Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools Second Edition

Learn how to produce great music at home! This comprehensive home-studio guide will show you how to create the highest-quality recordings by teaching you fundamental production skills and engineering techniques. With a complete explanation of the entire production process, you'll find out everything successful producers and engineers need to know to make your music projects stand out from the rest.

Learn how to:

• Record and edit high-quality audio and MIDI tracks in Pro Tools
• Mix and master your recordings like the pros
• Run a recording session and produce great songs
• Set up your home studio and improve the efficiency of your system
• Position microphones to capture superior sounds
• Prevent recording disasters before they occur
• Get the best performances from an artist
• Create real-sounding MIDI tracks
• Master the intricacies of Pro Tools with keystroke shortcuts and technical instruction
• Transform your song demos into professional sounding master tracks

The included CD-ROM features:

• Pro Tools session templates
• PDF templates of useful forms: schedules, budgets, take and track sheets
• QuickTime movies
• MP3s

The new second edition has been updated for Pro Tools 6. It also covers all the new Digidesign home studio hardware, including Digi 002, Mbox, and Digi 001—and shows you how to use it effectively. New HANDS-ON PROJECTS in every chapter demonstrate and reinforce all the power of the new technology; follow four songs in four different genres (rock, hip-hop, electronica, and jazz) through the entire recording process.

About the Author

David Franz is a songwriter, record producer, engineer, arranger, orchestrator, and performer. After earning bachelor's and master's degrees from Virginia Tech, he studied Music Production and Engineering at Berklee College of Music. Currently, David runs his own production company, producing and engineering records for a wide range of Boston-area acts. He also performs with his touring rock band The Bleedin' Bleedins.

Also by David Franz

An important resource for developing the skills you need to create top-notch musical recordings, this book will show you how to produce great music in your home studio, no matter what recording tools you use.

LEARN PRO TOOLS TECHNIQUES ONLINE AT BERKLEEMUSIC.COM!

BUZZ

"If you want to get into home recording, or if you're contemplating making the move from analog to digital in your home studio...[this book] is as indespensable a recording accessory as razor blades and scotch tape once were."

-audioXpress magazine

"Newcomers looking to get their feet wet in the world of Pro Tools have come to the right place. This book is the perfect introduction to Digidesign's ubiquitous software."

-Pro Audio Review

"This book is a 'must read' for beginners to experts alike using Pro Tools at home or at the studio, since it covers the important to the arcane processes possible in Pro Tools."

-Music Connection magazine

"A detailed, practical guide to recording in the personal studio…Franz covers important, related, non-technical topics such as how to run a recording session, how to set up a studio, and recording budgets."

-Electronic Musician magazine

"A comprehensive, clearly written book—a complete treatise on home recording."

-Muzik Etc. magazine

"Easy to read on all the key concepts involved with recording in the digital environment. This book is definitely useful for people who aren't seasoned engineers. Now you have no excuses!"

Tape Op magazine

"Great for beginner and intermediate Pro Tools users."

TechnoSound.com

"I recently bought pro tools and purchased the updated version of this book. It was like a gift from god . I write and produce for a lot of people here in Memphis (only 10 minutes from Graceland and 20 from Sun Records). This is an awesome book. I know it will help me accomplish my dreams for my career."

--leon242@msn.com

"Excellent advice to young producers and engineers! With loads of real-world tips and techniques, Franz walks the reader through all the steps of pre-production, production, mixing, and mastering, with a logical and easy-to-grasp approach. Above all, he keeps the reader focused on the big picture by always balancing the technical aspects with what's most important, the music."

- Charles Dye, Grammy® Award-Nominated Mixer/Engineer/Producer (Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca", First Pro Tools Mixed Song to Hit No. 1, Jon Bon Jovi, Julio Iglesias, Sammy Hagar)

"Very informative and useful. Not only does the book give a comprehensive description of working in the Pro Tools realm, but it is also helpful for anyone who is starting out or wanting to learn about the proper way to arrange a recording session."

- Billy Bush, Grammy® Award-Nominated Engineer (Garbage, Korn, The Offspring, Alanis Morissette)

"An invaluable guide for aspiring producers and engineers to help craft their techniques in this changing world of recording. Covers all aspects of digital recording via Pro Tools, from starting to finishing your project at home, and not forgetting basic audio recording practices. This book gives artists the creative control to develop their art in their own environment."

- Rae Di Leo, Engineer/Programmer (Filter)

"A great resource for Pro Tools users that will help make studios more valuable and productive. It's a treasury of tips, tricks, and advice not only about Digidesign's software and hardware, but also about studio setup, working with artists, and using the great variety of plug-ins and third party products to their limits. I will refer to this comprehensive, well-written book time and time again."

- Ed Gray, Director, Partnering Programs, Digidesign

"A terrific entry into the world of Digidesign Pro Tools production. Laid out in a logical, easy-to-read format, this book strikes the perfect balance of technical detail and production overview. I would highly recommend this resource to home recordists and professionals alike."

- Rob Jaczko, Chairman, Music Production and Engineering Department, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

Sample Lessons on Berklee Shares

Samples from this title are available on Berkleeshares.com, where you can download free music lessons and share them with your friends.

• Recording With Pro Tools (PDF lesson)
  
• Set Up Recording Studio Using Pro Tools (PDF lesson)
  
• Pro Tools Interface (PDF lesson)
  

Also by David Franz

Recording and Producing in the Home Studio: A Complete Guide

Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools (3rd Edition)