How To Record Midi In Pro Tools 11
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 ' MIDI features are not as extensive as those of Logic, Cubase, DP or Sonar, but they certainly don't deserve the derision they often receive. You often hear sentiments like 'Yeah, but MIDI in Pro Tools is crap isn't it?' , or similar, from people who've probably never actually used it. So where does this particular piece of discussion-board lore come from? Well, it's probably fair to say that MIDI in Pro Tools was 'pretty crap' a few years ago. However, Digi have tried to make sure that Pro Tools now does everything it needs to do for the majority of MIDI users.
Recording & Editing. Recording MIDI is basically the same as recording audio. Record arm the track(s) you wish to record on to, and chuck Pro Tools into Record. Join Skye Lewin for an in-depth discussion in this video Recording MIDI data, part of Pro Tools 11 Essential Training.
It doesn't do score editing or anything fancy like audio-to-MIDI conversion, but otherwise it has everything covered. Many MIDI packages have several environments for displaying and working with MIDI, but Pro Tools has just one. Recording and editing sections of MIDI is handled in a very similar way to audio. MIDI tracks are created from File menu's New Track command, and each track always exists as both a record/edit lane in the Edit window, and a fader strip in the Mix window. Like audio tracks, MIDI tracks have input and output selectors in the Mix window, except that this time they are use to choose source and destination MIDI devices. Just like audio, MIDI is recorded directly into the Edit window, with all further editing and arrangement happening here. This is consistent with Pro Tools ' philosophy of not having special edit windows for different tasks.
If you need to fine-tune something, you can zoom right in and adjust individual elements. The theory goes that it's good to view whatever you're editing alongside other elements, and see MIDI notes displayed with sample accuracy against audio tracks.
MIDI tracks can be routed to hardware devices, soft synths or modules in slaved Rewire applications.Although it's possible to draw MIDI data into tracks using the pencil tool, chances are you will be connecting a MIDI keyboard to record with. This means that even if you aren't actually using any hardware MIDI sound sources, you'll need to get to grips with setting up MIDI I/O for the computer, if you haven't already. Pro Tools doesn't communicate directly with MIDI devices, instead relying on the computer's OS to handle the low-level I/O. On Mac OS X, MIDI interface and instrument communication is handled by the built-in Core MIDI services, using the Audio MIDI Setup utility to add and configure devices. On the Windows platform the Multimedia Control Panel performs the same task as AMS. If you're still on Mac OS 9, you have to use the add-on OMS (Open Music System) extension, with its OMS Studio Setup utility. Once a MIDI instrument is connected and configured under any of these platforms, it will be available as an input and/or output in Pro Tools.
If you connect a MIDI keyboard for input, you need to open the Input Devices page from the MIDI menu, and tick the relevant box to enable your device. You will then be able to choose it as the input for a MIDI track. If you then record arm the track, incoming MIDI data should light up the track's meter.
The list of devices accessed from a MIDI track's output selector (see screen, right) contains three types of destination. The first category covers the traditional hardware devices connected to the computer, such as your main keyboard if it has built-in sounds, or any other sound module, drum machine or sampler. Then you have software instrument plug-ins running in Pro Tools. Whenever you insert an audio instrument plug-in in a track, a virtual MIDI input port is created for it, and this shows up as a destination in MIDI tracks. Finally, MIDI tracks can be routed to modules running in any slaved Rewire applications.
In the screenshot you can see that devices in Reason 's rack appear with their correct names, due to the wonders of Rewire 2. Note that unlike some other software, such as Logic, there are no special tracks for audio instruments. Instead, these run like normal plug-ins on any standard audio or Aux Input track, so you end up with two tracks in the mixer relating to an audio instrument: one audio track for the plug-in, and one MIDI track to control it. This can make things a little confusing, with the faders and panners on both channels having similar effects.
Obviously, if you route hardware sound sources through Pro Tools this same situation applies. The 'p' button on MIDI tracks provides a patch selection facility, meaning you won't have to set up the sounds on your MIDI instruments each time you come back to work on a session, as patch change messages will be sent automatically. This is more useful for hardware instruments, though, as not all software destinations will respond to Bank and Patch Select messages. The patch list contains a default list of patch names, but it's possible to tailor this to reflect the actual patches in your instruments.
