Pro Tools | Home Studio Corner

Category Archives: Pro Tools

VIDEO: How to Create a Reverb Track in Pro Tools

Reverb is simple, right? But sometimes people don’t know the best way to set it up. It’s one of those things you wouldn’t know unless somebody showed you, so here it is.

By the way, this principle applies to you even if you’re not using Pro Tools. It’s the standard “Send/Return” technique for setting up effects like reverb and delay.

Enjoy!

If you’d like to go deeper into understanding how to use reverb and delay, become a VIP member and get access to Understanding Reverb and Delay plus tons of other training videos and a community forum.

by Joe Gilder in Pro Tools, Tips & Tricks, Video • 38 Comments - Leave a comment!

Pro Tools 9 Interfaces [Ask Joe]

xlr connections.jpeg

It’s no secret that Pro Tools just came out with a huge update – Pro Tools 9. I haven’t talked about it here on HSC because, to be honest, I’m just not that interested.

That’s not to say it isn’t a HUGE update for Pro Tools, the two big additions being ADC (Automatic Delay Compensation) and compatibility with any audio interface (rather than requiring users to use their proprietary in-house hardware).

I’m currently running Pro Tools 8 on a 003. SO many people have asked me if I’m going to upgrade. Several of the crazy commenters on YouTube are telling me that the 003 is now crap. This logic drives me crazy. Why is it that when a software company releases something, everyone assumes everything that ever existed in the history of the world is now obsolete?

The 003 sounded fine the day before they released PT9, and it sounded fine the day after they released PT9.

How to Automate Tempo [Video]

You want to record to a click track…but you also need the tempo of the song to “breathe” in sections. Did you know you can do both with tempo automation? Check it out:

Give Us Your Input

Can you think of a way you can use this on a project? Leave a comment and share your ideas with the rest of us.

by Joe Gilder in Engineering, Pro Tools, Tips & Tricks, Video • 7 Comments - Leave a comment!

Should I get a Pro Tools Certification?

It’s been a while since I’ve answered a reader question. I hope to do more of that in the coming weeks and months, either via blog posts or the podcast. If you have a question you’d like me to cover, click here.

Today’s question comes from Angela. She writes:

Hey Joe,

My mom can’t find a reason to sign my school loans for IPR. I want to get my Pro Tools Certification and my 2-year degree. How much on average does a person with those qualifications make?

This is a GREAT question. In fact, Fathomless Regression (a guest writer here on HSC) wrote about this in his article Do I Have to Go to College to Learn to Be a Recording Engineer? I’d recommend giving that a read. He makes some great points.

For a lot of aspiring engineers, going to college for engineering might not be a viable option. Some might opt for a Pro Tools Certification course. These can still cost quite a bit of money. I did some Googling, and it looks like it could potentially be a couple thousand dollars, depending on the school.

Using Distortion on Vocals [Video]

Are you ever mixing a song, and the vocal just won’t cut through? You try to EQ out some lows or boost some highs. Nothing. You try to compress the daylights out of it. Still not cutting through enough. Try using distortion.

I’m not talking about distorted vocals. I’m talking about using distortion to help the vocals cut through. Check out this video, then leave a comment!

by Joe Gilder in Mixing, Pro Tools, Video • 7 Comments - Leave a comment!

Pro Tool Plug-in Tricks

Today I’ve got a quick video for you where I share four or five little plug-in tricks. These are all things I use all the time, and I thought it would be a shame for you not to know about them. Enjoy!

If you’re looking for more in-depth Pro Tools training, check out Understanding Pro Tools.

Got any plugin tips for us? Leave a comment!!

by Joe Gilder in Pro Tools, Tips & Tricks, Video • 9 Comments - Leave a comment!

Buses and IO Explained [Video]

A lot of people get that “glazed-over” look when they try to explain or figure out buses and IO settings in their DAW. In this video, I give you a simple explanation of buses and IO. I’ll be showing it to you in Pro Tools, but these principles apply to any DAW.

What is your favorite thing to use buses for? I need 10 comments before I’ll post tomorrow’s post.

—--

Want to learn more about Pro Tools? Check out UnderstandingProTools.com.

by Joe Gilder in For Beginners, Pro Tools, Video • 15 Comments - Leave a comment!

Digidesign: What’s in a Name?

If you’re a Pro Tools user, then you likely received an email from Digidesign explaining that they’re moving forward with the “re-branding” of Digidesign. They’ve decided to nix the name entirely, using just the name of the parent company (Avid), and the ever-popular name of the software itself, Pro Tools.

So…I guess it will be Avid Pro Tools from here on out…or most likely everyone will call it Pro Tools just like they always have.

Why comment on this? Well, I for one don’t really care if Digi changes their name. It doesn’t really affect my day-to-day life. However, if you’re contemplating Pro Tools, you might get confused when doing your research.

I’m sure some dummies out there will speculate that Pro Tools is going away forever. That’s nonsense. They’re just getting a face-lift apparently.

Jon over at AudioGeekZine.com posted the entire letter from Digidesign. Click that link to read it yourself.

Also, if you’re interested in my Pro Tools tutorial video series, check out UnderstandingProTools.com.

Happy Monday!

by Joe Gilder in Pro Tools • 4 Comments - Leave a comment!