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Zoom

Zooming in and out in Pro Tools allows you to navigate your session with precision, helping you focus on fine details or quickly gain a broader view of your entire timeline. The Zoom Cluster, located in the toolbar, provides a set of tools for controlling both horizontal and vertical zooms easily. Here’s how to perform zoom functions in Pro Tools:

Horizontal zoom

Horizontal zoom adjusts the timeline, allowing you to zoom in for detailed views or zoom out for a broader overview of your session. In Pro Tools, zooming automatically centers on your current edit selection, making it easy to focus on the area you're working on.

  • Using the zoom cluster arrows:
    • Use the left and right arrows in the Zoom Cluster to zoom horizontally. You can click and drag on the arrows for a smooth zoom or click incrementally for precise adjustments.
  • Using the scroll wheel or trackpad:
    • Hold Option on Mac or Alt on Windows, then scroll with your mouse wheel or trackpad to zoom in and out horizontally.
  • Keyboard shortcuts for horizontal zoom:
    • Press R to zoom out and T to zoom in. Make sure Edit Keyboard Focus is enabled to use these shortcuts.
  • Using the scroll bar:
    • Another way to zoom horizontally is by using the scroll bar at the bottom of the Edit window.

Vertical zoom

Vertical zoom allows you to adjust the vertical zoom of your audio and MIDI tracks independently.

  • Using the zoom cluster for audio and MIDI:
    • In the Zoom Cluster, you’ll see two squares next to each other. The left square controls the vertical zoom for audio waveforms, while the right square controls the vertical zoom for MIDI data.
    • Use the up and down arrows within each square to adjust the zoom level for the corresponding track type. You can also click and drag for smoother control.
    • The MIDI zoom will only affect tracks that are in Notes View, while the audio waveform zoom adjusts all audio tracks.

Zoom presets

Zoom Presets allow you to quickly recall specific zoom levels that you use often.

  • Using zoom presets:
    • Click on the numbers below the zoom controls or press 1-5 on your keyboard to recall a preset zoom level.
  • Saving custom zoom presets:
    • To save a custom zoom preset, hold Command on Mac or Control on Windows, and click on the preset number you'd like to overwrite.
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