PT101 - Lesson 4a

Counters and Indicators

• The counters and indicators at the top of the Edit window show the location of the timeline insertion and the beginning of any selected area.
• The playback cursor can be moved to any desired location by typing a value in the counter field.
• The Main Counter can be set to various time scales, including:
  • Bars|Beats (Bars and Beats)
  • Min:Secs (Minutes and Seconds)
  • Timecode
  • Feet+Frames
  • Samples
• The Main Counter's time scale can be changed by:
  • Clicking the Main Counter selector and choosing a new time scale from the menu
  • Clicking on the name of any timebase ruler (Bars|Beats, Min:Secs, etc.)

Sub Counter

• The Sub Counter allows viewing a second time scale in addition to the Main Counter.
• The Sub Counter can be set to the same time scales as the Main Counter.
• To view the Sub Counter, select "Show Sub Counter" from the Main Time Scale selector menu.

Rulers

• Rulers are indispensable tools for navigating the timeline.
• There are two ways to show or hide rulers:
  • From the View menu, select "Rulers" and choose the desired ruler to show or hide.
  • Click the Ruler View selector to the left of the Main Counter and choose the desired ruler to show or hide.
• Rulers can be reordered by clicking and dragging the ruler name to a new location.

Selecting a Playback Point

• Playback can be started at any location in the timeline by:
  • Typing a value in the Main or Sub Counter field
  • Clicking on a point in the ruler area
  • Using the Go to Zero and Go to End shortcuts (Return key or Enter key, and Option+Return key or Alt+Enter key)
• Selections can be made on the timeline using the Shift key to extend or modify the selection.

Timeline and Edit Selections

• Timeline selections are made by choosing a playback point or selecting an area in the rulers.
• Edit selections are made by using tools to select clips or areas in the tracks area.
• The Link Timeline and Edit Selection option can be enabled to link the two selections.
• When enabled, a selection made on the timeline will be mirrored in the Edit window's tracks area.

Loop Playback

• Loop Playback allows a selected area to repeat until playback is stopped.
• To enable Loop Playback, select the area on the timeline, then choose "Loop Playback" from the Options menu, or use the default shortcut (Shift+Command+L on Mac or Shift+Ctrl+L on Windows).

Scrolling and Zooming

• Scrolling in the Edit window can be done horizontally and vertically using the scroll bars or the scroll wheel.

• Zooming in the Edit window can be done horizontally and vertically using the Zoom controls cluster or the R and T keys.

• Vertical zooming can be done using the Audio Zoom In/Out button or the default shortcut (Command+Option+Left Bracket key on Mac or Ctrl+Alt+Left Bracket key on Windows).

• The Zoomer tool can be used to zoom in and out of the session by clicking on the tracks area, and can be activated using the default shortcut (F5 key).### Zooming with the Zoomer Tool

• Click and drag over a specific area to zoom in on it, and a marquee box will appear.

• Letting go of the mouse will zoom in on the selected area.

• Double-clicking the Zoomer tool will zoom out the view to show the longest track in its entirety.

• This is useful for quickly seeing the entire timeline and resetting vertical zoom settings.

Horizontal and Vertical Zooming

• Holding the Control key (Mac) or Start key (Windows) and clicking and dragging left or right will smoothly zoom in or out horizontally.
• Dragging to the left will zoom out, and dragging to the right will zoom in.
• Holding the Control key (Mac) or Start key (Windows) and clicking and dragging up or down on a track will vertically zoom that track's waveform.
• Holding Control+Shift (Mac) or Start+Shift (Windows) and dragging up or down on a track will vertically zoom all audio waveforms in the session.

Scrolling Options

• There are four scrolling options in Pro Tools: No Scrolling, After Playback, Page, and Continuous.
• No Scrolling: Pro Tools will not automatically scroll during playback, and the playback cursor will disappear if it moves off the right edge of the Edit window.
• After Playback: Pro Tools will not scroll during playback, but will horizontally scroll to the point where playback was stopped when playback is stopped.
• Page: Pro Tools will immediately shift the Edit window to the left when the playback cursor reaches the rightmost edge, and will "turn the page" again when it reaches the right edge.
• Continuous: The playback cursor is in a fixed position in the middle of the Edit window, and the Edit window smoothly scrolls as the session plays.
• Center Playhead: Similar to Continuous, but the playback cursor will re-start playback at the point on the timeline where scrolling was stopped.