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Producing in the Home Studio

with Pro Tools, Second Edition
David Franz

Chapter 1
Setting Up Your Studio

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 S e t t i n g Up CHAPTER

1
Yo u r St u d i o

In this chapter:

•Documentation to read

•The Pro Tools interface

•Equipment setup

•The ins and outs of signal flow

•Smart speaker placement and acoustics

Congratulations . . . you have Pro Tools! You’re now a member

of a rapidly expanding community of musicians around the

world who use this state-of-the-art software to compose,

record, and produce their music. This book was written to

help you get the most out of Pro Tools, introduce the arts

of digital recording and editing, and start you down the path

towards better productions.

Chapter 1 will introduce you to the Pro Tools software

interface and help you set up your home studio (including

speaker placement and acoustical treatment).

3
4 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

LET’S GET STARTED . . .

If you haven’t already, please read the Introduction section in this book
as well as first few chapters in the Quick Start/Getting Started Guide
that came with your Digidesign product. The introduction lays the
If you have Pro Tools groundwork for learning using this book and the guide will help you to
LE already installed on correctly configure your computer, install the Pro Tools software, and
your computer, do not connect your Digidesign hardware.
install Pro Tools Free. If you don’t have Pro Tools, you can download a free version from
Pro Tools LE will not Digidesign’s Web site for either Mac or PC. Visit www.digidesign.com
launch and will have to be and click on Pro Tools Free. Be sure to check that it is compatible with
re-installed to function your computer and operating system.
properly. Throughout the rest of the book, unless specifically noted I’ll refer
to Pro Tools LE (both 6.X and 5.X versions) and Pro Tools Free simply
as Pro Tools because most techniques described in this book apply to
all versions of Pro Tools. Also, many directions in this book apply
specifically to both Digi 002 and Digi 001, so I will often collectively
refer to those pieces of equipment as 002/001.

PRO TOOLS SOFT WARE

What is Pro Tools?

Pro Tools is a software application that enables digital audio and MIDI
recording, editing, and mixing on your personal computer. It utilizes
non-linear hard disk recording and non-destructive digital editing to
help you create your musical masterpieces, with the help of another
program called DAE.

Non-linear recording means your audio files are recorded and stored in chunks on
your hard drive and not linearly as they would be recorded on tape. Non-destructive
editing means that any cutting, pasting, trimming, separating, or clearing of audio
data occurs virtually . . . the source audio files are not harmed in any way. Pro Tools
only performs editing functions on a map of the actual audio data, never touching
the recorded source data.

What is DAE?
When you launch the Pro Tools software, another application called
DAE (Digidesign Audio Engine) also launches in the background. (In
Pro Tools 5.3 and above, DAE is actually built into Pro Tools itself.)
This program is an additional operating system that enables advanced
digital recording. Pro Tools and DAE run simultaneously to provide
hard disk recording, digital signal processing and mixing, and MIDI
functionality.
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 5

If you’ve never used Pro Tools before, the Pro Tools interface may
seem a bit daunting. However, it will soon become second nature to you.
Here are some of the basic terms and elements you’ll use in Pro Tools.

Sessions
Every time you launch Pro Tools, you can create a new session or
open a pre-existing session. A Pro Tools session is much like a word
processing file . . . it’s a document that contains information. A Pro Tools
session contains maps of all the data associated with a project, including
audio files, MIDI data, edit and mix information, as well as comments
and titles. You can only have one session open at a time, but as you
work you can save multiple versions of the session for backups and for
trying new ideas. The user interface of a Pro Tools session consists of
two separate screens called the Edit and Mix windows.

