Pinnacle Systems Mbox 2 - 7.0 Getting Started
Getting Started
Mbox 2™
Version 7.0
Copyright
© 2005 Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. All rights
reserved. This guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part
without the express written consent of Digidesign.
Avid, Digidesign, Mbox 2, and Pro Tools are either trademarks
or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the US and
other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the
property of their respective owners.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and
availability are subject to change without notice.
PN 9320-17750-00 REV A 10/05
Communications and Safety Regulation Information
Compliance Statement
This model Digidesign Mbox 2 complies with the following
standards regulating interference and EMC:
• FCC Part 15 Class B
• EN 55022
• EN 55204
• 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.
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
We Digidesign,
2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard, Suite 200
Daly City, CA 94014 USA
tel: 650-731-6300
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
Mbox 2
complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
NOTE: 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. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try
and correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different
from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.
Mbox 2
Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by
Digidesign, could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Canadian Compliance Statement:
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-
003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme
NMB-003 du Canada.
Australian Compliance
European Compliance
This symbol on the product or its packaging indicates that this
product must not be disposed of with other waste. Instead, it
is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by
handing it over to a designated collection point for the recycling
of waste electrical and electronic equipment. The separate
collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of
disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure that
it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the
environment. For more information about where you can drop
off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your
local city recycling office or the dealer from whom you
purchased the product.
contents
Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox 2
Mbox 2 Package
Mbox 2 Features
Pro Tools LE Capabilities
System Requirements
Digidesign Registration
About the Pro Tools Guides
About www.digidesign.com
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Chapter 2. Windows Configuration
Installation Overview
Windows System Optimization
Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance
Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2
Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD
Launching Pro Tools LE
Configuring Pro Tools LE
Removing Pro Tools LE
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Chapter 3. Macintosh Configuration
Installation Overview
Macintosh System Optimization
Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance
Installing Pro Tools LE
Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD
Connecting Mbox 2 to the Computer
Launching Pro Tools LE
Configuring Pro Tools LE
Removing Pro Tools LE
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Contents
v
Chapter 4. Mbox 2 Hardware and Connections
Mbox 2 Front Panel Features
Mbox 2 Back Panel Features
Making Signal Connections to Mbox 2
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Chapter 5. Working with Pro Tools LE
Session Basics
Transport Controls
Tracks
Region List
Navigating in a Session
Importing Data into Pro Tools Sessions
Basic Recording
Editing
Mixing
Plug-Ins
Mix Automation
Final Mixdown
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Appendix A. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)
MIDI Studio Setup
MIDI Patch Name Support
Appendix B. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)
Audio MIDI Setup
MIDI Patch Name Support
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Appendix C. Troubleshooting
Backing Up Your Work
Common Issues
Performance Factors
Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support
Index
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide
vi
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chapter 1
Welcome to Mbox 2
Welcome to Mbox 2, Digidesign’s portable
Pro Tools micro-studio.
Mbox 2 Package
Mbox 2 provides your USB-equipped computer
with two channels of analog audio input and
output, two channels of digital audio input and
output, MIDI In and Out ports, analog monitor
outs, and a headphone output with front panel
level control. Mbox 2 provides professionalquality mic preamps and 24-bit analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.
