Recording new audio into your Pro Tools session

Check your input settings

Before you do anything else, check your input settings. Under the setups menu, choose hardware. In the Dialog that opens, Pick Analog if recording from the M-Box’s microphone inputs, or the analog line inputs. By default, the clock source should set itself to "internal" – if not, switch it to that. If you are recording from a digital source, such as a DAT machine, connect the digital output of that device to the digital input of the interface, select S/PDIF as both the input source and the clock source. After recording from the digital input, come back to this dialog and switch the input back to "analog" and the clock to "internal" before editing or bouncing out.

Make a track to record into

If you don’t have one open already, create a new session, then from the Track menu, choose new track (In ProTools 6 and older, use File > New Track.) Easier still is to use the shortcut Apple-shift-N. Select "1" and "Audio Track." New in Pro Tools 7 is the ability to add different types and numbers of tracks at the same time. Click the + at the right side of the dialog to add a new row of new track options.

We’ll use one of our new tracks to record a narration. Find the white bar at the top left of the track in the edit window (or at the bottom of this new track of the mixer window) in most cases called “track1” by default, and double-click it to name the track. Labeling it now will cause all the soundfiles recorded into that track to start with that name. Let’s call it "narration."

Make sure that channel’s inputs are set correctly. Switch to the mixer window (Apple = will toggle between the mix and edit windows.) The top horizontal bar, about half-way up the mixer channel strip sets the input: click on it to see the available choices. If you’re using the original M-Box or ProToolsFree, you’ll only have two choices, input 1 and 2 (or L and R on older systems) If you’re using an M-Box2, 002, 002r or a TDM system with multiple inputs, you’ll have more options to choose from. For this example, set the input to 1 and make sure your microphone (or other sound source) is plugged into the first input of your interface (on the original M-Box, that’s the bottom jack.)

Click on the "rec" button on this track, which is located in the middle of the channel strip in the mix window, or at the left of the channel in the edit window. The "rec" blinks red, and the fader turns red, which means it is record-enabled.

You should be able to see some green color bouncing on the meter for this channel if any sound is coming into the microphone, or through the line inputs, depending on what you’re set to record. If you’re not seeing any movement on the meter, check your interface’s settings to make sure it’s set to the right input. Adjust your interface’s input gain knob (or set the output level of your source if using a mixer) so that the ProTools meters are registering as high as possible, pinging the yellow a bit, without hitting the red. Notice that the volume faders in the mixer window have NO effect on the input levels you see on the meters. The input levels are controlled by the hardware knobs on your interface, and/or the output volume of your source. Although the volume of the track can be adjusted later, it’s important to record these tracks as well as possible, rather than to try to fix them later. If you can use a digital connection, you don’t need to worry about setting the input levels, the audio will be recorded in at the same level of the digital signal.

Start Recording

Once you have set levels, start recording by using the transport panel, clicking the circle so that it turns red, and then the "play" triangle. Or, as you will surely start to do, use the keyboard shortcut: "Apple-spacebar." To stop the recording, hit the spacebar again, or the square on the transport panel. Record the narration, perhaps doing multiple takes.

In the edit window, you’ll see a waveform drawn for the soundfile you just recorded. Click the "rec" button again, so it’s no longer red, to get out of record-ready mode, so you’re ready to play back and edit.

You can use this same technique to record a stereo file. Create a new stereo audio track (or two mono tracks if using ProTools Free.) Name the track(s), make sure the inputs are set for channels 1-2, or whatever inputs on your interface you wish to use. Then click “rec” on the track(s) to make them record ready, press Apple-spacebar, then play your source. Hit the spacebar again when you’ve recorded enough.

Next: Importing audio into your Pro Tools session »