Needing a more analog "template" style workflow. Need advice from the PT sages...

[Matt Hepworth]

This isn't something I have call for all the time, but comes up occasionally, so I figured it's time to bite the bullet and ask for help. ;-)

I'm doing some mixes that want a really similar overall sound from one track to the next and were recorded in succession. Practically the same settings. Obviously rides will be different and vocals will get different treatment or effects, but the body (drums, bass, guitar, BV's, etc.) they want to be really close.

In the day this was super simple, because everything just played back from the recorder through the console and outboard, so you just wouldn't zero-out the gear between mixes.

I've played with templates in PT a bit, but still find myself spending an hour getting a song loaded into a template. This should be a breeze (5 minutes, not an hour), but *my* mind either really fights it, or it's just unintuitive for everyone.

What's the best practice here for dealing with templates? When matching tracks?

>>Biggest issues are settings from the imported tracks replacing the existing/template settings (volume, and such). No idea why Volume Automation and Settings is one check box instead of having an Initial Volume setting checkbox. Same with Pan and Mute.

>>Ideally I want the new tracks to be at the session template settings, but to cover up any automation in the template (especially that may have been missed when creating the template directly from the previous mix session).

I'm fighting it. Can't seem to embrace it.

If this is more appropriate in the Tips and Tricks forum, please move.

Thanks!

[mesaone]

If time is of the essence, I think maybe creating a template with subgroup AUX tracks is the way to go. Import the subgroup tracks, each of which have whatever processing should be common across sessions. Then change the output of your tracks to the appropriate subgroup.

That way, you do processing on the individual tracks, while outputting those tracks to the subgroups for "glue" processing. You can achieve a consistent feel with this method, I think - broad-brush EQ and compression on the subgroups, and mix into the subgroups by changing individual track level and processing - subgroups are the main "feel," and fine tuning is done on individual tracks. It may seem like a "backwards" way to work, but I've done it with a good deal of success.

[Craig F]

https://youtu.be/zeNj9TxKIlo?t=2m26s
and Track Data to Import @ 4:10

is this what you're looking for?

[PMF Media]

Or... you could take the session you've already spent hours on (refining EQ and dynamics etc) delete all the audio and zero out any track automation then use the "Save as Template" command (under the PT file menu) give the template a meaningful name - "My Basic Song Temp" for example - and voila, just import or record audio onto the appropriate tracks with the appropriate input and you're golden.

[Matt Hepworth]

Originally Posted by PMF Media

Or... you could take the session you've already spent hours on (refining EQ and dynamics etc) delete all the audio and zero out any track automation then use the "Save as Template" command (under the PT file menu) give the template a meaningful name - "My Basic Song Temp" for example - and voila, just import or record audio onto the appropriate tracks with the appropriate input and you're golden.

This is what I'm already doing. It takes about an hour to get the other song in. Should indeed be voila, but instead it's f$&$*! h@R)F !!!!

I should have clarified I'm importing session data for the other tracks into the template. Match brings everything in with settings that don't match the template I'm importing into (volume, pan, and send settings). If I leave everything basically unchecked in import it still seems to mess with all volume and pan settings.

So, what I'm doing that works but takes forever is pulling in the tracks using session import, but then pulling them in as new tracks, then manually moving the clips to the appropriate tracks in the template and making sure it didn't pull any settings.

Surely I'm doing something intuitively instead of correctly with the Match function...

I'll look at the vid link.

Thanks.

[elicious]

you're close.
after scrubbing out the automation and clips from the mix you like
(and updating "save as" and disk allocation),
match tracks from song 2
and under "track data to import"
deselect everything except "clips and media"
making sure to select "import-replace existing playlists".
(check up top for "link files" as opposed to to "copy files")

good to go.

this is the short answer to achieving an analog style workflow;
there are small details, like import tempo, markers, etc,
but this is the macro view and can be accomplished in minutes…
e
for the record

[Carl Kolchak]

@ Matt Hepworth,

You've already created your "Analog" Template to mix in.

So just open your original recording sessions, select all the audio on the time line, in grid mode, from the beginning of bar 1, and consolidate it in one hit (Alt/Option + Shift + 3).

Now open your "Analog" template, and import / drag and drop all those consolidated files (from the audio files folder of your original tracking session), into the region / clip list.

Now just drag the files to bar 1 on the appropriate track (they'll all have been named after the track they were on when they were consolidated, so it will be obvious - and even quicker if you happen to have set up your template with the tracks laid out in alphabetical order, and have hidden all but audio tracks, as you can drag them all out at once), set the session tempo to that of the original session, and your done.