Pinnacle Systems Mbox - 6.7 Quick Start Guide

Getting Started with Mbox

Version 6.7 for LE Systems on Windows or Macintosh

Digidesign

2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard

Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA

tel: 650·731·6300

fax: 650·731·6399

Technical Support (USA)

tel: 650·731·6100

fax: 650·731·6384

Product Information (USA)

tel: 650·731·6102

tel: 800·333·2137

International Offices

Visit the Digidesign Web site

for contact information

Web Site

www.digidesign.com

Copyright

This guide is copyrighted ©2004 by Digidesign, a division of
Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights
reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be
duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of
Digidesign.

DIGIDESIGN, AVID and PRO TOOLS 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 932014039-00 REV A 09/04

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We Digidesign,

2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard, Suite 200

Daly City, CA 94014 USA

tel: [phone]

declare under our sole responsibility that the product

Mbox

complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.

Current Consumption 500mA

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.

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

contents

Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox

Mbox Package

Mbox Features

Pro Tools LE Capabilities

System Requirements

Digidesign Registration

About the Pro Tools Guides

About www.digidesign.com

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Chapter 2. Windows Configuration

Installation Overview

Windows System Settings

Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox

Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM

Launching Pro Tools LE

Configuring Pro Tools LE

Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance

Removing Pro Tools on Windows XP

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Chapter 3. Macintosh Configuration

Installation Overview

Apple System Settings for Mac OS X

Installing Pro Tools LE

Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM

Connecting Mbox to the Computer

Launching Pro Tools LE

Configuring Pro Tools LE

Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance

Removing Pro Tools on Mac OS X

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Contents

iii

Chapter 4. Mbox Hardware and Connections

Mbox Front Panel Features

Mbox Back Panel Features

Making Signal Connections to Mbox

Connecting a Recorder for Mixdowns

MIDI Connections

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Chapter 5. Working with Pro Tools LE

Session Basics

Transport Controls

Tracks

Regions Lists

Navigating in a Session

Importing Audio

Basic Recording

Editing

Mixing

Plug-Ins

Mix Automation

Final Mixdown

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Appendix A. Windows System Optimizations

Troubleshooting

Advanced Settings

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Appendix B. Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only)

Introduction

Compatible Software

Installing the ASIO Driver

Removing the ASIO Driver

Configuring ASIO Driver Settings

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Getting Started with Mbox

iv

Appendix C. Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only)

Introduction

Compatibility

Installing the WaveDriver

Removing the WaveDriver

Configuring WaveDriver for QuickTime Player (Required for Using iTunes)

Configuring WaveDriver for Windows Media Player and Other Third-Party WaveDriver Programs

Adding Third Party Applications to the WaveDriver Opt-In List

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Appendix D. Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only)

Introduction

What are the Limitations of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?

Compatibility

Installing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

Removing the CoreAudio Driver

Configuring the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

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Appendix E. Configuring Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only)

MIDI Studio Setup

Patch Name Support

Appendix F. Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)

Audio MIDI Studio

Patch Name Support

Index

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Contents

v

Getting Started with Mbox

vi

chapter 1

Welcome to Mbox

Welcome to Mbox, Digidesign’s portable
Pro Tools micro-studio, designed in collabora­tion with Focusrite.

Mbox provides your USB-equipped computer
with two channels of analog and digital audio
input and output, employing professional-qual­ity mic preamps and 24-bit analog-to-digital
and digital-to-analog converters.

Mbox Package

The Mbox package includes the following:

• Mbox desktop audio interface

•Installer CD-ROMs containing Pro Tools LE
software, DigiRack RTAS (Real-Time Audio­Suite) and AudioSuite plug-ins, optional soft­ware, and electronic PDF guides

• This

Getting Started with Mbox Guide

cludes instructions for installing and config­uring Mbox, and an introduction to
Pro Tools LE software

• The

Mbox Basics Guide

users specific methods for accomplishing
common tasks (such as getting sound in and
out of your Mbox, connecting a mic or instru­ment, and recording a session)

• USB connector cable

• Digidesign registration card

, designed to give new

, which in-

Mbox Features

The Mbox desktop audio interface provides the
following:

•Two analog audio inputs with Focusrite mi­crophone preamps and switchable 48V phan­tom power

• Analog input jacks that accept both XLR and
1/4-inch (TRS) connectors, and are switchable
between Mic, Line, and Instrument levels

•Two channels of S/PDIF digital input and out­put

•Two analog monitor outputs

• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting
sample rates of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz

• Zero-latency analog record monitoring with
adjustable balance between input and play­back

• Mono switch for summing the input signal
with the monitor mix

• Analog 1/4-inch TRS insert on each input

• 1/4-inch
output with adjustable level control

• USB-powered operation

(

TRS) or 1/8-inch stereo headphone

Mbox will not function properly if connected
to a USB hub. If you need to use a hub for
other USB peripherals, use a separate dedi­cated USB port for Mbox to function properly.

