Introduction to Pro Tools | First

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Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to Pro Tools | First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Connecting Headphones or Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Launching Pro Tools | First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Configuring Pro Tools | First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Creating a New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Measuring Time in Minutes and Seconds or Bars and Beats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Importing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Editing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sequencing MIDI with a Virtual Instrument Plug-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mixing and Plug-In Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Exporting Your Mix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Pro Tools | First Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Learn More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Contents

iii

iv

Pro Tools | First Installation Guide

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

If you are new to Pro Tools | First, please review
this guide. This guide provides examples of how to
record, edit, and mix audio, as well as how to use
MIDI in Pro Tools | First.
If you have not yet installed Pro Tools | First, install it now according to the instructions in the
Pro Tools | First Installation Guide. For information on connecting and installing drivers for your
audio and MIDI hardware, refer to the manufacturers instructions.

Launching Pro Tools | First

To launch Pro Tools | First software:
1

Make sure your audio interface (if any) is

connected to your computer and powered on.

Do one of the following:

On Mac, click the Pro Tools First shortcut in
your Dock (or double-click the application
icon in Macintosh HD/Applications/
Avid/Pro Tools First).

For topic-specific help with Pro Tools | First,

refer to Pro Tools | First Help (Help >
Pro Tools | First Help).

Connecting Headphones or
Speakers
To hear the audio from Pro Tools | First, connect
headphones or speakers to your computers audio
interface. If you are using headphones, lower the
Headphone level (by turning it counterclockwise).
If you are using speakers, lower the Master volume
level (by turning it counterclockwise). It is important to start with the volume sufficiently low to
avoid damaging your ears or your equipment.
Once you have started Pro Tools | First and opened
a project (or created a new one) you can adjust the
volume controls to a comfortable listening level.

On Windows, double-click the Pro Tools

First shortcut on your desktop (or the application in Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools First).
3

On launch, you are prompted to sign in to your

MyAvid account with your registered email address and password. Enable the Keep me signed
in option if desired.

Click the Sign In button and sign in to your

MyAvid account.
You can also sign out or sign in while
Pro Tools | First is running by choosing
File > Sign In.

In the Dashboard window, do one of

the following:
Create a new project from template.
Create a new blank project.
Open an existing project (if any).
Click the Cancel button to configure
Pro Tools | First without a project open.
For more information about the Dashboard
and projects, refer to Pro Tools | First Help
(Help > Pro Tools | First Help).
Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Configuring Pro Tools | First

Before you get started using Pro Tools | First
software you should configure Pro Tools | First to
meet the specific needs of your studio. Launch
Pro Tools | First, cancel out of the Dashboard
window, and configure the Setup options.

Playback Engine
The Playback Engine lets you select your audio interface and set the default stereo channel outputs
for tracks in your Pro Tools | First project. You can
also optimize the audio engine for recording or
playing back audio.

Default Output

From the Default Output selector, select stereo output channels on your audio interface or the built-in
sound of your computer that you want to be the default output channels for newly created tracks.
This also controls your audition path and what is
displayed for the main output meters in both the
Edit and Transport windows.
Sample Rate

If no project is open, the Sample Rate selector lets

you specify the sample rate for new projects and
your audio interface (not all audio interfaces support all Pro Tools | First sample rates). If a project
is open, the sample rate of the project is displayed.
Optimize Engine For

Select one of the following options for optimizing

the audio engine. Note that you will want to switch
between these two options depending on whether
you are recording audio and MIDI or if you are
playing back and mixing audio.
Playback Engine dialog

Playback Engine

From the Playback Engine selector, select your audio interface or the built-in sound of your computer for playback and recording in
Pro Tools | First.
When Windows Audio Device is selected as
the Playback Engine, you can choose both an
Input and Output device. Avid recommends
that the same device be selected for both Input and Output.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Record

Select the Record option for recording in

Pro Tools | First. This option provides the lowest
latency between the audio input and output of your
audio interface. The option is also useful for reducing performance latency if you are playing Virtual
Instrument plug-ins from a MIDI controller.

Playback

To create a new project:

Select the Playback option for playback and mixing with plug-ins. This option introduces noticeable latency between the audio input and output of
your audio interface, so it is not intended for monitoring while recording or for real-time performance of Virtual Instrument plug-ins. However,
this option is optimized for plug-in processing, as
well as audio and MIDI playback. If you encounter
problems in projects with lots of plug-ins when the
Record option is enabled, try using the Playback
option instead.

If Pro Tools | First is not already running,

launch Pro Tools | First and sign in to your
MyAvid account.

In the Dashboard, click the Create tab on the

left.

Hardware Setup
Configure your audio interface using its own Control Panel (consult the manufacturers instructions
for information specific to your audio interface).
This will be audio interface that is selected as the
Playback Engine in the Playback Engine dialog.
To configure your audio interface:
1

In Pro Tools | First, choose Setup > Hardware.

Pro Tools | First launches the Control Panel for

your audio hardware.

Configure your audio hardware to suit your

needs according to the manufacturers instructions.

Creating a New Project

This section shows you how to create a new project. You can create a new project when you first
launch Pro Tools | First. Each project and all referenced media are stored in your MyAvid Cloud account and cached locally. Pro Tools | First provides a limited number of projects for free.

Dashboard window
3

To create a blank project, ensure that the Create

From Template option is deselected. If you want
to create a new project from a template, select
the Create From Template option and select the
desired template from the Template list.

Type a Name for your project.

Click the Create button.

If you created a project from a template, the new

project includes tracks based on the template. If
you did not create a project from a template, you
created a new blank project with no tracks. Next,
you will want to create new tracks for audio recording.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Recording Audio
Connect a Microphone or
Instrument to your Audio
Interface
To connect a microphone or an instrument, do one
of the following:

If you are using a microphone, connect it to a

Mic/Line input on your audio interface using an
XLR cable.

If you are using an instrument, connect it to a DI

input on your audio interface using a 1/4-inch
cable.

If you want to record two inputs at once

(Pro Tools | First supports recording up to four
channels simultaneously depending on your audio
interface), create one stereo track or two mono
tracks depending on what you have plugged in and
what you plan to record:
To record two different sources (such as one vocal mic and one electric guitar), create 2 Mono
audio tracks. This lets you record two input signals simultaneously. After recording, these can
be edited, processed, and balanced independently.
To record a two-channel stereo source (such as a
stereo keyboard), create 1 Stereo audio track.
4

Make sure the Mix window is open by choosing

Window > Mix.

