® Pro Tools |HD Native User Guide Version 9.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2010 by Avid Technology, Inc., (hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid.
contents Chapter 1. Welcome to Pro Tools|HD Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools|HD Native Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools|HD Native Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools|HD Native Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix B. Configuring ASIO (Windows Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ASIO Driver Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Installing the ASIO Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ASIO Driver Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Appendix C.
chapter 1 Welcome to Pro Tools|HD Native Pro Tools®|HD Native provides high-definition digital audio recording, editing, signal processing, mixing, and I/O capabilities. This guide covers installation of Pro Tools|HD Native hardware on Mac and Windows platforms. For information about installing Pro Tools software, see the Pro Tools Installation Guide included with your Pro Tools software package.
Pro Tools|HD Native Capabilities System Requirements and Compatibility Pro Tools HD running on Pro Tools|HD Native hardware provides the following capabilities: Pro Tools|HD Native can be used with a qualified Mac or Windows computer running Pro Tools HD software. • Up to 64 channels of I/O depending on your system and the number of audio interfaces • Up to a total of 192 voiced audio tracks (up to 512 voiceable audio tracks): • Up to 192 tracks at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz • Up to 96 tracks at 88.
An iLok can hold hundreds authorizations for all of your iLok-enabled software. Once an iLok is authorized for a given piece of software, you can use the iLok to authorize that software on any computer. An authorized iLok must be inserted in an available USB port on your computer to run Pro Tools HD. For information about installing and authorizing your Pro Tools HD software, see the printed Pro Tools Installation Guide included with your Pro Tools Software Package.
Conventions Used in This Guide All Pro Tools guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: Convention Action File > Save Choose Save from the File menu Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right-click Click with the right mouse button The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.
chapter 2 Pro Tools|HD Native Hardware Overview This section describes each hardware component of a Pro Tools|HD Native system. Pro Tools|HD Native PCIe Card DigiLink Mini Port 1 PORT 1 DigiLink Mini Port 2 PORT 2 The Pro Tools|HD Native PCIe card supports up to 64 channels of I/O for direct-to-disk recording and playback (up to 192 tracks with Pro Tools HD software), and supports up to 24-bit and up to 192 kHz sessions.
DigiLink Mini and DigiLink Cables Use DigiLink cables to connect 192 I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 96 I/O, and 96i I/O audio interfaces to Pro Tools|HD cards. Use DigiLink cables with a DigiLink to DigiLink Mini adapter cable to connect HD I/O, HD OMNI, and HD MADI audio interfaces to Pro Tools|HD cards.
Audio Interfaces To record and play audio with Pro Tools HD, you must have at least one Pro Tools|HD audio interface connected to the Pro Tools|HD Native card. Pro Tools|HD Native systems support up to 4 Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces for up to 64 simultaneous channels of input and output. Pro Tools|HD Native systems do not support legacy Pro Tools|24 MIX™ audio interfaces (such as the 888|24 or 882|20).
Monitoring • An additional stereo “CUE” output path in Pro Tools for headphone monitoring from the front panel headphone jack • Front panel Control Room (MAIN/ALT) and Headphone monitoring volume control • Flexible monitoring with fold-down from all stereo and surround formats (up to 7.
Digital I/O • Up to sixteen channels of 24-bit digital I/O, using AES/EBU, TDIF DB-25, or Optical at sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz with a Digital HD I/O card • Real-time sample rate conversion on digital inputs with a Digital I/O card (up to sixteen channels of AES/EBU, Optical, or TDIF) • Support for S/MUX Optical for sample rates of 88.
• Dedicated BNC Word Clock input and XLR AES/EBU input (clock input only) for external MADI synchronization (when using SRC on output) • Clock support for the following formats: Internal, Loop Sync, Word Clock, AES/EBU, and MADI • Varispeed modes (supports both 64- and 56channel standards) ` For more information about HD MADI, see the HD MADI Guide. 192 I/O Audio Interface 192 I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools|HD systems.
192 Digital I/O Audio Interface 96 I/O Audio Interface 192 Digital I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools|HD systems, and supports sample rates of up to 192 kHz. 96 I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools|HD systems. 96 I/O features high quality 24-bit analog-todigital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters, and supports sample rates of up to 96 kHz.
