Getting Started Mbox® 2 Pro Version 7.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2007 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.
Safety Statement Mbox 2 Pro This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and Canadian safety certification in accordance with the specifications of UL Standards: UL60065 7th /IEC 60065 7th and Canadian CAN/CSA C22.2 60065:03. Digidesign Inc., has been authorized to apply the appropriate UL & CUL mark on its compliant equipment. Warning Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by Digidesign, could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
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. Installation QuickStart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Windows Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mac Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 2. Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5. Configuring Your Pro Tools System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Configuring Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix C. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Avoid Recording to the System Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Formatting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Partitioning Drives . . . . . . . . . .
x Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
chapter 1 Installation QuickStart Windows Installation Overview (Windows Systems Only) Installing Pro Tools LE™ for Mbox® 2 Pro on a Windows computer includes the following steps: 1 “Connecting Mbox 2 Pro and Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 9. 2 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 11. Your authorization code is located on the inside cover of this guide. 3 Configuring your system for improved perfor- mance. (See Chapter 5, “Configuring Your Pro Tools System.”) 4 “Making Studio Connections” on page 35.
2 Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
chapter 2 Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro Welcome to the Mbox® 2 Pro portable Pro Tools® micro-studio from Digidesign®. Mbox 2 Pro provides 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.
System Requirements 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. For complete system requirements, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com). Compatibility Information Digidesign can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.
About the Pro Tools Guides This Getting Started guide explains how to install Pro Tools LE software, make basic connections to your Mbox 2 Pro interface (to get sound in and out of your interface), and do common tasks (such as recording in Pro Tools). In addition to any printed guides or documentation included with your system, PDF versions of Pro Tools guides and Read Mes are installed automatically with Pro Tools.
About www.digidesign.com The Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com) is your best source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and features available. Product Registration Register your purchase online. See the enclosed Digidesign Registration Information Card for instructions.
8 Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
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 4, “Installing Pro Tools on Mac.” Connecting Mbox 2 Pro and Installing Pro Tools LE To install Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2 Pro: Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc. 1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator privileges.
9 Click Next. 10 Select the Pro Tools application for installation. 11 You can also select from a list of optional items to install along with Pro Tools. Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option This option lets your Pro Tools system read, write, record, and play back using Mac-formatted HFS+ disks. HFS+ disks are commonly referred to as Mac OS Extended disks.
4 Restart your computer. Disabling Screen Saver (Windows Vista Only) To avoid errors during recording and playback of Pro Tools sessions, you must set your Windows Vista screen saver to “None.” To set your Windows Vista screen saver to “None”: 1 Right-click on the desktop. 2 Choose Personalize. 3 Click Screen Save. 4 Set the Screen saver to None. 5 Click Apply. Launching Pro Tools LE When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you are prompted to enter an authorization code.
DirectSound Windows System Audio Driver The DirectSound Windows System Audio Driver is a multi-client, multichannel sound driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the DirectSound standard to play back and record through Mbox 2 Pro. For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign DirectSound Driver, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide. Standalone Windows Audio Drivers Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers can be installed on Windows systems that do not have Pro Tools software installed.
chapter 4 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.
8 You can also select from a list of optional items to install along with Pro Tools: DigiTranslator DigiTranslator™ is a software option for Pro Tools that lets you convert and exchange OMF and AAF sequences and MXF files directly in the Pro Tools application. This option is purchased separately. MIDI I/O Driver The MIDI I/O Driver is required if you are using the Digidesign MIDI I/O interface. MP3 Export Option The MP3 Export Option lets you export MP3 files from Pro Tools.
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. Check your Pro Tools Installer disc for additional software and installers.
Pro Tools Session Templates The Pro Tools LE Installer disc includes factory session templates that are pre-configured to common track and mixer setups. Using these templates will save you the trouble of having to create your studio setup from scratch every time you start a new session. See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for information on using or customizing session templates. Uninstalling Pro Tools If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from your computer, use the Uninstaller application.
chapter 5 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. In most cases, the default settings for your system provide optimum performance, but you may want to adjust them to accommodate large or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.
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 multiprocessor computers, this setting lets you manage multi-processor support for RTAS processing. With multiple processor computers that support Hyper-Threading (and have it enabled), you must disable Hyper-Threading for this setting to become available.
The maximum available CPU Usage Limit depends on the number of processors in your computer and on the number of processors you specify with the RTAS Processor setting. This value can be up 99 percent for single-processor computers or 90 percent for multi-processor computers. Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow down screen response on slower computers. To change the CPU Usage Limit: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
DAE Playback Buffer Size The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the amount of memory DAE allocates for disk buffers. The buffer size is shown in milliseconds, which indicates the amount of audio buffered when the system reads from disk. The optimum DAE Playback Buffer Size for most disk operations is 1500 msec (Level 2). • DAE Playback Buffer Size settings lower than 1500 msec (Level 2) may improve playback and recording initiation speed.