The Mbox 2 package includes the following:
• Mbox 2 desktop audio interface
• Installer CDs containing Pro Tools LE software, DigiRack RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite)
and AudioSuite plug-ins, optional software,
and electronic PDF guides
• This
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide
cludes instructions for installing and configuring Mbox 2, and an introduction to
Pro Tools LE software
• The
Mbox 2 Basics Guide
users specific methods for accomplishing
common tasks (such as getting sound in and
out of your Mbox 2, connecting a mic or instrument, and recording a session)
• USB connector cable
• Digidesign registration card
, designed to give new
, which in-
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 2
1
Mbox 2 Features
Pro Tools LE Capabilities
The Mbox 2 provides the following:
•Two channels of analog audio input with microphone preamps and switchable 48V phantom power
• Analog input jacks include one XLR and
two 1/4-inch connectors (one TRS, one TS),
with switchable Mic, Line, and DI levels
•–20 dB pad available separately on each analog input channel
•Two channels of S/PDIF digital input and output
• S/PDIF inputs are available independently,
in addition to analog inputs 1–2
• S/PDIF outputs mirror analog outs 1–2
• Up to a total of four channels of input, using
analog and digital inputs simultaneously
• One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port, providing 16 MIDI input channels and 16 MIDI output channels
•Two 1/4-inch TRS analog monitor outputs
• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting
sample rates of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
• Zero-latency analog record monitoring with
adjustable balance between input and playback
•Mono switch for enhanced monitoring of single-channel input sources (does not affect recording)
•1/4-inch
adjustable level control
• USB-powered operation
(
TRS) stereo headphone output with
Pro Tools LE 7.0 on Windows or Macintosh provides the following capabilities with Mbox 2:
• Playback of up to 32 mono digital audio
tracks, and of playback up to 28 tracks
while recording up to 4 tracks, depending
on your computer’s capabilities
• Up to 128 audio tracks (with 32 voiceable
tracks maximum), 128 Auxiliary Input
tracks, 64 Master Fader tracks, 256 MIDI
tracks, and 32 Instrument tracks per session
•16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample
rates up to 48 kHz
• Non-destructive, random-access editing
and mix automation
• Audio processing with up to 5 RTAS plugins per track, depending on your computer’s capabilities
• Up to 5 inserts per track
• Up to 10 sends per track
• Up to 32 internal mix busses
Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s CPU to
mix and process audio tracks (host processing). Computers with faster clock speeds
yield higher track counts and more plug-in
processing.
Mbox 2 will not function properly if connected to a passive USB hub. If you need to
use a hub for other USB peripherals, use a
powered hub or a separate dedicated USB
port for Mbox 2 to function properly.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide
2
System Requirements
Mbox 2 can be used with a Digidesign-qualified
Windows or Macintosh computer running
Pro Tools LE software.
For complete system requirements, visit the
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).
Hard Drive Requirements
For a list of qualified hard drives, see our
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).
If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with Windows Disk
Management (Windows) or the Disk Utility application included with Apple System software
(Macintosh).
Compatibility Information
Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved.
For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest compatibility information on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato)
.
MIDI Requirements
Mbox 2 includes one MIDI In port and one
MIDI Out port, providing 16 channels of MIDI
input and 16 channels of MIDI output.
If you require additional MIDI ports, add a MIDI
interface to your system.
USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with
Pro Tools systems on Windows or Macintosh.
Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Windows systems only.
Avoid Recording to the System Drive
Recording to your system drive is not recommended. Recording and playback on a system
drive may result in lower track counts and fewer
plug-ins.
Digidesign does not recommend recording
to the system drive. Record to a system drive
only when necessary.
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.
For a list of supported adapters, refer to the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com).
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 2
3
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.
Table 2 lists the required disk space for certain track numbers and track lengths, to help you estimate
your hard disk usage.
Table 2. Required hard drive space for audio tracks
Number of tracks and length 16-bit at
44.1 kHz
1 mono track, 1 minute 5 MB 5.5 MB 7.5 MB 8.2 MB
16-bit at
48 kHz
24-bit at
44.1 kHz
24-bit at
48 kHz
1 stereo track (or two mono
tracks), 5 minutes
1 stereo track (or two mono
tracks), 60 minutes
24 mono tracks, 5 minutes 600 MB 662 MB 900 MB 991 MB
24 mono tracks, 60 minutes 7 GB 7.8 GB 10.5 GB 11.6 GB
32 mono tracks, 5 minutes 800 MB 883 MB 1.2 GB 1.3 GB
32 mono tracks, 60 minutes 9.4 GB 10.4 GB 14 GB 15.4 GB
50 MB 55 MB 75 MB 83 MB
600 MB 662 MB 900 MB 991 MB
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide
4
Digidesign Registration
Review the enclosed registration information
card and follow the instructions on it to quickly
register your purchase online. Registering your
purchase is the only way you can be eligible to
receive complimentary technical support and
future upgrade offers. It is one of the most important steps you can take as a new user.
