Add a Marker in Pro Tools
Pro Tools is digital audio software made by Avid Technology that can be used on either the Macintosh or Microsoft Windows operating systems. Professionals in audio industries use Pro Tools for editing and recording in films, television and music. Markers are also known as memory locations in Pro Tools, and serve as designated spots you may want to revisit later for editing or deleting certain segments. Here are steps on how to add markers to your session in Pro Tools.
Steps
- Verify the marker option is available. From your Pro Tools session, go to View in the toolbar, hover over "Rulers," and verify that "Markers" has a check-mark next to it. If it doesn't, click directly on "Markers" to place a check-mark next to it.
- Create a marker. Locate the spot in your audio track where you want to add a marker and click directly on that point. Press the "Enter" key on your keyboard to bring up the New Memory Location dialog box.
- Name your marker and designate a number. At the top of the New Memory Location dialog box, type in a name for your marker next to the "Name" field. To the left of the name field, you can designate a specific number for your marker or leave it as is. The number field can be used to overwrite existing markers or to reorder your markers.
- Select the marker option from Time Properties. Under the Time Properties section, make sure "Marker" is designated, otherwise click the radio option next to it on the left.
- Manage the general properties of your marker. All the options in the General Properties section are pieces of information that can be stored with your marker and are completely optional. Selecting Zoom Settings will store the current zoom setting with the marker and Pre and Post Roll Times will also be stored with the marker if selected. Other options you may choose to include are showing and hiding tracks, storing the track height, and recollection of enabled Edit and Mix Groups.
- Add comments to your marker. Although adding comments is also optional, you may want to add specific information about the marker you are adding.
- Finish adding your marker. When you are finished customizing your marker, click on the OK button in the bottom right of the window to add the marker to your audio file. You will now see a yellow marker in the shape of a diamond appear on your Timeline where you have added it.
Tips
- You can move a marker to a different location in your Timeline by clicking directly on it and dragging it to a new location within the Timeline.
- You can access your markers at any time by going to Windows in your Pro Tools session and selecting Memory Locations. This will display a list of all your markers and any special properties you designated.
- A quick way to edit a song is to add markers while listening to its playback. Just press the Enter key to bring up the New Memory Location dialog box and create your marker as the song continues to play in the background.
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Sources and Citations
- http://www.lennonbus.org/index.php?/blog/posts/pro_tip_use_markers_to_speed_your_work_in_pro_tools/
- http://en.wikiaudio.org/Pro_Tools:Create_memory_locations_and_markers
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Tools