How To Create A New Template In Pro Tools

Introduction

Well-nigh mixing engineers tend to have a preferred way of approaching a session, whether it be the effects used or the manner in which signals are routed, each engineer will have a process in which they feel is almost productive.

Pro Tools offers a feature known as 'Session Templates' which allows you lot to create your own custom session arrangement which tin can either be called upward at the showtime of a new session, or imported on the fly.

Creating The Template

We will start by creating a new blank Pro Tools session, you don't need to worry likewise much almost session settings or where you will be saving the session as we will exist deleting it after creating the template. The lowest sample rate and chip depth settings will be fine.

Y'all will at present be presented with the usual blank session mix and edit windows, this is where we will offset to build our template of tracks and effects we ordinarily employ in a production. It is very common for engineers to desire to ship their session tracks to various reverbs and delays, so for this tutorial nosotros will create a template fit for just that.

The template which we will create in this tutorial will consist of:

i x Room Reverb
1 x Short Plate Reverb
one x Long Plate Reverb
one x Slap Delay
one x Quarter Filibuster
one x Eighth Delay

So within the blank session I will create half dozen stereo Auxiliary inputs and brainstorm to place my furnishings on each of them, I will as well name the tracks so I can easily tell them autonomously. Non only will I identify effects on each of the tracks, I will as well adjust the settings of each of them to what I usually require.

In one case you are happy with the template setup, we are ready to salvage it every bit a single file which you can call into Pro Tools as needs be.

Saving Your Session Template

We now demand to salve a reference of the session setup you have created, we do this past going to File > Salvage As Template…

You volition now exist presented with a dialog box which gives you options on where you would like to save the template file. You volition be given the option to save the file 'in system' which means that it will exist saved within your local Pro Tools folders where it will exist displayed when you choose to create a new session from template.

You lot tin also choose to set a location for the file, this will permit y'all to create the file on your desktop for example.

Quick Tip: The 'Include Media' option should be used if your session template contains any sound, MIDI, or Video regions. This may be templates such as an ADR template which could include a 'Sync Tone'.

Your .ptt file has now been created and is fix for y'all to move to your portable storage device to take to the next studio you may be mixing in, or simply saved with your other templates on your own system.

Importing The Template

About of the time, you will be presented with an existing Pro Tools session which may have only the raw recorded material and no effects; this is where you can telephone call up your previously created template allowing yous to introduce your favourite production setup at the click of a button.

With your session open, navigate to File > Import Session Data, this is a tool inside Pro Tools which volition let you to pull across whichever tracks, effects, audio files etc you lot need from another session. It is besides the tool you will need to use to import a template – you lot tin as well use the keyboard shortcut OPT_SHIFT_I.

You will exist asked to search for the file or session yous wish to import from, simply click on the template '.ptt' file you created earlier and click OK. You will then be taken through the import window, this shows a range of data about the created template file but the department you lot need to be looking at is the source/destination surface area effectually the middle. This area should now display all of the tracks you originally had in the template file and to the right of each track will be a drop down menu which volition read '(none)' by default.

The driblet down menu dictates where that track information volition be placed, whether it be onto an existing track within the session or a new one. As nosotros would like to have our effects template on their own tracks we will simply alter the value to 'New Track'.

Quick Tip: Belongings the 'Option' primal while choosing 'New Track' for 1 of the tracks will brand the others follow in the same fashion.

Information technology is besides important at this stage to ensure that the menu below the track allotment which reads ' Track Data To Import' is set to all, this will ensure that all of the plug-ins and settings on those tracks will exist imported likewise.

When yous are happy with the options, click ok and yous will instantly be taken straight dorsum into your session with all of your preferred effects there and ready to be routed to.

Experiment with edifice upwardly your session templates to include window configurations and custom furnishings and instead of starting the kickoff of a session setting up, you tin can spend it mixing instead!