About the Pro Tools Guides
This
Getting Started with Mbox 2 Guide
how to install and use Mbox 2 to record, edit,
and mix audio and MIDI tracks in Pro Tools LE.
If you are new to working with digital workstations, it is recommended that you read the following:
•
Mbox 2 Basics Guide
getting sound in and out of your Mbox 2,
connect a microphone or instrument, record
to a Pro Tools session, import audio from a
CD, create an audio CD from a Pro Tools session, and other topics.
provides simple steps for
explains
For additional information, see the following
online (PDF) guides:
•
Pro Tools Reference Guide
software in detail.
•
Pro Tools Menus Guide
on-screen menus.
•
DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide
the RTAS and AudioSuite plug-ins included
with Pro Tools LE.
•
Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide
optional Digidesign plug-ins.
•
DigiBase Guide
Pro Tools DigiBase databasing and browsers
for data and media management.
•
Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts
shortcuts for Pro Tools LE.
PDF versions of the Pro Tools guides are installed automatically with Pro Tools LE, and are
accessible from the Pro Tools Help menu. To
view or print the PDF guides, you can use Adobe
Reader or Apple Preview.
provides details on using
explains Pro Tools LE
covers all the Pro Tools
explains how to use
explains how to use
lists keyboard
Printed copies of the Pro Tools Reference
Guide
and other guides in the Pro Tools
guide set can be purchased separately from
the DigiStore (www.digidesign.com).
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 2
5
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 (Windows) Click with the right mouse
button
The following symbols are used to highlight important information:
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your Pro Tools system.
Important Notices include information that
could affect your data or the performance of
your system.
Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.
Cross References point to related sections in
other Digidesign guides.
About www.digidesign.com
The Digidesign Web site (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.
Registration
the enclosed registration form for instructions.
Support
or Customer Service; download software updates and the latest online manuals; browse the
Compatibility documents for system requirements; search the online Answerbase; join the
worldwide Pro Tools community on the Digidesign User Conference.
Training and Education Become a certified
Pro Tools Operator or Expert; study on your
own using courses available online, or find out
how you can learn in a classroom setting at a
certified Pro Tools Training Center.
Products and Developers Learn about Digidesign
products; download demo software; learn about
our Development Partners and their plug-ins,
applications, and hardware.
News and Events Get the latest news from
Digidesign; sign up for a Pro Tools demo.
To learn more about these and other resources
available from Digidesign, visit the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com).
Register your purchase online. See
Contact Digidesign Technical Support
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide
6
chapter 2
Windows Configuration
This chapter contains information for Windows
systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a
Macintosh computer, see Chapter 3, “Macintosh Configuration.”
Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
refer to the Read Me information included
on the Pro Tools LE Installer CD.
Installation Overview
Installing the Mbox 2 on a Windows computer
includes the following steps:
1 “Windows System Optimization” on page 7.
2 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2” on
page 12.
Windows System Optimization
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, refer to your
Windows documentation.
Required Optimizations
To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools LE, configure the following settings
before you install Pro Tools hardware and software.
When you are finished changing Windows
system settings, restart your computer.
3 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 14.
4 “Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 15.
5 Making audio and MIDI connections to the
Mbox 2. (See Chapter 4, “Mbox 2 Hardware and
Connections” for details.)
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 7
Enabling DMA
Enabling your computer's DMA (Direct Memory
Access) frees up CPU bandwidth so the computer can do other Pro Tools tasks.
In most cases the DMA option will already be set
correctly, as Windows XP detects and activates
DMA mode by default.
To enable DMA for any IDE hard drives:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 In Classic View, double-click System.
3 Click the Hardware tab.
4 Under Device Manager, choose Device Man-
ager.
