Avid Education offers a number of Pro Tools certifications, validating user skills from novice to expert. A question which often comes up from those considering taking the Pro Tools courses is ‘Is Avid certification actually worth it and how will it help me to succeed working in audio?’.

In this article, we hear from four people involved in the Avid Pro Tools certification program to get their perspectives on the courses offered and what they consider the value of the certification to be.

Frank Cook - Avid Courseware Author

Many Pro Tools enthusiasts, from beginners to advanced users, may question the value of completing formal training in Pro Tools with an Avid Learning Partner school. After all, they argue, the best learning comes from real-world experience. And if I get stuck, there are plenty of online resources available to teach me about features, functions, and key commands I don’t already know, right?

All valid points, of course. Even the most book-smart Pro Tools user will struggle to create quality recordings, compelling edits, and impactful mixes without putting in hours of experimentation and trial-and-error to hone their craft. And a good Google search can often lead to a quick or innovative solution to just the issue you’re struggling with. Heck, let’s face it, that is how we deal with many of our daily life challenges. 

I have a background in automotive repair, having helped my dad work on cars throughout my youth. So today, when I need an oil change, I’ll typically do it myself, because I can. If I need to replace a starter, swap out a leaky radiator, or install new brake pads, I tackle these in my own garage. And when I run into issues — maybe something unfamiliar on my new Toyota that is different from my old familiar Chevy — the internet is there to help me out. A couple of YouTube videos later and I’m off and running. 

But let’s be clear: I’m not an auto mechanic. I don’t own a shop where Jack and Jill Public can drop off their vehicles of any make and model for diagnostic assessments and repairs. If I wanted to make this my career, I’d need to know more. Lots more. I cannot rely on my experience working on a few family vehicles and expect the internet to cover the rest.

Pro Tools is no different. Avid’s courses, starting at the 100-level and extending up to the 300-level, explore the depths, intricacies, and details of Pro Tools operations and workflows in ways that you are unlikely to encounter through work experience alone. Do you ever wonder, “Why does this checkbox not do what I think it is supposed to do?” Or “What does that error message even mean?” Or how about, “What is the facility of that particular feature – I can see what it does, but why would you ever want that?” And then there is the old standby, “I know there is a faster way — I’ve seen Paul Maunder do it in a video — but I can’t for the life of me figure out how he did it or why it’s not working for me.”

These are questions that we explore in the Avid Learning Partner-based courses. And instead of randomly throwing out answers in response to a one-off situation (as an internet search will do when you get stuck), these courses are designed to build your understanding of the software, its features, and its design philosophy from the ground up. The 100-level covers basic, foundational principles. But don’t be fooled; these classes are not just for beginners. Often, Pro Tools 101 and 110 are more difficult for seasoned veterans, because they have never learned the building blocks. I cannot tell you how many times, during a 100-level course, an accomplished professional mixer or engineer with decades of experience has asked, “Is that new? How long has that been in Pro Tools?” in reference to a feature that has been around for 10 or 15 years!

Why does that happen? Because if you work predominantly on one type of project in Pro Tools — say recording pop or rock music — you won’t get much exposure to other types of work. You may not know much about recording Foley, or doing sound design, or synchronizing audio to video. Do you need to know about these topics as a music mixer? Perhaps not — but in the process of exploring new types of work, you also get exposure to new workflows, operations, shortcuts, and solutions that you may never discover otherwise. And once you’ve added these new tools to your toolbox, you will find ways to use them in the routine work you do everyday. That’s where true efficiency and creativity kicks in.

There is a reason a professional mechanic can fix an exhaust leak faster than I can. That’s not to take away from the personal enjoyment I get from solving the problem in my own garage. But I know all too well that, at times, my automotive work lacks that professional touch. And honestly, the baling wire solutions that were good enough for my old Chevy may not really be what I want for my new Toyota. 

When you’re ready to move from hobbyist to professional, it’s time to invest in training. Completing your Pro Tools training at an Avid Learning Partner school means you will learn in a structured way, building a solid foundation of understanding and adding to your knowledge in layers with each level: from Specialist to Professional to Expert. You’ll learn the purpose behind each feature and the design intent that drives development at Avid. And as a bonus, you can earn industry-recognized certifications from Avid along the way!

