and restarting the transport playback starts
at the location of the Play Start Marker. To audition a loop transition:

1 Enable Dynamic Transport mode.

Timeline Insertion Follows Playback
2 Ensure that Loop Playback mode is enabled.
When enabled, the Timeline Insertion follows
playback. 3 Make a Timeline selection to loop.

Press Control+N (Mac) or Start+N (Windows) 4 Reposition the Play Start Marker before the
to toggle Insertion Follows Playback on and off. Timeline Selection Out Point.

To have the Timeline Insertion follow playback, do

one of the following:

 Select Option > Insertion Follows Playback.

 In the Edit window Toolbar, select the Insertion
Follows Playback button so that it is lit.

Dynamic Transport mode, auditioning the loop

transition

5 Start playback.

Playback starts before the loop end point and con-

Insertion Follows Playback button enabled tinues across the loop point through the loop start.
You can reposition the Timeline Selection Start
and End Markers by dragging them left or right,
even during playback.

526 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using Separate Play and Stop To move the Play Start Marker to the Timeline
Keys Selection End:

When enabled, the Use Separate Play and Stop  Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and then
Keys option lets you start playback with the Enter the Right Arrow.
key and stop playback with the 0 key on the nu-
To move the Play Start Marker to the Edit Selection
meric keypad. This is useful for quickly starting Start:
and stopping playback when auditioning loop tran-
sitions.  Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and then
the Down Arrow.
To use separate play and stop keys on the numeric
keypad: To move the Play Start Marker to location of the
Playhead:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
 Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and then
2 Click the Operation tab. the Up Arrow.
3 Select Transport for Numeric Keypad.
To nudge the Play Start Marker backward (rewind):
4 Select Use Separate Play and Stop Keys.
 Press 1 on the numeric keypad.
This option overrides using the Enter key to
add Memory Location markers. Press Pe- To nudge the Play Start Marker forward (fast
forward):
riod (.) and then Enter on the numeric key-
pad to add a Memory Location marker.  Press 2 on the numeric keypad.

5 Click OK. To move the Play Start to a specific bar:

The Enter key starts playback. The Zero key stops  With Bars|Beats selected as the Main Timebase
playback. Pressing Zero twice locates the Play ruler, do the following on the numeric keypad:
Start Marker to the Timeline Selection start. • Press Asterisk (*).
• Type the bar number.
Keyboard Shortcuts for • Press Enter.
Relocating the Play Start Marker
In Dynamic Transport mode, you can use key- Recording in Dynamic Transport
board shortcuts to quickly relocate the Play Start Mode
Marker either during playback or when the Trans-
port is stopped. Recording in Dynamic Transport mode lets you
start playback independently of the Timeline se-
To move the Play Start Marker to the Timeline lection. Use the Play Start marker as a manual pre-
Selection Start: roll before the Timeline selection. Recording
 Press Period (.) on the numeric keypad and then punches in and out based on the Timeline
the Left Arrow. selection.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 527

 4 Enter the correct negative offset values (such as
MIDI Beat Clock “–200” samples) for each port that is enabled
Pro Tools can transmit MIDI Beat Clock to syn- for transmitting MIDI Beat Clock (see “Mea-
chronize external MIDI devices that receive MIDI suring Beat Clock Latency” on page 529).
Beat Clock (such as drum machines, hardware se- 5 Click OK.
quencers, or arpeggiators) with the Pro Tools ses-
sion tempo for playback and recording. Some in-
strument plug-ins also support MIDI Beat Clock
Sending MIDI Beat Clock Over
IAC
for synchronizing to the Pro Tools tempo.
(Mac Only)
For information about synchronizing exter-
You can synchronize other MIDI applications that
nal MIDI devices with Pro Tools for play-
use the Apple Inter-Application Communication
back and recording using MIDI Timecode,
(IAC) driver to Pro Tools by transmitting MIDI
see “Generating Timecode” on page 1367.
Beat Clock on the IAC bus.

Transmitting Beat Clock To transmit MIDI Beat Clock on the IAC bus:

To transmit MIDI Beat Clock: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio.
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Beat Clock. 2 In the MIDI Devices window of Audio MIDI
Setup, double-click the IAC Driver icon.
2 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, select the
Enable MIDI Beat Clock option. 3 Configure the IAC Driver ports and confirm
that it is online.
3 Select the devices you want to receive MIDI
Beat Clock. If your MIDI interface does not 4 Choose Setup > MIDI > MIDI Beat Clock.
support transmitting MIDI Beat Clock to sepa-
5 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, select the
rate ports, only the interface appears as a desti-
Enable MIDI Beat Clock option.
nation.
6 Select the IAC Driver ports you want to enable
for sending MIDI Beat Clock.
7 Click OK.

MIDI Beat Clock dialog

528 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 6 Record enable the audio track and start record-
MIDI Beat Clock Offsets ing. MIDI Beat Clock is sent to the external
You can set an offset for MIDI Beat Clock on a MIDI device, which starts playing back the
port-by-port basis with your MIDI interface and pattern.
external MIDI devices. This lets you adjust the 7 Stop recording after a few bars.
timing for each device where some devices sound
late due to different, fixed latencies. Where appro- 8 Enable both Snap to Grid and Show Grid.
priate, enter negative offset values in samples for 9 With the Selector tool, place the edit cursor on
each port to correctly synchronize the audio sig- the beat grid prior to a prominent transient in the
nals from your external MIDI devices with waveform that is “on the beat.”
Pro Tools playback.
10 Enable Tab to Transients and Shift+Tab to the
transient. The duration of this selection is the
Measuring Beat Clock Latency approximate amount of latency for your exter-
To determine the correct MIDI Beat Clock offset for nal MIDI device.
an external MIDI device:
11 Switch the Main Time Scale to Samples. The
1 Ensure that your computer and external MIDI length of the selected clip in samples is the
device are correctly connected and configured MIDI Beat Clock latency for that device.
for MIDI, and that its audio output is correctly
12 In the MIDI Beat Clock dialog, enter the Sam-
connected to audio inputs on your Pro Tools au-
ple Offset value as a negative number.
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
rhythmic pattern “on the beat.”
3 Create a new Pro Tools session.In the MIDI
Beat Clock dialog, ensure that MIDI Beat Clock
is enabled and that the device is selected.
4 Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.
5 Create a new audio track and select the audio in-
put channels for your external MIDI device.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 529

 Measuring the offset for MIDI Beat Clock in samples

MIDI Beat Clock Sample Offset

Since MIDI is not sample accurate, you may want to make several measurements at different 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.

Ableton Link
Pro Tools supports Ableton Link, a synchronization technology from Ableton that keeps Link-enabled ap-
plications in time over a local network (LAN or WLAN). Link synchronizes musical beat, tempo, phase
and start/stop commands across multiple applications running on the same or different devices. Applica-
tions on devices connected to a local network discover each other automatically and form a musical session
in which each participant can perform independently:
• Anyone can start or stop while still staying in time.
• Anyone can change the tempo and the others follow.
• Anyone can join or leave without disrupting the session.

530 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Link-enabled applications on the same network are Showing and Hiding Ableton
referred to as peers. Peers can be on the same com- Link Controls
puter as well as on other computers on the network.
Controls for Ableton Link can be shown or hidden
The tempo range supported by Ableton Link is in the Edit window toolbar and the Transport win-
20 bpm to 999 bpm. dow.

For more information about Ableton Link, To show (or hide) Ableton Link controls in the Edit
visit www.ableton.com. window toolbar:
1 Do one of the following:
To enable Ableton Link:
• Click the Edit Window Toolbar menu (in the
1 Ensure that your Pro Tools system is connected upper-right corner of the window).
to a local network (LAN or WLAN).
• Right-click in the Toolbar.
2 Ensure that any other devices running Link-en-
2 From the menu, select (or deselect) Ableton
abled applications (peers) are connected to the
Link.
same local network.
3 In Pro Tools, show the Ableton Link controls in
the Edit window toolbar or the Transport win-
dow.
4 Click the Link button so that it turns blue.
5 Enable Start/Stop if desired.
6 Select the desired Quantize value.
7 Start playback.

In Pro Tools, use Elastic Audio on tick-based

tracks to conform to tempo changes made
over Ableton Link.
Selecting Ableton Link in the Edit Window Toolbar
menu
In Pro Tools, disable the Conductor to enter
To show (or hide) Ableton Link controls in the
Manual Tempo mode otherwise the Pro Tools Transport window:
Tempo track may override tempo changes
made in other Link-enabled applications. 1 Do one of the following:
• Click the Transport Window menu (in the up-
per-right corner of the window).
d

Count Off is unavailable with Ableton Link. If

Count Off is enabled, enabling Ableton Link • Right-click in the Transport window.
disables Count Off. 2 From the menu, select (or deselect) Ableton
Link.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 531

 Ableton Link Controls and Indicators

Start/Stop Sync

Number of Connected Peers

Launch Quantize selector
Beat Cycle Position indicator
Link button

Ableton Link controls

Start/Stop Sync Launch Quantize

Click Start/Stop to toggle Pro Tools transport Launch Quantize determines the bar/beat cycle for
start/stop synchronization on and off. Start/Stop synchronizing playback with other peer applica-
lights green when enabled. When enabled, starting tions on the network. The selected Quantize value
and stopping the Pro Tools transport sends and re- determines at what point in the bar/beat cycle
sponds to start and stop messages to and from any Pro Tools playback starts when joining an active
other linked applications. Note that not all Link-en- multi-peer session. This ensures that Pro Tools
abled applications send or respond to start and stop synchronizes with other peers on the network in a
messages. For those that do, you may need to en- musically meaningful way.
able Start/Stop sync within the application itself.
If Pro Tools is the first peer on the network to start
Number of Connected Peers Display playback, playback starts immediately regardless
of the selected Quantize value and tick-based
The number of connected peers is displayed to the tracks follow the session tempo.
right of Start/Stop. Peers are other Link-enabled
applications connected over the network or run- If playback has already been started by another
ning on the host computer. For example, in addi- peer on the network, Pro Tools starts playback at
tion to your Pro Tools system, if there is a laptop the beginning of the next bar/beat cycle specified
on the network running Ableton Live and an iPad by the selected Quantize value, and tick-based
running two Link-enabled applications (such as a tracks follow the network tempo set by any peer on
synth app and a drum machine app), the number of the network. For example, with Quantize set to 1
peers displayed will be 3. Bar and you start playback after the downbeat
played by other peers on the network, Pro Tools
Note that peers can be on the same computer as waits to start playback until the next downbeat.
well as on other computers on the network.

532 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The following bar and beat values are available:
• None (Launch Quantize is off and Pro Tools
starts playback immediately regardless of
beat/bar location, and tick-based tracks fol-
low the network tempo)
• 8 Bars
• 4 Bars
• 2 Bars
• 1 Bar
• 1/2 note
• 1/4 note
• 1/8 note
• 1/16 note
• 1/32 note
• Triplet (select in addition to a beat value to
make the selected beat value a triplet)

The selected Quantize value is saved with the ses-

sion.

Beat Cycle Position Indicator

The Beat Cycle Position indicator shows progress

through the bar/beat cycle.

Link Button

Click the Link button to toggle Ableton Link on

and off. The button lights blue when enabled.
When Ableton Link is enabled, your Pro Tools ses-
sion is automatically recognized by all other
Link-enabled applications and devices on the same
local network.

Chapter 23: Playing Back Track Material 533

534 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 24: Record Setup

Before you start recording in Pro Tools, you need Session Setup for Recording
to set up your Pro Tools system, a session, and one • Configuring a new or existing session for
or more tracks for recording. You will also need to recording:
configure how Pro Tools monitors the input you
• “Working with Hard Drives for Recording”
intend to record.
on page 550
While some of the information here is relevant to • “Recording with a Click” on page 538
preparing to record MIDI, there are more specific • “Setting the Session Meter and Tempo” on
setup details for MIDI recording in Chapter 26, page 540
“MIDI Recording.”
• Setting a Record Mode. See “Record Modes”
For information on recording audio, see on page 543
Chapter 25, “Audio Recording.”
Track Setup for Recording
For information on digitizing (recording) • Configuring one or more tracks for recording:
video in Pro Tools, see Chapter 63, “Work-
• “Configuring Default Names for Audio Files
ing with Video in Pro Tools” or the Avid
and Clips” on page 546
Video Peripherals Guide.
• “Assigning Hardware I/O on a Track” on
page 547
Record Setup Overview • “Record Enabling Tracks” on page 548
Record setup includes the following: • “Recording with Multiple Hard Drives” on
page 551
Hardware Setup for Recording
Monitoring Setup for Recording
• “Configuring Pro Tools Hardware I/O for Re-
cording” on page 536 • “Selecting a Record Input Monitoring Mode” on
page 553
• “Connecting a Sound Source” on page 538
• “Setting Monitor Levels for Record and Play-
back” on page 555
• “Reducing Monitoring Latency” on page 555
• “Recording with Delay Compensation” on
page 556

Chapter 24: Record Setup 535

 For all systems, volume and pan controls for tracks
Configuring Pro Tools in Pro Tools only affect monitoring levels—not
Hardware I/O for Recording the recording input gain. The LED meters on HD
Before you start recording, make sure your audio interfaces (such as HD I/O or HD OMNI) in-
Pro Tools system hardware is connected and con- dicate both full-code (highest level before clip-
figured properly. For details on connecting ping) and true clipping of Pro Tools output signals.
Pro Tools to your studio and configuring your The on-screen meters in Pro Tools indicate true
Hardware in the Hardware Setup dialog, see the clipping on audio input and when recording to
User Guide that came with your system. For infor- disk. With Pro Tools, it is possible to clip at the in-
mation on how to route audio signal paths in put and output converters on your audio interface,
Pro Tools, see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.” as well as when recording to a fixed-point file bit
depth (16- or 24-bit only, 32-bit floating point bit
depth will not clip).
Input Connections and Audio
Levels Digital Clipping
Avid HD audio interfaces operate as line-level de-
Clipping occurs when you feed a signal to a re-
vices and offer no pre-amplification. Low-level
corder or mixer that is louder or “hotter” than the
sources like microphones and electric guitars need
device allows. On many analog tape decks, a little
to be pre-amplified. You can do this with a quality
clipping adds a perceived warmth to the sound due
mixing board or dedicated preamp (such as PRE).
to tape compression. In digital recording, however,
PRE can be remote-controlled from within clipping causes digital distortion, which is undesir-
Pro Tools sessions. able and should always be avoided.

003 Rack+ has eight inputs with preamps, to which Set Input Levels
you can connect low-level signals.
When you feed a signal into any audio recording
003 and 003 Rack have four inputs with preamps, system, including Pro Tools, make sure to adjust
to which you can connect low-level signals, and the input level to optimize the dynamic range and
four additional line-level inputs with switchable signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded file. If the in-
gain. put level is too low, you will not take full advan-
tage of the dynamic range of your Pro Tools sys-
Eleven Rack has one Mic input with a preamp and tem. If the input level is too high, the waveform
1 instrument-level Guitar input with a special vari- can clip and distort the recording. Set the input lev-
able-impedance circuit called True-Z (for more in- els high, but not high enough to clip.
formation, see the Eleven Rack User Guide.)
As a general rule of thumb, try to set levels so that
Mbox (3rd generation), Mbox 2, Mbox Pro, Mbox they peak within –3 dB to –12 dB on the input me-
2 Pro, Mbox Mini, and Mbox 2 Mini each have two ter without triggering the clipping indicator on
inputs with preamps, to which you can connect your audio interface. Depending on the type of ma-
low-level signals. terial you are recording and its dynamic range and
peak content, you may want to record with higher
or lower levels.

536 Pro Tools Reference Guide

You can display a track’s input levels in its Audio
Volume indicator. Normally, this indicator is set to
be a Peak Volume indicator. You can also use the
Headroom indicator to compare the incoming peak
level of the signal with how much headroom is
available.

To display a track’s peak level:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

dows) a track’s Volume indicator to step
through the different indicator modes (Volume
or Channel Delay) until the indicator displays
peak (pk) level.

Headroom Indicator
Headroom indicator
Pro Tools provides a numeric display (in dB) of Audio Volume indicator
the available headroom on tracks based on the last
Audio Volume and Headroom indicators
registered sample peak level in relation to the ref-
erence level of the currently selected Meter Type. Calibration Mode
The Headroom indicator is just to the right of the (HDX and HD Native Systems Only)
Audio Volume indicator below the faders and me-
ters in the Mix window. Click the Headroom indi- You can use the Calibration mode in Pro Tools to
cator to reset the current value. adjust the input and output levels for your audio in-
terface so they match those of your mixing console
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) to and other audio devices in your studio.
reset all Headroom indicators. Shift-Option-
click (Mac) or Shift-Alt-click (Windows) to HD I/O has one set of adjustable trim pots for its
reset the Headroom indicators for only se- inputs. Additionally, the reference level for the in-
lected tracks. put can be set to +4 dBu or –10 dBV. For more in-
formation on calibrating HD I/O, see the HD I/O
If the Headroom indicator is displayed in blue, Guide.
it is measuring below the dB value of the lowest
scale marking for the currently selected Meter There are no input or output trims on the following
Type. audio interfaces: HD OMNI, HD MADI. Some
Pro Tools audio interfaces that do not have output
trims (such as the HD OMNI) offer software-con-
trollable input levels, adjustable from Setup >
Hardware (see the guide for your particular audio
interface).

Chapter 24: Record Setup 537

 Creating a Click Track
Connecting a Sound Source
Pro Tools lets you create a Click track using the
Depending on your Pro Tools audio interfaces, Click II plug-in. You can also create a click track
you can connect different types of sound sources using a MIDI instrument.
(such as musical instruments, mics, and mixer out-
puts). See the User Guide for your Pro Tools sys- For more information on the Click II plug-in,
tem. For additional information, see the documen- see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
tation that came with your sound source.
To create a click track using the Click II plug-in:
If you connect a sound source to a Pro Tools input
 Choose Track > Create Click Track.
that was not previously configured to accept input,
you may need to reconfigure you hardware in the Pro Tools creates a new Auxiliary Input track
Hardware Setup dialog (see your User Guide). named “Click” with the Click II plug-in already in-
You may also need to reset your I/O signal paths in serted. In the Edit window, the click track’s Track
I/O Setup (see Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.”). Height is set to Mini. You can create more than one
click track and each subsequent click track is
named in sequence. For example, Click 1, Click 2,
Recording with a Click and Click 3.

If you intend to work with MIDI or Instrument To hear the click during playback and recording,
tracks in your session, or if the audio you’re work- configure the Click Options (see “Click Options”
ing with is bar and beat-oriented, you can record on page 540) and ensure that Click is enabled (see
your tracks while listening to a click. This ensures “Enabling the Click” on page 539).
that recorded material, both MIDI and audio,
aligns with the session’s bar and beat boundaries. To create a click track using MIDI:

1 Create a new (mono) Auxiliary Input or Instru-

When your track material lines up with the beats,
ment track.
you can take advantage of some very useful editing
functions in Pro Tools, such as quantizing MIDI 2 Do one of the following:
and audio events or clips, quantizing individual
• From the track’s Input selector, select the path to
MIDI notes, and copying and pasting measures
which the MIDI device is connected.
and song sections in Grid mode.
• Insert an instrument plug-in on the track (such as
Material that is recorded without listening to Xpand2).
a click can still be aligned to bar and beat
3 Configure the Click/Countoff options, and be
boundaries in Pro Tools with Beat Detective
sure to select the port for the MIDI device or in-
(see Chapter 34, “Beat Detective”), or by us-
strument plug-in from the Output pop-up menu
ing the Identify Beat command to determine
(see “Click Options” on page 540).
the tempo (see “Identify Beat Command” on
page 905). 4 Enable Click (see “Enabling the Click” on
page 539).

538 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Enabling the Click 2 In the Transport, click the Metronome button so
it is highlighted.
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: Metronome button, enabled
• Select View > Transport > MIDI Controls. 3 To hear the click count off when recording or
• From the Transport window menu, select MIDI playing, click the Count Off button in the Trans-
Controls. port so it is highlighted.

Selecting MIDI Controls from the Transport window

Count Off button, enabled
menu

• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- Hearing the countoff before recording helps musi-
dows) the Expand/Collapse “+” button in the cians to start playing at the right time and in tempo.
Transport window to display the MIDI controls. The Count Off button in the Transport window dis-
plays the number of bars counted before the trans-
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the port starts.
Expand/Collapse “+” button in the Transport
window to display the MIDI controls and the The countoff is ignored when Pro Tools is on-
Counters. line and synchronized to Timecode.
d

Count Off is unavailable with Ableton Link. If

Count Off is enabled, enabling Ableton Link
disables Count Off.

Expand/Collapse “+” button, Transport Window with

MIDI Controls

Chapter 24: Record Setup 539

 Click Options 3 Specify the note, velocity, and duration for the
accented and unaccented notes.
Pro Tools provides options and controls for driv-
ing a click. The following steps are for configuring If one is connected, you can also play new
and enabling a click using the Click II plug-in or note values on a MIDI controller keyboard.
MIDI.
When listening to the click in your Pro Tools ses-
To configure click options: sions, the accented note sounds on the first beat of
1 Open the Click/Countoff Options dialog by do- each measure and the unaccented note sounds on
ing one of the following: the remaining beats.

• Choose Setup > Click/Countoff. 4 Select whether the click is heard During Play
and Record, or Only During Record, or Only
• Double-click the Metronome button in the
During Countoff.
Transport window.
5 If using a countoff, specify the number of Bars
2 In the Click/Countoff Options dialog, do one of
to be counted off. To hear the countoff only
the following:
when recording, select that option.
• If using the Click II plug-in, select None in the
Output pop-up menu. 6 Click OK.

• If playing a click using MIDI, select the port

number (device) and channel for the click from
the Output pop-up menu. Setting the Session Meter
and Tempo
(Optional)

Setting the Session Meter

When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the me-
ter 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 result, the
recorded material may not align with the bars and
beats in the Edit window.

Meter events, which can occur anywhere within a

Click/Countoff Options dialog
Pro Tools session, appear in the Meter ruler. For
more information on inserting and editing meter
events, see “Meter Events” on page 908.

540 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To set the meter for a session: Setting the Session Tempo
1 Double-click the Current Meter button in the When opening a new session in Pro Tools, the
Transport window. tempo defaults to 120 BPM. If you intend to record
with a click at a tempo other than 120 BPM, make
sure to set the tempo accordingly.

Tempo events, which can occur anywhere

within a Pro Tools session, appear in the
Meter button Tempo ruler. For more information on
inserting and editing tempo events, see
2 Enter the Meter for the session and set the “Tempo” on page 887.
Location to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the inserted
meter event replaces the default). To change the session tempo:
1 Double-click the Song Start Marker in the Edit
window (see “Song Start Marker” on page 886).
2 Enter the BPM value for the session.

You can type in a specific tempo, or you can

use the T key to tap in the tempo.

3 Set the Location to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the in-

serted tempo event replaces the default).

Meter Change dialog

3 From the Click pop-up menu, select a note value

for the beat. (For example, if you are in 6/8, se-
lect a dotted-quarter note).
4 Click OK to insert the new meter event.

Tempo Change dialog

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.

Chapter 24: Record Setup 541

 Using Manual Tempo Mode To exit Manual Tempo mode and enable the Tempo
ruler:
In Manual Tempo mode, Pro Tools ignores tempo
 Click the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor) but-
events in the Tempo ruler and instead plays back a
ton in the Transport window so it becomes high-
Manual Tempo. This tempo can be set with the
lighted.
Tempo slider, or if you are not sure of the actual
tempo, by tapping in the tempo.
To set the Manual Tempo by tapping:
While you can adjust the Manual Tempo during 1 Ensure that the MIDI controls are shown in the
playback, doing so momentarily interrupts play- Transport window (select View > Transport >
back. MIDI Controls).

To set the Manual Tempo with the Tempo slider: 2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler
Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes un-
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport win-
highlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
dow, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler the Tempo ruler are ignored.
Enable button (Conductor) button so it becomes
3 Do one of the following:
unhighlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in • Click in the Tempo field so it becomes high-
the Tempo ruler are ignored. lighted and tap the “T” key on your computer
keyboard repeatedly at the new tempo.
Tempo Resolution selector • If the Use MIDI to Tap Tempo option is enabled
Tempo value in BPM in the MIDI Preferences, click in the Tempo
Tempo Ruler field so it becomes highlighted and tap in the
Enable button tempo by playing a note repeatedly at the new
Manual Tempo mode tempo on your MIDI keyboard controller.

3 To base the BPM value on something other than To compute the new tempo, Pro Tools averages
the default quarter-note, click the Tempo Reso- the last eight (or fewer) taps to determine the cor-
lution selector and select a different note value. rect tempo. The computed BPM value appears in
(For example, if you are in 6/8, select a dotted- the Transport window’s Tempo field.
quarter note.)
To lock in the new tempo:
4 To enter a new tempo, do one of the following:
 Take Pro Tools out of Manual Tempo mode by
• Drag the Tempo value up or down. For finer res-
clicking the Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor)
olution, press Command (Mac) or Control (Win-
button, then set the default tempo for the Song
dows) while dragging.
Start Marker to the new tempo.
• Click the Tempo value, type a new number, and
press Enter.

542 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Record Modes When recording, you can preserve disk space
by removing unwanted record takes (see
For recording audio, Pro Tools provides the fol-
“Clearing Unwanted Clips” on page 340)
lowing Record modes:
and compacting audio files (see “Compact-
• Normal (Nondestructive) ing an Audio File” on page 705).
• Destructive
• Loop
Normal (Nondestructive) Record
Mode
• QuickPunch
In Normal, Nondestructive Record mode,
• TrackPunch (Pro Tools Ultimate only) Pro Tools records audio nondestructively, which
• DestructivePunch (Pro Tools Ultimate only) means that if you record over a track’s existing
clips, the audio is not erased from your hard drive.
To select the Record mode, do one of the Both the new and old audio files remain on your
following: hard drive, available as clips from the Clips List.
 Select the Record mode in the Options menu. If
In Normal Record mode, the record range can be
no Record mode is selected, Pro Tools is in Nor-
defined by selecting a range in a ruler or in a
mal (Nondestructive) Record mode.
track’s playlist, or by specifying start and end
 Right-click the Record button in the Transport points in the Transport window. If there is no se-
and select the Record mode from the pop-up lection, recording begins from the current Cursor
menu. location and continues until the Transport Stop
button is clicked.
You can also cycle through the Pro Tools re-
cord modes with the Transport stopped, by To set a record range by selecting within a
Control-clicking (Mac) or Start-clicking track’s playlist, the Timeline and Edit selec-
(Windows) the Record button. tions must be linked. See “Linking or Unlink-
ing Timeline and Edit Selections” on
The Record button changes to indicate the selected page 669.
Record mode as follows:
• Blank for Normal (Nondestructive) The pre- and post-roll settings allow material to be
heard up to and after the start and end points,
• “D” for Destructive
which is useful when punch recording (see “Audio
• Loop symbol for Loop Record Punch Recording Over a Specified Range” on
• “P” for QuickPunch page 567).

• “T” for TrackPunch (Pro Tools Ultimate only)

• “DP” for DestructivePunch (Pro Tools Ultimate
only)

Destructive Record mode enabled

Chapter 24: Record Setup 543

 Destructive Record Mode Loop Record Mode
In Destructive Record mode, recording over exist- Loop Record mode lets you record take after take
ing clips replaces the original audio permanently, (nondestructively) while the same section of audio
which allows you to keep disk use to a minimum. repeats. This is a convenient technique for quickly
However, if you have sufficient drive space, it is recording multiple takes of a part without losing
usually best to use Pro Tools in Nondestructive spontaneity.
Record mode, to avoid losing any previously re-
corded material. The time range that is looped and recorded—
which must be at least one second in length—is de-
When defining the record range and setting pre- fined by selecting a range in a ruler or in a track’s
and post-roll, Destructive Record mode works the playlist, or by specifying start and end points in the
same as Normal (Nondestructive) mode. Transport window. The pre-roll setting, if enabled,
is used during the first record pass, but on each
Unlike the other record modes, it is not possible to successive loop the pre- and post-roll times are
cancel or undo record takes when using Destruc- ignored.
tive Record mode (see “Canceling a Record Take”
on page 561). To set a record range by selecting within a
track’s playlist, enable the Link Timeline and
In Destructive Record mode, the waveform Edit Selection option. See “Linking or Un-
overview is not redrawn until you stop linking Timeline and Edit Selections” on
recording. page 669.

When using Loop Record mode, each successive

Destructive recording is not supported with
take appears as a clip in the Clips List and each is
AudioSuite rendered clips with handles. You
numbered sequentially. The various takes, which
can consolidate such clips if you need to use
are identical in length and start time, are easily au-
Destructive Record mode.
ditioned and placed in the track at the correct loca-
tion with the Matches pop-up menu (see “Selecting
Alternate Takes” on page 572).

In Loop Record mode, the waveform over-

view is not redrawn until you stop
recording.

544 Pro Tools Reference Guide

QuickPunch TrackPunch automatically creates clips in that file
at each punch-in and punch-out point. These clips
QuickPunch gives you the ability to manually and
appear in the track’s playlist, and the complete au-
instantaneously punch in (initiate recording) and
dio file appears in the Clips List along with the
punch out (stop recording) on record-enabled au-
TrackPunch created clips. Up to 200 of these “run-
dio tracks during playback by clicking the Record
ning punches” can be performed in a single pass.
button in the Transport. Recording with Quick-
Punch is nondestructive. For more information on TrackPunch, see
“TrackPunch Audio Recording” on
When using QuickPunch, Pro Tools begins record-
page 607.
ing a new file when playback begins, automati-
cally generating clips in that file at each punch
in/out point. These clips appear in the track’s play-
DestructivePunch
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
list; and the complete audio file appears in the
Clips List along with the QuickPunch created Destructive Punch is a destructive recording mode
clips. Up to 200 of these “running punches” can be that lets you instantaneously punch in (start record-
performed in a single pass. ing) and punch out (stop recording) on individual
audio tracks during playback, while preserving a
Though you can punch record in the other record
contiguous audio file on each punched track.
modes by manually specifying the record range,
only QuickPunch provides instantaneous monitor For more information on DestructivePunch,
switching on punch-out. see “DestructivePunch Audio Recording” on
page 610.
For more information on QuickPunch, see
“QuickPunch Audio Recording” on
page 606. Record Modes and MIDI
In addition to the various record modes, there is
TrackPunch also a MIDI Merge button in the Transport win-
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only) dow that determines how MIDI is recorded. When
enabled (Merge mode), recording over existing
TrackPunch lets individual tracks be punched in,
MIDI clips results in the new data being merged
punched out, and taken out of record enable with-
with the old. When the MIDI Merge button is dis-
out interrupting online recording and playback.
abled (Replace mode), the new material replaces
TrackPunch is a nondestructive recording mode. the old.
When a track is TrackPunch-enabled, Pro Tools
begins recording a new file when playback begins.
During playback, you may record arm or disarm,
or punch in or out a combination of any or all
TrackPunch enabled tracks.

MIDI Merge button, enabled

Chapter 24: Record Setup 545

 MIDI recording works the same whether using Subsequent record takes on the same track are
Nondestructive or Destructive Record mode. In named identically, but the digits (indicating the
addition, neither QuickPunch nor TrackPunch take number) are incremented (for example, “Elec-
need to be enabled to punch on-the-fly with tric Gtr_02.”) A second set of digits (such as used
MIDI—this capability is available in Nondestruc- in “Electric Gtr_01-01”) indicates that the clip was
tive and Destructive Record modes. auto-created from an edit.

Unlike audio loop recording, the state of the MIDI QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and Destructive
Merge toggle determines whether existing material Punch modes use a different method for num-
is replaced or merged. bering clips. For details, see “TrackPunch
Audio Recording” on page 607.
Unless MIDI Merge is enabled, MIDI recording is
destructive (though you can undo a MIDI record When recording MIDI tracks, a similar naming
pass), either overwriting or adding to clip material. scheme is used, though with only one set of digits.
One exception to this rule is when Loop Record For example, after recording to a track called
mode is enabled; in this mode, existing track clips “Synth 1,” a clip is created called “Synth 1-01.”
are replaced with new clips when new material is Subsequent clips for that track, generating either
recorded. The old clips remain intact and available from additional record takes or clip edits, are num-
from the Clips List, and from the Matches pop-up bered sequentially (for example, “Synth 1-02”).
menu. In Loop Record mode, MIDI Merge has no
effect, so its button is dimmed. To rename a track:

1 Do one of the following:

• In the Mix or Edit window, double-click the
Configuring Default Names Track Name button for the track you want to re-
for Audio Files and Clips name.
(Optional)
• In the Tracks List in the Mix, Edit, MIDI Editor,
Track names define new file and clip names when or Score Editor window, Right-click the track
recording to a track (see “Renaming Tracks” on name for the track you want to rename.
page 255).
2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, type a
When recording to an audio track, the resulting file new track name.
and clip names are based on the name of the track. 3 Click OK.
For example, after recording for the first time on a
track called “Electric Gtr,” an audio file is created
with the name “Electric Gtr_01.” In addition, a clip
appears in the Clips List with the name “Electric
Gtr_01.” This clip is a whole-file clip.

546 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Names for Stereo Audio Tracks
Assigning Hardware I/O on a
When recording to stereo audio tracks, audio file Track
and clip names for the left and right channels are
appended with a “.L” and “.R” suffix. 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 hard-
Names for Multichannel Tracks ware input (recording source) and an output bus
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) (for monitoring recording) on the track.
When recording to multichannel surround tracks,
To assign I/O on a track:
audio file and clip names for each channel are ap-
pended with the following suffixes: 1 Assign a hardware input (recording source) by
doing one of the following:
Multichannel
File and Clip Suffixes • In the Mix window, select the corresponding
Format
hardware input for your source from the track’s
LCR L, C, R Input Path selector.
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

Input Path selector (mono audio track, Mix window
7.1 L, C, R, Lss, Rss, Lsr, Rsr, LFE
• In the Edit window, with I/O view enabled, se-
7.0 SDDS L, Lc, C, R, Rc, Ls, Rs
lect the corresponding hardware input for your
7.1 SDDS L, Lc, C, R, Rc, Ls, Rs, LFE source from the track’s Input Path selector.

Input Path selector (stereo audio track), Edit window

Chapter 24: Record Setup 547

 2 Assign an output bus (for monitoring recording)
by doing one of the following: MIDI and Instrument tracks can be record-en-
abled during playback or record. To record en-
• In the Mix window, select the corresponding
able audio tracks, the Transport must be stopped,
output bus for monitoring (such as “Monitor” or
or QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or Destructive-
“A 1–2”) from the track’s Output Path selector.
Punch must be enabled. For more information on
QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and Destructive-
Punch, see “Record Modes” on page 543.

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
enable on or off for the track. The track’s Re-
Output Path selector (stereo audio track), Mix window cord Enable button flashes red, the track’s fader
is solid red, and the Track Record Enabled indi-
• In the Edit window, with I/O view enabled, se-
cator in the Transport turns red (indicating at
lect the corresponding output bus for monitoring
least one track is record-enabled).
(such as “Monitor” or “A 1–2”) from the track’s
Output Path selector.

Edit window

Mix window

Output Path selector (stereo audio track), Edit window

Record Enabling Tracks

To record audio or MIDI to a track you must first
enable the track’s Record Enable button. To record
simultaneously to multiple tracks, record enable
multiple audio, Instrument, or MIDI tracks. Record-enabled audio track in Mix and Edit windows

When one or more tracks are record-enabled, click

the Record button in the Transport to arm record- Press Shift+R to record enable any track con-
ing, and then click the Play button in the Transport taining the Edit cursor on an Edit selection.
to start recording.

548 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To record enable multiple audio tracks: To record enable (or disable) all selected audio,
MIDI, and Instrument tracks:
 From either the Mix or Edit window, click each
audio track’s Record Enable button to toggle re-  Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
cord enable on or off for each track. (Windows) the Record Enable button on any se-
lected audio, MIDI, or Instrument track to tog-
If Latch Record mode is not enabled, Shift- gle record enable on or off for all selected
click each track’s Record Enable button to tracks.
toggle record enable on or off for each track.
See “Latch Record Enable Buttons Prefer- Record enabling a track that is part of a Mix
ence” on page 549. Group does not record enable the other
tracks in the Group. To record enable all
To record enable multiple MIDI and Instrument tracks in a group, click directly to the left of
tracks: the group’s name in the Groups List to select
 From either the Mix or Edit window, Shift-click all tracks in the group, and then Option-Shift-
each MIDI or Instrument track’s Record Enable click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the
button to toggle record enable on or off for each Record Enable button of one of the tracks to
track. record enable the selected tracks.

To record enable MIDI and Instrument tracks using Latch Record Enable Buttons
the Up/Down Arrows: Preference
 While pressing Command (Mac) or Control When the Latch Record Enable Buttons option is
(Windows), press the Up/Down Arrows to re- selected in the Operation Preferences, you can re-
cord enable the previous or next MIDI or Instru- cord enable additional audio tracks by clicking
ment track. The previous (or next) record track their Record Enable buttons. Previously record-en-
is no longer record-enabled. abled tracks remain enabled. The Latch
Record Enable Buttons option affects audio tracks
To keep the previous track record-enabled
only.
while enabling new tracks, press
Command+Shift+Up/Down (Mac) or When the Latch Record Enable Buttons option is
Control+Shift+Up/Down (Windows). deselected, record enabling a subsequent audio
track disables the previously record-enabled audio
To record enable (or disable) all audio, MIDI, and
Instrument tracks: track.

 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any To enable the Latch Record Enable Buttons
Record Enable button to toggle record enable preference:
on or off for all audio, Instrument, and MIDI 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
tracks. Operation tab.

2 Select Latch Record Enable Buttons.

Chapter 24: Record Setup 549

 Record Safe Mode
Working with Hard Drives for
Pro Tools provides a Record Safe mode on a per Recording
track basis that prevents tracks from being record-
enabled by accident. Use Record Safe mode to pro- Monitoring Drive Space
tect important audio or MIDI data on a track from
being recorded over. Pro Tools lets you check how much drive space is
available. The Disk Usage window shows the
To put an audio, MIDI, or Instrument track in available drive space for each drive connected to
Record Safe mode: your system as text and as a gauge display.
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
To monitor available space on your drive during a
dows) the track’s Record Enable button. The
Pro Tools session:
Record Enable button is grayed out.
 Choose Window > Disk Space.
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:
Disk Usage window
 Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) the Record Enable button on To display available drive space in Text Only view
only:
any track.
 From the Disk Usage menu, select Text Only.
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) again to take all tracks out of Re-
cord Safe mode.

To put all currently selected tracks into Record

Safe mode:

 Command-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Con- Disk Usage window, selecting Text Only view
trol-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the Record En-
able button on any of the selected tracks to
toggle them in and out of Record Safe mode.

550 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Recording with Multiple Hard Allocating Audio Drives in Your
Drives System
(Optional)
To allocate the audio drives in your system:
By default, Pro Tools records audio files to the Au- 1 Choose Setup > Disk Allocation.
dio Files folder inside the session folder. If you
have multiple hard drives for recording, you can 2 In the Disk Allocation window, assign a hard
use the Disk Allocation window to specify other drive for each track by clicking in the Root Me-
hard drive locations to record audio files on a dia Folder column and selecting a volume from
track-by-track basis. the Disk Allocation pop-up menu.

Hard drives that are full do not appear in the Disk

Allocation window.

To increase system performance, Pro Tools can re-

cord 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.

Disk Allocation window
To scroll up or down in the Disk Allocation
window: Only drives designated as R (Play and Record) can
be selected in the Disk Allocation window. For
 Press Page Up or Page Down.
more information, see “Performance and Transfer
Volumes” on page 349.

Disk Allocation pop-up menu

Chapter 24: Record Setup 551

 A folder with the session name is created on each
hard drive, containing subfolders for audio and If you want to exclude individual, valid,
fade files. mounted volumes from Round Robin Alloca-
tion passes, open the Workspace browser and
• To assign a track to a different hard drive, click
make the volume safe by designating it as P
the track and select a drive name.
(Playback only) or T (Transfer). For more in-
• To assign all tracks to the same hard drive, press formation, see “Volume Permissions” on
Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while selecting page 352.
a drive name.
5 When you are finished, click OK.
• To make a continuous selection, Shift-click a
track name (in the Track column) to
extend the selection to include already- Saving Disk Allocation Settings
selected tracks and all tracks in between. To save Disk Allocation settings for use with fu-
• To make a noncontiguous selection, ture sessions, save the session as a template. For
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- details, see “Session Templates” on page 194.
dows) a track name in the Track
column to extend the selection to include al- Disk Allocation and Cross-
ready-selected tracks without including tracks Platform Sessions
in-between.
To ensure cross-platform operation, it is required
3 To save recorded audio files to an existing that Mac Pro Tools sessions and their associated
folder (without creating another session folder), audio files be on Mac-formatted (HFS or HFS+)
select Customize Allocation Options, then click drives. Windows Pro Tools sessions and their as-
Change and choose the folder. To create sub- sociated audio files must be on Windows-format-
folders in this folder, select the Create Subfold- ted NTFS drives.
ers for Audio, Video, and Fade Files option.
See “Sharing Sessions Created on Different
4 To automatically distribute any newly created
Computer Platforms” on page 495.
tracks among the drives connected to your sys-
tem, select the Use Round Robin Allocation for
New Tracks option.
Workspace Volume Designation
The Workspace volume designation can alter disk
If you are using Round Robin Allocation and want
availability, thus affecting Disk Allocation. From
audio to be recorded to your system’s start-up
the Workspace browser, you can designate vol-
drive, do the following:
umes as Record, Playback, or Transfer. If you
• Open the Workspace browser (Window > Work- change a drive’s designation, making it read-only
space) and set the Volume Designator for your (Play Only or Transfer), check the Disk Allocation
system volume to R (Record and Playback). See window for any tracks formerly allocated to that
“Workspace Volume Designation” on page 552. drive. For more information, see “Volume Permis-
sions” on page 352.
Round Robin Allocation is not supported with
partitioned hard drives.

552 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Recording to the System Volume
Selecting a Record Input
Although Pro Tools lets you record to your system Monitoring Mode
volume, this is generally not recommended. Per-
formance for audio recording and playback on sys- Pro Tools offers two modes of input monitoring:
tem drives is not as good as on non-system hard Auto Input and Input Only. These monitoring
drives. modes determine how input signals are monitored
during playback, recording, or while the transport
Record to system drives only when absolutely nec- is stopped.
essary, such as if your computer system has only
one hard drive, or if your other hard drives are Auto Input Monitoring
completely full.
In Auto Input mode, when session playback is
By default, the system volume is not included in stopped, Pro Tools monitors audio input. When
Round Robin Allocation (regardless of volume playback is started for a punch-in, Pro Tools mon-
designation in the Workspace browser). To include itors existing track material up until the punch
the System Volume in Round Robin Allocations, point. While punched in, the input signal is moni-
see “Allocating Audio Drives in Your System” on tored. On punch-out, monitoring switches back to
page 551. the existing track material. This is similar to the
auto-switching logic found on digital and analog
If you have a Pro Tools system with multiple
multitrack tape machines.
drives, and you intend to record multiple
tracks simultaneously, you may want to When in Auto Input mode, the switch back to
designate the System drive as a Playback only monitoring track material on punch-out is
or Transfer only drive for optimal not instantaneous.
performance.

Tracks are in Auto Input mode by default,

Disk Allocation and Unavailable
and a monitoring control (TrackInput but-
Volumes
ton) is provided for each track. See “Se-
Pro Tools remembers disk allocation settings for lecting Record Monitor Modes with Track-
tracks and does not automatically reassign them if Input Monitoring” on page 554.
a volume becomes unavailable.

If a volume for a session becomes unavailable (be-

Input Only Monitoring
cause it went offline or its volume designation In Input Only mode, when a track is record-en-
changed), Pro Tools cannot record to tracks allo- abled, Pro Tools monitors audio input only, re-
cated to that volume. gardless of any punch-in/out selection or state.

To enable recording, bring the volume online, For Pro Tools, the Input Monitor Enabled Status
change its volume designation to R (Play and Re- indicator (in the Transport window) lights green
cord), or change the allocation of the affected when Input Only mode is enabled.
tracks to a valid record volume.

Chapter 24: Record Setup 553

 When the TrackInput button in a track is enabled
(green), the track monitors audio in Input Only
mode.

Input Monitor Enabled Status, Transport window

The indicator lights green when one or more tracks

have TrackInput enabled (see “Selecting Record
Monitor Modes with TrackInput Monitoring” on
page 554).
TrackInput Monitor button On (Input Only), in the Edit
Window
Selecting a Record Monitor
Mode When the TrackInput button in a track is disabled,
the track monitors in Auto Input mode.
For record-enabled tracks to use Auto Input
Monitoring:

 Select Track > Set Record Tracks to Input Only.

For record-enabled tracks to use Input Only

Monitoring:

 Select Track > Set Record Tracks to Auto Input.

To toggle between Auto Input and Input TrackInput Monitor button Off (Auto Input), in the Edit
Window
Only monitoring, press Option+K (Mac) or
Alt+K (Windows). To toggle the monitoring mode of audio tracks, do
one of the following:
Selecting Record Monitor Modes  To toggle individual tracks, click the TrackInput
with TrackInput Monitoring Monitor button for each track you want to tog-
TrackInput monitoring lets you toggle individual gle.
audio tracks between Auto Input and Input Only  To toggle all tracks in the session, Option-click
monitoring modes at any time, during playback, (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a TrackInput
recording, while stopped, and even when a track is Monitor button.
not record-enabled. TrackInput monitoring pro-
vides the necessary monitoring flexibility for over-  To toggle all selected tracks in the session,
dubbing and mixing, and is similar to input switch- Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
ing on analog multitrack recorders and similar (Windows) a selected track’s TrackInput Moni-
machines. tor button.

Press Shift+I to enable the TrackInput

Monitor button for any track containing the
Edit cursor on an Edit selection.

554 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To toggle the TrackInput button states of all Link Record and Play Faders
record-enabled tracks, do one of the following:
When the Link Record and Play Faders option is
 To change all record-enabled tracks to Auto In-
selected in the Operation Preferences, Pro Tools
put monitoring, select Track > Set Record
does not keep track of record and play levels for
Tracks to Auto Input.
audio tracks. In this case, record enabling an audio
 To change all record-enabled tracks to Input track has no effect on the fader level for the track.
Only monitoring, select Track > Set Record This lets you maintain a consistent mix regardless
Tracks to Input Only. of whether you are recording or just listening.

To toggle record-enabled tracks between

Auto Input and Input Only monitoring, press
Reducing Monitoring Latency
Option+K (Mac) or Alt+K (Windows).
There will inevitably be some audio delay, or
Disable “Input” When Disarming Track latency, in the monitoring signal (even if only a
few samples) due to the process of converting an
When the Disable “Input” When Disarming Track
analog signal to a digital signal (input) and back
(in “Stop”) option is enabled in the Operation Pref-
again (output). There may be additional latency
erences, TrackInput monitoring is disabled when-
due to mixer configurations and processing.
ever a track is taken out of record enable. This is
useful for certain workflows, such as when you are HDX systems have additional latency when using
recording on a series of tracks, one at a time. Native plug-ins because these plug-ins also use
your computer’s host processor.
Disabling this option allows TrackInput buttons to
remain enabled when deselecting the track Record Host-based Pro Tools systems use the host proces-
Enable button. sor in your computer for all audio processing, play-
back, and recording, so there is always a small
amount of latency in the system. For example,
Setting Monitor Levels for there may be some audible delay between the in-
Record and Playback coming signal and outgoing signal when monitor-
ing recording through Pro Tools.
Pro Tools remembers two different fader levels for
monitoring each audio track: one for when the With Pro Tools, latency occurs as follows:
track is record-enabled, and one for when it is not
• All Pro Tools systems can have Virtual Instru-
record-enabled.
ment plug-in MIDI-to-audio latency (such as
Pro Tools keeps track of these two states for fader when playing a virtual instrument live and mon-
levels automatically. If you adjust a fader when a itoring the instrument’s output).
track is record-enabled and then turn off record en- • Pro Tools systems have input-to-output moni-
able for the track, the fader returns to its playback toring latency on any record-armed tracks or
level. Auxiliary Inputs with live inputs.
When audio tracks are record-enabled, their vol- • HDX systems have monitoring latency on tracks
ume faders in the Mix window turn red, indicating that have one or more host-based plug-ins.
that the record monitor level is active.

Chapter 24: Record Setup 555

 The latency amount is related to the H/W Buffer Recording with Delay
Size setting—the larger the buffer size, the greater Compensation
the latency. You can reduce the amount of moni-
Generally, you will want to record with Delay
toring latency by reducing the H/W Buffer Size set-
Compensation enabled to maintain phase coherent
ting. However, even at the smallest buffer size,
time alignment between tracks with different DSP
there is still some latency.
delays. However, you will generally want to avoid
In addition, reducing the buffer size limits the using inserts on recording tracks or tracks used for
number of simultaneous audio tracks you can re- controlling the levels of cue mixes. For more infor-
cord without encountering performance errors. mation, see “Delay Compensation” on page 1142.

While there may be times when you want a larger

Zero Latency Monitoring
buffer size, such as when you have higher track
counts with more plug-ins, you will generally want Some Avid, and third-party Core Audio and ASIO
the smallest possible buffer size when latency is audio interfaces give you the ability to monitor
present during recording and monitoring. your analog input signals while recording, without
hearing any latency. This zero-latency analog
If you are monitoring the recording source with an monitoring is typically controlled by a Mix knob
external mixer before it is routed to Pro Tools, you on the audio interface, which you can use to blend
will not hear any latency. and adjust the mix between the interface’s analog
input and Pro Tools playback. For more informa-
To set the Hardware Buffer Size:
tion, see the documentation that came with your
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. audio interface.
2 Choose the number of samples from the H/W
Buffer Size pop-up menu. Low Latency Monitoring
(HD Native, 003, 003 Rack, 003 Rack+, Mbox
3 Click OK.
Pro, and Core Audio and ASIO Interfaces with
Built-in Mixers Only)
For more information on the H/W Buffer Size
setting, see “Hardware Buffer Size” on HD Native, 003, 003 Rack, 003 Rack+, and Mbox
page 101. Pro systems can use the Low Latency Monitoring
option to record with an extremely small amount
Computers with slower CPUs may not be of monitoring latency, to as many tracks as each
able to use a H/W Buffer Size setting lower system supports.
than 512 samples buffer size without encoun- Likewise, certain Core Audio and ASIO audio in-
tering performance errors. terfaces that have a built-in mixer can use the Low
Latency Monitoring option.

Only tracks with inputs set to a physical output

(not an internal mix bus) use Low Latency Moni-
toring.

556 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Software monitoring is automatically disabled for To maintain (or bypass) sends with Low Latency
all Record-enabled tracks and TrackInput Moni- Monitoring enabled:
toring–enabled tracks. This lets you use hardware 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Mix-
monitoring with any output channels on your audio ing tab.
interface without having to re-configure your ses-
2 Select (or deselect) the Allow Sends to persist
sion.
during LLM option.
If your Core Audio or ASIO hardware does 3 Click OK.
not have a built-in mixer, Low Latency Mon-
itoring does not function. If you do enable Low Latency Monitoring and
Low Latency Monitoring with such hard- Bounce To Disk
ware, monitoring will not available for re-
cord-enabled tracks in Pro Tools. With Low Latency Monitoring enabled, only audio
tracks are included with the Bounce Mix com-
To use Low Latency Monitoring: mand—Auxiliary Input and Instrument tracks are
1 Assign each track to the selected Low Latency ignored. To include Auxiliary Input and Instru-
Monitoring Path as set in the I/O Setup Output ment tracks, disable Low Latency Monitoring be-
page (see “Low Latency Monitoring” on fore using Bounce Mix.
page 66). Only tracks assigned to these outputs
External input cannot be recorded during a
use Low Latency Monitoring.
Bounce Mix. To include external input in
2 Record enable audio tracks by clicking their Re- your bounce, it must be recorded to new au-
cord Enable buttons. dio tracks before using Bounce Mix (see
“Bounce Mix” on page 1258).
3 Select Options > Low Latency Monitoring.

When Low Latency Monitoring is enabled, any Ultra-Low Latency Monitoring

plug-ins and sends assigned to record-enabled with DSP Mode
tracks are automatically bypassed, and must re- (Pro Tools | Carbon and HDX Hybrid Engine
main bypassed. Also, these tracks do not register Only)
on meters for Master Faders. Pro Tools | Carbon and HDX systems using the
HDX Hybrid Engine let you use track-based DSP
Allow Sends to Persist During LLM
Mode for ultra-low latency record and input moni-
Preference
toring. For more information, see Chapter 52,
All plug-ins and sends are bypassed by default “DSP Mode.”
when Low Latency Monitoring (LLM) is enabled
(Options > Low Latency Monitoring). Enable the Al-
low Sends to persist during LLM preference to
maintain sends audio signal output with Low La-
tency Monitoring.

Chapter 24: Record Setup 557

558 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 25: Audio Recording

In Pro Tools, you record audio to audio tracks. Au- Basic Recording Steps
dio tracks can be mono, stereo, or multichannel as
appropriate for the recording source. To record an audio track:

1 From the track’s Input Path selector, select the

When recording a mono source, record to a single,
audio Input Path you want to record (see “As-
mono audio track in Pro Tools. A single, mono au-
signing Hardware I/O on a Track” on page 547).
dio file is written to disk, and the file appears as a
clip both in the track’s playlist and in the Clips 2 From the track’s Output Path selector, select the
List. main monitoring path.

When recording a stereo audio source, record to a 3 Click the Record Enable button for the audio
single, stereo audio track in Pro Tools. A single, track. It lights red.
mono audio file is written to disk for each channel
of a stereo track: one for the left channel, and one
for the right channel. These files appear as a stereo
clip both in the track’s playlist and in the Clips
List.

Recording a multichannel source to a multichannel

track (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only) is sim-
ilar to recording stereo audio tracks. A single,
mono audio file is written for each channel in the
track, and these files appear as multichannel clips
in both the track’s playlist and in the Clips List (see
“Multichannel Audio Tracks” on page 1283).
Record enabling a track in the Mix window

Before Recording 4 Adjust the output level of your sound source

(instrument, mixer, or preamp). Monitor the
Before you start recording in Pro Tools, you need track’s meter levels in Pro Tools to ensure that
to set up your Pro Tools system, a session, and one levels peak within at least –6 dB to –12 dB on
or more tracks for recording. You will also need to the input meter without triggering the clipping
configure how Pro Tools monitors the input you indicator on your audio interface.
intend to record. For information, see Chapter 24,
“Record Setup.”

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 559

 5 Do one of the following: The newly recorded audio is written to disk and ap-
• In the Mix window, adjust the track’s volume pears as an audio clip both in the track’s playlist
and pan faders. These settings are for monitoring and in the Clips List.
purposes only and do not affect the recorded ma-
To play back the audio track:
terial.
1 Click the Record Enable button for the audio
• In the Output window for the track, adjust the
track so that it is no longer record-enabled.
track’s Volume fader and Pan sliders. These set-
Track volume faders now function as playback
tings are for monitoring purposes only and do
level controls.
not affect the recorded material. (See “Output
Windows for Tracks and Sends” on page 1130.) If a record-enabled track is in Auto Input
6 Choose Window > Transport to display the Monitor mode, you will hear “through” the
Transport window. Click Return to Zero to go to input while the Transport is stopped. The
the beginning of the session. track automatically switches to playback
when you press play, then back to Input
Rewind mode when you either stop, or punch into re-
Return to Zero Fast Forward cord. For more information, see “Auto Input
Go to End Monitoring” on page 553.

2 To have playback start from the beginning of

the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans-
port.

Online Stop Record 3 To start playback, click Play in the Transport or

Play press the Spacebar.
Transport window

7 Click Record in the Transport window to arm Undo or Cancel Audio Recording
Pro Tools for recording. The Record button Once you have recorded an audio track and the
flashes red to indicate that Pro Tools is ready to transport is stopped, you can undo the record take.
record.
To undo an audio recording:
8 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 543).  Once the Transport has been stopped, choose
Edit > Undo Record Audio.
9 When you are ready to start recording, click
Play or press the Spacebar.

If using Countoff, Pro Tools counts off the speci-

fied number of measures and then begins record-
ing. See “Recording with a Click” on page 538.
10 Record your performance.
11 Click Stop in the Transport window or press the
Spacebar when you are finished recording.

560 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The track’s playlist is restored to its previous state For each record-enabled track, a new audio file is
and material is discarded as follows: written to disk, and a new clip is created that ap-
• When in normal Record mode, only the most re- pears both in the track’s playlist and in the Clips
cent take is discarded. List.

• When in Loop Record mode, all takes from each If you have a Pro Tools system with multiple
record pass are discarded. drives, and you intend to record multiple
• When using QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or tracks simultaneously, you may want to des-
DestructivePunch mode, all punches from the ignate the System drive as a Transfer only
last recording pass are discarded. drive for optimal performance.

If you undo a record pass during recording,

Pro Tools removes any previously undone re- Recording Shortcuts
cord pass from the session and lets you delete
In addition to clicking the Record button in the
the previous record pass from your hard drive.
Transport or Edit window to arm Pro Tools record-
If no actions are available to undo, the menu dis- ing, you can arm and start recording with the fol-
plays a grayed out Can’t Undo. lowing keyboard shortcuts:
• Press F12 to start recording immediately.
Canceling a Record Take
On Mac systems, to use F12 for recording, the
While recording, it is possible to discard the cur- Mac “Dashboard” feature must be disabled or
rent record take. This removes the audio (recorded remapped. See your User Guide for details.
up to that point) from your hard drive and deletes
the clip from the track’s playlist and the Clips List. • Press Command+Spacebar (Mac) or Con-
When using Loop Record mode, all takes from trol+Spacebar (Windows) to start recording.
each record pass are discarded. Canceling record-
On Mac systems, to use Command+Spacebar
ing when in Destructive Record mode is prohib-
for recording, the Mac “Spotlight” feature
ited.
must be disabled or remapped. Refer to Apple’s
To cancel a record take while recording:
documentation for more information.

 Press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or • Press 3 on the numeric keypad (when the Nu-
Control+Period (.) (Windows) before the meric Keypad mode is set to Transport) to start
Transport is stopped. recording.

To initiate recording at half speed, press

Recording Multiple Audio Tracks Command+Shift+Spacebar (Mac) or
Pro Tools can record multiple audio tracks simul- Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). See
taneously, up to the track recording limits of your “Half-Speed Recording” on page 577.
system. To record to multiple tracks, configure and
record enable each track, then record. Follow the
same steps as in “Basic Recording Steps” on
page 559.

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 561

 • Select a range in a Timebase ruler.
Prime for Record Mode
• Drag the Timeline Selection Markers in the
When recording a large number of tracks or chan- ruler.
nels, or playing back a large number of tracks
• Enter start and end times in the Transport win-
while recording, Pro Tools may take a little longer
dow.
to begin recording. To avoid this delay, put
Pro Tools in Prime for Record mode before begin- • Recall a Memory Location that includes an Edit
ning to record. selection (with Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection enabled).
To enable Prime for Record mode and start
recording: To set the record range in a track’s playlist:

1 Click Record in the Transport. The Record but- 1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur-
ton flashes. rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid.

2 Do one of the following: 2 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tion.
• Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) Play
in the Transport to put Pro Tools in Prime for 3 Do one of the following:
Record mode.
• With the Selector tool, select the record range in
• Right-click the Play button and select Prime for a track’s playlist.
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.

When synchronizing to timecode, use Prime

for Record mode to record or play back large
numbers of tracks. This decreases the time it Playlist selection
takes to lock to timecode.
• If a clip’s start and end points define the record
range, select the entire clip.

Setting Punch and Loop You can also enter a start and end point
Points during playback. Press the Down Arrow to
set the start point, and press the Up Arrow to
The start and end points of a record range for
set the end points. Note that when in Grid
punch and loop recording can be set by the follow-
mode, start and end point when entered in
ing methods:
this manner do not snap to the grid.
• Select a range in a track’s playlist (with
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection
enabled).

562 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To set the record range in a Timebase ruler: To set the record range by dragging the Timeline
Selection Markers:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. 1 If you want the Timeline Selection Markers to
snap to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode
2 Select the record range in any Timebase ruler. to Grid
2 Drag the first Timeline Selection Marker (down
arrow) to the start point of the range.

Timeline selection

If the Selector tool is not active, you do not

Dragging a Timeline Selection Marker (start time) in
need to manually select it. Other Edit tools
the Main Timebase ruler
(such as the Time Grabber tool) automati-
cally turn into the Selector tool when used in 3 Drag the second Timeline Selection Marker (up
Timebase rulers. arrow) to the end point of the range.

If the current record range is already the

Timeline Selection Markers
right length and the range needs only to be
When tracks are record-enabled, Timeline Selec- moved to a new location, Option-drag (Mac)
tion Markers for start and end times appear as red or Alt-drag (Windows) either Timeline Selec-
up and down arrows in the Main Timebase ruler. If tion Marker to move both to a new location
no tracks are record-enabled, the Timeline Selec- (while keeping the same length).
tion Markers are blue.
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
Timeline Selection Markers in the Main Timebase range, the range is reflected in these fields.
ruler

The Timeline Selection Markers can be moved, ei-

ther separately or at the same time, to set record
and play ranges.

Transport window with Start, End, and Length fields

displayed

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 563

 You can enter locations in the start and end fields To save an Edit selection with a Memory Location:
to set the record or play range. The Timeline Selec- 1 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit
tion Markers in the Main Timebase ruler are up- Selection is selected.
dated accordingly.
2 Set the record range by making an Edit or Time-
To set the record range by entering start and end line selection, or by entering start and end times
times in the Transport window: in the Transport window.
1 To see the start, end, and length times, do one of 3 To save the pre- and post-roll values, enable and
the following: set the pre- and post-roll amounts by entering
• Select View > Transport > Expanded. them in the Transport window, or by dragging
the Pre- and Post-Roll Flags in the ruler that
• Shift-click the Expand/Collapse “+” button in
represents the Main Time Scale (see “Setting
the Transport window.
Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 565).
2 Do one of the following:
4 Press Enter on the numeric keypad or click the
• In the Transport window, click in the Start field. Add Marker/Memory Location button in the
• Press Option+/ (Mac) or Alt+/ (Windows) on the Edit window.
numeric keypad to select the start field in the
5 In the New Memory Location dialog, set Time
Transport window.
Properties to Selection, and if saving pre- and
3 Type in the start location and press Option+/ post-roll values, select the Pre/Post Roll Times
(Mac) or Alt+/ (Windows) on the numeric key- option in the General Properties section.
pad 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.

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.

Memory Locations
You can store Edit selections as Memory Loca-
tions, which can also include current pre- and post-
roll values.

For more information on Memory Locations,

see Chapter 40, “Memory Locations.”

New Memory Location dialog

564 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 Type a name for the new Memory Location. Pre- and post-roll amounts can be entered in the
Transport window, set from a track’s playlist or
7 Click OK.
Timebase ruler, or by recalling a Memory Loca-
To recall an Edit selection with a Memory Location:
tion.

1 Make sure to select Options > Link Timeline and

Edit Selection. Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in the
Transport Window
2 Choose Windows > Memory Locations.
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.
Memory Locations window 3 Type in the pre-roll amount and press Forward
Slash (/) on the numeric keypad to enter the
3 Do one of the following:
value and automatically move to the post-roll
• In the Memory Locations window, click the field.
name or number of the Memory Location.
4 Type in the post-roll amount and press Enter to
• Recall the Memory Location by typing Period
accept the new value.
(.), the Memory Location number, and Period (.)
again on the numeric keypad. (See “Numeric
Keypad Modes” on page 28).

The start and end times and pre- and post-roll set-
tings stored with the Memory Location are re- Pre-roll enabled for 2 beats; Post-roll disabled
called.
5 To enable either pre- or post-roll, click the ap-
propriate button so it is highlighted.
Setting Pre- and Post-Roll Use the Period (.) or Left/Right Arrow keys to
Pre- and post-roll times appear as flags in the ruler move through the different time fields for pre
that represents the Main Time Scale. When pre- and post-roll. Use the Up/Down Arrow keys
and post-roll are enabled, the flags are green, oth- to increase or decrease the numerical values.
erwise they are gray.

Green Pre- and Post-Roll Flags (enabled) in the Main

Timebase ruler

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 565

 Setting Pre- and Post-Roll in a Enabling Pre/Post-Roll from the
Playlist Options Menu
You can use the Selector tool to enable and disable Pre- and post-roll (as a pair) can be enabled and
pre- and post-roll by clicking in a track’s playlist. disabled from the Options menu.

To set and enable the pre- and post-roll by clicking To enable both pre/post-roll from the Options
in a playlist: menu:
1 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-  Select Options > Pre/Post-Roll.
tion.

2 With the Selector tool, select the record range in Dragging Pre- and Post-Roll
the track’s playlist. Flags in the Timebase Ruler
3 With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or The Pre- and Post-Roll Flags can be moved in the
Alt-click (Windows) in the track’s playlist be- Main Timebase ruler, either separately or at the
fore the selection to enable the pre-roll at that same time, to set their location.
location.
To set the pre- and post-roll amounts by dragging
4 With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or in the Main Timebase ruler:
Alt-click (Windows) in the track’s playlist after 1 If you want the Pre- and Post-Roll flags to snap
the selection to enable the post-roll at that to the current Grid value, set the Edit mode to
location. Grid.
To disable the pre- and post-roll by clicking in a 2 Drag the Pre-Roll Flag to a new location in the
playlist: ruler.
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 Dragging a Pre-Roll Flag in a Timebase ruler
the end to disable the post-roll.
3 Drag the Post-Roll Flag to a new location in the
In the Timeline, you can reset the pre- and Timebase ruler.
post-roll to zero. First, drag the Pre-Roll
To set pre- and post-roll values to the same
Flag to the Timeline Selection In Point, then
amount, Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag
drag the Post-Roll Flag to the Timeline Se-
(Windows) either the Pre- or the Post-Roll
lection Out Point.
Flag in the ruler. The deselected flag will im-
3 Drag the Pre-Roll Flag to the Timeline mediately reset to the same value, and will
Selection In Point. adjust accordingly as you drag the
selected flag.
4 Drag the Post-Roll Flag to the Timeline
Selection Out Point.

566 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Audio Punch Recording Over Pre-roll flag Post-roll flag
a Specified Range Punch In Punch Out

You can set Pro Tools to automatically punch

record 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 recording.

To manually punch in and out on record-en-

abled audio tracks during playback, see
Chapter 27, “Punch Recording Modes.”

Though there are several ways to set record and

play ranges (see “Setting Punch and Loop Points” Pre-roll Post-roll
enabled enabled
on page 562), perhaps the easiest is to select within
the track’s playlist the range for recording. Timeline selection for punch recording with Pre-roll
and Post-roll
To set a record or play range by selecting To punch record on an audio track:
within a playlist, the Edit and Timeline selec-
tions must be linked (select Options > Link 1 Do one of the following:
Timeline and Edit Selection). • To record nondestructively, make sure that
Options > Destructive Record is not selected.
During the recording process, playback begins at
• If you do want to permanently record over the
the pre-roll time (if enabled) and proceeds to the
specified record range, select Options >
start time (the punch-in point), where recording
Destructive Record.
begins. When the end time (the punch-out point) is
reached, Pro Tools automatically switches out of If you are recording in any mode other than
Record mode and continues playing through the Destructive Record mode, punches do not
specified amount of post-roll. This automated permanently replace previously recorded
punch-in/out feature is a powerful and precise way material. If you do want to permanently
of recording or re-recording on a track. record over the specified record range (and
keep only the most recent take), select
Options > Destructive Record.

2 Record enable the track.

3 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection.

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 567

 4 With the Selector tool, drag in the track’s play-
list or in one of the Timebase rulers until the se- Recording Additional Takes
lection encompasses the punch range (see After recording to an audio track, you can record
“Setting Punch and Loop Points” on page 562). additional takes to the same track. Any of these ad-
5 To hear any existing track material up to the ditional takes can be used in the main playlist. For
start point, or after the end point, enable and set information about accessing alternate takes, see
pre- and post-roll times (see “Setting Pre- and “Alternate Takes” on page 572.
Post-Roll” on page 565).
Recording additional takes in Destructive Record
6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools mode overwrites previous take. To keep the audio
for recording. from previous takes, record the new takes in Nor-
mal (Nondestructive) Record mode.
7 Click Play to start recording.
For information on audio file and clip
Pro Tools starts recording from the punch-in (start)
names for new takes, see “Configuring
point. If there is any pre-roll, recording starts when
Default Names for Audio Files and Clips”
the punch-in (start) point is reached. Recording
on page 546.
continues until the punch-out (end) point is
reached (unless you manually stop recording first). To nondestructively record a new take on the same
If post-roll is enabled, playback continues for the track:
specified post-roll amount. 1 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
If recording nondestructively, a new audio file is (see “Record Modes” on page 543).
written to your hard drive and a new audio clip ap- 2 Record enable the track.
pears both in the track and the Clips List.
3 Do one of the following:
If recording in Destructive Record mode, the new • To record from the beginning of the session,
audio overwrites the previous material in the exist- click Return to Zero in the Transport.
ing audio file and clip.
• If Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is
Monitoring during Punch-Ins enabled, click anywhere in the track’s playlist to
begin recording from that point.
Pro Tools provides two monitoring modes for re-
cording: Auto Input monitoring and Input Only To record a specific track range, with precise
monitoring (see “Selecting a Record Input Moni- start and end points, see “Audio Punch Re-
toring Mode” on page 553). cording Over a Specified Range” on
page 567.

4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools

for recording.
5 Click Play to start recording.
6 Click Stop to stop recording.

568 Pro Tools Reference Guide

An audio file for the new take is written to disk and The audio for the new take is written to disk, per-
appears as an audio clip both in the track’s playlist manently overwriting the original. The new mate-
and in the Clips List. rial replaces the original material within the exist-
ing clip and the clip is not renamed.
The audio from the original take remains on your
hard drive, and is still available as a clip in the
Clips List. Appending New Material to the
End of a Track
To destructively record over a previous take: You can also append new material to the end of a
1 Do one of the following: track.
• Select Options > Destructive Record. When in
To append new material to the end of a track:
Destructive Record mode.
1 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the Record button in the Transport
and select Destructive. • Click the Go to End button in the Transport to lo-
cate to the end of the track (this locates the end
A “D” appears in the Record button. of the session).
• Tab to the end point of the last clip on the track.
2 From there, begin recording.

Pro Tools adds the new material to the end of the

Destructive Record mode enabled
track. If using Destructive Record mode, the new
2 Record enable the track. audio is appended to the audio file and clip from
the first take. In Nondestructive Record mode, a
3 Do one of the following:
new file and clip are created.
• To record from the beginning of the track, click
Return to Zero in the Transport.
Recording to a New Playlist
• If Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is
enabled, click anywhere in the track’s playlist to Instead of recording over existing audio clips,
begin recording from that point. there is another way to nondestructively record
new takes to the same track. Do this by creating a
To record a specific track range, with precise new playlist for the track, then record just as be-
start and end points, see “Audio Punch Record- fore.
ing Over a Specified Range” on page 567.
Tracks can have multiple edit playlists, each of
4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools which stores a list of clips strung together in a par-
for recording. ticular order. Also, since playlists follow groups,
duplicating or selecting alternate playlists for a
5 Click Play to start recording. track in an enabled group will affect all tracks in
6 When finished, click Stop to stop recording. the group.

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 569

 To record to a new playlist for a track:
Loop Recording Audio
1 From the track’s Playlist selector, choose New.
Pro Tools provides a loop recording feature that
lets you record take after take while the same sec-
tion of audio repeats over and over. This is a con-
venient technique for quickly recording multiple
takes of a part without losing spontaneity.

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 562), the
easiest is to select the range to be looped in the
track’s playlist (ensure that Options > Link Time-
Playlist selector, creating new playlist
line and Edit Selection is selected).
2 Type a name for the new playlist.
The pre-roll setting, if enabled, is used only during
3 Click OK. the first record pass. Pre- and post-roll times are ig-
nored on each successive loop. To compensate for
When a new playlist is created, its name replaces
this, you may want to make the loop range slightly
the track name. Names for new audio files and
longer. Later, you can trim back the recorded takes
clips are based on the track name.
to the proper length with the Trim tool (see “Using
4 Record enable the track. the Trim Tools” on page 652).
5 To start from the beginning of the session, click When loop recording audio, Pro Tools creates a
Return to Zero in the Transport. single audio file that includes all takes. Takes ap-
6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools pear as individual clips in the Clips List and are
for recording. numbered sequentially. Once you stop recording,
you can audition any of the recorded takes.
7 Click Play to start recording.
To use alternate takes created with Loop
8 Click Stop to stop recording.
Record in other sessions (such as when us-
An audio file for the new take is written to disk and ing Import Session Data), export clip defi-
appears as an audio clip both in the track’s new nitions (see “Exporting Clip Definitions”
playlist and in the Clips List. on page 446). If clip definitions are not ex-
ported, alternate takes created with Loop
Selecting a previous playlist from track’s Playlist Record will be inaccessible when im-
selector recalls its clips as they previously ap- ported into another session.
peared in the track. At any time, all clips from all
playlists are available in the Clips List, and can be
mixed and matched between playlists and tracks.

For more information on playlists and play-

list editing, see “Playlists” on page 731.

570 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To loop record an audio track: If you stop recording before you reach the mid-
1 Do one of the following: point of the loop, Pro Tools discards that take. If
you record more than half of the looped take,
• Select Options > Loop Record. When Loop Re-
Pro Tools leaves the take in the track when you
cord mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears in
stop recording.
the Record button.
• Right-click the Record button in the Transport The recorded takes appear as clips in the Clips List
and select Loop. and are numbered sequentially. The most recently
recorded take appears in the active playlist on the
track. For details on auditioning the different takes,
see “Selecting Alternate Takes” on page 572.

Loop Playback and Audio Recording

Loop Recording enabled
Pro Tools ignores Loop Playback when recording.
2 Record enable the audio track by clicking its
The only way to loop while recording is to enable
Record Enable button.
Loop Record mode.
3 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tion.
Automatically Create New
4 With the Selector tool, select the loop range on Playlists When Loop Recording
the track. For other methods of setting the re- When loop recording, Pro Tools creates a single
cord range, see “Setting Punch and Loop file containing all recording passes where each re-
Points” on page 562. cording pass is a clip in the file. On the track, only
5 To hear track material up to the start point of the the last recording pass is present as a clip in the
loop, enable pre-roll and set the pre-roll time main playlist. All other clips (recording passes) are
(see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 565). hidden and can only be recalled as matching alter-
nate clips (takes). When enabled, the Automatically
6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools Create New Playlists When Loop Recording option
for recording. in the Operation Preferences automatically copies
7 Click Play to start recording. each clip (take) to a new playlist in the track. This
facilitates using Playlists view for auditioning and
The Record button flashes during the pre-roll. selecting alternate takes.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins
recording. When the end point is reached, To automatically create new playlists when loop
Pro Tools loops back to the start time and contin- recording:
ues recording. 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the Op-
eration tab.
8 To cancel all recorded takes while loop record-
ing, press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or Con- 2 In the Recording section, enable the Automati-
trol+Period (.) (Windows). cally Create New Playlists When Loop Record-
ing option.
9 When finished, click Stop to stop recording.

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 571

 To select an alternate take:
Alternate Takes
1 Ensure that Track ID (or Track Name) is se-
When punch recording or loop recording, lected and that Clip Start is selected in the
Pro Tools creates matching alternate takes (clips). Matching Criteria window (see “Matching Cri-
Pro Tools lets you exchange clips in the main play- teria Window” on page 573).
list on tracks with matching alternate clips from
2 Do one of the following:
other playlists associated with the same track, from
other tracks, or from the Clips List. Matching alter- • Right-click the clip with the Selector or the
nate clips are clips that meet certain criteria, for ex- Grabber tool, and select a matching alternate
ample, clips that have the same User Time Stamp take from the Matches submenu in the pop-up
match (see “Matching Alternate Clips” on menu.
page 744).

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 sequentially.

Selecting Alternate Takes from the

Clips List

To select a take from the Clips List:

1 In the Edit window, select the current clip (take)

with the Time Grabber tool.
2 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) Right-click Matches submenu
different clips in the Clips List to audition them.
• If the take currently residing in the track is se-
3 Control-drag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows) lected, Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
the clip you want from the Clips List into the (Windows) anywhere on the selected take with
playlist. the Selector tool, and select a different take from
the Alternate Takes pop-up menu.
The clip replaces the previous take and snaps pre-
cisely to the correct location. • With the Selector tool, Command-click (Mac) or
Control-click (Windows) at the precise begin-
Selecting Alternate Takes on a Track ning of the loop or punch range and select a dif-
ferent take from the Alternate Takes pop-up
Each clip resulting from a punch or loop record menu.
pass has an identical start time (the User Time
Stamp). You can select and audition alternate takes To cycle through matches for the selected clip,
from the Right-click Matches submenu or the Al- press Command+Option+Up/Down Arrows
ternate Takes pop-up menu—even during play- (Mac) or Control+Alt+Up/Down Arrows
back. (Windows).

572 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 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 differ-
ent matching alternate take from the Matches
submenu.
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the Edit selection and select a different
take from the Alternates pop-up menu.

The selected take replaces the previous take and

Alternate Takes pop-up menu
snaps precisely to the correct location on each
track.
The selected matching alternate clip (take) re-
places the clip in the main playlist and snaps pre-
Matching Criteria Window
cisely to the correct location.
The Matching Criteria window lets you select the
One way to ensure that subsequent recording takes criteria for matching alternate clips. This lets you
have the same User Time Stamp (and as such can refine the list of available matching clips in the Al-
be available as matching alternate clips) is to store ternate Takes pop-up menu and Clip Right-click
punch and loop record selections as Memory Loca- Matches submenu.
tions. Then, if you later need to record additional
takes, recall the corresponding Memory Location.

To change the User Time Stamp of other clips so

that they can be available as alternate matching
clips for a specific location, use the Time Stamp
command in the Clips 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 simul-
taneously.
Matching Criteria window
To switch takes for multiple tracks:
1 Configure the Matching Criteria window (see Matching Criteria affects MIDI as well as
“Matching Criteria Window” on page 573), so audio clips.
that the following options are enabled:
• Track Name
• Selection Range

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 573

 Alternates Match Options Expanding Alternate Takes to
New Playlists or Tracks
The following Alternates Match options can be se-
lected in any combination: Pro Tools lets you copy alternate takes to new
playlists or tracks. This is especially useful for au-
Track ID Any clips recorded to the same track are ditioning, editing, and mixing multiple alternate
considered matching. Use this option for selecting takes or channels. Alternate takes are created when
alternate takes from loop or punch recording. punch and loop recording.
Track Name Any clips that share the same root
Expanding Alternate Takes to New
name with the track or playlist are considered
Playlists
matching. For example, the Matches for a track
named “Gtr.L” would show the clips “Gtr.L_01” Expanding alternate takes to new playlists readily
and “Gtr.L_02-01,” but not “Guitar.L_01.” facilitates track compositing. Once you have ex-
panded alternate takes to new playlists on a track,
Clip Rating Any clips that have the same Rating
you can audition and edit them in Playlists view to
are considered matching. Enable this option if you
assemble the best takes in the main playlist.
have rated clips (see “Rating Clips” on page 707).
To expand alternate takes to new playlists:
In Addition To Match Options
1 Identify the clip on the main playlist with
The following In Addition To Match options are matching alternate clips (takes).
mutually exclusive.
2 Do one of the following:
All Any clips that include the time location of the
• Right-click the clip and choose Matches >
Edit cursor; or any clips that are either partly or
Expand Alternates To New Playlists.
fully within the current time range of the Edit se-
lection. • If the clip is selected, with the Selector tool,
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
Clip Start Any clips that have the same start time dows) anywhere on the selected clip and choose
as the time location of the Edit cursor or Edit selec- Matches > Expand Alternates To New Playlists.
tion.
• If the clip is not selected, with the Selector tool,
Clip Start and End Any clips that have the same Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
start and end times as the Edit selection. dows) at the precise beginning of the loop or
punch range and choose Matches >
Within Selection Any complete clips that are en- Expand Alternates To New Playlists.
tirely within the Edit selection.
All matching alternate clips are copied to new
None No other criteria in addition to the selected
playlists on the track. To view all playlists for the
Alternates Match options are used to filter match- track, select Playlists view. In any track view, you
ing alternate clips. can also select any available alternate playlist as
the main playlist from the Playlist selector. For
more information, see “Playlists View” on
page 737.

574 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Expanding Alternate Takes to New
Tracks Recording from a Digital
Source
Expanding alternate takes to new tracks readily fa-
cilitates auditioning, editing, and mixing alternate If you plan to use a digital device with your
takes, each on separate tracks. Pro Tools system, make sure it supports the correct
digital format. For example, your Pro Tools audio
To expand alternate takes to new tracks: interface’s AES/EBU inputs and outputs should
only be connected to another AES/EBU device.
1 Identify the clip on the main playlist with
matching alternate clips (takes). For additional information on configuring
2 Do one of the following: your particular Pro Tools system for record-
ing from a digital source, see your User
• Right-click the clip and choose Matches >
Guide.
Expand Alternates To New Tracks.
• If the clip is selected, with the Selector tool, Pro Tools HD Audio Interface
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- Digital Options
dows) anywhere on the selected clip and choose
Matches > Expand Alternates To New Tracks. HD I/O and HD OMNI include AES/EBU,
S/PDIF, and ADAT digital options. Additionally,
• If the clip is not selected, with the Selector tool, the HD I/O with a Digital Expansion card includes
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- TDIF digital I/O options.
dows) at the precise beginning of the loop or
punch range and choose Matches > HD MADI includes both optical and coaxial
Expand Alternates To New Tracks. MADI I/O (for more information, see the
HD MADI Guide).
3 Then choose one of the following from the Ex-
pand Alternates To New Tracks sub-menu: Pro Tools | MTRX includes built-in AES3 and
MADI coaxial digital interfaces. Additionally, you
By Track Name Names all new tracks after the
can install optional digital I/O expansion cards for
source track name.
AES3 I/O, Dual SDI/HD/3G, and Dual MADI I/O,
By Clip Name Names each new tracks after the and a 64-Channel IP Audio Dante module.
corresponding original clip names that you see in
the Matches list. On HD I/O and HD OMNI, Pro Tools can receive
digital audio from the factory-installed Optical
By Track and Clip Name Names all new tracks af- (ADAT) I/O at any time (if it is not set to S/PDIF).
ter the source track name, but with the correspond- However, Pro Tools can only receive digital audio
ing original clip names in parenthesis. from one of its enclosure [Encl] digital sources—
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, or Optical (S/PDIF)—at a
All matching alternate clips are copied to new time.
tracks.

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 575

 Enclosure digital sources come standard with Avid Recording from Digital Sources
HD audio interfaces and are labeled on-screen as
[Encl] versions, to differentiate them from digital To record from a digital source with Pro Tools:
inputs and outputs available on the Digital card in- 1 Connect the digital output of the recording
stalled in HD I/O. For example, the AES/EBU in- source to the appropriate digital input of your
puts and outputs that come standard in the HD I/O audio hardware.
enclosure are identified as AES/EBU [Encl].
2 If you want to start a new session with a differ-
The additional digital ports on the HD I/O are ent sample rate, do the following:
TDIF, AES/EBU, and ADAT. Pro Tools can only • Choose File > New Session
receive digital audio from one of these ports at a
• Select the sample rate.
time.
• Configure the rest of the New Session dialog
Inputs on the HD I/O enclosure I/O and Digital accordingly.
card can be used simultaneously. For example, on
• Click Save.
an HD I/O, it is possible to clock off a source from
one of the enclosure inputs and have another digi- 3 Specify the format (digital) of the inputs of the
tal input from the digital ports doing a sample rate audio interface to which the digital recording
conversion, thus having two digital sources. source is connected:
• Choose Setup > Hardware.
Pro Tools Audio Interface Digital • Choose the audio interface.
Options
• Select the digital format for the appropriate
003, 003 Rack, and 003 Rack+ include S/PDIF channel pair (such as AES/EBU or S/PDIF).
and ADAT digital I/O.
Some Pro Tools audio interfaces only have
Eleven Rack includes S/PDIF and AES/EBU
two channels that can be set for analog or
digital I/O.
digital. For example, Mbox (3rd generation)
Mbox (3rd generation) include only the S/PDIF has S/PDIF L–R (Stereo) digital inputs and In
digital option. 1–2 analog inputs. Mbox (3rd generation)
can record through analog and digital inputs
All digital outputs are active at all times, so you simultaneously.
can actually send digital audio to different digital
devices simultaneously at mix time. 4 For Pro Tools Ultimate, select the appropriate
Clock Master in the Session Setup window or
Hardware Setup dialog.
5 Create a new stereo audio track.

576 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 Assign the Input Path selector for the track to
the appropriate input. Since this is a digital Half-Speed Recording
transfer, you do not need to worry about input Pro Tools lets you play and record at half speed.
levels. This capability is similar to that of a tape deck
7 Assign the Output Path selector for the track to where you can record material at half-speed and
the appropriate output for monitoring (such as then play it back at normal speed (faster and up an
A 1–2). octave), or record material at normal speed and
play it back at half speed (slower and down an oc-
8 In the Options menu, ensure that the following tave), for special effects.
options are deselected: Destructive Record,
Loop Record, QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and Use half-speed recording to record difficult-to-
DestructivePunch. play MIDI tracks or to record complex automation
moves.
9 To have recording start from the beginning of
the session, click Return to Zero in the Trans- To record at half speed:
port.
1 Record enable the tracks you want to record at
10 Record enable the new audio track. half speed.
11 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools 2 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording. for recording.
12 Click Play to start recording. 3 Press Command+Shift+Spacebar (Mac) or
Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows). Record-
13 Start playback on the recording source.
ing begins and all existing track material plays
14 When the material from the source has finished, at half speed.
click Stop in the Transport.
4 When you have finished recording, click Stop.
15 Stop playback on the recording source.
For information on Half-Speed Playback, see
After a Digital Transfer “Half-Speed Playback Mode” on page 522.
(HDX or HD Native Systems Only)

After you have finished recording digitally, set the

Clock Master pop-up menu in the Session Setup
window back to Internal. Otherwise, Pro Tools
will not switch back to its own internal clock and
may not record or play audio properly. Failure to
switch back to Internal synchronization typically
results in pitch problems (fast or slow playback),
clicks and pops, or AAE errors, since a DAT ma-
chine or CD Recorder that is idle can default to a
different sample rate or stop outputting a sample
rate clock altogether.

Chapter 25: Audio Recording 577

578 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 26: MIDI Recording

Although recording MIDI in Pro Tools is similar

to recording audio, there are some important dif- Recording from MIDI Devices
ferences: The MIDI Inputs for record-enabled MIDI and
 Unlike audio, MIDI recording is almost always Instrument tracks determine what MIDI data is
destructive. See “Record Modes and MIDI” on recorded in Pro Tools. MIDI Inputs can be set to a
page 545 for details. specific device (port) and channel, or they can be
set to All, where all channels for all devices are
 Unlike audio tracks, MIDI and Instrument merged to the track.
tracks can be record-enabled during playback or
recording. MIDI and Instrument tracks in Pro Tools do not
contain multiple channels and always play back on
 MIDI and Instrument tracks have an Input
the track’s assigned MIDI output device and chan-
selector that determines which port on your MIDI
nel. Multiple MIDI devices and channels can be si-
interface (devices) and which MIDI channel is
multaneously recorded to multiple tracks.
routed and recorded to the track. If the MIDI Input
selector is set to All, all channels for all devices are The following Pro Tools options determine
routed to the track. whether you can record from a MIDI controller
(such as a MIDI keyboard or drum pad):
 Similar to Auxiliary Inputs, Instrument tracks

have audio Input and Output selectors. These  Devices that are assigned as a MIDI Controller
selectors are different than the Instrument track’s in the Peripherals dialog (Setup > Peripherals) are
selectors for MIDI Input and Output and are pri- ignored when MIDI tracks are recorded. This is to
marily used for monitoring audio from MIDI in- avoid recording data from MIDI control surfaces
struments or instrument plug-ins. (such as HUI).
 It is not necessary to use QuickPunch, Track-  To record and play MIDI, the device must be
Punch, or DestructivePunch to punch in with MIDI enabled in the MIDI Input Enable dialog. For more
or Instrument tracks. This capability is available information, see “Enabling Input Devices” on
both in Normal (Nondestructive) Record mode and page 580.
Destructive Record mode.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 579

 In addition, the following options affect how MIDI To enable input devices:
data is recorded in Pro Tools: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices.
 The MIDI Input Filter can filter out MIDI mes- 2 Select the MIDI devices you want to record.
sages that you may not want to record, such as Also, select any device to be used as a control
Polyphonic Aftertouch or System Exclusive data. surface.
For more information, see “MIDI Input Filter” on
page 582. 3 Deselect any input devices you want to ignore
while recording MIDI.
 Input Quantize, when enabled, automatically
quantizes (time corrects) all MIDI notes that are re-
corded. For more information, see “Input Quan-
tize” on page 582.

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 machines or ar-
peggiators, are not recorded.

MIDI Control Surfaces In order to use any MIDI MIDI Input Enable dialog
control surfaces (such as Command|8), they must
be enabled in the MIDI Input Enable dialog.
Devices do not need to be selected to receive
MMC In order for Pro Tools to synchronize to MIDI data from Pro Tools. For example, a
MIDI Machine Control (MMC), the MMC source device used exclusively as a sound module
must be enabled in the MIDI Input Enable dialog. does not need to be selected in the MIDI
For more information on using MMC with Input Enable dialog.
Pro Tools, see “Using MIDI Machine Control” on
page 1368. 4 Click OK.

580 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 The Default Thru Instrument
MIDI Thru
In addition to any MIDI tracks that are record-en-
To monitor MIDI tracks while recording, enable abled, you can also route MIDI to the Default Thru
MIDI Thru. When enabled, Pro Tools routes MIDI Instrument. This saves the extra steps of creating a
from your controllers to the device and channels MIDI track and record enabling it to hear a partic-
assigned to the currently record-enabled MIDI ular MIDI device and channel.
track.
Unlike MIDI tracks, which only receive MIDI
The MIDI preference for Global MIDI from the device and channel assigned to its MIDI
Playback Offset and individual MIDI track Input selector, all incoming MIDI data is routed to
offsets do not affect MIDI routed with the Default Thru Instrument.
MIDI Thru.
If the Default Thru Instrument is assigned to a re-
cord-enabled MIDI track, Pro Tools only routes
When MIDI Thru is enabled, System Ex-
incoming MIDI to the record-enabled track.
clusive (Sysex) events are echoed to the
MIDI device assigned to the record-en- To configure a default Thru instrument:
abled track—but only if the Sysex events
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
are smaller than 256 bytes.
2 Click the MIDI tab.
To enable MIDI Thru:
3 Do one of the following:
 Select Options > MIDI Thru.
• Select a specific device from the Default Thru In-
When using MIDI Thru, you should disable strument pop-up menu to play MIDI through on
Local Control, if present, on your MIDI that device by default.
devices. Otherwise, your MIDI device may
• Select Follows First Selected MIDI Track to have
receive double MIDI notes, which can lead to
MIDI preview assignment follow MIDI track se-
stuck notes. If you are unsure how to disable
lection. When multiple MIDI tracks are selected,
Local Control for your instrument, see the
previewing uses the topmost MIDI track in the
manufacturer’s documentation.
Edit window or the leftmost MIDI track in the
Mix window.
• To disable the Default Thru Instrument, select
None.

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.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 581

 MIDI Input Filter Input Quantize
Use the MIDI Input Filter to prevent certain types When Input Quantize is enabled in the Input Quan-
of MIDI messages from being recorded. The MIDI tize Event Operations dialog (Event > Event Oper-
Input Filter can be set to record All messages, Only ations > Input Quantize), all recorded MIDI notes
the specified messages, or All are quantized automatically. Quantizing MIDI on
Except the specified messages. input is useful for achieving rhythmically precise
MIDI recordings. However, to preserve all of the
For example, to filter out program changes: original nuance of your recorded MIDI tracks
1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Filter. (such as rubato phrasing), disable this option.

2 In the MIDI Input Filter dialog, select the All Ex- For more information on Input Quantize, see
cept option. “Input Quantize Command” on page 1085.
3 Select the option for Program Changes. Leave
all other messages deselected.
Wait for Note
The Wait for Note button, located in the Transport
window, determines how Pro Tools begins record-
ing. When enabled, Pro Tools does not start re-
cording until a MIDI event is received. This en-
sures that recording begins only when you start
playing, and that the first note, or other MIDI data,
is recorded precisely at the beginning of the set re-
cord range (start time).

Wait for Note can be used when recording nor-

mally, when punching in, or when loop recording.
If pre-roll is enabled, it occurs after the MIDI event
is received and before recording begins.

Wait for Note and Countoff are mutually ex-

MIDI Input Filter dialog clusive and cannot both be enabled at the
same time. If, for instance, Countoff is
4 Click OK.
enabled and you click the Wait for Note
When using the All Except option, the selected button, Countoff is disabled. Furthermore,
types of MIDI messages are not recorded. Con- Wait for Note starts recording immediately,
versely, when using the Only option, only the se- ignoring any specified Pre-roll.
lected types of MIDI messages are recorded.

582 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To enable Wait for Note: The MIDI Merge button can be turned on and off
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport win- during playback and recording. In Loop Record
dow, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls. mode, MIDI Merge has no effect, and the button is
dimmed.

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.
Transport window with MIDI Controls
You can also paste and merge MIDI notes us-
2 In the Transport window, click the Wait for Note
ing Paste Special commands. See “Special
button so it becomes highlighted.
Paste Function for Automation Data” on
page 1230.

To enable MIDI Merge:

1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport win-
dow, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 In the Transport window, click the MIDI Merge
button so it becomes highlighted.
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 systems, the Mac “Desktop” keyboard
shortcut must be disabled or remapped.)
MIDI Merge button, enabled

MIDI Merge/Replace MIDI Merge Release Mode

The MIDI Merge button, located in the Transport MIDI Merge Release mode provides three options
window, determines how MIDI is recorded when for how Pro Tools writes MIDI Continuous Con-
overdubbing or punching in. When MIDI Merge is troller (CC) automation when recording MIDI in
on (Merge mode), recorded MIDI is merged with MIDI Merge mode. These options determine how
existing track material. When MIDI Merge is off MIDI CC data (such as the Sustain Pedal: MIDI
(Replace mode), existing data within the punched CC 64) is written. Select the desired MIDI Merge
clip is replaced by the newly recorded material. Release Mode option in the Pro Tools MIDI Pref-
erences or from the Right-click menu on the MIDI
Merge button.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 583

 To set the MIDI Merge Release mode:
1 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the MIDI Merge button.
• Choose Settings > Preferences > MIDI.
2 Select the best option for your workflow:

Latch Continues writing the last value. Any exist-

ing events are overwritten until you stop recording.

Latch Until Next Event Continues writing the last MIDI track Input selector
value until the next event even if you are still re-
cording.

Touch Immediately stops writing any new values

(only use this mode to add pedal-based control
data, not to modify existing data).

Configuring MIDI or Instrument track MIDI Input selector

Instrument Tracks for
Recording 4 From the MIDI Output selector, select the de-
vice and channel for MIDI playback.
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- MIDI track Output selector
ment tracks, the MIDI Input selector is available
in Instruments view.)

Instrument track MIDI Input selector

584 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 To assign multiple destinations to a single MIDI 13 Record enable the MIDI or Instrument track by
or Instrument track, Control-click (Mac) or clicking its Record Enable button.
Start-click (Windows) the MIDI Output selector
and select additional channels from any device. To record enable additional MIDI and
When multiple destinations are selected for a Instrument tracks, Shift-click their Record
single MIDI track, a plus sign (“+”) appears Enable buttons.
next to the first destination name in the track’s
14 Make sure that Options > MIDI Thru is selected,
MIDI Output selector.
then play your MIDI controller. The MIDI de-
6 To assign a default program change to the track, vice or instrument plug-in assigned to the
do the following: track’s MIDI Output sounds, and the track’s me-
• Click the Patch Select button. ters register MIDI activity (note velocity).

• Make the necessary selections for program and You are now ready to record MIDI data to the re-
bank select. cord-enabled MIDI and Instrument tracks.
• Click Done.
To monitor audio from an external MIDI in-
Default program changes are sent whenever strument, select the corresponding audio In-
the track is played. For more information, put Path for your MIDI instrument on the In-
see “Patch Select (Program and Bank strument track (or use an Auxiliary Input
Changes)” on page 811. track). See “Signal Routing for Monitoring
and Submixing” on page 1134.
7 If recording to multiple MIDI or Instrument
tracks, repeat the preceding steps for each track,
then continue to the next step. Recording MIDI and
Instrument Tracks
8 To use a click, enable and configure the click,
and set a default tempo and meter for the ses- In Pro Tools, you can record one or more MIDI
sion (see “Recording with a Click” on and Instrument tracks (up to 32 in any combination
page 538). simultaneously). Recording simultaneously to
multiple tracks lets you:
9 Enable either Wait for Note or Countoff in the
Transport window. • Record from multiple MIDI devices at the same
time, such as when recording several perform-
10 To replace existing track material, disable MIDI ers.
Merge in the Transport window (see “MIDI
• Record multiple channels from the same device,
Merge/Replace” on page 583).
such as recording from a split keyboard.
11 To automatically quantize material as it is
• Transfer MIDI tracks from an external MIDI se-
recorded, enable Input Quantize (Event > Event
quencer.
Operations > Input Quantize). See “Input Quan-
tize” on page 582.
12 To start recording from the beginning of the ses-
sion, click Return to Zero in the Transport.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 585

 To take full advantage of the MIDI editing ca- To optimize workflow efficiency, no more
pabilities in Pro Tools, make sure to record than any combination of up to 32 MIDI and
tick-based MIDI tracks with a click. This en- Instrument tracks can be record-enabled at
sures that recorded data aligns with the ses- the same time.
sion’s bar and beat boundaries. You can also
record to sample-based MIDI tracks without 3 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
a click and derive the tempo and meter from (see “Record Modes” on page 543).
the performance. 4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
for recording (Record Ready mode). The Track
To record audio from a MIDI instrument or Record Enabled indicator lights red.
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 re-
cording. See “Recording Audio from a MIDI Record button in Record Ready mode
Instrument” on page 595.
5 Do one of the following:
To record to one or more MIDI or Instrument • Click Play to start recording. If using Countoff,
tracks:
Pro Tools counts off the specified number of
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re- measures and then begins recording.
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
• If Wait for Note is enabled, do not click the Play
Tracks for Recording” on page 584).
button; recording will begin automatically as
2 Ensure that the track to which you want to re- soon as you start playing (when a MIDI event is
cord is record enabled. received).

To record enable additional MIDI and 6 Play your MIDI controller.

Instrument tracks, Shift-click their Record
Enable buttons.

To move record enable from the current

MIDI or Instrument track (containing the
current Edit selection) to the previous MIDI
or Instrument track, press Command Up Ar-
row (Mac) or Control+Up Arrow (Win-
dows).
To move record enable from the current
MIDI or Instrument track (containing the
current Edit selection) to the next MIDI or In-
strument track, press Command Down Arrow Recording progress indicated on an Instrument track
(Mac) or Control+Down Arrow (Windows).
7 When you are finished playing, click Stop in the
Transport to stop recording.

586 Pro Tools Reference Guide

For each record-enabled track, a new MIDI clip is MIDI Clips Are Created on
created and appears both in the playlist and in the Barlines
Clips List.
When recording MIDI, or when manually entering
Press F12 to start recording immediately. MIDI notes, the beginning and ending of MIDI
You can also press Command+Spacebar clips are created on bar boundaries. This greatly fa-
(Mac) or Control+Spacebar (Windows) to cilitates arranging MIDI clips in a musically mean-
start recording. For more information, see ingful way, in whole bar lengths.
“Recording Shortcuts” on page 561.
The beginning of a recorded MIDI clip always
starts on the barline immediately before the first
MIDI note (Note On) of the clip. Likewise, the
MIDI clip ends on the barline immediately follow-
ing the last note (Note Off) of the clip. The result-
ing clip contains all MIDI data recorded.

1. Start recording

2. Recording

3. Recorded

Recorded MIDI clip fits to nearest whole bars based on first and last recorded MIDI events

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 587

 Recording Over Existing MIDI Undoing MIDI Recording
Clips
You can undo previous MIDI record takes.
Unlike audio clips, existing MIDI clips are never
overwritten even though MIDI data within clips To undo a MIDI recording:
can be overwritten. When MIDI Merge mode is  Once the Transport has been stopped, choose
disabled and recording MIDI on a track with exist- Edit > Undo MIDI Recording.
ing clips, newly recorded MIDI data overwrites
existing MIDI data within existing clips, but the The track’s playlist is restored to its previous state.
existing clip boundaries remain. New MIDI clips However, the following conditions apply:
are only created to fill the gaps between existing • If you punched in and out several times before
MIDI clip boundaries. Typically, new MIDI clips stopping the Transport, only the last punch is un-
are always created on barlines. However, if exist- done.
ing clip boundaries are not on barlines, newly cre-
ated clips are bound by the existing clips. • When using Loop Record mode, all takes from
each record pass are discarded.
It is possible to have the Note On of a MIDI
note be in one MIDI clip, and its Note Off be Canceling a Record Take
in a subsequent MIDI clip. It is also possible
to have the clip end before the Note Off, It is also possible to discard the current record take
resulting in notes that extend beyond the clip before the Transport is stopped.
boundary. However, Note Ons can never pre-
To cancel a take while recording:
cede the beginning of a clip.
 Press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or
Playing Back Recorded MIDI Control+Period (.) (Windows) before the
Transport is stopped.
To play back recorded MIDI and Instrument tracks:
When in Loop Record mode, all takes from each
1 To start from the beginning of the session, click
record pass are discarded.
Return to Zero in the Transport.
2 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.

The recorded MIDI data plays back through each MIDI Input Display
track’s assigned Output device (port) and channel. The MIDI Input display in the Edit window toolbar
shows chord names as they are received by MIDI
To monitor audio from an external MIDI in-
and Instrument tracks.You can use this display to
strument, select the corresponding audio In-
ensure that you are playing the right chords for
put Path for your MIDI instrument on the In-
your music when recording MIDI.
strument track (or use an Auxiliary Input
track). See “Signal Routing for Monitoring The MIDI Input Display can also be shown in
and Submixing” on page 1134. MIDI Editor windows, see “MIDI Input Dis-
play” on page 831.

588 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To show (or hide) the MIDI Input display in the Edit To punch in on a MIDI or Instrument track:
window, do one of the following:
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
• Select (or deselect) View > Other Displays > cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
MIDI Input Display. Tracks for Recording” on page 584).
• Click the Edit Window Toolbar menu and select
2 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(or deselect) MIDI Input Display.
(see “Record Modes” on page 543).
3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for Note
and Countoff.
4 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection.

Editor Window toolbar, MIDI Input Display shows that 5 With the Selector tool, select the punch range in
a G augmented chord is received at an Instrument or the track’s playlist.
MIDI track input
For other methods of setting the record
range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
MIDI Punch Recording Over a on page 562.
Specified Range
6 To hear existing track material up to the start
You can set Pro Tools to automatically punch re- point, or after the end point, enable and set pre-
cord over a specific range in a MIDI or Instrument and post-roll times (see “Setting Pre- and Post-
track. The range’s start (punch in) and end (punch Roll” on page 565).
out) points must be specified before recording. Re-
cording starts at the punch-in point and continues 7 Record enable the track containing the previous
until the punch-out point is reached. take.
8 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
If pre-roll is enabled, the track material leading up
for recording. The Record button flashes.
to the punch-in point plays. You can start playing
during the pre-roll to get the “feel.” However, 9 Click Play to start recording.
MIDI is not recorded until the punch-in point is
reached. Only when that point is reached does 10 When you have finished recording, click Stop in
Pro Tools begin recording. Additionally, for any the Transport. The newly recorded MIDI data
note that is played before the punch-in point, but is appears in the track.
released after that point, it is recorded and the start
of the note is quantized to the punch-in point.

If post-roll is enabled, playback continues after re-

cording stops for the specified post-roll amount.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 589

 Punch Recording During MIDI Clips and Punch Recording
Playback with MIDI
Depending on the record range, new clips may be
You do not have to set a record range to punch in created after punch recording.
on a MIDI or Instrument track. In fact, you can
punch in and out at any time during playback. Un- For example, if MIDI Merge mode is disabled, re-
like audio tracks, it is not necessary to enable cording overwrites any existing MIDI data within
QuickPunch to perform real-time punch recording. the record range. Since the start and end times for
recording are located within both of the existing
To punch record with MIDI: clips, newly recorded notes are written into both of
the existing clips, and into a new clip created to fill
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
the space between them.
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
Tracks for Recording” on page 584).
Before punch record
2 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
(see “Record Modes” on page 543).
3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for Note
and Countoff.
4 Record enable the track containing the previous
take.
After punch record
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.
• For Pro Tools systems that support a connected
footswitch, press the footswitch at the punch-in
point. newly recorded new clip
material

Footswitches are supported by 003 family in- Clip added after punch record
terfaces, Mbox Pro, and Mbox 2 Pro, as well When selecting an entire clip, or a section within a
as any Pro Tools system with a supported con- clip, before punching, no new clips are created. In
trol surface. this instance, only the material residing within the
existing clip changes, with no new material re-
The Record button in the Transport and the track’s
corded outside the clip.
Record Enable button stop flashing and stay lit
during recording. Unlike audio recording, MIDI recording in this
7 To punch out, click Record again (or press the scenario is destructive. Newly recorded MIDI data
footswitch). overwrites existing MIDI data while leaving the
existing clip boundaries intact.
Pro Tools exits Record mode and continues play-
ing. You can perform additional punches during
the same pass.

590 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If the MIDI data within a clip is altered because of Make sure that MIDI Merge is enabled in the
a record take, the original material is either lost Transport window, otherwise (in Replace mode)
(unless you choose Edit > Undo MIDI Recording) each subsequent take destructively replaces the
or combined with new material (if MIDI Merge previous take.
was enabled during recording). If an existing clip
contains material you want to keep, use Duplicate You can record enable a different MIDI or
to make a copy of the clip (“Duplicating Clips” on Instrument track while loop recording.
page 959), or duplicate the track’s playlist or re- While pressing Command (Mac) or Control
cord in a new playlist to keep a backup (see (Windows), use the Up/Down Arrows to re-
“Working with Playlists” on page 731). cord enable the previous or next MIDI or
Instrument track.

To loop record in MIDI Merge mode:

Loop Recording MIDI
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
Loop recording with MIDI is supported by two cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
methods: Tracks for Recording” on page 584).
• In Normal (Nondestructive) Record mode, 2 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected
enable Loop Playback and MIDI Merge for (see “Record Modes” on page 543).
drum machine style loop recording.
3 Select Options > Loop Playback. When Loop
• Use Loop Record mode to record multiple takes Playback is enabled, a loop symbol appears in
on each record pass. This is similar to loop re- the Play button.
cording audio.

Loop Recording in MIDI Merge

Mode
For MIDI loop recording, use Normal (Nonde- Loop Playback enabled
structive) Record mode with Loop Playback and
4 Record enable the MIDI or Instrument track.
MIDI Merge enabled. With this method, MIDI is
Ensure that no audio tracks are record-enabled.
recorded and merged to the same clip with each
new record pass—for example, you can record hi- 5 In the Transport window, click the MIDI Merge
hats on the first pass and kick and snare on the button so it is highlighted.
next.
6 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the
For drum machine-style step entry, use Transport window.
Step Input (see “Step Input Command” on 7 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
page 1086). tion.

8 With the Selector tool, select the loop range in

the track’s playlist.

For other methods of setting the record

range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
on page 562.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 591

 9 To hear track material up to the start point of the You can use MIDI loop recording to record
loop, enable and set the pre-roll time (see “Set- successive takes without stopping the record pro-
ting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 565). cess, thereby capturing your creative spontaneity.
Another advantage with this method of recording
10 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools
MIDI, which is nondestructive, is that all existing
for recording. The Record button flashes.
and newly recorded clips remain intact (and avail-
11 Click Play to start recording. able in the Clips List).

The Record button flashes during pre-roll. When To record MIDI in Loop Record mode:
the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins record-
1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for re-
ing. When the end point is reached, Pro Tools
cording (see “Configuring MIDI or Instrument
loops back to the start point and continues playing
Tracks for Recording” on page 584).
and recording.
2 Select Options > Loop Record. When Loop Re-
12 Play your MIDI controller. Newly recorded
cord mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears in
MIDI data appears as a clip in the record track.
the Record button.
On each successive take, recorded material
shows up in the clip, without replacing material
from previous takes.
13 To switch to a new record track, press Com-
mand (Mac) or Control (Windows), and press Loop Recording enabled
the Up/Down Arrow keys to record enable the
previous or next MIDI or Instrument track. 3 If you have not done so already, record enable
the MIDI or Instrument track by clicking its Re-
14 When you are finished recording, click Stop in cord Enable button. Make sure no audio tracks
the Transport. are record-enabled.
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI 4 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the
clip in the track’s playlist, and in the Clips List. Transport window.
5 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Loop Recording Multiple Takes Selection.
When recording MIDI in Loop Record mode, new 6 With the Selector tool, select the loop range in
clips are created each time new material is received the track’s playlist.
during a record pass. This differs somewhat from
loop recording audio, where Pro Tools creates a For other methods of setting the record
single audio file that comprises all takes, which ap- range, see “Setting Punch and Loop Points”
pear as individual clips in the Clips List. on page 562.

592 Pro Tools Reference Guide

7 To hear track material up to the start point of the To select the various record takes:
loop, enable and set the pre-roll time (see “Set- 1 Ensure that the Matching Criteria window is
ting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 565). correctly configured (see “Matching Criteria
8 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools Window” on page 573).
for recording. The Record button flashes. 2 Do one of the following:
9 Click Play to start recording. • Right-click the clip with the Selector or Grabber
tools, and select a take from the Matches sub-
The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.
menu in the pop-up menu.
When the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins
recording. When the end point is reached,
Pro Tools loops back to the start point and contin-
ues playing and recording.
10 Play your MIDI controller. A new MIDI clip
containing the newly recorded material is auto-
matically created and appears in the track’s
playlist, replacing the previous clip.

Clips are replaced (nondestructively) during sub-

sequent record passes when new MIDI material is
received. Selecting an alternate MIDI take
11 When you are finished recording, click Stop in • With the Selector tool, Command-click (Mac) or
the Transport. Control-click (Windows) at the precise begin-
ning of the loop or punch range and select a dif-
The recorded takes appear as clips in the Clips List
ferent take from the Alternates pop-up menu.
and are numbered sequentially. The takes, which
are the same length and easily interchangeable, can • If the take currently residing in the track is se-
be selected from the Matches pop-up menu—even lected, with the Selector tool, Command-click
while the session plays or loops. (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) anywhere on
the selected take and select a different take from
the Alternates pop-up menu.

The selected take (clip) replaces the previous take

and snaps precisely to the correct location.

For more information on auditioning and

managing takes, see “Selecting Alternate
Takes” on page 572.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 593

 You can use the MIDI Keyboard window to play
MIDI Step Input MIDI Thru, record MIDI, or enter MIDI using Step
Step Input lets you use a MIDI keyboard (includ- Input on MIDI and Instrument tracks.
ing the Pro Tools MIDI Keyboard window), or any
To play MIDI Thru or record MIDI on an Instrument
other MIDI controller that sends MIDI note data to
or MIDI track using the MIDI Keyboard window:
enter notes individually, one step at a time. This
gives you precise control over note placement, du- 1 Open the MIDI Keyboard window.
ration, and velocity. With MIDI Step Input you can 2 Ensure that MIDI Thru is enabled (Options >
also create musical passages that might be difficult MIDI Thru).
to play accurately, or at faster tempos.
3 Ensure that All is selected as the MIDI Input for
For more information on Step Input, see the MIDI or Instrument track.
“Step Input Command” on page 1086.
4 Ensure that the MIDI Output for the track is as-
signed to the MIDI instrument you want to play
(either an Instrument plug-in or an external
MIDI Keyboard Window MIDI device).
The Pro Tools MIDI Keyboard window lets you
5 Record enable the track.
play MIDI notes from your computer keyboard.
For example, if you press A on your computer key- 6 Press the keys on your computer keyboard cor-
board, it plays C; if you press T on the keyboard, it responding to the notes you want (or click keys
plays F#/Gb. You can also click in the MIDI Key- in the MIDI Keyboard window).
board window to play notes. The key-to-note map-
7 To record, record arm the transport and press
pings are shown on the keyboard itself. The range
play.
is restricted to one octave since it is being played
by your computer keyboard, but you can transpose
that octave range down or up from –C2 to C8 using
the Z and X keys. You can also change the MIDI Recording System Exclusive
note velocity from 1–127 using the C and V keys. Data
Pro Tools supports recording and playing System
To open (or close) the MIDI Keyboard window, do
Exclusive data (Sysex) with MIDI tracks. This al-
one of the following:
lows you to use MIDI tracks in Pro Tools to store
 Select (or deselect) Window > MIDI Keyboard. patch and configuration data for your MIDI de-
 Press Shift+K. vices, or to record real-time Sysex changes for a
particular parameter of a MIDI device 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.

MIDI Keyboard window

594 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 In the MIDI Input Filter dialog, enable Only and To send Sysex data from Pro Tools to an external
System Exclusive. MIDI device:

1 For the device receiving the System Exclusive

3 Configure a MIDI track for recording (see
data, make sure its MIDI IN is connected to the
“Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for
MIDI interface’s MIDI OUT. Also, make sure
Recording” on page 584).
the device is set to receive Sysex. Some devices
4 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected require that memory protect be off. For more in-
(see “Record Modes” on page 543). formation, see the manufacturer’s instructions.
5 Record enable a MIDI track. 2 Make sure that the MIDI track containing the
Sysex data is not record enabled.
6 Enable Wait for Note in the Transport window.
3 Click the track’s MIDI Output selector and as-
7 To start recording from the beginning of the ses-
sign the device from the pop-up menu.
sion, click Return to Zero in the Transport.
4 Configure the external MIDI device to receive
8 When you are ready to begin recording, click
Sysex data according to the manufacturer’s in-
Record in the Transport window.
structions.
The Record, Play, and Wait for Note buttons flash,
5 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
indicating that Pro Tools is waiting for MIDI data.
Pro Tools begins playing and transmits the pre-
9 Initiate the Sysex transfer from the MIDI de- viously recorded Sysex to the assigned MIDI
vice, according to the manufacturer’s instruc- device.
tions. Pro Tools automatically begins recording
as soon as it starts to receive Sysex data.
10 When the Sysex transfer is complete, click Stop Recording Audio from a MIDI
in the Transport. Instrument
Typically, you will monitor the audio from MIDI
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
instruments (both hardware and plug-ins) using In-
clip in the track’s playlist, and in the Clips List.
strument and Auxiliary Input tracks. During the fi-
MIDI clips that contain System Exclusive data ap-
nal mixdown, audio from Instrument and Auxil-
pear blank when the Track View is set to Clips.
iary Input tracks can be included when using
To see the Sysex event blocks, which indicate the Bounce Mix, or on a bussed recording path if re-
location of the data, set the Track View to Sysex cording to a new track.
(see “Clips View for MIDI and Instrument Tracks”
When using instrument plug-ins, you may
on page 627).
want to record the audio from a MIDI in-
For information on moving and copying of strument to a new track before mixing in
Sysex data, see “System Exclusive Events” order to free up DSP resources.
on page 815.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 595

 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
Instrument track.
• Manually enter MIDI data in the Instrument
track.

You can also record the MIDI and audio from

your performance at the same time.

4 Create a new audio track with the same number

of channels as the Instrument track (such as ste-
reo).
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 selector Bus recording audio from an instrument plug-in
to the main monitoring path).
12 When your previously recorded MIDI perfor-
8 Record enable the audio track. mance is finished playing, click Stop in the
Transport to stop recording.
9 Do one of the following:
• To record from the beginning of the session,
click Return To Zero in the Transport.
• 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.

596 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Recording Audio from an
External MIDI Instrument Retrospective Record for
MIDI
You can record audio from an external MIDI in-
strument in one of two ways: When you play a MIDI controller (such as a USB
MIDI keyboard or trigger pad) along with the play-
• By bussing audio from the output of the Instru-
back of your Pro Tools session or project, your
ment (or Auxiliary Input) track used to monitor
MIDI performance is stored in a buffer by Pro
the MIDI instrument to an audio track for re-
Tools behind the scenes. As long as any MIDI or
cording.
Instrument is record-enabled, Pro Tools captures
• By setting the audio track’s Audio Input Path se- any MIDI performance during playback whether
lector to the same Audio Input Path as the Instru- you are recording or not. For example, if were
ment (or Auxiliary Input) track used for playing along with your session, but did not actu-
monitoring the external MIDI instrument. ally record your performance, Pro Tools captures
it for you. You can then place it on a MIDI or In-
This second method avoids any additional latency
strument track spotted to the exact time of your
associated with bussing. However, be sure to mute
original performance on the Timeline. Using Ret-
the Instrument (or Auxiliary Input) track used for
rospective Record, you won't lose that perfect
monitoring while recording the same audio path to
take or that great musical idea just because you
the audio track.
were only playing along with the session but not
actually recording.

Retrospective Record takes into account the

MIDI Import Filter settings. For example, if
Pitch Bend is filtered, but the Modulation
Wheel (MIDI CC 1) is not, when you perform
using both any Pitch Bend activity is excluded
while Modulation Wheel activity is included.

Pro Tools only captures your MIDI perfor-

mance when a MIDI or Instrument track is
record enabled, or if the Default Thru Instru-
ment in the Pro Tools MIDI preferences is set
to any option other than None (Setup > Pref-
erences > MIDI).

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 597

 To recover a MIDI performance that was played, but not recorded:
1 First, one of the following conditions must be met for Pro Tools to buffer any MIDI performance:
• There is at least one MIDI or Instrument track in the session and Default Thru Instrument is set to any
option other than None in the MIDI Preferences (Setup > Preferences > MIDI).
• Any MIDI or Instrument track is record enabled and its MIDI Input selector is set to either your MIDI
instrument or All.
2 Start playback of your Pro Tools session.
3 Play your MIDI controller along with session playback. You will hear your performance either from the
designated Default Thru Instrument (if one is assigned in the MIDI Preferences) or from the instrument
(virtual or hardware) assigned to the MIDI output of the record-enabled MIDI or Instrument track to
which your controller is assigned.

Instrument track record-enabled, Transport not record-enabled, MIDI performance sounds during playback

4 Choose Events > Retrospective Record.

Press Option+Shift+Z (Mac) or Alt+Shift+Z (Windows) to write your MIDI performance to the
record-enabled MIDI or Instrument track.

598 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools places your MIDI performance in the record-enabled track matching the time of the original per-
formance on the Timeline.

MIDI performance written to record enabled track using Retrospective Record command

Additional Behaviors with Retrospective Record for MIDI

 Pro Tools lets you apply Retrospective Record during playback.
 Pro Tools lets you play over a MIDI or Instrument track that already contains MIDI data. When using
Retrospective Record on a track that already contains MIDI data, your performance is written to and
merged with the existing MIDI data on that track.

Chapter 26: MIDI Recording 599

600 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes

Punch recording is used in many areas of audio TrackPunch (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) A nonde-
production for film, video, and music. structive Record mode that lets individual tracks
be punched in, punched out, and taken out of re-
cord enable without interrupting online recording
Introduction to Punch and playback.
Recording Modes DestructivePunch (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) A
Once basic track material has been recorded, it is destructive Record mode that maintains a single
often necessary to replace some, but not all, of the continuous audio file per punch track, and lets in-
audio that makes up each track. Punch recording dividual tracks be punched in, punched out, and
lets you manually punch one or more audio tracks taken out of record enable without interrupting
in and out of recording without stopping the Trans- online recording and playback.
port.
To automatically punch in and out on
You do not need to use QuickPunch or any record-enabled audio tracks over a specific
other audio punch recording mode to punch range, see “Audio Punch Recording Over a
record with MIDI tracks. MIDI tracks can be Specified Range” on page 567.
punched while in Normal (Nondestructive)
Record mode, and in Destructive Record
mode. Guidelines for Punch
Recording
Pro Tools Punch Recording This topic lists the basic settings and guidelines for
Modes Pro Tools punch recording, including the follow-
Pro Tools provides three different manual punch ing:
recording modes: • “Voice Requirements for Punch Recording” on
page 602.
QuickPunch A nondestructive Record mode that
lets record-enabled tracks be punched in and • “Delay Compensation and DestructivePunch
punched out during playback by clicking the Re- Mode” on page 603.
cord button in the Transport. QuickPunch mode is • “Audio Files, Clips and Takes” on page 603.
available on all systems.
• “Preferences for Punch Recording” on page 604
(for crossfades, as well as transport and monitor
configuration settings).

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 601

 Voice Requirements for If the required number of voices for the record-en-
Punch Recording abled tracks is not available when switching to
QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or DestructivePunch
The maximum number of tracks that can be
mode, you are prompted to free up the necessary
punched depends on the type of system you are us-
voices.
ing, as well as the number of available voices. The
following topics provide guidelines for voice us- To make more voices available for punch
age with punch recording that can be useful when recording:
managing resources during sessions.
 Identify tracks that are not record-enabled, and
Pro Tools do not need to be heard while recording, and do
any of the following:
(QuickPunch Only)
• Set voice assignments for tracks to Off.
QuickPunch capabilities for Pro Tools depends on
• Make tracks inactive.
the total number of voices available. This will vary
depending on the number of tracks and plug-ins in • Group all Native plug-ins before DSP plug-ins.
use in the current session (which affects the num-
Voices that are in use by other tracks, but not
ber of available voices).
record-enabled, may be “stolen” during punch re-
QuickPunch uses CPU processing power, cording as necessary.
and may reduce the number of tracks and
When any punch recording mode is enabled, voice
plug-ins you can use.
playback priority is as follows (from highest to
lowest playback priority):
For details on voice capabilities, see • Tracks with assigned voices that are not
“Pro Tools Artist Capabilities with Different record-enabled.
Hardware Configurations” on page 39.
• Tracks with assigned voices that are record-en-
To make more voices available for punch abled.
recording:
• Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing that
1 Identify tracks that are not record-enabled, and are not record-enabled.
do not need to be heard while recording.
• Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing that
2 Make those tracks inactive. are record-enabled.

Pro Tools Ultimate If a session has plenty of available voices, you

should have no trouble punch recording tracks us-
(QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and
DestructivePunch)
ing Dynamically Allocated Voicing. However, if
you are running out of voices, and want to ensure
When using any punch recording mode with that a track is heard when punch recording, be sure
Pro Tools Ultimate, two voices are required for to set the voicing tracks that you don’t need to
each record-enabled mono track. This means that punch into to Off.
you can punch record up to half the total number of
voices available on your system.

602 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Delay Compensation and To apply Delay Compensation to all selected
DestructivePunch Mode tracks where Delay Compensation was
suspended, do one of the following:
When using DestructivePunch to punch in on an
 Shift-Right-click the Track Compensation indi-
existing recording, make sure the Delay Compen-
cator on the track and select Auto Low Latency
sation settings are the same as when the original
Off.
file was recorded. If they differ, the punched-in au-
dio will not be time-accurate to the original record-  Command-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Con-
ing. trol-Start-Shift-click (Windows) the Track
Compensation indicator on the track.
 If Delay Compensation was inactive when re-
cording the original file, it should be deactivated For more information, see “Delay
while using DestructivePunch. Compensation” on page 1142.
 If Delay Compensation was active when record-
ing the original file, it should be kept active while Audio Files, Clips and Takes
using DestructivePunch.
QuickPunch and TrackPunch Modes
To ensure that the Delay Compensation path on re-
QuickPunch and TrackPunch are nondestructive
cord tracks remains consistent while using De-
recording modes. Instead of replacing audio while
structivePunch, you need to prevent Pro Tools
punching, QuickPunch and TrackPunch create
from using the Low Latency monitoring path when
new audio files for each pass (a pass is one cycle of
record tracks switch to Input monitoring.
starting and stopping the Transport).
To apply Delay Compensation to a track where Pro Tools begins recording a new audio file when
Delay Compensation was suspended, do one of
the following:
playback begins, automatically generating clips in
that file at each punch-in and punch-out point. Up
 Right-click the Track Compensation indicator to 200 of these “running punches” can be per-
on the track and select Auto Low Latency Off. formed in a single pass. QuickPunch and Track-
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control- Punch provide instantaneous monitor switching on
Start-click (Windows) the Track Compensation punch-out.
indicator on the track.
After recording with QuickPunch or TrackPunch,
the new audio clips appear in the Clips List. This
includes the whole-file audio clip encompassing
all punches from the record pass, along with the
clips derived for each punch.

Names for the punched clips are numbered consec-

utively starting with “01.” For example, if Quick-
Punch is used to punch in twice on a track called
“Lead Gtr,” a clip for the parent audio file appears
and is named “Lead Gtr_01,” and two clips for the
punches are named “Lead Gtr_01-01” and “Lead
Gtr_01-02.”

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 603

 If you stop playback and record additional punches QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length
with QuickPunch (or TrackPunch), a new whole
Pro Tools can automatically write a crossfade for
file clip is created (since one is created for each
each punch point when using QuickPunch and
pass), and subsequent clips are named by incre-
TrackPunch. The length for these crossfades is set
menting the first two digits in the name. For exam-
with the QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade
ple, on the second pass, the punched clips are
Length option on the Editing Preferences page.
named “Lead Gtr_02-01,” “Lead Gtr_02-02,” and
so forth. To set the QuickPunch/TrackPunch Crossfade
Length:
DestructivePunch Mode
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
DestructivePunch is a destructive recording mode Editing tab.
which permanently replaces pre-existing track ma-
2 Enter a new value (in msec) for the Quick-
terial with newly recorded “punch” audio.
Punch/TrackPunch CrossFade Length. A good
Pro Tools only records while tracks are punched
general-purpose crossfade length for punches is
in, inserting new material and replacing audio in
10 milliseconds. If you set the preference to
the track playlist.
zero, Pro Tools will not create any crossfades at
the punch-in/out points.
Preferences for Punch
Recording 3 Click OK.
(Crossfade, Transport, and Record Settings)
If a value other than zero is specified for the Quick-
Pro Tools provides several punch-related prefer- Punch/TrackPunch Crossfade Length, Pro Tools
ence settings that let you specify how crossfades, writes a pre-crossfade at the punch-in point (the
monitoring and transport functions are to perform fade occurs up to but not into the punched clip
during and after recording passes. These settings boundary), and a post-crossfade at punch-out (after
optimize Pro Tools fades, transport and track be- the punched clip).
havior for different types of tasks, including dub-
Regardless of the current QuickPunch/TrackPunch
bing, mixing, and overdubbing.
Crossfade Length setting, Pro Tools always exe-
Crossfades while Punch Recording
cutes a 4 millisecond “monitor only” crossfade
(which is not written to disk) to avoid distracting
Pro Tools places crossfades at each in and out pops or clicks that might occur as you enter and
point, for smooth transitions between punch clips. exit record mode.
You can specify the crossfade length for Quick-
Punch and TrackPunch modes (DestructivePunch DestructivePunch and Crossfades
uses a fixed crossfade length which cannot be
DestructivePunch uses a fixed 10-millisecond lin-
changed). After punch recording is completed, all
ear crossfade at each in and out point. After punch
crossfades can be edited in the same manner as
recording is completed, crossfades can be edited in
standard crossfades (see Chapter 32, “Fades and
the same manner as standard crossfades (see
Crossfades”).
Chapter 32, “Fades and Crossfades”).

604 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Transport and Record Settings Destructive Recording and Transport
RecordLock
Transport and Record preferences for punch re-
cording appear on the Operation Preferences page. As a precaution against accidentally recording
These preferences specify how track and Transport over previous material, the Transport RecordLock
record status respond during, between, and after option is automatically disabled and grayed out
punches and passes. 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 behavior of a digital
dubber.
TrackPunch preferences
For examples of how these settings can be ap-
Transport RecordLock plied, see “Example TrackPunch and De-
structivePunch Workflows” on page 615.
This setting lets the Transport Record be config-
ured to either emulate a digital dubber, or to main-
Synchronization and Track
tain legacy behavior for the Transport master Re-
Arming Options for Punch
cord. Recording
 When not enabled, the Transport Record dis-
Synchronization settings for online punch record-
arms when Pro Tools is manually stopped or stops ing vary depending on the type and capabilities of
due to a loss of timecode. This replicates legacy your Pro Tools system and other devices in your
Pro Tools recording behavior. studio.
 When enabled, the Transport Record remains
For basic timecode and synchronization
armed when playback or recording stops. This
information for Pro Tools, see Chapter 60,
saves having to re-arm the Transport between
“Working with Synchronization.”
takes, emulating digital dubber behavior.

Punching out of record by pressing Record

on the Transport takes the transport out of re-
cord enable.

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 605

 Pro Tools Ultimate with MachineControl lets you 2 Check or reconfigure the crossfade setting for
remotely arm tracks on supported 9-pin decks (or punch recording (see “QuickPunch/TrackPunch
V-LAN for Transport only). Crossfade Length” on page 604).

Choose Setup > Machine Track Arming 3 Click the track Record Enable button to record
Profiles to configure your system, and choose enable each track on which you want to punch
Window > Machine Track Arming to display in.
the Machine Track Arming window.
If you cannot record enable tracks due to
voice limitations, see “Voice Requirements
For information on remote track arming for Punch Recording” on page 602.
with MachineControl, see Chapter 57,
“MachineControl.” 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.
QuickPunch Audio Recording 5 Start playback by clicking Play in the Transport
QuickPunch is available on all systems and lets window.
you instantaneously punch in and out all record- 6 Do one of the following:
enabled audio tracks during playback by clicking
• When you reach the punch-in point, click Re-
the Record button in the Transport.
cord in the Transport.
Many Pro Tools systems also let you use a • For Pro Tools systems that support using a con-
footswitch to punch in and out. See the guide nected footswitch, step on the footswitch at the
that came with your Pro Tools audio inter- punch-in point.
face or control surface.
The Record button stops flashing and stays lit
Recording with QuickPunch during recording.
7 To punch out, click Record again (or step on the
To punch record with QuickPunch:
footswitch).
1 Do one of the following:
As Pro Tools continues playing, you can perform
• Select Options > QuickPunch.
additional punches (up to 200). When recording
• Right-click the Record button in the Transport multiple punches during a single pass, a single au-
and select QuickPunch. dio file is recorded from which Pro Tools creates
the appropriate clips.
When QuickPunch is enabled, a “P” appears in the
Record button in the Transport. After a QuickPunch recording pass, the punched
track’s playlist in the Edit window displays the
clips created by punching. You can use any of the
Trim tools after punch recording to open up the
head or tail of QuickPunch recorded clips, or to re-
veal the parent audio file that was recorded in the
background. This lets you compensate for any late
QuickPunch enabled or missed punches.

606 Pro Tools Reference Guide

For information on file and clip naming, see “Au- TrackPunch Setup
dio Files, Clips and Takes” on page 603.
Before using TrackPunch in a record pass you
QuickPunch with an Edit Selection must configure Pro Tools, session, and track set-
tings.
If you make an Edit selection and use QuickPunch,
the following rules apply: Configuring Pro Tools
• If the Transport is not online, recording begins
To configure Pro Tools:
and stops whenever you click the Record button
in the Transport—regardless of the selection’s 1 Configure tracks, voicing, and other Track-
start or end point. Punch settings as needed (see “Guidelines for
Punch Recording” on page 601).
• If the Transport is online, punch-in/out behavior
is controlled by the Online Options setting on 2 Make sure Pro Tools is not recording or playing
the Operation Preferences page. back (the Transport is stopped).
• If you select Record Online at Insertion/
Selection, QuickPunch punches in and out Enabling TrackPunch Mode
only within the selection (or in the case of an
insertion point, only after the insertion point). To enable TrackPunch mode:

• If you select Record Online at Timecode  Do any of the following:

Lock, QuickPunch disregards the selection • Select Options > TrackPunch.
and punches in and out whenever you want
• Right-click the Record button in the Transport,
(after Pro Tools has locked to timecode).
and select TrackPunch from the pop-up menu.
For information about online playback with • Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
Pro Tools, see the User Guide that came with the Record button in the Transport to cycle
your system. For information about synchro- through available Record modes until Track-
nization with TrackPunch and Destructive- Punch mode is selected (a “T” indicates Track-
Punch recording, see “Synchronization and Punch mode).
Track Arming Options for Punch Recording”
• Press Command+Shift+T (Mac) or Con-
on page 605.
trol+Shift+T (Windows).

Transport Display of TrackPunch Status

TrackPunch Audio Recording
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only) TrackPunch Record Enable
enabled Status indicator
TrackPunch mode lets you punch tracks in and out
individually (one at a time) or punch multiple
tracks in and out simultaneously. TrackPunch is a
nondestructive punch mode which leaves previous
Input Status
material on disk. (To destructively replace audio indicator
on disk, see “DestructivePunch Audio Recording” TrackPunch and TrackInput Status indicators in the
on page 610). Transport window

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 607

 The Transport Record button indicates Track- To TrackPunch enable or disable all selected audio
Punch and Record status as follows: tracks:

 Option-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or
When TrackPunch mode is enabled: Alt-Start-Shift-click (Windows) a track’s
 A “T” appears in the Record button in the Record Enable button.
Transport.
When TrackPunch enabled, Track record enable
 If at least one track is TrackPunch-enabled, the buttons light solid blue.
Record button lights solid blue.
Create track groups for each stem or set of
tracks on which you plan to punch, then use
the Groups List to quickly select all tracks in
the group.

TrackPunch mode, with at least one TrackPunch- Track Record Status Display
enabled track
Each track’s Record Enable button indicates its
When TrackPunch mode is enabled and the
transport is armed for recording: TrackPunch and record enable status as follows:

 If no tracks are TrackPunch-enabled, the Re- • When a track is TrackPunch-enabled but not re-
cord button in the Transport flashes gray and red. cord-enabled, its Record Enable button lights
solid blue.
 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 recording,
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 Track-
Punch enable tracks without record enabling
them).
Record Enable button, enabled

To TrackPunch enable one audio track: • When a track is both TrackPunch-enabled and
 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) record-enabled, its Record enable button flashes
the track’s Record Enable button. blue and red.
• When a track is record-enabled only, its Record
To TrackPunch enable or disable all audio tracks: Enable button flashes red.
 Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click • While a track is recording (in any mode), its Re-
(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button. cord Enable button lights solid red.

608 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 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.

Red (not flashing) indicates recording (all modes) 3 Click Record in the Transport to enter the
TrackPunch Record Ready mode. The Record
Monitoring and Levels button flashes blue and red.

To complete the setup for TrackPunch: 4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.

1 Configure monitoring for record-enabled tracks 5 During playback, punch in and out on individ-
by selecting a mode from the Track menu, or us- ual TrackPunch-enabled tracks by clicking their
ing the TrackInput button, as appropriate. respective Record Enable buttons.
Choices include: 6 While continuing local or remote playback, do
• Set Record Tracks to Auto Input any of the following:
• Set Record Tracks to Input Only • Punch in on other TrackPunch enabled tracks
individually.
Selecting either monitoring mode only affects
tracks that are record-enabled. • After punching out, take tracks out of record
enable then record enable different Track-
2 Start playback and compare levels of the input Punch enabled tracks.
source with audio on disk. Click the TrackInput • Repeat as needed to punch other stems,
button to toggle the track source. When lit tracks, or takes.
(green), the track is monitoring input. When un-
lit (gray), the track is monitoring from disk (see 7 Stop playback. When you are finished with the
“Selecting Record Monitor Modes with Track- record pass, track Record Enable status and
Input Monitoring” on page 554). transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record-
3 When you are satisfied with your levels, you are Lock preference settings.
ready to start punch recording.
After a TrackPunch recording pass, the punched
track’s playlist in the Edit window displays the
Using TrackPunch clips created by punching. You can use any of the
Trim tools after punch recording to open up the
After you have configured Pro Tools, tracks, and head or tail of TrackPunch recorded clips, or to re-
levels, you can record with TrackPunch in several veal the parent audio file that was recorded in the
ways. background. This lets you compensate for any late
or missed punches.
Punching In on Individual Tracks
For information on file and clip naming, see “Au-
To punch in on individual tracks: dio Files, Clips and Takes” on page 603.
1 Make sure Pro Tools is in TrackPunch mode.

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 609

 Punching In on Multiple Tracks 5 During playback, punch out and back in on in-
Simultaneously dividual TrackPunch-enabled tracks by clicking
their respective Record Enable buttons.
To punch in on multiple tracks simultaneously:
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with the
1 Enable TrackPunch mode.
record pass, track Record Enable status and
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track transport Record Arm status follow the current
you want to punch in, so that the track is both Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record-
TrackPunch- and Record-enabled. The track’s Lock preference settings.
Record Enable button flashes blue and red.
3 Do one of the following:
DestructivePunch Audio
• During playback, click Record in the Transport
Recording
to punch in and out on all TrackPunch-enabled
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
tracks simultaneously.
• Click Record in the Transport first, then Option- DestructivePunch is a destructive recording mode
Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) a that lets you punch in and out on during playback,
track’s Record Enable button to simultaneously while preserving a contiguous audio file on each
punch in and out on all currently selected Track- punched track. Like TrackPunch mode, Destruc-
Punch enabled tracks. tivePunch mode lets you punch tracks in and out
individually (one at a time) or punch multiple
4 Stop playback. When you are finished with the tracks in and out simultaneously.
record pass, track Record Enable status and
transport Record Arm status follow the current Unlike QuickPunch and TrackPunch, Destructive-
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record- Punch replaces audio within the target parent file.
Lock preference settings. DestructivePunch is essentially a destructive ver-
sion of TrackPunch mode. Where TrackPunch al-
Start Recording on All Tracks ways records audio to a new file in the background,
DestructivePunch destructively records audio di-
You can choose to begin a punch pass in record, to rectly into the original file, using a fixed 10-milli-
punch out and back in as needed. second linear crossfade. No additional clips are
created when recording in DestructivePunch
To punch in on all tracks:
mode. Up to 200 “running punches” can be per-
1 Enable TrackPunch mode (see “Transport Dis- formed in a track during a single DestructivePunch
play of TrackPunch Status” on page 607). pass.
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track DestructivePunch recording is not supported
you want to punch in, so that the track is both with AudioSuite rendered clips with handles.
TrackPunch- and Record-enabled. The track’s You can consolidate such clips if you need to
Record Enable button flashes blue and red. use DestructivePunch.
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.
610 Pro Tools Reference Guide
DestructivePunch Setup Transport Display of DestructivePunch
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only) Status

Before using DestructivePunch in a record pass When DestructivePunch mode is enabled:

you must configure Pro Tools, session, and track  The letters “DP” appear in the Record button in
settings. the Transport.
Configuring Pro Tools for  If at least one track is DestructivePunch-en-
DestructivePunch abled, the Record button in the Transport lights
solid blue.
To configure Pro Tools:
1 Configure tracks, voicing, and other settings as
needed (see “Guidelines for Punch Recording”
on page 601).
2 Make sure Pro Tools is not recording or playing Transport Record Enable button with
DestructivePunch mode enabled
back (the Transport is stopped).
When DestructivePunch mode is enabled and the
transport is armed for recording:
Enabling DestructivePunch
Mode  If no tracks are DestructivePunch-enabled, the
Record button in the Transport flashes gray and
To enable DestructivePunch mode:
red.
 Do one of the following:
 If at least one track is DestructivePunch-en-
• Select Options > DestructivePunch. abled, the Record button flashes blue and red.
• Right-click the Record button in the Transport  If at least one DestructivePunch-enabled track
and select DestructivePunch. is also record enabled, the Record button flashes
• Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) blue and red, and the record LED lights.
the Record button in the Transport to cycle
 Whenever at least one audio track is recording,
through available Record modes until Destruc-
the Record button lights solid red.
tivePunch mode is indicated by “DP” in the
Transport Record Enable button.

Power waveform view is not available in

Destructive Punch mode.

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 611

 Preparing Tracks for Using the Prepare DPE Tracks
DestructivePunch Recording Command

In order for a track to be enabled for Destructive- To prepare a track for DestructivePunch
Punch recording, the track must contain a contigu- recording:
ous audio file that meets the following require- 1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enabling De-
ments: structivePunch Mode” on page 611).
• The file must start at the beginning (sample 0) of
2 Make sure the tracks you want to prepare are
the session.
DestructivePunch-enabled (see “Destructive-
• The File Length must be equal to or greater than Punch Enabling Tracks without Record En-
the DestructivePunch File Length setting (see abling Them” on page 613).
“DestructivePunch File Length” on page 612).
3 Choose Options > Prepare DPE Tracks.
If a track does not contain a file that meets these re-
quirements, you can do any of the following to Pro Tools consolidates audio on all Destructive-
meet the requirements: Punch-enabled tracks from the beginning of the
session to the value specified in the Destructive-
• Move the current file in the track Timeline so Punch File Length preference.
that its beginning aligns with the session start.
• Use the Consolidate command to create a con- For clips with any clip gain settings other
tinuous file of the required length. than 0 dB, the Prepare DPE Tracks com-
mand automatically renders all clip gain and
• Change the DestructivePunch File Length set-
resets all clip gain to 0 dB.
ting so that the current file is equal to or greater
than the required length.
Enabling Tracks for
• Use the Prepare DPE Tracks command to con- DestructivePunch Recording
solidate audio on all DestructivePunch-enabled
You can enable tracks for DestructivePunch with-
tracks. (See “Using the Prepare DPE Tracks
out record enabling them. This lets you punch in on
Command” on page 612.)
individual tracks at any time after starting play-
DestructivePunch File Length back by clicking their respective Record Enable
buttons.
To use DestructivePunch on an audio track, the
track must contain a contiguous audio file of a You can also simultaneously DestructivePunch en-
minimum length, which is set in the Pro Tools Op- able tracks and record enable them. This lets re-
eration preferences page. cording begin as soon as the transport is record-
armed and playback begins. (See “Destructive-
To set DestructivePunch File Length: Punch-Enabling and Record-Enabling Tracks Si-
multaneously” on page 613.)
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.

2 Type a value for DestructivePunch File Length.

3 Click OK.

612 Pro Tools Reference Guide

DestructivePunch Enabling Tracks To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and
without Record Enabling Them record enable all audio tracks:

This method lets you use the Prepare DPE Tracks  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a
command to consolidate files for Destructive- track’s Record Enable button. All tracks’ Re-
Punch recording. cord Enable buttons flash blue and red.

To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and

To DestructivePunch-enable an audio track:
record enable all selected audio tracks:
 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
the track’s Record Enable button to toggle the
(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button. The
button to solid blue.
Record Enable buttons for the selected audio
To DestructivePunch-enable all audio tracks:
tracks flash blue and red.

 Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click Track Record Status Display

(Windows) a track’s Record Enable button to
toggle all Record Enable buttons to solid blue. When Pro Tools is in DestructivePunch mode,
each track’s Record Enable button indicates its De-
To DestructivePunch-enable all selected audio structivePunch and record enable status as follows:
tracks:
• When a track is both DestructivePunch-enabled
 Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Start- and record-enabled, its Record Enable button
Shift-click (Windows) a track’s Record Enable flashes blue and red.
button to toggle the Record Enable buttons for • When a track is DestructivePunch-enabled but
the selected audio tracks solid blue. not record-enabled, its Record Enable button
lights solid blue.
Create a VCA group for each stem or set of
tracks on which you plan to punch, and use • When a track is record-enabled only, its
the VCA Record Enable button to arm all Record Enable button flashes red.
tracks in the group for DestructivePunch. For • While a track is recording (in any mode), its
more information, see “VCA Master Tracks” Record Enable button lights solid red.
on page 1107.

DestructivePunch-Enabling and Monitoring and Levels

Record-Enabling Tracks
Simultaneously To complete the setup for DestructivePunch:
1 Configure monitoring for record-enabled tracks
This method can be used when tracks already meet
by selecting a mode from the Track menu, as ap-
the requirements for DestructivePunch recording.
propriate. Choices include:
To simultaneously DestructivePunch enable and • Set Record Tracks to Auto Input
record enable an audio track:
• Set Record Tracks to Input Only
 Click the track’s Record Enable button. The
track’s Record Enable button flashes blue and Selecting either monitoring mode only affects
red. tracks that are record-enabled.
2 Start playback.

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 613

 3 To compare levels of the input source with au- Punching In on Multiple Tracks
dio on disk, click the TrackInput button. When
lit (green), the track is monitoring input. When To punch in on multiple tracks simultaneously:
unlit (gray), the track is monitoring from disk 1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enabling De-
(see “Selecting Record Monitor Modes with structivePunch Mode” on page 611).
TrackInput Monitoring” on page 554).
2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
When you are satisfied with your levels, you are you want to punch in, so that the track is both
ready to start punch recording. DestructivePunch-enabled and Record-enabled.
Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue
and red.
Using DestructivePunch 3 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
After you have configured Pro Tools, tracks, and 4 During playback, click Record in the Transport
levels, you can use DestructivePunch to record in to punch in and out on all DestructivePunch-en-
several ways. abled tracks simultaneously.
5 Stop playback. When you are finished with the
Punching In On Single Tracks record pass, track Record Enable status and
To punch in on single tracks:
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record-
1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enabling De- Lock preference settings.
structivePunch Mode” on page 611).
2 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) Starting Recording Immediately
the Record Enable button for each track you on Multiple Tracks
want to punch in, so that the track is Destruc-
tivePunch-enabled only. The track’s Record En- To punch in on multiple tracks:
able button lights solid blue. 1 Enable DestructivePunch mode (“Enabling De-
structivePunch Mode” on page 611).
3 Click Record in the Transport to enter Record
Ready mode. The Record Enable button flashes 2 Click the Record Enable button on each track
blue and red. you want to punch in, so that the track is both
DestructivePunch-enabled and Record-enabled.
4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
Each track’s Record Enable button flashes blue
5 During playback, punch in and out on individ- and red.
ual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by click-
3 Click Record in the Transport to enter Record
ing their Record Enable buttons.
Ready mode. The Record button flashes blue
6 Stop playback. When you are finished with the and red.
record pass, track Record Enable status and
4 Click Play in the Transport to begin playback.
transport Record Arm status follow the current
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record- 5 During playback, punch out and back in on in-
Lock preference settings. dividual DestructivePunch-enabled tracks by
clicking their respective Record Enable buttons.

614 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 Stop playback. When you are finished with the Because Pro Tools can be networked, TrackPunch
record pass, track Record Enable status and (and all other) audio files and whole sessions can
transport Record Arm status follow the current be available for secure transfer to other systems for
Audio Track RecordLock and Transport Record- review, editing, and archiving.
Lock preference settings.
Film Dubbing and Mixing

Example TrackPunch and Film dubbing and mixing features of TrackPunch

DestructivePunch Workflows and DestructivePunch let you do the following:
• Arm and punch Pro Tools audio tracks remotely
TrackPunch and DestructivePunch let you use
from a master synchronizer such as SoundMas-
Pro Tools punch recording in many ways. For ex-
ter through P2 commands, at any time, without
ample, DestructivePunch lets Pro Tools be used as
having to stop playback and while maintaining
a digital dubber for film re-recording (dubbing)
timecode lock (requires MachineControl).
and mixing (see “Film Dubbing and Mixing” on
page 615). • Toggle Pro Tools audio tracks between input and
disk monitoring.
If you are not already familiar with routing,
selecting, and grouping Pro Tools tracks, Do not use any Native plug-ins on any tracks
see Chapter 13, “Tracks” and Chapter 50, that are Record or TrackInput–enabled. You
“Basic Mixing.” will hear an audible click as Native plug-ins
on those tracks are automatically bypassed.
Keyboard shortcuts and preference settings for re-
cording and input monitoring provide flexibility • Use Pro Tools as the timecode master (generat-
that makes TrackPunch or DestructivePunch ing) or when chasing external timecode.
equally useful for the following workflows com- • Punch non-destructively with TrackPunch, or
monly performed in film, video, and music pro- destructively with DestructivePunch.
duction:
A typical pre-dub session includes the following
• Loading dailies (see “Loading Dailies Using Re-
steps:
cordLock” on page 616)
1 Configure synchronization between Pro Tools
• Recording Foley (see “Foley Recording” on
and other devices as appropriate.
page 617)
2 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
• Tracking and overdubbing in music production
Operation tab.
and any other recording situation (see “Tracking
and Overdubbing Music” on page 617) 3 Select (enable) Transport RecordLock. This
keeps the Transport Record armed after the
Throughout these examples, references to transport stops.
TrackPunch can also be applied to Destruc-
tivePunch (just remember that TrackPunch is In Remote mode, Transport RecordLock has
nondestructive, while DestructivePunch is a no effect. The synchronizer determines the
destructive punch mode). behavior.

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 615

 4 Deselect Audio Track RecordLock. This causes Loading Dailies Using
the audio track record to disarm when the trans- RecordLock
port stops.
Dailies and similar types of transfers are com-
In Remote mode, Audio Track RecordLock prised of multiple takes or scenes, each recorded
has no effect. The synchronizer determines while locked to unique time-of-day timecode. In
the behavior. between each take, timecode does not continue but
stops completely. Because of this, the timecode on
5 Do one of the following: dailies and similar source material is said to be
• Select Options > TrackPunch to enable “discontinuous” (also known as broken timecode).
TrackPunch mode for non-destructive punch By default, Pro Tools drops out of recording when
recording. it goes offline due to broken timecode. However,
• Select Options > DestructivePunch to enable you can change this behavior so that Pro Tools will
DestructivePunch recording. instead remain armed, waiting to begin recording
again when lock is re-established with the time-
6 Create 32 new tracks
code of the next take.
7 Assign the track inputs.
To configure RecordLock for loading:
8 Group the tracks into groups of eight.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
9 Click the record enable buttons in the first eight Operation tab.
tracks to TrackPunch enable the first eight
tracks (or, the group for the first pre-dub). 2 Enable Transport RecordLock.
3 Enable Audio Track RecordLock.
Use the Groups List to quickly select all
tracks in the group, and Option-Shift-click 4 Configure synchronization and other settings as
(Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) to record- required.
enable all the tracks in the group.
5 Put Pro Tools online, and start the external
10 Assign the console paddles to the first eight- source player.
track group in the session. 6 Whenever timecode drops out or stops,
11 Begin the pre-dub pass. Use the console paddles Pro Tools remains online and waits to receive
to arm Pro Tools, and to punch in and out on the new timecode. The Transport and record-en-
first group. abled tracks remain record-enabled. When
timecode resumes, Pro Tools begins recording
12 When the first pre-dub is over and all tracks are to a new audio file (properly time stamped
punched out, clear all TrackPunch or Destruc- based on the incoming code).
tivePunch enabled tracks.
Because Pro Tools has a 24-hour Timeline
13 Select the next group of tracks and TrackPunch-
limit, you must use multiple sessions to load
or DestructivePunch-enable them.
dailies if the span is more than 24 hours.
14 Punch in and out on the second group of tracks.
15 Repeat the preceding steps as necessary.

616 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Foley Recording • Punch tracks in and out using on-screen Record
Enable buttons, remotely from a synchronizer,
Foley recording is one of the more specialized
from a control surface, or using a foot switch.
forms of recording in film production with unique
monitoring requirements. Between punches and • Compare and match levels using TrackInput
takes, inputs must be muted while Foley artists switching.
move themselves and equipment as they progress
through a scene. “In-the-box” Dubbing
(HDX Only)
TrackInput monitoring can be configured to sup-
port Foley style TrackPunch recording using the Work with Danny C on:
Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped prefer-
ence. How to use cascade mode with a standalone
recorder
To configure Pro Tools for Foley-style punch
record monitoring:
oNecessity of adding aux tracks to the inputs,
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the not documented
Operation tab.
oThat you can't use Native plugs, but the
2 Enable Mute Record-Armed Tracks While workaround if you have to use a native
Stopped. metering plug in
3 Configure synchronization and other settings
for Pro Tools and your other devices. Pro Tools Ultimate software with HDX hardware
lets you punch in and out of cascaded tracks. You
4 Enable TrackPunch or DestructivePunch mode can activate and deactivate recording or input
and proceed with punch recording. monitoring on tracks in all punch modes (and in
punch modes only): QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and
When recording online and Mute Record-Armed
DestructivePunch.
Tracks While Stopped is enabled, record-enabled
tracks mute when the Transport is stopped. Input Workflow example for configuring “in-the-box”
can still be monitored at any time by using the dubbing:
TrackInput switch.
1 Using internal busses, route your source tracks,
by stem (for example, dialog, music, and ef-
Tracking and Overdubbing fects), to your record tracks (see Figure 1 on
Music page 618).
Modern multitrack recording requires the flexibil- 2 Route your stem source tracks to your print
ity to “capture the moment” by allowing on-the-fly master track (such as a 5.1 audio track).
record enabling and punch recording, as provided
by TrackPunch. Features of TrackPunch for all
tracking, overdubbing, and punching situations in-
clude the following:
• Record enable tracks while the transport is mov-
ing.

Chapter 27: Punch Recording Modes 617

 3 When encoding an LTRT, also route your stem 8 Disable Auto Low Latency for all Record-en-
source tracks to a 5.1 Auxiliary Input track with abled and InputMonitoring-enabled audio
an AAX DSP LTRT encoder plug-in; or, use a tracks (blue mode) by doing one of the follow-
pre-fader send from the print master track for ing:
LTRT encoding. Note that only AAX DSP • Right-click the Track Compensation indica-
LTRT encoders are supported with this work- tor on the track and select Auto Low Latency
flow. Off.
4 Route the output of the LTRT encoded track to a • Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
stereo Auxiliary Input track for monitoring (ste- Start-click (Windows) the Track Compensa-
reo). tion indicator on the track.
5 Route the LTRT Auxiliary Input track to a ste- 9 Ensure that all plug-ins on tracks that are Re-
reo audio track for recording. cord-enabled or InputMonitoring-enabled are
AAX DSP plug-ins. Using AAX Native plug-
6 Route the output of your LTRT-encoded stereo
ins will result in audible artifacts as they will be
audio track to an Auxiliary Input track to moni-
bypassed and unbypassed as you punch in and
tor LTRT decoding (stereo to 5.1). Note that
out.
only AAX DSP LTRT decoders are supported
with this workflow. 10 Prepare your punch tracks and begin your
punch-in and punch-out record pass.
7 Cascade as many tracks as you want for punch
recording.

Figure 1. In-the-box punch recording workflow example with cascading tracks

618 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part V: Editing
Chapter 28: Editing Basics

Use the Edit window in Pro Tools to edit and ar- Nondestructive Editing
range audio, video, and MIDI. Track material can
The vast majority of audio editing in Pro Tools is
be edited nondestructively and in real time during
nondestructive. Whether cutting, pasting, trim-
playback.
ming, separating, or clearing clips, you are only
The Edit window also lets you graphically edit performing these functions on a map of the actual
other data, as follows: media (such as audio files). The source files re-
main untouched. However, certain processes or
Editing Clips and Selections See Chapter 31, tools work destructively (can permanently change
“Editing Clips and Selections.” Also, see audio files on your hard disk), as noted in other
Chapter 41, “Arranging Clips.” topics.
Editing Fades and Crossfades See Chapter 32, While editing for MIDI tracks is in some instances
“Fades and Crossfades.” destructive, with a few precautions you can keep
Editing Elastic Audio See Chapter 45, “Elastic important MIDI tracks and clips safe when per-
Audio.” forming edits (see “Nondestructive MIDI Editing”
on page 630).
Editing MIDI See Chapter 35, “MIDI Editing.”

Editing Automation See Chapter 53, “Automa- Editing During Playback

tion.” Pro Tools lets you perform many editing tasks
Editing Video See Chapter 63, “Working with while the session plays. This powerful capability
Video in Pro Tools.” lets you interactively modify and edit a session,
hearing the changes as you make them.

Use Loop and Dynamic Transport modes for

auditioning and editing loops during play-
back. See “Playback Modes” on page 522.

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 621

 Following are just a few examples of editing and In addition to audio and MIDI clips, tracks provide
arranging tasks that can be performed while play- automation playlists of any automation data (such
ing back a Pro Tools session: as volume and pan). Automation can be recorded
• Capture, separate, cut, copy, paste, and trim clips and edited in the Mix, Edit, and MIDI Editor win-
dows (see Chapter 53, “Automation”).
• Place, spot, or rearrange clips
• Add fades or crossfades to audio clips Clip Types
• Quantize MIDI notes and audio events
There are different types of audio and MIDI clips,
• Transpose and otherwise modify MIDI tracks based on how they are created:
• Nudge audio or MIDI clips
For information on video clips, see
• Audition different playlists Chapter 63, “Working with Video in
• Adjust or scale automation and MIDI Pro Tools.”
continuous controller data
Whole-File Audio Clips These audio clips are cre-
• Insert real-time plug-ins ated when recording or importing audio, consoli-
• Apply Real-Time (and Rendered) Elastic dating existing clips, and when nondestructively
Audio processing processing with an AudioSuite plug-in. Whole-file
• Process audio with an AudioSuite plug-in audio clips reference an entire audio file that re-
sides on your hard drive. Whole-file audio clips are
• Automation editing displayed in bold in the Clips List (see Chapter 17,
There are a few things that cannot be changed “The Clips List”). Normal clips often reference
while Pro Tools plays, as noted in relevant topics. only a portion of the parent audio file and are cre-
ated in the course of editing and, in some instances,
when punch recording or loop recording.

Track Material User-Defined Clips These are clips that are explic-
itly defined, such as when you record or import au-
Each time you record or import audio, video, and
dio or MIDI; capture, separate, or consolidate a se-
MIDI, Pro Tools creates clips for the new track
lection; trim a whole-file audio clip; or rename an
data, which not only indicate where the material
existing clip.
begins and ends, but also provides visual feedback
on its general character and content. When you re- Auto-Created Clips These clips are automatically
cord additional takes, or “punch in” on a specific created in the course of editing, and, in some in-
location within a track, Pro Tools creates addi- stances, when punch recording over existing clips.
tional clips. Since these clips can accumulate rapidly in a ses-
sion, you can hide them in the Clips List. Auto-cre-
Clips are also created by cutting and pasting, resiz-
ated clips can be turned into user-defined clips by
ing, separating, and re-capturing existing clips.
renaming them.
Clips in a session are listed in the Clips List, where
they can be dragged to existing tracks. A track can For more information, see “Naming and Dis-
contain any number of clips, in any arrangement. playing Clips in the Clips List” on page 336.
The order and location of clips in a track define its
playlist.

622 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Offline Clips Clips are offline when their parent
files cannot be located, or are not available, when Audio Clips and Waveforms
opening a session or importing a track. Offline When the Track View for audio tracks is set to
clips appear in the Clips List as italicized and Waveform, Pro Tools draws a waveform diagram
dimmed; they appear in playlists as light blue clips of the audio. Audio waveforms tell you several
with italicized names. Offline clips can be edited things about the recorded sound.
like other clips, but they cannot be processed with
AudioSuite plug-ins.

Multichannel Clips These clips, which are dis-

played as a single clip in the Clips List, reference
multiple clips and audio files for stereo and sur-
round tracks. Multichannel clips can be expanded Audio waveform of a drum track
(by clicking the triangle next to their name) to see
In the figure above, the “peaks” represent places in
the individual channels, which can be dragged in-
the recording where the attack of the sound causes
dependently to tracks.
the volume to increase momentarily. These are fol-
Clip Groups A clip group is a collection of any lowed by “valleys,” where the volume decreases.
combination of audio and MIDI clips that looks
and acts like a single clip. Clip groups are essen- Different types of sounds produce different types
tially containers holding one or more clips. Clip of waveforms. Drums, for example, generally pro-
groups can be created on a single track or on mul- duce waveforms with sharp transients (peaks of
tiple adjacent audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks. short duration) that are clearly defined. A drum hit
Clip groups let you “nest” multiple clips into has a loud, sharp attack and a rapid decay.
“macro” clips for groove and tempo manipulation, Other sounds, such as vocals or sustained synthe-
editing, and arranging (see “Clip Groups” on sizer pads, produce very different waveforms.
page 967). These sounds have less pronounced peaks and val-
Warped Clips Clips on Real-Time Elastic Audio- leys because they generally have softer attacks and
enabled tracks can be warped. Warped clips are longer decays.
identified with a Warp Indicator icon in the upper-
right corner of clips on tracks and to the left of clip
names in the Clips List. Warped clips result from
the application of Elastic Audio processing. Elastic
Audio processing can be applied manually in Warp
view or using the TCE Trim Tool in Waveform
view, or automatically using tempo conform,
quantization, or transposition (see “Warped Clips”
on page 1033).

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 623

 Waveform Views Power When selected, the wave form display is
calculated according to the Root Mean Square
Pro Tools provides a several different Waveform (RMS). Power view can be used for normal or rec-
View options. Depending on the editing task, you tified views. Power view is useful for better seeing
may want to display waveforms in any number of the characteristics of the audio in the waveform
different ways. representation when zoomed out beyond the sam-
ple level. For mastering applications in particular,
Calculating Waveform it can be more revealing of the sonic characteristics
Overviews of the audio than Peak view.
Waveforms can be calculated using Peak or Power
overviews.

To set how the Waveform view is calculated:

 Choose View > Waveforms and select Peak or

Normal Power Waveform view with Outlines
Power

Peak When selected, the waveform display is cal- Peak view is always shown during recording.
culated based on the sample-by-sample peak level. Power waveform view is calculated and
Peak view is traditionally how Pro Tools calcu- shown only after you stop recording.
lates the waveform overview and can be used for
normal or rectified views. Peak view clearly dis-
plays any clipping in the waveform. Power view is not available in Destructive
Punch mode or when zoomed to the sample
level.

Rectified Waveforms
Rectified waveforms are displayed so that their
Normal Peak Waveform view with Outlines positive and negative waveform excursions (the
portions that fall above and below the center line)
When zoomed in to the sample level, are summed together and viewed as a single posi-
Pro Tools always displays Peak view. tive-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 bottom of the track. Recti-
fied view is available in both Peak and Power
views.

624 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To show waveforms rectified (or normally):

 Select (or deselect) View > Waveforms >

Rectified.

Power Waveform view without Outlines

Rectified Peak Waveform view with Outlines

Rectified Peak Waveform view without Outlines

Rectified Power Waveform view with Outlines

When zoomed in to the sample level,

Pro Tools always displays waveforms in Nor- Rectified Power Waveform view without Outlines
mal Peak view.
Overlapped Crossfades
Outlined Waveforms
Overlapped Crossfades view (View > Waveforms
Outlined waveforms provide more visual defini- > Overlapped Crossfades) lets you see the wave-
tion of the waveform, especially when viewed forms for both the end of the first clip and the be-
from a distance. However, you may want to disable ginning of the second clip within a crossfade. Use
Outlines when you need to do precise, detailed ed- this view option to help visually align crossfaded
iting in Peak waveform view. Outlines are not dis- audio.
played when you are zoomed in to the sample
level.

To show (or hide) waveform outlines:

 Select (or deselect) View > Waveforms >

Overlapped Crossfades view
Outlines.

Peak Waveform view without Outlines

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 625

 Guidelines for Editing Avoiding Clicks and Pops
Waveforms
If an edited clip begins or ends at a point of high
With the Selector tool in the Edit window, you can amplitude, you may hear a click when Pro Tools
select portions of audio waveforms and divide plays from one clip to another. In order to avoid
them into segments called clips, so that you can re- clicks or pops do any of the following:
arrange and manipulate them in tracks.
 Make sure that the start and end points of your
While editing musical material, try to create clips selection are as close as possible to the point where
that let you maintain a consistent beat. If you al- the amplitude of the waveform tapers down to
ways define clips so that they contain a whole meet the zero-crossing line (the center line of the
number of beats, you will be able to string the clips track’s waveform display). If necessary, use the
together and maintain a smooth, steady rhythm. zooming tools in the Edit window (see “Zooming
Options” on page 643) to display waveforms in
It is sometimes useful to have a steady, well-de- greater detail.
fined reference waveform (such as a drum track or
click track) as a guide when selecting and defining
other clips. If you have played in time with the
beat, it should be easier to create rhythmically ac-
curate clips by referring to the reference wave-
form. Selection that begins and ends at zero crossings

Some important rules to keep in mind when  Apply a crossfade between clips where a click
defining clips: or pop occurs. See “Creating a Crossfade” on
page 719 for details.
 Whenever possible, begin a clip precisely
before a volume peak, and end it immediately be-  With Pro Tools Ultimate, use the AutoFade fea-
fore another volume peak. ture to apply real-time fade-ins/outs to all clip
boundaries that do not touch or overlap other clips.
 Whenever possible, make sure a clip starts and See “Using AutoFades” on page 720 for details.
ends on exactly the same part of a beat.
 Use the following Pro Tools features to help Nondestructive Audio Editing
you edit rhythmic material or audio with clear tran-
sients into precise clips: When editing an audio track’s playlist in
Pro Tools, you are not actually cutting and moving
• Tab to Transients (see “Tabbing to Transients” pieces of sound as you would if you were cutting
on page 681.) and splicing analog tape. Instead, Pro Tools cre-
• Editing to a Grid (see “Grid Mode” on page 640) ates a map of the audio file on your hard disk,
• Beat Detective (see Chapter 34, “Beat Detec- which describes the order in which to play various
tive”) portions of the audio.

When trimming audio clips with any of the Trim

tools, or when editing the placement or order of
clips within a track, you can use multiple playlists
to easily return to a track’s previous state. For more
information, see “Playlists” on page 731.

626 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Audio Clips and Automation Clips View for MIDI and
Data Instrument Tracks
Automation data for audio resides in tracks and not MIDI and Instrument tracks can be viewed as
in the Clips List. This means that when you drag an Clips, which is similar to Waveform view for au-
audio clip from the Clips List to a new track, no au- dio tracks. While a track’s notes are visible in Clips
tomation data is placed in the track. However, if view, individual note editing is not available in this
you drag an audio clip from an existing track (that view. Instead, all editing occurs across a time
contains automation data) to another track, the au- range encompassing all track data, including con-
tomation from the source track is placed in the des- tinuous controller events, program changes, and
tination track. System Exclusive events.

You can edit automation data by switching track Use Clips view to define clips that represent song
views or by revealing the automation lanes under sections and clips, or to rearrange or assemble
the track. track material.

For more information on automation, see In Clips view, the vertical zoom is automatically
Chapter 53, “Automation.” scaled to fit the entire range of pitches of MIDI
notes on a track.

MIDI Clips and MIDI Data You can double-click a MIDI clip to open it in
the MIDI Editor window. See Chapter 36,
The two most common Track Views you will use “MIDI Editors.”
for MIDI and Instrument tracks are Notes and
Clips: There are a few things to consider when selecting,
copying and cutting, and trimming MIDI clips:
 Use Clips view for arranging clips.
 When cutting or clearing a clip or clip group se-
 Use Notes view for inserting and editing indi-
lection that includes a note’s start point, the entire
vidual MIDI notes, and for working with and af-
note is removed. This is even the case when only a
fecting groups of notes.
portion of the note (that includes its start point) is
For more information on setting Track View, selected.
see “Track Views” on page 260.  When cutting or clearing a clip or clip group se-
lection that includes a note’s end point (but not its
To toggle the Track View between Notes and start point), the note remains and overlaps the edge
Clips, click in the track you want to toggle of the clip.
and press Control+Minus (Mac) or
Start+Minus (Windows) on the alphanu-
meric keyboard.

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 627

 MIDI Clips Created on Barlines

When recording MIDI, or when manually entering

MIDI notes, the beginning and ending of resulting
MIDI clips are constrained to bar boundaries. This
facilitates arranging MIDI clips in a musically
meaningful way, in whole bar lengths.

The beginning of a recorded MIDI clip always

starts on the barline immediately before the first
MIDI note (Note On) of the clip. Likewise, the
MIDI clip ends on the barline immediately follow-
ing the last note (Note Off) of the clip.

MIDI Clips and Continuous Controller

Events
Cutting a MIDI clip with note overlap
Continuous controller events reside in MIDI clips
 Similar rules also apply when MIDI clips or clip
and not in tracks. This means that when dragging
groups containing MIDI clips are trimmed with
clips that contain controller data from either a track
any of the Trim tools. If the MIDI clip’s start point
or the Clips List, the controller data is written to
is moved beyond a note’s start point, the note is re-
the destination track.
moved. If the clip’s end point is trimmed so that a
note’s start point is within the clip but its end point You can edit continuous controller events by
is not, the note remains and overlaps the edge of switching track views or by revealing the control-
the clip. ler lanes under the track.

When moving and placing MIDI clips with over- For more information on editing MIDI con-
lapping notes, the notes always move with the troller data, see Chapter 35, “MIDI Editing.”
clips. When placing MIDI clips with overlapping
notes next to or near another clip, the overlapping MIDI Mute Automation
notes extend into the next clip on the track.
Unlike continuous controller events, which repre-
To separate MIDI notes, rather than leave sent nuances that are part of a MIDI performance,
them hanging, when separating, cutting or Mute in Pro Tools is an automation playlist that ac-
copying clips, make the Edit selection you tually mutes the MIDI engine. Mute automation
want, switch to Notes view and use the does not correspond to actual MIDI events and is
Separate At Selection command, then switch therefore not exported when saving as a Standard
back to Clips view and make the edit MIDI File.
(separating, cutting, or copying).

628 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Notes View for MIDI and To scroll the Notes display up or down for a MIDI or
Instrument Tracks Instrument track, do one of the following:

When a MIDI or Instrument track’s Track View is  Click either the up or down arrow of the mini-
set to Notes, MIDI notes are displayed in a keyboard.
“piano roll” format. Each note is displayed as a
small rectangle with its vertical placement indicat-
ing pitch and its horizontal placement indicating
location in time (and duration).

Up Arrow MIDI note above the current display

Scrolling notes with the Up Arrow on mini-keyboard

 With any of the Edit tools (such as the Time

Grabber tool) selected, press Command+Op-
tion+Control (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start (Win-
dows) and drag up or down on the mini-
keyboard.

Down Arrow Keyboard reference MIDI note

MIDI track displaying notes

To the left of the MIDI or Instrument track’s play- Scrolling Notes display by dragging
list is a vertical mini-keyboard, complete with oc-
tave numbering, for pitch reference. You can click  If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, move
the mini-keyboard to play pitches using the track’s the cursor over the track and Command-Option-
selected MIDI output. Arrows at the top and bot- Control-scroll (Mac) or Control-Alt-Start-scroll
tom of the mini-keyboard (not available in the (Windows) up or down to scroll the notes dis-
smaller track heights) are used to scroll the Notes play up or down.
display up and down.
Using the Edit tools, notes can be inserted, deleted,
Clicking the mini-keyboard clears the cur- transposed, trimmed, and moved. For more infor-
rent Edit selection. For more information, mation, see “Manually Editing MIDI Notes” on
see “Selecting MIDI Notes” on page 792. page 792.

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.

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 629

 Nondestructive MIDI Editing
Naming Clips
While editing audio clips is usually nondestruc-
tive, this is generally not the case for MIDI clips. You can rename clips to give them more descrip-
For instance, if a MIDI clip resides in just one track tive names, or to simplify existing names. When
at a single location, editing for that clip is destruc- renaming a clip that was auto-created during edit-
tive. This means that altering the pitch, duration, or ing, the clip becomes a user-defined clip and is dis-
placement of notes in Notes view permanently al- played in the Clips List even when auto-created
ters the clip. clips are hidden.

However, if the Mirror MIDI Editing option is dis- For more information, see “Renaming
abled, when editing a MIDI clip that appears else- Clips” on page 336.
where in the session (either on the same track at an-
To rename a clip on a track:
other location or in a different playlist, or in
another track), editing is nondestructive and cre- 1 Do one of the following:
ates a new auto-created clip. To go back to the pre- • Select the clip you want to rename and then
vious material, drag the original clip from the Clips choose Clip > Rename.
List, or return to a previously saved playlist.
• With any of the Edit tools, Right-click the clip
One way to safely return to a track’s previous that you want to rename and select Rename
state is with playlists. Before you edit notes, from the pop-up menu.
trim clips, or rearrange the order of clips, • Press Command+Shift+R (Mac) or Con-
make a duplicate of the track’s existing play- trol+Shift+R (Windows).
list and then edit the duplicate (see “Play- • With the Grabber tool, double-click the clip you
lists” on page 731). want to rename. For MIDI clips, the Name Dia-
log option must be selected as the Double-Click-
To apply edits to all instances of a MIDI clip, ing a MIDI Clip Opens setting in the MIDI
enable Mirrored MIDI Editing mode (see Preferences.
“Mirrored MIDI Editing” on page 787). 2 In the Name dialog, type a new name for the
clip. If a whole-file audio clip was selected,
specify whether to rename just the clip, or both
the clip and the disk file.
3 Click OK to rename the clip.

630 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To enable or disable the display of clip data on all
Displaying Clip Names, Clip channels:
Times, and Other Data  Select or deselect View > Clip > Display on All
Clip names and times can sometimes get in the Channels.
way of editing audio waveforms and MIDI data. In
these instances, you may want to disable their dis- Displaying Other Clip Information
play. In other instances, such as arranging or spot- You can also choose to display the following in
ting Foley, displaying clip names and times is ex- clips:
tremely useful.
Sync Points Can be displayed on clips in playlists.
To enable or disable the display of clip names in This is useful when visually spotting to timecode
playlists: or in arranging in Grid mode. For more informa-
 Select or deselect View > Clip > Name. tion, see “Sync Points” on page 951.

Processing State For clips that are processed with

To display clip times:
Elastic Audio, displays a Warp indicator in play-
 From View > Clip, select one of the following lists and in the Clips List. See “Warped Clips” on
options: page 1033.
No Time Disables display of clip times. Channel Name and Scene And Take
Information Can be displayed in clips in playlists
Current Time Displays start and end times for
and in the Clips List. This is useful for working
clips.
with multichannel recordings and metadata made
Original Time Stamp Displays the Original Time by field recorders. For detailed information on
Stamp for each clip. The Original Time Stamp is workflows for field recorders, see Chapter 62,
the original timecode location for the clip when it “Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools.”
was first recorded or created.
Rating Can be displayed on clips in playlists. This
User Time Stamp Displays the User Time Stamp is useful for arranging when working with multiple
for each clip. The User Time Stamp, which de- playlists and alternate takes. See “Rating Clips” on
faults to the Original Time Stamp, can be redefined page 707.
with the Time Stamp command.
Overlap Shadows When enabled, overlapping
clips cast shadows over any partially overlapped
clips. This is useful for arranging and when work-
ing with tick-based audio tracks. See “Tempo
Changes and Tick-Based Audio Tracks” on
page 891.
Display enabled for clip names, Overlap, and times
Transparency When enabled, this option shows
Displaying Clip Data on All Channels transparent clip overlays when moving clips on the
For stereo and greater-than-stereo multichannel timeline. This can be useful for visually aligning
tracks, clip data can be shown on all channels. clips over other clips when arranging. See “Ar-
ranging with Transparent Clip Overlays” on
page 941.

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 631

 Overwrite Indicator When Overwrite Indicator is Clip Gain Info Shows the Clip Gain Fader icon at
enabled (View > Clip > Clip Overwrite Indicator), the beginning of the clip, in the lower left corner. If
Pro Tools provides a visual indication that an off- the clip uses static clip gain, the static Clip Gain
screen clip is being fully overlapped by a larger value (–144 dB to +36.0 dB) for a clip is displayed
clip that you are moving. The clip you are moving to the right of the Clip Gain Fader icon. For a clip
highlights red at the edge of the screen if a smaller that has dynamic clip gain (using breakpoint gain
off-screen clip is being overwritten. If the Send settings), the Clip Gain value is not shown. For
Fully Overlapped Clips to Available Playlist While more information, see “Clip Effects Status View”
Editing preference is enabled (Setup > Preferences on page 1001.
> Editing), it highlights blue indicating that a
Clip Effects Status When Clip Effects Status is
smaller off-screen clip is being fully overlapped
and moved to an alternate playlist. enabled (View > Clip > Clip Effects Status), ø, EQ,
and DYN are displayed in the upper right corner of
the clip depending on which effects are being ap-
plied to the clip. ø is displayed when the phase is
inverted. EQ is displayed when EQ or Filtering is
applied to the clip. DYN is displayed when Dynam-
ics processing or Input Gain is set to any value
other than 0.0 dB. See “Clip Effects” on page 997.

Moving an audio clip so that it overwrites a smaller off-

screen clip highlights blue

Copy/Move Indicators When Copy/Move Indica-

tors is enabled (View > Clip > Copy/Move Indica-
tors), Pro Tools provides a visual indication of any
Clip Effects Status shown
clips being sent to an alternate playlist whether or
not the track is in Playlist view. The indicator ap-
pears as a blue animated down arrow.
Multiple Undo
Pro Tools can keep track of up to 32 of the last un-
doable operations, allowing you to return to a pre-
vious editing state.

The Undo operations in Pro Tools are stored in a

queue, in the order in which they were invoked.
Overlapped clip being sent to a new playlist When choosing Edit > Undo, the most recent oper-
ation is undone. If you choose Undo again, the next
Clip Gain Line Shows the Clip Gain Line for all operation in the queue is undone. You can also
clips in the Edit window. The Clip Gain Line lets choose Edit > Redo to redo an operation, which
you edit the clip gain settings for any given clip us- moves back through the Undo queue by one step.
ing breakpoint editing, much like with track-based
volume automation. See “Clip Gain Line” on
page 632.

632 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When the number of operations in the Undo queue To show (or hide) the Undo History window:
reaches the maximum specified level of Undo (set  Choose Window > Undo History.
in the Editing Preferences page), performing an-
other undoable operation will remove the oldest To undo operations in the Undo History window:
operation at the top of the queue.
 Click the operation (bold) in the list to undo.
To undo the last operation, do one of the following:
All operations in the queue that were performed af-
 Choose Edit > Undo. ter the operation you select are also undone. In the
Undo History window, undoable operations are
 Press Command+Z (Mac) or Control+Z (Win-
shown in bold and redoable operations (operations
dows).
that have already been undone) are shown in ital-
If no actions are available to undo, the menu ics.
displays Can’t Undo.
To redo operations in the Undo History window:
To redo the last undone operation, do one of the  Click the operation (italics) in the list to redo.
following:

 Choose Edit > Redo. The operation you choose, as well as all the opera-
tions in the queue before it, are redone.
 Press Shift+Command+Z (Mac) or Shift+Con-
trol+Z (Windows). To toggle display of creation times in the Undo
History window:
If no actions are available to redo, the menu
 Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
displays Can’t Redo.
Show Creation Times.

Undo History Window To undo all the operations in the Undo Queue:
You can use the Undo History window to view the  Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
queue of the undoable and redoable operations and Undo All.
return to any previous state. The Undo History can
show edit creation times, enabling you to revert to To redo all the operations in the Redo Queue:
the state a session held at a particular time.
 Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
Redo All.
Options selector

Clearing the Undo Queue

Undoable To manually clear the Undo Queue

operations
 Click the Options pop-up menu and choose
Redoable Clear Undo Queue.
operations

Creation times
Undo History Window

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 633

 Other operations that clear the Undo Queue in-
clude: Basic Editing Commands
• Deleting a track, or clearing a clip from the Clips Pro Tools provides many standard edit commands
List (such as Cut, Copy, and Paste). Pro Tools also pro-
vides many specialized edit commands that are op-
• Selecting Select > Unused, or Select > Unused
timized for audio and MIDI production (such as
Audio Except Whole Files in the Clips List menu
Repeat Paste to Fill).
When the number of operations in the Undo His-
tory reaches the maximum level of Undo, perform- Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear
ing another undoable operation removes the oldest
operation at the top of the Undo History queue. Use the Cut, Copy, Paste, and Clear commands to
When the oldest operation is one operation away rearrange and edit track material. Edits can operate
from being pushed out of the queue, it is shown in on entire clips selected with the Time Grabber tool,
red. or on track ranges selected with the Selector tool.
Edits can also work across multiple tracks (see
“Editing Across Multiple Tracks” on page 638).
Levels of Undo and Memory
Because Pro Tools needs to keep track of the play- You can Cut, Copy, and Paste noncontiguous
lists for all tracks that are edited, the use of multi- clips by selecting them with the Object Grab-
ple levels of Undo can be memory intensive. You ber tool.
can lower the Levels of Undo setting (Editing Pref-
erences) in Pro Tools to reduce the amount of sys- Track View and Edit Content
tem memory (RAM) used by the Undo queue. If When cutting or copying track material, the Track
you have plenty of memory available for View determines the type of data placed on the
Pro Tools, you can use a higher Levels Of Undo Clipboard. When editing in a track’s Master View
setting. (Waveform view for audio tracks and Clips view
for MIDI or Instrument tracks), selections can in-
Use the Undo History window to view a
clude all underlying automation and controller
queue of undo operations and return to a pre-
data (“Automation Follows Edit Option” on
vious state.
page 1204). Thus, cutting an audio clip can also
To set the Levels of Undo in Pro Tools: cut any volume, pan, mute, send, continuous con-
troller, or plug-in automation that is also on the
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
track. This saves you from having to individually
Editing tab.
cut from each automation playlist on the track.
2 Click in the Levels of Undo field and type a
value between 1–64.

Levels of Undo preference Audio waveform data

3 Click OK.

634 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When selecting groups of MIDI notes in Notes If tracks are grouped, copying and pasting on any
view with any of the Grabber tools (by drawing a of the tracks affects each of the other tracks in the
rectangle around them), only the note data is group. Tracks that are hidden—even if they are
placed on the Clipboard. When selecting a time part of a group being edited—are not affected by
range of MIDI notes (in Notes view) with the Se- edits.
lector tool, all controller data in the track is se-
lected (similar to selecting with the Selector tool The Shuffle Clips option affects how material is
for audio tracks in Waveform view). cut and pasted:
• When Shuffle Clips is enabled, the Cut com-
When a track is displaying automation data or con- mand leaves no empty space, since the clips to
troller data, only that data is placed on the Clip- the right of the cut slide over, closing the gap.
board. Also, whenever you cut or copy automation Otherwise the Cut command leaves an empty
data, bounding breakpoints are created at each end space corresponding to the data removed from
of the selected area, in order to preserve the slope the track.
of the automation both inside and outside the se-
lection. • When Shuffle Clips is enabled, pasted data
causes all clips to slide over to make room for
the pasted material. Otherwise, pasted data can
overlap an adjacent clip.

For more information on the Shuffle Clips

option, see “Shuffle Mode” on page 639.

New clips are often auto-created when performing

Automation data with Cut and Pasted audio clip edits. For instance, when clearing a selection from
a clip, new clips are auto-created from the material
Use Command+Control+V (Mac) or Con- residing outside of the selection.
trol+Start+V (Windows) to special paste
automation data into another automation Cut and Copy Commands
type. For example, you can copy Pan automa-
tion into a Volume automation playlist. Use the Cut command to remove the selection
from the track and place it on the Clipboard.

You cannot cut or copy automation data Use the Copy command to place a copy of the se-
from an automation playlist unless that lection on the Clipboard so it can be pasted to an-
playlist includes at least one breakpoint in other track, or to the same track at a different loca-
it. The selection you are cutting or copying tion, while leaving the original intact and in place.
does not need to include any breakpoints,
To cut or copy a selection or clip:
but without at least one breakpoint on an
automation playlist, there is no automation 1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur-
data to copy. rent Grid value, enable Snap to Grid.
2 Set the Track View for the tracks you want to
edit.

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 635

 When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or Paste Command
notes or clips for MIDI tracks, selections include
Use the Paste command to place the contents of
underlying automation and controller data. If the
the Clipboard at the Edit insertion point, and over-
track is displaying automation data, only the auto-
write any material already there.
mation data is affected by the edits.
3 Make an Edit selection of the material you want To paste a selection or clip:
to Cut or Copy. 1 If you want to constrain the insertion point or
the selection to the current Grid value, enable
For information on making Edit selections,
Snap to Grid.
see “Selecting Track Material” on page 671.
2 Do one of the following:
4 Do one of the following:
• With the Selector tool, click in a track at the
• Choose Edit > Cut to remove the selection and point where you want to paste the material.
place it on the Clipboard.
• Use the Selector or Time Grabber tool to make a
• Choose Edit > Copy to place the selection on the selection where the material will be placed.
Clipboard, without removing it.
With the Grabber tool, Control-click (Mac)
If a portion of a clip was cut or copied, the material or Start-click (Windows) a clip to conform it
on the Clipboard appears as a new clip in the Clips to the current selection.
List. If a portion of a clip was cut, new clips are
auto-created from the material residing outside of 3 Choose Edit > Paste.
the selection.
If pasting at an insertion point with Shuffle Clips
When Shuffle Clips is enabled, any subsequent enabled, material to the right of the paste point is
clips slide over to fill any empty space. shifted to the right. Otherwise, any material within
the paste range is overwritten.
Deleting Underlying Clip Data
If pasting into a selection with Shuffle Clips en-
When removing a clip or selection, you can choose abled, the selection is replaced by the Clipboard’s
to remove or keep the underlying clip data. contents with the adjacent material slid left or right
as necessary. Otherwise, the selection is also re-
To delete a clip or selection along with the
underlying clip data:
placed but with the surrounding material remain-
ing unchanged.
 Choose Edit > Cut.
When working with MIDI, you can merge the
To delete a clip or selection without removing the contents of the Clipboard with material in the
underlying clip data: destination track using Edit > Paste Special
 Choose Edit > Clear. > Merge. For more information, see “Paste
Special” on page 1230.

636 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Special Cut, Copy, Paste, and
Non-automated plug-in parameters need to Clear Commands
be the same between different instances of a
plug-in, or the pasted automation can have Use the four “special” Edit menu commands (Cut
unpredictable results. Special, Copy Special, Paste Special, and Clear
Special) for cutting, copying, pasting, and clearing
Clear Command automation (volume, pan, mute, and plug-in auto-
mation) on audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
Use the Clear command to remove a selection from VCA Master, and Instrument tracks. These com-
a track without placing it on the Clipboard. mands can also be used for MIDI controller data on
MIDI and Instrument tracks. There are also Cut
To clear a selection or clip:
Special, Copy Special, and Clear Special com-
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur- mands for cutting, copying, and clearing clip gain
rent Grid value, enable Snap to Grid. settings (see “Clip Gain” on page 989) and clip ef-
fects settings (see “Clip Effects” on page 997).
2 Set the Track View for the tracks you want to
edit. You cannot paste MIDI controller data to
When displaying waveforms for audio tracks, or automation data nor automation to MIDI.
notes or clips for MIDI tracks, selections include
underlying automation and controller data. If the For more information, see “Cutting, Copying,
track is displaying automation data, only the auto- and Pasting Automation” on page 1227.
mation data is affected by the edits.
The Repeat to Fill Selection command lets you au-
3 Make an Edit selection.
tomatically fill a selection with audio or MIDI
4 Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selection. clips or data without requiring that you manually
duplicate the clips. To use Repeat to Fill Selection,
If the Layered Editing option is disabled (Options > Cut or Copy a clip, then make a selection and use
Layered Editing) and a portion of a clip was the command to fill the selection. When pasting
cleared, new clips are auto-created from the mate- audio clips, you are prompted to specify a cross-
rial residing outside of the selection. When Shuffle fade to be used for the pasted clips.
mode is enabled, any subsequent clips slide over to
fill any empty space. If you fill an area that is an exact multiple of the
copied clip size (for example, filling 16 bars with a
4-bar clip), the copied selection is pasted as many
times as it takes to fill the selection. If you fill an
area that is not an exact multiple of the copied clip
size (for example, filling 15 seconds of a track with
a 2-second clip of room noise), the remaining se-
lection area is filled with an automatically trimmed
version of the original selection.

Chapter 28: Editing Basics 637

 To fill a selection with Repeat to Fill Selection: To copy all types of automation on all selected
tracks when copying only automation or controller
1 Select the clip you want to copy. data:
2 Choose Edit > Copy.  Choose Edit > Copy Special > All Automation.
3 Select the area you want to fill using the Selec-
To paste to multiple tracks:
tor tool and choose Edit > Paste Special > Re-
peat to Fill Selection. 1 Do one of the following:

4 Do one of the following: • Place the insertion point in each of the destina-
tion tracks by Shift-clicking in them.
• If pasting audio clips to larger areas, the Batch
Fades dialog opens. Configure the dialog to cre- • Make a selection in one of the Timebase rulers.
ate crossfades between each pasted clip, then 2 Choose Edit > Paste.
click OK.
When you paste multiple types of data, whatever
• If you do not want crossfades for the pasted au-
data has been copied is pasted into the correct type
dio, click Cancel in the Batch Fades dialog.
of playlist. Automation data is pasted into the cor-
responding automation playlist. Audio or MIDI
data is pasted into the audio or MIDI playlist. You
Editing Across Multiple do not need to set target tracks to the specific type
Tracks of data being pasted for the paste to work correctly.
When working with data from multiple tracks,
If all destination tracks in a multitrack paste are
there are some important points to remember.
displayed as automation, the paste replaces any
For example, if any selected tracks are set to their
previous data on the target track without shuf-
master view (see “Master Views for Tracks” on
fling—regardless of whether Shuffle Clips is
page 264), edits affect not only audio and MIDI for
enabled.
the selected tracks, but all automation and control-
ler 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 dis-
plays Pan automation, track 2 displays Volume au-
tomation, 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.

For more information on selecting data on

multiple tracks, see “Selecting Across Multi-
ple Tracks” on page 678.

638 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools

Pro Tools provides four Edit modes and various then “shuffle” their order, but you cannot separate
Edit tools to help you successfully edit material. them from each other and you cannot make them
overlap as in Slip mode. However, if there is si-
lence between existing clips, and the clips are shuf-
Edit Modes fled, the silence is maintained, and not removed.

Pro Tools has four Edit modes: Shuffle, Spot, Slip, In Shuffle mode, adding another clip to the begin-
and Grid. Grid mode provides two modes of oper- ning of a track moves all subsequent clips to the
ation, Relative and Absolute, explained below. right (later in time) by the length of the added clip.
The Edit mode is selected by clicking the corre-
When using any of the Trim tools in Shuffle mode,
sponding button in the upper left of the Edit win-
changing a clip’s start or end point automatically
dow.
moves any subsequent clips as necessary. The
placement and insertion of MIDI notes is not af-
fected by Shuffle mode.

Press F1 to enable Shuffle mode.

Edit mode buttons

Shuffle Lock
The Edit mode affects the movement and place-
With certain workflows, it is important to exclude
ment of audio and MIDI clips (and MIDI notes),
Shuffle mode in order to ensure that clips stay
how commands like Copy and Paste function, and
time-aligned while editing. Shuffle Lock prevents
also how the various Edit tools (Trim, Selector,
you from inadvertently entering Shuffle mode by
Grabber, and Pencil tools) work.
disabling all key commands and control surface
Use the Accent key ( ` ) to toggle through the switches for Shuffle mode. You cannot invoke
Edit modes. Shuffle Lock while in Shuffle mode.

Shuffle Mode
In Shuffle mode, you can move, trim, delete, cut,
or paste clips freely within a track or to other Shuffle Lock enabled
tracks, but their movement is constrained by other
clips. That is, if you place several clips in a track,
they automatically snap to each other. You can

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 639

 To lock out Shuffle Mode: When Spot mode is enabled, Pro Tools asks you to
 While in any Edit mode other than Shuffle specify a destination location when a clip is
mode, Command-click (Mac) or Control-click dragged from the Clips List, a Workspace browser,
(Windows) the Shuffle button on-screen. A lock Windows Explorer, or the Mac Finder.
icon appears in the Shuffle button.
Press F3 to enable Spot mode.
To unlock Shuffle Mode:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- Grid Mode

dows) the locked Shuffle button on-screen.
In Grid mode, clips and MIDI notes that are
moved, trimmed or inserted “snap” to the currently
selected Grid value, or to precise increments on a
Slip Mode user-definable time grid.
In Slip mode, clips can be moved freely within a
track or to other tracks. In this mode, it is possible Press F4 to enable Grid mode.
to place a clip so that there is space between it and
other clips in a track. When the track is played Displaying Grid Lines
back, this space is silent. It is also possible to move
To show (or hide) the Grid lines in the Edit window
a clip so that it overlaps or completely covers an- or in a MIDI Editor window, do one of the following:
other clip.
 Select (or deselect) the Grid button.
Use Slip mode when you want the Trim, Selector,
Grabber, and Pencil tools to work without any re-
strictions to placement in time.

Press F2 to enable Slip mode.

Grid button selected in the Edit window

To temporarily suspend Slip mode and switch
to Grid mode while editing, Command-click  Click the Name of the currently selected Time-
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) while mak- base ruler.
ing the edit.

Spot Mode
Use Spot mode to place clips at precise locations.
In Spot mode you can specify a frame location (or
a location based on any of the other time formats),
capture an incoming Timecode address, or use a
clip’s time stamps as reference points for spotting.
This can be particularly useful when performing
Turning on Grid lines from a Timebase ruler
post production tasks around Timecode frame lo-
cations.

640 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Absolute and Relative Grid For example, in Shuffle mode, with Snap To Grid
enabled, you can make a selection in a clip based
Grid mode can be applied in Absolute or Relative
on the Grid, cut the selection, and any clips to the
mode:
right of the edit shuffle to the left.
 In Absolute Grid mode, moving any clip (or se-
lected MIDI data) snaps the clip start to Grid
boundaries. If a clip’s start point falls between
beats, and the Grid is set to 1/4 notes, dragging the
clip will snap its start time to the nearest 1/4 note
(the current absolute Grid value).
 In Relative Grid mode, clips (or selected MIDI
Shuffle mode with Snap To Grid enabled
data) can be moved by Grid (or Nudge) units. If a
clip’s start point falls between beats and the Grid is To enable Snap To Grid while in another Edit
set to a 1/4 note (assuming the 1/4 note gets the mode:
beat), dragging the clip will be constrained to 1/4  Shift-click the Grid mode button.
notes, preserving the clip’s relative position to the
nearest beat. For more information on Relative Press Shift+F4 to enable Snap To Grid while
Grid mode, see “Arranging Clips in Grid Mode” in another Edit mode.
on page 947.
To enable Shuffle, Slip, or Spot while in Grid mode:
To select Absolute or Relative Grid mode:  Shift-click the Shuffle, Slip, or Spot mode but-
 Click the Grid mode selector and choose Abso- ton.
lute or Relative.
Press F1+F4 to enable Snap To Grid and
To temporarily suspend Grid mode and switch Shuffle mode; press F2+F4 to enable Snap
to Slip mode while editing, Command-click To Grid and Slip mode; and press F3+F4 to
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) while mak- enable Snap To Grid and Spot mode.
ing the edit.
Configuring the Grid
Snap To Grid The actual Grid size, chosen from the Grid value
Pro Tools lets you enable Snap To Grid while in selector can be based on a time value using the
Shuffle, Slip, or Spot mode. When in any of these Main Time Scale; or, if the Follow Main Time
modes with Snap To Grid also enabled, placing the Scale option is deselected, another time format can
Edit cursor and making Edit selections is con- be used for the Grid size.
strained by the Grid, but any clip editing is also af-
The Grid Value indicator and selector are located
fected by the other selected Edit mode.
in the Edit window. Also, the Score Editor window
and MIDI Editor windows each provide an inde-
pendent Grid Value indicator and selector.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 641

 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 Key-
board Lock.

To lock (or unlock) the selected Grid mode:

1 Click the Grid mode selector and choose
Absolute or Relative.

2 Select (or deselect) Options > Edit/Tool Mode

Keyboard Lock.

Edit Tools
Grid Value indicator and pop-up menu Pro Tools provides the following Edit tools: the
Zoomer, Trim, Selector, Grabber, Scrubber, and
The current Grid value is also used for the Pencil tools, and the multifunctional Smart Tool.
Quantize to Grid command (see “Quantizing
Clips to Grid” on page 703) and Separated Zoomer Scrubber
Zoom buttons Smart Tool Pencil
Clip At Grid command (see “Separate Com-
mands” on page 694).

To increase the grid value incrementally:

 Press Shift+Equal (=)

Zoom Toggle Grabber
To decrease the grid value incrementally: Selector
Trim
 Press Shift+Minus (–)
Zoom buttons and Edit tools
The Clips/Markers option in the Grid Value menu
To select an Edit tool:
allows events to be placed freely (as in Slip mode),
but they will snap to clip locations (start, end, and  Click the icon for the tool you want in the Tool-
sync points), markers, and Edit selections when bar.
placed near them.

MIDI notes inserted with the Pencil tool ig-

nore the Clips/Markers option, and instead
snap to the time value selected in the Grid
Value selector.

642 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Zoomer, Trim, Grabber, and Pencil tools have Pencil Tool Use the Pencil tool to draw automation
multiple modes, which you can select from a pop- and MIDI data.
up menu when you click the tool.
For information on using the Edit tools in
You can use F5 (Zoomer), F6 (Trim), F7 (Se- Notes view on MIDI and Instrument tracks,
lector), and F8 (Grabber), F9 (Scrubber), see Chapter 35, “MIDI Editing.”
and F10 (Pencil) to select and toggle through
the modes for each tool.
For information on using the Edit tools in
Warp view and Analysis view on Elastic
Press the Escape key to toggle through the Audio-enabled tracks, see “Editing in Warp
Edit tools. View” on page 1027 and “Editing in Analy-
sis View” on page 1034.
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 recall Zooming Options
five Zoom presets.
Zooming options in Pro Tools include Zoom but-
Zoomer Tool Use the Zoomer tool to select a zoom tons, the Zoomer tool, the Zoom Preset buttons,
view in a track. and the Zoom Toggle command.
Zoom Toggle Use the Zoom Toggle to switch be-
tween the current zoom view and a defined zoom
view. Zoom Buttons
Trim Tools Use the Trim tools to trim clips and clip Pro Tools includes different Zoom buttons for
groups. zooming in and out on track data.

Selector Tool Use the Selector to make selections The Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, and the
on tracks. Score Editor window also provide Zoom buttons
above and below the right vertical scroll bar (see
Grabber Tools Use the Grabber tools to select, “Edit Window Zoom Buttons” on page 211,
separate, or move clips on tracks. “MIDI Editor Zoom Controls” on page 835, and
“Score Editor Zoom Controls” on page 856.)
Smart Tool Use the Smart tool to Trim, Select, or
Grab clips, or apply or adjust fades in tracks.
Horizontal Zoom In and Out
Scrubber Tool Use the Scrubber tool to scrub Buttons
through track material.
The Horizontal Zoom In and Out buttons let you
zoom in and out horizontally on track data.

Horizontal Zoom Out and In buttons

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 643

 To zoom in horizontally for all tracks, do one of the To zoom in vertically for all audio tracks, do one of
following: the following:

 Click the Horizontal Zoom In button.  Click the Audio Zoom In button.
 Drag on the Horizontal Zoom In button to zoom  Drag on the Audio Zoom In button to zoom
in continuously. continuously.
 Press Command+] (Mac) or Control+] (Win-  Press Command+Option+] (Mac) or Con-
dows). trol+Alt+] (Windows).

To zoom out horizontally for all tracks, do one of To zoom out vertically for all audio tracks, do one
the following: of the following:

 Click the Horizontal Zoom Out button.  Click the Audio Zoom Out button.
 Drag on the Horizontal Zoom Out button to  Click the Audio Vertical Zoom buttons.
zoom out continuously.
 Press Command+Option+[ or Command+Op-
 Press Command+[ (Mac) or Control+[ (Win- tion+] (Mac) or Control+Alt+[ or Con-
dows). trol+Alt+] (Windows).

To zoom all audio vertically to show the default

Audio and MIDI Zoom In and Out waveform height:
Buttons
 Press Command+Option+Control+[ (Mac) or
The Audio and MIDI Zoom buttons let you zoom Control+Alt+Start+[ (Windows).
in and out vertically on audio and MIDI data
respectively. To zoom in vertically for all MIDI and Instrument
tracks, do one of the following:

 Click the MIDI Zoom In button.

 Press Command+Shift+] (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+] (Windows).

To zoom out vertically for all MIDI and Instrument

Audio Vertical Zoom button tracks, do one of the following:

 Click the MIDI Zoom Out button.

 Press Command+Shift+[ (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+[ (Windows).

To zoom MIDI vertically to show all notes (lowest to

highest) in MIDI and Instrument tracks:

MIDI Vertical Zoom button  Press Command+Control+Shift+[ (Mac) or

Control+Start+Shift+[ (Windows).
MIDI Vertical Zoom only affects tracks in not
in Clips view.

644 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To zoom in or out vertically for a single MIDI or Audio waveforms revert to the default vertical
Instrument track: zoom; on tracks set to Notes view, MIDI notes
1 Make sure the Track View is not set to Clips. zoom vertically to show all notes in the track (same
as the vertical zoom in Clips view); and the Tempo
2 Select the Zoomer tool.
Editor zooms vertically to show all tempo events.
3 Hold Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) and
drag upwards to zoom in, or downward to zoom To zoom horizontally to show the entire session
without affecting vertical zoom or scrolling, do
out.
one of the following:

Press Option+Control+A (Mac) or Alt+Start+A

Additional Zoom Key Commands


(Windows).
To return to the previous zoom level, do one of the  Press Command+Control+[ (Mac) or Con-
following:
trol+Start+[ (Windows).
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any
of the Horizontal, Audio, or MIDI Zoom but- To set horizontal zoom to “overview scale” (256
tons. samples per pixel):

 Press Command+Option+E (Mac) or Con-  Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

trol+Alt+E (Windows). dows) the Zoomer tool.

To zoom in horizontally on the Edit selection

without affecting vertical zoom: Zoomer Tool
 Press Option+F (Mac) or Alt+F (Windows). Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in and out around a
If the selection contains MIDI notes, the selected particular area within a track.
MIDI notes are vertically scrolled to show in tracks The Zoomer tool offers two modes:
as necessary.
Normal Zoom The Zoomer tool remains selected
To zoom in horizontally on a selection without after zooming.
affecting vertical zoom or scrolling, do one of the
following: Single Zoom The previously selected Edit tool is
 Press Option+Control+F (Mac) Alt+Start+F automatically reselected after zooming.
(Windows). Press the F5 key to select the Zoomer tool
 Press Command+Control+] (Mac) or Con- and toggle between Normal and Single Zoom
trol+Start+] (Windows). modes.

To zoom horizontally to show the entire session,

do one of the following:

 Double-click the Zoomer tool in the toolbar.

 Press Option+A (Mac) or Alt+A (Windows).

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 645

 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.

Zoomer tool

• Right-click on any track and select Tools > Zooming horizontally with Zoomer tool
Zoomer Tools > Normal Zoom. The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window.
2 Click once with the Zoomer tool at a location
within the track. All tracks are zoomed in by Single Zoom Mode
one level and the Edit window is centered
around the zoomed location. Single Zoom mode returns you to the previously
selected tool after a zoom has been performed.
3 To zoom back to the previous level, Option-
click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) with the For example, when using the Smart Tool you can
Zoomer tool. click the Single Zoomer tool, and once the Zoom
operation has been performed, Pro Tools automat-
To zoom into a particular track area: ically switches back to the Smart Tool.
1 Do one of the following:
To use Single Zoom mode, do one of the following:
• Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select
 Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select
Normal Zoom mode.
Single Zoom mode.
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Zoomer Tools > Normal Zoom.  Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Zoomer Tools > Single Zoom.
2 Do one of the following:
 Press the F5 key to toggle to Single Zoom
• To zoom horizontally only, drag with the
mode.
Zoomer tool in the track’s playlist.
• To zoom horizontally and vertically, press Com-
mand (Mac) or Control (Windows) while drag-
ging in the track’s playlist.

646 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Single Zoom is identified with an arrow to the right Continuous Zoom with the
of the Zoomer icon. Zoomer Tool
Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in or out continu-
ously.

To use continuous zoom on one track or a group of

Single Zoom mode
tracks:
Normal Zoom mode does not have the arrow. 1 Select the Zoomer tool.
2 Hold the Control (Mac) or Start key (Windows)
Zooming in a Ruler and do one of the following:
To zoom horizontally in a ruler: • Drag up to continuously zoom in vertically.
1 Press Command+Control (Mac) or Con- • Drag down to continuously zoom out vertically.
trol+Start (Windows) and move the cursor into
• Drag to the right to continuously zoom in hori-
the ruler area, so the Zoomer tool appears.
zontally.
• Drag to the left to continuously zoom out hori-
zontally.

For horizontal zoom, all tracks zoom together.

Tracks will zoom in or out centered horizontally
on the location where you click.

Vertical Zooming In or Out of All

Audio Tracks Continuously
Zooming in a ruler
To vertically zoom in or out of all audio tracks
2 Do one of the following: using continuous zoom:

• Click once to zoom in one level around a certain  Drag up or down on the Audio Zoom In or Out
point. button.
• Drag to zoom in around a particular ruler range.
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.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 647

 To zoom horizontally and show the entire session
or project, and to reset the audio waveform to Zoom Preset Buttons
show the default height, zoom MIDI to show all
notes in a track, and zoom the Tempo Editor to Pro Tools lets you save up to five horizontal Edit
show all tempo events, do one of the following: window Zoom presets, which can be recalled by
typing a number or by clicking a Zoom Preset but-
 Double-click the Zoomer tool.
ton.
 Press Option+A (Mac) or Alt+A (Windows).
To store a view as a Zoom preset:
This will also affect your MIDI note heights.
1 Use the Zoomer tool to configure the Track
View.
To reset the default audio waveform heights
2 Click and hold one of the Zoom Preset buttons
without affecting the horizontal zoom level or
(1–5) and choose Save Zoom Preset from the
MIDI note heights, press Command+
Zoom Preset pop-up menu. The preset button
Option+Control+[ (Mac) or Control+
flashes momentarily, and any previously stored
Alt+Start+[ (Windows).
Zoom preset at that number is replaced.
To only zoom horizontally to show the entire
session without affecting vertical zoom or
scrolling:

 Press Option+Control+A (Mac) or Alt+Start+A

(Windows).

To set all audio track waveform heights to match Zoom Preset pop-up menu
the waveform height of the topmost audio track in
To recall a saved Zoom preset, do one of the
the Edit window:
following:
 Command-Shift-click (Mac) or Control-Shift-
 Click the appropriate Zoom Preset button (1–5).
click (Windows) the Audio Zoom button. All
waveform height offsets will be lost.  Click and hold the Zoom Preset button and
choose Recall Zoom Preset from the Zoom Pre-
To set all MIDI and Instrument track note heights to set pop-up menu.
match the note height of the topmost MIDI or
Instrument track in the Edit window: If the 1–5 Number Keys Control Editing
 Command-Shift-click (Mac) or Control-Shift- Preference is set to Zoom Presets, press
click (Windows) the MIDI Zoom button. All Control+1–5 (Mac) or Start+1–5 (Windows)
note height offsets will be lost. to recall the corresponding Zoom preset.

648 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Zoom Toggle For MIDI Editing, set the Zoom Toggle pref-
erences as follows: Vertical Zoom to Last
Zoom Toggle lets you define and toggle between
Used, Horizontal Zoom to Last Used, Track
zoom states in the Edit window.
View to Waveform/Notes, and Track Height
to Fit to Window.
Zoom Toggle Parameters
The Zoom Toggle stores and recalls the following For audio editing, set the Zoom Toggle
parameters: preferences as follows: Vertical Zoom to
• Vertical Zoom Selection, Horizontal Zoom to Selection,
Track Height to Fit to Window, and Track
• Horizontal Zoom
View to No Change.
• Track Height
4 Click OK.
• Track View
• Grid setting Vertical Zoom

Selection When selected, zoom toggling in zooms

Zoom Toggle Preferences vertically to the current Edit Selection.
The Zoom Toggle preferences determine how Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
Zoom Toggle works. Adjust the Zoom Toggle zooms vertically to the last stored Zoom Toggle
preferences to fit your workflow. state for MIDI notes in Notes view only.
To change the Zoom Toggle preferences:
Horizontal Zoom
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
Selection When selected, zoom toggling in zooms
2 Click the Editing tab. horizontally to the current selection. This is espe-
cially useful for audio editing.
3 Change the Zoom Toggle settings and options.
Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
zooms horizontally to the last stored Zoom Toggle
state. This option can emulate a separate editor
window. This is especially useful for editing MIDI
notes.