5 In the Device Manager window, double-click
IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, then double-click
the Primary IDE Channel for your IDE hard
drive.
6 Click the Advanced Settings tab.
To configure Windows Power Management:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Power Options.
3 Click the Power Schemes tab.
4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select
Always On.
5 Click OK.
This sets System Standby, System Hibernate,
and “Turn off hard disks” to Never.
On AMD processors, be sure to check and
disable Cool N’Quiet in the System BIOS (in
the Cool & Quiet Configuration section).
Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation
for instructions on disabling this power option, if necessary.
Disabling ClearType Font Smoothing
When using Pro Tools, the Effects “Clear Type”
setting must be disabled.
7 For each device, set the Transfer Mode to
“DMA if available,” and click OK.
8 Repeat steps 5–7 for any additional IDE Chan-
nels.
9 Close the Computer Management window.
Disabling System Standby and Power Management
When using Pro Tools, the Windows System
Standby power scheme must be set to Always
On. This helps prevent long record or playback
passes from stopping due to system resources
powering down.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide8
To disable ClearType font smoothing:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Display.
3 Click the Appearance tab.
4 Click Effects.
5 Deselect “Use the following method to
smooth edges of screen fonts.”
6 Click OK to save your settings and close the
Effects dialog.
7 Click OK.
8 Restart the computer.
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 USB devices
while running Pro Tools.
• If your video display card supports it, enable Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s
Control Panel. Refer to the manufacturer’s
instructions for details.
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.
4 Under the General tab, choose “Do not use
this device (disable)” from the Device Usage
pop-up menu, and click OK.
5 Close the Computer Management window.
Adjusting Processor Scheduling
To Adjust Processor Scheduling Performance:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 In Classic View, double-click System.
3 Click the Advanced tab.
4 Under the Performance section, click the Set-
tings button.
5 In the Performance Options window, click the
Advanced tab.
6 Under the Processor scheduling section, select
the Background Services option.
7 Under the Memory Usage section, select the
System cache option.
8 Click OK to close the Performance Options
window.
9 Click OK to close the System Properties win-
dow.
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).
To disable a network card:
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-
age.
2 Under System Tools, select Device Manager.
3 In the Device Manager window, double-click
Network adapters, then double-click the Network Adapter card you want to disable.
10 Restart the computer for the changes to take
effect.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 9
Disabling Hyper-Threading
Pro Tools LE 7.0 takes advantage of the added
processing power of computers that have multiple processors, or that feature multi-core processing or Hyper-Threading, for RTAS processing.
However, if you set the number of processors
available for RTAS processing to 1 (in the
Pro Tools Playback Engine dialog), some computers with hyperthreading capability may experience decreased performance.
If this occurs, you can increase the number of
RTAS processors in the Playback Engine dialog,
or you can disable Hyper-Threading on the computer.
Refer to your computer’s documentation for
steps on how to enter the computer’s BIOS and
disable Hyper-Threading.
To Disable System Star tup Items:
1 From the Start menu, choose Run.
2 Type “msconfig” and click OK. The System
Configuration Utility opens.
3 Under the General tab, choose Selective Star-
tup.
4 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.
5 Click Restart to restart the computer.
6 After restarting, the computer displays a Sys-
tem Configuration message. Check to see if
Pro Tools performance has increased before you
deselect the “Don't show this message again”
option. If performance has not changed, run
“msconfig” and return your computer Selective
Startup back to Normal Startup. Alternatively,
try disabling Startup items and non-essential
processes individually.
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 should be turned off.
If you disable any of the following startup items,
do so carefully:
• Portable media serial number (required for
applications that utilize a copy protection
key)
• Plug and play
• Event log
•Cryptographic services
• DHCP Client, TCP/IP Net BIOS, and other
networking-related items (unless the computer has no network or internet connection, in which case these items can be
disabled)
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide10
Hard Drive Configuration and
Maintenance
It is recommended that you start with a newly
initialized 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 initializing it, as it will
erase all data on the drive.
