Category Archives: Softsynths

How to use softsynths in Pro Tools

How to use softsynths with Protools?

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  1. How to use softsynths in ProTools? (generic; non-plugin specific)
  2. How to use XPand! in ProTools?
  3. How to use Sampletank Free in Pro Tools?
  4. How to use Sampletank SE from the Ignition Pack in Pro tools?
  5. How to use BFD Lite from the Ignition Pack in Pro tools??
  6. How to use BFD (the full version) with Pro Tools?
  7. How to use Ableton Live Lite from the Ignition Pack in Pro tools?
  8. How to use Reason in Pro Tools?

How to use softsynths (generic; non-plugin specific) in ProTools?

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For this answer, I am assuming that you have your hardware set up correctly (which is a different topic altogether) and can input MIDI data into Pro Tools properly, either by MIDI controller or using the pencil tool.
I am also assuming that you have selected and installed a sofsynth of your choice. This tutorial does not go in depth into how to use any one particular softsynth.

  • Create a new Instrument track. Make sure you create the proper type of instrument track; some plugins, like Sampletank, will only work on a Stereo track. (Conversely, some are mono only as well)
  • Make sure to move the fader of the instrument track to a listenable level
  • Select the softsynth that you are trying to use from one of the Insert Selector buttons.
  • Make sure your softsynth is set to output sound. Some plugins, like Sampletank SE, need to have sound ssamples loaded into the instrument. Some other softsynths require loading a preset.
  • Some older softsynths that aren’t compatible with the newer versions of Pro Tools (like some versions of sampletank) need to have a valid audio input set for sound to be passed from the instrument through the track, even though you are not using the audio input at all. If you are not hearing any sound through your track, set the audio input of the instrument track to be a valid audio input on your hardware. (I would highly recommend updating any software that you have like this to compatible versions if you can)
  • Set the input of the instrument section of the instrument track to be “All”, or the specific port and channel of your MIDI controller
  • Set the output of the instrument section of the instrument track to be the softsynth that you are using and the MIDI channel to which you have loaded an instrument, or the channel of the softsynth you are trying to control.
  • Record arm the Instrument track.

At this point you should be able to play your controller and hear sound from the softsynth. If you want to actually record, you will have to:

  • Press F12 to start recording.

You can also program and “play” the instrument even if you don’t have a MIDI controller, you would just need to use the pencil tool to manually place the notes in grid mode on the instument track. (information about how to do this is covered in the Pro Tools Reference Guide).

You can still also do it the old way too (or if you’re using an old version of PT that doesn’t have instrument tracks…)

  • Create a new Auxiliary Input track.
  • Make sure to move the fader of the aux track to a listenable level
  • Select the softsynth from one of the Insert Selector buttons.
  • Make sure your softsynth is set to output sound.(see info above about setting sounds)
  • Create a new MIDI track.
  • Set the input of the MIDI track to be the channel of your MIDI controller
  • Set the output of the instrument section of the instrument track to be the softsynth that you are using and the MIDI channel to which you have loaded an instrument, or the channel of the softsynth you are trying to control.
  • Record arm the MIDI track.

How to use Sampletank Free in Pro Tools?

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For this answer, I am assuming that you have your hardware set up correctly (which is a different topic altogether) and can input MIDI data into Pro Tools properly. I am also assuming that you have installed Sampletank Free properly, including all of the available samples. This is not a tutorial on how to install Sampletank Free. For help with installation, contact IKMultimedia, the makers of the plugin.

  • Create a new Instrument track. Make sure you create the proper type of instrument track; some plugins, like Sampletank, will only work on a Stereo track. (Conversely, some are mono only as well)
  • Make sure to move the fader of the instrument track to a listenable level
  • Select the Sampletank Free from one of the Insert Selector buttons.
  • Sampletank Free needs to have sound samples loaded into it to produce any sound. Load a sound patch into channel 1 on the sampletank interface.
  • Sampletank Free isn’t fully 7.x compatible, so you will need to have a valid audio input set for sound to be passed from the instrument through the track, even though you are not using the audio input at all.
  • Set the input of the instrument section of the instrument track to be “All”, or the specific port and channel of your MIDI controller
  • Set the output of the instrument section of the instrument track to be channel one of Sampletank (or whatever particular channel you chose to load an instrument into)
  • Record arm the Instrument track.

At this point you should be able to play your controller and hear sound from the softsynth. If you want to actually record, you will have to:

  • Press F12 to start recording.

You can also program and “play” the instrument even if you don’t have a MIDI controller, you would just need to use the pencil tool to manually place the notes in grid mode on the instument track. (information about how to do this is covered in the Pro Tools Reference Guide).

