Pro Tools software enables you to use one of two time bases for your tracks: Ticks or Samples. This article will explain the basic idea behind the Ticks time base tracks and how using it affects your tracks.

In Pro Tools, when you record (or edit) MIDI data the resolution is measured in Ticks.

Instead of being tied to sample locations, as on sample-based tracks, audio regions and MIDI events on tick-based tracks are tied to tick locations.

Musical Subdivision vs. Ticks Resolution

Typically when you're sub-dividing a single bar using musical note values you would divide it into half notes, quarter notes, 16th notes, 32nd notes, 64th notes and any permutation of the different note values that we use in music.

But instead of using musical note values, Pro Tools sub-divides each bar using a resolution called ticks.

Pro Tools exact tick resolution is 960 ticks per quarter note.

So if you were to record a single MIDI event somewhere in the first quarter note of bar of music - it would have to fall on one of 960 available tick positions.

Relative vs. Absolute Positions

Each of the 960 tick positions on a Tick based track is located in a position relative to the other ticks. (Unlike the samples positions on a sample-based track which are fixed to absolute locations on the timeline).

For example, a MIDI event located exactly halfway between beat one and beat two of bar X - would be 480 ticks (half of 960) after the start of Bar X. Now (and this is of utmost importance) if you changed the session tempo, the note event will still retain is relative position to the start of bar X. Not matter what the tempo - that note event will always be exactly 480 ticks away from the start of the bar X.

KEY TAKEAWAY: MIDI events on tracks using the Ticks time base maintain their timing relationships with each other when you make tempo changes.

Increase the tempo and the MIDI events move closer together. As a result they play faster.

If the tempo slows down, the MIDI tick positions move further apart from each other and therefore play slower and later in the session.

Now you may be thinking - big deal. MIDI plays back slower if you slow down the tempo and speeds up if you increase the tempo. Don't MIDI tracks always behave that way? And in general the answer would be "yes". But this is where the time base of your tracks comes into play. Only MIDI tracks that are assigned to the ticks time base follow tempo changes. MIDI tracks that are set to samples time base do not follow the session tempo.

In Pro Tools you can set the time base of MIDI tracks to be either ticks (the default setting) or samples. This creates a number of new possibilities when you're working in your sessions. Especially when you consider the fact that either ticks or samples time base can be selected for audio tracks, too. Not just MIDI tracks.

But for now just remember this: tick based events are relative to each other and that tick positions move with the session tempo.

How to experiment with Ticks time base

Use the following steps and try experimenting with Ticks time base in your own Pro Tools system.

Setting it up.

First, create a new session in Pro Tools.

In the session, create a MIDI or Instrument track with MIDI data on it. Ideally, triggering an instrument that you can hear.

Then, record or import a few audio regions onto an audio track.

Make sure you know what the starting tempo of the session is.

Once you've got those steps completed, try the following.

Using the default time base settings for the audio track (samples time base) and MIDI or Instrument track (Ticks), start adjusting the tempo.

Notice that the audio regions on the audio track stay in position. But the MIDI events on the MIDI track move with the tempo changes.

Before you continue to the next step, put the session tempo back the tempo you used when recording.

Next, change the time base of the audio track to Ticks and set the MIDI track to Samples time base.

Now press play and as you're listening, make changes to the tempo.

Notice this time that the MIDI notes do not move but the audio regions do.

Final words

For now I hope that will give you a basic understanding of the ticks time base and how setting your MIDI tracks to ticks or samples time base will change everything.

As usual, now that you know essentially how the ticks time base affects regions and MIDI events, you'll need to explore how putting it use can help you to create better music, more efficiently.. Keep at it!