Pro Tools: New Session

This micro-blog is a continuation of the digital recording series. Since I'm a Pro Tools guy working on a Mac, most of the dialog will be in the Digidesign Pro Tools environment. However, most of the technique and tips can be applied to any hardware/software/platform..

Assuming we have an artist/band in the project studio ready to plug in and jam, we will strictly talk about the tech end of opening up a session. We have also taken the quantum leap of guessing most musicians/producers know how to turn on their gear and plug it in! So without further ado, let's jump in the shallow end of the tech pool.

Turn on computer/hardware/gear and..

Pro Tools: New Session
follow this quick start guide:

1 open Pro Tools recording software

[click on the Digidesign icon genius!]

2 start a new session

3 new session window pops open

4 open new tracks to record onto

5 new tracks appear in edit window

6 name your tracks for audio file management

7 track names show up in edit window

8 open a click track

9 click track opens in edit window

10 set bpm/tempo of song

11 assign i/o: input for incoming signals and

output normally to stereo buss analog 1/2

12 arm the tracks

13 record enable the session

[click the record button on the transport]

14 click "PLAY" and start recording your 1st song

15 audio file(s) write to disk and appear in track

If you're still reading this- congrats you should now see an audio file(s) recording! Next stop» EDIT TOOLS and CUT/COPY/PASTE in the edit window..

Til then, peace out homedogs!

Mike the audioK9

Mike's digi003r studio

Big Bear, Cali

tracking vox on MBox2-mini

Hollywood, CA

tracking bass w/Josh

in EastLA garage studio

[Mind Delay EP]

Digidesign Digi003R

Today AudioK9 starts a series on music demo recording for garage bands and other indie artists. In this series we will discuss basic hardware, audio software, and project studio tips/techniques for new audio engineers or artists to put to work. Major labels might still run sessions/mixes though a professional studio geared up for pro-sound. However, there's a ton of new fun digital gear for the rest of us to capture a great project studio sound.

To start off this tutorial we will bring in the Digidesign Digi003R Rack Factory digital interface for Pro Tools. I'm mainly a Pro Tools guy on a Mac, however this audio info can be adapted to almost any hardware/software/platform configuration. This is a great piece of hardware for starting out in the world of digital audio- with many options for signal flow in/out. You can record the entire band in your home/project studio, garage, or even live! Digi003® Rack+ Factory is ideal for musicians, recording engineers, and producers looking for a pro music recording and production solution that’s basically inexpensive and mobile to boot.

Digi003R Specs:
• Mic Inputs 8 balanced XLR jacks
• Mic Phantom Power: 48V
• Frequency Response: +0.0 / -0.25 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Dynamic Range: 103 dB / 106 dB A-weighted
• Gain Range: +18 – +65 dB
• Line/DI Inputs 8 balanced 1/4" jacks
• Aux Inputs 2 balanced 1/4" jacks
• Digital Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz
• S/PDIF: 2-channel optical or RCA jack pair
• Digital Optical: TOSLINK max 48 kHz rate
• MIDI: 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors 1 i/o
• Line Outputs: 8 impedance balanced 1/4" jacks
• Monitor Outputs: 4 balanced 1/4" jacks
• Headphone Outputs: 2 unbalanced 1/4" jacks
• Word Clock: 2 BNC jacks
• Host Connection: 2 IEEE-1394a (FireWire400)




Pro Tools LE 8.0 Software:
• Pro Tools® recording, editing, and mixing
• 48 simultaneous stereo audio tracks
• FX plug-ins and virtual instruments
• MIDI sequencing w/editor window
• Elastic Time/Pitch
• Beat Detective™ LE groove analysis and tool
• ReWire support for app's
• Support for the Digidesign C|24™ and Command|8® control surfaces
• 3rd party plug-ins and software options
• Mac and PC compatible



To get a basic session set-up going for a demo recording, here's a screen shot from a pre-production Pro Tools garage band session. One song off this session ended up on a demo cd for the artist. In the setup below you can see the mic/input track assignment is extremely basic and minimalist- not so much to save hard drive space but more importantly to save time in the studio!

Tracks in this demo session setup:
• kick
• snare
• o/h-left
• o/h-right
• scratch vocal
• guitar
• bass

+add a track for click, o/dub vox, and master fader!





This type of 'basic demo recording' cuts expensive time in the studio track/mixing. And new artists need to save money for things like promotion, buying gear, and scouting prospective record labels. Track the band/artist on 3-4 songs allowing them to jam and experiment with song structure- nailing down arrangements to record and play live.

With this easy track setup, new engineers can figure out mic placement and routing to the back of the digital interface. Kick in 1, snare in 2, overheads 3/4 and so on. Search the input options upon opening tracks in the new Pro Tools session and match the mic input list with the new track you add in the edit/mix window. Now arm the tracks, adjust the input volume to prevent clipping, and you're off to the new world of digital recording.

More extended instructions for new session setup, opening/arming tracks, and understanding the mix/edit window- coming soon in future lessons here on the AudioK9 Blog and DigiPro101..

AudioK9

Digital vs. Analog?

Digital vs. Analog? This debate is ongoing in the geeky circles of audio technology and music production. However, one point clearly rules in the project studio- budget!

And advances in gear makes it practical for most indie musicians and engineers to fire up a home-brewed music studio.

And oh! by “project design” we mean targeting the major audio components and jacking the gear from a mom and pop music store or a major pro-audio retailer whether online or brick and mortar.

Now back to earth.. think digi-audio and dream of your own original music on MySpace, iTunes, or a local BestBuy shelf.


analog to digital transformation!

audio101- acoustic soundwave to digital signal
hardware/software schematic in digi-studio
ProTools basics
session set-up
arm/disarm tracks
save/storage/file-management
recording tracks
editing tools
basic mix
bounce to disk
advanced tip: how2 bump tracks to free up processing power!
iZotope-oZone mastering plug-in
professional audio CD burner HHB Burn-It!+
to dither or not to dither!
Red Book CD standard

"digital" bits/bytes.. 10101010101010101!

Tip: 10 music-demo steps

Hmmmm.. so you want to make your first demo? Maybe you play guitar in a garage band and would kill to get a gig at a local club or rockin brewhaus on Main Street USA.

Only thing is you don’t exactly know how to do it, what to do, and how much it will cost. Check it out..

10 music-demo steps!

1 jam it!
2 find 3 or 4 fav songs
3 locate a producer
4 nail down a project budget
5 search for a studio
6 block out recording schedule
7 track/mix/master
8 cd art
9 dup it!
10 pass it out! and get gigs..

No one single method in the music industry is the “Holy Grail” path to making it, but find what works for you in your scene and go with your instinct.

Check out digi-pro101/DEMO for details/tips!