Pro Tools LE Instrument Tracks

[MACHINE]

Im a hip hop guy so I don't know if Ill ever use this or see what purpose this may serve that my audio track can't handle so can someone please clear up the specialty of a instrument track ? I want to know.

[tone4407]

Straight from Digi...

Pro Tools 7 software introduces new Instrument tracks, which combine the functions of MIDI and Aux Input tracks in a single channel. Easily add virtual instruments, automate parameters, and change hardware patches from that consolidated track.


and here's a link to a video showing you the details...

http://www.digidesign.com/products/quicktips/index.cfm

[nikki-k]

Instrment tracks make life easier. Instead of having to reference two tracks (Aux In + MIDI Track), user simply references one. Imagine a mix with 10 MIDI tracks and 10 virtual instruments...that means the difference is 10 Instruments tracks vs 20 tracks (MIDI + Aux In for each).

Since most users of Pro Tools utilize both the Mix and Edit windows, this makes working with a virtual instrument easier; in the Mix window, you deal with the MID and audio pertaining to the instrument in one channel. In the Edit window, you have your MIDI info nicely laid out, and then the user can access the automation info for the audio side right there as well.

For those using hardware synths/samplers, the Instrument track is equally valuable, for the same reasons. The only real difference is that for a hardware synth, and rendering the performance to audio, the hardware instrument could have used a MIDI track and an Audio track, and rendered down. With an Instrument track and the hardware instrument, one would still need to create that Audio track to render it down. This is the one scenario that the Instrument track does not present much- if any- benefit.

If you are not using virtual instruments, or, if using hardware and always rendering these to audio at the first chance, then no- Instrument tracks do not present much of a benefit. In any other case than the latter two though- excellent feature!