Pro Tools Tutorial Youtube

Michael Remming · From: Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)

I just found this Pro Tools for Beginners Lessons on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwVgaBOvP9s

Good info if your just starting out or like me you can't remember what you did yesterday.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

its even easier than discussed ! This one appears to be a tad busy...

remember, create simple templates 2,3,4,5 or more audio tracks with a stereo Master Fader

start your projects with one of the simple templates you have created, makes for an easy life.

Assign the inputs to each track ( where is the signal coming from)

Assign the outputs of each track, should be all the same.

SAVE AS

Go back and add some effects that you know you will use for each track, title the tracks as well for consistency.

SAVE

Open both the MIX and the EDIT screen, size them..

SAVE

Make sure you have the TRANSPORT available.

save

ARM a track, RED buttons..

record

SAVE AS with new project title

also

open and review the added templates already in Pro Tools, Tools..look at them , maybe use one of those as a starting point, delete what you don't need.

SAVE AS

Learn other features as needed. Learn edits as needed

Learn Automation as needed

remember, Don't try to learn it all in one day or one session, it took over 3 Centuries to build the Great Wall of China...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Mark Wayne · From: Wisconsin, USA

Michael, Tony is right. I was 15 years on Cool Edit / Audition, and then last summer I switched to Pro Tools. Many nights I've been up til about 4am, learning this DAW (digital audio workstation), since then....and still am :eek

I've summized that Audition is far easier then Pro Tools to operate, but not as versatile and CPU friendly when running multiple effects (even on buses), however, Pro Tools crashes just like every other DAW out there, but I set it to save every couple of minutes. A control surface like the Avid Artist Series "Control" helps relieve the constant mousing.

I've found that taking A LOT of notes when you come to a victory in figuring out a troublespot is very advantageous. I had to learn the Mac and Protools at the same time.

The AimTVSyndey videos have helped me some in the beginning stages of PT. Looking at it long-term is what my goal is on this (for it's capability and compatibility with other studios), but it's going to take alot of hand's on for a bit..
_________________
Mark Wayne Krutke
****markwayne.biz****

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

well I'm not sure about either the easier or the crashing part. I ran PT8 on XP, it's still running and I didn't experience crashes, if it did it was an XP issue. I currently run PT12 on WIN 7 /64 bit, 10 gig ram, I loaded in Nov of last year , I run everyday, so far not ONE crash and I don't expect any.

Pro Tools gets a very bad rap from many folks and more often that not it is not optimized for the OP system or there is a compatibility issue going on with a driver here and there, and then PT gets the blame.

I have read on countless forums where PT was blamed for all sorts of stuff, turns out more often than not it was installed incorrectly, the user missed a step. They did what us men do..they don't follow directions and when something goes wrong its not our fault ! It's obviously the software.

here is a link to my Pro Tools 12 install, I followed the download and installation to a T.. Not a single issue has popped up.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=290534

Regarding learning and operating, thats more personal than anything. Like any software package. Put the exact same software in front of 50 people ,25 will run it no problem , 10 will have minimal struggle, another 10 will find it difficult but still be able to work with it and 5 will tell you it doesn't work at all and then tell the rest of the planet how bad it is.

Pro Tools is indeed a full production package but doesn't have to be. It can be operated in the most simplistic form day in and day out. A couple of tracks and a master fader.. But like EVERY DAW the inputs and the outputs need to be set up properly and the drivers need to be current , that is not unique to Pro Tools.

Plus there are many new era interfaces that are sold with drivers that are not up to date and that will cause grief and in some cases will not even operate. Then PT gets blamed.

My recommendations, no different than learning an instrument, start with a simple layout , a couple of tracks, become proficient and comfortable with that. Then add features as you go.

A full production package is NOT for everyone, I would agree ,and it doesn't LOOK or feel like a simple or free package and it's not supposed to.

The intent of the TWO view screens (edit and mix) is to allow the engineer to see whats happening while working, while listening, make changes on the fly. BIG PICTURE. Although it is not necessary to view both screens and you don't have to, when you do it creates an atmosphere of full access. hence, full production package. The engineer is now part of the full process.

regardless, Pro Tools can be setup in the most simplistic fashion to mirror the most basic setup of any DAW out there. One track if desired.

Most of us use MS Word, we type a simple letter and hit print. We ignore all those templates and tool bars that we have no clue what they do . If we look at Pro Tools or any other full production DAW as an elaborate entity then we will never see the simplicity in it.

