Pinnacle Systems Mbox 2 Mini - 7.4 Quick Start Guide

Getting Started

Mbox®2 Mini

Version 7.4

Legal Notices

This guide is copyrighted ©2007 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Di gidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign.

003, 003 Rack, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, AudioSuite, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Unity MediaNetwork, Avid Xpress, AVoption, AVoption|V10, Beat Detective, Bruno, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control, D-F i, D-fx, D-Show, DAE, Digi 002, Digi 002 Rack, DigiBase, DigiDelivery, Dig idesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive, DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, DV Toolkit, EditPack, Impact, Interplay, M-Audio, MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox, MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, OMF, OMF Interchange, PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Reel Tape, Reso, R everb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer I I, Strike, Structure, SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Space, Ve lvet, and X-Form are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

PN 9320-56828 -00 REV A 7/07

Comments or suggestions regarding our documentation? email: techpubs@digidesign.com

Communications and Safety Regulation Information

Compliance Statement This model Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini 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

Mbox 2

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 Mini 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.

Communication Statement

NOTE: This equipment has been te sted 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 rea sonable 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 r adio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does caus e 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 measu res:

• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circ uit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

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

Digidesign is authorized to ap ply the CE (Conformité Europénne) mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC.

Chapter 1. Installation QuickStart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Windows Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Mac Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 2. Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Mbox 2 Mini Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Mbox 2 Mini Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Pro Tools LE Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Digidesign Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

About the Pro Tools Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

About www.digidesign.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 3. Installing Pro Tools on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Connecting Mbox 2 Mini and Installing Pro To ols LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Additional Software on the Pr o Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter 4. Installing Pro Tools on Mac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Installing Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting Mbox 2 Mini to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Launching Pro Tools LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Additional Software on the Pr o Tools Installer Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Uninstalling Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Contents

Chapter 5. Configuring Your Pro Tools System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Configuring Pro Tools LE Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 6. Mbox 2 Mini Hardware Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Mbox 2 Mini Front Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Mbox 2 Mini Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Chapter 7. Making Hardware Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Connecting Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Connecting a Sound System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7

Connecting Audio Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Connecting a Microphone to the Mbox 2 Mini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Connecting Instruments to the Mbox 2 Mini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Chapter 8. Common Tasks with Pro Tools LE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Recording a Pro Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Importing Audio from a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Creating an Audio CD from a Pro Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Recording MIDI in a Pr o Tools Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Appendix A. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

MIDI Studio Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

MIDI Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Appendix B. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Audio MIDI Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

MIDI Patch Name Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

Appendix C. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Avoid Recording to the System Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Formatting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Partitioning Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Defragmenting an Audio Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Using Mac Drives on Windows System s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Hard Disk Storage Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Appendix D. Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Backing Up Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Performance Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Contents

vii

viii

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

chapter 1

Installation QuickStart

Windows Installation Overview

(Windows Systems Only)

Installing the Mbox 2 Mini on a Windows computer includes the following steps:

1 “Connecting Mbox 2 Mini and Installing

Pro Tools LE” on page 9.

Connect Mbox 2 Mini to an available USB port on your computer before installing Pro Tools LE software.

2 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 11.

Your authorization code is located on the inside front cover of this guide.

3 Configuring your system for improved performance.

(See “Configuring Your Pro Tools System” on page 19.)

4 Making audio connections to the Mbox 2 Mini. (See

Chapter 7, “Making Hardware Connections” for details.)

Mac Installation Overview

(Mac OS X Systems Only)

Installation of the Mbox 2 Mini on a Mac includes the following steps:

1 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 15.

Connect Mbox 2 Mini to an available USB port on your computer before installing Pro Tools LE software.

2 “Connecting Mbox 2 Mini to the Computer” on

page 16.

3 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 17.

Your authorization code is located on the inside front cover of this guide.

4 Configuring your system for improved performance.

(See “Configuring Your Pro Tools System” on page 19.)

5 Making audio connections to the Mbox 2 Mini. (See

Chapter 7, “Making Hardware Connections” for details.)

Chapter 1: Installation QuickStart

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

chapter 2

Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini

Welcome to the Mbox®2 Mini audio production system from Digidesign

Mbox 2 Mini provides your USB-equipped computer with two channels of analog audio input, two analog monitor outputs, and one headphone output. Mbox 2 Mini includes one professional-quality mic preamp and 24-bit analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.

Mbox 2 Mini Package

The Mbox 2 Mini package includes the following:

• Mbox 2 Mini desktop audio interface

• Pro Tools Installer disc containing Pro Tools LE™

software, DigiRack RTAS (Real-Time AudioSuite) and

AudioSuite plug-ins, optional software, and elec-

tronic PDF guides

•Mbox 2 Mini QuickStart Sheet

• USB connector cable

• Digidesign Registration Information Card

Mbox 2 Mini Features

The Mbox 2 Mini provides the following:

• Two channels of analog audio input:

• XLR connector with microphone pr eamp and switchable 48V phantom power.

