Setup Guide Mbox® 2 Pro Version 8.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2008 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign.
Communications and Safety Regulation Information Mbox 2 Pro Compliance Statement This model Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro complies with the following standards regulating interference and EMC: • FCC Part 15 Class B • EN 55022 Class B • EN 55204 Class B • AS/NZS 3548 Class B • CISPR 22 Class B Radio and Television Interference This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Important Safety Instructions 1) Read these instructions. 2) Keep these instructions. 3) Heed all warnings. 4) Follow all instructions. 5) Do not use this apparatus near water. 6) Clean only with dry cloth. 7) Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. 8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
contents Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mbox 2 Pro Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5. Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Mbox 2 Pro Front Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Mbox 2 Pro Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Chapter 6. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Connecting Headphones .
Appendix D. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Backing Up Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Performance Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
viii Mbox 2 Pro Setup Guide
chapter 1 Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro Welcome to the Mbox® 2 Pro portable Pro Tools® micro-studio from Digidesign®. Mbox 2 Pro and Pro Tools LE® provide your Firewire-equipped computer with four channels of analog audio input, six channels of analog audio output, two channels of digital audio input and output, MIDI In and Out ports, two channels of analog monitor output, and two headphone outputs with front panel level control.
Digital I/O • Two channels of S/PDIF digital input and output. S/PDIF inputs are available independent of, and in addition to, analog inputs 1–4 when clocking to S/PDIF. S/PDIF outputs are always available in Pro Tools. MIDI • One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port, providing 16 MIDI input channels and 16 MIDI output channels. Other Capabilities and Specifications • 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz. • Low latency analog record monitoring.
System Requirements and Compatibility Mbox 2 Pro can be used with a Digidesign-qualified Windows or Mac computer. A DVD drive is required to use the Pro Tools Installer disc. Digidesign can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.
Conventions Used in This Guide Digidesign 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 Installing Pro Tools on Mac This chapter contains information for Mac systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Windows computer, see Chapter 3, “Installing Pro Tools on Windows.” Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc. Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface Before connecting your Pro Tools LE interface to the computer, you need to install Pro Tools LE software.
6 At the Installation Type page, do one of the following: • To install all Pro Tools application files and free plug-in suites (and associated content), leave the default Installation options selected and click Continue. – or – • Select (or deselect) a custom configuration of Installation options (see “Installation Options” on page 6) and click Continue. 7 Click Install. 8 If prompted, enter your Administrator pass- word and click OK to authenticate the installation.
2 Click the Pro Tools LE icon in the Dock (or double-click the application icon in the Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder). 3 Enter the authorization code in the dialog (making sure to type it exactly as printed, and observing any spaces and capitalization), then click Validate. (Your authorization code is located on the inside front cover of this guide.
Standalone Mbox 2 Pro CoreAudio Driver The Mbox 2 Pro CoreAudio Driver can be installed as a standalone driver on Mac systems that do not have Pro Tools software installed. The standalone version of this driver is available on the Pro Tools Installer disc (in the Additional Files Folder). For information on installing and configuring the standalone version of the Mbox 2 Pro CoreAudio Driver, see the CoreAudio Drivers Guide.
chapter 3 Installing Pro Tools on Windows This chapter contains information for Windows systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Mac computer, see Chapter 2, “Installing Pro Tools on Mac.” Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc. Installation Overview Installing the Mbox 2 Pro on a Windows computer includes the following steps: 1 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Your Interface” on page 9.
5 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed with installation and click Next when prompted. 6 To install the complete compliment of Pro Tools software and plug-ins, leave Pro Tools selected. 7 At the Select Features page, do one of the following: • To install all Pro Tools application files and free plug-in suites (and associated content), leave the default Installation options selected and click Continue.
Avid Video Engine The Avid Video Engine is required to use Pro Tools with Avid video peripherals such as the Avid Mojo. Command|8 Controller and Driver The Command|8® Driver is required if you are using the Digidesign Command|8 control surface. Installing QuickTime QuickTime is required for Pro Tools if you plan to include movie files, or import MP3 or MP4 (AAC) files in your sessions. QuickTime for Windows XP is available as a free download from the Apple website (www.apple.com).
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc The Pro Tools Installer disc provides additional software for your system, including audio drivers (for playing other audio applications through your Digidesign hardware) and a Pro Tools demo session. Refer to your Pro Tools Installer disc for additional software and installers.
Pro Tools Demo Session The Pro Tools LE Installer disc includes a demo session that you can use to verify that your system is working. The demo session for Pro Tool LE is named “Filtered Dream.” Before installing the demo session to your audio drive, make sure the drive is configured as described in “Formatting an Audio Drive” on page 54. To install the demo session: 1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your DVD drive.
