Archive for 'Pro Tools'

Whether you’re looking tighten up a multi-track drum performance or snap whole bass lines into place, Elastic Time in Pro Tools is a great way to do it. In today’s video I want to cover this foundational editing tool built right in to Pro Tools and how to best use it to get smooth, musical edits in your sessions. Let’s dig in!

If you use any one of the Saffire audio interfaces from Focusrite and are trying to setup headphone mixes, this video is for you. Coming from the Pro Tools world where we never used an in between software mixer with our interfaces, I was more than confused when I first opened up the Saffire MixControl with my Liquid Saffire 56. I’ve since figured out a solid workflow between the interface and my DAW. This video will explain how to setup zero-latency headphone mixes. Let’s dig in…

Avid’s recent release of Pro Tools 10  has caused quite a sir in the recording world. Whether it’s because it dropped a mere 11 months after the launch of Pro Tools 9 or because it costs more than previous upgrades, a lot of people have been hesitant to make the jump to version 10.

I completely understand, and was curious to see how it stacked up in reality. So today’s video will cover a couple of cool new features as well as my final opinion on whether or not it’s right for you. Remember, no one is forcing you to upgrade. I’m just here to help you make an informed decision.

Unlock the power of Pro Tools with my REthink Pro Tools video series. Now updated for Pro Tools 10 www.REthinkProTools.com

How do you approach mixing a minimally recorded drum kit? Great question, considering so much of the tutorials and literature out there give tips on how best to mix a complex drum setup. Today I want to show you how I recently mixed some drums that were recorded using only three microphones. With less control, you have to make some compromises, but in the end you can get a great drum sound!

Sometimes I like to setup false limitations when recording or mixing to push my creativity. My band’s most recent recording was such an experiment. I purposely wanted to record us all live, at one time. This of course would be opposed to recording each band member, one at a time, overdubbing our way to a final product.

Read More →

No matter which version of Pro Tools you’re running these days, you want to mix faster. If you can mix faster, that leaves more time in the studio for getting creative, or for doing other things like spending time with your family or going for long walks on the beach. One way to speed up your mixes is to duplicate your plugin settings across a collection of songs. How can you do that in Pro Tools? Let’s take a look…

EDIT: This can only fully work in Pro Tools 9 and 10. Sorry if I got your hopes up

Did you know that just because a new version of your DAW comes out, you don’t have to upgrade? What a crazy thought! In fact, you can continue to use your perfectly good version of software to make great music all day long. No upgrade needed.

That being said, a couple of weeks ago, two major DAWs dropped new versions on the world and people are angry as all get out. So please pardon me while I rant for just a minute about the psychology of software upgrades.

These Companies Need To Make Money

In case you didn’t know, software manufacturers are in the business of making money. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Companies like Avid, Apple, Steinberg, PreSonus, Propellerhead, Cockos, all make great tools for musicians and engineers and they charge money for said tools. Makes sense so far.

That being said, if they never make a newer and better version of their DAW, then their only way to make money to sustain the business is to sell to new customers who currently don’t have their product. But wouldn’t it be easier to simply improve their existing product, fix things, add user requested features and then turn around to sell the software again to CURRENT customers as an upgrade? So that is why these companies drop new versions of their DAW every few years. No big deal.
Read More →

No matter which version of Pro Tools you currently use, you need to know your edit modes. Each one has a unique function and place in your music making world. Whether you want to slice and dice to the grid, keep things loose, or even re-arrange your song with a single snap, edit modes are where it’s at. This video breaks it down nice and easy for you.

Today I’d like to go on a little video rant. There seems to be this notion that you can’t get a good mix using only the stock plugins in your DAW. I’m not sure where this myth originates, but it’s totally spread on thick in the audio world. In today’s video, I show you some before and after audio samples of what stock plugins can do for your mix…if you use them properly. Let the rant begin!

Sometimes you just want the drums to sound aggressive and crushed to bits. Well, maybe crushed to bits isn’t what you need, but something a bit more edgy. I had just that problem during the mixing day of The Simply Recording Academy workshop a few weeks ago. We were mixing the song we had recorded the previous day and we stumbled upon a section of the bridge where the drums just needed to kick it up a notch. Joe Gilder and I came up with a solution that I think worked well. Take a look…