Grid to Click / Generating Click

[Frookie]

Please excuse my simple question-- I'm pretty new to ProTools and computer workstations. After reading my Digi001 Manual, I still can't seem to generate a click track. Do I need to set up a MIDI keyboard first, or what? And how do I go about gridding to that click. Also: Does anyone know how to grid to , say, a looped audio file from a drum machine? I cannot figure this stuff out. Thanks for any help!

[Thistle]

I am new to it all too, so I will try my best to help, but no gaurentees:
1. Generating click: You need a drum machine cuz the click is a midi thing. This means that there will be three connections between the source and your computer, as opposed to the accustomed one or two with conventional instruments...although not all devices will have all three MIDI ports. These ports are "in" "out" and "thru". If you have these three on your drum machine, make sure they are all being used. Check your manual on pages 14-16. Hopefully we share the same manual!
Once this loop is properly set, you double click on the metronome symbol on the transport window. A box will pop up. Make sure that you select the "during playback and record" option. In most cases, I have been told, the C# represents the click for drum machines, so in the other boxes type in C#. Select how many bars intro you want before record. Close the box. This should do it. Give it a try. I will check in later.

2. Gridding to the click:
You should be able to select the desired grid setting on the top right corner of your screen. There will be a little box and in there will be a 'grid' box and a 'nudge' box. Click on the grid box and set it to the desired grid.

3. Gridding a looped file should be the same as simply recording a preset pattern. I myself has a series of patterns linked together in my drum machine. I simply proceeded to record.

Note: Make sure that in the mix window, you have allotted a track for midi in as well as drums in. A simple master volume is not enough cuz its MIDI. I am still struggling myself. I know, however, that once I plod through this ****, I will be way ahead of my buddies who still think ADAT is the best.

[CCash]

An easy and cheap way to make a solid click:

1.) Record a click. Mic, sample, whatever. It could be a handclap, a cowbell, or the sound of your monitor hitting the floor. Keep recording some dead space after the "click" before you hit stop.

2.) Go to Midi Metronome. Type in a BPM. This will give the timeline a reference.

3.) Set the edit mode to Grid Mode.

4.) Go to the Nudge pop up that Thistle mentioned. Select your increment/value to whatever (usually 1/4 notes for clicks).

5.) Zoom in on the beginning of the click, and trim away any dead space before the waveform begins.

6.) Highlight the region and with the grabber, drag it back to 00:00. Or you could just hit the +/- keys to nudge it to where you want it. (Start it on "the one" of the beat).

7.) Click somewhere else to deselect the region. Now switch from the grabber to the Selector tool (I-beam). Click on the region where you think the next click should start. (i.e. The region goes from beat 1 to beat 2.) In grid mode, the curser will snap to the nudge value.

8.) Now shift-tab and the rest of the region that you don't want and it will be highlighted. Delete.

9.) Command-D (or Duplicate from the Edit Menu) for as many clicks as you need.

Phew...that didn't sound easy, but it really is. I'm not at my joint right now, so I may have misnamed something here or there... hope not. The main advantage is that a Midi triggered click isn't dead-on accurate. This will be. Plus you don't need a keyboard, sound module or drum machine to do it. I hope this helps with the sample loop question too.

[CCash]

Forgot to mention - use Bars/Beats for Nudge/Grid.

[Sean Halley]

Of course you're right Curt!

Sean H

[phobia]

Maybe one of you guys could publish an exported region containing a "standard" click trakc that works for you ?

/// Joakim W

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>>We need more time so that everything doesn't happen at once<<

[jnash]

Only one downside to using an audio region click--I haven't found a good way to adjust the tempo... I either have to adjust the length of the click region, or I have to change the grid tempo and then move the clicks to the new grid downbeats (snap-to-grid). If I'm getting a feel for the tune and playing with the tempo, this is a real inspiration killer--with a MIDI click, it's much easier.

Is there any way to anchor a region to a grid location, so when the tempo changes, the audio region is moved, too ? Typically a region has a start *time*--is it possible to give it a start bar/beat instead ?

Thanks,
James
[email protected]

[Frookie]

Thanks everybody for answering my initial question. I printed out the responses and am planning on spending tonight after work in Grid Mode. It's really nice to have you all as a resource, since at times my DIGI 001 manual leaves me scratching my head.

[Chris Coleman]

James-

As far as I know, you cannot have the audio shift with the MIDI tempo changes (not easily, anyhow). The manual states that when you chage the MIDI tempo, the MIDI events all shift to their new destination while the audio data stays exactly where it was recorded, sample for sample.