14 Mbox 2 Pro Setup Guide
chapter 4 Configuring Your Pro Tools System After you have connected your system and installed Pro Tools software, you are ready to start up and configure your Pro Tools system. Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System To ensure that the components of your Pro Tools system communicate properly with each other, you need to start them in a particular order. Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order: 1 Quit Pro Tools and any other running applications.
Configuring Pro Tools LE Pro Tools System Settings In the Playback Engine dialog, Pro Tools LE lets you adjust the performance of your system by changing system settings that affect its capacity for processing, playback, and recording. 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.
RTAS Processors To set the number of RTAS Processors: The RTAS Processors setting determines the number of processors in your computer allocated for RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite) plug-in processing. 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. With computers that have multiple processors, or that feature multi-core processing or hyperthreading, this setting lets you enable multiprocessor support for RTAS plug-ins.
CPU Usage Limit RTAS Engine (RTAS Error Suppression) The CPU Usage Limit setting controls the percentage of CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host processing tasks. Used in combination with the RTAS Processors setting, the CPU Usage Limit setting lets you control the way Pro Tools tasks are carried out by the system. The RTAS Engine option determines RTAS error reporting during playback and recording. This is especially useful when working with instrument plug-ins.
RTAS Error Suppression Options Ignore Errors During Playback/Record When enabled, Pro Tools continues to play and record even if the RTAS processing requirements exceed the selected CPU Usage Limit. This can result in pops and clicks in the audio, but does not stop the transport. Minimize Additional I/O Latency When enabled, any additional latency due to suppressing RTAS errors during playback and record is minimized to 128 samples.
Cache Size Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size The Cache Size setting determines the amount of memory DAE allocates to pre-buffer audio for playback and looping when using Elastic Audio. (Structure Plug-in Only) Minimum Reduces the amount of system memory used for disk operations and frees up memory for other system tasks. However, performance when using Elastic Audio features may decrease. Normal Is the optimum Cache Size for most sessions.
Optimizing the Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size To change the default Sample Rate: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. (Structure Plug-in Only) This option appears in the Playback Engine dialog only if one of the Structure sampler instrument plug-in is installed on your system. This option is useful when you are playing samples from the same drive that contains audio for the current session.
To select the Clock Source: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. 2 Choose the clock source from the Clock Source pop-up menu. 3 Click OK. Your digital input device must be connected and powered on for Pro Tools to synchronize to it. If your input device is not powered on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal. Configuring I/O Setup Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus signal paths.
Before configuring your computer, make sure you are logged in as an Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges in Mac OS X, refer to your Apple OS X documentation.
To disable or reassign Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts: 1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu and click Keyboard & Mouse. 2 Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. 3 Do one of the following: • Deselect the Mac OS X options that conflict with Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts. – or – • Assign different, non-conflicting keyboard shortcuts to the corresponding Mac OS X options.
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools To ensure optimum performance with Pro Tools LE, configure your computer before using Pro Tools hardware and software. For Mac System Optimization, see “Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools” on page 22. Before configuring your computer, make sure you are logged in as an Administrator for the account where you want to install Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges, see your Windows documentation.
To configure Windows Power Management (Windows Vista): Disabling User Account Control (Windows Vista Only) 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 Double-click Power Options. 3 In the Power Options window, select High Per- For optimal performance with Pro Tools on Windows Vista, disable User Account Control (UAC). formance. 4 Click Change plan settings. To disable User Account Control (UAC): 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 5 In the Edit Plan Settings window, click Change advanced power settings.
Optional Optimizations The following system optimizations may help Pro Tools perform better on some systems. It is recommended that you only try these optimizations if necessary, as they may disable or adversely affect the functionality of other programs on your system. Disabling Network Cards If applicable, disable any networking cards (other than a FireWire card that you might use to connect an external drive to your system).
Disabling System Startup Items The fewer items in use by your computer, the more resources are available for Pro Tools. Some startup applications may be consuming unnecessary CPU resources, and can be turned off.
chapter 5 Hardware Overview Mbox 2 Pro Front Panel Features Figure 1 identifies controls, indicators, and input and output ports on the front panel on the Mbox 2 Pro.
The Mbox 2 Pro front panel provides the following: Power LED The Power LED indicates that the Mbox 2 Pro is powered on. The headphone knobs adjust the output level of their corresponding Headphone output (A or B). 3–4 Switch and LED The External Clock LED lights to indicate that either S/PDIF or Word clock is the current Pro Tools clock source. When unlit, this LED indicates Internal clock. The 3–4 switch toggles Headphone B output between the main outputs (1–2), and output channels 3–4.
