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

Hard Drive Configuration and
Maintenance

Removing Pro Tools on Mac OS X

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.

If you are using an ATA/IDE or FireWire hard
drive, initialize your drive with the utility
named Disk Utility included with your Apple
System software.

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
drives results in lower track counts and fewer
plug-ins. You should record to system drives
only when necessary—for example, if your com­puter system has just one hard drive.

If you need to remove Pro Tools from your com­puter, you can use the Installer CD-ROM or the
downloaded Installer file.

To remove Pro Tools from your computer:

1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra-

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

2 Insert the Pro Tools 6.7 Installer CD-ROM in

your CD-ROM drive. Double-click “Install
Pro Tools LE” or “Install Pro Tools TDM,” as ap­propriate.

3 Enter your Administrator password and click

OK to authenticate the installation.

4 In the Installer window, choose Uninstall

from the pop-up menu, and click Uninstall.

5 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove

Pro Tools.

6 When finished, click Quit to close the Installer

window.

Chapter 3: Macintosh Configuration 25

Getting Started with Mbox26

chapter 4

Mbox Hardware and Connections

This chapter explains how to connect your Mbox for monitoring, playback and recording. If you are
new to working with digital audio workstations, first read through the Mbox Basics Guide for basic
setup information (such as connecting audio inputs, headphones, mics and instruments).

The following illustrations show two possible setups depending on the equipment in your studio.

monitor
outputs

mixer

S/PDIF
digital I/O

USB
cable

Mbox

FireWire
drive

headphones

computer

display

Figure 1. Mbox micro studio configuration running Pro Tools LE on a desktop computer

DAT or
CD recorder

instrument

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 27

powered speakers

microphone

FireWire
drive

USB
cable

Mbox

instrument

Laptop

laptop

Figure 2. Mbox micro studio configuration running Pro Tools LE on a laptop computer

headphones

Getting Started with Mbox28

Mbox Front Panel Features

48V LED

Source Selector

CH 1

Peak

Gain

Source
Selector

CH 2

Gain

S/PDIF
LED

Mix (Ratio)

Headphone
Gain

Headphone
Output

Figure 3. Mbox front panel

The Mbox front panel has the following fea­tures:

48V LED

LED

Peak
LED

USB
LED

Mono

About Phantom Power

Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure SM57)
do not require phantom power to operate, but
are not harmed by it. Most condenser micro­phones (like an AKG C3000) do require phan­tom power to operate.

Although phantom power can be used
safely with most microphones, it is possible
to damage some ribbon microphones with
it. Always turn off phantom power and
wait at least ten seconds before connecting
or disconnecting a ribbon microphone.

If you are not sure about the phantom power re­quirements for your microphone, consult your
microphone’s documentation or contact the
manufacturer.

Source Selector

These switches select among three types of in­puts:

• Mic (microphone) for XLR inputs

• Line for line level signals on TRS or TS in­puts

• Inst (instrument) for other 1/4-inch TRS or
TS connections

For more information, see “Analog Audio” on
page 34.

This LED, when lit, indicates that 48V phantom
power is active on the Mic/Line inputs. These
inputs provide phantom power for micro­phones that require it to operate. Phantom
power is activated by the switch labeled 48V on
the top of the back panel of Mbox.

Gain Controls

These knobs adjust the input gain levels of the
Mic/Line inputs.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 29

Peak LEDs

These LEDs are triggered just below analog clip­ping levels. In other words, if the Peak LEDs
flicker occasionally, the signal is approaching
clipping levels, but they do not necessarily indi­cate distortion or clipping.

To listen to just the Source input signal, turn the
Mix knob fully left to Input. To listen to
Pro Tools output only, turn the knob fully right
to Playback.

The output from the Mix control is routed di­rectly to the TRS line outputs, and is mirrored in
the Headphone ports and S/PDIF output ports.

USB LED

The USB LED indicates that the Mbox has re­ceived power from its USB connection. Once the
USB light is on, audio can pass in or out of the
system.

S/PDIF LED

This LED indicates that channels 1 and 2 are set
to receive digital input rather than analog input.
See “S/PDIF Digital I/O” on page 32.

Mix (Ratio) Control

Mbox gives you the ability to monitor your an­alog input signals while recording, without the
delay incurred by A/D/A converters and host­based processing.

This zero-latency analog monitoring is con­trolled with the Mix knob, which you can use to
blend and adjust the monitor ratio between
Mbox analog inputs and Pro Tools playback.
The Mix knob has no effect when you are using
S/PDIF digital inputs, since it controls the signal
before it reaches the A/D converters.

This ability to blend and control the relative lev­els of Pro Tools playback and latency-free live
analog inputs can be particularly effective when
overdubbing.

Mono Switch

The Mono switch sums the stereo signal to a
mono signal (delivering that identical signal to
both speakers). This has no effect on Pro Tools
playback monitoring or on the main outputs.
Switching your stereo signal to mono is useful
when you are recording a mono input while lis­tening to stereo playback, or for checking the
phase relationship of stereo inputs.

Monitoring while Overdubbing

By panning signals to the center, or using the
Mono switch, as opposed to panning them hard
left and right in the Headphone outputs, you
can create a more focused monitor mix to help
minimize distractions while overdubbing.

In situations where you are monitoring stereo
microphones, stereo synthesizers, or any source
pairs with a comfortable balance, you will prob­ably not want to use the Mono switch.

Getting Started with Mbox30

Checking Phase Relationships

The Mono switch can also be used for a quick
check of the phase relationship between
Channel 1 and Channel 2 inputs.

When the two input signals are out of phase,
pressing the Mono switch will result in a sudden
“hollow” sound that is the result of phase can­cellation. This quick test with the Mono switch
can help to avoid phase problems later when
mixing these tracks. Frequent checking of phase
relationships with the Mono switch can also as­sist you in finding the optimal microphone
placement.

Mbox Back Panel Features

back panel
Headphones
output

Line
outputs

48V

USB port

S/PDIF
digital I/O

Headphone Gain

The headphone gain control adjusts the output
level of the front and back Headphone ports,
which output the signal that is routed to Out­puts 1–2 in Pro Tools LE, and mirrors the Line
Outputs.

Front Panel Headphone Output

Use the front panel Headphone port to connect
stereo headphones with a 1/8-inch stereo mini
connector.

The front panel 1/8-inch Headphone port is dis­abled when a 1/4-inch stereo connector is in­serted into the back panel Headphone port.

Inserts

Source 2
(analog
input 2)

Source 1
(analog
input 1)

Figure 4. Mbox back panel

The Mbox back panel has the following features:

Back Panel Headphone Output

Use this Headphone Output to connect stereo
headphones with a 1/4-inch stereo connector.

When a 1/4-inch stereo connector is inserted
into the back panel Headphone port, the front
panel 1/8-inch Headphone port is disabled.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 31

48V Switch

Line Outputs

This button activates phantom power on the
Mic inputs for microphones that require it to
operate.

Be sure to check the 48V LED on the front
panel of Mbox before plugging in any mi­crophones. The 48V switch on the back is
located directly above the USB connector
and may be inadvertently activated when
connecting the USB Cable.

USB Port

This standard USB v1.1 connector is used to
connect your computer to the Mbox. One stan­dard USB cable is included with your system.

The Mbox is compatible with USB 2.0 ports.
However, the USB 2.0 bus will switch to the
slower USB v.1.1 speed to accommodate Mbox.

S/PDIF Digital I/O

The S/PDIF in and out ports are unbalanced two­conductor phono (RCA) connectors that utilize
a full 24-bit, two-channel digital data stream.

The Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format
(S/PDIF) is used in many professional and con­sumer CD recorders and DAT recorders. To
avoid RF interference, use 75-ohm coaxial cable
for S/PDIF transfers and keep the cable length to
a maximum of 10 meters.

These outputs support balanced TRS, or unbal­anced TS, 1/4-inch connections. To monitor
your mix, these outputs can be connected to a
mixing board, directly to a monitoring system
such as a stereo power amp, or another stereo
destination.

The Line Outputs 1 and 2 play the audio that is
routed to analog outputs 1 and 2 from within
Pro Tools, respectively. These analog outputs
feature 24-bit digital-to-analog converters.

Source 1 and 2

These balanced/unbalanced analog audio in­puts support a broad range of input levels, in­cluding microphone, instrument, or line-level
inputs. The ports accept XLR, TRS, or TS audio
input connectors. The input signal is adjusted
by the Gain control for each channel, in con­junction with the Source switch.

The XLR connectors only support micro­phone level inputs. If Line or Inst are cho­sen, the XLR portion of the port is ignored.
Likewise, if you choose Mic, the 1/4-inch
part of the connector is ignored.

Inserts 1 and 2

Mbox provides an insert point on each input
channel. These TRS ports send and return the
input channel’s signal directly after the pream­plifier, and before the A/D converter. This al­lows the insertion of analog processors such as

Getting Started with Mbox32

compressors or equalizers, which are typically
used as inserts on traditional analog recording
consoles. See “Using the Analog Inserts” on
page 34.

Do not plug instruments, speakers, or head­phones into the 1/4-inch jacks labelled “In­serts.” These are not inputs. They are spe­cial connectors for using an external effects
processor such as a compressor or EQ.

Mbox Line Outputs feature 24-bit digital-to-an­alog converters capable of maximum output of
+4 dBu/+2 dBV (balanced/unbalanced signal).
The connectors are TRS ports; unbalanced TS
connectors are also supported.

You cannot monitor Pro Tools audio
through speakers connected to your com­puter. To monitor audio, connect head­phones, powered speakers, or an external
amplifier to your Mbox.

Making Signal Connections to Mbox

Mbox can be used in a variety of audio setups.
This section describes how to make basic con­nections for:

• Monitoring

• Analog and digital input for recording

• Hardware Inserts

• Mixdown

Monitoring Audio

There are two Headphone ports, giving you a
choice between the back panel 1/4-inch TRS
port or the 1/8-inch mini port on the front
panel.

Mbox Line Outputs play the audio that is routed
in Pro Tools to Analog Outputs 1–2, and can
provide left and right outputs to a two-track
deck for mixdown, or to another stereo destina­tion.

To connect headphones:

• Connect headphones with an 1/8-inch stereo
mini connector (or an adapter) to the front
Headphone jack.

– or –

• Connect headphones with a 1/4-inch stereo
connector (or adapter) to the back Head­phone jack.

The front panel Headphone control adjusts
the volume level of both the front and back
Headphone jacks.

The Mbox Headphone output can produce
very loud output levels. Prolonged exposure
can cause hearing damage. Adjust head­phone volume carefully.

Only one Headphone output can be used at
a time. When headphones are connected to
both Headphone outputs, the front panel
Headphone output is muted.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 33

To connect to a home stereo:

■ Using 1/4-inch cables, connect the Line Out-

puts on the back panel of Mbox to the appropri­ate inputs on your stereo.

To connect an analog audio source:

1 Plug an XLR or TRS cable directly into

Mic/Line Input 1 or 2 on Mbox. These inputs ac­cept XLR connectors or TRS connectors.

