Desperate for help! Pro tools essential

[Les Paul Lover]

My wife got me pro tools essential.

I installed the software and the fast track audio interface driver.

Plugged my speakers in the headphone out, I could hear my guitar and was all happy.

In 3 hours of following the user guides and general tweaking, i haven't been able to do a thing with it. Wasted my whole precious afternoon pissing myself off with it.

How do you select your guitar (straight into audio interface) as the sound input?

I found how to tweak sansamp - i think - but couldn't apply that to my guitar?

Couldn't record myself?!

I'm still very pissed off at having wasted my afternoon...

[baytamusic]

Did you set up your I/O in Protools? It needs to know where to get the sound and where to send it although it may already be defaulted correctly. I use an eight channel interface.

[baytamusic]

Also you have to select the appropriate analog input when you make a new track.

[Les Paul Lover]

Did you set up your I/O in Protools? It needs to know where to get the sound and where to send it although it may already be defaulted correctly. I use an eight channel interface.

Thanks bayta.
Sorry to be such a noob, but how do you do that? What's that I/O?

What's that analogue thingy??

[jason41224]

you might want to find a local community college that offers a protools class. really, protools is pretty complicated as far as recording programs go, and even the most basic recording programs are decently hard to understand in the first place. that's what finally got me out of the rut. it might be 200-300 bucks, but i think it's worth it in the long run.

[Les Paul Lover]

you might want to find a local community college that offers a protools class. really, protools is pretty complicated as far as recording programs go, and even the most basic recording programs are decently hard to understand in the first place. that's what finally got me out of the rut. it might be 200-300 bucks, but i think it's worth it in the long run.

Thanks!!!!


Now I feel almost proud to get a limp uncoloured sound out of it....!!!!

[misterMagoo]

I've never used protools, but I have been using cubase le for years. It was very complicated and hard to learn, and actually took me a couple years to be super comfortable with it and be able to trouble shoot problems. I just got Studio One Artist with my new presonus interface, and I can say that it is WAAAAY more user friendly! I'm actually really excited to be using it because it is much more advanced, cleaner looking, smoother operating, and extremely easy to use. If you continue to have problems I would suggest looking into it, I believe it is really cheap.

I will add though, that my prior knowledge with cubase definitely influenced my learning curve for Studio One.

[bclaire]

What kind of computer? If it's a Mac, you have to go into sound preferences and tell the computer where your input is coming from.

[baytamusic]

Did you get to the point where you could arm the track to record? I've never used Essential, I'm still using Protools LE on my buddies computer until I get a new interface. It's not too hard to record something.

I/O are the "ins and outs". There's a menu up top that I believe says "I/O" and I've had to go in there and make sure everything was set up right so I could assign my tracks to the correct analog in or out. Also, when you make a new track you pick like "analog 1, or analog 2" or whatever so it knows which input to get the signal from. At least there is in Protools LE. Then you arm the track by pressing "record" and then you press "play" to start recording. Set your levels by moving the fader up or down and make sure you aren't clipping before you record. Depending on what your preamp is you'll have to adjust it's level too. It's really actually pretty easy to use.

[baytamusic]

Also, i just thought of this. Make sure you are creating audio tracks, not instrument tracks.

[Borderline Productions]

I would recommend monitoring your levels before you push record. Sorry, can't help with ProTools have used AudioDesk (stripped down version of Digital Performer) and am about to learn to us Logic.

Think in terms of signal path: Instrument -> mic/pickups -> cable -> pre-amp -> mixer (optional) -> Analogue/Digital (A/D) converter -> cable -> computer -> software that recognizes where the signal is coming from and in what form (there needs to be a conversation between the A/D converter and the software). Usually the source is one of the analogue inputs (where you plugged the pre-amp or mixer out into the A/D converter). Then you need to determine if you want 8 bit, 16 bit, 20 bit, or 24 bit quality and how frequently the sampling will be (44.1kHz or higher). Finally, there should be a way to monitor the level of the input without and during recording.

Have fun.

[Les Paul Lover]

Thanks a lot guys! Some of it makes sense without the software on in front of me. I.ll be trying it again soon, will let you know. Probably tomorrow night.

[Ddjembe Mutombo]

My wife got me pro tools essential.

I installed the software and the fast track audio interface driver.

Plugged my speakers in the headphone out, I could hear my guitar and was all happy.

In 3 hours of following the user guides and general tweaking, i haven't been able to do a thing with it. Wasted my whole precious afternoon pissing myself off with it.

How do you select your guitar (straight into audio interface) as the sound input?

I found how to tweak sansamp - i think - but couldn't apply that to my guitar?

Couldn't record myself?!

I'm still very pissed off at having wasted my afternoon...

You can select the input in the mix screen. On the track you are recording/monitoring, you need to open the SansAmp plug from the "inserts" section.

I don't think the idea of pro tools is that hard to grasp. It is very logically laid out. The only thing that makes it hard for new users is all the options that are available.

[jord123]

yeah you need to select which imput (channel ) you are using for the track(s) in the mix window, kinda need all three open all the time ( edit, mix, transport) also you should have got a disk w/ you system called m-1 or method which is just a blow by blow tutorial, it is actually really helpful as pro-tools can be a little overwhelming if you are new to a DAW ( i think that meand digital audio workstation) if you dont have it im sure its available online or as a torrent. don't even try customer support, they are stuck up a holes and will just send you to their forum. but seriously try to find it lots of keyboard shortcuts etc. will save you a tone of time, its frustrating at first, but totally worth it. stick it out!