About Phantom Power DI Inputs Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure SM57) do not require phantom power to operate, but are not harmed by it. Most condenser microphones (like an AKG C3000) do require phantom power to operate. Front panel DI connectors are provided for input channels 1 and 2, to connect electric guitar, electric bass, and similar instruments. Although phantom power can be used safely with most microphones, it is possible to damage some ribbon microphones with it.
Mbox 2 Pro Back Panel Features Figure 2 identifies the inputs and outputs on the back panel of the Mbox 2 Pro. Inputs 1 and 2 Mic/Line 2 Mic/Line 1 Aux In (3–4) Monitor outputs (1–2) Phono In L/R Line In L/R Line outputs (1–4) Line Out (5–6) S/PDIF digital I/O Ground post MIDI I/O Footswitch Word clock In/Out Firewire Power Figure 2. Mbox 2 Pro back panel The Mbox 2 Pro back panel provides the following: DC Power This port supplies power to Mbox 2 Pro using the included power supply.
Word Clock S/PDIF Digital I/O The Word Clock In and Out ports let you connect BNC cables to synchronize Pro Tools to incoming 1x Word clock, and synchronize other devices to Pro Tools-generated Word clock. The S/PDIF in and out ports are unbalanced twoconductor phono (RCA) connectors that utilize a full 24-bit, two-channel digital data stream. Line Outputs (1–4) These outputs let you send discrete Pro Tools outputs to external headphone or cue systems, remote speakers and similar devices.
Aux In (Line and Phono Inputs) The Aux In section provides two pairs of inputs for different types of equipment. The Aux In Line L and R inputs are 1/4-inch, balanced TRS connectors. The Phono inputs are unbalanced, coaxial RCA connectors. Grounding Post The Grounding Post is for grounding turntables and other types of DJ equipment to Mbox 2 Pro. Mic/Line 1 and 2 Each analog source input channel (Input 1 and Input 2) provides Mic (XLR) and Line (TRS) input on combination jacks.
chapter 6 Making Studio Connections To hear audio recorded into a Pro Tools session, you will need to connect headphones or an external sound system (such as powered monitors or a home stereo) to the Mbox 2 Pro. Sound from the Mbox 2 Pro cannot be played through your computer’s speakers or your computer’s sound output. Connecting Headphones On the front panel of the Mbox 2 Pro are two 1/4-inch headphone connectors, each with an associated level control, labelled A and B.
Connecting a Sound System The main monitor outputs on the back of the Mbox 2 Pro (Mon Out L and R) support 1/4-inch plugs. These connections can be balanced, TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) style connectors, or unbalanced connectors. To listen to your Pro Tools session, these outputs can be connected to any amplification system: powered speakers, a home stereo system, or an audio mixer.
Connecting a Digital Deck Mic/Line In If you have a CD, DVD, DAT or other device that accepts S/PDIF connections, connect it to the S/PDIF In and S/PDIF Out RCA ports on the back of Mbox 2 Pro. Each Mic/Line In section on the back panel provides combination jacks that accept XLR or TRS connectors for Inputs 1 and 2. When recording from Pro Tools to a digital device, make sure the Pro Tools Clock Source setting is set correctly. For more information, see “Digital Input and Output” on page 41.
Connecting a Microphone There are several ways to use Mbox 2 Pro with a microphone, depending on the type of microphone and cable you use. Mic Cables and Connectors There are several ways to use Mbox 2 Pro with a microphone, depending on the type of microphone and cable you use. Some microphone cables use an XLR connector to attach a microphone to an input; other microphones use a 1/4-inch connector.
2 Set the input Source to Mic (microphone) by 5 On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, carefully turn pressing the Mic/DI Source selector on the front of Mbox 2 Pro until the Mic LED is lit. the Input 1 Gain control to the right to increase the input level of your microphone signal. Mic/DI Source selector 6 If the incoming signal is too loud, press the Pad switch to engage the –20 dB pad.
2 Set the source to DI by pressing the input channel Source selector until the DI LED is lit. Mic/DI selector Input 1 selector switch and DI LED Aux In (Back Panel) Line in L and R for additional line level devices, plus Phono L and R inputs for turntables/preamps, DJ mixers, and similar devices. The 1/4-inch TS Line L and R inputs accept balanced or unbalanced connections. The RCA inputs are fully RIAA compliant, and Mbox 2 Pro also provides a grounding post for devices that require such a connection.
