Of the new features in Pro Tools 2020.11, the stand out feature for me has been Audio To MIDI. It is simple, works well and is genuinely useful. In this article, we show you how it works.

What Is Audio To MIDI?

With new Audio-to-MIDI capabilities introduced into Pro Tools 2020.11, you can re-pitch notes, play with the timing, or even change the instrument in an audio file in Pro Tools. To achieve this, Avid has integrated Melodyne from Celemony into Pro Tools 2020.11.

Just drag and drop an audio clip to an instrument or MIDI track, and Pro Tools analyzes and renders all pitches and timing as MIDI note data, ready to be edited or revoiced.

You can do this by dragging and dropping an audio clip onto a MIDI or Instrument track, using a new command in the Track menu, or using special clipboard commands in the audio track’s contextual (right-click) menu(s).

It not only works with melodic material, but you can also convert percussive and polyphonic recordings too, opening up more new ways to create.

Melodyne Essential 

To enable the new Audio to MIDI future to work, Pro Tools subscriptions and Software Updates + Support Plans will now come with Celemony Melodyne 5 Essential at no additional cost (worth $99), making it easier to fix bad notes, hold out good ones, tighten up grooves, or even rearrange the melody. With natural-sounding results. There will be an affordable path to more pro versions of Melodyne as your needs grow.

Setting Up Melodyne Essential In Pro Tools 2020.11

As it accesses Melodyne’s technology you have to have Melodyne installed and activated on your system. From 2020.11, although Pro Tools automatically installs Melodyne Essential along with Pro Tools, you still need to activate it. Instructions on how to find your serial code for Melodyne Essential are provided on the Avid website.

How To Use Audio To MIDI In Pro Tools 2020.11

In the free demo video, you’ll see how simple and useful this feature is.