Go slow, add features when necessary...record a few tracks..play with it..mix it, learn how to edit etc. The engineer is an integral part of the process. Turn off the stuff that you don't want to see...everything can be turned off with a simple mouse click.

Think of it this way, an artist has a canvas and all of the colors on a pallet available to them. They are thinking big picture all the time and creating, changing , as they go. They see the end result before it is finished.

Also keep in mind that Google and the forums are full of experts, just ask them. In many cases they know less than you.

Many of us say a DAW such as Pro Tools is loaded up with unnecessary Bells and Whistles. An Artist would call them a variety of paint colors.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Mark Wayne · From: Wisconsin, USA

Tony, that is great that your PC is running so well.

But, Michael, computers are not respectors of persons. The last thing you want to do is trust that your DAW (or PC/Mac) is faithful, for then you will be lulled into a false sense of security, followed by it freezing or crashing for no apparent reason (depending on how much it's being pushed among other factors)...and you lost the last 3 hours of a great session. The DAW forums are filled will these testimonies. It isn't always the DAW's fault, or it may be, so we must learn to SAVE all the time. Many times during a session. Alot of variables here.

Upon saying that, Pro Tools will be my DAW for the long haul probably. Fortunately (as we probably know), being the "industry standard," PT has nearly every possible troubleshooting scenario covered through YouTube vids, or the helpful Avid Forum.

There'll always be tradeoffs in DAW comparisons: Audition has better representation of visual DB values than PT, but I read that it is done deliberately by PT so one will use their ears more than their eyes. This may be why Audition is used by more radio facilities it seems. Older versions of Audition (what I have) did not have the useful "Beat Detective" feature. Keyboard shortcuts are easier to establish in Audition, but Avid's control surfaces seem to connect better with Pro Tools (same company, ha).
These have been my experiences, and may or may not be yours.
_________________
Mark Wayne Krutke
****markwayne.biz****

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I certainly agree with Mark on the PC/MAC thing . A package like PT's or Sonar etc are not simple load and go DAW's they require a PC/Mac to be efficiently setup to handshake with the DAW.

I like Audacity, I also have it, I actually do not consider it a full featured DAW but rather just recording software with some nice add-ons. I don't compare them other than they both can record audio. After that they are worlds apart. One is free, one is not !

And yes, Pro Tools has a 5 min Auto Save as default.

As a member of many Pro Tools forums ( PC based)it is kind of silly that 100 people can have PT 12 loaded, 75 have no issues and the other 25 complain that the software, the EXACT SAME software ,is full of bugs and keeps crashing.

The issue is all 100 have different PC's, different daily tasks, probably different drivers, different routines etc...different mind sets on PC setup as well.

In addition they may be running a DAW PC along with other daily internet things they do and the very famous WIN auto updates are ON.

Both of my DAW PC's ( Xp and 7) are alone on an island,the internet connection is disabled and NO AUTO UPDATES. One Auto Update can send your DAW audio preferences and driver preferences into oblivion. Don't update unless you know with certainty why you are doing it.

after I went from 8 to 12 ( 8 is still running across the room on XP) I was told by many GOOGLE PT experts that Audio Suite doesn't work in 12. I used Audio Suite in 8 all the time. So I was puzzled. I would select an operation and yes as the experts said it looked like it worked but didn't. I was really puzzled , why would it work in 8 but not 12 ? I could find no info from AVID. But I kept digging, low and behold I found one post on a forum where a user stated that a radio button inside the Audio Suite option needed to be selected, this button is not in 8, but in 12 and was kinda ambiguous in it's label. So I clicked the button and all of the Audio Suite options came alive. Ok so Avid wasn't clear in a manual, shame on them, but it's not a bug and those experts were flat out wrong. The fact of the matter is Audio Suite in 12 ( maybe 11 too) has been updated with exceptionally nice features for daily use. I think they just assumed we would click the radio button or they overlooked the written instruction. To me the button lable implied OFF rather than ON. Thats not a bug it's a definition. A bug is something that actually doesn't work and needs to be fixed.

One thing is true, when a product software engineer writes a manual they write it in a manner that they understand, hopefully others will as well, but thats not always the case. I have found a few other things that I wish they wrote differently but thats just me, others understood it just fine. I'm ok with it. There is no way possible to write software for EVERYONE to understand every instruction.

over and out...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

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