Pinnacle Systems Mbox 2 Pro - 7.3 Quick Start Guide
Getting Started
Mbox® 2 Pro
Version 7.3
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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