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How to Create and Set Up a 5.1 or 7.1 Project in Pro Tools

1. Set Up the 5.1 or 7.1 I/O Configuration

  1. Go to the Setup menu and select I/O…
  2. In the Output tab, click New Path.
  3. Set the path format to 5.1 or 7.1 and click Create.
  4. Set the Default Format to 5.1 or 7.1 and choose 5.1 or 7.1 (SMPTE) under Path Order.
  5. Enable the output path by checking the box next to it.

2. Create Audio Tracks

  1. Press Cmd + Shift + N on a Mac, or go to Track > New.
  2. Create your desired tracks; for example, 8 Mono audio tracks.

3. Route Tracks to the 5.1 or 7.1 Output & Pan

  1. Open the Mix or Edit window and ensure I/O is visible in View > Edit Window Views / Mix Window Views > I/O.
  2. On each track’s Output selector, choose your 5.1 or 7.1 Output path.
  3. Once routed to a 5.1 or 7.1 output, a surround panner display will appear on the track channel strip.
  4. Click the small Panner Grid icon next to the Output section to open the Surround Panner window.
  5. Drag the position dot to place or move the audio anywhere within the 5.1 or 7.1 soundfield or automate the panning movement across speakers.

4. Bounce Your 5.1 or 7.1 Mix

  1. Route Tracks: Ensure all audio tracks, stems, or submixes are routed to your 5.1 or 7.1 Output or a 5.1 or 7.1 Master Fader.
  2. Make a Selection: Highlight the desired timeline range to define the export start and end points.
  3. Open the Bounce Window: Go to File > Bounce Mix.
  4. Select Mix Source: Choose your main 5.1 or 7.1 Output from the Mix Source drop-down menu.
  5. Configure Export Settings:

    • File Format: Choose Multiple Mono to export 6 or 8 individual audio files or Interleaved to keep all 6 or 8 channels in a single multi-channel file.
    • File Type: WAV
    • Bit Depth / Sample Rate: Match your session settings (typically 24-bit / 48 kHz for video post-production).