This document is to help you step-by-step through the Pro Tools Skills Test on a self-study basis. There is no substitute for attending class where we go over every step in great detail while answering specific questions from students, but this guide will hopefully refresh your memory from the notes taken in that class. Instructor Grading your only job is to observe and check off boxes as the tasks are performed. You are NOT to help in anyway with hints, clues or innuendo until the student accepts an incorrect score for that task. Fifty steps divided into thirty minutes comes to about 36 seconds per step. Most steps can be done in less than 5 seconds while the more complicated steps may take a minute. The student has 30 minutes for deductions to be assessed against 100 points, after 30 minutes = 89, after 40 minutes = 79, beyond 50 minutes is a failure. Each step is worth 2 points, deduct accordingly. If Pro Tools locks up, stop the clock, Save the Project as is, restart the computer, re-open the project start the clock again and pick up from where you left off. Basic Instructions: Open and Close the Pre-Skills Test project first Do each of the following skills in order. If you get stuck or don t know how to do any one function the lab tech will help you with that and ONLY that skill and mark off that line as incorrect. Some tasks require you to think, reason and trouble shoot your way through. Your ability to perform these skills quickly will be reflected directly in your letter of recommendation. Everything on this test has been covered in class or on the previous tests. If you did all of your labs, came to the tracking sessions and paid attention to our class mixing sessions you have been shown how to do everything on this skills test. There is no new information here; this should be embarrassingly easy. Session Setup and Maneuvering q Open Pro Tools without using Recent Programs or the DOCK, browse to the Program. Since not every studio is set up exactly the same and various companies run various versions of the OS and PT you need to know exactly where the program file is located. Make the Desktop your active window. Press the key combination CMD + SHIFT + A at the same time. This brings up the Applications window. Browse to the Digidesign folder, Pro Tools Folder and double click on Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools LE of you or such a system. q Create a new stereo session with the following parameters 44.1k 24b.aif Running the program does not start a session. With Pro Tools as the active program press the following key combination CMD + N for New Session This brings up a window giving you all sorts of options. You want to choose a new blank session with the parameters listed above. Cycle through the parameters until they match. Be aware, the person giving the test may change these parameters as they see fit. You need to know where the changes can be made. q The reason for the wacky setup is that the session is probably already set for what you need in CLass. Write the CLASS parameters here: k b (file format) Since we ultimately are creating DVDs we want to be sure there are no unnecessary file conversions introduced into the process, which are possible points of corruption. We start, stay and end at the DVD standard until the final bounces are ready for export to.ac3. q Without using the mouse - IN ONE STEP Create, in order, 8 mono tracks, 2 mono Aux, 8 Stereo tracks, 2 Stereo Aux, one Stereo Master Fader and one 5.1 Master Fader.. Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 1
The key combination CMD + SHIFT + N inserts a new track. Use the Key Pad (KP) to type in the appropriate number of tracks. Use CMD + Arrow Keys to cycle between the numbers of channels and track types. To add more track types you can either hit CMD + SHIFT + N again or hit CMD + KP + (plus) for to add more track types. To get rid of the last track type entered use CMD + KP (minus), which will remove the bottom track type in that window. q Create a side chain using 4 mono tracks and have them go to the mono Aux and set the level going to that AUX to -20dB. I do this in the mixer, though this can be done in the edit window, the problem with the edit window is that not as many tracks comfortably show up on the screen at the same time as they do in the mix window. I tend to work backwards in this process, but as long as you get the job done, it doesn t matter, too much. Go to an AUX and give it a mono bus input of the Next Available Bus. You will get marked off if you choose any other Bus than the next available bus. CMD Click on the Solo button on all AUX channels. This Solo Safe functions makes the Aux always active. You get marked off if you do not Solo Safe all Auxes. With the Grabber tool (F8) click on the first track name. Press and hold SHIFT and click on the