Chapter 13: MIDI Recording

Although recording MIDI in Pro Tools is similar to recording audio, there are some important differences:

◆ Unlike audio, MIDI recording is almost always

destructive. See “The Record Modes and MIDI” on page 150 for details.

◆ Unlike audio tracks, MIDI tracks can be record enabled on-the-fly during playback or recording.

◆ Similar to audio tracks, MIDI tracks have an

Input Selector that determines which ports on your MIDI interface (devices) and which MIDI channels are routed and recorded to the track. If the Input Selector is set to All, all channels for all devices are routed to the track.

◆ It is not necessary to use QuickPunch or

TrackPunch to punch in on-the-fly with MIDI tracks. This capability is available in normal

Nondestructive Record mode, and in Destructive Record mode.

◆ MIDI tracks are not automatically delay compensated when using Delay Compensation. Delay Compensation corrects audio track latency

only. For more information, see “Delay Compensation” on page 428.

Recording from MIDI Devices

The MIDI Inputs for record-enabled MIDI tracks determine which MIDI data is recorded in

Pro Tools. MIDI Inputs can be set to a specific device (port) and channel, or they can be set to

“All,” where all channels for all devices are merged to the track.

MIDI tracks in Pro Tools do not contain multiple channels and always play back on the track’s assigned (MIDI output) devices and channels.

Multiple MIDI channels can be simultaneously recorded to multiple tracks.

The following Pro Tools options determine whether you can record from a MIDI controller device:

◆ Devices that are assigned as a MIDI Controller in the Peripherals dialog are ignored when MIDI tracks are recorded. This is to avoid recording data from MIDI control surfaces (such as the

Digidesign Command|8).

◆ To record and play MIDI, the device must be enabled in the Input Devices dialog (Macintosh

Only). For more information, see “Enabling Input Devices” on page 176.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 175

In addition, the following options affect how

MIDI data is recorded in Pro Tools.

◆ The MIDI Input Filter can filter out MIDI messages that you may not want to record, such as

Polyphonic Aftertouch or System Exclusive

data. For more information, see “MIDI Input Filter” on page 178.

◆ Input Quantize, when enabled, automatically quantizes (time corrects) all MIDI notes that are

recorded. For more information, see “Input

Quantize” on page 178.

To enable input devices:

1 Choose MIDI > Input Devices.

2 In the MIDI Input Enable dialog, select the

MIDI devices you will record from. Also, make sure any devices that will be used as a control surface are also selected.

Enabling Input Devices

(Macintosh Only)

To record from a MIDI controller in Pro Tools, the device must be enabled in the Input Devices dialog. You can also use this dialog to make sure unwanted notes from certain devices, such as drum machines or arpeggiators, are not recorded.

MIDI Control Surfaces ◆ In order to use any MIDI control surfaces (such as the Digidesign Command|8), they must be enabled in the Input Devices dialog.

MMC In order for Pro Tools to sync to MMC, the

MMC source must be enabled in the Input Devices dialog.

MIDI Input Enable dialog

3 Deselect any devices you want to ignore while recording MIDI.

4 When you are finished, click OK.

Pro Tools Inputs

(Mac OS X Only)

Pro Tools has four virtual MIDI inputs, called

Pro Tools Inputs, that can receive MIDI from other supported software applications. For example, you can use Pro Tools Inputs to synchro-

176 Pro Tools Reference Guide

nize to MIDI Time Code generated from another supported software application, or record MIDI data from another MIDI sequencer to Pro Tools

MIDI tracks.

MIDI Patchbay is a useful application for routing MIDI between applications that support virtual MIDI inputs (such as

Pro Tools), and applications that don’t

(such as Reason). For more information, see http://pete.yandell.com/software.

MIDI Thru

To monitor MIDI tracks while recording, enable

MIDI Thru. When enabled, Pro Tools routes

MIDI from your controllers to the device and channels assigned to the MIDI track currently record enabled.

The MIDI Preference for Global MIDI Playback Offset and individual MIDI track offsets do not affect MIDI routed with MIDI

Thru.

