ProTools: The Mix

Intro

We often refer to ProTools as a digital editor, but one of the program's most versatile aspects is its mixing capabilities. With plug-ins, volume automation and flexible bus routing, the program offers much more flexibility than a typical multitrack/mixer combo does. While ProToolsFree is limited to eight audio tracks, additional aux channels and masterfaders can be used, greatly increasing the options one has for audio manipulation. LE systems, such as the M-Box can usually run many more audio tracks, depending on the host CPU and the processor load from plug-ins.

But how to organize all these tracks? This is a highly personal decision, and ultimately, each person will have a configuration that works best for her or him. As a place to start, I'd suggest laying out your session with Narration or voiceover on track 1, actualities (interview clips) on track 2, ambience or music on tracks 3 and 4, music on 5 and 6 and a stereo masterfader.

Of course it might make more sense to arrange your session in a different array based on the pattern of your editing and mixing . It will be handy to have files that are interacting with one another in close proximity, so that positioning or mix moves can be more easily seen. Although one must always remember to mix with the ears, not the eyes, the visual aspects of digital editing and mixing are extremely powerful tools that can give you new levels of control.

Arranging your elements in time is another personal choice. I like to edit sound in the track where it will ultimately be, but then park it "downstream" well after the ending time of the ultimate feature. This way if I've applied any effects to the track, I can listen through those effects as I work. As I need an element, I'll move it into place by dragging while in slip mode, or switching to spot mode and entering a start or end time, or my favorite: selecting the element, then cutting it (command X). Then I'll play the surrounding audio near where I want to place the segment I just cut, hitting a down arrow at exactly the spot I want the start to be. Then paste (command V) and the segment drops right where you hit the down arrow.

Real-Time Automation:

Once some (or all) of your elements (narration, actualities, ambience, music, etc.) are in place, the most obvious way to start a mix is to play your session, and adjust the volume slider up and down with your mouse or an external controller.

"Auto Write" writes continuous automation information for all your moves.

"Auto Latch" only writes automation data when you change a parameter, and then leaves the setting where you last touched it.

"Auto Touch" writes automation data much like auto latch, but instead of leaving the levels at your last adjustment, it returns the level to the previous setting. This mode is useful for momentary ducks or boosts in a mix whose levels are otherwise consistent.

"Auto Read" will play back any automation you have written, and "Auto Off" predictably will ignore all automation data.

Got it?

Good, now forget it.

Really.

Riding levels with a mouse on a graphic of a fader is a very inaccurate way of controlling the mix, and will usually generate much more automation data than is needed. I will even go so far as to say that using a hardware fader is not much better. A physical control surface, providing an array of faders and knobs is undoubtedly quicker and more intuitive, at least for those of us who learned mixing on an analog mixer, but it's still a less-precise way to control your mix than other tools provide.

I know many users will strongly disagree with this, (there are probably a few of you who just threw something at your computer screen… careful, you might scratch it!) there's a great tradition of pushing the faders around, and many people are quite good at it. And if that's the way you are most comfortable working, then that might be the right method for you and of course you should stick with it. But first, just for an experiment, break the habit: try some non-real-time mixing methods and after a little while, I predict you will find that it's often more satisfying to use techniques unique to the digital realm. Some of these allow hitting times and values precisely, rather than just getting close with the imperfect analogous movement of a physical object through time and space.

It's OK, go ahead, call me names, accuse me of cold, anti-art technomania, but then try a few of these mixing modes, add them to your skill set, and find the best path for your workflow. I know many people enjoy the physical interaction of faders, and liken moving them to a musical performance, and if that's how you are most comfortable working, do that. But I will suggest that you can get as good or better results, faster, using other techniques.

part 2 >> Breakpoint Automation