DigiDesign Digidesign Pro Tools 8.0, Reference Manual

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Chapter 2: Pro Tools Concepts 17
Signal Routing Options
Signal routing options include the following:
Track Input and Output (I/O) Controls
The most
basic type of signal routing is track input and
output. A track needs to have an assigned input
path to record audio, and an assigned output
path in order to be audible through a hardware
output. Signals can also be routed to or from
other tracks in Pro Tools (or hardware inputs
and outputs) using internal busses.
Auxiliary Input and Master Fader Tracks Auxil-
iary Inputs can be used as returns, submixers,
and bus masters. Master Fader tracks are used as
bus and output master level controls. Both Aux-
iliary Input and Master Fader tracks can have
plug-in and hardware inserts.
MIDI Tracks
MIDI tracks are generally used for
routing MIDI from internal or external sources
to external MIDI devices. MIDI data can also be
routed to plug-ins on Auxiliary Inputs or Instru-
ment tracks.
Instrument Tracks
Instrument tracks are the pri-
mary way to route MIDI to an instrument plug-
in and then route the plug-in’s sound to out-
puts, sends and busses, or other inserts. Instru-
ment tracks can also be used to send MIDI to
and monitor audio from external MIDI devices.
Sends
Sends route audio from tracks to hard-
ware outputs, or to internal busses that are in
turn routed to other tracks within Pro Tools.
MIDI, Master Fader, and VCA Master tracks do
not have sends.
Plug-in and Hardware Inserts
Plug-in processing
occurs completely within the Pro Tools system.
Hardware inserts use audio interface inputs and
outputs for traditional insert routing to and
from external effects and other devices. MIDI
and VCA Master tracks do not have inserts.
Instrument Plug-ins
Instrument plug-ins are dif-
ferent from processing plug-ins in that they gen-
erate audio rather than process the audio signal
from a track’s audio input or from hard disk.
Instrument plug-ins are typically played by
MIDI.
Paths Paths are any routing option in Pro Tools,
including internal or external inputs, outputs,
busses, and inserts. Pro Tools lets you name
these paths, and these path names appear in the
Audio Input and Output Path selectors and
other menus. For more information, see
Chapter 6, “I/O Setup.”
Mixing Formats Sessions can include combina-
tions of mono, stereo, and greater-than-stereo
multichannel format tracks, busses, inputs, out-
puts, and inserts. Greater-than-stereo multi-
channel formats are supported with
Pro Tools HD, and Pro Tools LE with the Com-
plete Production Toolkit option only.
Grouping and VCA Tracks Tracks can be grouped
together for mixing so that their relative mix
settings are maintained when changing a mix
setting for any track in the group (for example,
changing the volume of one track affects the
volume of all the other tracks in the group).
VCA Master tracks (Pro Tools HD only) control
the relative mix settings for all tracks within the
selected group.