Pinnacle Systems Mbox 2 Pro - 7.3 Quick Start Guide

Getting Started
Mbox® 2 Pro
Copyright
© 2007 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 , Control|24, Pro Tools LE, 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 9320-55987-00 REV A 1/07
Communications and Safety Regulation Information
Compliance Statement This model Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro complies with the following standards regulating interference and EMC:
• FCC Part 15 Class B
• EN 55022 Class B
• EN 55204 Class B
• AS/NZS 3548 Class B
• CISPR 22 Class B
Radio and Television Interference This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
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 Pro
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 Pro
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
Safety Statement
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
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.
9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11) Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.
12) Use caution when replacing the Lithium battery in the FOH
Rack unit. There is danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type.
13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when
unused for long periods of time.
14) Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing
is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

contents

Chapter 1. Installation QuickStart
Windows Installation Overview
Mac Installation Overview
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Chapter 2. Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro
Mbox 2 Pro Package
Mbox 2 Pro Features
Pro Tools LE Capabilities
System Requirements
Digidesign Registration
About the Pro Tools Guides
About www.digidesign.com
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Chapter 3. Windows Configuration
Installation Overview
Windows System Optimization
Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Mbox 2 Pro
Launching Pro Tools LE
Configuring Pro Tools LE
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc
Removing Pro Tools LE
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Chapter 4. Mac Configuration
Installation Overview
Mac System Optimization
Installing Pro Tools LE
Connecting Mbox 2 Pro to the Computer
Launching Pro Tools LE
Configuring Pro Tools LE
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Contents
v
Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc
Removing Pro Tools
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Chapter 5. Hardware Overview
Mbox 2 Pro Front Panel Features
Mbox 2 Pro Back Panel Features
Chapter 6. Making Hardware Connections
Connecting Headphones
Connecting a Sound System
Connecting Audio Inputs
Connecting a Microphone
Connecting Instruments to the Mbox 2 Pro
MIDI Connections
Word Clock
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Chapter 7. Common Tasks with Pro Tools LE
Recording a Pro Tools Session
Importing Audio from a CD
Creating an Audio CD from a Pro Tools Session
Recording MIDI in a Pro Tools Session
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Appendix A. Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only)
MIDI Studio Setup
MIDI Patch Name Support
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Appendix B. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)
Audio MIDI Setup
MIDI Patch Name Support
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Appendix C. Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance
Avoid Recording to the System Drive
Supported Drive Formats and Drive Types
Formatting an Audio Drive
Partitioning Drives
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
vi
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Defragmenting an Audio Drive
Using Mac Drives on Windows Systems
Hard Disk Storage Space
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Appendix D. Troubleshooting
Backing Up Your Work
Common Issues
Performance Factors
Before You Call Digidesign Technical Support
Index
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Contents
vii
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
viii
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
“Windows System Optimization” on page 9
2
“Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting
Mbox 2 Pro” on page 12.
3
“Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 14.
4
“Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 14.
5
“Making Hardware Connections” on page 37.

Mac Installation Overview

(Mac OS X Systems Only)
Installation of Pro Tools LE for Mbox 2 Pro on a Mac includes the following steps:
1
“Mac System Optimization” on page 21.
2
“Connecting Mbox 2 Pro to the Computer”
on page 23.
3
“Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 23.
4
“Launching Pro Tools LE” on page 24.
5
“Making Hardware Connections” on page 37.
Chapter 1: Installation QuickStart
1
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
2
chapter 2

Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro

Welcome to the Mbox® 2 Pro portable Pro Tools
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. Mbox 2 Pro pro­vides professional-quality mic preamps and 24­bit analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog con­verters.
®
micro-studio from Digidesign®.

Mbox 2 Pro Package

The Mbox 2 Pro package includes the following:
• Mbox 2 Pro desktop audio interface and power adapter
• Pro Tools Installer disc containing Pro Tools LE™ software, DigiRack RTAS (Real­Time AudioSuite) and AudioSuite plug-ins, optional software, and electronic PDF guides
• This
Getting Started Guide
tion, configuration, and common tasks for your Pro Tools system.
• Firewire connector cable (six-pin 1394)
• Power supply
• Digidesign Registration Information Card
, covering installa-
Chapter 2: Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro
3

Mbox 2 Pro Features

The Mbox 2 Pro provides the following:

Audio Inputs and Outputs

Mbox 2 Pro lets your Pro Tools LE sessions uti­lize up to six discrete channels of input and up to eight discrete channels of output, using the following analog and digital I/O:
Analog Inputs
• Two channels of analog audio input with microphone preamps and switchable 48V phantom power. These analog input jacks include one XLR/TRS combo connector on the back panel, and two 1/4-inch DI con­nectors with switchable Mic and DI source selection and LEDs on the front panel. A –20 dB pad is also available separately on each analog input channel
• Two additional channels of analog audio input for Line and Phono sources (RIAA)
Analog Outputs
• Two 1/4-inch TRS analog Monitor outputs
• Four additional 1/4-inch balanced analog line outputs
• Two additional channels of unbalanced outputs on a single 1/4-inch TRS connector
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
Capabilities and Specifications
• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz
• Low latency analog record monitoring
• Two 1/4-inch (TRS) stereo headphone outputs (A and B) with adjustable level controls. Head­phones B can mirror A (output channels 1–2) or be switched to output channels 3–4

