Digi 001 Quick Start Guide Version 5.0.1 for Macintosh and Windows 98 Digidesign Inc. 3401-A Hillview Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA tel: 650·842·7900 fax: 650·842·7999 Technical Support (USA) 650·842·6699 650·856·4275 Product Information (USA) 650·842·6602 800·333·2137 Fax on Demand (USA) 1-888-USE-DIGI (873-3444) World Wide Web www.digidesign.com Digidesign FTP Site ftp.digidesign.
Copyright This User’s Guide is copyrighted ©2000 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign. DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
contents Chapter 1. Digi 001 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 About Digi 001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Digidesign Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 4. Connecting Your Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Digi 001 I/O Box Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Output Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Making Signal Connections to Digi 001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
chapter 1 Digi 001 Introduction About Digi 001 Thank you for purchasing Digi 001, a cross-platform solution for music, sound design, and multimedia production.
▲ Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s CPU to mix and process audio tracks (host processing). Computers with faster clock speeds yield higher track counts and more plug-in processing.
Compatibility Information Digidesign can only assure compatibility and provide support for devices it has tested and approved. For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, SCSI accelerator cards, hard drives, diskette drives, and serial port adapters, refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com): Digidesign Registration Make sure to complete and return the registration card included with Digi 001.
Conventions Used in This Guide Digidesign guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: Convention Action File > Save Session Choose Save Session from the File menu Control+N While pressing the Control key, press the N key Option-click While pressing the Option key, click the mouse button Right-click (Windows) Click with the right mouse button The following symbols are used to highlight important information: ✽ User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from
chapter 2 Macintosh Configuration Installing the Digi 001 Hardware Before installing the Pro Tools LE software, first install the Digi 001 card. To install the Digi 001 card in your Macintosh: 1 Turn off your computer. Leave it plugged in so that it is grounded. 2 Open the computer case. If necessary, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for details. 3 Remove the rear slot cover and screw of any available PCI expansion slot.
7 When the connector and slot are aligned, press the card into the slot using firm, even pressure. The card should “pop” into place. Secure the card with the previously removed screw. Make sure the card’s audio connectors are accessible through the rear slot of the computer. Digi 00I card Available PCI slot in your computer PCI card installation 8 Close the computer case. Connecting the Digi 001 I/O Box ▲ Your computer must be off when you connect or disconnect the I/O Box.
Installing the Pro Tools LE Software Apple System Software Settings To ensure optimum performance with the Pro Tools LE software, configure the Apple System software with the following settings. To configure the Apple System software: 1 In the Memory Control Panel do the following: • Set Virtual Memory to Off. • Set the Ram Disk to Off. • Set the Disk Cache to a Custom Setting of 512K. 2 In the Energy Saver Control Panel, set the “inactive” time to Never.
Pro Tools LE Installation After the Apple System software settings are configured, install Pro Tools LE. To install Pro Tools LE on your Macintosh: 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your CD-ROM drive. Locate and double-click “Install Pro Tools LE.” 2 At the Install Screen, select the install option for Pro Tools LE, and set the Install Location to your Startup hard drive. Click Install. 3 Follow the on-screen installation instructions.
Installing and Configuring OMS (Macintosh Only) To use Pro Tools on the Macintosh you must first install and configure the Open Music System (OMS).
2 Select whether your MIDI interface is connected to the Modem or Printer port. If using a USB or PCI-based MIDI interface, leave both ports unchecked. Click Search. Ports for OMS Driver Search OMS searches for and displays any detected MIDI interfaces, MIDI cards, and OMS drivers. If your interface is not detected, click Troubleshoot. Once your interface is detected, you are prompted to search for MIDI instruments connected to your interface.
Defining MIDI Devices in OMS To define a MIDI device in OMS Setup: 1 Double-click the device’s icon in the Studio Setup window. 2 In the MIDI Device Info dialog, select the Manufacturer and Model for the device from the pop-up menus. If the device is not listed, leave the Model set to “other” and enter a name for the device. MIDI Device Info 3 Select the Receiving Channel for the device. If receiving multiple channels, select the option for “Is Multitimbral.
Hard Drive Requirements For audio recording and storage on the Macintosh, Pro Tools LE requires one or more qualified ATA/IDE or SCSI drives with the following properties: • Formatted with HFS or HFS+ file system • Data transfer rates of 3 MB per second or faster • Drive spin speed of 7,200 RPM or faster • Average seek time of 10.0 milliseconds or faster ✽ For the latest compatibility information on hard drives, visit the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com).