The method of doing this varies by OS. A couple of Pro Tools tips are particularly relevant when working with MIDI. The first is to get to grips with Relative Grid mode.
Pro Tools' Grid Edit mode defaults to Absolute Grid mode, which means that when you pick up and move an object it snaps to the nearest grid boundary. By clicking and holding on the Grid button you can switch to Relative mode. Regions/notes will now be moved in steps corresponding to the current grid value, keeping their initial relationship to the grid lines instead of snapping to them.
The second thing you can do is to make Pro Tools' playback and looping behaviour act more like those of other sequencers. The key to this is turn off Link Edit and Timeline Selections in the Operations menu (also available as a button in the Edit Window), and also turn off Timeline Insertion Follows Playback in Preferences. You can now set permanent playback and loop points in the time ruler, and these will remain independent of any selections or operations you make in the tracks. Recording MIDI is basically the same as recording audio.
Record arm the track(s) you wish to record on to, and chuck Pro Tools into Record. There are some extra options over audio, however. The first is that you can punch into Record on the fly at any time, without needing to engage Quick Punch mode beforehand. The second is the ability to choose between Merge and Replace when overdubbing. In Replace mode, recording over previous regions in a track behaves the same way as it does on audio tracks (with some variation in the way that the resulting regions are handled). In Merge mode, any new notes that are recorded are added to those that were already there.
MIDI data can be viewed in numerous different formats within a Pro Tools track. In addition to the normal view modes you'd get in an audio track, such as different automation graphs, MIDI data can be displayed in a number of different ways.
The two main views are Notes and Regions. Notes view simply displays a traditional 'piano roll'-style representation of all the data in the track. Regions view behaves more like an audio track, with data grouped together in chunks. Initially, these regions of MIDI are based on the original recording times, but they can be chopped up and manipulated using exactly the same methods as with audio regions. The right-hand side of the Edit window has a MIDI regions list below the familiar audio regions list.
As you can see from the screenshots, the view setting affects the way that edit operations work. In Regions view the edit tools operate on chunks of the track in the same way as with audio tracks. In Notes view, however, the Grabber tool can be used to pick up and move individual MIDI notes.
The Grabber can select several notes by clicking and dragging to lasso around them. The Trimmer also behaves differently in Notes view, adjusting the lengths of specifically selected notes instead of regions. Again, unlike many other sequencers there are no separate windows for editing MIDI regions, so you have to work slightly differently. You are probably used to double-clicking a MIDI section in your sequencer's arrange page and swapping to a matrix/piano-roll or score page. In Pro Tools the equivalent would be to select the MIDI region and press the 'E' key, which will zoom the selection to fill the screen. You can then use the '-' (minus) key to toggle the track between Region and Note displays.
After editing, you'd then hit the 'E' key again to zoom back to the original view. Editing note velocity in Velocity view.
As well as notes, any other type of MIDI data can be displayed and edited in the tracks. In Velocity view, note velocity is displayed as a vertical 'stalk' superimposed over the start of each note (see screenshot above). Indivdual stalks can be adjusted with the Grabber, or you can draw an overall velocity graph with the Pencil tool, which the stalks will all snap to. When you click on an individual note, the velocity stalk that belongs to it is highlighted, which is useful when notes are very close together and you can't tell the stalks apart. So what about quantising and all that? Pro Tools provides a host of automated MIDI data manipulation tools, all listed in the MIDI menu, and grouped together in the floating MIDI Operations window. Obviously Quantize and Groove Quantize are the two that will see the most action.
Groove Quantize templates are provided that emulate several other MIDI packages and devices, and you can also use groove templates that you have extracted from audio recordings using Beat Detective. Quantising can be controlled in some sophisticated ways, such as being able to exclude notes within a specified distance from the grid, as well as the strength (amount) of correction. A persistently irritating and mysterious omission is Pro Tools ' inability to create groove templates from MIDI tracks. The ability to do this from audio tracks is little consolation to LE users, who don't get Beat Detective.
One feature worth knowing about, though, is Restore Performance. This is a safety command which can revert a MIDI region to its original recorded state, reversing the effects of other MIDI Operations commands. All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2018. All rights reserved.
The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publishers.
Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS.
