drum patterns in pro tools

[mscm23]

I made a drum pattern that has 9 tracks. Kick, hihat, open hihat, snare, 3toms and 2crashes. It would be more convenient for me to keep each track separate. But I read that each track makes background noise. How significant is this noise? should I try to reduce the noise by grouping the toms on one track and the crashes on one track?

 

[Farview]

don't worry about it, is won't be significant.

 

[TragikRemix]

are they recorded drums?

when you say patterns, it sounds like you mean a sample or midi drums.

its already recorded nevertheless, so if it was grouped, it would still have that (insignificant) noise.

 

[mscm23]

thanks for the replies.

if the toms are only playing in 5 percent of the song, should i mute the track when the toms aren't playing?

 

[hand in glove]

if the toms are only playing in 5 percent of the song, should i mute the track when the toms aren't playing?

No, unelss there is a really noticable background noise on that track, just delete the sections where it is apparent. Otherwise, just leave it.

 

[mscm23]

how do i delete noise on the track?

 

[TragikRemix]

with pro tools, you can use the strip silence function. a cool little function, i use it on the tom mics.

 

[bennychico11]

or....
select and press delete...just like anything else on a computer.

 

[mscm23]

thank u guys. I have 2 more questions:

how can you change a stereo track into a mono track?

how do you pan stereo tracks? if I want a stereo track to be panned to the left I just pan both channels to the left?

 

[Farview]

thank u guys. I have 2 more questions:

how can you change a stereo track into a mono track?

You will probably have to bounce the track down to mono and import it back into the session

how do you pan stereo tracks? if I want a stereo track to be panned to the left I just pan both channels to the left?

You normally don't have control over both sides of a stereo track, you only have one fader that selects between the two sides. If you want individual control, don't use stereo tracks - use mono ones.

 

[TragikRemix]

You normally don't have control over both sides of a stereo track, you only have one fader that selects between the two sides. If you want individual control, don't use stereo tracks - use mono ones.

huh? in protools, on the mix window, with all the faders, right above the track volume, there are two horizontal bars (stereo track). slide them both to the left. mono tracks only have one. they are pan controls.

oh yeah.

RTFM! its all in there.

 

[bennychico11]

yeah, like Tragik said...stereo tracks are treated as split-mono in Pro Tools, so you get individual pan controls for each stereo track.
So if you want to make a stereo track mono, you simply pan each slider to the middle and you got mono.

and yes, read the manual please. I think you'd particularly benefit from the getting started guide.

 

[TragikRemix]

the dvd that comes with it is pretty darn useful too.

 

[mscm23]

Thanks, that's how I usually do it. I slide both bars to the left or right and I hear the track from left or right monitor. I just wahted to be sure that this is the right way.

If you want individual control, don't use stereo tracks - use mono ones.

Some times you don't have a choice. In my case I made a drum pattern in FL and when I impotred it into Protools all individual tracks turned out to be stereo, and I don't know how to change them to mono, so I started to pan each track by moving both bars to one side--left or right.

 

[bennychico11]

Some times you don't have a choice. In my case I made a drum pattern in FL and when I impotred it into Protools all individual tracks turned out to be stereo, and I don't know how to change them to mono, so I started to pan each track by moving both bars to one side--left or right.

you always have a choice.
There is a difference between stereo tracks that have the same exact thing in each channel...and stereo tracks that HAVE to be played back in stereo in order to hear what was originally played.
If you've just got a typical snare track, it's stupid to have it as a stereo file. If the snare track however has reverb or other effects to it that need to playback in stereo...then leave it. Stereo tracks in pro tools just eats up your voice count. You have a maximum of 32 voices in LE (a little more if you've purchased the add-on) and each stereo track (multiple-mono track) takes up two voices. So you should strive to stay away from stereo unless you're benefiting from it.
You can also easily split multi-channel tracks into mono tracks if need be. Create two empty mono tracks and drag the stereo file onto those tracks...it will split them up for you. Now you have the channels separated. OR...
Select the stereo track name and go to File-->Split selected tracks into mono.

 

[Farview]

huh? in protools, on the mix window, with all the faders, right above the track volume, there are two horizontal bars (stereo track). slide them both to the left. mono tracks only have one. they are pan controls.

oh yeah.

RTFM! its all in there.

I don't use protools.

 

[mscm23]

Thank you so much,I was able to split my tracks.

If you've just got a typical snare track, it's stupid to have it as a stereo file. If the snare track however has reverb or other effects to it that need to playback in stereo...then leave it. Stereo tracks in pro tools just eats up your voice count. You have a maximum of 32 voices in LE (a little more if you've purchased the add-on) and each stereo track (multiple-mono track) takes up two voices. So you should strive to stay away from stereo unless you're benefiting from it.

It means, that if you have just 32 voices, my original idea of spending 3 tracks on toms and 2 tracks on crashes would be complitely useless. I guess I have to make one track for toms and one for crashes and just use pan automation.

 

[TragikRemix]

I don't use protools.

we figured as much..

 

[bennychico11]

It means, that if you have just 32 voices, my original idea of spending 3 tracks on toms and 2 tracks on crashes would be complitely useless. I guess I have to make one track for toms and one for crashes and just use pan automation.

if the toms and crashes are all different sounding, then leave them on their own tracks. If you have 3 toms (hi, mid, lo)...they can get their own tracks. Same with the cymbals. That's typically how it was done.
A stereo track of something like a single, dry snare sound...that is panned right down the middle...contains the exact same thing in both channels. So it's pointless to keep that as a stereo track. It just eats up voices.

Only true stereo sounds should be on a stereo track.

 

[mscm23]

Somebody advised me to copy kick and snare to make their sound more full. Also, should i leave open hi-hat on the seperate track, or I should pair it with another track?