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox

1

Pro Tools LE Capabilities

System Requirements

Pro Tools LE software provides the following ca­pabilities with Mbox:

•Playback up to 32 mono digital audio
tracks, and playback up to 30 tracks while
recording up to 2 tracks, depending on
your computer’s capabilities.

• Sessions can include up to 128 audio tracks
(with 32 voiceable tracks maximum), 256
MIDI tracks, 128 Auxiliary Input tracks,
and 64 Master Fader tracks.

•16-bit or 24-bit audio resolution, at sample
rates up to 48 kHz.

• Nonlinear, random-access editing and mix
automation.

• Audio processing with up to 5 RTAS plug­ins per track, depending on your com­puter’s capabilities.

• Up to 5 inserts and 5 sends per track

• Up to 16 internal mix busses.

Pro Tools LE uses your computer’s CPU to
mix and process audio tracks (host process­ing). Computers with faster clock speeds
yield higher track counts and more plug-in
processing.

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

For complete system requirements, visit the
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
(www.Digidesign.com/compato).

Compatibility Information

Digidesign can only assure compatibility and
provide support for hardware and software it
has tested and approved.

For a list of Digidesign-qualified computers, op­erating systems, hard drives, and third-party de­vices, refer to the latest compatibility informa­tion on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato)

.

MIDI Requirements

USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with
Pro Tools systems on Windows or Macintosh.
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.

Getting Started with Mbox

2

For a list of supported adapters, refer to the Digi­design Web site (www.digidesign.com).

Hard Drive Considerations

Avoid Recording to System Drives

Hard Drive Configuration and
Maintenance

It is recommended that you start with a newly
initialized audio drive. You should also periodi­cally defragment your audio drive to ensure
continued system performance.

For a list of qualified hard drives, see our
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).

If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with Windows Disk
Management (Windows) or the Disk Utility ap­plication included with Apple System software
(Macintosh).

Table 2. Required hard drive space for audio tracks

Number of tracks and length 16-bit at

44.1 kHz

Although Pro Tools LE will let you record to
your system drive, this is generally not recom­mended. Recording and playback on system
drives results in lower track counts and fewer
plug-ins.

Hard Disk Storage Space

Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolu­tion at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approxi­mately 5 MB of hard disk space per minute.

The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution
require about 7.5 MB per minute. Table 2 lists
the required disk space for certain track num­bers and track lengths, to help you estimate
your hard disk usage.

Table 2 lists the required disk space for certain
track numbers and track lengths, to help you es­timate your hard disk usage.

16-bit at

48 kHz

24-bit at

44.1 kHz

24-bit at

48 kHz

1 mono track, 1 minute 5 MB 5.5 MB 7.5 MB 8.2 MB

1 stereo track (or two mono
tracks), 5 minutes

1 stereo track (or two mono
tracks), 60 minutes

24 mono tracks, 5 minutes 600 MB 662 MB 900 MB 991 MB

24 mono tracks, 60 minutes 7 GB 7.8 GB 10.5 GB 11.6 GB

32 mono tracks, 5 minutes 800 MB 883 MB 1.2 GB 1.3 GB

32 mono tracks, 60 minutes 9.4 GB 10.4 GB 14 GB 15.4 GB

50 MB 55 MB 75 MB 83 MB

600 MB 662 MB 900 MB 991 MB

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox

3

Digidesign Registration

Complete and return the registration card in­cluded with your Pro Tools Mbox system. Regis­tered users will receive periodic software update
and upgrade notices. Refer to the registration
card for information on technical support.

About the Pro Tools Guides

The Getting Started with Mbox Guide explains
how to install and use Mbox to record, edit, and
mix audio and MIDI tracks in Pro Tools LE.

If you are new to working with digital worksta­tions, it is recommended that you read the fol­lowing:

• Mbox Basics Guide provides simple steps for
how to get sound in and out of your Mbox,
connect a microphone or instrument, record
to a Pro Tools session, import audio from a
CD, create an audio CD from a Pro Tools ses­sion, and other topics.

For additional information, see the following
online guides:

• Pro Tools Reference Guide explains Pro Tools LE
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 LE.

• Digidesign Plug-Ins Guide explains how to use
optional Digidesign plug-ins.

