In this tutorial you will learn how to record your guitar in any version of Pro Tools (in 4 easy steps).
1. Get an Audio Interface
To begin you will need an audio interface to get started. This is what you will directly connect your guitar or microphone into, which in turn will connect via a USB into your computer. There are many options available to purchase, but today we will be using the Scarlett Solo by Focusrite.
For best results connect your guitar straight into your interface, bypassing all external pedals/ effects. This will give you a clean signal and a great starting point to play with everything Pro Tools has to offer. Adding effects to a clean signal is much easier then taking them away from a dirty one.
Note: It is important when first starting off to obtain as clean of a sound as possible, as this is ideal for mixing and mastering. The more experienced you are the more you can experiment with the pedals you have at home to capture the exact sound you want.
2. Setup Pro Tools
When you first open Pro Tools you will be given the option to create a brand-new blank project, or open one of the pre-existing templates. It is recommended to explore the pre-existing templates to get a feel for how to tackle and structure different genres, but for now we will be starting from scratch. To do so uncheck the “create from template” box and click “create” at the bottom right to begin.
Welcome to Pro Tools! You should now see a blank workplace.
Now you will need to setup the playback engine to select which audio driver your computer needs to operate your hardware (Setup > Playback Engine). This will be the first step to setup your audio interface and speakers/ studio monitors. This should be a one-time setup unless you change your equipment down the line.
You will need to make sure you have all the correct drivers installed with Pro Tools. ASIO4ALL is recommended as it will cover almost all interfaces making this step as stress free as possible, and in our case is already connected. If you are using another driver or audio interface, you will see a drop-down menu to choose the different options.
Next you need to setup your hardware (Setup > Hardware). This will let you select the exact inputs and output you currently have plugged in and installed to your computer.
Note: Click the wrench icon in the corner to open the advanced options.
Make sure you also adjust your latency compensation once you are familiar with your speakers. Latency is the time it takes for your computer to interpret the signal coming from your guitar or microphone and send it through your speakers as sound. This may result in a slight delay in your output that needs to be compensated for.
Note: Latency compensation should be done after step 3, as you won’t be able to hear your guitar through your speakers until then.
3. Create a New audio Track
You are now ready to add your first audio track (Track > New). To record your guitar, make sure the settings are set to mono, and audio track. There are many different types of tracks that you can add to your workspace, but for now we’ll start with the basics. You also have the option to rename the track, which is useful when organizing a large project (can always adjust later).
Once you create the track, you will see it in your main workspace, but before you can use it you need to assign the correct inputs and outputs to the new audio track, that we just added to your system. If you don’t see the I/O section you can add it to your track by pressing the symbol at the top left of the track.
Next, arm your track to record by hitting the small record button on the right side. Arming a track is how Pro Tools knows which track you want to record on, which is needed when many tracks and instruments are being used in the same session. This will now let you hear your guitar being played through your speakers for the first time. You’ll know everything is working correctly when you see the sound meter levels reacting to your guitar.
Note: If the sound level is at the very top of the meter (in the red), you’ll hear unwanted noise making for a bad signal for Pro Tools to manipulate. Adjust the gain and/or volume input to be lower on your guitar and/or interface. Aim for the clearest input as possible. Latency compensation can also be adjusted at this stage.
4. Record Your Guitar
With everything setup and ready to go, you are now ready to record your guitar! Press the Record Enable button at the top right of your screen, then hit the space bar or play button and Pro Tools will start recording.
Click the space bar again or stop button to stop recording and save the audio you just played. You can now adjust and edit this track as you want to get the exact sound you are looking for.
You can also add different effects on top of your audio file, using the built-in plug-ins Pro Tools has to offer, or third-party plug-ins available to purchase. To do so hit the blank space under the Inserts section of your track.
Many effects can be added on to one track, acting just as your external guitar pedals would, routing through your amp at home.
This is the basics of starting to record a track using Pro Tools, but there is much more that Pro Tools has to offer. Once you are an expert, you will breeze through all of this without a second thought. Keep learning and keep exploring all that Pro Tools is capable of!
Written by Mark Major
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