How I use Folder Tracks In Pro Tools

[KevWind]

As per the other thread and so as not to derail it
I thought I would post this video about how I use Routing Folder Tracks
in Pro Tools.

I am not sure but assume most DAWs have something similar .

In Pro Tools there are two distinct types/categories of Folder Tracks, one called Basic Folders and one called Routing Folders
I only use Routing Folders basically as a replacement for the way I used to use multiple Aux tracks .

Now many may already know some or most of the info on the video but for any not familiar I hope this visual reference helps

I did this off the cuff and moved kind of fast ,,,so if anything is not clear please feel free to ask , Kevin

Note this was made on a 27" screen so the larger the screen the more clear it will be

[jim1960]

That certainly makes it easier to reorder things in a session (something I do fairly often).

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by jim1960

That certainly makes it easier to reorder things in a session (something I do fairly often).

Yes and even on my 27 inch displays when all but the one folder I am working on is collapsed,, it makes more room for things like multiple plugins GUI, to be open on the mixer screen side
And also even when I am only doing one of "One Shot, One Take" live style recordings, it is so convenient just have those two folders open that I seldom even bother to delete the unused folders ....

[Doug Young]

Logic also has this feature. Logic calls organizational grouping, which doesn't affect routing "Folder Stacks", and what PT calls "Routing Folders", Logic calls "Summing Stacks", where the "stack" is actually routed to a bus, where I can put effects etc on the entire submix.

Here's a project I did recently for a local theatre group with lots of vocals sung against a backing track. I put each group of singers, soprano, alto, baritone and bass into Summing Stacks, so I could collapse 15 vocal tracks into 4 stacks, and work on each, then balance the 4-part harmony more easily in the end. This shows 3 collapsed stacks, and one (the bass stack) expanded. Not a huge project by real studio standards, but for me, used to mostly doing solo guitar, this really helps organize and keep track of things as well as doing the mix.

Screen Shot 2022-09-21 at 12.07.25 PM.jpg

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Logic also has this feature. Logic calls organizational grouping, which doesn't affect routing "Folder Stacks", and what PT calls "Routing Folders", Logic calls "Summing Stacks", where the "stack" is actually routed to a bus, where I can put effects etc on the entire submix.

Here's a project I did recently for a local theatre group with lots of vocals sung against a backing track. I put each group of singers, soprano, alto, baritone and bass into Summing Stacks, so I could collapse 15 vocal tracks into 4 stacks, and work on each, then balance the 4-part harmony more easily in the end. This shows 3 collapsed stacks, and one (the bass stack) expanded. Not a huge project by real studio standards, but for me, used to mostly doing solo guitar, this really helps organize and keep track of things as well as doing the mix.

Attachment 81165

Interesting ,, So I am curious why the collapsed Mens Baritone stack is showing clips but the Alto and Soprano stacks are not ?

In PT the Routing Folder track itself has all the same sends , inserts, I/O and fader sections of an Aux or Audio track but like an Aux track there is no waveform or clips on it

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Interesting ,, So I am curious why the collapsed Mens Baritone stack is showing clips but the Alto and Soprano stacks are not ?

In PT the Routing Folder track itself has all the same sends , inserts, I/O and fader sections of an Aux or Audio track but like an Aux track there is no waveform or clips on it

I picked a bad spot to screen snap, the altos and soprano's hadn't come in yet, so there was no audio there. Here's later, but now there's no bass part... They just didn't all sing at once.

Screen Shot 2022-09-21 at 3.23.39 PM.jpg

Logic presents this track-like UI for the stacks, just a visual thing. I can also see the actual aux busses that the audio is routed to, but there's nothing visible on the aux tracks. You can do effects, automation, etc, on the aux tracks, but you can also do it directly on the "stack".

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I picked a bad spot to screen snap, the altos and soprano's hadn't come in yet, so there was no audio there. Here's later, but now there's no bass part... They just didn't all sing at once.

Attachment 81169

Logic presents this track-like UI for the stacks, just a visual thing. I can also see the actual aux busses that the audio is routed to, but there's nothing visible on the aux tracks. You can do effects, automation, etc, on the aux tracks, but you can also do it directly on the "stack".

Interesting that is a bit different than PT's UI ... Since I only showed the mix widow in the video ( where I do all my mixing and only edit the audio or midi on the edit window ). I'll post a screen shot of how the PT Edit window looks with the Routing folders also

[KevWind]

Ok here are some more screen shots from an actual session of mine

Here is the Edit window which shows the collapsed and open Routing Folders

In PT you can have the edit window mirror the mix window But you can also have the number of elements that are displayed independent of each

For example in the edit window besides the default track name and control section I only have the I/O showing Where as in the mix window I am also showing inserts and sends

Note the Folder tracks have no clips or waveforms on them (Red Arrows)



Then here is the Basic Folders option (far right) which is organizational only with no Insert FX or Sends (which I do not use)