Video summary

How to create Pro Tools templates for post production

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Tech/tutorial summary: Creating Pro Tools session templates for post-production mixes

What the video teaches

  • How to build Pro Tools session templates intended for post-production mixing:
    • Start with a basic stereo TV documentary template
    • Then build a more complex 5.1 feature film template that accounts for common delivery requirements (Printmaster, LTRT/LRO versions, DME, stems, etc.)
  • How to structure tracks/buses/auxes so future sessions can be created quickly without rebuilding routing, while keeping automation and deliverables organized.

Part 1: TV documentary stereo mix template (basic template + DME workflow)

Session basics (template foundation)

  • Create a new Pro Tools session via N (New Session).
  • Recommended format: WAV, 24-bit, 48 kHz.
  • Build minimal track counts, then expand as needed:
    • Dialogue: four mono tracks (abbreviated “DX”)
    • Voice-over (VO): two mono tracks (routed to “/vo” auxes)
    • Music: two stereo tracks (routed to “/mx”)
    • Sound effects (SFX): four mono + four stereo tracks (routed to “/sfx”)

Naming/routing concepts

  • Auto-naming behavior: if mono and stereo tracks share the same name, Pro Tools numbers them sequentially.
  • Optional processing: dialogue could use EQ/compression, but the template delays “real” settings by starting with bypass/flat.

Aux track architecture (core of the template)

  • Send each group of tracks to its own stereo aux input:
    • DX → stereo aux (called something like “/dx”)
    • VO → stereo aux (called something like “/vo”)
    • Music → stereo aux (called something like “/mx”)
    • SFX → stereo aux (called something like “/sfx”)
  • Tracks are set so they can be soloed using Solo Safe behavior.

DME-style “dialogue/music/effects” submaster design

  • Create DME aux (stereo) that combines dialogue + music + effects, explicitly excluding VO:
    • “DME” stands for Dialogue, Music, Effects
  • Create a final submaster (master fader feeding the final mix).
  • Key automation separation idea:
    • VO is handled separately so automation like ducking music during dialogue doesn’t interfere with VO automation.
    • Reason: dubbing to another language may change VO duration—keeping VO automation independent allows redoing DME automation without destroying the dialogue/music automation logic.
    • Automation can be in Touch mode (mentioned as a practical approach).

Loudness/measurement for deliveries

  • Put loudness metering on the master using Waves WLM Plus:
    • EBU R128 targeting around -23 LUFS integrated
    • US reference mentioned as -24 LKFS

Layback/transmission prep (mix prints)

  • Create a mix print / recording track (“mix impression”) from the submaster for real-time capture.
  • Use “dummy/dead-end” buses to avoid monitoring/feedback:
    • Route recording/playback safely so it doesn’t double audio.

“DME without attenuation” concept (important template feature)

  • Create DME without attenuation using pre-fader sends:
    • Produces a version meant to be reusable externally (without baking Pro Tools automation/ducking levels into the delivered file).
  • Also illustrate DME with attenuation as a conceptual optional variant (post-fader behavior).

Export as template

  • Save the finished session as a template using File → Save as Template.
  • Templates can then be used to spawn new sessions from the template folder.

Part 2: 5.1 feature film mix template (deliverables-first planning)

Deliverables checklist (drives routing design)

The video reviews a typical delivery document containing:

  • 5.1 Printmaster (cinema)
  • 2-track Printmaster LTRT (cinema):
    • LTRT = stereo derived from 5.1 using Dolby Pro Logic–style matrix encoding
    • Notes: may require extra encoding software/tools
    • The video highlights verifying whether LTRT is truly required vs plain stereo
  • 2-track Printmaster LRO:
    • LRO = left-only/right-only stereo derived from 5.1 without surround encoding
  • DME 6-track stereo theatrical feature (polywav-style):
    • Tracks 1–2 Dialogue, 3–4 Music, 5–6 Effects
  • 5.1 surround + digital theatrical feature film
    • “Basically, everything except dialogue” (per subtitles)
  • 2-track LTRT music & effects
    • Stereo with surround encoding, excluding dialogue
  • 5.1 stems (Dialogue, Music, Effects separately)
    • Pro Tools channel order called out as convenient/compatible: L C R LS RS LFE

Building the 5.1 template (structure changes from stereo)

  • Create a new session (not from the stereo template) called 5.1 film mixing template:
    • Usually 48 kHz (96 kHz mentioned as sometimes possible)
  • Reset I/O buses back to defaults to avoid inherited routing mistakes.