Remove Range Selection After Zooming In

When the Remove Range Selection After Zoom-

ing In option is selected, the current Edit selection
collapses into an insertion point after zoom tog-
Zoom Toggle preferences
gling in.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 649

 Track Height Separate Grid Settings When Zoomed In

Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in When this option is selected, the Grid setting
changes all tracks containing an Edit Selection to stored with Zoom toggle is recalled when zoom
the last used Track Height. toggling in. When this option is deselected, the
same (current) grid setting is used whether zoom
Medium When selected, zoom toggling in changes
toggling in or out.
all tracks containing an Edit Selection to the Me-
dium Track Height. Zoom Toggle Follows Edit Selection
Large When selected, zoom toggling in changes When selected, this option ensures that zoom tog-
all tracks containing an Edit Selection to the Large gle automatically follows the current Edit selec-
Track Height. tion. When disabled, changing the Edit selection
Jumbo When selected, zoom toggling in changes
has no affect on the currently toggled-in track.
all tracks containing an Edit Selection to the
Jumbo Track Height. Using Zoom Toggle
Extreme When selected, zoom toggling in changes Depending on the Zoom Toggle preference set-
all tracks containing an Edit Selection to the Ex- tings, the Zoom Toggle button in the Edit window
treme Track Height. lets you define a zoom state and toggle between it
and the current zoom state, or it zooms to the set-
Fit To Window When selected, zoom toggling in tings in the Zoom Toggle preferences. When
changes all tracks containing an Edit Selection to Zoom Toggle is enabled, the Edit window displays
the Fit To Window Track Height. the stored zoom state. Additionally, any changes
made to the view while Zoom Toggle is enabled
Track View
are also stored in the zoom state.
Waveform/Notes When selected, zoom toggling in
When Zoom Toggle is disabled, the Edit window
changes the Track View for audio tracks to Wave-
reverts to the last zoom state.
form view, and changes the Track View for Instru-
ment and MIDI tracks to Notes view. To store a zoom state using Zoom Toggle:
Warp/Notes When selected, zoom toggling in 1 Set the Zoom Toggle preferences.
changes the Track View for audio tracks to Warp
2 Make an Edit selection.
view, and changes the Track View for Instrument
and MIDI tracks to Notes view. 3 Click the Zoom Toggle button. It lights to indi-
cate that Zoom Toggle is enabled and Pro Tools
Last Used When selected, zoom toggling in
zoom toggles in based on the settings of the
changes the Track View to the last used Track
Zoom Toggle preferences.
View that was stored with Zoom Toggle.

No Change When selected, the track view does not

change when zoom toggling in or out.

650 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To clear the stored Zoom Toggle state:
1 Make sure the Zoom Toggle button is lit (en-
abled).
2 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Zoom Toggle button.

Zoom Toggle button in the Edit window To use Zoom Toggle without changing playlist
views:
If Last Used is selected for any of the following,
you can adjust the corresponding zoom, height, or 1 Make a selection on one or more tracks.
view in the Edit window to update the stored zoom
2 Do one of the following:
state:
• Press Option+Control+E (Mac) or Alt+Start+E
• Vertical Zoom
(Windows).
• Horizontal Zoom
• With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled (see
• Track Height “Keyboard Focus” on page 26), press Option+E
• Track View (Mac) or Alt+E (Windows).

In Commands Keyboard Focus mode (see

“Keyboard Focus” on page 26), press the
E key to enable or disable Zoom Toggle.

Press Option+Shift+E (Mac) or Alt+Shift+E

(Windows) to cancel Zoom Toggle without
reverting to the previous view.

To modify the stored Zoom Toggle state if Last

Used is selected:

1 Make sure the Zoom Toggle button is lit (en- Using the Zoom Toggle
abled).
2 Adjust the Track Height, Vertical Zoom, Track
View, or the Grid depending on which prefer-
ences are set to Last Used. Changes are stored
as the new Zoom Toggle state.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 651

 Auto-Toggle When Changing To scroll the contents of the Edit window or Mix
Selection window horizontally:

1 Focus the window you want to scroll by click-

When Zoom Toggle is enabled, selecting a differ-
ing in it or bringing it forward.
ent range of material, or selecting material on a dif-
ferent track affects Zoom Toggle as follows: 2 Hold the Shift key while turning the mouse
• Changing the selection length does not re-zoom scroll wheel.
the window, the current zoom level is main-
tained.
• Changing the selection to a different track sets Using the Trim Tools
the toggle-in state for track height and view. Trim tools provide clip, note, and data trimming
However, horizontal zoom remains unchanged. functions. The following Trim tools are available:
When moving the selection from a toggled in
• Trim tool; also called the Standard Trim tool
track, the toggled out track height and view are
restored. • Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool; also
called the TCE Trim tool
Auto-Toggle does not work for Edit se-
• Scrub Trim tool (Pro Tools Ultimate only)
lections across multiple tracks that are
Zoom-toggled to Fit to Window. • Loop Trim tool

The Standard and Scrub Trim tools are only con-

strained by the boundaries of the whole-audio file
Zooming with a Scroll Wheel referenced by the clip. The TCE Trim tool is only
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can constrained by the maximum TCE amount when
use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out of tracks, using the TCE Trim tool.
both vertically and horizontally.
The TCE, Scrub, and Loop Trim tools do not apply
To continuously zoom horizontally using a scroll to fades.
wheel:

 Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while

turning the mouse scroll wheel. Trim Tool
With the Trim tool, you can quickly shorten or ex-
To continuously zoom audio (vertical zoom) in the
pand a clip (up to the entire length of the source au-
Edit window:
dio file). The first time you trim a clip, Pro Tools
 Hold Option+Shift (Mac) or Alt+Shift (Win- automatically adds it to the Clips List as a new clip
dows) while turning the mouse scroll wheel. (with a name derived from the original) in order to
differentiate it from the original.
To continuously zoom MIDI (vertical zoom) in the
Edit window: The Trim tool is a nondestructive tool and does not
 Hold Option+Control (Mac) or Alt+Start (Win- actually modify the original audio or MIDI data
dows) while turning the mouse scroll wheel. (when working on clips). To return to the length of
the original clip, drag it from the Clips List, or re-
size the edited clip with the Trim tool to its original
length.

652 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Use of the Trim tool is affected by the current Edit 4 Do one of the following:
mode: Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid (see “Edit • If trimming the end, drag left to shorten the clip,
Modes” on page 639). right to lengthen.
The Trim tool can also be used to lengthen • If trimming the start, drag right to shorten the
and shorten MIDI notes (see “Trimming Note clip, left to lengthen.
Start and End Times” on page 796), and also
to scale automation and controller data up or When working with audio, you cannot trim
down. See “Drawing Automation” on past the boundaries of adjacent clips.
page 1221.
When trimming clips in a stereo or multichannel
To trim a clip with the Trim tool: track, all channels are trimmed.

1 Select the Trim tool. The standard Trim tool trims the edges of all selected
clips (not just the one you click and trim).
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select
Standard.

Trim tool

• Right-click on any track and select Tools > Trim

Tools > Standard.

3 Move the cursor near the start or end of the clip,

so the Trim Tool cursor appears.
Trimming all selected clips

When using Shuffle mode, subsequent clips are

slid as necessary to make room for the edited clip.
If using Grid mode, the dragged start/end times
snap to the nearest Grid boundary. If using Spot
Trim tool mode, the Spot dialog opens, where you can enter
To reverse the direction of the Trim tool, press Op- the new location for the clip’s start or end point.
tion (Mac) or Alt (Windows).

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 653

 AudioSuite TCE Trim Tool
Time Compression/
Expansion Trim Tool On audio tracks without Elastic Audio enabled, the
Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool works by
The Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool using the Time Compression/Expansion (TCE)
(TCE Trim) is a convenient tool for matching an AudioSuite plug-in selected in the Pro Tools Pro-
audio clip to the length of another clip, a tempo cessing preferences to create a new audio file.
grid, a video scene, or to practically any other ref-
erence point you want.
Time Compression/Expansion
Plug-In Preferences
You can select which AudioSuite plug-in is used
for trimming with the TCE Trim tool on non-Elas-
tic Audio-enabled audio tracks.

Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool over a clip To set the AudioSuite plug-in for use with the TCE
Trim tool:
The TCE Trim tool unloops and consolidates 1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
looped clips.
2 Click the Processing tab.
3 From the TC/E Plug-In pop-up menu, select the
You can match an Edit selection to the length
AudioSuite plug-in to be used with the Time
of a Timeline selection by selecting Edit > TCE
Compression/Expansion Trim tool.
Edit to Timeline Selection command (see
“TCE (Time Compression and Expansion)
Edit To Timeline Selection” on page 706.

When using the TCE or Elastic trimmer, hold

Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) to con-
strain the trim to the edge of adjacent clips. TC/E Preferences

4 From the Default Settings pop-up menu, select

Elastic Audio TCE Trim Tool the plug-in setting best suited to the material
On Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, the TCE tool you work with most (such as Stereo Mix De-
fault).
uses the track’s selected Elastic Audio plug-in
(Real-Time or Rendered) to apply Real-Time or 5 Click OK.
Rendered Elastic Audio processing. The resulting
clip displays a Warp indicator to indicate Elastic For more information about AudioSuite
Audio processing. plug-ins, see Chapter 43, “AudioSuite
Processing.”
For information on Elastic Audio plug-ins,
see “Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 1023.

654 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the TCE Trim Tool in Grid Using the TCE Trim Tool in Slip
Mode Mode
The TCE Trim tool can be used in Grid mode to To use the TCE Trim tool in Slip mode:
match a clip to the tempo of a session or a section
1 Set the Edit mode to Slip.
of a session. For example, you might import a one-
bar drum loop with a tempo of 90 BPM into a ses- 2 Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select
sion with a tempo of 120 BPM. In Grid mode, you TCE.
can use this tool to simply and quickly “time com-
3 With the TCE Trim tool, drag the clip’s start or
press” the drum loop to the length of one measure,
end point to compress or expand the clip freely.
with no noticeable to minimal loss of audio fidel-
ity.
Using the TCE Trim Tool in Spot
Trimming clips while in Relative Grid mode Mode
will trim the clips in grid increments while
In Spot mode, clicking with the TCE Trim tool in a
maintaining their relative offset (if any) from
clip opens the Spot dialog. You can specify the lo-
the grid.
cation you want the clip to start or end at, or the du-
To use the TCE Trim tool in Grid mode: ration of the clip, and the clip is automatically
compressed or expanded as specified.
1 Set the Edit mode to Grid.
2 Do one of the following: To use the TCE Trim tool in Spot mode:

• Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select 1 Set the Edit mode to Spot.
TCE. 2 Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select
TCE.
3 Click the clip 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 clip,
Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool
then click OK.
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
Trim Tools > TCE.

3 With the TCE Trim tool, drag the audio clip’s

Scrub Trim Tool
start or end point to compress or expand the clip (Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
to the Grid (for example, by quarter notes).
The Scrub Trim tool is a convenient tool for audi-
tioning material (on up to two tracks) to find a trim
point. You can drag in a track to hear the audio in-
formation, then trim at a specific location by re-
leasing the mouse button.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 655

 This action creates a new clip. Note that the Scrub
Trim tool changes into a “right trim” or “left trim” Loop Trim Tool
shape as it is placed over the right or left side of a Use the Loop Trim tool to create or trim looped
clip. To reverse the direction of the Scrub Trim clips (see “Clip Looping” on page 963).
tool, press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) before
you click the clip.

Loop Trim tool

Creating Loops with the Loop

Scrub Trim tool over a clip Trim Tool
Scrub playback speed and direction vary with con- To create loop clips using the Loop Trim tool:
troller movement. Scrubbed audio is routed 1 Do one of the following:
through the track signal path, so you hear any ef-
• Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select
fects in the signal path.
Loop.
To scrub trim a track: • Right-click on any track and select Tools >
1 Do one of the following: Trim Tools > Loop.

• Click the Trim tool pop-up menu and select 2 Position the cursor over the top half of an un-
Scrub. looped audio or MIDI clip, or clip group. The
cursor changes to indicate that you can loop
• Right-click on any track and select Tools >
trim the clip. (Positioning the cursor over the
Trim Tools > Scrub.
bottom half of the clip results in the Standard
The tool changes to a speaker with a bracket. Trim cursor.)

2 Drag within a track to the left or right. Audio

from a scrubbed track is routed through the
track signal path, including any DSP effects.
When you locate the trim point, release the
mouse button to trim the clip.
• To scrub trim two tracks, drag with the Scrub Loop Trim cursor
Trim tool between two adjacent tracks.
• To scrub with finer resolution (without having to
zoom in), press Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows) while scrubbing.

656 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Do one of the following: To Loop Trim a looped clip:

• Click at the end of the clip, and drag left or right 1 Select the Loop Trim tool.
to the point you want the loop to stop.
2 Move the cursor over the top half of the looped
• Click at the beginning of the clip, and drag left or clip (not over a Loop icon). The cursor indicates
right to the point you want the loop to start. the Loop Trim tool.
Loop Trim tool

Loop icon

Looped clip Loop Trim tool

Trimming Looped Clips 3 Trim the looped clip.

You can trim looped clips in two ways:

• Loop Trim a looped clip to change how long the
clip is looped. For example, Loop Trim a looped
clip from 2 bars to four bars. With a 1 bar clip,
the number of loops changes from 2 to 4. Each
loop iteration remains the same length, but the Loop trimming a looped clip
length of the entire looped clip changes. The number of loops increases or decreases to fill
• Trim the source clip (loop iteration) while keep- the new length of the entire looped clip.
ing the overall loop length unchanged. The num-
ber of loop iterations within the looped clip Hold the Start key (Windows), or the
changes accordingly. For example, trim a 2 bar Control key (Mac) while trimming to trim
loop iteration of a 4 bar looped clip to 1 bar. The in loop iteration increments.
4 bar looped clip remains constant, but the num-
ber of loop iterations changes from 2 to 4. Each Trimming a looped clip does not trim any un-
loop iteration’s length changes, but how long the derlying Fades.
clip is looped does not.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 657

 To trim the source clip (loop iteration) of a looped
clip: Tandem Trimming
1 Select the Loop Trim tool. Tandem trimming lets you trim the start and end of
two adjacent clips in tandem as long as one clip over-
2 Move the cursor over a Loop icon in the looped
laps the other. Tandem trimming can be used in con-
clip, or anywhere along the bottom of the clip. junction with Loop trimming and Scrub trimming.
The cursor indicates the Trim tool icon. However, TCE and Elastic trim do not support tan-
dem trimming.

To use Tandem trimming:

1 Select the Trim tool (or the Smart tool).
2 Command-Control-trim (Mac) or Control-
Start-trim (Windows) between two adjacent
overlapping clips. The cursor updates to show
two brackets and an arrow to show the direction
Loop Trim tool of the tandem trim.

3 Trim the start or end of the loop iteration.

Tandem trimming
Trimming a looped clip
When in Slip mode, Grid mode can be tempo-
The number of trimmed loop iterations increases
rarily enabled by holding the Command key
or decreases to fill the original length of the entire
after releasing the Control key (Mac) or by
looped clip.
holding the Control key after releasing the
Start key.

Trimmed looped clip

658 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Making an Edit Selection with
Using the Selector Tool the Selector Tool
Use the Selector tool to place the edit cursor in a
To make an Edit selection with the Selector tool:
track or Timebase ruler, or to make Timeline selec-
tions or Edit selections on tracks. 1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Do one of the following:
Placing the Edit Cursor • To make an Edit selection in a single track, drag
in the track.
To place the edit cursor with the Selector tool:
• To make an Edit selection across multiple tracks,
1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
drag across the tracks.
2 Click the location in a track or on a Timebase
• If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is enabled,
ruler.
drag on the Timebase ruler to make an Edit se-
lection across all tracks.

Placing the edit cursor with the Selector tool

Making a selection with the Selector tool

To select an entire clip with the Selector tool:

1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.
2 Double-click a clip 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.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 659

 Making a Timeline Selection Object Grabber Lets you select multiple, noncon-
with the Selector Tool tiguous clips. For more information, see “Object
Selections” on page 673.
To make a Timeline selection with the Selector
tool:

1 Select the Selector tool in the Edit window.

2 Do one of the following:
Object Grabber tool
• Drag on a Timebase ruler.
• If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is enabled, To select one of the Grabber tools, do one of the
following:
drag in a track.
 Click the Grabber tool in the Edit window and
select the Grabber tool from the pop-up menu.
Using the Grabber Tools
Use the Grabber tools to select, move, separate,
and arrange clips on tracks. There are three modes
for the Grabber tool: Time Grabber, Separation
Grabber, and Object Grabber. For more informa-
tion about arranging clips, also see Chapter 41,
“Arranging Clips.”

Time Grabber Selects an entire clip on a track with

a single click. For more information on selecting
clips, see “Selecting Track Material” on page 671. Selecting a Grabber tool

 Right-click on any track and select the Grabber

tool from Tools > Grabber Tools.

Time Grabber tool

Using the Smart Tool
Separation Grabber Cuts and pastes an Edit selec-
tion from one location to another by dragging. For With the Smart Tool, you can instantly access the
more information, see “Separation Grabber Tool” Selector, Grabber, and Trim tools, and you can
on page 695. also apply and adjust fades and crossfades. The po-
sition of the cursor in relation to a clip or note, or
within an automation playlist, determines how the
Smart Tool functions.

Separation Grabber tool

Smart Tool enabled in the Edit window

660 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To select the Smart Tool, click its icon in the upper  For a crossfade, position the cursor between two
left of the Edit window, or press F6+F7 (or F7+F8) adjacent audio clips, near the bottom of the clip.
simultaneously. Once the Crossfade cursor appears drag left or
right to set the crossfade length. The crossfade is
The Smart Tool in Waveform created automatically with the Default Fade Set-
View (Audio) or Clips View tings (in the Editing Preferences page).
(MIDI)  To adjust a fade-in, fade-out, or crossfade (if
present), position the cursor over the fade in the
Fade In Selector tool Fade Out
vertical middle of the clip. Once the corresponding
Fade or Crossfade cursor appears, drag to the left
or right to adjust fade shape.
Trim Trim
tool tool
(start) (end)
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the
Scrubber, place the cursor over the clip so
that the Selector tool is enabled, then press
Adjust Fade Crossfade Control (Mac) or Start (Windows).
(if present)
Grabber tool

The Smart Tool in Warp View

Smart Tool in Waveform view
Trim Trim
tool Selector tool tool
The following capabilities are available with the (start) (end)
Smart Tool when working with audio tracks in
Waveform or Blocks view, or MIDI or Instrument
tracks in Clips view:
 For the Selector tool, position the cursor over
the middle of the clip, in the upper half of the clip.
 For the Grabber tool, position the cursor over Grabber tool
the middle of a clip, in the lower half of the clip.
Smart Tool in Warp view
 For the Trim tool, position the cursor near the
The following capabilities are available with the
clip’s start or end point.
Smart Tool when working with Elastic Audio-en-
 For a fade-in or fade-out, position the cursor abled audio tracks in Warp view, or MIDI or In-
near an audio clip’s start or end point, near the top strument tracks in Clips view:
of the clip. Once the Fade cursor appears, drag into
 For the Selector tool, position the cursor over
the clip to set the fade length. The fade is created
the middle of the clip, in the upper half of the clip.
automatically with the Default Fade Settings (in
the Editing Preferences page).  For the Grabber tool, position the cursor over
the middle of a clip, in the lower half of the clip,
but not over an Event marker or Warp marker.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 661

  For Elastic Audio warping, position the cursor  For the Velocity Trim tool, position the cursor
over an Event marker or a Warp marker, in the over the note and press Command (Mac) or Con-
lower half of the clip (for more information on trol (Windows).
warping audio, see “Editing in Warp View” on
page 1027).
 For the Trim tool, position the cursor near the
clip’s start or end point, in the upper half of the
clip.

To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the

Scrubber, place the cursor in the upper half
of the clip so that the Selector tool is en-
abled, then press Control (Mac) or Start Trimming the velocity of a note
(Windows).
To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to
The Smart Tool in Notes View the Pencil tool, press Control (Mac) or
Start (Windows).
Selector tool (marquee)

To temporarily switch the Smart Tool to the

Eraser, press Option+Control (Mac) or
Alt+Start (Windows).

The Smart Tool in Automation

Trim note start Grabber tool Trim note end and Controller Views
Smart Tool in Notes view The following capabilities are available with the
Smart Tool when working in both automation and
The following capabilities are available with the controller views:
Smart Tool when working with MIDI and Instru-
• For the Selector tool, position the cursor any-
ment tracks in Notes view in the Edit window and
where in the bottom 75% of the playlist for the
in MIDI Editor windows:
Selector tool. Drag with the Selector tool to se-
 For the Marquee Selector, position the cursor so lect breakpoints.
it does not cover any notes. • For Trim tools, position the cursor in the top
 For the Grabber tool, position the cursor over 25% of the playlist for the Trim tool. Drag with
the note, near its middle. the Trim tool to trim breakpoints. Press Com-
mand+Shift (Mac) or Control+Shift (Windows)
 For the Trim tool, position the cursor near the while trimming for fine control.
note start or end point.

662 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• To add a breakpoint with the Smart Tool, press While viewing an audio waveform in Pro Tools
Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) to tem- can be helpful in visually finding an edit point,
porarily change the cursor from the trimmer to sometimes a waveform display (because of its
the insertion grabber. When this occurs, other sonic characteristics) may not reveal the desired
command key behaviors such a Grid toggle and spot in the audio material. By scrubbing back and
High Resolution editing are superseded by the forth in Pro Tools, you can listen and locate an ex-
insertion operation. act edit point.
• For Grabber tools, Command (Mac) or Control When the Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle op-
(Windows) for the Grabber tool, then click in on tion is enabled in the Operation Preferences page,
the automation line to create breakpoints. the edit cursor automatically locates to the point
• To edit existing breakpoints, move the cursor where scrubbing stops.
near a breakpoint for the Grabber tool.
When the Scrolling option is set to Continuous
• To vertically constrain Grabber tool movement, (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only) or Center
press Shift. Playhead (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only),
• To vertically constrain Grabber tool movement clicking with the Scrubber in a track’s playlist cen-
with fine control, press Command+Shift (Mac) ters the Edit window around that point, and moves
or Control+Shift (Windows). the Playhead there. With these Scrolling options,
scrubbed material moves past the Playhead, which
The Smart Tool with Stereo and remains stationary and centered.
Multichannel Tracks
To scrub a single audio track:
When using the Smart Tool on stereo and multi-
1 Select the Scrubber tool.
channel tracks, individual channels cannot be inde-
pendently edited. All edits affect all channels as a 2 Drag within the track: left for reverse or right
whole. for forward.

Tool switching for the Smart Tool in stereo and

multichannel tracks is determined by the position
within the entire track, and not within individual
channels.

Scrubbing an audio track with the Scrubber

Using the Scrubber Tool The distance and speed with which you drag (with
either the mouse, or the scrub wheel on a control
The Scrubber tool lets you “scrub” up to two tracks
surface) determine the length and speed of the
of audio in the Edit Window. Scrubbing is a tech-
scrubbed audio. Audio from the scrubbed track is
nique that originated in tape editing, where the tape
routed to its output, along with any effects as-
was rocked back and forth past the playhead at
signed to the track.
slower than normal speeds to find a particular loca-
tion (usually for cutting and splicing).

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 663

 The resolution for the Scrubber is dependent on the To scrub in Shuttle mode (at several times normal
zoom factor for the scrubbed track. speed):

1 Select the Scrubber tool.

You can temporarily switch the Selector tool
to the Scrubber tool by Control-clicking 2 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows),
(Mac) or Start-clicking (Windows). For finer drag within the track—left for reverse, right for
resolution, Command-Control-click (Mac) or forward. The Fast Forward and Rewind buttons
Control-Start-click (Windows). in the Transport window engage.

To scrub multiple audio tracks, do one of the The distance and speed dragged determine the
following: speed for the scrubbed audio.
 With the Scrubber selected, drag between two
adjacent tracks. 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.
Scrubbing between two audio tracks
To play one or two tracks with the shuttle lock:
 Scrub within a selection that contains multiple
1 With Pro Tools Ultimate, make sure the Opera-
tracks.
tion preference for Numeric Keypad mode is
When scrubbing multiple tracks, only the first two not set to Shuttle (see “Operation Preferences”
tracks are heard. on page 118).
2 With the Selector tool, click in the track where
The maximum number of channels scrubbed
you want playback to begin. To shuttle on two
in Pro Tools is eight, which lets you scrub a
tracks, Shift-click in a second track.
7.1 track, two stereo tracks (four channels),
but not two 5.1 surround tracks (12 chan- 3 Press the Control (Mac) or Start key (Windows)
nels). and a number on the numeric keypad: 0–9 (9 is
fastest, 5 is normal speed, and 0 stops shuttling).
Scrub/Shuttle Mode
Once Shuttle Lock mode is initiated, Fast Forward
When scrubbing normally, you can scrub at nor- and Rewind become highlighted in the Transport
mal playback speeds or slower. Scrub/Shuttle window.
mode, however, lets you scrub at several times nor-
mal speed, which is helpful in playing through 4 Press additional keys to change the playback
large ranges and locating material. speed, or press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to switch
the playback direction (plus for forward, minus
for backward).

664 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 To stop playback, press Control+0 (Mac) or
Start+0 (Windows). Numeric Keypad Set to
Shuttle
To exit Shuttle Lock mode, do one of the following: (Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
 Press Stop in the Transport window. Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, differ-
 Press the Spacebar. ent from that of Shuttle Lock mode. With the Nu-
meric Keypad mode set to Shuttle, playback of the
current Edit selection is triggered by pressing and
Custom Shuttle Lock Speed
holding the keys on the numeric keypad—play-
Use the Custom Shuttle Lock Speed preference to back stops once the keys are released. Various
customize the highest fast-forward Shuttle Lock playback speeds are available in both forward and
speed (key 9) to better match your editing and au- reverse. In this mode, pre- and post-roll are ig-
ditioning needs. nored.

To configure Custom Shuttle Lock Speed: To shuttle with the Numeric Keypad mode set to
Shuttle:
1 In Pro Tools, select Setup > Preferences and
click the Operation tab. 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
2 Be sure that the Numeric Keypad mode is set to
Transport or Classic (see “Operation Prefer- 2 Set the Numeric Keypad mode to Shuttle and
ences” on page 118). click OK.

3 Enter a percentage for the Custom Shuttle Lock 3 With the Selector tool, click in the track where
Speed setting. The range for this setting is 50– you want playback to begin. To shuttle on two
800%. You can use the Up and Down Arrow tracks, Shift-click in a second track.
keys to increase or decrease the setting. 4 Hold any of the following keys (or key combi-
4 Click OK. nations) on the numeric keypad to trigger play-
back.
The Custom Shuttle Lock Speed setting is saved
with your Pro Tools system preferences (not with Shuttle Speed Rewind Key Forward Key
the session).
1 X Speed 4 6

To enable Custom Shuttle Lock Speed: 4 X Speed 7 9

 Press Control+ 9 (Mac) on the numeric keypad 1/4 X Speed 1 3
or Start+9 (Windows).
1/2 X Speed 4+5 5+6

2 X Speed 7+8 8+9

5 Press a different key to switch the playback

direction or speed. Release to stop.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 665

 Although you can Undo a Pencil tool edit, it is rec-
Using the Pencil Tool ommended that you create a backup copy of the
The Pencil tool lets you draw several types of target audio before using the Pencil tool. You can
Pro Tools data: do this by using the AudioSuite Duplicate plug-in.

• Audio waveforms (see “Waveform Repair with The Pencil tool is a destructive editing tool
the Pencil Tool” on page 666) that permanently modifies the audio file on
• MIDI data (see “Using the Pencil Tool” on disk and should be used with caution.
page 788)
• Tempo changes (see “Editing Tempo Events in For information about the AudioSuite Du-
the Tempo Editor” on page 893) plicate plug-in, see the Audio Plug-Ins
• Automation (see “Drawing Automation” on Guide.
page 1221). To destructively edit an audio waveform with the
Pencil tool:
When editing automation or MIDI control
data with the Pencil tool, you can switch be- 1 Locate the area you want to edit.
tween the current Pencil Tool shape (such as 2 Using the Zoomer tool or the Zoom buttons,
Line) and Free Hand pencil editing using the zoom down to the sample level so the waveform
Command key (Mac) or the Control key (Win- appears as a continuous thin line. Adjust the
dows). When editing with the selected Pencil Track Height, as necessary, to edit the wave-
shape, the Pencil cursor angles to the left. form with greater precision. You can also use
When editing in Free Hand with the key mod- vertical zoom for greater visual resolution.
ifier, the Pencil cursor angles to the right.
You can recall zoom levels with the Zoom
Waveform Repair with the Pencil Preset buttons (see “Zooming Options” on
Tool page 643), or with Memory Locations (see
“Recalling Memory Locations” on
On audio tracks, the Pencil tool lets you destruc-
page 929). The default setting for Zoom Pre-
tively “redraw” waveform data. This tool is most
set 5 is at the sample level for Pencil editing.
commonly used to repair a pop or click in an audio
file. A pop or click appears as a sudden sharp spike 3 Select the Pencil tool.
in a waveform. This tool only becomes active
when the Edit window is zoomed in to the sample
level.

Pencil tool

4 Carefully draw with the Pencil tool by dragging

over the area of the waveform.

666 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Do not over-edit or the results may be undesirable. To lock (or unlock) the current Edit Tool modes:
However, you can use the Undo command to undo 1 Select the Edit Tool modes you want (such as
your previous edit. the Standard Trim tool, Time Grabber tool, and
the Free Hand Pencil tool).
2 Select (or deselect) Options > Edit/Tool Mode
Keyboard Lock.

Repairing a “pop” with the Pencil tool

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 character
with the shape of the surrounding waveform.

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 pre-
vent them from being inadvertently changed when
using keyboard shortcuts. For example, with
Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock enabled and the
Trim tool is set to Standard, pressing F6 repeatedly
will only select the Standard Trim tool and will not
toggle through the other Trim tools (TCE, Scrub,
and Loop). This way you can switch between Edit
tools (such as switching from the Grabber to the
Trim) using keyboard shortcuts without acciden-
tally cycling through Edit tool types.

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.

When enabled, this option also locks the current

Grid mode (Grid or Relative Grid) in place.

Chapter 29: Edit Modes and Tools 667

668 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 30: Making Selections

Pro Tools provides many tools for selecting To link or unlink the Timeline and Edit selections,
material in the Edit window. do one of the following:

 Select or deselect Options > Link Timeline and

Edit Selection.
Linking or Unlinking Timeline In the Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or
and Edit Selections


the Score Editor window, click the Link Time-

Pro Tools lets you link or unlink the Timeline and line and Edit Selection button so it becomes
Edit selections. highlighted (selected) or unhighlighted (not se-
lected). Enabling or disabling the Link Timeline
When the Timeline and Edit selections are linked, and Edit Selection button in any editor window
selecting in a track’s playlist (making an Edit se- affects all editor windows.
lection) 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 re-
cording range). 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.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 669

 If you are working on a film or video scene, you Timeline and Edit Selection
may want to unlink the Timeline and Edit selec- Markers
tions to find or audition material that is at a differ-
Timeline selections are displayed in the Main
ent location than the current Timeline selection.
Timebase ruler with Timeline Selection Markers,
Edit selections can be played (choose Edit > Selec-
which appear as blue arrows (red when recording).
tion > Play Edit) without disrupting the current
In addition, there are Pre- and Post-Roll Flags
Timeline selection. Once you find the material,
(which are green when enabled) indicating the lo-
you can then go back to the Timeline selection and
cation for pre- and post-roll.
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- Timeline Selection Markers with Pre- and Post-Roll
Flags
lection sets a range to be looped on playback, while
a MIDI clip (residing within the loop) is selected When the Timeline and Edit selections are un-
for editing purposes. linked, Edit selections are displayed in the ruler
with Edit Markers, which appear as black brackets.
During playback, the Edit selection can be nudged,
quantized, or transposed while the loop plays back
completely independent and uninterrupted.
Edit Markers

If the Timeline and Edit selections are linked, Edit

selections are represented by the blue Timeline Se-
lection Markers.

See the following topics for more information on

working with Timeline and Edit selections:
Timeline and Edit selections unlinked
• “Selecting Track Material” on page 671
While you could theoretically do this with the
• “Timeline Selections” on page 682
Timeline and Edit selections linked, as soon as
playback is stopped, the playback range would • “Setting Punch and Loop Points” on page 562
then be updated to that of the more recent edit • “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 565
range, or to a single note when editing MIDI.

670 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Linking or Unlinking Track Selecting Track Material
and Edit Selections
Before audio and MIDI material can be edited, it
Pro Tools lets you link or unlink Track selection must first be selected. The Track View determines
with Edit selections. how the material is viewed and selected.

When Track and Edit selections are linked, you When you make a selection, it appears as a high-
can make a selection within a track or across mul- lighted area of the tracks, and is also indicated by
tiple tracks for editing and each associated track is blue start and end arrows (Timeline Selection
selected (track names automatically highlight). Markers) in the Main Timebase ruler. If any track
This lets you quickly apply track-level commands (audio or MIDI) in the session is record-enabled,
(such as Track View toggle, change track heights) even if it is hidden, these markers appear red.
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 Timeline Selection Markers indicating Edit selection
Selection.
If the Timeline and Edit selections are unlinked,
 In the upper left of the Edit window, under the the Edit selection range is indicated by Edit Mark-
Edit tools, click the Link Track and Edit Selec- ers in the Main Timebase ruler. See “Linking or
tion button so it becomes highlighted (selected) Unlinking Timeline and Edit Selections” on
or unhighlighted (not selected). page 669 for details.

Selections and Edit Groups

When making selections on tracks that are part of

an Edit Group, all tracks within the group become
selected.

Link Track and Edit Selection enabled Selections and Hidden Tracks

When editing tracks that are part of an active Edit

Press Shift+T to toggle Link Track and Edit Group, any tracks within the group that are hidden
Selection on and off. are not affected by the edits. To edit all members of
a group, make sure they are visible by highlighting
their names in the Tracks List.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 671

 Selections in Multiple Tracks To select an entire track, do one of the following:

To make a selection in multiple tracks:

 Click in the track with the Selector tool and then
choose Edit > Select All.
 With the Selector tool, drag vertically to include
adjacent tracks in a selection (drag horizontally  Triple-click with the Selector tool in the track.
to define the time range).
Press Command+A (Mac) or Control+A
(Windows) for Select All.
Selecting Clips
To select all clips in all tracks:
To select a portion of a clip:
1 Select the “All” Edit Group in the Groups List
 With the Selector tool, drag within a clip (left or menu.
right) to select the material on a single track.
2 Do one of the following:
(You can also use the Selector tool across mul-
tiple, adjacent tracks to make multitrack selec- • Click in any track with the Selector tool and
tions.) choose Edit > Select All.
• Triple-click with the Selector tool in any track.

Another way to select all clips in all tracks,

without having to select the “All” Edit
Group, is to press Return (Mac) or Enter
(Windows), then press Command+A (Mac)
or Control+A (Windows). The Link Timeline
Selecting a portion of a clip and Edit Selection option must be enabled.
To select an entire clip, do one of the following:
Clips List Selection Follows Edit
 Click the clip with the Time Grabber tool. Selection
 Double-click the clip with the Selector tool. When the Editing preference for Clips List Selec-
tion Follows Edit Selection is enabled, selecting a
To select two clips and the time range between
clip in a track also causes the clip to become se-
them:
lected in the Clips List.
1 With the Time Grabber, click the first clip.
Conversely, if the Editing preference for Edit
2 Shift-click the second clip. Both clips are se-
Selection Follows Clips List Selection is enabled,
lected, along with the time range between them
selecting a clip in the Clips List causes the initial
(including any other clips).
occurrence of that clip to become selected within
the track.

672 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting All from Timebase 5 Press the Up Arrow key at the point where you
Rulers want the selection to end. The selected range
becomes highlighted.
To select all material in all displayed audio and
MIDI tracks: 6 To stop playback, click Stop in the Transport (or
1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection press the Spacebar).
(Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection). To automatically scroll to the beginning of the se-
2 Double-click in any Timebase ruler. All clips in lection (or to the location of the on-screen cursor),
all displayed audio and MIDI tracks are se- press the Left Arrow key. To scroll to the end of
lected. Tracks that are hidden are not selected. the selection, press the Right Arrow key.

To select all material in all tracks, including

While in Page Scroll or Continuous Scroll mode,
Conductor events: making a selection in the Timeline or a playlist
during playback as the playback cursor moves off-
1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection
screen suspends page scrolling. To resume page
(Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
scrolling and jump to the current playback loca-
2 While pressing Option (Mac) or Control (Win- tion, click the Playback Cursor locater in the Main
dows), double-click in any Timebase ruler. All Timebase ruler (see “Locating the Playback Cur-
clips in all displayed audio and MIDI tracks are sor when It Is Off-Screen” on page 514).
selected, including all events in each of the
Conductor tracks. Object Selections
Use the Object Grabber tool to select noncontigu-
Making Selections While Playing
ous clips on one or more tracks. Noncontiguous se-
Pro Tools lets you make selections during play- lections must encompass entire clips. If you want a
back with the Up and Down Arrow keys. noncontiguous selection to include a portion of a
clip, first turn the portion into a new clip with the
To make a selection while playing: Separate Clip command (see “Separate Com-
1 Enable Link Timeline and Edit Selection mands” on page 694).
(Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection).
The Object Grabber is not available when the
2 With the Selector tool, click somewhere near Edit mode is set to Shuffle or Spot.
the beginning of the track in which you want to
make the selection. To select noncontiguous clips:
1 Set the Edit mode to either Slip or Grid.
3 Click Play in the Transport window (or press
the Spacebar) to begin playback. 2 Click the Grabber tools pop-up menu and
select Object.
4 When playback reaches the point where you
want the selection to begin, press the Down Ar-
row key.

Object Grabber tool

Chapter 30: Making Selections 673

 3 Shift-click each clip you want to include in the To change a Time selection to an Object selection:
selection. The clips can even reside on different 1 Drag with the Selector tool in any track to de-
tracks. fine a selection, or select in a Timebase ruler to
select across all tracks.

Noncontiguous selection

Each clicked clip is surrounded by a dark border, Selected clips

indicating it is selected.
2 With the Object Grabber tool selected, double-
The Object Grabber tool ignores Edit Groups when click the Grabber icon in the toolbar. Clips fall-
making selections. For instance, selecting a clip on ing within the selection range become selected
a grouped track does not cause clips in the other as objects. Clips that were partially selected be-
tracks in the group to become selected. come deselected.

Object to Time Selection

You can convert between Time- and Object-based
selections. Time selections are made with the Se-
lector and Time Grabber tools. Object selections
are made with the Object Grabber tool.
Clips selected as objects
Converting to an Object selection is useful when
you are working with large selections, especially To select clips that were partially selected, press
across multiple tracks, and you want to remove Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) while double-
certain clips from the selection. clicking the Grabber icon.

Converting to a Time selection is useful if you To change an Object selection to a Time selection:
want to select all clips between a noncontiguous
1 Select any number of clips with the Object
Object selection.
Grabber tool.
2 Double-click the Selector tool in the toolbar.
The time range between the first and last clip
becomes selected.

When using the Object Grabber tool on tracks that

belong to an Edit Group, clips in the other grouped
tracks are selected if they fall within the range of
the selected clip.

674 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Changing a Selection Length Nudging a Selection Range
The selection range can be shortened or length- The selection range (not the material within the se-
ened. This does not affect the material within the lection) can be moved by the Nudge value.
selection.
To nudge a selection range:
To change the length of a selection, do one of the 1 Configure the Nudge value. For details, see
following:
“Defining the Nudge Value” on page 700.
 With the Selector tool, position the cursor over
2 Make the initial selection with the Selector tool.
one end of the current selection and Shift-click,
or Shift-drag left or right. 3 While pressing Shift, press Plus (+) or Minus (–
) on the numeric keypad to move the selection
 In the Main Timebase ruler, drag the Timeline
range by the Nudge value.
Selection Marker for the selection’s start or end
point.
Nudging Selection Start/End
Points
Start and end points for selections can be moved by
nudging them.

Dragging a Timeline Selection Marker To move a selection start or end point by the
Nudge value:
 If Link Timeline and Edit Selection is disabled,
drag the Edit Marker to change the selection 1 Configure the Nudge value. For details, see
length. “Defining the Nudge Value” on page 700.
2 Make the initial selection with the Selector tool.
3 Do one of the following:
Edit Markers • While pressing Option+Shift (Mac) or Alt+Shift
To make a long-length selection: (Windows), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the
numeric keypad to move the selection’s start
1 With the Selector tool, click at where you want point by the Nudge value.
the selection to start.
• While pressing Command+Shift (Mac) or Con-
2 Scroll to the end point and Shift-click at the trol+Shift (Windows), press Plus (+) or
point where you want the selection to end. Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the
selection’s end point by the Nudge value.
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 Arrow
key to scroll to the end.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 675

 Extending Selections in Time To extend the selection to a Marker or Memory
Location:
You can extend the Edit selection to clip start and
1 With Link Timeline and Edit Selection enabled,
end points, to include an adjacent clip, to Markers
do one of the following:
and Memory Locations (Edit and/or Timeline se-
lections). • Click in a track with the Selector tool at the start
or end point.
To extend the selection to a clip start or end point: • Make a selection with the Selector or Time
1 With the Selector tool, select a portion of a clip, Grabber tool.
or click anywhere in the clip.
2 Do one of the following:
2 Do one of the following: • Shift-click a Marker in the Markers ruler.
• Press Shift+Tab to extend the selection to the • Shift-click a Memory Location in the Memory
clip’s end point. Locations window.
• Press Option+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Con-
trol+Shift+Tab (Windows) to extend the selec- The selection is extended from the original Inser-
tion to the clip’s start point. tion point to the Marker or Memory Location.

To extend the selection to include an adjacent clip: Doubling or Halving the Edit
1 Select the first clip with the Time Grabber tool. Selection
2 Do one of the following: Pro Tools lets you double or halve the current Edit
selection. This can be especially useful for music
• With Tab to Transients disabled, press Con-
production when working with audio loops and
trol+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Start+Shift+Tab (Win-
MIDI in Grid mode.
dows) to extend the selection to the next clip
boundary. To double the Edit selection, do one of the
• Press Option+Control+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Con- following:
trol+Start+Shift+Tab (Windows) to extend the  Choose Edit > Selection > Double Selection.
selection to include the previous clip boundary.
 Press Command+Option+Control+Shift+’
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Shift+’
(Windows).

To halve the Edit selection, do one of the following:

 Choose Edit > Selection > Halve Selection.

 Press Command+Option+Control+Shift+L
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Shift+L
(Windows).

676 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Duplicating and Extending the Using the Edit Selection
Edit Selection Indicators (Start, End, and
Length)
Pro Tools lets you Duplicate and Extend the Edit
selection. This can be especially useful for music The Edit Selection indicators at the top of the Edit
production when working with audio loops and window can define precise Edit selections. Time
MIDI in Grid mode. values for the Edit Selection indicators use the
time format for the Main Time Scale.
To duplicate and extend the Edit selection, do one
of the following:

 Choose Edit > Selection > Duplicate and Extend

Selection.
Edit Selection indicators
 Press Command+Option+Control+Shift+D
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Shift+D To make a selection with the Edit Selection
indicators:
(Windows).
1 Click with the Selector tool in the track you
Any track content in the Edit selection is dupli- want to select.
cated and the selection extends from the original
start time to the end of the duplicate. 2 Click in the Start field at the top of the Edit win-
dow.

Moving the Edit Selection in 3 Type in the start point for the selection and press
Time the Forward Slash key (/) to enter the value and
automatically move to the end field.
Pro Tools lets you move the Edit selection earlier
or later by the selection amount. You can also 4 Type in the end point for the selection and press
move the Edit selection to the next track above or Enter to accept the value.
below the current Edit selection.
Numeric Entry Shortcuts for Selection
To move the Edit selection earlier by the selection Indicators
amount, do one of the following:
You can use the following shortcuts for entering
 Choose Edit > Selection > Move Edit Left. values in the Edit Selection indicators:
 Press Command+Option+Control+L (Mac) or • Press the Forward Slash (/) key to cycle through
Control+Alt+Start+L (Windows). the three Edit Selection indicators.
• Use Period (.) or the Left and Right Arrow keys
To move the Edit selection later by the selection
amount, do one of the following:
to move through the different time fields in each
Edit Selection indicator.
 Choose Edit > Selection > Move Edit Right.
• Press the Up or Down Arrow keys to increase or
 Press Command+Option+Control+’ (Mac) or decrease numerical values.
Control+Alt+Start+’ (Windows).
• Move the mouse scroll wheel up or down to in-
crease or decrease numerical values.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 677

 • Drag in a field to scroll to a new value. For finer Selecting Across Multiple
resolution, Command-drag (Mac) or Control- Tracks
drag (Windows).
To perform edits across multiple tracks or all
• Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) tracks, you must first select the tracks. Do this by
and Plus (+) or Minus (–), then type a number, to including other tracks in the selection, or by select-
add or subtract from the current field value. For ing in a Timebase ruler (for all tracks).
example, to add 10 to a current field value, press
Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) and To make a selection in multiple tracks:
Plus (+) key, type “10,” and press Enter.
 With the Selector tool, drag vertically to include
• Press Escape to exit the Edit Selection indicators adjacent tracks in a selection (drag horizontally
without entering any values. to define the time range).

These shortcuts can also be used to enter start To extend a selection to another track:
and end values in the Transport window.
1 Using the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make
Calculator Entry Mode a selection in the first track or tracks.

You can perform calculator-style editing of values 2 Shift-click in additional tracks with the Selector
in the Edit Selection indicators. tool. An identical range is selected for each ad-
ditional track.
To subtract time values:
To shorten or lengthen the selection across each of
1 In the Edit Selection indicator, highlight the the tracks, press Shift while dragging to change the
time field you want to change. range of the selection.
2 Press Minus (–) on the numeric keypad.
To select across all tracks, do one of the following:
3 Type the amount you want to subtract from the
 Enable the All Edit Group and make a selection
current time value, then press Enter.
in any track.
4 Press Enter again to apply the change.
 Drag with the Selector tool in any Timebase
To add time values:
ruler (make sure the Timeline and Edit Selec-
tions are linked).
1 In the Edit Selection indicator, highlight the
time field you want to change. These selections include all tracks in the Edit win-
dow, but do not include the Conductor tracks (for
2 Press Plus (+) on the numeric keypad.
Tempo, Meter, and Markers).
3 Type the amount you want to add to the current
time value, then press Enter. To select across all tracks, including the
Conductor tracks (for Tempo, Meter, and Markers):
4 Press Enter again to apply the change.
 Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) with
the Selector tool in any Timebase ruler.

678 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Moving the Edit Selection To remove the top track from an Edit selection
Across Tracks spanning more than one track, do one of the
following:
To move the Edit selection to the next track above  Choose Edit > Selection > Remove Edit From
the current selection:
Top.
 Press Control+P (Mac) or Start+P (Windows).
 Press Option+Control+P (Mac) or Alt+Start+P
To move the Edit selection to the next track below (Windows).
the current selection:
To remove the bottom track from an Edit selection
 Press Control+; (Mac) or Start+; (Windows). spanning more than one track, do one of the
following:

Extending (or Contracting) the  Choose Edit > Selection > Remove Edit From
Edit Selection Over Multiple Bottom.
Tracks
 Press Option+Control+; (Mac) or Alt+Start+;
To extend the Edit selection to the next track above (Windows).
the current selection, do one of the following:

 Shift-click with the Selector tool (within the Moving and Extending
same time as the current Edit selection) on the Selections Between Tracks with
track just above the current Edit selection. Commands Keyboard Focus
 Choose Edit > Selection > Extend Edit Up. With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled, Edit
selections can be moved or extended to adjacent
 Press Control+Shift+P (Mac) or Start+Shift+P
tracks.
(Windows).
To move a selection to an adjacent track:
To extend the Edit selection to the next track below
the current selection, do one of the following: 1 Enable Commands Keyboard Focus (see “Key-
board Focus” on page 26).
 Shift-click with the Selector tool (within the
same time as the current Edit selection) on the
track just below the current Edit selection.
 Choose Edit > Selection > Extend Edit Down.
 Press Control+Shift+; (Mac) or Start+Shift+;
(Windows).

Commands Keyboard Focus button enabled

2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make a

selection.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 679

 3 Do one of the following: 3 Do one of the following:
• Press P on your computer keyboard to move the • Press Tab to move the cursor to the next clip or
selection to the previous track. clip group start, end, or sync point.
• Press semicolon (;) to move the selection to the • Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Win-
next track. dows) to move the cursor to the previous clip or
clip group start, end, or sync point.
In either instance, the original Edit selection be-
comes deselected. To make a selection with the Scrubber:

To extend a selection to an adjacent track:

1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab.
1 Enable Commands Keyboard Focus (see “Key-
board Focus” on page 26). 2 Select the option for “Edit Insertion Follows
Scrub/Shuttle,” then click OK.
2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make a
selection. 3 Scrub with the Scrubber to find an appropriate
start point for the selection, then release.
3 Do one of the following:
4 While pressing Shift, scrub to an appropriate
• Press Shift+P to extend the selection to the pre-
end point for the selection, then release. The
vious track.
range between the initial and final scrub be-
• Press Shift+Semicolon (;) to extend the selection comes selected.
to the next track.
To move a selection to an adjacent clip on the
In either instance, the original Edit selection re- same track:
mains selected.
1 Select a clip with the Time Grabber.

Other Useful Selection 2 Do one of the following:

Techniques • Press Control+Tab (Mac) or Start+Tab (Win-
dows) to move the selection to the next clip.
Following are some additional useful selection ed-
iting techniques. • Press Option+Control+Tab (Mac) or Con-
trol+Start+Tab (Windows) to move the selection
To position the edit cursor precisely at a clip start, to the previous clip.
end, or sync point:
In either instance, the original clip becomes dese-
1 Make sure the Tab to Transients button is not
lected.
enabled. (See “Tabbing to Transients” on
page 681.)
2 Click with the Selector tool in the track.

680 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To slide an Edit selection in the Main Timebase To apply a command to an object while keeping the
ruler: current selection:

1 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, make a  Command-Right-click (Mac) or Control-Right-
selection. click (Windows) the object and choose a com-
mand from the pop-up menu.
2 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows),
move the cursor over either of the Timeline Se-
lection Markers in the ruler (the Time Grabber Tabbing to Transients
appears).
With the Tab to Transients button enabled, you can
automatically navigate to transients in audio wave-
forms 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 clips, without having to
zoom in on the waveform.
Sliding an Edit selection in the Main Timebase ruler

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), Op- Tab to Transients button enabled
tion-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) the Edit
Markers instead. To toggle Tab to Transients on and off,
press Command+Option+Tab (Mac) or
Right-Click Commands and Control+Alt+Tab (Windows).
Selection Preservation
In Warp view, Tab to Transients tabs to all Event
You can use Right-click commands with key com- and Warp markers in a clip. Normal Tab tabs to
binations to perform operations on objects while clip boundaries and all Warp markers. In Analysis
maintaining selections in the Edit and Mix win- view, pressing Tab always tabs to Event markers,
dows. For example, you can maintain selections in regardless of whether or not Tab to Transients is
the following areas while carrying out certain com- enabled.
mands:
• Clip selections in the Timeline With MIDI and Instrument tracks when Tab to
Transients is disabled, pressing Tab moves the in-
• Clip name selections in the Clips List sertion point to the next MIDI clip boundary re-
• Track selections gardless of the track view (just like with audio
clips).

Chapter 30: Making Selections 681

 With MIDI and Instrument tracks when Tab to Tab to Transients Across Multiple
Transients is enabled, pressing Tab moves the Edit Tracks
insertion to the beginning of the next note or clip
With the edit cursor inserted across multiple
boundary regardless of the track view (just like
tracks, you can use Tab to Transients to tab to the
with audio transients), but does not make note se-
next transient on any of those tracks. When tran-
lections.
sients on multiple tracks are closely aligned, Tab to
For more information, see “Keyboard Short- Transients tabs to the first transient on any of those
cuts for Navigating MIDI” on page 807. tracks.

To set the start and end points of a selection with

Tab to Transients:
Timeline Selections
1 In the upper left of the Edit window, click the
Tab to Transients button so it becomes selected. With the Link Timeline and Edit Selection option
disabled, selections can be made in the Timeline
2 If you will be setting the play range with this se- that are distinct and separate from Edit selections.
lection, enable Options > Link Timeline and Edit
Selection. With the Timeline and Edit selections linked, any
Edit selections that are made are mirrored in the
3 Click in the audio track just before the begin- Timeline, and any Timeline selection is mirrored
ning of the material you want to select. as an Edit selection across all tracks.
4 Press Tab repeatedly until the cursor locates to
Whether the Timeline and Edit selections are
the transient where you want to start the selec-
linked or not, the range indicated by the Timeline
tion.
Selection Markers always determines the range for
If necessary, you can move to the previous tran- playback and recording (except when in Dynamic
sient by pressing Option+Tab (Mac) or Con- Transport mode, see “Dynamic Transport Mode”
trol+Tab (Windows). on page 523).

5 Press Shift+Tab until the cursor locates to the With Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio, when the
end of the material you want to select. Scrolling option is set to Center Playhead, it deter-
mines where playback begins (see “Playing Time-
To move the selection end point to the previous line and Edit Selections with the Playhead” on
transient, press Option+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Con- page 521).
trol+Shift+Tab (Windows).

Once selected, the material can be looped for re-

cording or playback, or it can be turned into a new
clip with the Separate or Capture command.

Peak transients are usually visible in the

waveform. However, some low-frequency
transients may not appear as visible peaks in
the waveform.

682 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To make a Timeline selection with the Selector To set the Timeline selection by typing into the
tool: Transport window:

1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur- 1 If necessary, resize the Transport window to Ex-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. panded view so the start and end times are dis-
played (View > Transport > Expanded).
2 Drag with the Selector tool in any Timebase
ruler. 2 Do one of the following:
• In the Transport window, click in the start field.
• Press Option+Forward Slash (/) (Mac) or
Alt+Forward Slash (/) (Windows) on the nu-
meric keypad to select the start field in the
Transport window.
Making a Timeline selection with the Selector tool
3 Type in the new start location and press For-
The Timeline selection is indicated in the Main ward Slash (/) to enter the value and automati-
Timebase ruler by the blue Timeline Selection cally move to the end field.
Markers (or if a track is record-enabled, the Time-
4 Type in the new end location and press Enter to
line Selection Markers are red). The start, end, and
accept the value.
length for the Timeline selection is displayed in the
corresponding fields in the Transport window. Shortcuts for entering start and end values in
the Transport window are listed in “Numeric
To select all tracks, including Conductor
Entry Shortcuts for Selection Indicators” on
tracks, press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows)
page 677.
while dragging in a Timebase ruler with the
Selector tool.
Sliding a Timeline Selection
To set the Timeline selection by dragging the
Timeline Selection Markers:
Like Edit selections, Timeline selections can be
slid in the Main Timebase ruler.
1 If you want to constrain movement to the cur-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. To move a Timeline selection in the Main Timebase
ruler:
2 With the Time Grabber, drag the first Timeline
Selection Marker (down arrow) to set the start 1 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows),
point. move the cursor over either of the Timeline Se-
lection Markers (the Time Grabber appears).
3 Drag the other Timeline Selection Marker (up
arrow) to set the end point. 2 Drag left or right to move the Timeline selection
back or forward in time, while preserving its
length.

Dragging a Timeline Selection Marker

Chapter 30: Making Selections 683

 Timeline Selections to/from Edit The Main Counter displays the playback location
Selections in the time format for the Main Time Scale. The
Sub Counter can be set to any of the other Time
When the Timeline and Edit selections are un-
Scale formats for another timing reference.
linked, you can copy selections between them.
The Edit Selection indicators (to the right of the
To change the Timeline selection to match the Main and Sub counters) display the Start and End
current Edit selection:
times, and Length of the current Edit selection ac-
 Choose Edit > Selection > Change Timeline to cording to the Main Timebase.
Match Edit.
The Main and Sub Counters, as well as the Edit Se-
Press Option+Shift+5 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+5 lection indicators, also appear in the Transport
(Windows) to change the Timeline selection to window when it is set to display Counters.
match the Edit selection.
To navigate with the Edit window Main Counter (or
To change the Edit selection to match the current one of the Edit Selection indicators):
Timeline selection:
1 Do one of the following:
 Choose Edit > Selection > Change Edit to Match
• Click in one of the counters.
Timeline.
• Press asterisk (*) on the numeric keypad to high-
Press Option+Shift+6 (Mac) or light the Main Counter in the Edit window (or
Alt+Shift+6 (Windows) to change the Main Counter in the Transport window or
the Edit selection to match the Time- Big Counter window, if either are displayed).
line selection.
2 Type in the new location. Press Period (.) to cy-
cle through to the different time fields.
Navigating the Timeline with the
Edit Window Counters and 3 Press Enter to accept the new value and auto-
Indicators matically locate there.
The counters and indicators at the top of the Edit
window display the current playback location and Scrolling in a Timebase Ruler
Edit selection. These include the Main and Sub
You can scroll the contents of the Edit window by
Counters, and the Edit Selection Start, End, and
dragging in a ruler. While this does not actually up-
Length indicators.
date the session’s Current Location, it does let you
All Edit window counters and indicators (except conveniently shift the display left or right for the
the Sub Counter) let you enter a location in their sake of finding and editing material.
counter display to navigate to a specific time loca-
This method of scrolling is especially useful when
tion.
using the Continuous Scrolling option, which does
not update or follow Timeline selections.

Main and Sub Counters, Edit Selection indicators

684 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To scroll the entire contents of the Edit window
from a ruler: Auto-Scrolling Tracks in the
 While pressing Command+Option+Control
Mix and Edit Windows
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start (Windows), drag If you are working with more tracks than can be
left or right in any of the Timebase rulers. displayed at one time in the Mix or Edit windows,
you can select a track in one window and Pro Tools
will automatically scroll to that track in both win-
dows.

Scrolling in a ruler To auto-scroll the Mix and Edit windows to show a

track, do one of the following:
Scrolling with a Scroll Wheel  In the Tracks List, Right-click the track name
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can and select Scroll Into View.
use the scroll wheel to scroll vertically or horizon-  In the Tracks List, Control-click (Mac) the track
tally in any Pro Tools window that has a scroll bar name and select Scroll Into View.
(such as the MIDI Event List).
The track becomes selected, and the Mix and Edit
To scroll a Pro Tools window vertically: windows both scroll to display the selected track.
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 Clips 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 Clips List).
2 Shift-scroll the scroll wheel up or down to scroll
the window to the left or right.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 685

 Universe View
The Universe view displays an overview of the entire Pro Tools session above the tracks pane in the Edit
window.

Universe view at the top of the Edit window

This overview represents audio and MIDI material on all tracks in the session that are not hidden (including
tracks that are inactive, or that contain offline clips). The order in which material is displayed in the Uni-
verse view corresponds to the track order in the Edit window.

In the Universe view, audio, MIDI, and video clips on tracks are represented by horizontal lines that are the
same colors as the clips 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 repre-
sented with increasing height for each lane shown.

Since Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and VCA Master tracks do not contain audio or MIDI clips, they are
displayed as blank areas in the Universe view.

686 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Showing the Universe Window  Click the Show/Hide Universe/Clip Effects
view button.
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 Time-

base ruler.
 From the Edit window menu, select or deselect
Universe. Show/Hide Universe/Clip Effects view button

 Press Option+7 (Mac) or Alt+7 (Windows).

Framed Area in the Universe

View
The framed area in the Universe view represents
what is visible in the Tracks pane in the Edit win-
dow. If you change what is displayed in the Edit
window—by zooming, scrolling horizontally 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 clips
visible, the entire Universe window is framed.

Selecting Universe view from the Edit window menu

Framed area representing what part of the session is

viewed in the Tracks pane of the Edit window

Chapter 30: Making Selections 687

 Navigating with the Universe
View
By clicking in the Universe view, you can scroll
the material displayed in the Edit window horizon-
tally, vertically, or both. This provides a conve-
nient method of focusing the Edit window any-
where in the session.

To navigate the session using the Universe view:

1 Ensure that Universe view is shown (View >

Other Displays > Universe). Resizing the Universe view

2 Click anywhere in the Universe view to move Scrolling the Universe View
the framed area and the Edit window updates
accordingly. If you have more tracks in the session than are vis-
ible 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

You can resize the height of the Universe view to
fit the total number of tracks in the session, or to
Scroll Up and Down Arrows in the Universe view
show more of the Edit window.

To resize the height of the Universe view:

Navigating a Pro Tools
1 Click the area between the bottom of the Uni- Session with Keyboard
verse window and the top of the Timebase rul- Shortcuts
ers. The cursor changes to show that you can
resize the Universe view. In addition the Universe view, Pro Tools lets you
quickly and easily navigate a session using key-
2 Drag up to decrease the height of the Universe board shortcuts. This topic provides an overview
view or drag down to increase the height of the of the essential key commands for navigating and
Universe view. making Edit selections in a session.

688 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Zooming to the Entire Session 3 Do one of the following:
and to the Edit Selection • Press Control+E (Mac) or Start+E (Windows)
To zoom your entire session into view:
again to revert to the preview zoom state.

1 Press Option+Control+A (Mac) or Alt+Start+A • Press Option+Shift+E (Mac) or Alt+Shift+E

(Windows) to horizontally fit the beginning and (Windows) to cancel Zoom Toggle without re-
end of the session to the length of the Edit win- verting to the previous view.
dow.
Creating Edit Selections with
Press Option+Control+Up Arrow (Mac) or
2
Tab to Transients
Alt+Start+Up Arrow (Windows) to fit all of the
tracks in the session to the height of the Edit If you are editing audio with clear transients, you
window. can use Tab to Transients to make Edit selections.

To zoom to an Edit selection: To toggle Tab to Transients on and off:

1 With the Selector or the Grabber tool, make an  Press Command+Option+Tab (Mac) or Con-
Edit selection. trol+Alt+Tab (Windows).

Press F7 for the Selector tool or F8 for the To navigate and extend selections forward with
Grabber tool. Tab to Transients:

1 With the Selector tool, place the Edit cursor be-

2 Press Option+Control+F (Mac) or Alt+Start
fore the first transient your want in your selec-
(Windows) to fit the length of the selection to
tion.
the length of the Edit window.
2 Press Tab to place the Edit cursor at the first
3 Press Command+Control+Up Arrow (Mac) or
transient.
Control+Start+Up Arrow (Windows) to zoom
the Track Height of the Edit selection to fit to 3 Press Shift+Tab to extend the selection to the
the height of the Edit window. next transient.

To zoom to an Edit selection using Zoom Toggle: To navigate and extend selections backward with
Tab to Transients:
1 With the Selector or the Grabber tool, make an
Edit selection. • Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Win-
dows) to move the Edit cursor to the previous
Press F7 for the Selector tool or F8 for the transient.
Grabber tool.
• Press Option+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Con-
2 Press Control+E (Mac) or Start+E (Windows) trol+Shift+Tab (Windows) to extend the selec-
to enable Zoom Toggle. tion to the previous transient.

Set the Track Height option for Zoom Toggle

to Fit To Window in the Editing Preferences.

Chapter 30: Making Selections 689

 Making an Edit Selection During To move the selection up to the next track:
Playback  Press Control+P (Mac) or Start+P (Windows).
To make an Edit selection during playback:
To extend the Edit selection up across
1 Place the Edit cursor in the track or across mul- tracks, Press Control+Shift+P (Mac) or
tiple tracks where you want to make the selec- Start+Shift+P (Windows).
tion.
To move the selection forward by the selection
2 Start playback. amount:

3 Press the Down Arrow to place the Edit cursor  Press Command+Control+Option+’ (single
at the current playback location and mark the quote) (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+’ (single
beginning of the Edit selection. quote) (Windows).
4 Press the Up Arrow to mark the end point of the To move the selection backward by the selection
Edit selection. amount:
5 Stop playback.  Press Command+Control+Option+L (Mac) or
Control+Alt+Start+L (Windows).
6 Do one of the following:
• Press the Left arrow to locate the beginning of To double the Edit selection:
the Edit selection.
 Press Command+Control+Option+Shift+’ (sin-
• Press the Right arrow to locate the end of the gle quote) (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Shift+’
Edit selection. (single quote) (Windows).

Moving the Edit Selection To halve the Edit selection:

 Press Command+Option+Control+Shift+L
Pro Tools provides several keyboard shortcuts for
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Shift+L
moving and extending or decreasing the range of
(Windows).
an Edit (or Timeline) selection.
To go to and select the previous clip, do one of the
To move the selection down to the next track:
following:
 Press Control+; (semicolon) (Mac) or Start+;
 Press Option+Control+Tab (Mac) or
(semicolon) (Windows).
Alt+Start+Tab (Windows).
To extend the Edit selection down across  Press Command+Control+L (Mac) or
tracks, Press Control+Shift+; (semicolon) Control+Start+L (Windows).
(Mac) or Start+Shift+; (semicolon) (Win-
dows).

690 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To go to and select the next clip, do one of the Restoring the Last Selection
following:
There are times when editing that you can lose
 Press Control+Tab (Mac) or Start+Tab
your selection. If you lose the current Edit (or
(Windows).
Timeline) selection and want to restore it, use the
 Press Command+Control+’ (single quote) Restore Last Selection command.
(Mac) or Control+Start+’ (single quote)
(Windows). To restore the last selection:

 Choose Edit > Restore Last Selection.

To extend the selection to include the previous
clip, do one of the following: You can also press Command+Option+Z
 Press Option+Control+Shift+Tab (Mac) or (Mac) or Control+Alt+Z (Windows) to restore
Alt+Start+Shift+Tab (Windows). the previous selection.

Press Command+Control+Shift+L (Mac) or


Changing Track Heights
Control+Start+Shift+L (Windows).
To fit the Track heights of tracks containing he Edit
To extend the selection to include the next clip, do selection to the height of the Edit window:
one of the following:
 Press Command+Control+Up Arrow (Mac) or
 Press Control+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Control+Start+Up Arrow (Windows).
Start+Shift+Tab (Windows).
To change Track height proportionally for tracks
 Press Command+Control+Shift+’ (single
containing the Edit selection:
quote) (Mac) or Control+Start+Shift+’ (single
quote) (Windows).  Press Control+Up or Down Arrows (Mac) or
Start+Up or Down Arrows (Windows).
Moving the Insertion to the To change Track views for all tracks together:
Beginning or End of the
Selection  Press Option+Control+Up or Down Arrows
(Mac) or Alt+Start+Up or Down Arrows
With the Transport stopped, you can use the Down
(Windows).
and Up Arrows on your alphanumeric keyboard to
the beginning or end of the Edit (or Timeline) se-
lection (and collapse the selection). Changing Track Views
To change Track views for tracks containing the
To move the insertion to the beginning of the
Edit selection:
selection:
 Press Command+Control+Left or Right arrows
 Press the Down Arrow.
(Mac) or Control+Start+Left or Right arrows
To move the insertion to the end of the selection: (Windows).

 Press the Up Arrow. To change Track views for all tracks together:

 Press Command+Option+Control+Left or
Right arrows (Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Left
or Right arrows (Windows).

Chapter 30: Making Selections 691

692 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections

Clips are the basic building blocks for arranging Capture Clip Command
audio and MIDI in Pro Tools. Understanding how
The Capture Clip command defines a selection as a
clips are created, edited, and arranged is essential
new clip and adds it to the Clips List. From there,
to taking full advantage of the editing capabilities
the new clip can be dragged to any existing tracks.
of Pro Tools.

This chapter covers basic editing functions as they To capture a new clip:
apply to clips and clip groups, and selections, 1 With the Selector tool, drag in an existing clip to
which for the most part apply to both MIDI and au- select the material for the new clip.
dio data. For editing procedures more specific to
MIDI, see Chapter 35, “MIDI Editing.” For edit-
ing procedures specific to video, see “Video Clips”
on page 1455.

Creating New Clips

Selecting a portion of a clip
Pro Tools provides several commands for creating
clips and clip groups, each of them having a 2 Choose Clip > Capture.
slightly different effect on the selection. When you Press Command+R (Mac) or Control+R
create a new clip or clip group, it appears in the (Windows) for Capture Clip.
Clips List and in the track’s playlist. When creat-
ing a new clip from an existing clip, the original 3 Type a name for the new clip and click OK.
clip remains in the Clips List. New clips are named
automatically (see “Auto-Naming Options” on The new clip appears in the Clips List. The original
page 338). clip remains intact and unchanged.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 693

 Separate Commands 2 Do one of the following:

The Separate commands define a selection within • Choose Edit > Separate > At Selection.
an existing clip, or a partially selected clip, as a • With an Edit selection, Right-click near the cur-
new clip and separate it from surrounding material. sor position or selection and choose Separate
The Separate commands can also be applied to from the pop-up menu.
MIDI notes (see “Separating MIDI Notes” on
page 797). Press Command+E (Mac) or Control+E
(Windows) for Separate At Selection.
New clips appear in the tracks in which they are
created, separate from the data surrounding them. 3 If the Editing preference for Auto-Name Sepa-
They also appear in the Clips List. rated Clips is disabled, type a name for the new
clip when prompted, then click OK.
There are three different Separate commands:
To separate clips (or MIDI notes) according to the
At Selection (or Edit Cursor) Creates new clip current grid resolution:
boundaries at the selection start and end points. If
there is no selection and the edit cursor is placed 1 Make an Edit selection.
within the clip, the clip is split into two new clips at 2 Choose Edit > Separate > On Grid.
the insertion point. Likewise, MIDI notes can be
separated at the selection start and end points (or at 3 In the Pre-Separate Amount dialog, type a
the Edit cursor). pre-separate amount in milliseconds. This can
be useful to pad the beginnings of the new clips.
On Grid Creates new clips according to the se-
lected Grid value (see “Defining the Grid Value”
on page 947). Likewise, MIDI notes can be sepa-
rated on the grid.

At Transients Automatically creates clip boundar-

ies on detected transients within a selection. This
uses the same algorithm for transient detection as Pre-Separate Amount dialog
the Tab to Transients feature (see “Tabbing to
Transients” on page 681). On Elastic Audio-en- 4 Click OK.
abled tracks, the Separate At Transients command
To separate audio clips at transients:
uses the transient events detected by Elastic Audio
analysis (see “Elastic Audio Analysis” on 1 Make an Edit selection.
page 1021). Separate At Transients only applies to 2 Choose Edit > Separate > At Transients.
audio and is not applicable to MIDI notes or clips.
3 In the Pre-Separate Amount dialog, type a
To separate one or more clips (or MIDI notes) at the pre-separate amount in milliseconds. This can
selection (or at the edit cursor): be useful to pad the beginnings of the new clips.
1 Do one of the following: 4 Click OK.
• With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection.
• With the Selector tool, click at the point where
you want to separate the clip (or MIDI note).

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Auto-Name Separated Clips Separating Multiple Tracks
Option
The following figure illustrates a separation across
With the Auto-Name Separated Clips option in the one mono audio track and two stereo tracks. For
Editing Preferences page selected, Pro Tools auto- some tracks, the selection resides within a clip,
matically names separated clips for you. The name while others reside at the start or end of a clip.
is a numbered variation of the original clip’s name.

By separating a clip, additional clips are auto-cre-

ated from data on either side of the separation,
which have new numbers assigned to their names.
The original clip remains intact and unchanged on
the Clips List.

The Clips List can quickly fill up with auto-

created clips. For easier clip management,
click the Clips List menu, deselect Show >
Auto-Created to hide all auto-created clips in
the Clips List.

“Separate Clip” Operates On All

Related Takes
When the “Separate Clip” Operates on All Related
Takes option is enabled in the Editing Preferences,
editing a clip with the Separate Clip command also
affects all other related takes with the same User
Time Stamp. Separating across multiple tracks

This option helps you compare different sections Once separated, this material can be moved or cop-
from a group of related takes. For example, you ied to another location.
can quickly separate an entire group of related vo-
cal takes into sections, then audition and select the Separation Grabber Tool
best material from each section independently.
You can use the Separation Grabber tool to auto-
If this option is selected, make sure the Track matically separate an Edit selection and move it to
Name and Clip Start and End options are also se- another location or another track.
lected in the Matching Criteria window (see
“Matching Criteria” on page 745). If they are not, To separate a selection with the Separation
all clips in the session that have the same User Grabber tool:
Time Stamp will be affected. 1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection.
The selection can reside within a single clip,
In most instances, you will want to disable the
across adjacent clips within the same track, or
Separate Clip Operates On All Related Takes op-
across multiple tracks.
tion, to prevent a large number of clips from being
created when you use the Separate Clip command.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 695

 2 From the Grabber tools pop-up menu, choose 3 While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows),
the Separation Grabber tool. drag the selection to the new location, or to an-
other track.

Separation Grabber tool

3 Drag the selection to the new location, or to an-

other track.

Dragging to another track with the Separation Grabber

tool

New clips containing the previous selection are

created and placed at the new location. The origi-
nal selection and clips remain intact.

Healing Separated Clips

The Heal Separation command returns separated
clips to their original state—provided the clips are
Dragging selection to later in track with Separation still next to each other and their relative start and
Grabber tool end points have not changed since the separation.
A new clip (or clips) containing the previous selec-
If you have trimmed or otherwise changed the start
tion is created, separate from the original selection.
or end points of the two clips, or moved them fur-
New clips are also created from the material out-
ther away from each other, you will not be able to
side the original selection.
repair them with the Heal Separation command. It
is not possible to heal two clips created from dif-
To separate a selection without affecting the
original clips: ferent audio files.

1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection. To heal a separation between two clips:
The selection can reside within a single clip,
1 With the Selector tool, make a selection that in-
across adjacent clips within the same track, or
cludes part of the first clip, the entire separation
across multiple tracks.
between the clips, and part of the second clip.
2 From the Grabber tools pop-up menu, choose
2 Choose Edit > Heal Separation.
the Separation Grabber tool.
Press Command+H (Mac) or Control+H
(Windows) to Heal Separation.

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If the clips do not heal with Heal Separation, do one Trim to Insertion Commands
of the following to return the separated clips to a
single clip: You can trim a clip or MIDI note by automatically
removing the material between the Edit insertion
 Delete one of the two separated clips (verify
point and the start or end point of the clip.
that Slip mode is enabled so the gap does not
close) and use the Trim tool to expand the re-
To trim from a start point to insertion:
maining clip to its original length (see “Using
the Trim Tools” on page 652). 1 With the Selector tool, click inside the clip or
note where you want the new start point to be.
 Delete both of the separated clips and drag the
original clip from the Clips List to the original 2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > Start To Insertion. The
location (see “Placing Clips from the Clips List clip’s start point is automatically trimmed to the
on to Track Playlists” on page 937). insertion point.

Press Option+Shift+7 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+7

(Windows) to Trim Start To Insertion.
Trimming Clips
To trim from an end point to insertion:
In addition to the Trim tools (see “Using the Trim
Tools” on page 652), Pro Tools provides several 1 With the Selector tool, click inside the clip or
options for editing clip and clip group boundaries. note where you want the new end point.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > End To Insertion. The
Trim to Selection Command clip’s end point is automatically trimmed to the
insertion point.
The Trim to Selection command removes data be-
fore and after a clip or MIDI note selection, leaving
only the selection. This command lets you quickly
remove all data in a clip (and in some instances the
entire track) except for the current selection.

To trim unwanted data from a clip or note:

1 With the Selector tool, select a portion of a clip
or note (or a range of notes).
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > To Selection to
remove material outside of the selection.

Clip end trimmed to insertion

Press Option+Shift+8 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+8

(Windows) to Trim Start To Insertion.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 697

 Trim to Fill Selection Commands The end point of the clip in front of the gap is au-
tomatically trimmed (expanded) to the next clip, or
The Trim to Fill Selection commands let you auto-
as far as possible if there is not enough underlying
matically reveal underlying material in the gaps
material to cover the gap.
between clips, or before and after individual clips,
as follow:

To trim from a start point to fill gaps:

1 With the Selector tool, select across at least one
gap between clips.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > Start to Fill Selection.

The start point of the clip behind the gap is auto-

matically trimmed (expanded) to the previous clip,
or as far as possible if there is not enough underly-
ing material to cover the gap. Clip end trimmed to fill gap

To trim from a clip’s start and end points to fill the

Edit selection:
1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection
that includes the clip you want to trim out.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > To Fill Selection.

The start point of the clip is automatically trimmed

(expanded) to the Edit selection start, or as far as
possible if there is not enough underlying material
to cover the selection, and the end point of the clip
Clip start trimmed to fill gap is automatically trimmed out (expanded) to the
To trim from an end point to fill gaps:
Edit selection end, or as far as possible if there is
not enough underlying material to cover the selec-
1 With the Selector tool, select across at least one tion.
gap between clips.
The Trim to Fill Selection command is the inverse
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > End To Fill
of the Trim to Fit Selection command: where the
Selection.
Trim to Fill Selection command trims a clip out to
match the Edit selection, the Trim to Fit Selection
command trims a clip in to match the Edit selec-
tion.

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Trim Clip to File Commands Trimming with Nudge
There are three Trim Clip to File commands that let You can trim the start and end points of clips (or
you trim a clip to the end of the file, the beginning MIDI notes) by the current Nudge value.
of a file, or both. However, clips trimmed to file
boundaries do not overlap other clips on the same To trim a clip’s start or end point by the Nudge
track. Instead, the selected clip is trimmed out only value:

to the next or previous clip boundary depending on 1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
which command you use. Nudge Value” on page 700).

To trim out the selected audio clip to the start of

2 With the Time Grabber tool, select the clip you
the referenced file: want to trim.
1 Select the entire clip. 3 Do one of the following:
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > To File Start. • While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows),
press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric key-
To trim the selected clip to the file start, press pad to trim the clip’s start point by the Nudge
Command+Control+R (Mac) or Con- value.
trol+Start+R.
• While pressing Command (Mac) or Control
To trim out the selected audio clip to the end of the (Windows), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the
referenced file: numeric keypad to trim the clip’s end point by
the Nudge value.
1 Select the entire clip.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > To File End.

To trim the selected clip to the file end, press

Nudging Clips
Command+Control+Y (Mac) or Con- Pro Tools can nudge clips (or MIDI notes) by pre-
trol+Start+Y. cise increments with the Plus (+) and Minus (–)
keys on the numeric keypad. The amount of the
To trim out the selected audio clip to the start and
nudge is determined by the value specified in the
end of the referenced file:
Nudge Value pop-up menu. The Nudge function
1 Select the entire clip. can be used in any of the Edit modes.
2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip > To File Boundaries.
Nudging can be invaluable for adjusting the
To trim the selected clip to both the beginning “groove” of a musical phrase or a sound effect rel-
and end of the file, press Command+Con- ative to other elements in the session. Since
trol+T (Mac) or Control+Start+T. Pro Tools can nudge material during playback,
you can nudge continuously in real time to adjust
the timing relationship between tracks.

Nudge can also be used to adjust the placement of

automation breakpoints. For more information, see
“Editing Automation” on page 1222.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 699

 Defining the Nudge Value To increase the nudge value incrementally:

The Nudge value determines how far clips and se-  Press Shift+Option+Equal (=) (Mac) or
lections are moved when nudging. Shift+Alt+Equal (=) (Windows)

Start and end points for selections can also be To decrease the nudge value incrementally:
moved by the Nudge value (see “Nudging Selec-  Press Shift+Option+Minus (–) (Mac) or
tion Start/End Points” on page 675). In addition, Shift+Alt+Minus (–) (Windows)
clips can be trimmed by the Nudge value (see
“Trimming with Nudge” on page 699).
Nudging Clips by the Nudge
To set the Nudge value: Value
1 Do one of the following: To nudge one or more clips:
• From the View > Main Counter menu, select the 1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
Time Scale for the Nudge value. Nudge Value” on page 700).
• To keep the Main Time Scale and use a different 2 With the Time Grabber or Selector tool, select
time format for the Nudge value, deselect Follow the clip, clips, or clip groups you want to nudge.
Main Timebase in the Nudge Value pop-up The clips can reside on multiple tracks. Only
menu. clips that are completely selected are nudged.
2 Specify a Nudge value by doing one of the fol- 3 Do one of the following:
lowing:
• On the numeric keypad, press Plus (+) to move
• From the Nudge value pop-up menu in the Edit the selection forward by the Nudge value.
window, select the Nudge value.
• Press Minus (–) to move the selection back by
• To specify a Nudge value not listed in the Nudge the Nudge value.
Value pop-up menu, click the Nudge Value indi-
cator and type in the value. The Nudge command works the same regardless of
the Edit mode. Adjacent clips 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.

Nudging Clips on Multiple

Tracks and in Multichannel
Tracks
When nudging a selection of multiple clips within
a single track or across multiple tracks, that also
contains silence, any automation data residing
Nudge Value pop-up menu showing Timecode within the silence is also nudged.

700 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Nudging by Next Nudge Value Nudging the Contents of a Clip
In addition to nudging by the current Nudge value, Often a clip’s start point will reside at the correct
you can also nudge by the next larger value in the location, perhaps at a Timecode frame or barline,
Nudge pop-up menu. but the material within the clip starts too late or
early. You can, in effect, nudge a clip’s audio
For example, if the Nudge value is set to 1 frame waveform or MIDI notes without displacing the
and you want to nudge by a larger value, you can clip start and end points.
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 26).
2 Select the clips or notes you want to nudge.
3 Do one of the following:
• Press Forward Slash (/) to nudge the selected
material forward by the next Nudge value.
Nudging clip contents without changing clip
• Press M to nudge the selection back by the next boundaries
Nudge value. This “sliding” of clip contents is only possible if
When Commands Keyboard Focus is not there is material residing outside the clip’s start
enabled, press Control+Forward Slash (/) and end points—from the clip having been
(Mac) or Start+Forward Slash (/) (Win- trimmed, or perhaps captured from a larger clip.
dows) to nudge the selected material for-
To nudge the contents of a clip without changing
ward by the next Nudge value, and press the clip start and end points:
Control+M (Mac) or Start+M (Windows)
to nudge the selected material back by the 1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
next Nudge value. Nudge Value” on page 700).
2 With the Time Grabber tool, select the clip
whose contents you want to nudge.
3 While pressing the Control (Mac) or Start key
(Windows), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the
numeric keypad to move the material by the
Nudge value to the left (+) or right (–).

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 701

 Layered Editing
Pro Tools provides the option to enable layered edit- 1
ing so that you don’t lose partially overlapped clips
while editing. This is true for both audio and MIDI.

To enable (or disable) layered editing, do one 2

of the following:
 Select (or deselect) Options > Layered Editing.
 Click the Layered Editing button in the Edit Win-
dow toolbar so that it is lit (or unlit).
3

Layered Editing button (enabled) Figure 1. Editing with Layered Editing enabled

When the Layered Editing option is enabled, any

partially overlapped clips are revealed when cut- Press Command+Delete (Mac) or Control+
ting, clearing (deleting), or moving the overlap- Delete (Windows) to clear all track data
ping clip. Note that if any clip is fully overlapped within the edit selection regardless of whether
by another, larger clip, it is removed from the time- or not Layered Editing is enabled.
line. In Figure 1, the clip “Audio 1_01” (1) is
moved (2) to fully cover one clip and partially
cover another clip (3). When that clip (“Audio
1_02-01”) is cleared, the fully covered clip is gone,
but the partially covered clip is revealed (4).

702 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When the Layered Editing option is disabled, over-
lapped clips remain “trimmed” to the start or end Quantizing Clips to Grid
time of the overlapping clip. In Figure 2, the clip
The Quantize to Grid command adjusts the place-
“Audio 1_01” (1) is moved to cover the middle of a
larger clip (2). When that clip (“Audio 1_01”) is
ment of selected audio and MIDI clips so that their
cleared, the overlapped clip has a hole punched in it start points (or sync points, if present) align pre-
(3). If Layered Editing is enabled in this case, the un- cisely to the nearest Grid boundary.
derlying clip is completely revealed and healed (4).
To quantize individual MIDI notes or Elastic Au-
dio Events, use the Quantize Event Operations.
You can also use the Quantize Event Operation to
1 quantize audio clips (see “Quantize” on
page 1063).

To quantize one or more clips:

2
1 Select the Grid value (see “Defining the Grid
Value” on page 947).
2 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, select
the clip or clips you want to quantize. The clips
3 can be on multiple tracks. Only clips that are en-
tirely selected will be quantized.
3 Choose Clip > Quantize to Grid. Clip start times
(or sync points) are aligned to the nearest
4 boundaries for the defined Grid.

Press Command+0 (Mac) or Control+0

Figure 2. Editing with Layered Editing disabled
(Windows) to Quantize to Grid.

For MIDI clips, only the clips are quantized and all
MIDI data contained within the clips (such as
notes) are moved equally, thereby retaining their
rhythmic relationships.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 703

 For Elastic Audio clips, only the clips are quan- To split a stereo or multichannel track:
tized and all Elastic Audio Events contained within 1 Select one or more stereo or multichannel tracks
the clips (such as transient events) are moved (see “Selecting Tracks” on page 257).
equally, thereby retaining their rhythmic relation-
ships. 2 Choose Track > Split Into Mono. Clips from the
channels on the selected tracks are placed on
To quantize individual MIDI notes or Elastic new, mono audio tracks.
Audio Events, use the Quantize Event Opera-
tions. You can also use the Quantize Event Names for the new tracks are based on the source
Operation to quantize audio clips. For more track name and channel suffix. For example, if a
information see “Quantize” on page 1063). 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

Editing Stereo and settings are retained in the new tracks. Mono
Multichannel Tracks equivalents of stereo and multi-mono plug-in as-
Clips on individual channels within stereo and signments are assigned in the new tracks. How-
multichannel tracks cannot be independently se- ever, multichannel plug-in assignments are not as-
lected. All selections for these tracks are time- signed in the new tracks.
based, which means that selections made with the
Selector or Time Grabber tool extend to each and Dragging Clips to and from
every channel in the track. Stereo and Multichannel Tracks
When clips in multichannel tracks are edited with
any of the Trim 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 multi-
channel 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.

Dragging a stereo clip to two mono audio tracks

704 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When dragging clips to or from stereo or multi- When consolidating, muted clips are treated as si-
channel tracks, the following rules apply: lence. Otherwise, whether or not a track is muted,
or contains Mute automation, does not affect the
 Provided the number of tracks and channels are
Consolidate command.
the same for the source and destination, you can
drag clips between multichannel tracks and mono Consolidating an audio track does not
tracks. consolidate underlying automation data. To
 The source and destination for dragged clips create a single file with automation data ap-
can be mixed. For example, you can drag clips plied to the audio, use Bounce Mix (see
from a 5.0 track (containing five channels) to a ste- “Bounce Mix” on page 1258).
reo track and three mono audio tracks.
To consolidate clips within a track:
 When dragging multichannel clips to mono 1 Do one of the following:
tracks, the destination tracks must be adjacent.
• Using the Time Grabber or Selector tool, select
 When dragging clips from mono tracks to a the clips you want to consolidate.
multichannel track, the source tracks need not be
• To select all clips in a track, triple-click in its
adjacent.
playlist with the Selector tool.
Multichannel clips can also be dragged from the 2 Choose Edit > Consolidate.
Clips List, to multichannel tracks of the same for-
mat, groups of mono audio tracks, or a combina- Press Option+Shift+3 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+3
tion of both. (Windows) to Consolidate.

Conversely, a collection of single, mono clips can

be dragged from the Clips List to multichannel Compacting an Audio File
tracks—provided the dragged number of clips
matches the number of channels in the destination The Compact command deletes unused portions of
track. audio files to conserve disk space, and to prepare
for cleaner hard drive back-ups. The Compact Se-
lected command also deletes any audio files for
Consolidating Clips which there are no clips on tracks referencing those
files.
During the course of normal edit operations, any
track can accumulate many clips. However, once a Because it permanently deletes audio data, the
track or track range (such as a verse or chorus) Compact command should be used only after you
reaches a satisfactory state, you may want to con- have completely finished your editing and are sure
solidate multiple clips into a single clip. that you have no further use for the unused audio
data.
When consolidating an entire audio track or just an
Edit selection, a new audio file is written that con-
sists of the entire selection, including any blank
space.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 705

 The Compact command can pad the clips of the
compacted file by a selectable amount. If clips in TCE (Time Compression and
your session use crossfades, or if you want to pad Expansion) Edit To Timeline
the clips for the sake of any future trimming, you Selection
should enter an appropriate amount of padding (in (Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
milliseconds).
When the Edit and Timeline selections are un-
The Compact command is destructive and linked, you can compress or expand an audio se-
cannot be undone. It permanently alters the lection to fit the Timeline selection. On audio
original audio files. There is no way to tracks, TCE Edit to Timeline Selection uses the
recover data deleted by this command. TCE AudioSuite Plug-In selected in the Process-
ing preferences (see “Processing Preferences” on
To compact an audio file: page 137).
1 In the Clips List, select the clip or clips you
TCE Edit To Timeline Selection is not available
want to compact.
on Elastic Audio and Melodyne–enabled tracks.
2 From the Clips List menu, choose Compact.
To fit an Edit selection to the Timeline:
3 Enter the amount of padding in milliseconds
1 Deselect Options > Link Timeline and Edit
that you want for each clip in the file.
Selection.
4 Click Compact to compact the file or Cancel to
2 With the Selector tool, select the audio material
cancel the command.
to be compressed or expanded.
Once the Compact command has been completed, 3 In any Timebase ruler, select the time range
the session is saved automatically. where you want to fit the audio material.
4 Choose Edit > TCE Edit to Timeline Selection.
Processing Audio with The Edit selection is compressed or expanded to
AudioSuite Plug-Ins the length of the Timeline selection.

The AudioSuite plug-ins included with your

TCE Edit to Timeline Selection
Pro Tools system can be used to process and mod- on Multiple Tracks and Channels
ify audio clips or even entire audio files. Do this in
order to apply a specific AudioSuite process (such The TCE Edit to Timeline command can be used on
as Normalization or DC Offset Removal) to any multichannel selections, and selections across
number of audio clips in your session. multiple tracks. All clips are compressed or ex-
panded equally by the same percentage value,
For more information about AudioSuite based on Edit selection range. This ensures that the
plug-ins, see Chapter 43, “AudioSuite Pro- rhythmic relationship between the different chan-
cessing.” nels or tracks is maintained.

706 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Fitting an Audio Clip to an Edit
Selection Rating Clips
Clips can be dragged from the Clips List to fit You can rate different clips on a scale of 1 to 5,
within an Edit selection. The dragged clip is com- where 5 is the highest (or best) and 1 is the lowest
pressed or expanded to fit within the selection. On (or worst). Clip rating is useful for identifying
audio tracks, fitting an audio clip to the Edit selec- which takes (clips) you like the most when com-
tion uses the TCE AudioSuite Plug-In selected in positing playlists. You can display or hide the clip
the Processing preferences (see “Processing Pref- rating in clips to facilitate track compositing or
erences” on page 137). On Elastic Audio-enabled regular editing. You can also show or hide Playlist
tracks, it uses the track’s selected Elastic Audio lanes based on the ratings of clips in the playlist
plug-in (see “Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on (see “Filtering Lanes” on page 744).
page 1023).
To rate a clip:
To fit an audio clip to an Edit selection: 1 Select the clip.
1 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection in 2 Do one of the following:
an audio track.
• Choose Clip > Rating, and select a ranking of
2 Command-Option-drag (Mac) or Control-Alt- 1 to 5.
drag (Windows) the clip from the Clips List to
• Right-click the clip, choose Rate, and select a
the track with the selection. The start of the clip
ranking of 1 to 5.
is positioned at the selection start, and the clip is
compressed or expanded to match the length of You can rate selected clips during playback
the selection. by pressing Command+Option+Control
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start (Windows) and
Fit to Selection on Multiple then typing the rating number (1–5) on the
Tracks and Channels numeric keypad.

The Fit to Selection command supports dragging To display ratings in clips:

multiple clips from the Clips List to multiple
 Select View > Clip > Rating.
tracks, or multichannel tracks.

All dragged clips are compressed or expanded

equally by the same percentage value, based on
length of the clip last clicked before dragging.

Clip with Rating shown

To hide ratings in clips:

 Deselect View > Clip > Rating.

Chapter 31: Editing Clips and Selections 707

708 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades

You can quickly and easily apply fade-ins, fade- The type of selection you make determines the
outs on audio clips, and crossfades between adja- character of the crossfade.
cent audio clips. Crossfading is the process of fad-
ing between two clips of audio to prevent pops, Since crossfades are created by fading between
clicks, or sudden changes in sound. Crossfades overlapping audio material, a crossfade cannot
have many applications, from smoothing transi- be performed on clips that do not contain audio
tions between clips to creating special audio ef- material beyond their clip boundaries.
fects. The crossfade duration, position, and shape
are all user-definable. If a clip references insufficient data to execute
a selected fade or crossfade, you are prompted
to either skip those fades or to adjust the
About Crossfades and Curves bounds of the selection to execute those fades.

To create a crossfade between two clips, use the

Selector tool to select across the end point of the
Standard Crossfade (Centered)
first clip and the start point of the second. The splice
length of the selection determines the length of the fade-out curve point fade-in curve
crossfade. Though fades may appear to be discrete
clips, they cannot actually be separated from the
clips in which they were created. You can, how- clip 1 clip 2

ever, create fade-ins and fade-outs for individual

clips (see “Creating Fades at the Beginnings and
Ends of Clips” on page 717). crossfade selection

Use the Fades dialog to select, view, and manipu- Centered crossfade
late the curves used to perform fades and cross-
fades. Different volume curves can be assigned to This type of selection creates a crossfade on both
the fade-out and fade-in portions of crossfades. sides of the splice point, which affects the volume
The Fades dialog can also be used to audition a of clip 1 and clip 2. It is the most common type of
fade or crossfade before applying it. crossfade.

This crossfade type requires that clip 1 contain au-

dio material beyond its end point, and clip 2 con-
tain audio material before its start point.

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 709

 Pre Crossfade Post Crossfade

splice
sp lice splice
point point

clip 11
clip clip 22
clip clip 1 clip 2

crossfade selection crossfade selection

Pre crossfade Post crossfade

This type of selection creates a crossfade before This type of selection creates a crossfade after the
the splice point. This lets you maintain the volume splice point. It is useful if you want to maintain the
of the very beginning of clip 2 instead of fading amplitude of clip 1 until its very end. When mak-
across it, which is useful if there is a strong attack ing selections for crossfades that occur on the bor-
at the beginning of clip 2 that you want to preserve. der of two clips, you can use the Tab key to move
When making selections for crossfades that occur the cursor to the exact beginning or end of a clip.
on the border of two clips, you can use the Tab key
to move the cursor to the exact beginning or end of This crossfade type requires that clip 1 contain au-
a clip. dio material beyond its end point.

This crossfade type requires that clip 2 contain au-

Overlapping Crossfades View
dio material before its start point.
Pro Tools lets you view overlapping waveforms in
crossfades.

Overlapping Crossfades view

To show (or hide) overlapping crossfades:

 Select (or deselect) View > Waveform > Over-

lapping Crossfades.

710 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 The controls in the Fades dialog include:
Fade Dialogs
Audition
Choose Edit > Fades > Create to apply the appro-
priate fade to the Edit selection. Use the corre-
sponding Fade dialog (Fade In, Fade Out, Cross-
fade) to select, view, preview fades and crossfades,
and edit fade curves. Click this button to audition fades. Pro Tools sup-
ports fade auditioning directly from your audio in-
terface outputs.

View First 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 first in a pair of adjacent tracks.

View Second Track (Crossfades Only)

Fade Out dialog 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.

Fade Curves Only

Click this button to display the specified fade

curves without showing the actual audio wave-
Crossfade dialog forms. This is the default view when you open the
Fades dialog.

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 711

 Fade Curves and Separate Waveforms Fade-Out Shape Settings
The Out Shape setting lets you define the shape of
the fade-out from a clip for a fade, or from clip 1
for a crossfade.
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 Fade-Out Shape

curves along with superimposed views of the fade-
Standard Selects a single continuous fade curve.
in and fade-out waveforms.
This creates a general-purpose fade that can be ed-
Fade Curves and Summed Waveform ited by clicking and dragging the curve in the curve
editor.

S-Curve Selects an S-shaped curve, which inverts

its beginning and end characteristics. This makes it
Click this button to display the specified fade possible to fade out faster at the curve’s start and
curves along with a single waveform representing slower at its end, for example. S-shaped curves can
the summation of the any crossfaded audio. be useful with material that is difficult to crossfade
effectively. S-curves can be edited by clicking and
Zoom In dragging the curve in the curve editor.

Preset Curves Seven commonly used preset

curves are provided for fast fade creation. These
cannot be edited by clicking and dragging in the
Click this button to scale the view of the wave-
curve editor.
form’s amplitude upwards. Command-click (Mac)
or Control-click (Windows) for the default view For more information on adjusting the fade
scale. shape, see “Manually Adjusting Fade Shapes
Zoom Out in Fade Windows” on page 722.

Click this button to scale the view of the wave-

form’s amplitude downwards. Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) for the default
view scale.

712 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The seven presets are as follows:  Preset Curve 6 drops the volume even more
quickly at the beginning of the fade.
 Preset Curve 1 stays at full volume throughout

the fade, then immediately drops the volume at the

end of the fade.

Preset Curve 6

 Preset Curve 7 silences any audio at the begin-

Preset Curve 1 ning of the fade.
 Preset Curve 2 fades out relatively slowly, keep-

ing the volume fairly high throughout the duration

of the fade.

Preset Curve 7

Fade-In Shape Settings

Preset Curve 2 The Shape setting lets you define the shape of the
fade-in to a clip for a fade, or to clip 2 for a cross-
 Preset Curve 3 fades out slightly faster, keeping fade.
the volume slightly lower during the fade.
Standard Selects a single continuous fade curve.
This creates a general-purpose fade that can be ed-
ited by clicking and dragging the curve in the curve
editor.
Preset Curve 3
S-Curve Selects an S-shaped curve, which inverts
 Preset Curve 4 fades out with a linear fade. This its beginning and end characteristics. This makes it
is the default curve. 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 difficult to crossfade
effectively. S-curves can be edited by clicking
dragging the curve in the curve editor.
Preset Curve 4 Preset Curves Seven commonly used preset
 Preset Curve 5 fades out quickly at the begin- curves are provided for fast fade creation. These
ning of the crossfade. cannot be edited by clicking and dragging in the
curve editor.

For more information on adjusting the fade

shape, see “Manually Adjusting Fade Shapes
in Fade Windows” on page 722.
Preset Curve 5

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 713

 The seven presets are as follows:  Preset Curve 6 fades in even more slowly than
the previous curve.
 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 6

 Preset Curve 7 silences any audio until the end

Preset Curve 1 of the fade.
 Preset Curve 2 fades in quickly in the begin-
ning, reaching full amplitude fairly early in the
fade.

Preset Curve 7

Fade Slope Settings

Preset Curve 2 The Fade In and Fade Out dialogs provide two op-
tions for the slope of the fade. The Slope setting
 Preset Curve 3 fades in moderately fast.
lets you define the slope of the fade.

Equal Power Recommended for material that is

not phase coherent. With this fade, you can Op-
tion-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the fade
Preset Curve 3 curve to reset it to its default shape.

 Preset Curve 4 fades in with a linear fade curve. Equal Gain Recommended for material that is
This is the default curve. phase-coherent or nearly phase-coherent. With this
fade, you can Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click
(Windows) the fade curve to reset it to its default
shape.

Preset Curve 4 Link Settings

(Crossfades Only)
 Preset Curve 5 fades in slowly at the beginning
of the fade.

Preset Curve 5

Fade Link

714 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Link setting links the selected fade-out and Linear Crossfade This is a good general purpose
fade-in curves of a crossfade. If you adjust one crossfade with a smooth, even transition between
curve, the corresponding curve is also adjusted. clip 1 and clip 2.
This ensures that the resulting crossfade is an
equal power or equal gain crossfade, depending on 1. Out 2. In
which one you select.

Equal Power Recommended for material that is

not phase coherent, as in the case of a crossfade be-
tween two completely different types of material.
Use this option to avoid the volume drop that can
occur with an Equal Gain crossfade. With this
fade, you can Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click Linear Crossfade
(Windows) the fade curve to reset it to its default
Equal Power Crossfade This is a good general
shape.
purpose crossfade useful in cases where a linear
Equal Gain Recommended for material that is crossfade seems to create a noticeable drop in vol-
phase-coherent or nearly phase-coherent, as in the ume across the splice point.
case of a crossfade between identical clips/instru-
ments (for example, a repeated drum loop). Use
1. Out 2. In
this option to avoid clipping that can occur when
using an Equal Power crossfade. With this fade,
you can Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) the fade curve to reset it to its default shape.

None Disables linking between the fade-out and

fade-in curves, and lets you freely adjust them sep-
arately, including start and end points. Equal Power Crossfade

For more information on adjusting the fade Overlap Fade This combination of curves keeps
shape, see “Manually Adjusting Fade Shapes both clips at full amplitude throughout the cross-
in Fade Windows” on page 722. fade: clip 2 “jumps in” at the beginning and clip 1
“jumps out” at the end.
For information on adjusting the start and end
1. Out 2. In
points of fades in a crossfade, see “Adjusting
the Start and End Points of a Crossfade” on
page 722

Typical Curve Combinations

Following are the available combinations of fade-
out and fade-in curves.
Overlap Crossfade

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 715

 Fade and Crossfade Fade Presets
Preferences
Pro Tools provides five Fade Presets so that you
You can set default fade and crossfade settings. can easily store and recall your most commonly
These settings load as your “base” settings when used fade settings. You can also save and import
you use the Create Fades command, and the Fade Fade Preset settings.
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.

Presets at the top of the Crossfade dialog

To store a Fade preset:

Fade preferences 1 Configure the Fades dialog as you like.
3 Click Fade In and set the default shape for fade- 2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
ins when using the Smart Tool, then click OK. dows) the Preset button where you want to store
4 Click Fade Out and set the default shape for the current Fades dialog settings.
fade-outs when using the Smart Tool, then click
To recall a Fade preset:
OK.
 Click the Preset button that contains the settings
5 Click Crossfade and set the default shape for
you want to recall.
crossfades when using the Smart Tool, then
click OK. Press Control+1–5 (Mac) or Start+1–5
6 Click OK. (Windows) to recall the corresponding pre-
set.
To apply the default fade or crossfade
shape, make an Edit selection and press
Command+Control+F (Mac) or Con-
trol+Start+F (Windows).

716 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Fade Settings Menu
Creating Fades at the
Use the Fade Settings menu commands to save, Beginnings and Ends of Clips
copy, paste, and manage fade settings as presets
(Fade settings files). Pro Tools lets you create fade-ins and fade-outs at
the beginnings and ends of clips.

With Pro Tools Ultimate, you can also use an au-

tomatic fade-in/out option, which applies real time
fade-ins/outs to all clips during playback automat-
ically. For more information, see “Using Auto-
Fades” on page 720.

Fade Settings menu

Fades Settings menu commands include:

<factory default> Restores the default settings for Clip with a fade-in
the Fades dialog.
Creating Fade-Ins and Fade-
Save Settings Saves the current settings. This Outs
command overwrites any previous version of the
Depending on how you make the selection, you
preset.
can position a fade-in or fade-out at the exact be-
Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a ginning or end of a clip, or position it so it extends
new preset under a different name. into a blank area of the track. The length of the se-
lection in the clip determines the length of the
Import Settings Imports a fade settings file (.fd- fade-in or fade-out.
preset) from a location other than the Root Settings
folder or Session folder. You can also fade to the beginning or end of a clip
from an insertion point.
Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
the current fade settings file (.fdpreset) from disk. Although fades appear to be discrete clips, they
cannot be separated from the clips in which they
Save Fade Settings To Selects the folder where were created.
Fades preset files (.fdpreset) are saved. If you se-
lect Session Folder, the settings are saved in a When changing tempo in a tick-based audio track,
folder named “Fades Presets” within the current fade-ins and fade-outs remain with their parent
Session folder. If you select Root Settings Folder, clips. Fades maintain their absolute duration and
the settings are saved in the Pro Tools Root folder are consequently recalculated after any tempo
specified in the Operation preferences. changes.

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 717

 To create a fade-in: To create a fade-out:
1 Select the beginning of the clip that you want to 1 Select the end of the clip that you want to fade
fade in. The selection must extend to the exact out. The selection must extend to the exact end
beginning of the clip or a blank area prior to the of the clip or a blank area after the clip in the
clip in the track. track.

Selecting the beginning of a clip for a fade-in Selecting the end of a clip for a fade-out

2 Do one of the following: 2 Do one of the following:

• Choose Edit > Fades > Create. • Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
• Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Win- • Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Win-
dows). dows).

To apply a Fade In using the Default Fade To apply the Fade Out using the Default
In setting (in the Editing Preferences page), Fade Out setting (in the Editing Preferences
and without opening the Fades dialog, page), and without opening the Fades dia-
press Command+Control+F (Mac) or log, press Command+Control+F (Mac) or
Control+Start+F (Windows). Control+Start+F (Windows).

3 Select the fade-in curve and configure the other 3 Select the fade-out curve and configure the
Fade settings. other Fade settings.
4 Click the Audition button to audition the fade. 4 Click the Audition button to audition the fade.
5 Adjust the curve by dragging it or by selecting a 5 Adjust the curve by dragging it or by selecting a
different shape from the In Shape pop-up menu. different shape from the Out Shape pop-up
menu.
6 Click OK.
6 Click OK.
The selected fade curve appears in the clip.
Pro Tools calculates the fade and the selected fade
curve appears in the clip.

Fade lengths can be resized with any of the

Trim tools, including Nudge Trim commands.
See “Using the Trim Tools” on page 652 and
“Trimming with Nudge” on page 699.

718 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To fade from the insertion point to a clip start 3 Use the view buttons to adjust the view of the
point: crossfade. It may take a few moments to calcu-
1 Place the cursor at a location in the clip. late the waveform display for long selections.

2 Do one of the following: 4 Select an Out Shape and an In Shape.

• Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To Start. 5 Select a Linking option.
• Press Control+D (Mac) or Start+D (Windows). 6 Click the Audition button to audition the cross-
fade. For long crossfades, it may take Pro Tools
The fade is applied based on the Fade In prefer-
a few moments to calculate and load the audio
ences (see “Fade and Crossfade Preferences” on
into playback RAM.
page 716).
7 Do one of the following:
To fade from the insertion point to a clip end point:
• Adjust the curves by selecting different preset
1 Place the cursor at a location in the clip. shapes with the Out Shape and In Shape pop-up
2 Do one of the following: menus.

• Choose Edit > Fades > Fade To End. • Drag the Fade-In and Fade-Out curves to a cus-
tom shape. By choosing None as the Linking op-
• Press Control+G (Mac) or Start+G (Windows).
tion, you can drag the beginning or end points of
The fade is applied based on the Fade Out prefer- a fade curve to adjust its beginning or end point.
ences (see “Fade and Crossfade Preferences” on 8 Click the Audition button to audition the cross-
page 716). fade again.
9 When the crossfade sounds right, click OK.
Creating a Crossfade Crossfade lengths can be resized with any of
the Trim tools, including Nudge Trim com-
To create a crossfade between two clips:
mands. See “Using the Trim Tools” on
1 With the Selector tool, click at the point where page 652 and “Trimming with Nudge” on
you want the crossfade to begin in the first clip page 699.
and drag to where you want it to end in the sec-
ond clip. Crossfade selections can begin and To remove a crossfade, do one of the following:
end anywhere in their respective clips.  Select the area of the track containing any cross-
2 Do one of the following: fades you want to delete and choose Edit >
Fades > Delete.
• Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
• Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Win-  Select the crossfade with the Time Grabber tool
dows). and press Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Win-
dows).
To apply a Crossfade using the Default
 Right-click the crossfade with any of the edit
Crossfade setting (in the Editing Prefer-
tools and select Delete Fades from the pop-up
ences), and without opening the Fades dia-
menu.
log, press Command+Control+F (Mac) or
Control+Start+F (Windows).

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 719

 To trim a crossfade: 3 Extend the selection by doing one of the follow-
1 Select the crossfade with the Time Grabber tool, ing:
or double-click it with the Selector tool. • Shift-drag to adjust your selection, or press
Shift+Tab to extend the selection forward to the
2 With any of the Trim tools, trim either side of
next clip boundary.
the crossfade. The crossfade is recalculated to
reflect the newly trimmed length. • Press Option+Shift+Tab (Mac) or
Control+Shift+Tab (Windows) to extend the
selection back to the previous clip boundary.
Crossfades on Tick-Based Audio
Tracks 4 Do one of the following:
Crossfades are re-rendered after changing tempo • Choose Edit > Fades > Create.
in a tick-based audio track. The new crossfade is • Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F
the same duration as the crossfade prior to the (Windows).
tempo change.
5 Select a fade type and click OK.
If there is not enough audio material to complete
the crossfade, or if the new crossfade area falls out-
side of valid clip boundaries, the crossfade is re-
Using AutoFades
moved.
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)

Pre and Post Crossfade Pro Tools Ultimate can automatically apply real-
Selections time fade-ins and fade-outs to all clip boundaries
in the session on playback. Specify the duration (0
By making a selection that begins or ends precisely
to 10 ms) for automatic real-time fades with the
on the border of two clips, you can create “pre” or
Auto Clip Fade In/Out Length preference in the Op-
“post” crossfades. Use the Tab key to place the in-
eration Preferences page). These fade-ins and
sertion point at the exact beginning or end of a clip.
fade-outs are performed during playback and do
To create a pre- or post-crossfade:
not appear in the Edit window.

1 With the Selector tool, click in the track that AutoFades are not applied to AudioSuite
contains the clips you want to crossfade. processing.
2 Do one of the following: This feature is especially useful in post production
• Press Tab to move forward to the next situations such as dialogue tracking. For example,
clip boundary. you can assign both a dialogue track and a “room
• Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Win- tone” track with matching background to the same
dows) to move back to the previous clip bound- voice. You can then set the AutoFade option to a
ary. moderate length (4 ms or so) so that whenever a si-
lence occurs in the dialog, playback switches
smoothly to and from the background track with-
out clicks or pops.

720 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using automatic fade-ins/outs saves you the trou- To apply crossfades between multiple clips:
ble of editing to zero-crossings or creating numer- 1 With the Selector tool, click in the first clip in
ous rendered fades in order to eliminate clicks or which you want to create a crossfade. Make
pops in playback. However, those clicks or pops sure that the selection includes the entire clip.
still exist in the underlying sound file. Conse-
quently, those anomalies still appear if the Dupli- 2 Drag to extend the selection to include the last
cate AudioSuite plug-in or the Export Clips As clip you want to crossfade. Make sure that the
Files command (from the Clips List) are used to selection includes the entire clip.
duplicate multiple clips as a continuous file. To
render these real-time auto fades to disk, choose
File > Bounce Mix.
Selected clips for Batch Fades
To set the length of automatic fade-ins/outs:
3 Do one of the following:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Operation tab. • Choose Edit > Fades > Create.

2 Type a value between 0 and 10 ms for the Clip • Press Command+F (Mac) or Control+F (Win-
Auto Fade In/Out Length. A value of zero (the dows).
default) means that no auto-fading will occur. 4 In the Batch Fades dialog, select whether you
3 Click OK. The AutoFade value is saved with the want to Create New Fades, Adjust Existing
session, and is automatically applied to all free- Shape & Slope, Adjust Existing Length, or a
standing clip boundaries until you change it. combination of these options for fade ins, cross-
fades and fade outs.

If you choose to create new fades and new fade-ins

Creating Fades and and outs, new crossfades are created at each clip
Crossfades in Batches boundary that is bordered by another selected clip,
a fade-in is created at the start of the first clip, and
Using Batch Fades, you can create many fades at
a fade-out is created at the end of the last clip.
once. Select across several clips and use the Create
Fades command to create crossfades for each clip
transition. If your selection includes clips that al-
ready have crossfades, you can modify them.

Batch Fades dialog

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 721

 5 Select the placement of the Fades: Pre-Splice, 3 In the Fade (or Crossfade) window, click on the
Centered, or Post-Splice (see “About Cross- fade shape and drag to the left or the right until
fades and Curves” on page 709). you get the fade shape you want.
6 Enter a length in milliseconds for Fade In,
Crossfades, and Fade Out.
7 Click OK.

Pro Tools creates the fades and crossfades for all

selected clips.

Fade lengths can subsequently be resized Manually adjusting the fade shape
with any of the Trim tools, including
Nudge Trim commands. See “Using the
For Crossfades, you can edit only the fade-in
Trim Tools” on page 652 and “Trimming
shape of the curve by pressing Option (Mac)
with Nudge” on page 699.
or Alt (Windows) while dragging left or right.
To edit only the fade-out portion of the curve,
press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
Manually Adjusting Fade while dragging.
Shapes in Fade Windows
If the Fade Shape setting for a Fade In, Fade Out, 4 Click OK.
or Crossfade is set to Standard or S-Curve, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
Pro Tools lets you adjust the fade shape in the any the fade curve to reset it to its default shape.
of the corresponding Fade window (Fade In, Fade
Out, and Crossfade) using the mouse. This in-
cludes Batch Fades and Fade windows in the Edit-
Adjusting the Start and End
ing preferences.
Points of a Crossfade
To adjust the fade (or crossfade) shape: If the Link setting for a Crossfade is set to Standard
1 Create a new fade (or crossfade) or open the or None, Pro Tools lets you adjust the start and end
Fade (or Crossfade) window for an existing points of the fade in and fade out of the crossfade
fade (or crossfade). independently. This includes the Batch Fades and
Crossfade windows in the Editing preferences.
2 Ensure that the Fade Shape is set to either Stan-
dard or S-Curve, and not to one of the seven To adjust the start and end points of a crossfade:
preset Fade Shapes.
1 Create a crossfade or open the Crossfade win-
dow for an existing crossfade.
2 Ensure that the Link setting for the Crossfade is
set to None.

722 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Do one or both of the following:
Adjusting Fade Shapes with
• To adjust the start point of either the Fade In or
the Smart Tool in the Edit
Fade Out of the crossfade, click and drag the
Window
black square the appears at the beginning of the
fade to the right (or to the left if you have already Pro Tools lets you adjust fade and crossfade shapes in
changed the start point from the default loca- the Edit window using the Smart Tool.
tion).
To adjust a fade-in, fade-out, or crossfade in
• To adjust the end point of either the Fade In or the Edit window:
Fade Out of the crossfade, click and drag the
1 Select the Smart Tool.
black square the appears at the end of the fade to
the left (or to the right if you have already 2 Position the cursor over the fade in the vertical
changed the end point from the default location). middle of the clip until the corresponding Fade or
Crossfade cursor appears.

Smart Tool showing Fade-out cursor

If the Smart Tool Fade Adjustment prefer-

ence is set to use the Command key (Mac) or
Adjusting the Fade In start point of a crossfade the Control key (Windows), press the Com-
mand key (Mac) or the Control key (Win-
4 Once you have set the start and end points of the
dows) while positioning the cursor.
fades as you like, click OK to close the Cross-
fade window and apply your changes. 3 Click (the fade shape highlights yellow) and drag
to the left or right to adjust the fade shape.

Task Manager Status indicator, tasks in progress

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 723

 4 Release the mouse when the fade shape is what To change the fade shape of any fade in the
you want. Edit window:
1 Make an edit selection that includes the fade (or
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
fades) you want to change. Only completely se-
(Windows) with the Selector Tool to adjust
lected fades will be affected.
fades in the same way as with the Smart Tool.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Option+Control+Left Arrow (Mac) or
If the Edit selection includes two or more Alt+Start+Left Arrow (Windows) to change to
tracks with more than one fade, hold the Shift the previous preset fade shape.
key while adjusting the shape of a fade to • Press Option+Control+Right Arrow (Mac) or
change all fades in the Edit selection. Alt+Start+Right Arrow (Windows) to change
to the next preset fade shape.
While adjusting a fade shape in the Fades di-
alog or using the Smart Tool in the Edit win-
dow, the exact curve and waveform update to Fades Options in the Edit
match. After adjusting the fade curve and see- Selection Right-Click Menu
ing the exact, real-time updates to the curve Pro Tools lets you set the Fade Shape (Standard or
and waveform, the persistent fade drawn in S-Curve) and the Fade Slope (Equal Power or Equal
the Edit window is a more general represen- Gain) for fades and crossfades from the Right-click
tation that may not look exactly like the fade menu in the Edit window. The corresponding Shape
curve when you were adjusting it. and Slope for the selected fade are checked in the
menu. If the edit selection includes two or more fades
with different Shape settings, the Standard and
Changing Fade Shapes in the S-Curve options appear in italics (and with no check
marks). Likewise, if the edit selection includes two or
Edit Window more fades with different Slope settings, the Equal
Pro Tools lets you change the shape of any selected Power and Equal Gain options appear in italics (and
fade in the Edit window using keyboard shortcuts to with no check marks).
cycle through all available fade shapes in order: Stan-
You can also edit Batch Fades from the Right-click
dard, S-Curve, and seven parabolic fade shapes (see
menu in the Edit window.
“Fade-Out Shape Settings” on page 712 and “Fade-
In Shape Settings” on page 713).
To set the Shape for a fade or crossfade in
the Edit window:
1 Right-click the fade you want to change.
2 Select the desired Shape from Fades submenu:
Standard or S-Curve.

To set the Slope for a fade or crossfade in the Edit

window:
1 Right-click the fade you want to change.
2 Select the desired Slope from Fades submenu:
Equal Power or Equal Gain.

724 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To edit Batch Fades in the Edit window: 2 Move the fade by doing one of the following:
1 Make an Edit selection that includes multiple • Drag the fade with the Time Grabber tool to a
whole clips with fades. new location on the track.
2 Right-click the Edit selection and choose Fades > • Nudge the fade by pressing Plus (+) or
Batch Fades. Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the
3 Configure the Batch Fades dialog as desired and fade forward or backward on the track.
click OK.

Moving and Nudging Fades

and Crossfades
Fades and crossfades can be moved or nudged in Dragging the fade with the Time Grabber
tracks, independently of their contributing clips.
Moving or nudging fade-ins or fade-outs reveals or
hides audio as the fade is moved from the edge of
a contributing clip. Moving or nudging crossfades
changes the overlap point of the contributing clips.
Moving or nudging fades is also constrained by
underlying clip boundaries. Result of moved fade

Moving Clips Containing Fades

Moving or Nudging Fades or or Crossfades
Crossfades within Clips
When you move or nudge a clip selection that con-
To move or nudge a fade or crossfade within its tains a fade-in, fade-out, or crossfade, the fade
contributing clips:
moves with the selection.
1 Select the fade or crossfade by doing one of the
following: To move a clip selection with fades or crossfades:

• Use the Time Grabber tool to select the fade. 1 Do one of the following:
• Use the Selector tool to select a range that in- • Click a clip with the Time Grabber tool (or dou-
cludes the fade. ble-click with the Selector tool) to select the clip
along with the fade (in or out).
• Select multiple clips that include the fades and
crossfades you want to move.

Selecting a fade with the Time Grabber

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 725

 2 Move the clip selection by doing one of the fol- Moving Clips Adjacent to
lowing: Crossfades
• Drag the clip selection with the Grabber tool to a When you move either of the clips that contributes
new location on the track. to a crossfade, the clips separate. The status of the
• Nudge the clip selection by pressing Plus (+) or fade depends on the Preserve Fades when Editing
Minus (–) on the numeric keypad to move the preference (in the Editing Preferences page).
clip forward or backward on the track.
To separate crossfaded clips and retain the
corresponding fades:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Editing tab.

2 Select Preserve Fades when Editing.

Dragging a clip with its fade
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Nudging Clips Adjacent to
Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber
Fade-Ins or Fade-Outs 4
tool to select one of the contributing clips to a
When you nudge a clip selection adjacent to a crossfade.
fade-in or fade-out, but do not select the fade, the
adjacent fade stretches or shrinks to maintain the
fade start or end point. The amount of change de-
pends on the amount of audio material outside the
fade start or end point.

To a nudge clip without its fade: Selecting a clip with a crossfade

1 Select the clip, but not the fade. 5 Drag the selected clip with the Grabber.

Selecting a clip without its fade

Separating clips while preserving fades
2 Nudge the clip by pressing Plus (+) or Minus (–
) on the numeric keypad. To separate crossfaded clips and remove the fade:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
Editing tab.

2 Deselect Preserve Fades when Editing.

3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Nudging a clip without its fade

726 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Use the Time Grabber or Separation Grabber 2 Nudge the clip by pressing Plus (+) or
tool to select one of the contributing clips to a Minus (–) on the numeric keypad.
crossfade.

Selecting a clip with a crossfade

Stretching the crossfade by nudging
5 Drag the selected clip with the Grabber.

Separating Clips that Include

Fades or Crossfades
You can create clips from track material that over-
laps with fades or crossfades. If the Preserve
Separating clips while removing fades
Fades when Editing option is enabled in the Edit-
ing Preferences page, the fades from the source
Nudging Clips Adjacent to clip are adjusted to the new clip.
Crossfades
To separate a clip that overlaps with a fade or
When you nudge either of the clips that contributes crossfade:
to a crossfade, the fade stretches to preserve the 1 With the Selector tool, drag to select the mate-
relative position of the crossfade start and end rial for the new clip.
points. The amount of stretch depends on the
amount of overlap between the contributing clips. 2 Choose Edit > Separate Clip > At Selection.

If you nudge a clip beyond the boundary of avail- Where your selection overlaps any fade-ins or
able audio for the crossfade, the fade is removed. fade-outs, the fade is trimmed to fit the selection.

To nudge a clip and stretch its crossfade:

1 Use the Time Grabber tool to select one of the
contributing clips to the crossfade.

Selecting material that overlaps a fade-in

Selecting a clip with a crossfade

Result of Separate Clip command on fade-in

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 727

 Where your selection overlaps a crossfade, the
crossfade is separated into a fade-out and fade-in at Trimming Clips that Include
the selection boundary. Fades or Crossfades
You can trim clips that include fades or crossfades.

Trimming a Clip to a Fade

Boundary
You can trim clips that are adjacent to fade and
Selecting material that overlaps a crossfade crossfade boundaries.

To trim a clip on a fade boundary:

 With the Trim tool, click the clip boundary and

drag to trim the clip. The fade remains constant
and follows the new clip boundary.

Result of Separate Clip 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
Dragging a clip boundary with the Trim tool
editing.

Result of trimming the clip

728 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Trimming to a Selection Across
Fades or Crossfades Fade Boundaries and Shapes
Displayed in Automation
You can trim clips to selections that include fades View
or crossfades.
Fade boundaries and fade shapes are shown and
To trim a clip to a selection that includes fades, do can be edited in Automation views, allowing for
one of the following: more precise viewing and editing of automation
 Make a selection in the track and choose Edit > data. For more information on Automation and
Trim > To Selection. You can Trim across mul- Automation views, see Chapter 53, “Automation.”
tiple clips and fades. Affected fades are adjusted
to the new clip boundaries.
 Click with the Selector in the clip and choose
Edit > Trim > Start to Insertion or End to Inser-
tion. You can trim to clip or fade boundary in the
Fade information in Automation view
track.

Trimming to a selection across multiple fades

Chapter 32: Fades and Crossfades 729

730 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 33: Playlists

The ability to create playlists is a powerful feature

of Pro Tools. Each track maintains a “main” play- Working with Playlists
list and any number of “alternate” edit playlists. When you create a new track, it contains a single,
empty playlist until you record, import, or drag and
Edit playlists let you take a snapshot of a track’s
drop material to it.
current arrangement of clips, thereby freeing you
to experiment with alternate arrangements, return- Audio material can be dragged and dropped
ing as necessary to previously saved playlists. onto a track from the Clips List, Workspace
A playlist, which can consist of a single clip or browsers, from Windows Explorer or the Mac
many clips, can only be assigned to a track if it is Finder.
not in use by another track. While you can create
New playlists can be created that are empty or du-
an almost unlimited number of edit playlists,
plicates of the current playlist. Once created, you
which are shared among all tracks, each track has
can recall, rename, and delete playlists as needed
its own dedicated automation playlist.
by using the Playlist selector.
Automation playlists for audio, Auxiliary Input,
Master Fader, and Instrument tracks store data for
volume, pan, mute, and plug-in controls. Automa-
tion playlists for MIDI tracks, however, store only
mute information; continuous controller events,
program changes, and Sysex events are stored in
MIDI clips and therefore reside within edit play-
lists for both MIDI and Instrument tracks (see
Chapter 53, “Automation”).

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 duplicated
playlist on a track named “Kick” is auto-named
“Kick.01,” subsequent duplicated playlists are
auto-named “Kick.02,” “Kick.03,” and so on.

Chapter 33: Playlists 731

 Creating a Playlist Assigning a Playlist to Another
Track
You can create new empty playlists for recording
or importing audio and MIDI. This can be useful By default, a playlist is typically available only for
for creating alternate takes of audio or MIDI, or for the track on which it was created. However, if the
constructing alternate arrangements. playlist is no longer in use on its original track or
any other track, it can be reassigned in another
To create a new (empty) playlist: track using the Other Playlists feature. When a
1 Click the track’s Playlist selector and choose playlist is reassigned to another track (assigned on
New. any track), it is unavailable to other tracks includ-
ing the track on which it originated.
2 Type a name for the new playlist and click OK.
An audio playlist’s timebase is saved with the
An empty playlist with the specified name appears playlist. When assigning an unassigned playlist to
in the track. any track, the track assumes the saved timebase of
the playlist.
Press Control+\ (Mac) or Start+\ (Windows)
to create a new playlist for the first selected To assign a track playlist:
track in the session.
 Click the track’s Playlist selector and do one of
Duplicating a Playlist the following:
• Select one of the track’s playlists.
When you edit a track, you can work with a copy of
the track's playlist and keep the original playlist ar- • Select a playlist from a different track by click-
rangement intact. ing the Other Playlists submenu, and selecting a
playlist.
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.

Press Command+Control+\ (Mac) or

Control+Start+\ (Windows) to duplicate the
Selecting a playlist from a different track
main playlist for first selected track in the ses-
sion. The selected playlist appears in the track and the
track’s name is updated to that of the selected play-
list.

732 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Renaming a Playlist To show the next playlist in the main playlist
for tracks that contain the Edit cursor:
You can rename a playlist by renaming the track to
which it is assigned.  Press Shift+Down Arrow.

To rename a track’s assigned playlist: To show the previous playlist in the main
playlist for tracks that contain the Edit
1 Double-click the track’s name. cursor:
2 Type a new name and click OK.  Press Shift+Up Arrow.

Both the track and playlist names are updated.

Additional Playlists Indicator
Deleting a Playlist When a track contains only the main playlist, the
Playlist selector is gray. However, when a track con-
You can delete a playlist from a session entirely. tains more than one playlist, the Playlist selector
However, since playlists require minimal disk turns blue.
space, you do not need to delete them to conserve
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

delete. 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.

You can also delete playlists in Playlists view. Two tracks, Audio 1 with main playlist only (gray) and
Audio 2 with multiple playlists (blue)
Right-click the Playlist Name on a lane or in
the Tracks List and choose Delete.
Playlists and Edit Groups
Creating new playlists with grouped tracks auto-
When deleting a track from a session, you
matically increments the suffixes of the playlist
have the option of deleting or keeping its
names for each track of the active edit group. This
playlists, so they can be used on other tracks.
lets you revert back to an earlier take by switching
the playlist takes by group.
Show Next and Previous Playlist
Pro Tools lets you quickly and easily cycle through Using this method, you can add new tracks to the
playlists on any track containing the Edit cursor us- existing group and the suffixes for their playlist
ing keyboard shortcuts. names are synchronized with the original tracks.

Chapter 33: Playlists 733

 Empty playlists are created automatically to keep Elastic Audio and Alternate
the playlist takes synchronized when switching Playlists
back to the earliest playlist takes in the group.
Alternate playlists on Elastic Audio-enabled, tick-
To keep your playlist names and performances
based tracks are only affected by tempo changes.
synchronized (example workflow): Otherwise, alternate playlists are not affected by
editing Warp or Event markers in the main playlist.
1 Create new tracks and group them together.

For more information on grouping tracks,

see “Grouping Tracks” on page 317. Track Compositing
2 Make sure the group is enabled. Pro Tools provides track compositing tools for au-
dio tracks. Track compositing is the process of as-
3 Create a new playlist (by clicking the Playlist sembling various selections from alternate takes,
selector in one of the tracks in the group and or playlists, to construct the best possible version
choosing New). The default suffix will now be of a performance from multiple recording passes.
“.01”—signifying take 1. Using Playlists view for an audio track, you can se-
4 Record take 1, then create a new playlist. The lect the best parts from the track’s alternate play-
playlists on all tracks in the group increment to lists and copy them to the main playlist. This lets
“.02.” you quickly and easily create the “perfect take”
from multiple alternate playlists.
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
Track Compositing Example
all the tracks). In this workflow, you will be introduced to some
common track compositing tasks:
6 Increment all the playlists by clicking the Play-
list selector in one of the tracks in the group and • Configure a session for this workflow.
choosing New. • Loop record multiple takes on an audio track.
All the playlists will now have the same suffix ap- • Audition and select the best take.
pended to them. (Creating additional playlists in • Copy the best take to the target playlist.
any of the group tracks will increment all of their
playlists to keep them synchronized.) To configure a session:

7 If you want to hear the .01 take on the first 1 Open an existing Pro Tools session or create a
group of tracks, you can switch any playlist in new one.
the group back to playlist .01.
2 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
All tracks in the group have playlists numbered Operation tab.
with .01 suffixes (even those tracks that were 3 On the Operation page, in the Record section,
added to the original group after the earlier takes). select the Automatically Create New Playlists
Empty playlists are automatically created on these When Loop Recording option.
newly-added members so that playlist numbers
match across all members of the group. 4 Click OK.

734 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To loop record multiple takes: After you have stopped loop recording, notice that
1 Create a new audio track (stereo or mono), or all of the loop recording takes are revealed in Play-
use an existing track. list lanes below the main playlist (including the
whole audio file clip of all of the loop record
2 Make sure the source you want to record is cor- passes).
rectly connected and routed to the track input.
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 fol-
lowing:
• Select Options > Loop Playback.
• 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 Playlists view showing multiple alternate playlists
the track.
8 Record enable the audio track by clicking its If the Automatically Create New Playlists
Record Enable button. When Loop Recording option was disabled
before you started loop recording, Right-
9 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools click the clip in the main playlist and choose
for recording. Matches > Expand Alternates to New Play-
10 Click Play to start recording. lists.

11 When finished, click Stop to stop recording.

12 If you do not want to make another loop record
pass, record disable the audio track.

Chapter 33: Playlists 735

 To hide the playlist for the whole file clip, do one of To select and copy the best take to the target
the following: playlist:

 Right-click on the Playlist lane and choose 1 Once you have identified the best take, make
Hide. any changes to the Edit selection. This is the se-
lection that will be copied to the target playlist.
 With the same Edit selection that you used for
loop recording intact, Right-click the Track 2 Do one of the following:
Name or any of the Playlist Lane Names and • Choose Edit > Copy Selection To > Target
choose Filter Lanes > Show Only Lanes With > Playlist.
Clips Within the Edit Selection.
• Right-click the selection and choose Copy
Selection to Target Playlist.
• Click the Copy Selection to Target Playlist but-
ton for the Playlist lane.

Copy Selection to
Main Playlist button

Filtering Playlist lanes viewed

To audition alternate playlists:

1 Enable Loop Playback by doing one of the fol-

lowing:
• Select Options > Loop Playback.
• Right-click the Play button in the Transport and
select Loop.
2 With the same Timeline selection intact, 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 Copying the Edit selection in an alternate playlist to
solos the playlist in the track, it does not mute the target playlist
any other tracks in the session.)
Press Option+Control+V or Op-
tion+Shift+Up Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Start+V
or Alt+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows) to copy
the selection to the target playlist.

736 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 If the track does not contain any alternate playlists
Playlists View in addition to the main playlist, only a single,
Playlists view lets you view the main playlist in the empty Playlist lane is shown under the main play-
track, and also any alternate playlists associated list. You can drag and drop audio to this lane from
with the track. Alternate playlists are displayed di- the Clips List, Workspace Browsers, or other audio
rectly below the track in Playlist lanes. tracks to create an alternate playlist for the track, in
addition to the main playlist.
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 selec-
tions are applied to all shown alternate playlists.
Alternate playlists that are not shown are not af-
fected.

Before starting work with Track Composit-

ing, duplicate the track’s Main Playlist to Dropping audio from Clips List to create an alternate
playlist
keep it intact as a backup alternate playlist.
If the track contains one or more alternate playlists
Clip groups are not supported in Playlists in addition to the main playlist, they are displayed
Track View. in lanes under the main playlist. Regardless, the
bottom Playlist lane is always empty and can be
To view the Playlist lanes for a track: used for adding clips to create new alternate play-
lists.
 From the Track View selector, select Playlists.

Selecting Playlists Track view

\

You can also Command-Control-click (Mac)

or Control-Alt-click (Windows) the Playlist
selector to toggle between Playlists view and Track with alternate playlists in Playlists Track view
Waveform view.

Chapter 33: Playlists 737

 Auditioning Alternate Playlists Copying and Pasting Edit
Selections to Other Playlists
Only the main playlist plays back through the track
audio output path. To hear an alternate playlist, Once you have found a selection in a playlist that
you need to solo the Playlist lane. The soloed lane you want to use in another playlist (such as the
then plays through the track audio output path in- main playlist), copy and paste the selection to the
stead of the main playlist. target playlist. In this way you can construct the
best combination of selections from alternate play-
To audition an alternate playlist: lists.
1 Click the Solo button for the Playlist lane you
In addition to manually copying and then pasting
want to audition. (Soloing a Playlist lane only
the selection to another playlist, Pro Tools pro-
solos the playlist in the track; it does not mute
vides several commands for copying and pasting
any other tracks in the session.)
the selection to any other playlist:

Copy Selection To Target Playlist Copies and

pastes the selection to the target playlist. Any ma-
terial already on the target playlist at the same lo-
cation is overwritten.

Copy Selection to New Playlist Creates a new,

empty target playlist and copies and pastes the se-
lection to the new target playlist.

Copy Selection to Duplicate Playlist Duplicates

the current target playlist and copies and pastes the
selection to the duplicate of the target playlist. The
Soloing an alternate playlist previous target playlist moves to a new Playlist
lane.
2 Start Pro Tools playback.

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 Control+P and Control+“;” (Mac) or

Start+P and Start+“;” (Windows) to move
the Edit cursor up and down through Playlist
lanes.

738 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to the The selection from the alternate playlist is copied
target playlist: to the same time location in the target playlist.
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-
nate playlist.

Selection copied to the target playlist

To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to a new

target playlist:
Making a selection in an alternate playlist
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-
2 Do one of the following: nate playlist.
• Click the Copy Selection To Target Playlist but- 2 Do one of the following:
ton in the Playlist Lane controls. • Choose Edit > Copy Selection To > New Play-
• Choose Edit > Copy Selection to Target Playlist. list.
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose Copy
• Right-click the selection and choose Copy
To > New Playlist.
Selection To Target Playlist.
• Press Control+Shift+Left Arrow (Mac) or
Press Option+Control+V (Mac) or Start+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows).
Alt+Start+V (Windows) to copy the
selection to the target playlist.

Selection copied to a new target playlist

Chapter 33: Playlists 739

 To copy a selection in an alternate playlist to a In addition to manually cutting and then pasting to
duplicate of the target playlist: another playlist, Pro Tools provides several com-
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter- mands for moving the selection to other playlists:
nate playlist.
Move Selection To Target Playlist Cuts and pastes
2 Do one of the following: the selection to the target playlist. Any material al-
• Choose Edit > Copy Selection To > Duplicate ready on the target playlist at the same location is
Playlist. overwritten.
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose Copy
To > Duplicate Playlist. Move Selection to New Playlist Creates a new,
empty target playlist and cuts and pastes the selec-
tion to the new target playlist.

Move Selection to Duplicate Playlist Duplicates

the current target playlist, and cuts and pastes the
selection to the duplicate of the target playlist. The
result being that the previous target playlist moves
to a new Playlist lane and the new target playlist is
empty.

To move a selection in an alternate playlist to the

target playlist:
1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-
nate playlist.

Selection copied to a duplicate of the target playlist

To copy the current edit selection to an existing

playlist:
1 Make an Edit selection.
2 Right-click the Edit selection and choose
Copy To > <playlist>.

Cutting and Pasting Edit

Selections to Other Playlists
Once you have found a selection in any playlist
that you want to use in another playlist, you can
move (cut and paste) the selection to any other Making a selection in an alternate playlist
playlist.

740 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Move Selection To > Target
Playlist.
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose Move
To > Target Playlist.
• Press Option+Control+M (Mac) or
Alt+Start+M (Windows).

The selection from the alternate playlist is moved

to the same time location in the target playlist.

Selection moved to a new playlist

To move a selection in an alternate playlist to a

duplicate of the target playlist:

1 In Playlists view, make a selection in an alter-

nate playlist.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Move Selection To > Duplicate
Selection moved to the target playlist Playlist.
To move a selection in an alternate playlist to a • Right-click the Edit selection and choose Move
new playlist: To > Duplicate Playlist.

1 In Playlists view, make a selection in any play-

list.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Move Selection To > New Play-
list.
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose Move
To > New Playlist.
• Press Control+Shift+N (Mac) or Start+Shift+N
(Windows).

Selection copied to a duplicate of the target playlist

Chapter 33: Playlists 741

 To move the current edit selection to an Reordering Playlist Lanes
existing playlist:
You can reorder Playlist lanes the same way you
1 Make an Edit selection.
reorder tracks.
2 Right-click the Edit selection and choose
Move To > <playlist>. To reorder Playlist lanes:

 Click the name of the alternate playlist and drag

Dragging Clips to Playlists it to the location you want.
Lanes
You can drag and drop clips to any available Play-
list lane on any track that has the same channel
width. For example, you cannot drag and drop a
stereo clip to a mono track Playlist lane. Similarly,
you can drag clips from any Playlist lane to any
other track of the same channel width.

Editing in Playlist Lanes

You can edit clips in Playlist lanes in the same way
that you do in the main playlist. You can even
Reordering Playlist lanes
move clips between different Playlist lanes (in-
cluding the main playlist), between different Resizing Playlist Lanes
tracks, and to different points in time. However,
you will not be able to hear your edits on Playlist You can resize Playlist lanes the same way you re-
lanes unless the lane you are editing is soloed (see size tracks.
“Auditioning Alternate Playlists” on page 738).
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.
 Right-click the vertical scale between the play-
list area and the Playlist Lane controls and se-
lect the lane size you want. The track and all
Playlist lanes resize accordingly.

Press Control+Up/Down Arrow key (Mac) or

Start+Up/Down Arrow key (Windows) to
resize heights for tracks, playlists, and lanes
containing the Edit cursor or Edit selection.

742 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To resize a single Playlist lane, do one of the Renaming Alternate Playlists
following:
You can rename alternate playlists the same way
 Control-click the line in between lanes and drag
you rename tracks.
up or down. The upper lane resizes accordingly.
To rename an alternate playlist:
1 Double-click the name of the alternate playlist.
2 In the resulting Name dialog, type the name you
want.
3 Click OK.

Alternate Playlists in the Tracks

List
When an audio track is set to Playlists view, all of
its associated playlists appear listed under the track
Resizing a Playlist lane name in the Tracks List. The names of associated
alternate playlists are indented to distinguish Play-
 Control-Right-click the vertical scale between
list lanes from tracks. From the Tracks List you can
the playlist area and the Playlist Lane controls
show and hide alternate playlists. You can also ac-
and select the lane size you want.
cess the Right-click menu for alternate playlists,
which lets you apply Show or Hide, Scroll Into
View, Rename, Delete, and Filter Lanes com-
mands.

Selecting a preset size for a Playlist lane Tracks List showing Playlist lanes for “Audio 1” track

Chapter 33: Playlists 743

 Filtering Lanes
Matching Alternate Clips
You can filter Playlist lanes to show or hide them
based on different criteria. Pro Tools lets you exchange clips in the main play-
list on tracks with matching alternate clips from
To filter Playlist lanes: other playlists associated with the same track, from
other tracks, or from the Clips List. Matching alter-
1 Right-click the Track Name or the Playlist
nate clips are clips that meet certain criteria. For
Name.
example, clips that have the same User Time Stamp
2 From the Right-click menu, select one of the are matches.
following:
There are several ways to create matching alternate
• Show All Lanes clips in Pro Tools:
• Show Only Lanes With > Clips Within The Edit • When punch recording (audio or MIDI),
Selection Pro Tools creates matching clips for the original
• Show Only Lanes With > Clips Outside The Edit clip (if any) and the new punch recorded clip.
Selection • When loop recording (audio or MIDI),
• Show Only Lanes With > “Clips Rated >= 1–5” Pro Tools creates multiple matching clips for
• Hide All Lanes each recording pass.

• Hide Only Lanes With > Clips Within The Edit • When duplicating playlists (audio or MIDI),
Selection there will be matching alternate clips between
playlists.
• Hide Only Lanes With > Clips Outside The Edit
Selection • When importing multichannel audio from a field
recorder, there will be matching alternate clips
• Hide Only Lanes With > “Clips Rated >= 1–5” between channels.
Playlist lanes are shown and hidden accordingly. Pro Tools also provides several ways to access and
audition multiple matching alternate clips:
• Use the Clip Right-click menu to select match-
ing alternate clips according to certain criteria.
• Use the Alternate Takes pop-up menu to select
matching alternate clips.
• Use the Expand Alternates to New Tracks com-
mand to copy matching alternate clips to new
tracks.
• Use the Expand Alternates to New Playlists
command to copy matching alternate clips to
new alternate playlists on the same track. Then
use Playlists view to access the alternate play-
lists.

744 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Matching Criteria 3 Select one of the following In Addition To
options:
The Matching Criteria window lets you select the
• All
criteria for matching alternate clips. This lets you
refine the list of available matching clips in the Al- • Clip Start
ternate Takes pop-up menu and Clip Right-click • Clip Start and End
Matches submenu. • Within Selection
• None

4 Leave the Matching Criteria window open to

change the settings as appropriate while com-
positing tracks. Close the Matching Criteria
window when you are done.

Matching Criteria settings are saved with

your Pro Tools session.

Matching Criteria Options

Matching Criteria window

Alternates Match Options
The following Alternates Match options can be se-
Matching Criteria affects MIDI as well as au- lected in any combination:
dio clips.
Track ID Any clips recorded to the same track are
To configure the Matching Criteria options for considered matching. Use this option for selecting
matching alternate clips: alternate takes from loop or punch recording.
1 Do one of the following: Track Name Any clips that share the same root
• Right-click the clip with the Selector or the name with the track or playlist are considered
Grabber tool and select Matches > Match matching. For example, the Matches for a track
Criteria. named “Gtr.L” would show the clips “Gtr.L_01”
and “Gtr.L_02-01,” but not “Guitar.L_01.”
• With the Selector tool, Command-click (Mac) or
Control-click (Windows) at the precise begin- Clip Rating Any clips that have the same Rating
ning of the loop or punch range and select Match are considered matching. Enable this option if you
Criteria. have rated clips (see “Rating Clips” on page 707).
2 In the Matching Criteria window, select any
combination of the following Alternates Match
options:
• Track ID
• Track Name
• Clip Rating

Chapter 33: Playlists 745

 In Addition To Match Options To select an alternate take:

The following In Addition To Match options are 1 Configure the Matching Criteria window if nec-
mutually exclusive. essary (see “Matching Criteria” on page 745).
2 Do one of the following:
All Any clips that include the time location of the
Edit cursor; or any clips that are either partly or • Right-click the clip with the Selector or the
fully within the current time range of the Edit se- Grabber tool, and select a matching alternate
lection. take from the Matches submenu in the pop-up
menu.
Clip Start Any clips that have the same start time
as the time location of the Edit cursor or Edit selec-
tion.

Clip Start and End Any clips that have the same
start and end times as the Edit selection.

Within Selection Any complete clips that are en-

tirely within the Edit selection.

None No other criteria in addition to the selected

Alternates Match options are used to filter match-
ing alternate clips.

Selecting Alternate Takes on

Tracks
Right-click Matches submenu
Each clip resulting from a punch or loop record
pass has an identical start time (the User Time • If the take currently residing in the track is se-
Stamp). You can select and audition alternate takes lected, with the Selector tool, Command-click
from the Right-click Matches submenu or the Al- (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) anywhere on
ternate Takes pop-up menu—even during play- the selected take and select a different take from
back. the Alternate Takes pop-up menu.
• With the Selector tool, Command-click (Mac) or
Control-click (Windows) at the precise begin-
ning of the loop or punch range and select a dif-
ferent take from the Alternate Takes pop-up
menu.

To cycle through matches for the selected clip,

press Command+Option+Up/Down Arrows
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Up/Down Arrows
(Windows).

746 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 3 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the Edit selection and select a differ-
ent matching alternate take from the Matches
submenu.
• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) 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.
Alternate Takes pop-up menu

The selected matching alternate clip (take) re-

places the clip in the main playlist and snaps pre- Automatically Create New
cisely to the correct location. Playlists when Loop
One way to ensure that subsequent recording takes
Recording
have the same User Time Stamp (and as such can When loop recording, Pro Tools creates a single
be available as matching alternate clips) is to store file containing all recording passes where each re-
punch and loop record selections as Memory Loca- cording pass is a clip in the file. On the track, only
tions. Then, if you later need to record additional the last recording pass is present as a clip in the
takes, recall the corresponding Memory Location. main playlist. All other clips (recording passes) are
hidden, but can be recalled as matching alternate
To change the User Time Stamp of other clips so
clips (takes).
that they can be available as alternate matching
clips for a specific location, use the Time Stamp When enabled, the new Automatically Create New
command in the Clips List menu. Playlists When Loop Recording option in the Oper-
ation Preferences page automatically copies each
Matches and Multiple Tracks clip (take) to a new playlist in the track. This facil-
itates using Playlists view for auditioning and se-
If you have loop recorded on multiple tracks, and lecting alternate takes.
each track contains multiple takes with identical
User Time Stamps, you can change all takes simul- To automatically create new playlists when loop
taneously. recording:

1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the

To switch takes for multiple tracks:
Operation tab.
1 Configure the Matching Criteria window (see
2 In the Recording section, enable the Automati-
“Matching Criteria” on page 745), so that the
cally Create New Playlists When Loop Record-
following options are enabled:
ing option.
• Track Name
3 Click OK.
• Selection Range
2 With the Selector tool, select the take range for For more information on loop recording, see
each track you want to replace. “Loop Recording Audio” on page 570.

Chapter 33: Playlists 747

 Expanding Alternate Takes to
Expanding Alternate Takes New Tracks
to New Playlists or Tracks
Expanding alternate takes to new tracks readily fa-
Pro Tools lets you copy alternate takes and chan- cilitates auditioning, editing, and mixing alternate
nels to new playlists or tracks. This is useful for au- takes, each on separate tracks.
ditioning, editing, and mixing multiple alternate
takes or channels. Alternate takes are created when To expand alternate takes to new tracks:
punch and loop recording. Alternate channels are
1 Identify the clip on the main playlist with
included with files imported into Pro Tools from
matching alternate clips (takes).
field recorders.
2 Do one of the following:
Expanding Alternate Takes to • Right-click the clip and choose Matches >
New Playlists Expand Alternates To New Tracks.

Expanding alternate takes to new playlists readily • If the clip is selected, with the Selector tool,
facilitates track compositing. Once you have ex- Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
panded alternate takes to new playlists on a track, dows) anywhere on the selected clip and choose
you can audition and edit them in Playlists view to Matches > Expand Alternates To New Tracks.
assemble the best takes in the main playlist. • If the clip is not selected, with the Selector tool,
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
To expand alternate takes to new playlists: dows) at the precise beginning of the loop or
1 Identify the clip on the main playlist with punch range and choose Matches > Expand
matching alternate clips (takes). Alternates To New Tracks.

2 Do one of the following: 3 Then choose one of the following from the Ex-
• Right-click the clip and choose Matches > pand Alternates To New Tracks sub-menu:
Expand Alternates To New Playlists. By Track Name Names all new tracks after the
• If the clip is selected, with the Selector tool, source track name.
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
By Clip Name Names each new tracks after the
dows) anywhere on the selected clip and choose
corresponding original clip names that you see in
Matches > Expand Alternates To New Playlists.
the Matches list.
• If the clip is not selected, with the Selector tool,
Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- By Track and Clip Name Names all new tracks af-
dows) at the precise beginning of the loop or ter the source track name, but with the correspond-
punch range and choose Matches > Expand ing original clip names in parenthesis.
Alternates To New Playlists.
All matching alternate clips are copied to new
All matching alternate clips are copied to new tracks.
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 playlist as
the main playlist from the Playlist selector.

748 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 • Matching Tape name
Expanding Alternate
Channels to New Playlists or • Matching Sound Roll name
Tracks • Alternate channel Sound Roll name matches
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only) current channel Tape name
• Alternate channel Tape name matches
When working with a mono clip that is part of a
current channel Sound Roll name
multichannel recording imported from a field re-
corder, you can expand that clip (or a selected por-
tion of it) to new playlists that reflect its matching Expanding Channels to New
alternate channels while preserving any edits or Playlists
fades (see Chapter 62, “Working with Field Re- To expand alternate channels to new playlists:
corders in Pro Tools”).
1 In the Timeline, do one of the following:

Conditions for Alternate • To expand only a portion of the clips on the

Channel Availability track, make a selection that includes or overlaps
any number of clips on a track, and Right-click
An alternate channel is available to replace the (Windows or Mac) or Control-click (Mac) the
original channel (represented by the clip or portion selection.
of a clip selected on the Timeline) if all of the fol-
lowing are true: • To expand all of the clips on the track, Right-
click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click (Mac)
• Both channels are part of a multichannel record- the track name.
ing made simultaneously on one or more field
recorders. 2 Choose the Expand to New Playlists pop-up
menu, and select one of the following methods
• Certain metadata matches between the original
by which to expand alternate channels for the
channel and the alternate channel.
selection to new tracks:
• The metadata embedded during shooting and re-
• By Channel Name
cording has been preserved prior to import into
Pro Tools. • By Channel Number
• By Channel Name and Number
With multichannel recordings from one or more
field recorders, both channels must overlap at least • By Timecode Only
once between their start timecode and end time-
If alternate channels are available, Pro Tools ex-
code positions, and must also meet one of the fol-
pands them to new playlists (including the channel
lowing conditions:
represented in the original track) according to the
• Matching Scene and Take selected option.
• Matching Shoot Date (applies only if Scene and
Take contain any information for both channels)

Chapter 33: Playlists 749

 Expanding Channels to New Expanding Channels by
Tracks Timecode Only
To expand alternate channels to new tracks: The Expand To New Tracks By Timecode Only
command lets you expand an entire track or only
1 In the Timeline, do one of the following:
selected clips to new playlists on the same track or
• To expand only a portion of the clips on the to new separate tracks, thus revealing all other
track, make a selection that includes or overlaps clips recorded at the same timecode location, re-
any number of clips on a track, and Right-click gardless of channel name or number. This is espe-
(Windows or Mac) or Control-click (Mac) the cially useful when expanding edited guide tracks
selection. to original source audio that was recorded while
• To expand all of the clips on the track, Right- referenced to timecode, but where channel names
click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click (Mac) or numbers were not written to the audio files.
the track name.
Example Workflow: Working with a Guide Track for
2 Choose the Expand Channels to New Tracks Live Concert Videos
pop-up menu, and select one of the following 1 Multitrack audio is recorded in Pro Tools while
methods by which to expand alternate channels chasing timecode. A mono or stereo mix is re-
for the selection to new tracks: corded simultaneously as a guide track for the
• By Channel Name video editor.
• By Channel Number 2 The picture and audio guide tracks are edited in
• By Channel Name and Number a video editing application.
• By Timecode Only 3 The edited audio guide tracks are exported from
the video editor as an AAF (or OMF) sequence,
If alternate channels are available, Pro Tools ex- including handles of at least 2 frames.
pands them to new tracks (including the channel
represented in the original track) according to the 4 The AAF (or OMF) sequence is imported into
chosen parameters. Pro Tools as a new session. The original source
audio files and unedited guide track are also im-
It is not possible to rename files encoded with ported into the session.
XML metadata. The file extension will always
be .A1 and .A2 (even for stereo files). Also, it
5 The original unedited guide track is relinked to
is not possible to rename files with a .L/.R
the session (see “Relinking the Original Uned-
suffix. As a result, Pro Tools does not always
ited Guide Track” on page 751).
recognize these channels as a stereo pair. 6 The Pro Tools editor Right-clicks the name of
the guide track and selects Expand Channels to
New Tracks > By Timecode Only. The original
source tracks expand to new tracks with edits
and fades that match the guide track.

750 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track
Target Playlist
After importing the AAF (or OMF) sequence and
original source audio files into the session, it is rec- Pro Tools lets you designate any playlist on a track
ommended that you relink the edited guide track to as the Target playlist. You can then use key com-
the original unedited source audio. mands to do the following when compositing—or
“comping”—multiple takes of a performance:
To relink the original unedited guide track: • Quickly cycle through and audition Edit selec-
1 In the Workspace browser, locate the session tions for clips in other playlists, whether in
and open the Audio Files folder. Waveform or Playlist view.

2 Right-click the edited guide track audio file in • Copy or move an Edit selection to the Target
the browser and choose Relink Selected. playlist from Waveform view without having to
switch to Playlist view.
3 In the upper pane of the Relink window, navi-
• Composite Grouped tracks.
gate to the original unedited guide track audio
file that was recorded in Pro Tools. The Main playlist is the Target playlist by de-
fault.
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 Designating the Target Playlist
times as the guide track. The designated Target playlist is the destination
for all edits whether you are editing in Playlist
4 In the Select Files To Relink pane, select the ed-
view or Waveform view. Editing to Target play-
ited guide track file.
lists in Waveform view is especially useful when
5 Drag the original unedited guide track audio file editing grouped tracks.
into the Candidates pane. If a dialog appears
stating that one or more files are shorter than the To designate any playlist as the Target playlist
from any track view:
media file you are trying to relink, click Yes to
select it for relinking anyway. 1 Click the Playlist selector.

6 Check the box to the left of the file in the Can- 2 Select Target Playlist > Main Playlist or <playlist
didates pane so that the Link icon appears. name> for any other available playlist.

7 Click Commit Links at the top of the Relink win-

dow 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 Timecode Only. All expanded tracks should
be synchronous with the guide track.

Chapter 33: Playlists 751

 To designate any playlist as the Target playlist
from Playlists view:

1 Select Playlists view for the track you want to

work with.
2 Click the Target button for the Playlist you want
to designate as the target. The button turns blue.

Click the Target button again to make the

Main playlist the Target playlist.

Designating the Target Playlist for a stereo audio track

In Playlist view, the Target button for the targeted

playlist turns blue. If the Target playlist is dis-
played as the main playlist, the Playlist selector is
blue. If the Target playlist is not displayed as the
main playlist, the Playlist selector is orange.

Active Edit Groups are observed and kept in

sync on the Timeline. For example, if 10
tracks are grouped and a Target playlist is
Designating an alternate playlist in Playlists view
defined on one of those tracks, the playlists on (Playlist selector is orange to indicate that the playlist
the other 9 tracks that correspond to that displayed as the Main playlist is not the target)
playlist are also designated as the Target
To designate the playlist currently displayed as the
playlist for their respective track. Main playlist as the Target playlist using key
commands:

If a Clip Group spans multiple tracks, the 1 Place the Edit cursor in the playlist you want to
Clip Group is broken if the any of the tracks target.
in the Clip Group are not also Edit grouped
2 Press Command+Shift+Right Arrow (Mac) or
when switching to Playlists view.
Control+Shift+Right Arrow (Windows).

Designating alternate playlists as the Target

playlist using keyboard shortcuts is not cur-
rently supported.

752 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Working with Target Playlists To target the same playlist in all tracks:

After you have designated Target playlists for 1 In Playlists view, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-
tracks you can work quickly when comping from click (Windows) the Target button for the play-
different playlists using key commands. Key mod- list you want to target.
ifiers can also be used to target the same playlist in 2 Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows), click on
all tracks of the same type or in all selected tracks the Playlist Selector menu, then click the Target
of the same type (audio, MIDI, Instrument, or Playlist sub-menu and click on the playlist you
Video). want to target.

To show the Target playlist as the Main Playlist: To target the same playlist in all selected tracks:
 Press Shift+Right Arrow. 1 In Playlists view, Option-Shift-click (Mac) or
Alt-Shift-click (Windows) the Target button for
To toggle between the two most recently viewed the playlist you want to target.
Main playlists:
2 Hold Option-Shift (Mac) or Alt-Shift (Win-
 Press Shift+Left Arrow.
dows), click on the Playlist Selector menu, then
To copy the current Edit selection to the Target
click the Target Playlist sub-menu and click on
playlist, do one of the following: the playlist you want to target.

 Choose Edit > Copy To > Target Playlist. To focus the first playlist:
 Right-click and choose Copy To > Target Play-  Press Shift+Home (full-sized keyboard).
list.
 Press fn+Shift+Left arrow (laptop).
 Press Option+Shift+Up Arrow (Mac) or
Alt+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows). To focus the last playlist:

 Press Control+Option+V (Mac) or Start+Alt+V  Press Shift+End (full-sized keyboard).

(Windows).
 Press fn+Shift+Right arrow (laptop).
To move the current Edit selection to the Target
To move ahead five playlists:
playlist, do one of the following:
 Press Shift+Page Down (full-sized keyboard).
 Choose Edit > Move To > Target Playlist.
 Press fn+Shift+Down arrow (laptop).
 Right-click and choose Move To > Target Play-
list.
To move back five playlists:
 Press Option+Shift+T (Mac) or Alt+Shift+T  Press Shift+Page Up (full-sized keyboard).
(Windows).
 Press fn+Shift+Up arrow (laptop).
This key combination replaces Option+Shift+
M (Mac) or Alt+Shift+M (Windows) in exe-
cuting the Move to Main Playlist command in
earlier versions of Pro Tools.

Chapter 33: Playlists 753

 Cycling Audio Within a Selection
To cycle in audio in the Edit selection from the previous playlist:

 Press Command+Shift+Up Arrow (Mac) or Control+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows).

To cycle in audio in the Edit selection from the next playlist:

 Press Command+Shift+Down Arrow (Mac) or Control+Shift+Down Arrow (Windows).

Home icon indicating that the audio selection cycled through all alternate playlists to its original playlist

When cycling through playlists, when you return to the starting playlist a “home” icon appears, no clip
edits are made, and any previous clip separation edits are healed.

754 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Visual Indicators when Working in Waveform View
The following indicators provide visual feedback when working with Targeted Playlists in Waveform
view.
• Immediately following the execution of either the Copy To Target Playlist or the Move To Target Playlist
commands, a green check-mark icon, a light blue overlay the size of the selection, and the name of cur-
rent Target playlist are briefly displayed in the center of the selection.

Green checkmark over clip promoted to the Target playlist

• If you designate the playlist in the Main playlist view as the Target playlist (using either the keyboard
shortcut or the menu command), a blue target icon and light blue overlay the size of the Main playlist are
briefly displayed.

Blue target indicating that the Main playlist is the Target playlist

Chapter 33: Playlists 755

 • If you disable the Main playlist as the Target playlist (using either the keyboard shortcut or the menu
command), a gray target icon and a light blue overlay the size of the Main playlist are briefly displayed.

Gray target indicating that the Main playlist is no longer the Target playlist

Table 1. If you send a selection to the Target playlist from the Target playlist, a red “not allowed” icon is briefly
displayed at the center of the selection.

“Not allowed” icon indicating a disallowed action

756 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Compositing Keyboard Shortcuts
Pro Tools provides a powerful combination of keyboard shortcuts to streamline track comping workflows.
Table 2. Keyboard Shortcuts for Track Comping tasks
Action Mac Windows

Solo the Playlist lane containing the Edit Shift+S Shift+S

cursor

Move the Edit cursor up and down through Control+P and Control+ Start+P and Start+
Playlist lanes Semicolon (;) Semicolon (;)

Show the previous or next playlist in the Shift+Up Arrow/Shift+Down Shift+Up Arrow/Shift+Down
main playlist for tracks that contain the Edit Arrow Arrow
cursor

To designate the Target playlist for the Command+Shift+Right Arrow Control+Shift+Right Arrow
playlist containing the Edit insertion

To designate the Target playlist for the Command+Option+Shift+ Control+Alt+Shift+Right Arrow

playlist containing the Edit insertion for all Right Arrow
tracks

To show the Target playlist as the Main Shift+Right Arrow Shift+Right Arrow
Playlist

To toggle between the current and most Shift+Left Arrow Shift+Left Arrow
recent Main playlists

Copy the selection to the Target playlist Option+Shift+Up Arrow or Alt+Shift+Up Arrow or
Option+Control+V Alt+Start+V

Move the selection to the Target playlist Option+Shift+T Alt+Shift+T

Copy the selection to a new playlist Option+Shift+Down Arrow Alt+Shift+Down Arrow

Move the selection to a new playlist Option+Shift+N Alt+Shift+N

To cycle in material in the Edit selection Command+Shift+Up Arrow Control+Shift+Up Arrow

from the previous playlist

To cycle in material in the Edit selection Command+Shift+Down Arrow Control+Shift+Down Arrow

from the next playlist

Create a new playlist for the first selected Control+\ Start+\

track in the session

Create a new playlist for each track in the Control+Option+\ Start+Alt+\

session

Create a new playlist for each selected Control+Option+Shift+\ Start+Alt+Shift+\

track in the session

Chapter 33: Playlists 757

 Table 2. Keyboard Shortcuts for Track Comping tasks
Action Mac Windows

Duplicate the main playlist for the first Command+Control+\ Control+Start+\

selected track in the session

Duplicate the main playlist for each track in Command+Option+Control+\ Control+Alt+Start+\

the session

Duplicate the main playlist for Command+Option+ Control+Alt+Start+Shift+\

each selected track in the session Control+Shift+\

Focus the first playlist Shift+Home (full-sized key- Shift+Home (full-sized key-
(with Edit selection in the Main playlist) board) board)
fn+Shift+Left Arrow (laptop) fn+Shift+Left Arrow (laptop)

Focus the last playlist Shift+End (full-sized keyboard) Shift+End (full-sized keyboard)
(with Edit selection in the Main playlist) fn+Shift+Right Arrow (laptop) fn+Shift+Right Arrow (laptop)

Move ahead five playlists Shift+Page Down (full-sized Shift+Page Down (full-sized
(with Edit selection in the Main playlist) keyboard) keyboard)
fn+Shift+Down Arrow (laptop) fn+Shift+Down Arrow (laptop)

Move back five playlists Shift+Page Up (full-sized key- Shift+Page Up (full-sized key-
(with Edit selection in the Main playlist) board) board)
fn+Shift+Up Arrow (laptop) fn+Shift+Up Arrow (laptop)

Target the same playlist in all audio tracks Shift-click the Target button for Shift-click the Target button for
the playlist you want to target the playlist you want to target

To target the same playlist in all tracks of Shift-click the playlist you want Shift-click the playlist you want
the same type (audio, MIDI, Instrument, or to target in the Playlist selector to target in the Playlist selector
Video) menu menu

Target the same playlist in all selected In Playlists view, Option-Shift- In Playlists view, Alt-Shift-click
audio tracks click the Target button for the the Target button for the play-
playlist you want to target list you want to target

Target the same playlist in all selected Option-Shift-click the playlist Alt-Shift-click the playlist you
tracks of the same type (audio, MIDI, you want to target in the Play- want to target in the Playlist
Instrument, or Video) list selector menu selector menu

758 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 34: Beat Detective

Beat Detective is a powerful tool for analyzing, ed-

iting, and manipulating audio or MIDI data that Beat Detective and Source
has an inherent rhythmic character. Material
Beat Detective is most effective with audio or
Beat Detective analyzes an audio or MIDI selec-
MIDI that has clear attack transients or accent pat-
tion, identifies its peak transients or accented
terns (including most instruments used in popular
notes, and generates beat triggers based on the de-
music, such as drums, guitar, or bass). Beat Detec-
tected peak transients or MIDI notes. From these
tive will be less successful with audio material
beat triggers, Beat Detective can:
with soft attacks, or legato phrasing (such as
• Extract tempo and beat information to create strings and vocals).
Bar|Beat Markers that can be used to define the
session’s tempo map. See “Generating Bar|Beat
Markers with Beat Detective” on page 770.
Uses for Beat Detective
• Extract tempo and groove information as groove
templates, called DigiGrooves. These templates Beat Detective can be useful in many situations,
can be applied to audio or MIDI using Beat De- including:
tective or Groove Quantize (see “DigiGroove Extracting Tempo from Audio and MIDI Beat De-
Templates” on page 771. tective can generate Bar|Beat Markers, from which
• Separate an audio selection into discrete clips, it can extract the tempo—even if the audio or
and then conform (or “quantize”) separated clips MIDI contains varying tempos, or material with a
to the session’s tempo map, or to groove tem- swing feel. Additionally, once Bar|Beat Markers
plates. See “Separating Clips with have been generated, other audio and MIDI clips
Beat Detective” on page 773 and “Conforming and events can be quantized to them.
Clips with Beat Detective” on page 774.
Creating DigiGrooves Beat Detective can extract
groove templates, called DigiGrooves, from an au-
dio 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).

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 759

 Conforming Audio Clips Beat Detective can con- Smoothing Post Production Edits (Audio
form (“quantize”) audio with a different tempo, or Only) Beat Detective’s Edit Smoothing can be
with varying tempos, to the session’s current used to automatically clean up Foley tracks that
tempo map, or to a groove template. contain many clips requiring trimming and cross-
fading, effectively removing the gaps of silence
“Tightening Up” Performances Beat Detective between the clips (thus retaining the room tone
can be used to improve the timing of some audio throughout the track).
material by calculating and extracting its average
tempo, and then conforming its rhythmic compo-
nents—clips separated with Beat Detective—to
Beat Detective Requirements
the session’s tempo map.
Beat Detective is available with all Pro Tools
Loop Matching Since Beat Detective can extract
systems.
tempo and beat information from audio and MIDI,
and conform audio to an existing tempo map or RAM Requirements for Beat Detective
groove template, this makes it very useful for
aligning loops with different tempos or grooves. If Beat Detective operations can require a large
a loop is at a different tempo than the current ses- amount of RAM, especially when working with
sion, Beat Detective lets you quickly separate each multiple tracks and lengthy selections. To avoid
beat in the loop and conform them to the tempo low memory situations with Beat Detective, do the
map (as an alternative to time compressing or ex- following:
panding the loop, which can alter the pitch and • If you begin to experience slower Beat Detective
tone of the audio). response, add more RAM to your computer.
Remixes Beat Detective can be used for remixes • If your computer does not have extra RAM,
or creating new rhythms. It can extract tempo from work with shorter selections, or individual
the original drum tracks, or in some instances the tracks.
original stereo mix. New audio or MIDI tracks can • Set the Editing preference for Levels of Undo to
then be conformed to the original material, or the a smaller value (see “Levels of Undo and Mem-
original material can be conformed to new drum ory” on page 634). Memory-intensive editing
tracks, achieving an entirely new feel. operations, such as Edit Smoothing (audio only)
with Beat Detective, can use up a large amount
When working with tick-based audio, use
of memory when in the Undo queue.
Beat Detective’s Clip Separation command to
quickly separate audio clips into individual
“hits” (or slices). You can also create a clip
group of the separated clips to facilitate
editing and arranging.

760 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Beat Detective Window
Beat Detective is managed from the Beat Detective window.

Beat Detective window

To open the Beat Detective window, do one of the The Beat Detective modes include the following:
following:
Operation Lets you choose to analyze either MIDI
 Choose Event > Beat Detective.
or audio material.
 Press Command+8 (Mac) or Control+8 (Win-
Bar|Beat Marker Generation Generates Bar|Beat
dows) on the numeric keypad.
Markers corresponding to transients detected in
Beat Detective is a floating window that can be left the audio selection or according to accent patterns
open while working. This lets you adjust the con- with MIDI notes.
trols in real time during playback, while viewing
Groove Template Extraction Extracts the rhyth-
the beat triggers that appear in your selection in the
mic and dynamic information from audio or MIDI,
Edit window.
and saves this information to the Groove Clip-
board, or as a DigiGroove template.

Beat Detective Modes Clip Separation (Audio Only) Separates and cre-
ates new clips based on transients detected in the
The Beat Detective window is divided into three audio selection.
sections: Operation, Selection, and Detection. De-
pending on the Operation mode, the controls in the Clip Conform (Audio Only) Conforms all sepa-
Action section change. The Selection options for rated clips within the selection to the current tempo
Beat Detective are available in each of the Opera- map. Beat Detective can conform audio clips to
tion modes. groove templates (such as DigiGroove templates)
in addition to standard quantization.

Edit Smoothing (Audio Only) Fills the gaps be-

tween conformed clips by automatically trimming
them, and inserts crossfades.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 761

 Make sure the selection’s start and end points fall
Defining a Beat Detective cleanly on the beat. To zero in on an audio clip’s
Selection start and end points, zoom to the sample level and
Whether you will be generating Bar|Beat Markers, use the Tab to Transients option (see “Tabbing to
extracting a DigiGroove template, or separating Transients” on page 681).
clips to be conformed, you must always define the
To avoid losing an existing selection, save
audio or MIDI selection to be analyzed. The Beat
and recall an Edit selection by saving it as a
Detective window provides tools to define and
Memory Location. See Chapter 40, “Memory
capture the selection range, time signature, and
Locations.”
swing (sub-division) content for the selected au-
dio. 2 Choose Event > Beat Detective.
To ensure the best possible results with Beat 3 You must define or capture the selection every
Detective, make sure the selected passage time you make a new selection or change the
starts exactly on the attack of the first beat. tempo map. To define the selection range, do
one of the following:
For Beat Detective to generate beat triggers that
• If the tempo and meter of the audio selection do
are metrically accurate, the length and meter of the
not match the session’s default tempo and meter,
selection must be correctly defined. In addition,
enter the Time Signature, and Start Bar|Beat and
the selection should not contain any meter or
End Bar|Beat locations. For a four-bar selection
tempo changes.
that starts on beat 1, enter 1|1 and 5|1.
Use Loop playback to check the accuracy of • If the tempo and meter of the audio selection do
your selection. not match the session’s default tempo and meter,
and you are unsure of the length of the material,
To define a selection for Beat Detective:
enter the Time Signature and the Start Bar|Beat
1 In the Edit window, select a range of audio or location; then start playback, and click the Tap
MIDI material in a single track or in multiple End B|B button repeatedly to automatically cal-
tracks. culate the End Bar|Beat. When using Tap End
B|B with long selections, continue to tap until
To keep the Edit selection intact while play-
the End Bar|Beat stabilizes. Once stabilized, you
ing or looping from any location, deselect
may need to manually adjust the number to the
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.
nearest bar boundary.

Making an audio selection for Beat Detective

762 Pro Tools Reference Guide

• If the selection’s tempo and meter match the ses-
sion tempo and meter (see “Calculating Tempo Beat Detective Analysis
with Beat Detective” on page 764), and it aligns Beat Detective provides several analysis algo-
correctly with the session’s bars and beats, click rithms for beat detection appropriate to different
the Capture Selection button. The correct Time types of audio material.
Signature, and Start Bar|Beat and End Bar|Beat
values will be filled in automatically. 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 piano or
rhythm guitar.

Enhanced Resolution Works well with the broad-

Beat Detective, Selection options est range of material, such as full mixes and loops.

As long as the audio material is correctly Beat Detection Across Multiple Tracks
aligned with the session’s tempo map, use
When analyzing a selection with multiple tracks,
Capture Selection each time you make a new
Beat Detective analyzes each independently. Tran-
selection or make any changes to the tempo
sients that are detected in any track appear as Beat
map (such as changing tempo or meter).
Triggers across all selected tracks regardless of
whether or not the detected transient resides in any
The Selection definition is not retained when other track. However, for closely aligned events on
a session is closed and re-opened multiple tracks, Beat Detective only identifies the
first detected transient of a beat event.
4 To improve Beat Detective’s accuracy in ana-
lyzing swung notes, select the Contains option For example, if you have four drum tracks—kick,
that indicates the smallest sub-division of the snare, and a pair of overheads—transients in the
beat contained in the selection. The Contains overhead mics tracks occur a little later than the
option includes quarter-notes, eighth-notes, six- closely miked snare and kick tracks because it
teenth-notes (the default setting), thirty-second- takes more time for the sound to travel from the
notes, and a triplet modifier. The selected Con- source to the microphones. If you make a selection
tains option determines the groove template across all four tracks and analyze them using Beat
grid locations for DigiGroove templates. 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 “Using Collection Mode” on
page 780.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 763

 Calculating Tempo with Beat Generating Beat Triggers
Detective
Once you have accurately defined the selection
If you know the meter, and start and end points of range, Beat Detective can generate beat triggers
the audio selection, use Beat Detective to calculate based on detected MIDI notes or audio peak tran-
its tempo. sients. The range and type of transients found can
be adjusted with the Detection settings, allowing
To calculate a selection’s tempo with Beat you to zero in on the bars, beats, and sub-beats in
Detective: the material, while avoiding the non-rhythmic con-
1 Make an Edit selection in the Edit window or a tent.
MIDI Editor window (MIDI only) and define
the selection in the Beat Detective window as To generate beat triggers from an audio selection:
described in “Defining a Beat Detective Selec- 1 In the Edit window, make an audio selection.
tion” on page 762.
2 Select Audio from the Operation pop-up menu.
2 Select Bar|Beat Marker Generation.
3 In the Beat Detective window, select one of the
3 In the Detection section (Normal mode), click following modes:
Analyze.
• Bar|Beat Marker Generation
4 Set Sensitivity set to 0%. • Groove Template Extraction
• Clip Separation (audio only)
4 Define or capture the selection as described in
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 762.
5 From the Analysis pop-up menu, choose a
detection algorithm.
Beat Detective, Detection mode
6 Click Analyze.
5 Click Generate. 7 Depending on the rhythmic content of the selec-
Bar|Beat Markers are automatically generated at tion, set the Resolution to Bars, Beats, or Sub-
the beginning and end of the selection, indicating Beats.
the material’s tempo and meter. 8 Adjust the Sensitivity until beat triggers appear
on the beats and sub-beats in the selection.

Beat Detective generated Bar|Beat Markers

identifying tempo and meter

764 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Bar triggers are indicated with thick lines, beat To generate beat triggers from a MIDI selection:
triggers with medium lines, and sub-beat triggers 1 In the Edit window, set the MIDI track you want
with thin lines. 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.
Beat Sub-Beat Bar 3 Choose Event > Beat Detective.
Beat triggers
4 Select MIDI from the Operation pop-up menu.
9 You can zoom to the sample level and click the
5 In the Beat Detective window, select one of the
Scroll Next button to scroll to the next trigger
following modes:
within the selection. To scroll to the previous
trigger, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Win- • Bar|Beat Marker Generation
dows) the Scroll Next button (see “Navigating • Groove Template Extraction
Consecutive Beat Triggers” on page 769). This
is useful to confirm that the beat triggers are ap- 6 Define the selection range. If the tempo and me-
pearing in the appropriate locations. If false ter of the audio selection do not match the ses-
triggers appear between the beats or sub-beats sion’s default tempo and meter, enter the Time
(representing non-rhythmic material), delete Signature, and Start Bar|Beat and End Bar|Beat
them (see “Deleting Beat Triggers” on locations. For example, for a four-bar selection
page 768), or reduce the Sensitivity value. that starts on beat 1, enter 1|1 and 5|1.

10 To display the metric locations for the triggers, 7 If your MIDI track contains chords, choose one
select the Show Trigger Time option. of the following MIDI chord recognition algo-
rithms from the Analysis pop-up menu:
11 If you cannot get the beat triggers to appear at
• Last Note
the right locations, repeat steps 5–10, trying one
of the other Analysis algorithms (High or Low • First Note
Emphasis). • Loudest Note
• Average Location
• Highest Note
• Lowest Note
8 Click Analyze.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 765

 MIDI Chord Recognition Realign Session
Since MIDI notes in a chord may be played at Beat Detective’s Realign Session function lets you
slightly different moments, Beat Detective inter- generate Bar|Beat markers without tick-based ma-
prets notes that are close together (closer than half terial shifting. This is useful if you want to extrap-
the time value that is set in the Selection Contains olate Bar|Beat markers from tick-based material to
field) as a chord. align the tempo map and Bar|Beat grid to the tick-
based material.
Highest Note
You can also switch tick-based material, such
as a MIDI performance, to be sample-based
First and then manually insert Bar|Beat markers.
Note Last
Note Generating Bar|Beat markers in sessions with tick-
based material, such as MIDI tracks and tick-based
Lowest Note audio tracks, can cause the tick-based material to
MIDI chord analysis shift in absolute time. This can be useful if you
want to align the tick-based material to Bar|Beat
Beat Detective uses the criteria you set in the Anal-
markers generated from sample-based material.
ysis pop-up menu to interpret the location of the
beat in relation to the chord. When you generate Bar|Beat Markers in a session
that contains tick-based audio or MIDI, Beat De-
Last Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of the
tective gives you the option to preserve the posi-
last note played in the chord.
tion of the session’s tick-based material, or to al-
First Note Sets the beat trigger to the start of the low the material to shift.
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 veloc-
ity.

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.
Realign Session dialog
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.

766 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To generate Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective Tips for Getting Useful Beat
in a session with tick-based tracks: Triggers
1 In the Edit window, make an audio or MIDI
Use the following tips to verify beat triggers:
selection.
 To focus on a particular area in the selection,
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Bar|Beat
unlink the Timeline and Edit Selections and set the
Marker Generation.
playback range by clicking or dragging in any
3 Define or capture the selection as described Timebase ruler.
in“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
 Check the thickness of the beat triggers to see if
page 762.
they align properly with the audio material. Thick
4 Set the Resolution to Bars or Beats. triggers fall on barlines, medium triggers fall on
beats, and thin triggers fall on sub-beats.
5 Click Generate.
 Select the option for Show Trigger Time and see
6 Do one of the following:
if the (assumed) metric locations of the triggers
• In the Realign Session dialog, choose align with the material. A false trigger should be
Preserve Tick Position if you want to let the tick- moved or deleted because it can cause subsequent
based material shift in absolute time. triggers to appear in the wrong locations (see “Ed-
• Choose Preserve Sample Position if you want to iting Beat Triggers” on page 768).
have the tick-based material maintain its abso-  Consider whether lengthy selections should
lute position. This option can be useful when first be broken down into smaller selections, which
adding a meter and tempo map to a freely played could be more easily managed. For example,
performance. working in 8- or 4-bar sections might yield better
7 Click OK. 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 trig-
gers from combinations of MIDI and audio tracks.
 For selections across multiple tracks, consider
whether it may be easier to work with them indi-
vidually, or in Collection mode. See “Detection
(Normal) and Collection Mode” on page 779.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 767

 Moving Beat Triggers
Editing Beat Triggers
You can adjust the placement of triggers to allow
Even though Beat Detective offers a great deal of for the attack of their transients, or to compensate
flexibility in how transients are detected, there for an individual transient that is slightly ahead of
may be times when beat triggers must be deleted, or behind the beat.
moved, or manually inserted. Additionally, trig-
gers can be promoted so they are retained at lower To move a beat trigger:
sensitivity settings.
1 With the Beat Detective window open, select
any Grabber tool in the Edit window.
Deleting Beat Triggers
2 Locate the beat trigger you want to move and
False triggers, which do not represent an actual drag it left or right.
beat or sub-beat in the source material, may appear
when raising the Sensitivity to detect quiet mate-
rial. 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 Moving a beat trigger
smaller peaks than the other trigger points, and
typically fall between the sub-beats. Inserting Beat Triggers
If an important beat or sub-beat is not detected, be-
cause it is too quiet, you can manually insert a beat
trigger.

To insert a beat trigger:

Deleting a beat trigger
1 With the Beat Detective window open, select
3 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the any Grabber tool in the Edit window.
trigger to delete it.
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 768).

If you click too close to an existing trigger,

the existing trigger will be moved to the new
location.

768 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Promoting Beat Triggers Redefining a Beat Trigger’s
Metric Location
To ensure that important beat triggers do not disap-
pear when lowering the Sensitivity, you can pro- It is vital that beat triggers are accurately placed at
mote them. This is useful if a selection has numer- the correct metric location. If a detected transient is
ous false triggers (too many to bother deleting) at a slightly off the beat, Beat Detective may assign it,
Sensitivity level where crucial, necessary beat trig- as well as other transients in the selection, to the
gers are also displayed. If lowering the Sensitivity wrong metric location.
and the needed triggers to disappear, simply pro-
For example, if you have a bass track where a note
mote them first.
was intended to be a downbeat, but was played too
To promote a beat trigger: early, Beat Detective may define its location as oc-
curring a little before the downbeat. If you then
1 Raise the Sensitivity until the transient is de-
separate and conform the clip containing this note,
tected and a beat trigger appears.
it will be moved to the wrong location. Subsequent
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- clips may be moved to the wrong locations as well.
dows) the beat trigger to promote it.
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.
Promoting a beat trigger
2 In the Identify Trigger dialog, enter the correct
3 If necessary, repeat steps 1–2 to promote addi- location for the trigger, then click OK.
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—returning Identify Trigger dialog
them to their original state—click the Analyze but-
ton. Navigating Consecutive Beat
Triggers
Use the Scroll Next button to move from the cur-
rently selected beat trigger to the next beat trigger.
To move to the previous beat trigger, Option-click
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Scroll Next but-
ton. This is particularly useful for editing consecu-
tive beat triggers when zoomed in at the sample
level.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 769

 Bar|Beat Markers are generated, based on the beat
Generating Bar|Beat Markers triggers, and appear in the Tempo ruler.
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 Bar|Beat Markers generated at Bar resolution
that can be used throughout the session.

Once a tempo map has been generated, other audio

clips and MIDI notes can be conformed to the
Bar|Beat Markers generated by Beat Detective.

If you want to match the audio material to the ses-

sion’s existing tempo map or a groove template, do Bar|Beat Markers generated at Beat resolution
not generate Bar|Beat Markers from the material.
Instead, use Beat Detective to separate and con- Working with Sub-Beats
form the material (see “Separating Clips with Tempo is derived from Bar|Beat Markers. Groove,
Beat Detective” on page 773). or feel, is derived from Sub-Beats—the deviation
of subdivisions of the beat from the strict tempo
If you are simply aligning a sloppy part to the
grid determines the groove or feel.
other tracks, you probably do not need to
generate Bar|Beat markers. To extract the groove from a selection, set the De-
tection Resolution to Sub-Beats. This ensures that
To generate Bar|Beat Markers with Beat Detective:
the inner rhythms within each bar (if they indeed
1 Make an Edit selection. exist) are represented when generating Bar|Beat
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Bar|Beat Markers. These Bar|Beat Markers can then be used
Marker Generation mode. to quantize other audio clips or MIDI tracks,
thereby conforming to the Bar|Beat Markers gen-
3 Define or capture the selection as described in erated by Beat Detective.
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 762. When quantizing clips or MIDI notes to
Bar|Beat Markers on sub-beats that
4 Set the Resolution to Bars or Beats, and config-
represent a swing feel, make sure to use a
ure the Detection setting so the selection’s peak
straight quantize value (with the Swing
transients (or MIDI Note Ons) are accurately
option for Quantize disabled).
detected (see “Generating Beat Triggers” on
page 764).
5 Click Generate.

770 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Capturing this information is very important to
DigiGroove Templates preserving the feel of a performance, and can add
Beat Detective allows the fine timing nuances of a life to MIDI tracks that lack dynamics.
rhythmic performance to be extracted and saved as
Beat Detective only captures duration data
a groove template, called a DigiGroove template.
from MIDI tracks, not from audio tracks.
DigiGrooves can be saved locally to the Groove
Clipboard, or saved to disk as DigiGrooves.
Extracting Groove Templates
Groove templates can be used to transfer the feel of
To extract a Groove Template:
a particular performance to:
1 In the Edit window, make an Edit selection (in-
• Selected audio clips using Groove Conform (see
cluding audio or MIDI). The selection should
“Groove Conform” on page 776).
consist of one or more complete bars, starting
• Selected MIDI data using Groove Quantize (see and ending on downbeats.
“Groove Quantize” on page 1069).
When extracting Groove Templates, the
Groove templates are “quantization maps” derived captured selection must not include Bar|Beat
from real musical performances. The rhythmic Markers. Otherwise, the accuracy of the
character of each performance is analyzed and Groove Template will be compromised.
stored as a groove template. Beat Detective ana-
lyzes an audio selection for transient peaks accord- 2 In the Beat Detective window, select Groove
ing to a defined threshold and maps the rhythmic Template Extraction.
relationships to a 960 parts per quarter note (ppq)
3 Define or capture the selection as described in
template.
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
When creating DigiGroove templates, Beat Detec- page 762.
tive also analyzes the dynamics of a performance.
4 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
MIDI velocity data is saved from MIDI tracks, and
tion’s peak transients (or MIDI Note Ons) are
accents and peak levels in audio data are incorpo-
accurately detected (see “Generating Beat Trig-
rated into the groove template as velocity data,
gers” on page 764).
which can be applied to change the dynamics of
MIDI tracks. 5 Click Extract.

Beat Detective translates the amplitude of signals 6 In the Extract Groove Template dialog, enter
in audio tracks to MIDI velocity according to a lin- comments about the groove. You can enter a
ear scale. For example: maximum of 255 characters to describe the
groove. Comments can be viewed using the
• A 0 dBFS signal equals a MIDI velocity of 127.
Show Info button in the Beat Detective window.
• A –6 dBFS signal equals a MIDI velocity of 64.
• A –12 dBFS signal equals a MIDI velocity of
32.
• A –48 dBFS signal equals a MIDI velocity of 1.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 771

 Swing Content for Generating
Groove Templates
When defining swing content of the selection, se-
lect the Contains eighth-note option if the audio se-
lection has a heavily swung eighth-note groove. If
the audio selection has relatively straight eighth-
notes, use the Contains sixteenth-note option. This
lets the resultant DigiGroove template be applied
more easily elsewhere. Although a groove might
be based upon non-swung eighth-note material,
you might want to apply the template to material
that contains sixteenth-notes. If a template only
has eighth-note resolution, but the material being
conformed contains sixteenth-notes, adjacent six-
teenth-notes will be mapped to the same eighth-
Extract Groove Template dialog note location.
7 Do one of the following:
• To save the extracted template for use in the cur- Groove Extrapolation
rent session, without writing the template file to Beat Detective’s ability to extract tempo data from
disk, click Save To Groove Clipboard. (This a wide range of material is enhanced by its power-
template will be lost when you close the current ful “groove extrapolation” logic. Groove extrapo-
session.) lation automatically generates beat triggers for in-
• To save the extracted template to disk in order to clusion in groove templates even if a peak transient
use it in other sessions or share it with other is not detected. For example, a drum loop might
Pro Tools users, click Save To Disk. Enter a not have a hit on beat 3, consequently no peak tran-
name for the template and click Save. (Do not sient is detected and no beat trigger is generated.
change the location of DigiGroove template files Beat Detective will extrapolate from other beat
and folders or they will not be available in your triggers in the selection and create a trigger for beat
sessions.) 3 in the groove template.
• Click Cancel to cancel without saving the tem- In addition, extrapolated triggers preserve the feel
plate. of triggers generated from detected peak tran-
sients. For example, if a bar of kick drum detected
Use folders and subdirectories to organize
three beat triggers, all of which were 20 ticks ahead
DigiGroove templates. However, be sure they
of the beat, any extrapolated beat triggers will also
are always located in Applications/
be mapped 20 ticks ahead of the beat.
Avid/Pro Tools/Grooves (Mac) or
C:\Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools\
Grooves (Windows). Groove template files
located elsewhere will not be available in ei-
ther Groove Quantize or Beat Detective.

772 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Trigger Pad
Separating Clips with
Beat Detective When separating clips, the Beat Detective window
displays an option called Trigger Pad.
(Audio Only)

Once beat triggers appear in your selection, they

can be used to define start and end points for new
clips that can be separated automatically. The new
clips can then be conformed to the session’s exist-
ing tempo map, or to a groove template.

If you want to clean up the timing for the selection,

without affecting the tempo, make sure to first cal- Detection settings, Clip Separation mode
culate the tempo by generating Bar|Beat Markers
(see “Calculating Tempo with Beat Detective” on Type a value (0–50 ms) in this field to pad clip
page 764). start points—where the point of separation is lo-
cated in relation to the beat trigger (transient). This
To separate clips with Beat Detective: creates a space between the clip start point and the
clip sync point, thereby ensuring that the attack
1 In the Edit window, make an audio selection.
portion of the material remains intact.
2 In the Beat Detective window, select Clip Sepa-
ration.

3 Define or capture the selection as described in

“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on
page 762.
4 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
20 ms
(see “Generating Beat Triggers” on page 764). Clip start Sync point
(point of separation) (beat trigger)
5 Click Separate.
Separated clip with 20 ms Trigger Pad
Clips are separated based on the detected beat trig- When conforming separated clips, the clip sync
gers. point determines where the clip is placed (see
“Sync Points” on page 951).

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 773

 Separating Multiple Tracks The separated clips can then be conformed as a
group.
You can use beat triggers from a single track, or
subset of tracks, to separate a group of tracks. You can also use Collection mode when working
with multiple tracks. Collection mode lets you an-
In the following example, the defined selection is a
alyze and detect triggers on tracks individually,
drum loop consisting of two bars of 5/4. The kick,
and if you choose, add only the unique triggers
snare, hi-hat, and overhead microphones are re-
from the current track to the overall collection. For
corded to separate tracks.
more information, see “Detection (Normal) and
Analyzing the loop’s kick drum track, with the de- Collection Mode” on page 779.
tection Resolution set to Beats, Beat Detective
places beat triggers at the transients on beats 1 and
4. Conforming Clips with Beat
Detective
(Audio Only)

After clips have been separated with Beat Detec-

tive, the clips can then be conformed using one of
two modes:
Kick drum track with beat triggers
Standard Conform Uses the session’s current
Extending the selection to the snare, hi-hat, and tempo map (Grid)
overhead microphones tracks, and then performing
Groove Conform Uses groove templates.
the separation, results in separated clips in each of
the drum tracks at the same location, based on the Beat Detective will conform any selected clip,
beat triggers from the kick drum track. whether or not it was separated with Beat Detec-
tive. However, in order to successfully conform
clips with Beat Detective, the clip start points must
correspond to the start of the material that will
align with the session’s bars and beats. This should
generally not be a problem if the clips were sepa-
rated with Beat Detective (rather than manually
separated or trimmed).

Kick drum, snare, hi-hat, and overhead microphones

tracks with beat triggers

774 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Standard Conform 6 To affect which clips are conformed, select the
Exclude Within option and specify a percentage
This is similar to using the Clip > Quantize to Grid
value with the slider or by typing in a value:
command, but with one important difference: With
a single operation, Beat Detective can adjust the • Lower percentage values ensure that clips fur-
position of all clips, whether they have a straight or ther away from the Grid are conformed, while
swing feel. those closer to the Grid are not.
• Higher percentage values ensure that
clips closer to the Grid, as well as those
further away, are conformed.

To “tighten up” the original feel while

retaining it, set the Exclude Within option to
10–15%.

7 To achieve a swing feel for the conformed clips,

Beat Detective, Standard Conform options
select the Swing option and whether the swing
To conform clips using Standard Conform: is based on eighth-notes or sixteenth-notes, then
1 In the Beat Detective window, select Clip specify a percentage value with the slider or by
Conform. typing in a value:
• Smaller percentage values yield less swing, with
2 Make sure Standard is selected.
0% yielding none.
3 In the Edit window, if not already selected,
• Larger percentage values yield more swing, with
select the separated clips you want to conform.
100% yielding a triplet, swing feel.
Make sure the selection’s start and end points
fall cleanly on the beat. • Percentage values between 100–150 move the
clips beyond a triplet, swing feel, toward the
4 In the Beat Detective window, define or recap- next sixteenth-note boundary (provided the
ture the selection as described in “Defining a Swing note value is set to eighth-notes).
Beat Detective Selection” on page 762.
If Beat Detective has successfully captured
5 To affect how strongly the clips are conformed
enough of the sub-beats from a selection
to the Grid (tempo map), select the Strength op-
before separating, you can successfully
tion and specify a percentage value with either
conform with the Swing option to change the
the slider or by typing in a value:
groove from a “straight” feel to one that is
• Lower percentage values preserve the original swung. You can also import a groove tem-
feel of the clips. plate containing a swing feel (see “Groove
• Higher percentage values align the clips more Conform” on page 776).
tightly to the tempo map, with 100% aligning
precisely to the tempo map.

To “tighten up” the original feel while

retaining it, set the Strength option to 85–
88%.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 775

 8 Click Conform to automatically conform all To conform clips using Groove Conform:
clips in the selection. 1 In the Beat Detective window, select Clip
Conform.

2 Select Groove.

Clips conformed with Beat Detective

9 Audition the new conformed clips by clicking

Play in the Transport.
10 Do one of the following:
Beat Detective, Groove Conform options
• If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat steps
4–8 trying a different set of Conform settings. 3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, se-
lect the separated clips you want to conform.
• If necessary, apply Edit Smoothing (see “Edit Make sure the selection’s start and end points
Smoothing” on page 777). fall cleanly on the beat.
4 In the Beat Detective window, define or recap-
Groove Conform
ture the selection as described in “Defining a
Instead of using a grid based on the session’s Beat Detective Selection” on page 762.
tempo map, Groove Conform uses a grid based on
a groove template, or DigiGroove. DigiGrooves When using Groove Conform, the captured
can be used to apply the feel of a captured passage selection must not include Bar|Beat Markers.
to the selected audio clips. For information about Otherwise, the accuracy of the Groove Tem-
creating DigiGroove templates, see “DigiGroove plate will be compromised.
Templates” on page 771.
5 From the Groove Template pop-up menu, select
the Groove Clipboard or a saved groove tem-
plate (for information on creating groove tem-
plates, see “DigiGroove Templates” on
page 771).
6 To see comments about the selected template,
click Show Info.

776 Pro Tools Reference Guide

7 To affect how strongly the clips are conformed 9 Click Conform to automatically conform all
to the groove template, select the Timing option clips in the selection.
and specify a percentage value with either the
10 Audition the new conformed clips by clicking
slider or by typing in a value:
Play in the Transport.
• Lower percentage values preserve the original
feel of the clips. 11 Do one of the following:

• Higher percentage values align the clips more • If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat steps
tightly to the groove templates grid, with 100% 4–9 trying a different groove template or Groove
aligning precisely to the template grid. Conform settings.

• If the slider is set to 200%, clips move to a loca- • If necessary, apply Edit Smoothing (see “Edit
tion that is twice the difference between the orig- Smoothing” on page 777).
inal clip location and the position of the
referenced template event.
Edit Smoothing
For example, if a note was played at Bar 1|1|060 (a
(Audio Only)
16th note), and the corresponding template event is
at 1|1|073, a slider value of 100% results in the note After clips are conformed, there may be gaps be-
being shifted to 1|1|073; a slider value of 200% tween the clips. These gaps can cause the material
shifts the note to 1|1|086. to sound unnatural on playback.
8 To conform the material before applying the
groove template, enable the Pre-Process Using
Standard Conform option.

With this option enabled, Beat Detective conforms

clips to the current Standard Conform settings be-
fore applying the groove template. For material in
which the performance was not accurate, enabling
Pre-Process Using Standard Conform can lead to Beat Detective, Smoothing options
better results by ensuring that the performance is Beat Detective can automatically fill the gaps
accurately mapped to the correct bars, beats, and between clips, and even add crossfades if you
sub-beats before the groove template is applied. choose. The Edit Smoothing option can be used
Experimentation is the best way to determine when with clips that have been conformed, or with a
it is appropriate to use this option. track that contains many clips that need to be
trimmed and crossfaded (such as in a sound effects
When conforming an audio passage to a
track). This automated process of smoothing clip
heavily swung groove template, enabling
edits can save many hours of tedious editing.
Pre-Process using Standard Conform will
often yield better results.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 777

 To use Edit Smoothing on conformed clips: Edit Smoothing Creates Sync
1 In the Beat Detective window, select Edit Points
Smoothing. After smoothing edits with Beat Detective, sync
2 Select a Smoothing option: points (corresponding to the material’s start point)
are automatically created for the conformed clips.
Fill Gaps Select this option to trim clip end points This allows you to later conform the clips to a dif-
so that the gaps between clips are filled. ferent tempo map or groove template, or use differ-
ent Conform settings.
Fill And Crossfade Select this option to trim clip
end points and automatically add a pre-fade (in ms) However, sync points are only created as they are
directly before each clip start point. needed: If gaps between clips are created during
3 In the Edit window, if not already selected, se- Clip Conform, Fill Gaps in Edit Smoothing mode
lect the range of conformed audio clips you will trim clips to fill the gap and a sync point will
want to smooth. Make sure the selection’s start be created at each clip’s original start point. If there
and end points fall cleanly on the beat. is no gap between clips, no sync point will be cre-
ated by Edit Smoothing.
4 Click Smooth to smooth the edits for the se-
lected clips. For more information on clip sync points, see
“Sync Points” on page 951.

Consolidating Clips after Edit

Smoothing
The process of separating, conforming, and
smoothing with Beat Detective can leave tracks
with many clips and many crossfades. If you are
working with multiple tracks, the density of these
edits may lead to system performance problems.
Clips before and after Edit Smoothing If performance is not an issue, use the Clip
5 Audition the results by clicking Play in the Group command for easier editing and ma-
Transport. nipulation of clips. This can be useful for
arranging beats that were sliced with Beat
6 If necessary, select Edit > Undo, and repeat steps Detective, especially if you plan on chang-
2–5 trying a different Crossfade Length. ing tempos with tick-based audio tracks.
For more information on clip groups, see
“Clip Groups” on page 967.

778 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Once you are satisfied with the results from Beat Drum Tracks and Collection
Detective, it is recommended that you flatten the Mode
tracks with the Consolidate command. For all clips
Suppose you have drum tracks for kick, snare, hi-
selected, Consolidate creates a single, contiguous
hat, and overhead mics. If you analyze a selection
audio file to reduce the session’s edit density. See
across all of the tracks, you may get many false
“Consolidating Clips” on page 705.
triggers when you raise the Sensitivity slider high
Before consolidating a large selection across enough to capture the hi-hat material (coming
multiple tracks, make sure there is enough mainly from the tracks for the overhead mics).
RAM available. See “RAM Requirements for
However, if you analyze only the track for the
Beat Detective” on page 760.
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
Detection (Normal) and the overhead mics). If you then extend the selec-
Collection Mode tion to the other drum tracks and separate them, the
In some instances, it may be difficult for Beat De- clips from the kick, snare, and tom tracks will be
tective to successfully analyze multiple tracks with cut slightly late.
the same Detection settings. With Beat Detective’s
Collection mode, you can collect a set of beat trig-
gers from different tracks, each with different De-
tection settings, and use the collection of triggers
to generate Bar|Beat Markers or DigiGroove tem-
plates, or separate new clips. 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, Overhead mics generate late beat triggers
until you get only the triggers you want, is poten- Using Collection mode, you can analyze each
tially much more effective than manually deleting, drum track separately, one at a time, optimizing
inserting, or adjusting incorrect or false triggers. the Detection settings for each track until you get
the triggers you want. The triggers for each track
can be added successively to the collection, 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 Di-
giGroove template, or separate new clips.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 779

 Using Collection Mode 6 In the Detection (Collection Mode) section,
click Add All to add all the current beat triggers
Collection mode is available in Bar|Beat Marker
to the collection.
Generation, Groove Template Extraction, or Clip
Separation mode (audio only), and is accessed by 7 From the Detection pop-up menu, select Normal
selecting Collection in the Detection pop-up menu. and move the selection to the next track you
want to analyze. Make sure to keep the selection
range constant for each track.

Press Control+P (Mac) or Start+P (Win-

dows) to move the selection up, or Con-
trol+Semi-colon (Mac) or Start+Semi-colon
(Windows) to move the selection down.

With Commands Keyboard Focus enabled,

Beat Detective, Collection mode options
press “P” to move the selection up, or Semi-
To use Collection mode: colon (;) to move the selection down. Hold the
1 In the Edit window, make an audio selection on Shift key to retain and add to the current se-
a single track. Make sure the selection’s start lection
and end points fall cleanly on the beat.
8 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
2 In the Beat Detective window, select one of the tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
following modes: (see “Generating Beat Triggers” on page 764).
• Bar|Beat Marker Generation 9 Select Collection again.
• Groove Template Extraction
10 Do one of the following:
• Clip Separation (audio only)
• In the Detection (Collection Mode) section,
3 Define or capture the selection as described in click Add Unique to add only the unique triggers
“Defining a Beat Detective Selection” on from the track to the collection. When you
page 762. choose to add unique triggers, Pro Tools looks
for triggers that are close to triggers already col-
4 Configure the Detection options so the selec-
lected from other tracks. Where triggers already
tion’s peak transients are accurately detected
exist, the newly detected triggers are discarded.
(see “Generating Beat Triggers” on page 764).
• Click Add All to add all triggers to the collection.
5 From the Detection pop-up menu, select Collec-
• Click Clear All to clear all triggers from the col-
tion.
lection.

780 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Each new set of triggers added to the collection appears in a different color. If successive triggers in the col-
lection are located closely together (for example, because of microphone leakage), Beat Detective keeps
only the earlier triggers.

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

Overhead mic track displaying a collection of beat triggers containing unique triggers generated from the kick,
snare, and hi-hat tracks

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 session is
opened later, the previous collection material 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 clips. However, this must be done from the Collection Mode section
(when the triggers are displayed in multiple colors).

To separate clips across multiple tracks, make sure to extend the selection to any additional tracks be-
fore separating.

Chapter 34: Beat Detective 781

782 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part VI: MIDI
Chapter 35: MIDI Editing

Pro Tools provides powerful MIDI editing tools.

You can create and edit individual MIDI notes and MIDI Editing Options
controller events with the Pencil, Trim, and Grab- Pro Tools provides a few options for determining
ber tools in the Edit window, MIDI Editor win- MIDI editing behavior. These options are available
dows (see Chapter 36, “MIDI Editors”), and the in the Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, and the
Score Editor window (Chapter 37, “Score Edi- Score Editor window. However, these options are
tor”). only available if there is at least one MIDI or In-
strument track in your Pro Tools session.
For information on clip-specific editing
for both MIDI and audio, see Chapter 31,
“Editing Clips and Selections.”
Play MIDI Notes When Editing
You can use the various Event Operations (such as Default Note On Velocity
Quantize, Transpose, Change Velocity, and
Change Duration) to destructively transform
Default Note Duration
groups of MIDI notes in terms of pitch, timing, dy-
namics, and phrasing (see Chapter 48, “Event Op- MIDI Editing Controls in the Edit window
erations”).
Play MIDI Notes When Editing
Additionally, you can use Real-Time Properties to
When enabled, the Play MIDI Notes When Editing
nondestructively affect MIDI on playback or play-
option causes MIDI notes to play (send a MIDI
through (see “MIDI Real-Time Properties” on
Note On message) when editing.
page 820).

Pro Tools also provides numerous zoom and view

tools that are optimized for MIDI editing.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 785

 Default Note Duration 3 To define a dotted or triplet duration, do one of
the following:
The Default Note Duration setting lets you define
the default note duration for inserting notes manu- • To dot the selected Default Note Duration value,
ally. The Edit window, MIDI Editor windows, and click the Default Note Duration setting and se-
Score Editor window can each have a different De- lect Dotted.
fault Note Duration setting. • To make the selected Default Note Duration
value a triplet, click the Default Note Duration
To select a Default Note Duration: setting and select Triplet.
1 Click the Default Note Duration setting in the
Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or the Follow Grid
Score Editor window. Select the Follow Grid option to have the Default
2 Select the Default Note Duration value you Note Duration follow the selected Grid value. To
want. (For example, select the 1/4 Note option stop following the Grid value, select the rhythmic
to insert quarter notes with the Pencil tool.) value for the Default Note Duration setting.

Default Note On Velocity

The Default Note On Velocity setting lets you de-
fine 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 setting.

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
Selecting a Default Note Duration in the Edit window Score Editor window and drag up or down.

The Default Note Duration setting updates to show  Click the Default Note On Velocity setting in
the selected note value. the Edit window, a MIDI Editor window, or the
Score Editor window, type a new number and
press Enter.

Default Note Duration, quarter note selected

Default Note On Velocity

786 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Mirrored MIDI Editing
Setting the Grid Value
Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI clips
and have your edits apply to every copy of the When inserting MIDI notes with the Pencil tool,
same MIDI clip. This can be particularly useful the Grid value determines the Note On location of
when editing looped MIDI clips. each note, or other characteristics, based on the
Pencil tool shape (see “Using the Pencil Tool” on
To enable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the page 788). The Edit window, MIDI Editor win-
following: dows, and Score Editor window can each be set to
a different Grid value.
 Select Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.
 Enable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in the To set the Grid value for MIDI editing:
Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score 1 Click the Grid Value selector and select
Editor window. Bars|Beats. If the Follow Main Time Scale op-
tion is enabled you can simply set the Main
Time Scale to Bars|Beats (see “Setting the Main
Time Scale” on page 882).
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

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 applied to
more than one clip.

To disable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the

following:

 Deselect Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.

 Disable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in
the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.

If Mirrored MIDI Editing mode is disabled,

and you edit notes of looped clips in Notes Selecting the Grid value in the Edit window
view, the edit flattens the loop. Similarly ed-
iting clip groups separates the clip groups.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 787

 3 To define a dotted or triplet value, do one of the useful for drawing and editing different types of
following: MIDI control data—for example, try using Line
• To dot the selected Grid value, click the Grid for volume, Triangle for pan, Free Hand for pitch
Value selector again and select Dotted. bend, and Square or Random for velocity.

• To make the selected Grid value a triplet, click Parabolic and S-Curve Pencil shapes are
the Grid Value selector again and select Triplet. used for drawing tempo events only in the
Tempo Editor. See “Drawing Tempo Events”
4 Verify the default session meter and tempo (see
on page 893.
“Setting the Session Meter” on page 540 and
“Setting the Session Tempo” on page 541). To select the Pencil tool shape:

For more information on Grid mode, see 1 Click the Pencil tool icon in the Toolbar for the
“Grid Mode” on page 640. Pencil tool shape pop-up menu.

To show (or hide) grid lines in the Edit window or in

2 Select a Pencil tool shape.
a MIDI Editor window:

 Select (or deselect) the Grid button.

Grid button selected in the Edit window

To increase the grid value incrementally:

 Press Shift+Equal (=).

