Specifications

Pro Tools Reference Guide358
5 When you reach the pitch and time location
you want, click to insert the note.
The velocity for inserted notes is determined by
the Default Note On Velocity MIDI preference
(Setups > Preferences > MIDI). When in Grid
mode, the duration of the note is determined by
the Edit window’s Grid value. In Pro Tools 6.x,
the duration of the note can also be determined
by the Custom Note Duration value (see “Cus-
tom Note Duration” on page 356).
If the “Play MIDI Notes when Editing” prefer-
ence is enabled (Setups > Preferences > MIDI),
each inserted note will sound.
The Pencil can be dragged after clicking (and be-
fore releasing) to adjust the note’s pitch or dura-
tion. Click and drag right to lengthen the note
without changing its start point. Click and drag
left to shorten the note without changing its
end point.
The Pencil tool shapes (Line, Triangle, Square,
and Random) can be used to enter a series of
identical pitches with varying velocities. The
length and spacing for the inserted notes are de-
termined by the current Grid value, or by the
Custom Note Duration value (Pro Tools 6.x
only). The note velocities are determined by the
Pencil shape.
Use the Square shape for alternating velocities of
loud and soft. Use the Triangle shape for a ramp
up and down of velocities. The Line shape en-
ters notes with identical velocities.
MIDI note inserted with the Pencil
With the Smart tool active (see “The Smart
Tool” on page 288), Start-click (Windows)
or Control-click (Macintosh) to change the
cursor to the Pencil tool and insert MIDI
notes; Option-Control-click (Macintosh) or
Alt-Start-click (Macintosh) to delete notes.
In Pro Tools 6.x, with Grid mode enabled,
the start point of the MIDI note snaps to the
nearest Grid boundary by default. Control-
click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac-
intosh) with the Pencil to temporarily dis-
able snap to grid.
Adjusting the duration for an inserted note
In Pro Tools 6.x, with Grid mode enabled,
the end point of the MIDI note snaps to the
nearest Grid boundary by default. Control-
drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Macin-
tosh) with the Pencil to temporarily disable
snap to grid.
In Pro Tools 5.x, with Grid mode enabled,
Control-drag (Windows) or Command-drag
(Macintosh) with the Pencil to snap the
note’s end point to the nearest Grid bound-
ary.