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  #101  
Old 09-16-2020, 07:10 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Track Arming

[TRACK ARMING]

(1) Use the dedicated Record switches just to the right of the Menu switch for each Channel on the Fader Module or Channelstip Module. Leverage VCA Master tracks to quickly record-enable all group members by holding Option while record enabling the VCA Master.

(2) From the Tracks page, touch Record to enable track arming by touching individual track blocks. Use Clear to unarm all record-enabled tracks. Touch Attention to return back to standard workflows from the tracks matrix.

(3) Alternatively, the Post Module provides a dedicated paddle-style interface to toggle both track arming and input monitoring. Use Shift (Master Module) while touching Assign Post from the Tracks page to populate tracks onto the Post Module. Press a Record Ready switch to allow track arming for each populated record track.


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  #102  
Old 09-17-2020, 06:25 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Monitoring (Expanded)

[MONITORING] - Expanded Sources & Speakers

(1) Press either of the lower 2 Setup switches from the Master Module physical monitoring controls or touch Monitoring from the bottom of the Home page to access Monitoring controls. To access additional sources or speakers not visible on the screen, simply swipe from Right -> Left on the touchscreen from the sources or speakers scroller.

(2) Access the Monitoring controls on Soft Keys by using the Shift + . (Shift on any Fader module). Monitoring Soft Keys are presented on the Automation Module with Sources on the Left and Outputs / Speakers on the Right. Press Source+ on the Left to expand from 16 to 24 sources. Press Spkrs then Spkrs+ on the Right to expand from 10 to 22 speakers for applications including Dolby Atmos.

(3) Alternately, use Shift + + to access a combination of Monitoring Sources along side Automation Pages 1-3. Use Source+ to expand into the Master Module Soft Keys and reveal 24 sources, then press Source to collapse and return back to the single page view.


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  #103  
Old 09-18-2020, 07:03 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Plug-In Control

[PLUG-IN CONTROL] Insert Parameters - Reverb

(1) Start by finding a track to work on. One way is to press Scroll to Track from the Extras Soft Keys then start typing the name of the track you are looking for. This track will then pop up on the desk justified to either Left, Left of Master, Right of Master or Right based on the Banking Justification Mode preference found in Settings > User.

Press the Ins button on the Process module (or for S4 - Channelstrip module), then push the encoder which shows the plug-in you want to bring into parameters view. I’ve selected a ReVibe II for my session. As default, I already have some useful controls like decay time and predelay on the lowest 2 encoders so I can simply start tweaking. To move beyond the first 4 parameters, use the little arrow page buttons under the lowest encoder (the one closest to you).

(2) If I need to quickly access something like high frequency rolloff for the reverb, paging in the default vertical orientation is not going to be very efficient. I would have to page 5 times to get to the parameter that I need. Things can be much easier. Simply invoke Expand Mode using the Exp switch (process or Channelstrip module) which now presents 32 parameters for the reverb at a time. Now I can instantly grab the encoder in the upper right corner labeled HiCut to quickly roll off the high frequencies.

(3) The third option is to take advantage of Expand Faders - which is basically a parameter map for plug-ins to bring the most essential, most important controls down to high resolution faders right in front of you. For my example, I want a handful of items for this reverb. It contains over 40 parameters, but I really only need to access 8 - 10 of them on a regular basis. Expand Faders can help with this. Hold the Exp switch for a few second, and if a map exists, it will be displayed on the faders directly below the encoders you are currently working on. If there’s no existing map, you can build one easily. Hold the Attention switch (triangle) for the channel - in my case its a reverb return containing ReVibe called Verb FX2. Hold the Attention triangle then press Exp. Exp will flash blue and Clear will be red - which just means you are in editing mode and if you want to wipe out what you’ve got - press the red Clear button. Ok - let’s map! You can do this in any order. I usually like to have Wet/Dry accessible so I’m going to touch that encoder (flashes) then touch Fader 8 which now shows the parameter. Decay Time and PreDelay are both really useful, so touch Time then touch Fader 1. Touch PreDely then touch Fader 2. HiCut is handy as described. Touch it then touch Fader 7. Once you’ve got all your most used parameters brought down - simply press Exp again and it will stop flashing. Map saved. Before you get another coffee - jump directly to Settings > System on the master Module and make sure that under Auto-Load From Titles and Sessions - Expand Faders is ticked. This ensures that you are preserving the map you just made inside your Pro Tools session and with Titles, either way.