• DigiBase Guide provides details on using
Pro Tools DigiBase databasing and browsers
for data and media management.

• Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts lists keyboard
shortcuts for Pro Tools LE.

PDF versions of the Pro Tools guides are in­stalled automatically with Pro Tools LE, and are
accessible from the Pro Tools Help menu (Win­dows), or the Pro Tools menu (Macintosh). To
view or print the PDF guides, you can install Ac­robat Reader (included on the Pro Tools LE In­staller CD-ROM).

Printed copies of the Pro Tools LE Guide set
(including the Pro Tools Reference Guide)
can be purchased separately from the
DigiStore (www.digidesign.com).

Getting Started with Mbox4

Conventions Used in This Guide

Digidesign guides use the following conven­tions to indicate menu choices and key com­mands:

:

Convention Action

File > Save Session Choose Save Session from

the File menu

Control+N Hold down the Control key

and press the N key

Control-click Hold down the Control key

and click the mouse button

Right-click (Windows) Click with the right mouse

button

The following symbols are used to highlight im­portant information:

User Tips are helpful hints for getting the
most from your Pro Tools system.

Important Notices include information that
could affect your data or the performance of
your system.

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or
mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in
other Digidesign guides.

About www.digidesign.com

The Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com)
is your best source for information to help you
get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The
following are just a few of the services and fea­tures available.

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
Web site (www.digidesign.com).

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 5

Getting Started with Mbox6

chapter 2

Windows Configuration

This chapter contains information for Windows
systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools on a
Macintosh computer, see Chapter 3, “Macin­tosh Configuration.”

Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
please refer to the Read Me information in­cluded on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM.

Installation Overview

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

1 Configuring “Windows System Settings” on

page 7.

2 “Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox” on page 9.

Windows System Settings

Configure your Window system settings, as fol­lows:

Required Settings These instructions must be
followed before installing Pro Tools.

Recommended Configuration These instructions
should be followed to optimize your system’s
capabilities, or to let older computers run
Pro Tools.

If problems occur after configuring all re­quired and recommended settings, see
Appendix A, “Windows System Optimiza­tions” for information on troubleshooting
and configuring advanced settings.

3 Restarting your computer.

4 “Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 12.

5 Making audio connections to the Mbox. (See

Chapter 4, “Mbox Hardware and Connections”
for details.)

Required Settings

To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools LE, configure the following Control
Panel settings for your version of Windows XP.

Disable Hyper-Threading

For Pentium IV computers with Hyper-Thread­ing, disable Hyper-Threading in the BIOS.

Refer to your computer’s documentation for
steps on how to enter your computer’s BIOS and
disable Hyper-Threading.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 7

Enable DMA for any IDE hard drives:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

This sets System Standby, System Hibernate,
and “Turn off hard disks” to Never.

2 Launch 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.

7 For each device, set the Transfer Mode to

“DMA if available,” and click OK.

In most cases, this will already be set correctly as
Windows XP will detect and activate DMA
mode by default.

8 Repeat steps 5–7 for any additional IDE Chan-

nels.

9 Close the Computer Management window.

Disable System Standby and Power Management

Disable ClearType Font Smoothing

When using Pro Tools, the Effects “Clear Type”
setting must be disabled.

To disable ClearType font smoothing:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Launch Display.

3 Click the Appearance tab.

4 Click Effects.

5 Deselect “Use the following methods to

smooth edges of screen fonts.”

6 Click OK to save your settings and close the

Effects dialog.

7 Click OK.

Completing Required Windows System Settings

When finished updating required Windows sys­tem settings, restart your computer.

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.

To configure Windows Power Management:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Launch Power Options.

3 Click the Power Schemes tab.

4 From the Power Schemes pop-up menu, select

Always On.

5 Click OK.

Getting Started with Mbox8

Recommended Configuration

Pro Tools LE can also be affected by other soft­ware and hardware drivers installed on your
computer. For best possible performance, it is
recommended (but not required) that you:

•Avoid running other Windows 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 non-essential USB devices
while using Pro Tools.

• If your video display card supports it, en­able Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s
Control Panel.

• Disable any networking cards (other than
any 1394 “FireWire” card that you might
use to connect an external drive to your
system).

For information on disabling networking
cards, see “Disabling Network Cards” on
page 61.

4 Connect the other end of the USB cable to any

available USB port on your computer. Wait for
the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog to ap­pear and leave it open: Do not click Next.

Mbox may not function properly if con­nected to a USB hub. If you need to use a
hub for other USB peripherals, connect the
hub to a separate USB port; Mbox must
have a dedicated port in order to function
properly.