96i I/O Audio Interface 96i I/O is a multichannel digital audio interface designed for use with Pro Tools|HD systems. 96i I/O features high quality 24-bit analog-todigital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters, and supports sample rates of up to 96 kHz. A DigiLink to DigiLink Mini adapter cable is required to connect 96i I/O to the Pro Tools|HD Native card.
chapter 3 Installing Pro Tools Hardware This chapter provides information on installing and connecting the Pro Tools|HD Native card and Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces. Install your Pro Tools|HD hardware before installing Pro Tools HD software. SATA drive trays and drives PCIe slot 4 (hidden) PCIe slot 3 To install Pro Tools|HD hardware, first install the Pro Tools|HD Native card. Once the card is installed, connect Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces.
To install the Pro Tools|HD Native card: 1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals. Leave your computer’s power cable plugged in so that the computer is grounded. 2 Disconnect all cables attached to the com- 7 Install the Pro Tools|HD Native PCIe card into the corresponding PCIe slot in the computer. With the card’s PCIe connectors facing down, carefully insert the card straight down and firmly seat the card’s PCIe connector into the PCIe slot.
Installing Pro Tools|HD Native Card in a Windows Computer 5 Install the Pro Tools|HD Native card in the corresponding PCIe slot. The Pro Tools|HD Native card is a 4x PCIe card. For optimum performance, install the Pro Tools|HD Native card in a 4x or higher PCIe card slot in your computer. To install the Pro Tools|HD Native card: 1 Turn off your computer and any peripherals. Leave your computer’s power cable plugged in so the computer is grounded.
Connecting Audio Interfaces Each Pro Tools|HD audio interface provides several different input and output options. For example, HD OMNI supplies up to 8 channels of input and output to your Pro Tools system, HD I/O supplies up to 16 channels of input and output, and HD MADI provides up to 64 channels. Audio interfaces can be connected directly to the Pro Tools|HD Native card, or through the Expansion ports on other Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces.
Connecting Loop Sync If you are using two (or more) Pro Tools audio interfaces or a SYNC peripheral, Loop Sync must be connected to maintain proper clock among the devices. To make Loop Sync connections: 1 Connect the Loop Sync Out of each interface to the Loop Sync In of the next interface with the BNC cables included in your I/O packaging. 2 Connect the Loop Sync Out of the last interface to the Loop Sync In of the primary interface or SYNC peripheral.
Maximum I/O Configuration Pro Tools|HD Native supports up to a maximum combination of up to four total of the following audio interfaces: • HD OMNI (only one HD OMNI is supported in a single Pro Tools|HD system) • HD I/O (up to four HD I/O can be used simultaneously) • HD MADI (full connectivity with one HD MADI is possible when both DigiLink ports of the HD MADI are connected to both DigiLink ports on the Pro Tools|HD Native card) • 192 I/O (up to four 192 I/O can be used simultaneously) • 192 Digital I/O
appendix a Configuring CoreAudio (Mac OS X Only) CoreAudio Driver Capabilities troller (through the Mac speaker or headphone jack). However, if you double-click a sound file, the QuickTime application will launch, and can use the CoreAudio Driver for playback. The CoreAudio Driver is a multi-client, multichannel sound driver that lets CoreAudio–compatible applications record and play back through Pro Tools hardware. The CoreAudio Driver cannot be used for playback of Mac System Sounds.
To install the standalone CoreAudio Driver: 1 Ensure that your Pro Tools|HD Native hard- ware is correctly installed. 2 Do one of the following: Accessing the CoreAudio Manager The CoreAudio Manager application launches automatically when the first client application accesses the CoreAudio Driver. • Insert the Driver Installers Disc that came with your Pro Tools Software package in your computer. – or – • Download the standalone CoreAudio driver installer from our website (www.avid.com).
Using the CoreAudio Manager HW Setup Button Use CoreAudio Manager to change the CoreAudio Buffer Size setting, access the Hardware Setup dialog for your Pro Tools hardware and control volume and mute for the CoreAudio Driver. CoreAudio Manager also identifies your Pro Tools hardware, the supported number of Input and Output Channels and the number of attached clients (applications). The HW Setup button opens the Hardware Setup dialog for your Pro Tools hardware.
