Pro Tools Zero Crossings...

[peritus]

I'm pretty new in PT.... What I would like to know is how to how to split a loop using zero crossing edits.... I just can't find how to do it.... Do I HAVE TO use Beat Detective for this?

I could use Audacity... But, I'd rather learn something new about this software that costed me money...

Thanks,
Joshua

[peritus]

I don't need a step by step... Point me in the direction and I'll do the rest...

[bennychico11]

the "perfectionist" way would be to place the cursor where you think the end of the loop is and zoom all the way in and find the place where the zero crossing is. Then separate. Learn your quick keys!

the quicker way is to just get it as close as possible...select the entire loop, put PT in Loop playback and make sure it loops a nice four bars or whatever. Then you know you have exactly fourbars selected. Separate the selection and maybe put a couple fade ins/outs or cross fades so there are no pops.

There's no command to "go to zero crossing"

[peritus]

Great answer.... Thanks...

[LeeRosario]

well you have one of three ways to do this.


In PT7 you have the option of either zooming in close enough to the start of your waveform that PT will actually snap to your zero crossing for you.


Or with Beat Detective on rhythmic tracks, it will locate the zero crossings and cut them for you.


Or you can use strip silence. Strip silence, in my opinion is almost a non rhythmic offset of Beat Detective. So perhaps for guitar tracks where you're really looking to shave off the ends, you would really benefit by using this tool.


So these three tools in PT are great accurate ways of making your edits as seemless as possible.

[bennychico11]

Originally Posted by LeeRosario

In PT7 you have the option of either zooming in close enough to the start of your waveform that PT will actually snap to your zero crossing for you.

Or with Beat Detective on rhythmic tracks, it will locate the zero crossings and cut them for you.

Or you can use strip silence. Strip silence, in my opinion is almost a non rhythmic offset of Beat Detective. So perhaps for guitar tracks where you're really looking to shave off the ends, you would really benefit by using this tool.

actually, I think you'll find if you use anything except perfectly transient tracks (ie. snare) with no other bleed from other instruments...Beat Detective's region separation won't find the exact zero crossing. And it sounds like he's trying to do so with a loop which will have very little silence if any....so strip silence isn't going to help. And PT doesn't exactly "snap" to the zero crossing. The smallest size is going to be one sample, and sometimes you will find that the zero crossing happens in between samples.

Just get it as close as possible and add a short fade after you separate it. It saves time having to zoom in and out all the time...plus, it lets you learn to rely on your ears instead.

[LeeRosario]

Originally Posted by bennychico11

Just get it as close as possible and add a short fade after you separate it. It saves time having to zoom in and out all the time...plus, it lets you learn to rely on your ears instead.

well I suggest the approaches for that very reason, to avoid excessive amounts of fade files in the first place. I personally haven't had any problems on my end, but then again, maybe I'm taking my habitual use of these tools for granted.


Just as long as it sounds good, takes minimal time, and uses the lowest amount of resources, should be covered.

[bennychico11]

Originally Posted by LeeRosario

well I suggest the approaches for that very reason, to avoid excessive amounts of fade files in the first place. I personally haven't had any problems on my end, but then again, maybe I'm taking my habitual use of these tools for granted.


Just as long as it sounds good, takes minimal time, and uses the lowest amount of resources, should be covered.

as I've said before...there are about a hundred different ways to do one thing in Pro Tools. Whatever works, works.

[pingu]

Tab to transients is my friend.

[TuoKaerf]

Pkay back the song, and count until you reach about 4 bars. Use your up and down arrows to make a selection. Have Tab To Transient enabled, back your selection up a bit, and hit shift + tab.

[bennychico11]

Originally Posted by pingu

Tab to transients is my friend.

actually, I think you'll find even tab to transient isn't that precise. DAWs are all built on samples...and if the zero crossing is between that sample and the next one, you won't hit it. Plus, tab to transients doesn't help with NON-transient material.

again, all that matters is just getting it as close as possible.

[peritus]

Wow.. What a thread.. Thanks guys.... I'm gonna go with the perfectionist way for now....

I don't have a moment to boot up PT and test it....but....

Will the selection bar "snap" to each sample crossing (under highest zoom) when I'm manually doing this... I'm pretty sure that Audition works this way.... Anyone?

Thanks again...

[peritus]

Originally Posted by peritus

Wow.. What a thread.. Thanks guys.... I'm gonna go with the perfectionist way for now....

I don't have a moment to boot up PT and test it....but....

Will the selection bar "snap" to each sample crossing (under highest zoom) when I'm manually doing this... I'm pretty sure that Audition works this way.... Anyone?

Thanks again...

This is a yes....

[davexxxxx]

I am a sonar user, but what is a zero crossing??

[peritus]

"zero crossing point Electronics. The point at which a signal waveform crosses from being positive to negative or vice versa. This is the instant the signal has zero value, which makes it the spot where you want to make changes with the least amount of zipper (or other) noise, e.g., change gain in VCAs, or activate switches, transfer data, etc. "

[davexxxxx]

Ah yes where you might do a punch in or out.

[bennychico11]

Originally Posted by davexxxxx

Ah yes where you might do a punch in or out.

no, not exactly. punching in or out doesn't necessarily mean you have to hit the zero crossing.

zoom in on any wave form. The line that travels horizontally right between the wave is called the zero crossing. This is the exact moment in time when the speaker is completely at rest (usually a very very short point in time). As audio gets louder, the wave forms get bigger and travels further away from this line. As they get quieter, the closer it gets. These wave forms correspond to the movement of your speaker. Up and down is equal to pushing out and in