And now for something completely different...

[jim1960]

My day took an unusual turn today when I received a call around noon from a friend who has been having some health issues in recent months. He was supposed to work a music/video session but he wasn't up to it and asked me to sub in for him.

The artists were a tribute band named "Deaf Leopard" ...not my cuppa tea but the studio needed someone to handle the Pro Tools end of things. I haven't run a session that big in a few years so I got there abut 30 minutes early to get things sorted and ready to record. The template was set up with folders and that cost me about 15 minutes of hunting and pecking because I've never had a need for Pro Tools folders in my sessions. But once I cracked the folders problem, it was all smooth sailing. The band recorded clips from 10 songs to use in a promo video. We were finished in about 2 1/2 hours.

While I manned Pro Tools, another guy manned the board. I'd met him before and we had an amicable three hours talking about everything from the music we liked in the 80s (neither of us were ever into Def Leopard) to the Yankees. We even had the Yankee game on in the booth for the last hour.

I snapped off a few photos. They have a pretty nice setup and I don't know what kind of video cameras they were using, but the video was crystal clear and obviously a pretty high resolution.

[Bob Womack]

Sounds like fun! It is interesting that they are using a Midas M32 console for multitrack, but really, the lines have blurred between recording and live consoles. And yeah, I don't usually use more than one folder during recording but everything goes under neat folders when I start mixing to clear up the screen.

Bob

[AcousticDreams]

Way to go Jim1960!.....

Looks like you had the most interesting day!

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Sounds like fun! It is interesting that they are using a Midas M32 console for multitrack, but really, the lines have blurred between recording and live consoles. And yeah, I don't usually use more than one folder during recording but everything goes under neat folders when I start mixing to clear up the screen.

Bob

From what I could gather during our conversation, he went with that for the studio because he was using a smaller version for live shows and he felt going with the bigger brother would be a better option than having to know two boards.

I'm going to have to play around with the folders and figure them out because my friend's health issue isn't going away anytime soon, so I may have to sub in for him on his bad days.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Way to go Jim1960!.....

Looks like you had the most interesting day!

It was quite different for this folkie.

[KevWind]

Hey very cool Jim and what an interesting day !!

Myself I am totally into Routing folders now for all my recording tracks the only Aux tracks I use are one for reverb and a 2 Mix (2 Bus) with my Hardware comp on it .

I have them all set up in the various Session Templates I use.
What I like is not only how fast they get me up and recording but also when ever I am not using some of audio or midi tracks I can simply delete the folder and all the tracks go away.

This is my 16 track (Guitar VI instruments and Vox) template This is basically how it opens with only the Acoustic Rhythm Guitar tracks labeled "A Ry Gtr" (far left ) "unfolded" and ready to record arm (which is what I almost always record first)

The Folder tracks are all the ones with the grey showing for most of channel strip and the actual Audio or Instrument tracks show the full channel in their respective colors... Makes identification a snap
So this session template has 8 audio tracks and 4 VI instrument tracks ready to go All I need to do is click the little folder icon just above and right of the track name and I can open or collapse them as needed

I find it very fast and efficient way to organize and work

And with the nifty pre amp section at the top for the Carbon , so I can turn phantom power on and off from the Mixer window

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by KevWind

This is my 16 track (Guitar VI instruments and Vox) template This is basically how it opens with only the Acoustic Rhythm Guitar tracks labeled "A Ry Gtr" (far left ) "unfolded" and ready to record arm (which is what I almost always record first)

I have a few templates, one for songs that have drums, one for songs without, and one for mastering. A folder might be useful for the template with drum tracks but I've never gotten around to learning about them. I'm going to change that in the near future because I have a feeling some tasks I did in that session today could have been done faster.

[DupleMeter]

Folder tracks are great. I have, more or less, replaced AUX tracks with Routing Folders.

And if you happen to have a Eucon control surface, you can program it to open/close the folders to quickly navigate a large mix.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by DupleMeter

Folder tracks are great. I have, more or less, replaced AUX tracks with Routing Folders.

And if you happen to have a Eucon control surface, you can program it to open/close the folders to quickly navigate a large mix.

You know, I hadn't thought of programming that into my Eucon but I may have to try now. Good idea!

Bob

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by jim1960

I have a few templates, one for songs that have drums, one for songs without, and one for mastering. A folder might be useful for the template with drum tracks but I've never gotten around to learning about them. I'm going to change that in the near future because I have a feeling some tasks I did in that session today could have been done faster.

I do something similar with templates One for guitar and vocals --One for guitar, vocals, and VI 's (like strings, keyboards etc.) and one for guitar, vocals, VI's, and VI Drums.

For me Routing Folders are one of those things that once I started using them I would not want to be without

Now be aware in Pro Tools there are two types of folders
Basic Folders --- and Routing Folders

Myself I only use the Routing Folders and like DupleMeter they have replaced all my Aux tracks except for the parallel Reverb track and my "2 Mix" (main sub bus track )

Later this week I will post some more screen shots or maybe even a short screen video of how I use them

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Later this week I will post some more screen shots or maybe even a short screen video of how I use them

I will be looking forward to that!

[Glennwillow]

Sounds like quite the challenge Jim, but it sounds like you were certainly up to it!

It's a little stressful learning new things on the job and on the clock. Glad you could pull that off.

I'm sorry about your friend's health problems. That's a shame.

- Glenn

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I'm sorry about your friend's health problems. That's a shame.

Thanks Glenn. My buddy is in rough shape and has been for a while now. He's had epilepsy for years but it was well-controlled. For the past six months or so, he's been having seizures nearly every week, sometimes multiple times a day. He's currently on meds that are so strong they knock him out for most of the day. His doctors have been doing tests to determine which part of his brain is causing the seizures. Once that is nailed down, they're going to remove that part of the brain and, hopefully, that will end the seizures and give him his life back.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Thanks Glenn. My buddy is in rough shape and has been for a while now. He's had epilepsy for years but it was well-controlled. For the past six months or so, he's been having seizures nearly every week, sometimes multiple times a day. He's currently on meds that are so strong they knock him out for most of the day. His doctors have been doing tests to determine which part of his brain is causing the seizures. Once that is nailed down, they're going to remove that part of the brain and, hopefully, that will end the seizures and give him his life back.

That is so very hard. I sure wish him well. And I hope the surgery is successful.

- Glenn

[jim1960]

I was back in the pro studio today. My buddy who works there came down with Covid so I filled in for him again. They got some exciting news there yesterday. A while back they had Gloria Gaynor (famous from the disco era) and they did the video, recording, and mixing for the song in the studio. They got a call yesterday letting them know the song is going to be up for a big award next year.

I have a small connection to the song. Gloria Gaynor used a Lauten Atlantis for her vocals. She used that mic because my buddy, Jack, bought one after borrowing mine one time and loving what he was getting from it on a variety of sources. Gaynor did a few sessions there and recorded an album's worth of music. She loved the Atlantis so much that she bought one for herself.

The band that was in today was enjoyable. They did a mixture of styles and even did a mashup of the music from Crazy Train with the lyrics from Jessie's Girl. It was weird but I got a good laugh out of it.

Some pics...