# Pro Tools Users - Workflow and setup for stems?



## blizzard (Apr 10, 2014)

Hey All,

Quick question for anyone with experience using Pro Tools as their DAW for both composing and mixing.

I am using Pro Tools 9 currently and as we all know, there is no input monitoring available. How do you handle printing stems easily in this environment? 

I am currently receiving audio from my slave (VEPro or Reaper with ADAT) through aux tracks. I then am grouping instruments together into another aux track for any overall processing (Strings High, String Low, etc...). When it comes time to print stems, I need to change all my output paths on these aux tracks to feed my stem audio tracks. This is tedious when I need to go back and make small changes because I have to change my aux output to hear my slave audio, and then change it back again to print my stem.

Surely there must be a better way. I have heard of others using sends to feed your stem audio tracks. But then I end up having to mix multiple times (Pro Tools doesn't have a paste fader volume to send...though I think HD has this).

Can anyone shed some light on how I could improve my workflow?

Thanks,
Andrew


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## fish_hoof (Apr 10, 2014)

Easiest way I found was creating busses for each stem "strings, drums, etc" route all those corisponding VI's to Aux tracks, then solo and bounce each stem seperately. This process was maddening until PT 11... So I highly recommended PT 11.


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## blizzard (Apr 10, 2014)

Thanks fish_hoof. 

I'm guessing you would solo each stem and then "bounce to disk" right? Would you then transfer these to another session for mixing your 2-bus? I like to bounce my stems within the session and then mix those audio tracks for my 2-bus. I don't deliver a lot of stems, mostly stereo tracks for my current work.

I'm curious, what is the improvement in PT11 that makes this process so much easier?

Andrew


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## fish_hoof (Apr 10, 2014)

You are correct, you would solo each track then bounce to disk. Main improvement is the offline bounce... So in 9 a 30 minute stem would take 30 minutes to bounce... Then times however many stems you need. Some days I would sit for hours. However I'm sure someone might come on here with a different solution and I'll probably kick myself for not thinking of it... In 11 it's crazy fast... 

I would then put those stems into a separate template for mixing but however you want to mix them works just fine. 

Now I can't remember... Is version 9 where they released the delay compensation?


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## blizzard (Apr 10, 2014)

Yes I have delay compensation, and I think it was 9 that they introduced it. (The ridiculous workarounds I had to do before delay compensation was maddening!).

The offline bounce is probably what will convince me to upgrade to 11, as I really could use that feature. Are you using externally hosted VI's when you offline bounce? Such as VEPro or something like that?


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## fish_hoof (Apr 10, 2014)

Both VEP and plugins within pro tools. No issues so far... Knock on wood...


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## blizzard (Apr 10, 2014)

Very cool. See my biggest holdback is that I am using TransMIDIfier to keyswitch my instruments in VEPro and as a result I have to use external midi in VEPro. This makes offline bounce in my setup not usable. If Pro Tools had Input Monitoring then I could use it.

Sigh...it feels like I am always using a workaround or "less than ideal" setup sometimes.


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## Daryl (Apr 10, 2014)

I haven't used ProTools 9 for a while, and can't quite remember its feature-base. 

What is stopping you creating stem audio tracks for the number of stem buses you have used, setting the audio tracks' inputs to be the stem buses, and record arming the audio tracks? Route the audio output to your speakers. When you are ready to bounce, just hit record and your stems will be recorded in realtime.

If the audio is dropping out when you playback, have you tried toggling input-only mode?

D


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## blizzard (Apr 10, 2014)

The problem with that setup is that while I am composing, I must have the stem audio tracks record armed in order to hear myself play. So when I want to record a midi part, it is also recording to the audio stem. So every time I record a midi part (which is many many times) it records audio and very quickly my session is full of many many audio regions that I don't need. 

What you mention is basically what I do when it comes time to bounce my stems, changing the output from my stem buses from my speaker output to the appropriate stem audio track. Which is tedious and time consuming _especially_ when I need to go back to make any changes, because I need to change those stem outputs _back_ to my speaker output to hear my midi.

Does that make sense?