Pro Tools LE Capabilities

Pro Tools LE on Windows or Mac provides the following capabilities with Mbox 2 Pro:
• Playback of up to 32 mono (or 16 stereo) digital audio 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 96 kHz
• Nondestructive, 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 hardware inserts per track
• Up to 10 sends per track
• Up to 32 internal mix busses

MIDI

• One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port, provid­ing 16 MIDI input channels and 16 MIDI out­put channels
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
4
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 Pro can be used with a Digidesign-qual­ified Windows or Mac computer.
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.
For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, op­erating systems, hard drives, and third-party de­vices, visit the Digidesign website (www.digidesign.com).

Hard Drive Requirements

For optimal audio recording and playback, all Pro Tools systems require one or more Digi­design-qualified drives.
For a list of Digidesign-qualified hard drives, visit 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 with Apple System software (Mac).
For more information, see Appendix C, “Hard Drive Configuration and Mainte­nance.”

MIDI Requirements

Mbox 2 Pro 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 Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are sup­ported on Windows systems only.
Only USB MIDI interfaces are compatible with Pro Tools systems for Mac OS X. Modem-to-serial port adapters and serial MIDI devices are not supported.
For a list of supported adapters, visit the Digi­design website (www.digidesign.com).
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.

Digidesign Registration

Review the enclosed Digidesign 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.
Chapter 2: Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro 5

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.
The main guides (such as the Pro Tools Reference Guide and the Pro Tools Menus Guide) are accessi- ble 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 Right­click 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).

Conventions Used in This Guide

Digidesign guides use the following conven­tions to indicate menu choices and key com­mands:
:
Convention Action
File > Save Choose Save from the File
menu
Control+N Hold down the Control key
and press the N key
Control-click Hold down the Control key
and click the mouse button
Right-click Click with the right mouse
button
The 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 guides.
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).
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started6

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.
Registration Register your purchase online. See the enclosed Digidesign Registration Informa­tion Card for instructions.
Support Contact Digidesign Technical 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 website (www.digidesign.com).
Chapter 2: Welcome to Mbox 2 Pro 7
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started8
chapter 3
Windows Configuration
This chapter contains information for Windows systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a Mac computer, see Chapter 4, “Mac Configura­tion.”
Before installing this version of Pro Tools, refer to the Read Me information included on the Pro Tools Installer disc.

Installation Overview

Installing the Mbox 2 Pro on a Windows com­puter includes the following steps:
1 “Windows System Optimization” on page 9.
2 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting
Mbox 2 Pro” 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 14.
5 Making audio and MIDI connections to the
Mbox 2 Pro. (See Chapter 6, “Making Hardware Connections” for details.)
Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 9
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.
Sleep (or hibernate) settings are supported when using Mbox 2 Pro and the Windows System Audio drivers with an application other than Pro Tools LE.
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started10
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 FireWire 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 3: Windows Configuration 11
Disabling Hyper-Threading
Pro Tools LE 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.
Disabling System Startup Items
To Disable System Startup 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
Startup.
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.
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 Pro Getting Started12

Installing Pro Tools LE and Connecting Mbox 2 Pro

Windows will display several messages during installation that can be ignored, in­cluding multiple “Found New Hardware” dialogs and “A Problem Occurred During Hardware Installation.”
To install Pro Tools LE and Mbox 2 Pro:
1 Start Windows, logging in with Administrator
privileges. For details on Administrator privi­leges, refer to your Windows documentation.
2 Connect one end of the included Firewire ca-
ble to one of the Firewire ports on Mbox 2 Pro.
3 Connect the other end of the cable to any
available Firewire (6-pin 1394) port on your computer. Wait for the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog to appear and leave it open: Do not click Next.
Throughout the installation, you should ig­nore all Found New Hardware Wizard dia­logs. Do not click Next.
4 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc for Win-
dows in your CD/DVD drive.
5 On the Installer disc, locate and open the
Pro Tools Installer folder.
6 Double-click the Setup icon.
7 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed
with installation.
8 Select the install location. For maximum reli-
ability, install Pro Tools on your startup drive.
9 Click Next.
MP3 Export Option The MP3 Export Option lets
you export MP3 files from Pro Tools. This op­tion is purchased separately.
12 Click Next.
13 Click Install.
Windows will display several messages during installation that can be ignored, in­cluding multiple “Found New Hardware” dialogs and “A Problem Occurred During Hardware Installation.”
If you get a warning dialog about the driver not passing Windows Logo testing, click Continue 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.
10 Select the Pro Tools application for installa-
tion.
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.
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.
Command|8 Controller and Driver The Com­mand|8 Driver is required if you are using the Digidesign Command|8 control surface.