Pencil tool shapes available for MIDI
To decrease the grid value incrementally:
Pencil Tool Shapes for MIDI
 Press Shift+Minus (–).
Free Hand

In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument tracks

Using the Pencil Tool in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows, and in the
The Pencil tool is useful for creating and editing Score Editor, the Free Hand shape inserts a single
MIDI data. The first five Pencil tool shapes (Free MIDI note whose velocity is defined by the De-
Hand, Line, Triangle, Square, and Random) can be fault Note On Velocity setting. The pitch, location,
used to create MIDI notes with varying durations and duration of the note are determined by where
and velocities. In the Edit window MIDI Editor on the track you click with the mouse.
windows, and the Score Editor window, note ve-
locities are determined by the Pencil tool shape).
The various Pencil tool shapes can be particularly

788 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When editing MIDI velocities or continuous con- ting and 127 according to a triangle pattern. The
troller data, the Free Hand shape draws freely ac- duration and spacing for the inserted notes are de-
cording to the movement of the mouse. The shape termined by the current Grid value and the Default
is reproduced as a series of steps according to the Note Duration setting.
Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller
Data MIDI preference. When editing MIDI velocities or continuous con-
troller data, the Triangle shape draws a triangular
When editing automation or MIDI control pattern that changes direction according to the cur-
data with the Pencil tool, you can switch be- rent Grid value. MIDI controller values change in
tween the current Pencil Tool shape (such as steps according to the Pencil Tool Resolution
Line) and Free Hand pencil editing using the When Drawing Controller Data option in the MIDI
Command key (Mac) or the Control key (Win- Preferences page.
dows). When editing with the selected Pencil
shape, the Pencil cursor angles to the left. Square
When editing in Free Hand with the key mod- In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument tracks
ifier, the Pencil cursor angles to the right. in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows, and in the
Line
Score Editor, the Square shape inserts a series of
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities al-
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument tracks ternate between the Default Note On Velocity set-
in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows, and in the ting and 127. The duration and spacing for the in-
Score Editor, the Line shape inserts a series of serted notes are determined by the current Grid
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities are value and the Default Note Duration setting.
defined by the Default Note On Velocity setting.
The duration and spacing for the inserted notes are When editing MIDI velocities or continuous con-
determined by the current Grid value and the De- troller data, the Square shape draws a square pat-
fault Note Duration setting. tern that repeats at a rate based on the current Grid
value.
When editing MIDI velocities or continuous con-
troller data, the Line shape draws in a straight line Random
from click to release. MIDI continuous controller
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument tracks
values change in steps according to the Pencil Tool
in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows, and in the
Resolution When Drawing Controller Data option
Score Editor, the Random shape inserts a series of
in the MIDI Preferences page.
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities
Triangle
change randomly within the range between the De-
fault Note On Velocity setting and 127. The dura-
In the Edit window on MIDI and Instrument tracks tion and spacing for the inserted notes are deter-
in Notes view, in MIDI Editor windows, and in the mined by the current Grid value and the Default
Score Editor, the Triangle shape inserts a series of Note Duration setting.
MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities os-
cillate between the Default Note On Velocity set- When editing MIDI velocities or continuous con-
troller data, the Random shape draws a series of
random values that change at a rate based on the
current Grid value.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 789

 When using the Pencil tool, the Cursor location
Inserting MIDI Notes and value are displayed in the Window Toolbar.
In addition to recording, step recording, and im-
porting MIDI into Pro Tools, you can manually in- Cursor pitch location
Pencil Cursor
sert MIDI notes using the Pencil tool. r Timeline location

When inserting MIDI notes or other MIDI

data with the Pencil tool, MIDI clip boundar-
ies are created on the nearest barlines.

To insert a MIDI Note on a track in the Edit window:

1 In the Edit window, set the MIDI or Instrument

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.
Cursor location and value
3 To insert quarter notes on the beat, do the fol-
lowing: 5 When you reach the pitch and time location you
want, click to insert the note.
• 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 MIDI note inserted with the Pencil tool
the MIDI or Instrument track. Use the Edit win-
dow’s ruler and the track’s mini-keyboard as a With the Smart Tool active (see “Using the
reference to locate the pitch and time location Smart Tool” on page 660), Control-click
you want.h (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) to change the
cursor to the Pencil tool and insert MIDI
notes; Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Alt-Start-click (Windows) to delete notes.

With Grid mode enabled, the start point of the

MIDI note snaps to the nearest Grid bound-
ary by default. With the Free Hand Pencil
tool, press Command (Mac) or Control (Win-
dows) after clicking and holding to temporar-
ily suspend Snap to Grid.

790 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The velocity for inserted notes is determined by The note velocities are determined by the Pencil
the Default Note On Velocity setting. The duration tool shape:
is determined by the Default Note Duration value. • Use the Line shape to enter notes with identical
When in Grid mode, the Note On location is deter- velocities.
mined by the Grid value.
• Use the Triangle shape for a ramp up and down
If the Play MIDI Notes When Editing option is en- of velocities.
abled, each note sounds as it is inserted. • Use the Square shape for alternating velocities
The Pencil tool can be dragged after clicking (and of loud and soft.
before releasing) to adjust the note’s pitch or dura- • Use the Random shape for a series of notes with
tion. Drag right to lengthen the note without random velocities.
changing its start point. Drag left to shorten the
note without changing its end point. For example, to insert a series of notes with
random velocities in the Edit window:

1 In the Edit window, set the MIDI or Instrument

track to Notes view.
2 Select the Pencil tool and make sure it is set to
Random.
Adjusting the duration for an inserted note 3 To insert consecutive quarter notes on the beat,
do the following:
With the Grid mode enabled, the end point of • Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.
the MIDI note snaps to the nearest Grid
boundary by default. Command-drag (Mac)
• Set the Edit mode to Grid.
or Control-drag (Windows) with the Pencil • Set the Grid value to quarter notes.
tool to temporarily suspend Snap to Grid. • Set the Default Note Duration value either to
quarter notes (or to Follow Grid).

Inserting a Series of Notes With these settings, the notes are inserted spaced
one quarter note apart.
In the Edit window and in MIDI Editor windows,
the Line, Triangle, Square, and Random Pencil 4 Click at the point to insert the first note and drag
tool shapes can be used to enter a series of identical to the right until the number of notes you want
pitches with varying velocities. The duration and have been inserted.
spacing for the inserted notes are determined by
the current Grid value and the Default Note Dura-
tion 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.
Inserting a series of notes with the Pencil tool

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 791

  With the Selector tool, drag across a range of
Manually Editing MIDI Notes notes.
All aspects of a MIDI note can be edited in the Edit
window or in a MIDI Editor window, including
start and end points, duration, pitch, and velocity.
The Selector, Grabber, and Pencil tools can oper-
ate on individual notes or groups of notes.

Selecting MIDI Notes

MIDI notes must be selected before they can be ed- Selecting notes with the Selector tool
ited.
When using the Selector tool, a note’s start point
To select MIDI notes, do one of the following: must be included in order for it to be selected.
When a MIDI or Instrument track is in Notes or
 With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Shift- Clips view, selections made with the Selector tool
click each note. are range selections and include all underlying
 With any Grabber tool, move the cursor to controller and automation data.
where there are no notes (the Marquee appears)
With the Selector tool, Option-click (Mac) or
and click and draw a rectangle around the group
Alt-click (Windows) to get the Note Selector
of notes you want to edit.
tool in the Edit window and MIDI Editor win-
dows (the Selector tool always makes note se-
lections in the Score Editor). The Note Selec-
tor tool selects all MIDI notes within the
duration of the selection as objects and does
not select any other MIDI events (such as con-
troller data or program changes).

To deselect one or more notes from a selection:

Selecting notes with a Grabber tool
 With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Shift-
When using a Grabber tool, if any portion of the click the notes so they become deselected.
rectangle touches a note (either its start or end
point), the note is included in the selection. How- You can also select notes in the Select/Split
ever, selections made with a Grabber tool are ob- Notes window. See “Select/Split Notes Com-
ject selections and do not include underlying con- mand” on page 1082.
troller and automation data for the MIDI track.

792 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting and Auditioning MIDI To select and play a range of notes on a MIDI or
Notes with the Mini-Keyboard Instrument track:

Use the mini-keyboard on MIDI and Instrument  With any Edit tool selected, click a key and drag
tracks to select and play notes on that track. You up or down on the mini-keyboard.
can click on the mini-keyboard with any Edit tool.

Use the scroll wheel on your mouse or the

track pad on your laptop to scroll the piano
roll up or down on a MIDI or Instrument track
to view the note range you want to work with.
Playing a range of notes with the mini-keyboard and
selecting all notes of including those pitches
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 You can also Shift-click on the mini-keyboard
mini-keyboard. to extend or contract the range of notes.

Selecting Only MIDI Notes Using

the Note Selector Tool
In Notes or Velocity view on MIDI and Instrument
tracks in the Edit window, or in a MIDI Editor win-
dow, 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 controller data). The Note
Playing a note with the mini-keyboard and selecting all Selector tool can be used to select only MIDI notes
notes of that pitch and velocities in a time range selection.

Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) to

play notes without making a selection.

Command-click (Mac) or Control-click

(Windows) to select or deselect notes, and to
make noncontiguous selections.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 793

 To select only MIDI notes and velocities with the Editing MIDI Notes in Grid or
Note Selector tool: Relative Grid Mode
1 Select the Selector tool.
When sequencing MIDI for music (such as drum
2 On MIDI or Instrument tracks in the Edit win- patterns or synth pads), you will typically set the
dow in Notes or Velocity view, or in a MIDI Ed- Main Timebase ruler to Bars|Beats—and keeping
itor window, Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag the default Timebase setting of ticks for MIDI and
(Windows) over the time range that includes the Instrument track—in order to maintain alignment
notes you want to select. with the tempo and meter of the music. Thus, you
will typically want to edit MIDI notes (and other
MIDI data) in Grid mode with the Grid set to the
lowest common rhythmic value—for instance, if
the shortest rhythm in the sequence is a sixteenth-
note, set the Grid value to a sixteenth note (see
“Setting the Grid Value” on page 787).

However, if recorded a MIDI performance to a

click and you may want to keep the timing of the
performance intact in relation to the Grid rather
than quantizing the performance to the Grid when
Selecting only MIDI notes using the Note Selector tool editing it. If so, use Relative Grid mode when edit-
ing. With Relative Grid mode is enabled, any part
When using the Smart tool and pressing Option of the MIDI performance maintains its relative off-
(Mac) or Alt (Windows), the Selector is available set from the Grid when moving, when cutting or
in the upper part of the Track and the Note Selector copying and pasting, or when cutting or copying
is available in the lower part of the track. and merge pasting (Edit > Paste Special > Merge)
selected MIDI notes.

Also see “Absolute and Relative Grid Mode”

on page 948.

794 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 While dragging, each new note sounds and the
Using the Grabber Tools Cursor Location Value indicator (in the Edit win-
Use the Grabber tools to select, move, separate, dow) indicates the number of semitones and direc-
and arrange clips on tracks. There are three modes tion (+/–) for the transposition.
for the Grabber tool: Time Grabber, Separation
Hold Control (Mac) or Start (Windows), and
Grabber, and Object Grabber. For more informa-
then press Plus (+) on the numeric keypad to
tion about arranging clips, also see Chapter 41,
transpose the selected MIDI notes up by one
“Arranging Clips.”
semitone, or press Minus (–) on the numeric
When in Grid mode and in Notes view on MIDI keypad to transpose the selected MIDI notes
and Instrument tracks, clicking anywhere in the down by one semitone.
timeline outside of a clip with the Grabber tool
places the Edit insertion point at the nearest grid To transpose a copy of the note, leaving the
location. original unchanged, press Option (Mac) or
Alt (Windows) while dragging.
Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
while clicking with the Grabber tool in notes
view temporarily toggle to Slip mode. MIDI notes can also be transposed using the
Transpose Event Operation (see “Trans-
Transposing Notes pose” on page 1081) or MIDI Real-Time
Properties (see “MIDI Real-Time Proper-
MIDI notes can be transposed by dragging them up
ties” on page 820).
or down with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool. If
several notes are selected before dragging, each is
transposed.
Moving Notes
Like clips, MIDI notes can be dragged left or right
To transpose a MIDI note: with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool to change
1 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes view. their start point. If several notes are selected before
dragging, they are all moved together.
2 Select the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool.
3 While pressing Shift, drag the note up or down. 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.
Transposing with a Grabber tool

The Shift key ensures that the transposed note

maintains its original start point.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 795

 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.

To copy the selected notes, leaving the origi-

nals intact, press Option (Mac) or Alt (Win-
dows) while dragging.

The placement of MIDI notes can also be ad- Changing note end times with the Trim tool
justed with Shift (see “Shift Command” on
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged start or
page 953) or Nudge (see “Nudging Clips” on
end point snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the
page 699).
Edit mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens,
where you can enter the new location for the note’s
Trimming Note Start and End start or end point.
Times
Like clips, start and end points for MIDI notes can When in Grid mode, use the Command key
be adjusted with the Trim tool. If several notes are (Mac) or Control key (Windows) to temporar-
selected when performing the trim, each note is ily disable Grid mode.
changed.
Notes can also be trimmed with the Trim Clip to Se-
The Trim tool can also be used on MIDI clips. lection command (see “Trim to Selection Com-
For more informations, see “Time Compres- mand” on page 697) and the Trim To Insertion
sion/Expansion Trim Tool Functionality on command (see “Trimming with Nudge” on
MIDI Clips” on page 801. page 699).

To change the start or end points for a group of

Trimming MIDI Notes with
MIDI notes:
Nudge
1 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes view.
You can trim the start and end points of selected
2 Using the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Shift- MIDI notes by the current Nudge value.
click each note you want to trim.
To trim the selected MIDI notes start or end points
3 Do one of the following: by the Nudge value:
• Select the Trim tool. 1 Configure the Nudge value (see “Defining the
• Use the Pencil tool. Nudge Value” on page 700).

4 Move the cursor near the beginning of any of 2 With the Time Grabber tool, select the MIDI
the highlighted notes, so the Trim tool appears. notes you want to trim.
Drag right to shorten the notes, or drag left to
lengthen them.

796 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Do one of the following: clips only creates new MIDI clips. Also, if the Edit
• While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows), selection includes any audio tracks, the Separate
press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the numeric key- command separates only clips on MIDI and Instru-
pad to trim the start point of the selected MIDI ment tracks regardless of the Track View setting.
notes by the Nudge value.
To separate MIDI notes at the Edit cursor location
• While pressing Command (Mac) or Control or at the boundaries of the Edit selection:
(Windows), press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the 1 Make an Edit selection or place the Edit cursor
numeric keypad to trim the numeric keypad to at the location where you want to separate one
trim the end point of the selected MIDI notes by or more MIDI notes.
the Nudge value.
2 Do one of the following:
Transposing MIDI Notes with • Choose Edit > Separate > At Selection.
Nudge • Right-click in the Notes pane and choose Sepa-
You can transpose selected MIDI notes by semi- rate.
tonal increments using Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the
Press Command+E (Mac) or Control+E
numeric keypad.
(Windows) to separate MIDI notes at the
To transpose the selected MIDI notes by
selection.
semitones:
To separate MIDI notes on the grid:
1 With the Time Grabber tool, select the MIDI
1 Set the Grid value.
notes you want to transpose.
2 Make an Edit selection or a marquee selection
2 Do one of the following:
that includes the MIDI notes you want to sepa-
• While pressing Control (Mac) or Start (Win- rate.
dows), press Plus (+) on the numeric keypad
transpose the selected MIDI notes up by one 3 Choose Edit > Separate > On Grid.
semitone. 4 In the Pre-Separate Amount dialog, click OK.
• While pressing Control (Mac) or Start (Win-
dows), press Minus (–) on the numeric keypad Separate and Consolidate Tools
transpose the selected MIDI notes down by one for MIDI Notes
semitone.
In Notes view in the Edit window and in MIDI Ed-
itor windows, both the Pencil and Grabber tools
Separating MIDI Notes can be used to separate MIDI notes and to consol-
The Separate command lets you separate MIDI idate MIDI notes.
notes at the Edit cursor location or at the boundar-
The cursor updates to show a “knife” for the Sepa-
ies of the Edit selection. When in Notes view in the
rate tool and a “bandage” for the Consolidate tool.
Edit window and in MIDI Editor windows, sepa-
rating MIDI clips creates new MIDI notes but does
not create new MIDI clips. However, when in
Clips view in the Edit window, separating MIDI

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 797

 To separate a MIDI note with the Separation tool: To consolidate MIDI notes:

 With the Grabber or Pencil tool, Control-Shift- 1 Select the MIDI notes you want to consolidate.
click (Mac) or Start-Shift-click (Windows) on
2 Do one of the following:
the MIDI note at the location where you want
the separation. • Choose Edit > Consolidate.
• Right-click the selected notes and choose Con-
solidate.

Press Option+Shift+3 (Mac) or Alt+Shift+3

(Windows) to consolidate adjacent selected
MIDI notes of the same pitch.

Muting MIDI Notes

The Mute command lets you mute individual MIDI
notes. If entire clips are selected, the Mute com-
mand prompts you to either mute clips or MIDI
MIDI note separated into two using the Separate Tool notes.

To consolidate MIDI notes with the Consolidate To mute one or more MIDI notes:
tool:
1 Select the MIDI notes you want to mute.
 With the Grabber or Pencil tool, Control-Shift-
click (Mac) or Start-Shift-click (Windows) be- 2 Do one of the following:
tween the separated MIDI notes. • Choose Edit > Mute Notes.
• 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.
• Right-click the selected MIDI notes and choose
Unmute Notes.
Consolidating MIDI notes into one using the
Consolidate Tool Press Command+M (Mac) or Control+M
(Windows) to mute and unmute selected
Consolidating MIDI Notes MIDI notes.

The Consolidate command lets you combine two

or more consecutive MIDI notes of the same pitch
into a single MIDI note.

798 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Manually Editing Note Velocities To draw velocity values for a crescendo:

When a MIDI or Instrument track is set to Velocity 1 Do one of the following:

view, or when the Velocity lane is revealed under a • Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Velocity
track, each note’s attack velocity is represented view.
with a velocity stalk. The taller the velocity stalk, • Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or In-
the higher the velocity value (0–127). strument track and show Velocity.
To edit MIDI velocity in the Edit window: 2 Select the Pencil tool with the shape set to Line.
1 Do one of the following: 3 Click at the beginning of the note range, near
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Velocity the bottom of the velocity range, and drag to the
view. right and up until the line encompasses the
range of notes you want to include in the fade.
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or In-
strument track and show Velocity.

Changing velocities with the Line shape

You can also use the Trim tool to scale the veloci-
ties for all selected notes. This is useful if you like
the velocity relationship between the notes, but
Revealing the Velocity Lane
want them all to be louder or softer.
2 Select any Grabber tool.
When in Velocity view, the Trim tool can be
3 Drag the top (diamond) of the velocity stalk up used to trim note durations in addition to
or down. changing velocities.

To scale velocities with the Trim 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 Trim tool, click near the range of se-
Dragging a velocity stalk lected notes and drag up or down. Dragging up
increases the velocities for each note and drag-
The velocities for a range of notes can be edited
ging down decreases them.
with any Pencil tool.

For fine-resolution editing of velocity values,

Command-click-drag (Mac) or Control-click-
drag the top of the velocity stalk to the desired
value.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 799

 Typing in Note Attributes
When an individual note is selected with the Pencil
tool or any Grabber tool, its attributes are dis-
played in the Event Edit area.
Changing velocities with the Trim tool

Pitch
Velocity Trim Tool Attack Velocity
To trim the velocity of one or more selected MIDI Release Velocity
notes:

 With the Grabber tool selected, Command-click

(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the note and Event Edit Area showing MIDI track information
drag up or down. Notice that the Grabber tool
changes to the Velocity Trim tool. 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 Instrument
track set to Notes View, select the note with the
Editing simultaneous velocities
Pencil tool or any Grabber tool.
Drag up to increase the velocity value, or down to 2 Click in the Attributes text box and do one of
decrease it. While dragging, the diamond turns the following:
blue and the associated note becomes selected. The
dragged velocity values are reflected in the Cursor • Enter the new value on the numeric keypad.
Location Value indicator (in the Edit window). • Press the Up or Down Arrow to increment or
decrement to the new value.
If two notes have the same start time (with ve-
locity stalks on top of each other), Command- • Drag up or down to scroll to the new value.
drag (Mac) or Control-drag (Windows) the • Play the new note value on your MIDI keyboard
actual note up or down to adjust its velocity. controller.

Press Forward Slash (/) to move between the fields

Auditioning Velocity Changes
in the Event Edit area.
If the Play MIDI Notes When Editing option is en-
abled, Pro Tools plays the note at the new velocity You can also change attributes of MIDI notes
when editing velocities for MIDI notes with the in the MIDI Event List (see Chapter 38,
Grabber tool. This lets you hear when you have the “MIDI Event List”).
velocity setting you want for a MIDI note.

800 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Multiple Notes and Event Edit • Press the Delete (Mac) key or Backspace
Area (Windows).
When multiple notes are selected, you can enter When deleting MIDI notes within a time
values in the Event Edit area fields to affect all se- range selection, all underlying controller
lected notes. A triangle (delta symbol) to the left of and automation data is also deleted.
the displayed note indicates that multiple notes are
selected. To delete a single MIDI note with the Pencil tool:

A new value in the Start field moves the first note  With the Pencil tool selected, Option-click
in the selection to that location, with all other notes (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the note. The
moving with it. Pencil tool changes to an Eraser when Option
(Mac) or Alt (Windows) is pressed.

Deleting a note with Pencil tool

Multiple notes in the Event Edit area

Values entered in the pitch and velocity fields add Program change events and Sysex events can
to or subtract from the values for all selected notes. also be deleted by Option-clicking (Mac) or
For example, to transpose all selected notes down Alt-clicking (Windows) them with the Pencil
an octave, enter a value of –12 for pitch. tool.

Deleting MIDI Notes

In addition to deleting selected notes with the Clear
Time Compression/
command in the Edit menu, individual notes can
Expansion Trim Tool
also be deleted with the Pencil tool.
Functionality on MIDI Clips
The Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool is
To delete a group of MIDI notes with the Clear useful for matching a MIDI clip to the length of an-
command:
other clip, a tempo grid, or any other reference
1 Using the Grabber or Selector tool, select the point.
notes to be deleted (see “Selecting MIDI Notes”
on page 792). With the Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool,
you can move the MIDI clip’s start or end point to
2 Do one of the following: expand or compress the clip, scaling the MIDI data
• Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected accordingly regardless of the track’s timebase
notes. The track’s underlying controller data (ticks or samples).
remains intact.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click any selected
note and choose Clear.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 801

 Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trim Tool in Slip
Mode
To compress or expand MIDI clips in Slip mode:

Before trimming a MIDI clip with the Time 1 Set the Edit mode to Slip.
Compression/Expansion Trim tool
2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Clips view.
3 Select the TCE Trim tool.
4 With the TCE Trim tool, drag the MIDI clip’s
start or end point to compress or expand the clip
freely A new MIDI clip is automatically cre-
After trimming a MIDI clip with the Time Compression/ ated, and appears both in the playlist and in the
Expansion Trim tool
Clips List.
Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trim Tool in Grid Using the Time Compression/
Mode Expansion Trim Tool in Spot
Mode
The Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool
(TCE Trim tool) can be used in Grid mode to In Spot mode, clicking with the TCE Trim tool in a
match a clip to the tempo of a session or a section clip opens the Spot dialog. You can specify the lo-
of a session, or to create “double time” or “half cation where you want the clip to start or end, or
time” performances. the duration of the clip, and the clip is automati-
cally compressed or expanded as specified.
To compress or expand MIDI clips in Grid mode:
To compress or expand MIDI clips in Spot mode:
1 Set the Edit mode to Grid.
1 Set the Edit mode to Spot.
2 If necessary, set the MIDI or Instrument track to
Clips view. 2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Clips view.
3 Select the TCE Trim tool. 3 Select the TCE Trim tool.
4 With the TCE Trim tool, drag the MIDI clip’s 4 Click the MIDI clip near its start or end point.
start or end point to compress or expand the clip The Spot dialog opens. Using any Time Scale,
to the Grid (for example, by quarter notes). A enter a new start or end time (or duration) for
new MIDI clip is automatically created, and ap- the clip, and then click OK. A new MIDI clip is
pears both in the playlist and in the Clips List. automatically created, and appears both in the
playlist and in the Clips List.

802 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the Time Compression/
Expansion Trim Tool in Shuffle
Mode
In Shuffle mode, the trimmed clip will always be-
gin at the original clip’s start point regardless of
whether you trim from the front to the rear or from
the rear to the front. Instrument track displaying MIDI Volume events in
MIDI Volume view
To compress or expand MIDI clips in Shuffle mode:
 Reveal the corresponding MIDI Controller lane
1 Set the Edit mode to Shuffle. under the track.
2 Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Clips view.
3 Select TCE Trim tool.
4 With the Time Compression/Expansion Trim
tool, drag the MIDI clip’s start or end point to
compress or expand the clip freely. A new MIDI
clip is automatically created, and appears both
Controller Type selector
in the playlist and in the Clips List.
Reveal Controller lanes
Instrument track displaying MIDI Volume lane
Continuous Controller Events Continuous controller events that can be inserted
Continuous controller events for MIDI and Instru- and edited in Pro Tools include:
ment tracks are displayed in the form of a line • volume
graph with a series of editable breakpoints. Con- • pan
troller events for MIDI and Instrument tracks dif-
fer from automation data for audio tracks in that • pitch bend
the breakpoints are stepped (instead of vector- • aftertouch (mono)
based), where each breakpoint represents a single • MIDI controllers, 0–127
controller event.
Polyphonic aftertouch cannot be viewed in
To show MIDI Controller data for a track, do one of the Edit window. To view polyphonic after-
the following:
touch in Pro Tools, use the MIDI Event List
 Select the corresponding Track View from the (see Chapter 38, “MIDI Event List”).
Track View menu.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 803

 MIDI controller #7 (volume) and #10 (pan) are
treated by Pro Tools as automation data. This For vertically constrained, fine-resolution
means that these controller events (along with editing of any control breakpoint,
Mutes) can be recorded and automated from the Command-Shift-click-drag (Mac) or
Mix window; in addition, each MIDI or Instrument Control-Shift-click-drag the breakpoint
track’s automation mode affects how these events to the desired value.
are played back and recorded. While a MIDI
track’s volume, pan, and mute events can be sus- To copy continuous MIDI controller events
pended, all other controller events in the track al- and paste to a different MIDI controller, use
ways play. Instrument tracks support both MIDI Special Paste (Edit > Paste Special > To
volume, pan, and mute, and audio volume, pan, Current Automation Type). For example, you
and mute. might want to use the same control data for
volume and a cut-off filter, or for pan and
To avoid overwriting existing MIDI volume and
pitch bend. For more information, see “Spe-
pan automation data, record in MIDI Merge mode.
cial Paste Function for Automation Data” on
When recording in MIDI Merge mode, existing
page 1230.
volume and pan data play back while recording
new MIDI data.
Edits to volume data affect all tracks within
Continuous controller events (including volume
an enabled Edit Group. This is not the case,
and pan) can be recorded from an external MIDI
however, for other controller playlists (such
controller (such as a keyboard or control surface),
as pan). To insert and edit other controller
and they can be inserted in a MIDI track’s playlist
types across all tracks in an Edit Group,
using the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool.
press the Control key (Mac) or Start key
(Windows) while performing the edits.
Inserting and Editing Controller
Events Setting Resolution for Inserted
Continuous controller events can b edited with any Controller Events
of the following methods: When inserting controller events with the Pencil
 Individual breakpoints can be dragged with any tool, the density of the events is determined by the
Grabber tool to adjust their location or value. Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller
Data setting in the MIDI Preferences page.
 A group of selected breakpoints can be scaled
up or down with any of the Trim tools. To set the Pencil tool resolution:

 New controller events can be drawn in with the 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, then click the
Pencil tool to replace existing events. Events can MIDI tab.
be drawn with the Pencil tool (set to Free Hand, 2 Type a value (1 to 100 milliseconds) for Pencil
Line, Triangle, Square, or Random). Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller Data.
 Controller events can be cut or copied and 3 Click OK.
pasted, as well as nudged or shifted.

804 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To edit a continuous controller event with the Pen-
cil tool, the controller first has to be added to the
Automated MIDI Controllers list.

The controller is automatically added to the

Automated MIDI Controllers list when you
record controller information from an exter-
nal device.

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
Selecting Add/Remove Controllers from the Controller
submenu. Type selector on a Controller lane

2 In the Automated MIDI Controllers dialog, se-

lect the MIDI Controllers range for the control-
ler you want to automate.

Selecting Add/Remove Controllers from the Track

Selecting the MIDI Controllers range
View selector

• 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 controllers
submenu.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 805

 3 Select the controller that you want to automate MIDI continuous controllers are simply “unas-
from the list on the left, and click Add. The se- signed” in the standard MIDI specification. This
lected controller is added to the Automated can be confusing if you are editing data for several
MIDI Controllers list on the right. “unassigned” or otherwise generic continuous con-
trollers, so by having the controller number always
shown next to the name in parenthesis, you can
easily see which continuous controller you are ed-
iting.

MIDI CC numbers shown in Track View and

Automated MIDI Controllers dialog Controller Lane selectors (in addition to the
standard name, if any)
4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary until you have
added all of the MIDI controllers you want for Clip Boundaries Shown in MIDI
automation. Control Automation Track Views
5 To remove a controller from the Automated When working on Instrument and MIDI tracks in
MIDI Controllers list, select it in the list on the any MIDI Controller Automation view (such as
Right and click Remove. Velocity, Pitch Bend, or Mod Wheel) Clip bound-
aries are displayed. This provides context for note
6 Click OK to close the Automated MIDI Control-
and MIDI Controller data visible on the track as
ler dialog.
you are editing. MIDI clip boundaries are also
When you record continuous controller infor- shown in MIDI Editor windows. This is useful for
mation from an external MIDI device, the navigating various MIDI views when editing and
controller is automatically added to the MIDI arranging MIDI clips and MIDI data.
Controllers list.

MIDI Controller Numbers Shown

in Track View and Controller
Lane Selectors
MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) numbers are
shown in parenthesis in the Track View and Con- Clip boundaries shown around MDI control data in
Mod Wheel Track view
troller Lane selectors. Aside from common con-
troller number assignments like “Mod Wheel” (1),
“Volume” (7), or “Sustain Pedal” (64), many
806 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Keyboard Shortcuts for
Navigating MIDI

Using Tab to Transients with

MIDI Clips and MIDI Notes
Tab to Transients works with MIDI clips and
MIDI notes and MIDI CC events on MIDI and In-
strument tracks much like it does with audio clips
and audio transients on audio tracks.

Tab to Transients Disabled

When Tab to Transients is disabled, pressing Tab

moves the insertion point to the next MIDI clip Insertion point tabbed to next MIDI event on a MIDI
boundary regardless of the track view (just like track in notes view (Tab to Transients enabled)
with audio clips).
Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Alt+Tab (Win-
dows) to move the insertion point to the pre-
vious clip boundary or MIDI event.

Hold the Shift key while pressing Tab—or

Option+Tab (Mac) or Alt+Tab (Windows)—
to move the insertion point and make or ex-
tend the edit selection.

Insertion point tabbed to next clip boundary on a MIDI

track in notes view (Tab to Transients disabled)

Tab to Transients Enabled

When Tab to Transients is enabled, pressing Tab

moves the Edit insertion to the beginning of the
next note on, note off, or clip boundary regardless
of the track view (just like with audio transients),
but does not make note selections.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 807

 Tabbing to Notes and MIDI CC Events in Tabbing to MIDI CC Events in MIDI CC
Notes View with Controller Lanes Track Views
Shown
When a MIDI or Instrument track is set to any
When a MIDI or Instrument track is set to Notes MIDI Controller track view and Tab to Transients
view and Tab to Transients is enabled, press the is enabled, press the Tab key to move to the next
Tab key to move to the next MIDI note or MIDI MIDI event shown in that track view. Press Op-
CC event (such as MIDI CC 64 Sustain Pedal) tion+Tab (Mac) or Alt+Tab (Windows) to move to
shown in a revealed controller lane. Press Op- the previous MIDI event.
tion+Tab (Mac) or Alt+Tab (Windows) to move to
the previous note or MIDI event.

In Pitch Bend view, moving from one pitch bend event

to the next using the Tab to Transients

In Notes view with MIDI controller lanes shown and

Tab to Transients enabled, Tab to move to a MIDI CC
event

808 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the Arrow Keys in Notes Selecting Notes
or Velocity View or in MIDI
Editor Windows Hold the Shift key while using the Left and Right
Arrow keys to extend the note selection.
In Notes or Velocity view on MIDI and Instrument
tracks, or in MIDI Editor windows, you can use the
Arrow Keys (with or without modifier keys) to
navigate, select, transpose, or trim MIDI notes, or
edit velocities.

Navigating Notes

Use the Left and Right Arrow keys to navigate to

and select the previous or the next note.

In Notes view, selecting notes using the Right Arrow

key while holding the Shift key

Navigating and Selecting Notes in

Chords

When navigating through chords with the Left and

Right Arrow keys, each note in the chord is recog-
nized as a single event. This lets you move through
each note in the chord, selecting each individually.
In Notes view, moving from one note to the next using
the Right Arrow key

For MIDI and Instrument tracks in Notes view

where any MIDI Controller lanes shown, the
Left and Right Arrow keys only navigate
through MID notes and skip all MIDI CC
events shown in any Controller lane.

In Notes view, navigating the notes of a chord with the

Right Arrow key

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 809

 Use the Shift key with the Left and Right Arrow To duplicate and transpose selected notes up or
keys to select more than a single note in a chord. down by octave:

 Press Option+Shift+Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or

Alt+Shift+Up/Down Arrows (Windows).

To duplicate notes when transposing in key (to

create chords):

1 Press Control+Option+Up/Down Arrows

In Notes view, selecting the notes of a chord using the (Mac) or Start+Alt+Up/Down Arrows (Win-
Right Arrow key while holding the Shift key dows) to duplicate the notes in key.
Transposing MIDI Notes with the Arrow 2 Then Press Control+Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or
Keys Start+Up/Down Arrows (Windows) to trans-
pose the duplicate notes to the desired chord
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys, with or without
tone in the key.
additional key modifiers, to transpose selected
MIDI notes up and down on MIDI and Instrument 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 to add more notes to the
tracks in Notes or Velocity view, or in MIDI Editor chord.
windows.
Trimming MIDI Notes with the Arrow
To transpose selected notes up or down by Keys
semitones:
Use the Left and Right Arrow keys with key mod-
 Press the Up Arrow to transpose up or the Down
ifiers to trim selected MIDI notes on MIDI and In-
Arrow to transpose down a semitone.
strument tracks in Notes or Velocity view, or in
MIDI Editor windows.
To transpose selected notes up or down by an
octave:
To trim the note off value of selected notes
 Press Shift+Up Arrow to transpose up or incrementally by the current grid value, do one of
Shift+Down Arrow to transpose down by an oc- the following:
tave.  Press Option+Left Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Left
Arrow (Windows) to shorten selected notes.
To transpose notes in key according to Key
markers in the Key ruler:  Press Option+Right Arrow (Mac) or Alt+Right
 Press Control+Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or Arrow (Windows) to lengthen selected notes.
Start+Up/Down Arrows (Windows).
To trim the note off value of selected notes
incrementally by the next larger grid value of the
To duplicate and transpose selected notes up or
current grid value, do one of the following:
down by semitone:
 Press Option+Shift+Left Arrow (Mac) or
 Press Option+Up/Down Arrows (Mac) or
Alt+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows) to shorten se-
Alt+Up/Down Arrows (Windows).
lected notes.
 Press Option+Shift+Right Arrow (Mac) or
Alt+Shift+Right Arrow (Windows) to lengthen
selected notes.

810 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To trim the note on value of selected notes
incrementally by the current grid value, do one of Patch Select (Program and
the following: Bank Changes)
 Press Option+Control+Left Arrow (Mac) or Each MIDI and Instrument track can have a default
Alt+Start+Left Arrow (Windows) to lengthen program change that is sent each time the track
selected notes. plays. Additional program changes can be inserted
 Press Option+Control+Right Arrow (Mac) or at any point within the track.
Alt+Start+Right Arrow (Windows) to shorten
Program changes are sent to external
selected notes.
MIDI devices. Instrument plug-ins in
To trim the note off value of selected notes
Pro Tools do not respond to program
incrementally by the next larger grid value of the change information.
current grid value, do one of the following:

Press Option+Control+Shift+Left Arrow (Mac) About Program and Bank

Changes


or Alt+Start+Shift+Left Arrow (Windows) to

shorten selected notes. The MIDI protocol lets you choose from a range of
128 programs (0–127). However, most MIDI in-
 Press Option+Control+Shift+Right Arrow
struments have several banks of 128 programs. To
(Mac) or Alt+Start+Shift+Right Arrow (Win-
specify a bank, a bank select message must be sent.
dows) to lengthen selected notes.
Some instruments use Controller 0 to switch the
Editing MIDI Note Velocities with the bank while others use Controller 32; some use a
Arrow Keys combination of the two. The Patch Select dialog in
Pro Tools lets you use either of these bank select
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys with key modi- messages when inserting a program change event.
fiers to change the velocities of selected MIDI Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for
notes on MIDI and Instrument tracks in Notes or your MIDI device to see which Controller value it
Velocity view, or in MIDI Editor windows. uses.

To increase or decrease the velocities of selected If you do not know what bank select command
notes in increments of 5: your instrument uses, you can record MIDI to
 Press Command+Up/Down Arrow (Mac) or Pro Tools while making a bank change from
Control+Up/Down Arrow (Windows). the instrument. Then review the bank select
information your instrument has recorded
To increase or decrease the velocities of selected into Pro Tools in the MIDI Event List.
notes in increments of 15:

 Press Command+Shift+Up/Down Arrow (Mac) Some older MIDI devices (such as the Kurz-
or Control+Shift+Up/Down Arrow (Windows). 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 access a
particular program, where the first sets the
bank and the second sets the program.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 811

 Default Program Change • If you are using patch name files, select a
patch name (see “MIDI Patch Names” on
The default program change for each MIDI track is
page 812).
specified by clicking on the Patch Select button,
from either the Mix or Edit window. Once speci- 3 Click Done.
fied, the default program change message is sent to
Once selected, the program number (or patch
your instrument when playing the track.
name) appears in the Patch Select button in the
To set the default program change for a MIDI or Edit window.
Instrument track:

1 From the Mix or Edit window, click the Patch

Select button.

Patch Select button, 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.

MIDI Patch Names

Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup Lan-
guage) for storing and importing patch names for
external MIDI devices (such as MIDI instru-
Patch Select buttons ments). Pro Tools installs MIDI patch name files
(.midnam) for the factory default patch names of
2 Do one of the following: many common MIDI devices.
• In the Patch Select dialog, select a program
number. MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be ed-
ited in any text editor, or you can use third-
party patch librarian and editor software to
create your own custom patch names.

On Mac, these files reside in /Library/Audio/

MIDI Patch Names/Avid.

On Windows, these files reside in Program Files\

Common Files\Avid\Pro Tools\MIDI Patch
Names\.
Patch Select dialog

812 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools: 5 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.
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 161).
• On Windows, verify the MIDI Device name
in the MIDI Studio Setup window (see “MIDI
Studio Setup (Windows)” on page 164). Change button
Patch Select dialog
For information on configuring MIDI on
Windows and Mac systems, see Chapter 10, 6 In the Open dialog, do one of the following:
“Configuring MIDI.” • On Mac, navigate to /Library/Audio/MIDI
Patch Names/Avid/<name of manufacturer>,
3 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is and select the MIDI Patch Name file (.mid-
correctly assigned to the MIDI device. nam) for the MIDI device.
4 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Select • On Windows, navigate to Program
button. Files\Common Files\Avid\Pro Tools\MIDI
Patch Names\<name of manufacturer>, 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.
Patch Select button, Edit window

Patch Select button, Mix window

Patch Select dialog with patch names

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 813

 9 For MIDI devices that have multiple banks of To insert a program change with the Pencil tool:
patches, select which bank of patches you want 1 Do one of the following:
from the Bank pop-up menu.
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Program
Change view.
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or In-
strument 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.
Choosing a bank in Patch Select dialog 5 Click Done to insert the program change event
Once patch names have been imported into in the track’s playlist.
Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI device
in all sessions.

To clear patch names:

1 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear but-
ton. Program change event
2 Click Done. To edit a program change event:
1 With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, dou-
Inserting and Editing Program ble-click the program change event you want to
Changes edit.
Program changes can be inserted into a track’s 2 In the Patch Select dialog, select the new pro-
playlist with the Pencil tool. Existing program gram number, or name and specify a bank
changes can be edited, moved, and copied and change value (if necessary).
pasted.
3 Click Done.
On some instruments, changing programs
during playback can interrupt playback. To To move a program change event:
avoid this, place program change events in  With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, drag
the track where there are no notes sounding. the program change event left or right.

814 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event 3 Click a program number (or patch name)—the
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit starting point from which you will scroll
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens. through the patches.

The placement of program changes can also 4 Type a value for the number of seconds that will
be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift Command” elapse between each program change.
on page 953) or Nudge (see “Nudging Clips” 5 Select the Increment Patch option.
on page 699).
After the specified number of seconds, Pro Tools
To delete a program change event: selects the next patch and transmits the program
1 With the Track View or Controller lane set to change to the track’s assigned MIDI output.
Program Change view, click the program
6 When you are finished auditioning settings, de-
change event with any Grabber tool to select it.
select the Increment Patch option and select the
If the clip contains other events you want to program number (or patch name) you want and
delete, you can delete the clip and the Pro- click Done.
gram Change event will also be deleted.

2 Do one of the following: System Exclusive Events

• Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected
System Exclusive (Sysex) events can be recorded
events from the track.
to MIDI or Instrument tracks in Pro Tools (see
• Press Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows). “MIDI Step Input” on page 594). Once the events
are recorded, they appear in the track’s playlist as
Individual program change events can also
blocks when the Track View is set to Sysex or a
be deleted by Option-clicking (Mac) or Alt-
Controller lane set to Sysex is shown.
clicking (Windows) them with the Pencil tool.

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.
Sysex event block, Sysex view shown
To audition patches: While the contents of recorded System Exclusive
1 If you want to audition patches for a MIDI track events cannot be directly edited in Pro Tools, the
or Instrument during playback, click Play in the events can be moved or nudged, copied and pasted,
Transport. or deleted.
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.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 815

 To record a Sysex event: To delete one or more Sysex events:
1 Create a new MIDI track. 1 Do one of the following:
2 Set the MIDI track Input to the MIDI port to • Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Sysex
which your MIDI device is connected. view.
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or In-
3 Configure your MIDI device to send Sysex
strument track and show Sysex.
(such as a bulk dump).
2 Do one of the following:
4 Start recording in the Transport.
• Choose Edit > Clear to remove the selected
To begin recording the Sysex transfer from events from the track.
your MIDI device at the Timeline insertion • Press Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows).
point, enable Wait For Note.
Individual Sysex event blocks can also be
5 Start the Sysex transfer from your MIDI device. deleted by Option-clicking (Mac) or Alt-
6 When the Sysex transfer from your MIDI de- clicking (Windows) them with the Pencil
vice is complete, click Stop in the Transport. tool.

To move a Sysex event:

1 Do one of the following:

Note and Controller Chasing
• Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Sysex
Note Chasing
view.
• Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or In- Note Chasing allows long, sustained MIDI notes to
strument track and show Sysex. be heard when playing from a point after their start
time. For example, if a note’s start time is at
2 With any Grabber tool, drag the Sysex event left 1|1|000 and lasts for 8 measures (until 9|1|000),
or right. note chasing lets you begin playing from bar 5 and
still hear the note that started at 1|1|000 as it con-
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
tinues to sustain until 9|1|000.
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens. Note Chasing is an option that can turned on and
off individually for each MIDI or Instrument track.
The placement of Sysex event blocks can
By default, new MIDI and Instrument tracks have
also be adjusted with Shift (see “Shift
Note Chasing enabled.
Command” on page 953) or Nudge (see
“Nudging Clips” on page 699).

816 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To enable Note Chasing for a MIDI track: Chasing also occurs for a MIDI track’s default pro-
 Click the track’s Playlist selector and select the gram change, along with any program change
Note Chasing option. events residing within the track. Therefore, 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 as-
signed 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 viewing a
MIDI track’s Mod Wheel playlist, you’ll see that
Note Chasing enabled in Playlist selector
the breakpoint line is set to a default of zero. How-
Make sure to disable Note Chasing when working ever, since the modulation wheel on your MIDI
with samplers that are playing loops. If a MIDI controller may be purposely set to a different
track, for example, is triggering a 4-bar drum loop value, the default value in the track is not transmit-
and you begin playing at bar 3, the loop will begin ted when playing.
playing at the wrong time and be out of synchroni-
For example, if you record Mod Wheel automation
zation with the other tracks.
that changes from 0–90 towards the end of the
track, and you then play from the beginning of the
Controller and Program Chasing track, or from anywhere before the change, having
Pro Tools always chases continuous controller the Mod Wheel value remains at 90 until the 0
events and program changes for MIDI tracks. This value is reached is not likely to be what you want.
ensures that controller values and patches for To ensure that the default controller value for a
MIDI devices are always set correctly. playlist is sent (and chased), click the initial break-
For example, suppose a MIDI track lasting 32 point at the beginning of the track, move it slightly,
measures starts with a MIDI volume of 127 and in and set it back to the default value.
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 Offsetting MIDI Tracks
to the track’s assigned device—otherwise the track
Pro Tools can offset MIDI tracks globally or indi-
would not be heard since the most recent volume
vidually.
event sent would have been 0.
When Delay Compensation is active, MIDI
and Instrument tracks are automatically de-
lay-compensated to provide low latency mon-
itoring. For more information, see “Delay
Compensation for MIDI” on page 1147.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 817

 Global MIDI Playback Offset
The Global MIDI Playback Offset can also be
Pro Tools provides a preference for MIDI offset set from the MIDI Track Offsets window. You
that lets MIDI and Instrument tracks play back ear- can also apply MIDI Real-Time Properties
lier or later (than audio tracks) by the specified delay to offset MIDI (see “MIDI Real-Time
number of samples. The offset affects playback Properties” on page 820).
only and does not alter in any way how MIDI data
is displayed in the Edit window. Individual MIDI and Instrument Track
Offsets
This capability is provided in large part to compen-
sate for the audio monitoring latency in host-based You can offset individual MIDI and Instrument
Pro Tools. If you are monitoring the output of ex- track offsets in Pro Tools to compensate for delays
ternal MIDI instruments with an external mixer or in MIDI devices (the time it takes to trigger events
sound system (or headphones), there is no latency. on a sampler or synth).
If, however, you are monitoring the output of your
For example, if you have some kick drums that are
MIDI devices through a Pro Tools interface (such
being played by an audio track in Pro Tools and
as 003 family devices), your MIDI tracks sound
want them to be exactly synchronized with kick
slightly later than your audio tracks. The larger the
drums that are being played by a MIDI device, you
setting for the H/W Buffer Size (128, 256, 512, or
may need to use a MIDI offset. In this example, it
1024 samples), the larger the latency.
will usually take at least 5 ms to trigger the MIDI
By configuring the Global MIDI Playback Offset notes, and it could take even longer, depending on
setting, you can align your MIDI tracks to play the MIDI device.
back slightly earlier (by a specified number of
You can measure the latency for a MIDI device as-
samples), thereby compensating for any latency
signed to a MIDI track by recording its audio out-
when monitoring audio in Pro Tools host-based
put back into Pro Tools. Compare the sample loca-
systems.
tions for the recorded audio events against the
original MIDI notes to calculate the latency.
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 posi-
tive value causes the MIDI tracks to play back
later.
Approximate offset
To allow for monitoring latency in Pro Tools host- in samples
based systems, set the offset to a value that is Audio Transient recorded
from MIDI device
roughly equivalent to the H/W Buffer Size.
MIDI Note On
3 Click OK.
Measuring MIDI latency

818 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To configure a MIDI or Instrument track offset for a To turn off all stuck notes:
track:
 Choose Event > All MIDI Notes Off.
1 Choose Event > MIDI Track Offsets.
Press Command+Shift+Period (.) (Mac) or
Control+Shift+Period (.) (Windows) for the
All MIDI Notes Off command.

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
MIDI Track Offsets window a duplicate and is combined with the previous note.
If it starts later than that, the first note is shortened
2 Click in the Sample Offset column for the MIDI so that it ends at the same tick at which the new one
or Instrument track and enter the number of starts.
samples (–10,000 to 10,000) for the offset. A
negative value causes the MIDI or Instrument To remove duplicate notes:
tracks to play back earlier than the audio tracks;
1 Make an Edit selection including the duplicate
a positive value causes the MIDI or Instrument
notes you want to remove.
tracks to play back later.
2 Choose Event > Remove Duplicate Notes.
The equivalent offset in milliseconds is displayed
in the msec Offset column. This value cannot be
edited, but updates when a new value is entered in
the Sample Offset column. Quantize MIDI
3 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to ac- Pro Tools provides several different ways for
cept the entered offset value. quantizing MIDI notes and events:
• Input Quantize (see “Input Quantize” on
To reset all offsets for all MIDI and Instrument page 582)
tracks, click the Reset button in the upper left of
the window. • Quantize Events (see “Quantize” on page 1063)
• MIDI Quantize command (see “MIDI Quantize
Command” on page 820)
Stuck Notes • Quantize tools (in the Edit window and MIDI
Editor window toolbars) (seesee “Edit and MIDI
If you encounter stuck notes with any of your
Editor Window Toolbar Quantize Controls” on
MIDI devices, you can silence them with the All
page 1064)
MIDI Notes Off command.
• MIDI Real-Time Quantize property (“Quantize”
on page 822)

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 819

 MIDI Quantize Command MIDI Real-Time Properties can be adjusted during
playback, so you can listen to the results. Once you
The MIDI Quantize command lets you quantize se-
have found the settings you want, you can write the
lected MIDI notes without necessarily having to
settings to the selected tracks or clips. This over-
open the Quantize Event Operations window. This
writes the corresponding MIDI properties on se-
command follows the current settings of the Quan-
lected tracks or clips and resets the Real-Time
tize page of the Event Operations window whether
Properties display to its default settings.
it is open or not.
Real-Time Properties can be adjusted in the Real-
To quantize MIDI note: Time Properties view in the Edit window, or in the
1 Select the MIDI notes and events that you want Real-Time Properties window.
to quantize.
For MIDI Real-Time Properties to apply to
2 If necessary, configure the settings in the Quan- incoming MIDI data with MIDI Thru
tize Event Operations window (Event > Event enabled, the corresponding MIDI and
Operations > Quantize). Instrument tracks must be record-enabled.
3 Do one of the following:
Real-Time Properties View
• If the Quantize Event Operations window is
open, click Apply. Real-Time Properties view in the Edit window
• Choose Clip > MIDI Quantize. only applies to tracks. To apply Real-Time Proper-
ties to clips, use the Real-Time Properties window
• Click the Quantize button in the Edit window
(see “Real-Time Properties Window” on
or MIDI Editor window toolbar.
page 821).
• Press Command+Option+0 (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt+0 (Windows). To enable Real-Time Properties view in the Edit
window:
The selected MIDI notes (and events) are quan-
tized according to the current settings in the Quan-  Select View > Edit Window > Real-Time
tize Event Operations window. Properties.

MIDI Real-Time Properties

MIDI Real-Time Properties let you change some
MIDI properties of MIDI and Instrument tracks (or
MIDI clips) during playback. There are five types Real-Time Properties column in the Edit window
of MIDI Real-Time Properties: Quantize, Dura- For Micro, Mini, and Small track heights, the Real-
tion, Delay, Velocity, and Transpose. Time Properties column only displays one or two
properties, accordingly. The first one or two prop-
erties that are enabled are displayed automatically.

820 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To select a different Real-Time Property in Mini or The Real-Time Properties window can be used to
Small track height view: apply either track-based or clip-based Real-Time
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- Properties by making an Edit selection and select-
dows) on a real-time property element to select ing tracks or clips from the Apply To pop-up
a different element from the pop-up menu. menu.

Expanded Real-Time Properties Window

In the Real-Time Properties window, Quantize,

Duration, and Velocity each provide an expand/
collapse triangle to show or hide additional set-
tings.
Real-Time Properties pop-up menu with Mini Track
Height

Real-Time Properties Window

Using the Real-Time Properties window, you can
apply Real-Time Properties to selected tracks or Expand/collapse
triangles
clips.

To open the Real-Time Properties window:

 Choose Event > MIDI Real-Time Properties.

Real-Time Properties window, expanded view

Enabling Real-Time Properties

To enable Real-Time Properties:
Real-Time Properties window with properties enabled
1 Select a track, or make an Edit selection.

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 671).

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 821

 2 In Real-Time Properties view in the Edit win- Quantize Pop-Up Menu Select the quantize value,
dow, or in the Real-Time Properties window, se- including all standard note rhythm values between
lect Real-Time Properties by clicking the whole notes and 64th notes, including dotted and
property name (Quantize, Duration, Delay, Ve- triplet options. This pop-up menu also provides ac-
locity, or Transpose). Enabled Real-Time Prop- cess to all standard and custom groove templates.
erties 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 clip to affect from
the Apply To pop-up menu.
4 Configure the Real-Time Properties settings
(see “Real-Time Properties Settings” on
page 822).

Enabled Real-Time Properties are heard on play- Selecting a Grid Quantize value or a Groove Template
back and play through for the selected tracks and
clips. Swing Value Enter the amount of swing as a per-
centage between 0 and 300%.

Tuplet Value Enable Tuplet and enter the ratio for

Real-Time Properties the tuplet (1–99), such as 3 to 2 or 5 to 4. Tuplet is
Settings only available in the expanded Real-Time Proper-
ties window.
Quantize
Offset Value Enable Offset and enter the offset
Quantize either can be based on a grid or a groove value in Ticks between –2000 and 2000. Offset is
template. For grid quantize, additional tuplet and only available in the expanded Real-Time Proper-
grid offset settings are available in addition to the ties window.
standard MIDI quantize properties. For groove
quantize, additional controls are provided to set the Strength Value Enable Strength and enter the
extent to which the groove’s duration and veloci- amount as a percentage between 0 and 100%.
ties are applied. Both grid and groove quantize also Strength is only available in the expanded Real-
let you set a strength amount, an “include” range, Time Properties window.
and a randomize amount. Include Enable Include and enter the range be-
Quantize cannot be applied as a Real-Time
tween 0 and 100%. Include is only available in the
Property to MIDI Input and Thru.
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.

822 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Duration Duration Amount

Duration can be used to increase or decrease the If the Ticks/Notes pop-up menu is set to ticks, en-
duration of MIDI notes by a fixed amount or by a ter a duration as a number of quarter notes plus a
percentage. This is useful for creating legato or number of ticks, such as 4|000. If the Ticks/Notes
staccato passages. pop-up menu is set to a note size, enter a number to
by which to multiply that note size, such as seven
Duration cannot be applied as a Real-Time 16th notes.
Property to MIDI Input and Thru.
Ticks/Notes Pop-Up Menu
Duration Mode Pop-Up Menu
The Ticks/Notes pop-up menu lets you select ei-
Select one of the following options from the Dura- ther Ticks or a note size for Note Durations. There
tion Mode pop-up menu: Set, Add, Subtract, is also a Ticks/Notes pop-up menu for the Mini-
Scale, Legato/Gap, or Legato/Overlap. mum and Maximum Durations options.

Selecting a Duration mode Real-Time Properties Ticks/Notes pop-up menus

Set Select to set notes to the specified duration. Minimum and Maximum Durations

Add Select to add the specified duration to the cur- Enable either or both minimum and maximum du-
rent duration of each note. rations and enter a value in quarter notes plus ticks
or as a multiple of a note size. The Minimum (Min)
Subtract Select to subtract the specified duration
and Maximum (Max) Durations options are only
from the current duration of each note.
available in the expanded Real-Time Properties
Scale Select to scale the current duration of each window.
note by a percentage from 1 to 400%.

Legato/Gap Select to extend each note to the fol-

Delay
lowing note. The specified duration is the sub- Delay lets you delay or advance all MIDI data in
tracted to create a consistent gap between notes. the selected clip or track. Select “+” from the De-
lay pop-up menu to delay MIDI data, or select “–”
Legato/Overlap Select to extend each note to the
to advance MIDI data. Select Ticks or Millisec-
following note. The specified duration is then
onds (MS) from the Ticks/Milliseconds pop-up
added to create a consistent amount of overlap.
menu. Enter the Delay amount in Tick or Millisec-
ond values. Delay is limited to a maximum of
value of 2000 ms or 999 ticks.

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 823

 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 num-

ber of steps as a positive or negative numbers. For
example, enter +2 to transpose up by thirds in key
Real-Time Properties Ticks/Milliseconds pop-up (a unison plus a second equals a third).
menus
Transpose can be applied as a Real-Time
Duration cannot be applied as a Real-Time Property to MIDI Input and Thru on record-
Property to MIDI Input and Thru. enabled MIDI and Instrument tracks.

Velocity
Real-Time Properties on
Velocity lets you change MIDI velocity by a per- Tracks and Clips
centage or by constant value. Enter a percentage
value in the Dynamics field to scale velocity Real-Time Properties can be configured to apply to
around the median velocity of 64. You can also en- an entire track (all clips on that track), or on a clip-
ter an offset by adding (+) or subtracting (–) values by-clip basis. Track-level properties also provide
between 1 and 127. You can also enter Minimum real-time MIDI input processing of velocity and
and Maximum Velocity value limits. The Mini- transposition.
mum (Min) and Maximum (Max) Velocity options
The presence of track-based Real-Time Properties
are only available in the expanded Real-Time
are indicated by a “T” displayed in the upper right-
Properties window.
hand corner of MIDI clips. Clip-based Real-Time
Velocity can be applied as a Real-Time Prop- Properties are indicated by an “R” displayed in the
erty to MIDI Input and Thru on record-en- upper right-hand corner of the clip. Clips boundar-
abled MIDI and Instrument tracks. ies including the “T” and the “R” displays are indi-
cated in Notes view and in MIDI Editor windows,
Transpose but not in the Score Editor window.

Transpose lets you transpose MIDI notes up or Indicates Indicates

down by a specified number of octaves and semi- track-based clip-based
Real-Time Properties Real-Time Properties
tones, or in key by scale steps (based on the Key
Signature ruler). You can also transpose to a spec-
ified pitch. Select By, To, or In from the Transpose
pop-up menu to transpose by an interval, to a spe-
cific pitch, or in key by scale steps.

Track-based and clip-based Real-Time Property

indicators

824 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clip-Based Real-Time Properties 4 Select Tracks from the Real-Time Properties
Apply To pop-up menu.
Clip-based Real-Time Properties can only be ap-
plied using the Real-Time Properties window 5 Configure the Real-Time Property settings.
(Event > MIDI Real-Time Properties). Real-Time
6 Do one of the following:
Properties can be applied to multiple clips. Once
Real-Time Properties have been assigned to a clip, • Click the Write to Track button in the Real-
the clip can be moved or copied and pasted and re- Time Properties window.
tain its Real-Time Properties. • Choose Track > Write MIDI Real-Time Prop-
erties.
Track-Based Real-Time Properties
To write Real-Time Properties to clips:
All track-based Real-Time Properties consistently
1 Select one or more clips to which you want to
apply to MIDI data throughout the entire track.
apply Real-Time Properties.
However, clips with clip-based Real-Time Proper-
ties will take precedence over any track-based 2 Open the Real-Time Properties window (Event
Real-Time Properties. You can clear clip-based > MIDI Real-Time Properties).
Real-Time Properties by selecting the clip and
3 If Link Track and Edit Selection is enabled, se-
clicking the Clear Clip Properties button in the
lect Clips from the Real-Time Properties Apply
Real-Time Properties window (see “Writing Real-
To pop-up menu.
Time Properties to Tracks or Clips” on page 825).
4 Configure the Real-Time Property settings.
For greater flexibility, when Real-Time Properties
are assigned on a track basis they are actually con- 5 Click the Write to Clip button.
tained in a track playlist. This lets you create mul-
tiple playlists containing different Real-Time To clear Real-Time Properties from a clip:
Property settings. 1 Select the clip for which you want to clear Real-
Time Properties.
2 Open the Real-Time Properties window (Event
Writing Real-Time Properties > MIDI Real-Time Properties).
to Tracks or Clips
3 Select Clips from the Real-Time Properties Ap-
Once you have found the settings you want, you ply To pop-up menu.
can write Real-Time Properties to the selected
tracks or clips using the Real-Time Properties win- 4 Click the Clear Clip Properties button.
dow. Real-Time Properties are applied to the cur-
rent MIDI data on the track or in a clip.

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).

Chapter 35: MIDI Editing 825

 Real-Time Properties Effects Displayed in the
Real-Time Properties In the MIDI Event List
MIDI Event List
The MIDI Event List takes into account the effect
In the MIDI Event List, the presence of track- of Real-Time Properties whenever the Display
based Real-Time Properties are indicated by a “T” Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties option
displayed to the right of each event. Clip-based is enabled. When editing or inserting an event in a
Real-Time Properties are indicated by an “R.” track or clip with active Real-Time Properties,
Pro Tools takes the properties into account and ed-
For more information on the MIDI Event
its or inserts the event in a different place if neces-
List, see Chapter 38, “MIDI Event List.”
sary to match the effect of the Real-Time Proper-
ties.

Display of Real-Time Real-Time Properties Effects Displayed in the

Properties Effects Edit Window
The Display Events as Modified by the Real-Time MIDI events appear where they sound in the Edit
Properties option determines if Pro Tools displays window, MIDI Editor windows, and the Score Ed-
the effects of Real-Time Properties in both the Edit itor window, with the Display Events as Modified
window, MIDI Editor windows, the Score Editor by Real-Time Properties option enabled in the
window, and the MIDI Event List. The Edit win- MIDI preferences. However, MIDI events are not
dow, MIDI Editor windows, the Score Editor win- actually written to their modified locations until
dow, and the MIDI Event List all display the ef- you write the Real-Time Properties to the track or
fects of Real-Time Properties when the Display clip.
Events as Modified by Real-Time Properties option
is enabled. With this option disabled, the effects of When moving MIDI events, the actual locations
Real-Time Properties are heard but not seen—you (pitch or time) move by the amount the events are
see the notes and other MIDI events at their origi- dragged, but the effect of Real-Time Properties is
nal locations, pitches, durations, and velocities, but displayed.
you hear them as they are affected by the Real-
When inserting an event in a track or clip with ac-
Time Properties settings.
tive properties, Pro Tools takes the properties into
To enable or disable the Display Events as account and edits or inserts the event in a different
Modified by Real-Time Properties option: place if necessary to match the effect of the Real-
Time Properties.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the MIDI
tab.
2 Enable or disable the Display Events as Modi-
fied by Real-Time Properties option.

3 Click OK.

826 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors

Pro Tools provides MIDI Editor windows for detailed MIDI editing.

Record enable
Solo Track Edit selector
Default Note Duration
Mute
Default Note Velocity
Notation Key Focus
View Play MIDI Notes While Editing
Edit Mirrored MIDI Editing MIDI Editor menu
Tools Link Timeline and Edit Selection
Edit modes Grid Chord Cursor Target
selector display location

Tracks List
Velocity, Controller and Superimposed MIDI Zoom controls
Groups List Automation lanes and Instrument tracks
MIDI Editor window

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 827

 Superimposed MIDI and Instrument Tracks
Opening a MIDI Editor
MIDI Editor windows display and let you edit Window
MIDI data (notes, velocities, and continuous con-
troller data) for one or more MIDI or Instrument To open a MIDI Editor window, do one of the
tracks. When displaying multiple tracks in a MIDI following:
Editor window, MIDI notes from different tracks  Choose Window > MIDI Editor.
are superimposed. MIDI Editor windows can also
show Auxiliary Input tracks.  In the Edit window, Right-click a MIDI clip on
the track, or the track name in the track controls
Automation and Controller Lanes or in the Tracks List, and choose Open In MIDI
Editor or Open in Docked MIDI Editor.
Velocity, other continuous controller data (MIDI
and Instrument tracks), and automation data (In-  In the Score Editor window, Right-click any-
strument and Auxiliary Input tracks only), can be where on the score, or on a track name in the
edited along with MIDI notes and appear in Con- Tracks List, and choose Open In MIDI Editor or
troller lanes under the Notes pane. Velocities for Open in Docked MIDI Editor.
MIDI notes on multiple tracks are also superim-
Press Control+“=” (Mac) or Start+“=”
posed in the Velocity lane. However, for all other
(Windows) to open a MIDI Editor window.
automation and controller data, additional lanes
are shown for each automation or controller type
for each track. If the MIDI Editor option is selected as the
“Double Clicking a MIDI Clip Opens” set-
For example, if two Instrument tracks are shown in ting in the Pro Tools MIDI Preferences, you
a MIDI Editor window, the MIDI notes for each can double-click a MIDI clip to open it in a
track are superimposed in the Notes pane and the MIDI Editor.
velocities for each track are superimposed in the
Velocity lane. However, you would see two Mod To open additional MIDI Editor windows, do one of
Wheel Controller lanes, one for each track; and the following:
you would see two Volume lanes, one for each  Deselect the Target button in the open MIDI
track. Editor window and open another MIDI Editor
window.
 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.

To cycle through all open MIDI Editor

windows, press Control+“=” (Mac) or
Start+“=” (Windows) repeatedly until the
window you want is in the front.

828 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Mute
MIDI Editor Window Toolbar
The Mute button lets you mute all the tracks cur-
The MIDI Editor window toolbar is similar to the rently displayed in the MIDI Editor window.
Edit window toolbar, but with a few exceptions.
Each MIDI Editor window and the Edit window Mixed Record-Enable, Mute, and Solo
can be configured independently of one another. States
For example, you can have Notation view enabled
in one MIDI Editor window, but not another; or The Record-enable, Solo, and Mute buttons in
you can have a MIDI Editor window set to Grid MIDI Editor windows are global controls in that
mode, but the Edit window set to Slip mode. You they affect all tracks shown in a MIDI Editor win-
can also customize the toolbar in MIDI Editor win- dow. If you independently record-enable, solo, or
dows. mute tracks in the Edit window that are also shown
in a MIDI Editor window, the appearance of the
Record-enable, Solo, and Mute buttons update to
Record-Enable, Solo, and Mute indicate mixed states. Mixed states occur when
Buttons
one or more tracks shown in the MIDI Editor win-
dow, but not all, are record-enable, soloed, or
muted respectively.

Notation View
In a MIDI editor window, the Record-enable, Solo,
and Mute buttons affect tracks in all windows. The Notation view button lets you view MIDI
They let you either audition the tracks shown in the notes in the MIDI Editor window as music nota-
current MIDI Editor window without the rest of tion. In Notation view, MIDI and Instrument tracks
the mix, or let you hear just the mix without the are not superimposed, but are shown as staves just
tracks shown in the MIDI Editor window. Addi- like in the Score Editor window.
tionally, these buttons provide a quick visual indi-
cation as to whether or not any MIDI or Instrument
tracks are record-enabled, soloed, or muted.

Record-Enable
Notation view enabled in a MIDI Editor window
The Record-enable button lets you record-enable
(or record-disable) all the tracks currently dis- You can access the Notation Display Track
played in the MIDI Editor window. Settings in a MIDI Editor window when in
Notation view. Select the Notation Display
Solo Track Settings option from the Tracks List
menu or Right-click in the Notes pane and se-
The Solo button lets you solo all the tracks cur-
lect the Notation Display Track Settings op-
rently displayed in the MIDI Editor window.
tion from the Right-click menu. For more in-
formation, see “Notation Display Track
Settings” on page 857.

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 829

 Edit Tools
Play MIDI Notes When Editing, Link Time-
The Edit tools in MIDI Editor windows can be line and Edit Selection, and Mirrored MIDI
viewed as a single tool with a pop-up menu for se- Editing are all global settings that are avail-
lecting other tools, or as an expanded, complete able in the Edit window, MIDI Editor
row of Edit tool icons just like in the Edit window. windows, and in the Score Editor window.
The Edit tools in MIDI Editor windows function
exactly the same way for MIDI data as in the Edit Track Edit Selector
window. Edit tool settings can be set inde-
If more than one MIDI or Instrument track is
pendently in each MIDI Editor window, and are in-
shown in the MIDI Editor window, the Track Edit
dependent of tool selection in the Edit window and
selector lets you select which track is “pencil-en-
Score Editor.
abled.” You can manually insert MIDI notes only
To view the Expanded Edit tools in a MIDI Editor
in pencil-enabled tracks. You can also pencil-en-
window, do one of the following: able tracks in the Tracks List (see “Manually In-
serting MIDI Notes” on page 841).
 Click the MIDI Editor Window Toolbar menu
and select Expanded Edit Tools. Default Note Duration
 Right-click in the toolbar and select Expanded
The Default Note Duration selector lets you define
Edit Tools.
the default note duration for manually inserted
notes.
To revert to the single Edit Tool icon with the Edit
Tool pop-up menu:
Default Note On Velocity
 Deselect Expanded Edit Tools.
The Default Note On Velocity setting lets you de-
fine the default Note On velocity for manually in-
MIDI Editing Controls
serted notes.
The MIDI Editing controls function exactly the
same way in MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit Play MIDI Notes When Editing
window.
When enabled, Play MIDI Notes When Editing
Track Edit selector
causes MIDI notes to sound when you insert them
Default Note Duration with the Pencil tool, click them with the Grabber
Default Note Velocity tool, Tab to them, or select them with the Note Se-
Play MIDI Notes While Editing lector tool.
Mirrored MIDI Editing
Link Timeline and
Edit Selection
Link Timeline and Edit Selection

When this button is enabled, the Timeline and Edit

selections are linked. When it is disabled, you can
MIDI Editing controls make Timeline and Edit selections independently
of one another.

830 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Mirrored MIDI Editing Quantize Controls
Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI clips MIDI Editor windows provide a group of controls
and have your edits apply to every copy of the for Quantize functions in Pro Tools. These display
same MIDI clip. This can be particularly useful and let you set certain quantization parameters
when editing looped MIDI clips. (such as Grid, Strength, and Swing for note grids,
and Groove, Timing, and Velocity for groove tem-
If Mirrored MIDI Editing mode is disabled, plates) that previously were only accessible in the
and you edit notes of looped clips in Notes Quantize page of the Event Operations window.
view, the edit flattens the loop. Similarly, ed- Changes to Quantize settings in any of the toolbars
iting clip groups separates the clip groups. or the Quantize page of the Event Operations win-
dow are mirrored in the others.
Edit Modes
The Edit modes in MIDI Editor windows function
exactly the same way for MIDI data as in the Edit
window. Edit mode settings are unique to each To show (or hide) the Quantize controls in a MIDI
Editor window:
MIDI Editor window and are also set inde-
pendently of the Edit window. 1 Click the MIDI Editor Window menu or Right-
click anywhere in the MIDI Editor window
toolbar.
2 Select (or deselect) Quantize Controls.

For more information, see “Edit and MIDI

Editor Window Toolbar Quantize Controls”
Cursor Location Display on page 1064.
The Cursor Location display in MIDI Editor win-
dows functions exactly the same way in MIDI Ed- MIDI Input Display
itor windows as in the Edit window.
The MIDI Input display shows note and chord
names as they are received by tracks shown in the
Edit Selection Display Edit and MIDI Editor windows. For example,
The Edit Selection display in MIDI Editor win- when an Instrument or MIDI track is record-en-
dows functions exactly the same way for MIDI abled and a MIDI controller is assigned to its Input,
data in MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit win- note names and recognized chords are displayed as
dow. The Selection display can be shown or hid- you play your controller.
den in the Toolbar.

To show (or hide) the Edit Selection display in a

MIDI Editor window, do one of the following: Display of a single note being played
 Click the MIDI Editor Window Toolbar menu
and select (or deselect) Selection Display.
 Right-click in the toolbar and select (or
deselect) Selection Display. Display of a known chord being played

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 831

 cation view in the Edit window. Any changes to
the Edit selection in the Edit window are reflected
in the Targeted MIDI Editor window. There can
Display of several notes being played simultaneously only be one targeted MIDI Editor window at a
that Pro Tools does not recognize as a chord time. The targeted MIDI Editor window can also
To show (or hide) the MIDI Input display in a MIDI
be stored in a Window Configuration. Targeted
Editor window: MIDI Editors zoom to display the entire clip selec-
tion of the Edit Window.
1 Click the MIDI Editor Window menu or Right-
click anywhere in the MIDI Editor window One or more untargeted MIDI Editor windows can
toolbar. remain open and available at the same time, just
2 Select (or deselect) MIDI Input Display. like untargeted Plug-In windows. Targeting an un-
targeted MIDI Editor window disables any other
Note names are displayed as the note letter targeted MIDI Editor window.
name and register number (for example, C3
The front-most window, regardless of whether it is
or C4) or as the MIDI note number (for ex-
targeted, always receives Commands Keyboard
ample, 60) according to the specified Note
Focus and control surface focus.
Display option in the Pro Tools MIDI Prefer-
ences (Setup > Preferences > MIDI).
To enable or disable the Target for a MIDI Editor
window:
Grid and Nudge Selectors
 Click the Target button for the MIDI Editor
When the Expanded Grid/Nudge Display option is window so that it is highlighted (targeted) or un-
enabled in the MIDI Editor Window menu, the highlighted (untargeted).
Grid and Nudge selectors in MIDI Editor windows
function exactly the same way for MIDI data in
MIDI Editor windows as in the Edit window.

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.

Targeted MIDI Editor window

Grid/Nudge Display selector, selecting Nudge display

Target
Generally, the Target button for MIDI Editor win-
dows functions just like the Target button for Plug-
In, Output, and Send windows. Additionally, the
Target button in a MIDI Editor window synchro-
nizes its Timeline location view to the Timeline lo- Untargeted MIDI Editor window

832 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Editor Window Menu
The MIDI Editor Window menu provides access to
MIDI Editor Window Display options and Scroll-
ing options. Grid and Nudge selectors

Selection Display
MIDI Editor Window Display Options
When selected, the Selection Display option shows
Expanded Edit Tools the Edit Selection Display in the MIDI Editor win-
dow toolbar.
When selected, the Expanded Edit Tools option
displays all of the Edit Tools in the MIDI Editor
window toolbar.

Selection display

MIDI Input Display

Expanded Edit tools displayed in a MIDI Editor window When selected, the MIDI Input Display option
shows the MIDI Input display in the MIDI Editor
When this option is not selected, only the icon for
window.
the selected Edit tool is displayed. Any of the other
Edit tools can be selected from the Edit Tool pop-
up menu.

Display of a known chord being played

Tracks List

When selected, the Tracks List option displays the

Tracks List in the MIDI Editor window.

Scrolling Submenu

The Scrolling submenu lets you select the scrolling

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 cur-
Edit Tool pop-up menu sor moves across the MIDI Editor window, indi-
Expanded Grid/Nudge Display cating the playback location.

When selected, the Expanded Grid/Nudge Display

option displays the Nudge selector in addition to
the Grid selector in the MIDI Editor window tool-
bar.

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 833

 After Playback The playback cursor moves across To keep the MIDI Editor window always in front of
the MIDI Editor window, indicating the playback all other windows:
location. When playback has stopped, the MIDI  From the MIDI Editor window menu, select the
Editor window scrolls to the final playback loca- Keep Window On Top option.
tion.

Page The playback cursor moves across the MIDI

Editor window, indicating the playback location.
When the right edge of the MIDI Editor 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 remains
in the center of the window. With this option, play-
back is always based on the Timeline selection
(unlike the Center Playhead Scrolling option).

Center Playhead (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio

Only) The MIDI Editor window scrolls continu-
ously past the Playhead, which is represented as a
blue line in the center of the window (or a red line
when recording).

Follow Edit Window When selected, the MIDI Ed-

itor window follows the scrolling option selected
for the Edit window (Options > Edit Window Scroll-
ing).

Keep MIDI Editor Window On

Top
The MIDI Editor window lets you set it to remain
in the foreground even when clicking on and fo-
cusing another window (such as the Edit or Mix
windows).

Enable the Keep Window On Top option in the

MIDI MIDI Editor window menu to ensure that
the window remains in the foreground when work-
ing with other windows. When this option is dis-
abled, clicking on another window (such as the
Edit or Mix windows) brings that window to the
front and the MIDI Editor window may be hidden
behind it.
834 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Customizable Toolbar
MIDI Editor Zoom Controls
You can customize the toolbar in MIDI Editor
windows by rearranging, and showing and hiding Vertical and Horizontal Zoom In and Out
the available controls and displays just like in the Buttons
Edit window or the Score Editor window. In addition to the Zoom controls in the Toolbar,
Pro Tools provides horizontal and vertical zoom
Changing Toolbar Display Options
buttons in the lower-right corner of MIDI Editor
To change the toolbar display options in a MIDI
windows.
Editor window toolbar:
Vertical Zoom Buttons Zoom the lane heights pro-
1 Do one of the following: portionally for Automation and Controller lanes.
• Click the MIDI Editor Window Toolbar
Horizontal Zoom Buttons Zoom the Timeline just
menu.
like the Horizontal Zoom controls in the MIDI Ed-
• Right-click in the toolbar. itor window toolbar.
2 From the pop-up menu, select or deselect any of
the following:
• Expanded Edit Tools
• Expanded Grid/Nudge Display
• Selection Display

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. Horizontal and Vertical Zoom In and Out buttons

To rearrange controls and displays in a MIDI Editor MIDI Zoom In and Out Buttons
window toolbar:
Pro Tools provides MIDI Zoom In and Out buttons
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- in the upper-right corner of MIDI Editor windows.
dows) the controls or displays you want to move These controls function exactly the same as the
and drag them to the location in the Toolbar you MIDI Zoom controls in the toolbar, and let you
want. zoom in and out vertically on MIDI notes.

MIDI Zoom In and Out buttons

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 835

 The Tracks List menu also lets you sort tracks in
Tracks List the Tracks List by Name, Type, Edit Group, Mix
The Tracks List in MIDI Editor windows lets you Group, or Voice (see “Sorting Tracks in the Tracks
show or hide MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary In- List” on page 837).
put tracks in the MIDI Editor window. The Tracks
List settings are unique to each MIDI Editor win- Showing and Hiding Tracks
dow. However, the order of tracks in the Tracks
List is global. Sorting or changing the order of To show MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input
tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
tracks affects the Tracks List in every window.
 Enable the Track Show/Hide icon in the Tracks
Track Show/Hide List for tracks you want to show in the MIDI
Track Color Code Editor window.
Track Type icon
Track name To show all MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input
Pencil Enable tracks in a MIDI Editor window:

 From the Tracks List menu, select Show All

Tracks List menu Tracks.

To show only selected MIDI, Instrument, and

Auxiliary Input tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
1 In the Tracks List, select the MIDI, Instrument,
Tracks List and Auxiliary Input tracks you want to show in
the MIDI Editor window.
Tracks List Columns
2 From the Tracks List menu, select Show Only
In MIDI Editor windows there are four columns Selected Tracks.
for the Tracks List:
To show all tracks of a single type (MIDI or
Show/Hide Indicates which tracks are shown or
Instrument) in a MIDI Editor window:
hidden in the MIDI Editor window.
 From the Tracks List menu, choose Show Only,
Track Color Displays the track color for each track and select the track type you want.
by type or by track.
To hide MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input
Name Displays the name for each track. tracks in a MIDI Editor window:

Pencil Lets you enable a track for manually enter-  Disable the Track Show/Hide icon for tracks
ing MIDI notes with the Pencil tool. you want to hide in the MIDI Editor window.

To hide all (but one) MIDI, Instrument, and

Tracks List Menu Auxiliary Input tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
The Tracks List menu lets you show and hide  From the Tracks List menu, select Hide All
MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input tracks in Tracks.
the MIDI Editor window (see “Showing and Hid-
ing Tracks” on page 836).

836 Pro Tools Reference Guide

All but the top MIDI or Instrument track in the Tracks List Right-click Menu Options
Tracks List are hidden. MIDI Editor windows re-
The following options are available depending on
quire that at least one MIDI or Instrument track al-
the track type (Auxiliary Input, Instrument, or
ways be shown in the window.
MIDI).
To hide selected MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Hide Hides the selected track.
Input tracks in a MIDI Editor window:
1 In the Tracks List, select the MIDI, Instrument, Hide and Make Inactive Hides the selected track
and Auxiliary Input tracks you want to hide. and makes it inactive.

2 From the Tracks List menu, select Hide Se- Make Inactive Makes the selected track inactive.
lected Tracks.
Export MIDI Exports the selected track as a MIDI
file.
Sorting Tracks in the Tracks List
New Opens the New Track dialog.
You can sort tracks in the Tracks List by the fol-
lowing criteria: Rename Renames the selected track.

Name Sorts the order of tracks in the Tracks List Duplicate Duplicates the selected track.
by Track Name.
Split into Mono Splits the selected stereo Instru-
Type Sorts the order of tracks in the Tracks List by ment or Auxiliary Input track into two mono
Track Type. tracks.

Edit Group Sorts the order of tracks in the Tracks Delete Deletes the selected track.
List by Edit Groups.
MIDI Real-Time Properties Opens the MIDI Real-
Mix Group Sorts the order of tracks in the Tracks Time Properties window for the selected track.
List by Mix Groups.
Open in New MIDI Editor Opens the tracks dis-
Voice Sorts the order of tracks in the Tracks List by played in the current MIDI Editor window in a new
Voice allocations. MIDI Editor window. The new MIDI Editor win-
dow will be untargeted.
Tracks List Right-Click Menu Open in Score Editor Opens the shown tracks in
In addition to common track management com- the Score Editor window.
mands, the Tracks List Right-click menu shares Open in MIDI Event List Opens the selected track
commands with both the Tracks List menu and the in the MIDI Event List.
Notes Pane Right-click menu.
Notation Display Track Settings Opens the Nota-
To access the MIDI Editor Tracks List Right-click tion Display Track Settings window.
menu:

 Right-click on any Track Name in the Tracks

List.

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 837

 Groups List
The Groups List in MIDI Editor windows provides
the same functionality as in the Edit window. You
can create, edit, and delete Edit Groups using the
Groups List in any MIDI Editor window. The
Groups List is linked between the Edit window and
all MIDI Editor windows.

For information on grouping tracks, see

Chapter 16, “Grouping Tracks.”

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 Timebase and Con-
ductor rulers are shown, and in terms of zoom level
and time location.

838 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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 Instrument tracks in the Edit window, except you can edit MIDI notes on multiple MIDI and In-
strument tracks at the same time.

You can also view and edit MIDI notes in Notation view in the Notes pane (see “Notation View”
on page 843).

MIDI Editor window, Notes pane with five superimposed Instrument tracks

Color Coding MIDI Notes

You can color code MIDI notes by Track or by Velocity.

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 Tracks List.

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 839

 To Color Code MIDI notes by Track:

 Enable the Color Code MIDI Notes By Track button

Color Code MIDI Note By Track Enabled in MIDI Editor window

Color Coding by Velocity

When Color Coding by Velocity is enabled, MIDI notes are all the same red color (hue) on all tracks dis-
played, and MIDI notes vary in color saturation (from a light red to a dark red) based on the Note On ve-
locity. 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.

Color Code MIDI Notes By Velocity enabled in MIDI Editor window

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.

No Color Code enabled in MIDI Editor window

840 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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 In-
strument tracks in the Edit window, except that
notes from different tracks are superimposed.

For more information on editing MIDI notes,

see Chapter 35, “MIDI Editing.”
“Blad Pad Midi” track pencil-enabled
Manually Inserting MIDI Notes
2 With the Pencil tool, click at a time and pitch lo-
Using the Pencil tool, you can manually insert cation to insert a MIDI note on the pencil-en-
MIDI notes to any pencil-enabled track shown in abled track with the default Note On velocity
the Notes pane. If only one track is viewed in the and the selected Default Note Duration.
MIDI Editor window, that track will automatically
be pencil-enabled. If multiple superimposed tracks
are shown in the Notes pane, MIDI notes will be
inserted on the pencil enabled tracks only.

For more information on manually inserting

MIDI notes, see “Inserting MIDI Notes” on
page 790.

To insert MIDI notes on a specific track in the

Notes pane:
1 Do one of the following: Inserting a MIDI note on track “Inst 3”
• Select the track you want pencil-enabled
from the Track Edit selector in the Toolbar. 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, Com-
mand-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) in the Pencil column of any
Selecting a track for editing additional tracks. Option-click (Mac) or
Alt-click (Windows) to pencil-enable all
tracks. Manually inserted notes are written
Only tracks that are currently shown in the
to all pencil-enabled tracks.
MIDI Editor window are available in the
Track Edit selector pop-up menu.

• Click the Pencil column in the Tracks List to

pencil-enable the track you want.

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 841

 Cut
Notes Pane Right-Click Menu
The Cut command cuts the current Edit selection.
The Notes Pane Right-click menu provides several
useful commands for editing, exporting, and view- Copy
ing MIDI data.
The Copy command copies the current Edit
To access the MIDI Editor Right-click menu: selection.
 Right-click anywhere in the Notes pane. Paste

The Paste command pastes the clipboard to the

Notes Pane Right-Click Menu
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cursor
Options
location. Any MIDI notes already present at the
Tools same location are overwritten.

The Tools submenu lets you select any Edit tools Merge
relevant to the Score Editor.
The Merge command pastes the clipboard to the
Zoomer Selects the Zoomer tool. current Edit selection or at the current Edit cursor
location and merges the pasted data with any MIDI
Trim Selects the Trim tool.
notes already present at the same location.
Selector Selects the Selector tool.
Clear
Grabber Selects the Grabber tool.
The Clear command clears (deletes) the current
Scrubber Selects the Scrubber tool. Edit selection.
Pencil Selects the Pencil tool. Separate
Smart Selects the Smart tool. The Separate command lets you separate MIDI
Zoomer Tools Lets you select Normal Zoom or notes at the Edit cursor location.
Single Zoom.
Consolidate
Pencil Tools Lets you select any of the Pencil
The Consolidate command lets you consolidate se-
tools.
lected multiple consecutive MIDI notes of the
Insert same pitch.

The Insert submenu lets you insert key changes, Mute Notes
meter changes, and chord symbols at the location
The Mute Notes (or Unmute Notes) command lets
of the Edit cursor.
you mute (or unmute) selected MIDI notes.
Key Inserts a key change.
MIDI Real-Time Properties
Meter Inserts a meter change.
Selecting the MIDI Real-Time Properties option
Chord Inserts a chord symbol. opens the MIDI Real-Time Properties window.

842 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Event Operations Display Notation

The Event Operations submenu lets you select any Selecting the Display Notation option changes the
of the Event Operations windows (such as Quan- MIDI Editor to Notation view. Deselecting this op-
tize or Change Velocity). tion reverts the MIDI Editor to Notes view.

Open In New MIDI Editor

Selecting the Open In New MIDI Editor option Notation View

opens all shown tracks in a new MIDI Editor win- The Notes pane in MIDI Editor windows can also
dow. display MIDI notes in standard music notation.
In Notation view, each MIDI and Instrument track
Open In Score Editor
is displayed independently, with one track per
The Open In Score Editor option opens the shown staff.
tracks in the Score Editor window.
In MIDI Editor windows, notation is displayed as a
Open in MIDI Event List continuous timeline and not in page view as in the
Score Editor window.
The Open In MIDI Event List option opens the se-
lected track in the MIDI Event List. For information on editing notation, see
“Editing Notes” on page 861.

MIDI Editor window, Notes pane in Notation view

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 843

 To enable Notation view, do one of the following: When the Double Bar option is disabled, there will
 Enable the Notation view button in the MIDI be a number of empty bars at the end of the last
Editor window toolbar. 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 op-
tion to manually enter notes in the Score Editor af-
ter the last MIDI clip or event in the session.
Notation view enabled in a MIDI Editor window

 Right-click in the Notes pane and select Notation View Right-Click Menu
Notation View.
When in Notation view, the Notes Pane Right-
Editing in Notation view in a MIDI Editor window click menu provides slightly different options than
works the same way as in the Score Editor win- when in Superimposed Notes view.
dow, but with the advantage of having access to
Velocity, Controller, and Automation lanes. In both views, the following options are available:
• Tools
In Notation view, the Trim tool functions as
• Insert
the Grabber tool when over a note and as the
Note Selector tool when not over a note. • Cut
• Copy
In Notation view, the Edit mode is • Paste
automatically set to Grid and cannot be
• Clear
changed.
• Separate
Double Bar in Notation View • Consolidate
The Double Bar button is only available in Nota- • Mute
tion view. When enabled, the Double Bar option • MIDI Real-Time Properties
shows the final double bar line in the MIDI Editor
• Event Operations
window. The double bar line is located at the end
of the last MIDI clip or event in the session. • 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 Notation
Double Bar enabled in a MIDI Editor window Display Track Settings dialog and configure the

844 Pro Tools Reference Guide

display settings for tracks in Notation view. For in- To show or hide lanes under the Notes pane:
formation on the Notation Display Track Settings  Click the Show/Hide Lanes button.
dialog, see “Notation Display Track Settings” on
page 857. To add lanes:

 Click the Add Lane button.

Velocity, Controller, and To remove lanes:

Automation Lanes
 Click the Remove Lane button.
MIDI Editor windows let you edit velocities, MIDI
controller data, and automation for all shown To change the Automation or Controller type for a
MIDI, Instrument, and Auxiliary Input tracks in lane:
lanes under the Notes pane. You can move and re-  Click the Automation or Controller Type selec-
size Automation and Controller lanes just like in tor and select the Automation or Controller type
the Edit window. When viewing multiple MIDI you want.
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.

Show/Hide lanes

Velocity lane
(2 tracks superimposed)

Remove lane
Add lane

Controller/Automation
Type selector
Paired Automation
lanes for separate
tracks
Velocity, Controller, and Automation lanes for two stereo Instrument tracks

Chapter 36: MIDI Editors 845

846 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 37: 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.

Default Note Duration

Default Note Velocity
Play MIDI Notes While Editing
Mirrored MIDI Editing Score Editor menu
Link Edit and Timeline Selection
Double Bar
Selection
Edit tools Cursor location Grid selector Target

Page controls Zoom controls

Tracks List

Score Editor window

Chapter 37: Score Editor 847

 Opening the Score Editor Edit Tools
Window
The Edit tools in the Score Editor window function
To open the Score Editor window: much the same as in the Edit window, but with a
few differences for editing music notation.
 Choose Window > Score Editor.

Press Option+Control+“=” (Mac) or Zoomer

Alt+Start+“=” (Windows) to show the Score
Use the Zoomer tool to zoom in and out around a
Editor window.
particular area in the score.
To open the Score Editor window with a single
MIDI or Instrument track shown:
The Zoomer tool provides two modes:

1 Ensure that there is no Edit selection. Normal Zoom The Zoomer tool remains selected
after zooming.
2 Right-click the Track name of an unselected
track in the Edit or Mix window, or in the Single Zoom The previously selected Edit tool is
Tracks List of the Edit, Mix, or MIDI Editor automatically reselected after zooming.
window.
Press the F5 key to select the Zoomer tool
3 From the Right-click menu, choose Open In and toggle between Normal and Single Zoom
Score Editor. modes.

To open the Score Editor window with the current

Edit selection shown: Also see “Score Editor Zoom Controls” on
1 In the Edit window or in a MIDI Editor window, page 856
make an Edit selection on one or more tracks
Normal Zoom Mode
that includes what you want shown in the Score
Editor window. To zoom around a certain point in the score:
2 Right-click the Edit selection and choose Open 1 Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select
In Score Editor. Normal Zoom mode.

If the Score Editor option is selected as the 2 Click once with the Zoomer tool at a location
“Double Clicking a MIDI Clip Opens” set- within the score. The score is zoomed in by one
ting in the MIDI Preferences page, you can level and is centered around the zoomed loca-
double-click a MIDI clip to open it in the tion.
Score Editor.
3 To zoom back to the previous level, Option-
click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) with the
Zoomer tool.

848 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To marquee zoom to a particular area of the score: Trim
1 Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select The Trim tool lets you lengthen or shorten the du-
Normal Zoom mode. ration of a note in the Score Editor window.
2 Drag in the score, making a marquee selection
Press the F6 key to select the Trim tool.
of the area to which you want to zoom.

Note Selector
Use the Note Selector tool to select notes on one or
more staves in the Score Editor window. Selected
notes highlight blue. Selected notes can be deleted,
moved, transposed, and processed (using Event
Operations).

Press the F7 key to select the Note Selector

tool.

The Note Selector tool makes a range

Marquee zooming with the Zoomer tool selection that only includes MIDI notes and
velocities. It does not include any other MIDI
The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window. data, such as program changes or
continuous controller data.
Single Zoom Mode

Single Zoom mode returns you to the previously Grabber

selected tool after a zoom has been performed.
Use the Grabber tool to select one or more notes in
For example, when using the Pencil tool you can the Score Editor window. You can also use the
select the Single Zoomer tool, and once the Zoom Grabber tool to move single notes, or all selected
operation has been performed, Pro Tools automat- notes, to a different pitch or time location.
ically switches back to the Pencil tool.
Press the F8 key to select the Grabber 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 select

Single Zoom mode.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 849

 Pencil Triangle

Use the Pencil tools to insert, select, move, or de- The Triangle Pencil tool lets you draw a series of
lete notes in the Score Editor window. The various MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities os-
Pencil tools differ in how they draw note durations, cillate between the defined Default Note Velocity
repeated notes, and velocities, but function the and 127 in a triangle pattern. The duration of each
same when drawing notes on tracks in Notes view note is determined by the current Grid value.
in the Edit window or in a MIDI Editor window.
The duration is determined by the selected Default
To select a Pencil tool: Note Duration (see “Default Note Duration” on
page 851).
 Click the Pencil tool pop-up menu and select the
Pencil tool you want. The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 852).
Press the F10 key repeatedly to cycle through
the different Pencil tools. Square

The following Pencil tools are available in the The Square Pencil tool lets you draw a series of
Score Editor: MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities al-
ternate between the defined Default Note Velocity
Free Hand and 127 in a square pattern. The duration of each
note is determined by the current Grid value.
The Free Hand Pencil tool lets you draw single
notes of varying duration. The duration is determined by the selected Default
Note Duration (see “Default Note Duration” on
Note velocities are determined by the Default Note
page 851).
Velocity setting (see “Default Note On Velocity”
on page 851). The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 852).
The minimum duration of the note is determined
by the selected Default Note Duration (see “De- Random
fault Note Duration” on page 851).
The Square Pencil tool lets you draw a series of
Line MIDI notes on a single pitch whose velocities
change randomly within the range between the de-
The Line Pencil tool lets you draw multiple notes
fined Default Note Velocity and 127 in a square
of the same pitch and duration.
pattern. The duration of each note is determined by
Note velocities are determined by the Default Note the current Grid value.
Velocity setting (see “Default Note On Velocity”
The duration is determined by the selected Default
on page 851).
Note Duration (see “Default Note Duration” on
The duration is determined by the selected Default page 851).
Note Duration (see “Default Note Duration” on
The start time for each note is determined by the
page 851).
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 852).
The start time for each note is determined by the
selected Grid value (see “Grid” on page 852).

850 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default Note Duration Link Timeline and Edit
Selection
The Default Note Duration selector lets you define
the default note duration for manually inserted When this button is enabled, the Timeline and Edit
notes. selections are linked. When it is disabled, you can
make Timeline and Edit selections independently
To define the Default Note Duration: of one another.
 From the Default Note Duration selector, select
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 Dot- Link Timeline and Edit Selection enabled in the Score
ted option. Editor window

If you want triplet note values, also select the Trip-

let option. Mirrored MIDI Editing
Mirrored MIDI Editing lets you edit MIDI clips
and have your edits apply to every copy of the
same MIDI clip. This can be particularly useful
when editing looped MIDI clips.
Default Note Duration selector
In Mirrored MIDI Editing mode, the Mirrored
MIDI Editing button flashes Red once as an edit is
Default Note On Velocity made to alert you that your edit is being applied to
more than one clip.
The Default Note On Velocity setting lets you de-
fine the default Note On velocity for manually in- To enable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the
serted notes. following:

 Select Options > Mirror MIDI Editing.

Play MIDI Notes When  Select the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in the
Editing Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.
When enabled, the Play MIDI Notes When Editing
option causes MIDI notes to sound when you in-
sert them with the Pencil tool or drag them with the
Grabber tool.

Mirrored MIDI Editing disabled in the Score Editor

window

Play MIDI Notes When Editing enabled in the Score

Editor window

Chapter 37: Score Editor 851

 To disable Mirrored MIDI Editing, do one of the
following: Cursor Location
 Deselect Options > Mirror MIDI Editing. The Cursor Location display provides information
about the current cursor location in
 Disable the Mirrored MIDI Editing button in
Bars|Beats|Ticks and pitch.
the Edit window, MIDI Editor window, or Score
Editor window.

If Mirrored MIDI Editing mode is disabled,

and you edit notes of looped clips in Notes
view, the edit flattens the loop. Similarly, ed-
iting clip groups separates the clip groups.

Double Bar
Cursor Location indicator in the Score Editor window
When enabled, the Double Bar option shows the fi-
nal double bar line in the Score Editor window.
The double bar line is located at the end of the last Grid
MIDI clip or event in the session. Enable the Dou-
The Grid selector lets you define the Grid value for
ble Bar option when you are ready to print the
MIDI notes inserted and displayed in the Score Ed-
score.
itor window.
When the Double Bar option is disabled, there will
To set the Grid value for the Score Editor window:
be a number of empty bars at the end of the last
MIDI clip in the session. The number of empty  From the Grid Value pop-up menu, select a note
bars is determined by the Additional Empty Bars In value.
The Score Editor setting in the Pro Tools MIDI
Preferences (Setup > Preferences). Disable the If you want dotted note values, also select the
Double Bar option to manually enter notes in the Dotted option.
Score Editor after the last MIDI clip. If you want triplet note values, also select the
Triplet option.

Double Bar enabled in the Score Editor window

Setting the Grid value

852 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Inserting Notes on the Grid
Score Editor Window Menu
When inserting MIDI notes with the Pencil tool
(using the Line, Triangle, Square, or Random The Score Editor Window menu provides access to
shapes), the Grid value determines the Note On lo- the Expanded Edit Tools, Selection Display,
cation and the Default Note Duration value deter- Tracks List, and Scrolling options.
mines the note duration (see “Default Note Dura-
tion” on page 851). Expanded Edit Tools
For example, if the Default Note Duration is set to When selected, the Expanded Edit Tools option
quarter notes and the Grid is set to half notes, displays all of the relevant Edit Tools in the Score
drawing with the Line Pencil tool creates alternat- Editor window toolbar.
ing quarter notes and quarter note rests.
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
Inserting notes on the Grid
When selected, the Selection Display option shows
If the selected Grid value is shorter than the De- the Edit Selection Display in the MIDI Editor win-
fault Note Duration, the Grid value determines dow toolbar.
both the Note On location and note duration for
notes inserted with the Pencil tool. For example, 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 sequence of eighth notes. Selection display

Tracks List
Score Editor Window Target When selected, the Tracks List option displays the
Tracks List in the Score Editor window.
When the Target is enabled for the Score Editor
window, navigating the Edit window automati-
cally navigates the Score Editor window as well. Scrolling
For example, if in the Edit window you navigate to The Scrolling submenu lets you select the scrolling
bar 32, beat 3 in a MIDI track, when you view the options for the Score Editor window inde-
Score Editor window it too will show the same lo- pendently of the Edit window and any MIDI Editor
cation. windows. The scrolling options include:
When the Target is disabled, the Score Editor does No Scrolling The Score Editor window does not
not update to show the current Edit window selec- scroll during or after playback. The playback cur-
tion or Edit cursor location. sor moves across the Edit window, indicating the
playback location.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 853

 After Playback The playback cursor moves across To keep the Score Editor window always in front of
the Score Editor window, indicating the playback all other windows:
location. When playback has stopped, the Score  From the Score Editor window menu, select the
Editor window scrolls to the final playback loca- Keep Window On Top option.
tion.

Page The playback cursor moves across the Score Customizable Toolbar
Editor window, indicating the playback location. You can customize the toolbar in the Score Editor
When the right edge of the current page shown in window by re-arranging, and showing or hiding
the Score Editor window is reached, it scrolls to the the available controls and displays just like in the
next page and the playback cursor continues mov- Edit window or MIDI Editor windows.
ing from the left edge of the window.
Changing Toolbar Display Options
Follow Edit Window When selected, the Score Ed-
itor window follows the scrolling option selected To change the toolbar display options in the Score
for the Edit window (Options > Edit Editor window toolbar:
Window Scrolling).
1 Do one of the following:
For Pro Tools HD systems, the Continuous • Click the Score Editor Window Toolbar
and Center Playhead scrolling options are menu.
not available in the Score Editor window. If • Right-click in the Toolbar.
the Score Editor window is set to the Follow
Edit Window scrolling option and the Edit 2 From the pop-up menu, select or deselect any of
window is set to either the Continuous or the following:
Center Playhead scrolling options, the Score • Selection Display
Editor window scrolls by page. • Expanded Edit Tools

Keep Score Editor Window On Rearranging Controls and Displays

Top
To rearrange controls and displays in a MIDI Editor
The Score Editor window lets you set it to remain window toolbar:
in the foreground even when clicking on and fo-
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
cusing another window (such as the Edit or Mix
dows) the controls or displays you want to move
windows).
and drag them to a new location in the Toolbar.
Enable the Keep Window On Top option in the
Score Editor window menu to ensure that the win-
dow remains in the foreground when working with
other windows. When this option is disabled,
clicking on another window (such as the Edit or
Mix windows) brings that window to the front and
the Score Editor window (whichever one you are
working with) may be hidden behind it.

854 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To show all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the
Tracks List Score Editor:

The Tracks List lets you show and hide MIDI and  From the Tracks List menu, select Show All
Instrument tracks in the Score Editor. It also pro- Tracks.
vides access to the Notation Display Track Set-
tings and Score Setup (see “Notation Display To show only selected MIDI and Instrument tracks
in the Score Editor:
Track Settings” on page 857 and “Score Setup” on
page 859). 1 In the Tracks List, select the MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks you want to show in the score.
To show or hide the Tracks List in the Score Editor
window: 2 From the Tracks List menu, select Show Only
Selected Tracks.
 From the Score Editor Window menu, select or
deselect Tracks List. To hide MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score
Editor:

Showing and Hiding Tracks  Disable the Track Show/Hide icon in the Tracks
List for tracks you want to hide in the score.
Use the Tracks List to show and hide MIDI and In-
strument tracks as staves in the score.
To hide all MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score
Editor:
To show MIDI and Instrument tracks in the Score
Editor:  From the Tracks List menu, select Hide All
Tracks.
 Enable the Track Show/Hide icon in the Tracks
List for tracks you want to show in the score.
To hide selected MIDI and Instrument tracks in the
Score Editor:
1 In the Tracks List, select the MIDI and Instru-
ment tracks you want to hide in the score.
2 From the Tracks List menu, select Hide Se-
lected Tracks.

Partial Score: Violin I and Violin II shown; all other

tracks are hidden

Chapter 37: Score Editor 855

 Page Controls Score Editor Zoom Controls
The Score Editor window provides controls for In addition to the Zoomer tool, the Score Editor
navigating forward and backward by page. The provides Zoom In and Out buttons in the lower
current page number is displayed in the lower-left right hand corner of the window. It also provides a
corner of the window. Zoom selector that lets you zoom to a preset per-
centage or page size. When using these Zoom con-
trols, the Score Editor zooms around the current
Edit selection.

Page Forward Zoom In

Page Back Zoom Out
Current Page Display Zoom selector

Score Editor Page controls Score Editor Zoom controls

To display the next page of the score: To zoom in one level:

 Click the Page Forward button.  Click the Zoom In button.

To display the previous page of the score: To zoom out one level:

 Click the Page Back button.  Click the Zoom Out 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 Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows).

856 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To zoom to a preset percentage:
Notation Display Track
Click the Zoom selector.
1
Settings
2 From the Zoom pop-up menu, select the zoom
The Notation Display Track settings determine
percentage.
how individual MIDI and Instrument tracks appear
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 transposing instru-
ment (such as a B-flat tenor sax).

Selecting a zoom percentage from the Zoom pop-up

menu

To zoom to a page size:

1 Click the Zoom selector.
2 From the Zoom pop-up menu, select the page
size.
Notation Display Track Settings
Zoom to Page Sizes To configure the Notation Display Track settings:
The Zoom pop-up menu provides the following 1 Do one of the following:
page sizes: • From the Track menu in the Score Editor, se-
Fit Page Width Zooms so that the width of one lect Notation Display Track Settings.
page fits in the Score Editor window. • Right-click in the Score Editor and select No-
tation Display Track Settings.
Fit Page Height Zooms so that the height of the
• Double-click a Clef on a Staff.
page fits in the Score Editor window.
2 From the Track pop-up menu, select the MIDI
Fit Page Zooms so that an entire page fits in the
or Instrument track whose Notation Display
Score Editor window.
Settings you want to change.
Fit 2 Pages Zooms so that two pages fit horizon-
3 Configure the settings.
tally in the Score Editor window.
4 Repeat the preceding steps for other MIDI and
Instrument tracks as necessary.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 857

 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 op-
tions: Notation Display Track Settings window, Attributes tab

• Grand Staff Follow Globals

• Treble Clef When the Follow Globals option is selected, the

• Bass Clef track attributes use the global attributes settings
(see “Globals” on page 859). This option is en-
• Alto Clef abled for all tracks by default.
• Tenor Clef
Display Quantization
Display Transposition
The Display Quantization setting lets you select the
From the Key pop-up menu, select the key of quantization grid for the display of MIDI notes in
Transposition for the track. For instruments that music notation. MIDI notes in Pro Tools still
transpose from another octave, you can also adjust maintain their original start time and duration, but
the Octave slider. For example, for a Bass Clarinet this setting affects what note values are displayed.
track, select the Key of B-flat and set the Octave The notation display is quantized to the nearest se-
slider to +1. This way, when you print the Bass lect note value.
Clarinet part, the player will be able to read the part
and concert pitch will sound correctly a major Straighten Swing
ninth below where the part is written. When enabled, the Straighten Swing option causes
“swung” notes to be displayed as straight notation.
Attributes
For example, a run of swung eighth notes will be
The Attributes tab lets you specify the notation dis- displayed as straight eighth notes.
play quantization settings for the selected track. If
the Clef is set to Grand Staff, you can also set the Allow Note Overlap
Split Point to divide notes between the treble and Pro Tools only displays a single rhythmic line on a
bass clefs. single staff. When two notes that start at different
times overlap, the first note will be truncated when
the second note begins. If the Allow Note Overlap
option is enabled, Pro Tools displays the full
length of overlapping notes using tied notes.

858 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Split Point Score Setup Window Options
When the Clef for the selected track is set to Grand
Staff, the selected Split Point setting determines at
which pitch the notes are placed in either 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 particular

pitch at which to split notes between the upper and
lower staves of the Grand Staff.

Globals

The Globals tab provides the same settings as the

Attributes tab (see “Attributes” on page 858). 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 Score Setup window
the Score Setup update instantly in the Score Edi-
Information
tor.
Title Enter the Title for the score. This appears at
To open the Score Setup, do one of the following: the top of the first page.
 Choose File > Score Setup.
Composer Enter the Composer for the score. This
 From the Tracks List menu in the Score Editor appears in the upper right-hand corner of the first
window, select Score Setup. page.
 Right-click in the Score Editor window and se-
lect Score Setup.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 859

 Display Spacing

The Display options determine which score ele- Between Staves Enter the spacing you want
ments you want displayed in the score. Deselect between staves.
the elements you do not want displayed in the
Between Systems Enter the spacing you want be-
score.
tween systems.
Title and Composer Select to display the Title and
Composer on the score. On pages where the music is vertically justi-
fied, the distance between staves and systems
Page Numbers Select to display Page Numbers at will be larger than the numbers specified.
the bottom of each page.
Below Title and Composer Enter the spacing you
Bar Numbers Select to display Bar Numbers at the want between the Title and Composer and the first
beginning of each system above the top staff. staff of the score.
Track Names Select to display Track Names for Below Chord Symbols and Diagrams Enter the
each staff at the beginning of the score. spacing you want between Chord Symbols and Di-
agrams and the top stave of each system.
Chord Symbols Select to display chord symbols in
the score.
Layout
Chord Diagrams Select to display Chord Dia-
Page Size Select the page size (Letter, Legal, Tab-
grams (guitar tablature) in the score (see “Chord loid, or A4).
Symbols and Diagrams” on page 866).
Portrait Select to set the page orientation to Por-
Disable the Chord Diagrams option when trait.
printing charts and lead sheets where you just
want to see chord symbols. 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.

860 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To make a marquee selection on one or more
Editing Notes staves with the Grabber tool:

MIDI note editing in the Edit window, MIDI Edi- 1 Click the Grabber tool.
tor windows, and the Score Editor window all af- 2 Drag in the score to highlight the notes you
fect the same MIDI data. When editing in one win- want to select.
dow, your edits are reflected in all other windows.

The Score Editor provides simple score editing

tools for entering, moving, and transposing MIDI
notes as music notation:
• The Trim tool lets you lengthen or shorten the
duration of notes.
• The Note Selector tool lets you make object se-
Selecting notes with the Grabber tool
lections of notes in the score.
• The Grabber tool lets you select and move notes Transposing Notes
to another time or pitch location on the same
track. You can use the Grabber tool or the Pencil tool to
manually transpose a note up or down. You can
• The Pencil tool lets you insert notes and move also use the Transpose Event Operation (Event >
them to another time or pitch location on the Event Operations > Transpose) to transpose se-
same track. lected notes.

Selecting Notes To transpose a single note:

You can use either the Note Selector tool or the 1 Click the Grabber tool.
Grabber tool to select notes on one or more staves. 2 Drag the note you want to transpose up or down.

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. Transposing a note with the Grabber tool

To transpose all selected notes:

1 Click the Grabber tool.
2 Drag around the notes you want to Transpose to
Selecting notes with the Note Selector tool select them.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 861

 3 Drag any of the selected notes up or down to Inserting Notes
transpose them.
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 cre-
ates rests where appropriate.

You can also enter notes by recording MIDI, im-

Transposing selected notes with the Grabber tool porting MIDI from a file, or using Step Input
(Event > Event Operations > Step Input).
Moving Notes
To manually insert a note:
Use the Grabber tool to move selected notes from
1 Select the Default Note Duration setting (see
one time location to another time location on the
“Default Note Duration” on page 851).
same staff. When moving notes in the Score Edi-
tor, the underlying MIDI notes maintain their posi- 2 Select the Grid setting (see “Grid” on
tion relative to the Grid. page 852).

To move notes to another time location:

3 Select the Default Note On Velocity (see “De-
fault Note On Velocity” on page 851).
1 Click the Grabber tool.
4 Click the Pencil tool and select Free Hand.
2 If you want to move more than one note, drag
around the notes you want to move to select 5 With the Free Hand Pencil tool, do any of the
them. following:
• Single-click at the time location and pitch you
3 Drag any of the selected notes to another time
want to enter a single note of the selected De-
location on the same staff.
fault Note Duration.

Entering a single note with the Pencil tool

• Click at the time location and pitch and drag

to the right to increase the duration of the
Moving selected notes with the Grabber tool
note.

You can also Nudge notes in the Score Editor

by the currently selected Grid value.

862 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Rests
The Score Editor automatically adds rests as nec-
essary. Rests cannot be moved or inserted manu-
ally.

Entering a single longer note with the Pencil tool Score Editor Right-Click
To manually insert multiple notes of the same
Menu
pitch: The Score Editor Right-click menu provides sev-
1 Select the Default Note Duration setting (see eral useful commands for editing, exporting, and
“Default Note Duration” on page 851). formatting the score and MIDI data.

2 Select the Grid setting (see “Grid” on To access the Score Editor Right-click menu:
page 852).
 Right-click anywhere on the score.
3 Select the Default Note On Velocity (see “De-
fault Note On Velocity” on page 851).
Score Editor Right-Click Menu
4 Click the Pencil tool and select any of the fol- Items
lowing shapes:
Tools
• Line
The Tools submenu lets you select any Edit tools
• Triangle
relevant to the Score Editor.
• Square
Zoomer Selects the Zoomer tool.
• Random
Note Selector Selects the Note Selector tool.
5 Click at the time location and pitch and drag to
the right. Repeated notes of the selected Default Grabber Selects the Grabber tool.
Note Duration are entered on the selected Grid.
The Note On velocities for each note are deter- Pencil Selects the Pencil tool.
mined in part by the Default Note On Velocity
Insert
setting and the selected Pencil tool shape (see
“Pencil” on page 850). 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.

Entering multiple note of the same pitch with the Line
Pencil tool

Chapter 37: Score Editor 863

 Cut Notation Display Track Settings

The Cut command cuts the current Edit selection. Choosing the Notation Display Track Settings op-
tion opens the Notation Display Track Settings di-
Copy alog (see “Notation Display Track Settings” on
page 857).
The Copy command copies the current Edit selec-
tion.
Score Setup

Paste Choosing the Score Setup option opens the Score

Setup dialog (see “Score Setup” on page 859).
The Paste command pastes the clipboard to the
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cursor
Send to Sibelius
location. Any MIDI notes already present at the
same location are overwritten. Choosing the Send to Sibelius option command
sends the score exactly as it appears in the Score
Merge Editor window to Sibelius notation software (see
“Exporting Scores” on page 867).
The Merge command pastes the clipboard to the
current Edit selection or at the current Edit cursor
Print Score
location and merges the pasted data with any MIDI
notes already present at the same Choosing the Print Score command prints the
location. score (see “Printing Scores” on page 868).

Clear

The Clear command clears (deletes) the current Key Changes

Edit selection. You can add, edit, and delete Key Signatures in
your score. Key Signatures affect the note spelling
Event Operations
of MIDI notes in the score. For example, MIDI
The Event Operations submenu lets you select any note number 58 (“B-flat 3”) is B-flat in F major,
of the Event Operations windows (such as Quan- but it is A-sharp in B major.
tize or Change Velocity).
You can also add and delete Key Signatures
Open in MIDI Editor in the Key Signatures ruler in the Edit
window or in any MIDI Editor window.
Choosing the Open in MIDI Editor option opens the
tracks shown in the Score Editor in a MIDI Editor To add a Key Signature:
window. 1 With the Note Selector, Grabber, or Pencil tool,
Right-click at the location in the score where
Open in MIDI Event List
you want to change key and select Insert > Key
The Open In MIDI Event List option opens the se- Change.
lected track in the MIDI Event List. 2 In the Key Change dialog, select the mode (ma-
jor or minor), the key, its location and range,
and how you want it to affect pitched tracks.

864 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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. Meter Change dialog

To delete a Key Signature: 3 If you want the inserted meter event to fall
cleanly on the first beat of the nearest measure,
 With the Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac) or
select the Snap To Bar option.
Alt-click (Windows) the Key Signature you
want to delete. 4 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
Meter Changes note value.

You can add, edit, and delete Meters in your score. For some meters, it may be desirable to use a
Meter changes affect the number of bars in the dotted value for the click. For instance, if us-
score (and in your session). When changing meter, ing a meter of 6/8, a dotted quarter note click
notes are not moved, but the barlines will be re- (yielding two clicks per measure) is generally
drawn. more suitable than a straight eighth note click
(six clicks per measure).
You can also add and delete Meters in the
Meter ruler in the Edit window and in MIDI 5 Click OK to insert the new meter.
Editor windows.
To edit a Meter change:
To add a Meter change:
1 With the Grabber tool, double-click the Meter
1 Do one of the following: event you want to edit.
• Choose Event > Time Operations > Change 2 Enter values in the Meter Change dialog and
Meter. click OK.
• With the Note Selector, Grabber, or Pencil
tool, Right-click at the location in the score To delete a Meter change:
where you want to change meter and select  With the Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac) or
Insert > Meter Change. Alt-click (Windows) the Meter event you want
2 In the Meter Change dialog, enter the Location to delete.
and Meter for the meter change.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 865

 Chord Symbols and Diagrams Chord Quality
selector
Chord selector Bass selector
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 exporting
MIDI data from Pro Tools to a MIDI file, but they
are included when exporting to a Sibelius file (.sib)
or when using the Send to Sibelius command.

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.

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 select In-
sert > Chord. Chord Diagrams
2 In the Chord Change dialog, select the name for Chord Change dialog
the root of the Chord from the Chord selector
3 Select the quality from the Chord Quality
(such as D).
selector (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.

866 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Exporting Scores
Pro Tools lets you export the score from your ses-
sion 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.

Sibelius 5.x or higher is required to open .sib

files exported from Pro Tools.

Chord symbol and diagram in the score To export a score from Pro Tools:

To edit a chord symbol: 1 Configure the score for your session in Score
Editor window.
1 With the Grabber tool, double-click the chord
symbol you want to edit. 2 Choose File > Export > To Sibelius.
2 Make changes in the Chord Change dialog, and 3 Select a destination and click Save.
click OK.
To send the score from your Pro Tools session to
To move a chord symbol: Sibelius, do one of the following:

 With the Grabber tool, drag the chord symbol to 1 Configure the score for your session in the
a new location. Score Editor window.
2 Do one of the following:
To delete a chord symbol:
• Choose File > Send to Sibelius.
 With the Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac) or
• Right-click in the Score Editor and choose
Alt-click (Windows) the chord symbol you
Send to Sibelius.
want to delete.
Pro Tools exports all Instrument and MIDI tracks
To display or hide chord symbols in the score: shown in the Score Editor to Sibelius as a .sib file
 In the Score Settings dialog (File > Score and launches Sibelius if it is installed on your com-
Setup), enable or disable the Chord Symbols puter. You can then further edit the notation in Si-
option. belius and print the score or parts from Sibelius.

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.

Chapter 37: Score Editor 867

 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 Print (Mac) or OK (Windows).

Press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P

(Windows) to print the score.

868 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 38: MIDI Event List

The MIDI Event List displays a detailed list of all

events in a single MIDI or Instrument track. The Opening the MIDI Event List
events are displayed with text and numbers, allow-
To open the MIDI Event List, do one of the
ing you to precisely edit their location, length, and following:
event values.
 Choose Window > MIDI Event List.
Number of Events MIDI Event List menu
 Right-click a MIDI or Instrument track name in
Track selector Target the Mix or Edit window, or in the Tracks List.

Press Option+Equal (Mac) or Alt+Equal

(Windows) to open the MIDI Event List.

Track Selector
The Track selector in the MIDI Event List both in-
dicates the currently displayed MIDI or Instrument
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
MIDI Event List are displayed at the top of the MIDI Event List.

Events in the MIDI Event List can be copied and

pasted, selected, or deleted. Any MIDI event (ex- Target
cept Sysex data) can be inserted and edited in the The Target button for the MIDI Event List deter-
list. Certain MIDI event types can be hidden with mines whether or not the MIDI Event List follows
the View Filter. the Edit cursor and Edit selections in the Edit win-
dow and MIDI Editor windows. For example,
Unlike playlists in the Edit window, you can
when the Target is enabled, the Events shown in
insert and display polyphonic aftertouch in
the MIDI Event List update to show the event in
the MIDI Event List.
the Edit selection in the Edit window. When the
Target is disabled, the MIDI Event List shows the
Mute data for MIDI and Instrument tracks is same events regardless of changes to the Edit se-
not displayed in the MIDI Event List. lection in other windows.

Chapter 38: MIDI Event List 869

 MIDI Event List Menu Length/Info Column Displays the end point or
length for notes, depending on which option is se-
The MIDI Event List menu contains commands lected in the Options pop-up menu. Also displayed
and options for the MIDI Event List (see “MIDI are the names for continuous controller events and
Event List Options” on page 876). program changes.

Columns in the MIDI Event List View Filter for MIDI Event List
Information for the events in the MIDI Event List You can use the View Filter to specify which event
is displayed in the following three columns: types are displayed in the MIDI Event List. This
Start Column Displays the start location, using the can help you zero in on only the events you want to
Main Time Scale, for each event. Locations can affect; it also protects MIDI events from being ed-
also be displayed in the Sub Time Scale when the ited or deleted. Events not displayed in the MIDI
Show Sub Counter option is selected in the Op- Event List still play back.
tions pop-up menu.
The View Filter can be set to display “all” mes-
The playback cursor appears as a blue arrow (red, sages, “only” the specified messages, or “all ex-
when tracks are record-enabled) in the Start col- cept” the specified messages.
umn.
When inserting an event type that has been
When several events reside at the same location, filtered from the MIDI Event List, that event
the location is only indicated for the top event, with type will no longer be filtered.
the others dimmed. The dimmed locations can be
Example: To filter the display of aftertouch and
edited by double-clicking them. System Exclusive Messages in the MIDI Event
List:

1 In the MIDI Event List, choose View Filter from

Playback cursor the MIDI Event List menu.

With the MIDI Event List as the front-most

double-click window, press Command+F (Mac) or Con-
to edit
trol+F (Windows) to open the MIDI Event
simultaneous
MIDI events List View Filter dialog.

MIDI Event List columns

Event Column Displays the event type, indicated

by an icon, and associated event values.

870 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 In the MIDI Event List View Filter dialog, se- • Press Option+Tab (Mac) or Control+Tab (Win-
lect the All Except option. dows) or the Up Arrow to move to the previous
event (with or without the edit field selected).
• 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 Arrow
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 View Filter dialog
MIDI Event List menu.
3 Select the options for Mono Aftertouch, Poly-
phonic Aftertouch, and System Exclusive. Leave With the MIDI Event List as the front-most win-
all other messages deselected. dow, press Command+G (Mac) or Control+G
(Windows) to open the Go To dialog.
When using the All Except option, the selected
events are not displayed. Conversely, when using 2 In the Go To dialog, choose a format from the
the Only option, only the selected events are dis- Time Scale pop-up menu.
played.
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 loca-
tion.

To move through the MIDI Event List, do any of the

following: Go To dialog

• Double-click to edit a value. 3 If using Timecode, you can select the Use Sub-
• Press Tab or the Down Arrow to move to the frames option.
next event (with or without the edit field se- 4 Enter the location you want to go to, then click
lected). OK.

Chapter 38: MIDI Event List 871

 The following items from the MIDI Event List When a field is selected, enter a value with any of
menu affect navigating in the MIDI Event List: the following methods:
• When the Page Scroll During Playback option • Enter the value on the numeric keypad.
is selected, the MIDI Event List scrolls • Drag up or down to scroll to the value.
during playback.
• Play the note on your MIDI controller key-
• When Scroll During Edit Selection is selected, board, then press Return (Mac) or Enter
the MIDI Event List is scrolled automatically (Windows) on the alphanumeric keyboard to
when the Edit selection changes in the Edit confirm the value.
window.
With the Start field selected, you can auto-
matically enter the location of another event
Inserting Events in the MIDI already in the track by clicking that event.
Event List
3 Do one of the following:
You can insert events in the MIDI Event List by • To insert the note and remain in Event Entry
choosing an event type from the MIDI Event List mode, press Enter on the numeric keypad.
menu. Following are several examples of inserting
• To insert the note and exit Event Entry mode,
events in the MIDI Event List.
press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) on
To insert a note in the MIDI Event List:
the alphanumeric keyboard.
• To exit Event Entry mode, without inserting
1 From the MIDI Event List menu, select Insert >
the note event, press Escape on the alphanu-
Note.
meric keyboard.
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
window, press Command+N (Mac) or Con- To insert a controller event in the MIDI Event List:
trol+N (Windows) to Insert a note. 1 From the MIDI Event List menu, choose Insert
> Controller.
2 Enter the location, pitch, attack (Note On) and
release (Note Off) velocities, and length for the With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
new note. To move between the Event Entry window, press Command+L (Mac) or Con-
fields, use the Left and Right Arrow keys. trol+L (Windows) to Insert a controller
event.

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
Pitch Release velocity
move between the Event Entry fields, use the
Attack velocity
Left and Right Arrow keys.
Event Entry fields for note

872 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To insert a program change in the MIDI Event List:
1 From the MIDI Event List menu, choose Insert
> Program Change.

With the MIDI Event List as the front-most win-

dow, press Command+P (Mac) or Control+P
Controller number Controller name
(Windows) to Insert a program change event.
Controller value
2 Enter the location for the new event.
Event Entry fields for controller event
3 Enter a Program Change number and Bank Se-
When a field is selected, enter a value with any of lect value (if necessary). The program change
the following methods: name is displayed in the Info column.
• Enter the value on the numeric keypad.
• Press the Up or Down Arrow to scroll to the
value.
• While pressing Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows), drag up or down to scroll to the
Program number Program name
value.
Controller 32 value
• Play the controller event on your MIDI con-
Controller 0 value
troller keyboard, then press Return (Mac) or
Enter (Windows) on the alphanumeric key- Event Entry fields for program change
board to confirm the value. You can click in the Length/Info column to open
With the Start field selected, you can auto- the Program Change window (for details, see
matically enter the location of another event “Patch Select (Program and Bank Changes)” on
already in the track by clicking that event. page 811).

With the Start field selected, you can auto-

3 Do one of the following:
matically enter the location of another event
• To insert the controller event and remain in already in the track by clicking that event.
Event Entry mode, press Enter on the nu-
meric keypad. 4 Do one of the following:
• To insert the controller event and exit Event • To insert the program change and remain in
Entry mode, press Return (Mac) or Enter Event Entry mode, press Enter on the nu-
(Windows) on the alphanumeric keyboard. meric keypad.
• To exit Event Entry mode, without inserting • To insert the program change and exit Event
the controller event, press Escape on the al- Entry mode, press Return (Mac) or Enter
phanumeric keyboard. (Windows) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
• To exit Event Entry mode, without inserting
the program change, press Escape on the al-
phanumeric keyboard.

Chapter 38: MIDI Event List 873

 Inserting Another Event 2 Enter a new value with any of the following
methods:
After inserting an event, you can easily insert an-
other event of the same type. The event type to be • Enter the new value on the numeric keypad.
inserted is indicated at the bottom of the Insert • While pressing Option (Mac) or Alt (Win-
menu. dows), press the Up or Down Arrow to scroll
to a new value.
Example: After inserting a note, to insert another, • While pressing Command (Mac) or Control
do one of the following:
(Windows), drag up or down to scroll to a
 From the MIDI Event List menu, select Insert > new value.
Another Note. • Play the new note or controller value on your
MIDI controller keyboard, then press Return
With the MIDI Event List as the front-most
(Mac) or Enter (Windows) on the alphanu-
window, press Command+M (Mac) or Con-
meric keyboard to confirm.
trol+M (Windows) to Insert a note.
3 Do one of the following:
When the option for Insert At Playback Lo- • To enter the new event value and move to an-
cation is enabled (see “MIDI Event List Op- other field or event, use the Arrow keys.
tions” on page 876), you can use the key- • To enter the new value and remain in Edit En-
board shortcuts for inserting “another” try mode, press Enter on the numeric keypad.
event to insert events on-the-fly. • To enter the new value and exit Edit Entry
mode, press Return (Mac) or Enter (Win-
dows) on the alphanumeric keyboard.
Editing Events in the MIDI
• To exit Edit Entry mode without entering the
Event List
new value, press Escape on the alphanumeric
Events in the MIDI Event List can be edited, se- keyboard.
lected, deleted, and copied and pasted.

To edit an event in the MIDI Event List:

Selecting Events in the MIDI
Event List
1 Do one of the following:
To select a range of events in the MIDI Event List,
• Double-click the event field you want to edit.
do one of the following:
• To edit a selected event, press Command+En-
 Click the event at the beginning of the selection
ter (Mac) or Control+Enter (Windows).
and drag to the ending event.
 Shift-click the event at the beginning of the se-
lection, then Shift-click the ending event.

874 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To select noncontiguous events in the MIDI Event Copying and Pasting Events in
List: the MIDI Event List
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
To copy and paste events in the MIDI Event List:
dows) each event.
1 Select the events you want to copy in the MIDI
To deselect an event in the MIDI Event List: Event List.
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
dows) the selected event.

Notes selected in the MIDI Event List can be

modified by any of the commands in the Event
Operations window (see Chapter 48, “Event
Operations”).

Deleting Events in the MIDI

Event List
To delete an event in the MIDI Event List:

 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the

event you want to delete.
Selecting in the MIDI Event List
To delete a selection of events in the MIDI Event
List: 2 Choose Edit > Copy.
1 Select the events you want to delete by either
3 Do one of the following:
dragging in the Start column, or by Shift-click-
ing each event. • To paste the material at an existing event’s lo-
cation, click the event in the MIDI Event List.
2 To view only the events you want to delete, use
• To paste the material at any location, choose
the View Filter (see “View Filter for MIDI
Go To from the Options menu in the MIDI
Event List” on page 870). Events not displayed
Event List, enter the location where you want
cannot be deleted.
to paste, and click OK.
3 Do one of the following: • Choose Edit > Paste. The events from the
• Choose Edit > Clear to delete all selected Clipboard are pasted, replacing any existing
events. events already there.
• Press Delete (Mac) or Backspace (Windows) To paste events without overwriting other
on the alphanumeric keyboard. events, use the Merge Paste Special
command.

Chapter 38: MIDI Event List 875

 Keep Window On Top Keeps the MIDI Event List
MIDI Event List Options window in the foreground even when clicking on
The MIDI Event List menu provides the following and focusing another window (such as the Edit or
options: Mix windows). Enable the Keep Window On Top
option in the MIDI Event List menu to ensure that
Show Sub Counter Displays event times in the the window remains in the foreground when work-
Sub Time Scale. ing with other windows. When this option is dis-
abled, clicking on another window (such as the
Go To Opens the Go To dialog, where you can
Edit or Mix windows) brings that window to the
specify a location, based on any of the supported
front and the MIDI Event List may be hidden or
Time Scales, to which the Edit insertion point is
partially covered behind it.
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, in-

stead of note lengths, in the Length/Info column 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 870).

876 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part VII: Arranging
Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and
Chords

In Pro Tools, editing and arranging is typically

done on tracks against a fixed Timeline. Timebase Rulers and
Conductor Rulers
Clips and events can be anchored to points in abso-
lute time, or relative time, as measured on the ses-
sion’s Timeline. The Timeline includes two differ-
ent types of rulers for measuring time: Timebase
rulers and Conductor rulers.

Pro Tools also provides a Markers ruler

for Memory Location (see Chapter 40,
“Memory Locations”).

The Timebase rulers can measure time in two dif-

ferent ways: sample-based time (absolute time) All rulers displayed
and tick-based time (relative time). For example,
the Minutes:Seconds ruler measures absolute time Timebase Rulers
and the Bars|Beats ruler measures relative time.
Any or all of the following Timebase rulers can be
The relative time of the Bars|Beats ruler is deter- displayed at the top of the Edit window and in
mined in part by tempo and meter. Tempo, Meter, MIDI Editor windows:
and Key Signature rulers reside in Conductor Bars|Beats Displays the Time Scale in bars and
tracks. Tempo and meter events affect the timing beats. Use this Time Scale if you are working with
of tick-based tracks, and also provide the tempo musical material that must align with bars and
and meter map for the Bar:Beat grid and Click. beats. The Bars|Beats Time Scale is relative and is
You can edit tempo events in the Tempo ruler or affected by the session’s tempo and meter map.
Tempo Editor.

Key changes can affect MIDI notes when applying

transposition. You can edit key and key changes in
the Key Signature ruler.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 879

 • 119.88 drop
To ensure your tracks align with the bars and
• 120 fps
beats in your session, record with a click (see
“Recording with a Click” on page 538). Ma- • 120 fps drop
terial that is recorded without listening to a
Secondary Timecode Ruler A secondary time-
click can still be aligned to bar and beat
code ruler, labeled Time Code 2, lets you refer-
boundaries in Pro Tools with the Identify
ence video frame rates in the Timeline that are dif-
Beat command (see “Identify Beat Com-
ferent from the session Timecode rate. However,
mand” on page 905), or with Beat Detective
you cannot Spot to the Timecode 2 ruler and it can-
(see Chapter 34, “Beat Detective”).
not be set as the Main Time Scale. The secondary
Minutes:Seconds Displays the Time Scale in min- timecode ruler can be set to show any Pro Tools
utes and seconds. As you zoom in farther with the supported frame rate.
Zoomer tool, the Time Scale begins to display
The Timecode 2 ruler can display the same frame
tenths, hundredths, and thousandths of a second.
rates as the Timecode ruler.
The Minutes:Seconds Time Scale is absolute.
Feet+Frames Displays the Time Scale in feet and
Timecode Displays the Time Scale in frames. The
frames for referencing audio-for-film projects. The
Timecode Rate and Session Start time are set from
Feet+Frames time display is based on the 35 milli-
the Session Setup window. The Timecode Time
meter film format. The Feet+Frames Time Scale is
Scale is absolute, based on the frame rate.
absolute, based on the frame rate.
Pro Tools supports the following frame rates:
Samples Displays the Time Scale in samples. This
• 23.976 fps format is very useful for high-precision sample ed-
• 24 fps iting. The Samples Time Scale is absolute, based
on the sample rate.
• 25 fps
• 29.97 fps In addition to providing a timing reference for
track material, the Timebase rulers are also used to
• 29.97 fps drop
define Edit selections for track material, and Time-
• 30 fps line selections for record and play ranges.
• 30 fps drop
With the Selector tool, drag in any Timebase
• 47.952 fps ruler to select material across all tracks in the
• 48 fps Edit window or MIDI Editor window. To in-
clude the Conductor tracks in the selection,
• 50 fps
press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while
• 59.94 fps dragging.
• 59.94 fps drop
• 60 fps
• 60 fps drop
• 100 fps
• 119.88 fps

880 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Conductor Rulers To change the display order for the rulers:

Any or all of the following Conductor rulers can be  Drag a ruler’s name up or down to a new
displayed: location.

• Markers To copy the range selection from a Conductor

• Tempo (and Tempo Editor) ruler to make an Edit selection in the top track in
the Edit window (or in the Notes pane in MIDI
• Meter Editor windows):
• Keys (and Key Signature Staff)  Press Control+; (semicolon) (Mac) or
• Chords Start+; (semicolon) (Windows).

The Meter and Tempo rulers indicate changes in

Ruler View Selector
meter and tempo within the Session. The Key Sig-
nature ruler indicates changes of key. The Chord The Timebase and Conductor rulers can also be
Symbols ruler shows chord markers. The Markers configured with the Ruler View selector.
ruler displays markers to important track locations.

For more information on Memory Location

markers, see Chapter 40, “Memory 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).
 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

Ruler View selector in the Edit Window.
Scale” on page 882.)

To add a specific ruler to the display, such as the

Markers ruler, for instance:

 Select View > Rulers > Marker.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 881

 Main Time Scale
While all Timebase rulers can be displayed simul-
taneously in the Edit and MIDI Editor windows,
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 format Main Counter selector (in the Edit window)
used for:  If a Timebase ruler is displayed, click its name
• The Main Counter in the Transport so it becomes highlighted.
• The Main Counter at the top of the Edit window Setting the Main Time Scale to the timebase
or MIDI Editor window currently displayed in the Sub Counter
• Start, End, and Length values switches the two Time Scales, setting the Sub
• Pre- and post-roll amounts Time Scale to the previous timebase of the
Main Time Scale.
• Grid and Nudge values

The Main Time Scale can be set to the following

formats:
• Bars|Beats
• Minutes:Seconds
• Timecode
Switching the Main Time Scale from Bars|Beats to
• Feet+Frames Min:Sec
• Samples
Navigating with the Main
Counters
Setting the Main Time Scale
The Main Counters (at the top of the Edit window
To set the Main Time Scale, do one of the and in the Transport window) provide a convenient
following:
way to navigate to a specific time location.
 Click a Main Counter selector (located at the
top of the Edit or Transport window (when it is The Main Counter indicator in the
set to display Counters) and select a Time Scale. Transport window only displays when the
Transport is set to display Counters.

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.

882 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 When working in Bars|Beats, you will often want
The Sub Counter to specify tick values for a number of operations,
Below each Main Counter is a Sub Counter that including:
can be shown or hidden. The Sub Counter provides • Placing and spotting clips
an additional timing reference.
• Setting lengths for clips or MIDI notes
To show (or hide) the Sub Counter in the Edit • Locating and setting play and record ranges (in-
window: cluding pre- and post-roll)
 From the Main Counter selector, select (or dese- • Specifying settings in the Quantize and Change
lect) the Show Sub Counter option. Duration pages of the Event Operations window
• Setting the Grid and Nudge values
To show the Sub Counter in the Transport window:

 From the Transport Window menu, ensure that When the Main Time Scale is set to
the Counters and Expanded Transport options Bars|Beats, and you are using tempo
are enabled. changes, set the Linearity Display Mode to
Linear Tick Display (see “Changing the
To set the Time Scale for the Sub Counter: Linearity Display Mode” on page 898).
This will keep the Bars|Beats ruler fixed (at
 Click the Sub Counter selector and select a
the selected zoom level) and sample-based
Time Scale.
rulers such as Minutes:Seconds will scale
to fit any tempo changes while bar lengths
remain constant.

The following table lists the number of ticks for

each of the main note sizes:
Sub Counter selector (in the Edit window)
Note Value Normal Dotted Triplet

Tick-Based Timing 1/2 note 1920 2880 1280

Pro Tools is a sample-based program with an inter- 1/4 note 960 1440 640
nal MIDI resolution of 960,000 pulses per quarter 1/8 note 480 720 320
note (ppq). However, when the Time Scale is set to
Bars|Beats, the display resolution in Pro Tools is 1/16 note 240 360 160
960 ppq and the Timebase is tick-based. 1/32 note 120 180 80

In the Bars|Beats Time Scale, Pro Tools is 1/64 note 60 90 40

tick-based (960 ticks to a quarter note). Some
amount of sample-rounding may occur when
placing events at certain locations (see
“Sample Rounding and Edit Operations” on
page 886).

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 883

 Tick-Based Audio and MIDI
Tick- and Sample-Based
Timebases Tick-based audio is fixed to the relative time of the
Bars|Beats Timebase ruler, and moves relative to
Pro Tools lets you set any track timebase to either the sample Timeline when tempo and meter
sample-based or tick-based. changes occur. However, MIDI and Elastic Audio
Audio tracks in Pro Tools are sample-based by de- events, and tick-based audio clips (non–Elastic
fault. This means that audio clips and events are lo- Audio) respond differently to tempo changes in re-
cated at specific sample locations, and they do not spect to duration. MIDI note events and Elastic
move from that location if the tempo changes in Audio clips change their duration when tempo is
the session—even though their bar and beat loca- adjusted, while non–Elastic Audio audio clips do
tions do change. not. Tempo changes affect only the location of the
beginning (or sync point) of each audio clip in a
MIDI and Instrument tracks in Pro Tools are tick- tick-based (non–Elastic Audio) audio track.
based by default. This means that MIDI clips and
events are located at a specific bar and beat loca- You can select whether a track is sample-based or
tions, and they do not move from that location if tick-based when it is created, or change timebases
the tempo changes in the session—even though its later.
sample location does change. To have all new tracks default to tick-based,
enable the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
Sample-Based Audio and MIDI base option in the Editing Preferences.
With a sample-based audio track, all audio clips in
the track have an absolute location on the absolute Tick-Based Elastic Audio
Timeline (for example, on the Samples or Min- Tick-based Elastic Audio tracks automatically ap-
utes:Seconds Timebase ruler). Audio stays fixed to ply Real-Time (or Rendered) Elastic Audio pro-
the sample time, regardless of any tempo or meter cessing (TCE) when changing tempo. For more in-
changes occur in a session. formation, see “Tempo Changes and Tick-Based
Elastic Audio Tracks” on page 891.
On sample-based MIDI and Instrument tracks, all
MIDI events in the track have an absolute location
on the absolute Timeline (for example, on the Switching Timebases
Sample or Minutes:Seconds Timebase ruler). All Pro Tools tracks can be switched between be-
MIDI events stay fixed to the sample time, regard- ing sample-based or tick-based.
less of where tempo or meter changes occur in a
session. Track height affects how various track controls ap-
pear in the Edit window. The Timebase selector,
which is used for switching a track’s timebase, is
only visible in Medium or larger track heights.

884 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To switch the timebase of a track, do one of the Alternate Playlist Timebases
following:
When you change a track’s timebase, you can
 If the track’s height is set to Medium or larger,
choose to apply the timebase change to that track
click the Timebase selector for the track and se-
only, or to the active Playlist and all alternate play-
lect the timebase. The Timebase selector icon
lists for that track.
changes to reflect your choice.
.

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
Alternate Playlists option.

Groups
When you change the timebase for an audio track
Timebase selector (samples)
that is part of an active Edit group, all the tracks in
.

the group will change to the same timebase.

Audio Clip Location

In tick-based audio tracks, the location of an audio
clip is determined by the clip’s start point, unless
the clip contains a sync point.

If the clip contains a sync point, the sync point de-

termines where the audio clip is fixed to the grid.
Timebase selector (ticks)

 If the track’s height is set to Small (or smaller), Marker Location

click the Track Height selector and select the
timebase from the Track Timebase submenu. When creating markers and Selection Memory Lo-
cations, you can specify whether they have an Ab-
solute (sample-based) or Bar|Beat (tick-based) ref-
erence. For more information, see “Bar|Beat and
Absolute Reference” on page 927.

Track Height pop-up menu

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 885

 Sample Rounding and Edit The Song Start Marker can be moved, but it cannot
Operations be deleted.
When audio material in Pro Tools is sample-based, The position of the Song Start Marker can
some amount of sample-rounding may occur with also be changed in the Time Operations win-
some edits when the Main Time Scale is set to dow, see “Move Song Start” on page 915.
Bars|Beats. This is most evident when you need
audio clips to fall cleanly on the beat (as when To move the Song Start Marker by dragging:
looping) and notice that the material is sometimes  In the Tempo ruler with any Edit tool, drag the
a tick or two off. With a few simple precautions, Song Start Marker left or right.
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 Dragging the Song Start Marker
and select the appropriate grid value (such as six- If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the Song Start
teenth notes). Marker moves in increments of the current Grid
 For the greatest accuracy, type the selection value.
Start and End points in the Event Edit area.
To move the Song Start Marker only, without
 Do not select the material with any of the Grab- moving any tick-based data, press Con-
ber tools (or by double-clicking with the Selector trol+Shift (Mac) or Start+Shift (Windows)
tool). while dragging. When dragging the Song
Start Marker only, dragging is constrained to
whole bar increments only.
Song Start Marker To edit the initial tempo in the Song Start Marker:
The Song Start Marker defines the initial tempo for 1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the Song Start
Bar|Beat-based material. New sessions open with a Marker.
default tempo of 120 BPM.
2 In the Change Tempo dialog, enter a new BPM
When a new session is created, the Song Start value.
Marker has no associated meter event. A meter
3 Click OK.
event is added automatically at the Song Start if
you add another meter event anywhere else on the
Meter ruler.

Song Start Marker

886 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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 pre-
cise changes in tempo using the Tempo Operations
window.
Current Tempo in Transport window
To display the Tempo ruler:
Inserting Tempo Events
 Select View > Rulers > Tempo.
To insert a tempo event:
To set the default session tempo, see “Setting
the Session Meter and Tempo” on page 540. 1 Click in the Tempo ruler where you want to in-
sert the tempo event.

You can use Beat Detective to generate 2 Click the Add Tempo Change button at the left
Bar|Beat markers (tempo map). For more in- of the Tempo ruler.
formation, see “Generating Bar|Beat Mark-
ers with Beat Detective” on page 770.

When working with tempo changes and tick-

based material, set the Linearity Display Add Tempo Change button
Mode to Linear Tick Display.
3 In the Tempo Change dialog, enter the Location
and BPM value for the tempo change.
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.

In Manual Tempo mode, the Tempo ruler is

ignored and the session plays at the tempo
defined in the Transport window, See “Using
Manual Tempo Mode” on page 542.

Current Tempo Tempo Change dialog

As tempo events are encountered during playback, 4 To place the inserted tempo event cleanly on the
the session’s current tempo is displayed in the first beat of the nearest measure, select the Snap
To Bar option.
Transport window.
5 To base the BPM value on something other than
the default quarter note, select a different note
value.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 887

 6 Click OK. The new tempo event is inserted and To delete a tempo event:
appears in the Tempo ruler.  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
tempo event (the cursor changes to a Grabber
with a “–”).

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
Inserted tempo event
tempo events.
Each tempo event has a small green triangle next to
it that indicates its location. These triangles can be
dragged to move the tempo event, and they can be
double-clicked to edit the tempo event.
Tempo events selected
Moving and Editing Tempo
Events Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while
Existing tempo events can be moved, edited, dragging to select across all Conductor
deleted, copied, and pasted. tracks.

To move a tempo event by dragging: 2 Choose Edit > Copy.

 In the Tempo ruler, drag the triangle for the 3 Click in the Tempo ruler at the point where you
tempo event left or right. 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:
Dragging a tempo event 1 With the Selector or Grabber tool, make a Time-
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event line selection.
snaps to the current Grid value. 2 Shift-click in the Tempo ruler.

To edit a tempo event: To select all tempo events:

1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the tempo  Double-click with the Selector tool in the
event. Tempo ruler.
2 In the Tempo Change dialog, enter a new
Location or BPM value for the tempo event.
3 Click OK.

888 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To clear a range of selected tempo events: To set the Manual Tempo by tapping on an external
MIDI keyboard:
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. 1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport win-
dow, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
2 Drag with the Selector tool in the Tempo ruler to
select the tempo events you want to remove. 2 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the MIDI
tab.
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected tempo
events. 3 Ensure that Use MIDI to Tap Tempo is selected.
4 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler
Tap Tempo Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes un-
highlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
You can manually set the tempo for a Pro Tools
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
session by tapping on your computer keyboard.
the Tempo ruler are ignored.
You can also use a connected MIDI keyboard to
tap tempo. 5 Click in the Tempo field so it becomes high-
lighted and tap in the tempo by playing a note
To set the Manual Tempo by tapping on a computer repeatedly at the new tempo on your MIDI key-
keyboard: board controller.
1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport win-
To compute the new tempo, Pro Tools averages
dow, select View > Transport > MIDI Controls.
the last eight (or fewer) taps to determine the cor-
2 In the Transport window, click the Tempo Ruler rect tempo. The computed BPM value appears in
Enable (Conductor) button so it becomes un- the Transport Tempo field.
highlighted. Pro Tools switches to Manual
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
Tempo and Automation Drift
the Tempo ruler are ignored.
(With Sample-Based Clips on Tick-Based
Tracks Only)

When a track is sample-based, the track’s automa-

tion playlist is unaffected by changes in tempo.
This means that automation is always aligned with
Tempo Ruler button (unhighlighted), set to Manual any sample-based audio on the track with sample
Tempo mode accuracy.
3 Click in the Tempo field so it becomes high- When a track is tick-based, the automation break-
lighted and tap the “T” key on your computer points change to match the changes in tempo.
keyboard repeatedly at the new tempo.

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 886.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 889

 Generally, when applying tempo changes with Minimizing Automation Drift
tick-based MIDI and Elastic Audio, this is desir-
In general, automation drift is more pronounced
able. In fact, you will probably want to set all of the
with larger sample-based audio clips. By creating
tracks in your session that contain automation to
many small clips, the effects of automation drift
tick-based. This way any tempo changes affect all
can be minimized, because the start points of each
tick-based track automation and track material
subsequent clip changes as the tempo changes.
equally. However, when working with sample-
When tempo is decreased, automation expands.
based (non-Elastic) audio on tick-based tracks,
When tempo is increased, automation contracts.
tempo changes affect the start location of audio
clips, but not their duration.

Since the length of each sample-based audio clip 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 at 110 bpm

No Elastic Audio
Tick-based

Tempo at 120 bpm

No Elastic Audio
Tick-based

Tempo at 92 bpm

Tempo change applied to small sample-based clips on

a tick-based track, showing minimal automation drift

To break an audio clip into smaller clips, use

Tempo at 146 bpm
Beat Detective. For more information, see
Tempo change applied to long sampled-based audio
clip on a tick-based track, showing automation drift Chapter 34, “Beat Detective.”

You can also separate clips at transients or

based on the current grid resolution. For
more information, see “Separate Com-
mands” on page 694

890 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Tempo Changes and Tick-Based Tempo Event-generated Warp markers cannot be
Elastic Audio Tracks edited. They only show where the audio has been
warped in order to conform to tempo changes.
Clips on tick-based, Elastic Audio-enabled tracks
apply Time Compression and Expansion (TCE) If you change the track timebase from ticks to
based on tempo changes. For simple tempo samples, any Tempo Event–generated Warp
changes, clips on tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled markers convert to regular, editable Warp
tracks automatically conform to match the new markers.
tempo. Tempo changes do not affect sample-
based, Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. Tempo Changes and Tick-Based
In the following figure, the first two-bar clip is at
Audio Tracks
its native tempo of 120 bpm. The second two-bar When a tick-based audio track has multiple clips,
clip has been conformed to the tempo change of and Elastic Audio is not enabled, an increase in
100 bpm. Since the second clip has been warped to tempo can cause neighboring clips to overlap. Au-
remain two bars long at the slower tempo, it dis- dio clips can be set to display a “shadow” to indi-
plays the Clip Warp indicator in the upper right- cate overlapping clip boundaries.
hand corner of the clip.
Overlap clip Overlap clip

Tempo conformed audio, linear tempo change Underlap clip

Outer clips overlapping middle clip, Overlap Shadows
For tempo curves, such as an accelerando or ritar-
enabled
dando, Tempo Event Warp markers are automati-
cally created corresponding to each tempo event, To toggle the display of Overlap Shadows:
and the clip conforms accordingly. The following  Choose View > Clip > Overlap Shadows.
figure shows a clip in Warp view. Notice how the
audio conforms to the tempo curve. Changing Clip Overlap/Underlap

After tempo changes with tick-based audio, and

other edits, clips may overlap in undesired ways.
To correct this, a clip can be brought to the front, or
sent behind neighboring clips as needed.

To change the clip overlap or underlap:

1 In the Edit window, choose the clip or clips you

want to re-order.

Tempo conformed audio, tempo curve

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 891

 2 Do one of the following:
Conform to Tempo can only be applied to
• Choose Clip > Bring to Front to make the clip
clips and cannot be applied to clip groups. To
overlap the neighboring clips.
conform clip groups to the tempo, ungroup
• Choose Clip > Send to Back to make the clip the clip group, then apply Conform to Tempo
underlap the neighboring clips. to the underlying clips, and then regroup
those clips.
If multiple overlapping clips are selected,
Pro Tools will apply the command to each clip as
that clip relates to the neighboring clip on the right. Alternate Playlists and Tempo
Alternate playlists on Elastic Audio-enabled, tick-
Conform to Tempo based tracks are only affected by tempo changes.
Otherwise, alternate playlists are not affected by
Pro Tools lets you conform clips on Elastic Audio- editing Warp or Event markers in the main playlist.
enabled tracks (both sample- and tick-based) to the
session tempo. If necessary, the Conform to Tempo
command analyzes the selected clips to determine
its tempo and duration (in bars and beats), and then
Graphic Tempo Editor
applies Elastic Audio processing to conform the The Tempo Editor, a resizeable window beneath
clip to match the session tempo. the Tempo ruler in the Edit Window, lets you view
and edit tempo information graphically.
To conform a clip to the session tempo:

1 Select the clip you want to conform to the ses- Displaying the Tempo Editor
sion tempo.
The Tempo Editor is an expansion of the Tempo
2 Do one of the following: ruler, opening in the rulers section of the Edit Win-
• Choose Clip > Conform to Tempo. dow.
• Right-click the clip you wan to conform to
tempo and select Conform to Tempo. Tempo Editor expand/collapse triangle
Tempo Resolution
Pro Tools analyzes the clip’s entire file for Elastic Tempo Density
Audio events and tempo. If a tempo is detected, Add Tempo Change
Tempo events
and a duration in bars and beats is determined, the
clip conforms automatically to the session tempo.
If a tempo and duration is not detected (such as
with a clip that is a single drum hit or with a long
clip with no clear tempo), the clip is not conformed
to the session tempo.

You can also use telescoping warp in Warp

view to manually conform a long clip to the
session tempo. See “Telescoping Warp” on Tempo Editor
page 1030.

892 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To display the Tempo Editor, do one of the
following: Editing Tempo Events in the
 Select View > Rulers > Tempo, then select
Tempo Editor
View > Rulers > Tempo > Tempo Editor. Tempo events in the Tempo Editor can be edited
with any of the following methods:
 Click the Tempo Editor expand/collapse
triangle.  Individual tempo events can be dragged with
any of the Grabber tools to adjust their location or
Zooming and Scrolling in the value.
Tempo Editor  A group of selected tempos can be scaled up or
To zoom in vertically in the Tempo Editor: down with the Trim tool.

 Click the Tempo Editor Zoom In button (“+”).  New tempo events can be drawn in with the
Pencil tool to replace existing ones.
To zoom out vertically in the Tempo Editor:
 Tempo events can be copied and pasted,
 Click the Tempo Editor Zoom Out button (“–”). nudged, and shifted.

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
Zoom In and Out buttons in the Tempo Editor is reproduced as a series of steps according to the
Tempo Edit Density setting. (For more informa-
To scroll vertically in the Tempo Editor, do any of
tion, see “Selecting Tempo Edit Density” on
the following:
page 894.)
 Click the Scroll Up Arrow to scroll up.
Line The Line shape draws in a straight line from
 Click the Scroll Down Arrow to scroll down. click to release. Tempo values change in steps ac-
 Drag the Scroll bar up or down. cording to the Tempo Edit Density and Resolution.

Parabolic The Parabolic shape draws the best pos-

sible 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.

The Triangle, Square, and Random Pencil

tool shapes do not apply to tempo events.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 893

 Selecting Tempo Resolution
(BPM Rate) Quarter-note click Dotted quarter-note click

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. Tempo curve with different click values

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.

Tempo Resolution selector and pop-up menu

To select the Tempo Resolution (BPM rate) for

Pencil tool edits, do one of the following:

 Click the Tempo Resolution selector and select

the appropriate note value from the pop-up
menu. The Tempo Resolution for tempo events Tempo Edit Density selector and pop-up menu
created by drawing with the Pencil tool are set
To select the Tempo Edit Density for Pencil tool
to the specified note value for the BPM rate.
edits:
 Click the Tempo Resolution selector and select
 Click the Tempo Edit Density selector and se-
Follow Metronome Click. The Tempo Resolu-
lect a time value from the pop-up menu. Tempo
tion for tempo events created by drawing with
events created by drawing with the Pencil tool
the Pencil tool automatically mirror the click
are placed in the Tempo ruler at the specified
values set by meter events in the Meter ruler.
density.
A tempo curve can have different BPM values if
Pressing Control (Mac) or Start (Windows)
there are meter click changes within the selected
before drawing a pencil line conforms
range.
already created tempo events to the drawn
Because it can be unnecessarily complicated line rather than creating new tempo events.
to set meter events separately for each Tempo
event, selecting Follow Metronome Click is
recommended in most cases.

894 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Curve Adjustment Mode Creating New Tempo Settings
with Grabber Tools
Immediately after you draw new tempos using the
Pencil tool, a tempo curve appears in blue, outlin- The Grabber tools let you create new tempo
ing the newly created tempo graph. Blue adjust- settings by dragging tempo events in the Tempo
ment handles on the curve let you adjust the shape Editor.
and size of the new tempo graph.

Using a Grabber tool to change a tempo event

To change the tempo of a tempo event:

 With the Grabber tool, drag a tempo event up or

Tempo Curve Adjustment handles
down.

All the new tempo events under the curve will To adjust the location of the tempo change:
change as you move the Tempo Curve Adjust-
 With the Grabber tool, drag a tempo event to the
ment Handles. To adjust the curve shape
left or right.
without the track data adjusting immediately,
press Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) To remove a tempo event:
while adjusting the curve. Tempo events will
change to fit the new curve when you release  With the Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac) or
the mouse button. Alt-click (Windows) the tempo event.

The blue adjustment handles are only active

until a new tool is selected or a new command is
executed.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 895

 Selecting Tempo Events Extending Tempo Selections
You can easily select a single tempo event, or an You can extend Tempo selections to the next or the
entire tempo curve within the Tempo Editor. previous tempo event.

To Select a tempo event in the Tempo Editor: To extend a tempo selection:

 Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool, 1 With the Selector tool, select a range of tempo
double-click between two tempo events. The events.
first event is selected.
2 Do one of the following:
• Press Shift+Tab to extend the selection to the
next tempo event.
• Press Shift+Option+Tab (Mac) or Shift+Con-
trol+Tab (Windows) to extend the
selection to the previous tempo event.

Scaling and Stretching Tempo

Events with the Trim Tool
Selecting a single tempo event The Trim tool lets you scale all the tempo events of
To Select a tempo curve in the Tempo Editor: the session, or within a Timeline selection. The
Trim tool also lets you stretch a clip of tempo
 Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool, tri- events to cover a longer or shorter area in the
ple-click on a horizontal tempo line in the curve Timeline.
that you want to select.
To scale all the session’s tempo events with the
Trim tool:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Trim tool, click above any tempo event
and drag up or down. Dragging up increases the
tempo values for all tempo event in BPM; drag-
ging down decreases them.

Selecting a tempo curve

Changing all tempo events with the Trim tool

896 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To scale selected tempo events with the Trim tool: To scale the duration of tempo changes with the
Trim tool:
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want
to edit. 2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want
to edit.
3 With the Trim tool, click within the selected
area, and drag up or down. Dragging up in- 3 With the Trim tool, click at the start or end of the
creases the tempo values of the selection in selection, and drag horizontally. Tempo events
BPM; dragging down decreases them. do not change in terms of actual BPM values,
but they are scaled over a longer or shorter
amount of absolute time.

Changing selected tempo events with the Trim tool

To adjust the rate of tempo change over absolute

Scaling the duration of selected tempo events with the
time with the Trim tool:
Trim tool
1 Open the Tempo Editor.
Moving, Cutting, Pasting and
With the Selector tool, select the area you want
2
Nudging in the Tempo Editor
to edit.
To move a selected group of tempo events in the
3 With the Trim tool, click either the start or end
Tempo Editor:
handle for the selected range, and drag up or
down. The BPM values for tempo events scale 1 Open the Tempo Editor.
accordingly and tempo events scale over a lon- 2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want
ger or shorter amount of absolute time. 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.

Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while

dragging to move a copy of the tempo events.

Adjusting the rate of tempo change with the

Trim tool

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 897

 To copy and Paste tempo events in the Tempo
Editor: Changing the Linearity
1 Open the Tempo Editor. Display Mode
2 With the Selector tool, select the area you want The Timeline can be viewed in either a Linear Tick
to copy. (relative) scale or a Linear Sample (absolute) Time
Scale. MIDI and Instrument tracks, audio tracks,
3 Choose Edit > Copy. and Tempo curves can appear and function very
4 Click in the Tempo Editor at the point where differently depending on the timebase display set-
you want to paste the tempo events. tings.

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 Linearity Display Mode selector and pop-up menu
the Nudge value.
The Linearity Display Mode pop-up menu deter-
• Press Minus (–) to move the selection back by
mines whether the Tempo Editor displays tempo
the Nudge value.
events in an absolute (samples) timebase or a rela-
tive (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:Sec-
onds). 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.

898 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Linear Tick Display The display of tempo events is
tick-based and tempo event Bar|Beat locations re- Tempo Operations Window
main constant after the tempo curve is drawn and The Tempo Operations window lets you define
all sample-based events move against bar beat lo- tempo events over a range of time (or measures).
cations in the Timeline. When working on any The time range is specified in the time format cho-
tick-based material, such as MIDI notes or Elastic sen for your Main Time Scale. In addition, the
Audio events, make sure that Linear Tick Display Tempo Operations window lets you:
is selected. This is especially true if you will be
making tempo changes, but want the bars and beats • Fit a specific number of Bars|Beats into a precise
to remain fixed in the Timeline. time range.
• Create tempos that speed up or slow down, both
Drawing tempo events using the Linear Tick linearly and over various curves.
Display causes Bar|Beat based material to
• Scale and stretch existing tempos.
move. This can make it difficult to work on
tick-based material. In most cases, you will The Tempo Operations window is not
want to use Linear Sample Display when available in Manual Tempo mode.
drawing tempo changes.
The Tempo Operations window has six pages, one
To change the timebase display:
for each type of tempo operation.
 Click the Linearity Display Mode selector and
Constant Lets you create a constant tempo over a
select a timebase from the pop-up menu.
selected range of time.

Tempo Edit Density and Linear Lets you create tempos that change evenly
Linearity Display Mode over a selected range of time.
When the Tempo Edit Density setting (in the Parabolic Lets you create tempos that accelerate or
Tempo Editor) and the Linearity Display Mode decelerate following a tempo curve that changes
setting are both set to either a Bars|Beats Time the tempo more rapidly or less rapidly over the se-
Scale or to an absolute Time Scale, Tempo edits lection time.
appear evenly spaced. When the Tempo Edit Den-
sity setting and the Linearity Display Mode setting S-Curve Lets you create tempos that accelerate or
are set so that one is set to an absolute Time Scale decelerate following a tempo curve with a defin-
and the other is set to a Bars|Beats Time Scale, the able breakpoint that determines mid-curve times
number of Tempo edits appear to increase or de- and tempo values.
crease over time (against absolute time). Scale Lets you scale tempos within the selection
by a percentage amount.

Stretch Lets you select a clip of tempo events and

apply them to a larger or smaller selection area.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 899

 To open a specific Tempo Operations window Constant
page:
The Constant page in the Tempo Operations win-
 Choose Event > Tempo Operations, followed
dow lets you create a constant tempo over a se-
by one of the Tempo Operations page com-
lected range of time.
mands (such as Constant).

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.

To open the last active Tempo Operations window

page:

 Choose Event > Tempo Operations > Tempo

Operations Window.

Press Option+2 (Mac) or Alt+2 (Windows)

on the number keypad to open the Tempo Op-
erations window and display the last active
Tempo Operations page. Constant page (Advanced Option)

To define tempo events over a range of time: Advanced When this option is selected, the
selection range changes to the Main Time Scale
1 Make a selection in the Timebase or in a track.
format, and additional and modified options be-
2 Choose Event > Tempo Operations > Tempo come available.
Operations Window.
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either
3 Select a Tempo Operation page from the pop-up the tempo, or the selection end time.
menu at the top of the Tempo Operation win-
dow. Selection Start and End Specifies the start and
end point for the tempo change in Bars|Beats.
4 Change the settings for the page you have cho- When an Edit selection is made, the Start and End
sen, as necessary. fields will display the selection boundaries.
5 Do one of the following:
End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the selec-
• Click Apply. tion end time. When the Main Time Scale is set to
• Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to Bars|Beats, the end time is displayed in the Sub
automatically apply the values and close the Time Scale. When the Main Time Scale is set to
window. any absolute timebase, the end time is calculated
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.

900 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either
BPM note value for your tempo setting. the selection end time, the start tempo, or the end
tempo.
Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set
the tempo BPM note value to mirror the click Selection Start and End Displays the start and
value set in the meter markers. end points for the tempo change in the currently se-
lected Main timebase. When an Edit selection is
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the made, the Start and End fields will display the se-
density of the tempo change events written to the lection boundaries. Changing start or end values
Tempo ruler. changes the selection range.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the abso-
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the se- lute time for the selection end. When the Main
lection end point is preserved after the selection. If Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time is dis-
unselected, the last tempo event created by the played in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main
tempo operation continues to the end of the ses- Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the end
sion, or until the next tempo event beyond the se- time is calculated and displayed in Bars|Beats.
lected range. Changing the end time value causes the tempo to
change.
Linear Tempo Start and End Displays the tempo, in beats
The Linear page in the Tempo Operations window per minute (BPM), for the start and end points of
lets you create tempos that change evenly over a the selected range. Changing the tempo causes the
selected range of time. end time value to change.

Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the

BPM note value for your tempo setting.

Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set

the tempo BPM note value to mirror the click
value set in the meter markers.

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 se-
lection end point is preserved after the selection. If
Linear page (Advanced Option)
unselected, the last tempo event created by the
Advanced When this option is selected, the tempo operation continues to the end of the ses-
selection range changes to the Main Time Scale sion, or until the next tempo event beyond the se-
format, and additional and modified options be- lected range.
come available.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 901

 Parabolic End Time (Advanced Option) Displays the abso-
lute time for the selection end. When the Main
The Parabolic page in the Tempo Operations win- Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time is dis-
dow lets you create tempos that accelerate or de- played in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main
celerate by following a tempo curve, which Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the end
changes the tempo more rapidly or less rapidly time is calculated and displayed in Bars|Beats.
over the selection time. 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. Nega-
tive 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.
Parabolic page (Advanced Option)

Advanced When this option is selected, the Selecting “Follow Metronome Click” will set
selection range changes to the Main Time Scale the tempo BPM note value to mirror the click
format, and additional and modified options be- value set in the meter markers.
come available.
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates the se- density of the tempo change events written to the
lection end time, the start tempo, the end tempo, or Tempo ruler.
the curvature of the tempo change.
Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
Selection Start and End Displays the start and end previous tempo setting that was in effect at the se-
points for the tempo change in the currently se- lection end point is preserved after the selection. If
lected Main timebase. When an Edit selection is unselected, the last tempo event created by the
made, the Start and End fields will display the se- tempo operation continues to the end of the ses-
lection boundaries. Changing start or end values sion, or until the next tempo event beyond the se-
changes the selection range. lected range.

902 Pro Tools Reference Guide

S-Curve Start and End Time (Advanced Option) Displays
the absolute time for the selection end. When the
The S-Curve page in the Tempo Operations win- Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, the end time
dow lets you create tempos that accelerate or de- is displayed in the Sub Time Scale. When the Main
celerate by following a tempo curve with a defin- Time Scale is set to any absolute timebase, the end
able breakpoint that determines mid-curve times time is calculated and displayed in Bars|Beats.
and tempo values.
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. Nega-
tive 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 Curvature 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.

S-Curve page (Advanced Option)
This value can be set with the Mid Tempo slider.
Advanced When this option is selected, the
selection range changes to the Main Time Scale Resolution (Advanced Option) Lets you select the
format, and additional and modified options be- BPM note value for your tempo setting.
come available.
Select “Follow Metronome Click” will set the
Calculate (Advanced Option) Calculates either tempo BPM note value to mirror the click
the selection end time, the start tempo, the end value set in the meter markers.
tempo or the curvature of the tempo change.
Density (Advanced Option) Lets you specify the
Selection Start and End Displays the start and end density of the tempo change events written to the
points for the tempo change in the currently se- Tempo ruler.
lected Main timebase. When an Edit selection is
made, the Start and End fields will display the se-
lection boundaries. Changing start or end values
changes the selection range.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 903

 Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the Scale (Advanced Option) In combination with
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the se- settings chosen in the Calculate pop-up menu, the
lection end point is preserved after the selection. If Scale pop-up menu lets you scale all tempos, the
unselected, the last tempo event created by the start tempo, or the end tempo.
tempo operation continues to the end of the ses-
sion, or until the next tempo event beyond the se- Scaling all tempos scales each tempo in the se-
lected range. lected range equally. Scaling the start tempo scales
the tempos unevenly, scaling the first tempo event
the most, scaling each consecutive tempo event
Scale less until the end tempo which is not scaled. Scal-
The Scale page in the Tempo Operations window ing the end tempo scales the tempos unevenly,
lets you scale tempos within the selection by a per- scaling the last tempo the most, scaling each previ-
centage amount. ous 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 currently se-
lected Main timebase. When an Edit selection is
made, the Start and End fields will display the se-
lection 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.
Scale page (Advanced Option)
Average Tempo Displays the Average Tempo, in
Advanced When this option is selected, the beats per minute (BPM), across the selected range.
selection range changes to the Main Time Scale Changing the Average Tempo changes the Scale
format, and additional and modified options be- percentage.
come available.
Scale Displays the percentage by which the tempo
Calculate (Advanced Option) In combination with is scaled, in beats per minute (BPM), across the se-
settings chosen in the Scale pop-up menu, the Cal- lected range. Changing Scale changes Average
culate pop-up menu lets you calculate the selection Tempo.
end time, the average tempo, the start tempo, or the
end tempo. Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the se-
lection end point is preserved after the selection. If
unselected, the last tempo event created by the
tempo operation continues to the end of the ses-
sion, or until the next tempo event beyond the se-
lected range.
904 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Stretch Preserve Tempo after Selection If selected, the
previous tempo setting that was in effect at the se-
The Stretch page in the Tempo Operations window lection end point is preserved after the selection. If
lets you select a clip of tempo events and apply unselected, the last tempo event created by the
them to a larger or smaller selection area. tempo operation continues to the end of the ses-
sion, or until the next tempo event beyond the se-
lected 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

Stretch page (Advanced Option) range (usually with a distinct number of beats or
measures) and calculates its tempo based on the
Advanced When this option is selected, the specified meter. In doing this, Bar|Beat Markers
selection range changes to the Main Time Scale for the calculated tempo are inserted and appear in
format, and additional and modified options be- the Tempo ruler at the beginning and end of the se-
come available. lection; in addition, meter events are inserted into
Selection Start and End Specifies the range of
the Meter ruler.
tempo events that you want to modify. When an Use Beat Detective to generate Bar|Beat
Edit selection is made, the Start and End fields will Markers within a selection that includes
display the selection boundaries. rhythmic changes on beats or sub-beats (see
Stretch To End Specifies a new end point for the Chapter 34, “Beat Detective”).
clip to which you want to apply the selected tempo
events. Changing the end point causes the Stretch Bar|Beat Markers
percentage to change. Bar|Beat Markers look similar to tempo events, but
Stretch To Start (Advanced Option) Specifies a instead have small blue triangles to indicate their
new start point for the clip to which you want to location.
apply the selected tempo events. Changing the end
point causes the Stretch percentage to change.

Stretch Specifies the percentage of time for the se-

lected tempo events to cover.
Bar|Beat Marker

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 905

 Choosing Bar|Beat Markers or 4 In the Bar|Beat Markers dialog, specify the start
Tempo Events and end locations for the inserted Bar|Beat
Markers. Since this example deals with a one-
Because tempo events are tick-based, and Bar|Beat
bar loop, enter 1|1|000 and 2|1|000.
Markers are sample-based, they cannot be mixed.
If a session contains tempo events and you attempt
to insert Bar|Beat Markers, existing 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 converting
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 Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
and click the Add Tempo Change button. Identify Beat dialog

2 Select either Tempo Events or Bar|Beat 5 If necessary, specify a time signature for the
Markers from the pop-up menu. start and end range.
6 Click OK to automatically calculate the new
tempo and insert the necessary Bar|Beat Mark-
ers and meter events. Any existing tempo and
meter events residing within the selection are
Tempo ruler pop-up menu deleted.

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. Bar|Beat Markers inserted

3 Select the audio clip with the Time Grabber tool When working with a selection, the Identify Beat
and choose Event > Identify Beat. command only calculates a single tempo for the se-
lected 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 variance
(making sure to accurately define a precise selec-
tion range or beat location for the tempo change).

906 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To accurately define tempos for a range of audio • Neighboring MIDI events, along with the
with the Identify Beat command, make certain that Bars|Beats ruler, shrink or expand as necessary
the initial selection represents an accurate length of to adjust for the new tempo.
bars and beats. You may want to first loop the se-
lection on playback to see if it plays accurately (see
“Loop Playback Mode” on page 523). To avoid
drift, and remain sample-accurate, select the audio
material with the Time Scale set to Samples rather
than Bars|Beats.

When identifying beats, select as large an

area as possible. For example, if you
have a four-bar-long audio file you want to
Dragging a Bar|Beat Marker
identify, select the entire four bars instead
of just one bar, in order to minimize rounding When dragging a tempo event:
errors (see “Sample Rounding and Edit Op- • The tempo event is placed at a new bar and beat
erations” on page 886). location. The sample and Timecode locations for
the event are updated as well.
Dragging Bar|Beat Markers
• The BPM value for the dragged tempo event re-
Bar|Beat Markers can be dragged to new locations mains constant, as do any other tempo events in
so they can align with audio clips that have been the session.
moved, or so that they can align to a slightly differ- • Neighboring MIDI events and audio clips on
ent point within an audio clip. This results in tick-based tracks, along with the ruler, shrink or
neighboring MIDI data being adjusted to align expand as necessary to adjust for the new tempo
with the new tempo map. location.
Because Bar|Beat Markers are sample-based and
tempo events are tick-based, they behave differ- Editing Bar|Beat Markers
ently when you drag them in the Tempo ruler.
A Bar|Beat Marker can be edited to redefine its bar
When dragging a Bar|Beat Marker:
and beat location, which also redefines the start or
end point of the range being analyzed for tempo.
• Its BPM value is recalculated along with the This is different from dragging a Bar|Beat Marker.
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 (un-
less it is edited).
• Its sample and Timecode locations change, as
calculated for by the new tempo for the Bar|Beat
Marker. Edit Bar|Beat dialog

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 907

 To edit a Bar|Beat Marker:
Meter Events
1 In the Tempo ruler, double-click the Bar|Beat
Marker. You can change meter in the Meter ruler, or make
precise meter changes in the Time Operations win-
2 In the Edit Bar|Beat dialog, enter a new Loca-
dow.
tion for the Bar|Beat Marker.
3 Enter a new Time Signature. Meter events can be inserted at the beginning of a
session to replace the default meter (of 4/4), and
4 Click OK. they can be inserted anywhere within the session
for additional meter changes.
To delete a Bar|Beat Marker:

 With the Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac) or To display the Meter ruler:
Alt-click (Windows) the Bar|Beat Marker.  Select View > Rulers > Meter.

Inserting Bar|Beat Markers One Current Meter

at a Time
Sample-Based Material with Varying Tempos As meter events are encountered during playback,
the session’s current meter is displayed in the
You can insert Bar|Beat Markers one at a time by Transport window.
setting an Edit insertion point (instead of making a
selection) before using the Identify Beat com-
mand. The ability to identify each beat, one at a
time, is especially useful when working with sam-
ple-based material with varying tempos.

For instance, if you have a measure that accelerates

slightly, you can insert a Bar|Beat Marker on each Current meter displayed in Transport window
beat so the tempo is accurately reflected.
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
Bar|Beat Markers on each beat right of the Meter ruler.
After the Bar|Beat Markers are inserted, further ad-
justments in the tempo map are possible by drag-
ging each of the Markers, as necessary, to align
with the associated beat within the audio.

Add Meter Change button

908 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 • With the Grabber, Control-click (Mac) or 4 Select a note value for the number of clicks to
Start-click (Windows) at the location where sound in each measure. For a dotted-note click
you want to insert the event. value, select the dot (.) option.

For some meters, it may be desirable to use a

dotted value for the click. For instance, if us-
ing a meter of 6/8, a dotted quarter note click
(yielding two clicks per measure) is generally
Manually inserting a meter event more suitable than a straight eighth note click
• Double click the meter display in the Trans- (six clicks per measure).
port window.
5 Click OK to insert the new meter event. The
new meter event is inserted and appears in the
Meter ruler.

Current meter displayed in Transport window

Inserted meter event
2 In the Meter Change dialog, enter the Location
and Meter for the meter change. Each meter event has a small yellow triangle next
to it that indicates its location. These triangles can
3 If you want the inserted meter event to fall be selected for copying and pasting, and they can
cleanly on the first beat of the nearest measure, be double-clicked to edit the meter event.
select the Snap To Bar option.
Editing Meter Events
Existing meter events can be edited, deleted, cop-
ied, 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.
Meter Change dialog To delete a meter event:

 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the

meter event.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 909

 To copy and paste several meter events: Partial Measures
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur- As necessary, Pro Tools will create a partial mea-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. sure to accommodate the inserted meter event.
2 Drag in the Meter ruler to select the range that When a meter event is preceded by a partial mea-
includes the meter events. sure, the meter event is displayed in italics in the
Meter ruler.
If the beginning of the selection includes a meter
event, press Command (Mac) or Control (Win-
dows) so the Selector tool appears.

Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while

Partial measure of 4/4
dragging to select across all Conductor tracks.
Partial measures can also occur when pasting me-
3 Choose Edit > Copy. ter events to locations other than the first beat of a
4 Click in the Meter ruler at the point where you measure.
want to paste the meter events.
To insert meter events while avoiding partial
5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip- bars, use the Change Meter command in the
board are pasted from the insertion point, re- Time Operations window. See “Change Me-
placing any existing meter events. ter” on page 911.

To extend an Edit selection in a track to the Meter

ruler: Time Operations
1 Using the Selector tool or any Grabber tool, se-
The Time Operations window lets you:
lect a track range.
• Change Meter
2 Shift-click in the Meter ruler.
• Insert Time
Shift-click again in the Meter ruler to remove it • Cut Time
from the selection.
• Move Song Start
To select all meter events:
To open a specific Time Operations window:
 With the Selector tool, double-click in the Me-
ter ruler.  Choose Event > Time Operations, followed by
one of the Time Operations commands (such as
To clear a range of selected meter events: Change Meter).

1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur- If the Time Operations window is already
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. open, you can select any Time Operation
from the pop-up menu at the top of the win-
2 Drag in the Meter ruler to select the meter
dow.
events you want to remove.
3 Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected meter
events.

910 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To open the last active Time Operations window: Change Meter Examples
 Choose Event > Time Operations > Time Oper-
To change the meter over a range of bars:
ations Window.
1 Do one of the following:
Press Option+1 (Mac) or Alt+1 (Win- • Drag with the Selector tool to select a range
dows) on the number keypad to open the of bars to change.
Time Operations window and display the
• To have the meter change apply until the next
last active Time Operations window.
meter event, click where you want the meter
change to begin with the Selector tool. The
meter change will be made at the beginning
Change Meter
of the nearest bar.
Change Meter in the Time Operation window lets
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Change
you specify complex meter changes for Bar|Beat-
Meter.
based material. You can enter meter changes at a
particular bar, make a meter change over a selected 3 Specify a new meter and click setting. Pro Tools
area of time, or add meter changes sequentially one will automatically set the selection options to fit
bar at a time. the new meter to the selected range as closely as
possible, adding or subtracting beats a neces-
sary.
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
Change Meter window the meter change to begin. The meter change
will be made at the beginning the nearest bar.
• Enter the first measure number in the Starting
At Bar field.
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Change
Meter.

3 Specify a new meter and click setting.

4 Select Until the Next Bar from the Apply Change
To pop-up menu.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 911

 5 Click Apply to enter the new meter and to move Realign
the insertion point to the end of the new mea-
The Realign controls let you choose which items to
sure.
realign after a meter change has been made. You
6 Specify a new meter and click setting for the can choose to realign meter events, or choose to re-
next measure. align meter and tempo events, tick-based markers
and tracks, and also all or none of the sample-based
7 Repeat steps 5–6 for every additional meter
markers and tracks.
change you want to insert.
Meter Ruler Only Applies the meter change and
Change Meter Options realigns only the Meter ruler. All other rulers and
tracks are unaffected.
Options for the Change Meter command include:
Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, all Tick-
New Meter Lets you specify a new time signature. Based Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based
The first field lets you enter the number of beats Markers and Tracks Applies the meter change and
(up to 99) in a measure, and the second field lets realigns the Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord rulers,
you enter the note length that counts as one beat. and all tick-based markers and tracks. Using the
pop-up menu, you can also choose to realign All or
Click Lets you specify the note value that will trig-
No sample-based markers and tracks. Time is in-
ger the metronome click. For example, if an eighth
serted or deleted as needed at the end of the selec-
note is chosen, a click is played for every eighth
tion to preserve the alignment of material follow-
note, regardless of tempo.
ing the selection.
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 begin- Insert Time
ning of a bar.
Insert Time in the Time Operation window lets you
Apply Change To Lets you apply the meter change insert an amount of blank time (silence) into Con-
to the selected range, to the end of the session, or ductor rulers, MIDI tracks, and audio tracks.
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 selection,
as necessary on all affected tracks when you over-
ride the calculated range.

Insert Time window

912 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Insert Time Example Realign
To insert four empty measures of 4/4 time into a The Realign settings let you select which items
session: shift (occur later) when time is inserted, as follows:
1 Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats. • If your Main Time Scale is set to Bars|Beats, you
can choose to realign meter events only, or
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Insert Time.
choose to realign a combination of Meter and
3 Enter the measure where you want to insert the Tempo rulers, all tick-based markers and tracks,
measures in the Start field. and your choice of sample-based tracks.
4 Enter four measures in the Length field. • If your Main Time Scale is set to an absolute
timebase (such as Min:Secs), you can choose to
5 Select the Realign option for Meter, Tempo, independently realign conductor events, tick-
Key, and Chord Rulers, Tick-Based Markers based markers and tracks, and your choice of
and Tracks and All Sample-Based Markers and sample-based tracks.
Tracks.
Meter Ruler Only If your Main Time Scale is
6 Click Apply.
Bars|Beats, you have the option to insert time into
the Meter ruler only. Meter events after the start
Insert Time Options point of the selection are shifted past the end point
Options for the Insert Time command include: by the length of time selection.

Start, End, and Length Sets the start and end If your Main Time Scale is sample-based,
points for the selection, and the selection length. Realign Meter Ruler Only is not available.

Set Meter If your Main Time Scale is Bars|Beats, Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, Tick-Based
Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based Markers
Set Meter lets you specify a new meter for the in-
and Tracks Lets you insert time into the Meter,
serted time. The selection is quantized to the near-
Tempo, Key, and Chord rulers, and all tick-based
est bars, and the previous meter is inserted after the
markers and tracks. Events after the start point of
selection. If your Main Time Scale is sample-
the selection are shifted past the end point by the
based, Set Meter is not available.
length of time inserted.

If the Timeline selection includes any audio clips

on tick-based tracks, the audio clips are separated
at the Start point, and the new clip containing the
previous selection is shifted to the end point.

Using the pop-up menu, you can also choose to in-

sert time into All or No sample-based markers and
tracks. If All is selected and the selection includes
any audio clips on sample-based tracks, the se-
lected portions of the audio clips are separated at
the Start point, and the new clip containing the pre-
vious selection is shifted to the end point.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 913

 Cut Time Options
Cut Time
Options for the Cut Time command include:
Cut Time in the Time Operation window lets you
cut a specified amount of time (both Timebase and Start, End, and Length Sets the start and end
track data) from Conductor rulers, MIDI tracks, points for the selection, and the selection length.
and audio tracks.
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 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-
Cut Time window
based markers and tracks, and your choice of
sample-based tracks.
Cut Time Example
Meter Ruler Only
To cut thirty seconds of time from a session:
If your Main Time Scale is Bars|Beats, you have
1 Set the Main Time Scale to Minutes:Seconds.
the option to remove time from the Meter ruler
2 Choose Event > Time Operations > Cut Time. only. Meter events within the selection are re-
moved, and meter events that occur after the end
3 With the Selector tool, click at the beginning of
point of the selection are shifted to the selection
the area that you want to cut.
start point.
4 Enter thirty seconds (0:30.000) in the Length
field. If your Main Time Scale is sample-based,
Realign Meter Ruler Only is not available.
5 Select the Realign option for Meter, Tempo,
Key, and Chord Rulers, all Tick-Based Markers Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, Tick-Based
Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based Markers
and Tracks and All Sample-Based Markers and
and Tracks Cuts time and realigns the Meter,
Tracks.
Tempo, Key, and Chord rulers, and all tick-based
6 Click Apply. markers and tracks.

If the time selection includes any tick-based clips,

the selected area of the clips is deleted, and clips
following the selection are shifted forward.

914 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the pop-up menu, you can also choose to cut 4 If you want to renumber the bars so that the
time from All or No sample-based markers and Song Start Marker sits at a different bar, select
tracks. If All is selected and the selection includes the Renumber Song Start option, and enter the
any audio clips on sample-based tracks, the se- bar number.
lected area of the clips is deleted, and clips follow-
5 Select whether you want to move All or No sam-
ing the selection are shifted forward.
ple-based markers and tracks.
6 Click Apply.
Move Song Start
Move Song Start in the Time Operation window
Move Song Start Options
lets you redefine the location of the Song Start Options for the Move Song Start command in-
Marker. clude:

Timebase Lets you precisely redefine the position

of the Song Start Marker measured by any sup-
ported 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

Move Song Start window
shift when the Song Start is moved, as follows:

Move Song Start Example Song Start Only Moves the Song Start Marker
only.
To move the Song Start Marker to 15 seconds on
the Timeline: Meter, Tempo, Key, and Chord Rulers, all Tick-
1 Choose Event > Time Operations > Move Song Based Markers and Tracks, and Sample-Based
Markers and Tracks Moves the Song Start
Start.
Marker, events in the Meter, Tempo, Key, and
2 Select Minutes:Seconds from the Timebase Chord rulers, all tick-based markers and tracks,
pop-up menu. and your choice of all or no sample-based markers
and tracks.
3 In the Move Song Start To field, enter
“0:15:000” to move the song start forward by 15
seconds.

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 915

 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 clips, meter and tempo
events while leaving their position intact. In doing
Key Signature ruler
so, however, the Timecode and sample locations of
the session data are not changed. To view the Key Signature ruler, do one of the
following:
To renumber bars:
 Select View > Rulers > Key Signature.
1 Choose Event > Renumber Bars.
 From the Ruler View selector in the Edit win-
2 Specify the bar you want to renumber, along dow, select Key.
with the new bar number, then click Renumber.
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:

Renumber Bars dialog

• Select View > Rulers > Key Signature Staff.
• Click the Show/Hide triangle on the Key Sig-
nature ruler.
Key Signatures
The Key Signature ruler lets you add key signa- Changing Key Signatures
tures to Pro Tools sessions. Key signatures can be You can add, edit, or delete key signatures.
imported and exported with MIDI data. This is es-
pecially useful when exporting MIDI sequences To add a key signature:
for use in notation programs like Sibelius (see “Ex-
1 Place the cursor in the Timeline where you want
porting Sibelius Files” on page 451). The default
to add a key signature.
key signature is C major.
2 Do one of the following:
Key Signature Ruler • Choose Event > Add Key Change.
The Key Signature ruler lets you add, edit, and de- • Click the Plus (+) button in the Key Signature
lete key signatures. You can use key signatures to ruler.
indicate key and key changes in your Pro Tools 3 In the Key Change dialog, select the mode (ma-
session. Key signatures can also be used for certain jor or minor), the key, its location and range,
diatonic functions, such as transposing in key or and how you want it to affect pitched tracks.
constraining pitches to the specified key.
4 Click OK.

916 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To edit a key signature: Major Keys Displays the major keys from seven
1 Double-click the Key Signature marker in the flats to seven sharps.
Key Signature ruler. Minor Keys Displays the minor keys from seven
2 Make changes in the Key Change dialog. flats to seven sharps. Pro Tools only applies the
natural minor mode.
3 Click OK.
Sharps Lets you select any of the sharp keys to
To delete a key signature, do one of the following: seven sharps and C major (or A minor).
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Flats Lets you select any of the flat keys to seven
Key Signature marker in the Key Signature flats and C major (or A minor).
ruler.
From Lets you specify where to place the Key Sig-
 Make a selection in the Key Signature ruler that
nature marker in Bars|Beats.
includes the key signature you want to delete
and choose Edit > Clear or press Delete. To Lets you specify to where you want the key
change to take effect: to the next Key Signature
Key Change Dialog marker, to a selection, or to the end of the
session.
The Key Change dialog lets you specify the mode
(major or minor), the key (from seven flats to Snap to Bar Snaps the Key Signature marker to
seven sharps), the range affected (for example, the barline.
from Bar 1 to the next key change), and whether or
Edit Pitched Tracks Enabling the Edit Pitched
not MIDI notes on pitched tracks are transposed or
Tracks option lets you transpose existing MIDI
constrained to key (see “Pitched Tracks” on
notes on Pitched tracks up or down, either diatoni-
page 918). The Key Change dialog opens when-
cally or chromatically based on the key change, or
ever you add or edit a Key Signature marker.
constrain pitches to the new key. For more infor-
mation on Pitched tracks, see “Pitched Tracks” on
page 918.

Transpose When the Edit Pitched Tracks option is

enabled, lets you transpose existing MIDI notes on
Pitched tracks up or down, diatonically or chro-
matically. 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 Diatoni-
cally to transpose notes on Pitched tracks up a
whole step and then lower the third, sixth, and sev-
enth scale degrees by a half step. The sequence C,
D, E is transposed to D, E, F (natural, rather than
Key Change dialog
sharp as happens when transposing chromatically).

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 917

 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 ap-
plying diatonic transposition.

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
Pitched enabled in Playlist selector
diatonic pitches of the old key on Pitched tracks
that are not in the new key are individually trans- Importing Key Signatures
posed to the nearest diatonic pitch of the new key.
For example, when changing from C major to D When importing MIDI (or session data with
major, the sequence C, D, E, F, G changes to C- MIDI), you can select whether or not to import any
sharp, D, E, F-sharp, G. key signatures stored in MIDI files.

Constraining pitches to key also constrains any Import MIDI

chromatic pitches to the new diatonic scale. For
example, when changing from C major to D major, The Import MIDI dialog includes the Import Key
the sequence C, D, D-sharp, E changes to C-sharp, Signature from MIDI File option. When selected,
D, D, E. key signatures (if present) are imported into
Pro Tools with any other MIDI data.

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 In-
strument 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 deselect the Pitched option
for specific MIDI and Instrument tracks so that
they will not be affected by key changes.

To select (or deselect) Pitched tracks: Import MIDI dialog

 Click the track’s Playlist selector and select (or Import Session Data
deselect) the Pitched option.
The Import Session Data dialog includes the Im-
port Key Signature/Chord Map option. When se-
lected, key signatures (if present) and chord mark-
ers (if present) are imported into the current
session with the imported session data.

918 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To view the Chord Symbols ruler, do one of the
following:

 Select View > Rulers > Chord Symbols.

 From the Ruler View selector in the Edit win-
dow or in a MIDI Editor window, select Chords.

To add a chord symbol:

1 Place the cursor in the Timeline where you want
Import Session Data
to add a chord symbol.
2 Do one of the following:
Chord Symbols • Place the cursor in the timeline, then click the
The Chord Symbols ruler lets you add chord sym- Plus (+) button in the Chords ruler.
bols to Pro Tools sessions in the Edit window and • While pressing the Control (Mac) or Start key
in MIDI Editor windows. You can also add chord (Windows), move the cursor into the Chords
symbols and diagrams in the Score Editor (“Chord ruler (where the cursor changes to the Grab-
Symbols and Diagrams” on page 866). ber with a “+”) and click at the location where
you want to place the chord symbol.
Chord symbols have no effect on MIDI data. Also,
chord symbols are not included when exporting 3 In the Chord Change dialog, select the name for
MIDI data from Pro Tools to a MIDI file, but they the root of the chord, the chord quality, the bass
are included when exporting to a Sibelius file (.sib) note of the chord, and the chord diagram (chord
or when using the Send to Sibelius command. diagrams are only displayed in the Score Edi-
tor).
Chord Symbols Ruler 4 Click OK.
The Chord Symbols ruler lets you add, edit, and To change a chord symbol:
delete chord symbols. You can use chord symbols
to indicate the chord changes in your Pro Tools 1 Double-click the Chord Symbol marker in the
session. Chord Symbol ruler.
2 Make changes in the Chord Change dialog.
Chords ruler
Add Chord Symbol 3 Click OK.
Chord Symbol markers
To move a chord symbol:

 Drag the Chord Symbol marker to a new time

location.

Chord Symbols ruler

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 919

 To delete a chord symbol, do one of the following: Chord Select the name for the root of the Chord
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the (such as D).
Chord Symbol marker in the Chords ruler. Chord Quality Select the chord quality from the
 Make a selection in the Chords ruler that in- selector (such as major or minor).
cludes the chord symbols you want to delete and Bass Select the bass note of the chord (such as B-
choose Edit > Clear or press Delete. flat for a G minor chord in first inversion).

Chord Diagram Select the chord diagram for

Chord Change Dialog
guitar tablature.
The Chord Change dialog lets you specify a com-
mercial chord symbol and chord diagram (guitar To show or hide chord symbols and diagrams
tab) to place in the Chords ruler or on the score in in the Score Editor, select or deselect the cor-
the Score Editor. The Chord Change dialog opens responding option in the Score Setup dialog.
whenever you add or edit a Chord marker.

Chord selector Chord Quality Bass Note Extract Chords From

selector selector
Selection
Pro Tools lets you analyze selected MIDI clips to
identify chords, and then add them to the Chord
Symbols ruler in the Edit window as well as in
MIDI Editor windows. Depending on the Score
Setup Display settings (File > Score Setup), ana-
lyzed chords will also be shown as Chord Symbols
and Chord Diagrams in the Score Editor window.
When analyzing MIDI clips, Pro Tools can only
recognize chords that are available in the Chord
Change dialog. Chord Symbol markers are added
to the Chord Symbol ruler quantized to quarter-
note intervals on the Timeline. Chord extraction is
useful for scoring in addition to providing chord
symbols for charts and recording overdubbed per-
formances.

Chord Diagrams
Chord Change dialog

920 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To analyze MIDI clips for chord content and add Chord Symbol markers to the Chord Symbols ruler:
1 Select one or more whole MIDI clips.
2 Choose Event > Extract Chords from Selection.

Pro Tools adds Chord Symbol markers to the Chord Symbols ruler for all chords detected in the selected
MIDI clips.

Chord Symbol markers added to the Chord Symbols ruler for all chords detected in the selected MIDI clips

Chapter 39: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords 921

922 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 40: Memory Locations

Memory Locations provide a powerful way to nav- When creating Memory Locations, the next avail-
igate your session while editing and arranging. able number is assigned to it. This number is used
in recalling the Memory Location from the nu-
Each session can save up to 32,000 Memory Loca- meric keypad.
tions that can be used to recall:
• Markers to important locations in the session To create a Marker Memory Location on the
timeline:
• Edit selections across one or more tracks
1 Configure any session settings you will save
• Record and play ranges, along with pre- and with the Marker Memory Location, such as
post-roll times zoom settings, pre- and post-roll times,
• Track settings that include Show/Hide status, Show/Hide status for tracks, Track Heights, and
Track Heights, and zoom values Edit and Mix Group enables.
• Edit and Mix Groups enables 2 If necessary, enable Options > Link Timeline and
• Window Configurations Edit Selection.

Memory Locations are viewed and sorted in the 3 Ensure that the Markers ruler is displayed (View
Memory Locations window, where they can be re- > Rulers > Markers).
called by clicking the Memory Location. 4 Do one of the following:
• Click with the Selector tool in any track or
ruler at the location where you want to place
Creating Memory Locations the Marker. To place a Marker at the begin-
Memory Locations can be created in different ning of a clip, select the clip with the Time
ways, based on the type of Memory Location: Grabber tool. Click the Add Marker/Memory
Location button (or press Enter on the nu-
Marker Memory Location Refers to a specific meric keypad).
point in the timeline or on a track.

Selection Memory Location Refers to an Edit

Selection

General Properties Memory Location Refers to a

Add Marker/Memory Location button
combination of session settings (such as zoom set-
tings, pre- and post-roll times, Show/Hide status
for tracks, Track Heights, and Edit and Mix Group
enables).

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 923

 • While pressing the Control (Mac) Start key or 6 Click OK. The Selection Memory Location is
(Windows), move the cursor into the Markers created and appears in the Memory Locations
ruler (where the cursor changes to the Grab- window.
ber with a “+”) and click at the location where
you want to place the Marker. 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.
Manually inserting a Marker 2 Press Enter on the numeric keypad.
5 In the New Memory Location dialog, select the 3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the None
Marker option and set the Reference to either option.
Bar|Beat or Absolute.
4 Enter a Name for the new Memory Location
6 Enter a Name for the new Marker and select any and select any General Properties you want to
General Properties you want to save with the save with it.
Marker.
5 Click OK. The General Properties Memory Lo-
7 Click OK. The Marker is created and appears in cation is created and appears in the Memory Lo-
the Markers ruler, and in the Memory Locations cations window.
window.
In the New Memory Location dialog, you can
To create a Selection Memory Location: Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
any General Property to enable or disable all
1 Configure any session settings you will save
properties. You can also Command-click
with the Selection Memory Location, such as
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) any prop-
zoom settings, pre- and post-roll times,
erty to toggle its state and the state of all
Show/Hide status for tracks, Track Heights, and
other General Properties.
Edit and Mix Group enables.
2 Select a range of material in one or more tracks. To create a Track Marker:

3 Do one of the following: 1 To show (or hide) Track Marker controls, do

one of the following:
• Press Enter on the numeric keypad.
• Select (or deselect) View > Edit Window
• From the Memory Locations Window menu, Views > Marker Controls.
choose Add Memory Location.
• From the Edit Window View selector, select
4 In the New Memory Location dialog, select the (or deselect) Marker Controls.
Selection option and set the Reference to either
Bar|Beat or Absolute.
2 Select the Target for Markers on the track where
you want to add a new marker.
5 Enter a Name for the new Memory Location
and select any General Properties you want to 3 Place the Edit cursor where you want to add a
save with it. Marker.

924 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Click the Add Marker button on the track. view, the name and comment are displayed at
larger track heights. The text will wrap if it runs
5 In the New Memory Location dialog, select the
into another marker, and it will center vertically
Marker option and set the Reference to either
above the name as it does so.
Bar|Beat or Absolute.
Target for Markers You can target the Marker
6 Enter a Name for the new Marker and select any
General Properties you want to save with the ruler or any track. The target can only be active on
Marker. one track or on the Marker ruler at any given time.
If the Marker controls are hidden, the location of
7 Click OK. The Marker is created and appears in the target is maintained.
the Marker Lane on the track, and in the Mem-
ory Locations window. Add Marker Click to add a marker at the current
Edit location.

Press Command+Enter (Mac) or Con-

Marker Ruler and Track trol+Enter (Windows) to add a marker to the
Marker Controls targeted ruler or track at the current edit or
playback location.
Press Enter (Mac and Windows) to add a
marker to the Marker ruler at the current edit
location or playback location without open-
Add Marker
ing the New Memory Location dialog.

Target for Markers

Prioritize Marker Name vs Comment Creating Memory Locations
Marker Ruler controls During Playback
When the Auto-Name Memory Locations When
Playing option is enabled in the Editing Prefer-
Target for Markers ences page, Memory Locations can be created
Prioritize Marker during playback, without opening the New Mem-
Name vs Comment
ory Location dialog. This option can also be se-
lected from the Memory Locations Window menu.

This capability is useful if you want to mark cer-

Add Marker tain locations while listening during a record pass,
Track Marker controls or if you want to mark frame locations while view-
ing a video scene.
The Marker ruler and tracks provide the following
controls for creating and viewing markers:

Prioritize Marker Name vs Comment Pro Tools

can show either Marker names or comments on the
Marker ruler. For Track Markers, if it has no com-
ment the Marker name is shown. In marker lane

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 925

 To create a Marker during playback:
Properties of Memory
From the Memory Locations Window menu, se-
1
Locations
lect Default To Marker. This ensures that new
Memory Locations default to being Markers. When creating a new Memory Location (see “Cre-
ating Memory Locations” on page 923) you are
2 From the Memory Locations Window menu, se-
prompted to define its Time Properties and Gen-
lect Auto-Name Memory Locations.
eral Properties.
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 cre-
ated 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 Memory
Location was created last, it will be the type that is
created during playback. 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”).

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 option
Memory Locations window
is enabled, press Period (.) and then Enter on
the numeric keypad to add a Memory Loca- Time Properties
tion marker. The new marker is created when
you press Enter. Under Time Properties, a Memory Location can be
set to Marker, Selection, or None. This determines
the type of Memory Location that is created. Each
of these three Memory Location types can also
save any combination of General Properties.

926 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Marker Recalls a Timeline location whose refer- Bar|Beat and Absolute Reference
ence can be either Bar|Beat (tick-based) or Abso-
The Reference pop-up determines whether the
lute (sample-based). When recalling a Marker
Marker or Selection Memory Location is Bar|Beat
Memory Location, the playback cursor moves to
or Absolute. When set to Bar|Beat, the Memory
the Marker’s location and the start and end times in
Location is tick-based and its bar and beat location
the Transport window are also updated. If the
remains constant if the tempo is changed—though
Timeline and Edit Selections are linked, the edit
its relation to the absolute sample location changes
cursor also moves to the Marker location.
accordingly.
Markers appear in the Markers ruler with a thin
When set to Absolute, the Memory Location is
yellow line extending down through all tracks in
sample-based and its bar and beat location shifts if
the Edit window (to assist in arranging and align-
the tempo is changed—though its sample location
ing track material). You can click a Marker in the
remains constant, along with its relation to audio
Markers ruler to recall its location along with its
material.
stored General Properties.

Bar|Beat Marker (left) and Absolute Marker (right)

In the Markers ruler, Markers that are Bar|Beat ap-

pear as yellow chevrons, and Markers that are Ab-
solute appear as yellow diamonds.

For Track Markers, you can also select the Follow

Track Timebase option.
Markers in the Markers ruler

Selection Recalls an Edit selection or edit cursor

Marker Properties
location whose reference can be either Bar|Beat
(tick-based) or Absolute (sample-based). A Selec- Location Selector
tion Memory Location lets you store Edit selec-
tions, for one or more tracks, that you return to of- You can select either Main Ruler or Track as the
ten within a session. If the Timeline and Edit marker Location under Marker Properties. The tar-
Selections are linked, a Selection Memory Loca- get track name is be displayed as “read-only” text.
tion can recall record and play ranges.
Press Enter to set the selection to the Main
Only contiguous selections can be saved with Ruler.
Memory Locations. Noncontiguous selec-
tions, made with the Object Grabber tool, will Press Command+Enter (Mac) or Control+
be recalled as if the selections were made Enter (Windows) to set the location to the tar-
with the Time Grabber tool. geted track.
None Recalls no Time Properties and is therefore
referred to as a General Properties Memory Loca-
tion.

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 927

 Color Selector Track Heights Recalls all Track Heights. Use this
option along with Zoom Settings to recall edit en-
Marker Properties include a limited color palette vironments that are suited for particular tasks, such
for Marker lines drawn through tracks. The se- as editing down to the sample level or trimming
lected Color determines the Marker icon color, as MIDI notes.
well as the Marker line color (unless custom
Marker Line colors are specified in the Color Pal- Group Enables Recalls which Edit and Mix
ette window). The Marker color may also dictate Groups are enabled. This option is helpful in re-
the color of the marker lane or ruler depending on calling groups for particular edit and mixing oper-
the selected Show Markers Lane Colors For option ations, such as muting all drum tracks or fading a
in the Display Preferences (see Marker Colors stereo pair.
Preferences).
Window Configuration Recalls a specific Window
Colors also translate when opening a session Configuration. This option is helpful in recalling
generated from Media Composer. specific Window Configurations to facilitate edit-
ing or mixing tasks. For more information on Win-
General Properties dow Configurations, see “Window Configura-
tions” on page 221.
All three types of Memory Locations (Marker, Se-
lection, and None) can store and recall any combi- If you are using VENUE Link for interopera-
nation of the following General Properties: bility between Pro Tools and an Avid VENUE
console, additional options will appear. For
Number Change the number to overwrite an exist-
more information, see the VENUE Live Re-
ing Memory Location, or to reorder Memory Lo- cording Guide.
cations in the Memory Locations window.

Name Enter a descriptive name for each memory Comments

location. All three types of Memory Locations (Marker, Se-
Zoom Settings Recalls the horizontal, audio, and lection, and None) can store and recall comments.
MIDI zoom values for audio, MIDI, and Instru- You can enter a maximum of 255 characters to de-
ment tracks. scribe the Memory Location. You can also edit
comments previously entered.
Pre/Post Roll Times Recalls pre- and post-roll
times (but not whether they are enabled). This See “Creating Memory Locations” on
property can be stored with a Selection Memory page 923 and “Editing Memory Locations”
Location to recall record and play ranges along on page 929 for more information.
with pre- and post-roll.

Track Show/Hide Recalls which tracks are hidden.

Use this property to display groups of tracks for
editing and mixing.

928 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Recalling Memory Locations Editing Memory Locations
Memory Locations can be recalled from the Mem- Memory Locations can be renamed, edited,
ory Locations window and from the numeric key- deleted, and copied and pasted.
pad. Additionally, Memory Location Markers can
be recalled by clicking them in the Markers ruler. To rename a Memory Location:
1 Do one of the following:
To recall a Memory Location:
• In the Memory Locations window, double-
1 Select Window > Memory Locations to display click the Memory Location to open the Edit
the Memory Locations window. Memory Location dialog.
2 If recalling a Selection Memory Location that • In the Marker ruler, double-click the Marker
defines a record or play range, ensure that to open the Edit Memory Location dialog and
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is relocate the insertion point at the marker loca-
selected. tion.
3 Do one of the following: • In the Marker ruler, Control-click (Mac) or
Start-click (Windows) the Marker to open the
• In the Memory Locations window, click the
Edit Memory Location dialog without locat-
Memory Location to recall it.
ing the insertion point at the marker location.
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Clas-
sic, press the Memory Location number fol- 2 Enter the new name for the Memory Location,
lowed by Period (.). and click OK.
• With the Numeric Keypad mode set to Trans- To redefine the General Properties stored with a
port or Shuttle, press Period (.), the Memory Memory Location:
Location number, and Period (.) again.
1 Make changes to the session’s zoom settings,
When recalling a Memory Location from the pre- and post-roll times, Show/Hide status of
numeric keypad, the Memory Locations win- tracks, Track Heights, or Group Enables.
dow does not need to be open. 2 Do one of the following:
To recall a Marker from the Markers ruler: • In the Memory Locations window, double-
click the Memory Location to open the Edit
1 Select View > Rulers > Markers to display the
Memory Location dialog.
Markers ruler.
• In the Marker ruler, double-click the Marker
2 Click the Marker you want. The playback cur- to open the Edit Memory Location dialog and
sor locates to the Marker and any General Prop- relocate the insertion point at the marker loca-
erties stored with the Marker are recalled. tion.
Even if the Markers ruler is not displayed, • In the Marker ruler, Control-click (Mac) or
Markers can be recalled from the Memory Lo- Start-click (Windows) the Marker to open the
cations window, or from the numeric keypad. Edit Memory Location dialog without locat-
ing the insertion point at the marker location.

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 929

 3 In the Memory Location dialog, select the Gen- To move a Marker by dragging:
eral Properties you want to save with the Mem-  In the Markers ruler, drag the Marker left or
ory Location. right.
4 Enter a name for the Memory Location and
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged event
click OK.
snaps to the current Grid value. If using Spot
To change a Memory Location from one type to
mode, the Spot dialog opens.
another:
To align a Marker to a different location:
1 Do one of the following:
1 If necessary, select Options > Link Timeline and
• In the Memory Locations window, double-
Edit Selection.
click the Memory Location to open the Edit
Memory Location dialog. 2 Do one of the following:
• In the Marker ruler, double-click the Marker • In any of the Timebase rulers, click with the
to open the Edit Memory Location dialog and Selector tool at the new location.
relocate the insertion point at the marker loca- • Click in the playlist for any track. To align the
tion. Marker to the start of a clip, select the clip
• In the Marker ruler, Control-click (Mac) or with the Time Grabber tool.
Start-click (Windows) the Marker to open the
3 In the Memory Locations window or the Mark-
Edit Memory Location dialog without locat-
ers ruler, Control-click (Mac) or Start-click
ing the insertion point at the marker location.
(Windows) the Marker Memory Location that
2 In the Memory Location dialog, select either you want to redefine.
Marker, Selection, or None as the Memory Lo-
4 Enter a name for the Marker and click OK.
cation type.
3 Enter a name for the Memory Location and
click OK. Deleting Memory Locations
To change the Selection stored with a Memory To delete a Memory Location, do one of the
Location: following:
1 Select View > Rulers > Markers to display the  Select the Memory Location and choose Delete
Markers ruler. Memory Location from the Memory Locations
Window menu.
2 Select a range of material in one or more tracks.
 In the Memory Locations window, Option-click
3 In the Memory Locations window, Control-
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Memory Lo-
click (Mac) or Right-click (Windows) the
cation.
Memory Location that you want to redefine.
4 Enter a name for the Memory Location and
click OK.

930 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To delete all Memory Locations, do one of the To extend an Edit selection in a track to the
following: Markers ruler:

 Choose Delete All from the Memory Locations 1 Using the Selector or Grabber tool, select a
Window menu. track range.

 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click 2 Shift-click in the Markers ruler.

(Windows) any Memory Location in the Mem-
Shift-click again in the Markers ruler to remove it
ory Locations window.
from the selection.
To delete a Marker from the Markers ruler:
To select all Markers in the Markers ruler:
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
 With the Selector tool, double-click in the
Marker.
Markers ruler.

Copying Marker Memory

Locations Memory Locations Window
In the Memory Locations windows, Memory Lo-
To copy and paste a range of Markers:
cations are listed with assigned number, name, and
1 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur- View Filter icons. Locations can be recalled or ed-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. ited from this window.
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 Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) so
the Selector tool appears.

Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while

dragging to select across all Conductor
Memory Locations window with View Filter icons
tracks.
To recall a Memory Location from the Memory
3 Choose Edit > Copy. Location window:

4 Click in the Markers ruler at the point where  Click the Memory Location.
you want to paste the tempo events.
With the Numeric Keypad mode set to
5 Choose Edit > Paste. The contents of the Clip- Classic, press the Memory Location number
board are pasted from the insertion point, re- followed by Period (.). With the Numeric
placing any existing Markers. Keypad mode set to Transport or Shuttle,
press Period (.), the Memory Location
number, and Period (.) again.

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 931

 Show Main Counter When selected, a column ap-
Memory Locations pears in the Memory Locations window that dis-
Commands and Options plays the locations based on the Main Time-scale
You can select viewing and sorting options, along for Markers, and the start times for Selection
with commands for creating and removing Mem- Memory Locations. General Property Memory Lo-
ory Locations, from the Memory Locations Win- cations display nothing in this column.
dow menu. Main Time Scale
Sub Time Scale

Memory Locations Window menu

View Filter Submenu Provides commands to show

Main/Sub Counters in the Memory Locations window
or hide specific memory location properties:
• Show Icons You can click at the top of the Main Time Scale
column for a pop-up menu that lets you change the
• View Markers
Main Time Scale.
• 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
Memory Locations Window, selecting the Main Time
• View Locations with Group Info Scale

• View Locations with Window Configuration Show Sub Counter When selected, a column ap-
Info pears in the Memory Locations window that dis-
• Show Markers Only plays the locations based on the Sub Time Scale
for Markers, and the start times for Selection
• View All
Memory Locations. General Property Memory Lo-
cations display nothing in this column.

