Markers - Using, Creating, Deleting, Renaming - Pro Tools

By TOM BOWSER

Use markers to indicate:

1. Where specific sections of a song begin/end. For example, use a marker to indicate a songs intro, verse, chorus, solos etc. Markers can help you navigate a Pro Tools session.
2. To indicate where there is something in the session you want to change, edit or review.

Show the marker ruler:

1. Left click on View on the Pro Tools menu bar.
2. Hover your mouse over the word Rulers .
3. Left click on the word Markers. A check mark becomes visible to the left of the word Marker to indicate the Markers ruler is visible.

To create a new marker:

Method #1:

1. Left click on the Markers ruler where you want to place a new marker.
2. Press the "Enter" key of your keyboards numeric keypad.
3. Type a name for the marker in the "Name" box (Example: "intro", "verse 1" or "chorus") in the "New Memory Locations" window. See image below.

4. Press the Enter key on your keyboard to save the new marker position.

TIP: When you name a marker include the number assigned to the marker. Example: 6 Verse 1 (6 is the number assigned to the marker)

Method #2:

1. Left click on the Markers ruler where you want to place a new marker.
2. Click the + sign to the right of the word "Markers" in the markers ruler. I've drawn a red line around the add markers symbol (+) in the image below.

3. Type a name for the marker in the "Name" box (Example: "Intro" or "Verse 1") in the "New Memory Locations" window.
4. Press the Enter key on your keyboard to save the new marker position.

Method #3:

1. Play the track or song you want to add markers to.
2. Press the Enter key on your keyboards numeric keypad as you reach a point in the song where you want to create a marker.
3. Type a name for the marker in the "Name" box.
4. Press the Enter key on your keyboard to save the new marker position.
5. Continue adding markers as the song plays.

This is my favorite method for adding markers. It's fast and efficient!

TIP: Using a laptop that does NOT have a numeric keypad? Buy a portable numeric keypad. Amazon had a variety of models to choose from when I wrote this tutorial.

Delete a Marker using one of the following four methods:

1. Hold down the Alt key then left click on the memory marker you want to delete from the markers ruler.
2. Left click and hold down the left mouse button on the marker you want to delete. Drag the marker either up or down until it turns into a trash can. Release your left mouse button.
3. Select the marker with your mouse cursor then press the delete key on your keyboard. To select the marker left click and hold down your left mouse button before the marker. Drag your mouse cursor across and to the other side of the marker. Release your left mouse button.
4. Hold down the Alt key then click on a memory location within the Memory Locations Window.

To open the Memory Location Window:

• Press and hold down the Ctrl key then the number 5 (on the numeric keypad of your keyboard) to call Memory Location Window.

Rename a Marker:

1. Double left click on the yellow diamond to the left of a marker title.
2. Type the new name for the marker.
3. Left click on the "OK" button to save your changes.

Markers are automatically assigned a unique identifying number when they are created. You can change the number by typing a new number in the "Number" box of the "New Memory Location" window. See the image below. You can move the Pro Tools "playback cursor" to the number assigned to a marker on the marker ruler.

To move to a specific marker:

• Type a decimal point, the markers assigned number, then another decimal point using your keyboards numeric keypad. Example, .6.