Using ControlRoom VR with Pro Tools

Owned by Ryan Gilligan
Last updated: Feb 12, 2020
7 min read

 

 

This page covers using ControlRoom with Pro Tools.

 

 

 

 

This guide assumes that you have already:

If you have not completed the above steps, use the individual links, or please visit ControlRoom Setup Overview

 

Overview

ControlRoom connects with Pro Tools in three ways simultaneously:

  1. HUI Control Surface (VR Console for the Pro Tools built-in mixer)

  2. General MIDI Device (Map VR MIDI tools to compatible third party plugins)

  3. Direct Connection to ControlRoom AAX Plugins (Spatial Mixer, Plugin Tablet, Spectralyzer)

 

Detailed Instructions

 

Please note, ControlRoom Hub must be running to maintain the connection with Pro Tools. It can be minimized, but not closed.

Use the VR Console to control the Pro Tools mixer

The VR console in ControlRoom is your home base for interacting with your Pro Tools session. It provides access to the Pro Tools built in Volume, Pan, Solo, Mute, Record, Sends (A-E only), and Automation mode. You can navigate through the tracks in your session using the Nudge and Bank buttons, and control the main functions of the Pro Tools transport.

In VR, press the menu button on your left controller to bring up the menu, then select the Tools page, and turn on the Console.

By using the various sections of the console, you can control the Pro Tools built in mixer. Functions outlined below:

Pro Tools Parameter

Console Control

Pro Tools Parameter

Console Control

Volume

Large Fader

Pan

Pan Knob (use the L-R button on the console to switch between L Pan and R Pan for stereo output tracks)

Solo

S button

Mute

M button

Record Arm (for each individual track)

R button

Sends

Select Channel Mode A-E for sends 1-5. This will switch each track’s large fader to control the send level.

(Select Vol to return to normal console mode.)

Track Automation Mode

Auto button at top of the channel strip.

Once selected with the trigger, use the joystick on your right Oculus controller to select the desired automation mode.

Transport

Transport section at the front of the console.

Play and stop can also be controlled at any time using the large transport button on your left wrist

Record will arm transport record. Subsequently starting playback will record over any record-armed individual tracks with valid inputs. Be careful not to overwrite any important audio with this function.

Spatial Mixer and Plugin Tablet

Every instance of the ControlRoom Channel AAX plugin can be controlled from VR with the Spatial Mixer and Plugin Tablet. This provides powerful control over the plugin from within VR, including the Compressor, EQ, Spatial Panner.

Once you have launched your DAW and opened a session file, you’ll need to add an instance of ControlRoom Channel to any and every track that you’d like to control with the Spatial Mixer or Plugin Tablet. We recommend adding it as the last insert in your plugin chain, so that parameter changes in ControlRoom Channel will not affect any processing coming afterwards.

Please refer to your Pro Tools manual for instructions on inserting plugins.

Create a stereo Master track for your main output, and insert only one instance of ControlRoom Master onto this track. The master volume will be controllable via the Master Fader on the VR Console.

  • In VR, press the menu button on your left controller to bring up the menu, then select the Tools page, and turn on the Spatial Mixer.

  • Press the menu button at the lower right of the Spatial Mixer, then toggle on any tracks you’d like to control with the Spatial Mixer. Close this menu when you are finished, and return back to it any time you’d like to display different tracks.

  • Move each track sphere up/down for volume, left/right for panning, and front/back for Proximity.

Map ControlRoom Midi Tools to midi-enabled third party plugins

There are numerous midi tools in ControlRoom that can be mapped to control the parameters of midi-enabled third party plugins. Follow the steps below to use the Hub and Pro Tools to map the FX Cube to control a few parameters in the FabFilter Timeless 2 delay plugin.

TL;DR

  1. Ensure you’ve completed all the steps in the Setup Process

  2. Use the VR Console to control the Pro Tools built-in mixer

  3. Use the VR Spatial Mixer and Plugin Tablet to control the Channel and Master AAX plugins

  4. Use the Hub to manually map MIDI tools like BFF and FX Cube to compatible third party plugins