932 Pro Tools Reference Guide

You can click at the top of the Sub Time Scale col- Delete <Name> Slot Deletes the selected Memory
umn for a pop-up menu that lets you change the Location, and renumbers all subsequent Memory
Sub Time Scale. 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.

Auto-Name Memory Location When selected,

Memory Locations Window, selecting the Sub Time
Scale
Memory Locations are created automatically with-
out encountering the New Memory Location dia-
Show Comments When selected, a column ap- log. If the Default To Marker option is selected, a
pears in the Memory Locations window that dis- Marker Memory Location is auto-created. Other-
plays the comments for each of the Markers. wise, the Memory Location type is determined by
whatever type (Marker, Selection, or None) was
Sort by You can sort Memory Locations in by
created last.
Number, Marker Name, Track Name, Track Order,
Time, or Color. The selected category can then be
sorted in Ascending or Descending order. View Filter Icons
New Memory Location Choose this command to When Show Icons is selected in the Memory Loca-
create a new Memory Location. tions pop-up menu, the Memory Locations win-
dow provides an icon-based “View Filter” that lets
Edit <Name> Opens the Edit Memory Location di- you show or hide Memory Locations based on the
alog for the selected Memory Location. You can properties they contain.
also double-click a Memory Location in the Mem-
ory Locations window to edit it. Marker Zoom Show/Hide
Window Configuration
Settings Track Heights
Clear <Name> Clears the selected Memory Loca-
tion, but does not remove its slot. Subsequent
Memory Locations are not renumbered.

Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a Pre- and Post-Roll

Active Groups
Memory Location in the Memory Locations Selection
Memory Location
window to clear it.
Memory Locations View Filter icons
Delete All Deletes all Memory Locations. The next To show or hide Memory Locations containing a
Memory Location you add starts at slot number 1. specific property:

Insert Slot Before <Name> Adds a new, empty  Click the appropriate icon.
Memory Location slot above the selected Memory
Location, and renumbers all subsequent Memory
Locations.

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 933

 Color and Properties Marker Lane

When a view icon is enabled, it appears in color. The Marker Lane for any track only appears if the
When it is disabled, it appears gray. track has at least one marker on it, and the track is
in any view other than the Marker view. You can
If an icon is disabled (grayed out), all Memory Lo- then show or hide the Marker Lane as desired (see
cations associated with that property are hidden. Track Marker Controls and Lanes).
However, if a Memory Location contains other
properties for an icon that is enabled, it is still dis- To show (or hide) Track Marker lanes, do one of the
played. following:

In addition, the View Filter provides a useful refer-  Select (or deselect) View > Track Marker Lane.
ence for which properties are stored in each Mem-  Press Shift+U.
ory Location (indicated by a row of icons for each
Memory Location).

Track Markers
Pro Tools lets you add and edit markers on any tar-
geted track, as well as on the Marker ruler.

Adding Markers
Markers can be added in one of 3 ways:
• Click the Add Marker “+” button on the track or
Marker ruler. Track Marker lanes

• Use a keyboard shortcut, such as Command+En- When reducing the track height, the Marker Lane
ter (Mac) or Control+Enter (Windows). stays the same size, but the Marker controls are
hidden at smaller track heights.
• Right-click within the track contents and select
Insert > Marker on Ruler or Insert > Marker on
Markers View
Track.
The Markers view shows markers over any track
Track Marker Views contents. This track view shows either the marker
name or comment. At larger track heights, both
There are two ways a marker can be displayed on a marker name and comment are shown.
track:

Marker Lane A small lane below the track, but

above automation lanes. The Marker Lane is hid-
den when in Marker view.

Marker View Overlays markers over track contents

and hides the Marker Lane. Markers view

934 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Editing with Track Markers lows Edit option is enabled). When disabled, the
Edit cursor and Edit selections are specific to the
Any selected Track marker and any Track markers
section of the track in which they are made. The
in an edit selection can be cut, copied, pasted, du-
MFE button is disabled by default.
plicated, and repeated, just as they can on the
Marker ruler. Press Shift+Y to toggle MFE on or off.

To edit a marker:
When MFE is disabled, you can Shift-click
1 Do one of the following:
into a Marker Lane to extend the selection.
• Double-click the marker you want to edit.
• Command-click (Mac) and Control-click Select Between Markers
(Windows) the marker you want to edit.
To select between markers:
2 Configure the resulting Edit Memory Location
dialog as desired (see “Properties of Memory  Double-click between the two markers to make
Locations” on page 926). an Edit selection between two markers.

3 Click OK.  Triple-click to select from the first to the last

marker in the session.

Marker Follows Edit (MFE) When markers are included in a selection matching
exact clip boundaries, only the left-most marker is
Edit selection behavior is determined by the status
counted as included in the selection. Clip and track
of the Marker Follows Edit (MFE) setting regard-
actions such as cut, copy, paste, and duplicate will
less of whether or not the Marker Lane is shown.
include the left-most marker, while the right-most
Enable MFE when you want the marker to follow
marker will not be included.
edits to the main track elements or clips. Disable
MFE when you do not want Track Markers to be
affected by edits to clip and other track elements. Snap Marker to Edit Selection
To snap a marker to the beginning of the Edit
selection:

 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) a

maker.

To snap a marker to the end of the Edit selection:

Marker Follows Edit (MFE) button enabled  Command-Control-click (Mac) and Control-
Start-click (Windows) a marker within the Edit
When MFE is enabled and a Marker Lane is
selection.
shown, the Edit cursor and Edit selection span the
active track playlist and track Marker Lanes.
Markers on a track, even if not visible, follow the
selection on the main playlist (similar to how auto-
mation follows edits when the Automation Fol-

Chapter 40: Memory Locations 935

 Dragging Markers Between
Tracks and Between Tracks and
the Marker Ruler
Dragging a marker either horizontally or vertically
constrains it to the direction you first drag the
marker within a certain threshold. Once you break
that threshold, you can move the marker freely. If
you move a marker horizontally first, the move-
ment is constrained horizontally. Likewise, if you
drag a marker vertically first, the movement is con-
strained vertically.

Shift-click and drag a marker to constrain

vertical movement.

Copy and Merge Paste Track

Markers
When copying and pasting Track Markers from
one Marker Lane to another overwrites markers in
the target lane. Pro Tools lets you copy and merge
paste markers from one lane to another.

To copy and merge paste Track Markers:

1 Copy the Track Markers you want to paste to
another track.
2 Place the Edit cursor at the location in another
Track Marker Lane.
3 Press Option+V (Mac) or Alt+V.

936 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips

Pro Tools provides several ways of arranging clips If dragging multiple clips, the clips are placed on
on tracks including, but not limited to, moving adjacent tracks left to right or on multiple tracks
them with the Grabber tool, nudging, cutting or from top to bottom depending on the selected
copying and pasting, spotting them to a time loca- Timeline Drop Order option (see “Setting Timeline
tion, and so on. The exact placement of clips in a Drop Order” on page 938).
track depends on whether the Edit mode is set to
Shuffle, Slip, Spot, or Grid (see “Edit Modes” on If dragging a stereo audio clip, it must be placed in
page 639). a stereo track or in two mono tracks.

Clips are placed according to the current Edit

mode:
Placing Clips from the Clips • In Shuffle mode, existing track clips are slid as
List on to Track Playlists necessary to make room for the new clip.
Once you have created a clip, it appears in the • In Spot mode, you are prompted by the Spot di-
Clips List. From the Clips List you can drag it to a alog to enter a location for the dragged clip (see
track to add to an existing arrangement of clips on “Spotting Clips” on page 945).
a track, or you can create a new track and start add-
• In Grid mode, the dragged clip snaps to the near-
ing clips from scratch.
est Grid boundary.
You can locate clips in the Clips List by
You can temporarily disable Grid mode while
typing the first few letters of their name
dragging a clip by holding down the Com-
(see “Keyboard Selection of Clips” on
mand key (Mac) or Control key (Windows)
page 334).
after clicking with the mouse.
To place a clip from the Clips List on a track:
• In Slip mode, the clips are placed exactly where
1 In the Clips List, select the clip or clips you they are dropped in the destination track.
want to place.
2 Drag the selected clips from the Clips List to a
location in a track.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 937

 3 Select multiple items in the Clips List and do
Working with Multiple Items one of the following:
from the Clips List
• To create new tracks and place items to a spe-
cific location, drop items at the location along
Setting Timeline Drop Order the area below the last track.
The Timeline Drop Order option in the Clips List • To create new tracks and have items placed at
menu sets whether tracks dragged from the Clips the start of the session, drop the items on the
List are dropped sequentially in a single track or Tracks List.
spread across multiple tracks, as follows:

Top to Bottom When enabled, clips spread across

multiple destination (drop) tracks or on new tracks
(when dragging to the area below the last track or
to the Tracks List).

Left to Right When enabled, clips are placed se-

quentially in a single destination (drop) track or on
a new track (when dragging to the area below the
last track or on to the Tracks List).

To set the Clips List Drop Order:

New tracks after dropping multiple Clips List items,
 Choose Clips List > Timeline Drop Order, and with Timeline Drop Order set to Top to Bottom mode
then Top to Bottom or Left to Right.
To place multiple items across multiple existing
tracks:
Dragging and Dropping Multiple
Items from the Clips List 1 From the Clips List menu, choose Timeline
Drop Order > Top to Bottom.
To drag and drop multiple items from the Clips List
to multiple new tracks:
2 Select multiple items in the Clips List and drop
them in the playlist of a compatible track at the
1 From the Clips List menu, choose Timeline target location. When the cursor is over a com-
Drop Order > Top to Bottom. patible destination, the clip outlines appear at
2 Search and sort the Clips List to configure the the location.
order in which items will be placed.

938 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To drag and drop multiple items from the Clips List
to a single track: Placing Clips at the Edit
1 From the Clips List menu, choose Timeline Insertion Point
Drop Order > Left to Right. You can drag a clip from the same track, from an-
2 Search and sort the Clips List to configure the other track, or from the Clips List, and align its
order in which items will be placed. start, end, or sync point to the Edit insertion point.
This technique is useful in post production since it
3 Select multiple items in the Clips List and do lets you set an Edit selection point during playback
one of the following: or while stopped and then quickly place sound ef-
• To create a new track and spot the first item to fects at the edit insertion point.
a specific location, drop at the location in the
area below the last track shown in the Edit With Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, when the
window. Scrolling option is set to Center Playhead,
clips snap to the playhead, instead of the Edit
• To create a new track and have the first item
insertion point.
placed at the start of the session, drop the
items on the Tracks List. To place the start of a clip at the Edit insertion
• To place items in an existing track, drop the point:
items in the Edit playlist for the track. 1 Place the Edit insertion point at the desired lo-
cation on a track.
2 Select one or more clips in the Clips List that
you want to spot to that location.

This can change the location of the Edit inser-

tion point. If so, replace the Edit insertion
A new track created by dropping multiple Clips List
items with Timeline Drop Order set to Left to Right point to where you want.
mode
3 Do one of the following:
If the selected items include mixed types of clips
• Choose Spot to Edit Insertion from the Clips
(such as audio and MIDI, or clip groups and MIDI)
List menu.
the appropriate track types will be created and each
corresponding item will be placed in them. Simi- • Control-drag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows)
larly, if the selected items include multiple formats selected clips from the Clips List to the track.
(mono, stereo, or other) new tracks of each format • Control-Option-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-
will be created and those clips placed in them. click (Windows) to spot a single, selected clip
to the Edit insertion point.
• Right-click a clip and choose Spot to Edit In-
sertion.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 939

 The selected clip is placed at the Edit insertion
point on the track. Aligning Clips with the Edit
Insertion Point
When spotting more than one selected clip to
The start, end, and sync point of one clip can be
the Edit insertion point, clips are placed ac-
aligned to the start of a different clip on another
cording to the selected Timeline Drop Order
track.
setting (Top to Bottom or Left to Right). The
channel width of the selected clip must match In Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, when the
the channel width of the target track. Scrolling option is set to Center Playhead,
clip start, end, and sync points align to the
To place the end of a clip at the Edit insertion point:
playhead.
1 With the Selector tool, click in the track at the
time location where you want to place the end To align the start point of a clip to the Edit insertion
of the clip. point:
1 Place the Edit insertion point where you want.
2 Do one of the following:
• While pressing Command+Control (Mac) or 2 Do one of the following:
Control+Start (Windows), drag the clip from • Control-drag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows)
the Clips List, or from another track, to the a clip from the Clips List to another track.
destination track. • If the clip is already in the track, Control-
• If the clip is already in the track, Command- click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) the clip
Control-click (Mac) or Control-Start-click you want to move with the Time Grabber tool
(Windows) the clip with the Time Grabber (or with the Smart tool positioned over the
tool. middle, lower-third of the clip).

To place the sync point of a clip at the Edit Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click
insertion point: (Windows) and drag to align a copy of the clip
1 With the Selector tool, click in the track at the rather than moving the clip.
time location where you want to place the sync
To align the end point of a clip to the Edit insertion
point of the clip. point:
2 Do one of the following: 1 Place the Edit insertion point where you want.
• While pressing Control+Shift (Mac) or
2 Do one of the following:
Start+Shift (Windows), drag the clip from the
Clips List, or from another track, to the desti- • Command-Control-drag (Mac) or Control-
nation track. Start-drag (Windows) a clip from the Clips
List to another track.
• If the clip is already in the track, Shift-Con-
trol-click (Mac) or Shift-Start-click (Win- • If the clip is already in the track, Command-
dows) the clip with the Time Grabber tool. Control-click (Mac) or Control-Start-click
(Windows) the clip you want to move with
the Time Grabber tool (or with the Smart tool
positioned over the middle, lower-third of the
clip).

940 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or Moving Clips with the
Start-Alt-Start-click (Windows) and drag to Grabber Tools
align a copy of the clip rather than moving
Use the Grabber tools to move one or more clips,
the clip.
or the Edit selection, to another location.
To align the sync point of a clip to the Edit insertion
point: Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) when
dragging the selection with a Grabber tool to
1 Place the Edit insertion point where you want.
copy the selection rather than cut it.
2 Do one of the following:
To move one or more clips, or the Edit selection,
• Control-Shift-drag (Mac) or Start-Shift-drag with one of the Grabber tools:
(Windows) a clip from the Clips List to an-
1 Select one or more clips, or make an edit selec-
other track.
tion.
• If the clip is already in the track, Control-
Shift-click (Mac) or Start-Shift-click (Win- 2 With one of the Grabber tools (Time, Separa-
dows) the clip you want to move with the tion, or Object), drag the selection to the new lo-
Time Grabber tool (or with the Smart tool po- cation.
sitioned over the middle, lower-third of the
clip). Time Grabber and Object
Grabber
If you are moving audio data, the Time Grabber
Arranging with Transparent and Object Grabber tools overlay only the audio
Clip Overlays data on the destination track.
Transparent clip overlays can be useful for visually
aligning the placement of one clip over another
clip (for example, if you want to align a particular
transient of one clip over a particular transient in
another clip).

Visually aligning the placement of one clip over

another with Clip Transparency enabled

To toggle the display of clip transparency:

Moving a selection with the Time Grabber
 Select or deselect View > Clip > Transparency.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 941

 Separation Grabber When the Layered Editing option is enabled, any
partially overlapped clips are revealed when cut-
The Separation Grabber replaces the entire se-
ting, clearing (deleting), or moving the overlap-
lected range on the destination track Timeline.
ping clip. Note that if any clip is fully overlapped
by another, larger clip, it is removed from the time-
line. In Figure 1, the clip “Audio 1_01” (1) is
moved (2) to fully cover one clip and partially
cover another clip (3). When that clip (“Audio
1_02-01”) is cleared, the fully covered clip is gone,
but the partially covered clip is revealed (4).

Moving a selection with the Separation Grabber

Layered Editing 3
Pro Tools provides the option to enable layered edit-
ing so that you don’t lose partially overlapped clips
while editing. This is true for both audio and MIDI.
4
To enable (or disable) layered editing, do one
of the following:
Figure 1. Editing with Layered Editing enabled
 Select (or deselect) Options > Layered Editing.
 Click the Layered Editing button in the Edit Win-
Press Command+Delete (Mac) or Control+
dow toolbar so that it is lit (or unlit).
Delete (Windows) to clear all track data
within the edit selection regardless of whether
or not Layered Editing is enabled.

Layered Editing button (enabled)

942 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When the Layered Editing option is disabled, over- 2 Do one of the following:
lapped clips remain “trimmed” to the start or end • Choose Edit > Snap To > Previous.
time of the overlapping clip. In Figure 2, the clip
“Audio 1_01” (1) is moved to cover the middle of a • Right-click the clip or Edit selection and
larger clip (2). When that clip (“Audio 1_01”) is choose Snap to Previous.
cleared, the overlapped clip has a hole punched in it • Press Option+Control+, (Mac) or Alt+Start+,
(3). If Layered Editing is enabled in this case, the un- (Windows).
derlying clip is completely revealed and healed (4).
The selected clip snaps to the preceding clip on the
track so that the two clips are “butt-spliced.”
1

Figure 2. Editing with Layered Editing disabled

Snapping to the Preceding or

Next Clip on a Track Snapping a clip to the previous clip in a track

A clip—or an Edit selection including one or more To snap to the next clip on a track:
clips on the same track or on multiple tracks—can 1 Do one of the following:
snap to the end of the preceding clip or to the be-
• With the Time Grabber, select a clip.
ginning of the following clip. This is useful for
“butt splicing” adjacent clips on a track. • With the Selector, select an area in a track that
contains whole clips. The clips do not need to
To snap to the preceding clip on a track: be adjacent.
1 Do one of the following:
• With the Time Grabber, select a clip.
• With the Selector, select an area in a track that
contains whole clips. The clips do not need to
be adjacent.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 943

 2 Do one of the following:
Arranging Clips in Shuffle
• Choose Edit > Snap To > Next.
Mode
• Right-click the clip or Edit selection and
choose Snap to Next. In Shuffle mode, you can move clips freely within
a track or onto another track, but their movement is
• Press Option+Control+. (Mac) or Alt+Start+.
constrained by other clips. That is, if you place
(Windows).
several clips in a track, their start and end points
The selected clip snaps to the following clip on the automatically snap to each other. You can then
track so that the two clips are “butt-spliced.” “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
clip to the beginning of a track moves all subse-
quent clips to the right by the length of the clip
added.

To shuffle clips:
1 Enable Shuffle mode (see “Edit Modes” on
page 639).
2 Drag a mono clip from the Clips List to an
empty track. The clip snaps to the beginning of
the track.
3 Drag a second clip from the Clips List to the
same track, somewhere in the middle. The start
point for the second clip snaps to the end of the
first clip.
4 With the Time Grabber tool, drag the second
clip to the beginning of the track.

Pro Tools “shuffles” the position of the two clips.

The second clip now occurs first, yet the two still
cling together.

Snapping a clip to the next clip in a track 5 Experiment more with Shuffle mode by drag-
ging additional clips to the track and rearrang-
You can also use the Snap To commands with ing them.
an Edit selection that includes multiple clips Locked clips (see “Locking Clips” on page 954),
on one or more tracks. and all clips occurring after the locked clip, are not
displaced when other neighboring clips are moved
in Shuffle mode. If there is not enough room to
place or duplicate a clip in front of a locked clip,
the insertion area is disabled.

944 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If you place a clip while in Slip mode and switch to
Shuffle mode, Pro Tools preserves the relative Arranging Clips in Slip Mode
timing and position of the slipped clip, and any In Slip mode, clips can be moved with the Time
space between it and other clips. Grabber tool and placed freely within a track, or
onto other tracks. In this mode, it is possible to
With certain workflows, it is important to ex-
place a clip so that there is space between it and
clude Shuffle mode in order to ensure that
other clips in a track. When the track is played
clips stay time-aligned while editing. Shuffle
back, this space is silent. It is also possible to move
Lock prevents you from inadvertently enter-
a clip so that it overlaps or completely covers an-
ing Shuffle mode by disabling all key
other clip.
commands and control surface switches for
Shuffle mode. For more information, see
To slip clips:
“Shuffle Lock” on page 639.
1 Enable Slip mode (see “Edit Modes” on
page 639).
Shuffling Multiple Tracks and
Multichannel Clips 2 Drag a clip from the Clips List to an empty
Selections across multiple tracks or on multichan- track.
nel tracks can be shuffled. Unlike shuffling clips 3 Drag a second clip from the Clips List to the
on a single track, any partially selected clips are cut same track, somewhere in the middle. The sec-
and moved along with the dragged clip. This lets ond clip is placed wherever you release it. It
you retain only the material that corresponds to the does not snap to the first clip as in Shuffle mode.
dragged clip.
4 Drag the clips to different locations within the
track to get a feel for moving them in Slip mode.
Try placing the second clip so that it slightly
overlaps the first clip. Play back the results.

Spotting Clips
Spot mode is useful for sessions in which you want
to spot clips 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
clip by specifying a Timecode frame or bar and
beat location, by capturing an incoming timecode
address, or by using the clip’s time stamps.

Shuffling a clip results in cutting the channel For even quicker spotting, if you are using
VITC, use the Auto-Spot Clips command to spot
a clip to the current Timecode frame location
with the Time Grabber tool. For more informa-
tion, see “Auto-Spotting Clips” on page 1374.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 945

 5 Do one of the following:
For more information on using Timecode
• Click in the field for Start, Sync Point, or End
with Pro Tools, see Chapter 60, “Working
and type in a new location. Changing one of
with Synchronization.”
these locate points automatically updates the
To spot a clip: other locate points.
1 Enable Spot mode (see “Edit Modes” on • Click one of the up arrows next to Original
page 639). Time Stamp or User Time Stamp to enter the
associated values into the currently selected
2 Do one of the following: field.
• Drag a clip from the Clips List, or drag audio • If you are using an external Timecode source,
files or sessions from a Workspace browser to click the down arrow next to the Current
an Timecode display—or press Equal (=) on the
existing track. numeric keypad—to capture an incoming
• Click a clip already in a track with the Time timecode address.
Grabber tool.
6 Click OK. The clip is moved to the new location
3 In the Spot dialog, select a time format from the specified for its start, end, or sync point.
Time Scale pop-up menu.
If a clip does not have a sync point defined, the
Each of the fields in the Spot dialog are displayed Sync Point field in the Spot dialog functions the
in the chosen Time Scale. same as the Start field.

Right-Click Commands for

Spotting Clips
You can use Right-click commands with a key
combination to spot clips in a track.

In earlier versions of Pro Tools, Right-click-

ing in a clip with the Grabber tool would spot
the clip to a selection.

To spot a clip to a selection:

1 Click or drag with the Selector tool to locate the
cursor or make a selection in the track where
Spot dialog you want to spot the clip.

4 If the Time Scale is set to Timecode, select the 2 Command-Right-click (Mac) or Control-Right-
Use Subframes option to display subframes in click (Windows) the clip and choose any of the
the fields for improved accuracy. following from the pop-up menu:
• Move Clip Start to Selection Start
• Move Clip Sync to Selection Start
• Move Clip End to Selection Start

946 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clip Time Stamps Grid mode also provides two operational modes,
Absolute and Relative. These modes control how
When a clip is created, it is time stamped relative
the Grid is applied (see “Absolute and Relative
to the Timecode start time specified for the ses-
Grid Mode” on page 948).
sion. This Original Time Stamp is permanently
stored with the clip and cannot be changed. If a clip To temporarily suspend Grid mode and
is ever moved, it can easily be placed at its original switch to Slip mode while dragging a
position from the Spot dialog. clip, hold the Command key (Mac) or
Control key (Windows).
When the Original Time Stamp for a clip is ini-
tially set, this same location is also used to define
the clip’s User Time Stamp.
Setting Up the Grid
When the Draw Grid in Edit Window option is en-
Unlike the Original Time Stamp, the User Time
abled in the Display Preferences page, vertical
Stamp can be redefined with the Time Stamp com-
Grid lines appear in the Edit window.
mand in the Clips List menu (see “Time Stamping”
on page 1375). Grid lines in the Edit window can also be enabled
and disabled by clicking the Timebase ruler name
Time Stamps in the Workspace after it becomes highlighted.
Columns are provided in Workspace browsers for
both the Original and User Time Stamps. Defining the Grid Value
Time Stamps and Matches In addition to affecting the placement of clips, the
Grid value also constrains Timeline and Edit selec-
Clips with identical User Time Stamps appear to- tions, and determines how the Clip > Quantize to
gether in the Matches submenu in the Right-click Grid command works.
menu when auditioning takes (see “Selecting Al-
ternate Takes on a Track” on page 572). To set the Grid value:
1 Do one of the following:
• From the View > Main Counter menu, select
Arranging Clips in Grid Mode the Time Scale for the Grid value.
Grid mode provides several useful capabilities for • To keep the Main Time Scale and use a differ-
moving and placing clips in track playlists. This ent time format for the Grid, deselect Follow
mode is especially useful for lining up clips at pre- Main Timebase in the Grid value pop-up
cise intervals, as when working with a session that menu.
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 num-
ber of samples.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 947

 2 Do one of the following: Absolute and Relative Grid Mode
• From the Grid value pop-up menu, select the Grid mode can be applied in Absolute or Relative
time value for the Grid boundaries. mode.
 In Absolute Grid mode, moving any clip snaps
the clip start to Grid boundaries. If a clip’s start
point falls between beats, and the Grid is set to 1/4
notes, dragging the clip will snap its start time to
the nearest 1/4 note (the current absolute Grid
value). Similarly, when moving MIDI notes (and
other MIDI data), the start of the first MIDI event
in the selection snaps to the nearest Grid location.
Likewise, when cutting or copying and pasting
clips or MIDI data while in Grid mode, the start of
the clip or the start of the first MIDI event snaps to
the nearest Grid location.
 In Relative Grid mode, clips can be moved by

Grid (or Nudge) units. If the start point of a clip is

offset from the Grid, the clip maintains its relative
Grid value pop-up menu showing Bars|Beats
grid offset at the new location. Similarly, when
• To define a Grid based on the session’s Mark- moving MIDI notes (and other MIDI data), the
ers, selections, and clip boundaries, select start of the first MIDI event in the selection main-
Clips/Markers from the Grid value pop-up tains its relative offset from the nearest Grid loca-
menu. tion. Likewise, when cutting or copying and
pasting clips or MIDI data while in Relative Grid
To increase the grid value incrementally: mode, any offset from the Grid is preserved. Also
 Press Shift+Equal (=). when pasting and merging MIDI data (Edit > Spe-
cial Paste > Merge MIDI) while in Relative Grid
To decrease the grid value incrementally: mode, the pasted and merged MIDI data maintains
its relative grid offset.
 Press Shift+Minus (–).
To select Absolute or Relative Grid mode:

 Click the Grid mode selector and select Abso-

lute Grid or Relative Grid.

To temporarily suspend Grid mode and

switch to Slip mode while dragging a clip,
hold the Command key (Mac) or Control key
(Windows).

948 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To place, move, or paste a clip (or MIDI data) while
in Grid mode: Replacing Audio Clips
1 Configure the Grid value (see “Defining the (Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
Grid Value” on page 947).
Use the Replace Clip function to replace multiple
2 Enable Grid mode. instances of an audio clip in a playlist with another
clip. This is useful in post production if you use a
3 Do one of the following:
sound effect, room noise, or atmosphere clip many
• Drag a clip from the Clips List to an existing times in a session, and later decide to replace one
track. or all of the original clips with a different clip.
• With the Time Grabber tool, drag a clip al-
ready in a track to a new location. This is also useful in music production if you want
to replace a certain loop or sample (for example, a
• Cut or Copy a clip (or selected MIDI data) drum beat) with a new one. You can use this com-
and Paste it to a new location. positionally, if you know the tempo of a section or
The clip’s start point (or the beginning of the se- session, to create a scratch piece with “rough” clips
lected MIDI data) snaps to the closest Grid bound- of the correct length, and later replace them with
ary. If the clip has a sync point defined, the sync “final” clips of the same length.
point snaps to the Grid boundary.
To replace clips by dragging and dropping:
To place, move, or paste a clip (or selected MIDI 1 Select a clip in a track’s playlist that you want to
data) while in Relative Grid mode: replace. The selection can extend beyond the
1 Configure the Grid value (see “Defining the clip’s end point, to include material from the re-
Grid Value” on page 947). placement clip that is longer than the original
clip.
2 Enable Relative Grid mode.
2 Command-Shift-drag (Mac) or Control-Shift-
3 Do one of the following:
drag (Windows) the replacement clip from the
• With the Time Grabber tool, drag a clip that Clips List to the selected clip. The Replace Clip
starts offset from the grid to a new location. dialog opens.
• Cut or Copy a clip (or selected MIDI data)
Command-Shift-drag (Mac) or Control-
whose start time is offset from the Grid and
Shift-drag (Windows) any clip from the Clips
Paste it to a new location.
List to any unselected clip on a track to open
The beginning of the moved or pasted clip (or se- the Replace Clip dialog without first making
lected MIDI data) maintains its relative offset from a selection.
the nearest Grid location.
3 Configure the Replace Clip dialog (see “Re-
place Clip Dialog Options” on page 950).
4 Click OK.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 949

 Replacing Clips from the Clips Replace Clip Dialog Options
List
The Replace Clips command is also available in
the Clips List menu. To use this command, make
sure there is a clip selected in a track and a differ-
ent (replacement) clip selected in the Clips List.

To replace clips using the Clips List menu:

1 Select a clip in a track to be replaced.

2 Do one of the following:
• Right-click the replacement clip in the Clips
List and choose Replace Clips from the pop-
up menu.
• Select the replacement clip in the Clips List
and choose Replace Clips from the Clips List
menu. (If the Clips List Selection Follows Edit
Selection preference is enabled, Command-
click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the
selected clip to deselect it, then Command-
click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the
replacement clip to select it, and then choose
Replace Clips from the Clips List menu.)

3 Configure the Replace Clip dialog (see “Re-

Replace Clip dialog
place Clip Dialog Options” on page 950).
The following options are available in the Replace
4 Click OK.
Clip dialog:

Replace Clip and Multichannel Replace: Original Clip Only Replaces only the se-
Tracks lected clip with the replacement clip dragged from
the Clips List.
The Replace Clip command supports dragging
multichannel clips from the Clips List to multi-
channel tracks, provided they are the same channel
format. For example, you can replace a selected
stereo clip in a stereo audio track with another ste-
reo clip from the Clips List. However, you cannot
replace it with two mono audio clips. Additionally,
you cannot replace clips in multiple mono tracks
with multichannel clips.

950 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Replace: All Instances of the Original Clip Re- Clip matching uses all specified Match criteria.
places all instances of the selected clip that fit the For example, if you select Start Position and End
On criteria with the replacement clip from the Position, all clips from the same original audio file
Clips List. as your selection with the same original start and
• On This Track: replaces clips that fit the Match end times will be replaced.
criteria and are on the same track as the original Fit Clip Using The: Original Clip Length If the re-
clip. placement clip is smaller than the original clip, the
• On All Tracks: replaces clips that fit the Match clip is placed in the playlist and any remaining au-
criteria for all tracks in the session. dio from the original clip is removed.
• On Within the Selection: replaces clips that fit If the replacement clip is larger than the selection,
the Match criteria within the current selection. it is placed in the playlist and trimmed to fit within
Replace: All Clips that Match Original Clip’s Re- the length of the original clip.
places all clips that fit the Match criteria and the Fit Clip Using The: Original Selection
On criteria with the replacement clip from the Length When the playlist selection extends be-
Clips List. yond the original clip, the replacement clip (if
• Start Position: replaces all clips that have the larger than the original clip) is trimmed to fit
same original start time as the selected clip. This within the selection.
includes clips that may have been auto-created
Fit Clip Using The: Replacement Clip Length The
when trimming end points.
replacement clip is placed in its entirety, regardless
• End Position: replaces all clips that have the of the length of the original clip or selection.
same original end time as the selected clip. This
includes clips that may have been auto-created
when trimming start points.
Sync Points
• Name: replaces all clips that come from the
The placement of clips in Grid and Spot mode can
same audio file and have been renamed to the
be based on the definition of a clip sync point.
same name
Sync points can be added to audio, MIDI, and
• On This Track: replaces clips that fit the Match video clips and also to clip groups. Sync points are
criteria and are on the same track as the original used when a specific point within a clip must be
clip. aligned to the Grid or to a particular Timecode or
• On All Tracks: replaces clips that fit the Match bar/beat location. This capability is especially im-
criteria for all tracks in the session. portant when placing music and sound effects for
film and video work.
• On Within the Selection: replaces clips that fit
the Match criteria within the current selection. For example, suppose you had an audio clip for a
door slam that included the creak of the door clos-
ing, the actual slam, and the reverb of the slam. Us-
ing a sync point for the slam sound in the clip lets
you spot it to a specific time in the session.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 951

 To define a clip sync point: Displaying Sync Points
1 Enable Slip mode (see “Edit Modes” on Sync points in audio clips may displayed or
page 639). hidden.
2 Do one of the following:
To disable the display of sync points in audio clips:
• With the Selector tool, click at the point in the
clip where you want the sync point.  Deselect View > Clip > Sync Point.
• Press the Down Arrow key while playing
To enable the display of sync points in audio clips:
back.
 Choose View > Clip > Sync Point.
3 Choose Clip > Identify Sync Point. A small down
arrow appears at the bottom of the clip, with a
vertical, light gray line indicating the location of Dragging Sync Points
the sync point. You can drag a sync point to another position in the
audio clip.

To set the sync point by dragging:

1 If you want the sync point to snap to the current
Grid value, enable Grid mode (see “Edit
Modes” on page 639).
2 Select the Time Grabber tool.
3 Drag the sync point to a new location.
Sync Point

To change the location of a sync point:

Scrubbing Sync Points
 With the Selector tool, click at a point in a clip
While viewing an audio waveform can be a good
and choose Clip > Identify Sync Point. The new
way to set a sync point, a waveform display may
location is identified as the sync point for the
not always reveal the desired spot in the audio ma-
clip.
terial. By scrubbing while moving the sync point
You can also move the location of a sync over an audio waveform, you can listen for the ex-
point by dragging it (see “Dragging Sync act location to place the sync point.
Points” on page 952).

Removing Sync Points

To remove a sync point, do one of the following:

 Select the entire clip and choose Clip >

Remove Sync Point.

 Choose the Time Grabber tool, then Option-

click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the sync
point to delete it.
Scrubbing a Sync Point (cursor)

952 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To scrub while dragging the sync point: 4 If you want to shift material with greater preci-
1 If you want the sync point to snap to the current sion, select the Use Subframes option.
Grid value when you finish scrubbing, set the 5 Click OK. The material is shifted earlier or later
Edit mode to Grid (see “Edit Modes” on by the specified amount.
page 639).
If a portion of a clip was selected, new clips are
2 Select the Scrubber tool.
created from the selection and from any material
3 Drag the sync point to a new location. The sync outside of the selection.
point scrubs the audio as you move it.
The Shift command works the same regardless of
the Edit mode. For example, adjacent clips are
overlapped in Shuffle mode, the Spot dialog does
Shift Command not appear when in Spot mode, and shifted mate-
Use the Shift command to move track material for- rial does not snap to the Grid when in Grid mode.
ward or back in time by a specified amount. The
Shift command can operate on selections, clips,
MIDI notes, MIDI controller data, and Space Clips
automation breakpoints.
The Space Clips command sets the space between
To shift a selection or clip: selected clips on the timeline by a specified
amount in the selected timebase. This can be useful
1 With the Selector or Time Grabber tool, select
for arranging selected clips, adding space between
the track material you want to shift. The se-
songs when mastering, or even creating beat pat-
lected material can reside on multiple tracks.
terns among other possibilities.
2 Choose Edit > Shift. In the Shift dialog, select
whether the data will be moved Earlier or Later. To add time between clips and reposition them on
the Timeline:
3 Click in one of the Timebase fields to specify
1 Select clips on one or more tracks in the Edit
the amount by which the material will be
window.
shifted. Entering a value in one Timebase field
automatically updates the others.

Selected clips to be re-spaced

2 Choose Edit > Space Clips.

Press Option+Shift+H (Mac) or Alt+Shift+H

(Windows) to open the Space Clips dialog.

Shift dialog

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 953

 3 In the Space Clips dialog, select the Timebase. Selected clips re-spaced with the specified amount
of time between them.
Press Command+Up/Down Arrow keys (Mac)
or Control+Up/Down Arrow keys (Windows)
to cycle through the Time Scale options.

Selected clips re-spaced

Locking Clips
In many cases you may want to “lock” clips or clip
Space Clips dialog, selecting TImebase
groups to a specific time location to keep them
4 If desired, select Follow Main Time Scale to from being moved or otherwise edited inadver-
have the Space Clips dialog open with the Main tently. Pro Tools provides two different commands
Time Scale of the session selected by default. for locking clips: Edit locking and Time locking.
5 Enter a value for the amount of time to set the
Gap Between Clips. Edit Locking Clips
If you have a clip or group of clips that you want to
Press Left/Right Arrow keys to move the cur-
protect from being inadvertently edited, you can
sor to the previous or next time division (for
Edit lock them. Clips that are Edit-locked cannot
example, press the Right Arrow key to move
be edited (such as cutting, deleting, separating,
from minutes to seconds to milliseconds).
trimming, or adjusting clip gain) or moved to a dif-
ferent time location. Copied edit-locked clips can
be pasted to any other track or time location, but
the copy will also be Edit-locked at the new time
location.

Edit locking takes precedence over Time

locking. You can Edit lock a Time locked clip,
Space Clips dialog, entering amount but you cannot Time lock an Edit locked clip
without unlocking it first.

If there are any spaces between selected clips To Edit lock (or unlock) a clip:
and you set the Gap Between Clips to 0 in any
1 With the Time Grabber, select the clip or clips to
Timebase, all selected clips move so that they
Edit lock (or unlock). The clips can reside on
are abutted.
multiple tracks.
2 Choose Clip > Edit Lock/Unlock.

Press Command+L (Mac) or Control+L (Win-

dows) to Edit lock or unlock the selected clip.

954 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To Time lock (or unlock) a clip:
1 With the Time Grabber, select the clip or clips to
Time lock (or unlock). The clips can reside on
multiple tracks.
2 Choose Clip > Time Lock/Unlock.

Press Option+Control+L (Mac) or Alt+Start+L

Edit Lock icon (Windows) to Time lock or unlock the selected
clip.
When Edit-locked, a small Edit Lock icon appears
in the clip and it cannot be moved, deleted, or ed- When Time-locked, a small Time Lock icon ap-
ited. If you attempt to perform edits on a locked pears in the clip and the clip cannot be moved, but
clip, Pro Tools alerts you (see “Allowing Editing it can be edited or even deleted.
of Edit-Locked Clips” on page 955).

In Shuffle mode, Edit-locked clips, and all clips

occurring after the locked clip, are not displaced
when other neighboring clips are moved.

On tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, Edit-

locked clips conform to tempo changes, but not
other Elastic Audio processing (such as Quantize
Time Lock icon
or manual warping) can be applied.
In Shuffle mode, Time-locked clips, and all clips
occurring after the locked clip, are not displaced
Time Locking Clips
when other neighboring clips are moved.
For clips that you want to lock to a particular loca-
tion in a track (a beat, Timecode frame, or sample On tick-based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, Time-
location), you can lock it in place so it cannot be locked clips conform to tempo changes, but not
moved accidentally. Time-locked clips cannot be other Elastic Audio processing (such as Quantize
moved. However, they can be edited in ways that or manual warping) can be applied.
do not move the clip to a different time location
(such as separating, trimming, AudioSuite pro- Allowing Editing of Edit-Locked
cessing, or even moving the clip to another track). Clips
Time-locked clips can also be deleted. When sepa-
If you attempt to edit an Edit-locked clip,
rating a Time-locked clip, any new clips will also
Pro Tools warns you and prompts you to Cancel or
be locked to their time locations.
Allow the edit. If you allow an edit that keeps any
part of the clip intact, the clip remains locked.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 955

 Auto-Naming for Strip Silence
Muting/Unmuting Clips
The Rename button in the Strip Silence window
Choosing the Mute/Unmute Clip command mutes opens the Rename Selected Clips dialog, which
playback of a selected clip. Choosing the com- determines how clips are named when stripping si-
mand a second time unmutes the clip. Clips that are lence. The dialog remembers your previous set-
muted become dimmed to indicate their status. tings, which can be cleared by clicking the Clear
button.

Muted audio clip (middle)

To mute or unmute a clip or clips:

1 With the Time Grabber, select the clip or clips
you want to mute or unmute. The clips can even
reside on multiple tracks. Rename Selected Clips dialog
2 Choose Edit > Mute/Unmute. When muted, clips Name Specifies the base name for clips created
are dimmed. with Strip Silence.

Number Specifies the number at which sequential

Stripping Silence from Clips auto-numbering starts.

Strip Silence analyzes audio selections—across Zeros Specifies the number of zeroes that occur
multiple tracks—and removes (or extracts) any ar- before the appended auto numbers.
eas of silence, dividing the selection into smaller Suffix Specifies text appended to the end of the
clips and removing the silent areas. name, after the auto numbering.
You can use Strip Silence to strip (remove) silence For example, if you set these naming options to:
from a clip, or instead, extract the audio and keep
the silence. Getting rid of silent areas is useful • Name = SFX
when preparing to compact audio (see “Compact- • Auto Number Start = 23
ing an Audio File” on page 705). Strip Silence au- • Leading Zeros = 1
tomatically separates the selection into separate
clips, which is useful if you want to quantize audio • Suffix = .Reel1
to musical values, or locate sound effects to Time- The names generated for clips created by Strip Si-
code locations. lence would be:
• SFX023.Reel1
• SFX024.Reel1
• SFX025.Reel1
• SFX026.Reel1

956 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using Strip Silence 6 Once the Strip Silence rectangles encompass
the audio that you want to keep, press the Strip
To strip silence from an audio selection: button.
1 Select one or more audio clips.
The material defined as silence is removed from
2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence. the selection and new clips are created, which also
appear in the Clips List.
Press Command+U (Mac) or Con-
trol+U (Windows) to open the Strip Strip Silence is nondestructive and does not re-
Silence window. move audio data from parent audio files. In addi-
tion to the Undo command, you can use the Heal
3 To set the naming scheme for clips created with Separation command to restore stripped material.
Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
name Selected Clips dialog. For details, see Strip Silence works with stereo and multi-
“Auto-Naming for Strip Silence” on page 956. channel tracks, and keeps their audio clips
phase-coherent.
4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the settings
for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Dura- To extract audio from an audio selection using
tion (Min Strip) until Strip Silence rectangles ap- Strip Silence:
pear in the selection. 1 Make an Edit selection.
2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence.
3 To set the naming scheme for clips created with
Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
name Selected Clips dialog (see “Auto-Naming
Strip Silence rectangles for Strip Silence” on page 956).
For finer resolution on these controls, press Com- 4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the settings
mand (Mac) or Control (Windows) while adjusting for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Dura-
them. tion (Min Strip) until the Strip Silence rectangles
5 To retain material before and after the new clips, appear in the selection.
adjust the settings for Clip Start Pad and Clip 5 Click the Extract button.
End Pad.
All audio above the designated threshold is deleted
and the “silent” portions of the track are left.

To separate clips using Strip Silence:

1 Make an Edit or Timeline selection.
Attack to be padded Decay to be padded
2 Choose Edit > Strip Silence.
3 To set the naming scheme for clips created with
Strip Silence, click Rename to open the Re-
name Selected Clips dialog (see “Auto-Naming
for Strip Silence” on page 956).
Strip Silence, padding clip start and end points

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 957

 4 In the Strip Silence window, adjust the settings Strip Threshold Sets the amplitude threshold
for Strip Threshold and Minimum Strip Dura- (from –96 dB to 0 dB) for Strip Silence. Audio
tion (Min Strip) until the Strip Silence rectangles falling below this threshold is considered silence
appear in the selection. and removed. Audio above the threshold is re-
tained and defined as new clips.
5 Click the Separate button.
Minimum Strip Duration Sets the minimum dura-
New clips are created based on the boundaries de-
tion (from 0 to 4,000 ms) that the material above
tected by Strip Silence.
the threshold must last to be considered silence.
Use this control to avoid countless small clips that
The Strip Silence Window may occur within a selection.
The Strip Silence window contains the following Clip Start Pad Specifies a time value to be added
controls that let you set the parameters by which si- to the beginning of each new clip created with
lence is defined when using Strip Silence. Strip Silence. This is useful for preserving musical
material that falls below the threshold, such as the
breath before a vocal phrase, or the finger slide be-
fore a guitar chord.

Clip End Pad Specifies a time value to be ap-

pended to the end of each new clip created with
Strip Silence, thereby preserving the nuances in
the decay of the material.
Strip Silence window
Strip Clears the detected silence, but leaves the
Adjusting these controls causes rectangles to tem- clips containing audio on the track.
porarily appear in the selection, indicating areas of
silence that will be affected by the Strip, Extract, or Extract Clears the audio and leaves the silent por-
Separate commands. tions of the track (in other words, an “inverse” strip
silence feature that is ideal for generating room
tone or ambience to use elsewhere).

Rename Opens the Rename Selected Clips dialog

(see “Auto-Naming for Strip Silence” on
page 956).
Strip Silence rectangles
Separate Separates clips based on the boundaries
detected by Strip Silence.

958 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Slip Mode When inserting silence on multiple
Inserting Silence tracks in Slip mode, the following conditions ap-
The Insert Silence command is a simple and con- ply:
venient way to insert silence on audio, MIDI, and  If any track is displayed as audio or MIDI data,
Instrument tracks. This command lets you make a the selected range is cleared of audio or MIDI data
selection on a track (or tracks) and insert precisely and all underlying automation data on all selected
that amount of silence. tracks.
The Insert Silence command also affects  If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
markers in any selected Conductor Rulers tion data, silence is inserted only into the automa-
(such as the Tempo or Meter rulers). tion type visible on each track.

In Shuffle mode, all data on the track is shuffled  If all selected tracks are displayed as automa-
later in the track by an amount equal to the tion data, press the Control (Mac) or Start key
selection. (Windows) while choosing the Insert Silence com-
mand to insert silence on all automation playlists
In Grid mode, the Insert Silence command works for all selected tracks.
just like the Clear command.
To insert silence into a track:
Shuffle Mode When inserting silence on multiple
1 Make a selection in a track or tracks. The length
tracks in Shuffle mode, the following conditions
of the selection determines the duration of the
apply:
silence inserted.
 If any track is displayed as audio or MIDI data,
2 Choose Edit > Insert Silence.
the selected duration of silence is inserted into the
audio or MIDI data and all underlying automation In Shuffle mode, Pro Tools inserts the selected
data on all selected tracks. All subsequent clips are amount of silence. In the process, it splits the clips
shuffled by the amount of silence inserted. On at the beginning of the insertion point, and moves
MIDI tracks, only notes that are selected from the the new clips later in the track by an amount equal
beginning are affected, so if you have selected the to the length of the selection.
tail of a note and you Insert Silence, the note will
remain unchanged.
 If all selected tracks are displayed as automa- Duplicating Clips
tion data, the selected range is cleared of automa-
The Duplicate command copies a selection and
tion data only of the type visible on each track.
places it immediately after the end of the selection.
Clips are not shuffled. Instead, a blank gap appears
Though this is similar to using Copy and Paste,
equal to the length of the selection.
Duplicate is more convenient and faster, particu-
 If all selected tracks are displayed as automa- larly when working with data on multiple tracks.
tion data, press the Control (Mac) or Start key
(Windows) while choosing the Insert Silence com- To make more than one copy of a selection, use the
mand to inserts silence on all automation playlists Repeat command (see “Repeating Clips” on
for all selected tracks. Clips are not shuffled. page 961). You can also loop clips (see “Clip
Looping” on page 963).

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 959

 As with the Copy and Paste commands, certain Duplicating Audio and Keeping
rules apply when duplicating material on multiple It On The Beat
tracks (see “Editing Across Multiple Tracks” on
When using Duplicate (or Repeat) for audio that
page 638).
must fall cleanly on the beat (such as rhythmic
To duplicate a selection or clip:
loops), it is important that you select the audio ma-
terial with the Selector tool, or by typing in the
1 If working with material that is bar- and beat- start and end points in the Event Edit area. If you
based, such as loops, set the Main Time Scale to select an audio clip with the Time Grabber tool (or
Bars|Beats. by double-clicking it with the Selector tool), the
2 If you want to constrain the selection to the cur- material may drift by several ticks because of sam-
rent Grid value, set the Edit mode to Grid. ple-rounding.

3 Make an Edit selection. If, on the other hand, you want to Duplicate (or Re-
peat) audio that is not bar- and beat-based, set the
4 Choose Edit > Duplicate. The material is placed
Time Scale to any format except Bars|Beats. This
immediately after the selection’s end point.
ensures that the duplicated audio material has the
Press Command+D (Mac) or Control+D correct number of samples and is accurately
(Windows) to Duplicate any selected clips. placed.

In Shuffle mode, the duplicated data is placed di- Duplicate and Extend Selection
rectly after the end of the selection. Clips occurring
after it slide to accommodate the duplicated mate- When working on music using audio loops and
rial. In Slip mode, the duplicated material overlaps MIDI sequences, you may want to duplicate the
any adjacent data. track content of an Edit selection and include both
the original and the duplicate in a new selection.
When using Duplicate (or Repeat) with MIDI This can be especially useful when working with
notes that were selected with the Time Grabber repeating material in Grid mode with the Main
tool, material is always duplicated one measure Timebase ruler set to Bars|Beats. For example, you
later, and is merged with existing track material might have a 2 bar audio loop or MIDI sequence
(instead of replacing it). that you want to extend to 4 and then 8 bars, and
then copy and paste to another location.

To duplicate and extend the Edit selection:

1 Make an Edit selection that include audio or
MIDI on a track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Selection > Duplicate and Ex-
tend.
• Press Command+Option+Control+Shift+D
(Mac) or Control+Alt+Start+Shift+D
(Windows).

960 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 The material is placed immediately after the selec-
Repeating Clips tion’s end point, and duplicated the specified num-
The Repeat command is similar to Duplicate, but ber of times.
lets you specify the number of times the selected
In Shuffle mode, the repeated data is placed di-
material is duplicated.
rectly after the end of the selection. Clips occurring
As with the Copy and Paste commands, certain after it slide to accommodate the repeated material.
rules apply when repeating material on multiple In Slip mode, the repeated material overlaps any
tracks (see “Editing Across Multiple Tracks” on subsequent data.
page 638).

You can repeatedly paste copied data until it com-

pletely fills a selection (see “Special Cut, Copy,
Paste, and Clear Commands” on page 637).

You can also loop clips (see “Clip Looping” on

page 963).

To repeat a selection or clip:

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 cur-
rent 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.

Repeat dialog

Press Option+R (Mac) or Alt+R (Windows) to

open the Repeat dialog for any selected clips.

Chapter 41: Arranging Clips 961

962 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups

Pro Tools lets you loop clips and group clips Looped clips (all iterations) display a Loop icon in
(called a clip group). the lower, right corner or each loop iteration.

Looped clip

Clip Looping Source clip Loop iterations

Pro Tools lets you loop audio clips, MIDI clips,
and clip groups. Looping clips is an easy and pow-
erful way to repeat a single clip on a track or clips
across tracks for composing and arranging. Loop-
ing clips provides more flexibility than the Repeat
and Duplicate commands.
Loop icons
Looped clips repeat the source clip as many times
as specified in the Clip Looping dialog, or enough Looped clip
to fill the specified Loop Length (such as 30 sec-
onds or until the next clip on the track). The source Looping a clip does not loop any automation
clip is the original clip selected for looping. Loop associated with the source clip. Use the Copy
iterations are all looped clips following the source Special and Paste Special Repeat To Fill Se-
clip. In cases where a specific number of repeti- lection commands to copy automation for the
tions has not been indicated, the last loop iteration source loop to all loop iterations (see “Auto-
is truncated to fill to the end of the selection or mation and Looped Clips” on page 966).
specified Loop Length.

Once looped, the looped clip can be edited much

like a clip group. For example, selecting and mov-
ing a looped clip selects and moves the source clip
and all its loop iterations together.

Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups 963

 • Select the Loop Until End of Session or Next
Creating Looped Clips Clip option. The looped clip will be repeated
You can create looped clips using the Loop com- until the end of the session, or until the next
mand or using the Loop Trim tool. clip on the track. If necessary, the last loop it-
eration will be truncated to fit.
For information on using the Loop Trim tool,
4 To add a crossfade at the loop point, select the
see “Loop Trim Tool” on page 656.
Enable Crossfade option. To edit the loop
To loop a clip: crossfade, do the following:
1 Select an audio or MIDI clip, or clip group. • Click the Settings button.
• Configure the Loop Crossfades.
You can also select clips across tracks for
• Click OK.
looping.

2 Do one of the following:

• Choose Clip > Loop.
• Right-click the clip you want to loop and
select Loop.

Clip Looping dialog

Press Command+Option+L (Mac) or Con-

trol+Alt+L (Windows) to open the Clip Loop- Loop Crossfade dialog
ing dialog.
For information on working with crossfades,
3 In the Clip Looping dialog, do one of the
see Chapter 32, “Fades and Crossfades.”
following:
• Select the Number of Loops option and enter 5 In the Clip Looping dialog, click OK.
the number of times to loop the clip.
• 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 iteration
will be truncated.
964 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Unlooping Clips Editing Looped Clips
To unloop a looped clip: Looped clips can be edited as a group (all loop it-
erations together) or as individual clips (each loop
1 Select the looped clip.
iteration). For example, selecting a looped clip
2 Do one of the following: with the Grabber tool selects the entire loop (the
• Choose Clip > Unloop. source clip and all its loop iterations), but clicking
the Loop icon of one of the loop iterations selects
• Right-click the clip you want to unloop and
only that one iteration.
select Unloop.
3 Do one of the following: Moving a looped clip moves the source clip and all
its loop iterations together as a group. Loop itera-
• Click Remove to unloop and remove all loop
tions cannot be moved independently of their
iterations except the first full loop iteration
source clip. If you move or paste another shorter
(source clip).
clip over a looped clip the loop is continued after
• Click Flatten to unloop and create individual the new clip. The parts of a separated looped clip
clips from each loop iteration. can be adjusted independently.
Clip Ungroup functions on loops the same as Manually warping any part of a looped clip
using the Unloop command and choosing in Warp view separates only that iteration
Flatten. from the looped clip.

To unloop and ungroup a selection down to its To select a looped clip as a group (all loop
individual clips: iterations), do one of the following:
1 Select a looped clip that contains one or more  With the Grabber tool or Smart Tool, single-
clip groups. click the looped clip.
2 Choose Clip > Ungroup All.  With the Selector tool, double-click the looped
clip.
Unlooping and Flattening Looped Clips with
Separate Clips Menu Commands The source clip and all its loop iterations are
The Separate Clips commands (At Selection, On selected.
Grid, and At Transients) automatically unloop and
flatten looped clips before separating.

Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups 965

 To select an individual source clip or loop If the source clip is extended to the left by using the
iteration, do one of the following: Trim tool to change the total length of the looped
 With the Grabber tool or Smart Tool, single- clip, the source clip is moved earlier in the Time-
click the Loop icon of the source clip or loop line and loop iterations fill in up to the point where
iteration. the last original loop iteration ended. If the trim to
the left is part of the source clip’s length, the
 With the Selector tool, single click the Loop source clip is not moved and a partial loop iteration
icon and drag to the left until the clip is selected. is created to the left of the source clip. This is a
powerful feature that lets you make quick changes
to your arrangement by using partial loops as up-
beats, or by extending looped sound effects or am-
bience earlier in a film score.

To trim a looped clip to the selection:

1 Use the Selector tool to make an Edit selection

Loop icon including some or all of the looped clip.

Tabbing to Transients and Clip Boundaries 2 Choose Edit > Trim Clip and one of the Trim Clip
commands (To Selection, To Fill Selection, Start
With Tab to Transients enabled you can tab both to to Fill Selection, or End to Fill Selection).
transients and clip boundaries in a looped clip.
Normal Tab (Tab to Transients disabled) tabs to
the start and end boundaries of the entire looped Automation and Looped Clips
clip. For more information, see “Tabbing to Tran- Looping an audio clip does not loop any automa-
sients” on page 681. tion associated with the source clip. This lets you
apply automation across an entire looped clip. For
Trimming Looped Clips example, you may want to have a long volume fade
across part or all of a looped clip that is indepen-
Trimming looped clips can be done using the Trim dent of any one single loop iteration.
tool, the Loop Trim tool, or one of the Trim Clip
commands. The Loop Trim tool trims the entire You can also repeat automation on each loop iter-
looped clip. The Trim tool trims only the individ- ation. For looped audio clips, use the Copy Special
ual loop iteration while increasing or decreasing and Paste Special Repeat to Fill Selection com-
the number of loop iterations to fill the total length mands to copy and paste any or all automation data
of the looped clip. from the source clip to some or all of its loop iter-
ations.
For information on trimming looped clips us-
ing the Loop Trim tool, see “Loop Trim
Tool” on page 656.

966 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To copy and paste automation from the source clip Clip groups can be placed on tracks alongside stan-
to loop iterations: dard clips, and edited using many of the same ed-
1 Select the source clip. iting techniques as regular clips. Certain edits to a
clip group will apply to all clips contained by the
2 Choose Edit > Copy Special and one of the Copy
clip group, such as Cut or Delete. Other edits only
Special commands (All Automation, Pan Auto-
apply to the boundaries of the clip group and do not
mation, or Plug-In Automation), depending on
affect the underlining clips, such as Trim.
what automation you want to copy.
Each clip group is saved with the session as a Clip
Group file (.rgrp). Clip group files can be exported
from and imported into different Pro Tools ses-
sions.
Selected Pan automation for Special Copy Clip groups are especially useful for:
3 Select the entire looped clip. • Grouping tick-based audio clips that have been
separated into many small clips, such as with in-
4 Choose Edit > Paste Special > Repeat to Fill
dividual hits of a drum pattern. Many such small
Selection.
clips can easily be created with Beat Detective
or the Separate Clip At Transients command, or
imported as REX or ACID files.
• Grouping parts and sections of your session to
facilitate composition and arranging. For exam-
Pan automation Special Paste to Fill Selection ple, grouping the clips of a brass section during
the chorus to copy it to the next chorus.

Clip Groups Clip groups are completely independent of

and unique from Mix and Edit Groups.
A clip group is a collection of any combination of
audio and MIDI clips that looks and acts like a sin-
gle clip. Clip groups are essentially containers Editing Elastic Properties is disallowed for
holding one or more clips. Clip groups can be cre- clip groups.
ated on single or multiple adjacent audio, MIDI,
and Instrument tracks. Clip groups let you “nest”
Clip groups are not supported on audio
multiple clips into “macro” clips for groove and
tracks set to Playlists view. Changing an
tempo manipulation, editing, and arranging.
audio track to Playlist View automatically
ungroups any clip groups on the track.

Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups 967

 The clip group appears as one clip with the clip
Creating Clip Groups groups icon in the lower left corner. Clip groups
also appear in the Clips List.
To create a clip group:
1 Select one or more clips on one or more tracks.
(For more information on multitrack clip
groups, see “Multitrack Clip Groups” on
page 969).

Clip Group icons on an audio track and in the Clips List

Selecting clips to be grouped on a single audio track

Clip Group Timebase Format

The size of the selection determines the size of the Clip groups are created in the same timebase for-
clip group. The selection can start and end on any mat (samples or ticks) as the tracks on which they
clip boundary, empty space, or even in the middle are created. Multitrack clip groups can include
of a clip. Selections starting or ending within a clip both sample-based and tick-based tracks.
will separate the clip at the selection boundary
when you create a clip group. Clip groups created
from object-based selections include all selected
and unselected clips between the first and last se-
lected clip on the track.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Clip > Group. Audio Clip Group icon on an audio track
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose
Group.

Press Command+Option+G (Mac) or Con-

trol+Alt+G (Windows) to group selected
clips.

The Group and Ungroup Clip menu MIDI Clip Group icon on a MIDI track
commands apply to any Edit selection
regardless of the current Track View.
Clip groups can be created from empty
selections. This can be useful when working
in Shuffle mode to preserve the gaps between
clips.

968 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 If you used the Ungroup All command, the Regroup
Ungrouping Clips command recreates all previous nested clip groups.
To ungroup a clip group: 3 If you regrouped an ungrouped clip group that
1 Select a clip group. was used more than once in the session, do one
of the following when the Change All dialog
2 Do one of the following: opens.
• Choose Clip > Ungroup. • Choose Modify to apply your changes to all
• Right-click the Edit selection and choose Un- other instances of the same clip group.
group. • Choose Copy to create a copy and apply your
changes only to the copied clip group.
Press Command+Option+U (Mac) or Con-
trol+Alt+U (Windows) to ungroup selected
clip groups.
Multitrack Clip Groups
The clip group disappears, revealing all underlying
Multitrack clip groups (clip groups created across
clips and any nested clip groups. When there are
multiple tracks) are useful for grouping parts (such
multiple nested clip groups, the Ungroup com-
as multi-miked drum tracks), and for composing
mand will ungroup the front-most top-layer clip
and arranging. Multitrack clip groups can be cre-
group only, preserving any underlying clip groups.
ated across any combination of audio, MIDI, and
To ungroup a clip group (and include all of its
Instrument tracks, and can include either or both
nested clip groups): tick-based or sample-based tracks.
1 Select a clip group. Multitrack clip groups work much like single-track
2 Choose Clip > Ungroup All. clip groups. Multitrack clip groups appear as a sin-
gle object across adjacent tracks.

To create a multitrack clip group:

Regrouping Clips
1 Select clips across multiple adjacent tracks.
The Regroup menu command undoes the last Un-
group command and regroups all the individual
clips as a clip group. This lets you ungroup a
grouped clip, edit its underlying clips, and regroup
it to continue working on higher-level composition
and arranging.

To regroup a clip group:

1 Select any clip from the ungrouped clip group.
2 Choose Clip > Regroup. Selecting clips to be grouped across multiple tracks

Press Command+Option+R (Mac) or Con-

trol+Alt+R (Windows) to regroup selected
clips that were formally part of a clip group.

Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups 969

 2 Choose Clip > Group. Separated Multitrack Clip
Groups
You can insert, move, hide, or delete tracks in mul-
titrack clip groups, but it may break the clip group.
A separated clip group displays a break in the Clip
Group icon. Separated clip groups will continue to
function as a single clip group, but the separated
icon indicates that the clip group displayed is
somehow incomplete or separated across nonadja-
cent tracks.

Clip Group icon

Separated Clip Group icon

A clip group is separated when you do any of the

following:
• Insert a track within a multitrack clip group.
• Move a track that is part of a multitrack clip
Mixed Clip Group icon (for a multitrack clip group of group so that it is no longer adjacent with the
sample- and tick-based audio, and tick-based MIDI) other tracks of the clip group.
• Hide a track that is part of a multitrack clip
Multitrack clip groups create nested clip group.
groups of multiple clips by track before
grouping them across tracks. • Delete a track that is part of a multitrack clip
group.
• Change the tempo of a mixed sample-based and
The Regroup command supports multitrack
tick-based clip group.
clip groups.
• Record into a clip group.
• Change playlists on a track that is part of a mul-
titrack clip group.

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• Change to Playlists view. Changing Clip Group Timebase
• Apply manual warping in Warp view. The timebase format of a clip group can be
changed by:
There may be situations where you want separated
clip groups. For example, if you use the same ac- • Changing the track’s timebase.
companiment on verses one and two of a song, you • Dragging the clip group to a track with a differ-
can group the parts of verse one and copy them as ent timebase.
a clip group for verse two, but still have a continu-
ous vocal track in the middle of those clip groups. Changing the timebase creates a copy of the origi-
nal clip group. Both clip groups (the original and
If you want to delete a track and keep the the copy) appear in the Clips List, but they have
clip group intact, first ungroup the clip different timebases.
group, then delete track, and then Regroup
the clip group. The clip group will be recre- Converting Samples to Ticks
ated intact, but without the deleted track.
When dragging a clip group from a sample-based
track to a tick-based track, the length of the clip
Clip Groups on Tick-Based group does not change. This is because clip groups
Tracks are converted from samples to ticks after they are
moved into tick-based tracks. The length of the
When changing tempos, clip groups on tick-based clip group only changes with subsequent tempo
tracks adjust their length by adjusting the position changes. If appropriate, change the local tempo on
of all enclosed clips accordingly. This can be use- the tick-based track to match the tempo of the sam-
ful for arranging rhythmic material and for playing ple-based clip group before moving a sample-
back clip groups imported from REX and ACID based clip group to a tick-based track.
files.
Converting Ticks to Samples

When dragging a clip group from a tick-based

track to a sample-based track, the length of the clip
group does not change unless it is moved to an-
other time location with a different tempo. This is
because clip groups are converted from ticks to
samples after they are moved into the sample-
based tracks.

A clip group on a tick-based audio track at 120 BPM

and at 160 BPM

Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups 971

 Multitrack Clip Groups with Sample- and Tick- Editing Audio Clip Groups
Based Tracks
Certain audio editing commands create new clips
Multitrack clip groups can include both sample- over clip groups. To use these commands and
based and tick-based tracks. However, changing maintain the clip group, ungroup the clip group,
the tempo separates the clip group between sam- perform the edit, and then regroup the clip group.
ple-based tracks and tick-based tracks.
The following edit commands create new clips
over clip groups:
• AudioSuite processing of a grouped clip
results in a new clip over the clip group.
• Consolidating a selection of a grouped clip cre-
ates a new audio file and clip over the clip group.
• Recording into a clip group creates a new
audio file and clip over the clip group.
A multitrack clip group separated across sample- • Pencil tool waveform redraw results in a new
based and tick-based tracks after changing tempo clip over the clip group.

Editing Clip Groups Tabbing to Transients and Clip

Boundaries
Clip groups are edited in much the same way as
With Tab to Transients enabled, the Tab key
regular clips: They can be named, moved, cut, cop-
moves the Location Cursor to transients and clip
ied, pasted, trimmed, muted, locked, and so on.
boundaries within a clip group.
However, there are a few significant differences
between editing regular clips and clip groups. With Tab to Transients disabled, the Tab key
moves the Location Cursor to clip group boundar-
Editing MIDI Clip Groups ies only (and the sync point, if present).

If a MIDI clip within a clip group is modified in For more information, see “Tabbing to Tran-
any way, a new clip copy is created and placed sients” on page 681.
over the clip group. For example, if you record,
draw in a new note, edit MIDI controller data, or
quantize a Timeline selection, a new clip is created
over the clip group.

972 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Trimming Clip Groups
Fades and Crossfades on Clip
Trimming clip groups with the Standard Trim tool Groups
works the same way as trimming regular clips, re-
gardless of whether you are trimming a single- Clip groups can have fades and crossfades just like
track clip group or a multitrack clip group. regular clips. Fades only apply to audio clips. In
addition to crossfading between clip groups, you
Trimming a clip group does not trim the underly- can also crossfade between clip groups and regular
ing clips, but rather trims the clip group boundar- audio clips.
ies. All underlying clips retain their original length
and location. This is true for all underlying audio
and MIDI clips, and nested clip groups. If you trim
the clip group shorter, underlying clips may not be
heard on playback because they are outside the clip
boundaries of the trimmed clip group.

When trimming clip groups with the TC/E Trim

tool, it applies only to audio or MIDI clips, de-
pending on which clip type in the group you trim,
Two adjacent multitrack clip groups with crossfades on
and creates a new clip over the clip group. the audio tracks, but not on the MIDI track

If you ungroup clips after trimming a clip group in

(shorter), audio clips falling outside of the bounds Ungrouping a clip group removes any clip
of the current clip group are trimmed to fit the clip group level fades or crossfades. Fades and
group boundary or removed. crossfades are restored by the Regroup
command.

Recording
Clip groups that contain clips with fades are
When recording audio or MIDI, new clips are cre-
not allowed on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.
ated over (in front) of clip groups instead of being
included in the clip group. To record into a clip
group, first ungroup the clip group, then record, When changing tempo with clip groups on
and then regroup the clip group. The clip group tick-based tracks, you may need to Ungroup,
will be recreated intact with the newly recorded redo or create new fades, and then Regroup
material. in order to maintain the fades.

For information on working with fades and

crossfades in Pro Tools, see Chapter 32,
“Fades and Crossfades.”

Chapter 42: Clip Loops and Groups 973

 Clip group files store the following metadata:
Clip Groups and Clip Gain
• References to all audio files within the clip
Clip gain settings for individual clips are preserved group
in clip groups. Additionally, you can adjust the clip
• Clip names and relative location in tracks
gain settings for clip groups. Clip gain editing on
clip groups behaves just like individual clip gain • Embedded fades and crossfades
editing (see “Clip Gain” on page 989). • Clip gain settings for the clip groups as well as
for individual clips within the group
• Clip group names and format (single or multi-
track)
• All MIDI data present in the clip group (such as
notes, controllers, Sysex, and so on)
• Track names
Clip group with clip gain settings shown • Elastic Audio Warp markers and TCE factor
To adjust the clip gain settings for individual clips • Clip timebase (samples or ticks)
within a clip group, the clips must first be un- • Sync points
grouped, edited, and then regrouped.
• Loops
Clip gain settings are preserved when clip groups • Tempo map
are exported. Clip groups can then be imported
into other sessions with the same clip gain settings. Clip group files do not store the following:
• Automation
• Plug-ins
Importing and Exporting Clip
Group Files • Track routing
• Meter map
Pro Tools can export and import clip groups as clip
group files (.cgrp) to do any of the following: • Clips List information
• Separate clip group metadata from audio files to For more information, see “Importing and
avoid unnecessary file copy operations when ex- Exporting Clip Group Files” on page 488.
porting audio clip groups composed from multi-
ple source files
• Export MIDI data as part of a clip group
• Create multitrack loops

Clip groups created in Pro Tools 10 and later

(.cgrp) cannot be imported into earlier ver-
sions of Pro Tools, but region groups (.rgp)
created in earlier versions of Pro Tools can
be imported into Pro Tools 10 and later.

974 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part VIII: Processing
Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing

AudioSuite plug-ins are used to render processing

and modify audio files on disk. AudioSuite pro- AudioSuite Window
cessing applies non-real-time, or rendered, audio When you select a plug-in from the AudioSuite
processing to selected audio clips in your menu, the AudioSuite window appears. From this
Pro Tools session. Depending on how you config- floating window you can access and edit the con-
ure an AudioSuite plug-in, it will either alter the trols for the selected AudioSuite plug-in.
original source audio file or create an entirely new
audio source file.

For information on individual AudioSuite

plug-ins included with Pro Tools, see the
Audio Plug-Ins Guide.

AudioSuite Menu
AudioSuite plug-ins are accessed through the Au-
dioSuite menu. Plug-ins can be organized in the
AudioSuite menu in Pro Tools by Flat List (with
plug-ins in alphabetical order), Category, Manu- AudioSuite window, EQ III 1-Band shown
facturer, or Category and Manufacturer.

For more information, see “Plug-In Menu

Organization” on page 1159.

To open the AudioSuite Plug-In window:

1 Make an Edit selection that includes the audio
clip, or clips, you want to process.
2 From the AudioSuite menu, select the plug-in
you want.

Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing 977

 Selection Reference
AudioSuite Window Header
This menu aims the selected process at either clips
The AudioSuite Window header provides controls selected in an audio track or playlist, or at clips se-
for changing AudioSuite plug-ins and setting pre- lected in the Clips List.
sets, and how AudioSuite processing will be ap-
plied. When you select a clip on-screen (in either a
track/playlist or the Clips List) Pro Tools normally
Use in Playlist button
Target button selects both occurrences of the clip. Since you may
Selection Reference Plug-In Settings menu not want to process both, this menu provides a con-
Plug-In selector Librarian menu venient means of limiting the AudioSuite process
to clips selected in one or the other.

File Mode selector

Process Mode selector Compare
Settings Select
Next Setting
Previous Setting
Selection Reference pop-up menu (Invert plug-in
shown)
AudioSuite window header
Playlist Applies AudioSuite processing to clips on
AudioSuite Plug-In Selector the Timeline (playlists on audio tracks). Processed
clips also appear in the Clips List.
From this menu you can select any AudioSuite
plug-in installed in your Plug-Ins folder. Plug-Ins Clips List Applies AudioSuite processing only to
are listed in the Plug-In selector pop-up menu ac- selected clips in the Clips List. Processing is not be
cording to the Organize Plug-Ins Menu By setting applied to clips on the Timeline (playlists on audio
in the Display Preferences page. tracks).

If the Use In Playlist option is enabled in ad-

dition to Clips List being selected in the Se-
lection Reference pop-up menu, the process-
ing will be applied to the selected clip in both
the playlist and the Clips List.

Plug-In menu (flat list, non-category view)

978 Pro Tools Reference Guide

AudioSuite Processing Clip Groups in the Use In Playlist On, Reference = Clips List When
Clip List Use in Playlist is enabled and the Selection Refer-
ence pop-up menu is set to Clips List, all copies of
AudioSuite plug-ins process Clip Groups in the
the selected clip will be replaced everywhere in the
Clips List with certain limitations. With audio
session.
files, AudioSuite processes are applied to all cop-
ies of a unique audio file in your session when the Use In Playlist On, Reference = Playlist When
Clips List option and the Use in Playlist option are Use in Playlist is enabled and the Selection Refer-
selected. However, when a Clip Group is selected ence is set to Playlist, only clips selected in tracks
for Audio Suite processing in the Clips List, in the Edit window will be replaced. If the session
Pro Tools does not recognize the Clip Group as au- includes other copies of the clip used in other play-
dio. This is because a Clip Group is not treated as lists, those copies of the original, unprocessed clip
audio until it is actually used in a track. To apply will not be replaced.
AudioSuite processing to a Clip Group in the Clips
List, first ungroup the Clip Group, and then re- If the Selection Reference pop-up menu is set
group it after processing. to Clips List, the Use in Playlist button will
automatically be disabled to ensure that you
To apply an AudioSuite process to all copies of a do not accidentally replace every occurrence
Clip Group in a session at once, do the following: of the clip in a session.
1 Select the Clip Group to be processed.
File Mode Selector
2 From the Clip menu, select Ungroup All. All
elements of the group will remain selected. This menu lets you select whether or not the Au-
dioSuite plug-in will process the selected audio de-
3 Perform the AudioSuite processing.
structively or nondestructively, and how the origi-
4 From the Clip menu, select Regroup. nal files will be modified.

When prompted, choose Modify to apply the Au-

dioSuite process to all copies of the Clip Group in
the session, or Copy to apply it only to the selected
Clip Group.
File Mode pop-up menu (Invert plug-in shown)

Use In Playlist Button There are three File mode options:

This button determines whether AudioSuite pro- Overwrite Files Processes the selected clips de-
cessing will replace all instances of the selected structively, overwriting the original audio. Not all
clips everywhere in the session, or only the occur- AudioSuite plug-ins can be used destructively.
rences of the clips that are currently selected.
Create Individual Files Processes the selected
Use In Playlist Off When Use in Playlist is dis- clips nondestructively, creating a new audio file
abled, a new, processed version of the selected clip for each clip. The new audio files are added to the
will be added to the Clips List. No original clips session, leaving the original source audio files in
will be replaced or overwritten anywhere in the
session.

Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing 979

 the Clips List unchanged. (Whether the processed AudioSuite Plug-In Preset
audio is added to the current playlist or only to the Controls
Clips List, is determined by the Selection Refer-
Most AudioSuite plug-ins let you load and save
ence setting.)
presets (plug-in settings files). However, some Au-
Create Continuous File Processes the selected dioSuite plug-ins, such as DC Offset Removal or
clips nondestructively and creates a new audio file Duplicate, do not provide Preset controls since
consisting of the selected clips consolidated into a they have no parameter controls.
single, unbroken clip. This mode is particularly
useful if you are assembling a composite track Plug-In Settings menu

from multiple takes. This mode is not available Librarian menu

when the Selection Reference is set to Clips List.

The Create Continuous File option is not Compare

available with some time domain plug-ins. To Settings Select
achieve a similar result, use the Duplicate Next Setting
Previous Setting
plug-in to consolidate clips processed with
these plug-ins. AudioSuite Preset controls

Process Mode Selector For more information about plug-in presets,

see “Plug-In Presets” on page 1168.
If you have made a selection that includes multiple
clips, this pop-up menu lets you specify whether Plug-In Selector Lets you select any AudioSuite
AudioSuite processing is performed on a clip-by- plug-in installed on your system.
clip, or entire-selection basis.
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.
Process Mode selector (Invert plug-in shown)
Next (+) and Previous (–) Setting Buttons Lets
Clip by Clip Analyzes each clip in a selection indi- you select the next or previous plug-in setting from
vidually, rather than over the entire multi-clip se- the Plug-In Librarian menu.
lection as a whole.
You will lose the current plug-in settings if
Entire Selection Uses the entire selection for anal- they are not saved before you use the Next
ysis. All clips will be analyzed and processed rela- and Previous Setting buttons. Always save
tive to the entire selection. your plug-ins settings as presets using the
Plug-In Settings menu.

980 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Plug-Ins Settings Select Button Accesses the Channel Mode Button
Plug-In Settings dialog, which lists the presets for
The Channel Mode button lets you process contig-
the current plug-in. From this list, you can select a
uous channels within a selected clip as though they
new preset, or audition a series of presets.
were mono or stereo tracks (and in some cases
Compare Toggles between the original saved greater-than-stereo tracks), regardless of the type
plug-in preset and any changes you have made to it of tracks they occupy.
so you can compare them.
Mono Mode Processes each contiguous channel
within a selected clip as a separate mono track. For
Target Button example, a clip comprised of six mono tracks
Pro Tools lets you view multiple AudioSuite would be processed as six mono tracks.
plug-in windows at the same time. The AudioSuite Stereo Mode Processes each contiguous pair of
plug-in window provides a Target button. Untar- channels within a selected clip as a stereo track.
geted plug-in windows remain open, while the tar- When applied to an odd number of channels, the
geted plug-in window can switch between differ- plug-in processes the last odd, unpaired channel as
ent AudioSuite plug-ins and receive keyboard mono, using the left channel settings of the stereo
input. plug-in. If you want the last track to be processed
in stereo, you must select an additional track to pair
To target or untarget AudioSuite plug-in windows:
it with—an empty one if necessary.
 Click the Target button in the AudioSuite plug-
in window so that it is lit (targeted) or unlit (un- For example, a clip comprised of two mono tracks
targeted). would be processed as a stereo track, with the first
mono track processed as the left channel and the
second mono track processed as the right channel.
Other AudioSuite Controls
Multi Mode Processes each set of three or more
In addition to the standard AudioSuite controls that
contiguous channels within a selected clip as a
are common to all AudioSuite plug-ins, there are a
multichannel greater-than-stereo track, with the
number of special-purpose controls found only on
number of selected channels determining the type
certain plug-ins:
of track. For example, five contiguously-selected
Key Input Selector channels would be processed as a 5.0 track, while
seven contiguously-selected channels will be pro-
Selects a track/bus to be used to trigger processing. cessed as a 7.1 track.
In order to use this feature, the key input source au-
dio must occur at the same time as the target audio. Multi mode is available only for certain plug-
Side-chain input is monophonic. See “Side-Chain ins, such as Dynamics III.
Input” on page 1167.

Side-chain inputs for plug-ins have no effect

on AudioSuite processes when the Selection
Reference is set to Clips List.

Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing 981

  In Mono mode, only the first channel of any se-
AudioSuite Window Footer lected multichannel clip will be previewed.
The AudioSuite Window footer provides controls  If you are processing using Clip-by-Clip mode,
for previewing and applying AudioSuite process- the Preview function will preview only the first
ing. clip within a multi-clip selection. To hear all se-
lected clips, temporarily select Create Continuous
Preview button Preview Level meters Render button
Preview volume
File from the File Mode menu before previewing.

Preview Volume Control

Handle Length
Bypass button
The Preview Volume control in the AudioSuite
Whole File button
window lets you adjust the volume for previewing
AudioSuite window footer
AudioSuite processing.

Preview Button To adjust the volume for previewing AudioSuite

processing:
The Preview button in the AudioSuite window lets
you audition the effect of a plug-in before you pro- 1 Click the Preview Volume control.
cess the audio. By adjusting the plug-in controls
2 In the resulting pop-up fader, drag up to in-
while you listen to this audio preview, you can
crease the preview volume or drag down to de-
fine-tune the effect. Not all AudioSuite plug-ins
crease the preview volume.
support previewing.

The Preview function routes audio to the specific

outputs selected for the Audition Path setting in the
Outputs page of the I/O Setup dialog. Make sure
you have configured this option correctly for your
system or you may not be able to hear previewed
audio.
Adjust the volume for previewing AudioSuite
For more information on using the I/O Setup processing
dialog to configure your system’s audio out- Preview Volume Level Meters
puts, see “Audition Path” on page 64.
The Preview Volume Level meters display the lev-
Before you preview AudioSuite processing, be els for previewed AudioSuite processing. This can
aware that: help you watch for clipping in the processed sig-
 The performance of the Preview function de-
nal.
pends on the speed of your CPU. Faster computers
preview AudioSuite effects better than slower Bypass Button
computers.
When Bypass is enabled in the AudioSuite win-
 Regardless of how many tracks and clips are dow, the selected audio is auditioned without Au-
currently selected, the Preview button will audition dioSuite processing. The Bypass button applies
only the first selected stereo track or the first se- only to previewing. It does not affect actual Audio-
lected pair of mono tracks. Suite processing.
982 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Reverse Button New files are written to the hard disk specified for
that track in the Disk Allocation dialog, or to the
Pro Tools provides a Reverse button in the Audio-
same drive as the original file if the clip is not cur-
Suite plug-in window footer for Reverb and Delay
rently on a track. See “Automatic File Naming of
plug-ins. This lets you easily render reverse delay
AudioSuite-Processed Audio” on page 983.
and reverb effects with a single click. Clicking the
Reverse button provides three processes in one: Multichannel Processing
• First, it reverses the Edit selection.
Most AudioSuite plug-ins can process up to 48
• Then, it processes the reversed Edit selection channels of audio simultaneously.
with the current plug-in settings.
When processing multiple clips of different
• Finally, it reverses the processed Edit selection.
formats (mono and multichannel surround,
for example), all channels will be processed
Whole File Button according to the channel format of the
When the Whole File button is enabled in the Au- AudioSuite plug-in. Mono AudioSuite plug-
dioSuite window, the selected audio is rendered as ins can process stereo clips and stereo
a new clip whose duration exactly matches the se- AudioSuite plug-ins can process mono clips.
lection. However, the clip can be trimmed out as
Undoing AudioSuite Processing
far as the whole file. This option is not available in
Create Continuous File mode or when rendering If you have processed an audio selection nonde-
with Entire Selection mode combined with Create structively, the Undo and Redo commands let you
Individual Files mode. undo the selected AudioSuite process. You can
undo or redo an AudioSuite process during audio
Handle Length playback.

The Handle Length field lets you set the Handle Undo is not available when a plug-in is
Length for rendering from 0.00 to 60.00 seconds. configured for destructive editing since
This means that you trim clips out past the ren- the process has already overwritten the
dered selection after processing up to the set Han- source audio file.
dle Length. For more information, see “Audio-
Suite Handles” on page 985. Automatic File Naming of AudioSuite-
Processed Audio

Render Button When new audio files are created as a result of Au-
dioSuite processing, Pro Tools will auto-name
Clicking the Render button in the AudioSuite win- these files according to the type of plug-in used.
dow begins AudioSuite processing of the selected The name of the clip determines the prefix, while
audio. Processing can occur during playback the type of AudioSuite plug-in determines the suf-
(though it may take slightly longer). Processed fix.
files are auto-named with the clip or audio file’s
name and include an acronym for the chosen Au-
dioSuite process.

Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing 983

 Automatic file naming follows these rules: 3 Adjust the plug-in controls for the effect you
 New clips are named beginning with the clip want. These settings determine how the file is
name, followed by an abbreviation of the current processed and what effect the processing has on
AudioSuite process, followed by standard the original clips.
Pro Tools file and clip numbering. • To process the selected clip only in the track
in which it appears, select Playlist for the Se-
 If a plug-in’s File Mode is set to Overwrite Files,
lection Reference. Alternatively, if you want
the original clip’s name will not be changed.
to process the selected clip in the Clips List
 If a plug-in’s File Mode is set to Create Individ- only, select Clips List.
ual Files, the resulting clips will have an abbrevi- • If you want to process and update every oc-
ated version of the plug-in name appended to them. currence of the selected clip throughout your
session, enable the Use In Playlist button (and
also select Clips List as the Selection Refer-
Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins ence). Alternatively, if you do not want to up-
date every occurrence of the selected clip,
AudioSuite plug-ins can be applied to whole clips,
deselect the Use In Playlist button.
partial clips, or selections that are made up of
whole and partial clips across one or more tracks. • To configure the plug-in for destructive pro-
cessing, select Overwrite Files for the File
When audio selected in the Edit window includes Mode. This will overwrite and permanently
partial clips, the clips will automatically be split modify the original source audio files.
into two or more clips when they are processed. • Alternatively, to configure the plug-in for
Processing is applied only to the selection, leaving nondestructive processing, select Create Indi-
other clips unchanged. vidual Files for the File Mode. This will create
new audio files that have been processed with
Processing a locked clip will cause the clip to
the AudioSuite plug-in settings and leave the
become unlocked, and processing a muted
original source audio files untouched.
clip will cause it to become unmuted.
• If you have selected multiple clips for pro-
Only audio files on locally connected hard drives cessing and want to create a new file that con-
can be processed with AudioSuite plug-ins. You nects and consolidates all of these clips
cannot process audio files on remote hard drives together, select Create Continuous File for the
over a network (unless it is an Avid Unity net- File Mode.
work).
4 Click the Preview button to audition the Audio-
To process audio with an AudioSuite plug-in:
Suite processing of the selected material.

1 Do one of the following: 5 Make any further adjustments to the plug-in

controls if necessary.
• Make an Edit selection of the audio you want
to process. 6 When you are satisfied with the results, click
• Select audio clips in the Clips List that you the Render button.
want to process.
2 Choose an AudioSuite plug-in from the
AudioSuite menu.

984 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The selected audio is processed according to the AudioSuite Handles
specified settings. Pro Tools appends text to the
Pro Tools lets you render clips with AudioSuite
clip name indicating the AudioSuite process that
plug-ins and include “handles” beyond the current
has been applied. Any new audio files appear in the
edit selection from 0.00 to 60.00 seconds, or even
Clips List.
the whole file referenced by the clip. This means
that you trim clips out past the rendered selection
Selecting Tracks for AudioSuite after processing.
Processing
Because AudioSuite processes are performed on To render a clip with AudioSuite handles:
the specific clips that you select, it is important that 1 Make the audio selection that you want to ren-
you select only those clips, or parts of clips, you der.
actually want to process.
2 Select the AudioSuite plug-in you want to use
When processing a single audio channel with from the AudioSuite menu.
an AudioSuite plug-in, make sure that the 3 Adjust the AudioSuite plug-in options and
plug-in is set to Mono mode, if available. settings.

Selecting Tracks for Delay or 4 Do one of the following:

Reverb Processing • In the Handle Length field, enter a value for
the Handle Length (0.00 to 60.00 seconds).
Because some AudioSuite effects such as delay
The default Handle Length can be set in the
and reverb add additional material to the end of the
Preferences dialog.
selected audio, it is important that you make a se-
lection that is longer than the original source mate-
rial so that the plug-in can write it to the audio file.
If you select only the original material, without
leaving additional space at the end, any reverb de-
cay or delay that occurs after the end of the clip
will be cut off.

To compensate for this, place the clip in a track and Handle Length field in the AudioSuite plug-in window
select the audio plus an amount of blank space at
• Select the Whole File option to render the
the end of the clip equal to the amount of delay or
whole file. Note that only the current edit se-
reverb decay that you have added in the plug-in.
lection will appear in the Timeline.
The plug-in will then have space at the end of the
clip in which to write the final delay or decay. If
you select more time than needed, you can trim it
after applying AudioSuite processing.

Whole File option selected in the AudioSuite plug-in

window

Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing 985

 5 Click Render. Using AudioSuite Plug-Ins in
Stereo
The selection is rendered as a new clip whose du-
ration exactly matches the selection. However, the Some AudioSuite plug-ins can be used in either
clip can be trimmed out as far as the specified Han- mono or stereo. If you plan to use them in stereo,
dle Length. consider the following:
 To process a mono track and obtain a stereo re-
AudioSuite Default Handle Length
sult, select the track or clip plus an empty track or
Preferences
clip. Then set the plug-in to Stereo mode and select
Pro Tools provides two preferences for setting the the Sum Inputs button (if present) to center the dry
default AudioSuite Handle Length. signal. When you process the audio, the result will
be two tracks or clips that represent the right and
To set the default AudioSuite Handle Length: left channels of the processed audio. You should
1 Choose Setup > Preferences. then pan these tracks hard right and hard left in
your mix.
2 Click the Processing tab.
 If you set a plug-in to Stereo mode, then select
3 In the AudioSuite section, select one of the fol- an odd number of Pro Tools tracks for processing
lowing options: (as opposed to an even number), the plug-in will
• Whole File—by default, renders the whole process the selected tracks in pairs, in stereo. How-
file referenced by the selection. ever, the last odd, unpaired track will be processed
• Length—by default, renders the selection as mono, using the left channel settings of the ste-
plus any additional available audio up to the reo plug-in. If you want the last track to be pro-
specified Handle Length (0.00 to 60.00 sec- cessed in stereo, you must select an additional
onds) track to pair it with—an empty one if necessary.

For more information, see “Channel Mode

Button” on page 981.

Default Handle Length in the AudioSuite section of the

Processing Preferences

4 Click OK.

986 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Conditions for AudioSuite Rendering with Handles, Fades,
Clip Gain, and Metadata
Most AudioSuite plug-ins provide several options for rendering clips, but only certain settings let you ap-
ply AudioSuite handles. For example, AudioSuite Handles are not available with Entire Selection mode
(since the point of this option is to render the whole selection only). Fades and crossfades, and clip gain set-
tings are preserved or rendered depending on the File mode and AudioSuite Rendering mode settings. Ad-
ditionally, clip metadata can be preserved for rendered clips under certain conditions. The following con-
ditions apply.
Handle creation, and Fade, Clip Gain, and Metadata preservation criteria for AudioSuite rendering

Rendering Handle
File Mode Whole File Fades Clip Gain Metadata
Mode Behavior

Overwrite Clip By Clip No Handles Unavailable Preserved Preserved Preserved

File

Overwrite Entire No Handles Unavailable Rendered Rendered Preserved

File Selection

Individual Clip By Clip Handles Available Preserved Preserved Preserved

Files created

Individual Entire No Handles Unavailable Rendered Rendered Preserved

Files Selection

Continuous Clip By Clip Handles Unavailable Rendered Rendered Not

File created at the preserved
beginning and
end of the new
continuous file

Continuous Entire Handles Unavailable Rendered Rendered Not

File Selection created at the preserved
beginning and
end of the new
continuous file

Some plug-ins that rely on the Edit selection for processing (including plug-ins that require an anal-
ysis pass) may not work as expected when using handles. In this case, it is recommended that the han-
dle length be set to zero.

Destructive recording and Destructive Punch recording are not supported with AudioSuite rendered
clips with handles.

Chapter 43: AudioSuite Processing 987

988 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects

Static and Dynamic Clip Gain

Clip Gain
You can have either static or dynamic clip gain set-
Pro Tools provides clip-based gain for quick and tings for a single clip. Static clip gain simply
easy gain matching of clips (formerly called re- means that there is a single gain setting for the en-
gions in Pro Tools) from different sources in a tire clip (see “Simple Clip Gain Adjustment” on
Pro Tools session. Clip-based gain is applied pre- page 991). Dynamic clip gain means that you can
mixer (pre-fader and before any plug-in process- have gain settings for a clip that vary over time (see
ing). This is especially useful when working with “Graphically Editing Clip Gain” on page 992).
field recordings and sample libraries in post-pro-
duction sessions.
Clip Gain Info View
By adjusting the clip gain for individual clips on a
When Clip Gain Info view is enabled (View >
single track, you can match their relative gain lev-
Clip > Clip Gain Info), the Clip Gain Fader icon is
els so that you do not have to execute complex
shown at the beginning of the clip, in the lower left
track volume automation to compensate.
corner. If the clip uses static clip gain, the static
Clip Gain value (–144 dB to +36.0 dB) for the clip
is displayed to the right of the Clip Gain Fader
icon. For a clip that has dynamic clip gain (using
breakpoint gain settings), the Clip Gain value is
not shown.
Multiple clips with different (static) Clip Gain settings
Clip Gain commands (including the Clip Gain
The clip gain settings stay with the clip, which Fader and its Right-click commands) only apply to
means you can move, and copy and paste clips the single, whole clip with which it is associated.
with their corresponding clip gain settings. Clip
gain settings can be imported from AAF and OMF
sequences exported from Media Composer. Like-
wise, clip gain settings can be exported from
Pro Tools with AAF sequences (but not OMF) to
be imported into Media Composer.

All clips have a clip gain of 0 dB by default. Clip

gain can be adjusted from –144 dB to +36.0 dB. Clip Gain icon

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 989

 To show or hide Clip Gain icon, do one of the Render Clip Gain
following:
Choose Render Clip Gain in the Right-click menu
 Select or deselect View > Clip > Clip Gain Info. to render the current clip gain settings for the clip.
 Press Control+Shift+“=” (Equal) (Mac) or After the clip is rendered with its new gain, the clip
Start+Shift+“=” (Equal) (Windows). gain settings are reset to 0 dB.

Clip Gain Fader Icon Right-Click Menu Show/Hide Clip Gain Line

You can Right-click the Clip Gain Fader icon for Select Show/Hide Clip Gain Line in the Right-click
any individual clip to access relevant clip gain menu to show or hide the Clip Gain Line for all
commands for that clip. clips.

Clip Gain Line

The Clip Gain Line lets you edit the clip gain set-
tings for any given clip using breakpoint editing,
much like with track-based volume automation.
However, unlike track-based volume automation,
the clip gain settings are always associated with
Clip Gain Icon Right-click menu the clip rather than with the track. The Clip Gain
The Clip Gain Fader icon Right-click menu oper- Line can be shown or hidden for all clips in the
ates independently of the Clip Gain sub-menu that Edit window.
is accessible when Right-clicking on an Edit selec-
tion. When rendering clip gain settings, the result-
ing clip provides handles for trimming out the clip
based on the Default Handle Length settings in the
Processing Preferences.
Clip Gain Line (with multiple breakpoints)
Bypass Clip Gain
To show or hide the Clip Gain Line, do one of the
When Bypass Clip Gain is selected in the Right- following:
click menu, the current clip gain settings are by-
passed and the clip plays back with 0 dB gain ad-  Select or deselect View > Clip > Clip Gain Line.
justment.  Press Control+Shift+“-” (Hyphen) (Mac) or
Start+Shift+“-” (Hyphen) (Windows).
Clear Clip Gain
 Right-click the Clip Gain Fader icon on any clip
Choose Clear Clip Gain in the Right-click menu to and choose Show Clip Gain Line or Hide Clip
clear the clip gain settings for the clip. Gain Line.

990 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Right-click any clip and choose Clip Gain > Simple Clip Gain Adjustment
Show Clip Gain Line or Clip Gain > Hide Clip
You can adjust clip gain using the Clip Gain Fader
Gain Line.
icon for quick and easy clip gain adjustments.
The Clip Gain Line is only shown when the
track height is set to Small or larger. To boost or attenuate the current clip gain settings
for a single clip:
Clip Gain Line and Crossfades 1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Info option is enabled.
Clip gain is applied on a clip-by-clip basis. When 2 Click the Clip Gain Fader icon on the clip and
cross-fading between clips, the Clip Gain Line for drag the Clip Gain fader up or down to boost or
the first clip carries through the fade out segment attenuate the clip gain settings for the clip.
of the crossfade and the Clip Gain Line for the sec-
ond clip carries through the fade in segment of the
crossfade. Consequently, crossfades can display
two Clip Gain Lines, one for the first clip and one
for the second clip.

Clip Gain fader, adjusting static clip gain value

Clip Gain Lines prior to applying a crossfade

Clip Gain Lines after applying a crossfade Clip Gain fader, adjusting all breakpoint clip gain
values
Editing Clip Gain
Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
Pro Tools lets you adjust the gain settings for a clip
while adjusting the Clip Gain fader for fine
using the Clip Gain Fader for quick and easy ad-
control.
justments, or using breakpoint editing on the Clip
Gain Line for detailed clip gain control.

If a clip is Edit-locked and you attempt to edit

clip gain, you are prompted to Cancel or Al-
low the edit.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 991

 Graphically Editing Clip Gain 3 Click any breakpoint on the Clip Gain Line and
move it up or down to adjust the gain, or left to
You can graphically edit clip gain using break-
right to adjust the timing. The gain setting is dis-
points on the Clip Gain Line for individual clips.
played in dB over the selected breakpoint.
When you drag a clip gain breakpoint up or down,
the change in the gain setting value is numerically
indicated. Dragging a clip gain breakpoint to the
left or right adjusts its timing.

Using the Grabber Tool

Adjusting a clip gain breakpoint with the Grabber tool
Using the Grabber tool, you can add, adjust, and
delete individual clip gain breakpoint settings. To delete a clip gain breakpoint with the Grabber
tool:
To add a clip gain breakpoint with the Grabber
1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Line option is enabled.
tool:
1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Line option is enabled. 2 Select the Grabber tool.

2 Select the Grabber tool. 3 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the

breakpoint you want to delete. The Grabber
3 Click at any point on the Clip Gain Line for the points and displays a Minus sign (“–”).
clip to add a breakpoint. The Grabber points and
displays a Plus sign (“+”).

Deleting a clip gain breakpoint with the Grabber tool

Using the Pencil Tool

Adding a clip gain breakpoint with the Grabber tool
The Pencil tool lets you create new breakpoints by
Press Control+Shift+E (Mac) or clicking once on the graph line. Pro Tools lets you
Start+Shift+E (Windows) to add a Clip Gain use the Free Hand, Line, Triangle, Square, and
breakpoint at the current Edit location. Random Pencil Tool shapes for drawing clip gain.
The Parabolic and S-Curve Pencil Tool shapes are
To adjust a clip gain breakpoint with the Grabber not available for editing clip gain.
tool:

1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Line option is enabled.

2 Select the Grabber tool.

Using the Pencil tool (Free Hand) to draw clip gain

settings

992 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When drawing clip gain settings with the Pencil Using the Trim Tools
tool, its effect is bounded by the Edit selection if
The Trim tools let you adjust all selected break-
the pencil gesture crosses into the selection. How-
points up or down by dragging anywhere within
ever, if the pencil gesture is entirely outside of a se-
that selection. Unlike track-based Volume automa-
lection, it creates clip gain breakpoints outside of
tion, which scales when trimming, clip gain pro-
the selection.
vides true trimming (where clip gain settings main-
tain their fixed relations to one another when
trimming).

Using the Pencil tool (Free Hand) to draw clip gain

settings bound by the Edit selection

To add clip gain breakpoints with the Pencil tool: Using the Trim tool to boost or attenuate clip gain
breakpoints
1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Line option is enabled.
To trim the selected clip gain settings up or down:
2 Select the Pencil tool.
1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Line option is enabled.
3 Do one of the following:
2 Make an Edit selection that includes the clip
• Click once on the Clip Gain Line to add a single gain settings that you want to adjust.
breakpoint.
3 Select the Trim tool.
• Drag on the Clip Gain Line to draw breakpoints.
4 Drag up or down over the Clip Gain Line within
To delete a clip gain breakpoint with the Pencil the Edit selection.
tool:
1 Ensure that the Clip Gain Line option is enabled. Nudging Clip Gain

2 Select the Pencil tool. Pro Tools lets you nudge the selected clip gain set-
tings up or down by the Nudge Clip Gain By
3 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
amount specified in the Pro Tools Editing Prefer-
breakpoint you want to delete.
ences. You can also nudge the selected clip gain
settings back or forward in the clip by the specified
nudge amount.

You can also nudge Clip Gain up or down with

EUCON. See the Artist Series and Pro Tools
guide for more info.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 993

 To set the Nudge Clip Gain By amount: Clearing Clip Gain
1 Choose Setup > Preferences. Pro Tools lets you clear the clip gain settings for
2 Click the Editing tab. the current Edit selection. This resets the clip gain
for the selection to 0 dB. For clips only partially in-
3 Enter a value for the Nudge Clip Gain By setting. cluded in the Edit selection, only the clip gain set-
4 Click OK. tings within the Edit selection are affected.

To nudge the selected clip gain up: To clear clip gain, do one of the following:

 Press Control+Shift+Up Arrow (Mac) or  Right-click a clip or Edit selection and choose
Start+Shift+Up Arrow (Windows). Clip Gain > Clear Clip Gain.

 Right-click the Clip Gain Fader icon for a single

To nudge the selected clip gain down:
clip and choose Clear Clip Gain.
 Press Control+Shift+Down Arrow (Mac) or
 Select a clip or make an Edit selection and
Start+Shift+Down Arrow (Windows).
choose Edit > Clip Special > Clear Clip Gain.
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel,  Select a clip or make an Edit selection and press
you can use the scroll wheel to nudge the Control+Shift+B (Mac) or Start+Shift+B (Win-
selected clip gain settings up or down. dows).
Press Control+Shift (Mac) or Start+Shift
(Windows) and scroll the scroll wheel up or  Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and click
down. Clip Gain Fader icon for a single clip.

To nudge the selected clip gain backward, do one Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Clip Gain
of the following:
Pro Tools lets you cut, copy, and paste clip gain
 Press Control+Shift+“–” (Minus) (Mac) or
settings, so that you can apply the clip gain settings
Start+Shift+“–” (Minus) (Windows).
from one clip to any other. Clip gain settings can-
 Press Control+Shift+M (Mac) or not be cut, copied, or pasted across clip boundar-
Start+Shift+M (Windows). ies.

 Press Control+Shift+“,” (Comma) (Mac) or To cut clip gain settings:

Start+Shift+“,” (Comma) (Windows).
1 Select a single whole clip or make an Edit selec-
To nudge the selected clip gain forward, do one of tion within a single whole clip.
the following:
2 Do one of the following:
 Press Control+Shift+“+” (Plus) (Mac) or • Choose Edit > Cut Special > Cut Clip Gain.
Start+Shift+“+” (Plus) (Windows).
• Press Control+Shift+X (Mac) or
 Press Control+Shift+“.” (Period) (Mac) or Start+Shift+X (Windows).
Start+Shift+“.” (Period) (Windows).
 Press Control+Shift+“/” (Slash) (Mac) or
Start+Shift+“/” (Slash) (Windows).

994 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The selected clip gain settings are cut and copied to 3 Do one of the following:
the clipboard. Clip gain breakpoints on the clip- • Choose Edit > Paste Clip Gain.
board are time-stamped with the playback times in
• Press Command+V (Mac) or Control+V
the timebase of the track being copied (which
(Windows).
means you can cut and paste clip gain settings from
clips on tick-based tracks and have the pasted clip The clip gain settings on the clipboard are pasted
gain settings match the corresponding bar:beat lo- into the clip starting at the Edit In Point. The clip
cations of clips on other tick-based tracks). gain settings are pasted in their entirety, but only
apply to a single clip. If the pasted clip gain set-
You can cut clip gain settings from any Edit
tings extend beyond the end of the clip, they are all
selection. However, if you want to cut and
still associated with the clip. This means that if you
paste clip gain settings, you can only paste
trim out the clip later, the pasted clip gain is re-
the clip gain settings cut from a single clip.
vealed. When pasting clip gain within a clip (rather
To copy clip gain settings: than to a single whole clip of the same duration),
breakpoints are added before and after the pasted
1 Select a single whole clip or make an Edit selec-
data so that any clip gain settings outside the paste
tion within a single whole clip.
do not change.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Copy Special > Copy Clip Gain. Converting Clip Gain and Track
• Press Command+Option+Control+C (Mac)
Volume Automation
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
or Control+Alt+Start+C (Windows).
• Right-click any single whole clip selection Pro Tools lets you convert clip gain settings to
and choose Clip Gain > Copy Clip Gain. track-based volume automation, as well as letting
you convert track-based volume automation to clip
The selected clip gain settings are copied to the gain settings.
clipboard. Clip gain breakpoints on the clipboard
are time-stamped with the playback times in the When converting clip gain settings to volume au-
timebase of the track being copied (which means tomation, the clip gain settings are cut from the clip
you can copy and paste clip gain settings from and pasted to track-based volume automation at
clips on tick-based tracks and have the pasted clip the same timeline locations as the clip.
gain settings match the corresponding bar:beat lo-
cations of clips on other tick-based tracks). When converting track-based volume automation
to clip gain, the volume automation is cut from the
To paste clip gain settings: track volume automation playlist and pasted to the
clip. Once volume automation has been converted
1 Cut or Copy the clip gain settings you want.
to clip gain, the clip gain settings stay with the clip
2 Do one of the following: when moved, cut, copied, or pasted.
• Select another clip.
• Make an Edit selection within a single whole
clip.
• Place the Edit In Point where you want the cut
or copied clip gain settings to be pasted.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 995

 To convert clip gain settings to track-based To coalesce track-based volume automation to
volume automation: clip gain settings:

1 Select a clip or make an Edit selection. 1 Select a clip or make an Edit selection.
2 Choose Edit > Automation > Convert Clip Gain 2 Choose Edit > Automation > Coalesce Volume
to Volume Automation. to Clip Gain.

Any clip gain settings above +12 dB are lost Any clip gain settings above +12 dB are lost
when converted to volume automation. Also, when it is coalesced to volume automation.
clip gain settings within crossfades are cross- Also, clip gain within crossfades is cross-
faded as part of the volume automation. faded as part of the volume automation.

To convert track-based volume automation to clip

gain:
Bypassing Clip Gain
1 Select a clip or make an Edit selection. Pro Tools lets you bypass the current clip gain set-
tings for any selected whole clip. This means that
2 Choose Edit > Automation > Convert Volume to you can hear the clip without any clip gain adjust-
Clip Gain. ments without losing your current clip gain set-
tings.
Coalescing Clip Gain and Track
Volume Automation To bypass (or unbypass) clip gain for a clip, do one
of the following:
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
 Select one or more whole clips and choose Clip
Pro Tools lets you coalesce clip gain settings to
> Clip Gain > Bypass Clip Gain (or choose Clip >
track-based volume automation, as well as letting
Clip Gain > Unbypass Clip Gain).
you coalesce track-based volume automation to
clip gain settings.  Right-click the Clip Gain Fader icon for a clip
and select (or deselect) Bypass.
When coalescing clip gain settings to volume auto-
mation, the clip gain settings are cut from the clip  Right-click a clip or an Edit selection and
and coalesced with track-based volume automa- choose Clip Gain > Bypass Clip Gain (or choose
tion at the same timeline locations as the clip. Clip Gain > Unbypass Clip Gain).

When coalescing track-based volume automation The clip gain settings for any whole clips within
to clip gain, the volume automation is cut from the the Edit selection are bypassed (or unbypassed).
track volume automation playlist and coalesced
with the selected clip gain settings. Once volume Rendering Clip Gain
automation has been coalesced to clip gain, vol-
ume automation is set to 0 dB for the selection. Pro Tools lets you render the current clip gain set-
tings for any selected whole clip. Rendering clip
To coalesce clip gain settings to track-based gain applies the current clip gain settings to a new
volume automation: clip and sets the clip gain settings for the new clip
1 Select a clip or make an Edit selection. to 0 dB.

2 Choose Edit > Automation > Coalesce Clip Gain

to Volume Automation.

996 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To render clip gain for a clip, do one of the
following: Clip Effects
 Select one or more whole clips and choose Pro Tools provides clip-based effects that let you
Clip > Clip Gain > Render Clip Gain. apply non-destructive EQ, filtering, and dynamics
processing to any whole audio clip on any audio
 Right-click the Clip Gain Fader icon for a clip
track. This lets you modify the sound of any single
and choose Render Clip Gain.
whole clip or a selection of whole clips on one or
 Right-click a clip or an Edit selection and more tracks without having to use rendered Audio-
choose Clip Gain > Render Clip Gain. Suite processing or having to process entire tracks
using plug-in inserts. Clip effects processing uses
Clip gain for any whole clips within the Edit selec-
the same algorithms as the Avid Channel Strip
tion is rendered and their clip gain settings are reset
plug-in (based on the Euphonix System 5 console
to 0 dB.
channel strip effects), and provides similar con-
For clips with any clip gain settings other trols and settings.
than 0 dB, the Prepare DPE Tracks com- Clip effects settings always stay with the clip,
mand (for DestructivePunch) automatically which means you can move, and Cut or Copy and
renders all clip gain settings and resets all Paste clips along with their corresponding clip ef-
clip gain settings to 0 dB. fects settings (clip effects settings are also main-
tained with other edit commands, such as Duplicate
When processing in an AudioSuite mode that or Loop). You can also Cut Special > Cut Clip Ef-
renders in clip gain, any clip gain settings fects or Copy Special > Copy Clip Effects, and
are rendered first, and then AudioSuite pro- Paste Clip Effects settings independently of the se-
cessing is applied. Clip gain is reset to 0 dB lected clip’s audio.
for the resultant clip. However, when creat-
You can save and import clip effects settings as
ing individual files with AudioSuite, or over-
presets. You can also use your computer keyboard
writing files clip-by-clip, clip gain settings
to quickly store and recall presets just like you can
are preserved. For more information, see
with plug-in inserts and AudioSuite plug-ins.
“Conditions for AudioSuite Rendering with
Handles, Fades, Clip Gain, and Metadata” Clip effects are fully supported with Pro Tools
on page 987. Ultimate and Studio software. However, while
Pro Tools Artist and Intro software can open and
playback sessions and projects with clip effects as
well as Bypass, Clear, and Render clip effects (if
present), it cannot create or edit clip effects. Clip
effects use the host processor (Native processing)
on all systems.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 997

 Figure 1. Clip Effects display

Clip Effects Display  Press Option+6 (Mac) or Alt+6 (Windows).

(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) The behavior of this key command varies
slightly depending on the edit selection: if no
With Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio, clip effects whole clip is selected, it shows or hides the Clip
controls are displayed at the bottom of the Edit Effects display while leaving the Edit window
window in the same space as the docked MIDI Ed- focused; if one or more whole clips are selected,
itor and the Melodyne Editor (see Figure 1 on it shows and focuses the Clip Effects display (if
page 998). You can toggle between Clip Effects the display is shown, but not focused, it be-
display, the MIDI Editor, and Melodyne Editor, comes focused) or hides the display.
but they cannot both be viewed at the same time.

To show or hide the Clip Effects display, do one of

the following:

 Select or deselect View > Other Displays > Clip

Effects.

 Select or deselect Clip Effects from the Edit

Window Toolbar menu.
 Click the Clip Effects tab at the bottom of the
Edit window.

998 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clip Effects Header clips within that selection until you clear or change
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) those settings. Each subsequent selection of one or
more whole clips can be assigned its own unique
The header at the top of the Clip Effects display clip effects settings.
provides controls for Presets, Compare, and By-
pass controls as well as displaying the name of the To apply clip effects:
selected, whole Clip.
1 Make an edit selection that includes at least one
whole clip.
Clip Bypass
Clip Effects Settings menu 2 If not already shown, reveal the Clip Effects dis-
play (see “Clip Effects Display” on page 998).
3 Choose a preset or adjust the clip effects set-
tings as desired (see “Clip Effects Settings” on
Presets Compare page 1003).
Clip Effects header
Clip effects cannot be applied to committed
Clip Displays the name of the selected, whole clip. or frozen tracks.
If more than one whole clip is selected, the number
of selected whole clips is displayed. Bypassing Clip Effects
Presets Lets you store and recall up to five presets Pro Tools lets you bypass the current clip effects
(see “Clip Effects Presets and Settings Files” on settings for any selected whole clip. This lets you
page 1010). can the clip without any clip effects while main-
taining your current clip effects settings.
Clip Effects Settings Menu Provides commands
to save, copy, paste, and manage clip effects set- To bypass (or unbypass) clip effects for a clip:
tings as presets (see “Clip Effects Settings Menu”
1 Select one or more whole clips.
on page 1011).
2 Adjust the Clip Effects settings as desired
Compare Toggles between the original saved Clip
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only).
Effects preset and any changes you have made to it
so you can compare them. 3 Do one of the following:

Bypass Lets you bypass clip effects processing

• Choose Clip > Clip Effects > Bypass Clip Ef-
fect (or Clip > Clip Effects > Unbypass Clip Ef-
(see “Bypassing Clip Effects” on page 999).
fects).
• Right-click a clip or an Edit selection and
Applying Clip Effects
choose Clip Effects > Bypass Clip Effects (or
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
Clip Effects > Unbypass Clip Effects).
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio let you apply clip • Click the Bypass button in the Clip Effects
effects to one or more selected whole clips on one Display header so that it is lit (or unlit).
or more tracks. The specific clip effects settings
applied to that selection remains with any whole The clip effects settings for any whole clips within
the Edit selection are bypassed (or unbypassed).

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 999

 Rendering Clip Effects Clip Effects Signal Chain and Rendering

Pro Tools lets you render the current clip effects Clip effects are applied after elastic audio or Mel-
settings for selected whole clips. Rendering clip odyne and before clip gain. The signal chain from
effects applies the current clip effects settings to a an audio clip on a track to the track fader is as fol-
new whole-file clip and clears the clip effects set- lows:
tings. Audio File > Elastic Audio/Melodyne > Clip
Effects > Clip Gain > AudioSuite > Fades >
To render clip effects for a clip:
Inserts > Fader
1 Select one or more whole clips.
Rendering always leaves down-stream processing
2 Adjust the Clip Effects settings as desired in place while rendering upstream elements. The
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only). following examples show what is rendered in the
3 Do one of the following: signal chain depending on which commit or render
command is used.
• Choose Clip > Clip Effects > Render Clip Ef-
fects.
• Right-click and choose Clip Effects > Render
Clip Effects.

Clip effects are rendered when exporting

selected tracks as AAF.

What is rendered by process

Elastic
Audio Clip Clip Audio
command Audio/ Fades Inserts Fader
File Effects Gain Suite
Melodyne

committing rendered rendered

Elastic Audio/
Melodyne

rendering rendered real-time rendered

Clip Effects

rendering rendered real-time rendered rendered

Clip Gain

rendering rendered rendered rendered rendered rendered

AudioSuite

consolidating rendered rendered rendered rendered rendered rendered

audio clips if present

rendered rendered rendered rendered rendered rendered rendered

freezing tracks
if present

1000 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clip Effects Signal Chain Enabling or Disabling EQ, Filter,
Ordering and Dynamics Effects
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

By default the signal chain order for clip effects is You can independently enable or disable EQ, Fil-
EQ > Filters > Dynamics. However, you can reor- ter, and Dynamics processing in the Clip Effects
der this signal chain however you like. For exam- display. For example, you may want to apply Dy-
ple, maybe you want your dynamics processing namics processing, but not EQ or filtering; or, you
before the EQ and Filters. may want to apply only EQ.

To change the signal chain order of clip effects:

 Click and drag the title bar of the effect you

want to move to the desired location in the sig-
nal chain. (For example, drag the Dynamics
section to the left of the EQ.)

Clip Effects, EQ enabled, Filters and Dynamics

disabled

To enable or disable specific Clip Effects

processing:
Reordering the clip effects signal chain (dragging
Dynamics to before EQ)  Click the Enable/Disable button for the effect so
that it is highlighted (enabled) or grayed out
Showing or Hiding the EQ, (disabled).
Filters, and Dynamics Sections
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) Clip Effects Status View
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
You can independently show or hide the EQ, Fil-
ters, and Dynamics sections of the Clip Effects dis- When Clip Effects Status view is enabled (View >
play to use less screen space. These sections are Clip > Clip Effects Status), ø, EQ, and DYN are dis-
shown by default. played in the upper right corner of the clip depend-
ing on which effects are being applied to the clip. ø
is displayed when the phase is inverted. EQ is dis-
played when EQ or Filtering is applied to the clip.
DYN is displayed when Dynamics processing or
Input Gain is set to any value other than 0.0 dB.

Filters and Dynamics sections hidden

To hide (or show) the Dynamics, EQ, or Filters

section of the plug-in window:
Clip Effects Status shown
 Click the Show/Hide icon in the lower-right
corner of the section you want to show or hide.
Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 1001
 To show or hide Clip Effects Status: Paste Clip Effects
 Select or deselect View > Clip > Clip Effects Sta- When Clip Effects are cut or copied to the clip-
tus. board, the Paste command changes to Paste Clip
Effects in the Edit menu.
Clip Effects Special Edit
Commands To paste clip effects:
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) 1 Special Cut or Copy Clip Effects from one or
more whole clips.
Cut Clip Effects
2 Select one or more whole clips with or without
Cutting clip effects copies the clip effects settings clip effects.
to the clipboard and resets the settings for the se-
lected whole clip (or clips) to <factory default>. 3 Do one of the following:
• Choose Edit > Paste Clip Effects.
To cut clip effects:
• Right-click the edit selection and choose Clip
1 Select one or more whole clips with clip effects. Effects > Paste Clip Effects.

2 Do one of the following: • Press Command+V (Mac) or Control+V

(Windows).
• Choose Edit > Cut Special > Cut Clip Effects.
• Press Command+Option+Control+X (Mac) Clear Clip Effects
or Control+Alt+Start+X (Windows).
Clearing clip effects resets the settings for the se-
Copy Clip Effects lected whole clip (or clips) to <factory default>.

Copying clip effects copies the clip effects settings To clear clip effects:
for selected whole clips to the clipboard while
1 Select one or more whole clips with clip effects.
leaving the settings for those clips intact.
2 Do one of the following:
To copy clip effects:
• Choose Edit > Clear Special > Copy Clip Ef-
1 Select one or more whole clips with clip effects. fects.

2 Do one of the following: • Right-click the edit selection and choose Clip
Effects > Clear Clip Effects.
• Choose Edit > Copy Special > Copy Clip Ef-
fects. • Press Command+Option+Control+B (Mac)
or Control+Alt+Start+B (Windows).
• Right-click the edit selection and choose Clip
Effects > Copy Clip Effects.
• Press Command+Option+Control+C (Mac)
or Control+Alt+Start+C (Windows).

1002 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 EQ and Filters
Clip Effects Settings
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
Clip effects provides a high-quality 4-band para-
metric equalizer and two separate filters for shap-
ing the frequency spectrum of your audio.
Input Trim and Polarity Invert

EQ controls

Frequency Graph

The EQ section of the Clip Effects display (see

Figure 2 on page 1004) provides an interactive
Frequency Graph display that shows the response
Input Trim and Polarity Invert controls
curve for the current EQ settings on a two-dimen-
Input Trim sional graph of frequency and gain.The Frequency
Graph display also lets you modify frequency,
The Input Trim control sets the input gain for clip
gain, and Q settings for individual EQ bands by
effects before EQ processing. This lets you make
dragging their corresponding points in the graph.
up gain or prevent clipping at the input stage.
The Frequency Graph display also plots the fre-
To Trim the input signal, do one of the following:
quency, Q, and filter shape of the two filters (when
either or both are enabled).
 Click in the Input Trim field and type a Trim
value (–36.0 dB to +36.0 dB). Adjusting EQ and Filter Controls on the
Frequency Graph
 Click Trim and drag up or down to adjust the
Input Trim setting. You can adjust the following EQ and Filter con-
trols by dragging control points directly in the Fre-
Polarity Invert quency Graph display:
The Polarity Invert button at the top of the Input Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Start-Shift-click
section inverts the phase (polarity) of the input sig- (Windows) the control point for any frequency
nal, to help compensate for phase anomalies that band to solo that frequency band. Drag left or
can occur either in multi-microphone environ- right to change the frequency value.
ments or because of mis-wired balanced connec-
tions.

To enable (or disable) phase inversion on input:

 Click the Polarity Invert button so that it is high-

lighted. Click it again so that it is not high-
lighted to disable it.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 1003

 Filter control point EQ control point

Gain
(y-axis)

Frequency
(x-axis)
Figure 2. Frequency Graph

Frequency Dragging a control point to the right in- Q Click within the curve of an EQ control point
creases the Frequency setting. Dragging a control and drag up or down to increase or decrease the Q
point to the left decreases the Frequency setting. setting. For the Low and High Frequency Bands,
the Q control is only available when the EQ Type
Press the Shift key while clicking and drag- is set to Peak. For Filter control points, drag it up or
ging an EQ control point up or down to adjust down to adjust the Q for that filter. The Q control is
the Gain setting without changing the Fre- only available when the Filter Type is set to Band
quency. Likewise, press the Shift key while Pass or Notch.
clicking and dragging an EQ control point left
or right to adjust the Frequency setting with- You can also Control-click (Mac) or Start-
out changing the Gain setting. click (Windows) and drag a control point up
or down to increase or decrease the Q setting.
Gain Dragging a control point up increases the
Gain setting. Dragging a control point down de-
creases the Gain setting.

Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click

(Windows) an EQ control point to invert its
Gain setting.

1004 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Frequency Graph Gain Resolution High and Low Frequency EQ Controls

Clip Effects let you view the gain scale on the Fre- Enable the HF button for the high frequency band
quency Graph display either in 3 dB increments of the EQ and the LF button for the low frequency
from –12 dB to +12 dB or in 6 dB increments from band. The both the high and low frequency band
–24 dB to +24 dB. can be set to be either a Peak or Low Shelf EQ.

EQ Type Enable either the Peak or Shelf button to

set the EQ type for the frequency band.

Frequency Sets the center frequency for the fre-

quency band.

Gain Boosts or attenuates the corresponding fre-

quencies for the frequency band.

Frequency Graph Gain Resolution toggle Q Sets the width of the EQ band. Higher Q values
represent narrower bandwidths. Lower Q values
To change the Frequency Graph Gain resolution:
represent wider bandwidths. The Q control is only
 Click the Graph Resolution toggle. available when the EQ Type is set to Peak.

Enable/Disable EQ Bands and Filters High Mid and Low Mid Frequency EQ
Controls
Click the Enable/Disable button for an EQ fre-
quency band (HF, HMF, LMF, or LF) or a filter (1 or Enable the HMF button for the high mid–frequency
2) to enable or disable that frequency band or filter. band of the EQ and the LMF button for the low
Buttons are lit when enabled, and unlit when dis- mid–frequency band. Both bands are peak EQs.
abled.
Frequency Sets the center frequency for the fre-
quency band.

Gain Boosts or attenuates the corresponding fre-

quencies for the frequency band.

Q Sets the width of the frequency band. Higher Q

values represent narrower bandwidths. Lower Q
values represent wider bandwidths.
EQ Frequency Band enable/disable buttons (HF and
LF disabled, and HMF and LMF enabled)

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 1005

 Filter 1 and 2 Controls Dynamics
Enable the 1 button for the first filter and the 2 but- The Dynamics section of the Clip Effects display
ton for the second filter. Both filters provide the provides Expander/Gate, Compressor/Limiter, and
same set of controls that can be independently con- Side Chain processing all in one. This section also
figured. provides a dynamics graphic display for Expander/
Gate and Compressor/Limiter processing.

Dynamics controls

Dynamics Graph
Filter 1 and 2 controls

Type Lets you select from the following Filter The Dynamics Graph display shows a curve that
Type options: High Pass, Low Pass, Band Pass, represents the level of the input signal (on the hor-
and Notch. izontal x-axis) and the amount of gain reduction
applied (on the vertical y-axis). The display shows
Freq (Frequency) Sets the center frequency for the two vertical lines representing the Threshold set-
selected Filter Type (from 20 Hz to 21.0 kHz). ting for the Expander/Gate and the Compres-
sor/Limiter, respectively. Use this graph as a visual
Slope Sets the slope for the filter from the selected
guide to see how much dynamics processing you
Frequency to –INF (12 dB/O or 24 dB/O). The
are applying to the incoming audio signal.
Slope control is only available when the Filter
Type is set to Low Pass or High Pass. Expander/Gate Threshold
Compressor/Limiter Threshold
Q Sets the width of the filter around the center fre- Knee
quency band. Higher Q values represent narrower
bandwidths. Lower Q values represent wider band-
widths. The Q control is only available when the
Filter Type is set to Band Pass or Notch.
Output Signal
(y-axis)

Input Signal
(x-axis)
Dynamics Graph

1006 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Dynamics Graph Resolution Enable/Disable Expander/Gate and
Compressor/Limiter
Clip effects let you view the gain reduction scale on
the Dynamics Graph display either in 3 dB incre- Click the Enable/Disable button for Exp/Gate or
ments from 0 dB to 18 dB or in 6 dB increments from Comp/Lim to enable or disable the corresponding
0 dB to –36 dB. dynamics processing. Buttons are lit when en-
abled, and unlit when disabled.

Dynamics Graph Resolution toggle

To change the Dynamics Graph resolution:

Dynamics, Exp/Gate disabled and Comp/Lim enabled
 Click the Dynamics Graph Resolution toggle.
Expander/Gate Controls
Adjusting Controls on the Dynamics Graph
Threshold Sets the level below which an input sig-
You can drag in the Dynamics Graph display to ad- nal must fall to trigger expansion or gating. Signals
just the corresponding Expander/Gate and Com- that fall below the threshold will be reduced in
pressor/Limiter controls. The cursor updates to gain. Signals that are above it will be unaffected.
show which control is being adjusted: The Dynamics Graph display shows the threshold
• Expander/Gate Ratio as a vertical line.

• Expander/Gate Knee Attack Sets the attack time, or the rate at which
gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the
• Expander/Gate Threshold
threshold. Use this along with the Ratio setting to
• Gate Depth control how soft the Expander gain reduction
• Hysteresis curve is.
• Compressor/Limiter Ratio Ratio Sets the amount of expansion. For example,
• Compressor/Limiter Knee if this is set to 2:1, it will lower signals below the
threshold by one half. At higher ratio levels the Ex-
• Compressor/Limiter Threshold
pander/Gate functions like a gate by cutting off
• Limiter Depth signals that fall below the threshold. As you adjust
the ratio control, refer to the Dynamics Graph dis-
play to see how the shape of the expansion curve
changes.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 1007

 Depth Sets the depth of the Expander/Gate when Compressor/Limiter Controls
closed. Setting the gate to higher range levels al-
Threshold Sets the level that an input signal must
lows more and more of the gated audio that falls
exceed to trigger compression or limiting. Signals
below the threshold to peek through the gate at all
that exceed this level will be compressed. Signals
times.
that are below it will be unaffected.
Hold Specifies the duration (in seconds or milli-
Attack Sets the attack time, or the rate at which
seconds) during which the Expander/Gate will stay
gain is reduced after the input signal crosses the
in effect after the initial attack occurs. This can be
threshold. The smaller the value, the faster the at-
used as a function to keep the Expander/Gate in ef-
tack. The faster the attack, the more rapidly the
fect for longer periods of time with a single cross-
Compressor/ Limiter applies attenuation to the sig-
ing of the threshold. It can also be used to prevent
nal. If you use fast attack times, you should gener-
gate chatter that may occur if varying input levels
ally use a proportionally longer release time, par-
near the threshold cause the gate to close and open
ticularly with material that contains many peaks in
very rapidly.
close proximity.
Release Sets how long it takes for the gate to close
Ratio Sets the compression ratio, or the amount of
after the input signal falls below the threshold level
compression applied as the input signal exceeds
and the hold time has passed.
the threshold. For example, a 2:1 compression ra-
Knee Sets the rate at which the Expander/ Gate tio means that a 2 dB increase of level above the
reaches full effect once the threshold has been ex- threshold produces a 1 db increase in output. The
ceeded. compression ratio ranges from 1.0:1 to 20.0:1.
Once the Ratio control passes 20.0:1 the Compres-
Hysteresis Adjusts whether or not the gate rapidly sor/ Limiter effect functions as a limiter rather than
opens and closes when the input signal is fluctuat- a compressor.
ing near the Threshold. This can help prevent un-
desirably rapid gating of the signal. Hysteresis ap- At the limiter setting (LMTR), for every decibel
plies a differential threshold for signals that are that the incoming signal goes over the set Thresh-
rising, as opposed to signals that are falling, to re- old, 1 dB of gain reduction is applied. Once the Ra-
duce the chance of the gate opening when you tio control passes the LMTR setting, it provides
don’t want it to. For example, if the threshold is set negative ratio settings from –20.0:1 to 0:1. With
to –30 and Hysteresis is set to 10, the gate opens these settings, for every decibel that the incoming
when the signal reaches –20 and closes when sig- signal goes over the set Threshold, more than 1 dB
nal reaches the set threshold of –30. This control is of gain reduction is applied according to the nega-
only available when Ratio is set to Gate, otherwise tive Ratio setting. For example, at the setting of –
it is grayed out. 1.0:1, for each decibel over the set threshold, 2 db
of gain reduction is applied. Consequently, the out-
put signal is both compressed and made softer.

1008 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Depth Sets the amount of gain reduction that is ap- Side Chain Processing
plied regardless of the input signal. For example, if
the Limiter is set at a Threshold of –20 dB and
Depth is set at 0 dB, up to 20 dB of gain reduction
is applied to the incoming signal (at 0 dB). If you
set Depth to –10 dB, no more than 10 dB of gain
reduction is applied to the incoming signal.

Release Sets the length of time it takes for the

Compressor/Limiter to be fully deactivated after
the input signal drops below the threshold. Release Side Chain controls
times should be set long enough that if signal lev-
els repeatedly rise above the threshold, the gain re- Dynamics processors typically use the detected
duction recovers smoothly. If the release time is amplitude of their input signal to trigger gain re-
too short, the gain can rapidly fluctuate as the com- duction. This split-off signal is known as the side
pressor repeatedly tries to recover from the gain re- chain. Compressor/Limiter and Expander/Gate
duction. If the release time is too long, a loud sec- processing also features filtering on the side chain.
tion of the audio material could cause gain By filtering the side chain, you can make dynamics
reduction that continues through soft sections of processing more or less sensitive to certain fre-
program material without recovering. quencies. For example, you might configure the
side chain so that certain lower frequencies on a
Knee Sets the rate at which the compressor reaches drum track trigger dynamics processing.
full compression once the threshold has been ex-
ceeded. As you increase this control, it goes from Source
applying hard-knee compression to soft-knee com-
The Source selector lets you set the source for side
pression. With hard-knee compression, compres-
chain processing: Internal or All-Linked.
sion begins when the input signal exceeds the
threshold. This can sound abrupt and is ideal for Internal Uses the amplitude of the input signal to
limiting. However, with soft-knee compression, trigger dynamics processing. With greater-than-
gentle compression begins and increases gradually stereo multichannel processing, the input signal for
as the input signal approaches the threshold, and each stereo pair effects only those same channels,
reaches full compression after exceeding the and likewise mono channels are effected only by
threshold. This creates smoother compression. their own input signal. For example, with an LCR
multichannel format, the processing for the Center
Gain Lets you boost overall output gain to com-
channel is only triggered when the Center channel
pensate for heavily compressed or limited signals.
input signal reaches the threshold. However, when
the input signal reaches the threshold on the Left or
the Right channel, processing is triggered for both
the Left and the Right channel.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 1009

 All-Linked Applies dynamics processing equally Listen Mode
to all channels when the input signal reaches the
The Side Chain pane in the Dynamics section pro-
threshold on any input channel, except for the LFE
vides a Listen button. When enabled, Listen mode
channel (if present). The LFE channel is always
lets you hear the input signal that feeds the dy-
processed independently based on its own input
namic section. This can be either the internal side
signal.
chain (including the applied filter) or all linked
Detection channels of the source audio.

The Detection options include Peak or Avg (Aver- To enable (or disable) Listen on the Side Chain:
age).
 Click the Listen button (speaker icon) in the
Peak Applies side-chain processing according to Side Chain section so that it is highlighted.
the detected peak amplitude. Click it again so that it is not highlighted to dis-
able it.
Average Applies sidechain processing according
to the detected average amplitude.

Filter Frequency
Clip Effects Presets and
Settings Files
The Filter Frequency control lets you set the fre- (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
quency for the selected Filter Type.
In addition to the stored settings named in the Clip
Filter Type Effects Settings menu, clip effects provides five
preset buttons so that you can easily store and re-
Four Filter Type options are available for side-
call your most commonly used settings. You can
chain processing:
also save and import Clip Effects settings using the
Low Pass Applies a low pass filter to the side- commands in the Clip Effects Settings menu.
chain processing at the selected frequency.
To store a Clip Effects preset:
High Pass Applies a high pass filter to the side- 1 Configure the clip effects settings as you like.
chain processing at the selected frequency.
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
Notch Applies a notch filter to the side-chain pro- dows) the Preset button where you want to store
cessing at the selected frequency. the current clip effects settings.
Band Pass Applies a band pass filter to the side-
chain processing at the selected frequency.

1010 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To recall a Clip Effects preset: Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a
 Click the Preset button that contains the settings new preset under a different name.
you want to recall. Import Settings Imports a Clip Effects Settings
file (.tfx) from a location other than the Root Set-
If the Editing preference “1–5 Number Keys
tings folder or Session folder.
Control” is set to “Clip Effects Presets,” you
can press Control+1–5 (Mac) or Start+1–5 Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
(Windows) to recall the corresponding preset. the current Clip Effects Settings file (.tfx) from
If Commands Keyboard Focus is also enabled disk.
in the Edit window, just press the number for
the preset you want (1–5). Lock (Unlock) Settings File Locks (or unlocks)
the selected Clip Effects Settings file so that it can-
not (or can) be edited.
Press Command+Control+1–5 (Mac) or
Control+Start+1–5 (Windows) to apply the Copy Settings Copies the selected Clip Effects
number keys to the opposite of what is set for Settings to the clipboard.
the 1–5 Number Keys Control preference (for
Paste Settings Pastes Clip Effects Settings from
example, if Zoom Presets is selected, these
the clipboard.
key combinations would apply to Clip Effects
Presets instead). If Commands Keyboard Save Clip Effects Settings To Selects the folder
Focus is enabled for the Edit window, press where Clip Effects settings files are saved. If you
Command+1–5 (Mac) or Control+1–5 select Session Folder, the settings are saved in a
(Windows). folder called Channel Strip in the Plug-in Settings
folder in the current session folder. If you select
Clip Effects Settings Menu Root Settings Folder, the settings are saved in the
Documentation and Settings folder specified in the
Clip effects settings are saved and recalled just like
Operation preferences.
Plug-in settings. The Clip Effects Settings menu
commands include:

<factory default> Restores the default settings for

clip effects.

Save Settings Saves the current settings. This

command overwrites any previous version of the
preset.

Press Command+Option+Control+S (Mac)

or Control+Alt+Start+S (Windows) to save
the current Clip Effects settings.

Chapter 44: Clip Gain and Clip Effects 1011

1012 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 45: Elastic Audio

Elastic Audio provides track-based Real-Time and you like, drag it from the browser and drop it into
Rendered Time Compression and Expansion the session. The loop automatically conforms to
(TCE) and clip-based pitch shifting (transposi- the session tempo map and Bar|Beat grid. You can
tion). Pro Tools Elastic Audio uses exceptionally then further manipulate its timing and also trans-
high-quality transient detection algorithms, beat pose the clip to match the pitch of other loops in
and tempo analysis, and real-time TCE and pitch your session.
shifting processing algorithms. Elastic Audio lets
you quickly and easily transpose the pitch of audio Correcting Performances
clips and tempo conform (beat match) audio to the
Elastic Audio lets you quantize audio to tighten up
session’s Tempo map. It also provides an unprece-
a performance or even manually re-align that one
dented degree of control over transient detection
note that was played just a little late. Or, you might
and TCE processing on an event-by-event basis.
decide that the performance is excellent, but just a
With Elastic Audio, Pro Tools analyzes entire au- little under tempo. Tick-based Elastic Audio auto-
dio files for transient events. For example, an event matically warps audio to conform to tempo
can be a drum hit, a sung note, or chord played by changes. When you change your tracks to tick-
a guitar. These detected events can then serve as based and increase the session tempo, the audio au-
control points for warping the audio. Pro Tools can tomatically time compresses to match.
warp (TCE) audio events automatically, such as
Remixing
automatically conforming audio to the session
tempo or quantizing audio events, or you can warp Elastic Audio lets you quickly beat match an entire
audio manually using standard editing tools in song to the session tempo and Bar|Beat grid. You
Warp view. can also transpose clips to match pitch.
Elastic Audio is useful in several common work- Sound Design and Special Effects
flows: working with loops, correcting perfor-
mances, remixing, sound design and special ef- Use Elastic Audio to achieve special effects with
fects, and film scoring. extreme or widely variable TCE or pitch manipu-
lation. Use the Varispeed algorithm to achieve
Working with Loops tape-like effects for speed and pitch change.
If you work with loops, Elastic Audio lets you pre-
view your loops in Workspace 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

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1013

 Film Scoring Create and configure a new session or project:

If you are scoring a film scene, use Elastic Audio 1 Create a new Pro Tools session or project.
to fit the music to the required duration. You can 2 Set the session’s Main Timebase ruler to
even use tempo changes to achieve accelerandos Bars|Beats.
and ritardandos.
3 Be sure to display the Tempo and Meter rulers.
Remember, when using tempo adjustments
4 Use the default tempo of quarter-note equals
for sessions that include multiple cues, tempo
120 BPM.
changes may affect the timecode position of
other cues later on the Timeline. Locate and preview a loop in a Workspace browser
at the session tempo:

Elastic Audio is not recommended for pull up 1 Open the Workspace (Window > Workspace).
and pull down workflows. Use the Session
2 Navigate to the folder where you keep your
Setup window real time pull up or pull
drum loops. Double-click the folder name to
downs, or the presets included with Time
open a browser window showing just the
Shift or X-Form AudioSuite plug-ins.
folder’s contents.
3 Select the loop you want to preview.
Example Elastic Audio
Workflow Audition Paths for previewing are selected in
the I/O Setup window (Choose Setup > I/O
In this workflow, you will be introduced to some and click the Output tab).
common Elastic Audio tasks for working with
loops: 4 Click the Preview button to preview the loop at
its native tempo.
• Create and configure a new session for this
workflow.
Audio Files Conform
• Locate and preview a loop in a Workspace Preview button to Session Tempo button
browser 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 clip on tick-based, Elastic Audio-enabled
tracks.
• Quantize the audio to apply a Groove Template
to the rhythm.
• Transpose the clip to match the pitch of the im- Preview and Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
ported audio to other audio and MIDI in the ses- buttons in a Workspace browser
sion.

1014 Pro Tools Reference Guide

5 Click the Audio Files Conform to Session 2 Drag and drop the loop from the browser to the
Tempo button so that it highlights. Tracks List in the session’s Edit window.
6 Click the Preview button again and the file pre- If All Files is selected as the Drag and Drop
views at the session tempo. From Desktop Conforms to Session Tempo
7 Notice that if the loop was sample-based to be- option in the Processing Preferences page,
gin with, once it is analyzed the file’s Duration you can also drag and drop audio files from
is now measured in Bars and Beats instead of the Desktop and they are imported as tick-
Minutes and Seconds, the Sample-based icon is based Elastic Audio.
replaced by the Tick-based icon, and the de-
3 One of the following occurs:
tected tempo of the file is displayed in the
Tempo column. • If there are no tracks in the session and the
file is tick-based, you are prompted to either
Sample-based Tick-based Detected import the tempo from the file or use the ses-
file icon file icon tempo
Duration sion tempo. To keep the session tempo and
have the loop conform to the session tempo,
click Don’t Import.
• If there are tracks in the session, the file is im-
ported 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 original
tempo, you will notice that the loop conforms to
Elastic Audio controls and indicators in the Workspace the tempo map and Bar|Beat grid of the session.
8 Repeat the preceding steps to preview other A Warp indicator appears in both the clip in the
loops at the session tempo. track and in the Clips List.

Import the loop at the session tempo:

Also in the Clips List, notice that there are two
clips. One is the sample-based whole file clip (the
1 Make sure that the Audio Files Conform to Ses- imported source file) and the other is the tick-based
sion Tempo button is still highlighted. This en- Elastic Audio–processed copy.
sures that the file will be imported as a tick-
based, Elastic Audio clip and can be conformed You can also conform clips on Elastic
to the session tempo. Audio-enabled tracks to the session tempo
using the Conform to Tempo command (see
“Conform to Tempo” on page 892).

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1015

 New tick-based,
Elastic Audio–enabled
track

Dragging and dropping a tick-based audio file from a Workspace browser to the Tracks List

Warp indicators

Tick-based Elastic Sample-based

Audio–processed clip whole-file clip

Imported tick-based audio file with Elastic Audio processing

1016 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Change the session tempo to change the tempo of Quantize audio to apply a Groove Template:
the clip:
1 Select the clip on the tick-based, Real-Time
1 Change the tempo from the default 120 BPM to Elastic Audio-enabled track.
110 BPM (see “Tempo” on page 887).
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
Changing the default tempo
been quantized according to the selected
2 Notice that since the clip is on a tick-based, Groove Template. In Warp view, you can see
Real-Time Elastic Audio-enabled track it auto- that Warp markers have been added at every
matically conforms to the new tempo. Event marker near the Quantize Grid and were
used to apply quantization to those events.

Quantized audio events (Warp markers) in Warp view

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1017

 Transpose the audio clip down a whole-tone: Enabling Elastic Audio Tracks
1 Select the clip on the Elastic Audio-enabled
To enable Elastic Audio on a track:
track.
1 Create a new audio track or choose an existing
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. audio track.
3 Select the Transpose By option. 2 Click the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In selector,
4 Enter “–2” semitones. and select the Elastic Audio plug-in appropriate
to your track material and the results you want
5 Click Apply. from the pop-up menu: Polyphonic, Rhythmic,
Monophonic, Varispeed, or X-Form (see “Elas-
tic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 1023).
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 editing in
Warp view, applying Quantize, and using the TCE
Elastic Audio Plug-In pop-up menu
Trim tool. However, only tick-based Elastic Audio
tracks also automatically apply Elastic Audio pro- Any audio clips on the track temporarily go offline
cessing based on tempo changes in the session. while they are analyzed and come back online
when the analysis is finished. The waveform for
To have all new tracks be tick-based, enable audio clips that are offline for Elastic Audio anal-
the New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase op- ysis appears grayed out.
tion in the Editing preferences.
When recording to a real-time Elastic Audio-en-
abled track, once recording is stopped, the newly
When creating new tracks by dragging and
recorded audio temporarily goes offline while it is
dropping audio from a Workspace browser, if
analyzed and comes back online as soon as the
the Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo
analysis is finished.
option is enabled, Pro Tools creates tick-
based Elastic Audio-enabled tracks regard- 3 From the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In pop-up
less of whether the Elastic Audio analyzed file menu, select Real-Time Processing or Ren-
is tick-based or sample-based. If the Audio dered Processing for Real-Time or Rendered
Files Conform to Session Tempo option is not Elastic Audio processing.
enabled, Pro Tools creates regular sample-
based tracks.

With Pro Tools Ultimate with HDX, Elastic

Audio is disallowed on voiced tracks. Use dy-
namic voice allocation for tracks on which
you want to use Elastic Audio.

1018 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Elastic Audio processing can be Real-Time Disabling Elastic Audio
or Rendered. Real-Time Elastic Audio pro- Tracks
cessing is immediate, but it is more demand-
ing of system resources. Rendered Elastic Au- To disable Elastic Audio on a track:
dio processing is non-real-time, but is less 1 From the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In selector,
demanding of system resources. If you are select None – Disable Elastic Audio.
working on a system with limited resources,
2 If the track had any Elastic Audio-based pro-
use Rendered Elastic Audio processing. For
cessing, you are prompted to Cancel, Revert, or
more information, see “Real-Time and Ren-
Commit.
dered Elastic Audio Processing” on
page 1022. Cancel Leaves Elastic Audio enabled on the track.

Creating New Tracks with Revert Removes any Elastic Audio processing, re-
Elastic Audio Enabled verts clips on the track to their original duration,
and disables Elastic Audio on the track.
New tracks are created with Elastic Audio auto-
matically enabled in the following cases: Commit Renders and commits any Elastic Audio
processing on the track, writes new files to disk,
• When the Enable Elastic Audio On New Tracks
and disables Elastic Audio on the track.
option is enabled in the Processing Preferences
page (see “Elastic Audio Options” on page 444).
Committed Clips
• When dragging and dropping tick-based, Elastic
Audio analyzed files from Workspace browsers Clips that are committed, either by disabling Elas-
to the Tracks List or empty space in the Edit win- tic Audio on a track or by moving a clip to a track
dow with the Audio Files Conform to Session without Elastic Audio enabled, are written to disk
Tempo option enabled (see “Elastic Audio on as new audio files. These new audio files include
Import” on page 437). the audio in the clip, plus any fades, and also an ad-
• When dragging and dropping REX or ACID ditional 5 seconds of audio before and after the
files from the Desktop (if either REX and ACID clip, if available.
Files Only or the All Files option is enabled for
the Drag and Drop from Desktop Conforms to Disabling Elastic Audio and
Session Tempo setting in the Processing Prefer- Alternate Playlists
ences page) or a Workspace browser (if the Au-
Disabling Elastic Audio on a track affects all play-
dio Files Conform to Session Tempo button is
lists on the track. All playlists on the track are com-
enabled) to the Tracks List or empty space in the
mitted or reverted depending on which option you
Edit window (see “Importing ACID and REX
choose.
Files” on page 440).

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1019

 Elastic Audio Track Controls Elastic Audio Track Views
Audio tracks provide controls for enabling Elastic There are two special Track Views for Elastic Au-
Audio, selecting the Elastic Audio plug-in, and se- dio-enabled tracks: Warp and Analysis.
lecting whether Real-Time or Rendered Elastic
Audio processing.

Elastic Audio Real-Time or

Plug-In selector Rendered
Processing
indicator
Elastic Audio
Plug-In button Track View pop-up menu

Elastic Audio Track controls

Warp View
Elastic Audio Plug-In Selector Selects the Elastic
Warp view lets you manually “time warp” (Elastic
Audio plug-in for Elastic Audio processing (see
Audio process) audio. In Warp view you can create
“Elastic Audio Plug-Ins” on page 1023). You can
and edit Warp markers. If you are using Elastic
also use the Elastic Audio Plug-In selector to dis-
Audio to correct the timing of a performance, or to
able Elastic Audio processing, and to select either
achieve special effects, work in Warp view (see
Real-Time or Rendered processing (see “Real-
“Editing in Warp View” on page 1027).
Time and Rendered Elastic Audio Processing” on
page 1022).
Analysis View
Elastic Audio Plug-In Button Displays the name
of the selected Elastic Audio plug-in. Click the Analysis view lets you edit detected Event mark-
Elastic Audio Plug-In button to open the Elastic ers. In most cases you will not need to use Analysis
Audio Plug-In window (see “Elastic Audio Plug- view. However, with material that does not have
Ins” on page 1023). clear transients, you may want to work in Analysis
view to add or relocate Event markers, or to delete
Real-Time or Rendered Processing erroneous Event markers. For example, when us-
Indicator Lights when Elastic Audio processing is ing Elastic Audio to correct the timing of a perfor-
real-time and dims when Elastic Audio processing mance, you may need to add, move, or remove
is rendered (see “Real-Time and Rendered Elastic Event markers in Analysis view to achieve the
Audio Processing” on page 1022). highest quality Elastic Audio processing (see “Ed-
iting in Analysis View” on page 1034).

1020 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Analyzed files in which no tempo was detected are
Elastic Audio Analysis treated as sample-based files. If there is only a sin-
When recording, pasting, moving, or importing gle transient in the file (such as with a single snare
un-analyzed audio to an Elastic Audio-enabled hit), no tempo will be detected. Also, longer files
track, or when enabling Elastic Audio on an exist- that contain tempo changes or rubato, or that do not
ing audio track, Pro Tools automatically analyzes contain regular periodic rhythmic patterns will
the audio for transient events. In Waveform view, probably not have a detected tempo and will be
the waveform initially appears grayed out because treated as sample-based files.
clips go offline during Elastic Audio analysis.
Once the analysis is complete, the audio comes Event Confidence
back online. Elastic Audio analysis is file-based,
Transient events are detected with a certain degree
which means that even if you are only working
of confidence. The level of confidence is based on
with a small clip of a large file, the entire audio file
the relative clarity of transients.
is analyzed.
For example, a drum loop is likely to have clear,
Elastic Audio analysis detects transient events in
sharp transients. These will be detected with a high
the audio file. These transient events are indicated
degree of confidence. However, a legato violin
by Event markers. Event markers are displayed in
melody may not have clear, sharp transients, so
both the Warp and Analysis track views. Elastic
transients will be detected with a lower degree of
Audio analysis also calculates the native tempo of
confidence.
the analyzed audio file and its duration in bars and
beats. Note that peak amplitude is not the most im-
Elastic Audio analysis data (detected events, portant measure for event confidence. The
tempo, and duration in Bars|Beats) is stored with clarity of transients is measured in part by the
the file. In Workspace browsers, analyzed audio spectral transition from one moment to the
files are indicated by a check mark to the left of the next. This tends to favor higher frequency
file name, and these files display their duration in content in terms of event confidence. For ex-
Bars|Beats, their timebase as ticks, and their native ample, changing the Event Sensitivity in the
tempo in BPM. Elastic Properties window for a selected
drum loop results in the clearer transients of
the higher frequency hi-hat hits having more
Tempo Detection event confidence than the less well defined
Elastic Audio analysis does its best to detect a reg- transients of the lower frequency kick drum
ular tempo for all analyzed audio. Any audio con- hits even though kick drum hits have a higher
taining regular periodic rhythm can be success- peak amplitude.
fully analyzed for tempo and duration in bars and
Pro Tools is very aggressive with its transient de-
beats. Analyzed files in which a tempo was de-
tection in order to detect every possible audio
tected are treated as tick-based files. Tick-based
event. Consequently, it is possible to have errone-
files can be conformed to the session tempo for
ously detected events. These events will be ana-
preview and import.
lyzed with a low degree of confidence and can be
filtered out by lowering the Event Sensitivity in the

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1021

 Elastic Properties window (see “Event Sensitivity Elastic Audio processing, when you make a
Property” on page 1038). Filtering out any false change to Elastic Audio processing, any affected
transients can result in higher quality Elastic Audio audio clips temporarily go offline, a new “ren-
processing. dered” audio file is generated, and any affected au-
dio clips come back online.
Conversely, for material with few clear transients,
Elastic Audio analysis may not accurately detect In rendered mode, any change you make is
audio events, and those detected may be detected rendered using the original source audio to
with a low level of confidence. You can relocate or avoid generational loss from multiple subse-
add Event markers where necessary in Analysis quent edits.
view (see “Editing in Analysis View” on
page 1034). To set an Elastic Audio track to Real-Time or
Rendered:
For example, a slow synth pad may not have clear 1 Click the track’s Elastic Audio Plug-In selector.
transients and detected Event markers may be in-
correctly located or may have not been detected at 2 From the pop-up menu, select an Elastic Audio
all. In Analysis view, you can relocate, remove, plug-in.
and add Event markers as necessary (such as where 3 From the pop-up menu, select one of the
the chord changes). Accurately locating Event following:
markers yields better results when applying Elastic
• Real-Time Processing
Audio processing.
• Rendered Processing
When processing non-rhythmic audio (such
as legato strings) with the Polyphonic plug- Select Real-Time processing for tick-based
in, reducing the number of Event markers of- Elastic Audio processing (such as tempo
ten yields better sounding results. You can ei- changes). Rendered audio processing can be
ther manually remove Event markers in Anal- useful for sample-based Elastic Audio
ysis view (see “Editing in Analysis View” on processing or if you need to save system
page 1034) or lower the Event Sensitivity set- resources.
ting in the Elastic Properties window for the
clip you want to process (see “Elastic Prop-
erties Window” on page 1037).

Real-Time and Rendered

Elastic Audio Processing
Real-Time Elastic Audio processing means that Elastic Audio Plug-In selector
any changes to Elastic Audio processing—whether
it be a tempo change or a manual TCE warp, or To toggle between Real-Time and Rendered
pitch shifting—take effect immediately. However, Elastic Audio processing, Command-Control-
Real-Time Elastic Audio processing can be very click (Mac) or Control-Start-click (Windows)
demanding on your system’s resources. Conse- the Elastic Audio Plug-In button.
quently, you may want to use Rendered Elastic
Audio processing in some cases. With Rendered
1022 Pro Tools Reference Guide
About Rendered Files
Elastic Audio Plug-Ins
Pro Tools creates temporary files for Rendered
Elastic Audio processing. These files are kept in an Pro Tools provides several algorithms for real-
auto-created Rendered Files folder in the session time and rendered track-based Elastic Audio pro-
folder. Once you commit Rendered Elastic Audio cessing. The selected Elastic Audio plug-in deter-
processing to a track, a new file is written to disk in mines how the audio is processed. Each plug-in
the Audio Files folder, and the temporary rendered uses different algorithms for Elastic Audio pro-
file from which it was created is deleted from the cessing. Different algorithms are better suited to
Rendered Files folder. different types of audio. Select the plug-in whose
algorithm is appropriate to the material on the
track you want to process.
Clipping Indicator
(Rendered Processing Only) Elastic Audio plug-ins have their own selector that
is only available in the Edit window. You cannot
Since Rendered Elastic Audio processing is not insert Elastic Audio plug-ins on track inserts.
real-time, it does not report clipping due to Elastic
Audio processing in the Elastic Audio plug-in win- Elastic Audio plug-ins provide few to no adjust-
dow. Instead, when clipping occurs due to Ren- able parameters. The adjustable controls, if any,
dered Elastic Audio processing, the clip displays are available in the Elastic Audio Plug-In window.
an Elastic Audio Processing Clipping indicator Elastic Audio plug-in parameters cannot be auto-
just to the left of the Warp indicator. mated.

To avoid clipping on playback, lower the Input To open an Elastic Audio Plug-In window:
Gain for the clip in the Elastic Properties window
(see “Elastic Properties Window” on page 1037).  Click the Elastic Audio Plug-In button.

Elastic Audio Warp

Clipping indicators indicators Elastic Audio plug-in button

Elastic Audio Clipping indicator

Elastic Audio Plug-In Window
Controls
The Elastic Audio Plug-In window provides a set
of controls in the window header that are common
to all Elastic Audio plug-ins.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1023

 Plug-Ins Settings Select Button Accesses the
Plug-In selector Librarian menu Plug-In Settings dialog, which lists the presets for
Settings menu Target
Track selector
button the current plug-in. From this list, you can select a
new preset, or audition a series of presets.

Compare Toggles between the original saved

plug-in settings and any changes you have made to
it so you can compare them.

Target Button When multiple Elastic Audio Plug-

In windows are open, clicking this button selects
that plug-in as the target for any computer key-
board commands. Deselecting the Target button
Compare button lets you open another targeted Elastic Audio Plug-
Plug-In Settings Select button
Next Setting button
In window.
Previous Setting button

Elastic Audio plug-in controls Polyphonic Plug-In

Track Selector Lets you access any other audio The Polyphonic plug-in is a general, all-purpose
track in the session. algorithm that is effective with a wide range of ma-
terial. For complex loops and multi-instrument
Plug-In Selector Lets you select any Elastic Audio
mixes, use the Polyphonic plug-in. The Poly-
plug-in or disable Elastic Audio. phonic plug-in supports clip-based pitch shifting.
Plug-In Settings Menu Lets you copy, paste, save,
The Polyphonic plug-in is the default plug-in
and import plug-in presets.
for previewing and importing from Work-
Plug-In Librarian Menu Recalls Elastic Audio space browsers or the Clips List.
plug-in settings files (presets) saved in the plug-
in’s root settings folder or in the current session’s
Settings folder.

Next (+) and Previous (–) Setting Buttons Lets

you select the next or previous preset from the
Plug-In Librarian menu.

You will lose the current plug-in settings if

they are not saved before you use the Next Elastic Audio plug-in: Polyphonic
and Previous Setting buttons. Save your
Follow
plug-in settings as presets using the Plug-In
Settings menu. Selecting the Follow option enables an envelope
follower that simulates the original acoustics of the
audio being stretched. Click the Follow button to
enable or disable envelope following.

1024 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Window Decay Rate

The Polyphonic plug-in provides a single control The Decay Rate control determines how much of
for adjusting the analysis window size for TCE the decay from a transient is heard in the processed
processing. Experiment with adjusting the Win- audio when time stretching. When the Rhythmic
dow size for different types of material until you plug-in is selected, any gaps between transients re-
achieve the best results. The following table pro- sulting from time stretching are filled in with au-
vides some recommended Window sizes for dif- dio. The Decay Rate determines how much of this
ferent types of material. audio is heard by applying a fade out rate. Adjust
the Decay Rate up to 100% to hear the audio that is
If you frequently work with distinct types of filling the gaps created by the time stretching with
material, you may want to find the best Win- only a slight fade, or adjust down to 1.0% to com-
dow settings for each type of material and pletely fade out between the original transients.
save them as plug-in settings for quick and
easy recall.
Monophonic Plug-In
The Monophonic plug-in is best suited to mono-
Recommended
Type of Material
Window Size
phonic material where you want to keep the for-
mant relationships intact, such as with vocals. The
General purpose 30–40 ms Monophonic plug-in is also well suited to mono-
Percussive 20 ms or lower
phonic instrumental lines, such as a bass track. The
Monophonic plug-in provides no plug-in specific
Pads and other legato 60 ms or higher parameters.
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 clip-based pitch shift-
ing.
Elastic Audio plug-in: Monophonic

Elastic Audio pitch shifting is not supported

with the Monophonic algorithm.

Elastic Audio plug-in: Rhythmic

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1025

 The time-stretching engine is based on state-of-
The Monophonic plug-in analyzes pitch as the-art psychoacoustic models and signal process-
well as peak transients in order to provide ing theory resulting in sharp transients and crystal
higher quality TCE to pitched material. Con- clear vocals without phasing artifacts, making
sequently, analysis for the Monophonic algo- stretching artifacts obsolete. élastique Pro offers
rithm takes longer than for the Polyphonic, stable timing and inter-channel phase coherence.
Rhythmic, and Varispeed algorithms. Also, As a special feature, élastique Pro provides for-
when switching from another Elastic Audio mant preserving pitch shifting for both polyphonic
plug-in to Monophonic, Pro Tools reana- and monophonic audio.
lyzes any audio on the track to collect the ex-
tra analysis data.

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: zplane élastique

Formant

Sets a spectral envelope shift factor. If the shift fac-

tor is the same as the pitch shift factor, formant
preserving pitch shifting is performed. Otherwise
you can shift the formants (envelope) separately.

Voicing
Elastic Audio plug-in: Varispeed
Sets the order of the spectral envelope estimation
(Voicing). To ensure best timbre-shifting quality
Try using Varispeed with Quantize on drum
for different types of input signals, adjust the dom-
loops for some interesting effects.
inant frequency region of the input signal with the
Voicing slider. The default position of the slider
élastique Pro Plug-In should work for most audio. However, try moving
Use the élastique Pro plug-in by zplane.develop- the slider to the left when the dominant frequency
ment for Elastic Audio processing. élastique Pro is is low or moving it to the right when the dominant
a general purpose time-stretching engine that of- frequency is high to see if there is a beneficial ef-
fers unmatched quality for professional produc- fect on the quality of the timbre-shifting. The
tions and broadcast applications. élastique Pro Voicing setting has no impact on the pitch-shifting
sounds especially good when stretching long mate- quality—it only affects the formant-shifting qual-
rial or whole songs. ity.

1026 Pro Tools Reference Guide

X-Form Plug-In
Audio with a fundamental pitch has an over-
(Rendered Only)
tone series, or set of higher harmonics. The
The X-Form® Elastic Audio plug-in is a modified strength of these higher harmonics creates a
version of the standalone X-Form AudioSuite pro- formant shape, which is apparent if viewed
cessing plug-in (based on the Radius® algorithm using a spectrum analyzer. The overtone se-
from iZotope). The X-Form Elastic Audio plug-in ries, or harmonics, have the same spacing re-
is for Rendered Elastic Audio processing only and lated to the pitch and have the same general
cannot process in real-time or as an AudioSuite shape regardless of what the fundamental
plug-in. It provides the highest quality time com- pitch is. It is this formant shape that gives the
pression algorithms for music production, sound audio its overall characteristic sound or tim-
design, and audio loop applications. Use it to ma- bre. When pitch shifting audio, the formant
nipulate audio loops for tempo matching or to shape is shifted with the rest of the material,
change vocal tracks for formant correct pitch shift- which can result in an unnatural sound.
ing. Keeping this shape constant is critical to for-
mant correct pitch shifting and achieving a
natural sounding result.

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
Elastic Audio plug-in: X-Form view, you can add, move, and delete Warp mark-
ers. Warp markers are used to fix a specific point in
Quality
the audio (typically a detected transient event) to a
Select either Maximum or Low (Faster) from the specific point in the Timeline. In this way, you can
Quality pop-up menu. Maximum is the slowest pro- apply detailed and nuanced “warping” (TCE) of
cessing algorithm, but provides the highest quality audio events.
results. Low (Faster) produces relatively good re-
sults and is much faster than the Maximum setting. Warp view is only available for Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks.
Formant
To display Warp view:
For audio material with clear formants, enable For- 1 Click the Elastic Audio-enabled track’s Track
mant to preserve the formant shape of audio when View selector.
applying TCE processing.
2 Select Warp from the Track View pop-up menu.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1027

 Elastic Audio Markers in Warp Warp Markers
View
Warp markers anchor the audio to a specific point
Three types of markers are visible in Warp view: in the Timeline. Warp markers are only displayed
Event markers, Warp markers, and Tempo Event– in Warp view. In Warp view, a Warp marker ap-
generated Warp markers. Use Event markers and pears as a thick black vertical line with a triangle at
Warp markers as control points for applying Elas- its base.
tic Audio processing.
To better understand how Warp markers work,
think of the audio clip as a rubber band, the Time-
line 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 sec-
ond pin to pin down another point of the rubber
band to another point on the ruler, and then place a
third pin equally between them on the rubber band,
Event marker but fix it to a point on the ruler closer to the second
Warp marker Tempo Event pin, the rubber band will be stretched (or ex-
Warp markers
panded) between the first and middle pins, and re-
Elastic Audio markers in Warp view laxed (or compressed) between the middle pin and
the last pin.
Event Markers
In Warp view, you can add, relocate (without
Event markers indicate detected (or manually cre- warping), and delete Warp markers. You can also
ated) audio events. Event markers are only dis- move a Warp marker to apply Elastic Audio pro-
played in Warp view and Analysis view. In Warp cessing (see “Warping Audio” on page 1029).
view, Event markers appear as gray vertical lines
that do not fully extend to the top and bottom of the To add a Warp marker:
track. With the Grabber tool in Warp view, you can
1 Make sure you are in Warp view,
drag Event markers to apply various kinds of warp-
ing depending on whether or not Warp markers are 2 Do one of the following:
present in the clip as well. In Warp view, you can- • With the Pencil tool, click anywhere in the
not add, relocate, or delete Event markers. Use clip to add a Warp marker at that location. If
Analysis view to edit Event markers (see “Editing you click on an Event marker, a Warp marker
in Analysis View” on page 1034). is created on top of the Event marker.
The display of Event markers is dependent on • With the Grabber tool, Control-click (Mac) or
Horizontal Zoom. If you are zoomed out too Start-click (Windows) anywhere in the clip to
far, Event markers are not displayed. add a Warp marker at that location. If you
To see Event markers, zoom in. click on an Event marker, a Warp marker is
created on top of the Event marker.

1028 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 • With the Grabber tool, if no Warp markers are To delete all Warp markers in a selection:
present in the clip, or if Warp markers are 1 In Warp view, make an Edit selection that in-
only present prior to the location where you cludes only the Warp markers you want to de-
want to add a new Warp marker, double-click lete (and none of the Warp markers you want to
an Event marker to add a Warp marker on top keep).
of the Event marker.
2 Do one of the following:
• With the Grabber tool, double-click any-
where in the clip where an Event marker is • Press Delete or Backspace on your computer
not present to add a Warp marker at that loca- keyboard.
tion. • With any Edit tool, Right-click the Edit selec-
• With the Grabber tool, single-click any Event tion and select Remove Warp Marker from
marker prior to another existing Warp marker the pop-up menu.
in the clip to add a Warp marker on top of that
Event marker. Tempo Event-Generated Warp
• With any Edit tool, Right-click anywhere in Markers
the clip and select Add Warp Marker from the Tempo Event-generated Warp markers are not ed-
pop-up menu to add a Warp marker at that lo- itable and are only displayed to indicate where
cation. If there is an Edit selection, Warp Elastic Audio processing has been applied to con-
markers are added at the selection start and form the audio to Tempo Events. You will only see
end. Tempo Event-generated Warp markers on tick-
based tracks.
To relocate a Warp marker (without applying
warping): If you change the track timebase from ticks to sam-
 With the Grabber or the Pencil tool, Control- ples, any Tempo Event-generated Warp markers
drag (Mac) or Start-drag (Windows) a Warp convert to regular, editable Warp markers.
marker to a new location.
For more information, see “Tempo Changes
To delete a Warp marker: and Tick-Based Elastic Audio Tracks” on
page 891.
1 Make sure you are in Warp view,
2 Do one of the following:
• With the Grabber tool, double-click a Warp Warping Audio
marker. In Warp view, you can manually warp audio in
• With the Grabber or the Pencil tool, Option- three specific ways: Telescoping Warp, Accordion
click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) a Warp Warp, and Range Warp.
marker.
Automation does not follow manual warping
• With any Edit tool, Right-click a Warp
of audio clips, including TCE trimming and
marker and select Remove Warp Marker from
quantization of Elastic Audio. However, au-
the pop-up menu.
tomation does follow tempo changes on tick-
based tracks.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1029

 Telescoping Warp
Telescoping Warp can be applied to any audio clip
before or after a Warp marker as long as no other
Warp marker precedes or follows it accordingly.
The audio can be on a sample- or tick-based track.
Telescoping Warp is especially useful for adjust-
ing audio files to match the session tempo map and
Bar|Beat grid.

To apply Telescoping Warp to a clip:

1 Make sure you are in Warp view,
2 Do one of the following:
• With the Grabber tool, drag any Event marker
that is after the last Warp marker in the clip to Before and after warping, applying Telescoping Warp
with the clip start fixed
the left or right to Telescope-Warp the audio
that is after the Warp marker in or out. If no Workflow Example
Warp marker is present in the clip, one is cre-
ated automatically at the clip start. The clip Beat match a song to the session tempo and
Bar|Beat grid using Telescoping Warp:
start remains anchored to its location on the
Timeline. 1 Make sure the Main Timebase ruler is set to
• With the Grabber tool, Option-drag (Mac) or Bars|Beats.
Alt-drag (Windows) any Event marker that is 2 Set the default tempo and meter.
before the first Warp marker in the clip to the
left or right to Telescope-Warp the audio that 3 Select Grid mode.
is before the Warp marker in or out. If no 4 Import a song, or any other longer audio file
Warp marker is present in the clip, one is cre- from a Workspace browser.
ated automatically at the clip end. The clip
end remains anchored to its location on the 5 Make sure that Elastic Audio is enabled on the
Timeline. track.
6 Select Warp view.
7 Make sure there are no Warp markers present on
the clip. If necessary, delete any existing Warp
markers.
8 With the Pencil tool, add a Warp marker at the
bar 1 downbeat location within the clip.
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.

1030 Pro Tools Reference Guide

10 Drag the Event marker on the downbeat of bar 2 Range Warp
of the clip to Telescope warp the audio such that
Range Warp applies Elastic Audio processing be-
the Event marker matches the corresponding
tween two fixed points in a clip. To apply Range
bar number in the Bars|Beats ruler.
Warp, there must be at least two Warp markers
11 If the clip’s tempo varies, add a Warp marker to present in the clip.
the next downbeat location at the tempo change
and repeat the preceding steps. To apply Range Warp within a clip:
1 In Warp view, add a Warp marker at the first
Accordion Warp point that you want to fix to the Timeline.

Accordion Warp applies Elastic Audio processing 2 Add another Warp marker to the end point that
on both sides of a singe Warp marker in a clip. This you want to fix to the Timeline.
lets you expand or compress the audio equally on
3 With the Grabber tool, drag an Event marker be-
both sides of a fixed point. Accordion warp is use-
tween the two Warp markers to the left or right.
ful for audio files where the downbeat occurs in the
A Warp marker is added on top of the Event
middle of the clip.
marker and the audio is compressed or ex-
panded on either side of the dragged marker
To apply Accordion Warp to a clip:
while the audio outside the bounding markers
1 In Warp view, add a single Warp marker at the remains unaffected.
point in the clip 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.

Before and after warping, applying Range Warp

between two Warp markers in a clip

Before and after warping, applying Accordion Warp to

a clip around a fixed point

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1031

 Range Warp with an Edit Elastic Audio processing is only applied to the au-
Selection dio between the bounding Warp markers and the
first and last Warp markers in the Edit Selection.
Pro Tools lets you apply Range Warp between
All audio between the first and last Warp markers
bounding Warp markers, but keeps the timing in-
in the Edit Selection maintain their relative timing.
tact between other Warp markers within an Edit se-
lection.
Individual Range Warp
To apply Range Warp with an Edit Selection:
Individual Range Warp applies warping to a single
1 In Warp view, add a Warp marker at the first audio event in relation to the adjacent audio events.
point that you want to fix to the Timeline.
To apply Individual Range Warp:
2 Add another Warp marker to the end point that
you want to fix to the Timeline. 1 In Warp view, with the Grabber tool, Shift-click
a Warp marker or an Event marker. If not al-
3 Add any number of Warp markers in between. ready present, Warp markers are automatically
4 With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection created on the adjacent Event markers.
that includes the Warp markers in between the 2 Drag to the left or right to warp the clicked
bounding Warp markers. event.
5 With the Grabber tool, drag any of the Warp
markers within the Edit Selection to the left or
the right.

Before and after warping, applying Individual Range

Warp

Before and after warping, applying Range Warp to a

selection between bounding Warp markers

1032 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Warped Clips Out of Range Processing
Clips that have been warped either manually or au- Pro Tools lets you apply extreme amounts of Elas-
tomatically by tempo change, quantization, or tic Audio processing. However, at such extremes,
pitch shifting display a Warp indicator in the upper it is possible to go out of the selected Elastic Audio
right-hand corner of the clip. This indicator is vis- plug-in’s processing range. When this happens, it
ible in any track view. Since unwarped clips can is possible that not every sample will be processed
reside on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, clips on correctly and you may encounter audio drop outs.
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks do not necessarily
display the Warp indicator. The Warp indicator The valid range for Elastic Audio TCE processing
only indicates that Elastic Audio processing has is 1/4x to 4x for all Elastic Audio plug-ins except
been applied to a clip. 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 section

of the audio clip that is out of range turns red. You
can still apply Elastic Audio processing, but you
Warp indicator in a clip in Waveform view
are warned by the color change that the TCE factor
is out of the normal range of Elastic Audio pro-
Displaying the Warp Indicator
cessing.
The Warp indicator for Elastic Audio clips can dis-
played or hidden.

To toggle the display of the Warp indicator in

Elastic Audio clips:

 Select or deselect View > Clip > Processing

State.
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 dis-
played in red.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1033

 Removing Clip Warping
Editing in Analysis View
If you have applied any warping to a clip, you can
remove warping and revert the clip to its original In Analysis view, you can add, move, promote,
duration. This can be useful if you are not satisfied and delete Event markers. Usually, Pro Tools ac-
with the results and want to revert to the pre- curately detects all the transient events (Event
warped clip. Warp markers are not deleted when markers) in an audio file and you will not need to
applying the Remove Warp command, but any work in Analysis view. However, Pro Tools may
warping is undone. not accurately detect every audio event or may er-
roneously detect audio events with some types of
To remove clip warping: audio material. This is especially true for audio
without clear transients, such as legato strings,
1 Select the clip for which you want to remove
melismatic vocals, or soft synth pads.
warping.
2 Do one of the following: Use Analysis view to manually correct the pres-
ence and location of Event markers. The accurate
• Choose Clip > Remove Warp.
identification of audio events yields the best results
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the clip and when applying Elastic Audio processing.
select Remove Warp from the pop-up menu.
To display Analysis view:
Remove Warp can only be applied to clips
and cannot be applied to clip groups. To un-
1 Click the Elastic Audio-enabled track’s Track
warp clip groups you must first ungroup the
View selector.
clip, then apply Remove Warp to the underly- 2 Select Analysis from the Track View pop-up
ing clips, and then regroup those clips. menu.

Edit Groups and Warp Editing Analysis view is only available for Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks.
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 In Analysis view, you can only edit Analysis
processing on one track likewise applies it to all markers using the Edit tools. You cannot use
other tracks within that Edit Group. the Edit tools for any clip editing. Switch to
Warp or Waveform views for clip-based edit-
If corresponding Warp markers are not already ing capabilities with the Edit tools.
present on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks that are
part of an Edit Group, new Warp markers are cre-
When manually editing Analysis markers,
ated on those tracks when you add or move a Warp
Pro Tools writes temporary Elastic Audio
marker on any track that is part of the Edit Group.
analysis files (.aan) to the session’s Rendered
Files folder. Any unused temporary analysis
files are purged when you close the session.

1034 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Adding Event Markers Promoting Event Markers
To add an Event marker: Event markers are detected with relative degrees of
confidence (between 1% and 100%). You can fil-
1 Make sure you are in Analysis view.
ter out extraneous Event markers by adjusting the
2 Do one of the following: Event Sensitivity setting in the Elastic Properties
• With the Pencil tool, click at the location window; event markers with the least confidence
where you want to add an Event marker. are filtered out first. However, some significant
events may not be recognized with a high degree of
• With the Grabber tool, double-click at the lo-
confidence. In this case, you may want to promote
cation where you want to add an Event
the Event marker to ensure that it is not filtered out
marker.
when reducing the Event Sensitivity setting. Pro-
• With the Grabber tool, Control-click (Mac) or moted Event markers, like manually created or
Start-click (Windows) at the location where moved Event markers, have 100% confidence.
you want to add an Event marker.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click at the location To promote an Event marker:
where you want to add an Event marker and  In Analysis view, with the Grabber or Pencil
select Add Event Marker from the pop-up tool (or with the Smart Tool in the bottom half
menu. of the track), single-click the Event marker you
want to promote.

Promoted Event markers look the same as

detected Event Markers. To see all Event
markers that have 100% confidence, reduce
Adding an Event marker with the Pencil tool the Event Sensitivity setting in the Elastic
Properties window (see “Event Sensitivity
Moving Event Markers Property” on page 1038).

To move an Event marker:

1 Make sure you are in Analysis view,
2 Do one of the following:
• With the Pencil tool, drag the Event marker to
a new location.
• With the Grabber tool, drag the Event marker
to a new location.

Moving an Event marker

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1035

 Deleting Event Markers
Elastic Properties
To delete an Event marker:
Each clip on an Elastic Audio-enabled track has
1 Make sure you are in Analysis view. specific Elastic Audio properties (such as tempo,
2 Do one of the following: meter, TCE factor, Input Gain, and Pitch Shift).

• With the Pencil tool, Option-click (Mac) or The Elastic Properties window lets you view and
Alt-click (Windows) the Event marker you change the properties for selected clips. For exam-
want to delete. ple, you can reduce the Input Gain for Elastic Au-
• With the Grabber tool, Option-click (Mac) or dio processing to avoid clipping that can occur
Alt-click (Windows) the Event marker you during processing.
want to delete.
From the Elastic Properties window, you can also
• With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection filter Event markers for Elastic Audio clips on
that includes any Event markers you want to tick-based tracks. Filtering Event markers can re-
delete and press Delete or Backspace on your sult in better quality Elastic Audio processing of
computer keyboard. material with ambiguous transients.
• With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection
that includes any Event markers you want to To view the Elastic Properties for a clip:
delete, Right-click the selection, and choose 1 Select a clip on an Elastic Audio-enabled track.
Remove Event Marker from the pop-up The track can be either sample- or tick-based.
menu.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Clip > Elastic Properties.
• Right-click the clip and choose Elastic
Properties.

Deleting an Event marker with the Pencil tool Press Option+5 (Mac) or Alt+5 (Windows)
on the numeric keypad to open the Elastic
Edit Groups and Event Editing Properties window.
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.

1036 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Clip Property
Elastic Properties Window
The Clip property in the Elastic Properties window
The Elastic Properties window displays informa- displays the name of the clip and indicates whether
tion about Elastic Audio processing and analysis or not the clip is on a tick or sample-based track. If
for one or more clips. You can also use the Elastic more than one clip is selected, the number of se-
Properties window to adjust Elastic Audio pro- lected clips is displayed. If clips on both tick and
cessing and analysis data. sample-based tracks are selected, only the reduced
There are different Elastic Properties available in set of properties are displayed.
the Elastic Properties window, depending on
whether the track is tick-based or sample-based. If Source Length Property
the track is sample-based, a reduced set of Elastic (Tick-Based Tracks Only)
Audio Properties are displayed.
The Source Length property in the Elastic Proper-
ties window displays the length of the clip based
on the source file in bars and beats. If the length of
the source file was analyzed incorrectly, you can
change it.

To change the Source Length of a clip:

1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the clip.
2 Do one of the following:
• Type the correct bar, beat, and tick values in
Elastic Properties, tick-based
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.

Elastic Properties, sample-based

Changing the duration of a clip on an Elastic
Audio-enabled track using the TCE Trim tool
updates the Source Length in the Elastic
Properties window.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1037

 Source Tempo Property TCE Factor Property
(Tick-Based Tracks Only)
The TCE Factor property in the Elastic Properties
The Source Tempo property in the Elastic Proper- window displays the percentage of change applied
ties window displays the average tempo of the to the source file. On tick-based tracks, this prop-
source file, which is calculated based on the de- erty is display only and cannot be edited. On sam-
tected transient events and the length of the file. If ple-based tracks, you can change the TCE Factor
the tempo of the source file was analyzed incor- to apply TCE to the clip. The percentage of the
rectly, you can change it. TCE factor is always calculated in relation to the
source file. The TCE Factor value turns red when
To change Source Tempo of a clip: Elastic Audio processes exceeds the valid range
1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the clip. (see “Out of Range Processing” on page 1033).

2 Select the correct note value for the beat from

the Tempo Resolution pop-up menu. For exam-
Event Sensitivity Property
ple, if the source file is in 5/8, select 1/8 note. The Event Sensitivity property in the Elastic Prop-
erties window lets you filter Event markers based
3 Do one of the following:
on the analysis confidence level. The confidence
• Type the tempo in the Source Tempo field. level for any detected transient event is based, in
• If the tempo was incorrectly analyzed as be- part, on the clarity of the transient. For example, if
ing half the tempo of the source file, click the the file is a drum loop, loud accented hits will be
x2 button. analyzed with a higher degree of confidence than a
• If the tempo was incorrectly analyzed as be- soft, unaccented hit.
ing twice the tempo of the source file, click
The Event Sensitivity acts like a threshold for
the 1/2 button.
showing only the transient events that were de-
tected with a high degree of confidence. In Warp or
Meter Field Analysis track views you will see the number of
(Tick-Based Only) Event markers decrease or increase as you lower or
raise the Event Sensitivity.
Elastic Audio analysis does not calculate meter
and assumes all files are in 4/4. If you work with Lowering the event sensitivity can help reduce the
meters other than 4/4, use the Meter property to number of erroneously detected transients. In turn,
correctly identify the source meter. this can result in better sounding Elastic Audio
processing. Pro Tools preserves the detected tran-
To change Meter of a clip: sients when applying TCE in order to avoid flam-
1 Open the Elastic Properties window for the clip. ming and granulation of the transients. Conse-
quently, false transients are also preserved and the
2 Click in the Meter nominator field and type the
resulting sound quality can be less than desirable.
correct number of beats per measure. For exam-
If you are working with audio material that does
ple, if the clip is in 3/4, type 3.
not have clearly defined transients, you may want
3 Click the Meter denominator field and type the to lower the Event Sensitivity in the Elastic Prop-
correct note value. For example, if the meter is erties, or you may want to even edit the Event
in 6/8, type 8. markers in Analysis view.

1038 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If lowering the Event Sensitivity results in filtering Pitch Shift Property
out important Event markers, you can promote (Polyphonic, Rhythmic, and X-Form Only)
those Event markers in Analysis view (see “Pro-
moting Event Markers” on page 1035). The Pitch Shift property in the Elastic Properties
window lets you pitch shift whole clips on Elastic
For REX files, Pro Tools converts the slices Audio-enabled tracks using the Polyphonic,
as Events with 100% confidence. Conse- Rhythmic, and X-Form plug-ins. You apply real-
quently, setting the Event Sensitivity from time or rendered pitch shifting in semitones and
99% to 1% does not filter out any events cents by +/– 2 octaves.
based on slices. However, if you set the Event
Sensitivity to 0%, all markers are filtered out
regardless. Elastic Audio Clip-Based
Pitch Shifting
When you change the Event Sensitivity prop- (Polyphonic, Rhythmic, and X-Form Only)
erty, Pro Tools writes temporary filtered
In addition to Pro Tools Elastic Audio time com-
Elastic Audio analysis files (.aan) to the ses-
pression and expansion capabilities, you can also
sion’s Rendered Files folder. Any unused
change the pitch of whole audio clips in semitones
temporary filtered analysis files are purged
and cents in the range of +/– 2 octaves.
when you close the session.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not sup-
Reset Button ported with the Monophonic algorithm. How-
Click the Reset button in the Elastic Properties ever, if you switch to the Monophonic plug-in
window to reset event analysis data for the clip to after pitch shifting with another plug-in, the
match the original file. The Event Sensitivity prop- pitch metadata for the clip is maintained.
erty is reset to 100%.
Elastic Audio pitch transposition cannot be
Input Gain Property applied to looped clips or clip groups.

It is possible to encounter clipping when time com- To pitch shift a clip:

pressing audio. Real-Time Elastic Audio plug-ins 1 Make sure the clip, or clips, you want to pitch
provide a Clip indicator to let you know when clip- shift are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks (using
ping has occurred and the Elastic Audio plug-in the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form algo-
button turns red. Rendered Elastic Audio clips dis- rithm).
play a Clip indicator on the clip when clipping has
occurred (see “Clipping Indicator” on page 1023). 2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the au-
dio clip you want to pitch shift. Only clips that
If you encounter clipping when processing Elastic are completely selected will be affected.
Audio, use the Input Gain property in the Elastic
Properties window to attenuate the gain of the au- 3 Open the Elastic Properties window for the clip.
dio signal before it is processed.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1039

 4 Adjust the Pitch Shift settings up (“+”) or down 4 Do one of the following:
(“–”) by an amount in semitones and cents. • Adjust the Transpose By settings by an
amount in Semitones and Cents.
• Adjust the Transpose From and To settings
by an amount in Semitones and Cents.

The Transpose All Notes To and the Trans-

pose In Key settings can only be applied to
MIDI notes. When only audio clips are se-
lected, these options are unavailable.

5 Click Apply.
Elastic Properties window

To transpose the pitch of an audio clip in the Varispeed and Pitch Shifting
Transpose window:
When using the Varispeed algorithm, pitch trans-
1 Make sure the clip, or clips, you want to Trans-
position and time compression/expansion are al-
pose are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks (using
ways linked. If you apply pitch transposition to an
the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form algo-
audio clip using the Polyphonic or Rhythmic algo-
rithm).
rithms, that transposition data is stored in the meta-
2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the au- data for the clip. Consequently, if you then switch
dio clip you want to transpose. Only clips that to Varispeed, change the TCE factor, and then
are completely selected will be affected. switch back to the original Elastic Audio algo-
rithm, the clip will revert to the original amount of
3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
pitch shifting while maintaining the amount of
time compression/expansion applied by the Vari-
speed algorithm.

Removing Clip Pitch Shifting

If you have applied any pitch shifting to a clip, you
can remove pitch shifting and revert the clip to its
original pitch. This can be useful if you are not sat-
isfied with the results and want to revert to the pre–
pitch shifted clip.

Event Operations, Transpose

1040 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To remove clip pitch shifting:
1 Select the clip for which you want to remove
warping.
2 Do one of the following:
• Choose Clip > Remove Pitch Shift.
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the clip and
select Remove Pitch Shift.

Remove Pitch Shift can only be applied to

clips and cannot be applied to clip groups. To
remove pitch shifting from clip groups you
must first ungroup the clip, then apply Re-
move Pitch Shift to the underlying clips, and
then regroup those clips.

AudioSuite Processing and

Elastic Audio Clips
Real-Time Elastic Audio processing is non-de-
structive. However, since AudioSuite plug-ins pro-
cess the entire clip and write a new audio file (or
actually apply destructive processing), when ap-
plying AudioSuite processing to clips on Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks, any Elastic Audio process-
ing is rendered first, the rendered file is then pro-
cessed by AudioSuite, and the resulting new audio
file is analyzed for Elastic Audio processing.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1041

 Moving Elastic Audio Between Tracks
Pro Tools analyzes, conforms, and commits audio in different ways when moving audio clips between
tracks with Elastic Audio enabled and tracks without Elastic Audio enabled. The following table shows the
different results for moving clips between real-time Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, Rendered Elastic Audio-
enabled tracks, and audio tracks without Elastic Audio.
Moving Elastic Audio between tracks
From To Result

Real-time Elastic Rendered Elastic Render clip with destination track’s Elastic Audio plug-in
Audio–enabled track Audio–enabled track

Real-time Elastic Audio track Render clip with source track’s Elastic Audio plug-in and
Audio–enabled track (no Elastic Audio) commit the clip to the destination track

Rendered Elastic Real-time Elastic Apply real-time Elastic Audio processing using the
Audio–enabled track Audio–enabled track destination track’s Elastic Audio plug-in

Rendered Elastic Audio track Commit to track

Audio–enabled track (no Elastic Audio)

Audio track Real-time Elastic Calculate Elastic Audio analysis and apply real-time
(no Elastic Audio) Audio–enabled track Elastic Audio processing using the destination track’s
Elastic Audio plug-in

Audio track Rendered Elastic Calculate Elastic Audio analysis and render the clip
(no Elastic Audio) Audio–enabled track using the destination track’s Elastic Audio plug-in

Pitched Elastic Audio– Audio track Render clip pitch shift with source track’s Elastic Audio
enabled track (no Elastic Audio) plug-in and commit the clip to the destination track

Clips that are committed, either by disabling Elastic Audio on a track or by moving a clip to a track with-
out Elastic Audio enabled, are written to disk as new audio files (see “Committed Clips” on page 1019.)

1042 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Default Input Gain Lets you attenuate the signal
Approximate Waveforms input to Elastic Audio plug-ins by 0 to –6 dB for
With Real-Time Elastic Audio processing, the preview and import. If you experience clipping
drawing of waveforms is only approximate. For due to Elastic Audio processing during preview or
example, if you bus record a Real-Time Elastic after import, you may want to set the Default Input
Audio processed track, you will notice that the Gain to slightly attenuate the audio signal input for
Waveform on the source track does not necessarily Elastic Audio processing. This preference also ap-
exactly match the recorded track. However, be as- plies to any audio imported to an Elastic Audio-en-
sured that what you hear is an accurate rendition of abled track.
the Real-Time Elastic Audio processing even if the If you commit any clips on a track (by disabling
waveform drawing on the source track is only ap- Elastic Audio on the track) that were imported
proximate. with Input Gain, their clip-based In put Gain is re-
set to 0.

Elastic Audio Preferences The Elastic Properties window inherits the Default
Input Gain preference. To apply further clip-based
The Elastic Audio settings in the Processing Pref- Input Gain for Elastic Audio processing, select the
erences page determine which Elastic Audio plug- clip and adjust the Input Gain setting in the Elastic
in is used for preview and import, and whether or Properties window (see “Elastic Properties Win-
not new tracks are created with Elastic Audio en- dow” on page 1037).
abled using the selected default plug-in.
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.

If the Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks

option is selected, you may want to also
select the New Tracks Default to Tick Time-
Elastic Audio preferences base option in the Editing Preferences page.
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 en-
abled. The Elastic Audio Plug-In selector in Work-
space browsers inherits the selected Default Plug-
In setting. Likewise, changing the selected plug-in
in Workspace browsers updates the selected De-
fault Plug-In setting in the Processing Preferences
page.

Chapter 45: Elastic Audio 1043

1044 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 46: Melodyne Editing and Audio to
MIDI

Pro Tools integrates Melodyne from Celemony to let you edit audio and to convert audio to MIDI.

Integrated Melodyne Editing

Pro Tools lets you edit audio with Melodyne from within the Edit window. Pro Tools provides a docked
Melodyne editor at the bottom of the Edit window along with the docked MIDI Editor and Clip Effects,
each organized in tabs. You can analyze and edit whole audio tracks or single audio clips using Melodyne.

Melodyne tab in the Edit window

Chapter 46: Melodyne Editing and Audio to MIDI 1045

 Melodyne Essentials is installed with all tiers of Melodyne Track and Clip
Pro Tools, and a Melodyne Essentials license is in- Commands
cluded with all versions except Pro Tools Intro.
Any audio track or clip can be analyzed by and ed-
You can purchase a license separately from
ited in the Melodyne tab at the bottom of the Pro
Celemony to use Melodyne editing in Pro Tools
Tools Edit window.
Into or upgrade to a Pro Tools subscription plan).
You can also upgrade from Melodyne Essentials to To analyze an audio track and edit it with
Melodyne Studio from Celemony for use with any Melodyne, do one of the following:
tier of Pro Tools. Pro Tools Studio and Ultimate
 Select the audio track and choose Track > Melo-
also let you edit greater-than-stereo tracks with
dyne > Edit.
Melodyne.
 Right-click the audio track name and choose
To show the Melodyne editor, do one of the Melodyne > Edit.
following:
 From the audio track Elastic Audio/ARA plug-
 Choose View > Other Displays > Melodyne.
in selector, choose Melodyne.
 Click the Melodyne tab at the bottom of the Edit
window.
 Press Option+8 (Mac) or Alt+8 (Windows).

Melodyne Analysis Display on

Clips

Melodyne analyzed clip, note overlay and ARA

analysis icon
Selecting Melodyne from the Track Elastic Audio/ARA
Audio clips that have been analyzed by Melodyne plug-in selector
display both an ARA icon in the upper right corner
of the clip and transparent Melodyne note overlay Selecting Melodyne editing on Elastic Audio
on the audio clip representing the results of Melo- tracks changes the Elastic Audio plug-in to
dyne pitch analysis. There are two different ARA Melodyne.
icons, a slightly opaque one for a clip that is only
analyzed and a solid one for when there are actu-
ally Melodyne audio modifications to the clip.

1046 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To analyze an audio clip and edit it with Melodyne,
do one of the following: Extract MIDI from an Audio
 Select the audio clip and choose Clip > Melo-
Track
dyne > Edit. Pro Tools lets you extract MIDI pitch and velocity
data from selected audio tracks and paste it to new
 Right-click the audio clip and choose Melodyne
MIDI or Instrument tracks.
> Edit.

 Select the audio clip and press Control+Shift+A To extract MIDI from audio and write it to a new
(Mac) or Start+Shift+A (Windows). MIDI or Instrument track:

1 Select an audio track and do one of the follow-

Editing Audio in Melodyne ing:
• Choose Track > Extract MIDI to New Track.
For information about editing audio with Melo-
dyne, please refer to documentation from • Right-click the track name in the Track List,
https://www.celemony.com/. or in the Mix or Edit window and choose Ex-
tract MIDI to New Track.
Once you start to make edits in Melodyne,
Pro Tools provides the following commands:

Edit Analyzes the track or selected audio clip and

opens the Melodyne editor at the bottom of the
Edit window.

Clear Clears all Melodyne edits.

Bypass Bypasses Melodyne processing.

Render Renders Melodyne edits on the track or se- Extracting MIDI from a source audio track
lected clip.
2 In the resulting Audio to MIDI Properties dia-
Melodyne edits are undoable and redoable using log, do the following:
its own separate edit history (undo queue) from • Select the Destination Track Type (MIDI or
Pro Tools. Instrument).
• Select the Conversion Type appropriate to
the selected audio (such as Melodic for me-
lodic material or Percussive for drums). The
available options are dependent on the se-
lected Audio to MIDI Plug-in are found in
Setup > Preferences > Processing.
3 Enable Consolidate Clips to create a single
MIDI clip from multiple audio clips on the
source audio track.

Chapter 46: Melodyne Editing and Audio to MIDI 1047

 4 Enable Insert after last selected track to place
the new MIDI or Instrument track after the last Drag and Drop Audio to MIDI
selected track. Pro Tools lets you select one or more audio clips
5 Select the desired option for what to do with the (including clip groups) and drag them to MIDI or
Source Tracks: Instrument tracks either from audio tracks or the
Clip List to convert the source audio to MIDI. You
Hide and Make Inactive Select to hide and make can also, drag and drop audio files (or clip groups)
the source audio tracks inactive. to MIDI or Instrument tracks from the macOS
Finder or Windows Explorer, or from Workspace
Make Inactive Select to make the source audio
browsers.
tracks inactive (without hiding them).

Delete Select to delete the source audio tracks. To convert audio to MIDI by drag and drop:
1 Do one of the following:
Do Nothing Select to leave the source audio tracks
intact. • Select one or more audio clips (or clip
groups) on an audio track or in the Clip List.
Press Command+Left/Right Arrow (Mac) or • Select one or more audio files (or clip groups)
Control+Left/Right Arrow (Windows) to on the Desktop or in a Workspace browser.
move through the Source Track options.
2 Drag and drop the selected clips or files to a
6 Click OK. MIDI or Instrument track.

MIDI is extracted from audio on the source

track(s) and pasted to the same timeline location
on the new MIDI or Instrument track(s).

Dragging and dropping an audio clip from an audio

track to an Instrument track

Extracted MIDI on a new Instrument track

1048 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 In the resulting Audio to MIDI Properties dia-
log, select the most appropriate Conversion Copy Audio and Paste as
Type option for the source audio (for example, MIDI
select Percussive for drums or Melodic for solo Pro Tools lets you copy audio as MIDI from se-
saxophone and so one). lected audio clips on audio tracks or in the Clips
List, and paste MIDI extracted from that audio to
MIDI and Instrument tracks.

To copy and paste audio as MIDI:

1 Do any of the following:
• Right-click an audio clip on an audio track or
in the Clips List and choose Copy Audio as
MIDI.
Audio to MIDI Properties dialog when copying audio • Select one or more audio clips in the Clips
as MIDI List, then either choose Copy Audio as MIDI
4 If you are dragging and dropping multiple audio from the Clips List menu or right-click a se-
clips to a MIDI or Instrument track, enable the lected audio clip and choose Copy Audio as
Consolidate Clips option to create a single MIDI.
MIDI clip from the source audio clips. • Make an edit selection on an audio track that
includes any audio (partial, whole, or multi-
Selected clips are copied as MIDI to the destina- ple clips), right-click the selection and choose
tion track. Copy Audio as MIDI.

MIDI clip extracted from audio clip

Copying audio to MIDI

2 In the resulting Audio to MIDI Properties dia-

log, select the most appropriate Conversion
Type option for the source audio (for example,
select Percussive for drums or Melodic for a
solo vocal line).

Chapter 46: Melodyne Editing and Audio to MIDI 1049

 3 Enable the Consolidate Clips option to create a
single MIDI clip from the source audio. Audio to MIDI Plug-in
Preference
4 Place the edit cursor at the time location on a
MIDI or Instrument track where want to paste The Audio to MIDI Plug-in preference lets you se-
the extracted MIDI. lect an installed plug-in for audio to MIDI conver-
sion. Melodyne Essentials from Celemony is in-
5 Choose Edit > Paste, or press Command+V stalled with Pro Tools by default.
(Mac) or Control+V (Windows).
To set the plug-in used for audio to MIDI
The MIDI extracted from the copied audio is processing:
pasted as a new MIDI clip to the time location of
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
the edit cursor on the target MIDI or Instrument
track. 2 Click the Processing tab.
3 Select the desired plug-in from the Audio to
MIDI Plug-in selector.

Audio to MIDI Plug-in preference

4 Click OK.

Copying audio to MIDI

1050 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 47: Committing, Freezing, and
Bouncing Tracks

What Gets Committed

Commit Tracks
Committing a track always renders the following:
Pro Tools lets you “commit” tracks, where a new
track is created containing the audio rendered from • Clip gain
the output of the source track. This is useful for • Clip effects
freeing up processing power on your system, as • All Inserts (or Commit to Insert)
well as for sharing sessions with other systems that
may not have all of the plug-ins used in the session. • HEAT, if Pre-Insert
• Elastic Audio
You can commit the following track types: audio,
Auxiliary Input, MIDI (only when routed to an In- • Melodyne
strument plug-in), and Instrument tracks. Commit- The following source track data is always copied to
ting a track is undo-able. the new track when committed:
To commit one or more tracks: • Timebase
1 Select one or more tracks and do one of the fol- • Elastic Audio Algorithm
lowing: • Solo Safe
• Choose Track > Commit. • Track Input assignment (unless the channel
• Right-click a track and choose Commit width changes)
Tracks. • Track Output assignment
• Press Option+Shift+C (Mac) or Alt+Shift+C.
• HEAT settings
2 Configure the resulting Commit Tracks dialog
The following source track data can optionally be
as desired (see “Commit Tracks Dialog” on
rendered if selected in the Commit Tracks dialog:
page 1052).
• Pan automation
3 Click OK.
• Volume automation

The following source track data can optionally be

copied if selected in the Commit Tracks dialog:
• Sends
• Group assignments

Chapter 47: Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks 1051

 Clip Boundaries Maintained on If the audio signal from a source track remains
Committed Tracks above –144 dBFS after the end of a clip due to
plug-in processing (such as with time base effects
When committing a track, clip boundaries are
like reverb or delay), the rendered clip is extended
maintained with different results depending on the
to include the ongoing audio signal. Once the au-
following criteria:
dio signal drops below –144 dBFS, the rendered
When Commit is set to Selected Tracks, the start clip ends. If the audio signal from the source track
and end of each clip on the track is maintained in continues past the end of one clip and into the be-
the rendered copy. ginning of the next, the rendered track merges the
source clips into a single clip.
When Commit is set to Edit Selection, the start and
end of the edit selection determine the start of the Note that plug-ins with intentionally high noise
first clip and the end of the last clip on the rendered floors, such as amp modeling plug-ins, may extend
copy. All clip boundaries in between are main- rendered clip boundaries.
tained.
Committed Auxiliary Input tracks reference the
When the Consolidate Clips option is selected, the clip boundaries from audio tracks routed to the in-
rendered copy results in a single consolidated clip. put of the Auxiliary Input track and preserve them
whenever possible.

Commit Tracks Dialog

The Commit Tracks dialog provides several op-
tions for how you want selected tracks committed.

Source Track (top) and Committed track (bottom) with

Commit set to Selected Tracks and the Consolidate
Clips option enabled

Commit Tracks dialog

Source Track (top) and Committed track (bottom) with

Commit set to Edit Selection and the Consolidate
Clips option disabled

1052 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Commit Copy

Select either Selected Tracks or Edit Selection to The Copy options determine whether or not sends
determine what is committed. or Group assignments are copied to committed
tracks.
Selected Tracks Commits all selected tracks from
the beginning of the first clip on the track to the Sends Select to copy sends from the source track
end of the last clip on the track. If the Consolidate to the committed track.
Clips option is disabled, all clip boundaries are
‘

maintained. Sends cannot be copied if pan automation is

rendered resulting in a different channel
Edit Selection Commits only the current Edit se- width and follow main pan (FMP) is not en-
lection. If the Consolidate Clips option is disabled, abled, or if volume automation is rendered
all clip boundaries within the edit selection are and the send is set to pre-fader (PRE).
maintained.
Group Assignments Select to copy Group Assign-
If there is an Edit selection in the session, ments from the source track to the committed
press Command+Up/Down Arrow (Mac) or track.
Control+Up/Down Arrow (Windows) to
switch between the Commit options. Insert After Last Selected Track

Consolidate Clips Select the Insert After Last Selected Track option
to have new committed tracks placed after the last
Select to consolidate all clips on a track (or all clips selected track. When disabled, each committed
in the edit selection) into a single new complete track is placed immediately following the source
file clip. track.

Render Automation Source Tracks

The Render Automation options determine The Source Tracks options determine what hap-
whether or not Volume and Mute or Pan automa- pens to the source tracks that are committed to new
tion is rendered in committed tracks. tracks.
Volume and Mute Select to render Volume and Hide and Make Inactive Select to hide and make
Mute automation to committed tracks. If this op- the source tracks inactive.
tion is selected, Volume automation is reset to
unity and Mute automation is reset to unmuted for Make Inactive Select to make the source tracks in-
all committed tracks. If it is not enabled, Volume active (without hiding them).
and Mute automation playlists are copied to com-
Delete Select to delete the source tracks.
mitted tracks.
Do Nothing Select to leave the source tracks intact.
Pan Select to render Pan automation to committed
tracks. If this option is selected, Pan automation Press Command+Left/Right Arrow (Mac) or
playlists are reset to the defaults for all committed Control+Left/Right Arrow (Windows) to
tracks. If it is not enabled, Pan automation playlists move through the Source Track options.
are copied to committed tracks.

Chapter 47: Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks 1053

 Offline Committing MIDI
Select to commit selected tracks offline. When this Pro Tools lets you commit MIDI tracks as long as
option is deselected, Pro Tools commits selected the MIDI output assignment is set to an Instrument
tracks in real time. Any source tracks that use plug-in on another track. Commit is unavailable
Hardware Inserts include their processing as well. for MIDI tracks assigned to external MIDI de-
vices.
Commit Up To This Insert
Pro Tools lets you commit a track or Edit selection
up to an individual plug-in insert on a track. For
example, you might want to commit a virtual in-
strument plug-in, but continue to adjust processing
plug-ins, like EQ or dynamics.

To commit a track up to a single insert:

1 Ensure that Inserts view is shown in either the

Edit or Mix window.
2 Right-click on the insert up to which you want
to commit the track and choose Commit Up To Source MIDI Track (middle) assigned to a Virtual
This Insert. Instrument plug-in on the Instrument track (top) and
the Committed track (bottom)

When more than one MIDI track are routed to the

same Instrument plug-in, you can commit one,
some, or all of the MIDI tracks. Only selected
MIDI tracks are committed. For example, if you
have four MIDI tracks routed to a single Instru-
ment plug-in on another track (audio, Auxiliary In-
put, or Instrument), and you select only MIDI
tracks 1–3, the committed track will include only
Commit Up To This Insert
the notes from those tracks while the notes from
MIDI track 4 are excluded. Similarly, if you have a
Press and hold the Option key (Mac) or the complex MIDI arrangement and you only want to
Alt key (Windows) to Commit all tracks up to commit one part of it, select the MIDI track you
the selected insert. want to commit and the rendered audio will only
include the MIDI performance from that track.
3 Configure the resulting Commit Tracks dialog
as desired (see “Commit Tracks Dialog” on
page 1052).
4 Click OK.

1054 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Committing MIDI Clips by Drag Committing Tracks with Inserts
and Drop that Have Auxiliary Output
Sends
You can commit MIDI clips on Instrument tracks
by dragging and dropping the MIDI clip from the Some plug-ins, such as Pro Multiband Dynamics
source track to an audio track of the same channel and many Virtual Instrument plug-ins, let you as-
width. sign Auxiliary Output Sends (AOS) from the plug-
in to track inputs of other tracks (such as audio or
Auxiliary Input tracks). When committing a track
that has a plug-in that is assigned to Auxiliary Out-
put Sends, you are prompted to also commit any
tracks that are assigned to the plug-in Auxiliary
Outputs. Choose Yes to commit those tracks as
well or No to commit only the source track.

Rendered File Bit Preference

Audio rendered by dragging and dropping a MIDI clip The Rendered File Bit Depth preference on the
from an Instrument Track (top) to an audio (bottom)
Processing Preferences page (Setup > Preferences
> Processing) determines the bit depth of new au-
Committing Tracks with
Multiple Output Assignments dio files created using the Track Commit com-
mand.
If the source track is assigned to multiple output
paths of different channel widths, and Pan automa- Always Use 32-bit
tion is rendered, a new track with committed audio
is created for each channel width. For example, if When this option is selected, new audio files cre-
the output of the source track is assigned to a mono ated using Track Commit are 32-bit files regardless
output path, a stereo output path, and a 5.1 output of the session bit depth. Since the mixer in
path, three separate tracks with separate committed Pro Tools is 32-bit floating point, it is recom-
files are created, each with the corresponding mended that you use the default Always Use 32-bit
channel width. If the track output is assigned to option. This ensures that what you hear on the
multiple output paths of the same channel width, source track is what you get on the committed
only one track and committed file is created. track.

If Pan automation is not rendered, and the source Follow Session Settings
track is assigned to multiple output paths, the track When this option is selected, new audio files cre-
output assignments are copied to a single commit- ated using Track Commit command are the same
ted track. bit depth as the session. If you select the Follow
Session Settings option, it is possible the commit-
ted audio may clip (since you are truncating from
32-bit floating point to 24- or 16-bit). However,
you may want to select this option if you need to
have all audio generated by the session follow a
particular bit-depth.

Chapter 47: Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks 1055

 To freeze (or un-freeze) one or more tracks, do one
Track Freeze of the following:

Pro Tools lets you “freeze” audio, Auxiliary Input,  Select one or more tracks and choose Track >
and Instrument tracks. When you freeze a track, Freeze (or Unfreeze).
the source material (audio and MIDI) on the track
 Click the Track Freeze icon in the Track con-
is replaced with audio that has been processed by
trols so that it is highlighted (or unhighlighted).
all of the plug-ins on the track (or only up to a spec-
ified insert), including instrument plug-ins. This  Right-click on the track name and select Freeze
process is reversible, so you can “unfreeze” frozen (or Unfreeze).
tracks.
Option-Shift-Click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-Click
Freezing tracks is useful for freeing up processing (Windows) to freeze all selected tracks. Op-
power in your session for other tracks and process- tion-Click (Mac) or Alt-Click (Windows) to
ing tasks. It is especially useful for exchanging ses- freeze all audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instru-
sions with other systems that may not have all of ment tracks.
the same plug-ins as your system. Rather than
committing tracks as final print tracks, you can When a track is frozen, any plug-ins on the track
freeze tracks that you want to share but might want are made inactive. On Instrument tracks, the wave-
to keep editing while that track is shared or out for form of the frozen audio is superimposed over the
review. MIDI data on the track as a visual cue.

The ability to unfreeze a track lets you go back and

adjust plug-in settings or edit track material (such
as audio or MIDI data to correct a note or rhythm)
and then re-freeze the track.
Frozen Instrument track, Freeze icon highlighted
Editing is disabled on frozen tracks. To make
edits, unfreeze the track, make the edits you On Auxiliary Input tracks, the waveform of the
want, and then re-freeze the track. For more frozen audio is shown as a visual cue.
information, see “Editing Restrictions on
Frozen Tracks” on page 1058.

Frozen Auxiliary Input track with source audio track

shown—Freeze icon highlighted

1056 Pro Tools Reference Guide

On audio tracks, any plug-ins on the track are made Freezing Audio and Instrument Tracks
inactive and the waveform updates to show the
When freezing audio and Instrument tracks, the
processed, or “frozen” audio.
rendered (“frozen”) audio starts at the beginning of
each clip on the track and ends either at each clip
end point or after the processed audio of the clip
(such as with time-based plug-in processing like
reverb or delay) falls below –144 dBFS for at least
60 seconds. Muted clips are not rendered.

Freezing Auxiliary Input Tracks

When freezing Auxiliary Input tracks, audio is ren-

dered (“frozen”) starting when audio is detected at
the track input. Audio stops rendering when the au-
Frozen audio track, before and after—Freeze icon dio signal drops below –144 dBFS for 60 seconds.
highlighted
Freezing Tracks with Inserts that Have
What Gets Frozen Auxiliary Output Sends
The following track data is rendered when freezing Some plug-ins, such as Pro Multiband Dynamics
a track: and many Virtual Instrument plug-ins, let you as-
• Plug-ins and automation for all plug-ins (except sign Auxiliary Output Stems (AOS) from the
for any plug-ins remaining active when using plug-in to track inputs of other tracks (such as au-
Freeze to Insert) dio or Auxiliary Input tracks). When freezing a
• Clip gain track that has a plug-in that is assigned to Auxiliary
Output Stems, you are prompted to also freeze any
• Clip effects tracks that are assigned to the plug-in Auxiliary
• HEAT (if set to pre-insert) Outputs. Choose Yes to freeze those tracks as well
• Elastic audio or No to freeze only the source track.

