Pro Session Operations Flashcards
What 2 things should you have ready for pre session setup?
- ) template set up with all tracks named (all tracks mono), I/O, click, click record track, colors, mic names in comments, and groups
- ) another session that contains recorded music that matches the track layout of your session template
What 3 session preferences, in general, should you set before a session?
- ) sample rate and bit resolution (setup -> session)
- ) tool bars (follows session, should be in template)
- ) groups (follows session, should be in template)
What 3 preference settings, in general, should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
- ) menu items
- ) options menu (DOES NOT follow session)
- ) preferences window (display, operation, editing, metering) (DOES NOT follow session)
What 6 specific session preferences should be set in tool bars before a session?
- expanded transport: all
- pre-roll set to 2 bars: OFF
- post-roll set to 1 bar: OFF
- counter: Bars and Beats
- show sub-counter: min/sec
- show big counter
What 4 specific session preferences should be set in groups before a session?
- set all groups to follow globals
- set globals to: solo, mute, input monitor, record arm
- group all stereo pairs: Keyboards, Piano, Drum OH, Rooms, etc.
- group drums - DON’T group percussion with the drums
What 2 specific preference settings in menu items should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
- set clock source (sync) (setup -> session)
- click during play and record, countoff OFF (setup -> click countoff)
What 8 specific preference settings in the options menu should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
- quickpunch: ON
- loop playback: ON
- link timeline and edit selection: ON
- link track and edit selection: ON
- insertion follows playback: OFF
- pre-fader metering: ON
- delay compensation: OFF
- edit window scrolling: OFF
What 3 specific preference settings in the Preferences -> Display window should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
- always display marker colors
- default track color coding: none
- default clip color coding: track color
What 5 specific preference settings in the Preferences -> Operation window should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
- play start marker follows timeline selection: ON
- numeric keypad: Transport
- enable session file auto backup: keep 25 most recent sessions, backup every 3 minutes
- latch record enable buttons
- disable “input” when disarming track
What 6 specific preference settings in the Preferences -> Editing window should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
- clip list selection follows edit selection
- edit selection follows clip selection
- set default fades and crossfades to “linear”
- auto name separated clips
- suppress name dialog when creating new playlists
- fade in, fade out, and crossfade set to default (linear)
What 1 specific preference settings in the Preferences -> Metering window should you use as a pre-flight checklist?
track meters: Pro Tools classic
What 4 things should you do on the day of the session?
- ) bring session template and soundcheck session on portable drive
- connect drive to studio computer and copy entire folder onto studio’s recording drive
- eject drive and disconnect once the session is on the computer - ) get I/O setup document (.pio) from studio in advance, configure for studio
- ) set all preferences in both sessions and double check
- ) play soundcheck through console monitor path to let engineer create rough control room and headphone mixes
- all mixes should be balanced, free of crackle and hum, in stereo where appropriate
What 4 things happen during demo/work tape playback?
- ) musicians listen to demo over control room monitors or in headphones
- ) Pro Tools operator and engineer must be able to read numbers chart
- ) use tap tempo to capture tempo while listening, always in quarter notes
- ) make notes on chart of any changes discussed by musicians
What 3 things are important to remember about click setup?
- ) confirm tempo with drummer
- ) ask drummer click sound preference
- ) for eighth note or other subdivision, DO NOT JUST DOUBLE TEMPO
How do you change a beat subdivision for a click track (5 steps)?
Session meter settings
1.) press RETURN
- ) Open menu -> event -> time operations -> change meter
- ) set click to subdivision in meter window
- ) click apply
- ) close window
How do you determine first pass tracks (2 steps)?
- ) determine if guitarist will be playing acoustic or electric, keyboardist is playing piano or organ, etc.
- ) hide tracks you are not recording on
What 3 steps should you take on the first pass?
- ) record arm all tracks that will be recorded in first pass
- ) record so that musicians can hear the click and play the track; if they keep playing DON’T STOP
- ) write down bar numbers of each line on chart as song is played; DO NOT STOP TRANSPORT UNTIL MUSICIANS START TALKING ABOUT THE TAKE
What should you do after the first pass?
find small fixes and do punch-ins
What should you remember about punch-ins?
always give consistent pre-roll before the punch, usually two bars
-for faster tempos, use 4 bars
How do you execute an auto punch in (works well if recording should begin on a downbeat) (5 steps)?