The Edit and Mix Windows

The Edit window displays audio waveforms, MIDI data, timeline
information, and all of the tools for editing the waveforms and data.
All other pertinent track data (volume, panning, solo, mute, blocks, and
automation data) can also be viewed in this window. Almost all editing
tasks are performed in this window.
The Mix window is designed like a mixing console. Its primary
function is for mixing multiple tracks down to a stereo (2-track) mix.
There are vertical channel strips for each track, with sections for inserts,
sends, input/output routing, and volume faders, as well as automation,
pan, solo, and mute controls.
 Fig. 1.1.
Pro Tools Edit Window
Edit Mode Zoom Editing Location Event Edit
Buttons Buttons Tools Indicators Area

Rulers Audio
Regions
List
Audio
Track
Show/Hide Audio
Tracks List Waveform
View

Edit Groups MIDI

List Regions
List
MIDI Track

MIDI Notes View Selected Region

6 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

 Fig. 1.2. Stereo Send Real-Time Plug-In

Pro Tools Mix Window

Show/Hide Inserts View

Tracks List
Send Pan
Send Volume Sends View
Send Level Meter
Automation I/O View
Mode Selector
Channel Pan Record Enable,
Solo, Mute Buttons
Group ID Indicator

Channel Volume
Track Level
Meter

Mix Groups List Auxiliary Input

Track Name Channel Strip
Track Comments
View

Audio Channel Strip Automatch Indicator Master Fader Channel Strip MIDI Channel Strip

The Transport Window

The Transport window has controls like those on a cassette player or
analog tape machine and is used to play, stop, record, fast-forward,
and rewind your recorded material, as well as some more advanced
functions. You can use the buttons in this window to control playback,
recording, and navigation in Pro Tools.
To view any of these windows, select the window name from the
appropriately titled Windows menu at the top of your Pro Tools screen.
In the following chapters, we’ll cover many of the important features
and functions found in these Pro Tools windows while keeping a broad
perspective on the concepts and realities of producing music in your
home studio.

 Fig. 1.3. Return to Zero Stop Fast Forward Record Wait for Note MIDI Merge
Pro Tools Transport Window
Online Rewind Play Go to End Bars: Beats Click Countoff

Pre-Roll

Post-Roll

Transport Master Start, End, and Length Samples Conductor Meter Tempo
for Timeline Section
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 7

CONNECTING YOUR STUDIO

After you have connected your Digidesign hardware and you’ve
installed your Pro Tools software, what’s the next step? Plug in the rest
Because Pro Tools
of your gear, of course! Some of you may have just a microphone and
software has advanced
a MIDI keyboard. Others may have a small rack of gear and a couple
mixing capabilities
of instruments. Those who are blessed have racks and racks of gear
and the Digi 002/001
and many acoustic, electric, and MIDI instruments. For those in the
have many inputs and
last category this chapter may be of help — but also consult chapter 8,
outputs, you really
“Advanced Studio Setup,” for more information on larger rigs.
don’t need an outboard
(external) mixer to
The Basic Setup
use Digi 002/001,
• 002/001/Mbox, keyboard and/or guitar, mic, computer, home stereo though there may be
• Audiomedia III card, keyboard and/or guitar, mic, computer, home benefits depending on
stereo, mic pre-amplifier or small mixer how you like to work.
You can also use the

����
Mbox, ToolBox, or Pro
���� ������
����� �
������������� Tools Free without an
�
���� �����
���� ��� ����
��� outboard mixer. See the
����� ����
�������� discussion on inputs
� ���
and outputs later in this

����
chapter.
����

���� �����
����� �� �
������� ���� ��� ����
����� �� � �

�����

��� ���

�
�����
���
�����

��
���
�� ����
������ ���

�
�����
���
�����

 Fig. 1.4.
Even “basic” setups can be
incredibly powerful in tandem
with digital recording tools.