Connecting Keyboards and Mixers Connecting DJ Equipment To use a keyboard or mixer with Mbox 2 Pro: To use the Phono inputs: 1 Plug your keyboard, mixer, or other audio 1 Plug your turntable, mixer, or similar outputs source into either the Input 1 or Input 2 Line (TRS) inputs on your Mbox 2 Pro. If your source is stereo (such as a stereo keyboard or the stereo output from a mixer), connect the left channel (often the white plug) to Input 1, and right channel (often the red plug) to Input 2.
Connecting Digital Devices To connect Mbox 2 Pro to an external digital device: 1 Using RCA (coaxial) cables, connect the 3 Launch Pro Tools LE. 4 Choose Hardware > Setup. 5 Click the Clock Source pop-up menu and select S/PDIF. Mbox 2 Pro S/PDIF In to the S/PDIF output of the device. 2 Connect the Mbox 2 Pro S/PDIF Out to the S/PDIF input of the external device. 3 Be sure to read the next section for important information.
If you need additional MIDI ports you can add a compatible MIDI interface. USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Windows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Windows systems only. Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X. Modem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI devices are not supported. To connect MIDI devices to Mbox 2 Pro: 1 Connect the MIDI OUT of your MIDI device or controller to the MIDI IN port on the back of Mbox 2 Pro.
2 Configure all external devices to slave to the Word clock coming from Mbox 2 Pro. (Be sure to verify sample rate settings, termination requirements and other internal settings for the device; refer to the manufacturer’s documentation if you need more information on the particular requirements for your other equipment.) 3 Launch Pro Tools. 4 Choose Hardware > Setup. 5 Click the Clock Source pop-up menu and select Internal.
appendix a Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) Audio MIDI Setup Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI interface as generic ports. With Mac OS X, you use Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility to identify external MIDI devices connected to your MIDI interface and configure your MIDI studio for use with Pro Tools. 2 Click MIDI Devices. AMS scans your system for connected MIDI interfaces. If your MIDI interface is properly connected, it appears in the window with each of its ports numbered.
5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI interface by clicking the arrow for the appropriate output port of the device and dragging a connection or “cable” to the input arrow of the corresponding port of the MIDI interface. 2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new device from the corresponding pop-up menus. (If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do not provide a name for your particular device, you can type a name.
3 Click the More Properties arrow to expand the 4 Click the device image. The window expands dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives options. (These determine which channels the device will use to send and receive MIDI.) to show images for various MIDI devices (such as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers). Select an icon for your device.
MIDI Patch Name Support Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup Language) for storing and importing patch names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the factory default patch names of many common MIDI devices. These files reside in directories, sorted by manufacturer, in Macintosh HD/ Library/Audio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign. 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click Change.
appendix b Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) MIDI Studio Setup MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) lets you configure the MIDI controllers and sound modules that are connected to your system, and control the routing of MIDI data between your MIDI equipment and Pro Tools. MSS automatically finds MIDI interfaces, and lets you specify a custom name for each of the MIDI ports within the MIDI Studio Setup document. MIDI Studio Setup Window The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized into three sections.
Interface Controls Properties Section Create Adds a new instrument to the Instrument Name list. The Properties section lets you edit information for new instruments, or instrument currently selected in the Instrument list. Delete Deletes the instrument or instruments selected in the Instrument Name list. Import Imports an existing MIDI Studio Setup file. Export Exports the current MIDI Studio Setup file.
6 From the Output pop-up menu, select the output port on your MIDI interface that is connected to the MIDI In of your instrument. 7 Enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16) for the Send Channels and Receive Channels options (These determine which channels send and receive MIDI.) terface port that is set and displayed here is the port through which MIDI data is sent from the external MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name field into your MIDI interface.
To import MIDI patch names into Pro Tools: 6 Click Open. 1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the MIDI Stu- The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu appears in the upper left hand corner of the window. dio Setup window (see “MIDI Studio Setup” on page 49). 2 Verify the Instrument or MIDI track output is correctly assigned to the MIDI device. 3 Click the Instrument or MIDI track Patch Select button.
appendix c Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance It is recommended that you start with a newly formatted external or secondary internal audio drive. You should also periodically defragment your audio drive to ensure continued system performance. Always back up any important data on your drive before formatting it, as it will erase all data on the drive. Avoid Recording to the System Drive Recording to your system drive is not recommended.
SCSI Hard Drives To format an audio drive: Digidesign recommends qualified SCSI hard drives and a qualified SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) card or (on Windows systems) a qualified built-in SCSI HBA connector on the motherboard. 1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in Applications/Utilities. For complete information on track count and the supported number and configuration of SCSI drives, visit the Digidesign website at: www.digidesign.