Avoid Recording to the System Drive
Recording to your system drive is not recommended. Recording and playback on a system
drive may result in lower track counts or fewer
plug-ins.
Formatting an Audio Drive
For optimum performance, audio drives should
be formatted as FAT32 or NTFS.
6 When formatting is complete, close the For-
mat window.
Audio Drives and Disk Cleanup
To format an audio drive:
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-
age.
2 Under Storage, choose Disk Management.
Disk Management window (Windows XP)
3 In the Disk Management window, right-click
the hard drive you will use for audio and choose
Format.
4 Do one of the following:
• Select the Quick Format option. Quick option should be sufficient for qualified
mechanisms.
– or –
• For optimal disk performance, you can select 32K from the Allocation unit size popup menu (make sure Quick Format is not
selected). Though this option takes longer
to complete, it can increase efficiency of
drive recording and playback.
5 Click Start, and follow the on-screen instruc-
tions.
Pro Tools only supports Basic drive Types.
The process of recording and editing can quickly
decrease overall drive performance. It is suggested that you regularly use Disk Cleanup (or
an equivalent utility) to assess the condition of
drives and, if necessary, delete temporary files
and other unused data.
To use Disk Cleanup:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Administrative Tools.
3 Double-click Computer Management.
4 Double-click Storage.
5 Double-click Disk Management.
6 Select the desired volume in the list, then
choose File > Options.
Disk Cleanup determines how performance is
being affected by drive conditions, and lets you
review and delete unnecessary files from the selected volume. For more information, see your
Windows XP documentation.
Defragmenting an Audio Drive
Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain
system performance.
To defragment an audio drive:
1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-
age.
2 Under Storage, choose Disk Defragmenter.
3 In the Disk Defragmenter window, choose the
drive you want to defragment
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 11
4 Click the Defragment button and follow the
on-screen instructions.
5 When defragmenting is complete, close the
Computer Management window.
Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2
To install Pro Tools LE:
1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator
privileges. For details on Administrator privileges, refer to your Windows documentation.
2 Connect the small end of the included USB ca-
ble to the USB port on Mbox 2.
Mbox 2 may not function properly if connected to a USB hub. If you need to use a
hub for other USB peripherals, connect the
hub to a separate USB port; Mbox 2 must
have a dedicated port in order to function
properly.
3 Connect the other end of the USB cable to any
available USB port on your computer. Wait for
the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog to appear and leave it open: Do not click Next.
4 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD for Win-
dows in your CD-ROM drive. Locate and open
the Pro Tools Installer folder, and double-click
the Setup icon.
5 Click Next to begin installation.
6 Select the install location. For maximum reli-
ability, install Pro Tools on your startup drive.
Click Next.
7 Select any options you want to install. For
more information, see “Optional Software on
the Pro Tools Installer CD” on page 13.
8 Click Next.
If you get a warning dialog about the driver
not passing Windows Logo testing, click
Continue Anyway.
9 Wait for the installer to finish installing all
software components, drivers, and PACE System
files before proceeding to the next step.
10 When installation is complete, click Finish.
Installing QuickTime
QuickTime 6.5 or later 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 Web site (www.apple.com).
To install QuickTime:
1 Visit www.apple.com and go to the Quick-
Time page.
2 Download the QuickTime installer applica-
tion to your computer.
3 Double-click the QuickTime installer applica-
tion and follow the on-screen installation instructions.
4 Restart your computer.
If the USB LED on the front panel of the
Mbox 2 does not illuminate after installation, try unplugging the USB cable from the
Mbox 2 USB port, and plugging it back in.
If the USB LED still does not illuminate,
shut down the computer, disconnect
Mbox 2 and start the computer. Once the
computer has fully restarted, reconnect
Mbox 2.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide12
Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD
Your Pro Tools Installer CD includes several
software options.
The Digidesign WaveDriver is automatically installed when you install Pro Tools.
For detailed information on configuring the
Digidesign WaveDriver, see the
WaveDriver Guide
.