Installing QuickTime

QuickTime is required for Pro Tools if you plan to include movie files, or import MP3 or MP4 (AAC) files in your sessions. QuickTime for Win­dows XP is available as a free download from the Apple website (www.apple.com).
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 Quick-
Time page.
2 Download the QuickTime installer applica-
tion to your computer.
Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 13
3 Double-click the QuickTime installer applica-
tion and follow the on-screen installation in­structions.
4 Restart your computer.
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 18.

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).
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.
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.
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.
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started14
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
CPU Usage Limit
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.
To set the number of RTAS Processors:
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.
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 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.
3 Click OK.
If using a single processor computer, be sure to check the section “Disabling Hyper­Threading” on page 12 for tips on maximiz­ing performance.
Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 15
To change the CPU Usage Limit:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
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.
128 samples (which ever is greater). If you are on an older, slower computer, you may not want to enable this option since doing so can adversely affect performance.
The Minimize Additional I/O Latency option is only available if the Ignore Errors During Play­back/Record option is enabled.
RTAS Engine (RTAS Error Suppression)
The RTAS Engine options determine RTAS error reporting during playback and recording. This is especially useful when working with instrument plug-ins.
You should only enable RTAS error suppression if you are experiencing frequent RTAS errors that are interrupting your creative workflow. When RTAS error suppression is enabled, you can experience a degradation of audio quality. However, this may be acceptable in order to avoid interrupting playback and recording when working with instrument plug-ins. Be sure to disable RTAS error suppression when you need to ensure the highest possible audio qual­ity, such as for a final mix.
There are two RTAS Engine options:
Ignore Errors During Playback/Record When en­abled, Pro Tools continues to play and record even if the RTAS processing requirements ex­ceed the selected CPU Usage Limit. This can re­sult in pops and clicks in the audio, but does not stop the transport.
To enable RTAS error suppression:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
2 Select Ignore Errors During Playback/Record.
3 If available, you can also select Minimize Ad-
ditional I/O Latency.
4 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.
Minimize Additional I/O Latency When enabled, any additional latency due to suppressing RTAS errors during playback and record is minimized to 128 samples. Suppressing RTAS errors re­quires at least 128 samples of additional buffer­ing on some systems. If this option is disabled, the buffer is half the H/W Buffer Size, or at least
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started16
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.
To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:
1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.
To change the default Sample Rate:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox 2 Pro
2 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate
pop-up menu.
3 Click OK.
2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,
select a buffer size.
3 Click OK.

Pro Tools Hardware Settings

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.)
the Pro Tools Reference
Clock Source
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 Pro. When set to internal, Mbox 2 Pro provides four channels of input (analog only).
S/PDIF Use this setting to record or listen to Mbox 2 Pro S/PDIF inputs connected to an ex­ternal digital device. This setting will synchro­nize Pro Tools to that digital device.
S/PDIF input is only available when S/PDIF is the Clock Source.
Word Clock Use this setting to clock Pro Tools LE to a Word clock source connected to the Mbox 2 Pro Word Clock In port.
To select the Clock Source:
1 Choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Choose the clock source from the Clock
Source pop-up menu.
Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 17
3 Click OK.
Your digital input device must be connected and powered on for Pro Tools to synchro­nize to it. If your input device is not powered on, leave the Clock Source set to Internal.
Configuring I/O Setup

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.
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.
To rename I/O paths in I/O Setup:
1 Choose Setup > I/O.
I/O Setup dialog for Mbox 2 Pro
2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to
display the corresponding connections.
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.

Additional Software on the Pro Tools Installer Disc

The Pro Tools Installer disc provides additional software for your system, including audio driv­ers (for playing other audio applications through your Digidesign hardware) and a Pro Tools demo session.
Refer to your Pro Tools Installer disc for ad­ditional software and installers.
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.
See the Pro Tools Reference Guide (or choose Help > Pro Tools Reference Guide) for more information on renaming I/O paths.
Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started18

Windows Audio Drivers

Standalone Windows Audio Drivers
The Mbox 2 Pro ASIO Driver and DirectSound Window System Audio Driver let you use your Digidesign Mbox 2 Pro hardware interface with third-party applications that support the ASIO Driver or DirectSound Driver standard.
The Mbox 2 Pro ASIO Driver and DirectSound Driver for Mbox 2 Pro are automatically in­stalled when you install Pro Tools.
Mbox 2 Pro ASIO Driver
The Mbox 2 Pro ASIO (Audio Sound Input Out­put) Driver is a single-client multichannel sound driver that allows third-party audio pro­grams that support the ASIO Driver standard to record and play back through Mbox 2 Pro.
For detailed information on configuring the Digidesign ASIO Driver, see the Windows Audio Drivers Guide.
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.
Digidesign Windows Audio Drivers can be in­stalled on Windows systems that do not have Pro Tools software installed. Use the standalone version of the Digidesign Windows Audio Driv­ers installer (Digidesign Audio Drivers Setup.exe), which is available on the Pro Tools Installer disc.
For information on installing and 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.
Before installing the demo session to your audio drive, make sure the drive is config­ured as described in “Formatting an Audio Drive” on page 66.
To install the demo session:
1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer disc into your
CD/DVD drive.
2 From your CD/DVD 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.
Chapter 3: Windows Configuration 19
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