forth track name. All tracks between one and four should how be highlighted. You must have Sends showing to do the next step Press and hold the key combination OPT + SHIFT and insert a send on Track 1, giving it the output of the Aux you just set up, you will notice that it SHOULD be the lowest orange colored name in the list. As soon as you click the output you will see that all four tracks are now setup with the exact parameters as Track 1. q Create a second side chain with 2 mono and 2 stereo Tracks to the second stereo Aux and verify the send level is at unity gain. Set up the Stereo Aux exactly as above except you MUST select the next available STEREO bus, NOT half of the previous bus and the unused right channel of the previous bus. Make this a stand-alone bus input, shared by no other channel. Do not adjust the Aux fader as this is the OUTPUT of the Aux NOT the input to that channel. Set up a send on one track with the Send and adjust it s send level to -20dB. With the Grabber tool, press and hold OPT and drag this send to one other mono and two stereo tracks. All four will be identical. q On the stereo AUX channel, put an EQ and set the input gain to 9dB below the maximum. Add a Compressor and Verb (in that order) Load a Preset for each. Close the insert windows using the keyboard shortcut. Nothing special here except that you must be careful in which EQ you choose. Some EQs have an input gain, others do not. The ones that have an input gain have that area labeled INPUT, go figure. If you adjust the output gain of the EQ to -9dB you will be marked as wrong. Adding a Compressor and Verb no brainer at this stage. To load a preset there will be the word LOAD across the top of that insert s window. Click on it and select ANY preset you choose. Loading presets is critical to learning the tool. If you like a particular sound, reverse engineer that preset to see how and why they did what they did. Closing insert windows is CMD + OPT + W. q Setup the same exact EQ, Compressor and Verb on the Stereo Master fader WITHOUT touching the LOAD preset button. Just press and hold OPT and drag those plug-ins over. If you learn how to do all three in one step, let me know. Currently, you have to do all three individually. q Set the session start time to match the hour mark you started this test in Lets say you started this test at 4:00 in the afternoon. Go to the session setup window (CMD + KP 2), in the upper right corner is the start time window. Click in there and type in the number 03:58:00:00 and be sure to hit TAB or ENTER. If you click away then the data does not get sent Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 2
to the computer and you are back to where you were. The two-minute pre-roll is covered in class during the synchronization lecture. q Put a marker at the hour mark. (If you started the test at the 9:00 hour then make 9 hours the hour mark in the session) To locate to any place in the timeline use the KP * (asterisk) which is the equivalent of clicking in the time code window. Type in the desired time you want to locate to. Once you hit ENTER the insertion cursor will jump to that location. q Close and Save this session using keyboard shortcuts, but leave Pro Tools running. Save = CMD + S, Closing Pro Tools session while leaving Pro Tools running is CMD + SHIFT + W. Closing a window is CMD + W. Closing Pro Tools is CMD + Q. Session Editing and Management q Create a new blank session with the proper format for CLASS. CMD + N and set up 48k, 24 bit,.wav, stereo. WE NEVER USE LAST USED because you never know who was at the computer before you or what they were working on. It could be compatible with your project, but most likely NOT! q Import Session Data from the Pro Tools Skills Test project get all tracks, link don t copy. SHIFT + OPT + I imports session data from an already existing project. There are two options on the left side of this import window. You can select to LINK TO which means leave that audio and video where they are, but use them in this session. Your Audio Files folder will be empty. Or, you could COPY that media to the existing session, which duplicates all media and puts it in the proper folders for THIS project. To import all tracks: Press and hold OPT and click on the first track so it says New Track. This should change all tracks to read New Track. Scroll down to verify that the video track is also being imported. q Set Session Start time to the proper setting for reel 10 (or whatever other reel # asked for) CMD + KP 2, type in 09:58:00:00. The person giving the test can choose ANY reel number they want so do not get into the rut of just typing in 09:58:00:00. This could change. q Starting at 10:00:00:00 set memory locations exactly 10 seconds apart filling three minute with markers. This assumes the tester use Reel 10. Press KP *, type