In the middle of the new tracks channel strip,

notice where it says Analog 1 (Mono) (note
that the name of this input may vary based on
your connected hardware device). This shows
which Input channel (Input 1 or Input 2) is assigned to this track. (To specify a different Input
channel, click the Audio Input Path selector and
choose the other channel.)

Create a Track
Pro Tools | First uses tracks for recording audio
and MIDI in a project. Before you can record audio, you need to create an Audio track.
To create and prepare an audio track for recording:
1

Create a new project, or open an existing

project.

Choose Track > New.

To record a single microphone or instrument

connected to your audio interface, set the New
Tracks dialog for 1 Mono Audio Track, in Samples, and click Create.

Creating a new mono audio track

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Audio Input
Path selector

Record Your Performance to a

Track
To record an audio track:
1

Ensure that the Audio Engine is optimized for

recording (Setup > Playback Engine).

Click the tracks Record Enable button to arm

the track for recording. The button flashes red.

Track meter

Record Enable button

Record enabling a track in the Mix window

3

Sing or play into the mic, or play your instrument.

Watch the meter level in the track while you raise

the Input Gain on your audio interface. (Note that
moving the on-screen fader has no effect on input
levels; its only for adjusting monitoring levels.)
4

In the Transport window, click the Return to

Zero button, or press the Return key (Mac) or
the Enter key on the alpha-numeric keyboard
(Windows) if you want to start recording from
the beginning of the project.

Turn the Input Gain up on your audio interface

until you see the on-screen track meter show
green most of the time, or yellow for louder passages. If the track meter shows red, gain is too
high and you should lower the Input Gain. If
you barely see green in the track meter, gain is
too low; raise the Input Gain.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Click the Record button in the Transport to record arm the project. The button flashes red.
(This tells Pro Tools | First that you are happy
with your levels and are ready to recordthink
of this as a master record enable button for the
project.)
Return to Zero

Play

Choose Window > Edit so you can watch what

happens when you record.

When you are ready to start recording, press the

Spacebar or click the Play button in the Transport. The Transport Record button and the
tracks Record Enable button turn solid red
while recording.

To stop recording, press the Spacebar again or

click the Stop button in the Transport. (The
Transport Record button disengages, but the
tracks Record Enable button remains enabled
and flashes red until you click it).

You have just recorded your first audio track!

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

After you have recorded some audio, you can play

it back for review, editing, and mixing.
To play back a recorded track:
1

Click the tracks Record Enable button again to

take it out of Record mode. The Record Enable
button stops flashing red.

To start playback, press the Spacebar or click

Play in the Transport.

To stop playback, press the Spacebar or click

Stop in the Transport.

Record

Transport, record enabled

A mono audio track after recording

Listen to Your Recording

Record More Tracks

Simply repeat the same steps to create another audio track (mono or stereo) and continue recording
more tracks. In this way, you can record additional
parts against the tracks you have recorded previously. This is a common production technique for
layering different parts to create an arrangement of
a song.
If you want to monitor your performance
while recording through Pro Tools | First,
ensure that the Audio Engine is optimized for
recording. In the Playback Engine dialog
(Setup > Playback Engine), select the Record
option.

Measuring Time in Minutes and Seconds or Bars and Beats

Pro Tools | First lets you measure time in minutes and seconds (absolute time), or bars and beats (relative
time). For music production, it is often desirable to measure time in bars and beats. The timing of beats is
relative in that it depends on the tempo. The timing of bars is relative in that it depends on the meter.
Pro Tools | First lets you set tempo and meter changes using markers in the project Timeline at the top of
the Edit window. These settings scale the relative time of bars and beats against the absolute time of minutes and seconds (or samples). This distinction is referred to in Pro Tools | First as tick-based (relative)
time versus sample-based (absolute) time, and both audio and MIDI data can be set to follow either on a
track-by-track basis (for more information, see Help > Pro Tools | First Help).
The Main Time Scale for the projects timeline is set to Min:Secs (minutes and seconds) by default, but you
can change the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats (bars and beats) if you want to record with a click track in
a specified meter at a specified tempo. Setting the Main Time Scale to bars and beats is also useful if you
want to create, edit, and arrange audio and MIDI on a bar/beat grid.

Main Counter

Grid mode
Timebase
Rulers

Timeline
Timeline and Main Counter (with the Main Time Scale set to Minutes and Seconds)

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Changing the Main Time Scale

In the Transport, ensure that the Metronome and

Count Off buttons are selected.

Ensure that the Conductor button is enabled if

you want the click to follow the project tempo
(on the Timeline). Disable the Conductor button
if you want to adjust the tempo manually.

Press the Spacebar or click the Play button in

the Transport to start playback and hear the
click.

To set the Main Time Scale:

Click the Counter selector (located at the top of

the Edit window) and select either Bars|Beats
or Min:Sec.

To set the Click settings:

Main Counter selector (in the Edit window)

Choose Setup > Click/Countoff.

Recording with a Click Track

A click track provides a metronomic click for
tempo reference while recording. Set the Main
Scale to Bar|Beats to record and edit your track
material according to the specified meter and
tempo instead of Min:Secs.
To create a click track:
1

Choose Track > Create Click Track.

Pro Tools | First creates a new Auxiliary Input

track with the Click II plug-in on the first track insert. When you start playback or recording, the
click provides a countoff and continues according
to the meter and tempo map in the Timeline.
Tempo
Count Off button

Click/Countoff Options dialog

2

Select one of the following options:

During play and recordthe click sounds during

playback and recording.
Only during recordthe click only sounds while
recording and not during playback.
Only during countoffthe click only sounds
when counting off before recording or playback
starts.
3

Metronome button
Conductor button

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Click OK.

To silence the click track, do one of the following:

Mute the Click track by clicking the M (Mute)

button in the Track controls for the Click track.

In the Transport, deselect the Metronome button

so that it is not highlighted blue. Also, deselect
the Count Off button so it is not highlighted.
(Doing both silences the click track and disables
Count Off.)

Press 7 on the numeric keypad (if available).

Meter Change window

Setting the Project Meter

Be sure to set the project meter to match the meter
of your music. If your projects meter does not
match the music youre recording, the accented
clicks from the Click track will not line up with
what youre playing, and, as a result, the recorded
material may not align with the bars and beats grid
in the Edit window.
To set the meter for a project:
1

Double-click the Current Meter button in the

Transport window.

From the Click pop-up menu, select a note value

for the beat. (For example, if you are in 4/4, select a quarter note; or, if you are in 6/8, select a
dotted-quarter note).

Click OK to insert the new meter event.