James Richmond - Avid Certified Professional

I recently decided to go through the certification process for Avid Pro Tools, partly to see what gaps I might have in my knowledge but also to have the certificate, rather than just a lot of time under my belt using Pro Tools. The issue with being self taught is you do miss a few things, and Pro Tools is the one DAW, more than any other that I have used, where there is always a different way to do whatever it is you are trying to do.

Another reason was to get a few post-production workflows under my belt as the work I am doing at the moment is increasingly in that field. Again, being self-taught, I was fairly sure that the way I did things was not necessarily the way everyone else did them. I also have a more long range plan of being an Avid certified trainer so it seemed a good time to start. So far I’ve done PT101, PT110, PT201 and PT210 Post, passed the PT110 exam with the PT210 Post still to do.

Even though I’ve used Pro Tools since 2002 I found that at all levels there were quite a few things that I’d not known about Pro Tools. For instance, did you know you can use ⌥⌘  in combination with 1,2,3 to shift keyboard focus from Edit to Clips List to Groups list? I didn’t until a few weeks ago. I use it all the time now. There are quite a few other examples too, small things you might not know but they add up. 

It isn’t just about adding a few keyboard shortcuts though, it is spending a concentrated period of time learning the application rather than how we often do it, which is learning as a byproduct of working with it. The extra focus on Pro Tools itself has allowed me to fill in a few gaps and becomes more efficient and therefore faster working with it.

PT210 Post was where things really got interesting. At this level the course materials are more detailed and specific to post production workflows, which is exactly what I needed to know. The reason I haven’t done that exam is that in the three days of that course we covered so much ground that I just need time to practice what I’d been taught so that it can become second nature. I got my money’s worth, certainly.

I thoroughly enjoyed the days I spent doing these courses. The trainers, Giovanni Sipiano, Richard Bignell and Justin Fraser, were very understanding of my almost pathological habit for going off-topic as well as being hugely knowledgeable and enthusiastic for the topic areas.

 If you are new to Pro Tools then these courses are going to be an ideal way to get up to speed but even those of us who have a lot of flight time with Pro Tools will get a lot out of it.

Paul Maunder - Avid Certified Instructor

To give you a brief overview of the structure of the Pro Tools courses Avid offer, there are several levels available. You can choose to go as far as you like with the certification but the order and naming structure of the courses are as follows.

Pro Tools 101 - Pro Tools Fundamentals 1

Pro Tools 110 Pro Tools Fundamentals 2

These two courses are the entry level of Pro Tools certification and successful completion of both, along with the accompanying 50 question multiple choice exams, results in Avid Certified | Specialist certification (formerly known as Avid Certified User). You can choose to only do the 101 if you like but, in my experience teaching the courses, most people do go on to the 110 course after 101 in order to attain the certification.

Next is the 200 level, starting with the Pro Tools 201.

Pro Tools 201 - Pro Tools Production I

Again, you can choose to stop at this point if you like but many people taking courses prefer to go on to complete the 200 level courses with one (or sometimes both) of the following.

Pro Tools 210M - Pro Tools Production 2 (Music)

Pro Tools 210P - Pro Tools Production 2 (Post)

This is the point where the course content branches off in two directions, one specialising in music (210M) and the other in post (210P). The course content at 210 level is quite advanced and completion of either of these results in Avid Certified | Professional certification (formerly known as Avid Certified Operator). I’m very familiar with the 210P course in particular, having taught it a number of times across several different versions over a number of years. In my opinion it’s an excellent, very well structured course which covers a number of important workflows and techniques you’ll encounter when working in audio post. Passing the 210 level courses is not trivial and requires a solid knowledge of a number of Pro Tools operations, shortcuts and practices. Further to James Richmond’s point about not doing the exam immediately after taking the course, I would say that this is a wise decision. When done as an intensive 3 day course, the Pro Tools 210M and 210P courses pack a lot in and require time to digest and revise if you want to stand the best chance of passing the exam and, more importantly, benefiting from the rich amount of information they contain. For those who dare, there is actually one final level of certification after 210. This is the 300 level which again consists of a music or a post specific course.

