Voice Requirements for Punch Recording
The maximum number of tracks that can be punched depends on the type of system you are using, as well as the number of available voices. The following topics provide guidelines for voice usage with punch recording that can be useful when managing resources during sessions.
Pro Tools
QuickPunch capabilities for Pro Tools depends on the total number of voices available. This will vary depending on the number of tracks and plug-ins in use in the current session (which affects the number of available voices).
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Similarly, installing the Complete Production Toolkit option expands your system’s voice capabilities; this can increase the number of available voices, which then increases the number of tracks which can be punched.
To make more voices available for punch recording:
1 Identify tracks that are not record-enabled, and do not need to be heard while recording.
Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit
(QuickPunch, TrackPunch, and DestructivePunch)
When using any punch recording mode with Pro Tools HD or Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit, two voices are required for each record-enabled mono track. This means that you can punch record up to half the total number of voices available on your system. For example, a Pro Tools|HD Accel system configured for 192 voices can simultaneously punch record on up to 96 mono tracks with QuickPunch (or 48 stereo tracks).
If the required number of voices for the record-enabled tracks is not available when switching to QuickPunch, TrackPunch, or DestructivePunch mode, you are prompted to free up the necessary voices.
To make more voices available for punch recording:
1 Identify tracks that are not record-enabled, and do not need to be heard while recording, and do any of the following:
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Group all Native (AAX and RTAS) plug-ins before DSP (AAX and TDM) plug-ins.
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Voices that are in use by other tracks, but not record-enabled, may be “stolen” during punch recording as necessary.
When any punch recording mode is enabled, voice playback priority is as follows (from highest to lowest playback priority):
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Tracks with assigned voices that are not record-enabled.
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Tracks with assigned voices that are record-enabled.
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Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing that are not record-enabled.
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Tracks with Dynamically Allocated Voicing that are record-enabled.
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If a session has plenty of available voices, you should have no trouble punch recording tracks using Dynamically Allocated Voicing. However, if you are running out of voices, and want to ensure that a track is heard when punch recording, assign it a voice.
When punch recording with a Pro Tools|HD system configured for its maximum number of voices, make sure to set the voice assignment for each audio track to Dyn (for Dynamically Allocated Voicing). This ensures that Pro Tools handles the distribution of voices between each set of voices automatically. For example, for a 192‑voice configured Pro Tools|HD Accel system, Dynamically Allocated Voicing distributes voices evenly across four sets of voices (1–48, 49–96, 97–144, and 145–192).
If you do not use Dynamically Allocated Voicing, the voices must be evenly distributed between all DSP engines. For example, to use QuickPunch on 32 tracks without Dynamically Allocated Voicing, tracks 1–16 must be assigned to voices 1–16 and tracks 17–32 must be assigned to voices 33–48.