The following track controls are maintained and

are not rendered with track freeze:
• Volume
• Volume Trim
• Mute
• Pan
• Send Level
• Send Level trim
• Send Mute
• Plug-in automation for plug-ins that are not fro-
zen (when using Freeze to Insert)

Chapter 47: Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks 1057

 Freeze Up To This Insert Editing Restrictions on Frozen
Tracks
Pro Tools lets you freeze a track up to an individ-
ual plug-in insert on the track. For example, you Frozen tracks disallow most editing functions. To
might want to freeze a virtual instrument plug-in, edit a frozen track, unfreeze it, make your edits,
but continue to adjust processing plug-ins, like EQ and then re-freeze the track.
or dynamics.
The following editing actions are not allowed on
To freeze a track up to a single insert: frozen tracks:

1 Ensure that Inserts view is shown in either the • Editing clips or clip contents is disallowed.
Edit or Mix window. • Elastic Audio is disallowed.
2 Right-click on the insert up to which you want • Clip gain and clip effects are disallowed on fro-
to freeze the track and choose Freeze Up To zen tracks.
This Insert. • AudioSuite rendering is disallowed on frozen
tracks.
• Tempo changes, Song Start changes, and en-
abling or disabling the Conductor Track are not
allowed when there are frozen tracks in the ses-
sion.
• Insert and Cut Time operations are disallowed in
a session if there are frozen tracks.
• HEAT is unavailable for frozen Auxiliary Input
Freeze Up To This Insert (Freezing up to insert B)
and Instrument tracks.
When any plug-in processing on a track is frozen, • Instrument Tracks are removed from the MIDI
frozen inserts are italicized and grayed out. The Editor window while frozen and MIDI parame-
also display the Track Freeze icon. ters including Real Time Quantize settings can-
not be adjusted until the track is unfrozen.
• Clips used on a source playlist for a frozen track
cannot be removed from the session until the
Track Freeze icon
track is unfrozen.

The following editing actions are allowed on fro-

zen tracks:
• Editing and writing of all basic track automation
Track frozen through inserts A and B parameters including sends.
• Editing and writing of automation on unfrozen
plug-ins as well as addition and removal of
plug-ins on unfrozen inserts (when using the
Freeze Up to This Insert functionality)
• Changing the track output path.

1058 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Global Freeze Tracks To freeze (or unfreeze) only certain track types:

The Global Freeze Tracks icon lights when one or 1 Right-click the Global Freeze icon and select (or
more tracks in the session are frozen. You can use the deselect) which track types you want to include
Global Freeze Tracks icon to freeze (or unfreeze) all (or exclude):
audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks in the • Include all Audio Tracks
session or project. You can also specify which track • Include all Aux Tracks
types you want (or don’t want) to freeze. • Include all Instrument Tracks

Tracks cannot be frozen while hidden or in-

active.

Only Include Instrument Tracks selected in the Global

Freeze Right-click menu

2 Do one of the following:

• Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
Global Freeze Tracks, one or more tracks frozen
dows) the Global Freeze icon.
To globally freeze or unfreeze tracks, do one • Right-click the Global Freeze icon and choose
of the following: Freeze All or Unfreeze All.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the If any of the Include options are unselected,
Global Freeze icon so that it is lit (frozen) or unlit
you can still Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click
(unfrozen).
(Windows) the Global Freeze icon to freeze
 Right-click the Global Freeze icon and choose (or unfreeze) all tracks of all types. The se-
Freeze All or Unfreeze All. lected Include options remain selected.

Bounce Track
Pro Tools lets you bounce individual tracks from
your session or project. Track Bounce is useful for
delivering audio files from tracks in the session
without having to re-route sub-master stems or in-
dividual tracks for bus recording. You can just se-
lect the desired source tracks and Bounce them to
disk.

Chapter 47: Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks 1059

 You can Bounce the following track types: audio, Track Bounce Dialog
Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument
The Track Bounce dialog provides the same op-
tracks.
tions as the Bounce Mix dialog (see “Bounce Op-
To bounce a track from your session or project: tions” on page 1259), but with the additional op-
tion to render (or not render) track volume and pan
1 Do one of the following:
automation.
• Select the track you want to bounce and then
choose Track > Bounce.
• Right-click the track you want to bounce and
select Bounce.
• Press Command+Option+Shift+B (Mac) or
Control+Alt+Shift+B (Windows).
2 In the Track Bounce dialog, configure the op-
tions as desired.
3 Click Bounce.

If there is a timeline selection, the bounce includes

only the selection. Otherwise, the bounce starts at
the beginning of the session or project and ends
with the last sample of audio on the track.

If the source track is assigned to multiple output

paths of different channel widths, and Pan automa-
tion is rendered, a new file is created for each chan-
nel width. For example, if the output of the source
track is assigned to a mono output path, a stereo
output path, and a 5.1 output path, three separate
files are created, each with the corresponding
channel width. If the track output is assigned to
multiple output paths of the same channel width, Track Bounce dialog
only one file is created. If Pan automation is not
rendered, only one new file is created and it will Render Automation
have the same channel width as the source track. The Render Automation options determine
whether or not Volume or Pan automation is ren-
dered for bounced tracks.

Volume Select to render Volume automation from

bounced tracks.

Pan Select to render Pan automation from bounced

tracks.

1060 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 48: Event Operations

Various events in Pro Tools (such as groups of The Event Operations window can be left open,
MIDI Notes, audio clip start times or sync points, This provides quick access to apply a command or
and whole clips) can be transformed with Event try out different options for a particular command.
Operations.
You can also apply quantize, duration, delay,
and transpose to MIDI nondestructively us-
ing MIDI Real-Time Properties. See “MIDI
Event Operations Window Real-Time Properties” on page 820.
The Event Operations window provides com-
To open a specific Event Operations window pane:
mands to transform groups of MIDI notes to affect
pitch, timing, and phrasing. The Quantize and Re-  Choose Event > Event Operations, followed by
store Performance Event Operations can also be one of the Event Operations (such as Quantize).
applied to audio clip start times (or sync points)
and Elastic Audio events. The Transpose Event To show (or hide) any Event Operation pane while
Operation can also be applied to whole clips on the Event Operations window is open:
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.  Click the reveal triangle for the pane you want
to show.
The Event Operations window has nine pages, one
for each Event Operations command. Press Command+Up/Down Arrow (Mac) or
• Quantize Control+Up/Down Arrow (Windows) to open
the previous or next panel while closing all
• Restore Performance
others.
• Flatten Performance
• Change Velocity Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) on
• Change Duration any reveal triangle to open or close all panels
• Transpose in the Event Operations window.

• Select/Split Notes
• Input Quantize
• Step Input

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1061

 To open the last active Event Operations window
page:

 Choose Event > Event Operations > Event Op-

erations.

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.

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.
 Press Return (Mac) or Enter on the alphanu-
meric keyboard (Windows). This applies the
command and closes the window.

When using the Event Operations window

and MIDI Real-Time Properties at the same
time, Event Operations are applied to the ac-
tual MIDI data. MIDI Real-Time
Properties are applied on top of the actual
MIDI data.

To undo a command in the Event Operations

window:

Event Operations window (Quantize shown)  Choose Edit > Undo.

1062 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using the Event Operations The Quantize Event Operations window lets you
Window apply Grid Quantize based on rhythmic values
(such as a 16th note) or using Groove Quantize
Use the following methods to configure options in
based on Groove Templates. Slightly different op-
the Event Operations window:
tions are provided for Grid Quantize and Groove
 To move forward and back through the various Quantize.
fields, press Tab or Shift+Tab.
The Quantize Event Operation and Quantize to
 Increment or decrement selected fields with the Grid commands can both be used to quantize clips.
Up and Down Arrow keys. Hold these keys to However, each command also has a specific addi-
scroll quickly through the values. tional use.
 Drag up or down in a selected field to scroll to a Use the Quantize to Grid command (Clip > Quan-
new value. tize to Grid) to adjust the start points (or sync
 Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) points) for selected clips. The Quantize to Grid
while adjusting sliders for finer resolution. command can be applied to both MIDI and audio
clips (see “Quantizing Clips to Grid” on page 703).
 For selected pitch and velocity fields, play a
note on your MIDI controller keyboard to automat- The Quantize Event Operation, on the other hand,
ically enter it. can be applied to MIDI notes and Elastic Audio
events individually in addition to audio clip start
 Changing a value for a particular control (such
times (or sync points). Some notes or events may
as the Swing Percentage in the Quantize window),
be moved back in time, others forward. For MIDI
automatically enables the control.
notes only, some may be shortened, some length-
ened, and some more drastically affected than oth-
ers.
Quantize
You can also quantize MIDI input, see “Input
The Quantize command can be applied to MIDI
Quantize Command” on page 1085.
notes, audio clips, and Elastic Audio events. For
MIDI, quantization adjusts MIDI note locations
and durations so that timing is improved, or so that The settings in the Quantize window are saved
a particular rhythmic “feel” is achieved. For audio with each session. To store your favorite set-
clips, quantization adjusts the start times (or sync tings for use in future sessions, save them as
points) of audio clips. For Elastic Audio, quantiza- part of a session template (see “Session Tem-
tion adjusts to the location of detected transient plates” on page 194).
events and applies Elastic Audio processing ac-
cordingly.

The MIDI Quantize command (Clip > MIDI

Quantize) uses the quantize settings in the
Event Operations window.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1063

 To open the Quantize window: Edit and MIDI Editor Window
 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize. Toolbar Quantize Controls
The Edit and MIDI Editor windows provide a
Press Option+0 (Mac) or Alt+0 (Windows)
group of controls for Quantize functions in
to open the Quantize window.
Pro Tools. These display and let you set certain
quantization parameters (such as Grid, Strength,
and Swing for note grids, and Groove, Timing, and
Velocity for groove templates) that are mirrored in
the Quantize page of the Event Operations win-
dow. Changes to Quantize settings in any of the
toolbars or the Quantize page of the Event Opera-
tions window are mirrored in the others.

Quantize controls in the Edit window toolbar (top) and

in the MIDI Editor window toolbar (bottom)

To quantize any selection using the current

Quantize settings, do one of the following:

 Click the Q button.

Event Operations window, Quantize
 Press Command+Option+0 (Mac) or Con-
To select Grid Quantize:
trol+Alt+0 (Windows).
 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select a
note value. To open the Quantize window:

 Click the Quantize Settings button (gear icon).

To select Groove Quantize:

 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select a If any parameters not displayed in the toolbar (such
groove template. as Offset or Randomize) are enabled, the Quantize
Settings button (gear icon) lights blue.

Click Strength and Swing to toggle them on and

off.

1064 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 The following figure shows how MIDI notes are
Grid Quantize adjusted by the different What To Quantize op-
The Quantize window can apply Grid Quantize tions.
when a specific rhythmic value or Follow
Bars|Beats Grid is selected for Quantize Grid.
When a groove template is selected in the Quantize
pop-up menu, Groove Quantize can be applied.
For information on Groove Quantize, see “Groove
Quantize” on page 1069.

What to Quantize
The What to Quantize settings determine what as-
pects of any selected MIDI notes are quantized:
Note Ons (attacks), Note Offs (releases), or both.
You can also select whether to quantize audio clips
or Elastic Audio events. Depending on what type
of track material is selected, not all options will be
available. If only MIDI is selected, the Audio Clips
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. Before quantizing, followed by two examples showing
the results of different What To Quantize settings
Note Off When selected, MIDI note end points are
Audio Clips When selected in the What to Quan-
quantized.
tize pop-up menu, Quantize is applied to clip start
Preserve Note Duration When selected, MIDI times (or sync points if present) for selected audio
note durations are preserved. clips. MIDI clips are not affected. Typically, you
will only want to apply quantization to sliced audio
When deselected with the Note On option selected, clips or clip groups (such as imported REX files or
note end points are not moved. clips created using the Separate Clips at Transients
command or Beat Detective). Quantization can be
When deselected with the Note Off option selected,
applied to mixed selections of MIDI notes and au-
note start points are not moved.
dio clips.
If the options for both Note On and Note Off are se-
Elastic Audio Events When selected in the What
lected, the Preserve Note Durations option is un-
to Quantize pop-up menu, Quantize is applied to
available.
detected transient events within the Edit selection
on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks. Quantization can
be applied to mixed selections of MIDI notes and

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1065

 Elastic Audio events. Warp markers are created eighth notes and Randomize set to 50%, notes and
automatically on top of Event markers nearest the events are placed up to a 32nd note before or after
quantize grid. Quantize then uses these Warp the beat boundary. The Randomize setting also af-
markers to apply quantization. fects note durations (if Releases is selected).

Quantize Grid Additional Grid Quantize

Options
Quantize Grid Pop-Up Menu Determines the beat
boundaries to which MIDI notes, Elastic Audio Additional Grid Quantize options include:
events, and audio clip start points are aligned. Any
Swing When selected, every other Grid boundary
size from whole notes (1/1) to sixty-fourth notes
is shifted by the specified percentage value (0–
(1/64), including dotted and triplet values, can be
300) to achieve a “swing” feel. A Swing value of
selected for the Grid size. You can also select Fol-
0% yields no swing, while 100% yields a triplet
low Bars|Beats Grid to quantize to the current
feel. Settings above 100% progressively narrow
Bars|Beats Grid setting for the session.
the swing until the maximum of 300%, at which
Relative Grid mode does not affect the every other Grid boundary is moved to the next
Quantize Grid. Grid point.

Tuplet Select the Tuplet option to quantize accord- 0% Swing Every other Grid
(480 ticks) point shifted by swing
ing 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 100% Swing
(240 ticks/5)*4. (640 ticks)
100% Swing, eighth note Grid
Offset Grid By Offsets the Quantize Grid forward
or back in time by a specified number of ticks. Use Include Within When selected, MIDI Note Ons
this option to achieve a pushed feel (by using neg- and MIDI Note Offs, Elastic Audio events, and au-
ative values) or a laid back feel (by using positive dio clips are only quantized if located within the
values). specified percentage of the Quantize Grid. Use this
option to clean up downbeats without affecting
To Quantize just the backbeats, set the Quan- notes that are “swung” or wildly off the beat.
tize Grid to half-notes with an Offset of 960
ticks.

Randomize When selected, MIDI notes, Elastic

Audio events, and audio clips are moved randomly
forward or back in time (after the Quantize oc-
curs). For example, with the Quantize Grid set to

1066 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The following figure shows the Quantize Grid set
to quarter notes with the Include Within option set Grid Quantize Examples
to 50%. In this example, only the MIDI Note Ons The following examples illustrate some of the
and MIDI Note Offs falling within the shaded area more common uses for Grid Quantize.
(equivalent to an eighth note area around each
beat) are quantized. If you intend to loop playback while quantizing,
you may want to deselect Options > Link Timeline
and Edit Selection. This ensures that the play range
does not change when selected events are moved in
the course of quantizing and undoing.

After quantizing, you can use Restore Perfor-

mance to revert to the original version (see
Include Within option “Restore Performance Command” on
Exclude Within When selected, MIDI Note Ons page 1075.)
and MIDI Note Offs, Elastic Audio events, and au-
dio clips are not quantized if located within the Straight Quantize
specified percentage of the Quantize Grid. Use this
To quantize to a straight sixteenth note feel:
option to preserve the feel of events close to the
beat, while correcting others that are drastically 1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
away from the beat. events, or audio clips to be quantized.

The following figure shows the Quantize Grid set 2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
to quarter notes with the Exclude Within option set 3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On op-
to 25%. In this example, MIDI Note Ons and MIDI tion for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quantize
Note Offs falling within the shaded area (equiva- MIDI note durations, select the Note Off
lent to a sixteenth note area around each beat) are option. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
not quantized. Clips 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.

Exclude Within option 5 Ensure that the remaining Quantize options are
deselected.
Strength When selected, MIDI notes, Elastic Au-
dio events, and audio clips are moved a percentage 6 Click Apply.
toward the Quantize Grid. Lower percentages pre-
serve the original feel of the events, higher per-
centages align the notes more tightly to the Grid.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1067

 Quantizing While Preserving the Quantizing with Swing
Original Feel
If you are working with MIDI hi-hats or bass lines
You can quantize less strictly, to preserve the orig- or audio equivalents, you may want to apply more
inal feel of your recorded MIDI and audio tracks. of a swing feel when quantizing.

To quantize while preserving the original feel: To quantize with an eighth note swing feel:
1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio 1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
events, or audio clips to be quantized. events, or audio clips to be quantized.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize. 2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On op- 3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On op-
tion for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quantize tion for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quantize
MIDI note durations, select the Note Off MIDI note durations, select the Note Off
option. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio option. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
Clips or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up Clips or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up
menu. menu.
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select the 4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select
note value you want to use. eighth notes (1/8).
5 Ensure that the other options for Tuplet, Offset 5 Select the Swing option with the Swing percent-
Grid By, and Swing are not selected. age you want:
6 Select the Exclude Within option with a value of • For a light swing, use 12%.
10–15%. • For a tighter swing-like groove, use 24%.
7 Select the Strength option with a value of 70– • For a true “triplet-like” swing feel, use 50–
80%. 75%.

8 Ensure that the remaining Quantize options are 6 Ensure that the options for Tuplet, Offset Grid
deselected. By, and Randomize are not selected.

9 Click Apply. 7 Click Apply.

10 Audition the change. If the desired effect is not 8 Audition the change. If the desired effect is not
achieved, undo the edit and experiment with achieved, undo the edit and experiment with
different values for Exclude Within and different Swing percentages.
Strength.

1068 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Quantizing with Randomize
Groove Quantize
If quantized events sound too mechanical or “on
the beat,” use the Randomize option in the Quan- In the Quantize window, you can apply Groove
tize window to make them sound more natural. Quantize when a groove template is selected in the
Quantize Grid pop-up menu. Groove quantize ad-
To “humanize” the rhythmic feel of events: justs MIDI note locations and durations, Elastic
Audio events, and audio clips according to a
1 Select the range of MIDI notes, Elastic Audio
groove template rather than a strict quantization
events, or audio clips to be quantized.
grid. Groove templates extract the particular rhyth-
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize. mic feel of a recorded audio or MIDI performance
so that is can be applied to another MIDI sequence
3 Under What to Quantize, select the Note On op-
or audio selection. DigiGroove templates can be
tion for quantizing MIDI notes. To also quantize
generated using Beat Detective.
MIDI note durations, select the Note Off
option. If you are quantizing audio, select Audio
Clips or Elastic Audio Events from the pop-up Groove Templates
menu. Groove templates (such as DigiGroove templates)
4 From the Quantize Grid pop-up menu, select the are “quantization maps” derived from real musical
note value you want to use. performances. The rhythmic character of each per-
formance is analyzed and stored as a groove tem-
5 Select the Randomize option and enter a value plate. Groove templates can be used to transfer the
of 5%. feel of a particular performance to MIDI notes
6 Click Apply. (Timing, Duration, and Velocity), Elastic Audio
events, and audio clips.
7 Audition the change. If the desired effect is not
achieved, undo the edit and experiment with DigiGroove templates can be created using Beat
different Randomize percentages. Detective. Beat Detective analyzes an audio selec-
tion for transient peaks according to a defined
Experimenting with Grid threshold and maps the rhythmic relationships to a
Quantize 960 parts per quarter note (ppq) template. Beat De-
tective can also analyze a MIDI selection for Note
When using the Quantize command, you may have Ons and velocities to generate groove templates.
to experiment with many of the controls to achieve These template can then be used with Groove
the results you want. Try different values for In- Quantize, as well as with Beat Detective.
clude Within and Exclude Within, and Strength;
these controls determine which notes are affected For information on Beat Detective and
and how drastically they are changed. Addition- creating groove templates, see Chapter 34,
ally, use the Randomize option, which adds a per- “Beat Detective.”
centage of randomness to the quantization, to
make tracks sound less “mechanical.”

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1069

 DigiGroove templates are also available from Groove Quantize Options
Avid and third-party manufacturers.
Timing Enable to apply Groove Quantize to the se-
Numerical Sound’s Feel Injector Templates lected MIDI notes, Elastic Audio events, or audio
(960 ppq) are supported in Pro Tools, but clips. Use the slider to change the amount of quan-
DNA Groove Templates (192 ppq) are not. tization applied to the selection. If the slider is set
to 0%, there is no change in timing. A setting of
Groove Quantize Settings 100% moves notes to the underlying template lo-
cations. If the slider is set to 200%, events move to
Quantize Grid Pop-Up Menu Determines which a tick location that is twice the difference between
groove template to use for quantization. All groove the original event location and the position of the
template files in the Grooves folder are available in referenced template event.
the Quantize Grid pop-up menu.
For example, if an event was played at Bar 1|1|060
Grooves files are stored in the Grooves folder in (a 16th note), and the corresponding template
the Root Settings Folder. You can change the loca- event is at 1|1|073, a slider value of 100% results in
tion of the Root Settings Folder in the Operation the event being shifted to 1|1|073 (a slider value of
Preferences (see “User Media and Settings Loca- 200% shifts the note to 1|1|086).
tion” on page 121).
The default value for the Timing slider is 100%.
If you organize your groove templates in sub-fold-
ers in the Groove folder, they appear as submenus Duration Enable to influence the durations of the
in the pop-up menu. Once you have selected a selected MIDI notes. The Duration option does not
groove template, specific information about the apply to audio selections. At a setting of 100%, du-
template’s meter and duration (in bars) is dis- rations are changed to match the current groove
played under the pop-up menu. template. Set to 200%, durations increase and de-
crease based on the ratio of the original duration of
Show Comments The Comments field displays the selected notes and the durations in the tem-
any comments saved with the groove template plate.
from Beat Detective. The Comments field cannot
be edited in the Quantize page, but can be edited The default value for the Duration slider is 100%.
when saving a groove template from the Groove
Quantize page. Beat Detective does not extract duration infor-
mation from audio performances. DigiGroove
Pre-Quantize Enable to hard quantize the templates created using Beat Detective contain
selected MIDI notes to a sixteenth-note grid a fixed duration value that is 50% of the se-
before applying Groove Quantize. lected template resolution (see “Defining a
Beat Detective Selection” on page 762).

1070 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Velocity Enable to influence the velocities of the • You switch to another groove template.
selected MIDI notes. The Velocity option does not
apply to audio selections. If the slider is set to 0% Applying Groove Templates
there is no change to the selected velocities, a set-
ting of 100% sets all velocities to match the current Groove templates can be of any length and can be
groove template. A velocity setting of 200% typi- applied to any number of bars. Typically, you will
cally results in over-exaggerated velocities—loud apply groove templates to selections of the same
notes increasing and soft notes decreasing in vol- bar length and meter. However, groove templates
ume. can be applied to different meters—for example, a
groove template in 6/8 can be applied to a selection
For example, if two adjacent notes have equal ve- in 4/4. Also, it is not necessary to start on the
locities of 80, and the two corresponding template downbeat when making a selection to apply a
velocities are 70 and 90, setting the slider to 200% groove template.
changes the velocities to 60 and 100.
To apply Groove Quantize:
The default value for the Velocity slider is 100%.
1 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
MIDI notes, Elastic Audio events, or audio clips
Recalling Options Slider you want to Groove Quantize.
Settings
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Quantize.
To Save the groove template with the current
Options Slider Settings: 3 Select a groove template from the Grid Quan-
1 In the Quantize window, select Recall with Tem- tize pop-up menu.
plate if you want to restore all Groove Quantize 4 Enable Timing, Duration, and Velocity, and ad-
Options to the settings that are saved with the just their sliders to the percentages you want.
current template.
5 If desired, enable Pre-Quantize.
2 Click the Save button.
6 Click the Apply 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 tem-
plate with the current Options Slider Settings.
• Click the Save As button to make a copy of
the groove template with the current Options
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 set-
tings first:
• Another Event Operations window is selected.
• The Event Operations window is closed.
Chapter 48: Event Operations 1071
 A DigiGroove template (derived from the audio shown) applied to a series of sixteenth-notes with Timing and
Velocity both set to 100%

Mapping Groove Templates

4/4 1-bar selection
Pro Tools applies groove templates relative to the
song start. For example, a two-bar groove template
4/4 bar 1 4/4 bar 2 (not used)
repeats starting at every odd-numbered bar in the
session (bar 1, 3, 5, 7…).
Applying 2-bar groove template to a 1-bar selection,
odd numbered bar

Template Mapping for Equal Meters And Even

2-bar 2-bar 2-bar 2-bar Bars
groove groove groove groove
template template template template If a selection starts on an even bar, only the appro-
priate portion of the groove template will be used.
2-bar groove template, repeating template grid For example, if the selection is two bars long and
Template Mapping for Equal Meters And Odd starts on an even bar, the template applies bar 2 be-
Numbered Bars fore bar 1.

If a two-bar groove template is applied to a selec- 4/4 1-bar selection

tion of one bar of the same meter, only the first bar
of the template is used. If the selection does not en-
4/4 bar 1 (not used) 4/4 bar 2
compass bar boundaries, for example 1|2|000 to
2|1|000, the groove template only modifies the se-
Applying a 2-bar groove template to a 1-bar selection,
lected notes. even numbered bar

1072 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Template Mapping for Unequal Meters Behavior for Mixed Meters

In cases where the Groove Templates and track se- If the selection contains mixed meters, the groove
lections are based on different meters, the template template will always be mapped so that the down-
will be repeated or truncated to match the number beats are aligned. For example, if the Groove Tem-
of beats in the selection. plate consists of one-bar of 4/4 and it is being ap-
plied to a selection of one-bar of 4/4 followed by a
For example, if the Groove Template contains bar of 7/16 and one-bar of 5/8, the downbeat of the
fewer beats than the selection, such as a one-bar Groove Template is aligned with the downbeats in
template in 6/8 being applied to a one-bar selection the selection and only uses the appropriate number
in 4/4, the template repeats to make up the differ- of beats from the Groove Template.
ence.

3-bar selection of changing meters

4/4 1-bar selection

4/4 bar 1 (not used)

6/8 bar 1 6/8 bar 1 repeated 4/4 bar 1

(beats 3–6
not used)

4/4 bar 1
Applying a 1-bar groove template in 6/8 to a 1-bar
selection in 4/4 Applying a 1-bar groove template in 4/4 to a 3-bar
selection in different meters
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 selection in 4/4, You can reset the groove template grid by
only uses the appropriate number of beats. adding a new meter marker (it can be the
same meter). The groove template will
restart at the meter marker regardless of the
4/4 1-bar selection measure number or whether or not the
meter has actually changed.

6/4 bar 1 (beats 3–6

not used)

Applying a 1-bar groove template in 6/4 to a 1-bar

selection in 4/4

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1073

 The Warp and Event markers closest to the Quan-
Quantizing Elastic Audio tize Grid are quantized accordingly. TCE is ap-
Pro Tools lets you apply Quantize to Elastic Audio plied between these markers and all other markers
events as well as MIDI notes. Quantize can be ap- maintain their position relative to the Quantize
plied to Event and Warp markers closest to the Grid.
quantize grid on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks, re-
gardless 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.
Before quantizing Elastic Audio Events in Warp view
Quantization can also be applied to clip start times
(or sync points) on all audio tracks, whether they
are Elastic Audio-enabled, or sample- or tick-
based. This lets you quickly quantize audio clips
without applying TCE, and is especially useful
when working with “one-shot” clips (single-event
clips) such as sliced clips or clip groups. After quantizing Elastic Audio Events in Warp view

Use Restore Performance to undo quanti-

zation of audio and MIDI. See “Restore Quantizing Audio Clips
Performance Command” on page 1075.
Pro Tools lets you quantize audio clip start times
To quantize Elastic Audio events: (or sync points) using the Quantize operation. Au-
dio clip start times (or sync points) are quantized to
1 Select the audio you want to quantize on Elastic
the nearest quantize grid value.
Audio-enabled tracks. (Audio not on Elastic
Audio-enabled tracks will not be quantized.) To quantize audio clips:
2 Choose Events > Event Operations > Quantize. 1 Select the audio clips you want to quantize.
3 In the Quantize window, select Elastic Audio
Quantizing clip groups only adjust the
Events from the What to Quantize pop-up
location of the clip group start (or sync
menu.
point). To quantize the underlying sliced
4 Set the Quantize Grid and Options settings. clips in a clip group, you must first ungroup,
then quantize, and then regroup. For more in-
5 Click Apply.
formation on clip groups, see “Clip Groups”
on page 967.

2 Choose Events > Event Operations > Quantize.

3 In the Quantize window, select Audio Clips from
the What to Quantize pop-up menu.

1074 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Set the Quantize Grid and Options settings.
5 Click Apply.

The clip start times (or sync points if present) are

quantized according to the quantize settings.

Before and after quantized audio clips

Event Operations window, Restore Performance

Quantizing Mixed Selections
The Restore Performance command can be
You can apply Quantize to both MIDI notes and
undone.
audio clips, or both MIDI notes and Elastic Audio
events at the same time. However, you cannot ap- The following MIDI note, Elastic Audio Event,
ply Quantize to both audio clips (non-Elastic Au- and audio clip attributes can be restored:
dio) and Elastic Audio events at the same time.
Timing (Quantization) Restores the original start
times of the selected notes, audio clips, and Elastic
Restore Performance Audio Events. For MIDI only, this changes the du-
Command rations of selected notes if the Duration option is
not enabled.
The Restore Performance command in the Event
Operations window reverts all selected MIDI notes Duration Restores the original durations of the
to their original state (when first recorded or man- selected notes. If the Timing (Quantization)
ually inserted), even after the session has been option is not enabled, the start times of selected
saved, or the Undo queue has been cleared. Re- notes are not restored and the end times are af-
store Performance can also be applied to quantized fected. Duration has no effect on audio.
Elastic Audio Events or quantized audio clips. Velocity Restore the original velocities of the
selected notes. Velocity has no effect on audio.

Pitch Restores the original pitches of the

selected notes and pitch shifted Elastic Audio
clips.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1075

 To restore the original time, duration, velocity, or
pitch for selected MIDI notes, audio clips, or Flatten Performance
Elastic Audio Events:
The Flatten Performance command in the Event
1 Select the MIDI notes, audio clips, or Elastic Operations window “locks in” the current perfor-
Audio Events you want to restore. mance for selected notes, creating a new “restore
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Restore to” state for the specified note attributes when us-
Performance. ing Restore Performance.

3 Select which performance attributes to restore.

4 Click Apply.

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 Quan-
tize enabled are restored (see “Input Quantize
Command” on page 1085).

Restore Performance does not undo cut, copied,

pasted, or otherwise manually moved MIDI
notes, audio clips, 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 essentially Event Operations window, Flatten Performance page
changes the note’s timing, and therefore is
treated by Pro Tools the same as if it were
The Flatten Performance command can be
manually moved.
undone.

Removing Input Quantize To flatten the performance:

Restore Performance can be used to remove quan- 1 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
tization on input for MIDI notes. For example, if MIDI notes you want to flatten.
you recorded a performance with Input Quantize
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Flatten Per-
on, you can still restore the performance as it was
formance to open the Flatten Performance page.
actually played.
3 Select the note attributes to flatten. (For descrip-
For information on Input Quantize, see “Input tions of these attributes, see “Restore Perfor-
Quantize Command” on page 1085. mance Command” on page 1075).
4 Click Apply.

1076 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Change Velocity
The Change Velocity command in the Event Oper-
ations window automatically adjusts Note On (at-
tack) and Note Off (release) velocities for selected
MIDI notes. Use it to make notes louder or softer,
or to create crescendos or decrescendos. Velocities after Change Smoothly by Percentages,
100% to 20%
Velocities can also be edited manually with the
Pencil and Grabber tools (see “Manually Editing
MIDI Notes” on page 792).

You can also change velocity nondestructively

in real-time using MIDI Real-Time Properties.
See “MIDI Real-Time Properties” on page 820. Velocities after Change Smoothly by Percentages,
100 to 10
Fading Velocities
Scaling Velocities
To change velocities smoothly over time:
Many times existing note velocities already have
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited. the relationship between them that you want, but
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change are either too soft or too loud overall. In these in-
Velocity. stances, use the Scale By option.

3 Select the Change Smoothly option with the For example, to make velocities 20% louder:
range set from 127 to 0.
1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
4 Click Apply.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change
Velocity.
Preserving Existing Velocity
Relationships 3 Select the Scale By option with the percentage
value set to 120.
To partially preserve the existing velocity relation-
ships and still achieve velocity fades, use the op- 4 Click Apply.
tion for Change Smoothly by Percentage. The fol-
lowing figures illustrates the difference between
the two Change Smoothly options

Original velocities

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1077

 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.

While there are options for adjusting both the

Note On (attack) and Note Off (release) ve-
locities for notes, most MIDI devices ignore
release velocity information. To see if your
instrument supports release velocities, see
the manufacturer’s documentation.

Set All To Sets all velocities to the specified value

(1–127).

Add Adds to existing velocity values by the

specified 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

Event Operations window, Change Velocity page
smoothly from one value to another over time.

Velocity values usually affect the loudness of Change Smoothly by Percentage Allows veloci-
MIDI notes. Depending on how velocity is ties to change smoothly from one percentage value
mapped with any MIDI instrument, velocities to another over time.
may also affect other aspects of an
The curve for this change can be adjusted (+/– 99)
instrument’s sound (such as filter cutoff,
to affect how gradually the change occurs.
envelopes, and modulations).
Limit To When selected, restricts the Change
The settings in the Change Velocity window Velocity command to a minimum and maximum
are saved with each session. To store your fa- range after the selected Change Velocity option
vorite settings as the default for use in future has been applied (and also after any randomization
sessions, save them as part of a session tem- has been applied).
plate (see “Session Templates” on page 194). Randomize When selected, the selected Change
Velocity option is randomized by the specified
percentage value after the selected Change Veloc-
ity option has been applied. For example, with the

1078 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Set All To option enabled and set to a value of 64, Change Duration Settings
and with Randomize enabled and set to a value of
50%, the resulting velocities will be anywhere be-
tween 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 par-
ticular note.

For example, if a note with a velocity 64 is scaled

by 200%, the new velocity would be 127.
Attempting to scale or increase the velocity any
further yields no further change.
Event Operations window, Change Duration

Change Duration The settings in the Change Duration page are

saved with each session. To store your favor-
The Change Duration command in the Event Op- ite settings as the default for use in future ses-
erations window adjusts durations for selected sions, save them as part of a session template
MIDI notes. Use it to affect the articulation of the (see “Session Templates” on page 194).
selected notes by making them more staccato or
legato. Set/Add/Subtract/Scale Option

You can also change note duration non- Set All To Sets all durations to a length specified in
destructively in real-time using MIDI quarter notes and ticks.
Real-Time Properties. See “MIDI Real- Add Adds to the durations by a specified number
Time Properties” on page 820. of quarter notes and ticks.

Subtract Subtracts from the durations by a speci-

fied number of quarter notes and ticks.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1079

 Scale by Shortens or lengthens durations based on Change Continuously by Percentage Allows
a percentage value (1–400%). note lengths to change smoothly from one percent-
age value to another over time.
Legato
The curve for this change can be adjusted (+/– 99)
Enable the legato option to add legato to the MIDI to affect how gradually the change occurs.
selection. Select Gap or Overlap from the Legato
pop-up menu and enter the gap or overlap in beats Limit Range When selected, restricts the Change
and ticks. Duration command to a minimum and maximum
range (in quarter notes and ticks).
Remove Overlap
Randomize When selected, the Change Duration
The Remove Overlap option removes any note command is randomized by the specified percent-
overlap for all notes of the same pitch. This com- age value. For example, using “Set all to” with a
mand is different from Legato in that non-overlap- value of 480 ticks, along with a Randomize value
ping notes of the same or different pitches remain of 50%, yields durations anywhere between 360
unchanged. To create a gap between previously and 600 (+/– 25% of the duration value).
overlapping notes, enter the gap in beats and ticks.

Transform Sustain Pedal To Duration

Change Duration Examples
To make notes more staccato:
The Transform Sustain Pedal To Duration option
extends the length of all notes that are sounding 1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.
when the sustain pedal (controller 64) is down (64
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change
to 127) to the point when the sustain pedal goes up
Duration.
(0 to 63). Enable the Delete Sustain Pedal Events
option to convert sustain pedal events to note dura- Press Alt+P on Windows or Option+P on
tions. Converting sustain pedal events to note du- Mac to open the Change Duration window.
ration can greatly simplify editing while maintain-
ing the desired performance effect. For example, if 3 Select the option for Scale By with a percentage
a sustain pedal down event is deleted while editing, value of 50.
the subsequent MIDI performance loses its legato
4 Click Apply. The durations for the selected notes
effect.
are reduced by 50%.
Change Continuously Option With this option you may have to experiment with
The Change Continuously option lets you change the percentage value to achieve the desired effect.
the duration of notes continuously in ticks or by
To make notes more legato:
percentage. Adjust the Curve slider to modify the
shape of the change. 1 Select the range of MIDI notes to be edited.

Change Continuously in Ticks Allows note 2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Change
lengths to change smoothly from one duration to Duration.
another over time. Duration values are specified in 3 Select the Legato option.
quarter notes and ticks.

1080 Pro Tools Reference Guide

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 extended

to the start point of the next note, thereby eliminat-
ing the space between each note.

Transpose
While the Grabber tools can be used to manually
transpose individual MIDI notes, or small groups
of notes, the Transpose command in the Event Op-
erations window can be used for entire MIDI
tracks and clips. One of the more common 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, making sure to
Event Operations window, Transpose
exclude any drum tracks from the group so they
aren’t transposed. You can even transpose in key. Transpose By (Octaves) Transposes selected
MIDI notes by up to +/– 10 octaves, or transposes
You can also transpose MIDI notes nonde- selected Elastic Audio clips up to +/– 2
structively in real-time using MIDI Real- octaves.
Time Properties. See “MIDI Real-Time
Properties” on page 820. Transpose By (Semitones) Transposes selected
MIDI notes up or down chromatically by up to +/–
The Transpose command can also be applied to 127 semitones, or transposes selected Elastic Au-
whole clips on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks using dio clips up or down chromatically by up to +/– 48
the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form plug-ins. semitones (4 octaves).

For information on Transposing Elastic Transpose (From and To) Transposes selected
Audio clips, see “Elastic Audio Clip-Based MIDI notes, or selected Elastic Audio clips, by
Pitch Shifting” on page 1039. semitones, as expressed by the difference between
the source and destination pitches. Transposing
from C3 to F#3, for example, transposes the notes
Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not sup-
up by an augmented fourth (six semitones).
ported with the Monophonic algorithm.
Transpose All Notes To Transposes all selected
notes to the same pitch. Use the slider or the num-
Elastic Audio pitch transposition cannot be
ber entry box to enter the pitch to which to trans-
applied to looped clips or clip groups.
pose all selected notes. This option is not applica-
ble to Elastic Audio clips.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1081

 Transpose In Key Transposes selected notes in 4 Adjust the slider (or type a number) for the
key up or down by scale steps (based on the Key number of scale steps (+ or –) by which you
Signature ruler). This option is not applicable to want to transpose the selection. For example, to
Elastic Audio clips. transpose down a third, enter “–2.”

To transpose MIDI notes: 5 Click Apply.

1 If you will be transposing a group of tracks, en- To transpose an Elastic Audio clip:
able the Edit Group.
1 Make sure the clip, or clips, you want to Trans-
2 Select the MIDI notes you want to transpose. pose are on Elastic Audio-enabled tracks.
3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. Elastic Audio pitch transposition is not sup-
ported with the Monophonic algorithm.
Press Option+T (Mac) or Alt+T (Windows)
to open the Transpose window. 2 With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the au-
dio clip you want to transpose. Only clips that
4 Select the Transpose option (By, From and To,
are completely selected will be affected.
All Notes To, or In Key).
3 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
5 Set the corresponding pitch fields.
4 Do one of the following:
With any pitch field selected, play a note on your
MIDI controller to automatically enter it as the • Adjust the Transpose By settings by an
pitch value. amount in semitones and cents.
• Adjust the Transpose From and To settings
6 Click Apply. by an amount in Semitones and Cents.
To transpose all notes on a track down by an The Transpose All Notes To and the Trans-
octave:
pose In Key settings can only be applied to
1 With the Selector tool, double-click in the track MIDI notes. When only audio clips are se-
to select all of its MIDI notes. lected, these options are unavailable.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. 5 Click Apply.
3 Select the Transpose By option.
4 Enter a value of –1 octave.
Select/Split Notes Command
5 Click Apply.
The Select/Split Notes command in the Event Op-
To transpose selected notes in key: erations window provides a complete set of tools
to select and split MIDI notes based on a wide va-
1 Select the MIDI notes you want to transpose.
riety of criteria. Additional tools are provided to
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Transpose. specify whether selected data is copied to the clip-
board or to new tracks, whether the data is split to
3 Select Transpose in Key.
multiple new tracks or a single destination, and
more.

1082 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Other Criteria

Velocity Enable the Velocity option to specify a

range of velocities for selecting or splitting notes.
Enter minimum and maximum velocities.

Duration Enable the Duration option to specify a

range of durations (in beats and ticks) for selecting
or splitting notes. Enter minimum and maximum
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 maxi-
mum 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 cre-
ated. The new tracks duplicate the original track
type (Instrument or MIDI).
Event Operations window, Select/Split Notes
Split Notes: A New Track per Pitch Copies all se-
Select/Split Notes Settings lected data to multiple new tracks (one new track
for each pitch). New tracks zoom to single-note
Pitch Criteria
display. If the selection includes multiple tracks,
All Notes Selects all notes. each track has its data split separately.

Notes Between Selects a range of notes between Include All Continuous MIDI Data Includes all
the specified upper and lower note. Values for the continuous MIDI data, including pitch bend and
notes can be entered in pitch (C1–G8) or MIDI aftertouch, on the entire track, without any restric-
note numbers (0–127). tion on time selection.

Top Selects the highest note or notes in each chord.

Bottom Selects the lowest note or notes in each

chord.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1083

 Selecting and Splitting Notes Selecting a Pitch Range of
Notes
To select and split notes:
A common use for Select/Split Notes is to select a
1 Do one of the following:
single note for the entire length of a clip or track.
• With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the This is especially useful if you want to select a note
range of MIDI notes that contains the notes. in a MIDI drum track (such as a hi-hat), and affect
• To affect all the MIDI notes on a track, click it over the selected time range with the Quantize,
in the track with the Selector tool, so that it Groove Quantize, Transpose, or Change Duration
contains a flashing edit cursor. command.

2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Select/Split To select only the hi-hats in a General MIDI drum
Notes. track:

3 Configure the Pitch Criteria. 1 Do one of the following:

4 Configure the Other Criteria (Velocity, Dura- • With the Grabber or Selector tool, select the
tion, and Position). range of MIDI notes that contains the notes.
• To affect all the MIDI notes on a track, click
5 Enable the Select or Split option.
in the track with the Selector tool, so that it
6 From the Split Notes pop-up menu, select Copy contains a flashing edit cursor.
or Cut.
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Select/Split
7 If splitting notes, select the Copy or Cut to des- Notes.
tination.
3 Select the Notes Between option with the note
8 If splitting notes, enable the Include All Contin- range set to F#1 and F#1 (if the MIDI Note Dis-
uous MIDI Data option. Enabling this option in- play setting in the MIDI Preferences page is set
cludes all controller data associated with the to Standard Pitch).
split notes in newly created tracks. Leave this
For a General MIDI drum kit, the closed hi-hat is
option deselected to split only note data to new
assigned to MIDI note number 42 (F#1 at Standard
tracks.
Pitch). If the hi-hat for your drum kit is assigned to
9 Click Apply. a different note, make sure to specify it.

Any Real-Time Properties associated with the 4 Click Apply.

track or clips are copied to new tracks created by
Select/Split Notes. 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 792.

1084 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting Notes in a Chord
Input Quantize Command
Another use for Select/Split Notes is to select only
the upper or lower notes in a chord. Many times When Input Quantize is enabled in the Event Op-
you may only want to affect the upper or lower erations window, all recorded MIDI notes are
notes in a chord—for example, to increase veloci- quantized automatically.
ties 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.
• 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 number

of notes set to 1.
4 Click Apply.

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 591).

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1085

 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 Quan-

tize page. (For more information on the Quan-
tize options, see “Quantize” on page 1063.)
4 When finished, close the Event Operations
window.

Step Input Command

Step Input in the Event Operations window lets
you use a MIDI controller to enter notes individu-
ally, one step at a time. This gives you precise con-
trol 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 a fast tempo.

Step Input window

Use Step Input to enter MIDI notes in the

Score Editor or in MIDI Editor windows.

1086 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To enter MIDI notes with Step Input (using an Step Input Controls
external MIDI device):
The Step Input page has the following controls:
1 Make certain your external MIDI device is
properly connected and working with Enable When selected, adds MIDI events to the
Pro Tools. destination track when you play your external
2 Choose Event > Event Operations > Step Input. MIDI keyboard. Additionally, each previously re-
cord-enabled MIDI track is taken out of record en-
3 Select the Enable option. able.

When Step Input is enabled, each previously If a Default Thru Instrument is defined in the MIDI
record-enabled MIDI or Instrument track is Preferences page, it is disabled when Step Input is
taken out of record enable, and if the enabled, and is re-enabled when Step Input is no
Default Thru Instrument preference is longer disabled.
defined, it is disabled.
Destination Lets you select the destination track
4 Choose the MIDI or Instrument track for step for the Step Input from a pop-up list of all the
entry from the Destination track pop-up menu. MIDI tracks in your session.

5 Choose the note value you want to enter from Step Increment Section Controls
the Step Increment section.
The controls in the Step Increment section let you
6 Play a note or chord on your MIDI instrument.
set the spacing and duration of MIDI events en-
This enters the note and moves to the next step
tered using the Step Input operation. You can se-
of the insertion point.
lect any size from whole notes to sixty-fourth notes
If you do not have a MIDI keyboard or other (including dotted values).
external MIDI device, you can use the MIDI Tuplet Lets you input irregular note groupings
Keyboard window to enter MIDI notes using (such as triplets or quintuplets). The tuplet length
Step Input. See “MIDI Keyboard Window” is calculated from the note spacing selection and
on page 594, the Tuplet values. For example, an eighth note
equals 480 ticks, so tuplet eighth notes with 3 in
To increase a note’s length while using Step Input:
time of 2 would yield a note spacing of 320 ticks
1 Play and hold a note on your MIDI instrument. (480 ticks / 3 * 2).
When a note is being held on the MIDI Note Length Lets you select the note length as a
keyboard, Next Step changes to read percentage of the spacing value. For example, an
“Increment.” eighth note equals 480 ticks, so an eighth note with
an 80% duration would be 384 ticks long.
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.

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1087

 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 insertion
point has moved forward to the next note, Undo
Step removes the entire last note.
100% 80% 120%

Note length percentages When a note is being held on the MIDI keyboard,
Undo Step changes to read “Decrement,” and re-
Step Input Options moves the last Step Increment length that was
Use Input Velocity When selected, MIDI notes are added to the held note.
recorded using the velocity that you play on your Next Step (or Increment) When no note is being
MIDI keyboard. held on the MIDI keyboard, Next Step moves the
Set Velocity To When selected, MIDI notes are insertion point by the Step Increment value, essen-
recorded with the velocity that you specify in the tially inserting a musical rest.
Velocity field. This value can be set with the When a note is being held on the MIDI keyboard,
Velocity slider. Next Step changes to read “Increment” and adds
Enable Numeric Keypad Shortcuts When se- the Step Increment value to the held note, increas-
lected, Step Input options can be selected from the ing its length by the Step Increment value.
numeric keypad. See “Numeric Keypad Shortcuts While the note is being held, the Step Increment
for Step Input” on page 1089. value can be changed, allowing you to create notes
of any musical length.
Undo Step, Next Step, and Redo Step
Redo Step Reinserts the last note that was
Use the Undo Step and Next Step buttons to do the
removed by the Undo Step operation.
following:
• Move the step insertion point, by either remov-
ing the previous note or by advancing the inser-
Triggering the Undo Step, Next
Step, or Redo Step Buttons
tion point by the Step Increment value.
• Lengthen and shorten notes that are being held The Undo Step, Next Step, and Redo Step buttons
on the MIDI controller, by adding or removing can be set to be triggered by an external MIDI
Step Increment values. The Step Increment synth, drum pad, or other controller.
value can be changed mid-note to create a note
To set Undo Step, Next Step and Redo Step MIDI
with a hybrid note length. triggers:

1 Place the Edit insertion on a track at the location

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.

1088 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Play the MIDI event you want to use as a
trigger.

If you use a continuous controller as a

trigger (such as Pitch Bend), you should
make certain to use an extreme controller
value to avoid erroneous data input.

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 con-
trols, using your computer’s numeric keypad.
:

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 /

Chapter 48: Event Operations 1089

1090 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 49: HEAT

HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm To enable (or disable) HEAT in a session, do one of
Technology) is a software option that adds “analog the following:
color” to Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio software.  Select (or deselect) Options > Activate HEAT.
HEAT is available in both DSP and Native for-
mats. To use HEAT, iLok authorizations are re-  Select (or deselect) the HEAT On/Off button in
quired for both HEAT and Pro Tools Ultimate or the Mix window in HEAT view.
Studio. You can also enable the Enable HEAT in New Ses-
HEAT is applied to all active audio tracks in your sions option in the Pro Tools Preferences to have
session, emulating magnetic recording tape com- HEAT automatically enabled for all new sessions.
bined with harmonic coloration commonly experi-
To enable (or disable) HEAT for new sessions:
enced with analog mixing consoles. Use HEAT to
open up your mixes with warm, analog-modeled 1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
soft-saturated distortion. 2 Click the Processing tab.
3 In the DSP Management section, select (or de-
Enabling HEAT select) the Enable HEAT in New Sessions op-
tion.
When enabled, HEAT is applied to all active audio
4 Click OK.
tracks in your session, emulating the effect of an
analog mixing console. HEAT is supported with
all mono, stereo, and surround formats.
About HEAT Processing
With HDX systems, HEAT uses DSP resources on
all active audio tracks. This is important to know HEAT provides global controls for Drive and
because as you increase (or decrease) the number Tone. These affect all audio tracks where HEAT is
of audio tracks in the session, you also increase (or not bypassed.
decrease) the amount of DSP resources required to
keep HEAT hot. Note that HEAT does not use Drive
DSP resources on inactive audio tracks.
The Drive control introduces non-linear processing
With Pro Tools Ultimate Software on Native sys- that emulates magnetic recording tape combined
tems or Pro Tools Studio software, HEAT uses the with harmonic information commonly found in an-
host-processor. alog gear.

Chapter 49: HEAT 1091

 Turning the Drive control counter-clockwise emu- HEAT Processing
lates tape-based non-linear distortion. As with
With HEAT processing, the peaks in the signal are
tape, increasing the Drive control level by turning it
being reduced while the low level harmonic con-
counter-clockwise increases harmonic content by
tent is increased, thus reducing the level of existing
adding higher frequency odd harmonics (starting
peaks. Think of it as a tube or tape doing soft clip-
with the 3rd and 5th harmonics). HEAT also emu-
ping, “squashing” the peaks and causing analog
lates the recording and reproduction equalizers of
compression over a wide dynamic range.
tape decks that further modifies the harmonic con-
tent. As a result, when turning the Drive control
How Much Processing Should I Use?
counter-clockwise, HEAT fattens up the bottom
and mid-range of the processed audio and smooths HEAT processing is level and program dependent.
high-frequency transients as you increase the Although a general setting usually works for many
processing. sources, some settings that work best for one
source may not have the desired effect for another
Turning the Drive control clockwise has a more ag-
source. If you need a general purpose setting try
gressive effect, adding an even harmonic series
adding two steps of the Drive control (in either di-
commonly found in triode tube circuits to the odd
rection).
harmonic series. This can give the effect of prized
tube microphones and other tube based analog Since your ears may not be used to the changes to
gear. the harmonic content that HEAT provides, you
may need to spend a little time listening to the ef-
Note that the harmonic structure changes with sig-
fect of HEAT processing on your program material
nal level and the amount of processing being ap-
to acclimate yourself. The human ear loves a little
plied, just like it does with vacuum tubes in the an-
harmonic generation. Experiment with the settings
alog world.
to discover what sounds best to you.

Tone Once you are used to how the program material

sounds with some HEAT processing, disabling
As with tape, there can be loss of high frequencies HEAT can highlight the subtle yet significant ef-
with respect to low frequencies if driven far fect of HEAT on your program material.
enough, as the high frequencies start compressing
sooner than the low frequencies. HEAT can com- The amount of processing can result in subtle
pensate for these losses, adding more detail and changes or drastic changes depending on what the
some brightness too, depending on the program program is like, and how it was recorded. The dif-
material and its level. Moving the Tone control ference between processing an analog or digital re-
away from its default position accentuates (clock- cording can be subtle or drastic. It may be easier to
wise) or de-accentuates (counter-clockwise) the hear the effect of the processing in material that is
amount of detail and brightness. more “open,” as opposed to material that is more
dense. The amount of low frequency information
The effect of the Tone control is different, depend- added also affects how you hear the processing.
ing on the Drive control setting. The amount and
character of the harmonic content is changed by
this control, in a non-linear fashion, unlike what a
tone control in an equalizer would do.

1092 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Tone Adjust the Tone (bass to treble) for HEAT.
HEAT Controls Turn the control to the right for a brighter sound
HEAT provides a simple set of master controls for and to the left for a darker sound.
the tuning the color of the effect, and a set of con-
Showing and Hiding HEAT Master
trols for each audio track in your session.
Controls

HEAT Master Controls HEAT Master controls can be viewed in the Mix
window.
The HEAT Master controls let you adjust the
amount and color of HEAT processing for all au- To show (or hide) HEAT Master controls:
dio tracks. Take some time to experiment with dif-
 Click the Show/Hide HEAT View button in the
ferent settings until you get the desired tone color
lower right corner of the Mix window.
for your mix.

HEAT Master controls

Show/Hide HEAT Master View button in the Mix
On/Off (HEAT) Enables (or disables) HEAT in window
your Pro Tools session.
HEAT Track Controls
Bypass (BYPASS) Bypasses HEAT processing
without disabling it. Note that bypassing HEAT HEAT track controls are available on all audio
does not free up DSP or Native resources needed tracks. HEAT only affects audio tracks.
for HEAT.

Meter Displays the average amount of HEAT pro-

cessing across all audio tracks.

Drive Adjusts the amount of Drive for HEAT, HEAT Track controls
which emulates the distortion you get when over-
Bypass (BYP) Bypasses HEAT processing for the
driving an analog channel strip on a console. At the
individual audio track. Note that bypassing HEAT
default 12 o’clock position, no HEAT processing
on individual tracks does not free up the DSP re-
is applied. Turn the knob counter-clockwise to add
sources used by HEAT for that track.
odd harmonics to the mix (a magnetic tape satura-
tion–like effect). Turn the knob clockwise to add Pre/Post Insert (PRE) Sets HEAT processing to be
even harmonics to the odd harmonic series for the Pre or Post inserts on the individual track. HEAT
effect of simulating a triode tube circuit. processing is Pre Inserts when the PRE button is
lit.

Chapter 49: HEAT 1093

 Meter Displays the amount of HEAT processing
on the individual audio track. On multichannel Master Bypass and Track
tracks, the meter shows the average amount of Bypass Indicators
HEAT applied to all channels of that track. The Track Bypass button is color coded to indicate
whether or not HEAT is explicitly (or implicitly)
Showing and Hiding HEAT Track
bypassed when Master Bypass is enabled. Explic-
Controls
itly bypassed tracks remain bypassed when dis-
HEAT Track controls can be viewed in the Mix abling the Master Bypass.
window.
When a track is explicitly bypassed, the BYP but-
To show (or hide) HEAT Track controls, do one of ton is bright orange.
the following:

 Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window Views >

HEAT.

 Select (or deselect) HEAT in the Mix Window HEAT Track and Master controls with bypassed track
View selector.
When the Master Bypass is enabled, it is bright or-
ange and any explicitly bypassed track BYP but-
tons also remain bright orange. For any implicitly
bypassed track, the BYP button changes to dark or-
ange.

HEAT Track and Master controls with Master bypass

Selecting HEAT in the Mix Window View selector

1094 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Insufficient DSP Resources
A Note About Other Track
Types It is possible that your system may have insuffi-
cient DSP resources to add more audio tracks to
HEAT only affects audio tracks. It is not applied to the session when HEAT is enabled (because there
Instrument, Auxiliary Input, or Master tracks. If is not enough DSP available for HEAT on the new
you are using virtual instrument plug-ins on an In- tracks). Should this occur, Pro Tools prompts you
strument or Auxiliary Input track and want to ap- to do one of the following:
ply HEAT, you can either bus record audio from
that track to an audio track, or you can bus the out- • Create the new tracks, but make them inactive.
put of the track to the input of an audio track and (Inactive audio tracks do not use any DSP re-
enable Input monitoring. sources.)
• Disable HEAT and create the new tracks.

When opening a session that was saved with

DSP and Voice Requirements HEAT enabled, but your system does not have
(HDX Systems Only) enough DSP to apply HEAT to all active audio
tracks in the session, HEAT is automatically dis-
The amount of DSP resources used by HEAT is
abled. The session notes dialog will indicate that
based on the number of voices used for audio
HEAT has been made inactive.
tracks, the type of DSP hardware, and the session
sample rate. Once the session is open, you can manage which
tracks you want to have active with HEAT enabled
The following table lists the number of mono au-
within the DSP limitations of your system. You
dio tracks per DSP chip that are available with
can also expand your HDX system with additional
HEAT processing enabled.
cards to increase the available DSP resources for
Available number of mono audio tracks per DSP chip HEAT.
DSP Chip 44.1/ 88.2/ 176.4/
Type 48 kHz 96 kHz 192 kHz In some cases, if the session you are opening has a
lot of active DSP plug-ins, the session may open
HDX 86 42 19 with HEAT enabled, but make some of the ses-
sion’s DSP plug-ins inactive. This is because
Stereo tracks require twice the DSP of mono HEAT processing takes priority over DSP plug-in
tracks, and surround formats require as much DSP processing.
per channel as the corresponding number of mono
tracks (for example, a 5.1 track uses the same
amount of DSP as 6 mono tracks).

Chapter 49: HEAT 1095

 Voice Requirements D-Control and D-Command
When enabling HEAT, extra voices may be re- With D-Control or D-Command, you can access
quired to make HEAT active if HEAT is set to Pre HEAT Master Controls in the Custom Fader sec-
insert on a track and the first plug-in on that track is tion, and HEAT channel controls directly from the
a Native plug-in. If there are an insufficient num- channel strips.
ber of voices available, HEAT cannot be activated.
Master Controls
If HEAT is already active, set to Post insert on a
track, and a Native plug-in is the first plug-in on HEAT Master Controls include On/Off, Bypass,
that track, HEAT may require extra voices to be Drive, and Tone.
changed to Pre insert. If there are an insufficient
number of voices available, the Pre button will be To access HEAT Master Controls from D-Control
or D-Command:
inactive until you increase the number of voices (in
the Playback Engine) or until more voices are  Shift+Control+Press the Plug-Ins switch in the
made available (such as by making some audio Custom Fader section.
tracks inactive).
HEAT creates a Custom Fader for HEAT and
maps controls to the middle encoders as described
below.
Using HEAT with a Control
Surface D-Control
(ICON and C|24 Only)
D-Control provides HEAT Master Controls within
You can use the following features provided on a single Custom Fader (#8)
ICON (D-Control™ and D-Command) and C|24 to HEAT Master Controls on D-Control
control HEAT.
Encoder Parameter Action
For information about using HEAT with Avid
#3 HEAT (On/Off) Rotate the
Artist and Pro Series Control Surfaces, see encoder, or
the Pro Tools EUCON Guide. press encoder 3
BMP, to toggle

#4 MstByp (Master Rotate encoder,

Bypass) or press encoder
4 BMP, to toggle

#5 Drive Rotate encoder

#6 Tone Rotate encoder

1096 Pro Tools Reference Guide

D-Command (Custom Fader 7 and 8) D-Control

D-Command provides HEAT Master Controls in On D-Control, encoders/BMP switches 5 and 6

the encoder sections of two Custom Faders (7 and map to HEAT Pre/Post and Bypass, respectively.
8).
To toggle a channel between (HEAT) Pre or Post
HEAT Master Controls on D-Command
Inserts:
Encoder Parameter Action
 Do one of the following:
#1 HEAT (On/Off) Press BMP to • Rotate encoder 5
(Fader 7) toggle, or rotate
the encoder • Press encoder 5 BMP switch.

#2 MstByp (Master Press BMP to To toggle a channel in or out of HEAT Bypass:

(Fader 7 Bypass) toggle, or rotate
the encoder  Do one of the following:
• Rotate encoder 6
#1 Drive Rotate encoder
(Fader 8) • Press encoder 6 BMP switch.
#2 Tone Rotate encoder D-Command
(Fader 8)
On D-Command, both channel encoders and their
Channel HEAT Bypass and Pre/Post BMP switches map to HEAT Pre/Post (upper en-
coder row) and Bypass (lower encoder row).
When HEAT is enabled in a session, each channel
strip provides HEAT Bypass and Pre/Post. You
To toggle a channel in or out of HEAT Bypass:
can access these channel settings directly from D-
Control and D-Command channel strips. Channel  Do one of the following:
HEAT controls follow Do To All and Do to All Se- • Rotate the lower encoder.
lected modifiers. • Press the lower encoder’s BMP switch.
To access HEAT in the channel strip:
To toggle a channel between (HEAT) Pre or Post
1 Make sure HEAT is enabled in the session. Inserts:

2 Shift+Control+Press the channel Inserts switch.  Do one of the following:

• Rotate the upper encoder.
• Press the upper encoder’s BMP switch.

HEAT supports Flip mode for both its Master

and Channel controls.

Chapter 49: HEAT 1097

 C|24
C|24 lets you adjust HEAT Master Controls from encoders 21–24, and HEAT channel controls in each
channel strip.

Master Controls

To access HEAT Master Controls on C|24:

 Press the Soft Keys switch in the Channel Bar. To exit, press the Soft Keys switch again.

HEAT Master Controls are mapped to the encoder and encoder switches of channel strips 21–24, as shown
in Table 1 on page 1098.

Channel HEAT Bypass and Pre/Post

When HEAT is enabled in a session, each channel strip provides HEAT Bypass and Pre/Post. You can ac-
cess these channel settings directly from C|24 channel strips. Channel HEAT controls follow Do To All
and Do to All Selected modifiers.

To access HEAT channel controls:

1 Make sure HEAT is enabled in the current session.
2 In the channel strip, press and hold the channel Insert switch. To exit, press the same switch again.

To toggle a channel in or out of HEAT Bypass:

 Press the channel Bypass switch.

To toggle a channel between (HEAT) Pre or Post Inserts:

Rotate the channel encoder, or press the encoder switch, and choose Pre or Post.
Table 1. HEAT Master Controls on C|24

Encoder: 21 22 23 24

HEAT (On/Off) MstByp (Master Drive Tone

Parameter
Bypass)

Press the Encoder Press the Encoder Rotate encoder Rotate

Action
switch to toggle switch to toggle encoder

1098 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part IX: Mixing
Chapter 50: Basic Mixing

Mixing in Pro Tools involves working with ele-

ments of audio signal flow, including inputs, out- Metering and Calibration
puts, busses, inserts, and sends, for purposes of Meters provide a visual display of signal levels.
submixing and mixdown. They tell whether signal is getting to a channel, and
how loud or soft a signal is relative to (above or be-
In addition to the final mixdown, mixing tasks can
low) “0.”
occur any time during a session.
By calibrating all your equipment to standard ref-
During mixing, real-time plug-ins and hardware
erence levels, a consistent level can be achieved
inserts provide effects and signal processing (see
(and metered) among different recording devices
Chapter 51, “Plug-In and Hardware Inserts”).
in a studio, throughout a facility, or throughout an
entire production chain. For example, a level of –
18 dBFS coming out of a DAT deck should play
Mixing Concepts and meter at –18 dBFS in Pro Tools.
Mixing involves making decisions about elements
such as volume levels, panning, and effects in your Calibrating Audio Interfaces
studio. While you can control many variables in (HD I/O Only)
your studio (such as speakers and room acoustics),
you cannot control the listening environment in If you are using an HDX or HD Native system with
which your final mix will be heard. The following an HD I/O, use the Calibration Reference Level
tips will help you make your mix sound as good as option (in the Operation Preferences page) to set
possible to as many listeners as possible: the reference level when Pro Tools is in Calibra-
tion mode.
Alternate Speakers and Reference
Monitoring Listen to your mixes on a variety of For instructions on calibrating an HD I/O,
different speakers to gauge how well the mix will see the HD I/O Guide.
translate to different playback systems.

Reference Mixes Make audio CDs and MP3-en-

coded files of rough mixes and audition them out-
side the studio in different listening environments.

Format Compatibility Monitoring Check stereo

mixes for compatibility with mono playback sys-
tems, and multichannel surround mixes for com-
patibility with stereo playback systems.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1101

 Multichannel audio tracks and surround mixing
Signal Flow by Track Type formats are supported by Pro Tools Ultimate and
Pro Tools provides the following track types: Studio only.

• Audio Source: any mono, stereo, or

Source multichannel audio file, playing
• Auxiliary Input (and Routing Folder) or Input back from disk
Input: while record-monitoring or
• Master Fader in TrackInput monitoring mode

• MIDI
HEAT option, pre-insert
• Instrument
• VCA Master
Inserts
(plug-ins or
Audio, Auxiliary Input (and Routing Folder), Mas- hardware
inserts)
ter Fader, and Instrument tracks can route audio.
MIDI and Instrument tracks can route MIDI data.

VCA Master tracks do not pass audio or MIDI HEAT option, post-insert
data, but do affect controls on other tracks. See
“VCA Master Tracks” on page 1107.
Sends, pre-fader
Tracks can be identified in the Mix window by
their Track Type icon.
Input Record
Track Type icons Solo Mute

Volume

Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, VCA Master,

MIDI, and Instrument tracks

For information on creating tracks, see

“Creating Tracks” on page 251. Sends, post-fader

Audio Tracks and Signal Flow

Panner
Audio tracks play audio from disk, record audio to
disk, and monitor input signals when record-en-
abled or in TrackInput monitoring mode. Inserts Output
on audio tracks are pre-fader. Sends on audio
Main Output
tracks can be pre- or post-fader. + Additional Outputs

Mono and stereo audio tracks are available on all Audio track audio signal flow
Pro Tools systems.

1102 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Auxiliary Input tracks are used as inputs for audio
Auxiliary Input Tracks and from external MIDI instrument and other sources,
Signal Flow as well as to submix internal bus and output paths.
Auxiliary Input tracks provide the same signal They can be fully automated. When using Auxil-
routing options as audio tracks, except that their in- iary Input tracks as inputs for external sources, ad-
put must come from an internal bus or hardware in- just the source output levels to achieve proper re-
put. Inserts on Auxiliary Inputs are pre-fader. cording levels.

Routing Folder tracks provide the same signal Common Uses for Auxiliary
routing options as Auxiliary Input tracks. Inputs
Auxiliary Inputs can be used to:
Input • Apply real-time plug-ins or an external proces-
Source: bus or
hardware input path sor to a submix, using the Auxiliary Input as an
effects return (such as reverb or bus line com-
Inserts pression)
(plug-ins or
hardware
inserts) Sends, pre-fader • Input audio from external MIDI instruments 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)
Solo Mute
• Consolidate volume control of any submix un-
der a single fader
Volume
• Mix multiple outputs from an instrument
plug-in.

Routing an Auxiliary Input

To route an Auxiliary Input:
Sends, post-fader 1 Click the Input Path selector of the Auxiliary In-
put and choose an input or bus path.

Panner 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 return
Output
volume.
Main Output
+ Additional Outputs See the submix examples in “Signal Routing
for Monitoring and Submixing” on
Auxiliary Input track audio signal flow page 1134.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1103

 Unlike inserts on audio tracks and Auxiliary In-
Master Fader Tracks and puts, Master Fader inserts are post-fader. This lets
Signal Flow you insert a dither plug-in, or similar plug-in, on
Master Fader tracks control the master output lev- your master mix, and affect its processing with the
els of output and bus paths. When assigned to an Master Fader level (for more information, see
active output or bus path, they provide post-fader “Dither” on page 1149).
effects processing and master level control for a
If you absolutely must have a pre-fader insert
main mix, headphone and cue mixes, stems, ef-
on your Master Fader signal, set up an Aux-
fects sends, and other signal routing applications.
iliary Input before the Master Fader. For ex-
Master Faders support all track formats supported
ample, if you want compression on the mix,
on your Pro Tools system.
but you also want to fade out the mix, insert a
compression plug-in on the Auxiliary Input
Input (source) determined by track and insert a dither plug-in on the Mas-
output assignment (of other
tracks) ter Fader track that is assigned to the Output
Volume path of the Auxiliary Input track. Then you
can fade out with the Master Fader without
changing the compression threshold for the
mix.

Master Fader Meters

Meters on Master faders always show post-fader

levels, regardless of the Pre-Fader Metering setting
in the Options menu.
Inserts,
post-fader
(plug-ins or Master Faders and Paths
hardware)
Master Faders can be assigned to main or sub-
paths as defined in the I/O Setup. Multiple Master
Faders cannot be assigned to the same path.
Output
Main Output
+ Additional Outputs Active and Inactive Master Faders

Master Fader track audio signal flow When a Master Fader track is inactive, its associ-
ated plug-ins, I/O assignments, and their resources
Master Faders do not consume any of your sys-
are made inactive.
tem’s audio processing power. Master Faders pro-
vide up to five post-fader inserts and no sends. When a Master Fader output assignment (path as-
Also, Master Fader tracks do not have Pan sliders, signment) is made inactive, the Master Fader no
or Mute and Solo buttons. longer controls the master gain of that path.

When you duplicate a Master Fader track, the du-

plicated track’s assignment will be inactive.

1104 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Common Uses for Master Faders Using a Master Fader
Master Faders can be used to: To use a Master Fader as a stereo master volume
• Control and process output mixes control:

• Monitor and meter an output (such as a bus or 1 Create a stereo Master Fader track.
hardware output) to guard against clipping 2 Set the outputs of all audio tracks in the session
• Control submix levels to the main output path (for example, outputs 1–
2 of your primary audio interface) and set the
• Control effects sends levels
panning for each track.
• Control submaster (bussed tracks) levels
3 Set the output of the Master Fader to the main
• Apply dither or other inserts to an entire mix output path.
• Control the monitoring path with a EUCON
control surface To use a Master Fader to trim the input to a submix:
1 Create an Auxiliary Input track.
Use Master Faders to control submix levels, send
level masters, and other outputs. Master Faders can 2 Bus the signal from audio tracks in your session
control either output or internal busses. You can to the input of the Auxiliary Input track.
use a Master Fader track assigned to an Output
3 Create a stereo Master Fader track and assign
path as a master volume control. You can also use
the Output to the bus path that feeds the Auxil-
a Master Fader track assigned to a bus to trim the
iary Input track.
inputs to Auxiliary Input tracks for submixes to
avoid clipping.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1105

 Common Uses for Instrument
Instrument Tracks and Signal Tracks
Flow
By playing back MIDI from or through an Instru-
Instrument tracks provide the same audio signal ment track you can control and monitor the audio
routing options as Auxiliary Input tracks, except from:
that their input must come from an instrument
• Instrument plug-ins, such as software synthesiz-
plug-in inserted on that Instrument track, or from a
ers or samplers.
bus or hardware input.
• External MIDI instruments, such as synthesizers
Input Instrument plug-in,
and samplers
internal bus, or
hardware instrument
Inserts
(plug-ins or
Routing with an Instrument
hardware Track
inserts)
Sends, pre-fader
To route audio from an external MIDI instrument to
an Instrument track:
Record
(MIDI only) 1 Click the Input Path selector of the Instrument
Solo/Mute
track and choose the corresponding hardware
input for your external MIDI instrument.
Volume
2 Click the Output Path selector of the Instrument
track and choose an output or bus path.
3 In Instruments view, click the MIDI Input selec-
tor, and assign a device and channel from the
pop-up menu to record and control the external
Sends, post-fader MIDI instrument.
4 In Instruments view, click the MIDI Output se-
Panner lector, and assign the port and channel for the
external MIDI instrument from the pop-up
menu.Adjust the Instrument fader to set the vol-
Output ume.

Main Output For information on assigning MIDI input

+ Additional Outputs and output for Instrument tracks, see “As-
Instrument track audio signal flow signing MIDI Input and Output for Instru-
ment Tracks” on page 280.
Instrument tracks are used as inputs for instrument
plug-ins, and other sources (including internal bus-
ses). They can be fully automated. When using an For information inserting plug-ins on tracks,
Instrument track as an input for an external source, see “Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks” on
adjust the output level at the source to achieve page 1157.
proper recording level.

1106 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 VCA Member Track Control
VCA Master Tracks Indications
VCA Master tracks emulate the operation of volt- Unlike VCAs on traditional analog consoles, VCA
age-controlled amplifier channels on analog con- Master tracks in Pro Tools directly affect their
soles, where a VCA channel fader would be used member tracks, so that the controls on each mem-
to control, group, or offset the signal levels of other ber track always show their actual values:
channels on the console.
• The output level of each member track is indi-
VCA Master tracks do not pass audio, so they do cated by the position of its fader.
not have inputs, outputs, inserts or sends. A Mix • The solo, mute, record enable, and TrackInput
group is assigned to a VCA Master track, which status of each member track are indicated by the
appears in the VCA track’s Group Assignment se- corresponding controls on the track.
lector. The controls of the tracks in that Mix group,
called the member tracks, are modified by the con- This ensures that even when a VCA Master track is
trols on the VCA Master. not visible, the true state of its member tracks is ac-
curately displayed.

Group Assignment VCA Member Track Controls and

selector
Group Behavior
When a group is assigned to a VCA Master, the
VCA-modifiable controls (Volume, Mute, Solo,
TrackInput Record
Record Enable and TrackInput) on its member
Solo Mute tracks, by default, do not follow any grouped be-
havior that may be set in the Attributes page of the
Groups dialog. This lets you control the output lev-
Volume
els of the group’s member tracks while retaining
the ability to adjust individual member track lev-
Level meters
els.

Member tracks can be set to follow normal

grouped behavior. See “Assigning Groups to VCA
VCA Track Type indicator Masters” on page 1109.

VCA Master track

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1107

 Common Uses for VCA Master Solo
Tracks
The VCA Solo button controls the solo state of au-
By grouping tracks in a Mix group and assigning dio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, MIDI, and other
that group to a VCA Master track, you can: VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled group.
• Control the output levels of all the VCA group’s • Soloing a VCA Master will implicitly mute all
member tracks without the need to bus them to tracks except its member tracks, thereby indi-
an Auxiliary Input track or to the same output rectly soloing the member tracks.
path • Soloing a VCA Master will clear any explicit so-
• Create multiple, nested VCA groups and control los on its member tracks, leaving them indirectly
the output levels of multiple submixes at the soloed, and implicitly mute all other tracks.
same time • Explicitly soloing a member track while its
• Automate a submix by automating its VCA VCA Master track is soloed will override the
Master track VCA Master solo.

Record Enable
VCA Master Track Controls
The controls on a VCA Master track affect the cor- The VCA Record Enable button toggles the Re-
responding controls on the member tracks in its as- cord Enable status of only those audio, Instrument,
signed Mix group. VCA Master tracks have the and other VCA tracks that have already been re-
following controls: cord-enabled individually. You can then toggle re-
cord enable on and off for those tracks using the
Volume VCA Master Record Enable.

The VCA Volume fader controls the Volume fader To temporarily force all member tracks to toggle
on audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, Master their record enable status:
Fader, and other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
controlled group. (Volume faders on MIDI tracks Record Enable button on the VCA Master.
are not affected.) Volume faders on member tracks
move to show the composite level, or the level on TrackInput
each track resulting from the position of the VCA
Master Volume fader. The VCA TrackInput button toggles the input
monitor status of only those audio tracks in a
Mute VCA-controlled group that are record-enabled.
You can toggle input monitor status for those
The VCA Mute button controls the mute state of tracks using the VCA Master TrackInput button.
audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, MIDI, and
other VCA Master tracks in a VCA-controlled To temporarily force all member tracks to toggle
group. Muting a VCA-controlled group does not their input monitoring status:
change the underlying mute state of member  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
tracks. (Mute buttons on member tracks that were VCA Master TrackInput button on the VCA
previously unmuted show an implicit mute.) Master.

1108 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Level Meter Track Membership in Multiple VCA Groups

On VCA Master tracks, level meters indicate the It is possible for a single member track to be a
highest level occurring on any of its individual member of more than one VCA-controlled group.
tracks, not a summed level of all member tracks. In this case, the contribution of all VCA Master
Volume faders is summed on the member track.
The channel format of level meters on the VCA Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and TrackInput follow
Master is set according to the channel formats of the same rules for enabling or disabling member
its member tracks, as follows: tracks.
• If all member tracks are the same channel format
(mono, stereo or a multichannel format), the Allowing Grouped Behavior of
number of level meters on the VCA Master track VCA Member Track Controls
is identical to that of the member tracks.
When a track is a VCA member track, its Volume,
• If the member tracks are different formats, the
Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and TrackInput con-
number of level meters on the VCA Master track
trols follow VCA functions, and normally do not
is set to one.
follow Mix group behavior.

Assigning Groups to VCA However, these member track controls can be set
Masters to allow Mix group behavior in addition to their
VCA functions.
An existing Mix group can be assigned to a VCA
Master, or a new Mix group can be assigned to a To allow grouped behavior of VCA-related controls
VCA Master while it is being created. Only one on member tracks:
group can be assigned to a VCA Master at a time. 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
A VCA Master cannot control a group that in-
cludes itself. 2 In the Automation section, deselect the
Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes
To assign an existing group to a VCA Master: option.
 Click the Group Assignment selector on the 3 Click OK.
VCA Master track and choose an available
group from the pop-up menu. Volume, Mute, Solo, Record Enable, and TrackIn-
put are made available as Mix group attributes in
the Group dialog.

Assigning an existing group to a VCA Master

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.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1109

 Plug-In Formats
Inserts
Pro Tools supports mono and stereo plug-ins, in-
Pro Tools lets you insert up to ten inserts (A–E and cluding the following three types of plug-in paths:
F–J) on each audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader,
or Instrument track. Each insert can be either a • mono in/mono out
software plug-in insert or a hardware insert, or an • mono in/stereo out
instrument plug-in (see Chapter 51, “Plug-In and • stereo in/stereo out
Hardware Inserts”).
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio sessions also sup-
Inserts provide the following features: port 3–8 channel multi-mono and multichannel
• Plug-Ins and hardware inserts route the signal plug-ins.
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 Configuring Inserts View in
corresponding input and output channels of an the Mix and Edit Windows
audio interface, which can be connected to out-
Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master tracks, and
board effects.
Instrument tracks include two sets of inserts
• Some Instrument plug-ins accept audio from the Views: Inserts A–E (inserts 1–5) and Inserts F–J
track input (letting you use them as processing (inserts 6–10). The View menu provides separate
plug-ins). options for viewing each of set of inserts in the Mix
• Inserts on audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instru- and Edit windows.
ment tracks are pre-fader.
To display inserts in the Mix window:
• Inserts on Master Faders are post-fader.
 Select any of the following:
• Inserts can be bypassed or made inactive.
• View > Mix Window > Inserts A–E.
• Most plug-in controls are fully automatable.
• View > Mix Window > Inserts F–J.

Track Output Format and To display inserts in the Edit window:

Plug-Ins
 Select any of the following:
Pro Tools supports mono, multi-mono, stereo, and
• View > Edit Window > Inserts A–E.
multichannel plug-ins (Pro Tools Ultimate and
Studio only). • View > Edit Window > Inserts F–J.

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 re-
stricts all hardware inserts or plug-ins after the ste-
reo plug-in to be stereo-in/stereo-out plug-ins (or
the supported multichannel format).

1110 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To set the stereo pan depth:
HEAT
1 Choose Setup > Session to open the Session
HEAT (Harmonically Enhanced Algorithm Tech- Setup window.
nology) is a software option that adds “analog
2 Select an option from the Pan Depth selector.
color” to Pro Tools mixes. HEAT is applied to all
active audio tracks in your session, emulating the
effect of an analog mixing console. Use HEAT to
open up your mixes with warm, analog-modeled
soft-saturated distortion. Using HEAT in conjunc-
tion with the Stereo Pan Depth option (in the Ses-
sion Setup window) lets you emulate the effect of
classic analog consoles right in Pro Tools.
Session Setup window, selecting Pan Depth
For more information, see Chapter 49,
“HEAT.”
Stereo Pan Depth Options
The following Pan Depth options are available:
Stereo Pan Depth
–2.5 dB The standard stereo pan depth setting in
Pro Tools lets you select the pan depth for stereo Pro Tools 8.0.x and lower. When opening
output paths. You can set the Pan Depth in the Ses- Pro Tools 8.0.x or earlier session in Pro Tools 8.1
sion Setup window. The Pan Depth setting lets you and later, this is the default option.
set the amount of signal attenuation when a track is
routed to a stereo output and panned to center. –3.0 dB The industry standard pan depth for sur-
round mixers and many consoles. This is the de-
The Surround Mixer requires slightly more fault setting for new Pro Tools 8.1 and later ses-
DSP resources than the Stereo Mixer. Conse- sions.
quently, if you plan to regularly mix in stereo
–4.5 dB The standard pan depth for many
and use a Pan Depth of –2.5, you may want to
British analog consoles.
use the Stereo Mixer plug-in.
–6.0 dB The standard pan depth for full mono
compatibility.

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.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1111

 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 windows,

unless noted otherwise.

Window View Selectors

Both the Edit window and Mix window provide
Window View selectors to configure their views.

Mix Window View selector

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.

 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:
Edit Window View selector  Select View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) >
None.

 Click the Mix Window View selector (or Edit

Window View selector), and select None.

1112 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To show or hide available views in the Mix and Edit Mic Preamps View Shows controls in each track
windows, do one of the following: for Avid PRE or Pro Tools | Carbon.
 Choose View > Mix Window (or Edit Window)
For more information, see the PRE Guide or
and select or deselect one of the view types
the Pro Tools | Carbon Guide.
(such as Comments).
 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 modifier.
Mic Preamps View
To hide a View column in the Edit window:
Instruments View Shows MIDI controls on Instru-
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) at ment tracks (MIDI Input selector, MIDI Output se-
the top of the column you want to hide (Mic Pre, lector, MIDI volume, MIDI pan, and MIDI mute).
Comments, Instrument, Inserts A–E, Inserts F–
J, Sends A–E, Sends F–J, I/O, Real-Time Prop-
erties, or Track Color).

Window View Options

Comments View Shows any text entered as com- Instruments View
ments in the Track Name/Comments dialog. For HEAT View (Mix Window Only) Shows HEAT
more information, see “Renaming Tracks” on track controls on audio tracks in the Mix window.
page 255. This view is only available in the Mix window for
Pro Tools with an authorized version of the HEAT
option installed.

HEAT View

Inserts View (Inserts A–E and Inserts

F–J) Shows inserts (software plug-ins and hard-
ware I/O inserts) in each track. For more informa-
tion, see “Configuring Inserts View in the Mix and
Edit Windows” on page 1110.
Comments View in the Mix and Edit windows

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1113

 Sends View (Sends A–E and Sends F–J) Shows To show (or hide) the EQ Curve view in the Mix
send assignments in each track. Deselect to hide. window, do one of the following:
For more information, see “Configuring Sends  Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window > EQ
View in the Mix and Edit Windows” on Curve.
page 1124.
 Select (or deselect) EQ Curve from the Mix
Window View selector.

Inserts (A–E) View

Inserts (F–J) View

Sends (A–E) View

EQ Insert indicator

Sends (F–J) View EQ curve

I/O View EQ Curve view in the Mix window

For supported unlinked multi-mono EQ plug-ins

(such as EQ III), the EQ Curve display shows a
Views in the Mix window
color-coded EQ curve for each channel.
EQ Curve View (Mix Window Only) The EQ Curve
view in the Mix window indicates whether or not
an EQ plug-in is inserted on the track, and if so,
displays the curve of that EQ. The EQ Insert indi-
cator is lit when there is an EQ plug-in inserted on
the track and it is grayed out if there is no EQ plug-
in inserted on the track. The EQ Curve updates to
show any changes to the EQ inserted on the track.
If there is more than one EQ inserted on a track, the EQ Insert indicator
EQ Curve view displays the sum of the EQs.

Not all EQ plug-ins support EQ Curve view.

Multiple EQ curves
Most EQ audio plug-ins from Avid and some
third-party plug-ins support EQ Curve view.
Other EQ plug-ins light the EQ Insert indica-
EQ Curve view in the Mix window displaying the EQ
tor, but no EQ Curve is displayed for these curves for each channel of a 5.1 unlinked multi-mono
plug-ins. EQ plug-in

1114 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Meters and Faders View (Mix Window
Only) Shows track meters and faders. Hiding Me-
ters and Faders can be useful for conserving screen
space, especially if you are working with a control
surface.

I/O View Pan pop-up slider (Edit window)

Object View (Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio with

Dolby Atmos Only) Shows the Object controls for
audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks
(mono or stereo only).

Meters and Faders View (Mix window)

I/O View (Edit Window Only) Shows Input and Object view (Edit window)
Output selectors, and Volume and Pan indicators
Real-Time Properties View (Edit Window
in each track.
Only) Shows controls for Real-Time Properties for
MIDI and Instrument tracks. For more information
on Real-Time Properties, see “MIDI Real-Time
Properties” on page 820.

I/O View (Edit window)

Click on the volume or pan indicators in the Edit

window I/O View to adjust the volume or pan con-
trols with a pop-up fader. Real-Time Properties View (Edit window)

Delay Compensation View The Delay Compensa-

tion View displays the total amount of plug-in 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.

I/O View Volume pop-up fader (Edit window)

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1115

 Audio Input and Output Paths
Delay indicator Pro Tools lets you configure the physical input and
User Offset outputs of your audio interfaces and also internal
bus paths and subpaths in the I/O Setup dialog and
Track Compensation
indicator the Hardware Setup dialog. These hardware inputs
and outputs, and internal bus paths can be assigned
Delay Compensation View
as inputs and outputs on audio, Auxiliary Input, In-
Delay values can be specified in either samples or strument, and Master Fader tracks.
milliseconds, as selected in the Mixing Preferences
page. For more information on Delay Compensa- Input Audio Path
tion, see “Delay Compensation” on page 1142.
Input Path selectors determine the source input for
Track Color View Shows track color in each track. audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, and (op-
For detailed information, see “Color Coding for tionally) Instrument tracks. Track inputs can be set
Tracks, Clips, Markers, and Groups” on page 284. from hardware inputs or internal bus paths or sub-
paths. For detailed information on assigning track
Track Collaboration View (Projects Only) .Shows
inputs, see “Assigning Audio Inputs” on page 271.
the collaboration controls for tracks. For more in-
formation about collaboration, see “Track Collab- Hardware input and bus paths can be configured in
oration Track View in the Edit and Mix Windows” the I/O Setup. For more information, see
on page 418. Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.”

You can also define what physical ports are routed

to Pro Tools input ports in the Hardware Setup di-
alog. For more information, see “Configuring the
Playback Engine” on page 96.

Track Collaboration View (Edit window)

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 output
to the chosen main or sub-path. Tracks can be
routed directly to hardware output or internal bus
Track Collaboration View (Mix window) paths and subpaths for submixing (main or sub-
paths).

The track format (mono, stereo, or multichannel)

determines the available main and sub-path
choices for track output. For detailed information
on assigning track outputs, see “Assigning Audio
Outputs” on page 272.

1116 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, Multiple Output Assignments
Master Fader, and Instrument tracks are created,
Pro Tools audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder,
their mono, stereo, or greater-than-stereo multi-
and Instrument tracks can be assigned to multiple
channel format is defined:
output paths. Assigning to multiple paths is an ef-
• Mono tracks can be assigned to any available ficient way to route an identical mix to other dis-
mono, stereo, multichannel main and sub-paths. crete outputs, for simultaneous monitor feeds,
• Stereo tracks can be assigned to any available headphone mixes, or other situations where a par-
mono, stereo, or multichannel main and sub- allel mix is needed.
paths.
To assign a track to multiple outputs:
• Multichannel tracks (Pro Tools Ultimate and
Studio only) can be assigned to any path of any 1 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
channel width. When routing multichannel the Track Output selector and select a main out-
tracks to paths with narrower channel widths, put path.
the output is folded down to the narrower chan- 2 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
nel width. When routing multichannel tracks to additional output paths in the track’s Output
paths with wider channel widths, the output is Path selector. Newly selected output destina-
fanned out. For fold down and fan out, Pro Tools tions are added as additional outputs.
uses the routing coefficients defined in the Mix-
ing Preferences (see “Routing Coefficients” on 3 Do one of the following to close the Output se-
page 132). lector menu and assign all selected paths:
• Press Return.
Output Windows • Press Esc.

Output windows provide the essential track mixing • Click anywhere outside the Output selector
controls (such as track panning and volume), as an menu.
alternative to Mix and Edit window views. Multi-
Option-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-Start-click
channel Output and Send windows also provide
(Windows) to add the assignment to all tracks,
expanded Panner views, and other surround-spe-
or Option-Shift-Control-click (Mac) or Alt-
cific controls. See Chapter 57, “Surround Panning
Shift-Start-click (Windows) to add the assign-
and Mixing.”
ment to all selected tracks.
Output windows are useful in large sessions to
leave important tracks in an anchored location, un-
affected by Mix and Edit window (or control sur-
face) banking. See “Output Windows for Tracks
and Sends” on page 1130.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1117

 Display of Multiple Output When opening sessions, outputs will be made inac-
Assignments tive automatically if the required hardware or other
resources are not available.
When a track is assigned to multiple output paths,
the Output Path selector denotes multiple assign- Inactive outputs retain all associated automation
ment status and active/inactive status with the fol- playlists. Edits made in the session also affect the
lowing indicators: inactive track’s output automation playlists.
• A plus sign (+) indicates that the track has mul-
See “Making Tracks Inactive” on page 283.
tiple output assignments.
To make an inactive output path active, do one of
the following:

 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-

Start-click (Windows) the Output selector.
Indication of multiple output assignments
 Right-click the Output selector and select Make
• In the Output Path selector menu, all currently
Active.
assigned track outputs are checked to indicate
they are active for the current track.
• An asterisk (*) indicates that one or more
Inactive Outputs and DSP
Resources
currently assigned outputs is Inactive.
Making a track output inactive silences the output,
while retaining all automation and playlist data. In-
active outputs do not consume resources for HDX
DSP mixer connections, but any assigned plug-ins
Indication of multiple output assignments with at least on the track continue to use their required DSP re-
one inactive output sources. Host-based AAX plug-ins require CPU
resources. DSP-based AAX plug-ins use the DSP
Inactive Outputs available on HDX cards.
An output path can be made inactive, either glob-
You can free up DSP of an unused plug-in by mak-
ally in the I/O Setup dialog (affecting all tracks as-
ing its track inactive, or by making just the plug-in
signed to that path), or locally per assignment
inactive.
(only affecting that output on that audio, Auxiliary
Input, Routing Folder, or Instrument track). See “Active and Inactive Items” on page 17,
and “Making Inserts Inactive” on page 1156
To make an output path inactive, do one of the
for more information.
following:

 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-

Start-click (Windows) the Output selector.
 Right-click the Output selector and select Make
Inactive.

1118 Pro Tools Reference Guide

About the “No Output” Option Assigning Sends to Tracks
Track outputs can be set to No Output. Assigning a To add a send to a track:
track output to No Output causes any panning au-
1 Make sure Sends View is enabled in the Mix or
tomation associated with the track to be lost.
Edit window (see “Views in the Mix and Edit
Tracks assigned to No Output will not be audible, Windows” on page 1112 for information).
but they do not free their associated DSP 2 Click the Send selector on the track and choose
resources. a path from the pop-up menu.

Sends
Pro Tools lets you insert up to ten sends (A–E and
F–J) on each audio track, Auxiliary Input, Routing
Folder, or Instrument track.

Sends provide the following features:

• Sends can be set as pre- or post-fader.
• Sends can show level meters.
• Send level, pan, mute, and LFE controls can be
configured to follow Groups. Assigning a send to a stereo bus path
• Send level, send mute, and send pan (for stereo The send can be a mono or stereo (or any of the
and multichannel sends) are fully automatable. supported multichannel formats for surround mix-
See “Automating Sends” on page 1210. ing) output or bus path. Paths that are already as-
• Send controls can be displayed and edited from signed are highlighted.
the Mix or Edit windows, or in their own output
Multichannel sends (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
windows.
dio only) can be assigned to any path of any chan-
• Sends can be assigned to available output and nel width. When routing multichannel sends to
bus paths (main or sub-paths), in mono or stereo, paths with narrower channel widths, the output is
or any of the supported multichannel formats for folded down to the narrower channel width. When
surround mixing. routing multichannel sends to paths with wider
• Each send can have multiple assignments (for channel widths, the output is fanned out. For fold
example, to available output and bus paths). down and fan out, Pro Tools uses the routing coef-
ficients defined in the Mixing Preferences (see
To be audible in Pro Tools, sends must be returned “Routing Coefficients” on page 132).
to the mix through an Auxiliary Input, audio track,
or Instrument track. The sends can then be moni-
tored and processed through an Auxiliary Input (or
Instrument track), recorded to audio tracks, and
bounced to disk. (Bouncing and mixdown are ex-
plained in Chapter 54, “Mixdown.”)

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1119

 To change the default setting for sends:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
2 Do one of the following:
• Select Sends Default to “–INF.”
• 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.
• 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.

Search Send Paths

Send window (stereo) To search for a path in a Send:

3 Set the output level of the send in the Send win- 1 Click the path selector for the send you want to
dow by doing one of the following: assign and do one of the following:
• Adjust the Send Level fader. • Type the first character of the path name you
• Set the send level to unity gain (0 dB) by Op- want.
tion-clicking (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Win- • Click Search.
dows) the Send Level fader. • Press Tab.
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.

Searching a path selector

1120 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Type a few letters included the path name that 4 Do one of the following:
you want. Only paths whose names that include • Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) again
those letters (highlighted yellow) now appear in to close the selector menu.
the list (maximum of 20).
• Click anywhere outside the menu.

You can also search Track Presets by name

from the Sends selector. (Track Presets are
not available from the Track Input or Output
selectors.)

To search for and assign multiple paths (Sends

and Track Outputs only):

1 Type to search for each additional path assign-

ment, do one of the following:
• Tab to confirm current tag that you are typing.
• Press Shift+Return.
• Click the entry.
2 Press Return to close the selector menu and as-
sign the outputs.
Searching a path selector, typing to find a path

3 Select the desired path with the mouse, or use

the Up and Down arrow keys to select the path
name.

Searching and assigning multiple outputs

Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) to

assign sends to the same path for all tracks of
the same type.

Searching a path selector, single path found by typing

the first letters of its name Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) to assign sends to the same path for
all selected tracks.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1121

 Muting Sends Creating and Assigning a New
Track from a Send
Pro Tools lets you mute sends individually, for all
selected tracks in your session, or just for sends A– Pro Tools lets you create a new Auxiliary Input,
E or F–J on selected tracks. Audio, or Instrument track from the Send selector
and automatically assign the send to the Input of
To mute (or unmute) a sends from the Send the new track using an available internal mix bus.
window or in the Mix window in Expanded Send
view: To create a new track from a send:
 Click the Mute button for the send. 1 On an existing track, click the Send selector and
select New Track.
To mute (or unmute) sends from the Track menu:
2 In the resulting New Track dialog, select the
1 Select the tracks on which you want to mute
Width, Type, and Time Base for the new track.
sends. Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) to select all tracks shown in the session.
2 Select one of the following:
• Track > Mute Sends > All.
• Track > Mute Sends > A–E. New Track dialog
• Track > Mute Sends > F–J. 3 Type a Name for the new track.

Key Commands for Muting Sends The name entered is used for both the new track
and the new mix bus. (For example, if you entered
Pro Tools provides key commands for muting
the name “Drum Sub,” Pro Tools creates a new
sends on tracks in the Mix window:
Auxiliary Input track named “Drum Sub” and also
 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) a creates an internal mix bus named “Drum Sub.”)
Send Assignment button in the Mix or Edit win-
4 Select (or deselect) whether you want the new
dow to Mute it and all sends below it on a track.
track to be created next to the current track
 Control-Option-click (Mac) or Start+Alt-click (with the send).
(Windows) a Send Assignment button in the Mix
5 Click OK.
or Edit window to Mute it and all sends below it on
all tracks. This lets you mute all sends in your ses- Pro Tools creates a new track with the output of the
sion with a single click. originating send automatically routed to the input
of the new track using an available internal mix
 Press Shift+Q to mute (or unmute) all sends on
bus.
selected tracks.
 Press Shift+4 to mute (or unmute) sends A–E on
selected tracks.
 Press Shift+5 to mute (or unmute) sends F–J on
selected tracks.

1122 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Assigning a send to an existing Auxiliary Input track

Pro Tools automatically routes the send to the in-

put of the selected track using an available internal
mix bus.

Send Formats
New Auxiliary Input track with audio track send Mono and Stereo Sends When you click the
automatically assigned to Bus 1–2 Sends button on a track, you can choose from a list
of mono or stereo output or bus paths.
Assigning an Existing Track
from a Send Multichannel Sends (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
dio Only) When you click the Sends button on a
Pro Tools lets you assign a send directly to an ac- track, you can choose from a list of multichannel
tive Auxiliary Input, Audio, or Instrument track output or bus paths.
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 Send Path Selector Choices
assignment. The choices available in track Send selectors in-
clude bus and output paths.
To assign a send to an available input on an
existing track: The names, format, and channel mapping of
1 On an existing track, click the Send selector and busses and output paths can be customized in
select Track. the I/O Setup dialog. See “Output Busses” on
page 82.
2 From the Track submenu, select the destination
track you want.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1123

 Internal Mix Busses Pro Tools provides internal Assignments View
mix busses for routing signals internally. Internal
bus paths are useful for submixing and processing This is the default Sends View, showing all five of
with plug-ins. Bus paths are defined in the the Sends A–E or Sends F–J sends on all tracks dis-
I/O Setup dialog, and are available in all supported played in the Mix and Edit windows.
channel formats (mono, stereo, or multichannel, as In Assignments View, send controls are adjusted
supported on your system). from Send Output windows (see “Output Win-
Hardware Outputs Hardware sends are often used dows for Tracks and Sends” on page 1130). You
for headphone cue mixes, or for sending signals to can also adjust some send controls in Expanded
external effects processors. Sends do not automat- Send views (see “Expanded Send Views (A–J)” on
ically return audio as do hardware inserts. page 1125).

Send A, Assignment View

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 viewing
these sends in the Mix and Edit windows.

To display sends in the Mix window:

Send selectors (A–E)
 Select any of the following:
• View > Mix Window > Sends A–E.
• View > Mix Window > Sends F–J. Send selectors (F–J)

To display sends in the Edit window:

 Select any of the following:

• View > Edit Window > Sends A–E.
Assignments View, no sends (left) and with an
• View > Edit Window > Sends F–J. assigned send (right)

To show (or hide) send assignments:

Sends View Options  Do one of the following:

• Select (or deselect) View > Sends A–E > As-
Sends are displayed in the Mix and Edit window
signments.
according to the Sends A–E View and Sends F–J
View options. Each Send View has six view • Select (or deselect) View > Sends F–J > As-
choices: Assignments View and five individual signments.
Send Views (A–E or F–J). • Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) any Send selector to toggle be-
tween Sends view and Expanded Sends view.
1124 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Expanded Send Views (A–J) To expand all sends:

Pro Tools lets you expand any combination of in-  Choose View > Expanded Sends > All.
dividual send assignments views. Expanded Send
Command-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
Views provide send level, pan, and mute controls
click (Windows) a send selector to expand or
for a single send across all tracks. Send controls
collapse all sends within the send group
can be adjusted directly from these Send Views.
(Sends A–E or Sends F–J).
Sends can also be opened for control or metering in
Send windows. See “Output Windows for Tracks To collapse all sends:
and Sends” on page 1130.
 Choose View > Expanded Sends > None.

Meters in Send Assignments

Pro Tools can show segmented level meters to the
right of the send path name in the Send Assign-
ment button in normal sends view. Sends only
show post-send fader metering.

To show (or hide) meters in Send Assignments, do

one of the following:

 Choose Setup > Preferences > Metering and se-

lect (or deselect) the Show Send Assignment
Level Meter option (see “Show Send Assign-
ment Level Meter” on page 136).
 Right-click on a track meter and select (or dese-
lect) the Show Send Assignment Level Meter
option.

Expanded Sends view for Sends A, B, and F

To expand (or collapse) a send:

 Select (or deselect) View > Expanded Sends >

Send <n> (A–J).

Command-click (Mac) or Control-click Assignments View, meters shown

(Windows) a send selector to expand or
collapse the send.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1125

 To clear all meters, do one of the following:
Editing Sends in the Mix and
Edit Windows (Individual  Option-click any Clip indicator.
Send Views)  Choose Track > Clear All Clip Indicators.
Individual Send Views (such as Send A) display  Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).
all the controls of an individual send in the sends
area of the Mix and Edit windows. These views In Assignment View, edit sends by opening
provide full access to all controls for that send on their Output windows. See “Output Windows
all tracks. for Tracks and Sends” on page 1130.

Send Status Display

Send selector Send Assignment button When displaying all controls for an individual
Send level Send Pan sends, the Send status is visible directly in the Mix
Send meter Pre/Post Fader button or Edit windows.
Send Mute button
In Assignment View, Send status is displayed as
Send A View, with mono send shown follows:
Send level and mute can follow Mix groups, to ad- • By default, the Send button is gray, to indicate
just multiple send controls from a single set of con- that it is unmuted.
trols. • The Send button text is red when the send has
clipped.
Individual Send Views and • The Send button is blue when the send is muted.
Meters
• The Send button is lit whenever a send’s
When you display the controls for an individual window is open.
send, you also have the option of displaying send
level meters. Unmuted Clipped Muted Window is open
(red text) (blue) (lit Send)
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 displayed,
this is not shown). If you are using a slower com-
puter, hiding send level meters can improve screen
redraw times.
Indication of Send mute, clipping, and window status
To clear a send meter’s Clip indicator:
If you use a control surface (such as S1, S6, or the
 Click the Clip indicator. Avid Control app) with Pro Tools, colored outlines
around sends, inserts, and outputs indicate the cur-
rent controller focus.

1126 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Inactive Sends To toggle sends in the same position (A–J) and
assigned to the same path on all selected tracks
Sends can be made inactive. Inactive sends free active or inactive:
their DSP and mixer resources, while retaining
 Command-Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or
their position in track Sends View. Inactive sends
Control-Start-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) a send
do not output audio. However, Inactive sends re-
button in the position you want to toggle.
tain all related automation playlists. In addition,
edits made to clips on tracks with inactive sends
can still affect the sends automation playlists. Moving or Copying Sends
Sends can be moved or copied to other tracks, or to
When opening sessions, sends will automatically
other positions on the same track by dragging.
be made inactive if the required hardware or other
Sends can be dragged to create new sends at the
resources are not available.
destination, or dragged onto existing send assign-
Active Inactive send Inactive track ments to replace them.
send (italicized and (entire track is italicized
(plain text) grayed out) and grayed out)
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 destination. (For more
information, see “Send Format and Track Compat-
ibility” on page 1127).

To move a send:

 Drag the send name to a new position in the

original track or in a different track.

Display of inactive sends To copy a send:

To make a send inactive, do one of the following:  Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) the
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control- send to a new position.
Start-click (Windows) on the Send assignment.
Moving or copying a send maintains all routing as-
 Make the Track inactive. See “Making Tracks signments, automation, level/pan/mute settings,
Inactive” on page 283. and output format.

To toggle sends in the same position (A–J) and Send Format and Track Compatibility
assigned to the same path on all tracks active or
inactive: Sends can only be copied to other tracks with a
compatible send output format (mono, stereo, or
 Command-Control-Option click (Mac) or Con-
other). In addition, the following conditions apply
trol-Start-Alt click (Windows) a send button in
when moving or copying sends among tracks:
the position you want to toggle.
• When copying a stereo send from a mono track
to a stereo track, Send pan automation (if any)
will be dropped without warning.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1127

 • When copying a stereo send from a stereo track To link a Send’s Pan controls to the Main Pan
to a mono track, the left Send pan controls of a track:
automation data is retained and the right side 1 Click the Send Assignment button for the Send
data is dropped. A warning dialog appears for you want to link to open the Send window.
you to confirm or cancel this destructive opera-
2 In the Send window, click the FMP (Follow
tion.
Main Pan) button.
• When moving or copying a send and replacing
an existing send, all automation on the existing To change the default FMP (Follows Main Pan)
send will be replaced. A warning dialog appears setting for newly created Sends:
for you to confirm or cancel this destructive 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
operation.
2 Under Setup, select or deselect the Send Pans
Default to Follow Main Pan option.
Copying Track Settings to Sends
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
Pre/Post–Fader Indicator for
Sometimes you need send settings to match the Sends
settings in the track itself—for example, to provide
In Sends view in both the Mix and Edit windows,
a headphone mix based on the main mix. You can
the Sends selector changes color to indicate
copy the current values or the entire automation
whether a Send is Pre-fader (blue) or Post-fader
playlist from selected tracks to any of their sends.
(no color). This lets you quickly see which sends
For more information, see “Copying Track are Pre-fader and which are Post-fader simply by
Automation to Sends” on page 1211. glancing at the Sends view of tracks in the Mix or
Edit window.
Linking Send Pan and Main Pan
Controls Pre-fader Post-fader
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 routing.

Pre/Post-fader indicators in Sends view, Mix window

shown

Follow Main Pan button

Linked Send pan controls appear in light gray.

1128 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To select tracks based on the track Input or Output
Bus Interrogation Options assignment, Send assignment, or Hardware Insert
assignment:
Pro Tools lets you select or show tracks based on
the track input or output assignment, send assign-  Right-click the assignment selector and choose
ment, or hardware insert assignment. This can be Select Assignments To for the bus you want.
useful for quickly identifying all tracks that use a
specific input, internal bus, output bus, or hard-
ware insert.

Right-click the assignment selector and choose

from the following options:

Select Assignments To This option selects all

tracks that use a specific input, internal bus, output
bus, or hardware insert.
Choosing the Select Assignments To Bus 9–10 option
Show Assignments To This option shows all
tracks, including hidden tracks, that use a specific To show all tracks based on the track Input or
Output assignment, Send assignment, or
input, internal bus, output bus, or hardware insert. Hardware Insert assignment:
All other tracks remain shown as well.
 Right-click the assignment selector and choose
Show Only Assignments To This option shows Show Assignments To for the bus you want.
only those tracks that use a specific input, internal Any hidden tracks with the corresponding as-
bus, output bus, or hardware insert. All other tracks signment are shown.
are automatically hidden.
To show only tracks based on the track Input or
Restore Previously Shown Tracks This option re- Output assignment, Send assignment, or
stores the previous state of shown and hidden Hardware Insert assignment:
tracks. This option is only available if tracks have
 Right-click the assignment selector and choose
been hidden by using the Show Only Assignments
Show Only Assignments To for the bus you
To option.
want. All other tracks are automatically
Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while hidden.
Right-clicking and selecting any of the Bus
To restore all previously shown tracks:
Interrogation commands to apply the com-
mand to all related paths and sub-paths. For  Right-click any assignment selector and choose
example, Press Option (Mac) or Alt (Win- Restore Previously Shown Tracks.
dows) while Right-clicking an output selector
and choosing Show Only Assignments To Bus
1. If Bus 1 is a sub-path of Bus 1–2, all tracks
using path Bus 1–2, and all tracks using sub-
paths Bus 1 and Bus 2 are shown, and all
other tracks are hidden.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1129

 To open a Send window:
Output Windows for Tracks
and Sends  Click the Send Assignment button in the Mix or
Edit window.
Track Output and Send windows provide standard
Pro Tools track, send, Target, and other controls.
Track outputs and sends can be opened for display
and editing in dedicated windows.
• Track Output windows provide track fader, pan,
automation, solo, and mute controls.
• Send windows provide send level, pan,
automation, and mute controls.
• Standard Output and Send window controls pro-
vide additional routing, assignment, and display
settings.

To open a track Output window:

 Click the Output Window button in the channel

strip.

Opening a Send window

To view a different track Output or Send window:

 Click an Output Window button, or Send

Assignment button, in the Mix or Edit window.

If a similar Output window was already open with

a highlighted Target icon (red, lit), the newly se-
lected send will open in its place.

Opening a track Output window

1130 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Opening Multiple Output Track or Send Fader, Pan
Windows Controls, and Solo, Mute, and
Automation Controls
Multiple Track Output and Send windows can be
displayed simultaneously using either of the fol- Output windows provide the associated track’s
lowing methods. Volume fader, Pan controls, Solo and Mute
switches, and Automation Mode selector. Use
To open additional Track Output or Send windows: these to adjust or automate the controls of the Out-
 Shift-click any Track Output Window button or put window.
Send Assignment button.
Panner Linking
To set a window to remain open when opening
additional Track Output or Send windows: Stereo outputs provide two panning controls, one
for each side of the left/right pair. Multichannel
 Make sure the Target is disabled.
outputs provide a multichannel panner.
Target enabled Target disabled The Output window provides controls to link chan-
nels for precise panning of stereo and multichannel
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 “Inverse
Linked Panning” on page 1132.

When unlinked, Pan controls are completely inde-

pendent of each other.

Inverse icon
Link icon

Unlinked (left), linked (middle), front inverse linked

(right) Send windows

Multiple Send windows open To enable linking:

 Enable the Link icon.

To unlink an output for independent panning:

 Deselect the Link icon.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1131

 Inverse Linked Panning
Track selector Target
When linked and set to Inverse mode, panning
Send selector
moves are inverted or reversed in the other chan- Path selector Pre/Post Fader
nels. Automation Safe Follow Main Pan
Link Inverse Pan
Inverse panning reflects one side’s location and di-
rection in the other side. For example, when en- Send window standard controls
abled for Front Inverse, if you pan one side of a ste- Track Selector Provides access to any audio track,
reo track output from right to left, the other side Auxiliary Input, or Master Fader in the session.
will exactly mirror that movement and pan left to
right. Output View Selector Provides access to other
outputs (track and send) in the track, if any, dis-
Front Inverse linking is available on all systems. playing the selected output in the current window.
Rear Inverse, and Front/Rear Inverse linking are
available on Pro Tools HD systems only, and only Send View Selector (Send Window Only) Pro-
appear as options on multichannel plug-ins and vides access to other sends on the track.
panners/output windows. Output Path Selector Allows you to assign the
Output path for the current track or send.
Link
Front Inverse
Pre/Post Fader Button (Send Window Only) De-
Front/Rear Inverse
termines whether the send is pre- or post-fader.

FMP (Follow Main Pan) (Send Window Only) De-

Rear Inverse termines whether or not panning for the send fol-
Link and Inverse selectors (multichannel track) lows the panning settings of the track. When the
To enable inverse linking: FMP button is enabled, the Panning controls in the
Send window become unavailable and the panning
1 Enable the Link icon.
for the send is determined by the panning settings
2 Select an Inverse mode. for the track.

Automation Safe Protects track and send level,

Standard Selector Controls in pan, and other controls from automation over-
Output Windows writes by placing them in Automation Safe mode.
All Output windows provide standard selectors for See Chapter 53, “Automation” for more informa-
path, automation, and other controls in the top area tion.
of the window (the Output Editor area).
Inverse Pan Reflects one side’s panning location
and direction in the other side (for example, left-
Track selector Target and right-channel Pan controls).
Output View
Path selector selector
Automation Safe Inverse Pan
Link

Output window standard controls

1132 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Link and Unlink Lets you link and unlink left and
right (or other) outputs in stereo (or multichannel). Output Meters
Unlinked mode provides discrete adjustment of in- Pro Tools provides Output meters in the Transport
dividual sides, or channels. When linked, all window and Edit window that display the monitor-
changes affect all channels. See “Panner Linking” ing levels for signals routed to the physical outputs
on page 1131. on your audio interfaces from your session or to in-
Target Identifies the target of plug-in settings com- ternal busses in the session. The top LED is red and
mands. Also sets the current window for display of indicates clipping at the converters on your audio
Output windows. interface (DAC) on the corresponding channels or
on internal busses.
Path Meter View Opens the path Meter View.
These meters display levels of the selected path For Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio systems using
(not the levels of the track or send). greater than stereo output paths, up to 8 meters are
shown. The number of Output meters displayed is
determined by the selected Output paths on tracks.
The meters are ordered according to the channel
order of the Output paths as configured in the I/O
Setup.

The audio paths monitored in the Output meters

are determined by the Output Meter Path setting in
the Output page of the I/O Setup.

To set the Output Meter Paths:

Send meter 1 Choose Setup > I/O Setup.

Path
meters 2 Select the Output tab.
3 From the Output Meter Path selector, select the
desired output path for metering.

Path Meter
selector

Path Meter View in a Send window

Path Meter
View

Selecting the Output Meter Path in the I/O Setup

4 Click OK.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1133

 The channel order is determined by the configura-
tion of the output paths in the I/O setup. Signal Routing for Monitoring
and Submixing
The bussing and mixing features in Pro Tools sup-
port many possibilities for submixing and monitor-
ing, including the ability to:
• Monitor and mix playback of audio tracks with
audio inputs or with MIDI instruments
• Bus submixes for effects processing or monitor-
ing (including headphone or “cue” mixes)
• Mix submixes with Master Faders

Monitoring and Mixing Audio

with Auxiliary Input Tracks
Output Meters channel order determined by the
Output configuration in the I/O Setup Use Auxiliary Input tracks to monitor and mix au-
dio from external sources, such as MIDI instru-
For all Pro Tools systems using stereo output ments, tape, or microphone inputs, in a Pro Tools
paths, stereo meters are shown (L/R). 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 output) to
available inputs on your Pro Tools audio inter-
Stereo Output Meters in the Transport window face.
To show (or hide) Output Meters in the Edit window 2 If necessary, configure the I/O Setup dialog for
transport or in the Transport window:
the input paths you plan to use (see Chapter 6,
 From the Edit window or Transport window “I/O Setup.”)
menu, select (or deselect) Output Meter.
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
Selecting the Output Meters option in the Transport or paths for monitoring.
Window menu
6 Adjust the Auxiliary Input fader to mix the au-
dio input.

1134 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Monitoring and Mixing Audio
with Instrument Tracks
MIDI Input selector MIDI Mute
Use Instrument tracks to monitor and mix audio MIDI Output selector
MIDI Volume control
from instrument plug-ins or external MIDI MIDI Pan control
MIDI Velocity meter
instruments in a Pro Tools mix. Instrument plug-in

To use an Instrument track to monitor and mix the

output of an instrument plug-in:
Audio Input selector
1 Use an existing or create a new Instrument Audio Output (set to no input)
track. selector

2 Choose View > Mix Window > Instruments to

show the MIDI controls of the Instrument track.
3 Select an instrument plug-in from the first Insert
selector on the Instrument track (such as
Xpand2).
4 The virtual MIDI node (port) for the instrument
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 Output
selector.
5 Assign the track audio output to the appropriate
path or paths for monitoring.
6 Adjust the Instrument track fader to mix the au-
Instrument track configured to control and monitor an
dio input.
instrument plug-in (Xpand2 shown)
7 If you are controlling the Instrument plug-in To use an Instrument track to monitor and mix
from the Instrument track, you can also mix audio from an external MIDI instrument:
using the MIDI Volume and Pan controls in the
1 Connect the audio outputs of your external
Instrument View.
MIDI instrument (such as a MIDI synthesizer)
For information on configuring audio and to available inputs on your Pro Tools audio in-
MIDI signal routing for controlling and mon- terface.
itoring ReWire client applications, see the 2 If necessary, configure the I/O Setup dialog for
Audio Plug-Ins Guide. the input paths you plan to use (see Chapter 6,
“I/O Setup.”)
3 Connect the MIDI input and output of your ex-
ternal MIDI instrument to available MIDI input
and output ports on your MIDI interface.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1135

 4 If necessary, configure the MIDI Studio Setup 10 Adjust the Instrument track fader to mix the au-
(Setup > MIDI > MIDI Studio). dio input.
5 Use an existing or create a new Instrument track 11 If you are controlling the external MIDI instru-
with a channel format that corresponds to the ment from the Instrument track, you can also
channel format of your audio source (mono, ste- mix using the MIDI Volume and Pan controls in
reo, or multichannel). the Instrument View.
6 Choose View > Mix Window > Instruments to To monitor and mix audio from an Instrument
show the MIDI controls of the Instrument track. plug-in with multiple audio outputs:
7 Set the audio input of the Instrument track to the 1 Use an existing or create a new Instrument
corresponding input path. track.
8 In the Instrument track’s Instrument View, set 2 Choose View > Mix Window > Instruments to
the MIDI output to the corresponding MIDI show the MIDI controls of the Instrument track.
port connected to the MIDI input of your exter-
3 Select a multi-output instrument plug-in from
nal MIDI instrument.
the first Insert selector on the Instrument track
9 Assign the track output to the appropriate path (such as Xpand!2).
or paths for monitoring.
4 The virtual MIDI node (port) for the instrument
plug-in should be automatically selected for the
MIDI Input selector MIDI Mute Instrument track’s MIDI Output. If not, select
MIDI Volume control
MIDI Output selector the MIDI channel and corresponding port for
MIDI Velocity meter the instrument plug-in.
MIDI Pan control
Audio Input selector
Audio Output (set to input for 5 In the plug-in window, assign the individual au-
selector external MIDI device) dio outputs of the plug-in.
6 Create an Auxiliary Input track for each output
of the plug-in. Make sure the channel format 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 re-
ceive 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 in-
dividual outputs of the plug-in.

Instrument track configured to control and monitor an

external MIDI instrument (K2600 shown)

1136 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Audio is routed to a submix by assigning any com-
bination of sends and track output to available bus
or output paths.

When routing mono signals with internal mix

busses, be sure to use mono busses rather
Instrument
plug-in than splitting stereo busses. Since Pro Tools
keeps stereo busses phase aligned, splitting
Inputs from stereo busses can result in inaccurate delay
plug-in compensation.
outputs

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 pro-
cessed signals. Use track outputs (not sends) to as-
sign tracks to a bus path for discrete submixing. In
this arrangement, the balance of processed and un-
processed signal is controlled by plug-in wet/dry
settings.
Instrument plug-in with multiple outputs routed to
To create a discrete submix:
Auxiliary Input tracks
1 Set the output of the tracks you want to include
Creating a Submix in the submix to a stereo bus path.
A submix is created by routing multiple audio 2 Pan each track.
sources to a common bus or output path. This “sub-
3 Choose Track > New.
mixes” the sources to a single path that can be re-
turned to an Auxiliary Input, where the submix can 4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format
be processed with plug-ins or external effects pro- (stereo), then click Create.
cessors.
5 Set the input of the Auxiliary Input to the same
bus path to which you assigned all contributing
tracks.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1137

 6 Set the output of the Auxiliary Input track to To create an effects return submix with a plug-in or
your main stereo mix outputs (typically, outputs hardware insert:
1–2). 1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
7 Set the Auxiliary Input Track level.
2 On the source tracks, assign a send (mono or
8 To process the submix, assign a plug-in or hard-
stereo) and select a mono or stereo bus path
ware insert on the Auxiliary Input.
from the Send selector. Configure the sends for
9 Set the controls of the plug-in. The plug-in By- pre- or post-fader, as needed.
pass and Wet/Dry controls (if available) deter-
3 Choose Track > New.
mine the amount of effect heard.
4 Specify the track type (Aux Input) and format
The contributing track faders control the balance
(stereo), then click Create.
within the submix. The Auxiliary Input track con-
trols the output levels of all tracks routed to it. 5 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Input Path se-
lector, select the send bus path.
You can apply mix automation to the volume, pan,
mute, and send level, send pan, and send mute con- 6 Solo safe the track so that if you solo another
trols of the Auxiliary Input. track that uses the effects send, you won’t mute
the effects return (see “Solo Safe Mode” on
You can also bounce a submix to disk to free up the page 283).
voices for use by other tracks. See Chapter 54,
7 Assign a plug-in or hardware insert on the Aux-
“Mixdown” for more information.
iliary Input.

Send and Return Submixing for 8 Set the effect to “100% wet,” and set any other
Effects Processing controls.

When you are submixing for reverb, delay, and 9 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Output Path
similar effects processing, use sends to achieve tra- selector, select an output path (main outputs).
ditional send/return bussing. You can use a real-
Adjust the individual track faders to balance the
time plug-in or a hardware insert as a shared re-
dry (unprocessed) tracks. With the send set to pre-
source for all tracks included in a submix. The
fader, the amount of effect is controlled by the
wet/dry balance in the mix can be controlled using
level of the Send Level fader or the Auxiliary Input
the track faders (dry level) and Auxiliary Input
Volume fader. If the send is post-fader, the Send
fader (effect return, or wet, level).
Level fader follows volume level.
See Chapter 51, “Plug-In and Hardware
Inserts” for more information.

1138 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Send and Return Submixes with
External Devices
Effect (plug-in or hardware)
Insert
To create an effects return submix with an external
device:

Send to effect bus

1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
Controls level of send
to effects bus
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. Config-
ure the sends for pre- or post-fader, as needed.
Input set to send bus path
Output set to main mix outs 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 Input Path se-
lector, select the input path connected to the ex-
ternal device.
6 From the Auxiliary Input track’s Output Path
Controls level of effect return
selector, select an output path (main outputs).
7 Adjust the individual track faders to balance the
Controls level of dry signal
dry (unprocessed) tracks.

The amount of effect is controlled by the level of

the Send Level fader or the Auxiliary Input Vol-
ume fader.

Send/return setup for a plug-in or hardware insert

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1139

 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 outputs while
Send to external device
you route a submix to another pair of audio outputs
Controls level of send for a headphone or “cue” mix for the “talent.” For
to external device
example, you may want to provide the bassist with
a submix of the drums and their own track for over-
dubbing a new bass part.
Input set to device’s return With cue mixes, when recording overdubs it is
Output set to main mix outs
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.

To create a monitor submix:

1 Assign each track’s main output to your main
mix outputs.
Controls level of effect return 2 Assign a send (mono or stereo) and set the send
Controls level of dry signal destinations on the source tracks to the output
path connected to the external device. Config-
ure 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
Send/return setup for an external device
selector, select the output path (not the main
outputs) for monitoring the mix.

1140 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Adjust the Auxiliary Input track fader to control Creating a Master Send Level
the volume for the monitor mix. 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 effects
send.

You can then adjust send levels to balance the

source tracks, and use the Master Fader as a master
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
Drum submix for monitoring Auxiliary Input prevents this implicit muting and
lets the Auxiliary Input continue to pass audio
when its source tracks are soloed.

To solo safe an Auxiliary Input:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

dows) the Solo button on the Auxiliary Input
track.

To solo an individual track that is part of a group:

 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)

the Solo button.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1141

 Generating Stereo Output from Enabling Delay Compensation
a Mono Send/Return
To enable Delay Compensation:
You can use an Auxiliary Input to generate a stereo
output from a mono send. Set the send destination  Select Options > Delay Compensation.
to a mono Auxiliary Input track and place a mono When Delay Compensation is enabled, the Delay
to stereo plug-in on the Auxiliary Input. The output Compensation status indicator in the Edit Window
of the Auxiliary Input becomes stereo. Toolbar is displayed.
To create a “stereo” effect from a mono source,
you must use reverb, delay, or other time domain
effects.

Delay Compensation
Pro Tools provides automatic Delay Compensa- Delay Compensation indicator
tion for managing DSP and host-based delays from
plug-in inserts, and mixer routing (bussing and The Delay Compensation indicator in the
sends). With Delay Compensation enabled, Edit window turns red if you have any delays
Pro Tools maintains phase coherent time align- in the session that exceeds the maximum
ment between tracks that have plug-ins with differ- available delay compensation (see “Delay
ing delays, tracks with different mixing paths, that Exceeds the Compensation Limit” on
tracks that are split off and recombined within the page 1145).
mixer, and tracks with hardware inserts.
Red can also indicate that you have created a
When Delay Compensation is enabled, Pro Tools feedback loop that cannot be compensated
allocates 16,383 samples at 44.1/48 kHz, 32,767 for. For example, if the output of a track is
samples at 88.2/96 kHz, or 65,534 samples at routed to the input of the same track. Mouse
176.4/192 kHz of Delay Compensation for each over the Delay Compensation indicator in the
mixer channel. Edit window to see if the tooltip identifies this
as a problem.
To maintain phase coherent time alignment, Delay
Compensation should always be enabled during The Delay Compensation View for tracks can be
playback and mixing. Delay Compensation should displayed in the Mix Window (see “Delay Com-
also be used in most recording situations. pensation View” on page 1143).

1142 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Delay Compensation Time Mode Delay Compensation View
Delay values can be specified in either samples or The Delay Compensation View displays the total
milliseconds, as selected with the Delay Compen- amount of plug-in and hardware insert delay
sation Time Mode setting in the Mixing Prefer- (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only), and the total
ences page. amount of delay that Pro Tools applies to each
track. You can also apply an offset for track delay
System Delay on a track-by-track basis. The Delay Compensa-
tion View can be shown or hidden in the Mix Win-
Pro Tools adds the exact amount of delay to each dow.
track necessary to make that particular track’s de-
lay equal to the total System Delay. The total sys-
tem delay is the longest delay reported on a track,
plus any additional delay caused by mixer routing.
Delay indicator
User Offset field
The System Delay is shown in the Session Setup Track
window (Session > Setup). Reference the reported Compensation
indicator
System Delay to monitor whether or not you are
Delay Compensation View
close to exceeding the Delay Compensation limit.

Delay Compensation view only shows the in-

sert 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 1143).

To view Delay Compensation information:

 Select View > Mix Window > Delay Compensa-

System Delay in Session Setup window tion.

Pro Tools Ultimate accounts for converter de-

Metering Follows Delay
lays when using Automatic Delay Compensa- Compensation Values
tion. However, when using non-HD hardware,
System Delay only displays internal delay and Pro Tools lets you set meters to follow delay com-
does not take into account any latency in- pensation values. Meters coming directly from
curred by the analog-to-digital (ADC) or dig- hardware inputs can be controlled independently
ital-to-analog (DAC) converters in your audio from meters for internal busses.
interface.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1143

 To set meters to follow Delay Compensation Red Indicates that the amount of plug-in and hard-
values: ware insert delay on the track exceeds the available
1 Right-click the Dly indicator in the Edit window amount of Delay Compensation (see “Delay that
toolbar. Exceeds the Compensation Limit” on page 1145).

2 Select any of the following: Gray Track delay report is bypassed.

• Meters > Bus.
User Offset (+/–) Field
• Meters > Input.
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 Compensation.

The User Offset is useful for the following cases:

Dly indicator right-click menu
• For manually time-aligning a track if a plug-in is
When enabled, the timing of the meter is delayed incorrectly reporting its delay.
to match presentation time (when the audio arrives
• For adjusting the timing “feel” of a track.
at the hardware output). When disabled, the meters
react immediately. To change track delay using the User Offset field:
1 In the Delay Compensation View, click in the
Delay Compensation View User Offset edit field.
Indicators and Field
2 To set your delay value (in samples or millisec-
Delay (dly) Indicator onds depending on your current preferences),
The Delay (dly) indicator reports the total plug-in do one of the following:
and hardware insert delay on the track. The Delay • Enter a positive number (with or without the
indicator’s report to Pro Tools Delay Compensa- “+” modifier) for a positive delay (later in
tion Engine can be bypassed when Delay Compen- time) or negative number (with the “–” mod-
sation is enabled. This is useful for manually time- ifier) for a negative delay (earlier in time).
aligning a track when the total delay on a track ex- • Drag in the User Offset field to scroll to a new
ceeds the Delay Compensation limit. See “Delay value. For finer resolution, Command-drag
that Exceeds the Compensation Limit” on (Mac) Control-drag (Windows).
page 1145.
• Press the Up and Down Arrow keys to in-
The display color indicates reported track delay, as crease or decrease the numerical values.
follows: 3 Press Enter.
Green Indicates that track delay reporting is en-
To bypass the user delay:
abled and the track does not exceed the available
amount of Delay Compensation.  Command-Control-click (Mac) or Start-Con-
trol-click (Windows) the User Offset field. The
Orange Indicates that this is the track reporting the user-defined delay appears grayed out and does
longest plug-in and hardware insert delay in the not apply to the track.
session.

1144 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Compensation (cmp) Indicator 3 Select (or deselect) the Compensate Side
Chains option.
This indicator shows the amount of Delay Com-
pensation Pro Tools applies to each track. 4 Click OK.

The display color indicates the amount of Delay

Compensation applied, as follows: Delay that Exceeds the
Compensation Limit
Green Track compensation is enabled and the
When the total delay on a track exceeds the total
track does not exceed the Delay Compensation
available amount of available Delay Compensa-
limit. The amount of Delay Compensation shown
tion (selected in the Playback Engine dialog), no
in the indicator is applied to the track.
Delay Compensation is applied on that track. Any
Blue (Audio Tracks Only) Indicates that Delay audio on that track will no longer be properly time-
Compensation is force-enabled on the track. When aligned and will be out of phase. Both the Delay in-
the track is record-enabled or TrackInput-enabled, dicator and Track Compensation indicator turn red
Delay Compensation is not suspended and remains to show that the track delay exceeds the Delay
enabled (see “Overriding Low Latency Monitoring Compensation limit. The maximum available De-
During Recording” on page 1146). lay Compensation is applied to all other tracks.

Red Indicates that the track delay exceeds the However, you can manually compensate for delay
available amount of Delay Compensation and no on tracks that exceed the Delay Compensation
Delay Compensation is applied to the track (see limit.
“Delay that Exceeds the Compensation Limit” on
page 1145). To compensate for delay that exceeds the
compensation limit:
Gray Indicates that Delay Compensation for the 1 Bypass the reported delay for the track by doing
track is bypassed and no delay is applied to the one of the following:
track.
• Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Delay indicator.
Delay Compensation for • Right-click the Delay indicator and select
Side-Chains
Disable Plug-In Delay.
Pro Tools lets you automatically compensate for
signal delays in side-chain processing. In some The track information is grayed out once it is by-
cases, you may want to disable automatic delay passed.
compensation for side-chains (such as for sessions 2 Manually nudge any audio data on the track ear-
created on previous versions of Pro Tools where lier by the amount of delay reported in the
you have manually compensated for side-chain de- track’s Delay indicator.
lays).
Use the Time Adjuster plug-ins to manually
To enable (or disable) automatic delay offset tracks in real-time. For more informa-
compensation for side-chains: tion, see the Audio Plug-ins Guide.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Operation tab.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1145

 Low Latency Monitoring During Work with Danny C on:
Recording
•The ins and outs of how to set "blue" mode.
When an audio track is armed for recording (re- Most of the free world doesn't know how it
cord-enabled), TrackInput-enabled, Destructive- works. Most people in LA don't use Delay
Punch-enabled, or punched in, the track’s Delay Comp on recorders because there are so many
Compensation is automatically suspended (and the moving parts to it.
Track Compensation indicator displays 0). This re-
duces monitoring latency on those track outputs. o(There's also the fact that we still don't have a
When the track is played back (with both record- pref for "Re-recording mode" (which would set
enable and TrackInput disabled) it is correctly "blue" mode automatically and correctly).
time-aligned with the other delay-compensated
tracks.
In certain dubbing workflows you may want to
Tracks that are not record-enabled still apply De- cascade bus recordings to multiple tracks. In
lay Compensation. Pro Tools automatically com- these cases, be sure to override Auto Low La-
pensates for any timing discrepancies between the tency on all cascaded Record or InputMonitor
recorded material and the delay-compensated mix. tracks. Also, if you are punch recording, be
sure to not use Native plug-ins on any Record
For more information about Low Latency or InputMonitor–enabled tracks or you will
Monitoring with host-processing only hear an audible click as any Native plug-ins
Pro Tools systems, see “Low Latency on those tracks are automatically bypassed or
Monitoring” on page 556. un-bypassed when punching in and out.

Overriding Low Latency To override Low Latency Monitoring During

Recording on specific record tracks:
Monitoring During Recording
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
You can override Low Latency Monitoring During
Start-click (Windows) the Track Compensation
Recording on record-enabled tracks, but this may
indicator. Delay Compensations is applied to
introduce latency in the signal path corresponding
the track and the Track Compensation indicator
to the amount of Delay Compensation. This la-
displays in blue.
tency may be acceptable depending on the record-
ing source. For example, in certain “non-perfor- Command-Control-Shift-click (Mac) or Con-
mance” workflows, overriding Low Latency trol-Start-Shift-click (Windows) the Track
Monitoring During Recording ensures that delay Compensation indicator to override Low La-
compensation is applied consistently regardless of tency Monitoring for all selected tracks.
whether a track is record- or punch-enabled, or
whether Pro Tools is recording or playing back.
Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the Track
Compensation indicator to override Low La-
tency Monitoring for all tracks.

1146 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Delay Compensation on Low-Latency Recording with
Auxiliary Inputs Virtual MIDI Instruments and
Delay Compensation
Delay Compensation on Auxiliary Inputs can be
bypassed to let you monitor outside sources (such When a MIDI or Instrument track that is routing
as the audio tracks of a controlled video deck) with MIDI data to an instrument plug-in is record-en-
minimal latency, while still reporting the track’s abled, Pro Tools automatically suspends Delay
delay. Compensation through the main outputs of the au-
dio track, Auxiliary Input, or Instrument track on
To bypass an Auxiliary Input’s Delay which the instrument plug-in is inserted. This al-
Compensation: lows for latency-free monitoring of the instrument
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Start-Con- plug-in during recording.
trol-click (Windows) the Track Compensation
Delay Compensation for Instrument plug-ins
indicator. The reported track delay will be zero,
works only when all MIDI and audio connec-
and will appear grayed out.
tions take place inside Pro Tools. While
Pro Tools does not suspend Delay Compensa-
Delay Compensation for MIDI tion when you are using ReWire to connect
Pro Tools automatically maintains time alignment software synthesizers and samplers in other
between recorded MIDI events and delay compen- ReWire client applications (such as Reason),
sated playback. Pro Tools cannot account for any latency
within the ReWire client itself.
When Delay Compensation is enabled, a MIDI
event that is recorded to sound “in time” with de- MIDI and Audio Processing Plug-Ins
lay-compensated material actually is recorded late Some audio processing plug-ins (such as Bruno
by the length of total delay in effect. To compen- and Reso) and many instrument plug-ins let you
sate, MIDI events are shifted back in time by the process audio while allowing MIDI data to control
total session delay following each MIDI recording processing parameters. When you record enable a
pass. MIDI playback after a record pass with Delay MIDI or Instrument track that is controlling an au-
Compensation enabled accounts for the low la- dio processing plug-in, the track the plug-in is in-
tency recording path and maintains phase coherent serted on will go into low-latency mode, effec-
time alignment with MIDI playback. tively making the processed audio play early. The
When any Instrument or MIDI track is record steps to prevent this and keep audio time-aligned
enabled, all Instrument and Auxiliary Input depend on the type of track on which the plug-in
tracks with Instrument plug-in inserts that resides.
are configured to receive MIDI in Pro Tools
To keep audio time-aligned when recording using
are set to low-latency mode. In this case, the a MIDI controlled plug-in on an audio track:
Delay Compensation indicators for those
tracks display 0.  Command-Control-click (Mac) or Start-Con-
trol-click (Windows) the Track Compensation
indicator for the audio track to apply Delay
Compensation.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1147

 To keep audio time-aligned when recording using 4 Set all of the sends to unity and to post-fader.
a MIDI controlled plug-in on an Auxiliary Input: This lets you use the same mix for the talent, but
1 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Start-Con- also lets you boost (or attenuate) the level of the
trol-click (Windows) the Track Compensation talent’s signal in the cue mix by adjusting the
indicator for the Auxiliary Input to bypass De- send level as needed.
lay Compensation. 5 Choose Track > New.
2 Enter the total system delay into the User Offset 6 Specify the track type (Master Fader) and for-
field. mat (stereo), then click Create.
7 From the Master Fader track’s Output Path se-
Configuring Cue Mixes with
lector, select output paths 3 and 4 for monitor-
Delay Compensation
ing the mix.
If you already have a Pro Tools session that uses
8 Adjust the Master Fader track’s fader to control
various plug-in inserts and mixer routing, you will
the overall volume for the cue mix.
most likely want to have Delay Compensation en-
abled. However, if you want to record overdubs With Delay Compensation enabled, it is rec-
with a recording artist, “the talent,” you will need ommended that you do not use any inserts on
to configure monitoring mixes (headphone or any Auxiliary Input or Master Fader tracks
“cue” mixes). you may be using to control the cue mix vol-
Use sends to bus cue mixes to audio output paths ume. Also, you should avoid using inserts on
for headphone monitoring by the talent. In addition any record tracks. (Some low latency inserts
to the main mix, which will monitor in the control may be acceptable depending on the talent’s
room, route track sends to one or more additional preference.)
audio output paths tracks for cue mix monitoring.
9 Repeat the preceding steps for additional cue
Using sends lets you configure different mixes
mixes on additional outputs on your audio inter-
from the main mix for cue mix monitoring. For ex-
face as necessary.
ample, 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. Setting a Hardware Insert Delay
Offset
Example configuration using sends for cue mixes: You can manually compensate for the delay (la-
1 Assign each track’s main output to your main tency) of any external hardware devices (such as
mix outputs. an effects unit) used in your session, you can set
the amount of Hardware Insert Delay Compensa-
2 Assign a send (mono or stereo) for each track
tion (in milliseconds) for each external device in
and set the send outputs to output paths 3 and 4
the I/O Setup. These times will be used by the De-
on your audio interface.
lay Compensation Engine to time-align input paths
3 Enable the FMP (Follow Main Pan) button on when the hardware insert is in use and Delay Com-
all of the sends so that the cue mix has the same pensation is enabled
panning as the main mix.
To set an insert delay offset:

1 Choose Setup > I/O.

1148 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Click the H/W Insert Delay tab.
Dither
3 Type a value, in milliseconds, in the field corre-
sponding with the input where the hardware in- Dither is used to minimize quantization artifacts
sert is connected. when reducing the bit depth of an audio signal, for
example, from 24-bit to 16-bit. Quantization arti-
Insert delay offsets only have an effect when facts are most apparent when a signal is near the
the I/O is used for hardware inserts. low end of its dynamic range, such as during a
quiet passage or a fade-out.
Determining Your Hardware’s
Insert Delay Dither minimizes quantization artifacts by intro-
ducing very low-level random noise to a signal,
Refer to the documentation for your external hard- which smooths out the distortion that can result
ware to see if it identifies the hardware when the signal’s bit depth is reduced.
latency, or use the following procedure in
Pro Tools to determine the latency for hardware With dither there is a trade-off between signal-to-
inserts. noise performance and less-apparent distortion.
Proper use of dither lets you get better subjective
To determine your hardware’s insert delay: performance when reducing the bit depth of audio.
1 Ensure that Automatic Delay Compensation is
enabled (Options > Delay Compensation). Dither in Pro Tools
2 Change your session’s Main Time Scale to There are several ways dither can be used in
Min:Sec. Pro Tools. Each has a specific application within
the various operations that could benefit from us-
3 Create two tracks.
ing dither.
4 Place a short tone (or other sound with a defini-
Dither Plug-Ins for Mixdown Whenever you are
tive beginning) on track 1.
mixing down or bouncing to disk and your destina-
5 Insert the HW insert on track 1. tion bit depth is lower than 24-bit, insert a dither
6 Ensure that only the dry signal is being passed plug-in on a Master Fader that controls the output
through the device. mix. You can use real-time dither plug-ins from
Avid or third-party manufacturers.
7 Bus the output of track 1 to the input of track 2.
For important information on using dither when
8 Record enable track 2 and press Record Enable mixing down or bouncing to disk, see “Using
and Play in the Transport window to play back Dither” on page 1255.
the audio in track 1 and record it to track 2.
For more information on Dither plug-ins, see
9 After recording, zoom in and measure the dif-
the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
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.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1149

 Dither on Export and Import When you export au- D-Control and D-Command
dio to a lower bit depth, or when you import an au- (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
dio file into a session that is at a lower bit depth
than the file, a preset, noise-shaped dither is ap- D-Control and D-Command tactile control sur-
plied. faces are part of ICON, a flexible, integrated sys-
tem that extends the functionality of Pro Tools.
For more information about the application
of dither on export, see “Exporting Audio” C|24
on page 444. C|24 is a dedicated control surface that provides
For more information about the application access to nearly all Pro Tools recording, mixing,
of dither on import, see “Bit Depth Conver- editing, signal routing, plug-in control, and auto-
sion and Dither” on page 434. mation features.

EUCON
Noise Shaping
Pro Tools supports Avid control surfaces using
Noise shaping can further improve audio perfor-
EUCON (Extended User Control) control (see the
mance and reduce perceived noise inherent in dith-
Pro Tools EUCON Guide). EUCON is an innova-
ered audio. Noise shaping uses filtering to shift
tive high-speed Ethernet protocol developed by
noise away from frequencies in the middle of the
Avid to allow hardware control surfaces to directly
audio spectrum (around 4 kHz), where the human
communicate with software applications (such as
ear is most sensitive.
Pro Tools).
Noise Shaping is available in the Dither and
Avid Control
POW-r Dither plug-ins.
The Avid Control app lets you control Pro Tools
For more information on using Noise Shaping,
over a wireless network from an Apple iPad using
see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
EuControl. When combined with S1, S6, or
Pro Tools | Dock, Avid Control provides addi-
tional touch workflows for recording and mixing.
Using an Ethernet Control
Surface with Pro Tools For more information about Avid Control,
Avid offers several Ethernet-based control surface visit www.avid.com/products/avid-control.
options for Pro Tools.
Enabling an Ethernet Control
Pro Tools | S6 Surface in Pro Tools
Pro Tools | S6 is a modular, ergonomically de- To enable an Ethernet control surface in Pro Tools:
signed control surface for Pro Tools and EUCON- 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the Ether-
compatible digital audio workstations (DAWs). S6 net Controllers tab.
uses the EUCON Ethernet protocol to provide fast,
reliable data transmission. S6 is flexible and scal- 2 Select Enable.
able. Modules can be arranged in many ways, and 3 If your Ethernet control surface consists of
can be added to address new workflows or increase more than one unit, select the units in numerical
the number of strips. order as you want them arranged left to right.
1150 Pro Tools Reference Guide
4 Click OK. Other MIDI Control Surfaces

For more information, see the documentation Pro Tools supports some MIDI control surfaces
that came with your Ethernet control surface. that use HUI controller personalities.

To enable EUCON control in Pro Tools:

MIDI Control Surface
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals. Personalities
2 Select the Ethernet Controllers tab. MIDI Control Surface Personalities are files that
allow Pro Tools to communicate with the MIDI
3 Select the EUCON option.
control surface. When you install Pro Tools, these
4 Click OK. files are installed by default in the Controllers
folder inside the Pro Tools application folder. If
When the EUCON option is selected, Pro Tools is the files are not present, run the Pro Tools installer
enabled for control by one or more EUCON-com- to install the personality files.
patible controllers.

For more information about using Pro Tools Connecting a MIDI Control
with EUCON, see the Pro Tools EUCON Surface
Guide.
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
Using a MIDI Control Surface will need to use a MIDI Interface. USB MIDI con-
with Pro Tools trol surfaces (such as the Command|8) and Fire-
MIDI Control Surfaces add hands-on control to Wire control surfaces (such as the 003) do not re-
many Pro Tools functions, allowing you to adjust quire an additional MIDI connection to your
faders and knobs, activate transport controls, or computer.
edit plug-in parameters.
To connect a (non-USB or FireWire) MIDI control
Command|8 surface:

1 Using a standard 5-pin MIDI cable, connect the

Command|8 is a compact USB-based MIDI con-
MIDI Out port on your MIDI control surface to
trol surface for Pro Tools systems.
the MIDI In port on your Pro Tools hardware or
The Command|8 driver is only installed with MIDI interface.
Pro Tools 10.x. 2 Using a standard 5-pin MIDI cable, connect the
MIDI In port on your MIDI control surface to
For complete instructions on connecting the MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools hardware
and configuring Command|8, see the or MIDI interface.
Command|8 Guide. 3 If you have a multi-port MIDI interface, note
which MIDI port the control surface is con-
nected to.

Chapter 50: Basic Mixing 1151

 Configuring Your System for a Enabling the MIDI Control
MIDI Control Surface Surface as an Input Device
A MIDI Control Surface is configured in the same You must ensure that the MIDI control surface is
way as any other MIDI device in Pro Tools, using enable as an input device in Pro Tools.
Audio MIDI Setup (Mac) or MIDI Studio Setup
(Windows). To enable a MIDI control surface as an input
device:
For complete instructions on configuring 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices.
your MIDI studio, see the User Guide that
came with your system. 2 Select the source port that you selected in the
Receive From pop-up menu in the MIDI Con-
Enabling a MIDI Control Surface trollers page of the Peripherals dialog.
in Pro Tools 3 Click OK.
To enable a MIDI control surface in Pro Tools: If you want to prevent control surface MIDI data
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the MIDI from reaching Pro Tools, you can deselect its
Controllers tab. source port in the MIDI Input Enable window.

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
appropriate 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 destina-
tion ports or channels in the Pro Tools Peripherals
dialog.

1152 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts

A Pro Tools insert routes the signal from the track Inserts on audio tracks and Auxiliary Inputs and
to an effect of your choice and automatically re- Instrument tracks are pre-fader. You can cause
turns it to the same track. Inserts do not alter the clipping if you boost their gain to extremes, espe-
original audio source files, but process audio in cially on tracks recorded at high amplitude. Watch
real time, during playback. You can permanently on-screen metering for indication of clipping. (In-
apply real-time effects to tracks by recording or serts on Master Faders are post-fader.)
bouncing the effect to disk (see Chapter 54, “Mix-
down” for more information).
Types of Inserts
h

Insert selector
An insert can be either a software DSP plug-in or a
hardware insert.
Insert button

Plug-In Inserts
Plug-In inserts are software inserts that process au-
dio material on a track in real time. For example,
Insert button and selector on a track the EQ, compressor, and delay plug-ins supplied
with your Pro Tools system can be used as real-
Pro Tools provides up to ten unity-gain inserts on
time plug-in inserts.
each audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing Folder, Mas-
ter Fader, and Instrument track. Audio, Auxiliary For more information about the plug-ins
Input, and Instrument track inserts are pre-fader, included with your Pro Tools system, see the
and Master Faders inserts are post-fader. Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
When more than one plug-in or hardware insert is Additional real-time plug-ins are available from
used on a track, they are processed in series. Each Avid and from many third-party developers.
effect is added to that of any previous inserts
(flowing from top to bottom in the Mix window In- For information about optional plug-ins,
serts View, and left to right in the Edit window In- choose Avid Link > Marketplace.
serts View).

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1153

 Hardware I/O Inserts Insert Formats
Hardware I/O inserts can route audio through an Mono Inserts Used on mono tracks. Inserts that
external device connected to parallel inputs and occur on a track after a stereo insert are automati-
outputs of an audio interface. You can process the cally used in stereo as well.
audio material on a track with a hardware insert in
Stereo Inserts Used on stereo tracks. A stereo
real time.
hardware I/O insert sends the signal to an in-
put/output path.

Mono In/Stereo Out Plug-In Inserts Used to return

a stereo effect from a mono source. Certain plug-
Hardware I/O insert ins (such as D-Verb™) let you generate stereo out-
put from a mono channel. A track made into stereo
Insert paths require audio interface inputs and out- in this way has panning controls for each channel
puts, and are determined by the I/O Setup configu- of the stereo signal. Any inserts that occur on a
ration of your system. track after a stereo insert are automatically used in
stereo as well.
Using Inserts for Effects
Multi-Mono Plug-In Inserts Used on stereo or
Processing
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks when a
Inserts can be used in two ways: multichannel version of the plug-in is not avail-
able. Controls for all channels are linked by default
On Single Tracks An insert can be applied to an
so that you can adjust them in tandem. You can un-
individual audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or
link controls for independent adjustment using the
Instrument track.
Master Link button. See “Linking and Unlinking
With in-line inserts, you control the amount of ef- Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1180.
fect by adjusting the balance (or the wet/dry mix)
Multichannel Plug-In Inserts Used on stereo and
controls of the plug-in or external device.
greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks. On
As Shared Resources An insert can be used as a greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks, the con-
shared resource in a send-and-return arrangement, trols for all channels are generally linked together.
by bussing signals from several tracks to an Aux
Relinking may cause automation to be lost.
Input, and then applying the insert to that track.
See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on
You can then control the send level for each track,
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1180
and the overall level of the effect can be controlled
from the Auxiliary Input track. Using sends and
other signal routing features helps maximize your
system’s processing power.

For examples of send and return busses and

other submixing setups, see “Signal Routing
for Monitoring and Submixing” on
page 1134.

1154 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Plug-In Formats Pro Tools | Carbon and HDX Hybrid Systems

There are three plug-in formats supported by With Pro Tools | Carbon and HDX systems using
Pro Tools (DSP, Native, and AudioSuite), two of the HDX Hybrid Engine, Native plug-ins can be
which can be used as real-time inserts, as follows: used on audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and
Instrument tracks. Native plug-ins are automati-
DSP Plug-Ins Provide real-time plug-in process- cally converted to DSP on tracks in DSP Mode.
ing using DSP-based processing with HDX sys-
tems only. For more information plug-ins in DSP
Mode, see Chapter 52, “DSP Mode.”
Native Plug-Ins Provide real-time plug-in process-
ing using host-based processing.

AudioSuite Plug-Ins Provide non-real-time (ren- Viewing Inserts

dered), file-based processing plug-ins for Both the Mix and Edit windows can be configured
Pro Tools. to show or hide inserts A–E and F–J. Plug-In win-
For information on using AudioSuite plug-ins dows provide complete access to plug-in controls.
in Pro Tools, see Chapter 43, “AudioSuite
To show (or hide) inserts, do one of the following:
Processing.”
 In the Mix window (or Edit window), select
Depending on your Pro Tools software, real-time View > Mix Window (or Edit Window) > Inserts
plug-ins can be used as follows: A–E or Inserts F–J.

HDX Systems

HDX systems with the Playback Engine set to Inserts (A–E) View
HDX Classic let you use both DSP and Native
plug-ins on audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing
Folder, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks.
Inserts (F–J) View
With HDX systems, Native plug-ins may
use additional voices and introduce extra
latency based on the HW Buffer Size. See
Sends (A–E) View
“Inserting Native and DSP Plug-Ins on
Tracks” on page 1158.

Pro Tools Host-Based Systems

Sends (F–J) View
Native plug-ins can be used on audio, Auxiliary In-
put, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks.
I/O View
For tips on maximizing Native plug-in per-
formance, see “Configuring the Playback inserts and Sends in the Mix window
Engine” on page 96.  Select Inserts A–E or Inserts F–J from the Edit
Window or Mix Window View selector.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1155

 Display of Plug-In Window
Status Making Inserts Inactive
In the Mix and Edit window, the plug-in button and Plug-In and hardware inserts can be made inactive
selector display the currently inserted plug-in, its to free up their resources for other uses. When a
bypass state (see “Bypassing Plug-Ins” on plug-in insert is inactive it retains its assignment,
page 1179), focus status, and window status. position, and related automation playlists. How-
ever, it will not pass audio and does not consume
any DSP resources.

When opening sessions, inserts will automatically

be made inactive in any of the following situations:
• The system has insufficient DSP resources
• A plug-in is not installed
Lit plug-in name indicates open plug-in window
• A plug-in type is not available
Indicating the Controller Focus
• Opening the session results in plug-in type sub-
For most control surfaces, only one plug-in can be stitutions. This can happen if the type is avail-
focused at a time. ICON control surfaces can have able but substituting would result in an
up to four plug-ins focused at once (using the EQ unsupported condition, such as opening a ses-
and Dynamics controls, and Custom Faders on sion containing a DSP-based plug-in for which a
your control surface). host-based version is unavailable.

The current controller focus, if any, is indicated To make an insert inactive, do one of the following:
with a color outline around its name:
 Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-
Start-click (Windows) the Insert button.
 Right-click the Insert button and select Make In-
active.

 Make the track inactive. See “Making Tracks

Inactive” on page 283.
Controller focus
To toggle inserts in the same position on all tracks
active or inactive:

 Command-Control-Option click (Mac) or Con-

trol-Start-Alt click (Windows) an Insert button
in the position you want to toggle.

To toggle inserts in the same position on all

selected tracks active or inactive:

 Command-Control-Option-Shift-click (Mac) or
Control-Start-Alt-Shift-click (Windows) an In-
sert button in the position you want to toggle.

1156 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Inactive Plug-In Inserts
Inserting Plug-Ins on Tracks
Inactive plug-in inserts retain all associated auto-
mation playlists. In addition, any edits made in the To use a real-time plug-in, insert it on a track.
session affect the plug-in automation playlists.
Plug-Ins cannot be inserted or removed
You cannot record automation or
during recording.
adjust the controls for an inactive plug-in.
To insert a plug-in on a track:
Inactive Active
(italicized) (plain text) 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 1155 for related information.)

Display of inactive plug-ins

Display of inactive Plug-In window

Inactive Hardware Inserts Inserting mono Dynamics plug-in

To remove an insert from a track:

Inactive hardware inserts retain their assignments,
but do not pass audio and do not consume any DSP  Click the Insert selector and choose No Insert.
resources.
You can insert a plug-in on a track by drag-
Hardware inserts do not provide a bypass ging one of its Plug-In Settings (.tfx) files
control. You can use the inactive feature from a Workspace browser onto an available
whenever you need to mute or bypass a hard- track Insert position in the Mix window. See
ware insert. “Dragging and Dropping Plug-In Settings
Files” on page 1173.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1157

 Inserting Native and DSP Combining Native and DSP Plug-Ins
Plug-Ins on Tracks
With HDX systems, when Native and DSP plug-
(HDX Systems Only)
ins are combined on tracks, the order in which they
HDX systems with the Playback Engine set to are inserted produces different results:
HDX Classic let you use both Native (host-based)
Native Plug-Ins Grouped Before DSP
and DSP plug-ins on tracks.
Plug-Ins On audio tracks, no additional voices are
HDX systems using the HDX Hybrid Engine used, and no processing latency occurs. Native
switch between Native plug-ins and DSP plug-ins are bypassed when the track is record en-
plug-ins on tracks depending on whether or abled or TrackInput monitoring is enabled for that
not DSP Mode is enabled. For more informa- track.
tion, see Chapter 52, “DSP Mode.” Native Plug-Ins Grouped After DSP
Plug-Ins On audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader
Using Only Native Plug-Ins
and Instrument tracks, each initial insert of a Na-
With HDX systems, the initial insert of a Native tive plug-in after a DSP plug-in on a track may
plug-in may cause additional latency, and in large cause processing latency, and in large sessions,
sessions, may use an additional voice, under the may use additional voices. Native plug-ins remain
following conditions: active while the track is record enabled or TrackIn-
put monitoring is enabled for that track.
• When inserted on an Auxiliary Input or Master
Fader track To optimize voice usage and minimize
• When inserted on an Instrument track that does latency, group plug-ins of the same type
not contain an instrument plug-in together, especially if inserting Native after
DSP plug-ins. Otherwise, additional voices
• When inserted after a DSP plug-in on any kind
may be used unnecessarily.
of track
Ordering Recommendations
Subsequent Native plug-ins on the same track do
not take up additional voices unless a DSP plug-in When combining Native and DSP plug-ins on a
is inserted between those Native plug-ins. track, use one of the following strategies based on
your recording needs:
In large sessions, when using Native plug-ins on a
track, an additional voice may be used in each • To ensure that Native plug-ins stay active when
occurrence of any of the following conditions: you record enable a track or use TrackInput
monitoring, order all DSP plug-ins before
• When you use the external key side-chain of a
Native plug-ins.
Native plug-in on that track
• To conserve voices and minimize processing
• When you select multiple track outputs for that
latency, order all Native plug-ins before DSP
track (one voice used for each output)
plug-ins.
• When you select an AFL/PFL Path output in the
Output tab of the I/O Setup dialog (one voice Native Virtual Instrument plug-ins cannot
used for each channel) follow Native processing plug-ins.

1158 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Plug in categories include:
Plug-In Menu Organization
• EQ
You can customize how plug-in lists (plug-in
• Dynamics
menus) are organized in the Insert selector and
Plug-In selector. • Pitch Shift
• Reverb
Use the Organize Plug-In Menus By setting in the
Display Preferences page to organize plug-in • Delay
menus in a Flat List (with plug-ins in alphabetical • Modulation
order), or by Category, Manufacturer, or
• Harmonic
Category and Manufacturer.
• Noise Reduction
Control Surface Support • Dither
Control surfaces with multi-color LCDs (such as • Sound Field
D-Control) indicate plug-ins as follows: • Instrument
• Plug-In categories (such as EQ) and plug-in • Other
manufacturers (such as Aphex) are indicated in
yellow (amber) text. • Effects

• Specific plug-ins located in the plug-in subfold- The Effects subfolder organizes special effects,
ers (such as EQ III in the EQ subfolder) are indi- multi-effect processors, and other plug-ins. All
cated in green text. plug-ins that specify their plug-in category as an
“Effects” type will be displayed within the Effects
Control surfaces with single-color displays (such subfolder.
as Command|8) do not indicate plug-in view
choices. They display contents of a plug-in folder If no plug-ins within a certain category are in-
as a single list of plug-ins. stalled on your system, the subfolder named
for that category will not appear in the menu.
“Organize Plug-In Menus By” Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins by their manu-
Setting
facturer, with individual plug-ins listed in the man-
Flat List Organizes plug-ins in a single list, in al- ufacturer submenus. Plug-Ins that do not have a
phabetical order. Manufacturer defined will appear in the “Other”
manufacturer folder.
Category Organizes plug-ins by process category
(such as EQ, Dynamics, and Delay), with individ- If no plug-ins by a certain manufacturer are in-
ual plug-ins listed in the category submenus. Plug- stalled on your system, the subfolder named for
Ins that do not fit into a standard category (such as that manufacturer will not appear in the menu.
the Signal Generator), or third-party plug-ins that
have not had a category designated by their devel-
opers, appear in the Other category. Plug-Ins can
appear in more than one category.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1159

 Category and Manufacturer Organizes plug-ins in 2 Type a few letters included in the plug-in name
two levels of menus. The top menus display plug- that you want. Only plug-ins whose names in-
ins by process category (such as EQ, Dynamics, clude those letters (highlighted yellow) now ap-
and Delay), with individual plug-ins listed in the pear in the list (maximum of 20).
category submenus. The bottom menus display
plug-ins by manufacturer, 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.
3 Click the Organize Plug-In Menus By pop-up
menu, and select one of the view options.
Search Insert selector, typing “Pro “ in the Search
4 Click OK. popover menu to find a plug-in

The Organize Plug-In Menus By setting is saved 3 Select the desired plug-in with the mouse, or
with Pro Tools preferences (it is not saved with the use the Up and Down arrow keys to select the
Pro Tools session file). plug-in name.

Plug-in Insert Search

To find a plug-in in an Insert selector by typing:
1 Click the insert selector on a track where you
want to insert a plug-in and do one of the fol-
lowing:
• Type the first character of the plug-in name
you want. Navigating search results using the Up and Down
Arrow keys
• Click Search.
• Press Tab. 4 Press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to in-
sert the selected plug-in.

You can also search Track Presets by

name from the Insert selector. Depending
on the preset, this lets you insert multiple
pre-configured inserts on the track.

Searching Insert selector

1160 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default EQ and Dynamics Plug-In Favorites
Plug-Ins
To find a plug-in faster, a plug-in can be desig-
You can set a default EQ plug-in and Dynamics nated as a favorite. Favorite plug-ins are shown at
plug-in, which places them at the top of the Insert the top of the plug-in menu.
selector pop-up menu on-screen, and first in the list
of menu choices when assigning inserts on ICON When a plug-in becomes a favorite, it is still shown
worksurfaces. in its plug-in category and its name appears in
bold.

Favorite
plug-ins

Plug-In
categories
Default plug-in display in the Insert selector menu

To set a default plug-in:

1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.

2 Under Setup, choose a plug-in from the Default Menu display of favorite plug-ins
EQ or Default Dynamics pop-up menu. To designate a plug-in as a favorite:
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.  Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) the Insert selector and select a
plug-in to designate it as a favorite.

To change the status of a plug-in favorite:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click

(Windows) the Insert selector and select a
plug-in favorite 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 favorites at
the top of the plug-in menu, or in its plug-in cate-
gory (where the plug-in appears in bold).

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1161

 To move a plug-in from a track of one channel
Moving and Duplicating width to one of another channel width:
Plug-In and Hardware Inserts  Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while
You can move or duplicate an insert by dragging it dragging the plug-in to a track with a different
to a different position on the same track or a differ- channel width.
ent track. Inserts that are moved or duplicated re-
If any multi-mono plug-ins on a stereo or larger
tain their original settings and automation.
track are un-linked when dragged to a track of a
Plug-ins cannot be moved or duplicated different width you are prompted to relink the un-
during recording. linked channels.

To move an insert:

 Drag the insert to a new insert location. Plug-In Windows

A Plug-In window appears whenever you click a
plug-in’s Insert button on a track. This floating
window lets you adjust the controls of any real-
time plug-in insert in use on a track.

Insert selector

Moving a plug-in
Insert button

Dragging an insert on top of an existing in-

sert will replace it and any automation.

To duplicate an insert:
Insert button and selector on a track
 Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) the
insert to a new insert location. Duplicated plug- Track Preset Plug-In Mapping
in inserts retain their original settings and auto- controls controls controls
mation. Auto button Effect
Bypass

You can also duplicate Sends. See “Moving

or Copying Sends” on page 1127

Moving Plug-Ins to Tracks with

Different Channel Widths
Pro Tools lets you move a plug-in from a track of
any channel width to a track of any other channel
width, as long as the destination width is supported
by the plug-in. Automation Safe Convert Target
plug-in button

Plug-In window (mono 1-Band EQ III shown)

1162 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track Controls in the Plug-In
Window

Track selector

MIDI Node Display indicator (Transfuser shown)

Insert Position selector
Plug-In selector Preset Controls in the Plug-In Window

Track controls in the plug-in window

Plug-In Settings menu
Track Selector Accesses any track in the session
except MIDI, VCA, and Video tracks.
Plug-In Librarian menu
Insert Position Selector Accesses any insert on Compare button
the current track.
Settings Select
Plug-In Selector Lets you select any real-time
Next Setting
plug-in installed in the Plug-Ins folder (that is cre- Previous Setting
ated when you install Pro Tools). Preset controls in the plug-in window
Key Input Selector Lets you select audio on a par- Plug-In Settings Menu Lets you copy, paste, save,
ticular input or bus and route it to trigger the plug- and import plug-in settings.
in. This selector only appears on plug-ins that fea-
ture side-chain processing. Key inputs are mono- Plug-In Librarian Menu Recalls plug-in presets
phonic. (plug-in settings files saved in the plug-in’s root
settings folder or in the current session’s Settings
folder). See “Plug-In Presets” on page 1168.

Next (+) and Previous (–) Setting Buttons Let

you select the next or previous preset from the Li-
brarian menu.
Key Input selector (Dyn III Compressor/Limiter shown)
You will lose the current settings if they are
MIDI Node Display Shows MIDI node information
not saved before you use the Next and Pre-
for MIDI-enabled plug-ins. MIDI nodes are virtual
vious Setting buttons. Always save your
connections from Pro Tools to software instru-
plug-in settings as a preset using the Plug-
ments and other MIDI-enabled plug-ins. MIDI
In Settings menu.
nodes are useful for routing multiple MIDI tracks
to different channels of a single virtual MIDI de- Plug-In Settings Select Button Accesses the Plug-
vice. MIDI node numbers are also displayed in a In Settings dialog, which lists the presets for the se-
track’s MIDI Output selector. The MIDI node in- lected plug-in. From this list, you can audition and
dicator only appears in plug-ins that can receive select plug-in presets.
MIDI.
Compare Toggles between the original saved
plug-in settings and any changes you have made to
it so you can compare them.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1163

 Automation Controls in the Parameter Menu When in Learn mode, lets you
Plug-In Window select a parameter on the plug-in for mapping. If
you click a parameter in the plug-in window while
Auto button in Learn mode, this menu shows the name of the
parameter.

Additional Plug-In Controls in

the Plug-In Window
Automation Safe button
Plug-In Bypass button
Automation controls in the plug-in window

Auto Button Lets you enable individual plug-in Target button

controls for automation recording. See “Automat-
ing Plug-Ins” on page 1211.

Automation Safe When enabled, prevents existing Convert Plug-In selector

plug-in automation from being overwritten. Plug-In Map controls in the plug-in window

Effect Bypass Button Disables the currently dis-

Plug-In Map Controls in the played plug-in. This lets you compare the track
Plug-In Window with and without the effect.
(Control Surfaces Only)
Convert Plug-In Selector Lets you convert the in-
When a supported control surface is declared in sert from a DSP plug-in to a Native plug-in of the
Pro Tools, Plug-In Map controls appear in the same type (or vice-versa). This feature can only be
plug-in window. used on plug-ins that are available in both DSP and
Native formats.
Map Options menu
Converting from DSP to Native is disallowed
on Auxiliary Input tracks.
Map Presets menu
Learn button Target Button When multiple Plug-In windows
are open, clicking this button selects that plug-in as
Parameter menu the target for any computer keyboard commands.
Plug-In Map controls in the plug-in window

Map Options Menu Lets you create, rename, save, Multi-Mono Controls in the
delete, import, export, and set default plug-in
Plug-In Window
maps.
Link Enable buttons
Map Presets Menu Lets you choose from avail-
able custom Plug-In Maps for the plug-in.
Master Link button
Learn Button Puts the plug-in in Learn mode, Channel Selector
where you can map plug-in parameters to a
control surface. Plug-In window (multi-mono 1-Band EQ shown)

1164 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Master Link Button When enabled, links the con- To open an additional plug-in window:
trols on all channels of a multi-mono plug-in so  In the Mix window, Shift-click the Insert button
that they can be adjusted in tandem. of a plug-in. The new plug-in window opens un-
Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link or targeted.
unlink the controls of specific channels of a multi-
To open plug-in windows for each channel of a
mono plug-in. Each square represents a speaker
multi-mono plug-in:
channel. The Master Link button must be disabled
to use the Link Enable buttons. See “Linking and  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Unlinking Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on Channel selector in the Plug-In window of a
page 1180. plug-in insert.

Channel Selector Accesses a specific channel To close all currently open plug-in windows:
within a multichannel track for plug-in control ed-
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
iting. This menu appears only on multi-mono plug-
close box of any currently open plug-in win-
ins inserted on tracks with more than one channel.
dow.
Shift-clicking this selector opens a separate Plug-
In window for each channel of the multichannel
track on which the plug-in is
inserted. Using Plug-In Window
Controls
All plug-ins provide standard Pro Tools controls
Opening Plug-In Windows for track and insert selection, bypass, and other
controls, in addition to the EQ, dynamics, and
To open a plug-in window: other processor-specific controls.
 Click the plug-in button in Inserts view in the
Mix or Edit window. To select a different plug-in on the same track:

 Click the Insert selector and select another plug-

By default, each plug-in you open will appear in
in from the pop-up menu.
the same location as a currently open plug-in, re-
placing it in the same window location. To choose a different track:

Click the Track selector and select another track

Opening Multiple Plug-In


from the pop-up menu.

Windows
Pro Tools normally displays a single plug-in win- Target Window and Settings Shortcuts
dow from which you can adjust the controls of any
When multiple plug-in windows are open, a high-
session plug-in. You can also open additional
lighted target indicates the target window.
Plug-In windows for specific plug-ins. Once you
Pro Tools keeps a single plug-in target window.
begin working with multiple plug-in windows, you
Opening a new plug-in opens it as the new target
will need to click the Target button on the plug-in
window, in the same location. In addition, the
whose controls you want to adjust using keyboard
plug-in target window is also the focus of key-
commands.
board shortcuts for plug-in settings.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1165

 Editing Plug-In Parameters
Editing Plug-In Controls Using a Computer Keyboard
You can adjust plug-in controls by dragging the You can use your computer keyboard to edit plug-
control’s slider or knob, or by typing a value into in controls.
the control’s text box. For instructions on editing
specific plug-ins, see the plug-in’s documentation. If multiple Plug-In windows are open, Tab and
keyboard entry remain focused on the plug-in that
For information about the specific controls of is the target window.
each of the plug-ins (installed with Pro Tools),
see the Audio Plug-Ins Guide. Additional free The plug-in target window is the focus of key-
plug-ins (and paid plug-in options) that can be board shortcuts for plug-in settings. To make
installed with Pro Tools are also documented a plug-in the target for any computer key-
in the Audio Plug-Ins Guide. board commands (including key shortcuts),
click the plug-in’s Target button in its Plug-In
To adjust a plug-in control: window.
1 Begin audio playback so that you can hear the
To change control values with a computer
control changes in real time.
keyboard:
2 Adjust the controls of the plug-in for the effect 1 Click or Navigate to the control text field that
you want. you want to edit to activate the field.
3 Close the Plug-In window to save the most re-
To move forward through the different
cent changes.
control fields, press the Tab key. To move
backward, press Shift+Tab.
Editing Plug-In Parameters
Using a Mouse 2 Change the value by doing one of the following.
You can adjust rotary controls by dragging hori- • To increase a value, press the Up Arrow on
zontally or vertically. Parameter values increase as your keyboard.
you drag upward or to the right, and decrease as • To decrease a value, press the Down Arrow
you drag downward or to the left. on your keyboard.
• Type the value.
Keyboard Shortcuts

 For finer adjustments, Command-drag (Mac) or In fields that support values in kilohertz, typ-
Control-drag (Windows) the control. ing “k” after a number value will multiply the
value by 1,000. For example, type “8k” to en-
 To return a control to its default value, Option- ter a value of 8,000.
click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the control.

1166 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Do one of the following to confirm the value: A typical use for external side-chain processing is
• Press Enter on the numeric keyboard to input to control the dynamics of one audio signal using
the value and remain in keyboard editing the dynamics of another signal (the key input). For
mode. example, a kick drum track could be used to trigger
gating of a bass track to tighten it up, or a rhythm
• Press Return (Mac) or Enter on the alphanu-
guitar track could be used to gate a keyboard pad.
meric keyboard (Windows) to enter the value
and leave keyboard editing mode. When using a dynamics insert keyed to an
external side chain using physical I/O, it is
To clear all clip indicators in the session, including
recommended that the plug-in be the first
plug-in clipping:
insert (Insert A) on a track.
 Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows).
Side-Chain Filters

Some plug-ins feature key high-pass and low-pass

Plug-In Automation and Safe filters. These controls let you define a specific fre-
Modes quency range in the side-chain signal with which
All real-time plug-ins can be fully automated, and to trigger the plug-in effect. A common production
support all Pro Tools Automation modes (Write, technique is to use these controls to filter a drum
Touch, and Latch, plus Trim). track so that only specific high frequency sounds
(such as a hi-hat) or low frequency ones (such a
The Auto button opens the Plug-In Automation di- tom or a kick) trigger the effect.
alog, where you can enable individual plug-in con-
trols for automation recording (see “Automating Using a Key Input for External
Plug-Ins” on page 1211). Side-Chain Processing
The Safe button engages Automation Safe mode. To use a key input for external side-chain
When enabled, existing plug-in automation is pro- processing:
tected from being overwritten (see “Record Safing
1 Click the plug-in’s Key Input selector and select
Plug-In Automation” on page 1213).
the input or bus carrying the audio you want to
use to trigger the plug-in; or select Search to
find the desired key input by typing the path
Side-Chain Input name.
The side-chain input is the split-off signal used by
a plug-in's detector to trigger dynamics processing,
and is generally drawn internally from the input
signal. However, some plug-ins let you switch be-
tween 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.
Searching and selecting a Key Input

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1167

 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 Lis-
ten or Key Listen (depending on the plug-in).
When finished, disable Side-Chain Lis-
ten/Key Listen to resume normal plug-in
monitoring.
• To filter the key input so that only specific
frequencies trigger the plug-in, use the filter-
ing controls (if available) to select the fre-
quency range.
Assigning a plug-in bus output to the input of an
5 Adjust the plug-in’s Threshold control (if avail- Auxiliary Input track
able) and other controls as needed.
A plug-in with an output bus assigned to the
Delay Compensation for Side input of another track cannot be moved to
Chains that track.

Pro Tools lets you apply automatic Delay Com-

pensation to side-chains. A plug-in with any assigned output busses
cannot be removed or replaced until all plug-
To apply Delay Compensation to side-chains: in output busses are unassigned.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the Mixing tab. Plug-In Presets
3 Enable the Compensate Side Chains option. Pro Tools makes it easy to create your own library
4 Click OK. of plug-in settings, or presets. Using the Plug-In
Settings menu, you can copy, paste, save, and im-
port these settings from plug-in to plug-in, or from
session to session.
Plug-in Bus Outputs
Some plug-ins (such as some virtual instrument or
multi-band processing plug-ins) provide separate
bus outputs you can use to route audio from the
plug-in to the input of another track for additional
processing, monitoring, or recording.

1168 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Once you create and save settings files to disk (and Import Settings Imports a plug-in settings file
tell Pro Tools where to find them by assigning to a (.tfx) from a location other than the Root Settings
root folder) they appear both in the Plug-In Librar- folder or Session folder.
ian menu and in the Plug-In Settings dialog. They
Delete Current Settings File Permanently deletes
also appear as plug-in settings files (.tfx) in Work-
the current plug-in settings file (.tfx) from disk.
space browsers.
Lock Settings File Prevents the current preset
You can use the Plug-In Settings dialog to au-
from being overwritten by the Save command. If
dition and select plug-in settings (see “Plug-
you attempt to save any changes to the plug-in set-
In Settings Dialog” on page 1171).
tings, you will be prompted to save them using a
different name or disk location.
Plug-In Settings Menu
Set As User Default Defines the current preset as
Use the Plug-In Settings menu commands to save,
the User Default for the selected plug-in.
copy, paste, and manage plug-in settings as presets
(plug-in settings files).
Settings Preferences
The Settings Preferences submenu provides com-
mands for configuring preferences for saving and
importing presets. They include:

Set Plug-In Default To Sets the default preset to ei-

ther Factory Default (the standard default setting
for that plug-in) or User Default (your custom set-
ting).
Plug-In Settings menu
Save Plug-In Settings To Selects the folder where
Plug-In Settings menu commands include:
presets (plug-in settings files) are saved. If you se-
Save Settings Saves the current settings. This lect Session Folder, the settings are saved in a
command overwrites any previous version of the folder named “Plug-In Settings” within the current
preset. Session folder. If you select Root Settings Folder,
the settings are saved in the folder you specified
Save Settings As Saves the current settings as a with the Set Root Settings Folder command. You
new preset under a different name. can change the location of the Root Settings Folder
in the Operation Preferences (see “User Media and
Copy Settings Copies the current plug-in settings.
Settings Location” on page 121).
You can then apply these settings to the same type
of plug-in on a different track by choosing the To save plug-in settings to any location other
track in the Plug-In window and pasting the set- than the default Plug-In Settings folder, you
tings with the Paste Settings command. must first create a folder named “Plug-In
Paste Settings Pastes plug-in settings copied with Settings” in the new location and then save to
the Copy Settings command. that folder.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1169

 Choosing a Destination for
Settings Unlinked multi-mono plug-ins have specific
rules for settings. See “Linking and Unlink-
Before you save plug-in settings, select their desti- ing Controls on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on
nation folder. page 1180.

To select a destination folder: To save a preset:

 From the Plug-In Settings menu, choose 1 Choose Save Settings from the Plug-In Settings
Settings Preferences > Save Plug-In Settings menu.
To, and select Session Folder or Root Settings
2 Type a name and click OK. The setting appears
Folder.
in the Plug-In Librarian menu.
If you selected Root Settings Folder, Pro Tools
Press Command+Shift+S (Mac) or Con-
saves to the default Root Plug-In Settings folder
trol+Shift+S (Windows) to save plug-in
unless you have specified a different location for
settings.
the Root Settings folder.
To load a plug-in preset:
To select a different Root Settings folder:
 Choose the name of the preset from the Plug-In
1 From the Plug-In Settings menu, choose Set-
Librarian menu.
tings Preferences > Set Root Settings Folder.

2 Select the folder you want to use as your Root To import a preset:
folder and click Select. 1 Choose Import Settings from the Plug-In Set-
tings menu.
Creating Subfolders for Settings 2 Locate the settings file you want to import and
To make it easier to find specific types of settings, click Open. Pro Tools loads the setting and cop-
you can subdivide settings files by creating sub- ies it to the root destination folder.
folders for them.
To copy plug-in settings:
To create a settings subfolder:  Choose Copy Settings from the Plug-In Settings
1 From the Plug-In Settings menu, choose Save menu.
Settings.
Press Command+Shift+C (Mac) or Con-
2 Click the New Folder button and type a name for trol+Shift+C (Windows) to copy plug-in
the subfolder. settings.
3 Name the preset and click Save. The plug-in
To paste plug-in settings:
settings file is saved within the subfolder.
1 Open the destination plug-in.
Managing Presets 2 Choose Paste Settings from the Plug-In Set-
tings menu.
Use the Plug-In Settings menu to manage plug-in
presets.

1170 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Press Command+Shift+V (Mac) or Con- Plug-In Settings Dialog
trol+Shift+V (Windows) to paste plug-in
The Plug-In Settings dialog lists the presets for the
settings.
current plug-in type. From this list, you can audi-
To create a custom User Default preset: tion and select presets.
1 Create and save a plug-in settings file. Use the Folder pop-up menu at the top of the Plug-
2 Select Set As User Default from the Plug-In Set- In Settings dialog to switch between plug-in set-
tings menu. tings subfolders, or root and session settings fold-
ers.
To make a plug-in default to your custom preset:

 From the Plug-In Settings menu, select Settings

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 select Plug-In Settings dialog
the next or previous preset. The next (or previ-
ous) preset is enabled, and the Plug-In Librarian The Plug-In Settings dialog includes the follow-
menu changes to show the name of the new pre- ing:
set. Folder This pop-up menu lets you switch between
You will lose the current plug-in settings if presets located in root or session folders (and any
they are not saved before you use the Next available subfolders).
and Previous Setting buttons. Always save Patch Field This field displays the name of the ac-
your plug-in settings to the selected Root Set- tive (highlighted) preset.
tings folder.
Increment Patch Every X Sec This option lets you
Editing Settings on Unlinked audition plug-in presets in series by automatically
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins scrolling through them for a specified number of
seconds.
When a multi-mono plug-in is unlinked, import-
ing, copying, pasting, or bypassing settings affects To change plug-in presets using the Plug-In
only the currently selected channel. Settings dialog:

1 Click the Settings Select button.

2 Do one of the following:

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1171

 • Select a preset from the dialog list. 5 When you are finished auditioning presets, do
• Use the Arrow keys to scroll through the one of the following:
available presets. • Click Done to stop incrementing patches, and
to close the Plug-In Settings dialog.
To switch between plug-in settings subfold-
• Deselect the Increment Patch option to stop
ers, press Command (Mac) or Control (Win-
incrementing patches and keep the Plug-In
dows) and use the Up/Down Arrow keys.
Settings dialog open. Then select the preset
3 Click Done. you want and click Done.

Auditioning Plug-In Presets Workspace and Plug-In Settings

Files
When the Plug-In Settings dialog is open, you can
have Pro Tools automatically scroll through and Workspace browsers recognize plug-ins settings
audition the plug-in settings files saved in the plug- files (.tfx) as a known Type and lets you drag and
in’s root settings folder or in the current session’s drop them to Pro Tools plug-in windows and In-
settings folder. serts. You can also search for plug-in settings by
type.
To audition plug-in presets:
1 Click the Settings Select button. Searching for Plug-In Settings
Files
2 From the dialog list, click a preset—the starting
point from which you will scroll through the To search for plug-in settings files:
settings files. 1 In the Workspace browser, click the Advanced
3 Enter a value for the number of seconds that Search icon.
will elapse between each preset change. 2 For the search criteria, select Kind > Is > Plug-In
4 Select the Increment Setting option. Settings File.

After the specified number of seconds, Pro Tools

selects the next preset.

Searching for plug-in settings files

1172 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 To further narrow your search, set additional To change a plug-in preset by drag and drop:
search criteria as desired.  Drag a plug-in settings file from a Workspace
browser to the plug-in window. The plug-in set-
You can create catalogs of specific plug-in
tings file must be for the same plug-in name.
settings that you work with frequently to
For example, you cannot replace a 1-Band EQ 3
streamline your workflow. For more informa-
with a plug-in setting for 4-Band EQ 3.
tion on Catalogs, see “Catalogs” on
page 392.

Dragging and Dropping Plug-In

Settings Files
You can insert a plug-in with a specific plug-in set-
tings file, as well as change plug-in settings of in-
serted plug-ins by dragging and dropping plug-in
settings files from a Workspace browser.

To insert a plug-in by drag and drop:

Dragging and dropping a plug-in settings file to a
 Drag a plug-in settings file from a Workspace plug-in
browser to an Insert in the Mix (or Edit) win-
dow. Selecting Plug-In Presets from
the Plug-In Selector
Pro Tools lets you select plug-in settings from the
Insert Right-click menu using the User Presets
submenu.

To select a plug-in setting for a plug-in insert in the

Mix or Edit window:
1 With Inserts view shown, Right-click the
plug-in Insert in the Mix or Edit window.
2 From the User Presets submenu, select the
plug-in setting you want.
Dragging and dropping a plug-in settings file to an
Insert

Insert Right-Click menu in the Mix window

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1173

 Plug-In Map Files
Plug-In Mapping
Plug-In maps can be exported (as .pim files) for use
(Control Surfaces Only)
in other sessions and on other systems with a sim-
Pro Tools lets you customize the arrangement of ilar type of control surface (8-fader surface,
plug-in parameter controls on supported control 24-fader surface, or ICON surface).
surfaces. You can save these customized plug-in
maps as presets and export them for use across dif- Control Surface Mapping
ferent sessions and systems. Plug-In Maps are
When you create a custom plug-in map, its param-
stored in the Plug-In Maps folder in the Pro Tools
eters are arranged in pages that correspond to the
Root Settings folder. You can change the location
controls on the control surface. The size of a page
of the Root Settings Folder in the Operation Pref-
depends on the type of control surface. Each cus-
erences (see “User Media and Settings Location”
tom plug-in map allows up to 200 pages of mapped
on page 121).
parameters.
Plug-In Learn Mode Plug-In mapping is stored according to the follow-
Plug-Ins can be put into Learn mode, from which ing types of control surfaces:
any automatable plug-in parameter can be mapped • 003
to a channel strip encoder, switch, or (in Flip • C|24
mode) fader on the control surface.
• Command|8
Plug-In Map Presets • D-Control
A map for a plug-in can be saved and recalled for • D-Command
any plug-in of the same type. • EUCON-compatible controllers
You can save multiple map presets for a single • M-Audio controllers
plug-in, and switch between maps at any time
during a session. If you import a plug-in map that was created
on a different type of control surface, it will
You can also use multiple map presets on different appear as an inactive choice in the Map Pre-
instances of a plug-in at the same time. This is use- sets menu.
ful for virtual instrument plug-ins with multiple
configurations, or for multi-user workflows on
large systems.

You can set a custom plug-in map to be the default

map for a plug-in, so that the same map is used for
all default instances of that plug-in.

1174 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Plug-In Map Controls Creating Plug-In Maps
When a supported control surface is declared in This topic covers creating plug-in maps on the fol-
Pro Tools, Plug-In Map controls appear in the lowing control surfaces:
plug-in window. • C|24

Map Options menu

• 003
• Command|8

Map Presets menu For details on plug-in mapping for D-Control

Learn button and D-Command, see the D-Control Guide
and D-Command Guide.
Parameter menu
Putting a Plug-In into Learn Mode
Plug-In Map controls in the plug-in window

Map Options Menu Lets you create, rename, save, When you first put a plug-in into Learn mode, a
delete, import, export, and set default plug-in new plug-in map is created (with the default name
maps. “Custom Map”), and the plug-in is focused on the
control surface, but with a blank page of controls,
Map Presets Menu Lets you choose from avail- ready for mapping.
able custom Plug-In Maps for the plug-in.
Only one plug-in can be in Learn mode at a time.
Learn Button Puts the plug-in in Learn mode,
where you can map plug-in parameters to a control To put a plug-in into Learn mode, do one of the
surface. following:

 Click the Learn button in the plug-in window.

Parameter Menu When in Learn mode, lets you
select a parameter on the plug-in for mapping. If  From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
you click a parameter in the plug-in window while New Map.
in Learn mode, this menu shows the name of the
parameter. To take a plug-in out of Learn mode, do one of the
following:
Plug-In Map controls can be shown or hidden.
 Click the active Learn button in the plug-in win-
To show (or hide) Plug-In Map controls: dow.

 Select (or deselect) View > Plug-In > Map  Close the plug-in window.
Controls.  Click the Learn button in a different plug-in
window.

Plug-Ins are automatically taken out of Learn

mode when moved to a different insert
position, made inactive, or converted
between DSP and Native formats.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1175

 Creating and Editing Plug-In To remove parameter mapping from a plug-in map:
Maps 1 Open the plug-in whose custom map you want
to change.
To create a custom map of plug-in parameters:
1 Open the plug-in whose mapping you want to 2 Choose the map you want to change from the
customize. Map Preset pop-up menu.

2 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in is 3 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in is
focused on the control surface, but with a blank focused on the control surface.
page of controls, ready for mapping. 4 Do the following for each parameter mapping
3 In the plug-in window, click the plug-in param- you want to remove:
eter you want to map. The parameter name ap- • Make sure the Parameter menu displays No
pears in the Parameter menu. Control.

4 On the control surface, do one of the following: • On the control surface, page to the encoder or
switch where you want to remove the map-
• Turn the encoder or press the channel Select
ping, and turn the encoder or press the switch.
switch where you want to map the parameter.
• If the control surface is in Flip mode, move 5 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode.
the fader or press the channel Select switch
where you want to map the parameter. Saving Plug-In Maps
5 Repeat steps 3-4 for each parameter you want to You can save plug-in maps as presets for reuse on
map. the same Pro Tools system.
6 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode. Plug-In maps are saved as global preferences on a
Pro Tools system, so they are available to all ses-
To change parameter mapping in a plug-in map:
sions created on the system.
1 Open the plug-in whose custom map you want
to change. When you create a map for a plug-in, that map be-
comes available to all other plug-ins of the same
2 Choose the map you want to change from the type and channel format.
Map Preset pop-up menu.
If you want to map the same plug-in in
3 Put the plug-in into Learn mode. The plug-in is
different channel formats (such as mono,
focused on the control surface.
stereo and 5.1 surround) you need to create
4 Do the following for each parameter mapping a separate plug-in map for each format.
you want to change:
You can also export plug-in maps for use on other
• In the plug-in window, click the new plug-in
Pro Tools systems with a similar control surface
parameter you want to map. The parameter
(see “Exporting and Importing Plug-In Maps” on
name appears in the Parameter menu.
page 1178.
• On the control surface, page to the encoder or
switch where you want to change the map-
ping, and turn the encoder or press the switch.
5 Take the plug-in out of Learn mode.
1176 Pro Tools Reference Guide
To save a copy of a custom plug-in map: 3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to copy. Delete Current Map.

2 Choose the map you want to copy from the Map 4 Click Delete.
Presets pop-up menu.
To delete all plug-in maps from the system:
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
1 Open any plug-in in the session.
Save Map As.
2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
4 Enter a name for the plug-in map.
Delete All Maps.
5 Click OK. The new copy becomes the active
3 Click Delete.
plug-in map.

To rename a custom plug-in map: Setting a Custom Plug-In Map as

the Default Map
1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to re-
name. You can set a custom plug-in map as the default
map for a plug-in, instead of the Factory Default
2 Choose the map you want to rename from the
map.
Map Presets pop-up menu.
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose When you set a custom plug-in map as the default,
Rename Map. it applies across the entire session. All instances of
that plug-in that were set to the Factory Default
4 Enter a new name for the plug-in map. map, or to another custom default map, change to
5 Click OK. the new default.

If you change parameter mapping in the custom

Deleting Plug-In Maps plug-in map that has been set as the default, the
changes will propagate to all instances of the plug-
From the plug-in window, you can delete individ-
in using that default.
ual plug-in maps.
When you export a plug-in map, the default
You can also delete all custom plug-in maps on the
map setting for that plug-in is also exported.
system, reverting all plug-ins to their Factory De-
When that map is imported, the default setting
fault plug-in maps.
is also updated, and all instances of the plug-
On D-Control and D-Command systems, in change to the new default.
when you delete all plug-in maps, you are
also deleting all Custom Fader Plug-In
mappings.

To delete a custom plug-in map:

1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to delete.

2 Choose the map you want to delete from the
Map Presets pop-up menu.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1177

 How Default Plug-In Map Settings are Stored To hide the Factory Default pages of a plug-in map:

Default map settings are stored as global (system- 1 Open the plug-in whose default plug-in map
wide) Pro Tools preferences, so they are applied to pages you want to hide.
all sessions that you subsequently open or create 2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
on that system. Hide Factory Default Pages.

If you plan to work with the same plug-in

mapping on multiple sessions, back up your Exporting and Importing Plug-In
settings by exporting all plug-in maps on a Maps
regular basis and saving the .pim file with Plug-In maps can be exported as .pim files for use
your sessions. on other Pro Tools systems.
To set a custom plug-in map as the default plug-in When exporting plug-in maps, you can choose to
map:
save individual map files for each plug-in, or a sin-
1 Open the plug-in whose default plug-in map gle map file containing all the plug-in maps for the
you want to change. system.
2 Choose the map you want to use as the new On D-Control and D-Command systems,
default from the Map Presets pop-up menu. when you export all plug-in maps, you are
3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose also exporting Custom Fader Plug-In map-
Set As Default. ping to the same file. For more information,
see the D-Control Guide or D-Command
Guide.
Hiding Default Plug-In Map
Pages To export an individual plug-in map:
When you create a custom plug-in map, its param- 1 Open the plug-in whose map you want to ex-
eters are arranged in pages that correspond to the port.
groups of controls that appear on a control surface.
2 Choose the map you want to export from the
When you page through the controls for a plug-in Map Presets pop-up menu.
on a control surface, the pages for custom plug-in 3 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose
maps appear first, and the pages for the Factory Export Current Plug-In Map.
Default map appear after the custom pages.
4 Choose a location for the map file.
You can hide the Factory Default pages of a plug-
in, so that only the custom pages appear on the 5 Click Save.
control surface. This applies to all instances of the
plug-in.

1178 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To export all plug-in maps in the system to a single When a plug-in is bypassed, its Insert button turns
map file: blue. If only some of the channels of a multi-mono
1 Open any plug-in in the session. plug-in are bypassed, its Insert button turns purple.

2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose bypassed (blue) not bypassed
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. Indication of bypassed plug-in state
2 From the Map Options pop-up menu, choose To bypass (or pass) certain Inserts using the Track
Import Plug-In Maps From File. menu, choose:

3 Locate the plug-in map (.pim) file you want to 1 Select the tracks on which you want to bypass
import. inserts. Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Win-
dows) to select all tracks shown in the session.
4 Click Open.
2 Choose Track > Bypass Insert.
3 Select (or deselect) one of the following:
Bypassing Plug-Ins
All Bypasses all Inserts on all selected tracks in the
Plug-Ins can be bypassed from their Plug-In win- session.
dow, or from the Mix and Edit window Inserts
View. Inserts A–E Bypasses Inserts A–E on all selected
tracks in the session.
To bypass a plug-in, do one of the following:
Inserts F–J Bypasses Inserts A–E on all selected
 Click the Plug-In window’s Effect Bypass but- tracks in the session.
ton.
EQ Bypasses all EQ plug-ins on all selected tracks
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- in the session. For those plug-ins that are available
dows) the plug-in’s Insert button in the Mix or in multiple categories (such as Channel Strip),
Edit window. only the EQ portion of the plug-in is bypassed.

Dynamics Bypasses all Dynamics plug-ins on all

selected tracks in the session. For those plug-ins
that are available in multiple categories (such as
Channel Strip), only the Dynamics portion of the
plug-in is bypassed.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1179

 Reverb Bypasses all Reverb plug-ins on all se-
lected tracks in the session. Linking and Unlinking
Controls on Multi-Mono
Delay Bypasses all Delay plug-ins on all selected Plug-Ins
tracks in the session.
When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a stereo
Modulation Bypasses all Modulation plug-ins on track or greater-than-stereo multichannel track
all selected tracks in the session. (Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio only), the controls
are linked by default. Adjusting the Gain control
Key Commands for Bypassing Inserts on one channel, for example, will adjust it for all
channels.
Pro Tools provides key-click commands for by-
passing inserts on selected tracks in the Mix win- You can unlink multi-mono plug-in controls on
dow: specific channels of a track and edit them inde-
 Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) pendently. You can also selectively link the con-
an Insert Assignment button in the Mix or Edit trols of specific channels.
window to bypass it and all inserts below it on a
Link Enable buttons
track.
 Control-Option-click (Mac) or Start+Alt-click

(Windows) an Insert Assignment button in the Mix Master Link button

Channel Selector
or Edit window to bypass it and all inserts below it
on all tracks. This lets you bypass all plug-ins in Channel selector and Link controls (shown with Link
your session with a single click. disabled)

 Press Shift+A to bypass (or un-bypass) all in- To unlink controls on a multi-mono plug-in:
serts on selected tracks.  Deselect the Master Link button.
 Press Shift+2 to bypass (or un-bypass) inserts
A–E on selected tracks. To access controls for a specific channel:

 Press Shift+3 to bypass (or un-bypass) inserts  Select the channel from the Channel selector.
F–J on selected tracks.
To link the controls of specific channels:
 Press Shift+E to bypass (or un-bypass) all EQ 1 Deselect the Master Link button if it is not al-
plug-ins on selected tracks. ready deselected.
 Press Shift+C to bypass (or un-bypass) all Dy- 2 Click the Link Enable buttons for the channels
namics plug-ins on selected tracks. whose controls you want to link.
 Press Shift+V to bypass (or un-bypass) all Re-
verb plug-ins on selected tracks.
 Press Shift+D to bypass (or un-bypass) all De-
lay plug-ins on selected tracks. All channels linked except the LFE
 Press Shift+W to bypass (or un-bypass) all
Modulation plug-ins on selected tracks.

1180 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Assigning Hardware Inserts
Using Hardware Inserts
To assign an external hardware insert to a track:
You can connect external devices, such as reverb
or effects processors, to your Pro Tools system and  Select an insert from the track Insert selector.
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 outputs
on your system. For example, a hardware insert be-
ing supplied by outputs 7–8 needs to be returned to
hardware inputs 7–8.

Delay Compensation can be applied to Hard-

ware Inserts. See “H/W Insert Delay (Com-
pensation) Page” on page 61.

To define a hardware insert: Selecting a hardware I/O insert

1 Choose Setup > I/O, then click the Insert tab.

2 Select an insert path, or click New Path to create
a new Insert path.
Hardware Insert window
3 Double-click the Path Name to enter a custom
path name for the insert.
Bypassing Hardware Inserts
4 Make sure the insert path is set to the correct
Hardware inserts do not provide a bypass control.
format (mono, stereo, or other).
To monitor playback without a hardware insert, ei-
5 Map inserts in the Channel Grid as needed. In- ther set it to Inactive, remove it by reassigning it to
sert and Output paths have special rules regard- No Insert, or use a bypass switch on the hardware
ing channel mapping (see “Valid Paths and device itself. (See “Making Inserts Inactive” on
Requirements” on page 81). page 1156 for more information.)

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1181

 Connecting and Integrating To set up a digital send to an external device for
External Devices HDX and HD Native systems:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware

Pro Tools can create dedicated connections to ex-
ternal analog or digital devices. The number and 2 Select the audio interface from the Peripherals
type of connections depends on what kind of sys- list (HD I/O, HD MADI, or HD OMNI).
tem you have.
3 Select an audio format and clock format, and set
To connect an external device to a Pro Tools the appropriate channel pair to Digital.
system:
4 Select Internal from the Clock Master pop-up
1 Connect an unused output (or pair of outputs for menu.
a stereo device) of your Pro Tools system to an
5 Click OK.
input of the external signal processor.
2 Connect the output of the external signal pro- To set up a digital send to an external device from
cessor to an unused input (or pair of inputs for a a Pro Tools system with 003, 003 Rack+, or 003
Rack:
stereo device) of your Pro Tools system.
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine and choose
3 Define what physical ports are routed to
the peripheral.
Pro Tools input and output ports, as appropriate,
in either the Hardware Setup dialog or 2 Do one of the following:
I/O Setup dialog. • If the external device is connected to the
4 Define output, input, or insert paths as appropri- S/PDIF RCA jacks, deselect S/PDIF Mirror-
ate in the I/O Setup dialog. ing. (When S/PDIF Mirroring is on, digital
output at the S/PDIF RCA jacks exactly mir-
If you plan to use a device as an insert, be sure to rors the output of analog Channels 1–2.)
connect the device to matching inputs and outputs • If the external device is connected to the Op-
on your system. For example, to use outputs 7–8, tical ports, choose a format (most likely
the insert has to use inputs 7–8 also. S/PDIF for an effects device) from the Opti-
cal Format pop-up menu.
For additional information on connecting ex-
ternal devices, see the User Guide that came 3 Choose Internal from the Clock Master pop-up
with your system. menu.
4 Click OK.
Connecting Effects Units
Digitally 5 Optionally, configure the I/O Setup dialog with
new path names for effects routing.
If you want to use the digital inputs and outputs on
your Pro Tools system as effects sends and returns If you set the Optical Format to S/PDIF,
to a digital effects device, Pro Tools should be the Pro Tools will watch the Optical port for
clock master in most cases. Set your digital effects any audio input, and ignore any audio in-
device to accept an external digital clock so that it put on the S/PDIF RCA jacks.
synchronizes to Pro Tools.

1182 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Using External Clock Sources To select an external clock source for a Pro Tools
(for Recording and Monitoring) system with 003, 003 Rack+, or 003 Rack:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware.

When recording or monitoring, Pro Tools can syn-
chronize to an external clock source. Options for 2 Set the Clock Master to match the type of input.
external clock vary according to the type of
3 If you select Optical, make sure the Optical
Pro Tools system you are using.
Format matches the type of optical input you are
HDX and HD Native Systems sending to your Pro Tools system.

HDX and HD Native systems can receive external If you set the Optical Format to S/PDIF,
clock through any of the digital inputs on any Avid Pro Tools will watch the Optical port for
HD audio interface (including AES/EBU, S/PDIF, external clock, and ignore any clock input
and Optical). on the S/PDIF RCA jacks.

For details on audio interface connections, Pro Tools Systems with Eleven Rack
see the guide for your audio interface.
Pro Tools can receive external clock from the
To select an external clock source for HDX or AES/EBU input or S/PDIF input.
HD Native systems:
To select an external clock source for Eleven
1 Choose Setup > Hardware. Rack:
2 Select the appropriate audio interface in order to 1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
display its settings in the Main page.
2 Set the Clock Master to match the type of
3 If necessary, enable the appropriate Digital For- input.
mat (if you have not already done so, according
to the instructions in your User Guide or I/O Pro Tools Systems with Mbox Pro or Mbox (3rd
Guide). generation)

4 Set the Clock Master to match the type of Pro Tools can receive external clock from the
input. S/PDIF input on these interfaces.

5 Configure input routing of the digital source, To select an external clock source from Pro Tools
using the Input and Output pop-up menus, if with an Mbox Pro or Mbox (3rd generation):
necessary.
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
6 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog.
2 Select SPDIF/RCA (Mac) or SPDIF (Windows)
from the Clock Master pop-up menu.
Pro Tools Systems with 003, 003 Rack+, or
003 Rack 3 Click OK.
Pro Tools can receive external clock from the Op- Your digital input device must be connected
tical input or S/PDIF input. and powered on for Pro Tools to synchronize to
it. If your input device is not powered on, leave
the Clock Master set to Internal.

Chapter 51: Plug-In and Hardware Inserts 1183

1184 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 52: DSP Mode

DSP Mode for Ultra-Low DSP Mode States

Latency Monitoring
The following track-based DSP Mode states are
(HDX Hybrid Engine or Pro Tools | Carbon Only) possible, as indicated by the DSP Mode icon:
HDX systems using the HDX Hybrid Engine and DSP Mode Enabled When DSP Mode is enabled
Pro Tools | Carbon systems let you use DSP Mode on a track, the DSP Mode button turns bright
to ensure ultra-low latency input and record moni- green. All Native plug-ins with DSP versions
toring with dedicated HDX DSP. switch to DSP while Native only plug-ins are by-
passed. The entire signal path for the track runs on
DSP Mode can be can enabled or disabled on a
the DSP mixer in Pro Tools | Carbon or the DSP on
track-by-track basis for Audio, Auxiliary Input, In-
HDX cards.
strument, Routing Folder, and Master Fader tracks.
Native Mode (DSP Mode Disabled) When DSP
To ensure the lowest possible latency for input and Mode is disabled on a track it is in Native Mode
record monitoring, DSP and Native plug-ins can- and the DSP Mode button is gray. All plug-ins on
not be active on the same track while DSP Mode is the track are Native only.
enabled. For tracks with DSP Mode enabled, all
Native plug-ins on the track (if any) switch to DSP DSP Mode Safe When DSP Mode Safe is enabled
(if a DSP version is available). Any Native-only on a track, DSP Mode will not be automatically en-
plug-ins on the track are automatically bypassed abled on that track.
while in DSP Mode.
DSP Mode Auto Enabled If any track is part of the
If you want to offload Native processing from signal chain of another track that is set to DSP
the host CPU to dedicated DSP processing Mode, it is automatically set to DSP Mode. When
with HDX cards or Pro Tools | Carbon, you DSP Mode is automatically enabled on a track, the
can enable DSP Mode on audio tracks re- DSP Mode button turns dim green.
gardless of whether or not they are record-
armed or input-enabled.

Chapter 52: DSP Mode 1185

 DSP Mode enabled
Native Mode
DSP Mode Safe enabled
DSP Mode Auto enabled

Figure 1. DSP Mode button states

Enabling DSP Mode

Enable DSP Mode on tracks for low-latency mon-
itoring during recording or input monitoring. With
DSP Mode enabled:
• Protecting low latency is the highest priority.
• The track and its entire signal chain run on the
DSP on HDX cards or Pro Tools | Carbon HDX
DSP.
• Any Native plug-ins on the track that are not
available in DSP format are bypassed.
• HEAT is not supported on audio tracks in DSP
Mode. In the Mix window, HEAT is bypassed
for all audio tracks in DSP Mode.

To enable DSP Mode on a track, do one of the

following:

 In the Mix or Edit window, click the DSP Mode

Track DSP Mode button enabled: in the Edit window
button on the track so that it lights bright green. (top) and in the Mix window (bottom)
 In the Mix or Edit window, right-click the DSP
Mode button on the track and select DSP Mode.

1186 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Right-click the Track name in the Track List, or
in the Edit or Mix window, and select DSP Enabling DSP Mode Safe
Mode. The DSP Mode button is not shown Use DSP Mode Safe to prevent DSP Mode from
when the Track Height is set to Small, Mini, or being automatically enabled on a track. This is use-
Micro in the Edit window. In this case, use this ful if you want to route any audio from a DSP
method to enable (or disable) DSP Mode, or do Mode–enabled track with any plug-ins that are
so in the Mix window. only available in Native format. For example, you
might want to send audio from a DSP Mode–en-
abled audio track to a DSP Mode Safe–enabled
Auxiliary Input track for processing with a reverb
plug-in that is only available as a Native plug-in.
DSP Safe Mode can also be useful if you just need
to avoid using DSP for plug-ins on a track for any
reason.

To enable DSP Mode Safe on a track, do one of the

following:

 Right-click the Track name in the Track List, or

in the Edit or Mix window, and select DSP
Mode Safe.

Right-click a track name to enable DSP Mode in the

Edit window

Select the Enable DSP Mode when Tracks

with Hardware Inputs are Record-Armed/In-
put-Enabled option in the Operation Prefer- Enabling DSP Mode Safe on a track in the Mix window
ences (Setup > Preferences) to automatically  In the Mix or Edit window, right-click the DSP
enable DSP Mode when record arming or en- Mode button on the track and select DSP Mode
abling input monitoring tracks. See “Opera- Safe.
tion Preferences” on page 118.
 In the Mix or Edit window, Command-click the
DSP Mode button on the track.

Chapter 52: DSP Mode 1187

 DSP Mode Insert Indicators
Tracks in DSP Mode provide ultra-low-la-
tency monitoring, whereas tracks in Native Plug-in Insert selectors change color to indicate
Mode introduce latency when monitoring live whether DSP plug-ins are inserted on a track that is
inputs. Consequently, live audio monitored DSP Mode enabled or DSP Mode auto-enabled, or
both through tracks in DSP Mode and tracks if a plug-in has been made inactive due to insuffi-
in Native Mode (including DSP Mode Safe- cient DSP resources.
enabled tracks) may not be aligned. DSP Mode Insert indicator color coding

DSP Mode Color

DSP Mode Indicators for Enabled Green
Plug-ins, Inserts, Sends, and
Outputs Auto-enabled Dark Green

Inactive due to insuffi-

Dark Orange
DSP-Compatible Badge for cient resources
Plug-ins
For plug-ins that are available in both Native and
DSP formats, the DSP-Compatible Badge appears DSP Mode
enabled
to the right of plug-in name in the Plug-in Insert se-
lector. Plug-ins without this badge are only avail- DSP Mode
able in Native format and, if inserted on a track, are auto-enabled
automatically bypassed when DSP Mode is en- Insert Selector
abled on that track. dot DSP
Mode
enabled

Insert DSP Mode indicators

DSP Mode enabled,

plug-in inactive due to
insufficient resources

DSP Mode Insert inactive indicators

DSP-compatible badge

1188 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Plug-in Format Indicator in Send Selector DSP Mode
Plug-in Windows Indicator
The Plug-in Format indicator is color coded to in- When a Send is made inactive due to insufficient
dicate whether DSP plug-ins are inserted on a track DSP resources, the Send selector appears dark or-
that is DSP Mode–enabled or DSP Mode–auto en- ange and any text is italicized.
abled, or if a plug-in has been made inactive due to
insufficient DSP resources. Similarly, with Dy-
namics plug-ins, the Key Input selector turns dark
orange to indicate that there are insufficient DSP
resources.

DSP Mode-enabled, send inactive due to insufficient

resources

DSP Mode enabled Output View Selector DSP Mode

Indicator
When a track output is made inactive due to insuf-
ficient DSP resources, the Output View selector
appears dark orange and any text is italicized.

DSP Mode automatically enabled

DSP Mode, DSP plug-in inactive due to insufficient

DSP resources

DSP Mode-enabled, track output inactive due to

insufficient resources
DSP Mode, Key Input inactive due to insufficient DSP
resources

Chapter 52: DSP Mode 1189

 Workflow Example: Recording in DSP Mode for Ultra-Low
Latency Monitoring
The following workflow example uses DSP Mode for recording a singer with DSP plug-in processing and
low-latency monitoring.

This example session is made up of the following tracks (see the graphic on the next page):
• 3 mono audio tracks for vocals, guitar, and bass. Each track has EQ and dynamics plug-ins, and the vocal
track also has a slap-back delay.
• 2 stereo audio tracks, one for electric piano and another for drum loops. Each track has EQ and dynamics
plug-ins.
• 1 stereo Auxiliary Input track for reverb processing.
• 2 Master Fader tracks, one for control room monitoring and the other for the singer’s headphones. Each
has a limiter on it.
• 1 mono Auxiliary Input track for the built-in talkback mic.

The following diagram shows the physical studio connections for this workflow example. While this work-
flow example only reviews recording vocals in DSP Mode with a dedicated headphone mix, you can just
as easily have independent headphone mixes for the rest of the band.

