Scribd
Upload
54 views10 pages

Pro Tools Quick Start Guide

This document provides a quick start guide for using Pro Tools. It summarizes how to [1] set up a new session with sample rate and save location settings, [2] navigate the edit and mix windows and use various audio editing tools, and [3] perform common audio engineering tasks like adding tracks, creating a click track, bouncing audio files, and using keyboard shortcuts. The guide offers tips for optimal playback engine, hardware buffer size, and bounce settings. It also lists recommended online resources for additional mixing techniques.

Uploaded by

Ishaan Evenida
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
54 views10 pages

Pro Tools Quick Start Guide

This document provides a quick start guide for using Pro Tools. It summarizes how to [1] set up a new session with sample rate and save location settings, [2] navigate the edit and mix windows and use various audio editing tools, and [3] perform common audio engineering tasks like adding tracks, creating a click track, bouncing audio files, and using keyboard shortcuts. The guide offers tips for optimal playback engine, hardware buffer size, and bounce settings. It also lists recommended online resources for additional mixing techniques.

Uploaded by

Ishaan Evenida
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

Pro Tools Quick Start Guide

Creating A New Session

My go-to settings for sample rate and bit depth are ​44.1 kHz​ and ​24-bit​.
‘Location’ specifies where your session will be saved to.
Edit Window

Tools

1 2 3 4 5 6

1) The Zoom Tool - lets you zoom in on tracks.


2) The Trim Tool - to edit/cut the ends of audio clips.
3) The Selector Tool - to highlight specific parts of an audio clip.
4) The Grab Tool - to select full audio clips.
Select the bar above 2 - 4 to enable the ‘Smart Tool’.
5) The Scrubber Tool - emulates scrubbing through tape.
6) The Pencil Tool - for drawing automation.

● The box to the left of ‘Bars/Beats’ provides the option to view the
timeline in various measurements - bars and beats, minutes and
seconds, samples, or timecode for film.
● To add a marker to the timeline (ex: Intro, Chorus, Verse), click the ‘+’
button.
Adding A New Track

Go to ‘Track’ -> ‘New’ or use the shortcut Command + Shift + N.

A mono track uses one audio track, a stereo track uses two.

A mono track in blue, a stereo track in green.

● An audio track contains audio clips


● An aux track doesn’t contain its own audio, but it can have audio sent
to it.
● A master fader controls the volume of the entire session.
Mix Window

Inserts/Sends Section

Inserts - Where you can add plugins on a track.

Sends - Used to send a copy of a track to another place in your


DAW. Often used for adding reverb and delay.

I/O Section

The top box is the input selection.


The bottom box is the output selection.
Bottom Section

Pan knob
I = Input monitoring
Red Circle Button = Record-enable
S = Solo M = Mute

The section with “Audio 1” is the track name (double-click to


rename).

This square is the comments section (you can add notes about
a track here).

Choosing The Playback Engine

Go to ‘Setup’ -> ‘Playback Engine’.

Under Playback Engine, select your audio interface.

For ‘H/W Buffer Size’, smaller values are better when recording. When
mixing, larger sample sizes are fine.
Creating A Click Track

From the top menu, select ‘Track’ -> ‘Create Click Track’.

Open the Transport by selecting Window -> Transport. You can change the
tempo within the box on the far right.

Highlight the current tempo, type in your desired tempo, then hit enter. You
may need to press the blue conductor button to turn off the conductor track
first.

Basic Audio Editing

Separating Clips​ - Either click to specify one spot, or highlight to choose


two spots at once, then do one of the following:
○ Right-click at the desired spot, then choose ‘Separate’
○ Command + E
○ ‘Edit’ -> ‘Separate Clip’
Moving Clips​ - Click on and hold the desired clip, then drag it across the
timeline.

Trimming Clips​ - To the right or left of the clip, the mouse will change into a
[ or ]
○ When this appears, click and drag the track to trim

Fading Clips​ - Select the box above tools 2 - 4 to enable the ‘Smart Tool’.
When the mouse changes to a square with a diagonal line through it, you
can click and drag a track to add a fade.

Double click on this fade to change its shape.


Bouncing to Disk

Make sure the part of the timeline you want bounced is highlighted.

Make sure nothing is muted/solo’ed.

Go to ‘File’ -> ‘Bounce to’ -> Disk.

Recommended Settings

Format: Interleaved

Bit Depth and Sample Rate - typically 44.1 kHz,


24-bit

Uncheck ‘Import After Bounce’

Check ‘Offline’ at bottom of window

Common Keyboard Shortcuts

● Command + S - Save
● Command + Shift + N - New track
● Command + Shift + I - Import Audio
● Option + Shift + I - Import Session Data
● Command + Z - Undo
● Command + M - Mute selected clip
● Command + G - Create a group for the selected tracks
● Command + = - Quickly flip between the Edit and Mix Windows
● Command + E - Separate clip
● Highlight a section + E - The selected clip will fill the screen
○ Hitting E again will return it to normal view

For more mixing tips and tricks, visit ​BehindTheSpeakers.com​.


Mix By Design is an online training course that will teach you
how to mix like a pro. You’ll discover a simple, step-by-step
system you can use to break through overwhelm, sink into
the creative flow, and make your best mixes yet.

Ready to get on the path to pro mixes?

Click Here To Learn More About Mix By Design

You might also like