Setting the Project Tempo

New projects default to a tempo of 120 BPM. If
you want to record with a click at a tempo other
than 120 BPM, make sure to set the tempo accordingly.
To change the project tempo:
1

Current Meter button

2

Enter the Meter for the project and set the

Location to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the inserted
meter event replaces the default).

Do one of the following:

Double-click the Song Start Marker in the Edit

window.
Click the Add Tempo Change button (+) at the
head of the Tempo track.
Song Start Marker

Tempo track

Add Tempo Change button

Tempo ruler
Introduction to Pro Tools | First

In the Tempo Change dialog, enter the BPM

value for the project.

Using Manual Tempo Mode

In Manual Tempo mode, Pro Tools | First ignores
tempo events in the Tempo track and instead plays
back a Manual Tempo. This tempo can be set numerically by tapping in the tempo.
To set tempo manually:
1

Tempo Change dialog

In the Transport, disable the Tempo track by

clicking the Conductor button so it is not highlighted. Pro Tools | First switches to Manual
Tempo mode. In this mode, any tempo events in
the Tempo track are ignored.

You can type in a specific tempo, or you can

use the T key to tap in the tempo.
3

Set the Location to 1|1|000 (to ensure that the inserted tempo event replaces the default project
tempo).

From the Resolution pop-up menu, select the

note value for the beat. (For example, if you are
in 6/8, select a dotted-quarter note.)

Click OK.

Tempo Resolution
Tempo
Conductor button
Manual Tempo mode
2

Click the Tempo Resolution selector and select

a note value. (For example, if you are in 6/8, select the dotted-quarter note, or if you are in 3/4,
select the quarter note.)

To enter a new tempo, do one of the following:

Click the Tempo value, type a new number, and

press Enter.
Click the Tempo value and drag up or down to
change the setting. For finer resolution, hold
Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) while
dragging.
Click the Tempo value and press the T key on
your computer keyboard at the desired tempo to
set the value.

10

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Importing Audio
Many music production workflows include using
audio loops and audio from sample libraries. For
example, you can use drum loops instead of a click
track for recording. You can even combine and
arrange audio loops and one-shot samples from a
variety of sources to create a whole new piece of
music.
Pro Tools | First provides a number of ways to
import audio files from different sources into a
project. You can import audio from a hard drive, a
network volume, an audio CD, or removable
media using the Import Audio command, or by
dragging from a Workspace browser, or from the
Finder (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Windows).

Using the Import Audio

Command
The Import Audio command lets you import audio
files or clips into your project.
To import audio files or clips into a project using
the Import Audio command:
1

Choose File > Import.

Press Command+Shift+I (Mac) or Control+
Shift+I (Windows) to import audio.

In the resulting Open dialog, navigate to and select the audio file you want to import.

Click Open.

In the Audio Import Options dialog, select one

of the following:

Clip List Imports the selected audio to the Clip List

without placing it on a new track. Imported audio
files appear in the Clip List and can then be
dragged to audio tracks in the project.

Audio Import Options dialog

5

If you selected the New Track option, select a

one of the following options from the Location
selector:

Session Start Places the file or clip at the start of

the project.
Song Start Aligns the beginning of the file or clip
to the Song Start marker.
Selection Aligns the beginning of the file or clip to
the edit cursor or to the beginning of a selection in
the Timeline.
Spot Displays the Spot dialog, which lets you spot

the file or clip to a precise time location (measure

in either in Minutes and Seconds or Bars and
Beats).
6

Click OK.

New Track Creates a new track and places the imported audio at the selected Location on the time-

line.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

11

Importing Files by Dragging

Pro Tools | First lets you import audio, MIDI, and region group files by dragging them from a Workspace
browser, the Mac Finder, or Windows Explorer to the Pro Tools | First application icon, the project
Timeline, a track, or the Clip List.

Workspace

Drop media files to existing tracks,

or to the Edit window to add as new tracks

Importing from browsers by drag and drop

12

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Drop files in the

Clip List to import

Editing Audio

To resize the Track Height of any track in the Edit

window:

Pro Tools | First lets you edit audio on tracks by

trimming, separating, cutting or copying and pasting, moving, re-arranging, and more!

Zooming in the Edit Window

When working in the Edit window, you will want
to view clips on tracks at different zoom levels depending on the task at hand. For instance, if you are
arranging clips, you will probably want to zoom
out to see more of the timeline as well as change
track heights to see most of the tracks in the project. However, if you are engaged in detailed editing, you will probably want to zoom in closely and
work on only one or two tracks with greater track
heights. Pro Tools | First provides several ways to
zoom in and out on the timeline as well as adjust
tracks heights to fit your needs.
Changing Track Heights

Tracks can be viewed in the Edit window from

heights ranging from tiny to huge, from all tracks
showing in the Edit window to a single track filling
the entire Edit window. Larger track heights are
particularly useful for precise editing, especially
for MIDI. Smaller track heights are useful for conserving screen space in a large project.
You can adjust track heights on a track-by-track
basis or set all tracks to the same height. Track
heights can be changed during playback.

Drag the bottom line of any given tracks Track

Controls column up or down. The cursor
changes to indicate that you can resize the track.

The tracks Track Height changes incrementally.

Hold Command (Mac) or Control
(Windows) while adjusting track height for
continuous, non-incremental adjustments.
To continuously resize all tracks, Optiondrag (Mac) or Alt-drag (Windows).
To continuously resize all selected tracks,
Option-Shift-drag (Mac) or Alt-Shift-drag
(Windows).
To resize all tracks proportionally:

In the lower left of the Edit window, click either

the Vertical Zoom In or the Vertical Zoom Out
button.

Vertical Zoom In and Out buttons, Edit window

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

13

Zooming on the Timeline

The zoomed area fills the entire Edit window.

To zoom both horizontally and vertically,
press Control (Windows) or Command (Mac)
while dragging in the tracks playlist.

To zoom around a certain point in a track:

1

Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select

Normal Zoom mode.
Zoomer tool

Zoomer tool, selecting Normal Zoom

2

To zoom in or out horizontally for the Edit window,

do one of the following:

In the lower left of the Edit window, click either

the Horizontal Zoom In or the Horizontal Zoom
Out button.

In the lower left of the Edit window, click and

drag the Horizontal Zoom slider left or right.

Click once with the Zoomer tool at a location

within the track. All tracks are zoomed in by
one level and the Edit window is centered
around the zoomed location.
To zoom back to the previous level, Alt-click
(Windows) or Option-click (Mac) with the
Zoomer tool.
Horizontal Zoom buttons and slider

To zoom into a particular track area:

1

Click the Zoomer tool pop-up menu and select

Normal Zoom mode.