• Two 1/4-inch TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connectors. One input is switchable be tween Mic and Line/DI level devices.

• –20 dB pad available separately on each input channel.

• Two 1/4-inch TRS analog monitor outputs.

•1/4-inch TRS stereo headphone output.

• Adjustable level control for he adphone and monitor

outputs.

• Mon (Monitor) Mute switch for muting monitor out-

puts, without muting headphone output. This switch

does not affect recording.

• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting sam ple

rates of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz.

• Zero-latency analog record monitoring with Mix

knob for adjustable balance between input and play-

back.

• USB-powered operation.

Mbox 2 Mini may not function properly if connected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox 2 Min i to a separate, dedicated USB port.

Chapter 2: Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini

Pro Tools LE Capabilities

Pro Tools LE on Windows or Mac provides the following capabilities with Mbox 2 Mini:

• Pl ayba ck o f up t o 32 m ono ( or 16 ster eo) d igit al au dio tracks, or a combination of playing back and recording up to 32 mono (or 16 stereo) digital audio 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 plug-ins 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.

System Requirements

Mbox 2 Mini can be used with a Digidesign-qualified Windows or Mac computer running Pro Tools LE software.

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 compatibili ty and provide support for hardware and software it has tested an d approved.

For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, ope rating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest compatibility informat ion on the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

MIDI Requirements

USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Windows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfa ces 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

For a list of supported adapters, visit the Digid esign website (www.digidesign.com).

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

Hard Drive Requirements

For optimal audio recording a nd playback, all Pro Tools systems require one or more Digidesign-qualified drives.

For a list of Digidesign-qualified hard drives, vi sit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

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 wit h Apple System software (Mac).

For more information, see Appendix C, “Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance.”

Digidesign Registration

Review the enclosed Digidesign Registration Inf ormation Card and follow the instruc tions on it to quickly register your purchase online. This is one of the most important steps you can take as a new user. Registering your purchase is the only way you can be eligible to receive:

• Complimentary technical support

• An update to the latest version of Pro Tools at no charge if you bought a system with older software in the box

• Future upgrade offers

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.

About the Pro Tools Guides

This Getting Started guide explains how to install Pro Tools LE software, make basic connections to your Mbox 2 Mini 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.

Chapter 2: Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini

The main guides (such as the Pro Tools Reference Guide and the Pro Tools Menus Guide) are accessible from the Pro Tools Help menu.

• Pro Tools Reference Guide explains Pro Tools software

in detail.

• Pro Tools Menus Guide covers all the Pro Tools on-

screen menus.

• DigiRack Plug-ins Guide explains how to use the RTAS

and AudioSuite plug-ins included with Pro Tools.

• Digidesign Plug-ins Guide explains how to use optional

Digidesign plug-ins.

• Pro Tools Shortcuts lists keyboard and Right-click

shortcuts for Pro Tools.

These guides and other guides are installed on your startup drive during installation. To view or print PDF guides, you can use Adobe Reader or Apple Preview (Mac only).

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).

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

Control-click Hold down the Control key and click

Right-click Click with the right mouse button

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 this guide and other Digidesign guides.

the N key

the mouse button

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

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.

Support and Downloads Contact Digidesign Technical Support or Customer Service; download softw are updates and the latest online manuals; bro wse 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, applica tions, and hardware.

News and Events Get the latest news from Digide sign; sign up for a Pro Tools demo.

To learn more about these and other resources available from Digidesign, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

Chapter 2: Welcome to Mbox 2 Mini

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started 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 4, “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 Mini on a Windows computer includes the following steps:

1 “Connecting Mbox 2 Mini and Installing

Pro Tools LE” on page 9.

2 “Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 11.

3 Configuring your system for improved performance.

(See Chapter 5, “Configuring Your Pro Tools System.”)

4 Making audio connections to the Mbox 2 Mini. (See

Chapter 7, “Making Hardware Connections” for details.)

Connecting Mbox 2 Mini and Installing Pro Tools LE

To install Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2 Mini:

1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator privi-

leges. For details on Administrator privile ges, refer to your Windows documentation.

2 Connect the small end of the inclu ded USB cable to

the USB port on Mbox 2 Mini.

3 Connect the other end of the USB cable to any avail-

able USB port on your computer. Wait for the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog to appear and leave it open: Do not click Next. If the Wizard begins to install drivers automatically, press Cancel.

Throughout the installation, you should ignore all Found New Hardware Wizard dialogs. Do not click Next.

Mbox 2 Mini may not function properly if connected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox 2 Min i to a separate, dedicated USB port.

4 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc for Windows in

your CD/DVD drive.

5 On the Installer disc, locate and ope n the Pro Tools

Installer folder.

6 Double-click the Setup icon.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Windows

Follow the on-screen instructions to pr oceed with in-

stallation.

