Exercise 2M. Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music. Objectives

Transcription

1 Exercise 2M Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music One of Pro Tools greatest strengths is its flexibility. Its ability to get the job done in multiple different ways is invaluable for production workflows across the professional spectrum. Pro Tools powerful arsenal of session and track features has helped it earn its standing in the industry. Objectives In this exercise you will: Import audio to your session in a variety of ways Use the Workspace browser to locate and import files Share data between multiple sessions Use REX files

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3 Creating and Opening the Session To get started with this exercise, you will create a session from a template file and save it to the class files location specified by your instructor. Open the template and save the session: 1. Navigate to and open the Exercise 2M.ptt session template within the 110 Files for Ex2M folder. A dialog box will appear prompting you to select the session parameters. 2. Select BWF (.WAV), 44.1 khz, and 24 Bit for the session parameters and click OK. A Save dialog box will appear, allowing you to specify a name and location for your session. 3. Name the session 110 Exercise 2M [Your Initials] and navigate to the class files location for your course to save your session. Click SAVE. The session will open and display no tracks or regions. Importing Audio In this part of the exercise, you will use a variety of different methods to bring audio into your Pro Tools session. Importing to the Region List In the following steps, you will import an audio file containing reverse hi-hat hits and place it in the Region List, leaving the session empty of tracks. Import Audio to the Region List: 1. Choose FILE > IMPORT > AUDIO, or press COMMAND+SHIFT+I (Mac OS) or CTRL+SHIFT+I (Windows). The Import Audio dialog box will open. 2. In the dialog box, navigate to the 110 Source Material folder. Exercise 2M: Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music 3

4 Import Audio dialog box (Mac OS) 3. Double-click the file named Rvs HH_01.wav to add it to the Regions to Import column (bottom right column on Mac OS or far right column on Windows). Since the bit depth of the file does not match the bit depth of your session, the file will automatically be converted on import. Import Audio dialog box (Windows) 4. Click the DONE button. A dialog box will open prompting you to choose a destination folder for the audio file. The Audio Files folder for the session is selected by default. 5. Click the CHOOSE button to save the file in the Audio Files folder. The file conversion will begin. 4 Pro Tools 110

5 After the file conversion process completes, the Audio Import Options dialog box will appear allowing you to choose how the file will be imported into Pro Tools. Audio Import Options dialog box 6. Under the Destination section, select REGION LIST; then click OK. 7. The imported audio file will appear in the Region List of your session. Importing to a Track Pro Tools also allows you to import audio files and automatically create new tracks for the imported audio. For this part of the exercise, you will import a techno beat and place it on its own track. Import Audio to a Track: 1. Choose FILE > IMPORT > AUDIO, or press COMMAND+SHIFT+I (Mac OS) or CTRL+SHIFT+I (Windows). As before, the Import Audio dialog box will open. 2. In the dialog box, locate the 110 Source Material folder, if not already selected. 3. Double-click the file named BatteryAudio.wav to add it to the Files to Import column. This file will also require conversion upon import. 4. Click the DONE button. Again a dialog box will open prompting you to choose a destination folder. 5. In the dialog box, verify that the Audio Files subfolder for your session is selected and click CHOOSE. The file conversion process will begin, after which you will be prompted by the Audio Import Options dialog box to select how the file will be imported into Pro Tools. 6. Select NEW TRACK in the Destination section and SESSION START in the Location dropdown list; then click OK. 7. A new track will be created and named after the file, and the audio will appear as a region on the track, beginning at the start of the timeline. Exercise 2M: Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music 5

6 Edit Window showing imported region at the start of the timeline Using the Workspace Browser The Workspace browser provides access to all your mounted volumes as well as the folders and files they contain. For this part of the exercise, you will use the Workspace browser to locate audio files containing the left and right channels of a kick drum recording and import them to a new stereo track in your session. Use the Workspace Browser to Import Audio: 1. If needed, display the Track List in the Edit window by clicking the arrow in the bottom left corner of the window. Icon for displaying the Track List in the Edit window side column 2. Choose WINDOW > WORKSPACE or press OPTION+; (Mac OS) or ALT+; (Windows) to open the Workspace browser. 3. In the browser, locate and expand the 110 Source Material folder. 4. Click on the BROWSER POP-UP (upper right corner) and verify the following settings: The option for SPACEBAR TOGGLES FILE PREVIEW should be selected (checked). The option for AUDIO FILES CONFORM TO SESSION TEMPO should NOT be selected (unchecked). 6 Pro Tools 110

7 Click here to access the Browser Pop-Up Menu Browser Pop-up menu 5. Click the speaker icon in the Waveform column to the left of the ET Kicks.L.wav file to audition the audio file. (You might need to resize and/or rearrange your columns to optimize your view.) This file begins with a period of silence. To audition a more meaningful portion of the file, click on the waveform display to begin playback at a point of your choosing. Click a waveform to begin auditioning at a point of your choosing Playback will begin for both files that make up the stereo pair and the files will become selected in the browser. 6. When finished auditioning, press the SPACEBAR to stop playback. 7. To import the audio files into the session, press OPTION (Mac OS) or ALT (Windows) while dragging the selected files onto the Track List. The regions will be copied into your Audio Files folder, a stereo Audio Track will be created, and the regions will appear in the Region List. Exercise 2M: Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music 7

