MIDI editing in Pro Tools is accomplished using four tools that work a bit differently depending on the display mode. The Grabber (hand symbol) lets you grab a region to move it around (in Regions mode), or to select a group of notes (while in Notes mode). The Selector makes time-based selections, in order to cut/copy/paste/delete its contents. The Trimmer's role is to resize (as in lengthen or shorten) a selected region or note.

(Pro Tools also offers a Smart Tool mode, in which the Grabber, Selector, Trimmer, and fades are combined in one contextual tool, which changes function depending on its position in relation to the region or note -- saving you from constantly switching tools during editing.)

When dealing with MIDI, the Pencil is active only in Notes mode, and lets you paint a note or string of notes -- the durations of which depend on the selected grid resolution (it's a very useful tool, for instance, for creating a series of 1/16th hi-hats). The Pencil is also used extensively in velocity and automation editing modes.

Last, the Zoom tool lets you magnify the area you want to see in detail, with five customizable preset zoom levels.

Pro Tools features four editing modes: Slip, Grid, Spot and Shuffle, which have an influence on the outcome of editing operations. In Slip mode, regions and note can be moved around freely. In Grid mode, they will be constrained to a user-definable grid based on one of the available timescales; using the bars:beats timescale, for instance, regions can be placed very precisely "on the beat."

In Spot mode, moving a Region or a note brings a dialog in which you can indicate a precise start or end point for the event; if you're working to picture (using timecode and videotape, or a QuickTime video file), Spot mode offers several extremely quick methods of placing regions to match specific video frames. Last, Shuffle mode is probably the trickiest to understand, but it offers powerful options. In this mode, moving or trimming a Region will make it snap to the next one on the track. Also, if you bring a Region between two others, it will be inserted between them, and the right-hand region and all subsequent regions on the track will be pushed to the right. Similarly, if you erase a region, the track will move to the left to close the gap. Hence, Shuffle mode is the key to global cut/inserts and song rearrangement operations.

Next page: Rulers and Grids