ProTools Introduction

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"1" Pro Tools Introduction Background: Pro Tools allows you to record, edit and mix audio and synchronise it to film. It is an industry standard DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Contents: Setting up, Creating Tracks, Recording Audio, Importing Video, Importing Audio, Bounce (export audio) -- Setting up -- Open Protools, start a new (blank) session. Before clicking OK, set the parameters of the files that will be used in the session by clicking the arrow. File Type: BWF (.WAV) This is an uncompressed Broadcast WAV File. Use this unless you have a reason to use another file type. Bit Depth: 16bit Sample Rate: 48Khz Industry standard for use in film. It is Very important that this 48Khz for a film based project (it is like the frame rate of audio). I/O Settings: Stereo Mix I/O stands for In/Out. Remember: Backup! – Always leave your session with it saved in two different places. N.B. If you are using a digital recorder for field recording make sure the settings match! Don’t be that person who just uses the last settings!

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Pro Tools

Transcript of ProTools Introduction

Page 1: ProTools Introduction

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Pro Tools Introduction Background: Pro Tools allows you to record, edit and mix audio and synchronise it to film. It is an industry standard DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

Contents: Setting up, Creating Tracks, Recording Audio, Importing Video,

Importing Audio, Bounce (export audio)

-- Setting up --

Open Protools, start a new (blank) session. Before clicking OK, set the parameters of the files that will be used in the session by clicking the arrow. File Type: BWF (.WAV)

This is an uncompressed Broadcast WAV File. Use this unless you have a reason to use another file type.

Bit Depth: 16bit

Sample Rate: 48Khz

Industry standard for use in film. It is Very important that this 48Khz for a film based project (it is like the frame rate of audio).

I/O Settings: Stereo Mix

I/O stands for In/Out.

Remember: Backup! – Always leave your session with it saved in two different places.

N.B. If you are using a digital recorder for field recording make sure the settings match! Don’t be that person who just uses the last settings!

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Save your project:

In shared studios saving directly onto your (fast) External Hard Drive is good practice. All files associated with the project will be saved to this folder. Include your Name, Course and Module (so you can find it easily).

-- Starting Work -

You will be presented with a new blank ‘edit window’, however it does not yet contain any tracks. N B. Like all mac applications, the menus will appear along the top whenever you click on a window of that application.

-- Creating Tracks --

From the file menu select Track - > New (⇧!+!⌘!+!N)!Select!either!Mono!or!Stereo!Audio!Track.!!!

!" Mono!is!for!a!single!microphone!(eg!voice!over)!–!" Stereo!is!for!a!pair!of!microphones!which!capture!a!sense!of!space!when!

played!back!on!a!pair!of!speakers!or!headphones.!

N.B. You may be asked to select a scratch disk, this is a place to temporarily hold files whilst Pro Tools works on them, You should use a local Disk, ie, the one of the computer you are using.

The Menus in Pro Tools are: File, Edit, View, Track, Clip, Event, AudioSuite, Options, Setup, Window, Marketplace and Help

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Rename your track

Double click on the white box, Audio 1, to change the name. Eg. Voice over, Foley. Create a Master Fader

It is good practice to use a Stereo Master Fader, to which all the audio will be routed before it is sent out of the software to you speakers (via your audio interface) so you can keep an eye on the overall levels. Create a new track, but change the dropdown menu to Master Fader.

Timesaver: Combine the creation of tracks by clicking the arrow on the right.

-- Recording Audio --

Select an Input Click the (pane) button which is to the top left of your tracks, Select I/O give you new I/O (Input / Output) Options.

Selecting the correct input will change from system to system depending on the audio interface in use.

- It is also possible to make this selection from the mix window -

Click!the! !button! Select!I/O! Use!the!new!area!to!select!the!input!you!want!to!use!(e.g.!mic!1)!

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Arming you track

It is possible to record many tracks of Audio at the same time (Multi-track). To let Pro Tools know which track(s) you want to record onto, you need to ‘Arm’ them first.

Recording

With your track(s) Armed, press Record then play on the transport window. Or use the shortcut 3, on the numeric keypad.

The audio is now being written to disk, and you can see it appear in the timeline.

Click!this!button!!Flashing!Red!means!it!is!‘Armed’!and!ready!

This!Meter!will!now!react!to!the!sounding!coming!into!the!selected!input!

Get!into!the!habit!of!saving!the!work!after!‘takes’.!!!⌘+!S!

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-- Importing Video -- File Menu: File -> Import -> Video Find your (quicktime) file, and click Open. Use ‘Session Start’ when promoted to select a location to place the video clip.

The video will be given its own track on the timeline. You may want to see the video in a separate window. File Menu: File -> Window - > Video

-- Importing Audio -- !File Menu: File -> Import - > Audio The settings are similar to importing Video. – Import them into the Audio folder in your project.

N.B. Import multiple files by shift (or ctrl) clicking on the desired file names. From this window you can also:

! Audition Audio (preview) ! Convert Sample Rates ! Check the parameters of the audio you are importing.

Audio!should!be!imported!separately!(as!AAF,!OMF!or!WAV)!because!quicktime!audio!is!compressed.!!

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-- Bounce (export audio) --

Once you have finished working on your project you can bounce (or mixdown) all the tracks so that they can be used elsewhere: File: WAV Format: Interleaved Bit Depth: 16 Bit Sample Rate: 48Khz Convert after Bounce - Save it so that it is easy to find and access for the next part of your workflow. - Backup!

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-- Track Controls --

-- Editing in Pro Tools --

Editing is a collection of processes which includes: Moving sounds forwards and backwards in time, in a timeline Removing unwanted sounds and background noises (Top and Tail) Adding Fades

- Tools - Trimmer Tool

Select Tool

Arm!the!track!(record!enable)!Solo!the!track!(listen!to!this!track!only)!

Mute!the!track!(stop!Protools!playing!this!track!back)!

Name of the track (Double Click to Change) !

Use this tool to change the length of a clip. This tool has different options related to time compression and looping. !

Click and drag on either side of the clip to contract/expand its length. !

Use this tool to: - Select exact points on the Timeline e.g. to playback from or divide the

clip at that point. - Highlight Areas (click and drag) – This also sets the ‘locators’ on the

timeline

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Grabber Tool

Use this to move clips around the timeline. By default use the ‘Time’ option. Scrubber Tool!!

!!!!

Click and drag on a clip to hear ‘slow motion’ playback. Very useful for finding the exact moment at events happen in the clip. E.g. the moment a door slams. !!Pencil Tool

Often used to edit volume automation when a track is in Volume mode (to change to Volume Mode use the menu in the track controls) . Also very useful for automating the parameters of plugins.

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- Common Processes - Fades

Fades can be drawn by ‘hand’ using the pencil tool in Volume mode, or automated. Using the Select Tool ( ) and highlight the beginning or end of the clip.

N.B. You can create crossfades by selecting audio on multiple tracks, or overlapping audio on the same track. Shortcut is also ⌘!+ F Gain Control (volume of a clip)

Separate clip (Splitting a Clip into Two)

Use the Select Tool ( ) on the moment you want to split the clip Shortcut: ⌘!+ E

Copy / Past of Clips

First select the clip, or region of a clip, then:

⌘!+ C and !⌘!+ V Copy and paste (just like in other applications). ⌘!+ D Duplicate (it will be placed directly after the original)

Use the shortcut: ⌘!+ F Change Fade type Audition the fade

Done.

Quickly change the Volume of a clip by click-holding on the icon in the corner. Make fine adjustments by pressing the ⌘!key also.