Home stereo systems often use RCA connec­tors. You can use an adaptor or a special ca­ble to convert from the TRS or TS connectors
used by Mbox to the RCA connectors on
your home stereo.

To connect monitor speakers with a power amp or
self-powered monitor speakers:

■ Using 1/4-inch cables, connect the Line Out-

puts on the back of Mbox to the appropriate in­puts on your mixer, power amp, or powered
speakers.

Connecting Audio Sources to Mbox for Recording

Digital and analog audio sources can be con­nected directly to Mbox.

Analog Audio

Analog audio signals are output by micro­phones, synthesizers, mixers, and instruments
with magnetic pickups.

Of these sources, microphones and magnetic
pickup instruments output the quietest signals,
and generally require the most amplification.
Keyboards, preamps, and mixers output “line­level” audio, which varies with each device be­tween the –10 dBV and +4 dBu standards.

To accommodate these varying sources, Mbox
provides switchable line input types (and associ­ated impedances) with adjustable gain for each
input channel.

2 Step through choices by repeatedly pressing

each channel’s Source button until the LED cor­responding to your choice lights.

To activate phantom power:

■ If your microphone requires phantom power,

first make sure the microphone is connected,
then press the Phantom Power switch (labeled
48V).

Enabling phantom power enables 48V
through

both mic inputs.

Using the Analog Inserts

The analog input channels on Mbox each fea­ture a dedicated Tip Ring Sleeve (TRS) insert
point. These hardware inserts break the analog
input path before it is converted to a digital sig­nal and sent to Pro Tools. This is where you can
insert a compressor, equalizer, or other serial ef­fect into the analog signal path.

Because the inserts on Mbox are hardware
inserts that divert the signal path before it
reaches Pro Tools, they are
hardware inserts within Pro Tools. For more
information, see the Pro Tools Reference
Guide.

To insert a device you will need a TRS Insert ca­ble that has a TRS connector on one end, break­ing out to two unbalanced (T/S) Y-connectors.
The connector attached to the tip is the send,
and the connector attached to the ring is the re­turn.

not available as

Getting Started with Mbox34

To inser t a device in the signal path:

1 You will need a cable that breaks a TRS con-

nector on one end out to two unbalanced con­nectors. The type of unbalanced connector is
determined by the inputs of the device.

2 Locate the unbalanced connectors and deter-

mine which corresponds to tip, and which to
ring.

3 Connect the unbalanced connector that cor-

responds to tip to the input port of the device.

4 Connect the unbalanced connector that cor-

responds to ring to the output port of the de­vice.

To configure Mbox to record from a digital
source, choose Setups > Hardware Setup in
Pro Tools, then select S/PDIF in the Clock
Source and Ch 1–2 Input pop-up menus.

S/PDIF Mirroring

Pro Tools LE uses S/PDIF mirroring to automati­cally “mirror” the audio that is sent to Line Out­puts 1 and 2 on the S/PDIF RCA outputs. This is
useful, for example, if you are monitoring a mix
using your Line Outputs, and also recording the
same source to an external S/PDIF device.

5 Insert the TRS connector into an insert port

on Mbox.

Digital Audio

Mbox provides digital inputs and outputs for
S/PDIF format digital audio.

About S/PDIF

S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interchange For­mat) I/O is available on many DAT decks, com­pact disc players, and other digital devices. Each
S/PDIF connection provides two channels of
digital audio with 24-bit capability.

To connect a S/PDIF device to Mbox:

1 Use two 75-ohm coaxial cables with male RCA

connectors on both ends (purchased sepa­rately).

2 Connect the device’s S/PDIF output to Mbox’s

S/PDIF input port, and the device’s S/PDIF input
to Mbox’s S/PDIF output port.

Connecting a Recorder for Mixdowns

After you record and mix your sessions in
Pro Tools, you may want to mix them down to a
DAT, CD recorder, Mini-Disc, or other stereo 2­track recording device.

Connecting an Analog Deck

Connect the Line Outputs on the back of the
Mbox to your recorder’s analog inputs. Line
Outputs 1 and 2 should be routed to the left and
right inputs, respectively, on your recorder.
These outputs are TRS ports. You may need
adapter cables if your mixdown deck has RCA
inputs.

Connecting a Digital Deck

If you have a CD recorder, DAT deck or other de­vice that accepts S/PDIF connections, connect it
to the S/PDIF In and S/PDIF Out RCA ports on
the back of Mbox.

When recording from Pro Tools to a digital
device, make sure Pro Tools is in Internal
clock mode.

Chapter 4: Mbox Hardware and Connections 35

MIDI Connections

By adding a compatible MIDI interface to your
system, you can take advantage of all the MIDI
features of Pro Tools LE, including recording
and editing MIDI tracks.

See the Mbox Basics Guide for information
on basic MIDI concepts.

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.

See Appendix E, “Configuring Midi Studio
Setup (Windows Only)” or

“Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)”

detailed information on how to identify ex­ternal MIDI devices connected to your MIDI
interface and configure your MIDI studio
for use with Pro Tools.

Appendix F,

for

4 Connect the MIDI IN of your MIDI device or

controller to the MIDI OUT of your MIDI inter­face.

MIDI is not audio. To hear the output of
your MIDI devices within Pro Tools, you
must route the audio output of your MIDI
device into your Mbox inputs, and monitor
or record the audio into your session. See
“Making Signal Connections to Mbox” on
page 33.

To connect MIDI devices to your system:

1 Connect the MIDI interface to your computer

according to the MIDI interface’s documenta­tion.

2 Install any MIDI driver software required by

the MIDI interface. (Once you have installed
your MIDI interface hardware and software,
confirm that it is working properly using the
procedure given in the interface’s documenta­tion.)

3 Connect the MIDI OUT of your MIDI device

or controller to the MIDI IN of your MIDI inter­face.

Getting Started with Mbox36

chapter 5

Working with Pro Tools LE

This tutorial of Pro Tools LE software introduces
its main windows and features, and also in­cludes a step-by-step overview of audio record­ing (see “Basic Recording” on page 49).

All features described in this chapter are ex­plained fully in the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

You can view an electronic PDF version of the
Reference Guide by choosing it from the
Pro Tools menu.

Session Basics

Pro Tools LE projects are created and saved as
sessions. Sessions store all tracks, audio, MIDI,
and other session information. Audio and fade
files are stored in folders within the session
folder.

Starting a Session

To create a new session:

1 Launch Pro Tools LE.

2 Choose File > New Session.

3 In the New Session dialog, set the sample rate,

bit depth, and other options for the new session.

New Session dialog

4 Select where you want to save your session. If

you are using external hard drives with your
Pro Tools system, make sure you select the ap­propriate drive in the New Session dialog.

Session file, Audio Files and Fade Files folders

5 Type a name for your session.

6 Click Save. The new session opens its Mix,

Edit, and Transport windows (see Figure 5 on
page 38).

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 37

Main Windows

The Mix, Edit, and Transport windows are the
main Pro Tools work areas. You can show any of
these windows by choosing them from the Win­dows menu.

Press Control+Equals (=) in Windows or
Command+Equals (=) on Macintosh to
switch between the Edit and Mix windows.

Mix Window Displays the Pro Tools mixer, with
its familiar fader strip controls for volume, pan,
solo, mute, and signal routing.

Workspace The Workspace browser is a Digi­Base feature available in Pro Tools 6 and higher.
For more information see the DigiBase Guide.

Rulers

Pro Tools LE provides several different rulers to
select as the timebase for your session.

Timebase Rulers, displayed along the top of the
Edit window, include Bars:Beats, Minutes:Sec-
onds, and Samples. The current timebase deter­mines the format of the Main counter, and pro­vides the basis for the Edit window Grid.

Edit Window Displays tracks in the session along
the Timeline, for editing of audio, MIDI, and au­tomation data.

Transport Provides standard transport controls
for Play, Stop, Rewind, Fast-Forward, Pause, and
Record. The Transport window can also show
Counter and MIDI Control displays.

Edit window

Rulers

Tracks

Transport window

Main Counter

To select a Timebase Ruler:

■ Click the name of the ruler at the top left side

of the Edit window (Bars:Beats, Minutes:Sec­onds, or Samples).

Mix window

Main Counter

Tracks

Figure 5. Main session windows

Getting Started with Mbox38

Setting a Tempo

Using the Click Plug-In

You can set the tempo for your session by using
the Song Start Marker, located in the Tempo
Ruler.

To set the session tempo with the Song Star t
Marker:

1 In the Tempo Ruler, double-click the Song

Start Marker.

Song Start
marker

Song Start marker

2 In the Tempo Change dialog, enter the BPM

(beats per minute) value you will use for the ses­sion (so the inserted tempo event replaces the
default tempo).

The Click plug-in creates an audio click during
session playback. This works like a metronome
that you can use as a tempo reference when per­forming and recording.

The Click plug-in is synchronized to the tempo
and meter of the Pro Tools session, and follows
any changes in tempo and meter.

The Click plug-in is one of many plug-ins
that can be inserted on a Pro Tools track.
See “Plug-Ins” on page 57.

Click plug-in

Click Parameters

Change Tempo dialog

3 To base the BPM value on a different note

value (such as an eighth-note rather than the
default quarter-note), select a note value in the
Resolution section.

4 Click OK.

MIDI In LED Illuminates each time the Click

plug-in receives a click message from the
Pro Tools application, indicating the tempo.

Accented Controls the output level of the ac­cent beat (beat 1 of each bar) of the audio click.

Unaccented Controls the output level of the un­accented beats of the audio click.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 39

To use the Click plug-in:

1 Choose MIDI > Click to enable the Click op-

tion.

– or –

Select the Click button in the Transport win­dow.

Click button

Click and Tempo Controls in the Transport window

2 Create a mono Auxiliary Input (Aux Input)

track.

3 Insert a Click plug-in on the Auxiliary Input

track.

4 In the Click plug-in window, choose a click

sound from the Librarian pop-up menu (this
menu displays “factory default” when you first
insert the plug-in).

5 Choose MIDI > Click Options and set the

Click and Countoff options as desired. (Click
OK to apply these options.)

The Note, Velocity, Duration, and Output
options in this dialog are for use with MIDI
instrument-based clicks and do not affect
the Click plug-in.

Refer to the Pro Tools

more

information on configuring Click op-

Reference Guide for

tions.

6 Begin playback. A click is generated according

to the tempo and meter of the current session
and the settings in the Click Options dialog.

Using an External MIDI Click

Pro Tools also provides a MIDI Click option that
lets you use an external MIDI device to play a
click. This feature can be turned on and off in
the Transport window, and is configured from
the MIDI Click Options dialog.

To configure and enable an external MIDI click:

1 Choose MIDI > Click Options.

Click/Countoff Options dialog

2 Configure the click parameters as needed for

your MIDI sound source.

See Appendix E, “Configuring Midi Studio
Setup (Windows Only)” or Appendix F,
“Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only).” for
detailed information on how to identify ex­ternal MIDI devices connected to your MIDI
interface and configure your MIDI studio
for use with Pro Tools.

3 Select the desired MIDI sound source from the

Output pop-up menu and click OK.

