<font color="#00FFFF">Hello, welcome to this video! Let's see in a short time the newest AVID's</font> <font color="#00FFFF">Pro Tools, one of the most advanced Digital Audio Workstation software</font> <font color="#00FFFF">used to make compositions, improve sound and create professional projects.</font> <font color="#FFFF00">Don't forget to visit our YouTube channel and our website to get free</font> <font color="#FFFF00">news, tutorials and extra content!</font> In this video we will see how to use Pro Tools First. The basics do not change in case you use another version of Pro Tools. When opening Pro Tools its Dashboard panel appears. On the left side choose Open to open an existing project or Create to start from a new session by using any ready template available. To understand how to work with Pro Tools, let's just start from an empty project by unchecking Create From Template. Consider that you can save and store up to three projects in the First version. A Pro Tools session is open on the Workspace browser on the center with several windows and panels around, including the Edit window on top and the Tracks window on the left. You can also show other windows from either the Window tab or the dots button in the top left corner. To start working you have to import the necessary audio files first. You can use the Soundbase window to pick ready samples from the Pro Tools libraries or simply drag and drop your own files inside the workspace. Consider that you need QuickTime installed or you won't be able to import and use .mp3 files. All the audio files added are collected inside rows called Audio Tracks and are represented as simple blocks called clips, showing their own audio waveform: a single one for mono and doubled for stereo sound. To playback the project content, fix the starting point by clicking on the timeline above and use either the Space bar key or the player above. The placement in time is represented by a thin marker. As you stop the playback, such marker will restart from the starting point, unless you enable Insertion Follows Playback. The display above shows the time placement in either minutes-seconds or in bars-beats-ticks. This format is also adopted on the main timeline above. Minutes-seconds is the standard and absolute time format; whereas the beats-ticks format is relative, whose length in time depends on the tempo set above. The change of tempo affects the speed rate of all the clips inside the Tracks, being their timebase set on Ticks by default. If their timebase is changed to Samples, the current Tracks content takes the seconds as reference, becoming independent from the tempo set. To check the project content, you can use your mouse wheel with the ALT key down to zoom in and out and the Shift key to move in time. To edit the audio clips inside the workspace you have to use the Edit tools and the Edit Modes on the left side of the Edit window. Use the Grabber tool to move clips in time within the same Track or in another one by clicking and dragging these. The way you move clips depends on the Edit Mode chosen: use Shuffle to move clips without leaving any time gap; Spot to set the time values directly; Slip to move freely and Grid to snap to the timeline grid. In case you do not see it, just enable the Grid button on top. In this simple tutorial, we will always work in Slip Mode. Use the Trim tool to adjust the clips duration in time in several ways. Enable Standard to change the duration by clicking and dragging on the clips edges, cutting part of their content. Use TCE to change the clips duration by changing their speed rate, making it faster or slower. With Loop you can increase the clip duration by repeating its waveform in loop. The Selector tool is used to select and edit only parts of a clip by clicking and dragging on it. All these editing tools can be used together by clicking on the top side of the box. You can cut, copy and paste any clip by using CTRL (or CMD) and X, C and V. This also works on limited parts of clips selected with the Selector tool. If you make any mistake you can undo with CTRL (or CMD) and Z. On the left side you get all the options to manage each Audio Track. This shows its name on top and several buttons below it, such as the Record button to record; the Solo button to mute all the other Tracks and the Mute button to disable the current Track. Below these buttons you can change the Track View. By default this is set at waveform, showing the audio waveform on each clip. You can also choose blocks to see the clip as a simple block or other options from volume to pan to adjust these properties. In this case you can move and shape the automation line on the Track itself to change the chosen property in time. To do so you can either use the Grabber tool to move and create anchors or the Pencil tool to draw freehand. You can also view and edit multiple automations by using the arrow button on the left side. While editing clips it can be useful to playback the interested region in loop continuously to check the effect of your modifications. First of all, click and drag on the timeline above to select the interested region and then right-click on the play button above to choose Loop. Pro Tools First also includes the Mix window, used to mix the several Tracks inside your project, here called Channel Strips. You can open this window from its button in the top left corner or show any of its sections from the list inside the Window View selector. You can use the Inserts section to add and apply adjustments, plug-ins and effects to the current channel chosen. Click on any slot to choose the right correction and then use the dedicated interface to adjust how this must be applied. You can use ready templates under Preset. Use the Sends to send the current channel to either a physical speaker or an audio bus within the project, in order to make post-processing. Whereas the I/O section defines the real input and output of the channel, in order to record or playback. If the Track must be played, any output or speaker must be defined on it or the Track will remain silent. Whereas if you use the Track to record, any input shall be set, for example any microphone. In this case, use the Record button to arm the Track and then the top Record button to enable recording. You will start recording once you click on the play button, until you stop. During this process, just the armed Track will be recorded, getting all the other Tracks in play. Next to the outputs you can extend the volume options for the current Track, including the main volume and the panning between the left and right stereo channels. You can check the deciBel meter to control the volume level during time. With Pro Tools First you can also make your own compositions by using the MIDI clips. These include notes and tones that create any melody or percussion from scratch once they are sent to an instrument or a synthesizer. To realize these you can either use a MIDI or an Instrument Track. In this video we will use an Instrument Track, which is more suitable for virtual compositions made with synthesizers. For external samplers a MIDI Track is recommended. To create a new Instrument Track right-click from the Tracks window and go to New..., choosing Instrument Track. Then apply any synthesizer with the Inserts slots, going to Instrument and adjusting the synth properties. At this point you can add notes by enabling the Pencil tool and clicking on the Track. This becomes a Piano Roll where you can fix tones and length of each note by clicking and dragging. Consider to put the MIDI clip in loop to compose in an easier and faster way. Also in case of MIDI clips you can use the Edit tools to move and edit these. In particular, choose clips as Track View to move and edit MIDI clips entirely as seen for audio clips. Whereas choose notes to move and edit each single note inside the MIDI clip. You can adjust MIDI clips by using the Mix window or the Track options on the left, that include automations for the synthesizers properties. To save your project in progress, just use CTRL (or CMD) and S. Whereas to render and export it outside Pro Tools, go to File and then to Export, Audio Mix.... Set the format, the bit depth, the sample rate and where to save. By default, Pro Tools exports everything, from the beginning of the first clip to the end to the last one on the workspace, unless you define a specific region with the Selector tool. <font color="#00FFFF">Thanks for watching this video! Make sure to check out YouTube channel to</font> <font color="#00FFFF">discover other free and outstanding guides!</font>
