Editing Questions

[Chris Coleman]

Originally posted by fifthcircle:
I find that when I have to do editing in Pro Tools, that it is incredibly cumbersome. I... I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yes, you are.

A few questions: With cross fades, can I have them cross at anywhere other than in the middle, beginning or end?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You're going to have to clarify this a little, but yes - you can edit the various fade shapes and crossing pattern in the fade window. Apply a fade with apple-F if you want to see the fade window come up. You can designate your default fade in, out, and crossfades as well so you don't have to look at the fade window as much, if ever.

Is the there a way to "delete and ripple" In other words, specify a start and end point for edits and have everything disappear in between and the two pieces of audio slide together.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">It's called Shuffle Mode editing. However - when in shuffle mode, the entire track is adjusted. Otherwise, there are quick keys to have your regions snap to wherever you want them -

Can I insert a crossfade somewhere and slip tracks? Or, do I need to region things off, move the tracks, and then hope a fade is right? Or better worded, can I move the tracks and the fade point when I am in the fade editor?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hmmm... sounds like you're thinking in terms of one of your other programs. I'm not quite catching what you want to do here...

In general, what sort of editing flow do you folks that use this all the time use? How would you go about a standard editing session?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I log the majority of my professional Pro Tools hours (8 to 10 a day) restoring films for a major motion picture studio. This requires that I edit multiple tracks of titles that are sometimes in excess of 2 hours. Keep in mind that each track (dialog, music effects stems) usually end up having many hundreds of edits each - there is no other program in the world that I'd want to work on other than Pro Tools for this stuff.

As you learn, you'll find the quick keys and style of editing the best suits you... if you ask 25 people how to edit in Pro Tools, you'll 25 answers. All that to say - if I were you, I'd quickly learn ALL the PT key commands I could - in addition, force yourself to use the Smart Tool - this feature alone saves me hours a day by not having to click a mouse or keyboard to switch between my tools. Also - the biggest thing for ANY editor out there in PT land - USE A TRACKBALL WITH PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS. I have the buttons on all my trackballs outfitted for the smart tool, the zoom tool, and apple-= (to toggle between mix and edit windows). I am CONSTANTLY flying from the sample-level waveform all the way out to viewing 2 hours of audio and vice versa. I can get there in one or two very fast clicks.

Sorry to ask what seems like a potentially dumb question, but I really think I'm missing something. The editing isn't that limited, is it?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Pro Tools can do anything you want it to do...it may not be EXACTLY what you're used to, but if you're adaptable you can get some serious work done with this program.

I purchased a manual and I'm slowly plowing through it trying to get my chops up... I'm just not very fast with that yet. Is there anybody in LA that considers themselves an expert with editing that would be willing to show me some stuff?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">If you're willing to fly out to Colorado, my Pro Tools tutor rates are pretty good. <g>

[fifthcircle]

I'll preface my questions by saying that Pro Tools is not my primary rig. I use Sequoia for most of my mixing and mastering (also Sonic Solutions periodically). I do have PT, though, because LA is a PT town and I need to be able to deal with those sessions. My PT rig is a Digi001 running 32 track beta on a G4 Dual 867.

That said...

I find that when I have to do editing in Pro Tools, that it is incredibly cumbersome. I am used to a very streamlined edit paradigm and I understand PT works differently. That said, I have so many friends that rave about editing in PT, I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

A few questions: With cross fades, can I have them cross at anywhere other than in the middle, beginning or end?

Is the there a way to "delete and ripple" In other words, specify a start and end point for edits and have everything disappear in between and the two pieces of audio slide together.

Can I insert a crossfade somewhere and slip tracks? Or, do I need to region things off, move the tracks, and then hope a fade is right? Or better worded, can I move the tracks and the fade point when I am in the fade editor?

In general, what sort of editing flow do you folks that use this all the time use? How would you go about a standard editing session?

Sorry to ask what seems like a potentially dumb question, but I really think I'm missing something. The editing isn't that limited, is it?

I purchased a manual and I'm slowly plowing through it trying to get my chops up... I'm just not very fast with that yet. Is there anybody in LA that considers themselves an expert with editing that would be willing to show me some stuff?

--Ben

[jimlongo]

For your fades select where you want the fade to be, command-f will bring up the fade dialog, click on NONE for the type of Link and select each sides shape and start and end points. You can audition it to get it right, and there are buttons on the left that give you visual feedback on what you are doing.
Like this

You have even more control putting one region on A and one on B tracks and editing each fade out and fade in separately.

Even better would be drawing an exact fade out and fade in and then bouncing the whole segue and sticking that file in the track. Especially when mixers don't appreciate your well planned fader moves and/or complex fade structures seem too fragile to be sent out of an edit I print those sections.

HTH

[Kit Higginson]

quote:
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Can I insert a crossfade somewhere and slip tracks? Or, do I need to region things off, move the tracks, and then hope a fade is right? Or better worded, can I move the tracks and the fade point when I am in the fade editor?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hmmm... sounds like you're thinking in terms of one of your other program"s. I'm not quite catching what you want to do here... Basically if't I want to cut the attack out of a note, I insert a crossfade in my current DAW. I can then move the fade in and out points by only a few milliseconds to make the section I want disappear."


If you mean nudging regions within
the crossfade window, the answer is no. This is one of the reasons that Pro Tools is not the DAW of choice for many classical editors. Hopefully, Digidesign will address this issue in future updates.

[fifthcircle]

Thanks for your reply... I understand that it is a different paradigm than I'm used to. I'm just trying to get it going at the same level I can work at in my other DAWs.

I do a lot of classical music editing and these are pretty common ways of working in that genre.

You're going to have to clarify this a little, but yes - you can edit the various fade shapes and crossing pattern in the fade window. Apply a fade with apple-F if you want to see the fade window come up. You can designate your default fade in, out, and crossfades as well so you don't have to look at the fade window as much, if ever.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">What I meant was rather than have the fade be either split 50% over an edit point, can I move it so that perhaps it is 20%/80% over the point. Or is it only centered or on one side or the other? Asymetric fades is basically what I'm talking about.... (not just in fade shape, but time and location, too)

quote:
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Can I insert a crossfade somewhere and slip tracks? Or, do I need to region things off, move the tracks, and then hope a fade is right? Or better worded, can I move the tracks and the fade point when I am in the fade editor?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmmm... sounds like you're thinking in terms of one of your other programs. I'm not quite catching what you want to do here...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Basically if I want to cut the attack out of a note, I insert a crossfade in my current DAW. I can then move the fade in and out points by only a few milliseconds to make the section I want disappear.

Pro Tools can do anything you want it to do...it may not be EXACTLY what you're used to, but if you're adaptable you can get some serious work done with this program.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I'm sure it can... That is why I was wondering how to do these things. I'm basically familliar with a different editing paradigm. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Thanks again..

--Ben