- ) set insertion point right where you want to begin recording
- ) turn on pre-roll (command + K), make sure pre-roll is set to two bars (4 bars for fast tempo)
- ) press 3 on the keypad, the track will play the pre-roll and auto punch at the insertion point
- ) press 3 again to stop recording (NOT SPACEBAR)
- ) continue playback for a few beats after recording
How do you execute a manual punch in (5 steps)?
- ) set insertion point on downbeat two bars (sometimes four) before the point you wish to begin recording
- ) press play (spacebar or keypad 0)
- ) press record (keypad 3) where you want to begin recording
- ) press record again (keypad 3) where you want to stop recording (NOT SPACEBAR)
- ) continue playback for a few beats after recording
When should you use a multi-track punch?
when multiple instruments want to make a punch-in on the same pass
How do you enable track punch?
- ) right click on the record button in the transport
- ) flashing red blue tracks will record from the start (track punch and record enabled)
- ) blue only tracks will record when you click the record enable on the track (track punch enabled)
- ) toggle between blue and red/blue on individual tracks with control + click
What does “playlist me” mean when overdubbing?
keep the first pass and create a new playlist in the same track the player just recorded on
What does “put me on another track” mean when overdubbing?
overdub - new part played by same player
How do you set up for an overdub (4 steps)?
- ) in the MIX window, select tracks that the musician just recorded on (ex. for keys L and keys R, click track name, then command click to select next track)
- ) right click on one of the tracks and select “Duplicate”; uncheck active playlist, alternate playlists, automation, inserts, and group assignments
- ) drag new tracks (already selected) to far right end of MIX window
- ) change outputs so that new overdubbed tracks come up on console mix faders (communicate clearly with engineer for which channel outputs to use and set outputs accordingly)
What are the 3 main ways loops can come into a session?
- ) tracks are sent in advance to engineers
- ) drummer brings loops to session on hard drive
- ) drummer “performs” or generates loop from studio immediately prior to recording track
What are the three primary mixes for the engineer to be concerned with?
- ) musicians’ stereo cue mix
- ) control room mix
- ) more of me mixes
What are 7 useful tips for setting up more of me mixers?
- ) always provide a quality stereo mix of all tracks
- ) keep stereo sources stereo in the cue mixers
- ) always have a separate channel for the click
- ) always have a separate channel (or stereo channel) for loops
- ) if there are additional backing tracks in addition to drum loops, they should be separated from loops
- ) vocals should be stereo if possible so vocal reverb is stereo along with vocal
- ) pan tracks from the musicians’ perspectives
Where can the more of me sends come from?
- ) console aux sends
- ex. aux 1 feeds drums, aux 2 bass, aux 3 guitar, aux 4 keys, etc. - ) aux sends in Pro Tools
- ex. each aux send requires different Pro Tools output - ) hybrid approach
- ex. bass and drums sent from Pro Tools, other tracks sent from console
What 4 steps do you take to build a good control room mix/more of me mixes?
- ) use project that was recorded by same players in same studio, or approximate
- ) play soundcheck session through console with exact same routing as you will be using when recording
- ) establish solid control room mix and 2MIX to feed headphones that includes panning, basic levels, and maybe reverb/delays
- ) build each sub mix for the more of me cue mixers
- mix with preamps
How do you set up an overdub immediately after tracking assuming the following (8 steps):
- guitar mic is connected to mic pre 22
- console channels used for basics 1-28
- guitar routed to pro tools track 22 (input and output)
- guitar is on monitor fader 22
- guitar more of me is fed from console aux 1
- ) right click on one of the tracks and select “duplicate”
- ) uncheck active playlist, alternate playlists, automation, inserts, and group assignments
- ) drag new guitar track to far right end of MIX window
- ) check with engineer for open channel on console (in this case, we’ll say 34)
- ) set new guitar output to 34 (leave input at 22)
- ) turn down aux 1 on channel 22
- ) turn up aux 1 on channel 34 to same level that 22 was at
- ) turn down cue send for original track in the more of me mix to allow musician to hear track they are currently recording in more of me mix
What should the engineer do about reverb and delays?
should have good vocal reverb set up for session for vibe (be conservative at first since they sound stronger in headphones)
How do you set up a delay sourced from the DAW?
- ) set up aux track in Pro Tools and set its output to an unused path
- ) put Mod Delay III on the track and set it to quarter note or eighth note with very low feedback (delay will be at right tempo if band follows click track)
- ) feed aux send on console into delay track and return it to console monitor inputs
- can be mixed into control room, stereo cue mix, or fed into reverb