To zoom horizontally only, drag with the

Zoomer tool in the tracks playlist.

Horizontal Zoom In and Out buttons and slider

Zooming horizontally with Zoomer tool

14

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Press Command+[ or Command+] (Mac), or

Control+[ or Control+].

Trimming Audio Clips

The following example shows you how to do a
simple edit to change where a song starts. In this
example, the drummer is heard counting off the
tempo (1...2...1.2.3...) before the song starts
(lets assume this stereo track recorded the overhead mics on the drum kit). Heres what the audio
looks like in Pro Tools | First.

You can untrim the clip by clicking and dragging back to the left with the Trim tool. Youll see
that the previous audio (the countoff) is still there.
This is an example of how Pro Tools | First lets
you edit non-destructively.

Copying and Pasting Clips

The following example shows you how to copy
and paste an audio clip on a track to different timeline and track locations in a project. This example
uses an imported a rhythmic audio loop.
To copy and paste a clip:

countoff song start

waveforms
(left and right
channels)

Import a rhythmic audio loop into a project (see

Importing Audio on page 11).

Click to select the Grabber tool or the Selector

tool (located in the Edit window Toolbar).

The stereo waveforms let you visualize the different sections of the song. You can take advantage of
this what you see is what you hear aspect of
Pro Tools | First to be able to quickly silence the
countoff by trimming the beginning of the song.

Selector tool
Grabber tool
Smart Tool

To trim an audio clip:

1

Click to select the Trim tool (located in the Edit

window Toolbar).
Trim tool

song start

Edit Tools

Click in the track after the countoff and before

the start of the song (youll see the cursor display the Trim icon). Drag right to trim the beginning of the clip in, or drag left to trim the
beginning of the clip out.

If using the Grabber tool, click the clip you want

to copy and paste. If using the Selector tool,
double-click the clip you want to copy and
paste.
Use the Smart Tool to have the Edit cursor
switch between different Edit tools depending
on where you place it over a clip.

Selecting a clip with the Grabber tool

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

15

Choose Edit > Copy.

With the Selector tool, place the Edit cursor at

the location where you want to paste the copied
clip.

Separating Clips at the Edit Selection

To separate a clip at the current Edit location:
1

With the Selector tool, make an Edit selection

within an audio clip.

Choose Edit > Paste.

Making an Edit selection

Pasting a clip to a different time location on a different
track

Press Command+C (Mac) or Control+C

(Windows) to copy the current Edit selection to
the clipboard. Press Command+V (Mac) or
Control+V (Windows) to paste the contents of
the clipboard to the current Edit location.

Choose Edit > Separate Clip > At Selection.

Press Command+E (Mac) or Control+E (Windows) to separate clips at the current Edit selection.

Separating and Rearranging

Clips
There are many ways to create new audio clips in
Pro Tools | First. You can import or record whole
file audio clips. You can also create audio clips that
only refer to parts of audio files by trimming (see
Trimming Audio Clips on page 15) or separating
whole file clips.
The following example demonstrates different
ways that you can separate and rearrange audio
clips in a project. This example uses an imported
rhythmic audio loop.

16

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

New clips created by separating the parent clip at the

boundaries of the Edit selection

Use Edit > Separate Clips > At Grid to separate

the audio selection according to the current
grid. This is useful when working with audio on
a Bars|Beats grid. Use Edit > Separate Clips >
At Transients to separate the audio selection according to individual attacks in the audio. This
is useful for separating audio out into individual
hits, such as each hit in a drum loop or each
note in a guitar riff.

Rearranging Separated Clips

There are many ways to rearrange clips in

Pro Tools | First. The selected Edit mode (set in
the left-most section of the Edit window Toolbar)
determines how Pro Tools | First handles audio
clips when you move them. The following provides just a few of the many possibilities for arranging audio clips in your project.

Edit modes, Grid mode selected

A rhythmic audio loop separated at transients and

shuffled

For more information about editing and arranging audio, see the sections on Edit Modes and
Edit Tools, Clip Groups, and Elastic Audio in
the Pro Tools | First Help.

To rearrange clips, do any of the following:

With the Grabber tool in Slip mode, drag an audio clip to a new location. The clip moves to the
exact location where you moved it.

Sequencing MIDI with a

Virtual Instrument Plug-In

With the Grabber tool in Grid mode, drag an audio clip to a new location. The clip snaps to the
nearest grid location where you moved it.

With the Grabber tool in Spot mode, drag an audio clip to a new location. The Spot dialog
opens and you can specify an exact time location for the clip.

The following provides an example of how to

program a MIDI sequence on an Instrument track
to play a virtual instrument plug-in. This example
uses the Xpand!2 plug-in from AIR Music
Technology.

With the Grabber tool in Shuffle mode, drag an

audio clip to a new location between other clips.
Adjacent clips shuffle to make room for the
moved clip.

Select a clip with the Grabber or Selector tool

and choose Edit > Duplicate. The selected clip is
duplicated and placed directly after the current
selection.

Select a clip with the Grabber or Selector tool

and choose Edit > Repeat. In the subsequent Repeat dialog, enter the number of times you want
to repeat the selection and click OK. The selection is repeated as separate clips, which are then
placed one after the other.

The Xpand!2 plug-in is available from the Avid

Marketplace for use with Pro Tools | First as a
separate installer. Be sure to run the Xpand!2
Installer, including the associated content, before proceeding with this example.

Creating an Instrument Track

with an Instrument Plug-In
You can use either an Instrument track or a MIDI
track to record, program, and play back MIDI sequences in Pro Tools | First. If you are working
with virtual instrument plug-ins, you will generally
want to use an Instrument track. Instrument tracks
let you both work with MIDI sequences and monitor audio.
You can also use Instrument tracks with external
MIDI devices.
Introduction to Pro Tools | First

17

To create an Instrument track and insert an

instrument plug-in:
1

Choose Track > New. In the New Track dialog,

do the following:

Select Stereo.
Click the pop-up menu that shows Audio Track
and select Instrument Track.
Click Create.

New Track dialog, Stereo and Instrument track

selected
2

18

If necessary, select Window > Mix to show the

Mix window.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Click the track Insert selector near the top of the Instrument track and select Xpand2 from the
Instrument submenu.

Insert
selector

Inserting the Xpand!2 plug-in on an Instrument track

4

A plug-in window appears showing the Xpand!2 plug-in. You can now select a sound preset to play using MIDI.
For detailed information about information about the Xpand!2 plug-in, see AIR Virtual Instruments
Guide from AIR).