Getting Started with Mbox40

4 During recording or playback, you can turn

the Click on or off with the Click button in the
MIDI Controls display of the Transport window.

Click button

Tempo Controls

System Resources and Settings

You can change specific Pro Tools system set­tings to optimize system performance.

Playback Engine Dialog

The Playback Engine dialog lets you adjust sys­tem buffer sizes and allocate CPU processing
power to Pro Tools.

Click and Tempo Controls in the Transport window

Saving Sessions

As you build a session by adding tracks and
changing session controls, you will want to save
your work. Pro Tools provides three ways to save
sessions.

To save a session:

■ Choose File > Save Session, Save Session As, or

Save a Session Copy In.

Save Session Saves the currently open session
file, leaving it open for you to continue work­ing.

Save Session As Creates a duplicate session file
with the name you choose, and leaves the dupli­cate open for you to continue working. It does
not create a new Audio Files or Fade Files folder.
This can be useful if you want to experiment
with different arrangements in the session with­out affecting the original session.

Save Session Copy In Saves copies of the session
file and the files that you are using in the cur­rent session. This can be useful for creating a fi­nal copy of the session that does not include au­dio files or fades you are no longer using.

To configure system resources:

■ Choose Setups > Playback Engine.

For Windows systems, see Chapter 2,
“Windows Configuration.” For Macintosh
systems, see Chapter 3, “Macintosh Con­figuration.”

System Usage Window

The System Usage window displays approxi­mate information on CPU load, DSP usage, and
(on Macintosh systems only) overall disk perfor­mance, so you can gauge your system’s process­ing capacity.

Meters in the System Usage window

To view system resources and usage:

■ Choose Windows > Show System Usage.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 41

Transport Controls

The Transport window provides access to all
Pro Tools LE transport commands. Different
transport controls can be displayed or hidden in
this window.

To show the Transport window:

■ Choose Window > Show Transport Window.

The Transport window can also display a Master
Counter, as well as the following MIDI controls:
Wait for Note, Click, Countoff, MIDI Merge,
Conductor, Meter, and Tempo.

Click

Wait for Note

Countoff

MIDI Merge

Return To Zero

Online

Rewind

Stop

Play

Fast Forward

Go to End

Record

Transport window (Expanded view shown)

To configure the Transport window:

■ Choose Display > Transport Window Shows

and select view options.

The Transport window provides Play, Stop, and
other standard transport controls.

The Expanded view of the Transport window
provides pre- and post-roll, start, end, and
length indicators for Timeline selection, as well
as the Transport Master selector.

Tempo Controls

Meters

Conductor

Transport window (MIDI Controls)

To star t and stop playback:

1 Click Play in the Transport window to begin

playback.

2 Click Stop in the Transport window to stop

playback.

Press the Spacebar on your computer key­board to start and stop playback.

Pro Tools LE starts playing from the loca­tion of the cursor, or from the beginning of
the current selection. The current setting of
the Link Edit and Timeline Selection com­mand in the Operations menu also affects
playback. See the Pro Tools Reference Guide
for more information.

Getting Started with Mbox42

Tracks

Pro Tools LE lets you create audio and MIDI
tracks for audio and MIDI recording, submixing,
routing, automating, and editing.

Pro Tools provides four types of tracks: audio
tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master Faders, and
MIDI tracks. Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and
Master Faders can be mono or stereo.

Audio Tracks Record and play back audio to and
from hard disk, monitor audio input when
record-enabled, and edit audio regions

Auxiliary Inputs Audio mixer channels, used for
input, routing, and submixing

Master Faders Provide master channel controls
and options for any output or bus path

Track type is indicated by the Track Type icons
just below the faders.

MIDI Tracks Record, play back, and edit MIDI
data

To create a new track:

1 Choose File > New Track.

New Track dialog

2 Specify the number of tracks, track type, and

mono or stereo (for all types except MIDI).

3 Click Create.

In the Mix window, audio tracks, Auxiliary In­puts, Master Faders, and MIDI tracks appear as
vertical channel strips.

Audio
track

Aux
Input

MIDI
track

Master
Fader

Tracks in the Mix window

In the Edit window, tracks are displayed hori­zontally along the Timeline. The area in which
audio appears for each track is the Playlist.

Timeline

Rulers View

Audio Track

Timeline Rulers and a stereo audio track in the Edit
window

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 43

Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, Master Faders,
and MIDI tracks can be automated.

Inserts

Sends

Input
Output
Automation mode

Pan sliders

Record

Enable

Solo

Volume

fader

Voice Selector

Color Bar

Figure 6. Stereo audio track in the Mix window

Mute

Open Output window

Clipping indicator
(lights red)

Level meter

Group enable
Track Type icon

Volume
Track name

Track comment area

Audio Tracks

Audio tracks, Auxiliary Inputs, and Master Fad­ers share many identical controls. Master Faders
provide all the same features as audio tracks and
Auxiliary Inputs, with the following exceptions:

Inserts Inserts on Master Faders are post-fader
only. (Audio track and Aux input track inserts
are all pre-fader.)

Sends Master Faders do not provide sends. To
send an output to another destination, use an
Auxiliary Input.

MIDI Tracks

MIDI tracks provide volume, solo, and mute, in
addition to MIDI input, output, channel, and
program (patch) controls. MIDI volume, mute,
and pan can also be automated using Pro Tools
automation features (see “Mix Automation” on
page 58 for more information).

Regions Lists

A region is a piece of audio or MIDI data that can
also have associated automation data. For exam­ple, a region could be a loop, a guitar riff, a verse
of a song, a sound effect, a piece of dialog, or an
entire sound file. In Pro Tools, regions are cre­ated from audio or MIDI files, and can be ar­ranged in audio and MIDI track playlists.

All regions that are recorded, imported, or cre­ated by editing appear in the Audio and MIDI
Regions Lists. Regions can be dragged from ei­ther list to tracks and arranged in any order. Au­dio regions can also be auditioned from the Re­gions Lists by Option-clicking the audio region
name. The Regions List pop-up menus provide
features for managing regions and files (such as
sorting, selecting, importing, or exporting files).

Input Selector A Master Fader’s output assign­ment determines its input, or source (always
outputs 1–2).

Getting Started with Mbox44

Drag border to resize
width of Regions Lists

Click Audio Regions
for pop-up menus

Drag border to
resize height of
Regions Lists

3 Click in a track or Timebase Ruler. The cursor

appears at the selected location and the
counters display the current time location.

Click in a track or on a Timebase Ruler

Click MIDI Regions
for pop-up menus

Click to hide Regions Lists

Audio and MIDI Regions Lists

For more information on Regions Lists, refer
to the Pro Tools Reference Guide or the

DigiBase Guide.

Navigating in a Session

Pro Tools LE provides many ways to navigate in
a session, including using the mouse or entering
a memory location into one of the counters.

To navigate to a location in the Edit window:

1 In the Operations menu, make sure Link Edit

and Timeline Selection option is enabled.

2 Enable the Selector tool at the top of the Edit

window by clicking it.

Selector tool

Clicking with the Selector in the Edit window

To navigate using the counters:

1 Click in the Main counter and enter a location

using your computer keyboard.

2 Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh).

Navigating with the Counter

Press the * (asterisk) key on the numeric
keypad as an alternative to clicking in the
counter. (The cursor will always appear in
the Transport window’s Main Counter if it
is displayed.)

Edit tools in Edit window

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 45

Memory Locations

Memory Locations provide another way to nav­igate within sessions. Memory Locations appear
as markers under the Timebase Rulers.

To go to a stored memor y location:

1 Choose Windows > Show Memory Locations.

2 In the Memory Locations window, click the

name of the memory location.

To define a memor y location:

1 Navigate to the location at which you want to

store a marker or memory location.

– or –

Begin playback.

2 Press Enter on the numeric keypad while

stopped or during playback (or click the Markers
icon).

In the New Memory Location window, you can
define a marker, store a selection, or store any
combination of the other available settings.
These settings include track height, group en­ables, pre- and post-roll values, and track
Show/Hide status.

3 Choose settings for the memory location and

click OK.

Viewing and Zooming

When viewing tracks in the Edit window, you
can adjust the height of tracks as well as zoom in
vertically and horizontally using the Track
Height selector and Zoom tools.

Zoom buttons

Zoom presets

Track Height Selector

Zoom and Track Height tools in the Edit window

Zoomer

New Memory Location window

Getting Started with Mbox46

To change track height:

■ Click the Track Height Selector, and select a

track height from the pop-up menu.

You can apply many commands, including
track height selection, to more than just a
single track. Hold down the Alt key (Win­dows) or Option key (Macintosh) while per­forming an operation to apply it to all
tracks. Hold down both the Shift and Alt
keys (Windows) or Shift and Option keys
(Macintosh) while performing an operation
to apply it to all selected tracks.

To zoom in or out on any area of a track in the Edit
window:

1 Click to select the Zoomer.

2 Click or drag with the Zoomer to zoom in hor-

izontally for a track or Ruler.

– or –

Press Option and click or drag with the Zoomer
to zoom out horizontally for a track or Ruler.

To zoom in or out incrementally:

■ In Pro Tools, click the appropriate Zoom but-

ton:

• Left Arrow (Horizontal Zoom Out)

• Right Arrow (Horizontal Zoom In)

•Waveform and MIDI buttons, to increase or
decrease vertical zoom of the appropriate
track type (audio or MIDI)

Pro Tools also provides five Zoom preset but­tons. You can use these to immediately return to
established zoom levels; you can define the
magnification level for each preset, on a session­by-session basis.

To use a stored Zoom preset:

■ Click the appropriate Zoom preset 1–5.

To store a new Zoom preset definition:

■ Command-click a Zoom preset number to

store the current horizontal and vertical Zoom
to that preset.

Using Memory Locations for Zoom Control

Pro Tools Memory Locations let you store many
attributes with each marker or memory loca­tion, including Track Height and Zoom Settings.
By creating Memory Locations that are neither
Markers nor Selections, but have Track Height,
Zoom Settings, or other options enabled, you
can use Memory Locations to zoom in and out
using just the numeric keypad.

For more information on creating memory
locations, see “Memory Locations” on
page 46.

Importing Audio

Pro Tools LE lets you import existing audio files
from disk. This is very useful if you have audio
files already recorded to disk or if you are work­ing with CD-based sample libraries that you
want to use in a new session.

To impor t audio files or regions from disk:

■ Choose File > Import Audio to Track to import

files and regions to new audio tracks (they will
also appear as regions in the Audio Regions List).

– or –

■ Choose Import Audio from the Audio Regions

List pop-up menu to import files and regions to
the Audio Regions List only.

For more information on importing audio
into sessions, refer to the Pro Tools Refer­ence Guide.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 47

To impor t a CD audio track:

1 Put the source CD into your computer’s CD

drive.

2 Use a third party software program of your

choice to extract audio from the CD.

3 In the session, create a new track by choosing

File > New Track.

Creating a new stereo audio track

4 In the New Track dialog, specify 1 Stereo Au-

dio Track, and click Create.

