Pro Tools® | First Installation Guide
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Guide Part Number 9329-65539-00 REV A 3/15
Contents
Chapter 1. Installing Pro Tools | First..............................................1
Pro Tools | First Software Capabilities ..........................................1
System Requirements and Compatibility ........................................1
Creating Your Avid Account .................................................2
Creating an iLok Account ...................................................2
Downloading Pro Tools | First ................................................2
Installing Hardware Drivers..................................................2
Installing Pro Tools | First Software ............................................3
Avid Application Manager ...................................................3
Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System ......................................3
Launching Pro Tools | First ..................................................4
Configuring Pro Tools | First .................................................4
Uninstalling Pro Tools | First .................................................6
Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools | First ....................................6
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools | First ................................7
Backing Up Your System ...................................................9
Contents iii
Introduction to Pro Tools | Firstiv
Installing Pro Tools | First
Welcome to Pro Tools®| First from Avid®. This
guide documents how to install and authorize your
Pro Tools | First software on Mac and Windows
systems.
For detailed information on configuring your
system, and for complete information about
Pro Tools First software capabilities and
functionality, see the
(available from the Help menu in
Pro Tools | First).
Pro Tools | First Help
Pro Tools | First Software Capabilities
Pro Tools | First software provides the following
capabilities, depending on your hardware
configuration:
• Support for up to four channels of audio input
and output (depending on audio hardware)
• Up to a total of 16 audio tracks (mono or stereo)
per session
• Up to 16 Auxiliary Input tracks (mono or stereo)
• Up to 4 Master Fader tracks (mono or stereo)
• Up to 16 MIDI tracks
• Up to 16 Instrument tracks (mono or stereo)
• 32-bit floating point audio resolution, at sample
rates up to 96 kHz (depending on your
hardware)
• Non-destructive,random-access editing and mix
automation
• Audio processing with up to 4 real-time plug-ins
per track, depending on your computer’s
capabilities
• Up to 4 sends per track
• Up to 24 internal mix busses (mono or stereo)
for routing and mixing
For information about the I/O capabilities of
your audio interface, see the documentation
that came with your audio interface.
System Requirements and Compatibility
Pro Tools | First can only be used with any
qualified audio interface running on a qualified
Windows or Mac computer.
An internet connection is required to download the
Pro Tools | First installer, and to log in and create
projects.
Avid can only assure compatibility and provide
support for hardware and software it has tested and
approved.
For complete system requirements and a list of
qualified computers, operating systems, hard
drives, and third-party devices, visit:
www.avid.com/compatibility
MIDI Requirements
USB, FireWire, and PCI MIDI interfaces work
effectively with Pro Tools | First systems on Mac
or Windows.
For a list of supported MIDI interfaces and
controllers, visit www.avid.com/support.
Installing Pro Tools | First 1
Hard Drive Requirements
Pro Tools | First can only record to the system
drive. Ensure that you have enough free hard drive
space for recording audio. For optimal audio
recording and playback, all Pro Tools | First
systems require a qualified hard drive.
For information on qualified hard
drives for use with Pro Tools | First,
see www.avid.com/support
Pro Tools | First uses PACE Anti-Piracy software
protection for authorization. You can authorize either your computer (no iLok required) or a 2nd
generation iLok USB key (available for purchase
separately). An iLok can hold hundreds of authorizations for all of your iLok-enabled software. After a software license is placed on an iLok, you can
use the iLok to authorize that software on any computer.
Creating Your Avid Account
An Avid account is required to download and activate Pro Tools | First. If you don’t have an Avid
account, visit www.avid.com/myavid and follow
the on-screen instructions for creating an Avid
Master Account. Once you have created your Avid
Master Account, sign up for Pro Tools | First to activate your Avid Cloud storage account.
Creating an iLok Account
When you create your Avid Master Account, you
are also prompted to create an iLok account (if you
do not have one already). If you already have an
iLok account, enter your iLok user ID and click
Use this Account. If you do not already have an
iLok account, click
follow the on-screen instructions.
Create a new iLok User ID and
iLok USB key (2nd generation)
Downloading Pro Tools | First
After you have signed up for Pro Tools | First, created your Master Avid Account and your iLok account, and logged in, you can download the
Pro Tools | First Installer and other software installers (drivers and plug-ins) that you are entitled
to (including purchased or subscribed software).
Click the available links on the Download page of
your MyAvid account to download the software to
which you are entitled.