If you’re using home stereo speakers as studio monitors, I recommend

connecting the monitor outputs from Digi 001, the RCA outputs from
Digi 002, the TRS line outputs from your Mbox, or the RCA outputs
from your Audiomedia III card to your home stereo amplifier on an
open line-in jack. For example, I’ve connected my 001 monitor outs to
the VCR input on my stereo amp so I can still listen to my CD, tape, and
8 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

record players without having to reconnect them. The Vol knob on the
front of Digi 001 controls the monitor volume to your stereo. Set the
level of this knob close to the output of your CD or tape player, so if
you switch between devices the levels will be matched and you won’t
get any ear-splitting surprises.
Most home stereos use RCA connectors, however Digi 001/Mbox
has 1/4" outputs. This means you’ll need to buy a pair of 1/4"-to-RCA
adapters (or cables) to monitor your 001/Mbox through your home
speakers. These adapters are available at most audio dealers. Digi 002
and ToolBox XP have stereo RCA outputs so you don’t need an adapter.
A stereo RCA cable will do for this purpose.
Using your home stereo for monitoring can work very well, but
watch out if you apply a lot of equalization. You may have a graphic EQ
built into your amplifier, or even a stand-alone unit. You might consider
flattening the settings (by positioning the EQ levels to 0dB boost/cut) to
hear exactly what your mix sounds like on nonequalized systems. Also,
home stereos often have preset EQ settings for increased low- and high-
end response. In fact, some systems have settings that make your music
sound like it’s coming from a different ambient space (e.g., a jazz hall or
sports arena). I recommend turning off all of these features (bass boost,
surround, and EQ presets) and setting everything to normal. This will
ensure that you’re listening to an accurate representation of your music
— the way it really sounds in Pro Tools.

 Fig. 1.5. ��� ���

If there’s a graphic EQ in
your monitoring chain, you’ll
probably want to “zero” all of
the settings while recording
and mixing.
� �

��� ���

�� ��� ��� �� ���� ��� ��

To use a microphone, electric guitar, or any other instrument that has

a magnetic pickup, plug the XLR or 1/4" cable into a mic/line input on
Digi 002/001/Mbox. To plug these devices into the Audiomedia III card,
you’ll need a piece of gear that has a mic preamplifier (or “preamp”),
such as a mixer. A preamplifier boosts the mic signal to line level, the
required level that the inputs to the Audiomedia III card can accept.
Line-level instruments with 1/4" cables (e.g., keyboards, preamps,
and mixer outputs) can be plugged directly into any of the inputs on
Digi 002/001/Mbox. All of these inputs can be used with balanced or
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 9

unbalanced cables. However, because the Audiomedia III card has RCA
inputs, 1/4"-to-RCA converters should be used for direct inputs to the
card. Otherwise, you can run line-level instruments into a mixer that
has RCA outputs connected to the Audiomedia III card.
In addition, every Digidesign home studio product has digital 2-
channel S/PDIF inputs, and Digi 002/001 also has an 8-channel optical
(also referred to as “lightpipe”) input. Advanced studio setups (including
digital inputs and outputs) are discussed further in chapter 8.

OH YEAH? WHAT’S IN YOUR STUDIO?

My current studio can be described as a mid-level setup — falling somewhere
between the basic setup described previously and a fully decked-out system. I
have a Mackie 16-channel mixer (1604-VLZ Pro), Mackie HR824 monitors, a
Line 6 Guitar Pod Pro, a Line 6 Bass Pod Pro, a General MIDI keyboard (Yamaha
PSR-410), a small MIDI sound module (Roland JV 1010), a home stereo system
with several pairs of speakers, a Macintosh G4 computer (500MHz and 768
megs of RAM), a PreSonus Digimax, a headphone amplifier, and several pairs of
headphones. I also have numerous Shure microphones, a Line 6 Flextone II XL
guitar amp, an acoustic drum set, an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, and an
electric bass. (Information about Shure, Mackie, PreSonus, and Line 6 and their
products is included in appendix D.)