One more nugget that’s important with Expand Faders... Back to our reverb -> press Exp once again. If on your system the knobs expanded but not the faders -> hold Exp for a few seconds and the faders should now be presented. This is an option and people like it both ways. If you want to always automatically show a fader map if it exists in addition to the knobs, enable Auto Expand Faders which is nested under Auto Expand Functions from the Settings > User preferences page.


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  #104  
Old 09-21-2020, 06:24 AM
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Default Notes about Track Layouts

Let's talk about LAYOUTS a bit more. There are Track Layouts and Post Layouts and Meter Layouts. For this discussion let's focus on Track Layouts which are collections of tracks pulled from 1 or multiple workstations ordered and formatted by the user on the available channel strips on the console.

Why Layouts?
Because they are super efficient! Obviously you need to actively build them, however think of them as an extension of your master Pro Tools template. The structure should be unified between multiple similar sessions. Layouts can easily be saved with your Pro Tools session file and automatically recalled when the session is reopened.

Housekeeping
If you are going to transport the console data (XML) including Layouts with the Pro Tools session, it is essential that you ensure that the main application - which in this case is Pro Tools - has an associated Blue Star next to it. What's with the star? It tells the console which application (Pro Tools, Logic, DADman, Nuendo...) to use for collecting and transporting the console data. Ensure that ProTools 20Mac shows up on the bottom right of the Workstations page with a Blue Star after it. Once this is done, use the Settings > System > Auto-Load preferences to determine which type of console data you want to save and transport with the Pro Tools session. It is possible to also save the layouts on the console into a file which is local to the Master Module - called a Title. We'll get to some workflows with that in a bit.

Quick Add
Here's a nice addition that was added to S6 which you may not be taking advantage of. The concept is to bank the normal channels on the desk into a specific range, then automatically push that track range into a Layout. Let's try it. Bank the desk into a specific range of tracks. This can be accomplished multiple ways. I'm going to use Shift + Control while clicking on a track directly in Pro Tools to get me to my first Orchestra track. Note that I've also set up my preference for Banking Justification Mode under Settings > User to Left - which is the far Left of my console. Now that you've got the appropriate tracks visible on the desk in standard banking mode, from the Tracks page Double-Touch the Assign button. Assuming you've enabled the necessary option: Tracks Page > Local Options (Gear) > Double Tap Assign to Copy Tracks from Banking Mode into Current Layout, the tracks should now appear at the bottom of the destination blocks on the Tracks page. If this is all you need, simply hit Store - give it a name (choose Layout number) then Store again. Before you choose to Store, it might be advantageous to add some extended data to your layout. Let's dig deeper...

Extended Data
Assume that we just did the last steps - everything up to the point where we hit the first Store. Now, Let's say for this particular layout I really want to place each of these Orchestra tracks spatially. Enable the All switch from the Master Module (latches by default) then press Pan from any Process Module or Channelstrip Module on S4. All of the Orchestra tracks in your soon to be saved layout are now showing blue pan parameters on the channel encoders. Turn off the All switch! One more detail.. If your Layout happens to contain a VCA Master, Submaster, Effects Return or similar items which are not standard audio tracks, it might be beneficial to also change the way these look on the display module for differentiation purposes. Here's how to do it. Let's say that my current layout tracks also contains an Orch A and Orch B VCA Master. Hold the Attention (triangle) switch on the Orch A track while pressing the Select switch a few times till you get to the display module view that is appropriate. Perhaps a full meter + waveform view might be nice to separate it from the normal tracks which are also showing function curves and plots. One last preference to make sure is NOT enabled: Settings > User > Ignore Functions on Layout Recall. For this application I would not enable this. You want the orchestra tracks to come back and show Pan view - so don't enable this option which would filter any knob function views when the Layout is recalled. Now you can finish the Store, give it a name and location, then finally hit Store again to save the track layout with the extended data.

Naming & Saving Layouts
When you go to store your Layouts - obviously give it a concise name and understand that both on the touchscreen grid and on the Soft Keys - the orientation is vertical. If you touch Edit, you can drag a Layout block on top of another to trash and replace it. If you want to clean house, you can either Delete All or simply drag a layout off of the grid to kill it. Here's another idea. When saving a Layout - you can append a -L or -R to the name. Why? Presuming that your console (regardless of how big or small) has an approximate left side and a right side, you can create layouts that don't always refresh the entire chunk of tracks on the desk. For example. Perhaps you have some primary DX, MX, & FX VCAs or Routing Folders which underneath have additional nested items. And perhaps you only need 5-6 of these to define a whole chunk of units to access via nested spilling. If so, create a layout with the 5-6 essential Folder Tracks let's say, then before you press Store, name and Store, hang on. The blocks at the bottom of the Tracks page (the destination) are lit green to show which chunks of the console are being saved. Let's say we are going to use the -R description for this one and we have a 24 fader console. You've already chosen and placed the necessary tracks in your layout located at the last 6 faders of your desk. Press Store -> give it a name, then before touching Store again -> Touch to deselect all of the first tracks in the destination row at the bottom of the tracks page including tracks 1-18. Tracks 19-24 will still be lit green. Now press Store. Now if this layout is recalled it will only overlay and refresh the rightmost 6 tracks on the desk. This can be handy when you want to see an aggregate of a few different layouts. Try saving a combination of Layouts which are full and contiguous, layouts that are justified with -R and layouts justified with -L and experiment with aggregating, overlapping and finding new workflows.


