User manual M-AUDIO AVID VOCAL STUDIO

[. . . ] Featuring a built-in pro recording soundcard, Producer USB integrates easily with your computer via a standard USB connection. Pro Tools is the industry standard platform in music production software that is used in top recording facilities around the world. Whether you're new to music production or a seasoned professional wanting to take Pro Tools SE on the road, this package includes what you need for a professional-quality recording setup. It will explain how to get the best performance out of your Vocal Studio. Vocal Studio Features M-Audio Producer USB · High-quality, USB powered, 16mm cardioid microphone · 1/8-inch headphone/line output jack · Blue power LED indicator Pro Tools SE music production software Chapter 1: Introduction 1 System Requirements Minimum System Requirements can be found on the Avid website at www. avid. com. Conventions Used in This Guide The following symbols are used to highlight important information: A qualified version of Adobe® Flash® Player is required. User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system. [. . . ] This lets you choose one of the two radio buttons in the lower half of the dialog. Refer to the Pro Tools SE User Guide for more information about setting the buffer size and other important settings when configuring Pro Tools SE. Producer USB Control Panel, Latency Tab Latency is the time it takes for an input signal to pass through your recording software and appear at the outputs. This latency can result in a delay when overdubbing to existing tracks. Smaller buffer sizes result in lower latency, but may cause clicks, pops and dropouts on slower systems. If you are experiencing clicks and pops in your recording, try increasing the buffer size. About Tab (All Systems) To adjust the buffer size in Pro Tools SE, choose File > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog, then choose the Audio page. This lets you choose one of the two radio buttons in the lower half of the dialog. Refer to the Pro Tools SE User Guide for more information about setting the buffer size and other important settings when configuring Pro Tools SE. Producer USB Control Panel, About Tab This page contains information about your hardware and current driver versions. These details are helpful should you ever have to contact technical support. Clicking the links takes you to useful pages on the Avid website. 10 Avid Vocal Studio User Guide chapter 4 Using Vocal Studio · Open and view tutorials. Launching Pro Tools SE The first step in beginning a Pro Tools project is working with a session. Pro Tools provides a Quick Start dialog on launch that lets you quickly and easily work with session templates, listen to demo songs and view tutorials. To launch Pro Tools SE and open a session: 1 Use the Pro Tools SE icon to launch the pro- The Pro Tools SE tutorials can be accessed via the Help menu at any time. Creating a Session From a Template To create a new session from a template: 1 Select the New Session button. gram: · Mac Click on the Pro Tools SE icon in the Dock (or double-click the icon in the Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). · Windows Click the Start button and locate the Pro Tools SE icon (or double-click the icon in the Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). Pro Tools SE Quick Start Dialog - New Session 2 Select any session template from the list. Pro Tools SE Icon 2 Use the Quick Start dialog to do one of the fol- 3 Click the Choose to open the template. 4 In the Save As dialog, name the session, lowing: · Create a session from templates. · Open any other session on your system. choose where you want to save the session, and click Save. Chapter 4: Using Vocal Studio 11 Recording Audio Tracks This section shows you how to record an audio track in Pro Tools SE. To record an audio track: 1 On the Levels tab of the Software Control Track Record Enable Button and Fader in Record Mode 6 Sing, or play an instrument at the loudest level Panel, turn the Input Gain Control all the way down. 2 Choose an Audio track by clicking on an ap- propriate track name, such as "Audio 1" on the left side of the Pro Tools SE Edit window. you expect to occur during your recording, while slowly increasing the Input Gain in the Software control Panel, until the level meter for the track is in the red. To create a track, go to the Track menu, click Track > New and choose Audio track. Placing a pop filter between the microphone and a vocalist can improve recording quality by reducing the impact of sibilance and plosives during a vocal performance. Raising or lowering the Track fader will not affect the input level, as it only controls the track playback volume. Audio Track 3 Click on the Input Selector (In) to the left of the track name, and choose "Input 1" as the input source. 7 While continuing to sing or play, lower the Input Gain in the Software Control Panel, and stop at the point where the level meter is no longer in the red. 8 In the Software Control Panel, increase the Input Selector 4 Click the Mute button for the track to prevent it from sending the input signal to the output of Producer USB. Monitor Mix Level to a suitable volume so that you can hear the input signal. This is especially useful when recording in a session with pre-recorded tracks, because it lets you adjust the balance between the existing tracks and your input signal. 9 Using the on-screen transport controls, Re- Track Mute Button 5 Switch the track to record mode by clicking its Record Enable button. While the track is record enabled, the button and the track fader will be red. cord Arm Pro Tools SE by clicking the Record button. Record Button 12 Avid Vocal Studio User Guide 10 Begin recording your performance by click- ing the Play button. Opening a Recent Session To open a recent session: 1 Launch Pro Tools SE. 2 When the Pro Tools SE Quick Start dialog ap- Play Button 11 Click the Stop button in the transport win- dow when you have finished recording your performance. pears click the Open Session button. Stop Button 12 Press the Record Enable button to take the track out of record mode. 13 Press the Mute button for the track, so that you can hear your recording during playback. Do not forget to save your work. Pro Tools SE Quick Start Dialog - Open Session 3 From the list of recent session templates, se- lect the one you want. to select other recent sessions. ) 4 Click to open the session. Chapter 4: Using Vocal Studio 13 14 Avid Vocal Studio User Guide appendix a Additional Information and Support Pro Tools SE Complete documentation for Pro Tools SE can be found in the Pro Tools SE Help menu. [. . . ] If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet. 10) Protect power cords from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the equipment. 11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer. 12) For products that are not rack-mountable: Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/equipment combination to avoid injury from tip-over. [. . . ]