Xpand!2 plug-in window

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

19

To select a preset sound in the Xpand!2 plug-in:

At the top of the plug-in window, click the Librarian menu (<factory default>) and select a preset from
any of the submenus. With Xpand!2, presets are grouped in submenus by category.

Insert
selector

Selecting an Xpand!2 factory preset from the Plug-In Librarian menu

20

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Playing a Virtual Instrument

You can play a virtual instrument (such as

Xpand!2) using a MIDI sequence or from an
external MIDI controller.

Play your MIDI controllers keyboard. You

should hear the sound you selected.

When you are ready to start recording, click

Play or press the Spacebar. To stop, click Stop
or press the Spacebar.

To play a virtual instrument using an Instrument

track, do one of the following:

If you have a MIDI controller connected, you

can play the virtual instrument if it is on the first
selected Instrument track or if the track on
which it is inserted is record enabled. You can
record your performance as a MIDI sequence
while you play.
Import a MIDI sequence (or program a MIDI
sequence) to the Instrument track on which the
virtual instrument is inserted, and then start
playback.

Recording MIDI with an External

Controller

Recorded MIDI data on an Instrument track

9

Penciling In a MIDI Sequence

You can program a MIDI sequence in a
Pro Tools | First project using the Pencil tool.
When inserting MIDI notes or other MIDI
data with the Pencil tool, MIDI clip boundaries are created on the nearest barlines.

Pro Tools | First lets you record MIDI data from a

MIDI controller.
To record MIDI on an Instrument Track:
1

Ensure that the Audio Engine is optimized for

recording (Setup > Playback Engine).

Make sure your MIDI controller is connected

either to a MIDI interface with MIDI cables or
directly to your computer with a USB or FireWire cable.

Create a stereo Instrument track and insert

Xpand!2 on it (see Creating an Instrument
Track with an Instrument Plug-In on page 17).

Select a bass preset (also known as a patch).

Click the tracks Record Enable button to enable the Instrument track for MIDI recording.

Click the track Record Enable button again to

take it out of record enable and play back what
you just recorded.

To insert a MIDI Note on a track in the Edit window:

1

In the Edit window, set the Instrument track (or

MIDI track) to Notes view.

Selecting Notes view on an Instrument track

In the Transport window, click the Record button.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

21

Select the Pencil tool and make sure it is set to

Free Hand. The cursor will change to the Pencil
tool when located over the playlist area of a
MIDI or Instrument track in Notes view.

When you reach the pitch and time location you

want, click to insert the note.

MIDI note inserted with the Pencil tool

3

To insert quarter notes on the beat, do the following:

Set the Main Time Scale to Bars|Beats.

Set the Edit mode to Grid.
Set the Grid value to quarter note.
Set the Default Note Duration value either to
quarter note (or to Follow Grid).
4

Move the Pencil tool into the playlist area for

the MIDI or Instrument track. Use the Edit windows ruler and the tracks mini-keyboard as a
reference to locate the pitch and time location
you want.

When using the Pencil tool, the Cursor location

and value are displayed in the Window Toolbar.
Cursor pitch location
Pencil Cursor
Cursor Timeline location

Cursor location and value

22

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

With Grid mode enabled, the start point of the

MIDI note snaps to the nearest Grid boundary by default. With the Free Hand Pencil
tool, hold Command (Mac) or Control (Windows) while clicking to temporarily suspend
Snap to Grid.

The velocity for inserted notes defaults to 80. The

duration is determined by the current Grid value.
The Pencil tool can be dragged after clicking (and
before releasing) to adjust the notes pitch.

Editing MIDI Notes on Tracks

MIDI notes can be edited in the Edit window or in
the MIDI Editor, including start and end points,
duration, pitch, and velocity. The Selector, Grabber, Trim, and Pencil tools can operate on individual notes or groups of notes.

Selecting MIDI Notes

Transposing Notes

MIDI notes must be selected before they can be edited.

MIDI notes can be transposed by dragging them up

or down with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool. If
several notes are selected before dragging, each
note is transposed.

To select MIDI notes, do one of the following:

With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, Shiftclick each note.
With any Grabber tool, move the cursor to
where there are no notes (the Marquee appears)
and draw a rectangle around the group of notes
you want to edit.

To transpose a MIDI note:

1

Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes view.

Select the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool.

While holding Shift, drag the note up or down.

Transposing with a Grabber tool

Selecting notes with a Grabber tool

When using a Grabber tool, if any portion of the

rectangle touches a note (either its start or end
point), the note is included in the selection.

With the Selector tool, drag across a range of

notes.

The Shift key ensures that the transposed note

maintains its original start point on the timeline.
While dragging, each new note sounds and the
Cursor Location Value indicator (in the Edit window) indicates the number of semitones and direction (+/) for the transposition.
Hold Control (Mac) or Start (Windows) and
press Plus (+) on the numeric keypad to
transpose the selected MIDI notes up by one
semitone, or press Minus () on the numeric
keypad to transpose the selected MIDI notes
down by one semitone.

Selecting notes with the Selector tool

When using the Selector tool, a notes start point

must be included in order for it to be selected.

To transpose a copy of the note, leaving the

original unchanged, hold Option (Mac) or Alt
(Windows) while dragging.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

23

Moving Notes

Trimming Note Start and End Times

Like clips, MIDI notes can be dragged left or right

with the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool to change
their start point on the Timeline. If several notes
are selected before dragging, they are all moved together.

Like clips, start and end points for MIDI notes can
be adjusted with the Trim tool. If several notes are
selected when performing the trim, each note is
changed.

To move a MIDI note:

To change the start or end points for a group of

MIDI notes:

Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes view.

With the Pencil tool or any Grabber tool, drag

the note left or right (press Shift while dragging
to preserve the notes pitch).

As the note is dragged, the Cursor Location Value

indicator (in the Edit window) displays the new
start point.
If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged note
snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the Edit
mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens.

Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Notes view.

Select the notes you want to trim.
Do one of the following:

Select the Trim tool.

Use the Pencil tool.
4

Move the cursor near the beginning of any of

the highlighted notes, so the Trim tool appears.
Drag right to shorten the notes, or drag left to
lengthen them.

To copy the selected notes, leaving the

originals intact, hold Option (Mac) or Alt
(Windows) while dragging.

Changing note end times with the Trim tool

If the Edit mode is set to Grid, the dragged start or

end point snaps to the nearest Grid boundary. If the
Edit mode is set to Spot, the Spot dialog opens,
where you can enter the new location for the notes
start or end point.
When in Grid mode, use the Command key
(Mac) or the Control key (Windows) to temporarily disable Grid mode.

