Pro Tools for Music Production, Second Edition: Recording, Editing and Mixing [Paperback]

Mike Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0240519434 | ISBN-13: 978-0240519432 | Edition: 2

Pro Tools for Music Production is a definitive guide to the system for new and professional users. Extensively illustrated in colour and packed with time saving hints and tips, you will want to keep to hand as a constant source of information. The book takes a real-world approach and shows how to build the right system to suit your needs. Detailed chapters on recording, editing and mixing blend essential knowledge with tutorials and practical examples from actual recordings.

The second edition features a wealth of new and updated material, including:
· Pro Tools HD systems explained
· Pro Tools 6.1 software (and up to version 6.2.3)
· Mac OSX installation and troubleshooting
· A new chapter on MIDI
· Additional and expanded tutorials
· More on Identify Beat, Beat Detective and tempo maps
· Extra coverage of plug-ins and virtual instruments
· How to use Propellerheads Reason and Ableton Live with Pro Tools
· What you need to know about the new file management capabilities
· How to transfer projects between Pro Tools and other MIDI and audio software, and between Pro Tools TDM on the Mac and Pro Tools LE on the PC

Pro Tools for Music Production is a vital source of reference to keep by your side, whether you are a working professional or a serious hobbyist looking for professional results.

* Get creative with recording, editing and mixing projects and unlock the potential of your system!
* Become an expert on Pro Tools, its third party components and discover how to maintain a healthy computer system
* Colour-illustrated and now including HD systems and Pro Tools 6.2 software

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the first edition:

"A must-read for anyone involved with Pro Tools."
Linda Taylor, Rubicon Music

"Whether a Pro Tools rookie or expert, this book will teach you something. No Pro Tools user should ever be far away from a copy."
David Fanning, Macworld

"Totally everything you want to know on the subject - its the full-bandwidth book on Pro Tools, taking you from a simple mono session all the way through to a full 32-track mixing session. The many steps along the way to creating a finished audio production are very well explained. This is the one book you should definitely have by your side when you need to know which way to go with Pro Tools. Bedside reading for all users!"
John Leckie, Producer (Radiohead, Simple Minds, Baaba Maal, Dr John and many other famous bands and artists).

"A relaxed and practical overview of Pro Tools - a must-read for all levels of users. The Recording section has a useful beginner's guide with lots of tips, with the sections on Editing and Mixing offering progressively more advanced information. The step-by-step examples, complete with detailed computer screenshots are excellent. The guide to setting up your computer system is just fantastic, especially the practical tips on how to use the Norton Utilities to fix problems."
Phil Harding, Chairman of the Music Producer"s Guild and Producer (Boyzone, East 17, Pet Shop Boys, Jesus Jones, Donna Summer, Kylie Monogue, Jason Donovan).

"A must for anyone involved in recording music. You will instantly feel at home with this book - lots of great colour screen shots, terrific advice - and thoroughly professional in every way. Take it in small doses or heavy chunks and you will come away feeling that you have really learned something."
Barry Stoller, Composer, 'Match of The Day'

"Mike Collins is a seasoned trainer as well as an experienced user of technology and this background is reflected in the book"s intensely down-to-earth and practical approach. The book blends exactly the right amount of technical and anecdotal information to maintain both the reader"s interest and sense of being involved in an "actual" learning situation. I can recommend this book to students knowing that they will be able to simply pick it up and get on with it - without losing themselves in empty technical detail or practical blind alleys. It covers just about every aspect of Pro Tools you will need to know about for music production."
Jim Barrett ,Music Technology Course Leader, University of Glamorgan

"If you want to know what is possible with Pro Tools and how it works this book will tell you. More than that it really helps you understand what you are doing and why. It"ll be living in my briefcase from now on."
Roger Askew, Broadcast Audio Engineer, Sky TV


Praise for the second edition:

"Mike Collins has done it again! This book is a comprehensive guide to Pro Tools HD systems and clearly illustrates the variety of options available. From the straightforward guide to MIDI recording, editing and playback, to digital audio recording, monitoring, looping and overdubbing, this book has it all. I particularly valued the many new practical examples about editing, mixing and transferring projects - and the extremely useful explanations of how to use Reason and Live with Pro Tools. A bible for all Pro Tools users."
Geoff Smith, Producer (Boosey Media / Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishing Ltd)

"I was impressed with Pro Tools 5.1 for Music Production, which I bought last year, and I have been eagerly awaiting this new edition to help me plan my next upgrade. Sure enough, this book 'hits the spot' by explaining everything I need to know about the Pro Tools HD hardware and Pro Tools 6.1 software for Mac OSX. It is extremely readable, well laid out and easy to follow. The hints and tips are great if you need to get up to speed quickly, and Mike's personal experience and advice is always useful and consistently reliable. This is a book that will stay very close to my computer!"
Neill Strickland, Technical Director (Sound & Comms, BBC World News)

"Some of the most commonly asked questions about new hardware system set-ups are answered clearly and straightforwardly, and the excellent, detailed new chapter on MIDI is packed with useful tips and hints that go well beyond what you'll find in the manual. The book also has a useful overview of the Virtual Instruments now available for Pro Tools systems and includes great advice on how to successfully run Reason and Ableton Live with Pro Tools. The final 'piéce de resistance' is the excellent Appendix all about transferring projects between software and hardware platforms. This used to be a nightmare - but no more!"
Phil Harding, Producer / Engineer / Songwriter (East 17, Pet Shop Boys, Boyzone, Kylie Minogue)

"15 pages of glossary and 10 of index finish off a work that should be quickly translated into French!" (Keyboards - Home Studio)

Book Description

A comprehensive and colour-illustrated guide to the most popular music production package around.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 2 edition (August 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240519434
• ISBN-13: 978-0240519432
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,230,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all Pro Tools owners a must to read, January 20, 2002

By 

Merlin "A Bukluva" (Flag Pond, TN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pro Tools for Music Production: Recording, Editing, and Mixing (Paperback)

This particular book is probably the most comprehensive guide to using Pro Tools and the Macintosh computer around, and long overdue.

PC users of Pro Tools will also find this book to be of real value in acquiring skills with Pro Tools, but less so in the area of actual PC system management.

Considering the technical nature of the subject Mike Collins has managed to compose a book that is highly readable and very informative.

He does not miss a trick and for once there is a book out there that is right up to date even ahead of its time, unlike most other technical literature that is at least one release behind the times and usually more.

From managing your computer system to managing most types of Pro Tools sessions this book does not miss a trick.

Mike covers just about everything, from various Midi Interfaces, sequencers, Plug Ins etc, with a style that as far as I am aware is unique in this type of book.

Using his own real life experiences Mike takes you through, Mixing, Recording, Editing etc.

The book even goes into the future of Music with some great input on collaboration using systems like the Rocket Network.

All in all a great and entertaining book that not only informs, but also inspires.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginner..., July 25, 2002

By 

R. Williams "autopilot!" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pro Tools for Music Production: Recording, Editing, and Mixing (Paperback)

Pluses: Color images and an easy read.
I did enjoy reading this book, and as a new user, running Pro-Tools LE on a MAC, it was useful. Takes you step by step through a project and a little mixing, but don't expect to buy this and hope to learn everything about Pro-Tools. A good book for someone new to the game, and maybe a few tricks and tips for experienced users.
Minuses: Doesn't fully cover all topics or ways to use features in Pro-Tools. Some things aren't addressed at all.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You don't need this book, February 1, 2002

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pro Tools for Music Production: Recording, Editing, and Mixing (Paperback)

... I was so happy to see that someone wrote a book about protools 5.1... and of course i did buy it right a way.... then i was shocked when i started to read it.... this book is only a really simple reduction of the protools Reference guide.... and actually a lot, lot less ..... i was hopeing to learn some new staff and some tricks ... well, i lost my money...