This Pro Tools and MIDI tutorial will show you how different Pro Tools features compliment each other in an everyday, professional, Pro Tools music creation workflow that uses both MIDI and audio. Working with MIDI in Pro Tools If you’re composing your music using MIDI in Pro Tools, chances are, at some point, you’ll want to record your MIDI sounds sources onto Audio tracks.
Especially as your project is getting closer to the mixing stage, or if you’re working with limited CPU resources and virtual instruments. I’ll be showing you a straightforward, tried and true method for this workflow. Along the way, I’ll add some extra mini-lessons that will shed some light on the more commonly asked questions surrounding this topic. Objectives In this tutorial, you will. Create a New Pro Tools Session. Customize the Edit Window display.
Use the Digidesign A.i.r Xpand Virtual Instrument. Learn how to set “good” record levels. Use Busses to route audio signals. and much more Requirements To get the most out of this tutorial, the following are highly recommended:. Pro Tools 7.1 or higher. Digidesign A.i.r Xpand Virtual Instrument.
The ability to get MIDI into Pro Tools, via a controller keyboard Step 1 Create a New Pro Tools session by launching Pro Tools. Select New Session from the File menu. For this tutorial, you can leave the default settings of the New Session dialog as-is.
Just type a name for the new Session in the “Save As” field and hit Save. You should now have a New Session with no tracks in it – like so. Step 2 Navigate to, and click on the Track menu and Select New from the list of menu items. Step 3 In the New Track dialog that appears, create one MIDI track by selecting MIDI Track from the Track Type drop-down menu (as pictured). But don’t hit “Create” just yet. Step 4 Still in the New Track dialog window, use the Add Row button – (the plus sign at the far right) – to add three more tracks.
Use the the two drop-down menus in the middle of the New Track window (called the Track Type and Track Format menus) to configure the tracks as follows:. Stereo Aux Input. Stereo Audio Track. Stereo Master Fader Once you’ve done this, check to make sure your New Track dialog looks like the picture (below this paragraph) and then hit “Create”. Step 5 In the Edit Window, your session should now look something like this. Step 6 At this point, let’s just take a few moments to customize the Edit Window.
This tutorial is written with everything being done in the Edit Window and this step will help ensure that we’re both looking at the same thing in Pro Tools. First, let’s make our I/O Settings visible in the Edit Window.
We can do this by navigating to the View menu, selecting the Edit Window sub-menu and then selecting I/O from the menu items. Step 7 We also need to make our Inserts visible in the Edit Window.
We can do this by navigating to the View menu, selecting the Edit Window sub-menu and then selecting Inserts from the menu items. Ok – now your Edit Window should be the same as what I’m looking at during this tutorial. Here’s what my screen looks like. Step 8 On the Aux Input’s first Insert, instantiate ( “insert”) the Xpand plug-in by selecting Xpand from your plug-ins list drop-down menu. Step 9 Assign the MIDI output of the MIDI track to the MIDI Input of the Xpand by doing the following:. Click on the output tab of the MIDI Track.
Select the Xpand 1 – Channel 1 from the MIDI Output tab’s pop-up menu Step 10 The default patch on the Xpand! Instrument is a pad sound called “Shimmer”. It has a really slow attack time (meaning it takes a few seconds before the sound is at full volume). So, for the purpose of this tutorial, I think we should use a patch with a little more attack – like an Acoustic Piano. On the Xpand, the word patch refers to a combination of up to four individual parts (A,B,C, and D), or sounds. The sounds are layered together to produce a richer overall sound, called a patch. The Xpand has over 1000 preset patches that utilize around 500 combinable parts.
At the top of the Xpand plug-in interface, click on the Plug-In Settings Select Button. It’s the little button with two overlapping squares. When you click on the Plug-In Settings Select Button, the Plug-In Settings Dialog opens. It will look something like this At the top-left of this window, you’ll notice drop-down folder selector/menu. (On my system, it always defaults to the “Action Pads” folder.) Click on this Selector to reveal a list of Xpand Patch folders. Navigate down the list to folder “13. Acoustic Piano”.
Now, the plug-in setting dialog will show you a list of all the different acoustic piano patches included in your Xpand library. Click on one that you want to work with and then click Done. Step 11 Record enable the MIDI Track by Clicking the Record Enable button. And use on of the following methods to start recording:. Press Command+Spacebar (Mac) / CTRL+Spacebar (Win). Press the number 3 on the numeric (ten keypad) keyboard.
