Avid Digidesign PRO TOOLS | SOS Tutorials, Techniques & Workshops
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Avid Digidesign PRO TOOLS | SOS Tutorials, Techniques & Workshops
Making The Most Of PRO TOOLS Pro Tools Notes & Techniques We delve once more into the power hidden in Pro Tools’ unassuming Region List window. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques The Region List in Pro Tools is easy to overlook, but provides the most powerful way to keep track of what’s in your Session. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Working on lots of songs within one project can be annoying. Why not use Pro Tools’ advanced features to create a tailor-made Session for each one? Pro Tools Notes & Techniques What to do when Pro Tools reports that files have gone missing? Find out in this month’s invaluable assortment of tips and tricks. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Newcomers and power users alike need to know how to make things right when their Pro Tools Sessions run into trouble.  Here's a collection of the most recent 100 Pro Tools Notes articles from SOUND ON SOUND magazine. The most recently-published 5 workshops are locked and accessible only to subscribers, but the others are now free for all to enjoy. (Use the SEARCH page to find even more past articles.) Previous 100 PRO TOOLS NOTES workshops (unlocked) Pro Tools Notes & Techniques We continue our newcomer’s guide to Pro Tools with a selection of techniques that every user should know. Part 2: Installation & Session Basics Our short series on getting started with Pro Tools continues with some advice on configuring the software and your first Sessions. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Tempted to invest in a Pro Tools rig but don’t know where to begin? You need our handy guide to choosing a system. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques One of the major new features in Pro Tools 8 is a system for easily assembling 'comp' tracks from multiple takes. We explain how it all works. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques At the heart of Digidesign’s drive to turn Pro Tools into a serious tool for music creation are the MIDI and Score editors in Pro Tools 8. We explain how to get the best from these new heavyweights. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques You can save time and cut down on mouse-clicks by using Pro Tools' window management features. Getting The Best From Digidesign's Groove Instrument Digidesign's Transfuser plug-in is a sequencer within a sequencer — not to mention a sampler, loop-slicer, synth, drum machine and effects unit! We offer some expert tips to help you get to grips with it. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques The addition of comprehensive support for right-clicking in recent versions of Pro Tools has revolutionised the user experience. We explain how to get the best from the new functionality. Pro Tools Notes & Technique Used correctly, VCA groups can make a big difference when you're faced with a complex mix and lots of automation. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Has a broken iLok or a power cut brought your Pro Tools rig to a shuddering halt? All may not be lost... Pro Tools Notes & Techniques When your Pro Tools mix is finished, you'll need to export it as a stereo file. We explain why the obvious Bounce To Disk option might not be the best choice for you... Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Like many DAW manufacturers, Digidesign offer their own convolution plug-in as an add-on for Pro Tools. We explain how to get the best from TL Space. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Pro Tools doesn't officially support macros or assignable keyboard shortcuts, but with a little know-how and a copy of QuicKeys, you can use custom key commands to bring up anything from simple menu items to complex chains of commands. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques The focus is on better project management in this month's Pro Tools workshop, as we explain the advantages of using template Sessions, and look at some tools that can help you avoid data loss. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Small and affordable it may be, but Digidesign's Command 8 is also a surprisingly versatile and powerful tool for controlling Pro Tools. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Improving your Pro Tools system needn’t always cost money. We look at some essential add-ons that can be downloaded for nothing. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques We’ve all been in that situation — desperate to add one more plug-in, but with a computer on the verge of collapse. We explain how to wring that last ounce of power from your Pro Tools rig. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques In sound for picture, there’s often a need to lock multiple Pro Tools rigs together. We uncover a neat way to obtain professional sync facilities for a fraction of the price of conventional systems. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques If you’ve time enough to install it all, the extra software bundled with new Pro Tools systems has a lot to offer — particularly if you have the Pro version of Digidesign’s Ignition Pack 2. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Ever found yourself struggling to remember what you have connected to Input 7, or which effect is on Bus 3-4? Five minutes’ work in the I/O Setup window will end your confusion forever... Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Backups may be boring, but if you get your backup strategy right now, there will come a time when it saves your life! Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Pro Tools doesn't support RAID arrays, but does have its own disk management features that allow you to 'stripe' audio files across multiple disks, or record additional safety copies of everything. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques In last month's overview of the new features in Pro Tools 7.3, we saw that some of them deserve a more in-depth look. Here's what you can do with Key Signatures, the new Dynamic Transport Mode, and enhanced editing and video functions. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques In this month's column, we give you the low-down on the wealth of new features coming your way in the version 7.3 updates to Pro Tools TDM and LE. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques It takes five minutes to set up your Pro Tools Preferences, but getting them right can smooth your workflow and even allow you to run more tracks from your hard drive. Pro Tools Notes & Technique If you edit audio in Pro Tools, you need to know about fades and crossfades. As well as being vital editing tools, they can also be used in surprisingly creative ways... Pro Tools Notes & Techniques The trend among plug-in designers is to integrate commonly used processes such as EQ and compression into a single plug-in. It saves on insert slots, but do channel strips offer any other benefits, and which ones stand out from the crowd? Pro Tools Notes & Techniques Pro Tools offers punch-in features designed to make it work like a tape machine - except that you can change your mind later about where, when and what to drop in... Pro Tools Notes & Technique In this month's Pro Tools workshop, we concentrate on the top and bottom of the frequency spectrum, looking at plug-ins that claim to enhance treble and bass. How do they work, how should you use them, and most importantly, which ones are the best? Pro Tools Notes & Technique The new Region groups feature in Pro Tools 7 enables us to work with multiple Regions as though they were a single object. In this month's workshop we also take a look at two new training resources from Digidesign. Pro Tools Notes & Techniques We've had a good look at some of the tools available for mastering in Pro Tools. So what are the best ways to use these tools? Pro Tools Notes & Techniques We follow up our comprehensive round-up of mastering limiter plug-ins for Pro Tools with a look at hot new products from three further manufacturers. Pro Tools Notes & Technique When your project includes repeated MIDI or audio parts, the new Region Looping tools in Pro Tools 7 enable you to work faster and with greater flexibility. Pro Tools Notes & Technique One of the best features of TDM-based Pro Tools systems is the negligible latency, or input-to-output delay, while recording. So what is the best way to deal with this problem if you have only an LE system? Pro Tools Notes & Technique If you want to get maximum level out of your Pro Tools mixes, you need a mastering limiter. But which one? We put the leading contenders to the test. Pro Tools Notes & Technique More and more post-production work is ending up in surround-compatible formats, such as DVD. We explain how to set up your Pro Tools system to do that work, and give some guidelines on recording and mixing in surround. Pro Tools Notes & Technique Once you have got your video and sync audio files into a Pro Tools Session, what do you do with them? Our short series on sound for picture concludes by explaining the ins and outs of dubbing, sound effects and Foley. Pro Tools Notes & Technique You've got your system set up, and you've received the video files from the director. This month we explain how to get the video and its associated sound files into a Pro Tools Session ready for you to start work. Pro Tools Notes & Technique This Pro Tools workshop is the first in a series where we will explain how to use Digidesign's DAW to work to picture. First of all, we look at the decisions you need to make in setting up your system. Pro Tools Notes & Technique We all know that Beat Detective can be used to fix up dodgy drumming. But how about creating a tempo map from a freely played keyboard part? Or replacing a piano track with note-for-note accuracy? You can achieve amazing results when you know how... Technique There can't be many Pro Tools users left who have not had to invest in an iLok key in order to run their favourite plug-ins. But did you know that you can insure, transfer and