You can set Pro Tools to reserve only the minimum amount of required memory, so that more system memory is available to other applications. To minimize system memory allocation: 1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine. 2 Select the “Minimize System Memory Allocation” Using a larger Plug-in Streaming Buffer Size leaves less system memory for other tasks. The default setting of 250 ms (Level 2) is recommended unless you are experiencing problems with the audio quality of sample playback.
Pro Tools Hardware Settings In the Hardware Settings dialog, Pro Tools lets you set the default sample rate and clock source for your system, as well as a range of controls specific to each type of audio interface. Default Sample Rate The Sample Rate setting appears as the default sample rate when you create a new session. (This setting is available in the Hardware Setup dialog only when no session is open.
To rename I/O paths in I/O Setup: 1 Choose Setup > I/O. Backing Up Your System Configuration After configuring your system and Pro Tools, you should save an image of your system drive using a backup utility such as Norton Ghost. By doing this, you can quickly restore your system configuration and settings if you encounter any problems. I/O Setup dialog for Mbox 2 Pro 2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to display the corresponding connections.
To enable DMA for any IDE hard drives (Windows XP): To configure Windows Power Management (Windows XP): 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 1 Choose Start > Control Panel. 2 Double-click System. 2 Double-click Power Options. 3 Click the Hardware tab. 3 Click the Power Schemes tab. 4 Under Device Manager, choose Device Man- ager. 4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select Always On. 5 In the Device Manager window, double-click 5 Click OK.
Recommended Optimizations Pro Tools can also be affected by other software and hardware drivers installed on your computer. It is recommended (but not required) that you do the following: • Avoid running any unneeded programs at the same time as Pro Tools. • Turn off any software utilities that run in the background, such as Windows Messenger, calendars, and disk maintenance programs. • Turn off any nonessential FireWire devices while running Pro Tools.
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.
Turning Off Energy Saver To turn off the Energy Saver feature: 1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu and click Energy Saver. 2 Click the Sleep tab and do the following: • Set the computer sleep setting to Never. • Set the display sleep setting to Never. • Deselect “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible” option.
chapter 6 Hardware Overview Mbox 2 Pro Front Panel Features The Mbox 2 Pro front panel has the following features: Aux In (3–4) Power LED Headphones level (A, B) Monitor Level Peak LED Input 2 Input 1 Source Gain selector and Peak Gain LED LED Source selector Pad Gain Peak LED Source selector Pad Ext Clock LED MIDI Activity LED Headphone Outputs (A and B) 48V Switch and LED 3–4 Switch and LED (Headphone B) Input 1 DI Input 2 DI DI/Mic 1 LEDs DI/Mic 2 LEDs Figure 1.
Headphone Outputs 48V Switch and LED Mbox 2 Pro provides two 1/4-inch, stereo headphone outputs, A and B, each with its own level control. Headphones mirror the Monitor outputs, by default (usually your main Pro Tools Analog 1–2 outputs). Headphone B can also be configured for discrete monitoring of Pro Tools outputs 3–4 (Analog 3–4) using the 3–4 switch. Phantom power is activated by the switch labeled 48V on the front panel of Mbox 2 Pro.
Gain Controls Peak LEDs These knobs adjust the input gain levels of their corresponding input (Input 1, Input 2, or Aux In). Input 1, 2 and the Aux Input have Peak LEDs that also function as signal meters. They light green at –60 dBFS, yellow at –6 dBFS, and red at 0 dBFS (peak). DI Inputs Front panel DI connectors are provided for input channels 1 and 2, to connect electric guitar, electric bass, and similar instruments.
Mbox 2 Pro Back Panel Features Figure 2 identifies each port on the Mbox 2 Pro back panel. 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 has the following features: 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.
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. On the front panel, the input signal is adjusted by the Gain control for each channel and the source (Mic/Line, or DI) is chosen using the Source selectors. Source 2 is at the far left (when looking at the back panel), and Source 1 is to its right.
chapter 7 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 Mbox 2 Pro. Sound from 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 42.
Connecting a Microphone There are several ways to use Mbox 2 with a microphone, depending on the type of microphone and cable you use. Phantom Power Some microphones require power to operate. This power, called phantom power, is supplied either by a battery in the microphone, or through an audio interface (such as Mbox 2 Pro) that can supply power through the microphone cable.
Using a Mic that Has an XLR Connector To use a microphone that has an XLR connector: 1 Plug your microphone cable into one of the Mic/Line inputs on the back of Mbox 2 Pro. 48V (Phantom Power) Input 1 Mic input Phantom Power switch 4 On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, turn the Monitor control to the desired level. Monitor control Gain XLR connector plugged into Input 1 2 Set the input Source to Mic (microphone) by pressing the Mic/DI Source selector on the front of Mbox 2 Pro until the Mic LED is lit.
