Quick Recording Question

[randomdude84]

Hey guys, just wondering how i can get started recording my electric guitar with my mbox 3 mini and pt express.

I have googled countless times and keep finding stuff on pro tools and not pro tools express.

Can somebody please point me in the right direction. I just want to know how to start a new track and mess with different guitar sounds.

I can hear my guitar with a clean sound coming from the monitors but theres no track even set up yet. I'm assuming the mbox itself is transmitting the guitar through the monitors and has nothing to do with pro tools.

Im not sure why I can open garage band and click on electric guitar and mess with a bunch of setups but I can't figure it out on pt express.

Im so new to this that I really have no clue what Im doing. Im all for reading too but like I said, I keep finding stuff on pro tools and not pro tools express.

Thanks guys.

[randomdude84]

ok, figured it out guys. i just started watching pro tools videos for guitar recording and i guess some of it is the same with express. i had to arm the two red recording buttons and then turn my mix nob up on the mbox 3 mini lol. the joys of being a newb lol.

now onto figuring out how to add some drums to express. i see that there are some sessions in the quick start tab that have drums already put in but i can't seem to find how to add what kind of drums i want?

[randomdude84]

alright, just messed around with the rock guitar and metal sessions in the quick start tab with the drums.

im gonna start some sessions from scratch and see what i can do, not sure if i need a midi controller or not though.

i have one but my mbox 3 mini doesn't have a midi input though?

[Darryl Ramm]

I don't understand the question.

What external MIDI instrument/device are you trying to use? (e.g. keyboard/synthesizer or keyboard controller or MIDI drums etc.) And are you trying to record from or output MIDI to that device?

If you are just tying to get started with say a drum virtual instrument "in the box", you don't need any MIDI controller or external device, even if they internally use MIDI. You just edit the instument track MIDI scores with your mouse.

[randomdude84]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I don't understand the question.

What external MIDI instrument/device are you trying to use? (e.g. keyboard/synthesizer or keyboard controller or MIDI drums etc.) And are you trying to record from or output MIDI to that device?

If you are just tying to get started with say a drum virtual instrument "in the box", you don't need any MIDI controller or external device, even if they internally use MIDI. You just edit the instument track MIDI scores with your mouse.

i have an maudio oxygen 8 midi controller that I would like to use when i have to but I'm not sure how being that the mbox 3 mini doesn't have a midi port.

as for pro tools express, i was curious how to get started messing with my own drum patterns and such. wasn't sure were to locate the drum machines but i can see there are some pre filled sessions in the quick start tab. just not sure how to make my own drum patterns?

im gonna keep messing around but any help to quicken this task up would be much appreciated lol.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by randomdude84

i have an maudio oxygen 8 midi controller that I would like to use when i have to but I'm not sure how being that the mbox 3 mini doesn't have a midi port.

That's easy, the Oxygen 8 has a USB port and will do MIDI over USB. Just plug it into your computer. Look at the documentation for the keyboard and Pro Tools express about how to set up a USB controller. I'm leery to try to offer suggestions as (with most folks here) I never use Express.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by randomdude84

as for pro tools express, i was curious how to get started messing with my own drum patterns and such. wasn't sure were to locate the drum machines but i can see there are some pre filled sessions in the quick start tab. just not sure how to make my own drum patterns?.

I don't know exactly what is bundled with express and most folks on DUC don't use it, but you should be able to create your own instrument tracks (use instrument not MIDI tracks, they contain a MIDI track internally) and insert a virtual instrument plugin on that track. And Express ships with sample sessions as you mentioned with this already done, learn how to use those and maybe modify them for what you need.

The documentation should cover how to use virtual instruments. But as you already discovered the best resource for getting started are likely videos on YouTube. Start by looking for Pro Tools Express specific ones, but more general virtual instrument ones will likely help you a lot as well.

[randomdude84]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

I don't know exactly what is bundled with express and most folks on DUC don't use it, but you should be able to create your own instrument tracks (use instrument not MIDI tracks, they contain a MIDI track internally) and insert a virtual instrument plugin on that track. And Express ships with sample sessions as you mentioned with this already done, learn how to use those and maybe modify them for what you need.

The documentation should cover how to use virtual instruments. But as you already discovered the best resource for getting started are likely videos on YouTube. Start by looking for Pro Tools Express specific ones, but more general virtual instrument ones will likely help you a lot as well.

ok I've been trying on and off all day and i came close but no cigar yet. I figured out how to and the instrument track for xpand2 in the plug ins and create the stereo track. now i finally figured out how to get some sort of sound out of the plug in. i clicked on window and opened the midi editor(? can't remember now) and saw a keyboard with numbers on it. i was clicking on the keys around the number 1 area and was getting the levels to jump but a very distorted muffled sound for everything. no matter what i chose i was getting the same weird sound.

i just emailed myself the pro tools reference guide so i can scroll through it on the couch from my iPad but man, this is bugging me lol. i couldn't find my usb cord for the oxygen 8 either.

[randomdude84]

ok, i have it working now. i am playing around with stuff thats already created from the quick start sessions. i am waiting for my usb cable to come in the mail today so i can use my midi controller instead though lol.

not sure what i did differently today though, just started messing with the keyboard in the midi editor and i was getting soundfinally lol

pretty excited now, I've been screwing around for a while now. time to put some stuff together and create some cool backing tracks to jam along with my gee tar