The Default Thru Instrument

In addition to any MIDI tracks that are record enabled, you can also route MIDI to the Default

Thru Instrument. This saves you the trouble of creating a MIDI track and record enabling it to hear a particular MIDI device and channel.

Unlike MIDI tracks, which only listen to the device and channel assigned to its Input Selector, all incoming MIDI data is routed to the Default

Thru Instrument.

If the Default Thru Instrument is assigned to a record-enabled MIDI track, Pro Tools only routes to the record-enabled track.

To set the Default Thru Instrument:

1 Choose Setups > Preferences, and click the

MIDI tab.

2 From the pop-up menu for Default Thru Instrument, select the MIDI device and channel to which MIDI data will be routed. To disable the

Default Thru Instrument, select None.

When MIDI Thru is enabled, System Exclusive events are echoed to the MIDI device assigned to the record-enabled track—but only if the Sysex events are smaller than 256 bytes.

To enable MIDI Thru:

■

Select MIDI > MIDI Thru.

When using MIDI Thru, you should disable

Local Control, if present, on your MIDI devices. Otherwise, your MIDI device may receive double MIDI notes, which can lead to stuck notes. If you are unsure how to disable

Local Control for your instrument, refer to the manufacturer’s documentation.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 177

MIDI Input Filter

Use the MIDI Input Filter to prevent certain

MIDI messages from being recorded. The MIDI

Input Filter can be set to record “All” messages,

“Only” the specified messages, or “All Except” the specified messages.

For example, to filter out Polyphonic Aftertouch:

1 Choose MIDI > Input Filter.

2 In the MIDI Input Filter dialog, select the All

Except option.

Input Quantize

When Input Quantize is enabled, all recorded

MIDI notes are quantized automatically. To preserve the original “feel” of your recorded MIDI tracks, make sure to disable this option.

To enable Input Quantize:

1 Choose MIDI > Input Quantize.

2 In the Input Quantize window, select the Enable Input Quantize option.

MIDI Input Filter

3 Select the option for Polyphonic Aftertouch.

Leave all other messages deselected.

4 Click OK.

When using the All Except option, the selected

MIDI messages will not be recorded. Conversely, when using the Only option, only the MIDI messages that are selected will be recorded.

Input Quantize window

Configure the other options in the Input Quantize window. For details on the various Quantize

options, see “Quantize” on page 380. When fin-

ished, close the Input Quantize window.

For drum machine style loop recording, use Input

Quantize while loop recording MIDI in Merge

mode (see “Loop Recording with Merge Mode” on page 185).

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Wait for Note

The Wait for Note button, located in the Transport window, determines how Pro Tools begins recording. When enabled, Pro Tools will not begin recording until a MIDI event is received.

This ensures that you begin recording when you’re ready to play, and that the first note, or other MIDI data, is recorded precisely at the beginning of the record range (start time).

Wait for Note can be used when recording normally, when punching in, or when loop recording. If pre-roll is enabled, it occurs after the

MIDI event is received and before recording begins.

To enable Wait for Note:

1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport window, select Display > Transport Window

Shows > MIDI Controls.

MIDI Merge/Replace

The MIDI Merge button, located in the Transport window, determines how MIDI is recorded when overdubbing or punching in. When MIDI

Merge is on (Merge mode), recorded MIDI is merged with existing track material. When

MIDI Merge is off (Replace mode), existing data within the punched region is replaced by the newly recorded material.

The MIDI Merge button can be turned on and off while playing or recording. In Loop Record mode, MIDI Merge has no effect, so its button is dimmed.

To enable MIDI Merge with a keyboard shortcut, set the Numeric Keypad Mode to

Transport, and press the 9 key on the numeric keypad.

To enable MIDI Merge:

1 To view the MIDI controls in the Transport window, select Display > Transport Window

Shows > MIDI Controls.

2 In the Transport window, click the MIDI

Merge button so it becomes highlighted.

Transport window with MIDI Controls

2 In the Transport window, click the Wait for

Note button so it becomes highlighted.

