Rearrange Controls and Displays On The Edit Window Toolbar

By TOM BOWSER

The Edit Window Toolbar is located across the top of the Edit window.

Understanding how to rearrange the controls and displays on the Edit Window toolbar can be useful if you find yourself working with Pro Tools outside your usual environment for example, at a friend's house or in a different studio.

Having the Edit Window Toolbar arranged as you are used to makes working in a new environment less stressful.

To move a control or display:

1. Press and hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard.
2. Move your mouse cursor to the edge of a control or display you want to move. When your mouse cursor turns into a hand (grabber) then…

3. Left click and hold down your left mouse button. Drag the control or display horizontally to a new location on the Edit Window Toolbar. As you drag the control or display a yellow vertical bar will appear to mark the new position.
4. Release your left mouse button at the position you want to move the control or display.

NOTE: Changes you make to the Edit Window Toolbar are saved on a per session basis. Each new session begins with the Pro Tools default layout.

Change How Plug-ins Are Listed in Pro Tools

By TOM BOWSER

Left click on:

• Setup then Preferences on the Pro Tools menu bar
• the Display tab
• on the dropdown arrow next to Organize Plug-In Menu By:

• Select either Flat List, Category, Manufacturer, or Category & Manufacturer.

I prefer to organize my plug-ins by Category & Manufacturer (see image below). This setting gives you the most information in the least amount of space. The alphabetically arranged "Flat List" can get very long.

Control Plug-ins Simultaneously On Multiple Tracks

By TOM BOWSER

In this Avid Pro Tools tutorial I show you how to simultaneously control the settings of the same plug-in installed on two or more tracks.

This might be useful if you want to process (equalization, compression, other), 2 separate drum overhead tracks (1 Left + 1 Right), doubled guitars or vocals.

NOTE: The plug-ins you want to control must be inserted on the same letter insert on ALL tracks. Inserts are assigned the letters A through J to identify them. See the image below.

Create a "group" that includes your tracks:

1. Press and hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard.
2. Left click on the name of each track to select it. The background should turn white.
3. Press and hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard then press the letter g. The Create Group window opens.
4. Type a name for your group in the box next to “Name:”.
5. Verify the tracks you want to include are listed in the box beneath the heading “Currently in Group:”.
6. Left click on the “OK” button to save your changes.

Open the Modify Groups window:

1. Right click on the name of the group you created. Groups are listed beneath the “GROUPS” heading in the Pro Tools Edit window.
2. Left click on the word “Modify…” in the menu that appears.

In the Modify Groups window:

1. Left click on the "Attributes" tab.
2. Remove the checkmark to the left of “Follow Globals”.
3. Press and hold down the ALT key on your keyboard then left click in a single checkbox under both the “Controls” and “Bypass” headings. All should become selected. See image below.
4. Left click on the “OK” button to save your changes.

Open 2 of the plug-ins you want to simultaneously control. Arrange them next to each other. Now, when you move a control on 1 of the plug-ins the same control will move on the other plug-in.