Editing Pro Tools (section)

==Features==
[[Image:protools9screen.png|thumb|The timeline of Pro Tools 9 showing audio and MIDI tracks, running on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]]]
Pro Tools workflow is organized into two main windows: the timeline is shown in the Edit window, while the mixer is shown in the Mix window. MIDI and Score Editor windows provide a dedicated environment to edit MIDI.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=187–190|loc=12. Pro Tools Main Windows}} Different window layouts, along with shown and hidden tracks and their width settings, can be stored and recalled from the Window configuration list.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=205–213|loc=12. Pro Tools Main Windows}}

=== Timeline ===
The timeline provides a graphical representation of all types of tracks: the audio [[Envelope (waves)|envelope]] or [[waveform]] (when zoomed in) for audio tracks, a [[Piano roll#In digital audio workstations|piano roll]] showing MIDI notes and controller values for MIDI and Instrument tracks, a sequence of frame thumbnails for video tracks, audio levels for auxiliary, master and [[Variable-gain amplifier#Digital variable-gain amplifier|VCA]] master tracks.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=190|loc=12. Pro Tools Main Windows}} Alternate audio and MIDI content can be recorded, shown, and edited in multiple layers for each track (called playlists), which can be used for track compositing.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=691|loc=32. Playlists}} All the mixer parameters (such as track and sends volume, pan, and mute status) and plug-in parameters can be changed over time through [[Track automation|automation]].{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1125–1126|loc=50. Automation}} Any automation type can be shown and edited in multiple lanes for each track.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1135–1138|loc=50. Automation}} Track-based volume automation can be converted to clip-based automation and vice versa;{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=947|loc=43. Clip Gain and Clip Effects}} automation of any type can also be copied and pasted to any other automation type.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1160|loc=50. Automation}}

Time can be measured and displayed on the timeline in different scales: bars and beats, time or SMPTE timecode (with selectable frame rates), audio samples, or film stock feet for audio-for-film referencing (based on the 35&nbsp;mm film format).{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=837–840|loc=38. Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords}} Tempo and meter changes can also be programmed; both MIDI and audio clips can move or time-stretch to follow tempo changes ("tick-based" tracks) or maintain their absolute position ("sample-based" tracks). Elastic Audio must be enabled to allow time stretching of audio clips.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=16|loc=2. Pro Tools Concepts}}

=== Editing ===
Audio and MIDI clips can be moved, cut, and duplicated non-destructively on the timeline (edits change the clip organization on the timeline, but source files are not overwritten).{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=653–664|loc=30. Editing Clips and Selections}} [[Audio time stretching and pitch scaling|Time stretching]] (TCE), [[pitch shift]]ing, equalization, and dynamics processing can be applied to audio clips non-destructively and in real-time with Elastic Audio{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=695|loc=44. Elastic Audio}} and Clip Effects;{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=949–950|loc=43. Clip Gain and Clip Effects}} gain can be adjusted statically or dynamically on individual clips with Clip Gain;{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=941|loc=43. Clip Gain and Clip Effects}} fade and crossfades can be applied, adjusted and are processed in real-time. All other types of audio processing can be rendered on the timeline with the AudioSuite (non-real-time) version of AAX plug-ins.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=929|loc=42. AudioSuite Processing}} Audio clips can be converted to MIDI data using the Celemony [[Melodyne]] engine; pitches with timing and velocities are extracted through melodic, polyphonic, or rhythmic analysis algorithms.{{Sfn|Avid|2020|p=1011–1013|loc=46. Extract MIDI from Audio}} Pitch and rhythm of audio tracks can also be viewed and manipulated with the bundled Melodyne Essential.

MIDI notes, velocities, and controllers can be edited directly on the timeline, each MIDI track showing an individual piano roll, or in a specific window, where several MIDI and Instrument tracks can be shown together in a single piano roll with color-coding. Multiple MIDI controllers for each track can be viewed and edited on different lanes.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=787|loc=35. MIDI Editors}} MIDI tracks can also be shown in [[musical notation]] within a score editor.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=805|loc=36. Score Editor}} MIDI data such as note quantization, duration, transposition, delay, and velocity can also be altered non-destructively and in real-time on a track-per-track basis.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=780|loc=34. MIDI Editing}}

Video files can be imported to one or more video tracks and organized in multiple playlists. Multiple video files can be edited together and played back in real-time. Video processing is GPU-accelerated and managed by the Avid Video Engine (AVE). Video output from one video track is provided in a separate window or can be viewed full screen.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1355–1357|loc=60. Working with Video in Pro Tools}}

=== Mixing ===
The virtual mixer shows controls and components of all tracks, including [[Insert (effects processing)|inserts]], [[Aux-send|sends]], input and output [[Audio bus|assignments]], automation read/write controls, [[Panning (audio)|panning]], [[Mixing console|solo/mute]] buttons, arm record buttons, the [[Fade (audio engineering)#Fader|volume fader]], the [[Peak programme meter|level meter]], and the track name. It also can show additional controls for the inserted [[Software synthesizer|virtual instrument]], mic preamp gain, HEAT settings, and the EQ curve of supported plug-ins.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=188|loc=12. Pro Tools Main Windows}} Each track inputs and outputs can have different channel depths: [[Monaural|mono]], [[Stereophonic sound|stereo]], [[Surround sound|multichannel]] (LCR, [[Dolby Stereo|LCRS]], [[Quadraphonic sound|Quad]], [[5.1 surround sound|5.0/5.1]], 6.0/6.1, [[7.1 surround sound|7.0/7.1]]); [[Dolby Atmos]] and [[Ambisonics]] formats are also available for mixing.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1201–1203|loc=52. Pro Tools Setup for Surround}}