Prefs Button The Prefs button opens the CoreAudio Manager Preferences dialog for the Manager application. There are several options available for control and configuration of the Manager application. When finished setting these options, click OK to close the CoreAudio Manager Preferences windows.
Configuring a Pro Tools|HD Audio Interface for Third-Party Applications When using a Pro Tools|HD Native with an application other than Pro Tools (such as Apple GarageBand), you can configure hardware settings through the audio preference settings available in that application. Apple Sound Preferences To configure the Apple Sound Preferences: 1 Launch System Preferences (Apple menu > Sys- tem Preferences). 2 Click Sound. 3 Click Output and select Pro Tools HD Native as the device for sound output.
Apple Audio MIDI Setup 5 From the Audio Devices list on the left, select Pro Tools|HD Native. To configure the Apple Audio MIDI Setup: 1 Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Home/Applications/Utilities). 2 In the Audio Devices window, click the Input tab. Leave System Output set to Built-in Audio. The CoreAudio Driver cannot be used for system sounds. 6 In the Audio Input or Audio Output page, se- lect the Format (sample rate). Note that the input sample rate and output rate are linked.
appendix b Configuring ASIO (Windows Only) ASIO Driver Capabilities Installing the ASIO Driver The ASIO Driver is a single-client, multichannel sound driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the ASIO Driver standard to record and play back through qualified Pro Tools audio interfaces. The ASIO Driver is installed by default when you install Pro Tools. The ASIO Driver can also be installed as a standalone driver on Windows systems that do not have Pro Tools software installed.
ASIO Driver Control Panel Configuring ASIO Driver settings can be done using the ASIO Control Panel, which is accessed within some third-party ASIO-compatible client applications. Example with Ableton Live For example, with Ableton Live, click the Hardware Setup button in the Audio Preferences. Hardware Setup button Accessing the ASIO Driver Control Panel To access the ASIO Driver Control Panel from a third-party application: Refer to your ASIO-client program’s documentation.
Buffer Size Advanced Button You may select from the following buffer sizes (depending on your Pro Tools hardware): The Advanced button opens the Hardware Setup dialog for the Pro Tools hardware that you are using. • 128 samples • 256 samples • 512 samples • 1024 samples • 2048 samples Small buffers have the advantage of low latency in the record monitor path. (Latency is the time delay between a signal entering the audio inputs and leaving the outputs during recording.
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appendix c Low Latency Monitoring Pro Tools|HD Native systems can use the Low Latency Monitoring option to record with an extremely small amount of monitoring latency, to as many tracks as the system supports. Only tracks with input from an audio interface (not an internal mix bus) use Low Latency Monitoring. Using Low Latency Monitoring To use Low Latency Monitoring: 1 From the Output Path selector, assign each track to the selected Low Latency Monitoring Path (as set in the I/O Setup Output page).
Configuring Low Latency Monitoring in the I/O Setup Low Latency Monitoring and Bounce To Disk The Output page of the I/O Setup lets you enable (or disable) Low Latency Monitoring. It also lets you specify any available Output path for Low Latency Monitoring. The Output path for Low Latency Monitoring can be of any channel width (from Mono to 7.1). Low Latency Monitoring uses Outputs 1–2 by default.
appendix d System Delays in Mixing This appendix provides an overview of system mixer delays in Pro Tools|HD Native systems, and explains how you can compensate for these delays for phase coherent time alignment of audio in complex or critical mixing situations. For detailed information on using Automatic Delay Compensation, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide. Introduction to System Delay In all digital systems, digital signal processing (DSP) causes signal delays of varying amounts.
In any session, if you want to maintain absolute time alignment across all tracks you should always compensate for signal processing delays. Enabling Delay Compensation To enable Delay Compensation: Using Delay Compensation Pro Tools provides automatic Delay Compensation for managing delays from plug-in and hardware inserts, and mixer routing (bussing and sends).
appendix e Troubleshooting Backing Up Your Work It is highly recommended that you back up your work on a regular basis, and especially before making changes to your system configuration. Backing Up Your Session Data Back up your session and audio data frequently. There are a variety of media that are suited to back up projects of various sizes, from automated tape backup systems to high-capacity optical drives, to CD/DVD burners.