Core routing setup for 5.1

  • Use a 5.1 dialogue aux/bus:
    • Dialogue includes location audio conceptually and optionally ADR tracks routed into the dialogue bus.
  • Create SFX:
    • Multiple mono SFX tracks + stereo SFX tracks routed into a 5.1 SFX input
    • Warning: watch for routing loops—audio must not route back into the same aux repeatedly.
  • Create Music:
    • Two stereo music tracks for typical source material
    • Create a 5.1 music track pathway as a backup/option if music is already 5.1
    • Upmix example:
      • Uses Waves UM226 as a stereo→5.1 upmix tool
      • Mentions Halo UpMix as a better/preferred option
  • Route everything (Dialogue, Music, Effects) through a submaster:
    • Then submaster goes to a 5.1 output bus and 5.1 master fader
  • Important Pro Tools configuration detail:
    • When creating master faders and outputs, ensure correct bus/output assignments
    • Create a proper 5.1 bus (e.g., “bus 5.1”) mapped to the 5.1 output (“5.1 out”).

Session timecode/video alignment guide

  • Suggests adjusting session start time:
    • Mixing begins far into the timeline (e.g., 10 hours), leaving space before mixing for tones/clocks.
  • Adds/uses a guide clock video at the beginning:
    • Ensures the video frame rate matches session settings (24 fps example).
  • Demonstrates aligning the guide tone section to the program start using Pro Tools memory locations and grouping.

Film deliveries: how the template plans bounce/export strategy

Prefer bounces over internal laybacks (voice count issue)

  • For 5.1 laybacks: doing multiple laybacks inside a single session can consume too many voice counters in Pro Tools.
  • Alternative: use disk bounces (“print/bounce from buses”).

I/O/bus planning for each delivery type

The video outlines creating specific buses and then exporting:

  • 5.1 printmaster bus
  • 2-track LTRT printmaster bus
    • Implemented as LRO if no LTRT plugin exists
  • 5.1 music & effects (M&E) bus
  • 2-track LRO music & effects bus
  • 5.1 stems buses:
    • Dialogue 5.1, Music 5.1, Effects 5.1
  • A submaster feeds these delivery buses.

Example: downmixing 5.1 to stereo LRO

  • Duplicate submaster for stereo downmix:
    • Use a downmixer plugin/preset category “sound field → downmixer”
    • Example preset: 5.1 to stereo with LFE muted
  • Route result to a stereo LRO print bus for export.
  • Option mentioned: alternatively create separate print tracks per bus if needed.

Export settings critical points (to avoid wrong deliverables)

  • Exports are shown as Bounce to Disk from selected buses.
  • Ensure export is interlaced WAV (as stated).
  • Ensure “File by export source” is selected:
    • Prevents accidentally exporting everything into one huge file.
  • Keep delivery format 24-bit / 48 kHz.

6-track DME (special handling)

  • DME 6-track requires a single combined WAV containing 6 channels:
    • Dialogue stereo (tracks 1–2), Music stereo (3–4), Effects stereo (5–6)
  • Video procedure:
    • Create separate stereo buses for dialogue/music/effects (no need for bounces per bus)
    • Combine for a single export file
    • Pro Tools outputs one WAV containing the required 6 channels.

Final step: save the film session as a template

  • Save as template:
    • File → Save as Template (e.g., “5.1 Movie Mix Template”).
  • Verify templates appear in the template folder and can be used to create new sessions.

Demonstration of how Pro Tools interprets DME files (structure recognition)

  • After building DME audio components, a test session loads only the DME file.
  • Pro Tools automatically recognizes the DME file as three components:
    • Dialogue / Effects / Music
    • Each split into Left/Right
  • Dragging the clip into the edit window creates corresponding tracks:
    • dialogue-only, effects-only, music-only

Main speakers / sources

  • Primary speaker: The video instructor (narrator/author), referencing a personal workflow and tools (e.g., “I usually use…”; no specific name provided in the subtitles)
  • Pro Tools software: Avid Pro Tools (the platform being configured)
  • Tools/plugins mentioned:
    • Waves WLM Plus
    • Waves UM226
    • Halo UpMix (preference)
    • PhoenixVerb
    • NRiNC LTRT tools (mentioned as an example)

Note: This summary reflects the structure and workflow described in the provided video content.

Original video