CTC Knowledge Base

SCROLL DOWN FOR A VIDEO VERSION OF THIS POST!!!! The concept of sends and busses, in general, is one that beginner DAW users often struggle to understand. It took me quite a while to feel confident enough in my understanding of the concept to adopt it, but after I started, I never looked back! Sends provide a powerful way to manage effects, save CPU, and…

Introduction Whether you're a MIDI nerd, a keyboard player, or just someone who likes making cool sounds, you should definitely be taking advantage of the Creative Technology Center's ROLI Seaboard. The product currently goes for about $1,200 online, but for as long as you have access to Berklee facilities, the Seaboard is available for use with no price…

  PT Record Modes A guide by Kari Estes This guide will only cover those available in the standard version, so unfortunately info about Trackpunch or DestructivePunch. Remember - the shortcut for record is ⌘spacebar, numpad3, or f12 Normal Normal record mode is the default that ProTools gives you. This mode is the simplest record mode there is…

Back in May 2020 when Logic 10.5 was first released, I was absolutely in love. Honestly, I don't think the honeymoon phase is ending anytime soon... Before the release of the all-powerful Logic version 10.5, I always found that drum programming in Logic was super annoying compared to other DAWs. There isn't anything wrong with using the piano roll to…

Ableton’s developers are bad-ass. Live allows users to take control of the DAW on a level that other DAWs just don’t. That’s why we sound designers, programmers, and creatives love it so much. From Max for Live to Ableton Themes, there are endless possibilities when it comes to creating your optimal Live environment. Ableton’s developers appreciate the…

by Kari Estes Let’s say that I’m writing out a lead sheet and I want to include the drum groove for the first 4 measures, to give the rhythm section an idea of the groove. After those first few bars, having the Drum Set staff is unnecessary, so how do we hide this? It’s a process that is more simple than you think - it takes 3 quick steps. 1. Select the…

By Tristan Klopp   What Groups Do Everyone likes to be a part of a group! And your Pro Tools tracks are no different. Groups are a great way to organize your tracks, and using them can improve your recording and editing efficiency. Groups allow you to control multiple tracks at once. Want to record-enable your entire drum set up at once? Make a…

by Maya Wagner If you would rather watch a video of the explaination, scroll down to the bottom of this post. Global tracks provide some amazing resources, but many people don't know how to access the tools they provide. In this post, we'll go over some FAQs and life hacks so you can take advantage of Logic's global tracks! Show and hide the global…

By Maya Wagner Getting started with any DAW can be super overwhelming. So, let’s take it one step at a time!! Here are some basic things you should know about recording audio in Pro Tools.  Creating your project Setting up your interface / playback engine To start getting an audio signal into Pro Tools, you need to select the proper playback…

EQs, or Equalisers, are one of the most often used effects in a processing chain. They are designed to shape the frequency spectrum of an audio stream, by either boosting or attenuating at a frequency (or a range of frequencies). Most EQs are made up of multiple filters you are able to control at varying degrees. Most DAWs come with a stock EQ plugin. We…

by Kari Estes Check out the first article for more plugins! All of these plugins are completely free of charge and are available in both AAX and VST forms, allowing you to use them in both Logic and ProTools (as well as other DAWs) and are all Catalina compatible. PreFET Pre-Amp by accentize This plugin by accentize is a free amp simulation…

Javi Lloret Frames Per Second commonly referred to as FPS is an important unit to know about, especially if you’re in the Film Scoring or Sync industry. Music for commercials, movies, and all kinds of media which include moving pictures will play at a specific FPS rate. Now, what are they exactly? As some of you may know, what we see on videos is…