Common Issues Audio Interface Is Not Recognized Problem Pro Tools Won’t Launch Problem When you double-click the Pro Tools application or a Pro Tools session file, Pro Tools doesn’t launch, or displays an error message. Possible Solutions Check to be sure your computer has the required amount of RAM to launch Pro Tools. Refer to our website (www.avid.com). Try a complete restart.
Using DigiTest as a Diagnostic Tool DigiTest opens and lists the supported cards it finds in your system, showing their corresponding slot locations. The DigiTest utility performs diagnostic tests on the Pro Tools cards in your system. If DigiTest reports that the Pro Tools|HD Native card has failed, click the Info button next to that card. Write down the information that appears and report it to your local dealer or contact Technical Support.
8 When the test is finished, you can view the DigiTest Error Codes test results by doing one of the following: • Click the Get Results button next to a card name. • Click the Results tab and choose a card slot from the pop-up menu. DigiTest Error Codes Code Description Err3 Cards from different Pro Tools systems are incorrectly mixed. See the configuration chapters. Err4 Cards marked with this error are installed in the wrong order. See the configuration chapters.
To display information for a card in your system: 1 Quit Pro Tools if it is running. 2 Locate and double-click the DigiTest icon on your hard drive. 3 Click the Slot Info tab. 5 Under Device Selection, select one of the fol- lowing options for the corresponding connected audio interface and to view the firmware version for the corresponding interface.
Performance Factors There are several conditions that may adversely affect the performance of Pro Tools. These include: Network Connections Close any network connections unless you are using them for network interchange of audio data. Gather Important Information Avid wants to help you resolve problems as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have the following information handy when you contact Technical Support, it will make the diagnosis of your problem easier.
Other Hardware Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for operational details. The most common hardware additions include: • 1394 (FireWire) cards for Windows systems (manufacturer, model) • Expansion Chassis (manufacturer, model, bridge chip type) • Video Capture cards (manufacturer, model) To verify that your hardware is qualified for use with your Pro Tools system, refer to our website (www.avid.com).
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appendix f Compliance Information Environmental Compliance Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users in the European Union Proposition 65 Warning This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling. Perchlorate Notice This symbol on the product or its packaging indicates that this product must not be disposed of with other waste.
EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance) Argentina Conformity Avid declares that this product complies with the following standards regulating emissions and immunity: • FCC Part 15 Class A • EN55103-1 E4 • EN55103-2 E4 • AS/NZS CISPR 22 Class A FCC Compliance for United States Australia and New Zealand EMC Regulations Radio and Television Interference This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
European Union Declaration of Conformity 8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other equipment (including amplifiers) that produce heat. (EMC and Safety) 9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety.
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index Numerics D 192 Digital I/O 11 192 I/O 10 96 I/O 11 96i I/O 12 Delay Compensation 32 enabling 32 DigiLink cable lengths 6 cables 6 DigiLink Mini adapter cable 6 cable lengths 6 cables 6 DigiLink Mini ports 5 DigiLink to DigiLink Mini adapter cables 6 DigiSerial port 5 DigiTest 35 troubleshooting 36 drives requirements 3 DSP delays 31 automatic delay compensation 32 A ASIO Control Panel 26 ASIO driver (Windows) 25 capabilities 25 control panel 26 installing 25 limitations 25 audio drivers ASIO driv
Digital I/O 9 synchronization 9 HD MADI 9 HD OMNI 7 analog I/O 7 digital I/O 7 features 7 monitoring 8 synchronization 8 S sample delays 31 screen savers 38 SYNC peripheral DigiSerial port 5 system requirements 2 T time alignment 31 I I/O Setup Low Latency Monitoring 30 installation Pro Tools|HD Native card (Mac) 14 Pro Tools|HD Native card (Windows) 15 L Loop Sync connecting 17 low latency monitoring Bounce to Disk 30 Low Latency Monitoring option 29 Low Latency Monitoring path 30 M MIDI supported int
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