5 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM for

Windows in your CD-ROM drive. Locate and
open the Pro Tools Installer folder, and double­click the Setup icon.

6 Click Next to begin installation.

7 Select the components you want to install and

click Next.

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

8 Wait for the installer to finish installing all

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

Installing Pro Tools LE and Mbox

To install Pro Tools LE on Windows:

1 Make sure you have configured all the re-

quired Windows system settings, and restarted
your computer. See“Windows System Settings”
on page 7 for more information.

2 Start up Windows, logging in with Adminis-

trator privileges. If you do not have Administra­tor privileges or do not know how to set them
up, see your Windows User’s Guide.

3 Connect the small end of the included USB ca-

ble to the USB port on Mbox.

9 Click Quit when prompted to install Quick-

Time. If required, you can install QuickTime
later (see “Installing QuickTime” on page 10).

10 Restart your computer.

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

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 9

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 E, “Configuring
Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only)” for details.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions:

• Disconnect Mbox from the USB port of the
computer.

• Reconnect Mbox to the USB port of the
computer. The new firmware will be up­loaded to the Mbox.

• Disconnect and reconnect Mbox.

Installing QuickTime

(Optional)

QuickTime 6.5 or later is required for Pro Tools
if you plan to include movie files in your ses­sions. QuickTime is available as a free download
from the Apple Web site (www.apple.com).

Updating Mbox Firmware

Firmware version 2.0 or later is required to use
Mbox on Windows XP.

Before Mbox firmware can be updated,
Pro Tools LE software must be installed
and Mbox must be connected to your com­puter.

To check and update the firmware on Mbox:

1 Make sure Pro Tools is installed and the Mbox

is connected to the computer.

2 Double-click on MboxFirmwareUpdater.exe.

In Local Disk (C:\Program Files\Digidesign\
Pro Tools\Pro Tools Utilities.)

6 Click OK.

If all the lights stay on after you update the
firmware, run the firmware update again. If
the lights will not go out, contact Digi­design Technical Support. (Refer to the reg­istration card for information on technical
support.)

Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM

Your Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes sev­eral software options.

Digidesign ASIO Driver

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

3 To check the firmware version currently on

Mbox, click the Start button in the Mbox Firm­ware Update window. The window displays the
version number of the firmware that the Mbox
is currently using.

4 Click Start to begin the firmware upgrade pro-

cess.

Getting Started with Mbox10

Digidesign ASIO Driver is automatically in­stalled when you install Pro Tools.

For detailed information on configuring the
Digidesign ASIO Driver, see Appendix B,
“Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only).”

To use Digidesign ASIO Driver without
Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of
the Digidesign ASIO Driver. The stand­alone version of Digidesign ASIO Driver is
available on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com)

Digidesign WaveDriver

The Digidesign WaveDriver is a single-client,
multichannel sound driver that allows third­party audio programs that support the
WaveDriver MME (Multimedia Extensions)
standard to play back through Digidesign hard­ware.

Pro Tools Demo Session

The Pro Tools LE Installer CD includes a demo
session that you can use to verify that your sys­tem is working.

Before installing the demo session to your
audio drive, make sure the drive is config­ured as described in “Formatting an Audio
Drive” on page 16.

To install the demo session:

1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your

CD-ROM drive. Locate and double-click
Setup.exe, in D (CD-ROM drive):\Additional
Files\Pro Tools LE Demo Session Installer.

2 Set the install location to your audio drive and

click Install.

3 When installation is complete, click OK.

MacOpener

Digidesign WaveDriver is automatically in­stalled when you install Pro Tools.

For detailed information on configuring the
Digidesign WaveDriver, see Appendix C,
“Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows
Only).”

To use Digidesign WaveDriver without
Pro Tools, use the stand-alone version of
the Digidesign WaveDriver. The stand­alone version of Digidesign WaveDriver is
available on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com)

MacOpener 6.0.5 and higher lets you mount
HFS/HFS+ drives on a Windows-based Pro Tools
system, as a Transfer drive.

Transfer drives can be used for storage, but
not for playback or recording.

The MacDrive utility can be used instead of
MacOpener. For more information about
MacDrive, visit the Mediafour Web site
(www.mediafour.com).

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 11

To share Pro Tools sessions between Macintosh
and Windows systems, select the “Enforce
Mac/PC Compatibility” option when creating
the session, or when saving a session copy to a
Windows audio drive formatted using NTFS or
FAT32.

Avoid using MacOpener on HFS-formatted
drives. It is recommended that you use Mac­Opener on NTFS or FAT32 drives instead.
To move material from HFS-formatted
drives to NTFS or FAT32 drives, use the
Save Session Copy In command in
Pro Tools.