Press the F12 key. Click the Record, then the Play button on a Pro Tools Transport Step 12 With Pro Tools recording, play four or eight bars of something on your MIDI keyboard. If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard connected to your Pro Tools system, you can.
It includes everything in the tutorial up to this point and has some MIDI already recorded on the MIDI track. Step 13 When you’re finished playing in some midi from your keyboard, hit the spacebar to stop recording.
Click on the Record Enable button on the MIDI Track to disarm Recording on that track. Step 14 Now that you’ve got some MIDI recorded, it’s a good idea to have a quick listen – just to make sure it’s playing back as you expect. Using your computer keyboard, play the session back by hitting the Return key to go back to the start of the session, and then hit the Spacebar to play. You could also click on the Return to Zero button in the Pro Tools Transport window followed by the Play button. Step 15 Before we can record the audio signal from the Xpand onto the Audio Track, we’ll need to route the Aux Input’s output to the Input of the Audio Track. First, locate the Audio Output Path Selector on the Aux Input. It’s located in the I/O section that we added to our Edit Window earlier.
Here’s what it looks like:. Click on the Output Path Selector. The pop-up menu will give you the option of choosing either “Interface” or “bus”. Mouse over to bus to reveal a list of your available busses. Select Bus 1-2 (Stereo) By the way, you could use any available bus that you wanted to. There’s nothing special about Bus 1-2. It’s just the first available one, so we’re using it here.
How To Use Pro Tools
Step 16 Ok – so we’ve got the Output of the Xpand track routed to Bus 1-2. But we still need to tell Bus 1-2 to travel to the Input of the Audio Track. Locate the Audio Input Path Selector on the Audio Track.
Just like the Aux Input, the Input and Output Path Selectors are located in the I/O panel that we added to the Edit Window earlier. Take a look When we click in on the Audio Track’s Input Path Selector, we’ll be given two options again; “Interface” or “bus”. Mouse over the “bus” option and then select Select Bus 1-2 (Stereo) from the list. Where we’re at so far Ok, so now you’ve got the MIDI part done. You’ve successfully set-up the MIDI routing and the Xpand instrument, recorded a MIDI performance and checked it, and then configured the I/O so that you’ve now got the output of the Xpand going into the Input of a new audio track, ready to record. Now, in the next set of steps, we’re going to put Pro Tools into Loop playback mode, discuss and set some recording levels, and then actually record.
Step 17 I’ve only recorded four bars of midi in my session. I want to put Pro Tools in Loop Playback mode so my short, four-bar passage plays repeatedly. That way I can take as much time as I need to check and set my levels.
To put Pro Tools into Loop Playback Mode, do the following: Navigate to, and click on the Options Menu. Select Loop Playback from the list of items.
Of course, you could also use any of these shortcuts:. Shift+⌘+L (Mac).
numeric keypad #4 (Mac/Win). Control-Click on the Play button (Mac) / Start-Click on Play button (Win). Right-Click on the Play button (Mac / Win) Step 18 We’ve enabled Loop Playback. But it requires that you have a Timeline Selection made so that Pro Tools knows where your loop starts and ends. An easy way to create a Timeline Selection that corresponds to a single region is to click on the region on your MIDI track’s playlist with the Grabber Tool.
If your MIDI track is currently in “Notes” view, you’ll need to change it to “Regions” view before clicking on it with the Grabber Click on the MIDI track’s Track View Selector and select Regions from the drop-down menu. This will change your MIDI track to “Regions” view. Now you can easily single-click on the region to make a selection.
This is the selection that will loop during playback. Note: If clicking on the midi Region on the MIDI track playlist doesn’t create a Timeline Selection for you, check to see that you’ve got the Link Timeline and Edit Selection feature enabled. The Link Timeline and Edit Selection button is located the black Edit Window bar that runs along the top of Edit Window. Check to make sure the Link Timeline and Edit Selection button is enabled (outlined in blue), then try Step 18 again.
Step 19 Record Enable the Audio Track by clicking on the Record Enable button on the audio track. Press the spacebar to start playback. Step 20 As the MIDI track is looping over and over, toggle the audio track in and out of Record Enable. Notice that you only hear the Xpand with the audio track Record Enabled. This is because you’re hearing Xpand playing back through the audio track’s input and output. It’s important to recognize that the meter activity on the audio track is showing it’s input volume – that is, the level the you’ll be recording.