24

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Manually Editing Note Velocities

Deleting MIDI Notes

When a MIDI or Instrument track is set to Velocity

view, or when the Velocity lane is revealed under a
track, each notes attack velocity is represented
with a velocity stalk. The taller the velocity stalk,
the higher the velocity value (0127).

In addition to deleting selected notes with the Clear

command in the Edit menu, individual notes can
also be deleted with the Pencil tool.

To edit MIDI velocity in the Edit window:

1

Do one of the following:

Set the MIDI or Instrument track to Velocity

view.
Reveal the Controller lane for the MIDI or Instrument track and show Velocity.

To delete a group of MIDI notes with the Clear

command:
1

Select the notes to be deleted.

Do one of the following:

Choose Edit > Clear to delete the selected notes.

The tracks underlying controller data remains
intact.
With any Edit tool, Right-click any selected note
and choose Clear.
Press the Delete (Mac) or the Backspace (Windows) key.
When deleting MIDI notes within a time
range selection, all underlying controller
and automation data is also deleted.

Revealing the Velocity Lane

2

Select any Grabber tool.

Drag the top (diamond) of the velocity stalk up

or down.

To delete a single MIDI note with the Pencil tool:

With the Pencil tool selected, Option-click

(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the note. The
Pencil tool changes to an Eraser when Option
(Mac) or Alt (Windows) is pressed.

Deleting a note with Pencil tool

Dragging a velocity stalk

The velocities for a range of notes can be

edited with any Pencil tool.

Program change events and Sysex events can

also be deleted by Option-clicking (Mac) or
Alt-clicking (Windows) them with the Pencil
tool.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

25

Editing MIDI in the MIDI Editor

You can choose to show (or hide) the MIDI Editor pane at the bottom of the Edit window (below the Tracks
pane). Editing MIDI in the MIDI Editor functions much the same as editing MIDI with the Pencil tool on
a track set to Notes view. The MIDI Editor is not available if there is no MIDI data in your project.
To show (or hide) the MIDI Editor view in the Edit window, do one of the following:

Click the MIDI Editor Show/Hide icon in the lower left corner of the Tracks pane in the Edit window.

Double click a MIDI clip in the Edit window.

Press Control+= (Mac) or Start+= (Windows).

Show/Hide MIDI Editor

MIDI Editor shown in the Edit window

26

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Mixing and Plug-In

Processing
Mixing in Pro Tools | First involves working with
elements of audio signal flow, including inputs,
outputs, busses, inserts, and sends, for purposes of
submixing and mixdown.
In addition to the final mixdown, mixing tasks can
occur any time during a project.

Compression Lets you smooth the dynamics of

your audio. It acts like an automatic volume control by keeping the loud parts from getting too
loud. You can use compression to make vocals
sound more intimate, or to keep cymbals from
sounding too shrill. Use a limiter to keep peaks in
the audio signal from exceeding a certain threshold
without affecting audio that doesnt exceed that
level.
To apply EQ to a track:

During mixing, real-time plug-in inserts provide

effects and signal processing. Pro Tools | First
comes with a suite of audio effects processing
plug-ins that you can use to change the sounds
youve recorded. This section shows two examples
of how to use plug-ins to process your sound.

Choose Window > Mix.

In the top part of the track, click the next Track

Insert selector and choose EQ 3 4-Band from
the EQ submenu.

For detailed information about the plug-ins

included with Pro Tools | First, choose
Help > Pro Tools | First Help.

Applying Equalization and

Compression
Typically, when mixing audio, you will want to
apply equalization and compression on individual
tracks to get your audio to sound just right.
Equalization (EQ) Lets you shape the frequency
spectrum of the sound. A simple example equalization is the bass and treble controls on many stereo systems. You can use these controls to boost
(make louder) or attenuate (make quieter) the low
frequencies and the high frequencies of the audio.
You can use EQ to help separate the bass and guitar, to sharpen the drums, emphasize the vocals,
and even to cut out unwanted noise.

Insert selector for a track in the Mix window

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

27

The EQ III Plug-In window opens. You can use

the plug-in presets as a starting point for exploring how different EQ settings affect the sound.

Dyn III Plug-In window, Plug-In Preset selector

4

Start playback to hear the effect.

EQ III Plug-In window, Plug-In Preset selector

4

Start playback to hear the effect.

To apply compression to a track:

28

Choose Window > Mix.

In the top part of the track, click the next Track

Insert selector and choose Dyn 3 Compressor/Limiter from the Dynamics submenu.
Pro Tools | First inserts the Dynamics III Compressor/Limiter plug-in on your track and opens
its plug-in window.

The Dyn III Plug-In window opens.You can use

the plug-in presets as a starting point for exploring how different settings affect the sound.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Using Reverberation
Reverberation (Reverb) provides a sense of room
acoustics. Reverb effects are essentially a bunch of
delays that are used to mimic the reflection of
sound off of surfaces in different rooms, halls, and
other spaces. You can use reverb effects to create a
sense of space for your entire mix using sends from
your source tracks and processing using an Auxiliary Input track. Reverb effects can make your mix
sound like it is in a big concert hall, an intimate
room, or even a narrow hallway.
One of the best ways to incorporate reverb in your
mix is in a send-and-return configuration. In
Pro Tools | First, using sends from tracks makes it
easy to route audio from multiple tracks to and
through the same reverb effect. This way, your
source tracks will all sound as if they are in the
same room.

To use reverb with an Auxiliary Input track and multiple source tracks:
1

Choose Window > Mix.

Choose Track > New, and set it to create 1 stereo Auxiliary Input track, then click Create.

Creating a new Auxiliary Input track

3

On the Auxiliary Input track you just added, click the Track Input selector and select Bus > Bus 12.

Track Input
selector

Selecting Bus 12 for Send A on an audio track

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

29

Click Send selector A on your source track as shown below and select Bus > Bus 1-2.

Send A
selector

Selecting Bus 12 for Send A on an audio track

5 Repeat the previous step for each additional track that you want to send to the Auxiliary Input track
for reverb processing.

30

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Insert a Reverb plug-in on the Auxiliary Input track.

Two audio tracks using bus sends to a Reverb on an Auxiliary Input track (Send window show for Audio 2)
7

Press the Spacebar and slowly raise the small fader in the Send Output window. This adjusts how much
of the source track you are sending to the Auxiliary Input track for Reverb processing.

Keep playing and listening, adjusting the individual track send levels, and checking out different plugin settings to find just the right effect for your mix.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

31

Using Automation
Pro Tools | First features dynamic automation of
mixing controls on each of the track types. You can
write automation moves and view them in real
time during playback of your project. You can also
edit automation data with many if the same techniques you use to edit audio and MIDI data.

