Pro Tools MIDI Explained

Pro Tools has amazing MIDI features and virtual instruments. Do you know how to use them? Pro Tools 8 power user Eli Krantzberg will show you how starting at the beginning and taking it all the way to the end in this in-depth video series dedicated to the awesome power of MIDI in Pro Tools 8.

Getting Started

• Intro & Basic Setup (07:26) - Learn how to enable MIDI input devices as well as set the default thru object and MIDI input filters.

• Getting Your Session Ready (05:37) - See how to set up the rulers and counters to work with bars and beats, and how to enable and toggle the MIDI controls parameters.

• Setting Up an Instrument Track (07:18) - Discover how to call up a software instrument and set the input and output selectors on an instrument track as well as how to set up a click track and establish a tempo.

• Recording Drums (06:24) - Explore how to set the count-off and metronome options, record a basic drum track, and then use MIDI merge mode to add a hi-hat onto the already recorded kick and snare.

Quantizing

• Quantizing 101 (08:20) - Learn how the real-time properties view can be used to correct the timing of poorly played performances and add some swing to the way rhythms are subdivided.

• Seeing Quantization (04:23) - See how to read the note-on positions in the MIDI Event List Window and see the visual results of quantization with and without swing values added.

Editing

• Real-Time Properties View (09:00) - Discover how to create a MIDI track to record on and learn how the duration, delay, velocity, and transpose fields in the Real-Time Properties View function.

• RTP Tricks (06:57) - Explore how the Real-Time Properties View parameters can be put to work on copies of a bass track to create some wild, wacky, musical variations from a simple part.

• Entering Notes (07:53) - Learn how the Pencil Tool can be used an an input method for generating MIDI data by drawing with it directly in the Edit Window.

• Pencil Tool Basics (06:05) - See how the different Pencil Tool modes can be used to generate notes with various types of velocity curves.

• Note Selection Techniques (04:26) - Discover how the different tools as well as the Edit Window's mini keyboard can be used for establishing various types of note selections.

• Editing MIDI Notes (06:07) - Explore how the various tools can be used to edit and alter the properties of MIDI notes directly in the Edit Window.

• Editing Note Velocities (04:16) - Learn the different ways note velocities can be edited, either directly on the Edit Window track, or in the dedicated velocity / controller lane.

Recording

• Wait for Note (05:02) - See how to record with the wait for note feature as well as a shortcut for quickly discarding bad takes and restarting, without breaking the creative flow.

• Punching-In (07:21) - Discover how you can punch-in over a specified range in order to either add to the already existing data or replace it.

• Loop Recording (06:08) - Explore how loop recording can be used in two different ways, either as a means of merging data on each pass, or as a means of recording multiple takes over a pre-defined range.

• Select from Multiple Takes (07:14) - Learn how to audition and select multiple takes from the Region List as well as the Matching Takes List in the playlist area of the Edit Window. Also see some of the different ways the Match Criteria window can be used when editing multiple takes together.

Event Operations Window

• EOW - Quantize (07:14) - See the various ways notes can be placed either on or near the grid with the extended parameters this event operation window offers.

• EOW - Velocity & Duration (07:50) - Discover how note velocities and lengths can be manipulated and modified by a variety of criteria.

• More Event Operations (05:19) - Explore how the Select / Split Note page can be used in conjunction with the other event operations for nuanced processing of subsets of notes contained within a region.

• Step Input (05:32) - Learn how to use this alternate form of non real-time note entry as a means of generating technically difficult passages, or parts you might not otherwise think of when playing in real-time.

• Real-Time Properties Window (06:18) - See how settings can be applied and written to either regions or whole tracks in the window mode of the real-time properties functions.

MIDI Editor Window

• The MIDI Editor Window (08:28) - Discover the different ways to open and close the docked and stand alone versions of the MIDI Editor Window and explore its toolbar and main elements.

• The MIDI Editor In Action (09:19) - The creation of some musical examples are used to explore the different ways the MIDI Editor can be used either alone or in conjunction with other Pro Tools functions.

Score Editor

• Score Editor Overview (07:08) - Learn how to get into the Score Window and discover the different ways of customizing the view and displaying subsets of tracks in your session.

• Editing in the Score Window (08:43) - See new key commands for tool, editing, and navigation basics and see how to work with and edit multiple parts simultaneously.

DigiGroove Templates

• Creating DigiGroove Templates (08:19) - Explore how the groove from an audio drum loop can be extracted and made available for use as a quantization template.

• Using DigiGroove Templates (05:42) - Learn how Digigroove templates are called up and how they can be applied to note duration and velocity in addition to note-on positions.

Utility

• Automating Instrument Parameters (06:20) - Explore how to make specific instrument parameters available for automation and how to effectively use the Pencil Tool in the controller lanes in either the Edit Window or MIDI Editors.

• Layering Sounds (03:32) - Discover how to set up multiple output assignments as a way to create layered MIDI sounds.

• Connecting an External MIDI Module (06:49) - See how to route MIDI to an external sound module, import patch names, and route the external audio back in to Pro Tools.

• MIDI Event List (08:06) - Discover how this window can be used for precise numeric creation and editing of all types of MIDI data.

• Window Configurations (09:18) - Explore how the Window Configurations feature can be used to store different combinations of useful MIDI editing window setups.