Producing with Pro Tools First

Explore session templates in Pro Tools First to set up MIDI and audio tracks with drum loops, bass and piano options, and customizable returns for your project.

Create a new session in pro tools first from scratch, turn off templates, and set up three stereo instrument tracks (drums, synth, bass) with human readable time.

Organize your Pro Tools First session by naming tracks clearly, color-coding drums red, MIDI mustard, and audio blue, and rearranging track order by dragging from the left side of name.

Learn to create an audio track in Pro Tools First, import a drum loop by dragging it in, rename the track, and prepare to add a MIDI instrument.

Learn to add a MIDI instrument in Pro Tools First using the insert tab and expand 2 to load drums, bass, and synth sounds, then arm the track to hear.

Learn to load preset patches in Pro Tools First using the Expand 2 instrument, explore built-in patches and multi-sound presets, and start dialing in your own sounds.

Create a multi timbre synth in Pro Tools First by layering glute, organ choir, and soft pad, balance volumes, and adjust settings like glide, attack, decay, cutoff, resonance, and formant.

Position glute voice across left and right with panning to create a dynamic stereo mix, then apply reverb, chorus, and delay via fx 1 and fx 2, and save preset.

Save your sound as a preset to recall across sessions in Pro Tools First. Recall it in a session to reuse the 'washi pad' sound and save time.

Navigate the edit and mix windows in Pro Tools First, switch with command equals, manage bars and beats, and use the magnifying glass (option-click) for precise tempo edits.

master the three main editing tools in pro tools—the selector tool, grabber tool, and trimmer tool—to select, move, and perform non-destructive editing on clips, and manage playback.

Hide unused inserts, instruments, i/o, and the MIDI editor to maximize screen real estate, revealing more of your audio files in Pro Tools First.

master time stretching and elastic audio in Pro Tools First to fit a drum loop to a tempo, snapping to bar lines with time compression and expansion.

Explore elastic audio by adding warp markers, conforming to tempo at 120, and choosing rhythmic mode to keep drum loop in time while preserving rhythm.

Learn to arrange audio in pro tools first by looping drum parts, managing warp and waveform settings, copying and pasting sections, and adding markers to organize a 16-bar structure.

Learn to use markers in Pro Tools First to label sections like intro, break, chorus, and outro, and move markers by drag or slip for precise placement.

Configure your audio setup in the setup and hardware panel, selecting the correct input and output devices and routing Pro Tools to your audio interface.

Set up a new mono audio track in Pro Tools First, select the proper input interface, monitor levels to avoid clipping, record guitar, and integrate the take into your arrangement.

Edit the recording in Pro Tools First by trimming, aligning to the grid, and refining the loop with warp markers and elastic audio, preserving human feel while pacing the arrangement.

Learn to set up a MIDI instrument, connect a MIDI keyboard, configure the instruments to use all MIDI devices, and load an expand patch before recording a bassline.

Arm the track and record a bassline, edit MIDI notes in the piano roll, fine-tune timing and tuning, trim and copy sections, and prepare drum parts with the MIDI editor.

Create a drum track in Pro Tools First using the piano roll to place kicks, edit notes, and build a two-bar groove before arranging and mixing.

Examine how to use the mixer in Pro Tools First to adjust track volume with faders, compare pre-fader and post-fader metering, and apply panning for stereo balance.

Explore panning controls to position tracks in stereo space, center or wide, avoid hard panning, and craft a 3D mix feel for drums, bass, guitar.

Apply a seven-band equalizer to shape guitar tone by boosting highs and cutting lows, using the graphic to adjust volume and frequency and sculpt a brighter, less muddy mix.

Explore Pro Tools First effects, including inserts, reverb, and delay, while noting no amp modeling and the option to buy more; learn how automation and panning shape a mix.

Explore automating panning, volume, and reverb in Pro Tools First by drawing automation lines in the edit window, with waveform views guiding precise parameter changes.

Automate your mix with Pro Tools First by drawing automation for panning, volume, and reverb on the edit window, shaping dynamic guitar parts and other effects.

Learn how to export your track in Pro Tools First, including audio mix, selected clips as files, MIDI and Sibelius exports for sharing with others and for notation.

Explore bounce settings in Pro Tools First by selecting the mix-down source as output, choosing WAV or AAF, and exporting a 32-bit float interleaved file at 44.1 or 48 kHz.

Learn how to share your Pro Tools First projects by converting a final WAV master to MP3 for easy sharing and uploading to SoundCloud, including using MP3 converters.

Explore how Pro Tools First works as a free, non-expiring version with limits, and learn how it supports starting audio production before upgrading.