How to load a pro tools session for tweaking

[LiveMusic]

No expert here! I did some recording sessions with session players. (Edit: They were recorded in Pro Tools.) Rather than do everything through my Nashville engineer, I would like to be able to load the sessions and create a decent mix so that I can then make mp3 files of the tracks so I can practice singing the songs. How can I do this?

Maybe a year ago I had downloaded Bandlab because he told me it was free and I could just load any entire Protools session with it and mix away. But that laptop got fried. So, now I bought a refurbished used computer system with two 27" monitors, 32gb RAM and 1TB SSD. And see that Bandlab has changed their tune? Or have they? I guess they bought Sonar. But will convert to a paid software at some point? Can I still download Bandlab and open the sessions and mix with Bandlab?

If that won't work, years ago, I bought some kind of Pro Tools software, I forget what it was but it had a dongle associated with it. I still have it. Wonder if it would work?

FWIW, my mix engineer (not the sessions engineer) uses Sonar and he is a whiz, he's a pro. He can help me with any questions if I have Sonar. I know enough to be dangerous. I would like to be able to create a mix, as I said, but also, record scratch vocals to hear what the finished songs should sound like. I will later be with my engineer to record the real keeper vocals.

[Mobilemike]

Avid does have a free version of Pro Tools, called Pro Tools intro. However it is limited to only 8 tracks, so if your existing session is larger than that, it will only open the first 8 tracks.

Pro Tools Artist, the next tier up, is only $9.99/month

Www.avid.com

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by LiveMusic

No expert here! I did some recording sessions with session players. Rather than do everything through my Nashville engineer, I would like to be able to load the sessions and create a decent mix so that I can then make mp3 files of the tracks so I can practice singing the songs. How can I do this?

Maybe a year ago I had downloaded Bandlab because he told me it was free and I could just load any entire Protools session with it and mix away. But that laptop got fried. So, now I bought a refurbished used computer system with two 27" monitors, 32gb RAM and 1TB SSD. And see that Bandlab has changed their tune? Or have they? I guess they bought Sonar. But will convert to a paid software at some point? Can I still download Bandlab and open the sessions and mix with Bandlab?

If that won't work, years ago, I bought some kind of Pro Tools software, I forget what it was but it had a dongle associated with it. I still have it. Wonder if it would work?

FWIW, my engineer uses Sonar and he is a whiz, he's a pro. He can help me with any questions if I have that. I know enough to be dangerous. I would like to be able to create a mix, as I said, but also, record scratch vocals to hear what the finished songs should sound like. I will later be with my engineer to record the real keeper vocals.

The standard protocol for interchangeable sessions while using multiple DAW solutions has always been OMFI and now AFF. Those two solutions ostensibly eliminate whether a session will or won't open natively in Bandlab (or any other DAW) automatically. You will not get plug-ins, but virtually everything else will migrate.

I'm confused as to what DAW created the original session. Pro Tools, Sonar, or Bandlab? Either which way ask your pro engineer to re-save the session as an AFF, and the session will open in any DAW that supports AFF files, which at this point is virtually all of them.

[KevWind]

Bill, I am a bit confused also
So perhaps more info would be helpful
Like for starters what is your new computer PC or Mac ? and what OS?

And what DAW and file format did your Nashville engineer record in ? was it Pro Tools ? which you mention,,, or Sonar ? which you mention ? Or are you talking about two different engineers

If your on Mac there is always Garage Band for free or as noted ProTools Intro
with 8 audio tracks but also additional Midi Aux and Folder tracks I believe (Which your Nashville engineer should be able to mix down to accommodate )


Also note if you had "some kind of Pro Tools from years ago " it may or may not work on your "refurbished used computer" . It depends entirely on which PT you actually had and what year it is from, and also what year your refurbished used computer is and what OS you are running ?

The issue with older DAW versions and newer computers is the change from 32 bit to 64 bit.

And If you are on a PC I believe that the free Bandlab is now the free Cakewalk https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk

[LiveMusic]

Earlier this morning, I edited the OP to say that the sessions were done in Pro Tools. By the recording engineer. The other engineer I wrote of is the mix engineer (and overdub guy) that I will work with from this point.

I just want to load them via whatever. My mix engineer uses Sonar and loves it. I assume that this is part of Cakewalk/Bandlab now.

The refurbished PC I bought is a Dell PC with Windows 10 Pro. As mentioned, 1TB SSD and 32gb RAM. I think it is 64-bit. My mix engineer picked it out for me to buy.

The Pro Tools dongle gizmo I bought was from, I dunno, maybe 6-7 years ago. I have it somewhere, just not sure where right now, so, can't provide any more info at this time.

I finally got this computer working. And finally got Bandlab downloaded and installed. Much frustration to get it all going!