Formatting Windows Audio Drives For optimal performance, audio drives should be formatted as NTFS. Pro Tools only supports Basic drive types. Do not convert the drive to a Dynamic type. To format an audio drive: 1 On Windows Vista, choose Start. 2 Right-click Computer (Windows Vista) or My 5 If the volume is “Unallocated,” do the follow- ing: • In the Disk Management window, Rightclick the hard drive you will use for audio and choose New Partition. • In the New Partition Wizard window, click Next.
Seek Times on Partitioned Drives Seek times are actually faster on partitioned drives (assuming that reads and writes are performed on a single partition), since the heads only have to seek within the partition boundaries, rather than the whole capacity of the drive. Smaller partitions perform faster than larger partitions, but this comes at the expense of contiguous storage space. When you partition a drive, you will need to find the compromise that best suits your performance and storage requirements.
Defragmenting Windows Audio Drives To defragment an audio drive (Windows Vista): 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 Click System and Maintenance. 3 Click Performance Information and Tools. 4 Click Advanced Tools. Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems Pro Tools for Windows lets you record and play back sessions directly from a Mac-formatted (HFS+) drive connected to a Windows system. This functionality requires that all Mac session and audio files be stored on Mac-formatted drives.
Hard Disk Storage Space Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately 5 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about 7.5 MB per minute. Stereo audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately 10 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about 15 MB per minute.
appendix d 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, or to CD 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. When you launch Pro Tools it does not recognize an audio interface, or a connected audio interface is not available.
Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support Register Your System Register your purchase immediately after reviewing the Digidesign Registration Information Card included with every Pro Tools system. Registering your purchase is the only way you become eligible to receive complimentary technical support and future upgrade offers. Registering is one of the most important steps to complete as a new user.
Diagnostic Information Note any DAE errors or other error codes you encounter. Diagonally, note the ability to reproduce the problem under different conditions, for example, with another session, or after changing settings (such as the Hardware Buffer Size).
appendix e Resources Whether you are new to Pro Tools or just starting out with your new system, we encourage you to read and utilize the many guides that Pro Tools provides. There are also useful online resources available, giving you everything from Pro Tools tips to Pro Tools answers.
Documentation Installed Automatically with Pro Tools When you install Pro Tools, you get useful PDF versions of many Pro Tools guides and Read Mes. This documentation can be found in the following locations: Mac Applications/Digidesign/Documentation Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign products; download demo software or learn about our Development Partners and their plugins, applications, and hardware. Windows C:\Program Files\Digidesign\ Documentation News and Events Get the latest news from
index A F ASIO driver (Windows) 12 audio drivers ASIO driver (Windows) 12 CoreAudio driver (Mac) 7 Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Macintosh) 45 authorizing Pro Tools LE Mac 6 Windows 11 FireWire cable types 32 FireWire requirements 54 footswitch 33, 44 G gain headphones 30 input 31 C Cache Size 20 Clean Uninstall (Mac) 8 Clock Source 21 Internal setting 21 S/PDIF (digital) setting 21 connecting Mbox 2 Pro Mac 6 CoreAudio driver (Mac) 7 CPU Usage Limit 17, 18 D DAE Playback Buffer Size 19 DMA option (Windows
input and output connectors 33 inputs digital 33 gain 31 installing Pro Tools LE Mac 5 Windows 9 installing QuickTime (Windows) 11 J journaling (Mac), enabling 24 K key commands 4 L latency Hardware Buffer Size 16 M Mbox 2 back panel 32 features 1 front panel 30 Mbox 2 Pro connecting (Mac) 6 MIDI connections 42 requirements 3 setup (Macintosh) 45 setup (Windows) 49 MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) (Windows) 49 Minimize Additional I/O Latency option 19 N network cards (Windows), disabling 27 network connections
S S/PDIF 33 Safe Uninstall (Mac) 8 Sample Rate 21 screen savers 60 SCSI requirements 54 Software Update (Mac), turning off 23 sources digital 33 selecting 31 Spotlight indexing (Mac), disabling 24 Startup items (Windows), disabling 28 system optimization (Mac) 22 optional optimizations (Windows) 27 recommended optimizations (Windows) 26 required optimizations (Windows) 25 shutting down 15 starting up 15 system optimization Windows 27 system settings Cache Size 20 Clock Source 21 CPU Usage Limit 18 Hardware
www.digidesign.com DIGIDESIGN 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA Tel: 650.731.6300 Fax: 650.731.6399 TECHNICAL SUPPORT (USA) Tel: 650.731.6100 Fax: 650.731.6375 PRODUCT INFORMATION (USA) Tel: 800.333.