7 Choose Start > Programs > MacOpener >

Mac Lic.exe. When installation is complete,
close the installer.

All formatting and maintenance of
HFS/HFS+ drives should be carried out
when the drive is connected to a Macintosh.

For more information about MacOpener
and its performance limitations, see the
Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Launching Pro Tools LE

While SDII files can be exported or con­verted on import, they cannot be used
within Pro Tools sessions on Windows.

To install and configure the MacOpener demo
included with Pro Tools:

1 Insert the Pro Tools Installer CD into your CD-

ROM drive.

2 Locate and double-click the MacOpener in-

staller file in the MacOpener Demo folder lo­cated at D (CD-ROM drive):\Additional
Files\MacOpener Demo Installer. Follow the on­screen instructions to install the MacOpener. Af­ter installation is complete, restart your com­puter.

3 Choose Start > Programs > MacOpener >

MacOpener Driver Preferences.

4 Verify that the MacOpener Driver is enabled.

Under Driver Settings, select “Enable Mac­Opener Driver.”

5 Under Extension Mapping, select “Do not add

the PC extension to the Mac file name.”

6 Click OK to quit the MacOpener Driver Pref-

erences.

When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
are prompted to enter an authorization code to
validate your software.

To validate Pro Tools LE software:

1 Double-click the Pro Tools LE shortcut on

your desktop (or the application 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.

Your authorization code is located on the inside
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

Getting Started with Mbox12

In most cases, the default settings for your sys­tem provide optimum performance, but you
may want to adjust them to accommodate large
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.

Hardware Buffer Size

The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con­trols the size of the hardware cache used to han­dle host processing tasks such as Real-Time Au­dioSuite (RTAS) plug-ins.

◆ 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.

CPU Usage Limit

The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of
CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host pro­cessing tasks such as Real-Time AudioSuite
(RTAS) plug-ins, as follows:

◆ Lower CPU usage settings reduce how much

Pro Tools processing affects other CPU-intensive
tasks (such as screen redraws), and limit the
amount of processor resources available for
Pro Tools tasks. They 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.

In addition to causing slower screen re­sponse and monitoring latency, higher
Hardware Buffer Size settings can affect the
accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data,
and timing for MIDI tracks.

To change the Hardware Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

Playback Engine dialog for Mbox

2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select

the audio buffer size, in samples.

3 Click OK.

Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
down screen response on slower computers.

The maximum CPU Usage Limit is 85 percent
for single-processor computers, and 99 percent
for multi-processor computers. (The 99 percent
setting dedicates one entire processor to
Pro Tools.)

To change the CPU Usage Limit:

1 Choose Setups > 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.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 13

DAE Playback Buffer Size

Pro Tools Hardware Settings

The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the
amount of memory DAE uses to manage disk
buffers, which affects system performance, as
follows:

◆ Lower DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can

improve playback and recording initiation
speed. However, a lower setting can make it dif­ficult for slower hard drives to play or record
tracks reliably.

◆ Higher DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can

allow for a higher density of edits in a session.
However, a higher setting can cause a time lag to
occur before playback or recording begins. It can
also cause a time lag to occur when you are ed­iting during playback.

To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,

select a buffer size.

3 Click OK.

Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select
the default sample rate and clock source for your
system, and configure the clock source for your
system.

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

for details.)

To change the default Sample Rate:

1 Make sure that no Pro Tools session is open.

2 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

the Pro Tools Reference Guide

Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox

3 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate

pop-up menu.

4 Click OK.

Getting Started with Mbox14

Channel 1–2 Input Source

3 Click OK.

The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog allows you
to configure the two inputs on Mbox to receive
analog or digital signals.

To select the Channel 1–2 input format for Mbox:

1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

2 Choose the Channel 1–2 Input format by do-

ing one of the following:

• Choose Analog if you are sending a micro­phone, line, or instrument signal through
the 1/4-inch TRS or XLR connectors on
Mbox.

– or –

• Choose S/PDIF if you are sending signal
from a digital device to the S/PDIF input on
Mbox.

Clock Source

Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select
the clock source for the system.

Internal If you are recording an analog signal di­rectly into Mbox, you will usually use the
Pro Tools Internal clock source. The clock
source automatically changes to Internal when
you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to Analog.

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

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.

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 Setups > I/O Setup.

SPDIF If you are transferring material into

Pro Tools from an external digital device, you
will usually synchronize Pro Tools to that digital
device. The clock source automatically changes
to SPDIF when you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to
SPDIF.