(EDIT: Regarding this paragraph, disregard, as I got the no-sound problem figured out via an Audio setting needed to be directed to the UA Volt II interface.) I am now trying to load and mess around with a Bandlab demo but cannot get any sound through my monitor speakers. The monitor speakers ARE getting sound through the PC, I can play a youtube or whatever. I thought maybe the Bandlab has some kind of setting at this point that it is routing through headphones but I plugged them into the UA Volt II interface and got nothing. It is as if there is something in Bandlab that is muting every track in the demo project but I have looked and looked and clicked on this and that and I can't figure out what is muted. Tried soloing several tracks, get nothing. So, it makes me wonder if Bandlab needs to be instructed where to pipe the sound to. If so, I haven't figured out how to set that.

3/9/24 fix again...
Edit > Preferences > Audio > Devices > Output Drivers > Volt 2

The hope was... I thought that the mix engineer told me that I could just double click on any of my Pro Tools sessions and Bandlab would open it and I could get then mix or add a vocal track or whatever.

The comments are certainly appreciated!

EDIT: Ok, at least I have Bandlab working and have figured out how to edit the tracks in the demo. I will try to download one of my sessions and mess with it. I have two 27" monitors... I need to figure out how to set up the PC to span the DAW image across both of them.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by LiveMusic

Earlier this morning, I edited the OP to say that the sessions were done in Pro Tools. By the recording engineer. The other engineer I wrote of is the mix engineer (and overdub guy) that I will work with from this point.

I just want to load them via whatever. My mix engineer uses Sonar and loves it. I assume that this is part of Cakewalk/Bandlab now.

The refurbished PC I bought is a Dell PC with Windows 10 Pro. As mentioned, 1TB SSD and 32gb RAM. I think it is 64-bit. My mix engineer picked it out for me to buy.

The Pro Tools dongle gizmo I bought was from, I dunno, maybe 6-7 years ago. I have it somewhere, just not sure where right now, so, can't provide any more info at this time.

I finally got this computer working. And finally got Bandlab downloaded and installed. Much frustration to get it all going!

(EDIT: Regarding this paragraph, disregard, as I got the no-sound problem figured out via an Audio setting needed to be directed to the UA Volt II interface.) I am now trying to load and mess around with a Bandlab demo but cannot get any sound through my monitor speakers. The monitor speakers ARE getting sound through the PC, I can play a youtube or whatever. I thought maybe the Bandlab has some kind of setting at this point that it is routing through headphones but I plugged them into the UA Volt II interface and got nothing. It is as if there is something in Bandlab that is muting every track in the demo project but I have looked and looked and clicked on this and that and I can't figure out what is muted. Tried soloing several tracks, get nothing. So, it makes me wonder if Bandlab needs to be instructed where to pipe the sound to. If so, I haven't figured out how to set that.

The hope was... I thought that the mix engineer told me that I could just double click on any of my Pro Tools sessions and Bandlab would open it and I could get then mix or add a vocal track or whatever.

The comments are certainly appreciated!

Well there is the a fair amount of good help available help here on the recording forum
BUT first efficient diagnostics and anything in the way of efficient targeted suggestions is based on detailed and organized information about your system and what you are doing
For the future you might want to take a few minutes and list your system in the signature line of your "User CP" like mine below

So lets see if I have this correct
#1 You are using a Windows 10 PC
#2 You have the UA Volt connected to your computer
#3 You have the monitor speakers connected to the Volt

#4 You are getting sounds from 3rd party sources on the PC (like Youtube) through the monitor speakers connected to the Volt (as well a through the Head Phone jack on the volt )

A# You are able to load the Bandlab demo and have it show up in the demo session BandLab Mixer and Edit windows (i.e . with the audio wave forms and various plugins on the mixer channels etc) ?

B# But the BandLab Demo session is not passing sound thru to the Volts output correct ?

So are the individual audio channels in the demo session showing any signals showing (meters ) and also in the Main Outs track for the session ? if so then it is likely a routing selection to get the sound back out to the Volt

I am not on PC or familiar with Bandlab but there should be some kind of I/O section in bandlab with the channels available on the Vold indicated adn some way to select the volt main outs (probably labled Out 1-2 )

Can you post a screen shot of your Ban lab I/O out put section and also of the mixer?

[LiveMusic]

Thanks, Kevin. Twice in this thread, you have had been unlucky enough to respond to something I wrote but in the 10 minutes to an hour prior to your making your post, I edited said previous post to say it was solved. Which happened this last time when I figured out the sound issue. But you had 'old' info regarding my problem. (You were, obviously, not aware of my edit.)

I was going to download my sessions but they are too large. I am not on a super fast internet. Maybe I can go to my brother's house and do it through his DSL. And then try to load one in Bandlab! If it works such that I can load a session and work with the mix, hurrah! Then I'll move on to tackle adding a vocal track.

Again, thanks for the help.

[Mobilemike]

Bandlab cannot open Pro Tools sessions, and never could to my knowledge. You can import the audio files (normally WAV or AIFF files) from your Pro Tools sessions to Bandlab, but you will lose any edits or mix moves you made in the Pro Tools session.

[DupleMeter]

You can only open a Pro Tools session in Pro Tools. It's a proprietary format.

In the Pro Tools session folder there should be a folder called "Audio Files". All the recorded tracks are in there. You can import those into any DAW.