Self-powered monitors (like the Mackie HR824s) have amplifiers built

into them, thus you don’t need to run them through an amplifier as you
would for your home stereo speakers. You can connect self-powered
monitors directly to the outputs of your Digidesign home studio
product, or to an outboard mixer. Even if you’re using self-powered
monitors, I suggest also connecting Digi 002/001/Mbox to your home
stereo. This way you can listen to your mixes through at least two
different sets of speakers for comparison. In my home studio, I have a
set of Mackie powered monitors (HR824s), a set of Fisher home stereo
speakers, and a set of Sony boombox speakers. With the flip of a button
or two, I can switch between sets of speakers, making it easier to create
a mix that sounds good on multiple systems. (More information on the
importance of using several sets of speakers for mixing can be found in
chapter 12.)
To set up your studio like this, connect your home stereo to the
monitor outputs of Digi 002/001 and your mixer to the main outputs of
Digi 002/001. For the Mbox, you can connect your mixer, amplifier, or
self-powered monitors to the line outputs and your home stereo to one
of the headphone outputs. If your home stereo amp has speaker A and
B outputs, connect a different set of speakers to each of the stereo amp
outputs. If not, your mixer may have several stereo output options. My
Mackie 1604-VLZ Pro has main outs, tape outs, submix outs, control
10 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

room outs, direct outs, and a mono output, all of which can send audio
to other sets of speakers if configured correctly.
This setup enables me to easily switch between my powered Mackie
monitors and two different sets of home speakers. How? When you press
the Monitor Mode switch on Digi 001, this stops the stereo signal from
reaching the monitor outs (to my home stereo), but allows it to pass
through the main outputs. The main outs (connected to two channels on
the mixer) pass signal to the powered speakers. Muting those channels
on the mixer and unpressing the Monitor Mode switch swaps the sound
output back to my home stereo, which can also switch between two sets
of speakers. So in total, I can hear my audio on three different pairs of
speakers. (For stereo mixing, make sure you’re only listening to one pair
of speakers at a time!)

 Fig. 1.6. Rightker

The Digi 001 provides flexible Spea
Amp
speaker connectivity. Here, the
monitor outs are connected Lef t
directly to a home stereo and ker
Spea
the main outs are connected
to two inputs on the mixer,
allowing you to monitor using
two different sets of speakers.

Lef t ker
Spea
Right
ker
Spea

If you want to record more than two microphones at once with Digi
001 (or four with Digi 002) you’ll need additional preamps — the outputs
of the preamps can be patched to the line inputs of Digi 002/001. If
you want to record more than eight mics or instruments at once and
you can’t access the other 002/001 inputs (S/PDIF and optical inputs,
discussed in chapter 8), you’ll have to set up a submix of the inputs in
your mixer (because there are only eight analog inputs on Digi 002/
001). A submix combines multiple signals and allows you to use fewer
input tracks. For example, if you’re recording a guitar amp with three
different mics, you can combine the three mic inputs to one output on
the mixer and send that submix to just one track in Pro Tools. Consult
chapters 9 and 11 for more detailed explanations of submixing.
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 11

MIDI SETUPS WITH YOUR DIGIDESIGN GEAR

Setting up MIDI instruments can be confusing, but Digi 001 makes
connections simple with a one-in/out MIDI interface. If you have a MIDI
device, simply connect the MIDI out of your device to the MIDI in of
Digi 001 and the MIDI in of your device to the MIDI out of Digi 001.
Digi 002 has a one-in/two out interface that allows you to hook up one
MIDI controller as the input to operate two MIDI sound modules through
the two MIDI out ports. If you have several MIDI devices, you can build
a daisy-chain MIDI setup (as discussed in chapter 5) or you’ll need some
sort of MIDI interface to connect and route your MIDI data. The MIDI
interface will connect to your computer through a port (e.g., parallel,
serial, USB, etc.); it does not connect to Digi 002/001. To use MIDI with
the Mbox or AudioMedia III card, you also need a MIDI interface.
Information on the basics of MIDI, setting up your own MIDI network,
and setting up Pro Tools for MIDI is provided in chapter 5, and chapter
8 explains MIDI interface connections.