Hard Drive Storage Space Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD-quality) require approximately 5 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about 7.5 MB per minute. The following table lists the required drive space for certain track numbers and track lengths. In deciding the required hard drive space for your needs, plan accordingly. Required hard drive space for audio tracks Number of tracks and length 16-bit at 44.
14 Digi 001 Quick Start Guide
chapter 3 Windows 98 Configuration BIOS and System Modifications Before installing any hardware or software, first make changes to your computer’s BIOS and System settings. These settings are necessary to ensure optimum performance for Pro Tools LE on Windows 98. BIOS Settings Different BIOS manufacturers often use different names to describe the same system function—or in some cases, do not provide a particular configuration option at all.
4 Deselect the option for Auto Insert Notification and click OK. 5 Repeat for any removable media devices, such as Jaz and Zip drives. 6 Close the System Control Panel. Enable DMA for any IDE hard drives: 1 From the desktop, right-click My Computer and choose Properties. 2 In the System Control Panel, click the Device Manager tab. 3 Locate and double-click the device for your IDE hard drive. In the Disk Drive Properties dialog, click the Settings tab. 4 Select the DMA option and click OK.
4 Before handling the Digi 001 card, discharge any static electricity by touching the outer casing of the power supply. 5 Remove the Digi 001 card from its anti-static bag. 6 Hold the card gently by the top edges, and line up its PCI connector with the PCI slot inside the computer. PCI card installation for an Intel computer 7 When the connector and slot are aligned, press the card into the slot using firm, even pressure. The card should “pop” into place.
Connecting the Digi 001 I/O Box ▲ Your computer must be off when you connect or disconnect the I/O Box. To connect the Digi 001 I/O box: 1 Locate the connector cable with the wide ends that came with your Digi 001. 2 Align a cable end with the connector on the Digi 001 PCI Card, and insert the cable into the connector until it clicks into place.
Installing the Windows 98 Wave Drivers Once you’ve installed the Digi 001 card and have turned on your computer, the Add New Hardware Wizard will prompt you to install the necessary Windows 98 drivers. To install the WIndows 98 wave drivers: 1 When the Add New Hardware Wizard appears, click Next. Add New Hardware Wizard, Windows 98 2 When Windows asks what you want to do, select the option for “Display a list of all the drivers in a specific location” and click Next.
Installing the Pro Tools LE Software After installing the Digi 001 hardware and its wave drivers, install Pro Tools LE. To install Pro Tools LE on Windows 98: 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your CD-ROM drive. A window opens displaying the CD-ROM contents. 2 Open the “Pro Tools LE Installer” folder and double-click the Setup program. 3 When the installer opens, click Next to proceed.
To install the demo sessions: 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your CD-ROM drive. A window opens displaying the CD-ROM contents. 2 Open the “Pro Tools Demo Installer” folder and double-click the Setup program. 3 When the installer opens, click Browse to set the Destination Folder to your audio drive, then click Next. 4 Select the install components for the “SoundCheck Session” and “Be There Session.” 5 Click Next to install the demo sessions.
Hard Drive Requirements (Windows) For audio recording and storage on the Windows 98, Pro Tools LE requires one or more qualified ATA/IDE or SCSI drives with the following properties: • Formatted with FAT16 or FAT32 file system (FAT32 recommended) • Data transfer rates of 3 MB per second or faster • Drive spin speed of 7,200 RPM or faster • Average seek time of 10.0 milliseconds or faster ✽ For the latest compatibility information on hard drives, visit the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com).
To format an audio drive: 1 From the desktop, double-click My Computer. 2 Right-click the hard drive you will use for audio and choose Format. 3 Set the Format Type to Full and click Start. 4 Follow the on-screen instructions. When formatting is complete, close the Format window. To defragment an audio drive: 1 From the desktop, double-click My Computer. 2 Right-click your audio hard drive and choose Properties. 3 Click the Tools tab. 4 Click Defragment Now and follow the on-screen instructions.
