Pro Tools Microphone Setup
Avid Protools - how to setup your audio device. How to Setup and Record with Apollo Interfaces and Console Software ft. Routing Audio in Pro Tools - Buses, Sends, Aux Inputs, Audio Tracks. Applies to all Audio Interfaces. This procedure will set Pro Tools I/O to correspond with the Audio Device or Interface selected in Pro Tools Setup Playback.
Are you just getting started with your first home recording studio setup? Maybe you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused?Good news you are in the right place! At Music Repo we have years of experience in helping people get started. In this post, we explain the key components of a music recording studio for beginners so then you are all setup to make real progress with your recordings.Our mission in life is to guide you step by step and make the learning process as simple as possible so that you succeed and make the most of your home recording studio, even if you are a complete beginner.Audio recording is a fun, exciting and rewarding activity.
And today’s affordable technology means that anyone can have in their home the tools they need to professional sounding recordings. Gone are the days when this was only possible in a multi-million pound studio.But the problem is that simply buying the tools alone is not enough to do the job. It is essential that you also learn how to setup and use them properly and there is a learning curve. It is a sad fact that too many people get stuck, become frustrated and never achieve their recording goals.We want to help you succeed!
So we take a very simple approach here. Start of with the right home recording studio kit – you only need a few basic items to get going.
Then we give the help and advice you need to get it setup correctly. There are 7 main components that should be on any beginner’s home recording studio list. These are the key essentials needed to make good quality recordings at home. But you don’t need them all at once!
You can build up step by step and what you choose to buy for your own home studio recording will depend on what you want to achieve.It may be you can achieve everything you want with a simple USB mic and a set of headphones if you just want to record vocal tracks. Or just a MIDI controller if you are only interested in creating sheet music or learning to play the keyboard or piano.So pick the items YOU need. Computer For Home Recording Your computer is going to be the central ‘hub’ of your recording studio. And although newcomers to home recording fret about the kind of computer they should purchase, if you are just starting out, then start with the computer you have got, and pick peripheral gear that will work on multiple platforms.
Once you have got your basic studio together, and are ready to upgrade your computer then we can look at options in detail. But for now, pick an audio interface that will work on PC, Mac and iPad if you can and are not sure which direction your recording is going to take. If you bought a computer or iPad within the last 3 or 4 years it will be more than adequate for recording, mixing and sharing your audio tracks. An audio interface is probably the first really crucial hardware you will purchase when getting ready to create your first home recordings. This is the equipment that will get your recordings INTO your computer and will also connect to speakers or headphones so you can hear what you are doing. We have two really good guides to help you get started: one will explain exactly if you haven’t come across this before, and then once you understand the basics, we have another post on how to for you depending on your specific requirements – and of course your budget! First of all, if you want to know all about different types of microphones, and what all those complicated spec sheets mean, then you can refer to our ultimate.
Once you have invested in a mic, you have three basic options when it comes to using a microphone for recording on your computer or tablet. You can: connect direct to the external mic port on your computer; record through an; or purchase a. For more details about these three options read our introductory post about to your computer. And if you have decided that the USB microphone route is the way to go then you might find it useful to read about how to for your own recording situation.
If you want some more basic info, then we have a quick guide on too. Is a MIDI controller essential? Not if you are only planning to make straight audio recordings via a mic. But if you want to use virtual instruments (eg create drum, synth and bass tracks), create your own sheet music, or learn to play keyboard then even an entry level keyboard is a must. You can read more if you want us to help you decide if you. If you already own a digital piano or keyboard then you can easily with a simple interface or USB lead, and save money.
If you know you definitely want to buy a MIDI keyboard, then we have a comprehensive guide on which considers everything from number of keys to whether or not you should have additional faders, onboard sounds etc. Choice of software very much depends on what you want to achieve. If you are looking to do very straightforward recording and editing, then the easiest software to start out with is which is free, and very easy to use when you are starting out. The other software to think about trying is, which you can use for free for 60 days and is very inexpensive to purchase if you like it. Reaper has full audio and MIDI capability, and is a fully fledged Digital Audio Workstation, whereas Audacity is best for simple audio recordings.Remember your audio interface, USB Mic or MIDI Controller may come equipped with an entry level DAW (Digital Audio Workstation Software), and if this is the case you will not need to buy any software straight away to start making your first recordings and compositions. So, the important thing is to get your hardware right first whatever you want to do. And you could also check out our post on which looks at the different things you might want to do – for example making your own sheet music, or learning to play an instrument.
Maybe you already know you want a flagship copy of Pro Tools, Sibelius, or Cubase. But whatever you want to do, make sure you have the right equipment or you might find the software does not work as well as it should.We keep coming back to the key component of your recording studio, which is likely to be your audio interface. Once you have got the sound into your computer, you need to get it out again! It is no good creating your perfect first recording on your computer if you can’t hear it properly! So at least you will need to invest in some good quality and if not straight away, you will also want (powered speakers).
Studio monitors provide a neutral uncoloured sound so you can perfect your mix and judge it accurately. However, good monitors are not cheap, so if you are on a tight budget, maybe start by investing in headphones. We have an introductory guide which examines for different recording and mixing situations. Cables and Stands The key you are going to need are a mic cable, to connect your microphone to your audio interface (unless you have decided to choose a USB microphone) and also the cables to connect your audio interface up to your studio monitors (unless for now you are going to use headphones. Also a mic stand is absolutely essential if you are using a microphone, it is not practical to attempt to record through a handheld mic on your computer and try and operate the software at the same time. USB mics often come with a stand.