Figure 2. Physical studio connections (HDX Hybrid Engine with MTRX Studio shown)

1190 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Adjust the Mix for Recording
Start playback to set the levels and panning of the instruments to get the mix you want in the control room
monitors. Set the send levels from each track to balance the headphone mix. Input-enable the vocal track
and use the talkback mic to communicate with the singer and adjust the headphone mix to the singer’s lik-
ing. Once the singer is happy with the headphone mix, you are ready to record some vocals.

Figure 3. Session with the band already recorded

Chapter 52: DSP Mode 1191

 Record with Ultra-Low Latency Monitoring
Enable DSP Mode on the vocal track. Notice that all tracks that are part of the signal chain for the vocal
track have DSP Mode enabled automatically: the reverb Auxiliary Input track and both Master Fader
tracks. All plug-ins on these tracks switch from Native to DSP format (any Native only plug-ins on any of
these tracks are automatically bypassed). Record-arm the vocal track, and when the singer is ready, start re-
cording. The singer will hear themselves in the mix with virtually no latency.

Figure 4. Recording vocals in DSP Mode for ultra-low latency monitoring

1192 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Use DSP Mode Safe to Record with Native Reverb
Let’s assume that you have a Native-only reverb plug-in that you really like. You can still record vocals
with virtually no latency in their monitor mix while still using your favorite Native-only reverb plug-in to
process all of the audio tracks. Enable DSP Mode Safe on the reverb track and set the wet/dry mix on the
reverb plug-in to 100% wet. Enable DSP Mode on the vocal track—DSP Mode is enabled for all tracks in
the signal chain of the vocal track except for the reverb track. Record-arm the vocal track and when the
singer is ready, start recording. There will be latency on the reverb track, but given the nature of reverb pro-
cessing it won’t really be noticeable. The important thing is that the talent won’t hear any latency in the mix
with their performance.

Figure 5. Session configured for recording vocals, but with Auxiliary Input track in DSP Mode Safe for Native
reverb processing

Chapter 52: DSP Mode 1193

 Tips for Using DSP Mode
To ensure optimal workflows in DSP Mode:

 Use input and output gain controls on Native-only plug-in inserts to make up for any undesirable
changes in signal level when switching between Native Mode and DSP Mode.
 Since DSP Mode does not reduce latency for tracks that are not part of a live signal path, avoid enabling
DSP Mode on tracks that are not part of the signal chain for recording and input monitoring. However,
note that DSP Mode can be used to offload plug-in processing from the CPU when mixing without con-
sequence.
 To avoid unnecessarily enabling DSP Mode automatically on tracks that are fed by other channels of a
multi-channel bus, use dedicated mono bus paths instead of mono sub-paths of stereo busses when rout-
ing mono audio signals with tracks in DSP Mode. You will need to specifically create mono bus paths
in I/O Setup since the default bus paths will always be stereo with mono sub-paths.
 Avoid routing unrelated signals to the channels of a multichannel bus. For example, avoid routing a gui-
tar signal to the left channel and a bass signal to the right channel of the same stereo bus.

1194 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 53: Automation

Pro Tools features dynamic automation of mixing

controls on each of the track types. You can write Automation Overview
automation moves and view them in real time Pro Tools provides many options for recording, re-
during playback and recording in your session. placing, and editing automation data.
You can also edit automation data with the same
techniques you use to edit audio and MIDI data. The basic steps for automation recording are:
• Enable the automation type that you want to re-
Automation Accuracy with cord (volume, pan, mute, send level, send pan,
Control Surfaces send mute, or plug-in automation).
Control Surfaces D-Control, D-Command, C|24, • Put the appropriate tracks in an automation writ-
and Command|8 control surfaces support the auto- ing mode (Write, Touch, or Latch, or a Trim
mation features in Pro Tools. Pro Tools control mode).
surfaces provide 10-bit resolution, or 1,024 steps • If you are automating a plug-in, enable the
of fader resolution. Pro Tools interpolates this in- individual plug-in controls to be automated.
put to 24-bit resolution on playback, resulting in
• Automation Safe any plug-ins, outputs, or sends
extremely accurate and smooth fader automation.
that have existing automation data that you want
For details on using control surfaces to create to protect from being overwritten.
mix automation, see your control surface guide. • Begin playback to begin automation recording,
and adjust controls as needed. Pro Tools remem-
EUCON Avid control surfaces using EUCON,
bers all moves performed on enabled controls.
such as Pro Tools | S6 or Artist Series controllers,
provide 12-bit resolution fader and knob control. To edit automation once it has been recorded, you
can:
MIDI Control Surfaces Most MIDI control sur-
faces have 7-bit resolution, or 128 steps. Pro Tools • Repeat the above steps to write new automation
interpolates this input to 24-bit resolution on play- over the previous data.
back, resulting in accurate and smooth fader auto- • Graphically edit the automation data in the Edit
mation. window.
• Cut, copy, paste, or delete automation data (cer-
tain restrictions apply).

Chapter 53: Automation 1195

 On Auxiliary Input tracks (and Routing Folder
Automation Playlists tracks), these parameters include:
Each Pro Tools track contains a single automation • Volume
playlist for each automatable parameter. The avail-
• Volume Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
able options vary depending on track type, track
only)
channel width, and track output path channel
width. • LFE (.1 surround outputs only,
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only)
On audio tracks, these parameters include:
• Mute
• Volume
• Object Toggle (Object tracks only,
• Volume Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only)
only)
• Pan
• LFE (.1 surround outputs only,
• Send Level
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only)
• Send Level Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
• Mute
dio only)
• Object Toggle (Object tracks only,
• Send Pan
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only)
• Send Mute
• Pan
• Plug-In controls
• Send Level
• Send Level Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu- On Master Faders, these parameters include:
dio only) • Volume
• Send Pan • Volume Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
• Send Mute only)

• Plug-In controls • Plug-In controls

Routing Folder tracks let you view and edit On MIDI tracks, these parameters include:
track automation, such as Volume and Pan, • MIDI Volume
either in the corresponding track view or in • MIDI Pan
Automation lanes. Routing Folder track auto-
mation is independent of any automation on • MIDI Mute
member tracks, and editing Routing Folder • pitch bend
track automation does not affect the automa- • mono aftertouch
tion on member tracks.
• program change
• Sysex
• controllers

1196 Pro Tools Reference Guide

On Instrument tracks, these parameters include: In addition, on MIDI and Instrument tracks you
• MIDI Volume can display and edit other continuous MIDI con-
troller data (such as mod wheel, breath controller,
• MIDI Pan foot controller, or sustain) in a similar manner. For
• MIDI Mute more information on editing MIDI data, see “Con-
• pitch bend tinuous Controller Events” on page 803.

• mono aftertouch
Automation Playlists with Audio
• program change and MIDI Clips
• sysex
Pro Tools handles audio clips and their automation
• controllers playlists differently from MIDI clips and their au-
• Audio Volume tomation playlists.

• Volume Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Audio Tracks

only)
On audio tracks, automation data resides on a sep-
• LFE (.1 surround outputs only,
arate playlist from audio data and clips. Each edit
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only)
playlist on an audio track shares the same automa-
• Mute tion data.
• Object Toggle (Object tracks only,
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only) MIDI and Instrument Tracks

• Pan On MIDI tracks and Instrument tracks, all control-

ler automation data except for MIDI Mute data, or
• Send Level
audio mute (Instrument tracks only), is stored in
• Send Level Trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu- the MIDI clip that contains it. Each edit playlist on
dio only) the track is separate, and represents a distinct per-
• Send Pan formance, complete with controller automation.
• Send Mute MIDI Mute data is independent of the MIDI
• Plug-In controls data in a MIDI clip. This lets you mute play-
back of individual MIDI or Instrument tracks in
On VCA Master tracks, these parameters include: Pro Tools without altering the controller data.
• Volume
• Volume Trim Trim Automation Playlists
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
• Mute
Separate Trim automation playlists are available
You can display and edit each of these automatable for Volume trim and Send Level trim. Volume trim
playlists individually from Pro Tools, even during is available on all track types except MIDI tracks.
playback. Send Level trim is available on audio tracks only.

Chapter 53: Automation 1197

 Each Trim automation playlist shows the position
of the Trim fader with yellow breakpoint automa- Automation Modes
tion that can be edited. For more information on Automation modes control how a track’s automa-
Trim playlists, see “Trim Mode” on page 1201 and tion data is written and played back. Each track
“Viewing Automation” on page 1205. provides an Automation Mode selector for select-
ing the track’s Automation mode.
Multiple Edit Playlists and Audio
Track Automation Off Mode
All edit playlists on a single audio track share the Off mode turns off automation for all automatable
same automation data. When you record or edit au- parameters:
tomation data in an audio track, the automation
data is stored in the track’s corresponding automa- • Volume
tion playlist so it can be edited with, or inde- • Pan
pendently from, its associated audio clips. • Mute
MIDI continuous controller data always • Send volume, pan, and mute
follows clip editing, with the exception of • Plug-In controls
mute. See “MIDI and Instrument Tracks”
on page 1197 for more information.
• MIDI volume, pan, and mute

In Off mode, automation data for these parameters

 When you copy or cut audio data from a track
is ignored during playback. All other MIDI con-
while it is in Waveform view, the underlying auto-
troller data is sent.
mation data is cut or copied with it.
 If you paste audio data from other locations or Automation can be switched from Off to another
tracks into an edit playlist, you may change the un- Automation mode during playback or record.
derlying automation data on the track.
Read Mode
 When you trim clips using Edit > Trim, the un-
derlying automation data remains unchanged. Read mode plays any automation that was previ-
ously written for a track.
For more information, see “Editing
Automation” on page 1222.
Write Mode
Duplicating Tracks for Playlist Write mode writes automation from the time play-
Editing back starts to the time it stops, erasing any previ-
ously written automation for the duration of the au-
The Duplicate Track command provides a conve-
tomation pass.
nient way to make a working copy of a track to ex-
periment with routing, plug-ins, and automation. AutoMatch can be applied to a Write automation
This protects the original track and its automation pass. See “AutoMatch Time” on page 1204.
data from being edited or overwritten.

For more information, see “Duplicating

Tracks” on page 259.

1198 Pro Tools Reference Guide

“After Write Pass, Switch To” Option Latch Mode
You can set Pro Tools to automatically change to Latch mode works in the same way as Touch
Touch mode or Latch mode, or remain in Write mode, writing automation only if you touch or
mode after the completion of an automation pass in move a control. However, unlike Touch, writing of
Write mode. automation continues until you stop playback or
“punch out” of the automation pass by changing
To set the Automation mode after a Write pass: the Automation mode to Read or Touch.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
AutoMatch can be applied to a Latch automation
2 Under Automation, select an After Write Pass, pass. See “AutoMatch Time” on page 1204.
Switch To option (Touch, Latch, or No Change).
Latch mode is particularly useful for automating
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window. Pan controls and plug-ins on non-touch sensitive
rotary controls, since it does not time out and revert
Touch Mode to its previous position when you release a control.

Touch mode writes automation only while a fader See also “Writing Automation to the Start,
or switch is touched or clicked with the mouse. End, or All of a Track or Selection” on
When the fader is released, the writing of automa- page 1234.
tion stops and the fader returns to any previously
automated position, at a rate determined by the Au- AutoJoin with Latch Mode
toMatch and Touch Timeout settings. See “Auto- (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
mation Preferences” on page 1203.
Pro Tools provides two different methods to
In Touch mode, certain control surfaces start writ- resume writing automation on controls that were
ing automation as soon as you touch them. These active at the point where the transport stopped:
include touch-sensitive fader controllers, such as
D-Control, D-Command, C|24, 003, or Com- AutoJoin Lets you automatically resume writing
mand|8. automation in Latch mode.

With other control surfaces in Touch mode, writ- Join Lets you manually resume writing automa-
ing of automation does not begin until the fader tion in Latch mode. To Join, Command-click
hits the pass-through point, or the previously auto- (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Auto Join
mated position. Once you reach the pass-through button in the Automation window (Window > Au-
point with the fader, or a non-touch sensitive rotary tomation). Join is also available with supported
control, writing of automation begins and contin- control surfaces.
ues until you stop moving the fader.

Chapter 53: Automation 1199

 To enable AutoJoin from Pro Tools: AutoJoin Indicator
1 Choose Window > Automation. After a Latch automation pass with AutoJoin
2 Click the AutoJoin button. enabled, the AutoJoin indicator appears in the
Pro Tools Edit window.

AutoJoin Enable button in the Automation window AutoJoin indicator in the Edit window

The AutoJoin indicator is a vertical line that signi-

See your control surface guide for details on fies the point where the last automation pass was
using Join and AutoJoin with a control surface. stopped, and the point where the “join” will auto-
matically occur on all tracks that were writing
during that previous pass. When automation writ-
ing is resumed from this point, the line disappears.

To use Join or AutoJoin to resume writing

on controls that were writing when the
transport stopped, restart the transport be-
fore the AutoJoin indicator.

1200 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Touch/Latch Mode When writing automation in Trim mode, fader
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) moves write relative rather than absolute values.
The existing automation data is changed by the
Touch/Latch Automation mode places a track’s amount of increase or decrease (or the delta value)
Volume control in Touch mode and all other au- indicated by the faders.
tomatable controls in Latch mode.
When Trim mode is enabled, non-trimmable con-
In Touch/Latch mode, the Volume control follows trols behave in the same manner as in the standard
Touch behavior, writing automation when touched Automation modes, with the exception of
and returning to previously written levels when re- Write/Trim mode, where non-trimmable controls
leased. operate as in Touch mode.
All other controls follow Latch behavior, writing
automation when touched and continuing until Trim Automation Modes
playback stops, or until you punch out of writing
When a track is in a Trim automation mode (except
automation.
for Trim Off) its main Volume faders and all Send
level faders are displayed in yellow. When trim-
ming, a track’s Volume indicator or Send Level in-
dicator shows the delta value being written rather
than the absolute value.

Behavior of the Trim Automation modes also de-

pends on the Coalesce Trim Automation prefer-
ence setting. See “Coalescing Trim Automation”
on page 1233.
Selecting Touch/Latch mode
Trim Off

Trim Mode Trim Off turns off reading and writing of all auto-
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) mation (main and trim) for a track. All automation
moves are ignored during playback. Trim faders
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio can adjust (or trim)
are temporarily set to zero when a track is set to
existing track volume and send level automation
Trim Off mode.
data in real time. Pan, mute and plug-in automation
cannot be trimmed in this manner. Trim mode Depending on the Coalesce Trim Automation pref-
works in combination with the other Automation erence setting, changing a track to Trim Off can
modes (Read, Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch, and coalesce Trim automation on that track. See “Co-
Write) and is useful when you want to preserve all alescing Trim Automation” on page 1233.
of your volume automation moves, but need to
make levels a bit louder or softer to balance a mix. Automation can be switched from Trim Off to an-
For more information, see “Trim Automation other Automation mode during playback or record.
Modes” on page 1201.

Chapter 53: Automation 1201

 Read Trim Latch Trim

In Read Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim In Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim
faders are disengaged from the main automation faders are disengaged from the main automation
playlist and follow any existing Trim automation. playlist and follow any existing Trim automation.
You can move a Trim fader during playback to au- When a Trim fader is touched, writing of Trim au-
dition new trim values, but no automation is writ- tomation begins. Writing of Trim automation con-
ten. When the Trim fader is released, it returns to tinues until playback stops, or until you punch out
any previously written Trim automation values. of writing automation.

If a track does not contain Trim automation, you When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable con-
can move a Trim fader during playback to audition trols (all controls other than track volume and send
new trim values, but no automation is written. The level) behave as if they are in regular Latch
Trim fader retains its position until the track is re- mode—they follow the previously written automa-
moved from Trim mode, or if you manually co- tion until touched. When they are touched, their
alesce the Trim level. absolute positions are written until playback is
stopped.
When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable con-
trols (all controls other than track volume and send Touch/Latch Trim
level) behave as if they are in regular Read mode—
no automation data is written. In Touch/Latch Trim mode, Volume and Send
level faders are disengaged from the main automa-
Touch Trim tion playlist and follow any existing Trim automa-
tion. The main Volume Trim fader follows Touch
In Touch Trim mode, Volume and Send level Trim Trim behavior, and Send level Trim faders follow
faders are disengaged from the main automation Latch Trim behavior.
playlist and follow any existing Trim automation.
When a Trim fader is touched, writing of Trim au- Write Trim
tomation begins. When the fader is released, writ-
ing stops and the fader returns to any previously In Write Trim mode, as soon as playback begins,
written Trim automation values. writing of Trim automation begins for Volume and
Send levels, and continues until playback stops, or
The rate of the fader’s return to previous trim val- until you punch out of writing automation.
ues is determined by the AutoMatch Time speci-
fied in the Automation Preferences page. See “Au-
toMatch Time” on page 1204 for more
information.

When this mode is enabled, non-trimmable con-

trols (all controls other than track volume and send
level) behave as if they are in regular Touch
mode—they follow the previously written automa-
tion until touched. When they are touched, their
absolute positions are written until the control is
released or until playback stops.

1202 Pro Tools Reference Guide

When Write Trim mode is enabled, non-trimmable Send Levels and Trim Mode
controls (all controls other than track volume and (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
send level) are not in Write mode, but behave as if
they are in regular Touch mode (no automation is You can set Pro Tools to exclude Send levels from
written unless a control is touched). This is to pre- Trim mode, so that only the Main Volume goes
vent the controls from overwriting all of their au- into Trim when a track is put into Trim mode. This
tomation data on every pass in Write Trim mode. gives you more flexibility in setting Send levels
while in Trim mode.
The “After Write Pass, Switch To” preference
affects Write Trim mode. After an automation To exclude Send levels from Trim mode:
pass in Write/Trim mode, tracks automati- 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
cally switch to the Trim mode version of the
setting specified by this preference. 2 Under Automation, deselect Include Sends in
Trim Mode.

Any uncoalesced automation on a Send will

Automation Preferences still coalesce when the other automation on
Pro Tools gives you several options for controlling its track is coalesced, even if “Include Sends
the writing and playback of automation data. in Trim Mode” is deselected.

To display Automation preferences: 3 Click OK.

 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.

Smoothing
When you perform automation moves (including
Trim moves) with a continuous control, Pro Tools
records the move as a series of very small steps, re-
sulting in a staircase pattern with many break-
points. Smoothing intelligently resolves this stair-
case 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 by-
Mixing Preferences page, Automation
passes.) With smoothing enabled, the resulting au-
tomation data is often a more accurate representa-
For detailed information on Pro Tools Auto- tion of actual automation moves.
mation preferences, see “Mixing Preferences”
on page 127.

Chapter 53: Automation 1203

 Thinning To enable or disable Automation Follows Edit, do
one of the following:
Thinning automatically reduces the overall num-
 Select or deselect Options > Automation Follows
ber of breakpoints in an automation playlist (in-
Edit.
cluding Trim playlists) in order to improve system
performance. The amount of thinning applied is  Click the Automation Follows Edit indicator in
determined by the Degree of Thinning setting in the Edit window toolbar. The indicator is high-
the Automation Preferences page. When using lighted blue when enabled. When disabled, the
high amounts of thinning, the resulting automation indicator is highlighted orange.
may differ noticeably from the original automation
moves. Thinning only applies to audio tracks, and
does not affect MIDI tracks. For instructions, see
“Thinning Automation” on page 1220.

AutoMatch Time
AutoMatch Time is the amount of time it takes for
Automation Follows Edit indicator in the Edit window
a fader to return (by ramping up or down) to the
level of automation still on the track as the automa- Automation Safe
tion pass ends. This time value is set in the Auto-
mation Preferences page (see “Automation Prefer- Outputs, sends, and plug-ins can be placed in Au-
ences” on page 1203). tomation Safe mode. In Automation Safe mode,
any automation associated with an Output window
AutoMatch is automatically applied to all Touch (such as track or send level, panning, or mute), or
mode passes, and can be applied to Latch or Write plug-in on that track, is protected from being over-
passes. written while automating other items on that track.
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 Automation Safe enabled send
type in the 1-band EQ plug-in) that provide more
Automation Safe mode suspends automation re-
than two discrete steps over their operational
cording for the selected track output, send, or plug-
range. AutoMatch has no effect on these controls.
in that is enabled. You can also suspend automa-
tion recording and playback session-wide from the
Automation Follows Edit Option Automation window. See “Enabling and Suspend-
ing Automation” on page 1217.
When disabled, automation events are not affected
by edits to audio or MIDI notes. When enabled, au-
tomation events are affected by edits to audio or
MIDI notes.

1204 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Viewing Automation
Pro Tools creates a separate playlist in the Edit
window for each type of automation in a track, in-
cluding a playlist for each type of Trim automa-
tion. 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 automation you
want, or you can reveal an Automation lane under
the track regardless of its Track View.

You can easily toggle between different Track

Displaying Trim automation playlists
Views. See “Changing Track Views” on
page 263.

Track Views
You can view automation data by type by selecting
the corresponding Track View. Trim automation playlist

To display an automation playlist in the Track Automation and Controller

View:
Lanes
 Click the Track View selector and select from
In the Edit window, you can view automation and
the automation type you want to view.
controller data under a track (regardless of the se-
lected Track View). Each track provides Automa-
tion and Controller lanes that let you edit track au-
tomation and controller data without changing the
Track View. You can edit automation and control-
ler data in lanes exactly the same way that you do
in different automation and controller Track
Views.

Show/Hide
Lanes button
Displaying a standard automation playlist
Remove Lane
Add Lane

Automation Type
selector
Revealing an Automation lane

Chapter 53: Automation 1205

 Automation and Controller lanes can be shown or To replace all Automation and Controller lanes
hidden. You can also add and remove lanes. These under the track with a single lane of the specified
automation or controller type:
lanes always remain under the track, but you can
resize and reorder lanes independently of one an- 1 Right-click the Show/Hide Lanes button.
other.
2 Select the Automation or Controller type you
want.
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 mute a lane:
Right-click menu for selecting a single Automation or
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- Controller lane
dows) the name plate of the automation lane.
To resize the height of all Automation and
To change the Automation or Controller type for a Controller lanes for a track, do one of the
lane: following:

 Click the Automation/Controller Type selector  Right-click on the vertical zoom scale just to the
and select the Automation or Controller type right of the track controls and select the height
you want. from the pop-up menu.
 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.

Press Control+Up/Down Arrow key (Mac)

or Start+Up/Down Arrow key (Windows) to
increase or decrease height of any lane that
contains the Edit cursor or an Edit selection.

To resize the height of a single Automation or

Controller lane for a track:

Selecting the Automation type for a lane  Press Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) while
selecting the Lane Height setting.

To reorder lanes:

 To reorder lanes on-screen, drag the lane control

section to new positions in the Edit window.

1206 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Displaying Trim Automation To display the composite playlist:
Along with the Main Playlist  Select View > Automation > Composite Playlist.
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
Volume
The appearance of Trim automation depends on Trim
how it is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing Trim data
Automation” on page 1233.
Composite
If automation is not set to coalesce after every au- playlist
tomation pass, you can display Trim automation
data along with the main Volume or Send level au-
tomation data in the same automation view. This
Trim automation display cannot be directly edited. Volume
data

To display the Trim automation playlist along with Display of Trim automation and the composite playlist
in a main Volume playlist
main automation playlist on tracks:

 Select View > Automation > Trim Playlist. AutoMatch Indicators

Volume There are triangular AutoMatch indicators at the
Trim bottom left of each channel strip in the Mix win-
data
dow. When lit, these indicate the direction the
Volume
data fader will automatically move when Auto-Match-
ing.
Display of Trim automation in a main Volume playlist

Displaying the Composite

Automation Playlist
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

If automation is not set to coalesce after every au-

tomation pass, you can display a composite auto-
mation 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.

The composite playlist is shown in both the main

automation playlist and the Trim automation play-
list.
Triangular AutoMatch indicator on a channel strip

Chapter 53: Automation 1207

 Indication of Automation in Writing Automation
Track View and Automation
You can write automation for all automatable con-
Lane Selectors
trols by moving those controls during playback or
Automation Track view and Automation lane se- recording.
lectors display orange to indicate which automa-
tion playlists currently contain automation. Select the Enable Automation in Record op-
tion in the Operation Preferences to write au-
tomation while recording.

To write automation on tracks:

1 Choose Window > Automation.

2 Make sure the automation type is write-
enabled.

“volume” in Track View selector displays orange to

indicate the presence of automation

“volume” in Automation Lane selector displays orange

to indicate the presence of automation
Automation window

1208 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa- 4 Start playback to begin writing automation.
tion Mode selector on each of the tracks you
5 Move the controls you want to automate.
want to automate, and set the Automation
mode. For the initial automation pass, select 6 When you have finished, stop playback.
Write.
If you write automation in Touch mode with
Loop Playback enabled, writing of automa-
tion 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.

Storing an Initial Control

Position
Setting the Automation mode of a track
When you create a new audio, Auxiliary Input,
4 Start playback to begin writing automation. VCA Master, MIDI, or Instrument track, it is auto-
matically placed in Read mode. Even though the
5 Move the controls you want to automate (such
track is in Read mode, you can set the initial posi-
as a track volume fader).
tion of any automatable control, and it is saved
6 When you have finished, stop playback. with your session.

After the first automation pass, you can write addi- In this initial state, only a single automation break-
tional automation to the track without completely point appears at the beginning of each automation
erasing the previous pass by choosing Touch mode playlist. If you move the control without writing
or Latch mode. These modes add new automation automation, this breakpoint will move to the new
only when you actually move a control. (See “Au- value.
tomation Modes” on page 1198.)
You can permanently store the initial position of
To write additional automation to a previous pass: an automatable control by doing any of the follow-
ing:
1 Enable Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selec-
tion. • Place the track in Write mode and press Play to
write a few seconds of automation data to the
2 In the Edit window, make a selection or place
track
the cursor in the location where you want to
start writing automation. • Manually place a breakpoint on the automation
playlist somewhere after the initial breakpoint.
3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa- (See “Graphical Editing of Automation Data” on
tion Mode selector on each of the tracks you page 1223 for more information.)
want to automate, and set the Automation mode
to Touch or Latch mode.

Chapter 53: Automation 1209

 Automating Switched Controls However, to preserve any automation for that
switched control later in the Timeline, this latched
When automating switched controls (such as
behavior ends if either of the following occurs:
mutes, plug-in bypasses, or switched controls on
plug-ins) Pro Tools treats them as touch sensitive • If an existing automation breakpoint is encoun-
controls. Automation data is written for as long as tered, Pro Tools stops writing automation at that
the switch or button for that control is pressed or point.
touched. • If you stop playback or punch out of writing au-
tomation before reaching an existing automation
For example, if you have just written a series of
breakpoint, Pro Tools AutoMatches to the un-
mute on/off states on a track in quick succession,
derlying automation state.
the manual method for clearing this automation
data would require you to move to the Edit win-
dow, choose automation playlist for Mute, select Setting Switched Controls for
the mute automation data, and delete it. In Momentary Behavior
Pro Tools, this can be done automatically. In some cases, such as when overwriting or ex-
tending Mute automation, you may want to mo-
To automate a switched control (such as the Mute mentarily write automation for a control by hold-
button):
ing it down, and not have the control latch.
1 Perform another automation pass on the track.
To set switched controls for momentary behavior:
2 When you reach the location of the mute state
you want to remove, hold the switched control 1 Choose Options > Preferences and click Mixing.
(such as the Mute button). 2 Deselect Latching Behavior for Switch Controls
in “Touch.”
When playback gets to the first muted section,
the Mute button becomes highlighted. 3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.

3 As long as the button is held, Pro Tools over-

writes the underlying data on the track with the
current state of the switch (on or off) until play-
Automating Sends
back is stopped. Pro Tools provides automation of send level, send
mute, and send pan (for stereo and multichannel
Automating Switched Controls sends only). This makes it easy to control effect
in Touch Mode levels and placement during mixdown with great
precision.
When automating switched controls (including
mute, plug-in bypass, and any switched control on Send level and mute can also be configured to fol-
a plug-in) in Touch mode, these controls will latch low groups.
in their current state after they are touched.

1210 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To automate a send level, mute or pan: To copy a track’s settings or automation to one of
its sends:
1 In the Automation window, make sure the auto-
mation type is write-enabled (send level, send 1 Select the tracks you want to edit by clicking on
mute, send pan). the track names to highlight them.

2 In the Mix or Edit window, set the Automation 2 Choose Edit > Automation > Copy to Send.
mode for each track containing sends you want
to automate. For each track, click the Automa-
tion 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).

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.
• Select View > Sends A–E (or Sends F–J) and
Copy To Send dialog
select one of the individual views (such as
Send A). 3 In the Copy to Send dialog, do any of the fol-
5 Start playback to begin writing automation. lowing:
• Select Current Value to copy the current set-
6 Move the controls you want to automate. tings of the corresponding controls.
7 When you have finished, stop playback. • Select Automation to copy the entire automa-
tion playlist for the corresponding controls.
Send level, mute, and pan can also be configured to
follow Mix Groups (see “Automation Preferences” 4 Select the controls you want to copy.
on page 1203).
5 Select the sends to which to copy the automa-
tion, and click OK.
Copying Track Automation to
Sends You can undo the results of the Copy to Send
command.
There may be times where you want a track’s send
settings or automation to mirror the settings or au-
tomation in the track itself, for example, when cre-
ating a headphone mix based on the main mix, or Automating Plug-Ins
when an effect level needs to follow the levels in a You can automate changes to virtually all plug-in
main mix. You can copy the current settings or the controls. Automating a plug-in is slightly different
entire automation playlist for the selected controls from other automation procedures, because you
to the corresponding playlist for the send. must enable individual plug-in controls for auto-
mation.

Chapter 53: Automation 1211

 To enable plug-in controls for automation: To automate a plug-in:
1 Open the Plug-In window for the plug-in you 1 In the Plug-In Automation Enable window,
want to automate. make sure plug-in automation is enabled for the
controls you want to automate.
2 Do one of the following:
• Click the Automation Enable button in the 2 In the Mix or Edit window, for each track con-
Plug-In window. 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
Automation Enable button for accessing the Plug-In move the controls you want to automate.
Automation dialog
4 When you have finished, stop playback.
• Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the Track Enabling Automation for
View selector in the Edit window. Individual Plug-In Parameters
3 In the plug-in automation dialog, choose the You can enable individual plug-in controls directly
controls to automate and click Add. If there are from the Plug-In window.
multiple plug-ins on the same track, you can se-
lect from among them by clicking their buttons To enable a plug-in parameter from the plug-in
in the Inserts section of this dialog. window:
1 Make sure the plug-in window is open for the
plug-in you want to automate.
2 Command-Option-Control-click (Mac) or Con-
trol-Alt-Start-click (Windows) the control for
the parameter.

Plug-In automation dialog

4 Click OK to close the Plug-In Automation

dialog. Enabling plug-in automation for individual parameters

1212 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Enabling Automation for All The following table shows the color coding for au-
Plug-In Parameters tomated plug-in parameters, with and without a
control surface.
To enable all plug-in parameters:
Color coding for automated plug-in parameters
1 Make sure the plug-in window is open for the
plug-in you want to automate. Touch,
Automation
Off Read Latch,
Mode:
2 Command+Option+Control-click (Mac) or Write
Control+Alt+Start-click (Windows) on the No Control none Green Red
Auto button at the top of the plug-in window. Surface

Control none Blue Yellow

Automatically Enabling Plug-Ins Surface
for Automation
You can set Pro Tools to automatically enable all Record Safing Plug-In
controls of a plug-in for automation when you first Automation
add the plug-in to your session.
You can protect plug-in automation from being
overwritten by using Automation Safe mode.
To automatically enable all plug-in controls for
automation:
To enable plug-in safe mode:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
1 Open a plug-in.
2 Select Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-En-
2 Click the Safe button so that it is highlighted.
abled.

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 pa- Automation Safe enabled plug-in
rameters highlight in different colors to indicate
whether or not a control is automated in what auto-
mation mode. The color also is different depending
on whether or not a parameter is being controlled
by a control surface.

Chapter 53: Automation 1213

 AutoMatching Individual Tracks
AutoMatching Controls
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
You can invoke AutoMatch on individual tracks.
All controls currently writing automation on the
Use the AutoMatch button in the Automation win- track stop writing and return to existing automa-
dow to automatically change automation controls tion levels.
to their existing automation levels.
To AutoMatch all controls on a track:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

dows) the Automation Mode selector on the
track.

AutoMatching Individual
Automation Types
AutoMatch button in the Automation window You can invoke AutoMatch on individual automa-
tion types across a session.
AutoMatching All Controls
To AutoMatch all controls of one automation type:
You can AutoMatch all currently writing controls
to their existing automation levels.  In the Automation window, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the button
To AutoMatch all currently writing controls: for the automation type (Volume, Pan, Mute,
1 Choose Window > Automation. Plug-In, Send level, Send pan, or Send mute).

2 Make sure the automation types you want to

AutoMatch are write-enabled. AutoMatching Individual
Controls
3 Start playback. (D-Control and D-Command Only)
4 When you reach a point in the track where you On ICON worksurfaces, you can invoke Auto-
want to return control to their previously written Match on individual controls or control types on
values, click the AutoMatch button in the Auto- single channels.
mation window.
To AutoMatch all controls of a type on a channel:
All currently writing controls stop writing automa-
tion and return to any previously written values ac-  Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
cording to the AutoMatch Time setting in the Mix- and press any of the following in the Channel
ing preferences. Strip Mode controls for the track whose controls
you want to AutoMatch:
• Inserts
• Sends
• Pan
• Dyn (D-Control only)
• EQ (D-Control only)

1214 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To AutoMatch a pan control or the controls for an 4 In the Automation window, make sure the con-
individual insert or send: trols you want to automate are write-enabled.
1 Press the switch in the Channel Strip Mode con-
5 Click the Automation Mode selector on the
trols to display the Pan controls or the top level
track where you want to write automation and
of Inserts or Sends for the channel.
do one of the following:
2 Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) • Choose Latch mode to allow priming of all
and press the Rotary Encoder Select switch for automation-enabled controls on the track.
the control you want to AutoMatch:
• Choose Touch/Latch mode to leave the main
• For Sends, the Send level, pan, and mute will Volume fader in Touch mode and allow prim-
AutoMatch. ing of all other automation-enabled controls.
• For Inserts, all automated controls will
6 While the transport is stopped, touch or move
AutoMatch.
the controls you want to start writing at the be-
• For Pan, all pan sliders on the channel will ginning of the automation pass. When at least
AutoMatch. one control on a track is primed, the Automa-
tion Mode selector displays in red.
To AutoMatch all controls for a plug-in displayed
in the Dynamics or EQ section:

 Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)

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 Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

If a track is in Latch or Touch/Latch automation

mode, you can prime individual controls for writ- Automation mode indicator before (left) and after
priming of latched controls (right)
ing automation while the transport is stopped. This
Latch Prime capability lets you prepare for an au- 7 Start playback. All primed controls begin writ-
tomation pass before starting playback. ing automation at their primed values.

To prime controls for writing automation in Latch 8 Stop playback to finish the automation pass. All
mode while the transport is stopped: tracks are taken out of their Latch Prime state.
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing. You can use the Write to Punch command at
2 Under Automation, select Allow Latch Prime in the end of your automation pass to write the
Stop. current value back to the start of the pass.

3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.

Chapter 53: Automation 1215

 Taking Tracks and Controls Out To take all selected tracks out of Latch Prime, do
of Latch Prime one of the following:

You can take individual tracks or automation types  Option-Command-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-
out of their Latch Prime state before or during an Control-Shift-click (Windows) the Automation
automation pass. Mode selector on a track.

 When you take a track or automation type out of  Alt-Shift-click (Windows) Option-Shift-click
Latch Prime before starting playback, it stays in (Mac) the AutoMatch button in the Automation
Latch mode but the corresponding controls are not window.
primed to write when playback starts.
To take an automation type out of Latch Prime on
 When you take a track or automation type out of all tracks, do one of the following:
Latch Prime during an automation pass, the corre-  In the Automation window, Command-click
sponding controls AutoMatch to their currently (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the button
written values. for the automation type (Volume, Pan, Mute,
 If you AutoMatch a control that is in a Latch Plug-In, Send level, Send pan, or Send mute).
Prime state, the control will no longer be primed.

To take a track out of Latch Prime:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

dows) the Automation Mode selector on the
track.

The selector button unbolds to indicate that the

track is no longer primed.

To take all tracks out of Latch Prime, do one of the

following:

 Option-Command-click (Mac) or Alt-Control-

click (Windows) the Automation Mode selector
on a track.
 Click the AutoMatch button in the Automation
window.
Automation type buttons in the Automation window

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
AutoMatch button in the Automation window rolling back and locking to timecode.

1216 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To set Pro Tools to automatically punch in
automation writing on a track: Enabling and Suspending
1 Locate the cursor where you want to punch in Automation
automation. From the Automation window, you can enable or
2 Prime controls for writing while the transport is suspend writing for the following types of automa-
stopped. (See “Priming Controls for Writing tion across all tracks:
Automation in Latch Mode” on page 1215.) • Volume
3 In the Automation window, click the AutoJoin • Volume trim
button. • Pan
4 In the Automation window, click the Capture • Mute
button and then click the Punch Capture button. • Plug-In
The AutoJoin marker (a vertical red line) ap-
pears on-screen at the punch point. • Send level
• Send level trim
• Send pan
• Send mute
• Object/Bus (Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio with
Dolby Atmos only)

Automation can be suspended or enabled during

Capture button in the Automation window playback (without having to stop the Transport).

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
Punch Capture button in the Automation window
tracks, click the Suspend button.
5 Issue a Back and Play command, roll back the • To suspend writing of a specific type of auto-
external machine to before the punch in point, mation on all tracks, click the button for that
or enable pre-roll. automation type (volume, mute, pan, plug-in,
6 Start playback. When the transport reaches the send level, send mute, or send pan).
punch-in point, automation writing begins.

Chapter 53: Automation 1217

 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 automa-
tion for only the displayed control, Com-
mand-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) the control name in the Track
View selector.
• To suspend writing and playback of automa-
tion for all controls, Command-Shift-click
(Mac) or Control-Shift-click (Windows) the
name of any control in the Track View selec-
tor.
Suspend button in the Automation window • To suspend writing and playback of automa-
To suspend Trim automation on all tracks
tion for a specific control on all tracks, Com-
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only): mand-Option-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-
click (Windows) the name of the control in
 In the Automation window, Command-click
the Track View selector.
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the Suspend
button. To suspend Trim automation for individual
controls on a track (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
The Suspend button highlights yellow to indicate only):
that Trim automation is suspended.
1 In the Edit window, set the Track View selector
to show the automation playlist for the Trim
Suspending Automation for control you want to suspend (Volume Trim or
Individual Controls Send level Trim).
You can suspend automation for one or more con- 2 Do one of the following:
trols. When a control is suspended, its control
• To suspend only the displayed Trim control
name is italicized in the Track View selector.
on a single track, Command-click (Mac) or
Suspending automation from the Edit win- Control-click (Windows) the control name in
dow obeys Edit groups. To suppress grouped the Track View selector.
behavior, hold Control (Mac) or Start (Win- • To suspend the displayed Trim control on all
dows) while suspending a control. tracks, Command-Option-click (Mac) or
Control-Alt-click (Windows) the control
name in the Track View selector.

1218 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Viewing Automation Enable Automation Enable Guidelines
Status
The following rules determine whether automation
Track Automation Mode Selectors is enabled for a track:
 When a track is enabled for automation but not  Although Pro Tools shows a single Automation
writing automation, the Automation mode selector mode for each track, all automatable controls asso-
shows the mode in normal red text. ciated with that track are not necessarily in the
same Automation mode.
 When any control on a track is writing automa-
tion, the Automation mode selector shows the  If automation is globally suspended in the Au-
mode highlighted in red. tomation window, all automatable controls behave
as if they were in Off mode, regardless of the
track’s current Automation mode.
 If automation for a control is suspended by
Command-clicking (Mac) or Control-clicking
(Windows) 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 writable Auto-
mation mode (Touch, Latch, or Write mode).
Automation Mode selector showing enabled state
(left) and writing state (right)

Automation Window Buttons

Deleting Automation
 When an automation type is writing automation
Automation data takes the form of a line graph
on any track in the session, the corresponding but-
with editable breakpoints. The easiest way to re-
ton in the Automation window displays bold red
move automation in a track or selection is to man-
text.
ually delete breakpoints from the automation play-
 When an automation type is enabled but is not list.
writing anywhere in the session, the corresponding
button in the Automation window displays normal Removing data in this manner is different from us-
red text. ing the Cut command, which creates anchor break-
points at the boundaries of the remaining data. For
details, see “Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Auto-
mation” on page 1227.

Enabled

Not Enabled

Automation window showing possible automation

states

Chapter 53: Automation 1219

 To remove automation data, display the automa- Clearing Trim Automation
tion playlist you want to edit by selecting it from (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
the Track View selector, or by revealing it in an
Automation lane, and do one of the following: If Trim automation has not been coalesced on a
track, you can clear it. When you clear Trim auto-
To remove a single breakpoint: mation, automation breakpoints on all Trim play-
lists are deleted and all Trim faders are reset to
 With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Op-
zero.
tion-click (Mac)ro Alt-click (Windows) the
breakpoint. To clear Trim automation:

To remove several breakpoints at once: 1 Select the track where you want to clear the
Trim automation.
 Use the Selector tool to select a range that con-
tains the breakpoints, and press Delete (Mac) or 2 Do one of the following:
Backspace (Windows). • Choose Track > Clear Trim Automation.
• Right-click the track name and choose Clear
To remove all automation data of the displayed
type: Trim Automation.

 Click with the Selector tool in the track and

choose Edit > Select All, then press Delete
(Mac) or Backspace (Windows).
Thinning Automation
Pro Tools writes a maximum density of automa-
To remove all automation for all automation tion data during an automation pass in the form of
playlists on a track:
breakpoints. Since Pro Tools creates ramps be-
1 Use the Selector tool to select a range of data to tween breakpoints, it may not need all of the cap-
be removed. tured points to create a sonically accurate represen-
tation of the automation moves that you have
2 Press Control+Delete (Mac) or Start+Back-
made. Each breakpoint takes up space in memory
space (Windows).
allocated for automation, so thinning data by re-
All automation data within the selection is re- moving unneeded breakpoints can maximize sys-
moved for all automation playlists on that track, tem efficiency and performance.
regardless of whether automation is write-enabled
Pro Tools provides two different ways to thin au-
for those controls.
tomation data: automatically with the Smooth and
Thin Data After Pass option and manually with the
Thin Automation commands.

1220 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Smooth and Thin Data After 3 Do one of the following:
Pass • To thin only the currently displayed type of
When this option is selected in the Mixing Prefer- automation, choose Edit > Automation > Thin.
ences page, Pro Tools automatically thins the auto- • To thin all types of automation, choose Edit >
mation breakpoint data after each automation pass. Automation > Thin All.

In the default settings for new sessions, the Smooth

and Thin Data After Pass option is selected, with
the Degree of Thinning setting set to Some. In most
Drawing Automation
cases, this setting yields optimum performance Use the Pencil tool to create automation events for
while providing an accurate reproduction of your audio and MIDI tracks by drawing in any automa-
automation moves. tion or MIDI controller playlist, including Trim
automation if it has not been coalesced.
If you select None for the Degree of Thinning set-
ting, Pro Tools writes the maximum possible num- The Pencil tool can be set to draw a series of auto-
ber of breakpoints. You can still perform thinning mation events with the following shapes:
at any time with the Thin Automation command.
For more information on smoothing automation Free Hand Draws freely according to the move-
data, see “Smoothing” on page 1203. ment of the mouse. In audio tracks, the shape has
the number of breakpoints needed to smoothly in-
terpolate and reproduce the automation shape. In
Thin Automation Commands MIDI tracks, the shape is reproduced as a series of
The Thin Automation and the Thin All Automation steps, according to the resolution setting in the
commands lets you selectively thin areas where MIDI Preferences page.
automation data is too dense. You can use the
Line Draws a straight line. In audio tracks, the line
Undo command to audition the results of thinning
has a single breakpoint at either end. In MIDI
(comparing thinning and not thinning) before you
tracks, the controller value changes in steps ac-
apply it permanently.
cording to the resolution setting in the MIDI Pref-
To manually thin automation:
erences page.

1 In the Edit window, click the Track View selec- Triangle Draws a sawtooth pattern that repeats at a
tor to display an automation type you want to rate based on the current Grid value. In audio
thin, or reveal the corresponding Automation tracks, the pattern has a single breakpoint at each
lane. extreme. In MIDI tracks, the controller value
changes in steps according to the resolution setting
2 With the Selector tool, highlight the automation
in the MIDI Preferences page. Amplitude is con-
data you want to thin. To thin automation for the
trolled by vertical movement of the Pencil tool.
entire track, click in the track with the Selector
tool and choose Edit > Select All. 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.

Chapter 53: Automation 1221

 Random Draws a random pattern of levels that The following illustrations show the same MIDI
change at a rate based on the current Grid value. controller automation drawn with different Pencil
Amplitude is controlled by vertical movement of tool resolution settings.
the Pencil tool.

The Parabolic and S-Curve Pencil shapes

are not available for editing automation.

Using Pencil Tool Shapes

You can draw automation for audio as well as
MIDI tracks. For example, use the Triangle pattern MIDI Data drawn with resolution of 10 ms
to control continuous functions, or the Square pat-
tern 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 pan-
ning in tempo with a music track, or on frame
scene changes when working in post production.

For more information on MIDI continuous MIDI Data drawn with resolution of 100 ms
controller data, see “Continuous Controller For better performance, consider selecting a
Events” on page 803. smaller value for MIDI controls that need higher
resolution (such as MIDI volume), and a larger
Resolution of MIDI Controller value for controls that may not require a high reso-
Data lution (such as Pan).
When using the Pencil tool to draw MIDI automa-
tion, the data is drawn as a series of discrete steps.
You can control the resolution (or density) of these Editing Automation
steps to help manage the amount of MIDI data sent
For all tracks in a session, Pro Tools provides sev-
for a given MIDI controller move.
eral ways to edit automation data—including Trim
To set the resolution for the Pencil tool:
automation if it has not been coalesced
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only). You can
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click MIDI. edit automation data graphically by adjusting
2 Enter a value for Pencil Tool Resolution When breakpoints in any automation playlist. You can
Drawing Controller Data. The value can range also cut, copy, and paste automation data in the
from 1 to 100 milliseconds. same manner as audio and MIDI data.

3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.

1222 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Graphical Editing of Automation Using the Grabber Tools
Data
The Grabber tools lets you create new breakpoints
Automation data takes the form of a line graph by clicking on the graph line, or adjust existing
with editable breakpoints. breakpoints by dragging them. Option-click (Mac)
or Alt-click (Windows) breakpoints with a Grab-
ber tool to remove them.

Automation breakpoint
Using the Grabber tool to create a new breakpoint
By dragging these breakpoints, you can modify the
Using the Pencil Tool
automation data directly in the Edit window and
MIDI Editor windows. When you drag an automa- The Pencil tool lets you create new breakpoints by
tion breakpoint up or down, the change in value is clicking once on the graph line. Option-click
numerically or textually indicated. (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) breakpoints with
the Pencil tool to remove them.

Using the Pencil tool to delete a breakpoint

Using the Trim Tools

Automation breakpoint value

Dragging an automation breakpoint to the left or The Trim tools let you adjust all selected break-
right adjusts the timing of the automation event. points up or down by dragging anywhere within
that selection.
To view the breakpoint automation type on any
track, either select the corresponding Track View
or reveal the corresponding Automation or Con-
troller lane under the track.

Using the Trim tool to move breakpoints

Chapter 53: Automation 1223

 Editing Automation Types Editing Mute Automation

Each automatable control has its own automation Drag the breakpoint down to mute a section. Drag
playlist, that can be displayed by choosing it from a breakpoint up to unmute the section. Drag a
the Track View selector. “Viewing Automation” breakpoint to the left or right to adjust the timing of
on page 1205. the mute.

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.
Track mute automation

Editing Stepped Control Automation

Automation for certain controls (such as MIDI

controller values or plug-in settings) appears as a
Track volume automation
stepped pattern on the breakpoint line. Drag a
breakpoint up or down to a different step to change
Editing Pan Automation to a new control value. Drag a breakpoint to the left
or right to adjust the timing of the stepped control
Drag a breakpoint down to pan right, and up to pan
change.
left. Drag a breakpoint to the left or right to adjust
the timing of the panning moves.

Stepped control automation

Editing Automation Breakpoints

Track Pan automation
To edit automation breakpoints, display the auto-
mation playlist for the control you want to edit by
selecting it from the Track View selector, then do
one of the following:

To create a new breakpoint:

 Click with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool

on the line graph.

1224 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To edit a single breakpoint: To edit all breakpoint values in a clip:

 Click an existing point on the line graph with  Click in the clip with any of the Trim tools and
any Grabber tool and drag it to a new position. drag the breakpoints up or down.

For vertically constrained, fine-resolution

editing of any automation breakpoint,
Constraining New Breakpoints
to the Next or Previous
Command-Shift-click-drag (Mac) or
Automation Value
Control-Shift-click-drag the breakpoint
to the desired value. New automation breakpoints can be constrained
and written to the same value as the next or previ-
To clear a single breakpoint: ous breakpoint.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
Original automation
with any Grabber tool.

To edit several breakpoints at once:

 Use the Selector tool to select a range in the au-

tomation playlist that contains the breakpoints,
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 After write to next breakpoint
nudge them earlier (to the left). The break-
points move by the current Nudge value.

When you nudge a selection containing After write to previous breakpoint

breakpoints, if necessary, new anchor break- Constraining and writing new breakpoints
points are created to preserve the slope of the (at Marker 1)
automation within the selection.
To write a new breakpoint to the next automation
value:
• To adjust the breakpoint values, click with
any of the Trim tools in the selection and drag  Hold Option+Shift (Mac) or Alt+Shift (Win-
the breakpoints up or down. dows) while writing a breakpoint (by clicking
with any Grabber tool in a track’s automation
Enable the Double-Click Selects Automation playlist).
Breakpoints option to double-click and select
between breakpoints. To write a new breakpoint to the previous
automation value:

When you use a Trim tool to edit a selection  Hold Command+Option (Mac) or Control+Alt
containing breakpoints, new anchor break- (Windows) while writing a breakpoint (by
points are created before and after the se- clicking with any Grabber tool in a track’s auto-
lected area. To suppress creation of anchor mation playlist).
breakpoints while using a Trim tool, hold Op-
tion (Mac) or Alt (Windows) while trimming.

Chapter 53: Automation 1225

 The Smart Tool cannot be used to write a
new breakpoint to the next or previous
automation value.

Editing Automation on Stereo

and Multichannel Tracks
Stereo and multichannel tracks display a single au-
tomation playlist per track. Only one playlist for
volume and mute is available for the stereo or mul-
Selecting an automation lane for an unlinked multi-
tichannel track.
mono plug-in control

Plug-In Automation Playlists on Stereo and

Multichannel Tracks Editing Automation on Grouped
Tracks
Some multichannel plug-ins provide a single set of
When you edit automation on an audio track that is
automatable controls for all channels in a track.
a member of an active Edit Group, the same type of
Other multichannel plug-ins and all multi-mono
automation is also edited on all tracks that are part
plug-ins provide a single set of controls for all
of that group. This occurs even if the playlist for
channels when linked, or discrete controls for each
that type of automation is not currently displayed
channel when unlinked. See your plug-in guide for
on the other grouped tracks.
more information.
Examples
For multi-mono plug-ins, automation playlists for
each individual channel can be displayed and ed-  If you create new automation breakpoints on a
ited when the plug-in is unlinked, and the track is grouped track (with the Pencil tool or any Grabber
in showing Automation lanes. tool), other members of the group have break-
points placed relative to that track.
To view and edit the individual playlists of a multi-
mono plug-in:  If you move automation on a grouped track
(with any of the Trim tools), other members of the
1 Unlink the plug-in.
group have their breakpoints trimmed relative to
2 Select the automation playlist from the Track that track. This lets you trim entire sections of a
View selector or reveal it in an Automation lane mix.
under the track.

1226 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 ous controls, such as Volume faders or pans) or
state (of switched or stepped controls, such as
Mutes) of the automation data both inside and out-
side the selection.

The following illustrations show the difference be-

tween cutting and deleting automation data. In the
following figure, a track is set to display volume
automation, and a range of automation data is se-
lected.

Trimming automation on an active grouped track

To individually edit a automation for a member of a

group without affecting the other members, do
Selecting automation data
one of the following:

 Press Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) while If the Cut command is chosen, anchor breakpoints
you perform the edit. are created at each end of the selection, and the au-
tomation slope on either side of the cut data is pre-
served, as shown in the following figure.

Cutting, Copying, and Pasting

Automation
Cutting automation data is different from deleting
it, and yields different results (although both
change the existing automation data). Copying au-
After cutting the automation data
tomation leaves the original automation data in-
tact. If the data is deleted by pressing Delete (Mac) or
Backspace (Windows), the automation data is re-
You delete automation data by selecting a range of
moved, and automation values span the gap be-
breakpoints and pressing Delete (Mac) or Back-
tween pre-existing breakpoints, as shown in the
space (Windows). See “Deleting Automation” on
following figure.
page 1219 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 After deleting the automation data
added to the beginning and end points of the data.
This is done to preserve the true slope (of continu-

Chapter 53: Automation 1227

 In addition, if cut or copied data is pasted else- Editing and Track Views
where in a track, breakpoints are created at the end
Audio, MIDI, and Instrument tracks each have a
points of the pasted data to preserve its “neighbor-
Track View that acts as the Master View for pur-
ing” (incoming and outgoing) automation value
poses of editing. When the Master View is dis-
and slope, as shown in the following figure.
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, Clips, and
After pasting the automation data in another location Notes

You cannot cut or copy automation data For example, when an audio track is set to Wave-
from an automation playlist unless that form or Blocks, cutting, copying and pasting af-
playlist includes at least one breakpoint in fects the audio data and all types of automation
it. The selection you are cutting or copying data on that track. If the track is set to show Pan au-
does not need to include any breakpoints, tomation, only the Pan data is affected.
but without at least one breakpoint on an When a selection includes multiple tracks, if any of
automation playlist, there is no automation those tracks is in its Master View, all data on all se-
data to copy. lected 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.
 Press Control while cutting or copying the auto-
mation data.

For additional flexibility, you can use

playlists or the Duplicate Track command
to work nondestructively on a copy of the
edit data.

1228 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Tips for Cutting, Copying and Cut, Copy, Clear, and Paste
Pasting Automation Special Commands
 On audio tracks, when you are in Waveform Four “special” commands—Cut Special, Copy
View and cut or copy a section of the waveform, Special, Paste Special, and Clear Special—sim-
any automation data associated with the waveform plify the tasks involved with moving or clearing
is also cut or copied. different types of automation data and MIDI con-
 On audio tracks, when you are in Waveform troller data between tracks, sends, and plug-ins.
View and cut audio data from a track also contain- These commands let you
ing automation data, breakpoints are automatically • Edit automation and MIDI controller data only
created at the boundaries of the remaining automa- (without associated audio or MIDI notes).
tion data. • Edit automation and MIDI controller data with-
 On audio tracks, pasting waveform data also out having to change Track Views
pastes any associated automation data.
In addition, the Paste Special command lets you
 On Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, or Instru- copy one data type to another (for example, Left
ment tracks, only the displayed automation data is Pan data into the Right Pan playlist)
cut or copied. To cut or copy all automation data on
these types of tracks, press Control while cutting or You cannot paste MIDI controller data to au-
copying. tomation data nor automation to MIDI.

 In tracks where an automation playlist contains Cut Special

no data (when there is only a single breakpoint at
The Cut Special commands let you cut just auto-
the very beginning of the track), if you cut data, no
mation data from the current selection (without as-
new breakpoints are created.
sociated audio or MIDI notes) and place it in mem-
 In cases where clips overlap (such as when ory to paste elsewhere, as follows:
moving clips in Slip mode) and an overlapping clip
is removed, any overlapped automation break- All Automation Cuts all automation or MIDI con-
points are lost. troller data whether it is shown or not.

 If cut or copied data contains a type of automa- To cut all automation, press Option+Shift+X
tion not currently on the target track, Pro Tools (Mac) or Alt+Shift+X (Windows).
prompts you before allowing you to paste the data.
Pan Automation Cuts only pan automation or
 Cut or copied automation data for plug-ins or MIDI pan data whether it is shown or not.
sends that do not exist on the target track is ignored
when pasted. Plug-In Automation Cuts only the plug-in automa-
tion that is shown.

Chapter 53: Automation 1229

 Copy Special To Current Automation Type Pastes the automa-
tion data or MIDI controller data from the clip-
The Copy Special commands let you copy just au-
board to the selection as current automation type or
tomation data from the current selection (without
MIDI controller. This lets you copy automation
associated audio or MIDI notes) and place a copy
from any type to any other type. For example, you
of it in memory to paste elsewhere, as follows:
can copy a Left Pan automation to Plug-In automa-
All Automation Copies all automation or MIDI tion. You can also copy MIDI volume data and
controller data whether it is shown or not. paste it to MIDI pan.

Pan Automation Copies only pan automation or Clear Special

MIDI pan data whether it is shown or not.
The Clear Special commands let you clear just au-
Plug-In Automation Copies only the plug-in auto- tomation data from the current clip, as follows:
mation that is shown.
All Automation Clears all automation or MIDI
Paste Special controller data whether it is shown or not.

The Paste Special commands let you paste auto- Pan Automation Clears only pan automation or
mation data into another clip (without affecting as- MIDI pan whether it is shown or not.
sociated audio or MIDI notes) in the following
Plug-In Automation Clears all automation for any
ways:
plug-in with at least one automation lane shown.
Merge Lets you add the pasted data to any existing
automation data of the same type in the destination Special Paste Function for
selection. This can be useful for consolidating Automation Data
MIDI data from several tracks into a single MIDI
Normally, when you copy and paste automation
track. For example, you like the pitch bend on the
data, it is pasted in an automation playlist of the ex-
synth trombones and want to apply it to the synth
act same type (for example, Left Pan data is pasted
guitar.
into the Left Pan playlist).
Repeat to Fill Selection Pastes multiple iterations
However, there may be times when you want to
of the automation data to the entire selection range.
paste from one data type to another (for example,
If you select an area that is not an exact multiple of
Left Pan data into the Right Pan playlist).
the copied clip size, the remaining selection area is
filled with a trimmed version of the original selec- The Special Paste command lets you copy one
tion. This lets you easily create drum loops and data type to another.
other repetitive effects. Before the data is pasted,
Pro Tools prompts you to specify a crossfade to If you want to paste automation or MIDI controller
smooth transitions between clips. data only (without its associated audio or MIDI
notes), use the Paste Special command.

1230 Pro Tools Reference Guide

For this special paste mode to function, the follow-
ing must be true: Glide Automation
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
• Every track selected for pasting must be cur-
rently displayed as automation data. The Glide Automation commands let you manually
• There must be only one automation playlist on create an automation transition (or glide) from an
the Clipboard for each target track. (The Special existing automation value to a new one, over a se-
Paste command cannot copy multiple automa- lected area.
tion playlists for each track.)
When gliding multiple parameters at the
You cannot interchange automation data be- same time, such as with the Surround Panner
tween audio and MIDI tracks, or between or plug-ins, use the Edit > Automation >
continuous controls (such as faders or pans) Glide to All Enabled option.
and switched or stepped controls (such as
mute or MIDI controllers).
For MIDI automation, Glide To commands
To paste data into a different automation playlist: only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI Pan, and
MIDI Mute. MIDI parameters cannot use the
 Press the Control (Mac) or Start key (Windows) Write To commands.
when choosing Edit > Paste.
To apply a Glide Automation to the current
automation parameter type:
Converting Volume Automation
and Clip Gain 1 In the Automation window, make sure the
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) automation type is write-enabled.

Pro Tools lets you convert clip gain settings to 2 Click the Track View selector to choose the
track-based volume automation, as well as letting automation type you want to automate.
you convert track-based volume automation to clip 3 Drag with the Selector tool in the track to
gain settings. For more information, see “Convert- select the area you want to write the glide to.
ing Clip Gain and Track Volume Automation” on
page 995. 4 Change the automation parameter to the value
you want at the end of the selection. For exam-
ple, to glide automation volume to –Infinity,
Coalescing Volume Automation move the Volume fader to –Infinity.
and Clip Gain
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) 5 Choose Edit > Automation > Glide to Current.

Pro Tools lets you coalesce clip gain settings to You can also press Option+Forward Slash
track-based volume automation, as well as letting (/) (Mac) or Alt+Forward Slash (/) (Win-
you coalesce track-based volume automation to dows).
clip gain settings. For more information, see “Co-
alescing Clip Gain and Track Volume Automa-
tion” on page 996.

Chapter 53: Automation 1231

 To apply a Glide Automation to all current enabled Glide Automation
parameters: Considerations
1 In the Automation window, make sure the
When Glide Automation is applied to automation
automation types are write-enabled.
data, it behaves as follows:
2 In each track you want to automate, click the • When a selection is made, automation break-
Track View selector and select from the pop-up points are written at the start and end points of
menu the automation type you want to auto- the Glide Automation. The automation value at
mate. the start of the selection is the start point of the
3 With the Selector tool, drag horizontally to in- Glide Automation and the end of the selection is
clude all the tracks you want to automate in a se- the end point of the Glide Automation. The
lection (drag vertically to define the time Glide Automation that is created between the
range). two is based on the length of the selection and
the end value that is selected.
4 In each track you want to automate, change the
• If automation breakpoints follow the selection,
automation parameter to the value you want at
they are not changed, but the value selected for
the end of the selection.
the end of the selection is written from the end
5 Choose Edit > Automation > Glide to All En- point up until the next breakpoint.
abled.
• If no automation breakpoints follow the selec-
You can also press Option+Shift+Forward tion, the value selected for the end of the selec-
Slash (/) (Mac) or Alt+Shift+Forward Slash tion is written to the end of the track.
(/) (Windows). • If no selection is made, a breakpoint is written to
the current location, and the value selected for
To apply a Glide Automation to pan only: the Glide Automation is written to the next
1 In the Automation window, make sure that Pan breakpoint.
automation is write-enabled. • The Glide Pan Only command lets you glide all
2 Click the Track View selector to choose Pan au- pan automation parameters without affecting
tomation. other automation enabled playlists. This is par-
ticularly useful for surround tracks.
3 Drag with the Selector tool in the track to
select the area you want to write the glide to.
4 Change the pan automation to the value you Trimming Automation
want at the end of the selection. (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
5 Choose Edit > Automation > Glide Pan Only.
If you have already written automation, you can
You can also press Control+Shift+Forward modify automation data for track volume and send
Slash (/) (Mac) or Start+Shift+Forward levels in real time by using Trim mode. When a
Slash (/) (Windows). track is trim-enabled, you are not recording abso-
lute fader positions, but relative changes in the ex-
isting automation. See “Trim Mode” on page 1201
for more information.

1232 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To enable Trim mode: 3 Click the Automation Mode selector and select
 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa- Trim.
tion Mode selector of the track where you want 4 Start playback, and adjust the Volume or Send
to trim automation, and select Trim. 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 playlist
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 playlists are
Enabling Trim mode cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.

When a track’s Trim mode is enabled, its Volume On Exiting Trim Mode Trim moves are stored sep-
and Send Level faders turn yellow, and its Auto- arately in the Trim automation playlist until they
mation Mode selector is outlined in yellow. This are coalesced. Trim automation is automatically
outline appears solid if the track is trim-enabled, coalesced on a track only when you take the track
and flashes whenever trimming is occurring on the out of Trim mode. You can repeat an automation
track’s volume or send levels. pass, edit Trim automation manually on any of the
Trim playlists, or clear Trim automation before co-
alescing with this method.
Writing Trim Automation
The writing of Trim automation depends on how it Even when automation is set to coalesce on
is set to be coalesced. See “Coalescing Trim Auto- exiting Trim mode, you can use the
mation” on page 1233. If automation is not set to Coalesce Trim Automation command to com-
coalesce after every automation pass, Trim auto- mit Trim moves at any time.
mation moves are written to a separate Trim play-
Manually Trim moves are stored separately in the
list.
Trim automation playlist until they are coalesced.
To trim track Volume or Send levels:
With this setting, the only way to coalesce Trim
moves is with the Coalesce Trim
1 In the Automation window, make sure the auto- Automation command. You can repeat an automa-
mation type (Volume or Send level) is write-en- tion pass, edit Trim automation manually on any of
abled. the Trim playlists, or clear Trim automation before
2 Click the Automation Mode selector of the coalescing with this method.
track where you want to write automation and
choose the automation mode (Touch, Latch,
Touch/Latch, or Write).

Chapter 53: Automation 1233

 To set the method by which Trim Automation is The Trim automation is applied to the main auto-
coalesced: mation playlist, Trim automation playlists are
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing. cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.

2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select one of

the following:
Writing Automation to the
• After Every Pass
Start, End, or All of a Track
• On Exiting Trim Mode or Selection
• Manually (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)

To coalesce Trim automation on a track when Pro Tools lets you write current automation values
exiting Trim mode: from any insertion point forward (or backward) to
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing. the end (or beginning) of a track or Edit selection
in a track, or to an entire track or Edit selection,
2 Under Coalesce Trim Automation, select On while performing an automation pass.
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 auto-

mation playlist, Trim automation playlists are
cleared, and Trim faders are returned to zero.

If transport is playing and you are writing

automation, you cannot directly enter or exit
Trim mode. You must AutoMatch before exit-
ing Trim mode. This prevents any abrupt
jumps in automation values. Write Automation to Start, End, and All buttons in the
Automation window
To manually coalesce Trim automation on a track:
The standard Write Automation to Start, All, or End
1 Select the track where you want to coalesce the commands do not operate when the Pro Tools
Trim automation. transport is stopped. It only affects automation for
2 Do one of the following: those parameters that are currently write-enabled
and currently writing automation data.
• Choose Track > Coalesce Trim Automation.
• Right-click the track name and choose
Coalesce Trim Automation.

1234 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Optionally, Write Automation to Start, All, and End 6 When you reach a point in the track or selection
can be configured to always be applied automati- that contains the automation data you want to
cally. See “Writing Automation to the Start, End or apply, click the Write Automation to Start, All, or
All of a Track or Selection on Stop” on page 1236. End button in the Automation window.

For MIDI automation, the Write To com- 7 Stop playback.

mands only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI
The current values of all write-enabled automation
Pan, and MIDI Mute. MIDI parameters can-
at that point are written to the corresponding area
not use the Write To commands.
of the track/selection.

Requirements for Standard

Write Automation Commands Write to Start, End or All and
Trim Mode
For automation data to be written for a specific pa-
rameter, the associated track must be in one of the While in Trim mode, it is also possible to write
following Automation modes and meet the follow- trim delta values for track volume and send levels
ing conditions: to the start, end or all of a track or Edit selection.

Latch Mode The control for the parameter must be To write current trim delta values to the start, end,
changed (touched) during the automation pass. or all of a track or selection:

1 Choose Window > Automation.

Touch Mode The control for the parameter must be
changed (touched). 2 Make sure the automation type (track volume or
send level) is write-enabled.
Write Mode All controls on that track must be in
Write mode. 3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector of the track you want to trim
This command can be undone. automation, and select Trim. The track Volume
and Send Level faders turn yellow.
To write current automation values to the start,
end, or all of a track or Edit selection: 4 Do one of the following:
1 Choose Window > Automation. • Click in a track at an insertion point.

2 Make sure that the automation type is write- • Drag with the Selector tool to select a portion
enabled. of the track.

3 Do one of the following: 5 Click Play to begin playback.

• Click in a track at an insertion point. 6 When you reach a point in the track or selection
• Drag with the Selector tool to select a portion that contains the trim setting (delta value) you
of the track. want to apply, click the Write Automation to
Start, All, or End button in the Automation win-
4 Start playback. dow.
5 Make sure you are actively writing on the 7 Stop playback.
appropriate track if you are in Latch or Touch
mode.

Chapter 53: Automation 1235

 The relative changes to the track volume and send The enabled Write on Stop arrow appears in blue.
levels at that point are written to the corresponding
area of the track/selection. To configure Write on Stop modes to remain
enabled after an automation pass:

Writing Automation to the Start, 1 Choose Window > Automation.

End or All of a Track or Selection 2 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) one
on Stop of the Write On Stop buttons (Start, All or End)
The Automation window provides options for to enable the Write On Stop mode.
writing automation on any automation playlist (in-
The enabled Write on Stop arrow appears in red.
cluding Trim playlists) after a valid automation
pass has been performed.

The Write Automation to Start, End, or All modes Writing Automation to the
can be configured to disable or remain enabled af- Next Breakpoint or to the
ter a valid automation pass. Punch Point
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
See “Requirements for Standard Write Automa-
tion Commands” on page 1235. While performing an automation pass, Pro Tools
lets you write current automation values from the
current insertion point forward to the next automa-
tion breakpoint, or back to the punch point (the lo-
cation in the track where automation writing
started).
 Write Automation to Next Breakpoint lets you
update automation within a track without overwrit-
ing automation located earlier or later in the Time-
line, and without having to define a selection
before editing automation.
 Write Automation to Punch Point lets you fill
back an automation value within a track after find-
ing the right level or setting during an automation
pass, without having to go back and repeat the
pass.

Write On Stop buttons in the Automation window

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).

1236 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Like the standard Write Automation to Start, End, 6 When you reach a point in the track where you
and All commands, the Write Automation to Next want to apply the current settings, click the
Breakpoint and Write Automation to Punch Point Write Automation to Next Breakpoint button.
commands do not operate when the Pro Tools
transport is stopped. They only affect automation
for those parameters that are currently write-en-
abled and currently writing automation data.

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 to Next Breakpoint
Optionally, the Write Automation to Next Break-
point and Write Automation to Punch Point com-
Write to Next Breakpoint
mands can be configured to be applied automati- on Stop
cally after a valid automation pass has been
performed. See“Writing Automation to the Next
Breakpoint or to the Punch Point on Stop” on
page 1239.

Write Automation to Next Breakpoint and Write To Next Breakpoint buttons in the Automation
Write Automation to Punch Point have the window
same requirements as Write Automation to 7 Stop Playback.
Start, End and All commands. See “Writing
Automation to the Start, End, or All of a The current values of all controls being written at
Track or Selection” on page 1234. that point are written up to the next breakpoint.

To write current automation values to the next Write Automation to Next Breakpoint
breakpoint: remains enabled after a valid automation
1 Choose Window > Automation. pass. Unlike standard Write Automation
commands, it cannot be configured to
2 Make sure that the automation type is write-en- disable after an automation pass.
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.

Chapter 53: Automation 1237

 To write current automation values back to the Write To Next Breakpoint or
automation punch point: Punch Point and Trim Mode
1 Choose Window > Automation.
While in Trim mode, it is also possible to write
2 Make sure the automation type is write trim values for track volume and send levels to the
enabled. next written breakpoint or back to the automation
punch-in point.
3 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
4 Start playback. To write current trim values to the next breakpoint
or to the punch point:
5 Make sure you are actively writing on the ap-
1 Choose Window > Automation.
propriate track if you are in Touch, Latch, or
Touch/Latch mode. 2 Make sure that the automation type (track vol-
ume or send level) is write-enabled.
6 When you reach a point in the track where you
want to apply the current settings, click the 3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
Write Automation to Punch Point button. 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 button in
the Automation window.

Write to Punch Point To write current trim values to the punch point:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
Write to Punch Point
on Stop 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.
Write To Punch Point buttons in the Automation
window 4 Click in a track to define an insertion point.
The current values of all write-enabled parameters 5 Start playback.
are written back to the point where the first control
began writing automation. 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.

1238 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Writing Automation to the Next
Breakpoint or to the Punch Point Guidelines for “Write To”
on Stop Commands
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
The Automation window provides an option for
automatic Write Automation to Next Breakpoint
on Stop or Write Automation to Punch Point on Using “Write To” Commands
Stop. During Playback
You can carry out any of the Write Automation To
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint
commands without stopping the Pro Tools trans-
remains enabled after a valid automation
port. On supported control surfaces, the corre-
pass. Unlike standard Write Automation
sponding “Write To” button flashes until you stop
commands, it cannot be configured to
the transport.
disable after an automation pass.
While the Pro Tools transport is moving, issuing
To configure Write Automation to Next Breakpoint
Write Automation To commands affects writing of
on Stop:
automation in the following ways:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
• Write to Start/Selection Start: Currently writing
2 Click the Write Automation to Next Breakpoint controls continue writing automation
on Stop button or the Write Automation to
• Write to All/Selection: Currently writing con-
Punch Point button.
trols (except controls in Write mode) punch out
When this option is enabled, automation writing of writing automation
will be performed automatically forward to the • Write to End/Selection End: Currently writing
next breakpoint after a valid automation pass has controls (except controls in Write mode) punch
been performed. out of writing automation

To configure Write Automation to Punch Point on

• Write to Next Breakpoint: Currently writing
Stop: controls (except controls in Write mode) punch
out of writing automation
1 Choose Window > Automation.
• Write to Punch point: Currently writing controls
2 Click the Write Automation to Punch Point on continue writing automation
Stop button.
For MIDI automation, the Write To com-
When this option is enabled, automation writing mands only apply to MIDI Volume, MIDI
will be performed automatically back to the auto- Pan, and MIDI Mute. MIDI parameters can-
mation punch-in point after a valid automation not use the Write To commands.
pass has been performed.

Chapter 53: Automation 1239

 Applying “Write To” Commands
to Selected Tracks Overwriting or Extending
Mute Automation
The Write Automation To commands normally ap-
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
ply to all tracks currently writing automation. It is
possible to apply these commands to selected Pro Tools lets you overwrite or extend an existing
tracks only. mute event in real time, without changing the cur-
rent mute state.
To apply any of the “Write Automation To”
commands to currently selected tracks: A mute event can be overwritten when the automa-
1 Select the tracks where you want to apply the tion pass begins before the first mute event and
Write To commands. ends after the second event. In this case, the current
on/off state of the mute is maintained.
2 Option-Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click
(Windows) the corresponding “Write Automa-
tion To” button.

Suppressing Warnings when

Using “Write To” Commands Original mute automation
(mute off, mute on, mute off)
When you carry out any of the Write Automation
To commands (except Write to Next Breakpoint),
Pro Tools posts a dialog warning that automation
values will be changed in the session. You can sup-
press these warnings.

To suppress “Write To” warning dialogs:

1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
Mute on event overwritten
2 Under Automation, select Suppress Automation Overwriting a mute automation event
“Write To” Warnings.

1240 Pro Tools Reference Guide

A mute event can be extended when the automa- To overwrite a mute state on one or more tracks:
tion pass begins before an on or off event and stops 1 Choose Window > Automation.
before the end of the second event.
2 Make sure Mute is write-enabled.

Original mute automation

(mute off, mute on, mute off)

Mute off event extended (up to automation pass end)

Extending a mute automation event

Mute Overwrite/Extend is
Mute enable button in the Automation window
Supported in Touch and Latch
Mode, as follows: 3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
Touch Mode Writes the current state as long as the tion Mode selector of the track where you want
Mute button is held. to overwrite the mute state, and set the Automa-
tion mode to Touch or Latch mode.
Latch Mode Writes the current state until you stop
or AutoMatch out. To overwrite mute states on multiple tracks,
set all tracks to the same Automation 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.

Placing the cursor before the start of a mute event

Chapter 53: Automation 1241

 6 Start playback. 3 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
tion Mode selector of the track you want to au-
7 Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
tomate, and select Touch or Latch mode.
and the track Mute button before the start of the
mute event you want to overwrite. To extend mute states on multiple tracks, set
all the tracks to the same Automation mode.
To overwrite mute states on multiple tracks,
press Option+Command (Mac) or Alt+Con- 4 In each track you want to automate, click the
trol (Windows) and the Mute button on one of Track View selector and select mute.
the tracks to be automated.
5 Place the cursor before the start of the mute
8 After the end of the second mute event, release event you want to extend.
the key and the Mute button.

With Touch mode, you have to hold the Mute

button for the duration of the write.

Placing the cursor before the start of a mute event

6 Start playback.
7 Press Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
and the track Mute button before the start of the
Stopping automation pass after the end of a mute
event
mute event you want to extend.

9 When you have finished the automation pass, To extend mute states on multiple tracks,
stop playback. press Option+Command (Mac) or Alt+Con-
trol (Windows) and the Mute button on the
track.

8 Before the end of the second mute event, release

the key and the Mute button.

Mute on state overwritten If you extend past the subsequent on or off

Example of mute state overwritten event, the entire event will be changed.
To extend a mute state on a track:
1 Choose Window > Automation.
2 Make sure mute is write-enabled.

Stopping automation before the end of a mute event

1242 Pro Tools Reference Guide

9 When you have finished the automation pass, To write snapshot automation:
click Stop. 1 In the Automation window, make sure that the
parameters you want to edit are write-enabled.
Deselect any parameters whose automation 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-
Example of mute state extended (up to automation rently exists, as follows:
pass end)
• Place the cursor in the playlist (or make an
Edit selection), then press Command+For-
Creating Snapshot ward Slash (/) (Mac) or Control+Forward
Automation Slash (/) (Windows).

(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) • Select the Grabber tool and click anywhere in
the playlist.
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio let you write auto-
4 Do one of the following:
mation data values for multiple parameters in a
single step. You can write snapshot automation in • Select an area in the track’s playlist (or within
two ways: multiple tracks) where you want to apply the
automation.
To a Selection Automation data is written to the
• Place the cursor at an Edit insertion point.
Timeline selection (as well as the Edit selection if
linked). Anchor breakpoints are placed just before 5 Adjust the controls you want to automate. You
and after the selection so that data outside the se- can also change a plug-in preset.
lection is not affected.
6 Choose Edit > Automation and do one of the
To a Cursor Location Automation data is written following:
at the insertion point. After the insertion point, the • To write the current value to only the
automation ramps to the next breakpoint value, or currently displayed automation parameter,
if no breakpoints exist, remains at the newly writ- choose Write to Current.
ten value for the remainder of the session. • To write the current settings for all automa-
For MIDI automation, the Write To, Trim To, tion parameters enabled in the Automation
and Glide To commands only apply to MIDI window, choose Write to All Enabled.
Volume, MIDI Pan, and MIDI Mute. MIDI
parameters cannot use the Write To com- Adding Snapshot Automation to
mands. Empty Automation Playlists

For more information on cutting, copying, and When you use a Write Automation command on an
pasting automation data within a session, see automation playlist with no previously written au-
“Writing Automation to the Start, End, or All of a tomation data, the selected value is written to the
Track or Selection” on page 1234. entire playlist and not just the selected area.

Chapter 53: Automation 1243

 This is because a playlist with no automation data 5 Choose Edit > Automation and select one of the
contains only a single automation breakpoint that following from the submenu:
corresponds to the current position of the control • To write the current value to only the automa-
for the parameter. The position of the breakpoint is tion parameter currently displayed in the Edit
updated whenever the parameter value is changed. window, choose Write to Current.
If you do not want the Write Automation command • To write the current settings for all automa-
to write the selected automation value to the entire tion parameters enabled in the Automation
playlist, you can: window, choose Write to All Enabled.
• Anchor the automation data by placing the cur- 6 Click the Automation Mode selector and select
sor at the end of the session (or any other end Read mode for the tracks you want to play back
point) and choosing Write to Current. with automation.
• Click with any Grabber tool on each side of the
selection. Capturing Automation and
Applying it Elsewhere
This lets the Write Automation command write
only to the selected area. The Write Automation commands can also be used
to capture automation states at specific locations in
a track and apply them to other locations in the
Writing Snapshot Automation track.
over Existing Automation Data
When you move the playback cursor, the auto- To capture and apply automation:
mated controls in Pro Tools update to reflect the 1 In the Automation window, make sure that the
automation data that is already on the track. To automation parameters you want to edit are
keep the settings you have made for a snapshot, write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose
you can suspend automation parameters to prevent automation you want to preserve.
them from updating.
2 Click the Automation Mode selector and select
To write snapshot automation over existing data: Read mode for the tracks that have automation
you want to capture.
1 In the Automation window, make sure that the
automation parameters you want to edit are 3 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit
write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose Selection is selected.
automation you want to preserve.
4 With the Selector tool, select the location where
2 Adjust the controls for the parameters you want you want to capture automation. All automated
to automate. controls update to reflect the automation at that
location. (If you make a selection, the controls
3 Click the Automation Mode selector and select
update to reflect the automation at the begin-
Off mode for the tracks where you want to apply
ning of the selection.)
the automation.
5 In each track you want to apply the captured au-
4 With the Selector, select the range where you
tomation, click the track’s Automation Mode
want to apply the automation.
selector and set the Automation mode to Off.

1244 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 With the Selector tool, select the location where 4 Choose Edit > Automation and do one of the
you want to apply the automation. following:
7 Enable the automation parameters previously • To write the current delta value to only the
suspended. currently displayed automation parameter,
choose Trim to Current.
8 Choose Edit > Automation and select one of the
• To write the current delta value for all auto-
following from the submenu:
mation parameters enabled in the Automation
• To write the current value to only the automa- window, choose Trim to All Enabled.
tion parameter currently displayed in the Edit
window, choose Write To Current.
• To write the current settings for all automa- Previewing Automation
tion parameters enabled in the Automation
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
Enable window, choose Write To All Enabled.
Automation Preview mode lets you audition
9 Click the Automation Mode selector and select
changes to a mix and compare them to existing au-
Read mode for the tracks you want to play back
tomation values without committing them to the
with automation.
automation playlist.

Snapshot Automation and When you put Pro Tools in Automation Preview
Trimming of Automation Data mode, you can preview values for automation-en-
abled controls on any track that is in a writable au-
Pro Tools lets you use trim values as snapshots and
tomation mode.
apply the relative changes (delta values) to the se-
lected automation by using the Trim Automation While in Automation Preview mode, when you
command. This works in much the same way as the touch or move a control, it isolates the control, dis-
Write Automation command, except that it writes engaging it from its automation playlist. The con-
delta values instead of absolute values to automa- trol stops reading or writing automation, allowing
tion data. you to freely audition changes.
You can use trim values in writing snapshot When you have found a level or state that you want
automation to any automatable parameter. to use, you can then commit or punch the pre-
viewed value to the automation playlist for the iso-
To create a snapshot of relative changes in lated controls.
automation data:

1 In the Automation window, make sure that the  If you punch during playback, the automation
automation parameters you want to edit are mode is set to Latch and writing begins at the pre-
write-enabled. Deselect any parameters whose view value.
automation you want to preserve.  If you punch while the transport is stopped, the
2 Select the area of the track you want to edit. All automation mode is set to Latch and the control is
automated controls update to reflect the auto- primed at the preview value.
mation at the beginning of the selection. It is not necessary for the Allow Latch Prime
3 Move the controls for the parameter up or down in Stop preference to be enabled for Preview
by the amount you want to change the data. to put a control into Latch Prime.

Chapter 53: Automation 1245

 Previewing New Automation The Automation Mode indicator on the track lights
Values green to indicate that at least one of its controls is
isolated, and the Punch Preview button in the Au-
To preview a new automation value for a control: tomation window lights to indicate a preview value
1 Make sure the track where you want to preview is available to punch.
the value is enabled for automation (Touch,
5 Start playback and adjust the isolated control to
Latch, Touch/Latch or their corresponding
audition the changes.
Trim modes).
2 Make sure the automation type you want to pre- Taking Controls Out of Isolated
view is enabled in the Automation window State
(Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan,
Send mute, or Plug-In). You can take controls out of their isolated state
without leaving Preview mode.
3 Click the Preview button in the Automation
window. The button lights green to indicate that To take all controls on a track out of their isolated
Preview mode is active. state, do one of the following:

 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-

dows) the automation mode selector on the
track.
 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 automa-

tion 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.

Preview controls in the Automation window To isolate all currently write-enabled controls:
4 To isolate a control, touch or move an automa-  Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
tion-enabled control.You can isolate controls Preview button.
during playback or while the transport is
stopped. To isolate all write-enabled controls on all selected
tracks:

 Option-Shift- click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click

(Windows) the Preview button.

1246 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Suspending Preview Mode
Capturing Automation
You can temporarily suspend Preview mode, al- (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
lowing you to toggle between preview values and
existing automation. You can capture current automation values at one
location in a session and quickly apply them in an-
To suspend Preview mode: other location with the Capture and Punch Capture
 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- commands. The Capture command temporarily
dows) the Preview button. stores the value of all controls currently writing au-
tomation, and the Punch Capture commands
writes those stored values to all enabled automa-
Punching Preview Values tion types.
After you have isolated a control and auditioned a  ICON Systems allow for the capture of up to 48
new value, you can punch (write) the value to the different values, or snapshots.
automation playlist.
 All other systems allow for the capture of a sin-
To punch a preview value to the automation gle value.
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 apply to
isolated controls. Pro Tools remains in Preview
mode.

After Punching Preview Values The Write Auto-

mation To commands (except Write to Next Break-
point) can be used to extend the punched value in Capture controls in the Automation window
the same manner as other automation.

Chapter 53: Automation 1247

 Capturing Automation Values To punch captured automation values:

You can capture the current automation values of 1 Move to a location where you want to apply the
actively writing controls. captured automation states. You can do this
during playback or while the transport is
To capture automation values: stopped.
1 Make sure all tracks whose automation values 2 Click the Punch Capture button in the Automa-
you want to capture are in a write-enabled state tion window to apply the captured automation
(Write, Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch or Latch). states. The captured states are applied to all au-
tomation types that are currently enabled in the
2 Make sure the automation types you want to
Automation window.
capture are enabled in the Automation window
(Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan,
Send mute, or Plug-In). Capturing Automation Values for
All Controls
3 Start playback. When you reach a location
where you want to capture the current automa- You can capture the state of all automatable con-
tion states, click the Capture button in the Auto- trols (except on tracks with their Automation
mation window. Mode set to Off) in a session, regardless of whether
they are currently writing automation.
The Punch Capture button in the Automation win-
dow lights to indicate a captured value is available To capture the automation values of all controls:
to punch.  When you reach a location where you want to
capture the current automation states, Option-
Punching Captured Automation click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Capture
Values button.
After automation values are captured, they can be
To capture the automation values of all controls on
punched (written) to another location in the track. selected tracks only:
Any tracks set to Read or Off are unaffected.
 When you reach a location where you want to
 If you punch during playback, the automation capture the current automation states, Option-
mode of any track set to Touch is set to Latch and Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows)
writing begins at the captured value. the Capture button.
 If you punch while the transport is stopped, the
automation mode of any track set to Touch is set to Punching Automation Values for
Latch and the control is primed at the captured All Controls
value.
You can punch all captured automation values to
another location on their corresponding tracks (ex-
cept those tracks with their Automation Mode set
to Off).

1248 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To punch the automation values of all controls: To capture an automation value and use it to
preview:
 When you reach a location where you want to
apply the captured automation states, Option- 1 Make sure the track where you want to preview
click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the Punch the value is enabled for automation (Touch,
Capture button. Any track set to Read or Touch Latch, Touch/Latch or their corresponding
are set to Latch. Any tracks set to Off are unaf- Trim modes).
fected. 2 Make sure the automation type you want to pre-
view is enabled in the Automation window
To punch the automation values of all controls on
(Volume, Pan, Mute, Send level, Send pan,
selected tracks only:
Send mute, or Plug-In).
 When you reach a location where you want to
apply the captured automation states, Option- 3 Capture an automation value that you want to
Shift-click (Mac) or Alt-Shift-click (Windows) preview in another location on a track. (See
the Punch Capture button. Any selected tracks “Capturing Automation Values” on page 1248.)
set to Read or Touch are set to Latch. Any se- 4 Go to a location where you want to preview the
lected tracks set to Off are unaffected. captured automation states, and click the Pre-
view button in the Automation window.
Capture and Trim Mode 5 Click the Punch Capture button.
The Capture and Punch Capture commands work
The affected controls are isolated and updated to
with Trim automation in the same way as regular
the captured values. The Punch Preview button in
automation. Pro Tools saves Trim status when
the Automation window lights to indicate the pre-
capturing, so if you attempt to punch captured
view value is available to punch.
Trim values while displaying a non-Trim automa-
tion playlist, Pro Tools will automatically apply 6 Start playback and adjust the isolated control to
the values to the corresponding Trim playlist. audition the changes.
7 When you are ready to punch the preview value
Punch Capture and “Write To” to the automation playlist, click the lit Punch
Commands Preview button.
After issuing a Punch Capture command, the af-
Capturing Values While in Preview Mode
fected controls are writing automation (in Latch
mode), so any of the Write Automation To com- When you are in Preview mode, you can capture
mands can be used to extend the punched value in the values of isolated controls and apply them else-
the same manner as other automation. where on a track. By capturing preview values, you
can leave the underlying automation unchanged at
Capture and Preview Mode the place where you capture.

Loading Captured Values into Preview On ICON systems, you can use preview mode to
capture multiple snapshots without changing auto-
You can preview and modify captured automation mation.
values in Preview mode before punching the val-
ues to the automation playlist.

Chapter 53: Automation 1249

 To capture a preview value: Displaying the Composite
1 Activate Preview mode and isolate a control. Automation Playlist on Member
(See “Previewing New Automation Values” on Tracks
page 1246). When a track is a VCA member, you can display a
2 Start playback and adjust the isolated control to composite automation playlist that shows the con-
audition the changes. tribution of the VCA Master to the Volume or
Mute automation data on the member track. This
3 When you are ready to capture preview value, composite playlist reflects the actual position of
click the Capture button in the Automation win- the Volume fader on the member track.The com-
dow. posite playlist display cannot be directly edited.
The Punch Capture button in the Automation win- To display the composite playlist on VCA member
dow lights to indicate a captured value is available tracks:
to punch.
 Select View > Automation > Composite Playlist.

Volume
VCA Master Track automation
Automation playlist
Composite
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) playlist
You can automate changes to VCA Master track Viewing composite automation on a VCA member
controls (as well as the controls for VCA member track
tracks).
Excluding VCA Member Tracks
from VCA Master Automation
Displaying Automation on VCA
Master Tracks When you are writing automation on a VCA Mas-
ter track, the corresponding moves will appear on
The following controls on VCA Master tracks can
the composite automation playlist of each of its
be automated and have separate automation play-
member tracks. If you want to exclude a member
lists:
track from an automation pass, write-enable the
• Volume member track for automation.
• Volume trim (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio
To exclude a member track from VCA Master track
only)
automation pass:
• Mute
1 Write-enable the VCA Master track for automa-
These automation playlists follow the same behav- tion (Write, Touch or Latch mode).
ior as automation playlists on other track types. For 2 Write-enable the member track you want to ex-
more information on Volume trim automation, see clude for automation (Write mode).
“Trimming Automation” on page 1232.
3 Make sure other member tracks that you want
to include in the pass are not write-enabled for
automation.

1250 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Start playback. To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all of
its member tracks and retain the VCA Master:
5 Move the fader on the VCA Master track.
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automation
6 Stop playback. you want to coalesce.

Automation is written on the excluded member 2 Do one of the following:

track such that the fader moves on the VCA Master • Choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Auto-
track are canceled out, and the fader on the ex- mation.
cluded member track does not move on subsequent
• Right-click the VCA Master track name and
playback.
choose Coalesce VCA Master Automation.

The composite Volume level and Mute state are

included membe
coalesced to each of the member tracks. The VCA
Master Volume fader is reset to zero, the VCA
excluded membe
Mute is set to unmuted, and any automation on the
VCA Master is cleared.
VCA Master

Deleting a VCA Master

Automation for excluded VCA member track, You can temporarily use a VCA Master to write
canceling VCA Master automation
grouped automation, then coalesce the VCA auto-
mation to all of the member tracks by deleting the
VCA Master. The coalesced tracks will play back
Coalescing VCA Automation
exactly as they did when they were in the VCA
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) group.
There are several ways to commit, or coalesce, the
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to all of
contribution of a selected VCA Master track’s its member tracks and delete the VCA Master
Volume and Mute automation to the automation track:
playlists of its member tracks.
1 Select the VCA Master track whose automation
you want to coalesce.
Clearing a VCA Master
2 Choose Track > Delete.
You can use a VCA Master to write grouped auto-
mation, coalesce the VCA automation to all of the The composite Volume level and Mute state are
member tracks, and clear the automation on the committed to each of the member tracks.
VCA Master. The coalesced tracks will play back
This action cannot be undone.
exactly as they did when they were in the VCA
group.

Chapter 53: Automation 1251

 Removing a Member Track from Duplicating a Member Track
a VCA Group
When you duplicate a member track without dupli-
You can remove an individual member track from cating its group assignments, the VCA automation
a VCA group, which commits the VCA automa- is coalesced to the duplicate track. The coalesced
tion to that track, leaving the VCA Master and the duplicate plays back exactly as if it were in the
other member tracks untouched. The coalesced VCA group.
member track plays back exactly as it did when it
was in the VCA group. To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to a
single member track by duplicating the track:
To coalesce automation from a VCA Master to an 1 Select the member track whose automation you
individual member track:
want to coalesce.
1 Do one of the following:
2 Choose Track > Duplicate.
• Choose Modify Groups from the Groups List
menu. 3 In the Duplicate Track dialog, deselect Group
Assignments.
• Click the Group ID indicator on the track and
choose Modify. 4 Click OK.
• Right-click the Group name in the Groups
The composite Volume level and Mute state are
List and choose Modify.
coalesced to the duplicate track. The original
2 In the Groups dialog, select the VCA-controlled member track is preserved, and the VCA group is
group that includes the member track. unchanged.
3 In the Groups dialog, click Tracks and remove
the member track from the group.
4 Click OK.

The member track is removed from the VCA

group, and the composite Volume level and Mute
state are coalesced to the track.

1252 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Coalescing Automation Across
an Edit Selection
You can commit VCA automation across an Edit
selection in a VCA Master track, without commit-
ting 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 automation
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 Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) and
choose Track > Coalesce VCA Master Auto-
mation.
• Hold Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) 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 member 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 53: Automation 1253

1254 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 54: Mixdown

Pro Tools lets you mix down by recording a mix to Printing effects to disk is the technique of perma-
new audio tracks or by bouncing a mix to disk. nently adding real-time effects, such as EQ or re-
verb, to an audio track by bussing and recording it
Recording to Tracks This is the process of sub-
to new tracks with the effects added. The original
mixing and recording the submix to new audio audio is preserved, so you can return to the source
tracks, as you would any other track input signals. track at any time. This can be useful when you
This method requires available tracks, voices, and have a limited number of tracks or effects devices.
bus paths to accommodate the submix and the new
tracks. While recording to tracks, you can manu- AudioSuite plug-ins provide another option
ally adjust mixer or other controls. for writing (or “printing”) a plug-in effect to
disk. For more information, see Chapter 43,
Record to new tracks if you want to adjust mixer
“AudioSuite Processing.”
controls during the mixdown.

Bounce Mix The Bounce Mix command lets you

write a final mix, create a new audio loop, print ef- Using Dither
fects, or consolidate any submix to new audio files Dither can significantly improve audio quality
on disk in any of several possible audio file for- when reducing the bit depth of digital audio.
mats. Any available output or bus path can be se-
lected as the Mix Source. Sample rate, bit depth,
and other conversion processes can be applied When to Use a Dither Plug-In
during or after the bounce. 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
Selecting Audio for Loops, Mix command, or when sending your final mix to
Submixes, and Effects an external digital device that records at 16-bit res-
olution.
Both Bounce Mix and recording to tracks operate
on the current Timeline or Edit selection, if one ex- A dither plug-in is necessary even when mixing
ists. This makes it easy to turn multitrack selec- down to 16-bit from a 16-bit session. Even though
tions into mono, stereo, or multichannel loops. 16-bit sessions use 16-bit files, they are still pro-
Submixes, stems, and other specialized types of cessed at higher internal bit depths. Pro Tools sys-
mixes can also be recorded (or “printed”) to disk tems use 24-bit audio input and output signal
using either method, or played out to another re- paths, and internal 64-bit floating point processing
cording, transfer, or archiving medium. for mixing and audio processing.

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1255

 For this reason, whether you are working with a To use a dither plug-in on an output mix:
32-bit floating-point session, or a 24-bit session or 1 Choose Track > New and create a (stereo)
a 16-bit fixed-point session, the following are rec- Master Fader track.
ommended:
2 Set the output of the Master Fader to the output
• When mixing down to a 16-bit destination, use a
or bus path you want to bounce.
dither plug-in on the main output.
3 Assign the outputs of all audio tracks in the ses-
• When bus recording a submix to a track in the
sion to the same path you selected in step 2. The
same session, do not use a dither plug-in on the
Master Fader now controls the output levels of
destination track.
all tracks routed to it.
• When mixing down to a 24-bit destination,
do not use a dither plug-in on the main output. 4 On the Master Fader, insert a dither plug-in as
the last processor in the signal chain.
• When mixing down to an analog destination
with any 24-bit capable interface, do not use a 5 In the dither plug-in window, choose an output
dither plug-in on the main output. Bit Resolution and Noise Shaping setting.
• During normal recording and playback, bypass 6 Do one of the following:
any dither plug-in on the main output. • Play back the session to record (or “layback”)
Pro Tools output to lower bit-rate media
Bounce Mix and Dither (such as 16- or 20- bit Blue-ray).
Bouncing to disk does not apply dither when re- • Choose File > Bounce Mix. In the Bounce Mix
ducing bit depth. To apply dither when bouncing to dialog, select the appropriate bit depth (such
disk, you should insert a dither plug-in as the last as 16-bit for CD audio). Before being con-
processor in the signal path on a Master Fader as- verted by the Bounce Mix command, the sig-
signed to the Mix Source audio output path. nal is processed according to the resolution
and noise shaping settings in the dither plug-
Using a dither plug-in on a Master Fader is prefer- in inserted on the Master Fader.
able to an Auxiliary Input because Master Fader
inserts are post-fader. As a post-fader insert, the For information about dither plug-ins, see
dither plug-in can process changes in Master Fader the Audio Plug-Ins Guide.
level.
Sample Rate Conversion and Bit
If you do not use a dither plug-in on your Mix Depth Reduction
Source path, and you choose to convert to a lower
resolution during or after bouncing to disk, the re- If you want to do both a sample rate conversion
sulting file will be converted by truncation. and a bit depth reduction when mixing down, first
convert the sample rate while maintaining the
higher bit depth, and then reduce the sample rate-
Using Dither on an Output Mix converted file to the lower bit depth, using a dither.
Pro Tools includes real-time dither plug-ins that By keeping the higher bit depth when performing
improve 16-, 18-, or 20-bit performance and re- the sample rate conversion, you ensure the highest
duce quantization artifacts when reducing the bit possible audio quality.
depth of an output mix.

1256 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 2 Set the main channel output of the tracks you
Bus Recording to Tracks want to include in the submix to a bus path. If
You can create a submix in your Pro Tools session you are using stereo or multichannel tracks, set
and bus record it to available tracks in the same the panning of each track.
session. This technique lets you add live input to 3 Make sure Loop Record is not enabled.
the mix, as well as adjust volume, pan, mute, and
other controls during the recording process. You 4 Choose Track > New and create one or more
can also use this technique instead of Bounce Mix mono, stereo, or multichannel audio tracks.
to create mixed tracks directly in your Pro Tools 5 If you are recording in stereo, pan the new ste-
session. reo track (or mono tracks) hard left and right.
6 Set the input of each destination track to the bus
Voice Requirements for path from which you are recording.
Recording a Submix
7 Set the output of your new tracks to your main
Recording a submix to new tracks requires an
output path.
available voice for each track that you want to re-
cord. Make sure you have enough voices available 8 Ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit
to play back all tracks that you want to record and Selection is selected.
enough voices available to record the destination
9 Select audio to record. The start, end, and length
tracks.
of the recording can be based on the cursor lo-
In contrast, the Bounce Mix command lets you cation or Timeline and Edit selections.
bounce all available voices to disk without holding • Selection-based recording automatically
any in reserve, but you cannot manually change punches in and out of recording at the selec-
any controls during the bounce. For more informa- tion start and end. Be sure to include time at
tion, see “Bounce Mix” on page 1258. the end of a selection for reverb tails, delays,
and other effects.
For information about voice management,
• If you do not make a selection, recording will
see “Track Priority and Voice Assignment”
begin from the location of the playback cur-
on page 276.
sor. Recording will continue until you press
Stop.
With HDX systems, Native plug-ins placed on
10 Record enable the new tracks and click Record
Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instru-
in the Transport.
ment tracks may use additional voices and
may introduce extra latency based on the 11 Click Play to begin recording the submix.
H/W Buffer Size. For more information, see
12 If recording a selection, recording will stop au-
“Inserting Native and DSP Plug-Ins on
tomatically. If performing an open-ended re-
Tracks” on page 1158.
cording, click Stop, or punch out of recording.
To record a submix to a track:
13 When the recording has finished, you can ex-
1 Apply any plug-ins or external processors you port the bus recorded clip using the Export Clips
want to add to your audio tracks or Auxiliary In- as Files command (see “Exporting a Clip as a
puts before you record. New Audio File” on page 445).

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1257

 When you Bounce Mix, the resulting file includes
Bounce Mix the following:
The Bounce Mix command lets you export your Audible Tracks All audible tracks that are routed
mix, including sub-mixes, to multiple file formats to the output which is selected as the source of the
without having to create extra dedicated audio bounce are included in the bounce. Any muted
tracks in your session for bus recording. Bouncing tracks are not included in the bounce. If you solo
writes to separate audio files, so you do not have to one or more tracks, only the soloed tracks are in-
reserve any tracks for a bounce. A bounce can be cluded in the bounced mix.
done offline (faster than real-time) or in real-time
(so you can listen to audio playback of your mix Automation All read-enabled automation is played
during the bounce process). back and incorporated in the bounced mix.

You can use the Bounce Mix command to write au- Inserts and Sends All active inserts, including
dio loops, sub-mixes, stems, or any other session real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts, are ap-
audio to disk as a new audio file in any of several plied to the bounced mix.
audio file formats. You can use it to create final
Selection or Track Length If you make a selection
mono, stereo, and multichannel master files.
in a track, the bounced mix will be the length of the
Bounce Mix also provides conversion options for
selection. If there is no selection in any track, the
sample rate, bit resolution, and format. It even lets
bounce will be the length of the longest audible
you automatically import bounced files after the
track in the session.
bounce is complete. Use Bounce Mix presets to
store and recall your most commonly used Bounce Time Stamp Information Bounced material is au-
settings. tomatically time stamped so that you can drag it
into a track and place it at the same location as the
To Bounce Mix (basic instructions): original material. For more information about time
1 Make a Timeline selection to define the range to stamping, see “Time Stamping” on page 1375.
be bounced.
Bounced Files Are Delay-Compensated
2 Choose File > Bounce Mix.
Pro Tools compensates for any bus and plug-in de-
3 Configure the Bounce options (see “Bounce
lays when bouncing to disk. This means that if a
Options” on page 1259).
bounced file is imported back into a session, and
4 Click Bounce. 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 include tracks that are either re-
cord-enabled or in Input Only monitoring mode in
the bounce.

1258 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Bounce From Sends or Track Bounce Options
Outputs
When you use the Bounce Mix command, you can
Pro Tools lets you open the Bounce dialog pre- configure several file options.
configured to use the channel path of any given
send or track output using Right-click menus.

Track Output Right-Click menu in the Mix window

Bounce Mix dialog

Send Right-Click menu in the Mix window Presets

To Bounce an Output or Send path to disk: The Bounce Mix window provides two preset op-
1 Right-click the Output Path selector or the Send tions that let you quickly store and recall your most
Path selector for the desired track Output or commonly used Bounce settings. For example,
Send. you may regularly use the same settings for differ-
ent delivery formats depending on the nature of the
2 From the right-click menu, choose Bounce
projects you work on. Store and recall the Bounce
<path>.
settings that you most commonly use on your local
3 The Bounce dialog opens with the Output or Pro Tools system with the Presets buttons. You can
Send path selected as the Mix Source. store up to 5 quick presets on the buttons numbered
1–5 by command-clicking (Mac) or control-click-
4 Configure the other Bounce settings as desired
ing (Windows) on the buttons and recall them by
and click Bounce.
clicking on the buttons or by pressing Contro1+
1–5 (Mac) or Start+ 1–5 (Windows). You can also
store as many named presets as you want using the
Bounce Settings menu.

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1259

 To store a Bounce preset: <factory default>
1 Configure the Bounce Mix dialog as you like. Restores the default settings for the Bounce Mix
2 Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win- dialog. Any additional Bounce settings files that
dows) the Preset button where you want to store are stored in the default directory are also listed
the current Bounce Mix dialog settings. here in alphabetical order.

To recall a Bounce preset: Save Settings

 Click the Preset button that contains the settings Saves the current settings. This command over-
you want to recall. writes any previous version of the preset.

Press Control+1–5 (Mac) or Start+1–5 Save Settings As

(Windows) to recall the corresponding preset.
Saves the current settings as a new preset under a
Bounce Settings Menu different name.

Use the Bounce Settings menu commands to save, Import Settings

import, delete, and manage Bounce settings as pre-
sets, or Bounce settings files (.ptpreset). Bounce Imports a Bounce settings file from a location
settings files include all settings in the Bounce Mix other than the Root Settings folder or Session
dialog except for the File Name. They also include folder.
Mix Sources (if they match the output paths used in
Delete Current Settings File
the session) and Locations (if the specified location
directory path settings are available on the current Permanently deletes the current Bounce settings
Pro Tools system). By default, Bounce settings file from disk.
files are stored in /Documents/Pro Tools/Pro Tools
Settings/Bounce/. Named Bounce settings files in Lock/Unlock Settings File
the default Pro Tools Settings folder are listed in
Locks the current Bounce settings file so that it
the Bounce Settings menu right under <factory de-
cannot be edited or deleted. Choose Unlock Set-
fault>. You can save as many Bounce settings files
tings File to unlock the file for editing.
as you want, and Bounce settings files can be
shared with other Pro Tools systems.

Bounce Settings menu

Bounce Settings menu commands include:

1260 Pro Tools Reference Guide

File Name M4A (MPEG-4 Audio)

Pro Tools provides a File Name text entry field for Pro Tools lets you Bounce Mix to M4A stereo or
Bounce Mix. Type the File Name you want for the mono AAC files at 44.1 and 48 kHz with constant
bounced file. For multi-source bounces, the en- or variable bit rates (CBR or VBR). MPEG-4 au-
tered file name is appended with the name of the dio files (.M4a) contain a digital audio stream en-
Mix Source and a number (incremented for each coded with AAC compression standards. This au-
source): “<file name>_<source name>_<n>.” dio container was first used by Apple to
differentiate MPEG-4 audio files from the popular
File Type MP4 video file container. The AAC compression
in M4A files downsizes audio data while preserv-
The File Type selector lets you select the file type ing a high-level of quality. Because of that, M4A
for bounced files. audio files are comparatively smaller in size and
great for storing and sharing digital music, audio-
Press Command+Up/Down arrows (Mac)
book content, podcasts, and so on. It is the standard
or Control +Up/Down arrows (Windows) to
for delivering music tracks and other audio content
cycle through the available File Types.
from Apple iTunes Store, and is supported by all
WAV (Broadcast .WAV Format) major platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux, Android,
and iOS).
This format is supported on Windows and Mac. To
use a WAV file in Pro Tools, you can drag and MP3 (MPEG-1 Layer 3)
drop from a Workspace browser, Windows Ex-
The MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) compression format
plorer or Mac Finder, or a folder, or you can use
is used for streaming and downloading audio over
the Import Audio command. Files in this format do
the Internet, and for playback on portable devices.
not have to be converted to be used in Pro Tools.

WAV (Dolby Atmos ADM BWF)

(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only)

Dolby Atmos® ADM BWF is a Dolby Atmos mas-

ter file format used to carry audio and metadata for
production and distribution (see “Export ADM
files” on page 1337).

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format)

This format is supported on Windows and Mac. To

use an AIFF file in Pro Tools, you can drag and MP3 Export Options
drop from a Workspace browser, Windows Ex-
plorer or Mac Finder, or you can use the Import Au- When you select this format, the Resolution pop-
dio command. Files in this format do not have to be up menu in the Pro Tools Output Options dialog is
converted to be used in Pro Tools. unavailable. The resolution is set by the encoder.

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1261

 The sample rate chosen is given to the codec as a • ID3 v2.3: Appears at the front of a streaming
base sample rate for operations. The actual sample MP3 file, so that tag information is displayed
rate of the resulting file is determined in the MP3 when streaming begins.
Encoder Options dialog. For example, if a base
sample rate of 48000 Hz is chosen, the MP3 En- While ID3 v2.3 is the current standard MP3
coder Options dialog will allow output streams in format, not all MP3 players support ID3
48, 24, or 12 kHz, depending on encoding quality. v2.3. Contact the player software
developer for compatibility information.
When you export or bounce to MP3 format, you
can set the following options: Title/Artist/Album/Comment Type the title, artist,
and other information for the MP3 file. This infor-
Encoder Settings mation is displayed by many MP3 players.

Encoder Speed Determines the audio quality of Genre Choose a genre for the file. This informa-
the bounced file. There are two options: Highest tion is displayed by many MP3 players, and can
Quality and Fastest Encoding Time. appear in searchable catalogs and databases.

The Highest Quality option can take up to five Track Number If you select ID3 tag type v1.1 or
times longer to process audio than the Fastest En- v2.3, you can enter a CD track number for the file.
coding option, so you should use it only when the This information is displayed by many MP3
highest fidelity is essential and you have the time players.
to devote to the encoding process.
Year Enter a year for the file. This information is
Constant Bit Rate (CBR) Encodes the file at a sin- displayed by many MP3 players.
gle bit rate that you choose from the Constant Bit
Rate (CBR) pop-up menu. Because the bit rate is Default Button
fixed, the quality of the encoded audio will vary
To restore all settings in this dialog to their default
depending on the nature of the material being com-
values, click Defaults.
pressed. The 128 kbit/s option is generally best for
streaming over the Internet, since it has predictable MXF (OP-Atom)
bandwidth requirements.
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only)
ID3 Tag Info Settings While OP-Atom MXF files can contain either one
ID3 Tag Type The ID3 tag stores data about the en- channel of audio or one track of video per file,
coded audio file that is used by MP3 players to dis- Pro Tools can only export audio when bouncing to
play information about the file. Pro Tools supports MXF (OP-Atom). Also, to ensure compatibility
three versions of this tag, in order to provide back- with Non-Linear Editors (such as Avid Media
ward compatibility with older MP3 players: Composer) when bouncing to MXF (OP-Atom),
Multiple Mono is automatically selected as the only
• ID3 v1.0: Appears at the end of a streaming MP3
available option for File Type and Pad To Frame
file, so that tag information is only displayed af-
Boundary is enforced.
ter software streaming is finished.
• ID3 v1.1: Same as version 1.0, but adds track
number information to the tag.

1262 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MOV To bounce multiple sources to disk:

.mov files can include both video and multiple 1 Make a Timeline selection to define the range to
channels of audio (see “Bounce Mix to MOV” on be bounced.
page 1468). This option is only available if there is 2 Choose File > Bounce Mix.
video in the session.
3 Click the “+” button to the right of the first Mix
Windows Media Source selector to add additional Mix Sources
(up to 16 simultaneous Mix Sources).
(Windows Only)

Windows Media formatted files can contain audio, Press Command+Shift+Up arrow (Mac) or
video, or script data stored in Windows Media For- Control+Shift+Up arrow (Windows) to add
mat. A Windows Media Format file may have a Mix Sources.
.asf or .wmv file name extension.
4 Select the desired output or bus path for each
Mix Source.
Mix Source
5 If necessary, click the “–” button to the right of
All currently active output paths (both internal mix any Mix Source (except the first) to remove it
busses and output busses) and any physical outputs from the bounce.
used in the session are available as the Mix Source.
Press Command+Shift+Down arrow (Mac)
To set the Mix Source: or Control+Shift+Down arrow (Windows)
to remove the bottom Mix Source.
 Select a bus path, output path, or physical out-
put from the Mix Source selector. 6 To re-order Mix Sources, click and drag them
Bus bounced file includes only audio routed to the up or down in the list. Sources are written to
selected internal mix bus path. bounced files in the order they appear in the list
from top to bottom.
Output The bounced file includes only audio
routed to the selected output bus path. 7 Configure all other Bounce options as desired.
8 Click Bounce.
Physical Output The bounced file includes only
audio from all output paths mapped to the selected
physical output. This is useful when working with Compression Type
overlapping output paths. The Compression Type setting typically defaults
to PCM (Uncompressed) for most File Types and
Bouncing Multiple Sources
cannot be changed. If MP3 is selected as the File
Simultaneously
Type, it updates to MP3 and cannot be changed.
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) For M4A, the options include AAC (Constant Bit
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio let you bounce up Rate) and AAC (Variable Bit Rate).
to 24 sources of up to 10 channels each in standard
surround formats (up to 7.1.2), or up to 16 channels Quality
for ambisonics (3rd order), each simultaneously.
When bouncing to M4A, Pro Tools lets you select
the Quality of the bounce: Good, Better, or Best.

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1263

 Add MP3 Interleaved Creates a single, interleaved file that
contains all of the bounced streams from the cho-
The Add MP3 option in the Bounce Mix dialog lets sen output path. In an interleaved stereo bounce,
you simultaneously create an MP3 version of each tracks assigned to odd-numbered outputs are sent
Mix Source in addition to the selected File Type to the left channel, and tracks assigned to even-
(such as WAV). numbered outputs are sent to the right channel.

File Format Pro Tools also lets you bounce multichannel inter-
leaved files of any supported multichannel file
This is the format for the bounced result. Options type (such as 5.1). This can simplify file manage-
include Mono (Summed), Multiple Mono, and Inter- ment of mixes and projects for backup and ar-
leaved. chiving.

To set the format of the bounced file:

Delivery Format
 Select a file format from the Format selector. (Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
Mono (Summed) Creates a single disk file that is a Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio let you bounce mul-
summed mono mix of the current sources being tiple stems to separate files or to a single, inter-
monitored. leaved WAV (BWF) file. The later lets you export
Before bouncing to disk, make sure your levels are multiple delivery formats to a single multichannel
below –3 dB to avoid clipping that occurs when file for optimized file transfer workflows. For ex-
left and right signals exceed –3 dB below maxi- ample, you can combine separate stereo and 5.1
mum, or full code (0 dBFS). stems in a single, interleaved 8-channel BWF file
for delivery.
Multiple Mono Creates multiple mono files with
the same number of channels as the source path. The Delivery Format selector only appears if you
have more than one Mix Source specified and the
• If the source output or bus path is stereo, two File Type is set to WAV (BWF).
mono files will be created, and appended with
“.L” and “.R” suffixes on bounce. To bounce multiple stems to a singe BWF:
• If a multichannel format is used (for example, 1 Choose File > Bounce Mix.
six-channel, 5.1), individual mono files will be
created for each member of the path. Files will 2 For Mix Source, add and select the stems you
be appended with path suffixes according to the want to bounce.
path definition in the I/O Setup dialog.
Stems are written to channels in the bounced
• If the source output or bus path is mono, the pop- file in the order they appear in the Bounce Mix
up menu will switch from multiple mono to dialog from top to bottom. You can reorder
mono, and will create one mono file (no sum- source stems by dragging them up or down.
ming of multiple sources).
3 For File Type, select WAV (BWF).
4 For File Format, select Interleaved.
5 For Delivery Format, select Single File.

1264 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 Configure other options as desired. 24-Bit This setting provides the highest resolution
that is compatible with most audio interfaces. It is
7 Click Bounce.
useful when you want to create a final mix without
The Mix Source stems are bounced and embedded losing any resolution (for example, if you are de-
in a single WAV file (BWF) in the order they are livering a final mix that will be ready to master).
listed from top to bottom in the Bounce Mix dia-
32-Bit Float This setting provides the highest reso-
log. The resulting file includes each stem in
lution for internal Pro Tools mixing and plug-in
WavEXT channel order with an additional iXML
processing. It is useful when you want to export
stem/channel definition embedded in the file.
and re-import loops and sound effects into your
When Pro Tools imports one of these files, it re-
Pro Tools session, or when you are exchanging
mains a single interleaved file as long as the chan-
files between Pro Tools sessions.
nel count is below 32. If there are more than 32
channels, they are all split out into mono files. In
all cases, each stem appears in the Clips List as its Sample Rate
own autonomous multi-channel clip (just as if they This option lets you save to any of several sample
were each their own file). rates. Choices are dependent on your Pro Tools
system and audio interfaces. Options can include
Bit Depth sample rates from 8 kHz to 192 kHz, including
sample rates with Pull Up and Pull Down options.
This setting lets you select between three different
bit depths for the bounce conversion. Note that Common Sample Rates
Bounce Mix does not apply dither when converting
during or after a bounce to a lower resolution. If The following are the more common sample rates,
you need to bounce to a lower resolution file, use a and their applications. Higher sample rates provide
dither plug-in on a Master Fader track assigned to better audio fidelity for recording and playback,
the Mix Source path. This dithers the bounced file, and also for processing with dynamics, dither
before the Bounce Mix conversion truncates the (with noise shaping), and analog emulation plug-
bounced file to the selected bit depth resolution. ins.
(See “Using Dither” on page 1255.)
192 kHz This is a supported sample rate for some
audio DVDs, and provides the highest quality au-
To set the resolution of the bounced file:
dio fidelity with compatible audio interfaces (such
 Select a bit depth from the Bit Depth selector. as the HD I/O).
The following Bit Depth options are available: 176.4 kHz You may want to work at a sample rate
of 176.4 kHz if the final delivery will be at
16-Bit This is the Compact Disc standard bit reso-
44.1 kHz (such as compact disc). This will provide
lution.
a slightly faster sample rate conversion to
If your session is 16-bit, you should still use a 44.1 kHz than from 192 kHz.
dither plug-in on the output mix, because all
96 kHz This is a supported sample rate for DVD
Pro Tools systems process audio internally at
audio and provides high-quality audio fidelity with
higher bit depths.
compatible audio interfaces (such as the HD I/O
and 003).

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1265

 88.2 kHz You may want to work at a sample rate of
88.2 kHz if the final delivery will be at 44.1 kHz The Import After Bounce option is only avail-
(such as compact disc). This will provide a slightly able if the target sample rate for the bounce
faster sample rate conversion to 44.1 kHz than is the same as the sample rate of the current
from 96 kHz. session, and the target resolution (bit rate) is
the same or lower than the resolution of the
48 kHz This is a standard sample rate for Profes- session.
sional and DVD video, as well as some broadcast
and recording label archiving, and is supported by Location
DA-88/98, DAT, and ADAT decks.
Session Folder Enable this option to bounce files
44.1 kHz This is the standard sample rate for com- to a location within the Session folder. By default a
pact discs (CD), and is supported by DA-88/98, Bounced Files folder is used, but you can change
DAT, and ADAT decks. the by typing a new name. If there is no folder with
that name, it will be created. If it already exists, it
Additional sample rate options include 8 kHz,
will be used. For example, if you type “Audio
11.025 kHz, 16 kHz, 22.050 kHz, and 32 kHz.
Files”, the session Audio Files folder is used. For
Custom For a custom sample rate, click in the Projects, since they do not have a session folder,
sample rate window and manually enter in a value the Documents/Pro Tools/Bounced Files folder is
from 4,000 to 200,200 samples. used instead.

Pull Up and Pull Down Rates All available sam- You can also create sub-folders for bounced files
ple rates support pull up and pull down rates, or by typing a <folder name>/<sub-folder name>
other specialized rates. (Mac) or <folder name>\

M4A is limited to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. <sub-folder name> (Windows). For example, type
“Mixes/MP3s” (Mac) or “Mixes\MP3s” (Win-
Pad to Frame Boundary dows).

Enable this option in the Bounce Mix dialog to cre- These folder names are saved and recalled with
ate a bounced file that pads to a frame boundary by presets. This way you can save presets with folder
rounding up to the nearest frame location on either locations that are always relative to your session
side of the bounce range to ensure placement accu- location.
racy in a Non-Linear Editor, such as Avid Media
Prompt for Location Enable this option to be
Composer.
prompted for the location where you want to save
the bounced file after you click Bounce.
Import After Bounce
Directory Enable this option to save the bounced
The Import After Bounce option automatically im- file to the default directory location. Click the
ports newly bounced files into the Clips List so you Choose button to specify a different directory for
can place them in tracks. If your newly bounced bounced files than the default location. This is use-
files are split stereo files (Multiple Mono), they are ful if there is a static location where you want the
listed together in the Clips List. bounced file to be written. You can save multiple
static locations and recall them with presets.

1266 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Offline Bounce Speed of Offline Bounce

Pro Tools provides an Offline option for Bounce The speed of offline bounce can be affected by the
Mix. This lets you bounce faster-than-real-time in following:
most cases (depending on the session mixer size • CPU Usage—The speed of your CPU and how
and DSP plug-in complement). much CPU is in use by the system and other ap-
plications. You can monitor CPU usage in the
To bounce audio to disk offline:
System Usage window.
1 Make a Timeline selection to define the range to
• Disk Usage—For example, if the Disk meter in
be bounced.
the System Usage window reads 50% when you
2 Choose File > Bounce Mix. are playing back the session, offline bounce will
max out at two times the speed of real-time sim-
3 In the Bounce dialog, enable the Offline option.
ply because it is physically impossible to read
4 Configure the Bounce options as desired. the disk data from the drive fast enough. If you
can increase the Disk Playback Cache Size
5 Click Bounce.
(Setup > Playback Engine) to cache all audio on
the timeline, this should not be an issue
Limitations of Offline Bounce
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio only).
When using the Offline Bounce option, the follow- • If there is an unbalanced use of your computer’s
ing are not included in the bounce: core processors due to large mixers and Native
• Hardware Inserts plug-in usage, you can check to see if the indi-
• External MIDI driven audio (such as outboard vidual core CPU meters are unbalanced in the
MIDI synthesizers or samplers). CPU section of the System Usage window. Re-
moving or making Native plug-ins inactive on
• External audio sources monitored by Auxiliary Auxiliary Input and Master Fader tracks may
Input tracks. help alleviate this problem.
• DSP only plug-ins (Offline Bounce always uses • Some third-party plug-ins may slow down off-
the Native version of DSP plug-ins, but only if line bounce due to their CPU requirements.
they are available).
• Any audio source that is synchronized exter- Note that for some sessions that use very
nally. large mixer configurations with lots of DSP-
based plug-ins and automation, it is possible
Any HEAT processing in the bounce path is that Offline Bounce may actually be slower
included with offline bounce. than bouncing in real time.

Cancel
The Cancel button closes the Bounce Mix dialog
without initiating the Bounce Mix conversion.

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1267

 Bounce 6 Verify the sample rate for the bounced file is
supported by the session and the audio inter-
The Bounce button initiates the Bounce Mix con-
face.
version. A Save dialog opens in which you can
navigate to and select where you want to save the 7 If required, verify the file type and format for
bounced file. Once you have selected the location the bounced file matches the file type and for-
and clicked Save, a progress window opens and mat of the session.
progressively shows you how much time remains
8 Click Bounce.
for the bounce to complete.
To bring bounced files back into tracks, do one of
the following:
Recording a Submix (with  Enable the Import after Bounce option prior to
Bounce Mix) bouncing to disk. Once bounced files are im-
You can create a submix with the Bounce Mix com- ported to the Clips List, you can drag and drop
mand by muting tracks or bypassing inserts that them to tracks.
are not part of the submix, and selecting the part of  Import the bounced file(s) into the session using
the session you want to bounce; or, you could solo the Import Audio command (File > Import > Au-
only the audio you want to bounce. dio).

You can also create a submix by recording to new  Drag and drop the bounced files from a Work-
tracks. For details, see “Sample Rate Conversion space browser or the desktop.
and Bit Depth Reduction” on page 1256.

To bounce a submix to disk:

Final Mixdown (with Bounce
1 Configure your submix using sends, Auxiliary Mix)
Inputs, and Master Faders. (See “Signal Rout-
ing for Monitoring and Submixing” on In final mixdown, you create a mix that includes all
page 1134.) your edits, automation, and effects processing.

2 Do one of the following: To bounce a final mix to disk:

• To bounce the entire session, click Return to 1 Adjust track output levels, and finalize any mix
Zero in the Transport window to go to the be- automation for each track in the session.
ginning of the session.
2 Adjust any real-time plug-in and effects settings
• To bounce a portion of the session, enable and automation for each track in the session.
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection,
and make a selection in the Edit window. 3 Make sure that all of the tracks you want to in-
clude in the bounce are audible (not muted or
3 Choose File > Bounce Mix. inactive).
4 Configure bounce options and settings. 4 Assign the output of each of the tracks you want
5 Verify the bit resolution for the bounced file to include in your bounce to the same output or
matches the bit resolution of the session. bus path.
5 Add dither (see “Using Dither” on page 1255).

1268 Pro Tools Reference Guide

6 Do one of the following: Mastering and Audio
• To bounce the entire session, click Return to Compression
Zero in the Transport to go to the beginning Although audio compression is often an indispens-
of the session. able tool in analog recording, it can present prob-
lems in the digital domain. If you compress an in-
By default, the bounce will end at the last audio
put signal at a very high ratio, you create a signal
waveform or MIDI note. To end the bounce
that contains a much higher overall power level
sooner, make an Edit or Timeline selection to
compared to its transients. By recording a number
define the end (and start) of the bounce.
of such signals at the highest possible level on mul-
• To bounce a portion of the session, enable tiple tracks, you create a scenario that is more
Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection, likely to clip the mixed output signal.
and make a selection in the Edit window.
High-power compressed signals, when mixed to-
7 Choose File > Bounce Mix. gether, create an extremely high-level output. This
output may rise above the full-code level, resulting
8 Choose the source path you want to bounce.
in clipping.
9 Configure other Bounce Mix settings as appro-
To avoid this problem, watch the overall level of
priate. See “Bounce Options” on page 1259.
your program material—use a meter on a Master
10 Click Bounce. Fader, or use an external mastering deck’s meters
to help identify clipping. If you are mastering to
hard disk, avoid mixing full-code audio signals to-
Mastering gether at unity or “0” level, as this invariably
causes clipping.
In the final mastering process, you might record di-
rectly to disk, Blue-ray, DAT, DVD, CD, stereo
mastering recorder, or a multitrack recorder (for Mastering and Error-Correcting
surround mixes).
Media
Random access media (such as hard disks, or USB
Once you have created a master of your session,
or flash drives) can produce a true digital copy of
you can transfer it to a portable medium for dupli-
your data, because every bit value is maintained.
cation. You can transfer the master file to CD or
Sequential media (such as digital tape) use error
DAT to be used as a master for pressing compact
correction schemes to fix the occasional bad data
discs.
that is received in a digital transfer. These correc-
tions are deviations from the actual data, and with
Mastering to a Digital Recorder successive reproductions, represent a subtle form
of generation loss.
Although it is usually best to master sessions di-
rectly to hard disk, Pro Tools also lets you master You can avoid this loss by creating and maintain-
digitally, direct to any AES/EBU-equipped or ing masters on random-access digital media (such
S/PDIF-equipped digital recorder such as a DAT as a hard drive) and transferring them to sequential
deck. digital media only as needed.

Chapter 54: Mixdown 1269

1270 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Part X: Surround
Chapter 55: Pro Tools Setup for Surround

Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software both let Immersive Surround Formats
you work with surround formats up to 7.1, and up
following immersive surround formats are sup-
to 7.1.2 with Dolby Atmos®.
ported: 5.0.2, 5.1.2, 5.0.4, 5.1.4, 7.0.4, 7.1.4, 7.0.6,
7.1.6, 9.0.4 (Pro Tools Ultimate only), 9.1.4
(Pro Tools Ultimate only), 9.0.6 (Pro Tools Ulti-
Surround Mixing in Pro Tools mate only), and 9.1.6 (Pro Tools Ultimate only).
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
These track formats are included with a few partic-
Pro Tools supports mixing in the following multi- ular use cases in mind:
channel (greater than stereo) formats: LCR, Quad,
• Monitoring returns from the Dolby Atmos Ren-
LCRS, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0, 7.0 SDDS (Sony Dy-
derer, such as live re-renders, and imported of-
namic Digital Sound), 7.1, and 7.1 SDDS.
fline re-renders.
For information on fundamental surround • Plug-in processing that would like to take full
concepts, see the Pro Tools Sync & Surround advantage of the 3D space, such as reverbs and
Concepts Guide. delays.
• Mixing in other immersive formats, such as
Dolby Atmos Surround Formats MPEG-H.
With Dolby Atmos, Pro Tools supports 7.0.2 and
7.1.2 formats.

Chapter 55: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1273

 To connect your audio interfaces for 5.1 format
Pro Tools Audio Connections mixing and monitoring:
for 5.1 Mixing 1 Determine the 5.1 format and track layout you
While all 5.1 mixing formats provide the same want to use.
speaker arrangement, there are three primary stan- 2 Connect the output channels of your audio in-
dards in use for the track layout of the individual terface to the corresponding input channels of
channels that comprise the 5.1-format multichan- your monitoring system according to the assign-
nel mix. ments listed in the tables above.
In the following table, it is assumed that surround If you use a control surface, see its guide for
channels are assigned to outputs 1–6 of a Pro Tools more information.
audio interface. Use channels 7–8 to monitor a ste-
reo mix for a stereo version, or for cue mixes and
monitoring.
7.1 and 7.0 Formats
Track Layouts for 5.1 Formats
Formats Track Layout 7.1 and 7.0 Format
1 2 3 4 5 6
HD-DVD and Blu-Ray systems use the following
Film L C R Ls Rs LFE track layout for 7.1 and 7.0 surround formats:
(Pro Tools
default) 3 front channels Left (L), Center (C), Right (R)
SMPTE/ITU L R C LFE Ls Rs
2 side channels Left Surround Side (Lss) and
for Dolby
Digital (AC3)
Right Surround Side (Rss)

DTS L R Ls Rs C LFE 2 rear channels Left Surround Rear (Lsr) and

Right Surround Rear (Rsr)
C|24 L C R Ls Rs Lf
1 LFE channel (7.1 only) Low Frequency Effects
The following table shows the X-MON mono track
routing for a 7.1 SDDS mix. A 5.1 mix should use The following table shows the default mono track
the same routing, excluding outputs 2 and 4 (Lc routing for a 7.1 mix in Pro Tools.
and Rc). Default Track Layout for 7.1 Format
Default Track Layout for 7.1 SDDS Format Track Layout
Formats Track Layout 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 L C R Lss Rss Lsr Rsr LFE
X-MON L Lc C Rc R Ls Rs LFE

1274 Pro Tools Reference Guide

7.1 and 7.0 SDDS Formats 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 Track Layouts
The Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) 7.1 and 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 formats are nine- and ten-channel sur-
7.0 surround formats use the following track lay- round formats, respectively. The mono channels of
out: these two surround formats always appear using the
following track layouts (top to bottom in a track and
5 front channels Left (L), Left Center (Lc), Center left to right in meters): L C R Lss Rss Lsr Rsr LFE
(C), Right Center (Rc), Right (R) Lts Rts.

2 rear channels Left Surround Rear (Ls) and Right 3 front channels Left (L), Center (C), Right (R)
Surround Rear (Rs)
2 side channels Left Surround Side (Lss) and
1 LFE channel (7.1.2 only) Low Frequency Ef- Right Surround Side (Rss)
fects
2 rear channels Left Surround Rear (Lsr) and
The following table shows default mono track Right Surround Rear (Rsr)
routing for a 7.1 SDDS mix in Pro Tools.
1 LFE channel (7.1.2 only) Low Frequency Ef-
Default Track Layout for 7.1 SDDS Format fects
Track Layout
2 overhead channels Left Top Surround (Lts) and
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Right Top Surround (Rts)
L Lc C Rc R Ls Rs LFE
7.0.2 and 7.1.2 Path Orders
7.1.2 and 7.0.2 Formats Set the Default Path Order for new paths in the Out
put page of the I/O Setup. Changing the Path Order
(Dolby Atmos) does not affect the track layout order or metering, but
it does change the channel order of the output path to
Pro Tools lets you create 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 surround
the assigned physical outputs on the audio interface.
format input, output, insert, and bus paths in the I/O
Setup for mixing to Dolby Atmos. Pro Tools can 7.0.2 L C R Lss Rss Lsr Rsr – Lts Rts (Film)
likewise create tracks with 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 channel
widths. 7.0.2 L R C – Lss Rss Lsr Rsr Lts Rts (SMPTE)

For more information, see Chapter 58, 7.1.2 L C R Lss Rss Lsr Rsr LFE Lts Rts (Film)
“Mixing to Dolby Atmos.”
7.1.2 L R C LFE Lss Rss Lsr Rsr Lts Rts (SMPTE)

Chapter 55: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1275

 5.0.2 to 9.1.6 Surround Configuring Pro Tools for
Formats in Pro Tools Multichannel Sessions
Pro Tools lets you create 5.0.2 to 9.1.6 surround Configuring Pro Tools and sessions for multichan-
format input, output, insert, and bus paths in the nel mixing can be done in any (or all) of the fol-
I/O Setup. Pro Tools can likewise create tracks lowing ways:
with 5.0.2 to 9.1.6 channel widths.
New Sessions
Once the paths have been created, they are avail-
able in any path input or output selector, such as You can create a new session and choose a sur-
track input and output assignments, sends, and so round mix I/O Settings file as the default
on. I/O Setup. See “New Sessions and I/O Settings” on
page 1277.
5.0.2 to 9.1.6 paths can also be used for internal
busses, monitoring, auditioning, and output meter- Remixing Sessions in Surround (Importing
ing. Multichannel I/O Setups)

5.0.2 to 9.1.6 formats work in Pro Tools just like By creating or importing a surround mix I/O Set-
any other multichannel surround format, but with tings file in the I/O Setup dialog, multichannel
the addition of two overhead channels. Because of paths can be made available in any stereo (or other
the overhead channels, additional automatable format) session. You can then reassign track rout-
panning controls are provided (see “5.0.2 to 9.1.6, ing from the original stereo paths to multichannel
and Object Panner” on page 1326). paths. Inactive and active paths simplify reassign-
ment. See “Importing Multichannel I/O Setups” on
page 1278.
Ambisonics Formats Custom Multichannel Paths
Pro Tools lets you create 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-Order
You can customize and redefine existing paths in
Ambisonics channel format (4-, 9-, and 16-channel
formats respectively) input, output, insert, and bus the I/O Setup dialog. For more information, see
paths in the I/O Setup for Ambisonics mixing work- “Custom Multichannel Paths” on page 1279.
flows. Pro Tools can likewise create tracks with 1st-,
2nd-, and 3rd-Order Ambisonics channel widths. Importing Session Data

For more information, see Chapter 59, By using the Import Session Data command (File >
Import > Session Data), you can import tracks and
“Ambisonics.”
media from other sessions plus their associated
paths and track assignments. After importing ses-
sion data, you can use the I/O Setup dialog to con-
figure main and sub-paths for the requirements of
the session. For more information, see Chapter 6,
“I/O Setup.”

1276 Pro Tools Reference Guide

New Sessions and I/O Settings 4 From the I/O Settings menu, select one of the
following options:
When you create a new session, you can specify a
surround format that you want to use as your • 5.1 Film Mix
I/O Setup. Default path configurations are • SMPTE/ITU
provided as I/O Settings files, for stereo and • DTS Monitoring
surround mixing.
• C24 Mix
To see multichannel options in Pro Tools, the • ICON X-MON Mix
Surround Mixer plug-in must be installed in
5 Click OK.
the Plug-Ins folder. This plug-in can be in-
stalled with Pro Tools (see the User Guide 6 In the Save dialog, name the session, navigate to
for your Pro Tools system). If it is not in- the location where you want to save the new
stalled, you can move it from the Plug-Ins session, and click Save.
(Unused) folder to the Plug-Ins folder.
The surround presets preconfigure the I/O Setup
Once you create the new session, you can create dialog for the new session with default 5.1 format
and import tracks, import audio, and assign signal main and sub-paths for outputs and busses.
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 Standard 5.1 format (film) output paths
Bit Depth.
Surround Mix Settings Files
The surround mix I/O Settings provide output and
bus paths for six specific track layout standards in
the new session. (For information on inputs and in-
sert paths, see “Default Input and Insert Paths with
5.1 Settings” on page 1278.)
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

New Session dialog, 5.1 Film Mix I/O setting selected
DTS Mix L R Ls Rs C LFE

C24 Mix L C R Ls Rs Lf

ICON X-MON Mix L Lc C Rc R Ls Rs LFE

Chapter 55: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1277

 All available 5.1 format (and greater) I/O Settings Importing Multichannel
(Film, SMPTE/ITU, DTS, C24 Mix, or ICON X- I/O Setups
MON Mix) provide the following default output
The I/O Setup dialog can import and export set-
and bus paths for the new session:
tings files. This is useful when you want to remix a
Default 5.1 Output Paths stereo session in surround. You can also use this
feature to prepare a session for transfer to a differ-
• One 5.1 main output path.
ent Pro Tools system, or to save and exchange
• One stereo main path. 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.
I/O Setup, Output page, default 5.1 (Film) Output
assignments
4 Select the settings file (.pio) to import and click
Open.
Default 5.1 Bus Paths
5 If the current session has path definitions that do
• One 5.1 main output bus path, with sub-paths for
not match those in the imported settings file,
5.0 (no LFE), left/right (stereo), LCR, and center
Pro Tools asks whether you want to delete the
(mono).
existing paths or retain them and add the im-
• One stereo main output bus path with two mono ported settings to your session.
sub-paths. • 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 output
bus mappings for the imported I/O Settings file,
click the Default button (for All Busses or for
Output Busses).

I/O Setup, Bus page, default 5.1 (Film) Output Bus 8 Click OK to close the I/O Setup.
assignments

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 in-
serts. If you need multichannel input paths or in-
serts, you can create them in the I/O Setup (see
“Custom Multichannel Paths” on page 1279).

1278 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Exporting I/O Settings Reassigning Channels
Exporting I/O Setup settings files lets you build a The I/O Setup dialog and its Channel Grid also let
library of multichannel setups for different proj- you reassign channels. This is especially useful for
ects. routing channels within a multichannel path, with-
out having to repatch your audio interfaces.
To export an I/O Setup settings file:
You can reassign paths to any required configura-
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
tion, limited only by your systems resources, and
2 Click Export Settings. the I/O Setup dialog requirements for channel
overlapping and naming (see “Valid Paths and Re-
3 Name and Save your current I/O Settings.
quirements” on page 81 for more information).

Custom Multichannel Paths See also “Example Paths and Signal Routing
for a Surround Mix” on page 1291.
The I/O Setup dialog lets you create and customize
signal paths for any supported multichannel mix-
Example LCRS Setup
ing format.
The following example shows one possible way to
Multichannel paths and sub-paths are assigned to configure the I/O Setup dialog to mix in 4-channel
input and output channels in the Channel Grid. LCRS format, with an HD OMNI.
When you select a preset 5.1 I/O Settings file, de-
fault layout for the corresponding multichannel For additional I/O Setup information, see
format paths you create will match the selected for- “Output Busses” on page 82.
mat’s track layout.
To define an LCRS path:
In addition, the I/O Setup dialog, like the Main
1 Choose Setup > I/O, and click the Output tab.
page of the Hardware Setup dialog, provides con-
trols for routing the physical inputs and outputs on 2 Click New Path.
your audio interface to available inputs and outputs
3 Select LCRS from the Path Format selector.
in Pro Tools.
4 Name the path LCRS.
When creating 5.1 format paths, you can
specify the default track layout. See “Path 5 In the Channel Grid, click in the box below the
Order” on page 67. first (left-most) audio interface channel for the
path. Pro Tools automatically fills up the adja-
cent 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.

Chapter 55: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1279

 5.1 Tracks, Formats,
Assignments, and Metering
Path definitions in I/O Setup determine how audio
is routed through, and metered on, your audio in-
terfaces.

Pro Tools internal (on-screen) metering of 5.1 for-

Output page, LCRS output path
mat paths always follows the Film track layout:
6 Click the Bus tab. L C R Ls Rs LFE
7 If the Bus page does not show the correct output Pro Tools track layout of 5.1 format audio tracks in
bus mappings for the LCRS output, click the the Edit window also conforms to the Film layout
Default button (for All Busses or for Output
(arranged top to bottom). See “5.1 Track Layouts,
Busses).
Routing, and Metering” on page 1282.
8 Select the new LCRS path and click the Reveal
In the I/O Setup dialog, you can route these signals
Sub-paths triangle.
out of your audio interfaces according to any track
9 If not all of the sub-paths are present, do the fol- layout (such as DTS or SMPTE/ITU).
lowing:
To re-assign channels in a path:
• Click New Sub-Path.
• Name the new sub-path LCR and select LCR  Drag a channel to a new valid location in the
as the Path format. Click in channel 1 in the Grid. Other channel assignments will move
LCR row to assign the bus path. (shuffle) to accommodate dragged channels.
• Select the LCRS path, click New Sub-Path,
and create a stereo sub-path for front Left and
front Right. Default I/O Selectors in I/O
• Select the LCRS path, click New Sub-Path,
Setup
and create a mono sub-path for the Center The Output page of the I/O Setup dialog provides
channel. selectors for setting I/O defaults in your multichan-
• Select the LCRS path, click New Sub-Path, nel sessions.
and create a mono sub-path for the Surround
channel.

Default 5.1 Path Order I/O Setup Options

Bus page, LCRS output bus with sub-paths
Default selectors in the I/O Setup dialog
10 Click OK to close the I/O Setup.

1280 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Default Format Sets the default format for new
Output paths and for when you click the Default
button.

Path Order Selects the default track layout (or,

path order) for new Output paths.

Monitor Path Selects the monitor path for the main

mix output of your Pro Tools sessions.

Audition Path Selects the monitoring path for pre-

viewing audio in the Clips List, Import Audio dia-
logs, and a Workspace browser. Only outputs on
your primary interface can be used as your Audi-
tion path.

Object Fold Down Path Selects the Output path

for monitoring Object audio when not connected to
a Dolby Atmos Renderer.

Output Meter Path Selects the path that will be

shown in the control surface output meters as well
as in the Transport Output meters. See “5.1 Tracks,
Formats, Assignments, and Metering” on
page 1280 for more information.

Default Output Bus Selects the default output bus

path for all new tracks, for each supported track
format.

The New Track Default Output can be set to

bus paths, as well as output paths.

AFL/PFL Path (HDX or HD Native Systems Only)

Selects where tracks are routed to when they are

soloed in AFL (After Fader Listen) or PFL (Pre
Fader Listen) Solo mode.

Chapter 55: Pro Tools Setup for Surround 1281

 5.1 Track Layouts, Routing, and Metering

5.1 Format Tracks Track Meters Channel Assignments in I/O Setup

Film
(Pro Tools Standard,
and C|24 Mix)
L C R Ls Rs LFE
L C R Ls Rs LFE
L C R Ls Rs LFE

same same
SMPTE/ITU
L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE
(Control|24 Mix) (top to bottom)
L R C LFE Ls Rs (left to right)
L R C LFE Ls Rs

DTS
same same
L R Ls Rs C LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE

L R Ls Rs C LFE

same same
ICON X-MON L C R Ls Rs LFE L C R Ls Rs LFE
(8-channel 7.1) (top to bottom) (left to right)
L x C x R Ls Rs LFE
L x C x R Ls Rs LFE

Track layout of different 5.1 formats

1282 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and
Signal Routing

Surround sessions typically include a combination Multichannel audio tracks can be:
of mono, stereo, and multichannel audio, Auxiliary • Recorded directly into Pro Tools, using multiple
Input, Routing Folder, Master Fader, and Instru- microphones or microphone arrays, or routed to
ment tracks, and inserts and busses. appropriate multichannel Pro Tools Input paths
Multichannel surround mixing is supported • Imported from other Pro Tools sessions
with Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software • Edited, processed, and mixed in combination
only. with mono and stereo tracks
Once the appropriate I/O Setup has been imported
or configured, audio, Auxiliary Input, Routing
Folder, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can be
mixed in multichannel for surround using
Pro Tools mixing features.
5.1 format multichannel audio track
Multichannel I/O and signal routing is determined
by the paths defined in the I/O Setup dialog. 5.1 format audio files and tracks conform to the
Film track layout standard. Regardless of path as-
signments in the I/O Setup dialog, all 5.1 format
Multichannel Audio Tracks audio tracks and meters follow the Film standard
track layout:
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
L C R Ls Rs LFE
Multichannel audio tracks contain an individual
channel for each signal in the track (for example, a Multichannel audio tracks are not required to mix
5.1 track would have six channels for left, center, in multichannel formats. Mono, stereo, and all sup-
right, left surround, right surround, and LFE). ported track formats can be mixed using Pro Tools
track outputs and sends (see “Multichannel Signal
Routing” on page 1286).

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1283

 Placing Audio in Multichannel Solo, Mute, and Gain in
Tracks Multichannel Tracks and Paths
You can drag audio files and clips from Workspace Stereo and multichannel tracks consist of multiple
browsers, the Clips List, Windows Explorer, or audio signals, linked together. By default, multi-
Mac Finder, or from other tracks, to place them in channel tracks are linked and are controlled by a
multichannel audio tracks. single channel fader, and solo and mute switches.

To do so, the number of channels being dragged For discrete control of signals, multichannel tracks
must match the destination track format. For ex- can be converted into individual mono tracks. For
ample, you can only drag a stereo pair or two mono discrete level and phase adjustment, you can insert
clips onto a stereo audio track. Similarly, you can and unlink a multi-mono Trim plug-in. Both of
only place audio into an LCR track when you have these techniques are explained below.
selected three clips. With 5.1 tracks, you must se-
lect six mono files or clips. Once converted to mono, multichannel tracks
cannot be relinked into their original multi-
When dragged into a multichannel track, au- channel format. However, a multichannel
dio files are placed from top to bottom in the track can be reassembled by dragging the
exact order that they appear in the Clips List corresponding number of mono files (with the
or playlist from which they came (Top to Bot- appropriate file suffixes) into a multichannel
tom must be selected for in the Clips List track, although some automation data may
menu > Timeline Drop Order). For this rea- be lost. As an alternative, record the submix
son, you may want to rename audio files be- of the mono tracks to disk on a multichannel
fore dragging them, so that they are placed in track.
the preferred order. Rename them so that
sorting them By Clip Name in the Clips List To convert a multichannel track into discrete mono
tracks:
results in the preferred order. (For example,
with a 5.1-format track, you can rename the 1 Select the multichannel track.
audio tracks so that the arrangement of the 2 Choose Track > Split Into Mono.
tracks corresponds to L, C, R, Ls, Rs, and
LFE.) To have discrete control of gain on individual
channels of a multichannel track:

1 Insert a multi-mono Trim plug-in on the multi-

channel 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 controls
for a channel, and adjust the gain.

See “Linking and Unlinking Controls on

Multi-Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1288 for
more information.

1284 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Track and Output Formats tors in the I/O Setup. Note that it does not prevent
opening or displaying sessions with existing track
When you create new tracks, you specify mono,
or bus widths that would otherwise be hidden by
stereo, or a supported multichannel format for the
the current Channel Show/Hide settings.
new tracks.
To filter channel widths for new tracks, or for
In the Mix and Edit windows, the track format of a
default or new I/O Setup paths:
track’s output is always visible by the number of
track meters contained in its fader strip (for exam- 1 Do one of the following:
ple, a single meter for mono tracks, a pair of meters • In the New Tracks dialog, choose Show/Hide
for stereo tracks, and six meters for 5.1 tracks). in the New Track Format selector.
• In the New Paths dialog in the Input, Output,
Assigning track output determines the format of
Bus, or Insert page of the I/O Setup, choose
that output. For example, a mono track always has
Show/Hide in the New Paths Format selector.
a single track meter, even when assigned to a ste-
reo output path. If that same mono track is assigned • In the Default Format selector in the Input,
to a 5.1 output path, it's output will be split among Output, or Insert page of the I/O Setup,
those six output channels, depending on the posi- choose Show/Hide.
tion of its panner. 2 Configure the Channel Show/Hide dialog as de-
sired: select the formats you want shown and
Changing Format
deselect the formats you want hidden.
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 related
automation playlists to be created or deleted.

Because changing the output format has these ef-

fects, a warning dialog appears whenever you
change the output format of a track to a format of
fewer channels. Specifically, this will occur when-
ever automation playlists will have to be deleted.

Channel Width Filtering

(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Only)

Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software let you fil-

ter which multichannel formats appear in the Track
Format selector in the New Tracks dialog and also
Channel Show/Hide dialog
for the Default Path and New Paths Format selec-
3 Click OK.

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1285

 Multiple Output Assignments and Track
Format Multichannel Signal Routing
When a track is assigned to more than one path of To mix in a multichannel format, tracks are as-
differing formats, the main output for that track signed to multichannel paths.
will match the format of the assigned path with the
Tracks can be mixed in surround using the follow-
greatest number of channels.
ing two methods:
Multiple Outputs and Automation Playlists • By setting a track main output to a multichannel
path.
When a track has multiple output assignments,
Pro Tools sorts panning data appropriately for • By assigning a multichannel send to route audio
each assigned path. For example, if you assign a to a multichannel path.
mono track to a stereo path and a 5.1 path simulta-
neously, that track will have a 5.1 panner in the
Mix or Edit window. When you pan the track, Multichannel send

Pro Tools interprets the 5.1 panning moves into

stereo panning moves. Multichannel output
path
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.

Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-

Start-click (Windows) any control in an Out-
put window to show its automation playlist
in the Edit window and view any pan auto-
mation.

Two different ways to configure tracks for multichannel

mixing

1286 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Multichannel Track Outputs Pro Tools bussing and submixing features are
available for all channel formats, from mono/ste-
Tracks can be routed to multichannel output or bus
reo through 8-channel. For examples of multichan-
paths using the track’s Output Path selector. This
nel monitoring, effects processing, and bussing,
provides a multichannel panner and meter in the
see “Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths” on
Mix and Edit window I/O View.
page 1289. For mono and stereo mix examples, see
Additional output assignments can be added by Chapter 50, “Basic Mixing.”
Control-clicking (Mac) or Start-clicking (Win-
dows) the Selector tool and assigning another path. Multichannel Auxiliary Inputs
and Master Faders
Multichannel Sends A multichannel Auxiliary Input or Master Fader is
All track formats, including mono and stereo, let used as a return for the multichannel bus. Sends are
you assign one or more multichannel sends. This useful when you need to create an additional, inde-
provides a multichannel panner in the Sends View. pendent mix simultaneously (perhaps of a distinct
Sends are also useful to bus tracks for multichan- format), requiring dedicated fader, mute, solo, and
nel plug-in processing. The following figure shows automation controls.
a mono audio track with a 5.1 (6-channel) send You can assign Master Faders to main and sub-
(View > Sends A–E > Send A). 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
Multichannel send panner sub-path. A Master Fader cannot be assigned to a
sub-path if its associated main path is already as-
signed on another Master Fader. See “Master
Fader Tracks and Signal Flow” on page 1104.

Mono output format Multichannel Instrument Tracks

Multichannel tracks can be used to monitor and
route multichannel instrument plug-ins or multi-
channel external MIDI instruments.

Mono meter

A mono audio track with a mono output format and a

multichannel send

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1287

 Mono, Multi-Mono and Linking and Unlinking Controls
Multichannel Plug-Ins on Multi-Mono Plug-Ins
Plug-Ins can be used in mono, multi-mono, or mul- When a multi-mono plug-in is used on a multi-
tichannel formats. channel track of more than two channels, the con-
trols are normally linked. Adjusting the Gain con-
For information about mono, stereo, and mono- trol on one channel, for example, will adjust it for
in/stereo-out plug-ins, see Chapter 51, “Plug-In all channels.
and Hardware Inserts.”
If necessary, you can unlink plug-in controls on
Multi-Mono Plug-Ins Are designed for use on ste-
specific channels of a track and edit them inde-
reo or greater-than-stereo multichannel tracks. pendently. You can also selectively link the con-
Multi-mono plug-ins are useful, or required, in the trols of specific channels.
following situations:
• When a plug-in does not involve multichannel For example, to apply equal filter cutoffs to the Ls
correlated processing (for example, when apply- and Rs (surround) channels in a 5.1 mix, you could
ing EQ to select sides of a multichannel signal) link enable just those channels in an unlinked,
multi-mono EQ plug-in. Adjusting the controls in
• When you need to adjust signals within the mul- the plug-in window for either channel (Ls or Rs)
tichannel track independently adjusts the other, linked channel as well.
• When a plug-in does not support multichannel
formats Master Link button

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 Controls on Multi-
Mono Plug-Ins” on page 1288 for more informa-
Channel selector
tion.
Link Enable buttons

Multi-mono plugs-ins can also be inserted on ste- Channel selector and Link controls
reo tracks, to apply unlinked plug-ins on the left
and right channels. Channel Selector Accesses a specific channel
within a multichannel track for plug-in parameter
Multichannel Plug-Ins Are designed for use on editing. This menu appears only on multi-mono
stereo and multichannel tracks that require cor- plug-ins inserted on tracks with more than two
related processing, including stereo and multi- channels.
channel limiting, compression, and similar effects.
Master Link Button When enabled, links the con-
trols on all channels of a multi-mono plug-in so
that they can be adjusted in tandem.

1288 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Link Enable Buttons Let you selectively link the
controls of specific channels of a multi-mono plug- Paths in Surround Mixes
in. Each square represents a speaker channel. The Because Pro Tools provides a flexible routing and
Master Link button must be disabled to use the submixing environment, you can maximize your
Link Enable buttons. system’s available resources by first identifying
the elements that you want to pan dynamically and
To unlink controls on a multi-mono plug-in:
those that can be placed in certain channels only
 Deselect the Master Link button. It is lit when (see “Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths” on
linked, unlit when unlinked. page 1289).

To access controls for a specific channel: Once you have identified these elements in your
session, you can use a combination of main and
 Select the channel from the Channel selector.
sub-path assignments, and multichannel panning.
To open a plug-in window for all channels of a
multi-mono plug-in: Mixing with Paths and Sub-Paths
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the It is rare that every track needs to be “flown” (ac-
Channel selector. tively panned in between more than a pair of
speakers). In most situations, certain elements are
To link the controls of specific channels:
placed in certain speakers and remain there, pro-
1 Deselect the Master Link button if it is not al- viding the foundation for a mix.
ready deselected.
The following figure illustrates an example of how
2 Click the Link Enable buttons for the channels panning and signal routing can be combined in a
whose controls you want to link. multichannel mix.

See “Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions

to Surround Mixing” on page 1292 for re-
lated information.

When to Use 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 active
panning in the sound field.

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1289

 When to Use Sub-Paths

 To help simplify large sessions, use sub-paths to route static (or, stationary) elements directly to the out-
put channel or channels.

For example, film dialog is often mixed to the center channel to anchor this essential sound element 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.

Tracks routed to subpaths Tracks routed to main Auxiliary Input

5.1 surround path routed to 5.0
sub-path

Effect
bus routing

Outputs to
sub-paths

Outputs to main 5.1 path for surround panning

Using signal routing and sub-paths to mix in surround

1290 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Extending Stereo Mixing Example Output Paths
Conventions to Surround Mixing
The following figure shows output paths defined in
Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and the I/O Setup dialog of an example session that
static panning, and surround mixing can benefit was created on a HDX system with an HD OMNI
from the same basic principles. audio interface.

Panning a sound back-and-forth between the left

and right speakers is best used as a special effect.
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 spe- I/O Setup, example output paths
cial effects, some tracks can be panned dynami-
cally, bouncing between speakers or sweeping Example Bus Paths
from one side to the other.
The following figure shows example bus paths.

An LCR format path (“Dialog”), a stereo format

Example Paths and Signal path (“Music”) and a 5.1 format path (“FX”) have
Routing for a Surround Mix been defined, each with several of their own sub-
Signal routing is the key element in any Pro Tools paths.
surround session. Signal routing is configured and
defined in the I/O Setup dialog.

The examples that follow show how Auxiliary In-

puts, Master Faders, and other Pro Tools signal
routing features can be used for stem mixes, sub- I/O Setup, example bus paths
mixes, 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 mas-
tered to 8-track MDM.

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1291

 Example Sub-Paths Signal Routing Examples
Sub-paths let you route to selective channels The following examples show how main and sub-
within the multichannel surround output. In the paths can be used, using an example session con-
following figure, the Surround bus has several sub- sisting of a 5.1 main mix, with music and effects
paths that show this. stems (or submixes).

Submix Stem Examples

The following figure shows a routing configura-

tion 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
I/O Setup, example sub-paths mono, one stereo) are assigned to multichannel
busses for surround panning. A 5.1 Auxiliary Input
LCR Sub-Path The forward 3-channel sub-path.
assigned to the FX main bus path serves as a sub-
Use this type of sub-path routing to mix dialog, or
mixer.
other forward-facing sound effects.

Stereo Sub-Path The forward stereo sub-path. Use Extending Stereo Mixing Conventions to
this type of sub-path routing to mix music stems Surround Mixing
and effects to the front left and right speakers. Stereo mixing sets the precedent for active and
Center Sub-Path The front center-channel sub- static panning, and surround mixing can benefit
path provides a discrete mono path for the center from the same basic principles.
channel. Panning a sound back-and-forth between the left
Ls/Rs Sub-Path The surround, rear left and right and right speakers is best used as a special effect.
stereo sub-path. Use this type of sub-path to mix In a typical music mix, the basic tracks are placed
surround effects. in the stereo sound field and remain there.

LFE Path The LFE sub-path provides a discrete Surround mixes can become incoherent if too
mono path for the LFE channel. many elements are continuously moving, For spe-
cial effects, some tracks can be panned dynami-
5.0 Sub-Path The 5.0 path is a 5-channel sub-path. cally, bouncing between speakers or sweeping
Use this type of sub-path routing to conserve mix- from one side to the other.
ing resources with tracks you want to keep out of
the LFE channel.

1292 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The following figure shows a routing configuration for effects tracks.

FX stem

The following figure shows a routing configuration for music tracks.

Music stem

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1293

 Most of the music tracks in this example are routed Using the LFE fader, you can add any amount of
to the front left/right channels, using a stereo sub- any multichannel path to the overall LFE output. In
path. A 5.1 Auxiliary Input controls the bus and the above example, the track’s Center percentage
stem output. has been turned off, and the LFE fader has been
raised to route it to the LFE channel.
Multiple Output Assignments
The following figure shows how a “traditional”
Multiple output assignments make it possible to LFE track can be routed to only the LFE channel.
configure a number of multi-format mixes. For ex- This example uses a custom-defined LFE sub-path
ample, you can assign an additional stereo output to the FX main bus path.
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 1117.

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.
• Using a custom sub-path to route channels dis-
cretely.

The following figure shows a channel Output win-

dow, sending and metering the LFE channel.

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 325.

For instructions on creating a sub-path, see

“Custom Multichannel Paths” on page 1279.

LFE fader

1294 Pro Tools Reference Guide

LFE and Filtering
When opening a session that was created in
Pro Tools applies no filtering to LFE signals. Pro Tools 2021.10 that uses the Modern Fold
Some delivery requirements may require filtering Down coefficients in an earlier version of
for the LFE track. Pro Tools, a warning dialog appears inform-
ing you that the session was saved in a newer
version of Pro Tools and may contain critical
Flexible Track Routing data ignored by the currently installed ver-
sion. Any unsupported routing assignments
Pro Tools lets you route track outputs and sends to in the session will be dropped.
paths of any channel width. When routing a track
output or send with a wider channel width to a path
Fold Down and Fan Out
with a narrower channel width (such as from 5.1 to
Indicators
stereo), Pro Tools automatically downmixes
(“folds down”) to the narrower path. Similarly, When a track or send is folded down or fanned out
when routing a track output or send with a nar- by routing within the session, < (indicating fan out)
rower channel width to a path with a wider channel or > (indicating fold down) is displayed for fold
width (such as from 5.1 to 7.1), Pro Tools automat- down to the left of the assignment name. If it is
ically upmixes (“fans out”) to the wider path. Since folded or fanned at the bus to output level, the in-
Pro Tools can automatically fan out when routing dicator appears on the right side. Indicators are dis-
to wider channel widths, you may not need to use played on both sides if both internal routing and
subpaths with large multichannel surround post output routing assignments are made.
sessions.

Track inputs, object assignments, and hard-

ware inserts still require matching channel
widths.

This first time you make a mismatched rout-

Track output fold down indicator (internal bus)
ing assignment, Pro Tools presents a warn-
ing informing you that output or send will be
fanned or folded, and that the routing assign-
ment will be removed if the session is opened
in Pro Tools 2021.7 or earlier.

The Routing Coefficient settings in the Mixing

Preferences are used when folding down or fan-
ning out from track outputs and sends to paths of
different channel widths (see “Routing Coeffi-
cients” on page 132).

Chapter 56: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing 1295

1296 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing

Before you can pan a track in surround, it must be

assigned to an appropriate multichannel output or Introduction to Pro Tools
bus path. Surround Panning
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only)
See Chapter 55, “Pro Tools Setup for Sur-
round” for more information on multichannel There are four different track panning methods
configurations and I/O Setup options. For available:
multichannel signal routing, see Chapter 56, • In the Edit window, using the reduced-height
“Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing.” Panner Grid in the I/O View
• In the Mix window, using the reduced-height
Multichannel surround mixing is supported Panner Grid
with Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software • In the Output window, using the full-size
only. Panner Grid
The I/O Setup dialog defines the busing and output • Through pan automation editing
architecture of the Pro Tools multichannel sur-
Certain Pro Tools control surfaces provide addi-
round mixer. If you have not already done so, it is
tional panning options. See the documentation for
recommended that you become familiar with main
your control surface.
and sub-paths and the I/O Setup dialog before
starting multichannel Pro Tools projects.

Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing 1297

 Mix and Edit Window Panner Pan Location Cursor Color while Automating
Grids
The Pan Location cursor is green when the track is
In the Mix and Edit window, multichannel Panner in Automation Read mode, red in an Automation
Grids are displayed on tracks that have multichan- Touch, Latch, Touch/Latch, or Write modes, and
nel track or send output assignments. yellow in Automation Off (or Automation Sus-
pend) mode.
To pan from the Mix or Edit window:
In Trim mode, the Volume fader and LFE fader are
1 To pan in the Edit window, make sure I/O View
yellow.
is being shown (View > Edit Window > I/O). Pan-
ner Grids are always displayed in Mix window Output windows provide additional features and
tracks that support panning. controls (and a much larger Grid). For details, see
2 Begin playback. “Output Windows” on page 1298.

3 Drag in the appropriate multichannel track’s

Panner Grid in the Mix or Edit windows.
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 con-

trols, see “Standard Controls” on page 1299. For
information on Output window panning controls,
see “Surround Panner Controls” on page 1300.

Some of the features of Output windows include:

• X/Y (joystick-style) panning
• 3-Knob panning
• Full Divergence and Center Percentage control
• AutoGlide
• LFE feed
• Multichannel meters
• Pro Tools target window support
Drag to pan in the Track Grid
Multiple panners can be opened simultaneously, or
The Pan Location cursor follows your movements
a single window can display the current panner.
as long as you hold the mouse button. 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.

1298 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To open an Output window:
Standard Controls
 Click the Output Window button (the small
fader at the right edge of the Output selector for All Output windows provide standard Pro Tools
a track in the Mix or Edit window (I/O View). controls for routing, path assignment and other
track features. These controls are located at the top
of all Output, Send, Insert, and Plug-In windows
(see “Standard Selector Controls in Output Win-
dows” on page 1132).

Show meters
Track selector Path selector Target icon

Output selector Automation Safe

Panner Control section

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 controls. 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 1130.

Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing 1299

 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 displayed 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.

Click to show meters

Snap Pan to Speaker icons

LFE fader

Pan Location
cursor
Track Automation.
Solo, and Mute

X/Y Grid

Panning Mode button

Track fader and meter

Position
(knob panners)

Divergence

Center %

Output window with a 7.1 format multichannel panner

1300 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The X/Y Grid and Pan Location Front/Rear Linking Links (or unlinks) the Front
Cursor and Rear left/right positions controls (they are
linked by default). When linked, the F/R control
The X/Y Grid is where multichannel panning in-
pans the signal front to back always along the same
formation is input and displayed. You can input
left/right path. When unlinked, you can pan front
pan information using X/Y mode, 3-Knob mode,
to back diagonally according to independent Front
or by entering numeric values in the Position data
and Rear settings.
fields. You can also edit pan automation graphi-
cally in the Edit window.

Multichannel panners default to X/Y mode. In X/Y

mode, the track’s current pan position is repre-
sented by a green dot. This dot is the Pan Location
cursor, and its color indicates track automation sta-
tus using standard Pro Tools colors: Front and Rear positions linked (left) versus Front and
Rear positions unlinked (right)
Green The track is in automation Read mode.
Center % Control
Red The track is in automation Write, Touch,
Latch, or Touch/Latch mode. Center % controls how much of the signal is routed
to the center speaker. This lets you mix a track to
Yellow The track is in automation Off mode (or the front with a phantom center (0% Center value)
Automation Suspend) mode. or to three-channel (LCR) when panning front.

Panning Mode Button Divergence Controls

This button, located below the X/Y Grid, provides Divergence determines the width of the panned
access to Surround panning modes (see “Panning signal with respect to neighboring speakers. (For
Modes” on page 1302). more information, see the Pro Tools Sync & Sur-
round Concepts Guide). There are three Diver-
Position Controls gence controls:

The Position controls let you set the positions of Front, Rear, and F/R Divergence Provide sepa-
the panner. rate, automatable divergence control over front
speakers, rear speakers, and between front/rear,
Front Displays and controls the current front X- respectively.
axis (left/right) position of the panner.
For examples of how divergence settings
Rear Displays and controls the current rear X-axis
affect output panning, see “Divergence and
(left/right) position of the panner. In default X/Y Center Percentage” on page 1305.
Panning mode, Rear is linked to Front position and
cannot be controlled independently.

F/R (Front/Rear) Displays and controls the current

Y-axis position of the panner.

Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing 1301

 Snap Pan to Speaker Icons The Front/Rear Inverse pan control is unlinked by
default.
The Snap Pan to Speaker icons let you force the
panner to the speaker’s location. For example, Link
clicking on the upper left speaker moves the Pan Front Inverse

Location cursor to the upper left corner of the X/Y

Grid. Front/Rear Inverse

Rear Inverse
LFE Fader
Stereo multichannel panner controls showing default
The LFE fader is only available in “.1” surround linking
formats (5.1, 6.1, and 7.1).

The LFE fader determines how much of the current Panning Modes
track’s signal will be routed to the LFE channel.
The Panning Mode button provides access to four
LFE faders in Track and Send windows can follow
panning modes: X/Y mode, Divergence Editing,
groups. The Pro Tools LFE channel is always full-
3-Knob mode, and AutoGlide mode. Panning con-
bandwidth. For more information on how to use
trols can be automated in all four modes.
the LFE fader, see “LFE Faders in Multichannel
Panners” on page 1307. Pro Tools provides the following Panning Modes:

X/Y Mode Joystick-style panning by dragging the

Multichannel Panner Linking
Pan Location cursor within the X/Y Speaker Grid.
Stereo tracks with multichannel outputs provide See “X/Y Panning” on page 1303 for more infor-
left and right multichannel panners. The Output mation.
window provides controls to link the left and right
channels for precise panning. 3-Knob Mode Point-to-point panning, between
pairs of speakers. See “3-Knob Panning” on
When you create a stereo track that is routed to a page 1303 for more information.
multichannel output, the following pan linkage
Divergence Editing The divergence X/Y Grid can
controls are active by default:
be dragged to resize the divergence boundaries.
• Link (links Left and Right pan controls) See “Divergence Editing Mode” on page 1306.
• Front Inverse (inverts Left and Right pan control
AutoGlide Mode Point-to-point panning from the
linkage across front)
Pan Location cursor to a new destination over a
• Rear Inverse (inverts Left and Right pan control specified AutoGlide Time. See “AutoGlide Mode”
linkage across rear) on page 1304 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.

1302 Pro Tools Reference Guide

X/Y Panning Display Automation in Edit Window Control-
Command-Control-click (Mac) or Start-click
To pan in X/Y mode: (Windows) a control to display that control’s play-
1 Click on the Panning Mode button until the X/Y list in the Edit window.
mode icon is displayed.
All Pan controls can be automated, including
2 Drag the Pan Location cursor, or click any- pan position and divergence. See Chapter 53,
where in the Grid and drag to pan the track. The “Automation” for details.
location of the Pan Location cursor determines
the pan position of the signal. For example, to 3-Knob Panning
pan something to the left rear speaker, move the
Pan Location cursor to the lower-left corner of Pro Tools provides 3-Knob mode as an additional
the Grid. way to input pan moves.

It is not necessary to click exactly on the Pan 3-Knob mode lets you do the following:
Location cursor. Clicking anywhere in the • Pan in straight lines, moving the Pan Location
Grid will move the Pan Location cursor rela- cursor using the Position rotary knobs with full
tive to where you click or take over with a movement of front, rear, and front-rear position
hardware panner. Panning does not jump to • Pan discretely between pairs of speakers.
the click position.
For example, when panning front-left to rear-right
To snap the Pan Location cursor to a location in in 3-Knob mode, audio will be heard from just
the Grid:
those two speakers (assuming full divergence is in
 Command-Shift-click (Mac) or Control-Shift- effect).
click (Windows) at the location in the X/Y Grid.

Grid Options and Shortcuts

Fine-Adjust Mode Hold the Command key (Mac)

or Control key (Windows) for fine adjustment of 3-Knob trajectory
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 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click

(Windows) in the Panner Grid to reset all controls
to their default position.

Snap Pan to Speaker Click one of the Snap Pan to 3-Knob mode
Speaker icons to force the panner to that speaker Panning and metering in 3-Knob mode
location.
By comparison, in X/Y mode a diagonal pan may
result in audio being heard in some or all channels.

Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing 1303

 The difference is that 3-Knob mode pans discretely AutoGlide Mode
between the front and rear position of the panning
AutoGlide mode lets you quickly write Surround
trajectory, while X/Y mode panning takes place in
Panner automation by clicking new locations in the
the full 360° Panning Grid. Divergence and Center
Surround Panner window, instead of manually
Percentage are variable in both Panning modes.
moving the Surround Panner controls.
To enable 3-Knob Panning mode:
When writing automation in AutoGlide
 Click on the Panning Mode button until the 3- mode, the Pan Location cursor cannot be
Knob mode icon is displayed. dragged from its location.

The time it takes to glide from point to point (from

the Pan Location cursor to the new destination) 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).
Panner Mode button set to 3-Knob mode
To set the AutoGlide Time
The panner trajectory line appears across the Grid,
extending from the front (X-axis) to the rear (Y- 1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Mixing.
axis). 2 Set the AutoGlide Time in the Automation
section.
To pan in 3-Knob mode:

1 Adjust the Front and Rear Position knobs to set To do an AutoGlide automation pass:
the trajectory line. 1 Click the Panning Mode button until the
2 Rotate the Front/Rear Position knob to pan AutoGlide mode icon is displayed.
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 tra- Panner Mode button set to AutoGlide mode
jectory line.
The Panning Mode button displays a slanted dotted
 Adjust the Front or Rear Position controls. line that ends with a filled in dot (representing a
cursor) at its top right corner.
To change the current trajectory position (left-to-
right) and retain its current angles: 2 In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automa-
 Drag the trajectory line (not its end points) to a tion Mode selector and select an Automation
new position. mode for the track you want to automate.
3 Press Play to begin playback.

1304 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Set a new destination for the cursor by doing Front Divergence Controls divergence between
one of the following: front speakers (X-axis only).
• Click a Snap Pan to Speaker icon to glide to Rear Divergence Controls divergence between the
its speaker location. rear speakers (X-axis only).
• Click in the pan window to glide to a specific
location in the X/Y Grid. Front/Rear Divergence Controls divergence be-
tween front and rear (the Y-axis).
Snap Pan to
Speaker
Center % (Percentage) Determines whether there
icons is a discrete center image, a completely phantom
center image, or a variable amount in between.
Pan Location
cursor 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 formats.

Divergence
AutoGlide mode
In the Panner Grid, the current divergence values
Panning Mode button (AutoGlide mode shown) are displayed using a purple outline.

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 destina-
tion point is reached, a new breakpoint will be
written at the new location. Divergence display

5 Repeat the previous step if you want to write ad-

ditional panning moves.
6 Stop the transport when finished.

Divergence and Center

Percentage
Divergence controls
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 Divergence display and controls
voices.

Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing 1305

 By default, Pro Tools surround panners are 100% Divergence Editing Mode
or fully divergent, meaning that a signal that is
In Divergence Editing mode, you can adjust the di-
panned completely to one speaker will only be au-
vergence boundaries by dragging directly in the
dible in that speaker.
Divergence Grid.
Lower divergence settings result in a progressively
wider source signal. When Divergence is less than To adjust divergence graphically:
100%, tracks will be routed to neighboring speak- 1 Click on the Panning Mode button until the
ers to some degree, even when the Pan Location Divergence Editing icon is displayed.
cursor is positioned next to a single speaker.

Pan Location
cursor Panner Mode button set to Divergence Editing

2 Drag in the Grid to resize the divergence bound-

aries.

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 %
Front
Divergence controls whether there is a discrete center channel
for the track or a phantom center channel.

Center Percentage Example

Front Divergence at less than 100% for wider panning
In film and video production, the center channel
To adjust divergence:
often contains dialog. To enhance the clarity of di-
 Adjust the Front, Rear, and Front/Rear Diver- alog, it is often beneficial to keep elements such as
gence controls as necessary. music out of the center speaker. By reducing 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.

1306 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To adjust Center Percentage: To adjust Side Percentage:

 Adjust the Center Percentage knob.  Adjust the Side Percentage knob.

As you reduce the Center Percentage value, the As you reduce the Side Percentage value, the
center speaker at the top of the Grid becomes less speakers at the sides of the Grid become less visi-
visible. At 0, the center speaker is completely in- ble. At 0, the side speakers are completely invisi-
visible, reflecting the setting for fully phantom ble, reflecting the setting for fully phantom center.
center.

Center % set to 0 (no center speaker shown)

Side % (Percentage) Side % set to 50% (side center speakers dimmed)

For 7.1 and 7.0 surround formats, the Side % con-

trols whether there are discrete side channels for LFE Faders in Multichannel
the track or a phantom side channel. 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 supports
LFE (5.1, 6.1, or 7.1).

For general information about LFE, sub

channels, and related topics, see the
Pro Tools Sync & Surround Concepts Guide.

To mix to the LFE channel:

 Adjust the LFE fader in any “.1” surround for-

mat Output window.

Chapter 57: Surround Panning and Mixing 1307

 LFE Faders and Groups
Pan Playlists
Track and send LFE faders can follow Mix and
Edit Groups by being enabled in the Group Attri- Multichannel panners have an automation playlist
butes page in either the Create Groups or Modify for each position and divergence control.
Groups dialog. LFE faders can be assigned to fol-
Pan automation can be drawn, edited, cut,
low groups as a global attribute or on a group by
copied, and pasted from the Edit window.
group basis. See “Selecting Group Attributes” on
For more information, see Chapter 53,
page 325.
“Automation.”

LFE Enable
Some multichannel plug-ins, including the multi-
Immersive Surround Panner
channel Dynamics III Compressor/Limiter, pro-
vide LFE Enable. This lets you enable or bypass Height Pan Laws
processing of the LFE channel if present. All height channels in immersive surround formats
have the channel positions against the edges of the
room, to take full advantage of the three dimen-
sional space. Sound is heard immediately if
panned inward on the ceiling. Note that 7.1.2
height channels have a slightly different pan law,
as specified by Dolby for use with beds feeding the
Dolby Atmos Renderer. Signal on the ceiling does
LFE Enable in the multichannel Dynamics III not pan into the middle of the room until you have
Compressor/Limiter reached a quarter of the distance inward.
To process the LFE channel in a multichannel
plug-in:
Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows)
on a floor-level speaker icon to snap to the
 Click to enable LFE Enable in supporting mul- speaker location without affecting height.
tichannel plug-ins. LFE Enable is highlighted
when LFE processing is enabled, and unhigh-
lighted when LFE processing is bypassed.

When LFE Enable is unavailable, try using

the multi-mono version of the plug-in.

1308 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos

Object Audio (or Objects) Unique mono (or ste-

Dolby Atmos Overview reo) audio sources that are streamed directly to a
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) Dolby Atmos Renderer. The Dolby Atmos Ren-
derer then applies all panning and processing for
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software let you
each object independently according to associated
mix to Dolby Atmos® 7.0.2 and 7.1.2 multichannel
Dolby Atmos metadata. Typical object audio con-
formats, with additional support for playback and
tent might be something like an airplane fly-over
recording of object audio and panning metadata
or a pesky mosquito, an object can really be any
when used with a Dolby Atmos Renderer.
single sound source that might be in motion over
and in or around the audience—hence a sound ob-
Audience Immersion ject.
With Dolby Atmos, three critical elements signifi- Dolby Atmos Metadata Proprietary panning con-
cantly improve the audience experience over 5.1 trol data for object audio (as well as additional
and 7.1, and 9.1 systems: metadata) that is applied in the Dolby Atmos Ren-
• Sounds originating overhead derer. For each Pro Tools track assigned to an ob-
ject output path, Pro Tools pan automation is trans-
• Improved audio quality and timbre matching
lated into Dolby Atmos metadata to control object
• Greater spatial control and resolution panning done in the Dolby Atmos Renderer.

Elements of a Dolby Atmos Mix “3D” Multichannel Formats

A Dolby Atmos mix consists of three primary ele- A Dolby Atmos bed supports up to a maximum
ments: channel width of 7.1.2. While 7.0 and 7.1 are stan-
dard surround channel widths (in this case, 7 sur-
Bed Audio (or Bed Material) Channel-based pre-
round channels and an optional LFE channel for
mixes or stems (including their multichannel pan-
low frequency content played back though a sub-
ning)—such as music, Foley, or dialog stems. Bed
woofer), the additional “.2” indicates another two
audio is mixed in Pro Tools with all multichannel
audio channels that are mixed to stereo (left and
panning, including height as well as surround
right) overhead speakers (or speaker groups). This
channels and a low frequency channel, applied to
adds the dimension of height to surround sound for
the audio output from Pro Tools. The resulting
truly three-dimensional audio. While 7.1.2 beds
multichannel audio mix is streamed to a Dolby At-
are sufficient for most channel-based mixing
mos Renderer for inclusion in a Dolby Atmos mas-
needs, some plug-ins, such as reverbs and delays,
ter.
may want to take full advantage of the ceiling

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1309

 space. Pro Tools supports channel configurations • Bus/Object Fold Down Path for monitoring fully
with additional height speakers, such as 5.0.4 to mixed bed and object audio whether a Dolby At-
9.1.6. While these cannot be sent directly to the mos Renderer is available or not.
renderer, it is possible to use statically panned ob- • Object panning of mono and stereo sources.
jects to send the additional height speakers to the
Dolby Atmos Renderer. Pro Tools provides track • 3D “Theater” panning view.
presets to aid with this configuration. • Enhanced object re-recording (dubbing) work-
flows.
All height channels in immersive surround formats
have the channel positions against the edges of the Dolby provides both hardware and software
room to take full advantage of the three dimen- solutions for rendering and mastering a Dolby
sional space. Sound is heard immediately if Atmos mix. Contact Dolby for complete infor-
panned inward on the ceiling. Note that 7.1.2 mation about Dolby Atmos product solutions.
height channels have a slightly different pan law,
as specified by Dolby for use with beds feeding the Pro Tools Restrictions when
Dolby Atmos Renderer. Signal on the ceiling does Mixing to Dolby Atmos
not pan into the middle of the room until you have
When you create a Pro Tools session for Dolby
reached a quarter of the distance inward.
Atmos workflows, the following restrictions ap-
ply:
Mixing to Dolby Atmos with
Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio Use 48 kHz or 96 kHz Session Sample Rates
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio both provide the If working with different sample rates during
following features supporting mixing to a Dolby At- sound creation or premixing, convert the session
mos Renderer: sample rate to 48 kHz before working with a hard-
• Up to 7.1.2 channel width for direct routing of ware Dolby Atmos Renderer. If you are working
beds to the Dolby Atmos Renderer. with the Dolby Atmos Renderer application that is
part of the Dolby Atmos Production Suite, the ses-
• Up to 7.1.6 (Pro Tools Studio) and up to 9.1.6
sion sample rate can be either 48 kHz or 96 kHz.
(Pro Tools Ultimate) for advanced mixing con-
figurations being sent to the Dolby Atmos Ren-
Only Use a Supported Session Timecode Rate
derer, as well as monitoring returns and re-
renders. For home theater workflows, the Dolby Atmos
• Mapping busses to dedicated Dolby Atmos Ren- Renderer supports mixing and creating masters at
derer Inputs in the I/O Setup. the following timecode rates: 23.976, 24, 25,
29.97, 29.97 drop frame, and 30 frames per second
• Object view for mono and stereo audio, Auxil- (fps).
iary Input, and Instrument tracks.
• Automated switching between assigned track For cinema workflows, the Dolby Atmos Renderer
Output and an Object output path for mono and supports creating masters at 24 fps only. If mixing
stereo audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument with a 24 fps session, set Audio Rate Pull Up/Down
tracks. and Video Rate Pull Up/Down to None.

1310 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Set the Hardware Buffer Size to 1,024 Samples • Click the Dolby Atmos Renderer Host drop-
(Recommended) down selector to see a list of Dolby Atmos Ren-
derers (or other Dolby Atmos rendering and
Sessions used to author Dolby Atmos mixes tend mastering workstations) identified on the net-
to be very large and processor intensive. Using the work and select one that has a MADI connec-
highest available Hardware Buffer Size setting is tion to your Pro Tools system.
recommended for optimal performance and reli- • If your Pro Tools machine is using a software
ability on your Pro Tools system. Dolby Atmos Renderer (such as the Dolby
Atmos Renderer application with the Dolby
Atmos Production Suite), type localhost or
Configuring the Network select it from the drop-down selector.
Connection for Pro Tools and
a Dolby Atmos Renderer The Connection Status indicator lights solid if the
connection is successful. It flashes on and off if the
The Dolby Atmos page in the Peripherals dialog lets connection is not successful. You can still work on
you configure the network connections required for the session even if not connected to the Dolby Atmos
sending Dolby Atmos metadata between Pro Tools Renderer, but Enable must be selected.
and the Dolby Atmos Renderer, which can be either
5 Enable Link Object and Audio Rendering if de-
hardware or software based.
sired (see “Link Object and Audio Recording” on
page 159).
To setup the network connection between
Pro Tools and a Dolby Atmos Renderer: 6 Click OK to save your changes and close the
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals. Peripherals dialog.

2 Click the Atmos tab.

3 Select Enable. Installing and Configuring
Dolby Atmos Software and
Hardware
To use Pro Tools with Dolby Atmos, follow the in-
structions provided by Dolby for installing and con-
figuring your Dolby Atmos hardware (if any) and
software. Pro Tools cannot provide essential Dolby
Atmos features if the necessary Dolby Atmos soft-
ware is not correctly installed, configured, and autho-
Atmos page in the Peripherals dialog rized on your Pro Tools system.
4 Specify the Dolby Atmos Renderer host in the
For complete information on installing, con-
Dolby Atmos Renderer Host field by doing one
figuring, and using Dolby Atmos products,
of the following (if there is more than one
please refer to the appropriate documenta-
Dolby Atmos Renderer on the network, make
tion for your specific Dolby Atmos products
sure you specify the correct one for the
published by Dolby.
Pro Tools system):
• Enter the IP Address for the Dolby Atmos Ren-
derer (or rendering and mastering workstation)
on the network with a MADI connection to
your Pro Tools system.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1311

 Example Hardware-Based Dolby Atmos System Configuration
A basic hardware-based Dolby Atmos system includes the following components:
• One or more Pro Tools | HDX systems for audio playback and panning control for sound objects.
• Optional dubbing (recording) Pro Tools | HDX system
• One or two Avid HD MADI audio interfaces per Pro Tools system for digital audio streaming from Pro Tools
to the Dolby Atmos Renderer or rendering and mastering workstation (MADI optical or coaxial connections)
• Dolby Atmos Rendering and Mastering Unit (RMU)—applies object panning and creates the Dolby Atmos
master from your Pro Tools mix
• Dolby Atmos Monitor application (installed and running on a Pro Tools system)
• Dolby Atmos Renderer Web Client for configuring the Dolby Atmos Renderer, setting up beds (speaker/room
configurations) and objects (panning with metadata through speaker zones).

Control Surface
such as Avid S6 (optional)
Dolby Atmos metadata {Ethernet}
[Ethernet]

[DigiLink] [MADI]
Pro Tools | HDX system

7.1.2 track (bed mix) HD MADI 1

bed
Dolby Atmos
object inputs Renderer
Object source tracks 11–64 HD MADI 2
object inputs
65–128

Figure 1. Example Pro Tools and Dolby Atmos hardware components and connections

1312 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 12 The recommended Hardware Buffer Size is de-
Configuring Pro Tools Using pendent on the session sample rate: 1,024 sam-
Core Audio with the Dolby ples for a 48 kHz session or 2,048 samples for a
Atmos Production Suite 96 kHz session.
(macOS only)
13 Click OK to save your changes and close the
Pro Tools supports up to 130 outputs with Core Playback Engine dialog.
Audio when used in conjunction with the Dolby
14 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the
Atmos Production Suite (input support with Core
Dolby Atmos tab.
Audio remains at 32 channels).
15 Connect to the Dolby Atmos Renderer applica-
tion.
Using Core Audio Outputs with
Pro Tools and Dolby Atmos 16 Click OK to save your changes and close the Pe-
Production Suite ripherals dialog.
To configure Dolby Atmos Production Suite and 17 Choose Setup > I/O and make any necessary
Pro Tools with increased output channel counts: Dolby Atmos routing and object assignments.
1 Install the Dolby Atmos Production Suite, ver-
18 Click OK to save your changes and close the I/O
sion 3 or higher.
Setup dialog.
2 Launch the Dolby Atmos Renderer.app.
The Dolby Atmos Renderer and Pro Tools are now
3 Open the Dolby Atmos Renderer Preferences. configured to use up to 130 output channels with
4 Set the Audio Driver to Core Audio. Core Audio.

5 Set the Audio Input to Dolby Audio Bridge. To create a session for Dolby Atmos mixing with
Dolby Atmos Renderer and Core Audio, do one of
6 Set the Audio Output to the device that you will the following:
use for monitoring (which can be HDX using
 Use the Pro Tools I/O Files (.pio) and Templates
Core Audio, or any other Core Audio device).
provided by Dolby to create a basic default lay-
7 Confirm and close the Preferences. out with all objects and create a new session us-
ing the following settings in the Dashboard:
8 Leave the Dolby Atmos Renderer application
running. • Pick the Pro Tools template provided by
Dolby.
9 Launch Pro Tools.
• Select the corresponding IO Setting.
10 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. • Click OK to create the session based on the
11 For Playback Engine, select Dolby Audio selected template.
Bridge.
Consult the documentation by Dolby for infor-
mation on configuring and using the Pro Tools
Templates and I/O Settings that they provide.

 Use Dolby Atmos Renderer Settings to config- Atmos Renderer configuration:

ure your session and IO to match your Dolby • Choose Setup > I/O.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1313

 • In the Bus Pane, select Use Atmos Renderer
(Mono) for mono objects or Use Atmos Ren- Configuring the I/O Setup for
derer (Stereo) for stereo objects. Dolby Atmos
• Click the Default button. Configure the I/O Setup according to the needs of
• Configure the rest of the I/O Setup dialog as where and how your Pro Tools system fits into the
desired, then click OK to save your changes larger Dolby Atmos workflow.
and close the I/O Setup dialog.
• Create a new session. I/O Setup Example for a
Pro Tools Playback System on a
The Use Dolby Atmos Renderer (Stereo) op- Dolby Atmos Mix Stage
tion reads the attached renderer input config-
When working within a large, hardware-based
uration and creates stereo object mapped bus-
Dolby Atmos mixing environment, if your
ses and outputs from consecutive objects. If
Pro Tools system is a playback machine being
there are an odd number of objects, or the
used for authoring Dolby Atmos mixes (and as-
bed/object group names are different between
suming it has two HD MADI interfaces), config-
two objects, those objects remain mono.
ure the Output and Bus pages of the I/O setup as
follows:
Configuring Session Setup • Ensure that the Path Order is correctly set.
for Dolby Atmos • In the Output page, create a 7.1.2 Output path
(SMPTE path order) and assign it to the first ten
To configure the Session Setup for Dolby Atmos:
outputs on the first HD MADI. This path will be
1 Choose Setup > Session. used to play back bed audio.
2 In the Format section, set Timecode Rate to the • In the Output page, create 1–118 mono output
appropriate supported Timecode rate for mixing: paths and assign each to the remaining outputs
• For home theater workflows, the Dolby At- on both HD MADI interfaces (objects 11–64 to
mos Renderer supports mixing and creating HD MADI 1 outputs 11–64 and objects 55–128
masters at the following timecode rates: to HD MADI 2 outputs 1–64). These paths will
23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 29.97 drop frame, and be used to play back object audio.
30 frames per second (fps).
Note that the numbering of Objects begins at
• For cinema workflows, the Dolby Atmos
11 as the first ten input channels of the Dolby
Renderer supports creating masters at 24 fps
Atmos Renderer are reserved for the bed mix.
only.
3 If mixing with a 24 fps session, in the Timecode
Settings section, do the following:
• Set Audio Rate Pull Up/Down to None.
• Set Video Rate Pull Up/Down to None.

1314 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
the check box in the top row of the Mapping
to Output column to automatically assign all
busses to the corresponding outputs. Then do
the same in the Mapping to Dolby Atmos
Renderer column to automatically assign
each output bus to the corresponding inputs
of the Dolby Atmos Renderer.

This I/O Setup configuration is only an example of

I/O Setup, Output page configured for playback to an the most basic configuration that utilizes all of the
Dolby Atmos Renderer (or rendering and mastering
workstation) Dolby Atmos Renderer Input channels. You can
configure the I/O setup to have more than one bed,
• In the Bus page, create a 7.1.2 bus and map it to and even stereo objects (with mono sub-paths).
the 7.1.2 output path for the main bed mix.Then
map it to Input 1–10 (7.1.2) of the Dolby Atmos For additional information about configuring
Renderer. and using Pro Tools with the Dolby Atmos
• In the Bus page, create 118 mono busses and map Renderer, see the Dolby documentation in-
each to its own output path (objects 11–128). cluded with your Dolby Atmos Renderer soft-
Then map each to Inputs 11–128 (Object) of the ware.
Dolby Atmos Renderer.
To automatically create busses in Pro Tools that
match the Dolby Atmos Renderer configuration:
1 Configure the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
2 In Pro Tools, ensure that Dolby Atmos is en-
abled (Setup > Peripherals > Atmos).
3 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the
Bus tab.

4 Delete any existing busses.

5 From the Default Busses selector, enable Use
Atmos Renderer (Mono) for mono objects or
I/O Setup, Bus page configured for playback to an
Use Atmos Renderer (Stereo) for stereo ob-
Dolby Atmos Renderer (or rendering and mastering
workstation) jects.
6 Click the Default button.
7 Click OK.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1315

 • Determines what is bounced to an ADM
The Use Dolby Atmos Renderer (Stereo) op- BWF file (see “Export ADM files” on
tion reads the attached renderer input config- page 1337).
uration and creates stereo object mapped
• Creates a relationship between a given bus
busses and outputs from consecutive objects.
and a given Dolby Atmos Renderer input, so
If there are an odd number of objects, or the
that the appropriate Group and binaural meta-
bed/object group names are different between
data can be included in a bounced ADM
two objects, those objects remain mono.
BWF file.

Setting Up Dolby Atmos Mapping Bed Busses to Dolby

Renderer Input Configuration Atmos Renderer Input Paths
Using the Dolby Atmos The Mapping to Dolby Atmos Renderer column in
Binaural Settings Plug-in the Bus pane of the I/O Setup lets you map multi-
You can use the Dolby Atmos Binaural Settings channel busses to beds in a similar way to that of
plug-in (available from Dolby) to setup the Dolby objects. Objects require a mono bus or a mono sub-
Atmos Renderer input configuration for the Dolby path of a stereo bus. Beds require that the mapped
Atmos Production or Mastering Suite from a Pro output of the bus match the channel width of the
Tools session. After setting up the Dolby Atmos corresponding bed input of the Dolby Atmos Ren-
Renderer input configuration, Use Dolby Atmos derer. The following uses a 7.1.2 bus as an exam-
Renderer for the default I/O Settings in Pro Tools. ple.
This lets you save and recall the Dolby Atmos
Note that more than one bus can be mapped
Renderer input configuration with the session, and
to a single bed on the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
ensures that the session, I/O Setup, and Dolby At-
If multiple busses are mapped to the same
mos Renderer input configuration always match.
output, mapping any one of those busses to a
For more information, see the Dolby Atmos Binau-
bed implicitly maps the rest to the same bed
ral Settings Guide.pdf.
because of the shared signal path.

To map a 7.1.2 bus to a bed input on the Dolby

Mapping Busses to Dolby Atmos Renderer:
Atmos Renderer Inputs 1 In the Output page of the I/O Setup, create 7.1.2
output path.
Output busses in Pro Tools must be mapped to
Dolby Atmos Renderer inputs to be treated as beds 2 In the Bus page of the I/O Setup, create a 7.1.2
or objects. Only mapped Bed and Object busses bus path with auto-created sub-paths.
are included in ADM BWF export.
3 In the Bus page of the I/O Setup, map the 7.1.2
Reasons mappings are important. bus to the corresponding Output path by select-
• Creates a relationship with the bus and the ing the check box in its row in the Mapping to
Output column.
Dolby Atmos Renderer. Mapped buses are
routed to the Dolby Atmos Renderer, and not
just to a direct output.
• Ties pan data from a bus to an object.

1316 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Select the check box in its row in the Mapping to
Dolby Atmos Renderer column. The output bus
is automatically mapped to the matching 7.1.2
bed input to the Dolby Atmos Renderer.

Mapping Object Busses to Dolby

Atmos Renderer Input Paths Selecting the Dolby Atmos Renderer Input path to
which the bus is mapped
Object output paths are defined by mapping busses
If you need to make a mapped Object available, lo-
to Outputs in the Bus page of the I/O Setup, and
cate it in the Mapping to Dolby Atmos Renderer
then mapping those output busses to Inputs on the
column and deselect the check box for the cur-
Dolby Atmos Renderer.
rently mapped bus.That bus is no longer mapped to
Both mono and stereo busses can be individually that Dolby Atmos Renderer input, making it avail-
mapped to up to 118 predefined Object Inputs to able for another bus.
the Dolby Atmos Renderer. Mono or stereo audio,
Auxiliary Input, and Instrument tracks can be as- Key Modifiers for Bulk Mapping
signed to mono or stereo Object paths in Object Assignments
view in the Edit and Mix windows.
You can use standard Pro Tools key modifiers to
A mono bus only requires that it be mapped to a quickly map multiple busses with a single mouse
mono Output and to a mono Object input on the click. The following examples refer to clicking
Dolby Atmos Renderer. To map a stereo bus, it check boxes in the Mapping to Dolby Atmos Ren-
must have mono sub-paths for the left and right derer column, but they can be used in the Mapping
channels and these mono sub-paths (left and right) to Output column as well.
must each be mapped to the mono sub-paths of a
stereo Output and also to a pair of individual, adja- To assign all possible bed and object busses when
no busses are mapped to the Dolby Atmos
cent Object inputs on the Dolby Atmos Renderer. Renderer:
Only then can this stereo bus path be assigned as a
Stereo object path for tracks in Pro Tools.  On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, Option-click
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) any check box in
To change the Object mapping of a bus: the Mapping to Dolby Atmos Renderer column.
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the Each bus is mapped to the first available Dolby At-
Bus tab. mos Renderer input of the same channel width in
2 Click the name of the Object the bus is currently order from top to bottom. Mono busses and mono
mapped to in the Mapping to Dolby Atmos Ren- subpaths of stereo busses are mapped to Object in-
derer column and select another available Ob- put channels until all Object busses are assigned.
ject (unless all 118 Objects are already mapped, Multichannel Output busses for beds are mapped
another one should be available). Objects in the to matching multichannel bed input channels on
list that are grayed out are not available because the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
another bus is already mapped to it.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1317

 To automatically cascade assign busses of the used as prefixes or suffixes on track names in
same channel width to the matching input Pro Tools when re-importing an ADM file. This
channels on the Dolby Atmos Renderer:
can serve a great organizational cue to orient your-
 Command+Option-click (Mac) or Control+Alt- self with a fresh ADM import.
click (Windows) the top most check box for a
bus of a specific channel width in the Mapping Note that the Cinema Dolby Atmos Renderer
to Dolby Atmos Renderer column. does not send its group list to Pro Tools like
the Dolby Atmos Production Suite or Master-
For example, clicking the check box for a 7.1.2 bus ing Suite does. If you want to add group in-
cascade assigns all 7.1.2 busses to 7.1.2 Bed Dolby formation into an ADM file when working
Atmos Renderer inputs from top to bottom. with the Cinema Dolby Atmos Renderer,
Whereas clicking the check box for a mono bus manage groups with Pro Tools and cre-
cascade assign all mono busses to mono Object ate/assign the Bed/Object groups you need.
Dolby Atmos Renderer inputs from top to bottom. Additionally, Dolby Atmos Renderer Input
descriptions are not carried over into Pro
Adding the Shift modifier key to any of these key
Tools or the resulting ADM file when work-
modifier combinations constrains the effect to only
ing with the Cinema Dolby Atmos Renderer,
selected busses.
but object descriptions are. Both are carried
The same key modifiers can be used when assign- over when using the Mastering Suite or Pro-
ing busses in the Mapping to Dolby Atmos Ren- duction Suite. When working with the Cin-
derer selector. The difference is that assignments ema Dolby Atmos Renderer, any custom de-
start from the selected row and work cascade scriptions added in the Dolby Atmos
down. Renderer do not come over.

Bed/Object Group Management

Bed/Object Groups Bed/Object Groups can be managed either by the
Dolby Atmos Renderer or in Pro Tools. By default,
The Dolby Atmos Renderer and Pro Tools both let
groups are managed by the Dolby Atmos Ren-
you create, edit, and manage Bed/Object Groups.
derer.
This is useful for categorizing beds and objects
into different groups (such as FX or Foley) that can When groups are being managed by the Dolby At-
be used for creating re-renders in the Dolby Atmos mos Renderer, it is not possible to import groups
Renderer. You can assign individual bed and ob- from an ADM file into the I/O setup. However, it is
ject busses to Bed/Object Groups. still possible to import them into the track names.
Groups are often used to derive re-render mixes If groups are being managed by the Dolby Atmos
with the Dolby Atmos Renderer. You can create Renderer and management is changed to Pro
specific renderings of various groups to a desig- Tools, Pro Tools maintains the existing groups and
nated channel width. For example, you can render assignments. You can then edit groups in Pro
out Music and FX groups to a 5.1 mix directly Tools, but any changes are not reflected in the
from the Dolby Renderer using groups as a filter- Dolby Atmos Renderer.
ing mechanism. Additionally, group names can be

1318 Pro Tools Reference Guide

If groups are being managed by Pro Tools and • Pro Tools—the creation, deletion, naming,
management is changed to the Dolby Atmos Ren- and assignment of groups is all managed in
derer, all existing groups and assignments are re- Pro Tools. Any changes made in Pro Tools
moved and replaced with groups from the Dolby are not reflected in the Dolby Atmos Ren-
Atmos Renderer assignments. derer. However, when Pro Tools is managing
Dolby Atmos Groups, Pro Tools always pro-
To manage Bed/Object Groups in Pro Tools: vides a default set of groups to match the
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the Dolby Atmos Renderer: Dialog, Music, Ef-
Bus tab. fects, and Narration.
• Dolby Atmos Renderer—the connected
2 In the Bed/Object Group column, click the se-
Dolby Atmos Renderer manages the creation,
lector in any row and choose Manage Bus/Ob-
deletion, naming, and assignment of groups.
ject Groups.
Changes made in the Dolby Atmos Renderer
are reflected in Pro Tools (in the Manage
Bed/Object Groups dialog and in the Bus
page of the I/O Setup), but you cannot make
any changes in Pro Tools.

Only groups that are assigned to mapped beds

and objects appear in the groups list. If a
group (other than the default groups) exists in
I/O Setup, Bus page, selecting Manage Bed/Object the Dolby Atmos Renderer, but that group is
Groups not used for an object or bed that Pro Tools is
using, that group does not appear in the Man-
age Bed/Objects Groups dialog in Pro Tools.

4 If Pro Tools is selected for managing groups,

you can do any of the following:
• Type a name for a New Group and click the
“+” button to add it to the Groups list.
• Click the name of a group in the list and type
to rename it.
• Click the “X” to the right of the name of a
group in the list to delete it.
5 Do either of the following:
• Click Cancel to close the dialog without mak-
ing any changes.
• Click OK to close the dialog and save your
Manage Bed/Object Groups dialog
changes.
3 In the Manage Bed/Object Groups dialog, select
the desired Manage Bed/Object Group Names
and Assignments with option:

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1319

 Bed/Object Group Assignments
Mixing Bed Material
Use the Bed/Object Groups column in the Bus
page of the I/O Setup to assign individual busses to Mix bed material for a Dolby Atmos mix to 7.1.2.
defined groups when managed by Pro Tools. Bus record the bed mix to a 7.1.2 audio track in
When groups are managed by the Dolby Atmos preparation for playback and mixing to a Dolby
Renderer, they are assigned automatically and can- Atmos Renderer.
not be changed from Pro Tools. When bouncing to
To configure a Pro Tools session for mixing bed
ADM BWF, the group assignments currently re- material (7.1.2 example):
flected in the Pro Tools I/O Setup are included in
the file. 1 In the Output page of the I/O Setup, create a
7.1.2 Output path assigned to the first ten phys-
To assign a Bed or Object bus to a group: ical outputs of your audio interface (for moni-
toring the mix with a 7.1.2 speaker
1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the
configuration).
Bus tab.
2 In the Bus page of the I/O setup, create a 7.1.2
2 In the Bed/Object Group column, click the se-
bus and map it to the 7.1.2 output (“Bed Moni-
lector for the bus you want to assign.
tor”).
3 Then map that 7.1.2 output bus to the first 10 in-
puts of the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
4 Create another 7.1.2 bus with the Auto-create
sub-paths option enabled (“Bed Mix”).

5 Create a new 7.1.2 audio track.

6 Assign the 7.1.2 track Output to the 7.1.2 Bed
Assigning a bus to a Bed/Object Group o3utput path (“Bed Monitor”).
3 Select the desired group name (such as FX). To 7 Assign the 7.1.2 track Input to the 7.1.2 internal
remove a bus from a group, select no group. bus (“Bed Mix”).
8 Create as many new tracks as needed for source
audio.
9 Assign the track Output for each source track to
the 7.1.2 internal bus (“Bed Mix”).
10 Enable Input monitor on the 7.1.2 audio track.
11 Mix the audio on the source tracks to the 7.1.2
audio track using volume and pan automation.

1320 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Object Names and Properties
Object descriptions defined on the Dolby Atmos
Renderer are displayed in the Object selector in the
Mapping to Dolby Atmos Renderer column as the
name of the Object. Additionally:
• Only one mono bus can be mapped to one object
path at a time. A stereo bus requires that its two
mono sub-paths (left and right) each be mapped
to a pair of individual Objects.
• Objects that are grayed out are already mapped
to other busses and are unavailable.
• Object mappings persist in session files and in
the current I/O Settings file, similar to Pro Tools
Output Mappings.
• Object mappings are made by Dolby Atmos
Example Bed mix Renderer Input channel, not Object name or de-
scription. If a session is opened with Object
mappings to a given Dolby Atmos Renderer In-
put channel that exists in the network it will be
mapped regardless of name or description. If an
Dolby Atmos Renderer Input channel is no lon-
ger available for any reason, it will be deacti-
vated in the Bus page and a warning dialog is
displayed.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1321

 Bus Output
Track Object Output
Assignment When a track is toggled to Bus, track audio follows
the selected Output path (in I/O view) but, for ex-
After you have mapped busses to Objects in the ample, a 7.1.2 object panner appears in the track
Bus page of the I/O Setup, you can assign any sin- Output window, as well as in the track I/O view in
gle mono (or stereo) audio, Auxiliary Input, or In- the Edit and Mix windows. The channel width of
strument track to a unique object output path. the selected Output path persists, but its panning is
now controlled by the 7.1.2 object panner.
To assign a new track to an object output path:
1 Create a new mono (or stereo) audio, Auxiliary
Object Output
Input, or Instrument track.
2 Show Object view in the Edit or Mix window
(see “Object View in the Edit and Mix Win-
dows” on page 1324).
3 From the Object Output Path selector in Object Audio track set to Object
view, select the desired available object output
path (see “Object Path Selector” on page 1324). When a track is toggled to Object, track audio fol-
lows the selected object output path (in Object
Object output paths are only available if they view) and the track Output (in I/O view) is com-
match the track channel width (mono or stereo) pletely bypassed. The track audio follows the as-
and are not already assigned to another track. signed object output path.

The Object panner appears in the track Output win-

dow, as well as in the track I/O view in the Edit and
Mix windows. All pan controls are available and
automatable, but no panning is applied to the track
audio in Pro Tools. Rather, Pro Tools converts pan
automation to Dolby Atmos metadata, which is
sent to the Dolby Atmos Renderer over the net-
Selecting an object output path for a mono audio track work.

Toggle the track to Object to bypass the track Out-

put entirely and send track audio directly to the
Dolby Atmos Renderer (see “Bus/Object Toggle”
on page 1325).

1322 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To assign an available Output path for the
Monitoring Bed/Object Audio Bed/Object Fold Down Path:
with Pro Tools Outputs 1 Open the I/O Setup (Setup > I/O) and click the
Full Dolby Atmos mixes are monitored from the Output tab.
Dolby Atmos Renderer. However, Pro Tools also 2 On the Output page, ensure that there is an
lets you separately monitor a Dolby Atmos mix available output path with the channel format
folded down through the assigned Bed/Object Fold that you want. If not, create one.
Down Path regardless of whether or not Pro Tools
is connected to the Dolby Atmos Renderer. There 3 Select the Output path with the appropriate
are two modes for the Bed/Object Fold Down channel format that you want to use to monitor
Path: downmixed bed and panned object audio for the
Bed/Object Fold Down Path.
1 Active When Dolby Atmos Renderer
Disconnected: This lets you monitor a rough Only outputs that are not already mapped to a Bed
mix folded down through the assigned or Object are available. If an assigned Fold Down
Bed/Object Fold Down Path when the Dolby output is subsequently mapped to a Bed or Object,
Atmos Renderer is not available. If Pro Tools it is automatically unassigned from the Bed/Object
cannot connect to the Dolby Atmos Renderer, all Fold Down Path and made unavailable.
Bed and Object Output paths are automatically
re-routed to the assigned Bed/Object Fold Down
Path.

2 Always Active: Lets you monitor a rough mix

folded down through the assigned Bed/Object
Fold Down Path at all times. This is useful
because it lets you monitor the session if no I/O Setup, Bed/Object Fold Down Path selector
Dolby Atmos Renderer is present; and it lets you 4 Click OK to save your changes and close the I/O
send a rough channel-based mix to headphones Setup.
for editing while the main mix is monitored
through the Dolby Atmos Renderer for mixing. Because the Bed/Object Fold Down Path
activates an invisible internal bus, it cannot
Select the desired mode in the Dolby Atmos be metered on a Master Fader or the Edit
page of the Peripherals dialog. See “Bed/Ob- Window Output Meter Path display.
ject Fold Down Path” on page 145.

The Dolby Atmos mix is folded down to the chan-

nel format of the assigned Bed/Object Fold Down
Path Output using built-in coefficients for down
mixing. Since it is not a true render of the Dolby
Atmos mix, never use the Bed/Object Fold Down
Path for Dolby Atmos mixing.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1323

 Object View in the Edit and Object Controls
Mix Windows
Object controls shown in the Edit and Mix window
Edit and Mix Window Object view provides Ob- Object view mirror each other on a track-by-track
ject controls for audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instru- basis. These controls let you assign audio, Auxil-
ment tracks (mono and stereo only). In the Edit iary Input, and Instrument tracks to object output
window, these controls appear between the I/O col- paths, automate toggling of the track between the
umn and the Real-Time Properties column of all Bus and Object output, and set the control mode
Track and Ruler views. In the Mix window, these for object panning metadata.
controls appear between the I/O selectors and the
Auto selector. Object view can be shown or hidden Object Path selector

independently in both the Edit and Mix windows. Dolby Atmos Renderer Connection Status indicator

To show (or hide) the Edit Window Object view, do

Output Window button
one of the following:
Object Control Mode button
 Select (or deselect) View > Edit Window Views >
Object. Bus/Object toggle

 From the Edit Window View selector, enable Object controls

(or disable) Object.
Object Path Selector
The Object Path Selector lets you assign the track
to any available object output path (defined in the
Bus page of the I/O Setup).