To select the clock source:

1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

2 Choose the clock source from the Clock

Source pop-up menu.

I/O Setup dialog for Mbox, Input page

2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to

display the corresponding connections.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 15

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 Return.

4 Click OK.

T

Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide (or
choose Help > Pro Tools Reference Guide)
for more information on renaming I/O
paths.

4 For optimal disk performance, select 32K from

the Allocation unit size pull-down. This in­creases how efficiently audio data is written to
and read from the drive.

5 Make sure the Quick Format option is dese-

lected, then click Start, and follow the on-screen
instructions.

Pro Tools only supports Basic drive Types.

After configuring Pro Tools LE and your
system, you should save an image of your
system using Norton Ghost. Norton Ghost
lets you save and recall known good config­urations of your system and settings, which
can help you recover if you encounter any
problems in the future.

For more information on Ghost, visit the Sy­mantec Web site (www.symantec.com)

Hard Drive Configuration and
Maintenance

Formatting an Audio Drive

On Windows, it is recommended that you start
with newly formatted drives dedicated for au­dio, such as a secondary hard drive purchased
just for audio. For optimum performance, audio
drives should be formatted with the FAT32 or
NTFS file system.

To format and configure an audio drive:

1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-

age.

2 Under Storage, choose Disk Management.

6 When formatting is complete, close the For-

mat window.

Audio Drives and Disk Cleanup

The process of recording, editing, and deleting
tracks and sessions can quickly decrease overall
drive performance. It is suggested that you regu­larly use Disk Cleanup (or an equivalent utility)
to asses the condition of drives and, if necessary,
delete temporary files and other unused data.

To use Disk Cleanup:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 In Classic View, launch Administrative Tools.

3 Double-click Computer Management.

4 Double-click Storage.

5 Double-click Disk Management.

6 Select the desired volume in the list, then

choose File > Options.

Disk Cleanup determines how performance is
being affected by drive condition, and lets you
review and delete temporary and other unneces­sary files from the selected volume. For more in­formation on using Disk Cleanup, see your Win­dows XP documentation.

3 In the Disk Management window, right-click

the hard drive you will use for audio and choose
Format.

Getting Started with Mbox16

Defragmenting an Audio Drive

Periodically defragment audio drives to maintain
system performance.

To defragment an audio drive:

1 Right-click My Computer and choose Man-

age.

2 Under Storage, choose Disk Defragmenter.

3 In the Disk Defragmenter window, choose the

drive you want to defragment

4 Click the Defragment button and follow the

on-screen instructions.

5 When defragmenting is complete, close the

Computer Management Window.

Avoid Recording to System Drives

Although Pro Tools will let you record to your
system drive, this is generally not recom­mended. Recording and playback on system
hard drives results in lower track counts and
fewer plug-ins. You should record to system
drives only when necessary (for example, if your
computer has just one hard drive).

Removing Pro Tools on Windows XP

If you need to remove Pro Tools LE from your
computer use the Add or Remove Programs
command.

To remove Pro Tools from your computer:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 Launch Add or Remove Programs.

3 From the Currently installed programs list, se-

lect Digidesign Pro Tools LE.

4 Click the Change/Remove button.

5 Follow the onscreen instructions to remove

Pro Tools.

Chapter 2: Windows Configuration 17

Getting Started with Mbox18

chapter 3

Macintosh Configuration

This chapter contains information for Macin­tosh systems only. If you are installing Pro Tools
on a Windows computer, see Chapter 2, “Win­dows Configuration.”

Before installing this version of Pro Tools,
please refer to the Read Me information in­cluded on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM.

Installation Overview

Installation of the Mbox on a Macintosh in­cludes the following steps:

1 Configuring “Apple System Settings for

Mac OS X” on page 19.

2 “Installing Pro Tools LE” on page 20

3 Restarting your computer.

4 “Connecting Mbox to the Computer” on

page 21.

5 “Configuring Pro Tools LE” on page 22.

6 Making audio connections to the Mbox. (See

Chapter 4, “Mbox Hardware and Connections”
for details.)

Apple System Settings for Mac OS X

To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools LE, configure the following settings
before you install Pro Tools software.

To configure Mac OS X for Pro Tools LE:

1 Make sure you are logged into an administra-

tor account where you want to install
Pro Tools LE. For details on Administrator privi­leges in Mac OS X, refer to your Mac OS X doc­umentation.

2 Choose System Preferences from the Apple

Menu and click Energy Saver.

3 Click the Sleep tab and turn off the Energy

Saver feature by setting the sleep feature to
Never.

