Understanding Tick Based Tracks in Pro Tools

Pro Tools software enables you to use one of two time bases for your tracks: Ticks or Samples. This article will explain the basic idea behind the Ticks time base tracks and how using it affects your tracks.

In Pro Tools when you record (or edit) MIDI data the resolution is measured in Ticks.Instead of being tied to sample locations, as on sample-based tracks, audio regions and MIDI events on tick-based tracks are tied to tick locations.

Ticks Resolution vs. Musical Subdivision

When subdividing a bar of music using musical note values you would divide it into quarter notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, and any combination of the rhythmic note values that we use in music.

But instead of using musical note values, Pro Tools sub-divides each bar using a resolution called ticks.

960 ticks per quarter note to be exact.

So if you were to record a single MIDI event somewhere in the first quarter note of bar of music - it would have to fall on one of 960 available tick positions.

Absolute or Relative Positions

Each of the 960 tick positions on a Tick based track is located in a position relative to the other ticks. (Unlike the samples positions on a sample-based track which are fixed to absolute locations on the timeline).

For example, a MIDI event located exactly halfway between beat one and beat two of bar X - would be 480 ticks (half of 960) after the start of Bar X. Now (and this is the key thing) if you changed the tempo of the session, that event will still be on the 480th tick position of beat one of bar X and will retain that 480 tick distance from the start of the bar.

KEY TAKEAWAY: MIDI events on tracks using the Ticks time base maintain their timing relationships with each other when you make tempo changes.

Increase the tempo and the MIDI events move closer together. As a result they play faster.
Decrease the tempo and the tick positions and the MIDI events on them will move away from each other while retaining their relative position. They'll play back slower.

Now, at this point you might be wondering what the big deal is about any of this - MIDI tracks always follow the session tempo don't they? And in general the answer would be "yes". But this is where the time base of your tracks comes into play. Only MIDI tracks that are assigned to the ticks time base follow tempo changes. MIDI tracks that are set to samples time base do not follow the session tempo.

In Pro Tools you can set the time base of MIDI tracks to be either ticks (the default setting) or samples. This opens up a whole new way to work. Particularly when you also consider that audio tracks can be set to either ticks or samples time base, too.

But for now just remember this: tick based events are relative to each other and that tick positions move with the session tempo.

How to experiment with Ticks time base

Start experimenting with ticks time base in Pro Tools on your own, using the following tips.

First, the setup.

First, create a new session in Pro Tools.
Create an Instrument or MIDI track and record some MIDI data on it. Preferably some note that you can hear playing back.
Then, record or import a few audio regions onto an audio track.

Make note of the session tempo. You'll need to reset it as you do the next steps.

Now that you've got the session set up, try the following...

With the audio track set to the default Samples time base, and the MIDI track set to the default Ticks time base, adjust the session tempo.

Notice that the audio regions on the audio track stay in position. But the MIDI events on the MIDI track move with the tempo changes.

Before you continue to the next step, put the session tempo back the tempo you used when recording.

Next, change the time base of the audio track to Ticks and set the MIDI track to Samples time base.
Now press play and as you're listening, make changes to the tempo.
Notice that the audio regions now move with the tempo and the MIDI note events do not.

Conclusion.

For now my hope is that you've gained a clear understanding of the basics of the ticks time base and how it affects the behavior of both MIDI events and audio regions.

As usual, now that you know essentially how the ticks time base affects regions and MIDI events, you'll need to explore how putting it use can help you to create better music, more efficiently.. Keep at it!

*In-depth videos of this Pro Tools Tutorial are included in the course I offer at pttuts.com.