Ultimate Pro Tools thread.

D

DanDnB

Bass and Drums
Joined
Jul 24, 2009
Location
Miami, Florida, USA
Hey guys, production lacks Pro Tools resources. I wanted to devote this thread to all those involved in Pro Tools usage. I am a by no means an expert, just learning like everyone else.

I know Motion will chime in, he certainly helps me plenty via PM. I think a lot of the questions I have could be easily answered by the community and perhaps benefit newcomers as well.

Pro tools is very popular software and has been around since 1984 when it was first developed by Pete Gotcher of UC Berkeley. It has since evolved into an industry standard software with an unremarkable AUDIO SUITE.

I bought this book about 3 months ago, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to buy the courseware 101 if you are learning on your own!!

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tools-Official-Courseware-Version/dp/1598638661

Although pro tools has been critisized for its lack of midi control and non user friendly sequencer, Pro Tools LE 8 has since remedied this.

My main focus of this thread is to talk about both the basic tips and tricks AND advanced techniques in pro tools such as RTAS support and using pro tools Mbox's along with other inputs such as multiple mics (this question has been asked before) and mixers + midi controllers.

I also wanted to talk a little about REWIRE and the in's and outs of Reason 4 as it pertains to being rewired.

For instance, I don't know of a way to RECORD directly into Pro Tools with Reason rewired. I have to bounce audio from reason and import to PT8.

In fact, Reason usually gets rewired into a mono track, but does the panning within reason take effect in pro tools? I dunno... I need answers.

One more thing, get Inspector XL free. Motion Audio helped me set it up using a master fader track. Big ups to motion for most of the pro tools help.

My questions will be contuing!!

Input is welcome.

:rinsed:
 
Last edited:
DanDnB said:
Hey guys, production lacks Pro Tools resources. I wanted to devote this thread to all those involved in Pro Tools usage. I am a by no means an expert, just learning like everyone else.

I know Motion will chime in, he certainly helps me plenty via PM. I think a lot of the questions I have could be easily answered by the community and perhaps benefit newcomers as well.

Pro tools is very popular software and has been around since 1984 when it was first developed by Pete Gotcher of UC Berkeley. It has since evolved into an industry standard software with an unremarkable AUDIO SUITE.

I bought this book about 3 months ago, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to buy the courseware 101 if you are learning on your own!!

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tools-Official-Courseware-Version/dp/1598638661

Although pro tools has been critisized for its lack of midi control and non user friendly sequencer, Pro Tools LE 8 has since remedied this.

My main focus of this thread is to talk about both the basic tips and tricks AND advanced techniques in pro tools such as RTAS support and using pro tools Mbox's along with other inputs such as multiple mics (this question has been asked before) and mixers + midi controllers.

I also wanted to talk a little about REWIRE and the in's and outs of Reason 4 as it pertains to being rewired.

For instance, I don't know of a way to RECORD directly into Pro Tools with Reason rewired. I have to bounce audio from reason and import to PT8.

In fact, Reason usually gets rewired into a mono track, but does the panning within reason take effect in pro tools? I dunno... I need answers.

One more thing, get Inspector XL free. Motion Audio helped me set it up using a master fader track. Big ups to motion for most of the pro tools help.

My questions will be contuing!!

Input is welcome.

:rinsed:
Click to expand...


alright mate, if you want the panning in reason to come through in pro tools then you should rewire stereo tracks not mono. Say you had a shaker you had panned left in reason, then it should be panned within one stereo/two mono tracks in reason and those tracks rewired to pro tools. In pro tools either create the one stereo track link for it or two mono tracks panned hard left and hard right. hope that helps
 
Good to see a Pro Tools thread up, seeing more and more people start using it now with the new LE and M-Powered systems available.

Dan, when you Rewire a track into pro tools, the best way to do it I find is to not use a mixer in reason at all, just come out of your instruments straight into the hardware interface, then panning and all other processes can be handled by the Pro Tools mixer. If you do need to use a mixer in reason (say for any aux sends and returns you want to do before it gets to PT) then I find the best way to do it is make a combinator with a mixer alongside the other bits and pieces that make up your instrument and then feed the output from that to Pro Tools, I find if I do this for each instrument then it keeps things much more organised.

Hopefuly we can get some good info up here, a lot of people seem to have some sort of dificulty somewhere along the line with Pro Tools so its a good idea.
 
I'll be the first to say I'm a Pro Tools fanboy....I've been hated on it by local producers (....could be a Wisconsin mywayisthebestway thing...) for using it. But I'll defend it to the end.


Recording from Rewire is simple. Just route the output Bus to another track (Audio) and record from that track. Here's a little video on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT5NbuIqSRU

youtube is your friend...I learned 90% of the crap I know from it lol
 
DanDnB said:
Does anybody know if the VST conversion system to RTAS works? I am curious if anyone has ever tried that thing.
Click to expand...

