You can always switch to optimize the engine for playback later on when you want to edit and mix your songs instead of recording parts. This should help reduce latency (covered later). As this is a tutorial on recording guitar, I suggest selecting ‘Record’. It will then ask you whether you want to optimize the engine for playback or recording. Pro Tools may save and close your project if it needs to switch to a different playback engine. As I’m using an iRig HD 2 audio interface, I’ll select the ‘iRig Device’ option. If you don’t see your device on this list, read the advice in the ‘Alternative Audio Driver’ section below.įor example, you might see ‘Focusrite USB’ as an option if you use a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. If you have plugged your interface or USB microphone in before opening Pro Tools, you should see something that matches your device on this list. Select the Playback Engine dropdown menu to see your options. While Pro Tools will ask you to set this up the first time you open it, you will need to change your options here if you unplug or plug different hardware in. Here you can select what audio driver you’ll use and your output signal options. Go to the Setup > Playback Engine menu option to see your options: Set Up Audio Interface or Microphoneīefore you start recording, you need to tell Pro Tools what hardware you’ll be using for your input and output. I personally can’t stand using windows like this, but every person has different preferences, so play around with it to see if you like it or not. Most other modern DAWs have moved away from using windows, so if you don’t like the idea of juggling different windows, you might want to check out some other options as covered in my Best DAWs for Guitar Guide.

Go to the Window > Arrange menu and play around with the different options for ideas on how you might like to set up your view. Pro Tools uses windows, so you can drag and arrange the two default windows (Edit and Mixer) any way you like. You should see something like this when you create your blank project without using one of the templates: In this tutorial, I’ll create a blank project without using a template (simply uncheck the ‘Create from Template’ option) so you can see how to set everything up from scratch. The templates can be handy and I suggest trying a few out so you can get ideas on structuring your own projects. When you open Pro Tools, you will be asked to open or create a project. Once you have your microphone or audio interface connected to your computer, open Pro Tools.Īny version of Pro Tools will be able to record guitar, so it doesn’t matter if you have Pro Tools First (free version), or the Pro Tools or Pro Tools Ultimate versions. You can plug any microphone or multiple microphones into an audio interface, while a USB microphone gives you zero flexibility. A USB microphone like this provides a simple setup.īut for most people, I highly recommend using an audio interface as it gives you far more flexibility. The best practice is to plug a microphone into an audio interface, but USB microphones can be handy in some situations.įor example, when I’m recording vocals, instead of using an audio interface, I simply plug in my iRig Mic Studio (link to review). Īn audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett is the ideal option if you want to record an acoustic guitar using a microphone.Īlternatively, if you want to record anything with a microphone, you can buy a USB microphone like this one. To record guitar using a Focusrite audio interface, simply plug it into your USB port before you open Studio One. One of the most popular audio interfaces I recommend if you want to record acoustic or electric guitar (or vocals and other instruments) is the Focusrite Scarlett range (link to Amazon for details and different options).

In this example, I’m using an iRig HD 2 (check out my review to see why I recommend it for electric guitar) and plugging it into my PC’s USB port. If you don’t have a microphone or audio interface, learn about the different recording options in this guide and which one is right for you.

You can record guitar in Pro Tools using an audio interface or a microphone. 10.1 Related Guides and Lessons: Step 1: Connect Audio Interface or Microphone

Live recording pro tools