PT101 - Lesson 6b

Count Off in Music Recording

• A Count Off is a feature in music recording that provides a metronome click or other sound before the start of a song to help musicians prepare and sync with the tempo.

Enabling/Disabling Count Off

• To enable or disable the Count Off feature, go to the Edit Window.

Count Off Settings

• To change Count Off settings in Pro Tools, navigate to the designated settings area.

Music Notation

• A quarter note has a one-beat value in music notation.

Meter in Music

• The Meter in music informs musicians of the rhythmic structure and number of beats per measure.

Metronome Clicks

• Metronome clicks are typically counted in a Count Off, helping musicians keep a steady tempo.

Default Input for New Track

• The default input for a new MIDI or Instrument track is usually set to "Last Used" or "Default."

MIDI Merge

• Enabling MIDI Merge during recording allows you to merge multiple MIDI recordings into one track.

Arm MIDI/Instrument Track

• Click the "Record" button to arm a MIDI or Instrument track for recording.

Multi-Keyboard Setup

• Assigning tracks to specific MIDI sources in a multi-keyboard setup enables control over individual keyboards.

Selecting Input Device

• Selecting an input device when setting up a MIDI track allows you to specify the device that sends MIDI data.

Recording with MIDI Merge

• Recording with MIDI Merge differs from normal recording in that it combines multiple takes into one track.

MIDI Merge Button

• Click the "MIDI Merge" button to enable it during recording.

Importing MIDI vs. Audio

• A significant difference between importing MIDI and importing audio is that MIDI files contain note data, whereas audio files contain recorded sound.

Importing MIDI Files

• Drag a MIDI file into your Pro Tools session to import it.

Import MIDI Options

• Selecting "New Track(s)" when importing MIDI allows you to create new tracks for the imported data.

Removing Existing Tracks

• Checking "Remove existing Instrument tracks" during MIDI import removes existing tracks and replaces them with new ones.

MIDI Import Settings

• The "Starting Point" setting in the MIDI Import Options dialog box specifies the starting point for the imported MIDI on the timeline.

Metronome Button

• The Metronome button enables or disables the metronome click during MIDI recording.

Clip List during Import

• Selecting the "Clip List" radio button during MIDI import creates separate clips for each MIDI note.

Import Key Signature

• Checking "Import Key Signature from MIDI File" imports the MIDI file's key signature and sets it as the session's key signature.

Remove Existing MIDI Clips

• Checking "Remove existing MIDI clips" during import removes existing MIDI clips and replaces them with the new imported data.

Import Tempo Map

• Checking "Import Tempo map from MIDI File" imports the MIDI file's tempo map and applies it to your session.

Time Signature

• A time signature of 5/8 indicates there are five beats in a measure.

Tempo in Music

• Tempo refers to the speed or rate at which a piece of music is played.

Changing Tempo

• You can easily change the tempo in Pro Tools when in Manual Tempo mode.

MIDI Merge

• Enabling MIDI Merge in Pro Tools combines multiple MIDI recordings into one track.

Enabling/Disabling Metronome

• Go to the Edit Window to enable or disable the Metronome in Pro Tools.

Wait for Note

• Recording is triggered when a MIDI note is received when "Wait for Note" is enabled.

Conductor Track

• Enabling the Conductor Track (Tempo Ruler) in Pro Tools allows you to edit the tempo and meter of your session.

F11 Key

• Pressing the F11 key when "Wait For Note" is frequently used disables the metronome click.

Metronome Button

• Double-clicking on the Metronome button in Pro Tools toggles the metronome on and off.

MIDI Merge Key

• Press the "N" key to enable or disable MIDI Merge in Pro Tools.

Virtual MIDI Keyboard

• Playing using the Virtual MIDI Keyboard during MIDI Merge recording merges the played notes with existing MIDI data.

Shifting Octave

• Shift the octave down on the Virtual MIDI Keyboard by pressing the "Ctrl + Down Arrow" keys.

A-K Keys

• The A-K keys on the Virtual MIDI Keyboard simulate playing a keyboard instrument.

Increasing MIDI Velocity

• Increase the MIDI velocity of notes played using the Virtual MIDI Keyboard by pressing "Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow".

Virtual MIDI Keyboard

• The Virtual MIDI Keyboard feature in Pro Tools allows for portable MIDI note input.

Virtual MIDI Keyboard Screen

• The lower left-hand corner of the Virtual MIDI Keyboard screen displays the MIDI velocity value.

Recording Enable Button

• Clicking the Recording Enable button arms the track for recording.

Virtual MIDI Keyboard Feature

• The Virtual MIDI Keyboard feature was introduced in Pro Tools to provide an on-screen MIDI keyboard for inputting MIDI notes.

Benefit of Virtual MIDI Keyboard

• A benefit of using Pro Tools' Virtual MIDI Keyboard for recording is that it allows for easy, on-screen MIDI input without the need for a physical keyboard.

Learn about how to import MIDI clips into your session. Understand the difference between importing MIDI and audio files, and how MIDI data becomes part of the session file. Simplify the import process with MIDI data in your music production workflow.