Installing Hardware Drivers
Before installing Pro Tools | First, ensure that you
have installed your audio and MIDI hardware
interfaces (if any) and that you have installed the
latest drivers for your hardware (if any). Refer to
the documentation that came with your hardware
for more information. For Avid audio interfaces,
visit www.avid.com/drivers to download and
install the latest drivers for your device.
Pro Tools | First will not recognize your audio
interface if you do not install the drivers.
Pro Tools | First Installation Guide2
Installing Pro Tools | First Software
After you have installed the drivers for your audio
and MIDI hardware, you are ready to install
Pro Tools | First software.
Before installing Pro Tools | First, refer to the
included Read Me for late-breaking information and any known issues.
Installing Pro Tools | First on
Mac
To install Pro Tools | First on Mac:
1 Download the installer for Mac from your Avid
account. After downloading, make sure the installer is uncompressed (.dmg).
2 Locate and double-click the Pro Tools | First in-
staller disk image.
3 Locate and double-click the Pro Tools | First in-
staller.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete
the installation.
5 When installation is complete, click OK.
Avid Application Manager
When you install Pro Tools | First, the Avid Application Manager is also installed. The Avid Application Manager is used to manage your software
and entitlements related to your MyAvid account. The Avid Application Manager helps you
maintain the most current Pro Tools | First software and audio plug-in updates that you are entitled to when new versions become available. For
more information about the Avid Application
Manager, see the Avid Application Manager
Guide (available online through the Avid Knowledgebase).
Starting Up or Shutting Down Your System
To ensure that the components of your system
communicate properly with each other, start them
in the following order.
Start up your Pro Tools | First system in this order:
1 Lower the volume of all output devices in your
system.
2 Turn on any MIDI interfaces and devices.
Installing Pro Tools | First on
Windows
To install Pro Tools | First on Windows:
1 Download the installer for Windows from your
Avid account. After downloading, make sure
the installer is uncompressed (.ZIP).
2 Locate and double-click the Pro Tools | First in-
staller.
3 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete
the installation.
4 When installation is complete, click Finish.
3 For systems with audio interfaces that require
external power, turn on the hardware. Wait at
least fifteen seconds for the audio interface to
initialize.
4 Turn on your computer.
5 Launch Pro Tools | First (see “Launching
Pro Tools | First” on page 4).
Installing Pro Tools | First 3
Shut down your Pro Tools | First system in this
order:
1 Quit Pro Tools (on Mac: Pro Tools > Quit,oron
Windows:
2 Turn off or lower the volume of all output de-
File > Exit).
vices in your system.
3 Turn off your computer.
5 In the Dashboard window, do one of
the following:
• Create a new project from template.
• Create a new blank project.
• Open an existing project (if any).
• Click the
Cancel button to configure
Pro Tools | First without a project open.
4 For systems that use an audio interface that re-
quires external power, turn off the hardware.
5 Turn off any MIDI interfaces and devices.
6 Turn off any control surfaces.
7 Turn off any external hard drives.
Launching Pro Tools | First
To launch Pro Tools | First software:
1 Make sure your audio interface (if any) is
connected to your computer and powered on.
2 Do one of the following:
• On Mac, click the Pro Tools First shortcut in
your Dock (or double-click the application
icon in Macintosh HD/Applications/
Avid/Pro Tools First).
• On Windows, double-click the Pro Tools
First shortcut on your desktop (or the application in Program Files\Avid\Pro Tools First).
3 On launch, you are prompted to sign in to your
MyAvid account with your registered email address and password. Enable the
option if desired.
in
Keep me signed
For more information about the Dashboard
and projects, refer to Pro Tools | First Help
(Help > Pro Tools | First Help).
Configuring Pro Tools | First
Before you get started using Pro Tools | First
software you should configure Pro Tools | First to
meet the specific needs of your studio. Launch
Pro Tools | First, cancel out of the Dashboard
window, and configure the Setup options.
For detailed information on configuring your
software,see
available from the Help menu in
Pro Tools | First).
Playback Engine
The Playback Engine lets you select your audio interface and set the default stereo channel outputs
for Pro Tools tracks. You can also optimize the audio engine for recording or playing back audio.
Pro Tools | First Help(which is
4 Click the Sign In button and sign in to your
MyAvid account.
You can also sign out or sign in while
Pro Tools | First is running by choosing
File > Sign In.
Pro Tools | First Installation Guide4
Playback Engine dialog
Playback Engine
Record
From the Playback Engine selector, select your audio interface or the built-in sound of your computer for playback and recording in
Pro Tools | First.
When Windows Audio Device is selected as
the Playback Engine, you can choose both an
Input and Output device. Avid recommends
that the same device be selected for both Input and Output.
