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Topic: Training for Pro Tools |
Kenny Burford
From:
Independence, Missouri USA
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Posted 27 Feb 2017 10:54 am |
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| I am positive that there has been discussion on this matter previously, but it's only been in the past couple of years that I have been interested in actually make home recordings. I purchased a new laptop and had a program placed on it, but it is not what I was expecting. I would like to know if Pro-tools offers hands on training classes besides whatever they have on line for training? I am going to have the program on the current laptop removed and buy a new Pro-tools program providing I can find an actual training session with a person in the room to guide me through it. I don't have hours to study up, I need a crash course from someone who knows all I need relayed. |
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mtulbert
From:
Plano, Texas 75023
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Posted 27 Feb 2017 12:55 pm
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Kenny,
There are some good tutorial on youtube. Here is on that I just found. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcjcVcgu1-U
Take time to study it as Pro Tools can be daunting. There are lots of folks here that use. Tony Prior is the residential expert in my opinion. He is always willing to help.
Just go slow and don't try to learn it all over night.
Good luck
Mark
_________________
Mark T
Infinity D-10 Justice SD-10 Judge Revelation Octal Preamp, Fractal AXE III, Fender FRFR 12 |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 27 Feb 2017 2:18 pm
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| mtulbert wrote: |
Tony Prior is the residential expert in my opinion. He is always willing to help.
Just go slow and don't try to learn it all over night.
Good luck
Mark |
Ha !  I doubt I am an expert ! I'm just a user.
Pro Tools, like any of the other FULL featured , full production DAWS ,is not really difficult, but it does have many workflow items that a new novice user probably would not need or use for awhile.
Some call them Bells and Whistles, which of course thats NOT what they are, they are production tools.
Are there classes ? probably on-line , but seriously are we asking to learn a full production package in a few hours ? Thats unreasonable as the DAW is only part of the process. I suspect there is no crash course.
YouTube would be where I would start but also keep in mind that Pro Tools comes with Tutorials and when the program loads, several very important SESSION TEMPLATES load as well . Much can be learned by studying the Templates.
We have read countless comments that a program like Pro Tools is very difficult, HOGWASH. Sure if you are trying to do everything in a very brief period and you have every option available on the workflow screen then yeh, a new user can easily get confused.
Programs like Pro Tools can be run in a very simple workflow.
Another thing, if someone has previous recording experience , it will go a long way with ANY DAW as the process is the same, the tool may be different but the process is the same. Users with NO previous experience can find any DAW or Workstation a bit confusing as they are learning everything all at once.
Ask away, I'll help if I can...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
Last edited by Tony Prior on 27 Feb 2017 4:21 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 27 Feb 2017 10:19 pm
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I would check with schools in your area. Most colleges with any music program will have a music production coarse. Maybe find a student to help get you going. Or check with recording studios. Most any intern could help you get up and running.
I'm pretty sure sweetwater has a phone help line for pro tools . You can call avid also.
You still might want to have a person get you set up. It can be frustrating at first.
I'm lucky to have a pile of pro tools guys I can call on when I get confused and nothing works.
_________________
Bob |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 28 Feb 2017 1:40 am
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excellent comment by Bob above. Seek out local schools, music stores, other studios etc, someone is out there.
IF someone lived near me in Charlotte NC, I would teach a novice Pro Tools class in a NY minute.
I have been pondering producing a 2 or 3 chapter training video series for novice users as well on just the basics of getting started.
We'll see.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2017 10:29 am
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Hi, Kenny, if you google "pro tools training, lexington, MO" you'll see ads for several online and disc-baseed PT training courses. I would call any music store in your area that sells AVID gear (PT) and they can tell you about any training that AVID has upcoming anywhere near your area, as you might find on the AVID website.
I can tell you that ANY beginning level Pro Tools course from AVID will have you studying the "Pro Tools 101" book, which you can get from amazon or guitar center and study yourself. Sorry, but you won't be able to learn everything you personally need to do your own sessions at one short seminar, it will take some study and practice, not least because each computer platform takes some optimization and setup for PT to run well and productively.
As I tell all Pro Tools seekers- GET a copy of John Keane's book "ProTools for Musicians"… you can learn about everything you need short of advanced editing and mixing from that one book, and it's set up in a fun, conversational style where he has you doing real-world exercises with an (fun!) imaginary band. Includes the needed info on computer setup, importing tracks, setting up headphone mixes and lots more. The practice tracks even have some of John's tasty steel playing on them! Seriously, get that book and you'll be up and running in no time.
_________________
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 1 Mar 2017 6:04 am
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Keane's book is great!
