- The first step towards having a successful Pro Tools experience begins before you even install Pro Tools on your computer. Before installing Pro Tools, you should check to make sure your computer hardware and software meets the requirements to run Pro Tools. On Avid's support and services webpage, you can search the knowledge base for "optimize Pro Tools". You'll find results for checking compatibility and for optimizing your system to run as efficiently as possible. Use this site to check that your computer technical specs, operating system, hard drive, audio interfaces, midi interfaces, plug-ins, and third-party devices are all compatible with the version of Pro Tools that you intend to install and run.
Make sure the check that the hardware and software are compatible, especially before buying new gear. For example, with Pro Tools HD, the legacy HD systems are no longer supported due the change in plug-in architecture from TDM to AAX. The compatibility page includes all the information you'll need. Check here to make sure that you're running a compatible version of your operating system. You can click here to check for any minor version updates or CS updates. CS updates just stands for customer service updates. Before installing Pro Tools on a Mac, you wanna make sure to optimize the computer so that Pro Tools will run smoothly.
First, turn off the software updates so that the operating system won't become incompatible with your version of Pro Tools. Next, in the energy saver settings, make sure your hard drives and computer will not go to sleep. We also wanna disable or reassign conflicting OS 10 keyboard shortcuts. Check the Pro Tools installation guide for a list of these. You may also want to swap the function key behaviors so that you can use the function keys in Pro Tools. You'll also want to disable Spotlight indexing and Time Machine. Last, in the disk utility application, enable journaling on your hard drives for higher performance.
In Windows, disable the User Account Control and configure the system standby and power management settings for the high performance setting. You can also adjust your processor scheduling and disable start-up items. These can help you get even better performance out of Pro Tools. On both Mac and Windows systems, make sure to turn off any programs that are running in the background. Also, quit any application that you don't need while you're running Pro Tools. If you're not using any connected FireWire or USB devices, turn them off while you're running Pro Tools. Make sure to check avid.com regularly for the latest information.
On Avid's website, we can also find information on approved hard drives. I would also suggest that you don't record to your internal system drive. Also, you may run into performance issues if you mix FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 drives. In general, it's a good idea to avoid mixing drive types if possible. Again, it's a good idea to check the compatibility page on Avid's website for the most up-to-date information.
Author
Updated
1/15/2016Released
7/31/2015- Exploring the Pro Tools interface
- Connecting hardware
- Adjusting preferences and settings
- Selecting inputs, outputs, and busses
- Understanding signal paths and gain stages
- Defining input and output settings
- Importing audio
- Recording and editing audio and MIDI
- Composing with virtual instruments
- Adjusting time, tempo, meter, key, and chords in arrangements
- Using delay compensation
- Mixing and mastering
- Exporting to MP3
- Setting up an effects loop (sends and returns)
- Importing and working with video
- Working to picture with music, Foley, ADR, and FX
- Archiving a session
- Using cloud collaboration in Pro Tools 12.5
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
Q: This course was updated on 09/25/2015. What changed?
A: We updated seven videos for Pro Tools 12.2.
Q: This course was updated on 11/24/2015. What changed?
A: We added six new movies and updated three more to reflect changes in Pro Tools 12.3. This version of Pro Tools includes Track Commit, drag-and-drop MIDI Track Commit, batch fades, and many other enhancements.
Q: This course was updated on 04/29/2016. What changed?
A: We added three tutorials covering the cloud collaboration features in the Pro Tools 12.5 update, and updated one video to reflect the cloud-based options for creating a new session in Pro Tools 12.5.
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 19s
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Choosing a Pro Tools version2m 36s
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Troubleshooting Pro Tools1m 48s
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Using the exercise files2m 9s
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1. Getting Started
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Creating a new session5m 48s
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Creating new tracks5m 32s
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2. Learning the Interface
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Working in the Edit window6m 32s
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Exploring the Mix window4m 8s
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Exploring the menus3m 41s
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3. Importing
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Using the Workspace browser4m 55s
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Importing audio3m 58s
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Importing session data4m 57s
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4. Recording Audio
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Creating a click track6m 1s
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Recording audio5m 47s
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Overdubbing and record modes5m 56s
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Understanding latency3m 51s
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Creating a group6m 40s
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Creating a headphone mix7m 39s
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Assigning disk allocation2m 42s
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5. Using the Edit Tools
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Using the Smart tool3m 10s
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6. Editing Audio
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Understanding the edit modes6m 29s
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Editing and arranging clips8m 10s
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Using Undo3m 20s
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Applying fades and crossfades11m 41s
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Locking and muting clips2m 47s
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Creating an audio loop4m 47s
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Editing a voice-over11m 15s
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7. Arranging a Session
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Working with clip groups7m 34s
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Using memory locations9m 23s
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8. Recording MIDI Data
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Setting up MIDI on a Mac2m 58s
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Setting up MIDI on a PC1m 31s
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Recording MIDI data4m 49s
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Using Step Input4m 4s
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9. Editing MIDI
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Using the MIDI Event list2m 28s
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Applying event operations7m 19s
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Quantizing MIDI tracks8m 36s
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Using groove templates5m 7s
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Using MIDI Learn4m 24s
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10. Scoring
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Setting up a score4m 14s
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11. Automation
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12. Mixing and Mastering
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Creating an effects loop9m 2s
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Using equalization9m 54s
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Adding delay5m 47s
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Using reverb7m
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Using AudioSuite plugins4m 32s
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Bouncing to disk7m 45s
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Making an MP31m 57s
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Using Track Bounce1m 52s
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13. Working with Video
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Bouncing to QuickTime2m 26s
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14. Archiving
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15. Using Cloud Collaboration
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Conclusion
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Next steps1m 8s
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Video: Optimizing your computer for Pro Tools