Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
Moderator: bclaire
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 6821
- Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
- Location: Derby, England
Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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...
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...
Ant
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 5295
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:23 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 5295
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:23 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
Also you have to select the appropriate analog input when you make a new track.
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 6821
- Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
- Location: Derby, England
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
Thanks bayta.baytamusic wrote: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.
Sorry to be such a noob, but how do you do that? What's that I/O?
What's that analogue thingy??
Ant
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
-
- Orange Master
- Posts: 3683
- Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 2:50 am
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
Jason
Rocker 30
too many pedals
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 6821
- Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
- Location: Derby, England
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
jason41224 wrote: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....!!!!
Ant
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
-
- Orange Master
- Posts: 2432
- Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:53 am
- Location: PA, USA
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
I will add though, that my prior knowledge with cubase definitely influenced my learning curve for Studio One.
-Joe
My mother wears army boots.
RV50 mkI
AC30 combo
Hot tamale.
http://lifereformatted.wordpress.com/
Check out my blog - adventure, travel, and the meaning of life.
My mother wears army boots.
RV50 mkI
AC30 combo
Hot tamale.
http://lifereformatted.wordpress.com/
Check out my blog - adventure, travel, and the meaning of life.
-
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 17905
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 9:19 pm
- Location: Outside Boston MA, USA
- Contact:
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 5295
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:23 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
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.
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 5295
- Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:23 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
Also, i just thought of this. Make sure you are creating audio tracks, not instrument tracks.
-
- Orange Master
- Posts: 3025
- Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:47 am
- Location: USA
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
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.
-
- Duke of Orange
- Posts: 6821
- Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
- Location: Derby, England
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.
Ant
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5
Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute
-
- Orange Master
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:31 am
- Location: Glastonbury, CT
- Contact:
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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.Les Paul Lover wrote: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...
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.
Monty
Re: Desperate for help! Pro tools essential
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!
Rain..Ammunition
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 347 guests