_________________
John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar |
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Kenny Burford
From:
Independence, Missouri USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2017 12:39 pm
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| Thanks, I will take the advise and start looking on line for training. I am just not a tech guy, other than construction. I just want to create some background tracks for myself, but I believe pro-tools is a program I can use even with my limited knowledge on the different programs. I hear more positive comments about it than all the other combined. R/Y Kenny |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 1 Mar 2017 1:32 pm
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| Kenny Burford wrote: |
| I just want to create some background tracks for myself, but I believe pro-tools is a program I can use even with my limited knowledge on the different programs. I hear more positive comments about it than all the other combined. R/Y Kenny |
Just keep an open mind, the process for recording simple backup tracks is the same as recording an A Team retail release. The software doesn't know what you are doing and doesn't care ! We care !
For simple recording we most likely will not do much editing, if at all ,and our final mix may not require "great ears". But the process for getting your music onto a DAW track is exactly the same. What we do AFTER it's recorded on a DAW track is up to us individually.
Go for it, have fun !
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 4 Mar 2017 9:49 am
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| Kenny, If you only want to do backing tracks, maybe Band in a Box would be something that would work for you. You can find many ready made tracks for Band in a Box. It also includes a basic recording program. Even an older version would work OK, and would be pretty reasonable in cost. |
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Terry Niendorf
From:
Boise, Idaho
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Posted 5 Mar 2017 8:23 am
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| Tony I have a few of your backing tracks and I really like them. To me they are close to real band sounds. Did you use pro tools for these? |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 6 Mar 2017 2:52 am
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Hi Terry, thanks for the nice comment. Yes Pro Tools 12 is my DAW but to be honest Pro Tools is just the means to an end, like any DAW. The differences may not be important to some but a FULL featured DAW provides immense opportunities for the user. Some may not be considered important today, but tomorrow they will be !
I use two different Preamps and these days I track with EQ and some very slight compression in front of the DAW , if I find tones I like, thats it, it goes on tape !
I do use BIAB for drum tracks which I write and edit within BIAB. They are then imported to a Pro Tools Session then the other stuff is added (layered) .
From around 2008 to 2015 I was on Pro Tools 8, late 2015 I moved to Pro Tools 12. Like anything else we do, the more time we put in, the better it should get . Well, thats the plan anyway ! 
One thing we should all keep in mind, it's not the DAW, the gear or the instruments that give us the results we want, it's us ! When tracking or layering, every note matters. Extra notes on any track will find there way to conflict with other extra notes on other tracks .
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Godfrey Arthur
From:
3rd Rock
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Posted 11 Jun 2017 2:11 am
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Read the manual that came with the PT system you have.
You're going to have to bite the bullet and pay your dues.
Even if someone were to give you a crash course, if you don't know what a "bus" or a "parallel chain" is and why use it you will have learning curve problems as just owning a DAW doesn't end there. There are many things to know and a "crash course" is not enough.
Even seasoned engineers are still learning their craft.
Many things to consider here, not unlike learning to fly a jumbo jet and know how to fix them as well.
You will need to learn the front end as well as the back end of a DAW, running the software, the plugins, the mics preamps, the monitors, what to listen for and how to mix, edit, and how the arrangement plays a big part in any mix.
It will depend on how much you're willing to commit to this, interfaces if laptop vs external hardware, if you're going to really learn a PT DAW enough to get decent use out of it. Parts is parts.
Recording schools cost but as already mentioned some community colleges teach DAW and usually use Pro Tools.
Unless you have a buddy with oodles of time and money to burn to pay power bills and to wean you from zero you're going to have to research and/or pay for the lessons.
Lots of clips on youtube.
Pay attention to Pensado's Place...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghTXxyIMwDk
Like anything you have to keep practicing with your DAW as a lapse in usage, you forget the moves.
You will need to brush up on basic recording techniques used by the previous technology (tape and analog) to get an idea what those engineers/producers did and why a DAW goes to infinity and beyond.
At the end of the day it's all about how you approach the DAW not so much about how much gear and plugins you have but good gear like decent preamps and plugins do help and every day there is a new plugin that does miracles but keep in mind upgrading has its limits on your system/OS so learning to get good use out of basics (compressor/limiters eq, delays) and being creative with your DAW's features even if you may not use every bell and whistle you have the potential in basic equipment to make some good mixes.
Learning to set up your rig and calibrate it to your monitoring system is key.
AND THEN..there is the room acoustics to get your DAW to function properly, get good phantom image.
_________________
ShoBud The Pro 1
YES it's my REAL NAME!
Ezekiel 33:7 |
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