I'd say its probably more hassle than its worth, but I've not tried. Theres still a huge amount of RTAS plug-ins available, and a lot will be multi format so whatever you buy you get VST RTAS and AU versions etc.
 
the major players in plugins are multiplatform compatible



With plugins I've learned it's not quantity, but quality...which seems to be the running moto for Production lol.... I have friends that boast about having 9873432 plugins...I lol @ them as they browse for hours while I process with just the default protools plugins.
 
Zaphear said:
the major players in plugins are multiplatform compatible



With plugins I've learned it's not quantity, but quality...which seems to be the running moto for Production lol.... I have friends that boast about having 9873432 plugins...I lol @ them as they browse for hours while I process with just the default protools plugins.
Click to expand...

I agree actually. I don't care much for having 500 plug-ins. A sine wave is a sine wave. etc...

Which is why I am a diehard Reason 4 user. I know the Malstrom, Thor, and Subtractor synths inside and out. Know your instrument and everything else is gravy.


Only reason I asked is because I do intend to buy Massive and a better spectrum analyzer (inspector Free is not cutting it).

That's it for my plug-ins.

As a matter of fact, I am looking for a spectrum analyzer that works with Pro Tools, I am baffled why there isn't one already built in. I tried google searching i did not find a distinctive analyzer RTAS plug-in for PT 8. Or maybe im just a blind noob.

:rinsed:
 
DanDnB said:
Only reason I asked is because I do intend to buy Massive and a better spectrum analyzer (inspector Free is not cutting it).

That's it for my plug-ins.

As a matter of fact, I am looking for a spectrum analyzer that works with Pro Tools, I am baffled why there isn't one already built in. I tried google searching i did not find a distinctive analyzer RTAS plug-in for PT 8. Or maybe im just a blind noob.

:rinsed:
Click to expand...

The full version of inspector looks like a decent one, you can download a trial of it from the RN Digital website. Not sure on the price though, unless its there and I'm blind.

http://www.rndigital.org/Plug-ins/InspectorXL/inspectorXL.html
 
DanDnB said:
I agree actually. I don't care much for having 500 plug-ins. A sine wave is a sine wave. etc...

Which is why I am a diehard Reason 4 user. I know the Malstrom, Thor, and Subtractor synths inside and out. Know your instrument and everything else is gravy.


Only reason I asked is because I do intend to buy Massive and a better spectrum analyzer (inspector Free is not cutting it).

That's it for my plug-ins.

As a matter of fact, I am looking for a spectrum analyzer that works with Pro Tools, I am baffled why there isn't one already built in. I tried google searching i did not find a distinctive analyzer RTAS plug-in for PT 8. Or maybe im just a blind noob.

:rinsed:
Click to expand...

Massive is available in RTAS format so you won't need a VST converter for that. The VST to RTAS wrapper is made by FXpansion and does work pretty well, though it is a tad unnecessary as basically all quality plugins come in RTAS format. The only use I've had for it is for the Apptrigga drum triggering plugin.

As for spectrum analyzers, all Waves plugins come in RTAS format and their PAZ analyzer ( http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=233 ) cannot be beat......a little on the pricey side but I've never used a more versatile and accurate analyzer.
 
Waves is most def teh shiznit





Also, anyone here use Expand 2 yet? I been using it for my drumming and am quite impressed, once you get used to the layout at least. TONS of presets and some really good drum kits in there. (the Electro drum kit is pretty sick for DnB)
 
Last edited:
Boom drum machine is nice too.

But it seems primitive? I don't know why I just don't like to use it, it doesn't compare to the Redrum or Dr. Rex in Reason, then again Boom sequencer isn't Pro Tools strong point, unless I'm missing the point.

I can't seem to record from the boom into an audio track, I insert the Boom plug-in and turn record enable on, and then begin recording while Boom plays, and I see no Audio coming in.

Thanks dudes.

EDIT: Holy shit, Waves is $400... Is there anything cheaper out there? I also notice the full version of RN Digital has no price, wonder what's up with that.
 
Last edited:
Boom should be used as an Instrument, create a new instrument stereo channel and insert the plugin there. Then you can write MIDI notes to coorespond to the 16 presets in Boom, you can also write individual MIDI for each sound instead of just using the presets. I believe C0-C3 is the individual sounds and C3+ is for the presets.


I played around with it for awhile, but in the end Expand 2 is better for drums imo. You won't want to use the presets too much for a song as the velocity is only controlled by 3 different levels, and you'll want way more control over that in a good track. You can write the MIDI yourself with the Boom preset sounds ....but Expand 2 will give you way more options/tweaks.
 
Back
Top Bottom