8 Select the install location. For maximum reliability,

install Pro Tools on your startup drive.

9 Click Next.

10 Select the Pro Tools application for installation.

11 You can also select from a list of optional item s to in-

stall 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 com monly referred to as Mac OS Extended disks.

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 pu rchased separately.

Command|8 Controller and Driver The Command|8 Driver is required if you are using the Digidesign Command|8 control surface.

MP3 Export Option The MP3 Export Option lets you export MP3 files from Pro Tools. This option is purchased separately.

The Pro Tools Installer disc includes additional software for your system. For more information, see “Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc” on page 11.

12 Click Next.

13 Click Install.

On Windows XP, several messages are displayed during installation that can be ignored, including multiple “Found New Hardware” dialogs and “A Problem Occurred During Hardware Installation.”

Additionally, if you get a warning dialog about the driver not passing Windows Logo testing, click Continue Anyway.

On Windows Vista, if you get a warning dialog about the driver, click “Install this Driver Anyway!”

14 Wait for the installer to finish installing all software

components, drivers, and PACE System files before proceeding to the next step.

15 When installation is complete, click Finish.

If the USB LED on the front panel of the Mbox 2 Mini does not illuminate after installation, try unplugging the USB cable from the Mbox 2 Mini USB port and plugging it back in. If the USB LED still does not illuminate, shut down the computer, disconnect Mbox 2 Mini and start the computer. Once the computer has fully restarted, reconnect Mbox 2 Mini.

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

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).

For information on which version of QuickTime is compatible with your version of Pro Tools, visit the compatibility pages of the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

To install QuickTime:

1 Visit www.apple.com and go to the QuickTime page.

2 Download the QuickTime installer applicatio n to

your computer.

3 Double-click the QuickTime ins taller application and

follow the on-screen installation instructions.

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 th e 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.

To authorize Pro Tools LE software:

1 Make sure Mbox 2 Mini is connected to your com-

puter and powered on.

2 Double-click the Pro Tools LE shortcut on your desk-

top (or the application icon in the P ro Tools folder inside the Digidesign folder).

3 Enter the authorization code in th e 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.

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

The Pro Tools Installer disc provides ad ditional 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.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Windows

Windows Audio Drivers

The Digidesign ASIO Driver and WaveDriver Windows System Audio Driver let you use your Digidesign hardware interface with third-party applications that support the ASIO Driver or WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extension).

The Digidesign ASIO Driver and WaveDriver for your Digidesign hardware are automatically installed when you install Pro Tools.

Digidesign ASIO Driver

The Digidesign ASIO (Audio Sound Input Output) Driver is a single-client multichannel sound driver that allows third-party audio programs th at support the ASIO standard to record and play back through Digidesign hardware.

For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign ASIO Driver, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.

Digidesign WaveDriver

(Windows XP Only)

The Digidesign WaveDriver Windows System Audio Driver is a single-client, stereo soun d driver that allows third-party audio programs that support the WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extension) standard to play back through Digidesign hardware.

For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign WaveDriver, 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. Use the standalone version of th e Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers installer (Digidesign Audio Drivers Setup.exe), which is available on the Pro Tools Installer disc.

For information on configuring the standalone version of the Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.

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 Dreams.”

Be fore ins tall ing the demo ses sion to y our audi o drive, make sure the drive is configured as described in “Formatting an Audio Drive” on page 60.

To install the demo session:

1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your DVD

drive.

2 From your DVD drive, locate and open the Additional

Files/LE Demo Session Installer folder.

3 Double-click LE Demo Session Setup.exe.

4 Follow the onscreen instructions.

5 When prompted, select your audio drive as the install

location and click Next to begin th e install.

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

When installation is complete, click Finish.

The demo session can be opened by doubleclicking the Filtered Dream.ptf file (located in the Filtered Dream Demo Session folder).

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.

To install factory session templates:

1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer disc into your DVD

drive.

2 From your DVD drive, locate and open the Additional

Files/LE Session Templates Installer folder.

3 Double-click LE Session Templates Setup.exe .

4 Follow the onscreen instructions.

5 When prompted, select your audio drive as the install

location and click Next to begin the install.

6 When installation is complete, click Finish.

Uninstalling Pro Tools

If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from your computer, you can use Windows commands for uninstalling programs.

To uninstall Pro Tools from your computer (Windows Vista):

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Under Programs, click “Uninstall a program.”

3 Select Pro Tools.

4 Click Uninstall.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove

Pro Tools.

To remove Pro Tools from your computer (Windows XP):

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

3 From the Currently Installed Programs li st, select Digi-

design Pro Tools.

4 Click the Remove button.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove

Pro Tools.

Chapter 3: Installing Pro Tools on Windows

Mbox 2 Mini Getting Started Guide

chapter 4

Installing Pro Tools on Mac

This chapter contains information for Mac syste ms 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.