SEPARATE LIVES — PARTITIONING YOUR HARD DRIVE

If you’re just getting started with a new computer and don’t have an external hard
drive for audio, it’s a good idea to create two (or more) hard drives from your one
existing internal drive. This is called partitioning your hard drive, and is done to
separate audio files from all of your other files (system software, applications,
documents, etc.) so that it’s easier to locate them — not only for you, but also
for the computer. If a computer has to look all over the place for different files,
jumping back and forth between areas on one hard disk, it will slow down and the
audio playback and recording performance may suffer. For example, separate a
40GB internal drive into a 10GB drive (for applications, documents, etc.) and a
dedicated 30GB drive for audio. Partitions are useful for external drives as well.
For instance, consider partitioning a 120GB external drive into four partitions of
30GB to improve hard drive performance and project organization. Consult your
computer’s manual to learn more about partitions.

INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

How you approach the signal flow in, out, and through your Pro Tools
software is integral to your studio setup. The internal signal routing
in Pro Tools software is very flexible, and the number of choices far
outnumber what’s available in outboard mixers. A signal path is the
way you route audio or MIDI signals through Pro Tools and your gear.
Outboard mixers usually have hard-wired signal paths used
specifically for one of the following functions: inputs/outputs, sends,
inserts, and/or auxiliary routing. In Pro Tools software, outputs can
be used for all of these signal paths; they can be assigned to feed aux
12 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

inputs, send inputs, busses (a bus carries several signals on one path),
other software inputs, and outboard hardware inputs. You can essentially
route any signal anywhere and — if you’re not using outboard gear
— you won’t need any patch cords to do it! You can label, format, and
map all Pro Tools inputs, outputs, inserts, and busses to your liking and
then save the entire configuration with your session — it’s a total recall
system. That means you can always pick up right where you left off
with a session, even if you don’t work on it for months.
The I/O Setup dialog is where you create the routing for your signal
paths by assigning track inputs, outputs, inserts, sends, and plug-ins. It
can be found by choosing I/O Setup from the Setups menu.

 Fig. 1.7.
The I/O Setup dialog for the
Digi 001. Notice that inputs
3 and 4 are carrying a stereo
signal, but can also be split off
as individual mono sub-paths.

Audio signals are routed internally in Pro Tools on paths. Main paths
are groupings of inputs, outputs, inserts, or busses and are most often
stereo pairs. Sub-paths are the components of the group from the main
path. For example, inputs 3 and 4 (“3–4 001 Ins,” as seen in figure 1.7)
are connected to the left and right outputs from a synthesizer; “3–4 001
Ins” represents a main path (stereo), while the individual “3 001 In” and
“4 001 In” are mono sub-paths of the main path.
You can customize Pro Tools signal paths in the I/O Setup and save
them to match your studio configuration. (Notice how I’ve labeled the
inputs for my home studio Pro Tools setup in figure 1.7.) To save an I/O
setup, select Export Settings from the I/O Setup dialog and name the
I/O Settings file. You can then import these settings to other sessions
by choosing Import Settings in the I/O Setups dialog or by selecting the
I/O Settings file in the session parameters when creating a new session.
More information on routing is presented later in this book.
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 13

