Guide to Pro Tools Digital Audio Recording and Editing

Getting Sound In To Pro Tools

Routing Audio: Guide to the Mackie Audio Console

>>signal flow diagram<<

The Mackie audio console, a.k.a. mixer

The Mackie is essentially a signal router, otherwise referred to as an audio mixer. It controls the flow of audio between your audio sources and destinations (i.e. cassette, minidisk, your voice, and the computer).

It consists of three sections: a patch bay, channel strips, and master output.

1. The patch bay

<patch_bay.jpg>

• Audio signals flow in through the patch bay and into the corresponding channel strip. These are already pre-wired, and generally will not require changes or adjustments — except for the mic pre-amp/trim and low cut filter on Channel One, which will be discussed in class.

2. Channel strips

<channel.jpg>

• Channels are numbered sequentially from left to right across the console. They correspond to the audio inputs at the patch bay: four of which you will use in the lab (MIC, COMPUTER, MINI DISK, TAPE).
• Here, you can control the amount of audio (the “audio gain”) that passes through each channel by adjusting the GAIN dial.
  • Channel 1 = microphone
    
  • Channel 5/6 = computer
    
  • Channel 7/8 = minidisk
    
  • Channel 9/10 = cassette tape

3. Master output

• The master output provides the final controls for the audio after it passes from the patch bay and through the channels.

The Signal Path

• Sound enters the mixer at the patch bay.
• It passes through both an EQ (equalizer) section and a PAN (panorama) control on its way to the channel’s GAIN (or level) control at the bottom of the channel strip. EQ and PAN dials should be set at the “U” or 12 o'clock position.
• You can control the how much of the sound is heard by adjusting the GAIN control or interrupt it entirely with the MUTE button on a particular channel.

• Your sound now is part of the “mix bus.”
• Each channel’s GAIN control – at the bottom of each channel strip – is a gateway to the mix bus that you can think of it as a bus stop; the channel control lets the sound "get on or off the bus."
• Visualize that the route the sound takes runs down from the patch bay, then left to right along the bottom of the console to bridge all channels, passing through the Headphone/Speaker control, and ending at the MAIN MIX (or master level) control.
• Therefore, all audio coming into the Mackie must “get on the mix bus” in order to be routed to an output destination; and, therefore, to be recorded or heard.
• Important: Make sure you have selected/depressed the MAIN MIX button above the HEADPHONE control in order to see and hear the audio signals you have routed onto the mix bus.

Putting Sound into the Mixer

Begin and end each lab session by “zeroing” the console.

• Turn all channel GAIN controls and the Headphone/Speaker control fully clockwise to the zero position. This clears all previous workstation settings that may have been left by someone else and helps to prevent the danger of feedback. Exception: Set the MAIN MIX and all PAN and EQ dials to the center (“U”), 12 o’clock position.
• MUTE and SOLO buttons (above each channel gain control) should not be depressed.
• Be certain that the speakers (on either side of the computer) are OFF. On the left speaker, turn the volume dial fully counter-clockwise. The power button and its red indicator light should only be “on” when the speakers are in use, which will generally be only when you are playing back work for an editor.

Set a Rough Level
This is a visual test, so don't put your headphones on yet.

• Play audio either from Pro Tools or cassette, or set your mic position for recording your voice.
• While audio is playing or you are speaking into the mic, raise the GAIN control on the corresponding channel strip by turning it clockwise. The lights in the master level meter should appear.
• Turn the channel level up until the meter pulses green and fills out the bracketed “Level Set” range markings. It is acceptable if the level rises above the 0dB master level and goes into the yellow zone.
• Keep the meter out of the red. Simply turn down your gain if you are hitting the extreme range (above +7dB) at the top of the meter.
• Now, put on your headphones and turn up the headphone volume until it sounds comfortable.

Important reminders

Feedback is a piercing tone that is heard when a signal is amplified and continuously regenerated in a loop.

Avoid creating a feedback loop, which can damage both your hearing as well as the equipment. Having the workstation’s speakers on when your mic is on, or “live,” will cause feedback as the audio being amplified by the speakers is then picked up by the mic, creating the loop.

• Use headphones, especially when recording your narration.
• Do not use speakers unless you are playing back your work for your editor.

And, when routing signals, remember the maxim: Origin UP, Destination DOWN.

• All audio signals have an origin (or source) and a destination. This refers to the dial position of the individual channel level controls.
• For example: to record your voice as narration, the mic is the origin and the Pro Tools computer is the destination. Therefore, the dial settings would be MIC=Up (on) and COMPUTER=DOWN (off, or fully counter-clockwise).

At a Glance: The Pro Tools Edit Window

>>Image of "PT Edit Window" with descriptions<<

How sounds are placed in the Edit Window.

Edit Modes

Shuffle

• Editing in this mode will automatically close gaps within audio regions when a section is deleted or moved.
• Moved regions displace their adjacent regions to the right — automatically closing gaps in the timeline — and cannot overlap one another.

Slip

• Most useful when manually placing an audio region at any location along the timeline. In doing so, there can be silent spaces between audio regions as you place sounds at specific points on the timeline in the assembly of a radio piece.

Edit Tools

Zoomer (keyboard shortcut: "command-1")

• A virtual magnifying glass with which you can define the degree of zoom within the Edit Window display.
• Simply click on the tool to select it, then click-hold and drag over the area you would like to zoom to and release.
• Additional keyboard shortcuts are "command-left bracket ( [ ) " to zoom out and "command-right bracket ( ] ) " to zoom in.

Trimmer (keyboard shortcut: "command-2")

• Allows you to trim the heads or tails off of regions quickly, eliminating silence or unwanted sound from the boundaries of an audio region.
• In Shuffle mode, the Trimmer will trim the edges and — at the same time — slide the adjacent region to meet the region you are trimming.