You can still also do it the old way too (or if you’re using an old version of PT that doesn’t have instrument tracks…)

  • Create a new Auxiliary Input track.
  • Make sure to move the fader of the aux track to a listenable level
  • Select Sampletank Free from one of the Insert Selector buttons.
  • Sampletank Free needs to have sound samples loaded into it to produce any sound. Load a sound patch into channel 1 on the sampletank interface.
  • Create a new MIDI track.
  • Set the input of the MIDI track to be the channel of your MIDI controller
  • Set the output of the instrument section of the instrument track to be channel one of Sampletank (or whatever particular channel you chose to load an instrument into)
  • Record arm the MIDI track.

How to use Sampletank SE from the Ignition Pack in Pro tools?

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For this answer, I am assuming that you have your hardware set up correctly (which is a different topic altogether) and can input MIDI data into Pro Tools properly. I am also assuming that you have installed Sampletank SE from the Ignition Pack properly, including all of the available samples.
This is not a tutorial on how to install Sampletank SE. For help with installation, contact IKMultimedia, the makers of the plugin.

  • Create a new Instrument track. Make sure you create the proper type of instrument track; some plugins, like Sampletank, will only work on a Stereo track. (Conversely, some are mono only as well)
  • Make sure to move the fader of the instrument track to a listenable level
  • Select Sampletank SE from one of the Insert Selector buttons.
  • Sampletank SE needs to have sound samples loaded into it to produce any sound. Load a sound patch into channel 1 on the sampletank interface.
  • Some older versions of Sampletank aren’t 7.x compatible and would need to have a valid audio input set for sound to be passed from the instrument through the track, even though you are not using the audio input at all. To eliminate this necessity, make sure you have the latest version of the plugin, which should be available from the support section at www.ikmultimedia.com
  • Set the input of the instrument section of the instrument track to be “All”, or the specific port and channel of your MIDI controller
  • Set the output of the instrument section of the instrument track to be channel one of Sampletank (or whatever particular channel you chose to load an instrument into)

At this point you should be able to play your controller and hear sound from the softsynth. If you want to actually record, you will have to:

  • Record arm the Instrument track.
  • Press F12 to start recording.

You can also program and “play” the instrument even if you don’t have a MIDI controller, you would just need to use the pencil tool to manually place the notes in grid mode on the instument track. (information about how to do this is covered in the Pro Tools Reference Guide).

You can still also do it the old way too (or if you’re using an old version of PT that doesn’t have instrument tracks…)

  • Create a new Auxiliary Input track.
  • Make sure to move the fader of the aux track to a listenable level
  • Select the softsynth from one of the Insert Selector buttons. (in this case, Sampletank SE)
  • Sampletank SE needs to have sound samples loaded into it to produce any sound. Load a sound patch into channel 1 on the sampletank interface.
  • Create a new MIDI track.
  • Set the input of the MIDI track to be the channel of your MIDI controller
  • Set the output of the instrument section of the instrument track to be channel one of Sampletank (or whatever particular channel you chose to load an instrument into)
  • Record arm the MIDI track.

How to use multiple outputs with Sampletank SE and ProTools?

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For this answer, I am assuming that you have Sampletank SE installed and working properly.

  • Create a new Instrument track. This track will serve as both your MIDI Input and Output and audio output for the instrument you choose for channel 1.
  • Insert Sampletank SE on the instrument track you created.
  • Open the Prefs dialog on the Sampletank interface, and ensure that the “outputs number” slider is set to maximum.(see photo reference)
  • Select and assign an instrument to channel 1.
  • Select and assign as many more instruments as you require.
  • For each other instrument, assign the output of the channel on the sampletank interface to a separate output by clicking the mouse on the output and sliding up or down. (see photo reference)
  • For each other instrument, create a MIDI and stereo AUX track.
  • On each new aux track, set the input of the track to “plug-in->SampleTank2 SE – Inst 1 – Insert a” and then the appropriate output for the instrument that you want to assign to that track.

Those are the basics. If you want to actually record the audio being output by the plugin, you would just use record enabled audio tracks instead of aux tracks, with the exception of channel 1, which would get recorded to an audio track using the bus method.

How to record the output of a softsynth to an audio track?

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For this answer, I am assuming that you have already read my softsynths tutorials or already knew how to use your softsynth of choice. This also applies to any signal passing through an aux track, such as an external sound module, and can be applied to any version of Pro Tools (6.4, 6.7, 7.0, etc).

  • Create a new stereo audio track, and assign it’s input to an available bus. (For this example, we’ll select 1&2)
  • Route the output of the instrument track (or aux track) to the bus that you selected in the stereo audio track. This can be done in several ways:
    • set the output for the intrument track to the stereo bus you selected (1&2)
    • set a send from the instrument track to the stereo bus you selected (1&2) making sure you pull up the send’s volume level
  • Record arm the stereo track. While in record mode, your Record Monitoring Mode should be set to Input Only.
  • Play an area of your session to confirm that the armed track is receiving signal. (This will be evident by the meters on that track)
  • Rewind your session to the beginning of the material you want to record, and press record.
  • when finished, make sure to dis-arm the audio track, and do any session cleanup on the tracks that you are now not using. (Disabling the softsynth and the instrument track, for example)

If you are using mono instruments, use mono tracks.