in the hour mark to place the insertion cursor at the correct position. Change the Nudge Value to be ten seconds. Place a memory location here then use the KP + to nudge later into the session. Press ENTER (Not RETURN) to place a new memory location then repeat the KP + & ENTER until the counter reads three minutes from where you started. q Label the mono audio tracks FX 01 08 (keyboard shortcuts are faster, use leading zeros) All tracks on all sessions MUST be labeled. Any track labeled Audio 1 (or any other number) is wrong. What regions are on Audio 23? If the track is labeled Sax Lead, then we know what the heck is going on. The fastest way to get through the labeling steps is to double click on a track name. This brings up the naming window with the text already highlighted. Just start typing, but type in FX0. We use leading zeros in this class. Press and hold the SHIFT key and hit the up arrow. This will highlight all text in that window. Press CMD + C to copy that text. Press CMD + V to paste over the highlighted text. Now all you have to do is type in the track number. To get to the next track in the session press CMD + â and the next track s name is already highlighted for you. Just repeat this past routine until you are done. Be careful not to label the AUX tracks or Master fader. The session has AUXes spread around that could trip you up. Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 3
q Label the next audio tracks SFX 01-04 Repeat the technique above for SFX & BG tracks; watch out for AUX and Master Fader tracks. q Label the last four audio tracks BG01 04 q Using the keyboard - set the nudge value to be 4 sprockets how long is a sprocket? Backgrounds Cycling through the preset values for the Nudge is CMD + OPT + KP plus or minus. To cycle through the grid presets use OPT + CTRL + KP plus or minus. You will learn that a sprocket is one quarter of one frame. If ever you deal with music videos or film you will have to know this to talk intelligently with the editors. q Make the movie start exactly at the hour mark WITHOUT dragging it. Depending on which session you imported the movie file could be hours later than the session start time or at the very beginning of the session start. To locate the movie file place the insertion cursor on the movie track, hit return to take you to the start of the session now hit TAB. Your insertion cursor will GO TO the next edit point, which should be the start of the movie. Press and hold SHIFT then locate to memory location #1 ( KP Period, Memory location number, period). This selects from your movie start to the first memory location. Get into shuffle mode. If your movie is after the memory location just hit delete. If your movie is before the memory location then insert silence (CMD + SHIFT + E) and your movie will shuffle to the marker. q Fill the BG1 with Crix for three minutes and make it sound like one contiguous bed of crickets. Set the cross fade to what the tester says. Use the grabber tool and drag whichever cricket file the tester said to get onto the BG1 track. They all are different to some degree. If your region jumps to the start of the session you forgot to get out of shuffle mode and into slip mode. Press F2 or use the ~ key to cycle through the four edit modes. Adjust the vertical height of the waveform so you can see it. Select a contiguous portion of the CRIX file. Trim the good area from the garbage (CMD + T). Cut this good section of CRIX. Select from Memory Location 1 to Memory Location last so that area is highlighted on the BG1 track. Fill Paste (CMD + OPT + V) to fill the selected area with the copy buffer. The Batch Fade window will come up asking you what type and length of fade you want to use for ALL regions. The tester may tell you to use a different fade length fade than one frame. Since QuickTime.mov files are video and there are 30 FPS in video, you can math out that one frame equals approximately 33ms. So if you are told to put a 2 frame cross fade you need to change the fade length accordingly. Keeping in mind perspective views and overlaps q Using ATMOS, fill from the odd to even numbered markers on the second BG track q Using RmTone, fill from the even to odd numbered markers on the third BG track q Set up the proper perspective views with cross fades for incoming and outgoing backgrounds and ATMOS1. This is a bit tricky, but necessary because if your backgrounds stink, your film stinks. First, drag the region ATMOS onto BG02 so it overlaps Memory Locations 1 & 2. Then drag region RmTone onto BG03 so it overlaps Memory Locations 2 & 3. On BG02, highlight the area between markers 1 & 2 F7, click on the track, KP.1., press and hold SHIFT and KP.2. to select exactly that area. Trim the region (CMD + T). Do the same thing with RmTone on BG03 selecting between Memory Locations 2 & 3. Select both regions. This can be done in a variety of ways. Since the selector tool is currently active, double click on ATMOS on BG02 then SHIFT + Double Click on RmTone on BG03 to Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 4