even buy and sell iLok plug-in licences electronically? Find out more... News & Tips Once again, there's a bumper crop of news from Digi-world to report, including the long-awaited jump to version 7 of Pro Tools. Workshop The Strip Silence window in Pro Tools allows you to automate complex edits that would take hours to do by hand. Find out how... News & Tips This month there's news of further maintenance updates to Pro Tools, plus some intriguing plug-in launches... News & Updates It's update frenzy this month, as Digidesign deal with the move to Tiger and iron out more of the bugs in Pro Tools 6.9. Workshop You'd be surprised at the things that you can do without opening a menu in Pro Tools. And if there's no shortcut for the command you need, why not create your own? News & Updates News of a new hardware DSP system from Waves; a mini-review of a keyboard sticker set for Pro Tools from Editor's Keys; the latest information on compatibility with Mac OS 10.4, and plenty of plug-in news. Workshop We line up three of the most popular audio restoration packages available for Pro Tools. Which gives the most natural results, which is easiest to use, and how do you get the best from them? Workshop In a busy recording studio, no-one wants to be hanging around while you duplicate individual tracks or try to locate take six. This month‘s Pro Tools workshop lifts the lid on some essential session-smoothing tips and techniques. Pro Tools Notes Version 6.9 of Pro Tools is here, bringing with it the usual slew of improvements and changes — and the odd pitfall for the unwary. Here‘s what you need to know if you are thinking of taking the plunge. Pro Tools Notes This month sees a high-quality, free EQ plug-in gracing the Digirack suite, some intriguing options for collaboration via the Internet, and a host of updates. Workshop Most people find that learning keyboard commands for their DAW enables them to get things done faster, and for the advanced user, Pro Tools has a special mode which turns the entire QWERTY keyboard into a bank of one-press shortcuts. Pro Tools Notes Our new-look Pro Tools Notes column brings you all the latest news from the Digidesign universe... Masterclass Whatever computer recording system you use, the chances are it's going to fall over sooner or later, and Pro Tools is no exception. So before you call Digidesign's technical support line, take a look at Sound On Sound's guide to diagnosing and fixing the most common faults. Pro Tools Notes We look at a range of techniques you can try to help you produce a better vocal sound for your project. Pro Tools Notes In this month's Pro Tools Notes we are going to take a closer look at one of the more understated improvements introduced in the version 6.7 upgrade. What are tick-based audio tracks, how do they work, and what can you do with them? Pro Tools Notes Pro Tools was originally designed as an audio editor, and it still has some very powerful tools for quick and accurate editing. This month's Pro Tools Notes explains the mysteries of Shuffle mode, and looks at the ways in which key commands and memory locations can speed up your editing. Pro Tools Notes Our new columnist provides the detailed lowdown on a new version of Pro Tools... Pro Tools Notes There's an outbreak of literary criticism in this month's column, as we take a look at some of the Pro Tools books currently doing the rounds. Pro Tools Notes While Pro Tools is widely known for its dominance in the field of computer-based audio recording, little is made of the fact that it also features fully fledged MIDI sequencing facilities. Pro Tools Notes Digidesign's SampleCell products once had a huge army of users, many of whom still have well-loved sample libraries stranded in this format. We look at the options available to continue using these sample patches in Pro Tools. Pro Tools Notes We feature a bumper crop of handy tips in this month's guide to all that's good in Pro Tools... Pro Tools Notes PT version 6.4 comes with some surprising and long-awaited new features. Pro Tools Notes A common occasion for grief in Pro Tools is when moving projects from one system to another. Here are some tips to help you keep your hair. Pro Tools Notes You don't need a Pro Control to get some hands-on control of Pro Tools. You don't even need one of the 'supported' MIDI control surfaces: pretty much anything with knobs on will do. Read on... Pro Tools Notes Public service time in Pro Tools Notes this month as we respond to user queries on recording via plug-ins and Rewire, creating gated effects, and bouncing. Pro Tools Notes All Pro Tools systems now come with a bundle of extra software: Reason Adapted, Live Digidesign Edition, Amplitube LE, Sampletank SE and T-Racks EQ. This month we use Live's powerful time-warping features to run tempo-shifted vocals alongside a remix. Pro Tools Notes Many users probably never venture into Pro Tools's Calibration Mode, but you could be compromising the sound quality of your Pro Tools rig and external gear if you don't think about lining up your analogue connections correctly. Pro Tools