As you can see, Pro Tools software has a flexible mixer. But if you
still want to use an outboard mixer you can do so (if using the Digi 001)
by assigning all of your tracks to outputs 1–8 and connecting those
Always be aware of the
outputs to eight inputs of your mixer. Or you can keep the audio inside
signal path! If you find
Pro Tools, but use MIDI control surfaces to get that “hands-on” feel
your input levels are
(more on this in chapter 8). Even cooler, Digi 002 itself is a mixer. You
too high or low, check
can assign any tracks and/or parameter controls to any of its faders and
every point in the path
pots to control the software mixer entirely with your hands.
and adjust the mixer and
software settings to
achieve optimal levels.
GAIN STAGES (Consult your mixer
It is important for you to understand the gain stages in your equipment.
manual for assistance in
A gain stage is any amplifier (or attenuator) that boosts (or cuts) the
proper gain staging.)
level of an audio signal. On Digi 002/001/Mbox there’s one input gain
stage: the Gain knobs for inputs 1 and 2 (plus 3 and 4 for Digi 002).
However, the Input Gain window in Pro Tools (shown in figure 1.8)
controls the gain for the other line inputs. To open this window, select
Hardware under the Setups menu. Adjust the controls as necessary to get
high enough levels into Pro Tools. (See chapter 2 for details on getting
good recording levels.) Again, because Pro Tools is a total recall mixer,
these settings — and all other internal Pro Tools gain stages such as fader
levels — are saved with every session.

 Fig. 1.8.
Digi 001’s Hardware Setup
(Input Gain) is used to control
the input gain for channels
3–8. If you’re using the
Audiomedia III card, Digi 002,
or Mbox, the window’s a bit
different.

If you have an outboard mixer it’s important to understand the gain

stages on it, too. A mixer will have a preamp gain control (usually a
rotary knob located near the input area) and a mixer channel gain control
(usually a vertical fader located at the bottom of each channel’s input/
output module). Additionally, a mixer has a master fader and possibly
some submix, auxiliary, and control room gain controls. Depending
on how you set your mixer to interface with your 002, 001, Mbox, or
Audiomedia card, you may use some or all of these gain stages.
14 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

SETTING UP YOUR LISTENING ENVIRONMENT

When setting up your home studio, one of the most important things
to consider is where to place your monitors (i.e., speakers). Whether
you’ll be listening through one pair of speakers, switching between
multiple pairs, or using a surround sound setup, there are some
accepted configurations.

SURROUND MIXING USING THE DIGI 002/001

Although Pro Tools LE does not officially support surround sound panning,
you can still set up a surround speaker system using Digi 002/001 to create
surround sound mixes. The only thing you really can’t do is some of the crazy
panning available in Pro Tools|HD and Mix systems. Information on surround
configurations is presented later in the chapter and in the Pro Tools Reference
Guide, and information on surround mixing using Digi 002/001 is presented in
chapter 12.

Standard Stereo Systems

When listening to two speakers, your goal is to hear the optimal stereo
image. Also called the phantom image, this occurs in the middle of two
speakers placed at equal height from the floor. To hear the phantom
image your head should be on the median plane, an imaginary line
equidistant from each speaker (see figure 1.9). Ideally your head and
the two speakers should form an equilateral triangle — the distance
between you and each speaker is the same, and equal to the distance
between the two speakers. This ensures that you’re hearing the most
accurate stereo image from your speakers. In this setup you’ll perceive
the sound coming from the area directly between the two speakers. (The
way I have my studio set up, it often seems like the sound from my
speakers is actually coming from my computer monitor, which is placed
directly between them.) Additionally, if at all possible try to keep your
speakers away from walls, which (along with the floor and ceiling) have
a tendency to magnify bass frequencies.
The reason you should be equidistant from the speakers is that
you want the sound from each speaker to reach your ears at exactly
the same time, or you may experience the precedence effect. The
precedence effect (or Haas effect) occurs when the listener is off the
median plane (by as little as six inches). It shifts the phantom image
toward the speaker closest to the listener. As a result, the sound from the
closer speaker arrives at the listener’s ear first, which may fool them into
thinking it’s louder. If you’re basing a mix on this kind of false imaging,
you may have to redo the entire thing!
To create the proper listening setup I recommend using a tape
measure to accurately position your speakers. First sit down where
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 15

you’ll normally be listening in your studio, then use the tape measure
to approximate an equal distance from your head or chest to a spot on
your left and right sides where your speakers could be placed. A good
distance is 3–4 feet, which is the same distance the speakers should be
apart from each other.