select both regions on both tracks. Cut those regions. Cut puts the region definitions in a temporary cache buffer so the data is not lost, just temporarily off the edit window. On BG02, select from Memory Location 1 to Memory Location Last KP. 1., Press and hold SHIFT then hit KP. memory location #. Include BG03 in the selection. SHIFT + ; will increase the selection down one track. Fill Paste on both tracks since you CUT two tracks at the same time you can fill paste two tracks at the same time. Since you have selected the entire length on both tracks you can CMD + SHIFT + V and the entire selection across both tracks is filled in. The batch fade window comes up. DO NOT HIT OK. You first have to extend the head of the incoming scene by one frame so there is a one-frame overlap. Verify that your nudge value is set to one frame. Press F8 to cycle to the Object Grabber. Click and drag the mouse to encircle all regions on BG02 & BG03. They should turn dark and have a yellow highlight around each individual region. Nudge the start of all the regions at the same time one frame earlier. You are not moving the regions, you are extending their length by having them start one frame earlier. You will see their length change from ten seconds to ten seconds one frame. To do this extension, with the regions selected, press OPT + KP minus. Put a one frame, equal power, cross fade on all regions in one step. Since the regions should still be highlighted press CMD + F to bring up the Batch Fade window. Verify the length to be 33ms and hit OK. All selected regions how have an equal power 1 Fr fade in and fade out. If you hit something to un-select the regions on BG02 & BG03 then you can use the selector tool to highlight all regions. Start your highlight before any region and to long after any region. The batch fade tool will only effect selected regions without extending the fade length to anything other than the number you type in. q Replace all instances of ATMOS with DRONE only on that track, not the entire session. This is available only HD or LE w/dig Toolkit systems only. If you are taking this on an LE system, just describe to the tester how this is done. This will not work on a regular LE system. Sorry, we didn t write the software. Grabber tool, Show the region list in the edit window. CMD + SHIFT Drag the region on top of the region to be replaced. The Replace Region dialogue box comes up. Select all instances, this track, and original region length and hit OK. If the region in the track doesn t highlight when you drag the DRONE region over it, go to the pull down menu in the region bin and make sure Display Auto Created Regions is activated. If it is not, the replace region function will not work on edited regions. q Make a Region Group of the DRONE & RmTone and Crix regions ONLY and mute that region. Cycle back to the Object Grabber and encircle all regions on BG01, BG02 & BG03. Then press OPT + CMD + G. If you select anything other than the regions, which sometimes happens when people use the selector tool, you will make a region group of the silence, too, and will be marked as wrong. ONLY include the regions used in the above exercises. Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 5
SFX q Go to Memory Location 1 and set Memory Locations at 2-second intervals for 10 seconds worth. KP. 1., Click in the nudge window and set the length to be ten seconds. You will notice that the nudge window has an extra set of number placeholders. ALWAYS start counting SMPTE time code from the left HH:MM:SS:FF:Frame partials from 00 to 99. 25 frame partials = ¼ frame. While at memory location one, KP + to the next nudge value then press ENTER. Repeat this until the task is done. q On a SFX01, edit the sound Guns into three shots with proper trim values. Using the Grabber, drag the region GUNS to the edit window. It is best if you do the edits before memory location one, but that is your call. Use the selector tool and click before the GUNS region. Use Tab to Transient (OPT + CMD + Tab to toggle) to get to the transient. Make the nudge value to be one frame (CMD + OPT + KP Plus/Minus to cycle to the proper value) KP minus to back. Hit the TAB key until you get to the first transient. KP minus to back off one frame. CMD + E to separate regions. Sure B works, but only if the keyboard focus for the edit window is active. CMD + E works regardless of where the keyboard focus is. Repeat this step of separating regions until you have three regions, one gun shot each. q Snap the tail of the third shot to Memory Location 20 Locate to Memory Location 20. With the