Here's the catch:

• You will not be able to see plugins or plugin settings
• You will not retain any automation on the tracks
• If they recorded using "Takes" it could get a little confusing on import...but not insurmountable. You'll just see multiple files for the same track with incrementing numbers (01, 02, 03 et al).

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by LiveMusic

EDIT: Ok, at least I have Bandlab working and have figured out how to edit the tracks in the demo. I will try to download one of my sessions and mess with it. I have two 27" monitors... I need to figure out how to set up the PC to span the DAW image across both of them.

Ah yes I missed the edited part .Glad you got it sorted out
So in order to transfer large files via internet something like the free version of Drop Box is very helpful and many pro studios use it

As noted though the engineer using PT will only be able to send the audio files but it will not have the specific PT session data but as long as he selects all the tracks with the same start point you will be able to line then up and mess around with mixing them

As far as the two 27" displays (same as my set up ) I don't have windows BUT If Band Lab allows you to separate the mix and edit windows that is what I do and it works great and to do so there should be a selection to un-mirror the displays
like this

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Mobilemike

Bandlab cannot open Pro Tools sessions, and never could to my knowledge. You can import the audio files (normally WAV or AIFF files) from your Pro Tools sessions to Bandlab, but you will lose any edits or mix moves you made in the Pro Tools session.

Again. Band lab CAN open a Pro Tools session (minus the plugins) provided the Pro Tools session was saved as either an OMFI file or an AFF file. It’s a protocol that has been an option since there was SoundTools. (Original Pro Tools). It’s used all the time for both multiple DAW scenarios as well as Avid Video sessions. It’s a thousand times easier than trying to import stems

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by DupleMeter

You can only open a Pro Tools session in Pro Tools. It's a proprietary format.

In the Pro Tools session folder there should be a folder called "Audio Files". All the recorded tracks are in there. You can import those into any DAW.

Here's the catch:

• You will not be able to see plugins or plugin settings
• You will not retain any automation on the tracks
• If they recorded using "Takes" it could get a little confusing on import...but not insurmountable. You'll just see multiple files for the same track with incrementing numbers (01, 02, 03 et al).

Again. Pro Tools sessions can easily be saved as either AFF files or OMFI files. It’s an Avid/Digidesign protocol. Simple and takes zero effort. It’s a simple “Save as AFF file” click. That’s been available since there’s been SoundTools. The AFF files and the OMFI files are represented as a icon similar to the Pro Tools primary session icon. it’s as simple as importing the AFF file, clicking on the AFF icon and it will open as a Pro Tools session. Everything in the Pro Tools session will migrate to the new DAW exactly as it was in the Pro Tools session with the obvious exception of purchased plug-ins.

[Mobilemike]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

Again. Band lab CAN open a Pro Tools session (minus the plugins) provided the Pro Tools session was saved as either an OMFI file or an AFF file. It’s a protocol that has been an option since there was SoundTools. (Original Pro Tools). It’s used all the time for both multiple DAW scenarios as well as Avid Video sessions. It’s a thousand times easier than trying to import stems

That is true, but an OMF or AAF (not AFF) file is not a Pro Tools file, which is what the OP asked about. Having an OMF or AAF for Bandlab to open would require those to have been exported from the original Pro Tools session, which was not mentioned in the OP.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Mobilemike

That is true, but an OMF or AAF (not AFF) file is not a Pro Tools file, which is what the OP asked about. Having an OMF or AAF for Bandlab to open would require those to have been exported from the original Pro Tools session, which was not mentioned in the OP.

Yes, AAF, thank you for the correction. I did mention it to the OP. See post #3. Again, it's an Avid/Digidesign protocol, which brings the entire session forward to any DAW, provided the session is saved as such. Once an OMFI (or AAF) file is saved, it behaves exactly like a traditional Pro Tools file. It is true it must be saved at the original Pro Tools level, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, as a means of a straightforward phone call solution. I've used these protocols every day for nearly 23 years now, and it works great, despite my faux pas of calling it an AFF.

All of that notwithstanding, it's miles and miles ahead of exporting individual audio files and audio stems or any other workaround here to fore mentioned as a means of importing a Pro Tools session into another DAW. A phone call and drop box would be a 3-minute procedure.

[DupleMeter]

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

Again. Pro Tools sessions can easily be saved as either AFF files or OMFI files. It’s an Avid/Digidesign protocol. Simple and takes zero effort. It’s a simple “Save as AFF file” click. That’s been available since there’s been SoundTools. The AFF files and the OMFI files are represented as a icon similar to the Pro Tools primary session icon. it’s as simple as importing the AFF file, clicking on the AFF icon and it will open as a Pro Tools session. Everything in the Pro Tools session will migrate to the new DAW exactly as it was in the Pro Tools session with the obvious exception of purchased plug-ins.

I believe you mean AAF (the successor to OMF). Yes, it can be done, but AAFs are not all made equal. I have no idea how Bandlab will handle it. Certainly worth a try, if you can get the engineer to export. If all you have is the PT session & no recourse to get an AAF export...then you're locked into whatever is in the Audio Files folder.