BPM202: Digital Music Production II - Quiz #2: Mixing!

MIX WINDOW

• Like a traditional mixing console

• Can adjust and monitor tracks

• Can add plugin effects, bus sends, adjust volume, mute & solo tracks

TRACK TYPES

1. Audio Tracks

2. Aux Tracks

3. Instrument Tracks

4. MIDI Tracks

5. Master Fader

6. Videos Tracks

7. VCA Tracks

TRACK TYPES

1. AUDIO TRACKS

• mono, stereo up to 7.1 surround (surround HD/HDX only)

• recording Input can be assigned to hardware input or bus

• playback is via track playlist unless input monitoring is enabled

• output can be assigned bus or hardware output

  • 10 Inserts are PRE fader

  • 10 Sends available

TRACK TYPES

2. AUX TRACKS

• mono, stereo up to 7.1 surround (surround HD/HDX only)

• Input can be assigned bus or plug-in

• output can be assigned bus or hardware output

  • 10 Inserts are PRE fader

  • 10 Sends available

TRACK TYPES

3. INSTRUMENT TRACKS

• These run 'virtual instruments' or commonly called "VI's"

• mono, stereo up to 7.1 surround

• Recording Input is external MIDI controller

• Playback is from track MIDI playlist

• Output is AUDIO can be assigned bus or hardware output

  • 9 Inserts are PRE fader (1st insert houses the virtual inst.)

  • 10 Sends available

TRACK TYPES

4. MIDI TRACKS

• Recording Input is MIDI data

• Playback is from track MIDI playlist

• Output can be assigned to a Instrument track input or external MIDI device

TRACK TYPES

5. MASTER FADER

• Control the master level of a bus or output

  • 5 Inserts are POST Fader

  • no sends, pan, mute, solo controls

TRACK TYPES

6. VIDEOS TRACKS

• only visible in the edit video

• no audio controls

TRACK TYPES

7. VCA TRACKS

• not covered in RECA-339 course

• information within Pro Tools Help

• not available in Pro Tools | First

Bypassing

• You can bypass a plug-in by ⌘ clicking it

  • Bypassing removes any audio processing of that
    plugin from the track

  • It will keep the plug-in and
    internal settings available and use CPU
    resources so you can re-engage the plug-in at
    any moment

“All” Track Options

• use “option”

  • while adding an INSERT or SEND will apply to ALL tracks in a session on the same row

  • while selecting input and output assignments will change all assignments in the session (careful!)

  • during bypass/disable will affect ALL sends or plug-ins on that row
    

  
  

BUSES

• the internal "behind the scenes" pathways that Protools uses for moving audio throughout the mixer

• can be created to accommodate standard channel sizes of audio: mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1, etc

• also required to access hardware outputs. These dedicated busses are "Mapped to Hardware outputs" and MUST be assigned to hear any sound from Protools

  • bussing configuration for your Protools session is found at: Menu: Setup → I/O (Input/Output)

AUTOMATION

• Allows one to quickly and easily automate the mixer's most common functions at the click of the mouse

  • Includes Volume, Pan, Mutes and Sends

• MODES:

  (1) OFF

  (2) READ

  (3) TOUCH

  (4) LATCH

  (5) WRITE

• Any automation created for a track will be displayed as a line across the track in the Edit Window

AUTOMATION

(1) OFF

• The track will not read any pre-existing automation data

AUTOMATION

(2) READ

• The track will read any pre-existing
  automation and the mixer will
  automatically follow

AUTOMATION

(3) TOUCH

• During playback, the track will add
  automation data the moment you touch a control, and stop the moment you release (or 'un-touch') the control

• The control will return to the previous value

AUTOMATION

(4) LATCH

• During playback, the track will add
  automation data the moment you touch a control, and continue updating automation for that control even if you un-touch until you stop playback

• The control will then return to the previous value

AUTOMATION

(5) WRITE

• During playback, the track will overwrite automation data the moment you press play, and continue overwriting automation until you stop playback

AUTOSITE PLUGINS

• are a non-realtime effect

• means you have to select a clip (or multiple clips)

  1. Select multiple clips

  2. Open Audiosuit Plugin (Audiosuite Menu)

MIX GROUPS

• allow you customize the control of mix parameters across many tracks simultaneously

• If a Mix group is controlling a parameter with an on/off function, all tracks with that parameter will operate in unison

  • To temporarily bypass a track's parameter from a mix group to independently change the value, hold down control
    while making the adjustment

