Published 2020-03-01.
Last modified 2025-02-15.
Time to read: 5 minutes.
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I have written eighteen articles about Pro Tools. They are somewhat ordered, but largely are meant to be read in any order.
- Pro Tools Overview
- Pro Tools Installation and Preferences
- HUI & MCU
- Pro Tools Keyboards and Hot Keys
- EuCon, a Proprietary Control Surface Protocol
- Pro Tools Modes and States
- Pro Tools Sessions
- Pro Tools Beats, Bars and Click Tracks
- Pro Tools Operations
- Pro Tools Workspaces and Catalogs
- Pro Tools Sessions
- Pro Tools Editing
- Pro Tools Effects
- Pro Tools Automation
- Pro Tools MIDI
- Pro Tools GrooveCell & Xpand!2
- Pro Tools & EZ Drummer 3
- Pro Tools Issues
Keyboards
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For best results, use a full-size keyboard with Pro Tools. Unlike most other programs, the numeric keypad is useful for Pro Tools.
However, when you use a laptop, you usually do not want to plug in an external keyboard. You can learn the key bindings for your keyboard by referring to Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts.
For a 10keyless keyboard with Windows, select the PC Generic keyboard.
Starting with Pro Tools 2022.4 you can create your own custom key map. For Windows, type Start-Shift-K to see and modify the key map. For Mac, type CTRL-Shift-K instead.
Windows Power Toys
Windows Power Toys allows you to remap keys. This is especially useful if you do not have a full-size keyboard.
Command Focus
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You can use the keyboard to navigate; this is called command focus. Command focus is enabled by clicking on the A/Z Edit Key icon. The icon will display in yellow if it is enabled, or in black-and-white if not.
This icon appears in two places, and they are mutually exclusive because command focus can only apply to one area at a time.
- Edit window: In the upper right-hand corner of the edit area, to the right of the Clips area (if visible).
- In the Groups panel on the left of the Pro Tools window.
Command Focus Hotkeys
P Up
; Down
L Left
, right
Tracks
ALT-click on a track’s volume slider knob sets the input level of the track to 0 dB.
CTRL-G Group selected tracks
CTRL-Shift-N New track
Win-P Select previous track
Win-; Select next track
Misc
ALT-keypad 7 Toggle Universe strip (rainbow colored horizontal strip above tracks)
CTRL-= Toggle Mix sub-window on top
ALT-WIN-= Toggle score editor
CTRL-ALT-B Bounce mix (mixdown)
CTRL-D duplicate selection
CTRL-Shift-L Loop toggle
CTRL-N new session
CTRL-Shift-W Close session
Recording
Enter Return to start of session
CTRL-Space Start recording
Space Stop recording
CTRL-. Stop recording and discard take
ALT-L Loop record toggle
CTRL-ALT-L Loop record toggle
Clips
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CTRL-, Add / remove sync point at cursor.
CTRL-E Cut clip at selection
Clip List
Described on pages 42-43 of the official Pro Tools Shortcuts Guide.
CNTRL-SHIFT-B Select unused clips.
CNTRL-SHIFT-U Clear (delete) unused clips.
ALT-click on delete or move to trash.
Edit Modes and Tools
Cycle through edit modes: ` (backquote key)
Shuffle Mode: F1 or ALT-1
Slip Mode: F2 or ALT-2
Spot Mode: F3 or ALT-3
Enable snap to grid while in another edit mode: SHIFT-F4
Enable snap to grid and shuffle mode: F1+ F4 simultaneouslyEnable snap to grid and slip Mode: F2+ F4 simultaneously
Enable snap to grid and spot Mode: F3+ F4 simultaneously
Cycle zoomer tool: F5 or CTRL-1
Cycle trimmer tool: F6 or CTRL-2
Cycle selector tool: F7 or CTRL-3
Grabber tool: F8 or CTRL-4
Scrubber tool: F9 or CTRL-5
Pencil tool: F10 or CTRL-6
Smart tool: F6+F7 simultaneously or CTRL-7
Cycle through edit tools: ESC
Lock/unlock shuffle mode: CTRL-click Shuffle button
Tracks, Groups & Playlists
ALT-Shift-D Duplicate track
Groups
Win-click mute, solo and record only one track in a group.
