Loop Recording Audio

For more information, see the following topics:

Loop Playback and Audio Recording

Automatically Create New Playlists When Loop Recording

Pro Tools provides a loop recording feature that lets you record take after take while the same section of audio repeats over and over. This is a convenient technique for quickly recording multiple takes of a part without losing spontaneity.

When loop recording, you must first specify the start and end points for the loop. Though there are several ways to set record and play ranges (see Setting Punch and Loop Points), the easiest is to select the range to be looped in the track’s playlist (ensure that Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection is selected).

The pre-roll setting, if enabled, is used only during the first record pass. Pre- and post-roll times are ignored on each successive loop. To compensate for this, you may want to make the loop range slightly longer. Later, you can trim back the recorded takes to the proper length with the Trim tool (see Using the Trim Tools).

When loop recording audio, Pro Tools creates a single audio file that includes all takes. Takes appear as individual clips in the Clip List and are numbered sequentially. Once you stop recording, you can audition any of the recorded takes.

To use alternate takes created with Loop Record in other sessions (such as when using Import Session Data), export clip definitions (see Exporting Clip Definitions). If clip definitions are not exported, alternate takes created with Loop Record will be inaccessible when imported into another session.

To loop record an audio track:

1 Do one of the following:

Select Options > Loop Record. When Loop Record mode is enabled, a loop symbol appears in the Record button.

– or – 

Right-click the Record button in the Transport and select Loop.

 

Loop Recording enabled

2 Record enable the audio track by clicking its Record Enable button.

3 Select Options > Link Timeline and Edit Selection.

4 With the Selector tool, select the loop range on the track. For other methods of setting the record range, see Setting Punch and Loop Points.

5 To hear track material up to the start point of the loop, enable pre-roll and set the pre-roll time (see Setting Pre- and Post-Roll).

6 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools for recording.

7 Click Play to start recording.

The Record button flashes during the pre-roll. When the start point is reached, Pro Tools begins recording. When the end point is reached, Pro Tools loops back to the start time and continues recording.

8 To cancel all recorded takes while loop recording, press Command+Period (.) (Mac) or Control+Period (.) (Windows).

9 When finished, click Stop to stop recording.

If you stop recording before you reach the midpoint of the loop, Pro Tools discards that take. If you record more than half of the looped take, Pro Tools leaves the take in the track when you stop recording.

The recorded takes appear as clips in the Clip List and are numbered sequentially. The most recently recorded take appears in the active playlist on the track. For details on auditioning the different takes, see Selecting Alternate Takes.

Loop Playback and Audio Recording

Pro Tools ignores Loop Playback when recording. The only way to loop while recording is to enable Loop Record mode.