Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/637797
60 CINEMONTAGE / Q1 2016 60 CINEMONTAGE / Q1 2016 You can use Track Bounce to consolidate a complex mix if you are, say, working on the soundtrack for a large motion picture. With it, you can render the aux masters for each sub group — for example the dialogue, music, sound effects, Foley, backgrounds as well as the final stereo or 5.1 master tracks. Also new in Pro Tools 12.3 are Batch Fades, which allow precise control of fade-ins, fade-outs and cross- fades. You can adjust the shape of the fades by simply pulling on the representation of its curve as well as by setting the length and placement of the fades (pre- slice, post-slice or centered). Version 12.3 also contains Clip Transparency, a useful new enhancement that allows you to see through a region when moving it. This is handy in order to see the shape of a waveform that lies under the one that you're moving, making it easier to match things up. VERSION 12.4 Hot on the heels of version 12.3 came version 12.4, which contained further enhancements to Pro Tools such as Track Freeze, a feature that is similar to the Commit function with some major differences (see Figure 5). While Commit permanently renders the audio of one track to a new track, Freeze renders the audio to the same track, locks it and puts a diagonal pattern over it to indicate that it is frozen. The benefit of freezing a track is that you can always unfreeze it later if you need to change something, and then freeze it again when you are done. Freezing tracks, like committing them, is great for quickly freeing up DSP resources with the ability to revert the track at any time. On the other hand, Commit is useful if you plan to edit the waveform or if you wish to hand off your project to someone else to work on without worrying about compatibility issues. Aux tracks can be frozen as well. While aux tracks normally don't have a waveform, frozen aux tracks will display a wave on the track with a diagonal pattern overlaid on top of it. You're still free to adjust the level and pan an aux track, however. Instrument tracks can also be frozen and will display both the audio waveform as well as its midi notes in a transparent state. However, you'll have to unfreeze it to edit the midi. With multi-output virtual instruments, such as drum kits, you can easily freeze all of the outputs in one step. If the multi-output plug-in you are using includes auxiliary output stems, each of the instrument tracks will be frozen. CONCLUSION Pro Tools 12.3 and 12.4 contain some important and very useful upgrades and if you haven't upgraded yet, you should. Disk Cache, Commit, Track Freezing and VCA Masters are all useful and productive enhancements that you'll want to have when recording and mixing. For more information, visit Avid's website, www.avid.com. f TECH TIPS Figure 4, top: The Track bounce dialogue box allows you to set the format, bit depth and location of your bounced tracks. Figure 5, above: Track Freeze was introduced in version 12.4. In this example, the piano track was frozen and the bass was not. Notice how both the waveform and the midi notes are viewable on the frozen track. You'll need to unfreeze it to edit the midi.