Using a Mic that Has a 1/4-Inch Connector To use a microphone that has a 1/4-inch TS (Tip-Sleeve) connector: 1 Connect the 1/4-inch cable from your microphone to the front panel Input 1 DI input. Input 1 Mbox 2 Pro provides three input types (DI, Line and Aux In) that correspond to the different signal strengths output by different types of instruments and other equipment.
To use a guitar with Mbox 2 Pro: 2 On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, set the Source to Mic by pressing the Mic/DI switch until the Mic LED is lit. 1 On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, plug your gui- 3 On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, turn the tar cable into one of the DI inputs. Monitor control to the desired level. Connecting Electric Guitar or Bass Input 1 DI 4 Set your instrument’s volume to its optimal level. For example, the optimal level for most keyboards is between 80% and 100% of maximum volume.
Digital Input and Output Mbox 2 Pro provides two channels of S/PDIF digital input and output on the back panel. This lets you record signals from digital devices into Pro Tools, and send digital audio from Pro Tools to other digital devices. S/PDIF In Refer to this section whenever you plan to use S/PDIF input on Mbox 2 Pro. The following requirement only applies to using S/PDIF input to record or monitor digital signals through Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2 Pro.
Setting the Clock Source to S/PDIF is the only way to utilize S/PDIF input. Doing so lets you record or monitor up to six discrete input channels (the four analog input channels, plus the two channels of S/PDIF input). Selecting any other Clock Source (Internal, or Word Clock) disables S/PDIF input. S/PDIF output remains available. 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.
Word Clock Mbox 2 Pro provides Word Clock In and Out connectors on the back panel that let you synchronize, or “clock” Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2 Pro to industry standard Word clock. Word clock is used to synchronize a wide range of devices such as non-linear video systems and other types of equipment typically found in professional audio facilities. With both Word clock input and output, your Mbox 2 Pro-equipped Pro Tools LE system can act as Word clock “slave” or “master.
Pro Tools LE as Word Clock Slave In order to slave Pro Tools to an external Word clock source, you must configure Word clock as the Pro Tools Clock source, as follows: To configure Pro Tools LE with Mbox 2 Pro as a Word clock slave: 1 Make sure all Word clock and audio connec- tions are correct as described earlier in this section. 2 Make sure the external Word clock source is powered on, and configured to output 1x Word clock.
46 Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
chapter 8 Common Tasks with Pro Tools LE This chapter is designed to give new users specific methods for accomplishing common tasks with your Pro Tools system. For the most complete information on using Pro Tools, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide. You can view an electronic PDF version of the Reference Guide by choosing it from the Pro Tools Help menu. This chapter uses analog inputs in its examples of common tasks.
5 Choose the audio drive where you want to save your session. 6 Type a name for your session. 7 Click Save. To prepare an audio track for recording: 1 Choose Track > New. 2 Specify 1 Mono Audio Track in Samples, if your source is mono, or 1 Stereo Audio Track in Samples, if your source is stereo. Routing an input to a mono track 7 Play the instrument or sound source at the volume you will record. 8 Use the Gain controls to maximize the signal Creating a new Stereo audio track 3 Click Create.
2 Choose Track > Input Only Monitoring. This allows you to monitor the input of tracks that are record enabled. Importing Audio from a CD To import audio from a compact disc: 3 Choose Window > Transport to display the Transport window. Click Return to Zero to go to the beginning of the session. Return to Zero Rewind Online Fast Forward Play Go to End Stop Record Transport window 4 Click Record in the Transport window to arm Pro Tools for recording.
5 Drag the audio file from the Workspace browser to the Track List in the Edit window to import the file to a new audio track. If you are bouncing to 16-bit (CD resolution), you should use a dither plug-in on the main output. (For details, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.
5 Choose Stereo Interleaved for the Format. 10 Click Save. 6 Choose 16 for the Resolution and 44100 for Pro Tools begins bouncing to disk. Pro Tools bounces are done in real time, so you hear audio playback of your mix during the bounce process (though you cannot adjust it). the Sample Rate. 7 If you are changing the sample rate of the bounced file, choose a Conversion Quality setting. (For details, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.) 8 Choose Convert after Bounce, and click Bounce.
Recording MIDI in a Pro Tools Session To create an Instrument track and configure it for recording: 1 Choose Setup > MIDI > Input Devices and make sure your input device is selected in the MIDI Input Enable window, and click OK. What is MIDI? MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data is not audio, and has no sound. MIDI is a way for musical devices to communicate. MIDI is data that can trigger a MIDI device (such as a keyboard or software synthesizer).