MIDI Merge button

MIDI Merge enabled

Wait for Note button

Wait for Note enabled

With the Operation Preference for “Use F11 for Wait for Note” enabled, you can press

F11 to turn on Wait for Note.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 179

Configuring MIDI Tracks for

Recording

To configure one or more MIDI tracks for recording:

1 If you do not have a MIDI track to record to, choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI

Track, then click Create.

3 In the Mix window, click the track’s MIDI Input Selector and assign the device and channel to be recorded.

New Track dialog

2 Rename the MIDI track. Track names are used to auto-name recorded regions. For more infor-

mation, see “Default Track Names” on page 144.

MIDI Input Selector, Mix window

– or –

In the Edit window, with I/O view enabled, click the track’s MIDI Input Selector and assign the device and channel to be recorded.

MIDI Input Selector, Edit window

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4 In the Mix window, click the track’s MIDI Output Selector and assign a device and channel from the pop-up menu. Channels already assigned to other tracks appear bold in this menu.

MIDI Output Selector, Mix window

– or –

In the Edit window, with I/O view enabled, click the track’s MIDI Output Selector and assign a device and channel from the pop-up menu.

Channels already assigned to other tracks appear bold in this menu.

5 To assign multiple destinations to a single

MIDI track, Start-click (Windows) or Controlclick (Macintosh) the MIDI Output Selector and select additional channels from any device.

When multiple destinations are selected for a single MIDI track, a “*” sign will appear next to the first destination name in the track’s MIDI

Output Selector on Windows and Mac OS X, and a “+” sign will appear next to the first destination name in the track’s MIDI Output Selector on Mac OS 9.

6 If you want to assign a default program change to the track, click the Patch Select button, make the necessary selections for program and bank select, then click Done.

Default program changes are sent whenever the track is played. For more information, see

“Patch Select (Program and Bank Changes)” on page 366.

7 If recording to multiple MIDI tracks, repeat the above steps for each track, then continue to the next step.

8 If you want to use a click, enable and configure the click, and set a default tempo and meter

for the session. For details, see “Recording with a

Click” on page 151.

9 Enable Wait for Note or Countoff in the Transport window if you want to use these features.

10 To replace existing track material, disable

MIDI Merge in the Transport window.

11 If you want to automatically quantize material as it is recorded, enable Input Quantize (see

“Input Quantize” on page 178).

12 In the Transport window, click Return to

Zero so the start and end times are cleared. This ensures that you’ll start recording from the beginning of the track.

MIDI Output Selector, Edit window

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 181

13 In either the Mix or Edit window, click the

MIDI track’s Record Enable button to record enable the track.

14 Make sure MIDI > MIDI Thru is selected, then play some notes on your MIDI controller. The

MIDI instrument assigned to the track should sound, and the track’s meters should register

MIDI activity.

You are now ready to record MIDI data to the

record-enabled MIDI tracks. See “Recording to

MIDI Tracks” on page 182.

3 Record enable the MIDI track you want to record by clicking its Record Enable button.

Shift-click to toggle on record enable for multiple MIDI tracks.

4 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive

Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect

Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-

Punch.

5 Click Record in the Transport window to enter

Record Ready mode. The Record button flashes.

Recording to MIDI Tracks

In Pro Tools, you can record to one or more

MIDI tracks. Recording simultaneously to multiple MIDI tracks allows you to:

• Record from multiple MIDI devices at the same time, capturing material from several performers

• Record multiple channels from the same device, capturing data from a split keyboard

• Transfer MIDI tracks from an external MIDI sequencer

To take full advantage of the MIDI editing capabilities in Pro Tools, make sure to record with the click enabled. This ensures that recorded data aligns with the session’s bar and beat boundaries.

To record to one or more MIDI tracks:

1 For HD systems (using Pro Tools 6.4) deactivate Automatic Delay Compensation. (For more

information, see “Delay Compensation” on page 428.)

2 Configure a MIDI track for recording. Refer to

“Configuring MIDI Tracks for Recording” on page 180.

