Editing With ProTools

Getting Started

Open Pro Tools LE by clicking the icon on the dock (Pro Tools LE).

Setting Up A New Pro Tools Session

1. Go to the Pro Tools menu bar at the top of the screen and click on File → New Session

1. Choose the appropriate destination folder within “ProTools Documents.”

1. Generally, sessions should be named according to topic, guest and date. See the table below for other standard naming conventions.

• For concert and events calenders, go to the folder in Finder under Volunteer → ProTools Documents → Concert Calender OR Events Calender and open the .ptf file for the day of the week you are recording for. Delete the voice track and record a new one, but keep the music bed.

• For underwriting, if the contract # and client already exists, click “Cancel” and follow the directions for “How to Open an Existing Pro Tools session,” as there are sometimes multiple scripts under the same contract (with separate tracks for each script in the same .ptf).

The session parameters should be the following:

1. Click "Save"

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Opening an Existing Pro Tools Session

1. Go to the Pro Tools taskbar and click on File → Open Session

1. Locate the existing session, open the outer folder, locate the .ptf, select it.

1. Click “Open.”

Icons and Tools Primer

Modes of Operation

• Shuffle - Primarily used for EDITING content. When using the hand tool, whole region snap to ends of other regions or the 0:00, without overlapping other regions. Audio will not move freely in the timeline. This mode works well for cutting out mistakes, breaths and unwanted takes.
• Slip - Primarily used for MIXING multiple tracks of content. Whole regions slide freely around the timeline, and will overlap other regions.

Main Tools

• Zoom
  • Horizontal zoom only
  • Double-click the icon for full view of all content
  • When this tool is selected, click and drag to highlight a section to view that area full screen
  • Avoid using a single click to zoom, as this view is often less useful than highlighting a desired section.

• Trim
  • Crop tool
  • Waveform view: Allows you to crop out the ends of a region. It will switch its direction based on which end it is closest to. If it looks like a left bracket (⊏) it will crop out everything to the left of the cursor. If it looks like a right bracket (⊐) it will crop out everything to the right of the cursor. You can also “restore” the audio of a region by clicking and dragging the end of a region back out.
  • Volume view: Changes volume level across selected breakpoints.
  • Remember it doesn’t have to line up with the end of the area you want to work with. If you’re trying to crop off the end of a recording, you DO NOT have to line it up with the end of recording. Instead, put the trim tool where you want to crop to and click.
  • The Trim tool does not destroy or remove the audio data. Instead, think of the trim tool as revealing or hiding audio data.

• Select
  • Highlight tool
  • Waveform view: Allows you to select a specific point or area of audio.
  • Volume view: Use to highlight and delete unwanted breakpoints, or copy and paste an existing breakpoint curve.

• Grab
  • Waveform view: Use with Shuffle and Slip to move entire region. Also, double-click on waveform/region to rename.
  • Volume view: Use to create and move breakpoints in volume line/curve.

Manual Zoom/View Tools

Beginning from top left:

• First button is a horizontal zoom out
• Second button is a vertical waveform zoom
• Third button is a vertical MIDI zoom
• Fourth button is a horizontal zoom in
• Bottom buttons 1-5 are zoom presets

Track Buttons

• Red Circle Button (in track) turns record for that track ON. Use to set levels and record to that track.
• "S" Button (in track) is used to SOLO, or listen to that track only. All other tracks are muted.
• "M" Button (in track) is used to MUTE that track. All other tracks are heard.

Transport Control Panel Icons

• The highlighted red button is RECORD ENABLE, which must be flashing, with at least one track record enabled to successfully record.
• The first button the lower left is BACK TO THE BEGINNING or 0:00 on the timeline.
• The following two buttons are FAST BACKWARD and FAST FORWARD in one second increments.
• The fourth button on the bottom is FORWARD TO THE END of all waveforms.

Keyboard Functions

• SPACE BAR - Use to stop and start playback from the current “start” location. NOTE: Playback will begin at the blue up arrow in the timeline ruler (or red up arrow while in recording mode). Set and reset this start point by highlighting content with the SELECT or GRAB mouse tool or by clicking directly in the timeline ruler with ANY tool.
• RETURN - Use to move the playhead back to the beginning or 0:00 on the timeline.
• ENTER (on number pad) - Creates a timeline marker. Use this while recording to make notes, mark mistakes and/or required edits.
• MODE SWITCHING - F1 = SLIP and F2 = SHUFFLE

Audiosuite Menu

Complete voice editing by highlighting content and processing with these “Audio Suite” tools, in this order:

• COMPRESSION - Softens waveform spikes so that the peaks are lowered to a similar average and enhances primary frequencies. (Do not use compression if background noise is present, as it will enhance it.)
• NORMALIZE - Changes the way the average peak volumes of the track to the “normal” (full volume) level.