Specifications

Chapter 7: I/O Setup 115
Output Busses
Output busses are mapped (routed) to output paths,
as configured on the Output page of the I/O Setup.
Output paths are then assigned to the system’s
physical audio outputs in the I/O Setups Grid (see
“Assigning Paths to Hardware I/O” on page 113).
When you create a new output path on the Output
page of the I/O Setup, a new output bus of the same
width is automatically created and mapped to that
output path. Output busses are also created and
mapped according to default settings when creat-
ing a new session or restoring defaults (see “Re-
storing Default Paths and Path Names” on
page 109).
Physical outputs for output paths are configured on
the Outputs page of the I/O Setups (see “Assigning
Paths to Hardware I/O” on page 113).
Internal Mix Busses
Pro Tools provides up to 256 internal mix busses
and are used to route audio signal from track out-
puts and sends to other track inputs and plug-in
side-chains. Common uses for internal mix busses
include effects sends and returns (such as bussing
sends from audio tracks to an Auxiliary Input track
for plug-in effects processing) and bus recording.
Internal mix busses can also be mapped to any out-
puts (see “Internal Mix Busses ” on page 115).
Creating and Mapping Busses to
Outputs
Any available bus can be mapped to any of the
available output paths of the same channel width
or greater. For example, a mono bus can be
mapped to a mono output path, a stereo bus can be
mapped to a stereo output path, and a 5.1 surround
bus can be mapped to a 5.1 surround output path.
You can unmap busses from outputs at any time.
To create a bus and map it to an output path:
1 On the Bus page of the I/O Setup, click New
Path
.
2 In the New Paths dialog, specify the number of
new paths you want to create, the channel width
for each path, and the path name.
3 Click Create to create the new paths.
4 Enable Mapping To Output for the path.
5 Select an output path from the Mapping To Out-
put
selector.
Any signals from tracks or sends sent to the bus are
now sent to the hardware outputs assigned to the
corresponding Output paths.
To map all output busses of the same format to an
output path:
 Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Windows) the
Mapping To Output selector and select an out-
put path (mono or stereo).
New Paths dialog
Unmapped “MAIN” output bus
Mapping the “MAIN” output bus to output path “A 1–2”