13 Essential Shortcuts for Lightning-Fast Production in Pro Tools 12

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Pro Tools is widely regarded as one of the industry's top digital audio workstations (DAWs) due to its incredible versatility and feature set, which makes it an ideal choice for both novice producers looking to hone their skills and seasoned professionals seeking a fast-paced workflow. However, even with such robust capabilities comes the potential risk of becoming bogged down by repetitive tasks – especially when working within tight deadlines.

Fortunately, Pro Tools offers a range of intuitive keyboard shortcuts that can significantly streamline your production process, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: creating exceptional music rather than spending precious time fiddling around with cluttered menus. In this article, we will delve into 13 essential Pro Tools 12 shortcuts designed specifically for maximizing productivity while still maintaining complete creative control over every aspect of your mix.

1. Set a Current Track to Record Safe

When working on complex projects involving multiple tracks and buses, it's not uncommon for crucial takes or stems to accidentally get deleted – especially if you're operating under the pressure of an impending deadline. To prevent this from happening in Pro Tools 12, simply hold down Command/Ctrl + click on the record enable button within your project window.

This simple yet effective shortcut will automatically set any currently selected track(s) into 'safe' mode; effectively locking them away from being easily deleted or modified until you explicitly release it via another command. This feature alone can save hours of valuable time and stress during post-production phases, so make sure to memorize this essential hotkey today!

2. Add an Open Fade Dialog Box

When working with audio files in Pro Tools 12, sometimes the need arises for precise control over fade-in/outs or transitions between clips. Fortunately, there's a dedicated shortcut available directly from within your main interface – simply press Command/Ctrl + F while having any selected area of interest highlighted on-screen.

This will immediately open up an advanced 'Fade' dialog box offering granular settings such as attack/release times (in ms), type (linear/ logarithmic) and even slope curve shapes for truly customizing how audio transitions between different sections within your arrangement. Whether you're looking to create smooth crossfades or dramatic sudden changes in volume, this powerful tool has got everything covered!

3. Create a Group Track

In Pro Tools 12, group tracks allow producers to easily manage related channels together as one single entity – perfect for organization purposes when working on large-scale projects involving multiple drum kits or instrument groups.

To create such an arrangement within your session simply press Command/Ctrl + G while having all desired audio lanes selected. This will automatically merge them into a new 'Group' track that can then be treated like any other standard channel (including soloing, muting etc.). Groups provide a fantastic way to declutter crowded mixers and focus on the most important aspects of your mix.

4. Heal Separated/Cut Tracks

Sometimes during long sessions or when working with low-quality source material, individual tracks may become separated from their parent stem due to various reasons such as hard drive failure or human error. Fortunately, Pro Tools 12 includes a dedicated 'Heal' feature designed specifically for situations like these.

To access this powerful tool simply select the affected area(s) you wish to repair and then press Command/Ctrl + H while holding down Option/Alt keys on Mac OS X/Linux systems (or Shift+Option+H if using Windows). This will open up an advanced 'Healing' window where you can fine-tune parameters such as tolerance threshold, search method etc. until the desired result is achieved – restoring your original mix to its former glory in no time!

5. Separate a Selected Portion of an Audio Clip

Finally, let's conclude our roundup with one last essential Pro Tools 12 shortcut that every producer should have up their sleeve: separating a chosen portion from within any active audio clip.

To do so simply select the desired section(s) you want to isolate using your mouse or keyboard navigation tools and then press Command/Ctrl + Shift+Option/Alt (Mac OS X/Linux)/Command+C while holding down Option key simultaneously. This will create a brand new instance of that isolated area as its own independent clip – perfect for comping multiple takes, creating stems etc.

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In conclusion, mastering these five essential Pro Tools 12 shortcuts can save you hours upon hours of valuable time and effort when working on complex music productions. Whether you're looking to improve your workflow efficiency or simply want more control over every aspect of your mixdown process – from setting tracks safe through advanced fade editing capabilities right down to separating individual sections within audio files; Pro Tools has got everything covered! So go ahead, ditch that mouse and get ready to take your production skills to the next level with these powerful keyboard shortcuts today!

References

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1. 'Pro Tools User Guide 12 for Mac OS X'

2. 'Avid MediaWiki - Editing Shortcuts

Pro tools 12 shortcuts