Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts

This chapter provides an overview of Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts. For a complete list of shortcuts, refer to the electronic PDF versions of the

Keyboard Shortcuts Guides .

Global Key Commands

This section shows keyboard shortcuts that apply to many functions in Pro Tools.

Track Functions

• Changing Automation mode

• Enabling playlists

• Adding plug-ins

• Record enabling, soloing, and muting tracks

• Record safing and solo safing tracks

• Assigning inputs, outputs, and sends

• Toggling volume/peak/delay display

• Clearing meters

• Changing track heights

List and Parameter Selection

• Selection of tracks in Show/Hide List

• Enabling of groups in Groups List

• Automation Enable window parameters

• Setting memory location parameters

Command

Toggle item and set all others to same new state

Toggle item and set all others to opposite state

Windows Macintosh

Alt-click item Option-click item

Control-click item

Commandclick item

Controls and Editing Tools

◆ Use to move plug-in controls, faders and sliders, the Scrubber, and automation data

Command Windows

Fine adjustment of sliders, knobs, and breakpoints

Controlclick item

Macintosh

Commandclick item

Command

Apply action to all channel strips/tracks

Apply action to selected channel strips/tracks

Windows

Alt+ action

Alt+

Shift+ action

Macintosh

Option+ action

Option+

Shift+ action

Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 29

Keyboard Focus

The Keyboard Focus in Pro Tools determines how the alpha keys function. Depending on which Keyboard Focus is enabled, you can use the keys on your QWERTY (alpha) keyboard to select regions in the Audio or MIDI Regions List, enable or disable groups, or perform an edit or play command.

You can only enable one Keyboard Focus at a time. Enabling a Keyboard Focus will disable the one previously enabled.

There are four types of Keyboard Focus:

Commands Focus When selected, this provides a wide range of single key shortcuts from the

QWERTY keyboard for editing and playing.

With Commands Focus disabled, you can still access any of its key shortcuts by pressing the

Start key (Windows) or Control (Macintosh) along with the key.

Audio Regions List Focus When selected, audio regions can be located and selected in the Audio

Regions List by typing the first few letters of the region’s name.

MIDI Regions List Focus When selected, MIDI regions can be located and selected in the MIDI

Regions List by typing the first few letters of the region’s name.

Groups List Focus When selected, Mix and Edit

Groups can be enabled or disabled by typing the

Group ID letter.

An electronic PDF listing of keyboard shortcuts is available in Pro Tools. Choose

Help > Keyboard Shortcuts.

Commands

Focus

Groups List Focus

Audio Regions List

Focus

MIDI Regions List

Focus

Keyboard Focus buttons

To set the Keyboard Focus, do one of the following:

■

Click the a–z button for the focus you want to enable.

– or –

■

While pressing Control+Alt (Windows) or

Command+Option (Macintosh), press one of the following keys: 1 (Commands),

2 (Audio Regions List), 3 (MIDI Regions List), or

4 (Groups List).

Although multiple plug-in windows can have a keyboard focus enabled, only the front-most window will receive any keyboard input.

30 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Numeric Keypad Modes

The Operation preference for Numeric Keypad

Mode determines how the numeric keypad functions for Transport.

There are two Shuttle Lock modes (Classic and

Transport), and one Shuttle mode.

No matter which Numeric Keypad Mode is selected, you can always use the numeric keypad to select and enter values in the Event Edit Area,

Location Indicators, and Transport fields.

To set the Numeric Keypad Mode:

1 Choose Setups > Preferences and click the Operation tab.

2 Under the option for Numeric Keypad Mode, select a keypad mode (Classic, Transport, or

Shuttle), then click Done.

Shuttle Lock Modes

With either Shuttle Lock mode (Classic or Transport) you can use the numeric keypad to shuttle forward or backwards at specific speeds: 5 is normal speed, 6–9 provide increasingly faster fastforward speeds, and 1–4 provide progressively faster rewind speeds (4 is the slowest rewind

Shuttle Lock speed, 1 is the fastest).

Custom Shuttle Lock Speed

The highest fast-forward Shuttle Lock speed

(key 9) can be customized (Pro Tools TDM systems and DV Toolkit for Pro Tools LE only). See

“Custom Shuttle Lock Speed” on page 255.

Classic Mode

This mode emulates the way Pro Tools worked in versions lower than 5.0. With the Numeric

Keypad Mode set to Classic, you can:

:

• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock mode. Press the Start key (Windows) or Control (Macintosh), followed by 0–9 for different play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.

Playback Speeds Key

1x Forward 6

1x Rewind

4x Forward

4

9

4x Rewind

1/4x Forward

1/4x Rewind

1/2x Forward

7

3

1

5+6

1/2x Rewind

2x Forward

2x Rewind

1/16x Forward

1/16x Rewind

Loop Selection (1x)

5+4

8+9

8+7

2+3

2+1

0

• Recall Memory Locations by typing the Memory Location, followed by a period (.).

Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 31

Transport Mode

This mode allows you to set a number of record and play functions, and also operate the Trans-

: port from the numeric keypad.

Function Key

Click on/off 7

Countoff on/off

MIDI Merge/Replace mode

8

9

Loop Playback mode on/off

Loop Record mode on/off

QuickPunch mode on/off

Rewind

4

5

6

1

Fast Forward

Record

Play/Stop

2

3

0

With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Transport, you can also:

:

• Play up to two tracks of audio in Shuttle Lock mode. Press the Start key (Windows) or Control (Macintosh), followed by 0–9 for different play speeds. Press Plus or Minus to reverse direction.

Playback Speeds Key

1x Forward 6

1x Rewind

4x Forward

4

9

4x Rewind

1/4x Forward

1/4x Rewind

1/2x Forward

7

3

1

5+6

1/2x Rewind

2x Forward

2x Rewind

1/16x Forward

1/16x Rewind

Loop Selection (1x)

5+4

8+9

8+7

2+3

2+1

0

• Recall Memory Locations by typing period (.), the Memory Location number, and period (.) again.

32 Pro Tools Reference Guide

Shuttle Mode

(TDM Systems Only)

:

Pro Tools offers another form of shuttling, different from that of the two Shuttle Lock modes.

With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle, playback of the current Edit selection is triggered by pressing and holding the keys on the numeric keypad—playback stops once the keys are released. Various playback speeds are available in both forward and reverse. In this mode, pre- and post-roll are ignored.

Playback Speeds Key

1x Forward 6

1x Rewind

4x Forward

4

9

4x Rewind

1/4x Forward

1/4x Rewind

1/2x Forward

7

3

1

5+6

1/2x Rewind

2x Forward

2x Rewind

1/16x Forward

1/16x Rewind

Loop Selection (1x)

5+4

8+9

8+7

2+3

2+1

0

With the Numeric Keypad Mode set to Shuttle, you can also:

• Recall Memory Locations by typing period (.), the Memory Location number, and period (.) again.

Shuttle Lock modes are not available when the Numeric Keypad Mode is set to Shuttle.

Chapter 5: Keyboard Shortcuts 33

34 Pro Tools Reference Guide