REVIEW: Pro Tools Tips and Tricks with Kenny Gioia
We’ve always reported whenever Kenny Gioia has posted free videos and I usually recommend them to people on forums as well. They have been well received by a lot of people in the Pro Tools community, now Kenny has finally released an entire collection at Groovebox Music.
Browsing…
I launch the discs program from my MacBook and is met by a simple and spartan interface, nothing wrong with that, I actually like it. Besides the regular transport buttons, there’s also a menu that you can choose to show or hide, this is where you decide which video to view. It’s as simple as that. When a video starts, the menu hides. If you click “show menu” when a video is playing, the video stops, which I actually found pretty annoying, still no biggie…
If you have seen any of Kennys free videos then you can pretty much figure out what types of videos these are as well. The production is the same too, no flashy things happening, just a guy talking and a screen showing what he’s doing. I didn’t have any trouble following Kennys tutorials but added text notes somewhere on the screen about what’s happening is always a good thing in these types of videos in my opinion and could’ve been a nice addition.
(Not the entire screen, but a close up on the menu, click for larger image)
The disc is divided into four main categories: introduction, editing, mixing and utility, with the introduction being just a message from Kenny himself, and the utility containing only four videos, so basically the meat is in the editing and mixing categories. Here you’ll find more common tips, such as drum editing and processing, as well as some weirder stuff, such as scratching in Pro Tools. All in all there are 40 videos and over four hours of tutorials. I won’t go through them here, you can view the entire list at grooveboxmusic.com, but I especially appreciate the various ways Kenny describes how to create effects such as stuttering guitars and scratching.
Will I learn anything?
So what about the important thing? Is Kenny up for the task of tutoring us? I think so. If you’re just starting out learning mixing or learning Pro Tools, then here’s some really great advice and tips, but I like to think there’s something in there for those who are comfortable in Pro Tools and used to mix as well. Whether you’re on HD, LE or M-Powered doesn’t really matter, the tips applies to all platforms.
Kenny has a relaxed, almost laid-back attitude when instructing in these videos. He doesn’t sound pretentious and his voice doesn’t get annoying like a lousy sports commentators. It’s down-right hard not to listen to him actually.
Conclusion
As with most tutorial videos out there, this will probably be most valuable to beginners, but if you’re not one of those, don’t let that put you off, because there are some really creative and fresh stuff in here. Don’t take my word for it, take a look at the free videos for starters and decide for yourself.
Dammit, can’t take it anymore….must…buy…videos!
I don’t want to be the only one on the internet that hasn’t seen them yet. Kenny’s free vids were great so I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.
By jon ~ June 12, 2007 kl 12:33 pm
I am using pro tool 7 M-Audio 1814 I am do my squencing on
mpc 2000 xl I have it midi to the midi out of the M-Audio
but the sounds are coming way out of time. I tried adjusted every thing in the set up
and suggestions
By Greg ~ July 2, 2007 kl 1:40 am
tramadol
By Guruchel ~ July 6, 2007 kl 7:14 am
Man, these vids are SWEET. The guy doing this one is kinda hard to keep up with cuz he’s so “fast” at his keyboard shortcuts (which is key!). I’m sure after a while you’d be able to keep up. The price for subscriptions are a little more than I’m willing to go right now, but at least I know this place exists! Thanks! Jason
By Jason Sheroan ~ December 28, 2007 kl 12:01 pm
Hmmm… let me comment on something i just discovered… that you can buy the DVD’s much cheaper, and certain tutorials are cheaper than others. Buying DVD’s looks like the way to go!
By Jason Sheroan ~ December 28, 2007 kl 12:12 pm
Also, I wonder if you subscribe for $14.99 for the month, if you can download and save these like crazy? Or do they block downloading somehow? Many ways around that nowdays, but I wasn’t sure. Cuz if a person could sign up for a month, and just go to down, it would cost much less than buying certain DVD’s.
By Jason Sheroan ~ December 28, 2007 kl 12:13 pm
Jason, I think I remember Kenny talking about using quick keys a while back.
I’ll soon review part 2 as well that was recently released.
By stiff ~ December 28, 2007 kl 4:53 pm
I signed up on groovebox and have been working through some of your lessons. THe question I have is simple. THe VocalVerb that you use on one of you videos. Is that a doubler? Also is that plugin?
By Michael Carbonara ~ March 10, 2008 kl 9:36 am