Record button

6 When you are ready to begin recording, click

Play. If using Countoff, Pro Tools counts off the specified number of measures and then begins recording.

– or –

If using Wait for Note, the Play, Record, and

Wait for Note buttons flash. Recording begins when a MIDI event is received.

7 When you have finished recording, click Stop in the Transport window.

For each record-enabled track, a new MIDI region is created and appears in the playlist. The new MIDI regions also appear in the MIDI Regions List.

There are several keyboard shortcuts you

can use to begin recording. See “Record

Shortcuts” on page 161 for details.

182 Pro Tools Reference Guide

To play back recorded MIDI tracks:

1 Click the Record Enable button on each MIDI track so that they are no longer record enabled.

2 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero.

3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin playback.

The recorded MIDI data plays back through each track’s assigned device (port) and channel.

Undo and MIDI Recording

You can undo previous MIDI record takes.

To undo a MIDI recording:

■

Once the Transport has been stopped, choose

Edit > Undo MIDI Recording.

The track’s playlist is restored to its previous state. However:

◆ If you punched in and out several times before stopping the Transport, only the last punch is undone.

◆ When using Loop Record mode, all takes from each record pass are discarded.

Canceling a Record Take

It is also possible to discard the current record take before the Transport is stopped.

To cancel a record take while recording:

■

Press Control+period (Windows) or Command+period (Macintosh) before the Transport is stopped.

If using Loop Record mode, all takes from each record pass are discarded.

Punch Recording MIDI

To replace a portion of a MIDI track, you can

punch in by specifying the record range before recording.

To punch in on a MIDI track:

1 Configure a MIDI track for recording. Refer to

“Configuring MIDI Tracks for Recording” on page 180.

2 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive

Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect

Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-

Punch.

3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for

Note and Countoff.

4 Select Operations > Link Edit and Timeline Selection.

5 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist until the selection encompasses the punch range.

For other methods of setting the record range,

see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 168.

6 To hear existing track material up to the start point, or after the end point, enable and set pre-

and post-roll times. For details, see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 170.

7 Record enable the track containing the previous take by clicking its Record Enable button.

8 Click Record in the Transport window to enter

Record Ready mode. The Record button flashes.

9 When you are ready to begin recording, click

Play.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 183

If pre-roll is enabled, the track material leading up to the punch-in point plays. You can start playing during the pre-roll to get the “feel.” Material is not recorded until the start point is reached.

When the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins recording. Recording continues until the end point is reached, unless Stop is clicked in the Transport window. If post-roll is enabled, playback continues for the specified post-roll amount.

10 When you have finished recording, click

Stop in the Transport window.

The newly recorded MIDI data appears in the track.

Punch Recording During Playback with

MIDI

You don’t have to set a record range to punch in on a MIDI track. In fact, you can punch in and out on-the-fly at any time during playback. Unlike audio tracks, it is not necessary to enable

QuickPunch to perform real-time punch recording.

To punch record on-the-fly with MIDI:

1 Configure a MIDI track for recording. Refer to

“Configuring MIDI Tracks for Recording” on page 180.

2 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive

Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect

Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-

Punch.

3 In the Transport window, disable Wait for

Note and Countoff.

4 Record enable the track containing the previous take by clicking its Record Enable button.

5 Start playback by clicking Play in the Transport window.

6 When you reach the punch-in point, click

Record in the Transport window.

– or –

For Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, and Digi 001 systems (or Digidesign ProControl and Control|24 dedicated controllers) with a connected footswitch, press the footswitch at the punch-in point.

The Record button stops flashing and stays lit during recording.

7 To punch out, click Record again (or press the footswitch).

Pro Tools exits Record mode and continues playing. You can perform additional punches during the same pass.

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Regions and Punch Recording

Depending on the record range, new regions may be created after punch recording. For exam-

ple, Figure 7 shows two existing regions before

recording. Since the start and end times occur within both of the existing regions, a new region is created to fill the space between them.

before punch record

Loop Recording MIDI

Loop recording with MIDI is supported by two methods:

• In normal Nondestructive Record mode, enable Loop Playback and MIDI Merge for drum machine style loop recording.