Do not use the Mac OS X automatic Soft­ware Update feature, as it may install com­ponents that have not yet been qualified for
Pro Tools. For details on qualified versions
of Mac OS, refer to the latest compatibility
information on the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com).

4 Return to the System Preferences and click

Software Update.

5 Deselect “Automatically check for updates

when you have a network connection.”

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 19

6 Close the Software Update dialog box.

7 Proceed to “Installing Pro Tools LE” on

page 20.

Installing Pro Tools LE

After the Apple System software settings are con­figured, you’re ready to install Pro Tools LE.

To install Pro Tools LE on Mac OS X:

1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-

tor for the account where you want to install
Pro Tools. For details on Administrator privi­leges in Mac OS X, refer to your Apple Mac OS X
documentation.

2 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD-ROM in

your CD-ROM drive. Double-click “Install
Pro Tools LE.”

3 Enter your Administrator password and click

OK to authenticate the installation.

4 Follow the on-screen instructions to continue

and accept installation.

5 In the Installer window, make sure the Install

Location is on your Start-up hard drive.

Audio MIDI Setup (AMS)

(Optional)

If you plan to use any MIDI devices with
Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with the
Apple Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility. See
Appendix F, “Configuring AMS (Mac OS X
Only)” for details.

If you plan to use any MIDI devices with
Pro Tools, configure your MIDI setup with
the Apple Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility.
See

Appendix F, “Configuring AMS

(Mac OS X Only)”

for details.

Optional Software on the Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM

Your Pro Tools Installer CD-ROM includes sev­eral software options.

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver is a multi-cli­ent, multichannel sound driver that allows
CoreAudio compatible applications to record
and play back through Digidesign hardware.

6 In the Installer window, choose Custom In-

stall from the pop-up menu, and click Install.

7 Follow the remaining on-screen instructions

to install Pro Tools.

8 When installation is complete, click Restart.

Getting Started with Mbox20

The Core Auto Driver is installed by default
when you install Pro Tools.

For information on configuring the Digi­design CoreAudio Driver, see Appendix D,
“Digidesign CoreAudio Driver
(Macintosh Only).”

Stand-Alone CoreAudio Driver Installer

This version of Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can
be installed on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools
systems running on Macintosh (for example, if
the CoreAudio Driver was uninstalled), or it can
be installed as a stand-alone driver on Macin­tosh systems that do not have Pro Tools in­stalled.

For detailed information on installing and
configuring CoreAudio Driver on systems
with or without Pro Tools, see the electronic
pdf of the CoreAudio Usage Guide.

Pro Tools Demo Session

The Pro Tools LE Installer CD-ROM includes a
demo session that you can use to verify that
your system is working.

To install the demo session:

1 Insert the Pro Tools LE Installer CD in your

CD-ROM drive. Locate and double-click the
demo session installer icon.

2 Select your audio drive as the install location

and click Install.

3 When installation is complete, click Quit.

Connecting Mbox to the Computer

Before launching Pro Tools LE software, connect
Mbox to your computer.

To connect Mbox to your computer :

1 Connect the small end of the included USB ca-

ble to the USB port on Mbox.

2 With your computer on, connect the other

end of the USB cable to any available USB port
on your computer.

Mbox may not function properly if con­nected to a USB hub. If you need to use a
hub for other USB peripherals, connect the
hub to a separate USB port; Mbox must be
connected to a dedicated port on the com­puter in order to function properly.

Launching Pro Tools LE

When launching Pro Tools LE the first time, you
are prompted to enter an authorization code to
validate your software.

With new Mbox systems, the authorization
code is located on the inside cover of the Getting
Started with Mbox Guide. With software up­grades, the authorization code is located on the
inside cover of the Upgrading Guide.

To authorize Pro Tools LE software:

1 Double-click the Pro Tools LE application (lo-

cated in the Pro Tools folder, inside the Digi­design folder).

2 Enter the authorization code in the dialog

when prompted (making sure to type it exactly
as printed, and observing any spaces and capi­talization) then click Validate.

If the USB LED on the front panel of Mbox does
not illuminate after you connect it and launch
Pro Tools, try unplugging the USB cable from
the Mbox USB port, then plugging it back in.

If the USB LED still does not illuminate, shut
down the computer, disconnect Mbox and start
the computer. Once the computer has fully re­started, re-connect Mbox, then launch
Pro Tools.

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 21

Configuring Pro Tools LE

Pro Tools System Settings

Pro Tools LE allows you to adjust the perfor­mance of your system by changing system set-
tings that affect its capacity for processing, play­back, and recording.

