Author Biography:
John Keane is a veteran producer, engineer, and musician who has been involved in many gold and multi-platinum records. He is best known for his work with R.E.M., Indigo Girls, Cowboy Junkies, and Widespread Panic. He owns his own studio in Athens, Georgia, and has been an avid Pro Tools user since 1991. A native of Athens, he began his recording career by making demos at home on a four track mounted in a shopping cart for portability. As his home studio progressed, he began recording projects for up-and-coming Athens bands such as Love Tractor, Pylon, and, of course, R.E.M. He no longer resides in his studio, as it has evolved into a full-featured recording facility. He continues to play live as a special guest with local bands such as Widespread Panic. More information about the author’s discography and his studio can be found at www.johnkeanestudios.com.

Author’s Comments:
“My main impetus for creating this book was the realization that my musician friends who had purchased the new semi-pro Pro Tools systems were being overwhelmed by the complexity of the software. Although the Pro Tools Reference Guide is very well written, they had difficulty taking it all in. In my efforts to help them through the learning curve, I found that the best approach was to show them only the parts of the program necessary to record, edit, and mix their own demos, using the techniques I had developed over the years. It is my hope that musicians who may feel daunted by the Pro Tools learning curve will find this book an enjoyable shortcut to the amazing world of hard disk recording.”

Quotes
"If I could have purchased this book/CD training course before I started recording with Pro Tools, I could have saved countless hours of brain wrenching and profanity spouting. If you want to spend your valuable time creating music and not cussing your computer, A Musician’s Guide to Pro Tools is an absolute must-have."
–Rick Fowler (musician and audio engineer)

“Keane’s step-by-step manual is a wonderful road map that not only teaches how to navigate the seemingly impenetrable thicket of Pro Tools but points out
shortcuts, safety hazards, and tucked-away places of interest we would only have stumbled upon much, much later.”
–Patricia J. Priest, Ph.D.
Independent Producer for Public Radio
Adjunct Faculty,
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia

“I’d recommend this book to anybody, whether beginner or expert.”
–Peter Buck, guitarist for R.E.M.

“As with cameras and those of us that like to point and shoot, John Keane’s book takes the invisible world of Pro Tools and brings it into focus. Beyond essential.”
–Kai Riedle, multi-instrumentalist for Macha

“A Musician’s Guide to Pro Tools is a handy reference for home studios. It
effectively bridges the gap between Digidesign’s Quick Start Guide and the
all-encompassing Pro Tools Reference Guide. I find myself returning to the book often for quick answers to my questions.”
–Michael Houser, guitarist for Widespread Panic