Digidesign
Digidesign ASIO Driver
The Digidesign ASIO (Audio Sound Input Output) Driver is a single-client multichannel
sound driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the ASIO standard to record
and play back through Digidesign hardware.
The Digidesign ASIO Driver is automatically installed when you install Pro Tools.
For detailed information on configuring the
Digidesign ASIO Driver, see the
ASIO Guide
To use the Digidesign ASIO Driver without
Pro Tools, you can install the standalone
version of the Digidesign ASIO Driver,
available on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com).
.
Digidesign
Digidesign WaveDriver
The Digidesign WaveDriver is a single-client,
stereo sound driver that allows third-party audio
programs that support the WaveDriver MME
(Multimedia Extension) standard to play back
through Digidesign hardware.
To use the Digidesign WaveDriver without
Pro Tools, you can install the standalone
version of the Digidesign WaveDriver,
available on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com).
Digidesign Ethernet Software for Control Surface Support
Control|24 Only
If you plan to use a Control|24 with your system, you will need to install the Digidesign
Ethernet software.
To install Digidesign Ethernet software:
1 Click Start, right-click My Network Places, and
then choose Properties.
2 Right-click the relevant Local Area Connec-
tion icon, and then choose Properties.
3 Click Install, select Protocol, and click Add.
4 Click Have Disk.
5 Select the DigiNet.inf file (on your Pro Tools
Installer CD, in the Controllers folder), and click
OK.
The Installer installs the DigiNet.inf files in the
Program Files\Common Files\Digidesign\DAE\Controllers folder.
6 Click Close.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 13
Pro Tools Demo Session
The Pro Tools LE Installer CD includes a demo
session that you can use to verify that your system is working.
Before installing the demo session to your
audio drive, make sure the drive is configured as described in “Formatting an Audio
Drive” on page 11.
To install the demo session:
1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD into your
CD-ROM drive.
2 From your CD-ROM drive, locate and open
the Additional Files/Pro Tools LE Demo Session
Installer folder.
3 Double-click Setup.exe.
4 Select your audio drive as the install location
and click Install.
5 When installation is complete, click OK.
MacDrive
The MacDrive utility lets you mount Macintoshbased HFS+ drives on a Windows-based
Pro Tools system and use them as Transfer
drives.
To install the MacDrive demo included with
Pro Tools:
1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD into your CD-
ROM drive.
2 From your CD-ROM drive, locate and open
the Additional Files/MacDrive Demo Installer
folder.
3 Double-click the MacDrive demo installer.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to install
MacDrive. After installation is complete, restart
your computer.
All formatting and maintenance of HFS+
drives should be carried out when the drives
are connected to a Macintosh. Do not use
the MacDrive utility to initialize or partition Macintosh drives.
Launching Pro Tools LE
When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
are prompted to enter an authorization code.
To authorize Pro Tools LE software:
1 Double-click the Pro Tools LE shortcut on
your desktop (or the application icon in the
Pro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder).
Transfer drives can be used for storage, but
not for playback or recording. To use Macbased audio files on a Windows Pro Tools
system, copy the files from the Mac-based
HFS+ audio drive to a Windows-based
NTFS audio drive.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide14
2 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.
Configuring Pro Tools LE
Pro Tools System Settings
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.
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.
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.
To change the Hardware Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
Playback Engine dialog for Mbox 2
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 plug-in processing.
With computers that have multiple processors,
or that feature multi-core processing or hyperthreading, this setting lets you enable multi-processor support for RTAS processes. Used in combination with the CPU Usage Limit setting, the
RTAS Processors setting lets you control the way
RTAS processing and other Pro Tools tasks are
carried out by the system.
◆ A higher number of processors reserves more
CPU processing capacity for RTAS plug-in processing. This is useful for sessions with large
number of RTAS plug-ins.