In most cases, the default settings for your sys­tem provide optimum performance, but you
may want to adjust them to accommodate large
or processing-intensive Pro Tools sessions.

Hardware Buffer Size

The Hardware Buffer Size (H/W Buffer Size) con­trols the size of the hardware cache used to han­dle host processing tasks such as Real-Time Au­dioSuite (RTAS) plug-ins.

◆ Lower Hardware Buffer Size settings improve

MIDI timing and automation accuracy, but limit
the number of RTAS plug-ins and mixer config­urations you can run on your system

◆ Higher Hardware Buffer Size settings allow for

more audio processing and effects, and are use­ful when you are using larger mixer configura­tions or more RTAS plug-ins on your system.

In addition to causing slower screen re­sponse and monitoring latency, higher
Hardware Buffer Size settings can affect the
accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data,
and timing for MIDI tracks.

To change the Hardware Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

2 From the H/W Buffer Size pop-up menu, select

the audio buffer size, in samples.

3 Click OK.

Playback Engine dialog for Mbox (Pro Tools 6.x)

CPU Usage Limit

The CPU Usage Limit controls the percentage of
CPU resources allocated to Pro Tools host pro­cessing tasks.

◆ 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.

Increasing the CPU Usage Limit may slow
down screen response on slower computers.

◆ The maximum CPU Usage Limit is 85 percent

for single-processor computers, and 99 percent
for multi-processor computers. (The 99 percent
setting dedicates one entire processor to
Pro Tools.)

To change the CPU Usage Limit:

1 Choose Setups > 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.

Getting Started with Mbox22

3 Click OK.

DAE Playback Buffer Size

The DAE Playback Buffer Size determines the
amount of memory DAE uses to manage disk
buffers, which affects system performance.

◆ Lower DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can

improve playback and recording initiation
speed. However, a lower setting can make it dif­ficult for slower hard drives to play or record
tracks reliably.

◆ Higher DAE Playback Buffer Size settings can

allow for a higher density of edits in a session.
However, a higher setting can cause a time lag to
occur before playback or recording begins. It can
also cause a time lag to occur when you are ed­iting during playback.

To change the DAE Playback Buffer Size:

1 Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

2 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu,

select a buffer size.

3 Click OK.

To change the default Sample Rate:

1 Make sure that no Pro Tools session is open.

2 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

3 Select the sample rate from the Sample Rate

popup menu.

4 Click OK.

Hardware Setup dialog for Mbox

Channel 1–2 Input Format

The Pro Tools Hardware Setup dialog allows you
to configure the two inputs on Mbox to receive
either analog or digital signals.

To select the Channel 1–2 input format for Mbox:

1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

Pro Tools Hardware Settings

Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select
the default sample rate, input format, and clock
source for your system.

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. (See

“Starting a Session” on page 37.)

2 Choose the Channel 1–2 Input format by do-

ing one of the following:

• Choose Analog if you are sending a micro­phone, line, or instrument signal through
the 1/4-inch TRS or XLR connectors on
Mbox.

• Choose S/PDIF (RCA) if you are sending
signal from a digital device to the S/PDIF
input on Mbox.

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 23

Clock Source

Using the Hardware Setup dialog, you can select
the clock source for the system.

Internal If you are recording an analog signal di­rectly into Mbox, you will usually use the
Pro Tools Internal clock source. The Clock
Source automatically changes to Internal when
you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to Analog.

S/PDIF If you are recording a digital signal into
Pro Tools from an external digital device, you
will usually synchronize Pro Tools to that digital
device. The Clock Source automatically changes
to S/PDIF when you change the Ch. 1–2 Input to
S/PDIF.

To select the Clock Source:

1 Choose Setups > Hardware Setup.

2 Select a clock source.

3 Click OK.

Your digital input device must be connected
and turned on. If your input device is not
turned on, leave the Clock Source set to In­ternal.

Configuring I/O Setup

Using the I/O Setup dialog, you can label
Pro Tools LE input, output, insert, and bus sig-
nal paths. The I/O Setup dialog provides a graph­ical representation of the inputs, outputs, and
signal routing of the Mbox.

To rename I/O paths in I/O Setup:

1 Choose Setups > I/O Setups.

I/O Setup dialog for Mbox, Input page

2 Click the Input, Output, Insert, or Bus tab to

display the corresponding connections.

3 To change the name of a path or subpath,

double-click directly on the Path Name, type a
new name for the path, and press Return.

4 Click OK.

Refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide (or
choose Help > Pro Tools Reference Guide)
for more information on renaming I/O
paths.

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.

Getting Started with Mbox24