5 Open the Workspace Browser by choosing

Windows > Show Workspace. The Workspace
Browser is a window where you can find, audi­tion, and manage your audio files.

7 You can audition the audio file by clicking on

the speaker icon in the waveform window.

Auditioning an audio file in the Workspace Browser

8 Drag the audio file from the Workspace

Browser to the audio track you created in your
session.

Opening the Workspace Browser

6 In the Workspace Browser, navigate to the lo-

cation where you saved the audio you extracted
from your CD in step 2.

Browsing in the Workspace Browser

Getting Started with Mbox48

Dragging the audio file from the Workspace Browser to
an audio track

If you are running Pro Tools on Mac OS X,
you can import audio using the Movie > Im­port Audio From Other Movie command.
For more information, see the Pro Tools Ref­erence Guide.

DigiBase provides additional options for
importing audio. See the DigiBase Guide for
more information.

Basic Recording

This section describes how to record audio and
MIDI into Pro Tools LE.

Preparing for Recording

To prepare an audio track for recording:

1 Verify the connections to your instruments.

For more information about connecting in­struments to Mbox, refer to Chapter 4,
“Mbox Hardware and Connections” as well
as the Mbox Basics Guide.

2 Create a new track to record on by choosing

File > New Track. Specify 1 Mono Audio Track
and click Create.

3 In the Mix window, click the Input Selector on

the new track.

Input selector

5 Use the Gain controls on Mbox to maximize

the signal going into Pro Tools while avoiding
clipping.

Clipping occurs when you feed a signal to
an audio device that is louder than the cir­cuitry can accept. To avoid clipping, adjust
the Gain control to a level where the Peak
LEDs on the front of the Mbox flicker occa­sionally.

6 On the front of the Mbox, turn the Mix knob

fully left to Input. To hear an equal mix of play­back and input signals, turn the Mix knob to the
center. See Mbox Basics Guide for more informa­tion on using the Mix knob during recording.

Recording an Audio Track

To record an audio track:

1 Assign the input for a track and set its input

levels appropriately.

2 Click the Record Enable button for a track.

(See Figure 6 on page 44).

Choosing an input in the Mix window

4 From the pop-up menu, select the interface in-

put you want to record. For example, select
Mic/Line 1 if your audio source is plugged into
the Source 1 jack on the back of the Mbox.

Routing an input to a mono track

3 Choose Windows > Show Transport to display

the Transport window.

Return To Zero

Rewind

Online

Transport window (Expanded view shown)

Stop

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 49

Play

Fast Forward

Go to End

Record

4 Click Return To Zero to start recording from

the beginning of the session. You can also record
according to a selection or from the cursor loca­tion in the Edit window.

5 Click Record in the Transport window to en-

able recording.

6 Click Play or press the Spacebar to record on

all record-enabled tracks.

7 Record your performance.

8 Click Stop in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar when you are finished recording.

To play back a recorded track:

1 Click the track’s Record Enable button a sec-

ond time to take it out of Record mode.

2 Click Play in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar to start playback.

3 Click Stop in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar to stop playback.

Recording MIDI

To configure a MIDI track for recording:

1 For Macintosh systems, choose MIDI > Input

Devices and make sure your input device is se­lected in the MIDI Input Enable window. Click
OK to apply your changes.

2 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 MIDI

Track, then click Create.

3 In the Mix window, click the track’s MIDI Out-

put Selector and choose the destination (assign­ment) for that MIDI track by choosing a MIDI
interface port, a channel, or a device from the
pop-up menu. Choices vary depending on the
operating system, Pro Tools version, and the
hardware and instruments you have connected.

MIDI Output Selector

4 You can assign a default program change to

the track by clicking on the Program button in
the Mix window and making the necessary se­lections for program and bank select, and then
clicking Done. Default program changes are
sent when playing a track.

5 In the Mix Window, record-enable the MIDI

track.

6 Make sure MIDI > MIDI Thru is selected, then

play some notes on your MIDI controller. The
MIDI instrument assigned to the track should
sound, and the track’s meters should register
MIDI activity.

Getting Started with Mbox50

To record onto a MIDI track:

1 Verify that the MIDI track you want to record

to is record-enabled and receiving MIDI.

2 In the Transport window, click Return To Zero

to start recording from the beginning of the ses­sion. You can also record according to a selec­tion or from the cursor location in the Edit
window.

3 Click Record in the Transport window.

4 Click Play in the Transport window or press

the Spacebar to begin recording.

– or –

If using Wait for Note, the Play, Record, and
Wait for Note buttons flash. Recording begins
when the first MIDI event is received.

– or –

If using Countoff, click Play. The Record and
Play buttons flash during the Countoff, then re­cording begins.

Monitoring MIDI Instruments Without a Mixer

To monitor your MIDI instrument’s analog out­put, you can use an Auxiliary Input. Auxiliary
Inputs function as inputs for both internally
bussed signals and external audio sources.

To configure an Auxiliar y Input for MIDI
monitoring:

1 Connect the MIDI instrument’s audio output

to the appropriate inputs on your Mbox.

2 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 mono

or stereo Auxiliary Input, then click Create.

3 Click the Input selector of the Auxiliary Input

channel and choose the input to which your
MIDI instrument is connected.

4 Adjust the level of the Auxiliary Input with its

volume fader.

Editing

5 Play your MIDI instrument.

6 When you have finished recording, click Stop

in the Transport window, or press the Spacebar.
The newly recorded MIDI data appears as a MIDI
region on the track in the Edit window, as well
as in the MIDI Regions List.

To play back a recorded MIDI track:

1 Click the Record Enable button to take the

MIDI track out of Record mode.

2 In the Transport window, click Return To Zero

to play back from the beginning of the track.
You can also play back according to a selection
or from the cursor location in the Edit window.

3 Click Play in the Transport window to begin

playback. The recorded MIDI data plays back
through the track’s assigned instrument and
channel.

Pro Tools LE provides several tools for editing
audio and MIDI. In the Edit window, audio and
MIDI tracks can be edited into regions or re­peated in different locations, to create loops, re­arrange sections or entire songs, or to assemble
tracks using material from multiple takes.

Edit Modes

Edit modes and tools (Slip mode, Smart Tool enabled)

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 51

Edit Tools

Audio and MIDI editing are typically used to:

• Fix or replace mistakes

• Re-arrange songs and projects

• Clean up track timing and rhythm by
aligning hits to Grid values like bars and
beats

• Create final tracks using selections from
multiple takes (also known as comp tracks).

Edit Tools

Pro Tools LE has seven Edit tools: Zoomer, Trim­mer, Selector, Grabber, Scrubber, Pencil, and
Smart Tool. Select an Edit tool by clicking it in
the Edit window. The Zoomer, Trimmer, Grab­ber, and Pencil tools have multiple modes,
which you can select from a pop-up menu when
you click the tool.

Edit Modes

Pro Tools LE has four Edit modes: Shuffle, Spot,
Slip, and Grid. The Edit mode is selected by
clicking the corresponding button in the upper
left of the Edit window.

Edit mode buttons

Press F1 (Shuffle), F2 (Slip), F3 (Spot), and
F4 (Grid) to set the Edit mode.

The Edit mode affects the movement and place­ment of audio and MIDI regions (and individual
MIDI notes), how commands like Copy and
Paste function, and also how the various edit
tools (Trimmer, Selector, Grabber, and Pencil)
work.

For detailed descriptions of Edit modes, re­fer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Trimmer

Zoomer

Edit tools in Edit window

Selector

Smart Tool

Grabber

Scrubber

Pencil

Press the Escape key to toggle through the
Edit tools.

For detailed descriptions of the Edit Tools,
refer to the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Editing Regions

The Edit tools in Pro Tools LE are used to edit re­gions in the Edit window.

Audio region

Getting Started with Mbox52

Trimming Regions

After recording an audio track, you will have an
audio region on that track. If there is some si­lence at the beginning of the region, or there is
some extra audio at the end of the region, you
can use the Trimmer tool in Slip mode to
shorten the beginning or end of the region.

Audio region on a track

6 Click at the end of the region and drag left to

shorten the region.

The trimmed region

You can also extend a region using the Trimmer
tool if there is audio data beyond the current
boundaries of the region. If extending the re­gion’s beginning, drag to the left; if extending
the region’s end, drag to the right.

To trim an audio region:

1 Select Slip mode.

2 Select the Trimmer tool.

3 Move the cursor near the beginning of the au-

dio region (notice the cursor displays as a “[”).

Trimming the beginning of a region

4 Click at the beginning of the region and drag

right to shorten the region.

5 Move the cursor near the end of the audio re-

gion (notice the cursor displays as a “]”).

Trimming the end of a region

Arranging Regions

There are many ways to edit and arrange re­gions; the following example demonstrates how
you might create and arrange a drum loop to
compose a rhythm track.

To create and arrange a rhythm sequence:

1 Open or create a session in Pro Tools LE.

2 Specify the session meter (MIDI > Change

Meter) and tempo (MIDI > Change Tempo).

3 Select Grid mode.

4 Prepare to record using a MIDI click (see “Us-

ing the Click Plug-In” on page 39 or “Using an
External MIDI Click” on page 40).

5 Record a drum track (see “Recording an Audio

Track” on page 49) keeping in mind that you
want to use only the best bar (measure). Your re­cording should fit the grid at the specified
tempo and meter.

– or –

Import an existing audio file, such as a drum
loop from a sample library, and place it on an
audio track (see “Importing Audio” on page 47).

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 53

6 Click the Selector tool, and drag on the wave-

form with the Selector to make a one-bar selec­tion. Note that the selection snaps to the
specified grid.

Making a selection in Grid mode

7 Create a new audio track (File > New Track).

8 From the Grabber pop-up menu, select the

Separation Grabber tool.

9 With the Separation Grabber tool, drag the se-

lection to the beginning of the new audio track.
A new region is created and appears at the be­ginning of the new track.

could separate beats or “hits” into individual re­gions and rearrange them in Grid or Shuffle
mode as a way of coming up with new and in­teresting rhythms.

Playlists and Nondestructive Editing

Playlists let you create and retrieve multiple ver­sions of track edits. A playlist can be a complete
take, an overdub, or an arrangement of selec­tions from multiple takes. You can duplicate
playlists to save edits in their current state, then
continue making additional edits to the new
playlist knowing you can always go back to the
previous version.

To create multiple playlists for editing:

1 Start with a track on which you want to try

different edits.

2 From the Playlist Selector pop-up menu,

choose Duplicate.

Dragging a selection with the Separation Grabber tool

10 With the new region still selected, choose

Edit > Repeat.

Repeat dialog

11 In the Repeat dialog, enter a number of re-

peats, and click OK.

You now have a new rhythm track with a
“looped” (repeated) phrase. You can use these
editing tools to do much more advanced and in­volved editing of regions. For example, you

Getting Started with Mbox54

Playlist Selector
pop-up menu

Playlist Selector pop-up menu

3 Name the duplicated playlist and click OK.

4 Make your first series of edits.

5 Return to the original playlist by selecting it

from the Playlist Selector pop-up menu.

6 Repeat steps 2–5 for any further edits.

In this way, you can try out different edits of a
track, and switch back and forth between playl­ists for comparison.

Mixing

The Pro Tools mix environment provides many
familiar channel strip controls for setting vol­ume, pan, solo, and mute. Mixer and I/O con­trols can be shown in both the Mix and Edit
windows.

To view the Mix window:

■ Select Windows > Show Mix.

Press Control+Equals (=) in Windows or
Command+Equals (=) on Macintosh to
switch between the Edit and Mix windows.

Using Channel Strip Controls

Volume Increase or decrease the track level by

dragging its Volume fader up or down.

Pan Pan a track left or right in the mix by drag­ging its Pan slider left or right.

Solo Solo a track (muting all other tracks) by
clicking its Solo button.

Mute Mute a track by clicking its Mute button.

Send and Return Submixing for Effects Processing

When you are submixing for reverb, delay, and
similar effects processing, you can use sends and
Auxiliary Inputs to achieve traditional send/re­turn bussing. You can use a real-time plug-in
(see “Plug-Ins” on page 57) as a shared resource
for all tracks included in a submix. The wet/dry
balance in the mix can be controlled using the
track faders (dry level) and Auxiliary Input fader
(wet, or effect return level).

Creating a Send

Pro Tools LE provides up to five sends per audio
track. A send can be mono or stereo, routing to
an output or one of 16 internal bus paths.

To assign a send on a track:

1 Make sure Sends View is enabled in the Mix

window (Display > Mix Window Shows > Sends
View).

2 Click the Sends button on an audio track and

choose a path from the pop-up menu.

Basic Signal Routing

Signal routing is accomplished by assigning
track inputs and outputs. Audio track inputs can
be from any hardware input or bus path. Once
recorded, an audio track’s input is its audio file
on disk. Auxiliary Inputs can be any hardware
input or internal bus path. For all types of audio
tracks, outputs can be routed to any hardware
output or internal bus path.

Together, these signal routing features let you
set up virtually any mixer architecture for your
projects, including sends and returns for effects
processing and submixing.

Assigning a send to a stereo bus path

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 55

3 Set the output level of the send. You can set

the send level to zero by Option-clicking the
send fader.

2 Click the Input Selector of the Auxiliary Input

and set it to the bus path you assigned to the
sends on the source tracks.

You can configure the default level for new
sends to be

–∞ or at unity gain (0 dB) by

enabling or disabling the Sends Default To
“–INF” option under the Operation
Preferences.

Creating a Return

Auxiliary Inputs can be created to act as return
channels for busses, as well as for inputs from
hardware sources.

Send window

Send
to bus 5–6

Real-time plug-in

3 Click the Output Selector of the Auxiliary In-

put and choose an output path.

Master Faders

Master Faders are used as output and bus mas­ters, and can control any mono or stereo output
or bus path in a session. You can then use the
controls on the Master Fader to control the vol­ume, solo and mute, or apply inserts to those
paths.

When you are mastering your final mix, it is rec­ommended that you use a dither plug-in on the
Master Fader controlling your main outputs (for
more information on dither, see the Pro Tools
Reference Guide).

Dither plug-in applied to final mix

main mix

Output assigned to control

Aux Input
input from bus 5–6

Audio and Auxiliary Input tracks configured for a send
and return

To create a return:

1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 mono

or stereo Auxiliary Input, then click Create.

Getting Started with Mbox56

Master Fader controlling main outputs

To create a Master Fader:

1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 mono

or stereo Master Fader track, then click Create.

2 In the Mix window, click the Master Fader’s

Output Selector and choose the output path
that you want to control. You can choose either
outputs or internal busses.

To use a Master Fader as a master stereo volume
control for all tracks in a session:

1 Choose File > New Track and specify 1 stereo

Master Fader track, then click Create.

2 Set the outputs of all audio tracks in the ses-

sion to outputs 1–2 and set the panning of each
track.

3 Set the output of the Master Fader to your

main output path (outputs 1–2).

Real-time plug-ins are assigned to tracks from
the Inserts view in the Mix or Edit windows.
Once assigned to a track, plug-ins appear in the
track’s Inserts view, and can be opened by click­ing the Insert button.

Plug-In windowInsert button

Compressor plug-in

Plug-Ins

Plug-ins provide EQ, dynamics, delay, and
many other types of effects processing, and
function either in real time or in non-real time.

RTAS plug-ins are nondestructive effects, which
are inserted on tracks to process audio in real
time—just like an external hardware processor
(during playback).

AudioSuite plug-ins are used to process and
modify audio files on disk, rather than non­destructively in real time. Depending on how
you configure a non-real-time AudioSuite plug­in, it will either create an entirely new audio file,
or alter the original source audio file.

To inser t a real-time plug-in on a track:

1 Make sure the Inserts View is shown in the

Mix or Edit window.

2 Click the Insert Selector on the track and se-

lect the plug-in that you want to use.

Pro Tools comes with a complete set of DigiRack
plug-ins, and many more are available from
Digidesign and our Development Partners.

For more information about plug-ins, see
the DigiRack Plug-Ins Guide, the Digide­sign Plug-Ins Guide, and the Plug-Ins chap­ter of the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 57

Mix Automation

Mix automation lets you record, or automate,
changes to track and send levels, mutes, pan,
and plug-in parameters. MIDI tracks provide
volume, pan, and mute automation only.

Once written, automation can be re-written or
displayed and edited graphically in the Edit win­dow.

To write automation:

1 In the Automation Enable window

(Windows > Show Automation Enable), enable
an automation type (volume, pan, mute, send
level, send pan, send mute, or any plug-in auto­mation).

2 Select an automation mode for the tracks to be

automated (Write, Touch, or Latch mode).

3 Start playback and begin writing automation

by adjusting faders and other controls during
playback. Pro Tools LE remembers all moves
performed on enabled parameters.

Enabling automation (left) and choosing a track
Automation mode (right)

Track view set to Volume

Volume breakpoint automation

Volume automation in a track in the Edit window

For more information on using automation,
see the

Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Final Mixdown

The Bounce to Disk command lets you write a fi­nal mix to disk, create a new loop, print effects,
or bounce any submix. Once you have bounced
your final mix to disk, you can use another pro­gram to burn the resulting file to compact disc.

When you bounce a track to disk, the bounced
mix includes the following:

Audible Tracks All audible tracks are included in
the bounce. Any muted tracks do not appear in
the bounce. If you solo a track or region, only
the soloed elements appear in the bounced mix.

Automation All read-enabled automation is
played back and incorporated in the bounced
mix.

Inserts and Sends All active inserts, including
real-time plug-ins and hardware inserts, are ap­plied to the bounced mix.

Getting Started with Mbox58

Selection or Track Length If you make a selec­tion in a track, the bounced mix will be the
length of the selection. If there is no selection in
any track, the bounce will continue until it
reaches the end of the session.

To Bounce to Disk:

1 Choose File > Bounce to Disk.

2 Select any mono or stereo output or bus path

as the source for the bounce.

3 Select the File Type (such as WAV), Format

(such as mono or stereo), Resolution (such as 16­bit), and Sample Rate (such as 44.1 kHz).

To create a mixdown that can be written to
an audio CD, be sure to select WAV, stereo
interleaved, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz.

4 Click Bounce.

Using Dither on Mixdown

You should use a dither plug-in when using the
Bounce To Disk command, or when mastering
to an external device. Bounce to Disk does not
automatically apply dither. To dither a bounce
file, insert an included Digidesign Dither plug­in, or another dither plug-in, on a Master Fader
assigned to the bounce source path. Master Fad­ers are often preferable to Auxiliary Inputs be­cause Master Fader inserts are post-fader (which
is better for dither applications).

For more information on using dither, refer
to the

Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Chapter 5: Working with Pro Tools LE 59

Getting Started with Mbox60

appendix a

Windows System Optimizations

When installing Pro Tools on Windows XP,
there are many system variables that affect per­formance. If you have followed all the Windows
configuration instructions in Chapter 2, “Win­dows Configuration” and are still experiencing
problems, try the following troubleshooting
suggestions.

Norton Ghost is highly recommended, as it
lets you save your system in a working state
and easily revert to that state should you ac­cidentally disable anything that your com­puter needs.

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

Troubleshooting

Blue Screen at Startup

Advanced Settings

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.

Disabling Network Cards

If applicable, disable any networking cards
(other than a 1394 “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.

If, after installing Pro Tools and QuickTime,
your computer crashes with a blue screen, do
the following:

•Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall
Pro Tools.

• Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall
QuickTime.

• Repeat the installation instructions in “In­stalling Pro Tools LE and Mbox” on page 9.

3 In the Device Manager window, double-click

Network adapters, then double-click the Net­work Adapter card you want to disable.

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.

Appendix A: Windows System Optimizations 61

Processor Scheduling

To Adjust Processor Scheduling Performance:

1 Choose Start > Control Panel.

2 In Classic View, launch System.

3 Click the Advanced tab.

4 Under the Performance section, click the Set-

tings button.

5 Click the Advanced tab.

6 Under the Processor scheduling section, select

the Background Services option.

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)

7 Under the Memory Usage section, select the

System cache option.

8 Click OK twice. You will need to restart your

computer for the changes to take effect.

Startup Items

The fewer items in use by your computer, the
more resources are available for Pro Tools LE.
Some startup applications may be consuming
unnecessary CPU resources, and should be
turned off.

Norton Ghost is highly recommended, as it
lets you save your system in a working state
and easily revert to that state should you ac­cidentally disable anything that your com­puter needs.

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

To Disable System Star tup Items:

1 From the Start menu, choose Run.

2 Type “msconfig” and click OK. The System

Configuration Utility opens.

3 Under the General tab, choose Selective

Startup.

4 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.

5 Click Restart to restart the computer.

6 After restarting your computer, a System Con-

figuration message dialog is displayed. Try
Pro Tools to see if performance has increased be­fore you uncheck the don't show this message
again box. If performance has not changed, run
“msconfig” and return your computer Selective
Startup back to Normal Startup. Alternatively,
try disabling start up items and non-essential
processes individually.

Getting Started with Mbox62

appendix b

Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only)

Introduction

The Digidesign ASIO Driver is a single-client
multichannel sound driver that allows third­party audio programs that support the ASIO
standard to record and play back through the
following Digidesign audio interfaces:

• Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces

• Digi 002

• Digi 002 Rack

• Mbox

Full-duplex playback of 24- and 16-bit audio are
supported at sample rates up to 96 kHz, depend­ing on your Digidesign hardware and ASIO pro­gram used.

The Digidesign ASIO Driver will provide up to
18 channels of input and output, depending on
your Pro Tools hardware:

• Up to 8 channels of input and output with
Pro Tools|HD systems

• Up to 18 channels of input and output
with Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack

• Up to 2 channels of input and output with
Mbox

The ASIO Driver is not multi-client. Only
one application at a time can use the ASIO
Driver. Be sure to disable the Windows sys­tem sounds. It is also recommended that
you use a separate sound card for games or
other general work.

Check the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com) for the latest third­party drivers for Pro Tools hardware, as
well as current known issues.