– or –

• Use Loop Record mode to record multiple takes on each record pass. This is similar to loop recording audio.

after punch record newly recorded material new region

Figure 7. Region added after punch record

However, when selecting an entire region, or a section within a region, before punching, no new regions are created. In this instance, only the material residing within the existing region changes, with no new material recorded outside the region.

Unlike audio recording, MIDI recording in this scenario is destructive. If a region is altered because of a record take, the original material is lost (unless you choose Edit > Undo MIDI Recording), or combined with new material (if

MIDI Merge was enabled during recording). If an existing region contains important material,

use Duplicate to make a copy of the region (“Duplicate Command” on page 283) or the track’s

playlist (see “Working with Playlists” on page 218).

Loop Recording with Merge Mode

For drum machine style loop recording, use normal Nondestructive Record mode with Loop

Playback and MIDI Merge enabled. With this method, MIDI is recorded and merged to the same region with each new record pass— thereby allowing you to, for example, record hihats on the first pass and kick and snare on the next.

Make sure that MIDI Merge is enabled in the

Transport window, otherwise (in Replace mode) each subsequent take will destructively replace the previous.

You can record enable a different MIDI track on-the-fly while loop recording. While pressing Control (Windows) or Command

(Macintosh), use the Up/Down Arrows to record enable the previous or next MIDI track.

To loop record with MIDI Merge:

1 Configure a MIDI track for recording. Refer to

“Configuring MIDI Tracks for Recording” on page 180.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 185

2 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive

Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect

Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-

Punch.

3 Select Operations > Loop Playback. When

Loop Playback is enabled, a loop symbol appears in the Play button.

Loop Playback enabled

4 Record enable the MIDI track by clicking its

Record Enable button. Make sure no audio tracks are record enabled.

5 In the Transport window, click the MIDI

Merge button so it becomes highlighted.

6 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the

Transport window.

7 Select Operations > Link Edit and Timeline Selection.

8 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist until the selection encompasses the loop range.

For other methods of setting the record range,

see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 168.

9 To hear track material up to the start point of the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time. For

details, see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 170.

10 Click Record in the Transport window. When you are ready to begin recording, click Play.

The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.

When the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins recording. When the end point is reached,

Pro Tools loops back to the start point and continues playing and recording.

11 Play some notes on your MIDI controller.

Newly recorded MIDI data appears as a region in the record track. On each successive take, recorded material shows up in the region, without replacing material from previous takes.

12 If you want to switch to a new record track, press Control (Windows) or Command (Macintosh), and press the Up/Down Arrow keys to record enable the previous or next MIDI track.

13 When you have finished recording, click

Stop in the Transport window.

The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI region in the track’s playlist, and in the MIDI

Regions List.

186 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Loop Recording Multiple Takes

When recording MIDI in Loop Record mode, new regions are created each time new material is received during a record pass. This differs somewhat from loop recording audio, where

Pro Tools creates a single audio file that comprises all takes, which appear as individual regions in the Audio Regions List.

You can use MIDI loop recording to record successive takes without stopping the record process, thereby capturing your creative spontaneity. Another advantage with this method of recording MIDI, which is nondestructive, is that existing and newly recorded regions remain intact (and available in the MIDI Regions List).

To record MIDI in Loop Record mode:

1 Configure a MIDI track for recording. Refer to

“Configuring MIDI Tracks for Recording” on page 180.

2 Select Operations > Loop Record. When Loop

Record mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears in the Record button.

Loop Recording enabled

3 If you have not done so already, record enable the MIDI track by clicking its Record Enable button. Make sure no audio tracks are record enabled.

4 Disable Wait for Note and Countoff in the

Transport window.

5 Select Operations > Link Edit and Timeline Selection.

6 With the Selector, drag in the track’s playlist until the selection encompasses the loop range.

For other methods of setting the record range,

see “Setting Punch/Loop Points” on page 168.