�������������  Fig. 1.9.

Properly placed stereo
monitors should form an
���� ��� ��� ����� equilateral triangle with the
������� ������� listener.

������������

��������

In fact, the closer you are to your speakers, the less the room
acoustics will color the sound. (This is called near-field monitoring, and
is the most common approach for mixing.)
Next place your speakers at equal height from the floor in your
approximated positions. If possible, the speaker height should
correspond to your sitting height (or at least be pointed to that height).
Angle the speakers at approximately 60 degrees toward the median
plane. Finally, sit down again, use the tape measure, and precisely
position the speakers to achieve the equilateral triangle setup. Now
listen to some music and find out if you hear the phantom image. Try
moving back and forth along the median plane and moving your head
side-to-side. Can you hear the difference?
If you think you’ve placed your speakers correctly but still don’t hear
the phantom image, your speakers may be out of phase. Fortunately,
this is an easy fix. If you’re running speakers through an amplifier with
positive (+) and negative (–) connections, make sure your speaker wire
is attached correctly; that is, negative connector on the amp to negative
connector on the speaker, and positive to positive. If this doesn’t fix
the problem, your speaker cables could be wired out-of-phase so try
different ones. Correctly connecting your speakers with properly wired
cables should eliminate speaker phase problems.

Surround Sound Systems

Unlike stereo (two-speaker systems), surround sound systems consist
of five or more speakers. However, some of the same principles
from two-speaker stereo apply. For instance, all speakers should be
equidistant from the listener. (The subwoofer is an exception to this; see
explanation below.) There’s also a median plane and a phantom image
in a surround sound system; the amount of musical material presented
in the front and back speakers can move the phantom image along the
median plane.
16 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

Most surround sound systems include a subwoofer, though there’s no

subwoofer shown in figure 1.10. Because of their low frequency, bass
audio signals are difficult to localize spatially so precise placement of
the subwoofer typically does not affect the phantom image. In most
surround sound setups, however, the subwoofer is placed on the floor
beneath and between the center and one of the front speakers.
There are many surround sound formats with different speaker
placements and track layouts discussed in the Pro Tools Reference
Guide. Although Pro Tools LE does not support true multi-channel
mixing, there are other cool ways to mix for surround systems using
Digi 002/001, covered in chapter 12.

 Fig. 1.10. ������

A 5.1 surround speaker ���������� ������� �����������
configuration (without the ������� �������
subwoofer, which is what
the “.1” stands for). In this ��� ���
configuration, notice the back
speakers are approximately 70
�������������
degrees off the median plane.
������������

��������
��� ���

��������� ����������
������� �������

THE ACOUSTIC TREATMENT

Once your equipment and speakers are set up, you should consider the
acoustical treatment of your room(s). Every room has its own sound,
which has to do with its shape, the materials on the walls, floor, and
ceiling, and the objects in the space. Each of these factors affects the
way sound waves travel and how they’re reflected or absorbed. For
example, tiled bathrooms sound more “live” (i.e., they have more sound
reflections, or reverb) than “dead” bedrooms with absorptive curtains
and carpeting.
When setting up your studio, test the room where you’ll record and
listen to your tracks for the room’s acoustical properties. Snap your
fingers and talk aloud in different areas (you might want to make sure
nobody’s around when you do this). Listen for strange flutter echoes
in those spots, and play some of your favorite music to listen for any
frequency boosts/cuts in different areas (e.g., bass boosts in the corners).
Finally, listen for noise within the studio, such as computer fans and
hard drives, and for outside noise such as traffic or neighbors.
There are many things you can do to “treat” problems found while
conducting your listening tests. Put diffusers, bass traps, or specially
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 17