Notes It's Christmas, so we've rounded up some free effects and other goodies. On the news front, meanwhile, there's word of a VST-to-RTAS plug-in converter from FXpansion. Pro Tools Notes HD Accel is the latest processor card for Pro Tools HD TDM systems. We investigate, and try to clear up some of the confusion surrounding the release. Pro Tools Notes Since Pro Tools 6, there's been some additions to the set of built-in plug-ins. This month we look at how to get the most out of the D-Verb reverb. Pro Tools Notes Pro Tools 6.1 adds ReWire support for both TDM and LE users. Here's a look at what it is, how it works, and how to get the best out of it. Pro Tools Notes Last month we looked at using Pro Tools' Beat Detective tool for chopping up and quantising drum recordings. Now it's time to look at the other side of the coin: extracting and using the tempo and timing of a recording. Pro Tools Notes The subject of clocking in digital audio systems is often a hazy area of understanding among us users, perhaps because we've been turned off by propellerheads who love arguing about it. Here's what you need to know in Pro Tools from a practical angle. Pro Tools Notes More automation tips this month, including how to create and use mixer 'snapshots', a few special editing hints, and an in-depth look at how Pro Tools handles automation data. Pro Tools Notes This month we begin a two-part tutorial explaining Pro Tools' powerful facilities for automating your mix. Run Multiple VST Instruments Pro Tools' plug-in power continues to grow. A port of Cycling 74's Pluggo provides Mac users with over 100 RTAS plug-ins, while you can now run multiple VST Instruments with the new Multi VST Shell. Pro Tools 6.0 at Digiworld This month Pro Tools Notes reports from the recent Digiworld show in London, offering the first chance to see Pro Tools 6.0, and what Mac OS X can do for you. OMS: iLok copy-protection System If you use MIDI on a Mac, you'll have wrestled with OMS. This month we explain how to make the process a bit more friendly, as well as investigating the new iLok copy-protection system that's in the process of superseding Pro Tools floppy keys. Mod Delay The Mod Delay series of plug-ins, included free with all Pro Tools systems, is the key to creating many classic effects. Rescuing Mac Files Copied From PCs Understanding file and project management in Pro Tools can save time and avoid data disasters, so this month we offer an explanation, plus tips on rescuing Mac files copied from PCs. Fades Knowing about the less glamorous features in Pro Tools can be extremely useful, so this month we turn our attention to fades. Pro Tools in industry The current government loves the idea of transferable skills, so this month's Pro Tools Notes looks at other industries besides music where Pro Tools knowledge can be profitable. The New Pro Tools TDM The next generation of Pro Tools TDM hardware is about to hit the streets. What improvements does it offer, and what are the implications if you're an owner of the current hardware, or are contemplating buying a PT system? Miixing and Automation Tips Fix it in the mix, with our useful Pro Tools mixing and automation tips. Overdubbing, dropping in and out We explore Pro Tools' many features specifically designed to help you undertake overdubbing, dropping in and out, and compiling tracks from different takes. Configuring Pro Tools for Traditional Band Recording How would you configure your PT system to cope with the practicalities of traditional band recording? TDM MIX Systems routing' 5.1 surround For MIX TDM users, the latest Pro Tools software offers a tailor-made way of mixing in surround. But those with older TDM setups or LE-based systems can do surround too, with some lateral thinking... Rocket Network compatibility Pro Tools is about to get Rocket Network compatibility, facilitating long-distance collaboration between Digi users. Also this month, we continue our series of inter-application transfer tutorials with a look at how to move Digital Performer tracks into Pro Tools. Pro Tools 5.1.1; Transfer Songs from Emagic Logic Discover what's new in Pro Tools 5.1.1, learn how to transfer songs from Emagic's Logic, and take advantage of our usual handy tips. Tightening Drum Recordings With Beat Detective; Online Answerbase Pro Tools users now have their own monthly column, focusing on tips, techniques, news and technical development coverage for the full range of PT systems, from the popular Digi 001 to top-flight professional studio hardware. * How to get the most out of the software
| Friday 20th November 2009  December 2009
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Other recent issues: Photos too small? Click on photos, screenshots and diagrams in articles to open a Larger View gallery.  Gear Reviews Technique
Classic Tracks
Secrets of the Mix Engineers
Ableton LIVE techniques
Apple LOGIC techniques
Cakewalk SONAR techniques
Digidesign PRO TOOLS techniques
MOTU DIGITAL PERFORMER techniques
Propellerhead REASON techniques
Steinberg CUBASE techniques
Sound Advice
People Microphones Mastering |