In the Mix or Edit window, click the Automation Mode selector on each of the tracks you
want to automate, and set the Automation
mode. For the initial automation pass, select
Write.

Start playback to begin writing automation.

Move the controls you want to automate (such

as a track Volume fader).

When you have finished, stop playback.

Switch the Automation mode back to Read to

play back the automation you just recorded.

Writing Automation

You can write automation for all automatable controls by moving those controls during playback.
To write automation on tracks:
1

Choose Window > Automation.

Make sure the automation type is write-enabled.

Automation
Mode
selector

Moving Volume
Fader during
playback

After the first automation pass, you can write

additional automation to the track without
completely erasing the previous pass by
choosing Touch mode or Latch mode. These
modes add new automation only when you
actually move a control.
Manually Editing Automation

For all tracks in a project, Pro Tools | First provides several ways to edit automation data. You
can edit automation data graphically by adjusting
breakpoints in any automation playlist. You can
also cut, copy, and paste automation data in the
same manner as audio and MIDI data.
Automation data takes the form of a line graph
with editable breakpoints.

Automation breakpoint

Write Automation

32

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

By dragging these breakpoints, you can modify the

automation data directly in the Edit window and
the MIDI Editor. When you drag an automation
breakpoint up or down, the change in value is indicated.

Using the Grabber Tool

Automation breakpoint value

Using the Grabber tool to create a new breakpoint

Dragging an automation breakpoint to the left or

right adjusts the timing of the automation event.

Using the Pencil Tool

To view the breakpoint automation type on any

track, either select the corresponding Track View
or reveal the corresponding Automation or Controller lane under the track. For example, you can
view and edit Volume, Panning, Mute, MIDI controller data, or even plug-in automation.

Track View
selector
Automation
Type selector
Volume
automation
track view

The Grabber tool lets you create new breakpoints

by clicking on the graph line, or adjust existing
breakpoints by dragging them. Option-click (Mac)
or Alt-click (Windows) breakpoints with a Grabber tool to remove them.

The Pencil tool lets you create new breakpoints by

clicking once on the graph line. Option-click
(Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) breakpoints with
the Pencil tool to remove them.

Using the Pencil tool to delete a breakpoint

Using the Trim Tools

The Trim tools let you adjust all selected breakpoints up or down by dragging anywhere within
that selection.

Automation
lanes
Using the Trim tool to move breakpoints
Track View and Automation lanes

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

33

Exporting Your Mix

After youve finished recording, editing, and mixing tracks in a Pro Tools | First project, youre ready to
mix down your project an export the results for publishing on the Internet or burning to CD. You can use
the Export Audio Mix command to export your mix from the project to a single audio file.
To export the mix from your project as a stereo audio file:
1

Use the Selector to select the length of the project in the Timeline (or on a track).

Selector
tool

Timeline selection
Project audio selected
and ready to
Bounce to Disk
Making a Timeline selection to Export Audio Mix
2

Choose File > Export > Audio Mix.

In the Export Audio Mix dialog, do the following:

Select the as the Mixdown Source. This will be

the main channel path for your mix, such as
Built-In Output 12 (Stereo).
Select the File Type (for example WAV).
Select Interleaved for the Format.
If you will be burning the exported audio file to
CD, select 16 Bit for the Bit Depth and select
44.1 kHz for the Sample Rate.
If you are using external MIDI instruments that
you are monitoring on Auxiliary Input or Instrument tracks, ensure that the Offline option is deselected. Otherwise, for faster-than-real-time
export, select the Offline option.
Export dialog

34

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Click Export. (If you didnt make a Timeline selection, the entire project will be exported from
start to finish.)

In the Save dialog, type the name for the audio

file you are bouncing, and select the location
where you want it saved.

Click Save.

Pro Tools | First begins audio export.

After Mixdown: Mastering

After the export is completed, you will have an audio file that you can post online (to SoundCloud
for example), import to your media player (such as
an iPod), or burn to an audio CD using CD burning
software (such as iTunes or Windows Media
Player) that can be played on standard CD players.
Listening to a reference CD or playback from a
media player in an environment other than your
studio is a time-tested way to hear how your mix
translates to other systems and listening environments.

Pro Tools | First Concepts

Pro Tools | First is a DAW that provides multitrack
audio recording, editing, arranging, and mixing capabilities. It also provides multitrack MIDI sequencing capabilities.

What is Digital Audio?

Digital audio is simply sampled audioan approximation of analog audio. Each sample represents a single amplitude value in time, like points
on a curve. Think of each sample as being like a
frame from a movie. It is a still picture, but when
you flip through a bunch of them in series, you see
the pictures in motion. Likewise with digital audio,
when recording an analog signal, your audio interface converts the continuous analog audio signal to
sample at a constant rate (the sample rate). Every
project records and plays back audio at the speci-

fied sample rate (for example, a sample rate of

44.1 kHz). The dynamic resolution of each sample
is determined by the bit depth. Pro Tools | First records all audio as 32-bit floating point WAV files.
Digital audio that you record in Pro Tools | First is
stored in your online myAvid cloud storage and
cached locally on your computer. Then, when you
play it back, your audio interface converts the digital signal to an analog audio signal that you can
listen to through your speakers or headphones.

What is MIDI?
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a
communication protocol for musical instruments.
This industry standard enables connections between a variety of devices from different manufacturers. Examples of MIDI-compatible equipment
include synthesizers, drum machines, MIDI patch
bays, effects processors, MIDI interfaces, MIDI
control surfaces, and MIDI sequencers.
MIDI devices are equipped with 5-pin DIN connectors, labeled as either IN, OUT, or THRU. The
MIDI OUT port transmits messages. The MIDI IN
port receives messages. The MIDI THRU outputs
whatever is received from the IN port. MIDI devices are connected with MIDI cables that are
available at most music stores.
USB and FireWire-compatible MIDI devices send
and receive MIDI messages to and from the computer over USB or FireWire.
The MIDI protocol provides 16 channels of MIDI
per port. A single MIDI cable can transmit a separate set of messages for each of the 16 channels.
These 16 channels can correspond to separate
MIDI devices or to multiple channels within a single device (if the device is multitimbral). Each
channel can control a different instrument sound.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

35

Pro Tools | First provides powerful MIDI sequencing capabilities. You can record, enter, edit, and
play back MIDI data on Instrument and MIDI
tracks. These actions can be done in the Edit window, the MIDI Editor, and the MIDI Event List.
MIDI data in Pro Tools | First can be anything
from MIDI note data (note number, on/off, velocity) to System Exclusive (Sysex) messages. MIDI
data can be recorded or played back from both external MIDI devices with a MIDI interface and
other MIDI software (such as instrument plug-ins
and ReWire client applications).

