Specifications

Chapter 22: MIDI Recording 479
MIDI Thru
To monitor MIDI tracks while recording, enable
MIDI Thru. When enabled, Pro Tools routes MIDI
from your controllers to the device and channels
assigned to the currently record-enabled MIDI
track.
To enable MIDI Thru:
 Select Options > MIDI Thru.
The Default Thru Instrument
In addition to any MIDI tracks that are record-en-
abled, you can also route MIDI to the Default Thru
Instrument. This saves the extra steps of creating a
MIDI track and record enabling it to hear a partic-
ular MIDI device and channel.
Unlike MIDI tracks, which only receive MIDI
from the device and channel assigned to its MIDI
Input selector, all incoming MIDI data is routed to
the Default Thru Instrument.
If the Default Thru Instrument is assigned to a re-
cord-enabled MIDI track, Pro Tools only routes
incoming MIDI to the record-enabled track.
To configure a default Thru instrument:
1 Choose Setup > Preferences.
2 Click the MIDI tab.
3 Do one of the following:
• Select a specific device from the
Default Thru In-
strument
pop-up menu to play MIDI through on
that device by default.
• Select
Follows First Selected MIDI Track to have
MIDI preview assignment follow MIDI track se-
lection. When multiple MIDI tracks are selected,
previewing uses the topmost MIDI track in the
Edit window or the leftmost MIDI track in the
Mix window.
• To disable the
Default Thru Instrument, select
None.
The MIDI preference for Global MIDI
Playback Offset and individual MIDI track
offsets do not affect MIDI routed with
MIDI Thru.
When MIDI Thru is enabled, System Ex-
clusive (Sysex) events are echoed to the
MIDI device assigned to the record-en-
abled track—but only if the Sysex events
are smaller than 256 bytes.
When using MIDI Thru, you should disable
Local Control, if present, on your MIDI
devices. Otherwise, your MIDI device may
receive double MIDI notes, which can lead to
stuck notes. If you are unsure how to disable
Local Control for your instrument, see the
manufacturer’s documentation.
The Default Thru Follows First Selected
MIDI Track Selection option also lets you
play an instrument without having to create
and record-enable a MIDI or Instrument
track.