7 To hear track material up to the start point of the loop, enable and set the pre-roll time. For

details, see “Setting Pre- and Post-Roll” on page 170.

8 Click Record in the Transport window. When you are ready to begin recording, click Play.

The Record button flashes during the pre-roll.

When the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins recording. When the end point is reached,

Pro Tools loops back to the start point and continues playing and recording.

9 Play your MIDI controller. A new MIDI region containing the newly recorded material is automatically created and appears in the track’s playlist, replacing the previous region.

Regions are replaced (nondestructively) during subsequent record passes when new MIDI material is received.

10 When you have finished recording, click

Stop in the Transport window. The most recently recorded take is left in the record track.

The recorded takes appear as regions in the

MIDI Regions List and are numbered sequentially. The takes, which are the same length and easily interchangeable, can be auditioned from the Takes List pop-up menu—even while the session plays or loops.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 187

To audition the various record takes:

1 Control-click (Windows) or Command-click

(Macintosh) with the Selector at the precise beginning of the loop record range.

– or –

If the take currently residing in the track is selected, Control-click (Windows) or Commandclick (Macintosh) it with the Selector.

A pop-up menu appears containing a list of regions that share the same User Time Stamp.

Auditioning loop record takes

2 Choose a region from the Takes List pop-up menu. The region replaces the previous take and snaps precisely to the correct location.

For more information on auditioning and man-

aging takes, see “Auditioning Record Takes” on page 166.

Recording System Exclusive

Data

Pro Tools supports recording and playing System Exclusive data (Sysex) with MIDI tracks.

This allows you to use MIDI tracks in Pro Tools to store patch and configuration data for your

MIDI devices, or to record real-time Sysex changes for a particular parameter of a MIDI device that cannot be controlled by a standard

MIDI controller.

To record a Sysex dump at the beginning of a MIDI track:

1 Make sure that the MIDI OUT for the device sending the Sysex is connected to your MIDI interface’s MIDI IN.

2 Configure a MIDI track for recording. Refer to

“Configuring MIDI Tracks for Recording” on page 180.

3 Put Pro Tools in normal Nondestructive

Record mode. In the Operations menu, deselect

Destructive Record, Loop Record, and Quick-

Punch.

4 In the MIDI Input Filter, enable recording of

System Exclusive data.

5 If you have not done so already, record enable the MIDI track by clicking its Record Enable button.

6 Enable Wait for Note in the Transport window.

7 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero so the start and end times are cleared. This ensures that you’ll start recording from the beginning of the track.

8 When you are ready to begin recording, click

Record in the Transport window.

188 Pro Tools Reference Guide

The Record, Play, and Wait for Note buttons flash, indicating that Pro Tools is waiting for

MIDI data.

9 Initiate the Sysex transfer from the MIDI device, according to the instructions in the guide for your MIDI device. When receiving the MIDI data, Pro Tools automatically begins recording.

10 When the transfer is complete (as defined in in the guide for your MIDI device), click Stop in the Transport window.

The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI region in the track’s playlist, and in the MIDI

Regions List. MIDI regions that contain System

Exclusive data appear blank when the track’s

Display Format is set to Regions.

To see the Sysex event blocks, which indicate the location of the data, set the MIDI Track View

to display Sysex (see “Regions View for MIDI

Tracks” on page 216). For details on moving and

copying of Sysex data, see “System Exclusive

Events” on page 369.

To resend the Sysex from Pro Tools:

1 For the device receiving the System Exclusive data, make sure its MIDI IN is connected to your

MIDI interface’s MIDI OUT. Also, make sure the device is set to receive Sysex. Some devices require that memory protect be off.

2 For the previously recorded track, click its

Record Enable button so that it is no longer record enabled.

3 Click the track’s MIDI Device/Channel Selector and assign the device from the pop-up menu.

4 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero.

5 Click Play in the Transport window to begin playback. Pro Tools begins playing and transmits the previously recorded Sysex to the assigned MIDI device.

Chapter 13: MIDI Recording 189

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