Default Output
From the Default Output selector, select stereo output channels on your audio interface or the built-in
sound of your computer that you want to be the default output channels for newly created tracks.
This also controls your audition path and what is
displayed for the main output meters in both the
Edit and Transport windows.
Sample Rate
If no project is open, the Sample Rate selector lets
you specify the sample rate for new projects and
your audio interface (not all audio interfaces support all Pro Tools | First sample rates). If a project
is open, the sample rate of the project is displayed.
Optimize Engine For
Select one of the following options for optimizing
the audio engine. Note that you will want to switch
between these two options depending on whether
you are recording audio and MIDI or if you are
playing back and mixing audio.
Select the Record option for recording in
Pro Tools | First. This option provides the lowest
latency between the audio input and output of your
audio interface. The option is also useful for reducing performance latency if you are playing Virtual
Instrument plug-ins from a MIDI controller.
Playback
Select the Playback option for playback and mixing with plug-ins. This option introduces noticeable latency between the audio input and output of
your audio interface, so it is not intended for monitoring while recording or for real-time performance of Virtual Instrument plug-ins. However,
this option is optimized for plug-in processing, as
well as audio and MIDI playback. If you encounter
problems in sessions with lots of plug-ins when the
Record option is enabled, try using the Playback
option instead.
Hardware Setup
Configure your audio interface using its own Control Panel (consult the manufacturer’s instructions
for information specific to your audio interface).
To configure your audio interface:
1 In Pro Tools | First, choose Setup > Hardware.
2 Pro Tools | First launches the Control Panel for
your audio hardware.
3 Configure your audio hardware to suit your
needs according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Installing Pro Tools | First 5
Uninstalling Pro Tools | First
If you upgrade from Pro Tools | First to the full
version of Pro Tools, be sure to uninstall
Pro Tools | First before installing the full version
of Pro Tools.
Optimizing a Mac System for Pro Tools | First
To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools | First, configure your computer before
launching Pro Tools | First.
Uninstalling Pro Tools | First on
Mac
To uninstall Pro Tools | First on Mac:
1 Make sure you are logged in as an
Administrator for the account where
Pro Tools | First is installed.
2 Go to Applications folder and locate
Pro Tools | First.
3 Drag the Pro Tools | First application to the
trash and empty the trash.
Uninstalling Pro Tools | First on
Windows
To uninstall Pro Tools | First on Windows:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Click Programs and Features.
3 Click Uninstall a program.
4 Select Avid Pro Tools First from the list of
installed applications.
5 Click Uninstall.
6 Follow the on-screen instructions to remove
Pro Tools.
Note that you will have to uninstall plug-ins
(such as Avid Effects), as well as any audio and
MIDI device drivers separately.
For a complete list of recommended optimizations for your operating system, visit
www.avid.com/optimize.
Before configuring your computer, make sure you
are logged in as an Administrator for the account
where you want to install Pro Tools | First. For details on Administrator privileges in Mac OS X, see
your Apple OS X documentation.
Do not use the Mac OS X automatic Software
Update feature, as it may upgrade your system to a version of Mac OS that has not yet
been qualified for Pro Tools. For details on
qualified versions of Mac OS, visit
www.avid.com/compatibility.
Turning Off Energy Saver
To turn off the Energy Saver feature:
1 Choose System Preferences from the Apple
menu.
2 Click Energy Saver.
3 Set the Computer Sleep setting to Never.
4 Set the Display Sleep setting to Never.
5 Deselect “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when
possible”
option.
Pro Tools | First Installation Guide6
Disable or Reassign Mac
Keyboard Shortcuts Used by
Pro Tools
To have the full complement of Pro Tools | First
keyboard shortcuts, you need to disable or reassign
conflicting Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts in the
Apple System Preferences.
To disable or reassign Mac keyboard shortcuts
used by Pro Tools | First:
1 From the Apple menu, choose System Prefer-
.
ences
2 Click Keyboard.
3 Click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
4 You can disable or reassign Mac OS keyboard
shortcuts that conflict with Pro Tools keyboard
shortcuts. The following list includes several
common Mac keyboard shortcuts that, depending on the make and model of your Mac, may
also be used by Pro Tools:
• Under “Launchpad & Dock”
• “Turn Dock Hiding On/Off”
• Under “Mission Control”
• “Mission Control”
• “Application windows”
• “Show Desktop”
• “Show Dashboard”
• “Mission Control > Move left a space”
• “Mission Control > Move right a space”
• “Mission Control > Switch to Desktop n”
• Under “Keyboard & Text Input”
• “Turn keyboard access on or off”
• “Move focus to the window drawer”
• “Move focus to the Dock”
• “Move Focus to active or next window”
• Under “Services”
• “Send File To Bluetooth Device”
• “Search With Google”
• “Spotlight”
• Under “Spotlight”
• “Show Spotlight search field”
• “Show Spotlight window”
• Under “Accessibility”
• “Zoom”
• “Contrast”
• Under “Application Shortcuts”
• “Show Help menu”
Enabling Journaling for Audio
Drives
To yield higher performance from audio drives,
enable journaling.
