Pro Tools software enables you to use two time-bases for your tracks: Ticks or Samples. This article will explain the basic idea behind Tick-based tracks and how it affects your sessions.
When you record audio into Pro Tools, the digital audio resolution is measured in samples. In a similar way, by default 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 or regions are tied to specific Tick locations on tick-based tracks.
For example, when subdividing a bar of music using musical subdivisions, you might divide the single bar into four quarter notes, then divide it again into 8th notes, and then again into 16th notes. Using the various note values you have in music, you could sub-divide that bar of music a number of ways.
Pro Tools, on the other hand, sub-divides each bar using ticks. 960 ticks per quarter note to be exact. That's Pro Tools tick resolution.
So if you were to record a single MIDI event somewhere in the first quarter note of bar of music - it would fall on one of 960 available tick positions.
Relative vs. Absolute Positions
Each of the 960 tick positions on a Tick based track is located in a relative position to the other ticks. (Unlike the samples positions on a sample-based track which are fixed to absolute locations on the timeline.)
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 the key thing) if you changed the tempo of the session, that event will still be on the 480th tick position of bar X and will retain that 480 tick distance from the start of the bar.
KEY POINT: MIDI events on Tick based tracks retain their relative position to other MIDI events, regardless of changes to the tempo.
If the tempo speeds up, the MIDI events and moved closer together and therefore, play faster and earlier in the session. If the tempo slows down, the MIDI tick positions move further apart from each other and therefore play slower and later in the session.
At this point you may be thinking - big deal. MIDI plays back slower if you slow down the tempo and speeds up if you increase the tempo. Don't MIDI tracks always behave that way? And therein is the point of discussing ticks timebase: Yes - MIDI tracks follow tempo. But only when they are set to ticks timebase. Not when they are set to samples timebase.
In Pro Tools you can set the timebase of MIDI tracks to be either ticks (the default setting) or samples. This opens up a whole new way to work. Particularly when you also consider that audio tracks can be set to either Ticks or Samples timebase, too.
You can start experimenting with ticks timebase in Pro Tools on your own, using the following tips.
Tips for learning more about Ticks Timebase
A. Setting it up.
B. Using Default Timebase Settings
C. Using Non-Default Timebase Settings
For now I hope that will give you a basic understanding of the ticks timebase and how setting your MIDI tracks to ticks or samples timebase will change everything. Key point: tick based events are relative to each other and tick positions move with the session tempo.
Now that you know essentially how the ticks timebase 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!
When you record audio into Pro Tools, the digital audio resolution is measured in samples. In a similar way, by default 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 or regions are tied to specific Tick locations on tick-based tracks.
For example, when subdividing a bar of music using musical subdivisions, you might divide the single bar into four quarter notes, then divide it again into 8th notes, and then again into 16th notes. Using the various note values you have in music, you could sub-divide that bar of music a number of ways.
Pro Tools, on the other hand, sub-divides each bar using ticks. 960 ticks per quarter note to be exact. That's Pro Tools tick resolution.
So if you were to record a single MIDI event somewhere in the first quarter note of bar of music - it would fall on one of 960 available tick positions.
Relative vs. Absolute Positions
Each of the 960 tick positions on a Tick based track is located in a relative position to the other ticks. (Unlike the samples positions on a sample-based track which are fixed to absolute locations on the timeline.)
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 the key thing) if you changed the tempo of the session, that event will still be on the 480th tick position of bar X and will retain that 480 tick distance from the start of the bar.
KEY POINT: MIDI events on Tick based tracks retain their relative position to other MIDI events, regardless of changes to the tempo.
If the tempo speeds up, the MIDI events and moved closer together and therefore, play faster and earlier in the session. If the tempo slows down, the MIDI tick positions move further apart from each other and therefore play slower and later in the session.
At this point you may be thinking - big deal. MIDI plays back slower if you slow down the tempo and speeds up if you increase the tempo. Don't MIDI tracks always behave that way? And therein is the point of discussing ticks timebase: Yes - MIDI tracks follow tempo. But only when they are set to ticks timebase. Not when they are set to samples timebase.
In Pro Tools you can set the timebase of MIDI tracks to be either ticks (the default setting) or samples. This opens up a whole new way to work. Particularly when you also consider that audio tracks can be set to either Ticks or Samples timebase, too.
You can start experimenting with ticks timebase in Pro Tools on your own, using the following tips.
Tips for learning more about Ticks Timebase
A. 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 sure you know what the starting tempo of the session is.
B. Using Default Timebase Settings
- With the audio track set to the default Samples timebase, and the MIDI track set to the default Ticks timebase, 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.
C. Using Non-Default Timebase Settings
- Next, change the timebase of the audio track to Ticks
- Set the MIDI track to Samples timebase
- Play the session again and adjust the tempo.
- Notice this time that the MIDI notes do not move but the audio regions do.
For now I hope that will give you a basic understanding of the ticks timebase and how setting your MIDI tracks to ticks or samples timebase will change everything. Key point: tick based events are relative to each other and tick positions move with the session tempo.
Now that you know essentially how the ticks timebase 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!
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