This course will open for Fall enrollment in July 2025.
In this fast-paced, hands-on course, you’ll build a strong foundation in Avid’s Pro Tools by working through practical workflows used in professional music and audio production. You’ll start by learning how to set up sessions, manage files, and navigate the core tools and windows of the software. As you progress, you’ll explore session organization, mixing, editing, MIDI sequencing, virtual instruments, automation, and audio recording—all while gaining insight into how Pro Tools integrates with your system for optimal performance.
Along the way, you’ll work on a series of guided assignments that gradually build toward a final project involving advanced editing and post-production for video. You’ll also explore tools like Beat Detective, Elastic Audio, and Melodyne, and develop techniques for comping, vocal tuning, and plug-in processing. Whether you’re aiming to work in music, post-production, or sound design, this course will help you build a fast, flexible, and professional Pro Tools workflow.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Create and configure a Pro Tools session
- Navigate the Pro Tools software interface
- Optimize the DAW for recording and importing audio
- Record MIDI and audio
- Employ editing tools and techniques to modify tracks
- Build a well-routed session for modern mixing workflows
- Use automation on audio, MIDI, plug-ins, and other parameters of a mix
- Process audio using native AAX plug-ins
- Finalize and export mixes and stems from a session
- Complete music and video post-production projects
Enrollment for this course will open soon.
Syllabus
Lesson 1: The Pro Tools Software Interface
- Navigating Pro Tools and the OS Operational Structure
- Creating a Pro Tools Session
- Pro Tools GUI Basics
- Importing Media to a Session
- Basic Mixing Window Workflow
- Assignment 1: Session Creation and Rough Mixing
Lesson 2: Memory Locations, Groups, and Submixes
- Memory Locations
- Memory Locations: Additional Features
- Mix and Edit Groups
- Submixes
- Submix Folders
- Bouncing
- Assignment 2: Improving Organization with Memory Locations, Groups, and Submixes
Lesson 3: Basic Editing Tools (Part 1)
- The Pro Tools Toolkit
- Pro Tools Editing Modes
- Pro Tools Editing Basics
- Assignment 3: 60-Second Radio Spot
Lesson 4: Basic Editing Tools (Part 2)
- Additional Editing Techniques
- Strip Silence
- Fades
- Assignment 4: Creative Music Editing
Lesson 5: Working in the Grid
- Tempo Ruler
- Click Track
- Making Drum Beats with Audio Samples
- Sample vs. Tick-based Tracks
- Assignment 5: Project 1—Session Organization and Editing
Lesson 6: Working with Virtual Instruments and Loops
- What is MIDI?
- Instrument vs. MIDI Tracks
- Recording and Importing MIDI
- Layering Virtual Instruments
- Track Freeze and Commit
- Workspace Browser
- MIDI Editor
- Assignment 6: Making Music with MIDI and Virtual Instruments
Lesson 7: Introduction to Playlists and Beat Detective
- Using Playlists
- Intro to Beat Detective
- Drum Kit Editing with Beat Detective
- Trigger Pads
- Collection Mode
- Assignment 7: Drum Editing with Beat Detective
Lesson 8: Beat Mapping and Elastic Audio
- Manual Beat Mapping
- Beat Mapping using Beat Detective
- Elastic Audio
- Quantization
- Quantizing Multitrack Drums with Elastic Audio
- Assignment 8: Project 2—Advanced Editing and Beat Mapping
Lesson 9: Plug-Ins and Automation
- Basic Overview of Audio Effects
- Serial versus Parallel Processing
- Overview of Plug-Ins in Pro Tools
- Automation
- Using Control Surfaces
- Assignment 9: Automation and Plug-Ins
Lesson 10: Comping and Melodyne
- Playlist Comping
- Vocal Tuning with Melodyne
- Time Editing with Melodyne
- Dynamic Editing with Melodyne
- Creative Uses for Melodyne
- Assignment 10: Vocal Tuning
Lesson 11: Recording Audio and MIDI in Pro Tools
- Digital Audio Foundations
- Audio Recording in Pro Tools
- Video Engine
- Assignment 11: Final Project—Rescoring a Short Video (Stage 1)
Lesson 12: Organizational Tools and File Management
- Session Templates
- Import Session Data
- Saving Copies of Your Work
- Final Delivery and Stem Bouncing Best Practices
- Assignment 12: Final Project—Rescoring a Short Video (Stage 2)
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
- This course does not have any prerequisites.
Software
- Pro Tools 2023.6 (Studio or Ultimate) or higher.
- Please note: Pro Tools First, Intro, and Artist are not sufficient.
Hardware
- Audio interface
- At least one XLR microphone or electric musical instrument, such as guitar or keyboard, as well as necessary cables
- One of the following studio monitoring options (both recommended):
- Studio monitors (pair), such as JBL 305Ps or better, as well as necessary cables
- Over-ear studio headphones, such as Sennheiser HD 600, Sony MDR-7506, Philips SHP9500, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, etc.
- iLok USB required to use Pro Tools offline. iLok Cloud (free) may be used instead, but requires a continuous internet connection while using Pro Tools.
- Recommended: Dedicated internal or external audio storage drive: SSD (recommended) or 7200 RPM HDD
Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
PC Users
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author & Instructor
John Escobar is a Colombian/American producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator. He grew up in a multicultural environment across multiple continents, spending his childhood in several countries in South America and his adolescent years in East Africa. Having the privilege of experiencing life from this angle, he gained a deep appreciation for the music and sounds of the world early on.
Escobar is well known for his versatility, which he attributes to his culturally diverse upbringing. His work has spanned many genres over the years, allowing him to work with such great artists as the multi-Grammy nominees Highly Suspect, the jazz guitar virtuoso Larry Coryell, Grammy-winning folk artist Sarah Jarosz, indie pop band Fences (featuring the Grammy-winning hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis), and classical violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, among many others. Over the last few years, he has had a chance to spend some time in academia, having taught at some of the most prestigious institutions in North America, such as Boston University, University of Southern California, Northeastern University, and Harvard University. He enjoys sharing his real-world knowledge with the up-and-coming talent in the music industry. Read Less
What's Next?
When taken for credit, Accelerated Pro Tools can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:
Related Certificate Programs
Related Music Career Roles
Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:
ADR Recordist
Assistant Engineer (Studio)
Dialogue Editor (Film, TV, and Video Games)
Field Recordist
Music Editor
Recording Engineer
Sound Designer (Theater)
Studio Maintenance Engineer
Technology Trainer/Specialist
Questions?
Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.