grabber tool selected CTRL + CMD click on the region. The person giving the test can choose any memory location they want, so don t be a robot and automatically go the markers in this test. q Place a sync mark on the transient on the second and snap the sync mark to Memory Location 21 Use Tab to Transient to get to the transient of the second of the three original gun shots. With the insertion cursor at the transient press CMD +, (comma) to place a sync mark on that transient. Your confirmation that a sync mark has been placed is that a green triangle will appear inside that region at that location. Locate to Memory Location 21. Using the Grabber tool CTRL + SHIFT + Click on the region. q Snap the head of the first to Memory Location 22 Locate to Memory Location 22. Using the grabber tool CTRL Click on the region. Editing q Show the Memory Location Window. Using that window, delete # 19 then go to #3. CMD KP 5 toggles the Memory Location window. OPT clicking on markers erases them. The icon turns to a pencil with an eraser. The eraser portion of that pencil is the click point. Let go of OPT and click on #3. q Place audio file City1 at Memory Location 3 on SFX1 so that when you pull it from the bin it snaps to Memory Location 3 Using the grabber tool in regular mode, press and hold CTRL and drag CITY1 from the region list. The start of that region will snap to wherever the insertion cursor is located. If you are at #3 the region will go to #3. q Trim City1 to be 12 seconds in length If the region is not already highlighted, highlight it. Type in 12 seconds in the Length area of the counter located at the top of the edit window and hit ENTER. CMD + T to trim the region to that length. Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 6
q Nudge City1 ONE second earlier in time. Use the keyboard to adjust the nudge value to one second. With the region selected press KP minus. q Duplicate, without loosing sync, City1 on the next 4 tracks below. Demonstrate to the lab assistant how you are NOT able to move the audio left and right.. Using the grabber tool highlight the original region FIRST. Press and hold CTRL + OPT. The CTRL constrains vertical movement while the OPT tells the computer to make a copy of the original. Show the test giver that you cannot drag the region left or right, only up or down which is important for keeping stuff in sync. q Hide the movie Track NOT THE MOVIE. Toggle the movie window. You can see the movie window regardless of the state of the movie track. Show the Tracks window. Click on the black dot next to the movie track and that track vanishes from the edit window. KP + 9 toggles the movie window on or off. Mixer q Using the keyboard shortcut, go to the mixer and toggle Wide and Narrow Faders. CMD + = toggles Mix & Edit windows. CTRL + CMD + M toggles wide narrow faders. CTRL + OPT + CMD held down and clicking on the meters toggles wide and narrow meters. q Create 4 groups of any 4 audio tracks and label them Stuff1, Stuff2, Stuff3 & Stuff4. q Create another group that groups the Mono tracks and Mono Aux Label it FX Group q Create another group that groups the Stereo tracks and the stereo Aux label it SFX Group F8, Click on Track 1 s name. SHIFT + Click on Track 4 and now tracks 1 through 4 are selected. The SHIFT modifier says to get FROM here THROUGH TO there and everything else in between. CMD clicking on track names lets you randomly pick any track in any order. CMD + SHIFT + G will group the selected tracks and toggles Groups on / Groups off (See Pro Tools test 1 for that) q Make the track colors the same color as their group colors. To select a group, show groups and tracks in the break out window to the left of the track names. Click on the black dot next to that group name and the tracks will be automatically selected. If Track colors are not already showing go to the pull down triangle on the tracks and select Track Colors. You can go to the VIEW pull down menu and select Track Colors there, too. The color pallet will pop up with two different boxes highlighted and in the upper left the word Tracks should be there, showing you the color for TRACKS. Click on a new color, then change that display to show GROUPS and select that same color. Now you have tracks and groups as the same color. q Insert an EQ and demonstrate how to automate the Master Bypass on the EQ Call up an EQ in an insert and reveal that window. Under the word AUTO click on that icon. A window pops up asking you what you want to automate. Click on Master Bypass and click on Add (you can also double click Master Bypass) then hit Done or OK, depending on the revision of the software. No automation will get recorded unless you check two things; is the track set to record automation, i.e. is it in something other than read or off? Next, is automation for plug-ins armed for recording? CMD + KP 4 will bring up the automation window. Make sure the Plug-In button is red or else no automation will get recorded, regardless of the status of the track. To draw in the automation - Go to the track with the EQ. Have the track display the EQ parameter, instead of block, wave choose EQ Master Bypass. F8, draw the automation on that Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 7