And you can get away with a sturdy desktop stand rather than a full floor standing boom stand. Just make sure you factor this in when purchasing your mic. Home Recording Studio Concepts All the gear and no idea? Here are a few articles that should help you find your way around your new home recording studio equipment! Music Repo is all about Home Recording Made Simple. These are some of the posts you find most helpful– there are a few key things you really need to know about digital audio before you make your first recording. This article will help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls.– if you can get to grips with the difference between MIDI and Audio recording, then you are well on your way to recording success with your favourite DAW– whether you want to control virtual instruments in your DAW, or use any MIDI software, the first thing you need to do is get connected.
This article tells you how.– one of our most popular posts of all time. If you want to get the sound of your piano into your mix, then this is what you need to know– and for the guitarists, a step by step guide to how to record your guitar.
So What Next? Hopefully the above list will have given you some idea of how to get started with your first home recording adventures.As well as helping you to make great recordings, we believe with a passion that if you want to learn a traditional instrument like piano or guitar you can learn so much faster if you make use of home music studio equipment.We have been helping people like you with home studio recording equipment and music software since 2003. And we want you to succeed. We give free no-frills advice and guidance, and share tips and tricks on home studio recording setup and music software to help you record, learn and create.You can read our step-by-step guides and tutorials on audio interfaces, MIDI keyboards, MIDI controllers, recording software, mics, guitar and DJ gear. We are always working to build this into a comprehensive resource on getting started and helping you make music using technology.
If you can’t find what you want here, then please contact us and we will do our best to add the information you need.We are famous for our friendly helpful advice and our outstanding customer service. We want you to make the right decisions, build your confidence and achieve more in your first home recording studio.So whether you want to make music on your PC, Mac, iPad or laptop, use music software to DJ, Mix, or for composition, notation, accompaniment, or learn how to play piano or guitar better, we give sound advice on music software and how to select and setup your home studio recording equipment to achieve your goals.Once you have got your basic studio set up, then make sure you come back for more detailed information on how to get everything working and build up your experience. This is a professional review site and if you buy anything recommended through Music Repo, we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you. We are experts in Music Technology and thoroughly research all the products and services we write about in our posts. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own. For further details. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Amazon EU Associates Programme, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.es and affiliated sites.
A very common cause of confusion for a new user of Pro Tools is not knowing what to do when you hit play only to be greeted by silence. Here are some things to know.
1 - Check hardware first!Because there are so many things which can go wrong in software it is tempting to assume that the problem must be in Pro Tools software - Not necessarily! 2 - Is the volume up?Don’t crank it up and leave it there if it is not the problem, turn it back down or you might get a big shock when you do find what is wrong. 3 - Are your peripherals connected and powered?A buss powered audio interface should have status lights on it. A common mistake which I have to admit I have made more than once in a computer lab style classroom is to adjust the headphone level of the interface being used by the person next to me. 4 - Look at the software settingsOnce you have eliminated obvious hardware issues (are your headphones plugged in?
I know it sounds obvious but I have watched people busily check I/O settings with their headphones disconnected more than once) it is time to look at the Pro Tools software. 5 - System Preferences vs Playback EngineMany new users do not appreciate that there are audio settings for the whole OS (i.e. Computer-wide) and audio settings for the specific application you are using (i.e. Changing system settings will not affect Pro Tools, to do that you need to access the Pro Tools playback engine. The Pro Tools Playback Engine is accessed from the Setup menu and it is here you can select which audio interface you wish to use with Pro Tools.
Because there are sound settings for the operating system (i.e. The whole computer - web browser, iTunes etc.) and for just for Pro Tools, it is possible to have sound hardware which is used by the rest of the system and different hardware which is just used by Pro Tools. The available Pro Tools playback engines are accessible from here.
People trying to fix a playback engine issue by changing the System Preferences Sound settings (PC - Control Panel Hardware and Sound) is one of the most common causes of confusion I have come across. If you are using on board sound hardware on a Mac you will be using Core Audio. If you are using Windows you will need to use an ASIO driver for your on board audio on your PC. ASIO4All is a generic ASIO diver for windows machines.
Neil on setting this up. On a Mac Pro Tools sees the core audio input and output as separate devices and Avid created an aggregate device combining them both called Pro Tools Aggregate IO.
If you want to use the on board IO this is the option you need. 6 - Outputs inactive/unavailableTo hear a track it has to be routed to an available output. It is unusual for this to present many problems unless a session has been created on another system. If is has then Pro Tools should be able to “map” the outputs imported with the session onto the appropriate output on the system the session is being opened on. If this does not work the invalid output will show up as italicised.
The most straightforward way to fix this is to hold down option/alt and click on the output selector for one of the tracks which is assigned to the inactive main output and select the appropriate available output. Using the option/alt key will apply this change to all tracks in the session apart from masters. This will of course disrupt any submixing or bussing in the session. There are more elegant ways of fixing this problem but for simple session this method is adequate.
Pro Tools First Usb Mic
7 - Mix Control/SoftwareA final thing to check is whether any features designed to provide low latency monitoring while tracking are the problem. This only affects users with external audio interfaces but a common cause of confusion is the role of the mix control found on many USB interfaces. Use of these is beyond the scope of this article but if you cannot hear playback from Pro Tools make sure the mix control is not turned fully towards “input”. Some interfaces use some kind of mixer software external to Pro Tools to achieve the same thing.
Connect Mic To Pro Tools
If your interface uses proprietary mixer software check the settings.