Avid Pro Tools: Select a Track "audio5" and Mute It

Questions & Suggestions
1

Hi,

I tried to select a specific track in AVID ProTools and mute/unmute it.

The closest I get is "scroll to track" via shortcuts and paste a name, but it is slow and with similar names problems can happen.

I want to address the track direct.

Any ideas - maybe with AppleScript?

Thank you!

2

Hey @Florian,

Have you tried searching the forum for "ProTools"?

There're quite a few topics.

-Chris

3

Hi @Chris,

Yes I did, not only here, but all the internet :wink:

It seems to be very basic... just select a certain track... but with my basic scripting knowledge I have not found a working solution.

4

Hey @Florian,

As far as I know Pro Tools is not directly AppleScriptable in any way.

Are you saying that it now has ShortCuts support? (I don't have the app and can't test for myself...)

As far as AppleScript goes I think your only choice is UI-Scripting. Here's an example:

post-production-scripts/Back to Pro Tools.applescript at master · fantopop/post-production-scripts · GitHub

UI-Scripting is not for the faint of heart, but it can sometimes do miracles.

-Chris

5

Is it always the same track that you want to mute? One way is to create a group (can be either enabled or disabled) with just that track in it. Then have KM select that track by clicking just to the left of the group name in the Groups Bin, and then have KM type keystroke SHIFT-M.

To have KM know where to click, you can create a variable that defines the screen location coordinates, and have KM click at that screen location. It's a bit of commitment to work like this but if it's something you do a lot/always then it's easily worth it. You'd probably want to set up Window Configurations and make this group one of the first ones in the list to help with consistency between sessions.

2 Likes
6

Yes, since a short time ProTools can handle custom shortcuts. BUT I can't assign a shortcut to a specific track - so it is somehow limited.

ProTools works with the eucon protocol, but this is not open to everyone... and even through this I can't select a specific track.

I did other KM macros with AppleScript and it works slow but fine. I just don't know the code for selecting a specific track.

It seems that SoundFlow does it somehow with JavaScript, but for me it is a miracle to do that in KM :wink:

7

Yes, for now I do exactly that... sending mouse clicks to the tracks' output window and "click on mute".

For other macros I click on an found image... but I'd like to get rid of these floating windows and address it directly... "go to track Audio5 and mute it" - or mute 7 tracks at the same time...

8

While this CAN be done with AppleScript, querying the UI of Pro Tools can be quite slow with AppleScript, especially in larger sessions. So I only do it when it's absolutely the only way to accomplish something.

Here's how I would do it: (assuming you have the preference "Link Track and Edit selection" enabled)

image
image781×634 50 KB

Here's the AppleScript:

tell application "System Events"
   if exists (process "Pro Tools") then
      tell process "Pro Tools"
         tell (1st window whose title contains "Edit: ")
            click button "Mute" of group "audio5 - Audio Track "
         end tell
      end tell
   end if
end tell
3 Likes
9

These macros will do what you want. They will either Solo, Mute, Input Monitor, Record Enable any track that is currently selected. It will work even if you close the Edit Window and only have the Mix window up. There are two versions; one having apple script click the button, and another with keyboard maestro clicking the button.

Screen Shot 2023-11-08 at 2.52.19 PM

Pro Tools Mute:Solo:Input Monitor:Record Enable Currently Selected Track Macros.kmmacros (46.6 KB)

1 Like