Pro Tools Quick Tips: 2016

Saturday, November 19, 2016

ASIO Interface and Windows/PC Audio

This video will show you how to disable your ASIO interface from being the Default Audio Device for Windows, and conversely, how to enable your ASIO interface to be the Default Audio Device for Windows.

I usually suggest that you keep your ASIO interface from being the default sound device for your computer. Meaning, you should only use the ASIO interface to hear sounds coming from your DAW, like Pro Tools, and use the integrated sound system for your PC sounds, like YouTube, SoundCloud, Windows Media Player, ect....

The reason for this is Windows can hold the ASIO driver hostage and prevent you from changing sample rates when creating a new Pro Tools session. This is because Windows needs a defined sample rate to playback audio, and if you are using the same interface/driver for your DAW, then it too will need a defined sample rate for your session, but since Windows has already defined it, you are stuck on the current sample rate.

This video will give you some ideas to try if your interface is not working properly for your DAW. I'm not saying you can't use your ASIO interface for Windows, but in my 9+ years of experience, it's usually best to avoid using your ASIO interface as the default audio device for Windows. There are other ways to use your ASIO device as your Windows sound device that cause less possible problems, such as routing a cable from your PC to an input of your interface.

Of course all ASIO interfaces are different and some ASIO drivers work better than others, but these are steps you will need to know if you are operating an ASIO interface on a Windows PC.

PRO TOOLS - HOW TO COLOR GROUPS AND DEFAULT COLOR COLOR SETTINGS

In this video I'll show you how to color Groups and then we'll look deeper at the Default Color settings.

First open the color palette. Either double-click on a color strip of a track, or go to WINDOW - COLOR PALETTE.

Choose GROUPS from the drop down, select your Group by selecting the radio button next to the name, and choose your color.

To create a Group, select your tracks and press Control+G (WIN) or Command+G (MAC)

Press Control/Command + Shift + G to quickly turn Groups on/off.

Color your Groups to help differentiate between them and speed editing.

Default Color Settings

In SETUP - PREFERENCES - DISPLAY, you will find the Default Color settings for Tracks and Clips. By setting the default, you could, for example, have tracks, clips, and groups default to the same color. Or, default to different colors. The default settings can help you color a session just the way you want.

Be sure to make use of the DEFAULT and HOLD buttons in the color palette.

When you trash preferences you will need to reset your color options.

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PRO TOOLS - HOW TO COLOR MARKERS AND HOW TO ADD MARKERS

In this video I'll show you how to color markers in Pro Tools. And, if you don’t know how, I'll also show you how to add markers.

First open the color palette. Either double-click on a color strip of a track, or go to WINDOW - COLOR PALETTE.

Choose MARKERS from the drop down, select your Marker, and choose your color.

In SETUP - PREFERENCES - DISPLAY, you will find an option to ALWAYS SHOW MARKER COLORS, make sure that option is selected.

Be sure to make use of the DEFAULT and HOLD buttons in the color palette.

Color your Markers to quickly recognize the sections of your song/session.

When you trash preferences you will need to reset your color options.

Of course, in order to see your Markers and add color, you must have the Marker bar showing.

Add Markers

To add a Marker, use the ENTER KEY on the NUM Pad keyboard. Or, press the "+" button on the Marker bar. Or, hold START (WIN), CONTROL (MAC), and hover over the Marker bar. You should see a hand with a "+", click the Marker bar to add your marker.

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PRO TOOLS - HOW TO COLOR CLIPS

In this video I'll show you how to color clips in Pro Tools, look at how the color palette works, and go over how our default settings effect clip color in Pro Tools.

First open the color palette. Either double-click on a color strip of a track, or go to WINDOW - COLOR PALETTE.

Choose CLIPS IN TRACKS from the drop down, select your clip, and choose your color. Select contiguous tracks by holding SHIFT. We also take a quick look at how to color CLIPS IN CLIP LIST.

In SETUP - PREFERENCES - DISPLAY, you will find the Default color settings for clips. I go into this option in this video, and expand upon it in another video.

Be sure to make use of the DEFAULT and HOLD buttons in the color palette.

Color your clips to quickly recognize the kind of content you are working on.

When you trash preferences you will need to reset your color options.

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PRO TOOLS - HOW TO COLOR TRACKS

In this video we look at how to color tracks in Pro Tools, and take a look at how the color palette works and how default track color settings effect our default track colors.

First open the color palette. Either double-click on a color strip of a track, or go to WINDOW - COLOR PALETTE.
Choose TRACKS from the drop down, select your tracks, and choose your color. Be sure to active the Color Tracks button in you want to apply the color to the whole track, otherwise the color will just effect the strips at the top and bottom of the track. Adjust saturation and brightness to taste. Select contiguous tracks by holding SHIFT. Select non-contiguous tracks by holding CONTROL (WIN), COMMAND (Mac). Hold ALT to select/deselect all tracks.

In SETUP - PREFERENCES - DISPLAY, you will find the Default color settings for tracks. I go into this option in this video, and expand upon it in other videos.

Be sure to make use of the DEFAULT and HOLD buttons in the color palette.

Color your tracks to quickly recognize the type of tracks you want to work on.

When you trash preferences you will need to reset your color options.

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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Pro Studio Basics - Backing up your DAW, Plugins, and Serials

Since everything today is readily available in the cloud, many people fail to backup the installers they need for their DAW, NLE, plugins, ect... While most of the time it's not an issue to re-download an installer, at other times, it is. I have seen many people wanting certain versions of Pro Tools or a plugin that is no longer being hosted by the company. An easy way around this is to always have a backup on-site. This video will give you tips of a backup strategy you may want to employ.