What is a Pro Tools | First

Project?
When you start working in Pro Tools | First, you
create a project. A project is a timeline-based map
of all elements associated with your song, including audio and MIDI, and all of your edit and mix
information. A Pro Tools | First project does not
contain any audio files itself. Instead, it references
audio files cached on your computer (and that are
stored online in your MyAvid account cloud storage). Pro Tools | First can only have one project
open at a time.
Pro Tools | First synchronizes your local project
and associated media with your online account automatically. You must be online the first time you
create a project, but after that you can work offline.
Pro Tools | First will synchronize your local project with your online account the next time you are
online. This process runs in the background and
can be monitored in Pro Tools | First by checking
the Task Manager (Window > Task Manager) or in
the Avid Application Manager.

Tracks

In Pro Tools | First projects, audio, MIDI, and automation data are recorded to, edited and arranged
on, and played back from tracks.
Pro Tools | First provides multiple types of tracks:
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, MIDI, and
Instrument.

Audio track in the Edit window with an audio clip

(stereo track shown)

MIDI track in the Edit window with a MIDI clip

Audio, MIDI, and Instrument track data can be edited into clips or repeated in different locations to
create loops, re-arrange sections or entire songs, or
to assemble tracks using material from multiple
takes.
Auxiliary Input tracks can be used to route internal
audio busses or physical inputs to other internal
busses or physical outputs. Auxiliary Inputs are
typically used for audio effects busses, audio
throughput (monitoring), and submixing.
Master Fader tracks provide controls for physical
audio output channels and internal busses, including volume, panning, and plug-in processing.
Audio, Auxiliary Input, Master Fader, and Instrument tracks can be mono or stereo.

36

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

Clips

Channels

Clips are the building blocks of your arrangement

of audio and MIDI on tracks. Clips reside on tracks
and can be placed in time as measured by the timeline. Clips can be edited, trimmed, crossfaded, cut,
copied, pasted, moved, looped, processed, and so
and so on.

The term channel is used to describe several related components of a Pro Tools | First project.
The first example of channel refers to a physical
input or output of your audio interface, where
Pro Tools | First streams audio to and from your
audio interface on track Input and Output channels.
The second use of the term channel refers to a
channel strip in the Mix window. Each track in a
project has a corresponding channel strip in the
Mix window.

Clips on tracks in the Edit window

Timeline

In Pro Tools | First, the timeline determines when

clips and events (e.g., MIDI notes) are played back
and when audio and MIDI are recorded. The timeline can be measured in Minutes and Seconds (absolute time, or clock time) or in Bars and Beats
(relative time, or musical time). The timeline ruler
appears in the Edit window right above tracks. Just
above the timeline ruler are the conductor tracks
for setting the tempo and the meter, and for placing
markers (Memory Locations).

Audio and MIDI channel strips have similar controls, but those controls have slightly different effects. For example, audio, Auxiliary Input, and Instrument track channel strip faders control the
output gain to the mix bus for that channel, while
MIDI channel strip faders send MIDI volume data
(MIDI controller 7) to the selected MIDI instrument.
The term MIDI channel also describes a
separate aspect of MIDI operation. See
What is MIDI? on page 35.

Tick-Based and Sample-Based

Time
Pro Tools | First lets you set any track timebase to
either sample-based or tick-based.

Timeline and conductor tracks in the Edit window

Audio and MIDI data in Pro Tools | First are tickbased by default. This means that if an audio or
MIDI clip is located at a particular Bar|Beat location, it will not move from that Bar|Beat location if
the tempo changes in the projectthough its sample location will change.

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

37

You can select whether a track is sample-based or

tick-based when it is created, or change timebases
later. This means that if an audio or MIDI clip is located at a particular sample location, it will not
move from that location if the tempo changes in
the projectthough its Bar|Beat location will
change.
Sample-Based Audio and MIDI

With a sample-based audio track, all clips in the

track have an absolute location on the Timeline.
Clips stay fixed to the sample time, regardless of
where tempo or meter changes occur in a project.
If you make a MIDI track sample-based, all MIDI
events in the track have an absolute location on the
Timeline. MIDI events stay fixed to sample time,
regardless of any tempo or meter changes in a
project.
Tick-Based Audio and MIDI

Tick-based audio is fixed to a Bars|Beat location,

and moves relative to the sample Timeline when
tempo and meter changes occur. However, MIDI
events and tick-based audio respond differently to
tempo changes with respect to duration. MIDI note
events change length when tempo or meter is adjusted, while audio clips do not (unless Elastic Audio is enabled). When Elastic Audio is not enabled
on an audio track, meter and tempo changes affect
only the start point (or sync point) for each audio
clip in a tick-based track. If Elastic Audio is enabled on an audio track, tempo changes apply Elastic Audio processing, which changes the duration
of the audio clip.

38

to changes in tempo. The audio stretches or compresses to match changes in tempo. Elastic Audio
also provides high-quality non-real-time clipbased pitch shifting.
Elastic Audio uses exceptionally high-quality transient detection algorithms, beat and tempo analysis, and real-time or rendered TCE processing algorithms. Elastic Audio lets you quickly and easily
tempo conform and beat match audio to the projects Tempo ruler. It also provides an unprecedented degree of control over transient detection
and TCE processing on an event-by-event basis.
With Elastic Audio, Pro Tools | First analyzes entire audio files for transient events. For example,
an event can be a drum hit, a sung note, or chord
played by a guitar. These detected events can then
serve as control points for warping the audio.
Pro Tools | First can warp (TCE) audio events automatically, such as when automatically conforming audio to the project tempo or quantizing audio
events, or you can warp audio manually using the
standard editing tools with the audio track set to
Warp view.
Elastic Audio is useful in several common workflows: working with loops, correcting performances, remixing, beat and pitch matching, and
sound design and special effects.

Learn More

Elastic Audio

We hope this quick introduction to

Pro Tools | First has inspired you to make music.
To learn more about any of the topics presented
here, see Pro Tools | First Help (Help >
Pro Tools | First Help).

Elastic Audio provides real-time and non-real-time

(rendered) Time Compression and Expansion
(TCE) of audio. Tick-based Elastic Audio tracks
actually change the location of samples according

Pro Tools | First Help provides a thorough explanation of all Pro Tools | First features and concepts, organized by audio and music production
tasks (such as Recording, Editing, and Mixing).

Introduction to Pro Tools | First

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