I know we are a little late to the party… but here are two of the new features in Pro Tools 8, playlist view, and automation lanes which, are well worth checking out.
Features
Three things you might not know about Pro Tools
by Major on May 27th, 2009 in Features, Keyboard ShortcutsA few handy features of Pro Tools that may not be in your normal work-flow.
1. If you Control+Click on the name of a multi-channel track there is an option to split out the track into several mono track. Very handy!
2. In the preferences window, under the ‘display’ tab there is an option to color code regions by marker. With this preference checked, the regions change color after every marker location. A great way to visually see scene changes, or sections of a song, even with markers hidden!
3. When using elastic audio you can shift+click on a warp marker when dragging, to lock the markers on either side of it. Saves you three click, thus tripling your productivity!
kitchen sync points
by Evan on April 3rd, 2009 in Features, Keyboard ShortcutsSync points are, in my opinion, under-utilized by a lot of Pro Tools users. They have some pretty valuable and time-saving uses. The most helpful use of a sync point is snapping a region to your cursor using the sync point. Spotting sound effects in post production is one example. Drop the region onto the timeline and place the cursor right at the part of the sound you want to sync (usually the transient, but not necessarily). Press command-comma to insert the sync point. Navigate your cursor to the frame of video you wish to sync to. Now you can snap your region via it’s sync point to your cursor by control-shift clicking the region while in supertool or grabber mode. This is a fast, easy alternative to trimming the region, nudging to the video frame you want and then trimming it back out.
Export Session Info as Text: Not as useless as it sounds!
by Major on April 1st, 2009 in FeaturesExport Session Info as Text (located in the file menu) is an often overlooked feature that has several great uses, especially in post production. I will go over two ways that I have used it in the past week, though there are many other ways to use it.
Lock “Write on Stop”
by Major on March 25th, 2009 in Features, Keyboard ShortcutsThe “write on stop” modes are a one shot deal (except “write to next breakpoint”). Once you hit stop, and it writes automation, you have to re-click it to use it again. But if you hold down option and click the mode, it will lock ON. Very handy if you nee to make some global changes to a whole song, especially when used in conjunction with trim mode. Just remember to turn it off when you’re done! (This trick is TDM only, as LE doesn’t have advanced automation modes)
Write to Selection on Stop Mode
Write to Selection on Stop Locked ON
Attention Meters!!! Gain weight quick with ⌘⌥⌃ click
by Evan on March 24th, 2009 in Features, Keyboard ShortcutsThis one is just for fun really. If you find yourself longing for fatter meters in Pro Tools, i’ve got just the thing for you.
Compact: Not just for trash anymore.
by Major on March 20th, 2009 in Features
One great feature that can come in handy, especially in the long format post production world, is hidden in the region list menu. The “compact” feature will ‘destructively edit’ your regions.
For example: You just finished laying off a 2 hour movie, but you want to trim some extra time off of the end. Instead of making the edit, then exporting a whole new set of files, just make the edit, select the region, and hit compact. After you read the paragraph explanation that pops up, set your handles to 0ms, and click “compact” Your source file will now match the region on the timeline. A great time saver!
