Recording MIDI and Instrument Tracks

For more information, see the following topics:

MIDI Clips Are Created on Barlines

Recording Over Existing MIDI Clips

Playing Back Recorded MIDI

Undoing MIDI Recording

Canceling a Record Take

In Pro Tools, you can record to one or more MIDI and Instrument tracks. Recording simultaneously to multiple tracks lets you:

Record from multiple MIDI devices at the same time, such as when recording several performers.

Record multiple channels from the same device, such as recording from a split keyboard.

Transfer MIDI tracks from an external MIDI sequencer.

To take full advantage of the MIDI editing capabilities in Pro Tools, make sure to record tick-based MIDI tracks with a click. This ensures that recorded data aligns with the session’s bar and beat boundaries. You can also record to sample-based MIDI tracks without a click and derive the tempo and meter from the performance.

To record audio from a MIDI instrument or instrument plug-in, bus the audio output of the Instrument or Auxiliary Input track that is monitoring the instrument to an audio track. Record enable the audio track and start recording. See Recording Audio from a MIDI Instrument.

To record to one or more MIDI or Instrument tracks:

1 Configure a MIDI or Instrument track for recording (see Configuring MIDI or Instrument Tracks for Recording).

2 Ensure that the track to which you want to record is record enabled.

To record enable additional MIDI and Instrument tracks, Shift-click their Record Enable buttons.

3 Ensure that Normal Record mode is selected (see Record Modes).

4 Click Record in the Transport to arm Pro Tools for recording (Record Ready mode). The Track Record Enabled indicator lights red.

 

Record button in Record Ready mode

5 Do one of the following:

Click Play to start recording. If using Countoff, Pro Tools counts off the specified number of measures and then begins recording.

– or – 

If Wait for Note is enabled, do not click the Play button; recording will begin automatically as soon as you start playing (when a MIDI event is received).

6 Play your MIDI controller.

7 When you are finished playing, click Stop in the Transport to stop recording.

For each record-enabled track, a new MIDI clip is created and appears both in the playlist and in the Clip List.

Press F12 to start recording immediately. You can also press Command+Spacebar (Mac) or Control+Spacebar (Windows) to start recording. For more information, see Recording Shortcuts.