To enable journaling:
1 Launch the Disk Utility application, located in
Applications/Utilities.
2 Select the volume in the left column of the Disk
Utility window.
3 Select Enable Journaling in the toolbar.
Optimizing a Windows System for Pro Tools | First
To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools | First, configure your computer before
launching Pro Tools | First.
For a complete list of recommended optimizations for your operating system, visit
www.avid.com/optimize.
Before configuring your computer, make sure you
are logged in as an Administrator for the account
where you want to install Pro Tools | First. For details on Administrator privileges, see your Windows documentation.
Installing Pro Tools | First 7
Required Optimizations
To ensure optimum performance with
Pro Tools | First, configure the following settings.
When you are finished changing Windows
system settings, restart your computer.
Disabling User Account Control
10 Select the value in the Setting (Minutes) field
and press Backspace on your computer keyboard or scroll the value to
11 Click OK. The hard disk setting changes to Never
Never.
and the Power Options dialog closes.
12 In the Edit Plan Settings window, click Save
changes
and close the window.
To disable User Account Control (UAC):
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Click User Accounts and Family Safety.
3 Click User Accounts.
4 Click on Change User Account Control settings.
5 Set the slider to Never Notify.
6 Click OK.
Configuring System Standby and Power
Management
When using Pro Tools | First, the Windows System Standby power scheme must be set to Always
On. This prevents long record or playback passes
from stopping due to system resources powering
down.
To configure Windows Power Management:
1 Choose Start > Control Panel.
2 Click on System and Security.
3 Click Power Options.
Pro Tools | First automatically switches to the
“High Performance” Power Management settings on launch. Windows reverts to the previously selected Power Management settings (if
different) when exiting Pro Tools | First. Consequently, when optimizing the Power Management settings for Pro Tools | First, you
should always only optimize the High Performance configuration.
Recommended Optimizations
Pro Tools | First 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 do the
following:
• Avoid running any unneeded programs at the
same time as Pro Tools | First.
• 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
running Pro Tools.
4 Click on the arrow to Show Additional Plans.
5 Select High Performance.
6 Click Change plan settings.
7 Click Change advanced power settings.
8 In the Power Options dialog, reveal Hard disk >
Turn off hard disk after
9 Click Setting option.
Pro Tools | First Installation Guide8
.
Optional Optimizations
The following system optimizations may help
Pro Tools | First 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.
Adjusting Processor Scheduling
To adjust Processor Scheduling performance:
1 Right-click Computer and choose Properties.
2 Click Advanced system settings.
3 Under the Performance section, click the Set-
button.
tings
4 In the Performance Options window, click the
Advanced tab.
5 Under the Processor Scheduling section, select
Background Services option.
the
6 Click OK to close the Performance Options win-
dow.
7 Click OK to close the System Properties win-
dow.
Disabling System Startup Items
The fewer items in use by your computer, the more
resources are available for Pro Tools | First. Some
startup applications may be consuming unnecessary CPU resources, and can be turned off.
5 Afterrestarting, the computer displays a System
Configuration message. Check to see if
Pro Tools performance has increased before
you deselect the
option. If performance has not changed,
again”
“Don't show this message
run “msconfig” and return your computer
Startup Selection back to
all device drives and services
Normal Startup - load
. Alternatively, try
disabling Startup items and non-essential processes individually.
Backing Up Your System
After setting up your system and installing
Pro Tools | First, you should save an image of your
system drive using a backup utility. By doing this,
you can quickly restore your system configuration
and settings if you encounter any problems.
If you disable any of the following startup items,
do so carefully:
• Portable media serial number (required for some
applications that utilize a copy protection key)
• The Plug and Play service
• Event log
• Cryptographic services
To Disable System Startup Items:
1 From the Start menu, type “msconfig” in Start
Search and press Enter to open the System
Configuration Utility.
2 Under the General tab, choose Selective Startup.
3 Deselect Load Startup Items and click OK.
4 Click Restart to restart the computer.
Installing Pro Tools | First 9
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