Specifications
Chapter 7: I/O Setup 67
Chapter 7: I/O Setup
The I/O Setup dialog provides tools to label, for-
mat, and map Pro Tools input, output, insert, or
bus signal paths for each session.
A signal path is a logical grouping of multiple
inputs, outputs or busses that has a single name
and (channel) format. In Pro Tools, paths are
similar to stems, known to the film and video in-
dustries (see “Stems and Stem Mixes” on
page 69). The I/O Setup dialog lets you define
and name paths according to the needs of each
project.
On HD-series systems, the I/O Setup Dialog pro-
vides a graphical representation of the signal
routing for each connected audio interface, with
controls to route physical ports to Pro Tools in-
puts and outputs. These controls mirror the
routing controls found in the Hardware Setup
dialog—changes made to physical routing in
one dialog are always reflected in the other.
Each Pro Tools system can have a different
I/O Setup configuration, determined by:
• Whether it is a Pro Tools LE system or a
Pro Tools TDM system
• On TDM systems, whether it is an HD-series,
MIX-series, or Pro Tools|24 system
• On TDM systems, the number and types of
audio interfaces
• On TDM systems, the mixer plug-in currently
installed
Each Pro Tools session retains its path configu-
rations as I/O Settings. The I/O Settings saved
with the session are loaded automatically when
the session is opened. Unavailable items (in-
cluding hardware, paths, or required resources)
remain in the session as inactive items (see “Ac-
tive and Inactive Paths” on page 78).
When you create a new session, you can specify
a default I/O Setup configuration, including
presets for stereo or multichannel mixing for-
mats (multichannel mixing requires an HD-se-
ries or MIX-series system).
The I/O Setup dialog also lets you save and im-
port I/O Settings files.
Paths in Sessions
In sessions, audio is routed using the track In-
put, Output, Insert, Plug-in, and Send Selectors.
These selectors let you assign tracks to hardware
inputs and outputs, internal busses, and other
Pro Tools signal paths.