If I could input enable my audio stem tracks _without_ record arming them then it would be simple...but that is an HD feature, which I can't afford.


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## jaeroe (Apr 10, 2014)

i've always been on HD, so don't know the feature set of 9 vanilla - but here goes:

cascading and group selecting inputs/outputs is very fast in PT. see below. but here is one option you could try otherwise

-with a set of aux tracks (1-8 stereo) having your audio/VIs... whatever
-set their output to buses 1-16 respectively say
-set another set of aux tracks (9-16) with input busses 1-16 respectively and output your regular output (analog 1-2 or whatever)
-setup audio tracks 1-8 (stereo) with input of busses 1-16 respectively
-when composing have buses 9-16 unmated
-when stemming, mute buses 9-16 and arm audio tracks 1-8

re setting inputs/outputs - cascading input/output assignments is easy and fast. so, if you highlight your aux tracks and command+option+shift click and set an assignment, say bus 1-2 for output, it will increment each track (3-4, 5-6, etc) all the way down. then have the tracks you're printing to setup sequentially (this can be done for input too, so your can setup your audio track input that way as well). when you're composing shift+option click to assign output to 1-2 (or whatever analog out) for all your aux tracks. that will set a common output (or input) assignment instead of cascading. (this would be in place of doing what i suggest above)


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## pkm (Apr 10, 2014)

I would keep your aux track setup, then add audio tracks with the same inputs. When you're ready, simply record enable them. You can keep them not record-enabled until it's time to mix so you're not hearing double, then mute the aux tracks. If you make a group, you can record enable and mute/unmute all of them in two clicks.

Edit: oops, that's what jaeroe already said.


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## Guy Rowland (Apr 11, 2014)

Yes to jaeroe and pkm. I really only started with PT10 though, so can't remember of there was some limitation in 9 to prevent this. PT's development of some very basic features has been so slow it's easy to forget just how crippled it has been in recent history.


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## blizzard (Apr 15, 2014)

Cool. I am setting up a template now that includes the Monitor Auxes and the Audio Stems set to the same input. Should be easy to switch back and forth from monitor to record stems quickly enough using a smart group configuration.

I'm curious in this situation, how would you handle monitoring your reverb sends? I am trying to avoid making changes (mixing or routing) in multiple places within a session. If I'm monitoring my slave auxes and change a reverb send amount, or want to send a little more to a delay bus (for example), I then need to make those same changes to the audio tracks as well so my mix is the same. My template isn't fully premixed because I like to adjust things from project to project. 

Any tips for setting this up in a clever fashion?

Andrew


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## fish_hoof (Apr 15, 2014)

Do yourself a favor blizzard and get PT 11. Then you don't have to record the audio in real time to tracks and spend so much time watching the audio record. Just bounce offline, import track... boom... there's your stem. 

If you are bouncing reverb sends, just solo the VI's and Reverb Track for that particular stem and you should be good to go. 

PM me if you have any questions.


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## fish_hoof (Apr 15, 2014)

On an odd side note... people have been reporting video problems etc on PT 11.1.2. I'm on OSX Mavericks and PT 11.0.2 (which is not Mavericks supported) and let me tell you... rock solid.. I can't explain why but it has been bliss.


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## pkm (Apr 15, 2014)

blizzard @ Tue Apr 15 said:


> Cool. I am setting up a template now that includes the Monitor Auxes and the Audio Stems set to the same input. Should be easy to switch back and forth from monitor to record stems quickly enough using a smart group configuration.
> 
> I'm curious in this situation, how would you handle monitoring your reverb sends? I am trying to avoid making changes (mixing or routing) in multiple places within a session. If I'm monitoring my slave auxes and change a reverb send amount, or want to send a little more to a delay bus (for example), I then need to make those same changes to the audio tracks as well so my mix is the same. My template isn't fully premixed because I like to adjust things from project to project.
> 
> ...



I have a separate reverb for each stem that is be sent out to the same output as the individual tracks. So if my WW reverb is bus 1-2, it's output may be bus 17-18. All my Woodwinds tracks are output to bus 17-18, my WW stem (audio) track would have input 17-18 and my WW stem (aux) would have input 17-18.


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