Object Track view, Edit window

To show (or hide) the Object controls in the Mix

window, do one of the following:

 Select (or deselect) View > Mix Window Views >

Object.

 From the Mix Window View selector, enable

(or disable) Object. Selecting an object output path for a mono audio track

Output Window Button

The Output Window button in the Object view
opens the Output Window for the track.

Object view, Mix window

1324 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Bus/Object Toggle
The Bus/Object toggle switches the routing of track audio between the Output selected in the I/O view
(Bus) and the selected object output path (Object).
• When toggled to Bus, the track behaves like a normal Pro Tools track. The only exception is that track
panning is controlled by the object panner regardless of the channel width of the selected Output.
• When toggled to Object, the selected Output in I/O view is completely bypassed and track audio follows
the selected object output path to the Dolby Atmos Renderer. Also, all pan automation is translated to
Dolby Atmos metadata and sent over the network to the Dolby Atmos Renderer. No panning automation
is applied to the track audio in Pro Tools.

Bus/Object toggle can be automated (see “Object/Bus Toggle Automation” on page 1330).

Object Control Mode

The Object Control Mode button lets you cycle between the three different Master Object Control modes:
Master, Record, and Off/Bypass. Click the Object Control Mode button to cycle through and select the Object
Control mode.

Object pan metadata for a track is only included in an exported BWF ADM file if Object Control Mode
is set to Master for that track.

Mode Description Purpose

Master Object assigned, Set by default if no other tracks are already assigned to this
sending metadata object, use this mode to control an object on the Dolby
Atmos Renderer.

Record Object assigned, Use this mode in a re-recording workflow to record pan
record mode automation sent from a Master panner on the network.

Off/bypass Object assigned, no Use this mode to mix multiple tracks of audio to the same
metadata being sent object output path. In this workflow, one track set as Master
controls the panning, while one or more other tracks with
the same object output path assignment but set to
Off/bypass feed audio to the object output path but without
sending pan metadata.

Dolby Atmos Renderer Connection Status Indicator

The Dolby Atmos Renderer Connection Status indicator appears in the title bar of the Object view to the right
of the title in the Edit and window if Atmos is enabled in the Peripherals dialog, but not if Atmos is disabled. It
is green if Pro Tools is successfully connected and communicating with the Dolby Atmos Renderer on the net-
work. It is pale yellow if it is not connected or the network connection has failed.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1325

 5.0.2 to 9.1.6, and Object Panner
When a mono or stereo track is assigned to a 5.0.2 to 9.1.6 output bus, or to an object output path, it uses the cor-
responding panner.

Figure 2. Output window in standard (2D) view for a mono track assigned to a 7.1.2 bus (left) and an Object (right)

Panner Controls and Indicators

The following elements of the Pro Tools Output window are specific to the 3D surround and Object pan-
ners. The Output window for each provides the same controls, except that the Object panner additionally
provides the Object Output Path selector and the Object Control Mode button, and the x.0.x panner ex-
cludes the LFE fader.

1326 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Theater Mode
The Pro Tools Panning Mode selector provides the Theater option, which is only available with the 3D sur-
round and Object panners. When this mode is selected, the panner displays a 3D/Theater view.

Figure 3. Enabling Theater mode

Theater mode provides a 3D room view that can be Indication of Height, Proximity, and
rotated. Location in 3D/Theater Mode

To rotate the room view in Theater mode: Height Adjusting the Height value raises or lowers
the Height plane. See 1 in Figure 4.
 Move the cursor over the room view and use the
scroll-wheel to rotate the room up or down. Proximity The size of the pan dot indicates prox-
Scroll all the way down for top-down view. imity (whether the element is closer or further
away relative to the current view). The pan dot ap-
pears smallest when panned furthest away and
largest when panned nearest (see 2 in Figure 4).

Location Pan lines appear on the Height plane to

indicate Left/Right and Front/Rear location. See 3
in Figure 4.

Screen The Screen image provides a visual refer-

ence for the front room in all views. See 4 in
Figure 4.

Theater mode, view rotated to “top-down”

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1327

 Height
The Height knob becomes available when
FreeForm mode and Height is enabled/active.
1 Height can be automated.
2 Adjusting Height in standard 2D view displays a
3 vertical bar to the right of the pan grid to indicate
relative height of that track. In addition, the size of
4 the pan dot increases as Height is increased.

In Theater mode a colored Height plane shows the

current Height value. The size of the pan dot indi-
Figure 4. Graphic representation of height, proximity,
cates proximity (see “Indication of Height, Prox-
and location in Theater mode imity, and Location in 3D/Theater Mode” on
page 1327).
Height Mode
Sets the Height mode for the track. Choices in- Zones
clude FreeForm mode (manual height adjustment), The Zones selector sets the speaker Zone (Zone
and Wedge, Sphere, and Ceiling modes (automatic Mask). Choices include All, F/S (front and side),
height modes). Height mode can be automated. F/R (front and rear), FC/R (front, center and rear),
Front, and Rear. Speaker icons surrounding the
panner grid appear as appropriate for the current
Zone.

Height Mode Height Enable For 9.x.x panners, L/R and LW/RW are part of the
Height mode and Height Enable same zone.

To select the Height mode:

 Click a Height mode icon to select that mode.

To toggle Height on/off:

 Click the Height Enable icon. When lit, Height is
enabled (requires FreeForm Height mode).

Height Enable can be automated. Zones selector

Control-Click (Mac) or Start-Click (Windows) To select the Zone:

on a floor-level speaker icon to snap to the  Right-click, or click and hold on the Zones selec-
speaker location without affecting height. tor and set the Zone.
Zones can be automated.

1328 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Size Object Output Path Selector and
Object Control Mode
Increases or decreases the element size. When Size
is set to any value above 0/off, a transparent grid Across the top of the Output window are the Audio
(or cube if in 3D/Theater mode) surrounds the pan Output Path selector, the Object Output Path selec-
dot. The grid/cube gets larger as Size is increased, tor, and the Object Control button.
and smaller as it is decreased.
Object Control Mode button
Object Output Path selector

Height mode and Height Enable

Available only on tracks assigned to an object out-

put path, these controls let you assign the track to a
different Object and configure its Object Control
mode, respectively. These controls are also avail-
able in Object view in the Edit and Mix windows.

Size indicator in standard 2D view Object Output Path Selector

To change the element Size:
Click the Object Output Path selector to assign the
 Adjust the Size knob, or hold down Shift and use track to an Object (see “Object Path Selector” on
the scroll wheel. page 1324).

Speaker Snap Toggling Object/Bus Assignment

You can toggle Dolby Atmos Speaker Snap on or Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Win-
off for tracks assigned to an Object. dows) the Object Output Path selector or the pan
dot to toggle the track audio output between the se-
To enable (or disable) Speaker Snap: lected Object path or selected track output (output
 Click the Speaker Snap icon to toggle on/off. bus). Toggling between object output and bus out-
put assignments can be automated (see “Bus/Ob-
ject Toggle” on page 1325).

Object Control
Speaker Snap
Click the Object Control mode button to cycle
Speaker Snap icon (shown disabled)
through and select the Object Control mode (see
“Object Control Mode” on page 1325).
Do not confuse Dolby Atmos Speaker Snap with
the Pro Tools panner ability to click a speaker
icon to “jump” the pan dot to a location.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1329

 Object/Bus Assignment and Automation Mode
Indication Object/Bus Toggle
Automation
The Pan Dot control in Output windows, and in the
graphic panner in I/O view on tracks in both the The Object/Bus Toggle setting can be automated
Edit and Mix windows changes color to show on object tracks. To be able to write Object/Bus
whether track audio follows the selected output Toggle automation for all Object tracks in the ses-
bus path shown in the I/O view or the selected ob- sion, ensure that it is enabled in the Automation
ject output path shown in the Object view as well window. If you want to ensure that no Object/Bus
whether the Track Automation mode is set to Toggle automation is written at all, or if want to
Read, any Write mode, or is Off. ensure that existing Object/Bus Toggle automation
is not over-written, disable it in the Automation
Pan Dot Color Indication
window.
Pan Dot Automation
Object/Bus
Color Mode

Bus Read
Green

Object Read
Orange

Any Any Write mode

Red

Any Off
Yellow

Object, but
Gray off/bypassed
Object/Bus toggle (shown disabled) in the Automation
window.
About Object Bypass

Bypass can be used to establish a workflow where

multiple source tracks are assigned to the same ob-
ject but only one of them is sending pan metadata
to control the panning on the Dolby Atmos Ren-
derer. For more information, see “Dolby Atmos
PEC/DIR Recorder Workflow Example” on
page 1333.

1330 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To enable (or disable) Auto-Height Overrides
Auto-Height Overrides Height Height Automation:
Automation Option 1 Open the Output window for the track you
With multichannel panning automation, Pro Tools want.
lets you re-purpose existing Front, Rear, and 2 Do one of the following:
Front/Rear pan automation for Height automation
• Double-click the Height Mode selector.
when mixing to Dolby Atmos (7.0.2 or 7.1.2).
When this option is enabled, the selected auto- • Right-click the Height Mode selector and se-
height mode overrides any Height automation, lect (or deselect) Auto-Height Overrides
generating new height automation automatically. Height Automation.
This way you don’t have to re-write all new auto-
mation when opening existing 5.1 or 7.1 sessions
and re-mixing them for Dolby Atmos (7.0.2 or
7.1.2 panning).

The Auto-Height Overrides Height Automa-

tion option defaults to on if the track already
has a main output assignment prior to assign-
ing an object output (assuming a re-use work-
flow). This option defaults to off when trans-
lating automation from the Dolby Atmos
Panner plug-in and also when a track has an
object output assigned but no main output as-
signed.

Right-clicking Height mode to select Auto-height

To commit automatically generated height Overwrite Height Automation
automation, use the Coalesce Pan Guide Au-
tomation command. See “Coalesce Pan When exchanging Pro Tools HD 12.8.2 ses-
Guide Automation” on page 1332. sions or higher that use Auto-Height Over-
rides Height Automation with Pro Tools HD
12.8 or 12.8.1 systems, be sure to Coalesce
Pan Guide Automation first so that Height
Pan Automations plays back correctly.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1331

 To duplicate Dolby Atmos or Dolby Atmos Music
Coalesce Pan Guide panner plug-in automation to track pan
Automation automation:

When using the Auto-Height Overrides Height 1 Select the object track (or tracks) with the
Automation option to automatically generate Dolby Atmos panner plug-in automation you
Height automation, you can commit that automa- want to duplicate.
tion using the Coalesce Pan Guide Automation 2 Choose Edit > Automation > Duplicate Dolby At-
command. Committed Height automation is calcu- mos Plug-in automation to track pan automa-
lated by interpolating Front, Rear, and Front/Rear tion.
pan automation, and the selected Auto-Height
mode. All Dolby Atmos and Dolby Atmos Music panner
plug-in automation is duplicated as track pan auto-
To automatically generate Height automation from mation. Both copies of the automation remain the
Front, Rear, and Front/Rear pan automation, and same until you change the automation of one or the
the selected Auto-Height mode for one or more other. If you remove the Dolby Atmos panner
tracks:
plug-in from an object track, its automation is lost.
1 Select the tracks for which you want to generate
Height automation. When opening a Pro Tools 12.8 (or later) session
that uses pan automation to generate Dolby Atmos
2 Choose Edit > Automation > Coalesce Pan metadata in a lower version of Pro Tools (such as
Guide Automation. Pro Tools 12.7.1), the pan automation is lost. Du-
plicate the pan automation for object tracks to
Dolby Atmos panner plug-in automation to ensure
Duplicating Object Track Pan that these tracks playback as objects when opened
Automation and Dolby Atmos in the lower version of Pro Tools.
Panner Plug-in Automation
To duplicate track pan automation to Dolby Atmos
When exchanging sessions between Pro Tools panner plug-in automation:
12.8 or later and earlier versions of Pro Tools (such
1 Select the object track (or tracks) with pan auto-
as Pro Tools 12.7.1), you probably want to ensure
mation you want to duplicate.
that object tracks have duplicate automation for
track panning (Pro Tools 12.8) and Dolby Atmos 2 Ensure that the Dolby Atmos panner plug-in is
panner or the Dolby Atmos Music Panner (version inserted on the track,.
1.2 or later and Pro Tools 2022.4 or later) plug-in
3 Choose Edit > Automation > Duplicate track pan
automation.
automation to Dolby Atmos Plug-in automation.
When opening an older session in Pro Tools 12.8
All track pan automation is duplicated as Dolby
or later, you may prefer to use pan automation for
Atmos panner plug-in automation. Both copies of
object tracks rather than Dolby Atmos panner
the automation remain and remain the same until
plug-in automation.
you change the automation of one or the other. If
you remove the Dolby Atmos panner plug-in from
the track, its automation is lost.

1332 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 By linking Object and audio recording on the
Object Controls Mix Attribute Pro Tools recorder system, audio and metadata
for Grouped Tracks punch in/out occur simultaneously on the
You can enable Object Controls in the Globals tab Pro Tools recorder.
of the Groups dialog to link Object Control mode Metadata Only for Object panning in the Dolby
and Object/Bus toggle for all object tracks in the Atmos Renderer (or rendering and mastering
Group. workstation). This includes Pro Tools tracks with
their Object Toggle set to Object.

Pro Tools Pan Automation Only for Bus panning

in Pro Tools (tracks with Object Toggle set to
Bus).

The following section is an example workflow of

how to configure and operate Pro Tools and a
Dolby Atmos Renderer.

Configuring the Pro Tools

Recorder
To configure the Pro Tools recorder system:
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals, click to display the
Atmos tab, then do the following:
• If necessary, establish communication with
the Dolby Atmos Renderer (see “Configuring
the Network Connection for Pro Tools and a
Dolby Atmos Renderer” on page 1311).
Object Controls option in Groups > Globals
• Disable Link Object and Audio Recording
only if you do not want to record object meta-
Dolby Atmos PEC/DIR data along with object audio.
Recorder Workflow Example
In a typical Dolby Atmos mix, two or more
Pro Tools | HDX systems provide playback of
tracks and stems. An additional Pro Tools | HDX
system is configured as the recorder (dubber). The
recorder also communicates with the Dolby Atmos
Renderer. Object and Audio recording linked In the Peripherals >
Atmos dialog

• Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1333

 2 Recommended: Choose Setup > Preferences, You can set the Object Control mode by clicking
click to display the Operation tab, then do the the Object Control button shown in the Track
following: Output window, or in the Mix and Edit windows
• Select Enable Automation in Record. when showing Object view. If your system
• Select PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring. includes an S6 with a Master Post Module, you
can use its Record arm switch.
2 Enable the desired Automation mode for each
track (such as Touch, Latch, or Touch/Latch).
3 On-screen, the pan dot turns red indicating the
track is in an automation write mode.
4 Record enable all tracks (if using Destructive-
Punch, be sure to Prepare DPE Tracks if neces-
PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring enabled
sary).
• Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
5 Begin playback and adjust parameters, toggling
When PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring is monitor source as needed.
enabled, the Pro Tools Input Monitor switch 6 When ready, punch in/out on the record tracks.
label lights green and shows P (for PEC,
playing back from disk), or is unlit and shows
D (for Direct, input monitoring). When this
Importing Bed/Object-
setting is not enabled, the Input Monitor
Related Track Data from
switch label shows I (Input) either lit green
Another Session
when Input mode is active, or unlit when
playing back from disk. When importing session data from another Dolby
Atmos session, you can import the bed and object
3 Enable DestructivePunch, TrackPunch, or output path assignments (if any) as well as Bus and
QuickPunch. (For details, see the Pro Tools object toggle setting for tracks selected for import.
Reference Guide.) This is vital when importing tracks already defined
as objects from another session.
To configure tracks and mix:
1 On each object track, set the Object Control To import bed and object tracks from another
mode to Record. session:

1 Choose File > Import > Session Data.

2 Navigate to the session from which you want to
import object tracks, select it and click Open.
3 In the Tracks section of the Import Session Data
dialog, identify the tracks you want to import
(Source) and specify the Destination for each
track (either create a new object track or replace
an existing object track).

1334 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 In the Track Data to Import dialog, ensure that
the Bed/Object Assignment and Toggle Setting Import ADM BWF Files
option is enabled (this option is selected by de- A .wav (ADM BWF) file is a Broadcast Wave file
fault). that can include audio and Dolby Atmos metadata
5 To include Group assignments for each track, from a Dolby Atmos master. Pro Tools can import
ensure that the Bed/Object Group Assignment a .wav (ADM BWF) file into a session with all au-
option is enabled (this option is selected by de- dio and metadata converted to pan automation.
fault).
After creating a Dolby Atmos master file set with
6 Configure the rest of the Import Session Data the Dolby Atmos Renderer, you can use the Dolby
dialog as desired and click OK. Atmos Conversion Tool to convert the Dolby At-
mos master to a .wav (ADM BWF) file, export it
directly from the Dolby Atmos Renderer, or even
export it from Pro Tools using Bounce Mix.

Pro Tools also lets you link to an ADM file when

importing session data. This makes for much faster
session data import since Pro Tools does not need
to convert the ADM into multi-mono files.

Linking to a WAV ADM BWF file is useful for

quickly opening a file for inspection, or when
basic edits need to be performed before re-ex-
porting. This is quicker than creating new me-
dia upon import, and it does not take up addi-
tional disk space. However, linked ADM files
are more demanding on CPU and disk usage.
It is recommended that you use a fast drive,
such as an SSD to mitigate these demands. If
you encounter any significant performance is-
Track Data to Import, Bed/Object Assignment and sues, use the Force to target session format op-
Toggle Setting and Bed/Object Group Assignment tion instead.
options enabled

Performance decreases significantly if any

clips linked to an ADM are shifted from their
locations relative to one another. In other
words, you can move the entire ADM around
on the timeline, but the system load will be
much lighter if you leave the clips lined up at
the same start time.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1335

 To import an ADM file into Pro Tools: 6 Select what Custom Data to import:
1 Create a new session. Bed/Object Output Assignment Imports bed and
2 Choose File > Import > Session Data. object output path assignments for imported
tracks.
3 Navigate to and select the .wav (ADM BWF)
file you want to import. Object Pan Data Imports Dolby Atmos metadata
and converts it to track pan automation.
4 Click Open.
Add Bed/Object Group Name to I/O Setup Lets
you add the bed or object group name to the Output
Bus path in the I/O Setup for each imported track.
This option is only available if Pro Tools is cur-
rently set to manage Bed/Object Groups.

Add Bed/Object Group Name to Track Name Lets

you add the bed or object group name to the Begin-
ning or the End of the track name.

Import – Replace Existing Playlists Imports the

media and replaces the Main playlist media and
panning data.

Import – Overlay New On Existing Playlists Im-

ports the media and overlays media and panning
data on existing playlists.

Do Not Import Lets you to import panning data

without the media.
Import Session Data from an ADM file
7 Configure any other Import Session Data set-
5 In the Import Session Data dialog, select a Des- tings as desired.
tination for the Source tracks in the .wav (ADM
BWF) file. 8 Click OK.

You can import audio from .wav (ADM BWF)

files using the Import Audio command or by
dragging and dropping the file into a session.
However, only the audio is imported, and bed
and channel order may be lost.

For more information about .wav (ADM BWF)

Import Session Data, custom data for ADM files files, contact Dolby.

1336 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Dolby Atmos Bounce Mix
Export ADM files Options
Pro Tools lets you export to the ADM BWF file The Dolby Atmos pane of the Bounce Mix dialog
format with Dolby Atmos content. ADM BWF displays the number of Beds and Objects to be in-
files can include audio and Dolby Atmos metadata cluded in the bounced ADM file. These are defined
from the Dolby Atmos Renderer or a Dolby Atmos by the Bed and Object busses that are mapped to
master. the Dolby Atmos Renderer in the Bus pane of the
I/O Setup. Only Bed and Object busses that are
This facilitates quick export of Dolby Atmos
mapped to the Dolby Atmos Renderer are included
mixes using Offline bounce directly from
in the bounced ADM file. All unmapped bus paths
Pro Tools. You can generate new ADM files from
are excluded. You can also embed program-level
a new session with new metadata, or rework previ-
metadata, Bed and Object Group assignments,
ous ADM files, passing along or changing the pre-
FFOA (First Frame of Action) timecode location,
vious metadata accordingly.
and other Dolby Atmos Renderer settings.
An ADM file bounced from Pro Tools includes all
channels (beds and objects) active in the session
that are mapped to the Dolby Atmos Renderer
(RMU).

To export Dolby Atmos ADM from a Pro Tools

session:

1 Choose File > Bounce Mix.

2 In the Bounce Mix dialog, type the File Name.
3 Select WAV (Dolby Atmos ADM BWF) as the
File Type.

The Audio settings are configured automatically

and the Audio section of the Bounce Mix dialog
grays out. Bounce Mix dialog, WAV (Dolby Atmos ADM BWF)
selected
4 Configure the Dolby Atmos section of the
Bounce Mix dialog according to your delivery Beds and Objects
requirements (see “Dolby Atmos Bounce Mix
Options” on page 1337). Bed and object busses are included automatically
in the bounced ADM file if the following criteria
5 Enable Offline. are met:
6 Click Bounce. • The bus must be mapped to a bed or object input
to the Dolby Atmos Renderer in the Bus pane of
the I/O Setup.
• The bus must be actively used in the session.
• The bus must be active.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1337

 An ADM file bounced from Pro Tools includes all I/O Setup Button
channels (beds and objects) active in the session
Click the I/O Setup button to open the I/O Setup
that are mapped to the Dolby Atmos Renderer. The
and validate Bed and Object bus mappings before
Mapping to Dolby Atmos Renderer column in the
bouncing to an ADM file. If necessary, configure
Bus pane of the I/O Setup lets you map busses to
the Bus pane of I/O Setup for the ADM bounce. Be
beds in a similar way to that of objects. Once these
sure that all Bed and Object busses that you want to
mappings are made for the active beds and objects
include in the bounce are mapped to outputs and
in the session, the number of mapped Beds and the
are correctly mapped to the Dolby Atmos Ren-
number of mapped Objects are displayed in the
derer.
Bounce Mix dialog.

Object pan metadata is only included in the ADM ? Button

export for tracks that have their Object Control
Click the ? button for information about beds and
Mode set to Master. The audio of any objects not
objects to be bounced. For a detailed report of what
set to Master is included in the bounced ADM
will be included in the bounce, click the Report
BWF file, but any pan data from those tracks is ex-
button in the Info dialog (or click OK to close it).
cluded.
The resulting Included Dolby Atmos Renderer
For information on mapping Bed and Object Mappings dialog lists the beds and objects to be in-
busses to Dolby Atmos Renderer inputs, cluded in the ADM WAV export. For beds, the as-
see“Mapping Busses to Dolby Atmos Ren- signed output name is listed. For objects, the as-
derer Inputs” on page 1316 signed bus name is listed. Additionally, associated
Dolby Atmos Renderer inputs are listed as well as
Beds Bed/Object Groups if any are assigned.

Displays the number of Bed busses mapped to the Add FFOA

Dolby Atmos Renderer in the Bus pane of the I/O
Setup. Beds are bounced at the output point in the FFOA (First Frame of Action) is an optional piece
signal chain. Since more than one bus can be as- of metadata used to define where the content starts
signed to an output, bouncing at the output point on the Pro Tools Timeline. Check your content de-
ensures that all audio being sent to the Dolby At- livery specifications to see if this is a required
mos Renderer through a mapped bus is included in piece of metadata for the ADM file you need to de-
the bounce. liver or not. If so, be sure to enable the Add FFOA
option. In the Bounce Mix window, the FFOA
Objects timecode location defaults to the nearest hour that
is equal to or later than the start of the timeline se-
Displays the number of Object busses mapped to
lection in the session. Entering a timecode location
the Dolby Atmos Renderer in the Bus pane of the
that is before the timeline selection start is disal-
I/O Setup. Each object bus is bounced as unique
lowed.
mono object channel.

Object pan metadata for a track is only in-

cluded in an exported BWF ADM file if Object
Control Mode is set to Master for that track.

1338 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Frame Rate Connected Dolby Atmos Renderer Uses the con-
nected Dolby Atmos Renderer setting as metadata
The Frame Rate specified in the Session Setup is for the bounced ADM BWF file. This option is
displayed in the Bounce Mix dialog for reference only available if the Dolby Atmos Renderer is con-
only and it cannot be changed. Note that drop fame nected with Pro Tools.
rates higher than 30 fps are not supported. Frame
Rates larger than 30 fps are shown as their SD de- Previous ADM File Uses the metadata from the last
rivative, and SD derivative will be embedded in ADM file imported into the Pro Tools session.
the bounced ADM. For example, a 48 fps session This option is only available after an ADM file has
displays 24 fps in this field. been imported into the session. The name of the
last imported ADM file is displayed to the right of
Sample Rate this option in the Embed Program-Level Metadata
selector for reference. If more than one ADM file
48 kHz and 96 kHz are supported for export.
has been imported into the session, only the meta-
data from the latest ADM file is maintained.
Embed Program-Level Metadata

Program-level metadata refers to metadata that is Bed and Object Groups are always passed
not time variable and applies to the ADM BWF through with the current I/O Setup assign-
master as a whole. It is not part of the dynamic ob- ments. The Embed Program-Level Metadata
ject metadata. It consists of static settings, often setting does not apply to these groups.
used to affect the resulting sound of the mix, as
well as the final Dolby encoding process. Pro-
gram-level metadata is fixed for the entire session. Working Without a
Connected Dolby Atmos
Program level metadata consists of the following: Renderer
• Downmix Pro Tools lets you open a Dolby Atmos session or
• 5.1 downmix import an ADM file without a connected Dolby
• 5.1 to 2.0 downmix Atmos Renderer. This lets you view and edit the
session while monitoring a rough mix through the
• Trim metadata
Bed/Object Fold Down Path.
• Trims
• Front/back balance Managing
• Binaural render mode metadata
If a session has ever been connected to a Dolby At-
There are three different options for embedding mos Renderer, it remembers the last used input
program-level metadata: mappings and group assignments. These appear in
italics in the I/O Setup. Bus mappings to Dolby At-
Factory Default Uses the factory default settings mos Renderer inputs and group assignments can
of the Dolby Atmos Renderer to for any applicable still be changed and managed in Pro Tools even
program-level metadata. when a Dolby Atmos Renderer is not connected.

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1339

 Listening 3 Select WAV (Dolby Atmos) as the File Type.
The Create Master File (WAV ADM BWF) op-
Busses that are mapped to beds or objects can fold
tion is enabled by default.
down to fit any output that is assigned as the
Bed/Object Fold Down Path in the Output page of
the I/O Setup. Beds and objects will not follow the
monitor path assignment.

Importing
You can import ADM files and map busses to beds
and object busses, and make group assignments,
without being connected to a Dolby Atmos Ren-
derer, as long as your physical I/O supports the re-
quired number of outputs. The I/O Setup maintains
the input configuration and group assignments that
were used to create the ADM file.

Create Master File (WAV ADM BWF) option

Offline Bounce of Dolby
Enable the Create Re-Renders (WAV) option.
Atmos Re-renders 4

Pro Tools lets you bounce re-renders of 9.1.6 (Pro

Tools Ultimate only), 7.1.4, 7.1, 5.1.4, 5.1.2, 5.1,
2.0, and binaural Dolby Atmos mixes offline. The
full mix can also be included, or it can be filtered
by Bed, Object, and/or Group. Configurations can
be saved and recalled in the Bounce Mix window
either manually or with Presets. Multiple renders
can be included along with the master ADM file in
a single bounce.

To prepare a bounce of rendered mixes:

1 The session must contain Dolby Atmos ele-
Configure Re-Renders button
ments. Any objects and beds that would other-
wise appear in an ADM export may be included 5 Configure re-render settings. Once configured
in a re-render. they will persist between sessions. You can also
save re-render presets and recall them at any
2 Choose File > Bounce Mix.
time.

1340 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 7 Select the desired File Format:
• (Multiple) Mono
• Interleaved
8 Select the desired source to Apply Program
Level Metadata From:
• Factory Default
• Connected Dolby Atmos Renderer
• Previous ADM File
9 Click Bounce.

Re-Renders Bounce Options

File Format

Select either the Multiple Mono or Interleaved

option.

Interleaved

Exported interleaved files are bounced directly to

the selected folder. File names use the following
Re-Renders dialog
convention:
Re-Render
6 Add your configured re-render(s) to be included
in the bounce. • Definition
• <Bounce Name>_<Re-Render name>.wav
• Example
• MyProject_5.1 Full Mix.wav
ADM
• Definition
• <Bounce Name>.wav
• Example
• MyProject.wav

Re-Renders configured for Bounce Mix

Chapter 58: Mixing to Dolby Atmos 1341

 Multi-Mono

Exported re-renders are bounced to separate sub-

folders for each re-render. Channel names are ap-
pended to the end of each file name.
Re-Render
• Definition
• Folder Name: <Bounce Name>_<Re-Render
name>
• File Name: <Bounce Name>_<Re-Render
name>.<channel abbreviation>.wav
• Example
• Folder Name: MyProject_5.1 Full Mix
• File Names: MyProject_5.1 Full Mix.L.wav,
MyProject_5.1 Full Mix.R.wav, etc.

Program Level Metadata

Program Level Metadata applies to both the ex-

ported ADM file and any re-render files. This
means Trim, Downmix, and Binaural Render
Mode (BRM) settings from the connected Dolby
Atmos Renderer or last-imported ADM may be
passed through and applied to the re-renders, as
well as being encoded as metadata in the ADM
file.

Composite Beds

Pro Tools lets you assign individual Dolby Atmos

groups to different beds that share the same output.
This means you can maintain a single bed in the
Dolby Atmos Renderer and also sub-divide the
content by groups when creating re-renders. This
is very helpful when working with high channel
counts (if channels are at a premium and need to be
reserved for more objects). This lets you generate
re-renders for different groups with unique content
in each of the beds, but without using extra chan-
nels for each bed.

1342 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 59: Ambisonics

1st Order Ambisonics correspond to physical mi-

Pro Tools Support for crophone pickup patterns using an omni-direc-
Ambisonics tional microphone in conjunction with figure-eight
(Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio Software Only) capsules oriented along three spatial axes. Miking
for 1st Order Ambisonics is a three-dimensional
Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio software provides
extension of common Mid/Side stereo (M/S)
support for 1st through 7th Order Ambisonics
miking techniques that adds additional difference
channel formats (4-, 9-, 16-, 25-, 36-, 49-, and 64-
channels for height and depth. This results in
channel formats respectively). Import Ambisonics
B-format audio (WXYZ), or 1st Order Ambison-
audio recordings, record Ambisonics audio in
ics, which consists of four discrete audio channels:
Pro Tools using Ambisonics miking techniques, or
W for sound pressure (omni-directional—the M in
use supported 3rd-party AAX Ambisonics pan-
M/S), X for the front-minus-back sound pressure
ning, and encoding and decoding plug-ins to create
gradient, Y for left-minus-right (the S in M/S), and
your own Ambisonics mixes from source audio
Z for up-minus-down.
tracks.
1st Order Ambisonics is most commonly used for
horizontal-only surround because of positional er-
What is Ambisonics? rors and shading effects that result from adding a
fourth microphone. Higher-order Ambisonics pro-
Ambisonics is a “full-sphere” surround sound vide greater positional resolution of sound sources
technique that is capable of representing sound in the sound field. Higher-order difference signals
sources that are stationary or in motion, and at vari- are derived from several spatially distributed (usu-
able distances from above, below, and all around ally omni-directional) capsules using sophisticated
the listener. More interestingly though, higher or- digital signal processing. Higher-order Ambison-
der Ambisonics can represent sound sources that ics can also be rendered from channel-based audio
seem to remain fixed in a sound field while the lis- recordings (such as mono and stereo) strictly using
tener’s perspective changes with their head posi- Ambisonics plug-in processing in Pro Tools.
tion (as opposed to “head-locked” stereo mixes).
Ambisonics audio mixes are used for 3D audio in
virtual reality and gaming applications, as well as
360 video. However, the possibilities for Ambi-
sonics are only just beginning to be explored com-
mercially.

Chapter 59: Ambisonics 1343

 Configuring the I/O Setup for Ambisonics
Pro Tools lets you create 1st trhough 7th Order Ambisonics input, output, and bus paths. Typically, you
will only need to create bus paths in Ambisonics formats for most Ambisonics mixing workflows. Create
Ambisonics Input paths if you will be recording Ambisonics right into Pro Tools using Ambisonics miking
techniques (using specially configured microphone arrays or specialized commercially available Ambi-
sonics microphones). It is unlikely that you would ever need to create Ambisonics Output paths unless you
are playing back Ambisonics from one Pro Tools system and recording it on another Pro Tools system or
using another system to decode Ambisonics audio.

To create an Ambisonics bus path:

1 Choose Setup > I/O and click the Bus tab.
2 Click the New Path button.
3 Create the busses that you need with the desired Ambisonics format.

Selecting 1st Order Ambisonics as the format for a new bus path

4 Click Create.
5 Click OK to close the I/O Setup.

1344 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Ambisonics Sub-Paths
Any higher-order Ambisonics path can have lower-order Ambisonics sub-paths. For example, a 3rd-order
Ambisonics path can have 2nd and 1st–order sub-paths, and a 2nd-order Ambisonics path can have a 1st-
order sub-path. All supported orders of Ambisonics paths can have mono sub-paths. Since Ambisonics
channels do not map directly to speaker channels, all other channel-width formats are disallowed as sub-
paths for Ambisonics paths.

Selecting a 2nd Order Ambisonics sub-path for a 3rd-order Ambisonics path

Channel Ordering for Ambisonics Audio Signal Paths

Ambisonics formats use discrete channel orderings that are distinct from channel-based surround formats
(such as 5.1). In Pro Tools, the individual channels of all Ambisonics formats are numbered from left to
right in the I/O Setup starting with 00 (or W in B-format) and increase incrementally. For example, the in-
dividual channels for 1st Order Ambisonics are 00, 01, 02, 03 (WXYZ); and for 2nd Order Ambisonics are
00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08.

Figure 5. Ambisonics bus paths with standard channel orders in the I/O Setup

The individual channels of Ambisonics formats do not correspond to speaker signal mappings like other
surround formats (such as 5.1—L C R Ls Rs LFE). In most cases, use Ambisonics panning, encoder and
decoder plug-ins to accurately mix and monitor Ambisonics mixes over headphones. However, even
though Ambisonics formats do not directly map to common channel-based surround speaker configura-
tions, various alternate speaker configurations can be used for the playback of Ambisonics mixes.

Do not use multi-mono plug-ins following any Ambisonics plug-ins. Likewise, any plug-in processing
of source tracks should only be inserted before Ambisonics plug-ins.

Chapter 59: Ambisonics 1345

 Ambisonics Mixes in Pro Tools
Creating Ambisonics mixes in Pro Tools usually entails using Avid-qualified third-party AAX Ambison-
ics panning plug-ins on source audio tracks and routing the output of those tracks to an Auxiliary Input
track with an Ambisonics format–to-stereo plug-in for headphone monitoring. Ambisonics mixing work-
flows and configurations vary depending on the source material, specific Ambisonics plug-ins used, and
required delivery formats.

Figure 6. Mono audio mixed in 2nd Order Ambisonics to stereo for headphone monitoring

1346 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Example—configuring Pro Tools to mix from a 8 Assign the Output of the Auxiliary Input track
mono source audio track to a 2nd Order to the main stereo output of your audio interface
Ambisonics stereo mix using FB360 Audio plug-
for headphone monitoring.
ins:
1 Ensure that the I/O Setup is configured with a In order to avoid coloring the audio projected
2nd Order Ambisonics bus path (see “Configur- from speakers with the room ambiance, Am-
ing the I/O Setup for Ambisonics” on bisonics mixes are typically monitored over
page 1344). headphones.

2 Create a mono audio track with audio you want 9 Automate panning of mono source to 2nd Order
to mix to 2nd Order Ambisonics. Ambisonics with the FB360 Spatialiser plug-in.
Depending on the Ambisonics panning plug- 10 Playback and monitor Ambisonics mix over
in you are using, source audio tracks can be headphones.
mono or stereo, or even surround formats
(such as 5.0 or 7.0) or Ambisonics formats Ambisonics panning, encoding and decoding
(such as B-format). plug-ins typically change the track channel
width (such as mono to 2nd Order Ambison-
3 Assign the Output of the track to the 2nd Order ics). It is important to know that for some Am-
Ambisonics bus path. bisonics plug-ins that change track channel
widths you must first create the track with the
4 Insert the FB360 Spatialiser plug-in on the track
appropriate channel format (such as mono
(if you want to process the audio with other
source or 2nd Order Ambisonics input) and
plug-ins on the track, they must precede the
then assign the appropriate track output (such
Ambisonics plug-in).
as mono to 2nd Order Ambisonics) before you
Repeat steps 3–5 to create additional source can insert the appropriate Ambisonics plug-in.
tracks for the Ambisonics mix.
Clip effects editing is not supported for clips
5 Create a 2nd Order Ambisonics Auxiliary Input
on Ambisonics tracks. When a timeline selec-
track.
tion is made that includes clips from both Am-
6 Assign the 2nd Order Ambisonics bus path to bisonics and non-Ambisonics tracks, only
the Input of the Auxiliary Input track. clips on non-Ambisonics tracks are processed
by clip effects. If clip effects are applied to one
7 Insert the FB360 Control plug-in on the Auxil-
or more clips on a non-Ambisonics track and
iary Input track.
then dragged-and-dropped to an Ambisonics
track, clip effects processing of those clips
play back, but clip effects for these clips can-
not be edited until they are moved back to a
non-Ambisonics track.

Chapter 59: Ambisonics 1347

 Folding Down Ambisonics
You can route ambisonics formats to other formats
for monitoring, but not for conversion between
formats. When routing between Ambisonics and
other formats, the following conditions apply:
• Ambisonics routed to a channel-based format
are summed to mono at –3 dB.
• Channel-based formats routed to ambisonics are
summed to channel 0 at –3 dB.
• Ambisonics of a lower order routed to a higher
order map to the first channels only.
• Ambisonics of higher order routed to a lower or-
der map the first channels to what is available in
the lower order format, but drop any channels
above that.

1348 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part XI: Sync and Video
Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization

Synchronization allows one system to output time- Timecode Trigger Only

code and the other devices to chase (follow) that
This solution does not require a synchronization
timecode. Pro Tools can synchronize with other
peripheral, but is really only useful for short proj-
devices using Timecode.
ects if both systems are extremely close in speed.
Even the best systems will rarely stay perfectly
synchronized for longer than a couple of minutes.
Pro Tools Synchronization
Options
Timecode Trigger Resolved with
There are several options for synchronizing Pro Tools | Sync X
Pro Tools to an external source or using Pro Tools (HDX and HD Native Systems Only)
as the master device.
You can use Pro Tools | Sync X to resolve
Pro Tools recording and playback speed while
Sync X and SYNC HD locking to timecode with any of the following
Synchronization Options clock sources:
By adding Sync X or SYNC HD to your HDX or • Video Reference
HD Native system, you can use Pro Tools with
your synchronization peripheral as the master • LTC (Linear Time Code)
clock in your synchronization setup. All other de- • Bi-phase/Tach
vices then clock to your Pro Tools synchronization • Pilot Tone
peripheral.
• AES3
You can use Pro Tools in conjunction with a syn- • AES3-id
chronization peripheral, such as Sync X or
• 10 MHz
SYNC HD, to generate LTC, MTC, or MMC com-
mands. When your synchronization peripheral is • Word Clock
reading incoming timecode, it regenerates the
timecode through the LTC and/or MTC output. For instructions on connecting Sync X to your
This signal can be passed along to other devices. system, see the Pro Tools | Sync X Guide.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1351

 Timecode Trigger Resolved with
a SYNC HD Session Setup Window
(HDX and HD Native Systems Only) The Session Setup window lets you configure var-
You can use SYNC HD to resolve Pro Tools re- ious timecode-related settings on your system, as
cording and playback speed while locking to time- well as certain session format settings (such as bit
code with any of the following clock sources: depth, pan depth, audio format, and interleaved).
The window also includes display-only areas for
• LTC session sample rate, system delay, and timecode-
• Video source (SD format only) related data (such as incoming time).
• House video reference (SD format only) The Session Setup window is organized into three
• VITC sections. The Format section is at the top of the
• Word Clock window and is always shown. The Timecode Set-
tings section is at the bottom of the window and
• AES/EBU “null” clock can be shown or hidden. The middle section can
• Pilot Tone also be shown or hidden, and it differs depending
• Bi-Phase on whether or not you are using a synchronization
peripheral. With a SYNC HD or no synchroniza-
For instructions on connecting a SYNC HD tion peripheral, it is the SYNC Setup & Timecode
to your system, see the SYNC HD Guide. Offsets section. With Sync X, it is the Sync X
Setup & External Offsets section.
MachineControl
To show the Session Setup window:
Sync X and SYNC HD support MachineControl
 Choose Setup > Session.
with Pro Tools Ultimate software. MachineCon-
trol provides specialized features for post produc- Press Command+2 (Mac) or Control+2
tion synchronization tasks including remote track (Windows) to open the Session Setup
arming, deck emulation, and serial timecode. window.
For more information, see Chapter 60, To show (or hide) the Sync X Setup/SYNC Setup
“MachineControl.” section:

Click the Sync X Setup/SYNC Setup ex-

Ext. Clock Output


pand/collapse triangle.
Pro Tools can be used as the master device in your
This section lets you configure either Sync X or
synchronization setup, where all other devices then
SYNC HD settings if one is connected.
follow Pro Tools Word Clock output.
To show (or hide) the Timecode Settings section:
To set Ext. Clock Output:
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Hardware.  Click the Timecode Settings expand/collapse
triangle.
2 Click the Ext. Clock Output pop-up menu and
select an available signal. The controls in this section provide freewheel op-
tions, and separate Pull Up and Pull Down selec-
3 Click OK to close the Hardware Setup dialog. tors for audio and video rates.

1352 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Format section

Clock Master Session displays

and settings

Sync X Setup
& External Offsets
section
External Timecode
Offset settings

Sync X Setup settings

Timecode Settings
section
Pull Up/Pull Down
settings

Freewheel settings

Session Setup window with Sync X

Format section

Clock Master Session displays

and settings

SYNC Setup &

Timecode Offsets
section
External Timecode
SYNC Setup settings Offset settings

Timecode Settings
section
Pull Up/Pull Down
settings

Freewheel settings

Session Setup window with a SYNC HD

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1353

 Format section

Clock Source Session displays

and settings

SYNC Setup &

Timecode Offsets
section
External Timecode
Offset settings

Timecode Settings
section
Pull Up/Pull Down
settings

Freewheel settings

Session Setup window with no synchronization peripheral

Clock Master/Clock Source

Format Displays and Controls
in the Session Setup Window Use this menu to configure the Clock Master
(Pro Tools | HDX and HD Native systems) or
The Format section of the Session Setup window Clock Source (non-HDX/HD Native systems).
includes displays and controls for timecode-related You can choose between Sync X or SYNC HD if
settings on your system, as well as certain session either is connected, an internal clock source from
format settings (such as bit depth, pan depth, audio an audio interface, or an external clock source con-
format, and so on). nected to an audio interface.

Sample Rate Changes made to Clock Master in the Hard-

ware Setup dialog are reflected in the Session
This display indicates the sample rate for the cur- Setup window.
rent session.
Clock Master/Clock Source Options
Bit Depth Pro Tools lets you select the Clock Master with
This menu indicates the bit depth for the current HDX and HD Native systems. With non-HD sys-
session. You can change the bit depth for all newly tems, this setting is the Clock Source and its op-
recorded or imported (and converted) files in the tions depend on your audio interface.
session by selecting a different Bit Depth option. Sync X When using Sync X as the Clock Master,
For information on each option, see “Bit Depths” Pro Tools uses Sync X as the master clock. Sync X
on page 173. can use its Internal clock or reference an external
clock source, selected in the Sync X Setup section
of the Session Setup window.
1354 Pro Tools Reference Guide
SYNC When using SYNC HD as the Clock Master, System Delay
Pro Tools uses SYNC HD as the master clock.
SYNC HD can use its Internal clock or reference When Delay Compensation is enabled (Options >
Delay Compensation), this displays the total
an external clock source, selected in the SYNC
Setup section of the Session Setup window. amount of delay (in samples) applied by the sys-
tem to compensate for delays incurred by plug-in
Internal In Internal mode, your system references processing and mixer routing.
your peripheral’s internal clock and plays back at
the session’s sample rate. Pan Depth
External Clock Sources Depending on your audio This lets you select the pan depth for stereo output
interface, external Clock Source options can in- paths in the Pro Tools session. Pan depth is the
clude AES/EBU, S/PDIF, S/PDIF Optical, ADAT amount of signal attenuation when a track is routed
Optical, TDIF, and Word Clock (optional word to a stereo output and panned to center. For infor-
clock rates are available at higher session sample mation on each option, see “Stereo Pan Depth” on
rates). External sources can be any multiple of the page 1111.
“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 cho-
Audio Format
sen and no valid sync clock is detected at the Ex- This displays the current file format for audio files
ternal Clock In, the I/O reverts to Internal mode. recorded in the session. You can change the audio
file format for all newly recorded or imported (and
If either Sync X or SYNC HD is enabled in converted) files in the session by selecting a differ-
the Peripherals dialog, and is correctly ent Audio Format option. For more information,
connected in the Loop Sync chain, it can be see “Mixed Audio File Formats” on page 174.
the Loop Master, and your audio interfaces
will clock to Loop Sync.
Interleaved
For more information on external clock Enable the Interleaved option to ensure that all
sources with a synchronization peripheral, newly recorded or imported (and converted) stereo
see the Pro Tools | Sync X Guide or the or greater-than-stereo multichannel files in the ses-
SYNC HD Guide. sion will be interleaved audio files. For more infor-
mation, see “Interleaved Multichannel and Multi-
Mono Audio Files” on page 174.

Session Start
Use this field to specify a Timecode start time for
your session. For more information, see “Setting a
Session Start Time (Start Frame)” on page 1360.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1355

 Session Length Timecode 2 Rate
Use this field to specify a limit for the length of the The Timecode 2 Rate setting lets you set a second-
session measure in timecode (between 6 and 24 ary frame rate that can be displayed in the ruler
hours). Used in conjunction with the Session Start alongside the main Timecode ruler. This lets you
setting, the Session Length field lets you specify reference frame rates in the Timeline that are dif-
the desired working range for the session when ferent from the session timecode rate (also see
Pro Tools is controlled by an external transport “Timebase Rulers” on page 879).
(such as with MachineControl, MMC, or Satellite
Link). If a timecode location is received outside of
this range, Pro Tools will not respond. Pro Tools Sync X Setup in the Session
responds only when a timecode location within Setup Window
range is received. This prevents untended jumps to
(HDX and HD Native Systems with Sync X
the end of the timeline, thus providing intelligent Only)
handling of 24-hour timecode.
The controls in the Sync X Setup section of the
Session Setup window let you configure the Clock
Timecode
Reference, Video Reference, and Positional Refer-
If your Clock Reference Source is set to Internal ence settings for Sync X.
and Pro Tools is generating timecode, this displays
the current timecode value generated by Pro Tools.
If Pro Tools is following timecode from an exter-
nal source, the incoming timecode value is dis-
played.

Timecode Rate
The Timecode Rate setting lets you set the Time-
code Rate in frames per second for the session.

Feet+Frames Rate
The Feet+Frame Rate setting lets you set the
Feet+Frame rates for sessions. Set this rate to
match the rate of the film projector, or the video if
the film projector speed is taken into account. For
example, doing a Telecine transfer from a 24 fps Sync X Setup
film projector to NTSC video would necessitate
the projector running at 23.976 fps. This is regard-
For complete information on configuring
less of whether the session is using pull down au-
Sync X using the Session Setup window, see
dio or not.
the Pro Tools | Sync X Guide.

1356 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clock Ref (Sample Rate Lock)
Select the Clock Reference Source for Sample
Rate Lock, both for Pro Tools and any connected
external devices. Depending on the selected
source, Sync X will either generate clock signal (if
Internal is selected), or it will lock to the incoming
clock signal from the selected external device
(such as if Word Clock is selected).

When the Clock Ref: Source is set to 10 MHz SYNC Setup

in the Session Setup, and Video Ref: Source is
set to Internal, the video reference signal that For complete information on configuring
is generated from the Sync X is relative to the SYNC HD using the Session Setup window,
incoming 10 mHz clock. see the SYNC HD Guide.

Video Ref (Frame Edge Lock) Clock Reference

Select the Video Reference Source and Format for This menu lets you set the Pro Tools clock refer-
video Frame Edge Lock in Pro Tools, and external ence.
devices and outputs connected to the Sync X
 When using a SYNC HD, the Clock Reference
VIDEO REF GEN ports.
selector lists all supported clock types.
When using HDX or HD Native systems with-
Positional Reference 

out a SYNC HD, choices include any currently-en-

Select the appropriate Positional Reference Format abled digital format or source available from your
for incoming timecode. If Sync X is generating Avid HD audio interface (such as AES, S/PDIF, or
timecode, this setting reads Generate and other op- Word arriving at an HD audio interface Word
tions are not available. Clock In port).

Positional Reference
SYNC Setup in the Session
Setup Window Sets the timecode source for Pro Tools to use for
positional reference.
(HDX and HD Native Systems with a SYNC HD
Only)
Video Ref Format
The controls in the SYNC Setup section of the Ses-
sion Setup window let you configure SYNC HD Sets the video reference format for the SYNC HD.
settings, including clock reference, positional ref-
erence, video reference format, video input format, Video In Format
and Variable Speed Override (VSO).
Indicates the expected format at the Video In con-
nector on the SYNC HD (SD format only).

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1357

 VSO (Variable Speed External Timecode Offsets in
Override) the Session Setup Window
When using the Internal Clock Source with Sync X
or SYNC HD, you can enable VSO (variable speed External Timecode Offsets
override) and adjust the slider to fine-tune the In the External Offsets section, Pro Tools lets you
speed (and pitch) of Pro Tools or any device clock- compensate for devices that are consistently offset
ing to Sync X or SYNC HD. VSO is available at by a fixed number of frames (such as some color–
any positional reference setting, but only when corrected video masters), or for material that starts
Clock Ref Source is set to Internal. If timecode is at a different time than the session.
being generated while using VSO, the frame rate
of the generated timecode varies proportionally to Pro Tools provides four different types of External
VSO changes (sample rate). Offset settings depending on which and whether or
not you are using a synchronization peripheral.
VSO with HD MADI
These offsets include:
When using VSO with Sync X or SYNC HD, and • MMC (MIDI Machine Control)
HD MADI, it is possible to exceed the available
MADI stream bandwidth. When VSO exceeds the • 9-PIN (Deck Control with a synchronization pe-
maximum frequency for the current nominal sam- ripheral only)
ple rate, audio drops out. The maximum frequency • LTC (Sync X Only) or Sync (SYNC HD or other
for VSO at each nominal sample rate is listed in the MTC peripherals only).
following table. • Satellite (Satellite Link)
Varispeed maximum sample rate limits with HD MADI
Unique values can be defined for each of these
Nominal Channel Maximum types of offsets, or you can link all to adjust in uni-
sample rate Count Frequency son.
44.1/48 kHz 64 48.8 kHz
Positive and negative offset values can be entered
44.1/48 kHz 56 55.6 kHz to offset Pro Tools timecode display later or ear-
lier, respectively.
88.2/96 kHz 32 97.5 kHz

88.2/96 kHz 28 111.5 kHz

Additional options for External Offsets are avail-
able when using MachineControl with
176.4/192 kHz 16 194.9 kHz Pro Tools Ultimate software (see Chapter 61,
176.4/192 kHz 14 223.0 kHz
“Pro Tools | MachineControl”).

1358 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To redefine the External Timecode offsets:
Timecode Settings in the
Choose Setup > External Timecode Offset.
1
Session Setup Window

Freewheel
The choices in the Freewheel section let you con-
figure how Pro Tools will freewheel, or continue
playback if timecode is interrupted or corrupted.
Redefine External Timecode Offset dialog Use these options to protect against errors that can
occur if your timecode source has “drop outs” or
2 In the Redefine External Timecode Offset temporary lost signals.
dialog, enter the offset you want in the Desired
Timecode Position field. None The minimum 4 frames of freewheel is ap-
plied when chasing LTC, VTIC, or Serial Time-
3 Click OK. code. No freewheel is applied with MTC.
LTC Sample Offset (Sync X) or Sample Offset Frames Sets a number of frames to freewheel,
(Sync HD) from 4 to 40 frames. This value defaults to 8
This field lets you enter an offset in samples (+/–) frames, which is the recommended setting for most
to fine-tune the point at which Pro Tools synchro- applications.
nizes relative to incoming Timecode: LTC with Jam Sync Lets Pro Tools trigger synchronization
Sync X, or LTC or VITC with SYNC HD. to incoming timecode, and continue to play back
Use this to compensate for timing differences be- even if timecode input is completely interrupted. It
tween various Timecode converters or analog-to- can be useful if timecode is damaged, or has been
digital/digital-to-analog converters. For example, accidentally erased from your source tape.
a value of –50 makes an event in Pro Tools occur
50 samples before the same event in incoming Pull Up/Down
LTC. This does not apply to synchronization for
Pro Tools Ultimate lets you “pull up” or “pull
Satellite systems.
down” the current sample rate.
This field allows a range of plus or minus roughly
For more information on applying pull factors in
one frame's length in samples. For instance, if the
Pro Tools, see “Pull Up and Pull Down” on
session is at 48 kHz and the Timecode Rate is 24
page 1362.
FPS, the range is +/–2002 samples (1 frame).
Pull up and pull down are applied differently
in different workflows. Make sure you check
each project’s specific workflow before you
begin your work.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1359

 3 Enter the Timecode Freewheel Frames (if any)
Preparing to Work with in the designated box (see “Freewheel” on
Timecode page 1359).
The first step when preparing to work with Time-
code is to choose an appropriate Timecode frame Setting a Session Start Time
rate. Pro Tools supports all standard frame rates. If (Start Frame)
you are working with timecode striped tape, it is
The Session Setup window lets you set a Session
important to know the frame rate. A synchroniza-
Start frame for your session. Video work tapes are
tion peripheral is useful for this.
rarely striped beginning at a Timecode frame ad-
dress of 00:00:00:00. You can quickly enter a start
time for your session based on an appropriate
Configuring Pro Tools for frame number from your project tape. The
Timecode Pro Tools Timecode-related functions (such as
Synchronization and MachineControl system set- Spot mode) will then use this value as their refer-
tings are enabled in the Pro Tools Peripherals dia- ence for the session’s start point.
log (Setup > Peripherals). These settings are sys-
Start Time When Striping Tape
tem settings, and remain constant regardless of the
particular session you are working on. Configure If you are generating timecode, it is a good practice
these settings before opening a session. to stripe your timecode beginning at 01:00:00:00
(subtracting time for the head format, such as ini-
MachineControl is only supported on HDX
tial black, bars and tone, or logos). This prevents
and HD Native systems with a synchronization
problems that can occur with some synchronizers
peripheral.
when the striped timecode crosses from
Other settings are configured in the Session Setup 23:59:59:29 to 00:00:00:00 (commonly referred to
window, such as the session Timecode Rate, the as the “midnight” boundary).
Feet+Frames Rate, the Session Start frame, and
To set a Timecode Start Time for your session:
time display format. These settings are session-
specific settings. These settings can only be con- 1 Choose Setup > Session.
figured when a session is open. 2 Enter a Timecode frame number in the Session
Start field.
Selecting a Timecode Format
To capture an incoming Timecode address as the
To choose a Timecode Format: session start time:

1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session. 1 Click in the Session Start field.
2 Choose a frame rate (format) from the Time- 2 Begin playback of the timecode source.
code Rate selector.
3 At the location where you want to capture the
incoming value, press Equal (=) in the numeric
keypad.

1360 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Press Enter to accept the value. You can then To set a relative frame position for a session
edit the captured address. The session uses the (Feet+Frames):
frame number you enter as its Timecode start 1 With the Selector tool, click in a track (or make
frame when online. a selection) where you want to redefine the po-
• If there are existing clips on the tracks and sition.
you are changing the original Timecode start
If your insertion or selection is not on a grid
frame to a later time (from 00:00:00:00 to
boundary, it will round to the closest boundary.
01:00:00:00, for example), all existing clips
on tracks will remain in their relative posi- 2 Choose Setup > Current Feet+Frames Position.
tions, 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 exist,
a warning dialog appears when you press En-
ter. Choose from one of two options:

Maintain Timecode Places the additional session Redefine Current Feet+Frames Position dialog
time at the start of the session, and keeps existing
3 Enter a Feet+Frame position to correspond to
clips in their original timecode locations.
the timecode shown in the dialog.
Maintain Relative Position Places the additional 4 Click OK.
session time at the start of the session, and main-
tains the relative position of existing clips to the
new start frame. For example, if you change the Redefining a Timecode Position
session start frame from 01:00:00:00 to Use the Current Timecode Position command to
00:59:00:00, Pro Tools adds one minute of session redefine the current timecode position and session
time to accommodate the new start frame, and start time. By creating an insertion point (or selec-
moves all existing clips earlier in time to maintain tion), and then entering the new timecode position
their relative position to the start frame. for that location, the session start time will be re-
calculated based on the new, relative Timecode lo-
Redefining a Feet+Frames cation.
Position
To redefine a current Timecode code position:
Use the Current Feet+Frames command to rede-
1 With the Selector tool, click in a track (or make
fine the Feet+Frames position at the current inser-
a selection) where you want to redefine the po-
tion point. The session start time is recalculated
sition.
based on the new, relative Feet+Frames location.
If your insertion or selection is not on a
Typically, this command is used for integrating
grid boundary, it will round to the closest
test tones, pre-roll, Academy leader, and similar
boundary.
pre-program material into Pro Tools sessions. Re-
defining Feet+Frames does not redefine the ses-
sion start time.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1361

 2 Choose Setup > Current Timecode Position.
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 cap-
tured into the session).
Redefine Current Timecode Position dialog
4% pull-up and pull-down designations are ap-
3 Enter a new Timecode frame number in the di- proximations. The exact percentage is obtained by
alog to correspond to the timecode shown in the evaluating the fractions 25/24 (pull-up) and 24/25
dialog. (pull-down) using the session sample rate.
4 Click OK. While Sync X or a SYNC HD is not required in or-
der to use the extended pull up and down options
Displaying Time in Timecode provided in Pro Tools, Sync X and SYNC HD are
Frames the only devices that can be controlled from within
Pro Tools that recall and restore pull factors auto-
In Pro Tools, you can set the Main Time Scale to
matically when a session opens. Other synchroni-
Timecode and this will be displayed in the Main
zation peripherals must be configured manually.
Counter. Though Pro Tools will still synchronize
to incoming Timecode if the Time Scale is dis- Pull up and pull down settings do not affect
played in Bars|Beats, Minutes:Seconds, or timecode generated by SYNC HD.
Feet.Frames, it is usually more useful to use Time-
code as your reference. Configuring Pull Up and Pull
Down
To set the Main Time Scale to Timecode, do one of
the following: To pull up or pull down audio or video:
 Choose View > Rulers > Timecode. 1 Choose Setup > Session.
 Click the Main Counter selector in the Edit win- Press Command+2 (Mac) or Control+2
dow and select Timecode. (Windows) to open the Session Setup window.
Pro Tools displays timecode values in the cur-
2 From the Timecode Settings section of the Ses-
rently selected Timecode frame rate.
sion Setup window, select a Pull Up/Down
Sub Counter and Sub Time Scale Display Rate.

You can display a Sub Time Scale in the Sub

Counter. For example, if the Main Time Scale is
set to Timecode, and you want to compare Time-
code to “wall clock,” when you are using 29.97
Non-Drop frame rate, click the Sub Counter selec- Session Setup window
tor and select Min:Secs as the Sub Time Scale.

1362 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Audio Rate Pull Up/Down Controls the audio sam- This setting is latching, is not enabled by default,
ple rate. See “Audio Sample Rate Pull Up and and its state is stored with the session.
Down” on page 1363.

Video Rate Pull Up/Down Controls the video rate. Example of Auto Match Pull
See “Video Frame Rate Pull Up and Down” on Factors
page 1364. The Auto Match Pull Factors option links audio and
video pull factors when changing session frame
The choices available in these menus are deter-
rate. For example, assume a Pro Tools session is
mined by the session frame rate and sample rate.
set to a frame rate of 25 fps, the audio and video are
Combinations can be applied by choosing from
both playing with no pull ups, and Auto Match Pull
both menus.
Factors is enabled.
The choices available in these menus are also de-
If you then change the session Frame Rate to
termined by the Preferences and the Auto Match
24 fps, both the Audio and Video Rate Pull set-
Pull Factors option in the Timecode Rate menu.
tings would change by –4.0% (the appropriate pull
See “Extended Pull Up and Pull Down Preference
setting required by the change in frame rate).
and Session Setup Controls” on page 1363 and
“Auto Match Pull Factors” on page 1363. Auto Match-enabled pull factors are applied to any
existing Audio Rate Pull Up/Down or Video Rate
Extended Pull Up and Pull Down Pull Up/Down settings.
Preference and Session Setup
Controls For example, if audio was already being pulled –
0.1% when you changed the session Frame Rate
The Audio Rate Pull Up/Down setting offers all from 29.97 to 24 fps, then the Audio Rate Pull
possible combinations of pull ups and pull downs Up/Down menu would switch to None.
for the audio sample rate, regardless of the session
frame rate.
Audio Sample Rate Pull Up and
Down
Auto Match Pull Factors
The Audio Rate Pull Up/Down setting applies pull
The Auto Match Pull Factors option is available up or down factors to session audio record and
from the session Timecode Rate menu in the Ses- playback. All pull rates are available, regardless of
sion Setup window. When Auto Match Pull Factors session frame rate.
is enabled, Pro Tools adjusts audio and video play-
back rates as needed to match any changes to the See also “Auto Match Pull Factors” on
current session Timecode Rate. page 1363.

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 unsupported amount, the
video remains unaffected.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1363

 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): Note that not all pull up and pull down rates are available with Sync X
or SYNC HD at 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz sample rates.

Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Settings

Pull Sample Rate

Up/Down 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000

+4.1667% 45983 50050 91967 100100 N/A N/A

and +0.1%

+4.1667% 45938 50000 91875 100000 N/A N/A

+4.1667% 45892 49950 91783 99900 N/A N/A

and –0.1%

+0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192

–0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808

–4.0% and 42378 46126 84757 92252 N/A N/A

+0.1%

–4.0% 42336 46080 84672 92160 N/A N/A

–4.0% and – 42294 46034 84587 92068 N/A N/A

0.1%

Video Frame Rate Pull Up and Down

The Video Pull Up/Down setting lets you change the frame rate of video playback independently from the
audio pull up/down rate. Note that video pull rates are saved with the session.

See also “Auto Match Pull Factors” on page 1363.

The choices available for Video Rate Pull Up/Down depend on the file format and frame rate of the video,
and whether or not you are using video hardware.

With no video hardware, Pro Tools supports 0.1% pull up and pull down at all project frame rates when
monitoring video in the Pro Tools Video window.

1364 Pro Tools Reference Guide

However, when monitoring with video hardware, certain frame rates only support pull in certain directions
(as follows):
• 23pNTSC can only pull up by 0.1%
• 24pNTSC can only pull down by 0.1%
• 24pPAL can only pull up by 4%
• 25pPAL can only pull down by 4%

Video Rates and Pull Up/Down Options

The following table summarizes which pull up or pull down rate is supported with hardware (both hard-
ware and software) or only in the Pro Tools Video window (software only) for each engine frame rate and
raster size. Note that some pull up and down rates are not supported at all for certain project frame rates.

Project rates and supported pull up and pull down with or without hardware

Engine Engine 4% pull

1% pull up 1% pull down 4% pull up
Frame Rate Raster Size down

23.976 Any software only * software only N/A N/A

24 Any software only software only * N/A N/A

25 Any software only software only N/A N/A

29.97 Any software only * software only N/A N/A

30i Any software only software only * N/A N/A

47.952 Any software only * software only N/A N/A

48 Any software only software only * N/A N/A

50 Any software only software only N/A N/A

59.94 Any software only * software only N/A N/A

60 Any software only software only * N/A N/A

100 Any software only software only N/A N/A

119.88 Any software only * software only N/A N/A

120 Any software only software only * N/A N/A

23.976 NTSC both hardware software only * N/A N/A

and software *

24 NTSC software only both hardware N/A N/A

and software *

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1365

 Project rates and supported pull up and pull down with or without hardware

Engine Engine 4% pull

1% pull up 1% pull down 4% pull up
Frame Rate Raster Size down

24 PAL software only software only both N/A

hardware and
software *

25 PAL software only software only N/A both

hardware and
software *

* Suggested pull rates for any given project frame rates appear highlighted in the Video Rate Pull Up /Down
selector.

Effect of Using Pull Up or Pull Putting Pro Tools Online

Down
To trigger playback or recording from an external
This topic describes how related Pro Tools fea- source, the Pro Tools Transport must be placed
tures are affected by pull up and down rates. online. This tells Pro Tools to listen for incoming
timecode.
Video Pull Up and Pull Down and
To put the Pro Tools Transport online, do one of
Timecode Ruler the following:
Video pull up and down does not affect the Time-  Choose Options > Transport Online.
code ruler. Be sure to set the session Frame Rate to
the correct frame rate for your project. For exam-  Click the Online button in the Transport.
ple, if working with 24 fps video and you pull the
Press Command+J (Mac) or Control+J
video up by 4%, switch the session Frame Rate to
(Windows) to put the Transport Online.
25 fps to keep the Timecode ruler aligned. Simi-
larly, if working with 24 fps video that is pulled
down by 0.1%, switch the frame rate of the session
to 23.976. When working with 25 fps Avid media
and the video is set to pull down by 4%, set the ses-
sion Frame Rate to 24 fps. Clicking the Online button in the Transport

The Online button flashes while Pro Tools waits

Plug-Ins and Pull Up and Pull for a Timecode frame to trigger playback. When
Down timecode is received, playback begins and the On-
For proper operation at larger (4%) pull rates, line button becomes highlighted. The Edit Selec-
plug-ins must utilize sample clock instead of an tion indicators in the Edit window, and the Incom-
absolute time clock. All Pro Tools audio plug-ins ing Time field in the Session Setup window
are based on sample clock. display the incoming timecode.

1366 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To take Pro Tools offline, do one of the following:

 Deselect Options > Transport Online.

 Deselect the Online button in the Transport
window.

Selecting the MTC Generator Port

Recording Online
3 From the Transport Window menu (or the Edit
The Operation Preferences page contains two op-
Window menu), select Synchronization.
tions that affect how Pro Tools initiates recording
when online. 4 Click the Gen MTC button so that it highlights.

Record Online at Timecode (or ADAT)

Lock Makes online recording begin as soon as
Pro Tools receives and locks to timecode or
ADAT sync. In this case, you do not need to make
an insertion or selection in a track to designate a
start point.
Transport, Gen MTC enabled
Record Online at Insertion/Selection Makes on-
5 Start playback.
line recording begin wherever you have placed the
insertion point in a track. Recording then continues To generate timecode using Sync X or a SYNC HD:
until Pro Tools stops receiving timecode. If you
make a Timeline selection, Pro Tools will record 1 Connect the Sync X or SYNC HD LTC Out to
online only for the length of the selection. the Timecode in connector on the devices you
want to follow Pro Tools. If you are synchroniz-
ing a device that recognizes MTC, connect the
MTC OUT connector of Sync X or SYNC HD
Generating Timecode to the MIDI IN connector of the external device.
Using Sync X or a SYNC HD, Pro Tools can gen-
2 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals and
erate LTC and MIDI Timecode (MTC). Without
click the Synchronization tab.
Sync X or a SYNC HD, Pro Tools can only gener-
ate MTC. Other devices can be configured to fol- 3 In the Synchronization Device section of the
low Pro Tools generated timecode. Synchronization page, select Enable SYNC
Peripheral.
To generate MIDI Timecode from Pro Tools without
a synchronization peripheral: 4 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.

1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the 5 Choose Setup > Session, and choose the appro-
Synchronization tab. priate frame rate for the Timecode Rate setting.

2 From the MTC Generator Port setting, select the 6 In the Sync X or Sync Setup section of the Ses-
MIDI output port on which you want to transmit sion Setup window, choose a clock reference
MIDI Timecode (MTC). from the Clock Reference selector. Not all clock
choices are available at all sample rates. See
“External Clock Sources” on page 1355.)

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1367

 7 From the Transport Window menu (or the Edit rate that does not match the video signal, the frame
Window Toolbar menu), select Synchroniza- edges in the Pro Tools session (and the frame
tion. edges of the timecode you are generating) will not
be aligned with the video frame edges.
8 Enable GEN LTC to generate both Linear Time-
code and MIDI Timecode. If you change timecode rates in the middle of a
session, many LTC/VITC-to-MIDI Timecode
Neither Sync X or SYNC HD will output
converters need to be turned off and turned on
MTC if only GEN MTC is enabled. Both
again to recognize the new frame rate.
Sync X and SYNC HD always output MTC
when generating LTC, so enable GEN LTC
to output MTC. For more information, see
the Pro Tools | Sync X Guide or the SYNC
Using MIDI Machine Control
HD Guide. Pro Tools provides the capability to transmit loca-
tion information to external devices and to control
their transports using MIDI Machine Control
(MMC).

Controlling External Devices

Using MMC
Transport window, Synchronization options shown Any device that supports MMC can be controlled
directly from within Pro Tools, with either the de-
Press Command+Control+J (Mac) or vice or Pro Tools acting as clock master.
Control+Start+J (Windows) to enable
(or disable) Generate LTC (GEN LTC). The external devices supported by Pro Tools im-
plement “open loop” communications only. Be-
9 Start playback. cause of this, while Pro Tools is the Transport
Master, any direct operation of the receiving de-
Pro Tools generates and outputs timecode from vice’s transport will not be communicated back to
Sync X or SYNC HD. Pro Tools. Instead, you can use the Transport pop-
up to select the external device (MMC in the pop-
Limitations for Synchronization up) and use the Pro Tools on-screen transport con-
with Video Input or Video trols to drive the device.
Reference
Pro Tools does not support remote track arming of
Sync X and SYNC HD can generate timecode at MMC-controlled external devices. You need to
any frame rate when locked to Video Reference manually arm tracks for recording on the external
(Sync X and SYNC HD) or Video In (SYNC HD device.
only), regardless of the frame rate of the incoming
video reference signal. However, with SYNC HD Pro Tools Ultimate with MachineControl
if you choose to generate timecode using a frame option supports remote track arming for
Sony 9-pin and V-LAN enabled devices.
See “Remote Track Arming” on page 1372.

1368 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Enabling MIDI Machine
Control in Pro Tools

Pro Tools as MMC Master

When Pro Tools is the Master, it sends MMC com-
mands to external devices and receives MTC infor-
mation back.

To control an external device using MIDI Machine

Control with Pro Tools: Selecting the MIDI Out port for MMC
1 Connect a MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools 9 Set the MMC ID number for which this infor-
MIDI interface to an appropriate port on the ex- mation will be sent in the “ID” field.
ternal device.
MMC commands contain an ID number to identify
2 Connect the MTC out from the external device
which machine should respond to the MMC com-
to a MIDI In port on your Pro Tools MIDI Inter-
mand. There are 128 MMC ID numbers, from 0–
face.
127. The default of ID #127 is a special setting that
3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals and transmits to all 128 MMC IDs. With a setting of
click the Synchronization tab. 127, Pro Tools will transmit MMC commands to
all MMC IDs.
4 Deselect the Enable SYNC HD option if it is se-
lected. 10 Set a pre-roll time for the external MMC device.
Pre-roll is needed to provide the device with
5 From the MTC Reader Port pop-up menu, select
sufficient time to lock to the timecode transmit-
the MIDI In port to which the external device is
ted by Pro Tools. This value will vary depend-
connected (the source of MTC information
ing on the external device. If the pre-roll time is
from external devices).
insufficient, the device may not be ready to lock
6 Click the Machine Control tab in the Peripherals until after the current timecode position has
dialog. passed.
7 In the MIDI Machine Control (Master) section, 11 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
select Enable.
12 In the Pro Tools Transport window, Right-click
8 In the MIDI Machine Control Master section, the Online button and select Transport > MMC.
select the MIDI Out port to which the external
device is connected from the pop-up menu.

Selecting Transport > MMC

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1369

 Pro Tools will now be able to control the selected 8 Click the Machine Control tab in the Peripherals
device’s transport and act as the clock master. dialog.
13 To have the Pro Tools transport chase the play- 9 In the MIDI Machine Control Remote section,
back location of the external MMC device, click select Enable.
the Online button in the Transport window so
10 Set the MMC ID number (channel) on which
that it flashes blue.
this information will be received in the “ID”
field.
Pro Tools Following MMC
11 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
When Pro Tools is configured to follow MMC, it
receives MMC commands from the master device Pro Tools will now respond to MMC commands
and sends MTC information back to the external from the external device.
MMC device.
Operating MMC Devices with the
In order for Pro Tools to receive MMC Pro Tools Transport
commands, the MMC source must be
enabled in the MIDI Input Enable dialog. You can use the Pro Tools Transport window as
For more information, see “Enabling Input the remote controller for all your enabled devices
Devices” on page 580 (such as a nonlinear video deck). To do so, set the
enabled devices to listen to the address you enter
To control Pro Tools using an external device for MMC. The Transport window will then drive
using MIDI Machine Control: the Pro Tools transport and any other devices fol-
1 Connect a MIDI In port on your Pro Tools MIDI lowing MMC.
interface to an appropriate port on the master
device. To control external devices from the Pro Tools
Transport:
2 Connect a MIDI Out port on your Pro Tools
 Right-click the Online button in the Transport
MIDI Interface to the MTC in port on the mas-
and select either Pro Tools or MMC. The se-
ter device.
lected deck will act as Transport Master.
3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session.
4 In the Timecode Settings section of the Session
Setup window, select Using MTC.
5 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click the Syn-
chronization tab.

6 Deselect the Enable SYNC HD option if it is se- Selecting the Transport Master
lected.
• When the Transport Master is set to
7 From the MTC Generator Port pop-up menu, se- Pro Tools, the playback position is governed
lect the MIDI Out port to which the master de- by the on-screen cursor in Pro Tools.
vice is connected (this the destination of MTC • When the Transport Master is set to MMC, the
information from Pro Tools). playback position is governed by the external
device’s play position.

1370 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To bring a device back online, click and reselect it
MMC Transport Settings in the Online pop-up menu.
When using MMC, you can set the following op-
The Online pop-up menu will only display de-
tions for machine transport behavior in the Syn-
vices that have been properly set up in
chronization Preferences page.
Pro Tools. To set up MIDI devices, see “En-
Machine Chases Memory Location When se- abling MIDI Machine Control in Pro Tools”
lected, navigating to a specific location in a session on page 1369. To set up machine devices, see
with a Memory Location causes a connected trans- Chapter 61, “Pro Tools | MachineControl.”
port to chase to that location.

Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub When se- Setting Minimum Sync Delay
lected, navigating to a specific location in a session
by moving the selection point or by scrubbing a Lock-up time delay is the initial amount of prime
track causes a connected transport to chase to that time your system’s devices need to achieve syn-
location. chronization “lock.” This amount varies for each
device. Pro Tools lock up delay is set by entering a
value for Minimum Sync Delay in the Synchroniza-
Taking a Device Offline tion preferences. The lowest value available is 0
Use the Transport Online Right-click menu to take frames. Find the shortest possible lock-up time that
a MIDI (or Machine) device offline. your equipment can operate at consistently, and set
this as the Minimum Sync Delay. On systems utiliz-
To take a device offline: ing MachineControl, enabling the Use Serial
1 Click the Transport Master selector. Timecode setting in the Session Setup window will
make machines lock up much faster. (Serial time-
2 In the Transport, click on the Online pop-up code requires both the synchronization peripheral
menu and deselect the device (Machine or and external devices to be locked to house video
MIDI). Device choices depend on the current reference.)
Transport Master and which devices have been
set up in Pro Tools. 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.

Deselecting Online > MMC

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1371

 Configuring Minimum Sync Delay for External
MMC Devices Locked to House Sync Spotting Clips to Timecode
Frame Locations
When controlling a house-synced device from
Pro Tools through MMC, the device will first lock Spotting is the process of assigning music and
to the MMC location and then align the color fram- sound cues to specific Timecode frame locations in
ing. Within house sync code are 4 frames for en- a film or video. This function can be used to spot:
suring color frame lock. If the minimum synchro- • Entire clips, selected with the Time Grabber
nization setup time is less than the time required to tool. Multiple clips can also be selected, and
achieve both location and color frame lock, play- Pro Tools will reference the first clip in your
back will begin before the device has aligned the selection.
color frames. In this scenario, you should set the
• A specific location within a clip, by clicking
Minimum Sync Delay to be more than the time re-
with the Selector tool at that location, and choos-
quired for color frame lock. This is not a problem
ing Clip > Identify Sync Point.
with a synchronization peripheral, which will drop
out of lock until the color frame is locked. • Sessions or tracks, dragged from a browser to
the session Timeline or Clips List.

Remote Track Arming Spot Mode

Pro Tools Ultimate software with MachineControl In Spot mode, a clip in a track can be quickly spot-
lets you remotely arm tracks on supported 9-pin ted by simply clicking it with the Time Grabber
decks. Without MachineControl, Pro Tools does tool.
not support remote track arming of external de-
You can also drag a clip from a Workspace
vices. MachineControl lets Pro Tools control or re-
browser, or from the Clips List, to a track while in
spond to external Sony 9-pin machines, in addition
Spot mode.
to providing remote track arming from within
Pro Tools.

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 Chapter 61,
“Pro Tools | MachineControl.”

1372 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Use Subframes Option
The Spot Dialog
A subframe is 1/100th of a frame. The Use Sub-
The Spot dialog appears when you drag a clip to a frames option enables you to use these smaller
track or click a clip with the Time Grabber tool in units for greater accuracy. This command adds an
Spot mode. The numeric fields function as both additional time field in the Timecode hours:min-
data displays and editing controls for the currently utes:seconds:frames box, which appears as the far
selected clips. right time field when enabled. Use a Period (.) to
Information in these fields is displayed in Time- separate subframe values from whole frames.
code, Minutes:Seconds, Feet.Frames, Samples, or
Bars|Beats, depending on which Time Scale for-
mat is selected.

Additional time field with “Use Subframes” enabled

Subframe measurements are not available in

Spot dialog the Current Time field.

A highlighted numeric field indicates the current

active field for numeric entry editing. Entering a Capturing Timecode
value in a field allows you to move a selected ele-
ment to the time location that you enter. The Start, Pro Tools also lets you capture frame locations on
Sync Point, and End fields are accessible when the the fly in the Spot dialog by pressing the Equal
Time Grabber tool is active. Only the Start or End key, or by clicking the Current Timecode button
(depending on where you click the mouse) and Du- while valid timecode is being received by
ration fields are active when one of the Trim tools Pro Tools. With VITC (SYNC HD only), you can
is active (see “Using the Trim Tools in Spot Mode” accurately capture a paused or crawling VTR’s
on page 1375). Timecode location.

To increase or decrease Timecode values in When Timecode is selected for the Time Scale,
the Spot dialog by a specific number of pressing the Equal key captures the incoming time-
frames, press Plus (+) or Minus (–) on the code. When Bars|Beats is selected for the Time
numeric keypad, enter a number, and press Scale, pressing the Equal key will capture to the
the Enter key. nearest measure.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1373

 Although Capture Timecode works with free-run- 6 If you recorded the clip while online, you can
ning Linear Timecode (LTC) or VITC, frame use the Original Time Stamp button to recall and
numbers of a paused frame can only be captured enter the Timecode frame location at which the
with VITC. clip was originally recorded. You can also ac-
cess a user-defined Time Stamp by clicking the
SYNC HD can read VITC. With MachineControl User Time Stamp button. See “Time Stamping”
and either Sync X or a SYNC HD, you can also on page 1375 for more information.
read serial timecode.
7 Click OK to close this dialog. The clip spots to
To use Remote mode with MachineControl, the chosen Timecode frame location. When the
you will need an approved serial port. For a session is online, this frame number will trigger
complete list of currently approved ports, visit playback of the clip.
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/
compatibility/en352813.

To spot a clip to a specific Timecode frame:

Auto-Spotting Clips
1 Enable Spot mode. The Pro Tools Auto-Spot Clips option simplifies
the task of spotting clips even further. If you are
2 Set the Main Time Scale to Timecode. (See using VITC (SYNC HD only) with this option en-
“Setting a Session Start Time (Start Frame)” on abled, or MachineControl, you can pause your
page 1360.) video at an appropriate Timecode frame location,
3 Identify the Timecode frame location where click a clip with the Time Grabber tool, and the
you want to trigger playback of your clip by clip will be automatically spotted to the current
pausing your video deck on that frame. timecode location.

4 With the Time Grabber tool, click a clip in a You can also use MachineControl’s serial time-
track, or in the Clips List, and drag it into a code ability to auto-spot by enabling MachineCon-
track. The Spot dialog appears. trol and enabling serial timecode in the peripheral.
5 Enter the Timecode frame location by doing one To Auto-Spot a clip:
of the following:
1 Choose Options > Auto-Spot Clips.
• If you are using VITC, you can press the
Equal (=) key on the numeric keypad, or click 2 If you are using VITC, identify the Timecode
Current Timecode to enter a paused VTR’s frame location where you want to trigger play-
current Timecode location. back of your clip by pausing your video deck on
• If you are using LTC, when Timecode is se- that frame.
lected for the Time Scale, press the Equal (=) 3 Click the clip with the Time Grabber tool. The
key on the numeric keypad to capture the in- clip will be automatically spotted to the current
coming timecode. When Bars|Beats is se- timecode location (or machine location).
lected for the Time Scale, press the Equal key
to capture the nearest measure. Clicking a clip with any of the Trim tools will
allow you to trim the clip to the current time-
code location.

1374 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Show Original Timecode in Clips
Auto-spotted clips are spotted by their start
times, unless you have identified a Sync Point This command displays the original “time
(see “Identifying a Synchronization Point” stamped” Timecode locations in all clips currently
on page 1376). If the clip contains a Sync placed in tracks. This Timecode frame number
Point, the clip is spotted to it. represents the time at which the clip was originally
recorded online with Pro Tools, and does not nec-
essarily reflect the clip’s current Timecode loca-
Using the Trim Tools in Spot tion in a track.
Mode
To show (or hide) Original Time Stamps in clips:
You can use the Spot dialog to trim your clips, in-
 Select (or deselect) View > Clip > Original Time
cluding start/end/duration times and referencing
Stamp.
incoming timecode addresses. If you click a clip
with any of the Trim tools in Spot mode, the Spot
dialog will appear, allowing you to enter a value in Creating a User Time Stamp
the Start or End and Duration fields to specify ex-
If you want to create a separate user-defined Time-
actly where you want to trim the clip’s beginning
code time stamp, you can use the Time Stamp
or end. Use this to edit the length of a clip to corre-
command in the Clips List menu. This command
spond to a particular visual “hit point.”
lets you select a clip (or clips) and redefine its
Trimming a clip that contains a sync point (see Timecode time stamp. The Original Time Stamp
“Identifying a Synchronization Point” on and the User-Time Stamp are then stored with your
page 1376) does not affect the Timecode location session.
of the sync point, unless the clip is trimmed past
When audio is first recorded, the User Time Stamp
the sync point.
will match the Original Time Stamp, but you can
change the User Time Stamp at any time using the
Time Stamp command. This feature is particularly
Time Stamping useful in post production situations where the
Pro Tools time stamps every clip recorded online Timecode on video “work prints” often changes
with the original Timecode location at which audio from one edit revision to another.
was recorded. You can recall this original Time-
To time stamp a clip (or clips) with a new Timecode
code location for a clip by clicking the Original frame number:
Time Stamp button in the Spot dialog.
1 In a track, select the clip that you want to time
You can also spot a clip to a separate user-defined stamp.
time stamp, defined using the Time Stamp com-
2 From the Clips List menu, choose the Time
mand in the Clips List menu. Once the clip is time
Stamp command.
stamped using this command, you can click the
User Time Stamp button to re-spot a clip to its
user-defined Timecode location.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1375

 Identifying a Synchronization
Point
The Pro Tools Identify Sync Point command lets
you identify a specific point within a clip for audio
spotting purposes.

Imagine the following sound effects spotting sce-

nario: You have a single sound effect that consists
User Time Stamp dialog of a creaky door slamming shut, followed by a few
seconds of ambient reverberation. The slam por-
3 Enter a new Timecode location by doing one of tion of the effect—which you must precisely
the following: match to picture—occurs neither at the very begin-
• Enter the numbers manually (with the help of ning of the audio file nor at the very end. It is
the arrow keys). somewhere in the middle, making it tough to spot.
• To capture the incoming timecode address, In this scenario, use the Identify Sync Point com-
click the Current Timecode button (or press mand to create a point in the clip and synchronize
the Equal key). that point to a Timecode frame.
• To enter the start time of the current on-screen For more information on Sync Points, see
selection, click the Current Selection button. “Sync Points” on page 951.
4 Click OK.
To create a sync point in a clip:
This command can be used in “batch mode” to set 1 Do one of the following:
new time stamps for several clips at a time. To do • Click with the Selector tool at the point in the
this, select several clips and choose the Time clip that you want to synchronize to a Time-
Stamp command. One after another, a dialog will code frame location.
open for each clip, allowing you to quickly enter
• Press the Down Arrow key while playing
new values.
back.
Once entered, the user time stamps can be dis- 2 Choose Clip > Identify Sync Point. The current
played in all clips currently placed in tracks. Timecode location is automatically entered as
the Timecode location for the sync point. A
To show (or hide) User Time Stamps in clips:
small down arrow appears at the bottom of the
 Select (or deselect) View > Clip > User Time clip, with a vertical, light gray line indicating
Stamp. the location of the sync point.

Sync Point in an audio clip

1376 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 This convention provides compatibility for your
Troubleshooting Timecode tape between the record and playback passes, and
Synchronization when it is played back in other facilities on differ-
If you are having problems getting Timecode syn- ent equipment. This also means that when playing
chronization to work properly, you can trouble- back a tape striped with timecode, the playback
shoot your system and solve common problems. deck should be resolved to the same synchroniza-
tion rate as the record deck was resolved to at the
time of the striping. When you stripe timecode us-
Stripe Timecode Before You ing an audio transport, it should be “free-running”
Record
and unresolved, but should be resolved with a
All tapes in your setup (both audio and video) must house sync-referenced synchronizer during play-
be striped with Timecode before any audio is re- back.
corded onto them or to Pro Tools. If tapes aren’t
striped, your system may seem to work, but syn- Know the True Frame Rate on
chronization will never properly occur. The ma- Your Media
chines and Pro Tools will drift farther and farther
apart the longer they run. If you get your media from a production company
instead of recording them yourself, be absolutely
The same problem occurs when audio is recorded sure that they indicate the Timecode frame rate
into Pro Tools without a resolved Timecode source used on the tape correctly. Several timecode for-
(for example, if it was recorded before the current mats use the same frame count (such as 23.976 fps
session). The audio cannot be accurately synchro- and 24 fps) yet they run at slightly different frame
nized with an analog tape recorder or video tape rates per second.
deck, since the Pro Tools audio was not recorded
referenced to the Timecode from the analog tape A synchronization peripheral (and some third-
deck or video tape deck. party products) can be used to help determine
frame rate.

Resolve All Components of Your

System 29.97 fps Non-Drop Rate Not
Recognized
When striping timecode, make sure that the time-
code generator and the video record deck are re- 29.97 fps Non-Drop is a slightly slower version of
solved to the same crystal reference. For example, 30 fps Non-Drop timecode. When 29.97 fps Non-
when striping 29.97 Drop Frame timecode onto a Drop is used with color video, each video frame
VTR, both the Timecode generator and the VTR matches up with each Timecode frame without
should be resolved to the same “black burst” or having to use a drop-frame coding. This makes any
house sync generator. During playback, the master frame number mathematics much simpler, since no
deck should be resolved to “black burst” or house frame numbers are dropped.
sync.

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1377

 Some hardware and software devices do not recog- Disabling Avid Audio Sever to
nize 29.97 Non-Drop as a separate frame rate. For Prevent Clock Disruptions with
example, any standard LTC/VITC-to MTC-con- Sync X or Sync HD
verter does not explicitly recognize it. You must (Mac Only)
set the converter to expect 30 fps Non-Drop in-
When you quit Pro Tools, the Loop Master changes
stead. In fact, many devices that read Timecode
from Sync X or Sync HD to the primary audio in-
work acceptably by reading 29.97 Non-Drop if
terface in the system, and the HDX or HD Native
they are set to expect 30 fps Non-Drop.
Core Audio driver becomes the Clock Master for
Any Timecode reader that uses the timecode num- the primary audio interface in the system rather
bers to make real-time calculations (as Pro Tools than your Sync X or Sync HD. These changes may
does when it tries to trigger and synchronize to disrupt audio outputs of Loop Synced interfaces or
Timecode) also needs to know that the frame for- those following word clock generated by Sync X
mat is 29.97 and not 30 fps. Since Pro Tools al- or Sync HD. Disruptions are more significant if the
lows this choice of frame rate this does not really Core Audio driver is set to a different sample rate
pose a problem. The problem exists because many than Pro Tools. Once Pro Tools is relaunched, the
users cannot readily distinguish 29.97 from 30 fps. Loop Master and Clock Master revert to Sync X or
Sync HD.
Even though NTSC tapes only use 29.97, some
production companies will distribute video work To prevent the Loop Master and Clock Master from
prints striped with 29.97 fps but mark them as changing (thereby stabilizing the clock) when quit-
“30 fps NTSC,” by which they actually mean ing Pro Tools, disable the Avid Audio Server.
29.97 fps Non-Drop.
To disable Avid Audio Server:
By the time you get the tape, you may have no idea 1 Locate Avid Audio Server at
what’s actually on it. Feeding 29.97 Non-Drop to /Applications/Avid/AvidAudioServer.
Pro Tools when it is set for 30 fps Non-Drop will
result in timing errors of about 1.8 frames per min- 2 Rename Avid Audio Server (for example, re-
ute, causing audio playback to trigger out of sync. name it to “#AvidAudioServer”).
3 Reboot your computer.
Use a Consistent Clock Source
To revert to the default behavior, reinstall the
When possible, media files should be played back Avid HD Driver and reboot your computer.
using the same sync reference signal they were re-
corded with. This assures the closest match be-
tween record and playback sample rates.

1378 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Speed Correction for Film, NTSC Video, and PAL Video

faster
25 fps

x104.1667% up x96.0% down

(4% pull up) (4% pull down)

24 fps Telecine 30 fps

x100.1% up x99.9% down x100.1% up x99.9% down

(0.1% pull up) (0.1% pull down) (0.1% pull up) (0.1% pull down)

23.976 fps Telecine 29.97 fps

slower

same program speed, same program speed,

less frames per second more frames per second

Frame rates, telecine transfers, and relative playback speeds

Chapter 60: Working with Synchronization 1379

 Sample Rate Conversion Using Source Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Setting

From: To: Pull: Source Sample Rate

NTSC PAL +0.1% then 45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a
Video +4.1667%

Film PAL +4.1667% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a

NTSC Film +0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192

Video

Film NTSC –0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808

Video

PAL Film –4.0% 42336 46080 84672 92160 n/a n/a

PAL NTSC –4.0% then 42294 46034 84587 92068 n/a n/a
Video 0.1%

NTSC Video = 23.976/29.97 fps Destination Sample Rate

Film = 24/30 fps
PAL = 25 fps 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000

Sample Rate Conversion Using Destination Sample Rates at Pull Up and Pull Down Setting

NTSC Video = 23.976/29.97 fps Source Sample Rate

Film = 24/30 fps
PAL = 25 fps 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000

From: To: Pull: Destination Sample Rate

NTSC PAL +0.1% then 42294 46034 84587 92068 n/a n/a
Video +4.1667%

Film PAL +4.1667% 42336 46080 84672 92160 n/a n/a

NTSC Film +0.1% 44056 47952 88112 95904 176224 191808

Video

Film NTSC –0.1% 44144 48048 88288 96096 176576 192192

Video

PAL Film –4.0% 45938 50000 91875 100000 n/a n/a

PAL NTSC –4.0% then 45983 50050 91967 100100 n/a n/a
Video 0.1%

1380 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl

Pro Tools | MachineControl™ provides serial com- Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation
munication between Pro Tools and Sony® 9-pin Requirements
compatible synchronizers, and video or audio ma-
A synchronization peripheral is required when
chines.
running MachineControl 9-Pin Remote Deck Em-
ulation mode, as it provides frame-accurate LTC.

MachineControl Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation does not work

Requirements using the serial ports on a synchronization pe-
ripheral or using the Serial port on an HDX
MachineControl requires Pro Tools Ultimate soft-
card, HD Native card, or HD Native Thunder-
ware running on a Pro Tools | HDX or HD Native
bolt. Instead, you must connect the remote
system. A Pro Tools synchronization peripheral is
controller to your Pro Tools system using one
recommended.
of the methods detailed in “Connecting Ma-
chines for Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation
Serial Deck Control Mode Mode” on page 1384.
Requirements
For Tighter Lockups MachineControl Components
 For Serial Deck Control, use of a synchroniza- To use MachineControl with Pro Tools Ultimate
tion peripheral, such as Sync X or SYNC HD, is software you will need the following components
recommended. (sold separately), based on your operating system:

 For near sample accurate Serial Deck Control, a Mac Systems

synchronization peripheral is required.
• A supported USB serial adapter, such as the
 If you are not using a synchronization periph- Colin Broad 422 USB serial adapter
eral with Pro Tools, some features of MachineCon- • Serial Deck Control cable: Male 8-pin mini-DIN
trol can be used by connecting the deck to the to male 9-pin cable
computer with the proper cable and adapter config-
• Remote 9-pin Deck Emulation cable: Male 8-pin
uration.
mini-DIN to female 9-pin cable
See “Connecting Machines for
Serial Control Mode” on page 1383.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1381

 Windows Systems Windows Systems
• A supported USB serial adapter, such as the Serial Deck Control Cable RS-232 to RS-422
Colin Broad 422 USB serial adapter for comput- cable, for serial timecode and all other Machine-
ers without a COM port Control functions.
• Serial Deck Control cable: RS-232 to RS-422
Turnaround Adapter 9-pin adapter, used with
• 9-pin Turnaround adapter (for Remote 9-pin RS-232 to RS-422 cable, for Remote 9-Pin Deck
Deck Emulation mode) Emulation.

USB Serial Adapter A supported USB serial

Cables and Connections adapter, such as the Colin Broad 422 USB serial
adapter, is required for serial to USB connections
MachineControl requires its own connections be- on Windows computers without a COM port.
tween Pro Tools hardware, the computer, and ex-
ternal machines. Connections differ depending on Do not substitute 9-pin or serial adapters for
your Pro Tools audio interface, operating system, either MachineControl cable. Each cable is
and on which of the two MachineControl opera- specifically wired for one operation mode.
tional modes you want to use: Serial Deck Control
mode or Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode. Serial Deck Control Mode
When using a supported third-party paddle Serial Deck Control mode supports bi-directional
device with Pro Tools, you can use both Serial communication between Pro Tools and a compati-
Deck Control mode and Remote 9-Pin Deck ble external machine. With this feature you can:
Emulation mode simultaneously. See “Using a • Synchronize to serial timecode
Paddle Device in Local Mode” on page 1406 • Arm tracks on the machine remotely
for more information.
• Control a transport from Pro Tools
Cables • Configure machine settings and options.

MachineControl requires the following cables and For computers that do not have serial ports, a
adapters (sold separately), depending on your supported USB serial adapter (not provided)
computer platform: is required to make the MachineControl
connection. For a list of qualified USB serial
Mac Systems
adapters, visit www.avid.com/compatibility.
Remote Deck Emulation Mode Cable Male 8-pin
Pro Tools HDX and HD Native Systems
mini-DIN to female 9-pin cable, required for
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation. For Pro Tools HD and HDX or HD Native systems
with a synchronization peripheral, you can use a
Serial Deck Control Cable Male 8-pin mini-DIN
Serial to 9-pin connection or a 9-pin to 9-pin con-
to male 9-pin cable, for Deck Control.
nection for Serial Deck Control mode.
USB Serial Adapter A supported USB serial
adapter, such as the Colin Broad 422 USB serial
adapter, is required for serial to USB connections
on the Mac.
1382 Pro Tools Reference Guide
CPU to Deck Connection This type of connection  On Windows systems, Remote 9-pin Deck Em-
yields the best performance, especially with linear ulation mode uses an RS-232 to RS-422 cable and
decks. Use the included Serial Deck Control cable a Turnaround adapter connected to an available se-
for this type of connection. rial or COM port on the computer. If no COM port
is available, a supported serial adapter connected
Synchronization Peripheral to Deck
to a USB port on the computer is required.
Connection This type of connection is suitable for
non-linear decks. If you are using a SYNC HD, as
many as two machines can be connected to the two
9-pin Out ports. You can control one machine at a Connecting Machines
time, and switch between them from within This section describes how to connect machines
Pro Tools. Pro Tools | Sync X provides a single for Serial Control Mode or Remote 9-Pin Deck
9-pin Out port. These ports support all Machine- Emulation Mode. All cables and adapters are sold
Control modes except Remote 9-Pin Deck Emula- separately.
tion mode. For Remote Deck Emulation mode on
Mac systems or Windows computers without a Connecting Machines for
COM port, a supported USB serial adapter is re- Serial Control Mode
quired.
For Best Serial Deck Control

Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation For best serial deck control, connect your deck as
Mode follows depending on whether you are using a Mac
This mode enables a form of deck emulation in or a Windows computer.
Pro Tools. When the Remote 9-Pin Deck Emula-
To connect a deck to a Mac computer:
tion Mode cable is used on a supported system,
Pro Tools can respond to record-arming, transport, 1 Connect a supported USB serial adapter, such
and other standard 9-pin commands from an exter- as the Colin Broad 422 USB serial adapter, to a
nal machine. USB port on the computer.

While in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, 2 Connect a male mini DIN-8 serial to male 9-pin
Pro Tools always generates timecode, and can be D-sub Deck Control cable to the end of the
either the timecode master or follow external time- adapter.
code. 3 Connect the other end of the cable to the ma-
 On Mac systems, use the Remote 9-Pin Emula- chine.
tion Mode cable. This mode requires a supported
To connect a deck to a Windows computer, do one
serial adapter connected to a computer USB port,
of the following:
and a properly wired configuration. See “Remote
9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode” on page 1402 for  Connect the computer’s COM port to the ma-
details. chine, using a 9-pin RS-322 to RS-422 cable.
 For computers that do not have a COM port, use
a supported USB serial adapter, such as the
Colin Broad 422 USB serial adapter, with the
cable to connect the machine to a USB port on
the computer.
Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1383
 For Limited Serial Deck Control (Non-Linear Using a Rosetta Stone Adapter
Decks Only) with MachineControl
• Connect a standard 9-pin cable from the 9-pin (Windows Only)
Out port on Sync X, or one of the 9-pin Out ports
Using the Rosetta Stone adapter (sold separately)
on SYNC HD, to the 9-pin input of the machine.
with MachineControl on Windows lets you in-
Due to performance limitations, this configura-
crease reliability for long cable runs for Serial
tion should be used primarily with non-linear
Deck Control mode or Remote mode.
decks.
A Rosetta Stone RS-232 to RS-422 adapter
Connecting Machines for Remote 9-Pin (model 2/8 or 2/9) and additional RS-232 and
Deck Emulation Mode
RS-422 cables are required.
To connect a machine for Remote 9-Pin Deck
To increase reliability in long cable runs in Serial
Emulation mode (Mac Systems):
Deck Control mode:
1 Connect a supported USB serial adapter to a 1 Connect the RS-232 cable from your com-
USB port on the computer. puter’s COM port into the RS-232 side of the
2 Connect a male mini DIN-8 serial to female Rosetta Stone adapter. If no COM port is avail-
9-pin Deck Emulation cable to the end of the able, use a supported USB serial adapter con-
adapter. nected to a USB port on your computer.

3 Connect the end of the cable to the machine. 2 Connect the RS-422 cable from the RS-422 side
of the Rosetta Stone to the deck or 9-pin patch
To connect a machine for Remote 9-Pin Deck bay. If a longer run is needed, add more 9-pin
Emulation mode (Windows Systems), do one of cable on the RS-422 end.
the following:

 Connect the Turnaround adapter to the RS-322

to RS-422 cable, and connect them from an Starting Up Your System
available serial or COM port on your computer
to the 9-pin output of the machine. To ensure that the components of your Pro Tools
system communicate properly with each other and
 For computers that do not have a COM port, use your external machines, start them in a particular
a supported USB serial adapter, such as the order.
Colin Broad 422 USB serial adapter, with the
cable to connect the machine to a USB port on Start up your Pro Tools system in this order:
the computer. 1 Turn on any external machines (VTR, ATR,
Do not use the Serial port on your HDX card, synchronizer, and monitors).
HD | Native card, HD | Native Thunderbolt, or the 2 Turn on any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices and
9-pin port(s) on the synchronization peripheral for synchronization peripherals.
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode. The Serial
port should only be used for synchronization pe- 3 Lower the volume of all output devices in your
ripheral connections. system.

1384 Pro Tools Reference Guide

4 Turn on Pro Tools audio interfaces. Wait at least Transport
fifteen seconds for your system hardware to ini-
The setting of the Transport Master determines the
tialize.
type of Serial Deck Control, as follows:
5 Turn on your computer and launch Pro Tools.
Transport = Pro Tools The Transport window
controls the Pro Tools Timeline. When online, the
Machine Local and Remote deck locates relative to actions taken in the
Modes Pro Tools Timeline.
Be sure to set your machine-controllable device to
Transport = Machine The Transport window con-
“remote” or “ext” mode to receive the 9-pin infor-
trols the machine. When Pro Tools is Online, the
mation (not “local” or front-panel mode). With
Pro Tools Timeline chases the machine.
some supported machines, if all other communica-
tion is established and the machine is not in remote Transport = MMC The Transport window controls
mode, Pro Tools will indicate machine “local” MIDI Machine Control (MMC). When Pro Tools
mode. is Online, the Pro Tools Timeline chases MMC.

Cueing and Pre-Roll

MachineControl Pro Tools Preference settings let you optimize Ma-
Communication Modes chineControl operation, including adjustable ma-
MachineControl supports two machine communi- chine pre-roll, selectable edit and memory location
cation modes: Serial Deck Control mode and Re- chasing.
mote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode.
Pro Tools sessions can be as long as 24 hours.
MachineControl features are disabled for the
Serial Deck Control Mode final minutes of the 24-hour period, to allow
With Serial Deck Control mode, you can use the for pre-roll to be used at the beginning of the
Pro Tools Transport window to control an session without unwanted machine shuttling.
external deck.
Track Arming

When the Transport Master is set to Transport =

Machine, you can arm tracks of external machines
from within Pro Tools for layback and transfer.
Features include individual record enables for up
to 48 external tracks, with selectable record proto-
col and mode. Machine profiles included with the
software let you pre-configure track arming for
Online button, Right-click to set Transport Master
many machine types.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1385

 Serial Timecode Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation
Mode
When the Positional Reference is set to Serial
Timecode in the Session Setup window, Pro Tools With Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode (also
can control an external machine via the Serial called Remote 9-Pin mode), an external synchro-
Deck Control cable. This setting also enables nizer can take control over Pro Tools transport and
Pro Tools to receive timecode directly using only recording functions.
the Serial Deck Control cable.
Pro Tools responds to commands sent by the mas-
(This mode requires that the 9-pin device be capa- ter 9-pin machine controller, but because
ble of transmitting serial timecode. It also requires Pro Tools is in Remote mode, many of its transport
that the Pro Tools and the device receive a com- commands are locked out.
mon video reference.)
Remote and Remote/LTC Chase Modes
Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode
When using an external machine controller to con-
When using MachineControl in Local mode with trol Pro Tools, you can configure Pro Tools to em-
or without an external synchronizer, you can use a ulate a 9-pin deck in either of the following modes:
supported third-party paddle device to issue the
Remote mode Pro Tools emulates a device that
following Pro Tools track commands:
can generate timecode or follow timecode.
• Input monitoring
Remote/LTC Chase mode Pro Tools emulates a
• Record Enable
device that receives track and transport arming
• Record Safe commands, while chasing incoming LTC.
• Solo
Track Arming
• Solo Mute
In Remote Deck Emulation mode, you can arm
See “Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode” Pro Tools tracks from an external machine.
on page 1406.
Features include remote control of individual re-
cord enables for up to 112 tracks, with selectable
record protocol and mode. Included factory and
user programmable profiles let you configure track
arming for any machine type.

For arming tracks during playback, see

“TrackPunch Audio Recording” on
page 607 and “DestructivePunch Audio
Recording” on page 610.

1386 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Transport Controls
Setting Up Machine Control
With MachineControl, the Pro Tools Transport
Online and Offline Operation window becomes a multi-function controller.

Pro Tools can remotely control, or be controlled Counter Display

by, any approved enabled external device. You can
select a device by using the Transport Master se- The Pro Tools Edit window counter displays the
lector in the Transport window. current machine (9-pin) or session timecode loca-
tion, depending on which device is the Transport
Master, plus any current Session Start Time Off-
sets being applied. (See “External Timecode Off-
sets in the Session Setup Window” on page 1358
for more information.)

The Incoming Time display in the Session Setup

window always shows absolute incoming time-
Transport online, Transport = Machine
code, without any offsets.
(9-pin Deck Control)
Transport Master
To trigger Pro Tools playback or recording from
an external source, the Pro Tools Transport needs To selecting the Transport Master:
to be online. There are four ways to put the
 Right-click the Online button in the Transport
Pro Tools Transport online:
and select Transport > Pro Tools or Transport >
• Click the Online button in the Transport win- Machine.
dow.
You can also press Control+backslash (\) to
• Choose Options > Transport Online.
toggle between Pro Tools, the Machine,
• Press Command+J (Mac) or Control+J (Win- and Remote transport.
dows).
• Press Option+Spacebar (Mac) or Alt+Spacebar
(Windows).

Pro Tools can generate LTC while the

Transport is online, but only when Posi-
tional Reference is set to Serial Timecode.

The Online button in the Transport window

Selecting the Transport Master
indicates online status. It flashes while enabled and
waiting for synchronization, and stays lit when Transport = Pro Tools
lock is achieved.
In this mode, the controls in the Transport window
are focused on Pro Tools playback and recording.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1387

 When the transport is online, the machine controls Device choices depend on the current Transport
Pro Tools, and the session locks to the machine’s Master and which devices have been set up in
timecode. The machine follows Preferences for Pro Tools.
Machine Chase and Online Record.

When the transport is offline, the Pro Tools Trans-

port window controls Pro Tools only.

Transport = Machine

In this mode, the controls in the Transport window

are focused on the machine connected and enabled
Online menu in Transport window
for Serial Deck Control mode. Record commands
are sent to the machine only.
The Online pop-up menu will only display de-
When the transport is online, Pro Tools follows the vices that have been properly set up in
machine. The Transport window controls the ma- Pro Tools. To set up machine devices, see
chine, and Pro Tools chases and locks to it. “Serial Deck Control Mode” on page 1389.
To set up MIDI devices, see “Using MIDI
In addition, when Auto-Spot Clips is enabled, clips Machine Control” on page 1368.
are spotted to the current machine time, and the
Trim tool trims to the current machine time. Online Display Information

For details on Auto-Spotting, see “Auto- Several display elements of the Edit and Transport
Spotting Clips” on page 1374. windows provide machine status information
during MachineControl use, as follows:
When the transport is offline, the Pro Tools Trans-
• When Pro Tools is online, the Transport Online
port window controls the machine only.
button flashes. “Waiting for Sync” will be dis-
played in the status box in the lower left corner
Toggling the Transport while Online
of the Edit window.
When the Transport window is online, toggling the • The Transport Online button continues to flash
Transport Master between Pro Tools and your ma- until you click Play and timecode lock occurs
chine will also toggle between controller and con- (all devices locked and responding in sync).
trolled.
• The Timecode display in the Edit window shows
Toggling the Online Status of a Device the Machine Time when the machine is Master.
• Upon lockup, the Timecode display switches to
Use the Online pop-up menu in the Transport Mas-
show the session time.
ter selector to toggle the online status of a Machine
device. • When set to 9-pin Deck mode, the Online button
icon updates to show a 9-pin icon.
To put a device online (or offline):

 Right-click the Online button in the Transport

and select (or deselect) Online > Pro Tools or
Online > Machine.

1388 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Remote Mode When connected for Serial Deck Control mode,
MachineControl enables all Pro Tools track arm-
In Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, you put
ing, synchronization, and Transport features, as
Pro Tools in Remote mode to enable Machine
available on your system. Serial Deck Control
Control operation.
mode also supports 9-pin serial timecode (see “Us-
When you put Pro Tools in Remote mode, it re- ing Serial Timecode for Positional Reference” on
sponds to commands sent by the master 9-Pin ma- page 1391). Some features require a synchroniza-
chine. Many Pro Tools commands, including tion peripheral, as noted throughout this chapter.
transport controls, are inactive in the Transport
For information on track arming, see “Remote
window.
Track Arming” on page 1397.
When you take Pro Tools out of Remote mode, it
operates in Local mode and ignores commands
from the 9-pin machine controller. Pro Tools re- Configuring Serial Deck
sponds only to requests from the 9-pin machine Control (Overview)
controller for machine type and status, and returns
To configure Pro Tools for Serial Deck Control, do
that it is in Local mode. the following:

To put Pro Tools in Remote mode: 1 Open an existing session or create a new one.
1 Choose View > Transport > Synchronization. 2 Set up a MachineControl device. (See “Config-
uring a MachineControl Device for Deck Con-
2 Click the Remote button in the Transport
trol” on page 1390.)
window.
3 Configure Pro Tools Machine Control prefer-
ences and Online Options in the Preferences di-
alog. (See“Preferences for Serial Deck Control
Mode” on page 1391.)
4 Configure Pro Tools session settings in the Ses-
sion Setup window. (See“Session Setup Win-
Remote button in the Transport window
dow and MachineControl” on page 1393.)
For more information on Remote mode in
5 In the Pro Tools Transport window, select
Pro Tools, see “Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation
Pro Tools or Machine as the Transport Master.
Mode” on page 1402.
(See “Selecting Pro Tools or the Machine as the
Transport Master” on page 1395.)

Serial Deck Control Mode 6 Use the Transport window to play back mate-
rial. (See “Playback in Serial Deck Control
Serial Deck Control mode is available whenever Mode” on page 1396.)
MachineControl is connected using the Serial
Deck Control cable. For more information about
connecting Pro Tools for Serial Deck Control
mode, see “Cables and Connections” on
page 1382.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1389

 7 Set machine pre-roll for use when the Transport
Configuring a Master is set to Pro Tools. (See “Machine Pre-
MachineControl Device for Roll” on page 1390 for more information.)
Deck Control
Machine pre-roll is different from the main
To set up a MachineControl device: Transport pre-roll that is set in the Transport
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals. window.

2 If you are using a synchronization peripheral,

click the Synchronization tab and select Enable If you are using a synchronization peripheral
SYNC Device. and your machine has timecode reader capa-
bility, you can use serial timecode for Posi-
3 Click the Machine Control tab in the Peripherals
tional Reference.
dialog.
4 In the 9-pin Machine Control (Deck Control) 8 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
section, select Enable.
Machine Pre-Roll
You can set a variable amount of machine pre-roll
to account for the time it may take the machine to
achieve servo lock. Shorter pre-roll values are usu-
Configuring MachineControl for Serial Deck Control ally better for non-linear machines. Longer pre-roll
5 Select the 9-pin MachineControl port from the values are usually better for older tape transports.
Port pop-up menu.
The Machine pre-roll value is added to any pre-roll
Do not use the designated machine serial specified in the Pro Tools Transport window.
port for any other function (such as timecode
To set MachineControl pre-roll:
or MIDI metronome). Make sure that 9-pin is
the only communication on the selected port. 1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals, and
click the Machine Control tab.
6 Choose the appropriate machine profile from
2 In the 9-pin Machine Control (Deck Control)
the Machine Type pop-up menu.
section, type the number of frames of pre-roll in
Pro Tools lets you define and save custom the Preroll box.
machine profiles. See “Remote Track Arm- 3 Click OK.
ing” on page 1397 for more information.

1390 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting Machines in Serial To enable Serial Timecode:
Deck Control Mode 1 Choose Setup > Session.
When using Sync X with a machine connected to 2 Choose Serial Timecode from the Positional
9-pin port, or a SYNC HD with machines con- Reference pop-up menu.
nected to each of its two 9-pin ports, or with ma-
chines connected directly to the computer, use the To regenerate LTC when locking to Serial
Peripherals dialog to choose which machine to Timecode:
control. 1 Choose Setup > Session.

To select a machine for Serial Deck Control mode: 2 Choose Serial Timecode from the Positional
Reference pop-up menu.
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Peripherals and
click the Machine Control tab. 3 In the Transport window, click the GEN LTC
button.
2 In the 9-pin Machine Control (Deck Control)
section select Enable.
3 Choose Sync X 9-Pin Out, SYNC 9-Pin Out 1 or
SYNC 9-Pin Out 2, or an available serial port
from the Port pop-up menu.
4 Choose the appropriate machine profile from GEN LTC button in Transport window
the Machine Type pop-up menu.
5 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
Preferences for Serial Deck
Control Mode
Using Serial Timecode for
Positional Reference Configure preferences for MachineControl play-
back and recording in Pro Tools.
If you are using a synchronization peripheral and
your machine has 9-pin serial timecode capability,
you can use serial timecode for positional refer- Playback Options
ence. This improves lockup times. To set Machine Control and Synchronization
options:
To use serial timecode for positional reference, a
Video Reference signal must be present, as indi- 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Syn-
cated by the Status indicator in the Session Setup chronization tab.
and Edit windows. Both the synchronization pe- 2 Select the desired Machine Control options.
ripheral and the external machine should be locked
to the same video reference signal. 3 Set Synchronization options as desired.

When using Serial Timecode for positional refer- 4 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
ence, you can regenerate LTC.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1391

 Machine Control Section Synchronization Section

Machine Chases Memory Location When se- Minimum Sync Delay Sets the amount of time (in
lected, navigating to a specific location in a session frames) for devices to achieve synchronization
with a Memory Location causes a connected trans- “lock.” This amount varies for each device. For
port to chase to that location. more information, see “Setting Minimum Sync
Delay” on page 1371.
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub When se-
lected, navigating to a specific location in a session Delay Before Locking to Longitudinal
by moving the selection point or by scrubbing a Timecode Sets the amount of time (in frames) for
track will cause a connected transport to chase to Pro Tools to lock to incoming LTC. Use this op-
that location. tion when locking Pro Tools to a stable timecode
source (such as a non-linear machine or LTC gen-
 When the connected device is a linear device erator) and not a linear tape machine.
(such as a tape deck), select Linear Devices (jog) to
set Pro Tools to send jog commands. Delay Before Locking to Serial Timecode Sets
the amount of time (in frames) for Pro Tools to
 When the connected device is a non-linear de-
wait before attempting to lock to machines that is-
vice (such as a random-access video recorder or
sue servo lock messages. This setting allows time
another Pro Tools system), select Non-Linear De-
for the servo mechanisms to achieve stable lock.
vices (cue) to set Pro Tools to send cue commands.

Machine Cues Intelligently When selected, if you Recording Options

navigate to a cue point that is more than 10 seconds
from the current location, Pro Tools will command To set Serial Deck Control mode recording
a connected transport to fast wind to the new loca- options:
tion at full speed to within 10 seconds of the cue 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
point. Cueing will then slow to normal speed until Operation tab.
the point is reached. This can significantly speed
2 Select or set the Online Options in the Record
up tape cueing with certain video transports.
section.
Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero Causes Pro Tools to
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
send a Stop command whenever you stop shut-
tling. This is useful if you have a machine that re- Online Options
quires an explicit stop command to park correctly.
Record Online at Timecode (or ADAT)
Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression When Lock When selected, online recording begins as
Transport = Pro Tools, keeps Pro Tools from send- soon as Pro Tools receives and locks to incoming
ing a Stop command when taken offline. This pre- timecode.
vents Pro Tools from stopping any other 9-pin de-
vices connected to the system. Record Online at Insertion/Selection When se-
lected, online recording begins at the edit cursor
location. Recording continues until Pro Tools
stops receiving timecode. If you make a selection,
Pro Tools records online for the length of the se-
lection.

1392 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Session Setup Window and MachineControl

Format section

Clock Master Session displays

and settings

Sync X Setup
& External Offsets
section
External Timecode
Offset settings

Sync X Setup settings

Timecode Settings
section
Pull Up/Pull Down
settings

Freewheel settings

Session Setup window with Sync X

Session Settings for To configure a session for MachineControl:

MachineControl 1 Open an existing session or create a new one.
Use the steps in this section to quickly configure 2 Choose Setup > Session.
the basic session settings for MachineControl.
3 In the Format section, do the following:
For detailed information about the Session • Set a Session Start time.
Setup window, see “Session Setup Window”
• Set the session Timecode Rate and
on page 1352.
Feet+Frames Rate.
Basic Session Settings
Session Start Time
Confirm the following settings for each session.
Timecode Rate
Feet+Frames Rate

Basic session settings in the Session Setup window

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1393

 Current Feet+Frames Position
Additional Pro Tools
MachineControl Commands Use this command to redefine the Feet+Frames po-
sition at the current insertion point (or the Timeline
The following commands are available in all Selection In Point).
MachineControl operating modes.
Redefining Feet+Frames does not redefine
Current Timecode Position the session start time.
Use this command to redefine the current timecode Typically, this command is used for integrating
position and session start time. By creating an in- test tones, pre-roll, and similar pre-program mate-
sertion point (or Edit selection), and then entering rial into the Pro Tools session ahead of the first
the desired new timecode position for that loca- hour timecode position on the Timeline. In most
tion, the session start time will be recalculated cases when working on reels of film, the user will
based on the new, relative timecode location. want to set the first hour mark in the session to
For example, if you place an insertion point at equal 0+0 feet and frames, to line up properly with
01:02:04:11, choose Setup > Current Timecode the start of the Academy leader for each reel of
Position, and enter 01:00:08:00 to correspond to film.
the first frame of film, this adjusts the session start
To set a relative frame position for a session
time such that the insertion point location is now (Feet+Frames):
01:00:08:00.
1 Enable Link Edit/Timeline.
To redefine the current timecode location: 2 Click the Grid mode selector. This ensures that
1 Enable Link Edit/Timeline. your selection is on a frame boundary.
2 Click the Grid mode selector. This ensures that 3 With the Selector tool, click in a track (or make
your selection is on a frame boundary. a selection) where you want to redefine the po-
sition.
3 Locate Pro Tools to the beginning of the rele-
vant material (usually the first audio of a scene, 4 Choose Setup > Current Feet+Frames Position.
a 2 pop, or similar).
5 Enter a Feet+Frame position in the Desired
4 If appropriate, cue the external timecode source Feet+Frames Position text box.
to the location where you want to align the cur-
6 Click OK.
rent Pro Tools insertion point. Note the time-
code location, or copy it to the clipboard. Create Machine Track Arming Profile
5 Choose Setup > Current Timecode Position.
The Create Machine Track Arming Profile com-
6 Type the new timecode position in the Desired mand lets you create and save machine descrip-
Timecode Position text box, or paste the time- tions as Machine Profiles. Profiles are provided for
code position into the text box, if you copied it an ever-increasing list of common machines, or
to the clipboard. you can customize profiles for specific situations
and requirements. Options include the ability to
7 Click OK.
emulate a different machine type, remap and re-

1394 Pro Tools Reference Guide

name audio tracks, and choose to include or ex- Transport = Machine
clude the video and timecode tracks, when avail-
In this mode, the Transport window controls the
able. For more information, see “Creating a Track
machine connected and enabled for Serial Deck
Arming Profile” on page 1398.
Control mode. Record commands are sent to the
machine only. When online and a Play command is
given, the machine plays from its current location,
Selecting Pro Tools or the feeding timecode to Pro Tools, which chases the
Machine as the Transport incoming timecode from the deck.
Master
 When the Transport window is online,
In Serial Deck Control mode, the deck is always Pro Tools chases the timecode coming from the
the timecode master. However, the start of ma- machine. The Transport window controls the ma-
chine playback changes based on the Transport chine, and Pro Tools chases and locks to it.
Master mode you are using.
 All record commands in this mode are directed
The setting of the Transport Master (located in the to the deck only.
Pro Tools Transport window) determines where
the deck will start playback when the Pro Tools  When Auto-Spot is turned on, clips are spotted
Transport sends a play command to the deck Con- to the current machine time, and the Trim tool
trol, as follows: trims to the current machine time.
 When the Transport is offline, the Pro Tools
Transport = Pro Tools Transport window controls the machine only.
In this mode, the Transport window controls the
To select a Transport Master:
Pro Tools Timeline position (playback and record-
ing). When you click Play in the Transport window 1 In Pro Tools, Right-click the Online button in
while it is online, the deck locates relative to the the Transport to display the Transport Master
current Pro Tools Timeline. pop-up menu.

 When the Transport window is online, the ma-

chine locates to a position ahead of the current
Timeline insertion point. This location ahead is
equal to the sum of the machine pre-roll and the
Transport pre-roll. Once the machine has located
to this total pre-roll position, it plays, sending
timecode to Pro Tools, which chases that incoming
timecode. The machine follows the Preferences Online button in the Pro Tools Transport window
settings for Serial Deck Control. (See “Preferences 2 From the Transport Master pop-up menu, select
for Serial Deck Control Mode” on page 1391.) Pro Tools or Machine.
 When the Transport window is offline, the
Press Control+backslash (\) (Windows) or
Pro Tools Transport window controls Pro Tools
Command+backslash (\) (Mac) to toggle
only.
between available Transport Master
 All record commands are sent to Pro Tools, not choices.
the machine.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1395

 Toggling the Transport while Online Machine Remote Setting

When the Online button is highlighted, toggling If the Transport Master selector will not stay set to
the Transport Master between Pro Tools and Ma- Machine, or if it switches to Pro Tools from Ma-
chine also toggles between generating/following chine, check your machine’s Local/Remote set-
timecode. ting. It should be set to Remote to receive com-
mands from the Pro Tools Transport.

Playback in Serial Deck Machine Cueing

Control Mode
MachineControl provides two Cue modes for re-
To play or cue your machine independently of mote machine operation: Search and Hi-speed.
Pro Tools:
 In Search mode, the tape remains laced during
1 Make sure Pro Tools is not online (the Online Fast Forward or Rewind.
button in the Transport window is not flashing).
 In Hi-speed mode, the tape is unlaced before
2 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools fast-forward/rewind. The Transport window indi-
Transport and select Transport > Machine. cates the status of the tape as described below.
3 Click any of the buttons in the Pro Tools Trans-
port window to control your machine. Search Mode

In Search mode, the tape is laced against the heads

Pro Tools always displays incoming LTC or 9-pin
when the machine is paused or searching, and the
time in the incoming time field in the Session
Stop button stays lit (it does not flash) and the Play
Setup window during fast-wind, and switches
button flashes. When cueing in this mode, the Fast
during playback to display the current positional
Forward or Rewind button also lights when search-
reference.
ing in either direction.
To automatically locate your deck to pre-roll into
your current Timeline insertion time each time you To fast forward and rewind in Search mode:
play back: 1 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools
1 Make sure Pro Tools is not online (the Online Transport and select Transport > Machine.
button in the Transport window is not flashing).
2 Click Play in the Transport window or press the
2 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools Spacebar to begin machine playback, then press
Transport and select Transport > Pro Tools. the Spacebar again to pause the machine (this is
to ensure that the tape is laced).
3 Put Pro Tools online.
3 Click Fast Forward or Rewind in the Transport
4 Click Play in the Transport window.
window to search the tape.
If the tape in the machine is striped with timecode
Some devices do not support a shuttle mode
that matches your Session time, the machine will
in which the tape stays laced. These decks un-
locate to the total pre-roll position ahead of the
lace the tape before shuttling. Refer to your
Pro Tools on-screen selection/insertion point or
tape machine’s guide for more information.
memory location, and begin playing back.
Pro Tools will chase its timecode output.

1396 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Hi-Speed Mode To display the Machine Track Arming window,
do one of the following:
In Hi-speed mode, the tape is unlaced, and all
Transport window buttons are dark. When you cue  Select Window > Machine Track Arming.
in this mode, only the selected Fast Forward or Re-  Press Command+6 on the Numeric Keypad
wind button lights. (Mac) or Control+6 on the Numeric Keypad
(Windows).
To fast forward and rewind in Hi-speed mode:
1 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools
Transport and select Transport > Machine.
2 To unlace the tape, click Stop in the Transport
window or press Command+period(.).
3 Click Fast Forward or Rewind in the Transport
window. The Pro Tools cursor indicates the cur-
rent machine location.
4 Press the Spacebar to pause the machine.
Machine Track Arming window
Some devices may not support all shuttle
modes, and may not accept the above shuttle
commands. In these cases, the Fast Forward Configuring Track Arming
and Rewind buttons in the Pro Tools Transport
window flash, and clicking them places the de- Pro Tools provides automatic, direct support for
vice in true Fast Forward /Rewind mode. track configuration of most common video decks.
If your deck is supported, MachineControl identi-
Spotting to the Machine fies and displays your machine’s track layout.

To spot clips to the machine’s current location, use Even if your machine is not directly supported, the
Pro Tools Spot mode or Auto-Spot Clips. Track Arming window lets you arm tracks, set the
Record Protocol and configure the Record mode
for the machine.
Remote Track Arming You can also define, save, and load customized de-
Pro Tools with MachineControl provides the abil- vice profiles. (See “Creating a Track Arming Pro-
ity to record-arm audio, video, or timecode tracks file” on page 1398.)
on external decks, and rehearse an edit.
Not all machines support independent arming
On MachineControl-equipped systems, the Ma- of their audio tracks locally or remotely, and
chine Track Arming command is available in the some machines require a separate utility
Pro Tools Window menu. The Machine Track menu selection. Pro Tools remote track arm-
Arming window lets you configure track arming ing cannot operate in these situations.
during sessions using the settings appropriate for
the current Track Arming Profile (see “Identifying
Your Machine” on page 1398).

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1397

 Identifying Your Machine To create a machine Track Arming Profile:

When you configure Pro Tools for MachineCon-  Choose Setup > Machine Track Arming Profiles.
trol, it automatically loads the track arming profile
for the identified machines.

For more information on basic Pro Tools

settings for MachineControl, see “Config-
uring a MachineControl Device for Deck
Control” on page 1390.

If Pro Tools does not recognize your machine, or if

you want your machine to emulate a different type
of device (for example, to use a different track lay-
Create Machine Track Arming Profile dialog
out), you can load a generic machine profile.

If you are using a generic machine profile, be When you create a new Track Arming Profile,
sure to double-check record behavior using a Stop command is sent to any connected ma-
non-essential tapes before using Machine- chine to protect elements on tape.
Control’s remote track arming functions.
Choosing a Machine ID
For maximum flexibility, use Track Arming Pro-
files to create, customize, and manage multiple To recognize your machine:
machine descriptions (see “Creating a Track Arm-
 In the Create Machine Track Arming Profile di-
ing Profile” on page 1398).
alog, click Identify Machine.

MachineControl queries the connected machine

Creating a Track Arming for its machine ID, which is then displayed below
Profile the Identify Machine button.
The Create Track Arming Profile dialog provides You can edit or replace the ID manually if needed.
extensive control over Pro Tools track arming. See “Entering a New Byte Code” on page 1399 for
You can customize arming, track naming, and more information.
mapping, and save configurations for different ma-
chines as Track Arming Profile files. These Pro-
Configuring a Profile
files can be imported to quickly reconfigure Track
Arming as needed for future projects. You can also The Create Machine Track Arming Profile dialog
test track mapping, and remap tracks if needed. lets you specify track names and track mapping.

Use the Create Track Arming Profile feature to

create profiles for machines that may not be in-
cluded with Pro Tools, and to manage multiple
profiles.

1398 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Customizing Names for Track Arming If an audio or video track, or the deck timecode
Buttons track do not arm when you click its corresponding
track arming button, you may need to assign a dif-
You can rename the Track Arm buttons displayed
ferent hex value to the button.
in each Track Arming Profile to better describes
the recording taking place. For example, an eight To select a different hex value for an individual
track profile might be easier to use with tracks track arm button:
named Dx-L, Dx-R, FX-L, FX-R, Mx-L, Mx-R,
 Select another hex value byte code from the
Lt, and Rt, for eight tracks comprised of stereo Di-
Byte Code sub-menu for the appropriate track
alog, stereo FX, stereo Music, and an Lt-Rt mix.
arm button.
To edit the name of a track arming button:
Entering a New Byte Code
1 In the Create Machine Track Arming Profile di-
alog, double-click the Track Arm button you As the Sony P2 protocol continues to expand, more
want to rename. manufacturers add specific byte code commands
that may be listed in the current byte code list.
2 Enter a new track name in the dialog, and click
Pro Tools lets you create entirely new, custom byte
OK.
codes. This lets you enter additional byte com-
mands as needed to support new features as they
Remapping Tracks
are added to decks.
You can remap track buttons to target different
tracks on the machine. Choosing a Record Protocol
To remap tracks: The Machine Track Arming window provides the
following two options for configuring the record-
1 In the Create Machine Track Arming Profile di-
ing protocol of the target deck:
alog, click the Track button you want to remap
to display its remap pop-up menu.
Auto Edit
2 Do one of the following:
This mode is a highly accurate way to ensure that
• Choose a new target track. the target deck will record only within the bound-
• Choose a different machine profile from the aries of an on-screen selection. (If your deck does
Load Configuration selector. not support Auto Edit, use Punch In/Punch Out, as
explained below.)
Reassigning the Byte Value for a Track
In Auto Edit mode, the record in/out points are
In a remote machine’s firmware, each record track downloaded to the target deck (along with any pre-
on the machine has a unique hexadecimal byte or post-roll), and the deck is responsible for per-
code that tells the machine which track should be forming the insert punch in/out at the specified
armed when an arm command is received from a times (see “Rules for On-Screen Selections” on
remote master. The standard profile (the default page 1400 for details).
setup) corresponds to the Sony P-2 protocol, but
many decks have their own unique mapping of
byte codes to track numbers for a particular deck.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1399

 Because this protocol removes the vagaries of material on all tracks after the edit in point will be
CPU timing from the remote recording process, replaced. Because a break in the control track will
Auto Edit is frame-accurate. It is also the best way result at the edit out point, any remaining program
to ensure that your machine will punch out cor- material after an Assemble edit may be unusable.
rectly and avoid accidental erasure of audio, even
in the event of a CPU error. To avoid accidentally recording over program ma-
terial, experiment with Assemble and Insert modes
Punch In/Out on a dispensable tape to familiarize yourself with
the edit capabilities of your deck.
This mode uses Pro Tools to control the process of
punch in/out. Instead of downloading the punch Assemble mode replaces all the elements on
points (as in Auto Edit), Pro Tools actually per- the target tape deck—audio, video, and time-
forms them during the record pass. Because serial code. Use this mode with caution.
communication has inherent delays, timing with
Punch In/Punch Out mode cannot guarantee Rules for On-Screen Selections
frame-accuracy (though it will almost always be The Record Protocol buttons let you choose be-
within 2 to 3 frames). tween the two different record protocol options
(Auto Edit and Punch In/Punch Out). Regardless of
Choosing a Record Mode which option is used, however, Pro Tools follows
these rules for record selection:
The Machine Track Arming window provides two
options for Record mode: • If there is an on-screen selection, recording will
take place over the period of the selection and
Insert punch out at the out point of the selection.
• If pre- or post-roll is enabled, recording takes
Insert mode is used to perform insert editing
place only in the selection area, not during pre-
(punching in individual tracks) where one or more
or post-roll.
audio tracks is replaced by new material and the
video material is retained. • If there is no selection (only a start location), re-
cording will continue until it is manually
Assemble stopped.

Use Assemble mode when you want to: • If you make a selection in Pro Tools that crosses
the “midnight” boundary (00:00:00:00), make
• Begin recording program onto a completely
sure your deck can handle this situation. Exper-
blank tape (unformatted)
iment with a dispensable tape to familiarize
• Append program to the remainder of a tape yourself with the crossover capabilities of your
which already has program you want to keep deck.

Assemble mode is not appropriate for audio lay-

backs to video masters.

Assemble mode should be used carefully because

it arms all tracks on the target deck for recording—
including the video track, timecode track and con-
trol track. When performing an Assemble edit, all

1400 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Rehearsing a Layback to an 8 In the Pro Tools Transport window, click Play.
External Device The machine cues to the selection in point or in-
sert point and starts playing back. Pro Tools
Before laying back audio to an external device,
then synchronizes to the deck, and the deck re-
you can rehearse the layback using Edit Preview
cords as determined by the settings for Record
(Rehearse) mode. In Edit Preview mode, instead of
Protocol and Record mode in the Track Arming
performing an edit insert (recording) on armed re-
window.
mote tracks, the input is monitored without record-
ing.

While in Edit Preview mode, the Transport Record Arming Tracks Remotely for
button flashes yellow when armed and lights solid Layback
yellow when rehearsing. Armed tracks are indi-
To arm tracks remotely for layback, you need to
cated by yellow track buttons in the Track Arming
first configure Track Arming for your machine.
window.
To configure Track Arming:
To rehearse a layback:
1 Make sure your machine is properly connected
1 In Pro Tools, select the audio you want to re-
and configured to following Pro Tools.
hearse for layback, or place the playback cursor
at a start point. 2 Open the Track Arming window.
2 Choose Window > Machine Track Arming. 3 Select a Record Protocol (Auto Edit or Punch
In/Out).
3 In the Track Arming window, select Edit Pre-
view. 4 Select a Record mode (Insert or Assemble).
4 In the Track Arming window, arm the tracks Once the Track Arming options are config-
you want to rehearse by clicking the corre- ured, you can change the Track Arming win-
sponding buttons. The buttons light yellow to dow to “small view” and still see the track
indicate armed status. arm buttons.
5 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools
To perform a layback:
Transport and select Transport > Machine.
1 In Pro Tools, select the audio to lay back, or
6 In the Pro Tools Transport window, click the place the playback cursor at a start point.
Online button to put Pro Tools online.
2 In the Remote Track Arming window, arm the
7 In the Pro Tools Transport window, click Re- appropriate tracks on the machine.
cord. The button flashes yellow to indicate Edit
Preview (Rehearse) mode. 3 Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools
Transport and select Transport > Machine.
4 Make sure the Pro Tools Transport is online.
5 Click Record in the Transport window to arm
recording.
6 Click Play in the Transport window.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1401

 Your machine will cue to the selection start minus 2 Choose SYNC from the Device pop-up menu.
all relevant pre-roll, then begin to play back.
3 Click the Machine Control tab in the Peripherals
Pro Tools will then sync to the deck, and the target
dialog.
deck will record as determined by your settings for
Record Protocol and Record mode. If you did not 4 In the 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) section,
create an on-screen selection, deck recording will select Enable.
continue until you manually stop playback.

Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation

Mode Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode settings

Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode makes 5 Select the 9-pin MachineControl port from the
Pro Tools operate as a virtual tape deck, support- Port pop-up menu.
ing most standard Sony P2 9-pin commands. For a
6 Choose the appropriate machine profile from
list of supported commands, see “9-Pin Com-
the Machine Type pop-up menu.
mands” on page 1406.
7 If you want Pro Tools to ignore transport com-
By default, Pro Tools emulates a Sony BVW-75
mands and just chase LTC, enable Chase LTC.
model video deck. You can also configure
Pro Tools to emulate other machines. For more in- 8 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
formation, see “Alternate Machine Types” on
9 In the Transport window, click the Remote but-
page 1404.
ton to put Pro Tools in Remote mode.
For instructions on connecting Pro Tools for
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, see
“Cables and Connections” on page 1382.

Generating Timecode in Remote

9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode
Remote button in Transport window
Pro Tools with MachineControl and a synchroni-
zation peripheral can generate frame-edge aligned 10 Choose Setup > Session, and ensure that the
timecode at 1x play speed while in Remote 9-Pin following settings are configured:
Deck Emulation mode. • The Clock Master should be set to Sync X or
SYNC.
• The Clock Reference should be set to Video
Configuring Remote 9-Pin Reference.
Deck Emulation Mode • If you did not enable Chase LTC, the Posi-
To configure Pro Tools for Remote 9-Pin Deck tional Reference should be set to Generate.
Emulation mode: This is required for Pro Tools to lock to the
video reference with frame edge accuracy.
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals, and click the
Synchronization tab. • If you enabled Chase LTC, the Positional Ref-
erence should be set to LTC.

1402 Pro Tools Reference Guide

11 If you will be recording, select a Record mode To set the timecode master in Full Remote mode:
by right-clicking the Record button in the 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
Transport window. Synchronization tab.
12 Begin machine playback. 2 In the Remote Mode section, do one of the
following:
See “Optimizing Playback in Remote 9-Pin
Deck Emulation Mode” on page 1405. • Set the Delay after Play Command preference
to zero, to set Pro Tools to behave as the time-
Selecting Full Remote Mode or code master.
Remote/LTC Chase Mode • Set the Delay after Play Command preference
towards 30 frames, to set Pro Tools to chase
Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode lets a master
timecode, by delaying playback until its time-
device control Pro Tools track and transport arm-
code can properly synchronize.
ing.
Generally, delay should only be added if
When Pro Tools is in Remote mode, Remote 9-pin
Pro Tools is having problems starting and
Deck Emulation operates in Full Remote mode or
locking to a machine during playback or re-
in Remote/LTC Chase mode.
cord. For example, if Pro Tools tries to lock,
When Pro Tools is not in Remote mode, it ignores and the Transport window lights go from play
commands from the 9-pin machine controller. to shuttle or fast-forward to rewind many
Pro Tools responds only to requests from the 9-pin times before locking, you should increase the
machine controller for machine type and status, Delay After Play setting by a few frames.
and responds that it is in Local mode.
Remote/LTC Chase Mode
Full Remote Mode When Chase LTC is enabled, Pro Tools can still
In Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, when respond to track arming and record commands.
Pro Tools is in Remote mode and Chase LTC is not However, Pro Tools will chase incoming LTC in-
enabled, Pro Tools is in one of the two following stead of controlling or being controlled with the
states: machine controller. By having Pro Tools follow
the LTC source instead of being controlled by the
• When the Delay after Play Command preference
machine to Pro Tools timecode, you can avoid the
is set to zero, Pro Tools is set to function as the
waiting (and tape wear) that occurs while a ma-
timecode master. Pro Tools locates, then plays
chine transport locates and bumps tape to the cue
when it gets a play command.
point.
• When the Delay after Play Command preference
is set towards 30 frames, another machine is the In Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, when
timecode master. Pro Tools locates, sends time- Pro Tools is in Remote Mode and Chase LTC is
code position responses, and when its timecode enabled, it communicates record status to the ma-
lines up with the timecode master device, goes chine.
into play in sync with the timecode master de-
vice.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1403

 Receiving Commands While Chase LTC is
Enabled or Disabled Preferences for Remote 9-Pin
Deck Emulation Mode
When Chase LTC is enabled, Pro Tools waits until
it receives only specific transport record and track Pro Tools provides the following preference set-
record commands from the machine. tings to configure Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation
Mode options.
When Chase LTC is not enabled, Pro Tools listens
to all transport commands coming through the se-
Remote Mode Section
rial connection, including bump and crawl com-
mands necessary for a tape machine to locate. Ignore Track Arming Sets Pro Tools to ignore in-
coming track arming (record enable) commands.
Scrubbing and Chase LTC This is useful if you are using a master controller to
arm tracks on other machines, but you do not want
The Chase LTC option does not affect scrubbing.
to arm tracks in Pro Tools.
Pro Tools video playback will always respond to
locate and scrubbing command, even if Chase LTC Set Servo Lock Bit At Play Enable this option
is enabled. when using a synchronizer to control Pro Tools in
Remote mode to minimize lock-up times during
Alternate Machine Types recording.

By default, MachineControl lets Pro Tools emu- Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode En-
late a Sony BVW-75. If you use a machine that fol- ables a supported third-party paddle device to issue
lows a different 9-pin command set, you can con- the following Pro Tools track commands while in
figure Pro Tools for that machine’s description. Local mode:
• Input monitoring
To configure Pro Tools for an alternate machine:
• Record Enable
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals, and click the
Machine Control tab. • Record Safe

2 In the 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) section, • Solo

choose a machine profile from the Machine • Solo Mute
Type pop-up menu.
See “Using a Paddle Device in Local Mode”
3 Click OK. on page 1406.
Special settings have been created for specific ma- Punch In Frame Offset Sets an offset in frames to
chine controllers (such as the Soundmaster ION). compensate for punch-in timing advances or de-
When under the control of a specific machine con- lays.
troller, first check if there is a specific setting for
that machine controller. Punch Out Frame Offset Sets an offset in frames
to compensate for punch-out timing advances or
delays.

1404 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Delay After Play Command Sets the amount of The Delay After Play Command preference lets
time (in frames) for Pro Tools to wait after receiv- you configure a short delay before Pro Tools at-
ing a Play command before starting the audio en- tempts to lock with the master device. This allows
gine. This can prevent false starts when locking to the master device to stabilize before Pro Tools
synchronizers that are not fully supported by locks with it in order to avoid nudge and bump
Pro Tools. messages.

For more information, see “Selecting Full For more information, see “Preferences for
Remote Mode or Remote/LTC Chase Mode” Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode” on
on page 1403. page 1355.

To set Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode

preferences:
Recording in Remote 9-Pin
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the Deck Emulation Mode
Synchronization tab.
MachineControl lets Pro Tools support Auto Edit
2 Select or set Machine Control options in the Re- (selection-based) and Punch-in/Punch-Out
mote mode section: (QuickPunch) commands.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences dialog.
Pro Tools must have QuickPunch or TrackPunch
with tracks enabled when recording with an edit
controller in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode.
Playback in Remote 9-Pin
Deck Emulation Mode Preview Edit and Rehearse modes are not
supported by Pro Tools.
Pro Tools plays back audio only when the received
command requires audio playback at 1X speed in
Auto Edit Recording
the forward direction. Reverse playback and vari-
speed playback are not supported in Pro Tools. When a machine sends Auto Edit commands to
Pro Tools in Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode,
Optimizing Playback in Remote the edit in and out points are converted to a
9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode Pro Tools Timeline selection. This selection, with
offsets options, will then be used to record on all
When using Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode armed tracks when Pro Tools receives the Perform
with an unsupported synchronizer, clicking Play Auto Edit Record command.
may display multiple nudge and bump messages
caused by Pro Tools attempting to achieve lock be-
fore the master device has stabilized.
Punch In/Out Recording
Punch-In/Punch-Out Recording supports punch-
on-the-fly, with Pro Tools in QuickPunch mode. In
this mode, tracks are armed before the record pass,
and recording begins and ends when Punch-In and
Punch-Out commands are received form the mas-
ter machine.

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1405

 QuickPunch must be enabled and the required Ignore Track Arming Commands
voices must be available in Pro Tools for Punch-
You can set Pro Tools to ignore incoming track
In/Punch-Out recording commands to work. This
arming (record-enable) commands. Use this to re-
mode must be set manually in Pro Tools.
cord-safe Pro Tools if, for example, you are using
a master 9-pin transport controller to arm tracks on
several other machines, but not Pro Tools tracks.
Track Arming in Remote You can still manually arm Pro Tools audio tracks,
9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode as needed.
In Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode, Pro Tools
To have Pro Tools ignore remote track arming
can be configured to either respond to, or ignore,
commands:
track arming (record enabling) commands.
Pro Tools communicates track record status back 1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
to the control machine. Synchronization tab.

2 In the Remote Mode section, select Ignore

9-Pin Commands
Track Arming.
In Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode, Pro Tools
with MachineControl can respond to the following
9-pin commands from compatible workstations, Using a Paddle Device in
synchronizers, and other devices: Local Mode
• Play When using MachineControl in Local mode (with
• Stop or without an external synchronizer), you can use a
• Pause supported third-party paddle device to issue the
following Pro Tools track commands:
• Rewind
• Input monitoring
• Forward
• Record Enable
• Cue To
• Record Safe
• Poll Timecode
• Solo
• Record Arm Track
• Solo Mute
• Set In/Out Point (for Auto Edit)
• Set Pre/Post Roll (for Auto Edit) Using these features involve the following steps:

• Perform Auto Edit Record 1 Connect the supported third-party paddle de-
vice to your system.
• Perform Punch-In/Punch-Out Record
(requires QuickPunch mode and voices) 2 Make sure the Allow Track Arm Commands in
• Return Status-Online, State, Tracks Armed Local Mode preference is enabled.

• Servo Lock 3 Serial Deck Control and Remote 9-Pin Deck

Emulation ports must be configured simultane-
• Clear “In” Point
ously.

1406 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 3 Click the Machine Control tab.
Connecting a Supported
Third-Party Paddle Device to 4 In the 9-pin Machine Control (Deck Control)
Your Pro Tools System section, select Enable.

To connect a supported third-party paddle device

to your Pro Tools system, use the same method
you would use to connect a deck for Remote 9-Pin
Deck Emulation mode. Configuring MachineControl for Serial Deck Control

See “Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Mode” 5 Select the 9-pin MachineControl port from the
on page 1402 for detailed information on Port pop-up menu.
connecting a machine to Pro Tools.
6 Choose the appropriate machine profile from
the Machine Type pop-up menu.
Allow Track Arm Commands See “Serial Deck Control Mode” on page 1389
in Local Mode Preference for detailed information about configuring and
The Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode using Serial Deck Control mode.
preference must be enabled in order to control
7 In the 9-Pin Remote (Deck Emulation) section,
Pro Tools with a paddle device in Local mode.
select Enable.
To enable the Allow Track Arm Commands in Local
Mode preference:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences, and click the
Synchronization tab. Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode settings
2 Select Allow Track Arm Commands in Local 8 Select the 9-pin MachineControl port from the
Mode. Port pop-up menu.

9 Choose the appropriate machine profile from

the Machine Type pop-up menu.
Configuring Ports for a Deck
and a Supported Third-Party 10 Make sure Chase LTC is not selected.
Paddle Device
11 Click OK to close the Peripherals dialog.
Before connecting a paddle device and a deck to
Pro Tools simultaneously, both the Serial Deck To set Pro Tools to Local mode:
Control port and the Remote 9-Pin Deck Emula-  Right-click the Online button in the Pro Tools
tion port may be configured. Transport and select Transport > Machine.
To configure Serial Deck Control and Remote 9-Pin
Deck Emulation ports to operate simultaneously:

1 Choose Setup > Peripherals, and click the

Synchronization tab.

2 Ensure that Sync X or SYNC is enabled.

Setting Transport to Pro Tools

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1407

 Deck Control Key Commands

Command Mac Windows

Rewind Shift+< Shift+<

Fast Forward Shift+> Shift+>

Shuttle Backward Option+comma Start+comma

Shuttle Forward Option+period Start+period

Toggle Transport Master Command+\ Control+\

All Transport Buttons Off/Unthread Tape Command+period Control+period

Search Mode Toggle (Play-Pause/Stop) Spacebar/ Spacebar/

Command+period Control+period

When Transport = Machine:

Cue to Selection In Point Command+Left Arrow Control+Left Arrow

Cue to Selection Out Point Command+Right Arrow Control+Right Arrow

Cue to Selection In Point Minus Preroll Option+Left Arrow Alt+Left Arrow

Cue to Selection Out Point Minus Preroll Option+Right Arrow Alt+Right Arrow

1408 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Machines, by ID number
Machine IDs ID number Machine
The following table lists the machine profiles sup- 0x2125 BVW-75P
ported in MachineControl by their Pro Tools hexa-
0x4000 DVR-10
decimal ID.
0x4003 DVR-18
For special IDs to support 48-track arming, see “48
0x4002 DVRC-10
Track Profiles” on page 1410.
0x4020 DVR-20
Machines and Hex ID Numbers 0x4022 DVR-28

The first 0x signifies hex value. The next four 0xF019 AJ-D350 (D3)
numbers signify the machine ID. The name of the 0x3011 DVR-2100
associated machine follows.
0x3000 DVR-1000
Machines, by ID number
0x0010 BVH-2000
ID number Machine
0x0011 BVH-2000
0x0000 Generic 1
0x0110 BVH-2000 PS
0x0001 Generic 2
0x0111 BVH-2000 PS
0x1000 BVU-800
0x0018 BVH-2180
0x101C BVU-950
0x0020 BVH-2500
0x1019 BVU-920
0x0120 BVH-2500 PS
0x1080 BVU-900
0x0030 BVH-2700
0x104C VO-9850
0x0040 BVH-2800
0x1048 VO-9800
0x0048 BVH-2830
0x102C SVO-9600
0x0050 BVH-3000
0x2000 BVW-10
0x0060 BVH-3100
0x2001 BVW-40
0x0150 BVH-3000 PS
0x2002 BVW-11
0x0160 BVH-3100 PS
0x2003 BVW-15
0x2041 PVW-2800
0x2010 BVW-35
0x1211 ASC Virtual Recorder
0x2020 BVW-60
0x1011 Fostex D-10
0x2021 BVW-65
0xF027 Otari R-DAT
0x2022 BVW-95
0x7001 PCM-7030
0x2023 BVW-96
0x7001 TASCAM DA-88
0x2024 BVW-70
0x7003 PCM-800
0x2025 BVW-75
0x7000 PCM-7000

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1409

 Machines, by ID number 48 Track Profiles
ID number Machine
The following are special IDs to support 48-track
0xA088 AG-DS555 arming.
0xA084 AG-DS770
Machines
0x0001 AG-DS7750
IDs for 48-Track Capable Machines
0xF033 AJ D640
ID Machine
0x2051 UVW-1800

0xB000 DVW-500 0x6007 3348HR

0xB010 DVW-500 0x6005 3348HRV

0xA050 V1 0x6003 3324

0x1021 SVP-5600

0x2124 BCB-70

0x2101 BVW-40P

0x8017 DSR-1500A
0x6007 3348HR

0x6005 3348HRV

0x6003 3324

0xA0A1 SoundMaster ATOM

0xD0E1 Pro Tools

0x20E0 HDW-500

0x20A0 SRW-5000

Tascam DA-88 and other decks can be set to

emulate other machines. If a deck is set to em-
ulate another type of machine, the machine
type being emulated will be displayed.

1410 Pro Tools Reference Guide

9-Pin Cable Pinouts

Serial Deck Control Mode Cable:

D Sub 9-Pin Male to D Sub 9-Pin Female (Windows Only)

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1411

 MachineControl Controller/Controlled Adapter

Serial Deck Control Cable:

Mini DIN 8 Male to D Sub 9-Pin Male (Mac Only)

1412 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation Cable:
Mini DIN 8-Pin to D Sub 9-Pin Female (Mac Only)

Shielding

The outside shielding of the D-Sub 9-pin (female) should be wired to the outside shielding of the Mini DIN
8-pin (male).

Chapter 61: Pro Tools | MachineControl 1413

1414 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in
Pro Tools

Pro Tools Ultimate lets you import multichannel Digital Field Recorders
audio files and metadata recorded by field record-
A field recorder, also known as a hard disk loca-
ers.
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 micro-
Field Recorder and phone inputs recorded simultaneously.
Production Workflow
Terminology Depending on the capabilities and settings of a
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only) field recorder, multichannel recordings can in-
clude one or more tracks (up to 32) and are saved
Before working with field recorders in as monophonic or polyphonic audio files on a hard
Pro Tools Ultimate, you may want to review a drive, DVD-RAM, or Flash media.
brief glossary of common field recorder and pro-
duction terms. Multichannel recordings made by a field recorder
should be encoded with start and end time stamps
representing SMPTE timecode or linear timecode
Field Recorder Terminology
(also known as LTC). Most field recorders also al-
The following terminology applies to field record- low manual entry of additional types of metadata,
ers in general: including Channel Name/Number, Scene, Take,
Circled Take, User Bits, and more.
Metadata
Pro Tools can import monophonic and polyphonic
Metadata is used to describe the following: files and certain types of metadata entered on field
• Information embedded in a media file. This may recorders.
include scene, take, sample rate, bit depth, exter-
nal clip names, the name of the videotape from Production Sound Mix
which the media file was captured, and even For each multichannel recording made by a field
timecode values. recorder, the production sound mixer may desig-
• Information embedded in Pro Tools sessions or nate a production sound mix comprising either a
other sequences, including what files are used, representative channel or a mixdown of other se-
where they appear in a timeline, and automation. lected channels in the recording.
• For AAF or OMF sequences, information about
automation or clip-based gain.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1415

 The production sound mix is intended to function Production Terminology for All
as a general reference of all audio recorded within Production Workflows
an individual multichannel recording, and is typi-
The following terminology applies to all produc-
cally used by the Avid video editor when assem-
tion workflows:
bling a sequence.
Timecode
Broadcast WAV Files (BWF)
There are four types of timecode, depending on
A WAV file containing a BEXT chunk is known as
your production:
a Broadcast WAV file (or BWF) while still main-
taining a .WAV file extension. Broadcast WAV Keycode Each frame of film stock is embedded
files can contain both BEXT and iXML chunks, or during manufacturing with a unique identifying
a BEXT chunk by itself. timecode position known as keycode.

BEXT and iXML Chunks SMPTE Timecode Also known as LTC or linear
timecode. The generating clock of this timecode
BEXT and iXML chunks are sets of metadata can be based on the time of day or can be set to as-
found within a Broadcast WAV file. cend beginning from a certain starting time of day.
Limitations Minutes:Seconds Timecode based on minutes and
seconds.
The following limitations apply to handling of im-
ported metadata from field recorders. Wild No timecode. Most consumer digital video
• The BEXT specification as described here adds recorders do not have the ability to generate time-
some features that conform to standards used by code.
Avid video editing applications and Pro Tools—
Production Sound Mixer
specifically, Description metadata is interpreted
differently. The production sound mixer uses a field recorder
• When you import multiple files in which the to record multichannel audio during a shoot, and
same metadata are populated with different val- later delivers those source files to one or more par-
ues, Pro Tools imports the value that is first pres- ties:
ent based on the following order: • Telecine operator (film workflow only)
• Avid OMF-wrapped media or MXF media • Avid video editor
• Any iXML chunk metadata in a BWF • Pro Tools editor
• Any BEXT chunk metadata in a BWF

1416 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Production Terminology for Film Telecine and Telecine Videotape
Workflows Only
The Telecine is a machine used to transfer film
The following terminology applies only to film footage and synchronized audio to videotape (re-
workflows: ferred to as the dailies).

Shootlist The telecine videotape contains the dailies. The

SMPTE timecode on the telecine videotape will be
The shootlist is a document in which the camera different from the timecode recorded on location.
assistant records each scene and take relative to its
keycode value on the film stock. It is later used by FLEx File
the telecine operator to synchronize the audio and
video together. The FLEx file is a text file generated during a tele-
cine session that relates film keycode, field re-
Sound Log corder timecode, and telecine videotape timecode.
When the telecine videotape is batch digitized in
The sound log is a document in which the produc- the Avid video editing application, the information
tion sound mixer records each scene and take rela- in the FLEx file is used to assign the original (lo-
tive to its beginning timecode position. cation) timecode to the resulting audio and video
source files.
Slate Operator and Clapboard Information

The slate operator holds and labels the slate (also

known as a clapboard) for each new scene and Supported Field Recorder
take. At the start of each take, the slate operator Audio Files and Metadata
claps the slate, which simultaneously captures the
following information: Pro Tools supports the following audio files re-
corded by field recorders:
• The scene, take, and timecode information is
captured visually on film. • OMF-wrapped media

• The sound of the slate clapping is captured by • MXF

the field recorder, which should be using the • Broadcast WAV (BWF) files with the following
same timecode as displayed on the slate. metadata:
• Both BEXT and iXML chunks
The telecine operator uses all of the information
above to synchronize used film stock to the re- • BEXT metadata but no iXML metadata
corded audio in order to create the telecine video-
tape.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1417

 Displaying Field Recorder Workspace Support for Field
Metadata in Pro Tools Recorder Metadata
You can enable or disable the display of field re- Workspace browsers display the following meta-
corder metadata within clips in the Timeline and data from multichannel recordings made with field
the Clips List. recorders.
• Duration
To enable or disable the display of field recorder
metadata in playlists, do the following: • File Comment
 From View > Clip, select or deselect either of the • Date Modified
following options: • Date Created
• Channel Name • # Channels
• Scene and Take
• Format
To show or hide field recorder metadata in the • Sample Rate
Clips List:
• Bit Depth
1 Click the Clips List menu, and choose Show.
• Original Time Stamp
2 From the Show submenu, select or deselect ei- • User Time Stamp
ther of the following options:
• Tape
• Channel Name
• TC Rate (renamed from FPS)
• Scene and Take
• Channel Names
When enabled in the Clips List, Scene and Take
• Scene
metadata are added to every clip when available in
the corresponding audio file. • Take
• Shoot Date
• Sound Roll
• Sound Roll TC
• Sound Roll TC Rate
• User Bits
• Tape ID
• Project
• Circled
• Clip Name

1418 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To show or hide field recorder metadata in
Workspace browsers: Field Recorder Workflows
 Right-click the column header and select or de- Using Pro Tools Ultimate to work with field re-
select any of the Recorder Metadata types. corder files from a film, video, or digital shoot in-
volves the following steps:
About Tape and Sound Roll 1 Before receiving source files, ensure that meta-
Metadata data have been preserved (“Ensuring Metadata
Avid video editing applications and field recorders of Source Files Have Been Preserved” on
use Tape to represent different kinds of metadata: page 1419).
Avid uses Tape to store the telecine videotape 2 Receive source files (“Receiving Source Files”
name, while a BWF file with a BEXT chunk or on page 1420).
iXML chunk uses Tape to store the name of the
sound roll. 3 Import source files into Pro Tools (“Importing
Source Files into Pro Tools” on page 1421).
To avoid this overlap, Pro Tools preserves Tape
4 Replace edits from the production sound mix
metadata from the Avid video editing application
with audio from different takes of the same
and maintains the Sound Roll and Tape metadata
scene (“Selecting a Matching Field Recorder
from BWF audio files in their respective metadata
Channel to Replace a Clip” on page 1424).
fields.

About Shoot Date Metadata

Ensuring Metadata of Source
Many field recorders do not populate the Shoot Files Have Been Preserved
Date field, relying instead on the file's Creation
Before you receive source files, it is important to
Date to indicate date of production. When
ensure that the files have been prepared properly at
Pro Tools imports a field recorder file, it checks to
each phase of the production process so that their
see if the Shoot Date field is populated. If it is
original metadata is preserved.
empty, Pro Tools copies the Creation Date of the
original file to the Shoot Date field of the new files. If the original metadata has not been preserved,
you can use other types of data (such as File Cre-
Editing the Channel Name ation Date or File Name) to find related channels.
However, the matching process will be easier if
The Channel Names field in the Workspace dis- metadata has been preserved.
plays the channel name, followed the by channel
number in parentheses. You can edit the Channel
name for BWF files. When editing the channel
name, anything you enter in parentheses will be
discarded. However, the channel number will al-
ways be preserved.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1419

 Single Delivery of Source Files
Receiving Source Files
There are two methods the Avid editor may use to
When involved in the audio post-production of ed- prepare the files before exporting them:
ited video sequences, you need both of the follow-
ing sets of source files: • Production source audio has been auto-synced in
the Avid Bin and placed on the Timeline
• AAF or OMF sequence with an edited produc-
tion sound mix synced to video (such as refer- • Production source audio has been auto-synced
enced QuickTime movies or Avid video) and resides only in the Avid Bin

• Raw Production source files representing multi- Production Source Audio in Timeline Auto-
channel recordings from a field recorder Synced to Edited Production Sound Mix The
production source audio in the Avid Bin has been
You will receive these files either separately (from auto-synced to the edited located sound mix, and
the Avid video editor and production sound mixer) all audio channels reside in the Avid Timeline.
or together as part of an AAF or OMF sequence ex-
port including raw production source audio (from When you import this type of sequence into
the Avid video editor). Pro Tools, the edited video, edited production
sound mix, and all production source audio will be
available to import directly into the Timeline.
Separate Deliveries of Source
Files Production Source Audio Auto-Synced and Re-
sides Only in the Avid Bin In an Avid video edit-
When you receive an AAF or OMF sequence from
ing application, the raw production source audio
the Avid editor and raw production source audio
has been auto-synced to the edited production
from the production sound mixer, you import the
sound mix, but all audio channels reside only in the
sequence, then either import the raw production
Avid Bin.
source audio, or instruct Pro Tools to search for
matching audio outside the session. In this case, the AAF or OMF sequence does
not contain or reference the production
Once the production audio is imported or
source audio when imported into Pro Tools.
located, Pro Tools will be able to match them
The Avid editor must deliver the production
together.
files to Pro Tools separately. The Avid editor
See “Importing an AAF or OMF Sequence may either deliver the production audio files
into Pro Tools” on page 1421 and “Import- from the Avid or OMFI Media Files folder, or
ing Raw Production Source Audio Directly they may deliver the raw production source
into Pro Tools” on page 1422. audio files, which have not passed through
Media Composer.

1420 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 9 Choose Link to Source Media (Where Possible)
Importing Source Files into from the Audio Media Options pop-up menu.
Pro Tools
10 Choose Link to Source Media from the Video
This topic describes importing production source Media Options pop-up menu.
audio from the following types of files:
11 In the Source Tracks section, select tracks to im-
• AAF or OMF sequences
port by clicking the pop-up menu to the right of
• Raw production source audio (if received sepa- each track name and selecting Import As New
rately from the AAF or OMF sequence) Track.

To select multiple tracks, Option-click (Mac)

Importing an AAF or OMF
or Alt-click (Windows) on any track pop-up
Sequence into Pro Tools
menu and select Import As New Track.
To open an AAF (or OMF) sequence as a Pro Tools
session: 12 Change other parameters.
1 Launch Pro Tools. 13 Click OK.
2 Choose File > Open Session. Pro Tools creates a new Audio Files folder, Video
3 In the Open Session dialog, navigate to the AAF Files folder, cache.wfm file, and session file at the
or OMF sequence you want to import. designated locations. This session matches the au-
dio file type, sample rate, and bit depth of the audio
4 Click Open. in the selected AAF or OMF. Any selected tracks
5 Name your session in the File Name field. in the Source Tracks section of the Import Session
Data dialog are automatically placed in the Time-
6 Select WAV from the Audio File Type pop-up line.
menu.
For more information about importing
7 Select the I/O Settings to use for the session. AAF and OMF sequences in Pro Tools, see
Several pre-configured I/O Settings are in- “Importing AAF and OMF Sequences” on
cluded with your system, or you can select a page 461.
custom I/O Setting that you have created.
8 Click Save.

The Import Session Data dialog appears.

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 of the files being imported (for new ses-
sions) or to the current sample rate (for exist-
ing sessions). Files with mixed bit depths that
are already at the target sample rate are im-
ported without conversion.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1421

 Importing Raw Production This misalignment results from the incompatibility
Source Audio Directly into between frame-accurate time stamping in Avid
Pro Tools video editing applications and sample-accurate
time stamping in Pro Tools. When you attempt to
If the AAF or OMF sequence you imported into
link the two, the misalignment results.
Pro Tools did not include raw production source
audio, you may import it into the session sepa- In order to repair this discrepancy, you may need to
rately using media supplied by the production manually offset the raw production source audio
sound mixer. after importing it into Pro Tools. Another option is
to use a utility like SynchroArts Titan to process
You can import monophonic or polyphonic audio
and align the source audio.
files from field recorders into Pro Tools using any
of the following methods:
• Using File > Import > Audio, and selecting the
Don’t Convert Sample Rate on
Import Preference
files you want to import.
• Dragging files to the Clips List from the Work- In some workflows, it is common for production
space browser or the desktop. audio to be recorded at 48.048 kHz to accommo-
date for a pull down to 48 kHz applied downstream
In projects with large amounts of production in the workflow. When importing audio at this spe-
audio, it may not be convenient to import all cial sample rate, Pro Tools can either sample rate
production audio into Pro Tools for refer- convert the file to 48 kHz, or pull the file down to
ence. You can set Pro Tools to search for 48 kHz in real time during playback.
matching audio in areas outside the session
If you plan to import audio at 48.048 kHz and want
when it looks for matching field recorder
Pro Tools to apply the 48 kHz pull down in real
files. For more information, see “Select Ar-
time, do the following:
eas to Search” on page 1427.
To set the Don’t Convert Sample Rate on Import
Repairing Audio Misalignment Preference:
When Importing Audio Not
Exported from Avid 1 Choose Setup > Preferences.

When you use Pro Tools to import raw production 2 Select the Processing tab.
source audio that was not exported from an Avid 3 In the Import section, find the Don’t Convert
video editing application—such as audio delivered Sample Rates on Import preference setting.
separately from an AAF or OMF sequence—that
audio may be offset with the audio in the AAF or 4 Enable that preference to activate real-time pull
OMF sequence by as much as half a frame. down for 48.048 kHz audio files.

1422 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Designating Field Recorder Displaying Multichannel Files
Tracks from a Field Recorder in the
Clips List
Working with field recorder data often requires
Pro Tools to do additional administrative work to When importing multichannel recordings from a
locate and keep track of production field recorder field recorder, Pro Tools saves the multichannel
channels and metadata. This file handling can be audio as interleaved audio files, which display as
system-intensive when working with large single items in the Clips List.
amounts of data.
In previous versions of Pro Tools, multichannel
Pro Tools lets you specially designate field re- files were saved as separate files, one for each
corder tracks after importing them, ensuring that channel. Pro Tools treats these groups of related
Po Tools only does field-recorder-specific file op- clips as single items. An expand/collapse triangle
erations on channels that actually contain field re- next to an item in the Clips List indicates this type
corder data. of grouped multichannel clip. If you’re working
with material imported by an earlier version of
To designate a field recorder track: Pro Tools, you may see these collective clips.
1 Right-click on the name of the track you want to
For multichannel audio clips imported from field
designate as a field recorder track.
recorders to be shown as collective clips, both
To designate more than one track as a field component clips must have the following proper-
recorder track, select the tracks and right- ties:
click the name of one of the selected tracks. • Same length

2 Click Field Recorder Guide Track. • Same clip name prefix (such as Audio File or
Audio File_01)
3 Repeat for each field recorder track in the
• Consecutively-numbered clip name suffix, from
session.
A1 through A8
Each mono field recorder track must be
For example, the clips Audio File_01.A1 and Au-
designated to enable the special Pro Tools
dio File_01.A2 would be grouped as a multichan-
field recorder features for that track.
nel clip in the Clips List.

If an existing stereo or multichannel grouped clip

To remove the field recorder designation
has been dragged onto multiple mono tracks and
from a track that has been designated, Right-
edited in such a way that one or more components
click its name and deselect the Field Re-
are no longer the same length, the stereo display is
corder Guide Track option.
removed and the clips are displayed as individual
clips in the Clips List.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1423

 2 Do one of the following:
Selecting a Matching Field
• With any Edit tool, Right-click the selection
Recorder Channel to Replace
you want to replace, then select Matching
a Clip
Field Recorder Channels from the pop-up
Once you have imported an AAF or OMF se- menu.
quence into the Timeline, you can replace the orig- • With the Selector tool, Command-option-
inal production sound mix with an equivalent click (Mac) or Control-alt-click (Windows)
matching field recorder channel while preserving the selection you want to replace.
the original edits.
3 From the Matching Field Recorder Channels
If the Import Session Data process imported pop-up menu, select the name of the matching
all production source audio directly into the clip that you want to use to replace the original
Timeline, this procedure is unnecessary. clip.

You can hold Command-option (Mac) or

Replacing a Clip with a Matching
Segment from a Matching Field Control-alt (Windows) and use the up and
Recorder Channel down arrow keys to step through the list of
available matches for the selection.
You can replace a mono clip (or selected portion of
a mono clip) with a matching segment of a match-
ing field recorder channel that was recorded simul- The first time you open the Matching Field
taneously. Any fades performed on the original Recorder Channels menu for a certain clip,
clip are automatically applied to the replacement Pro Tools must search for matching chan-
clip, and any pre-existing automation on that track nels, and displays “Searching for metadata in
is unchanged. the background.” Close and open the menu
again once the search is complete to see the
Using this feature is especially useful when found matches.
combining it with duplicating the production
sound mix track. For example, you could re-
If the production sound mixer entered the
place the audio from a boom microphone
channel name (or some other descriptive
with the audio from a lavalier microphone—
reference) during shooting, the Matching
while preserving any edits or fades from the
Field Recorder Channels pop-up menu dis-
original edited production sound mix in the
plays this information.
AAF or OMF sequence.

To replace a clip with a matching field recorder

4 Repeat this procedure for every clip you want to
channel: replace on each track.
1 In the Timeline, make a selection that includes To cycle through matches for the selected clip,
or overlaps the clip or portion of the clip you press Command+Option+Up/Down Arrows
want to replace. (Mac) or Control+Alt+Up/Down Arrows
(Windows).

1424 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Conditions for Matching Field Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria
Recorder Channel Availability
For maximum flexibility, the Field Recorder
By default, a matching field recorder channel is Channels Match Criteria dialog lets you set the cri-
available to replace the original channel (repre- teria Pro Tools uses to find matching field recorder
sented by the clip or portion of a clip selected on channels.
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 timecode and end timecode positions.
• Criteria set in the Match Criteria dialog is met.
• The metadata embedded during shooting and re-
cording has been preserved prior to import into
Pro Tools.

For information on how to ensure that meta-

data have been properly preserved in your
source files, see “Ensuring Metadata of
Source Files Have Been Preserved” on
page 1419.
Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria window
However, different field recorders can behave dif-
ferently, and in some cases, available metadata can You can find matches using any or all of the fol-
be incorrect, incomplete, or missing. To aid in lowing identifying data points:
finding matching field recorder channels in these
File Creation Date The date the files were created,
situations, Pro Tools lets you control its channel
as specified by the operating system.
match criteria.
Shoot date The shoot date of the content, as spec-
ified by iXML metadata.

Scene The scene number of the content, as speci-

fied by iXML metadata.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1425

 Scene and Take The scene number and take num- To set match criteria:
ber, as specified by iXML metadata. 1 Do one of the following:
Matching channels by take can only be done • In the Edit window, Right-click on a mono
if also matching by scene. clip, and choose Matching Field Recorder
Channels > Match Criteria from the pop-up
Tape Name The tape name, as specified by iXML menu.
metadata, must match the tape name of the guide • In the Edit window, Command-option click
file. (Mac) or Control-alt-click (Windows) on a
Sound Roll Name The sound roll name, as speci- mono clip, and choose Field Recorder Chan-
fied by iXML metadata, must match the sound roll nel Match Criteria from the pop-up menu.
name of the guide file. • Right-click the name plate of the track you
want to find matches for, and choose Field
Sound Roll Name to Tape Name The tape name,
Recorder Channel Match Criteria from the
as specified by iXML metadata, matches the sound pop-up menu.
roll name of the guide file.
2 In the Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria
Tape Name to Sound Roll Name The sound roll window, select the matching conditions you
name, as specified by iXML metadata, matches the want Pro Tools to search.
tape name of the guide file.
3 Choose ANY or ALL from the Match Timecode
When matching by the above criteria, Plus pop-up menu. Choosing ANY will find
Pro Tools will accept timecode matches in matches based on any one of the criteria you’ve
both Original Time Stamp and Sound Roll set. Choosing ALL will require that all of the
Timecode. criteria you’ve set must be matched for
Pro Tools to consider a prospective match valid.
First X Characters in File Name Matches files
based on a user-specified number of characters in When looking for the largest number of
the file name, starting at the beginning. matches, choose ANY. Then, you can use
ALL to narrow down your matches to a spe-
Channel Name The channel name, as specified by
cific shoot date, channel name, or other
iXML metadata.
identifying data point.
Channel Number The channel number, as speci-
4 In future searches for matching field recorder
fied by iXML metadata.
channels, Pro Tools will follow the guidelines
Name and Sort Tracks By you’ve set, until you change them again.

This option lets you set the method Pro Tools uses The Reset button toggles all criteria to their
to name and sort the audio files created by expand- default values.
ing matching field recorder channels.
Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows)
any item to select or deselect all criteria in
the dialog.

1426 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Select Areas to Search 6 Do one of the following:

By default, Pro Tools searches for matching field • Click Save to close the Select Areas to
recorder files in the Audio Files folder for the cur- Search dialog and save the new search area
rent session. Because field recorders often accu- settings.
mulate large amounts of audio data, importing the • Click Save & Index to save the new search
necessary files into your Pro Tools session can be a area settings and re-index the selected fold-
slow and complex task. ers. For more information, see “Re-Indexing”
on page 1427.
The Select Areas to Search option lets you specify
additional locations (such as alternate folders or Re-Indexing
hard drives) for Pro Tools to search for matches.
When new audio is added to one of the designated
To select areas to search for matching field search areas, Pro Tools must index the contents of
recorder tracks: that folder before the new audio can be accessed.
1 Right-click the name of a field recorder track.
To re-index all alternate search areas:
2 Click Select Areas to Search. 1 In the Field Recorder Channels Match dialog,
click Select Areas to Search.
2 Click Save & Index to save the current settings
and re-index all search areas in the list.

Missing Search Folders

Folders that you select as search areas can go miss-

ing for a variety of reasons (such as deletion or the
absence of a needed hard drive). If a folder is miss-
ing, Pro Tools shows an error message when you
open the Select Areas to Search dialog. The miss-
Select Areas to Search dialog ing path name is displayed in the list in gray-col-
3 Navigate to a folder or hard drive you want ored italic text.
Pro Tools to search for matches. Field recorder files imported through
4 Click Choose to confirm your choice. searches outside the session are always im-
ported as .WAV if any conversion needs to
Pro Tools will show an error message if you take place, to preserve the field recorder
try to add a subfolder whose parent folder is metadata. Session file type selected in the
already in the list of search areas. Session Setup window is ignored.

5 To delete a search area from the list, select it and

click the Minus (–) button.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1427

 2 Click the Expand Channels to New Tracks sub-
Expanding Matching Field menu, and select one of the following methods
Recorder Channels to New by which to expand matching field recorder
Tracks channels for the selection to new tracks:
When working with a mono clip that is part of a • By Match Criteria
multichannel recording, you can expand that clip • By Timecode Only
(or a selected portion of it) to new tracks that re-
flect its matching channels while preserving any When expanding only a portion of the clips on
edits or fades. a track, the By Match Criteria option will be
grayed out if there are no valid matches
Matching field recorder channels are mono found, or if the ANY option is chosen in the
channels that were usually recorded simulta- Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria dia-
neously with the original clip (such as multi- log and no criteria are selected.
channel recordings made by one or more
field recorders). For information on setting
the detailed criteria that matching channels See “Determining the Method of Expanding
must meet, see “Conditions for Matching Matching Field Recorder Channels to New
Field Recorder Channel Availability” on Tracks” on page 1429 for more information
page 1425. on how each of these options expand to new
tracks.
For example, this feature lets you easily create dif-
ferent versions of an edited dialogue track corre- If matching field recorder channels are available,
sponding to multiple channel inputs (microphones) Pro Tools expands them (plus the channel repre-
that were recorded simultaneously. sented in the original track) to new tracks accord-
ing to the chosen parameters.
To expand matching field recorder channels to
new tracks:

1 In the Timeline, do one of the following:

• To expand a single clip on a single track,
right-click the clip.
• To expand a portion of the clips on the track,
make a selection that includes or overlaps any
number of clips, and Command-option-click
(Mac) or Control-alt-click (Windows) the se-
lection.
• To expand all of the clips on a mono track,
Right-click the track’s name plate. Result of expanding a selection to new tracks

The channel you plan to expand must be

mono.

1428 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Naming and Sorting Expanded
Determining the Method of Channels
Expanding Matching Field
Recorder Channels to New For maximum flexibility, Pro Tools lets you con-
Tracks trol the naming and sorting of new channels cre-
ated by the Expand Channels to New Tracks by
Matching field recorder channels may be ex- Match Criteria command.
panded to new tracks based on the channel match
criteria specified in the Field Recorder Channels This parameter can be set in the Field Recorder
Match Criteria dialog (For more info, see “Field Channels Match Criteria dialog (for more info, see
Recorder Channels Match Criteria” on page 1425), “Field Recorder Channels Match Criteria” on
or by timecode only. page 1425.)

How Tracks Are Named When Expanding

Expanding Matching Field Matching Field Recorder Channels by Channel
Recorder Channels by Match Name
Criteria
Tracks expanded this way are named as follows:
Choosing Expand Channels to New Tracks > By
Match Criteria creates a new track for each unique • For unique channel names that create only one
channel found in matching channels of the selec- track, each track is named using the original
tion that meets the criteria you’ve specified. track’s name plus the channel name. For exam-
ple, expanding the unique channel name Boom
If channels with duplicate match criteria (such as from the track Guide.A1 would create a new
Channel Name or Channel Number) are encoun- track called Guide.A1.Boom.
tered, additional tracks are created for each dupli-
• For unique channel names that create two or
cate channel. The new channels share the name of
more tracks, each of the new tracks that share
the original channel they were expanded from, ap-
channel names are named by appending a pe-
pended with a period, followed by an identifying
riod, followed by an identifying number. The
number. The first matching channel will be ap-
first matching channel will be appended by .2,
pended by .2, the second by .3, and so on.
the second by .3, and so on. For example, ex-
Each new track contains only channels that match panding the duplicate channel names Boom from
according to the specified match criteria, with edits the track Guide.A1 would create Guide.A1.2 and
and fades preserved from the original selection. Guide.A1.3.
Gaps reflect clips from the original selection that
did not have a matching channel with that channel
name.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1429

 How Tracks Are Named When Expanding • For unique channel name and number combina-
Matching Field Recorder Channels by Channel tions that create two or more tracks, each of the
Number new tracks that share channel name and numbers
Tracks expanded this way are named as follows: are named by appending a period, followed by
an identifying number. The first matching chan-
• For unique channel numbers that create only one nel will be appended by .2, the second by .3, and
track, each track is named using the original so on. For example, expanding the duplicate
track’s name plus the channel number. For ex- channel names Boom.A1 from the track
ample, expanding the unique channel number Guide.A1 would create Guide.A1.A1.2 and
A1 from the track Guide.A1 would create a new Guide.A1.A1.3.
track called Guide.A1.A1.
• For unique channel number that create two or Expanding Matching Field
more tracks, each of the new tracks that share Recorder Channels by Timecode
channel numbers are named by appending a pe- Only
riod, followed by an identifying number. The
first matching channel will be appended by .2, The Expand Channels To New Tracks By Time-
the second by .3, and so on. For example, ex- code Only command lets you expand an entire
panding the duplicate channel numbers A1 from track or only selected clips to new playlists on the
the track Guide.A1 would create Guide.A1.A1.2 same track or to new separate tracks, thus reveal-
and Guide.A1.A1.3. ing all other clips recorded at the same timecode
location, regardless of channel name or number.
How Tracks Are Named When Expanding This is especially useful when expanding edited
Matching Field Recorder Channels by Channel guide tracks to original source audio that was re-
Name & Number corded while referenced to timecode, but where
channel names or numbers were not written to the
Tracks expanded this way are named as follows:
audio files.
• For unique channel name and number combina-
tions that create only one track, each track is When finding matches by timecode only,
named using the original track’s name plus the Pro Tools will reference both Original Time Stamp
channel name and number. For example, ex- and Sound Roll Timecode. If a cross-match is
panding the unique channel name and number found between Tape and Sound Roll Name (or vice
combination Boom.A1 from the track Guide.A1 versa) Pro Tools will also look for cross-matches
would create a new track called between Original Time Stamp and Sound Roll
Guide.A1.Boom.A1. Timecode.

1430 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Example Workflow: Working Relinking the Original Unedited Guide Track
with a Guide Track
After importing the AAF (or OMF) sequence and
For live concert videos, the video is captured sep- original source audio files into the session, it is rec-
arately while the audio is recorded in Pro Tools. ommended that you relink the edited guide track to
The video editor will use a guide audio track that is the original unedited source audio.
edited along with the video in their video editing
software (such as Avid Media Composer). The ed- To relink the original unedited guide track:
ited guide track is then returned to Pro Tools, but it 1 Open a Workspace browser. Select your session
needs to be expanded to the conformed original in the Locations column, then open or expand
source tracks for mixing and mastering. the Session Audio Files folder.
1 Multitrack audio is recorded in Pro Tools while 2 Right-click the edited guide track audio file in
chasing timecode. A mono or stereo mix is re- the browser and choose Relink Selected Items.
corded simultaneously as a guide track for the
video editor. 3 In the upper pane of the Relink window, navi-
gate to the original unedited guide track audio
2 The picture and audio guide tracks are edited in file that was recorded in Pro Tools.
a video editing application (such as Avid
Media Composer). If the original unedited file is not available,
you can relink to any of the source audio files
3 The edited audio guide tracks are exported from
as long as they have the same start and end
the video editor as an AAF (or OMF) sequence,
times as the guide track.
including handles of at least 2 frames.
4 The AAF (or OMF) sequence is imported into 4 In the Select Files To Relink pane, select the ed-
Pro Tools as a new session. ited guide track file.

5 The original source audio files and unedited 5 Drag the original unedited guide track audio file
guide track are also imported into the session. into the Candidates pane. If a dialog appears
stating that one or more files are shorter than the
6 The original unedited guide track is relinked to media file you are trying to relink, click Yes to
the session (see “Relinking the Original Uned- select it for relinking anyway.
ited Guide Track” on page 1431).
6 Check the box to the left of the file in the Can-
7 The Pro Tools editor Right-clicks the name of didates pane so that the Link icon appears.
the guide track and selects Expand Channels to
New Tracks > By Timecode Only. The original 7 Click Commit Links at the top of the Relink win-
source tracks expand to new tracks with edits dow and then close the Relink window.
and fades that match the guide track.
You can now Right-click the name of the guide
and select Expand To New Tracks > By Timecode
Only. All expanded tracks should be synchronous
with the guide track.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1431

 Shooting (Film Workflow)
Film Workflow
1 Shooting proceeds as follows:
This topic describes the film workflow from shoot- • Film camera begins rolling.
ing to the point where the Avid editor is ready for
• One or more field recorders begin recording.
editing, and is intended for the following parties:
The production sound mixer has designated
• Camera assistant one or two channels as a production sound
• Camera operator mix, which is a consolidation of one or more
channels in each multichannel recording.
• Production sound mixer
• Telecine operator 2 During shooting, the following timecode infor-
mation is captured:
• Pro Tools editor
• The camera captures images to film, each
Overview of Film Workflow frame of which is embedded during manufac-
turing with a unique identifying timecode po-
The following describes an overview of the steps sition known as keycode.
necessary to a film workflow:
• One or more field recorders simultaneously
1 Set up before shooting. make multichannel recordings that are em-
bedded with SMPTE timecode based on time
2 Shoot.
of day (or longitudinal timecode).
3 Telecine transfer.
3 During shooting, the following information is
4 Batch digitize in Avid video editing application. noted:

Following these steps ensures that timecode meta- • The camera assistant keeps a written record
data are preserved from the moment shooting be- (called a shootlist) documenting each scene
gins to the final delivery of source files to the and take with a corresponding keycode posi-
Pro Tools editor. tion.
• The production sound mixer also keeps a
written record (also called a sound log) docu-
Setting Up Before Shooting
(Film Workflow) menting each scene and take with a corre-
sponding timecode position.
Before each day’s shooting begins, the production
sound mixer should decide on a unique name— 4 The slate operator claps the slate to indicate the
preferably ascending by day—and enter that exact beginning of the take. The field recorder records
name in the Tape BEXT or iXML metadata field the audio of the clap, and the film camera cap-
inside the Broadcast WAV file. tures the following images:
• Scene and take number (written on the slate)
For example, the production sound mixer might
• Exact moment the slate closes
use T001 for the first day’s shooting, T002 for the
second day’s shooting, and so forth. • Timecode position of the slate closing
5 Shooting ends and the take is complete.

1432 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Telecine Transfer (Film 6 Play back the film and audio to test that they are
Workflow) synchronized. If they are not synchronized,
make small manual adjustments as needed until
When shooting is complete for the day, the follow-
the film and audio are synchronized.
ing components are delivered to the telecine oper-
ator: 7 Once the film and audio are properly synchro-
• Processed film stock nized, lock the film and audio in place.

• Multichannel location audio 8 Insert a blank videotape into the VTR con-
nected to the telecine, and manually assign lin-
• Written shootlist and sound log
ear timecode (LTC) information to the
The telecine operator generates the dailies (a vid- videotape.
eotape containing the day’s shots) by transferring 9 Begin the telecine capture. During the telecine
the film and audio to a videotape. The shootlists capture, the following occurs:
will be used as a guide.
• The telecine begins capturing the synchro-
To use a telecine to create dailies: nized film and audio to the videotape, with
linear timecode (LTC) assigned to the video-
1 Load film and audio into the telecine.
tape beginning from where you entered the
2 Enter the Tape name or Sound Roll name start timecode.
(whichever was used during the production) • A FLEx file is created, where scene and take
character for character into the telecine. information is automatically written and as-
sociated to the film keycode and telecine vid-
To ensure that metadata are preserved for
eotape timecode relative to audio timecode.
the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
Tape name or Sound Roll name character for 10 When the telecine transfer is complete, deliver
character. For example, if the metadata was the following to the Avid editor:
T001 (with two zeroes), enter T001 with two • Telecine videotape
zeroes—not T01 with one zero or T0001 with
• FLEx file
three zeroes.
• Shootlist
3 Using the camera assistant’s shootlist, locate the • Sound log
film frame representing the first keycode posi-
• Location audio media
tion 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 timecode position dis-
played on the slate.
5 Locate the audio to the exact timecode position
listed on the slate in the film frame (which lines
up the audio with the film).

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1433

 Batch Digitizing the Telecine 4 In the Avid Bin, select the items you want to
Videotape to Digital Files (Film capture.
Workflow)
5 Load the telecine videotape into the Avid, and
This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid begin the batch digitize.
editor receives the following components from the
telecine operator: The Avid automatically batch digitizes the scenes
and takes selected in the Avid Bin, and uses the
• Telecine videotape
FLEx file to assign each of the digitized video and
• FLEx file audio files with the timecode information match-
• Shootlist ing the original keycode and timecode information
from the shoot.
• Sound log
6 When the batch digitize is complete, use the
In some cases, you may also receive location Avid video editing application to edit audio and
audio from the production sound mixer. video.

In a film workflow, the Avid editor batch digitizes 7 When you are finished editing, export the edited
the telecine videotape to digital video and audio sequence as an AAF or OMF sequence so that it
files in order to edit them. can be imported into Pro Tools.

To batch digitize a telecine videotape to digital

source files:
Video and Fully Non-Linear
1 In the Avid video editing application, import all Workflows
relevant FLEx files into Avid Log Exchange.
This topic describes both video and fully non-lin-
Avid Log Exchange displays a list of all scene and ear workflows from shooting to the point where
take combinations, with associated film keycode, the Avid editor is ready for editing, and is intended
audio timecode, and relative videotape timecode. for the following parties:
2 In Avid Log Exchange, select the items in the • Camera assistant
FLEx file that represent the scenes and takes • Camera operator
you want to batch digitize from the videotape.
• Production sound mixer
3 Process the selected scenes and takes in the • Avid editor
FLEx file. Avid Log Exchange sends the se-
lected items to the Avid video editing applica- • Pro Tools editor
tion, where they are loaded into the Bin as
Overview of Video and Fully Non-Linear
offline media. Workflows
Any metadata required for matching (such as The following describes an overview of the steps
Tape name) should be visible in the undigi- that are necessary in these workflows:
tized clips.
1 Set up before shooting.
2 Shoot.

1434 Pro Tools Reference Guide

3 Digitize video in Avid video editing application
(video workflow only) or import digital video To ensure that metadata are preserved for
files directly into Avid video editing application the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
(fully non-linear workflow only). Tape name character for character. For ex-
ample, if the metadata was T001 (with two
Following these steps ensures that timecode and zeroes), enter T001 with two zeroes—not T01
other metadata are preserved from the moment with one zero or T0001 with three zeroes.
shooting begins to the final delivery of source files
to the Pro Tools editor. Shooting (Video and Fuly Non-
Linear Workflows)
Setting Up Before Shooting 1 Shooting proceeds as follows:
(Video and Fuly Non-Linear • Camera begins rolling.
Workflows)
• One or more field recorders begin recording.
Before shooting begins, the camera operator and The production sound mixer has designated
the production sound mixer should ensure the fol- one or two channels as a production sound
lowing: mix, which is a consolidation of one or more
• The field recorder’s audio output feeds the video channels in each multichannel recording.
camera’s audio input. 2 During shooting, the following timecode infor-
• Both the field recorder and the video camera mation is captured:
should be locked to the same production time- • The camera captures images to video or file
code. embedded with SMPTE timecode based on
time of day (or longitudinal timecode).
Matching Tape Name to Sound Roll Metadata
for Video Shoots • One or more field recorders simultaneously
make multichannel recordings that are em-
Before loading the videotape into the video cam- bedded with SMPTE timecode based on time
era, the camera operator physically labels the vid- of day (or longitudinal timecode).
eotape with a unique name. The production sound
mixer must enter that exact name in the Tape 3 The slate operator claps the slate to indicate the
BEXT or iXML metadata field inside the Broad- beginning of the take. The field recorder records
cast WAV file. the audio of the clap, and the film camera cap-
tures the following images:
After you import a file containing Tape meta- • Scene and take number (displayed on the
data into Pro Tools, the metadata displays in slate)
the Sound Roll field in Workspace browsers.
• Exact moment the slate closes
Matching Tape Name to Sound Roll Metadata • Timecode position of the slate closing
for Fully Non-Linear Shoots
4 Shooting ends and the take is complete.
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.

Chapter 62: Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools 1435

 Digitizing a Videotape in the Importing Digital Video Directly
Avid Video Editing Application into the Avid Video Editing
(Video Workflow Only) Application
(Fully Non-Linear Workflow Only)
This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid
editor receives the following components from the This phase of the workflow begins after the Avid
camera operator and the production sound mixer: editor receives the following components from the
camera operator and the production sound mixer:
• Videotape
• Digital video (on flash card, hard drive, or some
• Multichannel recordings
other file-based storage)
In a video workflow, the Avid editor digitizes the • Multichannel recordings
videotape to digital video and audio files in order
to edit them. Before doing so, however, the Avid In a fully non-linear workflow, the Avid editor
editor must name the tape. simply has to import the video and audio media
into the Avid video editing application in order to
To digitize a videotape to digital source files: edit them.
1 Load the videotape into the Avid system.
To import video into the Avid video editing
2 When prompted to name the videotape, enter application:
the exact Tape name used by the camera opera- 1 In the Avid video editing application, create a
tor and the production sound mixer. Bin.
To ensure that metadata are preserved for 2 Import the video files directly into the Bin.
the Pro Tools editor, it is critical to enter the
3 When the Disk Label Import dialog appears, en-
Tape name character for character. For ex-
ter the exact Tape name used by the camera op-
ample, if the metadata was T001 (with two
erator and the production sound mixer.
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
3 Digitize the videotape loaded into the Avid.
Tape name character for character. For ex-
4 When the digitize is complete, use the Avid ample, if the metadata was T001 (with two
video editing application to edit audio and zeroes), enter T001 with two zeroes—not T01
video. with one zero or T0001 with three zeroes.

When you are finished editing, export the edited 4 Use the Avid video editing application to edit
sequence as an AAF or OMF sequence so that it audio and video.
can be imported into Pro Tools.
5 When you are finished editing, export the edited
sequence as an AAF or OMF sequence so that it
can be imported into Pro Tools.

1436 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools

Pro Tools Studio lets you do the following:

Avid Video Engine (AVE)
• Import supported video files to a single video
track Pro Tools uses the Avid Video Engine (AVE) for
video playback. AVE lets you simultaneously
• Lock video tracks
view desktop video (native video) and video mon-
• Extract audio from supported video file formats itored using an Avid or third-party video periph-
• Scrub audio in tandem with video eral. AVE provides support for a wide range of
QuickTime and Avid HD and SD MXF video for-
• View video in the Video window or output it
mats on Pro Tools video tracks without transcod-
through an Avid supported video peripheral to
ing (including Avid DNxHD).
an external monitor
• Bounce the video track to QuickTime (macOS To enable the Avid Video Engine for Pro Tools:
Mojave and below, and Windows with Quick-
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
Time installed only)
2 Enable the Video Engine option to use Pro Tools
• Bounce Mix to MOV
with the Avid Video Engine.
Pro Tools Ultimate also lets you do the following:
3 Click OK.
• Import multiple video files into the Timeline
• Create up to 64 video tracks
• Perform basic video clip editing on the Timeline Video Format Support in
Pro Tools
• Select from multiple video playlists on each
video track
Video File Types
• Organize, group, and edit video clips with audio
clips Pro Tools supports the following file types for
video import and playback.
• Manage multiple video clips in the Clips List
• H.264
• Undo multiple video operations
• H.265
Pro Tools Artist does not support video. • .mov
• .mp4
• .m4v

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1437

 • .mxf
Check Latest Compatibility
• OP1a
Documentation
• OP-Atom
The list of file types and codecs supported by
Pro Tools supports having both .mov and Pro Tools is updated frequently to keep pace with
.mxf media on the same video track. the demands of the industry. There are also differ-
ent requirements or abilities depending on your op-
Video Codec Support erating system. Refer to the following articles for
the latest information on video related compatibil-
Each file type has own set of supported codecs.
ity.
Pro Tools supports several types of Intra Frame
and Long GOP codecs. DNxHD and DNxHR are macOS File Type Compatibility Visit the Knowl-
examples of Intra Frame codecs, and H.264 is an edge base article on Pro Tools File Type Support.
example of a Long GOP codec. Due to the nature
of these codec types, it is recommend that you General Information on Supported Video For-
mats Visit the Knowledge base article on Avid
work with an Intra Frame codec on your timeline
Qualified Video Rates Rasters and Codecs for
for the best performance.
Pro Tools.

Rate and Raster Support Video Peripheral Compatibility Information Visit

the Knowledge base article on Pro Tools Video Pe-
Pro Tools supports video files with frame rates up ripherals.
to 60 fps, and raster sizes up to 4096x3112. Work-
ing with high frame rate and/or high raster size
video is CPU intensive. It is important to take the
size and complexity of your session into consider-
Before Starting Your Project
ation, as well as the CPU speed and core count of Before you start any project that requires working
your machine. Video playback competes with with video, consider the following:
computer resources used to playback audio and
plug-in processing. In many cases it may be worth Machine Capabilities Not all computers are suited
working with a lower frame rate and raster size for all types of video files. Some rate, raster, and
video, with a lower bandwidth codec. For exam- codec combinations may not playback smoothly
ple, 30 fps (or under), 1920x1080 raster, and on underpowered machines. Please visit
DNxHD LB or SQ. If you require high frame rate www.avid.com for the most up-to-date perfor-
or high raster video, and you are working with a mance and compatibility recommendations.
CPU intensive session, it is recommended that you Separate Video-Only and Audio-Only Drives For
use a dedicated Pro Tools or Media Composer Sat- best results, always use separate video-only and
ellite system. audio-only drives. For complete information on
hard drive requirements, visit www.avid.com.
For the latest recommendations and compati-
bility information regarding codec, raster, and Frame Rate Before receiving video, find out the
frame rate support, visit the Knowledgebase frame rate. Use this frame rate when setting the
article on Avid Qualified Video Rates Rasters frame rate of your Pro Tools sessions and when
and Codecs for Pro Tools. capturing video.

1438 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Creator Application and Codec Before receiving To create a video track in Pro Tools, do one of the
video as media files, find out the application and following:
codec used to create those files. Then confirm that  Use File > Import to import a video file.
you can play those files in Pro Tools. It is always a
good idea to get a sample file in advance.  Drag a video file to the Timeline.
 Use File > Import > Session Data to import a
Video Timecode Burn-in Before receiving video
session or AAF sequence containing a video
files, request that the timecode display to be
track.
“burned in” (superimposed) if possible. This will
help you place the file at the correct timecode loca- For more information, see “Importing Video into
tion in the Pro Tools Timeline. Pro Tools” on page 1451.
Sufficient Space on Video Drives Ensure suffi-
To create a new video track with
cient space is available on separate dedicated Pro Tools Ultimate:
video-only drives. Video files take up significantly
more space and bandwidth than audio. It is recom- 1 Choose Track > New.
mended that video files be kept on separate drives 2 Select Video Track from the Track Type pop-up
from audio files to help avoid performance prob- menu.
lems.
3 Enter the number of new video tracks.
Separate Video-Only and Audio-Only Drives For
4 Click Create.
best results, always use separate video-only and
audio-only drives. For complete information on A new empty video track appears. Video tracks
hard drive requirements, visit www.avid.com. may appear slightly different depending on your
system configuration or the type of video added to
a video track.
Video Tracks
Video tracks let you add or import video to the
Timeline, as follows:
• Pro Tools Studio lets you import one video track
per session, with a limit of one video playlist and
one MXF or QuickTime video file on that track.
• Pro Tools Ultimate lets you add multiple video
tracks to the Timeline, with multiple video play- Empty video track
lists and multiple video files per track.
• Pro Tools Ultimate lets you mix QuickTime and Multiple Video Tracks in the
MXF video tracks in the Timeline (but not on the Timeline
same video track). (Pro Tools Ultimate Only)

You can add multiple video tracks to the Timeline,

but only one video track can be played back at a
time. This track is known as the main video track.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1439

 Multiple Video Track Playlists
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
Main Video Track
The main video track is the video track that is cur-
Playlists provide an easy way of changing back
rently online, and will be played back with any au-
and forth between alternate versions of a video
dio in the session.
track.
When the main video track is offline, you can play
You can perform all of the same operations with
back the audio in your session without playing
video playlists as you can with audio playlists, in-
back the video. When the video is offline, the
cluding:
Video Online button changes to gray so you can
• Duplicating a playlist tell at a glance whether your video is offline or
• Creating a playlist simply playing black fill.
• Assigning a playlist to another video track If no video track is currently online, the main
• Renaming a playlist video track is the video track that was last online.
• Deleting a playlist
To select the main video track:

For more information, see Chapter 33,  Click the Video Online button of any track that
“Playlists.” is offline (gray) to put it online (blue), making
that track the main video track.
Multiple Codecs on an Individual
Video Track
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only)

A single video track can contain video clips com-

pressed with different video codecs of the same
type of video. For example, you can add Quick- Video Online button (online)
Time files that were compressed using multiple co-
decs 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.

1440 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Frames View Performance
Video Track Controls and
Indicators When using Frames View to view video content in
the video track, your computer may exhibit re-
Video Track View duced or sluggish performance. If this happens on
your computer, hide the video track or switch to
The video track can be viewed in Frames View or Blocks View.
in Blocks View, both of which display all video
clip boundaries and metadata. Video frame images
Blocks View
are displayed only in Frames View.
In Blocks View, video frames are replaced by col-
When switching from Blocks mode to Frames ored blocks.
mode during playback, the video track will
not update to displaying frames until play-
back is stopped.

To set the view for the video track:

 On the video track, select Frames or Blocks Video track in Blocks View
from the View Options pop-up menu.
Timecode Overlay Button
Frames View (Pro Tools Ultimate Only)

In Frames View, video data is displayed as pictures The Timecode Overlay button lets you toggle
in the video track. These pictures are computed Timecode Overlay on (blue) and off (gray) for the
based on the video image, and scale according to Video window (see “Timecode Overlay” on
your track zoom and height settings. They allow page 1465).
you to easily find a scene or sequence in the video
track. Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
(Windows) the Timecode Overlay button to
open the Timecode Overlay Settings dialog.

Video track in Frames View

Frames do not display properly if you change

zoom settings during playback. Blank frames are
drawn until playback is stopped. You should stop
playback before changing zoom settings if you
Timecode Overlay button, enabled
want to view frames.

If video pull up or pull down is enabled, frames do

not change position.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1441

 Video Online Button Video Dropped Frames Indicator
The Video Online button lets you select the main Pro Tools provides an indicator on video tracks to
video track, switch that track online or offline, and warn you of dropped frames during playback. The
see at a glance by color whether a video track is of- Dropped Frames indicator lights to indicate
fline (gray) or online (blue). dropped frames during playback. If you encounter
a warning about dropped frames during playback,
the tooltip provides an issue report when you stop
playback.

Video Online button (offline (top) and online (bottom) Dropped Frames indicator red
Previous playback report in tooltip
To switch a video track online or offline:

 Click the Video Online button of any track that Dropped Frames indicator states
is offline (gray) to put it online (blue), making Playback
Indicator Issue
that track the main video track. Status

 Click the Video Online button of the main video Not lit Stopped No dropped frames
detected in last playback
track to take it offline, and Pro Tools will not pass or indicator reset
output video.
Not lit Playing No dropped frames
With Pro Tools Ultimate, press Shift+J to cy- back detected
cle through all shown video tracks to deter-
Red Playing Dropped frames detected
mine which one is online. back

Red Stopped Dropped frames detected

during the last playback
pass; Issues reported in
tooltip

• To clear the Dropped Frames indicator during or

after playback, click it. It clears automatically
when you resume playback.

Press Option+C (Mac) or Alt+C (Windows)

to clear all clip indicators and also the
Dropped Frames indicator.

1442 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Move the mouse cursor over the indicator to show
a tooltip that reports the following information af- Video Track Settings
ter playback is stopped: Pro Tools provides Video track settings for Frame
• Playback Duration: <Time in Hr Min Sec> Rate, Raster Size, Output, and for Video Quality
• Dropped Frames: <sum of skipped, pipeline on playback.
dropped frames>
To view (or hide) Video track controls in the Edit
• Disk Read Times: <in ms> window:
• Possible Reason(s) for Dropped Frames  Select (or deselect) View > Edit Window Views >
Possible reasons for dropped frames can include: I/O.

Disk may be too slow reported if the hard drive Frame Rate
could not keep up with the video media during Raster Size
Video Quality
playback. Possible solutions include:
Color Space
• Use a faster drive that can handle the band-
width of the media. Video Track Output controls
• Use a local drive if the media resides on net-
work storage. Engine Rate and Raster Settings
• Use Bounce Mix to create a lower bandwidth The engine Frame Rate and Raster Size selectors
MOV file to use in the session. determine how a video file is processed and output
• Split audio and video media onto separate by the video engine. In most cases, the engine set-
drives to remove bandwidth contention. tings should match the attributes of the video file
for optimal playback performance. In some cases,
Audio and video engines do not have a common however, there can be mixed file raster sizes, or the
clock Reported if video hardware is connected, but
video may be a non-standard frame rate or raster
there is no common clock between the audio and
size, in which case real time frame rate or raster
video interfaces. The video engine will drop or du-
size conversion must be done to match the file to
plicate frames to stay in sync with the audio en-
the selected engine settings.
gine. In some cases this is unavoidable because the
hardware does not support video reference. To Command-click (Mac) or Control-click
avoid this, use Pro Tools Ultimate software with a (Windows) to override Pro Tools and select
Pro Tools | Sync X or SYNC HD a common video the desired Frame Rate or Raster Size.
reference to the video hardware.
Default Engine Settings for Imported
File may be encoded in a way that is not optimized Video
for use with the Avid Video Engine Reported if
some files are encoded in a way that is not optimal The video engine Frame Rate and Raster Size set-
for playback in Pro Tools. For a list of qualified co- tings are set slightly differently when importing an
decs, visit the Avid Knowledge Base. AAF containing a sequence versus an individual
video file (such as a QuickTime file).
CPU/GPU may be underpowered Reported if
there is not enough CPU or GPU processing
power.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1443

 AAF/OMF Raster Size

When importing an AAF, the engine settings are Pro Tools can accept almost any Raster Size as
determined by the Project Type set in the AAF long as the dimension of each side of the video file
(which is defined in Media Composer). For AAFs is a multiple of 2. Video plays back at its native
that come from other applications, Pro Tools uses size and aspect ratio in the Pro Tools Video win-
the Single File logic, and the engine settings are dow. Hardware display is limited only by the capa-
based on the first file on the timeline. bilities of the hardware.

Single File While Pro Tools does not allow mixed frame rates,
it does allow different resolutions. If two or more
When importing a single video file, QuickTime or files with different resolutions are imported, the
MXF, Pro Tools picks the optimal video engine options in the Raster Size selector increase to
Frame Rate and Raster Size based on the file attri- match the attributes of the files in the session.
butes. If the file attributes perfectly fit in a standard
Frame Rate and Raster Size, that Frame Rate and If a file is imported that does not match a standard
Raster Size are used. Raster Size, Pro Tools plays back the file at the na-
tive Raster Size. Note that you can select any other
Frame Rate standard Raster Size.
While Pro Tools does not allow mixed frame rates, QuickTime Media
it does allow different resolutions. The Frame Rate
selector lets you set the Frame Rate to best match When importing a QuickTime movie, the follow-
mixed resolutions for the session. In general, you ing conditions may apply:
will not need to change the Frame Rate. • Pro Tools automatically sets the Frame Rate and
For Avid MXF video, Frame Rate is set automati- Raster Size on import based on the QuickTime
cally. However, when you are working with mixed movie’s frame rate and resolution.
resolutions, Pro Tools lets you set the closest • If multiple Frame Rates and Raster Sizes are
matching resolution for the session using the possible, Pro Tools lets you select from the best
Frame Rate setting. possible matches available.

If a file is imported that does not match any stan- • If the frame rate is close to a whole value,
dard Frame Rate, Pro Tools uses the closest possi- Pro Tools rounds to the nearest frame rate (for
ble Frame Rate. Note that you can select any other example, 29.972 is rounded to 29.97)
standard Frame Rate, in which case Frame Rate • For imported QuickTime media with unknown
conversion is unavoidable, so be sure to select the Frame Rates and Raster Sizes (such as stills or
Frame Rate that works best for your project. screen captures), change the settings to best
match other video files in the session.

Command-click (Mac) or Control-click

(Windows) to override Pro Tools and select
the Frame Rate or Raster Size.

1444 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Support for Video Peripherals
Using the Avid Video Engine, Pro Tools provides
support for external video monitoring of MXF and
QuickTime media using Avid or third-party video
peripherals.

To enable (or disable) external video monitoring

with qualified video hardware:

1 Ensure that your Avid or Avid-qualified third-

party video hardware is correctly installed and
configured.
2 Open or create a session with video.
3 Select (or deselect) Options > Enable Video
Hardware.

Clocking Video and Audio Hardware

with Pro Tools

Pro Tools requires separate audio and video inter-

faces. Each has its own clock speed, so it is best to
resolve both clocks to the same external video ref-
erence clock source to prevent drift, and to ensure
that audio and video begin playback together. For
the most accurate synchronization, connected au-
dio interfaces and video peripheral should follow
and lock to the same external clock source (such as
Sync X or a SYNC HD). If this is not possible,
Pro Tools does its best to keep accurate sync with
the video peripheral.

For best video performance, it is recommended

that you use Pro Tools with Sync X or a Sync HD,
a video peripheral that can accept video reference,
and then send video reference to both parts of the
system. That being said, it may be acceptable in
certain workflows to allow slewing with only a
frame of drift.

It is assumed that external reference for all inter-

faces is always derived from the same source. This
includes combinations of audio and video. They
must be from the same generator and running at the
same relative speed.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1445

 Clocking scenarios

Pro Tools Video Interface Behavior Prerequisites Use Cases

Synchronizing a
single system with
Pro Tools Ultimate a video peripheral.

