Workflow Examples

[Intini]

I have a suggestion.
It would be good if there was a document and/or videos on workflow examples to achieve several tasks in Pro Tools. I know we already have videos and they look really great. But sometimes I think they are too short in length and only explain very quickly some complex operations. Perhaps a video AND document combination would be great.
Simple examples of workflows would include:

1- Setting up Structure with several patches triggered via MIDI from several Instrument tracks and having the audio routed back to the instrument tracks.
2- Parallel compression
3- The use of Auxiliary Busses for Reverbs and Delays (I know it is simple but new users would greatly benefit)
4- Groups and how to use them in practice
5- Recording and tweeking your MIDI performance in PT8
6- Using Elastic Audio
7- How to use VCAs - possible applications in sessions
8- A showcase of the workflow of several "known good" producers/composers in four categories: composing, recording, mixing and perhaps remixing. In all cases it would be good to start with an empty session and grow (slowly!) to a final real session. The templates of such sessions should me made available - and perhaps the sessions if that was practical. In the advanced topics it should include such things as external processing with outboard gear and also the use of external VIs (or other computer) to stream a really complex composition arrangement and the use of third party VIs such as VSL and others. People need to know what is possible and how they can expand their horizons if need be.

Some of these may be available as videos already,but in this case perhaps either a longer, slower and more detailed video with a .PDF document would be great.

This, I am sure, would help to increase - and keep - the user base.

[ankely]

I second that!

As a former Digi Certified(able LOL) trainer, such documentation would have really been helpful for the students, let alone the general public.

Maybe pack it into the 101 book?

[kevinc333]

+1

[John_Toolbox]

As a former Digi Certified(able LOL) trainer, such documentation would have really been helpful for the students, let alone the general public.

Huh? :confused: Aren't there still "exercises" in the books? (i.e. Pro Tools 101, 201, 210m, etc.)

[ankely]

The exercises are pretty cool.

After teaching the courses for awhile, I started to create more of my own exercises that would take the students thru workflows mentioned in the DIGI texts and elaborate on them a bit. Especially things that might have been fuzzy to new people and things they asked a lot about such as ReWireing Reason and printing tracks, "idiot" proofing sessions so as not to lose data, etc. Things that experience brings but may be hard to understand and maybe overlooked by new people. It seemed to help the students get up to speed a little faster and maybe help with confidence. And it made it far easier on students and instructors alike when a project was handed in and all the files were there.

Another thing that I did a lot of was the eternally hard to grasp, especially for new people, sends and returns. That was always a bear to get through to people.

Used these docs a bit as a reference:

http://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Producers_and_Engineers/Guidelines/

One of the biggest things was teaching the importance of documenting things like track and region names, where to have aux returns and master faders in a session etc.

Digi and others, if your interested PM me and I'd be glad to share some of the things I came up with. I also post some of these kind of things at my blog: ScrewMakerBlog (http://www.screwmaker.blogspot.com/)

Hope this helps.

[RussUK]

I have a suggestion.
It would be good if there was a document and/or videos on workflow examples to achieve several tasks in Pro Tools. I know we already have videos and they look really great. But sometimes I think they are too short in length and only explain very quickly some complex operations. Perhaps a video AND document combination would be great.
Simple examples of workflows would include:

1- Setting up Structure with several patches triggered via MIDI from several Instrument tracks and having the audio routed back to the instrument tracks.
2- Parallel compression
3- The use of Auxiliary Busses for Reverbs and Delays (I know it is simple but new users would greatly benefit)
4- Groups and how to use them in practice
5- Recording and tweeking your MIDI performance in PT8
6- Using Elastic Audio
7- How to use VCAs - possible applications in sessions
8- A showcase of the workflow of several "known good" producers/composers in four categories: composing, recording, mixing and perhaps remixing. In all cases it would be good to start with an empty session and grow (slowly!) to a final real session. The templates of such sessions should me made available - and perhaps the sessions if that was practical. In the advanced topics it should include such things as external processing with outboard gear and also the use of external VIs (or other computer) to stream a really complex composition arrangement and the use of third party VIs such as VSL and others. People need to know what is possible and how they can expand their horizons if need be.

Some of these may be available as videos already,but in this case perhaps either a longer, slower and more detailed video with a .PDF document would be great.

This, I am sure, would help to increase - and keep - the user base.

Thanks for this list - I can deal with some of these. I would also point you to Groove 3 for Elastic Audio, Kenny is the king of this.

[RussUK]

I've created a video to deal with number one on the list you can find it here... http://airvirtualinstruments.blogspot.com/2009/07/structure-songwriters-workstation.html