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  #105  
Old 09-22-2020, 07:07 AM
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Default 3 Ways: Defining Selections

[DEFINING SELECTIONS]

(1) Use the Mark In and Mark Out switches above the numpad section on the Automation Module. Press Mark In (latches) then use the Wheel to define the In point. Press Mark Out (latches) then use the Wheel to adjust the Out point. Use the Trim switch (left of the wheel) then use the Wheel to move the existing selection or insertion point. To clear the selection and turn it into an insertion point, press the Down Arrow above the numpad section on the Automation Module. Use Shift (Fader Module) + Down Arrow to Restore the Last Selection.

(2) Use the Next and Previous switches from the Transport controls (above the FF and REW switches) to move and select the next or previous clips. Hold Shift (Fader Module) while using the Next or Previous switches to define a selection over a range of clips.

(3) Access the Workflow Soft Keys page via Extras from the right Automation Module Soft Keys. With a selection defined, use Move Back Sel or Move Forward Sel to move the selection forward or backward on the timeline by the selection amount. Use Move Down and Move Up to move the selection to tracks below or above the currently selected track. While holding Control (Fader Module) functions are modified to Halve or Double the existing selection amount. Additionally, the selection can be extended into tracks below or above the existing track using Extend Down or Extend Up.


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  #106  
Old 09-23-2020, 05:23 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Automation Matching

[AUTOMATION MATCHING]

(1) Let's first use the QuickJump Shift (Fader Module) + 1 on the numeric section of the Automation Module to ensure that we have all of the most important Automation functions visible simultaneously. Next, determine what value you need for the time to match back with the previously printed automation and input the value in Pro Tools > Setup > Preferences > Mixing > AutoMatch Time. For individual faders currently writing in Latch -> press the F switch for each channel to match out of volume automation individually.

(2) From the Automation 2 Soft Keys - press the AutoMatch button. This will not only match out of Volume automation - but every other type of automation on the entire desk. If you want to take it even further and Automatch all parameters on this and other workstations, use QuickJump Shift + 3 to access all automation pages - however with all of the functions defaulted to Multi-Workstation. Now pressing AutoMatch will ramp out of automation on all connected workstations.

(3) Use Command + Vol Enable from the Automation 3 Soft Keys to match out of all tracks actively writing volume automation. Without the Command modifier, pressing Vol Enable will give you an immediate Snap out of all currently writing volume automation with no ramp. Both of these variations work for every flavor of automation that is presented in the Automation 3 Soft Keys.


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  #107  
Old 09-23-2020, 08:17 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Automation Matching

Quote:
Originally Posted by creativecontrol View Post
[AUTOMATION MATCHING]

(3) Use Command + Vol Enable from the Automation 3 Soft Keys to match out of all tracks actively writing volume automation.
WHAT!? I never knew about this one.

Very fun. Mind blown. I love this thread.
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  #108  
Old 09-24-2020, 06:08 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways:Track Attention

[TRACK ATTENTION] - Less Obvious Methods

(1) Solo Focus was a popular option for folks with the ICON series consoles. S4/S6 has this capability as well. Enable Settings > User > Attention Track of Most Recently Solo to automatically Attention a track once it has been soloed. This can be even more interesting when you start to include VCA Masters and (coming soon) Folder Tracks and include the preference for Automatic Spill of Attentioned VCA -> which could place the group members of that Soloed VCA into the Spill Zone of your choice.

(2) Nudging the Attentioned Track can be handy if you have a group of similar elements and simply want to move to a track in either direction. Enable under Settings > User > Attention Most Recently Clicked DAW Area: Edit Selection Move Up/Down. If Command Focus Mode is enabled in Pro Tools - simply use the P and ; keys to Attention the track above or below your currently selected track. Alternatively, hold Command (Fader module) while using the Previous and Next switches on the transport above the FF REW buttons to Nudge the Attention. Certainly if this workflow became more important to your daily work - you could easily remove the necessity for the (Command) modifier.