8 Option/Alt-drag the selected files onto the Tracks List 8. When finished, press OPTION+; (Mac OS) or ALT+; (Windows) to close the Workspace browser. 9. Press RETURN (Mac OS) or ENTER (Windows) to return to the beginning of the session. Importing Session Data You can use the Import > Session Data command to copy a track from another session or session template into your current session. This allows you to import not only audio, but other track aspects as well. For the purposes of this exercise, you ll be importing whole tracks from a session template. Import Session Data: 1. Click FILE > IMPORT > SESSION DATA or press OPTION+SHIFT+I (Mac OS) or ALT+SHIFT+I (Windows). 2. In the resulting dialog box, navigate to the JR Song folder within the 110 Source Material folder. 8 Pro Tools 110

9 3. Double-click the JR Song.ptt file. The Import Session Data dialog box will open. Choose the JR Song.ptt file within the JR Song folder 4. In the Audio Media Options drop-down menu, select COPY FROM SOURCE MEDIA. 5. Click the Destination drop down menu to the right of the top track (Vox 1) and choose NEW TRACK. Import Session Data dialog box Exercise 2M: Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music 9

10 6. Repeat step 5 for each of the remaining tracks. Hold the OPTION key (Mac OS) or ALT key (Windows) while making a selection for one of the tracks to apply the same destination settings to all tracks on the list. 7. With all of the source tracks selected, click OK to import them. New tracks will be created in your session, complete with their audio regions. Edit Window showing all of the imported tracks You might receive a notice of a disk allocation change as the regions come online. Click NO to decline creating a detailed report of changes and proceed. Using REX Files For this part of the exercise, you will use the Workspace browser to locate and audition REX files in context with your session and select a file to import to a new track. Next, you will adjust the session tempo and audition the session to hear the effect of the tempo changes on the imported file. Configure Preferences and browser settings: 1. Choose SETUP > PREFERENCES and click on the PROCESSING tab. 2. In the Import section, deselect (uncheck) the option for IMPORT REX FILES AS REGION GROUPS. 10 Pro Tools 110

11 Preference setting for importing REX files as region groups 3. Click OK to close the Preferences window. 4. Choose WINDOW > WORKSPACE or press OPTION+; (Mac OS) or ALT+; (Windows) to open the Workspace browser. 5. Click on the BROWSER POP-UP (upper right corner) and select LOOP PREVIEW from the menu. The speaker icon in the toolbar will update to show a looping arrow. Enable Loop Preview from the Browser pop-up 6. Click on the BROWSER POP-UP a second time and verify that SPACEBAR TOGGLES FILE PREVIEW is selected. This will allow you to start and stop the audition from the keyboard. Exercise 2M: Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music 11

12 7. Click on the AUDIO FILES CONFORM TO SESSION TEMPO button (metronome icon) in the toolbar so that it becomes selected. The icon will be lit green when active. Audio Files Conform to Session Tempo button 8. Next, click on the ELASTIC AUDIO PLUG-IN SELECTOR next to the metronome icon and select RHYTHMIC from the drop-down menu. Select Rhythmic from the Elastic Audio Plug-in Selector Audition REX files and select a file to import: 1. In the file area of the Workspace browser, locate and expand the 110 Source Material folder. 2. Click on the speaker icon in the Waveform column to preview each of the two REX files in isolation (DrumBass.rx2 and TR09 Loop.REX). Playback will loop continuously until you click the speaker icon a second time or press the SPACEBAR to stop the preview. 3. To audition the files in context with your session, do the following: Select the first file to audition. Press the PLAY switch on your control surface or press the [0] key on your numeric keypad to begin session playback. Press the SPACEBAR to begin auditioning the selected file. The preview will begin on the next downbeat after you press the spacebar. When finished, press the STOP switch on your control surface or press the [0] key on your numeric keypad to stop session playback. The preview will stop with the session. Select the second file and repeat the process. 4. Drag the REX file of your choice to the Track List in the Edit window. If you have access to other REX files, feel free to choose one of them instead. A new Elastic Audio-enabled track will be created beneath the lowest selected track in the session. 5. Press OPTION+; (Mac OS) or ALT+; (Windows) to close the Workspace browser. 12 Pro Tools 110

13 6. Use the Grabber tool to move the imported file to Bar 29, beat 1 ( ). (Tip: The Start field in the Counter area of the Edit window toolbar displays the current location of the region as you drag it.) Adjust the session tempo: 1. Choose WINDOW > TRANSPORT or press COMMAND+[1] on the numeric keypad (Mac OS) or CTRL+[1] on the numeric keypad (Windows) to display the Transport window, if not already shown. 2. Choose VIEW > TRANSPORT > MIDI CONTROLS and VIEW > TRANSPORT > EXPANDED, if not already selected. 3. Deselect the TEMPO RULER ENABLE (Conductor) button in the Transport window. Conductor button (disabled) 4. Click and drag up or down in the TEMPO FIELD to change the Tempo. Transport MIDI controls 5. Play back the session to listen to the REX file. 6. Experiment with different Tempos to see how the REX file behaves with the Tempo changes. Try selecting the REX file region in the Edit window by clicking on it with the Grabber tool; then use Loop Playback to listen to the changes as you adjust the Tempo slider. 7. When finished, re-enable the tempo ruler by clicking on the Conductor button. 8. Save and close the session. This concludes Exercise 2M. Exercise 2M: Managing Session Data and Media Files - Music 13