With the ever increasing number of plug-ins available for Pro Tools, managing your workflow has become a very important reality in modern session work. It's common in today's DAW rich world that you might wind up with a massive collection of plugins. Understanding how to organize and manage you plug-in library can help you for mixing, music creation, composition, post-production, etc...

One of the main caveats of having a lot of plug-ins is that it can lead to less time creating and more time searching for settings. To help you gain a better understanding of where to start with plug-in management we will take a look at the different preferences you can set to organize your plug-in list. Go to 'Preferences' in Pro Tools and we’ll explore how this works. You can find Preferences under the 'Pro Tools' and 'Setup' menu.

1) Once inside the 'Preferences', click on the 'Display' tab at the top left. In the area labeled 'Basics' you will notice the option: 'Organize Plug-In Menus By'. When selecting the drop menu, you will notice that Pro Tools organizes plugins in four different categories: Flat List, Category, Manufacture and both Category and Manufacture combine. Pro Tools will organize and displays your Plug-ins base on the selection you choose in this drop down menu.

2) The first option under the drop menu is the Flat list. This option is useful when searching for plug-ins in alphabetical order, regardless of what "type" of plug-in it is. We see this preference used very rarely due to how long the list can be top to bottom. This will force to scroll down to find a particular plug-in and that process can take away valuable time in the production process. For people that have a lot of plug-ins this organizational method can actually cost time and frustration.

3) The second option under the drop menu is the 'Category'. This is the default setting in Pro tools which organizes plug-ins based on what type it is, EQ, Dynamics, Pitch Shift, Reverb, Delay, etc. This management flow is very similar to the way analog studios were laid out, all EQ's together, dynamic processors together, fx processors together, etc... It allows for easy compartmentalization of processors based of what 'Category' they fall in, helping the engineer stay organized.

4) The next option available is to organize via 'Manufacturer'. This option shows the names of manufacturer followed by all the plug-ins made by the manufacturer. This can be useful when you need a particular plug-in made by, for example, McDSP. All plugin will be grouped together under the McDSP section. While this can be useful for certain plug-ins that are hard to find, it can also be a challenge. The plug-ins are organized alphabetically, making it hard at times to distinguish what type of processor they are.

5) The final, and most used, option is 'Category and Manufacturer'. This is the best of both worlds, with the top-half of the list being organized by 'Category' and the bottom-half being the 'Manufacturer' list. This setting is the most widely used by Pro Tools users as it is the most convenient for finding the correct plug-in efficiently.

Along with these display preferences, Pro Tools allows you to set a Default EQ, and Dynamics plugin which shows up at the top of the plugin menu. (see example above)

To set a Default EQ, or Dynamics plugin, go to the 'Mixing' tab in Preferences

In the upper right-hand side of the window you will see an area labeled 'Setup'. In the dropdown menu select from your plugins which one you'd like to designate as the default, along with which Insert Slot you'd like it to occupy.

Once you've selected the Default, it will appear at the top of your plugin menu

There is also an "easter egg" feature that allows you to define a 'Favorite' plug in you'd like to have easy access to. Notice in the image below how we see another set of plugins at the top of the plug-in dropdown menu. This feature allows you to select any plugin you'd like to designate as a favorite, not just EQ or Dynamics.

To achieve this, press the “Command” key first, then click on the track insert button and choose (while still holding "command") your favorite plugin that you intend to add the list as your favorites. You would repeat the process to continue adding other plugins. As you do this, notice that every time you go to the plug-in pop-up menu, you will see your 'Favorites' appear at the top of the list. In addition, Pro Tools will organize your favorites in alphabetical order! Notice that the plug ins on this list start with the letter D, for example, D-verb etc, follow by E for EQ.

This technique can also be applied for AudioSuite plugins. Notice the favorites list is organized from the top, similar to the plugin selection menu. For both on inserts and Audio Suite, plug-ins will be arranged as a “flat list”.

In the picture above you will notice how the plug-in menu looks when the preferences are set to Category and Manufacturer, Default EQ, and Dynamics, and the addition of  'Favorites'.

To remove the 'Favorite' plugin from the list, just repeat the same operation as you did before. Press the Command key first, next click on the track insert button and choose (while still holding Command) your favorite plugin that you intend to remove from the list in your favorites. Pro Tools will remove the plugin from the list.

Pro Tools has one more trick up it's sleeve when it comes to using plugins. It allows you to search you plugins by typing in their name, so you don't have to navigate through the menu. There is a 'Search' feature at the top of the plugin menu. When you click on this it allows you to start typing the name of plugin as it filters the results based on your search

Select 'search' at the top of the menu

As you type, the results are filtered in real-time. They show you not only any plugins that match your search, but also plugin setting files that match.

It is easier, and cheaper, than ever to wind up with a dense collection of plugin that can lead to endless tweaking and frustration. Understanding how to organize your plugins can facilitate your creative process, likewise, setting them as favorites can speed up your workflow.

Have Fun Being Creative!

Mihai

Author: Mihai Boloni
Avid Expert Certified Pro Tools Instructor
www.protoolstraining.com

888-277-0457

Mihai BoloniCreative Director & Avid Expert Pro Tools instructor

Mihai has made it his life's work to help others in the audio industry. Mihai gained experience as an audio engineering Full Sail Instructor in early 2000's and joined ProMedia in 2002. Since then, he has become one of Avid's Top Leading and most experienced, in-demand Instructor and Pro Tools technical consultant. Corporate clients include MTV, PBS, NBC, Telemundo, The Voice's Chief Engineer Mike Bernard, Atlanta Public School System, countless professors from leading Universities, CNN, Turner Broadcasting, and the top producers, artists, and engineers in leading studios and record labels. For over 20 years, Mihai has continued to work as an Audio Engineer, Record Producer, Songwriter (ASCAP), Dog Lover, and Expert Level AVID Certified Pro Tools Instructor.