CTRL-Shift-G Disable/enable all groups
Playlists
ALT-Shift-N Move selection to new playlist.
Shift-S Solo playlists with cursor.
Win-ALT-v copy selected portion of selected playlist to main playlist
CTRL-Win-\ duplicate selected track to playlist.
CTRL-Win-ALT-\ duplicate all tracks to playlists.
CTRL-Win-ALT-Shift-\ duplicate selected tracks to playlists.
Win-\ add a new playlist to a single selected track.
Win-ALT-\ creates a new Pro Tools playlist on all tracks (including inactive ones).
Win-ALT-Shift-\ creates new playlists only on selected tracks.
Grid Mode
CTRL-Mouse Slip tracksDuring Playback
Down arrow start selection
Up arrow extend selection
Transport
Enter Go to start of session
Space Start/stop playback / Record stop
CTRL-Space / F12 Record start
Shift-R Record enable selected tracks
Markers
Ctrl-numberpad 5 Open the Memory Locators window.
Numberpad Enter Define new memory location.
. [1-9]+ . (period followed by the marker number, followed by the period key again; use the numberpad for all characters)
Jump to marker.
- Or -
Click on the left-most column in the Memory Locations window.
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Click in the marker ruler area, then use Tab and Ctrl-Tab to move to the next/previous marker.
Shift-click on edit window: Extend selection from marker to current location (selects all notes within the selection area).
Win-click on marker: Edit a Memory Location.
By default, memory locations are presented in the order they were defined. To sort memory locations by their timecode, open the pull-down menu to the right of the Memory Locations window, then select Sort By / Time. This is a per-user setting, affecting all Pro Tools sessions.
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For further information:
Keyframes
To insert a keyframe, use ALT-Shift-click.
To freely move a keyframe, use click-drag.
To move a keyframe left and right while keeping the value unchanged, use ALT-Shift-click-drag.
MIDI
Double-click on any Instrument or MIDI track to open it in the docked MIDI Editor pane in the lower portion of the Pro Tools window.
ALT-= Toggle MIDI event list
ALT-Win-Shift-= Toggle the MIDI Editor visibility.
In the MIDI editor, the right and left arrow keys move forward and back through the notes. Doubled notes can be noticed by the next visible MIDI note not being selected.
In the main editor, use Win-- to toggle the selected Instrument orMIDI track between the notes view and the clips view. Alt-- toggles all Instrument and MIDI tracks between the notes view and the clips view.
CTRL-SHIFT-] Vertical zoom in
CTRL-SHIFT-[ Vertical zoom out
Vertical zoom to show all notes (lowest to highest) in MIDI and Instrument (MIDI) Command+Control+Shift+[ Control+Start+Shift+[
Zoom
ALT-A fit all clips horizontally
ALT-F fit the selected clips vertically
CTRL-[ horizontal zoom out
CTRL-] horizontal zoom in
References
I have written eighteen articles about Pro Tools. They are somewhat ordered, but largely are meant to be read in any order.
- Pro Tools Overview
- Pro Tools Installation and Preferences
- HUI & MCU
- Pro Tools Keyboards and Hot Keys
- EuCon, a Proprietary Control Surface Protocol
- Pro Tools Modes and States
- Pro Tools Sessions
- Pro Tools Beats, Bars and Click Tracks
- Pro Tools Operations
- Pro Tools Workspaces and Catalogs
- Pro Tools Sessions
- Pro Tools Editing
- Pro Tools Effects
- Pro Tools Automation
- Pro Tools MIDI
- Pro Tools GrooveCell & Xpand!2
- Pro Tools & EZ Drummer 3
- Pro Tools Issues