Updated Studio Photos!
Reply
Saving Your ProTools Session
It is vital for all ProTools users to save their sessions. ProTools gives you two main options when saving your session. The first can be done manually by clicking the Save command from the File menu or using the keyboard shortcut Command (Mac)/ Control (Windows) + S. This save method will save the changes you’ve made since the last time you saved the session and write over the old version. You cannot undo the Save command.
ProTools provides a Save As command located under the File menu as well. The Save As command is useful for saving a copy of the current session in a different hard drive location or under a different name. The Save As command, which closes your current session and lets you keep working on your renamed copy, can be very useful when experimenting. The Save As Command also lets you save successive stages of a session. Therefore you can save each major step under a new name. By working like this, you can always retrace your steps should you want to go back to an earlier version of the session.
To use the Save As command:
1. Choose File> Save As
2. Type a new name for the session
3. Click Save
The new renamed session will remain open!
Keyboard Shortcut of the Week!
Here’s a helpful one for working in the edit window.
R = zoom out
T = zoom in
Advanced Nudging Keyboard Shortcuts
As you know, keyboard shortcuts save any ProTools user time. So, to help you get the best out of your editing time, here are a few of our favorites.
Command +/- Change end of region.
Option +/- Change beginning of region.
Shift +/- Move selection independent of region.
Shift Command +/- Change end of selection independent of region.
Shift Option +/- Change beginning of selection independent of region.
Control +/- Nudges the audio within a selected region without changes the in and out of the region.
The Dynamic Transport Mode
As a ProTools user, there are occasions where you need to set up a playback time range or loop, be able to make changes and edits without losing the loop, and control where the playback starts from. The Dynamic Transport mode is designed especially for this occasion.
Dynamic Transport mode offers you complete control over the current playback position without upsetting the Edit or Timeline selections. You can easily set up a timeline range or loop and specify the exact playback point using Dynamic Transport. For your convenience, the playback point can be moved seamlessly at any time, even during playback. Dynamic Transport mode is especially useful when tracking a song in sections or when editing loops.
To turn Dynamic Transport mode on, you can either…
- Select OPTIONS> DYNAMIC TRANSPORT
- Press COMMAND+ CONTROL+ P (Mac OS) or CONTROL+ START+ P (Windows)
- Right click the PLAY button in the Transport or Edit window and select DYNAMIC TRANSPORT from the pop-up menu.
The Main Timebase ruler will then expand to double-height and the Play Start Marker will display at the start of the Timeline selection.
You may repeat any of the actions above to turn Dynamic Transport off.
Dynamic Transport being used to separate the main playback start point from both the edit and timeline selections
Introducing Auto-Tune 7!
Antares has recently released Auto-Tune 7. Adopted worldwide as the largest-selling audio plug-in of all time, Auto-Tune corrects intonation and timing problems in vocals or solo instruments. All with a user-interface that is a model of clarity, speed and ease-of-use.
The biggest addition to Auto-Tune 7 is its entirely new time correction and manipulation system. Auto-Tune 7′s time control capabilities allow you to efficiently and easily edit the timing of your vocals right along with their pitch, and it’s seamlessly integrated into the Graphical Mode interface. Auto-Tune 7 also features the second generation of Antares’ Evo™ Voice Processing Technology, offering even more natural pitch shifting and throat modeling, along with a host of time-saving workflow enhancements.
To find out more about Auto-Tune7, you can check out the Antares website.
A screen shot of the graphic mode of Auto-Tune 7
ProTools 9
Have you been wondering what’s new in ProTools 9? Find out in just four minutes!!!
The Backup Plan
For every ProTools session, there are hundreds of files. As audio engineers, it is our duty to archive and save our sessions the best way possible. In the event of restoring an old session, it is vital that all the files are there and easy to locate. Here is one way GO Media’s engineers archive their sessions.
- In the “Regions List” menu, select “Clear All Unused Regions”
- Next, “Select All Regions” and “Compact” with a padding of 1000 mill.
- Under the “File” menu, select “Save Copy In”
- Save your session copy to a physical storage *hard drive
- Make sure when you “Save Copy In” you include all necessary information (ie. Audio and fade files, I/O setting, plug-in settings, etc…)
*With Storage drives being so cheap these days it’s much safer and more cost effective in the long run to back-up to a physical drive as opposed to Tape, DVD, CD.
* Have at least two external hard drives as an extra safety measure. One of the hard drives should be used for daily back-ups, the other for weekly back-ups. Always keep one hard-drive on site, and the other off. (This is in case of any unexpected fires, burglary, or any other event that may corrupt data.)
Exploring MIDI in Pro Tools
Pro Tools offers a plethora of tools for the creative composer all in one environment. Undisputedly, Pro Tools MIDI composition and sequencing features are the best and very user friendly. ProTools provides all users with creative MIDI and compositional tools that will instantly help the MIDI operator.
Providing you with multiple editing views and techniques, ProTools helps you create and manipulate extensive MIDI production. You can also use the same automation and plug-in processing options that are used on both Audio and Instrument tracks.
Pro Tools is designed to help you edit MIDI the fastest way possible. You can easily use the Loop Trim tool to turn any audio or MIDI region into a loop instantly. If you quickly click on the keyboard in a MIDI or Instrument track, all of the same-pitched notes of your performance will be selected for fast editing.
Another one of Pro Tools MIDI qualities is providing a Key Signature ruler that lets you easily add, edit, move, and delete key signatures. You can specify major or minor, transpose MIDI pitches diatonically or chromatically, and even constrain pitches to a key.
Here is a sample of some of the MIDI work that has been done at GOMedia. We took the original All We Like Sheep from Handel’s Messiah and transformed it. Using ProTools many virtual instruments and user friendly MIDI editing methods, we completely transformed All We Like Sheep. Feel free to tell us what you think of it. (This entire recording was created using only MIDI Instrument tracks)
Click here to listen: All We Like Sheep
A Glimpse of Automation
Automation is a central tool for creating professional, refined mixes. You can use it to fix problems, implement and improve effects, and to fluctuate the mix levels throughout different sections of a song. Automation is a great tool that every Pro Tools user should embrace. Here are some shortcuts that can help you along the way.
1. To copy automation to a send: command> option> 8
2. To thin automation: command> option> T
3. To vertically constrain automation movement: Shift> while moving automation with the grabber
