Pro Tools Tutorials – Ticks Timebase Explained
Pro Tools enables you to set a timebase for audio and MIDI/Instrument tracks. You can choose either a Ticks timebase, or a Samples timebase. In this Pro Tools tutorial article you'll learn the very basics of what the timebase setting is, and one of the key ways that it influences the behavior of your tracks.
In Pro Tools when you record (or edit) MIDI data the resolution is measured in Ticks.Just as audio regions on sample based tracks are tied to sample locations, MIDI data and audio regions are tied to specific tick locations on tick-based tracks.
Musical Note Values vs. Ticks
When subdividing a bar of music using musical note values you would divide it into quarter notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, and any combination of the rhythmic note values that we use in music.
In Pro Tools, the software does not use the rhythmic value of notes to sub-divide a bar. Instead, it uses ticks.
Pro Tools exact tick resolution is 960 ticks per quarter note.
So, let's say you record a single MIDI note event somewhere in the first quarter note of a bar of music. That note event would be captured and located at one of the available 960 tick positions that Pro Tools has divided the quarter note into.
Absolute or Relative Positions
Unlike sample positions which are located at absolute points in time, each of the 960 tick locations are located relative to the particular bar and beat locations in the session.
For example, a MIDI note located precisely on the first 8th note of bar X would be at tick position 480 (one half of 960) after the start of bar X. Now (and this is of utmost importance) if you changed the session tempo, the note event will still retain is relative position to the start of bar X. Not matter what the tempo - that note event will always be exactly 480 ticks away from the start of the bar X.
KEY POINT: MIDI events on Tick based tracks retain their relative position to other MIDI events, regardless of changes to the tempo.
Increase the tempo and the MIDI events move closer together. As a result they play faster.
If the tempo slows down, the MIDI tick positions move further apart from each other and therefore play slower and later in the session.
Now, at this point you might be wondering what the big deal is about any of this - MIDI tracks always follow the session tempo don't they? And in general the answer would be "yes". But this is where the time base of your tracks comes into play. Only MIDI tracks that are assigned to the ticks time base follow tempo changes. MIDI tracks that are set to samples time base do not follow the session tempo.
In Pro Tools you can set the time base of MIDI tracks to be either ticks (the default setting) or samples. This opens up a whole new way to work. Especially when you consider the fact that either ticks or samples time base can be selected for audio tracks, too. Not just MIDI tracks.
But for now just remember this: tick based events are relative to each other and that tick positions move with the session tempo.
Tips for learning more about Ticks time base.
Use the following steps and try experimenting with Ticks time base in your own Pro Tools system.
Setting it up.
First, create a new session in Pro Tools.
Create an Instrument or MIDI track and record some MIDI data on it. Preferably some note that you can hear playing back.
Also, create an audio track with a few regions of audio on it.
Make note of the session tempo. You'll need to reset it as you do the next steps.
Once you've got those steps completed, try the following.
With the audio track set to the default Samples time base, and the MIDI track set to the default Ticks time base, adjust the session tempo.
Notice that the MIDI events on the MIDI track change as you adjust the tempo. But the audio regions on the audio track do not. They stay in position.
Important: before proceeding, reset the session tempo to the starting tempo.
Next, change the time base of the audio track to Ticks and set the MIDI track to Samples time base.
Now press play and as you're listening, make changes to the tempo.
Notice this time that the MIDI notes do not move but the audio regions do.
Final words
For now my hope is that you've gained a clear understanding of the basics of the ticks time base and how it affects the behavior of both MIDI events and audio regions.
Now that you know essentially how the ticks time base affects regions and MIDI events, you'll need to explore how putting it use can help you to create better music, more efficiently.. Keep at it!
Next Up
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