Thank you for this sound advice Slau. I will try and put it into practice
more often. I hope that you don't mind, but I am forwarding this message to
the mag for those considering the prospect of venturing into PT as a general
reminder that it is not a simple undertaking to transfer your whole workflow
from say, Sonar to PT and expect everything to go smoothly without putting
in the behind the seens work of getting your knowledge bass built up.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Slau Halatyn" <slauhala...@gmail.com>
To: <ptaccess@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2014 9:50 AM
Subject: a general observation about Pro Tools accessibility & users
With the recent strides forward in Pro Tools accessibility, I wanted to
share some thoughts. This is absolutely not referring to anybody in
particular but rather a trend that we've seen over the years. It first
started way back when Pro Tools first became accessible under OS 9, happened
again when Pro Tools 8.0.4 came out and now I see it's happening again. With
each ramping up of usability, there has historically been an influx of new
users. When I first began using Pro Tools in college back in 1994, I had
some usable vision but, when I began using it full time in the studio at
around 2002, I had spent no less than six months reading the manuals. The
first time I read the manuals, I understood fairly little, even though I had
used Pro tools in the past and was well-versed in Digital Performer. Things
are different in Pro Tools than other dAWs and so my level of understanding,
while high in DP, was starting off much lower in Pro Tools. The second time
I read the manual (and it was only about 900 pages back then as opposed to
today's 1,200 pages), I began to see patterns and understand certain
concepts in a basic way. The third time I read the manual (and I'm referring
to the Pro Tools Reference Guide, of course), I did it while sitting in
front of Pro Tools with a control surface. As I read the manual, I attempted
to follow along and perform the various tasks. It was only then that I truly
learned Pro Tools. No, actually, I did do one more thing that really
solidified my understanding of the editing modes and behavior of Pro Tools
and that was to sit down with some sighted assistance and systematically go
through editing functions while the person explained what was happening
visually on screen. That, along with the audio feedback of what I was
editing solidified my understanding.
All told, I spent about three months before installing the Pro Tools system
just reading manuals and nothing else. I did this while still having an
analog multitrack and console in the control room. I read in the evenings at
home and kept working full time with the old system while I learned about
the new Pro Tools software and hardware I was about to use. For me, the
stakes were high because I was about to transform my studio and workflow
entirely. Not only had I invested untold thousands in my previous analog
system, but my new Pro Tools HD investment was roughly $25,000. Again, the
stakes were high because this was my day job. I was going to work with
clients sitting beside me, paying for my time and failure was not an option.
Others have similar stories and, in each case, the ones who succeeded were
the ones that lived by the old RTFM principle which, for those few who may
not know, stands for "read the fucking manual." Naturally, I write those
words with no malice whatsoever. It's just a figure of speech but a very
poignant phrase in this case for such an undertaking is not for the faint of
heart. Need I point out the fact that, apart from the weighty Reference
guide, there are multiple tomes for various aspects of hardware and software
related to using Pro Tools. A peek in the documentation folder will reveal
the plethora of reading choices.
Now, there are obviously people on this list who use Pro Tools on a daily
basis with clients and there are those who just want to record their own
projects. The requirements for either type of person will vary accordingly
and the knowledge level of each will be commensurate to their stake in the
game. That includes their investment and what they need to get out of their
system. As one of the people who falls into the second category, I have to
say that it's clearly in my best interest from a time management standpoint
to help raise the proficiency level of everybody so that I can spend less
time answering very basic questions. Of course, that's already happened over
the years and there are more and more people gaining the knowledge necessary
to help new users with these basic issues. To be honest, I'm finding myself
in the same boat, albeit on a higher level, having to learn about new
features that weren't around when I learned Pro Tools so many years ago. For
a considerable amount of time, Pro Tools moved on and many of us were stuck
on an old version, missing out on those new features. Suddenly, we're
finding ourselves facing the prospect of revisiting the RTFM process. As
with most endeavors, one reaps what one sews. I, for one, am embarking on
yet another marathon of reading the Pro Tools manuals and I encourage others
to do the same.
While it is certainly a simple matter to create a Pro Tools session, create
a track and record-enable it, that is so much so only the tip of the
iceberg. Need I point out the fact that Pro Tools is an enormously complex
program and has features that many of us will never use? It should be no
surprise then that everyone will encounter a steep learning curve at some
point and that curve might seem more like a vertical wall than a slope but
it is most definitely a slope and, with patience, a manual and some specific
questions answered on this list, anyone can learn Pro Tools if they're
willing to invest the time and effort. Happy reading!
Enjoy,
Slau
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