To demonstrate this point, pull the Audio track’s fader all the way down. Notice that the meter is still showing the exact same activity. This brings a very important point into focus. Pro Tools channel faders do not control input (record) levels. Rather, a track’s channel faders only ever control the track’s Output Level.
The volume levels going into the track are always set at the source of the signal (ie: a hardware mixer, a microphone pre-amp, a synth, and so-on. In the case of this tutorial, our sound source is a virtual instrument on an Aux Input. That means that there’s at least five different places where we can control (in varying degrees) the level of the signal being sent to the input of the Audio Track.
They are:. Master Output Level Control in the Xpand Plug-In Interface. Part Output Level Control in the Xpand Plug-In Interface. Output Fader Level of the Aux Input where the Xpand is inserted. MIDI Velocity. MIDI Volume (MIDI Controller #7) Step 21 There’s allot that can be said about all the different stages of signal flow and the ways to control output vs. Input levels for the best results.
But for this tutorial, we’re going to pass on the advanced concepts and use a practical level-setting method using two basic controls. Master Output knob on the Xpand interface. Output fader of the Aux Input Start by clicking-holding on the Master Level control of the Xpand. Drag the knob up/down or left/right to adjust the overall volume of the Xpand.
As you do the relative value of gain being added will be displayed in the Xpand display screen. If you’ve added +6dB of gain with Xpand’s Master Level, yet still need some more gain to achieve a better recording level, then move onto the Aux Input’s output fader to push an even “hotter” signal out along Bus 1-2 to the Audio track’s input.
What IS a good level? As a general rule, what you’re aiming for when recording into Pro Tools is a clean and strong signal that doesn’t clip. It’s ok if a track has quieter portions, too. But on average, you want the loudest parts of the signal peaking somewhere in the range of -6db to -3db on the level meters. That’s where the level meter in Pro Tools fades from Green to Yellow.
Step 22 Double-Click on the Audio track’s Track Name label to reveal the Track Name dialog. Naming your Audio tracks before recording onto them is the way to go. I consider it the easiest way to ensure that I don’t end up with a bunch of audio files with meaningless names like “audio101”, “audio201” when I’m working. I think you will, too.
It’s time to record! So, make sure you’re Audio track is still Record enabled, hit Return to make sure you’re at the start of the session and start recording using one of the following methods:. Press Command+Spacebar (Mac) / CTRL+Spacebar (Win). Press the number 3 on the numeric (ten keypad) keyboard. Press the F12 key. Click the Record, then the Play button on a Pro Tools Transport When your recording is done, hit Spacebar to stop recording.
Click the Record Enable button to disable recording on the track. A little tip. When setting your Timeline selection to record, make sure to add extra time to the end of your selection to allow the decay of reverb or delay effect to be recorded properly. Step 24 Now that you’ve finished recording the Xpand part as audio, you can make the Aux Input and the Xpand plug-in Inactive. This will free up the CPU resources that they were using while giving you the option making them Active again if you need to. You won’t lose any settings at all. Right-Click on the Aux Input track’s Name (Track Label) Select Make Inactive Step 25 Now that the Aux Input and the Xpand are Inactive, and you’re not using the MIDI track at the moment, it’s not a bad idea to Hide them from view.
This will keep them in the session, available at any time. But they won’t taking up valuable screen real-estate.
Click on the Aux Input track label to select it Shift-Click on the MIDI track label to add it to the selection Right-Click on the MIDI track name to reveal a mini-menu Select Hide Sign up and learn Pro Tools online with access to over 175 Pro Tools tutorial videos that teach you Recording, Editing, Mixing, MIDI and more. Very valuable tutorial here, but I would add a little something! Correct me if I’m wrong but you’re working with PT 7.4 and the alternative way to get this job done is to use an Instrument track instead of an Aux and MIDI.
I’m aware that at the end of the day it won’t make any “audio” differences, but I personaly find this way easier to handle. Also during the level calibration on purpose to “print” the track, setting the plugin level quite low (let’s say -10dB), setting the “under fader” section to peak (Control Click), then play all the track to check the peak, then raising the plugin level until the peak level reach the -6 to -3 dBFS (just a rough mathematical). Thank you again for this great tutorial which helps loads beginners to reach a proper sound. Thanks for sharing your insights. Glad you like the tutorial.