Compatible Software

This version of Digidesign ASIO Driver can be
used on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools systems
running on Windows XP.

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)

For a list of ASIO Driver-compatible software,
see the compatibility page of the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).

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

Appendix B: Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only) 63

For a list of Digidesign hardware systems, Digi­design-qualified computers, operating systems,
and devices, and Digidesign-qualified third­party ASIO-compatible programs, refer to the
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).

Installing the ASIO Driver

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

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)

Configuring ASIO Driver
Settings

Configuring ASIO Driver settings is done in your
third party ASIO program. See your program’s
documentation. For example, with Propeller­head Reason, click on the ASIO Control Panel.

ASIO Control Panel

button

Removing the ASIO Driver

If you need to remove the ASIO Driver from
your computer, complete the following steps.

To remove the ASIO Driver:

1 Click Start.

2 Click Control Panel.

3 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

4 From the Currently installed programs list, se-

lect Digidesign Pro Tools.

5 Click the Change/Remove button.

6 Choose the Modify button.

7 Click Next.

8 Uncheck the ASIO Driver box.

9 Click Next.

10 When removal is complete, close the Add or

Remove Programs window.

Getting Started with Mbox64

Setup Example, using Propellerhead Reason

ASIO Driver Control Panel

From the ASIO Driver Control Panel, you can
configure the ASIO Driver for your Pro Tools
system.

Digidesign ASIO Control Panel

The Digidesign ASIO Driver Control Panel can­not be accessed under the following circum­stances:

• When Pro Tools is running.

• When playing or recording in an audio
program that does not support the ASIO
Driver.

• When using a third-party audio program
that has an option to keep the ASIO Driver
“open” even when you are not playing or
recording. (You must close the audio pro­gram before you can open the ASIO Driver
Control Panel.)

Buffer Size Control

When you play a file from a client audio pro­gram, the client program divides the file into lit­tle chunks (buffers) and sends each of these to
the ASIO Driver. The ASIO Driver copies the cli­ent program’s buffers to your Digidesign hard­ware’s own buffers in a double-buffering
scheme. The Buffer Size control in this dialog
lets you to set the size of each of the two buffers
the ASIO Driver uses on Digidesign hardware.
You may select from the following buffer sizes
(depending on your Digidesign hardware):

• 128 samples

• 256 samples

• 512 samples

• 1024 samples

• 2048 samples

In some ASIO-compatible audio programs, per­forming various tasks will interrupt the ASIO
Driver and may result in clicks and pops in au­dio playback or recording. Choosing medium or
large buffers (such as 256, 512, or 1024) can help
alleviate this problem.

Changing the Buffer Size for the ASIO Driver
does not affect the H/W Buffer Size settings in
the Pro Tools Playback Engine dialog.

Device

The Device Type will always be set to your in­stalled Pro Tools hardware.

Advanced Button

The Advanced button opens the Hardware Setup
dialog for the Digidesign hardware that you are
using.

Small buffers have the advantage of low latency
in the record monitor path. (Latency is the time
delay between a signal entering the audio inputs
and leaving the outputs during recording.)

Larger buffers have the advantage of making the
Digidesign ASIO Driver more immune to audio
dropouts during playback and recording.

Appendix B: Digidesign ASIO Driver (Windows Only) 65

Getting Started with Mbox66

appendix c

Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only)

Introduction

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 the following
Digidesign audio interfaces:

• Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces

• Digi 002

• Digi 002 Rack

• Mbox

Playback of 24- and 16-bit audio are supported
at sample rates of up to 48 kHz, as supported by
the hardware and WaveDriver program used.

The Digidesign WaveDriver will provide 2 chan­nels of output.

The WaveDriver is not multi-client. Only
one application at a time can use the
WaveDriver. Be sure to disable the Win­dows system sounds. It is also recom­mended that you use a separate sound card
for games or other general work. For third­party soft-synthesizer and samplers, use the
Digidesign ASIO Driver (refer to the ASIO
Driver Usage Guide).

Check the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com) for the latest third­party drivers for Pro Tools hardware, as
well as current known issues.

Compatibility

This version of Digidesign WaveDriver can be
used on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools systems
running on Windows XP.

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)

Compatible Software

For a list of WaveDriver-compatible software,
see the compatibility page of the Digidesign
Web site (www.digidesign.com/compato).

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

Appendix C: Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only) 67

For a list of Digidesign hardware systems, Digi­design-qualified computers, operating systems,
and devices, and Digidesign-qualified third­party WaveDriver-compatible programs, see the
compatibility page of the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).

Installing the WaveDriver

Digidesign WaveDriver is automatically in­stalled when you install Pro Tools.

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)

Configuring WaveDriver for
QuickTime Player (Required
for Using iTunes)

In order to let Digidesign hardware play back
through iTunes for Windows, you must config­ure WaveDriver in the waveOut option of the
QuickTime Player SoundOut settings to wave­Out.

To configure WaveDriver as the iTunes default
device:

1 Close all WaveDriver third-party applications

(including iTunes).

2 Choose Start > Programs > QuickTime >

QuickTime Player.

3 In QuickTime Player, choose Edit > Prefer-

ences > QuickTime Preferences.

Removing the WaveDriver

If you need to remove the WaveDriver from
your computer, complete the following steps.

1 Click Start.

2 Click Control Panel.

3 Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

4 From the Currently installed programs list, se-

lect Digidesign Pro Tools.

5 Click the Change/Remove button.

6 Choose the Modify button.

7 Click Next.

8 Uncheck the WaveDriver box.

9 Click Next.

10 When removal is complete, close the Add or

Remove Programs window.

Getting Started with Mbox68

4 From the pop-up menu, choose Sound Out.

5 From the Choose a device for playback pop-up

menu, select the waveOut option (and the name
of your Digidesign device, if any).

6 Close QuickTime Player.

7 Re-launch iTunes.

You may also need to add iTunes to the
WaveDriver Opt-In list. See “Adding Third
Party Applications to the WaveDriver Opt­In List” on page 69.

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

WaveDriver is configured in the Sounds and Au­dio Devices Control Panel (for programs that
use the Windows Sound Playback Default De­vice, such as Windows Media Player), or as a
preference for third-party WaveDriver pro­grams.

To configure WaveDriver as the Windows Sound
Playback Default Device (for example, for
Windows Media Player):

1 Open the Sounds and Audio Devices Control

Panel.

2 Click the Audio tab.

3 Select the Digidesign audio interface in the

Sound Playback default device lists.

4 Close the Control Panel. When you run Win-

dows Media Player, it automatically output to
your Digidesign hardware.

You may also need to add your third party
WaveDriver program to the WaveDriver
Opt-In list. See “Adding Third Party Appli­cations to the WaveDriver Opt-In List” on
page 69.

To configure WaveDriver for a third party
WaveDriver application:

■ In the third-party program, select the Digi-

design audio interface as the preference for your
playback hardware. Refer to your program’s doc­umentation.

You may also need to add your third party
WaveDriver program to the WaveDriver
Opt-In list. See “Adding Third Party Appli­cations to the WaveDriver Opt-In List” on
page 69.

Adding Third Party Applications to the WaveDriver Opt-In List

The Digidesign WaveDriver uses an Opt-In list
to control third party application access to the
Digidesign hardware. Some third party audio
applications may not work with the WaveDriver
unless they are included in this Opt-In list.

For the latest instructions for adding and remov­ing applications to the WaveDriver Opt-In list,
refer to the Digidesign Web site (http://answer­base.digidesign.com/detail.cfm?DID=27424).

Modifying the Digidesign WaveDriver Opt­In list requires editing the Windows System
Registry. Because editing the Windows Reg­istry is dangerous, and can result in prob­lems if not done correctly, make sure to
carefully follow the instructions for adding
and removing applications.

Appendix C: Digidesign WaveDriver (Windows Only) 69

Getting Started with Mbox70

appendix d

Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only)

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver will provide

Introduction

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

• Pro Tools|HD audio interfaces

• Digi 002

• Digi 002 Rack

• Mbox

Full-duplex recording and playback of 24-bit au­dio is supported at sample rates up to 96 kHz,
depending on your Digidesign hardware and
CoreAudio client application.

up to 18 channels of input and output, depend­ing on your Pro Tools hardware:

• Up to 8 channels of input and output with
Pro Tools|HD systems

• Up to 18 channels of input and output
with Digi 002 and Digi 002 Rack

• Up to 2 channels of input and output with
Mbox

For Pro Tools TDM systems with more than
one card and multiple I/Os, only the pri­mary I/O connected to the first (core) card
can be used with CoreAudio.

Check the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com) for the latest third­party drivers for Pro Tools hardware, as
well as current known issues.

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 71

What are the Limitations of the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver?

The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver has the fol­lowing limitations:

◆ Pro Tools is not a CoreAudio application and

therefore requires exclusive access to Digidesign
hardware. You cannot use CoreAudio applica­tions and Pro Tools at the same time. To use
Pro Tools, make sure you quit any CoreAudio
applications before starting Pro Tools. To use a
CoreAudio application, make sure you quit
Pro Tools before starting any CoreAudio appli­cation.

◆ The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be

used to preview sound files from the Finder.
When a sound file is located in the Mac OS X
navigation window, a QuickTime transport bar
is displayed next to it. The QuickTime transport
bar lets you audition the sound file. The sound
will always play back though the Macintosh’s
built-in audio controller (through the Macin­tosh’s speaker or headphone jack). However, if
you double-click a sound file, the QuickTime ap­plication will launch, and can use the Digi­design CoreAudio Driver for playback.

◆ The Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be

used for playback of System Sounds.

Compatible Software

For a list of CoreAudio Driver-compatible soft­ware, refer to the Digidesign Web site
(www.digidesign.com/compato).

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

For a list of Digidesign hardware systems, Digi­design-qualified computers, operating systems,
and devices, and Digidesign-qualified third­party CoreAudio-compatible applications, refer
to the compatibility page of the Digidesign Web
site (www.digidesign.com/compato).

Installing the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver

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

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.

Compatibility

This version of Digidesign CoreAudio Driver can
be used on Digidesign-qualified Pro Tools sys­tems running on Macintosh, or it can be used as
a stand-alone driver on Digidesign-qualified
Macintosh systems that do not have Pro Tools
installed.

Getting Started with Mbox72

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.

Removing the CoreAudio Driver

To uninstall the Digidesign CoreAudio Driver :

1 Power on your system.

2 Do one of the following:

• On the Pro Tools Installer CD, locate and
double-click the Install CoreAudio file.

– or –

• From the Digidesign Web site, download,
locate, and double-click the Install Core­Audio file.

3 In the Install CoreAudio window, select Un-

install from the Custom Install pop-up menu.

4 When the uninstall is complete, quit the

CoreAudio Installer.

Configuring the Digidesign
CoreAudio Driver

You can configure the Digidesign CoreAudio
Driver using Digidesign CoreAudio Manager, or
from within most third-party CoreAudio-com­patible client applications (such as BIAS Peak or
Logic Audio). Consult the manufacturer’s docu­mentation for more information.

