Setup guide

Chapter 4: Configuring Your Pro Tools System 41
Configuring Pro Tools
Software
Pro Tools System Settings
In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools lets you
adjust the performance of your system by
changing system settings that affect its capacity
for processing, playback, and recording. These
system settings are available in the Playback En-
gine dialog (Setup > Playback Engine).
In most cases, the default settings for your sys-
tem provide optimum performance, but you
may want to adjust them to accommodate large
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
Hardware Buffer Size
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con-
trols the size of the buffer used to handle host
processing tasks such as Real-Time AudioSuite™
(RTAS) plug-ins.
• Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings are useful
for improving latency issues in certain record-
ing situations or for improving certain system
performance problems.
• Lower settings reduce RTAS MIDI-to-audio
latency (such as when playing an RTAS vir-
tual instrument live and monitoring the in-
strument’s output). Lower settings can also
improve screen response or the accuracy of
plug-in and mute automation data.
• Lower settings reduce monitoring latency
that occurs on tracks that have one or more
RTAS plug-ins. Lower settings can also im-
prove the accuracy of MIDI track timing on
systems that are not using a MIDI I/O (or
other MIDI interface that supports time
stamping). Tracks using MIDI virtual in-
struments that do not support time stamp-
ing will also have better MIDI track timing
with lower settings.
 Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings are use-
ful for sessions that are using more RTAS plug-
ins for playback. These settings allow for more
audio processing. They can also be useful to re-
duce errors on machines that require a higher
buffer size.
To change the Hardware Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select
the audio buffer size, in samples.
3 Click OK.
Playback Engine dialog for Pro Tools|HD system