User`s guide

Pro Tools Reference Guide138
tive and negative waveform excursions are
summed together and viewed as a single
positive-value signal.
Rectified mode displays more detailed
waveforms when using track heights of
Medium or Small, and can be particularly
useful when editing volume automation
data, since it depicts waveform “levels” as
starting at the bottom of the track.
Guidelines for Editing
Waveforms
With the Selector tool in the Edit window,
you can select portions of audio waveforms
and divide them into segments called re-
gions, so that you can rearrange and manip-
ulate them in tracks.
While editing, try to create regions that al-
low you to maintain a consistent beat. If
you always define regions so that they con-
tain a whole number of beats, you’ll be able
to string the regions together and maintain
a smooth, steady rhythm.
It’s sometimes useful to have a steady, well-
defined waveform, such as a drum track, as
a guide when selecting and defining other
regions. If you’ve played in time with the
beat, chances are that you can create rhyth-
mically accurate regions by referring to the
drum’s waveform.
Some important rules to keep in mind
when defining regions:
◆ Whenever possible, begin a region pre-
cisely before a volume peak, and end it im-
mediately before another volume peak.
◆ Whenever possible, make sure a region
starts and ends on exactly the same part of
a beat.
Avoiding Clicks and Pops
If an edited region begins or ends at a point
of high amplitude, you may hear an un-
pleasant click when Pro Tools plays from
one region to another. In order to avoid
clicks or pops do any of the following:
◆ Make sure that the start and end points
of your selection are as close as possible to
the point where the amplitude of the wave-
form tapers down to meet the zero-crossing
line (the center line of the track’s waveform
display). If necessary, use the zooming
tools in the Edit window (see “Zooming”
on page 147) to display waveforms in
greater detail.
◆ On Pro Tools 24 MIX and Pro Tools 24
systems, use the AutoFade feature to apply
real-time fade-ins/outs to all region bound-
Audio displayed in rectified mode
Audio displayed in normal mode
Selection that begins and ends at zero crossings