5 Do one of the following, depending on the type of instrument you are using: • If you are using an instrument plug-in, click an Insert selector and insert the plugin on the Instrument track. The track’s MIDI output is automatically assigned to the instrument plug-in. If your connected MIDI device does not appear, check that you have configured your computer and its MIDI settings.
9 Play some notes on your MIDI controller and look for the track’s MIDI Velocity meter to move. Remember, MIDI is not audio, and the MIDI Velocity meter is not registering sound output, but MIDI activity. 5 Play your MIDI controller or input device. 6 When you have finished recording, click Stop in the Transport window, or press the Spacebar. The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI region on the track in the Edit window, as well as in the Region List.
appendix a 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.
Export This button lets you export the current MIDI Studio Setup file. Show Duplicate Emulated Ports When this option is selected and you are using a MIDI interface that supports timestamping (such as MIDI I/O), in addition to the MIDI ports on Mbox 2 Pro, the MIDI Studio setup window shows both the DirectMusic time-stamped output ports, and non-stamped duplicate emulated output ports. Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load or unload their drivers unless you quit and re-launch Pro Tools.
Manufacturer Send Channels The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI equipment manufacturers. This list is derived from the XML-based MIDI device files. The Send Channels grid sets the send channels for the MIDI device specified in the Instrument Name field. For more information, see “MIDI Patch Name Support” on page 57. Model The Model pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI devices, filtered by the manufacturer name.
3 Click the MIDI track’s Patch Select button. 6 Click Open. 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. Patch Select button Patch Select button, Edit window Patch Select button Patch Select button, Mix window 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change button.
appendix b 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 4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change button. Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup Language) for storing and importing patch names for your 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 /Library/Audio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign.
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.
For complete information on track count and the supported number and configuration of FireWire drives, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com). IDE/ATA/SATA Hard Drives A qualified internal IDE/ATA/SATA drive may be used as a dedicated audio drive. For complete information on track count with internal drives, refer to the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).
Formatting Mac Audio Drives (Mac Only) For optimum performance, audio drives should be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). To format an audio drive: 1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in Applications/Utilities. Partitioning Drives Partitioning creates a logical volume or volumes on a physical drive, almost as if you were creating virtual hard drives. Partitions can then be formatted with the appropriate file system (NTFS for Windows, HFS+ for Mac).
Defragmenting an Audio Drive Mac Systems When working with larger files (such as video), you can limit fragmentation by backing up your important files to another disk, erasing the files from the original hard disk, then copying the files back, instead of doing a defragmentation. Window Systems Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain system performance.
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. Possible Solutions Check to be sure your computer has the required amount of RAM to launch Pro Tools. Refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com). Try a complete restart.
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.
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) • Video Capture cards (manufacturer, model) To verify that your hardware is qualified for use with your Pro Tools system, refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).
index A E ASIO driver (Windows) 11 audio drivers ASIO driver (Windows) 11 CoreAudio driver (Mac) 15 Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Macintosh) 59 authorizing Pro Tools LE Mac 14 Windows 11 Energy Saver (Mac), turning off 28 Ext Clock LED 29 C Cache Size 21 ClearType font smoothing (Windows), disabling 25 Clock Source 23 Internal setting 23 S/PDIF (digital) setting 23 connecting Mbox 2 Mac 14 Windows 9 CoreAudio driver (Mac) 15 CPU Usage Limit 19 D DAE Playback Buffer Size 21 Dashboard shortcut (Mac), disablin
I O I/O Setup Windows 23 IDE/ATA requirements 64 indicators peak level 31 phantom power 30 input and output connectors 33 inputs digital 33 gain 31 installing Pro Tools LE Mac 13 Windows 9 installing QuickTime (Windows) 10 optimizing hard drives 66 outputs digital 33 Monitor outputs 33 J journaling (Mac), enabling 28 K key commands 6 M Mbox 2 back panel 32 connecting (Mac) 14 connecting (Windows) 9 features 3 front panel 29 MIDI connections 43 requirements 5 setup (Macintosh) 59 setup (Windows) 55 MID
R T registration information 5 removing Pro Tools Windows 12, 16 RTAS Processors setting 19 technical support product registration required 71 TRS 37 U S S/PDIF 33 Sample Rate 23 screen saver, disabling (Windows Vista) 11 screen savers 70 SCSI requirements 63 Software Update (Mac), turning off 27 sources digital 33 selecting 31 Spotlight indexing (Mac), disabling 28 Spotlight shortcuts (Mac), disabling 28 Startup items (Windows), disabling 27 system optimization (Mac) 27 required optimizations (Windows)
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: 650.731.6384 PRODUCT INFORMATION (USA) Tel: 800.333.
