

Start off with drums, add a “Walken” bass, plus guitars, pianos, and synths. And, if you have a fever, with only one cure, Xpand!2 even gives you more cowbell. Xpand!2 offers an incredible range of sounds, from beats and loops, to guitar power chords. So you don’t find yourself all DAWed up with no place to go, Pro Tools | First includes a virtual instrument you can use to create lush sound beds. Not just for experimentation, or giving your drummer the opportunity to learn chess as you seek the penultimate solo, loop recording is also great for combining takes for the perfect performance (what the pros call “comping”). Just set the markers and keep going until you nail your part.

Loop recording makes tracking more convenient, especially if you’re working alone. Or, if you prefer to work intuitively, you can start from scratch and build your own session. Each template comes preloaded with appropriate instrument tracks for each genre, so you can start creating right away.

To give you a taste of what the pros do, Pro Tools | First offers you a variety of session templates, including rock, pop, electronica, hip-hop, and jazz. To avoid being immobilized by seemingly limitless options, professional engineers have literally spent years creating templates based on how they prefer to mix, complete with favorite plug-ins for specific instruments set up and ready to go. With all the features and possibilities of DAWs, it’s easy to drown in a sea of possibilities.
