Pro Tools All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies [Paperback]

Jeff Strong (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764557149 | ISBN-13: 978-0764557149 | Publication Date: May 7, 2004

• Shows musicians and home recording enthusiasts how to get up and running with Pro Tools, the leading software for professional music recording
• Features minibooks on recording basics, PC and recording hardware, MIDI, editing, mixing, mastering, synchronization, and advanced Pro Tools use
• Offers information on the hot-selling Digi002, Digi001, and Mbox packages for home recording buffs
• Provides more complete information than other books, including basic tips on the recording process
• Written by a professional musician who has been a touring and studio drummer as well as a sound and recording engineer

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

8 books in 1–your key to success with Pro Tools!

Your one-stop guide to producing professional music recordings at home

Pro Tools lets serious and hobby musicians create recordings that rival big label CDs. And if you’re going to invest in a Pro Tools setup, you want to get the most out of it. So keep this reference handy! It has the scoop on hardware, software, techniques, mixing and mastering, and even marketing your music.

The Dummies Way

• Coverage of the essentials and beyond
• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Thumbtabs and other navigation aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Install Pro Tools on a Mac® or PC
• Navigate Pro Tools windows and menus
• Set up mics to get great sounds
• Edit individual tracks on screen
• Understand and work with MIDI
• Synch with external digital mixers

About the Author

Jeff Strong is the author of Home Recording for Musicians For Dummies and is President of the REI Institute, a MusicMedicine research organization and therapy provider. Jeff graduated from the Percussion Institute of Technology at the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles in 1983, and has either worked in or owned a recording studio since 1985. Every week, he records dozens of custom-client CDs using Pro Tools. He has also released eight commercially available CDs, four of which can be found at www.reiinstitute.com. This is his fourth book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (May 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764557149
• ISBN-13: 978-0764557149
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #821,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff Strong, the author of Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies, is President of the REI Institute, which is a MusicMedicine research organization and therapy provider. Jeff graduated is his ninth book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great time saver, May 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Pro Tools All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies (Paperback)

I've been working with Pro Tools LE on a Digi 002 for a few weeks. I never took any classes on the software, so it's been slow going. I saw this book and bought it last week. It cleared up a lot of stuff I didn't understand about Pro Tools and now I'm working a lot faster. There's also some pretty good general recording tips I didn't know. Good book. Well worth the price.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginner and intermediate - great reference too, October 23, 2006

By 

Mark Tippin "notyourpawn.com" (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pro Tools All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies (Paperback)

I've been a ProTools user for a few years (Digi 001 and now Digi 002 with ProTools 7 LE), but never took any courses or purchased any courseware. I could do basic tracking, but when it came time for my first large CD project I knew I needed help. Although the tutorial DVD that comes with ProTools 7 LE has some great material in it, the manuals never really seemed to answer my questions.
This book was invaluable in taking the step from "basic user" to semi-pro user. It's well written in a direct and friendly tone with anecdotes that show how the author has "been there too" and shares a musician's perspective on recording.
From understanding microphones and setting up a small studio through recording and even into mastering, this book is an invaluable reference for anyone who is ready to get beyond the basics. It covers step-by-step processes for many common tasks and provides some background on why things are the way they are - which leads to better user comprehension. Not only can you perform the task, but you also have a better understanding of why it is done the way it is.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars practically useless for the beginner, February 12, 2007

By 

Sam Bam "Sam Bam" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pro Tools All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies (Paperback)

I have some working knowledge of protools but can't find answers to most of my questions in this book. The index is probably the most useless part--this book tells me all about what certain functions are, but nothing about how to use them. Waste of money.