Setup guide

Chapter 4: Configuring Your Pro Tools System 27
Hardware Buffer Size
The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) controls the size of the buffer used to handle host
processing tasks such as Real-Time AudioSuite
™
(RTAS) plug-ins. The H/W Buffer setting can
also be used to manage monitoring latency.
 Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings reduce monitoring latency, and are useful when you are
recording live input.
 Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings allow for more audio processing and effects, and are
useful when you are mixing and using more RTAS plug-ins.
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.
RTAS Processors
The RTAS Processors setting determines the number of processors in your computer allocated
for RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite) plug-in processing.
With multiprocessor computers, this setting lets you manage multi-processor support for RTAS
processing. With multiple processor computers running Windows that support Hyper-Thread-
ing (and have it enabled), you must disable Hyper-Threading for this setting to become avail-
able. See your computer’s documentation for steps on how to enter the computer’s BIOS and
disable Hyper-Threading (Windows only).
Note that you can still bus record in Pro Tools LE even though Mbox 2 Micro provides no ex-
ternal input.
In addition to causing slower screen response and monitoring latency, higher Hardware Buffer
Size settings can increase the latency caused by RTAS plug-ins, and affect the accuracy of plug-
in automation, mute data, and MIDI track timing.