◆ A lower number of processors leaves more
CPU processing capacity for automation, screen
redraws, and video playback in Pro Tools, or for
other application running at the same time as
Pro Tools.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 15
To set the number of RTAS Processors:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
To change the CPU Usage Limit:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the RTAS Processors pop-up menu, select
the number of available processors you want to
allocate for RTAS plug-in processing.
3 Click OK.
CPU Usage Limit
The CPU Usage Limit 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.
◆ Lower CPU Usage Limit settings limit the ef-
fect of Pro Tools processing on other CPU-intensive tasks, such as screen redraws, and are useful
when you are experiencing slow system response, or when running other applications at
the same time as Pro Tools.
◆ Higher CPU Usage Limit settings allocate
more processing power to Pro Tools, and are
useful for playing back large sessions or using
more real-time plug-ins.
The maximum available CPU Usage Limit depends on the number of processors in your computer and on the number of processors you
specify for RTAS processing. This value can
range from 85 percent for single-processor computers to 99 percent for multi-processor computers.
2 From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, se-
lect the percentage of CPU processing you want
to allocate to Pro Tools.
3 Click OK.
DAE Playback Buffer Size
The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the
amount of memory DAE allocates for disk buffers. The optimum DAE Playback Buffer Size for
most disk operations is Level 2.
◆ DAE Playback Buffer Size settings lower than
Level 2 may improve playback and recording
initiation speed, but may make it difficult to
play or record tracks reliably with sessions containing a large number of tracks or a high density of edits, or with systems that have slower or
heavily fragmented hard drives.
◆ DAE Playback Buffer Size settings higher than
Level 2 will allow for a higher density of edits in
a session or a higher track count when using
slower hard drives. However, a higher setting
can also cause a time lag to occur when starting
playback or recording, or longer audible time lag
while editing during playback.
Using a larger DAE Playback Buffer Size
leaves less system memory for other tasks.
The default setting of Level 2 is recommended unless you are encountering -9073
(“Disk too slow or fragmented”) errors.
Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
down screen response on slower computers.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide16
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,
select a buffer size.
3 Click OK.
Pro Tools Hardware Settings
Clock Source
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.)
You can change the sample rate when creating a new Pro Tools session by selecting a
different sample rate in the New Session
dialog. (Refer to
Guide for details.)
To change the default Sample Rate:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
the Pro Tools Reference
The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog lets you select the Clock Source for the system.
Internal Use this setting if you are recording analog signals directly into Mbox 2 analog inputs
1–2 and/or are recording digital inputs into
Mbox 2 inputs 3–4 where the digital device is
synchronized to the Mbox 2 digital output.
S/PDIF Use this setting if you are recording
through the Mbox 2 S/PDIF inputs from an external digital device. This setting will synchronize Pro Tools to that digital device.
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.
Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox 2
2 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate
pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
Configuring I/O Setup
Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label
Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus sig-
nal paths. The I/O Setup dialog provides a graphical representation of the inputs, outputs, and
signal routing of the Mbox 2.
Pro Tools LE has default I/O Setup settings that
will get you started. Use the I/O Setup dialog
only if you want to rename the default I/O
paths.
Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 17
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.
Removing Pro Tools LE
I/O Setup dialog for Mbox 2
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to
display the corresponding connections.
3 To change the name of a path or subpath,
double-click directly on the Path Name, type a
new name for the path, and press Enter.
4 Click OK.
T
See the Pro Tools Reference Guide (or choose
Help > Pro Tools Reference Guide) for more
information on renaming I/O paths.
MIDI Studio Setup
(Optional)
If you plan to use any MIDI devices with
Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with MIDI
Studio Setup. See Appendix A, “Configuring
MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)” for details.
If you need to remove Pro Tools LE software
from your computer, you can use the Add or Remove Programs command.
To remove Pro Tools from your computer:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
3 From the Currently Installed Programs list, se-
lect Digidesign Pro Tools LE.
4 Click the Change/Remove button.
5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove
Pro Tools LE.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide18
chapter 3
Macintosh Configuration
This chapter contains information for Macintosh systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools
on a Windows computer, see Chapter 2, “Windows Configuration.”
Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
refer to the Read Me information included
on the Pro Tools LE Installer CD.
Installation Overview
Installation of the Mbox 2 on a Macintosh includes the following steps:
1 “Macintosh System Optimization” on
page 19.
2 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 21.
3 “Connecting Mbox 2 to the Computer” on
page 22.
4 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 22.
5 “Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 23.
Macintosh System
Optimization
To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools, configure your computer before installing Pro Tools hardware and software.
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.
Tur ning Off Software Update
Do not use the Mac OS X automatic Software Update feature, as it may upgrade
your system to a version of Mac OS that has
not yet been qualified for Pro Tools.
For details on qualified versions of Mac OS,
refer to the latest compatibility information
on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).
6 Making audio connections to the Mbox 2.
(See Chapter 4, “Mbox 2 Hardware and Connections” for details.)
To turn off the Software Update feature:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Software Update.
2 Click Update Software and deselect Check for
Updates.
Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 19
Tur ning Off Energy Saver
Disabling the Spotlight Shortcuts
To turn off the Energy Saver feature:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Energy Saver.
2 Click Sleep 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.
Setting Processor Performance
(Macintosh G5 Computers Only)
To set the Processor Performance:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Energy Saver.
2 Click Options and set Processor Performance
to Highest.
Disabling Spotlight Indexing
The Mac OS X Spotlight feature indexes files and
folders in the background, affecting system performance. It is recommended that you disable
Spotlight indexing before using Pro Tools.
To disable Spotlight indexing:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Spotlight.
The Mac OS X Spotlight feature uses the same
key commands Pro Tools uses to start recording
(Command+Spacebar), and to record online
(Command+Option+Spacebar). If you want to
retain use of these key commands in Pro Tools,
these shortcuts must be disabled.
To disable the Spotlight keyboard shortcut:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Spotlight.
2 Deselect “Spotlight menu keyboard shortcut”
and “Spotlight window keyboard shortcut.”
Disabling the Dashboard Shortcut
The Mac OS X Dashboard feature uses the same
key command Pro Tools uses to start recording
(F12). If you want to retain use of this key command in Pro Tools, this shortcut must be disabled.
To disable the Dashboard keyboard shortcut:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu and click Dashboard and Exposé.
2 Set the Dashboard keyboard shortcut to “–” to
disable the shortcut.
2 In the Spotlight window, click Privacy.
3 To prevent indexing of a drive, drag its icon
from the desktop into the list.
Mbox 2 Getting Started Guide20
Hard Drive Configuration and
Maintenance
It is recommended that you start with a newly
initialized audio drive.
4 Choose the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for-
mat.
Do not choose the “Case-Sensitive” format
option. Pro Tools will not operate properly
with case-sensitive formatted drives.
Always back up any important data on
your drive before initializing it, as initializing will erase all data on the drive.
Avoid Recording to the System Drive
Recording to your system drive is not recommended. Recording and playback on a system
drive may result in lower track counts, fewer
plug-ins, or drive errors.
Formatting an Audio Drive
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.
5 Type a name for the new volume.
6 If you plan to connect the drive to a Mac OS 9
computer, select Install Mac OS 9 Drivers.
7 Click Erase.
The drive appears on the Desktop with the new
volume name.
Installing Pro Tools LE
After the Apple System software settings are configured, you are ready to install Pro Tools LE.
To install Pro Tools LE on Mac OS X:
1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-
tor for the account where you want to install
Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privileges in Mac OS X, refer to your Apple Mac OS X
documentation.
2 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your
CD-ROM drive. Double-click “Install
Pro Tools LE.”
Disk Utility (Mac OS X)
2 Click the Erase tab.
3 Select the drive you want to initialize in the
column on the left side of the window.
3 Enter your Administrator password and click
OK to authenticate the installation.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to continue
and accept installation.
5 In the Installer window, make sure the Install
Location is on your Startup drive.
6 In the Installer window, choose Custom In-
stall from the pop-up menu, and click Install.
Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 21
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