Launching Pro Tools LE the First Time Serial Number Entry When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you are prompted to enter a serial number. Serial number entry for Pro Tools The serial number is located on the inside cover of this guide. Enter it in the dialog when prompted, making sure to observe any spaces, then click Validate.
chapter 4 Connecting Your Studio This chapter explains how to connect your Digi 001 to a mixer, amplification system, digital recorders, and other studio devices, and how to connect audio sources for recording. Digi 001 I/O Box Inputs and Outputs All Digi 001 inputs and outputs are factory calibrated for 14 dB of headroom below 0 dB, or full code. This means at the nominal reference input level (+4 dBu or –10 dBV) you can have up 14 dB of headroom before input or output clipping occurs.
Phantom Power This switch applies 48V phantom power to Mic/Line inputs 1 and 2. These inputs provide 48V phantom power for microphones that require it to operate. This switch provides phantom power to both inputs. Dynamic microphones (like a Shure SM57) do not require phantom power to operate, but are not harmed by it. Most condenser microphones (like an AKG C3000) do require phantom power to operate.
Headphone Gain This control allows you to adjust the output level of the headphone jack. Headphone Output Use the Headphone Output to connect stereo headphones. This jack accepts a 1/4" stereo plug. This outputs any audio that is routed to analog outputs 1–2 in Pro Tools LE. The Headphone Output is disabled in unpowered Monitor Mode (see “Monitor Mode” on page 26 for more information).
Footswitch Jack This connector allows you to connect a footswitch that can be used for control of QuickPunch audio punch-in and punch-out features in Pro Tools LE, and for MIDI punchin and punch-out recording with Pro Tools LE. Both continuous on/continuous off and instantaneous on/off pedals with a 1/4" TRS connector are supported. See “Recording with a Footswitch” on page 72 for more information.
Connectors on the Digi 001 PCI Card The Digi 001 PCI Card installs in an available PCI slot in your computer. The PCI Card includes optical digital I/O for 8 channels of ADAT I/O or 2 channels of S/PDIF I/O. The card also includes a connector for the Digi 001 I/O Box. I/O Box connector Optical input Optical output (red light identifies output) PCI Connector Optical input The optical input connects an optical digital audio source.
To choose an output mode: 1 Choose Setups > Preferences. Click the Operation button. 2 Choose the desired operating mode and click Done. Making Signal Connections to Digi 001 You can use Digi 001 with a variety of audio setups, including: ◆ a mixer, power amplifier, and speakers ◆ a mixer and a pair of amplified, self-powered speakers ◆ a stereo receiver and speakers ◆ a pair of amplified, self-powered speakers.
To connect a home stereo: 1 Connect 1/4" cables to the Monitor outputs on the back of the Digi 001 I/O Box. monitor outputs 2 Connect the outputs to an available pair of left and right inputs on your stereo. ✽ Home stereo systems often use RCA connectors. You can use an adaptor or a special cable to convert from the 1/4" connectors used by Digi 001 to the RCA connectors on your home stereo.
Connecting a Digital Deck If you have a DAT or other digital device that can send or receive S/PDIF digital audio data, connect it to the S/PDIF In and S/PDIF Out RCA jacks on the back of the Digi 001 I/O Box. S/PDIF in S/PDIF out Connecting Tascam DAT Recorders If connecting to a Tascam DAT recorder, you’ll need to set the S/PDIF I/O format in Pro Tools LE. To set the S/PDIF I/O format in Pro Tools LE: 1 Launch Pro Tools LE and choose Setups > Hardware.
accommodate the different “line levels” that these devices can generate. Inputs 3–8 accept 1/4” connectors. You can also connect line-level signals to Mic/Line inputs 1 and 2 on the front by pressing the –26 dB pad switch. Input gain XLR & 1/4” combo connector –26dB pad phantom power Analog preamp input Digital Audio Digital audio represents analog waveforms using thousands of digital samples of the analog waveforms each second. All audio on your hard disk in a Pro Tools LE session is digital audio.
