Pro Tools 101 Certification

Name five types of production tasks that ProTools can be used for.

Audio, MIDI, notation, mixing, and post-production

What is the AIR group?

Advanced Instrument Research

What types of products does the AIR Software Group specialize in?

Innovative plug-ins for ProTools

Examples of AIR plug-ins:

Virtual instruments; Air Creative collection; Structure

What is the frequency range of human hearing?

20 Hz to 20 kHz

What does the frequency of a sound wave affect in terms of how we perceive the sound?

Frequency affects pitch

How is frequency measured?

Cycles per second (CPS) or Hertz (Hz)

What does the amplitude of the sound wave affect?

Amplitude affects loudness

How is amplitude measured?

Decibels (dB)

What is the threshold of pain?

120 dB

What is sampling?

The process of taking discrete readings of a signal at various moments in time

What is the sample rate?

The frequency with which digital snapshots (samplings) are collected

What is the Nyquist Theorem?

In order to produce an accurate representation of a given frequency of sound, each cycle of the sound's vibration must be sampled a min of two times

What is the standard sample rate of an audio CD?

44.1 kHz

What is the useful dynamic range of speech and music?

40 to 105 dB

What is A/D conversion?

Analog-to-digital conversion

What is quantization?

Capturing the relative amplitude of a sample by quantifying (assigning) to sample to the closest available amplitude value

What is bit depth?

Binary word length

What is the greatest bit depth possible?

32-bit floating point

What is the highest sample rate possible?

196 kHz

How many simultaneous mono or stereo Audio tracks can PT support?

96

How many simultaneous MIDI tracks can PT support?

512

How many channels of I/O are available for PT 11 software?

32

S/PDIF

Sony/Philips Digital Interface

What types of connectors does S/PDIF use?

Coaxial/RCA jacks

AES/EBU

Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcast Union

What types of connectors does AES/EBU use?

XLR-type connectors

What are three types of supported PT audio interfaces?

Mbox, Eleven Rack, 003

What are three types of PT HD software?

HD OMNI, HD I/O, HD MADI

What extension do PT 10 and 11 session files use?

.ptx

What are two other session file types compatible with PT?

WAV (.wav) and AIFF (.aiff)

Name some of the file types that Pro Tools creates as part of the session heirarchy.

Session file, WaveCache file, Audio file, MIDI file, Sibelius file, Bounced file, Clip Groups, Rendered files, Session File Backups, and Video files

What is a session file?

The document PT creates when you start a new project

Where is the .ptx file stored?

In a session file of the same name

What is a WaveCache.wfm file?

The waveform data display data for any audio in the session

Can waveform data be recalculated if lost?

Yes

What is the default file format for both Mac and Windows PT systems?

WAV

Which component should you turn on first when powering up a PT system?

External hard drives

Which component should you turn on last when powering up a PT system?

Audio monitoring

What does hardware buffer size control?

The size of the low-latency hardware cache

Does H/W buffer size control DSP?

No

What commands are found in the File menu?

To create and maintain PT sessions

What commands are found in the Edit menu?

To edit and manipulate the media in your current selection and affect data in Timeline

What commands are found in the View menu?

To control how PT windows, tracks, and track data are displayed

What commands are found in the Windows menu?

To show or hide entire windows or arrange them on screen

What commands are found in the Track menu?

Track-based operations

What commands are found in the Clip menu?

To modify clips and clip settings

What commands are found in the Event menu?

To modify time and tempo settings of session

What commands are found in the Setup menu?

To affect the architectural underpinnings

What are the two main window views in a PT session?

Edit and Mix

What is found in the Edit Window?

Edit Tools, Edit Modes, Edit Window Side Columns, Ruler Views, and Toolbar

What are the two Edit Window side columns?

Track menu and Clips menu

What display elements are available under the Edit Window toolbar?

Zoom controls, Transport window, and MIDI controls

What is found in the Mix Window?

Signal Routing controls, Record and Playback controls, and Mix Window side columns

What controls are found in the Transport Window?

Transports controls, Counters, and MIDI controls

What does the MIDI Editor Window provide?

Detailed MIDI and automation data for editing tasks

How can you view your MIDI data in the Score Editor Window?

As music notation

What are the Edit Tool functions?

Zoomer, Trim, Selector, Grabber, Scrubber, and Pencil

What does the Smart Tool consist of?

Trim, Selector, and Grabber tools

What are the four Edit Modes?

Shuffle, Slip, Spot, Grid

What are the MIDI controls found in the Transport Window?

Wait for Note, Metronome, MIDI Merge, and Tempo Ruler Enable (Conductor)

What is Universe View?

Displays an overview of entire session

Where can Universe View be found?

At the top of the Timeline

How do you select material on adjacent tracks?

Drag vertically

How do you select material on nonadjacent tracks?

Shift-click with Selector tool

Where does the cursor move to when using the Tab key?

Clip boundaries on Track Playlist

How do you select from the current cursor position to the next clip boundary?

Shift+Tab

How do you select from the current cursor position to the previous clip boundary?

Option+Shift+Tab

What is a transient point?

Initial peak or modulation in an audio waveform

How do you tab to transient points?

Toggle Tab to Transients in the Edit window toolbar

How do you zoom out?

Option-Click the Zoomer tool

How do you get back to full track view after zooming in?

Double-click the Zoomer tool