Comping with playlists

What are Playlists in Pro Tools?

Playlists in Pro Tools are a way to save multiple takes, arrangements, or edits for a single track. Each track includes a main playlist for the active take and any number of alternate playlists for additional takes. By switching between playlists, you can review different versions and select the best parts to create a cohesive final track. This structure makes it easy to keep track of various takes and experiment with different edits without losing any previous work.

How to Comp in Pro Tools with Playlists

Create a new Playlist

To perform another take and save it on the same track without overwriting previous recordings, you can create a new, empty playlist. This lets you save each take separately, making it easy to organize and compare multiple versions.

1. If you want to record multiple takes in a row with Loop Recording:

Enable the Automatically Create New Playlists When Loop Recording preference to capture each looped take on a new playlist without overwriting previous takes. This setup organizes each pass on its own playlist, making it easy to review and choose the best sections afterward.

To enable automatic playlist creation when loop recording:

• Go to Setup > Preferences and click the Operation tab.
• In the Recording section, check Automatically Create New Playlists When Loop Recording.

2. If you’re recording takes individually:

You can create a new, empty playlist on the same track for each take. To create a new, empty playlist on a track:

1. Open the Playlist Selector

• Click the Playlist selector (the drop-down menu next to the track name). When a track contains only the main playlist, the Playlist selector is gray. However, when a track contains more than one playlist, the Playlist selector turns blue.

2. Choose New

• Select New from the menu to create an empty playlist.

Shortcut: Press *Control+* (Mac) or *Start+* (Windows) to create a new playlist for the first selected track in the session.

View your takes

Playlist View in Pro Tools lets you see all playlists, or takes, on a track, displayed in lanes beneath the main playlist. This view is used for comping, and lets you easily compare takes and select the best parts from each.

To view the playlist lanes for a track:

1. From the Track View selector, choose Playlists.

Shortcut: You can also Command-Control-click (Mac) or Control-Alt-click (Windows) on the Playlist selector to toggle between Playlists View and Waveform View.

If the track contains alternate playlists in addition to the main playlist, they will be displayed as separate lanes under the main playlist, making it easy to audition and comp multiple takes.

Name your takes

You can rename playlists by double-clicking on the name of the alternate playlist and renaming in the text field. Otherwise, new and duplicated playlists are auto-named with the track name, followed by a Period (.) and the playlist number. For example, the first duplicated playlist on a track named “Kick” is auto-named “Kick.01,” subsequent duplicated playlists are auto-named “Kick.02,” “Kick.03,” and so on.

Audition your takes

When comping in Pro Tools, only the main playlist is heard through the track’s audio output by default. To listen to an alternate playlist, you’ll need to solo its playlist lane. This lets you audition takes without muting other tracks in the session.

To audition an alternate playlist:

1. Solo the Playlist Lane

• Click the Solo button for the playlist lane you want to audition. This solos the playlist within the track, without muting other tracks in the session.

2. Start Playback

• Press Play to begin playback and listen to the selected playlist.

Using solo on playlist lanes makes it easy to compare different takes and choose the best parts for comping.

Compile the best take

Once you’ve identified a section in an alternate playlist that you want to use in the main playlist, you can \move it over to construct the best combination of takes. This allows you to build a polished track by combining the strongest parts from each take.

To copy a selection from an alternate playlist to the main playlist:

1. Make a Selection in an Alternate Playlist

• In Playlists View, use the Selector Tool to highlight the portion of the alternate playlist you want to use.

2. Copy the Selection to the Main Playlist

• Choose one of the following methods:
  • Click the Copy Selection to Target Playlist button in the playlist lane controls.
  • Go to Edit > Copy Selection to Target Playlist.
  • Right-click the selection and select Copy Selection to Target Playlist.
  • Press Option+Control+V (Mac) or Alt+Start+V (Windows).

The selected portion from the alternate playlist is copied to the same time location in the main playlist, letting you build the best possible performance from multiple takes.