designed absorptive materials (like Auralex Studiofoam) in spots

that have unwanted frequency boosts/cuts or echoes. These also help
soundproof your room, to keep sound from both coming in and getting
out. Also place absorptive materials (a) on hard surfaces to deaden the
room and (b) around anything that’s noisy. Do everything you can to
isolate your studio from outside noise, like double-paning or covering
windows and sealing door jambs. Finally, you can remove or add
objects in your room (such as furniture) to change its overall sound.
Heck, sometimes just throwing a blanket or hanging a tapestry on a
reflecting surface can have serious acoustical benefits.
In most home studios it’s best to create a “dead” environment for
recording and listening. That way you have control over the sounds
you record because you can always add “liveness” by inserting effects
(reverb, delay, etc.), but it’s hard to remove too much from an already
recorded track.

Okay. Your gear is set up and plugged in, your speakers are placed
properly, and your room is acoustically treated. . . . Your studio is ready
for action. Let’s jump into making music with Pro Tools! II

■ PRO TOOLS HANDS-ON _

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In every chapter of the book, I’ll present projects that explore the
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techniques explained in that chapter. Let’s get started with some option control

general projects.

Install, Register, and Configure

• Install Pro Tools
• Register with Digidesign (if using Pro Tools LE hardware and
software)
• Configure your computer’s operating system the way Digidesign
recommends

Set Up Your Studio Listening Environment

Once your hardware and software is working, test your studio
setup and listening environment by opening up and playing one
of the sample Pro Tools sessions provided by Digidesign. Sample
sessions are included on the CD that came with your Digi gear as
well as on the CD that came with this book. As covered in this
chapter, accurately measure the distance between your speakers
and listening position. Be sure your speakers are placed so that
18 SECTION 1 | GETTING STARTED

you can hear accurate stereo images. If something sounds funny,

you may have a phasing problem. Try fixing the problem using the
solutions presented in the chapter. If the output signal is noisy, you
may have noisy gear and/or cables, or you may need to tweak your
gain stages.

Test Gain Stages and I/O

Now test your gain stages. Start with the outputs. Follow the signal
path starting from the output level in Pro Tools (check the Master
Fader track) all the way to the speakers. Adjust any gain stages
along the way to optimize the signal. This often means putting all
volume faders/knobs at “0” and adjusting the last gain stage in the
chain as your final volume control.
Next test your inputs. Plug an instrument or microphone into the
first input of your signal path (e.g., input 1 of the 002/001/Mbox
or channel 1 of your mixer/mic preamp). If using external mic pres
or a mixer, route its output signal into an input on your Pro Tools
hardware or sound card. With the sample Pro Tools session still
open, assign the first audio track’s input to the input where you’ve
plugged in your instrument or mic, as in the figure below.

Record-enable the track by pressing the Record button on that

track and check for an input signal. Follow the signal path from
the instrument to the mic and examine the levels on all gain stages
along the way. Tweak the gain stages so that you can get a good
recording level into Pro Tools without a lot of noise and without
distorting any part of the input chain. Do this every time you insert
a new piece of gear into the signal path because the gain structure
will change. That way, you’ll always be sure to get the highest
quality signal into Pro Tools.

Create an I/O Settings File

If you’ve already set up all of your gear, make a customized I/O
Settings document. While still in the sample Pro Tools session,
 CHAPTER 1 | SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO 19

choose I/O Setup from the Setups menu. As described in the Inputs
and Outputs section of this chapter, label inputs, outputs, inserts,
and busses the way you want and save the I/O setup by choosing
Export Settings. Anytime you create a new session, you can import
this setup (or make it the default setup in a session template – see
chapter 3) so that your I/O is always labeled correctly. Make an I/O
Settings file now, even if it’s basic. You can always edit it or make
a new one later if your setup changes.
When you’re done with all of this, close the sample Pro Tools
session by choosing Close from the File menu, or pressing Shift +
Control + W (Win) or Shift + ≠ + W (Mac).

Now you’re ready to start recording your own music.