S/PDIF Mirroring Pro Tools LE uses S/PDIF mirroring to automatically “mirror” the audio that is sent to outputs 1 and 2 on the S/PDIF RCA outputs. This is useful if you are monitoring a mix using your audio outputs, and also recording the same source to an external S/PDIF device. You can disable this S/PDIF mirroring. You might do this if you wanted to use the S/PDIF outs to send a separate signal to an external digital effects unit, or if you wanted to send only certain outputs to the digital device.
condenser mic (usually requires phantom power) dynamic mic (phantom power won’t hurt it) use 48V Phantom Power if necessary mic preamps out to Digi 001 powered monitor speakers mics3–8 go through the mixer’s preamps small outboard mixer “snake” cable: you can also use individual cables for each mic Connecting a bunch of microphones to a Digi 001 analog inputs 3-4 L/R monitor outputs audio out L/R powered monitor speakers Connecting a synth to a Digi 001 Chapter 4: Connecting Your Studio 35
To connect a digital audio source: 1 Connect an ADAT or S/PDIF format optical device to the Optical In on the Digi 001 PCI Card, or connect an RCA S/PDIF device to the RCA connectors on the back of the Digi 001 I/O Box. ▲ You can only use one pair of S/PDIF inputs (either RCA or optical) at a time. ▲ The next step is only required if your device requires Pro Tools LE to sync to it. (In most cases, it is more desirable for a device to sync to Pro Tools LE.
Studio Setup Diagrams Your setup will differ depending on which of these systems you use. The illustrations that follow show two typical home studio setups.
Microphones Monitor speakers & amplifier Monitor Out L/R Mic/Line Inputs 1/2 DAT recorder Mic preamps, synths, and other sound modules I/ Ana O lo 3– g 4 S/PDIF I/O Analog Inputs/ Outputs 5–8 Outboard effects Digi 001 studio configuration without a mixer—Stereo Outputs mode (see “Output Modes” on page 29) 38 Digi 001 Quick Start Guide
Connecting an ADAT to Digi 001 If you are using an ADAT or other ADAT format optical device with Digi 001, you can connect it to the optical ports on the Digi 001 PCI Card. You can also connect a S/PDIF device that uses optical connectors to this port. After you have installed, configured, and launched Pro Tools LE, use the following instructions for connecting an ADAT. To connect an ADAT to Digi 001: 1 Connect the ADAT optical output to the Optical In port on the Digi 001 PCI Card.
Using Monitor Mode The Monitor Mode feature allows you to monitor analog inputs 3–4 on the Digi 001 I/O Box even when the power for your computer is off, or your Digi 001 I/O Box is disconnected from the computer. You can use this to monitor a CD player, synth, or tape machine without an external mixer, and without your computer on. To use Monitor Mode: 1 Connect analog audio outputs of your device to analog inputs 3 and 4 on the back of the Digi 001 I/O Box.
MIDI Connections Using the Digi 001’s built-in MIDI ports or an external MIDI Interface, a MIDI keyboard controller and MIDI instruments, you can take full advantage of the MIDI features of Pro Tools LE. These include recording and editing MIDI tracks, synchronizing to MIDI Time Code or MIDI Beat Clock (this requires an appropriate MIDI interface) and using a MIDI control surface.
To connect an external device to your system: 1 Connect an unused output (or outputs if stereo) on the Digi 001 I/O Box to an input (or inputs if stereo) of the external signal processor. 2 Connect the output (or outputs if stereo) of the external signal processor to an unused input (or pair of inputs if stereo) on the Digi 001 I/O Box. To set up a send to an external device (digital sends/returns only): 1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine and click Other Options.
chapter 5 Working with the Demo Session Playing the Demo Session In this section, you will open and play back the sample session. You can also use the included tutorial to learn some of the mixing and editing features of Pro Tools LE. What’s a Session? A session is simply a Pro Tools LE document that contains all of your mixing, editing, and MIDI “instructions” for a song. Session files are covered in detail in the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
3 Set the maximum CPU usage limit, by setting the CPU Usage Limit in the Hardware Setup dialog to 85%, using the pop-up. set to 1024 Samples set to 85% Hardware Setup dialog, showing settings for slower Macintosh computers Using a Slow Windows PC? Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s processor for audio tasks. Although most supported Windows machines will have plenty of horsepower to run Pro Tools LE, you may experience performance problems with slower computers.
2 Set the maximum Hardware Buffer Size. Choose Setups > Hardware, then set the H/W Buffer Size to between 512 and 1024 samples, using the pop-up. Set buffer size in this range for slower Windows PCs Buffer settings for slower Windows PCs 3 Set the maximum CPU usage limit, by setting the CPU Usage Limit in the Hardware Setup dialog to 85%, using the pop-up. How the Demo Session is Structured The Pro Tools LE Demo Session actually contains two different mixes of the song “Be There.