ADR track. Demonstrate that the automation is there hit play and watch the Bypass light go on and off. q Automate the master fader s panning to hard left and hard right 3 times over 10 seconds it is okay to draw in the automation. There is no panning of the master fader EVER! Try as you like, it can t be done. Ask yourself this, on which console in the entire building allows you to pan its master volume control? NONE!.. or maybe it can. Try pressing F13 or Keypad 10. I think that will do it just fine. q Set up ADR beeps using a Saw tooth wave at 24dB, 2000hz. Turn all Groups off. Selector Tool active. Click on FX1. Set length to 1Fr. Audio Suite > Other > Signal Generator. Set the parameters to whatever the tester says. They will change it to keep themselves from going nuts and to keep you out of a robotic drone like state. Be prepared for anything. Once the Signal Generator s values are set click on Process. Select that one frame beep. Change length to be 20 frames. (again, be ready for any spacing the tester says it could be 15 frames or 28 frames, just be ready). Press CMD + D two times to duplicate the beeps and the space after the beeps. DO NOT CLICK ON ANYTHING OR YOU LL LOOSE THE HIGHLIGHT. SHIFT + OPT + TAB four times to select back to the original 1Fr beep. You should not have the three beeps AND the 20 frames after the last beep highlighted. If you don t you messed something up do it again. CMD + OPT + G to make a region group (PT TEST 1) of that selection. Your beeps are now ready. q Demonstrate how to snap the beeps into the correct position at Memory Location 6. KP. 6. to locate to memory location 6. With the grabber tool, CMD + CTRL click on the beeps to tail snap them to memory location #6. If you want a copy of the beeps to go to memory location 6 then add the OPT modifier. (PT 5 test) q Setup a loop recording 5 seconds long that includes the beeps and create a recording that has 5 possible takes. Select the Beeps. Change Length to be 5 seconds. Give the track an input, arm it for record and activate loop record (CMD + SHIFT + L or CMD + KP 5 repeatedly). Hit record (F12, KP 3, CMD + SPACE, click on the transport, or use the console) DO NOT HIT STOP UNTIL AFTER THE START OF THE 6 th LOOP or you will screw up the loop definitions. You must hit stop before it goes half way into the 6 th loop or you must let it do a 7 th loop. q Demonstrate how to cycle through those takes in the Edit Window, WITHOUT using the bin, and how to toggle region names on and off. With the selector tool, CMD + Click on the region s name and a pull down menu pops up. You may have to adjust the Match Criteria to say length so as to only show the newly recorded loops. Within that pull down menu you will see a list of all the loops made. Click on #3 or whatever number the tester says to display. To show region names pull down menu VIEW > REGION > NAMES Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 8
CLEAN UP q Prepare the session for archiving by keeping ONLY the audio used in the Multi-Track. CMD + SHIFT + U = Select Unused Audio. CMD + SHIFT + B = Clear SELECTED audio NOT CLEAR UNUSED AUDIO because you can certainly clear used audio if you really want to. q Bounce a 10 second portion to disk to be compatible with CDs and save it to a new folder within the project folder calling it CD PREP. Do not Import after Bounce. Click anywhere between the first memory location and the last memory location with the selector tool. Set the Length to be ten seconds. CMD + OPT + B to bring up the bounce to disk. Make sure Convert After Bounce is selected. Set the sample rate, bit depth and file type appropriately. You need to create a new bounce path that is within this session but create a New Folder labeled CD PREP. Bounce the files there. q Export the session as a self-contained folder. Do NOT include the fades. Under FILE > Save Copy In. A window comes up. Rename the folder, tell it to include all audio files, check off DO NOT INCLUDE FADES and make sure to check off Include Movie most people forget that there even was a movie in this project. q Quit Pro Tools DO NOT SAVE Since you just did a Save Copy In, there is no need to save. CMD + Q quits Pro Tools. A window pops up asking you to Don t Save, Cancel or Save. Pressing the letter of those buttons, i.e. D, C or S will do those commands. Press D and Pro Tools should quit. The test is over. Audio for Video - Practical Skills Test How To Guide Page 9