In this week’s Pro Tools Tip we have two related features which both combine MIDI data but at different levels. Firstly we have merging MIDI Clips:

It’s easy to control whether recording over a pre-existing MIDI Clip will overwrite or merge with the underlying MIDI data. Just click the MIDI Merge button in the Transport window or hit 9 on your Numeric keypad.

Merge MIDI Clips

To merge two MIDI clips, which have already been recorded is just as straightforward. Just copy the clip to be merged to the clipboard using CMD+C/Ctrl+C, highlight the clip into which you want to merge the copied MIDI and hit Option/Alt+M

Consolidate Notes

The second, related tip concerns merging multiple MIDI notes of the same pitch into one continuous note in the Notes view in the Edit window or in the MIDI editor. Otherwise known as Consolidating Notes. For example in this bassline if I wanted the two lower notes to tie underneath the octave jump, in this case the monophonic synth bass patch has portamento so a legato slide with no retriggering of the filter envelope will result if the lower note is held. in the first example with three distinct notes played the sound would be quite different.

To tie the two notes and combine them into one just select them both by pressing Ctrl on a Mac or Start on a PC while using the Pencil tool and use the crosshairs to marquee them. With both notes selected hit Opt+Shift+3 or Alt+Shift +3 on a PC.

You might well have recognised that shortcut as the same as is used to Consolidate Clips. If you look at the Edit menu you’ll see that the Consolidate entry changes to Consolidate Notes when you have a MIDI note selected. Makes sense…