Macintosh sample session for Digi 001 Windows holds session audio files (double-click to open) holds session audio files holds instruments and samples for SampleCell users sample session for Digi 001 holds instruments and samples for SampleCell users (double-click to open) “Be There” opens, and appears like this: Mix window Inserts Sends Show/Hide Tracks list Memory Locations window Groups Transport window Tracks Counter The opened Be There demo session, showing the Mix, Memory Locations, and
3 Make sure that the Monitor Mode switch is out (not engaged). Monitor Mode switch 4 Click the first Memory Location, “Play the Song,” in the Memory Locations window. This Memory Location locates the beginning of the song. If the Memory Locations window is not showing, choose Windows > Show Memory Locations to show it. Memory locations (select one by clicking) Memory Locations window 5 Click Play in the Transport window.
Mixing the Demo Session Tutorial Now it’s time to start mixing audio in Pro Tools LE. But first, a common question answered for you: Can I ruin my recording? When you edit and mix audio in a session, you don’t actually change the underlying audio files. So even with many different sessions based on the same audio files, with different mixes and arrangements, your audio files remain physically unchanged.
Input Output Volume Pan Automation mode Record Solo Mute button Pan slider Group enable Clipping indicator (lights red when clipping occurs) Volume fader Level meter Track name Channel strip in the Mix window and associated pop-ups To view the Mix window: ■ Select Windows > Show Mix. The Demo Session is set up with the Narrow Mix Window enabled. This allows you to view more tracks in the Mix window by making the channel strips narrower.
All Right, Let’s Mix! Now that you’ve been introduced to some elements of the Mix window, it’s time to dive in and start mixing the demo session. Adjusting the Volume of a Track First, adjust the volume of the track called “loop1.” Start by clicking the Memory Location “Loop 1 Vol + Pan” in the Memory Locations window. Play the session and view the Mix window, then adjust the volume of the track labeled “loop1” up and down, and listen to the difference in the mix.
Panning Tracks Now try panning the same track. To pan a track, you click the Pan slider and drag it to the left or right, to pan the corresponding direction. To adjust panning of a track: ■ Click the Pan slider and drag it to the left or right to pan the track left or right in the mix.
To write automation: 1 Click “Guitar Vol Auto” in the Memory Locations window to go to the tutorial location. 2 On the track “cleangtr,” click the Automation Mode button and choose Auto Write for the Automation Mode. 3 Click Play in the Transport window. Automation begins writing for the track you have selected. Move the Volume fader to write changes to the automation. 4 When you have finished writing automation, click Stop.
Drawing Automation in the Edit Window In the Edit window, you can view different data for a track, including a representation of the actual waveform, and volume, mute, and pan automation. In this example, we’ll view the Master Fader, which controls the volume of the overall mix, and fade out the end of the song to silence. Try fading out from the start of the last chorus. To draw a volume fade in the Edit window: 1 First, click the Memory Location “Out Vamp.
3 Using the Grabber tool, click on the volume line at the point you want to start fading out. A small point appears on the volume line. 4 Click again with the Grabber at the point where you want the fade-out to end (reach silence), then drag the second small point down to the bottom of the track.
select a plug-in by clicking on an unused insert, or select “no insert” to remove a plug-in Plug-Ins: click on to view and change settings inserts installed plug-ins Try it! Several plug-ins are already activated in the demo session “Be There.” We’ll try adjusting the EQ Plug-In on the track called “VOX.” First, you’ll have to find a good location to hear the vocals. We’ll start at the first verse.
3 View the plug-in by clicking on the plug-in name next to the insert. 4 Click Play in the Transport window, and adjust the plug-in settings, listening to the change in the audio. Feel free to tweak at will! 5 When you have finished, close the plug-in by clicking the Close box. 3 Click the 4-Band EQ on the VOX track channel insert press Play, then 4 Tweak! solo button (see below) Soloing You may find it easier to adjust a plug-in while listening only to that track. This is called soloing a track.
Cool Mix Tricks: The Big Mute Now that you’ve started mixing with Pro Tools LE—and you haven’t had this much fun in years — here’s a really cool thing you can do. We call this The Big Mute, and it’s one of those tricks you hear often in popular songs of any genre. The Big Mute is basically an automated mute across a bunch of tracks used to highlight a small section of the song. We’ll write this mixing “move” as mute automation across all those tracks using an automation group that’s already set up.
