MIDI to audio

In Pro Tools, converting MIDI to audio is an essential step when you’re ready to finalize your MIDI performances. This process lets you capture the sound of virtual instruments or MIDI-triggered plugins as audio clips, giving you more flexibility for editing and mixing. Whether you're committing MIDI to audio for creative effects or to free up system resources, there are a couple of simple ways to convert your MIDI tracks into audio.

Drag and Drop MIDI to an Audio Track

This method allows you to quickly render your MIDI performance as an audio waveform by dragging and dropping your MIDI data onto an audio track.
Steps:

1. Create an Audio Track:

In Pro Tools, go to Track > New and create a stereo or mono audio track, depending on your project’s needs.

2. Drag the MIDI Clip to the Audio Track:

Simply click on the MIDI region in your Instrument or MIDI track and drag it down onto the audio track.
Pro Tools will automatically render the MIDI performance as an audio waveform, which you can edit just like any other audio clip.

Routing the Output to Record MIDI as Audio

This method allows you to capture real-time performance elements, such as control changes (modulation, pitch bend, etc.), by routing the output of your Instrument track (or MIDI track with an assigned virtual instrument) to an audio track and recording the performance as audio in real time.

Steps:

Create an Audio Track:
Go to Track > New and create a stereo or mono audio track.
Route the Output of the Instrument Track Directly to the Audio Track: instead of using a bus, set the output of the Instrument track to the new audio track using the output selector. Pro Tools will automatically create a new bus and set the inputs and outputs for you.
Set the Input of the Audio Track: Ensure the input of the audio track matches the bus created in the previous step.
Record the Audio: Record-enable the audio track by clicking the Record Enable button.
Start Recording: Press Record and Play on the Transport to begin recording the MIDI performance as audio.

Your MIDI performance, including any real-time control changes, will be recorded as an audio clip on the new track.

Why Use MIDI to Audio Conversion?

Converting MIDI to audio opens up additional creative possibilities, allowing you to manipulate and process your MIDI performances in new ways:

Editing Flexibility: Once converted to audio, you can apply audio-specific edits like chopping, reversing, or adding fades. This is especially useful for more detailed or destructive edits that aren’t possible with MIDI.
Sound Design: You can take a MIDI-based pad or synth sound, convert it to audio, and then manipulate the audio further by chopping it up, reversing sections, or layering it with other audio.
Performance Optimization: Once MIDI tracks are converted to audio, they no longer require real-time processing from your virtual instruments, reducing the load on your CPU and allowing for smoother performance.
Finalizing Tracks: Committing MIDI to audio is ideal when you're finishing a session and want to lock in the performance and instrument sounds, making it ready for mixing.

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