User manual M-AUDIO AVID VOCAL STUDIO

[. . . ] Featuring a built-in pro recording soundcard, Producer USB integrates easily with your computer via a standard USB connection. Pro Tools is the industry standard platform in music production software that is used in top recording facilities around the world. Whether you're new to music production or a seasoned professional wanting to take Pro Tools SE on the road, this package includes what you need for a professional-quality recording setup. Please take the time to read this User Guide. [. . . ] This lets you choose one of the two radio buttons in the lower half of the dialog. Refer to the Pro Tools SE User Guide for more information about setting the buffer size and other important settings when configuring Pro Tools SE. Producer USB Control Panel, About Tab This page contains information about your hardware and current driver versions. These details are helpful should you ever have to contact technical support. Clicking the links takes you to useful pages on the Avid website. 10 Avid Vocal Studio User Guide chapter 4 Using Vocal Studio · Open and view tutorials. Launching Pro Tools SE The first step in beginning a Pro Tools project is working with a session. Pro Tools provides a Quick Start dialog on launch that lets you quickly and easily work with session templates, listen to demo songs and view tutorials. To launch Pro Tools SE and open a session: 1 Use the Pro Tools SE icon to launch the pro- The Pro Tools SE tutorials can be accessed via the Help menu at any time. Creating a Session From a Template To create a new session from a template: 1 Select the New Session button. gram: · Mac Click on the Pro Tools SE icon in the Dock (or double-click the icon in the Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). · Windows Click the Start button and locate the Pro Tools SE icon (or double-click the icon in the Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). Pro Tools SE Quick Start Dialog - New Session 2 Select any session template from the list. Pro Tools SE Icon 2 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of the fol- 3 Click the Choose to open the template. 4 In the Save As dialog, name the session, lowing: · Create a session from templates. · Listen to demo songs (lets you verify sound). See "Checking Your Signal Path" on page 6. · Open any other session on your system. choose where you want to save the session, and click Save. Chapter 4: Using Vocal Studio 11 Recording Audio Tracks This section shows you how to record an audio track in Pro Tools SE. To record an audio track: 1 On the Levels tab of the Software Control Track Record Enable Button and Fader in Record Mode 6 Sing, or play an instrument at the loudest level Panel, turn the Input Gain Control all the way down. 2 Choose an Audio track by clicking on an ap- propriate track name, such as "Audio 1" on the left side of the Pro Tools SE Edit window. you expect to occur during your recording, while slowly increasing the Input Gain in the Software control Panel, until the level meter for the track is in the red. To create a track, go to the Track menu, click Track > New and choose Audio track. Placing a pop filter between the microphone and a vocalist can improve recording quality by reducing the impact of sibilance and plosives during a vocal performance. Raising or lowering the Track fader will not affect the input level, as it only controls the track playback volume. Audio Track 3 Click on the Input Selector (In) to the left of the track name, and choose "Input 1" as the input source. 7 While continuing to sing or play, lower the Input Gain in the Software Control Panel, and stop at the point where the level meter is no longer in the red. 8 In the Software Control Panel, increase the Input Selector 4 Click the Mute button for the track to prevent it from sending the input signal to the output of Producer USB. Monitor Mix Level to a suitable volume so that you can hear the input signal. This is especially useful when recording in a session with pre-recorded tracks, because it lets you adjust the balance between the existing tracks and your input signal. 9 Using the on-screen transport controls, Re- Track Mute Button 5 Switch the track to record mode by clicking its Record Enable button. While the track is record enabled, the button and the track fader will be red. cord Arm Pro Tools SE by clicking the Record button. Record Button 12 Avid Vocal Studio User Guide 10 Begin recording your performance by click- ing the Play button. Opening a Recent Session To open a recent session: 1 Launch Pro Tools SE. 2 When the Pro Tools SE Quick Start dialog ap- Play Button 11 Click the Stop button in the transport win- dow when you have finished recording your performance. pears click the Open Session button. Stop Button 12 Press the Record Enable button to take the track out of record mode. 13 Press the Mute button for the track, so that you can hear your recording during playback. Do not forget to save your work. Pro Tools SE Quick Start Dialog - Open Session 3 From the list of recent session templates, se- lect the one you want. to select other recent sessions. ) 4 Click to open the session. Chapter 4: Using Vocal Studio 13 14 Avid Vocal Studio User Guide appendix a Additional Information and Support Pro Tools SE Complete documentation for Pro Tools SE can be found in the Pro Tools SE Help menu. Additional information can be found in the Interactive Projects Guide and the Interactive Projects Tutorials, which you can access by clicking the Tutorials button in the upper right of the Pro Tool SE Quick Start dialog, or by going to the Help menu. Before Updating Your System Please check www. avid/support for a compatible driver before installing Apple or Microsoft operating system updates. Before new device drivers are released, they are tested for use with operating system versions that are available at that time. When updates for an operating system are released, all Avid device drivers have to be re-tested and possibly updated to ensure proper operation. We recommend not installing operating system updates until a driver has been posted to the Avid website for your operating system. [. . . ] 13) Unplug this equipment during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. 14) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the equipment has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the equipment, the equipment has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped. 15) For products that are a Mains powered device: The equipment shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids (such as vases) shall be placed on the equipment. [. . . ]