Digidesign CoreAudio Manager

Use Digidesign CoreAudio Manager to change
the CoreAudio Buffer Size setting, access the
Hardware Setup dialog for your Digidesign hard­ware and control volume and mute for the Core­Audio driver. Digidesign CoreAudio Manager
also identifies your Digidesign hardware, the
supported number of Input and Output Chan­nels and the number of attached clients (appli­cations).

Digidesign CoreAudio Manager cannot be ac­cessed under the following circumstances:

• When Pro Tools is running

• When another application is using Direct
IO (such as the Ableton Live Digi Edition)

The Digidesign CoreAudio Manager application
launches automatically when the first client ap­plication accesses the CoreAudio driver. You can
prevent an application from accessing the Core­Audio driver by holding down the Shift key just
before the application would access the Core­Audio driver, typically during launch of the ap­plication. Certain applications (such as Apple
Mail and iChat), do not access the CoreAudio
application until they first play a sound, so you
will need to hold down the Shift key just prior to
sound playback in order to “opt-out” of using
Digidesign hardware for playback.

v

Some applications (such as Apple’s iTunes or
QuickTime Player), also require that you config­ure either the Apple Sound Preferences or Apple
Audio MIDI Setup to use the Digidesign Core­Audio Driver.

Figure 7. Digidesign CoreAudio Setup

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 73

Buffer Size

You may select from the following buffer sizes
(depending on your Digidesign hardware):

• 64 samples

• 128 samples

• 256 samples

• 512 samples

• 1024 samples

• 2048 samples

Small buffers have the advantage of low latency
in the record monitor path, but also are more
taxing on your computer’s CPU and could con­tribute to dropouts in your audio during record
or playback. (Latency is the time delay between
a signal entering the audio inputs and leaving
the outputs during recording.)

Larger buffers have the advantage of making the
Digidesign CoreAudio Driver more immune to
audio dropouts during playback and recording,
but can cause a noticeable delay when monitor­ing your inputs in the recording process. In
some CoreAudio-client applications, perform­ing various tasks will interrupt the CoreAudio
Driver and may result in clicks and pops in au­dio playback or recording. Choosing medium or
large buffers (such as 512 or 1024) can help alle­viate this problem.

2 From the Buffer Size pop-up menu, select the

desired CoreAudio buffer size (in samples). Gen­erally, smaller buffer sizes are preferable. How­ever, if you experience any problems with
performance (such as clicks and pops during re­cording or playback), try increasing the Core­Audio Buffer Size setting. You can also change
the buffer size from within the client applica­tion if it is the only client attached to the Core­Audio driver. Once two or more clients are
active, you will not be able to change the sample
rate or the buffer size.

HW Setup Button

The HW Setup button opens the Hardware
Setup dialog for your Digidesign hardware. For
more information, refer to the Getting Started

Guide for your Pro Tools system or the Pro Tools
Reference Guide.

To configure Digidesign CoreAudio HW Setup:

1 Launch Digidesign CoreAudio Manager (lo-

cated in /Applications/Digidesign).

2 Click the HW Setup button to open the Hard-

ware Setup dialog. The HW Setup button will
only be available when no clients are using the
CoreAudio driver.

Changing the Buffer Size for the Digidesign
CoreAudio Driver does not affect the H/W
Buffer Size settings in the Pro Tools Playback En­gine dialog.

To configure Digidesign CoreAudio Hardware
Buffer Size:

1 Launch Digidesign CoreAudio Manager (lo-

cated in /Applications/Digidesign).

Getting Started with Mbox74

Figure 8. Hardware Setup dialog

3 Configure the Hardware Setup dialog for your

Digidesign hardware. If you have more than one
audio interface connected to your Pro Tools
TDM system, be sure to select and configure
only the primary audio interface connected to
the core card.

For more information on the Hardware
Setup dialog, refer to your Getting Started
Guide or the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

Use D-Control Stereo Routing (L/R to 1/5) En­able this option to configure the CoreAudio
driver to output through the D-Controls stan­dard stereo routing outputs 1 and 5.

Mirror Analog Outs 1 & 2 to Digital Outs (002
Only) When using Digi 002 or Digi 002 Rack, en-

able this option to mirror the main outputs
through the digital outputs that are selected in
the HW Setup panel.

4 When you are finished, click OK to close the

Hardware Setup dialog.

Prefs Button

The Prefs button opens the Digidesign Core­Audio Manager Preferences dialog for the Man­ager application. There are several options avail­able for control and configuration of the
Manager application. When finished setting
these options, click OK to close the Digidesign
CoreAudio Manager Preferences windows.

Figure 9. Digidesign CoreAudio Manager

Enable this option to hide the Manager panel af­ter the first client application accesses the Core­Audio driver. To open the Manager panel, click
on the Digidesign CoreAudio Manager applica­tion icon in the Dock.

Auto-Quit Manager when Last Client Quits En­able this option to make the Manager applica­tion quit when there are no longer any clients
using the CoreAudio driver.

Connect Button

The Connect button is available when the Digi­design CoreAudio Manager is launched and can­not connect with the Digidesign hardware (such
as when Pro Tools is launched and the hardware
is disconnected or disabled). Before trying to
connect, make sure to quit Pro Tools and make
sure that your hardware is connected and
turned on. You can then click on the Connect
button to acquire the hardware.

If any application is launched prior to press­ing the Connect button and you want that
application to use the CoreAudio driver for
playback, you will need to quit and re­launch the application for it to connect
properly to the Digidesign CoreAudio Man­ager.

Quit Button

Use the Quit button to quit the Digidesign Core­Audio Manger. Be sure to quit any client appli­cations before using the Quit button in the
Manager. If any applications are currently at­tached to the Manager application when quit­ting, you may get an error message indicating
that the Digidesign hardware is no longer avail­able. You may have to change the application’s
preferences to use different hardware for play­back or possibly quit and relaunch the applica­tion for proper playback to be resumed.

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 75

Configuring the Apple Sound
Preferences or Apple Audio MIDI
Setup

To use your Digidesign hardware with common
CoreAudio-compatible playback applications
(such as Apple iTunes or QuickTime Player), you
will need to configure either Sound Preferences
or Audio MIDI Setup in addition to Digidesign
CoreAudio Setup. However, for most Core­Audio-compatible client applications (such as
BIAS Peak or Cubase SX) this is unnecessary be­cause you can configure the CoreAudio Buffer
Size setting, and input and output channels
from within the application.

4 Click the Input tab and select Digidesign HW

as the device for sound input.

Apple Sound Preferences

To configure the Apple Sound Preferences:

1 Launch System Preferences (Apple menu >

System Preferences).

2 Click Sound.

3 Click the Output tab and select Digidesign

HW as the device for sound output.

Sound Preferences, Output tab

Sound Preferences, Input tab

5 Quit System Preferences.

Apple Audio MIDI Setup

To configure the Apple Audio MIDI Setup:

1 Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in

Home/Applications/Utilities).

2 Select the Audio Devices tab.

Apple Audio MIDI Setup application, Audio tab

Getting Started with Mbox76

3 From the System Settings Default Input pop-

up menu, select Digidesign HW.

4 From the System Settings Default Output pop-

up menu, select Digidesign HW.

Leave System Output and Selected Audio
Device set to Built-in audio controller. The
Digidesign CoreAudio Driver cannot be
used for system sounds.

Appendix D: Digidesign CoreAudio Driver (Macintosh Only) 77

Getting Started with Mbox78

appendix e

Configuring Midi Studio Setup
(Windows Only)

MIDI Studio Setup

MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) lets you configure the
MIDI controllers and sound modules that are
connected to your system, and control the rout­ing of MIDI data between your MIDI equipment
and Pro Tools.

MSS automatically finds MIDI interfaces, and
lets you specify a custom name for each of the
MIDI ports within the MIDI Studio Setup docu­ment.

MSS also supports XML-based patch file names
for storing and importing patch names for your
external MIDI devices.

Entire MIDI Studio Setup configurations created
within MSS can be imported and exported.

MIDI Studio Setup Window

The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized
into three sections. Interface controls are at the
top of the window. All the currently defined in­struments are displayed in the Instrument
Name list on the left side of the window. A de­tailed view of MIDI parameters is shown in the
Properties section on the right.

MIDI Studio Setup window

Interface Controls

Create This button adds a new instrument to
the Instrument Name list.

Delete This button deletes the instrument or in­struments selected in the Instrument Name list.

Import This button lets you import an existing
MIDI Studio Setup file.

Export This button lets you export the current
MIDI Studio Setup file.

Appendix E: Configuring Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only) 79

Show Duplicate Emulated Ports If you are using
a MIDI interface that supports timestamping
(such as MIDI I/O), when the Show Duplicate
Emulated Outputs option is selected, the MIDI
Studio Setup window shows both the Direct­Music time-stamped output ports, and non­stamped duplicate emulated output ports.

Some MIDI Interfaces will not properly load
or unload their drivers unless you quit and
re-launch Pro Tools. Check the documenta­tion that came with your MIDI interface for
more information.

Instrument List

The Instrument list contains all the currently
defined instruments. Selecting an instrument in
the list displays that instrument’s properties in
the Properties section of the window.

Properties Section

The Properties section lets you edit information
for new instruments, or instrument currently se­lected in the Instrument list.

To define an instrument with MIDI Studio Setup:

1 Choose Setups > MIDI Studio Setup.

2 Click Create.

3 In the Instrument Name field, type the name

of your instrument, and press enter.

If you do not enter an instrument name, the
Instrument Name field will automatically
inherit information from the Manufacturer
and Model pop-up menu.

4 Set a manufacturer and model for the new de-

vice from the corresponding pop-up menus. If
the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus do
not provide a name for your particular device,
choose None.

5 From the Input pop-up menu, choose the in-

put port on your MIDI interface that is con­nected to the MIDI Out of your instrument.

6 From the Output pop-up menu, choose the

output port on your MIDI interface that is con­nected to the MIDI In of your instrument.

7 Enable the appropriate MIDI channels (1–16)

for the Send Channels and Receive Channels
options (These determine which channels send
and receive MIDI.)

MIDI Studio Setup Properties section

When a previously defined instrument is se­lected in the Instrument list, the Properties sec­tion changes to reflect the properties of the se­lected instrument.

Getting Started with Mbox80

Instrument Name

The Instrument Name field shows the user-de­finable instrument name for the currently se­lected instrument.

Manufacturer

The Manufacturer pop-up menu provides a list
of MIDI equipment manufacturers. This list is
derived from the XML-based MIDI device files.

For more information, see “Patch Name
Support” on page 81.

Model

The Model pop-up menu provides a list of MIDI
devices, filtered by the manufacturer name. This
list is derived from the XML-based MIDI device
files provided with your Pro Tools installation.

For more information, see “Patch Name
Support” on page 81.

Input Port

The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of
available MIDI interface input ports. The MIDI
interface port that is set and displayed here is
the port through which MIDI data is sent from
the external MIDI device specified in the Instru­ment Name field into your MIDI interface.