“BOUNCING” TO DISK

1. Highlight a range of your session

2. To Bounce an Audio file: File → Bounce To… → Disk

How to Show/Hide Tracks

• Pro Tools allows you to keep these tracks functioning, while hiding them from the edit and mix windows

COLOR PALETTE

• allows you to color code clips to your liking for further organization

• You can use these colors as an additional visual indicator on large sessions to differentiate between
  various type of clips 'at a glance

CLIP GROUPS

• allow you to bundle all these edits together into a single "Super Clip”

• You can then easily copy and move it around like a big piece of LEGO

  • option + ⌘ (command/ctrl) + G

MEMORY LOCATIONS

• Are a powerful feature allowing you further organize your session

• These locations can keep track of important song positions in the form of "Markers", which you can customize with your own labels such as: Verse 1, Chorus, Intro etc

WINDOW CONFIGURATIONS

• allow you to save snapshots of all window positions on the screen

• setup the visuals you require for the task at hand

• This includes floating windows such as Transport, Counters, Plugins, Colour Palette et

BIG COUNTER WINDOW

• large 'floating' window that you can position anywhere on the screen
  to have a better view of the timeline format

SYSTEM USAGE WINDOW

• a 'floating' window that displays how much demand Pro Tools is
  placing on your computer

TRACK FOLDERS

1. Select tracks you want in folder

2. Right-Click on any Track’s name & select “Move to…” “New Folder…”

3. Give Basic Folder a name

4. Click, Create

TYPES:

1. Nesting Folder: A folder within a folder!

2. Basic Folder

3. Routing Folder: A folder that looks similar to a Basic Folder → difference is that the Routing Folder has an audio functionality: Inserts, Sends Input & Output

COMPRESSION

• Useful tool that allows us to reduce the dynamic range of an audio signal

  • Can make loud parts quieter, loud parts louder

  • Evens out signals → EX: Vocals with odd dynamics

  • Bring down peaks of audio

COMPRESSION

• Threshold

• The level at which compression starts to take place

  • Anything quieter than the dB level of threshold will remain unaffected

  • But anything beyond will be compressed

COMPRESSION

• Ratio

• Determines how much compression occurs once the signal rises above the threshold

  • STANDARD: 3:1, 1 dB for every 3dB

COMPRESSION

• Attack Time

• How long it takes to reach full compression

  • How steep is a reflection of attack time

COMPRESSION

• Release Time

• Opposite of attack, how quickly the compressor will allow the signal to return to normal after compression has taken place

COMPRESSION

• Knee

• Affects how a compressor behaves with signals that are very near the threshold

  • Narrows transition 

  • Soft Knee: Smooths transition

  • Hard Knee: Difference in tone

COMPRESSION

• Makeup Gain

• Brings the signal back up again after compression has taken place

LIMITERS

• Best way for engineers and producers to stop peaks from reaching beyond a ceiling limit

  • Helps avoid clipping, stops any audio from going beyond 

  • Limits the dynamic range

  • Serves as a ceiling which signal cannot pass above

  • Essentially a compressor but with a very high ratio

• USES:

1. Mastering: Helps bring track up to commercial level

LIMITERS

• Parameter Gain

• Used to boost signals until it hits the ceiling and is compressed

NOISE GATE

• A more extreme version of an expander

  • Provides a threshold/floor level, which a signal must cross in order to be heard

  • If too quiet, it will be silent! 

  • Tells low level sounds that they’re not loud enough, so they can’t get through

• USES:

1. To attenuate when quiet or unneeded noises appear

2. For live-recording

NOISE GATE

• Three Parameters of a Gate

1. THRESHOLD: the point at which sound is allowed to pass through the gate

2. ATTACK TIME: how fast the gate opens once the sound passes the set threshold

3. RELEASE TIME: similar qualities to the attack, but occurs after the transient has breached the threshold

EXPANDERS

• Expands dynamic range

  • Louder and quieter parts become relatively louder and quieter parts, respectively

  • Opposite of compressor

  • “Upward Expanders”: amplify the signals that pass the threshold

  • “Downard Expanders:” similar to gates

• USES:

1. Brings life to vocals

2. Can help create isolation to a drum recorder

3. Can decrease the relative volume of a hi-hat

EXPANDERS

• Three Parameters of a Gate

1. THRESHOLD: determines the input level at which the expander will activate

2. ATTACK TIME: time it takes to reach full expansion

3. RELEASE: how long it stops expanding after the threshold is no longer being reached