Pro Tools Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts || Pro Tools Dudes » editing

Custom Trackball Buttons

Major — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:52:36 +0000

Hey everyone! I’m assuming that most of you use the Kensington Expert Trackball (and if you don’t you should be!) If you don’t know already, there is (free) software called Mouseworks that lets you customize the buttons on the unit. Below is my favorite setup (buttons listed clockwise from bottom left).

My Favorite setup:

Click, Option+Minus(show all volume automation), Control+up-arrow (track size up), Control+down-arrow (track size down)

I don’t regularly use the 2-button combination shortcuts… maybe I should…

What shortcuts do YOU have mapped to your trackball???

From the archives…

Major — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:05:47 +0000

Just to catch up some new readers… here are 3 of the coolest features that we’ve already talked about!

- Print tone fast!

- EQ fast!

- Slip fast!

Combination Edit Modes

Major — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:46:35 +0000

New in Pro Tools 8 is the ability to combine grid mode with all of the other edit modes. These modes function exactly like they normally would, but the selector tool (and the selector portion of the super-tool) function in grid mode. Utilizing these combination edit modes will help streamline your workflow and avoid excessive switching of edit modes.

To enter into combination modes, you can shift click on grid mode when you are in another mode. You can also hit both function keys at the same time (for example F1+F4 for Shuffle-Grid mode) Or if you are in an edit mode and press Shift+F4 you can add grid mode to it.

Add the grid clutch to these edit modes to enhance your workflow even more!

Note: Slip-Grid mode has been broken after 8.0.0 cs3 and is still not working in 8.0.1 cs1

Fast Fading

Major — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:28:48 +0000

Here are some useful shortcuts for the fade window (command + F with a selection). If you are doing some hardcore editing, where one fade type is not always appropriate for every edit, these will keep you from drowning puppies in a fit of frustrated rage.

Up and Down Arrows: Toggles between “link” options

Control + Up and Down Arrows: Toggles between Standard, S-curve, and Custom fades on the “Out Shape”

Control + Left and Right Arrows: Switches custom fade options on the “Out Shape”

Option + Up and Down Arrows: Toggles between Standard, S-curve, and Custom fades on the “In Shape”

Option + Left and Right Arrows: Switches custom fade options on the “In Shape”

Happy Fading!

kitchen sync points

Evan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Sync 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.

Look, a sync point!!!

This same works for any thing that you need to sync, but not necessarily with the head of the region. ie: cymbal roll, video region.

You can also spot regions using sync points.

spot regions via the sync point