Published 2020-03-01.
Last modified 2024-11-02.
Time to read: 4 minutes.
av_studio collection.
Also see these related articles about Pro Tools:
- Pro Tools Overview
- Pro Tools Installation and Preferences
- Pro Tools Keyboards and Hot Keys
- 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
See the official Pro Tools Shortcuts Guide.
Keyboards
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.
Key Modifiers
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.
The command focus hotkeys are:
P Up
; Down
L Left
, right
See Pro Tools Shortcuts: Selecting and Editing for further information.
Track Volume
CTRL-= Maximize input level of the selected track.
ALT-click on the slider knob. Set input level of the selected track to 0 dB.
Misc
CTRL-= Toggle Mix sub-window on top
CTRL-D duplicate selection
CTRL-E Cut clip at selection
CTRL-G Group selected tracks
CTRL-N new session
CTRL-Shift-L Loop toggle
CTRL-Shift-N New track
CTRL-Shift-W Close session
CTRL-ALT-B Bounce mix (mixdown)
Win-P Select previous track
Win-; Select next track
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
CTRL-, Add / remove sync point at cursor.
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.
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.
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.
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-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.
Zoom
CTRL-[ horizontal zoom out
CTRL-] horizontal zoom in