(3) Enable the option under Settings > User > Attention Track of Most Recently Selected Surface Function to automatically Attention a track just after you choose to change its function view (Pan, Send, EQ, Dyn, etc.) - either from the Process Module on S6 - or from the middle section of the Channelstrip Module for S4. This saves you the extra step of having to first Attention, choose EQ, then perform the tweak. Optionally tick the box under Settings > User > Auto Expand Functions > EQ if you find yourself doing a lot of local expanded EQ adjusting. So - pressing EQ on a given channel will now trigger Attention then present the EQ parameters in an expanded view


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  #109  
Old 09-25-2020, 06:28 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Active & Inactive

[ACTIVE / INACTIVE]

(1) It can be beneficial to include Sends in your template that are ready to route to various destinations - however are not currently active. Applications include destinations for effects, printing, cue mixes and more. Hold Command + Control while pressing the Sel switch on any encoder. Deactivated Sends are always displayed on the Knob Module, Display Modules and Master Modules using an @ symbol - such as @Boom for a send to a subharmonic generator. To activate or deactivate an entire row of Sends - such as for a headphone cue mix, use Command + Control + Option while clicking on a Sel switch for one of the encoders in the row.

(2) Use the QuickJump Shift + 7 to access editing functions on Soft Keys including Playlists, Edit operations and more. First select a range of channels - either from the Channel Strips or from the Tracks page on the Master Module - then press Active/Inactive from the Edit 1 section to activate or make inactive. This can be especially handy for grouped elements (dx, mx, fx or drums, guits, keys), AAF's or reference tracks that were imported into the session and placed into a folder track. Press Active/Inactive to quickly enable or disable the folder and its contents.

(3) This is a variation on (2) - which simply adds Show Hide to the conversation. Hold the Control (Fader module) modifier while pressing the same Active/Inactive soft key to access Hide + Inactive. Again, selecting then triggering this for a folder track will deactivate the folder and all of its contents then hide it all. Again, if this becomes an essential part of your workflow you can easily modify or centralize this EUCON soft key function into your customized user soft keys.


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  #110  
Old 09-30-2020, 09:28 AM
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Default Re: 3 Ways: Defaulting EQ & DYN

[DEFAULTING EQ & DYN SETTINGS]

(1) Use the Option modifier, either from a Fader Module (track color switches) or from the QWERTY keyboard while touching an encoder showing EQ or DYN parameters. This is generally most useful either in a local expand or dedicated On Attention expand zone. While still holding down Option, perform a swiping gesture, first across the lowest row (gains) then the second row (frequency) to quickly get back to a null state for an EQ.

(2) From the Process Module or Channelstrip Module on S4, press Clear then EQ to revert the currently active EQ back to either Factory or User Defaults. While viewing DYN (green) parameters for a given track, press Clear then Dyn to set the current dynamics plug-in to either Factory or User Defaults.

(2b) It is highly recommended, especially for plug-ins such as Fabfilter Pro-Q2 and Pro-Q3, to define and reference the User Default. Here's how to do it:
From a new instantiation of Pro-Q2 or Pro-Q3, choose Flat 7 Bands from their integrated plug-in preset librarian (not from the main plug-in header). Next, make any changes you may want - such as enabling HPF and LPF, changing the mid-band from tilt into parametric, etc. Save and Name your new preset using the Preset menu in the plug-in header. Under the Preset menu choose Set as User Default. Under the same menu choose Settings > Preferences > Set plug-in Default To > User Setting. Repeat these steps for any essential plug-ins where you want to create starting sets of parameters which differ from the Factory Defaults. Now press Clear then EQ to jump to your User EQ setting. Press Clear then Dyn to access your User Compressor setting, etc.

(3) Press Clear then Ins while viewing Inserts on either the Process Module or Channelstrip Module for S4. Doing so will - in one fell swoop - change every plug-in in your Inserts chain to their Factory or User Defaults, depending on what you choose. Again, it is highly recommended to define user defaults for all of your essential plug-ins - then place these into your template.

(3b) An interesting side effect... If you have Latch Prime on Stop enabled and the parameters for the plug-ins in the chain are enabled, while the channel is in Latch, pressing Clear then Ins will set the enabled plug-ins to their (user or factory) defaults which will also prime every parameter for all plug-ins in the insert chain. If Preview is enabled before this, all plug-ins in the chain will be set to default and then placed into isolate.


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