Patch Name Support

Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup
Language) for storing and importing patch
names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools
installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the
factory default patch names of many common
MIDI devices. These files reside in directories,
sorted by manufacturer, in Program Files\
Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\
Digidesign.

To impor t MIDI patch names into Pro Tools:

1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the MIDI Stu-

dio Setup window (see “MIDI Studio Setup” on
page 79).

If you set the input port to None, the defined
instrument will not appear as a choice in a
MIDI Input Selector.

Output Port

The Output Port pop-up menu displays a list of
available MIDI interface output ports. The port
set and displayed here is the port through which
MIDI data is sent from your MIDI interface to
the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.

If you set the output port to None, the de­fined instrument will not appear as a choice
in a MIDI Output Selector.

Send Channels

The Send Channels grid sets the send channels
for the MIDI device specified in the Instrument
Name field.

Receive Channels

The Receive Channels grid sets the receive chan­nels for the MIDI device specified in the Instru­ment Name field.

2 Verify the MIDI track’s output is correctly as-

signed to the MIDI device.

3 Click the MIDI track’s Program button.

Program button

Program button, Edit window

Program button

Program button, Mix window

Appendix E: Configuring Midi Studio Setup (Windows Only) 81

4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change

button.

Change button

Patch Select dialog

5 In the Open dialog, navigate to Program

Files\Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch
Names\Digidesign\<name of manufacturer>,
and select the MIDI Patch Name file (.midnam)
for the MIDI device.

6 Click Open.

The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch
names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu
appears in the upper left hand corner of the win­dow.

To clear patch names:

■ In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear but-

ton, and click Done.

MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be
edited in any text editor, or you can use
third party patch librarian and editor soft­ware to create your own custom patch
names.

Patch Select dialog with patch names

Once patch names have been imported into
Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de­vice in all sessions.

Getting Started with Mbox82

appendix f

Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only)

2 Click the MIDI Devices tab. AMS scans your

Audio MIDI Studio

Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI in­terface as generic ports. With Mac OS X, you use
Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) utility to iden­tify external MIDI devices connected to your
MIDI interface and configure your MIDI studio
for use with Pro Tools.

To configure your MIDI studio in AMS:

1 Launch Audio MIDI Setup (located in Applica-

tions/Utilities).

– or –

In Pro Tools, choose Setups > Edit MIDI Studio
Setup.

system for connected MIDI interfaces. If your
MIDI interface is properly connected, it appears
in the window with each of its ports numbered.

Audio MIDI Setup (MIDI Devices tab)

3 For any MIDI devices connected to the MIDI

interface, click Add Device. A new external de­vice icon with the default MIDI keyboard image
will appear.

4 Drag the new device icon to a convenient lo-

cation within the window.

Appendix F: Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 83

5 Connect the MIDI device to the MIDI inter-

face by clicking the arrow for the appropriate
output port of the device and dragging a con­nection or “cable” to the input arrow of the cor­responding port of the MIDI interface.

Making MIDI input and output connections

6 Click the arrow for the appropriate input port

of the device and drag a cable to the output ar­row of the corresponding port of the MIDI inter­face.

To configure an external MIDI device:

1 Select the external device icon and click Show

Info (or double-click the new device icon).

External Device Icon

2 Select a manufacturer and model for the new

device from the corresponding pop-up menus.
(If the Manufacturer and Model pop-up menus
do not provide a name for your particular de­vice, you can type a name.)

To remove a connection, select the cable and

press Delete. To delete all connections, click
Clear Cables.

7 Repeat steps 3–6 for each MIDI device in your

MIDI setup.

Getting Started with Mbox84

Naming a new MIDI device

AMS refers to one or more files with the suf­fix “.middev” in the directory Root/Li­brary/Audio/MIDI Devices for Manufac­turer and Model names. Pro Tools installs
two such files that contain information for
many commercially available MIDI devices,
“Legacy Devices.middev” and “Digidesign
Devices.middev.” If the Manufacturer or
Model names for any of your external MIDI
devices is not available in the AMS Manu­facturer and Model pop-up menus, you can
add them by editing any of the current
.middev files in any text editor (such as
TextEdit).

3 Click the More Properties arrow to expand the

dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI chan­nels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives op­tions. (These determine which channels the
device will use to send and receive MIDI.)

Enabling MIDI channels

4 Click the device image. The window expands

to show images for various MIDI devices (such
as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers).
Select an icon for your device.

Selecting a device icon

To use your own custom icons, you can
place TIFF image files in /Library/
Audio/MIDI Devices/Generic/Images, and
they will appear as choices in the AMS de­vice window.

5 Click OK.

The device names you enter appear as MIDI in­put and output choices in Pro Tools.

Appendix F: Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) 85

Patch Name Support

Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup
Language) for storing and importing patch
names for you external MIDI devices. Pro Tools
installs MIDI patch name files (.midnam) for the
factory default patch names of many common
MIDI devices. These files reside in directories,
sorted by manufacturer, in /Library/Audio/MIDI
Patch Names/Digidesign.

To impor t MIDI patch names into Pro Tools:

1 Verify the MIDI Device name in the Audio

MIDI Setup window (see “Audio MIDI Studio”
on page 83).

2 Verify the MIDI track’s output is correctly as-

signed to the MIDI device.

3 Click the MIDI track’s Program button.

Program button

4 In the Patch Select dialog, click the Change

button.

Change button

Patch Select dialog

5 In the Open dialog, navigate to /Library/Au-

dio/MIDI Patch Names/Digidesign/<name of
manufacturer>, and select the MIDI Patch Name
file (.midnam) for the MIDI device.

6 Click Open.

The Patch Select dialog is populated with patch
names and the Patch Name Bank pop-up menu
appears in the upper left hand corner of the win­dow.

Once patch names have been imported into
Pro Tools, they are available for that MIDI de­vice in all sessions.

Program button, Edit window

Program button

Program button, Mix window

Getting Started with Mbox86

To clear patch names:

■ In the Patch Select dialog, click the Clear but-

ton, and click Done.

MIDI patch name files (.midnam) can be
edited in any text editor, or you can use
third party patch librarian and editor soft­ware to create your own custom patch
names.

index

Numerics

32K clusters 16

A

AMS (Audio MIDI Setup) 83

configuring MIDI devices in 84

ASIO driver 10, 63
audio

analog 34
editing 51
importing 47, 48
monitoring 33
preparing 49
routing 49, 55

audio connections

home stereo 34
self-powered monitors 34

Audio Regions List 44
audio tracks 43, 44
authorization code

Windows 12

authorizing Pro Tools 21
automation 58

creating 58

Auxiliary Inputs 43, 44, 51, 55

C

channel strip controls

Mute 55
Pan 55
Solo 55
Volume 55

click 40
Click plug-in

Accented parameter 39
Unaccented parameter 39

Clock Source 15, 24
cluster size 16
CoreAudio driver 20, 71
CPU Usage Limit 22

D

DAE Playback Buffer Size 23
defragment

Windows 17

Disk Cleanup 16

B

Bounce to Disk command 58

Index 87

E

Edit mode buttons 52
Edit modes 52

Grid 52
selecting 52
Shuffle 52
Slip 52
Spot 52

Edit tools 52

Grabber 52
Pencil 52
Scrubber 52
Selector 52
Smart Tool 52
Trimmer 52
Zoomer 52

Edit window 38
editing 51
editing regions 52

F

fade files 37
FAT32 16
firmware 10

G

gain

headphones 31
input 29

Grabber tool 52
Grid mode 52

H

hard drive

and Macintosh system drive 25
and Windows system drive 17

hard drives

cluster size 16
formatting 25
maintenance 17
space requirements 3
Windows maintenance 16

Hardware Buffer Size 22
hardware installation 7

USB 9

headphones

gain control 31
output

back panel 31
front panel 31

HFS 12
Hibernate 8

I

I/O Setup

Macintosh configuration 15, 24
Windows configuration 15

importing audio 47, 48
indicators

peak level 30
phantom power 29
S/PDIF input 30
USB connection 30

Input Format 23
input gain 29
inputs

analog 32
digital 32

inserts 32

analog on Mbox 34
plug-ins 57

K

key commands 5

Getting Started with Mbox88

L

latency

see monitoring

M

MacOpener 11
Master Faders 43, 44, 56

creating 57

Mbox

features 1

back panel 31
front panel 29

memory locations 46, 47

defining 46
recalling 46

MIDI

connections 36
editing 51
monitoring 51

MIDI click 40
MIDI controls 40, 42
MIDI Regions List 44
MIDI tracks 43, 44
mix automation 58
mix control 30
Mix window 38, 55
mixing 55
monitoring 33

audio 33
MIDI 51
when overdubbing 30
zero latency 30

mono switch 30
multi-processor 22
Mute button 55

N

NTFS 16

O

outputs

analog 32
digital 32

P

Pan slider 55
peak indicators 30
Pencil tool 52
phantom power 32, 34

indicator 29
when to use 29

playback

starting and stopping 42

Playback Engine dialog 41
playlists 54

creating 54

plug-ins 57
power

Windows System Standby 8

Pro Tools

authorizing 21
capabilities 2
main windows 38
software configuration 22
validating 21
Windows configuration 12

Pro Tools LE

installing, Windows 9

Program Change dialog 82, 86

Q

QuickTime 10

R

ratio control 30
recording

audio 49
MIDI 51

regions 44

arranging 53
creating 44
editing 52
trimming 53

returns 56

creating 56

rulers 38

Index 89

S

S/PDIF I/O 32
S/PDIF input indicator 30
S/PDIF mirroring 35
Sample Rate 14, 23
Scrubber tool 52
Selector tool 52
sends 44, 55

assigning 55

sessions 37

creating 37
duplicating 41
navigating 45
saving 37, 41
saving copies of 41

Shuffle mode 52
Slip mode 52
Smart Tool 52
Solo button 55
sources

analog 32, 34
connecting 34, 35
instrument 29
line 29
microphone 29
selecting 29

Spot mode 52
submixing 55
system requirements

MIDI 36

System settings

for Windows 7

system settings 41

Clock Source 15, 24
CPU Usage Limit 22
DAE Playback Buffer Size 23
Hardware Buffer Size 22
I/O Setup 15, 24
Input Format 23
Sample Rate 14, 23

System Usage window 41

T

tempo 39

setting 39

tempo events 39
track height

changing 47

tracks 43

audio 43, 44
Auxiliary Inputs 43, 44, 55
creating 43
Master Faders 43, 44, 56
MIDI 43, 44
playing back audio 50
playing back MIDI 51
recording audio 49
recording MIDI 51
types 43

Transport

MIDI controls 42

Transport window 38, 42
Trimmer tool 52

U

USB 9

connection indicator 30
port 21

V

validating Pro Tools 21
validating Pro Tools software

Windows configuration 12

Volume fader 55

W

WaveDriver 11
Windows

required System settings 7
System Standby 8

windows 38

Edit window 38
Mix window 38, 55
Transport window 38, 42

Windows System Standby 8
Windows XP

maintenance 16

Workspace 38

Getting Started with Mbox90

Z

Zoom presets 47

recalling 47
storing 47

Zoomer tool 52
Zooming 46

Index 91