Pro Tools 310M - Advanced Music Production Techniques

Pro Tools 310P - Advanced Post Production Techniques

This course is highly advanced and is very much aimed at those who have already been working in their respective field of audio production for a number of years who want to know about every intricacy of how Pro Tools works and the feature set it provides. The 310 courses cumulate in not only a 50 question multiple choice exam (that’s the easy part!), but also a rigorous practical exam. This takes the form of a live demonstration of your skills, during which an Avid Certified Instructor trained in the proper grading process will observe you. Few people choose to attempt this level of certification but, should you complete the course and successfully pass both the multiple choice and the practical exams, you’ll attain the ultimate level of Avid Pro Tools certification, either Avid Certified Expert: Pro Tools | Music or Avid Certified Expert: Pro Tools | Post.

That’s an overview of the course structure, so the question remains; is it worth it? Well, I’m slightly biased since I teach the courses but I chose to become certified in the first place because I saw the value in them. With each updated release of the Avid courseware, even at the 100 level, I pick up new things which I can incorporate into my own workflow and be more efficient at what I do. Sure, you can create great work having never looked at any of the Avid courses, but there will be things in there which you won’t otherwise be aware of and, if you know them, these features and shortcuts allow you to do things in a more effective way and, ultimately, save time in the work you do on a day to day basis. I started using Pro Tools in 1998 and taught myself how to use it initially, reading the user manual from cover to cover twice. This turned out to be a pretty good way of picking it up and getting to grips with the operation of the software but, in taking the Pro Tools courses a number of years later, I realised the benefit of having a properly structured course which is designed to run in a logical order and build on your knowledge in a way which actually makes sense.

It has to be said that completing every level of the Avid Pro Tools certification is a costly business and I can see why only a handful of people choose to go on to take the 310M or 310P courses. I’d say that if there’s a sweet spot in the course structure which strikes the best balance between knowledge and value it’s the 210M/210P Avid Certified | Professional certification. Completion of this, coupled with working professionally in the industry, will stand you in good stead for not only being able to work highly effectively with Pro Tools but also being able to fix technical issues as and when they occur. I’ve taught people who have been using Pro Tools for 20 years and they always comment on how much they didn’t know they’d missed prior to taking the courses.

Ashleigh Davies - Learning Partner Account Administrator - Avid

I remember it like yesterday - it’s my first professional engineering gig and I have 30 minutes to set up the mix stage before the client arrives.  I walk into the studio and see a load of gear that I never worked with, and just think, oh no! 

We have all been there. Be it walking into your first role within the Audio Industry or even just a new facility having been in the industry for many years, there will always be new gear, control surfaces and so on. Being tasked to do something you have no prior experience with can be daunting, and very stressful! 

But in my experience, however, one piece of gear that will always remain consistent is Pro Tools – and it was at the heart of the studio that day. I’d been trained and certified on it in school, and at that moment I was very thankful I knew my way around Pro Tools I/O setup! 

In my role at Avid, I am lucky enough to be connected with both Industry and Education. When speaking with Industry – be it artists, mix engineers, sound designers, or re-recording mixers – I hear time and again about the importance of Pro Tools Certification and the need to be able to walk into a facility already armed with the skills to operate Pro Tools in what is usually, a high paced environment.  

The Pro Tools Specialist, Professional and Expert certification courses are designed to be a progressive learning experience, methodically building your skills from getting started right through to working with automation and real-world mixing workflows. By the end of each course, the learner is well prepared for the Certification exam and ready to demonstrate their skills. Hearing from thousands of students and professionals who are Pro Tools Certified, having gone through the courses, I am always happy to hear regardless of their prior experience using Pro Tools, they always learn something new. 

Not only do you set yourself apart with the certification, proving your skills and knowledge, but you can also be confident walking into a facility knowing the tools you need to get the job done.

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to consider when choosing whether or not to take an Avid Pro Tools course, and we’ve heard the viewpoints of four people who have experience taking, creating, administering and teaching the courses. The breadth of courses on offer actually goes beyond what we’ve outlined in this article. Avid also offer certification on the S6 control surface, Dolby Atmos, Game Audio, Sibelius and Media Composer. There are even Avid Certified Support Representative (ACSR) qualifications relating to Pro Tools, Media Composer, S6, Venue S6, Avid NEXIS, Media Central and Maestro Graphics. For more information on these, check out the Certification page on Avid’s website.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on Avid certification. Do you think the courses are worthwhile? Have you taken any of the courses yourself? Let us know in the comments!