Specifications

Pro Tools Reference Guide16
Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders Auxiliary In-
puts are tracks that can be used as returns, sub-
mixers and bus masters. Master Faders are used
as bus and output master level controls. Both
Auxiliary Inputs and Master Faders can have
plug-in and/or hardware inserts.
Sends Sends route audio to internal busses to
send to other tracks in Pro Tools, or to hardware
outputs. Master Faders do not have sends.
Plug-In and Hardware Inserts Software plug-ins
and hardware inserts process the audio on their
associated track. Plug-in processing occurs com-
pletely within the Pro Tools system. Hardware
inserts utilize audio interface inputs and out-
puts, for traditional insert routing to (and from)
external effects and other devices.
Paths Pro Tools lets you define any internal or
external input, output, bus, or insert with a sin-
gle name and format (mono, stereo, or multi-
channel). Paths comprise the lists of available
routing choices in track I/O Selectors and other
menus. Paths are auto-named by default, but
can be customized in the I/O Setup window. See
Chapter 7, “I/O Setup” for more information.
Mixing Formats Sessions can include combina-
tions of mono, stereo, and multichannel format
tracks, busses, inputs, outputs, and inserts.
(Multichannel formats are supported on
Pro Tools HD-series and MIX-series systems
only.)
System Resources
Track count, plug-in processing, signal path and
routing options, and voice availability are ulti-
mately limited by the combined resources avail-
able from the host computer, and from your
Pro Tools hardware.
Pro Tools provides several ways to manage and
conserve resources to maximize the perfor-
mance of your system. As you begin working
with Pro Tools sessions and tracks, you can take
advantage of the following features to extend
the effectiveness of your available DSP and
other resources:
◆ Pro Tools lets you adjust the performance of
your system by changing system settings (such
as H/W Buffer Size and CPU Usage) that affect its
capacity for processing, playback, and record-
ing. See “Configuring Pro Tools System Settings
(in the Playback System Engine)” on page 37.
◆ Pro Tools allows for session items (such as
tracks and inserts) to be manually made inac-
tive, to free up DSP resources. Inactive elements
are viewable, editable, and retained within the
session. See “Active and Inactive Items” on
page 17.
◆ All Pro Tools TDM systems, as well as LE sys-
tems (Pro Tools 6.x only), provide flexible voice
options for audio tracks, to help maximize use
of available voices in your system. For more in-
formation on voice management and options,
see “Voiceable Tracks and Track Priority” on
page 98.