Yes you could use an Instrument track as an alternative to a MIDI+Aux track. I’ve met allot of users who love using Instrument tracks. Funnily enough, I prefer using the MIDI+Aux track combo instead of Instrument tracks. I find it easier because I feel it makes the way I relate to the mixer more consistent by keeping all my mute and solo buttons uniform through the session.
That saves me time in the long run. Especially when using multi-timbral instruments. Your suggestion to use the control-click (to display the peak value below the fader) is an excellent tip, too. I’m not sure I understand exactly what the problem is. Assigning a hard drive to record to is done in the New Session dialog window when you first create the session. But have you checked the workspace browser to make sure the drive you’re using is not set to P or T?
It should be set to R (for record). There’s quite a few variables at work when it comes to troubleshooting any problem. But when Pro Tools stops you from recording, it’s fairly common that users inadvertently have their Record volume (drive) set to Playback or Transfer volume in the workspace browser (found under the window menu). Do you know about the DUC? The Digidesign User Conference is a good place to look for help on these kinds of support issues. You can find it here.
Input Only Monitoring allows you to hear the input of the record track when it’s record enabled. Auto Input Monitoring let’s you hear the input ONLY when you’re actually recording.
You’ll need to change your set-up to Input Only Monitoring. Depending on which version of PT you’re using: Operations Menu (older version 6). Track Menu in PT 7 & 8 (Not in front of PT at the moment, so I might be off on which menu it is).
Also – you can use the shortcut option+K (mac) and alt+k (win) to toggle between the two modes. Chris- this little detail I just cant figure out how to. First, let me paint the canvas. My rig: PT 8.0 MAC Pro w/ HUI. Works well; only issue I am seeing is that I cannot “audition” an audio track unless I have it recording. In other words- if I recorded a piano track; drums, etc.
Now I want to record a guitar; when I arm that track and hit “play”, unless I actually record it; I can’t hear it. Seems this issue I noticed when I upgraded the software. Anyhow, I just don’t know how to set it to allow me to “audition” while on playback. Please advise. Great tutorial Chris. I’m new to Pro Tools 8 LE and have an iMac the new big one, Eleven Rack and a set of M-Audio monitors. I have a bunch of synths left over from the 80’s that I’m looking forward to integrating into the basic setup.
Reading your tutorial got me on the right road to getting the Alpha Juno 2 up and running. The Korg M1 is next and then I’ll have a go at the the Roland D50. Only stuck one one thing at the moment.
When I record a second MIDI track it messes up the program changes on the existing track. What I’m trying to end up with is a 3 or 4 MIDI tracks – each playing different programs back through the Alpha – got any ideas what I need to do? Yes I know exactly what the problem is. The Alpha Juno 2 is a Mono-Timbral device. That means it can only play one sound at a time via MIDI. Your goal of having three or four MIDI tracks triggering the Alpha Juno 2 at the same time can’t be accomplished. However, you could do the first track, then print it as audio on an audio track in Pro Tools.
Then move onto the second track, same thing. You’ll encounter the same problem with the Roland D-50, too.
The M1, on the other hand, is 8 parts multi-timbral and you’ll be able to accomplish your goal using that instrument. You’re Welcome. You don’t have to record the MIDI parts as audio if you don’t want to. However, there’s a number of benefits to committing your MIDI tracks to audio. You free up CPU that a Virtual Instrument can take up. If you are using a hardware sound module, recording it as audio ensures you’ll have a working version of the session even if the hardware (which is sometimes borrowed, rented, or broken) isn’t available.
You have a version of the session that you can share with other people who probably don’t have the exact same setup as you. and so on Of course – there’s also benefits to keeping the tracks happening as MIDI tracks, too.
So there’s no rule. Just benefits to each way of working.
I go back and forth several times during the course of a session depending on the need of the moment: work with MIDI tracks → turn them into audio and deactivate (but keep) the MIDI tracks → realize I need to tweak something and re-activate the MIDI track again, work with that for a while → record that tweaked version as audio, etc. It’s actually a really good question because there are certain modes and features in Pro Tools that can make it behave counter intuitively.
