Any Pro Tools users?

[ambient]

The college where I’m about to start my teaching practice uses Pro Tools on its music technology courses. 

 

I have used it before, that was a while ago though, and then only briefly for one project during my master’s. Anyway, I want to re-acquaint myself with it, so I’ve downloaded Pro Tools ultimate onto my MacBook.

 

I can’t get it to record, either bass through my interface or midi using a keyboard controller.

 

I’m getting sounds going in and through my headphones from both sources, it just won’t record.

 

I arm the record function and the button flashes. I press play and the transport starts to move, but the record arm button still flashes, and nothing is recorded.

 

Has anyone any ideas please?

Edited April 1, 2022 by ambient

[Leonard Smalls]

I usually just put a bit of sellotape over the record tag... 😁

 

 

(Sorry, bin 20 years since I last used ProTools, and that was tracklaying for TV - no idea!)

[Leonard Smalls]

However, it sounds like a track or bus input or output routing type thing...

[Bigguy2017]

1 hour ago, ambient said:

The college where I’m about to start my teaching practice - bizarrely - uses Pro Tools on its music technology courses. I should add, even the head of music there admits it’s a strange choice of DAW.

 

I have used it before, that was a while ago though, and then only briefly for one project during my master’s. Anyway, I want to re-acquaint myself with it, so I’ve downloaded Pro Tools ultimate onto my MacBook.

 

I can’t get it to record, either bass through my interface or midi using a keyboard controller.

 

I’m getting sounds going in and through my headphones from both sources, it just won’t record.

 

I arm the record function and the button flashes. I press play and the transport starts to move, but the record arm button still flashes, and nothing is recorded.

 

Has anyone any ideas please?

 

Have you armed Rec on the track?

 

Is there a record button as well as a play button that needs pushed?

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Bigguy2017

[ambient]

10 minutes ago, Bigguy2017 said:

 

Have you armed Rec on the track?

 

Is there a record button as well as a play button that needs pushed?

 

 

There’s an ‘arm’ button on each track and in the ‘mix’ window. Every video and ‘how to’ I’ve come across just says to ‘arm’ and press the space bar.

 

Logic Pro you’d just press the R button, nice and simple. 

[paul_5]

have a look at your audio engine - check that you're using the interface you want to.

 

 

[ambient]

9 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

have a look at your audio engine - check that you're using the interface you want to.

 

 

Thanks.

 

It’s using my Darkglass Element. There’s a signal going in, at least according to the meter. It’s just not recording the signal - it’s the same with virtual instruments. 
 

It doesn’t seem to be switching from ‘armed’ to ‘record’.

[Bigguy2017]

Make sure you are recording to an AUDIO track and not an instrument (MIDI) track

 

[Buddster]

From other DAWs I've used there's a couple of things (sorry if you've tried them and they sound "simples")

Is there a destination folder/harddrive selected for it to record onto?

 

You say you press the play button, normally you'd press the record button and it would go straight into record.

 

Is there a dropin function thats been selected by mistake? IE you haven't reached that time marker yet so its not recording until you reach it.

[lowdown]

5 hours ago, ambient said:

The college where I’m about to start my teaching practice - bizarrely - uses Pro Tools on its music technology courses. I should add, even the head of music there admits it’s a strange choice of DAW.

 

I have used it before, that was a while ago though, and then only briefly for one project during my master’s. Anyway, I want to re-acquaint myself with it, so I’ve downloaded Pro Tools ultimate onto my MacBook.

 

I can’t get it to record, either bass through my interface or midi using a keyboard controller.

 

I’m getting sounds going in and through my headphones from both sources, it just won’t record.

 

I arm the record function and the button flashes. I press play and the transport starts to move, but the record arm button still flashes, and nothing is recorded.

 

Has anyone any ideas please?

 

Probably a stupid question but, do you have the metronome 'count off' activated? and if so, how many bars of count off before the recording starts? I think in activated mode it's default used to be two bars.

There might be some stupid amount of bars of count off and you haven't realised. Like I said, probably a stupid question.

 

EDIT: This chap explains it better.

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by lowdown

[ambient]

2 hours ago, lowdown said:

 

Probably a stupid question but, do you have the metronome 'count off' activated? and if so, how many bars of count off before the recording starts? I think in activated mode it's default used to be two bars.

There might be some stupid amount of bars of count off and you haven't realised. Like I said, probably a stupid question.

 

EDIT: This chap explains it better.

 

 

 

Thank you. I haven’t been able to work out how to do that, so that is very useful.

[ambient]

4 hours ago, Bigguy2017 said:

Make sure you are recording to an AUDIO track and not an instrument (MIDI) track

 

Thank you. I had selected an instrument track, for obvious reasons. I don't find it particularly easy or logical to use.

[ambient]

Thanks for all the replies. I managed to sort it out eventually.

 

I’m using a MacBook Pro, there was another record button that I couldn’t see because of the small size of the screen. I had to extend the transport control pad out to see it.

 

I joined an Avid Pro Tools Facebook group to ask for advice. I don't think I’ve ever encountered a nastier, more up themselves group of people in my life. All the sarcastic comments I received.

 

Anyway, thanks again to all those who offered advice.