Selector or Insertion Tool (keyboard shortcut: "command-3")

• Lets you choose specific locations or sections within audio regions on which to edit and make volume changes.
• Click-hold and drag the cursor across a portion of your sound region and it will be highlighted.
• You can choose to make the highlighted section a new region (command-E) and name it, or delete it (delete key).
• Double click on a region and the entire region will be selected; triple click and the entire track will be selected.

Grabber (keyboard shortcut: "command-4")

• Lets you click and drag to move regions in the Edit Window, either within a track or across tracks.
• In Slip mode, regions can be freely placed anywhere.
• In Shuffle, movement is constrained such that when a grabbed region is released, it snaps to the beginning or end of a target region.

Transferring Audio from Cassette or Minidisk into Pro Tools

IMPORTANT: Make sure the "Computer" dial on the Mackie console is turned DOWN (fully counter-clockwise). This prevents feedback.

• Turn UP the "Tape" or "Minidisk" dial on the Mackie console to about the 12 o’clock position.
• Set your Actuality track to record by clicking on the "rec" button to the left side of track so that it turns red. The track is now "Record Enabled" although not yet ready to capture audio.

• Go to the Transport window (if it is not visible, go to the “Display” menu and select “Show Transport”).
• Click the circular button on the Transport. It will start to flash and glow red. The track you’ve enabled is now "Record Ready."

Check the recording level before you record!

• Play some portion of your tape or minidisk recording: preferably that which you believe is the loudest section.
• Look at the audio meter display on the Actuality track. While audio is playing from your tape or minidisk source, the meter should display a greenish bar bouncing about 3/4ths of the way up the height of the track, reaching into a yellow area regularly but not hitting the red Peak Overload light at the top of the scale.
• To raise or lower the volume level of your cassette or minidisk, raise or lower the "Tape" or "Minidisk" dial on the Mackie console.
• 
  
  Cue (set) your tape or minidisk to a spot a few seconds before the section you want to use.
• Start recording to the Pro Tools computer workstation by pressing the SPACE bar. The selected track is now recording.
• Press the PLAY button on the tape deck or minidisk player to start audio. You should see the waveform of the sound you are recording appear as a pink area.

Watch your levels while recording -- the audio meter must not "peak" or overload and illuminate the red Peak Overload light at the top of the scale. This causes distortion and can ruin your sound quality. [If the audio overloads the meter, stop recording and set your recording level slightly lower, then begin the process over.]

• · When you've captured the audio you want, simply press the SPACE bar on the keyboard to stop recording. Then, press STOP on the tape deck or minidisk player.
• IMPORTANT: When you finish recording, click on the "rec" button to the left of the track to disable it -- otherwise, you'll risk getting feedback!
• To name your new audio file, click on the Grabber tool. Double click in the audio region, and a Track Name/Comments dialogue box opens. Type a distinctive name for the audio, then click "OK."
• Repeat steps as many times as needed to input all of your actuality and ambient sound into the session. Pro Tools will record over audio, so be sure your cursor is in a new location when you start to record; the easiest way is to click anywhere on the last file you’ve recorded with the “Selector” tool and press TAB on the keyboard once.
• SAVE FREQUENTLY: Press and hold the Apple key [?] + "S" after each audio segment that you record.
• To playback what you've recorded, avoid feedback and make sure that the “rec" button to the left of the track is disabled (not highlighted in red). Then turn up the dial labeled “Computer” on the Mackie console. Use the “Selector” tool to click on the beginning of the region you want hear, then press the SPACE bar to begin playback.

Recording Narration Into Pro Tools

IMPORTANT: Make sure "Computer" dial on Mackie console is turned DOWN (fully counter-clockwise) to prevent feedback.

• Note: When your headphones are not on your head, keep them away from the microphone. If they get too close when the microphone is on, or "live," you will get feedback.
• Enable your Narration track for recording by selecting the "rec" button along the left side of track (black = disabled; red = enabled).

• Enable the computer to record by clicking on the circular button in the Transport window.

• Check your levels! When you rehearse your narration, the meter next to the Narration track should display a greenish bar bouncing about 3/4ths of the way up the height of the track, reaching into a yellow area regularly but not hitting the red Peak Overload light at the top of the scale. To raise or lower the recording level, adjust the "Mic" dial on the Mackie console.

• Get your script ready to read. Put on your headphones.
• Start recording into the Pro Tools computer workstation by pressing the SPACE bar.
• Read your narration into the microphone. If you have set the Mackie console and the Pro Tools Edit window correctly, you will be able to see the waveform of your sound appear.

• To stop, press the SPACE bar.
• If you record each section of narration separately (which we recommend), you'll need to re-enable the Pro Tools Transport window after every time you stop so that the circular button flashes red. Also, be sure your cursor is in a new location when you start to record your next segment; the easiest way is to click anywhere on the last sound region you’ve recorded with the “Selector” tool and press TAB on the keyboard once.
• IMPORTANT: When you finish recording all of your narration segments, disable the "rec" button on the computer to prevent the possibility of any feedback!
• To name your new audio file, click on the Grabber tool. Double click in the audio region, and a Track Name/Comments dialogue box opens. Type a distinctive name for the audio, then click "OK."

• SAVE FREQUENTLY: Press and hold the Apple key [?] + "S" after each audio segment that you record.
• To playback what you've recorded, avoid feedback and make sure that the “rec" button to the left of the track is disabled (not highlighted in red). Then turn up the dial labeled “Computer” on the Mackie console. Use the “Selector” tool to click on the beginning of the region you want hear, then press the SPACE bar to begin playback.
  
  Next: Returning to a Session