We are running a series of free video tutorials produced by Recording Revolution's Graham Cochrane for Avid. Graham made this series in 2015 using Pro Tools 11 but so much of what Graham covers is still relevant and valid that we have decided to run this series here on Pro Tools Expert.

In episodes 1 and 2 of Get Started Fast with Pro Tools Graham setup a session ready to start the process of writing and building the song.  In episode 3 Graham added the guitar parts and created a structure for the song. In episode 4, he used the MIDI Edit Window with the Xpand!2 virtual instrument (VI) and recorded some vocals to fill it out. 

As we move through the creative process, and the song comes together, Graham has been doing rough mixing of the track levels with the faders to help judge how the tracks all sound against each other. At any time, as you build tracks, you can do rough mixes and bounce them out so you can listen to the current state of the song on your favorite listening device or in the car, but once all the recording and editing is completed it’s time show you how to do a final mix of the song.

In Episode 6 Graham started balancing the tracks against each other and showed how to use plug-ins for dynamics and EQ control, how to add reverb and space as well as using groups and how to use AudioSuite plug-ins. 

In the final episode, Graham covers the mastering process using the included Maxim plug-in to bring up the overall level of the song, giving it more punch and making it match the levels of commercial music tracks.

Once the song is ready, Graham shows you how to export your song using the Bounce feature to a .WAV file and MP3 so you can send your song to iTunes, create a CD, distribute it online to your friends and use portals like SoundCloud. Or just sit back and check out the mix to see if you need to make any further adjustments. 

More About This Series

Over this 7 part series, Graham starts with practising and working out the song in Pro Tools with the Duet interface using templates, then moves through the process of recording guitar, bass and MIDI keyboards with Virtual Instruments. Then he covers audio and MIDI editing all the way to the final mix and getting your song out the world.