User manual M-AUDIO INTRO TO PRO TOOLS

[. . . ] Intro to Pro Tools Pro Tools® M-PoweredTM Essential Version 8. 0. 2 Welcome to Pro Tools M-Powered Essential Read this guide if you are new to Pro Tools® or are just starting out making your own music. Inside, you'll find quick examples of how to record, compose, mix, and produce your own music in Pro Tools. One quick question: Have you installed Pro Tools yet?If not, follow the Essential Quick Setup instructions or your detailed Essential User Guide to install Pro Tools® M-PoweredTM Essential software. [. . . ] 2 To record a single mic or instrument (as in our example), set the New Track dialog for 1 Mono Audio Track, and click Create. Creating a new mono audio track If you want to record two inputs at once, create one or two new tracks depending on what you've got 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 the two input signals be recorded simultaneously, and be edited, processed, and balanced independently. ­ or ­ · To record a two-channel stereo source (such as a stereo keyboard, or the left and right outputs from a DJ mixer), create 1 Stereo Audio Track. 3 Make sure the Mix window is open by choosing Window > Mix. 7 Intro to Pro Tools M-Powered Essential 4 In the middle of the new track's channel strip, notice where it says "In 1 (Mono). " This shows which Input channel (Input 1 or Input 2) is assigned to this track. 2 In the new audio track, click its Input path selector and choose the same input (In 1) you used before. 3 Next, click the track Record button, just like you did on the first track. 4 In the Transport window, click the Return to Zero button to jump back to the start of the session, then click the Record button (the button flashes) to arm Pro Tools for recording. When you are ready to start recording, click Play or press the Spacebar. 5 Press the Spacebar again to stop playback. Using a Virtual Instrument This section shows you how to work with Structure Essential, a plug-in you can use to build beats and compose music. The Structure Essential Virtual Instrument Plug-in Structure Essential is a virtual instrument plug-in, which means it makes sound. It's installed automatically during the install. Here's how to start utilizing its many high-quality instruments, sound effects, and other sounds. Set Up a Track You add Structure Essential to your sessions by inserting it on a specific type of track called an Instrument track. To create an Instrument track for Structure Essential: 1 Choose Track > New. In the New Track dialog, click the pop-up menu that says Mono and choose Stereo, then click the pop-up menu that says Audio Track and choose Instrument Track. Leave the other settings as they are and click Create. Creating a stereo Instrument track 2 Choose View > Mix Window to display the Mix window. 9 Intro to Pro Tools M-Powered Essential 3 Click the track Insert selector near the top of the Instrument track and choose Structure Essential Instrument from the sub menu. Insert selector Structure Essential On-screen keyboard Inserting Structure Essential on a Stereo Instrument track 4 You can play Structure Essential and audition sounds by clicking the on-screen keyboard. See those greyed out notes on the on-screen keyboard that some patches have?Grey out notes have no sound associated with them. 5 Play some notes on your on-screen keyboard using the mouse. If all is well so far, you are hearing a signal from the default Sine Wave patch (listed at the top of the Patch list). Sine Wave patch The default Sine Wave patch Loading a Patch Now let's load a sound. You can load patches using the Patch menu. 1 Go to the "dual-arrow" icon and click Structure Essential from the menu. Select a patch from the list of patches; each patch rep- resents an instrument that can be played. Patches are pre-configured settings files, and they're a great way to see examples of what a plug-in can do. 2 Click on the on-screen keyboard to listen to the sound. List of patches Click the dual-arrow icon to navigate to the list of patches, then choose an item from the list. 3 Make music by doing one of the following: · If you have a MIDI controller already connected, you can record yourself playing Structure Essential. For information (and a refresher on using the Record Enable button and the Record button) see "Compose with a MIDI Controller" on page 11. ­ or ­ · To see an example of how you can compose without a MIDI controller, see "Make Beats and Compose without a MIDI Controller" on page 12. Intro to Pro Tools M-Powered Essential 10 Using a MIDI Controller/Keyboard to Compose What's MIDI? MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data isn't audio, so it has no sound of its own. MIDI is just a way for musical devices, such as virtual instrument plug-ins, MIDI controllers, and MIDI sequencers, to talk to one another. You must have a MIDI controller/keyboard when creating a MIDI recording (or MIDI sequence). To create a MIDI recording, there must be a MIDI instrument (real or virtual) available to trigger notes (or other data). Hardware MIDI instruments connect via MIDI cables to the MIDI inputs and outputs on your audio interface or MIDI interface. [. . . ] Repeat this section's basic instructions to try out a Delay, EQ, or other type of plug-in too. To put the finishing touch on a song it's sometimes nice to go with the classic fade out. Here's an example of how to use mix automation to fade out a track. (There are many other ways to create fades described in the Pro Tools Reference Guide. ) To do a fade out: 1 In order to do a fade out, add a Master track. 15 Intro to Pro Tools M-Powered Essential 2 In the Master track, click with the Grabber tool (it's in the toolbar) at the place you'd like the fade to start. This creates a white dot or "breakpoint. " 3 Click and drag down with the Grabber at some point later in time (after the first breakpoint). Creating a fade 4 Now click in the Master track to place the cursor where you want to audition your fade. [. . . ]