The Pro Tools 2022.4 software release is now available. This release not only introduces the new product lineup (Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio, and Pro Tools Flex), but it also delivers numerous new features and enhancements, including:
- Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
- Pro Tools Search
- Video Color Space Improvements
- Dolby Atmos Improvements
- Miscellaneous Features and Enhancements
Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
CUSTOM KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Keyboard shortcuts are a powerful tool to speed up a whole range of workflows in Pro Tools, and you can now assign almost any command in Pro Tools to a custom keyboard shortcut. The new Keyboard Shortcuts window lists almost all commands in Pro Tools and their keyboard shortcuts, if any already exist. You can search for commands by name, key assignments, or tags, and then edit their keyboard shortcut assignments. You can then use filters (or combinations of filters) to further refine your search results. Available filters include modifier keys, commands Focus, assignment Conflicts, Custom assignments, and Tags.
Search Filters
Default tags are assigned to help identify commands by category (such as Editing or Automation), type (such as Clips or File), or location (such as Edit menu or Workspace). You can also create and assign custom tags to commands.
Selecting tags to filter search
By default, the Commands list shows all Pro Tools commands that can be assigned a keyboard shortcut. When conducting a search, only the results of the search are shown, and you can then apply Filters to further refine the search results. Commands are listed row by row, while Command attributes are organized in columns.
You can edit keyboard shortcut assignments for any command listed in the Keyboard Shortcuts window including any commands that do not already have a keyboard shortcut assignment. Should you change your mind, you can always reset the custom keyboard assignment for any command to its default assignment. When creating custom assignments, you can have conflicts when the same key combination is assigned to different commands. Pro Tools identifies these in the Conflicts column, letting you quickly edit or reset the shortcut to resolve the conflict.
Pro Tools provides you with five presets to easily store and recall your most commonly used Keyboard Shortcuts assignments, and you can also save and import Keyboard Shortcut Preset settings. This is especially useful if you share a workstation, as it enables each user to save and load their own custom shortcuts. Or, you may want to use different custom keyboard shortcuts for different workflows, such as one preset for music production and another for post-production work. And, of course, you can transfer your custom keyboard shortcuts to use on other systems.
PRO TOOLS SEARCH
You can now quickly search for commands or objects (such as tracks or clips) by name and trigger an action in Pro Tools, giving you the ability to:- Search commands by name and execute them
- Search tracks by name and select them
- Search clips by name and select them
- Search Memory Locations by name and recall them
- Search Track Groups by name and enable or disable them
- Search AudioSuite plugins by name and open them
Typing in the Search field, the results are listed below
To use Pro Tools Search:- Open the Pro Tools Search field by doing either of the following:
- Choose Window > Pro Tools Search
- Press Control + Shift + S (Mac) or Start + Shift + S (Windows)
- Choose the command or object you want from the results list, and click (or press Return) to execute the command or select the object
VIDEO COLOR SPACE ENHANCEMENTS (Pro Tools Studio and Pro Tools Ultimate Only)
Pro Tools now supports a variety of color space options for optimal picture representation across desktop and hardware displays (with both SDR and HDR media). This ensures that the video that you see in Pro Tools matches the picture in the NLE. Video tracks provide a color space setting which determines how the file is processed and the color space for monitoring with any connected video peripheral. Pro Tools will now automatically detect the color space of any imported media and allow the user to pick the best option using the new Color Space selector.
Full list of Color Space setting options, with recommended options highlighted yellow
DOLBY ATMOS IMPROVEMENTS
2022.4 introduces two Dolby Atmos improvements:- Static Dolby Atmos Groups
- Duplicate Dolby Atmos Music Panner Plug-in Automation to Pro Tools Pan Automation
Static Dolby Atmos Groups standardize the four most commonly used groups in audio post production (dialogue, music, effects, and narration), and have been added to the Manage Bed/Object Groups dialog. When Pro Tools is managing Dolby Atmos Bed/Object Groups, it now provides a default set of groups to match the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
Up until now, Pro Tools has not been able to include Dolby Atmos Music Panner information in an ADM deliverable. With Pro Tools 2022.4 and the Dolby Atmos Music Panner 1.2, Pro Tools can now copy the plugin automation to the Pro Tools pan lanes. This lets you do your creative mixing with the Dolby Atmos Music Panner, and then, when your mix is done and it’s time to deliver an ADM file, you can use the “Duplicate Dolby Atmos Plug-in Automation to Pan Automation” command to turn the plugin automation into Pro Tools pan automation.
OTHER FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS
- Getting Started tab in the Pro Tools Dashboard—the Dashboard now provides a Getting Started tab to help new users quickly learn how to use Pro Tools, with easy access to a demo session, tutorials, and additional educational content
- Improved support for built-in and third-party Windows Audio Devices (WASAPI), opening up support for more devices so that users can use their computer’s onboard soundcard without having to use additional third-party software
- Spot to Edit Insertion command improved and added to the Clips List menu
- Auxiliary Input tracks default to solo safe mode—this ensures that when audio is routed to an Auxiliary Input track from any other track and you solo that track, the Auxiliary Input track is not automatically muted, so you can still hear the audio routed from the solo’d track
- Disable DSP Mode when disabling Record/Input preference (Pro Tools | HDX Hybrid Engine and Pro Tools | Carbon only)—you can now choose to have Pro Tools automatically disable DSP Mode when disengaging Record Arm and Track Input Monitor on a track
- EUCON Assignable Knob Highlight (requires EUCON 2022.4 or later)—when enabled, the Assignable Knob highlight is shown in Pro Tools whenever any parameter is hovered over, clicked, assigned, or adjusted; when not enabled, the Assignable Knob highlight is only shown around the currently assigned parameter (if any)
AVAILABILITY
Pro Tools 2022.4 is now available for all current Pro Tools customers on an active subscription or perpetual Software Updates + Support Plan. You can update through Avid Link or find it in your Avid Account. If you need to renew your Software Updates + Support Plan for Pro Tools or want to get current to the latest version, you can find options to do so here. And if you’re new to Pro Tools, you can try out the latest version with our free 30-day trial.
For more details about this release, please see the new documentation now available in your Avid Account.
Dolby Atmos is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories.