Production Advice

OK, I think it’s time to come clean. This may shock some of you, so brace yourselves…

I’m not a Pro Tools expert.

…I know ! How can that be ?!? I’m a mastering engineer, a pro audio geek and I write blogs on music production – HOW can I not be a Pro Tools whizz-kid ?

Well, before you unfollow me, block my email address and blacklist my RSS feeds – let me explain.

I can use Pro Tools – I know how to find my way around, and I can knock a mix into shape quite happily. The same goes for Nuendo, and therefore Cubase. I haven’t used Logic much, but I’m an Apple fanboy at heart and I know I’ll love it.

But I’m not a power-user. Not the way I am in SADiE.

Hold it. “SADiE” ? WTF is “SADiE” ? Well, SADiE is the “Studio Audio Digital Editor” editing system, and is the de-facto DAW found in almost all professional mastering houses. Yes, you may well have never heard of it, but that’s probably because you’re not a mastering engineer (or don’t work at the BBC).

In SADiE, I am an expert. I’ve been using it for 15 years, and it’s like an extension of my hands and ears. I use it so fast most people can’t see what I’m doing, and it shapes the way I work – the way I think about working with audio. When I work in anything else, I’m translating how to do what I do from the way I work in SADiE. You probably feel the same way about your favourite DAW.

But none of that means I wouldn’t like to be a Pro Tools expert  :-D

The problem is, becoming an expert takes time and dedication – blood, sweat and tears, and LOTS of reading the manual. And when I already have software I’m very comfortable with, where’s the motivation ? My time is better spent making things sound great, right ?

Well, yes and no.

For most other software applications, I would agree with you, but Pro Tools is different.

Pro Tools is an industry standard.

Pro Tools is the only DAW you can absolutely guarantee will be supported by any pro recording or mixing studio. It may not be the best, it may not be fastest, or the prettiest or the most reliable or the most user-friendly, but Pro Tools is one thing -it’s everywhere.

Which means mastering Pro Tools is a very valuable asset for an audio engineer. And the best way to get on the path to being an expert, is to learn from an expert – which is where Understanding Pro Tools comes in. It’s a new package of HD video Pro Tools tutorials from Joe Gilder of Home Studio Corner, and it’s fantastic.

 

Because Joe is a Pro Tools expert – he’s been working with it since forever, and knows it inside out. And in these videos he passes some of that experience on to us, starting from the basics of how to set up a project, file structure and routing etc, right through to mixdown and mastering.

It won’t teach you how to record or mix, but it will show you a great many cool and interesting things about Pro Tools, some of which you almost certainly probably didn’t know before, even if you’re an experienced user.

Just to pick one example of how these videos are useful for me personally – keyboard shortcuts. Nothing duller and harder to remember, in my book, and absolutely the last thing I can be bothered to go hunting for when I’m busy working – but also, undeniably powerful for speeding up your workflow.

Joe explains all the shortcuts, and has a really nice feature in the video – whenever he uses a shortcut, you see it highlighted on the screen. A combination of this and actually seeing the shortcuts in action as Joe uses them, really works for me. It’s deeply valuable having an expert user like Joe tell you which shortcuts he really uses and finds useful.

This is only one example though – PT has so many little extra windows and features hidden away here and there, and Joe explains them all. Everything in these videos is explained clearly and carefully, with great attention to detail but also a clear focus on each topic.

And I love Joe’s style – he’s clear and informative, crucially providing masses of detail but also in a friendly, relaxed style. One of his greatest assets, in my opinion, is the abilty to tell you incredibly useful stuff without making you feel like a complete idiot for not knowing it in the first place…

So am I saying that watching Understanding Pro Tools will tell you how to become an expert user ?

Honestly… No.

You’re still going to need a great deal of the blood sweat and tears I mentioned. BUT it’s a massive shortcut step towards that goal, and I strongly recommend it for anyone interested in getting started with Pro Tools, improving their knowledge, or just learning a bunch of useful keyboard shortcuts !

For more information click on this link: Understanding Pro Tools – if you decide to go ahead and get the videos, by using the links here you’ll be helping support Production Advice, so it’s a win for both of us : )

Did I mention that it’s insanely great value ? And there’s a money-back guarantee ? Grab it now before Joe comes to his senses and puts the price up !

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Top image by IRPC

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