5 Click Mute again to stop writing Mute Automation before the lead vocal begins the second part of the chorus (before but when she comes around). 6 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop writing automation. ✽ The Automation Mode automatically switches to “Auto Touch” after you stop playback. This Automation Mode, which is used to “touch up” your recorded automation, is described in the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
10 Click the Mute button on the same track again to stop writing mute automation. Try to click the button around the beginning of measure 113 (but when she [un-mute] comes around). 8 enable Auto Write Automation Mode 9 click Mute on a track in the Group during playback to start writing Mute Automation 11 Set the Big Mute group back to Auto Read mode, then click Play in the Transport window to hear the Big Mute. Don’t worry if you didn’t get the mute just right the first time.
MIDI This optional section is for MIDI users. In this section, you’ll connect your MIDI device to the Digi 001 I/O Box, then we’ll try to coax some meaningful sounds out of the MIDI tracks in the Demo Session. MIDI configuration takes place in OMS (Open Music System) on the Macintosh, and in Windows Multimedia setup. Macintosh When you installed Digi 001, a Digi 001 driver was placed in your OMS folder. To use this driver, you need to connect your device, then configure your OMS Studio Setup.
• You can connect the audio output of the device to Digi 001 by connecting analog outputs to the analog inputs on the back of Digi 001 I/O Box, or you can connect a digital device to the proper digital inputs on either the Digi 001 I/O Box or the Digi 001 PCI Card. If you are monitoring your device through the audio inputs on Digi 001, you will have to route each input to a track and record enable that track to hear output (for instructions, see Chapter 6: Recording).
Using a MIDI Device with the Demo Session To get an idea of how to assign a MIDI instrument to a track in Pro Tools LE, let’s assign an instrument to a MIDI track that’s already in the Demo session. We’ll find and show the track “Virusplayed,” then assign a MIDI device to it. Then we’ll play back, and you can find suitable programs on your synth or other device to reproduce the MIDI track.
chapter 6 Recording This section explains how to record audio and MIDI tracks using Pro Tools LE. Routing Audio to a Track To route audio to a track: 1 Connect your audio sources. See “Connecting Audio Sources to Digi 001” on page 32 for more information. 2 Create the tracks you want to record on by choosing File > New Track. 3 In the Edit or Mix window, find the I/O panel.
Setting Digi 001 Input Levels Digi 001 input levels for analog inputs 1 and 2 are adjusted using the gain knobs on the Digi 001 I/O Box for each channel. Input levels for analog inputs 3–8 are softwareadjustable to accommodate a variety of equipment output levels. The key to setting input levels is to get a signal as “loud” as possible without creating digital clipping.
To adjust input gain on the Digi 001 (Analog inputs 3–8): 1 Connect the instrument or device to the Digi 001 I/O Box. 2 In Pro Tools LE, choose Setups > Hardware. 3 Click Other Options. 4 Set the input trim slider to match the output level of the connected instrument. Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for details. If you do not know the output level of the device, use the default input trim level, then fine tune the input level gain using the procedure below. 5 Click Done.
6 Repeat this until you are able to achieve maximum signal level without clipping. input No need to record enable an aux track record-enabled (white button, red text) record-enabled (red fader) bright red light indicates clipping! try to set input peaks here try to set input peaks here Setting recording input levels (Aux Track on left, Disk Track on right) 7 Adjust the gain on analog channels 3–8 by using Other Options in the Hardware Setup dialog (Setups > Hardware, then click Other Options).
Mic/Line High-Pass Filter Digi 001 includes a high-pass filter set at 60 Hz. This filter can be useful for filtering out low-end rumble from a noisy recording environment or microphone handling, or AC noise. To use the high-pass filter on analog input 1 or 2: 1 Choose Setups > Hardware, then click Other Options. 2 Enable the high-pass filter for the required inputs. Recording an Audio Track To record a track: 1 Record enable the desired track and assign an input to it. Set the input levels appropriately.
1 with the Selector tool red arrow indicates that recording will occur at the cursor 3 2 place the cursor where you want to start recording Record enable a track 4 5 click to enable recording (turns bright red) click Play to start recording Recording from the cursor location in the Edit window 1 with the Selector tool these arrows marking your selection turn red, indicating that recording will occur in the selection 2 3 make a Selection of the length you want to record Record enable a track
To play back a recorded track: 1 Disable recording on the track by clicking the Record button for the track again. The button should no longer be highlighted. 2 Click Play in the Transport window or press the Spacebar to play the track. 3 Click Stop in the Transport window or press the Spacebar to stop playback.
