Specifications
Chapter 15: Editing Basics 235
Setting the Sub Time Scale
There is also a Sub Location Indicator displayed
below the Main Location Indicator, and below
the Transport’s Main Counter, which provides
an additional timing reference.
To set the Time Scale for the Sub Location
Indicator:
■ Select from the Sub Time Scale pop-up next to
the Location Indicator
– or –
■ Select from the Sub Time Scale pop-up in the
Transport Window.
Tick-Based Timing
Pro Tools is a sample-based program with an in-
ternal MIDI resolution of 960,000 pulses per
quarter note (ppq). However, when the Time
Scale is set to Bars:Beats, the display resolution
in Pro Tools is 960 ppq.
In Bars:Beats, Pro Tools is tick-based (960 ticks
to a quarter note), which means that some
amount of sample-rounding may occur when
placing events at certain locations (see “Sample
Rounding and Edit Operations” on page 236).
When working in Bars:Beats, you’ll often want
to specify tick values for a number of operations,
including:
• Placing and spotting regions
• Setting lengths for regions or MIDI notes
• Locating and setting play and record ranges
(including pre- and post-roll)
• Specifying settings in the Quantize and
Change Duration windows
• Setting the Grid and Nudge values
The following table lists the number of ticks for
each of the main note sizes:
Ticks versus Samples
Audio material in Pro Tools is sample-based.
This means that if an audio region is located at a
particular sample (or SMPTE) location, it will
not move from this location if the tempo
changes in the session (though the audio re-
gion’s bar and beat location will change).
MIDI data in Pro Tools is tick-based. This means
that if a MIDI region is located at a particular bar
and beat location, it will not move from that lo-
cation if the tempo changes in the session—
though its sample location will change, thereby
adjusting its relationship to audio.
Sub Time Scale pop-up
Note Value Normal Dotted Triplet
1/2 note 1920 2880 1280
1/4 note 960 1440 640
1/8 note 480 720 320
1/16 note 240 360 160
1/32 note 120 180 80
1/64 note 60 90 40