Solo Modes

(Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit Only)

With Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools with Complete Production Toolkit, the Solo button can be used to:

Mute other tracks so that the selected track can be auditioned alone.

– or – 

Route a selected track to a separate output.

Solo button behavior is defined by the Solo mode, as follows:

SIP (Solo In Place)

The Solo button mutes other tracks. When this mode is enabled, tracks can be solo safed (see Solo Safe Mode).

AFL (After Fader Listen)

The Solo button routes the track’s post-fader/post-pan signal to the AFL/PFL Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is configured in the Output page of the I/O Setup dialog (see AFL/PFL Path).

With AFL, the level you hear is dependent on the fader level for that track. Additionally, there is a separate master level setting for AFL that affects the output of any or all tracks you solo in AFL mode (see AFL/PFL Path). This level setting is independent of the PFL level setting.

PFL (Pre Fader Listen)

The Solo button routes the track’s pre-fader/pre-pan signal to the AFL/PFL Path output. The AFL/PFL Path is configured in the Output page of the I/O Setup dialog (see AFL/PFL Path).

With PFL, the fader level and pan are ignored, and the level you hear is dependent on the signal’s recorded level. Additionally, there is a separate master level setting for PFL that affects the output of any or all tracks you solo in PFL mode (see AFL/PFL Path). This level setting is independent of the AFL level setting.

AFL and PFL Solo modes require the Surround Mixer plug-in.

Custom Pan Depth settings are unavailable when either AFL or PFL Solo mode is enabled.

If Mutes Frees Assigned Voice is enabled, muted tracks will not be audible in PFL mode.

To select a Solo mode:

1 Choose Options > Solo Mode.

2 Select SIP, AFL, or PFL.

The Solo mode for all soloed tracks can be changed from any Solo mode to either SIP or AFL. Previously soloed tracks will switch their solo behavior to the new mode. Switching the Solo mode for all soloed tracks to PFL clears all previously soloed tracks before entering PFL mode. This prevents potentially large boosts in level.

DSP Usage when Using AFL or PFL Mode

AFL and PFL are accomplished by Pro Tools creating a “behind the scenes” mixer to route the signal to the chosen AFL/PFL Path. Depending on the size of your main mixer, Pro Tools will devote a substantial portion of its available DSP when using AFL/PFL mode.

Un-declaring the AFL/PFL Path will free up all DSP resources previously used for AFL/PFL mode.

Using AFL/PFL on Pro Tools Systems with a D‑Control or D‑Command

AFL/PFL is optimized for Pro Tools systems using a D‑Control or D‑Command control surface, where the XMON automatically switches its monitor source between the main output and the AFL/PFL output from Pro Tools.

For more information on using XMON and AFL/PFL, see your control surface guide.

Using AFL/PFL on Pro Tools Systems without D‑Control or D‑Command

If you are not using a D‑Control or D‑Command control surface, your regular Pro Tools output path is not necessarily muted when you send a signal to the AFL/PFL Path. If you need the main signal to automatically mute when an AFL/PFL signal is invoked, you need to do the following:

1 Configure the output path for AFL or PFL soloed tracks.

2 Select the main output path that will mute when you solo a track in AFL or PFL mode (see AFL/PFL Mutes (Output Path)).

3 Set up your hardware to monitor both the main and AFL/PFL paths simultaneously.

When AFL or PFL is selected as a Solo mode and a track is soloed, the main output path will mute and the AFL/PFL signal will appear at the AFL/PFL Path for monitoring.