Audio can be routed to and from different outputs and inputs, both physical and internal. Internal routing is achieved using busses and auxiliary tracks; each track can have multiple output assignments.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1057|loc=48. Basic Mixing}} Virtual instruments are loaded on Instrument tracks—a specific type of track that receives MIDI data in input and returns audio in output.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1046|loc=48. Basic Mixing}}

Plug-ins are processed in real-time with dedicated DSP chips (AAX DSP format) or using the host computer's CPU (AAX Native format).{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1058|loc=48. Basic Mixing}}

==== Track rendering ====
Audio, auxiliary, and Instrument tracks (or MIDI tracks routed to a [[Software synthesizer|virtual instrument]] plug-in) can be committed to new tracks containing their rendered output. Virtual instruments can be committed to audio to prepare an arrangement project for mixing; track commit is also used to free up system resources during mixing or when the session is shared with systems not having some plug-ins installed. Multiple tracks can be rendered at a time; it is also possible to render a specific timeline selection and define which range of inserts to render.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=995–999|loc=45. Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks}}

Similarly, tracks can be frozen with their output rendered at the end of the plug-in chain or at a specific insert of their chain. Editing is suspended on frozen tracks, but they can subsequently be unfrozen if further adjustments are needed. For example, virtual instruments can be frozen to free up system memory and improve performance while keeping the possibility to unfreeze them to make arrangement changes.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1000–1002|loc=45. Committing, Freezing, and Bouncing Tracks}}

==== Mixdown ====
The main mix of the session—or any internal mix bus or output path—can be bounced to disk in real-time (if hardware inserts from analog hardware are used, or if any audio or MIDI source is monitored live into the session) or offline (faster-than-real-time). The selected source can be mixed to mono, stereo, or any other multichannel format. Multichannel mixdowns can be written as an interleaved audio file or in multiple mono files. Up to 24 sources of up to 10 channels each can be mixed down simultaneously—for example, to deliver [[Stem (audio)|audio stems]].{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1188–1190|loc=51. Mixdown}}

Audio and video can be bounced together to a MOV file; video is transcoded with the DNxHD, DNxHR, Apple ProRes, and H.264 video codecs.{{Sfn|Avid|2020|p=1408|loc=62. Working with Video in Pro Tools}}

=== Session data exchange ===
Session data can be partially or entirely exchanged with other DAWs or video editing software that support [[Advanced Authoring Format|AAF]], [[Open Media Framework Interchange|OMF]], or [[Material Exchange Format|MXF]]. AAF and OMF sequences embed audio and video files with their metadata; when opened by the destination application, session structure is rebuilt with the original clip placement, edits, and basic track and clip automation.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=19–23|loc=2. Pro Tools Concepts}}

Track contents and any of its properties can be selectively exchanged between Pro Tools sessions with Import Session Data (for example, importing audio clips from an external session to a designated track while keeping track settings or importing track inserts while keeping audio clips).{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=420–421|loc=20. Importing and Exporting Session Data}} Similarly, the same track data for any track set—a given processing chain, a collection of clips, or a group of tracks with their assignments—can be stored and recalled as Track Presets.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=267–270|loc=14. Track Presets}}

=== Cloud collaboration ===
Pro Tools projects can be synchronized to the Avid Cloud and shared with other users on a track-by-track basis. Different users can simultaneously work on the project and upload new tracks or any changes to existing tracks (such as audio and MIDI clips, automation, inserted plug-ins, and mixer status) or alterations to the project structure (such as tempo, meter, or key).{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=381|loc=19. Track Collaboration}}

=== Field recorder workflows ===
Pro Tools reads embedded metadata in media files to manage multichannel recordings made by [[Field recording|field recorders]] in production sound. All stored metadata (such as scene and [[take]] numbers, tape or sound roll name, or production comments) can be accessed in the Workspace browser.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1333–1336|loc=59. Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools}}

Analogous audio clips are identified by overlapping [[Linear timecode|longitudinal timecode]] (LTC) and by one or more user-defined criteria (such as matching file length, file name, or scene and take numbers). An audio segment can be replaced from matching channels (for example, to replace audio from a [[boom microphone]] with the audio from a [[lavalier microphone]]) while maintaining edits and fades in the timeline, or any matching channels can be added to new tracks.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1341–1346|loc=59. Working with Field Recorders in Pro Tools}}

=== Multi-system linking and device synchronization ===
Up to twelve Pro Tools Ultimate systems with dedicated hardware can be linked together over an Ethernet network—for example, in multi-user mixing environments where different mix components (such as dialog, ADR, effects, and music) reside on different systems, or if a larger track count or processing power is needed. Transport, solo, and mute are controlled by a single system and with a single control surface.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1387|loc=61. Satellite Link}} One system can also be designated for video playback to optimize performance.{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1397|loc=62. Pro Tools Video Satellite}} Pro Tools can synchronize to external devices using [[SMPTE timecode|SMPTE/EBU timecode]] or [[MIDI timecode]].{{Sfn|Avid|2019|p=1267|loc=57. Working with Synchronization}}