Where can you assign the colour coding that Pro Tools will automatically apply for tracks and clips? How can you display track colour bars in the Mix and Edit windows? SETUP > PREFERENCES> DISPLAY > Color Coding. VIEW > MIX WINDOW VIEWS / EDIT WINDOW VIEWS >TRACK COLOUR or Mix / Edit Display Selector
Describe the track icons used for the following track types in the Mix window: Audio, Aux Input, MIDI, Instrument, and Master Fader Audio (waveform), Aux (Down Arrow), MIDI (5-pin connector), Instrument (keyboard), Master (Sigma)
What are some of the track status indicators available in the Edit window? Describe at least three. Task Manager Indicator. Freeze. Solo. Mute.
How many inserts are available on a track in Pro Tools? Why is it important to consider the order in which inserts are arranged on a track? 10 (A-E, F-J). Pro Tools processes inserts in series adding each effect to the previous one from top to bottom
Are inserts pre-fader or post-fader on Audio tracks, Instrument tracks and Aux input tracks? Are inserts any different on Master Fader tracks? Explain. Audio, Instrument and Aux inserts are Pre-fader. Master Fader inserts are post-fader.
Are Sends pre-fader or post-fader on Audio tracks, Instrument tracks and Aux input tracks? Are sends any different on Master Fader tracks? Explain. Can be either pre or post. There are no sends on Master Fader track.
How many sends are available on a track on Pro Tools? 10 (A-E, F-J)
What is the difference between an Output Send and a Bus Send? When would you use each? 1. Output Send: routes a signal out of your audio interface e.g. through an external processor and back into your audio interface, or as a headphone mix. 2. Bus Send: uses internal mix bus to route signal to an Aux Input to be processed by a plug-in.
What level does a send default to when it is first created? How can you change this default? Negative Infinity. SETUP > PREFERENCES > MIXING TAB > disable SENDS DEFAULT TO “-INF”
What is the difference between standard view and expanded view for Sends? What keyboard modifier can you use to toggle between view modes by clicking a Send selector? Expanded View gives access to Send controls for all tracks in the Mix Window rather than an individual track in Standard Viewcmd+click
How can you prevent a “return” track from muting when one of the source tracks is solo’d? What modifier key is used to enable this function? Solo Safecmd-click the relevant Aux Return Tracks.
What is the effect of enabling the PRE button in a Send window? What is the effect of enabling the FMP button? PRE = Prefader.FMP = Follow Main Pan
How can you visually determine whether the inverse pan option is enabled for a Send? What button(s) will be highlighted? Both the Link and Inverse Pan buttons will be highlighted (on a stereo Send)
How can you copy a send from one track to another track and duplicate its settings? What considerations might apply? opt-click and drag. 1. When moving or copying a Stereo Send from a Mono Track to a Stereo Track, any existing Send Pan automation will be dropped without warning. 2. When moving or copying a Stereo Send from a Stereo Track to a Mono Track, the Left Send Pan position/automation data is retained and the Right Pan data is dropped. A warning notification will appear. 3. When moving or copying a Send and replacing an existing Send, all automation on the existing Send will be replaced. A warning notification will appear
Which type of plug-in effects are generally used on inserts? Which are generally used with sends? Why? Inserts are generally used for Gain-based processing (EQ, Compressor, Gate, Expander etc.) (though not always e.g parallel compression) Sends are generally used for Time-based processing (reverb, chorus, delay, etc) – so you can use a common effect for multiple tracks, it also makes more efficient use of processing resources.
What is the Librarian menu used for in a plug-in window? What is displayed in the librarian menu when you first assign a plug-in? Why? Lets you select from available presets for the current plug-in. When a plug-in is first assigned it will have no preset selected and <factory default> will display.
What are some of the uses of a Master Fader? How can you assign a Master Fader to the desired output or bus? They control the master levels of output and bus paths. They can be used to do any of the following: 1. control and process output mixes. 2:monitor and meter an output level(e.g., a bus or hardware output) to guard against clipping. 3: Control sub-mix levels. 4: Control Effects Send levels. 5: Control levels on submasters (bussed tracks). 6: Apply dither or other inserts to all tracks sent to a common output or bus.Set the AUDIO OUTPUT PATH SELECTOR
