Specifications

Pro Tools Reference Guide18
Each audio, Auxiliary Input, Instrument, Master
Fader, and VCA track also has a single set of auto-
mation playlists. Automation playlists can include
volume, pan, mute, and each automation-enabled
control for the insert and send assignments on that
track.
MIDI controller data on Instrument and MIDI
tracks is always included as part of the track play-
list.
Channel
The term channel is used to describe several re-
lated components of a Pro Tools system.
The first example of channel refers to a physical
input or output of your Pro Tools system. For ex-
ample, HD I/O provides up to 16 channels of audio
input and output to an Avid HDX, Pro Tools|HD,
or HD Native system, while the Mbox Pro audio
interface provides up to eight inputs and eight out-
puts.
The second use of the term channel refers to a
channel strip in the Pro Tools Mix window. Each
track in a Pro Tools session has a corresponding
channel strip in the Mix window.
Audio and MIDI channel strips have similar con-
trols, but those controls have slightly different ef-
fects. For example, audio, Auxiliary Input, and In-
strument track channel strip faders control the
output gain to the mix bus for that channel, while
MIDI channel strip faders send MIDI volume data
(MIDI controller 7) to the selected MIDI instru-
ment.
The term “MIDI channel” also describes a
separate aspect of MIDI operation. See
“MIDI” on page 11.
Channel strip in the Mix window (audio track)