Pro Tools and the Synchronizing one

Pro Tools HD
Clock Source: video engine will or more systems
Hardware
Sync X use same top-of- with analog gear
Sync HD Clock Source: frame to begin and a video periph-
Sync HD
Video Reference playback in sync. eral.
Clock Reference:
Video peripheral
Video Reference Playback will not Synchronizing mul-
capable of
drift. tiple systems that
external video
interchange analog
reference
audio with each
other and a video
peripheral.

Synchronizing a
single system with
Clock Source: a video peripheral.
Sync X
Pro Tools Ultimate
Sync HD Synchronizing one
Pro Tools and the Pro Tools HD
video engine will or more systems
Hardware
Clock Reference: with analog gear
use same top-of-
External Digital and a video periph-
Clock Source: frame to begin Sync HD
Clock (e.g., Word eral.
Video Reference playback in sync.
Clock or AES)
Video peripheral
Synchronizing mul-
Playback will not capable of
Video Reference: tiple systems that
drift. external video
Connected and interchange digital
reference
matching Video Ref audio with each
Format other, as well as a
video
peripheral.

1446 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clocking scenarios

Pro Tools Video Interface Behavior Prerequisites Use Cases

Pro Tools and the

video engine will
begin playback Synchronizing a
within +/–1 frame single system with
of each other. The Audio interface a video peripheral
Clock Source: capable of
offset will vary when a Sync HD is
Audio Interface external digital
within this range not available for
clocking
Clock Source: by a different the system. This
Clock Reference:
Video Reference amount with the may be because it
External Digital Video peripheral
start of each play- is not present, or
Clock (e.g., Word capable of
back pass. the system does
Clock or AES) external video
reference
not contain a
Playback will not Pro Tools Ultimate
drift any further for with HD hardware.
the duration of the
playback pass.

Audio or video
Pro Tools and the
peripheral is not
video engine will
capable of exter-
begin playback
nal reference. This
within +/–1 frame
includes using the
of each other. The
built-in computer
offset will vary
audio.
within this range
by a different
If one peripheral
amount with the
does not/cannot
start of each play-
have an external
back pass.
clock source,
Clock Source: there is no benefit
Playback will drift
Audio Interface to applying an
Clock Source: over time because
Video peripheral external clock
Internal the engines are
Clock Reference: source to the other
not resolved to the
Internal peripheral, in
same clock. The
regards to A/V
video engine will
sync. However, it
detect if the clock
may be beneficial
has drifted by a 1/2
to apply external
a frame more. If
clock reference to
this is the case, it
one peripheral for
will drop or
other reasons,
duplicate a frame,
such as the inter-
depending on the
change of digital
direction of the
audio signal with
drift, to keep up
another audio
(slewing).
interface.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1447

 Supported Frame Rates and Raster Supported and Unsupported Raster Sizes
Sizes with Video Hardware
The Raster Size also attempts to display at the na-
Depending on your video hardware, you may be tive file size. If the hardware does not support this,
limited to a specific range or combination of Pro Tools uses the native size for the video engine
Frame Rates and Raster Sizes. When working with and desktop display, but the hardware automati-
video hardware, Pro Tools analyzes the specific cally displays the closest match that it can support
capabilities of the attached video peripheral. for the selected frame rate. This means that soft-
Pro Tools attempts to set the video engine to match ware video window display accurately matches the
the attributes of the first imported video file, but if dimensions of the file, but the video hardware
the detected Frame Rate or Raster Size is not sup- plays it at the closest compatible size. The video
ported by the attached video peripheral, the video engine setting displays “hardware n/a” in the Ras-
engine conforms to the best match supported by ter Size selector for any raster that the video hard-
the video peripheral. ware does not support, and the list shows other
standard choices that both hardware and software
Since video hardware may only support specific can agree on.
rate and raster configurations, you may find that
certain frame rates are listed as hardware n/a when If the picture does not display, or displays incor-
certain raster sizes are selected as well as the in- rectly, it is recommended that you select a Raster
verse. Please check your the documentation pro- Size and Frame Rate combination that the hard-
vided with your video hardware for supported for- ware supports.
mat specifications.
Changing the frame rate may be restricted or
Supported and Unsupported Frame Rates prevented if any rendered video effects from
an AAF are present in the Pro Tools session.
If the video peripheral does not support the Frame
Rate of the imported video file, the Frame Rate is
Video Quality
set to the highest available Frame Rate relative to
the video file. For example, if the imported video Use the Video Quality selector to set the video
file is 120 fps, Pro Tools first tries to use 120 fps. If quality for the track on playback. You can choose
the video peripheral does not support 120 fps, Pro from options that range from best performance
Tools tries to use 60 fps. If the video peripheral (lower video quality) to full quality. These options
does not support 60 fps. Pro Tools tries 30 fps, and can also be selected by Right-clicking in the Video
so on. window.

When Pro Tools uses a frame rate that is non-na- The following options are available:
tive to the media, and the Frame Rate automati-
cally selected by Pro Tools is not what you want, Full Quality
you can select the best matching Frame Rate from
Select the Full Quality option to process and play
the Frame Rate selector. Any options not sup-
back the full image raster for the project. Full Qual-
ported by the hardware are listed as hardware n/a
ity uses a bit depth of 8 bits. This option provides
and are inactive in the list.
the highest video playback quality by processing

1448 Pro Tools Reference Guide

every image pixel. In interlaced projects, this op- Color Space
tion processes the full width of every line in both
The video track Color Space selector setting con-
fields. In progressive projects, this option pro-
trols the color space used by the video engine for
cesses the full width of every scan line.
processing video files in the session.
Full Quality 10-bit Pro Tools uses YCbCr 709 as the default for most
Select the Full Quality 10-bit option to process and imported files. You can choose the detected color
play back the full image raster for the project. This space for a more accurate color representation, but
option uses a bit depth of 10 bits, which provides it may require more CPU processing cycles, which
higher quality processing. This option is only will have performance implications.
available with video hardware connected.
When importing an AAF, Pro Tools uses the color
Pro Tools supports HDR color spaces. For the space information from the AAF, if it exists, to set
most accurate color representation with HDR the color space on the video track. However, not all
color spaces, select Full Quality 10-Bit on the AAFs contain color space information, in which
video track. This setting is only available when case Pro Tools uses the first clip in the sequence to
a video peripheral is connected, and it is only determine the color space instead.
utilized with the video hardware. Note that
Limiting Available Color Space Options
10-Bit video requires more processing power
than other settings. The full list of available color spaces is extensive,
so Pro Tools automatically filters the number of
Draft
color space settings shown in the Color Space se-
Select the Draft option to process and play back the lector when possible. For example, when color
full image raster for the project that uses 1/4 of the space is set automatically using the metadata from
image information. The Draft option uses a bit an imported file, all other color space options are
depth of 8 bits. This option subsamples 50% of the filtered out and not available. If you then import
raster width. For interlaced projects, this option another file with a different color space, that color
uses one field. For progressive projects, this option space option also becomes available.
uses 50% of the scan lines.
To override the color space filter, Command-click
(Mac) or Control-click (Windows) the selector and
Best Performance
all color space options are available. The recom-
Select the Best Performance option to process and mended color space options for imported files are
play back the full image raster for the project using highlighted yellow.
1/16 of the image information. The Best Perfor-
mance option uses a bit depth of 8 bits. This option Color Space Adapters
subsamples 25% of the raster width. For interlaced
If the selected color space does not match the na-
projects, this option uses 50% of the lines in one
tive color space of the file, the video engine does
field. For progressive projects, this option uses
its best to apply behind-the-scenes color adapters.
25% of the scan lines.
These color adapters try to accurately represent the

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1449

 file’s color when processed in a different color Locking or unlocking a video track does not alter
space. This is typically only an issue when multi- the lock status of individual clips. If a clip was
ple files imported to the timeline contain different locked before you lock the track, the clip will still
color spaces. be locked when you unlock the track. However,
unlocking a clip in a locked track will not allow
The Color Adapters option is disabled by default. you to edit that clip. It will behave as if the clip
Enable this option if multiple files, with different were locked until you unlock the track.
color spaces are present on the timeline and you
need them to conform to a single color space. You can Edit lock or Time lock individual
Video clips. For more information about
For information on Video Window Color locking clips, see “Locking Clips” on
Space options for the Pro Tools Video win- page 954.
dow, see “Setting the Video Window Color
Space” on page 1460.
Video Engine Rate
Locking Video Tracks The video engine rate represents the number of
video frames output by Pro Tools per second, and
You can lock one or more video tracks to prevent is determined automatically by the frame rate of
any video clips on those tracks from being edited. the first video file added to a session. Video files
When a video track is locked, Pro Tools restricts subsequently added to the session must have the
all editing operations involving the track (except same video frame rate as the video engine rate.
for locking and unlocking video clips). The video frame rate is displayed for each video
A locked video track displays a small lock to indi- file in the Workspace browsers, and the current
cate that the video track has been locked and can- video engine rate is displayed in the I/O View of
not be edited. (The lock does not appear if the the main video track.
Track Height of the video track is set to Mini.)
See “Video File Rate Indicator” on
page 1451 for information on the Video
To lock a video track:
Engine Rate indicator in the I/O View.
1 Select the video tracks you want to lock.
The video engine rate is independent of the ses-
2 Do one of the following:
sion's timecode rate, which determines the number
• Control-click (Mac) or Start-click (Windows) of frames displayed per second in grids, rulers, and
the name of any selected video track, and se- counters. You can set the session timecode rate
lect Locked. manually with the Timecode Rate pop-up menu in
• Right-click the name of any selected video the Session Setup window. In order for the grids
track, and select Locked. and rulers to align with the actual frames of the
video files in the Timeline, the session's Timecode
Rate setting should be set to match the video en-
gine rate.

1450 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Video File Rate Indicator
Importing Video into
The Video File Rate indicator displays only in the Pro Tools
main video track (whether it is online or offline)
and shows the video file frame rate, which is the Audio Codecs Supported within
number of video frames per second output by Video Formats
Pro Tools.
Pro Tools supports the following file types and au-
dio codecs. One or more stems of audio may be im-
ported from these files. Imported audio is con-
verted to the current session audio file format on
import.
• .mov
• PCM (uncompressed) and AAC audio
Video File Frame Rate indicator
• .mp4
The Video File Rate indicator is normally white,
but turns red if one of the following conditions are • PCM (uncompressed), and AAC audio
present: • .m4v
• The video file frame rate does not match the ses- • AAC audio
sion’s current Timecode Rate setting. • .mxf
• A pull up has been applied to the video, causing • PCM (uncompressed) audio
the video file frame rate to differ from the ses-
• OP1a (audio from a combined audio/video
sion Timecode Rate.
MXF)
The Timecode Rate is set in the Session Setup • OP-Atom video (video only)
window. For more information, see “Session
MXF OP-Atom video is also supported when im-
Setup Window” on page 1352.
porting session data from an AAF. For more in-
formation about the MXF files in Pro Tools, see
See “Pull Up and Pull Down” on page 1362 chapter 21 <insert title here>
for detailed information on using video
pull up and pull down.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1451

 Import Methods Importing Video into Pro Tools
Using the Import Video
Pro Tools provides the following methods of im- Command
porting video files into the Timeline, Clips List,
and new or existing video tracks: The Import Video menu command lets you choose
one or more video files to import into Pro Tools.
• Using the Import Video command (File > Import
> Video) When you use this method to import video into
• Dragging from the Clips List to the Timeline Pro Tools, the Video Import Options dialog ap-
(Pro Tools Ultimate only) pears. This dialog contains multiple options for
customizing how files are imported.
• Dragging from a Workspace browser or from
Windows Explorer or Mac Finder To import video into Pro Tools using the Import
• Using the Import Session Data command (File > Video command:
Import > Session Data)—this lets you import 1 Do one of the following:
video from another Pro Tools session, or from an
• Choose File > Import > Video.
AAF file, but not individual video files
• Press Command+Option+Shift+I (Mac). or
The video frame rate of the first video file Control+Alt+Shift+I (Windows).
added to a session determines the session’s
2 In the Select Video File to Import dialog, select
video engine rate. Video files subsequently
one or more video files.
added to the session must have the same video
frame rate as the video engine rate. 3 Click Open.
4 Configure the Video Import options, and click
In general, audio and video media should be OK to import video into Pro Tools.
stored on separate dedicated drives. When
importing audio and video at the same time See “Configuring Video Import Options” on
by linking to media, however, Pro Tools may page 1453 for detailed instructions.
copy both to the same drive. To avoid perfor-
mance problems, move the video to a video Importing Video into Pro Tools
playback drive before importing the audio with Drag and Drop
and video into your session. You can drag video files from a Workspace
browser or from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder
In a Workspace browser, you can designate to the Timeline, a track, a Tracks List, or the Clips
your audio drives to play or record audio but List.
only transfer video, or vice versa. You may When you use this method to import video into
use these settings to ensure that your audio Pro Tools, the Video Import Options dialog ap-
and video are on the correct volumes. For de- pears. This dialog contains multiple options for
tailed instructions, see “Volume Permis- customizing how files are imported.
sions” on page 352.

1452 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To import video into Pro Tools using drag and
drop: Configuring Video Import
1 Drag one or more video files from a Workspace Options
browser or from Windows Explorer or Mac The Video Import Options dialog appears when
Finder to the Tracks List, Timeline, or an exist- you import video into Pro Tools by using the Im-
ing video track. port Video command or dragging video files from
2 Configure the Video Import options, and click a Workspace browser or from Windows Explorer
OK to import video into Pro Tools. or Mac Finder.

See “Configuring Video Import Options” on

page 1453 for detailed instructions.

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
from an AAF sequence. Any video files you im-
port must have the same video frame rate as any
video file already present in the session.

For information on importing session data,

see “Importing Session Data” on page 451.

Dragging Video Files from the Video Import Options dialog

Clips List to the Timeline
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only) See “Bypassing the Video Import Options Di-
alog” on page 1454 for details on bypassing
You can add video files to the Timeline by drag-
the Video Import Options dialog when drag-
ging and dropping directly from the Clips List to a
ging and dropping video files.
video track.

To add video files to a video track by dragging Destination Section

them from the Clips List:
The Destination section of the Video Import Op-
1 Select one or more video files in the Clips List. tions dialog lets you choose a general destination
2 In any Edit mode, drag the selected video files for imported video in Pro Tools.
to a blank area in the Timeline (to create a new Main Video Track The video file is imported di-
video track) or an existing video track (to place rectly to the track that is currently online (known
it within that track). as the main video track) and into the Clips List. If
no track is currently online, the video file will be
imported to the last existing video track that was
online.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1453

 New Track Each video file is imported into its own Import Audio from File (QuickTime Video Only)
individual track and into the Clips List. When selected, the audio from the QuickTime
video file you are importing will be extracted and
Clips List (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) Each video
placed into new mono or stereo audio tracks in the
file is imported directly into the Clips List, where it Timeline. (Mono or stereo audio with a sample rate
will be available to drag and drop into the Time- of 48 kHz or lower are supported.) When unse-
line. lected, only the video portion of the video file will
be imported into Pro Tools.
Location Pop-Up Menu
Remove Existing Video Tracks When selected, all
If you do not select the Clips List as a destination existing video tracks will be deleted before
in the Destination section, the Location pop-up Pro Tools imports video into the session.
menu lets you choose precisely where in the Time-
line Pro Tools places imported video. Remove Existing Video Clips When selected, all
existing video clips will be removed from the
Session Start Places the video file at the start of Timeline and the Clips List before Pro Tools im-
the session. ports video into the session (but left on disk). This
option is useful if you want to import a video file
Song Start Places the video file at the Song Start
into the session with a video frame rate that does
position.
not match the current video engine rate.
Selection Places the video file at the edit cursor
position or within the selection (if one was made). See “Video Engine Rate” on page 1450 for
more information.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot
video to precise locations based on any of the Time Clear Main Video Track Playlist When selected,
Scales. all existing video clips in the currently-selected
playlist on the main video track will be removed
Original Time Stamp (Avid Video Only) Places from the track before Pro Tools imports video into
Avid video in the Timeline at a timecode location the session. No other playlists, video tracks, or
that corresponds to the timestamps from the origi- video clips will be affected. (This option is only
nal source tape. With multiple video files, this enabled if the main video track is selected as the
places all video files in the Timeline at their re- Destination option.)
spective original timestamps.
Bypassing the Video Import
Additional Video Import Options Options Dialog
Gaps Between Clips (Pro Tools Ultimate Only) You can bypass the Video Import Options dialog
when dragging video files into Pro Tools. The
When you import more than one video file into a
video files are added exactly where you drop them
track, they will be shuffled together by default.
in the Timeline following the current Pro Tools ed-
This option lets you indicate the number of sec-
iting mode.
onds by which each video clip will be separated
when imported into the video track.

1454 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To bypass the Video Import Options dialog when Sample Rate Conversion Quality
importing video into Pro Tools:
If you import QuickTime audio that was not origi-
 Option-drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) one
nally recorded at the session’s sample rate, the
or more video files from a Workspace browser,
sample rate is converted to match the audio to your
Windows Explorer, or Mac Finder into the Clips
session. Pro Tools allows you to choose the quality
List or the Timeline.
of the sample rate conversion by means of the Con-
version Quality setting in the Processing Prefer-
ences page.
Importing Audio from Video
Clips There are five possible settings, ranging from Low
(lowest quality) to Tweak Head (highest quality).
Pro Tools lets you right-click on selected video The higher the quality of sample rate conversion,
clips to import the audio even if you imported the longer it takes to convert the bounced file.
video without its associated audio.
To set the sample rate conversion quality:
To import audio from a video clip:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click the
1 Right-click on a video clip in a video track or in Processing tab.
the Clips List.
2 Click the Conversion Quality pop-up menu and
2 Choose Import Audio From Movie. select a conversion setting.
3 In the resulting dialog, specify the location
where you want to save the audio and click
Open. Video Clips
4 In the Audio Import Options dialog, select You can create video clips that function in much
whether you want to import the audio to the the same way as audio clips.
Clips List or to a New Track.

5 If you selected New Track, select the Location

for the audio:
• Session Start
• Song Start
• Selection Video clip as displayed in Frames View in the Timeline
• Spot
A video clip is a segment of video data, and can be
6 Click OK to import the audio (or click Cancel to a portion of video or an entire video file. In
cancel the import). Pro Tools, video clips are created from QuickTime
or Avid video files, and can be arranged in corre-
sponding video track playlists. Video clips can
also be grouped, looped, and color coded.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1455

 When using Pro Tools Ultimate, you can add, edit,
and change viewing options for video clips in the Showing or Hiding Video
same ways as audio clips. All edits to video clips Clips in the Clips List
are nondestructive. (See “General Video Editing” The Clips List menu provides commands that let
on page 1456 for more information.) you show or hide video clips in the Clips List.
Just like audio clips, video clips display in
To show or hide video clips in the Clips List:
Pro Tools in the Clips List or the Timeline (see
“Video Clips in the Clips List” on page 1456). 1 In the Edit window, click the Clips List menu,
and choose Show.
When using Pro Tools Studio, the following lim-
2 Select the Video option to show or hide video
itations apply to video clips:
clips.
• You can add only one video clip to a session. It
can be played back, but cannot be edited and will
not be listed in the Clips List.
General Video Editing
• When you import video or open a session cre-
(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
ated by Pro Tools Ultimate, only the main or
first available video track containing QuickTime Most editing operations that are available for audio
clips will be imported. You can play back and clips can also be applied to video clips. This sec-
view multiple clips, and tab through clip bound- tion describes all available video editing opera-
aries. However, you cannot edit them. tions. Unless noted, the procedure for each video
editing operation is the same as its audio editing
Video Clips in the Clips List counterpart.
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only) See the appropriate topic for detailed infor-
A video clip displays in the Clips List with a small mation on performing editing operations.
video icon next to its name.
Basic Video Editing Features
• Nondestructive editing
• Display of clip names, clip times, and other data
in playlists
• Multiple video playlists
• Multiple Undo
• Video clips and video clip groups in Clips List
• All Edit modes
• All Edit Tools (except for Time Compression
Expansion and Pencil tools)
Video clip icon in the Clips List

For more information, see Chapter 17,

“The Clips List.”

1456 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Playing and Selecting Video Track Material Managing Clips
• Selecting within video frame boundaries (see • Insert space (see “Using the Insert Silence Com-
“Selecting within Video Frame Boundaries” on mand to Insert Space in Video Tracks” on
page 1458) page 1458)
• Selecting and editing across multiple tracks (see • Compact Selected (nothing happens to the
“Selecting and Editing Across Multiple Audio video, and at least one audio track must be se-
and Video Tracks” on page 1457) lected)
• Link or unlink track and Edit selections • All naming and displaying of clip commands
• Auto-scroll video tracks
• Loop playback General Editing Operations Not
Applicable to Video Clips
• Video Universe window (see “Browsing Video
in the Video Universe Window” on page 1461) The following editing operations are applicable to
audio clips, but are not applicable to video clips:
Working with Clips and Selections • Fades
• Capture clips • Mute/unmute clips
• Separate clips and Separate Grabber Tool • AudioSuite plug-ins
• Clip overlap and underlap • Waveform Repair with the Pencil tool
• All trimming commands except for TCE • Strip Silence
• Heal separated clips • Consolidate clips
• Place, align, slide, shuffle, and spot clips
• Nudging (quantized to frame boundaries) Selecting and Editing Across
• Shift command (moving track material back or
Multiple Audio and Video Tracks
forward in time by a specified amount) You can create a selection across multiple audio
• Quantize Clip to Grid (rounds to nearest video and video tracks, and cut, copy, or paste audio and
frame) video simultaneously. Audio and video that is se-
lected and cut, copied, or pasted follow the current
• Replace Clip command
Edit mode.
• 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
• Clip groups (see “Video Clip Groups” on
page 1459)
• Clip looping

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1457

 • When you paste a selection containing video
to a video track, the insertion point automati-
cally aligns with the closest video frame
boundary.

When you paste audio and video simultane-

ously, this video frame re-alignment may re-
sult in the audio not being positioned
exactly where you placed it. A warning
dialog displays when this occurs.

Using the Insert Silence

Command to Insert Space in
Video Tracks
The Insert Silence command lets you make a selec-
tion 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 Silence com-
mand to insert audio silence and space simultane-
ously.
Selecting and editing across multiple tracks (Slip In Shuffle mode, all video data on the track is shuf-
mode shown)
fled later in the track by an amount equal to the se-
lection. In Slip, Grid, or Spot mode, the Insert Si-
Selecting within Video Frame lence command works just like the Edit > Clear
Boundaries
command.
Pro Tools does not let you select, play back, or edit
a partial video frame. The following rules apply To insert space into a video track:
when selecting or editing video: 1 Make a selection in a track or tracks. The length
• When you make a selection in a video track, the of the selection determines the duration of the
selection boundaries follow the current Grid set- space inserted.
ting but round to the nearest video frame bound- 2 Choose Edit > Insert Silence.
ary, as follows:
• If the selection includes more than half of a
video frame, the full video frame is included Renaming Video Disk Files
within the selection.
• If the selection includes less than half of a When renaming audio clips in either the Timeline
video frame, that video frame is not included or the Clips List, you have the option of also re-
in a video selection. naming the audio files on disk. However, this does
not apply to video files on disk.

1458 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To rename video files on disk, you must rename
them in a Workspace browser or in Windows Ex-
plorer or Mac Finder.

Changes made in the operating system will

not automatically update the information
displayed in the Workspace browser.

Video Clip Groups

(Pro Tools Ultimate Software Only)
Video window
You can include video clips within clip groups for
the following operations: Resizing the Video Window
• Creating clip groups You can resize the Video window by dragging or
• Creating multitrack clip groups (including audio using the Video window pop-up menu.
tracks)
To resize the Video window by dragging:
• Editing clip groups
 Place the cursor at any corner of the Video win-
• Creating fades and crossfades for audio files in dow, and drag the window to the size you want.
clip groups
• Importing and exporting clip group files To resize the Video window by using the Video
window pop-up menu:
See “Clip Groups” on page 967 for  Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click
detailed information on working with (Mac) the Video window, and choose from the
clip groups. following resize options:
• Quarter Size
Using the Video Window • Half Size
• Actual Size
Pro Tools provides a Video window that lets you
view, display, or scrub video. • Double Size
• Full Screen
To display the Video window, do one of the
following:
Managing Aspect Ratio in the
 Select Window > Video. Video Window
 Press Command+9 (Mac) or Control+9 (Win- The selected Raster Size of the main video track
dows). determines the aspect ratio of the Video window.
Pro Tools lets you include video media with differ-
ent aspect ratios on a single video track. When
viewing video with mixed aspect ratios, Pro Tools
lets you stretch (or squeeze) mismatched aspect ra-
tios to fit or to maintain differing aspect ratios.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1459

 To set the Pro Tools Video window preference for To select a Video Window Color Space option:
managing mixed aspect ratios:
 In the Pro Tools Video window, Right-click and
 Right-click in the Video window and select choose one of the following options from Video
Stretch or Pillarbox/Letterbox. Window Color Space: Follow Video Track,
Rec.709, SRGB, DCI P3, Rec.709 [full range],
Stretch Rec.2020, or ACESproxy.
When the Stretch option is selected, the picture
The Follow Video Track option sets the color
scales to match the width and height dimensions of
space for the video window to match the set-
the Video window. If the picture’s aspect ratio
ting on the video track.
does not match the Video window’s aspect ratio,
the image is stretched or squeezed accordingly.
When using video hardware, you can use the
Pillarbox/Letterbox Video Hardware Control Panel to make ad-
justments to the external display color if nec-
When the Pillarbox/Letterbox option is selected,
essary. See “Playing Video to an External
the picture scales to create the largest possible im-
Monitor Using a Video Peripheral” on
age without cropping, while maintaining the origi-
page 1464.
nal aspect ratio of each video clip. When this op-
tion is selected and you have video media with
Scrubbing the Video Track
mixed aspect ratios on the online video track, or
video that does not match the aspect ratio of the Pro Tools lets you scrub video directly on a video
video window, there will be visible black borders track. When scrubbing on a video track, only the
around video that uses a smaller aspect ratio than video scrubs (no audio plays). Video scrubbing is
the Video window. Additionally, this option can displayed in the Video window. If video hardware
result in a significant increase in CPU usage. If you is connected, you can choose to scrub video with
encounter performance problems, consider using external video monitoring as well as in the Video
the Stretch option. window.

Quality When scrubbing audio with a video track online,

both audio and video scrub synchronously.
The Full Quality, Full Quality 10-bit, Draft, and Best
Performance options are available from the Right- To scrub a video track:
click menu (see “Video Quality” on page 1448). 1 Select the Scrubber tool.
2 Click in the video track and drag the Scrubber.
Setting the Video Window Color
Space To scrub with finer precision, press the Com-
Pro Tools provides several options that determine mand key while scrubbing.
how the selected session color space is displayed
on your desktop monitor. The results vary from
monitor to monitor, but in most cases Rec.709 [full
range] provides the best results (selected by de-
fault).

1460 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Shuttling the Video Track 6 To stop playback, press Control+0 (Mac) or
Start+0 (Windows).
Shuttle Lock mode lets you use the numeric key-
pad to shuttle a video track and one or two audio To exit Shuttle Lock mode, do one of the following:
tracks forward or backwards at specific speeds.
Numbers 0 through 9 provide progressively faster  Click Stop in the Transport.
speeds, as follows:  Press the Spacebar.
• To stop shuttling, press 0.
• To increase the speed progressively towards nor-
mal speed, press numbers 1 through 4. Browsing Video in the Video
Universe Window
• To shuttle at normal speed, press 5.
The Video Universe window lets you view, navi-
• To increase the speed progressively faster than
gate, zoom, and select video clips on the main
normal speed, press numbers 6 through 9.
video track.
Only the main video track is shuttled. When multi-
The Video Universe window displays the center
ple audio tracks are selected, only the first two
video frame of each video clip in the main video
tracks are shuttled.
track. Video frames are ordered sequentially ac-
To play the video track with the shuttle lock: cording to their order in the Timeline, and the col-
ored strip under each frame represents the color
1 With Pro Tools Ultimate, make sure the Opera-
coding for that clip.
tion preference for Numeric Keypad mode is
not set to Shuttle (see “Operation Preferences” To display the Video Universe window:
on page 118).
1 Make sure the Video Online button in the main
2 Make sure the Video Online button in the video video track is set to online status (blue).
track you want to scrub is set to an online (blue)
2 Choose Window > Video Universe.
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 Control (Mac) or Start key (Windows)
and a number on the numeric keypad: 0–9 (9 is Video Universe with video frames representing video
fastest, 5 is normal speed, and 0 stops shuttling). clips on the main video track

Once Shuttle Lock mode is initiated, Fast Forward Increasing or Decreasing the
and Rewind become highlighted in the Transport Size of Video Frames
window.
To increase or decrease the size of video frames in
5 Press additional keys to change the playback the Video Universe window:
speed, or press Plus (+) or Minus (–) to switch
 Right-click (Windows or Mac) or Control-click
the playback direction (plus for forward, minus
(Mac) anywhere in the Universe, and select In-
for backward).
crease or Decrease.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1461

 Selecting Zoom Resolutions in Selecting Ranges in the Video
the Video Universe Universe
When you move the cursor over the top half of a When you move the cursor over the bottom half of
video frame in the Video Universe, it displays and a video frame in the Video Universe, it displays
behaves as a zoom tool. This tool lets you zoom in and behaves as a selector tool. This tool lets you
on one or more video clips to fill the entire Edit select ranges within one or more video clips in the
window display. Edit window.

Video frame with zoom tool Video frame with selector tool

To use the Video Universe window to zoom video To use the Video Universe window to select ranges
clips in the Edit window: in video clips in the Edit window:
1 Move the cursor over the top half of any video 1 Move the cursor over the bottom half of any
frame until it becomes a zoom tool. video frame until it becomes a selector tool.
2 Do one of the following: 2 Do one of the following:
• To move the beginning of a video clip to the • To place the cursor at the beginning of a video
far left of the Timeline while maintaining the clip, click the video frame representing the
current zoom resolution in the Edit window, video clip.
click the video frame representing the clip • To select an entire video clip from start to
once. end, double-click the video frame represent-
• To zoom in on a video clip so that it fills the ing that clip.
entire Edit window, double-click the video • To select one or more entire clips from start to
frame representing the clip. end, drag the video frames representing the
• To zoom a range of selected clips so that they video clips.
fill the Edit window, drag on the video frames
that represent the clips. If the Edit window does not display the
selected video clips, it will automatically
scroll to show the beginning of the selection.

1462 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Selecting Zoom Resolutions and Play Start Latency
Ranges Simultaneously in the
Video Universe If you are working on a slower computer, set the
Play Start Latency setting to a higher value. The
When you move the cursor over a video frame in range is from 1-Shortest to 5-Longest.
the Video Universe while pressing Option (Mac)
or Alt (Windows), the cursor appears as a selector
tool. This tool lets you zoom and select ranges si- Tips for Optimizing Video
multaneously. Playback
To use the Video Universe window to select and When using Pro Tools to play video files, the qual-
zoom simultaneously in the Edit window: ity of the playback is dependent on the following:
1 Move the cursor over any area of any video • Quality of the video hardware (graphics card)
frame in the Video Universe window until it be- used to play back the digitized video
comes a selector or zoom tool.
• Speed of your computer and hard drive
2 To select a range of video clips while simultane- • Size (in pixels) of the video file
ously zooming to fill the Edit window, Option-
drag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows) multiple • Codec and level of compression used
video frames. For more consistently smooth video playback, here
are some suggestions:
• Use a low bandwidth intra-frame codec, such as
Pro Tools Video Preferences DNxHD LB or SQ.
The Video section of the Pro Tools Operation • Re-compress the video to a standard video reso-
Preferences provides the following options: lution (such as 1920 x 1080. Be sure to use a res-
olution that is supported by your video codec.
Enable GPU
• Select an engine raster and rate setting that
Pro Tools video processing is done on the GPU matches the frame rate and resolution of the file.
(Graphics Processing Unit) in order to free up the
• Use the fastest computer and graphics card pos-
CPU for Pro Tools audio and MIDI. If you are us-
sible.
ing a slower GPU and encounter poor video play-
back, you may want to disable this option and have • Use a supported video peripheral and driver.
the video processing done on the CPU. Refer to the Knowledgebase article on Pro Tools
Video Peripherals.
Prevent Tearing
• Set Scrolling option to None (Options > Scroll-
When enabled, Pro Tools buffers video to prevent ing > None).
visual artifacts with horizontal movement in situa- • Hide the video track when not needed (or change
tions where video sync does not match the screen from Frames to Blocks view).
refresh rate. This options is not available when the
• Ensure that any unnecessary software is not run-
Enable GPU option is disabled.
ning.
• Resize the Video window to actual size.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1463

 • If you are having poor performance, or any
other any anomalies, try disabling the GPU in Playing Video to an External
the Pro Tools Operation Preferences. In most Monitor Using a Video
cases, utilizing the GPU will increase perfor- Peripheral
mance, but some configurations will perform With a qualified video peripheral, Pro Tools can
better when the video processing is done us- play and display MXF and QuickTime video files
ing the CPU. with frame edge-locked HD image output to a va-
riety of professional HD monitors.

Compensating for Video Video Hardware Settings

Monitoring Delays
For Avid Artist Series video peripherals, and qual-
You can compensate for delays in the video output ified third-party video peripherals, the control
that may be introduced by external decoders and panel software for the connected peripheral runs
certain types of displays (such as projectors or separately from Pro Tools and is typically installed
plasma screens). with the driver or supporting software for the pe-
ripheral. Use the hardware-specific control panel
To compensate for delays caused by video
monitoring devices:
to configure your video hardware if necessary.

1 Choose Setup > Video Sync Offset. To access the control panel for your video
hardware:
2 In the Set Video Sync Offset dialog, enter a
value in the QuickTime Video Offset field or  Choose Setup > Video Hardware Control Panel.
Windows Media Video Offset field that is ap-
propriate to compensate for the delay caused by External Display Color Space
your video monitor chain.
When using video hardware, picture is sent to the
video hardware using the selected session color
space. Use the Video Hardware Control Panel to
make adjustments to the display color for your
video hardware if necessary.

Video Reference
Video Sync Offset dialog Video output can be locked to external video refer-
ence, including Black Burst and Tri-Level Sync.
Once this value is set, it should not need to be up-
dated unless you change components in your video Pro Tools Ultimate should be locked to a suit-
monitoring chain (such as projectors or plasma able clock reference, such as a SYNC HD. If no
screens). external audio clock is referenced, audio will
not be frame-edge aligned and may drift.

1464 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 To revert to the default settings:
Timecode Overlay
 Click the Reset button in the Timecode Overlay
(Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
Settings window.
Pro Tools lets you enable a real-time timecode
overlay for both the Video window in Pro Tools as
well as on any connected video hardware display. Bouncing the Video Track to
a QuickTime Movie
To enable and configure Timecode Overlay:
(macOS Mojave and Below, and Windows with
1 Choose Setup > Timecode Overlay Settings. QuickTime Installed Only)

When you have finished your final mix and syn-

chronized your audio events to the movie, you can
bounce the main video track and a mono, stereo, or
greater-than-stereo (Pro Tools Ultimate and Stu-
dio only) mixdown of your session to a new Quick-
Time movie. Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio also
let you bounce multiple stems to QuickTime.

You can choose from a variety of standard Quick-

Time codecs, which are fully compatible with
other applications that support QuickTime .mov
files.
Timecode Overlay Settings window

2 In the resulting Timecode Overlay Settings win- To bounce video and audio in the video track to a
QuickTime movie:
dow, enable the Timecode Overlay option. You
can also enable or disable Timecode Overlay by 1 Finalize your mix (or stems).
clicking the Timecode Overlay button in the
2 Make sure the video track you want to bounce is
video track controls.
currently the main video track. (The track’s
3 Adjust the Size, Position, Color, and Opacity Video Online button must be highlighted blue.)
settings as desired. Adjust the X and Y settings
3 Make sure that all of the audio tracks you want
to fine-tune the location of the Timecode Over-
to include in the bounce are audible (not muted
lay.
or inactive).
4 Assign the output of each of the tracks you want
to include in your bounce to the same stereo
output or bus path.
5 Do one of the following:
• To bounce the entire session, click Return to
Zero in the Transport to go to the beginning of
the session.

Pro Tools Video window with Timecode Overlay

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1465

 • To bounce a portion of the session, enable Op- 10 Select Same as Source, Replace Timecode
tions > Link Timeline and Edit Selection, and Track, and Use Avid Codecs as appropriate (see
make a selection in the Edit window or the “Bounce to QuickTime Settings” on
Timeline. page 14660).
6 Choose File > Bounce to > QuickTime Movie. 11 If you are bouncing Avid to QuickTime and you
The QuickTime Bounce dialog appears. want to configure QuickTime video settings,
click QuickTime Settings.

Refer to Apple’s documentation for detailed

information on configuring QuickTime movie
settings.

12 Enable the Offline option for faster-than-real-

time bounce.
13 Click Bounce.
14 Select a destination for the new QuickTime
movie, enter a new name, and click Save.

Bouncing video may can take longer than

real-time, depending on the format of the
source video, the format of the bounced
video, and processing speed.

Bounce to QuickTime Settings

When bouncing to QuickTime, the following addi-
tional options are available:
QuickTime Bounce dialog
Include Video
7 Select your main mix output or bus path from
the Bounce Source selector. If desired, select Enable this option to include the online video track
additional bounce sources (see “Bouncing Mul- in the bounced QuickTime file.
tiple Sources Simultaneously” on page 1263).
Same as Source
All selected sources in the QuickTime bounce
Select the Same As Source option to bounce to
are added as audio tracks to the QuickTime
QuickTime using the same video resolution as the
movie file in order from top to bottom.
online video track. The Same As Source option is
8 Configure the File Type, Format, Bit Depth, and not always available with some types of LongGOP
other Bounce options as desired (see “Bounce and LongGOP QuickTime media (such as XD-
Options” on page 1259). CAM), or when mixing multiple Codecs on a
track.
9 Select the Include Video option to include the
online video track in the bounce.

1466 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Replace Timecode Track To transcode video to a valid QuickTime
resolution:
When the Same as Source option is selected, en-
1 Choose File > Bounce To > QuickTime.
able the Replace Timecode Track option to have
the timecode track in the bounced QuickTime file 2 In the QuickTime Bounce dialog, enable the In-
replaced by the selected timecode range in the ses- clude Video option.
sion. If no timecode track is present in the source
3 Click QuickTime Settings. (If the video you are
video file, the timecode range from the session is
bouncing is a valid QuickTime resolution and
added to the bounced QuickTime file.
codec, QuickTime Settings is grayed out).
Note that when Same as Source is not enabled, a 4 In the Movie Settings dialog, configure the set-
completely new file is generated and the selected tings as desired.
timecode range in the session is used regardless of
the Replace Timecode Track option.

Use Avid Codecs

The Use Avid Codecs option is only available

when using codecs that are installed with the Avid
LE (available from www.avid.com) or PE Codec
packs (included with the Pro Tools installer). Se-
lect this option if two similar codecs are present on
a system. For example, DV25 is usually included
with a standard QuickTime installation, but Avid
also offers a DV25 codec that is optimized for use
with Avid products (such as Pro Tools and
Media Composer).

When bouncing an Avid codec to QuickTime, the

Avid codec must be installed to playback the
QuickTime file in QuickTime Player on any play-
back system.

QuickTime Settings
Movie Settings dialog
Pro Tools lets you transcode video to QuickTime
5 Click OK.
using the QuickTime Settings options (the encoder
plug-in for QuickTime must be installed). When 6 In the QuickTime Bounce dialog, configure the
bouncing to QuickTime, if the video in the session other settings as desired.
is not a valid video resolution or codec for Quick-
7 Click Bounce.
Time, you are prompted to use the QuickTime Set-
tings to transcode the video to a valid QuickTime When bouncing to QuickTime from Pro Tools,
resolution and codec. the Sounds settings in the Movie Settings dia-
log are ignored.

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1467

 To Bounce Mix to MOV:
Bounce Mix to MOV
1 Finalize your mix (or stems).
Pro Tools provides an option to bounce to MOV,
2 Make sure the video track you want to bounce is
but only if the session contains video. Bounce to
currently the main video track. (The track’s
MOV lets you transcode video to new files along
Video Online button should be highlighted
with PCM or AAC audio.
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 output or
bus path.
5 Do one of the following:
• To bounce the entire session, click Return to
Zero in the Transport to go to the beginning
of the session.
• 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 > Export > Bounce Mix.
7 Select MOV as the File Type. The Video pane
appears between the Audio and Location panes
in the Bounce Mix dialog.
8 Select the Mix Source for the audio you want in-
cluded in the .mov file.
9 Select the Compression Type: PCM or AAC (see
“MOV Export with PCM or AAC Audio” on
page 1470).
10 Configure the Audio settings as desired (see
Bounce Mix dialog, MOV selected with Video settings
shown
“Bounce Options” on page 1259).
11 Configure the Video settings as desired (see
“Video Settings” on page 1469).
12 Configure the Location settings as desired.
13 Enable Offline if desired.
14 Click Bounce.

1468 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Video is bounced at the current engine Frame Rate lected video clips. All clips within the bounce
and Raster Size. For example, if the video track in- range must be exactly the same codec and com-
dicates an engine Frame Rate of 29.97, a Raster pression type. Same as Source is typically much
Size of 1920x1080, and it is set to Progressive, the faster than transcoding.
bounced .mov file will have the same characteris-
tics. Additionally, any bounced .mov file that in- Transcode
cludes video must be transcoded to a specified co-
The Transcode option is automatically enabled if
dec. However, not all codecs are available at all
Include Video is enabled. The bounced video will
Frame Rates and Raster Sizes.
be transcoded using the selected Codec. Note that
For complete information on settings in the not all codecs are available at all Frame Rates and
Bounce Mix dialog, see “Bounce Mix” on Raster Sizes.
page 1258.
Codec

Audio Settings The following codecs are available for transcod-

ing: DNxHD, DNxHR, Apple ProRes, H.264, and
When MOV is selected as the File Type for Bounce
H.265.
Mix, the Audio pane provides different options
than when bouncing audio only. For more infor- Compression
mation, see “MOV Export with PCM or AAC Au-
dio” on page 1470. Depending on the selected Codec, different Com-
pression options are available.
Video Settings DNxHD Provides the following compression
When MOV is selected as the File Type for Bounce options:
Mix, the Video pane appears and provides differ- • DNxHD LB (lowest bandwidth)
ent Video settings depending on the selected Co- • DNxHD SQ
dec.
• DNxHD HQ (highest bandwidth)
Include Video DNxHR Provides the following compression
Enable the Include Video option to include the options:
video in the bounced .mov file. Disable this option • DNxHR LB (lowest bandwidth)
to bounce audio only to .mov. When this option is • DNxHR SQ
disabled, all other Video settings are grayed out
• DNxHR HQ (highest bandwidth)
and unavailable.
Apple ProRes Provides the following compres-
Same as Source sion options:
Pro Tools can bounce Same as Source (SAS) ex- • ProRes Proxy (lowest bandwidth)
ports of DNxHD/HR and Apple ProRes MOV files • ProRes LT
using the Bounce Mix window. You can also SAS • ProRes 422
bounce DNxHD/HR and Apple ProRes MOV files
• ProRes HQ (highest bandwidth)
from MXF source files. Blank space (black
frames) can exist before, between, and after the se-

Chapter 63: Working with Video in Pro Tools 1469

 Encoding Mode MOV Export with PCM or AAC
Audio
The H.264 and H.265 codecs provides two differ-
ent options for the Encoding Mode: CBR and VBR Pro Tools can export either PCM (uncompressed)
Single Pass. Note that Bit Rate values depend on or AAC (compressed) audio when bouncing to
the raster size of the Video Engine. H.265 provides MOV.
an additional Encoding Quality control that lets you
balance quality and bit-rate precision with encode When bouncing AAC audio, you can select either a
speed. constant bit rate (CBR) or variable bit rate (VBR)
encoding modes for mono, stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 mix
CBR (Constant Bit Rate) When selected as the En- sources:
coding Mode, you can set the Bit Rate in Mbps. Se- • CBR lets you select a specific bit rate for the file
lect this option to ensure a consistent bit rate and being exported. The available bit rates change
predictable rate and file size, or if you are deliver- depending on the sample rate of the export, and
ing the bounced .mov file for web-based stream- the audio mix source stem width. Use CBR for
ing. the most predicable file size and sound quality.
VBR (Variable Bit Rate) Single Pass When se- • VBR does not offer a bit rate setting. Instead, it
lected as the Encoding Mode, you can set the Tar- lets you choose a quality setting. The higher the
get Bit Rate and the Max Bit Rate, both in Mbps. quality, the longer the export time and the larger
Use this option to achieve the optimal bit rate and the file size will be. Use VBR for the best qual-
file size (depending on the content of the video). ity-to-size ratio.

VBR typically takes longer than CBR en- AAC export supports 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz,
coding, but it is preferred for most non-web and 96 kHz sample rates, and a single stem of au-
content delivery. dio.

Include Timecode Overlay PCM audio supports all sample rates, bit depths,
and channel widths.
Enable the Include Timecode Overlay option to
burn in timecode to the bounced .mov file. When
enabled, this option uses the Timecode Overlay
Settings as configured for the session (Setup >
Timecode Overlay Settings).

Color Space and Bounce Mix

When exporting video using Bounce Mix,

transcoding to a new file uses the selected color
space of the video track. When enabled, the Same
as Source option only exports files using the
YCbCr 709 color space

If a color space is not supported for export, you

are notified and YCbCr 709 is used instead.

1470 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Part XII: Satellite Systems
Chapter 64: Satellite Link

Avid Satellite Link lets you link multiple systems • Pro Tools Satellite
over an Ethernet network so that you can cue, play, • Designed to be an extension of the Satellite
and stop the transports, make play selections, and Administrator for audio playback and record-
solo tracks across any of the systems from any ing.
linked workstation. Each satellite network consists
• Can issue and receive transport commands.
of one satellite administrator and between 1 and 11
satellite members, for up to a total of 12 systems • Can send and receive solo information.
depending on your configuration. Each satellite • Requires Pro Tools Ultimate software,
can have different functionality depending on the Pro Tools | HD hardware, and a synchroniza-
software, software license, and attached hardware. tion peripheral for near sample accurate play-
These functionality differences are referred to by back.
roles, designed to serve specific workflow needs. • Pro Tools Video Satellite
• Satellite Administrator: • Designed to offload video playback to a dif-
• Requires a Pro Tools Ultimate software li- ferent system.
cense: • Can receive transport commands but cannot
• Responsible for claiming the satellite mem- issue them.
bers in the satellite network. • Pro Tools Ultimate may also be used as a
• There can be only one administrator per sat- Video Satellite. It is possible to add HD hard-
ellite network. ware and a synchronization peripheral for
• Can issue and receive transport commands. better playback accuracy.
• Can send and receive solo information. • A single Pro Tools Studio system may be
added to the satellite network.
• Can claim one additional Video Satellite
when HD hardware is not connected. Since a This system may only receive transport com-
synchronization peripheral cannot be used, mands. It cannot send transport commands,
synchronization will be near frame accurate. and it cannot send or receive solo information.
• Can claim up to 11 additional Satellites when
HD hardware is in use. A synchronization pe-
ripheral is required for near sample accurate
playback.

Chapter 64: Satellite Link 1473

 • Media Composer Video Satellite
Satellite Link Requirements
• Designed to offload video playback to a dif-
and Compatibility
ferent system.
• Allows direct access to a Media Composer
Satellite System Requirements
sequence, without the need to export a flat-
tened file. The following is required for each Pro Tools sys-
• Can issue transport commands only when tem on the network:
connected to a single Pro Tools system, oth- • Avid-qualified computer
erwise transport commands can only be re- • Pro Tools | Ultimate Software
ceived.
• Configurations with more than 1 satellites re-
For more information, see Chapter 65, quire the following for each system:
“Pro Tools Video Satellite” and Chapter 66, • HDX or HD Native hardware
“Media Composer Video Satellite.”
• Pro Tools | Sync X or SYNC HD
From each linked Pro Tools system, Satellite Link • Ethernet connection to a Local Area Network
lets you link and unlink networked systems and see (LAN)
the link status of other connected systems.
All Pro Tools systems in a Satellite Link net-
By setting Satellite Link preferences, you can con- work must be resolved to a common video ref-
figure linked Pro Tools systems for single- or erence, or “house sync,” using SYNC HD.
multi-operator workflows.

Satellite Link can be used simultaneously with

Configuring Satellite Link
MachineControl, allowing one linked Pro Tools
system to go online and drive a 9-pin capable de- To set up multiple Pro Tools systems in a Satellite
vice. Link network, configure basic network settings
and the Satellite Link network on each Pro Tools
On systems with a D-Control or D-Command con- system.
sole, Satellite Link can work in conjunction with
ICON Multi-mode. This lets you operate the trans-
port selectively for up to four networked Pro Tools
Configuring Network Settings
systems from a single D-Control console, or up to Satellite Link systems communicate over Ethernet
two Pro Tools systems from a D-Command. Local Area Networks. You can configure the net-
work settings on each Pro Tools system to build
A selection of Satellite Link controls have been
one or more Satellite Link networks on the same
EUCONized. For more information on controlling
LAN.
Satellite Link functions from EUCON devices, see
the Pro Tools EUCON Guide. Satellite Link requires all linked systems to be con-
nected to an Ethernet Local Area Network. All sys-
tems should be on the same subnet. If possible,
they should also be on the same Ethernet switch, to
minimize response time over the network.

1474 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Ethernet Interface Configuring a Satellite Link
Network
On computers with multiple Ethernet interfaces,
you can select the interface you want to use for Sat- To set up Pro Tools systems for Satellite Link op-
ellite Link communications. eration, one Pro Tools system on the network must
be designated an administrator system.
To select the Ethernet interface for Satellite Link:
Other systems on the network are configured as
1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click Satellites.
satellite systems, and are added to the network
2 Under Advanced Network Settings, choose the from the administrator system.
Ethernet interface from the Interface pop-up
menu. Configuring Satellite Systems

3 Click OK. Do the following for each Pro Tools system you
want to configure as a Satellite Link satellite:
TCP/UDP Port 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click Satellites.
Systems in a Satellite Link network need to use the 2 In the System Name text box, enter a name for
same TCP/UDP port to communicate. Available the system.
satellite systems will only appear on other satellite
systems using the same port. 3 Under Mode, choose Satellite.
4 Click OK.
By default, Satellite Link uses TCP/UDP port
28282. However, if the default port is already in
use, or if you want to set up separate Satellite Link
networks, you can select a different TCP/UDP port
for Satellite Link communication.

To select the TCP/UDP port for Satellite Link

communication:

1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click Satellites.

2 Under Advanced Network Settings, enter the
TCP/UDP port number you want the system to
use.

For Satellite Link to function properly,

you must select a TCP/UDP port number Configuring a satellite in the Satellites page of the
Peripherals dialog
between 1024 and 65534.

3 Click OK.

Chapter 64: Satellite Link 1475

 To configure a Media Composer system as a video Configuring an Administrator System
satellite:
Pro Tools Ultimate with HD hardware can admin-
1 In Media Composer, choose Edit > Preferences.
ister up to 11 satellite systems, whereas without
2 In the Project window, click the Settings Tab HD hardware it can only administer 1 satellite sys-
and double-click Video Satellite. tem (typically for used for monitoring video).
3 In the Video Satellite Settings window, select To configure a Pro Tools system as a Satellite Link
Video Satellite Mode. administrator:

4 Click OK. 1 Choose Setup > Peripherals and click Satellites.

To configure a non-HD Pro Tools System system

2 In the System Name text box, enter a name for
as a video satellite: the system.
1 On the satellite Pro Tools system, choose Setup 3 Under Mode, choose Administrator.
> Peripherals and click Satellites.
4 Under Administrator, choose the current system
2 In the System Name text box, enter a name for from the System 1 pop-up menu.
the system.
5 Click OK.
3 Under Mode, choose Enable Satellite Mode.
4 Click OK.

Configuring the Administrator system in the Satellites

Configuring a Pro Tools Video Satellite system in the page of the Peripherals dialog
Satellites page of the Peripherals dialog

1476 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Adding Satellites to the Network
Linking Satellite Systems
When systems have been configured as satellites,
they become available on the administrator sys- When a Pro Tools system has been declared as a
tem. The satellite systems are then declared from satellite, it can then be placed in a linked state from
the Administrator system to build the Satellite the local machine or from another satellite. When a
Link network. system is linked, the following features and com-
mands can be controlled across all linked systems:
To declare satellite systems: • Linking and unlinking of the system
1 On the administrator system, choose Setup > • Transport controls (Stop, Play, FF, Rew)
Peripherals and click Satellites.
• Play selections
2 Under Administrator, declare the systems you • Scrub/Shuttle location
want to use as satellites from the System 2-12
pop-up menus. • Channel solo (including Solo clear)
• Clearing system errors (such as AAE errors)
3 Click OK.

The administrator and declared satellite systems Satellite Link Controls

appear in the Synchronization section of the Trans-
port. The display resizes to show all available sys- When a Pro Tools system has been declared as a
tems. satellite, Satellite Link controls can be shown in
the Transport.

To display Satellite Link controls in the Transport

window:

 Choose View > Transport > Synchronization and

View > Transport > Expanded.

Declared satellites in the Synchronization section of Transmit Play

the Transport window Link button Selection button

Satellite Link buttons Receive Play

Selection button
Satellite Link controls in the Transport window

Chapter 64: Satellite Link 1477

 Link Button Linking Systems During Playback

The Link button controls the link status of the local You can link or unlink a system while it or any
system. When linked, the button is highlighted. other linked system is playing back (“join in
play”), and the transports will play in sync. In
Satellite Link Buttons cases where both systems are playing back, the
newly linked system will cue to the location of the
Satellite Link buttons control the link status of the
system on which the link was initiated.
other satellite systems on the network. On every
other system, one of these buttons corresponds to
that system’s main Link button. Linking Pro Tools Systems in a
Satellite Network
Link buttons highlight to indicate linked status of
the remote system. A Satellite Link button high- To link (or unlink) the local Pro Tools system:
lights red if that system stops playback due to an  Click the Link button in the Transport so that is
error or the opening of a modal dialog. highlighted (or unhighlighted).

Transmit and Receive Play Selections Press Option+Shift+L (Mac) or Alt+Shift+L

Buttons (Windows) to link or unlink the local system.

The Transmit Play Selections and Receive Play To link (or unlink) remote satellite systems:
Selections buttons in the Transport mirror the
 Click the corresponding Satellite Link button
Transmit Play Selections and Receive Play Selec-
for the remote system in the Transport so that it
tions options in the Satellites section of the Syn-
is highlighted (or unhighlighted).
chronization preferences (Setup > Preferences >
Synchronization). The button highlights when the
To link (or unlink) all declared satellite systems:
option is enabled.
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Transmit Play Selections When enabled, causes a Link button or a Satellite Link button in the
linked Pro Tools system to send the Edit window Transport so that they are all highlighted (or un-
selection to all other linked Pro Tools systems. On highlighted).
other linked systems that are set to receive play se-
lections, the selection is mirrored in the Edit win-
dow.

Receive Play Selections When enabled, causes a

linked Pro Tools system to receive Edit window
selections from all other linked Pro Tools systems
that are set to transmit play selections.

1478 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Linking Play Selections Solo Linking
You can set linked Pro Tools systems to transmit You can set linked Pro Tools systems to transmit
and receive play selections from other satellite sys- the solo status of their tracks and receive solo sta-
tems. This lets you configure your setup to selec- tus information from other satellite systems.
tively mirror Edit window selections between sys-
 If you are working in a multi-user dub stage en-
tems, or to have all systems mirror Edit window
vironment where dialog, FX, and music reside on
selections on all other systems.
different systems, it can be useful to set those sys-
 If you are working in a multi-user dub stage en- tems to send and receive solos, and set the re-
vironment where dialog, FX, and music reside on corder/video Pro Tools system so that it does not
different systems, it can be useful to set those sys- transmit or receive solos.
tems to only transmit play selections, and set the
 If you are working in a single-user mix environ-
recorder/video Pro Tools system to only receive
ment and are moving between systems, it might be
play selections.
useful to set all systems to transmit and receive so-
 If you are working in a single-user mix environ- los, so that solos propagate across all systems.
ment and are moving between systems, it can be
Solo Safe When Solo Linking is enabled, tracks
useful to set all systems to transmit and receive
play selections, so that you can work with the same on all systems retain their Solo Safe status.
selection on any system. Solo Clear When Solo Linking is enabled, all
solos are cleared on systems set to receive solos.
To set satellite Pro Tools systems to mirror play
selections on other satellite systems, do the
To set satellite systems to transmit or receive solo
following:
status:
 On the systems where you will be making play 1 On the systems that you want to solo tracks, do
selections, do one of the following: the following:
• Click the Transmit Play Selections button in • Choose Setup > Preferences and click
the Transport so that it is highlighted. Synchronization.
• Choose Setup > Preferences and click Syn- • In the Satellites section of the Synchroniza-
chronization. Then, in the Satellites section of tion page, select the Transmit Solos option.
the Synchronization page, select the Transmit
Play Selections option. Click OK to close the 2 On the systems where you want tracks to follow
Preferences window. solo behavior for solos on other systems, do the
following:
 On the systems that you want to mirror the play
• Choose Setup > Preferences and click
selections, do one of the following:
Synchronization.
• Click the Receive Play Selections button in
• In the Satellites section of the Synchroniza-
the Transport so that it is highlighted.
tion page, select the Receive Solos option.
• Choose Setup > Preferences and click Syn-
• Click OK to close the Preferences window.
chronization. Then, in the Satellites section of
the Synchronization page, select the Receive 3 Make sure the systems are linked.
Play Selections option. Click OK to close the
Preferences window.

Chapter 64: Satellite Link 1479

 Using Solo Link without Linking Satellite Link Errors
Transport Controls
Clearing Errors on Linked Systems
If you are synchronizing multiple Pro Tools sys-
tems to an external synchronizer, you can still take By default, linked systems continue to operate if
advantage of the Solo Link feature. one of the systems experiences an error and its
transport stops. The Satellite Link button for the
You can set a satellite Pro Tools system to always remote system reporting the error highlights red on
send its solo status, whether linked or unlinked, so all other systems in the network. Any error mes-
you can solo tracks across systems without linking sage on a linked system appears in the tool tip for
transport controls. the corresponding Satellite Link button in the
Transport.
To set a satellite Pro Tools system to always solo
even when it is not linked: You can set each system independently to stop
1 Choose Setup > Preferences and click Synchro- playback when it encounters an error.
nization.
To clear an error dialog on a remote linked system:
2 In the Satellites section of the Synchronization
page, select the Solo Independent of Linked  In the Transport on any other system in the net-
State option. work, Shift-click the Satellite Link button for
the affected system.
3 Click OK to close the Preferences window.
To set a linked system to stop the transport on all
Solo Link Behavior in the Solo Modes systems when an error occurs:

Solo in Place With Solo Link, when using Solo In  Make sure the AAE Errors Stop All Linked Sys-
Place, the mode of solo operation is determined by tems option is selected in the Synchronization
the system transmitting the solo. Preferences.

 If a linked system is in Solo Latch mode, solo- To set all systems to stop the transport when an er-
ing a track on that system adds to the number of ror occurs, make sure this option is selected on all
tracks in solo, regardless of the solo mode of other linked systems.
systems set to receive solos.
Playback and Modal Dialogs
 If a linked system is in Solo X-OR mode, solo-
ing a track on that system cancels all other sys- Linked systems stop playback (or prevent play-
tem’s solos regardless of the solo mode of other back from starting) if a modal dialog (such as the
systems set to receive solos. I/O Setup, Hardware Setup, or Playback Engine di-
alog) is opened on any linked system.
AFL and PFL Modes With Solo Link, AFL and
PFL solos on a linked system have no effect on To avoid interrupting playback on another
other systems. system when opening a modal dialog,
unlink the system before opening the dialog.
An AFL-soloed track on a linked system can be
muted by a Solo In Place on another system. To
avoid this, use PFL instead of AFL.

1480 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Resetting All Satellites on the Network
Control Surface Support for
If one or more satellite systems on the network en- Satellite Link
counters a problem and the network becomes un-
stable, Pro Tools lets you reset all Satellites on the Linking Satellite Systems
network to get back up and running as quickly as (D-Control, D-Command, and C|24)
possible.
To link or unlink the local Pro Tools system:
To reset all satellite systems on a network, do one
of the following:  Hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows)
and press the Machine Online switch in the
 Command-Option-Control-Click (Mac) or
Transport section.
Control-Alt-Start-Click (Windows) the Satellite
Link button in the Transport of any Pro Tools
Satellite system on the network. Satellite Link Soft Keys
(D-Control and D-Command)
 In the Satellite page of the Peripherals window
(Setup > Peripherals > Satellite), click the Re- To link or unlink other satellite systems:
set Network button, and then click OK.
1 Hold Control (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and press
the Modes switch in the Automation Soft Keys
section.
Using Satellite Link with
MachineControl 2 Press the Soft Key that corresponds to the name
of the system that you want to link or unlink.
MachineControl Deck Control Mode can be used
to operate a 9-pin synchronization device (such as The Soft Key lights solid to indicate that the corre-
a Soundmaster ATOM or a CB Electronics 9-Pin sponding system is linked, and flashes to indicate
synchronizer), allowing Pro Tools to act as a “code that the corresponding system is displaying an er-
only master” for systems controlled by the syn- ror.
chronizer.
To link or unlink all declared satellite systems:
Satellite Link lets you use MachineControl on one
 Hold Option+Command (Mac) or Alt+Control
linked Pro Tools system at a time.
(Windows) and press the Online switch in the
 When one linked Pro Tools system is already Transport section.
online and you go online with another linked
Pro Tools system, Satellite Link will automatically To toggle the solo transmit status of the local
take the first system offliine. Pro Tools system:

1 Hold Control (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and press

 Any linked Pro Tools systems set to
the Modes switch in the Automation Soft Keys
“Transport=Pro Tools” will follow Satellite Link
section.
transport commands.
2 Press the Soft Key that corresponds to
 Any linked Pro Tools systems set to
“Transmit Solo.”
“Transport=Machine” cannot transmit Satellite
Link transport commands, but will follow Satellite The Soft Key lights solid to indicate that transmit
Link transport commands if they are offline. solo is enabled.

Chapter 64: Satellite Link 1481

1482 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Chapter 65: Pro Tools Video Satellite

Pro Tools Video Satellite is a powerful post-pro-

duction option that uses a separate computer run- Video Output Options
ning Pro Tools Software for synchronized video Pro Tools Video Satellite lets you output video
playback. through your desktop display, an Avid video pe-
ripheral, or a 3rd party video peripheral. Display
By off-loading video playback duties to a separate
through options through a video peripheral will be
computer, Pro Tools Video Satellite contributes to
dependent on its capabilities.
the best possible performance on the administrator
Pro Tools system. For a list of the latest supported Avid
Pro Tools Video Satellite uses a single Pro Tools peripherals and drivers, visit https://avid.
Studio system for video playback in a Satellite secure.force.com/pkb/articles/compatibility/
configuration. Pro Tools Video Satellite requires Pro-Tools-Video-Peripherals.
Pro Tools Studio software (not Pro Tools Ultimate
software) and can use any Avid-supported non-HD
audio interface (such as Pro Tools | Carbon or Connecting a Pro Tools Video
Dolby Audio Bridge using Core Audio). A Satellite System
Pro Tools Video Satellite cannot use a video refer- To connect the Pro Tools Video Satellite system to
ence, so it will not be as accurate as an Media the administrator Pro Tools system, that system
Composer Video Satellite. must be designated an administrator system.

The Pro Tools Video Satellite system is set up as a

Pro Tools Video Satellite
satellite system, and then is declared from the ad-
System Requirements
ministrator system.
• Avid-qualified computer
• Pro Tools Studio software For complete instructions on configuring a
Satellite Link network including a Pro Tools
• Supported video peripheral (optional)
Video Satellite system, see “Configuring Sat-
• Client monitor (optional) ellite Link” on page 1474).
• Black burst or tri-level video reference
generator, if using a video peripheral
• Ethernet connection to a Local Area Network
(LAN)

Chapter 65: Pro Tools Video Satellite 1483

 Configuring the Main Pro Tools
System as an Administrator Linking the Pro Tools Video
Satellite System
To configure the main Pro Tools system as an
administrator: After a Pro Tools system has been connected as a
video satellite, it can then be placed in a linked
 See “Configuring an Administrator System” on state. When this system is linked, it follows the
page 1476. transport commands from the administrator sys-
tem, and runs in sync with it. When the satellite
Configuring the Pro Tools Video system is unlinked, its transport acts like a normal
Satellite System Pro Tools system.

To set up the Pro Tools Video Satellite system: The administrator Pro Tools system does not
 See “Configuring Satellite Systems” on respond to playback commands from the
page 1475. Pro Tools Video Satellite system. Transport
commands must originate from the main
Pro Tools system.
Declaring the Pro Tools Video
Satellite System
Link Controls
When the Pro Tools Video Satellite system has
When a Pro Tools system has been declared as a
been configured as a satellite, it becomes available
satellite, the following controls appear in the
on the administrator system. The satellite system is
Transport window:
then declared by the Administrator.
Link Button Controls the link status of the local
To declare the satellite system on the
system.
administrator system:

 See “Adding Satellites to the Network” on Satellite Link Buttons control the link status of the
page 1477. other satellite systems. On every system, one of
these buttons corresponds to that system’s main
The systems appear, in order, from left to right, in Link button.
the Synchronization section of the Transport win-
dow. Link buttons highlight to indicate linked status.

Only one Pro Tools Video Satellite system

can be connected to a Satellite Link network.

1484 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To display link controls in the Transport: Pro Tools Video Satellite
 Choose View > Transport > Synchronization and Operation
View > Transport > Expanded.
AAE Errors

Link button By default, the two linked systems will continue to

operate if one of the systems experiences an error
and its transport stops.

The administrator system can be configured to stop

playback if an AAE error occurs on the Pro Tools
Satellite Link buttons Video Satellite system, or any other Satellite Link
satellite.
Link controls in the Transport window
To clear an error dialog on the Pro Tools Video
To link or unlink the local Pro Tools Video Satellite Satellite system from the main Pro Tools system:
system:
 In the Transport window on the other linked
 Click the Link button in the Transport.
system, Shift-click the Satellite Link button for
Press Option+Shift+L (Mac) or Alt+Shift+L the affected system.
(Windows) to link or unlink the local system.
If the administrator system is configured to
To link or unlink the administrator Pro Tools Transmit Play Selections, those selections
system or other satellite systems: will be transmitted to the Video Satellite
system. However, selections made on the
 Click the corresponding Satellite Link button in
Video Satellite system will not be transmit-
the Transport window.
ted to the administrator system.
To link or unlink all declared satellite systems:
To set the Pro Tools Video Satellite system to stop
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the the transport on both systems when an error
occurs:
Link button or one of the Satellite Link buttons
in the Transport window.  On the administrator Pro Tools system, make
sure the AAE Errors Stop All Linked Systems
Linking Systems During Playback option is selected in the Synchronization Prefer-
You can link the Pro Tools Video Satellite system ences page.
while the administrator Pro Tools HD system is If one of the systems encounters an AAE er-
playing back, and the transports will synchronize. ror, its satellite link button will light up red in
the transport window on the other system.
Hold the mouse pointer over the button to
view the error, if necessary.

Chapter 65: Pro Tools Video Satellite 1485

 Modal Dialogs To compensate for different start times:

Linked systems will stop playback if a modal dia- 1 In Pro Tools, go to Setup > Session. The
log box (such as the I/O Setup, Hardware Setup, or Session Setup window appears.
Playback Engine dialog) is opened on any linked 2 In the Timecode Offsets section, compensate
system. The corresponding Satellite Link button for the offset between Pro Tools and a Pro Tools
for that system highlights red on all other systems. Video Satellite as follows:
.

A system cannot play back when a modal • If the start time of the video clip in video sat-
dialog box is open. ellite falls before the start time of the admin-
istrator Pro Tools session, type a positive
timecode value into the Satellite Offset field.
Spotting Video to the Pro Tools
Timeline • If the start time of the video clip in video sat-
ellite falls after the start time of the adminis-
Once a session is created (or an existing session
trator Pro Tools session, type a negative
opened) on the satellite Pro Tools system, and the
timecode value into the Satellite Offset field.
video has been imported, the video must be set to
the correct start time so that it runs in sync with the
audio on the main Pro Tools system. Video can be Compensating for Monitor-
spotted to the desired start time by matching time- Induced Output Delay
code or feet+frames values. Many monitors add a delay to the video output of
one or more frames. You can compensate for this
Compensating for Different delay by advancing the video output by the neces-
Start Times in Pro Tools and a sary number of frames.
Pro Tools Video Satellite
To set the number of frames to offset video output:
In some cases, you may want the Pro Tools Video
Satellite system to be offset from the administrator 1 On the video satellite system, choose Setup >
system to accommodate for external deck offsets Video Sync Offset.
or differences in session start time. 2 In the Video Sync Offset field, type a positive
value that matches the amount of delay in the
You can control the amount of offset by changing
monitors. You may need to try a few different
the Timecode Offset parameters on the Pro Tools
settings.
Video Satellite system.

1486 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite

Media Composer Video Satellite is a powerful Video Peripherals

post-production option for Pro Tools, employing a
For high-quality frame edge-aligned video play-
separate computer running Avid Media Composer
back, you must add the I/O capabilities of an Avid
software for synchronized video playback, cap-
or third-party video peripheral.
ture, and conversion.
Both Pro Tools and Media Composer should be re-
Media Composer Video Satellite can use either a
solved to a common clock source for accurate
single Media Composer system in a Satellite con-
playback synchronization. This can be achieved by
figuration. Media Composer Video Satellite can
applying video reference to the video peripheral
play full sequences and does not require a video
that is compatible with the Media Composer proj-
mixdown. Media Composer Video Satellite re-
ect settings. The same video reference should be
quires a Pro Tools Ultimate administrator in the
applied to the SYNC HD.
Satellite configuration.

Media Composer software with the Video Satellite In more complex clocking scenarios, it is pos-
option can output and capture video with any sup- sible to apply both video reference and Word
port Avid or third-party video peripheral. Clock or AES to the SYNC HD, as long as it is
derived from the same Clock Source.

Media Composer Video Satellite It is possible for both systems to play together
Requirements without a common clock source, but the start of
Media Composer Video Satellite requires the fol- play will not be as accurate, and playback may drift
lowing system components: over long playback passes.

• Avid-qualified computer When using an Avid video peripheral that supports

• Pro Tools Ultimate Software a video reference input, one of the following is also
required:
• HDX or HD Native hardware with a SYNC HD
(optional, but recommended for most accurate • An NTSC/PAL black burst generator
sync) • A tri-level sync generator
• A second Avid-qualified computer for
Media Composer
• Avid video peripheral (optional, but required for
high-quality video output and best synchroniza-
tion)

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1487

 Audio/Video Synchronization Offset Audio/
Video Output Options video synchronization varies slightly with each
Media Composer Video Satellite lets you output frame. Though usually not noticeable to the eye,
video through a full screen desktop display, an more precise measuring devices cause offsets in
Avid video peripheral, or a third-party video pe- AV sync of up to 1/2 frame or more. This is normal
ripheral. Display through options through a video whenever using the output of a computer's monitor
peripheral are dependent on its capabilities. card, and does not affect capture, editing, or lay-
back.

Full-Screen Playback Using

Output to a Computer Monitor
Supported Video Resolutions
With a supported video card installed,
Media Composer Video Satellite provides full- Media Composer Video Satellite supports the im-
screen playback of SD or HD video on your pri- port, capture, and playback of a wide range of
mary or secondary computer monitor. video resolutions and frame rates.

For detailed information on supported resolutions

Video Frame Rate and Monitor Refresh
and frame rates, see Avid Media Composer online
Rate
help or visit the Avid website (www.avid.com).
When you play back video on a monitor with a re-
fresh rate that differs from the video frame rate (as To launch online help in Media Composer:
is often the case during playback of video through • Choose Help > Online Help.
a computer monitor), the output yields visual arti-
facts and offsets in synchronization between audio
and video. For example, this occurs during play- Media Composer Video
back of a 24 fps video clip on a monitor with a re- Satellite Workflows
fresh rate of 75 Hz.
The following sections describe workflows for us-
If your workflow requires high-quality playback, ing Pro Tools with Media Composer configured as
you must output video through an Avid video pe- an Media Composer Video Satellite:
ripheral to a video monitor.
• Connecting Pro Tools to a satellite
The artifact and audio/video sync issues occur as • Linking Pro Tools to a satellite
follows:
• Capturing audio and video
Frame “Tearing” & Video “Stutter” Frame “tear- • Batch capturing audio and video
ing” is the horizontal distortion on rapidly moving
• Laying back audio and video
or heavily edited sequences. Video “stutter” is the
subtle shifting of video during playback.

You can remedy one of these issues at a time (but

not simultaneously) using the Flip On Vertical
Sync option, located in the Full Screen Playback
Settings dialog.

1488 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Conditions for Connecting
Using a Video Satellite in a Pro Tools and a Video Satellite
MediaCentral | Production
Management Environment The following conditions apply to connections be-
tween Pro Tools and video satellites:
Using a Video Satellite system in a
• Quitting a Pro Tools application that is acting as
MediaCentral | Production Management environ-
administrator to a video satellite releases the
ment is useful for networked file management. For
video satellite so that it can be linked to other
additional information on Pro Tools support with
Pro Tools systems.
MediaCentral | Production Management, see the
Pro Tools Production Management Guide. • If you quit Pro Tools while a satellite is con-
nected, Pro Tools attempts to re-connect to the
same satellite on relaunch.
Connecting Pro Tools and a • When linked to a Video Satellite, Pro Tools does
Video Satellite not chase MIDI Timecode (MTC).
In order for Pro Tools and the video satellite to
synchronize their transports, they must be linked. Troubleshooting the Satellite
Before linking can occur, however, you must es- Connection
tablish basic communication channels between If the satellite does not appear in the Administrator
them. When the Pro Tools and the video satellite pop-up menu, verify the following:
systems have established this communication, they
are connected. 1 Ensure that Media Composer is fully launched.
2 In Media Composer, go to the Project window
To connect the Pro Tools and video satellite sys-
and choose Settings > Video Satellite. Ensure
tems, they must first be connected using Ethernet.
that Video Satellite Mode is enabled.
In addition, the Video Satellite option must be en- 3 In the Satellite page of the Pro Tools Peripherals
abled on the Media Composer system, and the sys- dialog, select a different Ethernet port from the
tems must be connected. Interface menu. Many computers have more
than one Ethernet port or “interface”. The inter-
Running other applications simultaneously
face selected here must be the one connected to
with Media Composer can cause unpredict-
the same network as the satellite.
able behavior, including AV sync problems,
frame dropping and audio stuttering. It is 4 In the Project window in Media Composer,
suggested that you not launch other applica- click the Settings tab, then double-click Video
tions when Media Composer is running. This Satellite Settings and check that the TCP/UDP
can occur with or without the use of Satellite Port is the same as the TCP/UDP Port shown in
mode. the Satellite pane in the Pro Tools Peripherals
dialog. (Both ports default to 28282.)

For Video Satellite to operate properly, the

TCP/UDP port you set must be between 1024
and 65534.

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1489

 5 If the TCP/UDP port settings are the same, ver- For Pro Tools to play in sync with
ify with your network administrator that the Media Composer as a video satellite, all of these
port shown is not being blocked on the network. settings are interdependent. A mis-match in any of
these settings will cause Pro Tools to display an er-
6 Check that all Ethernet cables are completely
ror message.
plugged in and working. In most cases, there are
LEDs that show activity at the Ethernet ports. Media Composer Starting TC timecode setting and
7 Video satellite playback will not function in the the Pro Tools session start do not have to match ex-
following conditions: actly, but should usually be close.

• Certain dialogs are open in either Pro Tools When working with 24p and 23.976 projects,
or Media Composer. Media Composer defaults to displaying frames
• Media Composer is not the active applica- mapped to 29.97 fps timecode. In order to keep the
tion. Pro Tools and Media Composer timecode displays
in sync when working in 24p or 23.976 projects,
• Pro Tools does not have an open session, or
click the timecode display above the Record mon-
Media Composer does not have an open se-
itor and choose Sequence > Timecode > 24 > Mas.
quence.
• If you experiencing any irregularities, choose To avoid sync problems during later stages of
Setup > Peripherals > Satellites in Pro Tools post production, it is strongly recommended
on the Satellite Administrator and click Reset in most cases to change the settings in
Network. Pro Tools to match those of the sequence
open in Media Composer.

Matching Media Composer Matching Media Composer

and Pro Tools Settings in a Project Type to Pro Tools
Video Satellite System Timecode Rate, Clock
Reference, and Video Ref
In order to accurately synchronize playback be- Format
tween Pro Tools and Media Composer, the follow-
This section explains how to match the
ing parameters must be correctly matched:
Media Composer Project Type to the Pro Tools
• Media Composer Project Type and Pro Tools Timecode Rate, Clock Reference, and Video For-
Timecode Rate, Clock Reference, and Video mat.
Format
• Pro Tools Audio Pull-Up setting and
Media Composer Edit Play Rate
• Timecode Format (Drop Frame or Non-Drop
Frame)

1490 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To ensure that your video satellite system will play Matching Audio Pull-Up and Edit
back or capture using the proper settings: Play Rate
1 In Media Composer, click the Format tab in the
By default, Media Composer plays back sequences
Project window.
at the frame rate specified in the name of the proj-
2 Select the desired setting from the Project Type ect type. For example, a 25i PAL project plays at
pop-up menu. 25 fps. The notable exception is 30i NTSC, which
actually plays at 29.97 fps.
In most cases, changing the Media
Composer project type is not advisable. You When working with 23.976, 24p NTSC, 24p PAL,
should change the Pro Tools Timecode Rate and 25p PAL projects, you can change the play-
unless you are creating an SD down-con- back rate (known as the Edit Play Rate) without af-
vert from an HD project. See the Pro Tools fecting other properties in order to slow down or
Reference Guide. speed up playback slightly. This is the video equiv-
alent of the audio pull-up/down setting in
Pro Tools.
The Project Type is also established when
creating a new project in Media Composer. To change the Edit Play Rate:

3 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session. 1 In the Settings tab of the Project window, open
the Film and 24P setting.
4 Select a timecode setting from the Timecode
Rate pop-up menu that is compatible to the 2 Select an Edit Play Rate matching your config-
Media Composer Project Type setting. uration according to the following table.

5 Make sure that a compatible clock source is 24p projects (PAL and NTSC) use a default
available and connected correctly. Edit Play Rate that does not match the project
rate. 24p PAL defaults to 25 fps and 24p
6 Select the connected clock reference from the
NTSC defaults to 23.976 fps.
Clock Reference pop-up menu.
7 Select a compatible video format from the To change audio pull up/down settings in
Pro Tools:
Video Ref Format pop-up menu.
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session.
Video Ref Format cannot be changed for
2 From the Timecode Settings section of the Ses-
most HD frame rates.
sion Setup window, select a rate from the Audio
Rate Pull Up/Down pop-up menu.
3 Click OK to apply the new pull up/down rate to
the session.

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1491

 Compatibility Table

The following table describes compatibility between Avid Project Format and Edit Play Rate, and
Pro Tools Timecode Rates, Audio Pull Up/Down Rate, Clock Reference, and Video Format.
Rate and Sync Ref Compatibility between Avid and Pro Tools

Media Composer Pro Tools

Edit PT SYNC HD
Avid Project Video Peripheral PT Audio Rate
Play Timecode Video Ref
Format Video Ref Pull Up/Down
Rate Rate Format

23.976p NTSC 23.976 NTSC 23.976 None NTSC

24 NTSC 24 0.1% Up NTSC

24p NTSC 24 NTSC 24 None NTSC

23.976 NTSC 23.976 0.1% Down NTSC

30i NTSC 29.97 NTSC 29.97 Variable NTSC

24p PAL 24 PAL 24 None PAL

25 PAL 25 4% Up PAL

25p PAL 25 PAL 25 None PAL

24 PAL 24 4% Down PAL

25i PAL 25 PAL 25 None PAL

720p/23.976 23.976 720p/59.94 23.976 None 720p/59.94

(or NTSC)

720p/25 25 720p/50 25 None 720p/50

(or PAL)

720p/29.97 29.97 720p/59.94 29.97 None 720p/59.94

(or NTSC)

720p/50 50 720p/50 25 None 720p/50

(or PAL)

720p/59.94 59.94 720p/59.94* 29.97 None 720p/59.94

(or NTSC)

1492 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Rate and Sync Ref Compatibility between Avid and Pro Tools

Media Composer(continued) Pro Tools (continued)

Edit Mojo DX or PT SYNC HD

Avid Project PT Audio Rate
Play Nitris DX Timecode Video Ref
Format Pull Up/Down
Rate Video Ref Rate Format

1080p/23.976 23.976 1080p23 23.976 None 1080p/23.97 (or

NTSC)

1080p/24 24 1080p24 24 None 1080p/24

(or PAL or
NTSC)

1080p/25 25 1080p25 25 None 1080p/25 (or

1080i/50
or PAL)

1080p/29.97 29.97 1080p29 29.97 None 1080i/59.94,

1080psf-29.97
(or NTSC)

1080i/50 50 1080i/50 25 None 1080i/50,

1080psf-25
(or PAL)

1080i/59.94 59.94 1080i/59.94 29.97 None 1080i/59.94,

1080psf-29.97
(or NTSC)

1080p30 30 1080p/30 30 None 1080p30

1080p50 50/25 1080p/50 50 None 1080p50

1080p59.94 59.94/ 1080p/59.94 59.94 None 1080p59.94

29.97

1080p60 60/30 1080p/60 60 None 1080p60

2k, 4k, and UHD settings and reference should mirror 1080p for the relative frame rate.

100/119.88/120 fps are supported with Media Composer Video Satellite configurations, but video
hardware will be disabled.

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1493

 If the numbers in the TC fields are separated by
Media Composer supports locking the video semi-colons instead of colons, the project is set to
peripheral to black burst or tri-level sync at Drop Frame.
most HD rates that expects a reference that is
a multiple of 25 or 29.97 fps.

Video peripheral reference rates in this table

are a general guideline. Consult the documen- Starting
TC field
tation for your specific video hardware pe-
ripheral, as it may support different reference
rates.
Session
Start field
Matching Timecode Format Timecode
(Drop Frame or Non-Drop Frame) Rate

Pro Tools and Media Composer must be set to the

same timecode format (either Drop Frame or Non-
Drop Frame). Clip Info dialog (Media Composer, top) and a portion
of the Session Setup window (Pro Tools, bottom)
To ensure timecode format settings are
compatible: 3 If both timecode formats do not match, do one
of the following:
1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session. If the
• To force Pro Tools to match the timecode for-
Timecode rate pop-up menu displays “DF” after
mat of Media Composer, select the compati-
the frame rate, Pro Tools is set to Drop Frame.
ble timecode format from the Timecode Rate
2 In Media Composer, right-click the Record pop-up menu.
monitor, and choose Sequence Report. • To force Media Composer to match the time-
In some project formats, Media Composer code rate of Pro Tools, type semi-colons
can be configured for Drop Frame or Non- (Drop Frame) or colons (Non-Drop Frame)
Drop Frame, while the corresponding between the numbers in the Starting TC field,
Pro Tools timecode rate can only be set to and press Enter.
Non-Drop Frame. In such cases,
Media Composer sends Non-Drop timecode
information to Pro Tools, even if it is set to
Drop Frame. The following project formats
in Media Composer exhibit this behavior:
23.976p NTSC, 24p NTSC, and 720p/23.976.

1494 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Matching Media Composer Compensating for Different Sequence
Starting TC Timecode Setting Start Times in Pro Tools and a Video
and Pro Tools Session Start Satellite

In almost all cases, the first frame of video is You can compensate for any offsets that might oc-
located at the start of the Media Composer se- cur if the start times of an Avid sequence differ be-
quence. However, Pro Tools sessions often have tween Media Composer and Pro Tools.
silence at the head to create countoffs or silence.
To compensate for different sequence start times:
For example, a Media Composer sequence may
1 In Pro Tools, go to Setup > Session. The Ses-
start at 01:00:00:00 while the matching Pro Tools
sion Setup window will appear.
session starts at 00:59:55:00—allowing five sec-
onds of silence before the audio starts. 2 In the External Timecode Offset section, com-
pensate for the offset between Pro Tools and
In some cases, starting playback from Video Satellite as follows:
Media Composer at a point which is more
• If the start time of the video satellite sequence
than a minute earlier than the start of the
falls before the start time of the Pro Tools se-
Pro Tools session may fail. Change the
quence, type a positive timecode value into
Pro Tools session start time to be earlier.
the Satellite Offset field.
To set the default start time for new sequences in • If the start time of the video satellite sequence
Media Composer: falls after the start time of the Pro Tools se-
1 In the Project window, click the Settings tab and quence, type a negative timecode value into
then double-click the General setting. the Satellite Offset field.

2 Type in the desired starting timecode in the De-

fault Starting TC field. Compensating for Monitor-
Induced Output Delay
To change the start time of an existing sequence in Many monitors add a delay to the video output of
Media Composer:
one or more frames. You can compensate for this
1 In Media Composer, open the bin containing delay by advancing the video output by the neces-
the existing sequence. sary number of frames.
2 If needed, re-size the bin window so that you
To set the number of frames to offset video output:
can see the Start column of the bin window.
1 In Media Composer, choose Settings > Video
3 In the Start column for the sequence for which Satellite Settings.
you want to set a new start time, type the new
start time using semi-colons (for Drop Frame) 2 In the Video Satellite Offset field, type a posi-
or colons (for Non-Drop Frame), and press En- tive value that matches the amount of delay in
ter. the monitors. You may need to try a few differ-
ent settings.
4 Click OK to confirm.

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1495

 When using the J, K and L keys to shuttle in
Linking or Unlinking Media Composer, Pro Tools will play audio at 1x
Pro Tools and a Video forward, but not in reverse or any other possible
Satellite playback speeds.
After you have connected and configured a single
Trim, Color Correction and Effects modes in
Pro Tools HD system and an Media Composer
Media Composer and Symphony are not sup-
Video Satellite system in a Satellite Link network,
ported with Media Composer Video Satellite.
you can control their behavior with controls in the
Pro Tools and Media Composer transports. How-
ever, if more than one Pro Tools HD system is In Media Composer, enable the Play Prepara-
connected and configured in a Satellite Link net- tion Delay option (Settings > Video Satellite)
work that includes an Media Composer Video Sat- to avoid possible errors on playback start in
ellite system, playback can be started only from a sequences with high bandwidth video or un-
Pro Tools HD system on the network. rendered effects. Enable the Loop Preparation
Delay option to similarly avoid problems
Standard Pro Tools MachineControl Option when looping playback.
functionality is unaffected and independent
from the video satellite transport operations. Link Controls
However, chasing MIDI Machine Control or
MIDI timecode while linked to a video satel- When a Pro Tools HD system is configured as an
lite is not supported. administrator, the following controls can be shown
in the Transport window:
When linked, Pro Tools and Media Composer sup-
port the following transport operations: Link Button Controls the link status of the local
system.
• With audio playback:
• Play Satellite Link Buttons control the link status of the
other satellite systems. On every system, one of
• Half-speed Play
these buttons corresponds to that system’s main
• Loop Play link button.
• Shuttle
Link buttons highlight to indicate linked status.
• Scrub
• Record
• Loop Record
• FF/REW (with the Audio During FF/RW
preference turned on in Pro Tools))
• Without audio playback:
• Locate
• Nudge
• Selecting

1496 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To display linking controls in the Transport Controlling Linking with a
window: Control Surface
 Choose View > Transport > Synchronization and
To toggle the link button on the Pro Tools system
View > Transport > Expanded. (ICON and C|24):

Link button  Press Control + the Online button (Mac) or Alt

+ Online (Windows) on the control surface.

To toggle the Satellite Link buttons (D-Control or

D-Command only):

1 Press Command + the Modes button (Mac) or

Satellite Link buttons Control + Modes (Windows) on the control sur-
face to display all linked systems in the softkeys
Linking controls in the Pro Tools Transport window
display.
To link or unlink the local Pro Tools system:
2 The Modes button will light up. Pressing Modes
 Click the Link button in the Transport window. again will exit the Satellite Link mode.
Press Option+Shift+L (Mac) or Alt+Shift+L 3 The softkeys corresponding with each machine
(Windows) to link or unlink the local system. can then be pressed to link or unlink that ma-
chine.
To link or unlink other satellite systems:

 Click the corresponding Satellite Link button in Video Satellite and EUCON Control and
the Transport window. Work Surfaces

A selection of system linking controls have been

To link or unlink the video satellite system from
EUCONized. For more information on controlling
within Media Composer, do one of the following:
Video Satellite functions from EUCON devices,
 Click the Satellite Link button to change it to a see the Pro Tools EUCON Guide.
linked (green) or unlinked (grey) state.

Press Option+Shift+L (Mac) or Alt+Shift+L

(Windows) to link or unlink the local system.

Link buttons flash briefly when establishing

the network clock.

If Media Composer shows an error dialog,

the Satellite Link button for the Video Satel-
lite in Pro Tools will turn red. Hold the cur-
sor over the link button to view the dialog. To
dismiss the dialog, shift-click the video satel-
lite system’s Satellite Link button.

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1497

 Conditions for Capturing Audio
Capturing Audio and Video and Video
with a Video Satellite System
The following conditions apply to capturing audio
You can use a video satellite system to capture au- and video with a video satellite system:
dio to Pro Tools and video media to
• Due to technical limitations, when capturing
Media Composer in a single pass.
video from a device being controlled using a
1394 connection, audio sync will be up to 3/4 of
Before Capturing Audio and a frame out of sync.
Video
• If you want to capture a 29.97 telecine video
Before capturing audio and video from tape, tape to a 24 fps project, you must first capture
ensure that you have made the following both audio and video on Media Composer and
connections. then export the audio back to Pro Tools. For
manually exporting an AAF Sequence, see the
For connections with an Avid video peripheral, do Avid Media Composer Guide.
the following:

1 Connect the desired outputs of the video deck to

Configuring Pro Tools and a
the corresponding inputs on the video periph-
Media Composer Video Satellite
eral. for Capturing
2 Connect the audio source to the inputs of your Before configuring Pro Tools and
primary Pro Tools HD audio interface Media Composer for synchronized capturing, en-
sure that the two applications have matching set-
For more information, see the guide for your
tings. For detailed information, see “Matching
Pro Tools HD audio interface.
Media Composer and Pro Tools Settings in a
For connections without an Avid video peripheral, Video Satellite System” on page 1490.
do the following:
Configuring Pro Tools for Capturing
 For FireWire-based connections, connect the
within a Video Satellite System
FireWire cable directly to the FireWire port on
the Media Composer system. To configure Pro Tools for capturing audio:

Since video and audio are streamed in one signal 1 In Pro Tools, choose Setup > Session, and en-
over FireWire, it is not necessary to connect any sure the following:
audio inputs. • Clock Source pop-up menu is set to SYNC.
If you are capturing video using FireWire, you • Clock Reference pop-up menu is set to Video
must capture both audio and video into Reference.
Media Composer, because a single FireWire cable • If Clock Reference pop-up menu is set to an-
provides both video and audio. This audio can then other source, like Word Clock, make sure that
be exported over to Pro Tools. the Ref Present LED is lit, and that the clock
reference that the SYNC is locked to matches
that of the VTR.

1498 Pro Tools Reference Guide

2 Route the audio inputs to the desired tracks.
Digitizing from an EDL
3 Record enable the audio tracks to which you
want to capture audio. Media Composer includes Avid EDL Manager
software, which lets you open an EDL from an-
4 Click the Record Enable button in the Trans- other editing application, create a
port. Media Composer sequence from that EDL, then
re-digitize the sequence.
Configuring Media Composer for Video
Capture When using this procedure with a video satellite,
you must capture the audio to Media Composer
Media Composer Video Satellite supports video
and then export an AAF sequence referencing or
capture to a new or existing sequence using the
containing the embedded audio to Pro Tools.
Capture Tools in Media Composer. See
Media Composer documentation for configuration
details.
Laying Back Audio and Video
Playing Back Captured Audio and Video to Tape
with a Video Satellite System
You can layback audio from Pro Tools and video
Once you have finished capturing with a video sat- from Media Composer to tape using the Digital
ellite system, the captured clip appears in the Re- Cut Tool in Media Composer. See
cord Monitor and in the Timeline. Audio appears Media Composer documentation for configuration
in the Pro Tools Timeline. details. Note that the 9-pin connection must be on
the Media Composer composer system.
To view the captured clip, do the following:
The Universal Mastering feature in Sym-
 Click Play (or press the Spacebar) in Pro Tools phony is not supported with Video Satellite.
or Media Composer.

To minimize the chance of dropped frames, it

Re-Digitizing an Existing is recommended that all effects be rendered
Sequence before performing a layback.

Media Composer can open sequences created on

When laying back to an SDI VTR or 1394
other Avid editing systems. However, you may
device that requires audio and video to be
first want to re-digitize some or all of the media
combined in a single stream, you must
files because they were the wrong resolution, or
export the audio to Media Composer from
missing.
Pro Tools or combine audio and video sig-
When using this procedure with a video satellite, nals using a third-party summing device, and
you must capture the audio to Media Composer then lay back the final sequence to tape.
and then export an AAF sequence referencing or
containing the embedded audio to Pro Tools.

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1499

 To record audio and video to tape from 6 Select Output > Digital Cut. The Digital Cut Tool
Media Composer and Pro Tools simultaneously: appears.
1 Make sure that your system is set up as follows:
• Pro Tools and the Media Composer video sat-
ellite computers are linked.
• Audio outputs on the Pro Tools HD audio in-
terface are connected to the appropriate audio
inputs on the VTR.
• Video outputs from Media Composer system
are connected to the VTR.
• If you are using deck control, the deck control
cable from Media Composer is connected to
the VTR, and the VTR is set to Remote mode.

When using Media Composer in Satellite

mode for 24p and 23.976 projects, only the 24 Digital Cut Tool
and 23.976 Output Formats are supported.
7 If you want to set In and Out points for a
The 29.97 Output Format (+25% playback
digital cut.
speed with no pulldown) is not supported in
Satellite mode for 24p and 23.976p projects. 8 Do one of the following:
• Select the Entire Sequence option to record
2 Insert a video tape into your VTR.
the entire sequence.
3 To ensure that the tape deck is properly • Deselect the Entire Sequence option and set
configured, refer to the following topic in the In and Out points in the Timeline.
Media Composer Help (Help > Avid
Media Composer Help): Configuring a Deck or 9 If you are laying back over a FireWire (1394)
Multiple Decks. connection (Special > Device > IEEE 1394), se-
lect the appropriate output mode from the Out-
4 Do one of the following: put Mode pop-up menu as follows:
• Select one of the displayed tape names and • If all of the media on your Timeline is DV25,
click OK. or if it is all DV50, and all of your effects are
• Click New to add a new tape to the list. rendered, you can achieve a slightly higher
quality of output by selecting DV25 or DV50
5 Drag the sequence you want to record to tape
as appropriate.
from the bin to the Record Monitor.
• Otherwise, you must select the RT DV25 or
RT DV50 options to render and transcode all
of your video to that format.

1500 Pro Tools Reference Guide

10 Select the Stop on Dropped Frames option if 15 If you selected Remote mode, use the Record
you want Media Composer to automatically Track buttons on the right to select which audio
stop the tape if the audio and video does not re- and video tracks to enable for recording on the
cord correctly. tape.
11 Select the Add Black At Tail option, and type the 16 Click the yellow Preview button to check that
amount of black you want added to the end of all of the tracks you selected are playing and
the sequence. that the insert points on the tape are correct.
12 Select one of the following from the Deck Con- 17 Do one of the following:
trol options: • To record using Local mode, press play and
Local mode You will initiate recording manually.
record on the VTR. When ready, click the Re-
cord button in the Digital Cut window.
Remote mode Media Composer will start the • To record using Remote mode, press Record
VTR and drop into record at the specified time- in the Digital Cut window. Media Composer
code. will queue the tape, play, then drop in at the
13 If you chose Remote mode, select one of the fol- appropriate location.
lowing options:
When doing a Digital Cut with an
Sequence Time Starts recording based on se- Avid Mojo DX or Nitris DX video peripheral,
quence time. For example, if the sequence starts at Output Mode should be set to “Real Time”
01:00:00:00 in the Timeline, Media Composer will when using non-FireWire video outputs, for
start recording when the tape reaches 01:00:00:00. best A/V sync performance.

Record Deck Time Starts recording wherever the

VTR is currently parked. Be sure to record at least a few seconds of
black to the tape before performing a digital
Mark In Time Starts recording at the address en- cut. This will guarantee that the video tape is
tered in the top window to the right of the transport correctly formatted when your digital cut
controls. starts.
14 In the Source Track buttons, select the top video
track. Only the selected video tracks and the
video tracks below it will be recorded.

Source Record
Track Track Record Enable Preview
button button

Selected Source tracks

Chapter 66: Media Composer Video Satellite 1501

1502 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Index

Symbols linked media 23

.aac 433 metadata 20, 1415
.aif 433 opening in Pro Tools 462
.aifc 433 AAX Ambisonics panning plug-ins 1346
.aiff 433 Abandon Changes command 421
.m4a 433 Absolute Grid mode 641, 948
.m4v 433 ACID files 433
.mov 433 importing 440
.mp3 433 active 17
.mp4 433 inserts 1156
.mxf 433 tracks 283
.ptxp file type 308 Active Busses display 85
.rx 433 Add Key Change command 916
.rx2 433 Add Marker/Memory Location button 923
.sd2 433 Add Meter Change button 908
.snd 433 Add MP3 option 1264
.wav 433 Add Tempo Change button 887, 906
Add Unique Triggers 780
adding tags 376
Numerics Adjust Session Start Time to Match Source Start
1st Order Ambisonics 1343
Time 456
29.97 FPS Non-Drop 1377
ADM file 1335, 1337
3D audio 1343
export 1337
3-knob panning 1303
import 1335
5.1 surround formats 1280
Advanced Meter Type settings 135
7.0.2 and 7.1.2 surround formats 1275
advanced metering 248
7.1 and 7.0 surround formats 1274
Advanced Video Logging option 124
9-Pin MachineControl settings 153
AES31/Broadcast compliant BWF (.wav) 494
AFL (After Fader Listen) 281
A AFL/PFL Path 66
AAC After Fader Listen (AFL) mode 281
CBR 1470 After Playback Scrolling option 518
VBR 1470 After Write Pass, Switch To option 131, 1199
AAC audio 433, 1470 AIFC file format 472
AAF AIFF file format 1261
color space 1449 ALAC 433
exporting 474, 480 All MIDI Notes Off command 819
import static track mute settings 471 Allow Latch Prime in Stop option 130
import translation settings 470 Allow Sends to persist during LLM option 128, 557
importing 461

Index 1503
 Allow Track Arm Commands in Local Mode option audio format 482, 1355
145, 1407 Audio Media options 455
alternate matching takes 572, 746 on export 482
Alternate Takes pop-up menu 573, 747 on import 466
Always Fill Channel Strips When Banking option Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Mac) 104, 161
129 Audio Pull Up and Pull Down 1363, 1490
Always Show EUCON Assignable Knob Highlight Audio Pull Up/Down setting 1491
option 129 Audio Pull-Up and Edit Play Rate 1491
Ambisonics 1343 audio signal paths 56
B-format 1343 audio to MIDI 1047
configuring I/O Setup 1344 drag and drop 1048
creating mixes 1346 Audio to MIDI Plug-in preference 139, 1050
discrete channel orderings 1345 Audio to MIDI Properties dialog 1047, 1049
FB360 Audio plug-ins 1347 Audio Track RecordLock option 122, 605
folding down 1348 audio tracks 9
Higher-order 1343 5.1 format 1274
Ambisonics formats 1276 and Output format 1285
Analysis view 1020, 1034 and surround sessions 1283
anonymous usage reporting 124 bouncing to disk 1258
Apple Lossless 433 channel strips 235
Apply Real-Time Properties option 449 creating a tempo map for 905
archiving sessions (with Compact command) 705 disabling Elastic Audio 1019
arming enabling Elastic Audio 1018
safe (ignore) 1406 loop recording 570
Artist Chat placing audio in multichannel tracks 1284
Messages 407 punch recording 567
Pro Tools Projects list 407 recording multiple 561
Artist Chat window 399 signal flow 1102
Pro Tools Projects 402 track controls 239
ASIO 8 Waveform View 623
ASIO4ALL 99 Audio Zoom In button 644
aspect ratios (Video window) 1459 Audio Zoom Out button 644
Assemble mode 1400 AudioSuite menu 228
Assign Tags popover window 377 AudioSuite plug-ins 977, 978, 984, 1155
Assignments View (Sends View option) 1124 Bypass button 982
Atmos ADM BWF files 1335 Clip by Clip mode 980
Attributes (Groups List) command 320 Clips List command 978
attributes (groups) 324 Create Continuous File command 980
audio Create Individual Files command 979
convert to MIDI 1047 Default Handle Length preferences 137
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 119, 515 Entire Selection mode 980
audio file formats 174, 433, 1261 File Mode selector 979
audio files 11 Handle Length setting 983
compacting 706 multichannel processing 983
default names 546 Overwrite File command 979
importing 432 Playlist command 978
mixed file types 185 Preview 982
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo 356 Preview Volume 982
Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo button 382 Render button 983
Audio Files folder 175 Reverse button 983

1504 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 search by name 30 Automatically Find and Relink 493
Selection Reference selector 978 automating
Target button 981 plug-ins 1211, 1212, 1213
Use in Playlist button 979 sends 1210
using 984 switched controls 1210
Whole File button 983 VCA Masters 1250
AudioSuite window 977 automation 1195
Audition Paths selector 64 and multichannel pan 1308
auditioning and multiple output assignments 1286
clips in the Clips List 64, 335 breakpoints 1224
fades 711 capturing and applying elsewhere 1244, 1247
in browsers 380 clips 627
MIDI notes 793 coalescing clip gain to volume automation 996
pre/post-roll 520 coalescing Trim automation 1233
programs 815 coalescing VCA automation 1251
selection start and end points 520 coalescing volume automation to clip gain 996
takes 572 converting clip gain to volume automation 996
Auto Accept Adjust Bounds option 126 converting volume automation to clip gain 996
Auto Backup option 120 copying 1227
Auto button (plug-ins) 1164 creating 1212
Auto Edit 1399, 1405 cutting 1227
Auto Input Monitoring mode 553, 554 deleting 1219
Auto Insert Default Plug-Ins preference 128 delta values 1201
Auto Match Pull Factors 1363 display of fade boundaries and shapes 729
Auto Rename Clips List command 338 drawing with Pencil 1221
auto-created clips 622 editing 662, 1222
hiding 339 enabling 1217
renaming 336 grouped tracks 1226
AutoFades 720 hidden tracks 269
AutoGlide mode 1304 modes 1198
AutoGlide Time preference 131, 1304 Object/Bus Toggle 1330
Auto-Height Overrides Height Automation option on multichannel tracks 1226
1331 pass-through point 1199
AutoJoin pasting 1227
command 1199 playlists 731, 1196, 1205
indicator 1200 relative and absolute 1201
AutoMatch Safe button 1164
all controls 1214 safing 1204
button 1214 smoothing 1203
indicators 1207 snapshot 1243
individual automation types 1214 Special Paste mode 1230
individual controls 1214 stepped 1224
AutoMatch Time preference 131, 1204 suspending 1217, 1218
Automatic Ownership 423 thinning 1204, 1220
Automatically Copy Files on Import option 137, 442, Track View 634
453 trimming 1232
Automatically Create Click Track in New Sessions writing 1208
option 141 writing on stop 1236
Automatically Download New Shared Tracks option writing to next breakpoint 1236
143 writing to selection, selection start or end 1234

Index 1505
 Automation Enable window 1208 creating 3
Automation Follows Edit option 1204 Avid Artist Series video peripherals 1464
Automation lanes 1205 Avid Audio Engine (AAE) 7
in MIDI Editor windows 845 Avid Audio Server (Mac only) 1378
in the Edit window 1205 Avid Link 5, 399
Automation Mode selector 1198 Profile 399
automation modes Avid Link menu 228
Latch 1199 Avid Master Account 3, 170
Latch Trim 1202 signing in 170
Off 1198 signing out 170
Read 1198 Avid Profile 399
Read Trim 1202 Avid Video Engine (AVE) 8, 101, 1437
Touch 1199
Touch Trim 1202 B
Touch/Latch 1201 Back and Play command 516
Touch/Latch Trim 1202 Back command 516
Trim Off 1201 Back/Forward Amount 120, 516
Write 1198 Back/Forward commands 516
Write Trim 1202 backing up sessions automatically 120, 176
Automation preferences Backup to Cloud 177, 200
AutoMatch Time preference 1204 bank select 811
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option 1221 Bar|Beat Markers
Automation Preview mode 1245 and tempo events 907
Punch Preview button 1247 audio with varying tempos 908
suspending 1247 editing 907
Write Automation To commands 1247 from Identify Beat command 906
Auto-Name Memory Locations While Playing option generated with Beat Detective 770
126, 925
moving 907
Auto-Name Separated Clips option 125, 695 bars
auto-naming renumbering 916
and Strip Silence 956 Bars|Beats Time Scale 879
audio files and clips 546 Basic Folder tracks 234, 289
playlists 731 channel strips 238
QuickPunch clips 603 track controls 241
separated clips 695 Batch Clip Renaming dialog 341
takes 546 Batch Rename
Auto-Spot 1388, 1395 clips 338
Auto-Spot Clips 1397 Right-click track command 270
Auto-Spot Clips command 1374 tracks 256
Aux I/O 92 Tracks List command 340
Auxiliary Input track Batch Rename Clips 338
convert to Routing Folder track 297 Batch Rename Tracks 256
Auxiliary Inputs 14, 233 batch renaming 341
channel strips 235 Batch Track Renaming dialog 341
monitoring and mixing 1134 Beat Detective 759, 760, 761
signal flow 1103 beat triggers
track controls 239 deleting 768
AVB 37 generating 764
AVE 8 inserting 768
Avid Account 3 moving 768
1506 Pro Tools Reference Guide
 promoting 769 recording a submix 1268
Collection Mode 779 sample rate conversion options 1265
conforming clips 774 source path 1263
defining a selection 762 time stamps 1258
detecting transients 764 Bounce settings files 1259
DigiGroove templates 771 Bounce settings files (.ptpreset) 1260
edit smoothing 777 Bounce Settings menu 1260
extrapolation 772 Bounce settings presets 1259
generating Bar|Beat Markers 770 Bounce to MOV 1468
groove templates 771 audio settings 1469
Scroll Next 769 Include Timecode Overlay 1470
separating clips 773 video settings 1469
system requirements 760 Bounce to QuickTime Movie command 1465
templates 771 Bounced Files folder 175
Trigger Pad 773 breakpoints 1224
window 761 Avid keyframes 1223
with multiple tracks 774 clip gain 992
Bed Audio (or Bed Material) 1309 Bring to Front command 892
Bed/Object Assignment and Toggle Setting 1335 browsers 350
Bed/Object Fold Down Path 1323 display options 358
Bed/Object Fold Down Path selector 64 opening 351
B-format 1343 sorting 360
Big Counter window 513 Buffer Size (Hardware) 556
Bi-Phase/Tach bus interrogation 1129
pulses-per-frame setting 151 bussing
Wiring setting 151 multichannel sends 1287
bit depth 173, 483, 1354 sends 1119
Blocks View signal paths 55
audio track 261 submixing and effects processing 1134
video track 1441 surround examples 1291
Bounce 1259 BW64 433
Right-click track command 270 BW64 audio file format 495
track 1059 BWF (.WAV) file format 1261
Bounce Mix 1259 Bypass button (plug-ins) 1164
Add MP3 1264 Bypass Clip Effects command 999
bounce multiple stems to separate files 1264 Bypass Clip Effects settings 999
bounce multiple stems to single file 1264 Bypass Clip Gain setting 996
Delivery Format 1264
Dolby Atmos ADM BWF 1337 C
Location 1266 cables
presets 1259 included cables 1381
to MXF (OP-Atom) 1262 wiring diagrams 1412, 1413
Bounce Mix command 1255, 1258, 1259, 1268 Cache Size 103
bit depth options 1265 Calculator Entry mode (for numeric entry) 678
channel format options 1264 Calibration Mode command 537
dither 1255 canceling record takes 561, 588
File Type 1261 Capture Clip command 693
Format 1264 capturing automation values 1247
Offline option 1267 capturing timecode 1373
Output Path selector, from the 1259 Carbon 37, 43
Index 1507
 Carbon Expanded Systems 44 Clear
Catalogs (Workspace) 353 Tracks List command 340
Celemony 1045 Clear All Clip Indicators command 246, 1126
Center % (Percentage) 1305 Clear Clip Gain command 994
Center % in Output window 1306 Clear command (Clips List) 340
Center Playhead Scrolling option 519 Clear command (Edit menu) 637
centered crossfade 709 Clear Special commands (automation) 1230
Change Duration command 1061, 1079 Clear Trim Automation
Change Edit to Match Timeline command 684 Right-click track command 270
Change Meter command 865, 908, 909, 910, 911 Clear Trim Automation Track command 1220
Change Tempo command 887 click 538, 539, 540
Change Timeline to Match Edit command 684 Click II plug-in 538
Change Track Channel Width 258 click track 538
Change Track Width command 258, 270 clicks and pops, avoiding 626
Change Velocity command 1061, 1077 Clip Auto Fade In/Out Length preference 721
channel mapping clip boundaries
default path order 67 extending selections to 676
editing 80 moving edit cursor to 680
re-mapping 81 moving Playhead to 522
Channel selector 1165 clip definitions 446
for multi-mono plug-ins 1288 clip effects 997
Channel Show/Hide dialog 1285 applying 999
channel strips 13 bypassing 999
audio tracks 235 rendering 1000
Auxiliary Inputs 235 Clip Effects display 998
Basic Folder tracks 238 Clip Effects Status 632
Instrument tracks 237 Clip Effects tab 217
Master Fader tracks 236 clip gain 989
MIDI tracks 237 adjusting with the Clip Gain Fader 991
Routing Folder tracks 238 breakpoint editing 992
VCA Master tracks 236 bypassing 996
channel width filtering 1285 clearing 994
channel widths Clip Gain Info view 989
filtering 1285 Clip Gain Line 990
channels 13 clip groups 974
Chase LTC mode 1403 coalescing clip gain to volume automation 996
chasing coalescing volume automation to clip gain 996
MIDI controller events 817 converting clip gain to volume automation 996
MIDI notes 816 converting volume automation to clip gain 996
MIDI program changes 817 copying 995
Chat cutting 994
individual chat 408 Default Handle Length preferences 137
projects 406 dynamic 989
start new 408 editing 991
Chord Change dialog 920 editing with the Grabber tool 992
chord diagrams 920 editing with the Pencil tool 992
chord symbols 866, 920 pasting 995
Chord Symbols ruler 919 rendering 996
chords 919 static 989
Classic Numeric Keypad mode 28, 120 static clip gain value display 989

1508 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Clip Gain Fader 991 clipping 536
Clip Gain Fader icon 989 clips 11, 261, 623
Clip Gain Info view 989 aligning to clip start points 940
Clip Gain Line 990 auto-created 622
Clip Gain Nudge Value setting 125 automation 627
clip group file format (.rgrp) 488, 974 auto-naming options 338
clip groups 623, 967 auto-spotting 1374
changing timebase format 971 bringing to front 892
creating 968 capturing 693
editing 972 clearing 637
exporting to different hard drives 490 clearing Real-Time Properties 825
fades and crossfades 973 clip effects 997
importing 489 Conform to Tempo 892
importing and exporting 488 conforming with Beat Detective 774
mixed 969 consolidating 705
multitrack 969 copying 635
regrouping 969 creating 693
separated 970 crossfading between 719
tick-based 971 cutting 635
timebase format 968 default names 546
trimming 973 displaying names 631
ungrouping 969 displaying times 631
video 1459 dragging from Clips List 937
Clip Groups folder 176 dragging to multichannel tracks 705
Clip Hold options 136, 246 duplicating 960
Clip Info dialog 1494 Edit-locking 954
Clip information 337 exporting as audio files 445
Clip Matching Options setting 125 extending selections to include 676
Clip menu 228 finding 332
Bring to Front command 892 fitting to an Edit selection 707
Capture command 693 gain 989
Identify Sync Point command 1376 healing separations 696
Lock command 954 hiding auto-created 339
Mute/Unmute command 956 inserting silence into 959
Quantize to Grid command 703 locking 954
Remove Sync Point command 952 looping 963
Send to Back command 892 managing 336
Ungroup All Clips command 969 MIDI 587
Ungroup Clips command 969 moving clips with fades 725
Unlock command 954 moving in Grid mode 949
Unloop Clips command 965 multichannel 623
Clip Name muting 956
Right-click menu 229, 340 nudging 700
View option 631 nudging clips with fades 725
Clip Time View option 631 offline 623
Clip Transparency view 941 Original Time Stamp 947
Clip Views pasting 636
Transparency 941 placing at Edit insertion point 939
clip-based effects 997 placing in tracks 937
clip-based gain 470, 989 quantizing 703, 1074

Index 1509
 removing pitch shift (Elastic Audio) 1041 sorting 331
removing silence from 957 Spot to Edit Insertion command 939
removing unused 340 Clips List Keyboard Focus 334
removing warp (Elastic Audio) 1034 Clips List menu 1375
renaming in the Clips List 337 Auto Rename command 338
renaming on a track 630 Clear command 340
repeating 961 Compact command 705
replacing 949 Export Clip Definitions command 446
search by name 30 Export Selected As Files command 480
Select options 334 Find command 332
selecting 659, 672 Rename command 337
selecting all in a track 672 Select options 334
sending to back 892 Selected Unused command 340
separating 694 Show Auto-Created option 339
separating with Beat Detective 773 Sort By options 331
separating with Separation Grabber 695 Time Stamp Selected command 947
shifting 953 Timeline Drop Order option 938
shuffling 944, 945 Clips List Selection Follows Edit Selection option
slipping 945 125, 330, 672
snapping to 943 Clips View 260, 262, 627
snapping to next 943 Clock Master 106, 1354
sorting 331 Clock Reference setting 1490
spotting 946, 1374 Clock Reference Source setting 1357
stripping silence from 956 Clock Source 1183
sync points 951, 1376 Close Session command 197
time stamping 1375 closing plug-in windows 1165
Time-locking 955 Cloud Storage Usage Meter 418
trimming by Nudge value 699, 796, 797 Coalesce Clip Gain to Volume Automation
trimming start/end points 653 command 996
trimming to Edit insertion point 697 Coalesce Pan Guide Automation command 1332
trimming unwanted data from 697 Coalesce Trim Automation
unlocking 954 Right-click track command 270
User Time Stamp 947 Coalesce Trim Automation options 131
user-defined 336, 339, 622 Coalesce VCA Master Automation
video 1455 Right-click track command 270
warped (Elastic Audio) 623, 1033 Coalesce Volume to Clip Gain command 996
whole-file 622 Coalesce when Removing Members from VCA
Clips List 329 Group option 130
and MIDI clips 329 coalescing
auditioning clips 335 Trim automation 1233
displaying file info for audio clips 330 VCA automation 1251
dragging from 937 Collaboration
Export Clips as Files command 445 undownloaded shared tracks 426
Find History 333 collaboration
finding clips 332 inviting contacts to collaborate 403
Keyboard Focus 27 responding to an invitation 404
menu 329 Collaboration Preferences 142
previewing clips 335 collaboration transaction logs 405
repeating a previous search 332 Collection Mode (Beat Detective) 779
selecting clips 333 Color Coding

1510 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Apply to Channel Strip 287 Consolidate From Source Media 483
options 284 Consolidate Handle Length 467, 483
Color Palette window 286 Consolidate Handle Size 483
Color setting (for window dub) 151 Consolidate Source Audio Media 467
Color Space 1449 consolidating media 393
Color Adapters 1450 Constant command (Tempo Operations) 900
Column 218 Contacts
Command|8 1151 invite to collaborate 403
Commands Keyboard Focus 26 inviting 401
Commands Search 30 respond to invitation 401
Comments View 257, 1113 Continuous Scroll with Playhead option 519
Commit Continuous Scrolling During Playback option 519
Right-click track command 270 continuous zoom 644
Commit Track 1051 control surfaces
Commit Tracks dialog 1052 C|24 1150
Commit Up To This Insert 1054 Command|8 1151
Committing Elastic Audio 1019 D-Command 1150
Compact command 705 D-Control 1150
Compact Selected control track 1400
Tracks List command 341 controller events 803
compacting audio files 706 and MIDI clips 628
Compare button (plug-ins) 1163 editing 804
compatibility 3, 1492 editing with Smart Tool 662
Compensate Side Chains option 132 inserting 804
compensating Controller lanes 803, 1205
for monitor delay 1486, 1495 in MIDI Editor windows 845
for video satellite offsets 1486 in the Edit window 1205
compensating for signal delays in side-chain Controllers folder (controller personalities) 1151
processing 1145 Conversion Quality option 433, 1455
Compensation for Input Delays After Record Pass convert audio to MIDI 1047
option 63 Convert Aux To Routing Folder
Compensation for Output Delays After Record Pass Right-click track command 270
option 63 Convert Aux to Routing Folder command 297
compositing 734 Convert Clip Gain to Volume Automation command
Conductor button 215 996
Conductor Ruler Ownership control 428 Convert Plug-In selector 1164
Conductor Ruler Ownership control right-click Convert Volume to Clip Gain command 996
menu 428 Convert WAV files to AES31/BroadcastWave
Conductor rulers 881 option 137, 442, 494
including in selections 678 converting sessions 184
configuring Copy Audio as MIDI
MMC 1369, 1370 Tracks List command 341
Timecode 1360 Copy Audio as MIDI command 1049
configuring a paddle device 1407 Copy Clip Gain command 995
Conform to Tempo command 892 Copy command 635
connecting Copy From Source Media 483
external audio devices 1182 Copy from Source Media (Video) 455, 468
Consolidate command Copy Settings command 1169
audio 705 Copy Source Audio Media 467
MIDI notes 798 Copy Special commands 1230

Index 1511
 Copy to Send command 1211 Follow Grid 786
Copy/Move Indicators 632 custom session templates 194
copying Custom Shuttle Lock Speed preference 120, 665
MIDI notes with the Split command 1082 Cut Clip Gain command 994
plug-in settings 1170 Cut command 635
selections and clips 635 Cut Special commands 1229
track automation to sends 1211 All Automation 1229
track control settings to sends 1128 Pan Automation 1229
Core Audio 8 Plug-In Automation 1229
count off 539 Cut Time command 910, 914
Countoff button 215 cutting
CPU peak indicator 111 automation 1227
CPU Total meter 111 MIDI notes with the Split command 1082
Create Catalog from Selection 357 selections and clips 635
Create Click Track command 538
Create Fades command 719, 720 D
Create Machine Track Arming Profile 1398 Dark UI Theme option 117
Create tab 171 Dashboard
creating Accept or Reject collaboration invitations 200
clip groups 968 Backup to Cloud 200
clips 693 Open Revision History 199
crossfades 719 Show on startup option 173
fade-ins/outs 717 Dashboard window 170, 171
Markers and Memory Locations 923 DAT recorder, recording from 576
settings subfolders 1170 D-Command 1150
Crossfade Preference for Pre/Post-Roll option 126, D-Control 1150
716
Deck Emulation settings 153
crossfades default
creating with Smart Tool 661 audition path 64
DestructivePunch 604 meter 540
equal gain 715 output path 65
equal power 715 path order 67
Fades dialog 711 paths 77
in batches 721 program change 812
linear 715 start time for Media Composer sequences
overlap 715 1495
Overlapping Waveforms view 710 tempo 541
pre/post 720 Default (Paths) 77
removing 719 Default Automatic Naming to English option 117
TrackPunch 604 Default Clip Color Coding options 117
trimming 720 Default Dynamics preference 128, 1161
cueing Default EQ preference 128, 1161
hi-speed mode 1397 Default Fade Settings 126
search mode 1396 Default Format
Current Feet+Frames command 1361 channel width filtering 1285
Current Meter indicator 215, 908 Default Format selector 67
current tempo 215, 887 Default Handle Length options 137
Current Timecode Position command 1361 Default Input Gain preference 139
Custom FF/REW Speed preference 120 Default Note Duration 786
Custom Note Duration Default Note On Velocity setting 786
1512 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Default Plug-In preference 139 deleting
Default Settings, for TC/E plug-in 139 automation 1219, 1227
Default Thru Instrument 581 groups 323
Default Thru Instrument preference 141 Memory Locations 930
Default Track Color Coding options 117 MIDI Event List items 875
Degree of Thinning preference 130 MIDI notes 801
delay 1486, 1495 paths in I/O Setup 79
MIDI Track Offsets 818 playlists 733
Delay (dly) indicator 1144 program changes 815
Delay After Play Command option 1405 sysex events 816
Delay After Play Command preference 145 tracks 259
Delay Before Locking to LTC option 145, 1392 unused clips 340
Delay Before Locking to Timecode option 145, 1392 Delivery Format selector
Delay Compensation 1142 Bounce Mix 1264
applying to automatically bypassed tracks 603, Destination Audio Sample Rate 469, 482
1146 destination folder for plug-in settings 1170
bypassing 1144 destructive editing 706
changing track delay 1144 Destructive Record mode 544, 569
Compensate Side-Chains 132 destructive recording 569
Delay (dly) indicator 1144 DestructivePunch 610
enabling 1142 crossfades 604
exceeding compensation limit 1145 Prepare DPE Tracks command 612
H/W Insert 61 preparing for 612
hardware insert delays 61, 1148 DestructivePunch File Length preference 123, 612
meters follow delay compensation values 1143 diagnostics 124
MIDI Beat Clock 142 DigiGroove templates 771
MIDI Timecode 142 Digital Cut Tool (Media Composer) 1500
mode 1143 DigiTest 95
side-chains 1145 Disable “Input” When Disarming Track (In “Stop”)
Time Mode option 132 option 122
User Offset (+/–) field 1144 Disable DSP Mode when Disabling Record/Input
viewing 251, 1115 option 122
Delay Compensation Status indicator 208 discrete signal control 1284
Delay Compensation Time Mode option 132, 1143 Disk Allocation 551
Delay Compensation View 251, 1115, 1143 and cross-platform sessions 552
Delay Compensation View option 1143 and system volume 553
Delay for External Devices options 142 Disk Cache meter 112
Delay plug-ins 1153 Disk meter 111
Delay setting (Real-Time Properties) 823 Disk Space window 550
Delete Active Groups (Groups List) command 320, Display (Groups List) command 320
324 Display Events as Modified by Real-Time
Delete Current Settings File command 1169 Properties option 141, 826
Delete Current Settings File command (fades) 717 Display Preferences 115
Delete Fades command 719 Clip Hold options 136
Delete Group command 320, 323 Draw Grids in Edit Window option 640
Delete Index for All Offline Volumes 356 Language options 116
Delete Track command 259, 270 Peak Hold options 135
delete version displaying
Revision History all rulers 881
Delete version 192 clip names 631

Index 1513
 clip times 631 Download All Shared Tracks button 418
file info for audio clips 330 Download command 422
Meter Ruler 908 Download Ruler Changes control 428
Original Time Stamps 1375 Download Ruler Changes Right-click menu 428
Tempo ruler 887 Download Track Changes control 421
User Time Stamps 1376 Download Track Changes Right-click menu 422
dither drag and drop
and Bounce Mix 1255 from the Clips List to tracks 938, 939
on Master Faders 1256 importing audio files 434
resolution and Bounce to Disk 1265 importing MIDI files 448
divergence Drag and Drop From Desktop Conforms to Session
drawing 1306 Tempo options 138, 443
using 1305 Draw Grids in Edit Window option 640
Documentation and Settings setting 121 Dropped Frames indicator 1442
Dolby Atmos 1309 DSP
ADM import 1335 active and inactive items 17
Bed Audio (or Bed Material) 1309 and inactive inputs and outputs 275
Bed/Object Fold Down Path 64 and inactive outputs 1118
Bus/Object toggle 1325 and inactive sends 1127
defining Object outputs 1317 and no output 1119
Dolby Atmos Metadata 1309 and overall resources 17
Enable 1311 and Send meters 1126
mapping busses to renderer inputs 1317 DSP Mode 1185
mixing bed material 1320 enabling 1186
Network configuration 1311 tips 1194
Object Audio (or Objects) 1309 ultra-low latency monitoring 1185
Object Control Mode 1325 workflow example 1190
Object controls 1324 DSP Mode auto-enabled 1185
object output path 1322 DSP Mode Safe 1187
Object Path selector 1324 DSP usage meters 113
PEC/DIR Recorder Workflow example 1333 dubber emulation 122, 605
Renderer Connection Status indicator 1325 Duplicate
Renderer Input Configuration 1316 Right-click track command 270
re-renders 1340 Duplicate and Extend command 960
restrictions 1310 Duplicate and Extend Edit selections 960
Theater mode 1327 Duplicate and Extend Selection command 677
Dolby Atmos ADM BWF files 1337 Duplicate command 959
Dolby Atmos Binaural Settings plug-in 1316 Duplicate Dolby Atmos Plug-in automation to track
Dolby Atmos Metadata 1309 pan automation 1332
Dolby Atmos Production Suite 1313 Duplicate Group command 320
configuring with Core Audio 1313 Duplicate Track command 259, 1198
Dolby Atmos Renderer default busses 1315 Duplicate track pan automation to Dolby Atmos
Don’t Limit Search Results 356 Plug-in automation 1332
Double Selection command 676 duplicating
Double-Click Selects Automation Breakpoints inserts 1162
option 125 MIDI note selections 960
Double-Clicking a MIDI Clip Opens option 141 playlists 732
Download selections and clips 960
Right-click track command 269 sends 1127
Download All New Changes button 417 Duration

1514 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Real-Time Properties 823 Play Edit Selection command 521
durations, for MIDI notes Play Timeline Selection command 521
editing with Change Duration command 1079 Redo command 633
making more legato 1080 Repeat command 961
making more staccato 1080 Repeat to Fill Selection command 637
randomizing 1080 Select All command 672
Dynamic Plug-In Processing option 102 Separate Clip commands 694
Dynamic Transport Shift command 953
Playhead behavior 525 Space Clips 953
Dynamic Transport Follows Timeline Selection Strip Silence command 956, 957
During Playback option 119, 525 TCE Edit to Timeline Selection command 706
Dynamic Transport mode 523 Thin All Automation command 1221
Dynamics plug-ins 1153 Thin Automation command 1221
Trim Automation to All Enabled command
E 1245
Edit commands 634, 635, 636, 637 Trim Automation to Current command 1245
edit cursor 514 Trim Clip End to Fill Selection command 698
and scrubbing 663 Trim Clip End to Insertion command 697
moving to clip boundaries 680 Trim Clip Start to Fill Selection command 698
placing with the Selector tool 659 Trim Clip Start to Insertion command 697
Edit Groups 322 Trim Clip to File commands 699
and selections 671 Trim Clip to Fill Selection command 698
Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option 119, 663 Trim Clip to Selection command 697
Edit insertion point Undo command 633
placing clips at 939 Write Automation commands 1243, 1244
spot clip from Clips List 939 Edit mode buttons 207, 639
trimming clips to 697 Edit modes 639
Edit Markers 670 and placing clips 937
and selection length 675 Grid 640
Edit menu 228 Relative Grid 641
Change Edit to Match Timeline command 684 Shuffle 639
Change Timeline to Match Edit command 684 Shuffle Lock 639
Clear command 637 Slip 640
Clear Special commands 1230 Spot 640, 1372
Consolidate command 705 Edit Play Rate setting 1490, 1491
Copy command 635 edit playlists 731
Copy Special commands (automation) 1230 Edit selection
Copy to Send command 1211 doubling 676
Create Fades command 719, 720 duplicate and extend 677
Cut command 635 extend to track above 679
Cut Special commands 1229 extend to track below 679
Delete Fades command 719 halving 676
Duplicate command 959 move earlier by selection amount 677
Fade To End command 719 move later by selection amount 677
Fade To Start command 719 removing bottom track from multitrack
Fades command 711 selection 679
Heal Separation command 696 removing top track from multitrack selection
679
Identify Sync Point command 952
Insert Silence command 959 Edit Selection Follows Clips List Selection option
Paste command 636 125, 672

Index 1515
 Edit Selection indicators 677 meter events 909
Edit selections MIDI clips 627
auditioning with Playhead enabled 521 MIDI Event List 874
copied from Timeline selection 684 MIDI notes 792
copied to Timeline selection 684 nondestructively 621
making with the Selector tool 659 nondestructively (audio) 626
sliding in the Ruler 681 nondestructively (MIDI) 630
edit smoothing (Beat Detective) 777 note attributes 800
Edit tools 642 note durations 1079
Grabber 642, 673 note velocities 799, 1077
Pencil 642, 666 program changes 814
Scrubber 642, 663 Shuffle Lock mode 639
Selector 514, 642 Shuffle mode 639
Smart Tool 642 Slip mode 640
Trim 642, 652 Spot mode 640
Zoomer 642, 643 tempo events 888
Edit Window Track View 634
EUCON Status Control 209 waveforms 626
Edit window 205, 206 Editing Preferences 125
All View option 1112 Auto-Name Memory Locations While Playing
Clip Effects view 217 option 925
docked Melodyne editor 217 Auto-Name Separated Clips option 695
docked MIDI editor 217 Clips List Selection Follows Edit Selection
half-screen 519 option 330, 672
None Views option 1112 Conversion Quality option 433
quantize controls 1064 Crossfade Preference for Pre/Post-Roll option
scrolling from the Ruler 685 126, 716
Universe view 686 Edit Selection Follows Clips List Selection
View options 206 option 672
Edit Window Default Length preference 116, 211 QuickPunch Crossfade Length preference 604
Edit Window Follows Bank Selection option 129 Separate Clip Operates On All Related Takes
Edit window View options 1112 option 695
Edit Window View selector 1112 editing tags 376
Edit Window Views Edit-locking clips 954
Track Collaboration 418 Effect Bypass button 1164
Edit/Tool Mode Keyboard Lock 667 Elastic Audio 1013
editing Accordion Warp 1031
across multiple tracks 638 adding Event markers 1035
and Edit modes 639 analysis 1021
automation 1222 analysis in Workspace 379, 380
Bar|Beat Markers 907 Analysis view 1020, 1034
breakpoints 1224 AudioSuite processing 1041
controller events 804 batch analysis 379
during playback 622 Clipping indicator 1023
Edit modes 639 committing 1019
Grid mode 640, 641, 642 Conform to Tempo 892
Grid modes 948 creating new tracks 1019
hidden tracks 269 deleting Event markers 1036
Markers 929 disabling 1019
Memory Locations 929 Edit Groups 1034

1516 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 élastique plug-in 1026 Enable DSP Mode when Tracks with Hardware
enabling on tracks 1018 Inputs are Record-Armed/Input-Enabled
event confidence 1021 option 122
Event markers 1028 Enable Dub Window option 151
Individual Range Warp 1032 Enable Elastic Audio on New Tracks preference
Monophonic plug-in 1025 139
moving clips between tracks 1042 Enable GPU option 124
moving Event markers 1035 Enable Session File Auto Backup option 120
out of range processing 1033 Enable Slewing option 124
pitch shift 1039 enabling
Plug-In selector in browsers 382 Auto Backup option 120
plug-ins 1023 automation 1217
Polyphonic plug-in 1024 groups 327
preview at session tempo 384 MIDI input devices 580
processing types 1022 plug-in automation 1167
promoting Event markers 1035 End To Insertion command 697
properties 1036 Enforce Mac/PC Compatibility option 186
quantizing 1074 Enforce Media Composer Compatibility option 480
Range Warp 1031 EQ Curve view 1114
removing pitch shift 1041 EQ plug-ins 1153
removing warp 1034 equal gain crossfades 715
Rendered files 1023 equal power crossfades 715
regenerating 387, 493 Ethernet Controllers 155
Rhythmic plug-in 1025 EUCON 155, 1150, 1195
TCE algorithms 1023 EUCON Control
Telescoping Warp 1030 Right-click track command 271
tempo detection 1021 EUCON Status Control 209
Tempo Event–generated Warp markers 1029 Event Edit Area 800
tempo-based warping 891 Event menu 228
track controls 1020 All MIDI Notes Off command 819
track views 1020 Beat Detective command 761
tracks 1018 Change Meter command 908
transpose 1040 Event commands 1061
Varispeed plug-in 1026 Identify Beat command 905
Warp indicator 1033 MIDI commands 1061
Warp markers 1028 MIDI Event List 869
Warp view 1020, 1027 MIDI Track Offsets command 818
warped clips 1033 Remove Duplicate Notes command 819
workflows 1013, 1014 Renumber Bars command 916
X-Form plug-in 1027 Tempo commands 899
Elastic Audio Plug-In Selector 1020 Time commands 910
Elastic Audio preferences 139 Event Operations commands 1061
Elastic Audio-enabled tracks 1018 Change Duration command 1079
Elastic Properties window 1036 Change Velocity command 1077
élastique 1026 Flatten Performance command 1076
Embed Eleven Setting From selector 68 Input Quantize command 1086
embedded media 22 Quantize command 1063
Enable 142 Restore Performance command 1075
Enable “Track Notes” Dialog option 142 Select/Split Notes command 1084
Step Input command 1086

Index 1517
 Transpose command 1081 Extend Edit Down command 679
Event Operations window 1061, 1063 Extend Edit Up command 679
Exit command (Windows) 201 extending selections 676, 896
Expand Channels to New Playlists 749 to adjacent tracks 678, 680
Expand to New Tracks to clip boundaries 676
Right-click track command 271 to include adjacent clips 676
Expanded Transport View 226, 563 to Markers and Memory Locations 676
Export to next tempo event 896
ADM file 1337 external clock source 1183
Audio Media options 482 external MIDI instruments 597
OMF/AAF Options 480 external side-chain processing 1167
Sample Rate Conversion options 482 External Timecode Offsets 1358
Selected Tracks to Sequence in Production Extract Chords from Selection 921
Management 485 Extract MIDI to New Track
export Right-click track command 270
MOV 1468 Extract MIDI to New Track command 1047
Export Clip Definitions extrapolation 772
Tracks List command 341
Export Clip Definitions command 446 F
Export Clip Groups command 490 factory I/O settings 86
Export Clips as Files Fade Files folder 175
Tracks List command 341 Fade settings 716
Export Clips as Files command 445 Fade Settings menu 717
Export MIDI Fade To End command 719
Right-click track command 270 Fade To Start command 719
Export MIDI command 449 fade-in shapes 713
Export MIDI Settings dialog fade-out shapes 712
Apply Real-Time Properties option 449 fades 717
MIDI File Format pop-up menu 449 adjusting with Smart Tool 661
Export Selected As Files command 480 AutoFades 720
Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF command creating 717
474, 477 creating with Smart Tool 661
Export Selected Tracks to Sequence in Production equal gain 714
Management 485 equal power 714
Export Session Info as Text command 486 in batches 721
Export Settings button (I/O Setup) 89 moving 725
exporting 431 nudging 725
AAF files 474, 483 presets 716
audio 444, 445 Slope setting 714
clip definitions 446 Fades command 711
clip groups 490 Fades dialog 711
markers 449 In Shape 713
MIDI tracks 449 Link option 715
OMF files 483 Out Shape 712
OMFI files 474 Fast Forward 515
Score to Sibelius 867 Fast Forward button 212
sessions as text 486 FB360 Audio plug-ins 1347
Sibelius (.sib) files 867 Feet+Frame Rate setting 1356
stereo interleaved files 446 Feet+Frames
Ext. Clock Output 108, 1352 redefining position 1361
1518 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Feet+Frames Time Scale 880 drag and drop 299
field recorder editing 300
expanding alternate channels to new playlists importing 452
749 muting 283
importing monophonic audio files 442 opening and closing 296
importing polyphonic audio files 442 Overview 261, 300
Field Recorder Guide Track removing tracks from 299
Right-click track command 270 Routing 289, 293
file formats channel strip 238
M4A 1261 track controls 242
file formats (audio) save as Track Preset 305
AIFF 1261 soloing 281
BWF (.WAV) 1261 Tracks List 269
MP3 1261 Force Audio Media to Target Session Format 467
file management 491 Force Upload command 421, 422
File menu 228 Forward and Play command 516
Bounce Mix command 1258 Forward command 516
Close Session command 197 frame rate
Exit command (Windows) 201 and refresh rate 1488
Export MIDI command 449 pull up and pull down 1363
Export Selected Tracks as OMF/AAF Frames 1441
command 474 Frames View (video tracks) 1441
Export Session Info as Text command 486 frame-tearing 1488
Import Audio to Track command 438 freewheeling timecode 1359
Import Clip Groups command 489 Freeze
Open Session command 181 Right-click track command 270
Revert to Saved command 183 Freeze Track 1056
Save As command 184 Front Divergence 1305
Save command 183 Front/Rear Divergence 1305
Save Copy In command 184
final mixdown 1268 G
Find All Candidates command 389 Gain Reduction meter 249
Find Clips General Color options 117
By Name 332 generating timecode 1367
Include Subsequently Added Clips 332 Getting Started tab 173
Find Clips List command 332 Glide Automation commands 1231
Find History 333 global (system-wide) preferences 146
Find Matching Tracks option 457 Global Freeze Tracks indicator 208
Find Talent 400 Global MIDI Playback Offset preference 141, 818
finding clips 332 Global Track Collaboration 416
First Invite Shares All Tracks option 142 Go to End button 213
First Selected MIDI Track option 141 Grabber tools 642, 660, 673, 795
Flatten Performance command 1061, 1076 editing breakpoints with 895, 1223
Fold Down coefficients 132 editing clip gain breakpoints with 992
Folder tracks 234, 289 Object Grabber tool 660, 673
add tracks to existing 299 selecting MIDI notes with 792
adding tracks to 298 Separation Grabber tool 660, 695
Basic 234, 289 Time Grabber tool 660
channel strip 238 Grid mode 640, 948
track controls 241 Absolute 641, 948
Index 1519
 Clips/Markers option 642 half-screen 519
configuring 641 half-speed playback 522
Draw Grids in Edit Window option 640 half-speed recording 577
Relative 641, 948 Halve Selection command 676
setting the Grid value 947 hard drives
suspending 948 and Compacting Audio 705
with Slip, Shuffle, or Spot enabled 641 recording to system volume 553
Grid value 787, 947 Round Robin Allocation 552
setting for MIDI editing 787 Hardware Buffer Size 96, 101
Grid Value selector 641 hardware I/O inserts 1154
Groove Quantize 1069 delays 61
groove templates 771, 1069 hardware I/O sends 1124
applying 1071 Hardware Insert Delay Compensation 61, 1148
mapping 1072 Hardware Settings
Group Assignment selector 1107 Launch Control Panel 104
group chat Hardware Setup
renaming 411 Buffer Size 556
group chats 409 Ext. Clock Output 108
Chat HD I/O 110
group chats 409 HD MADI 110
Group ID indicator 320 HD OMNI 109
Group Name 320 Launch Setup App 105
Group Track command 322 MTRX 111
groups HD audio interfaces 47
attributes 324 HD I/O 51
automation editing 1226 configuration 110
control offsets 328 HD MADI 52
creating 322 configuration 110
deleting 323 VSO limits 1358
duplicating 324 HD Native systems 46
Edit Groups 322 HD OMNI 50
enabling 327 configuration 109
hidden tracks 269 HDX
keyboard selection 327 capabilities 45
Mix Groups 322 DSP usage meters 113
modifying 323 number of voices 46
renaming 323 HDX Classic 97
Groups dialog 321 HDX Hybrid Engine 100
Groups List 319 DSP Mode 1185
Keyboard Focus 27 voices 46
menu 320 HDX systems 45
guitar tablature 920 Heal Separation command 696
HEAT 1091
H import Master Settings 461
H.264 Help 229
exporting 1470 Tool Tips 116, 230
H.265 Help menu 25, 229
exporting 1470 HFS+ drives
H/W Buffer Size 556 and Windows systems 495
H/W Insert Delay 61 hidden tracks

1520 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 and selections 671 illegal characters 182, 493
group edits 269 immersive surround formats 1273
groups 269 Import
Hide All Floating Windows command 224 ADM file 1335
Hide and Make Inactive Audio Media options 466
Right-click track command 269 MXF files 476
Hide/Show Right-click track command 269
Right-click track command 269 Sample Rate Conversion options 469
hiding Sequence from Production Management 472
auto-created clips 339 Timecode Mapping options 468
High Contrast UI option 231 Import as Offline Satellite Media 455, 468
hi-speed mode 1397 Import Audio dialog 438
Horizontal Position setting 151 Import Audio to Track command 438
Horizontal Zoom In button 643 Import Clip Groups command 489
Horizontal Zoom Out button 643 Import HEAT Master Settings 461
Hybrid I/O Channels (HDX Hybrid Engine) 100 Import Key Signature Map option 461
Import Markers 461
I Import Memory Locations 461
I/O Settings 86 Import MIDI 447
I/O Setup 55 Import project version data 192
Bus page 60 Import Rendered Audio Effects 470
controls 62 Import REX Files as Clip Groups option 138, 443
customizing 68 Import Sequence from Production Management
472
dialog 56
factory settings files 86 Import Session Data command 451
H/W Insert Delay page 61 Import Settings button (I/O Setup) 88
I/O routing 69 Import Settings command (plug-ins) 1169
importing for surround 1278 Import Settings command fades) 717
Input page 59 Import Video command 1452
Insert page 61 Import Volume Automation 470
last used 89 Import Window Configurations 461
Low Latency Monitoring 66 importing 431
Mic Preamps 61 audio 432
options 63 clip groups 489
Output page 60 copying during 453
paths 73 copying imported files 453
settings files 86 Folder tracks 452
sub-paths 75 HEAT Master Settings 461
surround 1291 key signature map 461
surround formats 1277 Markers 447, 461
surround mix settings file 86 Memory Locations 461
I/O View 243, 1115 MIDI tracks 446
Identify Beat command 905, 906 multichannel audio files from a field recorder
Identify Sync Point command 952, 1376 442
Idle MTC Enabled option 150 multichannel I/O Settings 1278
IDs (machine) 1409 offline items from Catalogs 394
Ignore Changes command 422 plug-in settings 1170
Ignore Errors During Playback/Record option 101 PRE settings 461
Ignore for Future Download 269 referencing imported files 453
Ignore Track Arming option 145, 1404, 1406 session data 454

Index 1521
 tempo and meter map 461 making inactive (and active) 1156
tracks for other sessions 451 mono 1154
using drag and drop 434 mono-to-stereo 1154
Window Configurations 461 moving 1162
importing audio from video clips 1455 plug-ins 1153
importing video 1452 post-fader on Master Faders 1104, 1153
inactive 17 send and return processing 1154
inputs 275 shared within a submix 1138
inserts 1156 single track processing 1154
Master Faders and assignments 1104 stereo 1154
outputs 275 Inserts View 1113
paths 79 Inserts View options 1110
paths, global 79 Instrument plug-ins 596
sends 1127 Instrument tracks 234
track path assignments 275 channel strips 237
tracks 283 Clips View 261
Include All Member Tracks option 305 MIDI Input selector 280
Include Control Changes in Undo Queue option 131 MIDI Output selector 280
Include Instrument/MIDI output option 460 monitoring and mixing 1135
Include Sends in Trim Mode option 130 Notes View 261
Include Timecode Overlay option 1470 recording 584
individual chat 408 signal flow 1106
in-place auditioning 335 surround mixing 1287
input connections 13, 536 track controls 241
Input Devices command 580 Instruments View 1113
Input Filter command 582 Intel Turbo Boost option 103
MIDI Event List View Filter dialog 871 Interchange Workflow
MIDI Input Filter dialog 582 linked media 23
input levels 536 Interchange workflow
Input Only Monitoring mode 553, 554 embedded media 22
Input Path selector 243, 271 interleaved audio file 174
Input Quantize command 1061, 1086 interleaved option (sessions) 175, 1355
Insert mode 1400 Internal mode (Clock Source option) 1355
Insert Position selector 1163 internal side-chain processing 1167
Insert Silence command 959 Inverse linked panning 1132
Insert Time command 910, 912 Invite Contacts to Collaborate 403
inserting Items to Copy 186
controller events 804 Preserve Folder Hierarchy command 188
events in MIDI Event List 872
meter events 908 J
MIDI notes 790 Jam Sync 1359
plug-ins on tracks 1157 Join command 1199
program changes 814 Joining Project Downloads All Shared Tracks
tempo events 887 option 142
Insertion Follows Playback option 526
inserts 1110, 1153
duplicating 1162 K
hardware I/O 1154 Keep Unused Folders on Session Close option 143
hardware insert delays 61 Keep Window on Top 356
labeling 1181 key input 1163, 1167

1522 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Key Input selector 981, 1163 link controls 1496
key signature map 461 displaying 1497
Keyboard Focus 25 link button 1496
Clips List 27, 334 Satellite Link buttons 1496
Commands 26 Link Enable buttons 1165
Groups List 27 in multi-mono plug-ins 1289
keyboard shortcuts 1166 Link Record and Play Faders option 121, 555
global key commands 25 Link Selection button 669, 671
numeric entry 677 Link Timeline and Edit Selection option 669
recording 561 Link to Source Media (Video) 455, 468
Knowledge Base 229 Link Track and Edit Selection option 258, 671
linked media 23
L linking
Language options 116, 507 inverse panning 1132
Last Used 89 multi-mono plug-ins 1288
Latch automation mode 1199 plug-in controls 1180
AutoJoin 1199 stereo panners 1131, 1302
Join 1199 local (current session) preferences 146
Latch option 282 Local Control 581
Latch Trim automation mode 1202 Local Waveform Cache Versions preference 124
Latching Behavior for Switch Controls in “Touch” Local/Remote 1396
option 130 locating
latency 101 the playback cursor 514
Launch Control Panel button 104 with Fast Forward/Rewind 515
Launch Setup App button 105 with Location indicators 684
layback 1401 Location indicators 684
Layered Editing option 702, 942 locations
LCRS path examples 1279 dragging MIDI notes 795
Level meters quantizing MIDI notes 1067
for audio tracks 245 randomizing MIDI notes 1066, 1069
for Aux Input, Master Fader, and Instrument Locators to Import 470
tracks 245 Lock Clip command 954
Levels of Undo preference 127, 634 AudioSuite rendering 984
LFE Lock Settings File command 1169
enable in plug-ins 1308 Locked
faders 1308 Right-click track command 270
routing examples 1294 Loop Playback option 523
Librarian menu 1163 and Touch mode 1209
Light UI Theme option 117 loop points 562
Limit Character Set option 186 Timeline Selection Markers 563
Limit Number of Real-Time Threads option 103 Loop Record mode 544, 571
Linear command (Tempo Operations) 901 loop recording
linear crossfades 715 and pre/post-roll 570
Linear Sample Display 898 audio 570
Linear Tick Display 899 MIDI 591
Linearity Display Mode 898 multiple takes (MIDI) 592
Link controls Loop Trim tool 656
accessing mini-link buttons from a control looped clips 963
surface 1497 copying and pasting automation 967
linking systems to a control surface 1497 creating 964

Index 1523
 editing 965 mapping paths in I/O Setup 80
selecting 965 Marker Colors
trimming with Loop Trim tool 657, 658 options 118
unlooping 965 Marker ruler
looping controls 925
clips 963 Marker Target Follows First Selected Track option
playback 523 126
selections 523 Markers 470, 927
loops creating 923, 925
creating with the Loop Trim tool 656 deleting 930
Loop Trim tool 656 editing 929
recording with reverb or delay 1257 exporting 449
Low Latency Monitoring extending selections to 676
Bounce Mix 557 importing 447, 461
Low Latency Monitoring option 556 moving 930
Low Latency Monitoring path 66 sorting 933
LTC Output Level setting 150 tick-based and sample-based 927
LTC Sample Offset (Sync X) 1359 viewing options 931
Markers ruler 881, 927
M Master Fader
M4A 1261 EUCON Monitor path control 271
M4a file format 1261 Master Faders 1104
machine as a stereo master volume control 1105
pre-roll 1390 as master send level control 1141
profiles 1398, 1409 channel strips 236
Transport Master 1388, 1395 inactive 1104
Machine Chases Memory Location option 144, inserts 1153
1371, 1392
meters pre/post fader 1104
Machine Control (Peripherals dialog) 152 multichannel 1287
Machine Cues Intelligently option 144, 1392 post-fader inserts 1104
Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option 144, signal flow 1104
1371, 1392 track controls 239
machine IDs 1409 trimming the input to a submix 1105
Machine Track Arming window 1372 Master Link button 1165
MachineControl 54, 1381 in multi-mono plug-ins 1288
Deck Control settings 153 Master View for tracks 264, 1228
Deck Emulation 153 mastering 1269
Main Counter Matches 746
display Timecode 1362 Matches (alternate takes) 572, 746
Main Counters 882 Matching Criteria window 573, 745
main paths 56 MBOX Studio 42
Main Time Scale 882, 1362 Media Composer
Main Timebase ruler 882 Edit Play Rate 1490
Make (Track) Inactive linking and unlinking from 1497
Right-click track command 269 linking to Pro Tools 1496
Make (Track) Inactive command 284 Project Type 1490
managing clips 336 Starting TC Timecode setting 1490
Manual Ownership 423 Timecode Format 1490
Manual Tempo mode 215, 542 troubleshooting satellite connections 1489
Manually Find and Relink 493 Video Satellite 156, 1487

1524 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Media Composer Video Satellite 1474, 1487 K options 134
media data 19 Linear (Extended) option 133
MediaCentral | Production Management Linear option 133
export to 485 Meter Type setting 249
import sequence from 472 PPM options 134
Melodyne 217, 1045 Pro Tools Classic option 133
audio file import and export 437 RMS option 133
Melodyne Essentials 1046 Sample Peak option 133
Memory Locations 923, 927 VENUE options 134
creating 923, 925 VU option 134
deleting 930 meters 1143
editing 929 follow delay compensation values 1143
extending selections to 676 for MIDI tracks 245
importing 461 pre/post fader levels 246
Markers 927 Sends View 1126
recalling 929 Meters and Faders View 1115
recalling Edit selections 565 Metronome button 539
renaming 929 Metronome Click button 215
search by name 30 Mic Preamps
Selection Memory Locations 927 configuring 156
storing Edit selections 564 I/O Setup 61
Memory Locations window 926, 929 Mic Preamps View 1113
View Filter 933 MIDI 8
viewing options for Markers 931 assigning channels 279
Memory meter 112 configuring MIDI setup 104
Merge mode (see MIDI Merge mode) consolidating notes 798
Messages list controller events 803
pinning chats 412 Default Thru Instrument 581
unpinning chats 412 editing in a MIDI Editor window 841
metadata 20, 1415 editing with Arrow Keys 809
Metadata Inspector window 196 extract from audio 1047
meter import by drag and drop 448
current 908 importing 447
default 540 loop recording 591
display 215 muting notes 798
Meter button 541 offsets 817
meter events 908 patch name files (.midnam) 812
editing 909 patch names 812
inserting 908 playing back 512
meter map 461 Retrospective Record 597
Meter Ruler select and split notes 1082
displaying 908 separating notes 797
extending an Edit selection to 910 setting the Grid value for editing 787
Meter Type 249 setup (Mac) 161
Metering Preferences 133 setup (Windows) 164
metering, advanced 248 MIDI Beat Clock 528
Advanced Meter Type settings 135 offsets 529
Digital VU option 134 transmitting 528
Fader and Meter scales 248 transmitting over IAC 528
Gain Reduction meter 249 MIDI clips 627

Index 1525
 and Clips List 329 attributes 800
and controller events 628 chasing 816
and punch recording 590 deleting 801
created on barlines 587 duplicating selected 960
guidelines for editing 627 editing 792
MIDI controller devices 579 durations 1079
Local Control 581 pitch 795
MIDI controller events velocities 799, 1077
chasing 817 inserting 790
MIDI Controllers 154 lengths in ticks 883
MIDI Editor mini-keyboard 793
Automation lanes 845 moving 795
Controller lanes 845 quantizing 1069
editing MIDI notes 841 scrolling 629
Notation view 843 selecting 792
Superimposed Notes View 839 splitting 1082
Velocity lane 845 transposing 795, 1081
MIDI Editor view (in the Edit window) 217 trimming start/end points 796
MIDI Editor window MIDI Operations window 1061
Quantize Controls 831 MIDI Output selector 243, 279
MIDI Editor windows 827 Instrument track 280
Quantize controls 831 MIDI Preferences 139
quantize controls 1064 Global MIDI Playback Offset preference 818
MIDI Event List 869 Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing
deleting events 875 Controller Data option 141, 804, 1222
editing events 874 MIDI Preferences page 139
inserting events 872 MIDI program changes
navigating in 871 chasing 817
Options menu 876 MIDI Quantize command 820
selecting events 874 MIDI Real-Time Properties 820
View Filter 870 on tracks and clips 824
MIDI File Format pop-up menu 449 Right-click track command 270
MIDI files 11 settings 822
MIDI files (see Standard MIDI Files) MIDI recording 579
MIDI Input Display 832 canceling takes 588
MIDI Input selector 243, 279 enabling input devices 580
Instrument track 280 Input Filter 582
MIDI Keyboard window 594 Merge/Replace mode 583
MIDI Machine Control 1369 monitoring with MIDI Thru 581
MIDI Machine Control (MMC) 1368 quantizing on input 582, 1085
configuring in Pro Tools 1369, 1370 System Exclusive data 594
controlling external devices with 1368 undoing a take 588
Master settings 152 Wait for Note 582
Remote settings 153 MIDI Replace mode 215, 545, 583
MIDI Merge mode 215, 545, 583 MIDI Setup commands
MIDI Merge Release mode 141, 583 Input Devices command 580
MIDI meter 245 Input Filter command 582
MIDI Note Color Shows Velocity option 117 MIDI Beat Clock command 528
MIDI Note Display options 142 MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) (Windows) 104, 164, 813
MIDI notes 793 MIDI Thru command 581

1526 Pro Tools Reference Guide

MIDI Timecode (MTC) Modify Group command 320
Idle MTC Output 150 Modify Groups command 320
MIDI Track Offsets command 818 Momentary Solo Latch option 282
MIDI tracks monitoring
and MIDI offsets 817 during punch recording 568
assigning to multiple channels 585 MIDI recording with MIDI Thru 581
channel strips 237 monitoring modes 553
Clips View 260, 262, 627 Auto Input 553
default program change 812 Input Only 553
input 278 MOV
loop recording 591 Bounce to 1468
note chasing 817 bounce with AAC audio 1470
Notes View 261, 262, 629 Move Edit Left command 677
output 279 Move Edit Right command 677
punch recording 589, 590 Move Song Start command 910, 915
recording 579, 584 Move To
selecting a pitch range in 1084 Right-click track command 270
Sysex View 815 Move To New Folder command 298
track controls 240 Move To New Folder dialog 298
Velocity View 799 Move To Top Level command 299
MIDI Volume fader 244 moving
MIDI Zoom In button 644 Bar|Beat Markers 907
MIDI Zoom Out button 644 clips with fades 725
midnight boundary 1400 fades 725
mini-keyboard 629, 793 inserts 1162
Minimize Additional I/O Latency option 102 Markers 930
Minimum Sync Delay option 144, 1371 MIDI notes 795
Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 880 plug-ins to tracks of different channel widths
Mirror MIDI Editing 787 1162
missing files 493 program changes 814
skipping 387 sysex events 816
mix busses 1124 MP3 audio 433
Mix Groups 322 MP3 file format 1261
Mix window 204, 205 MTC (MIDI Timecode) 1359
All View option 204, 1112 MTC Generator Port setting 150
EQ Curve view 1114 MTC Reader Port setting 150
None Views option 1112 MTRX 53
track controls 204 configuration 111
track width 250 MTRX Studio 54
Mix Window Follows Bank Selection option 129 Multi-Cam Resolution files 464
Mix window View options 1112 multichannel clips 623
Mix Window View selector 1112 multichannel plug-ins 1288
Mix Window Views multichannel tracks 559
Track Collaboration 419 and automation 1226
mixed bit depths 186 dragging clips to 705
mixed file types 185 names for 547
mixing down to stereo 1268 replacing clips in 950
Mixing Preferences 127 splitting 704
MMC 1369 multilingual application support 507
MMC (see MIDI Machine Control) multi-mono

Index 1527
 plug-in Channel selector 1288 no scrolling during playback 518
plug-ins 1288 Noise Burst Peak Protection option 140
multi-mono audio files 174 noncontiguous selections 673
multiple tracks nondestructive editing (audio) 626
and Beat Detective 774 nondestructive editing (MIDI) 630
audition takes 573, 747 Nondestructive Record mode 543
editing across 638 nondestructive recording 568
extending selections to 678, 680 recording to a new playlist 569
fitting audio clips to Edit selection 707 with QuickPunch 603
nudging clips in 700 Non-Linear Transport Error Suppression option
pasting to 638 144, 1392
selecting 678 non-real-time plug-ins 977
separating clips on 695 Normal Zoom mode 646, 848
shuffling clips on 945 Notation Display Track Settings
Mute Audio Inputs in Auto Input option 617 Right-click track command 271
Mute automation 1224 Notation Display Track settings 857
Mute button 283 Notation view 843
Mute Overwrite/Extend 1240 Note Chasing option 816
Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped option Note Selector tool 793
122, 617 notes (see MIDI notes)
Mute/Unmute Clip command 956 Notes View 261, 262, 629
muted clips and AudioSuite processing 984 Nudge value 700
muting trimming clips by 699
clips 956 trimming MIDI notes by 796, 797
MIDI notes 798 nudging 699
sends 1122 by next Nudge value 701
tracks 283 clip contents 701
MXF clips with fades 725
importing 476 fades 725
MXF (Material Exchange Format) files 476 multiple clips 700
MXF (OP-Atom) 1262 selection range 675
selection start/end points 675
N selections and clips 700
Narrow Mix View option 250 setting the Nudge value 700
navigating Workspace browsers 351 Number of Voices setting 100
New numeric entry
Right-click track command 270 shortcuts 677
New Group (Groups List) command 320 Numeric Keypad modes 28, 120
New Memory Location dialog 564 Classic 28, 120
New Paths dialog 74 Shuttle 29, 120, 665
New Paths format 1285 Transport 29, 120
New Session command 89 Use Separate Play and Stop Keys 120
New Subpath dialog 75
New Track command 251 O
New Track Default Output selector 65 Object Audio (or Objects) 1309
New Tracks Are Shared option 142 Object controls 1324
New Tracks Default To Tick Timebase option 126, Object Grabber tool 660, 673, 674
444 object output path 1322
Next Setting button (plug-ins) 1163 Object Output paths 1317
No Output option 1119 Object Path selector 1324
1528 Pro Tools Reference Guide
Object Select in Edit Window Clip Auto Fade In/Out Length preference 721
Tracks List command 341 Edit Insertion Follows Scrub/Shuttle option 663
Object selections 673 Link Record and Play Faders option 555
Object View 1115 Machine Chases Memory Location option
Object/Bus Toggle 1330 1371
offline Machine Follows Edit Insertion/Scrub option
clips 623 1371
files, selecting in Workspace 358 Record Online option 1367
Offline (faster-than-real-time) Bounce 1267 Use F11 for Wait for Note 583
offline projects 177 Operation/Destination Track pop-up menus 457
offset Operations menu
setting for video satellite start time 1486 Calibration Mode command 537
OMF 474 Link Timeline and Edit Selection option 669
embedded media 22 Link Track and Edit Selection 258, 671
exporting 480 Low Latency Monitoring option 556
import translation settings 470 Optimizations settings
importing 461 Playback Engine 101
linked media 23 Optimize Performance at Low Buffer Sizes option
media data 19 102
metadata 20, 1415 Options menu 228
opening in Pro Tools 462 Auto-Spot Clips command 1374
publishing options 483 Delay Compensation option 1142
Online (Transport window) 1387 Destructive Record mode 569
Online button 212 Link Track and Edit Selection option 258, 671
online help 1488 Loop Playback option 523
Online options 123, 1392 Loop Record mode 571
online project 177 MIDI Thru command 581
online recording 1367 Mirror MIDI Editing command 787
Only Include Clips on Timeline option 470 Pre/Post Roll option 566
On-Screen Selections 1400 Pre-Fader Metering option 246
on-the-fly punch recording Scrolling options 518
QuickPunch 545, 606 Solo Latch options 282
OP1a MXF files 433, 477 Transport Online command 1366
OP-Atom MXF files 433, 476, 1262 Organize Plug-In Menus By option 116, 1159
Open in MIDI Event List Organize Track I/O Menus By options 116
Right-click track command 270 Original Time Stamp 947, 1375
Open in New MIDI Editor Other Playlists menu 732
Right-click track command 270 Output Meter Path selector 65
Open in New Workspace 357 Output Options
Open in Score Editor Sample Rate 1265
Right-click track command 270 Output Path selector 243, 272
Open Revision History 199 Output Window button 1299
Open Session command 181 Output windows 1117
Open Unresourced DSP Plug-Ins as Native outputs
preference 139 assigning multiple outputs 1117
Opening an AAF sequence in Pro Tools 462 default 5.1 paths and sub-paths 1278
Opening an OMF sequence in Pro Tools 462 format and tracks 1285
opening plug-in windows 1165 to multichannel paths 1287
Operation Preferences 118 overlap crossfades 715
Audio During Fast Forward/Rewind option 515 Overlap Shadows 631

Index 1529
 overlapping paths 81 Patch Select button 812
Overview Path Order selector 67
Folder tracks 261 paths 56
Overview track view 300 active and inactive 79
Overwrite Indicator 632 audition 64
creating 73
P creating multichannel 1279
P (Playback Only volumes) 352 customizing 77
Pad to Frame Boundary 1266 default mono and stereo 77
paddle device 1407 default order 67
configuring ports for 1407 default output 65
connecting to a Pro Tools system 1407 deleting 79
Page Scrolling option 518, 834, 854 editing 77
Pan automation 1224 for surround 1289
Pan Depth 1111, 1355 last used 89
Pan indicator 244 main 56
Pan Odd Tracks Left/Even Tracks Right 470 mapping 80
Pan slider 244 multichannel example 80
panning overlapping 81
3-knob 1303 reordering 79
automation and groups 1226 selecting 78
fine-adjust mode 1303 sub-path surround examples 1292
grids 1298 sub-paths 56
guidelines 1291, 1292 PCM (uncompressed) audio 433
Height 1328 Peak Hold options 135, 246
Height mode 1328 Peak indicator 244
linked stereo 1131, 1302 Peak view 624
multichannel automation playlists 1308 PEC/Direct Style Input Monitoring option 123
Size 1329 Pencil tool 642, 666, 788
Speaker Snap 1329 as Eraser 801
take over in grid 1303 drawing automation 1221
Theater mode 1327 editing breakpoints 1223
trajectory 1304 editing clip gain 992
Use Absolute Pan Linking option 128 editing Tempo 893
X/Y mode 1303 Free Hand 788
Zones 1328 inserting MIDI notes 790
Parabolic command (Tempo Operations) 902 Line 789, 893
Parallel Task Optimization preference 140 Random 789
Participant menu 411 repairing waveforms with 666
pass-through point 1199 resolution for inserted controller events 804
Paste command 636 selecting the Pencil tool shape 788
Paste Settings command 1169 shapes 788, 1221
Paste Special commands (automation) 1230 Square 789
pasting Triangle 789
automation 1230 Pencil Tool Resolution When Drawing Controller
multiple data types 638 Data option 141, 804, 1222
plug-in settings 1170 pending tasks 397
selections and clips 636 Performance Volume 349
to multiple tracks 638 Peripherals
with Repeat to Fill Selection command 637 Dolby Atmos 158, 1311

1530 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Enable SYNC HD 150 playing
Ethernet controllers 155 and making selections 673
Machine Control 152 at half-speed 522
MIDI Controllers 154 audio 511
PRE 156 Edit selections with Playhead enabled 521
Satellites 156 from a track point 515
SYNC HD settings 150 MIDI 512
Sync X Enabled 150 selections 519
Sync X settings 150 Timeline selections with Playhead enabled 521
Synchronization 149 tracks 511, 560
VENUE 158 Playlist lanes 737
Peripherals dialog 149, 579 Playlist selector 12, 731
Peripherals list 107, 108 playlists 12, 731
personalities 1151 adding 732
PFL (Pre Fader Listen) 281 and groups 733
pitch (MIDI notes) and multichannel tracks 1226
transposing 795 and nondestructive MIDI editing 630
Pitch Memory Enabled option 150 assigning 732
pitch shifting 1039 automation playlists 731, 1196, 1205
pitch, for MIDI notes auto-naming 731
transposing with Transpose command 1081 changing timebase of 885
Play button 213 deleting 733
Play Edit Selection command 520, 521 duplicating 732
Play MIDI Notes When Editing option 785 edit playlists 731
Play Start Follows Timeline Selection option 119 Playlist selector 731
Play Start Latency setting 124 recalling 732
Play Start Marker Follows Timeline Selection option recording to new 570
525 renaming 733
Play Timeline Selection command 520, 521 setting pre/post-roll in 566
playback Target 751
audio 511 Playlists view 737
MIDI 512 plug-in controls
no scrolling 518 adjusting 1166
starting 511 linking 1180
stopping 511 Plug-In Controls Default to Auto-Enabled option 130
playback cursor 513 plug-in inserts 1153
Playback Cursor locator 514 plug-in maps 1174
Playback Engine 96 creating 1175
Cache Size 103 deleting 1177
Hardware Buffer Size 101 importing and exporting 1178
HDX Classic 97 Learn mode 1174
HDX Hybrid 100 managing 1176
Number of Voices 100 setting default 1177
Optimizations 101 Plug-In selector
Sample Rate 101 for AudioSuite plug-ins 978
Playback Engine setting 96 for real-time plug-ins 1163
Playhead 519, 834 plug-in settings 1170
and Edit selections 521 Plug-In Settings menu 1163, 1169
and Timeline selections 521 Plug-In Settings Select button 1163
moving to clip boundaries 522 plug-in windows

Index 1531
 opening and closing 1165 Pre-Fader Metering option 246
Plug-ins preferences
searching for 1160 Automatically Copy Files on Import option 453
plug-ins changing 115
and pull rates 1366 DestructivePunch 605
and surround mixing 1288 DestructivePunch File Length 612
automating 1211 global 146
bypassing from window 1179 local 146
Category 1159 Mute Audio Inputs in Auto Input 617
Category and Manufacturer 1160 Mute Record-Armed Tracks While Stopped
Channel selector for multi-mono 1288 617
creating a default setting 1171 Pause during Playback 398
enabling for automation 1167, 1212, 1213 Project Media Cache setting 121
favorites 1161 Remote mode 1404
Flat List 1159 Tool Tips Display 230
for surround 1288 TrackInput 555
inserting on tracks 1157 TrackPunch 605
Librarian menu 1163 Zoom Toggle 127
linking and unlinking 1180, 1288 Preferences dialog 115
Manufacturer 1159 Prepare DPE Tracks command 612
mono-to-stereo 1154 Pre-Process using Standard Conform 777
moving to a track of a different channel width pre-roll
1162 compensating 1390
multichannel 1154 machine 1390
multi-mono 1154, 1288 setting for machine from Pro Tools 1390
Next Setting button 1163 Pre-Roll button 214
Organize Plug-In Menus By command 1159 Preserve Fades when Editing option 126
Plug-In Settings menu 1163 Preserve Folder Hierarchy command 188
Plug-In Settings Select button 1163 Presets
presets 1168 Bounce Mix 1259
Previous Setting button 1163 presets
removing from tracks 1157 plug-in maps 1174
post crossfades 710, 720 plug-ins 1168
Post-Roll button 214 Prevent Others from Overwriting Open Session File
Power view 624 Extension option 143
PRE 54 Prevent Tearing option 124
configuring 156 preview
I/O Setup 61 AudioSuite processing 982
pre crossfades 710, 720 in context 384
Pre Fader Listen (PFL) mode 281 reserving voices 384
PRE settings 461 voice requirements 384
Pre/Post Fader button 1132 Preview Volume
Pre/Post Roll option 566 AudioSuite 982
pre/post-fader inserts 1153 previewing
pre/post-roll audio in browsers 380
and loop recording 570 clips in the Clips List 335
and punch recording 567 Previous Setting button (plug-ins) 1163
auditioning 520 Prime for Playback mode (Play Pause) 522
setting 565 Prime for Record mode (Record Pause) 562
Pre/Post-Roll Flags 566, 670 Print Score 868

1532 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Pro Tools Pro Tools Studio software 37
Audio Pull Up and Pull Down 1490 Pro Tools systems
Clock Reference setting 1490 QuickPunch 602
configuring for Dolby Atmos Production Suite Pro Tools Ultimate
with Core Audio 1313 capabilities with HD Native hardware 46
Drop Frame setting 1490 capabilities with HDX hardware 45
file management 491 Pro Tools Video Satellite 1473, 1483
Help 229 Process Mode selector 980
Knowledge Base 229 processing
link controls 1496 AudioSuite 983
displaying 1497 multichannel for AudioSuite 983
linking and unlinking systems 1497 processing bandwidth 111
main menus 228 Processing Preferences 137
Non-Drop Frame setting 1490 Profile 399
session file 175 Program Change dialog 812, 813
session file icon 9 program changes 811
Session Start setting 1490 and bank select 811
systems 37 auditioning 815
Timecode Rate setting 1490 default, for MIDI tracks 812
Transport Master 1387, 1395 deleting 815
Video Format setting 1490 editing 814
Video Satellite 1489 inserting 814
Video Satellite settings 1490 moving 814
video track 1441 Program Level Metadata
Web browsers 219 ADM file 1342
Pro Tools | Carbon 37, 43 project
DSP Mode 1185 save as a session 194
Pro Tools | Carbon Expanded system 44 project chat 406
Pro Tools | Carbon Pre 44 Project Media Cache 121
Pro Tools | MachineControl 1381 Project Notes window 197
Pro Tools | MTRX 53 project ownership 415
Pro Tools | MTRX Studio 54 Project Type (Media Composer) 1490
Pro Tools | S6 1150 Projects
Pro Tools Aggregate I/O 98 in the Artist Chat window 402
Pro Tools and Avid terms 21 projects 15, 176
Pro Tools application language 507 deleting 198
Pro Tools Artist invitation to collaborate 404
software capabilities 39 leaving 405
Pro Tools Artist software 37 offline 177
Pro Tools Audio Bridge 163 online 177
Pro Tools HD systems 37 project chat 406
Pro Tools Intro putting online 200
software capabilities 38 removing participants 405
Pro Tools Intro software 37 renaming 197
Pro Tools menu restore from cloud 199
Quit command (Mac) 201 sharing 413
Pro Tools Satellite 1473 sharing offline 495
Pro Tools Search 30 taking offline 200
Pro Tools Studio Projects list
software capabilities 40, 41 pinning projects 412

Index 1533
 unpinning projects 412 R
Projects tab 172 R (Record and Playback volumes) 352
pull up and pull down 1363, 1366 Randomize Marker Color Upon Creation option 118
Pull Up/Down settings 1362 randomizing
pulses-per-frame note durations 1080
Bi-Phase/Tach 151 note locations 1066
Punch Capture button 1248 Read automation mode 1198
Punch In Frame Offset 1404 Read Trim automation mode 1202
Punch In Frame Offset preference 145 real-time plug-ins 1153
Punch In/Out 1400 Real-Time Properties
Punch Out Frame Offset 1404 clearing 825
Punch Out Frame Offset preference 145 clip-based 825
punch points 562 Delay 823
Timeline Selection Markers 563 Display Events as Modified by Real-Time
Punch Preview button 1247 Properties option 141
punch recording Duration 823
and monitoring 568 enabling 821
and pre/post-roll 567 in the Edit window 826
audio 567 in the MIDI Event List 826
MIDI 589 on tracks and clips 824
MIDI tracks 590 Quantize 822
settings 822
Q track-based 825
Quantize Transpose 824
audio clips 1065, 1074 Velocity 824
Elastic Audio events 1066, 1074 View 820
MIDI Editor windows 831 viewing 820
quantizing clips to grid 703 writing to clips 825
Real-Time Properties 822 writing to tracks 825
Quantize Clips to Grid command 947 Real-Time Properties View 820, 1115
Quantize command 1061, 1063 Real-Time Properties window 821
Quantize Controls 831 Rear Divergence 1305
Quantize controls 1064 Recalculate Waveform Overviews
Quantize Edits to Frame Boundaries option 481 Tracks List command 341
Quantize to Grid command 703 Recall Memory Location Selection at Original Track
Quantize window 1066 option 126
quantizing Recall Track Preset
MIDI notes 1065, 1069 Right-click track command 270
MIDI on input 582, 1085 Recent tab 172
QuickPunch 545, 602, 606 Record button (Transport) 213
clip/take numbering 603 Record Enable button 548, 608
crossfades 604 Record Enable Buttons
Pro Tools HD systems 602 Cancel Previous on All Tracks preference 121
QuickPunch Crossfade Length preference 126, 604 Cancel Previous on Audio Tracks preference
QuickTime movies 121
optimizing for playback 1463 Latch Audio Tracks preference 121
sync 1464 record modes 543, 1400
Quit command (Mac) 201 and MIDI 545
Destructive Record mode 544
Loop Record mode 544

1534 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Nondestructive Record mode 543 Refer To Source Media 483
QuickPunch 545 refresh rate 1488
Record Online at Insertion/Selection option 123, Regenerate Missing Rendered Files 493
1392 Regroup Clip command 969
Record Online at Timecode (or ADAT) Lock option regular expressions 344
123, 1392 related takes
Record Online option 1367 and Separate Clip command 695
record protocol 1399 Relative Grid mode 641, 948
Auto Edit 1399 relinking
Punch In/Out 1400 Find Links 390
Record Safe mode 550 Linking Options 390
recording 559 Remote 9-Pin Deck Emulation mode 1385, 1402
a mono audio track 559 Chase LTC 1403
a stereo audio track 559 connections 1384
a submix to disk 1257 preferences 1404
additional takes 568 see also Remote mode
at half-speed 577 Remote LTC mode
bouncing to disk 1258 Transport Master 1389, 1403
canceling takes 561 Remote mode
destructively 569 and track arming 1406
from a digital source 575 Auto Edit 1405
from Record Pause mode 562 commands 1406
Instrument tracks 584 playback 1405
keyboard shortcuts 561 recording 1405
Loop Record 571 Transport Master 1389, 1403
MIDI clips 587 Remote Mode options 145
MIDI tracks 584 Remove Duplicate Notes command 819
multichannel tracks 559 Remove Edit From Bottom command 679
multiple audio tracks 561 Remove Edit From Top command 679
nondestructively 568 Remove Local Cache 198
online 1367 Remove Sync Point command 952
QuickPunch mode 606 removing
record enabling tracks 548 crossfades 719
Remote mode 1405 plug-ins from tracks 1157
status LED 608 sends 1120
System Exclusive data 594 Rename
to a new playlist 570 Right-click track command 270
to the system volume 553 Tracks List command 340
undoing a take 560 Rename command (Clips List) 337
with a count off 539 Renamed Audio Files
with Round Robin Allocation 552 save copy in 494
with the click 538 renaming
Rectified view 624 auto-created clips 336
Recycle (Rex 1 and 2) 433 clips in the Clips List 337
Redefine Current Timecode Position 1394 clips on tracks 630
redefining Memory Locations 929
Feet+Frames position 1361 playlists 733
timecode position 1361 renaming project versions 190
Redo command 633 Render Clip Effects command 1000
Refer to Source Audio Media Where Possible 467 Render Clip Effects settings 1000

Index 1535
 Render Clip Gain command 996 Bars|Beats Time Scale 879
Rendered File Bit Depth options 138, 1055 Feet+Frames Time Scale 880
Rendered Files folder 175, 1023 Minutes:Seconds Time Scale 880
Renumber Bars command 916 Samples Time Scale 880
Repeat command 961 Timecode Time Scale 880
Repeat to Fill Selection command 637 Ruler View selector 881
repeating selections and clips 961 rulers
Replace Clip changing display order 881
Tracks List command 340 Conductor rulers 881
Replace Clip command 949 displaying all 881
and multichannel tracks 950 pull up and pull down 1366
Replace Clip dialog 950 scrolling in 684
Replace mode (see MIDI Replace mode) Timebase rulers 879
Reserve Voices For Preview In Context option 119, zooming in 647
384
Reset Bi-Phase button 151 S
Reset Logging 124 S6 1150
Restore Performance command 1061, 1075 safing automation 1204
Restore version 191 Sample Offset (Sync Offset) 1359
rests (Score Editor) 863 Sample Rate Conversion options 456, 469, 482
Retrospective Record 597 Sample Rate Conversion Quality 138, 433, 443,
Return to Zero button 212 469, 482, 1455
Reveal in Explorer (Windows) Sample Rate Convert Audio 469
Tracks List command 341 Sample Rate setting 1265
Reveal in Finder (Mac Hardware Setup dialog 105
Tracks List command) 341 Playback Engine dialog 101
Reveal in Finder/Explorer 357 sample-based timing 883, 927
Reveal in Workspace Samples Time Scale 880
Tracks List command 341 Satellite Administrator 1473
Revert to Saved command 183 Satellite Link 1473
Revision History 189 administrator 1473
Restore 191 option 156
Version List 189 preferences 145
Rewind 515 Satellites 156
Rewind button 212 Save As command 184
REX files Save command 183
importing 440 Save Copy In command 184
RF64 433 Save History 190
RF64 audio file format 495 Save Logs 124
Root Settings folder 717, 1169, 1170 Save Track Preset
Round Robin Allocation 552 Right-click track command 270
Route Tracks to New Folder option 298 Save Track Preset dialog 303
Routing Coefficients saving a copy of a session 184
Current Session settings 132 saving Fades settings
New Session defaults 132 Save Settings As command 717
Routing Coefficients preferences 132 Save Settings command 717
Routing Folder tracks 289, 293 saving plug-in settings 1170
channel strips 238 Save fade settings to command 717
track controls 242 Save Plug-In Settings To command 1169
Ruler View options 881 Save Settings As command 1169
1536 Pro Tools Reference Guide
 Save Settings command 1169 with the Selector 664
saving sessions with a new name 183 S-Curve command (Tempo Operations) 903
Scale command (Tempo Operations) 904 SD II files
scaling note velocities 799, 1077 convert on import 442
Scan Audio File(s) for Irregularities 358 SDDS surround formats 1275
Score Editor Search
chord symbols and diagrams 866 and assign multiple Send paths 1121
editing in 861 AudioSuite plug-ins by name 30
exporting a score 867 clips by name 30
opening 848 commands 30
page controls 856 Memory Locations 30
printing 868 Plug-in Insert menu 1160
rests 863 Send selector 1120
zoom controls 856 tags 374
Score Setup window 859 Track Groups by name 30
Scroll Into View Track Input selector 274
Right-click track command 270 Track Output and assign multiple paths 275
Scroll Into View command 258 Track Output selector 274
Scroll to Track Banks Controllers option 129 tracks by name 30
Scroll To Track dialog 258 search mode 1396
scroll wheel Secondary Timecode Ruler 880
and MIDI track Note display 629, 652 Select All command 672
scrolling a Pro Tools window 685 Select Clips List options 334
zooming in the Edit window 652 Select Parent in Workspace option 333
zooming in the Edit windows 652 Select Tracks in Group command 320
scrolling Select Unused Clips command 340
a track into view 258 Select/Split Notes command 1061, 1082, 1084
in the ruler 684 Split notes action 1083
MIDI Notes View 629 selecting
Mix and Edit windows to tracks 685 a pitch range of notes 1084
Notes View up or down 652 across all tracks 678
Pro Tools window vertically or horizontally 685 across multiple tracks 678
Scrolling options 518 clips 672
After Playback 518 during playback 673
Center Playhead 519 in MIDI Event List 874
Continuous Scrolling During Playback 519 items in browsers 363
No Scrolling 518 MIDI notes 792, 793
Page 518, 834, 854 noncontiguous clips 673
Scrub Trim tool 655 notes in a chord 1085
Scrubber tool 642, 663 track material 671
in Shuttle mode 664 with Edit Selection indicators 677
selecting with 680 with Scrubber 680
scrubbing 663 selecting tracks for AudioSuite processing 985
a single audio track 663 Selection Changes Alternate Playlists option 885
and edit cursor 663 Selection commands
on two audio tracks 664 Play Edit Selection 520
playback speed and direction 663 Play Timeline 520
resolution 664 Selection Memory Location 927
video tracks 1460 moving stored selection 930
with Scrub Trim tool 656 selections

Index 1537
 across multiple tracks 672, 678 Pre/Post-fader indicators 1128
and Bounce Mix 1258 searching paths 1120
and Edit Groups 671 sends 1119
and hidden tracks 671 adding 1119
and Timeline Selection Markers 671 and multichannel mixing 1287
auditioning start and end points 520 Assignments View 1124
changing length 675 automating 1210
clearing 637 changing default setting 1120
consolidating 705 copying track automation to 1211
copying 635 default level 1120
cutting 635 displaying controls for 1126
duplicating 960 for hardware I/O 1124
during playback 673 for mix busses 1124
extending 676, 896 labeling 1181
extending to the Meter Ruler 910 mono or stereo 1123
extending to the Tempo ruler 888, 931 multichannel 1287
including Conductor rulers 678 removing 1120
looping 523 view options 1124
moving to adjacent tracks 679 Sends Default to -INF option 128
moving to the next/previous clip 680 Sends View 1114
non-contiguous 673 Separate Clip commands 694
nudging 675, 700 and multiple tracks 695
nudging start/end points 675 and related takes 695
Object 673 At Selection 694
pasting 636 At Transients 694
playing 519 On Grid 694
repeating 961 Separate Clip Operates On All Related Takes
shifting 953 option 125, 695
storing with Memory Locations 927 Separate MIDI notes 797
Selector tool 514, 642, 659 Separation Grabber tool 660, 695
making a Timeline selection 660 Serial Deck Control mode 1385, 1389
making an Edit selection 659 serial timecode 1391
placing the edit cursor 659 servo lock 1390
scrubbing with 664 session
selecting an entire clip 659 save as a project 193
selecting an entire track 659 session data
selecting MIDI notes with 792 importing 451
Send Anonymous Pro Tools Usage Data to Avid Session Data Online Status indicator 208
option 124 Session Data to Import menu 457
Send fully overlapped clips to playlist while editing session file 175
option 125 Session File Backups folder 176
Send fully overlapped clips to playlist while Session Length 1356
recording option 125 session parameters 185
Send level 1119 Session Setup
Send mute 1119 Session Length 1356
Send pan 1119 Session Setup window 1352
Send Pans Default to Follow Main Pan option 128 Audio Format 1355
Send to Back command (Clip menu) 892 Bite Depth 1354
Send To Sibelius command 867 Clock Master 1354
Sends External Timecode Offsets 1358

1538 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Feet+Frames Rate 1356 settings
Format section 1354 choosing a destination for 1170
Freewheel settings 1359 copying 1170
Interleaved 1355 creating 1171
LTC Sample Offset 1359 creating subfolders 1170
Pan Depth 1355 pasting 1170
Pull Up/Down 1362 saving 1170
Sample Offset 1359 Settings Preferences command 1169
Sample Rate 1354 Setup menu 228
Session Start 1355, 1360 Click/Countoff Options dialog 540
SYNC Setup section 1357 Disk Allocation 551
Sync X Setup 1356 I/O Setup 56
System Delay 1355 MIDI Studio 813
Timecode 2 Rate 1356 Preferences command 115
Timecode display 1356 Session Setup 1352
Timecode Rate 1356 Video Sync Offset command 1464
Session Start setting 1360, 1490 Share Track control 420
sessions 9 Shared as Frozen option 421
audio format 1355 Shared track, unowned 423
backups 120, 176 Shared Tracks Conflict 191
bit depth 173, 1354 Shift command 953
closing 197 shortcuts for keyboard input 1166
creating for surround mixing 1276 Show All Tracks Group command 321
files 9 Show Artist Chat button 417
frame rate 1356 Show Auto-Created option 339
interleaved 175, 1355 Show Marker Lane Colors For options 118
interleaved multichannel audio files 174 Show Offline Volumes 356
mixed audio formats 174, 185 Show Only Tracks in Group command 320
mixed bit depths 186 Show/Hide Clips List button 329
multi-mono audio files 174 Show/Hide Tracks in Group command 320
opening 180 Show/Hide Tracks List/Groups List View button
opening from a Transfer volume 181 266, 319
sample rate 173, 1354 Shuffle Lock mode 639
sharing between different versions 498 Shuffle mode 639
sharing between Pro Tools Ultimate, Studio, and locked clips 955
and Artist 498 and moving clips 944
sharing between Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro shuttle
Tools 497 fixed mode option 665
start frame 1355 Shuttle Numeric Keypad mode 29, 120, 665
templates 194 Sibelius (.sib) file 867
Set As User Default command 1169 Side % (Percentage) 1305
Set Plug-In Default To command 1169 side-chain 1167
Set Record Tracks to Auto Input command 555 filters 1167
Set Record Tracks to Auto Input option 554 processing 1163
Set Record Tracks to Input Only command 555 signal flow
Set Record Tracks to Input Only option 554 audio tracks 1102
Set Servo Lock Bit at Play option 145 Auxiliary Inputs 1103
setting Instrument tracks 1106
punch/loop points 562 Master Faders 1104
satellite start time offset 1486 signal paths 56

Index 1539
 signal routing data in browsers 360
and default path order 67 Markers 933
basics for surround 1286 Sound Designer II
example 14 convert on import 442
surround examples 1292 Sound Libraries 347
Single Zoom mode 646, 849 adding 373
SIP (Solo In Place) 281 removing 373
Size setting (for window dub) 151 Sound Resource (AIDL – Mac Only) 433
Skip All 493 Soundbase
slices 760 Assign Tags popover window 377
Slip mode 640 excluding tags from search 375
and moving clips 945 searching tags 374
Smart Tool 642, 660 Sound Libraries 347
adjusting fades with 661 Source Audio Sample Rate 469, 482
creating crossfades with 661 source media 466, 483
creating fades with 661 Source Path 1263
editing automation 662 Space Clips command 953
editing controller events with 662 Spacebar Toggles File Preview 356
Elastic Audio tracks 661 Special Paste 1230
MIDI tracks 662 split (MIDI) 1082
multichannel tracks 663 Split Into Mono
Smart Tool Fade Adjustment 126 Right-click track command 270
Smooth and Thin Data After Pass option 130, 1221 Split Into Mono Track command 704, 1284
smoothing automation 1203 split mono audio files 174
SMPTE ID 466 Split notes action 1083
SMPTE IDs 492 splitting stereo and multichannel tracks 704
Snap Pan to Speaker icons 1302 Spot clip to Edit insertion point from Clips List 939
Snap To Bar option 909 Spot dialog 946, 1373
Snap To commands 943 Use Subframes option 1373
Snap To Grid 641 User Time Stamp button 1375
snapping to the following or preceding clip 943 Spot mode 640, 1372
snapshot automation 1243 and moving clips 945
adding to empty automation playlists 1243 trimming clips in 1375
and trim values 1245 Spot To Edit Insertion 357
writing over existing automation 1244 Spot to Edit Insertion
Solo button 281 Tracks List command 340
Solo in Place (SIP) mode 281 spotting
Solo Latch options 282 auto-spotting 1374
Solo modes 281, 282 clips 946, 1372, 1374
Solo Safe mode 283 SRC (Sample Rate Conversion) options 456
soloing Standard MIDI Files 447
tracks 281 exporting 449
tracks in a submix 1141 importing 446
Song Start Marker 886 Standard VCA Logic for Group Attributes option 130
editing tempo 886 start frame (sessions) 1355
moving 886 start time 1393
Sony Dynamic Digital Sound (SDDS) 1275 start time for Media Composer sequences 1495
Sort By options 331 Start To Insertion command 697
sorting Start, End, and Length display 563
clips 331 Starting TC Timecode setting

1540 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 matching to Session Start setting 1490 enable 150
Steep Breakpoint Smoothing Time preference 131 Peripherals dialog 150
Step Input command 1061, 1086 Positional Reference 1357
stepped control automation 1224 preventing clock disruption on Mac 1378
stereo interleaved files, exporting 446 Pull Up/Down settings 1362
stereo tracks resolving to 1352
dragging clips to 705 Session Setup window 1357
names for 547 Video In Format 1357
replacing clips in 950 Video Ref Format 1357
splitting 704 VSO 1358
Stop at Shuttle Speed Zero option 144, 1392 Sync Offset 1359
Stop button 213 SYNC peripherals
Stretch command (Tempo Operations) 905 generating timecode with 1367
Strip Silence command 956, 957, 958 resolving with 1351, 1352
stuck notes 819 sync options 1351
stutter 1488 Sync Point View option 952
Sub Counter selectors 883 sync points 1376
Sub Time Scale 883, 1362 for clips 951
subfolders, creating for settings 1170 from Beat Detective 778
subframes 1373 identifying 952, 1376
submixes Sync X
applying an insert to 1138 Clock Reference Source 1357
bouncing to disk 1257 enable 150
soloing tracks in 1141 Peripherals dialog 150
sub-paths 56, 75 Positional Reference Format 1357
examples for surround 1290 preventing clock disruption on Mac 1378
supported audio file formats 433 Pull Up/Down settings 1362
Suppress Automation “Write To” Warnings option resolving to 1351
130 Session Setup window 1356
surround Video Format 1357
5.1 format paths 1280 Video Reference Source 1357
and sends 1287 VSO 1358
basic signal routing 1286 synchronization 149
center percentage (%) 1306 black burst 1377
configuring Pro Tools 1276, 1283 MIDI Beat Clock 528
discrete level, solo, mute 1284 MMC 1368
importing I/O Settings 1278 options 1351
pan playlists and automation 1308 resolving 1377
panning grids 1298 troubleshooting 1377, 1488, 1489, 1490
settings files 1277 Synchronization Device settings 150
side center percentage (%) 1307 synchronization peripherals 54
using paths 1289 Synchronization Preferences 144
using sub-paths, examples 1290 Sysex View 815
Suspend All Groups (Groups List) command 320 System Delay 1355
suspending System Exclusive data 815
automation 1217, 1218 deleting 816
writing automation 1217 moving 816
swing 1066, 1068 recording 594
SYNC HD system resources 17
Clock Reference selector 1357 system settings

Index 1541
 Cache Size 103 Task Manager Status indicator 208
Clock Master system setting 106 tasks
Hardware Buffer Size 96, 101 failed 397
Hardware Setup 105 grouped 398
Number of Voices 100 paused 396
Playback Engine 96 pausing during playback 398
Sample Rate 101 pending 397
System Usage window 111, 114 TC/E Plug-In preference 139, 654
systems TCE Edit to Timeline command 706
ASIO 37 TCE Trim tool 654, 655
AVB 37 templates
Core Audio 37 Beat Detective 771
hardware accelerated 37 DigiGroove 771
HD 37 Pro Tools session 194
HD Native 37 tempo
HDX 37 current 887
Pro Tools 37 default 541
Pro Tools | Carbon 37 display 215
Pro Tools Artist 37 effects on Markers and Memory Locations 927
Pro Tools Intro 37 Manual Tempo mode 542
Pro Tools Studio 37 tapping in 542
Pro Tools Ultimate 37 Tempo Edit Density pop-up menu 894
WASAPI 37 Tempo Editor 893
Tempo Event Warp markers 891
T Tempo Event–generated Warp markers 1029
T (Transfer volumes) 352 tempo events 887
Tab to Transients button 517, 681 and Bar|Beat Markers 907
Tags editing 888
adding 376 extending selections to 896
Assign Tags popover window 377 inserting 887
editing 376 tempo map 461
excluding from search 375 from Identify Beat command 905
searching 374 Tempo Operations commands
take over (surround pan) 1303 Constant command 900
takes Linear command 901
auditioning 572 Parabolic command 902
default names 546 Scale command 904
matching alternates 572, 746 S-Curve command 903
MIDI 593 Stretch command 905
multiple tracks 573, 747 Tempo Operations window 899
numbering for QuickPunch 603 Tempo Resolution selector 894
recording additional 568 Tempo ruler
selecting an alternate take 572, 746 displaying 887
Tandem Trimming option 658 extending an Edit selection to 888, 931
tapping in the tempo 542 Tempo Ruler Enable button 215
Target button (plug-ins) 1164 Theater mode 1327
Target playlist 751 Thin All Automation command 1221
Target Project Timecode Format 480 Thin Automation command 1221
Task 208 thinning automation 1204, 1220
Task Manager 395, 440 tick-based timing 883, 927

1542 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Time Compression/Expansion plug-in 706 matching format for 1494
Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool 139, 654 redefine current 1394
trimming MIDI 801 redefining position 1361
Time Grabber tool 660, 674 track 1400
Time Operations commands 910 Timecode 2 Rate setting 1356
Change Meter command 911 Timecode 2 ruler 880
Cut Time command 914 Timecode display 1356, 1362
Insert Time command 912 Timecode Format 1490
Move Song Start command 915 Timecode Mapping options 456
Time Operations window 908, 910 on import 468
Time Scale 882 Timecode Overlay
Bars|Beats 879 configure 1465
Feet+Frames 880 Timecode Overlay button 1441
Main 882, 1362 Timecode Rate setting 1356, 1490
Minutes:Seconds 880 Timecode Time Scale 880
Samples 880 Timeline and Edit selection, unlinked 669
Sub 883, 1362 Timeline Data Online Status indicator 208
Timecode 880 Timeline Drop Order option 938
Time Slots meter 112 Timeline Insertion/Play Start Marker Follows
Time Stamp Playback option 518, 526
Tracks List command 340 Timeline Selection Markers 563, 670
Time Stamp command 573, 747, 1375 and Edit selections 671
Time Stamp Selected command 947 selection length 675
time stamps 484, 1375 Timeline selections 683
Bounce Mix 1258 Timeline selections 682
Timebase rulers 879 auditioning with Playhead enabled 521
and Timeline selections 683 copied from Edit selection 684
Edit Markers 670 copied to Edit selection 684
Pre/Post-Roll Flags 670 in Timebase rulers 683
sliding Edit selections 681 making with the Selector tool 660
sliding Timeline selections 683 sliding in the Ruler 683
Timecode 2 880 start, end, and length fields 214
Timeline Selection Markers 670 Timeline Selection Markers 683
Timecode Time-locking clips 955
configuration 1360 toggling
format 1360 track height 265
preparing 1360 Track View 264
Start Frame 1360 Tool Tips 116, 230
start frame (sessions) 1355 Toolbar focus 28
SYNC HD 1352 Touch automation mode 1199
Sync X 1351 Touch Timeout option 129
timecode 1490 Touch Trim automation mode 1202
and Jam Sync 1359 Touch/Latch automation mode 1201
and Pro Tools Drop Frame limitations 1494 Track and Master Meter Types Linked option 133
capturing 1373 track arming
compensating for start time offsets 1486, 1495 112-track IDs 1410
forcing a match on a satellite system 1494 and Remote mode 1406
freewheeling 1359 create machine profile 1398
generating 1367 IDs 1409
matching between Pro Tools/satellite 1495 ignore 1406

Index 1543
 remapping tracks 1399 Track Offset options 456, 469
Track Bounce 1059 track ownership
Track Bounce dialog 1060 rejecting a request for 425
Track Channel Width rejecting request 425
changing 258 relinquishing 424, 425
Track Collaboration controls 419 requesting 423
Track Collaboration tools 416 rescinding 424
Track Color View 1116 responding to a request 424
Track Commit 1051 seizing 424
Track Compensation (cmp) indicator 1145 Track Ownership control 422, 424
track compositing 734 Track Ownership Request indicator 417, 424
track controls Track Position Numbers Stay with Hidden Tracks
audio tracks 239 option 116
Auxiliary Input tracks 239 Track Presets 303
Basic Folder tracks 241 creating 303
Edit window 239, 240, 241, 242 in Workspace browsers 313
Elastic Audio 1020 saving 303
Instrument tracks 241 saving Folder tracks 305
Master Fader tracks 239 Track Presets files (.ptxp) 308
MIDI tracks 240 Track Record Enable indicator 214
Routing Folder tracks 242 Track selector 1163
VCA Master tracks 240 Track View 260
video tracks 242 Blocks 261
track data 622 changing 263
Track Format Clips 260, 262, 627
channel width filtering 1285 edit content 634
Track Freeze 1056 Master View 1228
Track Groups 317 Notes 261, 262, 629
Track Height 264 Overview 261
resizing 265 Playlists 737
track layout Sysex 815
default path order 67 toggling 264
track level meters 245 Velocity 799
Track Marker Waveform 623
creating 924 Track View selector 262
Track menu 228 Track View Toggle 264
Clear All Clip Indicators command 246, 1126 track width 250
Delete command 259 TrackInput Monitor button 554
Duplicate command 259, 1198 TrackInput Monitor indicator 214
Group command 322 TrackPunch
Make Inactive command 284 crossfades 604
New Track command 251 preferences 605
Set Record Tracks to Auto Input 554, 555 tracks 9
Set Record Tracks to Input Only 554, 555 5.1 format track layout 1283
Split Into Mono command 704, 1284 adding comments 257
Write MIDI Real-Time Properties command adding to selection 678, 680
825 appending new material to end of 569
Track Name commands 269 Color Coding options 284
Track Name/Comments dialog 255 commit 1051
Track Number command 257 conflicts between track and cloud copies 425

1544 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 converting multichannel tracks into mono trajectory panning 1304
tracks 1284 Transfer files 492
creating a click track 538 selecting in Workspace 358
creating new Elastic Audio tracks 1019 Transfer volume 349
deleting 259 transients 623
duplicating 259, 1198 detecting with Beat Detective 764
Elastic Audio 1018 tabbing to 517, 681
formats 234 Transparency 631
freeze 1056 transparent clip overlays 941
grouping 317 Transport 212
hiding 267, 268 Count Off 539
locating with Fast Forward/Rewind 515 Meter 541
making inactive/active 284 Metronome 539
Master View 264, 1228 Transport Master 1370, 1385, 1387, 1395
metering 246 machine 1388, 1395
moving selections between 679 Pro Tools 1387, 1395
muting 283 Remote 1389, 1403
names 251, 255 Remote LTC 1389, 1403
placing clips in 937 selecting 1387
playback priority 277 toggling 1388
playing 511, 560 transport master 1395
record enabling 548 Remote LTC 1403
remapping 1399 toggling 1396
scrolling shortcut 685 Transport Numeric Keypad mode 29, 120
search by name 30 Transport Online option 1366
selecting across multiple 678 Transport RecordLock option 122, 605, 615
selecting clips 672 Transport View options 215, 513, 564, 565
selecting in Timebase rulers 678 Transport window 212
selecting material in 671 MIDI controls 214
soloing 281 pre/post-roll 214, 565
surround 1283 record status display 608
Track Height 264 start, end, and length fields 214, 563
Track View 260, 263 transport controls 212
transposing 1081 Transpose
trimming unwanted data from 697 Elastic Audio 1040
types 233 MIDI notes 1081
video 1439 Real-Time Properties 824
Tracks (Groups List) command 320 Transpose command 1061, 1081
Tracks List 266 transposing 1081
Cloud icon 426 by octave 1082
Folder tracks 269 key 1082
hiding 266 MIDI notes 795
menu 267 tracks 1081
showing 266 Trim automation
Tracks List Right-click menu coalescing 1233
Download 269 Trim Automation commands 1245
Ignore for Future Download 269 Trim to All Enabled 1245
Import 269 Trim to Current 1245
Tracks Presets Trim Clip commands
creating new tracks from 308 End to Fill Selection 698

Index 1545
 End to Insertion 697 Unloop Clips command 965
Start to Fill Selection 698 Upload All New Changes button 417
Start to Insertion 697 Upload command 421
To File 699 Upload Ruler Changes control 427
To Fill Selection 698 Upload Ruler Changes Right-click menu 427
To Selection 697 Upload Track Changes control 420
Trim Clip to File Boundaries command 699 Use Absolute Pan Linking option 128
Trim Clip to File End command 699 Use F11 for Wait for Note option 141, 583
Trim Clip to File Start command 699 Use MIDI to Tap Tempo option 141
Trim to All Enabled Automation command 1245 Use Separate Play and Stop Keys option 120
Trim to Current Automation command 1245 Use Subframes option 1373
Trim tool User Default setting 1171
when Transport = Machine 1388, 1395 User Offset (+/–) field 1144
trim tool User Time Stamp 947, 1376
tandem trimming 658 user-defined clips 336, 339, 622
Trim tools 642, 652
Loop Trim tool 656 V
Scrub Trim tool 655 variable speed override 1358
Time Compression/Expansion Trim tool 139, VCA Masters
654, 801 assigning groups 1109
trimming automation 896, 1223 channel strips 236
trimming clip gain 993 clearing 1251
trimming controls 1108
automation breakpoints 896, 1223, 1232 deleting 1251
clip gain breakpoints 993 displaying automation 1250
clip start/end points 653 mixing 1107
clips by Nudge value 699, 796, 797 track controls 240
clips to Edit insertion point 697 track type 233, 1107
clips with Scrub Trim tool 656 velocities (MIDI)
crossfades 720 drawing with Pencil 799
note start/end points 796 editing 799, 1077
unwanted clip and track data 697 fading 1077
Tweak Head setting (Conversion Quality) 1455 Real-Time Properties 824
scaling 799, 1077
U Velocity Trim tool 800
UI Customization 230 Velocity View 799
UI Theme setting 117 VENUE 158
UI Themes 230 VENUE Link 54, 158
unavailable resources 181 version conflicts 191
Undo command 560, 633 Version List 189
Undo History window 633 Vertical Position setting 151
Undo Queue 633 Video
Ungroup All Clips command 969 Dropped Frames indicator 1442
Ungroup Clips command 969 video
Unicode language support 506 Bounce to Mov 1468
Unique ID 466, 492 color space 1449
Universe view 686 export 1468
unlinked Timeline and Edit selection 669 importing 1452
unlinking plug-in controls 1180, 1288 Pillarbox/Letterbox option 1460
Unlock Clip command 954 playback 1488
1546 Pro Tools Reference Guide
 Stretch option 1460 Edit window View options 206, 1112
timecode overlay 1465 Mix window View options 204, 1112
Video Clip Groups 1459 Narrow Mix View option 250
video clips 1455 Track Number command 257
importing audio from 1455 Transport View options 215, 513, 564, 565
Video Engine option 101 viewing blocks in the video track 1441
video engine rate 1450 views
Video File Rate indicator 1451 Delay Compensation 251
video files 11 I/O View 243
Video Files folder 176 Inserts View 1113
Video Format setting 1490 Sends View 1114
Video Hardware Control Panel 1464 Wide Meters View 247
Video Import Options dialog 1453 VITC
Video Media options 455 Generate Lines setting 150
Video Online button 1440, 1442 Read Lines setting 150
Video Pull Up and Pull Down 1363 Read Lines, defaults 150
Video Reference Source setting 1357 VITC Insertion Enabled option 150
Video Satellite 1483 Voice selector 278
avoiding sync issues 1490 voices 602
connecting 1489 and track priority 277
Media Composer 156, 1487 number available with HDX 46
quitting Pro Tools 1489 number available with HDX Hybrid Engine 46
settings 1490 Voices meter 112
troubleshooting satellite connections 1489 volume
video satellite offset 1486 Performance 349
video stutter 1488 Transfer 349
Video Sync Offset command 1464 Volume automation 1224
video track 1400 Volume fader 244
video tracks 234, 1439 Volume indicator 243
Color Space 1449 Volume permissions 352
Frame Rate 1444 VSO 1358
locking 1450 sample rate limits with MADI 1358
main video track 1440
Raster Size 1444 W
scrubbing 1460 Wait for Note 215, 582
settings 1443 Warp indicator 1033
shuttling 1461 Warp markers 1028
track controls 242 adding 1028
Video Quality 1448 deleting 1029
viewing as blocks 1441 relocating (without applying warping) 1029
Video Universe window 1461 Warp view 1020, 1027
Video window 1459 warped clips (Elastic Audio) 623
mixed aspect ratios 1459 warping audio (Elastic Audio) 1029
Video Window command 1459 WASAPI 8, 99
View Filter (Memory Locations window) 933 WAV file format 494, 1261
View Filter (MIDI Event List) 870 AES31/Broadcast compliant 494
View menu 228 Wave Extensible 433
Clip Name View option 631 WAVE Extensible file format 495
Clip Sync Point View option 952 WaveCache 379
Clip Time View options 631 WaveCache.wfm file 176, 349
Index 1547
 Waveform View 623 workflows 615
Waveform View options 624 Workspace 347
Outlines 625 Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo 356
Peak 624 auditioning 380
Power 624 Automatically Find and Relink 387
Rectified 624 Auto-Preview mode 383
waveforms 623 browser display options 358
and zero-crossing 626 browser menu 356
avoiding clicks and pops 626 Calculate Waveform 379
guidelines for editing 626 candidates for relinking 388
repairing with Pencil tool 666 Catalogs 348, 392, 393
WaveCache 379 Comments 363
Workspace 378 Copy and Relink 386
While loading waveforms, display in low resolution copying database items 364
option 140 Create Catalog from Selection 357
Whole File button (AudioSuite) 983 database 349
whole-file clips 622 database items 360, 362
Wide Meters View 247 Delete Index for All Offline Volumes 356
Window Configuration List 225 deleting database items 364
Window Configurations 221 Don’t Limit Search Results 356
importing 461 Elastic Audio analysis 379
window dub Elastic Audio Plug-In selector 382
horizontal position 151 exclude tags from search 375
setting color 151 Failed Tasks 397
size 151 Find Links 390
vertical position 151 indexing 354
Window menu 228 Keep Window on Top 356
Automation Enable command 1208 Linking Options 390
Big Counter command 513 links 385
Color Palette 286 Loop Audition mode 383
Disk Space command 550 Manually Find and Relink 387
Edit command 206 Missing files 385, 386
Machine Track Arming command 1372 moving database items 364
Memory Locations command 929 navigating 351
Mix command 204 Open in New Workspace 357
System Usage command 114 Paused Tasks 396
Task Manager command 440 Performance Volume 349
Transport command 212 preferences 398
Undo History command 633 previewing 380, 381, 384
Workspace command 552 Quick Search 365
windows Regenerate Missing Rendered Files 387
arranging 224 Relink window 348, 388
Cascade 224 relinking 385
closing 224 Reveal in Finder/Explorer 357
hiding all floating windows 224 Right-click menu 357
Tile 224 saving a search as a Catalog 372
Tile Horizontal 224 searching 365
Tile Vertical 224 searching with tags 374
Windows Audio Device (WASAPI) 99 session 348
Word Clock 108, 1498 Show Offline Volumes 356

1548 Pro Tools Reference Guide

 Skip All 387 Zoomer tool 642, 643, 645
sorting columns 360 zooming 643
Sound Libraries 347 a track area 646, 849
Spacebar Toggles File Preview 356 around a track point 646, 848
Spot To Edit Insertion 357 continuously 644
suitable volumes (see Transfer files) 386 horizontally for all tracks 644
Task Manager window 348 in the ruler 647
Tasks 396 in the Tempo Editor 893
Track Presets 348 on a selection 645
Transfer files 385, 386 out to the entire session 645
Transfer Volume 349 recalling zoom levels 648
volume permissions 352 return to the previous zoom level 645
Volumes 348 storing zoom levels 648
WaveCache 349 to make all clips visible 645
waveform display 378 vertically 644
Workspace browsers 218, 347, 552, 553 with a scroll wheel 652
Track Presets 313 Zoom Toggle 649
Workspace.wksp file 349 zplane élastique 1026
Write 1244
Write Automation commands 1243, 1244
Write automation mode 1198
Write Automation To commands 1247
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint command
1237
Write Automation to Next Breakpoint on Stop
command 1239
Write Automation to Selection/Selection
Start/Selection End buttons 1234
Write MIDI Real-Time Properties command 825
Write Trim automation mode 1202
writing
automation 1208
automation on stop 1236
automation to next breakpoint 1236
automation to selection, selection start or end
1234
snapshot automation 1243

X
XML (MIDI patch names) 812
X–OR (Cancels Previous Solos) Solo Latch option
282

Z
zero-crossing 626
Zoom buttons 643
Zoom Presets 648
Zoom Toggle 649
Zoom Toggle preferences 127, 649

Index 1549
1550 Pro Tools Reference Guide
For technical support go to
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