ProTools shortcuts and behaviors you cannot live without

[LeSedna]

Hello

A simple question : as I am improving my workflow a lot, and some people asked me to see if some basic PT things could be ported over Reaper, I was curious : what would you say are the most natural yet unique things PT can do and you miss in other DAWs ? Can be basic shortcuts, editing behaviours, and things like that.

Thanks !

 

[greyskull]

ALL OF THEM

 

[heshian46]

ALL OF THEM

^Great answer!


Using R and T to zoom is one of my most used keyboard shortcuts.

 

[MattGrave]

Beat Detective/Elastic audio, keys for switching tools, zoom shortcuts, track up/down shortcuts, and if you're keen on adding things a "delete fades" shortcut

 

[LeSedna]

Basic shortcuts aren't a problem,

BD/Elastic audio is pretty much as powerful now, it's just a pity it is not more obvious in the manual on in Reaper itself. Obviously the tools are different but it's more or less the same. There are also 5 or 6 ways of editing tracks including drums, and a couple methods of tempo mapping which cover pretty much all scenarios possible.

Keys for switching tools is not simple but doable with good macro. You are talking about the Smart Tool etc ? Because the basic reaper tool is basically a smart tool. Now it can be programmed to be simpler at times (grabber I guess for example, where only moving objects occur ?). The 4 editing behaviours as well are tricky, especially the shuffle mode (if I got it thought, it would be close to ripple editing although very different)

Not sur delede fades is supported now with a single shortcut I have to look into that.

 

[brianhood]

Navigation in PT for me is something that I cannot find a match for in any other DAW. I can do so fucking much with just a mouse wheel in conjunction with the command, option, control, and shift keys.
so. fucking. much.

 

[LeSedna]

^ Thats a very very easy fix ! I find the navigation viewer a tiny bit lacking visually but except that, any scrolling behaviour can be marched. I have to look into the zoom tool (sélect an area to zoom the screen to) though but the rest is easy. There will be differences though. For example there is no way to navigate Wih a cursor since there is no cursor in reaper. There is a catch regarding the use of OPT to scroll horizontally because in slip editing it is lightning fast to pass from left to right and edit technical guitars bass or drums. If you wish So you can even do it one handed although I prefer using keys. Could use other modifier key but then you would need another button than the standard reaper S for splitting. I might find a workaround in the case of PT matching. Also I am looking into changing on the fly this kind of behaviours so reaper enters in "slip editing mode" then in "REAPER mode" then in "PT mode" when it comes to navigation behaviour.

I think when PT adopts its new pricing i will subscribe a couple month and set up an ebook + video tutorial to get as clos as possible to the PT behaviour while still embracing the changes. Like I wouldn't go into details for the whole keyboard, 80% of the PT behaviours would be matched on the keyboard, because it's expected people know them already and explore by themselves, but would show how to do the requested things in reaper with sometimes a difference (like BD some simple rock drums, how to embrace the unlimited routing abilities of Reaper). Some things might end up looking like a basic reaper tutorial but with PT keys. The idea is to guide people into reaper by adapting as much as possible their own workflow especially with regards to routing because in PT it's pretty traditional and people demand how you can route and print two mono tracks in reaper, while in reaper the concept of mono or stereo are transparent and it handles the difference itself internally when it needs to playback audio or print files. Things like that need to be explained easily.

I think if I actually do this I will try to make videos as concise as possible because I find visual tutorials to be annoyingly long and never straight to the point.

(Sorry for the typos, I'm on my phone ATM)

 

[crillemannen]

I like alt+shift+mousewheel. Zooms in and out in wav files, perfect to find breath's etc. Alt+mousewheel, zoom in/out. And I use all my most used command with a Logitech G13, speeds up the workflow ALLOT. Switching between edit and mix window (ctrl++) on a single button, nudge +- within a one hand reach etc etc.


And im with Brian, i use the ctrl,shift etc + mousewheel for allot.


Here's a nice tutorial for shortcuts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plHvxiIqHyI

 

[LeSedna]

I like alt+shift+mousewheel. Zooms in and out in wav files, perfect to find breath's etc. Alt+mousewheel, zoom in/out. And I use all my most used command with a Logitech G13, speeds up the workflow ALLOT. Switching between edit and mix window (ctrl++) on a single button, nudge +- within a one hand reach etc etc.


And im with Brian, i use the ctrl,shift etc + mousewheel for allot.


Here's a nice tutorial for shortcuts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plHvxiIqHyI

Funny you mention the G13, I have chosen the razor equivalent, and it kinda changed my life !

 

[LeSedna]

Navigation in PT for me is something that I cannot find a match for in any other DAW. I can do so fucking much with just a mouse wheel in conjunction with the command, option, control, and shift keys.
so. fucking. much.

Could you post your most important ones." ? Would help me remap reaper to Protools standard for switchers. Any more information is always welcome and will help me pre-set it up.

 

[Machinated]

I wish pro tools had something like in logic where pressing "V" hides plugins temporarily and then pressing it again brings them back.

 

[abt]

I wish pro tools had something like in logic where pressing "V" hides plugins temporarily and then pressing it again brings them back.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec08/articles/ptworkshop.htm

 

[B36arin]

I wish pro tools had something like in logic where pressing "V" hides plugins temporarily and then pressing it again brings them back.

This might be in the link in the last post, but ctrl+alt+cmd+w hides all floating windows(i.e. plugin windows etc.) and makes them reappear when you press them again. I use it all the time.

Here are some other quick commands I use ALL the time, some of them are unique to Pro Tools and some aren't.

- The r and t zoom commands
- Tab to transient
- Nudge buttons(, and .), ALL the time.
- cmd+8 for beat detective
- cmd+5 for memory locations
- cmd+1 for transport
- cmd + k to enable/disable pre/post-roll
- alt+k to enable/disable input only monitoring
- numpad enter for adding markers
- a, s, d and g to trim region start/region end and fade ins/outs. This is big.
- cmd and = to toggle between mix/edit window
- p and æ(on my Danish keyboard) to navigate up and down to select several tracks/regions at the same time
- numpad * + bar number to navigate through the session

I feel totally handicapped when opening up another DAW because I go straight for my quick commands instead of looking for the correct buttons.

 

[Machinated]

excellent stuff!

 

[Potshot]

opt + shift + 3 to consolidate tracks
cmd + shift + k to export regions as files
numpad 7 for metronome on/off
numpad 3 for record
p l ; ' for moving up, left, down, right
b for break
tab for tabbing to transients, opt tab for tabbing backward
tilde for switching grid modes
esc for switching between tools if the multi tool is shitting me
and of course the ubiquitous r and t for zooming