The Link Timeline and Edit Selection button may be disabled on your system. This is the button just below the Grabber Tool button in the Toolbar. When it is activated you can simply click with the Selector Tool anywhere on the track and you’ll be able to start playback or recording there. Tip: The work flow you are describing would benefit greatly from using the Pre and Post Roll times on the Transport. Sounds like you may have written some automation to the track without knowing it.
In short, you can do one of two things:. switch the track from Read to Off using the Automation mode selector (located just below the Solo and Mute buttons on the track channel). clear the automation that you’ve written using the Edit → Cut Special → All Automation function. You’ll need to be sure and select the portion of the track where the automation is currently written and if you’re not sure where that is just yet, this option wouldn’t be as good as the first. This question is for Chris Bryant, or anyone that has an answer: I have Pro Tools 8, a Roland Fantom x6, a digidesign interface, and a midi to USB cable. I am trying to record into Pro Tools what I have already recorded on my Fantom. I have the midi to USB chord set up correctly, and I have the settings in Pro Tools set so that all I have to do is select 8 bars, hit spacebar, and the Pro Tools will receive the audio from the keyboard.
My only problem is that it does not pick up the first millisecond of all of my tracks. For instance, I go to record the kick drum into Pro Tools, but the very first kick drum is cut off in the middle, while the rest sound just fine.
Can someone help me? Without really knowing the ins-and-outs and finer details of your setup, it’s tricky to say exactly what’s happening. So, my best suggestion in the meantime is to just insert a bar of blank space at the beginning of the pattern in the Fantom, then record 9 bars, and trim the excess off of the start of the region when you’re done. Then consolidate the edited region or Export is as File if you need it as a Whole File. Also, MIDI timing is not sample accurate. I tend to expect sample-sized, or even millisecond offsets when tracking MIDI instruments.
Perhaps even more so if you’re triggering the MIDI instrument from Pro Tools via USB and then recording the audio output from that MIDI instrument into a Pro Tools Audio Track (via and USB interface, perhaps?). Just saying that what you’re experiencing – if it’s a one millisecond offset – is not totally uncommon. This tutorial is a great resource. I have a question/problem, and it may be an easy fix. I am using Pro Tools M Powered.
Windows 7 64-bit. I have an Akai MPD26. I use EX Drummer for drum sounds. I want to use my Akai to make drum beats loops in Pro Tools. I can get the Akai to connect and manually play the pads, but I cannot get the Akai to work in record mode, as I see everyone online has been able to do.
Do I need to adjust settings? Do I need to get additional software? I am at a loss. I am obviously new at this, so please forgive my ignorance if this is an easy thing.
This is a fantastic tutorial. Thanks so much! I’ve got a question. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciate! I’m using an MBox2 and ProTools 8 (LE).
I have successfully been able to sync my keyboard so that my pre-recorded keyboard sequences play in sync with the tempo of the MBox2. And I can successfully record MIDI from the keyboard.
I can also hear the keyboard when I’m playing it through the Mbox2 monitor outputs. However, when I try to record audio from the keyboard I get a loud hiss of white noise. I’m guessing it’s got something to do with routing, but I haven’t figured it out yet. As soon as I activate the record button on my audio track I hear the white noise.
It’s not coming through the MBox, because I can turn the Mbox inputs down all the way and it doesn’t affect the levels of the white noise. It’s very strange. I can hear the keyboard play through the MBox (that’s how the monitors are set up).
But I can’t get ProTools to record audio from the MBox. It doesn’t change when I change my audio inputs (unless I change them to “bus,” which silences the white noise but doesn’t give me audio — however, when I do that, there’s no sound through the keyboard; the only sound is through the Xpand2). I love the Xpand2, but I want the sound samples/patches from my keyboard. Here’s how it’s routed now: MIDI input = ALL (to receive notes from keyboard sequences) MIDI output = MBox2, Port 1 (to send sync to keyboard) Aux 1 insert = Xpand2 Aux 1 input = TR 626 (my drum machine, when I hooked it up, the ProTools read its ID and stopped showing me the MBox2 input option — However, I think I have successfully recorded audio through MBox2 despite the fact that the input menu says TR 626). If I change my Aux input to Path 1, I still get the white noise.
(I created Path 1 using Setup, I/O, new path, through the MBox 2). Aux 1 output = Bus 3-4 Audio input = Path 1 (if I change it to TR 626 I still get the white noise). Can you help me figure this out? I’d greatly appreciate it!