Pro Tools All–in–One For Dummies

Make your sound better, your recordings crisper, and your songs more powerful Ready to record songs that sound like they were created in the biggest studios? Then use the software the pros do and learn how to get the most out of Pro Tools 10 with this guide! From mic placement and multitrack recording to mixing and mastering, you′ll quickly gain the skills to create the best possible recordings and release your own music. Tackling recording basics — get a grip on the components of a studio, learn how to make analog and digital connections, and enhance your music with MIDI Enter the Pro Tools world — dive into the software and make it work with your recording hardware Test 1–2–3 — discover how to set levels, achieve the best sounds, and record single and multiple tracks Edit like an engineer — follow steps to edit audio and work with clips to turn your raw tracks into usable pieces Put your mixing hat on — take your tracks and blend them to create your finished masterpiece Mastering magic — learn the steps for mastering your music to make it sound the very best Be heard — share your finished music on the web and get tips for promoting your band Open the book and find: Advice for selecting the right mics Steps for configuring your software Tips for proper recording and playback Ways to build your editing prowess Techniques for recording and editing MIDI data How to blend tracks to create a finished song Plans for mastering your own track Secrets for getting your music to the masses 8 Books in 1 Home Recording Basics Getting Started Using Pro Tools Recording Audio Editing Audio Managing MIDI Mixing in Pro Tools Mastering in Pro Tools Getting Your Music to the Masses

Introduction 1 Book I: Home Recording Basics 7 Chapter 1: Discovering What You Need 9 Chapter 2: Getting Connected: Setting Up Your Studio 33 Chapter 3: Meeting the Mixing Board 57 Chapter 4: MIDI and Electronic Instruments 75 Chapter 5: Understanding Microphones 91 Book II: Getting Started Using Pro Tools 115 Chapter 1: Confi guring Your Computer 117 Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Hardware 135 Chapter 3: Examining Software Basics 155 Chapter 4: Understanding the Pro Tools Windows 173 Chapter 5: Importing and Exporting Files 215 Book III: Recording Audio 239 Chapter 1: Taking Care of Tracks 241 Chapter 2: Miking: Getting a Great Source Sound 259 Chapter 3: Preparing to Record 289 Chapter 4: Recording Audio 311 Book IV: Editing Audio 335 Chapter 1: Audio Editing Basics 337 Chapter 2: Selecting Material to Edit 359 Chapter 3: Getting into Editing 387 Chapter 4: Adding to Your Editing Palette 413 Book V: Managing MIDI 437 Chapter 1: Preparing to Record MIDI 439 Chapter 2: Recording MIDI 455 Chapter 3: Editing MIDI Data 473 Chapter 4: Performing MIDI Operations 501 Book VI: Mixing In Pro Tools 523 Chapter 1: Mixing Basics 525 Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Mix 541 Chapter 3: Using Equalization 567 Chapter 4: Digging into Dynamics Processors 581 Chapter 5: Singling Out Signal Processors 599 Chapter 6: Automating Your Mix609 Chapter 7: Making Your Mix 627 Book VII: Mastering with Pro Tools 635 Chapter 1: Mastering Basics 637 Chapter 2: Mastering Your Music 643 Book VIII: Getting Your Music to the Masses 657 Chapter 1: Putting Your Music on CD and Vinyl 659 Chapter 2: Getting Your Music on the Internet 673 Index 693

Jeff Strong is an experienced musician, recording engineer, and teacher. He serves as founder and director of the Strong Institute, a group creating products to assist in therapy through music. He is also author of all editions of Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies and Drums For Dummies .