To set the Hardware Buffer Size for record or playback: 1 Choose Setups > Hardware. 2 Choose the number of samples from the H/W Buffer Size pop-up. set Buffer here for recording set buffer here for playback Setting the Hardware Buffer size in the Hardware Setup dialog Low Latency Monitoring Pro Tools LE includes a feature called Low Latency Monitoring for Digi 001 systems.
Recording MIDI To configure a new MIDI track for recording: 1 Create a new MIDI track. 2 In the Mix window, click on the track’s MIDI Device/Channel Selector and assign a device and channel from the pop-up menu. MIDI Device/Channel Selector 3 If you want, you can assign a default program change to the track. In the Mix window, click on the Program button (Prog) and make the necessary selections for program and bank select, then click Done. Default program changes are sent when playing a track.
To play back the recorded MIDI track: 1 Click the Record button for the MIDI track to take it out of record-ready mode. 2 In the Transport window, click Return to Zero. 3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin playback. The recorded MIDI data plays back through the track’s assigned instrument and channel. Recording with a Footswitch You can use a standard footswitch (for example, a synth sustain pedal) with QuickPunch to “punch in” when recording audio.
Recording with an ADAT You can use Digi 001 to interface with an ADAT, either to record tracks from an ADAT into Pro Tools LE for editing, or to record tracks from Pro Tools LE to an ADAT. Using Output Pairs Because of the way that outputs function in Pro Tools LE, each track “looks for” a stereo output pair. This means that in order to record to eight ADAT tracks, you have to send 4 pairs of Pro Tools LE tracks (each pair panned hard left and right) to Digi 001’s 4 pairs of ADAT Optical Digital outputs.
To record Pro Tools LE tracks to an ADAT: 1 Connect the ADAT Optical Out connector on the back of the Digi 001 PCI Card to the ADAT Optical In connector on the back of the ADAT deck. Alesis ADAT OPTICAL Digital Input SYNC IN METER BRIDGE OUT Digital Output to ADAT Optical in Digi 001 PCI Card AC POWER to Digi 001 PCI Card Optical out 2 Open the session you want to record to the ADAT. 3 Record enable up to 8 audio tracks on the ADAT.
index Numerics -26dB pad 25 48V phantom power 26 indicator 26 A ADAT connecting 39 recording from Pro Tools LE 74 recording to Pro Tools LE 73 adjusting Mic/Line input gain 64 adjusting track volume 50 analog audio 32 analog devices, connecting 34 analog inputs Digi 001 I/O Box 28 analog outputs Digi 001 I/O Box 28 analog tape deck, connecting 31 automation drawing in the Edit window 53 overview 51 writing 52 B back panel Digi 001 I/O Box 27 Be There demo session 45 BIOS settings 15 C channel strip 49 c
main analog outputs 28 Mic/Line inputs 25 MIDI I/O 27 monitor inputs 28 monitor outputs 28 monitor volume 26 phantom power 26 indicator 26 power on indicator 26 S/PDIF I/O 27 digital audio ADAT format 33 S/PDIF format 33 digital devices, connecting 32, 36 E effects processing 54 external effects devices 41 sends to 42 I I/O Labels 42 input gain knobs 25 input gain levels fine tuning 65 setting 65 input levels 64 input pad 25 inputs Mic/Line 25 inserts 54 L latency for recording and monitoring 69 line-lev
mixing adjusting track volume 50 muting tracks 57 panning tracks 51 writing volume automation 52 monitor inputs Digi 001 I/O Box 28 Monitor mode 26, 40 monitor outputs Digi 001 I/O Box 28 monitor volume 26 monitoring latency 69 multiple instantiations of plug-ins 54 muting a track 57 N noise floor 65 non-destructive editing 48 punch-in recording with footswitch 72 Q QuickPunch recording 72 R recording a MIDI track 71 an audio track 67 audio tracks with QuickPunch 72 automation 52 from ADAT tracks 73 MID
Transport window 47 V viewing the Mix window 49 volume Digi 001 I/O Box 26 volume automation 52 W Windows System settings 15 using a slower computer 44 wave driver, installing 19 wave driver, removing 21 78 Digi 001 Quick Start Guide
