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files | edits | volume levels

by Barrett Golding

Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2001
Subject: Re: starting over
From: scott carrier

I have transfered an interview from my DAT to the computer and labeled it as crkkt-l and crkkt-r While transferring, I stopped the computer sometimes, as I didn't need the whole interview, and so the file is actually a bunch of subfiles, like crkkt-l-01-12, and crkkt-r-01-04. I would rather have just one file, like one piece of tape. Or is this not going to be a problem?

I've made a folder for each of my interviews. All the folders are in the session called Highway 50.

I'm using up space on my hard drive. I have 30 gigabytes total, of which 20 are left. When will this become an issue?

Scott

> bunch of subfiles... Or is this not going to be a problem?

Lotsa little files, not a problem. One big one can be, tho. Ya done good. As to:

> using up space on my hard drive

I asked Transom computer consultant Joe Verbanac...

date: Wed, 04 Jan 2001 from: josef
to: scott carrier
subject: disk space...

scott --

for performance reasons, I would recommend keeping at least twice as many megs of hard drive space available as you have of system ram (ie. on a machine with 128 megs of ram installed, keep 256 megs available on your hard drive).

hope that helps,

jsv

Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001
Subject: names
From: scott carrier

Barrett,

I understand now that the naming and placement of the named-file is the main thing. I understand now in order to call the soundfile, I must know its name.

Also, I now know how to group two tracks for stereo.

When I'm done laying down regions for each interview, I'll start editing.

Scott

• "Soundfile" = the original sound as recorded (captured) and stored as data on the harddrive. The rest of these terms refer to the way ProTools works with soundfiles.
• "Region" = the PT display of a soundfile in the Edit Window. If a file has been edited in PT, the region will display just the unut parts.
• "Session" = the document PT creates with the File>New menu command. This PT-created file will display all the PT windows and tools for viewing, editing and mixing regions. Each session has its own "Audio Files" directory (folder) for storing regions.

The ways of editing are many, and PT offer multiple options. Here's one that's safe, easy and allows Edit>Undo at every step:

1. Work in the PT Edit Window (Windows>ShowEdit). Solo the track you want to edit.
2. Choose the Zoomer edit tool above (magnifying glass icon, or F5 key).
3. Select (drag mouse over) the part of the region where the edit starts. The Zoomer then automatically zooms in on your selection, giving you a better view to find your edit point.
4. Choose the Selector edit tool (waveform icon, or F7).
5. Place the cursor at your the beginning of the edit. Confirm by listening several times. Use your keyboard's spacebar to stop/stop auditioning. Reposition cursor until you've got exactly the right edit point.
6. Choose the Edit>SeparateRegion menu command. This will separate the one region (named "12bush" in animation below) into two ("12bush-01" & "12bush-02"). The second starts exactly at your edit point.
7. Repeat 5-6 to set the end point of your edit. This will make two more new regions ("12bush-03" & "12bush-04").
8. Choose PT's Shuffle edit mode (top right of Edit Window, or F1).
9. Double-click the region you want cut ("12bush-03"). 2clicking within a region selects the entire region.
10. File>sCut the selection. When cutting within a region, Shuffle mode automatically butt-edits the remaining parts together, sliding the right part over to join with the left.

The offending audio will removed from your sight (gone from the PT region, but not from the soundfile itself -- it's still there if you need to back later). Listen the the edit. At any point, you can Edit>Undo the last command, or Edit>HealSeparation to join two separated regions.

You can restore cut portions of regions at any time by dragging with the Trimmer editing tool (F6). File>Save often. File>Revert to Saved... will undo all the commands/changes made since your last File>Save.

Before long you'll be blazing through edits in seconds. And using File>Session As..., or File>Save Session Copy In..., you can make a bazillion different versions of edits, mixes and shows. Ya know, the I'm-a-serious-reporter version for NPR, and the dub-techno mix for college radio.

In the next episode:
My big question now is how do you do control the levels?